Ardbog - The Very Short Movie

With Ardbeg Day 2013 now on the horizon we are seeing a stream of promotional materials being released in one way or another as talk spreads of what is coming. Of course if your a official club member and or remote guest and read the last post you would know 'Ardbog' is the theme, and if you are a Ardbeg fan, and not attending the  'Feis Ile' Islay Festival of Malt and Music (on Islay, Scotland), then you would have signed up for the day here (how's that for a never ending sentence). Even so in the meantime if your into short films with interesting effects, a bit of fun, and of course you like Ardbeg this one is for you.

Of course Ardbeg has been known for a long time time to be a bit quirky but it is good to see not all distilleries are fuddy duddy in approaches to marketing. Be sure to dash over to Ardbeg TV on Youtube for other past and quirky movies.

Das Baron


This is a non-sponsord promotion. For any further details please defer to the Ardbeg website.

Do you dig Ardbeg – Ardbog Day 2013

It is an Ardbog Party

 It's Arbog Day! Yep you read that right Ardbog. What is Ardbog you are asking? Effectively it is a day nominated by Ardbeg to celebrate Ardbeg world wide ie. Ardbeg Day. This year it is themed Ardbog Day and to quote the official Ardbeg website below is the extract on what this years Ardbog Day is all about.

"…this year we are honouring the peat bogs of Islay with the launch of our Limited Edition bottling called Ardbog. To celebrate the launch, henceforth Ardbeg Day 2013 will be known as Ardbog Day! We all dig Ardbeg so the theme of Ardbog Day is archaeology and it’s an opportunity for Ardbeggians all around the world to get together and raise a dram in honour of all things Ardbeg."

For those in the know Ardbeg Day is part of the 'Feis Ile' Islay Festival of Malt and Music which runs on an annual basis. 2013 see the Feis Ile begin 26th May and run until 1 June. All distilleries on Islay take part including the sister island of Jura with each day seeing one of 2 distilleries open it's doors as official hosts of the day. Some day I want to get there for the festival but for those also wanting to go, accommodation on the island is very limited so booking a year in advance, basically on the day the event dates are released is essential.

Current press release image of Ardbog

Additionally to celebrate Ardbog Day a special edition whisky is also released aptly named 'Ardbog'. This years expression 'Ardbog' is bottled at 52.1% ABV and matured for ten years in American oak ex-bourbon barrels then finished in rare ex-Spanish Manzanilla sherry butts. Internet gossip notes reveal 'Ardbog' to be "distinctively salty in texture that accentuate the salty, briny flavours already prevalent in the whisky". Sound serious.

With events held world wide, for those unable to attend Feis Ile, we see Australia's Ardbog Day celebrated in Sydney on the 1st June at Centennial Park. Anyone can register and it is free to attend but places are strictly limited so get on board if you can. Official details of location and bookings taken form the Ardbeg website are as follows:

Venue: THE PARK
Address: Superintendents Residence, cnr of Oxford Street and Lang Road, Centennial Parklands NSW 2021 (entry via Paddington Gates)
Date: Saturday, 1 June 2013
Time: 12:30pm - 3pm
RSVP: ardbeg@moet-hennessy.com.au or 02 8344 9987 (places strictly limited)
Dress Code: Tweed

There will be games, drams and the Ardbog Big Dig, so reserve your place now!

Maybe see you there, my place is booked and ready to go.

The Baron


This is a non-sponsord promotion. For any further details please defer to the Ardbeg website.

Baby got back and no doubt about that – Jura Revamps Packaging

Jura's revamped packaging lineup

Not this this is breaking news as it did happen a short while ago but it will be great to start seeing these packages filter into the shelves at your local.

Jura has revamped it packaging (again). If you recall the original packaging from a few years back was grey and somewhat drab. A couple of years ago, as we saw the profile grow and more signature expressions hit the shelves in common Jura went through branding overhaul from packages to website, and it looked great. Now is by far the biggest step to date with some real WOW being added to the family as a whole. Thankfully we have seen the unique shapely bootylisious bottle remain. Love those curves.

According to widespread reports (though it seems no one is actually referencing quotes they claim to have), the packaging for each bottle tells a particular story of the island (have not seen a package up close), features its own colour pallet (clearly visible), and when lined up in order a panoramic island profile is revealed (also clearly visible). Setting aside the top three sales pitch points replicated by everyone, I'll put my neck out and actually just say who cares because it looks great well done Jura! At this time, this revamp is yet to be revealed on the Jura website and I personally found out about this news via the Jura Facebook page.

