The Bourbonblog.com guys were at the unveiling this past Saturday night and shot a great video. They really did a nice job capturing the evening. (I’m also interviewed in the video.) Have a look:
And just for fun, here’s their entire uncut interview with me, discussing drinking alone vs. drinking with other people, among other things (after I had a drink or two, as I recall). Enjoy!:
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Since I started this blog over two years ago, I’ve made a lot of new friends. Thousands of you visit every day from across the globe, and I am grateful for this.
I realize that many of you have never had the opportunity to read a copy of Malt Advocate magazine, which I founded nearly 18 years ago. Or, perhaps, you read a copy many years ago, when the magazine was still evolving.
If you like WDJK, then you’ll love Malt Advocate magazine. I might be a little biased here, but I think Malt Advocate is the finest whisky magazine on the market. We have the best writers in the business, covering all of the world’s finest whiskies.
Maybe some of you who are already subscribers can add your thoughts about the magazine below in the comment section.
You can also peruse a digital version of our most recent issue here, which we posted up on our website.
For those of you who aren’t subscribing yet, I am going to offer you this very special deal. If you subscribe for one year, I’m going to throw in a second year–free! This offer is for any new subscriber, regardless of where you live. I’m doing this because I am confident that, after reading Malt Advocate for two years, you’ll renew your subscription. For those of you who are already subscribers (and thank you for that, by the way), you can still take advantage of this offer by telling your friends about it or by buying them a gift subscription.
I’ll keep this offer open until December 31, 2009. Here are links to the subscription pages with the special “two for one” deal.
U.S. Residents ($18): http://bit.ly/MFVlh
Canadian Residents ($24): http://bit.ly/H0Qgl
All other countries ($40): http://bit.ly/3odPVF
I hope this offer provides enough incentive for you to begin enjoying Malt Advocate for years to come. And if you have any questions, please post them up and I’ll try to answer them.
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.The first one is by Christie’s, in New York City, on November 14th. It includes the most recent Bowmore Trilogy (Black, White, and Gold), along with many rare whiskies from Park Avenue Liquor. The press release:
A LANDMARK EVENT FOR COLLECTORS OF FINE SPIRITS:
THE 1964 BOWMORE® TRILOGY TO BE OFFERED FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN THE UNITED STATESCHRISTIE’S NOVEMBER 14 AUCTION OF FINE WINES AND SPIRITS IN NEW YORK TO FEATURE A CAREFULLY-CURATED SELECTION OF WHISKY, COGNAC, BOURBON, ARMAGNAC, RUM AND MORE
New York – With the winter season fast approaching, Christie’s is delighted to announce its November 14 sale of Fine Wines and Spirits, with a special selection of spirits that are sure to ward off the chill of cold days to come. Over 40 lots of carefully-curated whisky, bourbon, cognac, armagnac, and rum will be offered from prominent sources, including the Park Avenue Liquor Shop, one of the most respected spirits retailers in the country.
In addition, Christie’s is honored to have been selected as the first U.S. sales site to offer the exceedingly rare 1964 Bowmore® Trilogy (pictured above) direct from the Bowmore distillery in Scotland. An exceptional selection of fine and rare wines rounds out the sale, with recent and mature vintages of Bordeaux and Burgundy in great supply, along with collector favorites from California, Italy, the Rhône Valley, and Champagne (separate press release available). The total sale of wine and spirits includes over 800 lots and is expected to realize in excess of $2.1 million.
View our latest wine sale catalogues online here:
http://www.christies.com/departments/wine/wine-ecatalogues.aspx
The second one is by Bonhams in Edinburgh on November 18th. This one features a rare Dalmore Oculus (pictured), along with the 3,000 plus bottle collection by deceased whisky enthusiast Willard S. Folsom. Details from their press release:
BONHAMS SELLS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST VALUABLE WHISKIES, THE DALMORE OCULUS, IN 18TH NOVEMBER WHISKY SALE
Bespoke bottling created to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of whisky auction sales
As part of Bonhams Edinburgh’s highly-anticipated November 18th Whisky Sale, whisky enthusiasts will have the unique opportunity to purchase an exceptional one-of-a kind The Dalmore Oculus, amongst other distinguished whiskies.
This rare and unique Dalmore Oculus is one of the most precious whiskies to ever appear at auction. It is both the first and last of its kind, assembled from some of the most exceptional whiskies of the past 140 years and is thus estimated to sell for a staggering £15,000-20,000.
