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Bruichladdich Archive

The interest in the unique Bruichladdich ‘Links’ range has caught the imagination of specialist wine and spirit retailers through out the UK and the world in time for the British Open Golf  tournament playing  at Royal Troon this year. Read more here

Production

We recommenced production of the Bruichladdich Malt on Monday, 26th April with cask fillings from Friday, 30th April.

A Tasting Note Monopoly?
Certainly it can be a game, a lottery. One religiously tends to trust what other people say about a whisky, rather than oneself. Whisky writers and those in the industry, are not the only folk that have the ability to make a tasting note - any one can do it - with a modicum of communication skills. We would therefore like to invite you to communicate your own tasting notes for each of our whiskies as the mood takes you, which unless plain stupid we will publish regardless of the impression given. Submit your tasting note Here

25 March 2004
Bruichladdich - distilling organic spirit

At the end of the 2003 season, we distilled our first batch of spirit from organic barley grown on a farm near Inverness.  The spirit has been certified organic by the Bio Dynamic Agricultural Association.

We have been conducting a few distillation experiments and the results have been sensational.  If only we could grow everything organically!  There isn’t that much organic barley being produced in Scotland, so we're lucky to have found a supplier.  It’s part of our strategy to be 100% Scottish in every area of production.

Jim is enthusiastic about the quality of this new spirit:  “It’s quite green and herbaceous with flowering currant, geranium and mossy riverbank notes, but there’s a balance of fruit in there, which you’d expect in new spirit - soft pears and sweet stewed apple.  The middle cut was different from our regular Bruichladdich.  We ran the distillation even more slowly than normal, to preserve the creamy texture of the spirit, which has a wonderful spring-like quality to it.”

We are working towards environmentally friendly methods including the use of renewable power from the wave generator at Portnahaven and using recyclable packaging materials, where possible.  There will be annual organic distillations and our plans for 2004 include sourcing bio-dynamic and Islay grown barley.

Wee Laddie at 17,500 ft up Mount Everest

Globetrotting star Michael Palin was recently snapped with a Wee Laddie at 17,500 ft up Mount Everest. Our CEO, Mark, gave him a set to take with him on his travels to the Himalayas for his forthcoming programme (the sixth in his series of great journeys). Believe it or not, the whisky is not cloudy - even at that altitude! Who needs chill-filtration?

The photos are not very good as his photographer and camera man were ill from altitude sickness and the snaps were taken by his director.

Whisky Magazine Awards

The Whisky Icon Awards held on Friday 5th March 2003, voted for by the readers of Whisky Magazine, resulted in Bruichladdich winning two awards: Innovator of the Year and Personality of the Year.

Marcin Miller, Publisher of the magazine explained that the distillery had come out as a clear winner, because the team had embraced the best of traditional Islay and given it a remarkably fresh spin. “The stylish and modern packaging … the emphasis on Islay and the willingness to adapt to the modern world, with the use of the internet for online tastings and education (are) truly impressive.

Being a small, private company it has been our aim from the start to operate in a different way to the rest of the industry and this award recognizes the validity of our philosophy. Just because the industry has adopted particular production, distillation and marketing methods doesn’t mean that they are the only option. We have insisted on traditional methods of distillation - hand-crafting our whisky, utilising the skills of the distillery workers, bottling on site with local spring water. It is ironic that this should be perceived as innovative!

The award also reflects the truly innovative ways we have been getting our message across, via the internet with Live web tastings - thanks to the help, dedication and encouragement of the Thomson Twins. Check out Malt Crusader section of this site. After our first live web broadcast in December, we had an email from someone on a ship in mid Atlantic using the Inmarsat B link saying how much he had enjoyed it. That is special. Watch out for more broadcasts coming your way soon.

We have been carrying out other ground-breaking progress, having recently carried out distillation experiments with different types of barley and malting styles, culminating in the first distillation of certificated organic new spirit at the end of the 2003 season – we believe another Islay first.

