Archives for October 2014

English Whisky Co. Release Rare Limited Edition!

October 31, 2014 by Gary Leave a Comment

Chapter 16 Cask Strength

CHAPTER 16 – PEATED SHERRY CASK

English Whisky have described this as: “Our first release of a peated, sherry cask. This initial release has very light smoke but all the classic flavour and aroma you would expect from a sherry cask.”

Only 96 bottles of cask strength and 300 bottles of 46% released worldwide.

Chapter 16, 46 percent

Tasting Notes for Chapter 16

Nose
I have never been in one, but what I would imagine the reading room of an old fashioned gentlemen’s club to smell like. Old books, soft warm leather, coffee grounds, bitter chocolate, soft aroma’s of cigar smoke. Hints of mint and walnuts. Rich fruits, think ripe dates and sticky prunes.

Palate
Dry, the coffee grounds are there along with the chocolate. Very soft, rich and oily. Light smoke and again the sticky prunes and dates come through. Hints of toffee and ginger spice. There must be a joke here somewhere about having a bit of ginger spice in your mouth but I’ll leave that to others!

Chapter 13 WW1 EDITION

CHAPTER 13 – WW1 EDITION

In light of the momentous occasion that 2014 signifies – a century since the start of WW1. English Whisky thought this was a date worth noting and so have designed a label, bottle and contents worthy of remembering 1914 and those that fought for us.

The whisky itself has gentle undertones of smoke and an earthiness to it – our way of giving a nod to the battlefields.

The English Whisky Co. are going to donate £2 to the Poppy Appeal for each bottle sold.

The bottling is limited to 1499 bottles.

Tasting Notes for Chapter 13

Nose
Sweet raisins, warm vanilla and slightly spicy. Hints of bread and butter pudding and caramelised sugar. Also a slight savoury and earthy background note.

Palate
Initially dry, then sweet, spicy (think white pepper), malty and oaky. Again the savoury, earthy notes come through. Slight touch of anise along with lovely warm vanilla, just like a vanilla sponge fresh from the oven. Finish is long and the dryness kicks back at the end.

English Whisky is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

The Whisky Exchange
Master of Malt
Edencroft Fine Wine & Spirit Specialists
Abbey Whisky
Whisky Online
The Whisky Barrel
The Green Welly Stop

The Glenlivet Unveils It’s Founder’s Reserve!

October 31, 2014 by Gary Leave a Comment

The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve

The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve is a new, permanent benchmark expression in the brand’s core range.

It has been created as the ultimate tribute to founder George Smith’s original vision to craft the definitive, smooth single malt whisky.

According to Laurent Lacassagne, Chairman & CEO, Chivas Brothers, “Founder’s Reserve brings to life the heart and soul of The Glenlivet – at its core is the perfectly balanced smooth and fruity flavour that The Glenlivet is renowned for. We are very proud to introduce this new expression during what has been an incredible 12 months for the brand, and which will enable us to meet increased demand for super-premium spirits with something unique to offer.”

With Founder’s Reserve, The Glenlivet house style is skilfully complemented with a creaminess and sweetness from the addition of First Fill American oak casks, resulting in a malt of exceptional smoothness; the very quality for which George Smith’s The Glenlivet was widely admired and appreciated in his day. This exceptional new spirit will be rolling out in markets globally from March 2015, priced alongside The Glenlivet’s 12 Year Old expression.

The Glenlivet has also revealed that in September this year, it had achieved sales of one million cases per annum.

Laurent Lacassagne added: “The Glenlivet has been the biggest contributor to the growth of the single malt Scotch whisky category in the last five years and, in September 2014, reached the impressive milestone of one million case sales per annum. This fantastic achievement is driven by a robust performance in volume but an even stronger performance in value, which is a testament first and foremost to the high quality of our product.”

The introduction of Founder’s Reserve follows on from the recent historic release of The Glenlivet Winchester Collection, the world’s first collection of 50 Year Old single malt Scotch whiskies.
Launched earlier this month, the collection is anticipated to become one of the most sought after and priceless whisky collections in the world and epitomises the brand’s commitment to innovation in crafted Scotch whisky.

