Smokehead Takes Gold at San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Hot on the heels of a Gold Medal for its explosive, peaty flavours from the highly respected Beverage Testing Institute (BTI), SMOKEHEAD, has been honoured with another Gold Medal, this time from the prestigious expert judging panel at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Deemed the most influential and respected spirits competition in the world the SFWSC honoured Smokehead, the powerful Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Ian Macleod Distillers, for its innovative, edgy packaging. This great design award perfectly compliments the recent BTI International Review of Spirits win, in which Smokehead was awarded an ‘Exceptional’ rating of 91/100 for taste.

Celebrating its 10th year, the 2010 SFWSC was the biggest in its history with 30 judges gathering in downtown San Francisco in March to recognise excellence in spirits. The judging panel, comprising of spirits experts from noted restaurants and hotels, spirits journalists, buyers and consultants, evaluated 1024 different spirits from 58 countries.

Iain Weir, Marketing Director for Ian Macleod Distillers, commented; “We are thrilled that the style and individuality of Smokehead’s packaging has been recognised by such an esteemed judging panel.

“Smokehead has enjoyed a number of successes recently by combining high quality and unique flavours with the product’s standout designer packaging. It has also proved popular with its target market of the young, discerning and adventurous ‘modern drinker’.” 

Since launching in 2006, Smokehead Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky has won a number of awards for both its eye-catching packaging and balanced, seaweedy flavours, including two Gold Medals from BTI in the 2009 International Review of Spirits Packaging Competition, the Scottish Field Whisky Challenge Gold Medal, Wine & Spirits Design Awards for Best Dark Spirit and the overall Trophy for Design of the Year.

Described as being like a cannonball, Smokehead is an explosive combination of peat, smoke and spice with some delicate sweetness. The single malt flavour is described as fresh, fruity and immense, with notes of sherry, iodine, toffee, smoke and sea salt.  The taste hits the palate at once with cocoa, peat and some honey sweetness, before exploding with peppery spice and more earthy peat. Other products in the range include the Smokehead Extra Rare 1 litre bottle (Travel Retail Exclusive) and the premium 18 Years Old Smokehead Extra Black.

Smokehead is available worldwide, details of stockists can be found on the website www.smokehead.co.uk for inquiries in the U.S see www.impexbev.com 

Curious to discover more, visit www.smokehead.co.uk or visit www.sfspiritscomp.com

Smokehead Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky encourages responsible drinking

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

The Spirit of Whisky Fringe 2010 was not won by Bruichladdich.

Having won it twice before, the winner of this year’s whisky tasting organised by Royal Mile Whiskies during Edinburgh’s Fringe festival, was another Islay single malt, Bunnahabhain’s excellent 25 year old.

126 whiskies were tasted and voted on by the Edinburgh public.

The Whisky Fringe 2010 top ten was:

1. Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old
2. Old Pulteney 17 Year Old
3. Caledonian 1965 Clan Denny
4. Glenmorangie Signet
5. Bruichladdich 17 Year Old Rum Cask
6. Bruichladdich x4 +3
7. Balvenie 17 Year Old Madeira
8. Port Ellen 1979 Old & Rare
9. Springbank 18 Year Old
10. Glenfarclas 40 Year Old

Note in 6th position, out of 126 entrants, ahead of 18 year old Springbank and 40 year old Glenfarclas, is Bruichladdich X4+3.  Yes, our pioneering, quadruple distilled 3 year old single malt. (Hey! What about #5, Bruichladdich 17 Year Old Rum Cask?).

Indeed, this is the very same whisky that was famously referred to as “not cooking oil. Not diesel oil. Sewing machine oil” by whisky character Charlie McLean in a stitch-up tasting with a bunch of boozy Times hacks earlier this year in Edinburgh in a deliberate myschievous attempt to be controversial on Burns’ Night.

Who’s laughing now.

Visit the mildly irritated Bruichladdich at www.bruichladdich.com

Here’s hoping the summer finds you warm and well. We Diurachs know that ‘Scottish Summer’ is a contradiction in terms, but at least all the rain is great for making whisky!

The start of the summer brought us a whisky festival to remember. A big thanks if you joined us online to watch our Boutique Barrels tasting. Willie Tait thinks the Oscar’s in the bag for him! If you missed it, don’t worry, it’s still available to view here; http://tinyurl.com/jura-video. And a big thank you if you made the trip west to the island, joined us in our festivities and helped select the very special Island Exclusive malt. But more about this later.