Jim McEwan was also honoured with the title ‘Personality of the Year’ – a fitting award with which to celebrate his 40th year in the business and the global ambassadorial role he has taken on for Single Malt Scotch, for Islay Malts in general and specifically for Bruichladdich. Well done Jim! And The Thomson Twins!
 

DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR 2003

If a whisky distillery was owned by whisky enthusiasts, like you and me, instead of big corporate entities, what would it be like?

Passion would govern our decisions, not economics. We would hire local workers who love whisky and also are experienced. We would treat them like family because, at the end of the day, they are.

We would use as many local ingredients as possible, mature our whisky locally, and bottle it locally. We would do this in an environmentally sound manner, because this is where we live and we know that some things are more important than whisky.

As a fellow whisky enthusiast, we know that you would love to make whisky too if you had the chance. So we would establish a whisky school at our distillery, allow you to come and make whisky with us to learn more about whisky.

Most importantly, we would make great whisky. It wouldn’t necessarily be a lot, but what we made we would be proud of. We would have a core range - without chill filtering naturally - but we would also bottle really exceptional casks of whisky as we came across them. We wouldn’t be afraid to experiment and take risks, because when you follow your passion, this is what you do.

Fortunately for all of us who love whisky, such a distillery already exists. It’s called Bruichladdich, and it’s our Distillery of the Year.

John Hansell, WhiskyFest New York, October 2003

Import Malt Whisky of the Year : Bruichladdich 1970

Sometimes, very rarely, we find a whisky which defies logic. We discover an older whisky of great depth and maturity which still retains its youth and freshness. This is one of those whiskies. An outstanding effort. The best Bruichladdich I have ever tasted.

Bruichladdich at it Again!

In a unique double, Bruichladdich has won the title of Distillery of the Year  (the second time in three years) and Malt of the Year for the Vintage 1970.  The award was made by the Malt Advocate, the leading US spirits magazine on Tuesday 21 October at WhiskyFest in New York. We are particularly proud as the distillery has been open for less than three years; two out of three ain’t bad:  Distillery of the Year 2001 and now 2003!

Jim said,  in receiving the awards: ‘It is extremely gratifying to be recognised for our innovative approach to making whisky as natural and authentic as humanly possible, and validates the major decision we made this year to bottle Bruichladdich exclusively at the distillery.  The quality, depth, variety and individuality of our range contributed to the decision  of Distillery of the Year.  While winning the title Malt of the Year is a testament to the skills of the guys who made the whisky,  and the ones who looked after it whilst it was maturing.  I had the easy job; all I did was find it, treated it gently - with respect - and let it speak for itself.’

The award for the 1970 confirmed the five star rating already given to this exceptional whisky by Spirits writer Paul Pacult, who described it as ‘supremely sophisticated and integrated… a complete malt whisky experience’

PRESS RELEASE  24 May 2004
Islay’s first apprentice cooper for 38 years at Bruichladdich’s new cooperage

Bruichladdich has opened its own cooperage, so that casks coming in can be repaired on site.  It is now one of only three distillery based cooperages in the whole of Scotland, the others being at Glenfiddich and Balvenie.

Jim McEwan, Production Director and a cooper by training, recently welcomed Mr William Taylor and Mr John Gaffney to the Distillery, respectively the President and Secretary of the National Coopering Federation.  They were visiting specifically to present Bruichladdich’s new apprentice cooper, 18 year old Peter Mactaggart, with his tools of the trade worth £500 and also witnessed him signing his indenture papers for a four-year apprenticeship.

The last cooper to be apprenticed on the island was Ian Gillies in 1966.  Since then there have been just four qualified coopers on Islay, one of whom is Bruichladdich’s own Master Cooper, John Rennie, who will be training Peter, one of only seven apprentice coopers in Scotland.

