PhD student aims to make future of whisky watertight 

World-leading Scotch whisky producer Chivas Brothers is forging ahead with research to help combat the effects of climate change on distillery water resources. Today, the business announced the appointment of Jessica Fennell, a PhD student at the University of Aberdeen, who will work with the firm to identify natural solutions to reduce and manage the impact of water scarcity and rising water temperatures during prolonged warm and dry periods.

Jessica Fennell

The Scotch whisky industry critically depends on a sustainable and good quality water supply; pure Scottish mineral water is one of three ingredients used in the malting, mashing and cooling processes and also when diluting the spirit to reduce its alcoholic strength to the desired level. It is hoped that through the research, Jessica along with Chivas Brothers’ environmental and sustainability team, will identify solutions to preserve this key ingredient, to the benefit of the entire Scotch whisky industry.

Throughout the project, 25-year-old Jessica, originally from Plymouth in Devon, will split her time between the University of Aberdeen and The Glenlivet distillery in Moray, where she will complete field research on the water catchment areas and undertake research and development of hydrological models. This will help to identify the best locations for Nature Based Solutions such as ponds or wetlands for infiltration, or tree planting for shading to manage water flow and temperatures for distilleries.

Jessica said: “I’m really looking forward to starting this PhD project. I’ve always considered myself as being environmentally conscious and believe it is vital for both researchers and those in the industry to work hand in hand to ensure we make good progress in safeguarding important resources, such as water, for the future.

“By working in the field at The Glenlivet distillery, I will be able to really understand how the water catchment works, and hopefully identify the steps distilleries may need to take to make sure they have enough cold water to continue production long into the future. In addition, through the support of the University of Aberdeen and the James Hutton Institute I will have access to the latest modelling and field equipment to help identify if and where these nature based solutions would be most efficient, thereby hopefully benefitting the industry in the long-term.”

In April 2017, Chivas Brothers along with the University of Aberdeen and James Hutton Institute, started the quest to find a suitable student to advance this important research. Out of ~40 applications, Jessica was chosen after impressing the team with her extensive knowledge, experience and passion for environmental sustainability. Chivas Brothers is providing £4,000 in grant funding to support the four-year Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) industrial studentship.

Chivas Brothers has marked water management as one of its strategic focuses within its environmental policy. This is inline with the vision of its parent company, Pernod Ricard, which has been a member of the United Nations CEO Water Mandate since 2010 reinforcing its commitment to the protection of the planet’s water resources.

Gordon Buist, Production Director at Chivas Brothers, said: “Jessica’s appointment marks an important step forward in pioneering this important research. During the project, Jessica will work alongside our experienced environmental and sustainability team to identify and test the effectiveness of novel solutions to manage water flow. This will include identifying the best locations to use these techniques, as these will be dependent on the type of soil, ground cover and land gradient. Our ambition is that this research will provide a solid foundation for further development in the future, and will take us – and the wider industry – one step closer to understanding and securing sustainable water resources in the long term.”

Dr. Josie Geris, Lecturer in Hydrology at the School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, and Jessica’s PhD supervisor added: “We are delighted to welcome Jessica to the University of Aberdeen. She’s an exceptional candidate and her enthusiasm for the project really shone through. We’re excited to see what her research will achieve.  She has vast experience in water management, which we’re confident will benefit Chivas Brothers and the wider Scotch whisky industry as we move forward with this exciting research project.”

Kneads must – whisky and donuts make for a sweet sensation at Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

Whisky aficionados who descend on one of the world’s leading whisky festivals have many hobbies and interests – and one will be sharing his love of donuts and drams at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2018.

The event ‘Here’s Johnny’ is more The Simpsons than The Shining, given donuts are Homer Simpson’s favourite food, and comes all the way from the USA, courtesy of Californian, Johnny Baldaray. He’s commissioned a specialist donut maker in Edinburgh to create some delicious delicacies to sample alongside half a dozen whiskies.

