On the heels of an amazing several months of coverage, SMTV has decided to make our videos even more accessible. This month we created the Singlemalt.tv Whisky Video Podcast that can be downloaded in the iTunes store at no charge.

The podcast furthers our goal of exploring the whiskies of the world while integrating cutting-edge technology and superior quality. After reviewing our video library we decided to offer some of our short videos as downloadable podcasts, the response has been outstanding. As always we welcome viewer feedback, and we will consider all requests as we work to populate the podcast with fresh content regularly.

Podcast subscribers will have the opportunity to download special versions of our videos, including tasting notes and distillery profiles, and full-length videos when appropriate. We hope our podcast will be a valuable resource for whiskey lovers everywhere, combining Singlemalt TV’s original, premium quality whisky video and the convenience of a free download.

Head over to the iTunes store and check out the Singlemalt.tv Whisky Podcast. Take a ten-minute tour of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail with our mini-distillery profiles (each is an individual podcast, so you can download just one or all eight!), visit several of the fantastic stops on Louisville’s Urban Bourbon trail in mere minutes and check out lots more great videos currently available. Be sure to keep us posted on what videos you’d like us to add as podcasts, we’ve got over 500 so it may take a little reviewing! As always we value your input and hope you will enjoy our new video podcast.

I got a book in the mail this week—I get a lot of books (and I’m definitely not complaining!) and I am particularly excited about this one. Whiskey & Philosophy A Small Batch of Spirited Ideas (Wiley 2009) is one of the most conceptually interesting whiskey books I’ve encountered. Editors Fritz Allhoff and Marcus P. Adams (Allhoff is a philosophy professor and Adams is a PhD student in philosophy) have divided this collection of essays into five “units,” adding definition to this multifaceted exploration of whiskey that runs the gamut from history to ethics. The collection includes equally broad perspectives from a diverse group of authors, including a foreword by our friend (and Master of the Quaich) Charlie MacLean.

I’m hopeful about this combo of tasting notes and history, often intermingled with personal vignettes. I’ve always maintained that the complicated and strikingly finite aspects of whiskey are  profoundly  illuminated by context. Though the contributors’ backgrounds and nationalities attest to the global significance of whiskey, both editors are American and have chosen to use the “whiskey” spelling throughout the book. Such a decision is always a defining moment in whisk(e)y literature, and it interests me to read how various authors negotiate the slippery slope of “whisky” versus “whiskey.” In their introduction Allhoff and Adams defend American whiskey, paying homage and leveling the playing field.  An excerpt on page 4 caught my attention:

” Most important we think that American whiskey is really, really outstanding. Why is it that single malt Scotch is so celebrated and American whiskey is so routinely denigrated, at least comparatively? The biggest reason, it seems to us, is consumers’ lack of exposure to high-quality American whiskey.”

I’m looking forward to sitting down with this book tonight—and in keeping with the editors’ request at the start of the introduction—I will pour myself some whiskey as I sit down to read further.  Allhoff and Adams recommend bourbon—my only dilemma will be choosing which one.

Our slogan–exploring the whiskies of the world—truly sums up this week’s programming. Needless to say, we’ve been busy lately! We’ve added LOTS of new videos this week, all shot on location by SMTV crews.

Join us on Louisville’s newly-expanded Urban Bourbon Trail (the new passports look great!) for extended coverage of each of the UBT’s nine eateries. These establishments are complimentary in their diversity—from the best pork chop we’ve ever tasted at Baxter Station, to the cheerful red penguins that assume a life of their own at Proof on Main- representing “Urban” and “Bourbon” intermingled with history and Kentucky hospitality.

Ali Mutch mixes it up at Jockey Silks on the Urban Bourbon Trail.

The newly expanded Urban Bourbon Trail Passport includes new additions Z’s Fusion and Baxter Station.

In a land far, far away from the rolling pastures of the Bluegrass–on Orkney, off far Northern Scotland– is Highland Park.

