Don’t try this at home.

Brian McGregor, head of Art at new, hot, Edinburgh creative consultancy mightysmall sent me the above illustration.

It’s has been suggested that the daring young chap on this cover, from a 1950’s French farming magazine, is non-other than a young Alex Nicol.

The truth of this, I couldn’t possibly say, but I suppose the only way to find out about such a mis-spent youth, is to ask the great man himself.

Enquiries to alex@spencerfieldspirit.com

I’m sure he’ll, er, fill us in?

Alex in New York.

I’ve just returned from a somewhat exhausting, but very enjoyable, 10 day ‘meet-greet-press-the-flesh’ trip to New York.

Meeting up with our esteemed distributors Admiral Imports, a huge round of retailers and engaging in some very interesting brand introductions and tastings.

Not least of which was the Malt Advocate’s amazing WhiskyFest, on Tuesday 30th of Oct, held in a hotel just by Times Square, we took a stand at the tenth annual incarnation of this internationally reknowned whisky festival, (curiously, there were also gin and strangely beer stands there), but obviously the massive turnout, ($160 a pop), was mainly to sample the many whiskies on show.

The “drink responsibly” warning seemed to work (almost) to the end!!

Our stand was mobbed from the start, and amongst the many fans making a pilgrimage and enjoying a tasting, therer were a fair smattering of very knowledgeable Jewish afficiando’s. who were raving about Pig’s Nose. (The only bit of pork they were asking to take home that night.) I think we may have stumbled upon a new campaign for the Israeli market.

We had many trade enquiries and, as a result, we are now in the world renowned Waldorf Astoria Hotel, the Whisky Blue Bar Manhattan, Uncle Ming’s-very trendy bar, the aptly named, as far as our Malt brand Sheep Dip is concerened, Sheepstation in the Park Slope Brooklyn, - (very high up on favourite people list), plus the wonderful “8 Mile Creek” a fab Australian bar near Spring St, just below Tribeca, (I think - I was always getting lost!!)

There were many more enquiries which may take a few more weeks to convert, but all in all a good festival generating lot’s of interest.

So all in all a great trip, in this one of the most important and knowledgable markets Spencerfield has for Sheep Dip and Pig’s Nose.

Bad-Vertising:

‘Badvertising’ is the category Kevin over at the Scotch Blog puts this new campaign from Canadian Club into.

His post is well worth a read, as are some of the hilarious, ‘helpful suggestions’ for additional headlines in the campaign in the comments section of Kevins post.

A couple of observations raised here at Spencerfield when we saw the ads were: ‘Does the handbag belong to her, or him? And perhaps the ad should carry a ‘Think Aware’ warning to the creative people who dreamed up this stuff, in addition to more usual ‘Drink Aware’ logo.

Bonus link: Read too Kevin’s post on the much more admirable Highland Park promo at Glasgow Whisky Live this week.

Connoisseur at work

Last Thursday Alex delivered the first of the Spencerfield Spirit tutored whisky tastings for our FaceBook; Sheep Fold Group held in Edinburgh. The tasting focused on identifying the elements, which combine so beautifully to produce Sheep Dip and Pig’s Nose whiskies and on recognising the contribution made to the nose and taste by the constituent ingredients. We then went on to try and test the ways in which different foods and strong flavours can enhance the qualities of the whiskies and vice versa. We sampled some fantastic Loch Fyne hot smoked salmon and mussels, dark dark chocolate and of course “the” Christmas Cake (see below). Thank you to Jamie and Nev for their subsequent contributions - very kind and good to meet you, to Carol at Whitespace for the venue and Mike for his help in arranging the events. This tasting was the first of many more to come - dates and places to be confirmed

“Back on the road again” - (there’s a song there somewhere!)

Back to work Dug, originally uploaded by Spencerfield Spirit.

