Whisky Ramblings Via Video #109

Mark Dermul, Belgian Whiskyblogger, tries a wine-finished GlenDronach. Since Billy Walker and his team took over the GlenDronach Distillery in 2008, it has truly been put back on the map. Walker and his team are well-known for experimenting with different types of casks, and the whisky Mark tried today fits that bill perfectly: the GlenDronach 14 Year Old Sauternes Finish. It is sweet and creamy, with the wine putting its stamp on the spirit, but in this case it worked wonderfully.

http://youtu.be/3B1SxBa7Kyk

MAKER’S MARK PREVAILS IN CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT

Loretto, Kentucky, May 5, 2015 – The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida on Monday ruled in favor of Maker’s Mark and parent company Beam Suntory in a class action lawsuit alleging misleading marketing in the labeling of Maker’s Mark as “handmade.” The ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle dismissed the complaint of two Florida consumers “with prejudice,” ending the case. “In all events, the plaintiffs have not stated a claim on which relief can be granted,” the ruling concludes.

“We have asserted all along that the complaints in this case were frivolous and without merit, and we are very pleased the court agreed with our position so emphatically,” said Rob Samuels, chief operating officer of Maker’s Mark. “This ruling is very good news, and it should send a strong message to those who would seek to gain from similar baseless and irresponsible litigation,” added Kent Rose, senior vice president and general counsel of Beam Suntory.

The case dismissed by the court is Dimitric Salters and A.G. Waseem, etc. v. Beam Suntory Inc. and Maker’s Mark Distillery, Inc., etc.

About Maker’s Mark® Bourbon

In 1954, at a small Victorian distillery in Loretto, Kentucky, Bill Samuels, Sr., fulfilled his dream to create a pioneering handmade bourbon that, for the first time, would appeal both to bourbon and to non-bourbon drinkers alike, that tasted good and exemplified good taste, and wouldn’t “blow your ears off,” which was the measure by which bourbons were judged at the time. He decided to make his whisky in small-batches of 19 barrels, developed a proprietary barrel char to enhance the softness and sweetness of his whisky, and then rotated each barrel by hand to ensure exposure to consistent temperatures throughout the warehouse, and, ultimately, he aged each barrel to taste. Bill Samuels,

Sr., unknowingly and unintentionally, fired the shot that started the Bourbon Revolution, and transformed bourbon from a “commodity” into a premium handcrafted spirit, giving rise to the modern era of bourbon. Today, Maker’s Mark continues to make its bourbon the same way Bill Samuels, Sr., did 60 years ago, in small batches by craftsmen who hand-dip each bottle. In 2010, in tribute to his father’s spirit of innovation, Bill Samuels, Jr. unveiled Maker’s 46®, a totally new bourbon that reflects the distinct character of Maker’s Mark® but has a bigger, bolder and complex taste without any hint of bitterness. Maker’s Mark® Bourbon (45% alc./vol.) and Maker’s 46® (47% alc./vol.) are distilled, aged and bottled by the Maker’s Mark Distillery, Inc., in Loretto, Kentucky. In 1980, the distillery was designated a National Historic Landmark, becoming the first distillery in America to be so recognized, and has also been decreed as the “world’s oldest operating bourbon whisky distillery” by Guinness World Records®. The Maker’s Mark Distillery is one of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. For more information, please visit the Maker’s Mark® website (www.makersmark.com)

GEORGE T STAGG, 2010 BUFFALO TRACE ANTIQUE COLLECTION, 71.5%

We have been fortunate enough to have received a small parcel of stock which has contained a small quantity of the 2010 edition of the George T Stagg Bourbon. We regularly get asked if we have any of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and usually the answer is no (unless asked close to the annual launch). So we probably don’t need to stress how rare it is to come by a few cases of this limited edition Bourbon.

George T Stagg is big… we mean BIG! It is bottled at barrel proof giving it a hefty alcoholic roundhouse, if you’re approaching this stuff be prepared to go in swinging. This is a meaty and oaky American whiskey with a deeper subtlety beneath its brash exterior. This is one for collectors and drinkers to get into a Royal Rumble over!

PLEASE NOTE THE IMAGE PROVIDED IS NOT OF THE 2010 EDITION.

£164.95

For any queries please email angus@milroys.co.uk

“There is no bad whiskey. There are only some whiskeys that aren’t as good as others.”

Raymond Chandler, Novelist and Screenwriter

Whisky Ramblings Via Video #110

Mark Dermul, Belgian Whiskyblogger, tries a BenRiach, selected as festival bottling in Belgium. Every whisky festival in Belgium offers a specially selected whisky as their festival bottling, after all. For the 10^th Anniversary of Whisky Live Belgium (in Spa in 2013), a single cask of BenRiach 1996 was bottled. It is a bit atypical as it was a virgin oak hogshead, meaning less fruit, but all the more spices. But what a damn good whisky indeed.

http://youtu.be/7k9925MaNZ8

perthmuseum.eventbrite.co.uk

Sazerac Canadian whiskies win 18 top awards in five different tasting competitions 

NEW ORLEANS, lA.  (May 6, 2015) – Four Canadian whiskies from the Sazerac Company rounded up 18 high awards in five recent tasting competitions. The Canadian whiskies brought home medals and distinctions from the Canadian Whisky Awards, Ultimate Spirits Challenge, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition and the Denver International Spirits Competition.

“It’s an honor to receive each of these awards,” Kevin Richards, marketing director of whiskeys and specialty brands, said. “We’re proud to see our Canadian whiskies ranked so well across these five competitions.”

