The Travels of Whisky Intelligence.

The Nth Show Las Vegas March 18th & 19th, 2011

The first we heard about the Nth Show Las Vegas was while standing in line for the Ardbeg tasting the night before Whisky Fest San Francisco where we had the good fortune to meet Nina and Mahesh Patel who were at that time planning the Las Vegas based show. https://www.whiskyintelligence.com/2010/10/whisky-fest-san-francisco-october-8th-2010-scotch-whisky-news/  There was some speculation, mutterings, musings and promises on our part about attending the Nth the following March on the night of the Ardbeg tasting at the Barber Lounge but frankly, it was a done deal. There was no way that Whisky Intelligence was going to miss the Nth. 

In due course tickets were available to book on-line and this was done with ease followed by simply printing them off the office computer, this is really a trouble free method of securing tickets. The Wynn Encore had a special festival room rate and even the air line had a sale; all was looking good for the Nth. Once again it was time to wait, damn it.

——- > South…

Due to the timings of flights etcetera we arrived in Las Vegas the early evening prior to the Nth show so we took the opportunity to dine at Switch, the steak house in the Encore (it’s named ‘Switch’ due to the walls and ceiling moving position to change the appearance of the room about every 15 minutes; very Vegas.).  A glass of red with dinner and a dram or two of Chivas 18 along the way rounded out the meal nicely. Both the steaks and the rest of the meal were very good and the service was excellent.

After dinner if was a quick commute across the casino floor to meet up with some friends in the hotel lobby bar and much to our delight the bar stocked Laphroaig 15 for a reasonable price. Travel is always tiring so it was with some relief when we made our way to our very large room, all the rooms in the Wynn Encore are quite sumptuous, about 750 square feet and very well appointed so they were an extra value considering the very reasonable Festival room rate.

Friday was a quiet day and we had the good fortune to meet up for lunch with whisky enthusiast Noel Buckley from Vancouver who was also in Vegas for the Nth show. Finally, after what seemed the longest day ever it was time to register for the show where we received our wrist bands and goodies bags which included our crystal Glencairn glasses engraved with the Nth logo. A nice & classy touch. While registration was quick and efficient the short time spent in the line was an opportunity to re-connect with old friends like Ed Patrick, president of the Companions of the Quaich and to meet some new ones including William C Myers who is one of the authors that updated Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion (6th Edition). Everybody was naturally quite excited about the show….

After registration a group of us made a bee line to the special event room (one of six special events held on Friday evening) that would soon be hosting the Gordon & MacPhail Glenlivet 70yo ‘Generations’ tasting led by Michael Urquhart. By rearranging the furniture in the hall way we managed to barricade & separate ourselves from any late comers thus protecting our spots in line. (Just kidding…. mostly). But wait in line we did and in due course Michael let us in a little early to wait until the 6:15 start. In front of each seat was one glass and after a short talk on Gordon & MacPhail and the history of the Glenlivet 70yo Michael asked if we thought it was time for a dram; 25 heads nodded in unison. He asked Andrew Ferguson of Kensington Wine Mart in Calgary to pour everybody a sample and the appreciative nosing started.  Tasting this aged dram was only improved the experience by the whisky being so good. (As of tomorrow, April 11th,  2011, Andrew has been inducted into the illustrious Keepers of the Quaich)

After the Gordon & MacPhail Glenlivet tasting we, the lucky few,  happily trooped upstairs to the ballroom for the main show and the continuation of the evening. The main ballroom was not cavernous but it was roomy enough to accomodate the estimated 250 people in attendance and the 35 stands representing a myriad of brands and at least 230 whiskies. (Duncan Taylor, GlenDronach & BenRiach, Springbank, Hirsch Anchor Distilling,  Dewar’s & Aberfeldy, Laphroaig, Inver House, The Glenlivet & Royal Salute, Four Roses, Amrut & Glenglassaugh, Highland Park, Macallan, Glenfarclas, Burn Stewart, Sirius (a new independent bottling brand launched at the Nth), Gordon & MacPhail, Glenfiddich, Balvenie, High West, Dalmore, Jura, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Glenmorangie, Ardbeg, Morrison Bowmore, Glenrothes, Suntory, Glencairn, Casa Fuente, wine and champagne tables for the non whisky drinking guests. Yes! They thought of that too!

