Enjoy Award-Winning Malts By Moonlight This Weekend

The Birmingham Whisky Club has teamed up with Thinktank Science Museum and Talisker to bring Birmingham a tasting of galactic proportions.

You don’t need to be an astronaut to get ‘up close and personal’ with the Moon this Saturday. This very special event will give the whisky curious an opportunity to taste through six incredible drams from the Talisker distillery, led by renowned whisky expert Colin Dunn, under the light of Luke Jerram’s incredible ‘Museum Of The Moon’ installation. With the whisky lineup including the brands 25 year old and 30 year old bottlings (the latter costing over £350 on its own), it’s sure to be an interstellar evening.

This event is being held as part of the ‘Museum Of The Moon’ national tour (now open at Thinktank Museum) and gives attendees an exclusive chance to enjoy the installation whilst the museum is closed to the general public. Measuring seven metres in diameter, the installation is a fusion of lunar imagery, moonlight and surround sound musical composition created by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award-winning composer Dan Jones. Created by artist Luke Jerram, the installation uses detailed imagery from NASA of the lunar surface to create a scale replica of the moon (approximate scale of 1:500,000).

Colin Dunn, Diageo Reserve Whisky Ambassador said: “We are really excited to be working with The Birmingham Whisky Club to present this fantastic line up of whiskies in such an exceptional setting.

Talisker is the only Single Malt Whisky on the shores of the Isle of Skye, one of the most remote, yet beautiful landscapes in Scotland. I hope that presenting these whiskies alongside the moon will evoke the tidal and rugged landscape of where they’re produced and take the audience on a journey to Scotland as they taste through the selection.”

Amy Seton, Owner of The Birmingham Whisky Club said: “We are delighted to be working with Luke Jerram to showcase these amazing whiskies in an unusual and creative way. We look forward to welcoming Colin to Birmingham for this extraordinary tasting event.”

The exclusive tasting will be held on Saturday 5^th August 2017 and there are two time slots to choose from (5:30pm – 7:00pm or 8:00pm – 9:30pm). Tickets can be purchased here. Prices start at £30 and include an expert led tasting through six different whiskies. Discounted tickets are available for members of the Birmingham Museums Trust and The Birmingham Whisky Club.

Notes

For information about The Birmingham Whisky Club please visit thebirminghamwhiskyclub.co.uk or contact Amy Seton on 07966 266511 or email Vicky@birminghamwhiskyclub.co.uk.

About The Birmingham Whisky Club

The Birmingham Whisky Club is Birmingham’s only dedicated whisky tasting events company. We offer a diverse range of tutored tastings and whisky-themed events in and around Birmingham, including themed and rare whisky night’s, events with distilleries, whisky and food matching, and private and corporate events. We welcome everyone, from complete beginners to the more hardened whisky buff.

Visit our webpage www.thebirminghamwhiskyclub.co.uk or find us on Facebook.

About Museum of the Moon and Luke Jerram  

www.my-moon.org

Museum of the Moon is a new touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram.

Luke Jerram’s multidisciplinary practice involves the creation of sculptures, installations and live arts projects. Living in the UK but working internationally for 20 years, Jerram has created a number of extraordinary art projects which have excited and inspired people around the globe. Jerram has a set of different narratives that make up his practice which are developing in parallel with one another. He is known worldwide for his large scale public artworks.

In Birmingham he has previously presented his world famous installation Play Me I’m Yours with dozens of pianos distributed across the city to play. His hot air balloon artwork Sky Orchestra launched from the Think Tank in collaboration with the Fierce Festival. The Think Tank also hosted his Dream Concert back in 2005. www.lukejerram.com

For more information on Thinktank and Birmingham Museums, visit their website.

“Scoth Malt Whisky Society Netherlands” 

Join Pat Dunlop and the lovely Mrs. Whiskymafia as they attend their first Scotch Malt Whisky Society tasting in the Netherlands. Hosted by none other than newly appointed SMWS Benelux Ambassador Hans Offringa, the event was filled with merriment, fine single cask whiskies and a very special Netherlands exclusive bottling.

