XXXX is a brand of Australian beer brewed in Milton, Brisbane by Queensland brewers, Castlemaine Perkins (now a division of the Japanese-owned company Lion Nathan). It enjoys wide popularity in the state of Queensland, where it is commonly found on-tap in pubs and bars.
The XXXX brand was first introduced in 1924 and is a throwback to the long standing tradition of using Xs to indicate the strength of an ale. The brand name also built upon XXX Sparkling Ale introduced in 1878. The brand is used on the XXXX Bitter, XXXX Gold, XXXX Light Bitter (Lager), XXXX DL (Diet Lager) and Sovereign (Lager).
Previously sold beers, currently not available, include Thirsty Dog (Wheat Beer) XXXX Draught/Original Draught, and XXX Sparkling Ale which is only sold at the XXXX alehouse next to the brewery.
The XXXX brand was launched in 1924 by then Castlemaine Brewers, named after the town of Castlemaine, Victoria where the company was born in 1857. The yellow-and-red label still bears this town's name. XXXX has been brewed in the Castlemaine Perkins Milton Brewery since its introduction, and has featured an artist's sketch (later very stylised) of this brewery on the label of beer bottles and cans.
In the 1950s the prominent 'XXXX' illuminated sign was erected on the brewery. "XXXX" itself refers to a traditional grading system for strong beer.
In 1992, Castlemaine Perkins was acquired by Australian beverage and food company Lion Nathan, who in turn were taken over by Japanese beverage conglomerate, Kirin, in 2009.
XXXX is the most widely available beer throughout most of Queensland, although many other beers, such as Victoria Bitter and Tooheys are popular. The most widely known variant outside of Australia is XXXX Export Lager.
XXXX was brewed under licence in the UK by InBev Ltd until 2009. It was commonly available in cans in British off licences and sometimes on tap in British pubs, although it was much less widely available than Foster's.
At 3.7% alcohol, the British brewed XXXX was somewhat weaker than most of the Australian variants. Castlemaine XXXX was withdrawn from the UK at the end of June 2009 when InBev's licensing agreement expired.
Since 1839, The Dalmore distillery has been producing exceptional single malt whisky. Located on the shore of the Cromarty Firth in the spectacular Highlands of Scotland, the distillery continues to produce spirit that is revered by experts and connoisseurs alike.
The distillery warehouses feature some of the oldest whisky stocks in the world and visitors to the distillery receive a rare insight into the skill, expertise and crafting required to produce each precious drop of The Dalmore.
The Dalmore is a distillery in Alness, Scotland, located about 20 mile north of Inverness. The waters of the River Alness, which runs through the village, are used to produce its whiskies.
The distillery is best known for producing a single malt scotch whisky of the same name. Its location and flavour qualify it as a "Highland malt". The Dalmore distillery is owned and operated by Whyte and Mackay Ltd, which is owned by United Breweries Group, a large Indian conglomerate.
The Distillery was established in 1839 by Alexander Matheson, a trader who made his fortune in illegal opium imports from the Far East. It sits on the banks of the Cromarty Firth overlooking the Black Isle, the "big meadowland", from which it takes its name. The distillery was bought by the MacKenzie family in 1886.
It has been passed down that in 1263, a predecessor of the Clan MacKenzie saved King Alexander III from a rampaging stag whilst out hunting. In reward, the King allowed him to bear the Royal emblem of a 12-pointed stag in his coat of arms. Recently, the MacKenzie motto Luceo non Uro or I shine, not burn has also been taken up by Dalmore.
Maker's Mark Whisky Club Neon Light Sign - US$159 including shipping fee worldwide -
Email: wiki_neon@hotmail.com
Elijah Craig is a 12 year-old super-premium bourbon whiskey produced by the Heaven Hill Distillery company.
The company is headquartered in Bardstown, Kentucky, and its distillery is in Louisville, Kentucky. The brand is sold as a straight bourbon. It is sold in glass 750ml bottles.