If you couldn’t have had fun in that room, you’re doomed. Doomed. Additionally there was a superb buffet meal in the downstairs ballroom featuring meat pasta, salads, roast turkey, roast beef and vegetables. Which we took advantage of at some point in the evening, it was nice to have a break and the food was thoughtfully prepared so as not to interfere with your palate; yet another small touch that added to the whole show.

To add to the experience were “super pours” every attendee received a token good for one super pour along with a second token for a Glenfarclas 1966 dispensed by Brett Pontini of Binny’s. The extensive list of super pour drams featured were Dalmore Astrum, Highland Park 40yo*, Glenglassaugh 40yo*, Glenrothes John Ramsay*, Dalmore Aurora, Laphroaig 21yo*, Ardbeg 1974, Glenfarclas 50yo*, Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask #1.124 39yo*, Speyside (very rare bottling, BenRiach 40yo*, Glenfiddich 40yo, Yamazaki 1984*, Gold Bowmore, Balvenie 40yo, The Glenlivet Cellar Collection 1964*, Gordon & MacPhail Strathisla 1963*, Macallan 1950, Duncan Taylor Kinclaith 1941 41yo* and Glenmorangie Quarter Century 25yo*. However many stands didn’t feel the need to collect a super pour token, especially as the evening progressed. (Hence * = tried it). Of course this was only the super pour list; every stand had a complete selection of their brands ranging from standard bottlings to premium bottlings such as Dewar’s Signature which quite frankly should have been on the ‘super pour’ list, it’s that good.

Also in attendance was Tim Puett of the Ardbeg Project who seemed to loiter around the Ardbeg table for most of the evening!

Due to the schedule of the Nth, the masterclasses followed the Friday show so it’s was best to keep your wits about you since the masterclasses started at a seemingly unreasonable early 11:30 Saturday morning. However a large number of attendees couldn’t resist the pull of the Las Vegas strip and the walking wounded poured into the hotel pretty much until Saturday morning.  A few were never seen again.

There were a grand selection of 19 masterclasses featuring The Glenlivet, Macallan, Glenglassaugh, Four Roses, Glenfiddich, Morrison Bowmore, Glenmorangie, Amrut, Dalmore, Glendronach BenRiach, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Suntory, Glenfarclas, Balvenie, Glenrothes, Benromach, Highland Park, Ardbeg and High West.

We attended The Glenlivet with Ricky Crawford and the list of whiskies included a French Oak finish, two expressions of Nadurra and two aged Cellar Collection (a 37yo and a 40yo if memory serves). Ricky also explained at how he became an ambassador, the personal recollection added to the experience, it was a very good masterclass. It was made even better by the fact that the attendee to the left was hung over something fierce and passed along both Cellar Collections samples. Thanks! That’s the way to start your masterclass experience!

The Morrison Bowmore class was different altogether with a selection of whiskies from Bowmore, Glen Garioch and Auchentoshan with ambassador Jamie Mackenzie and Morrison Bowmore Senior Blender Iain McCallum. Iain’s presentation style is much like a broad side from a warship of old; however  it was both informative and enjoyable.

The BenRiach and GlenDronach masterclass with Alistair Walker was also a first rate affair and featured a generous selection; GlenDronach 1995 cask # 2045 (Preiss exclusive single cask), 31yr (Grandeur), 1972 Single Cask Bottling and BenRiach 25yr plus 21yr (Authenticus – peated).

The Glenfarclas masterclass with George Grant featured four 40yo; Millennium 40yr, Family cask 40yr, 105 40yr, and the New 40 yr. George was fresh as a daisy so he must have gone straight to bed after the show the previous night. Ahem.

And finally we were invited to sample two whiskies from the newly launched Sirius label (by Nth Show CEO Mahesh Patel); a 1965 Carsebridge 45yo and a 1967 Dalmore which may or not be a 43yo, by this point in the day the palate and memory were begging for a break. The Carsebridge was sublime and the Dalmore an aged gentleman.

And thus the Nth 2011 came to a close. A new standard has been set for whisky events in the United States, well done Mahesh, Nina and Mit Patel. Whisky Intelligence heartily recommends the convivial Nth Show in Las Vegas and plans on returning in 2012.