Please click HERE to read the article

Bladnoch Talia 25 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Lowland

49.2%

Introducing Inchmoan: From the Island of the Peat 

Loch Lomond Whiskies has unveiled two exceptional new single malts from its Island Collection – Inchmoan 12 Year Old and Inchmoan Vintage 1992.

Since 1814, the Loch Lomond Distillery has been producing the finest single malt and single grain whisky.  Situated on the banks of Loch Lomond it takes its name from the most picturesque and famous of all Scotland’s lochs – often referred to as one of the world’s natural wonders.

The Inchmoan range are peated whiskies expertly married together by the Master Blender to complement the unique flavour and character of the Loch Lomond Distillery. Inchmoan single malts are part of the distillery’s Island Collection alongside Inchmurrin, epitomising the diverse range of flavour profiles possible from the distillery’s unique still configuration. Each range within the collection takes their names from the islands on Loch Lomond.

Each expression is as subtly different as the islands themselves, developing unique characteristics which distinguish them from their neighbours. ‘Inch-moan’ means ‘the island of the peat’ in Scottish Gaelic as for centuries, the mainland inhabitants used Inchmoan Island as their source of peat fuel for village fires.

Inchmoan 12 Year Old is born from a combination of malt whiskies from the distillery’s traditional swan neck and unique straight neck pot stills to create an unconventional peat character with depth, marrying smoke and spiciness.

Matured for 12 years in a combination of re-charred American oak and refill bourbon American oak casks, it imparts sweet vanilla background notes that complement the soft peat style of Loch Lomond’s unique still set up.  It is bottled at 46% ABV and non chill-filtered, resulting in a smooth taste.

Limited release, Inchmoan Vintage 1992 is an exquisite single malt whisky distilled in 1992 from Scotland’s finest ingredients exclusively in the distillery’s unique straight neck pot still and collected at high strength.

Aged for 25 years, the long maturation in refill bourbon barrels allows the spice-driven peat and fruit distillery character to combine with the softer influence of refill bourbon barrels to give a truly integrated, refined flavour. The result is an elegant, rich single malt with a beautiful balance of fruit and spicy peat.  It is bottled at 48.6% ABV and non chill-filtered for a smooth taste and natural colour.

Michael Henry, Master Blender at Loch Lomond distillery said: “Our intriguing new Inchmoan expressions have been created to celebrate the history and heritage of the island and are the first heavily peated releases in the Loch Lomond Whiskies range.

“I have selected three different spirits each bringing a unique peat characteristic, whether that’s spicy, medicinal peat or smoky peat, to the Inchmoan 12 Year Old. This combination creates a balanced, complex peat character highlighting some of the softer, spicier peat notes often masked by heavier peat flavours.”

Inchmoan 12 Year Old is available to buy in 70cl bottles at all good independent whisky retailers and online. Prices start from £44 for Inchmoan 12 Year Old and £199 for Inchmoan Vintage 1992.

For further information, visit www.lochlomondwhiskies.com

Inchmoan 12 Year Old Tasting Notes

• Nose – Dry, smouldering peat smoke with vanilla syrup and cracked black pepper.
• Palate – Sweet, medicinal peat and smoked bacon lead into roasted coffee bean with spice notes of clove and star anise. Warming spiciness combines with green apple and pear as fruit character develops.
• Finish -. Long, waxy peat with citrus hop note and gooseberry. 

Inchmoan Vintage 1992 Tasting Notes

• Nose – Gentle medicinal peat and toasted oak, creamy vanilla and herbal peppermint.
• Palate – Balanced and refined. Well integrated flavours of peat and fruit distillery character and subtle wood notes. Sweet medicinal character softly impacts with juicy pineapple before vanilla pods and cinnamon complete the mid‑palate.
• Finish -. Long warming cinnamon and nutmeg with elegant, rich oak.