2015 Ultimate Spirits Challenge

The distinction of “Excellent, Highly Recommended” was awarded to Caribou Crossing. Royal Canadian Small Batch and Rich & Rare Reserve were each awarded the distinction of “Very Good, Strong Recommendation,” and Legacy Canadian was distinguished as “Good, Recommended.”

            Caribou Crossing, Royal Canadian Small Batch and Rich & Rare Reserve were each designated as “Tried & True.”

            This competition, in its sixth year, is judged by a panel of the spirit industry’s most renowned judges including award-winning authors, buyers, journalists, educators and bar owners, who rate each spirit on a 100-point scale.

            Complete results for the 2015 Ultimate Spirits Challenge can be found at www.ultimate-beverage.com/usc2015results.

2014 Canadian Whisky Awards

An independent panel of whisky writers, bloggers and journalists selected the winners of the Canadian Whisky Awards through a blind taste test. The panel designated Royal Canadian Small Batch as “Sippin’ Whisky of the Year Multi-Markets.” Caribou Crossing and Royal Canadian Small Batch were each awarded silver medals. Legacy Small Batch received a bronze medal.

Complete results for the 2014 Canadian Whisky Awards can be found at http://www.canadianwhisky.org/news-views/canadian-whisky-awards-2014-canadas-top-whiskies.html.

            San Francisco World Spirits Competition

            More than 1,580 entries were submitted for a blind tasting at the 15^th annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition, where 41 of the industry’s finest spirits experts reviewed each entry, ultimately awarding Caribou Crossing, Royal Canadian Small Batch, Rich & Rare Reserve and Legacy Canadian each bronze medals.

Complete results for the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition can be found at http://sfspiritscomp.com/results/browse.

            North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition

            Caribou Crossing and Legacy Canadian were each awarded silver medals in the 2014 North American Bourbon & Whiskey Competition. Royal Canadian Small Batch was awarded bronze.

            The results of North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition are decided by a panel of spirits professionals using a 100-point scale. Complete results for the 2015 North American Bourbon & Whiskey Competition can be found at http://www.whiskeycomp.com/results.html.

Denver International Spirits Competition

Caribou Crossing and Royal Canadian Small Batch were awarded silver medals in the 2015 Denver International Spirits Competition. Legacy Canadian was awarded bronze.

This competition, in its fourth year, is also based on a 100-point scale and is judged by a panel of 15 respected spirits authorities. Complete results for the 2015 Denver International Spirits Competition can be found at http://www.denverspiritscomp.com/results.html.

About The Sazerac Company

     Sazerac is one of New Orleans’ oldest family owned, privately held companies and has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Frankfort, Bardstown, Louisville and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Carson, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Lewiston, Maine; Londonderry, New Hampshire; and Montreal, Canada.  For more information, please visit http://www.sazerac.com/.

THE GLENLIVET AMBASSADOR NIGHT

Brand Ambassador Phil Huckle joins us for an evening with the eponymous Speyside single malt.

This Monday coming (18th May), Phil Huckle, brand ambassador extraordinaire, will be presenting The Glenlivet line-up of single malt whiskies, whiskies we’ve long been fans of. On the evening, Phil will be taking you through their lesser known malts. First is the latest edition to the range, the Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve. This is followed by two Glenlivet Nadurras (Gaelic for ‘Natural’), one matured in an ex-American oak barrel and the other in an ex-European oak cask, to explore the differences in cask maturation – plus you will experience The Glenlivet at natural cask-strength! Finally Phil will be opening the limited edition Glenlivet Conglass Single Cask, a whisky that is solely the produce of a single cask, making it inherently limited and unique.

The tasting will begin at 18:30 and conclude by 20:30, and will take place at Milroy’s of Soho, 3 Greek Street, W1D 4NX. Tickets can be booked via this email at £15 per person, with the ticket price redeemable against a bottle of The Glenlivet on the evening.

We hope to see you there!

Glenturret 2000 Vintage MacPhail’s

New 2015 edition matured in sherrywood from the Highland Distillery and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail. A real treat!

Glenturret 2000 $52.34

RODNEY GRAHAM | BEN RIVERS | LAURE PROUVOST | CHARLES AVERY Opening preview:

Wednesday May 13th, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Darbyshire, 19-23 White Lion Street, London, N1 9PD

Darbyshire is pleased to present an exhibition featuring McLean’s Artist Malts , showcasing works by Rodney Graham, Ben Rivers, Laure Prouvost and Charles Avery

McLean’s Artist Malts is a publisher of artist editions which marry rare Scotch whisky with cutting edge contemporary art. Each project culminates in a work that plays on sight, sound, touch, smell, and of course taste.

Since 2012, M>A>M has been inviting a pair of artists each year to create a work of art around their own small-batch, single malt Scotch whisky. Every edition features a distinguished bottle of whisky that has undergone a second maturation in a sherry infused octave. Bottled at cask strength, this makes every drop unique to the respective artist and the edition. The work also includes an accompanying print produced by Poligrafa of Barcelona.

By appointment, May 14th – Aug 21st 2015. Email alexandra@darbyshire.uk.com

For more information visit: mcleansartistmalts.co.uk Sales Enquiries: contact Liam Scully at mcleansartistmalts@gmail.com

tagsmART is a new company delivering smart labelling technology built exclusively for the art world. Through the convenience of a smart phone, tagsmART enables galleries and their visitors to engaging with art like never before. McLean’s Artist Malts work will be viewable via tagsmART beaconing for the duration of his show at Darbyshire.

tagsmART’s free App is available for both iPhone and Android.  For more information: tagsmart.com       enquiries@tagsmart.com