Another week full of whisky releases is close to an end, here are the latest news I’ve put together if you want to be up to date.
Wemyss Malts launches new blended Scotch Whisky – Lord Elcho
Edinburgh based boutique spirits company Wemyss Malts is delighted to
announce an addition to its blended Scotch brand, Lord Elcho.
Originally launched in 2012 as a 15 years old blended Scotch, Lord Elcho is now
also available without an age statement.
The whisky is named after Wemyss Malts founder’s 18th century ancestor who was
a loyal supporter to Bonnie Prince Charlie and led his lifeguards at the Battle of
Culloden during the ill-fated Jacobite uprising in 1745. For his part in the uprising,
Elcho was stripped of his title and lands and exiled to France, never returning to
his native Scotland.
Lord Elcho’s character has been recreated in this new blended Scotch whisky;
crafted from a carefully chosen selection of the finest malt and grain whiskies
with a high 40% malt whisky content.
The nose on the new whisky is fresh and lively, with notes of fruit salad and
fragrant wood shavings. The palate is full and soft, with waves of chewy caramel
and a warm spiciness. Its finish is dry and long, with hints of crushed nuts.
William Wemyss, Founder and Managing Director at Wemyss Malts, commented:
“The continued growth of Scotch whisky across the world has encouraged us to
launch our second entrant into the blended Scotch segment. We expect to
bring interest from new export markets with our second Lord Elcho whisky. This
excellent whisky is presented in high quality gift packaging.”
New Grain Whisky Launched by Diageo in partnership with global sporting icon David Beckham and British entrepreneur Simon Fuller
Diageo, the world’s leading premium drinks company, announces today the global launch of Haig Club Single Grain Scotch Whisky, in partnership with global sporting icon David Beckham and British entrepreneur Simon Fuller. Working alongside Diageo, Beckham and Fuller will play a fundamental role in developing the brand, its strategy and positioning. David Beckham will also lead the promotion of a responsible drinking programme for Haig Club, which is at the heart of the brand.
Haig Club is a new innovation from the House of Haig, Scotland’s oldest grain whisky dynasty and makers of Haig Blended Scotch Whisky and Dimple Scotch Whisky. Built on 400 years of distilling history, the House of Haig can trace its whisky producing roots back to the seventeenth century. In 1824 John Haig established the Cameronbridge Distillery and it was there that he pioneered the art of producing grain whisky in continuous Coffey and Stein stills – an invention which laid the foundations for the growth and success of the modern Scotch Whisky industry. Haig Club is born of that Haig family legacy of innovation and excellence in whisky creation.
David Gates, Diageo’s Global Head of Premium Core Spirits, commented: “Whisky is experiencing a continued global renaissance and like many of the world’s most respected whisky experts, we believe this will be the year that grain whisky breaks into the mainstream and gains the recognition it deserves. Diageo has a proven track record in Scotch Whisky innovation and we have applied this expertise through the House of Haig in liquid development and craftsmanship, creating a sophisticated new whisky in Haig Club.
“David Beckham and Simon Fuller are renowned for breaking boundaries and shaking up markets in every sector in which they work. We are immensely proud to partner with them on our first large scale grain whisky innovation.”
Beckham commented: “The House of Haig has a rich history and I’m proud to be working at the heart of a home-grown brand which has built an incredible heritage over 400 years. Working closely with Diageo, we look forward to collaborating on Haig Club, valuing and treasuring the Haig traditions while reinventing this whisky for years to come.”
Simon Fuller said: “This is a long term commitment. It is important to us that we create something unique and of great quality. With Haig Club we have an opportunity to push boundaries and help shape how Scotch will be perceived in the future, it’s an exciting proposition. We could not wish for a better partner than Diageo.”
Haig Club has been crafted using a unique process that combines grain whisky from three cask types. This creates a fresh, clean style that showcases butterscotch and toffee for an ultra-smooth taste that the company believes will be enjoyed not only by current whisky drinkers, but also by those who have always wanted to try whisky.
