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This week Joe Ellis reviews The BenRiach 17 Year Old Septendecim.
‘Dram-packed’ schedule announced for Jura Tastival 2015
Tickets are now on sale for Jura’s annual whisky festival, Tastival, a two day island celebration for whisky lovers on 27 & 28 May 2015.
A packed schedule of tastings and tours has been announced for Jura Tastival 2015, inviting whisky fans from across the globe to discover the unique flavours of Jura as part of the annual Feis Ile festival.
A variety of sensory experiences in whisky, food and craft beer, will open the mind and palate of attendees, offering them new and exciting ways to enjoy a dram.
The festival will bring taste to life in the Cooperage, where a street artist will paint the personal tasting notes of attendees live on the walls of the distillery while they sample a dram from Jura’s range, resulting in a continuously evolving mural of flavour.
An experiential dining session, inspired by the sweet and smoky sides of Jura’s whiskies, will be hosted by Dram & Smoke and fans can also enjoy a specially brewed bottle of craft beer from Drygate Brewing Co., which has been created to pair with the limited edition Jura Tastival whisky.
Unique tasting sessions from the rarest casks in Jura’s warehouse will take place with Master Distiller, Richard Paterson, and a special distillery tour and tasting will see Jura Master Distiller, Willie Tait and Jura Distillery Manager, Willie Cochrane relay their stories about the passion and dedication it takes to craft the Jura range.
Willie Cochrane, Jura Distillery Manager: “Jura may be a small island, but we extend a large welcome to whisky fans from all over world every year at Tastival.”
“This year’s festival focuses on bringing flavour to life and offering fans new ways to appreciate whisky. Whether it’s seeing your tasting notes appear in front of your eyes on large scale canvases, exploring the unique smoky and sweet flavours of our whiskies with a tasting menu, or discovering a dram that pairs excellently with craft beer, there’s something different for everyone.”
Ticketed sessions are limited and range from £10-45, with complimentary distillery tours and access to the Dramming Bar on both days. Tickets are available to purchase now at: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jura-tastival-2015-wednesday-27-thursday-28-may-tickets-16411651692
#JuraTastival
NOTES
About Jura:
Jura is an island nestled off the West Coast of Scotland. With only one road, one pub, one distillery and 200 people, Jura is as beautiful as it is remote.
The distillery was established in 1810 and reborn in 1963 to revive the community.
Inspired by our history and our island home, we create single malt with a true passion for the craft of whisky making.
Tastival 2015 – Full breakdown of ticketed sessions:
Discover Two Sides of Jura (1 hr)
Join Jura Ambassador Kieran Cusker and the guys from experiential pop-up eatery, Dram & Smoke, to tuck into a whisky and food taster menu that is inspired by the sweet and smoky sides of Jura.
Learn which flavours perfectly complement Jura whiskies and find out how to smoke your own food, in this shared tasting experience.
£25
Rare Cask Selection with Richard Paterson (45 mins)
Ever wondered what inspires a Master Distiller to create such distinctive maturation processes and finishes? In this unique tasting session, Richard Paterson sniffs out a very special selection of our rare and vintage whiskies from the Jura warehouse, as well as sharing his passion for fine wines and sherry.
£45
JURAFEST (45 mins)
Jura meets Oktoberfest in this beer and whisky tasting session with Ambassador, Sam Amfo-Okoampah.
He will introduce you to the new Jura Tastival 2015 whisky which will be matched with an exceptional craft beer created especially for the event by Glasgow-based craft brewery, Drygate. At this session you will have the rare opportunity to try Jura Brooklyn, an exclusive bottling for Jura’s friends in the US, as well as Jura Origin which will be both paired with craft beers from Williams Bros.
£15
The Masters Tours (1 hr)
Join Jura Global Brand Ambassador Willie Tait and Jura Distillery Manager Willie Cochrane for a unique tour of the Jura Distillery and a dram Jura 21 Years Old and the recently released Jura 1984 Vintage. With over 79 years of experience between them, the Willie’s will share their passion and the craftsmanship that goes into creating Jura whiskies.
