The Scotch Blog

Mackmyra Preludium/Sveriges whiskydestilleri

You may have heard of Mackmyra, the Swedish distiller of single malt whisky. They just released Preludium:01 the first Swedish Single Malt Whisky available for sale in a bottle:

The first Swedish Malt Whisky ever. A limited edition from our very first years of distilling. Preludium:01 is a blend of the premier casks of whisky made in our small-scale distillery in 1999, and the first ones from our present distillery, opened in 2002. In short words: the very first drops of Swedish malt.

There are a few differences in the way Mackmyra produces and matures their whisky, which we'll see when we talk to Eskil Tunberg - this is a thoroughly Scandinavian endeavor.

For maturation, Mackmyra uses first fill ex-bourbon casks and ex-sherry butts, but in addition, Mackmyra uses new casks made of Swedish Oak.

The fresh oak is charred to bring out the sweetness locked inside the wood fibres. The result is a rich, dark colour and an oak flavour without any influences from previous contents.

The following interview took place at Whisky Live London (March 2, 2006).

KE - Tell me about Mackmyra.

ET - The company was founded in 1999. The first drops were distilled in December 1999 from a very small hand made still. producing 30 litres. Very, very small.

During the first three years (1999, 200, 2001) what we did was learn how to produce whisky, and also developed the different recipes. We wanted to experiment. From Autumn 2002 our full scale distillery was operational and since then we have been in full production.

KE - Were you making any spirits before this?

ET - No, Mackmyra was founded by eight friends, four couples that went to a ski resort in Sweden. They all brought a bottle of malt whisky with them - there were eight people, eight bottles of whisky - and this is what came out.

The first three years was just recipes. Just learning, too. After the first 170 different batches we felt we were ready to take it to the next level and invest in a big distillery.

In late Autumn 2002, we got our new stills 8,000 and 6,000 litres - and since then we have been producing 2 recipes. One unpeated, we just dry the barley with hot air, and one peated version - and don't only use peat to get the smoke, we mix in juniper twigs as well - just to make a different Swedish recipe.

KE - Where are you getting your peat?

ET - Four kilometres away from the distillery - Swedish peat - it's all Swedish ingredients - Swedish water, Swedish barley, Swedish yeast - everything Swedish.
We've made everything ourselves - just to be sure that we do not copy someone else. We wanted to make Swedish whisky - so we've done everything ourselves.

KE - Let's talk about the Preludium...

ET - It's an introduction. This is a mix. We took the first cask we ever made, and the first first-fill sherry cask, the first first-fill bourbon cask, the first Swedish oak cask, and so on and so on. We took the first of everything and mixed it together and to get the volume. We took the first casks from our new distillery as well - so this is a three year old - the first recipe is six year old - so it's a mix of everything.

This is the first in a series of six that we will launch during 2006 and 2007.

KE - And you introduced it today, at the London Whisky Live?

ET - Yes. There were 9,000 bottles made - but the main part will stay in Sweden. There is some available throughout Scandinavia - and also in England, Scotland, France and The Netherlands.

KE - What about the U.S.?

ET - Yes. We are looking to get to the United States. One of the problems is that we have to find an importer first - but we have made some really good contacts here in London. We already have restaurants in New York and other places that are interested.

KE - Do you comprise the Swedish whisky industry at this point?

ET - Yes, we are the only ones. But we would love for the whisky industry in Sweden to grow!

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

A few days after Whisky Live, Eskil emailed me with proof positive of the demand for a home-grown Swedish Whisky:

I am also very happy to tell you that we sold the 4000 bottles of our Preludium:01 allocated to the Swedish private market in approximately two hours.

Good Luck, Mackmyra!

Bruichladdich Sale

Elliott at Town Wine & Spirits is having an incredible sale on Bruichladdich, that I wanted to tell you about...(No, this is not a paid advertisement. I don't accept advertising - Elliott has great prices, and I'll be buying some of this stuff myself.)

For those of you who were able to attend our special evening with Jim McEwan, you now know why he's the Whisky world's de facto ambassador at large. If you couldn't make it, you can still own a little piece of what was a REALLY fun evening...

