ACTOR RAISES A DRAM AS DISTILLERY CENTRE OPENS

A new visitor centre opened at an Islay distillery at the weekend as part of a £20million, five-year global investment programme for the single malt whisky brand.

Scottish actor James Cosmo, who starred alongside Mel Gibson in Braveheart, declared the new centre at Bowmore Distillery open as guests enjoyed a few drams and a firework display. Bowmore is also about to launch a new bottle and packaging for its whisky. The new visitor centre, which now forms part of the distillery tour, features Bowmore archives which have never previously been on display to the public.

Operations manager Iseabail Mactaggart said: “It showcases the distillery’s rich history so well and makes the most of our stunning setting by Loch Indaal. “This gives us the opportunity to share with our visitors the traditions that we are all so proud of here at Bowmore.”

The distillery was established in 1779 and is the oldest on Islay. It is owned by Morrison Bowmore Distillers, which is a subsidiary of Japan’s Suntory. Around 10,000 people come to visit the distillery each year.

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New releases announced by Mark Reynier from Bruichladdich Distillery.

The first ever bottling of Port Charlotte - PC5 Evolution - there is 2000 bottles total of the first whisky we ever distilled when we reopened the distillery in 2001. This is bottled at a whopping 63.5% and is intended for tasting purposes; we are very impressed by the quality of this trickle-distilled spirit; it is a flag in the sand; a landmark, saying to Islay and the whisky industry: “you had better watch out boys..” Unlike most young spirits at this age - this is FEARFULLY easy to drink and the best young spirit you will ever taste. Guaranteed. Very small allocation - book it.

Blacker Still - an ominously sexy bottling of 1986 Olorosso sherry casks; very dark in colour, and with a strong richness to it - but not overbearing as often is the case with these heavily sherried whiskies. Blacker Still refers to the old distillers saying that it is in the blacker still that the best whisky is made - referring to the preference for old, patinated stills over shiny new ones. Very small allocation - book it. (more…)

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Great Southern Distilling Company is a boutique distillery based in Albany, Western Australia. Our focus is on producing premium quality Single Malt Whisky.Our founder, Cameron Syme, holds the IBD General Certificate in Distilling and has been instructed on making malt whisky in distilleries in Tasmania and Scotland. Cameron is a founding member and the Chairman of the Australian Distillers Association Inc. Our head distiller, Tony Browne, is formally trained in whisky distilling and has over 13 years experience making single malt whisky in Scotland with some of the big name multinationals.

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