It’s time to buy your tickets!

There are only six days remaining to take advantage of our early bird pricing. We hope you will join us in anticipation of a savory evening full of great whisky flavors and more. Early Bird tickets are refundable within a two-week notice. We feel you shouldn’t be penalized for buying early should unforeseen circumstances create a conflict in your schedule.Buy your tickets for our event(s) in Austin, Houston and Atlanta today! For more information about our events, visit our website

Glenglassaugh 51 Year Old – 1963

The oldest cask available from the distillery has been chosen for this very special release. Distilled in 1963 single cask #3301, a bourbon barrel was filled 15th February 1963 and left to slumber for an incredible 51 years.

£4,500.00

Abbey Whisky Ltd
Dollar, FK14 7AS
United Kingdom

Whisky Ramblings Via Video #135

Mark Dermul, Belgian Whisky blogger, tries a new Dutch single malt. Dutch single malt? That is not something you see every day. DenHool is triple distilled from summer barley grown by a Dutch famer who has now installed his own equipment. The whisky matured on bourbon casks and PX sherry casks and is a surprising treat.

https://youtu.be/8Fh4HIqcm6Y

MEXICO BARTENDER CLAIMS THE CHIVAS MASTERS TITLE IN SHANGHAI

Chivas Regal, the world’s first luxury whisky, has crowned Alejandro Millan Ponce de Leon from Instituto Culinario de Mexico and Bootlegger in Puebla, Mexico as the 2016 Chivas Master. The first major bartending competition to be held in Shanghai saw Alejandro overcome fierce competition from 14 of the world’s most innovative bartenders over a five-day final.

Alejandro also led a group of fellow finalists to victory who, as a team, were awarded the title of ‘Chivas Masters Collective’ for their pop-up bar, The Beach Brothers @ Logan’s Punch. The team, comprising of Santiago Ortiz Jacome from Spain, Ben Rojo from the United States, Stanisław Domin from Poland, and Tomáš Melzer from Czech Republic will all embark on a once in a lifetime trip to the Tales of the Cocktail 2016 festival in New Orleans to learn from some of the industry’s most renowned bartenders.

Due to his team spirit, hospitality and outstanding drink creations Alejandro was awarded the overall Chivas Masters title. The expert panel of judges were impressed by Alejandro’s winning local cocktail, ‘El Jornalero’, which displayed a culinary connection with his region’s indigenous ingredients and showed a great authenticity tying it to the roots of his Mexican culture.

The accolade of Chivas Master will take Alejandro on a bespoke trip to one of the world’s most iconic bars in a city of his choice to create a signature Chivas cocktail as a lasting contribution to the global competition.

The 2016 Chivas Masters judging panel boasted some of the world’s top industry leaders: Chris Lowder, head bartender at the Four Seasons in Seoul; Naren Young, head bartender at Dante in New York City; industry legend Dre Masso; and Leo Robitschek, bar director of New York’s Eleven Madison Park, who each coached the finalists in a series of workshops and judged competitors on their bartending talent and ability to lead, mentor and inspire a team.

Alejandro commented: “The global Chivas Masters final in Shanghai has opened my eyes and I hope that I have shown just what Mexico can do. It is a huge honour to hold the title of Chivas Master. The support of my team in Mexico and the amazing bartenders around me here at the global final has showed me that true brotherhood exists, and being able to work with these people is a great privilege.”

Max Warner, Global Brand Ambassador for Chivas Regal, commented: “The third year of the Chivas Masters global bartending competition has shown the world that a great cocktail is more than just an exceptional spirit base, which is of course essential: teamwork and collaboration are also key components in delivering a memorable drinking experience. Our winner Alejandro epitomised these values, underpinned by truly outstanding bartending skills – a worthy winner, supported by his team.”

The 15 competing bartenders earned their place at the global final by impressing at national heats, where they were challenged to recreate Chivas Regal’s journey across the globe. Creating serves that were inspired by the classic cocktails of New York to the booming bars of Shanghai via their home country, all cocktails were designed to enhance Chivas Regal’s smooth and generous house style – a feat that the bartenders were asked to replicate in the Chivas Masters global final this week.