It was a proud moment for Jim McEwan, who has been working in collaboration with Stewart Meikle, the Investor in People Adviser for Argyll & the Islands Enterprise, to re-write the training manual for coopers, which has been submitted to the Federation as a template for the future: “ When I started work 40 years ago, there were 1500 coopers working in the trade  now there are only 214.  We now have a traditional cooperage here at the Distillery, so Peter can also learn skills relevant to other parts of the production process.   Speaking as a cooper, it is a great privilege to ensure the handing on the skills I learned myself.”

E N D S

The Water of Life Challenge reaches Islay

On Saturday 1 May, Bruichladdich Distillery was delighted to welcome Grant Wilson and Scott Mackay, from Lothian and Borders Police who are raising money for the Sick Kids Foundation.  This is the fundraising arm of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, who are seeking to raise £400,000 to carry out a computerised upgrading of their Operating Theatre.

CID Officers Grant and Scott set off on 24^th April by bicycle to visit every working malt whisky distillery in Scotland. As there are 96 distilleries ranging from Dumfries & Galloway to Orkney, the challenge will take about 4 weeks to complete.  Their route had already wound through the Lowlands and after visiting Campbeltown, Islay and Jura, and onwards to Oban and Skye, the pair were travelling north to Orkney and Speyside, before finishing back in Edinburgh during the third week of May.

Bruichladdich presented Grant and Scott with the last bottle of their award winning 1970, voted the Single Malt of the Year 2003 (Malt Advocate).  Signed by Master Distiller Jim McEwan, this was to add to the  bottles they are collecting as they visit each Distillery, which are to be auctioned in the Autumn.

"The Mediterranean weather we enjoyed at the Bruichladdich Open Day was perfect for launching the Bruichladdich Cocktail, created for us by Ben Dushku, Head Barman at the Rubens at the Palace Hotel, London SW1.

We served over 200 cocktails and used up the entire Island's stock of Malibu and Blue Curacao in the process...

There were many suggestions for a suitable name - some of which are unrepeatable - however, a winner has been selected by our esteemed Marketing Director. The shortlist included The Harvey Hallbanger and Blue Bru, but the winner is

PINA COLADDIE

which was suggested by VILHELM NORDANSKOG of Linkoping, Sweden, who will be receiving a prize in due course.

For those of you who would like to try it at home, the recipe is:-

2 parts Bruichladdich 10 yo
1 part Malibu
1 part Blue Curacao [Bols]
4 to 5 parts pineapple juice
Single cream to colour

Serve with 2 cherries in a glass full of ice and 2 short straws.

Whisky purists may have raised their eyebrows, but reaction from so-called 'non whisky drinkers' has been extremely positive. Is this the way forward???"
 

We had an email recently from Rudy & Nelly Feyaerts, who breed English Cocker Spaniels in Belgium - one of their lovely and championship winning dogs, Bencleuch Bruichladdich, Ben for short.

"As you may have read on our web site Ben was bred by our friend Linda McLaren and her daughter Angela. He was offered to us as a small puppy and we were also offered to find him a name. The first part of his name is Linda's kennel name Bencleuch (Ben Cleuch being the name of a mountain near which they live) and like many UK breeders Linda likes the names of her puppies to start with the same letter as her kennel name. Ben being bred in Scotland and having roughly the same colour as Whisky, I thought it would be appropriate for him to be named after a Single Malt, so after some research by Angela and my wife in a Whisky shop in Edinburgh, it was decided to name him Bruichladdich.

The bonus of all this is that in the mean time I have been offered a bottle of Bruichladdich as a present a couple of times by friends and admirers of Ben and I have learnt to appreciate a wee dram from time to time."

Wonder if Ben likes to sniff the whisky too?

For dog lovers amongst you, here is a link to Ben's home page.

Jobcentre Plus Toasts Distillery’s Commitment to Employing People with Disabilities

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

http://www.iipuk.co.uk

Jobcentre Plus has awarded the Disability Symbol to a distillery on Islay, recognizing its commitment to recruiting and retaining people with disabilities.

