Kilchoman Machir Bay 46%abv

(Comments by LFW)

Another enjoyable dram from the distillery that produces great whiskies without the handicap of age statements. This time youth shows but no harm in that at all.

Here is the first “general release” from Kilchoman a vatting of 3, 4 and 5 year old, matured in fresh bourbon barrels with the 4yo finished in Oloroso sherry butts for 8 weeks. Machir (pronounced macker) is the wonderful bay and wide sandy beach next to the distillery.

Initially the aroma of of peat and nutmeg, hot ash, fruit (apples and pears) and a curious lava and chlorine note, smoky bacon cooked in a lake on a volcano. I also have a note here of ‘piano keys’, but I’m sure you know what I mean. Just at the point of tipping I got a hint of furniture polish.

Tasted it is warm, quite thick with peat, Germoline and youth. Peaty barley is the overall effect with a dry swallow and finish. Water sweetens it up adding chocolate and caramel and banana esters.

Kilchoman’s flavour position is established mid-way between oily Caol Ila and the stomping-peats of the south, this standard is a fine example of our new member of the clan Single Malt.

C10 on the Flavour map
On the smoky side of light and smoky

Kilchoman Machir Bay

Price excluding VAT: £31.58
£37.90 Including VAT at 20%

Ballantine’s Draws on its Inner Depths with New Signature Distillery Editions

Ballantine’s, the No 1 ultra-premium Scotch whisky in Asia Pacific, is set to unveil two Signature Distillery Editions of Ballantine’s 17 Year Old – part of a new four-strong collection of innovative whiskies that highlight the influence of the signature malts that provide the depth to Ballantine’s 17 Year Old.

Specially created by Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, each limited edition aims to showcase the unique contribution of one of four distilleries – Scapa, Glenburgie, Miltonduff and Glentauchers – by accentuating their characteristics within the limited edition blend.

Ballantine’s 17 Year Old Signature Distillery Scapa Edition is a 43% ABV blended Scotch that dials up the influence of Scapa, the single malt that gives Ballantine’s 17 Year Old its rich, sweet top dressing, while contributing to the initial burst of fruity, floral flavours. As a result, this whisky is bursting with a zesty, fruit sparkle of sweet orange and peach flavours but remains incredibly smooth, creamy and luxurious.

Ballantine’s 17 Year Old Signature Distillery Glenburgie Edition is a 43% ABV blended Scotch that highlights the influence of Glenburgie, the single malt that sits at the heart of the Ballantine’s blend. Located in Speyside and surrounded by temperate and fertile terrain, Glenburgie distillery produces a fruity, floral and rich-flavoured malt. As a result, this limited edition provides smooth aromas of apples and blackcurrants with a honeycomb sweetness whilst maintaining the soft, elegant and balanced style of Ballantine’s.”

Sandy Hyslop, Ballantine’s Master Blender, says: “Ballantine’s 17 Year Old is a blend of more than 40 different malt and grain whiskies from all over Scotland, but Scapa, Glenburgie, Miltonduff and Glentauchers stand out as having played a monumental role in the blending process of our master blenders over the years. These stunning limited editions offer the whisky drinker an insight into blending and the role that these malts play in the original and much-celebrated Ballantine’s 17 Year Old blend.”

Ballantine’s 17 Year Old Signature Distillery Scapa Edition will be available in limited quantities in Korea while Ballantine’s 17 Year Old Signature Distillery Glenburgie Edition will be available in limited quantities in duty free. The range is priced from RRP 69 USD in Asia Duty Free.

Notes:

About Ballantine’s
Ballantine’s is the No 1 ultra-premium Scotch whisky in Asia Pacific and the range sells over 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 80 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for quality, as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the iconic 30 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by the latest in a tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827.

About Chivas Brothers
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 Scotch.

In July 2010, Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.

For further information: www.chivasbrothers.com

Stars Set to Toast Ballantine’s Championship Fifth Anniversary

Major Champions Darren Clarke and YE Yang will help toast the fifth anniversary of the Ballantine’s Championship when they headline an impressive ‘blend’ of star names at Blackstone Golf Club, in the Korean capital, Seoul, from April 26-29 2012.

