This Week in Whisk(e)y #13

As you might know if you read this blog regularly, we get a fair few interesting press releases and news articles here at TimeforWhisky, and usually try to feature them with our own spin, experiences or comments. Sometimes though, they come thick and fast, and we just don't have time to do them all justice.

So we've decided to take a leaf out of some other excellent whisky blogs, and feature a "PR roundup" every now and then - basically a wrap-up of relevant press releases we've received in the previous week or so (including other interesting whisk(e)y news Steph & I think you might enjoy). So on with it then...

The NZ Whisky Company release 25yo Whisky
The NZ Whisky Company, whom we visited back in January 2013, have just made NZ the first nation outside Japan and Europe to release a 25yo single malt whisky.

"Oamaru, New Zealand– Oct 7, 2014 – New Zealand has become the first nation outside Japan and Europe to mature and release a 25 year old Single Malt whisky. Following extensive barrel selection, the company has released a limited quantity of just 484 bottles onto the market. 

'We are so grateful for the international support of the world’s whisky community over the last four years, which has given us the confidence to launch our 25 year old,' says company CEO Greg Ramsay. 'We are already humbled by the pre-orders and glowing feedback of those who have taken their first sips.

The 25 year old, made from 100 per cent malted New Zealand barley distilled in the lost Dunedin distillery, has been aging in American Oak, ex-bourbon barrels from Four Roses Distillery  for a quarter of a century. The rich flavours have softened and sweetened into a complex array of tropical fruits, butterscotch, toasted orange peel and a hit of sea spray.

The 25 year old is a salute to the craftsmanship of those early distillers, including Cyril Yates who played a hand in this newly released drop. 'It’s got to be made properly all the way through from the farmer growing barley to the cooper sealing up the staves, and then it does the magical maturation in the barrel before coming out as liquid gold,' explains Yates who dedicated 40 years of his life to the New Zealand whisky industry. 

Following an international design competition, the packaging for the 25 year old emerged. Greg Walko and Petra Kosik, hailing from a small Hungarian design studio took honours, trumping a strong international field. With its contemporary styling, the packaging brings a quarter-of-a-century-old drop into the modern day. 

As well as regaining the foothold once held across New Zealand by Wilsons, the whisky is now exported from Oamaru and available across Canada, the UK, Australia and Europe. The 25 year old is now available for pre-order at www.thenzwhisky.com"

anCnoc 2000 vintage arrives
We've featured anCnoc on the blog previously, and now the Knockdhu Distillery has just released another new offering in the form of the 2000 vintage (no age statement provided though presumably 13-14 years). No word on AU or HK pricing yet.

"anCnoc Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is proud to announce the release of Vintage 2000, another remarkable single malt in the line of exclusive vintage releases from Knockdhu Distillery, celebrating the art of whisky-making with a modern twist. It has become a tradition at anCnoc to annually offer vintage releases from consecutive years to the most dedicated whisky fans around the world. 

Only 1,000 cases of anCnoc Vintage 2000 will be made available in select markets from September 2014. The whisky was selected and bottled with the most discerning whisky drinker in mind and will offer a wonderful insight into the distillery style and the impact of on-site maturation in a combination of Spanish oak ex-sherry butts and American oak ex-bourbon barrels. 

anCnoc Vintage 2000 has been bottled non chill-filtered, at its natural colour and at the premium strength of 46% ABV. 

Hot copper in colour, the whisky is dark and masculine on the nose. A surge of ground Oriental spices, burned vanilla and unrefined cocoa beans gradually relaxes its grip and subtle aromas of lemon grass, orange peel and fragrant cut flowers come to life, unmistakably highlighting the provenance of this remarkable Vintage. On the palate it is smooth but firm-structured, envelops the mouth in creamy vanilla, spicy sherry notes, pralines and silky tannins. Lively citrus follows shortly after leading to a long, balanced finish, finally revealing a whiff of wood smoke. 

anCnoc Assistant Brand Manager Stephanie Bridge commented:
'The unique taste profile of the Vintage 2000 is set to be a hit with malt enthusiasts everywhere. Releasing the next Vintage in the anCnoc collection marks the end of a very exciting spring and summer for the brand. I’m confident that the exclusive expression will be a welcome addition to anyone’s malt collection.' 

anCnoc Vintage 2000 will be available in the UK, Sweden, Japan and Russia, to name but a few markets, at a recommended retail price of £55."

