February 6, 2012

March 26,12

Tuesday March 27th is the inaugural launch of "World Whisky Day" in recognition of the World's Great drink! The Rogue will be featuring the World's Largest Selling Single Malt on a special price all day to celebrate.Stop by and help us make it a dram good day!

I have been on the road hosting Whisky tastings the past few weeks introducing single malts to groups who are in some cases just beginning their journey of discovery, and the secrets of whisky. I would like to thank the staff and directors at the College of Piping and Performing Arts in Summerside for their kind hospitality shown to us over the two days we were there. We presented a food and whisky pairing in Summerside on Friday evening and Charlottetown on the Saturday evening at the new Holman Grand Hotel. Both events were sell outs and the funds raised were in support of the College Pipe Band who will travel to Scotland in August to compete at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow. Good luck to you all.

On March 9th we travelled to Halifax for the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp, newly relaunched Whisky Festival. A very entertaining evening of sampling and talking all things whisky.I was delighted to see a few new whiskies to the area, the Welsh whisky, Penderyn, The Glenlivet special cak strength releases, Josie and Helios. Both were priced at $240.00 and I thought they were outstanding drams. The hightlight of the show.  

Friday March 23rd, Pierre Mullin and I hosted a tasting at the Hammond River Salmon Conservation Assoc. in Hammond River NB. Another Sold Out event. I would like to thank Stephen Gillis and his committee for their help organizing what might turn out to be an annual event. The Group sampled Auchentoshan 12, Old Pulteney 12, Macallan Fine Oak 15, Glenfiddich 15 yr, Laphroaig Triple Wood and Highland Park 12 yr.

Friday March 30th I will be hosting my  eighth Nosing and Tasting for the St Andrew's Society of Saint John NB.I look forward to seeing all my old friends.This will be a unique Tasting of The Classic Six Distillers Editions including Dalwhinnie, Cragganmore, Oban, Talisker, Caol Ila and Lagavulin DE's.Should proof to be a fun event.

On April 10th  Pierre and I will be hosting our first ever Whisky Nosing and Tasting for ANBL at the New Train Station Education Center.I am pleased and sorry to report that this event has sold out.We are looking at another date in June.

 

Sorry for the long delay away from my blog I needed to recharge my batteries for awhile. The Rogue now has a new updated Whisky Menu now available for you to pour over (no pun intented) with a new selection of whiskies from Scotland. Ireland, America and Canada complete with tasting notes for many of the new additions.Stop by and have a look. I have been told that new selection of whiskies will be arriving into NB this year.Burn Stewart Distillers will be represnted by PMA Canada this year. What do we have in store? Burn Stewart have 3 distilleries Tobermory, Deanston and the well known Islay distillery, Bunnahabhain ( you get a medal if you can spell it right) in their portfolio. They also produce 2 great blends Scottish Leader and the cult like followed Black Bottle. A single malt they produced a Tobermory called Ledaig ( a peated version of Tobermory) also gained popularity here 12 years ago. I hope we can see some or all of these whiskies at some point down the road.

They also have representation contract with the famous Rothes distillery, Glen Grant. The Glen Grant 16 yr was released here in NB just before Christmas. Rumour has it we may see more expressions of this light, floral whisky in the future.

Highland Park have releeased a new expression last month called Highland Park " Thor" a 16 yr old with an ABV of 52.1% and only 20,000 bottles to be released worldwide. Canada has been alotted a meager 3000 bottles for the whole country. I hope we can see some here in NB in the near future. The price? Not cheap, I reckon but what whisky is now a days. My guess it will be just under $200.00 Remember this is a guess!! It is now on sale in the UK at a price of 120.00  British Pounds Sterling.

I would like to wish the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp good luck with their new Whisky Show in Halifax on March 9th at the Lord Nelson Hotel. Tickets are $90.00 including tax and available on line at their site. Only 200 tickets are available. What's at the show? I see Balvenie New Oak is listed as well as a few new expressions of The Glenlivet called Helios and Jose's both a $240.00 a bottle. Diageo will have the Johnnie Walker Blue and Green plus a nice selection of their classic six malts plus the Distiller's Editions. Bruichladdich will have the Octomore a very heavily peated malt.