For 41 years, the Port Ellen Distillery on Scotland’s Isle of Islay sat silent. Last month, a multi-million dollar restoration of the distillery was completed… Read More
For 41 years, the Port Ellen Distillery on Scotland’s Isle of Islay sat silent. Last month, a multi-million dollar restoration of the distillery was completed when the first spirit flowed at Port Ellen since 1983. While it’ll be years before we see new bottlings of Port Ellen, the distillery will be open to Islay visitors from around the world. Diageo’s Ewan Gunn was on hand when that first spirit flowed. He’s been part of the revival since it was announced in 2017, and joins us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, The Demeter Collection auction raised £49,000 for the Our Whisky Foundation, while William Grant & Sons is expanding its Blended Scotch portfolio with a new range of whiskies.
Nothing better than seeing how the Bourbon Community unites to help support wonderful causes. A recent testimony of this – the Sazerac Single Barrel (SBS) program recently hosted a charity sweeps that began in February, all benefits going to St. Jude’s Research. The steaks were high as the dangling carrot just happened to be a […]
Nothing better than seeing how the Bourbon Community unites to help support wonderful causes. A recent testimony of this – the Sazerac Single Barrel (SBS) program recently hosted a charity sweeps that began in February, all benefits going to St. Jude’s Research. The steaks were high as the dangling carrot just happened to be a BARREL of BLANTON’S GOLD. And its get better, a VIP on-site experience at Buffalo Trace Distillery. All for a $100 ticket entry. That’s some pretty serious smoke.
Perhaps it should not be a big surprise that this campaign raised a reported $1,000,0000. Nonetheless, it’s so incredible to see this kind of success going to such a wonderful cause.
Per Sazerac, the SBS Program has raised more than $3M for charities prior to this campaign. We will certainly drink to that.
To learn more about the SBS Program and to sign up – CLICK HERE.
SBS BLANTON’S GOLD CHARITY SWEEPS PRIZE PACKAGE
The winner of the Blanton’s Gold Charity Sweepstakes will receive:
· A VIP behind-the-scenes tour at Buffalo Trace Distillery for the winner and up to seven of their guests.
· A private barrel selection experience where the winner will thieve, taste and select their barrel.
· $20,000 prize, which may be used to purchase personalized bottles yielded from the selected barrel.
The Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky, an organization that does work for those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries… from our military fighting wars to children who’ve fallen off bikes is having a charity auction for a vertical flight of Pappy…
The Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky, an organization that does work for those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries... from our military fighting wars to children who've fallen off bikes is having a charity auction for a vertical flight of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon plus a Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye. The drawing will be held on Friday, November 17, 2023, at the BIAK Annual Brain Ball. You need not be present to win. Tickets are $100 and will be capped at 1000. You can buy your ticket(s) here.
Pappy Van Winkle Raffle - $100
The flight includes one bottle of each:
Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year
Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year
Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year
Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year
Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year
Julian Van Winkle III signed each bottle, adding incredible value to this collection!
This may be your best bet to score some bottles of Pappy Van Winkle while benefiting charity at the same time. If you have the money to spare, this is as good a place to spend it as any. Give it try and good luck to everyone!
Balcones Distilling in Waco helped put Texas whiskey on the map when it opened in 2008, and this past weekend, the distillery marked it’s 15th… Read More
Balcones Distilling in Waco helped put Texas whiskey on the map when it opened in 2008, and this past weekend, the distillery marked it’s 15th anniversary with a rain-soaked party. We spent the weekend in Waco for the celebration, and sat down with longtime head distiller Jared Himstedt to get answers to some of your questions. In the news, whisky cask investment schemes in the UK are coming under scrutiny, while a charity auction to benefit victims of the recent Irish floods has raised nearly €35,000.
Actor Sam Heughan is best known for his starring role on TV’s “Outlander,” but he’s a whisky lover, too. Sam started his own whisky brand,… Read More
Actor Sam Heughan is best known for his starring role on TV’s “Outlander,” but he’s a whisky lover, too. Sam started his own whisky brand, The Sassenach, and he’ll join us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth to talk about his love for whisky. We’ll also hear from the new master distiller at Angel’s Envy, Owen Martin. He’s just unveiled this year’s Angel’s Envy Cask Strength releases, a Bourbon, and for the first time, a Rye. In the news, Pernod Ricard is planning a new distillery on Islay, while Compass Box wants to build one in the Highlands.
The biennial Distillers’ One of One auction held Thursday at Hopetoun House near Edinburgh shattered pre-auction estimates, with bids totaling £2,248,750 ($2,715,815 USD), more than… Read More
The biennial Distillers’ One of One auction held Thursday at Hopetoun House near Edinburgh shattered pre-auction estimates, with bids totaling £2,248,750 ($2,715,815 USD), more than double the pre-auction estimate. Distillers and bottlers contributed 39 one-of-a-kind items for the auction, which benefits The Distillers’ Charity Youth Action Fund and was managed by Sotheby’s.
The high bid came for the Bowmore STAC 55 Years Old, the oldest Bowmore ever released by the distillery. The bidding ended at £562,500, beating the pre-auction estimates of £300-500,000. The Brora Iris 50 Years Old 1972 set an auction record for Broras with a high bid of £400,000. In all, 19 separate records for various distilleries were set during the day’s bidding.
Several whiskies made their debut during the auction, including Dhavall Gandhi’s initial release of Kandoblanc AGA, which sold for £45,000. In addition, The Last Drop contributed a blending session allowing the winning bidder to create their own Scotch Whisky, bringing a winning bid of £60,000.
