Your Next Whiskies of the World Whisky

Everybody loves Laphroaig. Even those who prefer subtly peated Highlanders over big, smoky and briny Islay whiskies, cannot be on the fence regarding Laghroaig.

Laphroaig is a distillery whose malts are massively individual and utterly distinctive. It was founded in the 18th century in what was originally a family run farm, in a small bay on the southernmost tip of Islay. Laphroaig’s unique flavor comes in part from its vicinity to the coast and the high moss content of its peat, which is processed in the distillery’s own malting floor.

What does this say to us whisky imbibers? That we’ll encounter a big, full-bodied and mouth coating single malt with smoky flavors, peat smoke and campfire tones. A hint of salt tells us that this whisky is produced in a maritime climate. A slight vanilla and caramel note underneath all of the smoke and salt balance out these huge flavors and is inviting for the second, third sip..until we become “Friends of Laphroaig”

If you care for the official title, you can join the “Friends of Laphroiag” committee. Among the benefits are an online whisky cabinet, and a personal square foot of Islay, one you can actually visit.

Simon Brookings, Laghroaig brand ambassador who is striving for “World peace thro’ whisky, one dram at a time”, is visiting San Jose and will help you develop the friendship on Thursday, August 22nd at ” The Friends of Laphroaig Experience”

The Friends of Laphroaig Experience
Thursday, August 22, 6:30pm
The Pagoda @ the Fairmont
170 S Market St, San Jose

Arrive at 6:30 for a reception drink and a six cheese platter to enjoy with the first dram. Our special guest, Simon Brooking will then guide us through the range of Laphroaig along with a diverse selection of small plates (eight) for your intense pairing pleasure.

$75 including tax and tip

• Laphroaig 10yr
• Laphroaig 18yr
• Laphroaig 10yr Cask Strength
• Laphroaig Tripple Wood
• Laphroaig Cairdeas
• Laphroaig 25 yr
• Ardmore

Simon Brooking
Simon, a Scottish native and a well-known expert on Scotch whisky, has worked for many of the leading Scotch distilleries,learning the art and science of distilling from the world’s foremost master distillers and blenders. For over 15 years, Simon has led thousands of Scotch whisky tastings for consumers, bartenders and social organizations.Both informative and entertaining, his presentations have made him an in-demand speaker and spokesperson.Simon’s love of Scotland’s Highlands and Islands has paved the way to his present position as Beam Global Spirits’ Master Ambassador for Laphroaig and Ardmore Single Malt Scotch whiskies.

Details and updates: http://www.whiskiesoftheworld.com/whisky-events

Whisky Ramblings Via Video #56

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries the Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask Matured, a marriage of bourbon and sherry casks. Good stuff? Yes, indeed.

http://youtu.be/Pcjr2YD3uO8

Alberta Spirits Not Dampened By Floods 

Word out of badly flooded High River, Alberta is that despite some losses, the Fall schedule of new releases from Highwood Distillers is on track.  We are particularly excited about a new whisky called “Ninety,” which will be available in Canada only, in five and twenty-year-old versions.

Artisinal Milling & “Grain to Glass” Distilling in Ontario

Craft milling? You bet your bottom dollar! Some craft distillers in Ontario can tell you the actual field their grain was grown in. And working with a third-generation artisinal miller just north of Toronto they mill that grain to their own exact specifications. While they are not calling the resulting spirits “single farm” whiskies or grain spirits, they could. This attention to every detail is what the expression “grain to glass” is all about. The best part? The robust grain-rich flavour.

http://www.canadianwhisky.org/

Harrods and The Dalmore Create World’s Rarest Whisky Collection

The world’s leading luxury retailer has teamed up with one the world’s finest malt whisky brands to create a truly unique collection of rare whiskies.

The Dalmore Paterson Collection – the only one of its kind in the world – goes on sale and will take pride of place in the newly refurbished Fine Spirits Room at Harrods from 16 July 2013 for £987,500.

One Man’s Lifelong Passion
Consisting of twelve bottles, each rare expression has been individually assessed, nosed, tasted and selected by Richard Paterson, master distiller of The Dalmore, from some of the rarest, oldest and most valuable stock in the world. But he was not alone in this enviable task as Nick Fleming, wine and spirits buyer for Harrods, used his unrivalled expertise to help choose the whiskies.

Richard has chosen to name each of these whiskies, dating from 1926 up to the 1990s, in honour of those people who have influenced and inspired him throughout his career, from his own father and grandfather to the founders of The Dalmore’s parent company, James Whyte and Charles Mackay.

The personality of Richard Paterson has also been imprinted on the Collection through the creation of a personal and unique hand written ledger, spanning more than 200 pages and taking more than 1000 hours to write, capturing Richard’s every thought and step on the way to creating the collection.

