THE GLENLIVET DISTILLERY VISITOR CENTRE AWARDED BEST ATTRACTION 

The reputation of The Glenlivet, the world’s No. 2 single malt, has been further enhanced by its recently upgraded distillery visitor centre being named Best Visitor Attraction by the prestigious Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards (HITA).

The visitor centre saw off competition from the other shortlisted attractions to scoop the prize, cementing its standing as a must-see Speyside tourist attraction. It will now go onto compete in the national Scottish Thistle Awards

The centre which has been in operation for 35 years and attracts over 40,000 tourists annually from around the world, was transformed in 2013 to include three different daily tours that enhance the visitor experience and provide the opportunity to hand-fill and purchase your very own personalised bottle of The Glenlivet 18 Year Old single cask selection.

Following its upgrade, the centre put a strong emphasis on obtaining and analysing visitors’ feedback. Facebook and social media channels have become a vital part of this process, allowing the public to keep up with the distillery’s activities and tour availability. This search for excellence in customer services really impressed the judges with  Laurence Young, Chair of the judging panel for the HITA, commenting: “The Glenlivet Distillery’s application demonstrated that the organisation is really committed to listening to customers and responding to their feedback. Introducing great ideas during a recent major upgrade to the centre demonstrated that the company genuinely values the opinions and suggestions of the people visiting the centre each year.“

Caroline Mitchell, Manager of the Chivas Brothers’ visitor centres, comments: “We are delighted that The Glenlivet visitor centre has been awarded Best Visitor Attraction. It really goes to show that all our hard work in developing exciting activities and listening to feedback has paid off. It means a lot to us to be recognised by The Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards. We want to thank everyone in the distillery for all their work in maintaining the centre to such high standards and we will keep our fingers crossed for further recognition at the national Scottish Thistle Awards.”

Introduced in 2005, The Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards promote and encourage excellence within Highlands and Islands tourism industry, rewarding the best businesses in the region.

Good afternoon Society Members,

I hope you are all well. Just sending a quick newsflash with the latest news here at Springbank…

Springbank Gaja Barolo now available

The newest addition to the Wood Expression family is now available for purchase. The Springbank 9 year old Gaja Barolo is bottled at 54.7% and there are only 11,000 bottles available. The first 4 years were spent in refill Bourbon casks and the final 5 were in refill Gaja Barolo casks. The retail price for this bottle is £58.00 but you will receive your 10% Society discount making it £52.20 for Society members. I tasted it yesterday and it was deelicious!

The tasting notes for this bottling are:

Colour: Golden honey

Nose: Initial aromas of liquorice are followed by poached pears, chocolate, cream and marzipan. Springbank’s traditional earthy and coastal influence qualities also make an appearance.

Palate: There is no mistaking the red wine tannis from the Gaja Barolo casks, complemented by earthy and woody notes. Swedish lingonberries and rhubarb crumble give the whisky some sweetness and a touch of sea salt comes into play.

Finish: This is like a raspberry ripple ice cream but combined with peat and spices and a medium dry finish.

New Society bottling – due for bottling mid-November

The new Society bottling is due to be bottled mid-November and will be available for release by the end of November. As mentioned in the last newsletter, it will be a Springbank 12 year old Fresh Port and the price will be £55.00.

Also mentioned before, as there are only going to be 300 bottles from this cask it will be limited to one per person to begin with to keep it fair for all members. The reserve list is filling up very quickly but there are still a few bottles available so if you have not reserved your bottle yet and would like to, please get in touch with me soon.

New merchandise available

We have recently received a number of new items of merchandise into the Cadenhead’s Whisky Shop Campbeltown:

•Copper Decanter – £180.00
•2014 Springbank Calendar – £6.50
•Springbank Glencairn scented candle (Citrus Delight – Chocolate/Orange scent & Cedar Surprise – Cedar/Pear scent) – £9.00
•Springbank golf towel in a range of different colours – £10.50
•New golf ball and golf tee sets – £10.50
•Wooden barrel 6 coaster set – £10.50
•Wooden barrel savings bank – £12.50
•Wooden barrel pen holder – £9.00
•Scarf with the Springbank Tartan – £12.00
•New colours of the popular men and ladies Glenmuir polo shirts – £30.75

Also newly introduced to Cadenhead’s Whisky Shop Campbeltown is the shop exclusive bottlings which are only available if you visit the Campbeltown shop. The first release was a Springbank 10 year old which was matured in 100% bourbon casks and was bottled at marrying strength (49.7%). This proved to be very popular and flew off the shelves so we now have the second batch available in store which is bottled at 49.3%. The label for each release will feature a different photo from Springbank distillery.

If you would like more information on any of the above products then please call or email the shop directly on 01586 55 1710 (ext 1) or shop@wmcadenhead.com.

I will be out of the office from 5pm this evening until Wednesday morning so will be able to reply to your emails from Wednesday onwards.