Reigning Open Champion Clarke and 2009 US PGA Champion Yang will be joined by World Number Eight Adam Scott, of Australia, who makes his debut at the event, and World Number Ten Dustin Johnson, the American Ryder Cup player who finished fourth at Blackstone last year.

Also adding to the vintage will be Spaniard Miguel Angel Jiménez, last year’s runner-up, and his Ryder Cup team-mate Ian Poulter, who have amassed an impressive 29 European Tour titles between them.

The world class field, headlined by the six star names unveiled today, underlines the growing reputation of the Ballantine’s Championship, which returns to Blackstone Golf Club for a second successive year.

Christian Porta, CEO of Chivas Brothers, says: “The Ballantine’s Championship has truly established itself as one of Asia’s biggest golf tournaments by continuing to attract the world’s best players. We are delighted to support this prestigious event as part of our long-term investment in world class golf.”

Clarke, who lifted the Claret Jug at Royal St George’s last July, is relishing his debut in the tournament, with the Northern Irishman aiming to add the title to his previous success in Asia at the 2008 BMW Asian Open. He will also hope to celebrate the Ballantine’s Championship’s fifth anniversary edition by following in the footsteps of compatriot and fellow Major Champion Graeme McDowell, who won the inaugural tournament in 2008.

“The Ballantine’s Championship is a new opportunity for me and somewhere that I’m very excited to go to,” said Clarke. “It’ll be great to go there as the Open Champion. The Claret Jug has been travelling around the world quite a lot with me so it’ll be great to take it to another place that hasn’t seen it before.”

“I have heard a lot of good things about the course at Blackstone. It is tough but fair, with
a lot of risk and reward so you’ve got to think a little bit and figure out your way around it, which I will look forward to.”

He added: “From what all the other guys have said in the past, Ballantine’s put on a fantastic event and I’m sure this year will be no different, so I’m certainly looking forward to going there and seeing how good the tournament is.”

While the Korean fans will be eager to see The Open Champion, their support will undoubtedly be behind home favourite Yang, who became the first Asian to win a Major Championship when he famously held off Tiger Woods at Hazeltine National three years ago.

The 40-year-old, who won the 2007 HSBC Champions in Shanghai and the 2010 Volvo China Open in Suzhou, will be keen to put on a show for his compatriots after missing the cut in each of the past two Ballantine’s Championships.

Jiménez and Johnson return to Korea hoping to improve on last year when they came up just short behind champion Lee Westwood, with Jiménez missing a 15ft birdie opportunity on the last hole to take the tournament into a play-off.

Johnson was a further two shots back and he will return hoping to become the first American winner of the Ballantine’s Championship, adding his name to a trophy previously won by Northern Ireland’s McDowell (2008), Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee (2009), Australian Marcus Fraser (2010) and Englishman Westwood (2011).

Meanwhile Poulter and Scott will both be seeking further silverware in Asia, having won the UBS Hong Kong Open and Barclays Singapore Open respectively in 2010.

Debutant Scott will be determined to build on an impressive 2011 campaign during which he won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, while the highlight of Poulter’s year was his victory in the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain.

Hello Fellow WhiskeyLovers –

I have three exciting bits to share with you this week.

First, if you’re in the San Fran area later this month, you can be part of one of the must-attend Whiskey events of the year: the Whiskies of the World Expo 2012 on the SF Belle, Hornblower Yacht at Pier 3 on Saturday March 31st.

Those who have attended a WoW Expo in the past know this is one of the year’s prime whisky appreciation and learning events, and this year promises to be the best ever. I’ve been told by event MC Doug Smith he is ready to pour over 200 phenomenal whiskies to the lucky WhiskeyLovers in attendance.

FWL will be there, sharing a booth with blokes from Lark Distilleries. And to help you get there, we have a $10 discount on your ticket in, by simply entering the code “FWL10D” in the coupon/promo code field when you’re checking out.

