Glen Elgin 25yo 1984/2010 (46.5%, Dewar Rattray for Co-op Calgary, Hogshead, C#2858, 243 bts., D’01/11/81 B’ 07/06/2010)

Another single cask offering from A. Dewar Rattray, the independent bottlers and this time another bottling for the Co-op Wines & Spirits in Calgary, Alberta. Remember the excellent 42yo Tamdhu bottled for them? No? Check out http://tinyurl.com/Co-op-Tamdhu42yo

The nose (undiluted) is initially a little closed but what does emerge is some fine malt and very light sweetness with hints of clotted cream and tablet. With more time in the glass it opens to reveal more of the malt (dusty now, like sticking your head into a malting floor after it’s just been swept up). There is also some faint pleasant aromas of heather and leather. The nose diluted falls way a little so don’t add any water, it’s just a smidge over 46% in any case. The taste is extremely nice, beautiful intermingling of the sweetness from the tablet, some vibrancy and the heather all backed by the cocoa  wood notes. Gentle, pleasing and warming. With water there is much more honey, some Honey dew melon and some of the heather. Don’t add too much.  The finish is malty, pear, apple and then after a short while some really good cocoa dryness takes over and then fades away. It’s quite long but not overly assertive or aggressive; just right.

What a great dram! Well done, another great selection.

$ un determined at this point (many thanks to Jonathan Bray of Purple Valley Imports for the sample).

Score 88 points

Visit A. Dewar Rattray at www.dewarrattray.com

Loch Fyne Whiskies News has stocked a new item, ‘Bowmore Tempest 10yo Batch 2’

Bowmore Tempest 10yo Batch 2
56% abv
£41.50 inc vat
£35.32 ex vat

The second of a series of batches of cask strength 10yo.

Smokier than Batch 1

Batch 1 Tasting Note:

Creamy with a butterscotch on pastry aroma (and some witch-hazel that clears with a little time), the peat is slight and on the nose is more as from wood embers, water reveals fruit. The peat floods the tongue with a very slight and perfectly acceptable Bowmore perfume note. There is a great mouth-coating finish of gentle peat smoke and pepper.

This is Bowmore truly back on form and an ace. Super to have it back.

We reckon on the Flavour Map Ref: E9
Smoky

Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk  

Visit Loch Fyne Whiskies at www.lfw.co.uk

Win a Year’s Supply of Whisky from Master of Malt

Master of Malt have launched a Golden Dram Competition in which five lucky winners will receive a year’s supply of whisky from the world’s greatest distilleries.

The competition was launched to celebrate the release of Master of Malt’s dram sets – 24 different tasting sets showcasing the world’s finest spirits. Each set includes five beautifully labelled, wax-dipped samples, specially selected by the Master of Malt tasting team. There is a wide range of sets to choose from including an Old and Rare Whisky Tasting Set, a Regions of Scotland, a Super Peaty Whisky Tasting Set, and many more.

120 Different Whiskies

Golden Drams have been hidden in five lucky tasting sets, and if you find a golden dram before the end of November, you win a free Gold Membership (RRP £499.95) into Master of Malt’s Dram Club. Gold members receive a year’s supply of whisky, with 10 exquisite drams every month! That’s a glass of superb whisky every other day!

Dram Club

Master of Malt’s Dram Club is the ultimate chance to try exceptional whiskies from all over the world. There are three different membership options;

Bronze Dram Club Membership (£84.95) includes;

– A 5 dram box-set every three months
– Two Glencairn tasting glasses
Silver Dram Club Membership (£249.95) includes;
– 5 new whiskies to try every month
– Two Glencairn tasting glasses

Gold Dram Club Membership (£499.95) includes;

– 10 new and exciting drams every month (a year’s supply of whisky)
– Two Glencairn tasting glasses.