Kind regards,

Mairi Paterson

For the Springbank Society

To join the Springbank Society please contact them at society@springbankwhisky.com

Exclusively from In The Pipeline, we are delighted to announce that the fourth and final Limited Edition release in our Peter Arkle series, Warehouses, has now been bottled and is ready for you to enjoy!

Inspired by the traditional dunnage warehouses at Knockdhu Distillery, the design depicts the buildings which are guarding the magic happening within. anCnoc would not be anCnoc without these magical warehouses.

Matured in a combination of American ex-bourbon casks and Spanish ex-sherry butts, the whisky displays aromas of cut flowers and lemon meringue pie which open up to honey sweetness, creamy vanilla and a touch of sherry spice.

With only 1,000 cases in existence, it’s worth seeking out this remarkable dram. If you live in the UK, you can order a bottle from our online store or contact us for your nearest stockist. Warehouses will also be available soon in the USA, Canada, Russia, Germany and Japan.

Sláinte!
anCnoc

The brand new Dalmore 25 year old is now available to purchase online @ The Whisky Shop

The Whisky Shop are proud to introduce the stunningly limited Dalmore 25 year old.

Matured initially in American white oak, this rare whisky is then carefully divided into hand sourced 25 year old sweet Palomino Fino sherry butts and Dalmore 1980 first fill bourbon casks. These exceptional whiskies are then expertly married together in bourbon barrels before being transferred, for the final time, into Tawny Port pipes from Portugal, for an outstanding triple wood finish.

Aroma:  Exotic fruits, marzipan, vanilla pods, treacle toffee, fig cake and sweet balsamic.

Palate:  Orange peel, chocolate truffles, liquorice, sweet damsons and sherry soaked raisins.

Finish:  Demerara sugar, maple syrup, bitter chocolate, and spiced gingerbread.

Very limited with only a few hundred bottles available in the UK

Simply click here to buy only £600

The Macallan 1824 Series and Macallan M

We’ve alluded to the Macallan’s recently released 1824 Series a few times in recent blog posts, but we’ve not really had a chance to sit down and properly dig in to what the range offers. With the top of the … Continue reading >>

THREE SHIPS HOLDS WORLD’S FIRST FACEBOOK WHISKY LOYALTY AUCTION

Three Ships, South Africa’s most awarded whisky, has launched its Pioneering Auction on Facebook, a first of its kind for this social networking site.

Participants are required to comment on the auction post on the Three Ships Facebook page, pledging the number of days they are prepared to keep the Three Ships Facebook cover image on their profile page. The person with the highest number of days will win one of ten bottles of the limited-edition Three Ships 10-year-old single malt. The competition will run every Tuesday until 7 November.

According to Marcel Swain, SA brand manager for Three Ships Whisky, Facebook loyalty is the currency for the Pioneering Auction and the brand is the first to do so on this popular social networking site.

“Three Ships whisky has always been a step ahead and created many firsts for the South African whisky industry. It’s only fitting that we have now become the first on Facebook to host such an auction. The Three Ships 10-year-old single malt is only made in very small quantities and 2013 marks the tenth year since the launch of the first 10-year-old in our portfolio of whiskies, which at the time was another first for the South African whisky industry.”

The Three Ships 10-year-old recently received gold at the 2013 San Francisco Spirits Competition. Only 8 000 were released in October last year.

The whisky was matured in American oak casks of different ages, with the older small wood contributing its exceptional smoothness while also imparting a slight sweetness to it.  It is a full-bodied and well-rounded whisky with a hint of peat and estery notes that add a slightly sweet fragrance hinting of dried fruit and fudge.

The ten most loyal Three Ships Whisky Facebook fans will each receive a bottle of the premium Three Ships 10-year-old-single malt, presented in customised packaging, once they have kept the Three Ships Facebook cover image on their Facebook profile for the duration of the days pledged.

THREE SHIPS HOLDS WORLD’S FIRST FACEBOOK WHISKY LOYALTY AUCTION 

Three Ships, South Africa’s most awarded whisky, has launched its Pioneering Auction on Facebook, a first of its kind for this social networking site.

Participants are required to comment on the auction post on the Three Ships Facebook page, pledging the number of days they are prepared to keep the Three Ships Facebook cover image on their profile page. The person with the highest number of days will win one of ten bottles of the limited-edition Three Ships 10-year-old single malt. The competition will run every Tuesday and Thursday until 7 November.

According to Marcel Swain, SA brand manager for Three Ships Whisky, Facebook loyalty is the currency for the Pioneering Auction and the brand is the first to do so on this popular social networking site.

“Three Ships whisky has always been a step ahead and created many firsts for the South African whisky industry. It’s only fitting that we have now become the first on Facebook to host such an auction. The Three Ships 10-year-old single malt is only made in very small quantities and 2013 marks the tenth year since the launch of the first 10-year-old in our portfolio of whiskies, which at the time was another first for the South African whisky industry.”

The Three Ships 10-year-old recently received gold at the 2013 San Francisco Spirits Competition. Only 8 000 were released in October last year.

