There are a confusing number of types of Scotch whisky. From single malts to vatted grains and blended whisky, people call whisky lots of different things. This month we’re focusing on blended whisky, so it’s time to answer some questions and dispel the myths about the most popular type of whisky in the world.

What is blended whisky?

Legally, there are five types of Scotch whisky, each with a slightly different definition:

1. Single Malt Whisky – whisky made at one distillery using pot stills and only malted barley.
2. Single Grain Whisky – whisky made at one distillery using a continuous still, or using any type of still and grains other than malted barley.
3. Blended Malt Whisky – whisky made by combining single malt whiskies from different distilleries.
4. Blended Grain Whisky – whisky made by combining single grain whiskies from different distilleries.
5. Blended Whisky – whisky made by combining malt whisky and grain whisky.

The pot stills at Glenmorangie and continuous stills at Girvan – very different beasts

While it may seem complicated, the names were chosen to try to reduce the confusion there used to be, with companies using terms like ‘vatted malt’ and ‘vatted grain’ (now replaced by blended malt and grain) and ‘pure malt’ (no one’s entirely sure what that meant). Every bottle of Scotch whisky you buy will have one of the five types of whisky listed on it, so you can be sure that you know what it is.

The history of blended whisky

Since whisky has been sold in shops, there have been blends. Back in the days when glass was expensive, you would take your empty bottle to your local grocer who would fill it up from a cask of whisky. While these were often single casks of single malt, over time some grocers would top up their cask with whatever whisky they could get, creating blended malts. Some shops became famous for their blended whiskies over time, carefully curating the recipe of the whisky in their casks to make sure that it was consistent and every bottle bought was similar.

By the 1800s, brandy was the high-class drink – delicate Cognac was the choice of the aristocracy and weighty Scotch whisky was considered much more uncouth. In 1830, an Irishman named Aeneas Coffey patented a still that could produce a lighter and more delicate style of spirit – grain whisky. The grocers discovered that if they combined this with their heavier single malts, they could produce a more elegant whisky that appealed to the Cognac drinkers. And with that, our modern idea of blended whisky was born.

The Chivas Brothers shop in Aberdeen about 100 years ago – ox tongues and whisky

This is the birthplace of the big brands that we see today. While Usher’s Old Vatted Glenlivet – created by Andrew Usher, the father of modern blending – has faded from popularity other grocers’ names live on:

1. Johnnie Walker – created by John Walker in the mid-1880s and originally sold in his grocery shop in Kilmarnock.
2. Chivas Regal – the latest whisky from Chivas Brothers, named after the Aberdeen shop where the company started.
3. Teacher’s– a modern take on the whisky created by William Teacher and sold from his wife’s family’s grocer’s shop in Glasgow.
4. Ballantine’s – named after George Ballantine and his Edinburgh grocery shop.

Aren’t single malts better than blends?

Simply put: no – they’re different. While many blended whiskies are cheaper than single malts, offering an affordable entry to the world of Scotch whisky, that doesn’t mean that single malts are better drinks. Blended whisky has a huge range of flavour, as you’d expect from something created by mixing whiskies from different distilleries, and can rival single malts not only for complexity and flavour, but also for price: the most expensive bottle we’ve ever sold on our website was a blend, the £150,000 Royal Salute Tribute to Honour.

Royal Salute Tribute to Honour – an incredible whisky presented in a diamond-studded bottle

Blended whisky is where most people start their whisky journey, and with about 90% of whisky sales around the world being blends, it’s the sort of whisky that most people drink. It’s easy for single malt fans to write them off as cheap and uninteresting, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find a whole wealth of great whiskies waiting to be discovered.

To delve further into the world of blended whisky, have a look at Compass Box whiskymaker John Glaser’s post about how he sees blending and our focus on blended whisky on The Whisky Exchange website.

