Slàinte! Ardsheil wins whisky bar of the year

CAMPBELTOWN’S Ardsheil Hotel is celebrating the news  that it has beaten both Edinburgh and Glasgow to be voted whisky bar of the year in the DRAM Scottish Licensed Trade Awards.

  As Scotland gets ready to celebrate Whisky Month 2010, the country’s industry has delivered a timely reminder that even something beautiful can be improved.Record exports worth £3.13 billion have just been announced for Scotland’s celebrated whiskies in 2009, but it is the country’s new distilleries and producers that are making the headlines across the world. From new island whiskies to environmentally-friendly products, Scotland continues to guide the rest when it comes to the ‘water of life.’ 

Hebridean renaissance

In the last two years, £500 million of expansion plans for the Scotch whisky industry have been lodged or passed. One of the most noteworthy developments was the production of the first bottle of whisky from the Isle of Lewis for 160 years.Abhainn Dearg or Red River distillery is a new operation on Uig on the west of the island. Last month, the first two casks of the 'Spirit of Lewis' were drawn from the smallest still in the country. One went to a Glasgow pub, MacSorleys Bar, and sold out rapidly. The other was purchased by Alba Import, who launched it at the Limburg Fair in Germany earlier this month. The first 1000 bottles for private sale disappeared weeks ago. Already, plans for increased production are being made."The Outer Hebrides is a forgotten region, really. Hopefully we are back on the whisky map now," says Marko Tayburn, the man behind Abhainn Dearg. "We are bringing whisky back to its roots. This will be from the field to bottle, all from the Outer Hebrides. We have great water. We won't be shipping in barley from Denmark or Sweden, either. It will all come from Lewis." 

Islay's new darling

Another celebrated region, Islay, continues to produce flavoursome whiskies from its peaty water. It is also capturing the attention of lovers of new varieties.The tiny Kilchoman Distillery is a farm operation, built in 2005. It uses barley grown in the surrounding fields and the first 8300 bottles of single malt sold out in days. Matured in bourbon barrels, then finished in oloroso sherry butts, the Autumn 2009 release was equally successful. Last month, the third whisky left the premises, gathering excellent reviews along the way. US magazine Malt Advocate described Kilchoman as 'one of the most impressive new distilleries – anywhere!’.

A smuggler's dream 

At Portsoy, once a hotbed for smugglers, Glenglassaugh Distillery's return to activity has also produced award-winning new releases. In 1986, the operation fell silent but Glenglassaugh Distillery Company brought the operation back into production in 2008, spending £1 million refurbishing existing buildings and reviewing the maturing stock. Earlier this year, the Glenglassaugh 21 year old won a double gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits competition, proving there is huge potential in this lesser known region and in Scotland, in general."I think Scotland continues to be seen as the benchmark," says Stuart Nickerson of Glenglassaugh Distillery. "In the main, distilleries appearing in other countries are being designed and constructed in Scotland using our expertise. One of the reasons is the history and the legacy of what has gone before and our adherence to quality standards in this country."

Scotch with ice 

Whisky lovers with an eye for novelty and investment continue to find opportunity and interest in the Scottish market. A bottle of the world's oldest single malt, a Mortlach 70 year old, was recently opened at Edinburgh Castle. At £385 a shot, whisky lovers sampled a true global vintage in an unrivalled location.For anyone with £50,000 to spare, one bottle remains of a Springbank distilled in 1919. Three have been purchased by the World Whisky Index, which promotes whisky as a financial investment. Those with an eye for history will be watching Whyte & Mackay's attempts to recreate the whisky recently recovered from Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic hut. Two crates have been stuck in ice for a century in the expedition base at Cape Royds.It is surely an indication of Shackleton's desperate situation, that he left such a precious haul at the South Pole.For those eager to share in whisky’s continuing success story,

Whisky Month offers two fantastic festivals. The Spirit of Speyside Festival celebrates the region’s mouth-watering malts with a splash of music and culture added. There is even the opportunity to learn the skills at The Whisky School. The Islay Festival of Music and Malt rounds off the month smoothly, with the Whisky Tasting Ceilidh a highlight of the event. 

www.Scotland.org

  Local man Gavin to take over at Springbank  

SPRINGBANK,
The iconic Campbeltown whisky distillery, has this week announced a summertime change of management that will see the first locally-born man take charge of production in over 60 years.

Gavin McLachlan, aged 36, will take over as Manager of Springbank and its sister distillery, Mitchell’s Glengyle, from August 1st 2010.

Neil Clapperton, Managing Director of parent company J&A Mitchell & Co Ltd, said: “Gavin is Campbeltown born and bred and his appointment gives us great pleasure and also reflects our company’s long-term commitment to Campbeltown.”

Gavin, who began his career in the whisky industry in May 2002 as a bottling hall operative at Springbank before quickly moving into malting and distilling within eight months, has been assistant manager for the past four years.

In his new post he will work alongside Director of Production Frank McHardy to oversee the day-to-day operations at Springbank and Glengyle.

Gavin’s promotion follows the resignation of present manager Stuart Robertson, who is leaving the company to take up a new appointment in the north east of Scotland.