Dre Masso remarked on the outstanding quality of entrants in the Chivas Masters 2016 global final: “On behalf of the wider judging panel it was fantastic to see such a resourceful, innovative and skilful group of bartenders competing – all of the finalists in Shanghai proved themselves to be at the top of their game. However, Alejandro is a fantastic winner, both due to his exceptional talent behind the bar and his camaraderie throughout the finals. I can’t wait to see how his career progresses – I expect great things.”

NOTES

About Chivas Regal Launched in 1909, Chivas Regal is the world’s first luxury whisky and is considered to be a timeless classic, renowned for its benchmark quality and taste, style, substance and exclusivity. A truly global brand, Chivas Regal has been integral to the growth of the Scotch whisky category worldwide and today sells 4.5 million 9L cases annually in more than 150 countries across the globe. With generosity, entrepreneurship and integrity at the heart of Chivas Regal, the brand launched its successful Win the Right Way campaign in 2014, which aims to inspire a new generation whilst making a positive impact on the lives of others. The Chivas Regal range includes Chivas 12, Chivas 18, Chivas 25 and the Global Travel Retail exclusive, Chivas Brothers Blend. In October 2014, Chivas Regal announced the addition of a fifth permanent expression in the Chivas Regal family, Chivas Regal Extra, a new blend with a unique richness derived from selective maturation in rare ex-sherry casks. In 2015, the iconic brand welcomed the pinnacle of the range with the introduction of the new ultra-prestige blend, Chivas Regal The Icon. www.chivas.com

About Chivas Brothers Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, the world’s No. 2 in wines and spirits. Chivas Brothers’ award-winning portfolio features some of the world’s most revered Scotch whisky brands including Chivas Regal, the world’s first luxury whisky and the No.1 Scotch whisky in China; Ballantine’s, Europe’s No.1 Scotch whisky; The Glenlivet, the single malt whisky that set the standard; and Royal Salute, the world’s only exclusively prestige Scotch whisky range. The portfolio also includes two of the world’s leading English gins – Beefeater, the world’s most awarded premium gin, and Plymouth gin – plus a selection of highly acclaimed single malt whiskies, including Aberlour, Longmorn, Scapa, Strathisla and Tormore. The range is completed by a collection of blended Scotch whiskies operating in many of the world’s key whisky markets which includes 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport Scotch. www.chivasbrothers.com @ChivasNewsRoom

About Pernod Ricard Pernod Ricard is the world’s No. 2 in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of € 8,558 million in 2014/15. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Kahlúa and Malibu liqueurs, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, Graffigna and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of approximately 18,000 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 “Brand Companies” and 80 “Market Companies” established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index. www.pernod-ricard.com

Wemyss Malts Midsummer Single Cask Release of 2016

As  we  gather  to  celebrate  the  longest  day  –  midsummer,  Independent  bottler  Wemyss  Malts releases a  gathering  of nine  new single cask whiskies ranging from 18 to 27  years  old.  As always the descriptive names of these whiskies are based on the flavours and aromas discovered by the Wemyss tasting panel.

The full single cask list of this release comprises of:

“Arbor in Bloom” 1995 (20yo) single cask from Glen Grant Distillery, Speyside
“Summer Breeze” 1995 (20yo) single cask from Linkwood Distillery, Speyside
“Spiced Rum Baba” 1988 (27yo) single cask from Glenrothes Distillery, Speyside
“Fields of Barley” 1990 (24yo) single cask from Bunnahabhain Distillery, Islay
“Lemon Buttered Kippers” (18yo) single cask from Bunnahabhain Distillery, Islay
“Briny Tangle” (25yo) single cask from Bowmore Distillery, Islay
“Banquet of Fruits” (21yo) single cask from Aberfeldy Distillery, Highlands
“Nuts about Pears” (24yo) single cask from Blair Athol Distillery, Highlands
“Mocha Moment” (27yo) single cask single grain from Invergordon Distillery

William Wemyss, Founder and Managing Director at Wemyss Malts, commented: “As there are more hours of daylight today, we’ve released  a larger batch of  nine single casks to provide an opulent  choice  of  drams  to  enjoy  through  the  long  evening  light.  From  the  topical  “Summer  Breeze” and “Fields of Barley” to  “Arbor in Bloom”  and “Banquet of Fruits”,  all are ideal for joining in with the midsummer revelries.”