Campbeltown Malts Festival 2017

Full Schedule 

With only a few days to go until the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2017, the excitement is reaching extreme levels here in Campbeltown and we can’t wait to welcome visitors from across the globe next week. At the moment, the weather is looking to be on our side so fingers crossed for a week full of sunshine.

Final preparations are well underway for what promises to be the busiest (and best) festival to date! The festival will take place from Wednesday 24th-Friday 26th May with various events each day, celebrating the quality malts produced at Campbeltown’s three distilleries as well as Scotland’s Oldest Independent Bottler, Cadenhead’s. The full schedule is as follows:

Wednesday 24th May 2017

Glen Scotia Distillery will be hosting their annual Open Day at the distillery on Wednesday 24th May. There will be a selection of local stalls on display throughout the day as well as tours, tastings, food and music.

For bookings and more information, please contact Glen Scotia on +44 (0) 1586 552288 or email glenscotiashop@lochlomondgroup.com.

The following events will also be taking place on Wednesday 24th May 2017:

11:30am:  Springbank Society Tasting in the Malt Barns at Springbank Distillery (FULLY BOOKED)

7pm:  The Springbank Distillery Dinner (FULLY BOOKED)

Those of you who missed out on a place at our Distillery Dinner on Wednesday evening may be interested to learn that we have teamed up with Craigard House Hotel to offer a special whisky dinner and tasting on Wednesday evening. As you may know, people at the Distillery Dinner each receive a bottle of whisky chosen from a selection of casks by the guests themselves. While we can’t offer attendees at the Craigard Dinner the same option, a member of the Springbank Sales & Marketing Team will be on hand to let you taste the same whiskies that are being enjoyed at the distillery. As a further bonus, all attendees at the Craigard event will be entered into a prize draw and one lucky person will win a bottle of the whisky chosen by the group at the Springbank Dinner, making the Craigard a very interesting alternative option. Spaces at this dinner are limited so if you would like to book a place then please call Craigard House Hotel on +44 (0) 1586 554242 or email info@craigard-house.co.uk.

In addition to the above dinners, the Ardshiel Hotel and the Harbourview Grille at the Royal Hotel will also be hosting whisky themed menus on Wednesday evening. For menu information and bookings, please contact each hotel directly:

Ardshiel Hotel:  +44 (0) 1586 552133

Royal Hotel:  +44 (0) 1586 810033

Thursday 25th May 2017

The Springbank Open Day will take place on Thursday 25th May and we hope to attract both locals and visitors to the event. The gates will open at 11am and the following will take place throughout the day:

• Free tours of Springbank & Mitchell’s Glengyle distilleries
• A selection of over 20 stalls from local businesses
• Hot & Cold Food from Argyll Bakeries, Harlequin Tearoom and Ifferdale Lamb
• Delicious cakes from Muneroy
• Three special Springbank Open Day bottlings (more information below)
• Warehouse Whisky Bar & Drinks Bar
• Fyne Ales Bar (plus tasting – more information below)
• Music from Campbeltown Brass Band
• Various Masterclasses and Tastings, as listed below:

11:30am:  Kilkerran Masterclass (£25.00) – (SPACES AVAILABLE)

11:30am:  The ‘uber-geek’ Tasting – (FULLY BOOKED)

12:30pm:  Springbank Warehouse Tasting – (FULLY BOOKED)

1pm:  Springbank Masterclass: New and forthcoming releases – (FULLY BOOKED)

1:30pm:  Springbank Masterclass: New and forthcoming releases – (FULLY BOOKED)

2:30pm:  Springbank & Fyne Ales Tasting – (FULLY BOOKED)

2:30pm:  Springbank Warehouse Tasting – (FULLY BOOKED)

3:30pm:  Cadenhead Masterclass: Current bottlings and future releases – (FULLY BOOKED)

4:30pm:  Springbank Warehouse Tasting – (FULLY BOOKED)

