The Claymore Times

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Glen Grant 25 Year Old ( LCBO # 204081) 

Here’s a wee suggestion for St Valentine’s day; buy your significant other a stunning 25yo Glen Grant whisky.  It can be found at 19 LCBO stores in Ontario at a cost of $159 which will make your gift rather special.

Glen Grant Distillery was the first of five to be built in the town of Rothes. It was built by John & James Grant, two brothers who had previously been involved in illicit distilling.

The Glen Grant stills are a unique shape with an almost square section between the pot and the neck, this, together with purifiers on the lyne arms, contributes, to Glen Grant’s light, gentle character. Glen Grant is one of the world’s biggest selling Malt Whiskies, with Italy being a significant market.

TASTING NOTES

WITHOUT WATER:

Nose: Sherry, fruity – bruised apples with rum toffee notes. Polished leather aromas also present.

Palate: Cereal and nutty (almonds and walnuts) elements with burnt flavours, Sherry more evident now.

WITH WATER:

Nose: Fruity as before with developing cherry liqueur aromas. Sherry wood.

Palate: Drying with charred wood, fruitcake and Sherry flavours. Treacle toffee notes.

Body: Medium.

Finish: Clean drying

Cask type(s): First Fill and Refill Sherry Casks.

Colour: Golden brown.

INFORMATION:

Region:                Rothes. Speyside.

Founded:             1840.

Water Source:      Caperdonich Well.

Owner:                 Campari.

Status:                 Operational.

Locations for Glen Grant 25 yo (LCBO # 204081)

1. TORONTO-CENTRAL 10 SCRIVENER SQUARE
 YONGE & SUMMERHILL
 (416)922-0403 
 
2. TORONTO-CENTRAL 2 COOPER STREET
 QUEENS QUAY & YONGE
 (416)864-6777 
 
3. WINDSOR 3165 HOWARD AVENUE
 HOWARD & E.C. ROW EXPWY (ROUNDHOUSE CTR)
 (519)972-1772 
 
4. TORONTO-NORTH YORK 2901 BAYVIEW AVENUE
 BAYVIEW & SHEPPARD (BAYVIEW VILLAGE)
 (416)222-7658
 
5. OAKVILLE 321 CORNWALL DRIVE
 CORNWALL & TRAFALGAR
 (905)845-8100 
 
6. OTTAWA 275 RIDEAU STREET
 RIDEAU & KING EDWARD
 (613)789-5226 
 
7. TORONTO-NORTH YORK 2625D WESTON ROAD
 HWY 401 & WESTON (CROSSROADS)
 (416)243-3320 
 
8. TORONTO-CENTRAL 232 DUPONT STREET
 DUPONT & SPADINA
 (416)922-7066
 
9. KINGSTON 34 BARRACK STREET
 BARRACK & KING
 (613)549-5092
 
10. BRANTFORD 50 MARKET STREET SOUTH
 MARKET SOUTH & ICOMM
 (519)753-0541 
 
11. TORONTO-ETOBICOKE 2946 BLOOR STREET WEST
 BLOOR & ROYAL YORK (KINGSWAY)
 (416)239-3065 
 
12. WOODBRIDGE 7850 WESTON ROAD
 HWY 7 & WESTON
 (905)851-2500 
 
13. TORONTO-NORTH YORK 675 WILSON AVENUE
 WILSON & DUFFERIN
 (416)636-5349 
 
14. TORONTO-NORTH YORK 1838-1844 AVENUE ROAD
 AVENUE & LAWRENCE
 (416)785-6389
 
15. TORONTO-CENTRAL 200 BAY STREET SOUTH,
 FRONT & BAY (ROYAL BANK PLAZA)
 (416)368-9644
 
16. TORONTO-CENTRAL 415 KING STREET WEST
 KING & SPADINA
 (416)598-1482 
 
17. RICHMOND HILL 8783 YONGE STREET
 YONGE & HWY 7
 (905)886-3511 
 
18. TORONTO-CENTRAL 55 BLOOR STREET WEST
 BAY & BLOOR (MANULIFE CENTRE)
 (416)925-5266 
 
19. TORONTO-CENTRAL FIRST CANADIAN PLACE
 BAY & KING (FIRST CANADIAN PLACE)
 (416)594-9040 

NOTES:

I just purchased a 70yo Mortlach (oldest whisky in the world), I’ll keep you posted upon its arrival.

Regards,

Bill Somerville

Global Operations Director

Claymore Imports Inc.