And be sure to come by the FWL booth, and share a dram of Lark with me.

Next, my last email coyly left you with the parting shot “Coming soon: The return of The Drammies…!”. For those of you not familiar with the Drammies, it was “the peoples choice” whisky awards started by FWL contributing editor Kevin Erskine, in his prior role as the unofficial voice of the whiskey consumer, via his industry-first blog TheScotchBlog. Launched in 2007, the Drammies became arguably the most respected whiskey awards competition, and certainly most terrifying for those making a living in the industry.

In 2011 Kevin moved on to new challenges, and joined FWL last summer. So…guess where the Drammies are now (coy riddle #2). Next week, the answer.

Finally last months launch of ForWhiskeyLovers.com has not gone without its glitches and bumps. But yesterday I was reminded why we did it, when I hosted a Bourbon-addicted buddy coming to visit his old college friend for an afternoon. Knowing of our relaunch, he excitedly handed me a stunning bottle with angels wings emblazoned on the bottle, and implored me to locate two whiskey glasses as fast as humanly possible.

Lickety-split I urgently located two glass vessels, and liberated two unreasonably large rations of the beautiful amber liquid from within the bottle. Like highly trained athletes, the muscle memory in our respective arms reflexively responded with precision, lifting the glasses to our noses, then lips…and within seconds a large swig of the whisky was swirling its way over tongues and taste buds, down our gullets…followed immediately by a synchronized-as-if-rehearsed “wow that’s good whiskey“…and I mean really really good whiskey….and a swift replenishing of the glasses.

Which brings me to this weeks Whiskey Wednesday featured whisky: Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey…a single-malt whisky drinkers’ bourbon, and Lincoln Henderson’s’ baby.

Having spent almost forty years as Master Distiller and Research Fellow for the Brown-Forman Corporation, Mr. Henderson is the Master Distiller behind Angel’s Envy. During his B-F tenure, he planned, developed and produced nearly every type of distilled spirit.

And Angel’s Envy is truly his Masterpiece.

Depending on where you live, and because its a limited production/ small batch bourbon, Angels Envy can be impossible to find. But as always, one call to Nicky The Neck, and we find ourselves n the fortunate position to offer you the opportunity to purchase Angle’s Envy Bourbon at the great price of $45.95/ bottle.

So this week, get your WoW tickets, ponder your “favorites/least fave’s” for Drammie nominations, and spend some time with and Angel.

And until next week…have fun!

Doug Stone

Founder

www.ForWhiskeyLovers.com

________________________________________________________________________
ANGEL’S ENVY KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY

________________________________________________________________________

HOW THEY MAKE IT

Crafting fine bourbon is a marriage of science and art, and like the best of marriages, is rooted in love. Angel’s Envy begins with Kentucky. They use only mineral-rich Kentucky lime stone water and locally sourced grains.

After distilling, Angel’s Envy is placed in hand-selected American white oak barrels for a minimum of four years. Once the bourbon is tasted by Mr. Henderson and deemed ready, it’s placed in Port wine barrels he personally selects from Portugal. The barrels are then hand-situated throughout the distillery to age at the perfect temperature. This final process takes between three to six months.

________________________________________________________________________

TASTING NOTES – JOHN HANSEL – The Whisky Advocate

Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey finished in a port pipe. This is veteran master distiller Lincoln Henderson’s newest creation, and it’s a beauty. Richly textured, silky, and well-rounded, with ripe berried fruits, candied tangerine, light toffee, maple syrup, and creamy vanilla, sprinkled with spice (cinnamon, hint of mint). Smooth, silky finish, and dangerously drinkable! The port pipe notes dovetail perfectly. Lovely just the way it is, but it’s begging for a cigar. My only gripe: why not 45 or 50% ABV? But I’m splitting hairs. I really enjoy this stuff!

