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I’m Beggin for a Kilbeggan
[A post today from Chris, shop assistant manager and tastings overlord. What follows is the outcome of allowing him to travel the country by train, giving him all that time to sit and think as the countryside rushes by…] Amidst … Continue reading >>
Dear Whiskey Lover,
You will be glad to hear Whisky Live Dublin is back building on the fantastic success from its debut in 2011. Ireland’s premier whiskey tasting experience will make a welcome return to The Round Room at The Mansion House in the heart of Dublin’s city centre on Saturday 26th May 2012.
NEW FEATURES FOR 2012
21st May – 26th May
Whiskey Week Ireland begins 21st May through to Whisky Live on the 26th May where will be running tasting events around Ireland so visit www.whiskeylive.com for more details…
Saturday 26th May
Session One
3pm – 6pm
Session Two
7pm – 10pm
• Come to either our day or evening Whisky Live show for the ultimate Irish Whiskey Experience.
• Enjoy cocktails in our new Cocktails area with expert whiskey barman.
• Whiskey & Food Combinations.
• Masterclasses from industry experts available to all.
Become a Whisky Live VIP
• All VIP’s will receive an exclusive VIP Masterclass worth £25 with a Whiskey Expert in either session one or two. Limited places are available so book your tickets now to avoid disappointment.
• All VIP’s will also receive the Whiskey Magazine Tastings Journal worth €9 plus other whiskey gifts.
• Access to the VIP Lounge for more VIP exclusives.
• VIP Food and Exclusive whiskey pouring’s.
Make sure to visit www.whiskylive.com for more details on all our upcoming shows and latest news on Whisky Live Dublin.
Kilbeggan® Named World’s Best Irish Blended Whiskey
Beam Inc. (NYSE:BEAM) is thrilled to announce that Kilbeggan® Irish Whiskey has been named the world’s Best Irish Blended Whiskey at the 2012 World Whiskies Awards (WWA). Part of the award-winning portfolio of brands produced by Cooley Distillery, which was recently acquired by Beam, this is the third time in the last four years Kilbeggan has earned this top honor, and rounds out a list of 17 awards that Cooley has achieved this month from two of the world’s most prestigious industry competitions – WWA and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
In addition to being named Best Irish Blended Whiskey, Kilbeggan 18 Year Old was also selected as the Best Irish Blended Whiskey 13 to 20 Years at WWA by a panel of international judges made up of media, master blenders, distillers and industry representatives. Kilbeggan also earned a Gold Medal at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and in recent years, has won the 2009 Trophy for Worldwide Whiskey of Year as well as numerous Gold Medals from the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC), making it one of the most celebrated whiskies in the world. It is meticulously handcrafted using the finest hand-selected grain and barley, which is distilled and aged at the 255-year-old Kilbeggan Distillery in Co. Westmeath, Ireland, the world’s oldest operating Irish distillery.
In addition to Kilbeggan, Cooley’s award-winning portfolio also includes Tyrconnell Single Malt, Connemara Peated Single Malt and Greenore Single Grain Irish Whiskey, many of which have also achieved significant recognition this year. For the third consecutive year, Greenore has been named the World’s Best Grain Whiskey at WWA – this year being recognized for the brand’s 18 Year Old expression. Additionally, Connemara took home top honors as a Double Gold medalist at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
“We are thrilled to receive these latest recognitions for the Cooley portfolio and particularly for our flagship product, Kilbeggan,” said Stephen Teeling, Senior Global Marketing Manager for Irish whiskey at Beam. “Created at the world’s oldest operating Irish distillery, Kilbeggan has survived and thrived for more than 250 years, proof that the Spirit of Ireland is alive and well and that the best brands continue to improve with age. It gives us great pride to see Kilbeggan continually recognized by the industry as one of the world’s best whiskies.”
