Inbox > December 9, 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. Here are this week's nuggets of news ...

Amrut > New Portonova released

The innovative Indian distillery of Amrut have announced the release of their latest limited edition single malt whisky.  The Amrut Portonova was first matured in new American oak and ex-Bourbon barrels and then transferred to Port casks from one of the most famous (although un-named) Port houses in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal for a further one year maturation period.  It was then back to ex-Bourbon barrels for finishing, Each stage of the maturation took place at the distillery warehouses in Bangalore. The Portonova has been bottled at a natural cask strength of 61.2% ABV and this limited edition consists of just 1250 bottles worldwide.  These have been split roughly in to thirds and will be sold in specialist retailers in the European, UK and USA markets for around €85, £75 or $115 respectively.

Duncan Taylor > Enters new Dimensions

The award winning independent bottler Duncan Taylor have announced the launch of The Dimensions Collection - an range of single malt and single grain Scotch whiskies that showcase some of their best casks. The collection showcases the multi dimensional levels of character and flavour available from individual distilleries and casks. The Dimensions collection consists of two versions of bottling - single cask, cask strength releases and exclusively numbered small batches at 46% ABV. The Dimensions Collection is now available in specialist whisky retailers.

The initial release includes an Aberlour 1993, Bunnhabhain 1988, Cameronbridge 1978, Clynelish 1995, Glenlivet 1981, Glen Moray 1988, Glenrothes 1992, Macduff 1997, Mortlach 1989 and Royal Brackla 1997. For further information on The Dimensions Collection and the full range of Duncan Taylor whiskies, visit www.duncantaylor.com.

Spirit of Unity > Raises cash for Japan

Earlier in the year, we reported on a unique whisky that was created by a group of seven independent Scottish distilleries. Each of the seven – Arran, Benriach, Bladnoch, Glendronach, Glengyle, Kilchoman and Springbank – donated a single cask of single malt, which were blended together to create a limited edition whisky named Spirit of Unity. The project was created to raise vital funds for relief efforts following the devastating natural disaster in Japan in March.  The 2,000 bottles have now been sold and have raised a staggering £95,000 for various charities.  Just a few remain, which are to be presented in limited box sets containing bottles signed by each of the seven Master Distillers. These will be auctioned in early 2012 to raise further funds.

Talisker > New packaging launched

The iconic single malt from the isle of Skye has revealed a full revamp of its packaging which will be released to all markets in early 2012. The new packaging will be rolled out over the entire range. The outer cartons feature powerful maritime photography and coastal scenes, taken by photographers Cailean Maclean (a Skye resident) and Angus Bremner, and a more prominent map of the island and distillery location. The bottle label features a bolder Talisker font and more prominence is placed on the Established 1830 message.

Talisker's Distillery Manager Mark Lochhead is enthusiastic about the new designs, saying “Talisker is made by the sea in every sense of the word. To have this captured in these new designs is exciting for everyone here. At the same time it both speaks to our own roots and helps consumers understand what kind of place Skye is".

Inbox > April 8, 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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The Chivas Regal Cannes Experience
Chivas Regal, the premium blended whisky brand, has announced an extension to its sponsorship of the iconic Cannes Film Festival. This will be the third year that it will be an official partner of the festival, which will be staged for the 64th time this year. To celebrate, Chivas are offering a VIP trip for you and three friends to Cannes. The winner will have a whistle stop 24 hour experience that includes return flights, tickets to a movie premiere including walking along the red carpet, meeting stars, entry to an exclusive after-show party, luxurious accommodation and dinner at a top restaurant in Cannes. To enter, simply go to the Chivas Regal Facebook page. Good luck!

Spirit of Unity > A unique whisky to help earthquake victims
A group of seven independent Scottish distilleries have collaborated to create a unique whisky that will generate vital funds for the Japanese and New Zealand earthquake relief work. Each of the seven – Arran, Benriach, Bladnoch, Glendronach, Glengyle, Kilchoman and Springbank – have donated a single cask of whisky, which have been blended together to create a limited edition named Spirit of Unity. The bottle and container (pictured, left) has also been donated free of charge by Chesapeake Branded Packaging. There are only 2,000 bottles, with 1,200 being sold in the UK market through two nominated retailers – Royal Mile Whiskies and Loch Fyne Whiskies – at £59 each (plus postage). The remaining 800 bottles will be sent to Japan and New Zealand, where they will be sold. Every penny of the sales will go to the relief efforts in the two countries and this will total almost £120,000. Spirit of Unity can be pre-ordered from UK retailers’ websites.

Whyte & Mackay > Recreate 100 year old whisky
Whisky company Whyte & Mackay have recreated a whisky that has been buried under the ice of Antarctica for a century. The company's Master Blender, the legendary Richard Paterson, has taken eight weeks to blend and marry the new whisky in order to achieve an exact replica of the original whisky. This original was produced by MacKinlay's and was left by Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton on a failed expedition to the South Pole in the early 1900s. It was not discovered until 2007 and only recently three of the bottles were flown back to Whyte & Mackay's headquarters in Scotland, where Richard Paterson analysed the whisky. The originals are to be returned to the ice but the new version will be available shortly.

The replica Shackleton whisky will retail at £100, with 5% of the proceeds going to the New Zealand based charity who maintain part of Antarctica and who found the original crates of whisky. It has been bottled at the original's strength of 47.3% ABV and 50,000 bottles have been produced. The packaging for this new whisky has also been replicated to be as original as possible, including imperfections in the glass and wooden box! The whole series of events, from the discovery through to the blending process, has been recorded and will be released as a documentary by The National Geographic Society later in the year.