GlenDronach releases latest batch of its single cask bottlings

  

GLENDRONACH has today, 5 July, released Batch 8 of its renowned single cask bottlings.

Selected by Master Blender Billy Walker, this latest batch from the award-winning Aberdeenshire distillery was filled in May and all eight expressions are available as of today.

The eight, ranging from 42 to 10 years old, share GlenDronach's typically luxurious, richly-sherried and fruity characteristics, with waves of delightful eucalyptus, plums, damsons, sweet chocolate, almonds…even toffee-drenched raisins and red chilli!

One of the eight is an aspiring youngster –  the new kid on the block is a zesty 10 year old from cask 1988. On the nose, white pepper and cinnamon. On the palate, treacle-covered ripe autumn fruits, fresh mint and toasted nuts. An unusual but hugely appealing young Highland malt to savour while relaxing in a sun-lounger this year!

The cask details are:

1971 cask # 1246 / 42 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 44.6%vol

1990 cask # 2971 / 22 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 50.8%vol

1991 cask # 5409 / 21 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 49.8%vol

1992 cask # 145 / 21 years old / Oloroso Sherry Butt / 58.1%vol

1993 cask # 3 / 20 years old / Oloroso Sherry Butt / 52.9%vol

1994 cask # 101 / 19 years old / Oloroso Sherry Butt / 58.4%vol

1996 cask # 1490 / 17 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 53.1%vol

2002 cask #  1988 / 10 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 55.6%vol

Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page over the coming weeks for more information on these new releases, tasting notes and exclusive product photography.

If you would like to receive more information regarding the new releases, please contact us on info@glendronachdistillery.co.uk

TALISKER™ ‘WHIPS UP A STORM’ WITH NEW TRAVEL RETAIL OFFERING

TALISKER™ ‘WHIPS UP A STORM’ WITH NEW TRAVEL RETAIL OFFERING

Posted on 25/06/2013 by Pat Roberts

Diageo, the maker of Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky, has today revealed a new expression of its world-famous scotch – Talisker Dark Storm™, the smokiest whisky produced by the remote island distillery.
Matured in deep charred oak casks for extra spice and smoke, Talisker Dark Storm is a new Travel Retail exclusive, bottled at 45.8% ABV.
Speaking at the launch of the new variant Steve White, Diageo Marketing Director Global Travel and Middle East, said:

“Talisker Dark Storm is an incredible new flavour-offering from one of the world’s best known and most loved Scotch Whiskies.
“It’s a Single Malt that captures the untamed spirit of a full-blown storm at sea. It is intense and powerfully flavoured, a whisky that offers an element of ‘rugged luxury’ to today’s travellers – adventurers and whisky connoisseurs alike.”

Talisker Dark Storm is a powerful and intense flavour experience:
Colour: Deep amber.
Aroma:  On the nose, a salty and smoky edge, that evokes the sea-washed rocks of its homeland, combines with hints of aromatic spices and oak, developing into the sweetness of stewed applies.
Palate: Exceedingly smooth and sweet, with an intense, vibrant combination of fresh fruits, blackcurrants and liquorice slowly disappearing to allow a tempest of rich smoky aromatic spice flavours to come to the fore.
Finish: Warm, lingering and powerfully smoky.
“Talisker Dark Storm is an intense new whisky experience,” commented White. “One that we believe will capture the imagination of consumers, drive purchase and deliver fantastic results for our customers.

“It is a whisky that is true to the Talisker house style but takes its trademark intensity to a whole new level – it is like a whole new ocean of flavour.”

The supremely rich flavours of Talisker Dark Storm are the result of careful cask selection – the heavily charred oak in which the whisky has matured ensuring an inimitable spiciness and distinctive smoky character.
Priced from £42.00 Talisker Dark Storm is available in 1L bottles in Travel Retail outlets across Asia, Europe and the Middle East from June 2013

AWARD WINS FOR CHIVAS BROTHERS’

