BUSHMILLS MASTER DISTILLER ANNOUNCES FINAL NINE IN GLOBAL CHALLENGE
 
Bushmills Master Distiller Colum Egan today announced the names of the nine contenders who will represent their countries in the international finals of a Bushmills Irish Whiskey® competition that has attracted the interest of tens of thousands of people around the globe.
 
The finalists from the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, South Africa, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Bulgaria will be competing for their chance of glory in the Make it at Bushmills finals later this month. The overall winner will be announced on Thursday 26 August at an awards dinner in the village of Bushmills on Ireland’s stunning north coast.
 
The line-up for the finals was decided by votes, cast by members of the public, on Facebook, for the hundreds of contenders who originally entered the competition. Launched in the New York Stock Exchange on St Patrick’s Day, it offers a prize of a 30 day stay in Bushmills, a chance to be the first person ever from outside the distillery staff to create a new blend of one of the world’s best loved Irish whiskeys, a month’s luxury penthouse accommodation in Ireland and £5,000 spending money.
 
The overall winner will be selected following a two-day ‘Bushcamp’ later this month when contestants will face the Master’s Challenge – a test of skill set by Master Distiller Colum Egan. The performance of the contenders will be judged by a panel that includes Irish rugby legend, Keith Wood and Foy Vance, one of Ireland’s most respected singer-songwriters.
 
Congratulating the shortlisted contenders, Colum Egan said:
 
“All of the finalists have done a fantastic job to make it this far – they have already won their place at Bushcamp. Their character, sense of humour and passion for life are what inspired people to vote for them. I have no doubt these qualities will be tested at Bushcamp when all nine contenders attempt to prove to us they have what it takes to make it at Bushmills.
 
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the interest Make it at Bushmills has generated and it’s been fantastic to see the competition talked about in blogs, magazines, newspapers and TV shows all around the world.
 
“The strong international interest in Bushmills is further reflected in the fact that since creating our first official Bushmills Global Facebook page earlier this year, it has attracted more than 30,000 fans, making it the world’s second biggest Irish Whiskey Facebook site,” adds Colum.
 
The finalists’ progress at Bushcamp will be charted on-line from 25-26 August at the Bushmills Facebook page – facebook.com/bushmills1608.
 
NOTES 
 
The nine finalists for the Make it at Bushmills Challenge are:
Ivan Ivanov – Bulgaria
Koen Cassiers – Belgium
Loïk Tavernier – France
Sietse Offringa – Netherlands
Allister Brown – Northern Ireland
Kevin O’Sullivan – Republic of Ireland
Lance Ralph – South Africa
Nick Ord – United Kingdom
Joshua Wortman – United States

The Old Bushmills Distillery: The Old Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim.

Macallan 18yo (43%, OB, -/-2009)

“Exclusively Matured In Selected Sherry Oak Casks From Jerez, Spain” On the nose there is Christmas cake, toffee, plump brandy soaked raisins and fruit cake. There are also loads of sherry and hints of cinnamon, heather and clove with oak notes in the back ground. A very nice collection of aromas that work well together. The taste is strong at first with sherry and cocoa along with the wood notes and the Christmas cake. Spicy. Loads of sherry, this is a big sherries dram and quite so. The finish is once again of sherry and the oak, it’s long and sweet at first but the finish soon changes to dryness and some hints of malt pop up. A really nice finish to be sure.

A big sherried whisky to be sure with good depth.

C$250

Score 87 points

The Tolbooth Tavern

All whisky tastings take place on Thursday nights from 7:30pm until approximately 10pm at the Tolbooth Tavern, 167 Canongate, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotchland. You’ll find this location on Google Maps at the bottom of the page.

Tickets : £17*/20 or when a tasting’s theme requires buying more expensive bottles the increase will be reflected proportionally in the ticket price.

At least 5 drams, cask strength being the preferred option when a choice is available and affordable.

Refunds only possible if tasting not sold out or if ticket can be resold.

