Inbox - May 31, 2013

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, 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 received. 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.  Here is the news that has attracted our attention this week ...

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Ballantine's - Serves up a story

The popular blended whisky brand is aiming to increase awareness of the Ballantine's 12 years old expression with a new interactive online film experience.  The Story of Serve highlights the Ballantine's 12 Serving Ritual - a three sectioned crystal decanter that can hold whisky, water and ice - and will reward participants who share with friends via social media.

The experience is one film which is split in to nine parts across YouTube - the puzzle is to arrange the nine parts in the correct order for it to play.  Once completed, participants will have the chance to enter a competition at the end of the film and to share their experiences via Twitter or email.

The prize is one of the exclusive Serving Ritual decanters, created by award winning designer Lee Broom.  The Story of Serve is available in both English and Spanish, and runs until July 1 2013.  To take part or to follow the initiative, go to www.serve.ballantines.com.

English Whisky Co. - Coronation bottling released
The Norfolk-based English Whisky Company have produced a special bottling to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation.  Just seven casks have been hand selected and used to construct the whisky, and these have yielded 1,850 bottles.  Unfortunately, we are have been unable to find information about casking or ABV bottling strength.  The Coronation Whisky is available now for £64.99 a bottle from www.englishwhisky.co.uk.


Macallan - Celebrate the Coronation as well

The Speyside distillery of Macallan has also announced a special release to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's Coronation in 1953.  The limited edition Coronation Bottling comes in a specially designed commemorative box, designed by acclaimed art director David Holmes, and contains two 35cl bottles.  One features an image of the Queen taken by celebrated photographer Cecil Beaton in 1953 and the other has an image taken by renowned portrait photographer Julian Calder in 2004.

The Cecil Beaton bottling (pictured above, left) has been matured in ex-American oak sherry casks and is bottled at 58.1% ABV.  The Julian Calder bottling has been matured in ex-Spanish oak sherry casks and is bottled at 55.7% ABV.  There are just 1,953 sets and they are available via www.themacallan.com (UK customers only), the distillery shop in Speyside or from selected specialist whisky retailers.  The price is £350 per set.

Ken Grier, Director of Malts at Edrington (Macallan's owners), comments - “The Macallan is honoured to pay tribute to Her Majesty the Queen on the 60th anniversary of her Coronation. This exclusive release has allowed us to marry these moments from the Queen’s remarkable reign with two very special whiskies. We are proud of the whiskies we have created for this special bottling - they both portray the character and nobility of the Queen at two very different stages of her life.”