Edinburgh’s First Single Malt Whisky Distillery for 90 years Launches Fundraising Drive 

UK investors have the opportunity to invest in a brand new single malt whisky and spirits distillery which will see malt distilling brought back to Edinburgh for the first time in 90 years.

Holyrood Distillery has launched a £5.5 million funding drive to help fund the balance of its ambition to create a distillery and pioneering visitor centre, spanning 11,969 sq ft, in the heart of Scotland’s capital.

Led by Johnston Carmichael, the fundraising launch marks the latest milestone in the distillery’s development, following the City of Edinburgh Council’s decision last year to approve development of the historic Engine Shed building and site on St Leonard’s Lane into a distillery and visitor centre.

The funds will be used to renovate the 180-year old City-owned building, purchase and install equipment, create the visitor experience and provide working capital to cover the early costs of start-up and production.

A joint development by David Robertson, former Master Distiller for The Macallan, and Rob and Kelly Carpenter, founders of the Canadian branch of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Holyrood Distillery will be Edinburgh’s first single malt whisky distillery since Glen Sciennes closed in the 1920s.

The distillery will produce a range of single malts, gins, liqueurs and other spirits. Its innovative approach to ingredients, distilling processes and maturation will set Holyrood apart from more traditional approaches.

The visitor centre – Holyrood’s ‘Home of Flavour’ – will provide an immersive sensory and educational experience aimed at enlightening and delighting its visitors as they explore the world of flavour.

Distilling of Holyrood whisky will begin in late 2018, with bottles hitting the shelves as early as 2021, but only if they meet the distillery’s quality standards.  Holyrood’s ‘flavour first’ focus will be brought to life early in 2018 with prototype gins and liqueurs for test marketing. Products will then be produced ready for the distillery opening to the public later in 2018.

Rob Carpenter, Managing Director, Holyrood Distillery said:  “We feel truly fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of bringing single malt distilling back to Edinburgh after far too long an absence. Kelly, David and I all love our spirits and we’re incredibly enthusiastic about making flavour-filled single malts, gins and other cool tipples as well as creating an experience which allows our visitors to truly immerse themselves in the world of Holyrood. We are confident that by placing a working distillery in the heart of Edinburgh’s capital, with the visitor numbers and cash flow that is expected to provide, we are creating something that is quite different from the typical distillery start-up.”

Treat dad to a limited edition cask of the Cotswolds’ first-ever Single Malt whisky this Father’s Day

Looking for a unique Father’s Day gift and one he’ll treasure for years to come? Then treat him to a limited edition cask of the Cotswolds Distillery’s first ever Single Malt whisky, ahead of the big day on 18^th June.

This rare opportunity offers dads the chance to visit the distillery – based in the leafy Warwickshire countryside – fill their very own numbered cask and watch it age into the distillery’s distinctive Single Malt, the first to be distilled in this area of the UK.

Containing 200 litres of the premium spirit, the barrels are American oak first-fill ex-Bourbon, delivering a traditional finish with characteristic vanilla, honey and tropical fruit flavour notes. These perfectly complement the light, fruity character of the distillery’s spirit, which was awarded 94/100 ‘Liquid Gold’ in the last two editions of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

Ten years’ storage in the distillery’s bonded warehouse will be provided, but lucky recipients can opt to age their whisky for as long as they want, perfecting the liquid to suit their palette with annual check ins.

A certificate of ownership and expert advice from their team of whisky connoisseurs will also be included in the 2,995 price tag.

Only a limited number of this one-of-a-kind gift are available for purchase. Visit www.cotswoldsdistillery.com and give your dad the gift he deserves this Father’s Day.

The details:

• Recipient will receive a commemorative certificate with the number of the cask
• At the bottling stage, recipients will be responsible for bottling and labelling costs, excise duty and VAT costs
• Additional years of storage are available at 25 per year
• Thinking a barrel is too much whisky for you? No worries, Cotswolds Distillery provide three different options to suit your needs:
  • Bottling of 1/3 of your cask at no additional charge to you, in which the distillery retain 2/3 of the barrel;
  • Or if you change your mind, you have the option of selling the cask back to the distillery under bond. 

