From www.edradour.co.uk  Edradour is the smallest whisky distillery in Scotland; possibly the smallest legal distillery of any kind in the World. John Reid and his two assistants hand-craft Edradour without automation, using skills handed down through generations. Edradour produces just twelve casks of whisky a week during production times. This is then laid down to mature for at least 10 years until the whisky reaches the peak quality. (Whisky Intelligence does find it a little odd that there is so little mention of their actual whisky on the website “The place, the story, the craft, enjoy.” But no mention of the whisky… an opportunity wasted one is forced to conclude. Perhaps they feel their whisky speaks for it self.) 

Edradour 10yo (40%, OB, +/-2010)

The nose is pleasant and pleasantly zesty with loads of fruit notes (cherries, lemon, apricots) along with some good oak spice in the back ground. Some slight hints of fragrance (heather and roses or even pot-pourri) but this is just in the back ground and not very evident. All good so far. The taste is of cereals and tinned fruit cocktail with the heather, roses and pot-pourri making a stronger showing. Much like 24 hours after having your mouth washed out with soap. Much like but not like if you take the meaning. Still is has lots of happy moments. The finish shows some really good malt which makes a strong showing and some really solid moments and it’s actually quite long.

A decent malt that shows some promise.

78 points

$77

Edradour “Straight from the Cask” Portwood Finish 11yo (55.8%, OB, +/-2010)

The nose is well, strong with shades of Hessian, lashings of port and lots of other aromas from the ‘oak’ side of the house like nutmeg, furniture polish and lumber yard.  Also hints of Marmite, card board and straw. Things settle down with some time in the glass. The taste is quite pleasant at first and then becomes maple sweet quite quickly which is all very good. Later moments of extreme dryness and hugely vibrant. Hints of the pot-pourri, heather and roses which become more than hints after a while but the high alcohol and the port do a credible job of masking this. The finish is slightly different with some of the cardboard and Hessian returning, all very active and complex, a varied amount of activity. It’s long and decent, not a bad finish. Late malt arrival which is welcome.

Mildly confused but still a decent dram, the cask strength aids the whole picture.

Score 80 points

$89

Edradour Ballechin #2 Madeira Matured (46%, OB, +/-2010)

Oh my, this is VERY peated on the nose and it’s all very nice. The peat smoke is quite dominant, not much else is daring to show a face. Still this should not be construed as a complaint. There’s some traces of vanilla and old musical instruments but they are faint murmurs. Sort of an 8yo Signatory Unchillfiltered (UCF) Laphroaig. The taste is both peated and malty with some really good moments of Islay in the mix and it presents like a cask strength, all very nice. The PPM on this must be quite high. The Edradour character has been some what obliterated by the cluster bomb of peat smoke. Again no complaints since it’s really nice whisky. The finish is malty and again the peat smoke is very dominate. Talking this into consideration the finish is unsurprisingly very long and contains lashing so f peat smoke.

Whoa! What a great dram, could be from Islay. High praise indeed.

Score 85 points

$106

Edradour 12yo Caledonia (46%, OB, +/-2010)

The nose is creamy along with some crème brulèe, a very, very nice nose at first blush and a departure from some of the other Edradour and with time in the glass it only improves. The taste is once again different from the previous expressions and quite nice, verging on very nice. A solid highland dram with lots of solid flavours and gone are the floral notes of other Edradour samples (well, not entirely, but now they add to the whole picture). Some moments of leather and tobacco swirled in with the crème brulèe along with some sweet malt. All in a really good solid dram. The finish is malty, creamy and vibrant, Very long and at the tail end the leather and tobacco reappear.

Edradour have done it, a sensational dram. Must buy a bottle NOW!

Score 88 points.

$94

Edradour 13yo 1997 (56.4%, OB, C#185, +/- 2010)

On the nose there’s a strong presence of alcohol (not a shock after all!) and lashings of fruit and wet cotton, the fruit in the form of rich Christmas fruit cake, warm marmalade and raisins. A extremely nice collection of aromas that compliment each other very well. Perhaps some good fry cocoa powder in the mix also. The taste is strong and very fruity however there is a good showing of some raw unlit tobacco along with the afore mentioned fruit and cake as well as some oak spice and loads of the cocoa powder. A tinge of the Edradour floral notes but not so much as to cause alarm and demand a quick shut down to the whole show. Very dry in the mouth. The finish is a 90 degree turn to malt along with the cocoa powder (unsweetened) and then the oak spice dryness takes over for the remainder of the trip.

What an excellent Edradour! Many thanks to Andrew Freguson at Kensington Wine Mart in Calgary for the sample.