< ——— North…

Sunday early, Las Vegas McCarran airport in the departure lounge staring across the tarmac at the “Janet” airlines white with red cheat lines 737-600’s that transport people daily to and from the Nevada Test Site (area 51) and northern California on secret defense related work. Ah, it’s Richard Paterson; he’s on the same flight and a chance for a chat…

The 2012 Nth Show is scheduled for March 2nd and 3rd at the Wynn Encore and details will appear in due course at http://universalwhiskyexperience.com/

International Artists Leave an Impression with ‘Art of Beyond’ Bar

Revealed at the Nettie Horn Art Gallery on Vyner Street in the heart of London’s contemporary art district, the installation is a unique project involving six international, contemporary artists who have collaborated to create a premium and stylish bar that offers a whisky drinking experience beyond the ordinary.

The artists, working together for the first time, were invited to create the individual elements for a bespoke Ballantine’s 12 Year Old bar that embodied the spirit of looking beyond the ordinary. From across Europe, the artists included Oskar Zieta (Polish designer and architect), Lee Broom (British interior and product designer), Creatmosphere (French light artists), Rolf Sachs (Swiss furniture designer), Luis Galliussi (Argentinian interior designer) and Jovo Bozhinovski (Bulgarian architect and designer).

Working across a range of disciplines, each artist was chosen for their award-winning creativity in their respective fields. Whilst the process behind the ‘Art of BEYOND’ has been open and collaborative (with designers sharing their ideas and concepts with each other over a three month period) the works themselves hide secrets that bring to life the brand’s creative platform of ‘Takes you BEYOND’. The ‘Ballantine’s 12 Art of BEYOND Bar’ was designed to leave an impression by creating a layered whisky drinking experience with more to discover

Peter Moore, Global Brand Director for Ballantine’s said, “Art and design is the perfect platform to bring to life the concept of BEYOND whilst maintaining the stylish sophistication that embodies Ballantine’s 12 Year Old. We are extremely proud to have commissioned this unique collaboration; working with six very different but hugely talented artists who bring the values of authenticity and flair to their work. The ‘Art of BEYOND Bar’ is an extraordinary whisky-drinking experience that really does take you beyond.”

To celebrate the ‘Ballantine’s 12 Art of BEYOND Bar’, Ballantine’s has engaged Brand Ambassador Fredrik Olsson to design a series of bespoke Ballantine’s 12 Year Old cocktails created and inspired by the work of the six designers. The collection of six limited edition cocktails will be the signature drinks of the ‘Ballantine’s 12 Art of BEYOND’ project – a dedication to the artists and their works. .

Notes:

About Ballantine’s
Ballantine’s is the No 1 ultra-premium whisky in Asia Pacific and the No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe, selling more than 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 with a portfolio that includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.

Spring is in the air and the island is alive with the sound of birdsong, bleating lambs and hammer action drills! More on the drills later.

Firstly, apologies for not writing sooner, but as you’re about to find out, we’ve been very busy here on Jura. It’s really nice to finally be able to sit down in front of the computer with a dram of Jura and spend some time catching up with my fellow Diurachs.

Time is flying by and as the nights get gradually longer, the season draws ever closer. And what a season it’s shaping up to be. Planning for this years whisky festival is now complete but spaces are limited so if you’re planning to visit and haven’t booked yet please call us on +44 1496 820 385. Don’t worry if you can’t join us in person as we’ll put all the best bits online, exclusively for all fellow Diurachs to enjoy after the event.

We’re also in the middle of refurbishing our visitor centre and shop, so I’m writing this very loudly to be heard above the din! I’m sure that those of you coming to the festival will be delighted with what you find though, which will make all the effort worthwhile. For those of you who won’t be here in person, we’ll make sure that you can see all the changes on our blog, I’ll be posting regular updates while the work is underway to allow you all to enjoy our transformation.

In the meantime we hope you’re all enjoying planning the summer months ahead and hope that you’ll make a visit to Jura and a free dram on the island part of your plans.

Slainte

Willie Cochrane
Jura Distillery Manager

P.S. If you have friends or family who also share your passion for Jura whisky and might like to become Diurachs send them to www.isleofjura.com where they’ll discover more about our mystical isle.

Whisky Intelligence will publish a review tomorrow of the Nth Universal Whisky Experience that was held March 18th & 19th, 2011 at the Wynn Encore Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Please take a moment to visit Whisky Intelligence tomorrow to read the review of this excellent event.

Dear Customer

Running into April we are pleased to offer you a selection of five (5) additions to OLD MALT CASK (with 5 new 20 cl bottlings in the new livery), (2) two OLD & RARE bottlings plus two (2) new CLAN DENNY GRAINS and one addition to the DOUBLE BARREL selection.

