Master of Malt — Page 5

Drinks by the Dram Whisky and Gin Christmas Crackers!

November 27, 2015 by Gary Leave a Comment

new jokes this year (but don’t expect them to be any better than last year’s jokes)

New Whisky and Gin Christmas Crackers – Something to dull the pain from the awful jokes!

Following the success of their popular spirit-filled Christmas Crackers, Drinks by the Dram has introduced whisky and gin crackers for Christmas 2015.

Launched in 2014, Drinks by the Dram’s Christmas Crackers swap out the usual prizes of keyrings, whistles and tiny playing cards for a selection of delicious spirits and liqueurs, presented in 3cl wax-sealed ‘drams’. The set features 6 Christmas Crackers, each containing a different dram along with the traditional paper crown. Oh … and crap joke!

For Christmas 2015 they have extended the range of Christmas Crackers to include two sets focussed exclusively on whisky and a set focussed entirely on gin, alongside their classic set filled with an array of top quality spirits and liqueurs.

Drinks by the Dram’s 2015 Christmas Cracker range will be widely available at retailers including Harvey Nichols and online at Amazon and Master of Malt (shipping mid December).

Drinks by the Dram Whisky Crackers
RRP £59.95

Drinks by the Dram Gin Crackers
RRP £39.95

Drinks by the Dram Spirits & Liqueurs Crackers
RRP £37.95

Drinks by the Dram Premium Whisky Crackers
RRP £99.95

Whisky lovers can sit down to Christmas lunch with the Whisky Christmas Crackers (RRP £59.95), containing expressions from the likes of Glenfarclas, Kilchoman and The Lost Distilleries Blend.

Full-blown whisky aficionados can treat the table to the Premium Whisky Christmas Crackers (RRP £99.95), featuring altogether more exclusive drams like a 23 year old Bowmore, a 21 year old Balvenie and even a 50 year old single grain whisky.

Gin enthusiasts can also crack open some fantastic tipples with the Gin Christmas Crackers (RRP £39.95), containing drams of spectacular juniper-based-libations like award-winning Professor Cornelius Ampleforth Bathtub Gin, St. George Terroir and 1897 Quinine Gin.

And of course, there will be new jokes this year (but don’t expect them to be any better than last year’s jokes).

Drinks by the Dram’s 2015 Christmas Cracker range will be widely available at retailers including Harvey Nichols and online at Amazon and Master of Malt (shipping mid December).

Master of Malt Launches “Build Your Own” Spirit-filled Advent Calendar Service!

November 19, 2015 by Gary Leave a Comment

“I’ll have what they’re having …”

For the first time ever, Master of Malt is letting customers pick the contents of their own spirit-filled Advent Calendar from an extensive dram selection of over 4,000 whiskies, gins, rums and many other spirits!

Master of Malt extends its integration of Drinks by the Dram’s spirit samples by, for the first time ever, offering customers the opportunity to build their own spirit-filled Advent Calendars. This service is available in addition to the core range of pre-filled Advent Calendars which, new for this year, has been extended to include spirits categories including whisky, rum, gin, Cognac, naga chilli, absinthe, mezcal and more.

Customers are able to start with an empty calendar, and browse the site’s 4,000-strong selection of drams to fill it with their favourite gins, rums, whiskies and many other spirits. As they fill the calendar, a handy sidebar helps the customer to keep track of contents and cost, ensuring that they are able to build their perfect personal countdown to Christmas.

#GoodEnoughIsnt

Master of Malt Issues Interest-Bearing Gift Vouchers – Just In Time For Christmas!

November 18, 2015 by Gary Leave a Comment

£500 of pure joy – on paper!

Master of Malt has destroyed the traditional concept of retail gift vouchers and just in time for Christmas – making for the gift (voucher) that literally keeps on giving!

Instead of these vouchers becoming “worthless anywhere between 6 months and a couple of years later or whenever you lose it (whichever comes sooner)” – these vouchers never expire, and actually increase in value over time, paying their “own particular brand of delicious interest at 5% (compounded) per year”.