£15
Whisky on the Waves (30 mins)
Cruise with Captain Nicol and our Jura Ambassador, into the open sea for a tasting of Jura Turas-Mara. You will experience a sensory journey out at sea to enjoy this dram the way it was meant to be – with the wind and sea spray in your face.
£10
Trailblazing Scotch whiskymaker celebrates fifteenth anniversary with Commemorative Limited Edition Release: Hedonism Quindecimus.
Scotland’s leading independent whiskymaker and five-time Whisky Magazine Innovator of the Year, Compass Box has turned fifteen in typically creative style with the launch of the highly collectible Hedonism Quindecimus – a Limited Edition, Blended Grain Scotch Whisky.
Created specifically to commemorate their fifteenth anniversary, Quindecimus (meaning ‘fifteenth’) pays homage to the renowned whiskymaker’s first ever product, Hedonism – the blended grain whisky that has been widely credited with starting the resurgence in popularity of this once-neglected style of Scotch.
‘Hedonism was where it all started for us as a business. That product was about doing something different – something that nobody else in the world of Scotch would have even considered. For our fifteenth anniversary we wanted to go back to that style of whisky but we also wanted to update it to say something about where Compass Box is today. We’re fifteen years older – maybe even a little wiser – but we still have that restless energy we had back in 2000. The juxtaposition of flavours and weights in Quindecimus is a representation of that.’
A blend of five separate parcels of aged grain whisky, Compass Box has taken the highly unusual step of revealing the precise age and sourcing of every cask that went into Quindecimus. Commenting on this decision, founder, John Glaser stated:
‘Since I launched Compass Box back in 2000, we’ve expressed our belief in the need to be transparent regarding how we make our whiskies. With the recent increase in the number of Non Age Statement whiskies at the lower end of the market, we feel it’s important to share with people the details on the ages of all the whiskies in a product such as this. We have always held that age isn’t everything in whisky, but in this case we want people to be aware of age and the rarity that goes along with aged grain whiskies of this quality level. We believe our customers have the right to know what it is they’re drinking.’
Compass Box’s detailed sourcing information reveals that five parcels of whisky from four distilleries were used to create Hedonism Quindecimus: Parcels of 20yo and 25yo grain whisky distilled at Port Dundas were combined with 32yo whisky from Dumbarton, 20yo whisky from North British and a 32yo parcel of ‘mystery’ pre-blended grain whisky sourced from Loch Lomond distillery, for which the exact provenance is unknown. Describing the flavour profile this blend creates, John Glaser commented:
‘Blending grain whiskies of varying ages can create compelling juxtapositions of flavour. The truly old grain adds unctuousness and weight, while the younger whiskies bring with them an energy, a drinkability and the irrepressible joie de vivre of youth. The result is surprising and complex. Deep, sweet caramel coconut succulence combines with bright tropical fruit to create a profusion of flavours that demonstrate the layered complexity you can get from the interplay between grain spirit and American oak over the course of time.’
A history of innovation
Quindecimus is the latest in a long line of innovations Compass Box has delivered over the course of its fifteen year history:
What is Compass Box?
We felt there were simply too many people trying to make the same type of Scotch whisky. We wanted to do something different – so we set up a completely different type of whisky company.
As whiskymakers, we’re here to ask the questions that nobody else wants to consider. To explore everything that Scotch could be rather than settling for what it already is. To make the joys of great Scotch whisky more relevant to more people around the world.
Above all else we are dedicated to making cool, contemporary and delicious whiskies that showcase the full spectrum of flavour that can be created through spirit, time, hard work and oak.
No more boring whisky. http://www.compassboxwhisky.com/
Who is John Glaser?
Back in 2000, John Glaser quit the corporate world of Johnnie Walker to set up Compass Box from his kitchen. The idea was to explore where others wouldn’t, to create flavours that others weren’t. To push Scotch forward rather than maintaining the status quo.
Fifteen years later, he’s still here, he’s still doing the same thing. He has no plans to change.
NOTES
Hedonism Quindecimus is available from May 1st 2015 in the US and 15th April in the UK through our wide network of independent retailers worldwide and our UK-based on-line shop. For media downloads or for more information on Hedonism Quindecimus or Compass’s Box’s fifteen years of innovation, please contact Debbie Burke in the US or Jonathan Gibson directly in Compass Box’s London studio.
whisky.auction is now live and you can start bidding on items!