Eau de Vie launch "Malt Masters Club"
In a similar vein to The Wild Rover's CCWC, TimeforWhisky.com favourite Eau de Vie (one of the first Australian bars to feature a serious whisky backbar before it became "a thing") are will soon be launching their own whisky club.

"Eau De Vie will soon be launching a Whisky Club, memberships cost $75 and this gets you access to a whole range of exclusive offers. Upon registering for our Malt Masters Club you will receive an Eau De Vie whisky journal of 40 select Whiskies as a true representation of malt, you will then be entitled to 20% off this selection at Eau de Vie Sydney and Melbourne.  

Eau de Vie Malt Masters is a whisky club aimed at raising the awareness of the malt whisky category and with the goal of encouraging our guests to explore the wonderful world of malt whisky. Once you have made your way through all 40, you will officially be made an honouree Malt Master and have access to our reserve cabinets at a heavily discounted price. Send your contact details to Jamie-lee@speakeasygroup.com.au to be the first to know more."

Eau de Vie offer unique The Glenlivet experience in-bar
Eau de Vie again...this time, offering a unique in-bar experience with a cask of The Glenlivet. Word is the cask is not "live" (apparently, it's lined and the whisky therefore doesn't continue to age in the cask), but still, an interesting concept nonetheless, especially with the whisky not being sold by the glass or bottle, but by 350/700mL portions recorded in a "whisky ledger".

Having previously had our own bottle of whisky at Eau de Vie, Steph and I can personally vouch for this sort of thing being a fun experience.

"Eau de Vie has partnered with Glenlivet to create a truly unique experience, we have joined forces to provided two bespoke whisky barrels exclusively available at Eau de Vie. 

The Glenlivet 16 year old is a cask strength whisky, which can be sampled and experienced only in Eau de Vie. Just as if you were visiting a distillery itself, the casked whisky will be sold in 350ml or 700ml portions and written up by hand in our custom made whisky ledger. 

The whisky ledger will be used as the sole record for the experience, where after the initial purchase, the participant will arrive and withdraw the amount he or she will be consuming and logged thereafter as a running tally. The whisky will be drawn from the barrel through a whisky thief, more commonly a "valinch", embodying and authenticity, then disbursed into crystal decanters for their table with all the trimmings, crystal or Glencairn, ice and water. 

For pre-purchase contact Greg in Melbourne at greg@eaudevie.com.au or Julian in Sydney at Julian@speakeasygroup.com.au"

Glenfiddich Culinary Degustation - tickets available now
We've attended Glenfiddich dinners in the past and they've always been a fantastic experience - great food, great whiskies and innovative matching. Now it's everyone's turn to get in on the action, with an upcoming dinner at the lovely Centennial Parklands, Sydney.

"This unique six course degustation will be carefully matched to the Glenfiddich range. Each dish will be created from this years Glenfiddich Pioneers Chef finalists who are represented from restaurants around Australia.   

Music, wine and cocktails will also be in plentiful supply, while the final Pionneer Chef winner is decided based on the scoring of all diners on the night. 

Location: Centennial Parklands, Sydney
Date: December 1, 2014
Time: From 7pm 

For more information on the event and to book your ticket please use the link below.
Tickets are $100 + booking fee. All proceeds go to www.soldieron.org.au"

LABEL 5 release LABEL 5 Gold Heritage
LABEL 5 is a blend that we haven't featured (or tried) on this site before, but have certainly heard about (and seen all over the shelves at certain bottlos). Regardless, it's sold in more than 100 countries, ranks "10th on the worldwide Scotch whisky market" (in terms of sales presumably) and is blended by Graham Coull, (who we met just over a year ago at the Glen Moray tasting in Sydney), so we figure it's worth a look in. Personal tasting notes to follow.

"Bathgate, Scotland, 22 October, 2014 - LABEL 5 expands its range with a new expression: LABEL 5 Gold Heritage. This new offer will be unveiled at TFWA Cannes next October. LABEL 5 Gold Heritage has been created to delight Scotch whisky lovers who are looking to explore LABEL 5’s character in more depth. 

