Archives for April 2011

Glengoyne Single Cask 1994 / 13 Year Old / Manzanilla Sherry Finish – Single Highland Malt Scotch Wh

April 30, 2011 by Gary Leave a Comment

Glengoyne Single Cask 1994 / 13 Year Old / Manzanilla Sherry Finish - Single Highland Malt Scotch Wh

70cl / 56.3% / Distillery Bottling – A full strength Glengoyne 1994, bottled in 2007 after finishing in a single Manzanilla sherry cask. Manzanilla is a lighter, nuttier style of sherry than the hugely sweet, sticky Oloroso more often associated with sherry cask whiskies. This should be very interesting..

Price: £ 67.15 BUY IT NOW

You can buy it here: Glengoyne Single Cask 1994 / 13 Year Old / Manzanilla Sherry Finish – Single Highland Malt Scotch Wh

Or you can compare prices from a selection of suppliers here.

Arran 14 Year Old – Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky

April 29, 2011 by Gary Leave a Comment

Arran 14 Year Old - Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky

70cl / 46% / Distillery Bottling – Released in late 2010, this Arran 14yo is intended to be the standard issue bottling, taking over from the 12yo that appeared in late 2008. As has always been the case with Arran’s malt, this has been neither coloured nor chill-filtered and has been bottled at a sensible drinking strength of 46%, for which the management deserve maximum kudos..

Price: £ 38.75 BUY IT NOW

You can buy it here: Arran 14 Year Old – Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Or you can compare prices from a selection of suppliers here.

Spirit Of Speyside Whisky Festival Now On

April 28, 2011 by Gary Leave a Comment

Spirit Of Speyside Whisky Festival

Devotees of the dram and non-whisky drinkers alike will be able to discover even more about the delights of Scotland’s Malt Whisky country this month as the 12th annual Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival starts.

The five-day festival’s packed programme of over 200 events starts today and runs until the 2nd. May. There is something to suit all levels of interest, from the exclusive three day intensive instruction on offer at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky School to a more light hearted look at the world of whisky with stand up comedian Vladimir McTavish.

Included in this year’s programme is the opportunity to become a Benromach warehouseman for the day, offering enthusiasts a unique opportunity to be initiated into the ultra exclusive whisky world with the chance to take part in the time honoured preparations of the iconic drink before hand-filling a bottle of Benromach as a souvenir of this unforgettable experience.

Whisky lovers can also take part in the Cask Strength Challenge Quiz at Strathisla Distillery, with the winning team taking away rare limited edition bottles of Deoch an Doras 36 Year Old whisky, produced by the now defunct Inverleven distillery.

For those who want to let their hair down while in Malt Whisky country there are a range of exciting daytime and evening entertainments showcasing the best of Speyside spirit including the Coleburn Distillery Fun Day and Ceilidh, an extravaganza added to this year’s programme offering whisky barrel buggy racing and some traditional craic at an evening ceilidh.

Other brand new musical highlights include a celebration of contemporary Scottish music at the Celtic Spirit evening at The Glenfiddich Distillery and the Whisky and Jazz event at the Craigellachie Hotel, where Dutch whisky author Hans Offringa will be on hand to sign copies of his book ‘The Road to Craigellachie – Revisited’ which will be officially re-launched as part of the festival programme offering enthusiasts the change to get their hands on a copy of this whisky themed travel book that quickly became a collector’s item after its first edition was released in 2004.

Over the course of the Festival visitors will have the opportunity take part in numerous long-standing favourite events such as guided tours of many of Speyside’s 50+ world renowned distilleries, including some not usually open to the public, as well uncovering the unique appeal of this amazing area of north east Scotland on a range of whisky themed walks and tours.

Outdoor events include the festival’s famed “Dramble” where walkers can sample the spirits on offer at the seven stills of Dufftown by foot, a selection of whisky and wildlife walks guided by local rangers, as well as exclusive motorised tours taking in the backcountry braes that used to conceal the smugglers stills by four wheel drive or even in an amphibious argocat.

