www.ralfy.com shows off his spagnum moss collection in Whisky Review 371 – The Ileach Peated Cask Strength Whisky

Due in next week, this award winning whisky is extremely limited. Click on the link for more information on this fantastic dram. £200

THE WHISKY SHOP OFFERS TRIBUTE TO HONOUR AT FLAGSHIP PICCADILLY STORE   

One of the world’s most expensive and exclusive whiskies is now available from The Whisky Shop’s flagship Piccadilly store for the first time.

Priced at £150,000*, Tribute to Honour has been crafted by Royal Salute using the most exquisite, precious and scarce whiskies to pay homage to the oldest crown jewels of the British Isles: The Honours of Scotland.

Only 21 bottles have been released globally and each flagon of Royal Salute Tribute to Honour is individually numbered.  One of these bottles will be kept in the Royal Salute Vault and bottle number 17 is currently displayed in the window of The Whisky Shop’s Piccadilly store.

Located across from The Ritz, the award winning flagship store is widely regarded by the industry as the leading specialist whisky retailer in the world and Managing Director, Andrew Torrance, is delighted they have been selected to stock the exclusive whisky from Royal Salute.

Andrew said: “The Whisky Shop is the first retail store in the UK to provide a dedicated platform for some of the world’s most exclusive whiskies and we are proud to be able to offer Tribute to Honour.

“Our premium flagship Piccadilly store was designed to be luxurious, accessible and educational to both whisky novices and connoisseurs alike and we have already had considerable interest in Tribute to Honour and the heritage and craftsmanship of this prestigious product.”

The master distiller and the creator of Tribute to Honour, Colin Scott, said: “Chivas Brothers has a phenomenal archive of high-aged whiskies, some of which, after decades of careful maturation, have acquired a rich intensity and deep concentration of sumptuous characters. It is these very few whiskies which I have personally selected to compose Tribute To Honour – this opulent and rarest of blends.”

The narrative of the Honours comprises glorious legends and intrigue and remains a powerful and inscrutable ode to Scottish history.  Fittingly, only the finest aged whiskies – at least 45 years old – are presented in the spectacular Tribute To Honour bejewelled bottle, dressed by Garrard in flawless diamonds and shimmering gold.

As the world’s oldest jeweller to royalty, Garrard has embellished the Royal Salute Tribute to Honour black porcelain flagon with 413 flawless white and black diamonds. These exquisite jewels form the shape of the Sword of State: one of the trilogy of treasures that are The Honours of Scotland.  Set in gold and silver, 22 carats of gemstone adorn the decorative collar and stunning flagon’s visage.  Golden lions sit either side of the diamond encrusted sword, a symbol of valiancy and patriotism, of battles fought and won.

341 craftsmen hours were dedicated to the manufacture of all silver and silver gilt elements, the cutting and setting of all gems, and the polishing of each individual bottle. The prestigious jeweller has served six successive British monarchs and pays tribute to the ancient Scottish Sword of State as its landmark.

The Royal Salute Tribute to Honour is available from The Whisky Shop at 70 Piccadilly or by calling 020 7499 6649.

*Price includes VAT

Notes: 

The Whisky Shop: 

The Whisky Shop is the largest specialist whisky retailer in the UK with 21 stores nationwide and an online store at www.whiskyshop.com

The premium London Piccadilly flagship opened in 2012 and recently won the 2013 National Association of Shopfitters (NAS) Design Partnership Award for Retail. 

Royal Salute: 

The pinnacle of Scotch whisky, award-winning Royal Salute was first created as a tribute by Chivas Brothers to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II upon her coronation in 1953. This defining luxury whisky has a very powerful and sophisticated style, and has become the world’s leading luxury Scotch whisky brand.

Royal Salute has a long legacy of paying tribute to nobility and leadership, it is part of the brand’s DNA.

• 1953: Royal Salute created to pay tribute to Her Majesty the Queen’s coronation

• 2003: Royal Salute 50 Year Old launched for the 50th anniversary of the coronation, also paid tribute to Sir Edmund Hillary’s and Sir Tensing Norgay’s on the anniversary of their successful ascent of Everest

• 2005: Royal Salute 38 Year Old launched – a tribute from Scotland, inspired by the Stone of Destiny

• 2010: Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute launched paying tribute to the craftsmanship of four master blenders who have safeguarded the Royal Salute legacy

• 2011: Royal Salute Tribute to Honour launched, the most notable and compelling symbols of Scottish Royalty

Chivas Brothers: 

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.

