CHIVAS BROTHERS MARKS GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION WITH HUGE NATIONAL VOLUNTEER INITIATIVE

Scotch whisky and premium gin producer Chivas Brothers is set to get into the spirit of National Volunteers Week 2016 by supporting community projects across the UK. The activity will form part of Responsib’ALL Day, a global day of action hosted annually by its parent company Pernod Ricard.

Chivas Brothers’ 1,600 employees will dedicate thousands of hours to causes on Thursday 2^nd June by undertaking activities to support and develop their local communities. The focus is on creating or renewing convivial spaces for residents. A number of events are due to take place near the company’s sites in Scotland and London as part of the day.

Dozens of green-fingered employees based at the company’s site in Hammersmith, London, will help to spruce up the nearby Bishops Park by planting new flowerbeds and removing waste. Others will spend the day renovating a secret garden for residents at St Vincent Care Home.

In Scotland, teams from Paisley and Dumbarton will join forces with local schools to create allotments to grow their own fresh food as well as outdoor learning areas. Employees will also work with West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership at Langcraigs Day Centre in Dumbarton, which supports elderly people with disabilities and people with mental health issues.

A 30-strong team of green-fingered employees from the company’s Strathisla Distillery will help to spruce up St Rufus Park in Keith. As part of the project, they will work with Moray Council and St Rufus Regeneration Group to replace benches and install new bicycle racks at the park’s entrance.

Employees who are unable to take part in the community projects will be tasked to join a two minute litter pick with Keep Scotland Beautiful, a charity which aims to make Scotland green, clean and more sustainable.

Laurent Lacassagne, Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers, said: “This year, we focused on supporting the communities where we have a presence, helping to create and renew convivial spaces for residents. Responsib’ALL Day has coincided with National Volunteers Week, giving us even more motivation to show our support for a number of fantastic local projects.

“Volunteers make a real difference across our communities by helping to develop and sustain the local area and support those who need our help. We are extremely proud of our staff for embracing the activities with enthusiasm and I hope our achievements will have a lasting impact.”

Investing in local communities is just one of Chivas Brothers’ commitments, along with promoting responsible drinking, protecting the planet and empowering its people. Throughout the year employees are also encouraged to participate in Chivas Spirit of Support (Chivas SOS) – a staff inspired community scheme that offers all employees an opportunity to volunteer in local communities.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

All Chivas Brothers 1,600 employees are offered the opportunity to take part in activities which help to develop their communities as part of Responsib’ALL Day.

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 world’s No.1 single malt whisky; 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.

http://www.chivasspirit.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/chivas-brothers

@ChivasNewsRoom

JUNE AUCTION LIVE FRIDAY 24^th !

Summer has arrived and with it comes our June Auction! If the sun isn’t shining where you are take a look through the sale and bask in the warm glow from some of the hottest bottles around right now!

THAT BOUTIQUE-Y WHISKY COMPANY COLLECTION 

Dazzling this auction is a vast array of That Boutique-y Whisky Company bottles! More colourful than bunting at a summer fete, the collection includes fantastic Port Ellen and Brora releases among many others. 

GLENUGIE 1966 SAMAROLI 33 YEAR OLD, GLENUGIE 1966 SPIRIT OF SCOTLAND

& GLENUGIE 1966 THE BOTTLERS 

We rarely see Glenugie these days let alone of this superb old vintage and from three different bottlers!? A real treat!

KINCLAITH 18 YEAR OLD CADENHEAD’S 1980S 

A rare bottling of very rare whisky from Glasgow’s last distillery, Kinclaith, which only operated for 18 years!

LAGAVULIN 18 YEAR OLD FEIS ILE 2016 

This bottle inspired some of the longest queues on Islay during the 2016 Feis Ile. If you couldn’t make it over pick up yours here!

PORT ELLEN ANNUAL RELEASES 1^st – 10^th 

The lost jewel in Islay’s crown, Port Ellen has achieved near mythical status since its closure in 1983. Here we have numbers 1 through 10 of their incredible annual releases, don’t miss your chance to fill that gap in your collection!

There is no registration fee, our commission structure is very competitive and we offer worldwide shipping. For our terms and conditions please click here.

Happy bidding from Friday!

Make your reservations today! 6th Anniversary seated Whiskey Tasting Saturday June 25, 2pm and 5pm

(we’re going to taste some great whiskeys) (and a surprise taste too!)