About the Loch Lomond Group:

• Loch Lomond Group is an independent distiller based in Alexandria and is home to several award-winning spirit brands that are sold in more than 100 countries worldwide.
• Loch Lomond distillery has been producing the finest single malt whisky since 1814.
• Images and interviews with key staff from the Group are available upon request.
• www.lochlomondgroup.com

About the brands:

Loch Lomond Whiskies:

• Loch Lomond 12 Year Old has been awarded Gold Medal status at 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
• Other expressions in this collection are Loch Lomond Original; Loch Lomond 18 Year Old; Loch Lomond Classic; Loch Lomond Signature and Loch Lomond Single Grain.
• Official social media accounts are Twitter: @LochLomondMalts Instagram: @lochlomondmalts

Loch Lomond Inchmurrin:

• Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 12 Year Old has been awarded Gold Medal status at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition; 2016 International Wine & Spirit Competition and 2016 World Whisky Awards
• Other expressions in this collection are Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 18 Year Old, Loch Lomond and Inchmurrin Madeira Wood Finish

Loch Lomond Inchmoan:

• The other expression in this collection is Loch Lomond Inchmoan 1992 Vintage.

Other brands from the Loch Lomond Group:

• Glen Scotia Single Malt Scotch whisky (www.glenscotia.com ) Twitter: @GlenScotiaMalts)
• Littlemill Single Malt Scotch whisky (Twitter: @LittlemillMalt)
• Glengarry Single Malt Scotch whisky
• High Commissioner Blended Scotch whisky
• Glen’s Vodka / Glen’s Platinum Vodka

Hi folks, that’s us live with the 76th auction!

And what a blistering barnstormer of an auction it is! With over four and half thousand bottles, there’s simply such an overabundance of awesomeness, that trying to select just a few bottles to wax lyrical about is a tall order indeed.

Still, it’s a nice problem to have…

If we’re being totally honest, we probably have a tendency to fixate on single malt whiskies here at SWA HQ, but this month heads have been turned, and jaws have been dropped by a bottle of Johnnie Walker! Who’d have thunk it? Obviously this isn’t just any old Johnnie Walker, but rather one bottled nearly 100 years ago! It’s as old as the Striding Man himself.

Another thing we’re often guilty of overlooking is whiskey with an “e” from Ireland. However, this handsome 1950s bottle of John Jameson & Sons whiskey, distilled at their original Bow Street distillery, is difficult to ignore.

Hardly a month goes by when we don’t have some show stopper of a Macallan to fawn over, but this month brings something extra special. Feast your eyes on the mighty 55 Year Old Macallan Lalique! This titan heads a lineup of Macallans including several epic 1960s and 70s vintages.

However, if you prefer your speysiders to be a little more (lets say) understated then we’ve got the bottle for you in the form of this 1936 Mortlach 45 Year Old from Gordon & MacPhail’s Connoisseur’s Choice range. Yeah, G&M may have bottled older Mortlachs since, but there’s just something wonderfully unassuming about this bottle that we love.

As you all know by now, it doesn’t end there. And as usual all the big hitters are well represented this month with something for everyone in the mix, so don’t let us keep you. Dive in and explore this month’s monster auction.

And remember! Don’t lose your bottle…

PAYDAY EARLY BIRD OFFER LESS THAN 100 TICKETS REMAINING 

For a limited time only, enjoy a masterclass experience with your Whisky Live ticket and receive 10% discount

THE DATE

Friday 23 March & Saturday 24 March 2018

THE VENUE

The Honourable Artillery Company Armoury House, City Road, London EC1Y 2BQ

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS

Whisky Live London returns to the Honourable Artillery Company once again, featuring over 100 fine whiskies for you to enjoy, more food and whisky pairings than ever before and a jam-packed schedule of Masterclasses! Whether a whisky enthusiast, a newcomer to the world of whisky, or just seeking a day out at a fantastic event, Whisky Live has something to offer everyone.

Whisky Live London runs over two days:

Friday 23 March 5pm to 10pm (4pm VIP entry)

Saturday 24 March 12 noon to 5pm (11am VIP entry)

All tickets include a specified masterclass entry to the show, samples of exhibited whiskies, hot food served buffet-style, a Whisky Live tasting glass, food and whisky combination samples and Whisky Live show guide.

Book signings 

EXCLUSIVE EARLY BIRD OFFER LESS THAN 25 TICKETS IN EACH SESSION REMAINING 

Full Day Entrance Ticket Friday 23 March – £85 with 5.30pm masterclass

Entrance to Whisky Live London on Friday 23 March from 5pm – 10pm with a 5.30pm masterclass Includes hot food, tasting glass and show guide.