Connoisseurs will have the chance to blend their own whisky at the Cardhu distillery as well as sampling some superb single malts and helping to select the winning whiskies at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Awards prior to the annual opening dinner at Knockando Distillery.

Tastings will also be offered at a range of other events including the foodie friendly Sweet and Savoury Whisky Pairing workshops at Gordon and MacPhail where guests will receive guidance on how to select the top tipples to complement their favourite foods. Whisky and food will also be the subject of some new additions to the festival programme with tasting tours taking place on the Saturday and Sunday of the festival.

For more information: Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2011

Old Pulteney 8 Year Old – Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

April 28, 2011 by Gary Leave a Comment

Old Pulteney 8 Year Old - Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

70cl / 40% / Gordon & Macphail.

Price: £ 25.48 BUY IT NOW

You can buy it here: Old Pulteney 8 Year Old – Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Or you can compare prices from a selection of suppliers here.

Liquid Reductions From The Drink Shop

April 27, 2011 by Gary Leave a Comment

While updating The Drink Shop’s product list I noticed some reductions I thought I’d share.
In particular from the list below is the Mackmyra Swedish Malt Whisky whose price has come down by over £15.00 (27%).

Supplier	Brand	Bottle Size	Price
The Drink Shop	Mackmyra – First Edition Single Malt 70cl Bottle Country: Swedish Region: Swedish Age: Strength: 46.1% Summary: Much of the whisky has been stored in 100-litre casks, which produces an exciting, powerful ageing process. Also used were newly manufactured Swedish oak casks, made using oak that was planted on the island of Visings – 160 years ago and intended for use in building warships for the Swedish navy. The base is an Elegant recipe, stored in bourbon casks of first fill quality. All stored in the Bodas mine, 50 metres down inside the primary rock. The colour is light yellow, with hints of amber. The nose is fruity with citrus, pear, apple, honey, light oak with hints of lightly toasted bread and fresh, buttery caramel. The flavour is fruity and subtle, with citrus, caramel and honey. A light hint of oak can be noted at the end. The aftertaste is well-adjusted and balanced, with hints of dark chocolate. For optimal flavour, the alcohol strength has been adjusted to 46.1% using naturally purified water from the Valbo Ridge.	70cl	£ 40.69 BUY NOW SAVE: £ 15.14 (27%) (was: £ 55.83)
The Drink Shop	Jameson – Rarest Vintage Reserve 70cl Bottle Country: Irish Region: Irish Summary: Nose: A real full bodied aroma. Initially sweet with ripe fruit notes of melon, bananas and dark fleshy plums. The unmistakable pot still spicy character combines to give hints of treacle, cinnamon and liquorice. Taste: A mouthful of flavours. Mellow sweetness and toasted wood are complemented by fruit richness characteristic of the port casks. A touch of creamy dairy fudge and dark chocolate add to the complexity. Finish: A tantalisingly long finish which covers the spectrum from the sweetness of fruit, through the spices to the unmistakable note of barley, where it all began. You've met the Jameson Family, now meet the Godfather of them all, Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve. This initial expression of maturing rare pot still whiskey in traditional fortified wine casks is a triumph of the collaboration between the Jameson Masters; devotees to their craft whose skill and artistry have been richly rewarded. All the whiskeys in this magnificent Reserve are of an advanced age and have an immense collage of flavours to impart from their time in the wood. The pick of Jameson's older grain whiskeys were brought together with some rare and charismatic pot still whiskeys that had been matured in hand-picked second fill bourbon casks. These were carefully married with a rare pot still whiskey that was aged to a fantastic mellow sweetness in specially commissioned port pipes. The resulting union has a glorious, fruit rich character.	70cl	£ 221.69 BUY NOW SAVE: £ 34.18 (13%) (was: £ 255.87)