For further information: www.chivasbrothers.com 

Garrard:

Garrard, the international jeweller with a cultural heritage of unparalleled richness was founded by master goldsmith George Wickes, who received his first royal commission in 1735. By the time the firm had passed into the hands of Robert Garrard in 1802, whose name it still bears, creating designs of matchless magnificence for the social and royal sects had become a matter of course.

Garrard’s seductive collections can be found today at its flagship store on London’s Albemarle Street or on display in the permanent exhibition in the Tower of London, where the Crown Jewels reside. Celebrating a 275 year anniversary this year, Garrard’s legacy of devotion to the highest degree of workmanship has been the company’s trademark since the first designs drew the attention of the world. Garrard continues to passionately embrace the past by creating tomorrow’s heirlooms today.

John Walker & Sons Voyager – The Competition

I like boats. From dinghies up to ferries I, for some reason, feel more at ease when surrounded by water. Having grown up inland it’s a bit of a mystery how this obsession developed, and now living in one of  the highest areas of London (on the 6th floor, no less) I don’t get a chance to play on the water very often. However we’re running a competition at the moment to let a lucky pair of winners attend a rather exclusive boat-borne party. The boat in question is the John Walker Voyager, a three masted 1920s style racing yacht that has been making its way around the world in the wake of the release of a new whisky from Johnnie Walker – the John Walker & Sons Odyssey. The Voyager has been docking in various ports, throwing parties for a variety of different whiskies from Johnnie Walker and is currently making its way across Europe. The John Walker & Sons Odyssey is a rather shinily presented blended malt, put together by master blender Jim Beveridge using whisky from only three distilleries, undisclosed of course. For a bottle geek like me it’s equally impressive due to the presentation – the decanter (styled after the shape of a sail) comes clipped into a geared metal frame that should, thanks to the combined powers of gravity and momentum, keep the bottle upright. It’s shiny……. – See more at: … Continue reading >>

Join the next Scotch Malt Whisky Society Outturn Tasting!

When: Monday July 8, 2013 from 6:45 PM to 8:15 PM PDT

Note: Registration is required in advance, by the Friday morning prior to the tasting please! Please arrive 5-10mins early to check-in, tasting starts promptly at 6:45pm

Where:  Edgemont Fine Wines, Spirits & Ales, 3020 Edgemont Blvd., North Vancouver, BC V7R 2N4 (We time the event as best as we can to be transit friendly. Please ensure you have a safe way to get home.)

Event Fee

SMWS Members = $40 +GST and Non-Members = $50 +GST

Please join us for a tasting of another fabulous line-up of single cask, cask strength whiskies from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society(SMWS) by registering below!!! The SMWS releases up to seven new bottlings every month and our Outturn tastings are your opportunity to try before you buy, get to know other members and enjoy a few tasty nibbles to pair with the whiskies! Open to both Society members and non-members alike; invite your whisky-loving friends & join the fun to explore SMWS’s rare and wonderful single malt whiskies. Click on the Register Now link below or stop by our shop to register today! PLEASE REGISTER AT THE LATEST BY THE FRIDAY PRIOR TO THE TASTING. Space is limited, so please register early! Memberships are now available in-store! For more info on SMWS visit www.smws.ca If you have any questions about the event, SMWS generally or how to register, please get in touch.

ENJOY SMWS PRODUCTS RESPONSIBLY, PLEASE ARRANGE SAFE TRANSPORT HOME. DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE

Get more information on SMWS July Tasting

Register for SMWS July Tasting Now!

Whisky Ramblings Via Video #52

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries Czech whisky! He puts two expressions of Gold Cock (what’s in a name?) Czech whisky head to head: the Red Feathers 3 Year Old blended and the Green Feathers 12 Year Old Single Malt.

http://youtu.be/y3luqcoxhcY

CASK MASTERS 2013

Hi all, just a quickie for now and I hope summer has arrived wherever you are. Our next series of tastings, starting next week, have got to be the hottest ticket in town – our crazy summer £10 tastings! How often do you get to taste 4 fine whiskies – 3 of which are not available anywhere – for such a paltry amount?!

In all seriousness, we are very excited to be presenting to you three single cask whiskies from the uber-innovative Glenmorangie Company. The concept behind these tastings is for YOU to assist in the choosing of the next limited edition Glenmorangie bottling. EVERYONE who comes to the tastings will have the opportunity to cast their vote for their favourite of the three whiskies – truly whisky by democratic opinion, how often does that happen?!

