The Federal Wine Black Friday (& Saturday) Sale

Carefully Selected Great Values

The Way It Works:

You need not come to the store!! Order by email or phone. Prices good till Saturday Midnight only or available stock is sold. Sale prices net per bottle. First come, first served. Some items will not be available for pickup or shipping until Tuesday. Call before coming in. Payment Must be Made with Order. Sale is for Pickup or One Delivery to one location only by Sat Dec 4

Malts

Joe writes

Glenfarclas reigns supreme!!!

Glenfarclas 40 Y.O. 43% Sale Price $499.99 – Reg. 549.99
Absolutely Stunning, there is not enough that I can say about this single malt. This bottle was rated very highly with critics and reviewers and could have been sold for $2000 – $2500. It is a Single Malt Scotch that is fit for a King or a Queen and you do not have buy the castle.

Glenfarclas 17 Y.O. 43% Sale Price $99.99 – Reg. 109.99

Port Ellen has been closed as a distillery since 1983 but now acts only as a maltster supplying all of the malted barley for the Islay distilleries, except The Bruichladdich Distillery.  Port Ellen America has only received 3 releases and this year none of the 2010 Release From what I have been told there will only be two more. I think at a huge price tag, I hope I am wrong. If you do not want to gamble and just want to drink some great single malt. Port Ellen 29 Y.O. 55.3% $415 NET ( Tasting Notes Call or email Joe)

Gordon & MacPhail Speymalt Macallan 1972 34 Y.O. 43% This line of single malts has been so precious to me, I have seen so many smiling faces, tell me of a wonderful night tasting this single malt. ( Tasting Notes Call Joe) Speymalt Macallan 1972 34 – 35 Y.O. Reg.$ 325 – $279.99

Len Rothenberg
Federal Wine & Spirits

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Email: info@federalwine.com
Phone: (617) 367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/

Glengoyne 21 Years Old Wins Gold at Scottish Field Whisky Challenge

Caption: Alan Wardrop, UK Sales Manager for Ian Macleod Distillers collects the Gold Award for Glengoyne 21 Years Old.

Glengoyne 21 Years Old has scooped a prestigious gold award at the highly respected Scottish Field Whisky Challenge for the third year in a row underlining its consistent, exceptional quality.

The panel of expert judges, which include Richard Joynson of Loch Fyne Whiskies, Keir Sword of Royal Mile Whiskies and Darren Leitch, of The Whisky Shop group, rated Glengoyne 21 Years Old in the £30 – £75 category for its “Well balanced palate and pleasant finish”. Judge Tatsuya Minagawa, Whisky Bar Manager at the Highland Inn, commented that the whisky had a “Soft warm and creamy nose with a good level of sherry and weak coffee. Creamy to taste with a delicious and complex finish.”

Launched in 2001, the SFWC, is a ‘blind’ tasting of Scotch whiskies and universally acknowledged as one of the most significant taste tests with an esteemed panel of judges.

Alan Wardrop, UK Sales Manager for Ian Macleod Distiller’s, commented: “It is a real honour to be so highly commended by a team of such well respected judges. It really is testimony to Glengoyne’s craftsmanship and heritage passed down over the generations, including the slowest distillation process of any Scotch whisky, that makes our whisky stand out.”

Glengoyne fought off stiff competition from Big Peat, Strathisla 30 Years Old and Glen Grant 25 Years Old to take the Gold Award with a score of 3.83 out of 5.

Richard Bath, Editor of Scottish Field said of the competition: “This is the 10th year of the Scottish Field Whisky Challenge and a landmark moment for us. The reason for the awards success has been its unimpeachable credibility.

“Any whisky that appears in these pages is guaranteed to be a gold standard dram.”

Glengoyne Distillery earlier this year announced a new long-term marketing initiative based on the concept “SLOW” centred on Glengoyne’s distillation speed, which is SLOWER than any other Scotch Whisky. Glengoyne attributes its high quality, smooth tasting malt to its slow distillation, which is about one third the normal rate. Glengoyne 21 Years Old uses 100% first fill European Oak Sherry Casks and, as with all Glengoyne bottlings, is natural colour.

Only the slowest distillation process, untainted by peat smoke, creates Glengoyne THE REAL TASTE OF MALT.

