Friday, October 5, 2012

Inbox - October 5, 2012

Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information.  This week's edition features news on a new single cask Indian whisky, a new whisky bar in New York and our favourite whisky book ...


Malt Whisky Yearbook - 2013 out now
This year's edition of our favourite whisky book is about to hit the shelves of shops around the world and it's bigger and better than ever. The book is compiled by our good friend Ingvar Ronde and we are delighted to be featured in it for the fourth year running.  We regard it as the best whisky book for all whisky fans, but is especially accessible for beginners - it combines statistics and current whisky trends with distillery history and tasting notes.  The book will retail for £13.95.

The 2013 version includes articles written by renowned whisky writers Charles MacLean, Jonny McCormick and Neil Ridley (amongst others), an expanded distillery section which includes the largest ever section on foreign distillers, more than 250 tasting notes and a chapter on whisky cocktails and matching with food.  There is also a new chapter on Japanese whisky, an expanded section on independent bottlings, a review of the whisky year and a chapter entitled Working On The Frontline, which introduces us to brand ambassadors, distillery managers and retailers from across the world.


Paul John - India's newest single malt
One of the world's largest distillers are entering the single malt market with a special limited edition release.  John Distillers Limited, who produce India's biggest selling whisky Original Choice, have announced the release of a single cask single malt which will carry the name Paul John.

The Bangalore based company, which was founded in 1992, is using single malt whisky which has been produced at their distillery in Goa.  They have been making single malt since 2008 and this single cask (cask no.161 actually), which is an American oak hogshead has yielded just 150 bottles.  The whisky is aged for four years and has experienced an 'angel's share' evaporation rate of over 10% per year in the Indian heat.  There are plans for two further single cask releases, one of which has been made using peated malt.

The Paul John Single Cask #161 will be exclusively sold through The Whisky Exchange and will cost £60 per bottle.  If you are attending The Whisky Exchange's Whisky Show over this weekend, then you will have the opportunity to sample it as John Distillers have a stand there.  We went to the launch event in London last night and our full review and tasting notes will follow shortly.


The Flatiron Room - Opens in NYC
A new haven for whisky and spirits fans has just opened in New York.  The Flatiron Room, which is located on West 26th Street in the Flatiron District of Manhattan, offers over 500 different whiskies (including bourbon and other American whiskies, Scotch, Irish and other world whiskies), food and live entertainment. 

The Flatiron Room covers two floors and is designed with whisky drinkers of all levels in mind.  Aside from the bar (pictured, above) and music area on the ground floor, there is a tasting room upstairs that will host more formal events and whisky education classes. They have also recruiting some of New York's best bartenders to create an inventive cocktail list to compliment the vast whisky selection and lavish decoration.  It is open every night from 5pm until 2am.  We shall definitely be searching it out when we pay a visit to NYC.


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