Archives for November 2018

Kavalan Taiwanese Whisky New Arrivals From Abbey Whisky!

November 19, 2018 by Gary Leave a Comment

Kavalan Solist Port Cask 0100929035A
£138.00

New Arrivals

Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Cask FI100707011B
£297.50
Country: Taiwan
Region:
Age:
Strength: 57.8%
70cl

Kavalan Solist Port Cask 0100929035A
£138.00
Country: Taiwan
Region:
Age:
Strength: 57.8%
70cl

Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask S081217036
£128.98
Country: Taiwan
Region:
Age:
Strength: 59.4%
70cl

Linkwood 25 Year Old | Distillery Labels
£168.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Age: 25 Years Old
Strength: 43%
70cl

Cl8 – Elements of Islay (Caol Ila)
£47.50
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Age:
Strength: 55.2%
50cl

Lagavulin Distillers Edition – 2001 | Bottled 2017
£89.40
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Age:
Strength: 43%
70cl
Vintage: 2001
Bottler: Distillery Bottling

Lagavulin 18 Year Old | Feis Ile 2018
£248.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Age: 18 Years Old
Strength: 53.9%
70cl

Pl5 – Elements of Islay (Port Charlotte)
£102.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Age:
Strength: 63.1%
50cl
Vintage: 2009
Bottler: Elixir Distillers

Glen Moray 10 Year Old – 2007 | The Single Malts of Scotland
£64.80
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Age: 10 Years Old
Strength: 58.7%
70cl
Vintage: 2007
Bottler: Elixir Distillers

Mortlach 25 Year Old | Distillery Labels
£168.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Age: 25 Years Old
Strength: 43%
70cl

Sampling Limestone Branch Distilleries Bourbon & Whiskey – Smooth, Smooth And Smooth Again!

November 16, 2018 by Gary Leave a Comment

Yellowstone Select Bourbon & Minor Case Rye Whiskey

I’ve received some samples from the Kentucky-based Limestone Branch Distillery (LBD) who have brought their historical Yellowstone Select Bourbon and Minor Case Rye Whiskey to the UK.

First produced by Master Distiller, Steve Beam’s ancestors in 1872, Yellowstone was Kentucky’s biggest selling bourbon in the 1960s. The original family recipe was resurrected in 2010 by Steve Beam and his brother Paul Beam with the first barrel filled in 2015.

LBD is based in Lebanon, Kentucky, in the heart of Bourbon country and is a founding member of the Kentucky Craft Bourbon Trail.

LBD’s intention is to craft the finest whiskey in small batches, honouring the long Beam family heritage. With a history of distilling on both sides of their family – Beam and Dant – the brothers are seventh-generation distillers.

In 2015, LBD partnered with Luxco to assist in delivering its fine whiskeys around the world.

The craft whiskeys are distilled utilising the same method Beam’s previous generations used, with the yeast dating back to 1850. The whiskeys are hand labelled and hand-bottled and the focus is on quality, with just a barrel per day produced.

In the UK there is a huge demand right now for authentic bourbon and rye whiskeys, from both the on-trade and also specialist whiskey retailers. We are delighted to be able to introduce our Yellowstone Select and Minor Case Whiskeys to the UK market.

Bourbon and Rye whiskeys offer an ideal entry to the category and the increasing popularity of classic American whiskey-based cocktails such as the Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour and the Manhattan, are further fuelling demand.
– Steve Beam: President and Distiller, Limestone Branch Distillery

Steve Beam

Yellowstone Select Bourbon has won the following awards:
SF 2018 GOLD,
SIP PLATINUM 2017
2017 BERLIN GOLD MEDAL
2017 SIP AWARDS SILVER CONSUMERS CHOICE AWARD

Minor Case 2-yr old straight rye whiskey has won the following awards:
SF 2018 GOLD
2017 GOLD SIP AWARD
2017 MASTER AT THE GLOBAL LUXURY MASTERS
2017 SILVER SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Yellowstone Select Bourbon (46.5%)

Named after the Yellowstone National Park, award-winning Yellowstone Select Bourbon is a small batch of four and seven-year aged straight Kentucky bourbon whiskey made with locally grown white corn, rye, malt and limestone water.