Selected by the ever diligent Charlie Maclean each cask is limited to only a few hundred bottles with suggested retail prices ranging from £80 to £150. These bottlings will be available in selected retailers in the UK, EU and key Asian markets.

Notes :

 Edinburgh  based  Wemyss  Malts  is  owned  by  the  Wemyss  family  and  their  family  seat  is
Wemyss Castle in Fife where they’ve lived since the 1300s.

Wemyss Malts has an ongoing blended malt whisky range comprising: The Spice King, The Peat Chimney and The Hive;  single malt single cask bottlings and blended Scotch range, Lord Elcho.

Kiln Embers, 2015’s heavily peated, non  chill-filtered  release from Wemyss Malts has been awarded  gold  medal  by  the  World  Whisky  Awards  in  the  category  of  best  Scotch Blended Malt – No Age Statement.

The Wemyss family premium wines and spirits brands also include boutique gin Darnley’s View,  together  with  the  premium  wine  estate  of  Rimauresq  Cru  Classé  in  Cotes  de Provence.

The  family  has  opened  a  single  malt  distillery  at  Kingsbarns,  near  St.  Andrews  in  Fife www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com

Malts for the Collector’s Cabinet

This week we are bringing you some of our favourite collector’s items in our range. With single malts from Talisker to Ladyburn and everywhere in between, there is something for all tastes.

Free delivery available on all orders over £75 Next day delivery available

The Macallan 30 Year Old

This 30 year old expression from the Macallan Highland distillery is described as “heady and aromatic” and as with all the Fine Oak series, it is matured in a combination of both ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks. Showcasing a lighter style of Macallan than the Sherry Oak series, with more distillery character coming through, this expression is bottled at a strength of 43% abv.

£1,850 Buy Now

Ladyburn 1974 40 Year Old The Whisky Shop Exclusive

Hailing from Scotland’s shortest-lived distillery, this 40 year old is one of the rarest malt whiskies in the world. Built on the site of William Grant & Sons’ Girvan grain distillery, Ladyburn produced malt whisky for less than 10 years from 1966 to 1975 before being demolished. One of the last remaining casks from Ladyburn, Cask 89/199 No.74 was filled in 1974 and aged in the warehouses at Girvan until its 40th birthday on 21st November 2014. This Whisky Shop Exclusive is limited to only 157 bottles.

£2,597 Buy Now

Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1992 Single Cask The Whisky Shop Exclusive

Hand-selected by The Whisky Shop and Glenfiddich Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, this expression was chosen to celebrate the founding of The Whisky Shop in 1992. The very first release from the Glenfiddich Rare Collection, this single cask is available exclusively from The Whisky Shop and is limited to only 200 bottles. Matured in a refill bourbon cask distilled on the 13th March 1992, bottled at 55.6% abv. This whisky really shows off the Glenfiddich distillery character, with lots of sweet, fruity notes with apple and pear and just a hint of oak and spice.

£1,200 Buy Now

Tobermory 42 Year Old

Only 650 bottles of this limited edition Island Single Malt have been produced by the Tobermory Distillery of Mull. Presented in a striking box with a rotating door that reveals the bottle with a backdrop of the famous Tobermory harbour painted by Angus Stewart and containing some of the first spirit to be made at the distillery when it reopened in 1972, this expression is sure to make a welcome addition to the discerning collector’s cabinet. For those who open the bottle, intense sherried whiffs of tobacco smoke, liquorice, chestnuts and cocoa powder await. The taste is rich and luxurious with dark chocolate, coffee and spicy dried black fruits, while the finish is long, dry and spicy.

£2,500 Buy Now

Talisker 1953 24 Year Old Connoisseur’s Choice

While Queen Elizabeth II was crowned this Single Malt was being distilled on the shores of Skye. This amber toned whisky was matured for 24 years and bottled in 1977 at 43% abv. The nose is reminiscent of Winter on the shores of Skye with seaweed, pepper and some saltiness. The palate has maritime pepperiness running through with salt, phenol and some suppressed chili spice notes. The finish is medium long with salt and pepper aspects being revealed.

