TAMDHU ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF ITS OLDEST EVER EXPRESSION

Ian Macleod Distillers, has today announced the launch of a new limited edition 50 Year Old Tamdhu bottling, to coincide with the Speyside distillery’s 120th anniversary.

Tamdhu 50 Year Old (55.6% ABV) has been matured in a first fill European oak sherry butt for five decades, and is said to deliver notes of forest fruits, elegant oak and depths of orange on the nose, followed by notes of cloves, liquorice and baked apples on the palate.

Tamdhu 50 Year Old

Limited to just 100 bottles, Tamdhu 50 Year Old, comes presented in decanter created by a team of traditional British craftsmen and women including glass designer Katy Holford, crystal experts Royal Brierley and the silversmiths at renowned luxury jewellery house Hamilton & Inches.

Commenting on the launch, Leonard Russell, Managing Director of Ian Macleod Distillers, who own Tamdhu, said: “120 years of expertise and 50 years of maturation in an extraordinary sherry oak cask have gone into making Tamdhu 50 Year Old, and we are delighted to be able to share it with the world.”

He went on to say: “What makes this whisky really special to us is that it represents the rebirth of the distillery. There was a time, before we bought and reopened Tamdhu, when some thought it was gone forever. This cask, which may never have been released had the distillery remained closed, can be now enjoyed and savoured, and that is something we want to celebrate.” 

Tamdhu 50 Year Old, which was unveiled last night at a special event at Hamilton & Inches’ showroom on George Street in Edinburgh, will be available later this month from specially selected specialist retailers, for a RRP of £16,000.

Posted by Steve Rush

ARDGOWAN DISTILLERY LAUNCHES £17M FUNDING DRIVE

The owners of the new proposed Ardgowan Distillery in the Lowlands, have announced the launch of a £17m funding drive.

The Ardgowan Distillery, located 30 miles west of Glasgow, secured planning permission from Inverclyde Council earlier this month and is now seeking investors to bring their ambitious vision to life.

Ardgowan Distillery's first proposed release; Ciad Ghin 7 Year Old Single Malt

The project has raised over £500,000 seed capital to date, and the new distillers are now advancing their proposals to build a world-class lowland malt whisky distillery and visitor attraction on the historic Ardgowan Estate.

Construction is scheduled to start later this year, with plans to be operational in 2019. Ardgowan distillery owners are being advised by the Campbell Dallas Corporate Finance team, led by Harro Leusink.

Commenting on the news, Willie Phillips, Ardgowan Distillery Chairman, said: “Ardgowan Distillery is a terrific commercial proposition and Campbell Dallas is the right firm to assist us with this fundraising – they have a strong track record of advising on funding as well as an excellent understanding of the brewing and distilling sector. We are planning to build an outstanding distillery of significant scale to make a lowland single malt that will have a distinctive taste and flavour given its proximity to the sea. Our flagship will be a premium seven year old single malt, which I anticipate will establish Ardgowan as a single malt of great character.”

He went on to say: “We already have a senior management team in place with proven experience in project delivery, and have brought on board former Bruichladdich and Diageo veterans Gordon Wright and Michael Egan in commercial and product engineering advisory roles. Initial production will be around 200,000 litres of pure alcohol (LPA) and this will rise to over 800,000 LPA at full production. The distillery will be scalable with the option to expand production to 1.6m LPA with limited additional investment.”

The new distillery will resurrect the name of the Ardgowan Distillery, which was founded in 1896 and located in Baker Street, Greenock. After a few years of whisky production, the distillery was used to make grain spirt and industrial alcohol until it was destroyed in the May Blitz of 1941.

Posted by Steve Rush

WHISTLEPIG LAUNCHES ITS FIRST FARM TO BOTTLE WHISKEY

WhistlePig has announced the launch of a new rye whiskey expression, which has been distilled, aged and bottled on its farm in Vermont.

WhistlePig FarmStock (43% ABV) is comprised of whisky aged between 1.5 to 2 years, distilled from rye grown on their farm and aged in Vermont oak barrels, balanced with 5 and 12 Year Old rye whiskeys from WhistlePig’s reserves.

WhistlePig FarmStock

This latest, much-anticipated estate release, is the culmination of the company’s founding vision to create a truly farm-to-bottle distillery, housing nearly every aspect of the whiskey-making process in one place.

Commenting on the launch, Raj Peter Bhakta, Founder of WhistlePig, said: “FarmStock is our story. It’s the realization of years of hard work to redefine how we understand craft and quality. As our first triple-terroir release, this is a historic whiskey deserving of two bottles: one to enjoy with good company and one to be collected for years to come.”

WhistlePig FarmStock, will be available later this month in the US, from specialist retailers for a RRP of $89.99.

Posted by Steve Rush