WORLD’S BEST BLENDED WHISKY GOES LARGE 

Whisky. Who makes the World’s best? This question appeared about two weeks ago on a billboard close to Johannesburg’s CBD.

If you haven’t seen it and don’t know the answer, we invite you to get into your car and take a journey of discovery along either the M1 North or South – head for De Korte Street. Or take this virtual journey on Facebook.

The answer to this question will then be revealed to you, and is a Proudly South African one, with top honours going to the Three Ships Premium Select 5 year old, named the World’s Best Blended Whisky 2012 at the annual Whisky Magazine’s World Whisky Awards. It is a testament to the pioneering spirit of Three Ships and being able to showcase these credentials is just reward for a team that has been on a journey of discovery, always striving to produce the kind of quality that is praised all over the world, but can be enjoyed right here in South Africa.

Taste the unpretentious yet bold 5 year old for yourself at this year’s FNB Whisky Live Festival, which is happening at the Sandton Convention Centre from 7 to 9 November. You’ll discover there Three Ships’ 10-year-old, 100% locally produced single malt that will change any impression you might have had that the art of making whisky is the preserve of the Scots only.

Private tastings by Andy Watts, master distiller and blender of the Three Ships range, can be arranged by booking it on the evening at the Three Ships stand. For more information visit www.whiskylivefestival.co.za, or visit the Three Ships Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ThreeShips

Notes 

The Premium Select 5-year-old is is a superior blend of malt and grain whiskies. It is made using a heavily peated malted barley before being matured for 5 years to create the warm finish, the golden-red sherry tinge, full peaty character and robust, smoky nose that has impressed the world’s premier whisky judges.

Dundee Dell 5007 Underwood Av Omaha, NE 68132
402.553.9501
www.dundeedell.com

Two distillery tours to Scotland are being offered by the Dundee Dell in coordination with William “Willie” Wallace of Celtic Legend Tours in March and April, 2013. Michael LaCroix is facilitating the March tour which focuses on distilleries on the Eastern Side of Scotland, Speyside, and the Orkneys. The one in April, lead by Mary Kelly Hink, will focus on Islay and western Scotland distilleries.

The March tour will depart from Omaha on Thursday, March 7, 2013, fly to Scotland via Newark (United) and return on Saturday, March 16. Early Friday morning, March 8, the driver/guide will meet us at the Edinburgh airport in 9-seater VW Caravelle transporter van and drive north to do a tour and tasting at Aberlour Distillery (a six dram tutored tasting with three of the drams cask strength).

On Saturday, we will tour Glenfiddich and Glen Grant. Since no distilleries are open on Sunday in March, we will travel to Orkey and pick up a bit of history along the way.

At Highland Park on Monday, we will take the Magnus Eunson tour which includes a 20ml bottle from a cask to take with us. Following a quick visit to Scapa (which will not let us in), we visit some prehistoric sites on Orkney.

The following day (Tues) we will ferry off Orkney and take a manager-led tour and tasting at Old Pultney. Then on down to Clynlish for a further tour and tasting.

On Wednesday, we will have tastings and tours at Glenmorangie and Dalmore plus some free time in Inverness.

On Thursday, we will begin with a tour at Balvenie which includes its own floor maltings and cooperage as part of the tour and from there go on to Tomintoul.

On Friday, we will tour at Glencadam or Fettercairn before going to Ediburgh and a bit of free time. Our final night will include a stop at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society for a tasting and a dinner at local restaurant.
Saturday, March 16, is the departure date for the return to the US.

The tour price is will be US $1800, including driver/guide, 9 -seater transporter van; return ferry to Orkney; two nights Garth Hotel, Grantown on Spey; two nights in Orkney Hotel, Kirkwall; one night in Royal Hotel, Tain; two nights in Mashtun Hotel, Aberlour; and one night, Point Hotel, Edinburgh.

It does not include airfare and meals other than breakfasts, and various entrances, tours, and tastings. Willie plans on departing for northern Scotland from the Edinburgh Airport after the tour members on the non-stop flight from Newark clear immigration on Friday, March 8. (United Flight 36 is scheduled to arrive at 7:25 am.) Some people already signed up are planning to use other airlines and come in a day or two earlier.

If you are interested in the March tour please contact Michael LaCroix at lacroix@creighton.eduor or (cell) 402-690-3686 as soon as possible. There are only four places left on this terrific tour and we hope you can make it. If you are interested in the April tour (more info to follow about this one) please contact Mary Hink at the Dell 402-553-9501 or www.dundeedell.com This is an amazing deal and will be a lot of fun and just imagine all the fantastic scotch you’ll get to try!!

Wait up! Lets go talk and taste with these guys from as great and as contrasting distilleries as you could find. A special collection of events has been prepared for the season. PLEASE book early to avoid disappointment :-

Colin Dunn – Friday 23rd November – £25
Diageo 2012 Special Release Tasting – 8 extraordinary Drams. An incredible opportunity to taste the whole line up on the occasion of world wide release. Lagavuilin 21 yo, Port Ellen 32 yo , Brora 35 yo, Talisker 35 yo, Caol Ila 14 yo, Dalwhinnie 25 yo, Lagavulin 12 yo CS, Auchroisk 30 yo. NB :TOWN HALL VENUE/Amblecote room.