£3,000 Buy Now

Glenfarclas 1994 The Whisky Shop Exclusive

Bottled exclusively for The Whisky Shop and limited to only 1200 bottles, this expression from the family-owned Glenfarclas distillery is our very own award-winner! Scoring an impressive 95.5 in the 2016 Jim Murray Whisky Bible, this Speyside Single Malt received the coveted Liquid Gold Award. The nose has intense layers of sultanas and dessert wine, the palate offers juicy grape, toasted oak, sauternes and marmalade, while the finish is medium with notes of cocoa and vanilla.

“…not far off God’s gift to present day sherried malt whisky” – Jim Murray

£84 Buy Now

Ardbeg Dark Cove

A deliciously dark expression from the Islay distillery, this limited edition was released to mark the end of Ardbeg Day during the 2016 Islay Festival of Music & Malt. Matured in ex-bourbon and dark sherry casks, this expression harks back to the days of illicit stills and whisky smugglers hoping to avoid the notorious Excise Men. The nose entices with dark chocolate, rich treacle toffee and distant bonfires, while the palate is smouldering with charcoal and wood polish, with raisins and dates emerging from the shadows. The finish is long and spicy with cured ham and squid ink noodles lingering.

£110 Buy Now

June auction is now LIVE!

Our latest auction is now live and will end on Tuesday 5 July.

Yet again, there’s a strong selection of Japanese and Scotch whisky. From Japan, we have many vintages of Karuizawa, some very rare Hanyu Card Series bottlings, including the Joker Monochrome, as well as Yamazaki 1990 Sherry Butt.

We also have 27 Manager’s Dram bottles; they were never released for sale but only given to members of staff – look for the missing one in your collection. For peat lovers, we have a fantastic lot: 11 bottles of Bruichladdich Octomore from 01.1 to the first 10 Year Old bottling, while fans of sherry-matured whisky can bid on four great vintages of Glenfarclas from the 1950s.

And once again there is a strong line-up of miniatures: Macallan 1975 Fine & Rare with a very rare neck label, Macallan Private Eye, a few Cadenhead’s sets and many more. Good luck with your bids!

• Ardbeg 30 Years Old
• Bunnahabhain 1968 Auld Acquaintance
• Caol Ila 1978 Samaroli
• Glendronach 1971 & 1972
• Glenfiddich 40 Years Old – Bot.2002
• Glenlivet 1946 – 40 Years Old G&M
• Johnnie Walker Directors Blend 2009, 2012 & 2013
• Karuizawa 1968 Whisky Live Taipei 2012
• Macallan 1989 Fine & Rare
• Macallan Private Eye
• Old Fitzgerald Bot.1970s

You can bid in two ways: either increase the highest bid by a fixed amount, or place your maximum bid straightaway – ideal if you can’t be online on the last day of our auction. Be the first to bid!

This week Joe Ellis reviews the Bladnoch Connoisseurs Choice 1993 Vintage.

https://youtu.be/Y_Ojw_v3tsE

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

https://www.facebook.com/whiskytube

THE FAMOUS GROUSE HOUSE RETURNS WITH THE LAUNCH OF ‘FAMOUS FRIDAYS’ HEADLINER COMPETITION  

Back by popular demand, The Famous Grouse House is returning to Scotland’s Capital for Edinburgh’s International Festival Fringe this August (Wednesday 3^rd August – Saturday 27^th August 2016) for its second consecutive year. To celebrate, Scotland’s favourite whisky will be launching ‘Famous Fridays’ headliner competition giving 4 lucky artists or bands the chance to win a headline slot like no other and earn the right to say they have played at the Edinburgh Festival at the famous venue!

The destination pop up bar which is set to return to George Street in the centre of the capital’s festival entertainment, will invite artists and bands over the age of 25 to submit their video entries to The Famous Grouse from 20 June 2016 for an opportunity to win a prime time Friday slot and perform live on stage! Artists and bands are invited to enter via email to: competitions@thefamousgrouse.com with a video link to one of their songs, alongside details of the band. Full terms and conditions are available on The Famous Grouse UK website www.thefamousgrouse.com/gb.

The winners will be joined by some of Scotland’s best up and coming music acts and musical fringe performances from all over the globe, as part of the eclectic festival programme at Venue 7, The New Town Theatre. Located just outside this popular festival venue, on a pedestrian friendly section of George Street, The Famous Grouse House will be open daily from 11:00am to midnight and include performances from popular festival band Posable Action Figures, Glasgow based indie rock band Kelvin and the hugely admired solo artist Luke Carey taking to the stage. With critically acclaimed new music, a festival vibe and a fresh sense of fun, The Famous Grouse House is going to be the perfect place to soak up the best of the festival!