Yellowstone Select Bourbon

Nose: Red apples, tropical fruits, fudge, vanilla and honey. Over time there’s old polished wood & chocolate.

Palate: A lovely, rich, creamy palate with smooth vanilla fudge flavours. There’s a hint of some wood and those apples are there as well coupled with a tropical fruit sweetness.

Finish: Very smooth finish. The tropical fruit continues and is joined by some spicy pepper at the end. No fieriness at all!

Overall: This is an amazing Bourbon! Quite sublime in it’s sweetness and the, amazing and surprising, total lack of fieriness that seems to underly most Bourbons I have tasted in the past.

Tasting Notes – Minor Case Rye Whiskey (45%)

Minor Case is a two-year old straight rye whiskey distilled using 100% American heartland grains and finished in a sherry cask. A nod to its namesake, exceptional distiller, Minor Case Beam (Steve’s great grandfather), Minor Case today is an authentic reproduction of Minor Case’s original recipe.

Minor Case Rye Whiskey

Nose: Initially a big hit of glue and popcorny new make spirit. Again, there’s green apples and later caramel sweetness comes through.

Palate: Smooth, honeyed and vanilla with apples and tropical fruit.

Finish: Again, a smooth finish with the familiar tropical fruit that I’ve come to love! There’s a hint of pepper and the dram ends on a note of tanin dryness.

Overall: There’s not as much nose as the Yellowstone Select Bourbon but Minor Case Rye makes up with it with bags of flavour! Again, a smooth, smooth drink that can be drunk neat with the utmost ease!

Yellowstone Select and Minor Case are distributed in the UK by Woolf Sung. RRP for both is £49.00 in 70cl. bottles.

Many thanks to limestonebranch.com for the very enjoyable samples!

They can also be found on Twitter @limestonebranch.

Congratulations To Sukhinder Singh On His IWSC Achievement!

November 16, 2018 by Gary Leave a Comment

Sukhinder Singh

Co-founder and owner of The Whisky Exchange, Sukhinder Singh, is delighted to have been awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Scotch Whisky award at Wednesday night’s IWSC awards in London’s Guildhall.

Known around the world for his passion and enthusiasm for Scotch whisky, this recognition is the icing on the cake following a great year of achievements including being named Drinks Business Man of the Year and receiving the honour of becoming a Master of the Quaich.

As we approach 20 years since my brother and I started The Whisky Exchange, I am humbled that my dedication to the Scotch whisky industry has been recognised by the IWSC. I have always held the belief that any business owner will succeed if they live and breathe what they love and that passion is a big driver behind the businesses at Elixir House.

First and foremost I am and always have been an avid Scotch whisky lover. After all, there is no better insight into an industry than first being the consumer yourself. The big decision now is which bottle to open to celebrate.
– Sukhinder Singh: Co-founder and owner of The Whisky Exchange

Singh’s business is lead by The Whisky Exchange, his retail operation that will celebrate its 20th birthday next year, and is accompanied by a wide-ranging portfolio including Speciality Drinks, Elixir Distillers, Speciality Brands, Scotchwhisky.com and Drink Up London.

Irish Distillers Unveils Red Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey!

November 14, 2018 by Gary Leave a Comment

Red Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

Irish Distillers has unveiled Red Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey. Last seen in the mid-1960s, this spicy new member of the Spot Whiskeys range offers whiskey drinkers further choice in the innovative super-premium Irish whiskey category.

“Crafted from an old recipe handed down by the Mitchell & Son family of wine merchants”

Crafted from an old recipe handed down by the Mitchell & Son family of wine merchants, the creators of the original Spot Whiskeys range in the early 1900s, the reimagined Red Spot is a triple-distilled, single pot still Irish whiskey that has been matured for a minimum of 15 years in a combination of casks pre-seasoned with Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry and Marsala fortified wine.

The highly-anticipated result commands attention with a full-bodied, complex and characterful flavour profile that will appeal to aficionados looking for a bold whiskey experience.

