Archives for June 2019

Was: £55.00

Summary: 

COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Speyside.

DISTILLERY: Glenrothes.

BOTTLER: Langside Distillers.

BOTTLING SERIE: Hepburn's Choice.

DISTILLED:  2004

BOTTLED: 2014

STATED AGE: 9 Years Old.

CASK TYPE: Sherry Butt.

CASK NUMBER: 

NUMBER OF BOTTLES: 468

ABV: 46% Vol.

Always from a specially-selected single cask, the Hepburn’s Choice range is bottled at 46% alcohol, and naturally without artificial colouring or chill-filtration.

Each bottling is chosen to showcase the specific characteristics of one of Scotland’s whisky producing regions, or those of a distillery in particular. This range is named in honour of the senior directors’ late maternal grandfather, William Hepburn, who travelled the globe with his job in the Diplomatic Service.

With a fine judgement honed at many embassy functions, Mr Hepburn was a connoisseur of his homeland’s whiskies: with this in mind we believe these bottling's would indeed have been “Hepburn’s Choice”.

Was: £75.00

Summary: 

COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Highlands.

DISTILLERY: Balblair.

BOTTLER: Distillery Bottling.

Tropical and mature, with the texture of melted chocolate and one of the finest finishes a single malt can bring, this stunning whisky calls for quiet admiration. Round and velvety, yet developed and fresh. Smoothed over by time, but with a beating heart.

Loch Lomond / The Open Special Edition Distiller's Cut.

Summary: 

COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Highland.

CATEGORY: Single Malt.

DISTILLERY: Loch Lomond.

BOTTLER: Distillery Bottling.

BOTTLING SERIE: Distiller's Cut.

DISTILLED: 

BOTTLED: 2019.

CASK TYPE: American Oak Hogsheads & Ex-Bourbon.

ABV: 46% Vol.

This Highland single malt has been released by Loch Lomond distillery to celebrate their partnership with The Open golf championship.

This expression has been crafted by Master Distiller Michael Henry in collaboration with legendary golfer – and now Loch Lomond ambassador – Colin Montgomerie

Bottled at 46% abv, it's presented in a handsome gift box complete with two limited edition Loch Lomond whisky glasses.

Craigellachie / The First Editions 12 Year Old.

Summary: 

COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Speyside.

CATEGORY: Single Malt.

DISTILLERY: Craigellachie.

BOTTLER: Hunter Laing.

BOTTLING SERIE: First Editions.

BOTTLED: 2019

STATED AGE: 12 years old.

CASK TYPE: Sherry Butt.

CASK NUMBER: HL15807

NUMBER OF BOTTLES: 248

STRENGTH: 59.6% Vol.

The First Editions range of single barrel expressions is always released at natural cask strength, and of course without colouring or chill filtration.

As the name may suggest, each cask is carefully selected to evoke the qualities of a rare literary volume – those of character and collectability. Colour-coding on the labels denotes the particular regions the whiskies themselves are from and each bottle is individually numbered and presented in a gift tube. A “First Editions” bottling without doubt makes a valuable addition to anyone’s whisky library.

A nose of flowers, coffee and caramel. The palate is sweet with lemons, caramel and dusty books. The finish is long and mellow with lingering toffee.

Glenfiddich / 30 Year Old Single Malt.

Summary: 

COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Speyside.

CATEGORY: Single Malt.

DISTILLERY: Glenfiddich.

BOTTLER: Distillery Bottling.

BOTTLED: 2018

STATED AGE:  30 Year Old.

CASK TYPE: Spanish Oloroso and American Bourbon.

BATCH NUMBER: 00044.

STRENGTH: 43% Vol.

Every cask used in this incomparable single malt Scotch whisky is personally nosed and tasted by our expert Malt Master, ensuring the whisky achieves its rich character and seductive complexity. Only casks that pass his exacting standards are handpicked and then married together to achieve their final sublime harmony.

This process ensures the unique character and richness of taste that sets our Glenfiddich 30 Year Old apart. The rarity of this single malt is unquestionable – there are only ever a handful of vattings of 30 Year Old a year.

COLOUR: Rich Bronze.