Notes

• The Cotswolds Distillery began production on its idyllic North Cotswolds site in September 2014 and already has an award-winning product – Cotswolds Dry Gin – on sale nationally and in over 15 countries.  Key national accounts include M&S, Majestic, Oddbins, Laithwaites, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, and Fortnum & Mason.
• Its young Cotswolds Single Malt, made entirely using local Cotswolds barley, was recently rated as ‘Liquid Gold’ – scoring 94 out of 100 points – by noted whisky writer Jim Murray, in both the 2016 and 2017 editions of his Whisky Bible.  It will officially become whisky (3 years and 1 day in the cask) at the end of September 2017, with the Inaugural Release scheduled for the first week of October.
• The distillery has become a premier local attraction, offering tours and tastings daily, and receives nearly 15,000 visitors a year.  It represents an investment of 5 million, much of which was by the founder, but also through local investors and its highly successful ‘Angels’ Share’ crowdfunding round in 2016.

New arrivals at Park Ave.
Father’s Day ideas: wink, wink – cough, cough

Dad’s Hat ~ Straight Rye  

A lush and complex rye in the classic, spicy Pennsylvania Style. The nose reveals rye grass and burnt sugar with hints of vanilla. The flavor coats the tongue in layers of pepper and cinnamon spice, green apple, fig and cocoa powder with a long smooth and lingering finish.  “fresh but fully realized at just 3 years.”  ~ Clay Risen author of American Whiskey Bourbon & Rye reports $65/btl

Copper Dog ~ Blended Whiskey

A blended malt Scotch whisky named after a little piece of kit used once upon a time by distillery workers to covertly sneak whisky home. Eight different whiskies from Speyside were combined to create this well-balanced blend, which was designed to be well-suited for enjoying in cocktails and mixed drinks. Nose: Peach, pear and dried apple. Classic Speysider honey’d cereal notes. Palate: Chocolate digestives, nutty malt, orange peels and soft simmering spices.Finish: Baked goods and honey-covered fruit.” (notes from Master of Malt) $33/btl

Woodford Reserve Bourbon
WhiskyLive Hall of Fame bottle
Exclusive to Park Ave. Liquor Shop

This single barrel bottling, is a Hall of Fame edition celebrating of Master Distiller, Chris Morris’ induction into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame. The Park Avenue Liquor Shop is honored to be the exclusive NY retailer for this bottle. Distillery Tasting notes: “This unique barrel of Woodford Personal  Selection Bourbon is Sweet, Nutty and Malty; soft and smooth with notes of Oak, mild chocolate, pecans and light touch of toasted coconut.” Mash bill =  72% Corn/ 18% Rye / 10% barley . Limited to 162 bottles. $75/Liter bottle

Glenfiddich Experimental Series #2
Project XX

Glenfiddich asked its 20 ambassadors to choose their favorite cask from the distillery’s warehouses. From the character of these casks, malt master Brian Kinsman created a new, experimental whisky – Project XX. Notes from Billy Abbott (The Whisky Exchange). NOSE Barley sugar and lardy cake (spiced bread) are followed by dry cinnamon and nutmeg notes. Then things get juicy, with pine needles, freshly peeled orange zest, lime jelly and hints of Haribo candy. Water adds in layers of fruity toffee.PALATE Chocolate-covered caramels, black pepper, orange cream and singed orange peel lead things, with milk-chocolate truffles and hazelnuts bringing up the rear. Water reveals the toffee from the nose on the palate as well as adding sweet stewed apples and sharp Granny Smiths. FINISH Dry and softly spicy to start, with sweet hints of digestive and shortbread biscuits building with butter and spice. $90/btl

Whisky An’A’That 2017 Festival Quaich Challenge

Robbie’s Drams Whisky Merchants are delighted to announce the winning results from last weeks festival.

These whiskies were chosen by the attendees on the day as their favourites and over 80% of our discerning guests cast a vote.

First Place

Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Gran Reserva Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Second Place

Glenfarclas 25 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Third Place

Berry Brothers & Rudd Glen Garioch 1989 24 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Many Congratulations to Bill Bowman of Ayr who was the lucky winner of a £50 Gift Voucher.