6:30pm:  An introduction to J&A Mitchell Tasting (£15.00) – (SPACES AVAILABLE)

From 6:45pm-7:15pm, we will be delighted to welcome Kintyre Schools Pipe Band to the yard who will entertain the crowd with their talent and then from 7:30pm-11pm, we will move into the Malt Barns where you can dance the night away with music from local bands Rhuvaal and the ever popular WEE TOON TELLERS. Entry to the Malt Barns is free and no ticket is required. There will be a licensed bar throughout the evening and Argyll Bakeries will be serving hot food in the Malt Barns including Haggis, Neeps and Tatties with a Springbank sauce and a local fish pie.

In addition to the above tastings and due to overwhelming demand, we have decided to add another Springbank Masterclass to the programme. This tasting will take place at 4pm and will only be available to book on the day. Tickets are £25.00 and can be purchased from 11am at our designated ticket stand in the main marquee. This is also where you can purchase leftover tickets for the 11:30am Kilkerran Masterclass and 6:30pm Introduction to J&A Mitchell Tasting.

After the success of their tastings last year, Fyne Ales will once again host 1 tasting session during the day (as well as having their usual bar set up in the marquee). The tasting will be held at 4:30pm and should last around 30-40 minutes. The tasting will be bookable on the day at our designated ticket stand in the main marquee. There will be a cost of £5.00 and there will be a maximum of 20 tickets available. The tasting will take place in our Bottling Hall and all people taking part in the tasting should meet at the Fyne Ales bar 10 minutes before the tasting begins to be led over to the Bottling Hall.

As mentioned above, we will have three special bottlings which will be bottled especially for the Springbank Open Day 2017.

The first will be a Springbank 15 year old which has been matured in a Guadeloupe Rum cask, bottled at 50% ABV with only 218 bottles available. This will retail at £75.00 on the day.

The second will be a special Springbank 21 year old which has been matured in a First Fill Port Hogshead, bottled at 46% ABV with only 252 bottles available. This will retail at £250.00 on the day.

The third bottling will be a Kilkerran 11 year old, triple distilled and matured in a First Fill Bourbon cask. This will be bottled at 60.3% ABV and with only 192 bottles available, this will retail at £60.00 on the day.

Purchases will be strictly limited to 2 bottles of each per person.

Friday 26th May 2017

The final day of the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2017 will be dedicated to Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery and Cadenhead’s Independent Bottler.

At 11am, the gates to Glengyle Distillery will open where there will be hourly free tours of the distillery, a range of local stalls including food from Harlequin Tearoom & Ifferdale Lamb, tastings and the return of the popular Cadenhead Lucky Dip Bar which was a huge hit last year.

As 2017 marks the 175th anniversary of Cadenhead’s, most of our tastings will be focused on celebrating this as well as one main Kilkerran Masterclass on the day. The tastings and masterclasses which will take place on Friday 26th May are as follows:

10am:  Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – (FULLY BOOKED)

10:15am:  Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – (FULLY BOOKED)

10:30am:  The Cadenhead Alternative Tasting (£20.00) – (SPACES AVAILABLE)

12pm:  Kilkerran Masterclass (£25.00) – (SPACES AVAILABLE)

1:45pm:  Cadenhead 175th Anniversary Tasting – (FULLY BOOKED)

3:30pm:  Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – (FULLY BOOKED)

3:45pm:  Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – (FULLY BOOKED)

Events at Glengyle Distillery, including the Cadenhead Lucky Dip Bar, will conclude at 4pm.

In addition to the events taking place at the distillery, at 12pm there will be a Heritage Tour of Campbeltown with Alex McKinven. The tour is very interesting and gives a great insight into Campbeltown’s historic past, its rich heritage, its people and its stories. The tour will be conducted by a local volunteer who will deliver the tour free of charge for the public. The tour will last for approximately 1 hour and booking in advance is essential. Please contact mairi@springbank.scot to book your place asap.