OLD MALT CASK Tasting Notes:

OMC2005 GLEN SPEY 14 YEAR OLD

Nose: Clean, fresh and malty + an autumnal fruit basket style.
Palate: Still clean – now citric + honey and sweet spices.
Finish: Still spiced with more honey and even some late vanilla. (F)

OMC2004 HIGHLAND PARK 14 YEAR OLD

Nose: A distinct peat quality prefaces a clean ozone freshness
Palate: Barley sweet – with a lighter peat and spiced content
Finish: Hints at cough drops – now malty – nicely warming. (F)

OMC2021 ARDMORE 15 YEAR OLD

Nose: Opens big and spiced – warms to mellow peated barley tones.
Palate: Distinctly peated and sweet – rather ashy and cindery.
Finish: Big/round/smoked + crunched white sugar and soot. (F)

OMC2020 AUCHROISK 21 YEAR OLD

Nose: Fresh & clean with sweet grist & fruity spices + a liquorice style
Palate: Crushed sugar & candied oranges + a fresh barley sugar quality
Finish: Remains sweet, carrying a spiced poached pear/peach character (J)

OMC1982 GLENALLACHIE SHERRY 38 YEAR OLD

Nose: Opens sweet & honeyed + polished oak & bees wax
Palate: Complex – sweet (treacle) + a richly spiced + a strong tea style
Finish: Long & rich carrying a dry & slightly oaky/tannic style (J)

OLD & RARE Tasting Notes:

OAR0128 SPEYSIDE’S FINEST SHERRY MATURED 45 YEAR OLD

Big and spicy – immediately appealing on the nose, with burnt oranges, light oak and stewed dark fruit in abundance. The palate is initally dry – warming to more spices, soft wood tones and it warms to a late toffee and cough drop suggestion. The finish is slightly mentholated, now drier than anticipated – and runs to a long yet soft course of fruit, oak and spice. (F)

OAR0121 GLEN GRANT WINE FINISH 25 YEAR OLD

On the nose detect a big round perfumed and spiced quality carrying, dark fruit dowsed and soaked in Manuka honey. Then the palate displays sweet malt, light smoke, camphor and vanilla, still with an attractive spiciness throughout – and all this leads to a finish which is sweet and Bourbon in style carrying molasses, vanilla caramel, more of those spices – carried now within a red fruit Macedonia. (F)

Tasting Notes for CLAN DENNY GRAINS:

DEN0060 DUMBARTON 45 YEAR OLD

Opens sweetly on the nose, carrying a spicy vanilla, light oak & toffee quality. The palate is smooth and mellow, richly spiced with a fruity acidity that runs to caramel and dark chocolate. The medium long finish remains sweet and vanilla’d with a spiced fruit/hard candy quality returning. (J)

DEN0067 CAMBUS 47 YEAR OLD

Wonderfully spiced with a sweet citric backdrop and barley sugar with candyfloss all apparent on the nose. Palatewise detect these same spices – now with a real soft chewy vanilla caramel flavour – plus mocha. The finish is surprisingly long for a Single Grain Whisky and carries an attractive oak quality with an orange tang. (F&J)

The DOUBLE BARREL 3RD release is

DBS0024 CAOL ILA/BRAEVAL

And lastly the five (5) 20cl Advance Samples are:

SMC0386 LAPHROAIG 10

SMC0390 BRAEVAL 11 SHERRY

SMC0391 CRAIGELLACHIE 11 SHERRY

SMC0389 HIGHLAND PARK 12

SMC0388 MACALLAN 12

We hope some of these will hit the right tone to be considered by you after your review.

Warmest best regards

Yours sincerely

Fred H Laing
Managing Director

Visit Douglas Laing & Co. Ltd. at www.douglaslaing.com

What’s New This Spring?

All the latest news from the Isle of Arran Distillery 

Arran Distillery News
The new season on Arran is now underway and James, Faye and the team have been busy welcoming visitors from all over the world to our stunning corner of Scotland. We are all very excited about our second Open Day, which will be held on Sunday 29th May and looks set to be another fantastic day! There will be an exclusive Distillery Bottling available for sale on the day (200 bottles only!), VIP masterclasses pairing local food with our Single Malt, and ceilidh band Callanish will be playing a short set in the afternoon before the main evening ceilidh starts at 7pm. Tickets are now available on our web site – come and join us for plenty of fun and memorable drams.