Johna Penman, Marketing Controller, The Famous Grouse commented: “Last year we created the perfect place to enjoy Scotland’s No.1 selling Blended Scotch Whisky, The Famous Grouse, debuting The Famous Grouse House at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. With live music every day and a variety of refreshing summer serves, we joined in the world’s largest arts festival for three exhilarating weeks and attracted the most talented performers to our stage for everyone to enjoy.  We are returning even bigger and better for a second year, this time with the exciting launch of ‘The Famous Friday’ Headliner competition, which will give the public the chance to vote for who they want to see on stage. We can’t wait to welcome visitors to our famous venue – there’s no better place to be this August!”

The Famous Grouse House is open daily from the 3rd to the 27th August, from 11am until midnight, with live music every day, situated outside New Town Theatre, Venue 7, 96 George Street.

Please enjoy our whisky responsibly www.drinkaware.co.uk

For more information visit http://www.famousgrouse.com/. For the latest news follow on twitter @TheFamousGrouse or Facebook at: TheFamousGrouseUK #famousgrousehouse #famousfridays

NOTES 

The Famous Grouse House Headliner Competition

Bands can enter by sending their YouTube video entry to: competitions@thefamousgrouse.com

The competition will open on Monday 20^th June and close Friday 8^th July at 12pm. A shortlist of acts will be selected by the panel of x4 judges on Friday 8^th July and this shortlist will then be put to a public vote on The Famous Grouse UK Facebook page fans to decide who wins the headliner slot. (Public vote closes 14^th July) Winners will be notified on Friday 15^th July. 

Full terms and conditions are available on The Famous Grouse website and below:

The Famous Headliner Competition 2016

Terms and Conditions 

Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions, and agreed to be bound by them when entering this Promotion. 

• Promoter: The promoter is Maxxium UK Limited (the “Promoter”) whose registered office is Maxxium House, Castle Business Park, Stirling, Stirlingshire, FK9 4RT

1. Entrants: This Promotion (“Promotion”) is open to residents of the United Kingdom aged 25 or over.
2. Purchase: No purchase necessary. No purchase of The Famous Grouse product(s) necessary to enter the competition.

• Promotion period: Start date: 09.00 GMT on Monday 20^th June 2016. Closing time and date: 18.00 GMT on Thursday 14^th July 2016.

• How to enter: To take part in this Promotion entrants may enter via sending an email to competitions@thefamousgrouse.com with a video/audio link to one of the artist’s/band’s songs, details of each of the members of the band including their age and country of residence and a description of the artist or band (50 words max.) Entrants must be aged 25 and over (this applies to all members of the band detailed within the entry.) Photographic ID must be supplied by the artist and all band members with entry. This is to comply with the Portman Code of Practice for Marketing Alcohol.

1. Entries: All entries must include name, telephone number, email address of entrant, date of birth, please take care when entering the competition and make sure that your entry is complete. Entries that are incomplete or that cannot be clearly viewed or read will not be entered into the competition. Maximum of one entry per artist/band.
2. Draw: The winner will be selected by a panel of judges comprising of two guest judges and the Maxxium The Famous Grouse brand team. The competition will open at 09.00 Monday 20^th June and close Thursday 14th July at 12pm. A shortlist of acts will be selected by the panel of x4 judges on Friday 8^th July and the shortlist will then be put to a public vote from the 11^th – 14^th July on The Famous Grouse UK Facebook page for fans to decide who wins the headliner slot .Winners will be notified on Friday 15^th July.
3. Winner: Winners will be notified by email or phone within 2 working days of draw but in no event later that 18.00 GMT on Friday 15^th July 2016. Winner must confirm their acceptance of the Prize (as defined below) by or before 18.00 GMT on Monday 18^th July 2016.
4. Prize: The prize is a an opportunity for the winning artist or band to perform on stage at the at The Famous Grouse House on George Street, Edinburgh, during the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival on a Friday throughout August at 8.30-9.30pm (prime slot.) Winning artist or band must be available to play on a date selected by The Famous Grouse from the following dates: 5, 12, 19, 26 August 2016 at the time 8.30pm-9.30pm; or prize will be revoked. The artist or band must arrive no later than 8pm to set up for 8.30pm slot.
5. Winners: Winners must be aged 25 or over and will each need a photographic ID and will be required to complete and sign a Winner information form in order to take up the Prize. The Prize does not include travel expenses or accommodation. The prize includes a headliner slot on one Friday during the festival from the following date: 5, 12, 19, 26 August 2016 at 8.30pm-9.30pm. The prize does not include any other costs or expenses not specifically listed in the above paragraph
6. Applicable law: This Promotion, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it (including the prize), shall be governed by and construed in accordance with Scottish law and you irrevocably agree that the courts of Scotland shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any such dispute or claim.

