March Top-up: NEW Pair Offer plus 35.84
Your sweet tooth has devoured our March Outturn so it’s time for a top up…enjoy a new Pair Offer along with the ‘welcoming’ 35.84 J.K Rowling meets C.S Lewis

March Top-Up Pair: 53.179 & 76.99 for only £96.00
Enjoy our mid-month Top-up pair with the stunning 53.179 Jelly-fish on the rocks & the delightful bourbon cask 76.99 Turkish Delight : Mediterranean perfumes Buy

76.99 Turkish Delight: Mediterranean perfumes
9YO Speyside Spey, *Exclusive to March Offers Warm and inviting, with lovely spicy sweetness – iced gingerbread, Humbugs, liquorice and nutmeg and a touch of peanut butter. (Mmm, bourbon cask!) More

53.179 Jelly-fish on the rocks
20YO Islay, £68.80
Classic intense mix of sweetness and smoke – some tar, clean oil, macadamia nuts, smoked paprika and prawn tempura, with a long, liquoricy after-taste. The reduced nose introduced a powerful floral note.. Buy

35.84 J.K Rowling meets C.S Lewis
14YO Speyside Lossie, £49.40
Deep, heady perfumes (rose, elderflower, geranium, lily of the valley, Chanel No. 5) gradually enfolded us in warm, welcoming hugs; complex (marzipan, autumn leaves, chestnuts, orange peel, vanilla, plum jam, cigar boxes) – amazing for its age. Buy

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 http://www.smws.co.uk/memberships for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers.

New venture opens-up whisky as tangible alternative asset class

Liquid gold an alternative to solid gold?

A FORMER Master Distiller has launched a new company in the UK that invests and trades in rare and premium whisky. The Whisky Trading Company, founded late last year and now being opened-up to wider investors, aims to deliver returns in excess of 15 percent per annum.

The company has identified 3,000 bottles as part of its initial investment (some distilled before World War II) and £450,000 has already been raised to secure options on this initial stock. The investment opportunity is now being widened as it seeks to raise an additional £2-4 million to capitalise on market opportunities.

The new venture has been set up as an Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) in the UK, delivering additional tax benefits for early investors.

Investing in the top 10 performing whiskies from the beginning of 2008 to the end of 2012 would have seen returns of 508 percent; the top 100 returned 306 percent, the top 250 returned 225 percent; and the top 1,000 saw a return of 123 percent, as per data from UK auctions (Whisky Highland).

With a huge market already well-established in fine wine investment, whisky as an alternative investment market is dynamically growing both at home and abroad. Whisky auction houses in the UK alone saw 14,000 bottles sold in 2012, a huge jump from just 2,000 in 2008. By 2020, this number is estimated to grow by 114 percent to 30,000 bottles. Globally 2012 saw around 75,000 bottles auctioned valued at £11 million, and this is expected to double in volume to 150,000 bottles in 2020 with values trebling to £33 million, suggesting the trend towards premiumisation will continue.

The Whisky Trading Company was founded in October 2012 by David Robertson, formerly Rare Whisky Director at The Dalmore and prior to this Master Distiller at The Macallan, who has over 20 years in the whisky industry, and Lindon Neil, a former investment banker at RBS and Wachovia Bank. David previously secured the sale of the world’s first £100,000 bottle, a 64-year old Dalmore Trinitas, in 2010.

Commenting on the launch of The Whisky Trading Company, David Robertson said: “There is a finite stock of premium whisky and a growing demand. Every bottle sold and taken out of circulation decreases the stock available and raises the value of the remainder. We want to capitalise on this, whilst also providing investors an attractive investment proposition given the EIS structure.

“The important point to remember about whisky as an alternative asset class is that unlike wine the product doesn’t have a cellaring period and will never perish and turn to vinegar. It is a far more stable liquid investment as a result. And the volume of premium bottles being traded continues to grow significantly year-on-year, with more than 17,000 expected through 2013.