The Mitchell family worked closely with the craftsmen from Midleton Distillery throughout the collaboration. As part of the process, Marsala fortified wine casks were procured from Sicily in the early 2000s and then, in 2004, were filled with a five-year-old Bourbon matured single pot still Irish whiskey.

The subtle contribution from the tight grain of the American oak was the ideal base for the heavy spice and ripe fruit flavours imparted through maturation in Marsala wine casks, which has been carefully blended with ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry whiskeys to achieve the perfect balance of flavour.

Green Spot, Yellow Spot or Red Spot – you choose!

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with the Mitchell family on the reimagination of Red Spot and bring a piece of Dublin’s rich whiskey history back to life. It has been 50 years since the world last saw Red Spot and whiskey enthusiasts have long awaited its return – this is a bold whiskey that packs a punch, has incredibly rich flavours and an extra-long infusion of fruits and spices on the finish that provides a truly unique and colourful ending.

We’re delighted to be able to offer this lost, but not forgotten whiskey, once again, and look forward to one day completing the full Spot Whiskeys range.
– Kevin O’Gorman: Master of Maturation at Midleton Distillery

The Mitchell family commenced trading in 1805 at 10 Grafton Street in the heart of Dublin as purveyors of fine wine and confectionery. In 1887, the business expanded into whiskey bonding whereby it sent empty wine and fortified wine casks to the local Jameson Distillery on Bow Street to be filled with new single pot still spirit for maturation in the Mitchell’s cellars.

The Red Spot name was derived from the Mitchell’s practice of marking their maturing casks of whiskey with a daub of coloured paint to determine the age potential of the whiskey; with a Blue Spot, Green Spot, Yellow Spot or Red Spot indicating 7, 10, 12 or 15 years respectively.

Four generations later, the company is still in the wine and spirits business under the stewardship of Jonathan Mitchell and his son Robert.

It has been fascinating to work with Kevin O’Gorman and the craftsmen at Midleton Distillery to recreate Red Spot and a real journey into the rich history of our family and its role in Dublin’s whiskey bonding era.

Pouring over old recipe books, ledgers and archive material has provided us with the tools to tell the story of Red Spot in a new, yet authentic way – and at almost one hundred years since it was crafted for the first time, by my great-grandfather Robert Mitchell, this is a whiskey homecoming for the ages. Indeed, everyone at Mitchell & Son is thrilled to see the red daub adorning a bottle once more.
– Jonathan Mitchell: Managing Director at Mitchell & Son

A spicy new member of the Spot Whiskeys range!

The release of Red Spot marks the next colourful chapter in the story of the Spot Whiskeys range, which is becoming increasingly popular among modern whiskey drinkers across Europe and the USA due to its focus on innovation, unique role in Dublin’s whiskey bonding history and world-renowned high quality.

Red Spot is a liquid time capsule that remembers our past while we look to the future and we are honoured that the people behind the original Spot Whiskeys, our partners at Mitchell & Son, are so supportive of our mission to return the range to its former glory.
– Brendan Buckley: Innovation & Prestige Whiskeys Director at Irish Distillers

Bottled at 46% ABV and without chill-filtration, Red Spot is re-introduced and available from this month at the RRP of €115 in Ireland and from January 2019 in the USA, UK, France and Global Travel Retail.

Tasting notes by Kevin O’Gorman, Master of Maturation at Midleton Distillery

Aroma: Pot still spices with rich cooked fruit, baked apple, mango and black cherry. Hazelnut and a touch of new leather fused with toasted American oak
Taste: A mix of ripe fruit sweetness from the Marsala seasoned wine casks. While the fruit remains, sweet red pepper and cracked black pepper add some spiciness, finished by notes of American oak and barley
Finish: An extra long infusion of fruits and spices

Red Spot is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Master of Malt
The Whisky Exchange
Edencroft Fine Wine & Spirit Specialists
Abbey Whisky
The Whisky Barrel
The Green Welly Stop
Whisky Online

Balvenie 21 Year Old Portwood Plus FREE Aspinal Card Wallet From Edencroft!

November 12, 2018 by Gary Leave a Comment

Balvenie / 21 Year Old Portwood Plus Free Aspinal Card Wallet.
£125.00

New Arrivals

Balvenie / 21 Year Old Portwood Plus Free Aspinal Card Wallet.
£125.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Age:
Strength: 40%.