Competition is not open to employees of this outlet or of The Edrington Group or Maxxium UK Ltd their families, agents and agencies and anyone else professionally connected with this promotion.

1. Reserved Rights: The Promoter reserves the right to share artist or band’s video content and video entry as part of pre and post promotion of show on social media channels including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
2. The prize for the winner is non-exchangeable, non-transferable and no cash alternative is offered.

Liability etc

1. There are certain things for which the Promoter does not accept any liability to you, and these are explained in the next two paragraphs. The law does not allow the Promoter to exclude or limit its liability for some things, such as death or personal injury caused by its negligence, or loss caused by a false statement where the statement is made fraudulently.  The Promoter accepts full liability for these matters.  Otherwise, the exclusions of liability described below will apply. References to the Promoter include all of the Promoter’s associated companies, agents or any other third party involved in the Promotion.
2. The Promoter will not be responsible for (and will have no liability in connection with) the following occurrences, to the extent that they occur for reasons beyond the Promoter’s reasonable control:

1. any postponement or cancellation of the Promotion; and
2. any act or default of any third party supplier.

1. The Promoter does not accept responsibility for network, computer, hardware or software failure of any kind, which may affect the sending, receipt or processing of your entry.
2. Entries must not be made through agents or third parties.  Incomplete entries will be disqualified and will not be counted.
3. The Promoter’s decisions are final and binding in all respects on all entrants. No correspondence will be entered into. Entries that do not comply in full with these terms and conditions will be disqualified.
4. Please note that this Promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram.  By entering, you acknowledge that Facebook, Twitter and Instagram bear no responsibility for this Promotion and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, you release Facebook, Twitter and Instagram from any liability whatsoever in connection with this Promotion.  You understand that the information you provide is provided to the Promoter (and its affiliates, associates and agents where applicable) and not to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
5. If the Promoter has grounds to suspect any entrant or third party of cheating, deception or fraudulent or unsportsmanlike conduct of any kind (including, without limitation, manipulating the Promotion, choice of winners or any entry) the Promoter reserves the right (in its sole discretion) to disqualify any entrant, entry or person it reasonably believes to be responsible for, or associated with, such activity.
6. The Promoter reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time. 

Personal Details and Submission of Photographs

1. For the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998, the entrant acknowledges that in the course of entering via email to competitions@thefamousgrouse.com where the entrant has given consent by submitting video content of band, certain personal information or data about the entrant will be captured electronically or otherwise and transmitted to the Promoter. By entering into any promotion, the entrant expressly agrees to transfer such personal information or data to Maxxium UK Ltd to use, store and process the personal information for this competition and for future promotional actions and advertising related with the product The Famous Grouse. The entrant has the right to access, modify and cancel the personal information or data by contacting us at The Famous Grouse, Maxxium UK Ltd, Maxxium House, Castle Business Park, Stirling, FK9 4RT or via Karen.dobie-lawson@maxxium.com.
2. Any personal information, including without limitation, the entrant’s name, age, address (including postcode), telephone number and/or email address will be used solely in connection with this competition and for any purpose for which the entrant specifically opts in and will not be disclosed to any third party except for (a) the purpose of fulfilling the Prize(s) where applicable and (b) for any purpose for which the entrant specifically opts in. Any personal information held by the Promoter in respect of any competition will be held on record for a reasonable period to fulfil the purpose for which such personal information was collected. If an entrant gives the Promoter permission to pass on their personal information to a third party then this shall no longer be the responsibility of the Promoter and shall be subject to the privacy policy of that third party.