The Drink Shop	Glen Mhor – 1980 Gordon & Macphail Highland Malt Range 70cl Bottle Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Vintage: 1980 Bottler: Summary: Colour: Golden. Tasting notes, undiluted: Nose: Sherried and dried fruits – figs and dates. Hint of cereal, malty aroma. Palate: Full – oily and smoky, herbal with floral notes. A sweet, rounding fruitiness – sherry and ripe fruits. Touch of dark chocolate. With water: Nose: Gorse and bracken, oiled wood and sweet aromas. Traces of camphor and phenolic notes. Palate: Smoky – charred oak, Christmas cake and baked fruit flavours, drying. Body: Rich, full flavoured. Finish:Dry, charred oak. Cask Type: Refill Sherry Butts. Style: Rich and smooth, a fine example of a sherry matured Highland Malt.	70cl	£ 92.95 BUY NOW SAVE: £ 6.00 (6%) (was: £ 98.95)
The Drink Shop	Benromach – 25 Year Old 70cl Bottle Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Age: 25 Year Old Strength: Summary: Colour: Pale gold. Nose: Toasted spices with a sharp fruitiness – citrus oils. There is also a subtle vanilla note. Body: Mouth coating. Palate: Spicy, almost peppery with a rounding creaminess. The fruitiness develops with the spices, reminiscent of rich fruitcake. Finish: Lasting. Cask type: Refill American hogsheads. Whisky style: The fruit and spice characteristics of Benromach are balanced with the subtle sweetness of the American Oak. Michael Jackson is internationally the most widely published author on whisky. His Malt Whisky Companion is the world's best selling book on the subject and is in its revised 5th edition. Jackson is a Master of the Quaich. His tasting notes… Colour: Full greeny gold. Nose: Perfumey. Fragrant hit of smokiness. Body: Creamy. Palate: Rich. Blossomy. Herbaceous borders. A British garden in summer. Finish: Lively. Warming. Comment: The best of Benromach. Confident, articulate, and in a mood to talk.	70cl	£ 68.29 BUY NOW SAVE: £ 4.66 (6%) (was: £ 72.95)
The Drink Shop	Old Pulteney – 17 Year Old Unchillfiltered 70cl Bottle Country: Scotland Region: Highland Age: 17 Year Old Strength: 46% Summary: Tasting Notes: Alc/Vol. – 46% Non Chill-Filtered Nose – Sweet with traces of apples and pears: slightly woody with a hint of butterscotch. Colour – Red amber with a rich autumnal hue. Taste – Full bodied, with hints of vanilla and floral notes in the background; a long-lasting memorable finish.	70cl	£ 48.69 BUY NOW SAVE: £ 10.10 (17%) (was: £ 58.79)
The Drink Shop	Compass Box – Hedonism Limited Release 70cl Bottle Country: Scotland Region: Age: Strength: 100% Summary: Type: Vatted Grain. 100% grain whisky made by blending single grain whiskies from different distilleries. Tasting Notes: Elegant flavours of vanilla cream, toffee, coconut. Lead Distilleries: Cambus, Caledonian, Cameron Bridge. Casks: 100% first-fill bourbon barrels and first-fill American oak hogsheads. Bottling Details: 43%, not chill filtered, natural colour. John Glaser's Tasting Notes: A rich, sweet, sexy style of whisky which you'll find is aptly named! Have you ever tasted really good grain whisky from Scotland? Unless you've tried the stuff in the bottle to the left, you probably have not. Most people haven't, even many serious whisky lovers. Almost no one bottles it! I believe that great grain whiskies from well chosen casks are the undiscovered treasures of Scotland's whisky kingdom. That's why I