Glenfiddich Announces Malt Mastermind Finalists For 2014

October 30, 2014 by Gary Leave a Comment

Glenfiddich Announces Malt Mastermind Finalists For 2014

Twelve finalists have been selected to compete in this year’s Malt Mastermind and the competition looks stronger than ever as bartenders from renowned venues including The Dorchester, Boisdale of Canary Wharf and The Devil’s Advocate in Edinburgh step up to compete for the title.

The competition, which is now in its fifth year, will test contestants on their creativity, whisky knowledge and passion for bartending. The finalists will create their signature serve using Glenfiddich 14 Year Old, Glenfiddich 15 Year Old or Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Distillery Edition, before taking part in an additional challenge, which will be revealed on the day.

Each contestant will be judged by an expert panel comprised of whisky expert and former Malt Mastermind judge, Mark Thomson, Kirsten Grant Meikle, a William Grant family member and Director of Prestige at the company, and Roman Foltan from the ‘World’s Best Bar’, The Artesian.

The twelve finalists including ‘wild card’ entry Jamie Ireland from the 2013 competition, will compete for the prestigious title at Callooh Callay on Monday 17th November. The bartender who is named Malt Mastermind will win a weekend stay in Dufftown including a VIP distillery experience, £1,000 and the prestigious Glenfiddich trophy.

Judge and whisky expert, Mark Thomson commented: “This is an exciting year to be involved with Malt Mastermind as we’ve had more entries than ever and the calibre of entrants is astoundingly high. The finalists’ serves reflect Glenfiddich’s ruthlessly premium values but demonstrate that whisky is evolving and the on-trade is evolving with it. The level of creativity demonstrated by the applicants has been overwhelming and choosing 12 finalists out of so many strong entries was genuinely difficult.

“Having Kirsten and Roman on board adds another interesting element to the 2014 competition and a lot more pressure for the bartenders as they will need to impress two of the industry’s biggest whisky experts. Let’s see what they’ve got!”

The twelve finalists are:

1. Jamie Ireland, Hotel Missoni, Edinburgh (Wildcard entry from 2013 competition)

2. Ernest Reid, Boisdale of Canary Wharf, London

3. Alex Palumbo, Plateau, London

4. Andrea Signanini, The Bar at The Dorchester, London

5. Dominic Willox, The Tippling House, Aberdeen

6. Henry Yates, The Boilermaker, Nottingham

7. Isabella Newman, The Earl, Bath

8. Steve Georgiou, Bourne and Hollingsworth, London

9. Keivan Nemati, The Zetter Townhouse, London

10. Alix Nardella, Dandelyan, London

11. Ali Reynolds, Hawksmoor Spitalfields, London

12. Michael Lynch, The Devil’s Advocate, Edinburgh

The Malt Mastermind 2014 winner will be announced on Tuesday 18th November 2014.

Ballantine’s Launches It’s Golf Club – Online!

October 30, 2014 by Gary Leave a Comment

Celebrated Golfer Liang Wen-Chong with Ian Poulter

Ballantine’s has launched the Ballantine’s Golf Club – unique in that it’s an online Golf Club!

Inspired by golf and its lifestyle, it is aimed at those who share an appreciation of golf and a love of fine whisky.
Ian Poulter is the Club’s inaugural Captain and the website is now live and ready for members to open its doors for the first time at www.ballantinesgolfclub.com.

Membership to the Ballantine’s Golf Club is completely free-of-charge and gives golf fans around the world access to exclusive content, invitational events, whisky tastings, VIP hospitality and a range of member rewards, as well as the coveted opportunity to learn from top players and participate in a member-only global golf tournament.

Club Captain Ian Poulter hosted a launch event at the Lake Malaren Golf Club on the eve of the BMW Masters Tournament, at which Ballantine’s is the Official Whisky of the prestigious tournament.
The inspirational golf star, who was joined by celebrated Chinese golfer, Liang Wen-Chong in unveiling the Ballantine’s Golf Club, showcased highlights of the exclusive golf content hosted on the new website to the world’s media, including the first view in China of his revered ‘Moment of Truth’ film, conceived by Ballantine’s and first showcased when plans for the Ballantine’s Golf Club were announced earlier this year.

Virtual Fore!

