This week in whisk(e)y #25 - Chivas Regal "The Icon" launches, Chivas/QT/Movember packages, The Last Drop Distillers release two new whiskies in Australia

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, Hendy & or I think you might enjoy). So on with it then...

Chivas Regal "The Icon" launches
Hendy recently attended the Australian launch of Chivas Regal The Icon - an ultra-prestige blend including whisky from a number of mothballed distilleries (edit: detailed write-up and tasting notes here).

More recently though, "The Icon" has been launched in HK, and in a few weeks we'll be bringing you all the news, including Martin's tasting notes. Until then, here's a snippet from the press release:

 

"Chivas Regal The Icon is the perfect balance of old and new, with each distillery imparting its own unique characteristics. At its heart lie the rarest malts from Strathisla, the spiritual home of Chivas Regal, and the oldest continuously operating distillery in the Scottish Highlands. Accented with hand-selected single malts from Longmorn and Glen Keith, Chivas Regal The Icon is a bold, balanced and unforgettable blend specifically developed with discerning whisky connoisseurs in mind. 

Each year,  a limited number of bottles of Chivas Regal The Icon will be available, making it a must-have product for whisky adorers and collectors alike.

Presented in an elegant bottle, each decanter of Chivas Regal The Icon has been hand-blown by dedicated master craftsmen at Dartington Crystal before being hand-filled with the luxury liquid. The glass is delicately etched and finished with precision crafted metalwork and presented in sublime green glassware in homage to the original green Chivas Regal bottle that captured the world’s attention in 1909. Adorned with a signature luckenbooth stopper, a traditional Celtic symbol of love, the distinctive bottle is certain to be adored by whisky enthusiasts around the world.

The limited edition of Chivas Regal The Icon is available by private order only at HK$28,800"

Chivas Regal & QT Hotel Movember packages
Ok so this one's not purely whisky-related, but Movember is a charity we strongly support (I'm  actually doing it for the 7th year this year - feel free to donate a few bucks if you like!) and when we heard they teamed up with QT Sydney and Chivas Regal to further their excellent causes, we figured it warranted featuring.

A launch event was held recently (which although we couldn't attend, seemed to have a number of similarities to this event in 2014), to celebrate QT Sydney's Movember packages, which are as follows:

• QT Shave –Tidy-Shave package. Valued at $120, the package costs $100 with $25 donated to Movember
• QT Sydney will donate $10 from all other shave services undertaken during the month to Movember ensuring guests who may not be ‘Mo-ing’ can still shave for the cause.
• QT Sydney will donate $4 from every Parlour Lane MO’hito and all gold coin stick-on moustache proceeds to Movember.

The Last Drop Distillers Limited brings two new releases to Australia
Back in May of this year, we mentioned The Last Drop Distillers had releases their 1967 Glen Garioch Single Malt Scotch Whisky & 48 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky in Hong Kong. Fast forward a few months, and those same whiskies are now available in Australia, via Dan Murphy's.

We expect to have tasting notes for both whiskies available in the next few weeks, but until then, here's the press release:

"November (Sydney, Australia) - Purveyors of exclusive, super premium spirits, The Last Drop Distillers Limited, announces the launch of its newest expressions in Australia; The Last Drop 1967 Glen Garioch Single Malt Scotch Whisky and 48 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky – both awards winners in the Jim Murray Whisky Bible 2015.

Founders and whisky industry veterans, James Espey, Tom Jago and Peter Flack, have enjoyed long and illustrious careers in the wine and spirits trade. The trio have channelled their unrivalled passion for premium spirits into creating the world’s most exclusive spirits company, The Last Drop Distillers Limited. Today, James and Tom, with the help of their daughters, Creative Director, Rebecca Jago and Marketing Director, Beanie Espey, tap into their combined 120 years experience in the industry to seek out the rarest and most exclusive distillations and deliver them to discerning spirits enthusiasts around the world. 

In past roles, James and Tom have worked together on some of the most iconic names in Scotch whisky, including Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Chivas Regal 18 Years Old, as well as Malibu and Baileys Irish Cream; two of the most original and successful new drinks categories in the world.

