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January 31, 2007
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Your own cask – Wise or Stupidity?
January 31, 2007
Following our recent post (Making your own Whisky at Mackmyra) we would like to tip you about the post “A Wise Investment?” at the Scotch Blog by it’s author Kevin.
Kevin gives you all his insights on buying your own cask. In the end though, he seems to come up with the same conclusion as we do. Buying your OWN cask is not about finances in the end, it’s about having YOUR OWN cask.
Read the full story here.
Make your own Whisky together with Mackmyra!
January 29, 2007
Mackmyra Reserve started in Sweden in 2002 because they found that they had many, many whisky enthusiasts who were following their development closely. Mackmyra therefore started to look for a way in which they could give their fans the opportunity to become more involved.
The result was Mackmyra Reserve, your own personal cask of aged malt whisky. You choose from among our various options to create your own whisky. You also control how long your whisky will mature, with expert advice from Mackmyra if you wish. After the first three years of ageing, you decide when your whisky has matured sufficiently to be bottled.
Sounds like you kind of Cask? Learn more at Mackmyra’s site.
38 years of waiting is worth it. (says some)
January 28, 2007
Apparently good things comes to those who wait.
This is a photo of The 38yr Limited Edition Balblair. Made a visit to their website and noted some fine awards for this one. Wish I had one in my collection.
The prizes:
2006
International Wine & Spirit Competition
Gold Best in Class
International Spirits Challenge
Gold
2005
International Wine & Spirit Competition
Gold Best in Class
International Wine & Spirit Competition
a’bunadh Trophy for Special Edition
Single Malt Whisky
Read the tasting notes here.
Roaring tigers!
January 28, 2007
We haven’t really decided what we think of it yet. But there is not doubt that the new packaging for Whyte & Mackay leaves no one untouched. It’s still The original Whyte & Mackay 30 years old, apart from the introduction of the new metallic gold and black livery. One thing is for sure if I run into it, I might have a hard time resist it even though it’s a blend.
This of course is not the only one in their range that they have given a new look. Check them all out on their site.
The Talisker Trek 1-3rd June 2007
January 28, 2007
Experience The Isle of Skye with a Talisker touch!
The Talisker trek is a three day trek around the rugged and remote isle of Skye in Scotland. The Trek is a combination of classic trekking in Whisky land and learning more about Talisker Whisky.
Read more about the trek on the Talisker Trek campign site.
Whisky Live New York – April 4, 2007
January 25, 2007
If you are travelling to New York, make sure you don’t miss Whisky Live.
Whisky Live New York has moved location to Pier Sixty, one of New York’s most spectacular venues with water views. The Event brings a magnificent evening of great whisky, fine food and spectacular entertainment to the heart of New York. Organised by Whisky Magazine during Tartan week, the seasoned whisky lover or novice can expect to experience an incredible and in-depth insight into the world of whisky drinking and producing. This is your chance to become closer to the industry, taste rare and sought-after whiskies from Scotland to Kentucky, increase your knowledge and meet the whisky experts!
Read more about the event at The Whisky Live site.
Sweden – Finland, a cruise
January 25, 2007
Viking Line, a Swedish cruise company offers a whisky-cruise on feb 8th.
Get on a plane and fly to the lovely capital of Sweden, Stockholm. Once there, spend some time in our lovely bars and enjoy fine Whisky and women. Follow this up with a whisky-cruise to Finland and back.
The cruise lets you meet Burn Stewart.
After a three course dinner with accompanied whisky you’ll get the chance to try many different malts. The theme is “Burn Stewart Distillers Limited Collection”.
Among others the following will be tried out:
Scottish Leader Blended Malt 14 yo, Ledaig 10 yo and Bunnahabhain Special Limited Edition Port Wood.
Apart from trying different whiskies, you’ll get the chance to shop some special brands only available on Viking Lines tax-free.
Contact Viking Line for more info.
Rest in peace John Sutherland.
January 25, 2007
Last Saturday John Sutherland, Distillery Manager of Glenrothes died after beeing taken into hospital earlier in the week.
These are the words of Luke Tegner, Glenrothes brand director.
“It is with great sadness that I have to tell you that John Sutherland,
the Distillery Manager at Glenrothes, died at the weekend. John was
taken into hospital last week, initially to Elgin then to Aberdeen and
Edinburgh. He went home at the end of the week, apparently never really
felt well, and died at home on Saturday morning.
John was so much more than the distillery manager. First and foremost a
true friend, John was a great character – larger than life, with a
fantastic and wicked sense of humour. He was an active and devoted
ambassador for The Glenrothes, fully involved both at the heart of its
production and as an evangelist on a global level.
