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The Dalmore Unveils Their 2023 Vintage Whisky Collection!

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The Dalmore Vintage 2005!

THE DALMORE PRESENTS THE VINTAGES COLLECTION 2023
• Two Limited-Editions – Vintage 2005 and Vintage 2008

The Dalmore Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has unveiled two new Limited-Editions – The Dalmore Vintage 2005 and The Dalmore Vintage 2008 – which form the third release from the distiller’s prestigious Vintage Collection.

The Dalmore Vintage Collection, created by innovative Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass and Master Distiller Richard Paterson OBE, offers exceptional whiskies of distinguished character. The whiskies selected to form The Dalmore Vintage Collection are ultimately dictated by the casks themselves and the way they choose to shine during the annual cask inspection week, in a tradition which dates back over fifty years.

The Dalmore Vintage Collection offers exceptional whiskies of distinguished character!

Each November, The Dalmore whisky makers spend countless hours in their historic warehouses on the banks of the Cromarty Firth, reacquainting themselves with their rare casks that have been quietly, patiently maturing. November is the optimum time for this process to take place, with the casks at rest in the cooler temperatures after the warm summer months, and their flavours alive and true.

Only the most exceptional casks, which display the finest qualities of The Dalmore and its signature style during this time, are hand-picked to become a ‘Vintage’. For the 2023 Vintage Collection, The Dalmore’s unmistakable chocolate and orange profile is showcased. The 15 Year Old, Vintage 2008 offers milk chocolate and mandarin, while the 18 Year Old, Vintage 2005 presents dark chocolate and Seville orange.

The Dalmore Vintage 2008 provides aromas of milk chocolate, caramel, mandarin, and cracked black pepper. To taste, manuka honey, sweet cacao, poached apples, and golden sultanas. To finish, expect to enjoy vanilla cream, chocolate brioche, Navelina orange, and a light cinnamon warmth. This expression has been matured in American white oak ex-Bourbon casks and enhanced by hand-selected Matusalem Sherry and Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks, with an ABV of 45.8%, natural colour, and non-chill filtered.

The Dalmore Vintage 2008!

The Dalmore Vintage 2005 offers aromas of dark chocolate, salted caramel, antique leather, and rich orange citrus. To taste, expect rich cacao, blood orange, dark fruits, marzipan, and moist ginger cake. To finish, Madagascan vanilla with Seville orange, a rich nuttiness and long, dry chocolate complexities. This expression has been matured in American white oak ex-Bourbon casks and enhanced by hand-selected Matusalem Sherry and Vintage 2005 Sherry casks, with an ABV of 49.3%, natural colour, and non-chill filtered.

The annual cask inspection which ultimately leads to the creation of each years Vintage Collection is a true highlight of working on The Dalmore. We can never know what time and nature has given to these whiskies, until we take stock each November and see what magic has unfolded in the year. Richard and I select casks which we feel contain whiskies that exemplify The Dalmore’s quality and style, with the best of the best, becoming our Limited-Edition Vintages.

For 2023, we are pleased to present two whiskies which, at different ages, showcase nuances of The Dalmore’s signature notes – chocolate, orange, and subtle spice. Vintage 2008 reveals naturally balanced shades and interplays of sweet cacao, fresh citrus and soft spices, and is a beautiful example of refined elegance from The Dalmore, captured at a moment in time. Vintage 2005 has quintessential dark chocolate notes which intertwine with rich citrus offering a flavour experience to be remembered and savoured.
– Gregg Glass: Master Whisky Maker

The Dalmore 2008 Vintage ($225) and The Dalmore 2005 Vintage ($490) is available from select outlets worldwide.

About The Dalmore

Founded in 1839 on the banks of the Cromarty Firth in the Scottish Highlands, the Dalmore has been making masterpieces of whisky for over 180 years.

The 12-point silver stag which proudly adorns each bottle was bestowed upon the first chieftain of Clan Mackenzie in 1263 by King Alexander III of Scotland. The stag became the whisky’s emblem when descendants of the clan took over the distillery in 1878.

The Dalmore distillery’s collection of idiosyncratic stills creates a New Make spirit of unique character and depth – robust and fruity, particularly well-suited to longer and more complex maturation. This allows renowned Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass and his team to develop spirit over longer periods, continuing a tradition of visionary whisky-making as they fully express their art using rare casks from some of the world’s finest wineries and bodegas.

Sampling The Kilchoman ‘2023 PX Sherry Cask’ Whisky – Their First Limited Edition To Be Fully Matured In Pedro Ximénez Sherry Casks!

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Kilchoman 2023 PX Sherry Cask Matured Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky!

Kilchoman have launched their first limited edition Whisky to be fully matured in Pedro Ximénez Sherry Casks!

The 2023 PX Sherry Cask Matured release has been fully matured for a minimum of five years in Pedro Ximénez casks previously used by Bodega José y Miguel Martin.

Heavily Peated!

Kilchoman last released a PX influence bottling in 2021, a combination of full maturation and finished casks, the 2023 edition is exclusively made up of full maturation casks.

The 2023 PX Sherry Cask Matured release is our first limited edition to be fully matured in PX casks. Some might consider five years to be short maturation, but these PX hogsheads give such a rich and sweet character, shorter maturation is the only option to maintain a good balance of flavour.