Summary:

COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Speyside.

CATEGORY: Single Malt.

DISTILLERY: Balvenie.

BOTTLER: Distillery Bottling.

BOTTLING SERIE: Portwood.

BOTTLED: 2015

STATED AGE: 21 years old.

CASKTYPE: Port Wood Finish.

STRENGTH: 40% Vol.

To create The Balvenie PortWood 21 year old single malt whisky, a marriage of rare Balvenie is transferred to port casks, or pipes, which have held fine port wines.

Here it is sampled regularly by The Balvenie Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE to ensure that just the right amount of character is imparted by the port casks, enhancing and developing the single malt whilst preserving its original characteristics.

Considered by many to be David’s finest creation, this whisky is one of his proudest achievements and has won an array of highly coveted industry awards since its release in 1996.

NOSE: A perfume of fruity and ripe raisin notes, backed by a nutty dryness.

TASTE: Refined with remarkable character, it is creamy and silky with fruit, honey and spice notes.

FINISH: Long, gentle, nutty.

Blantons / Gold Bourbon.
£85.00
Country: American
Region: American
Age:
Strength:
70cl

Summary:

Country/Region: America/Kentucky.

Unit: 70cl

Blanton’s Gold Edition was created for discerning connoisseurs who appreciate exceptional smoothness and clean finish in their bourbon whiskey. The rich taste of dark fudge, citrus, oak and cream combined with the spiciness of white pepper and rye lead to a long finish that challenges the world’s finest single malts and rarest cognacs in complexity and character. Best served neat or with a splash of water.

Type: Bourbon Whiskey

Recipe: Corn – Rye – Malted Barley

Mash Type: Sour

Still Proof: 70% Alcohol by Volume – 140 proof

Entry Proof: 62.5% Alcohol by Volume – 125 proof

Warehouse: H

Barrel Type: White Oak

Maker: Independent Stave

Staves: 6-month air dry

Treatment: #4 Char

Filtration: Chill Filtered

Bottle Proof: 51.5% Alcohol by Volume – 103 proof

Colour: Dark Amber

Nose: Powerful and Dry, marked by Honey, Heavy Rye, Dried fruits, Vanilla, and Chocolate.

Palate Entry: Sharp, Full and Rich, Marked by Apricot, Butter, Pepper, Light Honey, and Oak

Finish: Long, with Toffee and Apple, Developing on Pecan and Caramel

Best Served: Straight

Awards: 2016 Gold Medal San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Johnnie Walker / Blue Label Ghost & Rare Port Ellen Edition.
£275.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Blended
Age:
Strength: 43.8%.
70cl.

Summary:

COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Various.

CATEGORY: Blend.

DISTILLERY: Port Ellen, Caledonian, Carsebridge, Mortlach, Dailuaine, Cragganmore, Blair Athol and Oban

BOTTLING SERIE: Ghost & Rare Series.

BOTTLED: 2018

STRENGTH: 43.8% Vol.

SIZE: 70cl.

This exceptionally balanced whisky explores the unique maritime smokiness of rare whiskies from the long-closed ghost distillery of Port Ellen and the contribution they make to the depth of character in Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

Layers of creamy vanilla sweetness and waves of waxy citrus are perfectly balanced with rich malt and tropical fruit notes, all culminating in a long, lingering rolling wave of gentle, warming smoky flavours.

Handpicked from the unparalleled Johnnie Walker Blue Label reserves used to craft Johnnie Walker Blue Label, highly sought-after ghost whiskies from Port Ellen, Caledonian and Carsebridge, are balanced with five incredibly rare malts from Mortlach, Dailuaine, Cragganmore, Blair Athol and Oban. This whisky is best enjoyed neat, alternating with sips of iced water on the side, to deliver layer upon layer of rich malt and tropical fruit flavours.

Cameronbridge / 27 Year Old Douglas Laing Old Particular.
£67.50
Country: Scotland
Region: Lowland
Age:
Strength: 54.5%.

Summary:

COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Lowland.

CATEGORY: Single Grain.