Graham Coull, LABEL 5 Master Blender, crafted a unique and rich whisky. LABEL 5 Gold Heritage is a rich blend of exceptional whiskies that includes malts aged of more than 20 years. Created with passion and care, LABEL 5 Gold Heritage presents a unique profile which lies between the smoky and peated flavours of the old malts whiskies and the creamy vanilla notes of the grain whiskies. The smooth character which is the trademark of LABEL 5 whiskies has been accentuated with subtle woody hints and spicy notes. 

'LABEL 5 Gold Heritage is a personal achievement for me. Building on the traditions of LABEL 5, I have hand-selected whiskies from different ages and casks which marry together to produce a wonderfully balanced blend. The result is an exceptionally smooth whisky loaded with fruit, spice, warm vanilla oak and subtle smoke, which offers a unique taste experience.' said Graham Coull."

LABEL 5 Gold Heritage is being released in the US initially, followed by China and Australia (RRP TBC). The whisky was recently awarded with a double gold medal at the China World Spirit Awards.

Cheers, 
- Martin.

PR #12: New Zealand Whisky Company launches design competition for 25yo Single Malt

Back in January this year, Steph and I visited The New Zealand Whisky Company, who bottle and sell a huge variety of single malts and blends. Of all their whiskies, I liked the 21yo single malt the best, and took home a bottle.

Well it seems the 21yo has grown up, and is now 25yo, making NZ only the fourth nation to produce a 25 year old single malt whisky. To commemorate the occasion, and to raise funds for the ongoing rebuilding of Christchurch, the NZ Whisky Company is holding a design competition to design the bottle's label (700mL, 375mL and 150mL).

Having absolutely zero design credibility myself (have you seen this site? The only nice part is the logo...and I didn't design it) I won't be entering, but if anyone feels they have the skills...jump in!

Here's the press release:

Oamaru, New Zealand– July 7, 2013 – The New Zealand Whisky Company is thrilled to launch its 25-year-old whisky, only the fourth nation to produce a 25-year-old Single Malt. To celebrate, the company is asking creative designers worldwide to conceive its’ packaging; and all to benefit a big New Zealand charity. 

To mark this milestone, designers are invited to enter this international competition. “So much whisky is being packaged in luxurious enclosures, lavish boxes and crystal decanters nowadays, but we want something that is elegant, eye-catching and authentically New Zealand; sustainable, re-usable, perhaps even recyclable. I’m not comfortable with how much money, carbon and landfill is wasted on whisky packaging, and would love for our whisky enclosure to be re-usable and a lasting memory to a memorable malt,” Ramsay says. 

So the challenge is on for designers across universities, design agencies, art houses and more, to design a suitable bottle and box label for this exclusive release. Designers can create their own theme. It could be classic, quirky or just fun, perhaps honouring Cyril Yates who worked at the distillery for near on 25-years, ‘Cyril’s Single Malt; 25years of blood, sweat and cheers.’ 

“We really want to capture the heart of the New Zealand Whisky Collection in this label,” explains Ramsay, “in a way that pays homage to the rich heritage of our whisky and blends this with a freshly modern style. We’re so excited to see what comes through with the creative talent available in this country. We have three bottles; 700ml, 375ml and a 150ml hipflask requiring packaging.” 

Designer Prize and Donation to the Christchurch Cathedral Restoration

The winner receives international exposure as well as a complimentary trip to the Cellar Door in New Zealand; and an important New Zealand charity is also set to be a ‘winner’. 

“We’re going to be donating the design fee that we would have saved, to the Christchurch Cathedral restoration,” says Ramsay, who has a special connection with the Cathedral. “My Great Uncle was construction foreman on the Cathedral back in the 1800s, and I’m so excited to see the design competition for its restoration.” 

“I’m really hoping that the fabulous modern interpretation gets the nod. Like our whisky packaging, it would be a fresh style for a forward-looking community, while paying homage to the site’s significant history. I hope lots of Cantabrians are viewing the options and having their say at www.cathedralconversations.co.nz. 