Here, the citrus sweetness and peat smoke of our spirit balance beautifully with the PX character to create a multi-dimensional whisky, rich and sweet with hints of light citrus sweetness and waves of maritime peat smoke.
– Anthony Wills: Kilchoman Founder

Kilchoman has kindly sent me a sample to try. (Thanks kilchomandistillery.com / @Kilchomanwhisky!)

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

The 2023 PX Sherry Cask Matured release is our first limited edition to be fully matured in PX casks

Tasting Notes – Kilchoman 2023 PX Sherry Cask Matured Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (50%)


61 Cask vatting
23,000 bottles
50% ABV
50 PPM Heavily Peated

Nose: There’s some lovely smokehouse aromas here with sweet, fruity peat, liquorice and seaside saltiness.

Palate: Intense fruity sweetness, dark chocolate, creamy coffee and peaty smoke – Yummy!

Finish: Oak smoke spice with lots of pepper, antiseptic and tobacco dryness.

Overall: Some deep, intense flavours abound with this dram with attractive, fruity sweetness and spicy pepper providing opposite sides of an ever-present smokey peat. The result is a lovely, well balanced teste.

This dram gets better and better the longer it stays in the glass and the longer you spend time with it – so allow it some breathing space – it will reward you greatly!

Once again, many thanks to kilchomandistillery.com (@Kilchomanwhisky) for sending me this dram!

Kilchoman is available to buy from these Merchants:-

Distillers One of One Auction

Kilchoman Distillery recently took part in the Distillers One of One Auction for the second time. A bottle, “Cask No.1”, from the first cask the distillery ever filled, offered a unique opportunity to own a remarkable piece of Kilchoman history and sold for a total of £15,000.

“Cask No.1”

Presented in an etched glass bottle with a bespoke layered wooden box design, representing the distinct landscape surrounding the distillery, the lot also included an accompanying letter of authenticity from Kilchoman Founder, Anthony Wills.

Hammer proceeds of 1.8 million from the 2023 auction will primarily benefit the Distiller’s Charity’s Youth Action Fund, which aims to transform the lives of young people in Scotland aged between 16 and 25, by helping them to develop knowledge, confidence, resilience, and skills.

The result means that the first two Distillers One of One Auctions have raised a combined total of £4.2m for charity and Kilchoman are delighted to have been able to participate in both.

About Kilchoman

Kilchoman is a family run farm distillery based on the rugged west coast of Islay, Scotland. The distillery was established by Anthony Wills in 2005, the idea was to build a new distillery which took whisky production back to its roots.

Their 100% Islay range is Islay’s only Single Farm Single Malt Scotch Whisky. It represents the revival of traditional farm distilling – growing our own barley before malting, distilling, maturing and bottling every bottle of our 100% Islay range on site.

In The San Francisco World Spirits 2023, Sanaig received the prestigious ‘Double Gold’

Kilchoman produces its 100% Islay single malt from barley which is grown in fields surrounding the distillery and completes every stage of the whisky-making process at the distillery, including traditional floor malting. Kilchoman is the only distillery in Scotland to do this.

2023 Awards

◼ The San Francisco World Spirits 2023 – Sanaig received the prestigious ‘Double Gold’ while Machir Bay was also awarded Gold

◼ The Spirits Business Scotch Whisky Masters 2023 and The Sprits Challenge 2023 – Machir Bay and Sanaig were both awarded Gold Medals

Sampling The Borders Distillery “The Long & Short of It” – A Dram That Makes You Think Again!

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The Borders Distillery WS:02 “The Long & Short of It”

Wednesday nights @TweetTastings went all experimental this week with host Steve from The Whisky Wire guiding us through nosing and sampling a new dram from The Borders Distillery – namely WS:02 “The Long & Short of It”!

If you want to catch up on what all the tweet tasters had to say you can view their comments by searching for the hashtag #TheBordersDistillery on X (Twitter)

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – The Borders Distillery WS:02 “The Long & Short of It” (40%)

The Borders Distillery – Workshop Series

WS:02 The Long & Short of It
Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%

A blended Scotch whisky, which has been produced using liquid fermented for 55 hours and 150 hours.

Each release in the Worksshop Series represents a particular facet in the whisky making process – this year it focuses on Fermentaion, with the WS:02 The Long & Short of It, being the result of two initially liquids being fermented for 55 and 150 hours.

The longer fermentation influencing richer dark notes and the shorter influencing lighter and fruiter notes.

Each separately fermented batch has been distilled twice and matured in first fill ex-Bourbon barrels, before being married with single grain whisky produced at the Hawick based distillery.

The Workshop Series, is an ongoing series of experimental releases that will be released over the coming years, ahead of the launch of the The Borders Distillery single malt project.

This latest release follows on from the WS:01 Borders Malt & Rye, which launched last year, and was the first Scotch whisky blend from The Borders Distillery to be entirely distilled at its Hawick based site.

RRP: £40.00 (available from The Borders Distillery online store)

Available now from The Borders Distillery online store! (£40.00)


Nose: Some toffee apple right off the bat followed by new-make spirit popcorn and there’s also some lemon and citrus bite with a light dusting of herbs and ginger.

Palate: A light, thin mouthfeel with some popcorn and tropical fruits. Additionally, there’s subtle syrupy sweetness and shy pepper at the back.

Finish: The pepper increases muchly with time – almost becoming a bit of a pepper monster! The lemon certainly increases with time in the glass as well.