created this whisky called Hedonism! Hedonism is our award winning blend of grain whiskies. Stylistically, this is, (in my humble opinion), a beautiful drink: supple, silky, with elegant, rich flavours of vanilla, toffee, coconut and cocoa. It's also a rare whisky in that it's composed of the most perfectly mature casks of grain whisky we can find, and also because it always contains at least some component whiskies from Cambus. Cambus was sadly shut in the early 1990s, but is beloved by blenders for its soft, sweet style. Grain whiskies have been made in Scotland going back to the early part of the 1800s. They are the elegant, almost feminine alter ego to Scotland's malt whiskies. Most people think of them as the 'filler' whiskies in the well-known, commercial blends, but this is far from the whole story. Each grain whisky distillery in Scotland makes a distinctive spirit. And the best grain whiskies–from great casks–are some of the silkiest, sweetest, most mouth-wateringly delicious whiskies in the world. Hedonism is like nothing that's been bottled before in Scotland. No one has ever made a 'vatted grain' (a blend of single grain whiskies from different distilleries) that shows off how delicious Scottish grain whiskies can be! It's a rare and seriously sexy style of Scotch whisky, unlike anything else on the market.	70cl	£ 52.95 BUY NOW SAVE: £ 3.17 (6%) (was: £ 56.12)
The Drink Shop	Stronachie – 12 Year Old 70cl Bottle Country: Scotland Region: Highland Age: 12 Year Old Strength: Summary: Appearance: Bright. Full gold with orange flecks. Tawny tones. Viscous and syrupy holding on to the side of the glass. Defined tears which dissipate fairly slowly. Nose: Initial whiffs of sour dough elapse to form a back bone of spiced fruit flavours. Apples and raisins. Perhaps some pear drops. Pronounced and quite sweet with the addition of water. Palate: Firm and well rounded. Medium to full bodied with good depth of flavour. Spicy and invigorating. Spiced fruit cake with an abundance of raisins. Cinnamon and cloves. Sweet woody notes and prominent peat smoke evolve in the mouth to leave a drying aftertaste.	70cl	£ 31.79 BUY NOW SAVE: £ 1.88 (6%) (was: £ 33.67)
The Drink Shop	Laphroaig – 10 Year Old 70cl Bottle Country: Scotland Region: Islay Age: 10 Year Old Strength: Summary: Laphroaig Malt Whisky is distilled in the Islay region of Scotland. Laphroaig (pronounced la-froyg) is one of the most distinctive of all malt whiskies. The distillery was built in the 1820s by Donald and Alex Johnson whose family name is still on the label. In 1847 Donald died in a somewhat bizarre accident after falling into a vat of partially made whisky ('burn't Ale'). Laphroaig (Gaelic: The beautiful hollow by the broad bay) has its own peat beds on Islay. Its maturation warehouses face directly on to the sea. For many, it is an acquired taste, but one which rewards persistance. Its palate is smokey with a long aftertaste. If you like Islay smokey whiskies, then you'll love this one, you can almost taste the sea.	70cl	£ 27.79 BUY NOW SAVE: £ 1.70 (6%) (was: £ 29.49)
The Drink Shop	Barrogill – Blended Malt 70cl Bottle Country: Scotland Region: Summary: A North Highland Blended malt produced from distilleries only located in the Northern Highlands. Endorsed by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay. The first Northern Highland Blended Malt ever produced from this region. The unique packaging of Barrogill utilises the Royal colours, stressing the Royal connections. Nose – Full bodied with floral and sweet fruity aromas that are reflective of its North Highland roots. Taste – Sweet and spicy to the taste, with a slight warm peaty undertone. Finish – A long lasting finish that is complex yet superbly balanced. (Glass not included).	70cl	£ 21.89 BUY NOW SAVE: £ 2.16 (9%) (was: £ 24.05)