The New Zealand Whisky Collection’s 25-year-old whisky release was distilled in 1988 at the famous Willowbank distillery in Dunedin. It has been maturing in American Oak barrels since 1987 and is a single malt whisky. [ME: Seems to be a slight discrepancy with the dates here, I'll follow up...]

Entry into Competition

Entrants are encouraged to become familiar with the New Zealand Whisky Company and gain inspiration from the World Whiskies Design Awards that are held annually. Past and present design winners can be viewed at www.worldwhiskiesdesignawards.com. 

For more information about the competition and to enter, visit www.thenzwhisky.com, The Whisky Shop in Auckland, or WhiskyGalore in Christchurch. 

Contact:

Alice Hansen

Mob: 0417818180

Email: ah24241@gmail.com

Cheers,
 - Martin.

PR #5: New Zealand Whisky wins awards in San Francisco and London

In January this year I posted an article about my visit to The New Zealand Whisky Company, including a number of tastings (the article is still one of the most popular articles on this blog). I particularly liked the South Island Single Malt 18 & 21yo.

 I've just heard that they've recently been recognised for their efforts internationally, with wins in whisky competitions in both San Francisco and London, including wins across three categories at the World Whiskies Awards in London, and a DoubleGold medal for the South Island Single Malt in San Francisco. 

In London, the New Zealand Whisky Collection’s DoubleWood won the category for Best Australasian Blend, while the South Island Single Malt was voted the best aged Single Malt from Downunder.

At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in late March, the DoubleWood also gained a gong, picking up a Silver Medal to complement the Double Gold for the South Island Single Malt.

CEO Greg Ramsay:

“Winning one of the few DoubleGold medals on offer saw our South Island Single Malt recognized as one of the world’s great whiskies. We are humbled by our results in such high caliber competitions; it really honors the craftsmanship of the Dunedin distillers, and the commitment to quality by our Oamaru team, and our production partners in Christchurch."

The San Francisco World Spirits competition involves 1,400 spirits, 34 judges performing blind tastings, and has been running for 13 years.  International General Manager Troy Trewin:

 “This is an enormous result considering our first shipment has just arrived in the USA for the Mid-West market out of Chicago. We’ve now had enquiries from Californian and New York distributors too."

“It really sunk in just how significant the DoubleGold was, when I saw which other distilleries were awarded, and the great whiskies which only gained Gold or Silver behind us. There was the South Island Single Malt, awarded DoubleGold alongside Talisker, Glenmorangie and Bushmills Single Malts, and ahead of the likes of some of Scotland’s favourites like Aberlour and Dalwhinnie.”

The South Island Single Malt will now go on the event’s DoubleGold 14 city roadshow, showcased to buyers, whisky writers and connossieurs from across the beverage industry around the US.

The New Zealand Whisky Company is a success story that signals a revival of the whisky industry in New Zealand. The whisky was once distilled by Seagram’s in Dunedin before the distillery was sold to Fosters in 1997 as part of a global rationalisation. Fosters mothballed the distillery and inexplicably closed it. But fortunately, more than 400 barrels of this whisky remained, and were bought by the New Zealand Whisky Company, set aside to mature and sweeten. Since then, the company has worked hard to revive the century-old industry and the whisky has been met with wide acclaim.

As well as regaining the foothold once held across New Zealand by Wilsons, the whisky is now exported from Oamaru and available across Canada, the UK, Australia and Europe.

Cheers, 

 - Martin.

The New Zealand Whisky Company visit

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a relaxing break and managed to spend some quality time with friends and family (and maybe even some friends of the single malt variety). 2013 looks to be a exciting year in the world of whisky, not just in terms of Scotch (which is always exciting), but world whiskies too.

..and on that note, onto our first post of 2013...

While planning a recent trip to NZ with my wife, I came across The NZ Whisky Company, a company who bottle and sell a variety of NZ single malts and blends under a few different labels. I'd actually tried their DoubleWood 10yo blend at the 2012 "World of Whisky" show in Sydney and found it interesting enough that we decided a visit was in order. Unfortunately there's no longer a distillery, so the visit was limited to the tasting centre (the barrel room was previously open to the public, but has since been closed). Regardless, with a diverse range of blends and single malts, how could we say no?

