This class will be a wonderful view into the fastest-growing new whiskey segment in American. Irish whiskey has always been traditionally lighter and more flavorful but most people are unaware of new Irish whiskeys that have come into the market. Your instructor Curtis McMillan is looking to take you on a journey of five very remarkable new Irish whiskeys.

Picture 1

BUSHMILLS™ TO HOST FIRST EVER MUSIC FESTIVAL IN AN IRISH WHISKEY DISTILLERY

Bushmills Village March 2012: The Old Bushmills Distillery, where handcrafted Irish Whiskey has been made for centuries, is to host a landmark whiskey and music festival – ‘Bushmills Live’.

The two-day festival will take place on 20th and 21st June 2012 and will be the first ever staged in an Irish Whiskey distillery.

Some of the brand’s most famous fans will play a series of intimate gigs at the distillery which is situated on Ireland’s north coast and age-old buildings where the art of distilling has been practiced for generations, will become venues for the festival which will be unlike any other ever staged before.

The brand already has a strong association with the contemporary music scene through a series of global partnerships that see artists such as Bon Iver, Chromeo, Theophilus London, Foy Vance and Iain Archer appear in its current advertising campaign.

‘Bushmills Live’ will be a ‘money can’t buy experience’. Tickets for the event won’t go on general release. Instead, fans of Bushmills Irish Whiskey can win the chance to attend the festival by entering a competition on the Bushmills Facebook page – facebook.com/bushmills1608.

To stand a chance of winning they will have to submit a photo of themselves and a friend and explain why they should be in the audience for ‘Bushmills Live’.

As well as listening to great music, those fortunate enough to win a ticket to the festival will also have the opportunity to make their own blend of Bushmills Irish Whiskey.

Speaking at the launch of the festival, Colum Egan, Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery said: “I am so excited about ‘Bushmills Live’ and the fantastic line-up of talent that will be coming to the distillery this summer!

“We are in the final stages of confirming all the artists and I can’t wait to tell you who will be playing.

“I can promise you that the acts that will be performing are both known and loved around the world. Their music like our whiskey, represents the very best in craftsmanship.

“We welcome more than 100,000 visitors to our distillery every year and it will be fantastic to host some of our most famous friends as part of ‘Bushmills Live’ this summer.

“It will be a unique occasion and will bring the best of handmade music and the best of handmade Irish Whiskey together under one roof. Get entering and good luck!”

To win tickets to ‘Bushmills Live’ or to find out more, visit facebook.com/bushmills1608. Entry opens at 16:08 GMT on 17th March 2012 and closes at 23:59 GMT on 27th April 2012. Terms and conditions apply.

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Notes

Captions:

Picture 1: Colum Egan, Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery, pictured at the launch of ‘Bushmills Live’, the landmark whiskey and music festival taking place at the Old Bushmills Distillery on 20th and 21st June 2012.

Picture 2: The stage is set for ‘Bushmills Live’, the landmark whiskey and music festival taking place at the Old Bushmills Distillery on 20th and 21st June 2012.

Picture 3: The Old Bushmills Distillery.

Competition:

The Facebook competition is open to people in:

· Belgium

· Bulgaria

· Germany

· Great Britain

· Netherlands

· Northern Ireland

· Portugal

· Republic of Ireland

· USA

From each, one pair of finalists will win tickets to ‘Bushmills Live’.

AA3

The Balvenie 17yo Peated Cask (43%, OB, 2011)

Aged Balvenie – introduced to heavily peated casks for a final period of maturation- and then married with The Balvenie finished in new American Oak.

On the nose there some vegetal notes, truly a little bit of peat smoke, green peas, some good sweetness and malty/oak spice notes. After some time in the glass the peat smoke becomes significantly more evident as does the sweetness and it is very pleasant. Think Benromach 10yo. The taste is peated at first however some good dryness comes into play and then the sweetness promised on the nose arrives on the scene to bring everything together very well. The taste is ‘bigger’ than the aromas/nose (which presented as slightly ‘gentle’ and while the taste is not overly aggressive is certainly is more active and ‘bigger’. And quite good. The finish is once again some dry oak spice notes, a little of the peat smoke and then more of the dry oak spice notes. Happily it does not fall apart in later moments and holds together well. After 10 minutes peat and malt appear, suddenly!

A different Balvenie for sure but very good none the less.

+/-$130

Score 88 points

www.ralfy.com presents a Vlog called Whisky Review 256 – Invergordon Grain Scotch (Bladnoch Forum) which sheds some amber light on the unfashionable Grain whisky genre!

Queen’s Diamond Jubilee 1952-2012 Islay Cask Exclusive

Online whisky shop TheWhiskyBarrel.com today releases a 21 year old Scotch whisky commemorating Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee.