Visiting Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival three years ago, Johnny and his wife Erica developed a love for Speyside single malts, and with a number of whisky and food pairings in the programme, Johnny thought he’d have a go himself, matching the amber nectar to his favourite sweet treat. Back home in America he launched @whiskyanddonuts on social media and now has over 10,000 followers.

It may seem like an unlikely combination, and Johnny admits the concept came about almost by accident.

Johnny explains: “Shortly after our first trip to Scotland in 2015, we invited close friends over for dinner which included tastings of all the whiskies we brought back.  It just so happened that we had picked up a box of donuts from our favourite shop earlier that day, and as the whisky was poured, the donut box made its way to the table.

“Later that night we all shared new year’s resolutions, and mine was to create an Instagram account called @whiskyanddonuts and as they say, the rest is history.”

A return visit to Speyside in 2016 saw Johnny launch a dark chocolate donut at Tomintoul Distillery, with Old Ballantruan, the distiller’s peated range, arousing the curiosity of whisky fans – but he’s the first to admit that not everyone approves.

Johnny says: “Those in attendance during the Tomintoul tour did not hesitate in reaching for a few bites of the donuts.  Some enjoyed the combos more than others, but overall, it shook things up during the tasting in a fun way!

“We have experienced a small share of resistance within our Whisky and Donuts journey, social media allows people to feel invincible with their judgements, and frankly, we get a kick out of that!

“Even more interesting than the disapprovals, are the comments that say we paired the wrong donut!  Personally, I love and embrace the purists in whisky culture, I am far from an expert on the subject and often find inspiration from those who are so devoted to tradition and regiment.”

There are no hard and fast rules for tastings with Johnny who keeps an open book about the type of donuts and whiskies that can be paired as it is purely experimental – and always fun.

However, there are certain flavour combinations that clearly work, with bourbons/bourbon-based brands great with sweet chocolate, port/fruity whiskies tend to match fruit or jelly topped, while smoky/peaty drams work with nuts or custard.

With that said there is no real combination guide as everyone’s palate is different and the whole point is to be willing to mix things up.

Johnny adds: “I think it is too early in our process to say that there are guidelines.  All whiskies work. And more importantly, there is a donut out there for any whisky or the other way around! It may be biased to say that Speyside whiskies work very well, as we obviously hold the region closer to our heart than others but there are so many delicious little characteristics here, that the pairing process is that much more enjoyable.

 “We are especially excited to be teaming up with Deadly Donuts from Edinburgh. The pairing will include six whiskies with a small exclusively made donut to match.  We are in the final stages of the flavour line up, and can’t wait to share this one of a kind session to spark the conversations, laughter and fun.”

Due to interest back home, Johnny has already hosted various pairing sessions with donut shops in the USA and adds: “Craft donut shops are all over the States and many of them are creating amazing and wild pastries that are not only super delicious, but fun to photograph.

“The UK donut scene is not far behind, as we plan to visit a few shops before our arrival in Speyside.”

James Campbell, chairman of Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, says: “Our festival is full of surprises and every year we’re amazed by the innovative additions to the programme which takes in everything from traditional tours and tastings to curious events like pairing whisky and donuts. It goes to show the diversity of our offering, and we really do have something to appeal to all tastes.”

Tickets are still available for a number of the 500 plus events that make up this year’s programme across Speyside including the Here’s Johnny donut and whisky pairing at the Commercial Hotel, Dufftown, on Sunday, May 6. Lots of food-themed events feature in the 2018 programme, including individual quests to find the best whiskies to match bacon rolls, haggis and chocolate, whisky dinners with each course paired with a dram, the chance to sample whisky-flavoured ice cream or dine on steak topped with a malt whisky sauce.

The Festival runs from May 3 to 7 and features behind-the-scenes tours at internationally renowned distilleries not usually open to the public, whisky tasting masterclasses, whisky and food pairings. It has music, outdoors activities and heritage events, meaning the festival offers something for die-hard whisky fans to those who have never tried it before.

For further information and tickets visit www.spiritofspeyside.com. The Festival is also active on social media: facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #dram18

Photographs: Johnny Baldaray brings a new flavour to Spirit of Speyside Whisky festival with his Whisky and Donuts pairing.