Mail:     bill@claymoreimports.ca

We’ve just added to the site 6 Flora and Fauna Whiskies, these are all from the earlier Wooden Boxed editions.
We have – Caol Ila, Balmenach, Glenlossie, Linkwood, Rosebank, Bladnoch.

http://www.specialistwhisky.com

Take a look today!

Slainte
Craig

The 17th annual Malt Advocate Whisky Awards will be presented in the Spring 2011 issue of  Malt Advocate magazine, due out March 1st. However, we will be announcing the award winners in advance on the Malt Advocate blog, “What Does John Know?” beginning February 16th.
 
As the awards are announced, they will automatically be published to Malt Advocate magazine’s Facebook page and Publisher & Editor John Hansell’s Twitter (@JohnHansell) account.
  
The advantage of publishing the awards on the Malt Advocate blog is two-fold:

The awards can be announced more quickly via social media than in print media, and it will help to reach a wider audience.

Announcing the awards in a blog platform allows for further discussion and interaction between whisky enthusiasts, press, and trade.

“We are always trying to be as progressive as possible,” notes Hansell. “We look forward to using social media more in the future to provide Malt Advocate readers with the best whisky experience possible — one that is complementary to Malt Advocate magazine.”

The dates the category winners will be announced are:

February 16th:  Best Buy Whisk(e)y of the Year

February 17th:  Artisan Whisky of the Year

February 18th:  American Whiskey of the Year

February 19th:  Canadian Whisky of the Year

February 20th: Irish Whiskey of the Year

February 21st:  Scotch Whisky Blend of the Year

February 22nd:  Scotch Whisky Single Malt of the Year

February 23rd:   World Whisky of the Year

February 24th:  Pioneer of the Year

February 25th:  Industry Leader of the Year

February 26th:  Distillery of the Year

February 27th:  Lifetime Achievement Award
 
February 28th: Top Ten New Whiskies

Be sure to tune in to What Does John Know? beginning February 16th.

Compass Box
‘A Tale of Two Decades’ Tasting
Monday 21-Feb, 7:00pm

We’re going to be kicking off this year’s tasting calendar with an evening under the tutelage of the esteemed John Glaser, Master of all things whisky in the world of Compass Box. John and his excellent team have a long history of making real headlines in the whisky world since they burst onto the scene a decade ago, and we felt it was high time they graced our humble little tasting evenings again. The last tasting we hosted with these Chiswick champions was, unbelievably, way back in 2008, and proved to be a roaring success. We’re certain that this event will be even more spectacular.
 
For this tasting, we shall be revisiting some of the company’s legendary past bottlings (most of which are now too rare or sought-after to even think about trying to buy), alongside a selection of the more recent stars from the Compass Box stable. We will be covering about 7 different expressions or so in total, including the highly acclaimed 10th Anniversary bottlings, a certain “illegal” release from a few years back, and a very Magical whisky indeed!

Tickets for this enthralling evening of entertainment and education are priced at £30 per person, and are strictly limited to 2 places per booking. As we suspect many of you will be very eager to join us for this first tasting of 2011, we expect tickets to disappear fairly sharpish. They will go on sale from 3:00pm on Monday 14th February, available by calling us with payment details on +44 (0)207 403 8688.
 
Sláinte,

The Team

Eades Double Malt and Great Cigars — Another Great Pairing for a Great Cause
 
For our Eades Enthusiasts in DC and Northern Virginia

We are very happy to invite you to join us at Signature Cigars in DC this Thursday, February 17 from 6 to 9 p.m. for an evening of Eades Double Malt whiskies, fine cigars and relaxation…all to benefit charity! We will be pouring our Eades Double Malt whiskies for free, and there will be specials on premium cigars such as the Edicion Limitada series by Romeo and Julieta, H. Upmann, Montecristo and Trinidad. The event is free; Signature Cigars only asks that you purchase cigar(s) meeting their daily lounge minimum.

Signature Cigars and the Virginia Distillery Company are joining together for the National Power Tool Drive to support the Second Annual Plumbing Brigade trip to Cuba. Bring a new or used tool, or sponsor a new tool with a  donation. These tools will be used to provide training, renovation assistance and general collaboration with the plumbers of Cuba.

We hope to see you Thursday!