“We want to capitalise on that and deliver significant returns to investors.”

Notes:

• EIS: The Whisky Trading Company qualifies under EIS rules in order to deliver tax benefits for investors based in the United Kingdom, depending on their circumstances. The main benefits are:
  • Income tax relief of 30 percent of the subscription (£1m cap per investor);
  • The ability to carry back the income tax relief to 2011/2012 for tax relief at 30 percent (£500k investment cap per investor);
  • Unlimited capital gains tax deferral relief;
  • Capital gains tax exemption on disposal of the shares; and
  • Unlimited 100 percent IHT relief after two years.
• Investment in alternative assets is becoming increasingly popular. An increasing number of investors are putting some of their wealth into more tangible assets such as fine wine, art, classic cars, coins, jewellery, stamps, watches and now whisky, which diversifies their portfolio. They are deemed to be investments that are less correlated with macroeconomic shocks, the performance of the macro economy and the volatility of the stock market.
• Global socio-economic trends have led to an increase in the demand for luxury goods, which includes premium whisky around the world in both mature and emerging markets.
• The most valuable whisky ever sold at UK retail was 64-year old The Dalmore Trinitas, which fetched £120,000 in Harrods in 2010.
• The most valuable globally was a 62-year-old The Dalmore Sinclair, sold at Changi Airport, Singapore, which sold for £135,000 in 2011. (First sold in 2002 for £25,000 at auction, a second bottle was acquired and drunk at Penny Hill Park Hotel in April 2005 for £32,000 and the final bottle was then placed with Changi airport in 2011.)
• The value of rare and collectable whisky depends on reputation of distillery and the quality of the whisky itself. The most sought after whiskies usually originate from a number of places: extinct distilleries, classed as “silent stills” e.g. Brora, Port Ellen, Rosebank; older aged vintage bottles; certain brands – particularly iconic brands such as The Macallan, The Dalmore, Balvenie and Glenfiddich, and, in particular, limited edition varieties – for example, Macallan released 2,012 bottles to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee and The Dalmore have recently released their Constellation Collection – and, finally, having a bottle in its original packaging – a liquid time capsule!
• All auction figures and statistics in this press release are attributable to Whisky Highland.

About The Whisky Trading Company

The Whisky Trading Company is a specialist rare whisky merchant established in London and Edinburgh in 2012. It offers a unique opportunity for UK taxpayers to participate in the returns attainable from the rare whisky market by investing in a start-up supported by the benefits of the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), a government-sponsored initiative to encourage investment in UK enterprise.

The company buys and trades only the rarest and super premium of whiskies and aims to deliver returns in excess of 15 percent per annum to its investors and shareholders. As with fine wine, there is finite supply and growing demand for rare whisky, with every bottle sold and consumed increasing the scarcity and this value of remaining stock. These market conditions coupled with our expertise in the industry deliver a strong investment opportunity for investors seeking to diversify their funds into alternative assets.

The company was set up and is managed by whisky expert David Robertson, who has over 20 years’ experience in the whisky industry including as Master Distiller at The Macallan. He also created and sold the world’s first £100,000 bottle of whisky, a 64-year-old Dalmore Trinitas. 

Grant’s in Taiwan

Hi all,

This week I am on a tour of Taiwan, visiting the capital city, Taipei, as well as Taichung and Kaohsiung, which is further south. Trips to Taiwan are usually busy as I reported last year and this one is no different, as you can see from the pictures below. My schedule is full with media…(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,

Ludo

The Whisky Barrel Expands Burns Malt® Whisky Range

Online whisky shop The Whisky Barrel today releases six new single casks bottlings of the retailer’s exclusive Burns Malt® series of single malt Scotch whiskies.

The new batch of casks includes single malts distilled at Bunnhabhain, Braes of Glenlivet, Dailuaine, Longmorn and Springbank Scotch distilleries plus the demolished Speyside Caperdonich distillery.