On the Friday evening, events will conclude in Campbeltown Town Hall where we will celebrate the 175th Anniversary of Cadenhead’s with a dinner and live music. This event is fully booked.

For more information on any of the above events, please contact Mairi by emailing mairi@springbank.scot or calling +44 (0) 1586 552009.

As an additional feature to the events we are running, we are delighted that local business Whisky Impressions will be hosting some of their own exciting events during the festival. For anyone who will be arriving early, there are still some places left on the following tasting which will take place on Tuesday:

Tuesday 23rd May – Tenuous Links Tasting

8pm – 9.30pm, Kilbrannan Bar –  £20

A tasting of 5 non-Campbeltown drams which all have some kind of link (some more tenuous than others) to the Wee Toon. Who knows, you might even learn something (no promises though!) Please email info@whiskyimpressions.com to book your place.  I think that’s everything… Before I go though, I better say thank you to Mairi Paterson for writing this email for us all and for her efforts in organising the festival. See you in a few days, folks.

Sláinte

Nathan

For the Springbank Society

Springbank 9yo Sauternes (57.1%) is available now!

Please email: society@springbank.scot

The details you need to know are:

Springbank 9 years old
Cask type: Fresh Sauternes Hogsheads
Distilled: November 2007
Bottled: May 2017
Strength: 57.1%
Approximately 1100 bottles
Price: £45.00 per bottle.

————

Tasting notes

Nose: Dunnage warehouse; bruised fruits, sun dried raisins and treacle toffee with icing sugar and port notes appearing as the nose develops.

Taste: Syrupy texture, with earthy and oaky notes, prunes, redcurrants and bramble jam.

Finish: Chewy, sweet and rich like sticky toffee pudding and christmas cake; hints of treacle, brown sugar and dark cherries.

If you would like to order a bottle (and possibly declare an interest in a 2nd bottle) just reply to this email and follow the instructions listed below.

————

Purchasing and delivery/collection

Please read this section carefully as it will make the whole process go as smoothly as possible. In this section I shall explain the procedures regarding purchasing a Society bottle.

The bottle shall be available for £45.00 and initially it will be 1 per person however, once it becomes clear what the level of interest is, then it is possible you could get a second. 2 bottles per member will be the maximum, though. When you order a bottle, please state if you would be interested in a second bottle.

——
We will only be taking orders by email – society@springbank.scot
——

When you order a bottle, please tell us if any of the following things apply to you.

• If you would like a second bottle
• If you would like to collect it during the Campbeltown Malts Festival (very important)
• 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, but not essential, if you would include them in your original email too.

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. As is usual with a Society release, this may take several days. Please do not be alarmed if you do not hear back immediately.

As I am sure you are all aware, this bottle is being released in close proximity to the Campbeltown Malts Festival (taking place next week). We could have waited until after the festival but that would have meant that people at the Festival could not collect their bottles so we have done our best to accommodate our guests.

As such, in the immediate aftermath of the release, we shall be prioritising orders for members who are attending the festival. These members can pay upon collection in the Campbeltown shop if they wish. After those orders have been arranged, then we shall begin to make contact with everyone else to arrange payment and delivery, where appropriate. This is where you will hear if you can receive a second bottle.

Due to the nature of this process, and the Malts Festival, it is likely that Monday 29th May will be the first day we can arrange for bottles to be shipped from Campbeltown to their destination.

If you plan to have your Society bottle(s) sent to the Edinburgh or London shops then there will be a slight change to the process when compared to previous releases. This time, deliveries to these shops will be handled in a similar way to when Society bottles are sent to the other Cadenhead shops. Instead of charging £2 per bottle and delivering them individually, we will not charge anything for delivery and they will be sent as part of the scheduled Cadenhead shipments. However, you will still pay through myself or Lauren before the order is shipped.