I’m sure you will be as shocked and devastated as we are, as we will
miss him immeasurably. It goes without saying that our thoughts are with
John’s family.”
WhiskyGrotto sends our condolences to John’s family and friends.
A Japanese perspective on Malts.
January 24, 2007
According to multiple sources around the world, this is the ultimate guide to Scottish whisky distilleries, painstakingly researched by Misako Udo: a vital accessory for any dedicated whisky lover. With nearly a hundred working whisky distilleries in Scotland – and hundreds more that have shut down and been lost over the long centuries of Scotland’s infatuation with uisge beatha – there’s a great deal of information to cover and The Scottish Whisky Distilleries is the most thorough and meticulous cataloguing of the whisky industry in Scotland that there has ever been.
Misako Udo was so smitten by the aura of Scotch whisky as a teenager in Japan that she travelled halfway round the world to live in a strange country in which she knew no one, just to be close to its origin. She began to work as a tour guide and has now been a member of the Scottish Tourist Guides Association for fifteen years, working with Japanese visitors to Scotland. She has guided everyone from ordinary tourists to whisky-industrial professionals and is an internationally recognised authority on Scottish whisky. After seventeen years in Scotland she has forsaken her Japanese passport and become a British citizen.
The Scottish Whisky Distilleries by Udo (Black & White Publishing) is out now
Still haven’t been to Scottland?
January 23, 2007
Visit PeatFreak.com! This website is about Single Malt Whisky, and everything that can be associated with Single Malts in an enjoyable way.
One of the cooler things on the site is the virtual reality tours through different distilleries
Virtual Reality Distillery is a feature on PeatFreak that tries to let you explore the world of single malts from behind your computer. You are virtually standing on a point, where you can interactively look around you in a 360 degree fashion using your left-mouse button. PeatFreak ads new tours as often as they can, so you can keep exploring the world of single malt distilleries of Scotland.
If you are into Whisky, PeatFreak.com is definetely worth a visit!
Obviously something that knocks you off your feets
January 23, 2007
Picked up this one from the Scotch Blog.
A new irish whisky from William Grant & Sons that is all about manhood.
If you cant deal with it, don’t try it. The Knot will be test launched in February, in Boston, Wisconsin, Upstate New York and New Jersey; on-premise only (that means at bars & restaurants) due to limited supplies.
Visit the Shot of The Knot site
Hurray Malt Maniacs! 100th issue out now!
January 22, 2007
Malt Maniacs started out as a completely ‘virtual’ collective that only interacted on the world wide web. However, gradually they started to meet more often in real life – in fact, the earliest ‘maniacal’ meeting was in 1998 between Craig Daniels and yours truly in Amsterdam. All those ‘live’ dramming sessions were instructive and excellent fun – but they also added a brand new dimension to our ‘malt mania’.
Every now and then Malt Maniacs publishes what they call E-pistles. Now they have launched their 100th E-pistle.
WhiskyGrotto says: GREAT WORK WHISKY LOVERS!
Check it out at the Malt Maniacs own site.
Get your hands on some Hanyu
January 21, 2007
Hanyu distillery was founded in 1941 in Hanyu city 60 km from Tokyo. It was licensed to make whisky in 1946, 54 years later the distillery was closed. Unfortunately the distillery was dismantled right after the company was sold in 2004.
In the Spring of 2005, during a private tasting in the Highlander Inn in Craigellachie Scotland, whisky lover Jeroen Koetsier came across an extraordinary cask sample of Hanyu. Soon after, a private cask of Hanyu 1988 was bought and bottled. Due to the excellent feedback from across the globe on both label and liquor, Full Proof Europe was founded.
Now you can get your hands on one of the bottles in a Limited edition of 408 numbered bottles. Bottled at Full Proof from cask 9204.
Visit Full Proof for more info
Suntory Torys Whisky Commercial from the 60’s
January 21, 2007
Ran in to this classic Whisky Commerical from Suntory Tory. Thought you might like it.
Benromach one of the Glasgow Clipper sponsors 07/08
January 20, 2007
Benromach Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky is proud to announce the sponsorship of the Glasgow Clipper during the 2007/08 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
WhiskyGrotto wish you all the best!
Still Young from Ardbeg
January 20, 2007
When destilleries all over the world do their best to launch 30 years+ Ardbeg does the opposite. And according to themselves, it’s a hit.
“We couldn’t possibly have conceived at the time just how enthusiastically folk would embrace the idea of Very Young Ardbeg” states Ardbeg on their site.
SWA-antastic
January 20, 2007
The SWA has launched their new website.
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) promotes, protects and represents the interests of the whisky industry in Scotland and around the world.
WhiskyGrotto.com 