Springbank Society – April 2018 Bottling  

The new Society Hazelburn 10yo Sauternes is available to order now!

Hazelburn 10yo Sauternes 53.9%

Cask type;    Refill Sauternes Hogsheads

Distilled;    December 2007

Bottled;     March 2018

Strength;    53.9%

Outturn;    846 bottles

Price;         £50.00

Tasting notes

Nose : Orchard fruits; fresh juicy green apples and pear skins. Rich and creamy; creme brûlée, hints of toffee and Seville Oranges.

Palate : Syrup engulfs the mouth. Honeycomb emerges with milk chocolate, prunes, vanilla sponge cake alongside oak and nut notes.

Finish : Raisins and pecan pie develop, followed by liquorice root, coffee bean and blueberries.

Purchasing and delivery/collection 

The bottle is available to purchase for £50.00.  Given the limited number of bottles available, this release is limited to one bottle per member. 

We will only process email orders.

When you place your order, please supply the following information;

• If you would like to collect it from one of our Cadenhead shops

• If you are based in Canada

• If you have any other delivery preferences (not covered by the points above) then it may be helpful if you include them in your email order.

Once you place your order you will receive an email back letting you know that your order has been received and that a bottle has been reserved for you.  This may take several days.  Please do not be alarmed if you do not hear back immediately.

If you wish for your Society bottle to be sent to a Cadenhead shop for collection only (Edinburgh, London, Berlin, Baden, Cologne and Odense) payment is required before your bottle is despatched to the shop.  The shops are not obligated to send bottles on to another address within their country although if this arrangement has been agreed with a shop there will be a delivery charge from the nominated shop.  We will contact you when your bottle is available to pick up.  There is no delivery charge for sending your bottle to a Cadenhead shop.

Similarly if you wish to pick your bottle up from the Campbelltown shop (we’re sure some of you will be in town for the Malts Festival!) payment is required when you have been notified that a bottle has been reserved for you.  Please also let us know if the Campbeltown shop is holding other bottles for you which you intend to collect at the same time.

Slainte

Springbank Society

Contact the Society at society@springbank.scot to join!

Meet the Master Distiller

Harlen Wheatley of Buffalo Trace is visting Park Ave.

Mark. Your. Calendar.

Calling all Buffalo Trace lovers!

 On Wednesday, April 25th ~ Buffalo Trace Master Distiller, Harlen Wheatley will be here at the Park Avenue Liquor Shop to sample customers on his Eagle Rare 10 year old Bourbon, Sazerac straight Rye, Wheatley Vodka and of course – Buffalo Trace Bourbon.

Mr. Wheatley will sign bottles purchased during the tasting (while supplies last) and chat about but not necessarily limited to…the whiskey world.

He will be here from 3:30pm~6:00pm. Due to expected demand/attendance, we cannot guarantee there will still be available samples or bottles to sign through the entire duration of his visit.

Tell your friends ~ but maybe just your good friends.

Supplies are limited.

Cheers!
Jonathan, Marlon & Eric
The Park Avenue Liquor Shop
270 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
212-685-2442
jonathan@parkaveliquor.com

whiskyconn@gmail.com
eric@parkaveliquor.com
www.parkaveliquor.com

Once again samples and bottles to sign are while supplies last or the end of the event. We are not responsible for any typographical errors or the unsteady hope the 7-1 New York Mets have given us in this early baseball season. Please contact the store with any questions.

The Park Avenue Liquor Shop | 212-685-2442 | 212-689-6247 |  parkaveliquor.com

Personalised Whisky

Give the perfect gift with a personalised bottle of whisky. Each of our own Loch Fyne whiskies and liqueurs and a select few other bottles can be engraved with a personal message to add that special touch to your gift. Whatever the occasion, say it with whisky!

Buy Now

Loch Fyne Range

Here in our workshop on the shores of Loch Fyne we do just one thing, and we do it very well. That’s to know what people like in a whisky. You’ve told us everything we need to know and we’ve heard you, because, like whisky, the skill of listening improves with age.