RAFT OF AWARD WINS FOR CHIVAS BROTHERS’ WHISKIES AT PRESTIGIOUS TASTING COMPETITIONS JUNE 2013

Chivas Brothers’ portfolio of Scotch whisky brands has scooped a total of 24 gold medals at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) and The Scotch Whisky Masters. The Glenlivet, the No. 2 Scotch malt whisky brand in the world, paved the way for Chivas Brothers with a resounding total of 12 gold medals received across the two competitions, including ‘Best in Class’ for its 18 Year Old bottle as well as gold medals for its Master Distiller’s Reserve, Nadurra 16 Year Old, Excellence, 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old, 21 Year Old, 21 Year Old Archive and XXV expressions. There was further success for the malts portfolio with Strathisla receiving the coveted Master medal at The Scotch Whisky Masters and Aberlour winning gold medals for its 12 Year Old and A’bunadh in the ISC and The Scotch Whisky Masters respectively. Chivas Brothers’ blends also triumphed  at the ISC with Ballantine's Finest, Ballantine's 17 Year Old, Ballantine's 30 Year Old, Chivas 18 Year Old and Royal Salute 21 Year Old each receiving a gold medal at the competition. Ballantine’s was awarded a further two gold medals for its 12 Year Old and Limited expression at The Scotch Whisky Masters. Christian Porta, Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers commented: “We are proud to see that our portfolio of premium Scotch whiskies has received top awards from this year’s edition of the ISC and The Scotch Whisky Masters. The judges have once again acknowledged the consistent high quality of our brands and the expertise and dedication of our master distiller and blenders.” In addition to their successes at the ISC and The Scotch Whisky Masters, Aberlour A’bunadh and The Glenlivet XXV also ranked top in two out of three categories at the 14th edition of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, celebrated in Scotland at the beginning of May.   FULL RESULTS   ISC Gold The Glenlivet 18 YO Best in Class The Glenlivet 12 YO The Glenlivet 15 YO French Oak Reserve The Glenlivet Nadurra 16 YO The Glenlivet 21 YO Archive The Glenlivet XXV The Glenlivet Master Distiller's Reserve Aberlour 12 YO Double Cask Matured Ballantine's Finest Ballantine's 17 YO Ballantine's 30 YO Chivas 18 YO Royal Salute 21 YO Royal Salute The Hundred Cask Selection The Scotch Whisky Masters Master Strathisla 12 YO The Glenlivet 15 YO French Oak Reserve Gold Single malts Speyside <12 yr The Glenlivet 12 YO The Glenlivet Excellence 12YO Speyside <18 yr Aberlour 16 YO Double Cask Matured Speyside < 25yr The Glenlivet 21 YO Archive Speyside 25+ yr The Glenlivet XXV Speyside Special Editions The Glenlivet Master Distiller's Reserve Ballantine's 12 YO Ballantine's Limited Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Best 12 Year Old and Under Aberlour A'bunadh Best 21 Year Old and Over The Glenlivet XXV   NOTES TO EDITORS   About the International Spirits ChallengeNow in its 18th year, the ISC is an internationally recognised event for the promotion of spirits of the higest calibre. With over 1,000 entries from 70 countries, it is indeed a remarkable achievement for Chivas Brothers to win these awards. About The Scotch Whisky Masters The Spirits Masters series has fast become one of the most respected and high-profile blind tasting competitions in the industry, drawing in entries from across the world. All judges are completely independent, ensuring a wholly unbiased evaluation of the spirits involved.       PHOTOS     CONTACT   For further information: Visit: www.chivasbrothers.com Or contact: Lucy Cryle Richmond Towers Communications Tel: 0207 388 7421 Email: chivasbrothers@rt-com.com Alicia Eason Chivas Brothers Email: Alicia.eason@pernod-ricard.com   SHARE   Follow us on twitter: @ChivasNewsRoom   ABOUT CHIVAS BROTHERS   Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport. In July 2010 Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.

Laphroaig Cardeas Port Wood

Well, summer has truly arrived on Islay, which is particularly good as we’ve just taken part in the Feis Ile Festival. A big thanks to the thousands of you who came to visit us over the week-long festival and I those of you who were able to join in with our special events on the Sunday, Monday and Tuesday enjoyed it as much as we did. If you couldn’t make it you can catch up on some of the festivities on our Feis Ile live blog page here. This is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated email by our ‘Friends’ from me for the whole year because it gives me great pleasure to announce that this year’s special ‘Friends’ bottling - Cairdeas - is now on sale in our online shop. Of course every year Cairdeas is different, but this year I believe it is truly special and very unique indeed. I’m sure you’ll understand when I say that we do sometimes like to keep a few secrets to ourselves! Well, I managed to get a style of barrel that we’ve never used before and one that I’d been hoping to for a long time: port barrels! I’ve always felt that the marriage of Laphroaig with these barrels would produce something very special and frankly I was not disappointed – the result is simply delicious! For the technically-minded among you: it’s been bottled at 51.3% ABV, is non-chill filtered and is an all natural colour. But to be professional, here are my official tasting notes: Nose Stewed Rhubarb, Huge peat moving into vanilla ice cream and milk chocolaty. Gentle cloves, minty and fresh... Cairdeas Port wood then becomes floral like summer roses, orange marmalade and finishes with a long, dry charcoal finish. Palate A lovely mouth feel and a nice balance, Cairdeas port wood has an initial honey sweetness but becomes dry quickly then creamy and floral, it shows a heavy saltiness and a great liquorice root flavour that really lasts, it then develops into a long, heavy charcoal finish mixing with orange rind flavours that really linger on the palate. It’s on sale for £47 with a maximum of three bottles per FoL. Click here to buy I hope you enjoy drinking it as much as I enjoyed making it! Please do pass your thoughts and views on to me via our Facebook and Twitter pages as I always love to hear you thoughts. Slàinte, John Campbell Distillery Manager, Laphroaig