We hope other retailers follow suit and put an end to the nonsense that is ‘traditional’ gift vouchers. In the meantime, we invite you to try ours – we think you’ll like them.
– Master of Malt: Cool dudes

In addition to that, Master of Malt have applied these same benefits to vouchers that have already been issued …

All the vouchers that are already ‘out there’ started accruing interest as of the 1st of June 2015, and all expiry dates on them will be ignored. From now on, they’re subject to the same terms and conditions as the new vouchers. Enjoy! – #GoodEnoughIsnt
– Master of Malt: The Coolest of dudes

Check the value of your voucher at any point in time!

Master of Malt have built a tool into their gift voucher page which allows the holder of a gift voucher to check the value of their voucher at any point in time, so recipients will be able to see how much their gift has grown in value since they received it.

Master of Malt To Give Away Over £25,000 Worth Of Luxury Spirits This Xmas!

November 13, 2015 by Gary Leave a Comment

Wishing is as easy as clicking

Over £25,000 worth of Luxury spirits to be given away by Master of Malt’s #WhiskySanta this Christmas!

Master of Malt’s award-winning #WhiskySanta pledges to give away more than £25,000 worth of luxury spirits before Christmas to people who write to him on Facebook & Twitter, or who order on Master of Malt

#WhiskySanta was introduced by Master of Malt last Christmas and gave away free bottles to readers of the Master of Malt blog, upgraded 1 in 10 Whisky Advent Calendars purchased in October to Premium Whisky Advent Calendars and granted wishes from lovers of fine spirits on Twitter and Facebook.

This helped them secure the title of ‘Best Digital & Social Media Campaign’ at the International Spirits Challenge 2015.

#WhiskySanta will be granting wishes from spirits lovers across the globe right up until Christmas eve. Browse the selection of over 7,000 different products and send him your wish for something special!

The “Ask #WhiskySanta” button can be found on every product page of the Master of Malt website, or directly on Twitter or facebook using the hashtag #WhiskySanta

Remember: Wishing is as easy as clicking!

Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s The 2015 Whisky Advent Calendar!

September 18, 2015 by Gary Leave a Comment

Whisky Advent Calendar
(Craft Edition) RRP £149.95

Drinks by the Dram’s range of spirit-filled Advent calendar returns for a fourth year!

Old favourites like Whisky, Gin and Rum are joined by new additions including Tequila, Absinthe and Vodka.

The Whisky Advent Calendar (RRP £149.95) was launched in 2012 to help whisky lovers explore the world’s best whiskies.

Highlights among this year’s 24 drams include a rare 50-year-old Scotch, an award-winning Japanese whisky and the World’s Best Blended Whisky (World Whiskies Awards 2014.)

Each handmade, wax-sealed dram allows whisky fans to sample a new whisky, tasting everything from single grain whisky to rare Scotch worth up to £350 a bottle.

Each calendar in the range takes the explorer on a different journey of discovery through the fascinating world of their favourite spirit, introducing them to rare and unusual expressions they may never have tried.

Whisky connoisseurs can also enjoy the Premium Whisky Advent Calendar (RRP £249.95), which contains rare single casks and whiskies worth up to £500 a bottle.

This year also sees the launch of The Old and Rare Whisky Advent Calendar (RRP £999.95), containing whiskies worth up to £2,000 a bottle, including a 60-year-old Single Malt – one of the oldest whiskies in the world.

Drinks by the Dram’s 2015 Advent Calendar range also includes calendars filled with Armagnac, Vodka, Mezcal and horrible, horrible Chilli Vodka. The full range of calendars is available now (shipping in October).

The Full Range

Whisky Advent Calendar
(Craft Edition)
Whisky Advent Calendar (Craft Edition)
Premium Whisky Calendar (Craft Edition)
Old & Rare Whisky Advent Calendar
Bourbon Advent Calendar
Ginvent Calendar
Botanical Ginvent Calendar
Rum Advent Calendar
Cognac Advent Calendar
Tequila Advent Calendar
Mezcal Advent Calendar
Armagnac Advent Calendar
Absinthe Advent Calendar
Vodka Advent Calendar
Naga Chilli Vodka Escalation Calendar

Master of Malt Closes The Lid On World’s First Single Malt Whisky!

April 23, 2015 by Gary Leave a Comment

Closure-Close-Up

Master of Malt is set to release two independently bottled single cask whiskies with innovative glass closures, making cork taint in single malt whiskies a thing of the past.

