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ralfy review 940 – Teaninich 12yo @54.2%vol (Thompson Bros:)
Green roof at The Cairn Distillery becomes haven for bees
The “green” sedum roof at The Cairn Distillery near Grantown on Spey is proving to be a haven for bees.
Since its installation in April this year, the roof has thrived and is now carpeted with wildflowers. And as a result, it has attracted thousands of bees, according to the Ecological Clerk of Works on the site.
Ecologist Peter Cosgrove carries out weekly monitoring at the site to ensure wildlife and habitats are being protected and enhanced. On a recent visit he had the opportunity to inspect the roof and highlighted the progress that has been made, saying: “The roof has clearly thrived, is growing profusely and now flowering. From my professional point of view, it’s been a complete success, with no bare patches apparent.
“There is an abundance of colour and smell from the plants, and I’d estimate there were at least 10 to 15 bees for every square metre. There was a noticeable hum from the thousands of bees present on the roof.”
A key feature of the design, the 900 square metre sedum roof is one of the largest green roofs ever installed in Cairngorms National Park. It was incorporated into the design to allow the building to blend into its local environment.
Gordon & MacPhail, owner of the new distillery was always determined to ensure the new distillery reflected its stunning surroundings. As Managing Director Ewen Mackintosh explained: “We knew this was a truly special site, sitting on the banks of the River Spey and looking towards the Cairngorms. We’ve taken special care to protect and enhance the local environment during construction and it’s wonderful to hear our green roof is already proving to be such an attraction for bees.”
The green roof uses sedum – a plant which is easy to maintain and requires little water and few nutrients. It is ideal for use in green roofs as it is very resilient and can survive in the harshest of weather.
Following installation, the plants have been carefully monitored and watered once or twice a week and more often in the recent dry weather, while it gets established..
The Cairn is a second distillery for renowned whisky experts Gordon & MacPhail. The family firm, who own Benromach Distillery at Forres, announced their intention to build a second distillery in 2018. Work started on site once restrictions on construction were lifted in July 2020.
The sedum roof was installed by Inverness based Wyvis Roofing. Founded in 2012, they have grown to become one of the largest roofing contractors in the region, undertaking roofing projects across the Highlands, Islands, Grampian, and Perthshire. They install a range of roof types for both commercial and residential customers.
The Cairn Distillery, which includes a visitor experience, tasting rooms, The Gathering restaurant and retail space, is due to open later in the year.
Gordon & MacPhail has been working with the local community in Grantown-on-Spey, building on its existing relationships with the local communities in Forres and Elgin. It’s match funded money raised in the local community to support their annual events programme for locals and visitors alike. The distillery will become a major tourist destination on the outskirts of the town and will act as a gateway to Speyside.
Gordon & MacPhail is a family-owned premium spirits company based in Elgin, Scotland. Owner of Scotch whisky distilleries, Benromach and The Cairn, Gordon & MacPhail is also a Scotch whisky maturation expert, the owner of Scottish Gin brand, Red Door and the operator of a wholesale business in the United Kingdom selling premium Scotch whiskies and spirits, along with a high-quality retail outlet.
The company owns Benromach Distillery located in Forres in Moray. Benromach Single Malt Scotch Whisky is handcrafted using traditional methods by a small team of distillers using the finest Scottish barley and the purest spring water from the nearby Romach Hills. The multi award-winning portfolio of single malts is enjoyed by whisky drinkers worldwide.
The company launched Red Door in the summer of 2018. Created at Benromach Distillery, this award winning, small batch Scottish gin now forms a strategic part of the company’s product portfolio.
Work commenced in July 2020 on The Cairn, the company’s second distillery, overlooking the River Spey towards the Cairngorms. The new site will add further distillation capacity and brand ownership to the company’s asset base and is a key part of the plans to continue building a long-term sustainable business. A high-quality visitor experience offering tours and tastings will also attract visitors from around the world.
Since the founding of the business in 1895, Gordon & MacPhail has sent casks to Scotch whisky distilleries throughout Scotland to be filled with new-make spirit, before being left to mature for many years either at the distillery or in their bonded warehouses in Elgin. The Gordon & MacPhail portfolio offers some of the world’s rarest and most sought-after Single Malt Scotch Whiskies to discerning whisky drinkers globally.
The company’s wholesale business serves customers throughout the United Kingdom selling Benromach Single Malt, Red Door gin and Gordon & MacPhail whiskies into the on and off trade. The business also exclusively represents a number of ‘distributor’ brands and stocks premium whiskies and spirits.
The retail shop in Elgin remains the ‘spiritual home’ of the business, 127 years after it was first established in 1895. The shop is home to a large selection of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies and is a destination for many whisky aficionados from around the world.
