The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show – this weekend!

It’s that time of year again. The office is really busy, new whiskies are appearing in every corner, emails containing huge lists of things are zipping around and I’m working on a weekend – it’s time for The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show.

Lots more details have appeared on the Whisky Show website since we last wrote about the event in February. Back then all we knew was that the venue had changed and that the theme was Legends of Whisky. Now, we’ve only got a few masterclass tickets left, we know what’s on the brasserie menu, have a lists of Dream Drams and special guests (including some proper legends of the whisky industry), know what food pairings and cocktails we’ll have, have a published schedule and map, and even have a list of all of the whiskies available to try.

It’s going to be excellent.

We’ll have TWE exclusive whiskies dotted around the show, with new whiskies from Arran, Kilchoman and The English Whisky Company all selected by us and available to try on their stands. The exclusive single casks of BenRiach and Glendronach that appeared a few weeks back will also be on the BenRiach Distillery Co stand, if you’ve not had a chance to taste them yet.

The show bottlings, available to try at the show for the first time

 On the Show Bottlings stand we’ll have some new exclusive whiskies bottled specially for the show. They are so new that I’ve not had a chance to try them yet, but reports from those who have are very good. Sherried drams from Ledaig and an anonymous family-run distillery in Speyside, a 22-year-old Irish single malt, and the latest in our Masterpieces series, as chosen by TWE director Sukhinder Singh.

This year, the boss has gone for a 2002 vintage Bruichladdich matured in a bourbon cask. The previous releases have not lasted long, and we don’t expect this one to hang around, either. If there are any show bottlings left after the weekend then they’ll appear on The Whisky Exchange website, so keep your eyes peeled.

Daryl Haldane from Highland Park introducing the room to Dark Origins last year

 Along with all the whisky, food, cocktails and special guests, we have our famed masterclasses. While many are already sold out, we do have a few tickets left for some of them:

The Science of Whisky with Ian Buxton and Paul Hughes, authors of The Science and Commerce of Whisky, comparing and contrasting whiskies from Royal Lochnagar, Dalwhinnie and Mortlach
Benromach: The Making of the Classic Speyside Malt with distillery manager Keith Cruickshank, deconstructing the excellent Benromach 10 Year Old and trying the 15 Year Old
Arran: The Coming of Age with brand manager Louisa Young, celebrating the distillery’s 20th birthday with a selection of new and upcoming limited-edition whiskies
Cigar Pairing with Dalmore and Hunters & Frankau, pairing up a Cuban cigar and one of Dalmore’s drams three times a day – once with a light cigar, once with a medium and once with a heavy, featuring a different dram each time
Whisky and Cheese with Balvenie and La Fromagerie. Balvenie’s James Buntin and cheese expert Bruno d’Abo will be bringing along six cheeses and three whiskies each day at the show to teach us how the two can complement each other

There’s also a whole program of free seminars and Q&A sessions through the weekend, many with a few special drams thrown in for good measure. As mentioned before: it will be excellent.  If you’ve not got a ticket yet, head over to our ticketing partner Billetto and grab one – we still have a few left for Sunday 4 October. Just click the oversized button below:

If you already have a ticket, then make sure to pop by Stand 8 to say hello. Even if you don’t want to talk to me, the whiskies are worth the trip.

We are delighted to announce that the newest batch release of the widely popular Exclusive Malts has arrived in US soil. Individually and carefully selected by David Stirk, founder of the Creative Whisky Co, these 8 new bottlings show some of the best single cask whisky to come out from Scotland. 

Ben Nevis ‘96 17 yr Highland (Ex-Sherry Matured) 102.4 proof

Ben Nevis Distillery, situated at the foot of, and named after, the highest mountain in Scotland, is a rather unique Highland Scotch Whisky. Brimming with thick malt and dense fruit flavours, it has long been sought after by blenders as their backbone for a high-class Scotch Whisky. This refill ex-Sherry butt has been maturing next to the distillery, untouched since 1996 and is a classy example of what this distillery can offer.

Glen Garioch ’95 19 yr Highland (Ex-Rum Finished) 112.6 proof

The closest distillery to the ancient city of Aberdeen is Glen Garioch distillery (pronounced ‘Gearie’). This small Highland malt whisky was often overlooked in the past couple of decades as more attention was given to its sister distilleries in Glasgow and on Islay. This meant there were few offerings from this exceptional distillery. Thankfully this is changing as more and more attention are given to malts. This cask had previously held Rum from Guyana which has imparted a sweet and fruity character to the spirit.