We recently enjoyed the island’s annual sports day and the regatta. Both gave everyone an excuse – as if one is ever needed – to raise a glass of Diurach’s Own to the gallant winners! Again you can check out the photos on the Island Life section of our website http://www.isleofjura.com/island-life.aspx.

The next big event to look forward to is the music festival on JURA – centre stage will be a glimpse of our Island Exclusive malt. If you were one of the 180 friends who took part in the selection process you’ll be pleased to know that cask 30 was the winner and we expect to get about 490 bottles from it – all of which will remain on the island. (Of course we’ll be keeping a couple of bottles under the counter for honorary Diurachs and the friends who helped select it at the festival.)

If you haven’t been on our website recently you might not know that Cath and Andy are the new owners of the Jura Hotel, the ONLY hotel and pub on Jura. I popped over the road for wee a dram and we shared a few ideas on how we could create a home away from home for our friends all over the world! We decided the best way to welcome you into our community would be to offer a free dram of our beloved malt, every month at the Jura Pub, for life! Also starting Monday 6th September you will be able to take part in the Jura Pub Quiz online, and test your knowledge of our beloved island and malt! Make sure you log on as there is some great whisky to be won including a very special bottle of JURA 1974!

We realise that Jura is deemed to be an un-get-at-able place and to allow you to experience the wonderful life on Jura as “honorary Diurachs” we’ve worked with our friends on the island to make it easier than ever before for you to experience our island. And don’t worry if you won’t be here often, we have other plans that will make it worth your while!

Slainte

Willie Cochrane
Jura Distillery Manager

P.S. To make the most of your life as a Diurach visit www.isleofjura.com and see how good life on the island can be! If you have friends or family who also share your passion for Jura whisky and might like to become honorary Diurachs send them to www.isleofjura.com where they’ll discover more about our mystical isle.

Fancy a taste of the 40 year old Whyte & Mackay? Fancing winning a £550 bottle?

Rumour reaches me that there’s some fun being planned for me at WhiskyLive in Glasgow in September with free drams being handed out to anyone who comes along looking like me – and the best Richard-a-like getting a £550 bottle of the Whyte & Mackay 40 year old.

Even if you can’t make it along, you can join in the fun. Post a picture online of trying your best to look like me and I’ll pick one and send them a signed bottle of the 40 year old. Feel free to even post a link to your pic in the comments section below…( at http://tinyurl.com/2evoqv6 )

Of course, now that I know about this, it would serve you all right if I shaved my ‘tache off on the morning of Whisky Live!

Online Special Offer
10% OFF every purchase
 
ONLY 7 DAYS LEFT!!
 
So what are you waiting for!!!!
Visit our website today
 
www.robbiesdrams.com

30ltr & 50ltr Casks of whisky for sale!!!

Dear Friend

Thank you for taking an interest in our company and for signing up to receive advanced warning of new releases from St George’s Distillery.

First things first, you may or may not have heard that we recently had a fire here at the distillery. No need to panic though as no one was hurt and most importantly none of the whisky was damaged! You’ll be pleased to know everything is running as normal, we are still open 10:00am until 5:30pm for the shop and tours and we are still making our whisky.

The reason we are writing to you today is that we have a limited number of 30 & 50 litre casks for sale, filled with our 3 year old single malt whisky. These will be sold at cask strength and will be both un-chillfiltered and have no artificial colouring. The price for the 30ltr cask will be £1200 and the 50ltr cask will be £1800, this works out to be less than £20 per bottle @46% and you get to keep the barrel. On a first come, first served basis, customers will have the option of these casks containing peated or unpeated whisky. These prices include the cask, contents, all taxes paid and delivery to mainland England which means these are exceedingly good value.

Our 30ltr cask is already on our website to buy www.englishwhisky.co.uk and our 50ltr cask will be following shortly. Please note that these won’t be ready for delivery until November 2010.

We strongly recommend that you collect your cask, whilst we are very cautious choosing the couriers we use – you will definitely take more care on the journey home than even the best courier.

Kind Regards
Andrew Nelstrop
English Whisky Co. Ltd
St George’s Distillery
Harling Road
Roudham
Norfolk
NR16 2QW
Email: info@englishwhisky.co.uk
Web: www.englishwhisky.co.uk
Tel: +44 1953 717939

WHISKY ON THE HUDSON
August 26, 2010, 7:00-10:30
Pier 59, West 23rd Street New York, NY

Join us for the Whisky on the Hudson, one of the premier whisky events in the Tri-State Area. We host Whiskey enthusiasts enjoy the opportunity to sample from more than 150 rare and exclusive whiskies,  by distillery managers and master blenders from Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and Japan.