After a couple of weeks in the office wrestling with VAT and the likes we finally have a wee bit of professional help - in the form of a real bookeeper, with experience, to keep us right. Susan hails from Dunning a village in the Ochils somewhere in Perthshire and has agreed to help us out. This will mean bank reconciliations etc are done more frequently than once a year, Paul the accountant will be happier and dinner may be on the table before 10pm. In fact, everyone will benefit and we will be able to get the roadshow back on track and go out and talk to people and take delight in offering samples of Sheep Dip and Pigs Nose to the yet uninitiated.  So, starting out on Saturday this is the plan for the next month or so:

Saturday 3rd November:
Gift Fair, The Lodge, Carfrae Mill by Lauder 10.30 - 4.30pm                                                 –in Aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care

Friday 9th - Sunday 11th November:

Living North Christmas Fair. Newcaslte Racecourse, Gosforth Park. 11-4 each day

Tuesday 13th Nov 6.30 - 8.45, Wednesday 14th Nov 11am until 8.45pm.

Caledonian Club, 9 Halkin St, London SW1J 7DR.

Thursday 22nd Nov 2.00pm - 7pm and Friday 23rd Nov 10.00-3.00pm

Christmas Cracker 2007 for the Erskine Bridge Hospital. Ersine Bridge Hotel, Bishopton. Renfrewshire.

23rd, 24th and 25th November :

The Present Event. Hopetoun House. South Queensferry.

Sunday 25th November:

11-400pm Save athe Children Christmas Fair. Marine Hotel North Berwick

More kind words.

Thanks Nev, you’re a gent.

WhiskyFest NY:

Alex is in New York this week and will be at the WhiskyFest tonight.

The Malt Advocate magazine’s 10th Annual WhiskyFest is from 6:30 to 10:00 pm (last pour at 9:30 pm) and should prove to be a cracking evening.

With an amazing line-up of brand owners, distillery managers and master blenders from Scotland, Ireland and the U.S it’s one of the big, must attend events in the Whisky calendar.

As the Malt Advocate themselves say, it’s:

America’s Largest Whisky Celebration
featuring more than 200 of the world’s finest, rarest, and most expensive, single malt and blended Scotch, Irish, bourbon, Tennessee, Japanese, Welsh, Canadian and other whiskies from around the world to sample in one Grand Ballroom. Attendees will also enjoy an expansive gourmet buffet all evening and will receive a commemorative Glencairn whisky glass.

Kind words:

This from Jamie following last week’s Whisky Tasting:

The debate - “water, more whisky or ice?”

We just received the following e-mail from a gentleman in America which made me think about the old debate over what, if anything, should be added to (presumably to enhance) whisky.

“Can you believe it, here I am, 76 years of age and I recently purchased my first bottle of Sheep Dip. Man, what a surprise. It surpasses every thing I’ve had thus far. Dewar’s has been my bar scotch for every-day consumption; but, I keep the bar well stocked with various Glen’s for company and conversation.

What caused the transformation was my cardiologist getting after me to cut back to three drinks daily. To do so, I went to scotch on the rocks rather than with water (yeah, I know what you guys think of us yanks and our ice - but I’m too old to change) and, since Dewar’s doesn’t lend itself to this, I fell back on my Glen’s. Then one of my friends told me I should try Sheep Dip - best advice I ever got in my whole life.

All I can say is - some people are just slow learners. But the good news is, my computer has extended my warranty to age 85 with a possible option for four more years. Which means, I got all these years to enjoy the true refinements of life - Sheep Dip - and I know I’ll be going out in style”

Now….I was brought up to believe malt should be drunk alone and not on your own, I later learnt that a little water reveals the quality of whisky exposing the flavours and  reducing the fierceness of 40% or more alcohol.

Richard the master blender told me that the habit of drinking “scotch on the rocks” originates from when in warmer climates peoples but pebbles from river bottoms in their whisky to cool it - and ice after-all, is just cold water and reverts to water.

In the past ive drunk whisky with green tea in China, so as not to appear rude and ungrateful and been slightly bemused by a Japanese gentleman who insisted the best way to drink Laphroaig is with tonic water. So leaving the Jack and Coke or blended whisky with lemonade debate aside is there a right way to drink good whisky or is it  just down to personal preference ?

Burning Man

The brands recently made a guest appearance at Burning Man, an annual art festival and temporary community, based on radical self expression and self-reliance, in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.

Well, it looked a lot of fun and many people enjoyed the whiskies after the sun had gone down, (the Black Rock Desert is 4000ft above sea level so it can get fairly chilly at night.)

This year the bonfire started early-by Accident- I hope nothing to do with the whiskies!!