Inbox - September 20, 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.

Inbox - October 12, 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 the first mention of Christmas ... the countdown has truly begun!

Have just tried - Drambuie 15 years old

At Whisky For Everyone we do not often dip in to the world of whisky liqueurs.  As with many consumers, we enjoy the occasional sip around Christmas time but that's about it.  We recently had the opportunity to try a new(ish) product from one of the leading brands in the category.  Whisky liqueurs seem to have a poor reputation and are regarded as being sugary and super sweet. However, despite the category shrinking dramatically in recent years there are still some lovely examples on offer.

One such example is the Drambuie 15 years old - the aforementioned new(ish) product.  Drambuie is a classic old brand which dates back to the 1870s, when it was produced by hotel owner John Ross for patrons in the bar of The Broadford Hotel on the isle of Skye.  Legend has it that Ross had received the secret recipe for the liqueur from an ancestor of John MacKinnon, who in turn is said to have received it from Bonnie Prince Charlie as a thank you for helping him escape to Skye after the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

The name of Drambuie is said to have come from one of the hotel bar patrons, who described the liqueur in Gaelic as "an dram buidheach", or "the drink that satisfies" when translated to English.  The name stuck and Drambuie was first manufactured commercially in 1909 by MacBeth & Sons.  This company later became The Drambuie Liqueur Company, who still produce it today.  The brand is now one of the world's biggest selling products in the whisky liqueur category and is the main ingredient in a Rusty Nail, the popular cocktail.

The Drambuie 15 years old is a relatively recent addition to the range, appearing in Autumn 2011.  It is bottled at 43% ABV, which is quite high for a liqueur, and has a high percentage of 15 years old Speyside single malt (non specified distillery/distilleries) as the base in the recipe.  Along with the whisky, there are also honey, herbs and spices included.  A bottle should cost around the £35 mark from specialist liquor retailers and some high end supermarkets.

Our tasting notes
The colour is golden yellow with a hint of amber, and the nose is immediately aromatic with sweet, rich and zesty (think of orange especially) notes.  The sweetness is driven by aromas of honey, toffee, vanilla and dried fruits, particularly sultanas and raisins.  This is tempered by some notes of bittersweet cereals, burnt caramel and plenty of wood spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.  Very pleasant.

On the palate this liqueur is rich, sweet and mouth coating.  There is plenty of initial sweetness, which again comes in the form of golden honey, toffee (or perhaps butterscotch?) and the dried fruit from the nose.  A distinct and tangy orange note is never far away and adds a lovely zesty, slightly juicy edge in the mouth.  This tends towards spiced orange as the immediate tangy feeling begins to fade.  This spiciness (think of cinnamon bark, aniseed and cloves) becomes more prominent with time and gives a nice depth and complexity, as do further notes of malty cereals and dried grass.

The finish is sweet and tangy again, and grips the taste buds.  The ABV strength aids this and adds intensity.  The spiciness is again there and it is these notes which come to the fore as the sweeter ones fade.  A lovely drying and lengthy dose of cinnamon and nutmeg are evident, along with further hints of liquorice and clove.

What's the verdict?
The Drambuie 15 years old is one of the nicest whisky based liqueurs that we have tried to date.  As mentioned, the alcohol strength helps to exaggerate the aromas and flavour and give the liqueur a good, gripping mouth feel.  In inclusion of a decent percentage of well aged single malt is helping also and adds the depth, complexity and drying spiciness that other similar products seem to lack.  An excellent effort we think.

Inbox > December 2, 2011

Welcome to Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently 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 will 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 if you want to. There's a bit to get through this week, so let's get going ...

Bowmore > Islay Taste Map goes live

A few weeks ago, we told you about the new Islay Taste Map which had been launched by Bowmore, the oldest distillery on the famous whisky island. Well, an interactive version of the map is now available online and can be accessed via www.islaytastemap.com. The map is a bold move to support the Islay category as a whole, and is the ideal guide to the complex and varied characters of Islay’s eight distilleries. It has been launched as an educational tool for both the on-trade and off-trade.  Check it out and have a go.

Cooley > New range of Poitín launched

The award winning independent distillery of Cooley has launched their version of a historical Irish classic spirit -  poitín (pronounced po-cheen).  This legendary clear spirit, famous for its high alcohol strength and potency, was first produced in Ireland over 1,000 years ago, way before the whiskey industry took over.  This Cooley version is made using malted and un-malted barley and is distilled in a traditional copper pot still.  It is then bottled straight from the still, with no maturation, at a strength of 65% ABV.

The poitín is recommended to be used in the same way as any other quality white spirit - neat, with water or ice, or with mixers or as part of a cocktail.  The Cooley Poitín will initially consist of just 1,800 bottles which will be available within Ireland at The Celtic Whiskey Shop and in Dublin Airport and then in selected specialist alcohol retailers elsewhere.

