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Ballot Open for Rare Karuizawa 35 Year Japanese Whisky – Japanese Whisky News

Dekanta

Ballot Open for Rare Karuizawa 35 Year Japanese Whisky

TOKYO — 31 January 2018 – A ballot for dekantā’s Karuizawa The Cities of Japan 35 Year Old Sherry Cask collection, showcasing bottle designs inspired by Japan’s most iconic cities with rare Japanese whisky of the silent distillery, closes Wednesday 7 February at midnight (GMT).

Authentic Japanese spirits retailer dekantā have just announced the opening of their ballot to buy one of the world’s rarest whiskies, a 35 year old single sherry cask whisky, of which only 150 bottles are available, from the closed Karuizawa distillery. Each of the Karuizawa 35 Year Old Cities of Japan Sherry Cask ($12,500, 70cl, 59.4%) bottles carries one of six limited edition designs, embodying the character of Japan’s most exciting and iconic cities, Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, Yokohama and Kobe. Since the Karuizawa distillery ceased production in 2000, demand for Japanese whisky, and the limited Karuizawa stock, has increased dramatically, pushing up prices as a result.

“Karuizawa is synonymous with quality, luxury, and rarity. We’re overjoyed to offer our clients a piece of this legendary silent distillery, and to unveil the beautiful bottle designs honouring six great cities of Japan,” said Makiyo Masa, Founder and Director of dekantā. Through the collection’s six bespoke bottle designs, dekantā aims to take Japanese whisky lovers on a sensual tour of modern Japan; from the never-sleeping Tokyo, through the snowy land of Sapporo in Hokkaido, along Osaka’s edgy streets and Kobe’s stylish fashion-forward districts, on to tranquil Yokohama and vibrant Nagoya.

Winners of the ballot will be offered the opportunity to purchase a bottle of the Karuizawa 35 Year Old Cities of Japan Sherry Cask. Each entry can be for one selection, or multiple selections, from the limited edition designs. The ballot will close at 11.59 GMT on Wednesday 7 February 2018, when ballot winners will be contacted with details on how to complete their purchase. Any winners who do not exercise their opportunity to purchase their allocated bottle within three days will have their winning ballets redrawn, and new winners will be contacted.

To enter the ballot for the Karuizawa 35 Year Old Cities of Japan Sherry Cask, visit dekanta.com/ballot35 to express interest in one or more of the limited design editions, before 11.59 GMT on Wednesday 7 February 2018.

Tasting Notes

This exceptional Karuizawa has spent over three and a half decades maturing in a first fill sherry cask. Over this time, the spirit has been imbued with the flavor and character of the cask to develop a rich, dark and complex nose: opening with notes of liquorice, roasted coffee beans and dark chocolate; cinnamon, ginger and clove make an appearance after the initial intensity has waned. The sherry cask delivers a sweet and creamy palate, peppered with spice, now joined by dark chocolate, umami and succulent forest fruits. Prunes, dates and plums intensify near the finish. The finish is long and satisfying, a reminder of the significant time spent in the cask, bringing cocoa, extra spice and a touch of mango.

Notes:

About dekantā

dekantā offers customers access to the world’s largest online selection of authentic Japanese Spirits and has delivered to 127 countries across every continent in the world. A family owned and run business, dekantā’s founders have been selling collectibles since 1985 and specialize in rare, collectible, and new release single malt Japanese whisky. dekantā offers worldwide delivery on an extensive range of Japanese single malt whisky, Japanese grain whisky and Japanese blended whisky, in addition to Scottish whisky released for the Japanese market only.

Consumers who would like to learn more about Japanese whisky should visit the dekantā website, which boasts the most extensive repository of information dedicated to Japanese whisky, including distillery history and tasting notes for each bottle. Bilingual concierge service is available 24 hours a day, providing expert recommendations in both English and Japanese.