These new bottlings can be purchased on The Whisky Barrel web site:-

Bunnahabhain 23 Year Old Burns Malt / 48.2%
£47.85 GBP ($60 USD) £37.88 ex VAT.

Braes of Glenlivet 23 Year Old Burns Malt / 44.2%
£50.26 GBP ($62 USD) £41.88 ex VAT.

Dailuaine 20 Year Old Burns Malt / 54.1%
£51.69 GBP ($64 USD) £43.08 ex VAT.

Caperdonich 17 Year Old Burns Malt / 55.0%
£54.25 GBP ($67 USD) £45.21 ex VAT.

Longmorn 20 Year Old Burns Malt / 55.5%
£55.30 GBP ($68 USD) £46.08 ex VAT.

Springbank 14 Year Old Burns Malt / 54.3%
£61.30 GBP ($76 USD) £51.08 ex VAT.

The Whisky Barrel is a specialist online Scotch whisky merchant shipping fine and rare single malts and blends to consumers worldwide directly from Scotland.

http://www.thewhiskybarrel.com

The Whisky Barrel www.thewhiskybarrel.com @WhiskyBarrel E: info@thewhiskybarrel.com T: +44 (0)845 2248 156

NOTES

Q) What is the product(s) called?
A1) Bunnahabhain 23 Year Old Burns Malt

A2) Braes of Glenlivet 23 Year Old Burns Malt

A3) Dailuaine 20 Year Old Burns Malt

A4) Caperdonich 17 Year Old Burns Malt

A5) Longmorn 20 Year Old Burns Malt

A6) Springbank 14 Year Old Burns Malt

Q) When will this product be released/was it released?
A) 13th March 2013

Q) Where is it available?
A) Scotland, off-trade, TheWhiskyBarrel.com
Q) Is this product already available in other markets?
A) Scotland only, TheWhiskyBarrel.com ships worldwide.

Q) How much is it?
A) £47.85 – £61.30 GBP, outlined above

Q) Who handles the product’s distribution?
A) In-house at TheWhiskyBarrel.com

Q) What is the ABV of this product?
A) ABV natural cask strength, outlined above

Q) Why has this product been launched?
A) Third release of the Burns Malt series of Scotch whiskies.

Whisky Tasting – Càrn Mòr

We’re really looking forward to this very special evening with Peter Mackay from the Scottish Liqueur Centre in Perth. They independently age single malt whiskies under the Càrn Mòr label. As well as promising to be a fascinating evening when you’ll learn some secrets about how independent bottlers go about choosing their casks, we’re delighted to confirm the following drams will be on taste:

Bowmore 2001 12yo Pedro Ximenez finish

Miltonduff 1998 15 yo Trockenbeerenauslese
wine cask finish

Tamdhu 1991 22yo Trockenbeerenauslese
wine cask finish

Bladnoch 1990 21yo

Girvan 1989 Bourbon Barrel 24 yo

Tamnavulin 1968 45 yo

Further information from David Gardener 01384 394518 Email: david@nickollsandperks.co.uk

Carn Mor Ambassador tasting – Thursday 21st March 2013 £25.00 inc VAT

Glengoyne Distillery Whisky Tasting – Thursday 18th April 2013

 For our next tasting evening we will be welcoming along Alan Wardrop of Ian Mcaleod Distillers, who will be presenting whiskies from Glengoyne Distillery.

This extremely attractive distillery is uniquely situated right on the Highland line, and has some of the friendliest and most knowledgeable staff you could wish to meet. Slow distillation, no use of peat in the kilning process and, most unusually, a proportion of Golden Promise barley being included in the mash bill, produces wonderfully elegant yet flavoursome single malts. A good spread of ages and judicious cask selection add to this mix, resulting in a well crafted and varied range of expressions.

See below for all the details and if you have any queries just contact us.