Score 89 points

$130

Edradour 24yo (50.7%, OB, PX Sherry, C#09/151, +/-2010)

Floral (or perhaps some green malt) and sherry on the nose, tinned fruit cocktail, banana along with hints of black currents and some bees wax in the back ground perhaps, slight restrained and some definite stabs at elegance. With time in the glass some great moments of brown sugar arrive which ties everything together quite nicely. The taste is very gentle (much like a 40%) but still delivers the flavour profile and is pretty much a mirror image of the now however with some added dramatic oak spice and vibrancy to jolly things along. Late arrival of some chocolate (however like those fancy ‘boutique’ chocolates made with Elder flower or such but still chocolate despite the pretence). Things have worked out rather well in the taste department. The finish is very sherried, a quick flash of the floral and then into some really great moments of dryness along with the dark unsweetened chocolate. Raisins, very nice…

Once again what an excellent Edradour! It would be a real treat of it were peated! Many thanks to Andrew Freguson at Kensington Wine Mart in Calgary for the sample.

Score 89 points

$200

Tweeddale Whisky – What to do for Batch two?

Well the 1st Batch of Tweeddale whisky for 70 years is nearing an end. There are now only 120 bottles of Batch one of The Tweeddale Blend (10 year old) left in bond. Oh aye and case 1 containing the 1st 6 bottles from the 1st batch that are not for sale.

So what to do about batch two? Well it is back to my Great Grandfather’s cellar book and every batch of The Tweeddale blend he produced was slightly different as like me he had to work with the whisky that was available to him. Seven of the nine whiskies in batch two will be the same, from the same casks as batch one but two will be from two new casks. As we know every cask is different. Aye the perils of working with single cask whiskies to produce a wee batch of blend. Also I am planning to go for a slightly older grain whisky this time, my Great Grandfather was not limited by age statements (there was none on the original blend) but it is looking like batch two may well be a 12 year old so no more 10 year old Tweeddale Blend!

Don’t worry though batch one is still available from Loch Fyne Whiskies; The Whisky Exchange; Gordon & MacPhails; Masters of Malt; Vino Wines; Wood & Winters; Clyde Whiskies; Robbies Drams; Abbey Wines; Penicuik Wines and Royal Mile Whiskies currently have a promotional offer on batch one. Also the Good Spirit Company will have batch one of The Tweeddale Blend when they open next month.

There will also be Tweeddale Whisky tastings at The Scotch Whisky Experience shop this Easter Saturday 23rd April; at Whisky An’ A’ That VIII – Whisky Festival in Ayr on 4th June.

For more details see our website The Tweeddale Blend

Regards,
Alasdair.

Discover the lost blend……..
Coming soon Batch 2 (hopefully June 2011)
THE TWEEDDALE BLEND.

http://www.stonedean.co.uk
http://twitter.com/@tweeddaleblend
http://www.facebook.com/Tweeddale-Blend/

Whisky Show Tickets Now On Sale!!

Hi Folks, Just a quick heads-up that tickets for The Whisky Exchange  Whisky Show are now on sale from ticketsource.co.uk! Click here to get yours: http://www.whisky-show.com/whisky-show-2011-tickets  Don’t hang around, as advance interest has been very high for these.  The TWE Whisky Show is the UK’s No.1 premium whisky tasting event and is being held at Vinopolis near London Bridge on 7th-8th October 2011.  For more details on the show, including a list of all our exhibitors and a breakdown of just what you’re getting for your cash, please visit www.whisky-show.com.

Happy Bank Holidays,

Tim F (at the Whisky Exchange)

Bruichladdich Releases 2011

Bruichladdich have announced some details of their forthcoming releases:

10yo

Micro Provenance

Islay Barley 2004 – A series of limited edition vintage releases – single batch, single farm, single vintage, single barley, single malt etc, due September.

40yo Bourbon Cask – limited to about 75 bottles

Port Charlotte PC9 – limited to about 6000 bottles

Octomore 4_167 – 18000 bottles due soon

Octomore 4.2 – 18000 bottles

Visit Bruichladdich Distillery at www.bruichladdich.com

What  a month of celebrations. 1 royal wedding, 4 bank holidays, Easter, Spring, sunshine.  How are you celebrating?

We hope there will be some English Whisky in the house so we wanted to remind you that here at the English Whisky Co. we have kept our prices the same as before the VAT increase and the recent increase in excise duty, this won’t last forever.  Stock up on Chapter 6 and Chapter 9  while offer lasts.

Just to remind you that all our whisky is colour and additive free and non-chillfiltered single malt whisky.  A great addition to any bank holiday celebrations

Visit our shop today http://www.englishwhisky.co.uk/acatalog/home.html Or visit our website for Easter opening times and tour information.

