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WHISKY

Loch Lomond Whiskies unveils rare 45 Year Old

Loch Lomond Whiskies has unveiled its newest aged single malt; a 45 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The expression is the first of three releases in The Remarkable Stills Series of single malts to be released by the distillery which celebrate its innovative and unique straight neck pot stills. Master Blender, Michael Henry said, “Our straight neck pot stills connect us to the spirit of innovation that was built into our distillery from the beginning, and places flavour at the centre of what we do. It is only fitting that we mark their significance to us through the Remarkable Stills Series. “It has been a pleasure working on the creation of the Loch Lomond 45 Year Old, our first release of the series. It is a truly beautiful expression and captures the essence of the Loch Lomond Whiskies spirit perfectly. For more information on Loch Lomond 45 Year Old, please visithttps://www.lochlomondwhiskies.com/products/lochlomond-45-year-old-single-malt.

DIAGEO UNVEILS BRORA TRIPTYCH

Diageo has unveiled a range of one-off special releases from the famous ghost distillery, Brora. Brora Triptych is a celebration of the distillery, which is set to reopen in mid-May. Originally known as Clynelish, production began in Brora Distillery on the north-east coast of Scotland in 1819 but it closed in 1983. The releases are Brora ‘Elusive Legacy’ 1972, 48-YearOld, Brora ‘Age of Peat’ 1977, 43-Year-Old and Brora ‘Timeless Original’ 1982, 38-Year-Old. Master blender Dr. Craig Wilson has selected the vintage Single Malt whiskies in the Triptych, and said, “These are some of our very last precious relics from a Brora of a bygone age. Each one represents a moment in time at the distillery and tasting these superb whiskies is to be part of a special moment in history.”

CASK TRADE RELEASES FIRST EVER TRILOGY OF CASKS

The Cask Trade Trilogy is a limited-edition trio of casks available in three unique expressions using new-make spirit distilled at Speyside Distillery in Kingussie. Cask Trade is creating three distinct whisky expressions – Bourbon, Sherry and Port matured. The new Trilogy is the first to be produced and sold in cask by Cask Trade. Managing Director of Cask Trade, Simon Aron, says, “The creation of this Trilogy is a first for Cask Trade, and a truly exceptional opportunity for whisky enthusiasts and investors alike. “We are fanatical about whisky and believe the marrying of the liquid with the wood to create three different flavour profiles will be an extraordinary experience.” Cask Trade has priced the casks keenly with passionate whisky enthusiasts in mind. The complete Trilogy is available priced £5,000 and includes five years free storage and insurance.

HARD SELTZER

Brand new Scottish drinks start-up

A new Scottish drink brand called Twisted Sisters Drinks will launch this summer featuring a range of hard seltzers and RTD cocktails. It was born through lockdown by co-founders Ruth Jones. The brand will launch, initially, with three hard seltzers in early June with ambitions of ‘conquering the on-trade as it reopens.’ Said Ruth, “We found other hard seltzers on the market have chosen to add ‘a hint of flavour. We have chosen a much fuller flavour profile which has been well received” The range will consist of coconut and lime, blueberry and elderflower and rhubarb and ginger. All are low calorie, vegan, gluten-free and carb free and will be available from the Twisted Sisters website.

GIN BEER

EDEN MILL DISTILLER’S CHOICE COLLECTION LAUNCH RED AND WHITE WINE CASK AGED GINS

‘Red Wine Cask-Aged Gin’ and ‘White Wine Cask-Aged Gin’ are limited edition gins developed and handcrafted by Eden Mill’s expert senior distilling team, Scott Ferguson and Andrew Walker. The gins join Oak Old Tom Gin in the collection of ‘standout contemporary expressions,’ which launched in early 2021 winning Silver at the London Spirit Awards in April of this year. Eden Mill Head Distiller Scott Ferguson said, “As Scotland’s first single-site brewery and distillery, we’ve been marrying techniques and experimenting with new flavours since day one. We first brought our fascination for oak from producing whisky together with gin when we created Eden Mill’s Oak Gin in 2015. By experimenting with cask-ageing and also adding oak chips, we found a beautiful way of giving gin a boost of flavour at speed.’