Dalmore > Exclusive 1995 Vintage released

The north Highland distillery of Dalmore have launched a new single malt whisky in the UK. The whisky has been specially selected by Dalmore's Distillery Manager Ian Mackay and will be sold exclusively through The Whisky Shop - the UK's largest specialist whisky retail chain.  The Dalmore 1995 Vintage has been matured in combination of ex-Matusalem sherry casks and ex-bourbon American oak casks and is limited to just 1,800 bottles.  It is bottled at 40% ABV and can be purchased at any of the chain's 18 stores or via www.whiskyshop.com, costing £84.99 a bottle.  Ian Mackay comments, "I was delighted to be able to choose a whisky that would represent my favourite style of single malt for The Whisky Shop. I’ve selected a whisky that has been matured in two of my favourite casks, and I just hope everyone else enjoys it as much as I do!"

Drambuie > A Taste Of The Extraordinary

The popular whisky liqueur brand has launched a new global advertising campaign in time for the Christmas festive period. A Taste of the Extraordinary sees Drambuie, which was first produced 260 years ago, is targeting the '25-44 year old professional worker'.  The campaign pulls on artistic influences such as Dali and Escher, using stark, surreal black and white imagery to compliment the rich, golden colour of the Drambuie bottle.  The images are by renowned photographer John Ross, who has created numerous well known album covers.

It will be seen in the UK, Chile and Greece before Christmas and then rolled out elsewhere around the globe during 2012.  We have already seen the strikingly graphic posters on the London Underground and have even seen one of the famous London black cabs decked out in the zig zag design!

Glendronach > New batch of single casks

The independently owned distillery of Glendronach have announced the latest batch in their single cask release programme.  This is the fifth such batch and it includes five limited edition bottlings - a 1972 ex-Oloroso sherry butt (421 bottles), a 1978 ex-Oloroso sherry puncheon (417 bottles), a 1989 ex-Pedro Ximinez sherry puncheon (489 bottles), a 1991 ex-Oloroso sherry butt (530 bottles) & a 1993 ex-Oloroso sherry butt (507 bottles). They have all been bottled in the last few weeks and were released yesterday.  They will be available from specialist whisky retailers shortly.

Master of Malt > World's oldest whisky liqueur released

Master of Malt, the innovative online spirits retailer, have announced the release of the world's oldest whisky liqueur.  It has been made using a 55 year old ex-sherry cask matured single malt from 'one of Scotland's finest distilleries' and the aromas and flavours have then been accentuated by adding natural sugars and spices.  It has been bottled at 41% ABV and is on sale for the wallet-busting price of £999.95.  Alternatively, if you don't want to spend a grand on a whisky liqueur then you can take advantage of Master of Malt's excellent  Drinks by the Dram offer.  With this your can buy a 3cl sample bottle for £52.85.  Interested? Order from the Master of Malt website.

Inbox > July 22, 2011

Whisky For Everyone has been quiet for the last two weeks, as we have been away on holiday. We made our annual pilgrimage to Spain to take in the beautiful city of Valencia and the FIB music festival in the coastal town of Benicassim. We have come back refreshed and ready to write about whisky again, which is good ... as we have plenty of news, samples and new products to write about over the coming weeks, plus the occasional whisky related adventure!

We will kick things off with a bumper edition of Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has found its way in to our email inbox. Inbox was born as we sadly 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 will 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 if you want to. Here's some news from the last two weeks ...
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Drambuie > Launches 15 years old in the US

Drambuie, the popular whisky liqueur owned by Bacardi, has introduced a new premium expression to the US market - the Drambuie 15 years old - at the Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans. The liqueur is made using 15 year old single malts from the Speyside region of Scotland and has been successful in travel retail and UK markets. The US version is bottled at the same strength as in other markets (43% ABV) and will be available nationwide at a recommended retail price of $56 per litre.

Glengoyne > Afternoon tea anyone?
Cameron House, a five star resort located on the banks of Loch Lomond, has joined forces with the nearby Glengoyne Distillery to offer a new Whisky Afternoon Tea. It has been created by new Head Chef Ryan Neill and consists of various snacks served with a mug of tea and a dram of Glengoyne 10 years old on slate platter. The snacks (pictured, below) include roast beef & mustard sandwiches, haggis sausage roll, smoked salmon roll, mini Aberdeen Angus burger, black pudding scotch egg and slices of Glengoyne whisky fruit cake. The Afternoon Tea is served in the hotel’s Whisky Bar and is available daily from 2-5pm at £26 per head. To book a Glengoyne Whisky Afternoon Tea, please telephone the Whisky Bar at Cameron House on 01389 722 581 or contact www.cameronhouse.co.uk.

Glengoyne have also announced a joint initiative with the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT). This has seen the brand invest £170,000 on a new wetland area within the distillery grounds, which will help to process distillery waste and by-products more efficiently and offer a haven for local wildlife. As part of the initiative, Glengoyne will also donate £3 to the Trust from each personalised bottle and £4.50 from each bottle of the core range sold to WWT members via their
website.