Cooley has a long history of creating award-winning whiskey recognized by the world’s top spirits consumers, writers, experts and enthusiasts, as evident by the additional top honors given to the brand during this year’s World Whiskies Awards and San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
World Whiskies Awards 2012
• Best Irish Blended Whiskey – Kilbeggan 18 Years Old • Best Irish Blended Whiskey 13 to 20 Years – Kilbeggan 18 Years Old • World’s Best Grain Whiskey – Greenore 18 Years Old • Best Irish Single Malt No Age Statement – Connemara Peated Single Malt, Cask Strength • Best Irish Single Malt 12 Years and Under – Tyrconnell Single Malt, Sherry Finish • Best Irish Single Malt 13 to 20 Years – Tyrconnell Single Cask
The World Whiskies Awards is the annual selection of the very best whiskies internationally. In its sixth year of competition, the event featured more than 300 whiskies, which battled during a three-round intensive blind taste test held on March 22. Categories are based upon the commonly held whiskey groupings, which define both the style and the process of whiskey and whiskey production: single malt, blended, blended malt, grain, American and whiskey liqueurs.
Organized by Whisky Magazine, this competition selects, awards and promotes the ‘World’s Best Whiskies’. For more information see: http://www.whiskymag.com/awards/wwa/2012/
San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2012
• Gold Medal – Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey • Gold Medal – Kilbeggan 15 Year Old • Gold Medal – The Tyrconnell 10 Year Old, Sherry Finish • Gold Medal – The Tyrconnell 10 Year Old, Madeira Finish • Gold Medal – Greenore 15 Year Old
The 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition was held on March 22-25 at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. In its 12th year of the competition, the event featured a record number of entries, including more than 1200 different products. Judging during the event is based on blind taste tests and medals are awarded based on taste alone.
Since it was founded, Cooley has worked long and hard to create whiskies of the absolute highest quality. Today, this hard work has paid off, as Cooley enjoys an international reputation as a world-class distillery with more than 300 medals as well as having been given the prestigious title of European Spirits Producer of the Year for an unprecedented four consecutive years by the IWSC (2008-2011).
Soon-To-Be-Released Knob Creek® Rye Anointed “Best Rye Whiskey” at 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Knob Creek®, the world’s first Super-Premium bourbon, is thrilled to announce that its soon-to-launch Knob Creek® Rye has been named “Best Rye Whiskey” in addition to earning a Double Gold medal at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of the world’s most highly regarded spirits competitions. Further demonstrating Knob Creek’s commitment to crafting superior quality bourbon that is truly “Worth The Effort,” both Knob Creek Bourbon and Knob Creek® Single Barrel Reserve also took home coveted Double Gold medals, making Knob Creek one of the most celebrated portfolios at this year’s competition.
“I am personally proud that the brand created by my father, Booker Noe, received such an honor from the judges at this prestigious competition,” said Fred Noe, seventh-generation Beam Master Distiller and creator of Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve and Knob Creek Rye. “We carefully handcraft Knob Creek Rye using a blend of the finest quality rye grains in order to bring our product to life in a way that only Knob Creek can. Being named the ‘Best Rye Whiskey’ proves that the patience and care we put into every bottle is worth the effort.”
Bottled at 100 proof and hitting shelves nationally in July, Knob Creek Rye is a versatile, full-flavored straight rye whiskey that is extraordinarily smooth and nuanced, offering a distinct rye spiciness complemented by surprising layers of vanilla and oak. It is carefully handcrafted and patiently aged, creating a rich, mature flavored whiskey with a luxurious finish – characteristics that whiskey fans have come to expect from Knob Creek.
Knob Creek was created 20 years ago by Booker Noe, grandson of James Beam and sixth-generation Beam Master Distiller. Booker wanted to create a high-quality craft bourbon made pre-prohibition style – carefully handcrafted in small batches and patiently aged, yielding a bourbon bursting with flavor. Bottled at 100 proof, Knob Creek was introduced in early 1992, launching the Super-Premium bourbon category and paving the way for the craft bourbons of today.
In 2011, Booker’s son, Fred Noe, created Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve, the brand’s first-ever single barrel bourbon. Carefully hand-selected, barrel-by-barrel, and bottled at 120 proof, it is extraordinarily smooth and nuanced, with even more of the rich wood and vanilla notes that helped make Knob Creek the world’s #1 selling Super-Premium bourbon.
The 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition was held on March 22-25 at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. More than 1,200 spirits from 60 different countries were judged during this year’s contest—the largest in the competition’s 12-year history. Judging during the event is based on blind taste tests and medals are awarded based on taste alone. A complete list of all the 2012 award winners is available on the competition’s website.
