|
It was 9:17 am, 9 May 2008, on the summit of Mount Everest. Our team of the best mountain climbers in the country finally reached the top of the world, holding the “Peaceful Cloud” flame on the highest point on earth at 8,844.43m altitude. The world watched with excitement and joy as this courageous endeavour was broadcast live by China Central Television worldwide. The team then returned safely to Base Camp at 5,300m. Time for celebration!
What would be more appropriate to celebrate with than Balblair Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky? Balblair was chosen as the exclusive alcoholic beverage because of international fame, devotion to every detail and adherence to time-honoured traditions. The same values treasured by the courageous team.
Devotion to Details
Reaching the highest point on earth and holding the flame high requires not only courage, endurance and stamina. It also requires meticulous planning and execution. The torch is specially designed so that it ignites immediately upon contact with the ignition rod. The flame can burn at -40oC in an atmospheric pressure as low as 0.3 bar and under wind as strong as 30 metres per second. It burns high and can be clearly visible in strong sunlight. The team has to be trained and prepared for sudden deterioration of weather on more than 8,000 metres altitude. All these require the devotion to the finest details.
The same devotion to details also characterises everything in Balblair to ensure that consumers are getting the very best of Balblair. The bottles and the box is design to revitalise the ancient culture of the Picts, the Scottish tribe that inhibits the land of Balblair 4,000 years ago. The bottle is shaped like a rock from the bottom of a river bed that had been eroded for years. The ancient Pictish symbols are all over the packaging.
This devotion to detail does not just extend to packaging. It extends to the Balblair spirit also. Hand-picked, specially selected ‘years’ that represent the very best whisky the distillery has to offer. 1062 casks were personally sampled, in a bid to find these whiskies of excellence; spirit that has reached the exact point of ‘optimum maturation’, its absolute peak. Left any longer to mature then they would not be at their best. Care, attention and huge amounts of detail have gone into ensuring that the vintages presented today are the best from that year of distillation. Only about 7.5% of the barrels initially identified were selected for bottling.
It is this mutually treasured value of devotion to details that leads to Balblair being officially chosen as the only alcoholic beverage for celebrating this unprecedented event that has attracted international attention.
The Ignition Ceremony
When the team reached Base Camp at 5,300 altitude by the end of April, all detailed preparation started immediately. Just before the team set off for the summit, the ignition ceremony was held. The mountaineering team, the TV broadcast crew, national and local sports and government official got together to mark the start of the courageous endeavour by igniting the canister with the flame brought from Greece. The Tibetan dance troupe expressed the best wishes for a safe and smooth approach to the summit. The team was ready, waiting for the weather to clear.
The Approach to the Summit
The time had finally come on 12 May 2008. Weather conditions were fine and clear and were expected to remain stable for the rest of the day. The team started out at 1:30 am from Final Approach Camp at altitude 8,300m. By 6:40 am, the entire entourage had successfully passed the second platform at altitude 8,570m. The final approach began at 9:11, with 5 of the best mountain climbers successively taking the flame through the last 30 metres to conquer the highest point on earth at 8,844.43m.
Jiji took the first section. She is a 39 years old veteran Tibetan climber. She has already conquered Mount Everest twice before, including once in 1999 together with her late husband Renna. To her, conquering Mount Everest again this time also fulfils the unfinished wish of Renna.
Wang Yong Feng, Han veteran climber aged 45, the leader of this team, is the second in line. He is one of the most experienced climber in the country and has reached 7 of the highest peaks in the world.
Nima Ciren, Tibetan veteran climber aged 45, took the third section. He is the principle of Tibetan Mountain Climbing Institute and speaks English, French and Japanese.
Huang Chun Gui, Han climber aged 22, a student from the Beijing Agricultural University, took the fourth section.
The last one who finally took the flame to the summit is 22 years old Tibetan climber Ciren Wam. She last conquered Mount Everest at the age of 19 and today still holds the record of being the youngest female climber on Mount Everest.
TV Broadcasting
The TV broadcasting crew has played a vital role in bringing the image live to the world. They have gone through the same meticulous planning and execution and has similarly devoted to every detail to ensure that all the heart-touching scenes are broadcast live to the world.
The Celebration
It is time for celebration when the team returned back to Base Camp. Every member returned safely and in high spirit. Time for a feast and a drink! What can be better than a sip of Balblair Highland Single Malt Whisky with its smooth, warm and long finish!
Some Facts About Balblair
Balblair Distillery was first established in 1749 by a local of the area Mr. John Ross and is one of the oldest whisky distillery in Scotland. It has not changed much since moving to the current site on the Dornoch Firth in the North Highland region of Scotland in 1790. Time honoured traditions that ensure the finest whisky is still practiced today.
Balblair produces one of the finest single malt whisky. Each of Balblair’s different vintage expressions is strongly individual, full bodied and feature notes that include
apricot,
orange,
green apple,
cloves,
vanilla
and honey.
Contacts
For high resolution photographs and more details, please contact:
Kelvin Tam
International Beverage Holdings Limited
Tel: +852 9166 0933 or
+86 136 0881 0861
Email: ktam@interbevgroup.com
Website: www.interbevgroup.com
Or:
Single Malt Club
Email: smc@singlemaltclub.net
Website: www.singlemaltclub.net
|
|