Bruichladdich 10
Jim was kind enough to autograph a limited number of bottles of The Ten for our customers, and we're happy to offer them at a discounted price.
Our Price: $49.99 44.99

What follows is a list of the other Bruichladdich whiskies poured at the tasting, some of which have never before been offered on this side of the Atlantic:

WMD II Yellow Submarine (14 year-old enhanced in Rioja cask):
$ 65.95 59.95

14 year "Links" Series Turnberry 10th:
$ 69.95  62.95

3D Second Edition-"Maine Mhor":
$ 59.95 53.95

Second Edition 15 year: (Finished in Sauternes casks from Chateau d'Yquem)
$ 69.95  62.95 (By the way, this stuff is INCREDIBLE!)

Second Edition 20 year "Flirtation" (Mourvedre casks):
$ 159.95 149.95

1973 Vintage 30 year-old:
$ 259.95  219.95

To order, contact Town Wine & Spirits
email: malt@townwineri.com
phone: 401-434-4563
179 Newport Avenue
Rumford, RI 02916

Macallan Tasting - Singapore

BT, a reader from Singapore writes to let us know about a vertical Macallan tasting at the Four Seasons in Singapore on April 20th.

20 April 2006
The Macallan Single Malt Vertical Tasting
Join David Cox as he conducts The Macallan Single Malt Vertical Tasting. This is a rare opportunity to gain a better understanding of The Macallan whisky. Whisky aficionados not only can savour the taste but also experience the aroma, of the world's most precious whisky.

About David Cox

With 23 years of experience in the Scotch whisky industry, David Cox, a Modern History graduate of Oxford University, is now the director of fine and rare whiskies and global relationships of The Macallan. As the custodian of the greatest collection of vintage single malt ever released direct from a distillery, David proudly and enthusiastically shares the timeless glory and complexity of The Macallan Fine & Rare with whisky connoisseurs around the world.

"The Fine & Rare collection is truly a journey through the history of The Macallan" explains David. "As we release further vintages, so this sensory journey will continue to develop, but for now, it tells the story of The Macallan in 38 stunning chapters". With overwhelming passion and intense devotion, it is perhaps no exaggeration to say that whisky runs in this man's veins.

Venue:   Four Seasons Hotel Singapore   
Time:    8.00pm - 11.00pm
Price:    S$88.00   
Dress:    Smart Casual

Whisky Live New York Recap

Here's a recap of my whirl-wind trip to New York for Whisky Live. I was in New York just over 24 hours.

After arriving in New York, I went straight to Grand Central Station to take a peek at the "Scotland Village" that has been set up in Vanderbilt Hall.

I ran into Glenfiddich's distillery manager & chief ambassador, Ian Millar, at their booth and had a brief discussion about the auction for the 1937 that had occurred the previous night - For those of you  interested, Dan Weiss took it home for $20,000.

After that quick stop, I checked into my hotel and then headed down to my favorite New York whisky lounge, The Brandy Library to meet up with Flavien Desoblin and Ethan Kelley so we could all head up to the Whisky Live show. But first, they treated me to something called a Highland Cooler - a cocktail made with ginger beer, lime juice and (in this case) The Glenrothes Special Reserve. Tasty and refreshing. I had two.

Whisky Live took place at New York landmark Tavern on the Green, and the show's layout allowed attendees to take a pleasant, meandering path through the venue. Much more enjoyable than the standard "trade show" set-up that most tasting events go for. I must say the hall of mirrors leading to the venue was a little disconcerting - and became more so as the night went on.

I spent the first part of the night saying "Hi" to people I know, meeting people I only know through email, and meeting new people.

George Grant of Glenfarclas was attending as a civilian, as was Patrick Vipperman from Compass Box. I also ran into Malt Maniac Peter Silver - Peter, Flavien, Ethan and I hung out at the after hours party.  Oh yes if you talked to me after say, 11 pm, my recollection of the conversation will be sketchy. I did talk with Wild Scotsman Jeff Topping about the stupidity of the descriptor "cat pee" when reviewing a whisky, but I can't say I remember much more than that.

I had a chance to talk with Scotch Blog regular contributors Jim McEwan (Bruichladdich) and Ronnie Cox (Glenrothes), as well as finally meet Jack Teeling from Cooley and Gerry Tosh from Highland Park. Michael Jackson was apparently at the show to sign books, but I didn't get to see him.

One notable absentee was Scotch Blog contributor & Whisky Magazine Editor Dominic Roskrow. Dominic had dad duties for new daughter Madeleine. Belated Congratulations!