Again, as is standard practice with Society bottles, if you wish for your Society bottle(s) to be sent to a Cadenhead shop on mainland Europe (Odense, Berlin, Cologne, Salzburg) you will pay for them upon collection. We have processes in place to make sure these bottles arrive much faster than they have done for previous releases.

If you are based in Canada, please contact Andrew Ferguson at Kensington Wine Market about getting your Society bottle.

Excluding the USA (due to strict import laws), we are able to ship bottles worldwide so if you would like to know the shipping costs for 1-6 bottles to your country then please email me and I will send you over the details. Our prices include all taxes and costs on our side but does not cover any entry fees or taxes which may incur when the whisky reaches it’s destination country. We do not make any money from postage costs, we just charge what we have to to cover our costs.

————
New Addition to the Team

As it was revealed in my newsletter last week, because the Society is now so big and this is the largest number of bottles we have ever done, it is now no longer practical for it all to be done by one person. As such, from now on my colleague Lauren Anderson will also be on hand to answer your emails and process your orders. Lauren has worked for the company for 4 years, first in the bottling hall and has now moved to join us in the office. She is also the expert when it comes to packaging and dispatching your Society bottles. Hopefully, this will mean the process moves a little faster. Please be prepared to organise payment and delivery through Lauren just as you have been doing with me in the past.
————
Campbeltown Cadenhead Shop

The staff in the Cadenhead shop here in Campbeltown have asked me to pass on a message to you all. If you plan on collecting any bottles from the shop during the Malts Festival, please get in touch with the shop as soon as you possibly can and let them know. This goes for ANY bottles, whether they are Society bottles, Springbank Distillery releases, Kilkerran bottles or anything from the extensive Cadenhead range. You can contact them using the details below:

T: +44 (0)1586 551710
E: shop@cadenhead.scot
Please give them as much notice and information as possible. Thank you.
————-

Hopefully that all makes sense to everyone but if you do have a question just drop us an email and one of us will get back to you as soon as possible.

We will speak to you all soon and will see quite a few of you next week.
The madness starts here….

Slainte
Nathan and Lauren (Please contact the Society at Springbank Society society@springbankwhisky.com for your chance to join).

Springbank Society
Springbank Distillers

Oban “Limited Edition” 18 Year Old West Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $150) Drier, less toffee and fruit, more dried spice and oak when compared to the standard Oban 14 year old. A beautiful combination of rich, nutty toffee balanced by polished oak, salt, pepper, seaweed, distant smoke, and dried fruit. Somewhat oily in texture. Wonderful depth, too! An improvement on what is already the biggest-selling Diageo single malt scotch in the U.S. Very exciting and dynamic. (Vol. 17, #4, by John Hansell) K&L Notes

Always tough to find – this is a limited edition bottling for the U.S. only. As the canister states, “only so much can be made, it is never enough.”

$114.99 View

Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)

Email: wine@klwines.com

K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA

San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Ralfy forgets the malt-mark in Ralfy Review 651 – Glengoyne 14yo @ 40%vol (Marks & Spencer)

Jura Bottles a Festival of European Flavours with new Limited Edition Malt

Jura marks annual whisky festival by bringing the spirit of the Douro Valley to the Isle of Jura in new Limited Edition ‘Tastival’ 2017 bottling

Jura Single Malt Whisky today, 11^th May, announces the launch of its Tastival 2017 bottling, a unique Limited Edition single malt that marks the distillery’s annual island whisky festival, set to take place on 1 June 2017.

The festival celebrates new ways to enjoy whisky through exciting flavour experiences that everyone can enjoy – whether new to whisky or a well-established fan – and Jura’s Tastival 2017 bottling fully embraces this ethos.

This Non Chill-Filtered, cask strength Limited Edition expression marries some of Jura’s finest aged spirits, is enhanced in both first fill American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels and hand-selected Graham’s Port Pipes sourced from Portugal’s lush Douro Valley. Customers will get notes of chewy liquorice, black forest fruits and creamy white chocolate on the nose, and orange zest, walnut cake, glazed pineapple and Crème De Cassis on the aftertaste.

