New "Spirit Drink" range revealed

· Unique products offer insight into evolution of whisky

The Glenglassaugh Distillery Company today announces the release of a unique range of "Spirit Drink" products – an opportunity for malt whisky fans to sample the evolution of the spirit that will eventually become whisky.

The range – packaged in 200ml bottles and all at 50% abv – initially comprises four products under the Spirit Drink brand umbrella:

'Clearac' – brand new 'new make' spirit straight off the still
'Blushes' – the Glenglassaugh spirit aged for – 6 months in ex-wine casks, and
'Fledgling XB' – new spirit aged for – 12 months in Bourbon casks
'Peated' – brand new 'new make' spirit produced using peated malted barley

The distillery's MD, Stuart Nickerson, said:

"The Spirit Drink range follows the successful one-off bottling of The Spirit Drink that Dare Not Speak Its Name, the world's first release of a single mash and feedback from our consumers."

"Malt drinkers told us that they wanted to try as many variants of our evolving spirit as possible; that they wanted affordable sampling packs and that different cask types were of great interest. The Spirit Drink range is the result."

"We have other variants in the pipeline including spirit aged in quality sherry wood and spirit aged for longer time periods. The variation is interesting and the overall quality incredibly exciting. The prospects for Glenglassaugh when fully matured are exceptional."

The range was launched with a party and sampling at Edinburgh's Bramble Bar, rated one of the world's top cocktail spots. Bramble Bar's Mike Aikman said:

"At Bramble, we are always excited to use innovative new products in our cocktails, challenge people's perceptions of what can be done with these spirits and praising the versatility of the different expressions."

The Spirit Drink range will be available from 26th August at good independent retailers; from the distillery shop and via Glenglassaugh's international distributors. UK RRP is £13 per 200 ml bottle.

Plans are currently being made for a triple pack containing Clearac, Blushes and Fledgling XB to be available, within the next few weeks.

Scottish scientists develop whisky biofuel
By-products from distilling process could be used to power cars and even aviation, according to researchers in Edinburgh

Kirsty Scott, www.guardian.co.uk

Whisky is being used to develop a biofuel which gives 30% more power output than ethanol and could be available at petrol pumps within a few years
It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "one for the road". Whisky, the spirit that powers the Scottish economy, is being used to develop a new biofuel which could be available at petrol pumps in a few years.

Using samples from the Glenkinchie Distillery in East Lothian, researchers at Edinburgh Napier University have developed a method of producing biofuel from two main by-products of the whisky distilling process – "pot ale", the liquid from the copper stills, and "draff", the spent grains.

Copious quantities of both waste products are produced by the £4bn whisky industry each year, and the scientists say there is real potential for the biofuel, to be available at local garage forecourts alongside traditional fuels. It can be used in conventional cars without adapting their engines. The team also said it could be used to fuel planes and as the basis for chemicals such as acetone, an important solvent.

The new method developed by the team produces butanol, which gives 30% more power output than the traditional biofuel ethanol. It is based on a 100-year-old process that was originally developed to produce butanol and acetone by fermenting sugar. The team has adapted this to use whiskey by-products as a starting point and has filed for a patent to cover the new method. It plans to create a spin-out company to commercialise the invention.

Professor Martin Tangney, who directed the project said that using waste products was more environmentally sustainable than growing crops specifically to generate biofuel. He added that it could contribute significantly to targets set by the EU for biofuels to account for 10% of total fuel sales by 2020.

"What people need to do is stop thinking 'either or'; people need to stop thinking like for like substitution for oil. That's not going to happen. Different things will be needed in different countries. Electric cars will play some role in the market, taking cars off the road could be one of the most important things we ever do."

Dr Richard Dixon, of WWF Scotland, welcomed the project. "The production of some biofuels can cause massive environmental damage to forests and wildlife," he said. "So whisky powered-cars could help Scotland avoid having to use those forest-trashing biofuels."

After more than 100 years Shackleton's whisky sees daylight

Whisky lover Michael Milne knows there is little chance of tasting one of the world's oldest and coldest whiskies, but watching a bottle emerge from its crate today after more than 100 years made his Scottish heart miss a beat.
Mr Milne, who runs Whisky Galore in Christchurch, was at a rare event when a crate of malt whisky bottled 115 years ago for Sir Earnest Shackleton's 1907 Antarctic expedition was opened at Christchurch Museum.