Simon Brooking was there running between the Laphroaig and Dalmore booths, and tells me that he is pretty chuffed to be doing ambassador duties for Laphroaig as well as the Dalmore.

I talked with Scott and Raymond Davidson in some detail about what I still consider to be the best tasting glass on the market, the Glencairn glass. That discussion will be a future article.

I also chatted with Ian Millar for a while about corks. Yes, Corks. I have an article in the queue about the use of corks in the Scotch industry. It's quite interesting and with Ian's input, may even turn out to be a two-parter.

While at the Glenfiddich booth, Sharon Owen treated me to a few new (and old things). First, the upcoming Balvenie New Wood 17 year old:

The Balvenie NewWood 17 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a single batch Balvenie, matured in just 79 traditional oak casks and transferred to NewWood casks for four months. The casks are coopered from Quercus Alba, American white oak, which has been toasted and then charred, but never previously held any liquid.

I also got a chance to try a Glenfiddich 1955 and a 1966. Both were very interesting and very good, but of the two, I preferred the 1966. Glenfiddich has no immediate plans to release these bottlings, but Ian did use them during his master class.

Some of the other interesting things I had an opportunity to try: The Single Cask/Cask Strength Highland Park 23 year old (available only through Park Avenue Liquors); the brand new Highland Park 15 (which I preferred over the 23!); the upcoming 1991 Glenrothes release (as well as some of the fantastic 1972 - which is almost completely sold out!); and the 28 year-old Dalmore Stillman's Dram.

If you asked the lovely ladies at the Johnnie Walker booth very nicely, they'd break out some Johnnie Blue for your approval. One insisted that I do some sort of dance, but I declined, and was served anyway. My friend Todd on the other hand, caved into their demands and did entertain them with some spastic jig-like thingie.

At the Classic Malts table I got to meet the newest Diageo Master of Scotch Knowledge - Jakee Diaz, while Gregor Cattanach donned a The Scotch Blog Malt Whisky shirt for the after party. Don't worry Spike, I'll send you one too.

All in all, I enjoyed the show very much. I think I liked it even more than Whisky Live London - It felt more relaxed, more like a social gathering and perhaps less like a trade show - likely due to the layout and atmosphere. There were some bottle necks in the traffic flow in places, but nothing that prevented you from getting to your destination.

Here's the latest Malt Whisky shirt siting. Scotch Blog reader and special effects wizard Geoff Mark.

Ethan Kelley & Peter Silver at the after party.

Tasting Notes - Revisited

For today's story, we have a guest writer.

Mark Reynier, Managing Director of Bruichladdich had something to add to my recent story about how Ratings/Tasting Notes are getting out of hand:

Ah, Kevin, another subject close to my heart.

The word ‘Tasting’ – like ‘love’ – is used in too many different  ways, most of them inappropriate. To me there are essentially four categories of ‘tasting’:

Professional Tasting -  (technical evaluating for purchase). You tend to think a wee bit harder when you are committing £100,000. It is a unique mix of detective skills, aptitude, neutrality, knowledge and above all – experience. It is an ability one acquires over many years.

Consumer Tasting  - (Scoring).  The heady mix of points, hyperbole and reputation, where tasters wading through a myriad of diverse samples attempt to separate the wheat from the chaff. And be the first to make the name for some new discovery.

Comparative Tasting  - (Comparing like with like). This can take the form of both vertical and horizontal tastings: the same origin, several different years. Or the same age and several different origins. 

Tasting (drinking slowly) – what most folk do, thinking they are tasting.

Tasting notes fall into three categories:

• technical aide-memoire
• educational, and
• sales

I have my father’s professional tasting notes from the fifties and sixties for wines that were tasted in cask at that time – and knowing the wines today I can confirm that the observations he made all those years ago are entirely accurate.

Commenting or Tasting?

Anybody can comment on a whisky, but to really taste correctly, fundamental principles must be adhered to ensure a level field - a blank canvas. Commenting on a dram after two pints of beer, a steak and kidney pie, chocolate pudding and a coffee does not constitute a tasting note. Nor does sampling 10 malts in a row: your brain & palate simply cannot handle it. Professional wine tasters don’t even drink the stuff - they merely sniff, sip and spit it out – and they will do more than ten at a go.

