Friday, September 13, 2013

Inbox - September 13, 2013

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information.  Here is the news that has attracted our attention this week ...

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Auchentoshan - New travel retail exclusive
The Lowland single malt brand of Auchentoshan have announced the release of the latest bottling in their travel retail exclusive range - the Auchentoshan Silveroak 1990.  This edition follows on from the hugely popular original 21 year old version of the Silveroak, which first appeared last year.  This expression is bottled at 22 years of age and at 50.9% ABV.  It is constructed from a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks.  There are just 3,600 bottles which will be available globally for a cost of £90.

Rachel Barrie, the Master Blender for Morrison Bowmore Distillers (Auchentoshan's owners) says “Having spent an additional year maturing in fine North American bourbon and Spanish Oloroso sherry casks, the 2013 bottling of Auchentoshan Silveroak reveals additional complexity which lifts the taste with silky oak, mint and almonds.” 


Bowmore - Devilish new release
The oldest distillery on the famous whisky island of Islay has announced its latest single malt release.  Bowmore The Devil's Casks is a limited edition of just 6,000 bottles, of which only 540 bottles are destined for the UK market.  The whisky has been maturing for 10 years in first fill ex-sherry casks, which is an unusual practice for Bowmore.  Other markets around the world will get similar allocations.  It is priced at £50.99 and is bottled at the natural cask strength of 56.9% ABV.

The whisky is so named as it is believed in local legend that the devil once hid in a cask of Bowmore so as to hide from angry residents and escape to the mainland.  We are not so sure about that story, but it is said that the circular church in the village of Bowmore was so shaped to prevent the devil having any corners to hide in.  The Devil's Casks will be available from October through specialist whisky retailers worldwide.



Glenfarclas - Coronation celebrated
The family owned Glenfarclas distillery and Speciality Drinks Ltd have teamed up to announce a very rare and highly limited edition bottling - the Glenfarclas 1953 'The Coronation Decanter'.  It has been released to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation, which was celebrated earlier this year. Just 60 specially commissioned crystal decanters have been filled with Glenfarclas single malt which was distilled in 1953.

The whisky has been taken from a single ex-sherry butt and bottled in the decanter at the natural cask strength of 51.1% ABV.  The whisky is available now exclusively from The Whisky Exchange, the consumer retail arm of Speciality Drinks, and will cost £6,000 each.  A 5cl miniature is also available to order, priced at £600.  For further information on the bottling or to buy - please visit www.thewhiskyexchange.com.

 

Lagavulin - Jazz Festival bottling announced
The Lagavulin distillery, the sponsors of this weekend's Islay Jazz Festival, have announced a special limited release bottling to celebrate the fourth year of their involvement with the event.  The whisky was distilled in January 1995 and bottled earlier this year at 18 years of age.  It has been matured in ex-sherry butts and these have yielded just 1,500 bottles, each of which are individually numbered.

The Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival begins today and runs until Sunday, with a number of the concerts taking place in the Malt Mill at Lagavulin distillery.  The limited edition bottling features a special 'jazz themed' neck tag showing a piano keyboard.  It will only be available to visitors at the distillery over the weekend and are priced at £99 each, with a maximum of two bottles per person.


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