Master of Malt has announced an experiment – whiskies bottled with innovative glass closures instead of traditional corks or screw tops.

This is the first time a closure of this type has been used to bottle single malt whisky.

Corks have been used to close whisky bottles for centuries, but, cork-taint (especially TCA – or 2,4,6 trichloroanisol), has the potential to add undesirable aromas and flavours to a bottle of whisky in exactly the same way as a fine wine.

In wine circles, debate has long raged on the subject of cork versus screwcap closures… It should be noted however, that whilst gas-exchange (through the slightly porous corks) is desirable in wine, no such demand is present for distilled spirits, where in-bottle development is a much, much smaller consideration.

Bottles-on-barrel

Screw tops are viewed by many whisky enthusiasts as ‘cheap’ and aesthetically unpleasing. The new glass closures used by Master of Malt are both attractive and functional.
Unlike decanter stoppers, they are air-tight thanks to a thin, specially engineered rubberised seal that perfectly fits each bottle.

The experimental closures will feature on a pair of stunning 12 year old Bruichladdich single malts, one matured in a first-fill Sherry cask, the other in a first-fill bourbon cask.

These will be used to assess consumer demand and appreciation, and Master of Malt are actively inviting feedback through their blog.

Three other exciting Master of Malt single cask bottlings (with corks) will also be released at the same time, including a 23 year old Ardbeg.

Master Of Malt Has Finally Gone Crackers!

November 4, 2014 by Gary Leave a Comment

Master Of Malt has gone crackers!

Christmas Crackers Filled With Award-Winning Spirits and Liqueurs!

Drinks by the Dram is proud to announce the pre-release of their award-winning spirit- and liqueur-filled Christmas Crackers. Each box contains six handcrafted crackers filled with 3cl sample ‘drams’ of award-winning spirits and liqueurs.

Having released a range of spirits-filled Advent Calendars that take their lucky owners right through to Christmas eve, Drinks by the Dram have now taken aim at Christmas day itself, with the ultimate set of crackers for adults.

Drinks by the Dram Christmas Crackers – RRP £37.95

Drinks by the Dram’s hand-labelled and wax-sealed 3cl samples make perfect Christmas Cracker prizes, and they have selected six outstanding spirits and liqueurs to be included. Full of delicious award-winners, each cracker also contains tasting notes, a party hat, a crap joke and, of course, a *snap*!

Each Christmas Crackers set contains ‘drams’ of Bathtub Gin (World’s Best Compound Gin – 2014 World Gin Awards), Arran single malt Scotch whisky (That Boutique-y Whisky Company), Rumbullion! spiced rum (Gold – 2014 The Rum Masters) and Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7 Year Old Bourbon (Silver – 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition), as well as Professor Cornelius Ampleforth’s festive Sloe Gin (Silver – 2013 International Wine & Spirits Competition) and Cherry Brandy.

Drinks by the Dram was launched in 2010 as a way of offering whisky enthusiasts and connoisseurs the opportunity to sample new releases of single malt Scotch whisky at a fraction of the cost of purchasing an entire bottle. From small beginnings, the range now includes over 2,500 unique spirits, from rum and whisky, to gin, tequila, mezcal and more. Spirits lovers can now “try before they buy” to find the perfect tipple to suit both their individual tastes and budgets.

The entire range is available for pre-order now at Master of Malt, shipping from 12th November.

Whiskey Advent Calendar

As mentioned, Drinks by the Dram range of Whisky Advent Calendars are now available from Master of Malt.

The Whisky Advent Calendar will delight connoisseurs and whisky newcomers alike, taking them through an impressive range of specially selected drams such as The Macallan Amber, Glenfiddich 18 Year Old and The Lost Distilleries Blend (World’s Best Blended Whisky, World Whiskies Awards 2014), as well as examples from the US, Japan and beyond.

Premium Whisky Advent Calendar

The Premium Whisky Calendar, however, may just be the greatest advent calendar to have ever existed, and can boast the likes of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Teeling 21 Year Old 1991 and the magnificent Glenfarclas 40 Year Old within its selection of exceptional, world-class whiskies.