Our Distillery and Visitor Centre nestled in the hills of Lochranza is
one of the most picturesque in Scotland.  

Exciting new drams!
We have been very busy preparing some fantastic new drams for you over the winter months. The 3rd in our ‘Icons of Arran’ series is newly bottled and waiting to tickle your tastebuds! ‘The Westie’ is a bottling of 22 1998 Sherry casks and you can read all about it here (apologies, the link is dead). This is definitely a ‘drink one, keep one’ whisky….we still receive regular enquiries about the first icon (The Peacock) but alas it is very hard to find now!

 
 
Also new is our Premium Single Cask range – a collection of truly stunning Single Sherry and Bourbon Casks from 1996 and 1997 especially selected for their oustanding quality, all presented in luxurious new packaging.  They will be available for sale on our web site in April, so just in time for a special Fathers Day gift!  If you’re a Single Cask afficionado, this is the ultimate treat for you with each expression beautifully showcasing the interaction of each individual cask with the unique character of our Single Malt. 
 
This month will also see the production of a very special whisky which is being created in partnership with some good friends of ours. “Spirit of Unity” is a unique Blended Malt Scotch Whisky which has been produced by Arran, BenRiach, Bladnoch, GlenDronach, Mitchell’s Glengyle, Kilchoman and Springbank in support of small charities involved in the disaster relief effort in Japan. Click here to read more about this project and to see where you can purchase a bottle of this once-in-a-lifetime Single Malt.  Later this month, we will also release ‘The Sleeping Warrior” which we are working on with The National Trust of Scotland. Keep your eyes peeled to our web site, Facebook and Twitter pages to for the latest news on these editions. You will not want to miss them..
 
Why not browse our web shop for all the latest bottlings and special offers? Click  here to lead yourself into temptation! 
 
Finally, the Machrie Moor has really been on the rampage since its release in December last year.  It has received quite a lot of attention from whisky blogs and press both at home and abroad and it is close to selling out altogether now!  This whisky is only bottled once a year, so you’d better be quick if you still want to get your hands on the first edition!  

We love our readers….
As a thank you to our loyal friends, we have come up with an exclusive web offer that we thought you would like! As of today, a discount code is available to you to use in our web shop.  Once you’ve chosen the chosen the dram of your dreams, simply enter the code FRIENDS1 at the checkout stage and you will receive 10% off any 70cl bottle purchases. This code is valid until 31st May.  What’s more, with every purchase of Arran Gold and Arran 10 Year Old, you will a free gift courtesy of Arran Aromatics (while stocks last!) Life is far too short to deny yourself the odd wee treat in our opinion….
 
Best wishes to all from everyone here in Lochranza,
 
Isle of Arran Distillers
 
Find us on Facebook (Arran Malt Distillery) and Twitter (@arranwhisky)

What a Great Time,  What Great Whiskies

Thanks for Being Part of the 12th Annual WoW!

Dear Whisky Friends:
 
We want to thank everyone who attended for making this year’s WoW Expo such a great night and grand success! Thanks to you for joining us on-board the Hornblower for another remarkable WoW Expo.
 
Going back to the Hornblower as our venue opened up so much space for all the evening’s activities and the addition of the boat ‘next door’ classrooms allowed so many of you to experience the Masterclasses offered by our experts and world famed distillers and blenders. With two full decks of tasting booths we’re sure you had your fill! Wasn’t the Mixology booth from Beam Global a blast? A different complex cocktail every hour!!! That’s the sort of new feature we love adding to the show for you!
 
So many thanks go to our amazing exhibitors from brands large and small! We LOVE introducing you to new distilleries and spirits as well as offering a huge range of spirits that extend across the wide reaching category of ‘whisky/whiskey’. We hope you experimented with new palate experiences as well as enjoying your old favorites. Who indulged with the Oban Distiller’s Edition from the Classic Malts or Bushmills Crystal Malt?

Thanks also for supporting our charity.  Thanks to all the brands who donated gifts and thanks to our Whisky Enthusiast guests, the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund raised $1600.
 
Since the first year the Expo opened new whisky show territory by holding the event on the Hornblower yacht, we’ve enjoyed the distinction of having a venue that allowed us to give you a cigar experience along with your spirits! Many thanks to Sip Smoke Savor for the wonderful whisky/chocolate/cigar adventures.  Thanks to Serious Cigars  www.seriouscigar.com for providing the evenings generous supply of cigars and to Tim Wong of Rock Patel for sharing his expertise with us. And….What a treat it was to have Richard Paterson of The Dalmore as our cigar class surprise speaker.
 