The crate was recovered from the Antarctic hut of the renowned explorer after it was found in 2006.

Shackleton ordered the then 10-year-old whisky for his 1907 Nimrod expedition which turned him into a hero and gave him a reputation as one of the greatest explorers of all time.

Even though the crate of Mackinlays whisky was frozen solid when it was brought back to Christchurch earlier this year, the minus 30degC temperature was not enough to freeze the whisky and it was in remarkably good condition.

Over the past few weeks the crate had been slowly thawing in a special room set up by the Antarctic Heritage Trust.

Today, in a painstakingly slow and careful manoeuvre, the crate was opened to reveal not 12 but 11 bottles of Scotch, carefully wrapped in paper and straw to protect them from the rigours of a rough trip to the Southern Ocean in 1907.

One of the 11 bottles was not as full as the other 10 and it was suspected the twelfth bottle might have been drunk by a member of Shackleton's crew of the Nimrod who could not resist the temptation.

The whisky is unlikely ever to be tasted. Once samples have been extracted and sent to the Scottish distillery which took over the Mackinlay's distillery many years ago, they will go back to their original home, under the floor of Shackleton's hut in Cape Royds, on Ross Island near McMurdo Sound.

The original recipe for the whisky had been lost but Whyte and Mackay, which now owns the Mackinlay brand, intends to replicate Shackleton's brew from the sample, Mr Milne said.

Mr Milne said, as a whisky lover, it would be the ultimate taste test but that was unlikely to happen and he could live with that.

Being part of history when the Shackleton whisky was opened was an amazing experience which began when he first saw the unopened crate.

"I just looked at this and honestly, my heart beat went up about three paces. It was amazing."

"The box was like a pioneer's box with the wood and nails coming out but it's in very good nick, with straw packaging sticking out," Mr Milne said.

The bottles had been lying in their side and had rammed cork stoppers with an intricate and stamped lead seal, much like a modern wine bottle.

The whisky was labelled as a Highland malt but the label also referred to Shackleton's ship Endurance and not the Nimrod.

The Endurance was a ship Shackleton used in his later expedition in 1914 and which was crushed when trapped in the ice.

"Whether it is a single malt or a blended malt, we don't know because there was no indication on the label.

"This is a very old label and in those days they didn't give much information," Mr Milne said.

He said blended and single malts were both very common but in 1909, two years after Shackleton left on his expedition, the rules were tightened about information needed on labels.

"For example, there was no alcohol volume or volume of the contents on the label."

Mr Milne said the whisky was distilled in 1896 or 1897 and encompassed "three centuries of liquid history."

Nigel Watson, executive director of the Antarctic Heritage Trust, said opening the crate was a delicate and slow process.

The crate would remain in cold storage and each of the bottles would be carefully assessed and conserved in the next few weeks.

He said samples would be extracted, possibly using a syringe through the cork stoppers. Source: http://www.odt.co.nz

DALMORE INVESTMENT

The Dalmore distillery in the North of Scotland has announced a £1 million investment to create one of the best whisky related attractions in the country.

Despite trading during one of the toughest global recessions ever known, the luxury brand has gone from strength to strength recently and is now favoured by wealthy connoisseurs, collectors and investors.

In the last two years The Dalmore has sold some seriously rare and expensive whiskies in record time. Sirius, which cost £10,000 a bottle with only 10 available worldwide, sold out in four days. It is now changing hands for twice that price less than a year later.

In 2009 the distillery created a bespoke, one off whisky called Oculus which sold for a record breaking £28,000 at auction.

David Robertson, director of rare whiskies for brand owner Whyte & Mackay, said: “Consumers of luxury products expect authenticity, craftsmanship and a rich heritage. The Dalmore has that in spades, definitely more so than any other whisky brand, and arguably more so than many other luxury products. That is why its is so revered.

“But they also expect the best possible experience when they visit the home of a product. And we are not there yet……….but we will be!”