Signature Cigars of DC
4835 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016
202.244.6040

Suggested Tools to bring:

– Pipe threaders (1/2″-2″)
– Galvanized Pipe cutters
– CPVC Pipe cutters
– Pipe wrenches (14″,16″,18″)
– Power Drills
– Chipping Hammers,
– Levels (8″,12″,18″)
– Tape Measures (3, 5, 7, 10 Meters)
– Basin wrenches (1/2″-2″ pipe)
– Pipe Vises
 
 Pat Jones
Virginia Distillery Company

PRESENTS

Whisky Tasting at Truxtons   

Thursday March 3, 2011 at 6:30pm Program starts promptly at 7:00pm   
    
8611 Truxton Avenue
Westchester, CA 90045
Phone 310-417-8789
www.truxtonsamericanbistro.com  

Whisky tasting paired with  Hors d’oeuvres   
 
Cragganmore 1997   13 yr
Signatory Vintage 92 proof

limited single cask release

Ripe & juicy honey dew with
nutty, savory swiss cheese

Mortlach 1997   12yr
Signatory Vintage  86 proof

Only available as an independent release!

Toasted french baguette topped with
vine ripe tomato brushetta

Glen Grant 1997 12yr
Signatory Vintage 86 proof

Limited Single Cask expression

Rich and creamy sharp cheddar cheese with sliced bread

Isle of Skye  8yr  86 proof

2010 Blended Scotch of the Year- about.com

Ripe tangerines with a hint of salt 

Eades Speyside Doube Malt  92 proof
Finished in Tempranillo and Madeira Casks

Margherita pizza – grilled thin crust pizza dough topped with marinara sauce, fresh ripe tomatoes, garlic, basil, and
smoked mozzarella cheese

Amrut Fusion  100 proof

97pts – Whisky Bible 2010, ranked 3rd best whisky in the World

Hand rolled taquitos filled with tender brisket, served with guacamole & topped with cilantro, chipotle cream and cotija cheese

Kilchoman  92 proof

First distillery built on Islay in over 100 years, reviewed in the Feb 2011 Wine Spectator, Marinated kalamatta olives served with fresh smoked salmon.

Hogshead Pure Malt  86 proof

1/3 Islay,  2/3 Speyside Pure Malt

Sliced prosciutto with creamy, soft blue cheese

Edradour 10yr,  86 proof

“Scotland’s Smallest Distillery” Reviewed in the Feb 2011 Wine Spectator Chocolate brownie slices smothered in dark chocolate sauce.   
 
 Only $55.00 includes tasting,

Hors d’oeuvres, tax and gratuity

Space is limited, so call us at 310-306-2822 or visit us at www.BeverageWarehouse.com to sign up.

Wine selection / vintages subject to change without notice. There is a 72 hour cancellation period without charge.
Must be 21 yrs of age or older to attend.

Whisky Review 184 2/2 – Aberfeldy 1989/2007 Gordon&Macphail (C.C.)

… at ralfy.com now showing how to rectify a Whisky which comes in “below the line”.

EARLY TIMES MINT JULEP ARTIST SEARCH CONTEST WINNER SELECTED

Marita Walizer of Oklahoma City, OK will have artwork featured on 2011 Kentucky Derby® bottle

Churchill Downs®, Kentucky Derby® and the Twin Spires design are registered trademarks of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

For the past 24 years, the Early Times Mint Julep has proudly served as the “Official Drink of the Kentucky Derby®” with a commemorative artwork bottle released for the past 13 of those 24 years. Walizer’s winning artwork will be featured on this year’s Early Times Mint Julep commemorative bottle. In addition, she will receive $5,000 and a trip for two to the 2011 Kentucky Derby.

For 11 of the 12 commemorative bottles, the paintings of Celeste Susany had graced the bottle. 2010 marked her final year with her masterwork entitled “A Golden Moment” featuring the field of contenders galloping along the back stretch while the twin spires stand majestically in the background. With 2010 marking Susany’s final year of doing the artwork for the commemorative bottle, Early Times gave consumers the opportunity to submit their own, original artwork for the chance to be featured on the 2011 Kentucky Derby bottle. Consumers logged on to the Early Times website and submitted their “What Derby Means to Me” artwork.

“It’s an incredible honor to have my artwork selected to be on the Early Times Mint Julep commemorative bottle,” said Walizer. “I grew up in Louisville and have been around horses my whole life so this really is a dream to have my artwork chosen and to attend the Kentucky Derby.”

During this year’s Derby week, more than 120,000 Early Times Mint Juleps are expected to be served at Churchill Downs®. Over the past 24 years, more than 2.5 million Early Times Mint Juleps have been served between Kentucky Oaks® and Derby Days at Churchill Downs. This year’s Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands will take place Saturday, May 7, 2011.

The newly labeled one-liter pre-mix bottle will begin hitting shelves in early April. It will be available in limited quantities throughout the United States for a suggested retail price of $14.99.