‘Funky, feisty and youthful’, three words that a friend or loved one may be over the moon to hear. We’re offering Society membership plus this sweet, fruity and mellow 8-year-old whisky for only £80. The perfect gift for the fun-loving whisky enthusiast, especially with Father’s Day fast approaching

VIEW OFFER

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

Questions for Peter at our dram tasting in Perth

Age is but a number, a whisky tasting with Carn Mor in Perth

by Paul Maclean of Whisky Tours

Age is but a number, they must have been thinking about me! A whisky evening at Exel in Perth, with Peter MacKay (Morrison MacKay), Keron and Denise of Exel, with a number of whisky lovers, plus myself – dragged kicking and screaming at 6.15. Hello’s out of the way, why am I always first to arrive? Peter started us off right away with a dram of Original Old Perth; I have tried this many an occasion, do like it. It is a blend of malts, no grain here! Mainly an Aultmore and now up to batch 5. Says it all eh! We started the taste off properly with a Carn Mor Strictly Limited bottle of Glen Garioch, like my second wife, this had great legs, non chill no colour added, just a very good 5 yo, 46%, one of only 665 bottles from 2 Bourbon casks – obviously the Devil had bottle 666. Next along was a Strictly Benrinnes, hoggie casks, most of this distillery liquid goes to JW Black, so M&M have rescued it from a fate worse than death. Followed by another Strictly – Dufftown 7 yo, 46%, wood from an Austrian wine cask no less, I had to drink it, people were looking at me. Our final Strictly was a nice dram from a Sherry Shipper (butt) – Glenrothes, what I call a “kind whisky”, easy and even a novice would love it.

For world whisky day celebrations our dram list at Exel Wines

Then I was forced to accept a 21 year old Mortlach – they made me do it. The majority of this product ends up wasted in a JW, a real waste. One of my all time favourite drams, with a cult following. I certainly follow it, like a donkey after a carrot on a stick, by far the star of the night for me (and Keron). It’s no often I get my hands on a 21 year old these days, this was bottled only a week and a half ago, I should have bought a bottle! Oh well all good things come to an end, we ended with Big Strand, named after a beach on Islay, yup, an Islay single malt and a grand 5 yo. Peter is a great host, informative, humorous and knowledgeable, and human, unlike a certain bible person I could mention. This evening went down well, very well and it shows age is not everything. More about personal choice, experience and enjoyment of the drams, friends and surroundings, which leads me to a question often asked; what is my favourite dram? Answer; the one you buy me next of course. A good evening of fun and drams over 2.5 hours, many thanks to Peter, Keron and Denise, by the way, 4 August is a wine tasting and 19 August their own whisky festival – HEAD TO PERTH, DINNAE SPARE THE HORSES. Exel Wines, Perth.

Blogged by the happy drammer Paul McLean. The day before World Whisky day 2017, Perth is always first!

http://www.whiskytours.scot/

Sazerac Company Unveils New Southern Comfort Plans

New Packaging, Positioning, Bringing Whiskey Back and New 80 Proof Black Label Offering All Set To Drive Brand’s Global Acceleration 

New Orleans, LA (May 30, 2017) – Southern Comfort has officially found its way back to New Orleans with a revamped package and new positioning, tabbed “The Spirit of New Orleans,” a nod to the brand’s connection to the colorful city for 140+ years. In addition, the brand will once again include whiskey in the blend, which over time had been phased out prior to Sazerac’s purchase of the iconic brand in 2016. As a result, new label designs have been developed that better represent the brand’s whiskey credentials and New Orleans affiliation.

            Other improvements to the brand include the introduction of a robust, whiskey-forward 80 proof black label expression, in addition to the existing 70 proof and 100 proof bottlings. The bottles have been made taller and slightly narrower and will retain their longstanding iconic fluted shoulders plus the signature of the creator, M.W. Heron.  An upscale cap rounds out the packaging enhancements.

            “We believe the new packaging reinforces the brand’s authentic whiskey and New Orleans roots,” states Senior Marketing Director Kevin Richards. “New Orleans was an integral part of Southern Comfort’s positioning for decades. We’re excited to reinforce that critical connection into the future. Like Southern Comfort, New Orleans is adored for its uniqueness and spirited character.”

            Indeed, Southern Comfort’s roots run deep in New Orleans, as does brand owner Sazerac’s.  In 1874 creator and legendary southerner M.W. Heron created the first batch of his genuine smooth drinking Southern Comfort whiskey using his very own blend of fruits and spices. Around the same time the Sazerac Company was planting its roots in New Orleans at the Sazerac Coffee House on Exchange Alley in the French Quarter, home of the world famous Sazerac Cocktail.

            In the 140 years since its humble origins, Southern Comfort has become a highly successful global whiskey brand, selling in more than 100 countries. It has become a key ingredient in America’s drinking landscape and pop culture for generations. “We’re incredibly excited about our plans to strengthen Southern Comfort’s position as an iconic global whiskey brand for the next fifty years,” said Mark Brown, president and chief executive officer, Sazerac Company. “We believe Southern Comfort can be a 10 million case brand one day.”