The company has a two year phased programme in place to refurbish the visitor centre and shop, improve key distillery buildings, enhance signage and invest in training for its tour and distillery staff.

The aim is to build on the financial success of the visitor centre which has seen profits rise by more than 400% in the last two years, and the spend per head from each visitor double in the same timescale.

Robertson enthused: “We will create a multi sensory experience which will bring the alchemistic artistry of the brand to life. Esteemed whisky writer Jim Murray said he sat stunned and in awe of the Dalmore liquid. Visitors will be stunned and in awe when they leave the distillery in two years time.”

The distillery believes the investment could bring massive benefits to the local economy by bringing in wealthy tourists willing to spend big money in the area.

The company also recently launched a Clan Mackenzie bottling designed to raise much needed funds to refurbish Castle Leod which sits nearby the distillery and is the spiritual home of the clan.

Robertson believes this will also attract high spending visitors.

“With both the castle partnership and the distillery investment, we are making some real and tangible contributions to the North of Scotland economy. Imagine if we have an amazing visitor centre attracting the wealthiest clients in the world who will spend money locally. Imagine if we have a beautiful refurbished castle which in itself becomes a lighthouse destination attracting hundreds and thousands of people to the area.

“It’s a big dream and may not happen, but nobody can accuse us of not having an ambitious vision.”

By Michelle Locke

SAN FRANCISCO — It wasn't too long ago that Owen Westman's customers at Rickhouse Bar didn't even know there were Japanese whiskies available, let alone ask for them by name.

"They certainly do now," he says.

Although best known for sake, Japan has a whisky tradition stretching back more than a century. It's not widely available in the U.S., but that's changing as companies like major producer Suntory work to boost overseas sales.

And maybe Bill Murray had something to do with it. His character in the 2003 movie "Lost in Translation" goes to Japan to shoot a whisky commercial.

Suntory exports a number of products, including Yamazaki single malt whiskies and Hibiki, a blend. Like Scotch, the Japanese product is spelled without the extra "e." In fact, the origins of the Japanese whisky industry have ties to Scotland. Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii hired Masataka Taketsuru, who studied distilling in Scotland. Taketsuru went on to found Nikka, also a major producer.

Despite that history, Suntory whisky is "not Scotch made in Japan," points out Eric Ariyoshi, a Suntory brand manager based in San Francisco.

One of Torii's goals was "to really create a Japanese whisky that catered to a more subtle palate," says Ariyoshi. "If you think about Japanese food it tends to be on the lighter side, very subtle flavors. One of his specific goals was to create a whisky that fits into that palate."

Overall, Japanese whisky is a fraction of total U.S. sales. Suntory launched the Hibiki brand in Europe and the U.S. last year with sales of 6,000 cases. This year, they hope to sell 8,000 cases of Hibiki overseas and 31,000 cases of Yamazaki. To put that into perspective, 2009 total whiskey sales in the United States amounted to 46.5 million cases, according to the U.S. Distilled Spirits Council.

But with interest in spirits rising, there's more attention being paid to all types of whiskies, says council spokesman Frank Coleman.

"There clearly has been a whiskey revival over the last decade and consumer interest is at an all-time high," he said. "You have the explosion in the number of small craft distillers getting into the whiskey game. Consumers have become more and more interested in trying these new and different products and there's no doubt some very good whiskies being made in Japan."

Barrel aging is key to how a whisky tastes and Suntory uses three kinds, American and Spanish oak as well as Japanese mizunara oak. American white oak contributes a dry flavor with hints of vanilla, the Spanish oak has flavors of raisins, chocolate and caramel and the mizunara gives subtle sweetness and spiciness, reminiscent of incense.

The Hibiki is a blend of more than 30 individual whiskies, with the final blend topped off with a whisky aged more than 30 years. Elegant and smooth, Hibiki uses old plum liqueur casks for aging some components and a bamboo charcoal filter that "just mellows out the flavor. Gives it a very sweet and gentle flavor," Ariyoshi says.

In a nod to tradition, the Hibiki packaging has 24 facets to represent the ancient Japanese calendar that divided the year into 24 "seasons."

At Rickhouse, bartenders pour the Yamazaki 12-year-old and 18-year-old single malts as well as the Hibiki blend. Most customers ask for it neat, although the bar has some interesting cocktails, including one involving cherry preserves.

