Canadian Whisky Book Review and Twitter Tasting

Be a part of the world’s first ever whisky book review/twitter tasting. Social media are changing the way we read and the way we taste whisky. We’ve decided to integrate the two! Each Sunday for the next four weeks we will review several chapters from the book Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert and discuss them on Twitter. And we will do this while we taste a representative whisky from that chapter.

If you wish to comment on the book, interact with author, Davin de Kergommeaux, or discuss a Canadian whisky you are tasting, please join us each Sunday at 3:00 pm Eastern time, on Twitter at #DavinTT.

The twitter reviews and tastings begin this Sunday, May 5^th at 3:00pm EST when we will be talking about chapters 10 – 13. Davin will join us to answer questions, and contribute to discussion among the participants, etc.

After chatting for about 30 minutes about 15 participants from around the world will open a mystery bottle that we have sent to them. You didn’t get a bottle? Feel free to join in anyway. The more the merrier. After tasting the sample and talking about it we’ll reveal which distillery it came from and which whisky we tasted. Sound like fun?

This Sunday we’ll begin with chapters 10 – 13. Then, Sunday May 12^th we will discuss chapters 14 – 17; Sunday May 19^th, chapters 18 – 21; and Sunday May 26^th, chapters 22 – 25.

We invite the whisky bloggers among us to blog about the book, the experience, the whiskies and/or Davin. Let the fun begin!

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with me, @WhiskyLassie on twitter.

Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert is available at Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, and many other fine bookstores, or on-line at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

Loch Lomond 11yo 2000 (57.8%, SMWS G9.1, Refill barrel, USA 48 Bts., +/-2012) 

“Sweet and sour mélange”  

From the distillery that Captain Haddock was so fond of. On the nose it’s very ‘whisky’ but different (that last is a cop out) however there is some good earthiness and a certain creaminess along with a little ‘metallic’ notes and it is actually quite different. There is still some grain and wood notes but the earthiness and the metallic are very prevalent. There is also a really strong presence of American whisky, specifically Buffalo Trace but this could be imagination masquerading as talent. The taste undiluted in cool-aid powder, lots of cask influence, the earthiness and the metallic with the B.T. taking a position in the rear. This is good but quite different. Lots of black pepper in there also, a curious combination with the pepper, the earthiness and the B.T. The finish is long and warming with more of the pepper (now muted), the earthiness and the B.T all merrily going to meet Captain Haddock.

Certainly different and curious.

$100

Score 83 points

3 of 4 this week. Samples kindly provided by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America

2013 International Safety Awards Hat Trick for Scotch Whisky Distiller 

Morrison Bowmore Distillers Limited is proud to announce a major coup which has been awarded to the company by the British Safety Council.

Mr Neal Stone, Director of Policy and Communications of the British Safety Council, stated: 

“The Trustees and Executive of the British Safety Council congratulate Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd on their achievement of a distinction, the highest accolade, in our 2013 International Safety Awards. The company is to be specially congratulated on gaining a distinction for the third year running – the only company in the food and drinks sector to achieve this accolade.”     

Morrison Bowmore Distillers is one of only four organisations to have achieved this award with distinction the maximum possible number of three times.

Mr Andrew Rankin, Morrison Bowmore’s Operations Director, commented “This is a truly excellent achievement and I would personally like to thank all our staff and contractors for their dedication and commitment in enabling us to maintain such a high level of performance.  To be recognised by the British Safety Council in this way is further testimony to our commitment of integrating health and safety into the heart of the way we work.”

Morrison Bowmore’s brands include Bowmore Islay Single Malt, Auchentoshan Lowland Single Malt and Glen Garioch Highland Single Malt.

www.ralfy.com tackles a slow-starting cask strength malt which really needs time to express it’s quality, featuring Whisky Review 357 – Glenfiddich 15yo Distillery Edition 

Join our Scotch Malt Whisky Society “Blasts From the Past” Tasting!!

We’re changing things up for our May Outturn tasting. Instead of new releases, we’ll be revisiting old friends! Are you a newer member who hasn’t had a chance to try some older releases? Perhaps you haven’t been able to make it to any SMWS tastings and would like to hear more about the Society? Do you have friends you’ve been talking to about the Society and you would like to introduce them to it? Then this month is for you! Click on the Register Now link below or stop by our shop to register today! Space is limited so please register early! In order for us to ensure we have enough space, whisky & nibbles of food, PLEASE REGISTER AT THE LATEST BY THE FRIDAY MORNING PRIOR TO THE TASTING!

Get more information

Register Now!

If you have any questions about the event, SMWS generally or how to register, please get in touch. We look forward to seeing you at the tasting!

Slainté,

Crystal Coverdale
General Manager
Edgemont Fine Wines, Sprits & Ales

3020 Edgemont Blvd, North Vancouver BC
604-984-9463
Open Daily 9am-11pm

When Monday May 6, 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 Non-Members = $50 +GST

Memberships are now available in store! For more info on SMWS visit www.smws.ca 

Get the Party Started with New Chivas App

Using your smart phone or tablet at a social gathering is now a way of bringing people together, thanks to Chivas. The new Chivas MASHTUN Games App gets people playing, active and laughing and is perfect for getting the party started.