For those of you with a hankering to fill your spirits shelves at home with the extraordinary drinks you sampled at the Expo, be sure to pay a visit in person or on-line to our supporting retailers:
 
The Whisky Shop: retailer for specialty Scotch and Irish Whiskies. Offering Discounts on all Expo pours: Price list www.whiskyshopusa.com
 
John Walker & Co. : offering discounts for American and Irish Whiskies from Wow: Price List www.JohnWalker.com
 
Ledgers Liquors: 15% Discount on all whiskies with printed coupon.  www.ledgersliquors.com
 
As in years past, we ask you to take a moment and send us your comments about this year’s show as well as your suggestions for the future. Each year we make an effort to tailor the event  to meet as many of your requests as possible. Don’t be shy! Let us know what you think! Just send us an email at cs@whiskiesoftheworld.com
 
And for those of you who want to relive the night from time to time until the time comes for the 2012 WoW Expo…here are some links to lots and lots of photos and some wonderful reviews of the evening:
 
Drink Me Magazine http://drinkmemag.com/2011/03/all-aboard-whiskies-of-the-world/
Bay Guardian Newspaper http://www.sfbg.com/category/author/virginia-miller
Whisky Wall blog http://whiskywall.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/whiskies-of-the-world-expo/
The Cask blog http://thecasks.com/2011/03/28/2011-whiskies-of-the-world-expo-recap/
Bunrab.com blog http://www.bunrab.com/dailyfeed/2011March/dailyfeed_march-11_p3.html#mar2611
Drink Hacker http://www.drinkhacker.com/2011/04/02/tasting-report-whiskies-of-the-world-expo-san-francisco-2011/
SFWeekly.com http://www.sfweekly.com/slideshow/whiskies-of-the-world-expo-2378705/
Pictures http://picasaweb.google.com/bestofdoug/WoW2011?feat=email

After a short rest we’ll be diving right back in to begin the work on the 12th Annual WoW Expo. We’ll be in touch to let you know next year’s date and location just as soon as possible.
 
Have a wonderful spring and again…thanks for making this year’s show so much fun for everyone involved!
 
Cheers,

Douglas Smith

BENRIACH AND GLENDRONACH JOIN CRAFT DISTILLERS IN SUPPORTING JAPAN
 
BenRiach and GlenDronach are two of seven independent Scottish distilleries collaborating to produce a unique whisky and donate all proceeds to the disaster relief effort in Japan.
 
Each of the seven distilleries, representing the best craft producers in the Scotch whisky business, is donating a cask of its single malt that will be expertly blended to create a limited edition whisky, appropriately called The Spirit of Unity.
 
The seven are Arran, BenRiach, Bladnoch, GlenDronach, GlenGyle, Kilchoman and Springbank. For whisky fans, they represent acclaimed malt whisky regions – in Islands, Speyside, Highland, Islay, Campbeltown and Lowland.
 
The seven casks will be vatted, blended and bottled at BenRiach’s Newbridge production facility, with Master Blender Billy Walker overseeing the operation. The bottles will then be despatched from Newbridge for worldwide distribution.
 
The connections between the malt whisky industry and Japan are strong as few consumers are as passionate about malt whisky as the Japanese and it has been major export market for many years.
 
The combined contribution will produce approximately 2,000 bottles with 1,200 available in the UK. The remainder will be shipped to Japan with some being donated for sale in New Zealand to assist with relief in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake. It is expected that the release will be oversubscribed as soon as it is made available.
 
With the support of suppliers and partners, including retailers, a conservative estimate is that at least £50,000 will be donated to the relief effort.
 
The producers will offer the limited bottling available through two leading online whisky retailers – Royal Mile Whiskies and Loch Fyne Whiskies – and in their respective shops in Edinburgh, London and Inveraray.
 
Not a penny of profit will be taken from the project by any of the parties involved, with the packaging being donated free of charge by Chesapeake Branded Packaging.
 