I have written my own professional tasting notes for over 25 years, using the exact same environment, technique, number, regulation and routine. These are stark, technical assessments, devoid of hyperbole; a kind of short hand 360 degree evaluation that enables me to recall exactly what I felt about  something - They are dull.

I have also adapted those notes into Consumer tasting notes, a language that is altogether different, in order to try and convey a realistic and useful impression - taking into account value, contemporaries, reputation, vintage, future, etc, etc.  I can confirm how difficult it is to write such notes accurately, sincerely and interestingly to convey an overall impression in a language that the reader - all readers - will understand.

Some consumer tasting notes will be written deliberately to provoke, to stand out, show off, to grab the reader’s attention – and are usually exaggerated in order to give an over all impression. Subtle tasting notes do not sell - simplistic points do.  Marks are merely an extension of this.  They cannot possibly be definitive.

I have had the pleasure of several of Robert Parker’s 100 point wines – a mark that denotes perfection.  These are good wines and they may have appeared at that time to be perfect to the taster – but they are not now. Similarly, blind, show or magazine tastings are equally flawed unless the correct tasting order is observed, the number tasted is severely limited and the conditions are identical etc, etc.

In the end, some tasting notes are written with a genuine desire to convey to the reader the experience the taster had (Jim [McEwan] takes 2 hours per tasting note) and others are rattled off using hip buzz words that imply technical knowledge (e.g., Butyric).

Having said that, if one can identify with a certain writer’s palate that seems to match your own, or at least the language does – in that case stick with it.

Mark Reynier
Managing Director
Bruichladdich Distillery

Best of Scotch Blog - New York Times, Strike One

While you are reading this (April 5th) I'll still be in New York, for Whisky Magazine's Whisky Live. In the mean time, here is a "Best of The Scotch Blog" story to tide you over...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally Posted - September 22, 2005

Next time, write about Vodka. Please.

I love scotch.
And just as much as I love drinking it, I love promoting it.
I also love reading stories that promote it.

But I hate stories that get it wrong. One such story recently appeared in the September 18, 2005 Sunday New York Times Magazine entitled "Malt Shop."

The article starts out:

Nothing gives a man instant swagger like Scotch. One whiff, and a weakling on wall-to-wall carpet becomes Burt Reynolds (or Tom Ford) on a bearskin rug.

Huh?
I don't even know what that means. But it doesn't sound like a transformation I'm interested in.

You'll be at a disadvantage understanding my comments without having read the article. You may want to take this opportunity to read the brief, yet wholly uninformative article now, before proceeding. Download maltshop.pdf. I'll wait.

Back with me? Good!

The number of issues I have with this story are myriad. Here are but a few:

1. Its imperative that we reduce confusion regarding Single Malt Scotch and the article did not accomplish this at all.

"Scotch" should not be used as a generic term. Single malt refers to a whisky made using barley (and no other grain) and produced at a single distillery. Single malt Scotch is a protected term that refers to a single malt whisky produced and aged in Scotland. However, the article refers to single malt Scotch in the first paragraph, and then go on to name whiskies produced in Japan in the second. Bad form - and quite confusing for the uninitiated. And there is no "e" in Scotch whisky.

2. They have the production method all wrong. Whisky is never heated over peat. The malting barley is dried using the heat from a fire, which is OFTEN, but not always, fueled using dried peat. This happens LONG before the barley is even close to taking on a liquid (much less "liquor") form.

3. In all my time involved in Scotch I have NEVER heard the Lowland region referred to as "The Lowland Ladies." This may be some archaic term of "affection" for the region, but I've never heard it used. Yet the writer states that this is the official name for the region. Where in the world did THAT come from?         

4. Although Dalmore is a fine Scotch whisky, I would hardly point to it as the "typical" Highland Malt. That is a personal comment.

5. I'm sorry, but if you show up at your local spirit shop with $25 in hand, you will be disappointed by the limited selection. This stuff ain't cheap. You'll likely walk away with a blended Scotch. I'm GUESSING that Richard Patterson was referring to British Pounds and not American Dollars (And that's if he was even quoted correctly).

6. The "years' in mouth" rule the author mentions is just hog-wash.

7. The last paragraph regarding The Macallan is disjointed, un-informative and unrelated to the core theme of the story. Obviously they needed 200 more words to fill in the page.

Ok. Take a breath. Now, repeat after me slowly:

Exposure for Scotch whisky = Good
Misinformation = Bad

Is a well-researched article from the New York Times too much to expect?