Tantalising the tastes of Australian whisky aficionados, the brand’s newest drops, the 1967 Glen Garioch Single Malt Scotch Whisky and 48 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky, are now available in limited supply through Dan Murphy’s online and selected Dan Murphy’s stores.

The Last Drop 1967 Glen Garioch Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The Last Drop’s Directors regularly look to the cellars of Scotland where they have long procured some of the most elegant barrelled spirits in the world. Unearthed at Glen Garioch, one of the Scotland’s oldest distilleries, the 1967 Glen Garioch Scotch Whisky is a 47-year-old single malt. Initially created as a robust and ‘peated’ whisky, the liquid was stored in a Bourbon style remade Hogshead cask and has matured into a more mellow, beautifully balanced whisky with an unexpected hint of honey and apple sweetness.

The spirit has been awarded 96.5 points by leading international Whisky commentator, Jim Murray, and is the recipient of the 2015 Single Malt Scotch Whisky of the Year.

Of 118 bottles existing in the world, just three bottles are available in Australia and can be purchased via Dan Murphy’s online and selected Dan Murphy’s stores for an RRP of $9,000 AUD.

The Last Drop 48 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky

Several of the distilleries represented in this unique blend have long since closed, making this a truly rare and luxurious Scotch whisky unlike any other in the world.

It was developed after a small volume of this bottling’s original blend was selected by the Chief Blender to be refilled into fresh ex-bourbon cases and aged further. Since then, this small batch whisky has been slowly maturing in one of the older traditional warehouses in the Highlands of Scotland resulting in a balanced chestnut-hued liquid that is both rich and fragrant

This unique blend has been awarded 96.5 points by leading international Whisky commentator, Jim Murray, and is both the 2015 Scotch Whisky of the Year and 2015 Scotch Blend of the Year.

Of 592 bottles existing in the world, only three bottles are available in Australia via Dan Murphy’s online and selected Dan Murphy’s stores for an RRP of $5,500 AUD.

“At The Last Drop, we’ve made it our mission to unearth the rarest and most discerning spirits in the world and bottle them for the enjoyment of spirits aficionados. We’re thrilled to bring these two exceptional expressions that are truly unique and provide Australian drinkers with a once-in-a-lifetime taste that can only be found in The Last Drop bottles,” says James Espey, Found and Chairman of The Last Drop Distillers.

Each of The Last Drop’s selected spirits are bottled straight from the cask, corked and wax-dipped by hand before being housed in a signature Last Drop Distillers leather case. Each case includes a generous 50ml miniature as well as a leather-bound booklet that not only certifies the bottle, but also serves as a record of the buyer’s personal tasting notes as they explore the exceptional drops.

The Last Drop soft launched in Australia in 2014 with the release of The Last Drop 50 Year Old, six bottles of which are currently available via Dan Murphy’s online and in selected Dan Murphy’s stores for an RRP of $6,000 AUD."

At $9,000AUD and $5,500AUD, these whiskies are clearly not every day drinkers, but considering their worldwide release of 118 and 592 bottles respectively, you don't find whiskies much rarer... (we can't wait to try them!)


Thats all for this week. Until next time...

Cheers, 
Martin.

The Great Whisk(e)y Rumble (Sydney)

There's something to be said for an event involving four great whisk(e)y legends from around the world... 

Not many details were revealed by Beam Suntory prior to the event, held in early September, dubbed 'The Great Whisky Rumble' - other than that it was to be 'the bout of the year, a whisky bout that is'. Having attended other Beam Suntory events recently, we knew we could expect great things from Suntory's wide-ranging portfolio of brands; Hibiki, Laphroaig, Canadian Club and Jim Beam.

Joined by Suntory staff, fellow whisky lovers, whisky bloggers, media reps and others from the industry, we all converged at the Australian Technology Park ahead of the bout. Walking through the locomotive workshop was reminiscent of the time I spent at last year's Jack Daniel's celebration when the whole site was transformed into a spectacular bar - this "rumble" being hosted at the back of the Australian Technology Park. As we entered, we were graced by a spectacularly transformed space - lined with large feature windows, stacked bourbon barrels, old wooden artefacts and old Chev ute, the vintage decorated grand hall instantly transported us back to the early 1900s.