If you want to get involved, have a look at the dates below, click on your preference and get booking!

LONDON           Monday 1st July, Red Lion 7pm
LONDON           Tuesday 2nd July, Red Lion 7pm
BRIGHTON        Wednesday 3rd July, Hilton Metropole 7pm
NEWCASTLE     Friday 12th July, Blackfriars 7pm
SHEFFIELD       Monday 15th July, The Blake 7pm
LEEDS               Wednesday 17th July, Crosskeys 7pm
YORK                 Friday 19th July, Brigantes 7pm
MANCHESTER  Saturday 20th July, Britons Protection 7pm
EDINBURGH      Wednesday 24th July, The Cube 7pm

Come and join us on our continuing expedition to bring whisky to all parts of the UK! That’s all for now, but we’ll have a full round-up of upcoming event news next week.

Slainte!
Eddie, Amanda and Joe

Although due to be released mid July you can pre-order yours here now. Follow the link for more information. Limited stock coming in, don’t miss out! £73

OF MONSTERS AND MEN AND JAKE BUGG ROCK THE WORLD’S ONLY WHISKEY AND MUSIC FESTIVAL IN AN IRISH DISTILLERY

Bushmills Live: International indie artists take to the stage at age-old distillery 

Bushmills Village: June 2012: Global stars including Of Monsters and Men and Jake Bugg, together with friends Foy Vance, Willy Mason and Iain Archer gave electrifying performances last night at Bushmills Live – the festival of handcrafted whiskey and music which took place among the barrels at the Old Bushmills Distillery.

The intimate two-day festival on Ireland’s north coast was attended by just 500 music and whiskey fans from around the world, including attendees from countries spanning from the USA to Bulgaria and Portugal to Russia.

Artists more used to playing to crowds of hundreds of thousands, such as Of Monsters and Men and Jake Bugg, performed a series of small gigs in centuries-old buildings at the Old Bushmills Distillery, where the art of whiskey-making has been practiced for generations.

Of Monsters and Men’s Ragnar Þórhallsson said: “Last night was unlike any other gig we’ve played before. We have performed in many venues in cities all around the world, but this one, in a whiskey distillery, was something very special. The atmosphere was great and we loved it. We would be honoured to play here again.”

Jake Bugg added: “I’ve played many gigs but never thought I‘d be playing in a whiskey distillery and it was pretty cool. Good to see my mate Iain Archer – happy birthday.”

These global superstars were joined by emerging indie artists Bear’s Den and Sons and Lovers, together with David C Clements and VerseChorusVerse, recipients of the inaugural Bushmills Live Legacy Fund. This is a trust of £20,000 set up by Bushmills™ Irish Whiskey and Third Bar, an artist development company run by last year’s headliner, Snow Patrol’s lead singer, Gary Lightbody and Davy Matchett, curators of the fund.

Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery, Colum Egan, said: “This was an incredible night for Bushmills Irish Whiskey and for music lovers. Last night, we welcomed both globally-established artists and emerging talent to our home on Ireland’s north coast. Their music, like our whiskey, represents the very best in hand craftsmanship. He added: “It was fantastic to see so many friends come to the distillery, enjoy the music and of course share a glass of Bushmills.”

NOTES 

Facebook: facebook.com/bushmills1608

Twitter: @BushmillsGlobal

Hashtag: #BushmillsLive

Tickets to Bushmills Live were not available for sale but were won via a competition on Facebook. To find out more, visit facebook.com/bushmills1608.  

BUSHMILLS LIVE ARTIST INFORMATION 

About Of Monsters and Men

http://www.ofmonstersandmen.com/

Of Monsters and Men is an amiable group from Iceland whose debut album “My Head Is An Animal” is a collection of infectious folkie pop songs. With the group’s single “Little Talks”, the band (consisting of Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, Ragnar Þórhallsson, Brynjar Leifsson, Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, Kristján Páll Kristjánsson) has become a breakout act all around the world.

After a breakout year, “My Head Is An Animal,” the band’s debut album, was officially certified platinum worldwide. Surpassing 1 million sales, the record remains a clarion call for the band’s invigorating style. The band capped off the year with “Little Talks” selling over 3.5 million singles worldwide, the album reaching Platinum status in Canada and Ireland, as well as Gold in multiple countries including Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States.