Deanston ’97 17 yr Highland 104.60 proof

Deanston Distillery, situated near Perth, was originally a cotton mill in the latter part of the 18th Century. It only recently began life as a distillery, being converted in 1966. Most of its whisky is intended for blending but occasionally casks find their way, untouched, into the bottle as a single malt whisky. This refill hogshead has sat, slowly maturing, for 17 years, retaining the full malty, earthy character that is the essence of Deanston whisky.

Bruichladdich ’04 11 yr Islay 111.20 proof

The most Westerly distillery in Scotland is Bruichladdich Distillery. Famed for making a quality spirit, without the peat smoke of its neighbours, it was long favoured by the Ileach (the people of Islay). This cask was made not long after the distillery returned to former glories and the whisky in this cask does its reincarnation credit. Full of rich, sweet malt and heavy fruit with perhaps just a hint of the sea-air where it matured for 11 years.

Girvan ’88 27 yr Lowland 106.8 proof

The Girvan Distillery was completed in 1963 and was built by the William Grant & Sons Company to satisfy their demand for grain whisky for their many blends. At the time of completion it was the largest distillery in Europe and also makes a very well known gin. This ‘Coffey Still’ distillate was laid down in 1988 and has been bottled as naturally as possible to retain all of the soft American oak flavours.

Cambus ’88 26 yr Lowland 96.2 proof

Cambus Distillery was one of the largest in the world when founded in 1813 in Clackmannanshire. It closed in 1993 when its owners decided that their requirement for grain whisky could be satisfied by other distilleries in their portfolio. Sadly, it joins the list of numerous grain distilleries closed for good. This cask was filled in 1988 and has slowly maturing for 26 years but shows off the delicate and complex nature of the spirit.

Glen Keith ’96 19 yr Speyside 100.2 proof

Situated in the small town of Keith and a few hundred yards from Strathisla Distillery, Glen Keith closed around the late 90s and re-opened in 2013 to make whisky entirely for the export blend market. This meant that the only single malt available was the rare single cask bottling like this one. This refill hogshead shows the fruity-sweet style so favoured by blenders.

Allt-A-Bhainne ’93 22 yr Speyside 101.40 proof

Allt-a-Bhainne, which means ‘Milk Burn’ in Gaelic, Distillery is nestled in the hills behind Dufftown. The distillery was built in the post Second World War boom for Scotch Whisky and was built entirely to contribute to the large blends of the parent company, Seagram’s. Even today, its malt whisky is almost never bottled un-blended as a single malt. It is up to the rare single cask offerings to show what this distillery can do. This refill hogshead is full of candy floss and sweet fruits.

Please feel free to reach out for more detail on the Batch #9: office@impexbev.com

www.impexbev.com

ImpEx Beverages Inc.

360 Swift Ave

Side B # 9

South San Francisco, CA 94080

COMPASS BOX WHISKY TASTING – WEDNESDAY 28TH OCTOBER 2015

It is the 15th Anniversary of Compass Box Whisky Co this year and we are delighted that we will be able to join in the celebrations as, on Wednesday 28th October, Herman Van Broekhuizen, Brand Ambassador, will be coming along to present a tasting of some of the wonderfully rich, smooth and complex whiskies that they produce.

Founded by John Glaser, Compass Box are a small, independent, specialist whisky company whose philosophy is that drinking Scotch whisky should be a pleasure – hence their motto of ‘Above All, Share and Enjoy’. Their award winning whiskies are created through the art of blending or vatting, and John Glaser’s extensive knowledge of the way oak casks interact with whisky, combined with his innovative thinking, results in a contemporary approach that builds on the great traditions of whisky making. Their range has something for everyone, from soft and fruity to spicy to full on peat, and whether you’re new to whisky or a connoisseur this is an ideal tasting to come along to as not only will there be a broad spectrum of Scotch whisky styles but also you will learn a lot about the important role of wood and maturation in whisky production. And if you have had the pleasure of attending a Compass Box tasting before then, don’t worry, there will be some new treats in store for you to try!

Tickets are £15 per person and will be available to buy online from 1.15pm on Friday 2nd October. Please note, no bookings will be taken before this time and the maximum number of tickets per booking is 6.

See below for all the details and if you have any queries just contact us.