Bruichladdich Distillery -Tuesday 27th November – £25
Its been a while folks since this Islay favorite was brought to Stourbridge but from what I hear said about Craig Johnstone’s whisky presentations it was well worth the wait….Bring it on! Bruichladdich Islay Dunlossit Barley 2006, Bruichladdich Laddie Ten yo, Bruichladdich Laddie Sherry 22 yo, Bruichladdich Black Art III 22 yo, Port Charlotte Peat Project + Secret Laddie Special !

Glenfarclas – George Grant Cask Tasting Friday 14th December – £35
George is a well seasoned raconteur, with a most engaging sense of purpose in his position as 6th generation Director of The Glenfarclas owning family. You fortunate few will be given the chance to taste distillery dunnage Sherry cask samples from these decades : 1950’s / 1960’s / 1970’s / 1980’s / 1990’s + the N&Ps Special Glenfarclas release. We shall taste and discuss the complexity and changes in casks over the years added to which Georges insight will be invaluably relevant. LIMITED PLACES :4 tickets per persons maximum.

Slainte!

Contact : David on 01384 394518
Call in at Nickolls and Perks Shop
37 Lower High Street, Stourbridge.DY8 1TA.

A Taste from the Past – Grant’s World Traveller Collection

Hi all,

I purchased this decanter at auction a few weeks ago not knowing much about it, but it’s turned out to be quite an interesting find. Few people in the company could remember much about it – not because it was bottled decades ago (we think it’s from the late 1980s), but because it was a…(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,
Ludo

TWE Whisky Show 2012 – From Scotland to Japan

One of the things that we’ve become known for at TWE Whisky Show is our masterclasses. From the legendary Port Ellen vertical in our first year, to Serge Valentin’s Brora masterclass in year two and last year’s Gordon & Macphail … Continue reading >>

BUSHMILLS IRISH WHISKEY® PARTNERS WITH LOWDEN® TO CREATE HANDCRAFTED WHISKEY BARREL OAK GUITARS

Bushmills Village: Bushmills Irish Whiskey, which has been handcrafted on the North Coast of Ireland for centuries, has partnered with world famous luthier, George Lowden, to create three special-edition guitars, handmade from barrel-oak used in the whiskey making process.

Bushmills Irish Whiskey and George Lowden Guitars are both known and loved around the world. Based in Northern Ireland, George and his team have handmade guitars for some of most famous names in the music, including Eric Clapton, Van Morrison and The Edge.

The handmade barrel oak guitars were presented to singer-songwriter Foy Vance and other artists as a thank-you for their participation in Bushmills Live, the handcrafted whiskey and music festival which took place at the Old Bushmills Distillery on 20th and 21st June 2012.

Created by George Lowden and his team of master craftsmen at his workshop in Downpatrick, County Down, the guitar-making process took more than three months and presented a series of unique technical challenges.

The oak that the guitars were made from was from former Oloroso sherry casks, used in the making of Bushmills Black Bush, Bushmills 16 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey and Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey.

The nature and curve of the whiskey barrel oak meant that each stave of wood had to be carefully sanded by hand to the necessary thickness and required shape. Each stave was then painstakingly glued together to create panels that retained the contours of the original whiskey barrel.

Those panels rested in the workshop for several weeks as the wood bound together, before they were hand-cut by George Lowden to guitar templates he has been using for almost 40 years.

Then, using hand-tools such as Japanese chisels, planes and knives, the team at Lowden assembled the guitars, incorporating the whiskey barrel oak into traditional Lowden ‘F’ and ‘O’ body designs.

The result is three guitars unlike any others ever made. With a distinct sound and even more distinct look, they are as much works of art as they are instruments.

Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery, Colum Egan, said: “To see barrels that have housed our whiskey being used in this way is remarkable. Their creation celebrates the handcrafted qualities at the heart of both Bushmills Irish Whiskey and Lowden Guitars and I want to thank George and his team for making them. Like our whiskey they weren’t made for the cupboard and it is great to see some world class musicians putting them to good use. The guitars were the perfect way to thank the musicians who performed at Bushmills Live.”

George Lowden said: “Making any guitar by hand is highly challenging but these guitars presented a few more issues than most. It was an enormous privilege to work with such special wood and it took me and my team a considerable amount of time to create them. However, what we have managed to do is to create something quite special. We enjoyed working in partnership with Bushmills on the project and were delighted that the musicians who received the guitars were so pleased with them.”

To find out more about Bushmills Irish Whiskey or to see a gallery of images from the making of the Lowden Guitars from Bushmills barrel oak, log on to facebook.com/bushmills1608

Buffalo Trace Fans,

It is ALMOST time for the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection—

STOP! PLEASE READ! STOP! PLEASE READ!