In addition to holding the distinction of Scotland’s Northernmost distillery, Highland Park is the backdrop for a plethora of remarkable stories. Gerry Tosh, Head of Brand Education at the Edrington Group owned distillery, is a master at weaving Highland Park’s rich history into his tastings. Singlemalt TV’s live webcasts from Highland Park have attracted live viewers from all over the world, eager for Gerry’s input on their questions regarding the storied malt.

This week SMTV brings you two very special Highland Park tastings with Gerry,  Highland Park 1977 and Highland Park Ambassador Cask. You won’t want to miss these exceptional tastings shot on location at the distillery.

Gerry Tosh discusses his tasting notes on Highland Park Ambassador Cask.

And another treat for Bourbon Lovers–our brand new mini-distillery profiles from each of the eight distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Also on the docket this week—the launch of our video podcast check us out in the iTunes store and subscribe to our free podcast. We’ve got some great stuff available now (including the mini-distillery profiles) and we’ll be adding more regularly.

Pour a dram of whatever whisk(e)y of the world you prefer and enjoy our new videos. Subscribe to our podcast and leave your thoughts on the SMTV videos you think would be great podcasts. Cheers!

I recently read a great Associated Press Story by Bruce Schreiner (Master Distillers Take Star Turn in Bourbon World, October 30, 2009)  about the master distillers of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. I pounced on the piece eagerly, thrilled about the national acclaim for Kentucky Bourbon, and the homage to the phenomenal characters that grease the wheels of this vital American industry each day. The story did not disappoint. Just like my own experience in the Bluegrass, Schreiner locked into the the genuine passion and humanity of these bourbon-making legends, something unique and difficult to reconcile with the stardom that goes hand-in-hand with their profession.

Chris Morris conducts a tasting at Woodford Reserve, for all of our bourbon tasting videos visit the “Whisk(e)y Tastings” tab on the Singlemalt TV video player.

The AP piece features some great quips from the master distillers, taking readers to the Kentucky Bourbon All-Star Sampler (SMTV’s full coverage from the event can be seen by clicking this link), a premiere event sponsored by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association that kicked-off the bourbon-centric evening festivities during the 2009 Kentucky Bourbon Festival. 2009 was the first go for the All-Star Sampler and (trust me) it was a good time. Prior to arriving at the Sampler we has an idea of what to expect (thanks in part to the schedule, and in part to one of our crews who arrived on the scene to begin shooting in advance). Long tables lined the massive perimeter of the formidable tent where the Sampler was held (near JIDECO Hall in Bardstown),  and each of the distilleries had set up shop–with the master distillers serving up (characteristically generous) samples of their wares and signing fan memorabilia including made-for-the-occasion baseball cards featuring each master distiller.

Though most of my colleagues have had ample meetings and chats with the majority of these icons of the amber elixir, I arrived that Wednesday evening in September a star-struck rookie. The fabulous lights, crowded dance floor and projections of distillery logos above each respective table furthered my mild awe at the whole concept, adding to the festive, even glitzy ambience.  Though there were many new faces (though our camera crews were constantly shooting on location to capture the KBF I was working behind the scenes in Bardstown) I was almost immediately whisked off to make introductions, and I quickly learned that Kentuckians (master distillers included) are without a doubt, some of the most welcoming people on earth.

Jimmy Russell.

Master distillers are interesting people. They’re world-traveled, they’re highly accomplished chemists in their own right, and they have an incredible degree of responsibility each day. Master distillers also have some of the firmest handshakes I’ve encountered, they make eye contact and talk with the familiarity and ease of an old friend, they seemed to take genuine pleasure in pouring a good drop of Kentucky Bourbon for a Yankee gal with an eager palette and an empty glass.

Bottom line: The master distillers are delightful. Each and every single one of them, from Kevin Smith of Maker’s Mark, to Parker and Craig Beam of Heaven Hill, to the always gregarious Fred Noe of Jim Beam and each of the others these guys love what they do and they’re damn good at it. In numerous cases the craft is in their blood, honed over generations of fathers and sons. There is an overwhelming integrity about all of it and that’s what sticks with me as I write this. All of them were instantly warm and welcoming, and every encounter I had with them as the Kentucky Bourbon Festival marched on cemented my initial impression, they’re just a great group of remarkable (and remarkably low-key) Kentucky boys.  A fun piece on one of the master distillers is Singlemalt TV’s  tribute video Heaven Hill’s Parker Beam that screened at his 50th anniversary celebration at the Bourbon Heritage Center October 23,  you can WATCH IT HERE.