DISTILLERY: Cameronbridge.

BOTTLER: Douglas Laing.

BOTTLING SERIE: UK Emporiums.

VINTAGE: October 1991

BOTTLED: October 2018

STATED AGE: 27 years old.

NUMBER OF BOTTLES: 263

STRENGTH: 54.5% Vol.

Talisker / 8 Year Old Douglas Laing's Provenance Coastal Collection.
£85.00
Country: Scotland
Region: IsleofSkye
Age:
Strength: 48%.

Summary:

COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Isle of Skye.

CATEGORY: Single Malt.

DISTILLERY: Talisker.

BOTTLER: Douglas Laing Bottling.

DISTILLED: November 2009.

BOTTLED: October 2018.

BOTTLES FILLED: 319

STRENGTH: 48% Vol.

DELIVERY: All our wines are stored in our importers bonded warehouse’s, which have the optimum environment for fine wine storage, by carefully regulating temperature, humidity and other microclimatic factors.

As such, please allow between 7 and 10 days for your delivery to arrive.

Balvenie / 25 Year Old Doublewood.
£495.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Age:
Strength: 43.0%.

Summary:

COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Speyside.

CATEGORY: Single Malt.

DISTILLERY: Balvenie.

BOTTLER: Distillery Bottling.

BOTTLING SERIE: DoubleWood.

BOTTLED: 20.04.2018

STATED AGE: 25 years old.

CASK TYPE: American Oak and Sherry Oak Casks.

NUMBER OF BOTTLES: 3600

ABV: 43.0% Vol.

Glenfiddich / 21 Year Old Reserva Rum Cask Finish.
£125.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Age:
Strength: 43.2%.

Summary:

COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Speyside.

CATEGORY: Single Malt.

DISTILLERY: Glenfiddich.

BOTTLER: Distillery Bottling.

BOTTLING SERIE: Reserva Rum Cask Finish.

BOTTLED: 2017

STATED AGE: 21 years old.

CASK TYPE: Rum Cask Finish.

STRENGTH: 43.2 % Vol.

After maturing their whisky for 21 years, the Glenfiddich Malt Master adds even warmer and richer flavours by uniquely finishing this single malt in first fill bourbon barrels that once contained rum from the Caribbean.

The rum-soaked cask infuses the aged whisky with a spicy warmth and indulgent vanilla and toffee sweetness, the character of the Caribbean shining through. This gives our whisky a sumptuous sweet intensity that is both rich and creamy yet still retains the unmistakable character of Glenfiddich.

GREAT FOR: Those expecting a very mature, traditional yet intriguing malt. Initially soft, then brisk, vibrant and drying. New leather and oak nose combine with complex sweet, smoky and subtle ginger flavours in this classic Glenfiddich.

COLOUR: Dark gold.

NOSE: Intense and vanilla sweet. Floral, hints of banana, figs, rich toffee, new leather and oak.

TASTE: Initially soft, then brisk, vibrant and drying. Peppery with a touch of smoke, oak, lime, ginger and spices.

FINISH: Very long, warming, dry and spicy.

New Arrival Kilchoman Sauternes Cask Finish 2018 Edition – From Abbey Whisky!

November 12, 2018 by Gary Leave a Comment

Kilchoman Sauternes Cask Finish | 2018 Edition
£76.98

New Arrivals

Kilchoman Sauternes Cask Finish | 2018 Edition
£76.98
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Age:
Strength: 50%
70cl
Vintage: 2012
Bottler: Distillery Bottling

Amrut Fusion
£53.94
Country: India
Region: Indian
Age:
Strength: 50%
70cl

Nikka From The Barrel
£38.80
Country: Japan
Region: Japanese
Age:
Strength: 51.4%
50cl

Kavalan King Car Conductor Whisky
£65.98
Country: Taiwan
Region:
Age:
Strength: 46%
70cl

Kavalan Single Malt Whisky
£59.24
Country: Taiwan
Region:
Age:
Strength: 40%
70cl

Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish
£59.88
Country: Taiwan
Region:
Age:
Strength: 40%
70cl

