De-Ciphering The Glenlivet Code

The Glenlivet, the famous Speyside distillery, have announced a new limited edition single malt for this Summer but it is one with more than the usual hint of intrigue.  The Glenlivet Cipher has been released with virtually no information attached, except the legally required alcohol strength of 48% ABV.

No tasting notes, no details of cask types or maturation (other than it is a unique combination never used for The Glenlivet before), no age statement and no indication of colour or style due to the striking black opaque bottle. The bottle and packaging give clues of flavour and aroma but little else.

The Glenlivet distillery has always been innovative since it was founded in 1824 by George Smith.  It was the first distillery in the Speyside region to be granted a distilling license under the new Parliamentary Excise Act of 1823 and this approach has led to The Glenlivet becoming the world's best selling single malt brand when it overtook long-standing leader Glenfiddich in mid-2015.

Now The Glenlivet Cipher continues the brand's innovation.  Like Alpha, Cipher's predecessor from a couple of years ago, the whisky challenges common perceptions by removing obvious stimuli.  This time the mystery and challenge is increased by a user-friendly and interactive digital element.

By visiting cipher.theglenlivet.com you can create your own aroma and flavour profiles for Cipher and also pit your wits against Alan Winchester, the Master Distiller of The Glenlivet.  It is plenty of fun and really gets you to analyse the whisky both on the nose and palate.  Do not worry as Alan is on hand to assist you with some useful tips.

Once you have chosen your six aroma and flavour characteristics, the results are collated into a graphic cipher and your selections compared to those of Alan to reveal how close you are.  You can then share across various social media platforms using #TheGlenlivetCipher and @TheGlenlivet.  As you can see above, my score was terrible (48%) so I think Alan's job as Master Distiller is safe for a while longer ...

"I am laying down the ultimate test and am pleased to invite people to join us on a journey of flavour discovery.  I will be checking social media throughout the campaign to see who manages to crack the code and unlock the tasting notes of this new enigmatic single malt.  So get tasting, share your comments online and stayed tuned."
Alan Winchester - Master Distiller at The Glenlivet.

The Glenlivet Cipher is available now from selected specialist retailers across 25 world markets including Canada, Taiwan and the UK.  The recommended retail price is £85 or $US120.  The full details of Cipher will be revealed to The Glenlivet Guardians by Alan Winchester later in the year.  In the meantime, why not join in and create your own aroma and flavour profile at cipher.theglenlivet.com?

#TheGlenlivetCipher

Winner announced

Last week, we launched a reader competition which offered the chance to win a pair of tickets to this coming weekend's Whisky Live festival in London.  This competition was held in conjunction with The Glenlivet Guardians and the prize included a VIP whisky tasting with Ian Logan, The Glenlivet's Global Brand Ambassador.  This is to be held in a specially constructed Guardian's area at the show.

Well, we are delighted to announce that the winner of the competition, drawn at random, is Joe Holmes who is a member of The Glenlivet Guardians from Yaxley near Peterborough.  He correctly told us that the Glenlivet distillery was founded in 1824 and that the man who founded it was George Smith. Whisky Live London is to be Joe's first ever whisky show, so we are looking forward to hear about his experiences of the event and the whiskies that he tries.  Well done Joe and enjoy!

Inbox - March 16, 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 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.

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Yesterday, we announced a new competition in conjunction with The Glenlivet Guardians.  The prize is a pair of Saturday tickets to Whisky Live, London which is taking place at the Honorary Artillery Company next week end.  The closing date for entries is 20:00 GMT on Monday 19 March.  For details of the competition and how to enter, plus the terms & conditions - click here. Don't miss out!

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Bushmills - First 'Live' bands announced
Last week, we reported on the launch of the Bushmill's Live music festival which is to be held at the Northern Irish distillery this coming June (click here to read full details). Well now the first selection of bands and acts have now been announced. 