The tastings aim to inform and entertain. The relaxed approach is still structured and props are used so the tastes and smells of the various influences on production can be experienced first hand, for example there will be the opportunity to smell and/or taste both malted and un-malted barley, yeast and new make spirit.

The tasting usually ends with a raffle where every entrant wins a miniature’s worth of whisky left over from previous tastings, entry to the raffle is an additional £2 and any further donations being collected for World Vision’s ‘Sponsor a Child’ scheme (we’ve collected more than £1500 to date).

All tastings include oatcakes, shortbread and chocolates. The Tollbooth offers meals up to the time of tasting.

ENTRY BY PREPAID TICKET ONLY – prices from £17* *first timers & members discount, 13 month membership = £10, 2nd year’s membership £5 then all subsequent years free. Want to taste the whiskies but can’t attend? We can bottle them for you to take away. Empty minis always appreciated.

Thursday September 2nd Old/Sherried/Peaty/Rare/Unusual

Thursday September 16th old Caol Ila £t.b.c.

25yo 43% Diageo,

25yo 55.2% Cadenheads

25yo 54.1% Bladnoch Forum

30yo 54.2% Bladnoch Forum

another 25yo+

Thursday September 30th Old/Sherried/Peaty/Rare/Unusual £t.b.c.

Thursday October 14th Longmorn £t.b.c.

official 15yo 45%

Duthies 19yo 46%

12yo 53.4% Bladnoch Forum

1971 43% Gordon and MacPhail

another

Thursday October 28th Old/Sherried/Peaty/Rare/Unusual £t.b.c.

Thursday November 11th World whiskies No. 3 £t.b.c.

Millstone 8yo 43% (Holland)

Kilbeggan 15yo (Ireland)

Weidenauer (Austria)

Eddu Silver (France)

2 others

Thursday November 25th Old/Sherried/Peaty/Rare/Unusual £t.b.c.

Thursday December 9th non-Islay peaty drams £t.b.c.

Caperdonich 10yo 58.5% The Whisky Exchange

Talisker 53.9% from distillery only

Longrow

two others

Thursday December 23rd Old/Sherried/Peaty/Rare/Unusual £t.b.c.

Future tastings:-

peaty blends 40% : date and price tbc
Islay Mist
Islay Hallmark 8yo
Black Bottle 10yo
Black Grouse
Black Bottle
plus a special guest (Brora or Port Ellen)

http://www.jollytopertastings.co.uk/

The Auchentoshan Introduction to Whisky
with Tom Jones in the Kilpatrick Suite

Participants will have the chance to taste the Auchentoshan core range as well as being given a demonstration of the effect various casks selected have on the new make Auchentoshan spirit. Hosted by Auchentoshan’s European Brand Ambassador Tom Jones.

From 11.30am – 12.30pm and 4pm – 5pm
£20 per person

Match Made in Heaven
Auchentoshan and Chocolate with Martine Nouet in the Kilpatrick Suite

Hosted by Martine Nouet, the editor of the French edition of “Whisky Magazine”. Martine’s area of expertise lies in both food and whisky, making her the ideal tutor to take you through this Chocolate and Whisky pairing class. Participants will sample a selection of the Auchentoshan range, all matched individually with handmade Scottish chocolates from the Islay Chocolate Company.

From 1pm – 2pm
£35 per person

Vintage Master Class
with Iain McCallum in the Blenders Room

A unique opportunity to sample some of the finest limited editions from Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch under the guidance of Morrison Bowmore’s highly acclaimed Senior Blender Iain McCallum. Such archive whiskies will include Gold Bowmore, Auchentoshan 1957 and the most recent edition to Auchentoshan’s limited edition collection, a Sherry Matured 1977 a rare release of only 240 bottles.

From 3pm – 4pm
£100 per person

2010 Festival Bottlings
 
1998 Limited Edition
£50.00
Auchentoshan’s Head Distiller Jeremy Stephens has hand selected the first two hundred bottles of this year’s limited edition release. A 1998 cask strength, Sherry Matured expression, bottled specially for the 2010 festival. Each bottle is hand numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by Jeremy.

