The “Tomintoul” 33 Year Old 750ml will be released into the Amercian market in 2010. 

The 70cl European version is currently available in Europe.

Loch Fyne Whiskies has stocked some new items; 

 Glen Grant 1992
 46% abv
 £44.90 inc vat
 39.04 ex vat

 Campbeltown Loch 30yo
 40% abv
 £32.90 inc vat
 £28.61 ex vat

Best regards,
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

You may visit Loch Fyne Whiskies at www.lfw.co.uk

A quick word from Andrew @ KWM Calgary, Alberta;

We are into our second bout of -40C including windchill!

 I have a couple of new things in this week:

 Springbank Small Casks – $85.99

–          English Whisky Co. Chapter 3 – $61.49

–          English Whisky Co. Chapter 4 Peated – $61.49

Our casks of  BenRiach, Springbank and Jack Daniels should be here soon.

Cheers

Andrew

scotchguy@kensingtonwinemarket.com

Tamnavulin 12yo 1994/2007 (46%, DL Provenance, HHD Ref# 3362 & 3363)

The nose is malty and grassy at the same time and the latter is what many describe as “green”. There is also some solvent, tree sap and heather along with some sweetness in the back ground; there is also half cooked porridge along with some black pepper. Happily the sweetness does make an effort however it’s a bit of a struggle for it, the poor thing. There’s also something quite ‘dirty’ about the nose lurking behind the fruit and malt. The taste is at first unlike the nose and but then it all becomes apparent however the taste is quite good after a minute or two and is certainly more malt and fruit than the green notes. There is also some very slight evidence of smoke peat smoke? It may simply be the imagination it’s so slight. There is also some leather and cured tobacco intermingled with the sweet notes. There is also a bit of the solvent. The finish is at first smoked malt, black pepper and some light fruity sweetness and lemon zest followed by the ‘green’ notes and then the very light peat reek; perhaps not the imagination after all. After a few minutes the finish is mildly off putting…..and things do not improve with time. In fact it just gets worse and worse.

A curiosity to say the least; the ‘green’ notes and the finish throw the malt under the bus somewhat but there are moments of happiness. However the old taste buds are now out of commission for the afternoon…..

C$68

Score 68 points.

Ralfy reports;

 following e-mail requests from viewers for specific Whisky reviews, I have splashed some cash towards two new whiskyreviews at ralfy.com

… 96 – Glenfiddich 15yo Solera matured,  and 97 – Laphroaig Quarter Cask,   both a couple of crackers !

… cash well spent, and taking advantage of the Winter discounts on Malts.
Yippee !!!

You may view both espisodes at www.ralfy.com

Loch Fyne Whiskies News has stocked three new Signatory bottlings 

 Port Ellen Signatory 1983 26yo
 54.7% abv
 £145.00 inc vat
 £126.09 ex vat

Linlithgow Signatory 1982 26yo
 61.2% abv
 £135.00 inc vat
 £117.39 ex vat

Cambus Signatory 1991 18yo
 51.9% abv
 £46.90 inc vat
 £40.78 ex vat

Visit Loch Fyne Whiskies at  https://www.lfw.co.uk/

Best regards,
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

The auction was a great success, the Glenfiddich 50 year old sold to a bidder in Miami for $38,000 to benefit Friends of Scotland charity. The edition number of the bottle is No.3

We had bids on the day from NYC, LA and as far out as Denmark.

Thanks again,

Freddy May
Glenfiddich Ambassador
William Grant & Sons

EPISODE 230:

Having a holiday party this season? Master mixologist Dale DeGroff gives us some tips on cocktails and entertaining in this episode. In the news, Diageo’s Scottish workers call off their campaign against plant closings, Scotch whisky exports are up despite the recession, the latest word on new whisky releases, a Balvenie competition, and look for WhiskyCast soon on your iPhone!

Listen to Whisky Cast Episode #230 at http://www.whiskycast.com/

Whisky Intelligence has reproduced (with permission) The Gauntleys Whisky Newsletter for December 2006; a look back in time. The author, Chris Goodrum, has some excellent insights into the whiskies being commented on which makes for excellent reading on a Sunday.  Enjoy!

Dear Whisky Customers

Firstly I would like to wish all of you a pleasant festive season and hopefully I will be seeing some of you that live closer to Nottingham in the shop over the next few weeks, so if you do happen to pop in please say hello. The main news for this newsletter is that we have found yet another independent bottling company that is bottling some absolutely stunning malts, but who you can never really find, so I have decided that there is just about enough space on the bulging shelves to make a home for them. So without further ado I’d like to introduce you to the range I have selected from James MacArthur & Co.

JAMES MacARTHUR

James MacArthur was established in 1982 with the aim of selecting whiskies from Scottish Distilleries which were either not very well known or had ceased to operate and bottling them at cask strength, thus introducing whisky drinkers to distilleries they had never heard of.

This policy has been continued, with top quality single barrel bottlings from a wide selection of distilleries. Whiskies are currently bottled at ages ranging from 10 years to 35 years and at both cask strength and 43%vol, although it is only the cask strength bottlings that we are stocking. These are fine examples of the quality and variety available from each whisky producing region and the Company has won several awards for its bottlings, both internationally and in the UK. The most recent were Gold awards from the Whisky Magazines Independent Bottlers Challenge 2006.