For more information about Knob Creek, go to www.KnobCreek.com or on Facebook® at www.facebook.com/KnobCreek.
About Knob Creek®
Knob Creek is the only brand that puts as much effort into our passions as you do into yours – handcrafting extraordinary bourbon with intriguing taste and bottled in unique flask shaped packaging, which has helped make it the #1 selling Super-Premium bourbon in the world. Knob Creek® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is aged nine years at a sophisticated 100 proof (50% alcohol by volume), and is named after the small town in Kentucky where President Abraham Lincoln was born. Launched in early 1992, Knob Creek is the first ever Super-Premium bourbon and is credited with driving growth in the category at the high-end, which continues to grow at a faster pace than premium bourbons. In recent years, Knob Creek has expanded its portfolio, releasing the brand’s first-ever single barrel bourbon, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve (120 proof / 60% alcohol by volume), in 2011 and Knob Creek Rye (100 proof / 50% alcohol by volume) in 2012. For more information on Knob Creek, visit www.knobcreek.com.
Ballantine’s 12 Year Old Launches Second Partnership with British Designer of the Year Lee Broom
Ballantine’s 12 Year Old today announced a second partnership with critically acclaimed British product and interior designer, Lee Broom. The Ballantine’s 12 Year Old Ritual by Lee Broom was revealed at the designer’s ‘Public House’ show at the renowned Salone Del Mobile in Milan.
Collaborating for the second time, Ballantine’s and Lee showcased the limited edition serving ritual which has been influenced by vintage crystal whisky decanters with a contemporary twist. The Ritual reflects the cultural amalgam of old meets new that is predominant in Broom’s work.
Speaking of the collaboration, Broom said “I am delighted to be collaborating with Ballantine’s 12 Year Old. As a British designer who designs and manufactures all of my collections in the UK, it is a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with a heritage British label to reinterpret my design style into a new medium.”
The Ritual looks like a decanter but on closer inspection, breaks into three individual sections for single or shared occasions:
• The base acts as the whisky glass, sealing the notes and aromas
• The middle section is for ice cubes or can be used as a second whisky glass
• The top is to hold water or other ingredients to enhance the aromas of Ballantine’s 12 Year Old
This marks Lee’s second partnership with Ballantine’s 12 Year Old, after collaborating with five other critically acclaimed European artists to launch the concept bar ‘Art of BEYOND’ in 2011.
Peter Moore, Ballantine’s Global Brand Director, said “We are delighted to be working with Lee Broom again on Ballantine’s. Lee is an outstanding designer whose philosophy and values complement the brand perfectly. His work subtly mixes traditional and heritage cues with a modern and elegant twist very much like Ballantine’s 12 Year Old. A great match.”
The ritual will be released in a limited edition of 200 serving rituals to global markets including France, Mexico and Brazil.
Notes
Ballantine’s
Ballantine’s is the No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and No 2 in the world with annual sales of 6.2 million nine litre cases. It is the most comprehensive range of quality aged blended Scotch whiskies available anywhere.
Ballantine’s 12 Year Old
Ballantine’s 12 Year Old has won eight top industry awards since 2004 (IWSC Silver ’04,’05,’06,’07,’08 and ISC Silver ’08) including a Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2005 and 2007. In 2009, it was awarded Gold at The Scotch Whisky Masters. The elegant, smooth taste of Ballantine’s 12 Year Old blended Scotch whisky is one to be appreciated and enjoyed in style. With its unique depth of character and exquisite balance of selected quality malt and grain Scotch whiskies, Ballantine’s 12 Year Old is blended to perfection.
Lee Broom
Lee Broom founded his company five years ago and has since gone on to become one of the UK’s leading product and interior designers. In his career to date, Broom has launched five furniture and lighting collections, designed over 40 retail, restaurant and bar interiors and has won more than 17 awards, including the ‘Best British Designer’ at the British Design Awards in November 2011.
Broom designs, manufactures and retails his own collections, in addition to collaborating with leading brands such as Ballantine’s, Westfield, Heals, Deadgood and Philips. The importance of the manufacturing process is integral to Broom’s philosophy with all of his unique contemporary pieces produced in Britain. Broom works closely with specialist traditional craftsman from the initial concept to final production runs.