Grant’s in Australia

G’day,

The first recorded sale of Grant’s in Australia dates back to April, 1910. A century later, Grant’s is the second-favourite Scotch whisky in the country and this week, I had the privilege of visiting Melbourne and Sydney for the local launch of Grant’s 12 Years Old.

Media interviews, presentations and two main launch events were on the…(please click on the link to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Ludo

Plans and ‘drams’ revealed for top whisky event

8th March 2012: Preparation for 2012’s most unique whisky event is hotting up as the inaugural Edinburgh Whisky Stramash, which takes place at Surgeons’ Hall on 26th & 27th May, reveals some of the mystery behind the exciting plans and ‘drams’.

Confirmed so far, is:

• Glenfiddich Warehouse 47
• The Cocktail Pod
• Molecular Experiments
• Dewar’s Barber Surgeon
• The Jura Murder Mystery
• The Balvenie Brand Ambassadors
• Glen Moray, Surgeons’ Hall’s own whisky, Dancing Stag Single Bottlings, along with the already announced; Bunnahabhain, Finnieston, Isle of Mull, Arran Single Malt, Dalmore, Fettercairn, Whyte & Mackay, Aberfeldy, plus many more will be in attendance

Glenfiddich Warehouse 47 will tease all five senses by immersing small groups in an atmospheric room where guests will be taken on a pioneering virtual tour of the Glenfiddich Distillery stillhouse, cooperage and warehouses.

Hosted by Glenfiddich Ambassador, Jamie Milne, the experience will also feature whisky barrels, aroma samples, photographs and advertising images from Glenfiddich’s past and present, as well as a chance to try your hand at making a whisky barrel. The whole experience will really bring a tasting of Glenfiddich 12, 15 and 18 year old whiskies to life.

Multi-award winning mixologist Jon O’Connor will be on-hand to create bespoke whisky cocktails at The Cocktail Pod. Visitors will help the bartender choose from an amazing array of ingredients to create their perfect cocktail and they will receive a copy of their recipe so they can recreate it at home.

The Molecular Experiments will focus on whisky in different and unusual ways including: whisky caviar, a range of gourmet infused whisky and smoking unpeated whisky by Stramash’s very own Heston Blumenthal-esque chemist.

A Sweeney Todd-style bladed barber surgeon, in partnership with Dewar’s Blended Whisky, will offer those brave enough to volunteer procedures of the follicle kind.

Jura Single Malt Scotch Whisky is sponsoring the Murder Mystery, which will entice and entertain. The classic whodunit will give one lucky visitor the chance to win a once in a lifetime trip to Jura, including a special distillery tour, if the cunning culprit is guessed correctly.

The Balvenie’s crack team of top brand ambassadors will enlighten dram enthusiasts about the craftsmanship behind the nation’s top tipple. This captivating tour around the show will ensure an exciting and engaging learning experience, guiding visitors through an exploration of all things whisky.

Scotland’s largest independent brewery, BrewDog, is serving its extraordinary creation of Jura whisky beer; beer matured in casks to infuse the ale with the wonderful flavours of the finest dram. Robert Graham will be sampling a range of its special premium single cask bottlings including Linkwood, Ben Nevis and Deanston.

Darroch Ramsay, founding partner of the Whisky Stramash, said: “As the event draws closer, we are increasingly excited about the number of whisky brands who have signed up. It’s great to be able to offer the industry something unique and a far cry from the usual whisky associated events. Plans are falling into place and we can’t wait to see it all in action!”

The Stramash will be held on three sessions over the 26th and 27th of May 2012:  Saturday 26th of May 2012: 12pm – 4pm and 5pm – 9pm and Sunday 27th of May 2012: 1pm – 5pm.

For further information, visit the website http://thewhiskystramash.com  or follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Whisky-Stramash/222766267748849  and Twitter http://twitter.com/WhiskyStramash

A message from Michael Traverso and Fred Thumhart of the Sonoma County Single Malt Society

“We are pleased to announce our first public tasting will occur April 1st. (Kind of fitting from the two of us, don’t you think?)”