Buy Now

JUST WHISKY AUCTION LIVE!

Runs from 13^th – 22^nd April

The April Auction features an amazing selection of bottles like new Macallan 50-year-old, Ardbeg Grooves, Glendronach batch 16 single casks, Highland Park King Christian I, Dalmore 40, Macallan Exceptional casks 1-7 and so many more.

Of course, we can’t squeeze all the interesting bottles into one post. Go ahead and check out the auction pages to see them for yourself. Oh, and Good Luck!

www.just-whisky.co.uk

Macallan 50 Years Old – 2018 Release

Brora 22 Years Old 1972 – Rare Malts

Dalmore 40 Years Old

Macallan Exceptional Casks

Bidding runs until the 22^nd April. Bid now!

www.just-whisky.co.uk

Diageo Introduces the Impeccably Crafted 2018 Special Releases Collection

Ten remarkable Scotch Whiskies will be released in limited quantities this autumn, as part of Diageo’s annual Special Releases collection. Eagerly anticipated worldwide by whisky enthusiasts, the limited edition natural cask strength bottlings are meticulously selected each year by the masterful blending team, to form a rare and sought after collection.

Attentively crafted and beautifully packaged, the collection encompasses some of the rarest and oldest whiskies from classic, lesser known and often closed distilleries. Each whisky within the range offers complex flavours of the highest quality, representing a fragment of Scotch Whisky history.

We can now confirm the following bottlings in the outstanding line-up of this year’s collection below, all selected by the skillful Diageo master blending team, for their flavour and historical intrigue:

CARSEBRIDGE 48 year old
ABV 43.2%
Region: Lowlands
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads
No. of bottles: 1,000

CAOL ILA UNPEATED 15 year old
ABV 59.1%
Region: Islay
Cask: Refill & Rejuvenated American Oak Hogsheads and Ex-Bodega European Oak Butts
Limited quantities worldwide

CAOL ILA 35 year old
ABV 58.1%
Region: Islay
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads & Refill European Oak Butts
No of bottles: 3,276

INCHGOWER 27 year old
ABV 55.3%
Region: Speyside
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads
No of bottles: 8,544

LAGAVULIN 12 year old
ABV 57.8%
Region: Islay
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads
Limited quantities available worldwide

OBAN 21 year old
ABV 57.9%
Region: Highlands
Cask: Refill European Oak Butts
Limited availability worldwide

PITTYVAICH 28 year old
ABV 52.1%
Region: Speyside
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads
No of bottles: 4,680

THE SINGLETON OF GLEN ORD 14 year old
ABV 57.6%
Region: Highlands
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads and Ex-Bodega European Oak butts followed by a unique maturation and marrying process
Limited quantities available worldwide

TALISKER 8 year old
ABV 59.4%
Region: Island
Cask: First fill Ex-Bourbon American Oak Hogsheads
Limited availability worldwide

Donald Colville, Diageo’s Global Malts Ambassador, said: “The Special Releases launch is a highlight in our whisky calendar year. It’s a collection that allows both knowledgeable whisky fans and those new to Scotch to hunt out truly unique limited editions. The range delivers memorable taste experiences unlike any other and the exceptional variety and quality of whiskies in this year’s collection will not disappoint.”

The final tenth bottling will be revealed later on in the year, kept as a surprise for the fans and enthusiasts of the collection. Each whisky in the 2018 Special Releases range is a limited edition,rare bottling. These whiskies have been crafted to be cherished and enjoyed responsibly.

For more Malts news please visit: www.malts.com

Distribution/Availability

Autumn 2018, from specialist retailers in Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa and selected Asian markets. Imagery and RRP will be available later in the year.

Additional Information

For the first time since the collection’s launch in 2001, Port Ellen and Brora will not be included in the range. Port Ellen and Brora are among the rarest Single Malt Whiskies still being released and will continue to be available for purchase as annual bottlings outside of the collection. This move follows the news of the re-opening of the Port Ellen & Brora distilleries.