Jura Tastival 2017 is the first Limited Edition release to be overseen by new Jura Distillery Manager, Graham Logan, who took over from Willie Cochrane in September 2016.

Graham said:

“Tastival is all about welcoming people to Jura with open arms – not only to our island festival, but to our whisky – whether you’re a single malt expert or are trying it for the first time.

The creativity that goes into our Tastival event programme is well reflected in this Limited Edition expression, meaning everyone can enjoy a taste of our Festival – whether they can make it to the island or not.”

Tastival guests will have an exclusive first try of this year’s Limited Edition bottling at the island festival on 1 June, where the whisky will be available to buy. A full event programme, plus information on localised Tastival events to take place in Europe will be announced in the coming weeks.

Jura Tastival 2017 will be available online and in shops globally (excluding US) RRP £85 from 1^st June.

jurawhisky.com

twitter.com/jurawhisky |facebook.com/jurawhisky|instagram.com/jurawhisky

NOTES

About Jura:

Jura is an island nestled off the West Coast of Scotland. With only one road, one pub, one distillery and around 200 people, Jura is as beautiful as it is remote.

The distillery was established in 1810 and reborn in 1963 to revive a community.

Inspired by our history and our island home, we create single malt with a true passion for the craft of whisky-making.

There are four classic bottlings in the Jura Core Range, which sit within a unique sweet or smoky flavour profile: the light and delicate Origin 10 Year Old and the rich and full-bodied Diurachs’ Own 16 Year Old each have a sweet edge, while Superstition and Prophecy are lightly and heavily-peated expressions, respectively.

Tasting Notes

Jura Tastival 2017 (Cask strength – 51% ABV)

Non Chill-Filtered – NAS

Limited Edition | RRP £85

Enhanced in both first-fill American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels and hand-selected Graham’s Port Pipes 

Colour: Amber gold with flashes of crimson mahogany

Nose: Black Forest fruits, chewy liquorice, ripe plums and creamy white chocolate

Palate: Orange zest, walnut cake, glazed pineapple and Crème de Cassis

On-sale 1^st June 2017 – globally, excluding US

IrishAmerican Whiskey Wins Gold at America’s Largest Wine & Spirits Convention

IrishAmerican Whiskey have been awarded a Double Gold and a Silver medal at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) 74th Annual Convention & Exposition in Grande Lakes Orlando which took place from April 18-21, 2017. IrishAmerican was the only Irish whiskey to take away an award at the alcohol beverage industry’s leading event uniting suppliers and wholesalers under one roof. More than 800 brands participated in WSWA this year. Judging criteria for the Wine & Spirits Tasting Competition was managed by The Tasting Panel magazine and The Somm Journal, two of the most widely circulated trade publications in the beverage industry, reaching an audience of thousands of key decision makers every month. Only 25 brands across all categories were awarded medals.

IrishAmerican Whiskey is a premium whiskey with 2 variants – a Classic Blended and a 10 Year Old Single Malt.  The whiskeys are double distilled in copper pot stills, non chill filtered, and matured in first fill ex American bourbon casks. Master distillers follow the centuries old tradition of Irish Whiskey making. IrishAmerican Whiskey has recently become the house whiskey at Smith & Wollensky, America’s premier steakhouses with locations in New York, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Miami Beach and Las Vegas. Smith & Wollensky are now serving Prime Steaks which are dry-aged in IrishAmerican Whiskey for 30 days.

The IrishAmerican Trading Company is an independent family owned business and has offices in Dublin (Ireland) and Boston (USA). John McKay, founder & CEO of The IrishAmerican Trading Company, said “These awards are testament to the quality of our whiskeys. It is an honour to be rated amongst some of the top brands in the United States. We are making real advances which have surpassed our expectations. In a short space of time IrishAmerican has become a shelf favourite in many bars in Boston & New York. The Irish have always been renowned for large families and our IrishAmerican family is very large with over 40 million claiming Irish heritage. With the huge growth in Irish Whiskey globally, we are very excited & optimistic for the future.”