Overall: An interesting dram that has a new-make feel to it – sadly, there’s maybe a bit too much lemon for me.

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) for a great opportunity and The Borders Distillery (@thebordersdistillery) for sending the sample and without whom!

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society – Guinness World Record Holders!

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Co-hosts of the Society’s world record tasting: Master Ambassador, John McCheyne, and Madeleine Schmoll, Social Media and Community Manager

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has set a world record for the biggest online whisky tasting with drams being shared simultaneously in more than 15 countries around the world!

Founded in Edinburgh in 1983, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) has grown to become the world’s biggest whisky club, with almost 40,000 members in more than 20 countries across the globe.

It was a high-tec affair!

On Saturday, 30 September, 447 of its members in more than 15 countries gathered online for the world record tasting attempt, which was staged to celebrate the Society’s 40th anniversary. Overseen by an adjudicator from Guinness World Records, the whisky tasting started at 2pm BST with participants around the world tasting the same three drams of whisky simultaneously.

The event featured whisky fans in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, South Africa, Hong Kong, Denmark, Switzerland, New Zealand, Mexico, Taiwan, and Korea. The timing of the event meant that the Society’s members in New York tasted their three drams at 9am while those in Australia were tasting at midnight.

The 45-minute event was live streamed from a newly refurbished The Vaults in Leith, Edinburgh, the spiritual home of the Society. The first dram was introduced from Edinburgh by the Society’s Master Ambassador, John McCheyne; the second from New York by Tom Smith, Senior Director of SMWS USA, and the third from Melbourne by Matt Bailey, Director of SMWS Australia.

Each of the 447 participants had to attend the tasting on an individual device with the camera on and no other person visible on screen with them, and attend the full duration of the tasting in order for the Society to set the record.

We are delighted to announce that The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has set the world record for the most participants in an online whisky tasting event.

It’s amazing to see how far the Society has come since the club was founded in Edinburgh by Pip Hills and a group of friends in 1983.
With the Society turning 40 years old, we felt this would be the perfect way to share in a very special simultaneous tasting.
We are the pioneers of cask strength, full flavour whisky that creates conversation – that’s why people become members – and the world record tasting worked across time zones and countries to bring our members together.
It’s a great example of what we are all about.
– Madeleine Schmoll: Event host and Social Media and Community Manager at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society UK

Madeleine Schmoll, with Christopher Coates, Whisky Magazine and Rebecca Hamilton, Chief Marketing & Experience Officer for the Society

It has been a joy to be a part of this momentous event, and to see people connecting with other whisky lovers from as far afield as Japan, or Australia, to celebrate some truly exceptional drams.

This is something that wouldn’t have been possible 10 years ago, and it’s a testament to how technology and whisky can bring people together.
– Christopher Coates: Director and Editor-at-Large of Whisky Magazine, and Chair of Judges for the Icons of Whisky and World Whiskies Awards

The drams sampled were:-

  • Cask No. 55.78 What a Spread! – a 13-year-old rich and sweet bottling from a Speyside distillery, with tasting notes of “spiced toffee, creme brulee and a touch of fresh oak”
  • Cask No. 39.244 Tutti Frutti in a Wooden Bowl – an 11-year-old whisky from the SMWS Juicy Oak & Vanilla flavour profile.
  • Batch 15 Smokus Fruticosus – a blended malt comprised of malt whiskies from the islands of Islay & Orkney.

Find out more about The Society!

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS)

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and has 37,000 members around the world.
• It is owned by The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) plc
• The SMWS bottles rare single cask and single malt whisky, exclusive blends and a range of other Single Cask Spirits.
• The Society has bottled whisky from 180 distilleries from Scotland and beyond
• The Society offers a new batch of around 20 different single malt whiskies every month
• Members have access to four exclusive SMWS Members’ Rooms in Leith, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London along with a global network of 100 partner bars.
• The Society offers a variety of membership options that can be tailored.
• For more information about the Society, visit: https://smws.com/, Twitter: @SMWSUK Facebook: @thesmwsuk Instagram: @smws_uk

About The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC)

• The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) plc is based in Edinburgh
• The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) plc is building a portfolio of premium brands that bring together some of the world’s best spirits producers with a growing movement of discerning consumers by curating unrivalled collections of craft spirits.
• ASC owns The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) and in 2021 it launched J.G. Thomson & Co. Inspired by its namesake, which was originally a wine and spirits merchant in Leith, Scotland, in the 1700s, J.G. Thomson is a new, adventurous blender, creating small batch blended malt whiskies, blended grain whiskies, rum and gin. 

Sampling Five Whiskies From The Glasgow Distillery – Which One Would You Choose? – “ALL Of Them” Is A Great Answer!

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The five drams!

Wednesday nights @TweetTastings, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, gave us the opportunity to sample the drams from The Glasgow Distillery!

The Whiskies sampled were:-

  • Glasgow Distillery 1770 Cognac Cask Finish
  • Glasgow Distillery 1770 The Original Cask Strength
  • Glasgow Distillery 1770 Golden Beer Cask Finish
  • Glasgow Distillery 1770 Peated Cask Strength
  • Glasgow Distillery 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish

If you want to catch up on what all the tweet tasters had to say you can view their comments by searching for the hash tag #GlasgowDistillery on X (Twitter)

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes … and my favourites on the night!