About Early Times Kentucky Whisky:

Early Times Kentucky Whisky, 40% ABV, is the “Official Drink of the Kentucky Derby” made at the Brown-Forman Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky. Early Times Kentucky Whisky is one of the fine spirits produced and marketed by Brown-Forman Corporation, a diversified producer and marketer of fine quality consumer products, including Jack Daniel’s, Southern Comfort, Finlandia Vodka, Tequila Herradura, el Jimador Tequila, Woodford Reserve, Canadian Mist, Old Forester, Fetzer Wines and Korbel California Champagnes.  Early Times reminds you to drink responsibly. For more information on Early Times Kentucky Whisky visit www.earlytimes.com.

About Churchill Downs®:

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875.  Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 7, 2011. The track’s 2011 Spring Meet is scheduled for April 30-July 4.  Churchill Downs has hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships a record seven times and the event will return to the track for its next renewal on Nov. 4-5. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.

Louisville, Ky (February 11, 2011) – The first Early Times Mint Julep Artist Search Contest has concluded and a winner has been selected. After receiving dozens of entries from across the country, Marita Walizer of Oklahoma City, OK was chosen as the winner for her artwork entitled “Derby Cheers”.

Dear Customer,

We don’t know how you think about traditional Scotch whisky, but certainly images of big green valleys, fireside armchairs and tartan may well spring to mind. However, whilst the old school distilleries will always be popular, a few modern malt makers are experimenting with a range of unusual methods, and one of the most interesting of which is “cask-finishing”.

Cask finishing involves ageing the whisky in a standard sherry or bourbon cask, before moving it into an unusual cask for the latter part of its ageing period.

The result of all this experimentation is a number of utterly unbelievable whiskies. With this in mind we’re going to look at 5 of the best and most interesting wine-aged whiskies from recent years.

Cheers!

– The Chaps at Master of Malt –

——————————————————————————–
 
Mixing Grape with Grain

Five of our very favourite wine-finished whiskies from recent years…

Edradour Sassicaia Straight from the Cask –You can’t discuss wine finishes without mentioning Scotland’s smallest distillery, Edradour. Their whisky is a little unusual to begin with (rum-like, very thick and sweet), so it lends itself to experimentation. The Straight from the Cask range is one of the best examples of wine and whisky working together and this particular example was finished for two years in a Sassicaia hogshead. The cask came from Italian wine producer Tenuta San Guido, and their Super-Tuscan, Sassicaia, is one of Italy’s foremost “Bordeaux-style” reds. It is even rumoured that San Guido creates their wine using vines that originated from Château Lafite Rothschild! Buy a bottle for £40.95

Bruichladdich First Growth Cuvée E: Sauternes – Bruichladdich are a bit like the self-appointed kings of the wine finish and their Master Distiller Jim McEwan has an insatiable appetite for trying out new things. The First Growth range was a selection of six malts, which were finished in wine casks from France’s most legendary wineries. Our favourite example – and by far the most popular of the range – is the Sauternes finish. The casks came from none other than the First Growth wine maker Château d’Yquem – heralded as one of the world’s very best producers of dessert wines. Buy a bottle for £46.95

Arran Madeira Cask Finish  – One of Scotland’s youngest distilleries, Arran was founded in 1995. Critics like Jim Murray regular comment on how wonderful Arran’s malty, citrusy whisky can be and we just love this particular example, which was finished off in a cask that previously held Madeira wine! Madeira is a fortified wine from the islands of the same name and it’s marvellously rich and spicy – particularly good in the Winter months! Buy a bottle for £34.95

Springbank 12 Year Old Claret Wood– The great Campbeltown distillery, Springbank distilled this in May 1997 and finished it for 3 years in fresh Claret wine casks. The result is a single malt that offers the oily coastal character of Springbank, with the oaky, supple mouthfeel of a top quality red Bordeaux – well worth a try! Buy a bottle for £38.95

BenRiach 18 Year Old Gaja Barolo Wood Finish – Speyside’s BenRiach distillery is very creative and it’s one of the few distilleries in the region to experiment with peat, and of course wine-finishes! One fine malt that really stood out for us was their Barolo finished 18 year old. The Barolo casks came from “the undisputed king of Barbaresco”, Angelo Gaja, whose world famous wintery produces some of the finest Italian reds you’ll ever try. Buy a bottle for £48.95 

Visit Master of Malt at www.masterofmalt.com  

Visit Single Malts Direct at www.singlemaltsdirect.com