            Southern Comfort’s new packaging and new 80 proof black label expression will roll out in Summer 2017 in the United States and by the end of 2017 across the rest of the world. Suggested retail prices are as follows in the United States for 750 mL: 70 proof $15.99; 80 proof $17.99 and 100 proof $19.99.

About the Sazerac Company

         Sazerac is one of America’s oldest family owned, privately held distillers with operations in Louisiana, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, New Hampshire, Maryland, California, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Australia and Canada. For more information on Sazerac, please visit www.sazerac.com.

EXCLUSIVE FEIS ILE 2017 AUCTION NOW LIVE!

Hot on the heels of last week’s festival is our Feis Ile 2017 Auction, featuring a range of bottles available during the week long celebration of all things Islay. 

If you couldn’t make it over to the Island here is your chance to pick up one of the many bottles you missed out on. A veritable feast for all you Islay devotees! 

Bowmore 27 Year Old Port Cask

Bowmore’s premium release for this year’s festival, you had to be queueing from first light in order to get your hands on one of these! Limited to only 200 bottles, which were sold on a first come first served basis during their open day. 

Laphroaig Cairdeas Cask Strength/Quarter Cask

The idea behind a quarter cask maturation is that more wood is in contact with the liquid resulting in greater flavour. We certainly thought so when we tried it last week! 

Big Peat Sherry Cask / Pals Edition

A blend of Islay single malts finished in sherry casks, the ‘Pals Edition’ was limited to only 1600 bottles that sold out within a few days of the festival starting. Here’s your chance to grab one! 

Hunter Laing Kinship Collection

These 6 incredible bottles were launched during the festival to mark the beginning of construction work at Ardnahoe distillery. Each one hand signed by Jim McEwan, we are delighted to feature the set in our Feis Ile Auction! 

Lagavulin 16 Year Old Feis Ile 2017

Lagavulin’s offering has been double matured in Moscatel cask wood. We didn’t get a taste on the island but we’re rarely disappointed by anything from this distillery! 

Ardbeg Ar9 Elements of Islay

A spectacular Ardbeg released by Elements of Islay for this years festival. A 16 year old fully matured in a 1st fill Oloroso sherry cask, just take a look at that delicious looking colour! 

There is no registration fee, our commission structure is very competitive and we offer worldwide shipping. Happy bidding! 

Upcoming Collection Dates

We will be hitting the road this month and making another round of free collections. 

If you have bottles that you would like to enter for auction take a look at the dates below and get in touch to book your pick up now! 

Not in your area? Let us know and we can try to set up another collection date for you or help arrange a courier collection for your bottles. 

Aberdeen – Monday 12th June

Inverness & Speyside – Tuesday 13th June

London & M6 – Thursday 22nd June to Sunday 25th June 

01738 245576 / info@whiskyauctioneer.com

Since we have now fully recovered from the 2017 Campbeltown Malts Festival, we thought it was time to share the 2018 date with you all. We are delighted to let you know that the 2018 Campbeltown Malts Festival will run from Wednesday 23rd – Friday 25th May. 

Once again, the festival will celebrate the quality malts produced and bottled here in Campbeltown and we will have a full programme of events planned throughout the 3 day festival.

More information will be released in due course (likely in January 2018) and you will be the first to know what we have planned.

Also, I thought I could use this email to give a small update on the progress on the Society bottles. A few of you have your bottles already I would like to thank all of you who are waiting for your patience. Lauren and I are working hard to ensure your bottles are with you as soon as possible. At this time we are particularly interested in hearing from people who are wanting their bottle(s) sent to the following shops.

Edinburgh and London: If you want your order sent to either of these shops but have not contacted me regarding payment please email me as soon as possible

Baden, Switzerland: We can now send Society bottles to this shop – if you would like your order sent there please contact me within the next few days. Email: society@springbank.scot For everyone else, I will be back in touch in the near future to give you an update.

Slainte Nathan society@springbankwhisky.com

For the Springbank Society

FAVOURITE FOODIE CHARACTERS

With members taking a massive bite from June Outturn, we’re recommending our top five foodie favourites still available to buy online. For those hungry for more, explore over 100 different single cask bottlings in our online shop.

BROWSE

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