Hi everyone,

I am particularly busy this week, supporting Grant’s events in Paris, Philadelphia and New York. I actually woke up in the US this morning feeling surprisingly refreshed after a few hours sleep and it did cross my mind that perhaps I had overslept and the time may be 6pm not am. Thankfully, it wasn’t…(click on the link below to read the rest of the post)…

http://blog.grantswhisky.com/2011/04/grant%e2%80%99s-live-in-paris/

Kind regards,
Ludo

Fiona’s Secret

This February saw the start of Glengoyne’s Shop refurbishment project. Things have progressed rather smoothly, with no major hiccups.

According to Glengoyne Retail Manager, Fiona McManus, “we’ve worked with our designers to create what we think might just be the WORLD’S GREATEST WHISKY SHOP. That is quite a boast, but it’s one I am happy to make. There are some wonderful features, which you won’t see anywhere else and I am convinced the overall effect will be stunning. The work is now very close to completion, but we are not revealing any further details at this stage. You’ll just have to await your next newsletter, or better still, visit Glengoyne in mid April to see for yourself.”

Well folks, that’s our Fiona for you, she always did play her cards close to her chest.

Duncan’s Long Walk

 
Glengoyne Stillman Duncan McNicoll has talked his family into walking The West Highland Way to raise money for a very worthy cause.

Five of them will step out at the end of April on the four-day, 95 mile walk that passes Glengoyne on its way to Glencoe and Fort William. Duncan, his brother John and John’s son Craig will be raising money for charities that help sick children.

Duncan volunteered for the walk after a chance discussion with a couple visiting Glengoyne, who were keen to raise funds for their grandson who had been very ill. They will set off early on April 29th and will pass Glengoyne around midday. We’ll cheer as they pass, perhaps you could raise a dram of Glengoyne to help them on their way. If you’d like to know more, or how to contribute directly, please contact yvonne@glengoyne.com

500,000,000 Drams

Life at sleepy wee Glengoyne will be changing; just a little bit.

For decades we have stored as much of our whisky here as possible, but have been sending a few Glengoyne casks for storage with some of our friends in the industry too. We have now augmented our traditional Dunnage warehouses with some shiny new, modern ones, which will mean we can now house around 50,000 casks on site, a tenfold increase. Glengoyne will still make the worlds slowest distilled Single Malt Whisky, but the pace of life for our Warehousemen (and Warehouselady – sorry Steph) will never be quite the same again.

Robbie, our distillery manager believes that our new warehouses will “make things easier and more efficient for the company and will represent a significant saving on transport and third party warehouse rent. This will secure current job expenditure and has created three full time posts. The warehouses have given the Glengoyne site a real boost of activity. Do you realise that 50,000 casks equate to half a billion drams? My goodness, you are a thirsty lot!”

Glengoyne Ahoy!

Next month sees the start of our new partner-ship with Cruise Glasgow, the Greenock Ocean Terminal which attracts some of the finest vessels afloat to visit Scotland’s sun-kissed shores.

What better way to be welcomed ashore than with a healthy dram of Glengoyne.

During their two day stay, a goodly portion of the passengers will visit Glengoyne, to see for themselves Scotland’s slowest distilled whisky trickle out of our Stills. The Glengoyne crew really know the ropes and will be happy to show them around our tightly run little ship. Full steam ahead.

10% Off for Father’s Day

We are offering our loyal newsletter readers 10% Off Glengoyne Personalised Bottles in the run up to Father’s Day (19th June). This discount is in addition to the existing promotion of Personalised Bottles for the price of Standard Bottles. Use the discount code DAD10 at the Glengoyne Online Shop.   Visit the Glengoyne Online Shop >

And finally…You’ll Be Flocking Here Now

We are building a new car park.

Let’s be honest, this isn’t the most exciting news for you, but it’s a big thing for us – you try sharing your work car park with 200 whisky casks, a tractor, two diggers and a flock of sheep and you’d soon see why we are so excited.

The car park will have separate areas for coach and visitor parking, which will make parking at the distillery more accessible. Sheep will now be banned, but you are more than welcome to come try it out.