WE HAVE MADE A MAJOR CHANGE IN HOW WE SELL SPECIAL WHISKEY RELEASES

Starting this year, the Antique Collection will only be sold online. There will be NO SALES of the BTAC in person, in the store, whatsoever. This means there will be no line at the door when we open in the morning. Please do not come to the store expecting to buy a bottle in person. You may direct the bottles for shipment, or schedule them for pick-up in person at The Party Source. The same limits—SEE BELOW—will apply as in previous releases. (Also, this same policy will apply to future Van Winkle releases.)

The 2012 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC) will go on sale from The Party Source website only on Tuesday, October 23, at 12:00 p.m. noon EST. At that time, you will receive an email containing links to the BTAC online. You may use those links to purchase the items.

The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection consists of:
George T. Stagg
Eagle Rare 17
Sazerac Rye 18
William Larue Weller
Thomas Handy Rye

To distribute these coveted whiskeys to as many Bourbon lovers as possible, sales of the BTAC are limited as follows:

1) The BTAC is limited to ONE ORDER PER PERSON/HOUSEHOLD/ADDRESS. Attempts to place multiple orders will result in the summary deletion of the order, without notification.
2) A BTAC order may consist of ONE bottle of George T. Stagg, plus your choice of ONE additional BTAC bottle, while supplies last.
3) If you do not want any Stagg, you are not required to buy it— however you may still buy only ONE other BTAC bottle of your choice.
4) We cannot sell two bottles of the same whiskey, under any circumstances.
5) Sales of the BTAC are from our website only, first come, first serve; there is no waiting list or reservation.

The price this year for the BTAC is $69.99 per bottle

We’re excited to share some good news with you. Arran Premium Bourbon Single Cask and Arran Premium Sherry Single Cask have finally made their way to our warehouse. They are both personal picks of Isle of Arran Distillery Manager James MacTaggart. They were matured in first fill Bourbon cask # 96/2096 and Sherry cask # 96/1979 respectively, bottled at natural strength. Each bottle is individually numbered and rests in a beautiful presentation box.

Around 30 6-packs 750 ml of each are available in the US. RRP: $ 129.99 We hope this will be a great addition to your holiday portfolio.

Mighty Mini THIRD Release: The CURIOUS tale of the ARTIST, the BREWER & the BAKER at the harbour-side BBQ
The third release in our series of Mighty Mini collections…and our
first ever 10cl single cask grain bottling.

44.52 The artist, the brewer & the baker
Speyside Spey
Aromas of paint, canvas and linseed then dried fruits, chutney and shortbread. To taste it’s oily, hoppy and dry. Water adds pencil shavings

48.50 Marshmallows and chocolate eclairs
Speyside Lossie
Scents of bubble-gum and fondant, become fruity and sweet.  Hot taste with orange peel and jalapeno chillies.  Soft and sweet texture; toffee and lemon zest.

3.194 Surf & Turf BBQ
Islay
Mussels, cockles and oysters to start with then smoky gammon and coal tar shampoo.  The taste is salty; smoky bacon and boiled lobster meat with a little smoke on the palate.

G5.6 Bye, bye Miss. American rye
Single cask grain
Clean, light and spicy; eucalyptus and apricot glaze, then allspice, five spice, spiced rum, tea-tree oil, and bags of vanilla.
Big, sweet taste.

Only 390 available, £52.50 each
BUY

GRAIN UPDATE: Jim Murray (Whisky Bible 2013) has named Society bottle G5.3 as ‘Scotch Grain of the Year’.  Islay malt 33.116 also won the category for 10 years and under (single casks). Jim was also kind enough to pin one of his coveted ‘liquid gold’ awards on a number of Society bottlings, including 73.44, 23.70, 104.13, 64.34, 33.108, 127.20, 2.80, 35.54 and 29.106.

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.

Elijah Craig 20 Year Old

The latest addition from Heaven Hill Whiskey Distillery is this stunning 20 year old Elijah Craig, single barrel bourbon. Introduced to replace the younger 18 year old bottling, the whiskey in this release has been drawn from the same lot as Whisky Advocate’s ‘American Whiskey Of The Year’.

Aged for 20 years in a single charred oak barrel, only 69 bottles of this bourbon whiskey have been made available for the UK market.

£123.00  (£102.50 ex vat)

Click here to buy Elijah Craig 20 Year Old

Macallan Fine Oak Masters’ Edition

The Macallan Masters’ Edition, originally released as part of the 1700 series for the Travel Retail market. Triple cask matured in a combination of European sherry oak & American bourbon & sherry casks. The result is a smooth, delicate yet complex single malt whisky.

£34.90  (£29.08 ex vat)

Click here to buy Macallan Masters’ Edition

Macallan Gold

Macallan Gold, released as part of the 1824 series, a range of no-age-statement malts, created to showcase the range of natural colour found in Macallan whiskies.

£35.90  (£29.92 ex vat)

Click here to buy Macallan Gold

Abbey Whisky
enquiries@abbeywhisky.com
www.abbeywhisky.com
0800 051 7737