Chivas Brothers Success at the Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky Awards

We are very proud to announce two members of the Chivas Brothers family were successful at the Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky Scotland awards recently. The prestigious ceremony was held at Surgeons’ Hall in Edinburgh on 2 December.

Master Blender for The Glenlivet Alan Winchester was named Master Distiller / Master Blender of the year, and Rikki Scott of Aberlour Distillery won Visitor Attraction Manager of the year.

We are sure you will join us in wishing both many congratulations on these well-deserved accolades.

Full list of winners and biographies here. 

Milroys tasting events January & February 2017

We are delighted to announce our forthcoming tasting events for January & February 2017. Christmas is far behind us & it’s whisky weather! First up we have Starward whisky from Melbourne, Australia. The event will tie in with the Australia Day and will be held at Milroys on Monday 30th January where we will also have an outside BBQ & Tripple J top 100 playing on the radio. Strewth!

Next up we have ambassador events from the wonderful Bruichladdich on 13th February & the inimitable Mr. Ronnie Cox will be here on the 20th February for a Glenrothes Masterclass. These events are followed by one of our ever popular “Intro to Whisky” tastings hosted by our own expert Milroys staff which will be held on 27th February.

All tickets are now available to purchase online via our website, link attached in the buy now section below.

Wishing you a very happy new year.

Sláinte!

BUY NOW

Our mailing address is:
Milroy’s of Soho
3 Greek Street
London, England W1D 4NX
United Kingdom

CELEBRATE: EDINBURGH HOGMANAY AT THE SOCIETY

HOGMANAY IN THE DINING ROOM 

Location: 28 Queen Street, Edinburgh

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HIGHLAND PARK BRINGS MIDWINTER SOLSTICE TO LIFE 

Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whisky, the ‘Orkney Single Malt with Viking Soul’ distributed by Maxxium UK, celebrated Winter Solstice with two events for over 700 consumers.

The brand hosted its Midwinter Social events on 24 and 25 November at The Old Truman Brewery’s Boiler House, London, to mark the upcoming Winter Solstice and the official start of winter. The narrative of Highland Park is deeply rooted in Nordic traditions. An important time in the Nordic calendar and at Highland Park’s home on Orkney, Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year and is typically celebrated with good friends, bonfires, music and dance.

The celebrations, designed to bring to life the brand’s magnificent Viking heritage, were hosted by global brand ambassador Martin Markvardsen and included Highland Park whisky tastings around a fire pit for over 400 people. A selection of Highland Park cocktails were served including the warming Highland Park Hot Toddy and Orkney Old Fashioned, with Nordic inspired food curated by Root + Bone, music from Kipps and live sets from DJ Finnebassen and Eelke Kleijn.

The celebrations were broadcast to a global audience with the first event streamed live globally on Highland Park’s Facebook page, resulting in over 21,000 fans tuning in to watch.

Several trade accounts in and around Shoreditch also featured special Highland Park Winter Solstice serves on their bar menus, including Bull in a China Shop, Cocktail Trading Co. and The Culpeper. The bars which delivered the greatest upweight in sales will be rewarded with a trip to the Highland Park distillery on Orkney in the New Year.

Mike Mackenzie, Highland Park Brand Manager said: “Our Midwinter Social celebrated Highland Park’s Viking heritage in the lead up to the Winter Solstice and we had two fantastic evenings. It was the perfect environment to give consumers a taste of Orkney and our Viking soul. It was also great to see several bars in Shoreditch taking part in the celebrations, creating their own Highland Park winter inspired serves.”

Notes

For more information on Highland Park please visit www.highlandpark.co.uk

Please enjoy Highland Park responsibly, visit www.drinkaware.co.uk for the facts.