As part of our 6th Anniversary, Rock Town is holding two exclusive sit down tastings on Saturday, June 25th at 2pm and 5pm. Phil Brandon will lead the tasting and we’ll taste four rare and exceptional Rock Town whiskeys.  Pairings include:

• 6th Anniversary Four Grain Sour Mash Bourbon Whiskey – 100 proof
  • Paired with Kent Walker Gouda Cheese
• Single Barrel Hickory Smoked Whiskey – Cask Strength
  • Paired with Hillcrest Artisan Meats – Duck Ham
• Single Barrel Rye Whiskey – Cask Strength
  • Paired with Kent Walker Leicester Cheese
• Our now famous Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey – Cask Strength
  • Paired with Trevor Swedenburg’s bacon wrapped dates with bourbon glaze

Phil will explain how each whiskey is made, how to taste and enjoy the pairing and answer your whiskey questions during the tasting. Space is extremely limited for the tastings and the cost is $40 per person. Tasting reservations can be made Here If you have problems with the website please call 501-907-5244 for reservations.

Click here to make your reservation

Rock Town is also offering free tours from 11am – 6pm on Saturday the 25th to celebrate our 6th Anniversary.

‘Islay is the eighth wonder of the world’

#Lagavulin200 – celebrating a big birthday

Colin Dunn knows how to open a whisky tasting. While invoking wonder-dom for Islay may seem hyperbolic, there are some tasting line-ups that justify such comments – our Lagavulin 200th Anniversary tasting was certainly one of those.

While Lagavulin is hugely popular among whisky aficionados, there are surprisingly few expressions available on the market. The core range consist of just two whiskies – Lagavulin 16 Year Old and Lagavulin Distillers Edition. Add to that the yearly 12-year-old Special Release and you’ve still only got three whiskies. Our original plan of putting together a line-up of six distillery bottlings is an impressive feat, but on the night we went one better…

Seven Lagavulins!

We kicked off the evening with the 2015 edition of the Lagavulin 12 Year Old. It’s a cask-strength monster of a whisky that you wouldn’t normally start proceedings with, but Colin was adamant – ‘The best whisky to start with is the one you shouldn’t!’ It’s a punchy dram and woke up the room.

Along with the regular whisky range, the line-up also included three special editions: the 200th Anniversary 8-year-old (you can read Stu’s take on it here), the sold-out 2015 Islay Jazz Festival bottling and, the whisky I was most looking forward to, the Lagavulin 1991 21yo Sherry Cask. I was lucky enough to taste it when it was released as part of the 2012 Diageo Special Releases, and have been trying to find an excuse to do so again ever since. My palate’s got a lot more sophisticated over the past four years, so here are my updated tasting notes:

Lagavulin 1991 21 Year Old Sherry Cask

Nose: Malt loaf, dates and butter, hints of salty liquorice and wet peat smoke. Spiced, butter-rich shortbread develops, along with singed pineapple and spiced sponge – Heston Blumenthal’s tipsy cake with spit-roast fruit – dried apricot and mango, and a touch of coal dust.

Palate: Soft and fruity, with peach, pear and apple backed up by dark, sticky, sweet black liquorice. Sweet and savoury notes of herbal throat lozenges build, with spiced treacle sponge, sultanas and raisins. Minty hints, dark chocolate and soft smoke linger at the back.

Finish: Raspberry jam, coal and wood smoke, earthy peat and lingering apple sauce.

Comment: Fruitier than I remember, especially on the nose, but just as elegant and poised. A classic.

While the 1991 was the billed highlight of the evening, Colin had one more trick up his sleeve – the recently launched and much-spoken-about Lagavulin 18 Year Old, bottled specially for this year’s Islay Festival and only available from the distillery. It’s almost certainly sold out by now, with only a handful of bottles still available at the distillery at the time of the tasting, and Colin sneaked this bottle off the island so that we could have a taste.

Lagavulin 18 Year Old – Feis Ile 2016

Nose: Waxy, with notes of distant swimming pools. Sweet fruit and grassy savoury notes roll in, with pink Chewits and soft wood smoke joined by ferns, sour peat and freshly cut grass. The smoke stays subdued, with barley sugar, malted milk biscuits and cream filling out the palate.

Palate: Soft and sweet with earthy undertones: mulch, chocolate and liquorice, ashy touches and slowly developing orchard fruit. Salted caramel sauce sits drizzled on top, balanced by aromatically muddy notes of freshly turned sod.