Sláinte!
Fran and Ken
Arkwrights Whisky and Wines
www.whiskyandwines.com

UPCOMING EVENT

Name Glengoyne Distillery Whisky Tasting
Date Thursday 18th April 2013

Time 7pm for 7.30pm
Venue Stanton House Hotel, Stanton Fitzwarren SN6 7SD

Details Alan will be tasting through the whole range of Glengoyne whiskies with us. This comprises 10 year old, 12 year old, 15 year old, 18 year old, 21 year old and cask strength whiskies so is an excellent opportunity to find out your own personal favourite.

Tickets are £13.50 per person, and this also entitles you to a discount of £3 against a bottle of one of the featured whiskies if bought or ordered on the night of the tasting. Tickets are very strictly limited, and allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and as these tastings usually sell out within hours it is best to book ASAP. To buy tickets just log on to www.whiskyandwines.com and place an order for the number you require.

Admission to the tasting is by ticket only, and the whiskies tasted will be available to purchase on the night so come prepared.

N.B. We have negotiated special rates at the hotel for anyone who wants to stay overnight after the tasting – click here for further details.

SPRINGBANK SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

Greetings from a very sunny but still quite cool Campbeltown. We have had a very nice week after the long wet winter and we’ll soon be putting away the winter woolies.

We are looking forward to the visitors’ season and will be ready to welcome everyone to the distillery and Cadenhead’s Whisky Shop. Although things tend to be a little quiet over the winterwe do still have visitors and Jim, Mairi and George are still taking folks round both distilleries, with Mairi and George gaining confidence and experience. Jim, of course, is an old hand at this game!

Springbank Whisky School

The whisky school is filling up nicely but you’re not too late if you would like to join us this year. If you are interested please email me at whiskyschool@springbankwhisky.com and I will be happy to send you out a registration form and some information. We have kept the price the same for another year, so don’t delay, book while there is still a chance.

The Distillery staff are all very friendly and love passing on their knowledge to our students. You will be made to feel very welcome for the duration of your stay. We still have former students coming back to visit us on a regular basis.

Society Bottling

The next cask for Society has been chosen, labels are ordered so once they are here we are good to go. I have a little sample from the cask sitting on my desk, just in case any Society Members happen to pop into the shop. It’s a very nice Springbank 15y/o – distilled 1997 from a Madeira cask – it’s not just very nice, it’s delicious. I don’t have an availability date as yet but once the labels are here I’ll have a better idea and I’ll also get a price for it. We had a wee tasting a couple of weeks ago, so here is the tasting note:

Nose– The nose on this is very fruity, citrus fruits such as mandarins are particularly dominant. These initial notes are replaced by aromas of caramel and spices.

Palate– This is a full bodied, smooth and creamy whisky. The spices of cinnamon and nutmeg are noticeable and really tickle the taste buds. It is an oily and chewy dram.

Finish– The sweet finish is long and lingers with oak in the background. It ends on a peppery tingle. Of course the next bottling will be chosen by some lucky Society Members who are going to be in Campbeltown on Wednesday 22nd May

Society Tasting

As you know we are having a tasting in the Tasting Room on Wednesday 22nd May in the afternoon – time to be confirmed. This is for Society Members only and will allow them to choose a cask for the Society Members to be bottled in the Autumn. I have asked Gavin to come up with some nice samples for you and will keep nagging him between now and then. The places are almost all filled up, we really only have room for a very few more, so if you’re not on the list and are planning to be here that afternoon you’ll have to be very quick as we really only have two or three places going.

Kiln Dinner

This year we are starting the Open Day early by having an exclusive dinner in the Kiln at the Distillery. You begin by seeing some Longrow hand drawn from the casks, then you will be piped to the Malt Barns by a local piper where you will be served champagne and canapes. From there you will be guided to the Kiln room for a three course dinner, accompanied by fine wine. Joining you for dinner will be our MD, Neil Clapperton, Director of Production Frank McHardy and Distillery Manager Gavin McLachlan. After dinner you will return to the Malt Barn for a dram of the hand drawn Longrow and a chat with some of the distillery staff who will be on hand to answer questions you may have. At the end of the evening you will be presented with a bottle of Longrow which will be specially labelled and numbered to remind you of your time with us. The cost of the entire evening is £350. The dinner will be restricted to a maximum of 40 people. If this appeals to you please contact mairi@springbankwhisky.com who will be delighted to take enquiries.