The biennial auctions have raised £4.2 million for the Youth Action Fund, which supports disadvantaged young people in Scotland. In a statement, Jonathan Driver of The Distillers One of One called the auction a resounding success.
Buffalo Trace Distillery recently announced a new, annual charitable initiative – “100 Bourbon Sets for 100 Charities” – honoring the legacy of Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Often referred to as the founding father of the modern bourbon industry, Taylor was one of Buffalo Trace Distillery’s former owners and an instrumental figure in the movement that […]
Buffalo Trace Distillery recently announced a new, annual charitable initiative – “100 Bourbon Sets for 100 Charities” – honoring the legacy of Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr.
Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Courtesy
Often referred to as the founding father of the modern bourbon industry, Taylor was one of Buffalo Trace Distillery’s former owners and an instrumental figure in the movement that led to the 1897 passage of the Bottled in Bond Act. “100 Bourbon Sets for 100 Charities” pays homage to 100 proof, one of the many things required to be Bottled in Bond.
“E.H. Taylor contributed countless innovations to the bourbon industry in his time, but one of his most notable contributions was leading efforts that eventually resulted in the Bottled in Bond Act being passed,” said Andrew Duncan, Brand Director, Buffalo Trace Distillery. “At its core, Taylor’s support of the Bottled in Bond Act was about bettering the bourbon category for everyone – consumer, distillers, and communities. This passion for improving the world is one that continues at Buffalo Trace Distillery to this day, and we are proud to support nonprofit organizations in their efforts to make their neighborhoods a better place to call home.”
Featured products for the “100 Bourbon Sets for 100 Charities” initiative include lineups from some of Buffalo Trace Distillery’s most sought-after brands, including E.H. Taylor, Blanton’s, Eagle Rare, Weller and more. The number of bottles in each set may vary. Interested nonprofits can register their organization here.
“Giving back and supporting organizations is important to us at Buffalo Trace Distillery,” said Duncan. “We are humbled by the work our partners continue to do and honored to be able to support them in their efforts.”
Charities of all kinds are encouraged to apply for “100 Bourbon Sets for 100 Charities.” All entries must be received within 100 days – by January 4, 2024 – for consideration. Selected charities will be announced February 29, 2024 in honor of Bottled in Bond Day that Sunday, March 3. Bottles sets will be delivered within 30 days following the selection announcement. Organizations MUST use their bottle sets and report back their monies raised by August 1, 2024.
Buffalo Trace Distillery will coordinate the logistics of transporting bottles to selected organizations based on the legal requirements in each state. Proceeds will be announced September 2024 in celebration of National Bourbon Heritage Month.
The Bottled in Bond Act was first-of-its kind legislation that saved whiskey in America. Passage of the Act led to increased quality and consumer safety across categories (and the formation of the modern FDA) and paved the way for the focus on quality & innovation that Buffalo Trace Distillery maintains today.
Bottled in Bond required distillers to label aged spirits, mostly American Whiskey, as “bottled-in-bond,” meaning the product meets the following criteria:
· The spirit must be produced in a single distillation season by a single distillery.
· The spirit must mature in a U.S. bonded warehouse for a minimum of four years.
· The aged spirit must be bottled at 50% ABV (or, 100 proof).
For any questions regarding the “100 Bourbon Sets for 100 Charities” initiative, please email charity@buffalotrace.com. For more information on Buffalo Trace Distillery and its ongoing charitable efforts, please visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.
Distillers around Scotland are teaming up to help the country’s youth through the Distillers’ Charity One of One Auction on October 5. 39 one-of-a-kind bottles… Read More
Distillers around Scotland are teaming up to help the country’s youth through the Distillers’ Charity One of One Auction on October 5. 39 one-of-a-kind bottles will go on the auction block to raise money for the Charity’s Youth Action Fund, including the debut bottling of Kandoblanc from Studio Dhavall Gandhi. We’ll talk with Dhavall and the charity’s managing director, Beanie Geraedts-Espey on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, we’ll have details on new releases from Bruichladdich, Jack Daniel’s, and Tomatin, just to name a few.
There’s a lot of data behind the whiskies we enjoy, and analyzing that data can give us some insights into the health of the whisky… Read More
There’s a lot of data behind the whiskies we enjoy, and analyzing that data can give us some insights into the health of the whisky industry. Martin Purvis and Duncan McFadzean examine whisky data for their Commercial Spirits Intelligence newsletter, and concluded that last week’s Scotch Whisky export numbers aren’t as bad as they might appear on face value. We’ll talk with Martin Purvis about the analysis on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, we have details on this year’s crop of annual releases from Four Roses, Heaven Hill, and Old Forester, along with the rest of the week’s new releases. We’ll also have our Community segment and explain in Behind the Label why you can’t get a Kentucky Bourbon Trail passport stamped at one of the Commonwealth’s most popular distilleries.
The Scotch Whisky Experience on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, and this week launches an all-new multimedia tour highlighting the production… Read More
The Scotch Whisky Experience on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, and this week launches an all-new multimedia tour highlighting the production of Scotch Whisky. We’ll talk with CEO Susan Morrison on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, unique one of a kind whiskies are going on the auction block for charity this October, Bruichladdich cuts its carbon footprint with a new recycled glass bottle for the Classic Laddie, and The Dead Rabbit’s expansion plans took two big steps this week. We’ll have the rest of the week’s whisky news, tasting notes, and more!