Last year Bruichladdich Distillery, the only Islay distillery to bottle on the island, opened a new bottling hall designed to include facilities for workers with disabilities. Five people with disabilities are now employed at the hall, with the possibility of further opportunities as the sales grow.

Jim McEwan, Production Director at Bruichladdich Distillery, explains: “The creation of the new bottling hall gave us the opportunity to address the lack of employment opportunities for people with disabilities living on Islay.

I have worked with disabled people before and understand how important paid employment is to a sense of pride and self-esteem. Now, from my experience at Bruichladdich I also see the valuable influence people with disabilities can have on their more able-bodied colleagues. One of the best moments of my career was watching the first bottles come down the line, being handled by employees who have disabilities and seeing their excitement at being involved in this unique occasion.”

The hall – known as the Harvey Hall – was designed with the needs of people with disabilities in mind, with facilities such as wheelchair ramps, and a lowered bottling line.

David Barr, Bottling Hall Manager added: “The bottling hall was specifically designed to offer the possibility of employment to workers with physical and learning difficulties. We work closely with the Islay Disabled Endeavours and Action group (IDEA), who sent a representative to the distillery for six weeks to assist with the integration of disabled workers. All have been individually assessed to ensure the most effective use of their talents and like all other employees their performance will be reviewed on an annual basis.”

Ruth Baldry, IDEA job trainer said: “Bruichladdich has given us a lot of encouragement. This is a great opportunity, particularly for our younger members and the first of its kind. We hope that other employers on the island might consider similar schemes when they see how successful this approach has been.”

Jobcentre Plus in Campbeltown worked with Bruichladdich to help make it possible for them to recruit the new members of staff. They accessed funding to help cover transport costs to and from the distillery, and they worked with the employer to ensure that their part time hours were kept within limits enabling each to continue to receive benefits.

Anne Murphy, Delivery Manager for Argyll and Bute and Anne Howell, Manager of Jobcentre Plus Campbeltown, travelled to Islay to present Bruichladdich with the Disability Symbol. She said: “This is an outstanding example of a growing business, operating in a competitive marketplace, which has put its commitment to recruiting people with disabilities into practice. We were able to provide practical help to make this happen, both for the employer and for the individuals themselves. Moving from welfare into work is a major transition in people’s lives and the security of continuing to receiving benefit can make taking the first step back to work far easier.

A Tasting Note Monopoly?
Certainly it can be a game, a lottery. One religiously tends to trust what other people say about a whisky, rather than oneself. Whisky writers and those in the industry, are not the only folk that have the ability to make a tasting note - any one can do it - with a modicum of communication skills. We would therefore like to invite you to communicate your own tasting notes for each of our whiskies as the mood takes you, which unless plain stupid we will publish regardless of the impression given. Email yours here

Distilling Program

2004 Distillation season:  Monday 1/5/03 at 06:00. and will end Friday 19/12/04 at 18.00

 The 2004 'Silent Season': July 20th to August 24th  for maintenance, holidays, and usually lack of water.

Three different spirits are distilled in the following order:

Bruichladdich
Traditional Bruichladdich -  the mainstay of our distilling program - has  a phenolic content  of  around 3 to 5  ppm.   The  unusually tall  and narrow necked Bruichladdich stills produce a pure, floral, and elegant  spirit  that is  exceptionally  good to taste young - and  marries well with  bourbon cask maturation.  Since 2003 a good proportion of this is from organically grown barley.

Port Charlotte
Our peated version. An excellent result has been obtained: the elegance of spirit derived from the  unusually tall  and narrow necked Bruichladdich stills producing a pure floral spirit with aromas of peat - but without the medicinal or oily characteristics associated with highly peated malted barley at  40 ppm (in honour of the original style of Bruichladdich from 1881)

Octomore
Following the success of the Port Charlotte, a small amount of a third malt is now distilled at Bruichladdich. Octomore, on the hills above Port Charlotte, is a farm where the versatile James Brown - piper, policeman, light houseman, and farmer - rents out his excellent holiday cottages. In the farm's barns is the site of a small, ancient distillery that has long since disappeared, though signs remain in some of the outhouses of its presence. This is the heaviest peated whisky on Islay - and the world -  at a minimum of 80.5ppm.