Bespoke, Hand Crafted Ledger, Decanters and Cabinet
The ledger has been created by John Watson & Company Ltd, one of Glasgow’s oldest printers and long serving suppliers to the whisky industry. Each of the pages have been hand folded and individually foiled in silver with Richard’s signature before being bound in a bespoke book made of the finest calfskin leather.

Each of the twelve expressions is presented in a hand crafted full lead crystal decanter, produced by Glencairn, one of the world’s leading crystal houses. Luxury jeweller Hamilton & Inches have crafted and hand engraved the silver that adorns each bottle.

The collection itself is housed in a bespoke wooden cabinet, created by one of Britain’s leading cabinet makers, Gavin Robertson through more than 700 hours of design and craft.

The Global Market for Luxury Whisky Thrives
The global market for luxury wine spirits continues to flourish with growth of 12% forecast in 2013. This growth is fuelled by a combination of factors, including the continued rise of the Chinese luxury consumer accounting for one in four purchases of personal luxury goods, and the rise of luxury tourism accounting for 40% of global luxury spending. (Bain & Company “Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study” 2012)

The global market for luxury whisky in particular mirrors this trend, with emerging markets such as Latin America and Asia demonstrating particularly strong demand for rare and vintage expressions. A voracious appetite for single malt is also prevalent across mature markets such as the US, where luxury whisky is one of the most dynamic sectors of the US spirits market with volume sales increasing by 16% in 2012 (CandMResearch, 2013).

The Dalmore Master Distiller, Richard Paterson

“Working alongside Harrods, we have created a collection of whiskies of the very highest quality that can truly lay claim to be the only one of its kind in the world. I personally have invested a huge amount of time ensuring that each of these twelve expressions represent the very best of the incredibly rare and valuable stocks that we nurture up at the distillery in Alness. I’m delighted that we have been able to give this collection the showcase that it deserves, with centre stage in the spirit room of the world’s number one luxury retailer.”

Direct of Foods at Harrods, Bruce Langlands

“If we had any doubts at all about selling such an incredible range of whiskies we wouldn’t have spent so much creating them in the first place with The Dalmore. It is the flagship product for our new spirits room, and has pride of place in its bespoke hand crafted cabinet. I’m more concerned that we sell it too quickly and we lose an outstanding talking point and attraction in the spirits room!”

Chief Executive of Whyte & Mackay, John Beard

“This is a true partnership between The Dalmore and Harrods, with much time and energy dedicated to creating something very special. Nobody has ever launched a whisky collection such as this before. It represents the lifetimes work of one of the whisky industy’s most dedicated, respected and loved characters – Richard Paterson. Whoever buys this will own a truly unique collection of whiskies as well as a little bit of Richard himself as he has put so much in to the creation of this collection.”

Further information on The Dalmore: Dating back to the days of King Alexander III, The Dalmore gained its iconic 12-point stag emblem in 1263 when one of the Mackenzie clan saved the king from being gored by a stag. Unlike other whiskies The Dalmore is produced in very limited quantities. Due to the distinctive distillation process no two batches will be exactly the same, ensuring that each release of the The Dalmore is unique.

The Dalmore distillery houses some of Scotland’s most precious and rare whisky stocks. Home of the record-breaking The Dalmore Trinitas 64 year old and a number of other rare expressions such as Sirius, Selene, Candela and Oculus, it is no wonder that whisky investors, collectors and aficionados keep a watchful eye on this collection.

LINKS www.thedalmore.com and www.harrods.com and THE HARRODS DALMORE VIDEO

Our whisky adventures:

• October 2nd 2013 – WoW Austin
• November 1st 2013 – WoW Atlanta
• March 29th 2014- WoW San Francisco

Another reason to love summer: Tickets are on summer SALE till July 31 (Austin), August 30 (Atlanta)  (Refundable until four weeks before event.)

BUY TICKETS

WoW San Francisco (March 29, 2014) has long been a whisky enthusiast must go, and long anticipated event. It’s been an occasion to see the newest happenings in the world of whisky, to meet interesting whisky personalities and learn from them, to sample new expressions, and just to have a good time. WoW SF greeted so many whisky devotees, and shined so many whisky stars, from the whisky wordsmiths and critics Michael Jackson and Jim Murray, to the iconic distillery founders and master distillers Dr. Bill Lumsden, Tom Bullet, Jim Ruthledge, et all. And every year we’re growing to see new faces, new whiskies, new features that will create…WOW!