For further details on stockist and distribution details for Glengoyne, contact Alan Wardrop, UK Sales Manager, Ian Macleod Distillers.

For further information visit: www.glengoyne.com

For more information on the Scottish Field Whisky Challenge see www.scottishfield.co.uk/statistic/w/

Ian Macleod Distillers encourages responsible drinking

www.drinkaware.co.uk  www.scotch-whisky.org.uk 

Aberlour 10yo (43%, OB, +/-2008)

Please note that in higher tax markets such as the UK and some parts of Europe that the 10yo standard bottling is normally available at 40% ABV while the North American bottling is available at 43% ABV, a difference of +/-7%.

The nose is clean with fruit, vanilla, caramel and a significant amount of oak notes in the form of alcohol infused cold tea and apricot. A little hand warming brings out more of the same however intensified with the addition of a little citrus and malt. After some time in the glass it opens up to reveal some increased sweetness. The taste is malty backed by bourbon notes, some sherry sweetness along with some raw tobacco and leather. Despite the 43% it is not an aggressive mouth feel and the spicy wood notes grow in complexity. It’s very tasty whisky! The finish is long with bitter dark chocolate, the oak spiciness and is quite dry and is, like the taste, quite complex. After a number of minutes there is still some chewy malt present…

A cracker of a malt with lots going on and a good value as well.

$49

Score 86 Points

Aberlour 10yo (43%, OB, ‘Sherry Cask Finish’, +/-2008)

An unusual departure for the Aberlour distillery in that their 10yo has been finished in a sherry cask(s) for an undisclosed period of time. And a bit of a secret itself since it’s only available in France, the Whisky Exchange in London and rumored to also be available at the distillery. The core range for Aberlour features the 10yo, 10yo Sherry Cask Finish, the 12yo Double Cask Matured, the 16yo Double Cask Matured and the 18yo.

The nose is rich and creamy along with some good fruit in the form of light Christmas cake, warm banana (hints of), pear and then hints of heather. There is some added complexity over the standard 10yo (which is hardly a shock, finishing is done for extra complexity). The taste is richer in the mouth and smoother than the standard 10yo and the turbo fruit boost from the sherry casks is a nice addition. The pears really jump out and the raw tobacco and leather are muted below the sherry. There is also some really good malt lurking in there. Nice. The finish is much like the standard 10yo and is quite dry however this does not last very long as the fruit takes over and offers a calming influence. The finish is quite long and fragrant but the malt has been slightly muted as compared to the standard 10yo, more fruit however.

Another excellent single malt from Aberlour; perhaps we’ll this version more widely available. But for pities sake keep the 43%!

£49

Score 88 points

It's the two bottles on the LEFT! <---- <-----

No! It's the TWO on the left!!!

GLENDRONACH DISTILLERY TARGETS CORPORATE SECTOR
 
FOUNDED by the Scottish entrepreneur James Allardice in 1826, Forgue’s GlenDronach distillery shows it’s just as enterprising today…by hiring out its historic premises to the corporate sector.
 
Marketing Manager Kerry White explained: “As well as being an award-winning malt whisky distillery, GlenDronach is also an excellent corporate events venue. So if companies are seeking somewhere fun, memorable and unique, we’re the perfect choice for that perfect event.
 
“Whether it’s a corporate lunch, meeting, conference, product launch, incentive, in-house training or team-building day, our recently-refurbished facility will provide a very comfortable and enjoyable environment for hosting that special event. We can comfortably accommodate up to thirty people Monday-Friday all year round.”
 
She added: “Research shows that workers who are happy and who feel valued make good companies even better. We can help create that special “feelgood” factor for organisations that want to motivate, entertain or innovate, and we’re offering a professional service, expert planning, some wonderful malts and of course a phenomenal location.
 
“GlenDronach, with its twenty acres of ground, nestles in the valley of Forgue amidst rolling hills which are home to some of the most breathtaking scenery in Scotland. It’s peaceful, calming and far from the madding crowd – yet only fifty minutes from Aberdeen. With atmospheric historic stone buildings, an 18th century cobbled courtyard and many of the time-honoured distilling methods still intact, GlenDronach is the jewel in Aberdeenshire’s crown.”
 