You can browse the range of dram sets here http://www.masterofmalt.com/dram-sets/

Or you can read up on membership into Master of Malt’s Dram Club here http://www.masterofmalt.com/dram-club/

For more information on the Golden Dram Competition, visit http://www.masterofmalt.com/golden-dram-competition/

About Master of Malt
– Established in 1985
– One of the UK’s leading online whisky and spirits retailers
– A highly rated independent bottler, all of whose single cask whiskies scored over 90 points in the Jim Murray Whisky Bible 2009.

– www.masterofmalt.com

Read the Master of Malt blog: www.masterofmalt.com/blog or follow Master of Malt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/masterofmalt  and Facebook: www.facebook.com/masterofmalt

Glendronach 15yo (52.2%, OB for Kensington Calgary, PX, C#1410, 682 Bts., D 10/03/’95 B 08/2010)

Another exclusive single cask bottling for Kensington Wine Mart in Calgary, Canada under the expert guidance of Andrew Ferguson ‘the scotch guy’ and this time a Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon. Non chill filtered and bottled at natural colour.

The color is very dark with rich red highlights, the nose is very rich with a fragrant back ground, rich fruit cake, dark rum soaked plump raisins, over ripe apples and strawberry jam. The fragrance arrives in the form of heather and pink grapefruit. Extremely pleasant and luxurious. The wood notes arrive after a few minutes in the glass in the form of oak spice and some red cedar. The taste is sherried (whoo hoo!) and then lots of very oak spice notes and a very, very rich creaminess which after a few moments turns to a dried tobacco like richness that is quite rare in single malts, very much the oak influence here and quite sensational. Also some clove, resin, linseed and…. Ooof, it’s very nice. The finish is warming, long and fragrant once again. The wood notes are once again very prevalent and it’s quite dry however this is good. There is also some later moments of honey (but not domestic honey) but wild honey.

Yet another cracker from Kensington Wine Mart.

$115

Score 89 points

SAMPLE IMAGE

Nickolls and Perks have arranged three Malt tastings for this December. They promise to offer something different between them and we hope you can make one of the dates below.
 
Bruichladdich  ISLAY
Thurs 2nd December
A full range of ‘laddy’ expressions will be on the table inc NEW btlgs :Infinity 3rd Edition + Port Charlotte ‘Turas Mor’.
Bourbon Cask 16 yr old etc
 
£25 /person
 
———————————————–
 
Douglas Laing Independent Bottlers
Thurs 9th December
Jan Beckers returns once more to refresh our palates.
Glaswegian Purveyors bring down host of drams from different distilleries
A chance to journey around the highlands in liquid.
Macallan 12 yr Provenance
Bowmore PROV over 9 yr
Caol Ila OMC 1984 26 yr
Port Ellen PROV 1983 27 yr
Tamdhu OAR 1989 20 yr Sherry cask
 
£25/person
 
————————————————
 
Jura & Dalmore Distilleries  –Mr Willie Tait
Friday 10th December
The main man himself is coming down to teach us Jura speak…mostly he’ll be serving up some great island malts :
Superstition, Prophecy & Jura 21 yr + a Dalmore special.
 
£15/person
 
—————————————————-

Tickets 01384 394518
Venue : The Cellars
Start : 7:30pm
 
Slainte
David Gardner

http://www.nickollsandperks.co.uk/

Binny’s Chicago Thanksgiving SALE

Bushmills Irish Whiskey…$15.99
Canadian Club 1.75L…$16.99
Canadian LTD 1.75L…$11.99
Chivas Regal…$18.99
House Of Stuart Scotch 1.75L…$14.99
Jack Daniels 1.75 $33.99
Johnnie Walker Black Label…$25.99
Johnnie Walker Red Label 1.75L…$27.99
Maker’s Mark Bourbon or Gift Set…$21.99
Seagram’s Crown Royal…$18.99
Seagram’s VO Canadian 1.75L…$17.99

Visit Binny’s at www.binnys.com

The (Very) Unofficial Royal Engagement Cocktail from Drambuie®

In an audacious display of commercial bandwaggonism, Jamie Stephenson, Brand Ambassador for Drambuie Liqueur has created the ‘Engaging Dram’ to celebrate the announcement of Prince William’s engagement to Miss Katherine Middleton.