Publicity

1. The Winner agrees to allow the Promoter to use their name, competition entry and performance on stage for advertising and publicity purposes without additional remuneration. This authorization is not limited in time or geographically.
2. The Winner hereby agrees to be photographed and  filmed during the Prize, and the Winner agrees to sign a release form (to be provided by the Promoter or its agent) which will entitle the Promoter, and third parties to use and exploit the photographs and footage of the Winner for various purposes including promotional and advertising purposes without further remuneration.  The Winner shall procure that their chosen companions shall do the same if required by the Promoter. This authorization is not limited in time or geographically.
3. The Winners will take part in other related reasonable publicity and PR activity at the Promoter’s request.
4. Reserved Rights: Maxxium reserve the right to share artist or band’s video content and video entry as part of pre and post promotion of show on social media channels including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Scottish Law applies

1. This Promotion, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it (including the prize), shall be governed by and construed in accordance with Scottish law and you irrevocably agree that the courts of Scotland shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any such dispute or claim.
2. The winner may be required to provide a written acknowledgement of acceptance of all Terms and Conditions of the competition prior to receiving their prize. 

The Famous Grouse (http://www.thefamousgrouse.com/)

• The Famous Grouse is the no. 1 whisky in UK and no. 4* standard blended whisky worldwide (*IWSR data 2014).
• The Famous Grouse has been the best-selling whisky in the home of Scotch whisky, Scotland since 1980.
• The Famous Grouse is exported to over 100 countries.
• Created in 1896 by founder Matthew Gloag, it was originally called The Grouse Brand.
• The brand became so popular that on August 12^th 1905 it was renamed The Famous Grouse.
• The Famous Grouse Experience is located at Scotland’s oldest working distillery – Glenturret. Originally established as a single malt distillery in 1775, today The Famous Grouse Experience is the most visited distillery in Scotland.(www.thefamousgrouse.com/experience) 

About Maxxium UK

• Maxxium is the distributor of The Famous Grouse and Famous Ginger Grouse in the UK.
• The Famous Grouse portfolio includes: The Famous Grouse, The Famous Grouse Smoky Black, The Famous Grouse Mellow Gold, and The Naked Grouse.
• Maxxium UK Ltd is part of the global sales and distribution alliance between Beam Suntory and Edrington Group.
• Its UK portfolio of premium brands includes: Blended Scotch (The Famous Grouse, Teacher’s and Cutty Sark), malt whisky (Highland Park, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Auchentoshan, The Macallan, and Ardmore), imported whiskey (Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Canadian Club, Red Stag) Japanese whiskey (Hibiki, Yamazaki, Hakashu), cognac (Courvoisier) vodka (Stolichnaya), rum (Brugal), liqueurs and specialities (Sourz, Midori, Bols liqueurs, Galliano, After Shock)

Maureen Robinson has been working in the whisky industry for nearly 40 years

Maureen Robinson is a master blender for Diageo’s whisky team, and is involved in both blended Scotch and single malts, as well as helping to choose the eagerly awaited Special Releases each year. She is also a judge at whisky competitions, and was made a Keeper of the Quaich in 2012. Here, she shares some views on her role:

‘For the first nine years at Diageo, I learned about the science of whisky, then I moved on to working with blends’

‘Seeing something you’ve created is a real thrill’

‘Just now, the thing I really like doing is the Special Releases; it’s such a thrill to find these old whiskies. The idea is to release whiskies from distilleries that are closed, but also to show some experiments from our brands that are unique’

‘Putting a blended whisky together, to me, is like doing a single malt – you have all these flavours coming through. Each of our whiskies has their own character‘

‘How does a new product come about? Normally, we get a brief that we need something new, and I’ll start to think what that could be. I’ll go through lots of samples and mix the whiskies together. Sometimes it might not be how I envisaged it, so then I start playing with different percentages and different woods’

‘As a blender, NAS [Non Age Statement] whiskies open up new horizons. People say NAS means “young whisky”, but it doesn’t – it’s a balance between young and old. I do get a bit annoyed when people dismiss them’

‘Throughout history, there’s always been pressure on whisky stocks, but the current environment now is really healthy’

‘Diageo has a vast stock of whisky; at any one time, it has eight million casks’

‘With blends, sometimes you get it right on the first attempt; sometimes it takes 15!’