Facilities include a flexible conference room, presentation facilities and broadband Internet access plus friendly staff and excellent food. And as it’s a distillery, there’s a range of tours and opportunities for whisky sampling and expert talks on whisky production and distilling.

Visit GlenDronach Distillery at www.glendronachdistillery.com

VIP PRIZE DRAW WINNER DRAWN

On the 15th of October we randomly drew a name from the Warehouse 24 membership as the winner of our VIP trip to The Balvenie Distillery.

We are delighted to announce the winner as Jeff Goldrich from New Jersey, USA.

Jeff, who has been a member of Warehouse 24 for two years, has been a fan of malt whiskies for 15 years now, after being introduced to the world of whisky by a friend.

His first dram was Dewar’s, but his favourite Balvenie is our 12 year old DoubleWood.

Jeff, who works in the world of finance, is married with two children. He hopes to visit in May and will be joined by his wife Marie.

I very much look forward to meeting Jeff and Marie, and showing them around our distillery.

If you are in the Speyside area and want to visit us, take the tour and enjoy a generous nosing and tasting of The Balvenie range, simply arrange it using our online booking tool.

Look forward to seeing you in person some day.

Slainte mhath,

David Mair

The Balvenie Distillery Ambassador

THE BALVENIE DISTILLERY COMPANY LIMITED
Balvenie Maltings, Dufftown, Banffshire, Scotland AB55 4BB
www.thebalvenie.com

With Black Friday approaching, Old Forester, America’s First Bottled Bourbon and the brand who celebrates “Firsts” with you, has created the “Official Cocktail of Black Friday”. Old Forester encourages you to be the FIRST shopper out the door in the morning and the FIRST person home in the afternoon who has their shopping completed for the holiday season so you can then sit back and relax with the Old Forester Black Friday Cocktail. Cheers!

The Black Friday

1.5 oz Old Forester Bourbon

1 oz Ginger ale

2 oz Cola

Squeeze of lime

Garnish with crushed lime.

Note that the green lime represents your money that has been crushed from shopping.

Love life. Sip responsibly.

Old Forester Straight Bourbon Whisky, 43-50% Alc. by Volume, Brown-Forman Distillers Company, Louisville, KY 2010

Cooley Named Best Distillery in Europe for Third Consecutive Year

Chairman John Teeling hails export industries as key to Ireland’s recovery

Cooley Distillery, Ireland’s only independent distillery, has been named European Distiller of the Year for the third consecutive year at the annual International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) banquet held in London.

Cooley Distillery Founder and Chairman, John Teeling believes that Cooley’s achievements throughout the downturn are proof positive that the exporting and marketing of quality Irish produce will drive the recovery of the Irish economy.

John Teeling, Chairman, commented, “While the state and the economic commentators work to rearrange the chairs on the deck of the Titanic, the rest of us are getting on with what needs to be done to bring us back from the brink.

This award, Cooley’s for the third time in a row, demonstrates three things; the value of Irish businessmen building world class internationally competitive businesses; the indisputable fact that Irish workers can produce products of the highest quality and the ability of young Irish road warriors to market our products and gain market share in tough markets around the world.

Our sales in over 40 countries around the world clearly illustrates that the future lies in the exports of Irish owned wealth producers. This award proves it can be done.”

Cooley’s continuing international acclaim has been driven by its commitment to innovation and its focus on exporting its portfolio of award winning whiskeys to over 40 countries around the world.

Despite the downturn, Cooley’s focus on export markets has enabled the company to continue to be profitable and has invested €6.5 million in the infrastructure of their two distilleries – Cooley Distillery in County Louth and the Old Kilbeggan Distillery in County Westmeath.

This latest accolade follows 10 gold medals from the IWSC in July of this year and Cooley Distillery being named Distillery of the Year by Malt Advocate, the leading whisky magazine in North America.

To date Cooley has won the European Distiller of the Year title three times (2008, 2009, 2010), been named World Distiller of the Year by the IWSC (2008) and in 2009 Cooley’s Kilbeggan 15-year-old blended whiskey collected the prestigious Brown Forman Trophy for Worldwide Whiskey of the Year.