Free on iTunes, Chivas MASHTUN offers a contemporary twist on your favourite, classic parlour games, comprising five options designed for a minimum of two people. It automatically suggests the number of teams and players on each team, based on guests and phones or tablet devices in the room.

James Slack, Global Brand Director of Chivas, commented: “Chivas MASHTUN combines elements that we know modern gentlemen love: games, gadgets and, above all, being a great party host. Chivas has always been about bringing people together, celebrating friendship and generosity. With this new venture, we wanted to change the rules of gaming technology, which can be insular, and make hosting at home sociable, entertaining and memorable.”

Chivas MASHTUN nods to the mash tun, which is the brewing vessel for mashing grain and water to make wort for Scotch whisky. Making a mash is about bringing together the right ingredients in the right way, a lot like hosting a great party.

Chivas MASHTUN is now available for free download on iTunes. See chivas.com for more details.

NOTES:

Chivas MASHTUN is an App, offering five games to choose from, comprising:
1. MASHJAM
A game of rhythm and memory. Play back the rhythm as accurately as you can by tapping or shaking
2. MASHACT
Players act out words as they appear on the device. Help your teammate guess as many as they can before the time runs out.
3. MASHRELAY
Sing, hum, whistle or shout to propel your team’s piece along the course. A head-to-head relay race.
4. MASHTIP
A physical game whereby players are asked to perform a random physical action while holding their device as steady as possible to balance a tower of virtual blocks displayed on screen.
5. MASHSEEK
A modern take on the game of hide and seek: find a device hidden in the room using a series of remote prompts to make it vibrate, beep, flash or take a picture.

Chivas Regal is a truly global brand, selling 4.9 million 9L cases annually in more than 150 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and Americas. The Chivas Regal range is the epitome of style, substance and exclusivity and includes Chivas Regal 12, 18 and 25 Year Old.

For further information please visit www.chivas.com

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.

Scholarships Awarded at Annual KBF Sampler

Bardstown, KY –Anne Margaret Deatrick and Morgan Nichole Riggs were the recipients of the 2013 Kentucky Bourbon Festival Scholarship.  Jerry Summers, chairperson, along with several KBF Board of Directors members, were in attendance to present a certificate of achievement to these young ladies during the fourteenth annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival Sampler held at the Guthrie Opportunity Center Saturday, April 27.  Both individuals attend Assumption High School.

Anne is the daughter of Patricia and William Joseph Deatrick.  Mr. Deatrick is employed by Brown Forman.  Anne plans to attend Bellarmine University next year.  Morgan is the daughter of Shana and Robert Riggs and plans to attend the University of Kentucky in the fall.  Morgan’s mother Shana is an employee of Brown Forman.

This year’s sponsors of the scholarship were Bluegrass Ice Company, Smith Brothers Trucking, Toddy’s Liquors and Woodford Reserve Distillery.  The winning essays will be published in the 2013 Kentucky Bourbon Festival program.

Benromach 23yo 1988 (50.5, SMWS 48.26, refill butt, USA 120 Bts., +/-2012) 

“In a wild garden, late summer” 

On the nose it’s a little closed at first but then with a little coaxing some promising richness starts to emerge but event hen it’s a little shy but there are hints of greatness here. The taste is of gentle malt, the afore mentioned sweetness in the form of some sherry notes and some good wood notes which adds spiciness but does not over power. Taken all together and it’s very intoxicating. The finish is a perfect match for the nose taste and it’s long, even and very good. The cask notes take over from the sherry sweetness but only just so. Some really sensational malt lurks in the finish to tie everything together.

Despite a little hesitation on the nose this is sensational stuff.

$155

Score 91 points

2 of 4 this week. Samples kindly provided by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America

Boutique Whisky Masterclass #2

Masterclass Whisky tastings are held in our Cellars each month. Here are is the second hotly awaited dates for your diary..!

Friday, 7th June – Colin Dunn of Diageo
Tickets £35.00

The irrepressible Mr Dunn returns to present a rather special Talisker Distillery tasting in Stourbridge with Isle of Skye beauties – NEW releases:

Port Ruighe, Talisker Storm, magical 18 and mythical 35 year old…

Start time: 7:30 pm

For further details, email david@nickollsandperks.co.uk or phone 01384 394518  Follow & RT @midlandswhisky for your chance to win 2 tickets worth £70 to the September 28th #Whiskyfest with over 300 drams on taste… be a winner today! Please reserve your tickets in advance as capacity is limited! We look forward to seeing you soon.

Sláinte! or Slàinte!

Nickolls & Perks Ltd 37 Lower High Street Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 1TA www.nickollsandperks.co.uk

Newly rebranded from Cardhu in Speyside is the much loved 12, 15 and 18 year old age statements, and the Special Cask Reserve. Considered by Jim Murray as “Just about the cleanest, most uncluttered, pure, sweet malt you will ever find” (Whisky Bible) Cardhu is typically smooth, sweet and mellow; an exceedingly pleasurable dram.

The label bears the image of Helen Cumming – wife of John who bought the distillery in 1824 – brandishing a flag. This stems from the era of visiting Excise officers; the flag warned the other distilleries that revenue men were nearby.

Cardhu at Milroy’s