Stuart will be with us for a few weeks yet but when he does leave he will do so with the best wishes of everyone at Springbank.

Springbank 

  Society bottle

The next Society bottle will soon be available. We are in the process of getting labels printed, the cask has been chosen and we are gearing up for a busy time. This time we will be bottling a Springbank 15y/o from a sherry cask.

Springbank

  Tour guide 

We are looking for an enthusiastic person to undertake the position of tour guide for our distillery during the months May to September.

This is an interesting job, and requires someone who is articulate and confident when dealing with members of the public. Fluency in English essential with a good knowledge of languages.

You will be in daily contact with visitors from all parts of the globe, and it is therefore essential that their tour experience is a pleasant one, giving a good impression of the distillery and its staff.

You would be expected to work 37 hours per week, Tuesday to Saturday inclusive. Full training will be given although a basic knowledge of the whisky industry is desirable. Salary to be negotiated.

Accommodation is available if required.

Please reply by e mail to peter@springbankwhisky.com

Springbank

 

Snow damages roofs of bonds

THE RAF was ready last night to fly to the rescue of millions of gallons of whisky stored under snow-damaged warehouse roofs.

William Grant is considering transferring casks from three huge warehouses whose roofs have suffered damage from unprecedented snowfalls to spare hangar space at RAF Kinloss in Moray. Talks have still to take place between the company, which distills, processes and stores the famous Glenfiddich and Balvenie malts and other whiskies at Dufftown, and the base.

An RAF spokeswoman confirmed last night it had been approached as a possible site for storing of casks of whisky. She said: “We have been approached and I believe we do have some space available if it is needed and if we can come to some arrangement, but at the moment it is only a potential solution.”

A spokesman for William Grant said the roofs of three warehouses at the complex had suffered damage.

He said: “We are looking for potential storage space, but we are still at the early stages looking at contingencies.”

He said discussions were under way with Moray Council, and customs and excise would need to approve the transfer of bonded goods to another site.

The difficulties facing the distillery were revealed by Moray SNP MP Angus Robertson, who said: “The whisky industry is crucial to Speyside and the extreme weather conditions are causing problems. I am pleased that both the RAF and Moray Council are able to work with William Grant to find a solution to the problem, just as in the community where people are coming together to help each other.”

Press & Journal

 

Whisky warehouse roofs collapse under weight of snow and ice

Companies throughout Moray monitoring conditions as they battle against the big freeze

The roofs of 21 football pitch-sized whisky warehouses where more than 100million gallons of malt whisky are stored have collapsed under the weight of snow.

Many of the valuable casks lay hidden beneath metal roofing sheets last night in the Chivas Regal brand buildings of the French company Pernod Ricard, which also owns the Strathisla Distillery at Keith.

The company was said to be considering spraying de-icing chemicals that are normally used on airport runways and using ton-sized heaters in their battle against the ice.

A source close to the company said the roofing had given way in 20 buildings at the company’s 120-acre maturation site called Malcolmburn at Mulben, near Keith.

He said the roof of another warehouse in Alexandra Road had also caved in.

He said: “The ice has frozen on the roof and it can’t go down the drain pipes and get away. It just lies there. The weight of the fresh snow just adds to it.”

The bad weather also affected rail travel as the Inverness-Aberdeen line closed between Inverurie and Elgin.

Passengers were stranded as ScotRail was unable to provide alternative transport due to the severe weather.

A spokeswoman for the firm apologised for the inconvenience.

Network Rail issued a reassurance that the country’s 130 level crossings were safe after the control panel in the Elgin one froze, meaning the barrier was stuck in a closed position.

Press & Journal 

 

  The new releases planned for next year are:

January Springbank 18 y/o and Springbank CV
March    Springbank 12 y/o and Springbank Claret
May       Kilkerran Work In Progress
Sept      Hazelburn 12 y/o

Springbank

  SOCIETY NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2009

Society Bottle

As you know we had a wee tasting panel made up of twenty Society Members who were entrusted to choose your next Society bottle. They each received three miniatures and were asked to assess them and cast their votes in the order of preference. The panel chose cask number 4 from 2001 from a fresh bourbon cask, followed very closely by number 7, also from a fresh bourbon cask. The labels have been printed, and the cask bottled, and we are now ready to get the show on the road.

The number is very limited, so will be on a first come first served basis, one per member. The cost for this one is £36.00 plus p&p and I would ask those of you who would like to order to e mail me at society©springbankwhisky.com As this is the last Society Bottle of the year, and it is approaching Christmas we have decided to give you a little Christmas gift with your bottle. We have ordered some Glencairn nosing glasses with the Society logo on them, and we will include one of these lovely glasses with your bottle.
 
The glasses will be available for sale to Society members at a later date. You can read some of the panel’s tasting notes in the Springbank forum under general discussions then under “Society bottle winner” and “Society bottle have your say”. We do intend to make this a regular practice so that Society members are more involved in what we bottle for you.

We will, however, announce the fact that we are looking for a tasting panel in the forum before it is announced in a newsletter, so if you are not on the forum yet, and are keen to join in, please go into the forum and register. If you have any problems when you try to register either e mail me or telephone me and I will try to help you.

Springbank Society