Tasting Notes – Glasgow Distillery 1770 Cognac Cask Finish (52%)

A Small Batch Series release of their Triple Distilled (unpeated) single malt.

This release has been finished in Cognac Casks for two years and six months and bottled at 52% ABV.


Nose: Very citrusy with some lovely orange going on! Then it morphs into toffee, apple and pears with a little vanilla and elderflower to top it all off.

Palate: Cane sweetness with citrus fruits, toffee and a tannin finish, growing in pepper and really quite a strong dryness at the end.

Tasting Notes – Glasgow Distillery 1770 The Original Cask Strength (61.3%)


A double distilled unpeated single malt.

The Original is presented at a natural cask strength of 61.3%.

This year they have taken three casks from their latest Signature Range bottling (46%) and married them together and have bottled the results without reducing the strength.

This is an unadulterated insight into their Original expression, their first distillery style and the whisky that started it all.

Three years in first fill ex-bourbon casks and ten months in virgin American white oak from Kelvin Cooperage in Kentucky.


Nose: A shy nose to this one …. slightly woody with some sugariness that mellows into fruity toffee, buttery with some orange – a fine nose but it makes you work for it!

Palate: Punchy, creamy, fruity palate with cane sugar, toffee apples and bags of spice with a little liquorice. Nothing shy about this palate – Everything seems to be turned up to 11!

Tasting Notes – Glasgow Distillery 1770 Golden Beer Cask Finish (58%)


An unpeated double distilled single malt (a limited edition ‘Small Batch Series’ version of The Original) that has been matured in an Innis & Gunn Golden Beer Cask.

This beer cask was actually a Pedro Ximénez sherry cask that held Innis and Gunn’s Golden Beer for 3 months before they bottled that beer (as a Innis & Gunn PX finish limited edition beer) and they then filled it with their whisky that had already been matured in a first fill ex-bourbon cask for a little over three years.


Nose: Creamy and nutty with mildly caramel aromas and some sweet apple pastry.

Palate: Creamy sweet coffee with apple pastries, spicy with sweetened fruits that’s very attractive indeed.

If you want to catch up on what all the tweet tasters had to say you can view their comments by searching for the hash tag #GlasgowDistillery on X (Twitter)!

Tasting Notes – Glasgow Distillery 1770 Peated Cask Strength (60.8%)

Their Glasgow 1770 Peated expression is bottled at cask strength 60.8% ABV.

Their first ever batch of Peated Cask Strength, this has been matured in virgin American white oak for three years and three months and then finished in PX sherry casks for eleven months.

Made with a 50ppm malt from the highlands, this is a big hitting smoky number that showcases the power and might of the peated whisky they make in the distillery.


Nose: This dram looks more like a sherried dram – certainly doesn’t nose like one though!
Pure smokehouse aromas with sweet peat and savoury snacks! Slightly coastal with some BBQ sauce, chocolate and light apple.

Palate: The nose promised and the palate delivered!
Basically smokey embers, sweet peat, liquorice, some chocolate, plums and antiseptic.

Tasting Notes – Glasgow Distillery 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish (53.4%)


A peated single malt finished in Tokaji casks. Their peated spirit initially matured in virgin American white oak for two years and eight months before finishing in these rich and funky Hungarian Tokaji wine casks for a further two years and eight months.

Presented at 53.4%, they have experimented with Tokaji in the past and have loved the influence on their whiskies, this is their first release of a peated whisky finished in Tokaji.


Nose: A sweeter nose than the previous dram with some added syrupy, stewed fruits for good measure. Light smoke and a little menthol with sweet, creamy orange – certainly not your classic peated nose!

Palate: There’s more smoke in the palate with burning embers and BBQ sauce but in addition it’s creamy, chocolatey and fruity with a back taste of Germolene.
Very much a different type of peated whisky – which is refreshing!

My Favourite On The Night


1. 1770 Peated Cask Strength
2. 1770 The Original Cask Strength
3. 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish

Not that I could fault any of them really!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) for a great evening and Glasgow Distillery (@GlasgowDC) for sending the samples and without whom!

Glasgow Distillery Whiskies are available to buy from these Merchants:-

My fellow Tweet Tasters on the night were:-


@TheWhiskyWire @WhiskyWings @steveprentice @Sake_Baku @neatdrams @ForTheDram @1_womans_whisky @sprungatom @RealDramRob @JoeFHolmes @whiskyodyssey @WhiskyResource @Jotterface @whiskeychap @MaltMusings @TheWhiskyNovice @MashtunandMeow @LeaskPatrick @FiShoop @GascoyneNick @WhiskyWizard31 @WhiskyAlly @ManyMilesWhisky @BillyCowan

The English Distillery Introduces Their First Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky!

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The English Sherry Cask

Whisky pioneer The English Distillery is introducing the first sherry matured single malt release to its award-winning core range!

As England’s oldest registered whisky distillery reinforces its mission to create the country’s finest offering of single malt whiskies, and share them with whisky lovers around the world.

Bottled by hand at its Norfolk distillery, The English Sherry Cask is an unpeated single malt whisky, which has been matured from start to finish in the finest PX sherry casks to create a stunning expression that has been well worth the wait.