Mrs Herriott’s Apple Tart – courtesy of Richard Herriott

Winner of The Laddie Mail of the Month for January

Recipe

FLOUR:

8 ounces of plain flour

6 ounces of butter

a little water

FILLING:

Three peeled and thinly sliced cooking apples

Three or four dessert spoons of sugar

A generous splash of Bruichladdich

Six or seven cloves

To make the pasty, chill the butter in the freezer for half an hour.

Grate the butter into the sifted flour. Using a knife, cut the butter into

the flour until it's a crumbly mix and then add enough water and knead the

mix so that the dough pulls cleanly from the bowl. Let the dough chill in

the fridge for half an hour.

Roll the pastry and line a shallow pie dish.

Peel and thinly slice the apples and arrange in neat layers in the pie

dish. Sprinkle on the sugar and douse the filling with the Bruichladdich.

Put on the pastry lid and crimp the edges to seal the pie. For a nice

glazed finish, baste the pastry with some egg white. Stud the pastry with

the cloves.

Bake in a pre-heated oven for 40 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius or until

nicely browned.

Serve with some fresh cream.

New Year, New Flights, New Prices

We are please to report that Logan Air flights from Glasgow International to Islay Airport are now available  at £68.95 return.  This 'yield management' of fares is a welcome  development for  people who book in advance and avoid the  busy periods either side of a week end. The next available fare is about  £89 return, with  the maximum return fare from the Glasgow  still a mind-numbing £155

In addition some welcome competition in the shape of Clasair  who commence early in 2004 a twice-daily service  to Islay from Prestwick Airport, 32 miles south west of Glasgow. They will be using a ten seater aircraft until they take delivery of two 19 seater turbo props. There will be a fixed fare of £99 return including free rail travel to Glasgow.

These welcome developments will considerable ease the cost of travel to and from Islay, as well as make alternative travel options available, particularly using low cost Ryanair's European network to London Stanstead, Milan Bergamo, Paris Beauvais, Stockholm Skavsta, Bournemouth,  Gerona, Gothenburg, Oslo, Dublin, Barcelona,  Brussels, and  Frankfurt.

The Islay Airport has now been expanded, losing a little of its charm one  could say, to accommodate security  procedures.

Bruichladdich Distillery toasted as ‘Drinks Exporter of the Year’

The Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay, in Scotland, has won the prestigious ‘Drinks Exporter of the Year’ award, sponsored by FFB FAST TRACK, at the annual Food from Britain Export Awards held in London today.

This achievement reflects the company’s commitment to developing its overseas business in markets such as North America, Germany, Italy, Sweden, France, and in particular, Canada. The independently owned distillery produces Islay Single Malt Whisky.
 
Simon Waring, marketing and international management director at Food from Britain, said: “We are delighted to present our ‘Drinks Exporter of the Year’ award to Bruichladdich and wish them further exporting success in the coming years. “

Explaining why Bruichladdich had won the award, Simon Waring said: “It was clear to the judges how much commitment the company has invested in its overall export programme. It clearly has a real passion for the business and puts quality first and foremost. It  has also applied an effective and methodical approach to its overseas sales and marketing, and the results have been impressive.”

Andrew Gray, Sales Director at Bruichladdich Distillery, said: “We are delighted to have won recognition with this prestigious Food from Britain award.  Developing business overseas is key to the success of our business, and we are thrilled that our efforts have been recognised.”

Ends

Notes
The Food from Britain Export Awards 2003, now in its seventh year, has become one of the leading events in the food and drink industry calendar, providing an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of Britain's food and drink exporters.  For further information on the awards please visit www.foodfrombritain.com/pearls

British food and drink export figures in 2002 were valued at £8.9 billion, showing the first increase in six years, and figures for the first six months of 2003 are also encouraging with sales up 12% on 2002.