The online club presents a wide range of contemporary and exciting golf content, appealing to golf enthusiasts who want to get behind-the-scenes of the sport and learn something new, whilst having the opportunity to win ‘money-can’t-buy’ rewards. These rewards include exclusive signed Ian Poulter prints, beautifully crafted handmade golf clubs from Vega and Ryder Cup official prints, painted and signed by world renowned golf artist, Graeme Baxter.

Throughout the season, www.ballantinesgolfclub.com will be updated with further exclusive content including ‘Shotmakers’, which features swing and course management tips from professionals, ‘Captain’s Diary’ updates from Ian Poulter, ‘Off-Course Portraits’ documenting the unique lives of successful individuals in the world of golf, and golf style articles from leading fashion journalists.

Ian Poulter said: “It is an honour to be the Founding Captain of the Ballantine’s Golf Club. Ballantine’s has long had an association with golf and it’s fantastic to be a part of a truly unique club where, like me, the members will share an appreciation of whisky and the spirit of the sport.”

Peter Moore, Global Brand Director for Ballantine’s added: “We have a tremendous heritage in golf dating back to 1960 and the Ballantine’s Golf Club now takes our presence in the sport to the next level. In addition to our continued support for tournaments across the golfing calendar, the introduction of the Ballantine’s Golf Club will allow us to reach an increasing number of golf fans who share an appreciation of good whisky, with new and exciting content that has been created with them in mind, all around the world.”

Midleton Releases Very Rare 30th Anniversary Pearl Edition!

October 24, 2014 by Gary Leave a Comment

The Midleton Very Rare 30th Anniversary Pearl Edition!

The Midleton Distillery has unveiled Midleton Very Rare 30th Anniversary Pearl Edition – an exclusive, limited edition created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the expression heralded by many whisk(e)y experts as the pinnacle of Irish whiskey.

A true Irish masterpiece and a perfectly balanced exemplar of the Midleton Very Rare style, Pearl Edition is the result of a collaboration between Master Distiller, Brian Nation, and Barry Crockett, Master Distiller Emeritus, who share between them more than 60 years’ distilling experience at the Midleton Distillery in County Cork.

Barry and Brian personally selected a 1984 Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey and a 1981 grain whiskey respectively to blend into a whiskey of exceptional quality. As is tradition, both whiskeys have been matured in American oak barrels, which after 30 years have imparted luscious vanilla and delicate honey flavours.

Local artisans have collaborated to provide exceptional and authentic packaging for the expression, befitting its outstanding quality and rarity. Each presentation pack is bespoke; the Leadbetter family of glassblowers from Jerpoint Glass Studio, Co. Kilkenny, has shaped each bottle individually, which sits in a grand box fashioned from the mightiest Irish oak by some of Ireland’s most-skilled, wood craftspeople from Co. Wexford. The case houses a limited edition, celebratory booklet and a hand-blown miniature of Midleton Very Rare Pearl Edition to allow whiskey lovers to taste and share the whiskey without opening the full bottle.

Midleton Very Rare Pearl Edition continues the tradition of featuring the signature of the creator on the label. As Master Distiller Emeritus, Barry Crockett returned to craft the expression with Master Distiller Brian Nation, the bottle features both names in recognition of their joint creation.

Brian said: “Midleton Very Rare Pearl Edition has been 30 years in the making; 30 years of craft, 30 years of tradition and 30 years of patience. The liquid, its bottle and the presentation box are examples of the finest Irish craftsmanship, and offer whiskey aficionados the ultimate Irish whiskey experience by perfectly capturing our Irish heritage as we look to the future. Pearl Edition sets a new benchmark for Midleton Very Rare and the distillery’s Prestige Collection, as we continue to craft innovative whiskeys to further enhance the Irish whiskey renaissance.”

Barry Crockett, Master Distiller Emeritus, added: “Few things are worth coming out of retirement for, but the opportunity to be a part of the creation of Midleton Very Rare Pearl Edition is certainly one of them. The whiskey is Midleton’s most prized possession and represents the greatest milestone since I crafted the first ever edition of Midleton Very Rare back in 1984. It is an honour to be a part of this release and Ireland’s rich distilling heritage, and I hope discerning drinkers and whiskey enthusiasts cherish every drop.”

With only 117 bottles in existence, Midleton Very Rare Pearl Edition will be available in Ireland, UK, France, Germany and China, priced at €6,000 or equivalent, from November 2014.