Bottle Your Own
70cl £75.00, 20cl £25.00
A visit to this year’s festival will offer you chance to bottle your own Auchentoshan straight from the cask. Your bottle will be filled from a cask which has been specifically selected due to its excellent quality, exceptional flavours and to commemorate this years festival. The ultimate souvenir

For complete details on all activities visit http://www.auchentoshan.co.uk/festival/index.html

Ever have one of those conversations that seems like just a few minutes, until you look at the clock and realize it’s gone on for a long time? That sums up my chat this week with Robin Blackadder, the “nom du whisky” for Blackadder bottler Robin Toucek. We discussed everything from how he picks single casks to whisky festivals, politics, and small animals, and you’ll hear our chat in this week’s episode. In the news, Dr. Martin Tangney of Edinburgh Napier University explains his new technique for turning distillery waste into usable biofuel, along with details on new whiskies and auction results for old ones.

Visit WhiskyCast at www.whiskycast.com

So the secret is out! We are broadcasting our fourth web show live from inside the Harvey’s Bodegas in Jerez, Andalusia, Spain on Thursday 23rd September 2010 at 20:00 Eastern Central Time(ECT). Please bookmark it in your diaries as it really will be our best show yet.

As you all know last year’s show was broadcast live from the Makers Mark distillery in Kentucky. This was because our two best selling expressions, 10 year old and Quarter Cask are matured exclusively in Bourbon casks. However this is only part of the Laphroaig story. We have been using the finest Sherry casks from Spain since our inception nearly 200 years ago and still use them to this day as they impart a completely different flavour to our spirit.

During the show we will be comparing classic bourbon matured Laphroaig –in this case Quarter Cask, with three other Laphroaig expressions. Our new Triple Wood which enjoys its third maturation in Spanish Oak, our cask strength 25 year old which uses both Fino and Oloroso sherry Butts in its maturation and a very special third, exclusively Oloroso matured expression – but you will have to watch the programme to find out more about this one!

Joining me on the panel this year are three good friends. Firstly, someone who will need no introduction to our American Friends of Laphroaig: Simon Brooking, our American Ambassador. I am also delighted to say that Jose Antonio Souto my opposite number, in charge of all Domecq and Harvey’s Sherries has agreed to join us. There is nothing Jose does not know about sherry, but he is also a keen whisky enthusiast –so who better to taste Laphroaig that has been sleeping in his very own barrels! Finally – one of you, a Friend of Laphroaig! He is from Italy and his name is Diego Sandrin. I have known Diego many years. He is famous for his music both as a singer and a songwriter indeed he has even co-written songs with Lisa Marie Presley. What people may not know is that he is an avid whisky enthusiast and has even blended some very fine expressions of Laphroaig himself.

Many of you wrote in saying how much you enjoyed our special food recipes on last year’s broadcast so we are delighted that one of Jerez’s finest chefs will be preparing some brand new tapas recipes especially designed to go with Laphroaig and Sherries. It’s going to be a fun evening I am certain.

Would you like to join us? Of course I understand that the vast majority of our 400,000 friends are spread around the Globe and will watch the show via the website, but, I will be holding our second official “Laphroaig Gathering” with a little “Ceilidh” (party) right after the broadcast. If you are in the area or can make the journey to Jerez, please let us know by e mail by September 5th 2010 as we will be preparing tapas (and whisky of course) and need to know rough numbers. We will then send you the exact address.

The broadcast on September 23rd will be 7.00PM UK time, which is 8.00PM Central European time. The website link for the Laphroaig live webcast will be www.laphroaig.com/live.  I have added a link on this page to a site where you can check what time that is in your country.

If you have any questions about the event just post them to either the chat site on our website or on our official Facebook page (www.facebook.com/laphroaig) and I will try to answer them all. I will write again closer to the time with more details, but look forward to joining with you all on this very special “Spanish” evening.