You can get the 18-year-old Yamazaki at the Father's Office bar in Los Angeles, too. But you have to know what to ask for.

Chef and owner Sang Yoon, who also has a Father's Office in Santa Monica, couldn't find a way to mesh the whisky with his menu, but since he likes it, he kept a bottle at his LA location for friends. Those in the know ask for "Relaxing Times," a tagline from a Suntory advertising campaign that was also in "Lost in Translation."

If Murray happens to stroll in, bartenders have been advised he can just ask for "a me," Yoon says. http://www.dailytidings.com

KUWAIT'S customs department has foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 37,000 bottles of whisky into the conservative Muslim Gulf state where liquor is totally banned, an official says.
The liquor had been hidden in six containers in a ceramic shipment coming from Jebal Ali Free Trade Zone in Dubai in favour of a Kuwaiti company, Kuwait Customs Department Mubarak al-Qattan said today.
The bust was made on Sunday at the southern Shuaiba port and it took authorities almost two days to search the entire shipment, he said.
Qattan estimated the value of the liquor on the black market at more than two million dinars ($7.63 million). He described the haul as one of the largest liquor busts in Kuwait's history.
A security source said that two Kuwaiti businessmen were arrested in connection of the liquor shipment.
Although liquor is banned in the oil-rich conservative emirate and its use or sale carries prison terms, it is available on the black market through smuggling by ship from Dubai and by land from neighbouring Iraq.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au

DEWAR'S Blended Scotch Whisky, the number one selling premium Scotch in the United States, has announced a vibrant transformation in the design of its portfolio. As the DEWAR'S collection expanded throughout the brand's history to include DEWAR'S WHITE LABEL, DEWAR'S 12 Years Old, DEWAR'S 18 Years Old and DEWAR'S SIGNATURE, each marque was created with its own silhouette and design aesthetic.

With the redesign of the entire DEWAR'S portfolio, the products now appear as a tight-knit family. Just as the four DEWAR'S marques display a unified progression in taste, DEWAR'S new look visually links the products together as one unit for the first time in the brand's history.

While the bottles contain the same great blended Scotch whiskies, the new design aims to better emphasize the artistry and craftsmanship that has defined the DEWAR'S brand since 1846. Featuring perfect curves, tempting colors and a revolutionary style, the new DEWAR'S look is thoroughly modern, cohesive and bold.

With a vibrant color palette and innovative wave design, the new DEWAR'S packaging engages the drinker by providing a visual window into the superior liquid inside. The bottle is emblazoned with the year of DEWAR'S founding, 1846, as well John Dewar's signature. In addition, the display features gold icons that represent the brand's countless awards and accolades.

"We're thrilled to unveil DEWAR'S modern new exterior, as it fully captures the energy and vigor that defines the brand," says DEWAR'S Vice President, Brand Managing Director, Fannie Young. "The dynamic new packaging gives consumers the opportunity to recognize the DEWAR'S brand as a family, and to explore the portfolio as they become more familiar and engaged with the brand.”http://www.packagingdigest.com

Glenfarclas News
New label for Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength

More than 40 years after the first bottling of Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength, we are proud to release the new presentation for the distillery’s legendary expression in the 700ml bottle format, which incorporates our bespoke bottle and a contemporary repeat 105 pattern.

In 1968 George S. Grant, fourth generation of the owning family, bottled a single cask straight from the warehouse, and sent the bottles to family and friends as Christmas gifts. By chance the strength of the cask George S. Grant selected was ‘105’ British Proof, and along with the name of the distillery, this was all the information he detailed on the hand written label. By the end of January the recipients of the gifts requested further bottles, hence Glenfarclas ‘105’, the first commercially available cask strength whisky of the modern age was born. The name refers to the strength in the British Proof system, equivalent to 60% alcohol by volume.

The new packaging builds on the 105’s cult status, by giving the expression a stronger identity of its own. Whilst the presentation has given the 105 a contemporary twist, we continue to produce Glenfarclas 105 in the same traditional manner, by selecting some of the finest casks from the distillery’s warehouses, and vatting them together to give a constant 60% vol., without adding water.