About Karuizawa Distillery

The Karuizawa Distillery was established in 1955 in the foothills of an active volcano Mount Asama. The location was notable for being the highest distillery in Japan at 850m above sea level. Despite being the smallest whisky producer in Japan, Karuizawa had a global reputation for producing first-class malt whiskies. The distillery imported Golden Promise barley from Scotland and aged the majority of its stock in sherry casks. Karuizawa stopped producing whisky in 2000 and has since been known as a ‘silent’ distillery. As global interest in Japanese whisky has grown in recent years, demand for stock from the closed Karuizawa distillery has increased dramatically, along with the price of the remaining bottles.

dekanta.com
Follow dekantā on Twitter: @dekantawhisky
Like dekantā on Facebook: facebook.com/dekantawhisky/

Scotch Malt Whisky Society “Browse the February 2018 Outturn” – Scotch Whisky News

SMWS Feb18

ALERT: VIEW FEBRUARY OUTTURN ONLINE NOW

February Outturn brings 20 rare and romantic drams that are sure to go straight to your heart.

Don’t miss out on your favourite bottlings, click over to our website now and read the full listing ahead of the release on Friday, 2 February at 9am.

VIEW WHISKY        READ OUTTURN

SMWS Ballindalloch

WHISKY MAKING COMPETITION: WIN A COURSE AT BALLINDALLOCH DISTILLERY

Ballindalloch Art of Whisky Making competition

The Society is delighted to offer the prize for one lucky member and their guest to take part in Ballindalloch Distillery’s Art of Whisky Making course in Speyside.

The lucky winner and guest will also have two rooms provided at the nearby Craigellachie Hotel, home to SMWS partner bar The Quaich, for the nights of Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 April.

Fancy getting a hands-on introduction to distilling?

SEE HOW TO ENTER

strong>The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

SMWS LOGO 2017 NEW

 

Glenmorangie Spios at Loch Fyne Whiskies – Scotch Whisky News

Glenmo Spios

Glenmorangie Spìos

The 9th release in the Private Edition series from Glenmorangie distillery, Spìos (pronounced ‘spee-oss’) takes its name from the Gaelic for ‘spice’, reflecting the character of this single malt wholly matured in American ex-rye casks – the first such release from the distillery. Bottled at a strength of 46% abv, free from chill-filtration.

£79 Pre-Order Now
Only while stocks last!

Orders will be dispatched week beginning 5th February

AA LFW Header

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 195: Compass Box Double Single – Scotch Whisky News

MarkNew

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 195: Compass Box Double Single

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries the Compass Box Double Single. Compass Box is not a distillery, not a bottler, but a blender. And even that is a bit of a misnomer, as Mark considers them to be blending artists. After all, their blends are somewhat atypical, sometimes even provocative, but almost always very interesting. Take this Double Single, for example. It is created with 1 single malt (72% Glen Elgin of 24 years old) and 1 single grain (28% of Girvan said to be even older). Hence the name. Let’s see if ‘enfant terrible’ of the whisky industry John Glaser can surprise us once again.

https://youtu.be/JwjHAhCYZVo

Introducing the Latest Limited Edition Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Whisky – Scotch Whisky News

Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Sherry Cask Finish

Introducing the latest limited edition Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Whisky

Johnnie Walker, the world’s No. 1 Scotch Whisky Brand and the biggest selling spirits brand in travel retail has added an exciting new innovation to the Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch series: Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Sherry Cask Finish.

Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch whiskies are the result of more than a hundred ongoing experiments that deliver unique flavours and amazing serves. Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Sherry Cask Finish is the seventh release from this series and the first to launch exclusively in travel retail.

Behind these Blenders’ Batch whiskies is a small team of 12 expert whisky makers, who consistently prove that Johnnie Walker can push the boundaries of what’s possible for flavour in blended Scotch whisky.

Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Sherry Cask Finish

For over a hundred years, the iconic Johnnie Walker Black Label has been crafted with an element of sherry cask maturation. Drawing inspiration from this, and driven by the pursuit of flavour, this new Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch whisky has been matured in sherry casks, enhancing the fruity flavours to create an exceptionally rich and sweet Scotch.

Created with whiskies from distilleries such as Blair Athol, Cardhu and Strathmill, Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Sherry Cask Finish, aged 12 years, is a smooth-sipping dark whisky with notes of sweet vanilla, smoke, raisins and a warming finish of dark chocolate.

“Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch whiskies are the result of bold experiments that push the boundaries in flavour. Taking inspiration from the element of sherry cask maturation in Johnnie Walker Black Label, I was intrigued by the rich and fruity element it brought to the blend. It inspired me to experiment with the sherry cask finish to awaken more of these fruity notes and to add a unique flavour dynamic. The outcome has been extraordinary; Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Sherry Cask Finish is a sweet and rich whisky. It’s the perfect introduction for those who are new to Scotch whisky, but will also excite seasoned whisky lovers.”

