Get the guys together for a night of sophistication and basketball with the Toronto Raptors Johnnie Walker Scotch Tasting Package.
For only $120 per person you will enjoy:
• Lower Bowl ticket to the game.
• Scotch tasting session with a Brand Ambassador of the Johnnie Walker Family including Johnnie Walker Red Label, Black Label, Gold Label and Blue Label*.
• Pre-game hors d’oeuvres in the Johnnie Walker Hot Stove Lounge.
• Raptors Game Day Program and a Johnnie Walker money clip.
We just finished off playing Round 1 of ‘Team Turismo’ bracket, and though the favorites will advance, it was much closer than anticipated.I’d have to say that the overall satisfaction of each whisky was very well received. Ballantine’s 17 year was very full.A true top shelf whisky. J&B rare surprised some with it’s smooth consistent taste. Pound for pound, this well priced bottle holds its own with other house blends.Famous Grouse 12 yr edged out Cutty Sark, ok, maybe edged out is a bit of a stretch.Although both were enjoyed, it wasn’t that close on the scoreboard. We are looking forward to the next round with Ballantine’s 17 takes on the Famous Grouse 12
Mahogony - Round 1
It was a wonderful night of tasting as we started play in the Mahogany RegionFirst Monkey Shoulder took on one of its relatives from the Grant and Sons distillery by edging out Grants Ale Cask. This was much closer than expected (or than price dictates) New as it is (2005), Monkey Shoulder is authentic to its core and uses only malt Scotch whisky from three of Speyside’s finest distilleries. Rooted in malt whisky lore, it is named in honor of the maltmen who once suffered from this injury through turning the barley by hand.As for Grant’s Ale Cask, it is the only Scotch whisky finished in Ale Casks. This is after the whisky is first matured in oak casks.The second match had the #7 seed Ballentine’s Finest going against the #2 seed Smokehead. This also proved to be closer than expected. Ballentine’s is very smooth and includes the whisky from over 50 single malts. It is regarded as the taste to satisfy a modern style. The first thing you notice from Smokehead is its clever marketing of tin and bottle. The second noticeable trait is the ‘nose’ WOW. A full bouquet of everything that is an Islay malt.
China Grove - Round 1
We started play in the ”China Grove” Region. Many of you most likely remember the Doobie Brothers from the Larry Bird/Magic Johnson College days. In a one sided affair Dewar’s White Label just didn’t have what it takes to test Johnnie Walker Gold. It was quite a privilege to start this tournament with such a fine whisky. The other match was considered a minor upset as Johnnie Red edged Chivas 12yr in a ‘drink off’ where we needed to go to the score cards to decide a tie vote. In this great first week match, Johnnie ensures at least one of the 4 brothers in this tournament is guaranteed a Final Four
(you can also follow this tournament via pages category)
Leave it to the Scots to find ways to get energy out of whiskey.
If you like your whiskey neat or even if you don’t this is pretty neat — Helius Energy Plc and the Combination of Rothes Distillers (CoRD) formed a joint venture known as Helius CoRDe, which will build and operate a biomass energy plant using whiskey distillery by-products.
The proposed £50 million ($82.7 million) project would reduce the carbon footprint of the whiskey industry on the Scottish island of Speyside.
The plant will use whiskey distillery by-products to fuel a 7.2-megawatt GreenSwitch biomass combined heat and power plant (CHP) and a GreenFields plant that will turn the liquid co-product of whiskey production, known as Pot Ale, into a concentrated organic fertilizer and an animal feed for use by local farmers.
We received this recent news from Laphroaig Distillery.
I have been talking to you for some time about our plans for the next live broadcast. Well I am extremely excited to announce that we have finally confirmed everything and this year’s broadcast will be live from the Maker’s Mark distillery in Kentucky, USA.
For those of you who know a lot about Laphroaig you will know that we mature our whisky in Maker’s Mark barrels so it is a fitting collaboration I think - plus it’s a bit sunnier there than here on Islay so it should be a lovely setting!
We will be holding the event on Friday 25th September 2009 at 20:00 (EST - Kentucky time!).
The broadcast will last around 40 minutes and will include a live question and answer session where you will be invited to put your questions to the panel. This will include Kevin Smith- master blender for Maker’s Mark, John Hansell - author of the famous Malt Advocate and of course myself. We will also have Simon Brooking, our US Ambassador on hand to answer any questions. ….
Drinks group Diageo, home to Guinness, Captain Morgan and Tanqueray, is cutting 900 jobs in Scotland as it closes one of its Glaswegian distilleries and consolidates its packaging operations from three sites to two in a bid to slash costs.
The move is expected to reduce costs by £40m as Diageo battles with the impact of the recession on cash-strapped drinkers. Two months ago the world’s largest drinks maker announced that sales over the first quarter of the year were down 7%, and it had dropped its inventory by a million cases to meet slumping demand.
The company, which employs almost 4,000 in Scotland, said it will close its distillery in Port Dundas, Glasgow, which first opened its doors in 1811 and employs about 140 people. The plant is a grain spirit distillery producing 39m litres of alcohol a year, which finds its way into Diageo brands including Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff.
The LCBO is currently running a very impressive promotion where they introduce customers to “the makers” of our favorite spirits and beers. As we continue to feature some of the makers;
Today let’s meet:
Ian Logan, The Glenlivet Brand Ambassador
Most would scoff at the notion that Ian Logan’s position is considered a ‘job’.As brand Ambassador for Chivas Brothers, Ian is responsible for traveling the world promoting the good name of his company, while educating admirers and sharing the occasional dram of the whiskies he represents.We should qualify that – some of the world’s most beloved whiskies, which includes that much cherished single malt, the Glenlivet.In fact, Ian is also the curator of the Glenlivet whisky school, where the curriculum is devoted to all aspects of scotch whisky making, such as production techniques and, yet, the aspects of tasting.Ah, the price this man has to pay for upholding a company’s reputation and furthering the art of diplomacy.
The LCBO is currently running a very impressive promotion where they introduce customers to “the makers” of our favorite spirits and beers. As we continue to feature some of the makers;
Today let’s meet:
David Stewart, Master Blender and Malt Master
Glennfiddich Single Mald Scotch Whisky
In today’s vernacular, David Stewart would be considered ‘old school’.This man has dedicated his entire 45-year career t perfecting the practice of creating superlative whiskies. Prior to his appointment as Malt Master for William Grant & Sons in 1974, David undertook a 12-year apprenticeship to learn the skills around nosing and blending fine Scotch whisky.He has since translate those formidable talents into creating a range of award-winning single malts and blends, including the worlds first single malt to be finished in different woods and introducing the innovative Solera maturation process to Glenfiddich 15 year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