Slàinte,

John Campbell

Friends of Laphroaig web site

To access the private Friends of Laphroaig web site, use the link below:
http://www.laphroaig.com/friends

Laphroaig Distillery, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, Argyll, PA42 7DU, Tel. 01496 302418

Enjoy responsibly – http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/

D Johnston & Company (Laphroaig) Ltd, 310 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, registered in the United Kingdom, registration number SC028072

(Some news from Balblair);

For the perfect vintage timing is everything
 
Good timing is the essence of Balblair. That’s why we only contact you when the time is right. We thought that you may like to know that Balblair has a new website.
 
The website tells the story of Balblair, its long and rich history, and our unique approach to whisky creation and dedication to only ever releasing the best vintage Single Highland Malt.
 
It also features Balblair news and our Distillery Manager, John MacDonald, with a lifetime of experience in creating unique whiskies, gives an insight into his world through the Manager’s Blog. 
 
Visit www.balblair.com 
 
The latest addition to our range . . .

 
Superbly well balanced, full-bodied malt with hints of honey and vanilla from the long years of maturation in American ex bourbon oak barrels. 
 
Read Balblair 2000 tasting notes at http://www.balblair.com/exclusive-vintages/

Balblair Vintages
 
Every Balblair Vintage is strongly individual. Each one is a unique essence of a year, captured in a bottle. Balblair only ever produces Vintages timed to perfection. 
 
Discover our vintages http://www.balblair.com/exclusive-vintages/

The Manager’s blog
 
Judging a Vintage, measuring the exact point of perfect aging, takes considerable skill and many years of experience. It can’t be taught overnight. Understanding the alchemy of process and environment takes dedicated craftsmanship. 
 
This is the craft of John MacDonald. John is a patient man. But he doesn’t stand by a clock, he waits. And waits. Until the whisky says it’s ready. Until it’s perfect. When it represents the best we have to offer.
 
Read about Distillery manager, John MacDonald’s day-to-day life at Balblair in the Manager’s Blog. http://www.balblair.com/about/managers-blog/

Loch Fyne Whiskies has stocked various new items from ‘Berry Brothers & Rudd’ (BBR) Caol Ila, Ledaig, Girvan & Invergordon.

BBR Caol Ila 1984 25yo 53.7% £86.50 inc vat

Bottled 2010 from cask# 5389

We’ll have our LFW tasting notes up soon but here are the official ones:

‘A deep smokiness lies behind the yellow fruit, green olives and leather aromas. The mouth-feel is textured, slowly releasing the smoky flavours which seep through the fruitiness. This is an intense and balanced Caol Ila with a charming and lingering peaty finish.’

BBR Ledaig 2005 4yo 62.7% £33.50 inc vat

Bottled 2010 from cask# 900008

We’ll have our LFW tasting note soon but here is the official one:

‘the balance of sherry influence from the butt it has matured in, against the moody peat-smoke, made it irresistible. Aromas of new leather and sweet toffee shield the underlying smokiness. The palate brims with smoke but has enough texture to keep sweet fruity elements shining through.’

BBR Girvan Grain 1989 45.1% £47.90 inc vat

Bottled 2010 from cask nos: 37530/1

Official Tasting Note:

‘This whisky has pronounced fragrance for a grain spirit. It is fruity with vanilla and custard creams. The palate is surprisingly full and oily with waves of coffee cream, spice and juicy lime. To finish there is a satisfying warm spicy prickle.’

BBR Invergordon Grain 1971 37yo 47% £91.50 inc vat

Bottled 2009 from cask no: 4

Official Tasting Note:

The aromas are of concentrated dried fruit with a bourbon-like vanilla intensity. Deeply engaging and exotic, this is a full, succulent 37 year old whisky with a velvety texture.’

All single cask independent bottling from Berry Bros & Rudd.