CHIVAS BROTHERS CELEBRATES SUCCESS

CHIVAS BROTHERS CELEBRATES SUCCESS IN ASIAN SPIRITS MASTERS JUNE 2013

Gold rush continues as the quality and prestige of the Chivas Brothers’ range is recognised in Asia. Chivas Brothers, the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin, is celebrating after winning nine medals in The Asian Spirits Masters, highlighting the outstanding and consistent quality of the portfolio. The biggest success in the awards was The Glenlivet XXV, which was the only Scotch whisky to win a prestigious Master Award, the top honour given by the competition. There was further success for the company as Gold medals were awarded to The Glenlivet 18 Year Old, Beefeater London Dry 47% and Beefeater 24. “With an incredibly strong line up at 2013 The Asian Spirits Masters, we congratulate Chivas Brothers for their outstanding performance across their portfolio. Being the only Scotch whisky to win the competition's highest honour --Master-- is impressive and is testament to the outstanding, consistent quality that The Glenlivet is renowned for.” said Daisy Jones, associate publisher of The Spirits Business. Alan Winchester, Master Distiller for The Glenlivet said “To be the only Scotch whisky to receive a Master award in The Asian Spirits Masters is a huge honour for us. As the original single malt whisky, we are committed to continuing The Glenlivet’s award-winning legacy so recognition from industry experts such as the judges in this competition shows us that our hard work and dedication is really paying off.” Desmond Payne, Master Distiller for Beefeater commented “We’re delighted that the consistent high quality of Beefeater gin has been recognised by the judges in The Asian Spirits Masters. These awards reinforce Beefeater's credibility as the world’s No.1 premium gin and are greatly appreciated by the team in London, whose hard work and commitment is integral to the continued global success of Beefeater.” Conducted for the second year in April 2013, the annual Asian Spirits Masters is an extension of the internationally-recognised Spirits Masters series. An awards competition for any spirit available in at least one Asian market, the Masters centres around a blind tasting judged by a panel of leading spirits and trade specialists. The results are published in full in the May issue of The Spirits Business ahead of the awards ceremony, which is expected to take place in late 2013. To download medal artwork, please click the relevant link on the right hand side of this email.   FULL RESULTS   The Asian Spirits Masters Master The Glenlivet XXV           Gold The Glenlivet 18 YO Beefeater London Dry 47% Beefeater 24 Silver The Glenlivet 21 YO Beefeater London Dry 40% Chivas 12 Ballantine's 12 100 Pipers   ABOUT CHIVAS BROTHERS   Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits.  Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport. In July 2010, Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.

The First Edition News

Liebe Whiskyfreunde Neuheiten, Raritäten, Wissenswertes gibt es von The First Editions (TFE) – Single Malt Scotch Whisky ab sofort regelmässig. Regelmässig informiert der Newsletter über neue Abfüllungen, Veranstaltungen und Degustationen. Wieder da oder neu. Das Whiskyschiff in Luzern war im März ein voller Erfolg. Der 23-jährige Bunnahabhain 1989 war mit seinem Bordeaux-Fass Finish so gefragt, dass er ausverkauft war! Jetzt ist er wieder erhältlich. Passend zum – hoffentlich bald kommenden – Sommer ist neu im Sortiment der 20-jährige Caperdonich 1992. Ein Genuss, der nach cremiger Vanille, Karamell und Malz schmeckt. Anders und besser. Die TFE-Etiketten erscheinen seit diesem Jahr in neuem Design. Anstelle der Alterszahl wird neu das Jahr der Destillation hervorgehoben, die Anzahl der abgefüllten Flaschen und der Fasstyp angegeben. Zudem werden die Flaschen handsigniert. Durch das neue Design eignen sie sich noch besser zum verschenken oder sammeln. Den direkten Link zu den aktuellen Neuheiten gibt es hier. Jetzt oder nie. Der Webshop hat eine neue Rubrik. Unter "Letzte Chance" können Abfüllungen gekauft werden, die bald nicht mehr zu haben sind. Das heisst: Zugreifen und geniessen – „es hed, solangs hed“. Edition Spirits Ltd. fusioniert mit Hunter Laing & Co Ltd. Edition Spirits Ltd. mit seinem Label TFE hat diesen Monat mit der neu gegründeten Firma Hunter Laing & Co Ltd. fusioniert. Andrew und Scott Laing, Gründer von Edition Spirits Ltd., schliessen sich somit ihrem Vater Stewart an, welcher bis dato mit seinem Bruder Fred die Firma Douglas Laing & Co Ltd. als Scotch Blender und Abfüller von Single Malts erfolgreich geführt hat. Die Fusion macht es möglich, dass TFE auf ein grosses Fasslager alter Whiskys zugreifen kann. Seien Sie gespannt auf die kommenden Abfüllungen. Selbstverständlich auch weiterhin in Fassstärke - ohne Kühlfiltration und ohne zusätzliche Farbstoffe. In good spirits! Reto Stöckli