Springbank Open Day

Plans are well under way for the Open Day, which is on Thursday 23rd May. This year Mairi is coordinating events with help from Lea and Catrona and it looks set to be another great day for everyone attending. There will be food from Argyll, our own sandwich shop, MacMillan Smoke House and Campbeltown Cheese. The local crafters will also be there with lots of interesting goods for sale. Masterclasses of course are a must with Frank & Gavin, Grant & Mark, Ranald, Jenny, plus warehouse tastings with Melanie & John.

Times for Masterclasses are –

Frank & Gavin – 11.30 AM

Jenny – 1.15 pm

Grant & Mark (Cadenhead’s) 2.45 pm

Ranald 4.30 pm

There will also be music, free tours and of course two single casks being bottled on the day. In the evening we will have music, food and a performance by a ‘Whisky’ stand up comedian. All in all a good day out. The Tasting Room will also play host for teas, coffees and perhaps even some cake!

Mairi will be taking bookings for the Masterclasses, she can be contacted at mairi@springbankwhisky.com or by telephoning her on +44 (0) 1586 552009

Springbank Open Golf Competition

The golf competition this year is on Friday 24th May and will take place at Machrihanish Golf Club. It will again be in teams of four with the format being “better ball”. There will be a full handicap allowance up to a maximum of 36. Tee off times are between 8.42am and 9.54am and will be allocated by Ranald and myself, to book your tee time please contact me on +44 (0) 1586 555492 or email me at society@springbankwhisky.com

The entry fee for non Machrihanish members is £32.50 and for members £10.00. We will be arranging breakfast rolls with coffee and a carvery lunch for £15 per person. Hopefully this year I will have time to be out at Machrihanish to attend to the registration for players and of course to collect money!! Hopefully I will also have time to be at the prize giving. You never know I might just also play in the competition – what a handicap for that team.

We are all getting excited thinking of the Open Day this year and hopefully most of the staff will be involved in some way so that you can meet everyone who is normally ‘behind the scenes’ but vital to the smooth running of the Distillery.

Brand New News

We are starting a new club for those whisky enthusiasts who enjoy Cadenhead’s Whisky. As you know Cadenhead’s buy casks from various distilleries and bottle them at cask strength under the Cadenhead name.

The new club ‘Cadenhead Club’ members will receive a folder containing tasting notes for a range of Cadenhead whiskies, a membership record card and a leather wallet with the club logo embossed on it.

Each time you buy a 70cl bottle of Cadenhead Whisky from one of our shops your card will be stamped. Each card has 6 spaces so when your card is filled this is exchanged for a new card. There is no limit to the number of cards you can fill. You can fill the card as quickly as you like, or take a whole year to do this.

In November of each year a special bottling will be done and a free bottle will be sent out, to the shop of your choice, for each card that you have completed. The bottles will be exclusive to club members and will be specially labelled and numbered. The type of whisky will be chosen by Cadenhead staff.

Newsletters will be emailed to members along with tasting notes for each new bottling for you to print and add to your folder. The cost for membership is £50 for the first year and £30 to renew your membership each year.

It will take time to perfect the club and there will of course be teething problems but we are hoping that at the end of the day members will enjoy being part of this new club, and we will bring you news of what’s going on in and around the Cadenhead shops. We will keep you up to date with proposed new bottlings for the various shops and advise you when they are likely to be available.