Elijah Craig whisky is made in both 12 "Small Batch" and 18 year-old "Single Barrel" bottlings.
The 18 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon is touted as "The oldest Single Barrel Bourbon in the world at 18 years . . ." made in oak barrels that are "hand selected by Parker and Craig Beam," losing nearly 2/3 of the barrels contents in Angel's share.
The barrels are later sold to the Scotch Whisky industry or used by microbrewers for making Bourbon Barrel aged beer such as Goose Island Brewery's "Bourbon County" Imperial Stout.
In the San Francisco World Spirits Competition of 2010, the 18 year-old Elijah Craig Single Barrel Bourbon was awarded Best Bourbon and a Double Gold Medal rating.
The Glenfiddich Distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery owned by William Grant & Sons in Dufftown, Banffshire, within the Local Government District Council area of Moray, Scotland.
The Glenfiddich single malt whisky first ran from the stills on Christmas Day, 1887. Following difficult times in the 1960s and '70s, many small, independent distillers were bought up or went out of business.
In order to survive, W. Grant & Sons expanded their production of the drink, and introduced advertising campaigns, a visitors' centre and from 1957 packaged their whisky in distinctive triangular bottles.
Later, W. Grant & Sons was one of the first distilleries to package its bottles in tubes and gift tins, as well as recognising the importance of the duty-free market for spirits. This marketing strategy was successful, and Glenfiddich has now become the world's best-selling single malt.
It is sold in 180 countries, and accounts for about 35% of single malt sales.
The water source is the Robbie Dhu springs. Glenfiddich is matured in oak casks such as rum casks from the Caribbean, Bourbon whiskey barrels from America, or sherry butts from Jerez in Spain.
Email: wiki_neon@hotmail.com
Gordon & MacPhail is an independent bottler and distiller of Scotch Whisky, founded in 1895 and located Elgin in the north-east of Scotland. It is a family business owned by the Urquhart Family. Gordon & MacPhail is the Trading name of Speymalt Whisky Distributors Ltd.
Gordon & MacPhail are one of the best known independent whisky bottlers. Gordon & MacPhail has been bottling single malt whiskies for over 115 years, and now bottles over 350 different expressions from around 70 distilleries.
The Private Collection is a range of single malt whiskies personally selected by the Directors of Gordon & MacPhail. Each is of exceptional age and rarity, and of outstanding character and quality. The collection is small and any new additions are eagerly anticipated.
Gordon & MacPhail's retail shop is located on South Street in Elgin. The shop is split into four sections. The Deli, The Wines and Spirits Department, The Grocery Department, and The Whisky Room, which has one of the largest collections of whisky in the world.
Highland Park distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery based in Kirkwall, Orkney. It is the most northerly whisky distillery in Scotland, half a mile farther north than that at Scapa distillery. Blackwood distillery in Shetland presently produces only gin and vodka.
Highland Park has performed well at international spirit ratings competitions. Its 25 year single malt scotch, for example, received double gold medals at the 2007 and 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
The distillery was founded in 1798, presumably by Magnus Eunson. The name of this whisky does not refer to the area of Scotland known as The Highlands, from which Orkney is excluded, but rather to the fact that the distillery was founded on an area called 'High Park' distinguished from a lower area nearby.
Highland Park is one of the few distilleries to malt its own barley, using locally cut peat from Hobbister Moor. The peat is then mixed with heather before being used as fuel. The malt is peated to a level of 20 parts per million phenol and then mixed with unpeated malt produced on the Scottish mainland.
In 1984, Highland Park was the only whisky ever to have scored a rating of 100% by the regular tasting team of The Scotsman, a national newspaper of Scotland. Whisky reviewer and expert Michael Jackson has called it "The greatest all-rounder in the world of malt whisky."
Highland Park is available in various proprietary bottlings by year, as well as a special bottling known as Cappella, available only at the distillery. In addition, several independent bottlings of Highland Park are produced. Highland Park is also one of the ingredients of The Famous Grouse blend.