Food from Britain (FFB), the market development consultancy for British food and drink companies, helps build UK and international business for food and drink manufacturers. FFB, funded by industry and government, works annually with 900 UK food and drink producers. For further information please visit www.foodfrombritain.com

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CAKE RECIPE


INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of butter
2 quarts of whisky
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 cup dried fruit
Lemon juice
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup brown sugar


METHOD:
Before you start, sample the whisky to check quality. Good, isn’t it? Now, go ahead

Select a large mixing bowl, measuring cup etc. Check the whisky again as it must be just right. To be sure the whisky is of the highest quality, pour one level cup into a glass and drink it as fast as you can. Repeat

With an electric mixer, beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of the thugar and beat again. Meanwhile, make sure the whisky is of the highest quality. Cry another tup. Open the second quart if necessary.

Add two arge leggs, two cups of fried druit and beat. If druit gets stuck in beaters, just pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the whisky again, checking for tonscistity

Next, sift three sups of salt or anything, it doesn’t really matter. Sample the whisky. Sift half a pint of lemon juice. Fold in chopped butter and strained nuts. Add one babblespoon of brown sugar or whatever colour you can find and mix well. Grease the oven and turn cake tin to 360 gradees.

Now, pour the whole mess into the oven and ake. Check whisky again and bo to ged
 

World’s First Ever “Live Web” Whisky Tasting

At 1600 GMT on Friday December 5th some 1000 people logged onto the website for what we believe was the world's first ever ‘live on the web’ whisky tasting.  For an hour or so, the BBC (Bruichladdich Broadcasting Company) broadcast live from the Still House at Bruichladdich Distillery.  The technology for this inaugural broadcast was developed by StreamingWizard.com in collaboration with the Thomson brothers of Gribloch Design.

Asked for his reaction after the broadcast Mark (Reynier, the MD) admitted it had been a nerve-wracking experience “Gary (Thomson) mentioned the possibility to me two years ago, so today has been tremendously exciting.  It’s extraordinary that our low tech Victorian machinery was twinned with the latest state of the art communications.  And it’s really cool to think that in future broadcasts people will actually be able to taste – in real time - with Jim.”

The broadcast – dubbed The Two Ronnies meets the Shopping Channel, Pearl & Dean and the Oscars Ceremony -  has been recorded and will be available via the Bruichladdich website from 8 December 2003.  Further broadcasts, from different parts of the Distillery, are planned on a quarterly basis.

Due to the limitations of any internet connection we would like to offer our apologies to any users who found themselves struggling to get a true broadband connection (stable 300k) and thus may have missed part of the broadcast or experienced a jerky feed. We will of course endeavour to improve the service next time round and hope you enjoy the download version of the broadcast Here.

E N D S

Click here to join the Malt Crusader:

"(Islay's) greatest native distiller, Jim McEwan" - Andrew Jefford, Financial Times 14 June 2003   "Bruichladdich has become synonymous with innovation" - Andrew Jefford, Financial Times 14 June 2003        "Subtle, delicious and delicate" Tom Doorley reviewing Bruichladdich 10 Year Old, The Field June 2003
On Line Shop
The Laddieshop  is now operational for secure purchasing. The distillery shop in Warehouse 1 is mirrored on line as a service to visitors to bruichladdich.com. This service is intended for folk who  are unable to get access to stocks of  Bruichladdich or Murray McDavid in their own vicinity, or simply want to purchase Bruichladdich clothing items, book the Academy, buy special web-only bottlings etc. direct and securely straight from the distillery shop via the convenience of the Internet.

Murray McDavid Mission III release set for 5th December 2003 will be 600 bottles of each of the following:

Hip Hip Horray!

Pleased to report that Jim’s second hip operation was a success and that he is now convalescing at his new house.  He will soon be bouncing around like a spring chicken.  He has been in considerable pain over these last few months and even year – so we are looking forward to a less grimacing Jim bounding over the casks in the warehouses.