Drambuie is renowned, not only for creating iconic cocktails, such as the world famous Rusty Nail, but for its Royal connections. The elixir at the heart of Drambuie was created more than 260 years ago exclusively for Prince Charles Edward Stuart of Scotland.  It is a unique combination of aged Scotch whiskies, heather honey and a blend of herbs and spices – a recipe kept secret since 1745.

Jamie said of the cocktail: “The engagement is such big news I was keen to do something to celebrate, and what better way than with a special dram of Drambuie, an iconic drink with historic Royal links.

“The Engaging Dram’s ingredients represent the Royal heritage, perfectly paired with modern, stylish flavours and presented in an elegant and beautiful way – just like the couple themselves.

“You never know they may even serve it at the wedding – I’ll leave a message on the Queen’s Facebook wall and see what she thinks of it.”

To celebrate the Royal engagement the Drambuie way simply follow this recipe:

Engaging Dram

20ml Drambuie Royal Legacy 1745

5ml Lemon Juice

Dash Orange Bitters

100ml Rosé Champagne

Stir gently in a mixing glass and pour into a chilled flute. Garnish with a twist of orange

The cocktail uses Gold Award winning limited edition bottling THE ROYAL LEGACY OF 1745™, created to celebrate the centenary of the first commercial bottling of Drambuie in Edinburgh in 1909, The Royal Legacy of 1745 is a sublime interpretation of the original royal spirit enjoyed by Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745. At its heart remains the Prince’s legacy – his secret elixir of exotic herbs and spices sourced from around the globe and unchanged for 260 years.

For more information visit www.drambuie.com

Notes

In the USA post prohibition, it became synonymous with the classic cocktail The Rusty Nail ™. Today it’s enjoyed neat, over ice and as a long refreshing drink mixed with soda, ginger beer or ginger ale.  For more information visit www.drambuie.com

The Royal Legacy of 1745™, received a Gold Medal in the prestigious Drinks International Awards following its launch at TFWA Cannes in 2009.

The Royal Legacy of 1745™ is available exclusively through select international travel retail outlets (70cl & 75cl, 46% ABV, TR RSP of £125/€159/$229).

Balblair Releases Millennium Malt on to the Global Drinks Market

Multi award-winning Balblair Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has unveiled its latest vintage expression – Balblair 2000, another perfectly timed addition to the Balblair portfolio.

Distilled in the Millennium year, this unique spirit is the latest handpicked choice of Distillery Manager John MacDonald and is another example of the distillery’s unique approach to only ever releasing premium vintages which have matured to perfection.

Only limited quantities of this vintage will be made available to specialist whisky outlets throughout the UK this September and will be rolled out internationally to key focus markets including France, Spain and the travel retail channel.

Slowly matured in single American oak ex bourbon casks, Balblair 2000 vintage is bottled in its purest form at a strength of 43% abv. Bright golden in appearance, it is a superbly well-balanced, full-bodied malt with aromas of pears, pineapple and green apple. On the palate the sweet, honey, floral notes combined with hints of coconut and rich spices lead to a smooth, long lasting and warm finish.

Says Distillery Manager John MacDonald: “We are delighted to be introducing this new addition to our vintage range. We have spent a great deal of time and care in selecting this perfect malt and all the hard work, dedication and devotion has paid off.  We are confident that whisky enthusiasts worldwide will really enjoy this newest member of the Balblair family.”

Balblair Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is ‘timed to perfection’ in every sense. At Balblair’s distillery, on the shores of the Dornoch Firth in Edderton, Tain, super-premium vintage expressions are specially selected after a complex tasting and nosing process. Only the finest whiskies – those that have reached the peak of their perfection – are chosen and named by the year that they were distilled and layed down in cask.

Following a highly successful US launch this May, Balblair has become established as ‘the’ quality choice for discerning malt whisky drinkers worldwide. Its contemporary design, sets it apart, and the celebrated taste reflects the time honoured and un-rushed methods of production that have remained virtually unchanged over the years

Balblair 2000 will retail in the UK at £31.50 per bottle.

Notes:

The Balblair Porfolio includes;
1979  –  46% (70cl) –  £84.99
1989  –  43% (70cl) – £39.95
1997   – 43% (70cl) – £27.99

Balblair 1979 is amber in appearance with radiant golden honey highlights. A superbly balanced malt with warm aromas of honey, toffee and vanilla that come from the long years of maturation in American oak barrels.  Cloves, oranges, bananas and pears can also be detected in the aroma adding to the complexity of this exceptional Vintage. Sweet, honey vanilla flavours combine with cloves and spices leading to a rich, full-bodied, long-lasting, finish.

Balblair 1989 is mid-amber in appearance with honey-gold highlights. A full-bodied malt with aromas of raisin, green apple and hints of banana and lemon. The American oak barrels, used in the distillate’s maturation, lend a warm toffee, vanilla fragrance. On the palate there are raisins and fruits with a rich spiciness leading to a long, complex and ultimately smooth finish.

Balblair 1997 is subtly amber in appearance with rose-golden highlights. This full-bodied malt is fused with the aromas of pineapple, apricot and lemon to create a long-lasting sweet finish.  On the nose, the American oak barrels used in the distillate’s maturation, produce an inviting, spicy fragrance. Hints of oak, spice and raisin combine with the sweetness of vanilla to create a long-lingering, creamy smooth finish on the palate

International Beverage Holdings (www.interbevgroup.com) was established in 2005 as the international arm of ThaiBev, one of South East Asia’s leading alcohol beverage companies. With a network of regional offices in Asia, Europe and North America, the company is responsible for the production, sales, marketing and distribution of a portfolio of premium global brands in over 80 countries and territories.

Inver House Distillers (www.inverhouse.com) is globally integrated into International Beverage Holdings and drives the distillation and maturation of Scotch through its five distilleries.
International Beverage brands include:

 Chang Beer: Thailand’s iconic beer brand
 Single Malt Scotch Whiskies: Old Pulteney, Balblair, anCnoc, Speyburn
 Blended Whiskies: Hankey Bannister
 Mekhong: ‘The Spirit of Thailand’ since 1941
 Caorunn – a small batch distilled Scottish Gin infused with 5 Celtic botanicals
The company’s success is built on the combination of a strong understanding of local cultures and markets with the creation of a truly global operational network.  Brand building pays respect to heritage, provenance and craftsmanship whilst delivering innovative and highly effective strategies at global level. A skilled and dedicated team of more than 12 nationalities speaking over 14 languages delivers the highest standards of customer service and attention to detail across all aspects of the business.

Balblair NAS 2000 (43%, OB, 2010)

A brand new bottling due to be released into the UK market (Please see the press release above for full details). Quite pale in colour however the nose is quite the opposite with some vibrant and slightly aggressive malt backed by citrus and green apples followed by different malt style which is quite sweet and honeyed. Also some cut grass and black pepper. After some time in the glass it starts to open up and the sweetness changes to brown sugar but still the fruit is present along with some hints of leather. Sour cherries tussle with the malt. What an excellent collection of aromas, they work very well together. The taste is quite different from the nose (at first) but still strong with lots more emphasis on the malt and the oak/wood spice notes; the leather (and now tobacco) is more evident and the fruit has taken a back seat. It’s delicious. Perhaps now some toasted malt and crusty bread. After a short while some of the fruit (sour cherries & green apples) peak back from behind the curtain. The finish is malty leather and slight tobacco followed by more malt and it’s very nice, VERY long, slightly warming and then all of a sudden the fruit returns. After a few minutes the malt is the dominant characteristic and it’s still very good. Quite sensational actually.