Due to its rarity and depth of stocks The Dalmore has long been recognised as a brilliant single malt. Jim Murray, whisky guru comments it is “one of the world’s greatest and undervalued distilleries”.
This particular unique expression of the Dalmore Oculus was created by master-distiller Richard Paterson, drawing on some four decades of experience. With his intimate knowledge of the stocks, Richard Paterson fused an incomparable and brilliant assemblage, beginning with a rich spicy and orange zest core from cask 1781 (distilled in 1951), trace elements of the taste and smell of dried fruits, ripe bananas, treacle toffee and almonds from an original fifty year old are added to develop complexity. Alongside these elements, rare malts selected from vintages distilled in 1868, 1878, 1922, 1926 and 1939 add a depth of flavour. Finally, to intensify the whisky, an incredibly intense oak, spice and bitter dark chocolate long matured distillate from cask 1782 is added to the mix alongside the whisky’s ‘capstone’: a judicious amount of the revered 64 year old, proffering notes of coffee, aromatic spices and citrus zest.
Such alchemistic artistry creates a peerless whisky fusion, which is beautifully presented in a precious Baccarat crystal decanter. This exceptionally crafted bespoke decanter is decorated with an intricate solid silver iconic stag standing alongside the name of this extraordinary whisky.
Richard Paterson, master distiller at The Dalmore said: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and The Dalmore Oculus is without doubt a truly exceptional expression. This is the most exquisite expression I have personally crafted with all the loving reference it so richly deserves to seduce the most discerning and sophisticated plates imaginable. I am confident it will appeal to epicureans, investors and collectors”.
Alongside the Dalmore Oculus, Bonhams will also be selling the first section of the largest single-owner collection of whisky ever to appear at auction. The 3,000-strong Willard S Folsom Collection of Old and Rare Single Malt Whiskies has been amassed over an 18-year period and features wide ranges of Ardbeg, Bowmore, Dalmore, Glenfiddich, Laphroaig, Springbank, Kinclaith, Killyloch, Ben Wyvis, Glen Grant, Glenmorangie, The Glenlivet, Strathmill, Mortlach and The Macallan.
Martin Green, Bonhams Whisky Specialist comments: “The 18th November Whisky sale is the most interesting to take place over a 20 year period and marks the 20th Anniversary of Whisky Auctions. The inclusion of the Dalmore Oculus is an exciting addition to this high quality sale. The Folsom Collection being sold in Edinburgh, Hong Kong and finally in New York in December makes this a very interesting and progressive year for Bonhams Whisky Sales”.
For Bonhams enquiries please call 0870 0273622
There are some pretty special whiskies in both collections.
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.Another new product crossed my desk. This one is the fourth edition of the heavily peated Edradour called Ballechin.
Let me throw this out to everyone. What have been your experiences with previous releases? I honestly must admit that I have never reviewed any of these formally and my experiences have been spotty.
EDRADOUR ANNOUNCES THE FOURTH RELEASE FROM BALLECHIN, THE DISCOVERY SERIES
Edradour’s Heavily-Peated Highland Single-Malt Whiskey, #4 The Oloroso Sherry Casks
MT. PLEASANT, SC (October 22, 2009) — Scotland’s Smallest Distillery, Edradour, releases the fourth distillation of Ballechin, The Discovery Series, a program to age scotch whiskey solely in wine casks, instead of the usual bourbon casks. “Since acquiring Edradour distillery in 2002, I have pursued an extensive program of experimentation. Several heavily peated distillations have been produced initially on a very limited scale, and these are being matured in a wide range of wood types. The phenol content of the malt used in production is not less than 50 parts per million,” said Edradour Owner Andrew Symington in July 2009.
The Oloroso Sherry Cask has been matured solely in first fill Oloroso Sherry Butts and produced a total of 6,000 bottles, offered in 70 cl and 750ml. The scotch whiskey is 46% alcohol by volume and is imported by Total Beverage Solution. Other Ballechin releases include a Burgundy cask matured, a Port cask matured, and a Madeira cask matured.
Scotland’s Highland malts enjoy a unique depth of flavor and quality that’s the result of a fine blend of altitude and mountain water. For many connoisseurs, with its exquisitely smooth and creamy texture, with just a hint of smokiness, Edradour is the jewel in the Highland crown. For more information on Edradour and other TBS brands, log onto www.totalbeveragesolution.com/media/ to download a media kit.