Kavalan Sherry Oak
£84.98
Country: Taiwan
Region:
Age:
Strength: 46%
70cl

The Nikka 12 Year Old
£96.00
Country: Japan
Region: Japanese
Age: 12 Years Old
Strength: 43%
70cl

Michter's 10 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon
£138.00
Country: America
Region: American
Age: 10 Years Old
Strength: 47.2%
70cl

Kavalan Solist Port Cask 0090714057A
£130.00
Country: Taiwan
Region:
Age:
Strength: 57.8%
70cl

Cambus 24 Year Old – 1993 | North Star Spirits | CS003
£95.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Lowland
Age: 24 Years Old
Strength: 52.7%
70cl
Vintage: 1993
Bottler: North Star Spirits

Aberlour A'Bunadh Batch 61
£83.98
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Age:
Strength: 60.8%
70cl

GlenDronach Grandeur Batch 9
£475.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Highland
Age: 24 Years Old
Strength: 48.7%
70cl

Macallan 25 Year Old | 2018 Release
£1,745.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Age: 25 Years Old
Strength: 43%
70cl

Caol Ila 12 Year Old | North Star Spirits | CS005
£95.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Age: 12 Years Old
Strength: 55%
70cl
Vintage: 2006
Bottler: North Star Spirits

Hampden 6 Year Old – 2010 | Habitation Velier
£94.80
Country: Jamaica
Region:
Age: 6 Years Old
Strength: 67%
70cl
Vintage: 2010
Bottler: Velier

BenRiach Cask Strength Batch 2
£55.80
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Age:
Strength: 60.6%
70cl

Port Charlotte MRC: 01 – 2010
£84.98
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Age:
Strength: 59.2%
70cl
Vintage: 2010
Bottler: Distillery Bottling

Glentauchers 10 Year Old – 2008 | North Star Spirits
£61.54
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Age: 10 Years Old
Strength: 59.2%
70cl
Vintage: 2008
Bottler: North Star Spirits

Tobermory 10 Year Old – 2008 | North Star Spirits
£75.24
Country: Scotland
Region: Island
Age: 10 Years Old
Strength: 56.5%
70cl
Vintage: 2008
Bottler: North Star Spirits

Bladnoch 28 Year Old – 1990 | North Star Spirits
£164.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Lowland
Age: 28 Years Old
Strength: 51.2%
70cl
Vintage: 1990
Bottler: North Star Spirits

Caol Ila 12 Year Old – 2006 | North Star Spirits
£73.60
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Age: 12 Years Old
Strength: 48.5%
70cl
Vintage: 2006
Bottler: North Star Spirits

Caol Ila 35 Year Old | Special Release 2018
£660.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Age: 35 Years Old
Strength: 58.1%
70cl

Tullibardine The Murray – 2005 | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 2018
£53.94
Country: Scotland
Region: Highland
Age:
Strength: 46%
70cl
Vintage: 2005
Bottler: Distillery Bottling

Jura One and All
£124.98
Country: Scotland
Region: Island
Age: 20 Years Old
Strength: 51%
70cl

Highland Park Valknut
£58.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Island
Age:
Strength: 46.8%
70cl

Ardbeg Twenty Something 22 Year Old
£648.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Age: 22 Years Old
Strength: 46.4%
70cl
Vintage: 1996
Bottler: Distillery Bottling

The Peat Faerie 10 Year Old | Blended Batch 03
£98.40
Country: Scotland
Region:
Age: 10 Years Old
Strength: 50%
70cl

Linkwood 15 Year Old | Distillery Labels
£59.99
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Age: 15 Years Old
Strength: 43%
70cl

Glenallachie 43 Year Old – Director's Special
£1,225.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Age: 43 Years Old
Strength: 50.4%
70cl

Bunnahabhain 43 Year Old – 1975 – Director's Special
£1,175.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Age: 43 Years Old
Strength: 41.4%
70cl
Vintage: 1975
Bottler: Elixir Distillers

Inverleven 33 Year Old – 1985 | Cask 562 | Private Collection
£975.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Lowland
Age: 33 Years Old
Strength: 57.4%
70cl
Vintage: 1985
Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail

Glentauchers 27 Year Old – 1991 | Connoisseurs Choice
£210.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Age: 27 Years Old
Strength: 56.8%
70cl
Vintage: 1991
Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail

Highland Park 29 Year Old – 1989 | Connoisseurs Choice
£285.00
Country: Scotland
Region: Island
Age: 29 Years Old
Strength: 57%
70cl
Vintage: 1989
Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail

Introducing The Whisky Exchange Christmas Malt!