The new addition will sit alongside The English Original and Smokey

Aromas of rich dark fruits from the sherry-filled casks combine in a nose of raw honey and vanilla, leading to a burst of sweet toffee, cherries and digestives on the palate. The result is a wonderfully balanced and rich whisky that is not outshone by the wood.

Bottled at 46% abv, non chill filtered and natural in colour, this no age statement whisky will join The English Original and The English Smokey to enhance the distillery’s core range.

Founded in 2006 by farmer James Nelstrop to fulfil a lifelong dream, the distillery – guided by the experience of legendary Master Distiller Ian Henderson – began to lay down whiskies in its dunnage warehouses, with the sole aim to make world class single malt whisky.

The whisky is made using barley grown locally and on the Nelstrop family farms. The entire distillation process of milling, mashing, distilling with a pair of traditional and beautiful copper stills, maturing in the finest oak casks and hand bottling – all take place at the distillery.

After a mere 17 years of distilling, we finally have just enough stock to add a Sherry cask matured single malt whisky to our core range.

This is a momentous step for the distillery and a big milestone as we continue to demonstrate the skill of our distillers and the depth of our maturing stock.
– Andrew Nelstrop: Chairman

Available to order now (RRP: £60, 700ml bottle), the new addition will sit alongside The English Original and Smokey (RRP: £47.50 each)

The entire distillation process of milling, mashing, distilling with a pair of traditional and beautiful copper stills, maturing in the finest oak casks and hand bottling – all take place at the distillery

English Distillery products are available to buy from these Merchants:-

About

The English Distillery is England’s oldest registered whisky distillery. Founded by the Nelstrop family in Norfolk in 2006, the distillery is still independent and creates multi-award-winning whisky from local barley.

The distillery has a unique place in history. In 1901 the last recorded whisky distillery in England swapped from whisky to gin production before being destroyed by fire. This saw the end of whisky distilleries in England until The English Whisky Co. Ltd was granted a license to distil whisky by HMRC. In 2006 it opened the first registered, operational whisky distillery in England for over 100 years.

Our founder James Nelstrop was the young er son of a Lincolnshire farmer. James spent his formative years farming in Lincolnshire before emigrating to Australia, where farms were bigger and opportunities were plentiful. James returned to England in 1976 and went to work the land in Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincolnshire. He also set up farming charities in Russia to improve the agricultural industry as the country emerged from 30 years of communist control before returning to Norfolk.

As James neared retirement, a lifetime’s dream to make whisky became a possibility. The dream had grown from a throwaway comment made by James’ father, who said it was a “shame all this barley has to go to Scotland to be turned into whisky.”

The decision to build the distillery in Norfolk was quick and with only one caveat: The distillery would produce only the very finest single malt whiskies, regardless of the time it took to get there. This mantra has become the foundation of everything that we do at The English Distillery.
The distillery is now led by James’ son Andrew, who continues to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Three Whiskies – One World Record – Can ‘The Gathering’ Of The SMWS Do It?

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SMWS Master Ambassador, John McCheyne & host Madeleine Schmoll at the World Record attempt!

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society gathered members from around the world in a bid for the world’s biggest online whisky tasting!

Members of the worldwide whisky club from across the UK, USA, Japan, China and Australia came together online to take part in the three-dram tasting on Saturday 30th September 2023.

The record-setting attempt took place during ‘The Gathering’, the flagship event in the Society’s year-long series of 40th anniversary activities for its growing community of members around the world.

The online whisky tasting took place on Saturday 30th September 2023

It was live-streamed from The Vaults in Leith, Edinburgh and the first dram was hosted by SMWS Master Ambassador, John McCheyne, the second by Tom Smith, Senior Director of SMWS USA, and the third by Matt Bailey, Director of SMWS Australia.

The drams sampled are:-

  • Cask No. 55.78 What a Spread! – a 13-year-old rich and sweet bottling from a Speyside distillery, with tasting notes of “spiced toffee, creme brulee and a touch of fresh oak”
  • Cask No. 39.244 Tutti Frutti in a Wooden Bowl – an 11-year-old whisky from the SMWS Juicy Oak & Vanilla flavour profile.
  • Batch 15 Smokus Fruticosus – a blended malt comprised of malt whiskies from the islands of Islay & Orkney.

Many thanks to The SMWS (@SMWSUK) for inviting me to the event and for sending me the three samples!

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

Tasting Notes – Cask No. 39.244 Tutti Frutti in a Wooden Bowl (61.5%)


11 Years old from the SMWS Juicy Oak & Vanilla flavour profile.

Cask Type: 1st. fill ex-bourbon barrel
Region: Speyside
ABV: 61.5%

Still available! (£68.40)


Nose: Light fruit and wood with added caramel and toffee apple.

Palate: Thick, creamy vanilla mouthfeel with fruity flavours, honeyed and tasty tropical fruits a la adult Tuitti Frutti!

Finish: Deep spice with a very savoury dry finish.

Overall: There’s a punchy strength to this dram but it’s also coupled with some powerful flavours – very nice!

Tasting Notes – Cask No. 55.78 What a Spread! (59.2%)


13 Years old

Cask Type: 1st. fill ex-PX hogshead
Region: Highland
ABV: 59.2%


Nose: Dried tropical fruits with caramel, toffee and orchard apple.

Palate: Luscious toffee, orange and dark chocolate. Plump fruits and cane sweetness.

Finish: Smooth with some sweet woodiness, peppery spice and cinnammon. Salty finish.