About IrishAmerican Trading Company This is a brand with a heritage more than 200 years in the making. The ship on the logo is inspired by the “Jeanie Johnston” a 19th century famine ship, which is always facing west – bound for America! The Jeannie Johnson made 16 emigrant journeys from Ireland to American between 1847 & 1855, carrying over 2,500 people with no loss of life. Like those who travelled westward in the 19th Century & those who travel today our brand is optimistic and authentic & embraces that same pioneering spirit for life. Our premium whiskeys honour this heritage & embody “The Spirit of Freedom”. ABOUT WSWA WSWA is the U.S. national trade association representing the wholesale tier of the wine and spirits industry and is the voice for wholesalers in Congress, the administration, the courts, with the news media and in communities across America.  Founded in 1943, WSWA has 405 member companies in 50 states and the District of Columbia. The members distribute more than 80 percent of all wine and spirits sold at wholesale in the United States. The WSWA 74th Annual Convention & Exposition provides showcase opportunities for long established brands as well as hot new products and trends in two sold out Exhibit Halls and popular Traditional and Lower Level Hospitality Suites. Learn more about the IrishAmerican Whiskeys at http://www.irishamericanwhiskeys.com/ and more about the WSWA Convention & Exposition at http://www.wswaconvention.org/

BARTON 1792 DISTILLERY BOURBON AWARDED GOLD AT 2017 SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION

Four other Barton 1792 whiskies awarded silver 

BARDSTOWN, kENTUCKY (May 11, 2017) –The results from the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition are in and Barton 1792 Distillery received a gold medal for its 1792 Sweet Wheat Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. In total, Barton 1792 Distillery received five medals from the competition, including four silver medals.

This year, 43 spirits experts convened to judge a record breaking entry of over 2,100 spirits.

1792 Sweet Wheat Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey received a high honor of gold. The gold medal is given to exceptional spirits that sets the standard for its category.

Other Barton 1792 Distillery whiskies recognized by the SFWSC included Kentucky Tavern Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 1792 Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon and 1792 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon, which all received silver medals.

This competition is associated with the Triple Crown of Competitions (The San Francisco International Wine Competition and New York World Wine and Spirits Competition), and continues to be highly respected and the most influential spirits competition after 17 years.

The SFWSC is judged by a panel of the spirit industry’s most renowned judges, who start the competition with a blind taste test and evaluate each spirit on an individual basis.

Results from the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition can be found at http://sfspiritscomp.com/results/overview.   

About Barton 1792 Distillery

Barton 1792 Distillery is part of Barton Brands.  Barton Brands has facilities in Bardstown, Ky., Carson, Calif., and Baltimore, Md. Barton Brands is owned by the Sazerac Company, an American family-owned company based in New Orleans, La. Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” The Distillery is located on 196 acres and includes 28 warehouses, 22 other buildings, the Morton Spring and the Tom Moore Spring.  Distilling, aging and bottling fine Bourbon whiskey are hallmarks of the historic Barton 1792 Distillery. 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is produced at Barton 1792 Distillery. This whiskey is named for the year Kentucky became a state and is the recent gold medal winner at the 2015 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition. To learn more visit http://www.1792bourbon.com/.

E.H. TAYLOR SMALL BATCH RECEIVES DOUBLE GOLD AT 2017 SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION

Judges award Buffalo Trace Distillery spirits with two Double Gold, 12 total medal 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (May 10, 2017) E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon and William Larue Weller Bourbon each received Double Gold medals at the 17^th annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition where a record-breaking 2,100 entries were submitted for a blind tasting.