The Spirit of Unity will be available in store and for despatch by the end of April, with details being posted on the websites of the distillers. Pre-orders at £59 per bottle (+p&p) are now being taken at www.royalmilewhiskies.com and www.LFW.co.uk

JIM MURRAY’S WHISKY BIBLE TASTING TOUR OF THE ISLE OF ARRAN & SCOTLAND’S SPEYSIDE & HIGHLAND REGIONS
Mon 19 – Fri 23 September 2011	www.arenatravel.com

International whisky guru and author Jim Murray will be leading his first ever public whisky tour, specially arranged by Arena Travel.

Offering Whisky lovers from all over the world the opportunity to join him on a five day tour of Scotch whisky distilleries on Arran, Speyside and the Highlands, guests will travel with Jim as he explores three ‘Whisky Bible’ award-winning distilleries, all of which in Jim’s opinion, epitomise top end whisky distilling.

Jim Murray’s Whisky Tour presents a unique opportunity to witness whisky-making at its very best and will give guests an unparalleled opportunity to explore each of the specially selected distilleries, meet the men behind the labels and sample some truly rare and exclusive drams. Jim will be on hand during each of the visits, offering a personal insight into each distillery and the whisky they lovingly create.

The whisky trail starts at the Arran Distillery in Lochranza on the Isle of Arran. A new and dynamic force in Scotch whisky, the distillery started distilling in the 1990’s producing the first Arran malts in 150 years. After a tour of the facility and a special visit to its Bonded Warehouse, Jim will lead a tutored tasting of personally selected single malts.

The tour then moves onto the Scottish mainland, where the first destination is the Glendronach distillery in Scotland’s beautiful Highland region. Famed for its richly sherried single malts, the Glendronach is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries having been built in 1826. Joining Jim for a full range tasting will be former Distillery Manager Frank Massie – another true legend of the whisky industry.

The final destination is the Knockdhu, a small distillery set in the heart of Scotland’s whisky distilling region, Speyside. Here, guests will witness all stages of the production process and chat to the workforce about the methods they use. A tasting will introduce participants to Jim’s personal Knockdhu (AnCnoc) favourites, with some ‘specials’ also in store. You’ll find a full tour itinerary here.

Guests will be treated to luxurious accommodation throughout, first at the Auchrannie House Hotel and Spa in the pretty coastal village of Glencoy on Arran, and then at the five-star Marcliffe Hotel and Spa near Aberdeen. Jim will also host two dinners and will be on hand to share his knowledge with his fellow whisky enthusiasts at all key points during the tour.

The first ever Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible Tour of The Isle of Arran and the Speyside and Highland regions takes place on 19-23 September 2011 and costs £1,645 per person (twin share room) and £1,895 per person (single)

To find out more call 01473 660800 or visit www.arenatravel.com

Your Glass Needs Whisky”, with Simon & Franchi from Simply Whisky
Monday 18-April, 7:00pm

Some of you may have previously seen this delightful Scottish duo serenading Scotch fans at various events across the capital. If not, I can assure you that they put on a show not to be missed… In the last few years Simply Whisky’s Simon & Franchi have ignited a passion for single malt whisky in over 1,500 people – from Chief Executives of private equity firms and the BBC through to buzz band MGMT (Management) and a German wedding in St Andrews, Scotland. They personally appeared at Ewan McGregor’s Not Another Burns Night in London spouting Burns poetry, and have captured the attention of Whisky magazine and GQ magazine.

 
We’ve teamed up with the Simply Whisky boys to put on a truly entertaining evening, full of drumming, dramming and drama like never before witnessed in these hallowed arches. In quite a significant departure from our usual format, Simon and Franchi will be focusing more on the pure enjoyment of whisky, its history and lore, all the while extolling the virtues to mind, body and soul that we all know it endows. There will also be a wee bit of cheese and chocolate pairing too – something that will become more of a common fixture at our tastings this year.

We have a truly awe-inspiring line-up for this tasting, having picked 7 very different whiskies, each showing off a particular ‘style’ of whisky at its very best. This all-star line-up is as follows:

Rosebank 1990 / 16yo / 46% / Single Malts of Scotland
Cambus 1965 / 45yo / 45.9% / Clan Denny
Longmorn 1978 / 31yo / 58% / SDL Masterpieces
Macallan 1990 / 43% / The Whisky Trail
George T. Stagg / 70.7% / Bot. 2009
Nikka Yoichi 15yo / 45%
Ardbeg ‘Corryvreckan’ / 57.1% / Distillery Bottling

Tickets for this delicious event will go on sale from 3:00pm, Monday 11th April. They are priced at £25 per person, and limited to 2 places per booking.