Where many distilleries strive for consistency across larger batches, Càrn Mòr is able to release unadulterated expressions from these distilleries using traditional methods meaning it is as close to drinking straight from the cask as possible.
Distilled: 1997
Bottled: 2022
Cask Type: Bourbon Barrel
One of only 93 bottles available worldwide.
Tasting notes: Beautifully deep and warming with caramel sweetness and exotic spices.
Distilled at Dailuaine Distillery, bottled by Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers Ltd
DAVID STEWART 60TH ANNIVERSARY – THE BALVENIE Masterclass.
Saturday 1 October 2022 – 3.30pm BST – £185
LINE-UP:
•Balvenie 12 Year Old Classic Bot.1980s
•Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood
•Balvenie 21 Year Old PortWood
•Balvenie 21 Year Old The Second Red Rose
•Balvenie 1972 43 Year Old DCS Compendium Chapter 2
•Special unreleased dram selected by David for this masterclass
Join David C Stewart MBE for a look back over his 60 years of working for William Grant & Sons through six whiskies from the distillery with which he is mostly closely connected – The Balvenie.
One of the best known and loved whisky makers in the business, little did David know when he applied for a job as a clerk at William Grant & Sons back in 1962 that he’d become an innovative blender and creator of some of the world’s best-loved whiskies.
He took on the role of malt master in 1972 and spent the next almost 40 years working across the William Grant’s range. He handed the reins to Brian Kinsman in 2009, but has continued to work with Balvenie’s whiskies, crafting new expressions and guiding the new generation of whisky makers at William Grant’s.
In this tasting, David will be leading us through some of his creations, from his earliest days as malt master to the most recent releases, as well as a special dram selected for the show. This is a great opportunity to hear one of the most influential whisky-makers of the past century talk about his favourite distillery and the innovations that he helped pioneer. Not to be missed.
DISCOVERY IS BACK
Glenallachie 14 Years Old Discovery 70cl 43%
An amazing single malt from Glenallachie Distillery aged for 14 Years and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail for their Discovery Collection.
TASTING NOTES
NOSE: Perfumed green apple aromas with dried banana and soft milk chocolate. PALATE: Creamy custard flavours with lemon posset and blossom honey.
FINISH: A medium-bodied finish with spice.
£49.99
Smoke Wagon 4 Year Old “Red, White, & Blue” Limited Edition Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $29.99 View
The Nevada H&C Distilling Co., home of Smoke Wagon Bourbon, is one of the early wave craft distillers who nabbed a good contract from the excellent distillery in Lawrenceberg Indiana. 12 years later, these guys are sitting on some really top notch Straight Bourbon, but no one seems to know anything about them. The distillery is in the heart of down town Las Vegas. The Red, White, & Blue bottling was released in Fall of 2019 bringing Smoke Wagon flair to the masses at a more accessible price.
Clyde May’s 6 Year Old “The Other Guy’s Exclusive Barrel” (K&L Label Added) Cask Strength Indiana Whiskey (750ml) (Elsewhere $55) $39.99 View
Some times things go awry! That’s what happened with this awesome barrel of MGP. Selected by and for a famous private barrel club in California and somehow mislabeled, the inventory has been sitting in the distributors warehouse for years now. It’s an absolutely delicious cask and while we don’t usually like to sell other peoples whiskey, no one was claiming this little orphan. So we got out the label printer and add our own label. It looks janky as hell, but who cares. You will not find a better $40 single cask of whisky in the shop at any age range. Rich and full of spice and sweet barrel char, the palate is ultra round and drinkable. Normally these barrels sell for $15-20 more than we’re charging and rightfully so, we’d have likely taken the stock at the standard price with a little more work fixing the label, but they made us an offer and we jumped on it. We don’t regret it and you won’t either!
Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 456: Milk & Honey Apex Cognac Casks
Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a kosher whisky from Israel. Apex means top, with which the Master Distiller of Milk & Honey, Tomer Goren, wants to indicate that these whiskies are among the best of what he has already created. There are currently several expressions: Cognac, Rum, White Wine, Pomegranate Wine, Peated STR Cask and the acclaimed Dead Sea. Today Mark tastes their Cognac Cask, which is actually their Classic which was given a finish on former casks of an undisclosed small cognac house.
When the Mitchell family in Ireland began bonding whiskey 135 years ago, they brought their own colourful legacy to the Dublin whiskey scene. After generations of a family business covering everything from confectionery to cafes to imported wines, when the Mitchells brought their energy to whiskey bonding, the Spot family was born. To celebrate this enduring relationship, a newcomer – Gold Spot.