Best regards,
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

Visit Loch Fyne Whiskeis at www.lfw.co.uk

September Outturn On-sale NOW

September Outturn: Hot stone therapy?

We’re releasing September Outturn a little earlier than usual – we’re moving our duty paid cellars and need to close our dispatch from Mon 6-Fri 17 Sept.  We won’t be sending out any bottles during this time so please place your orders NO LATER than Fri 3 Sept so we can get your whisky to you toot-sweet. 

We’ll still be taking orders after Fri 3 Sept; it just means we won’t be able to deliver them until after 17 Sept.  But please let us have you order as soon as possible so we can avoid any disappointment, stocks of our single casks are limited.

4.143 Honey on hot stones
Highland Island
£81.10 inc. Free P&P
Rich toffees, hot coffee, buttered toast with acacia honey and syrup; then it changed to cotton and eiderdown, wallpaper paste, stripped floors and ink in an old house

29.86 When the locket bursts
Islay
£60.50 inc. Free P&P
Immense with a burst of honey and lemon lockets, baked apple, becoming savoury with smoked German sausage, tarragon and dill

Sept Pair Recommendation: Buy 4.143 with 29.86 for £89 (save £12)

121.37 Very tasty Danish pastry
Highland Island
£45.70 inc. Free P&P
Grass, coriander, white grape and felt tip pens, then tinned fruit, Victoria sponge, Danish pastries with apricots and marzipan and Lockets (menthol and honey).

9.53 A peppery explosion
Speyside Spey
£57.30 inc. Free P&P
The initial nose was stimulating, with orange, chocolate limes and sweet chilli. Once settled, its richness (Ambrosia custard, Werther’s Originals, caramel, toffee) was more calming.

Don’t forget our August Recommendations, available until Tue 31 Aug

Pair Recommendation: Buy 125.39 with 35.39 for £97 (save£12.60)

Trio Recommendations: Buy 48.23 with 76.71 & 27.82 for £138 (save £17.70)

September Outturn at http://tinyurl.com/27a3358
Browse all bottlings at http://tinyurl.com/2bbqckk
(73 different bottlings!)

SMWS Whisky Tasting & Events

New Outturn Tasting – 19 Greville Street, Sat 4 Sept
Highland Connoisseur Tour – 28 Queen Street, Sun 5 Sept
New Outturn & Sunday Roast – The Vaults, Sun 5 Sept
Fire, smoke and earth! Arbeg Tasting – 28 Queen Street, Tue 7 Sept
Innis & Gunn Tasting – 19 Greville Street, Thu 9 Sept
The Ultimate No 1 Tasting – 28 Queen Street, Fri 10 Sept
Glenkinchie Tour with bowls & BBQ – 28 Queen Street, Sun 12 Sept
Islay Tasting – Subterranean Vaults, Wed 15 Sept
Glasgow Preview Tasting – One Devonshire Gardens, Thu 16 Sept
Mix it up! (Whisky Cocktails) – 28 Queen Street, Fri 17 Sept

Visit www.smws.co.uk to join the Society

Douglas Laing limited Edition Mixed Cases Now Available

Douglas Laing has the largest and most significant range of aging casks of any Independent Bottler in Scotland, covering almost 100 different expressions and 40 different Distilleries.

Every month they choose some of their casks, to be bottled as their Brands, Provenance, Old Malt Cask or Old & Rare. These are then offered to markets throughout the world. All are limited in quantity with the unique DNA captured from the matured cask.

To satisfy the increasing interest from Single Malt Enthusiasts & Small Whisky Clubs in British Columbia for access to our wide range of products, Rare Drams is introducing the opportunity to purchase a Mixed Case.

This will provide the whisky enthusiast the opportunity to taste or collect three different Single malts from three separate distilleries.

We are currently taking orders of interest for our first two selections, which will be available at the end of September. Minimum purchase 1 Case: 6 Bottles/case.

To reserve a case contact bobkyle@raredrams.ca