Midleton Very Rare Pearl Edition tasting notes:

NOSE

The initial fresh herbal notes of crushed garden mint and rosemary, are a testament to the quality of the ex-bourbon barrels in which this whiskey has rested for many years. Soft honey sweetness along with beeswax shows its antique character, while hints of gingerbread combine with toasted oak to compliment some pot still spices.

TASTE

The soft silky mouth coating is initially honey sweet, then the fresh herbal flavours follow through with a touch of menthol. The spicy notes concentrate, staying sweet with cinnamon and liquorice before the toasted oak adds to the complexity.

FINISH

The succulence of the herbs and spices is very slow to fade.

London Bartender Launches New Jameson Irish Whiskey Cocktail!

October 24, 2014 by Gary Leave a Comment

JAMESON – HIXTER BANKSIDE LAUNCH NEW, AGED COCKTAIL WITH A TWIST

London bartender, Myles Davies, of the recently opened Hixter Bankside has collaborated with Jameson Irish Whiskey, creating a cocktail over the last few months by ageing his creation in a Jameson-seasoned barrel.

The cocktail, Autumn Leaves is available for £9.50 and will be on sale at Hixter Bankside until the barrel runs dry.

The cocktail is created by mixing Jameson Irish Whiskey, sweet Vermouth and an apple aperitif from Somerset, and then ageing the mix for several weeks within a Jameson barrel from the distillery in Midleton, Cork. The maturation process in the barrels imparts additional vanilla and wood flavours into the drink, as well as creating a more rounded flavour profile.

Born in New York in the early 1900s, the practice of barrel-ageing cocktails has enjoyed a renaissance over the last few years, and has been led by renowned bartenders including Tony Conigliaro. These cocktails are typically aged in the barrel for six to eight weeks to allow the extraction of wood compounds, the evaporation of volatile compounds and the oxidation of cocktail components, which results in a softer, more rounded drink.

The barrel itself was originally a 200-litre Jameson barrel, which was dismantled and then painstakingly re-assembled by 5th generation Jameson Master Cooper, Ger Buckley, into a 15-litre barrel for Myles’ aged cocktail creation. The barrel will be on display in the bar at Hixter Bankside.

Autumn Leaves recipe and method:

3 parts Jameson Irish Whiskey
2 parts sweet vermouth
1 part Kingston Black (apple aperitif)
Mix through with ice, add a few drops of liquorice bittersand strain into coupe glass or similar.

JAMESON IRISH WHISKEY LAUNCHES BARREL AGED COCKTAIL PROGRAMME FOR BARTENDERS

Abbey Whisky – Kilchoman, Arran, GlenDronach & Teeling New Arrivals!

October 20, 2014 by Gary Leave a Comment

Supplier	Brand	Bottle Size	Price
Abbey Whisky	Arran Machrie Moor / Fifth Edition / Peated Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Island Age: Strength: 46%	70cl	£ 39.98 BUY NOW
Abbey Whisky	Arran Machrie Moor Cask Strength – First Edition Country: Scotland Region: Island Age: Strength: 58.4%	70cl	£ 47.98 BUY NOW
Abbey Whisky	Glendronach 15 Year Old / Tawny Port Finish Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Age: 15 Years Old Strength: 46%	70cl	£ 65.00 BUY NOW
Abbey Whisky	Kilchoman Original Cask Strength / 2014 Release Country: Scotland Region: Islay Age: 5 Years Old Strength: 59.2%	70cl	£ 65.90 BUY NOW
Abbey Whisky	Teeling Silver Vintage Reserve 1991 / 21 Year Old Country: Ireland Region: Irish Age: 21 Years Old Strength: 46% Vintage: 1991 Bottler: Teeling Whiskey Co	70cl	£ 127.90 BUY NOW

The Old St. Andrews Whisky Tweet Tasting – ‘A Day In The Life’!

October 17, 2014 by Gary Leave a Comment

A Day In The Life – The Old St. Andrews Tweet Tasting!

Old St. Andrews Whisky is distinctive with it’s famous golfing name and amazing golf ball packaging. If you’re wondering what I mean just check out their 5cl. miniatures!

So I was pleased to be asked to take part in the Old St. Andrews Whisky Tweet Tasting held on October 15th.