The Rum Advent Calendar, Cognac Advent Calendar, Tequila Advent Calendar (RRP £149.95) and Vodka Advent Calendar (RRP £99.95)

And if that’s not enough you can now get hold of their exclusive Rum, Cognac, Tequila and Vodka Advent Calendars each contain twenty-four hand-labelled, wax-sealed samples of specially chosen spirits behind their windows!

Each box features its own rather pleasing satirical artwork created by Bristol-based illustrator Duncan Beedie.

Taking you through an enviable selection of what each spirit has to offer, the contents include the likes of Rumbullion! XO 15 Years Old, Hine Antique XO Premier Cru Cognac, Herradura Añejo Tequila and Chase Marmalade Vodka. Christmas really is coming early for all lovers of fine spirits this December.

Tasting Notes: Maverick Drinks Latest Beasts – Darkness! (Part 2)

May 12, 2014 by Gary Leave a Comment

Just some of the Darkness range!

Maverick Drinks has gone over to the dark side with the launch of their latest range – Darkness! – a range of exceedingly dark single malt and single grain whiskies with an enormously punchy, unashamedly brazen character!

Commonly known as “sherry monsters”, these beasts are sourced from Scotland’s top distilleries.

With their amazing dark, brooding colour, attained through the use of small, specially crafted sherry casks for finishing, the range is the first of its kind.

The dark colour is achieved by storing the drams for 3 months in specially coopered 50-litre first-fill sherry casks.

The small size of the casks allows more wood contact with the whisky, increasing both dark colour and rich flavour dramatically.

These casks have previously been used to produce some of Spain’s top sherries, including Pedro Ximénez – the sticky, sweet dessert sherry, and Oloroso – the semi-dry, nutty delicacy.

These casks bring a deep colour as well as wonderful sherry flavours such as Christmas Cake, rich spice, prunes, raisins and dates.

The Darkness! range includes spirit from Scotland’s most prestigious distilleries. Notable bottlings include the delectable 21-year-old Ardbeg, finished in Oloroso sherry casks, a 16-year-old Clynelish, and a sublime Macallan finished in a Pedro Ximénez cask.

To finish off the look of these monsters, stunning labels have been designed, hand-illustrated by Tom Lane – designer of the very popular Bicycle Playing Cards, as well as the artwork for the accompanying book for Heston Blumenthal’s Fantastical Feasts.

Darkness! is available from Master Of Malt.

Take note of the bottles total – these ‘monsters’ will be gone in a moment! (The Ardbeg already has!)

Tasting Notes – Darkness! Benrinnes 15 Year Old Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish

94 bottles

Darkness! Benrinnes 15 Year Old Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish

Nose: Rich caramel, oak wood, luscious fruits.

Palate: Sweet cake mixture, plump raisins, fruits.

Finish: Nutty, peppery spice which, mixed with the sherry sweetness, is joyously long.

Overall: A classic mixture of flavours combined to give a morish sherry hit

50cl, 53.3%

£59.95

Tasting Notes – Darkness! Clynelish 16 Year Old Oloroso Cask Finish

94 bottles

Darkness! Clynelish 16 Year Old Oloroso Cask Finish

Nose: Dried fruit including a citrus tang, fudge.

Palate: Sweet and chocolatey with caramel.

Finish: Spicy, rich sherry flavours, slight tanin at the end with added pepper.

Overall: Another warm, sherry infused delight, the fieriness of the dram is well tempered by the Oloroso Cask sherriness!

50cl, 54.9%

£74.95

Tasting Notes – Darkness! Ardbeg 21 Year Old Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish

sold out

Darkness! Ardbeg 21 Year Old Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish

Nose: Peat, smoke and soot, scents of apples.

Palate: Smoke peat and woody embers with fruit sweetness.

Finish: Lingering sweetness wins over but doesn’t defeat an ebbing peat.

Overall: A marvelous dram! The mixture of sherry and smoky peat is a revelation – I can see why this sold out so quickly!

50cl, 40.1%

£119.95

Many thanks to Master Of Malt for the samples.

Tasting Notes: Maverick Drinks Latest Beasts – Darkness! (Part 1)

May 9, 2014 by Gary Leave a Comment

Just some of the Darkness range!

Commonly known as “sherry monsters”, these beasts are sourced from Scotland’s top distilleries.

With their amazing dark, brooding colour, attained through the use of small, specially crafted sherry casks for finishing, the range is the first of its kind.