Caol Ila 12 Year Old – Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky

April 27, 2011 by Gary Leave a Comment

Caol Ila 12 Year Old - Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky

75cl / 43% / Distillery Bottling.

Price: £ 281.52 BUY IT NOW

You can buy it here: Caol Ila 12 Year Old – Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky

Or you can compare prices from a selection of suppliers here.

Arran Distillery New Releases

April 26, 2011 by Gary Leave a Comment

Arran Distillery copper pot stills

Arran Distillery have announced their forthcoming releases for 2011 in their Premium Single Cask Range

Sleeping Warrior – Vintage 2000 Cask Strength in association with The National Trust for Scotland.

Machrie Moor II.

12 Year Old Cask Strength Batch #1.

They will available soon but in the meantime you can see the excellent range of Arran Malts from our selection of merchants.

Macallan 8 Year Old – Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

April 26, 2011 by Gary Leave a Comment

Macallan 8 Year Old - Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

75cl / 43% / Distillery Bottling – A rare old Macallan 8 year old, bottled in the 1980s for the Italian market..

Price: £ 240.67 BUY IT NOW

You can buy it here: Macallan 8 Year Old – Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Or you can compare prices from a selection of suppliers here.

New Stock From Master Of Malt

April 25, 2011 by Gary Leave a Comment

Master of Malt has 12 New additions to it’s stock this week with whiskies from the following regions and / or countries: English, French, Highland, Island, Lowland & Speyside.

The brands include Ardmore, Benriach, Glen Grant, Glenfarclas, Glenkinchie, Isle Of Jura, Longmorn, Old Pulteney and Tamdhu.

The ages of the new whiskies range from 8 to 30 Year Old malts.

Supplier	Brand	Bottle Size	Price
Master of Malt	Old Pulteney 8 Year Old 35cl (Gordon and MacPhail) Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Highland Age: 8 Year Old Strength: 40.00% Summary: The malt whisky is 8 Year Old.	35cl	£ 12.45 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Isle of Jura 10 Year Old Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Island Age: 10 Year Old Strength: 40.00% Summary: The malt whisky is 10 Year Old.	70cl	£ 22.27 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Tamdhu 8 Year Old – The MacPhails Collection (Gordon and MacPhail) Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Age: 8 Year Old Strength: 40.00% Summary: The malt whisky is 8 Year Old.	70cl	£ 23.95 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	BenRiach 1996 – Connoisseurs Choice (Gordon and MacPhail) Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Age: Strength: 43.00%	70cl	£ 31.45 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Ardmore 1993 (Gordon and MacPhail) Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Age: Strength: 43.00%	70cl	£ 35.45 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Glenkinchie 1989 Amontillado Finish – Distillers Edition Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Lowland Age: Strength: 43.00%	70cl	£ 38.95 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Longmorn 16 Year Old Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Age: 16 Year Old Strength: 48.00% Summary: The malt whisky is 16 Year Old.	70cl	£ 47.47 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	English Whisky Royal Marriage Single Malt Country: England Region: English Age: Strength: 46.00%	70cl	£ 64.95 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Maxime Trijol 1968 Single Malt Country: France Region: French Age: Strength: 40.00%	70cl	£ 99.95 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	MacPhails 30 Year Old Puccini Decanter Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Other Scotch Age: 30 Year Old Strength: 40.00% Summary: The malt whisky is 30 Year Old.	70cl	£ 117.45 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Glen Grant 1958 (Gordon and MacPhail) Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Age: Strength: 40.00%	70cl	£ 163.45 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Glenfarclas 1963 Family Cask Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Age: Strength: 56.70%	70cl	£ 398.45 BUY NOW

Linkwood 1991 / Bot. 2006 – Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky

April 25, 2011 by Gary Leave a Comment

Linkwood 1991 / Bot. 2006 - Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky

70cl / 52.5% / Gordon & Macphail – This should be good: single sherry-cask Linkwood 1991 bottled at full strength in 2006 for Gordon & MacPhail’s ‘Cask’ series – Yummy..

Price: £ 63.01 BUY IT NOW

You can buy it here: Linkwood 1991 / Bot. 2006 – Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky

Or you can compare prices from a selection of suppliers here.