Sláinte!
Fran and Ken
Arkwrights Whisky and Wines
www.whiskyandwines.com

UPCOMING EVENT
Name Compass Box Whisky Tasting
Date Wednesday 28th October 2015

Time 7.00 for 7.30pm
Venue Stanton House Hotel, Stanton Fitzwarren

Details Admission to the tasting is by ticket only, and the whiskies tasted will be available to purchase on the night. Tickets are £15 per person, and this also entitles you to a discount of £3 against a bottle of one of the featured whiskies if bought or ordered on the night of the tasting.

Tickets are very strictly limited, and allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Arkwrights reserve the right to restrict the number of tickets per customer and as these tastings usually sell out within hours it is best to book as soon as the tickets are released. To buy tickets just log on to www.whiskyandwines.com from 1.15pm on Friday 2nd October and place an order for the number you require. Please note that tickets cannot be reserved without payment and are non-refundable.

N.B. We have negotiated special rates at Stanton House Hotel for anyone who wants to stay overnight after the tasting – just quote ‘Arkwrights- whisky tasting’ when booking by ‘phone or email.

United States – Kentucky

Pikesville Straight Kentucky Rye 750ml  $49.99 

Scotland

Arran 18 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 750ml  $119.99 

Balvenie 25 Year Old Single Barrel Single Malt Whisky 750ml $599.99 

Lagavulin Distiller’s Edition Single Malt Whisky 750ml $109.99

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Whisky Ramblings Via Video #118

Mark Dermul, Belgian Whiskyblogger, tries another distillery only cask. Whenever you visit Auchentoshan, the Lowland distillery near Glasgow, you always have the opportunity to bottle your own from a cask in the warehouse. It makes for a nice souvenirs. Even more so when the cask is of exceptional quality – which it usually is. This most recent cask was a Bordeaux wine cask, filled in 2006. Quite young and yet full of flavor!

https://youtu.be/pF7EDJd7qTk

Vote For Us….

The Famous Grouse Experience are thrilled to be shortlisted in this year’s Whisky Magazine “Icons of Whisky” Scotland Awards. Following on from our success in last year’s awards we have been nominated in 2 categories, Visitor Attraction of the Year and Visitor Attraction Manager of the Year.

Glenturret Distillery have also been nominated for Distillery of the Year and Distillery Manager of the Year.

The voting is open to the public and closes on Friday 9th October. Click here to register your vote.

CRAFT COLLABORATION JAMESON ‘CASKMATES’ GOES GLOBAL

Watch the Jameson Caskmates film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSbUErfAMu0 

Jameson has announced the global release of Jameson Caskmates, following a successful limited run in Ireland last year. Created by the Midleton Distillery in collaboration with micro-brewer, Franciscan Well Brewery in Cork, Jameson Caskmates offers a new taste experience that will satisfy the appetite of whiskey enthusiasts, Jameson drinkers and craft beer fans.

The Jameson Caskmates story began back in 2013, when Jameson Master Distiller, Brian Nation and Master of Whiskey Science, Dave Quinn, first met Franciscan Well Founder and Head Brewer, Shane Long, in a Cork bar. The Jameson Masters agreed to loan some Jameson casks to the brewery to discover their influence on Irish stout and when the stout-seasoned barrels were returned to the Midleton Distillery, Dave Quinn re-filled them with Jameson Irish whiskey. Over time, the maturation resulted in a new taste sensation: Jameson Caskmates.

The product of curiosity, collaboration and innovation, Jameson Caskmates retains the triple-distilled smoothness of Jameson Original, while adopting additional notes of coffee, cocoa, butterscotch and gentle hints of hops.

The release is set to tap into the existing consumer appetite for craft beer and whiskey, as it fuses the two categories and showcases exceptional versatility; the result can be served neat, on the rocks, as a beer pairing and in beer cocktails. The tag line behind the creative, ‘Triple distilled, once stouted’, reinforces the union of whiskey and beer while injecting the wit and personality of the Jameson brand to further enhance its appeal to millennial consumers.

Dave Quinn, Master of Whiskey Science at the Midleton Distillery, says: “When the stout-seasoned Jameson barrels arrived back at Midleton from Franciscan Well, curiosity got the better of us and we experimented by maturing our Jameson Irish whiskey in the casks. We found that after around six months, the perfect balance of flavor was achieved and we couldn’t be happier with the results; Jameson Caskmates retains all the smoothness of triple-distilled Jameson with added cocoa, coffee and butterscotch notes from the stout barrels. We are thrilled that the rest of the world is getting the chance to enjoy this Irish gem!”