Here are the details:

Date: Sunday, April 1, 2012
Time: 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Where: Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel, Russian River Room
What: We will be tasting whiskies from Amrut, Blackadder and Glenglassaugh.

Please email us if you are interested in attending this event. Include your phone number so we can contact you for payment. info@sonomasinglemalt.com

A New Decade, A New Spirit

Winners of 11th Teacher’s Achievement Awards include:

Teacher’s Lifetime Achievement Award: Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma
Teacher’s Achievement Award for Business: Ronnie Screwvala, Zarine Mehta; Siddharth Roy Kapur for UTV Motion Pictures
Teacher’s Achievement Award for Communication (Electronic Journalism) : Nidhi Razdan
Teacher’s Achievement Award for Sports : Gagan Narang
Teacher’s Achievement Award for Entertainment: Vidya Balan
Teacher’s Global Indian Achiever Award: Anil Kapoor
People Teacher’s Achiever Award: Anushka Sharma
Teacher’s Youth Achievers’ Club Recognition: Durjoy Datta

All roads in Delhi led to the ITC Maurya as Beam Inc celebrated the spirit of achievement with the 11th Teacher’s Achievement Awards (TAA). The evening commemorated the start of the second decade of the one of the most prestigious, respected and admired Teacher’s Achievement Awards by welcoming into its fold the finest achievers from the fields of Business, Entertainment, Sports and Communication. The awards underwent a stringent evaluation process by a distinguished panel of jury members before the final winners were announced in the national capital today.

Recognizing the tireless efforts of taking India to the global stage, TAA honoured the inimitable Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Sharma has been at the forefront of taking Indian classical music to the international stage while being steadfast attached to the Indian roots. His contribution to Indian music is unmatchable and achievements as an individual, insurmountable. He is credited with making the Santoor a popular Classical Instrument. Sharma is the recipient of various national and international awards, including an honorary citizenship of the city of Baltimore, USA, in 1985, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1986, the Padma Shri in 1991, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001. The award was presented by Shabana Azmi, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Matt Shattock, President and CEO, Beam Inc.

Congratulating winners of the 11th TAA, Matthew J Shattock, President and CEO, Beam Inc said, “The Teacher’s Achievement Awards have come a long way in the past decade. This is a very proud moment for all of us at Beam as we enter the second decade of achievements and excellence with the Teacher’s Achievement Awards. I would like to congratulate all the winners – present as well as past – who have excelled … thanks to their talent … steadfast determination … and winning spirit. It is an honor to be in the company of such a rich spectrum of accomplishment from so many walks of life.”

Anil Kapoor who has received international acclaim for his contribution to Indian cinema was recognised with the Teacher’s Global Indian Achiever Award. Dr L Subramaniam, Ramesh Sippy and Harish Moolchandani, CEO and Managing Director Beam India and ISC gave away the award to Kapoor.

The bubbly and vibrant Anushka Sharma who has been seen playing vivid roles in films like Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Patiala House, Badmaash Company, Band Baaja Baaraat received the People Teacher’s Achiever Award.

The evening opened with a stunning performance of Manasi Scott who performed the Teacher’s anthem to an alluring audience. This was followed with the traditional “Teacher’s Achievers’ Walk” designed and choreographed by the designer duo Rohit Gandhi-Rahul Khanna. The duo crafted a special collection for the past winners, jury members which included – Shabana Azmi, Pankaj Advani, Feroz Abbas Khan, Louis Bankz, Prahlad Kakkar, L Subramaniam, Nagesh Kukunoor, Manish Arora, Michael Ferreira, Prasoon Joshi, Anjali Bhagwat and Boman Irani.

Mr Harish Moolchandani, CEO and Managing Director Beam India & ISC said, “I would like to congratulate all the winners who have not only excelled in their own individual capacity but are in some way anchors for the future of this beautiful country by becoming an example of motivation to the youth of today. Teacher’s Achievement Awards are a symbol of excellence. And we are proud to be associated with individuals of the stature that we see today. Beam Inc welcomes each and every winner of the 11th Teacher’s Achievement Awards into its family.”