Located on the East Coast of the South Island in Oamaru (a 1.5hr drive from our Dunedin base of a few nights), we made the trip up and my wife kindly agreed to drive back. The town itself is actually very historic and has plenty of sights to see, but this blog post focuses on just the one..

The visitor centre offers individual tastings, barrel tastings, flights (focusing on blends, single malts, older varieties) and sells everything by the bottle too (including smaller bottles, which was perfect given I'd almost filled my duty-free allowance with pre-ordered whisky...). I started with a mixed blend/single malt flight, consisting of:

Diggers & Ditch Doublewood Blend (14yo, red wine barrel-aged, 41.5% ABV)

A big sherry nose and a big sherry hit on first tasting. If I'd tasted it blind, I'd have sworn it was a Tassie whisky (which shouldn't have come as a surprise, given I later learned it's a blend of Tassie and NZ whiskies). Not a bad drop, but I'd tasted better.

Rating: 84/100

South Island Single Malt 18yo (40% ABV)

Now this was more like it! Biscuity and light on the palate, with a light but very pleasant finish. A whisky I could happily sip all day.

Rating: 92/100

South Island Single Malt 21yo (40% ABV)

..even better. Building on the 18yo (they came from the same barrels), the 21yo had a much bigger mouth feel, with cinnamon and just a hint of peat (amplified with a few drops of water). This was my favourite of all the 10 I tried, and the one I took home.

Rating: 92/100

South Island Single Malt 24yo (40% ABV)

Given the impressive 18 and 21yo, I expected a similar profile, but with more character. What I got though was a nose of...fresh laundry? Weird, but that was my first thought. The palate was apples, sweet and fresh. Not what I'd expected. Not bad, but I preferred the 21yo.

Rating: 90/100

Steam train line running through Oamaru

We decided it was time to grab some lunch, check out a few other Oamaru sights, and return for a few more drams later in the afternoon...and so with palate cleansed and sights seen, it was onto round two. First up, a flight consisting of four single malts (3 at cask strength, listed as "anywhere from 49-60% ABV"): 

Milford Single Malt 15yo
To me, this had Glenfiddich (both 12 and 15yo) written all over it. Pear, a hint of cinnamon spice, with a bit of peat on the finish. One of my favourites of the day.
Rating: 92/100

Vindication Cask Strength 16yo
Similar pear/apple nose, with a taste that seemed younger than its 16 years, in comparison to the other aged whiskies on offer (considering all are aged in the same size barrels). Short finish too.
Rating: 89/100

1989 Cask Strength 22yo
As with the 16yo, but with peat on the palate and a lingering finish.
Rating: 91/100

1988 Cask Strength 23yo
This one had a lot going on, perhaps somewhat contradictory. Sweet, candy apple on the nose. Peaty palate and a long, warming finish. A few drops of water opened it right up and amplified the smoke.
Rating: 91/100

Doublewood 8yo "Preston's" (from the barrel)

This was an interesting one - very much an "in progress" whisky, they'd taken an 8yo Doublewood from a leaking cask, poured it into another cask, tapped it, and were offering drams straight from the barrel (quite generous drams for $4NZD too, I might add!)
Quite different to the 10yo DoubleWood, the nose on this was oranges...very pleasant. The palate was pretty much the DoubleWood 10yo, but with a hint of orange and raisins, and a softening from the 10yo (despite the whisky actually being younger). Not a terribly smooth finish, but all up a solid whisky, certainly worth a try, if for no other reason than the novelty value.
Rating: 88/100

Milford 20yr Single malt
Last of all was a complimentary taste of the Milford 20yo. Unfortunately, after so many whiskies my notes for this one just read "tried too many to be objective. Very nice."

Rating: Very nice/100 (hey, this was #10 after all...)

So after 10 drams and a few interesting stories about the history of NZ whisky, we were on our way. I can highly recommend a visit if you're ever in the area - there aren't too many NZ whiskies, nor too many places you can try such a diverse range of malts and blends from the one company, and it's always interesting to see what the rest of the whisky world has to offer. The staff were fantastic and (despite Sunday being their busiest day) always happy to chat about the Aussie and NZ whisky industries. 

A very worthwhile visit for some tasty and interesting drams!

 

Cheers, 

Martin.