An excerpt from an email I received from Four Roses Master Distiller Jim Rutledge, sent just before Singlemalt TV crews headed to Bardstown for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, sums up everything I can now handily confirm:

I sincerely look forward to meeting you and talking Kentucky, Kentucky Bourbon Festival, Bourbon and about anything else you may want to know about what we do in Kentucky. You’ll find pretty quickly that it’s a lot easier initiating a conversation with a master distiller than some how bringing it to a close. So be forewarned.

I think of this email often and think about how much I appreciate Jim’s candor, I spoke to him recently and despite a packed travel  schedule (another aspect of the job mentioned in the AP piece) he was happy to chat…for a while (hey, he warned me!). As a veteran master distiller and sitting Chairman of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival Board Jim is a true ambassador to the bourbon industry. Just like Fred, Parker, Craig, Chris, Jimmy, Kevin and Greg (unfortunately I didn’t get to meet Harlen Wheatley), Jim is the “Real McCoy.”

And yes, just like anyone who has ever met one of these easy-going icons of the bourbon business, I feel like I’m on a first name basis. I’d wager a guess that the master distillers probably wouldn’t have it any other way. Visit Kentucky and you’ll see too, and if you can’t get there just yet pour yourself a nice glass of bourbon and check out Singlemalt TV’s massive bourbon video selection for a virtual trip to Bourbon country, even if you’ve only got a few minutes you can check out each of the eight distilleries in under ten minutes by watching our NEW MINI DISTILLERY PROFILES HERE. Cheers!

Jim Rutledge at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

The Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau debuted the second edition of their Urban Bourbon Trail Passport today. The UBT has expanded to include nine premiere Louisville restaurants, each revered for great food and a great bourbon selection!

Singlemalt TV crews filmed profiles of each of the nine restaurants including Bourbon’s Bistro, Proof on Main, Baxter Station, Jockey Silks Bourbon Bar and Lounge, The Old Seelbach Hotel Bar, Blu Italian Grille, Z’s Fusion, the Brown Hotel Bar and the Maker’s Mark Bourbon House and Lounge.

Check out our segments from Proof on Main and Baxter Station.We’ll have the rest online shortly!

Curious about the UBT? Hear the Trail explained by Stacey Yates VP or Tourism Marketing at the CVB HERE. Here’s an excerpt from their press release sent this afternoon, which explains the UBT concept:

…Open to all residents and visitors age 21 and older, the Urban Bourbon Trail Passport program allows individuals to collect unique stamps from each of the nine participating stops and be rewarded with a special gift. New with this passport printing is a tiered prize system. Participants are encouraged to take their time enjoying Bourbon responsibly. The pace is entirely up to the participant as there is no time frame for completing the Passport. Those who visit all nine locations receive a t-shirt and a premium prize making them a “Trail Master,” while anyone who visits at least four locations will receive the t-shirt and be deemed a “Trail Blazer.”

Within the 60-page Passport, each location is identified on a map with its address and a short description, along with space for notes and the stamp. The booklet also includes instructions on how to use the Passport, and pointers on how to taste bourbon like an expert. The “Just a Step off the Trail” section describes additional attractions, stores and restaurants where bourbon culture is celebrated. There is also a map and guide to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries.

Passports can be picked up at any of the stops on the Urban Bourbon Trail or at the Louisville Visitors Center, located at 301 S. Fourth Street. Visitors at the Center can explore an introductory exhibit of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and purchase Bourbon Country merchandise, including the popular “Just Add Bourbon” line. For more information about planning a vacation to Louisville…The Gateway to Bourbon Country and the Urban Bourbon Trail visit www.JustAddBourbon.com.

