AWARD-WINNING SCOTCH BOTTLER EXPANDS INTO CALIFORNIA AS US GROWTH CONTINUES

Scotland / California, April 2026; Award-winning independent Scotch whisky bottler Saltire Rare Malt is strengthening its presence in the United States with two exclusive tasting events in California this spring, bringing its rare single cask Scotch whiskies to new audiences on the West Coast.

Named ‘Best Newcomer’ at the 2025 Scottish Whisky Awards, the Falkland-founded company will host back-to-back showcases in partnership with two respected California retailers – Hi-Lo Liquor Market and Vintage Wine & Spirits.

The events will introduce guests to a hand-selected range of ultra-rare single cask releases from some of Scotland’s most respected distilleries, offering Californian whisky lovers the opportunity to discover the diversity, craftsmanship and character of Scotland’s whisky regions.

Guests will explore a rotating collection of expressions from distilleries including Tormore, Ardmore, Dailuaine, Glenburgie, Linkwood, Benrinnes and Teaninich, alongside Falkland, Saltire Rare Malt’s sister Speyside single malt brand.

The California programme follows Saltire Rare Malt’s recent expansion into Texas and Louisiana last month, where a successful run of tastings introduced the brand to new US audiences. After strong demand in the South, California marks the next step in the company’s growing American presence.

Saltire Rare Malt Global Brand Ambassador David McCallum will travel over specially to host the evening, guiding guests through the collection and the stories behind each whisky. He will be joined by Laura Sol, Business Development Manager, with both in attendance making this a particularly special occasion as Saltire Rare Malt continues its growth in the US market.

The first event takes place at Hi-Lo Liquor Market, a popular independent California retailer known for its strong community spirit, quality-led range and carefully curated drinks selection. Its modern neighbourhood approach and focus on discovery make it a fitting partner for Saltire Rare Malt’s West Coast debut.

The second tasting will be held at Vintage Wine & Spirits in Los Angeles, a fast-growing specialist retailer that has built a reputation for premium spirits, fine wine and expert curation. Located in Lake Balboa, the store has quickly become a destination for enthusiasts seeking rare and distinctive bottles.

Keith Rennie, Co-Founder & Director of Saltire Rare Malt, said: “California is an exciting market for premium spirits and we’re delighted to bring Saltire Rare Malt to two fantastic independent retailers on the West Coast. These tastings are about sharing Scotland’s whisky heritage, the stories behind each cask and the remarkable diversity of flavour that single cask whisky can offer.”

Founded in Falkland – the historic birthplace of Scotch whisky more than 530 years ago – Saltire Rare Malt specialises in sourcing exceptional single casks from Scotland’s finest distilleries and bottling them only when the whisky has reached peak character.

Founded by lifelong friends Nigel Heywood and Keith Rennie, the company continues to connect Scotland’s rarest whiskies with collectors, hospitality partners and enthusiasts around the world.

CALIFORNIA TASTING EVENTS

Wednesday, 29th April 2026
Hi-Lo Liquor Market
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM PST

Friday, 1st May 2026
Vintage Wine & Spirits
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM PST

About Saltire Rare Malt Whisky

Saltire Rare Malt are bottlers of a unique range of limited-run single malt whiskies. The independent bottling company was born from a longstanding partnership between friends & founders Nigel Heywood and Keith Rennie – the pair have collected fine and rare single malts over three decades. A shared passion for the ‘water of life’ led to the creation of Saltire Rare Malt – a global vehicle to share their outstanding collection of Single Malt Whiskies.

www.saltireraremalt.com
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Recent travels, riverside painters and daydreaming about warmer weather led us from Porto to France inspiring the name behind the Douro to Roussillon pair. Cask No. 36.234: Curiouser and curiouser and Cask No. 95.113: Popcorn in bloom offer the kind of sweet, rich and jammy notes found eating pastries while on holiday on the continent. They’re stunning examples of additional maturation from our Whisky Team with a muscat rivesaltes barrique and tawny port barrique.