Glenlivet Alpha

What can the sense of feel reveal about the flavour of Single Malt Whisky? Take the final sensory challenge from The Glenlivet, which focuses on the texture of whisky, to help you master your senses and unlock the secret behind The Glenlivet Alpha. Log on to The Glenlivet’s website or Facebook page to watch the final sensory film, created in conjunction with Greyworld, which explains the role that your sense of feel plays in understanding the complex flavours of whisky. Once you have watched the film, check out the Feel challenge to unlock the strength and filtration process used to craft The Glenlivet Alpha and share your results on Facebook and on Twitter, using #alpha. The release of the final challenge follows on from the Sight, Smell and Taste challenges that we have unveiled over the last three weeks on The Glenlivet’s Facebook page. The challenges reinforce how you can form a deeper understanding of the flavour of whisky by using all of the senses independently and in conjunction with each other. Next week, the wait will be over as Master Distiller Alan Winchester finally reveals the secrets of The Glenlivet Alpha, so remember to tune in for the video broadcast at 12.30pm on 6th June on The Glenlivet’s website or Facebook page. If you would like to share this week’s sense film with your readers, you can find the video and embed link on YouTube: http://l.homeoftheglenlivet.com/rts/go2.aspx?h=3256&tp=l-11-4e-3a-2xec-1p-2f-1c-60Z8P For further information or images, please email james@rt-com.com or call +44 (0)20 7388 7421.   Click here to view the Feel film now >>

Contact us - To unsubscribe please click here PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY. ©2013 The Glenlivet Distilling Company. To view this newsletter online please click here. You must be online the first time you look at this email in order to view images. To unsubscribe please click here. You're currently subscribed to this newsletter at this email address: scot_photo@romandie.com. By using this site you agree to our Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy The Glenlivet Distillers Limited (or CHIVAS BROTHERS LIMITED) 72 Chancellors Road, Hammersmith, London, W6 9RS, United Kingdom

Balvenie New Tun 1401 batch

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- THE BALVENIE - TUN 1401 BATCH 8 With subtle citrus notes

It takes time and David Stewart’s skill and patience to hand-pick the barrels that make up a new and distinctive batch of Tun 1401. And by marrying 12 of the rarest and most precious sherry butts and American Oak casks to produce a whisky characterised by citrus fruits as well as the familiar hints of vanilla and honey, Batch 8 is no exception – especially when some of the butts and casks have been maturing since David Stewart’s early days at the distillery. As the Malt Master himself, explains: “Determining which ones will work together takes time and it is important to do justice to them. I hand-picked nine traditional American oak barrels and three European oak sherry casks for Batch 8 and the result is a rich and fruity whisky which is characterised by citrus fruits, vanilla and honey.” Hand-bottled at our distillery in Speyside, The Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 8 comprises just 2,700 bottles with an ABV of 50.2%. This expression will be available across a number of European countries as well as Canada and Australia, from June. You can read the expression’s tasting notes by clicking on the link below. David Mair The Balvenie Distillery Ambassador

Glen Garioch News

	A warm Highland welcome
Welcome to this, our inaugural Glen Garioch Newsletter. Over the coming months we’ll be sending out updates on our new limited editions, articles from our new website, and of course all the latest from the distillery! We’ve plenty to talk about, but we’ll do our best to keep it brief. Quality is the key, not quantity when it comes to our newsletter.

With its ancient history, unique location and robust Highland character (since we flatly refuse to chill-filter our spirit), Glen Garioch Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is maybe more than a wee bit different, making it a rare find indeed...

Discover a Rare Find!We’re offering Glen Garioch enthusiasts the chance to experience our distillery and other rare finds across Aberdeenshire in a 2-day, all expenses paid trip to the Garioch. Head over to the website for more information and to enter!

Rachel Barrie and The Essence of Glen GariochOur Master Blender Rachel Barrie is well regarded as one of the top noses in the industry. But it all started when Rachel was brought up, just a few miles from Glen Garioch. Read the first part of Rachel’s series on her love affair with our little distillery.

Specialist Series: Astor Wines & Spirits, New York City.Over the coming weeks and months we’ll be bringing you stories from some of the very best specialist whisky shops around the world. This month it’s Astor Wines & Spirits in New York City.

And finally...We’ve launched our new website at GlenGarioch.com. It’s littered with information on our whiskies, stories from the distillery’s history, plus a brand new news section with writing from whisky experts from around the globe. Go check it out if you are adventurous enough to discover it!