Whisky Tours 21
The Macallan Partner With Le Clos At Dubai DXB
THE MACALLAN UNVEILS BOUTIQUE PROGRAMME AT DUBAI INTERNATIONAL (DXB) WITH LE CLOS; ONE YEAR ON FROM THE OPENING OF ITS £140M SPEYSIDE DISTILLERY AND VISITOR EXPERIENCE
The Macallan, (the most valuable single malt in the world), today announces its Boutique programme with the opening of The Macallan Boutique at the world’s busiest international airport, DXB, in partnership with Le Clos. This is a part of a multi-million pound investment that will see The Macallan stores open in select key cities and airports across the globe.
Starting with the opening of the new retail experience at DXB in partnership with Le Clos – the award winning fine wine and spirit retailer – The Macallan Boutiques will bring the heritage and prestige of the brand to life. The Boutique concept draws heavily from the beauty of The Macallan Estate. It uses architecture, aesthetics and materials, and immersive features, that are distinct to the new £140m state of the art distillery and visitor experience, opened in 2018.
Attention to detail and luxury are central to the overall design. There is a stunning, signature oak lattice centrepiece in each space, providing a direct and highly visual connection to the innovative roof of the brand’s home in Speyside, Scotland. The extraordinary spaces are designed to give a sense of familiarity to everyone who visits – from single malt aficionados to those exploring the world of The Macallan for the first time.
Suzy Smith, Managing Director , Edrington Global Travel Retail, said: “It has been a year since we opened the doors of our new distillery and visitor experience, which was one of the most exciting moments in our history as a brand. The next chapter in our story is the launch of our Boutique programme, which will bring whisky-lovers across the world even closer to our home on Speyside. Each store will be a gateway to the world of The Macallan, from the stunning cinematography of the Easter Elchies estate to the exceptional whisky available to taste.
“As we continue to roll out these Boutiques globally, we hope more people are able to catch a glimpse into the home of the world’s most valuable single malt. Partnering with Le Clos to open the first new outlet will allow us to deliver a true luxury shopping experience for travellers in our product offering and through exceptional service.”
Visitors to The Macallan Boutique are invited to discover the luxury world of The Macallan through a prestige experience that is both memorable and shareable. The Macallan brand stories shot in stunning cinematography will be showcased alongside virtual reality content that explores the history behind The Macallan Estate.
Andrew Day, Group CEO of MMI, said: “Le Clos and The Macallan have enjoyed a record-breaking partnership for over a decade and we are incredibly proud to be honoured with opening the first new Global Travel Retail Boutique for The Macallan here in DXB.
“This Boutique will bring together two exceptional brands in the world of luxury spirits creating an unrivalled and immersive customer experience. Following our successful partnership with The Macallan that spans over a decade, this new Boutique symbolises the heights we can reach with a shared vision and combined commitment to delivering the ultimate customer experience and we look forward to joining The Macallan on this exciting next stage of the journey.”
The Macallan Boutique in Dubai will offer a stunning, carefully curated range of rare and exclusive whiskies, some of which will be exclusive to Boutiques. Highlights of the prestige collection include rare bottlings from the Masters of Photography, Golden Age of Travel and Exceptional Single Cask ranges. A strong pipeline of new product innovations and Boutique exclusives will ensure The Macallan Boutique offers an engaging and ever-changing range of whiskies.
The Macallan Boutiques will be opening at a number of major international hub airports throughout 2019, starting with Terminal 3 at DXB.
Success For Laphroaig In World Spirits Competition
LAPHROAIG WINS FIVE MEDALS AT THE 2019 SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION
Laphroaig PX Cask Travel Retail Exclusive wins Double Gold alongside a further four medals for the iconic islay distillery
17th June 2019 – Beam Suntory’s Laphroaig® has been awarded a total of five medals at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, including a coveted Double Gold for its PX Cask Travel Retail Exclusive.
The awards, from one of the most significant global competitions, further cements Laphroaig’s famously divisive liquid as a true icon of the whisky world.
The top awarded expression was Laphroaig PX Cask Travel Retail Exclusive, which scooped the much-coveted Double Gold with its intense and rich flavour. Matured in three different types of cask – American oak, Quarter casks and finally Pedro Ximénez casks – the whisky is an explosion of peat with a heavy sherried oak dryness.
Gold medals were also awarded to Laphroaig’s 10-year-old, Select and Quarter Cask expressions, showing that the famed divisive whisky is still winning plaudits across the globe for its unique expressions.
Select is created from carefully selected casks of each of the distillery’s key styles. Mostly, these are historic styles, with one notable addition: the heart of the spirit is drawn from a final maturation in American oak casks – rarely used for scotch whisky. Bottled at natural colour, the result is an exquisite Laphroaig with the trademark ‘peat reek’ matched by an additional layer of complexity and depth brought about by the fusion of the maturation styles and different oaks.