The new UBT Passport.

The New Yas Hotel over the Yas Marina Circuit, The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend marks the end of the 2009 Formula One season.

This weekend marks the finale in the 2009 Formula One racing season and Brawn GP, fresh off their duel Driver’s and Constructor’s World Championships in Brazil earlier this month, will work to further their glory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Brawn GP printed the following Race Preview:

“The inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final round of the 2009 Formula One season, takes place this weekend at the new Yas Marina Circuit on the eastern side of Abu Dhabi.

The spectacular 5.554km track, designed by renowned Formula One architect Hermann Tilke, is located on Yas Island just thirty minutes from Abu Dhabi city. Running alongside Yas Island’s new marina, the anti-clockwise circuit has many unique features including a pitlane exit which crosses under the circuit and part of the track passing under the Yas Marina Hotel.

Abu Dhabi will host Formula One’s first twilight race with the lights going out in late daylight conditions at 17:00hrs on Sunday and the chequered flag falling in the evening around ninety minutes later. With Brawn GP and Jenson Button successfully securing the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships at the last race in Brazil, the team are now looking forward to putting on a great show in Abu Dhabi this weekend at the final race of the season.”

In a statement published on Brawn GP’s official website, driver Jensen Button said that he is entering the Abu Dhabi race considerably more relaxed after having achieved the World Championship in Brazil. Button said he had a chance to see the new track recently and is looking forward to the race.

Here’s the schedule for Formula One fans who plan on following the events this weekend:
(all times are local)

Friday 30 October
Practice 1: 1300 – 1430
Practice 2: 1700 – 1830

Saturday 31 October
Practice 3: 1400 – 1500
Qualifying: 1700 – 1800

Sunday 1 November
Race: 1700

Signage at the Circuit.

Yas Marina Circuit Stats

Circuit Length: 5.554km
Race Distance: 305.470km
Number of Laps: 55

Full Throttle: 60%
Brake Wear: High
Tyre Compounds: Soft / Medium
Downforce Level: High – 8/10
Tyre Usage: Medium
Average Speed: 188kph (117mph)

The start and finish straight at the new Yas Marina Circuit.

Stay with Singlemalt TV for updates on Brawn GP as the weekend unfolds!

As promised the youngest of the Knob Creek stocks have just come of age in Clermont, KY and bottling is set to begin next week.

It was earlier this summer when Beam Global Wine and Spirits realized they would encounter a shortage, and decided to act quickly to preempt the drought. The marketing team at Beam Global sent out t-shirts and ran a large-scale PR campaign thanking whiskey press and Knob Creek loyalists for (you guessed it) nothing.

Fred Noe and Jim beam President Bill Newlands prepare to taste a barrel sample of Knob Creek. (photo courtesy of the AP)

At the time of the shortage Beam Global anticipated that Knob Creek would once again flow in November, they have announced that the very first barrels were emptied today and Knob Creek should be back on the shelves by Thanksgiving (it has been absent some places since early September).

Now that is news we can raise a glass to!

The Jim Beam Distillery in Clemont, KY where Knob Creek is made.

Great news for Formula One fans: Singlemalt TV will be periodically publishing video and news updates from the Brawn GP Formula One Team. The team secured the 2009 Constructors’ and Drivers’ World Championships in Brazil on Sunday October 18.

Jenson Button celebrates with the team following Brawn GP’s duel World Drivers’ and World Constructors’ Championships in Brazil.

The latest news from Brawn GP:

Jenson Pays Tribute to the Team at Brawn GP

Jenson Button made an emotional return to Brawn GP’s factory in Brackley today to pay tribute to the team which won the 2009 FIA Formula One Constructors’ and Drivers’ World Championships in Brazil on Sunday.

After a hectic forty-eight hours following Sunday’s race which saw Jenson fly back from Brazil on team-mate Rubens Barrichello’s plane and go straight to Bluewater Shopping Centre for a fan and media appearance, Jenson’s priority was to get to the factory and speak to his team.