Four whiskies were sampled:-

Clubhouse Blended Scotch Whisky

Twilight 10 Year Old Blended Malt Whisky

Fireside 12 Year Old Blended Malt Whisky

Nightcap 15 Year Old Blended Malt Whisky

In a way, each whisky represents a part of ‘A Day In The Life’ for us dramming fans – not a bad way to spend ones day!

If you want to catch up on what all the tweet tasters had to say (and there was quite a few of them with lots of thoughts!) you can view the tweets by searching for the hash tag #OSAWhisky on Twitter.

Special Offer!

Use the codes in the image above to get money off from Drinks Supermarket!

The Green Welly Stop has Free UK delivery on the 4 drams tasted – just use the code OSAWHISKY at the checkout! (Valid until 22/10/14)

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes … and the one which was my favourite on the night!

Tasting Notes – Clubhouse Blended Scotch Whisky ( 40% )

Nicknamed ‘The Rich And Fruity One’, Clubhouse is described as The Perfect Accompaniment To An Evening With Friends.

Clubhouse is crafted & blended with around 15 premium quality malts & 3 grain whiskies.

Clubhouse – 82/100

Good Whisky Worth Trying ‘…The Delivery Is As Sweetly Struck As You Might Hope For.’

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2012

Nose: Quite sweet n’ spicy with a touch of caramel. Hints of vanilla & orange, woody with a slight smoke. Lovely fudgyness if there’s such a word!

Palate: Plump raisins, caramel chocolate then a spiciness that cuts thru after the sweetness.

Finish: Pepper, zingy lemon with a slight tanin dryness. Nice fiery finish.

Overall: Very drinkable dram and at the bargain price – irresistible!

£19.49 (See ABOVE for a special offer!)

Tasting Notes – Twilight 10 Year Old Blended Malt Whisky ( 40% )

‘The Fresh And Delicate One’ is the tag-line for Twilight. It is A Perfect Salute To The End Of The Day.

Twilight is matured in American white oak casks for at least 10 years.

Twilight- 94.5/100

‘Fabulous: A Classic, Clean Speyside-Juicy Style That Is Quite Irresistible. Not A Single Harsh Or Discordant Note Here… Full Of Invigorating Freshness That Fills The Heart With Hope And Joy. Lipsmacking Scotch Malt Whisky As It Should Be.’

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2012

Nose: Orange caramel & spice. Rose wine, apple and pear driving thru now … and there’s some coconut!

Palate: Smooth orange and vanilla with a hint of licourice. More body than the Clubhouse, buttery, tropical fruit.

Finish: The sweetness lasts mixed in with grapefruit. Long, spicy, oaky finish.

Overall: A light, enjoyable dram with a pleasant sweetness – perfect for unwinding after a hard day!

£31.49 (See ABOVE for a special offer!)

Tasting Notes – Fireside 12 Year Old Blended Malt Whisky ( 40% )

‘The Slightly Smokey One’ is an apt description of Fireside. The Ideal Complement To A Relaxed Fireside Conversation With A Friend.

Fireside is slightly peated (a result of the ancient process of drying malted barley in kilns using peat as fuel) & has been matured for at least 12 years in oak casks.

Fireside – 88.5/100

Very Good To Excellent Whisky, Definitely Worth Buying ‘…Sharp Clean And Full Of Malty Freshness… Beautifully Driven.’

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2012

Nose: Peaty and smokiness hits straight away! Lovely oaky aromas with hints of grass.

Palate: Sweet sherried fruits, Xmas cakey with light chocolate. Slightly treacly.

Finish: Mild smoke n’ peat, grapefruit and ends with a short spice n’ pepper finish.

Overall: A great introduction to peaty drams, not too imposing on the palate – throw another log on the fire and chat the night away!

£34.00 (See ABOVE for a special offer!)

Tasting Notes – Nightcap 15 Year Old Blended Malt Whisky ( 40% )

‘The Rich Honeyed Oak One’ is the banner under which Nightcap, the final whisky of the tweet tasting, goes under. Just The Perfect Way To End The Evening!

Nightcap is matured for at least 15 years in European oak casks.

Nightcap – 89/100

Very Good To Excellent Whisky, Definitely Worth Buying ‘…Beautiful Weight On Delivery And The Muscavado Sugar Edge Is A Pure Delight….’