November 9, 2018 by Gary Leave a Comment

The Whisky Exchange Christmas malt

A Fine New Christmas Malt for 2018!

“… it’s a properly Christmassy whisky!”

For the nights before Christmas,
When snug in your house,
Or, carefully wrapped,
‘Neath the tree for your spouse.

A Christmas Malt
That’s been selected with care,
From a Speyside distillery,
Though we can’t tell you where.

Available exclusively from thewhiskyexchange.com is their very own and first-ever Christmas Malt!

A Speyside single malt Scotch whisky that captures the essence of Christmas with “rich buttery spice and sticky cherries, hints of holly-wreath leafiness and Christmas-tree pine.”

It has been matured for 17 years in oloroso sherry butts, creating a whisky packed with festive flavour. There are only 1800 bottles available and a 70cl. bottle is priced at £74.95.

The Whisky Exchange has kindly sent me a sample to try (Thanks Whisky Exchange!).
So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – The Whisky Exchange Christmas malt (58.7%)

Colour: Satisfying sherry with a hint of port redness.

Nose: Sweet, caramel toffee, red apple and oranges. There’s stewed fruits mixing with sweet spice. As it develops aromas of port with a hint of lemon (sounds like a classic 70’s drink!) and fudgy vanilla come through.

Palate: A mighty kick of peppery, spicy plum pudding with added notes of sweet sherry. Hints of apple and creamy chocolate help balance the 58.7% spicy whoomph!

Finish: The formidable spiciness sustains all the way through this dram married with a tasty porty sweetness that ends in a tanin dryness.

Overall: A heart-warming dram. Perfect for fireside contemplation after sweeping up wrapping paper debris and searching fruitlessly high and low for “.. those extra batteries we bought …!”
It’s spicy heart surrounded by Christmas cake port sweetness will have you reaching for the bottle more than just once!
As Billy Abbott from The Whisky Exchange said, “Christmas can come more than once a year – just have another sip.”
I think that’s an excellent observation and an excellent idea!

Merry Christmas!

The SMWS Festive Advent Calendar – Quite Possibly One Of The Greatest Advent Calendars Ever?!

November 7, 2018 by Gary Leave a Comment

The Greatest Advent Calendar Ever?!

The SMWS Festive Advent Calendar!

SMWS have released quite possibly one of the greatest advent calendars ever!

For 25 days as a countdown to Christmas you can try a different dram each day. The advent calendar has an excellent selection from whiskies to spirits and even a couple of extra surprises thrown in along the way!

Price: £150

Whyte & Mackay Partners With Schweppes To Launch Spirit & Mixer “Give Away” Pack!

November 7, 2018 by Gary Leave a Comment

Schweppes ginger ale given away with 1L bottles of Whyte & Mackay Triple Matured Blended Scotch Whisky

Whyte & Mackay have continued to lead the way in blended whisky category by launching a limited-edition “special banded pack” – giving away a bottle of Schweppes ginger ale with 1L bottles of Whyte & Mackay Triple Matured Blended Scotch Whisky. The pack is exclusive to stores in Scotland.

The offer is available to customers in Scotland

The initiative will add value to the category by giving consumers an offering that is both convenient and offers value for money, particularly for younger adult drinkers with whom ‘spirit and mixer’ serves are very popular.

The limited edition pack allows them to purchase their whisky and mixer together in a handy banded pack and each comes with a recommended serve printed on the back, giving them a simple recipe on how best to enjoy the drink.

The packs offer great shelf stand-out and are available now in Tesco, Asda and Morrisons stores across Scotland with a RRSP of £20.

At Whyte & Mackay, we pride ourselves on delivering consumer satisfaction and convenience, which is why we decided to introduce this handy new Whyte & Mackay plus Schweppes mixer pack.