Brendan Buckley, Global Innovation Director at Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, added: “Jameson and stout are no strangers behind the bar, but for the first time ever they have come together to create our latest innovation, Jameson Caskmates. The story goes right to our heart in Cork, where our Midleton Distillery and the Franciscan Well Brewery are located, and represents what we are most passionate about: Irish craftsmanship, collaboration and innovation. With Jameson Caskmates, we hope to surprise and delight existing Jameson drinkers by providing them with an authentic, new whiskey experience, as well as to recruit craft beer fans globally to the Irish whiskey category.”

Bottled at 40% ABV, Jameson Caskmates is available from September 2015 in eight markets including the USA, South Africa and Ireland, at the RRP of €38.99, $29.99 or local equivalent, supported by global ATL and BTL campaigns, POS and merchandising support tools. 

Notes 

Jameson Caskmates Tasting Notes, by Master Distiller Brian Nation

Nose: The initial aroma of freshly mown hay is complemented by a crisp orchard fruit character, green apples and pears along with a twist of lime zest. Mild pot still spices appear, deepening from green tea to hazelnut and milk chocolate. The lingering hop influence combines effortlessly with toasted oak and barley grains to form a solid base.

Taste: As expected, there is the initial sweet mouth coating typical of the Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey inclusion. Then the effect of the beer cask finish becomes apparent with the subtle touch of hops and cocoa beans. Some marzipan and charred oak add to the complexity.

Finish: Long and sweet with milk chocolate and butterscotch.

About Irish Distillers

Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between Irish whiskey distillers, John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son and the Cork Distillery Company. In an attempt to reverse the decline in Irish whiskey sales, the company decided to consolidate production at a new purpose-built facility alongside the existing distillery in Midleton, Co. Cork. Irish Distillers was bought by Pernod Ricard in June 1988 and today, Jameson is the No.1 Irish whiskey in the world, selling over 4 million 9L cases worldwide and contributing more than any other Irish whiskey brand to the phenomenal global growth of the category. Irish Distillers is committed to driving continued, sustainable growth of the Irish whiskey category.

Irish Distillers’ portfolio of whiskeys is comprised of Jameson, the world’s no.1 Irish whiskey; Irish favourite Paddy; Powers, the robust super premium whiskey for discerning drinkers; and the much-acclaimed brands that comprise the Irish Distillers’ Prestige Collection – the Single Pot Still Whiskeys of Midleton which includes the Spot range (Green Spot, Yellow Spot) and Redbreast, Ireland’s most awarded single pot still whiskey brand – and the pinnacle of the Prestige Collection, Midleton Very Rare.

www.irishdistillers.ie 

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the world’s co-leader 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.

http://www.pernod-ricard.com/

New service launched

yourwhiskycask.co.uk is offering Scotch whisky – in casks

Telgte, Germany, 22nd September 2015. From now on aficionados and friends of Scotch Single Malt have the opportunity to receive offers for whisky casks by a new service named yourwhiskycask. The company is offering their casks worldwide to private persons, whisky clubs or businesses. Becoming the owner of a cask is simple: if someone is interested in receiving our offers, he/she can simply register free of charge on our website. From then on interested parties will receive our latest newsletter with all casks on offer via email.

The costs for a cask depend on its volume, cask type, alcohol content, age and exclusivity. Casks with New Make have also become a popular investment over the last few years. These casks are currently available from £1200 to £2000. The prices for old and rare casks have soared drastically and it looks as if there is no limit in sight. To ensure fresh supply of good quality casks, the team from yourwhiskycask.co.uk has a long established network of brokers and partners in Scotland. We are able offer casks through these channels or from our own stock.

When receiving an email with the casks on offer, for older whiskies peoplesometimes have the chance to order a sample at their expense. Especially with our offers for New Make or younger whisky we specifically focus on exceptional 1st-fill casks of good quality, like rum, wine, sherry, port or Madeira.

When buying a cask from yourwhiskycask.co.uk buyers will get all services from one supplier: storage, inspection, bottling and if desired a finish in an especially selected cask. It is imperative that an extraction of the cask from a bonded warehouse is only possible when bottling the Scotch whisky. It is illegal to export full casks.

Regardless of the country of residence, everybody can become the owner of a cask of whisky. The owners of a cask are of course entitled to receive samples of their Scotch whisky, so they can get their own impression of the maturation process.

The buyer of one of our casks will get access to our online administration database. They will find there all the necessary and current data of their cask. For further information, please visit http://www.yourwhiskycask.co.uk.