The four brands; Hibiki, Laphroaig, Canadian Club and Jim Beam were each represented across the four corners of the hall, with each corner showcasing a good range from each brand including Jim Beam's Knob Creek, Booker's, Basil Hayden's; Laphroaig's classic 10yo, 15yo, Quarter Cask; Suntory Kakubin; and Canadian Club 12yo. The whisky legends behind these four brands stood by their corner, surrounded by their fans. One might have drawn a parallel between these scenes and those moments prior to a big boxing match, where legends are surrounded, supported and hyped by their fans... 

The four whisky legends that stood by their brands were:

• Fred Noe, the seventh generation Master Distiller of Jim Beam
• John Campbell, Distillery Manager of Laphroaig
• Dan Tullio, Canadian Club  Whisky Master
• Mike Miyamoto, Suntory Whisky Global Brand Ambassador

What was great about the night was that it was the first time that these four whisky legends were together in one place, to debate and battle it out in the 'Great Whisky Rumble.'

 

As guests awaited the commencement of the rumble, a range of cocktails were served. I took the opportunity to spend some time talking with Mike Miyamoto and John Campbell in their corners, whilst taking the opportunity to try the whiskies on offer

 

 

Opening up the rumble was John Rosair, Managing Director of Beam Suntory Oceania who introduced Dylan Howarth of The Drink Cabinet as MC for the night.

The charismatic Dylan explained how the rumble was to see the four great whisky legends go all out to present their brands, their stories and their whiskies - all set to take place on the main stage for the event - a real-life boxing ring.

As the curtains were pulled back, a boxing ring was unveiled - inside, contenders already going at it (although simply for show). Seated around the ring, we were all given a tub of popcorn to munch on whilst we waited for the main event.

It wasn't long until Dylan opened the main event, introducing the order for the night which saw Dan Tullio first up in the ring, followed by Mike Miyamoto, Fred Noe and finally John Campbell.

The rule of the rumble, MC Dylan Howarth explained, was that he would present a series of questions to the four whisky figures, who would be given an opportunity to present their stories and their whiskies. At the end of the night, the crowds were to nominate their favourite as the winner.

First contender of the night - Dan Tullio, Canadian Club Whisky Master:

Dan highlighted the history of Canadian Club, dating back to 1858 and began with the founding father Hiram Walker who at the age of 40, decided to make whisky in Canada. Roll forward to 2015 and Dan explained how over the years, Australia, as a market, had climbed up to the number three spot for Canadian Club in the world. The Canadian Club Classic 12 year old was presented by Dan for tasting.

On stage, Dan was highly engaging and it was entertaining to see the odd bit of banter being thrown around between Dan and Noe regarding Canada and America.

Mike Miyamoto led Round 2 - sharing similarities with the numerous whisky expressions he oversees; balanced and composed, Miyamoto spoke to the recently launched Hibiki Japanese Harmony. Miyamoto described the driver behind the Japanese Harmony expression and how the expression was inspired from the original Hibiki which was created in 1989 to commemorate the 90 year anniversary of Suntory.

As noted during the launch back in August, I found the Japanese Harmony to be a clean, simple blend that may not be as bold-bodied as the aged Hibikis, though able to stand up as your daily dram or as Miyamoto puts it, a versatile expression that you can introduce to those who have not tasted whisky before or are interested in Japanese whisky.

Fred Noe took the stage for round 3.

“The Rumble is the perfect setting to really hash out who has the best whiskey" noted Noe who then proceeded to laude the greatness of Kentucky bourbon whiskey in front of his global counterparts. 

Noe certainly took the stage well, presenting Jim Beam's small batch bourbon Knob Creek to rally the crowds. It was my first time sampling the Knob Creek and I loved it. I found it to be a big, rich, pleasant, palate engaging bourbon. The intense, rich and oaky characters of the Knob Creek showed some resemblance to the characters of Booker's, another small batch in Jim Beam's small batch range.