In 2013, Of Monsters and Men will continue on a world tour including stops in Japan, Australia, South America, North America, and heading back to UK and Europe this summer. 

About Jake Bugg

www.jakebugg.com

By now, it’s likely you will have heard of Jake Bugg following on from his support slots at two of the year’s hottest gigs: namely The Stone Roses’ miniscule secret London show at Village Underground, and a week later, Noel Gallagher’s smallest ever solo performance at Camden’s Dingwalls. Come October, the latter legend will also be taking him on the rest of his 2012 tour dates, in Europe, America and beyond.

All across the land he has been working hard, playing songs and garnering new converts wherever he goes. His headline November shows in Manchester and London have both been upgraded due to demand; the release of his debut album has been brought forward – unheard of in this day and age because people want to get their hands on it.

Aged “about 14”, he started picking up his uncle’s acoustic guitar and, having learnt other people’s songs, started experimenting with his own. It didn’t take long for him to start coming up with worthwhile stuff. In fact, one of the best songs on his debut album, ‘Someplace’ dates back to this time. A beautiful melancholic ballad, it exhibits the undeniable, natural gift for melody that characterises all of Jake’s songs.

Jake only got signed about a year or so ago, but such is his prolific nature that he did not waste any time in getting down to business. 

About Willy Mason

http://www.willymason.net/

Willy Mason is a singer-songwriter from the Northeast US. His new single ‘I Got Gold’ is a standout track from new album ‘Carry On’, an album five years in the making. It comes in the wake of the critically acclaimed and gold certified debut ‘Where The Humans Eat’ which included the now classic track ‘Oxygen,’ and the progressive sound of his 2007 sophomore release ‘If The Ocean Gets Rough.’

He has recently toured in the UK and Australia and often appears on stage with headliners and good friends Mumford & Sons.

Mason’s new single ‘I Got Gold’, produced by Dan Carey (MIA, Hot Chip and Kylie Minogue), has been receiving Radio 1, 6Music and XFM plays, and fuses Mason’s unique vocal delivery with a rhythm that lyrically draws on sentiments of hope, disillusionment, love and lost connections. 

About Bear’s Den

http://www.musicglue.com/bearsdenmusic/

Bear’s Den are London trio Andrew Davie, Joey Haynes, and Kevin Jones. The music they make is wholesome, warm, and engaging, and takes its influence from the likes of Being There era Wilco, Ryan Adams, and a wealth of both folk and alt-country reference points.

The ethos of DIY is at the heart of everything Bear’s Den have done since their inception. Charging around the UK in a van playing to any venue that would have them, picking up support tours with the likes of Of Monsters And Men, Smoke Fairies, and Matt Corby, and concluding 2012 with a support slot for Mumford & Sons at London’s O2 Arena, Bear’s Den took time out and relocated to a cottage in Wales to record their debut EP, sold only at shows last year, and went on to record their ‘Agape’ EPin Norfolk with Kristoffer Harris.

‘Agape’ sets out its stall from the opening chords, and is a spellbinding example of Bear’s Den’s sound. Andrew Davie’s lyrics and voice are beautifully fragile, resonating with the clarity of a songwriter almost twice his age. Framed around the ambiguous Greek word for love, Agape is a warm, all-embracing tune that sets a tone throughout the whole 5-track record.

About Iain Archer

http://www.iainarcher.co.uk/modules/news/

Iain Archer is an award-winning songwriter and producer, originally from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. He is a versatile performer who has had success in his own right and with others. He has written five successful albums under his own name, has toured extensively and has had his songs used widely on US TV shows and adverts.

He has scored a number one album and two top ten albums writing with the likes of Example, Gabrielle Aplin, Hudson Taylor and Nina Nesbitt. Additionally 2012 saw Iain working extensively with 19 year old Brit-Nominated Jake Bugg, signed to Mercury Records. Jake Bugg’s exciting eponymous debut album hit no.1 in the album charts in October, and has remained within the top 10 ever since, already passing platinum sales. He co-wrote and produced the first three Radio 1 playlisted singles, ‘Trouble Town’, ‘Lightning Bolt’ and ‘Taste It’ along with co-writing Jake’s last two radio hits ‘Two Fingers’ and ‘Seen It All’.

A prestigious Ivor Novello Award winner for his work on Snow Patrol’s breakthrough multi-platinum selling album ‘Final Straw’, Iain co-wrote the huge hit ‘Run’ which went  top 5 for the band and later to number one for Leona Lewis, breaking the record for the fastest selling UK download.