About the Special Releases

During the late 1980s, the benchmark expressions of single malt whiskies from six single malt distilleries became well known under the CLASSIC MALTS name. Interest in older and rarer malt whiskies in general also grew during this period. One product of this was the RARE MALTS, a series of rarer releases begun in 1995, and which ended in 2005. There remained a demand for unusual, distinctive, often older, unrepeatable cask strength bottlings, usually of the CLASSIC MALTS. Such bottlings allowed collectors, connoisseurs and enthusiasts to enjoy and experience remaining older stocks, and/or unusual expressions of a distillery’s character – a treasure trove of priceless malts.

To satisfy this demand, the SPECIAL RELEASES series was born in 2001, and the annual collection – with familiar names and some surprises – has been eagerly awaited by enthusiasts ever since.

DIAGEO

Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com. Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

Glenmorangie’s Vintage Collection honours former still house’s final spirit

The Chefs of Maltstock

Maltstock veterans have known this for a long time, probably our most important working-guests are Wullie (from Scottish restaurant the Hielander in Alkmaar) and his crew serving you the best full Scottish breakfast in the world. The best way to start a relaxed Maltstock day! Would you rather have a sandwich? No problem! We’ll provide for that as well! http://www.schotsrestauranthielander.nl

We all love our Friday night Pizza. So this year our Pizza man will be present on our 10th Anniversary! http://www.ecopizza.nl

The midnight snack will be present as well! on both Friday and Saturday no one has to go to bed hungry! Bitterballen galore! (or kroketten if Peter MacKay finally decides to join!)

Sweets and treats from our Chef Without Restaurant: We don’t want to have to do without them. Inge Lanckacker will be present at Maltstock again this years well. http://www.chefzonderrestaurant.be

And on Saturday we’ll BBQ the day with our prize winning butcher: Keurslager Dekkers http://www.dekkers.keurslager.nl/

On Saturday, to accompany you to your Masterclass or at the sharing tables in the square, we’ll provide ample ‘belegde broodjes’ as lunch, late breakfast or early re-dinner for you.

And last but not least: Our fruit corner will be available too this year. Grab an apple, bunker a banana, or orate on an orange. Or, if anything else fails, use the fruit as evidence that Maltstock is a very healthy and relaxed event, which we are of course!

We are very happy to announce the second appearance of Single Cask Nation at Maltstock. Last year Joshua Hatton had so much fun, that he asked us if he could do this again. We all loved his first appearance and now we look very much forward to his second one. If you failed to visit his first masterclass or if you loved it very much: You will get a relaxed second chance to see him at Maltsock 2018. https://singlecasknation.com

Tickets are available

Tickets for Maltstock 2018 are available in our new webshop. We now offer different payment options. Unfortunately the Cabins are sold out but all other options are still available.

Click here to go to our webshop

Blair Athol 22 Year Old First Editions

ABV: 57.7%
AGE: 22 Year Old
VINTAGE: 1995
CASK TYPE: Sherry Butt
CASK #: #14656
BOTTLER: Hunter Laing & Co.

Blair Athol 22 Year Old 1995 vintage Highland single malt Scotch whisky. Single cask sherry butt #14656 bottled 2018 by Hunter Laing & Co. for the First Editions series. 234 bottles. A peppery nose with notes of citrus fruit and green moss. The palate is spicy with cinnamon, as well as red berries and fresh tea. The finish is long, with lingering pepper and spice.​ Blair Athol Distillery was established in 1798 in Pitlochry and with footprints in four centuries it is one of oldest working malt whisky distilleries in Scotland. Purchased by Arthur Bell & Sons in1933 it is the spiritual ‘home’ of Arthur Bell’s range of blended scotch whisky complete with distillery visitor centre and Blair Athol Distillery tours. Although a large proportion of Blair Athol’s malt whisky cascades into blends, Bell’s to be precise, independent bottlings of Blair Athol single malts feature in the popular Connoisseurs Choice and Signatory Vintage ranges.

Buy – £106.67