On stage, Noe was clearly proud of Jim Beam and its leading position in the global market. As Noe concluded "The future looks great for bourbon!" - and he is most likely right with all the exciting developments in the bourbon scene.

The final contender of the night was Laphroaig's John Campbell. Presenting the Laphroaig 10yo to the crowds; the epitome of the Laphroaig range, the 10yo carried the classic Islay traits, being heavily peated, buttery and layered with smoke and more smoke - the 10 yo, in my opinion packed a good punch to round up the four whisk(e)y variants and helped to seal the night.

John spoke to the newly released limited Laphroaig 15yo, noting the story of why the 15yo was resurrected following its discontinuation a few years ago (having been replaced by the Laphroaig 18yo).

John explained how Laphroaig fans have lauded the 15yo over the years, and especially once it got discontinued and how it became quite special to Laphroaig backers. This was certainly true, having spoken to few drammers that have confessed their love for the 15yo and even seeing a few old 15yo bottles for signing at the Laphroaig Masterclass (post coming up) - one such old bottle belonging to Martin.

Given the special status it held in the hearts of Laphroaig fans, the 15yo was unsurprisingly chosen as the expression that would be released to commemorate the 200 year anniversary of Laphroaig. One main difference with the newly released 15yo is that the new 15yo is made in smaller batches.

As the rumble wrapped up, the crowds were engaged to select a winner though from memory I recalled all the Whisky greats won the people's choice. Personally, I enjoyed the Knob Creek, it was a big, rich, intriguing bourbon. 

The dust may have settled, the crowd subsided but the legends lived on. The wisdom of the four whisky greats from the night will forever be ingrained with those that witnessed the rumble. For that this event will go down as one of the greatest whisky events this year. 

Overall, the Whisky rumble was loads of fun, entertaining, enlightening and insightful. Well done to the Beam Suntory team and Liquid Ideas for pulling this momentous event together and especially for Dan, Mike, Fred and John for banding together on the night to share their special stories.

TimeforWhisky.com would like to thank Liquid Ideas and Beam Suntory for the invite to The Great Whisk(e)y Rumble.

Cheers,
Hendy.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label - "The Gentleman's Wager II" film premiere in Hong Kong

Back in August last year, we linked to the new Johnnie Walker Blue Label short film, "The Gentleman's Wager" - the story of two men (Jude Law and Giancarlo Giannini), a wager, and the finer things in life. Worth watching simply for the scenery and the toys, and far more than just a 6 minute advertisement for Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

Now just over a year later Jude Law and Giancarlo Giannini are back in "The Gentleman's Wager II" - the story of a priceless 1930s Delahaye racer (actually owned by the Walker family), and another wager.

The movie was launched in Hong Kong last week, with MHDHK flying in global Johnnie Walker brand ambassador Tom Jones for the event.

Held at Loft22 in California Tower (LKF), the event (held in partnership with Mr Porter) saw guests enjoy a range of Johnnie Walker cocktails (made with Red, Black, Gold and Blue), as well as some fantastic cocktails (honestly, MHDHK know how to arrange some fantastic catering).

After sampling the cocktails (The "Black Old Fashioned" and "The Delahaye" being the favourites), it was time for Tom to take the stage and introduce the film, which was launched that day and played on the big screen for all attendees. It certainly felt fitting to enjoy it with a glass of JW Blue (neat) in hand.

At 11 minutes, the movie felt more of a "short film" than the first, and thankfully, didn't feel like one big JW Blue advertisement. There were subtle placements, as you'd expect (typically centred around the theme of gift-giving - timely given the holiday season and Johnnie Walker's promotions with Sogo here in HK) but they tied in well with the story and never felt forced. The soundtrack, visuals, scenery (and the car) all came together to produce an enjoyable video, and the Formula1 cameos made it even more fun to watch.

After the screening, the charismatic Tom Jones walked us through a JW Blue tasting, outlining some of the key characteristics that have made JW Blue so popular, especially in Asia. See here for our notes last year.

