Drink

Following the successful 2012 launch of the Company's single-serve coffee offering on the TASSIMO system, Tim Horton's has reached an agreement to introduce premium Tim Hortons coffee on the Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee RealCup platform.  Under the terms of the agreement, Tim Hortonspremium-blend coffee and decaf coffee will be sold in Tim Hortons restaurants in Canada and the U.S., and online in a single-serve format. This market introduction, anticipated in July of this year, will provide access to approximately half of the Canadian market not currently reached by their existing single-serve coffee offering. Tim Horton's K-Cups will work in all Keurig K-Cup Brewers.     Related StoriesSnapple Raspberry Iced Tea K-CupsHawaii Roasters 100% Kona Single Serve Coffee For Keurig K-Cup BrewersUpShot Single Serve Coffee Solution for Keurig K-Cup Brewers 

Tea Type: Black Tea Where To Buy: Whittard of Chelsea 1886 Product Description: Darjeeling Happy Valley 2nd Flush  SFTGFOP1 Loose Tea. Darjeeling 2nd flush teas have a more developed slightly nutty taste than 1st flush teas and are more full-bodied. Happy Valley is a famous Darjeeling garden with an reputation for producing top quality teas. This is a rich cup with a beautiful flavor and a touch of the “muscatel” Darjeeling tea is renowned for. Tasters Review: Recently I received a sample of this Single Estate Black Tea from Whittard of Chelsea.  As many of you know I start each day with at least 1 Black Tea and then move on to other tea bases throughout the day. This was a delightful Darjeeling.  A nice 2nd Flush. This has a gentle sweet-woodsy flavor with a bit of nuttiness to it as well.  It’s rich and pleasing in every way.  It’s a more pronounced flavor that many of the Darjeelings I have been sipping on lately.  I can vouch for the ‘muscatel’ flavor they refer to in the product description – especially on the end of the sip on to the aftertaste which lingers admirably. The post Darjeeling Happy Valley 2nd Flush from Whittard of Chelsea appeared first on SororiTea Sisters.

Post by Stefan Van Eycken, Tokyo Today sees the official release of the 3rd Memories of Karuizawa. It’s available to members of Bond#1 right now; from next week, it will also be on the shelves of selected retailers here in Japan. The 3rd release is one of the few casks left from the 1996 vintage, and it is – in fact – a sister cask (#3684) of our very own Nonjatta Karuizawa (#3681). There’s definitely family resemblance so it won’t surprise you to read that we are quite fond of this new single cask. On the nose, there’s fruit, of course – assorted berries, dried apricots and raspberry meringue – but there’s also fresh ginger ale and grass in early summer with some very subtle wood smoke in the background. After a while, a nice orange marmalade note comes to the fore, accompanied by over-ripe kiwis, honey-roasted almonds, shiso leaf and a touch of eucalyptus. On the palate, it packs quite a punch neat: orange zest and raspberries on the attack, then slightly under-ripe grapefruit and gooseberries. It really needs water – only then does it reveal its charms on the palate: milk chocolate, hazelnut cream, nougat, candied orange peel again, ramune candy, then caramel pear mousse and pumpkin seed spread. Resistance is futile… it’s a phenomenal amalgam of flavours. The finish is long and lingering on sweet jam notes but with a lovely tart edge. Now for the bad news: there are only 303 bottles. Since no one will bother to ready any further, we’ll just sign off wishing you a nice weekend... and it will be if you manage to score a bottle of this. Read more about Karuizawa Distillery here.

BOURBON BOOM CAUSES PERIODIC BOURBON SHORTAGES AT BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (May, 2013) Bourbon whiskey consumption has been on a roll, and Kentucky’s bourbon distilleries are struggling to keep up with demand. Nowhere is this more true than at Buffalo Trace Distillery, producer of brands such as Blanton’s, Buffalo Trace, and Pappy Van Winkle. Despite the increase in distillation over the past few years, demand for bourbon is outpacing supply. Bourbon must be matured in new oak barrels and Buffalo Trace ages many of its barrels for eight to ten years, and some even as long as 23 years. That’s a long time to wait for a bottle of bourbon. Not to mention, with the amount of bourbon lost to evaporation each year a barrel is half empty after ten years. This is the price paid for well-aged whiskey, but not good news for a world thirsty for every drop of bourbon coming out of this 226-year-old Distillery. “We are making more bourbon every day. Our warehouses are filling up with new barrels. Waiting for the bourbon to come of age is the hard part. While we wait, there could be temporary product shortages, even on favorites like Buffalo Trace, and Eagle Rare,” said Kris Comstock, bourbon marketing director. “This announcement is not meant as some sort of scare tactic to get people hoarding bourbon.  We always want to be upfront with our fans.  We won’t take drastic measures to mitigate the shortages, such as raising prices excessively, lowering the proof or reducing the age of our whiskies,” continued Comstock. “We’ve made a commitment to quality that we’re not willing to compromise. What this means is that there simply may be times when some of our brands are missing from store shelves.” Comstock stresses that any bourbon shortages from Buffalo Trace will be temporary, as new barrels are coming of age and are being bottled daily at the Distillery, and will soon find their way to the liquor store shelves and bars.  He notes, “We just ask our fans to remember, aging good bourbon takes time, and we’re doing our best to keep up.” Over the years the Distillery has taken several steps to try to prevent any shortages, such as increasing distillation, installing additional bottling lines, hiring more people, and managing brands on allocation. In fact, Buffalo Trace will hire another person dedicated to watching and balancing bourbon inventory with sales. Because of these efforts, Buffalo Trace Bourbon continues to become more available each year, as well as Weller, Eagle Rare, and Blanton’s. It just might not be enough.  Buffalo Trace estimates the bourbon shortage could start at any time and may last a few years, based on current sales trends. About Buffalo Trace Distillery Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com

Surprised? Intrigued? Grain Update Our Tasting Panel love to select the very best flavour experiences for you, wherever they may come from. No noses will be left upturned by our unique and sparkling single cask grain whisky selection. Here’s a peek at the top five grain whiskies that have been intriguing and surprising the members this month. 1) G1.9 The palate gets a Ping! 21yo Refill ex-bourbon hogshead, £54.70 More 2) G3.5 Chocolate Cafe Latte 33yo Refill ex-bourbon hogshead, £86.60 More 3) G10.4 A witch’s Christmas tipple 23yo Refill ex-bourbon hogshead, £61.20 More 4) G3.3 Curious but good 26yo Refill ex-bourbon barrel, £68.10 More 5) G3.4 Pride of Bengal 27yo Refill hogshead, £72.10 More Grain Pair: Going fast – only 15 left at £116 G7.5 Smoky Werther’s Original  & G10.4 A witch’s Christmas tipple More The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at http://www.smws.co.uk/memberships for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers.

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (May 2013) The whiskeys from Buffalo Trace Distillery were honored at the World Whiskies Awards, sponsored by Whisky Magazine.  The event took place in London in March and featured more than 300 whiskies battling it out during three intensive blind tasting rounds, seeking the coveted title of “2013 World’s Best Whiskies.” Buffalo Trace Distillery had three whiskeys winning top honors, most notably George T. Stagg, which won the top honor of “World’s Best North American Whiskey.”  In addition, Stagg was named “Best Bourbon American Whiskey” and “Best Bourbon American Whiskey 8 Years and Over.” George T. Stagg was described by Whisky Magazine editor Rob Allanson as, “Big and bold, mouth coating with toffee and caramel notes. The oak is here too bringing spices and soft cream pastries…Nothing small about this, but it is all in balance.” Buffalo Trace’s Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. Straight Rye was named “Best Rye American Whiskey No Age Statement” and Sazerac Straight Rye was named “Best Rye American Whiskey 7 Years and Under.” For a complete list of winners, check out: http://www.whiskymag.com/awards/wwa/2013/ About Buffalo Trace Distillery Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com

Alasdair Day the owner and re-creator of The Tweeddale (a small batch, limited edition Scotch Whisky) will be in Toronto from Monday 27th May to Saturday 1st June 2013. His latest and 3rd release of The Tweeddale will be available for the first time outside the UK, as one of the LCBO’s Disttiled Treasures available in their stores from 25th May. Please see the links below for more information from the LCBO. http://www.vintages.com/index.shtml http://www.vintages.com/circular/circ_130525pdf.shtml http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?ITEM_NAME=tweeddale&ITEM_NUMBER=&language=EN As part of Alasdair’s visit he will be conducting in-store tastings and bottling signings. He will also be giving away his copy of Ian Buxton’s revised & updated edition of 101 Whiskies to Try Before you Die. The Tweeddale is included in this edition as one of the 101. Alasdair’s copy bears the following signed inscription from Ian “With best wishes for every success with the launch of The Tweeddale in Canada, 2013. Slainte!” You will be able to taste The Tweeddale and meet Alasdair on;  Thursday May 30th 4 – 8 PM – 2946 BLOOR STREET WEST, TORONTO BLOOR & ROYAL YORK (KINGSWAY) Friday May 31st 4 – 8 PM - 321 CORNWALL DRIVE, OAKVILLE CORNWALL & TRAFALGAR The Tweeddale was first produced by J&A Davidson established in 1820 in Coldstream in the Scottish Borders. Alasdair’s family connection began when his Great Grandfather, Richard Day joined the business as an office boy when he left school in 1895. in 1923 Richard Day took over the business and continued to trade until the start of World War 2. There was a 70 year gap from when Richard Day last produced The Tweeddale until May 2010 when his Great Grandson produced his recreation. As part the bottle design for the 3rd release Alasdair has included a sketch of his Great Grandfather and so The Tweeddale Legacy lives on.

May 2013 NEW Outturn Offerings  Cheshire cat whisky  Cask No. 1.164                                             $175 Speyside, Spey ‘Sweet manna from heaven’ – toffee, fudge, caramel, Toffifees, vanilla, honey – but more – tea chests, spice racks, aromatic smoke, burnt heather and pencils in a library – we could have sniffed it endlessly. Water opened up the fruit – sherbet, orange zest, peach, strawberry, tinned grapes, sweet sap and light smoke – panellists grinning like Cheshire cats. The sweet, oaky palate had tablet, fudge and bread dough – by an open fire; but it also had a darker side – woody, earthy, drying, with sticky cassis and treacle. Water brightened it up – Starbursts, Skittles and spicy Advocaat. From the distillery always directed by John or George. Drinking tip: It needs time – one for a long journey perhaps – or for an evening with no pressure Colour: Polished gold                                 Date distilled: October 1985 Cask: Refill hogshead                                 Alcohol: 52.1% Age: 27 years                                               USA allocation: 60 bottles The Camping Trip  Cask No. 3.188                                             $115 Islay Remember the last time you were camping? The smell of the dew touched grass in the morning a distant memory as the sweat, deep heat and old tent pierce your nostrils. An oily smoked fish caught earlier in the day mixes with the aroma of roasting marshmallows and ash. The barbecued green peppers, mushrooms and lemon dressing on the palate make way for heat and lavender. When the water is added, the campfire smoke intensifies, the petrol used to light the fire maybe wasn’t such a good idea as it catches the nose, but that won’t retract from the comforting beach aromas and the budget chocolate bar you’ve been sitting on all day. Drinking tip: On a camping trip Colour: New Engine Oil                              Date distilled: September 1997 Cask: Refill butt                                            Alcohol: 58.8% Age: 14 years                                               USA allocation: 120 bottles   Superb sweet and salty symbiosis  Cask No. 27.100                                           $110 Campbeltown The nose took us places – a harbour wall (fish boxes, lobster pots) – an old bike shed – a coal shed (coal-sacks, newspaper) – a smoke-house (fish again) – a sandy beach – a tennis locker – a Greek seaside taverna (salted pistachios, ouzo, lemons, fish again, well-done loaves from a wood-fired oven); quite a journey! The palate presented a superb sweet and salty symbiosis and a warm, mellow mouth impact – wonderful sweetness (sugared almonds and peanuts, liquorice allsorts, popcorn); yet muscular, with the nippy heat of aniseed, mustard and chilli. Even the fishiness was sweet (sweet-cured herrings, sweet smoky barbecued fish). From the quintessential Campbeltown distillery. Drinking tip: While sailing around the Greek islands, of course! Or with food. Or with friends, singing ‘Campbeltown Loch, I wish you were whisky…’ Colour: Pale moon gold                             Date distilled: March 2000 Cask: Refill barrel                                        Alcohol: 52.4% Age: 12 years                                               USA allocation: 90 bottles    Flip-flops up a chimney  Cask No. 33.120                                           $85 Islay Quite a nose! We found delicate smoke wafting from snuffed candles, mint humbugs, char-grilled prawns, hessian sacks, sandy beaches, maple-cured bacon, sherbet, pencil boxes, vanilla pods and recently washed hospital floors. Water brought apples, plums and red grapes, liquorice, Murray Mints and flip-flops up a chimney. The unreduced palate was very nicely layered and constructed, with tar, tobacco, stir-fried seaweed, anise, liquorice, muscovado sugar and Bendicks dark chocolate mints. The reduced palate – a fabulous balancing act between sweet and smoky – gob-stoppers, smoke-flavoured Edinburgh Ro

A Taste from the Past – Grant’s Best Procurable 12 Years Old  Hi everyone, Grant’s Best Procurable was our premium offering until 1973 when its name changed to Grant’s Royal. It didn’t always carry an age statement like the bottle I am about to taste but looking at our archive records, it was always matured for around 12 years (if not at least 12 years). Defining the bottling year…(please clock on the link below to read the remainder of the article)… THE LINK  Kind regards, Ludo

www.ralfy.com goes into detail about micro-distilleries with Whisky Review 362 (5/7) – Still Waters Whisky & small distilleries