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2012

Nose: Bourbon nose akin to Jack Daniels. Sweet and gloriously oaky. Peach jelly sweets and ice cream, lilt and tropical fruit. In fact, a smorgasbord of aromas here!

Palate: Rich sweetness, lots of mango & tropical fruit abounds. Touch of grapefruit.

Finish: Very smooth – peppery with a satisfying spicy finish!

Overall: Incredible array of aromas here backed up with fantastic sweetness and spice – a nightcap that could easily become plural!

£37.00 (See ABOVE for a special offer!)

My Favourite On The Night

The Clubhouse is an amazing whisky and is available at a fantastic price but out of the four, I think it’s got to be the Nightcap – I thought it was wonderfully complex and morish!

Many thanks to The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great dram evening and of course Old St. Andrews (@OSAWhisky) for inviting me along and sending the samples!

My fellow Tweeters were:-

@TheWhiskyWire @WhiskyDiscovery @ifotou @steveprentice @WhiskyCorner @WhiskyPlease @TheGreenWelly @GreatDrams @ben_cops @dvdbloke @AbbeyWhisky @johnniestumbler @Alpacajo @WhiskyRepublic @raithrover @RobbiesDrams @warburton81 @msykesjones @MikeJack1976 @Nickolls_Perks

Ballantine’s Asks The Question: What If?

October 15, 2014 by Gary Leave a Comment

#CouldBeTrue

Ballantine’s has released a humorous new film to reveal what could have happened if Ballantine’s history had taken an unexpected and alternative route through the years …

It aims to highlight to its fans around the world both its vibrant personality and its commitment to staying true to itself throughout its near 200 year history.

Conceived and created by M&C Saatchi, the campaign goes live with the release of two films; The Could-Be-True Story and The Stay True Story, both of which can be viewed at www.YouTube.com/Ballantines.

The Could-Be-True Story first takes the viewer through Ballantine’s impressive heritage in an unexpected and humorous way, illustrating what could have happened had Ballantine’s not stayed true to founder George Ballantine’s vision.

The Stay True Story of Ballantine’s then supports and complements the lead ‘Could-Be-True’ film, recounting Ballantine’s true brand story and demonstrating the ways in which the brand actually has stayed true since its creation in 1827.

This new campaign is the latest in a series of successful marketing initiatives from Ballantine’s, which has seen the brand make a concerted effort to connect with consumers through digital media.

This consumer engagement strategy is paying off, with Ballantine’s showing a strong performance in key markets such as South Africa (109% annual growth), Brazil (51% annual growth), India (18% annual growth), and Poland (13% annual growth).

Ballantine’s Global Brand Director, Peter Moore, said: “As a brand that prides itself on its reputation for innovation, we have long understood the potential that engaging, digital content provides, allowing us to connect with independent-minded adults. With these new films, we’re aiming to tell the story of Ballantine’s in a surprising and light-hearted manner, and one that is unexpected of a Scotch whisky brand. We are hopeful that this approach will capture the attention of our audience, showing them that whilst Ballantine’s is a well-established brand with a long history of tradition, we have a sense of humour and an individual style, making us a brand that remains relevant today.”

Follow this alternative timeline on Twitter: #CouldBeTrue

Sitting Comfortably? You Could Be – The Glenlivet Nàdurra Dram Chair!

October 14, 2014 by Gary Leave a Comment

The Glenlivet Nàdurra Dram Chair

Are you sitting comfortably? Well you could be!

The Glenlivet has unveiled the latest innovation from its Nàdurra range, The Glenlivet Nàdurra Dram Chair.

A celebration of modern craftsmanship, the Dram Chair aims to provide the perfect setting in which whisky connoisseurs can relax and enjoy a dram of single malt Scotch whisky.

The Dram Chair is the result of a collaboration with award-winning British designer, Gareth Neal, whose original furniture is popular among discerning customers around the world.

Neal drew inspiration from the traditional, nineteenth century productionmethods at the heart of Nàdurra, meaning ‘natural’ in Gaelic, to design a contemporary piece that captures the spirit of the range. The frame of the chair is hand-crafted from oak, so crucial to the maturation of The Glenlivet spirit, while the leather seat has been steeped in oak bark by the only remaining oak tannery in Great Britain.