If you are interested in joining, or in just finding out more about the club please contact me at shop@wmcadenhead.com and I will be happy to email you

HUGE NEWS

We are delighted to announce that on the 18th March 2013 our Director of Production, Frank McHardy will have been continuously active in whisky production for 50 years. We are delighted and honoured that Frank is with Springbank to mark this momentous occasion. During his time with Springbank he has produced a high quality of whisky for the company and has helped to spread the Springbank name throughout the globe. This truly is his forte. He is a true ambassador for Springbank Whisky and has travelled all over the world, sharing his knowledge of whisky with so many people, encouraging whisky enthusiasts to visit Campbeltown and our distilleries.

We know you will be saying “he must have been making whisky when he was still in primary school” and I’m sure he will agree with you that he’s still only a boy!

At the present time Frank is passing his precious knowledge to Gavin, our Distillery Manager, to ensure the quality of Springbank can be maintained.

Well, I think that’s about it for now but as soon as I have a release date and a price for the Society bottle I will send another email to everyone.

SLÁINTE

Janet

for Springbank Society

Please contact Janet at society@springbankwhisky.com for your chance to join the Springbank Society….

The Vancouver and Victoria April tastings are open for registration!

Join the fun as our BC retailers lead you through April’s exquisite single cask bottlings, including one from a distillery we haven’t released before (quantities will be VERY limited, so don’t wait too long to snap one up).

Enjoy great scotch, great light bites and great camaraderie!

For details and to register:

Victoria First Friday Release Tasting
Friday, April 5th 6:30pm
$40+tax for SMWS members; $50+tax for non-members
The Strath Ales, Wines & Spirits
Register in person at
919 Douglas Street, Victoria
or by phone at 250-370-9463
or by email at whisky@strathconahotel.com

Vancouver January Outturn Tasting

Monday, April 8th 6:45pm
$40+tax for SMWS members; $50+tax for non-members
Edgemont Fine Wines, Spirits & Ales
Register in person at 3020 Edgemont Boulevard, North Vancouver
or on-line at http://ow.ly/1TDhg1
For more information call 604-984-9463

Paul McLean was talking to Lord Alex Mount Charles, Slane Castle. 4^th March 2013.

Good Morning Lord Alex, good of you to give me some time for this wee chat. As you know, I love visits to castles (in Scotland and Ireland), even more so when said castle has its own whiskey! I will be introducing others to the whiskey and the castle later this year, as we are bringing a few whiskey clubs to visit – looking forward to it!

Q; I believe the whiskey was introduced at an Oasis concert at the castle, did you get any comments from the band on the whiskey? A; We took down a couple of bottles when the band arrived and soon received a request for an encore so it went down well. The Kings of Leon at the following gig were so impressed with the whiskey they took seven cases of the stuff for their crew – quite a party that was…

Q; The whiskey is a premium blend, having tasted it, I can say it IS a premium blend, I liked it. Wee hints of wood, spice and honey, it’s a smooth dram, easy to taste, easy to like! My question is; do you intend increasing to a range? A; When the distillery is built, we will produce a range of premium and super premium Irish whiskeys which will include Triple Distilled Single Malt and Pure Pot Still whiskey, all made in copper pot stills.

Q; The whiskey is produced at the Cooley Distillery not far away, who do you work with to select the unique blend? A;The existing blend came from Cooley but that came to an end when Beam purchased them. The result was that we lost our supply line as they chose to discontinue providing us. You will have seen the recent court case that Sidney Frank is taking against Beam for taking a similar action.

Q; and how is this different from other blends in their stable? A;The blend was different from the other blends in that it was chosen personally by three generations of my family, the Conynghams. We worked closely with Noel Sweeney, their very talented Head Distiller, to produce the kind of blend we wanted but the final decision came down to tasting the final samples with my father and grandfather and narrowing it down to the one we all liked best. We also used a high proportion of first fill bourbon casks and that gives the blend good depth and a long finish.