Overall: As stated at the virtual tasting, this dram doesn’t come across as strong even though it is 59.2% – just a hearty, full-flavoured whisky instead!

Tasting Notes – Batch 15 Smokus Fruticosus (50%)

A blended malt comprised of malt whiskies from the islands of Islay & Orkney.

10 Years old

Cask Type: Ex-bourbon, PX and oloroso casks.
Region: Blended
ABV: 50.0%


Nose: Smokehouse peat which is sweet and slightly fruity liquorice.

Palate: Smokey sweetness with savoury and peppery thickness. Liquorice with hints of blackcurrant and a ‘zingy’ sparkle on tbe tongue!

Finish: Smooth with no burn and a hearty pepper flavour but that sweet peaty smokiness just goes on and on!

Overall: This is a great intro. to smokey drams with just the right amount of sweetness to make it palatable to first-time smokey sippers!

But, Did we break the Record?

Well, only time will tell as the Guinness team are still checking all the data but, as ever with SMWS drams, just getting the opportunity to taste these fine whiskies makes it a sure-fire winner to me!

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS)

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and has 37,000 members around the world.
• It is owned by The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) plc
• The SMWS bottles rare single cask and single malt whisky, exclusive blends and a range of other Single Cask Spirits.
• The Society has bottled whisky from 180 distilleries from Scotland and beyond
• The Society offers a new batch of around 20 different single malt whiskies every month
• Members have access to four exclusive SMWS Members’ Rooms in Leith, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London along with a global network of 100 partner bars.
• The Society offers a variety of membership options that can be tailored.
• For more information about the Society, visit: https://smws.com/, Twitter: @SMWSUK Facebook: @thesmwsuk Instagram: @smws_uk

About The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC)

• The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) plc is based in Edinburgh
• The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) plc is building a portfolio of premium brands that bring together some of the world’s best spirits producers with a growing movement of discerning consumers by curating unrivalled collections of craft spirits.
• ASC owns The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) and in 2021 it launched J.G. Thomson & Co. Inspired by its namesake, which was originally a wine and spirits merchant in Leith, Scotland, in the 1700s, J.G. Thomson is a new, adventurous blender, creating small batch blended malt whiskies, blended grain whiskies, rum and gin. 

New Whiskies Are All Part Of The Joy Of An SMWS Membership!

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Meticulously Mesmerising
Cask No: 35.381

New Whisky Arrivals are all part of the joy of an SMWS Membership!

Regardless of whether you’re treating yourself or as a gift, there’s nothing better than hearing about the latest offerings from The Society.

New drams are very regular indeed and are always of limited supply so it’s best to get your order in early to avoid disappointing those taste buds!

Below is one new particular dram of note – especially as it has flavours of Christmas spices – Yes, that time of the year is fast approaching!

Spicy & Sweet

Meticulously Mesmerising

Meticulously Mesmerising
Cask No: 35.381
Cask Type: 2nd fill ex-oloroso hogshead
Origin: Scotland
ABV: 56.3%
£450.00

Qty left: 38

The subtle scent of a nutty sponge cake moistened in a light lemony syrup, topped with pastry cream, walnuts and cinnamon combined with a glass of orange muscat, wafted through the air to mesmerising effect.

The taste was that of a Waldorf salad made with rocket for a peppery bite and topped with toasted walnuts and juicy grapes enveloped in a creamy lemony dressing. Following reduction, we found Christmas spices, stem ginger, walnut cake and a sweet espresso on the nose.

On the palate, marzipan and apple tart with caramel sauce. Following 27 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a second fill oloroso hogshead.
– Society Tasting Notes

10% OFF New Memberships!

10% OFF New Memberships!

Code: GATHERING10

Other New Arrivals From The Scotch Malt Whisky Society!

Spicy & Sweet

Jack-in-the-box

Jack-in-the-box
Cask No: 135.49
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
Distillery: Inchmoan (Loch Lomond Distillery)
Origin: Scotland
ABV: 53.6%
£149.90

Qty left: 18

Deep Rich & Dried Fruits

Spiced and iced ginger cake

Spiced and iced ginger cake
Cask No: 134.15
Cask Type: refill ex-bourbon barrel
Origin: India
ABV: 57.6%
£155.00

Qty left: 39

Spicy & Sweet

Jamaica to India

Jamaica to India
Cask No: 134.14
Cask Type: refill ex-bourbon barrel
Origin: India
ABV: 58.4%
£142.80

Qty left: 39

Sweet Fruity & Mellow

Citrus moscatel sangria

Citrus moscatel sangria
Cask No: 134.13
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
Origin: India
ABV: 57.1%
£142.80

Qty left: 56

Sweet Fruity & Mellow

A smooth sipping treat

A smooth sipping treat
Cask No: 134.16
Cask Type: refill ex-bourbon barrel
Origin: India
ABV: 59.0%
£158.50

Qty left: 85

Lightly Peated

Birch sap and burnt toffee

Birch sap and burnt toffee
Cask No: 135.54
Cask Type: 1st fill #3 charred hogshead
Origin: Scotland
ABV: 50.8%
£117.00

Qty left: 104

Guinness World Record

As part of their 40th Anniversary celebrations, the society is attempting to achieve a Guinness World Record for the largest online whisky tasting!

The 45-minute, three dram tasting (50mls each) will be held on Saturday 30 September 2023 at 2pm BST.