Broom’s products are now retailed worldwide, including Selfridges, Liberty, Lane Crawford, Conran, Chaplins, Le Bon Marché and other retailers globally.
For further information visit: www.chivasbrothers.com and www.ballantines.com
ALL CHANGE FOR HIGHLAND PARK WITH NEW DISTILLERY MANAGER
The Edrington Group has announced two significant changes in personnel for its single malt brands with the appointment of new distillery managers for both Highland Park and The Macallan.
Long serving Highland Park distillery manager Russell Anderson, is set to take the reins at The Macallan, after a total of 15 years in Orkney. After two stints at the home of the Best Spirit in the World, Russell has handed the role of manager over to Graham Manson, a former engineering manager at North British Distillery.
Russell Anderson makes a return to Speyside, where he previously worked as production manager from 1998 until 2000, to work alongside the production and warehousing teams as The Macallan looks to maximise the opportunities presented by the growth of single malt whisky around the world.
Graham Manson brings over 25 years of experience in the Scotch Whisky industry within the specific areas of engineering and production, working for Bell’s, Diageo and latterly North British Distillery, where he was engineering manager from 1997 until joining The Edrington Group.
Commenting on his new role, Graham said, “Having worked for North British for the past 15 years, I was seeking a fresh challenge where I could put all my skills into practice whilst genuinely making my mark on a business. The Highland Park role presented the perfect combination for me.”
Graham MacWilliam, General Manager, Distillation at The Edrington Group said: “These are exciting times for our single malts and these appointments are a reflection of the changing face of our distillation requirements and business needs. Russell makes a welcome return to Speyside after many years of exceptional commitment and focus to help take Highland Park to the place it is today. His new role at Macallan will add further resource and experience to a great team as we look to the future of this iconic brand.
“Graham is the right manager to build on Russell’s achievements and continue to drive the distillery forward. His strong technical experience combined with his passion and energy will provide us with a first class distillery manager.”
Please find the latest headlines from The Whisky Shop.
Highland Park and Isle Of Jura Limited releases now in stock… – 20 April 2012 The Whisky shop has added to the Glenkeir Treasure…
Link to full article: http://www.whiskyshop.com/News/?id=10079
Balvenie 1978 Only Two bottles left in stock – 20 April 2012 Only two bottles of this left in stock.
Link to full article: http://www.whiskyshop.com/News/?id=10080
Kind Regards
The Whisky Shop
www.whiskyshop.com
Hello Fellow WhiskeyLovers –
Forgive me for not writing last week. I was trapped aboard a cruise ship with my family and 2400 other raving lunatics from the greater NYC area. Despite assurances from the cruise operator that there would be high-speed Wifi available everywhere on-board, the internet access took me back to the days of my 56k baud modem…it was essentially non existent.
Nevertheless you all kept the FWL flame hot by burning up the voting for the winners of the 2012 Drammie Awards. In the final voting round we received votes from over 7,000 unique visitors from 16 different countries…providing a loud and clear “voice of WhiskeyLovers everywhere”.
So who won?
Well..for starts…we had one double winner for two categories.
Best Distillery Tour 2012; Distillery of the Year 2012: Laphroaig.
To see the complete list of 2012 Drammie Awards winners, click here.
So what better way to congratulate the distillery on their double-win, than to feature my favorite Laphroaig expression in this weeks letter: Laphroaig 18 YO Islay Single Malt Whisky.
Laphroaig 18 YO is made in limited quantities each year and savoured by a fortunate few. There is a soft, sweet and spicy Islay peat smoke that greets you when you first open the bottle. The immediate taste is an oak sweetness, from 18 long and lovley years in the barrel. Thereafter a faint hint of the sea can be detected, which bears testimony to its time maturing on the remote island of Islay. The whisky is bottled at 48% ABV and non-chill filtered for a depth of taste and texture.
My friend John Hansell, in his Whisky Advocate blog, described Laphroag 18 as “Very smooth for Laphroaig-the extra aging has mellowed this whisky. Soothing honeyed malt, creamy vanilla and toffee provide a bed for peat smoke, charcoal, tar, along with more subtle brine, smoked seaweed, anise, ginger and citrus. A, gentler, creamier, more tactile, less medicinal Laphroaig when compared to some of its siblings …The higher strength (and no chill-filtering) of the 18 is certainly a bonus….”