Apparently.

I love scotch.
And just as much as I love drinking it, I love promoting it.
I also love reading stories that promote it.

But I hate stories that get it wrong. One such story recently appeared in the September 18, 2005 Sunday New York Times Magazine entitled "Malt Shop."

The article starts out:

Nothing gives a man instant swagger like Scotch. One whiff, and a weakling on wall-to-wall carpet becomes Burt Reynolds (or Tom Ford) on a bearskin rug.

Huh?
I don't even know what that means. But it doesn't sound like a transformation I'm interested in.

You'll be at a disadvantage understanding my comments without having read the article. You may want to take this opportunity to read the brief, yet wholly uninformative article now, before proceeding. Download maltshop.pdf. I'll wait.

Back with me? Good!

The number of issues I have with this story are myriad. Here are but a few:

1. Its imperative that we reduce confusion regarding Single Malt Scotch and the article did not accomplish this at all.

"Scotch" should not be used as a generic term. Single malt refers to a whisky made using barley (and no other grain) and produced at a single distillery. Single malt Scotch is a protected term that refers to a single malt whisky produced and aged in Scotland. However, the article refers to single malt Scotch in the first paragraph, and then go on to name whiskies produced in Japan in the second. Bad form - and quite confusing for the uninitiated. And there is no "e" in Scotch whisky.

2. They have the production method all wrong. Whisky is never heated over peat. The malting barley is dried using the heat from a fire, which is OFTEN, but not always, fueled using dried peat. This happens LONG before the barley is even close to taking on a liquid (much less "liquor") form.

3. In all my time involved in Scotch I have NEVER heard the Lowland region referred to as "The Lowland Ladies." This may be some archaic term of "affection" for the region, but I've never heard it used. Yet the writer states that this is the official name for the region. Where in the world did THAT come from?         

4. Although Dalmore is a fine Scotch whisky, I would hardly point to it as the "typical" Highland Malt. That is a personal comment.

5. I'm sorry, but if you show up at your local spirit shop with $25 in hand, you will be disappointed by the limited selection. This stuff ain't cheap. You'll likely walk away with a blended Scotch. I'm GUESSING that Richard Patterson was referring to British Pounds and not American Dollars (And that's if he was even quoted correctly).

6. The "years' in mouth" rule the author mentions is just hog-wash.

7. The last paragraph regarding The Macallan is disjointed, un-informative and unrelated to the core theme of the story. Obviously they needed 200 more words to fill in the page.

Ok. Take a breath. Now, repeat after me slowly:

Exposure for Scotch whisky = Good
Misinformation = Bad

Is a well-researched article from the New York Times too much to expect?

Apparently.

Glenfiddich 1937 Auction Tonight

Tonight at Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall, a bottle of Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937, will be auctioned off to benefit City Harvest, which seeks to end hunger in New York. This bottle is the only 750ml bottle of the 1937 ever produced (The standard bottling in the UK is 700ml). The spirit was aged in cask for 64 years and bottled in 2001.

The auction kicks off at 7pm with cocktails; bidding starts at 8pm and the event should be over by 9pm.

Vanderbilt Hall is a large hall right off of the center 42nd street entrance.

--------

An Auction for The World’s Oldest Bottle of Whisky – Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937
As part of New York’s Tartan Week celebrations (a week-long series of activities highlighting Scottish culture and heritage), Glenfiddich has partnered with City Harvest to auction off one of the four remaining bottles of Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937. In fact, because it has to be imported into the United States, a special bottling was created so the bottle on display is the only 750 ml bottle of the Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937 ever made. This one-of-a-kind bottle will be sold to the highest bidder (reserve price is $19,000) with proceeds donated to City Harvest. Just a few years ago, a 700 ml bottle from the same cask sold for almost $80,000, so this night should truly be one to remember. The event will be held on April 4, 2006, in Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, with cocktails at 7:00 pm and the auction at 8:00 pm.

Glenfiddich Malt Master David Stewart notes:

Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937 is a truly unique and exquisite malt whisky of exceptional character. As well as being the oldest Scotch whisky in the world and a very collectible piece, if you can afford to share it with your friends, it would make for the most wonderful taste experience.

Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937 was distilled in the same year as the Coronation of King George VI, the same year JRR Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ was first published and Walt Disney’s ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ was first released as a full length animated feature film. At the time, The Glenfiddich Distillery was one of only six distilleries open and producing whisky in Scotland.