Gold Spot is matured for at least nine years in bourbon barrels, sherry butts, bordeaux wine casks and port pipes, is that a record number of casks? Gold spot is non chill filtered and bottled at 51.4% ABV for a whiskey that is complex and full flavoured. It has a light mix of pineapple, kiwi, green banana and lime zest followed by pot still spices, baked apple, hazelnut and toasted wood. There’s a smooth mouthfeel with a subtle mix of fruit, a hint of clove and cracked black pepper corns. Then there’s sweet spices, vanilla and cinnamon add to the wood’s nutty contribution for a lasting and distinctly palatable balance of exotic fruits and spices.
Gold Spot is the first member of the Spot family to contain a port matured element. However it’s not Mitchell & Son’s first foray into this famous fortified wine from the Douro Valley, up until the 1960’s the family bottled their own Vintage Port. Now then, why Gold? It is not a big age, when will we see the Black Spot? Are there too many Spots? Do you think there are too many, spoiling your choice?
For example; Blue Spot was derived from the Mitchell’s practice of marking their maturing casks of whiskey with a daub of coloured paint to determine the age potential of the whiskey. Blue Spot was a 7 year old whiskey, Green Spot (10 year old), Yellow Spot (12 Year Old) and Red Spot (15 year old). So would you not think, like I did, that a Gold Spot was the top creation, older than the rest? Confused? So am I .
Black Velvet Whisky Announces Launch of Black Velvet Peach
Bardstown, Ky. (August 1, 2022) — Black Velvet, the second-largest selling Canadian whisky, announced today the launch of Black Velvet Peach to its portfolio of flavored whiskies. The new flavor will be available this August in stores across the country.
Black Velvet Peach blends the fresh and sweet taste of peaches with smooth Black Velvet whisky. The rich, amber-colored whisky promises to be a keen pick for peach lovers and whisky fans alike. As the fastest growing flavor for brown spirits, Peach is a natural addition to already popular flavor expansions, Black Velvet Apple and Toasted Caramel.
“Whether you’re tasting Black Velvet for the first time, or you’re a loyal fan of the brand, we feel confident Peach will be a hit with consumers,” said Molly Vincent, Heaven Hill Senior Brand Manager. “We’re excited to continue to expand upon our flavor offerings —and with one of our hottest summers coming to a close, we feel this refreshing addition couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Since tapping their first barrel in 1951, the Black Velvet team has earned its reputation for crafting first-in-class whisky. Headquartered in Lethbridge, Canada, the company credits crystal clear Canadian water and the freshest grains for their whisky’s iconic smooth taste. Black Velvet is now available in 55 countries, and the brand continues to expand the with strategic brand extensions to appeal to a growing audience. Black Velvet was awarded Whisky Value of the Year for the Export Market at the 2022 Canadian Whisky Awards.
Black Velvet Peach will be supported by point-of-sale displays and tastings in some retail locations. Bottled at 70 proof, the product will be available in 50 ml, 750 ml, and 175 ml sizes with an SRP of $10.99 for the 750ml.
Serve on the rocks, as a chilled shot, or with your favorite mixer. For a twist, try one of these recipes:
Peach Lemonade Smash:
1.5 oz Black Velvet Peach
3 oz Lemonade
Top with soda (optional)
Combine ingredients and stir. Garnish with a lemon or peach.
Canadian Peach Tea:
1.5 oz Black Velvet Peach
6 oz Iced Tea
Combine ingredients and stir. Garnish with mint if desired.
ABOUT HEAVEN HILL BRANDS: Founded in 1935, Bardstown, KY -based Heaven Hill Brands (www.heavenhill.com) is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and led spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Larceny, and Henry McKenna Bourbons; Rittenhouse Rye Whisky; Deep Eddy Vodka; Admiral Nelson’s Rum; Black Velvet Canadian Whisky; Lunazul Tequila; HPNOTIQ Liqueur; Carolans Irish Cream Liqueur, plus the newly-acquired Samson & Surrey portfolio.
Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely. Drink Wisely.”
With the promise of The Hearach Single Malt in mind, we’ve been investing even further in our distillery’s whisky-making this year. The maturation warehouse in the village of Ardhasaig is reaching capacity so we’ve been constructing two new additional buildings in 2022.
Over the course of the last 8 month’s they’ve risen alongside the exisiting cask stores by the shores of the Atlantic on our western coast. As they near completion, we’re reminded that we’re laying the foundations for generations to come here in the Isle of Harris, and that an exciting future lies ahead…
“An ceòl air feadh na fìdhle.”
Old Scottish Gaelic Proverb: “The music throughout the fiddle.”
info@harrisdistillery.com
Isle of Harris Distillers Ltd
Tarbert, Isle of Harris, HS3 3DJ.