Tom stuck around to chat with guests (a great, genuine bloke) and the JW Blue flowed well past the expected closing time - proving once again MHDHK know how to put on a great party.

The full film can be seen on YouTube via the link below:

Cheers,

Martin.

Chivas Regal cocktails with the "Chivas Global Master" at Aberdeen St Social

We've attended more than our fair share of Pernod Ricard and Chivas events over the years and they've always been enjoyable and held in well-suited venues. Tonight was no different, as Pernod Ricard HK (with their very new PR Partner Stir Public Relations) launched a range of new Chivas cocktails at Aberdeen St Social, in PMQ.

Pernod had brought in Josh Reynolds of London's Hawskmoor Spitalfields bar, who earlier this year was crowned Chivas' "Global Master" in the cocktail competition final held at Tales of the Cocktail. The event was to introduce us to the range of new Chivas cocktails which were designed to reflect the "flavours of Hong Kong".

After a brief chat with Josh, Chivas' global brand ambassador Max Warner introduced the night before both Josh and local bartender Tunny Alexander Grattidge briefly talked us through their cocktails.

Josh explained that his two cocktails (which he came up with in 3 hours) reflected his views of Hong Kong, but in very different ways. The first - Live Longan Prosper, a mix of Chivas 12, Longan Nam and Chocolate bitters, was based around the flavours of Hong Kong. The latter, #IKnowThatFace (also Chivas 12 based) was a tribute to an earlier mentor, who lived a frenetic/crazy life, much like how Josh sees Hong Kong life. 

Both were very enjoyable cocktails - with the Live Longan Prosper not dissimilar to a richer Old Fashioned, and the #IKnowThatFace being a rich, slightly bitter short cocktail with a lot of berry notes (my favourite of the night).

Tunny was up next, presenting his two cocktails - the Papaya Don't Preach (we love these names!), a mix of Chivas 12, Aperol, Fresh Papaya and Chilli Purée, Jasmine Tea and Orange Bitters and the Mile High Tea, combining Chivas, Chamomile Tea, Homemade Almond and Manuka Honey Orgeat, Fresh Lemon and Abelha Organic Cachaça.

The former was a tall, fresh take on a whisky cocktail (great for HK's climate), with a nice little chilli kick (also great for the cooler months), and the latter was like enjoying a strong boozy HK milk tea. Both delicious. We were also excited to learn that Tunny plans to open an Australian-style café/bar in a few weeks in Sai Ying Pun, just a few blocks from where we live!

The cocktails (along with two more Chivas creations by new bar manager Audrey) were all unique, individual and of a very high quality, and are all currently available for $100HKD at the bar. We're told that Josh's cocktails are also available Hawskmoor Spitalfields in London, should you be one of our UK-based readers feeling thirsty after this write-up!

Cheers,
Steph & Martin.

TimeforWhisky gets hands-on experience at the Archie Rose Distilling Co, ahead of the new "Tailored Spirits" program

Today is a pioneering day for the Australian spirits world - the first time (as far as we're aware) that an Australian Distillery has made personalised Gin, Vodka and (of course) Whisky so accessible, affordable and easy. To celebrate, and to find out just what this was all about, I recently rolled up my sleeves and tried my hand at a few of the stages of whisky production at Sydney's Archie Rose Distilling Co.

The program I'm talking about is Archie Rose's tailored spirits program, which launches today (Archie Rose, of course, being the Sydney-based distillery we also visited back in April). The full press-release has been included at the bottom of this article, but the key details are these:

• On the Archie Rose website, you'll be able to select Gin, Vodka or Whisky, and "tailor" the elements to suit your needs. We've seen a sneak preview of the interface, and it is slick.
• For example, with the tailored gin, you'll be able to select up to 5 botanicals (and the intensity of each) for a unique, personalised gin. Blood lime, orange, mint, fresh apples? You name it.
• For the whisky, you'll be able to choose your cask type, base grain (rye or malt), level of peat or wood smoke and ABV (46%, 60% or custom).
• Those choosing the whisky option will be able to spend up to 2 and a half days getting hands-on experience actually making their whisky - mashing in, pitching yeast, distillation etc... (a $500AUD option).