Sadly, all the Tasting Packs are now sold out but confidence is high that they can achieve their goal!

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS)

¥ The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and has 37,000 members around the world.
¥ It is owned by The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) plc
¥ The SMWS bottles rare single cask and single malt whisky, exclusive blends and a range of other Single Cask Spirits.
¥ The Society has bottled whisky from 180 distilleries from Scotland and beyond
¥ The Society offers a new batch of around 20 different single malt whiskies every month
¥ Members have access to four exclusive SMWS MembersÕ Rooms in Leith, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London along with a global network of 100 partner bars.
¥ The Society offers a variety of membership options that can be tailored.
¥ For more information about the Society, visit: https://smws.com/, Twitter: @SMWSUK Facebook: @thesmwsuk Instagram: @smws_uk

About The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC)

¥ The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) plc is based in Edinburgh
¥ The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) plc is building a portfolio of premium brands that bring together some of the worldÕs best spirits producers with a growing movement of discerning consumers by curating unrivalled collections of craft spirits.
¥ ASC owns The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) and in 2021 it launched J.G. Thomson & Co. Inspired by its namesake, which was originally a wine and spirits merchant in Leith, Scotland, in the 1700s, J.G. Thomson is a new, adventurous blender, creating small batch blended malt whiskies, blended grain whiskies, rum and gin.Ê

Sampling The Lakes Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.7: A Masterpiece For The Enjoyment Of The Taste Buds!

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The Lakes Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.7

Unveiled at The Whisky Show London, The Lakes Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.7 is a refined and fragrant finale to what has become an internationally award-winning series of sherry-led single malts!

Non-chill filtered, natural colour, and bottled at 52% ABV

Matured in the finest Oloroso, PX and red wine casks, comprising Spanish and American oak, No.7 is “a celebration of the whiskies that came before it”, sharing rich layers of honeyed fruits, hints of cocoa nibs, and dark chocolate with the familiar buttercream texture and character of previous editions, evolved with an elegant sweetness.

As the first English distillery to be awarded the coveted title “World’s Best Single Malt Whisky” (World Whiskies Awards 2022, for The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.4), The Lakes’ modern approach places flavour creation at the heart of everything they do.

With multiple layers of flavour designed through the art of élevage, The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.7 draws to a close a series that charts a journey of exploration of maturation and oak for The Lakes; one that will lead to the release of an enduring signature style for The Lakes’ Single Malt in 2024.

The Lakes Distillery have kindly sent me a sample of their new dram to try (Thanks Lakes Distillery!)

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

Tasting Notes – The Lakes “Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.7” English Single Malt Whisky (52%)

The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.7 draws to a close a series that charts a journey of exploration of maturation and oak for The Lakes

Nose: Syrupy, stewed, fruits with vanilla. Some attractive shades of citrus including lime and there’s also dusky rooms and furniture polish – all adding up to a great treat for the nose!

Palate: Sugary prunes, forest fruits coupled with smooth creamy chocolate limes.

Finish: Heavily spiced with some added chilli. Pleasantly, this is combined with some nice fruity toffee and a little salt.

Overall: It’s been a sensory joy to sample each Whiskymaker’s Reserve over the years and like the previous drams – this one doesn’t dissapoint. Truly, a masterpiece for the enjoyment of the taste buds!

Non-chill filtered, natural colour, and bottled at 52% ABV, the new expression is available for £85 from LakesDistillery.com

Lakes Distillery Whiskies (& Gins) are also available to buy from:-

The Lakes were the first English distillery to be awarded the coveted title “World’s Best Single Malt Whisky”


About The Lakes Distillery:

Established in 2011, The Lakes Distillery is a design-led whisky maker. Pushing boundaries in pursuit of flavour creation, they adopt a modern approach, reframing their craft through a forward-looking lens.

Nestled on the shore of Bassenthwaite Lake, near Keswick, in The English Lake District, the distillery attracts more than 30,000 visitors annually to experience and explore their home; and has held Visit England’s Gold accolade since 2018 – the highest award for excellence in English tourism.

Respecting tradition but refusing to be bound by it, The Lakes Distillery is open to new worlds of inspiration. Drawing inspiration from the art of élevage, not only do they look at what whisky is, they explore what it can become, and it is this approach to maturation and flavour creation that sets them apart.

The journey, so far:

• 2011 – The Lakes Distillery plc was founded by Paul Currie and Nigel Mills CBE.
• 2012/2013 – Renovation of an old Victorian model dairy farm took place to build a state-of-the-art distillery.
• 2014 – New make spirit flowed in the Lake District for the first time on 16 December.
• 2015 – The distillery was officially opened by Princess Anne in July.
• 2016 – Dhavall Gandhi joined The Lakes team to help lay the foundations for a sherry-led signature style.
• 2018 – Genesis, The Lakes’ first single malt whisky, broke three Guinness World Records at auction.
• 2019 – On 7 September, The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.1 was launched; the first in a series of widely available single malt whisky releases that showcase The Lakes’ sherry-led signature style and The Lakes Single Malt Whisky won Gold at the World Whiskies Awards, the International Spirits Challenge (ISC), and the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC).
• 2020 – The Lakes was named by The London Stock Exchange Group as one of the “1000 Companies to Inspire Britain”.
• 2021 – The first of a series of whiskies exploring flavour creation was released; The Whiskymaker’s Editions and production capacity at the distillery tripled to 400,000 LPA.
• 2022 – Following a cluster of international honours for their single malt, The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.4 was named “World’s Best Single Malt Whisky” in 2022 at the World Whiskies Awards.
• 2023 – Sarah Burgess, former Lead Whiskymaker for The Macallan, joined the business as the new whiskymaker and James Pennefather, former Regional MD at William Grant & Sons, as CEO.