Featuring a rather splendid Crown Jewel, this single malt Scotch was distilled at Bunnahabhain distillery and matured in a fresh sherry cask bottled at natural cask strength.

Only 90 bottles have been released and are available exclusively from The Whisky Barrel shipping to customers Worldwide.

Bunnahabhain 21 Years Old Queen’s Diamond Jubilee / Sherry Cask / 54.4%

£54.16 GBP ($85 USD) £64.99 inc VAT.

Order online at http://www.thewhiskybarrel.com

The Whisky Barrel

www.thewhiskybarrel.com

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E: info@thewhiskybarrel.com

T: +44 (0)845 2248 156

Well, not quite yet. Whisky Intelligence has decided to publish the annual Whisky Intelligence 2011 ‘Tasting Notes/Whisky Reviews’ Score Compilation a little later than last year and thus the compilation will be published on Friday, March 16th, 2012.

Check back on Friday and see which whiskies topped the list…

ST PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATIONS GO GLOBAL WITH JAMESON

Jameson fans from around the world are being encouraged to party with the Irish this St Patrick’s Day, as the world’s No 1 Irish whiskey unveils an exciting line-up of activities to support its markets and allow consumers around the world to embrace their Irish Spirit.

Festivities will include the Jameson Global Broadcast – an annual event that offers markets the unique opportunity to invite their local radio stations to Dublin, to broadcast their shows live from the Old Jameson Distillery. With the Jameson master distillers on hand throughout the day for interview, as well as a host of Irish musicians and comedians, the presenters can tailor their programme to convey the spirit of the celebrations to listeners back home.

With more than 35 stations already signed up, the Jameson Global Broadcast is estimated to reach more than 50 million listeners, including a large proportion in Jameson’s No. 1 market, the US.

The Jameson St Patrick’s Day Global Party, which takes place in the heart of Dublin, will be headlined by renowned indie rock band, Razorlight and attended by invited guests. Markets hosting their own Jameson parties, including Dubai and Sofia, will be invited to link up live with the event, in an effort to create a global party atmosphere.

Jameson’s limited edition St Patrick’s Day bottle, created by internationally acclaimed Irish designer Paul Daly and first introduced in March 2011, will be rolled out to more than 30 markets including the US, Russia, Spain and Australia. The contemporary bottle design, which appeals to collectors and was inspired by the legendary Celtic illustrations in The Book of Kells, is available from mid-February.

International Brand Director for Jameson, Nick Blacknell says: “We have an exciting line-up of events planned for St Patrick’s Day 2012 – both here in Dublin and in our markets around the world, ensuring that Jameson is the drink of choice for this annual celebration. The growth in popularity of these celebrations is testament to the continued success of events such as the Jameson Global Broadcast and the Global Party. We are confident that through this activity we can encourage even more Jameson fans to embrace their Irish spirit by joining the festivities of a global whiskey community”.

Further incentives for consumers to embrace their Irish spirit include a new app, available from 17th February on Jameson’s Facebook page. The ‘Slainte-O-Meter’ app allows Jameson followers to create their personal St Patrick’s Day toast and share it with their friends online. A ‘Guide to St Patrick’s Day’ party kit will also be available to download from the brand’s website www.jamesonwhiskey.com.

About Jameson:

Jameson is the world’s No 1 Irish whiskey. Award-winning as a result of its exceptional smoothness following its unique triple distillation process, Jameson is enjoyed in more than 120 countries worldwide.

The core Jameson range includes Jameson; Jameson 12 Year Old Special Reserve; Jameson Gold Reserve; Jameson 18 Year Old Limited Reserve; Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve; and Jameson Signature Reserve (Travel Retail exclusive).

About Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard

Irish Distillers Limited, part of Pernod Ricard Group, distils and distributes a range of famous Irish whiskey, gin and vodka brands internationally, including Jameson, Powers, Paddy, Midleton Very Rare, Redbreast, Cork Dry Gin and Huzzar Vodka.

For further information visit: www.jamesonwhiskey.com

THE FIRST MINISTER OF SCOTLAND, ALEX SALMOND SIGN A BOTTLE OF TWEEDDALE WHISKY – 9th March 2012.

From Alasdair Day of The Tweeddale Blend

Two years ago I attended the World of Whiskies Conference held at the Radisson Hotel in Glasgow. This was before the 1st batch of The Tweeddale blend was released. At the Conference I meet Alan Wolstenholme a Consultant with over 40 years experience in the Whisky industry.

I had arranged to meet Alan yesterday at the Radisson Hotel to discuss a project that I have recently started work on to build a distillery in the Scottish Borders. There are currently no distilleries in the Borders although there have been in the past. I would like to create a unique Borders malt whisky that would become the heart of the Tweeddale Blend in the future.