As mentioned, this is a limited production whisky…but as always, one phone call to our man Nickey “the Neck” and. voila, our distribution center now has more than our fair share. Which means we can offer you a bottle of Laphroaig 18 YO Islay Single Malt for $94.75/ bottle (limit 2-bottles each please).
I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to purchase this amazing whisky while it’s still available…because once it’s gone…
And until next week…have fun!
Doug Stone
Founder
ForWhiskeyLovers.com
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LAPHROAIG 18YO ISLAY SINGLE MALT WHISKY
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DISTILLERS’ TASTING NOTES
COLOUR: Bright Gold
NOSE: At bottling strength, a soft toffee sweet but faintly spicy flavour counterbalances the trace of delicate phenols and fruit. An all encompassing smoothness brings these together. A touch of water allows the seaweed and salt to come through but not enough to overpower the vanilla and honey sweetness with just a trace of new mown hay and peat at the finish.
BODY: An intense depth that is exceptionally balanced and warming.
TASTE: An instant warming tang of smoke fades into smooth floral scents, which blends seamlessly into an oaky nuttiness and leaves a lasting sweetness on the taste. With a touch of water, the peaty warmth fills the mouth but does not overshadow the sweet chocolate smoothness. This is balanced by the rich toffee taste and slowly fades into a delicate hint of heather and peat smoke.
FINISH: Full bodied, long with a luxurious oily smoothness.
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A-Z of the World’s Best Bars: S and T Well then, here we are at the tail end of the alphabet with some great suggestions from the Whyte & Mackay team about the best bars in the world starting with S and T. Remember, if one of your favourites isn’t there, let us know about it! SSkyye Bar, UB City, Banglagore, India A restaurant that brings the world and serves it to you on a platter, a bar that offers the world’s finest spirits and a lounge that lets you take your place in the heavens, night after night. Skyye encompasses the best of the world together in a location guaranteed to take your breath away. St. Andrews Bar, Coatbridge, Scotland As well as a wonderful range of whiskies, including some rarities, the bar also serves real ales and regularly features in CAMRA’s best bar listings. Skansen Hotel, Orebro Island, Sweden We only need a few words to describe this hotel – A mecca for whisky lovers, stocks an amazing 1200 whiskies! Go there now! The highest restaurant in Europe and one of the most fashionable restaurants in Russia St Julien Hotel &Spa, Boulder, Colorado, USA Luxurious, comfortable, relaxing and great food and drink available Smoke House Grill, New Delhi, India Features a contemporary European menu using innovative cooking styles and the freshest ingredients with an accent on smoked food and drink. Spice Market, Melbourne, Australia An opulent bar restaurant providing a distinctly Far Eastern experience. If its mezze inspired menu and spirited drinks list wasn’t enough to tempt you, then you must at least visit this venue to see its dazzling opulent decor. TIts name says it all! Situated in the West End of Glasgow this bar is a firm favourite with locals and students from the nearby Glasgow University. Its full of cosy corners, candles and comfy sofas and with over 75 different drams on offer, it really is the perfect place to relax. The Most talked about night club in Goa , Titos is well known for its variety of spirits, music and entertainments, A hot destination for nightlife lovers, party animals and celebrities. Typhoon Cocktail Bar at The Gulf Hotel, Bahrain A city hotspot that is packed with Bahrain’s trendy and sophisticated locals throughout the week. This bar has a great selection of cocktails, spirits and malt whiskies that you can enjoy in the lounge, out on the deck or in the wonderful tropical garden. So, where have we missed out? Let us know! |
Next week Sunday though Thursday one of our specials will be peg price (1 ounce) for a dram (1.5 ounce) of ALL of our spirits (bourbon, scotch, Irish whiskeys and blends)!!! WOW, That’s a great deal, make sure to text “THEDELL” to 90210!
Our next scotch tastings will be:
-Sunday, May 6
-Sunday, June 3
-Sunday, July 1
They start at 4 p.m. and you learn and get to discuss them and have fun doing it! Our MEGA tasting will be in August, more details to follow.
Visit the Dundee Dell at www.dundedell.com