Boarding Time: 7:00-7:30
Sail Time: 7:30-10:30

SHIP : CORNUCOPIA MAJESTY

Last chance for tickets http://www.whiskyguild.com/tasting_dc.html

Item Number 300456699703

An opportunity for the collector of rare and unusual whisky bottles. Bottle No1 of 222 bottles taken from cask No. 6966, a 28 yo hogshead of Inchgower distilled on the 30th of June 1982 and bottled on the 5th of August 2010 at cask strength 50.7% abv.  It was bottled by the lads at Bladnoch Distillery ably assisted by Ralfy whilst all the time continuing to run his video camera. Although Raymond and Ralfy have both signed the bottle, Raymond takes no responsibility for the angle at which Ralfy applied the label, no alcohol having been consumed during the filming.

The bottling process has been recorded for posterity in one of Ralfy’s famous UTube videos and the proceeds will go to a local old folks charity in Wigtown, so bid as generously as you can (a very old Wigtown Charity called the Wigtown Players who provide Christmas dinner for old folk).

To view the bottling process at Bladnoch visit;  http://whiskyreviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/bladnoch-forum-bottling-factory.html

To view the ebay auction visit;
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/28yo-Inchgower-UTube-bottle-signed-Ralfy-Raymond-/300456699703?pt=UK_Collectables_Bottle_Pots_ET

Ralfy & Raymond

In a burst of energy Ralfy is dashing around Scotland; “just recorded a three-part at Daftmill with Francis to go on-line later this year, included a warehouse nosing review! … interesting stuff !” and “New this week at www.ralfy.com  …whisky review #146 – Penderyn Welsh Whisky“. (Yes, we know Penderyn is not in Scotland).

“Also look out for three Flash-Vlogs relating to the unique Bladnoch Forum Inchgower on e-bay ! (This is part of the ‘Scotland dashing’).

Blended Scotch Whisky On Sale

J & B Rare 70cl Save £3 Was £16.99  Now £13.99
Monkey Shoulder 70cl Save £3 Was £22.99 Now £19.99

Scotch Whisky MALTS On Sale

Malt of the Month (when it’s gone, it’s gone…)
Aberlour 10yo 70cl Save £7 Was £26.99 Now £19.99

Cragganmore 12yo 70cl Save £5 £29.99 £24.99
Glenkinchie 12yo 70cl Save £6 £32.99 £26.99
Talisker 10yo 70cl Save £5 £33.99 £28.99
Singleton Dufftown 12yo 70cl Save £6 £33.99 £27.99

Information below about some of the tastings going on in the Edinburgh stores as part of the Edinburgh festival.

(From Rebecca at Oddbins);

Our Royal Mile store will be holding in-branch tastings, which are free of charge. Malt suppliers will be coming to each of the tastings and showing their malts, so do feel free to pop along and sample. The store is having malt tastings every day except Sundays, until the 5th of September. They take place in the afternoons between 1 and 5pm. I have included their address and phone number; do feel free to contact them (or Annabelle and I) with any questions::

Royal Mile Store
223 High Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1PE
0131 220 3516

In addition, our Queensferry Street store is holding a paid malt tasting tomorrow at 7:30pm (August 25th). It takes place at the address below and the tickets are £15:

The Magnum
1 Albany Street
EH1 3PY

For any any further details, please feel free to call the store on 01312267589.

Finally, please see below a selection of additional malts on promotion for the Edinburgh festival. This promotion will run until the 12th of September and will apply to all Scottish stores.

Caol Ila 12yo, £26.99, reduced from £31.99, save £5

AnCnoc 16yo, £32.99, reduced from £42.99, save £10

Old Pulteney 17yo, £39.99, reduced from £49.99, save £10

Macallan Fine Oak 10yo, £24.99, reduced from £29.99, save £5

AnCnoc 12yo, £22.99, reduced from £27.99, save £5

Benriach 15yo, £31.99, reduced from £36.99, save £5

Dalwhinnie 15yo, £28.99, reduced from £33.99, save £5

Glenkinchie 12yo, £26.99, reduced from £32.99, save £6