Glenrothes > Whisky Makers Contest
A few months ago, we reported on a competition being held by the Speyside distillery of Glenrothes. This was called the Whisky Makers Contest and following thousands of entries from all over the world, the winners were treated to a series of challenges, tastings and lessons in the manufacturing of single malt whisky in June. The winners came from England, Taiwan and the USA and were guided and tutored by the experienced staff and the legendary Global Brand Ambassador for Glenrothes, Ronnie Cox. The short video below shows some of the highlights from the winners’ trip to Speyside.



Highland Park > Earl Haakon released

The Highland Park distillery on the northern Orkney islands have announced the release of the Earl Haakon, the much anticipated third and final edition in their Magnus series. The first two bottlings in the series – the Earl Magnus and Saint Magnus -celebrated the influential 11th century Viking Magnus (the clue was in the name!). This one is named after Magnus’ deceitful cousin Haakon, who was extremely violent as legend says and actually ordered Magnus’ death. Therefore, this new whisky highlights the darker and more sinister nature of its namesake. The Earl Haakon is 18 years of age, is bottled at a cask strength of 54.9% ABV and consists of just 3,300 bottles. These will be available shortly from specialist whisky retailers and via www.highlandpark.co.uk for £160 a bottle (which is made of handsome black glass). We have just received a sample and will be reviewing it shortly … watch this space!

Sydney Whisky Fair

Whisky connoisseurs, boutique whisky distillers and industry leaders will descend upon Sydney this September for the launch of the Sydney Whisky Fair - a tasting experience for avid Australian whisky & spirit enthusiasts organised by retailer The Oak Barrel. The fair is being held at the company’s facilities in Elizabeth Street, Sydney on 2 and 3 September and there will be over 100 whiskies and spirits on show including exclusive products not normally available for tasting and new products. Master classes will also be held over the two days with limited tickets being released for each session. Ticket price ($60 per head) includes entry, a tasting glass and & light snack to keep you going throughout your whisky journey - check out The Sydney Whisky Fair website to purchase tickets and for more info.

Inbox > April 15, 2011

Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has found its way in to our email inbox. Sadly, we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive, so Inbox was born! It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we will 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 if you want to. Here is this week's news - grab a dram and enjoy!
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Bowmore > A Taste of Islay is launched
The iconic Islay distillery of Bowmore, which is the oldest distillery on the famous whisky producing island, has announced A Taste of Islay. This is aimed at people interested in outdoor pursuits and will take the form of tasting experiences at a number of consumer events throughout the year including the Outdoor Pursuits show in Edinburgh, the Royal Bath & West Show and the Kendal Mountain Festival. Bowmore will also sponsor the Ben Nevis Challenge on 20 August, which sees teams scale the peak of Ben Nevis in aid of Capability Scotland - a charity that works with disabled people and their family and carers throughout Scotland (for further details of this - click here). Kirsteen Beeston, the Head of Brand Marketing for Bowmore said: "Bowmore has always been a champion of nature and the great outdoors, so we’re delighted to be broadening our campaign this year to bring a Taste of Islay to more of our target audience in a relevant and memorable way.”

The Drambuie Pursuit
In another piece of outdoor news, four members of the Royal Air Force have won a £2,500 donation for the RAF’s Benevolent Fund after securing a place for The Drambuie Pursuit – a high octane Scottish endurance race. Team ultRAFast (including Squadron Leader Alan Rutledge, Flight Lieutenants Tom Kinsley and Simon Ramsden plus Flying Officer Chris Carrington-Smith) will take part in the event which runs between 13 and 15 May. The Drambuie Pursuit covers 100 miles of the Scottish Highland’s rugged terrain and includes activities such as rock climbing, white water rafting, mountain biking, kayaking and buggy racing. Team ultRAFast will compete against nine other international teams. Drambuie - one of the best selling whisky based liqueurs in the world – is again sponsoring the tough Scottish pursuit event. For more information on The Drambuie Pursuit please visit www.drambuie.co.uk/pursuit.

The Macallan > Royal Wedding bottling announced
The famous Speyside distillery of Macallan has announced the release of a limited edition single malt to commemorate the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29. There will be only 1,000 bottles of this special whisky, which has been constructed using just two hand premium casks - both were put in to their casks on April 29, one in 1996 and one in 1999. This mirrors a similar Macallan bottling that was produced for the wedding of William's parents in 1981. A specially designed label and packaging has been produced by David Holmes, who was also the creative force behind the 1981 packaging. Each bottle will cost £150 and are available from the visitor's centre shop at the distillery or via www.themacallan.com.

The distiller's tasting notes are as follows > Colour – Golden Amber. Nose – Cinnamon, ginger, clove, toffee apples, vanilla, chocolate orange, summer fruits, lightly floral and barley notes. Palate – Abundant wood spices deliver an initial hit to the palate, slightly oily texture. Fruits develop, balanced with soft oak tones. Orange zest, floral notes and barley make an appearance later. Finish – Soft, full, long lasting.