Edinburgh 9
Welcoming Customers Back – Alhambra Bar, Edinburgh
With the hospitality sector slowly trying to get back to something near normal, it has been a very quiet time for hotels, bars, pubs and clubs and at Malt Marketing we are actively looking to support the on-trade wherever possible and on that note, we introduce you to our latest whisky bar directory listing; Edinburgh’s Alhambra Bar.
Alhambra Bar situated on Edinburgh’s Leith Walk provides a lively and vibrant atmosphere in which to enjoy a drink in Edinburgh’s East end.
With all the character and charm of a village local, Alhambra Bar seems to be able to capture that city spirit in a traditional and comforting setting. Offering a varied choice of beers, wines and spirits, Alhambra Bar is a must go to bar for any sports lover.
With Premiership and international football screenings and PGA golf available to patrons, Alhambra Bar offers both a friendly and welcoming ambience coupled with an exciting and charged atmosphere where locals and newcomers alike mix and engage.
With outdoor seating and all the benefits and presence that come with any corner bar, this is most definitely a place to experience and enjoy whenever next in Edinburgh
WINNERS ANNOUNCED IN WHISKY AWARDS
WINNERS REVEALED IN INAUGURAL SCOTTISH WHISKY AWARDS
9th September 2019: The winners in the inaugural competition to assess the business of Scotch whisky have been revealed at a sell-out event held in Edinburgh last week.
The Scottish Whisky Awards welcomed over 400 guests to celebrate and to hear who had been crowned the best in the wide-ranging competition which assesses taste and business performance.
Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year 2019 was presented to The GlenAllachie Distillery in recognition of an outstanding year of business and after winning five medals in the blind tasting competition. The distillery has successfully served a full range of single malt into the market, opened a visitor centre and created a strong distribution network. Their awards haul included two gold medals for their 18 and 12 year old single malts. Craigellachie, Glen Scotia, Highland Park and Loch Lomond Distilleries were also nominated in the category.
Angus-based Arbikie Distilling collected the award for the Newcomer of the Year and were applauded by the judging panel for their field to bottle ethos and innovative approach. They also collected a silver medal for Arbikie Highland Rye in the single grain category.
Other winners on the night included Johnnie Walker White Walker for their Game Of Thrones campaign whilst the Glasgow Distillery Company triumphed with multiple awards for their recently launched 1770 Single Malt.
Professor Alan Wolstenholme, Chair of the Judging panel commented;
“Very many congratulations to the winners in the inaugural Scottish Whisky Awards. Winning a Scottish Whisky Award is a huge opportunity to further the promotion of Scotch whisky at home and abroad. I hope that all the medallists and winners take the opportunity to promote their success and achievements in what was a very tough competition.”
The awards are supported by commercial sponsors including Shawbrook Bank and Bruce Stevenson.
Kevin Boyd, Managing Director at Shawbrook Bank commented;
“Congratulations to all the finalists and winners in the inaugural Scottish Whisky Awards. Shawbrook Bank are proud supporters of our whisky industry and we are delighted to support these awards and their work to promote the business of Scotch and all our wonderful whiskies at home and abroad.”
Graeme Dempster, Account Executive at Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers commented;
“We’d like to congratulate all the finalists and winners at the Scottish Whisky Awards. The quality of talent up for nomination clearly demonstrates the strength of the Scotch Whisky industry today. At
Bruce Stevenson, we’re very proud to have a wide-ranging and deep involvement in such an exciting and growing sector.”
The awards also recognised one of the whisky industry’s most accomplished scientific and technical advisers with a special award presented posthumously to Dr Jim Swan. The award for outstanding contribution to Scotch whisky was accepted by Dr Swan’s daughters and was presented in recognition of his forty-year career as a research scientist and trusted adviser to whisky distilleries around the world. The award will be presented annually as The Jim Swan Award for Services to Scotch Whisky to an individual making a significant contribution to the Scotch Whisky industry.
Full results in the competition were unveiled for the first-time last night after being held as a closely guarded secret since the business and taste competitions were carried out in May. In the taste sessions, adjudicated by the international sensory management consultancy, Cara Technology, over 100 whiskies were blind tasted and scored by a 32-strong judging panel from the UK, mainland Europe and Asia.
The awards which will now become an annual fixture and will be hosted in Glasgow next year, were also a fundraiser for two charities; The BEN, the Benevolent Society of the Licensed Trade of Scotland and the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, set up by rugby legend Doddie Weir to help improve the lives of those affected by Motor Neurone Disease.
Bonhams Whisky Sale – Edinburgh
Bonhams Whisky Sale – 6 June 2018 Edinburgh, Scotland
Bonhams Whisky Department specialises in the sourcing and global auction sales of Vintage Single Malt and Blended Whisky and is run by Martin Green who has been the whisky specialist at Bonhams since 2008 after a career in whisky auctions stretching back over 30 years.