Respected whisky authority Dave Broom is one of the few drinks experts to have tasted Haig Club. He described it as “a hugely versatile spirit, and I expect bartenders will love what they can do with it. Forget everything you thought you knew about Scotch…”
Syl Saller, Diageo’s Chief Marketing Officer said: “We see this launch as a terrific accelerator for the whole sector, and one that really strengthens whisky’s position as the most vibrant spirits category.
“Consumers are constantly searching for new and different tastes and experiences and they are especially excited by those that come from authentic, heritage brands. And Haig Club certainly ticks those boxes. Throughout his career, David Beckham has been at the forefront of emerging trends and rewritten the rules of what it means to be a modern sportsman and businessman, and we are pleased he has decided to turn his hand to Scotch.”
Haig Club will be launched later in the year. Details around pricing and availability will be announced nearer launch.
KILCHOMAN RELEASES SECOND LIMITED EDITION LOCH GORM
Independent farm distillery, Kilchoman, has just released a limited edition Loch Gorm Single Malt Whisky. Only 2850 cases (17,100 bottles) of the five year-old bottling will be available worldwide through existing distributors and online.
This is the second Loch Gorm Single Malt to be released. The first, which was released in April last year, was awarded the prestigious 2013 IWSC Gold (2013 edition). Each release is differentiated by the distillation and bottling dates on the front of the bottle and carton.
Fully matured from filling to bottling in fresh Oloroso sherry butts, Loch Gorm adds a new dimension to Kilchoman’s portfolio, bringing a depth of character and colour to the Islay Single Malt. The LochGorm range is the only all sherry cask-matured expression from Kilchoman.
This range is named after the famously peaty loch in front of the distillery on Islay; Kilchoman draws the water for Loch Gorm from the burn that runs into the loch.
Anthony Wills, Managing Director of Kilchoman, said: “’Our sherry cask matured releases have proved very popular and this is the third and most mature to date so we anticipate this latest offering to be very well received.
“Loch Gorm shows wonderful balance between the peat smoke and spicy rich flavours, typical of sherry cask maturation, producing a unique flavour which characterises Kilchoman whiskies.”
Founded in 2005, Kilchoman is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland and the first distillery to be built on Islay for 125 years. A working farm distillery, it is one of only a handful of distilleries still practising floor malting. Kilchoman also grows a portion of its barley at the distillery, and completes all parts of the production process, from barley to bottling on the island.
Loch Gorm is bottled at 46% ABV and will be available from specialist drinks, whisky stores and online, priced at a RRP of £55-£59.
CHIVAS CELEBRATES THE SKILL OF THE MASTER BARTENDER WITH EXCLUSIVE NEW COCKTAIL COMPETITION
Chivas Regal, the world’s first luxury Scotch whisky, is celebrating the craftsmanship at the heart of bartending with the launch of its first-ever global cocktail competition, The Chivas Masters.
The Chivas Masters sees the iconic brand highlight its rich heritage by challenging the world’s best bartenders to create classic cocktails from four of the great cocktail eras – the Classic Age (1880-1920) which saw the birth of Chivas Regal; the Post War Boom (1945-1965) during which time, Chivas 12 was introduced; the Disco Years (1975-1990) which saw the brand become a truly global icon, and the present modern Age of Revivalism, as Chivas continues to build its reputation as an icon of timeless luxury, renowned for its exceptional quality.
The high level of expertise required from entrants into the Chivas Masters is highlighted by the involvement of world-renowned, award-winning* bartender, Agostino ‘Ago’ Perrone of London’s prestigious Connaught Bar. A previous winner of the World’s Best Bartender award at Tales of the Cocktail, Ago has created an exclusive cocktail in celebration of the Chivas Masters and will also use his unique expertise as a member of the panel of judges during the competition.
The exclusive competition culminates in a two-day grand final, to be held in New York in July which will be judged by a distinguished panel of leading bartenders, past and present, from New York’s bar scene. They will be tasked with judging competitors on various criteria, including their knowledge of each era’s cocktail heritage, their creativity and ability to bring the story behind their serves to life for the judges, as well as the name, appearance and quality of their cocktail creations. The overall winner will be announced at an exclusive ceremony in New Orleans at the world’s premier cocktail festival, Tales of the Cocktail.
Richard Black, Global Brand Director for Chivas Regal, comments: “As one of the only truly global brands that has been present in each of the great cocktail eras, Chivas has a long association with the global on trade. We respect the hard work required to become a highly skilled mixologist, just as bartenders around the world respect the quality of Chivas.
“The Chivas Masters aims to harness this mutual admiration and demonstrate how relevant Chivas remains in today’s global bar scene, over 100 years since it first took the US by storm. We hope that the unique format of the Chivas Masters will inspire the world’s best bartenders to get involved and create a timeless classic cocktail – as timeless as our iconic brand.”
The Chivas Masters UK national final will take place June 5th in London. Over the next few months, heats will be taking place in an additional ten markets, including China, Japan and Chile. Only one competitor from each market will be selected to travel to New York to take part in the grand final in July.
Tomatin release CÙ BÒCAN 1989
Following on from the launch of our stan
dard batch release Cù Bòcan Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky at the end of last year, we are delighted to announce the release of our first limited edition expression for the range.
Casks 37470, 37471 and 37472 have been lurking quietly in Warehouse 9 at Tomatin Distillery since a rare and unintentional production of peated whisky at the distillery on 7th June 1989.
Now the beast has been unleashed in this sweet and smoky rare edition of Cù Bòcan.
Available: 1080 bottles available worldwide except USA from 14th April 2014
Price: RRP £199.99 per 70cl bottle
Cask Type: Matured in a Bourbon casks
Strength: Cask strength; 53.2%
OFFICIAL TASTING NOTES
This limited edition has been released at cask strength, non chill filtered and natural colour. The smoke is more prominent than in the standard edition but retains the instantly recognisable sweetness.
NOSE: The initial smoke is light, like distant burning kindling and has a heathery character which quickly gives way for fresh fruits – pear accompanied by citric lime zestand sweet pineapple. After time in the glass it becomes much sweeter with honey, vanilla, coconut and custard. Herbaceous notes of basil and rocket.
AROMA: The smoke and the floral heather notes are more prominent on the palate. Sweet abundance of fresh fruits; orange and grapefruit followed by blackberry and blueberry. Some ginger and clove spice is also hidden in the background.
FINISH: Very smooth with a long lasting earthy, yet sweet smoke.
Edinburgh based boutique Spirits Company Wemyss Malts is delighted to announce the release of a new parcel of single cask single malt Scotch whiskies.
Each cask is a celebration of the unique and contrasting appeals of the different Scotch
whisky regions and the latest release covers three of the regions: from Islay, Highlands,
and Lowlands. Wemyss whiskies are each named after their natural taste and aroma
and the full cask list of this release comprises:
“Apple Basket” – 1997 single cask from Clynelish, Highlands
“Lead on Macduff!” – 2002 single cask from Macduff, Highlands
“The Bosun’s Dram” – 1997 single cask from Bunnahabhain, Islay
“Peat Smoked Herring” -2001 single cask from Bowmore, Islay
“Lemon Zest” – 1998 single cask from Auchentoshan, Lowlands
Each cask has been selected and named by the Wemyss tasting panel, under the
watchful eye of industry aficionado Charlie Maclean. There are only a few hundred
bottles from each cask and the suggested retail prices range from £65 to £75. These
bottlings will be available in selected retailers in the UK, EU and key Asian markets.
William Wemyss, Founder and Managing Director at Wemyss Malts, commented: “We
are delighted to bring yet another selection of excellent single casks to the market. It’s
becoming increasingly difficult to source high quality single casks to continue to refresh
our list with exciting new whiskies, so we are thrilled to present these releases.”