These two whiskies make for a dreamy two-dram flight – whether you’re away soon, or simply looking for a moment to picture future summer holidays.

READ MORE

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Brave New Spirits

Islay/Speyside Blended Malt 19 Years Old

ABV: 54.4% 70 cL

£149.99

This exclusive single cask release from Daftmill has been bottled for TyndrumWhisky. Drawn from a first-fill ex-PX sherry hogshead, Cask #73 was filled on 13th August 2014 and bottled in February 2026, producing just 289 bottles.

The whisky was made using Concerto barley grown on the Daftmill farm in the Fardiners, Quarry and Sawmill fields. The barley was harvested on the 2nd, 5th and 7th of September 2012, before being dried and stored on the farm and later malted in 2013.

TyndrumWhisky.com
The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom

Happy English Whisky Week! I’ve lost count of the number of times somebody has asked me, “Can you get whisky in England?” I resist the urge to roll my eyes and instead use it as the optimal time to list of some of the exceptional brands that are currently producing our favourite spirit as good as anybody else on the planet.

One of the first drams I ever tried when I joined the wonderful whisky world was one of the Whiskymaker’s Reserve expressions from the Lakes Distillery. I was blown away by its quality, and it’s the standard I’ve held English whisky to ever since.

Next time you’re looking for a new dram to try, give an English a look — you will be as amazed as I was. A select few are below — have a peruse and enjoy.

Bradley Weir, Whisky Magazine editor

Subscribe for £26.64 and receive six beautifully crafted issues — including two on us. That’s a 33 per cent saving across the year.

BONHAMS PARTNERS WITH BUFFALO TRACE TO LAUNCH EAGLE RARE 30-YEAR-OLD, THE OLDEST AGE STATED WHISKEY FROM THE AMERICAN DISTILLERY

London – In celebration of Eagle Rare 30, the oldest age-stated bourbon to date from Buffalo Trace Distillery, Bonhams will present a curated online auction of the World’s Most-Award Winning Distillery’s rarest and highly-coveted American whiskeys.

Running from 24 April to 8 May 2026 on bonhams.com, the sale will feature the first and second bottles ever produced of Eagle Rare 30 alongside a range of individual lots and curated collections from across the Eagle Rare portfolio – including 10, 12, and 17 Years Old – as well as exclusive experiences and a luxury overnight stay at the historic distillery in Kentucky.

The auction presents a rare moment for collectors, as ultra-aged bourbon is exceptionally uncommon. In Kentucky’s dramatic climate, very few barrels endure to reach 30 years of maturation, making Eagle Rare 30 a significant milestone for both Buffalo Trace Distillery and American whiskey.

Amayès Aouli, Global Head of Bonhams Wine & Spirits, commented: “The global teams of Bonhams are honoured to partner with such an iconic name as Buffalo Trace on this exclusive auction launching Eagle Rare 30. Distilled in the experimental Warehouse P where time and environment are pushed to their limits, this remarkable whiskey represents the pinnacle of the Eagle Rare collection. It also highlights the strength of our global platform, with events across three continents, in our Bonhams salerooms, culminating in our online auction.”

View Sale

Eagle Rare 30-year-old

Driven by the belief that the world’s best whiskey has yet to be created, Buffalo Trace Distillery has spent decades pushing the limits of American aging. Eagle Rare 30 builds on Eagle Rare 25, both drawn from Warehouse P, one of the distillery’s two experimental warehouses designed to slow and control maturation.

Created to test whether extended aging could elevate bourbon in the same way it does in more temperate climates such as Japan, Scotland and Ireland, Warehouse P produces whiskey that matures more evenly over time, resulting in Eagle Rare 25 and 30, two expressions that redefine the category’s potential.

“Eagle Rare 25 and 30 aren’t just about time, they’re about what time reveals,” said Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. Kentucky’s climate makes long aging difficult, but Warehouse P allows those effects to be managed while preserving nuance.

He added that maturity depends on more than years alone, with oak, char and environment shaping the whiskey over decades. Careful monitoring has unlocked exceptional smoothness and complexity, creating something truly distinctive.