List of Gold Medals at the 2010 IWSC

§ Gold Medal & Best in Class, Kilbeggan 15 Year Old Blended Irish Whiskey

§ Gold Medal & Best in Class, Tyrconnell Single Malt

§ Gold Medal & Best in Class, Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Sherry Finish Single Malt

§ Gold Medal & Best in Class, Tyrconnell 15 Year Old Single Cask Single Malt

§ Gold Medal & Best in Class, Connemara Sherry Finish Peated Single Malt

§ Gold Medal & Best in Class, Connemara 12 Year Old Peated Single Malt

§ Gold Medal & Best in Class, Greenore 8 Year Old Single Grain

§ Gold Medal & Best in Class, Greenore 15 Year Old Single Grain

§ Gold Medal & Best in Class, Lockes 8 Year Old Single Malt

§ Gold Medal, Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Madeira Finish Single Malt
 
For More Information

Jack Teeling

Managing Director

Cooley Distillery

Notes

Cooley Distillery is the only independent Irish whiskey distillery. Established in 1987, Cooley takes its name from the location of its distillery, situated at the foothills of the Cooley mountains, in Co. Louth. Cooley has an awarding winning portfolio of Irish whiskeys including Kilbeggan Irish whiskey, Tyrconnell Single Malt, Connemara Peated Single Malt and Greenore Single Grain Irish whiskey. To learn more about Cooley Distillery visit www.cooleywhiskey.com.

The International Wine and Spirit Competition is the premier competition of its kind in the world. Its aim is to promote the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs. All wines, spirits and liqueurs are blind tasted in groups divided by variety, region and vintage. Awards are made on a points system and sponsored trophies are presented in selected categories. Technical analysis is carried out on Gold, Gold (Best in Class), Silver (Best in Class) award winning wines, spirits and liqueurs to ensure that all products are technically sound and will be of the same high quality when they reach the consumer as they were when the judging panels originally tasted them. For more information visit: www.iwsc.net

Balblair NAS 1989 (43%, OB, +/-2010) 

The 2nd edition 1989 batch made up of 37 casks of 2nd fill ex-bourbon.

The nose is of tinned fruit cocktail & hints of vanilla, syrup,  and pears. Once again an extremely pleasing collection of aromas that work well together. After some time in the glass a little tobacco comes through (cured but not lit). The taste delicious! Oak notes and sweetness all backed by a little tobacco & a hint of citrus hovering in the back ground. The 2nd sip confirms the 1st & still very good the extra oompf from the wood notes adds another dimension. Dusty malt and tobacco backed by some fruit (pineapple or grapefruit). The finish the wood notes 1st, then the sweet fruit in syrup and then malt & the tobacco notes delicious! The finish is quite long & very good, very complex, active certainly NOT a boring dram, exceptional.

Another cracker from Balblair.

£44

Score 89

Visit Balblair Distillery at www.balblair.com

Whisky Weekend II (WWII)
Don’t mention the…Whisky Weekend.
I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it all right!

£70(tbc) = 3 Days in Speyside!!!

DETAILS OF WWII:

Departure will be 9.30am on Friday 3rd December. Back on Sunday 5th Afternoon. £35 deposit required. (by Wednesday 24th be ideal). Very limited seats (12 seats).

Regular members will be first to get tickets. Over 18s only. We are also going to try and have 50/50 female-male ratio (this is just to simplify the hostel booking). Please book if you are 100% sure of coming. 5-6 distilleries to visit, nights out in Inverness + Baxters. One minibus. 2 nights in Inverness. Total will be £70(tbc) – Full amount by Wednesday 1st December. Cost of trip will be for accommodation, visits and Saturday Dinner!! (lunches, drinks and bottles of whisky will be at own expense).

Miss it. Miss out.

University of Aberdeen Malt Whisky Society
The Butchart Centre
University Road
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire AB24 3UT
aberdeenwhisky@googlemail.com

DRAMFEST 2011 is ready to go!

New Zealands Premier whisky fest is ready to kick off on Feb 25th 2011, after a succesfull start in 2007 with a great event in 2009, 2011 has come around fast and tickets are flying.

Join us for DramFest’11 www.dramfest.co.nz