Provider of all services offered by yourwhiskycask.co.uk is Five Lions GmbH located in Telgte (Germany). All processes will be dealt with in our office in Scotland and contacts on site.

Contact

Alexander Springensguth

email // presse@five-lions.de

phone // 0049 2504 708967-7

fax // 0049 2504 708967-9

Publisher

Five Lions GmbH

Mersch 10

48291 Telgte

Germany

email // info@five-lions.de

phone // 0049 2504 708967-0

fax // 0049 2504 708967-9

www.five-lions.de

Time is running out to sign up for the Laphroaig Masterclass

This Saturday, October 3rd at 7pm

at The Olde Mouldy

upstairs from the Study Restaurant at 73 Ames Street

enter either Study or Ames Street Deli and staff will be delighted to direct you to us.

Back in the late 1950s, Laphroaig was presided over by Islay’s (and probably all of Scotland’s) first ever distillery manager, Bessie Williamson. She had just taken the reins after the death of its previous owner, Ian Hunter, having served as his secretary and inherited the distillery since he had no living decedents.  She was a true legend in the industry and ably stewarded the no-less-legendary distillery until her retirement in ’72. Back then, Laphroaig had two small stills and did all their own malting by hand, spreading it out on the floor of a warehouse to germinate and smoking it onsite in their kiln. The stills were replaced I think around ’61. This year’s Laphroaig Cairdeas pays homage to this incredible woman and the magical spirit she produced by using only barley malted at Laphroaig the old-fashioned way and distilled twice in their smaller “spirit” stills as opposed to the first run passing throught heir larger “wash” still.

On Saturday, we’ll provide the only opportunity in the world that we’ve yet heard of to directly compare this incredibly special Cairdeas bottling with the spirit it is attempting to replicate, a spirit distilled and bottled under Bessie’s careful eye, a 10 year old bottled in 1969. Both of these whiskies are fabulous examples of what Laphroaig is capable of, showing a side of the heavily peated single-malt that is rather different from today’s normal distillate.

To really fully grok the significance of that, we’ll taste these two special whiskies in the company of the distillery’s modern 10 year old and their limited-edition 15 year old. Then, since we’re already opening one $6,000 bottle, we may as well go all out and we’ll taste the long departed 30- and 40-year old expressions both bottled over a decade ago. These bottles are both truly stunning and round out a line-up of whiskies never to be repeated and represent the absolute best collection of Laphroaig’s we could ever imagine. This is truly an experience not to be missed.

Additionally, every ticket includes a full bottle of the Laphroaig Cairdeas. If you’re a Laphroaig fan, you’re going to love this special limited-edition. It’s the most exciting Laphroaig release for many years. It’s got a creaminess and purity of grain character with a real depth of smoke that’s just precious. Too few people will ever get a chance to try these whiskies, don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Pours will be 1/2 ounce per whisky, bottles may be picked up only from Federal Wines at 29 State Street in Boston any time after payment, bottles will not be available for pick-up on the night of the event. When the masterclass is over, all are welcome to stay, and anyone else is welcome to join us as the Olde Mouldy opens for regular business where you can order terrific food and another dram of two from their menu if that’s what you want to do.

    Tickets are $300 per person. To reserve a space, please reply here.

Please pass this on to any friends who are whisky enthusiasts!

Joe Howell

Federal Wine & Spirits

Email: info@federalwine.com

Phone: (617) 367-8605

Web: http://www.federalwine.com/

OUR SEPTEMBER AUCTION IS NOW LIVE!

Our latest auction is now live, and will end on Tuesday 6 October. This is our biggest auction yet, with an extended number of limited-edition bottlings from Islay, including many released from the early years of the Feis Ile festival. Look out for rare bottles, including one signed by Jim McEwan, as well as distillery-only releases from Kilchoman and Lagavulin. We also have a some springcapped blended Scotch. Our Bourbon and Miniature line-up is strong, too, with the appearance of two rare Irish blended whiskeys from the 1930s – Burke’s 3 Star and Mitchells Shamrock.

• Macallan 1959, 43 Year Old Fine & Rare
• Ichiro’s Malt Hanyu 23 Year Old Cask Strength
• Bruichladdich Black Art 1989 First Edition signed by Jim McEwan
• The John Walker Baccarat Crystal Decanter, one of 330
• Brora 1972, bottled in 1996 by Gordon & MacPhail
• Macallan Royal Marriage
• Karuizawa 1979 Cask #7752
• Port Ellen 1978 10th Annual Release

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!