KME - There is no cost to attend, but you need to get on the list by calling 212 982-8300 x 111

Fruity Beauty

I ran into Andy Forrester (the "and" in Jon, Mark, and Robbo) at Whisky Live (London) and we talked about The Fresh Fruity One, the latest release from JMR which I had mentioned back in January.

Well it's out now, and there are two things to note:

1. It is only available at Duty Free shops in the UK.
2. It's a vatted grain - that's right, there are no malts in this one.

KE - Vatted Grains aren't very common - the only one that comes to mind is Compass Box Hedonism. Tell me about why you choose to go grain for this one.

AF - Robbo actually presented a fab fruity style at Whisky Live two years ago (2004) during a Master class. An Irish, Scottish, Japanese blend. Aye, so, we went back, decided we wanted to make it available to all our mates.

We were looking at all sorts of malts - but everything we tasted - reminded me of some pink perfume - everything was just not right.

I think it was because we were having to - I don't know if this is really right or not - but we were having to find young malts to retain the fruitiness - but then of course, they were still immature and spirity.  Key is maximum flavour and minimum fuss - we needed the fruit and the sweetness but no woodiness.  If you like wood go chew on a pencil!

I think we found that we could instead use more mature grains - ones that had lost the spiritiness, but had still retained the fruit. That was how it seemed to me anyway - so we vatted these grains together and fresh fruit is what came out.  Choc full of apples, melons, pears and then some coconut.

KE - So you were looking for the fruitiness - or did you make the stuff and say "Wow, this is pretty fruity."

AF - No, No, we were after the fruit. The prototype - the one we'd done at Whisky Live was called "Fruity Beauty". Robbo and I had been asked to map the various whisky brands for a presentation we were doing - we broke them down into four flavor zones: Spicy, Peaty, Sweet and Fruity.

Robbo and I started talking about solar systems and planets instead of just flavor zones - so we started talking about the blooming solar system and we realized there were loads of whiskies that lived on planet Spice, like Macallan and Aberlour, and loads of whiskies were living on planet Peat, but basically there was nothing that even had a visa to be on planet Fruit, with the possible exception of - well we thought maybe Cragganmore might be allowed to stay on holiday, maybe Glenlivet for a short visit, but nothing else was there, so we thought we'd craft a fruity whisky - so it kind of grew out of that - the idea that we'd like to populate this flavor zone that we thought was lacking. That was the conversation anyway.

So yeah, we ended up using grain - and of course it's novel, it's different, and that's what we are all about - focused on flavour no matter where it comes from!   We love whiskies from all over the place and hope to make another mixed country malt soon.....

KE - Did you do this specifically for Duty Free?

AF - Basically when we created it, we'd just moved to a new distributor in the UK for the original three and they felt it was too soon to start walking straight back out to their customers and say "Well hang on, there's a fourth one now."

So basically there was a reluctance, which I don't quite agree with anyway, so I said I was going to sell it anyway, so I was going down to see the duty free guy and did the presentation and they loved it, so I offered them an exclusive for three months.

So it was almost an accident, but a result of a desire to get it to out to all our followers - they crave flavour and tell us they like new stuff made in cool new ways.

KE - And it's been out for three weeks. Has it been selling well?

AF - I've not seen any figures yet, but I phoned up the duty free and they said it was moving pretty well.

KE - What about the U.S. Remy is your distributor, right?

AF - Yeah. It's not been taken to the U.S. as yet. I don't know what the plans are. Remy are still in the process of launching our 3 core flavour styles across the US and we hope that they will take the fresh fruity stuff later this year!

When it hits the U.S., I'll let you know. In the mean time, if you are travelling to the UK, look for The Fresh Fruity One at World of Whiskies or the Duty Free Shop.

Tartan Week: NYC

In addition to Whisky Live on April 5th, there's a week's worth of Scottish heritage going on in New York.

On December 19th 1991, in response to action initiated by the Clans & Scottish Societies of Canada, the Ontario Legislature passed a resolution proclaiming April 6th as Tartan Day, following the example of other Canadian provinces. America followed suit on March 20th 1998, when Senate Resolution 155 (S.Res. 155), proposed by US Senate Republican majority leader Trent Lott, was passed unanimously.

In New York it's become Tartan Week, culminating in the Tartan Day Parade.