The dark colour is achieved by storing the drams for 3 months in specially coopered 50-litre first-fill sherry casks.

The small size of the casks allows more wood contact with the whisky, increasing both dark colour and rich flavour dramatically.

These casks have previously been used to produce some of Spain’s top sherries, including Pedro Ximénez – the sticky, sweet dessert sherry, and Oloroso – the semi-dry, nutty delicacy.

These casks bring a deep colour as well as wonderful sherry flavours such as Christmas Cake, rich spice, prunes, raisins and dates.

The Darkness! range includes spirit from Scotland’s most prestigious distilleries. Notable bottlings include the delectable 21-year-old Ardbeg, finished in Oloroso sherry casks, a 16-year-old Clynelish, and a sublime Macallan finished in a Pedro Ximénez cask.

To finish off the look of these monsters, stunning labels have been designed, hand-illustrated by Tom Lane – designer of the very popular Bicycle Playing Cards, as well as the artwork for the accompanying book for Heston Blumenthal’s Fantastical Feasts.

Darkness! is available from Master Of Malt.

Take note of the bottles total – these ‘monsters’ will be gone in a moment!

Tasting Notes – Darkness! Benrinnes 15 Year Old Oloroso Cask Finish

87 bottles

Darkness! Benrinnes 15 Year Old Oloroso Cask Finish

Nose: Vanilla and caramel toffee. Lovely dried fruits.

Palate: Slight oil, rich xmas cake with rich sherry flavours.

Finish: Spicy and sweet comes together in a powerful but smooth hit. Hint of dryness and lemon.

Overall: A beast of a dram but for all the right reasons. Full bodied, smooth, sweet spicy. It’s got it all and more!

50cl, 52.9%

£59.95

Tasting Notes – Darkness! Macallan 15 Year Old Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish

88 bottles

Darkness! Macallan 15 Year Old Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish

Nose: Cherry, raisins and honey fudge

Palate: Very smooth with sweet sultanas, cake mixture and a slight woodiness.

Finish: Modicum of spice blended with glorious sweetness. Short finish.

Overall: A warming, classy dram made large with luscious sherry sweetness. Smooth and mature – a posh beast!

50cl, 52.3%

£109.95

Many thanks to Master Of Malt for the samples.

New Arrivals For A Master of Malt Easter!

April 15, 2014 by Gary Leave a Comment

[Read more…]

Supplier	Brand	Bottle Size	Price
Master of Malt	Monsters Choice Blended Scotch Blended Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Other Scotch Age: Strength: 40.00%	70cl	£ 22.54 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Cameronbridge 18 Year Old 1995 – Single Grain Collection (Signatory) Grain Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Lowland Age: Strength: 43.00%	70cl	£ 24.25 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Irish Whiskey Tasting Set Single Malt Tasting set Country: Scotland Region: Other Scotch Age: Strength: 40.00%	15cl	£ 26.95 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Glenfiddich 12 Year Old In Travel Case Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Age: Strength: 40.00%	70cl	£ 27.07 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Macleod's Islay Single Malt (Ian Macleod) Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Other Scotch Age: Strength: 40.00%	70cl	£ 28.67 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Smokehead Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Other Scotch Age: Strength: 43.00%	70cl	£ 32.92 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Glenburgie 17 Year Old 1995 (casks 6452+6453) (Signatory) Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Age: 17 Year Old Strength: 43.00% Summary: The malt whisky is 17 Year Old.	70cl	£ 33.48 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Old Ballantruan 'The Peated Malt' Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Age: Strength: 50.00%	70cl	£ 33.72 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Braeval 15 Year Old 1998 (casks 168899+168900) (Signatory) Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Age: 15 Year Old Strength: 43.00% Summary: The malt whisky is 15 Year Old.	70cl	£ 34.80 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Benrinnes 13 Year Old 1999 (Signatory) Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Age: 13 Year Old Strength: 43.00% Summary: The malt whisky is 13 Year Old.	70cl	£ 35.01 BUY NOW
Master of Malt	Tamdhu 10 Year Old 2002 – Single Minded (Douglas Laing) Single Malt Whisky Country: Scotland Region: Speyside Age: 10 Year Old Strength: 41.50% Summary: The malt whisky is 10 Year Old.	70cl	£ 35.95 BUY NOW