Laphroaig 10-year-old is the original Laphroaig, distilled the same way today as when Ian Hunter invented it more than 75 years ago. Those enjoying the 10 Year Old will first notice the bold, smoky taste, followed by a hint of seaweed and a surprising sweetness. This full-bodied variant is the foundation of all Laphroaig expressions and comes with a long finish.
Laphroaig Quarter Cask offers an irresistible doubling of flavour due to the double maturation in two casks made of American oak. Still-maturing whisky from our standard ex-bourbon barrels is transferred to quarter casks and left to rest in our warehouse just a stone’s throw from the Atlantic shore. This process represents Laphroaig breathing new life into a once-defunct tradition: the use of the smaller cask size, which ensures increased contact with the oak, creating a soft and velvety edge to complement Laphroaig’s distinctive peatiness.
John Campbell, Laphroaig Distillery Manager, comments: “Our whisky has been dividing opinions since 1815 and we embrace every one of them – the good and the bad. But that doesn’t mean we’re not incredibly proud when our whisky picks up an award, even more so when five of our whiskies do.”
“The PX Cask Travel Retail Exclusive is an exceptional liquid that has only been in our range for a few years, so to have it award a Double Gold is a terrific achievement for the whole distillery team.”
Alongside the Double Gold award and three Gold medals, Laphroaig Lore also picked up a Silver medal to round off an impressive showing from one of Scotland’s most esteemed distilleries.
Since its introduction in 2000, the SFWSC has become one of the most respected and influential spirits competitions in the world. And that means that the award is one of the most reliable and universal indications of spirits excellence.
The 2019 Competition was the biggest in its history, featuring more than 3,000 entries. Judges of the 2019 Competition were established spirits-industry experts, including: Anthony Dias Blue (Executive Director), author, editor, publisher, and one of the most influential food, wine, and spirits writers and lifestyle personalities in the U.S.A; Tony Abou-Ganim (Director of Judging), the Master-Mixologist, one of the leading pioneers of America’s craft cocktail movement; David Wondrich, James Beard Award–winning author and longtime
Spirits Writer for Esquire Magazine; Julie Reiner, the renowned bartender who has brought New York’s Flatiron Lounge and Clover Club rave reviews and top rankings among the best bars in the world; and Jeffrey Morgenthaler, of Clyde Common at Portland’s Ace Hotel, named America’s Bartender of the Year and the country’s Best Cocktail and Spirits Writer at the 2016 Spirited Award.
The robust judging process includes four days of highly controlled blind tastings, where the experienced judging panels taste every product to decide if it is medal-worthy. Judges do not receive any information on producer or price point, ensuring each spirit is judged fairly, equally, and without bias.
While tasting, judges evaluate each product on an individual basis—not compared to other entries in the flight. During this stage, judges determine which entries are worthy of a Gold, Silver, or Bronze medal. Entries that receive a Gold medal from all judges on a panel earn a Double Gold award.
More information about the competition and the winners can be found here: http://sfspiritscomp.com/
Whisky News From Glen Scotia Distillery
MSP Drops By For a Dram At Glen Scotia
Michael Russell MSP visited Glen Scotia Distillery as part of a new campaign to position Campbeltown as the “whiskiest place in the world.”
The Argyll & Bute member was presented with a unique bottling as the distillery prepared for the annual Campbeltown Malts Festival, which gets underway tomorrow [Tuesday 21 May].
During the visit the MSP, who is also Cabinet Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, had an opportunity to see some of the oldest parts of the distillery, which date back to the 1830s and to meet some of its staff.
He also bottled his own whisky, choosing an 18 Year Old Single Malt from Cask 560, a first fill ex-bourbon cask stored in Glen Scotia’s historic dunnage warehouse.
The one-off bottle is dedicated to the MSP and his visit to Glen Scotia, with Campbeltown described on the label as “the whiskiest place in the world” in honour of the region’s illustrious past. In the Victorian era Campbeltown was home to more than 30 distilleries and known as ‘whisky capital of the world’.
Iain McAlister, distillery manager, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Michael Russell MSP to our distillery. We’re very proud of our exceptional single malts and their contribution to both Campbeltown and Scotland’s world-leading whisky industry. Research suggests that Campeltown was the predominant Scotch whisky for almost 100 years.
“Whisky is in our DNA in Campbeltown. After being at the forefront of production distilling has become a way of life here and we’re looking forward to sharing our passion for whisky with visitors to this year’s malts festival.”
Michael Russell MSP, said: “It was great to meet the team at Glen Scotia Distillery and learn more about their award-winning single malts.
“It’s very encouraging to see how Glen Scotia is helping to attract visitors to the Campbeltown and boost recognition of its role in Scotch. I wish it well with its new campaign.”
The 57.4% ABV Scotch gifted to the MSP is among several whiskies due to be sampled straight from the cask by visitors taking part in Glen Scotia’s dunnage tastings during the Campbeltown Malts Festival.
The festival, which runs from 21-23 May showcases the region’s distinctive single malts.