Mannochmore 11 year old 59.8% £37.95

Quiet a big, rich, malty and vanillery nose. Very oily and dominated by the clean American oak. It develops a delicate grassy note and a touch of leather. Soft and slightly oily on the palate again the vanilla oak takes centre stage, but is supported by spice and cut grass notes. Very intense with a high alcohol content, which obviously requires a drop of water. It is only then that the distillery character starts to show as the oak is pushed to the background. It shows on a lovely grassyness and complex aromas of garden flowers, spice and pollen (?) and sweet, juicy citrus and mandarin fruit. This is gorgeous, the fruit flavour really linger on the palate.
Strathmill 12 year old 63.4% £41.95

Light, delicate and slightly estery on the nose with light orange fruit, a touch of honey and creamy oak. On the palate it is youthful, smooth and creamy with loads of sweet malt and delicate orange fruit and lashings of soft spice. A drop of water softens the nose emphasising the vanilla and rounds out the palate, taking the edge of the alcohol and lengthening. Although this may not be the biggest Strathmill I’ve ever tasted it is very charming and elegant.

Isle of Jura 13 year old 55.1% £41.95

A lovely smoky Island nose, young, crisp and slightly oily with coastal fruits, fisherman’s sowesters and a lovely light sweetness. Slightly sweet on entry with an immediate Island character and coastal fruit followed by delicate whiff of smoke and a late burst of talisker-esque pepper. A long, dry finish which leaves the mouth coated with sweet malt flavours. Personally I would avoid water as it brings out a faintly carbolic note on the nose, but on the palate it emphasises its oily character bringing out a heathery/ gorse note
Aultmore 14 year old 60.5% £42.95

Sherry Cask

Delicate and youthful. A lovely mix of sherry fruit and perfumed floral notes, later the classic cerealness comes to the fore followed by earthy vanilla and liquid honey. Clean and youthful on the palate with sherry fruit and gentle spices, ginger (?). Quite floral and tangy on the middle and lots of alcohol ? This one certainly needs a drop of water. When diluted it really opens out emphasising the perfume and honied malt on the nose. On the palate it becomes really yummy! It’s now soft and delicious with honied fruits , sherry and some soft spice.

Glentauchers 14 year old 58.8% £42.95

This is a superb nose, classic granity hard Glentauchers with lovely honied, ripe fruits, a touch of tropical, gentle spice and lashings of super smooth vanilla oak. Quiet perfumed and absolutely stunning with notes of earth and white chocolate. Soft yet granity hard on the palate, very, very dry with oodles of cereal-malt and a glorious late hit of gentle spice and vanilla encased fruit. This is superb, personally I’d take it neat as a drop of water kind of removes its malty impact, but wow what a length. You know when you’ve be Glentaucher’d!

Longmorn 14 year old 58.8% £44.95

Sherry Cask

Wow, this is a stunning nose. Rich, complex, decadent and luscious. Super smooth with oodles of sherry fruit, mint, liquorice and a touch of charred oak. The palate is as superb as the nose suggests with soft sherry fruit, mocha and loads of liquorice. Intensely decadent, mouthfilling and truly delicious, luscious and vibrant, the flavour merrily dance on the tongue. Extremely long with a rich mocha finish. A drop of water makes no real change to the nose, yet possibly rounds out the palate. This is a damn fine cask, absolutely flawless!

Linkwood 15 year old 54.0% £44.95

A lovely, gentle complex, aromatic, nose of floral, apricot fruit , garden fruits, stone fruits, apple and a touch of vanilla which develops an earthy light toffee note. Soft and light on the palate with pure apricot, grass, garden fruits, light spice, and vanilla. Lovely depth with botanical notes on the finish. A drop of water really emphasises the apple and garden freshness of the nose and the clean vanilla overtones. On the palate it rounds it out filling the mouth with a delicious, light fruitiness. All round an excellent bottling.

Glenrothes 17 year old 54.1% £45.95

Clean and floral with a big impact of vanilla oak, flowers, sweet spice and salt. Underneath lurks some sweet orange fruit. This ticks all the classic Glenrothes boxes; perfumy, sweet and spicy. Given a bit of time in the glass the orange fruit battles its way to the front. A very sweet entry, but not too sweet with vanilla laced orange fruit and delicate spice. Mouthfilling with a lovely intensity and sweet malty notes on the middle. Superb length, text book power and delicacy. This is another one that I’d personally drink neat.

Glen Garioch 18 year old 53.9% £54.95

Sherry Cask

Sumptuous aromas of velvety sherry fruit. Not much in the way of distillery character, but this is a fabulous sherry cask. There is oodles of dried fruit, prunes, earth, milk chocolate, leather, a touch of vanilla and really old honey. Fabulously clean and pure. Pure nectar on the palate, gorgeously smooth sherry fruits, dried fruit, spice and liquid honey along with a slight violet note. Mouthfilling and truly yummy! With a late touch of peat. A drop of waters rounds it out nicely emphasising the violet note on the nose along with a linseed oil note. Personally I would take it neat.

Glenlivet 28 year old 53.6% £85.95

Very floral on the nose, quiet oily, deep and complex with mature orange fruit, delicate spice, liquorice, beeswax all wrapped in a blanket of luxurious honey. I could sniff this all day! On the palate it is soft and quiet nutty with smooth, delicate fruit, wood tannins, spice, liquorice and a late touch of mature honey. Very long with a floral note in the finish and a touch of peat. There really is no need for any water, but if you do add some it emphasises its floral character on the nose and brings it all together in one harmonious smoothness on the palate.

Well that’s it for now, short and sweet. The range should be in the shop towards the end of the week, so if anything takes your interest, please let me know.

Sincerely

Chris Goodrum

http://www.gauntley-wine.co.uk/