The celebrated Double Gold medal is only given to the few entries that receive a Gold medal rating by all the members of the judging panel. This year, 43 of the industry’s finest spirits experts reviewed each entry before ultimately awarding Buffalo Trace Distillery spirits with two Double Gold medals and a total of 12 medals.

Double Gold

• Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Gold

• Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Sazerac Rye Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
• Wheatley Vodka

Silver

• Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

• Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
• Benchmark Old No. 8 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Buffalo Trace Distillery Bourbon Cream

            “We are thrilled to be recognized among the very best in this competition,” Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley, said. “This is a great honor for us, and we could not be more thankful to receive each of these great awards.”

Complete results for the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition can be found at sfspiritscomp.com/results/browse. 

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 17 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named “Brand Innovator of the Year” by Whisky Magazine at its Icons of Whisky America Awards 2015.  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 300 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com/

HOW NEAT! TOMATIN REVEAL THE “INGREDIENTS” OF SCOTLAND FOR WORLD WHISKY DAY

In celebration of World Whisky Day (May 20th), Tomatin Distillery has revealed the “ingredients” of Scotland – home of Scotch whisky.

The distillery, located in the Scottish Highlands, commissioned leading DNA experts Source BioScience to investigate the genetic composition of Scotland’s 5.3 million population – and with staggering results!

The research, displayed on Tomatin’s specially created “100% Scotch” label, revealed that the average Scot* is majority Beaker People (35%) and Germanic (22%), with some Norse Viking (9%) and Neolithic Farmer (3%) thrown in for good

measure!

‘Exotic’ ancestry was also found in the sample of almost 1000 people, which refers to African and South Asian groups. While the 2% Royal Stewart ancestry refers to descendants from Sir John Stewart of Bonkyll – a military commander during the first Scottish War of Independence and the Battle of Falkirk.

Tomatin Marketing Manager Jennifer Masson, said, “Transparency within the whisky industry has been a hot topic over the past year, so we thought we’d have a bit of fun with it in celebration of World Whisky Day.

“At Tomatin, we know exactly what goes into each whisky, and we’re always happy to share that information when requested, but we wanted to know what makes our wee nation – and the home of the Scotch – so distinctive. The results are absolutely fascinating and have caused quite a stir online already.”

Source BioScience Senior Geneticist, Dr Angelika Kritz said, “Scotland’s DNA is a rich and varied mixture of lineages which settled here at different times in the past. From the first farmers who arrived in the Neolithic period, to the more recent Norse Vikings – Scotland’s rich history is most certainly reflected in its diverse lineage and heritage that make up its people today.”

Tomatin’s 36-year-old was recently voted ‘Best Scotch in the World’, available from select independent stores throughout the UK.

To request the ingredients of any Tomatin whisky and to shop the full range, please visit: www.tomatin.com

Notes:

• Tomatin recently won Distiller of the Year 2016 and Brand Innovator of the Year 2017 at the Icons of Whisky Scotland awards. Tomatin currently ranks in the Top 10 Single Malt brands in the USA and is one of the fastest growing in the UK.

• *Overall ancestry results from dataset sample of 853 people with Scottish ancestry from the Y chromosome.

Beaker People 35%

Germanic 22%

Pictish 15%

Irish 10%

Norse Viking 9%

Exotic 4%

Neolithic Famer 3%

Royal Stewart 2%

• “Exotic” refers to African groups, South Asian groups, and other rare groups that don’t fit into the other categories. Other summary group names are given nicknames based on the people they are believed to have originated from (e.g Pictish, Irish, Beaker Folk, Neolithic Farmer and Norse Viking) or where they are most commonly seen (e.g. Germanic).

• Source BioScience are leaders in conventional and next generation sequencing, gene expression and genotyping services as well as histopathology services. Source Bioscience has its headquarters in Nottingham, UK where it operates state-of-the-art reference laboratory facilities and draws form the expertise of over 60 leading RCPath qualified Pathologists.