Highlights include:
– SMWS 98.1 Lomond 1972
– Karuizawa 1967 Cask #6426 42 Years Old
– Johnnie Walker Blue Label Striding Man Set
– Highland Park 1957 BBR
– Macallan 30 Years Old We also have a large number of whisky miniatures, including some from David Maund’s collection.
This auction will finish on Tuesday 21 April, so take a look at the selection of bottles and bid on any you like the look of. We are still accepting bottles for subsequent auctions – if you have something to sell, email info@whisky.auction or call +44 (0)20 8838 9381.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need more information.
CLICK TO SEE OUR CURRENT AUCTION
Regards
The whisky.auction team
Whisky Intelligence is pleased to announce that they have passed the 10,000 article mark making the site one of the largest whisky news archives available.
This week Joe Ellis reviews Arran 18 Year Old.
Deerfield, Ill. (April 2, 2015) – Alberta® Rye Dark Batch™ Whisky, from the renowned Alberta Distillers Ltd., launches today in the U.S. market. This critically acclaimed super-premium rye whisky features an incomparable rich color and complex flavor paired with remarkable smoothness and character.
Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky boasts flavors of honey and oak and imparts hints of vanilla, smoke, sweet oak and savory dried fruit, such as plum and blackcurrant, on the palate. Bottled at 90 proof and best enjoyed in a variety of whisky cocktails, Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky is challenging bartenders and consumers to rethink their rye and give cocktails a new interpretation.
“As the rye whisky category continues to grow, we’re thrilled to be able to introduce a new product to U.S. whisky lovers,” said Dan Tullio, Canadian Whisky Master Ambassador at Beam Suntory. “With Alberta Distillers’ rich heritage producing superior rye whisky, Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky combines contemporary flavor trends with classic notes of premium rye whisky, offering mixologists, spirits connoisseurs and whisky enthusiasts a one-of-a-kind whisky with a robust, sophisticated flavor.”
Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky features a blend of 91% rye whisky, 8% bourbon and 1% sherry to add layers of complexity in each bottle. The distinct rich color of the liquid comes from a combination of factors, including the aging process, which incorporates both new charred American white oak and once-used American bourbon barrels. Other contributing factors include the addition of a touch of sherry and Alberta, Canada’s high altitude, desert-like humidity levels and extreme seasonal and daily temperature changes, which promote maturation.
“Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky truly embodies the distinguished flavor whisky aficionados seek,” said Davin de Kergommeaux, award-winning author and whisky industry influencer. “The unique distillation process and grain bill of the rye sets it apart from other rye whiskies, in terms of flavor and quality.”
Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky is at its best in cocktails that highlight its distinctive flavor, such as the Rye Squeeze below, and can also be enjoyed neat.
Rye Squeeze
METHOD: Add all ingredients to a lowball glass. Fill with ice, top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with an orange wedge.
Prior to hitting shelves in the U.S., Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky quickly became an award-winning whisky with accolades from top international spirits competitions, including Chairman’s Trophy at the 2014 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, Double Gold at the 2014 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition and Gold & Best of Class – Canadian Whisky from Spirits of the Americas 2014.
Alberta Distillers Ltd., North America’s largest producer of 100% rye, carefully crafts Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky with glacial-borne water. The distillery, which has been in operation since 1946, was built in southern Alberta because the area’s dry climate and high altitude are ideal for rye crop growth.
For additional cocktail recipes and more information on Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky, which sells at a suggested retail price of $29.99 for a 750ml bottle, please visit www.AlbertaRye.com.
About Alberta Distillers Ltd.
Alberta Distillers Ltd., based in Calgary, Alberta, is the largest producer of 100% rye whisky in North America. Owned by Beam Suntory Inc. since 1988, the distillery has produced quality whisky for nearly 70 years. The Alberta Premium brand, which has a strong focus on heritage and western rural values, has won numerous prestigious awards for its excellent quality.
About Beam Suntory Inc.