He is a founding member of the band ‘Tired Pony’ that also featured the likes of Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, Peter Buck from REM, Richard Colburn from Belle and Sebastian and Tom Smith from Editors. 

About Foy Vance

http://www.foyvance.com/

Foy Vance is a musician from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. He released his debut album ‘Hope’ in July 2007 to great critical acclaim. The Independent newspaper described him as ‘The missing link between Richie Havens and Stevie Wonder’. Three tracks from the album were used on hit US drama, Grey’s Anatomy.

His single ‘Be the Song’, featured in the American medical series, House. In 2010 Foy, along with David Holmes composed the music for a short film by director Terry George, and as a result has been offered a part in the director’s next feature film as a busker. The short film, ‘The Shore’, won a 2012 ACADEMY AWARD®*. Foy will release a new album entitled ‘Joy of Nothing’ later this year and will tour with Bonnie Raitt in the UK and Europe this summer.

*ACADEMY AWARDS® is a registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

About Sons and Lovers

http://www.sons-and-lovers.com/

Sons and Lovers are a four piece who have recently completed a UK tour with Ellie Goulding, and have only been recording since early last year.

They played on the BBC Introducing Stage at Underground Festival last year and recently played at Club NME nights in London. They are quickly creating a buzz and a name for themselves.

Each track is a brilliant example of craftsmanship, with catchy guitar melodies and strong lyrical stature.

About David C Clements:

http://davidcclements.bandcamp.com/

David C Clements has been playing music throughout the UK and Europe for more than a decade. Although his current guise has only been implemented from the beginning of last year, he previously fronted up Belfast act, Six Star Hotel. With a series of European tours, and a few critically acclaimed albums, he knew it was time for a change. He first dabbled in producing records for local acts, such as the Lowly Knights and Napoleon, but we all knew he would not stay off the road for long.

David C Clements, as a musical project, was born on 1st January 2012. Throughout the opening few months of 2012 David has released three two track EPs online, this has caused quite a stir throughout the industry, gaining him viral support from Two Door Cinema Club, a live session on BBC Radio One, a show at Union Chapel London, a Channel 4 advert, a Day Trotter session and a plethora of local radio support.

“David has the voice of a melancholy angel. He has a rare ear for melody and lyrics that hit right at the heart of the human condition.” – Paul McClean, BBC Radio Ulster. 

ABOUT VERSECHORUSVERSE

VerseChorusVerse is the musical alias of Tony Wright, the founding member of ‘And So I Watch You From Afar’. He composed some of their most popular songs before leaving the band in late 2011.

After leaving the band, he darted quickly in the opposite direction, keen not to repeat himself stylistically. Since then he has been racking up the miles playing across the UK, Ireland and Spain along with artist approved supports of Daniel Johnston, William Elliot Whitmore, Michael Kiwanuka, Jonah Matranga and James Yorkston.

He recently finished recording his highly anticipated debut album with Ivor Novello winner Iain Archer, (Jake Bugg, Ben Francis Leftwich) and is due to release it this year with PledgeMusic as he seeks to fund the accompanying campaign for the album. 

ABOUT BUSHMILLS IRISH WHISKEY

With a heritage rooted in authenticity and quality, Bushmills Irish Whiskey is produced, aged and bottled at Ireland’s oldest working Whiskey distillery in the village of Bushmills in County Antrim on the far north coast of Ireland. The Old Bushmills Distillery uses 100% malt barley to make triple distilled malt whiskey, which is what creates the rich, mellow and distinct flavour that is the house style. The Bushmills portfolio includes: Bushmills Irish Whiskey; Black Bush, Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt, Bushmills 16 Year Old Single Malt, Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt, Bushmills 1608 and now Bushmills Irish Honey. 

BUSHMILLS LIVE VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjyzNFGuRmo

To launch the festival, Bushmills commissioned some good friends who are artisans to make a 3D art installation that depicts the Bushmills Live poster using materials inspired by the handcrafted whiskey and music at the heart of the festival. The master craftsmen who cemented their friendship when creating the stage set for a hugely popular American television epic that was filmed in Belfast – used 254 casks, 250 bottle tops, 30 bottles of whiskey, five metres of AMP wiring and four guitars to handcraft the 10ft by 16ft installation artwork. 

ABOUT DIAGEO
Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan’s, Windsor and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit www.diageo.com. For Diageo’s global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit www.DRINKiQ.com.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.