Sampling Three Langatun Swedish Single Malt Whiskies – Limited Editions With Unlimited Flavours!

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THREE NEW Langatun Swiss Single Malt Whiskies to try!

Robert from Highfern.com has kindly sent me THREE NEW Langatun Distillery Swiss Single Malt Whiskies to try!

They are:-

  • Monbazillac Cask Finish
  • Rioja Cask Matured
  • Madeira Cask Finish

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

Tasting Notes – Langatun Monbazillac Cask Finish Swiss Single Malt Whisky (49.12%)

Monbazillac is a wine-growing region in the south-east of France, surrounding several communes around the village of Monbazillac of the same name.

This region is known for its intense and long-lived sweet wines, similar to Sauternes wines. Monbazillac is traditionally made from noble rot grapes of the SŽmillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle varieties, which are harvested by hand.

The Monbazillac Cask Finish is a new bottling in their Cask Finish range. After pre-aging in a French oak Chardonnay cask, the single malt was transferred to a Monbazillac sweet wine cask from France for a further 14 months of maturation.

This whisky was distilled in October 2016 and bottled in January 2023.

The bottling is limited to 473 bottles.

£99.00 from Highfern




Nose: Sweet and fruity with syrupy prunes, port and treacle. Throw in some white wood with hints of cherries and that’s quite a nose!

Palate: Intense sweetness with some citrus, caramel and porty toffee.

Finish: Warm smooth spiciness, a little pepper which develops over time. At the end there’s sweet liquorice and salt.

Overall: This dram develops in the glass really nicely. if you can resist the tempation, it’ll pay to take your time with it and savour the nose and then indulge yourself in the tasting!

Tasting Notes – Langatun Rioja Cask Matured Swiss Single Malt Whisky (49.12%)


The new single cask bottling of Langatun seems at first glance to belong to the series of Langatun Cask Finishes. But on closer inspection, one realizes that this is not a finish, but a 100% cask maturation.

Thus, the Langatun Rioja Cask Matured follows the success of the Langatun “Quinta do Zambujeiro Cask Matured”. These ‘Matured’ bottlings are characterized by an outstanding aroma intensity and give the connoisseur the full dose of wine aromas paired with spicy hints of wood.

The Rioja is a full-blooded Tempranillo from Spain. The barrel itself is lightly toasted and is made of American and French oak.

Distillation date: April 2017
Bottling date: June 2023

The bottling is limited to 367 bottles.

£99.00 from Highfern




Nose: Rich, stewed fruits with apple, vanilla and cane sweetness. There’s also toffee and inviting creamy biscuit in there as well.

Palate: Pastry rich apple pie which has been nicely sweetened with a dry woody counterpoint.

Finish: The dryness continues with some punchy pepper and sweetened fruits to accompany it.

Overall: A drier dram than the other two samples but nicely balanced with fruity sweetness.

Tasting Notes – Langatun Madeira Cask Finish Swiss Single Malt Whisky (49.12%)


Madeira wine may only be produced on the island of Madeira, southwest of Portugal. Similar to port wine, the natural fermentation of Madeira is interrupted after a particular time so that the sugar contained in the must do not ferment completely.

This gives the wine a particularly intense sweetness. What is unusual about the maturation of Madeira is that the barrels used in the traditional process are stored for several months at high heat (up to 75 degrees F / 24C!)

The whisky was previously matured for several years in a Chardonnay cask and was finally matured for 18 months in a Madeira cask, which gives it its spicy character.

Distillation date: March 2016
Bottling date: August 2022

This bottling is limited to 525 bottles.

£99.00 from Highfern




Nose: Forest fruits, peach, apricot, creamy baked biscuits and sticky fruits – WoW!

Palate: Rich, sweet, syrupy prunes with port wine, herbs and vanilla biscuit.

Finish: Very smooth spiciness with a woody finish plus there’s a lovely fruity sweetness running through this tasty dram!

Overall: An inviting mouthfeel to this dram with thick, syrupy fruits and top end spice that is very satisfying!

Many thanks to highfern.com (@HighfernLtd) for sending me such gorgeous drams!

Langatun is available to buy from these Merchants:-

About Langatun Distillery

As a newly graduated master brewer, Jakob Baumberger founded a distillery on his fatherÕs farm in 1857. In 1860 he took over a small brewery in Langenthal (celtic: ÒLangatunÓ), which he subsequently expanded into a flourishing business alongside the distillery.

Later his descendants Hans Baumberger I and II continued the brewing and distilling tradition. In 2005 Hans Baumberger III took up the vision of his great-grandfather again with the production of the hand-made Langatun Single Malts and other distillates of highest quality in best family tradition.

About Highfern

Highfern Ltd is the proprietor of Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt and Single Malt Scotch Whisky, and the UK importer of Langatun Swiss Single Malt Whisky, Strane London Dry Gin, and Cihuat‡n Rum.

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