Vote to Decide New Glenmorangie Scotch Whisky Label

For the first time ever, whisky aficionados worldwide get to vote on the packaging design of a new single malt which they have helped to inspire.

The initiative is part of Glenmorangie’s world first Cask Masters whisky creation programme which aims to get members of the public involved in the process.

It was launched on 1 March 2013 and will run for 18 months with the new Limited Edition Glenmorangie whisky ready for release in the autumn of 2014.

The whisky, extra-matured in exclusive Manzanilla sherry casks, had already been selected when three casks of whisky were put to a public vote earlier this year.

Whisky fans have also selected the name Taghta (Tuh-ta), Gaelic for Chosen, after thousands of suggestions were whittled down to a shortlist of three names translated by Gaelic expert Dr Aonghas MacCoinnich and put to an online vote.

Following a month-long period when whisky fans worldwide uploaded pictures and design ideas to a special online gallery, three new packaging designs have been produced by branding expert Jon Davies from leading London design agency Butterfly Cannon.

Today the designs are put to the public vote with Glenmorangie fans able to choose the label and carton which, from next September, will be available for online purchases world-wide.

Cask Masters is the brainchild of Glenmorangie’s Dr Bill Lumsden, Director of Distilling & Whisky Creation, who is accompanied by an expert in each field of the five-step process.

Dr Bill Lumsden commented: “This is a wonderful opportunity for fans of Glenmorangie to really help create a new single malt whisky and the plans for its launch. Some of the ideas uploaded by the public have been truly inspirational, from lighthouses to parachutes to contestants competing in a Highland Games.”

Butterfly Cannon Founder, Jon Davies, commented “It has been amazing to get the chance to involve so many consumers in the creative process: I feel I have had a studio full of hundreds of creatives rather than tens! The images and ideas have been perfect for the designers, sparking compelling brand and product stories which have been brought to life in three unique packaging designs. I am fascinated to see which one Glenmorangie aficionados will choose.”

For more information visit: glenmorangie.com/caskmasters

Voting closes on 6 January and the chosen packaging will be revealed on 7 January. One of the voters will win an Apple iMac.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whisky enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Glenmorangie Ealanta Named 2014 World Whisky Of The Year

Glenmorangie's Ealanta has been named the World Whisky of the Year by Jim Murray, one of the world's leading whisky experts.

In his 2014 Whisky Bible, Murray pays tribute to the quality of the Private Edition Single Malt Scotch by describing it as having "one of the longest finishes of any Scotch this year...and borderline perfection." It scored 97.5 out of 100 points, the highest awarded this year.

This year 4,500 whiskies were tasted, evaluated and rated by Murray, who was blown away by Ealanta's innovative aroma and taste profile. Jim Murray's Whisky Bible is published annually and is regarded as a benchmark for the category.

Glenmorangie's Ealanta was released at the start of 2013 as the fourth annual release in the company's award-winning Private Edition range. The expression is yet another testament to the brands commitment to perfection; fitting seamlessly into their 'Unnecessarily Well Made' campaign. The greatly anticipated fifth release is set to arrive next year.

Ealanta is a 19 Years Old Glenmorangie expression, fully matured in virgin American white oak casks with a provenance that stretches all the way to the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri.

Dr. Bill Lumsden, The Glenmorangie Company's Director of Distilling and Whisky Creation, said, "This is a wonderful award for us and testament to the ongoing success of our Private Edition range. Jim Murray has been a leading judge of whisky for three decades so this is a major coup for us. It's no secret in our industry that it's the 'wood that makes the whisky,' and for many years my team and I have been carrying out detailed research in this area."

Jim Murray's Whisky Bible, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, said, "Glenmorangie Ealanta pipped others to the post because it went out and did something different; not only did it blow one away with its deftness, beauty and elegance, but it gave an aroma and taste profile completely new to me in over 30 years of tasting whisky."

Glenmorangie's Ealanta is a limited release with a suggested retail selling price of $119 and is available at specialty retailers until stocks are exhausted.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whisky enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Scotland’s Best Known Distilleries Are Making Kosher Friendly Whisky

SCOTLAND’S best known distilleries are having their whisky certified as kosher to break into the Jewish whisky drinking market.

The distilleries are bringing in rabbis to supervise whisky bottlings, allowing them to have malt certified as officially kosher – meaning that they conform to the regulations of Jewish dietary law.

While some whisky is naturally kosher, whisky that has matured in wine or sherry casks is not and is banned from followers of the religion.

Many of the Kosher bottlings are exported to the United States and to Israel, while some are sold to the Jewish community in the UK.

Distilleries now producing kosher-certified whisky include Glenmorangie, Ardbeg, Glenrothes, Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Tomintoul.

Hannah Fisher, senior brand member for the Bowmore and Glen Garioch distilleries said: “It’s a growing market, and we certainly have a Jewish community of whisky drinkers that ask for kosher products.

“We want to be able to give clear communication of what’s kosher and what’s not.

“We think it will grow as a market, not least because there are more specialist retailers out there who can sell these tailored products.”

Although the whisky process is itself kosher, most wine and sherry is not, meaning that for some Jews, whisky that has matured in a barrel that once contained wine or sherry no longer conforms to Jewish dietary law.

Duncan Baldwin, brand development director which produces a number of kosher-certified whiskies including the 14-year-old Tomintoul Kosher Portwood, said that it was a way of expanding the whiskey’s audience.

“Some of the Tomintoul range has classified as kosher and ratified, and we just think that by doing that we allow ourselves the opportunity to serve a wider audience than would have been otherwise.

“America is an important market and they serve a big Jewish community. Having kosher-certified bottlings allows those who strictly follow the Jewish faith the opportunity to try our whiskies.”

In Israel, whisky has become so popular that its first single malt whisky distillery is currently under construction.

The Milk and Honey Distillery which promises to produce a kosher “Speyside/Highland inspired malt,” will use waters from the Holy Land and is being created under the eye of Scottish master distiller Dr Jim Swan.

A Scotch Whisky Association spokeswoman said: “We welcome interest from Jewish consumers and many Scottish whisky brands are listed as meeting kashrut dietary rules.

“Individual companies will consider whether or not to pursue kosher certification.”

Kosher simply means fit and refers to foods that are fit to eat because they subscribe to the Kashrut, or Jewish Dietary Law.

Non-kosher foods include everything that has ingredients derived from non-kosher animals or from kosher animals that were not slaughtered in the ritually proper manner.

A mixture of meat and milk, wine or grape fruit produced without supervisions by rabbis are not allowed.

There is one get-out clause to kosher food and drink, which states that the laws can be broken when human life is at stake.

Article Courtesy of Deadline News

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whisky enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.