NOSE: A finely balanced nose, with substantial oakiness matched by fruit and luscious sherry notes.

TASTE: The taste is complex and seductively woody, emphasised by a floral sweetness.

FINISH: Exceedingly long, honeyed and warm.

Octomore / Edition 09.3 Dialogos.

Summary: 

COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Islay.

CATEGORY: Single malt.

DISTILLERY: Bruichladdich.

BOTTLER: Distillery Bottling.

DISTILLED: 2012

BOTTLED: 2018

NUMBER OF BOTTLES: 18000

STRENGTH: 62.9% Vol.

Just 52 tonnes of precious Islay barley were malted to produce this single farm Octomore 09.3 edition. Raised in Irene’s Field on Octomore Farm in 2011, this uber-provenance single malt was later distilled and filled into 134 casks. Predominantly second-fill, the gentler influence of the wood allows more of the locally grown barley flavours to cut through the legendary peat smoke.

NATURALISTIC OBSERVATION: It has long been part of our inherent values to allow nature to play its rightful role in our whisky. Since the early days of resurrection, our distillery has driven forward one idea, to reconnect the land, its raw materials and the people who gave them life.

Deliberately taming the cask influence in this release of Octomore Islay Barley, we are allowed to taste the effect of difficult growing conditions. While little desk research has gone into understanding the flavour profile of a ‘stressed’ barley, it is widely accepted in the wine world that the timing and level of stress placed on grapes will produce a lower yield but a more flavourful fruit. Could this be applicable to whisky too?

Hannett describes the symbiosis between nature, grain and cask; “This is the closest we will come to tasting the effects of a low yielding barley that was grown in difficult conditions, from one single field. The individual conditions that come together to create each vintage may never by the same. Part intuition, part natural conditions, the joy of working as we do allows fate to play a hand in the construction and evolution of each release. We express what nature has given us, rather than fighting against it to maintain a level of homogenisation. The lower PPM and the different styles of casks allow the grain to take its rightful place at the centre-point of this release.”

OCTOMORE 09.3 διάλογος is:

Uber-provenance single malt whisky; one field, one farm, one vintageMalted to 133PPMDistilled from 100% Islay grown Concerto barley, harvested in 2011 from Irene’s Field, Octomore Farm and distilled in 2012Matured entirely on Islay in a combination of ex American whiskey and French wine casksFive aged years in 1st fill ex-American (25%), 3rd fill virgin oak (25%), 2nd fill Rivesaltes (20%), 2nd fill Syrah (20%), 2nd fill bourbon (10%)Bottled unchill-filtered and colouring free at Bruichladdich Distillery, 62.9% alc. / vol.Limited to 18,000 bottles

COLOUR: Rusty/Sepia.

CHARACTER: Wild, Ileach, if this whisky could speak it would only speak in Gaelic. Atlantic coast raised. Out on the edge, the sense of place is strong.

AROMA: Malted barley, Horlicks, the smell of the mash going into the mashtun. Heather wildfire, black tea, golden syrup, lemon sponge.

TASTE: Golden syrup in the tin, smoked tea, wort, malted barley, pear, peach melba. Sea spray, heather flowers.

FINISH: Smoke, toasted oak, rye bread, salt, ozone.

Balvenie / Stories 26 Year Old.

Summary: 

COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Speyside.

CATEGORY: Single Malt.

DISTILLERY: Balvenie.

BOTTLER: Distillery Bottling.

BOTTLING SERIE: Stories.

BOTTLED: 2019

AGE: 26 Year Old.

ABV: % Vol.

A DAY OF DARK BARLEY

The arrival at the distillery of a batch of dark roasted malted barley, more commonly used in the production of stout, marked the beginning of a 26-year long experiment. The result was a pleasing depth – smokiness and oakiness as well as the classic honey, vanilla and citrus flavours.

NOSE: Big malty notes, soft brown sugar, vanilla toffee, blossom honey and a mild oaky spiciness.

TASTE: Syrupy with a toffee sweetness, some citrusy notes of tangy orange peel, followed by oak vanilla and a touch of cinnamon and ginger spices at the end.

FINISH: Enduring gentle waves of vanilla and oak spices.