That all sounds great, but the part we find incredible is the pricing:

• Tailored Vodka: $84AUD
• Tailored Gin: $89AUD
• Tailored Whisky: From $4,000AUD for a 20L Cask

A bottle of your own, tailored gin/vodka for under $90AUD? We can see bars and consumers alike lapping this up, and no doubt more than a few groups of friends will get together to take up the whisky cask offer too...

To understand a little more about how the program will work, I recently spent a morning at Archie Rose, getting some hands-on experience with the mashing and spirit cuts.

First some background - it was my birthday recently, and Steph bought me a small 2L charred American Oak cask (from Barrel Barn), to help me tick off #9 on my #101drams charitable challenge. A cask is all well and good, but it's nothing without some new make spirit, and so I weighed up the options - lay my hands on some Scottish new make single malt, buy a few bottles of Buffalo Trace White Dog, buy a few bottles of Archie Rose White Rye etc... when I figured I'd drop the folks at Archie Rose an e-mail and see if they'd be willing to sell me 4L of proper new make.

Not only were they, they also helped me figure out what type of spirit would suit my situation best. As the cask was to be matured in Hong Kong, with its hot and humid climate (humidity often meaning the angels take more alcohol and less water), it was suggested I go for a slightly higher ABV (but keeping it under 70% as I had to transport the new make back on the plane with me), so we settled on 67% ABV. As I wanted to mature two batches of spirit (one in HK's winter, one in HK's summer) I decided to go for 2L of "speyside spec" single malt new make, and 2L of "heavily peated" single malt new make.

With the spirit agreed upon, I was asked if I'd like to spend a morning at the distillery, to get some hands-on experience actually making some new make spirit?

Errm, not really something you say no to is it!?

Arriving at Archie Rose early one morning, I met Head Distiller Joe Dinsmoor (formerly of Lark Distillery) and Assistant Distiller Shane Casey who had just started the mashing in of a new batch of single malt. Having been on more distillery tours than I can remember, I knew how this process worked, but seeing it up close, and actually getting involved, just made it that much more real. Unlike most Scottish distilleries, Archie Rose mashing is done manually by hand (at least until a new mash tun arrives in 2016), 4 days a week, with 600kg of barley. Luckily for my arms, they were mashing the malted barley that day, and not the "cement-like" rye...

The regular single malt includes 100kg (1/6) of peated malt, described by Joe as the "pepper on the steak". Having tried their single malt new make, I can assure you they've made the right choice - it's smooth, flavoursome and should age incredibly well. The "heavily peated" new make includes 300kg (half) of peat-smoked malted barley.

Speaking of malted barley, part of my morning included loading the hopper with fresh malt, ready for the next session of mashing. Slightly tiring work loading up those 25kg bags, but it did give me an opportunity to try each type. The peated barley had an incredible woodsmoke, BBQ note which I'd happily munch on as a snack.

With that done, it was over to the stills to see the low wines coming off the wash still (described as having a "rollercoaster of flavour", although obviously a little rough) and the foreshots coming off the spirit still. There's no automation or computerisation when it comes to making the spirit cuts at Archie Rose - Joe and team make the decision based on nosing and tasting the spirit multiple times as it comes off the still (Joe did explain that the results are fairly consistent, and so they generally know at what time/volume the foreshots start to end and the heart run begins). I had a little nose at a few stages (nearing the end of the foreshots), and it was fascinating to see how quickly it could change, and how new flavours/notes were introduced as it progressed.

For anyone visiting, don't expect a spirit safe like you'll find (mandated by law) in the UK. "Cutting the spirit" here involves wheeling in a new receptacle and moving the hose into it!

With the cuts done, there was time to sample the two new make spirits I was taking home:

• Archie Rose Single Malt New Make Spirit (67% ABV): A smooth, banana/bubblegum nose leading to a rich, thick oily palate of asparagus and strawberry bubblegum, with a long, smooth finish with hints of lamb fat. Complex and delicious.
• Archie Rose "Heavily Peated" Single Malt New Make Spirit (67% ABV): A campfire BBQ nose with hints of pork, more pork on the palate (with some confectionary sweetness) and a long, sweet and sherberty finish. Also delicious.