Tasting Notes: Tamdhu 10 Year Old

We’ve had a number of relaunches over the last year, with reactions to the new whiskies being rather mixed. There’s been unfairly maligned releases like the Macallan 1824 Series and slightly confusing launches like the new Glen Scotias, but one from … Continue reading >>

UK vlogger Joe Ellis a.k.a Whisky Wednesday reviews Glen Garioch 1997 Whisky Shop Bottling

http://youtu.be/2wSsZ1m0qPQ

http://Facebook.com/whiskytube

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

For the fourth year, The Oak Barrel will be hosting the Sydney Whisky Fair. In 2013, a curated selection of over 40 of the highest quality international distilleries will converge on the Oak Barrel. Further expanding the Whisky Fair’s focus in bespoke and quality whiskies for the discerning drinker, guests will have the opportunity to sample over 150 of the finest Single Malts in the world.

Oak Barrel Spirits buyer and educator Dave Withers says “We have gone from strength to strength with our whisky tastings and selection. Our dedication has been recognised with nomination by Whisky Magazine for the “Icon’s of whisky” award for two years running. We are the only Australian store to be honoured in this way.” Dave expands that “Our education of the Australian imbiber has put us in a strong position to offer our customers only the very best whiskies available in Australia.” Accordingly, we will be the only venue in 2013 to offer a sample of the top three winners of Jim Murray’s ‘World Whisky of the Year.’ These are the Thomas H Handy Rye, William Larue Weller and Ballantine’s 17 Year Old respectively.”

The Oak Barrel stocks over 350 whiskies with a particular focus on independent bottlers and rare whiskies. Dave explains that “We’ve seen a big demand for distilleries with limited expressions available in Australia and so we have cultivated this interest by expanding our offering of independent bottlers, who buy and mature spirit on behalf of a distillery.” This year the Oak Barrel has worked with Scottish whisky judge/ author Charlie Maclean and the Adelphi team to bottle a single cask of Longmorn for the Whisky Fair. This independent bottling will be unveiled at the opening of the fair.

The endeavours of international and Australian craft distillers are a key focus of the 2013 Whisky Fair. With sixteen working whisky micro- distilleries in Australia and over 300 in America, there has never been such a diversity of flavour for whisky drinkers. “In recent times we have seen a rye whisky from Tasmania, a whisky smoked with Texas scrub oak and even whiskies made with Spelt! These small producers are pushing the envelope and represent the cutting edge of what is being done with whisky. Needless to say that we will have them on taste.” What is more, the Whisky Fair will offer to taste micro-distilled whiskies made from heirloom grain varieties, whiskies matured to Dub step music and an Australian whisky poured straight from the cask.

A limited number VIP tickets have been made available to guests so that they can sample rare whiskies not provided for the general public. Oak Barrel Manager, Simon Clarke says “We have a huge demand for whisky tastings and are fortunate to have the space at The Oak Barrel. We believe The Sydney Whisky Fair gives whisky aficionados and enthusiasts the perfect opportunity to explore and taste unique whiskies from around the world.”

There are lots of new elements to the 2013 fair including:

Ÿ  *An opportunity to taste an exclusive independent bottling by Adelphi of 21 year old Longmorn

Ÿ  *A sampling of Jim Murray’s top three ‘2013 World Whisky of the Year’ award winners

Ÿ  *A diverse selection of international micro- distilled whiskies

Ÿ  *An exclusive bottling of Australian whisky straight from the barrel

Ÿ  *An extensive range of independent bottlings including expressions not otherwise seen in Australia

BACKGROUND ON VENUE:

The Oak Barrel is one of Sydney’s oldest bottle shops. Since 1956, the Oak Barrel has prided itself on providing the best available whisky, spirits and wine – and more recently, craft beer.  It is the Oak Barrel’s belief in providing only the very best selection that has cultivated the most discerning drinkers, aficionados and connoisseurs. Through whisky master classes, an introduction to whisky program and free in-store spirits tastings, the Oak Barrel has led the industry in providing knowledge and education to Australian imbibers. Our members enjoy a rare understanding of bespoke, quality whiskies and spirits.

Tickets are on sale now and for more information visit www.whiskyfair.com.au. 

FAST GENERAL FACTS: 

Dates: 17:00 – 20:00 Friday 6th September & 13:00 – 16:00 & 18:00 – 21:00 Saturday 7th September (VIP sessions start 1 hour before advertised times on the Saturday sessions only)

Location: Tasting room, The Oak Barrel Bottle Shop, 152 Elizabeth Street, Sydney

Pictures of event and venue available on request.

For more information contact:

dave@oakbarrel.com.au or call 02 9264 3022.

A free tasting of the newly launched Macallan 1824 Series hosted by Brand Ambassador Joy Elliott. The Whisky Exchange Vinopolis, 1 Bank End, London, Se1  9BU. The Tasting will commence at 4PM, Thursday July 25th, 2013 vinopolis[at] thewhiskyexchange.com +44 (0) 207 403 8688 to reserve.