Finish: Bitter liquorice pastilles, apple Jolly Ranchers, hints of marzipan, recently trimmed hedges and a touch of bung cloth.

Comment: A soft and fruity whisky, with well-integrated smoke. It’s my favourite style and I’m now even more sad that I didn’t make it to Islay this year. Now to make friends with people who did…

For the full rundown on the evening, head to Storify, where you can see all the tweets from the night.

www.ralfy.com discovers lots of cask and a little malt with Whisky Review 588 – Kavalan King Car Conductor malt

Jazz & Whisky Tasting – 28 Queen St, Fri 24 June  More >

July Outturn Preview – The Vaults, Thu 30 June  More >

Edinburgh Whisky Solstice 2 for £40 – Assembly Rooms, Sat 25 June More>

UK-WIDE PREVIEWS WITH UISGE SOURCE

Dundee – Malmaison, Fri 24 June  More >

Melrose – Town House Hotel, Fri 24 June  More >

Perth – The Salutation Hotel, Fri 22 July More >

Durham – Radission Blu, Fri 29 July  More >

Stirling – The Golden Lion, Fri 29 July More >

Sheffield – Leopold Hotel, Fri 29 July  More >

FREE EVENTS AT THE VAULTS

Live Music Night with Hot Tin Roof – Tue 12 July  More >

Browse All Events & Tastings >

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

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2016 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

$238.05

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2016 Islay single malt Scotch whisky. Selecgted for the Islay Festival 2016 ‘Feis Ile’ matured in Madeira casks. Laphroaig Distillery was established in 1815 on the rocky south coast of the Isle of Islay off the west coast of Scotland. Laphroaig is a malt whisky distillery which continues to malt barley using its traditional malting floors and malt kiln. In 1994 Laphroaig was awarded the Royal Warrant. Visitors are welcomed at the Laphroaig Distillery visitor centre where distillery tours are available. Laphroaig Distillery participates in Feis Ile, the Islay Festival of Malt and Music.

Evan Williams Bourbon Launches American Hero Edition Bottle for Summer 2016

Evan Williams Bourbon is saluting American veterans with a custom red, white and blue edition of Evan Williams Black Bourbon featuring the heroic stories of 10 military veterans, chosen for their selfless acts of service at home and abroad.

As an American-made and American-owned brand, Evan Williams recognizes true American heroes through their exceptional stories of honor and bravery. Available exclusively during the month of May for Memorial Day and extending through July 4, this limited edition bottle will be sold nationwide.

The American Hero Edition bottle features custom labels showcasing the individual stories of the ten Evan Williams American-Made Heroes on one side. Adorned with stars and stripes, the red, white and blue bottle pays homage to the ultimate symbol of American independence. Evan Williams is the world’s second largest selling Bourbon in the world, and remains family-owned and operated to this day.

“Evan Williams is proud to work directly with our chosen military heroes to showcase their achievements in the military and in their communities,” said Chris Ratterman, Evan Williams Bourbon Brand Manager. “The American-Made Heroes program encompasses the spirit of Evan Williams’ American heritage and those who protect the American spirit day in and day out. Every hero has a story, and Evan Williams is honored to share them.”

Evan Williams is also extending the program by inviting others to nominate the military hero in their life to win a $250 gift of thanks and the chance to be selected as one of the next official Evan Williams American-Made Heroes – a prize that will be awarded to hundreds of military members. Nominations will showcase the difference each of the veterans are making in the lives of others while exemplifying their courageousness. To learn more about the program, go to http://www.american-madeheroes.com/.

The American Hero Edition is available for a suggested retail price of $24.99 for the 1.75L and is bottled at 43% alcohol by volume (86 proof). The launch of the new custom label is supported by national advertising through ESPN the Magazine, Military.com, newspaper, and other key digital video and social media partners. Custom bottle neckers and retail displays featuring a military-grade footlocker to display the bottles will also support the launch.

Founded in 1935, Bardstown, KY-based Heaven Hill Brands (www.heavenhill.com) is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes Evan Williams Bourbon; Larceny, Elijah Craig and Henry McKenna Bourbons; Deep Eddy Vodka; Burnett’s Vodkas and Gin; Admiral Nelson’s and Blackheart Rums; HPNOTIQ Liqueur; The Christian Brothers Brandies; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur; Lunazul Tequila; Cinerator Hot Cinnamon Flavored Whiskey and Rittenhouse Rye Whisky.

Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely.  Drink Wisely.”

OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD WHISKIES

To celebrate the return to Earth of British astronaut Tim Peake, we’re not only launching our 29 year old homecoming bottle 39.124 ‘A toast to Tim Peake’s return’, we’re releasing a bunch of new, out-of-this-world whiskies for you to taste and explore.

Read Ambassador Phoebe’s review on our blog HERE >

NEW BOTTLINGS ONLINE

Old & dignified

39.124 A toast to Tim Peake’s return
Price: £176.70
The nose – elegant and sophisticated – hints at things you would miss while in space – flower markets, old-fashioned ice-cream parlours and perfumed ladies in vintage cars.

BUY >
29 years old,
Second-fill sauternes hogshead
*Available in our Members’ Rooms too

Peated

3.267 Brunch with a difference
Price: £73.00
The taste was like chocolates filled with a nutty cream ganache infused with peat smoke, followed by a vanilla ice-cream sundae with hot fudge and caramel sauce whilst in the long finish, surprisingly, grilled bacon.

BUY >
14 years old,
Refill ex-bourbon hogshead

Spicy & sweet

55.37 Choc a l’orange
Price: £59.10
“It’s like being in an orange grove at Christmas”. Sweet and warm fruits of pineapple and dried orange skin mingled with crystalised ginger, cloves, nutmeg and allspice

BUY >
15 years old,
Second-fill sauternes hogshead

Sweet, fruity and mellow

64.69 Sweet sensuous indulgence
Price: £110.00
We got spiced chicken, Japanese teriyaki and Portuguese piri-piri style as well as oysters with lemon and tabasco sauce. Water added aromas of a lady’s handbag; perfume, lipstick, cigarette packet and soft mints.

BUY >
25 years old,
Refill ex-bourbon hogshead

Browse Current Outturn >
Browse All Bottlings >

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

Longrow, Ardbeg, Glenmorangie & more!

This week we welcome the all-new 2016 bottling of the Longrow 18 Year Old from our friends down the road at the Springbank Distillery. We take a look at what makes it so different and explore some of our other whiskies with peat and sweet tendencies!

Longrow 18 Year Old 2016 Edition

This peated and twice-distilled expression comes from Campbeltown’s oldest remaining distillery. This time round, Springbank have matured the spirit in 60% rum casks and 40% refill sherry casks where before it spent its 18 years in 100% sherry casks.  The nose is spicy with cinnamon, ginger, pear and pastry. The palate is buttery with ginger developing into marzipan and coconut. Juicy apples and a thick sweetness of sugar cane molasses emerges thanks to the rum cask influence. The finish is peat and spice with hints of nutmeg and burnt embers.

£110 Buy Now

Ardbeg Dark Cove

This brand new expression from Ardbeg was released to mark Ardbeg Night during the Islay Festival and celebrates the long gone days of illicit stills and bootleggers trying to slip casks past the dreaded Excise Men.  Matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and dark sherry casks, the nose entices with dark chocolate, treacle toffee and distant bonfires. The palate is smouldering with charcoal and wood polish with raisins and dates emerging, while the finish is long and spicy with cured ham and squid ink noodles lingering.

£110 Buy Now

Lochside 52 Year Old Sovereign

This Single Grain Scotch Whisky was distilled at the Lochside Distillery in Montrose before being aged for more than half a century in a single refill hogshead. Bottled at a cask strength of 48.1% abv.  The nose is complex with notes of dark fruits, candle wax and furniture polish. The palate is ripe with rich forest fruits and hints of green moss and wood fire smokiness. The finish is long and warm with lingering oak notes gathered over 52 years.

£960 Buy Now

Jura Tastival 2016

Only available while stocks last, this limited edition was released to celebrate the 2016 Jura Tastival festival. With only 2000 bottles made available to the UK market, this is one to catch before it’s gone!  Offering flavours of toffee apples, vanilla and ginger tantalising the palate, this expression is the result of a triple sherry finish combining 19 year old, 15 year old and 14 year old malt from the Isle of Jura.

£95 Buy Now

Glenmorangie Milsean

Matured in a bourbon cask, this expression would have already been sweet as is, but determined to replicated the flavours of traditional sweet shops Glenmorangie finished this expression off in flame toasted Portuguese wine casks. Truly remarkable this expression has a hint of tingling spice and chilli, which gives way to a sweet boastful flavours. Candy, citrus zest, tart, plummy fruits, cherries, nectarines, plums and melons to name but a few of the flavours present in this whisky… this is a whisky with a difference.

£76 Buy Now