Can't wait to see how they go in our little 2L cask, which is currently being seasoned with a mix of sherry and port (more on that in the coming months).

One thing I found interesting, which I'd never had a sense of from previous distillery tours, was how a distiller actually spends their day. While there wasn't really any "down time", there were brief (and we mean brief) periods of waiting for certain stages, but there was also a tendency for things to happen all at once too. For example, at undoubtedly the most time critical point - the spirit cutting, there were multiple delivery men arriving, phone calls, and even a truck delivering a load of 200L ex-sherry casks (which smelled amazing, by the way). The life of a distiller can be a frantic one at times, but Joe and Shane kept their cool like pros.

With the heart run well underway, and my new make all bottled up, it was time for me to get out of the way and let the blokes get back to work. As I sat down to a delicious chicken sando at Black Star Pastry just next door (please come to Hong Kong!), I reflected back on what I'd seen, and how while we whisky enthusiasts might think it's all fun and games making whisky, it's actually bloody hard, skilful work. A big cheers to the men and women around the world who make the whisky we know and love, day-in, day-out.

TimeforWhisky would like to say a huge thanks to Will, Dave, Joe and the team at Archie Rose for having us along and for producing us a fantastic new make spirit which is sure to work a treat in our little mini cask.

Cheers,
Martin.

---------------------

Full press release:

"Archie Rose Distilling Co. is enabling you to create your own tailored spirits, giving you a truly unique experience in designing your own personal gin, vodka or whisky, right down to your name on the label.

The award-winning distillery and bar prides itself on its opening up the distilling experience to the public and invites you to try your hand at spirits design via the Archie Rose website, where a custom application has been developed to guide you through the process.

“This is something we’ve been working on for some time,” says founder and owner, Will Edwards. “Every day we are lucky enough to able to play with pure botanical distillates, unique malts and rare casks to create our spirits’ flavour profiles, and thought why should we be the ones having all the fun designing spirits? It was a natural progression to go down this route and give people the opportunity to get really involved in the distilling process, which we are so passionate about.” 

Designing your Tailored Vodka or gin begins at https://archierose.com.au/tailored-spirits/ where you have the option to select up to five of the distillery’s unique botanical distillates to add to your bottle of Original Vodka or Signature Dry Gin. The intensity for each botanical is then chosen to give your spirit its unique flavour profile. The final step is personalising the bottle, by adding your name or the person lucky enough to be receiving it as a gift, and the custom made label is created – your Tailored Spirit forever marked as your own and delivered to your door. 

For those wanting to up the ante, Tailored Whisky is an incredibly unique offering allowing you to personalise almost every aspect of your whisky including the option for you and four friends to assist in the actual making of your whisky on site.

To ensure your Tailored Whisky is precisely to your specifications, options include a choice of Single Malt Whisky or Rye Whisky; a custom made 20L, 50L or 100L cask of any wood type the Archie Rose cooper has available including New American Oak, French Oak, Ex-Bourbon, Ex-Port and Ex-Sherry and setting your desired level of smoke influence from a choice of peated or wood smoked malts, among others.

Your name is stencilled on to your cask prior to it being stored and displayed in the bar rack until mature with the Archie Rose Production Manager and Head Distiller managing the maturation process. You will receive a 200ml sample annually to create a library of your whisky’s maturation however your cask can be sampled at any time by appointment. 

Bottling the Tailored Whisky at your desired ABV on maturation includes batch details and your name on the label. Six bottles of the final product will be presented in a handmade wooden Archie Rose crate with full brewing and distillation notes, one bottle of filtered water used in the production of the whisky and two Glencairn glasses. The remaining bottles will be packed in Archie Rose cases with an option to keep your empty cask.

Tailored Vodka: $84
Tailored Gin: $89
Tailored Whisky: From $4,000 for a 20L Cask

Available from Monday 2 November at: https://archierose.com.au/tailored-spirits/"