Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round-up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way into our WFE email. Inbox features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Here is this week’s whisky news …
Ardbeg
The Islay distillery of Ardbeg has announced the appointment of two co-chairs for its popular Ardbeg Committee. The pair – Bryony McNiven, Islay native and Ardbeg distillery’s visitor centre planner, and Gillian Macdonald, Ardbeg’s Master Blender – replace the outgoing and long-serving chair Jackie Thomson.
The Committee was established in 2000 to protect Ardbeg’s future, which had faced near extinction a few years earlier. Today, it boasts more than 200,000 members from over 130 countries. The pair will take up the baton and continue Thomson’s work. This includes organising special Ardbeg Committee bottlings and activities, such as the annual Ardbeg Day celebrations that form part of the Feis Ile festival in May/ June.
Redbreast
The Irish single pot still brand of Redbreast is celebrating the launch anniversary of Redbreast 15 Years Old with a special limited edition. The Redbreast 15 Years Old Cask Strength Edition is released to commemorate 20 years since it first appeared on the market in 2005. The new expression was matured in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-Oloroso sherry-seasoned casks.
The Redbreast 15 Years Old Cask Strength Edition has been crafted from a marriage of just 15 hand-selected casks — a deliberate tribute to its 15-year age statement. It is bottled at the natural strength of 56.3% ABV. The whiskey will be available from 12pm on 11 June exclusively through the Midleton Distillery Collection for €130/ US$148.
When Redbreast 15 was first created, it was intended to be a one-time release. Its overwhelming success led it to become a permanent part of our portfolio. This cask strength edition captures the spirit of that original moment.
Billy Leighton | Master Blender Emeritus at Irish Distillers.