He is credited with devising and holding the first ever dedicated whisky sale in 1989. Today, Bonhams holds four whisky sales a year in Edinburgh and four sales in Hong Kong (two of which are combined with Fine Wine). These attract buyers from around the world and regularly achieve sale rates of over 90%
Martin is acknowledged as one of the country’s foremost authorities on whisky and has written widely on the subject.
Notable single owner collections: The Willard S. Folsom Collection, sourced from San Francisco comprising of over 3500 bottles offered in Global sales at Bonhams during 2009 and 2010, the largest whisky collection to appear on the auction market.
The Bowmore Trilogy
The Bowmore Trilogy Black Bowmore-42 year old-1964, White Bowmore-43-year old-1964, Gold Bowmore-44 year old-1964 £17,500 Sourced from a private European collector
Johnnie Walker Old Highland Whisky-Early 20th Century £7,500, sourced from within the UK licensed trade
Johnnie Walker Old Highland Whisky-Early 20th Century Ardbeg-1965 £4,375, sourced from a private Scottish collector
Ardbeg-1965
Black Bowmore-1964
Black Bowmore-1964 Lots 26 £11,875, 27 £12,500 , 28 £11,875, the three bottles sourced from a private UK collector
The highest auction results as of June 2017 for Black Bowmore at auction globally
The Dalmore Candella £16,250, sourced from a private Scottish collector
The Dalmore Candella
The Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve-1955 £46,850, offered for sale by the distillery on behalf of a Global Charity
The Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve-1955
Glenfiddich-64 year old-1937 £68,500, sourced from a private European collector
Glenfiddich-64 year old-1937 The current UK auction house record for the sale of a bottle of Single Malt Whisky and the highest price paid at auction for a bottle of Glenfiddich
The Macallan Millennium Decanter-40 year old-1949 £21,250, sourced from a private UK collector
The Macallan Millennium Decanter-40 year old-1949 Bonhams Specialist whisky auctions attract International interest and are held in March, June, October and December in Edinburgh and twice each year in Hong Kong from where the bottles are sourced
Bonhams Catalogue Now Online
The Whisky Sale, Edinburgh
On Wednesday 07th March, Bonhams plays host to The Whisky Sale in Edinburgh. With a number of exceptional whiskies going under the hammer including The Macallan, Bowmore and Talisker this really is a rare opportunity to acquire some truly iconic and collectible whiskies.
Edinburgh, The Festival and Even More Whisky Bars – Usquabae Whisky Bar & Larder
Usquabae Whisky Bar & Larder Located in the heart of Edinburgh’s vibrant West End, offers an unrivalled selection of Scotch whisky in an elegant and relaxed setting. Inspired by Robert Burns’ poem, “Tam O’ Shanter”, we firmly believe the pursuit of drinking whisky is a saintly and noble quest. Burns himself claimed that should you meet the devil, you’ll only survive if you’re fortified with usquabae. We take this belief very seriously. With this in mind, we encourage you to visit us and experience for yourself the ‘spiritual’ side of our national drink. If you already consider yourself saintly enough, we also offer a range of speciality gins, vodkas, rums, and other spirits as well as a wide-ranging wine list and bespoke cocktail menu.
With over 400 whiskies to choose from at Usquabae Whisky Bar & Larder, our collection contains a dram to suit every palate. Each bottle has been hand-selected based on its exceptional quality and unique flavour profile. Ranging from iconic, world-leading brands such as Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet, to unique single cask bottlings from long-closed distilleries such as Rosebank and Port Ellen, our variety is unparalleled. Fancy sampling something from the swinging sixties? Sure thing. Keen to try something which pre-dates The Beatles? Absolutely. Want to taste something distilled prior to, or during, World War II? No problem.
At Usquabae Whisky Bar & Larder we believe excellent drinks should be sipped alongside exceptional cuisine. Our menu reflects the natural quality and variety of Scotland’s larder, with each dish carefully crafted and prepared to the highest standard by our team of dedicated chefs. Our current menu can be found below, along with suggested whisky pairings which compliment each dish.
At Usquabae Whisky Bar & Larder, we offer tailored whisky tastings which cater for your group’s every need. Armed with an enviable whisky collection, our knowledgeable bartenders will inform, enthuse and, above all, entertain you as you explore our whiskies and discover new flavours and aromas. From deconstructing a blended whisky, to a ‘vertical’ tasting, to a Prohibition-themed tasting, to a regional tour of Scotland, we have it covered. Contact us now to arrange your ultimate whisky experience, or click here to see our tasting packages.