The Family Casks Release V

This summer sees the launch of the fifth release of The Family Casks, and a revision to the packaging, with the oak gift box replaced with a gift carton. Since 2007 The Family Casks have caught the imagination of whisky drinkers around the world. Many have enjoyed exploring the subtle nuances between casks, or celebrated an anniversary or birthday with whisky distilled during their special year.

It is our intention to continue to offer as wide a range of consecutive dated bottlings as possible under The Family Casks banner. Release V of The Family Casks includes casks from 1965, 1967,1981, 1982, 1990, 1993 and 1994. Please visit our website to read George Grant's tasting notes.

Inevitably at some point stocks of suitable casks for a given year will be depleted. Indeed whilst bottles of 1952 are still available from specialist retailers, we no longer have stocks of suitable casks from 1952 available to bottle.

The new simpler gift carton gives The Family Casks a more modern presentation, is easier to open, more practical for the bar trade, and, as it is lighter and easier to recycle, is more environmentally friendly. We hope you like it.

Win a bottle of Glenfarclas 40 Years Old Scottish Classic

To mark the 125th Annual Show of the Dufftown Horticultural Society on the 11th and 12th of September, with the society, we are offering a bottle of Glenfarclas 40 Years Old Scottish Classic, as a raffle prize.

Raffle tickets will be available during the show, with the draw on the 12th of September. In advance, tickets are available from Costcutter in Dufftown, The Whisky Shop Dufftown, and the Glenfarclas distillery visitor centre.

French Website
We have recently launched a French version of our website. If you would prefer to receive this newsletter in French in future, please login to the 'Join the Family' area on our website, select 'Your Account Details', then 'Edit Your Details' and select 'French'.

BENRIACH RELEASES 2010 WOOD FINISHES

BenRiach has this month released three exciting new Wood Finish expressions from its Speyside Distillery.

The brand new bottlings include:

The BenRiach 16YO Claret Finish - 46%

The BenRiach 17YO Rioja Finish - 46%

The BenRiach 17YO Burgundy Finish - 46%

Matured in the traditional style in American bourbon barrels, these whiskies have then been 'finished' in either Rioja, Claret or Burgundy wine barrels. During this additional period of maturation, the whisky derives a number of additional flavours and aromas specific to the 'finishing' cask.

The tasting notes spell out what makes these single malts so special.

BenRiach 16YO Claret Finish

Nose - clean and fruity. Stewed plums and damsons with sweet oak nuances. Embracing but with real finesse.

Colour - bright sparkling orange gold.

Taste - Spiced fruit scones, enrobed in a fig and date syrup. Fairly light acidity, yet with lovely mouth-cleansing fruits. A whisky with the flavours standing in perfect equilibrium.

BenRiach 17YO Rioja Finish

Nose - dry and robust with wild flower characteristics. Sweet oak follows with elegant vanilla bean extract and ripe fermented grape juice.

Colour - Full gold with distinctive amber traces.

Palate - subtle floral elements including, violets, rosehip and dandelion. Creamy oak notes, married with vanilla and nutmeg round off the mix partnered with ripe peaches and apricots.

BenRiach 17YO Burgundy Finish

Nose - summer red berries, including fermented strawberries and raspberries. This is complemented by bitter cocoa bean nibs and freshly-cut wild flowers.

Colour - Full gold with a subtle tawny hue.

Taste - Vanilla crème-brulée with a distinct butterscotch component. Redcurrant jelly and quince flavours interact with toasted oak to bring excellent clarity and weight. A fruit and oak marriage of great elegance.

Sales director Alistair Walker said: "BenRiach operates an extensive finishing programme, and a five-minute stroll around the distillery's Warehouse 13 will testify to that! The current BenRiach range already includes expressions finished in Pedro Ximinez Sherry, Tawny Port, Madeira, Dark Rum, Sauternes, Gaja Barolo and Moscatel.

"BenRiach has always been an experimental distillery, even under previous owners, and we have continued that tradition. We try and keep the range fresh and interesting by releasing new finishes and single casks each year, but in very limited quantities."

The three new BenRiach finishes will be available in over twenty export markets, and in the UK through specialist, independent whisky retailers.