Edradour
Edradour is the smallest whiskey distillery in Scotland and the last original ‘farm’ distillery in Perthshire, nestled in a glen in the hills above Pitlochry in the Southern Highlands; possibly the smallest legal distillery of any kind in the world. John Reid and his two assistants hand-craft Edradour without automation, using skills handed down through generations. For centuries the people of Edradour and other remote regions enjoyed malt whisky making as a natural by-product of farming life. The natural ingredients of barley, pure water, and peat have been available in Scotland in abundance since time immemorial. At a weekly output of a mere 600 gallons – enough to fill twelve casks – what Edradour makes in a year, a typical Speyside distillery would produce in a week. Only the finest spirit is laid down by Reid into hand-selected oak casks for the ten year long wait before it can take the name of Edradour. During the aging process the whisky is regularly monitored with the same care and attention that it took to produce it. It is a small wonder, then, that Edradour can be a little hard to track down, making it a rare pleasure for a fortunate few. Edradour is currently exported to France, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Russia, USA, Japan, South Africa, Taiwan and New Zealand.
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.This will start being released next week. I ‘ve had a barrel sample of it for a month or two, but I’m waiting for the finished product (which I should get soon) before offering an opinion. The previous releases have varied significantly in flavor profile, depending on how the whiskey was made.
Woodford Reserve Releases Limited Edition Bourbon Featuring
Specially-Aged Barrels
Exclusive Master’s Collection Bottling Available Beginning November 1
October 27, 2009, Louisville, Ky. – Woodford Reserve announces the latest extension of its acclaimed Master’s Collection which will be released on November 1. Called ‘Seasoned Oak Finish,’ it is the fourth in the series of limited edition bottlings and continues Woodford Reserve’s tradition of crafting rare whiskeys that extend the category in bold new directions.
Barrels play a key role in producing bourbon, with approximately 70 percent of the spirit’s flavor and aroma and all of its color provided by the oak barrel. Woodford Reserve’s new offering, Seasoned Oak Finish, features bourbon finish-aged in unique barrels crafted with wood that has been seasoned longer than any previously used in the industry.
“Of all the distillers in our industry, we are the only bourbon company that crafts its own barrels, giving us unique knowledge and control of the process,” said Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris. “As the rough oak staves are exposed to seasonal weather changes and subsequently dried, this natural cycle develops a new range of flavors in the wood.”
This seasoning progression changes the wood by reducing tannins and ultimately creates a new range of flavor compounds. The staves for most bourbon barrels are seasoned for three to five months; however, Seasoned Oak Finish combines fully-matured Woodford Reserve with barrels crafted from wood that has been exposed to the outdoors for three to five years — the longest seasoning known in the bourbon industry.
“By ‘finish aging’ Woodford Reserve in barrels that have been crafted from oak and seasoned for several years, we created a bourbon unlike any other in the industry. It’s the most robust bourbon we have ever made,” said Wayne Rose, brand director for Woodford Reserve. “This special Master’s Collection release emboldens Woodford Reserve with ‘extra-aged’ oak character resulting in a new and complex flavor profile.”
Seasoned Oak Finish is the fourth in the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection series following the Four Grain, Sonoma-Cutrer Finish and Sweet Mash products. Released periodically at the master distiller’s discretion, the Master’s Collection whiskeys are extremely limited in quantity and bottled only once in a proprietary package inspired by the copper pot stills of The Woodford Reserve Distillery.
The inspiration for the Master’s Collection is rooted in the rich history and tradition of what is today known as The Woodford Reserve Distillery. In the mid-1800s distillery owner Oscar Pepper and Master Distiller James Crow studied and recommended use of key processes like sour mashing and charred barrel maturation at the historic Woodford County distillery. These practices are still maintained in the bourbon industry and, today, the distillery receives more than 80,000 visitors annually and is the only one in America to triple-distill bourbon in copper pot stills.
Woodford Reserve Seasoned Oak Finish will be sold in 44 U.S. markets, and a limited quantity will be available in Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, New Zealand and Australia. Each bottle is individually hand-numbered and presented at 100.4 proof. Available in major metro markets, only 1,337 cases are available with a suggested retail price of $89.99 for a 750ml bottle.
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