Join the conversation on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook with #VikingSoul

Like Highland Park on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HighlandParkWhisky

Follow Highland Park on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@HighlandPark

Follow Highland Park on Instagram: www.instagram.com/@highlandparkofficial 

About Highland Park

Established in 1798 on Orkney, Highland Park is one of the most remote Scotch whisky distilleries in the world. For over 200 years, the distillery has combined time old tradition and the very best craftsmanship to achieve perfection. Its range of 12, Dark Origins, 15, 18, 21, 25, 30 and 40 year old single malts is consistently acclaimed by connoisseurs and experts. Highland Park has won a string of prestigious awards across its portfolio, most recently Highland Park ICE Edition was awarded 99 points and the Chairman’s Trophy at the Ultimate Beverage Challenge. While Highland Park 12, 15 and 18 Year Old were all awarded 96 points or above and the Tried and True Award at the Ultimate Beverage Challenge.

www.highlandpark.co.uk

Bars that supported Highland Park Midwinter Social activity: 

• Bull in a China Shop

• Cocktail Trading Co.

• The Culpeper

• Translate

• Looking Glass

 Eelke Kleijn

Eelke Kleijn is a Dutch producer and DJ hailing from Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He is known mostly for his electronic dance music, but nowadays also produces music for other media, such as television series, commercials, movie trailers and animations. 

Finnebassen

Finnebassen is a Norwegian DJ on the worldwide electronic music scene, in both performance and production.

Kipps

Kipp$ is a DJ and producer of house music.

Hi folks. We are five days into the 69th auction, which will run this month until Tuesday, January 3, 2017.

The auction has no set end time, to defeat sniper software, but experience says in usually runs until about 8.30pm UK time.

We hope you are enjoying the auction, which, as usual, has some incredible lots.

Besty wishes for 2017 from the SWA team in Glasgow

THE 69th AUCTION

It’s time to cheers for the New Year! Bring in 2017 with a clink!

Spend $150 or more and receive a complimentary set of Cask & Barrel Club snifters*

*Offer ends January 2nd or while supplies last.

BUSHMILLS® ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF ITS RARE 16 AND 21 YEAR OLD

IRISH SINGLE MALTS  

Bushmills, Co. Antrim, 19 December 2016:  Bushmills Irish Whiskey today announced the 2016 release of two rare, small batch 16 and 21-year-old single malts, both of which are matured and finished in three different cask types to create uniquely rich flavour profiles.

Both of these aged single malts from Ireland’s oldest working distillery boast a long list of international awards, recognising the immense craftsmanship that lies behind them. Only a small select number of casks of Bushmills small-batch, triple-distilled malt whiskey are matured to this age for release in these annual limited editions.

Colum Egan, Master Distiller at Bushmills Irish Whiskey, said: “To craft malts of this age and quality calls for all our expertise and knowledge. By carefully nurturing a small number of casks in our warehouses so that they age in the optimal conditions, we can draw layers of exquisite flavours from the wood, ensuring they are perfectly balanced with the unique distillery character of the unique Bushmills spirit made from 100% malted Irish barley.”

The complex and fruity Bushmills® 16 Year Old single malt has been aged for at least 16 years in a combination of Bourbon casks and Oloroso Sherry butts, before being vatted and married for nine months in large old Port pipes.

This careful ageing and finishing has produced a smooth and sweet single malt that tastes mature beyond its years, with flavours of honeyed nutty maltiness, toasted wood and sweet Port wine. Bushmills 16 Year Old single malt has won more than two dozen gold awards in international competitions.

Even rarer is the remarkable Bushmills® 21 Year Old single malt, the jewel in the crown of the Old Bushmills Distillery. Matured in American oak Bourbon and old Oloroso Sherry casks for at least 19 years, it spends two further years marrying in Madeira wine casks to craft a single malt of incredible depth, richness and complexity. With a mellow maltiness, with notes of wood and raisin, toffee sweetness, soft spice with hints of vanilla, dark chocolate, mint and leather.

The indulgent and smooth Bushmills 21 Year Old single malt is critically acclaimed, with a string of international awards to its name and has been classed at Best Irish Single Malt in Jim Murray’s 2017 Whisky Bible.

Colum Egan added: “With a heritage of more than 400 years of whiskey making in Bushmills, we know that only a combination of patience and great dedication to our craft makes such great whiskey possible.