What a grand dram, well done!

£32

88 points

For several years, Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited has been in the forefront of trying out new ideas and innovative in a number of fields, despite maybe not getting the acknowledgement that we deserve.
 
The Brilliant Idea

50 years ago Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited started laying down malts for long term maturation. Quite an investment when you consider it closely, few companies lock up an investment for no return within the lifetime of its management.

This investment and the quality of its whiskies provided a platform for many of the multinational whisky companies you see today to launch very old vintages. Yes, that’s right, whiskies sourced from Duncan Taylor. Many current multinational drinks groups didn’t even exist when Duncan Taylor was laying down its whiskies! They were still pastis companies, rum companies, venture capital groups, some were blenders not yet into malts.
 
Where We’ve Been

100 proof blends were first brought to market by Duncan Taylor back in the 1930’s via George Willsher & Co Ltd, their associate company.

In the ‘60s,  we created “Scotch’n Orange” when a certain new innovative blender was still in diapers.

Twenty years ago we were pioneering the vatting of malts from different distilleries and different regions, some worked and some didn’t, though we had loads of fun trying.

About eight years ago, we launched a range of grain whiskies, when grains were considered the poor cousin of malts and were shunned by the “cognoscenti”. I’m glad to see where we lead others are now following!
 
Our Newest Innovation, Now Available

For upwards of thirty years we have been occasionally maturing whiskies in smaller casks, predominantly octaves and quarters with great success. So much so that we created the Octave and Quarter range just over four years ago, this range has been growing and is now so unique to Duncan Taylor that we intend to roll it out to the masses, albeit, only to those that appreciate the finer things in life.

So where does the company go from here, watch this space, there’s exciting times ahead and rest assured, whoever comes along with us for the ride won’t be disappointed.

Select your cask today, contact our sales team on +44 (0)1466 794055 or email sales@quartercasks.com

Visit our Website www.DuncanTaylor.com

The O&Q Range

Our Octave and Quarter range has invigorated the Single Malts and Single Grains industry.

After a second maturation of three months, the octave casks has breathed new life into the whisky, quickly changing hue, taste, form and character of the spirit. The whisky is rejuvenated, a little more aggressive, with the commanding presence of a mature, well-balanced Scotch Whisky.

With fewer bottles from each cask, the spirit becomes all the more exclusive. There never has been, nor will there be anything exactly like it.
 
Available casks:

Aberlour 1993
Auchentoshan 1999, 2000
Auchroisk 1999, 1988
Aultmore 1989
Balblair 1991
Balmenach 2000
Ben Nevis 1995, 1998
Benriach 1990
Bowmore 1968, 1982, 1998, 2002
Bunnahabhain 1968, 1969, 1970, 1997
Cameronbridge 1978, 1979
Caol  Ila 1980, 1981,  1982, 1983, 1984
Caperdonich 1968,  1969, 1972 Carsebridge 1979
Cragganmore 1992
Craigellachie 1999
Dalmore 1990
Glenburgie 1988
Glen Elgin 1991
Glen Grant 1969, 1970,  1972,  1974, 1991
Glenlivet 1968, 1970
Glen Moray 1971, 1973, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988
Glengarioch 1991
Glenrothes 1968, 1969, 1970 Highland Park 1970
Imperial 1997
Isle of Arran 1996, 1999
Isle of Jura 1992
Invergordon 1965
Kinclaith 1969
Ladyburn 1973
Laphroaig 1997
Linkwood 1991
Macallan 1969, 1996, 1997
Macduff 1968, 1969
Mortlach 1993
North British 1978
Port Dundas 1973
Strathclyde 1973, 1980
Strathisla 1968
Tamdhu 1968
Tamnavulin 1989
Teaninich 1996
Tomatin 1965, 1976