Whiskey

Whiskey stocks have been tight for the last decade or so, but there has been no shortage of rumors about brands or expressions being discontinued, prices being raised, or products being degraded through reductions in alcohol content or age.The problem is a simple one. Quantities needed for sale in 2013 were predicted in 2009 or earlier. Most of the bourbon being distilled today won't be available for sale until at least 2017. It's a nice problem to have compared with the alternative, but it can be difficult to manage, as Maker's Mark showed in February with the proof cut fiasco.The problem is so acute that Buffalo Trace Distillery (owned by Sazerac), no doubt in response to a barrage of inquiries from retailers and consumers, today felt compelled to issue a press release acknowledging the problem.Despite our producing more every year, it says, demand continues to outpace supply.“We are making more bourbon every day," says Kris Comstock, bourbon marketing director at Buffalo Trace. "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.”Although the press release doesn't mention it specifically, Weller 12 has already experienced localized out-of-stock conditions. The entire Van Winkle line, which is produced by Buffalo Trace, has become scarce to the point of absurdity. Buffalo Trace predicts that fans of its other leading brands such as Blanton's, Buffalo Trace, and Eagle Rare may soon be greeted by bare shelves.Comstock wants you to know that Buffalo Trace is committed to quality. "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,” says Comstock. And any shortages will be temporary.The only news in the release is that Buffalo Trace will add to its staff someone dedicated to watching and balancing bourbon inventory with sales.

Post by Stefan Van Eycken, Tokyo Suntory has just announced the follow up to their widely acclaimed “Hakushu Sherry Cask 2013” (released in February). On July 2nd, the “Hakushu Heavily Peated 2013” will go on sale nationwide (Japan only). It’s bottled at 48%abv and will retail for about 9,000 yen. It’s a limited edition of 3,000 bottles and if the response is anything like what we witnessed earlier this year with the “Sherry Cask”, it won’t be around for very long. Mark the date in your agenda now or start preparing yourself for disappointment. Read more about Hakushu Distillery here.

Summer is almost here and we’ve got a couple of new drink recipes perfect for warm weather imbibing.  Enjoy! ________________________________________ When sourcing standbys for your summer bar, be sure you’re well-stocked with versatile base spirits – such as Brugal Extra Dry Rum – that mix up perfectly with refreshing summer flavors. Check out some simple pitcher cocktail recipes below that will help you stir up some fun with friends and family at the BBQ. CITRUS SIPPER 1 bottle of Brugal Extra Dry Rum 20 oz. of Fresh Grapefruit juice 20 oz. of Club Soda 10-12 lime wedges Pour all ingredients into a pitcher, lightly stir and pour over ice. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve. Serves 12-15 people. THE PEG LEG PUNCH Created by Kenneth McCoy – Rum House, Ward III 1 bottle of Brugal Extra Dry Rum 2 oz. Highland Park 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky 2 oz. Gran Classico Bitters 8 oz. Cocchi Americano 2 oz. Agave syrup 6 oz. Fresh squeezed orange juice 6 oz. Fresh squeezed lemon juice 6 to 8 slices of orange rind 6 to 8 slices of lemon rind Pour all ingredients into large pitcher and add ice, chill for at least an hour, sweeten to taste, top off with champagne serve with an orange and lemon rind in chilled rocks glass with 1 large cube of ice. Serves 15 to 20 people. The post Pitcher Drinks appeared first on Rum Connection.

ISLAY FESTIVAL OF MALTS & MUSIC – SPECIAL FESTIVAL BOTTLINGS ANNOUNCED FOR CAOL ILA AND LAGAVULIN by Pat Roberts To celebrate this year’s Islay Festival of Malts & Music, Caol Ila and Lagavulin distilleries have again announced exclusive Festival bottlings for visitors to the distilleries. 18-year old Lagavulin from European Oak The LAGAVULIN™ 2013 special festival bottling, from whisky distilled in 1995, has been aged in ex European Oak Sherry Butts, and was personally selected by Lagavulin warehouseman Iain McArthur. Feis 2013 Special Bottlings – Lagavulin Triple-matured Caol Ila This year’s CAOL ILA™ special festival bottling  is a little special and unusual, explains distillery manager Billy Stitchell, who personally selected the whisky: “Spirit distilled in 1998 has been triple-cask matured. For 12 years it rested in a combination of Refill Butts, Hogsheads and Barrels. The vatted whisky was then allowed to mature for several months in active hogshead casks to impart a spicy/oaky note to the existing delicate Caol Ila smoke. Finally it was treated to a final gentle maturation in European oak.” Feis 2013 Special Bottlings Caol Ila Volumes and prices Bottles will be on sale to individual visitors at the distilleries priced  at £99. The Lagavulin festival bottling goes on sale at the distillery at 10:00 am on Saturday 25 May (Lagavulin open day); the Caol Ila bottling goes on sale at 10:00 am at the distillery on Monday 27 May -  in both cases with an allocation of two bottles per customer. Each release has been bottled at natural cask strength and comes in limited editions of 3,000  individually-numbered bottles. Dr Nick Morgan, Diageo’s Head of Whisky Outreach, commented: “We are again delighted to have two exceptional whiskies from Lagavulin and Caol Ila which we have bottled for the enjoyment of those visitors who come to celebrate Islay’s great whiskies and whisky-making traditions with us during the Fèis. “In the past our special single-cask Festival bottlings have sold out very rapidly, leading to disappointment for some visitors, and unfortunately allowing others to profit from their misfortune by re-selling bottles at inflated prices. This was never our intention. “So this year we are releasing slightly more generous volumes without compromising the quality of our offering. We hope this  will enable all Fèis visitors who want to buy a bottle as a memento of of their visit to do so.” Feis 2013 Special Bottlings x2 NOTES The 2013 Fèis Ìle (Islay Festival) runs from 24 May to 1 June. See also http://www.malts.com/ and http://www.discovering-distilleries.com/

Global competition launched to celebrate the release of anCnoc Peter Arkle Limited Edition No.3 ‘Bricks’ anCnoc Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is announcing a new chapter in the collaboration between the whisky brand and a renowned Scottish illustrator based in New York – Peter Arkle. The partnership was launched in April 2012 and involves a series of limited anCnoc expressions presented in packaging designed by the artist. So far the range included two global releases –anCnoc Peter Arkle No.1 ‘Ingredients’ and anCnoc Peter Arkle No.2 ‘Casks’. Today the brand unveiled anCnoc Peter Arkle No.3 ‘Bricks’ and revealed details of a global competition launched to celebrate the partnership and give anCnoc fans around the world an opportunity to participate in this remarkable project. The Whisky anCnoc Peter Arkle No.3 ‘Bricks’ was matured in Spanish ex-sherry butts as well as American exbourbon barrels. The resulting whisky is full-bodied and sweet and displays a classic anCnoc flavour profile with notes of perfume, citrus, honey and spice defining its style. The whisky is bottled at 46% ABV, non chill-filtered and presented at its natural colour. The packaging shows a thick dunnage warehouse wall, as drawn by Peter Arkle during his visit to Knockdhu Distillery in 2011. The artist comments on the project and the design: “I have loved working with anCnoc and am very proud of our latest limited edition. The distillery at Knock is such a great place and I had a fantastic time visiting there. This particular illustration for me really shows a complex thought in a very simple way. On one hand it’s just a drawing of the bricks that make up the walls of the distillery and the warehouses with a yellow sign stuck on. But, on the other hand, those bricks are so old and so soaked with the essences of anCnoc – absorbed over the years – that they are not just any old bricks. They are bricks with real character and history. And the sign is there to remind people that anCnoc is not something you can take for granted. One must handle something remarkable with care.” Only 1000 cases of anCnoc Peter Arkle Limited Edition No.3 ‘Bricks’ will be available online and from specialist retailers in the UK, USA, Germany, Russia, Japan, Taiwan and Canada. The recommended retail price in the UK is £49.99. #youranCnoc To mark this great collaboration ten whisky fans from around the world will see their personal anCnoc experience turned into unique bottle designs drawn by Peter Arkle himself. The competition, called #youranCnoc, will take place on the 17th June and all who wish to participate will be asked to tweet a photo of their perfect anCnoc moment that day. Ten entries selected by Peter will then be hand-drawn, transferred onto individual bottles of anCnoc and sent to the winners. Additionally, one lucky winner will be taken to New York to meet the artist and experience the process of creating his remarkable illustrations first-hand. Peter further commented: “I have been so inspired designing for anCnoc and I’m really excited for people to get the chance to be inspired themselves and have their own personal anCnoc moment immortalised onto their very own bottle. It’s such a fun opportunity.” Gillian Gibson, the anCnoc Brand Manager added: “anCnoc has long had a close relationship with visual art and we are delighted to not only be continuing with this fantastic series with Peter which we are sure will become instant collectors’ items like its predecessors, but that we can also offer truly personalised art with a mighty fine dram with our #youranCnoc campaign.” Full details of the competition can be found at www.anCnoc.com anCnoc can be found on Twitter at @anCnoc whisky Tasting notes Colour: Bright amber Aroma: Fresh, fragrant and complex. The signature rich honey and lemon notes are accompanied by freshly cut flowers, juicy green apples and sweet vanilla. A hint of heavy

www.ralfy.com introduces a good quality Canadian option with Whisky Review 362 (3/7) – 40 Creek Copper Pot Canadian Whisky

While the history of whisky is long and proud, with legend telling of Saint Patrick bringing the craft of distillation to Scotland, the history of the Quaich is no less long or illustrious.  The word Quaich comes from the gaelic “cuach” which means cup and they have been used for centuries to welcome or bid farewell to guests, or as a mark of comradeship or friendship. Sharing a dram of whisky from a Quaich has long been symbolic of binding people together in love, friendship or comradeship or to welcome or bid farewell to favoured guests. Today quaichs are often given as a gift to someone held dear. This two handled Scottish drinking cup may have originated with the practise of drinking whisky from a scallop shell and progressed to forming these shallow cups from wood, stone or horn. Over the years the cups became more elaborate and highly skilled craftsmen fashioned wooden quaichs with beautiful celtic designs. From the 17th century, as metals came to be more commonly used, quaichs have been made of  brass, pewter, silver or a combination of all three. The original outer shape was retained but the thick bases were thinned to reduce the the weight. Quaichs originated in the Highlands and weren’t used in Lowland Scotland until the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie when the quaich travelled south in the canteens of the Prince’s army. The quaichs of the army were reputed to have glass bottoms enabling the drinker to keep an eye on those around him; a sad reflection on treacherous times. Alex Scott & Co Ltd, a long established Aberdeen based company would like to offer you the chance to win a beautiful quaich so you may sup your dram in the traditional way and our gift set even provides a miniature of MacAllan Gold single malt whisky for the first filling. To enter simply email the answer to the following question along with your name and address to sales@kiltmakers.co.uk using the subject line Quaich Competition, and we will draw the winner, at random, from the correct answers. Closing date June 19th, 2013…….. Please don’t forget to title your email Quaich competition. What is the Centenary Quaich? Quaich which resides in the Scottish Parliament building and is used for ceremonial occasions. An international rugby union trophy contested annually by Ireland and Scotland. A annual flat race run at Ayr races each September with the Centenary Quaich also being the name of the trophy. A quaich presented to Queen Victoria by her loyal Scottish Subjects at the turn of the twentieth century. Terms and Conditions:-  The winner will be notified of their win by email and the prize sent by post. No further correspondence will entered into and the judges decisions are final. The prize cannot be substituted or exchanged for cash. The competition is open to all except employees or relatives of Alex Scott & Co (kiltmakers.co.uk) or employees and relatives of Red Evolution. Important – entries will only be accepted from those who are 18 years old or over. This contest will run until Wednesday June 19th, 2013.

UK vlogger Joe Ellis a.k.a Whisky Wednesday reviews Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky. http://youtu.be/zlGwAKuYnGk http://Facebook.com/whiskytube http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

Unfortunately I had to skip last Sunday’s edition of the #DavinTT Twitter tasting on Canadian whisky. But obviously I had the sample so here’s my review. Next Sunday is the last edition. Danfield’s is marketed by Williams & Churchill but as often in Canadian whisky, it is only a brand name, and it’s made at a different distillery (The Black Velvet Distillery). Canadian laws allow them to state ‘Distilled and bottled by Williams & Churchill’ on the label. Danfield’s is made from rye, corn and malted barley in a small batch process and “blended at birth” rather than blended after separate maturation. Also, as mentioned on the label, it is passed through a diamond dust filter – not sure how that should be noticed in the final product. Danfield’s Limited Edition 21 yo (40%, OB +/- 2013) Nose: quite smooth, with quite a lot of silky polished oak. Really nice, close to what you can expect from an old Scotch in terms of oakiness. Also quite sweet and round, displaying caramel, baked apple with cinnamon, banana, vanilla cake and a little maple syrup. Close to bourbon whiskey, though with a typical rye dust / limestone note. Like! Mouth: less sweet than expected. A lot of oak now, quite dry and slightly tannic / planky. Pepper, cloves, nutmeg and hot ginger. Good thing this is only 40%, otherwise it would have been over the top. The fruitiness and caramel is in the background now. Gets rather zesty in the end (grapefruit skin). Finish: long but quickly getting thinner, with lingering pepper and citrus bitterness. On the nose, this one is a great example of the possibility to have Canadian whisky at higher ages. But the palate is very oaky. Only available in Canada. Typically under € 40, how nice is that? Score: 84/100

    If rums were animals, this would be a faithful, doe-eyed spaniel with slippers in his mouth, who only wants to express his adoration of Master. (#163. 74/100) *** The Costa Rican Ron Centenario “Fundacion” solera rum is a poster child for rums which could easily be a bit more torqued up, and become better. [...]