J&A Mitchell (Springbank, Kilkerran/Glengyle, Longrow, Hazelburn, Campbeltown Loch etc) has released a small list of their planned official releases for the new year. Most exiting, and surely an item for touts, collectors, hoarders and generally all who don’t really drink the stuff, is a official release from the newly rebuildt Glengyle Distillery (Kilkerra Single Malt).
The releases are as follows:
Distillers all over Scotland seem to have recently discovered old stock in their warehouses. Two distillers, Auchentoshan and Balblair, are in these days each releasing their own 1965 vintage malt.
As with several previous expressions (Corryvreckan and 1965 spring to mind) Ardbeg has used the web to create a stir and more web-talk about this new expression (as if that would be necessary).
Ardbeg Blasda and even Mór Part 1 & Part 2.
Over at PrecisionMarketing one can read a bit about this new webdrive, created by a company called Story. Marketing-speak:
Story creative director Dave Mullen says: “Ardbeg is the wild child of the whisky world and it’s clear that the brand is not ready for settling down any time soon. Blasda is typically unorthodox and so is the digital campaign. We are pushing the barriers to challenge Ardbeg lovers but at the same time appeal to a new audience.”
The website will contain some information on production “Dig a bit Deeper”, a game of “Tipple Topping where you can compeat [sic!] to win and a direct link to the Ardbeg webshop to purchase (pre-order) the Blasda.
Comittee members and other on Ardbegs mailinglist can be expected to receive an email in the near future with a link to this new microsite.
Or just follow this link: Ardbeg Blasda Microsite.
Re-Edit: The Microsite is back up again, without the “Compeat”-title.
Next month (27-31 October) is the time for the annual Tax Free World Association (TFWA) World Exhibition in Cannes, France. Most distillers and bottlers tend to present new bottlings and expressions at this event. In the time leading up to the Exhibition press releases and “leaks” tend to trickle out through various sources. One of the first distillers to release a preview of things to come is Glenrothes Distillery (Edrington)
According to the webpage of the Duty Free retailer at Copenhagen Airport they’ve added three Ardbeg expressions to their assortement – great news for whisky fans. But, of course, there’s a downside to it.
The expressions are Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist, Ardbeg Uigeadail and the biggie Ardbeg Corryvreckan!!! The latter was supposedly only available through the Ardbeg website, and for Ardbeg Comittee members only!
The major upset in this is the extreme pricing on these bottles, and this is the downside:
* Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist – 979 DKK (£105.07)
* Ardbeg Uigeadail – 855 DKK (£91.76)
* Ardbeg Corryvreckan – 1039 DKK (£111.51)
Not your normal off-license prices, but this is after all Duty Free in Denmark (so no taxes, but you have to travel out of the EU). Even when compared to prices in Norway these are prices of another world. In Norway the ANB cost 799 NOK (£80.05) and the Uigeadail is 749,90 NOK (£75.13), which again is steep when compared to Loch Fyne’s prices of respectively £46.10 (458,28 NOK) and £40.50 (402,61 NOK). Even Denmark best (and often most expensive) whiskyshop, Juul’s Vin og Spiritus, is 20-30% below the Duty Free prices at the airport on these expressions.
The “Members Only” Corryvreckan was sold from Ardbeg at a mere £45, but they’ve been sold out for some time now.
Update: Got word from Ardbeg. The Corryvreckan was supposed to go to the luxury lounge (probably the SAS Business Lounge) at the airport – for sampling only (no resale). Somehow the three bottles (that’s it) got put into the shelves of the Duty Free store, they are to be withdrawn immediately.
For the 8th year running Diageo are releasing a number of specially selected whiskies for their Special Release-series. This year there are ten different bottlings, with a total production of well under 70.000 bottles all in all. And as usual Diageo has one or two surprises in store for the avid whisky drinker/collector. The bottling will be released later this year. This years prices (RRP in the UK) range from £43 to £205 per bottle. All tasting notes are courtesy of Diageo (as are all pictures). So… on to the whiskies:
Yet another Scottish island has signed on to the ever increasing list over whisky producing isles. But unlike other plans like Blackwood (Shetlands) and Uisge Beatha nan Eilean (Barra) this distillery has started producing, without attracting much press or blurb on beforehand. A small notice in the Scotsman from June 2007 is all I could find.
Abhainn Dearg (Red River) Distillery on the Isle of Lewis has recently started up production with a planned output of 10.000 litres per annum, with an increase to 25.000 litres in 2009-10. The site is a former salmon hatchery that has been converted into a distillery. The first spirit has already been put into casks and the first bottles will be available in 2011 when the National Mod will return to the Isle of Lewis.
It’s local businessman Mark Tayburn, who also runs a recycling business on the island, that is behind the distillery. The distillery is to run on environmentally friendly lines, with a small hydroelectric scheme planned.
(Source: The Scotsman)
As the line-up of Classic Malts continue to increase, so does Diageo’s wood finish series. The latest member of the Classic Malts group to be finished in a special type of cask is Deeside’s Royal Lochnagar.
The Norwegian state monopoly, Vinmonopolet, releases new items every second month. The month of September brings with it a total 16 different whiskies, 15 single malts and one bourbon. All items are released in the Order-assortment (can be ordered in any store or on the web). Prices of the news range from 399 NOK (£40.37) to 10.000 NOK (£1011.74). Start of sale is on Saturday 6th. September, consumers can not order any of the following items before this date. Note that prices given in Pound Sterling (£) are calculated using the today’s (28th Aug) rates of exchange (£1=9,84 NOK). (more…)
Jon Bertelsen is the name of the importer of Bruichladdich whiskies in Norway, and due to some rigid use of rules (and no brains) Norway ended up with a very speical bottling of Bruichladdich that nobody else is getting. (more…)
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