Full Day Entrance Ticket Friday 23 March – £85 with 6.45pm masterclass

Entrance to Whisky Live London on Friday 23 March from 5pm – 10pm with a 6.45pm masterclass Includes hot food, tasting glass and show guide.

Full Day Entrance Ticket Friday 23 March – £85 with 7.45pm masterclass

Entrance to Whisky Live London on Friday 23 March from 5pm – 10pm with a 7.45pm masterclass Includes hot food, tasting glass and show guide.

Full Day Entrance Ticket Friday 23 March – £85 with 8.45pm masterclass

Entrance to Whisky Live London on Friday 23 March from 5pm – 10pm with a 8.45pm masterclass Includes hot food, tasting glass and show guide.

Full Day Entrance Ticket Saturday 24 March – £85 with 1pm masterclass

Entrance to Whisky Live London on Saturday 24 March from 12pm – 5pm with a 1pm masterclass Includes hot food, tasting glass and show guide.

Full Day Entrance Ticket Saturday 24 March – £85 with 2.15pm masterclass

Entrance to Whisky Live London on Saturday 24 March from 12pm – 5pm with a 2.15pm masterclass Includes hot food, tasting glass and show guide.

Full Day Entrance Ticket Saturday 24 March – £85 with 3.30pm masterclass

Entrance to Whisky Live London on Saturday 24 March from 12pm – 5pm with a 3.30pm masterclass Includes hot food, tasting glass and show guide.

Masterclasses

Friday

Masterclass hosts will be confirmed closer to the event

17:30-18:15

18:45-19:30

19:45-20:30

20:45-21:30

Saturday

Masterclass hosts will be confirmed closer to the event

13:00-13:45

14:15-15:00

15:30-16:15

MASTERCLASS TICKETS NOW ON SALE 

THE ART OF INNOVATION WITH DR BILL LUMSDEN SUNDAY 1 OCTOBER 3.45PM

Many distilleries experiment with wood, but few actually release the results for the world to see. Back in the early 1990’s, Glenmorangie did exactly this, releasing a range of whiskies matured in brand-new casks made from different varieties of oak. Dr Bill Lumsden, the mastermind of the experiment, will be joining us to lead this class, giving us a chance to try these long-sold-out whiskies. Starting from The Glenmorangie Original 10 Year Old, the class will jump into the effect of different types of oak on whisky, ending with an unreleased experimental dram, specially selected by Bill Lumsden for the class. This is a rare chance not only to try a range of rare whiskies from Glenmorangie, but also hear about their creation from the man behind the drams.

Join Glenmorangie whiskymaker Dr Bill Lumsden to discover the distillery’s experimental past and how these whiskies shaped its future releases.

BOOK

Nikka Single Cask 1990 

Miyagikyo 19 Year Old Sherry Cask

We have been lucky enough to source just one bottle of this Single Cask Miyagikyo Single Malt from Nikka. This was part of a unique cask sent to Europe in 2009 and is completely unavailable everywhere we look. With fantastic reviews, this bottle is great for both investment and/or drinking! We even showed some of the managers at Nikka, who were surprised to see that bottle still around!  £1999.95

For information call the shop on 0207 734 2277 

Alternatively email Jolyon at jolyon@milroys.co.uk

The Lindores Distilling Co Ltd

Being half an hour from Liz and Paul, it is a must see distillery in progress, a crime not to travel this short distance for a new (we say new, but read on) distillery on the doorstep. The earliest Written Reference to distilling taking place on this site was as early as 1494, most probably long before that. Lindores Abbey, or the ‘Church by the Water’, was founded in 1191 by David Earl of Huntingdon, on land overlooking the River Tay (which by the way runs past my hoose – almost), given to him by his brother King William I of Scotland “the lion”. Lindores Abbey was visited by Kings and Queens (including Edward I of England, John Balliol, David II, James III and IV), warriors and statesmen, even big man Willie Wallace took refuge with 300 of his men after their victory over the English at the nearby Battle of Black Earnside (that’s another blog for another day). By the end of the Reformation, the Abbey was beginning to be dismantled (with the Abbey clock purchased by Edinburgh Town Council), but by the 17th Century, it was being used as a quarry, with slate, stone and carvings being taken and used in the building of many houses in neighbouring Newburgh, basically everyone pinching what materials they wished to build with, shame.