Visit Glengoyne Distillery at www.glengoyne.com

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• 1976 North Port – Brechin 28 Year Old Malt Cask Single Malt 750ml – 1 available ($219.99)

• 1982 Port Ellen 25 year old, Old Malt Cask Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 3 available ($324.99)

Scotland – Spirits Pre-Arrival

• 1994 Glendronach K&L Exclusive 17 Year Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($99.99) While ensconsed deep in the countryside of the Eastern Scottish Highlands, David OG and I sat at a small table in a low-lit guesthouse and marveled at the quality of the Glendronach single malts. I immediately blogged via the K&L Spirits Journal website that the 12 year old was the “best single malt that no one is drinking!” Very much like Springbank whiskies sans the peat smoke, Glendronach has an unctuous, chewy mouthfeel that isn’t overly cloying or too saturated with sweet sherry. We knew that if we could find a single barrel that tasted similiar to the amazing 12 year, we would have a real winner on our hands. The next morning we scoured the warehouses in search of the perfect expression and we found it in a 1994 barrel that had been briefly finished in PX sherry cask. Earthy notes from the warehouse aging permiate the rich, oily flavors of vanilla, raisined fruit, and cakebread. The cask strength proof really keeps the sweetness at bay and the result is a fabulously balanced malt that should appeal to just about everyone. This is the barrel everyone will overlook, but I’d bet my salary it’s the one that will get the best reviews. -David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer

• 1998 Springbank K&L Exclusive 13 Year Single Bourbon Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($84.99) We purchased this amazing bourbon cask of Springbank directly from the distillery during our 2011 visit to Campbeltown. Both David OG and I wanted something that exemplified the true character of Springbank – that unmistakable dense mouthfeel, brimming with chewy, gum-smacking texture and viscosity. Springbank whisky from a straight bourbon cask is one of the true pleasures in life. While the heavily sherried versions of the malt are wonderful in their own way, the sweetness from the sherry tends to mask some of qualities we love so much. We tasted this 13 year straight out of the barrel and loved the rich tannins provided from the wood, the intense vanilla aromas, and the nutty flavors that intermingled with salty accents. Seeing that Springbank was one of the true highlights of our trip, we really wanted to pick a cask that faithfully represented just what we loved so much. This whisky does exactly that. -David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer

• 1997 Springbank K&L Exclusive 14 Year Single Madeira Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($89.99) Upon our 2011 visit to Springbank, we knew we wanted to purchase a single bourbon cask, but we were open to other options were we to find another very special barrel. Of course, that’s exactly what happened. One of the most beloved whiskies in K&L customer history was a 2000 Springbank that was finished in Chateau d’Yquem barrels, giving a sweet highlight to the chewy textures of the malt. This 1998 Madeira-finished cask is bottled at cask strength, and is the more muscular, more mature cousin of that lovely 2000. Golden fruits, a rich, oily mouthfeel, and a long, supple finish all merge together and make this one of the easiest drams we’ve tasted in sometime. We can’t imagine anyone not loving this, so we decided to go deep and buy the whole thing. Like the 2000, we expect people to talk about this whisky for some time to come. -David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer.

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

A VERY GOOD FRIDAY: 15% off orders

Of course every First Friday of the month is a good Friday with the release of the Society’s monthly Outturns but this Friday is A VERY GOOD FRIDAY indeed

As part of our Easter Sale Finale, enjoy a massive online saving of 15% off your order.  The only bottles that aren’t part of the offer are those already discounted.  And the sale doesn’t end until Easter Monday.

LAST CALL FOR EASTER SALE BOTTLES:

Majestic Malt:
35.54 Bubbly, buoyant and up-beat
Speyside Lossie
ONLY £40.00 inc free p&p (SAVE £8.50)

The Royal ‘We’: 76.80 & 9.61
ONLY £82.50 inc free p&p (SAVE £18.70)

Mystery Malt Hoilday Pack
ONLY £105 inc free p&p (SAVE £40+)

ALL offers available online & telephone

Society Tastings & Events (34 Society tastings online)
Easter Chocolate Tasting – The Vaults, Sun 24 Apr
Society Whisky Dinner – Winchester HDV, Thu 28 Apr
Newcastle Preview Tasting – Northern Counties Club, Thu 28 Apr
Glasgow Preview Tasting – Radisson Blu, Fri 29 Apr
Whisky & Cheese Tasting – Queen Street, Fri 29 Apr
Music with Andy Johnstone – The Vaults, Sun 1 May (FREE EVENT)
New Outturn Tasting – The Vaults, Sun 8 May
Champagne Cocktail Masterclass – Queen Street, Thu 12 May
Stewart’s Beer Tasting – The Vaults, Fri 13 May
New Members Tasting – London, Mon 16 May
Champagne Tasting – Queen Street, Sat 21 May

Society Whisky Tastings

Whatever and wherever our tasting or event, the main focus is to give members an informal, enjoyable and relaxed night out..with a taste of the single cask good stuff!

Events range from step by step instruction in how to get the most from tasting single cask, single malt whisky to more adventurous couplings of whisky with food.

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 http://www.smws.co.uk/memberships for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers.