The Dalmore Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has opened the doors to its first ever luxury shopping destination. This flagship store can be experienced in the departure area of the Terminal 1 Concourse in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei.

Travellers seeking a special gift and whisky connoisseurs alike will have the opportunity to shop and discover The Dalmore and its exceptional expressions such as The Dalmore King Alexander III, the only single malt whisky in the world created using a unique six cask finish. The Dalmore Constellation Collection which is a selection of 21 rare and outstanding single cask expressions from the Highland distillery will also be available for the first time in Asia as a full collection.

Francesco Scaglione, Whyte & Mackay, Travel Retail Director said “The Dalmore has excelled in travel retail and is one of the top five malts within Everrich’s spirits portfolio. We are thrilled to be unveiling our first ever flagship store which gives travellers a fantastic opportunity to further immerse themselves in the outstanding whiskies that we meticulously create at The Dalmore.”

The Dalmore flagship store is open now, and will remain open until the 31st December 2015.

www.thedalmore.com

www.everrich.com

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Launching this month and only available in the Travel Retail channel are two new exclusive Auchentoshan malt whiskies, Blood Oak and Noble Oak.

Blood Oak is a premium expression that is matured in bourbon and red wine casks giving it a deep crimson-gold colour, which is the inspiration behind its name. This liquid has a depth that comes from being non-chill filtered at a high strength and has sweet and tanic flavours with bursts of blood orange, nutmeg and ginger that progress to a candied grape tang.

Auchentoshan Blood Oak has an ABV of 46% and an RRP of £55 for a 700ml bottle.

Noble Oak is inspired by the oak tree, believed to be the noblest and strongest of trees. A super-premium 24 year old expression that is matured in 1990 vintage casks that have been hand selected to house this unique liquid. This results in a distinctive sweet, ripe fruitiness with balanced oak spice and a brandy, grapefruit and ginger finish.

Auchentoshan Noble Oak has an ABV of 50.3% and a recommended retail price of £200 for a 700ml bottle. This annual release is offered in a beautiful presentation box exclusively for travel retail.

http://www.auchentoshan.com/

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The Glenlivet has launched a third expression to its celebrated Nàdurra range, as it continues to honour the historic traditions of making single malt whisky through new and innovative cask finishes.

Following the release of The Glenlivet Nàdurra Oloroso and The Glenlivet Nàdurra First Fill Selection in 2014, The Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish is the first release to have a subtle, smoky taste profile, having been finished in American oak casks that have previously held heavily-peated Scotch whisky. The aromatic, sophisticated notes are perfectly balanced with the classic and smooth, fruity house style for which The Glenlivet single malt has been famous since 1824.

The Global Travel Retail exclusive expression is bottled at 48% ABV, The Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish is inspired by the authentic production processes used at The Glenlivet Distillery by its founder, George Smith, who originally used peat smoke to dry the malted barley.

The Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish is available from October 2015 throughout domestic and Global Travel Retail markets, priced at US$89.

http://www.theglenlivet.com/

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This month marks the launch of Scapa Skiren, an artisanal single malt forged by the elements of Orkney, a remote island of natural contrasts.

Crafted by five dedicated artisans at the manually operated Scapa distillery, Scapa Skiren’s smooth taste embodies the unexpected contrasts of the Orkney Islands, setting it apart from traditional Island Malts. A unique barrel-shaped Lomond wash still – the only remaining working Lomond in the Scotch whisky industry – is used for distillation, resulting in a richer and fruiter honeyed spirit. Exclusive maturation in First Fill American Oak casks gives Scapa Skiren a smooth creamy sweetness with a hint of tropical, citrus fruit and coastal heather, uncommon for an Island Single Malt but distinctly Scapa at its core.

Scapa Skiren, priced at $60 USD RRP, is currently being rolled out in Global Travel Retail and is available in selected retailers in the UK and France.

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Two malt whisky expressions blended from liquid produced in Scotland and Japan have been released, the first of its kind, named after the 19th century industrialist Thomas Blake Glover who was known as the “Scottish Samurai”.

Commissioned and produced by the Adelphi Distillery in Scotland, the two whiskies were launched simultaneously in Aberdeen and Tokyo on Monday 26 October as part of The Glover whisky range.

The first bottling – The Glover 22 Year Old – was produced from three single casks: one refill ex-Sherry hogshead distilled at the Hanyu Distillery in Japan, which closed in 2005, one American oak ex-Sherry hogshead distilled at the Longmorn Distillery in Scotland, and one Spanish oak ex-Sherry butt from Scotland’s Glen Garioch Distillery. Just 390 bottles have been produced, which are expected to retail for up to £1,100 a bottle.

The second bottling – The Glover 14 year Old – is also blended from Scotch and Japanese malt whiskies and is limited to a run of 1,500 bottles, priced at £100 each.

Alex Bruce, managing director of Adelphi, the firm which blended The Glover, said: “We wanted the final whisky to present the unique flavours of both casks, but also to be even more than the sum of its parts. We added a drop of whisky from Glen Garioch Distillery in homage to Thomas Glover’s home in Fraserburgh to complete the flavour profile.”

Glover was born on Fraserburgh, Scotland, in 1838 and played a key role in the modernisation and industrial development of 19th century Japan.

Both expressions will be available from mid-November. We are checking for travel retail availability.

http://www.thegloverwhisky.com/

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Kininvie is one of those Scottish distilleries whose name whispered among hard-core drinkers of Scotch as a spirit to try – if you get the chance. It is a rather obscure operation owned by William Grant & Sons, which produced mostly blended whisky on the grounds of the much larger Balvenie distillery.

It has only a couple of 23 year old bottlings to its name so far, but now word is out of a new limited release called Kininvie The First Drops which, literally, is made from the first whiskies laid down when the distillery opened a quarter of a century ago.

As the story goes, according to those behind it, “when the Kininvie Distillery first opened, stillman Kenny McWilliam was one of only three men working the stills. It was back on the 25th June 1990 at 8.45am when the very first liquid was taken off the still by the stillmen and then laid to mature on the 4th July.” The first three casks  barreled up way back then are now being sold as this release, a single cask, cask strength bottling that has been matured in hogshead bourbon barrels and bottled at 61.4% ABV.

Now you may be a little confused when I say three casks above followed by single cask bottling, but that’s because there will be one cask each released into the UK, Taiwan and mainland Europe. This comes out to less than 1,600 bottles worldwide, according to The Spirits Business, each of which will price around £400 (about $605 USD).

“The whisky produced at the Kininvie distillery is of exceptionally good quality,” said Malt Master Brian Kinsman in a statement. “After twenty-five years, we’re delighted that the liquid is now ready and we can release the very first drops of Kininvie, straight from the casks where they have been maturing since the distillery’s first days.”

Joining this release, by the way, is the third batch of the 23 year old expression previously put to market. This offering, according to Tom’s Whisky Reviews, is “liquid taken from casks that were laid to rest in 1991.” It will price at £120 (around $185 USD) and will go into the same markets as the First Drops whisky.

Source: http://thewhiskeywash.com

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Bacardi’s Scotch whisky arm John Dewar & Sons has unveiled the latest expression from “The Golden Dram” – the name given to Aberfeldy’s water source, the Pitilie Burn, which is renowned for being rich in mineral deposits including alluvial gold.

Aberfeldy 16 Years Old is finished in Oloroso sherry casks, which is said to give a “more pronounced sherry accent” to the malt, and provide extra notes of “dried fruit and spice”.

Bottled at 40% abv, the new release offers notes of “honey, citrus and spicy cloves” and is described as “sherried and full like fruitcake” with “dabs of dark chocolate”.

The new expression is available in 11 markets around the world: Belgium, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Lebanon, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Taiwan and the UK; at an RRP of £62.00.

At the start of the year eight bottles of a rare 28-year-old Aberfeldy Single Highland Malt Whisky were launched exclusively at the DFS annual Masters of Wines and Spirits and sold out within three hours.

Source: The Spirits Business

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Following the successful launches of the popular TALISKER SKYE and Travel Retail exclusive TALISKER DARK STORM, Diageo Global Travel and Middle East (GTME) has launched TALISKER NEIST POINT, another exclusive Single Malt from the multi-award winning Isle of Skye distillery.

The latest addition to the successful TALISKER range of Malts, TALISKER NEIST POINT is a new creation of the distillery’s Malt Master, Craig Wilson. With a huge depth of flavour, it was crafted to showcase a wider range of TALISKER characteristics rather than any single aspect of the whisky. Combining precisely selected flavoured whiskies with some of TALISKER’S rarest and smoothest mature stocks, TALISKER NEIST POINT is an exceptional Single Malt which is not chill-filtered before bottling, resulting in more intense and powerful flavours.

TALISKER Malt Master, Craig Wilson said: “Using casks from a wide variety of different wood type and ages, I’ve captured the differing flavour profiles of TALISKER, incorporating fiery, spicy and sweeter vanilla notes. By using some of our finest, rare casks that have been left to rest longer, TALISKER NEIST POINT delivers an incomparable flavour journey with an extra-refined, sweet, smoky, finish that engulfs the palate, wave after wave. “

The new travel retail excusive has received critical acclaim in pre-release sampling, described by whisky writer Owen D.L. Barstow, whisky consultant, London, as “An outstanding contemporary interpretation of all that is classic in TALISKER.”

TALISKER NEIST POINT (it’s pronounced Neest) is named after the most westerly headland on the Isle of Skye. Like the seas that often batter the island, its flavours start to build softly but surely. They deliver wave after wave of sea salt, spice and swirling, volcanic smoke before reaching a warming and sweetly smoky finish.

Peter Fairbrother, Global Marketing Director of Diageo Global Travel and Middle East (GTME), said: “Single Malts represent the fastest growing segment of the whisky category in travel retail and the surge is being driven by flavour-led Malts where Diageo excels.

“TALISKER SKYE and TALISKER DARK STORM, also travel retail exclusives, continue to be top sellers. While these Malts focused on the intensely smoky nature of TALISKER, our new release, TALISKER NEIST POINT, uses some of the distillery’s rarest and smoothest stocks to showcase the broader flavour range and complexity of this award-winning island Malt.

“Its introduction as a channel exclusive underlines our determination to innovate in the category and invest behind our great Malt whisky portfolio. We’re confident its intense flavours are going to be hugely appealing to the growing number of discerning Malt Whisky fans who look for new experiences and exclusive opportunities when they travel, as well as to TALISKER lovers who want to trade-up to a new luxury expression of their favourite Malt.”

TALISKER NEIST POINT is bottled at 45.8% ABV and the 70cl edition is available to purchase in Travel Retail outlets worldwide, with an RRSP of GBP115 / USD179 / EUR147.

TASTING NOTES:

Colour/appearance: Warm, yellow gold. Fluid and soft, developing fine, late legs.

Nose: An immediate and perfectly poised waft of sulphurous spent match above a soft, reassuring, cereal layer of freshly baked sourdough bread and ripe red fruits. Later, honey, creamy toffee, peat, wood smoke, salt and ozone followed by clove-accented bubble-gum notes. A faint savoury trace – the acetic tang of new make and perhaps the charcoal ash from a beach barbecue. Finally, bracing, soaring pine resin. A beautifully paced and outstandingly balanced composition at 45.8%. Softer with water, with greater emphasis on caramel and malt notes; growing richer, with shaved dark chocolate and a little kirschwasser.

Body/texture: Viscous, pleasing and firm.

Palate: Salty and slightly honeyed, then savoury – home-made potato chips, cooked in beef dripping and seriously seasoned – giving way to glorious dark South American chocolate laced with chilli; then redcurrants and coating, pithy tannins – crisp and vegetal. Fresh tarragon. Growing fiery yet creamy and filling the lungs with smoke. Wonderfully sweet, honeyed and liqueur-like with water.

Finish: Long. At first fiery, smoky and minty with a memory of rich, dark chocolate truffle cake. Later, wood ash, more clove, chocolate ginger and hints of coal tar. Growing cooler, with subdued, late chilli notes and a final appetisingly sulphury, savoury smokiness.

With water: Pure sweet honeyed smokiness. Sauternes followed by an exquisite late and distant smoke, peat on the breath and ultra-late salt on tongue.

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Bacardi Global Travel Retail, in partnership with The Zon Duty Free, has opened a pop-up execution of its John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium, located within the International Arrivals Hall at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The pop-up is running throughout November and December 2015.

Prominently situated to attract the attention of travellers using the busy Arrivals area, the Emporium prominently displays the DEWAR’S range and offers stand-out appeal to all Scotch whisky lovers. The range comprises six single malts: ABERFELDY 21YO, 18YO (travel retail exclusive) and 12YO, GLEN DEVERON 30YO, 20YO and 16YO (the complete range of travel retail exclusives). In addition several age statements from the DEWAR’S range are presented: DEWAR’S Signature, DEWAR’S 18 YO, DEWAR’S 15 YO (Travel Retail exclusive), DEWAR’S 12 YO.

Bacardi believes there is strong potential for future growth in malts in Malaysia, principally due to the high proportion of shoppers at the second stage of luxury. Bespoke, commissioned whisky research demonstrates that these shoppers are motivated by the discovery of rare, aged malts which have strong brand provenance and stories. Bacardi’s range of malts and blends ABERFELDY, GLEN DEVERON and DEWAR’S, are perfectly positioned in this future growth area by offering strong brand intrinsics, age statements and authentic provenance and great heritage clearly targeting these second stage of luxury shoppers

Brand ambassadors guide shoppers through tutored tastings to help discover the malt that best suits their taste. Arrivals shoppers are enjoying taking their time to browse, sample and explore the DEWAR’S range in detail and to understand the importance of age statements in both the single malts and DEWAR’S aged blends.

Irving Holmes Wong Regional Director Asia-Pacific and MEA, Bacardi Global Travel comments: “We are delighted to bring the John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium to KLIA with The Zon Duty Free, building on the success we’ve had elsewhere at airports in South East Asia. Malt shoppers are showing tremendous enthusiasm for this Emporium experience, thanks to the professionalism of the brand ambassadors who, through on the spot malts coaching, are guiding them to find their perfect whisky solution, wrapped up in a beautiful store environment that epitomises the wonderful heritage of the Dewar’s family.”

Chuah Teck Tiong, General Manager, The Zon Duty Free adds: “There’s no doubt that the John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium is a great footfall driver to our Arrivals store. The DEWAR’S brand ambassadors are doing a fantastic job at bringing to life this important category. Pop-ups add intrigue and invite exploration and we’re pleased to see the sales impact it is having on the whisky category as a whole.” Qualifying purchases are rewarded with premium travel bags as GWPs.

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An extraordinary collection of The Macallan Fine and Rare sells for record breaking USD $361,000 at Le Clos in Dubai International airport.

Le Clos, the Dubai-based fine wine and luxury spirits retailer, has completed a record breaking sale of more than USD $361,000 at its store in Dubai International airport. The sale sets the world record for the largest sale in the travel retail sector, paying testament to Le Clos’ extensive range, world class service and exceptional in-store experience.

The sale consisted of 19 bottles of The Macallan’s Fine and Rare Collection of whiskies, with vintages ranging from 1938 to 1974. Some of these are extremely scarce vintages, with fewer than 100 bottles ever produced. Due to Le Clos’ established reputation for bringing rare and unique products to market, it has been trusted by The Macallan distillery to be one of the few spiritual homes to retail the Fine and Rare Collection globally.

Marek Sheridan, Managing Director, Le Clos, said, “We are delighted that buyers trust and choose Le Clos to purchase such wonderful and rare products like The Macallan. Our extensive range and ability to delight customers with world-class experiences is testament to our powerful collaborations with valued partners such as The Macallan and we look forward to sharing even greater successes as we expand the Le Clos footprint of outlets.”

Ken Grier, Global Brand Director, The Macallan, added, “Our partnership with Le Clos has gone from strength to strength and this fantastic news is testament to this. They truly understand the value of The Macallan and those customers who seek highly collectable single malts. We are delighted to be part of their on-going success and look forward to continuing with this great relationship for the long term.”

The Macallan is recognised as one of the most collectable whiskies in the world. The buyer, a Dubai based businessman is now the proud owner of an extensive collection of The Macallan Fine and Rare Collection. As a further gesture of appreciation, he has also been invited to a private dinner at The Macallan estate, courtesy of Le Clos and the distillery, to truly immerse himself in the provenance of the Fine and Rare Collection. This demonstrates the Le Clos commitment to always going the extra mile, both before, during and after the purchase, to ensure delighted customers every time.

Andrew Day, Chief Executive Officer MMI and ELR, commented, “This sale is a great example of the hard work and dedication of all the Le Clos team who are passionate in delivering world-class standards, offering unrivalled service and levels of knowledge to each and every customer. It also further demonstrates our continued belief in the power of the trinity, developing strong and lasting relationships with our valued partners at Dubai Airports and The Macallan brand.”

Eugene Barry, Executive Vice President, Commercial & Communications Group, Dubai Airports, added, “We are truly delighted to see Le Clos continue to source and offer the best products and range from around the world, and successfully engage with travelers at Dubai International. We are proud to work with Le Clos in delivering world-class experiences, which have been recently recognized in Cannes by Frontier’s ‘Best Partnership Initiative of the Year’ award.”

Florence Chevallier, Regional Manager, Travel Edrington FIX Middle East, said, ‘’With this sale we celebrate the great partnership between Edrington FIX Middle East and Le Clos. With their luxurious approach to retail, talented staff and world class customer service, we trust Le Clos to retail our rarest whiskies.’’

The current sale of The Macallan surpasses Le Clos’ previous record-breaking sale, which took place in 2014. A Chinese national purchased The Macallan Lalique series and other 50 Year Old malts for a previous record of USD $112,780.

About Le Clos
Le Clos strives to continually create a unique shopping experience offering many of the best wines and spirits from around the world, while providing customers with a superior level of services. From our highly qualified team of professional advisors who combined speak over 20 languages, to our innovative services such as personalised bottle engraving, tasting area and interactive whisky experience. Our unique concierge service enables customers to place their order online or in-store prior to departure and their purchases will be delivered to them upon arrival at Dubai International. Le Clos is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is owned by MMI.

Le Clos has five outlets located within Dubai International Terminal 3 Departures. The flagship store is located at gate A1 in Concourse A, while the original outlet is adjacent to gate B8 on Concourse B. Additional outlets are located inside the Emirates First Class Lounges and between the Emirates First and Business Class Lounges in Concourse B. Le Clos’ newest outlet is located at Al Hamra Cellar in Ras Al Khaimah.

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The Benromach Distillery has released one of its “rarest expressions to date”, a 35-year-old whisky crafted from liquid that predates the distillery’s restoration.

Benromach 35 Years Old, said to have a flavour of cinnamon, beeswax polish, steward pear and charred oak, is bottled in a bespoke decanter, itself contained in a wooden presentation box.

The expression is made using 35-year-old whisky distilled at Speyside-based Bendromach before the distillery was brought back into production by Gordon & MacPhail in 2003.

“Benromach 35 Years Old is a very special whisky for everyone at the distillery, as very few casks of Benromach remain from this time period,” said Benromach Distillery manager Keith Cruickshank.

“Benromach today is created respecting the traditional working practices of yesteryear and is lovingly hand-crafted by sight, by sound, and by touch, using the finest natural ingredients. The 35 Years Old is the perfect dram to toast the past, present and future of Benromach.”

Benromach 35 Years Old is available to purchase at specialist whisky retailers at an RRP of £425 in the UK, prices may vary in international markets.

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Balblair has introduced Vintage 2005, a new “entry level” single malt Scotch which will replace the 2003 expression.

Matured in American oak ex-Bourbon barrels, Vintage 2005 was bottled in December 2015 and released in time for Burns Night earlier this year.

The release is the fourth expression in the core consumer range of Vintages, which includes 1999, 1990, 1983 and now the 2005, in place of the 2003 liquid, launched in 2013.

Vintage 2005 is said to display the classic Balblair house aromas, along with notes of oaky vanilla and leather. The “full-bodied” palate offers “hints of honey and toffee” and a “spicy, long finish” described as “more pronounced” than Balblair 2003.

“The 2005 offers the next stage in flavour profile displaying complexity as well as refreshing citrus notes,” said Mark Steven, Balblair brand manager. “The 2005 completes our core consumer range, meaning we can offer Balblair consumers a whisky for every occasion.”

Balblair Vintage 2005 is non-chill-filtered, and bottled at natural colour at 46% abv. It is available globally now.

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Auckland Airport’s Aelia Duty Free is offering an extra 10% discount on the stunning Laphroaig an cuan mor whisky, available only in travel retail markets.

Translated as Big Ocean, this unique expression is a celebration of the art of Laphroaig, with only the best batches hand selected by the distillery manager for their exceptional flavour.

All have been matured in first-fill-only ex-American white oak bourbon barrels in our warehouse right next to the Atlantic. This whisky is then carefully re-casked and left to sleep in the finest European oak. The result is an extraordinary fusion of flavours, from Laphroaig’s unmistakable medicinal peat, to the soft and spicy caramel tones of the American wood, to the big, rich “burnt apricot and raisin” of the European oak. Finally bottled and non chill-filtered, the distillery manager’s selected batches are marked with his signature. Anything that can withstand the Atlantic for 200 years deserves a little recognition.

Starts: 02/01/2016  Ends: 06/30/2016

More info: http://www.aeliadutyfree.co.nz/laphroaig-an-cuan-mor-700ml

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Glenmorangie has partnered with British sunglasses company Finlay & Co. to create the “world’s first” whisky sunglasses created from ex-casks.

The collaboration celebrates the Scotch whisky brand’s “pioneering approach” to cask and wood management with the wooden-framed sunglasses.

Finlay & Co. uses a 16-step system to create each pair of sunglasses by hand, fitting with Glenmorangie’s 16 Men of Tain – the highland whisky makers who have passed the secrets of Glenmorangie whisky-making from generation to generation.

Each pair of sunglasses has been made to display the cask’s grain and natural finish, and will be individually numbered. Buyers will also have the option to personally engrave their pair of glasses when purchasing.

“This is a wonderful collaboration between two brands with a deep connection to wood and who share a similar ethos of being unnecessarily well made,” said Dr Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s director of distilling and whisky creation.

“Time, care and respect for the wood used in our casks, as well as the fact that we only use our casks twice gives Glenmorangie Original its unique character.

“We are delighted to celebrate our own ethos of craftsmanship with a British company which thinks the same way we do by creating these memorable sunglasses.”

The Glenmorangie and Finlay & Co. Sunglasses are on sale from March, and have an RRP of £300.

http://www.finlayandco.com/shop/men/glenmorangiesunglasses

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The Glenlivet Alt nan Seileach Single Cask Edition launches exclusively at World Duty Free’s Edinburgh store to celebrate the Airport’s 100th anniversary.

The Glenlivet, the world’s No. 1 single malt whisky is set to celebrate Edinburgh Airport’s 100th anniversary with an exclusive launch of The Glenlivet Alt nan Seileach Single Cask Edition. The new Single Cask release is bottled and available exclusive to the World Duty Free store at Edinburgh Airport and has now been revealed with a special activation.

The Glenlivet Alt nan Seileach Single Cask Edition is one of a series of The Glenlivet’s prestige whiskies that each offer their own individual insight into the provenance, artisanal production techniques and smooth, floral, fruity house style. The Glenlivet Alt nan Seileach Single Cask Edition was crafted exclusively for World Duty Free’s Edinburgh store and is bottled at cask strength, without chill filtration, offering the purest expression of The Glenlivet style.

To celebrate Edinburgh Airport’s important 100 year history, this special edition Single Cask Edition will debut alongside The Glenlivet Master Distiller’s Reserve range and Nàdurra range. They will be displayed in a large scale stand with brand visuals, product displays and gifts.

Gordon Dewar, Edinburgh Airport’s Chief Executive, said: “The World Duty Free at Edinburgh Airport has one of the best whisky collections anywhere in the world so it is great to have The Glenlivet Alt nan Seileach Single Cask exclusive to our store – especially as it is dedicated to our airport’s 100th birthday celebrations. Edinburgh Airport was recently awarded a Provenance Award for our commitment to offering Scottish Food and Drink and this new addition to our extensive range builds on our reputation of celebrating the very best of Scottish produce.”

The Glenlivet Alt nan Seileach Single Cask Edition encapsulates the spirit of the Scottish landscape and is inspired by one of the original smuggling trails out of the Glenlivet Valley to the Scottish market town of Perth. The routes were originally used by the founder of The Glenlivet, George Smith, and the illicit distillers of the 18th and 19th Centuries to transport their goods to sell in larger Scottish towns.

The Glenlivet Single Cask Edition is a series of Single Cask bottlings available at select Global Travel Retail channels. Each cask is exclusive and unique to a particular market, producing rare quantities from American and European Oak casks.

The Glenlivet Alt nan Seileach Single Cask Edition is available now exclusively at World Duty Free’s Edinburgh Airport store at the RRP of £250.

www.theglenlivet.com

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PORT CHARLOTTE 2007 CC:01 is the latest in a thought-provoking range of single malts crafted with pride at the house of Bruichladdich.

Each is a tribute to the exceptional, heavily peated spirit that was created in the village on the Scottish island of Islay, at Loch Indaal distillery, until its closure in 1929.

In the 21st century, for the past fifteen years, the mavericks of Bruichladdich have been captivated by the complexity generated when the power of peat combines with the elegantly floral top notes achieved by trickle distillation in their tall, narrow-necked copper stills.

Their now legendary PC range successfully explored the effect of time on this precious liquid, but nothing, not even time, stands still at Bruichladdich. This new release is the start of a fascinating new exploration of how this sophisticated smoke-rich spirit is influenced by the cask in which it is matured.

Breaking with tradition, PORT CHARLOTTE 2007 CC:01 has been kept full-term in finest French oak, slumbering on Islay for eight years in casks that previously held one of the great eaux de vie from the western Cognac region.

Here, the peat smoke combines with salt spray from the shores of Loch Indaal to vie with the toasted oak and lemon barley sugar flavours of the wood, ultimately releasing multi-layered and warming aromas of poached pears, cinnamon, ginger and yet more rich vanilla.

This is yet another innovative new direction for the provocative Islay distillery. It’s young and enthusiastic workforce defies convention by distilling, maturing and bottling all its whiskies on the remote Scottish island.

Now some 85 strong the team steadfastly refuses to colour artificially any of their range of single malts or subject them to chill-filtration. Remaining fiercely independent of mind, they prefer instead to offer whiskies with an unusually high bottle strength.

This latest release is a single vintage and so inevitably limited.

PORT CHARLOTTE 2007 CC:01 will be available from April 2016 exclusively through selected travel retail stores at a recommended price of 90€/103.50 USD.

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The Glenlivet has launched a new limited edition that does not offer any cask information or tasting notes, designed to be the “ultimate challenge” for single malt Scotch drinkers.

The new release from the Chivas Brothers-owned brand, called The Glenlivet Cipher, also features an opaque black bottle and has been crafted from a unique cask combination never before used by The Glenlivet.

Drinkers are tasked to “decode” its flavour profile as part of an interactive digital experience, testing their noses and palates against master distiller Alan Winchester.

They are directed to The Glenlivet microsite cipher.theglenlivet.com after following clues on the bottle’s label.

Once online, Winchester invites visitors to decipher the tasting notes through a video, challenging them to create a flavour wheel by selecting six aromas for the nose and six flavours for the palate, indicating the strength of each, resulting in more than 10,000 possible flavour combinations.

Once the flavour wheel has been created, users will receive a cipher of their tasting notes and a percentage score that can be shared on social media. Winchester will reveal the official tasting notes of the expression to The Glenlivet Guardians, an online community of “brand advocates”, at a later date.

“The rise in the popularity of single malt Scotch whisky over the past 10 years means that more people than ever are actively nosing, tasting and discussing single malt Scotch whisky, which is fantastic,” said Winchester.

“It is therefore a great pleasure to introduce The Glenlivet Cipher to the world as it presents a challenge for Scotch whisky fans at all levels.

“For the true whisky connoisseurs out there, we have combined a unique and original selection of casks to craft The Glenlivet Cipher as part of our commitment to building upon the flawlessly smooth and fruity house style of The Glenlivet.”

The Glenlivet Cipher will be available from this month in 25 markets worldwide, including the UK, Taiwan and Canada, at an RRP of US$120.00.

Find out more at https://www.theglenlivet.com/cipher-the-worlds-most-mysterious-whisky/

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Celebrated Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky distillery releases an Eight Year Old bottling in honour of original whisky scribe Alfred Barnard – now available to travellers…

2016 is a year of celebration for Lagavulin, a great Single Malt Scotch Whisky that has been crafted and distilled by Scottish islanders with passion and skill for 200 years. Marking this milestone year, the distillery has launched a special limited edition bottling of Lagavulin 8 Year Old in honour of Britain’s most famous Victorian whisky writer, Alfred Barnard. Considered one of the most special of all Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, this treasured gem is now available in travel retail outlets.

In the late 1880s, Alfred Barnard, the first ever whisky journalist and traveller, sampled an 8 Year Old Lagavulin during a visit to Islay, describing it as “exceptionally fine” and ‘held in high repute’. He went on to declare Lagavulin to be “one of the most prominent” of the few Scotch Distillers that can turn our spirit for use as single [Malt] Whiskies.

Famous for its majestic nose of Hebridean peat smoke with richly textured and complex flavours, Lagavulin 8 Year Old’s long, sweet and power-driven finish encapsulates the passion, heritage and skills that lie behind its crafting. The launch of this special limited edition bottling kicks off the start of the distillery’s bi-centennial activities that include bringing people to Islay and bringing Islay to as many people from around the globe as possible.

Peter Fairbrother, Diageo GTME Global Marketing Director said: “Single Malts represent the fastest growing segment of the whisky category in travel retail, growing 12.5% in the last recorded year and now valued at $800M*. Diageo has the largest portfolio in this flourishing category and we are proud to own over 40% of the industry’s inventory. With this breadth to our portfolio, we are delighted to be able to bring rare and special whiskies – such as this limited edition Lagavulin 8 Year Old – to travellers across the globe.”

Dr Nick Morgan, Diageo’s Head of Whisky Outreach added: “This is a special year for a much loved Single Malt Scotch Whisky revered around the world as the definitive Islay whisky. We are thrilled to begin the celebrations for such an historic occasion with the launch of the first Lagavulin 8 Year Old for many years.”

Lagavulin has delighted generations of whisky drinkers and this Lagavulin 8 Year Old acknowledges the 200 year legacy of this distillery. Cramped and chaotic by nature, this sea front distillery can never be expanded and therefore demand often exceeds supply, adding to it desirability in the travel retail market. In the words of Alfred Barnard, ’no prettier or more romantic spot could have been chosen for a distillery.’

This specially developed whisky will be available twice during the course of the year and carries an RRSP of GBP 41.40/ USD 88.65/ EUR 72.00.

Tasting notes:

Nose: Immediately quite soft with clean, fresh notes, faint hints of milk chocolate and lemon and then developing fragrant tea-scented smoke alongside nose-drying, maritime aromas, with subtle cereal. A prickliness seen earlier now develops, while the trademark Lagavulin dryness emerges as fresh newsprint. Softly sooty. Softer, fuller and more rounded with water: it is not hugely fruity but there is just a trace of red berry preserve, perhaps, beneath the smokiness, which comes sharply into focus.

Body: Light, growing pleasantly oily.

Palate: A soothing light texture, with a magnificently full on Lagavulin taste that’s somehow even bigger than you expect; sweet, smoky and warming, with a growing, smoky pungency, then dry, with more smoke. Charred, with minty, dark chocolate. Beautifully balanced midpalate then salty, oven-charred baked potato skins and smoke. Water rounds things, the taste still mighty yet more succulent, sweeter, spicier and now tongue-tingling, mint-fresh and warming.

Finish: Lovely; clean, very long and smoky. Smoothly, subtle minted smoke surrounds chocolate tannins, leaving a late drying note to emerge in time. It’s warming, soft and still smoky with water, not as long or intense now, yet still leaving the palate dry as sweet smoke lingers on the breath.

The origins of Lagavulin
Local records suggest that Lagavulin was already a centre of whisky production in the early 18th century.
So there had almost certainly been many other illicit stills before John Johnston founded the first legal distillery at Lagavulin Bay in 1816. As with all Scottish distilleries, it passed through the hands of different owners, including the celebrated Sir Peter Mackie, whose company became White Horse Distillers, forever associated with Lagavulin. White Horse joined The Distillers Company Ltd. (eventually Diageo) in 1927. In 1989, Lagavulin, now normally bottled at 16 years rather than the original 12, became one of the six Classic Malts of Scotland™.

See more about Lagavulin here

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Exclusive Highland Whisky makers, The Dalmore, have unveiled a new luxury boutique in Singapore’s Changi Terminal 2, creating a must visit destination for luxury whisky aficionados and collectors.

Home to some of the world’s rarest and most innovative whiskies, The Dalmore has partnered with DFS (see story) to create a boutique that will immerse consumers in the brand’s heritage, showcasing why The Dalmore has been the definitive luxury malt since 1839.

Richard Trimby, Whyte & Mackay Travel Retail Director said: ‘The single malt category is building strong momentum in Asia and The Dalmore is fast becoming one of the most desirable spirits brands in the region, reporting a strong growth of +35% last year.

Our relationship with DFS continues to thrive and our partnership with them will afford us the opportunity to create an unforgettable brand experience for the discerning traveller in Changi T2 by creating a real destination for luxury whisky fans’

Within the boutique, The Dalmore will feature a selection of its exceptional and exclusive releases, including The Dalmore King Alexander III which is the only whisky in the world to be finessed in six different casks. Also on display will be The Dalmore Pioneer edition, which was specially created to celebrate Singapore’s 50 years of independence and The Dalmore 45 years old which is available exclusively in DFS.

Also available is The Constellation Collection, a meticulously curated collection of 21 single cask whiskies which showcases the extraordinary depth of character which can be achieved at The Dalmore distillery, creating the most valuable and extensive collection of rare single cask vintage single malt in the world.

The new boutique is the latest in a long line of travel retail activations for the brand, which include most recently the release of the travel exclusive, The Fortuna Meritas Collection.

http://www.thedalmore.com

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Highland whisky maker Dalmore has released what is claimed as the world’s first single malt finished in five Californian red wine casks – The Dalmore Quintessence.

The Dalmore Quintessence (45% ABV) was initially matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels, before then being split across five hand-selected casks which had previously held; Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The casks were then specifically placed within Warehouse No2 at The Dalmore distillery, to ensure the perfect environment for the wine casks to impart their distinctive characteristics into the whisky.

The Dalmore Quintessence

After a five years of maturation in the individual casks, they were married together by Master Distiller Richard Paterson, to create what the brand describes as a unique and rewarding masterpiece.

Richard Paterson, is regarded as one of the greatest and most creative whisky makers of his generation, and has been at the helm for nearly five decades. Every ounce of his intimate knowledge of what can be achieved with The Dalmore, coupled with an unparalleled expertise in rare, exclusive and unusual casks are said to have made this release possible.

Commenting on the launch, Richard Paterson said: “The Dalmore has a unique new make spirit and maturation conditions. This inspires me to push the art of the possible with The Dalmore. Quintessence has been a long-term project which I am delighted to share with the world. It is a combination of two of my great passions, The Dalmore distillery and exceptional red wine.”

The Dalmore Quintessence, is currently available exclusively from London’s Selfridges until August 12th, then it will be available from selected specialist retailers around the world.

See more at https://www.thedalmore.com/

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