Boman Irani, who has been associated with the Teacher’s Achievement Award since 2003, co-hosted the evening with Vir Sanghavi. Irani was honoured with the Teacher’s Achiever of the Decade in 2010. The evening also saw mesmerizing acts by Eric Luna and Georgia Ambarian. After performing in Hong Kong, Germany, Poland, Canada, Mexico, South Africa and all over the United States, Eric and Georgia stunned the Indian audience with their extraordinary ballroom dancing skills. The grand finale saw a splendid performance with solo acts followed by a jugalbandi between Anoushka Shankar, Medieval Punditz, Karsh Kale and Angaraag ‘Papon’ Mahanta.

The evening saw past winners, jury members and key stakeholders of the Teacher’s Achievement Awards join the celebrations at the Nandiya Gardens at ITC Maurya. Those present included Ramesh Sippy, Jacqueline Fernandes, Kavita Subramaniam, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Vinod Mehta, Kashi Memani, BS Nagesh and Pablo Bartholomew among others.

Nominees for the 11th Teacher’s Achievement Awards included:

Business

Ronnie Screwwala and Zarine Mehta for UTV
Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor for Balaji Telefilms
Yash Chopra for Yashraj Films
Kishore Lulla & Sunil Lulla for Eros Entertainment
Shahrukh Khan & Gauri Khan for Red Chillies Entertainment
Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar for Excel Entertainment

Communication

Vikram Chandra – NDTV
Sonia Verma Singh – NDTV
Nidhi Razdan – NDTV
Shereen Bhan – CNBC
Anuradha Sengupta – CNBC

Entertainment

Farhan Akhtar
Anushka Sharma
Vidya Balan
Hrithik Roshan
Imran Khan

Sports

Gagan Narang
Vijender Singh
Jwala Gutta
Arjun Atwal
Saina Nehwal

The event was managed by Wizcraft International.

As a precursor to the TAA, Beam Inc commissioned a special television series, “Achiever’s Club”, a 14-part series that showcased the glittery, glamorous and fabulous lives of self-made achievers of India. The Achievers’ Club is an exclusive series where India’s most celebrated achievers like KP Singh, Vidya Balan, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Naveen Jindal, Manish Arora, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and many more share their success mantras and millionaire lifestyle with the host Vir Sanghvi. The series currently AIRs on Star World on Saturday @ 8pm.

Instituted in 2001, the Teacher’s Achievement Awards recognise the true potential of human endeavour. Over the years, the awards have welcomed into its family, achievers who are the nation’s most respected names in the realms of business, sports, entertainment, literature, fashion, lifestyle and communication. Today, it stands as the most definitive platform of recognition for India’s finest, most trailblazing achievers. Now in its 11th edition, the awards greet the decade ahead by saluting the achievers who have made their ‘mark of achievement’.

The Teacher’s Achievement Awards, in partnership with KPMG and the Advisory Board oversee a stringent selection process and grade the nominees before the Jury takes over. The nominees are evaluated on the basis of specific criteria – proven track record, originality, innovation, peer recognition and significant milestones achieved in the chosen area of expertise. The final winners chosen by the Jury members are then felicitated at the grand finale.

Beam Inc is using the online and offline space very aggressively to promote the 11th Teacher’s Achievement Awards. Information is being shared using multiple communication channels, including the official website of the awards, www.teachersachievementawards.com. Regular updates, interesting information and latest developments on the awards will also be made available on Twitter. Users can follow the awards on the official TAA page on facebook – www.facebook.com/TeachersIndia  and on twitter at http://twitter.com/TeachersIndia . Internet users can view event videos by subscribing to the official channel http://www.youtube.com/user/TeachersIndia/featured

Ralfy @ www.ralfy.com launches an exciting (and uniquely innovative/exclusive/never-to-be-repeated e.t.c. e.t.c.) Vlog about Scotch with no Malt in it …Whisky Review #255 – Carsebridge Grain Scotch Whisky