Aimée Gibson

Aimée Gibson

Johnnie Walker Blender

Dayalan Nayager, Managing Director of Diageo Global Travel commented “This is a special launch for Diageo Global Travel because it’s exclusive to our customers. You won’t get your hands on this whisky anywhere else, making it the perfect purchase for travellers who want to gift something truly special.

“Travellers are looking for brands that have discovery, authenticity, craftsmanship and real human stories behind them, and there is none better than Johnnie Walker. We are excited to offer a glimpse into the constantly shifting world of flavour exploration from the biggest spirits brand in the channel.”

Cadenhead’s to Open Store in Berlin – Scotch Whisky News

AA Cadenheads

W.M. Cadenhead’s is pleased announce that there is a new Cadenhead’s shop opening in Berlin, Germany.

The shop is being opened by Stefan Bulian. Stefan’s whisky career began about 15 years ago in a pub with a large selection of whisky, including many Cadenhead’s products. Prior to undertaking this exciting new venture, he had been working with the previous Cadenhead shop, Cadenhead’s Whisky Market, for almost 8 years.

The new shop is going to be situated a short walk away from where the old Cadenhead shop was and the address is as follows;

Cadenhead’s Whisky Shop Berlin
Boxhagener Strasse 33
10245 Berlin
Germany

We are sure you will all be looking forward to welcoming Stefan to our whisky family and visiting the new shop. We do not currently have a confirmed opening date but as soon as we do we shall provide you with that information along with the relevant contact details.

And lastly, it is hoped that there will be a new shop in Austria in the future and W.M. Cadenhead’s is currently looking into some options. We will confirm any details with you when we have them.

Slainte

On behalf of W.M. Cadenhead’s.

Whisky Galore Loyalty Scheme – Auction Whisky News

wga cask and still wga logo

With our auction currently live we have decided to launch a brand new and exclusive Loyalty Scheme for all our valued customers that choose to bring their bottles to us at Whisky Galore Auctioneers.

Starting from next month – Our exclusive new promotion begins.

What is this Loyalty Scheme?

Simply, for every 10th bottle you bring to us here at Whisky Galore Auctioneers we will pay YOU the commission that this bottle makes at Auction.

This could be one bottle per month for 10 months ie 10 Month you’ll receive your Loyalty Reward or if you choose to put in a lot of 10 at any one time you will be paid the commission on the 10th bottle.

So, Why choose us ?

Loyalty Scheme.

Commission paid out to YOU on every 10th bottle to you.

FREE to enter your bottle or lot

FREE reserve

Payment made within 14 days of Auction closing.

What have you got to lose – “Certainly not you’re Bottle”!

www.whiskygalore.uk.com

Bourbon Tasting: Smooth Ambler at The Whisky Shop #SFO February 3rd, 2018 – American Whiskey News

TWSSFO1

Saturday, February 3rd 1-3PM:

Bourbon Tasting: Smooth Ambler  

Hailing from West Virginia, Appalachia distillery Smooth Ambler is a world-class spirit crafter. From grinding their own carefully selected regional grains, to labeling and signing each bottle, Smooth Ambler does everything by hand, the old-fashioned way. Their signature bourbon, Contradiction, has been highly praised by mixologists and bourbon fans alike, scoring 96 points in the 2017 American Bourbon category for The Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

We’ll be pouring a variety of favorites and new releases, presented by distillery representatives and our own in-store whiskey experts.

Click Here to RSVP

TWS

Whisky Wednesday Reviews Loch Lomond 12YO – Scotch Whisky News

phil

https://youtu.be/FUGVyWKfVdU

 Who doesn’t love a bit of punk rock spirit? Well, I do and Loch Lomond has it in spades! Four different types of stills, two different types of whisky and four different brands, all under one roof.

Utilizing a very specific type of flavour profile: slightly earth with a wonderful Bourbon cask influenced element of caramel, vanilla and peach. What this distillery are doing excites more than any other in Scotland at the minute. Make some time for this place because i guarantee that they’ll have more than one thing that will blow you away. Cheers.

Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery Toast a Trio of Awards – Scotch Whisky News

Dewars-Aberfeldy-Distillery-Exterior_zpsn209tcte (1)

Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery Toast a Trio of Awards

Aberfeldy, Scotland, December 21, 2017–(W.I. is catchign up!) The team at Perthshire’s Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery is seeing out the year in style, after capturing three industry awards in as many weeks.

The run of success kicked-off with the Scottish Thistle Awards’ regional final for Central East and Tayside, held on 23 November at Prestonfield House in Edinburgh, where Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery emerged victorious in the Best Visitor Attraction category. The experience will now go forward to the national final, which takes place on Thursday 15 March.

The team also received recognition from the business community, at the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Business Star Awards on 24 November, where it picked up the Excellence in Tourism & Leisure Award.

The whisky industry also honoured the visitor experience by naming it the Visitor Attraction of the Year at the Icons of Whisky Scotland 2018 Awards, which took place in Edinburgh on 1 December. Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery will now go head-to-head against the regional winners in Australia, Ireland, America, India and the Rest of the World at the global awards, which will be held in March 2018.

Charlotte Brown, UK Brand Homes General Manager at Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery, says: “We’re thrilled to have picked up these three important awards in such quick succession. The awards recognise our continued investment in the experience over recent years, which we’ve done to establish Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery as a must-see visitor attraction.

“The awards are also a reflection of the hard work put in by the whole team, and I’d like to thank them for the hard work in making every visitor to Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery feel welcome.”

Earlier this year, the experience was enhanced by a new multi-media app, delivered via iPads®, which allows visitors to explore the Dewar’s archive in greater depth. The app, which is provided in 11 languages, also enhances the experience for the distillery’s many international guests.

Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery offers a variety of enjoyable and informative distillery tours to choose from including: the Aberfeldy Tour (£9.50 per adult); Cask Tasting Tour (£17); Connoisseur Tour (£27); and Blender’s Tour (£75).

For more information or to reserve your experience, please visit www.dewarsaberfeldydistillery.com or call +44(0)1887822010.

Aberfeldy Basket

Notes:
Dewar’s world-renowned crafted Highland Single Malt ABERFELDY® has been produced at the Aberfeldy Distillery since 1898 and the visitor experience is located in one of the original buildings.

An extensive refurbishment of the visitor centre was undertaken back in 2014 which saw many of the traditional features of this historical building refurbished. A new dramatic ‘stave tunnel’ installation, made from oak casks, leads visitors from the heritage exhibition to the hosting area. There is also a feature archive wall, which showcases vintage memorabilia, signs and advertising campaigns from throughout Dewar’s history.

The centre’s café boasts a locally sourced menu offering an extensive selection of freshly prepared hot and cold dishes based on the finest ingredients. The welcoming Whisky Lounge provides a homely yet stylish retreat with hand-crafted furniture, large sofas and a cosy fireplace.

The Distillery Shop showcases the full DEWAR’S® Scotch whisky brand portfolio of multi-award winning premium blends including the iconic WHITE LABEL®, DEWAR’S 12-year-old, DEWAR’S 18-year-old and the exclusive DEWAR’S 25-year-old. Visitors can fill their own bottle of exclusively-aged ABERFELDY® single malt from a choice of two hand-selected casks.

Address
Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery, Aberfeldy, Perthshire, PH15 2EB, Scotland. Based 74 miles from Edinburgh and 87 miles from Glasgow

Opening times:
April – October
Monday – Saturday 10:00 – 18:00
Sunday 12:00 – 16:00

November – March
Monday – Saturday 10:00 – 16:00
Sunday Closed
Last admission 1 hour before closing.
Closed over Christmas and New Year, phone for details.

About DEWAR’S
Founded in 1846 by John Dewar, DEWAR’S has grown from a small wine and spirits merchant shop in Scotland, to the world’s most awarded Blended Scotch Whisky. Best known for its iconic DEWAR’S WHITE LABEL, the top selling Blended Scotch Whisky in the USA, it expanded its family to create a portfolio of premium & super premium whiskies including DEWAR’S 12-Years-Old, DEWAR’S 18-Years-Old & the exclusive DEWAR’S 25-Years-old.

The DEWAR’S® brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.


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