Bruichladdich Pier Development

Argyll & Bute Council have decided that they want to  build a new super pier on the site of the existing small one to allow larger ships to  come in to Loch Indaal to refuel.  The planning application was slipped in with barely any consultation. The sheer size of the development and the tastelessness of the design have resulted in a lobby group being formed to stop it – or at least adapt it to a more environmentally acceptable design.  Argyll & Bute council apparently pride themselves in sympathetic development of the region. It would appear that their moral obligation has gone by the wayside. The suspicious lack of  meaningful consultation and a conflict of interests on the planning committee itself, have  left a feeling there might be  some skulduggery going on.   Please feel free to register your complaint  with:

The Senior Planning Officer, Development & Building control, Argyll & Bute Council,

67 Chalmers Street, Ardrishaig, Argyll PA30 8DX

Michael Palin Visits

Whisky fan, Python and globetrotter Michael Palin made made time in his travels to visit the distillery.

Pictures courtesy of Basil Pao.

Jim McEwan - 40 years making Whisky!

From  today 1/8/03 Jim McEwan the Master Distiller, Production Director and shareholder of Bruichladdich Distillery, will be celebrating his 40th year in the whisky business. Amazing but true.

He joined at the age of 15 as an apprentice cooper, and over four decades he has put his heart and soul into the making of Scotch Whisky, bringing a taste of the Highlands and specifically the magic of Islay to millions throughout the world, earning the title of Distiller of the Year no less than three times  -  as well as producing countless medal-winning whiskies.

To celebrate his New Hip as well as his forty years in the trade,  Jim  has been working this last two years on a pet project: The Celtic Heartlands.  A small collection of extraordinary whiskies. Not just old ones, nor just famous distilleries; these are extraordinary drams.  Now Jim has tried a  few in his 40 years, so you could say this is the culmination of that expertise.

"I believe that in some fine single malts you will find a special connection between the skills of the distiller and the culture of the Celts. I was delighted to be given an opportunity to select some truly exceptional drams to reflect this very special relationship,  and to share them with whisky lovers everywhere. After all, whisky is all about friendship; it is something to be shared with friends and strangers alike. It is a celebration of life, the history and Celtic culture of our country".

Jim McEwan's Celtic Heartlands opens with three Single Malts, all have been aged exclusively in Bourbon casks, allowing the true characteristics of the  distillation to shine through: Bowmore 1968, Highland Park 1967 and Macallan 1968.

All are  caramel free,  unchill filtered,  bottled on Islay at their natural strength in specially designed decanters, featuring one of the most enduring Celtic symbols - the Birds of Friendship. The collection is limited to 722 individually numbered decanters of each whisky which will be on sale from selected fine whisky stockists throughout the world from early Autumn 2003. So keep your eyes peeled!

Click here to visit http://www.celtic-heartlands.com

Congratulations Jim!

Ahoy There! Sightings of the Laddie!

The  Laddie was spotted  at the Weather Islands on Sweden's  western coast as we discovered from this Email from Mr. L. Ramberg:  "Bruichladdich covers more area than I ever believed, we learnt as we moored in Väderöarna - the Weather Islands, like a local mix of Rockall and the Hebridies - and visited what may well be the westernmost bar in Sweden"

Bottling Hall Official Opening!

Sunday May 25th Saw the official Christening of the  Harvey Hall as it is now known, by Sir John MacTaggart.  In attendance all the way from Canada was Faith Muir, the granddaughter of William Harvey the founder of the distillery. As usual at Bruichladdich the sun  was out and a good time was had by all in what was a record attendance, even surpassing the reopening of the distillery in  2001.

Two new Valinches were offered for the first time - The Bruichladdich Babe - after the Middle White Pig that made a miraculous recovery after being  housed in an old Bruichladdich Cask; and the Harvey Hall Opening valinch.