These include the multi million album selling Snow Patrol, Oscar nominated musician Foy Vance and award winning singer and songwriter Iain Archer.  Just to remind you, there will be no tickets on sale for this event - instead fans are invited to enter a competition draw on the Bushmills Facebook page. The competition draw begins on St. Patrick's Day (tomorrow - Sat 17 June).

Drammie Awards 2012 launched

The on-line whisky community website For Whisky Lovers have announced that the nomination process is now open for this year's Drammie Awards.  The awards are designed so that all whisky consumers can vote for their favourite whiskies, products and organisations, rather than just industry experts.

The 2012 Drammie Awards have 15 categories that you can nominate your favourites for.  The closing date for your nominations is Friday 30 March, and following this date For Whisky Lovers will publish the top five nominations in each category and ask for votes.  The winners of each category will be announced on Monday 16 April. For further information and to enter your personal nominations - click here.

Knob Creek - New rye version

The premium American whiskey brand of Knob Creek have announced the release of a small batch rye whiskey.  The Knob Creek Rye is made with a blend of high quality rye cereals and has been released due to popular demand.  Rye whiskies were widely consumed in the early 1900s, but the Prohibition period killed it off.  Only now are they again getting some significant attention from consumers. 

The Knob Creek Rye is bottled at 100° proof (50% ABV) and is being released now in selected states in the USA.  Further states and other markets will follow in the Summer.  The recommended price for a 750ml bottle is $35.99.

Competition time - Win Whisky Live London tickets with us and The Glenlivet Guardians

We are delighted to announce that we have teamed up with The Glenlivet, the iconic Scottish single malt brand, to offer one of our readers a pair of tickets to this year's Whisky Live event in London.  The Glenlivet are exhibiting at the show and holding regular tasting sessions during the two days. Sadly, we are unable to attend this year's event but this competition means that there will still be a Whisky For Everyone presence at the show!

Whisky Live, London 2012 is again being held in the impressive surroundings of the Honorable Artillery Company on City Road, London EC1Y 2BQ.  The event spans two days and this year's dates are Friday 23 and Saturday 24 March.  The pair of tickets on offer are for the Saturday and includes your own VIP tasting with Ian Logan, The Glenlivet's International Global Ambassador.  This will take place in The Glenlivet Library, a tasting space that is being specially constructed at the show.

The rules are simple. Firstly, you have to be a signed up member of The Glenlivet Guardians - this is The Glenlivet's exclusive whisky club that offers members an array of special offers and events, exclusive entry to their own members Library at the distillery, plus access to a specially created section on the The Glenlivet website.

If you are already signed up then you are good to enter.  If not, then panic not because you can easily sign up at www.theglenlivet.com/guardians and once you have successfully joined then you are free to enter our competition. Secondly, you have to get the question below correct!

Please find our Glenlivet related question below and email your answer to whiskyforeveryone@gmail.com with the subject line of 'Glenlivet Guardians Competition'. If you need any clues, then check out our distillery profile on The Glenlivet on the Whisky For Everyone website.

Question - Which year was The Glenlivet distillery founded and who was the man that founded it?

Good luck and we look forward to receiving your entries -
Karen, Matt, Chris & Matt T.

Terms & conditions
➢ You must be aged 18 years or above to take part.
➢ You must be a signed up member of The Glenlivet Guardians to enter.
➢ Only one entry per email address will be accepted in to the prize draw.
➢ The closing date for the survey is 20:00 GMT on Monday 19 March 2012. Any entries after this time cannot be considered.
➢ The winners will be drawn and notified shortly after the closing time. At this point, the winner will be required to give a postal address for delivery of tickets. If the winner is not a member of The Glenlivet Guardians, then an alternative winner will be drawn.
➢ The decision is final, once the result is drawn.
➢ The winner will receive a pair of tickets to the Whisky Live show in London for Saturday 24 March 2012. This will include entry to the show, welcome bag and all it contains, and a VIP tasting in The Glenlivet Guardians library with Ian Logan.
➢ Transport to and from the venue in London is at the winner's cost.
➢ No cash alternative will be offered as a prize.
➢ Personal information supplied is for the sole purpose of the prize draw.