Scotland Village
Grand Central Terminal - Vanderbilt Hall
April 1-8
The Scotland Village is a dynamic, exhibition of Scotland's past and present. Catch live Scottish music, fashion shows, cooking demonstrations and genealogical displays - you could even win a free flight to Scotland! Admission is free.

Scotland Run
Central Park
April 2
Join over 3,000 runners for this 10k run through Central Park organized by New York Road Runners and sponsored by the Scottish Executive. Tel 212-860-4455

Auction of Glenfiddich 1937
Grand Central Terminal - Vanderbilt Hall
April 4
A bottle of Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937, will be auctioned off on April 4 to benefit City Harvest, which seeks to end hunger in New York. This bottle is the only 750ml bottle of the 1937 ever produced. The spirit was aged in cask for 64 years and bottled in 2001.

Whisky Live New York
Tavern on the Green
April 5

National Tartan Day Cocktail Reception
New York Racquet and Tennis Club, 370 Park Avenue
April 6
Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York salutes National Tartan Day with a cocktail reception starting at five-thirty. Reservations are required and limited. Please call 212-223-4248 for details or e-mail office@standrewsny.org. Business attire or Cocktail (jacket and tie required for gentlemen) $50

Scotland within the British Memorial Garden
Old Slip Park, Water Street
April 6
As part of the celebration of Tartan Week in New York, see pipers and music of Scotland in Lower Manhattan, featuring The Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Pipe Band and The Inverclyde Junior Pipe Band, World Junior Champions. Call 212-682 7945 for further details. 11.30am-1pm

Pre-Parade Ceilidh
Abigail Adams Auditorium
April 7
Sponsored by the New York Caledonian Club and The American Scottish Foundation, the Friday evening Pre-Parade Ceilidh is a New York Tartan Day Parade tradition not to be missed. Entertainment provided by the fantastic ceilidh band Madra Confach, award winning clarsach player Maeve Gillies and The New York Scottish Pipes and Drums. The event will be held at The Abigail Adams Auditorium, 417 East 61st Street, NYC 10021 at 8pm-12am. Cost $20, includes admission and entertainment. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Gilda's Club. For any questions contact events@nycaledonian.org.

Kirking of the Tartan
Central Presbyterian Church, 593 Park Av. (64th)
April 8
This non-denominational event will be followed by a brunch in the Church Hall. The service is open to all. The brunch is a ticketed event and seating is limited. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased until March 26th by sending a check to Saint Andrews Society of the State of New York, 150 East 55th Street, Third Floor, New York, NY 10022. Overseas attendees can reserve by credit card by calling 212-223-4248 and tickets will be held at the door. First come first served. Organized by the Saint Andrew's Society of the State of NY. The Kirkin is at 10:00am April 8th 2006

National Tartan Day Parade
6th Avenue, b/n 45th St. & 58th St.
April 8
The New York Tartan Day Committee invite all pipe bands, individual pipers and drummers, and Scottish Groups to join a celebration of Scotland's past and present and take part in the New York's National Tartan Day Parade. Registration is free. The parade starts at 2:00pm on 45th Street and marching up 6th Avenue ending at 58th Street.

Post Parade Party
Stout NYC - 133 West 33rd Street
April 8
3 Floors 3 Bands 3 Times the fun! The National Tartan Day New York Committee is proud to announce that there will be a post parade party this year with a nominal admission fee of $10 for all pipers, drummers and clans. With high ceilings and cobble stone floors, the fortress-like Stout accommodates 700 people. Live entertainment will be provided by Barley Juice, Peat Bog Faeries, Scocha and other special guests. Limited open bar with beer and select spirits 4:30-6:30 pm, Cash bar starting at 6:30 pm Send email to edzip@yahoo.com to reserve tickets and get payment details. $30 at the door (not guaranteed entry) Plan to have a lot of fun, kick back after the parade and indulge in the waters of life. Sponsored by the New York Tartan Day Committee, Glenfiddich and The Scottish Executive.

Tartan Army 4th Annual Tartan Day Party
Mundial, 505 East 12th Street (Avenue A)
April 8
Keep the party going all night with the 4th annual NYC Tartan Army party at Mundial in the East Village. From 8pm until late come see Scottish DJs playing the best music from Scotland, Belhaven on tap, lots of kilts and, of course, quality banter. Free entry.