As the world’s third largest premium spirits company, Beam Suntory is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the flagship Jim Beam bourbon and Yamazaki Japanese whisky, as well as world renowned premium brands including Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek bourbons, Hakushu and Hibiki Japanese whiskies, Teacher’s, Laphroaig, and Bowmore Scotch whiskies, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Sauza tequila, Pinnacle vodka, and Midori liqueur. The company generates annual worldwide sales exceeding $4 billion excluding excise taxes.
Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and entrepreneurial culture. Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com
It doesn’t take great detective skills to sleuth out the best in single cask bottlings! Look no further than the April Outturn. For full tasting notes please visit http://www.smws.ca/ but for now be tempted by the bottle notes below.
Happy sleuthing!
Cask No. 48.43 Pepper crop-dusted over orchards
12 years old; 1st fill barrel; 55.5%; Spicy & sweet
The nose starts with tickling pepper and sawdust; then come blackcurrant chews, tinned pineapple, orange jelly and sun-kissed orchard fruits. The palate’s pepper, nutmeg and chili tingle balances honey, toffee, fruit pastilles, ice lolly sticks and hints of leather and tea.
Cask No. 26.100 Galactic root canal treatment
9 years old; 1st fill barrel; 56.5%; Young & spritely
The nose shifts from white pepper, pine and varnish to lemon candles, liquorice, sherbet and old-fashioned rucksacks; milk bottle sweets and laundry later. The neat palate is hot and fierce, but sweetens with water to Haribos gummies, lemon barley water and popcorn.
Cask No. 9.84 Playing ‘Sea Battle’ in the garden
25 years old; refill sherry butt; 55.6%; Juicy, oak & vanilla
You find yourself either on a gun deck of an old wood-hulled warship with gunpowder, spent cartridge and ash or peacefully tending your herb garden and then taking a break on a cedar deck to enjoy waffles with runny vanilla custard playing ‘Sea Battle’.
Cask No. 132.6 Nite Nurse nipped by piranhas
12 years old; refill sherry butt; 63%; Deep, rich & dried fruits
The complex nose combines salted caramel, barley sugars and ginger snaps with laurel hedges, lacquered wood, hazelnuts, cherries and cigarette packets (more herbal with water). The palate mingles dark chocolate and fig rolls with orange peel, perfume and warm nipping spices.
Cask No. 3.217 A delicatessen shopping basket
16 years old; refill butt; 55.6%; Lightly peated
A feast of prosciutto ham, sundried tomatoes, sushi and brown sauce. Leather jackets in canvas bags with tobacco. German peppered ham? A delicious foodie dram in a warm plastic box. A blast of tar, sea spray, and wet burlap rope.
Cask No. 53.190 A fishing village up whisky cove
17 years old; refill hogshead; 56.8%; Peated
The nose evokes fishing villages – boat sheds, smoke houses, tarry ropes, lobster pots and sea-food barbecues; swimming pools, new tires and oysters later. The palate is masculine and tongue-roasting – citric smoke, driftwood, brine, treacle, leather, vanilla, honey-roast pork and chili.
Cask No. 29.140 Juicy, salty and sooty
18 years old; refill barrel; 60.2%; Heavily peated
Carbolic and Coal Tar soap, then Brazil, Monkey and pine nuts in a garden shed with a lawnmower. The taste very sweet, salty and sooty, with a savoury edge. More medicinal with water but still full on.
SOCIETY EVENTS
Game of Pairs Tasting > The Vaults, Leith – Tue 14 Apr
Match Society and proprietary drams in this exciting game of tasting pairs
Free Live Music > The Vaults, Leith – Wed 15 Apr
Featuring Reece Hillis, a very talented, young Folk/Blues musician from central Scotland
SMWS & ISLAY HOUSE OPEN DAY AT FEIS ILE 2015
Join us at Islay House for a taste of summer with The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. With breath-taking views over Loch Indaal, beautiful gardens and some of the finest single cask whisky in the world, plus extras for Society members… surely our summer fiesta starts here?
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
Independent Bottler of the Year 2014
2001 vintage single sherry butt bottled by Douglas Laing & Co. for the Islay Festival 2015. Islay in a bottle!