Q; how many bottles you have on sale annually? And if I may ask, how many do you (castle) keep personally? A; We hit sales of about 7,000 cases by the time we had to withdraw the blend in early 2012. Now the only place in the world you can buy the existing blend is at the castle itself. There are only a few hundred cases left and that’s going pretty quickly as it’s now a collector’s edition.

Q; do you have any signed bottles or special numbered bottles for collectors? A; As I said, the current blend is effectively a collector’s edition but if you come to Slane Castle, I am happy to sign bottles for people as I am proud to put my name on it.

Q; Slane Castle Whiskey, won a Gold Medal at the 2011 Irish Whiskey Masters in London, also in the USA where it was awarded 94/100 in the 2011 Ultimate Spirits Challenge in New York. What rewards you most, awards, or people actually liking the dram? A; Awards are important because they help to raise the profile and encourage people to step away from the mainstream brands. However, for me, nothing beats the chance of being able to talk people through your own whiskey and explain why you did something a certain way. It’s something I really enjoy doing but I can’t be everywhere and that’s where the awards help out.

Q; I know this probably out of sequence (but that is me all over) but what made you want your own whiskey brand? A; Back in 2000, I used to work for Pernod Ricard on the Jameson brand and got interested in whiskey then but more recently the family needed a new business to sustain the family estate and keep the slates on the castle. My father suggested making whiskey and I jumped at the chance as it embodies all that Slane Castle is about – farming, heritage, family and a little rock and roll.

Q; Do you have any thoughts about finishing? Port, Sherry etc. A; We aim to specialise in unusual and higher end cask finishes and maturation in the longer term. I enjoy Sherry in particular in its own right and so that interest will definitely transfer over to the whiskey. My ancestor, William Burton Conyngham travelled extensively in Spain and Portugal in the 18^th Century and collected both Sherry and Port so we are going to try and retrace some of his steps in selecting our casks.

Q; Finally; a winter night, it’s snowing and cold enough to scare monkey’s, you are sitting in front of the fire, what dram do you have? A; Until my own Slane Castle Pure Pot Still is ready, and given the choice, I would take a Knappogue Castle, 1951

Many thanks for being honest and putting up with all of this shannanigans, do you have a parting shot? A; Straight up but not straight down – that’s a good way to drink whiskey…

Many thanks and I shall call in again later in the year with my whiskey lovers tours! Lord Alex was interviewed by Paul McLean, Angels Whisky Club/MCLEANSCOTLAND.

http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/slanecastlewhiskey.asp

Slane Castle Distillery goes ahead

New Irish Distillery to be built 

Slane Castle Whiskey Distillery 

Ernie – Ernst J. Scheiner, The Gateway to Distilleries at www.whisky-distilleries.net

After their take over Beam Inc decided not to supply whiskeys to independent bonders and bottlers anymore. In April 2012 the rock-and-roll aristocrat and bonder Henry Mount Charles, The Marquess Conyngham, was shocked by the decision of the new owners of Cooley Distillery. He argued that Beam’s cut of supply was anti-competitive and had forced him to withdraw immediately from his plans to increase sales figures of his Slane Castle Whiskey in the premium U.S. market. “Beam did not even grant a grace period of further supply.”  He was also forced to cancel his annual Festival.

Willie McArthur from Beam explained that bonders and own-label sellers were victims of the recent huge success of Irish whiskey. He said: “The speed at which sales are growing caught everybody by surprise, including the new owners of Cooley. They have done a full review and the sales people say we may need more whiskey than we actually have. We aim to create another Jameson – we are thinking at that kind of level. We have to make sure we do not run out of whiskey in three years’ time.” See Irish Independent, April 12, 2012.

The world-famous Irish Master Blender Noel Sweeney crafted an Irish whiskey selecting various grain and malt whiskeys from Cooley’s warehouses. His Slane Castle Whiskey blend has been very much appreciated and received accolades in spirit competitions. It won a gold medal at the Irish Whisky Masters and was very successful at the Ultimate Spirits Competion in New York in 2011. No wonder that the acceptance in the U.S. and Asia has grown after its first release.