“There is strong demand for Irish single malts, so we’re delighted to release these rare expressions for the ultra-premium end of the Irish whiskey category. Bottled at 40% ABV, they are both limited editions and will be available only from specialist independent retailers and on-trade outlets.

Notes 

TASTING NOTES

Bushmills 16 Year Old

Nose: Honeyed almonds, vanilla oakiness and delicate port wine notes.

Palate: Unique complexity, honeyed, nutty maltiness; toasted wood; sweet port wine flavours.

Finish:  Deep, sweet wine and fruit.

Bushmills 21 Year Old

Nose: Honeyed malt, wood, raisins, dark chocolate and a hint of mint.

Palate:  Wonderfully complex: mellow maltiness, wood, raisins, toffee sweetness, spice, vanilla and dark chocolate; hints of mint and leather.

Finish:  Lingering, with a slightly dry maltiness, wood and raisins.

The 1st World Whisky Forum, February 9-10th 2017

A stage for the new wave of distilleries from around the world This is where ideas are born, innovations presented and established truths challenged. The vision is to create a stage for the new wave of distilleries and whisky stakeholders from around the world who put innovation, rethinking and – of course – craftsmanship first. The world’s first World Whisky Forum is hosted at Box Distillery, Sweden, February 9-10th 2017.

There are rapid and very exciting developments in the whisky business. New, experimental projects from traditional whisky countries, and even more exciting new distilleries from countries not traditionally associated with whisky making, are challenging the business and pushing the boundaries, resulting in whisky with new expressions and styles. Some of the most prominent figures in this movement will be at World Whisky Forum.

Dave Broom, an internationally renowned whisky writer, will moderate our ten guest speakers and host the audience as we enjoy interesting panel debates and discussions. The theme is New frontiers in the World of Whisky and we will focus on three subjects: developing new whisky styles, learning from the past and establishing brand identity.

Speakers: Ichiro Akuto and Yomi Yoshikawa from Chichibu Distillery, Jasmin Haider-Stadler from Distillery Haider/Roggenhof, Ludo Ducrocq and Kevin Abrook from William Grant & Sons Distillers Ltd, Tony Reeman-Clark from Strathearn Distillery, Matt Hofmann from Westland Distillery, Roger Melander from Box Distillery, Patrick van Zuidam from Zuidam Distillers, Ian Palmer from InchDairnie Distillery and Steven Kersley from BrewDog. We are very pleased with this line up!

Read more about the speakers, topics and program at www.worldwhiskyforum.org. We are happy to answer all your questions regarding World Whisky Forum and the first event.

jan.groth@worldwhiskyform.org

www.worldwhiskyforum.org

World Whisky Forum is a stage for the new wave of distillers and whisky stakeholders around the world who put innovation, rethinking and, of course, the craftsmanship first. Swedish Box Distillery is the initiator, but the forum will be developed together with some of the most experienced and outspoken whisky authorities. It is a recurring event that will take place every eighteen month. Join us February 9th-10th 2017 at Box Distillery, Sweden, for the world’s first World Whisky Forum.

The Fifth Annual Whiskey Obsession Festival will be held from March 29 to April 1, 2017 in Sarasota, Florida. With 2,500 guests enjoying twenty-five different classes and tastings over four days, Whiskey Obsession is the largest festival in the U.S. celebrating whiskies from around the world.  

Tickets for all the events including our lunch and dinner classes, interactive panel discussion, and grand tasting are available at http://www.whiskeyobsessionfestival.com/p/tickets – a great holiday gift for friends, family, or yourself! 

Join us for the biggest and best Whiskey Obsession Festival yet.  Cheers! 

Turner C. Moore  

Photos: https://www.instagram.com/whiskey_obsession_festival

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhiskeyObsessionFestival

DECEMBER AUCTION NOW LIVE (ends Sunday 8^th January)

…place your bids at www.whiskyhammer.co.uk/

With an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits in over 500 lots, there is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest, enjoy or gift this Christmas! The auction is slightly longer than usual due to the festive period – ending on Sunday 8^th January.