Jura Origin up close

All too often we see swings in the market where bottles, labels and packages are changed for no other reason that for the sake of change. Jack Daniels vs Wild Turkey as a resent note. Thankfully in this case, even though I loved the sophistication of Jura's previous lineup, the colour variations and intricate details add that additional depth of field so well deserved of such a good whisky. Metrosexual? maybe. Feminine? Certainly but with such a flavour profile like silk and shaped like Marilyn Monroe Jura is certainly a girl. Baby got back and no doubt about that.

Slainte Jura for staying true to your product and here's to your continued success in an ever congested market.

The Baron

Hot to Trot - The Mint Julep

Whilst living in the United States for eighteen months, I discovered the Mint Julep. Seeing it is the first Saturday in May, it seems only fitting we talk about this traditional Kentucky Derby day drink.

My take on the Mint Julep

The mint julep is a cocktail which contains a muddled and heavily iced mixture of bourbon, mint, sugar and water. It is a 'tea-style' cocktail, somewhat similar to a mojito in its construction. For those who live in northern states of Australia, I find the mint julep is perfect for the hot and humid conditions. My craving usually starts once the mercury starts rising and believe me, it is a craving.

My first experience with the mint julep occurred whilst on a trip to Washington DC, where in the Round Robin & Scotch Bar of the Willard Hotel you'll find the bar tender, Jim Hewes, making the best mint julep in DC (see below). I loved it so much we frequented this bar multiple times during trips to Washington DC from our temporary home in Summit, NJ.



The Willard Hotel is one of DC's more famous hotels and is traditionally where the Australian Prime Minister stays when visiting the US capital. Australian flags adorn masts outside the hotel when they are visiting, as we discovered on one of our trips. If you are ever in town, make the trip and be sure to try the The Willard Hotel's signature drink.

Mint Julep ingredients

The National Geographic has a summary of the recipe, but I have added my own version below:

Ingredients:

1. one-quarter cup of Maker's Mark bourbon
2. one-quarter cup of San Pellegrino sparkling water
3. a full teaspoon of caster sugar (more to taste)
4. 8-10 mint leaves
5. 2 cups of dry crushed ice
6. a thin strip of lemon peel (optional)
7. a straw
8. a glass from the freezer

Process:

1. add the mint leaves, the teaspoon of sugar and half of the bourbon to the glass
2. using a muddler (or the end of a rolling pin), muddle the mixture until it forms a tea
3. add half-a-cup of crushed ice and half of the sparkling water, keep muddling (this time using the heel of a butter knife)
4. add the rest of the ice, trying to keep it tightly packed
5. pour in the remaining bourbon and sparkling water, stir again
6. taste the cocktail, it shouldn't be sour, its very easy to under estimate the sugar so add more to taste
7. optional: garnish with a sprig of mint and a dusting of sugar (plus the lemon peel if using)
8. apparently you then put the straw in just behind the mint sprig, so you get a whiff when sipping

Share and enjoy,
The Diplomat

Park Avenue Liquor, New York

Window Display at Park Avenue Liquor 

Work recently sent me on a three day flying visit to New York. Thinking of picking up a bottle of bourbon at the airport on the way home, I sent a message to The Baron and The Diplomat asking for some suggestions. My only knowledge of bourbon is based on the Hudson Manhattan Rye I tasted Whisky Fair a couple of years ago. I remember enjoying the Manhattan Rye, but sampled it towards the end of the night, so what it tastes like sober is anyone's guess......

The Baron suggested I check out Park Avenue Liquor which claims to have the biggest range of whisky in the USA. Checking online the shop wasn't located too far from my office, so in the half hour between my last meeting and cab to the airport I ran through the Manhattan rain to check out the shop.

The shop is pretty unassuming from the outside and it would be easy to walk straight past the place. In fact, when I lived in New York I walked past two or three times a week without ever realising it was there.

Australia's finest on display

When you enter the shop the first thing you see is the large selection of wine and it took my a couple of minutes to realise that the whisky is all located behind the counter. The whisky selection is the largest that I've seen in a shop. The didn't just have a couple of Laphroaigs or Glenlivets on display, but the entire range. It was just a shame that, being located behind the counter, it didn't encourage browsing. The prices of the whiskies weren't particularly attractive to a Brit either. I'm guessing that import duty must be quite high.

The didn't have many bourbons on display, but checking out their online catalogue they have a decent range at prices which are attractive to the tourist. I should have given some thought to what I wanted before going to the shop and asked if they had it in the stock.

On my way out of the shop I checked out the window display and spotted a bottle of Lark.