The copper rivets, which mirror the distillery’s copper pot stills, secure the chair and ensure that it will withstand the test of time and a dram can be nestled comfortably on the chair’s arm The original design will be on display for a limited time at The New Craftsmen store in Mayfair, London, before it becomes an exhibit at The Glenlivet Distillery. Members of The Guardians of The Glenlivet online community can commission a chair to order at a cost of £6,200, and customise which arm of the chair should be equipped to house a dram. Each bespoke chair will be etched and numbered to create subtle variations and originality for collectors.

Commenting on the launch, Gareth said: “My core values are people, process and place, so spending time with the handful of people who make The Glenlivet Nàdurra and witnessing first-hand the time-honoured processes that are used to create this fine whisky was truly inspiring. I have used a similar, hand-crafted approach to my own production methods for this unique dram chair. “Enjoying a dram is a moment of escapism and I wanted to immerse the sitter in the materials that have brought this moment of pleasure about, in absolute comfort. The piece is so lightweight that it can literally be transported to a location of choice. I imagined a dramatic vista of the Scottish Highlands but the collector can create their own perfect Nàdurra moment.”

Nikki Burgess, Global Brand Director of The Glenlivet, added: “Neal and The New Craftsmen were obvious partners to commission to make The Glenlivet Nàdurra Dram Chair. They are passionately committed to a shared vision: combining the unique heritage of British craftsmanship with a sense of modernity. The partnership has resulted in something naturally crafted that is surprising and unique – a timeless original.”

The Glenlivet Nàdurra is batch produced at cask strength using traditional methods and is bottled without chill-filtration, which offers additional complexity, body and a richer texture. The Dram Chair launch continues an innovative year for The Glenlivet Nàdurra, which has included the expansion of the range with two permanent new additions; Nàdurra Oloroso, matured exclusively in sherry casks, is extending its presence from Travel Retail into domestic markets, while Nàdurra First Fill Selection was launched last month and is rolling out into markets worldwide.

You can watch a video of the chair being made here.

English Whisky Co. Release Rare Limited Edition!

CHAPTER 16 – PEATED SHERRY CASK

Tasting Notes for Chapter 16

CHAPTER 13 – WW1 EDITION

Tasting Notes for Chapter 13

The Glenlivet Unveils It’s Founder’s Reserve!

Glenfiddich Announces Malt Mastermind Finalists For 2014

The twelve finalists are:

Ballantine’s Launches It’s Golf Club – Online!

Midleton Releases Very Rare 30th Anniversary Pearl Edition!

Midleton Very Rare Pearl Edition tasting notes:

NOSE

TASTE

FINISH

London Bartender Launches New Jameson Irish Whiskey Cocktail!

Abbey Whisky – Kilchoman, Arran, GlenDronach & Teeling New Arrivals!

The Old St. Andrews Whisky Tweet Tasting – ‘A Day In The Life’!

Special Offer!

Tasting Notes – Clubhouse Blended Scotch Whisky ( 40% )

Tasting Notes – Twilight 10 Year Old Blended Malt Whisky ( 40% )

Tasting Notes – Fireside 12 Year Old Blended Malt Whisky ( 40% )

Tasting Notes – Nightcap 15 Year Old Blended Malt Whisky ( 40% )

My Favourite On The Night

My fellow Tweeters were:-

Ballantine’s Asks The Question: What If?

Sitting Comfortably? You Could Be – The Glenlivet Nàdurra Dram Chair!

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Archives for October 2014

CHAPTER 16 – PEATED SHERRY CASK

Tasting Notes for Chapter 16

CHAPTER 13 – WW1 EDITION

Tasting Notes for Chapter 13

The twelve finalists are:

Midleton Very Rare Pearl Edition tasting notes:

NOSE

TASTE

FINISH

Special Offer!

Tasting Notes – Clubhouse Blended Scotch Whisky ( 40% )

Tasting Notes – Twilight 10 Year Old Blended Malt Whisky ( 40% )

Tasting Notes – Fireside 12 Year Old Blended Malt Whisky ( 40% )

Tasting Notes – Nightcap 15 Year Old Blended Malt Whisky ( 40% )

My Favourite On The Night

My fellow Tweeters were:-

Favourite Sites

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