UK RRPs as follows:

BenRiach 16YO Claret Finish - £39.99
BenRiach 17YO Rioja Finish - £44.99
BenRiach 17YO Burgundy Finish - £44.99

English Whisky Company minutes from disaster

England’s only whisky distillery was just minutes from losing prized stock following a fire on Monday.

Flames took hold in the corner of a workshop at the English Whisky Company in Harling Road, Roudham, at about 4.20pm.

Four fire engines were called to the fire, which was put out before it spread to the nearby whisky store.

All staff were evacuated safely.

Visitor centre manager Sarah Thacker said: “It was a real worry – it was close to where the whisky was kept.

“I heard one person say that in another ten minutes we could have lost it all.

“Importantly, the whisky is safe.”

Founder James Nelstrop and managing director Andrew Nelstrop were away on business in Scotland at the time of the fire, but have since returned.

The fire service was also worried about a store of chlorine used for cleaning which was close to the fire and sent for a special chemical incident unit in Norwich and a cordon was set up.

The crews spent about two hours at the scene but no danger was caused by the chemical. http://www.dissexpress.co.uk

According to a source, the 2010 Special Relases for this fall from Diageo will be:

Auchroisk 20Y
Brora 30Y
Caol Ila unpeated 12Y
Cragganmore 21Y
Glen Spey 21Y
Glenkinchie 20Y
Lagavulin 12Y
Port Ellen 31Y
Talisker 30Y

First account of historic distillery re-opening.

· Glenglassaugh – A Distillery Reborn written by Ian Buxton - with Foreword by Alex Salmond.

The Glenglassaugh Distillery Company today announces the release of Glenglassaugh – A Distillery Reborn, published in association with The Angel’s Share (NWP, Glasgow).

The 118 page full colour book was written by Ian Buxton, a well-known whisky writer and consultant, who has worked with the distillery since March 2008. It records the history of the distillery from its establishment in 1875, through closure and the 2008 acquisition by the Scaent Group and Glenglassaugh’s subsequent refurbishment and re-opening. Many archive photographs are included, together with stunning new photography of the restoration by renowned distillery photographer Ian McIlwain.

The distillery’s MD, Stuart Nickerson, said:
“We are delighted with this book and our collaboration with The Angel’s Share. The result is a complete record of a remarkable story, told by a real insider, that is important both to the Scotch Whisky industry and this beautiful corner of Scotland.”

“We believe that Glenglassaugh – A Distillery Reborn will be of interest to our growing international customer base, whisky enthusiasts and local people. It’s a fascinating story, well told, and a handsome book to grace any library. We’d like to thank and congratulate Ian; Jules Akel, who designed the book and Alex Salmond, who contributed the Foreword in his previous role as our local MP.”

Glenglassaugh – A Distillery Reborn is available from the distillery; good bookshops everywhere; on-line at www.nwp.co.uk and www.glenglassaugh.com and from Amazon.

Retail price: £14.99 (paperback) ISBN: 978-1-906476-10-6

£19.99 (hard cover) ISBN: 978-1-906476-13-7

The BenRiach Distillery Company Ltd. -incorporating both The BenRiach Distillery and The GlenDronach Distillery- has recently purchased the Newbridge Bond on the outskirts of Edinburgh. This will provide us with our own sophisticated bottling facility, as well as increased storage capacity for finished products and dried goods, all of which should allow for greater flexibility moving forward. Souce: www.Benriachdistillery.com

Whisky Agency - Our new stock list
We´re happy to present our new range of bottlings. You may find the new entries as attached including -

our 6th series "Insects":
-Clynelish 1989 ex-bourbon
-Lochside 1981 ex-bourbon
-Miltonduff 1980 ex-bourbon
-Glen Grant 1973 ex-sherry

the latest "Perfect Dram" - additions:
-Linkwood 1973 ex-bourbon
-"A Speyside" 1969 ex-bourbon

as well as the new

"Private Stock" design:
-Clynelish 1972 sherry wood
-Bunnahabhain 1967 sherry wood

For any details or tasting notes please check our website: www.whisky-agency.com or contact us via email: post@whisky-agency.com.