We have seen strong demand especially amongst younger adult consumers to try our whisky as an easy to make mixed long drink, and with Christmas on the horizon, we’re confident our mixer pack will sell out soon.
– Ruairi Perry: Head of Blended Whisky at Whyte & Mackay Ltd

Schweppes are thrilled to be partnering with Whyte & Mackay for this special initiative. We know a simple ‘spirit and mix’ serve is always popular with consumers, especially younger adult drinkers, so combining our popular ginger ale with their Whyte & Mackay Triple Matured Blended Scotch Whisky, as part of a banded pack, makes perfect sense.

We’re not only offering added value but easy mixability. Cheers to that.
– Alexandra Lund: Commercial Brand Development Senior Manager at Schweppes

The introduction of the new mixer pack comes after Whyte & Mackay Blended Malt became first to the market with a 50cl bottle earlier in 2018, in response to Scotland’s minimum unit pricing laws.

Whyte & Mackay is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Master of Malt
The Whisky Exchange
Edencroft Fine Wine & Spirit Specialists
Abbey Whisky
The Whisky Barrel
The Green Welly Stop
Whisky Online

Glasgow Distillery Hosts World Premiere Of Opera Inspired By Scotland’s Distilling Industry!

November 6, 2018 by Gary Leave a Comment

Navigate the Blood – inspired by the distilling industry in Scotland

The Glasgow Distillery Company, creators of the award-winning Makar Gin range and the new 1770 Glasgow Single Malt Scotch Whisky, hosted the world premiere of the brand new opera, Navigate the Blood with two sold-out performances on 2nd and 3rd November.

The opera premiered with two sold-out performances

Written by Sian Evans and composed by Gareth Williams (306, Dawn, Hirda, The Sloans Project) and Scottish indie-folk band Admiral Fallow, the story is inspired by the distilling industry in Scotland, and is set against the industrial backdrop of one of the country’s oldest trades.

Set in a small family distillery, Navigate the Blood follows a couple whose son, Liam, has disappeared in mysterious circumstances.

The opera, presented by NOISE – New Opera In Scotland Events, opened in the copper surroundings of one of Glasgow’s most exciting spirits producers, Glasgow Distillery, and will continue on touring distilleries throughout Scotland for the remainder of the month.

Kicking off in the innovative new spirits hub of Glasgow, before travelling to the distilling regions of the Lowlands, Islay, Highlands, and Islands, the opera aims to attract indie fans and opera aficionados alike. Touring areas where there is no accessible opera house, Navigate the Blood will give many people an opportunity to see live opera for the first time.

A meeting between Liam Hughes, co-founder of Glasgow Distillery, and composer Gareth Williams, who both grew up in Armagh, laid the foundations for one of the industry’s most unusual collaborations. The two were intrigued by Gareth’s previous work, The Sloans Opera, which journeys through the Glasgow landmark Sloans bar; and the parallels with Liam’s work at Glasgow Distillery. From that conversation, ‘The Distilling Project’, which would later become Navigate The Blood, was born.

At Glasgow Distillery, we value creativity and innovation. It’s at the heart of everything we do, so we’re proud to team up with NOISE and Admiral Fallow for Navigate the Blood.

This exciting new opera in an unconventional setting is a fitting tribute to the distilling industry. The juxtapision of old and new, polished and industrial, reflects the industry in the modern day. We were proud to host the world premiere of Navigate the Blood, and welcome guests to our distillery for two, unmissable nights.
– Liam Hughes: Co-founder of The Glasgow Distillery Company

Navigate the Blood continues a tour of seven distilleries throughout Scotland with Oban set to host the next performance on 8th November; before finishing at Speyside Gins at La Lanterna in Aviemore on 25th November.

Tour Schedule:

November 02/03 The Glasgow Distillery
November 08 Oban Distillery, Oban
November 09 Glen Scotia Distillery, Campbeltown
November 11 Ardnahoe Distillery, Isle of Islay
November 16 Blair Athol Distillery, Pitlochry
November 17/18 Lost Loch Distillery, Aboyne
November 21 Summerhall Edinburgh
November 25 Speyside Gins at La Lanterna, Aviemore

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