Bombay Sapphire on track to boast 100% sustainably sourced botanicals

Bombay Sapphire has announced that all 10 of its botanical ingredients are on track to be certified sustainable in 2021. The suppliers of eight already certified according to the For Life standard. The goal is for the remaining two producers – for grains of paradise from Ghana and liquorice from China – to be certified in the months which follow the lifting of travel restrictions. This news is a major step towards parent company Bacardi’s aim of achieving its 2025 goal of sourcing 100% of its key ingredients from sustainably certified suppliers. The 10 botanicals, including juniper from Tuscany, coriander from Morocco, lemon peel from Spain and cubeb berries from Java, are hand-selected by Bombay Sapphire’s master of botanicals Ivano Tonutti. He said, “We take a 360-degree approach to sustainability. It’s our responsibility to care as much about the farmers and their communities as we do the botanicals they grow and harvest for Bombay Sapphire. By looking after their well-being and investing in sustainable farming practices, we are helping to protect the environment and their livelihoods for generations to come.”

INNIS & GUNN TEAM UP WITH LAPHROAIG

Innis & Gunn has released 3,400 limited edition bottles of the 7.4% Innis & Gunn Islay Whisky Cask available in 33cl bottles. It has been matured in Laphroaig ten-year-old single malt Scotch casks for 12 weeks. Said Chris Richardson, global senior director for Laphroaig, “The Islay Whisky Cask limited edition is perfect for anyone who loves the unforgettable flavour of Laphroaig and wants to experience it married with the deep, rich flavours of one of Scotland’s top beers. Order at the Innis & Gunn online store: https://www.innisandgunn.com

VODKA

Ten Locks adds Mary White Vodka to its portfolio

Ten Locks has added Belgium’s first vodka Mary White Vodka to its portfolio. The 40% abv newcomer celebrates the ‘pioneering legacy’ of Mary White, described as ‘the uncrowned queen of New York bootleggers’, who turned the maledominated world of alcohol production in the Prohibition era on its head. Becky Davies, head of commercial at Ten Locks, said, “It’s an exceptional example of a brand with true distinction, enabling our customers to connect with consumers via a newer style of vodka while appealing to them directly with a beautiful proposition.” Mary White Vodka is priced £35 for a 70cl bottle. It joins Nusa Caña, Applewood Gin, West Cork Irish Whiskey, Salford Rum, Diablesse Rum, Banhez Mezcal and El Tequileño in Ten Locks’ portfolio.

The Redhurst Hotel

Giffnock

The Redhurst Hotel, owned by Manorview Hotels, closed its doors in February 2020 to undergo its biggest ever refurbishment to date to totally transform the property both inside and out. The hotel, which was built in 1967 by the Stakis Hotel Group, and has seen a number of owners throughout the years, before being purchased by Manorview Hotel & Leisure Group in 2013. Manorview officially received a handover from the builders last month and are now focusing on dressing the venue and rolling out team training prior to opening. The refurbishment was led by Glasgow based Thomas Johnstone Group and the project management overseen by Nixon Ltd. Manorview worked with Space ID on interior design. David Tracey, managing director, Manorview Hotels said, “After what has been undoubtedly the most challenging year for the hospitality industry we are delighted to be gearing up to officially re-launch the Redhurst Hotel as the hotel industry comes back to life. The Redhurst has been a much loved venue in the heart of the Giffnock community for decades and the new look Redhurst is ready to be reborn! “We will be keeping the same relaxed and welcoming ethos which the Redhurst is renowned for but will be providing a much more diverse and contemporary offering to our customers. They can expect a new look restaurant and bar with new all day dining options, a stunning outdoor terrace, a new ballroom and event spaces as well as chic new guest bedrooms and public areas throughout the hotel. We will officially be opening on the 12 May and our team are extremely excited to welcome guests back to the venue.” The hotel also now boasts a new restaurant Bird & Bell. The venue is part of the Manorview Hotels, which formed in 2007 and now comprises eight hotels, two nightclubs, two pubs, a fitness & leisure centre and luxury spa.