As part of the event, Glen Scotia is set to host two sold-out whisky dinners, a distillery open day, tours and a variety of tastings. New to its programme this year is the Glen Scotia Coastal Connection Tasting session with Master Blender Michael Henry, who will explore Campbeltown’s history, explaining how it has shaped and influenced the town’s whisky heritage to this day.
To find our more visit www.glenscotia.com
Laphroaig® Unveils the Latest Release in Càirdeas Series
Introducing Laphroaig Càirdeas Triple Wood Cask Strength
14th May 2019: Beam Suntory’s Laphroaig has announced the 2019 annual release of its Càirdeas series, Càirdeas Triple Wood Cask Strength. This exclusive bottling celebrates the Friends of Laphroaig and marks the annual Feis Ile festival on Islay.
The unique expression is a special triple maturation, first matured in ex-bourbon barrels, then in quarter casks and finally in European oak casks which previously held oloroso sherry. It is then barrier filtered and bottled at cask strength to create a punchy dram with Laphroaig’s signature richness of flavour and smoky taste.
Friends Only
On Islay there is a saying; We don’t make friends easily but the ones we do are for life. Launched in 1994, Friends of Laphroaig are fans, friends and followers of the distillery from all over the world. Never short of an opinion or two they help Laphroaig explore new expressions, attend tastings and sometimes even visit the distillery at Laphroaig’s home on Islay. To reward the loyalty of its following, each year Laphroaig launches exclusive bottlings within the Càirdeas series.
Càirdeas means ‘friendship’ in Gaelic and, each year, a limited-edition bottling is crafted by distillery manager and fifth generation Islay native, John Campbell, available exclusively to Friends of Laphroaig.
Feis Ile Festival
The unique edition is launched to coincide with the Feis Ile festival, which transforms Islay for seven days each summer into a global hub of whisky lovers. Some 3000 visitors descend on the Islay distilleries to enjoy exclusive tastings, talks from key figures in the industry, and revel in a shared passion amongst likeminded strangers. Laphroaig is one of the largest and most famous distilleries on the island, and the Càirdeas release is a celebration of the people who visit.
John Campbell, Laphroaig distillery manager, comments: “Our friends are very important to us at Laphroaig. It’s a polarising whisky, so it means a great deal that our fans remain loyal to our liquid and continue to push for newer expressions. Friends of Laphroaig gives us a great opportunity to engage with our supporters and give back to them with this exclusive Càirdeas whisky.”
The whisky is available online exclusively to Friends of Laphroaig and at the distillery now for an RRP of £77
Tasting Notes
Nose:
Polished leather and tobacco leaves with spicy lemon and clementine zest. Subtle notes of golden syrup and rich heather honey, with autumn leaves, hazelnuts, vanilla fudge and a touch of white pepper and nutmeg. Dried camomile flowers and a touch of passion fruits.
Palate:
Sweet with rich toffee, with dates, maple syrup, praline and crème caramel. Grilled chestnuts with tarte Tatin, marzipan and strong black pepper. Cedar wood, a touch of furniture polish and beeswax.
Finish:
Sweet, long with caramel and spicy buttery fudge.
Colour:
Burnished gold.
Best served neat, with ice or water, given the higher ABV of this cask strength dram.
ABV:
Bottled at 51.4% ABV.
Benromach Wins Spirit of Speyside Whisky Award
The World’s Only Whisky Award Chosen by the Public, Industry
Experts and Festival Visitors
Benromach 10 Years Old has been crowned the winner in the 12 Years & Under category at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Awards 2019. The annual competition seeks out the best whiskies from Scotland’s most prolific whisky-producing region.
Just two finalists are selected in each category during a blind taste challenge held by the judging panel, which is composed of nine leading industry experts and whisky writers. Benromach was the only distillery to have two expressions in the final eight whiskies, including Benromach 15 Years Old which was recognised as the runner up in the 13 – 20 Years Old category.
In the only whisky competition of its type, the shortlisted expressions are then sampled by the public at judging sessions held in cities including New York, Cologne, Rome, Belfast and London.
Visitors and locals to the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival in May then cast the deciding vote on the shortlist, with the results revealed at the Festival’s closing ceilidh.
Keith Cruickshank, Benromach Distillery Manager, said: “We are immensely proud that Benromach 10 Years Old, our flagship whisky, has been recognised in these prestigious awards. It is particularly special because such a breadth of audiences from all over the world have had the opportunity to try two of our whiskies and have recognised them for their quality and taste.
“At Benromach, we are one of only a few Scottish distilleries to craft all our whiskies by hand. Our methods take a little longer, but we believe this extra attention is reflected in the depth of the flavours of our whiskies. We manage the process by sight, sound and touch and use only traditional techniques to create our distinctive expressions – beautifully balanced with a light touch of smoke.’’
For more information, images or interview requests, please contact Fiona Reyner or Annie Diamond on benromach@mucklemedia.co.uk