The whisky was matured in American oak casks of different ages, with the older small wood contributing its exceptional smoothness while also imparting a slight sweetness to it.  It is a full-bodied and well-rounded whisky with a hint of peat and estery notes that add a slightly sweet fragrance hinting of dried fruit and fudge.

The ten most loyal Three Ships Whisky Facebook fans will each receive a bottle of the premium Three Ships 10-year-old-single malt, presented in customised packaging, once they have kept the Three Ships Facebook cover image on their Facebook profile for the duration of the days pledged.

https://www.facebook.com/ThreeShips

A Grand Finale for anCnoc and Peter Arkle

Whisky Unveils Last ‘Warehouses’ Instalment in Collaboration with Illustrator

anCnoc Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has today (date) revealed the final design in the series of Limited Edition releases from its unique collaboration with internationally renowned Scottish illustrator, Peter Arkle.

Inspired by the warehouses at Knockdhu Distillery, the striking and contemporary design is rooted in Peter’s idea that the buildings are guarding the magic – and not just the whisky – hidden inside them. He believes that anCnoc would not be anCnoc without these historic buildings and so, for the first time, they take pride of place in the design of anCnoc’s packaging.

The anCnoc partnership with Arkle was launched last year and has seen the artist develop an exclusive range of limited edition designs based on aspects of Knockdhu Distillery – each with a different expression inside the bottle. These bold and fresh designs range from a bottle inspired by whisky’s fifth ingredient, ‘magic’; to showcasing the distillery’s charming character through an intricate interpretation of its bricks; to an evocative black and white illustration of anCnoc’s whisky casks.

The New York-based illustrator said: ‘I have really enjoyed working with anCnoc as a collaborative partner throughout the limited edition campaign. The whole project has been inspiring and a great creative challenge, and I’m delighted with the four finished products. My illustrations aim to capture how special and full of character anCnoc whisky is, and I couldn’t have done my job without the inspiration of the Knockdhu Distillery and its team. I hope anCnoc drinkers have enjoyed seeing all the designs roll out over the past two years as much as I have loved creating them.’

As with all the Peter Arkle editions, the liquid inside is as remarkable as the design. The final expression is a polished gold colour, with the scent of cut flowers and lemon meringue followed by a rich and firm-textured finish of dried fruit and caramel.

Gillian Gibson, anCnoc Brand Manager commented: ‘anCnoc has always been regarded as giving whisky drinkers a very contemporary experience of the tradition of malt whisky drinking and this final design by Peter really lives up to this promise. It’s a great way to end such a special partnership and we’re extremely proud of our four limited editions and the success they have enjoyed.It has been wonderful working with Peter and his designs have perfectly captured anCnoc’s modern side with a nod to its time-honoured traditions.’

Restricted to only 1000 cases, this limited edition will be available online and through specialist retailers in the UK as well as across the globe in the USA, Germany, Russia, Japan, Taiwan and Canada.

RRP: £49.99

We are down to the last 4 bottles of HH509!

Now would be a good time to snap up one of the last 4 remaining bottles of the legendary French Oak Cask HH509. Whisky legend Jim Murray named HH509 amongst his top 6 whiskies of the year in the 2013 Whisky Bible after it scored a record breaking 96.5/100. This is an incredible result when you consider that the highest score he has ever awarded a whisky is 97.5/100.

Only 501 of these bottles were made and when the last drop is gone, this legendary whisky will be lost forever.
This is your last chance to own a piece of Tasmanian whisky history.

Click here to purchase your bottle of HH509 before it is too late.

KILCHOMAN MACHIR BAY GIFT PACKS WITH TWO BRANDED GLASSES ARRIVED TO THE US 

We are pleased to announce the Kilchoman Machir Bay Gift Packs with two branded glasses are available now.

Kilchoman is treating us all to its core expression, Machir Bay, winner of the prestigious International Wines and Spirits Competition 2012 Gold Medal Best in Class in 2012 and the Artisan Whisky of the Year by Whisky Advocate.

Machir Bay 2013 is a vatting of 4 and 5 year old ex-Bourbon casks, with the 4 year casks being finished in Oloroso Sherry butts for 4 weeks until it’s bottled at 46% unchillfiltered – without any artificial color added, of course.

Machir Bay is truly one of a kind — when it is bottled, we are able to follow the development of the malt as it matures in the cask. You will be able to taste this year’s batch and if you were lucky enough to snag a bottle last year, you might even be able to join us in comparing it to that of 2012, seeing what difference one year of aging  has made.

On the nose, Kilchoman Machir Bay has a strong peaty aroma mixed a gentle complex blend of an assortment of fruits. On the palate, you’ll enjoy a hint of vanilla with a rich tropical fruit sensation and an intense sweetness, and the finish will leave you satisfied like a classic Islay malt – fresh, peaty with a long lingering finish.

We hope you are as excited as we are about this very special news!

RRP $ 58.99

The ImpEx Beverages Team