I had a great meeting with Alan and we were just finish up when the First Minister, Alex Salmond arrived. He was at the hotel ahead of the SNP conference in Glasgow this weekend. He very kindly agreed to sign a bottle of The Tweeddale Blend.

My wife Sharon has recently recovered from her treatment for breast cancer and is going to do the MoonWalk in Edinburgh this year. So we will be auctioning the bottle of Tweeddale Blend signed by Alex Salmond and the proceeds will go to the charity.

So feel free to make a bid!

http://www.walkthewalk.org/AboutUs/Media/TheMoonWalkEdinburgh

More so than normal – we believe we have some particularly attractive and note worthy releases this month. Look out for the Queen’s Jubilee bottling of Royal Brackla 12 year old from the two (2) OLD MALT CASK releases. From OLD & RARE we have two (2) new bottlings including a Port Ellen 32 year old and within five (5) new releases of the DIRECTOR’S CUT you will see a 27 Years Old Highland Park, a 45 Year old Ben Nevis and a 50 Year Old North British Grain bottling –some of which we are certainly hoping will be of interest to you and your valued clients.

Tasting Notes for OLD MALT CASK:

OMC 2138 Royal Brackla 12 Year Old Queen’s Jubilee bottling
The nose opens with a nutty and spicy character and is crowned with marzipan and orange zest. The palate is right royally spiced and runs to a fresh walnuts and dark chocolate quality. The finish is long, still spicy and carries a sceptre of hazelnut and mocha. (J)

OMC 2017 Glen Scotia 18 Year Old Sherry
Nose: Opens ich & spicy with toffee and a caramelized fruit style Palate: Round & mellow – richly spiced – running to a briny quality Finish: Smooth – still spicy – carrying a hard candy character (F&J)

Tasting Notes for DIRECTOR’S CUT:

DIR 0010 Bowmore 15 Year Old
Nose: Buttery & sweet + vanilla (burnt crème brulée) + a gentle smoke quality
Palate: Still sweet – runs to a soft smoke and sweet barbecue ashes character
Finish: Long – still sweet, now with a rich dark chocolate style + soft chewy tar

DIR 0009 Blair Athol 16 Year Old Sherry
Nose: Opens sweet & fruity, carrying a rich malty character and running to sweet spices & vanilla
Palate: Mouth coatingly spiced – lightly smoked – developing to sweet cherries and ginger shortbread
Finish: Sweet & citric – barley sugar style – then running drier to a crisp malt quality (J)

DIR 0014 Highland Park 27 Year Old
Nose: Honey sweet showing – barley, sugar linseed and assorted spices.
Palate: A myriad of different spices + late cedar, maple syrup + more honey.
Finish: Now lightly spiced – but with cough drops, herbs + late baked cake (F)

DIR 0012 Ben Nevis 45 Year Old
Nose: Spicy, with a Sherry trifle style and a drier/oaky backdrop.
Palate: Warmly spiced & tingling – heads drier to cloves in oranges.
Finish: A cough drop quality – mentholated! – dry yet warming (F)

DIR 0011 North British 50 Year Old Grain
Nose: So old yet so fresh – round, full of sweet autumn fruits + light oak, coffee, cedar & tobacco.
Palate: Carries softly ripening fruit flavours + mocha + cough drop spices and candy floss.
Finish: All too fast! – but detect those soft warming spices which are still very apparent. (F)

Tasting Notes follow here for OLD AND RARE:

OAR 0165 Littlemill 20 Year Old
Opens clean and fresh on the nose, carrying a fruity and creamy vanilla character plus an attractive barley sugar style. The palate remains creamy – now with a macerated fruit quality and runs to sweet spices – particularly
ginger. The finish is medium long, still spicy, running drier to a soft cedar wood style (J)

OAR 0159 Port Ellen 32 Year Old
Opens richly spiced, carrying a fresh leather character – still surprisingly peaty for its age with an earthy, smoked grist character. The palate is initially sweetly peated and runs to a smoke, toffee and spiced character – each pushing for more attention until they harmoniously join in the long finish, now with salty liquorice – soot and a charcoal ashy quality. (J)

As always – we are at your service for any enquires you may care to send on to us.

All best wishes
Fred Laing
Managing Director

Visit Douglas Laing & Co at www.douglaslaing.com

Quatrefoil Restaurant in Dundas, Ontario, presents Imbibe: The Whisky Tasting Dinner on April 3rd, 2012. Six course menu by Chef Fraser MacFarlane and whisky pairing by Danny Krupp.

Visit http://quatrefoilrestaurant.com/ for further details.