The boutique blended Irish whiskey was launched in 2009 at an Oasis concert.  “Slane Castle Irish Whiskey is a small batch, premium blend of Irish single malt and grain whiskeys which are made and matured in the traditional Irish style that has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years.” It has been selling over 7,000 cases.

The world-wide increasing demand of Irish whiskey stopped Cooley from selling its whiskeys to anybody who could pay. This policy which made Cooley so successful in recent years had to be ended by a drastic cut back selling grain and malt whiskeys to independent bonders and bottlers. Private labels like Michael Collins, Feckin and others will have to seek different sources. The current small batch of Slane Castle Whiskey will be discontinued as Slane Whiskey Ltd. was given no warning there is not enough stock. According to the Conyngham family which owns Slane Castle there will new whiskey available only by 2018.

New activities commenced at Slane Castle. New plans were conceived andthe Marquess’s son Lord Alex Mount Charles, co-proprietor of  Slane castle, took a closer look to the independent whiskey trade in Scotland in order to implement a new distillery in County Meath. Test holes were being sunk on site to find sufficient processing water supply for a future distillery. The nearby running water of the famous River Boyne was checked for production and cooling water.

As a result  an ecofriendly distillery with a visitor centre will be built within the grounds of Slane Castle. Disused farmyard builds, stable houses, barns and cottages will be used as a whiskey production site.

However, the first planning application was rejected by Meath County Council as it was regarded as incomplete. A second draft proposal and design of a future distillery was discussed publically in November at Slane Castle. Planning continued.

After a period of further intensive research the Mount Charles family applied again for planning permission. The present very detailed application includes special Natura Impact Statements and detailed substudies like a dive-based Report and Tree Survey including archeological and architectural studies, traffic and access reports. The Slane Castle Irish Whiskey Ltd. applied at the Meath County Council for planning permission of a whiskey distillery at Slane Castle which is a protected building within the Slanes Castle Demesne Conservation Area at the end of February 2013.

The planning proposal comprises the building of a new distillery and visitor centre in the stableyard and in neighbouring buildings of the castle estate which are presently not in use. Water will be sourced from on site boreholes, collected rainwater and the River Boyne. A packaged waste treatment plant will also be built. “1,200 tonnes of barley will be grown on our own estate,“ Lord Mountcharles explained, “All going to plan, distillation will start in 2014, producing 5,000 casks a year of high-end single malt and pot still whiskeys. There will also be an option to produce blended whiskeys.”

The €10 million development is now on its way. The Council’s planning approval is expected by mid-April 2013.

About Slane Castle

The 18th century neogothic castle is located in the Boyne Valley only 25 minutes north of Dublin and west of Dundalk in Co. Meath. The castle has been the family home of the Conynghams for more than 300 years. Since 1981 the castle ground has hosted rock concerts. In the natural shaped amphitheatre U2, The Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Queen, Bob Dylan, Brian Adams, Guns and Roses and others played within crowds of 80.000 people. At Slane Castle U2 took residence for recording their album The Unforgettable Fire. In 1981 Thin Lizzy staged their world-famous song Whisky in the Jar.

On the Hill of Slane Saint Patrick lit the first paschal fire in 433 AD in direct defiance of the nearby pagan High King Laoire who had forbidden any other fires during the festival fire burning on the Hill of Tara. Photo Courtesy of Slane Castle Irish Whiskey Ltd.   About Slane Castle Whiskey please see: http://www.slanecastle.ie

About the Author: Ernie – Ernst J. Scheiner M.A. was a director in an adult education centre. Ernie offers courses on whisky distilling, writes for newspapers and magazines in Germany. He is the editor of The Gateway to Distilleries at www.whisky-distilleries.net which gives an excellent photographic and educational insight into the whisky industry of Scotland, Ireland, Europe and Asia. Please see also: http://www.whisky-distillery.net