Eagle Rare 30-Year-Old

Distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery since 1989, Eagle Rare has become one of Buffalo Trace’s most celebrated and sought-after collections, spanning from the classic 10-Year-Old to the rare 25 and newly introduced 30-Year-Old, offering age statements more commonly associated with Scotch whisky than bourbon. It has earned international recognition including a record-holding five Double Gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition as well as Gold and category honours from the International Wine & Spirit Competition and the International Spirits Challenge, reinforcing its standing among the world’s leading whiskeys.

Comprising 15 lots in total, highlights of the auction include:

• Lot #1: The first bottle ever produced of Eagle Rare 30-Year-Old, in addition to a private single barrel tasting experience featuring up to five Buffalo Trace bourbons hosted at either Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, KY or Buffalo Trace Distillery London, its tasting room located in Covent Garden. Estimate: £7,500 – £10,000 ($10,000 – $13,000).

• Lot #2: One bottle each from the entire Eagle Rare collection: 10, 12, 17-Year-Old (3 x 700ml bottles) as Double Eagle Very Rare, 25 and the second bottle produced of 30-Year-Old (3 x 750ml presented in their signature display cases). Also includes one-night luxury accommodations at Stagg Lodge, the Distillery’s VIP, invite-only lodge overlooking the historic campus. Estimate: £20,000-30,000 ($27,000 – $40,000)

• Lot #3: One 700ml bottle each of Eagle Rare 17-, 12- and 10-Year-Old as well as an Eagle Rare 10 single barrel pick experience hosted at either Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, KY or Buffalo Trace Distillery London. Estimate: £7,000-10,000 ($9,000 – $13,500).

• Lot #4 – #5: One 700ml bottle of Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old from the 2025 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Estimate: £800-1,300 ($1,000 – $1,700).

• Lots #6 – #10: Each offering a six-bottle case of Eagle Rare 12-Year-Old (6 x 700ml, bottles). Estimate: £700-1,000 ($950 – $1,300).

• Lots #11- #15: Each offering a six-bottle case of Eagle Rare 10-Year-Old (6 x 700ml, bottles). Estimate: £200-400 ($260 – $530).

Top: Eagle  Rare 12 Years Old. Bottom: Eagle Rare 20 Years Old.

Sale: Eagle Rare 30-Yea-Old Bourbon Takes Flight: The Ultimate Eagle Rare Release Location: bonhams.com Date: 24 April – 8 May 2026

About The Bonhams Network

Bonhams is a global network of auction houses, with the largest number of international salerooms, offering the widest range of collecting categories and selling at all price points. Bonhams is recognised for its bespoke service, and a dedication to local market relationships, enhanced by a global platform. With 14 salerooms, Bonhams presents over 1,000 sales annually, across more than 60 specialist categories, including fine art, collectables, luxury, wine & spirits, and collector cars.

Founded in 1793, Bonhams has representatives in more than 30 countries and operates flagship salerooms in London, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. In 2022, Bonhams added four international auction houses to its network: Bukowskis, Stockholm; Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen; Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris and Brussels; and Skinner, Massachusetts. The success of Bonhams’ global strategy is a result of recognising the shift in growing intercontinental buying and increased digital engagement.

More information and highlights can be found HERE

For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com

£279.00

A rare independently bottled Laphroaig 2005! This expression balances the distillery’s unmistakable maritime peat with the depth of long aging. Finished in a sherry butt, it layers classic iodine, sea spray, and smouldering smoke with richer notes of dried fruit, polished oak, and dark spice. Bottled at 20 years old, it offers a more contemplative take on Islay’s bold character — where medicinal intensity meets elegant sweetness with a warming finish.

A real treat for the Laphroaig fans!

Knob Creek 10 Year Old “Cask Strength Single Barrel Select – K&L’S 5TH FLOOR X MAGIC B” 127.7 Proof K&L Exclusive Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $64.99 View

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

ralfy review 1125 – Tomintoul 14yo @46%vol: (2026)