We are well-underway with the build and the countdown has started to the day when the stills are run for the first time. The distillery is being created by converting and enlarging the old Abbey farm steading, which was built from original Abbey stone. The glass-fronted stillroom looks directly out over the Abbey grounds. The water comes from a borehole near the distillery, the same supply used in 1494. The barley is grown on their own land, malted and then mashed in a conventional, semi-lauter tun supplied by distillery fabricators, Forsyths of Rothes. Fermentation is in wooden washbacks, supplied by Joseph Brown of Dufftown, yeasts, including an ancient local strain still present naturally at the distillery, with three Forsyths copper pot stills, one large wash still and two smaller spirit stills, creating a clean and delicate flavour in the spirit. The single estate Single Malt whisky (where have you heard that phrase before? Aye, Ballindalloch) will be made with Lindores barley, yeast and water, and so will be very influenced by the yearly farming cycles and natural rhythms of the land. Maturation – a warehouse behind the distillery, experimenting with temperature and evaporation in a way never before done with any scale in Scotland. Should be interesting. The Lindores Abbey Farm was bought by Drew McKenzie Smith’s grandfather in 1913. Like his father before him, Drew now holds the title of ‘Custodian of Lindores’.

So, how was our visit? Well, slightly disappointing if honest. The wee girl showing us around knew the history and patter, but stumbled on a few whisky questions, we both felt is will be more of a tourist attraction than a distillery. Good luck to them, it has been done very well, but am thinking our usual whisky geeks will be left like we were, something missing. To end, we will go back again another time when open and review again, in fact – Paul will be there next April with Ingvar Ronde.

The Lindores Distilling Co Ltd   Lindores Abbey House Abbey Rd Newburgh Fife KY146HH Scotland.

Review by Paul McLean, www.mcleanscotland.com  www.whiskytours.scot

COPPER DOG WHISKY TAKES OVER HAMBURG FOR THE MOTHER OF ALL STREET PARTIES.

Local’s came in their droves to revel in the famous Speyside hospitality and spilled into the street for a party to be remembered.

Copper Dog went off the leash on Wednesday night in Hamburg, Germany, at Rehbar pub. The exclusive event began with a select crowd who came to experience a taste of Scotland. The cheeky Scotch was a hit with the locals and momentum for the evening grew and music offered by The Cuban Brothers on the back of a truck was a perfect party starter befitting the brands free spirited ethos. The evening was one to remember as everybody got into the party spirit, with more and more people arriving to taste the tipple and dance the night away. Before long, news travelled and thousands of people were spilled onto the road and shut down the road down with their celebratory mood, eventually being shut down by the local police.

Finally, there is a Scotch whisky that brings people together, from the strong community of Speyside to that of Hamburg, these revellers partied spontaneously because of no reason at all. Copper Dog is a Scotch everybody can pronounce, and everybody will enjoy!

What is a Copper Dog? Copper Dog originates from the ingenious method by which distillery workers used to filch a dram or three of whisky to take home. They would solder a penny to one end of a small copper tube and fit a cork in the other, smuggling their bounty out in their clothing. As the name suggests, Copper Dog Scotch was built on mischief, that is accessible, drinkable and mixable.

Speyside is an area of great craftsmanship and the largest whisky region in the world, remarkably home to 70% of all Scotch. Now Copper Dog whisky has been created in the heart of the region, blending eight Speyside single malts, with great skill for 6 months to create a liquid that has a beautiful diversity of flavors. Originating from The Craigellachie Hotel, built in 1893, the hotel and its pub has forever been popular with local highland travellers and distillery workers. In 2014, the pub was renamed Copper Dog, and a whisky of the same name was created that would have heart of Speyside plus a cool and modern take on what is an incredibly traditional craft. Master blender Stuart Morrison says, “The diversity of flavors created in Speyside is evident throughout – to me Copper Dog is a true representation of the region”.