Champagne glass in hand and in front of his six race-winning trophies from the 2009 season, Jenson led a toast to the team’s successes, gave his own heartfelt thanks for the team’s contribution to his Drivers’ title and paid tribute to those people who were no longer with the team after the difficult winter.

Entering the auditorium at the factory to the sound of his post-race ‘We are the Champions’ radio rendition Jenson received a resounding welcome from the 450 staff gathered to congratulate him.

Jenson Button celebrates with the Brawn GP staff.

Jenson said: “That’s why I didn’t have a voice for two days after the race! I’m really here today to say a massive well done and thank you to everyone at the team. We’ve worked so hard for these achievements for so many years. Some of us were here from the beginning back in 1998 and I arrived halfway through our journey in 2003 but everyone has put so much work in. I know that there have been a lot of very difficult times and over the winter there were times when we didn’t think that we would be here at all. It’s very sad that not everyone can be here who worked on this fantastic car. But the team had to become smaller to continue and together we produced a car that has been exceptional this season.

To be able to achieve the Constructors’ and the Drivers’ Championships in our first year, especially after such a difficult winter, is an amazing achievement. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions. The first few races were magnificent. It looked like it was a walk in the park but it really wasn’t. Then we had some difficult races, especially myself but also as a team where we struggled. But we fought back hard and when we needed to improve the car, you guys did it. Rubens gave us two more wins in Valencia and Monza at an important time to boost our morale and prove just how quick the car was. We have a great leader, a fantastic leader, in Ross. The Big Bear can’t be here today but I know that when he gets back, he’ll be celebrating with you!

We proved in Brazil last weekend that we deserve these Championships. We’ve fought so hard and a Championship season is about achieving the results when you need to. We’ve had some difficult races but we always did the best job that we could. So we should raise our glasses as the new Formula One World Champions of 2009. We’ve done what we set out to achieve. It really is going to take some time to sink that we are there. Celebrating our victories here with you today means so much to me and we are really going to enjoy this moment. Thank you so very much for your amazing contribution to our successes.”

Jenson Button in action.

All images and news release courtesy of Brawn GP.

Singlemalt TV fans who happen to also be iphone users can now get a Singlemalt TV button right on the home screen of their iphone, how cool is that? It’s simple too, here’s how it works:

Step 1: launch Safari on your iPhone,
Step 2: Navigate on over to www.singlemalt.tv
Step 3: Tap the “+” at bottom of your screen, tap “Add to Home Screen”

Just like that you’ll have an SMTV button right on your home screen for easy access to your favorite whisk(e)y website. Enjoy!

Parker Beam: Heaven Hill Master Distiller since 1975.

Tonight Heaven Hill Master Distiller Parker Beam will celebrate 50 years making bourbon. Surrounded by his friends and family Parker will toast the occasion in Bardstown, Kentucky at Heaven Hill’s award-winning Bourbon Heritage Center. Singlemalt TV crews have had the honor of working with Parker quite a bit in the past year, you can catch Parker discussing his amazing career in our interview, WATCH PART ONE / WATCH PART TWO. You can also read about Parker’s Golden Anniversary in our news section HERE.

A screen grab from Parker Beam’s interview with Singlemalt TV.

Parker Beam is a remarkable man and a remarkable Master Distiller, and having collected a ton of great footage from our times with Parker—at the distillery and numerous events—we wanted to do something special for this monumental occasion.  As an honor to Parker we’ve put together a tribute video (it includes some great unseen footage and fantastic vintage photos courtesy of Heaven Hill), and Heaven Hill will be screening it tonight at the celebration!

We’ll share the video with our viewers this evening as well, so that we can all join in the festivities and raise a glass (bourbon of course) to Parker Beam.

Heaven Hill will honor Master Distiller Parker Beam tonight in Bardstown.

Heaven Hill will unveil Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 2000 tomorrow (Parker introduced Evan Williams Single Barrel in 1995) as their busy weekend continues.  You can watch Parker’s tasting notes on Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 1999 HERE.

Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 1999, Heaven Hill will unveil Evan Williams Single Barrel 2000 tomorrow.