There were several special events, including Rolling the Barrel,  reeling,  singing from our friends Norma Monroe and Robin Laing  and a superlative  Master Class hoisted by Jim McEwan in one of the warehouse - and loads of conviviality! If you  want to come next year  - I strongly recommend that you book your accommodation now as Islay   fills up quick! 

And for all those who were unable to make the amazing Master Class owing to lack of space -  reserve a seat now with Ella (ella@bruichladdich.com) for next year.

Islay Pillaged Malt - Accomplished
 

On the 4th July,   the seven Islay distilleries were indeed pillaged by marauding neo-Vikings. The raiders  rowed around the island (making use of the strong tidal currents around Islay) pillaging  25 litres of 10 year old single malt from each distillery. The Pillaged Malt which will be vatted together, bottled at Bruichladdich, and auctioned off in aid of  two local charities: The Islay Lifeboat and Cancer Research.  Bids of over £100 can be made for the 250 bottles available until September the 30th at The Lagavulin Fund Raisers web site www.islaypillage.co.uk  www.islaypillage.co.uk For photos of the  trip go to: http://www.ileach.co.uk/pillage
 

A Sad Postscript: Lieutenant Andy Wilson

Killed during the latest Gulf War (see below)  his widow has asked that the cask of  Port Charlotte that he had bought prior to leaving for duty in Iraq,  be transferred in title to his yet unborn son.

Lieutenant Andy Wilson

Andrew Wilson RN of 849A Flight, HMS Ark Royal, an owner of a hogshead of Port Charlotte New Fillings, was killed while on active service in The Gulf when helicopters from the Ark Royal collided early in the morning of Saturday 22 March 2003

A repatriation ceremony for Lieutenant Andy Wilson was held on board HMS Ark Royal. A fly past by one of the remaining Sea King helicopters of A flight passed low over the flight deck at speed in honour of the dead aircrew officer. Lt Wilson’s coffin was adorned with the White ensign, his officers’ cap, his sword and the emblem of 849 Squadron. He was carried deferentially and with dignity to an awaiting 820 Squadron Sea King helicopter on the shoulders of his colleagues and friends, before the assembled ship’s company, to start his final journey home. Rev John Green RN, said a moving final prayer as HMS Richmond, HMS Ark Royal’s escort, sailed past at close range. This was followed by a three-volley salute.

Wee Laddie Winners

Congratulations to the three lucky winners of the Wee Laddie Tasting Pack Competition in Whisky Magazine competition (Issue 29).

Peter Kjaer of Copenhagen, Caroline Lines of Cardiff and Eddie Hill of Warrington all had the balls to translate our Gaelic motto ‘clachan a choin’ correctly as ‘the dog’s bollocks’ - although there were several hundred slightly less coarse and numerous much more polite versions..!
 

Port Ellen Distillery Bites the Dust

The Port Ellen Distillery ceased production in 1983 and has been lying derelict. The part of the distillery that was built in the 1960s had fallen into disrepair and was in a dangerous condition. Group manager for Diageo's Islay sites, Kay Fleming told The Ileach Newspaper: "Rather than pour money away keeping the buildings wind and watertight, it was decided that the best solution for all concerned on Islay would be to demolish the unsafe part of the distillery and invest in the creation of starter-units, for development by local businesses and organisations." The derelict buildings have now been removed to reveal the original pagodas. The two older, more picturesque pagodas will be preserved and as the red corrugated iron pagoda is no longer there, they have now become the more prominent feature. Shame it was closed at all in the first place.

Silver Medal for MMcD Laphroaig 1988

Read the report which appeared in the May issue of Scottish Field
 

Putting it on at the Ritz

Delighted to announce that The Laddie can be enjoyed at the Ritz Hotel in London.
 

Latest Tasting Notes for Murray McDavid

by Malt Maniac's Serge Valentin

http://www.maltmadness.com/mm06.html#06-08

Mission II

The next Mission release in June 2003 will be 500 bottles of each of the following;

Glen Grant 1967

Caperdonich 1968

Linkwood 1973

Glen Lossie 1975

Strathisla 1976

Lagavulin 1979