Anyone looking for a good quality young single malt that’s off the malt-radar? Whisky Review 212 – Edradour ( Bourbon Cask Vintage 2003 @ 57.4%) … is a good example and well worth the effort.
See for yourself at www.ralfy.com
Single Malts Direct is pleased to announce the arrival of whisky ranges from the distilleries of Lagavulin and Highland Park.
Located on the rocky south coast of Islay, Lagavulin distillery is well known for producing whiskies with a distinctive mix of peat and smoke flavours. These characteristics are exemplified in the 2010 bottling of a limited edition 12 Year Old, the ninth in a series of special twelve-year-old releases from the original distiller’s stocks. With a golden-yellow colour, this is an attractive single malt reminiscent of sunlit straw. On the nose, the 12 Year Old is initially smoky and peaty, followed by sweetness with hints of apples, vanilla and toffee. You might also notice a slight saltiness showing through.
This saltiness is continued on the palate, where it develops into a light iodine taste. Citrus notes also emerge; but the main attraction here is the strong smoky flavour, which is married with a fitting dryness. The aftertaste is long and powerful, with a lingering lightly-charred flavour.
Bottled at cask strength, the 12 Year Old is perfect for the connoisseur and anyone with a penchant for Islay whiskies. The addition of a little water will help to define the flavours and reveal the whisky’s depths.
Highland Park is a highly regarded distillery situated atop a hill in the Orkney capital of Kirkwall. You’ve probably already heard of their 18 Year Old, which revered spirits writer F. Paul Pacult has named the “Best Spirit in the World”, commenting “it’s totally in harmony, there are no rough edges and everything is melded together brilliantly.” The whisky has a natural, burnished gold colour and a rich nose and taste. Sniff this malt and you’ll notice the scents of mature oak and butter tablet. On the palate, the 18 Year Old has a rich peaty flavour with the sweetness of heather honey. Overall, this is a complex whisky with a finish both long and soft .
As well as the acclaimed 18 Year Old, Single Malts Direct also stocks a number of Highland Park’s other offerings; and each one is a truly unique character in itself. The 40 Year Old is a magnificently matured single malt that you’ll want to linger over. Due to the nature of the bottling, supply is always limited; so think about adding this one to your collection soon. Another real character is the 8 Year Old produced as part of the MacPhail’s Collection. It may seem young, but this whisky – matured in sherry casks for a warm reddish colour and a distinctive finish – has an impressive body, interwoven with smoky and spicy flavours. Bottled exclusively for whisky specialists Gordon & Macphail, this single malt is not widely available and is being offered at a great price.
Visit Single Malts Direct at www.singlemaltsdirect.com
LUCK OF THE IRISH PREVAILS AS BARTON IRISH WHISKEY WINS SILVER AND BRONZE MEDALS IN SPIRITS COMPETITIONS
Also Named “Best Buy” and Received “89” points from Beverage Testing Institute
NEW ORLEANS, LA (Aug. 2011) – Irish eyes have been smiling upon Barton Irish Whiskey lately, with its first silver medal win in the Los Angeles Wine & Spirits Competition (LAIWSC), a bronze medal win in the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC), and some good marks from the Beverage Testing Institute.
This relative newcomer to the “hot” Irish Whiskey category was rated “Highly Recommended” with a score of 89 points and a “Best Buy” at the 2011 International Review of Spirits, conducted by the Beverage Testing Institute.
“We’ve only had this product on the market for about a year, so to receive these accolades so quickly is exciting,” said Lori Logan, brand director, Irish Whiskies. “We’ve always known our Barton Irish Whiskey had a taste and quality that over delivered for the price, especially compared to the competition. To have it rated so highly and be named a best buy just reinforces what both on premise accounts and consumers are quickly discovering – Barton Irish Whiskey is a great product at a great price!”
Logan acknowledges the award-winning taste of the Barton Irish Whiskey is due to its partnership with the much famed Cooley Distillery in Ireland. Cooley distills and blends Barton Irish Whiskey in Ireland at its highly acclaimed distillery, named the 2010 Distillery of the Year by Malt Advocate Magazine, 2008 World Distiller of the Year and 2008 European Distiller of the Year. The product is double distilled and matured in former bourbon barrels for a minimum of four years, giving it its smooth and slightly sweet taste profile which is traditionally associated with the best Irish Whiskey.
The Irish Whiskey category has experienced strong growth trends over the past ten years. According to the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA), Irish Whiskey has had a 10 year growth of more than 230% and is expected to exceed 1.5 million cases by the year 2013.
“It’s a great category to be in right now,” continued Logan. “The growth has been steadily climbing over the past few years, and is expected to keep on going. To be able to offer a premium product that is 33% more liquid than our competitors for the same price just makes it even better!
Barton Irish Whiskey is available in a 1 liter size for $19.99.
About The Sazerac Company
Barton Irish Whiskey is bottled and distributed by the Sazerac Company. Sazerac is one of New Orleans’ oldest family owned, privately held companies and has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Frankfort, Bardstown, Louisville and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Carson, California; and Baltimore, Maryland. For more information, please visit www.sazerac.com.
On the 25th of august Malmaison Aberdeen will become host to an evening of what promises to be a truly unforgettable night of outstanding whisky and stunning food. Come along and join the Master distiller of the Tullibardine Distillery, for 4 courses partnered with 4 carefully selected Whiskies for only £65. Allow John Black to excite and enlighten you with his knowledge and answer every question you may have during the evening. John has literally spent his whole life at distilleries having been born at Cardhu distillery in Speyside and spent the rest of his working life running and managing distilleries. John has worked tirelessly at the task of bringing Tullibardine back to life and has brought all of his years of skill and experience to bear in the resurrection of the distillery.
7.30pm start.
Love Whisky? Come along, We Dare You!
Whisky Dinner with Tullibardin Distillery
Pre-dinner
Tullibardine Aged Oak
Lobster ravioli, tomato and basil compote
fish cream reduction
Tullibardine 1993
Slow cooked ox cheeks, smoked bacon & shallots,
horseradish pomme puree and maderia jus
Tullibardine 1988
Warm chocolate fondant,
pistachio ice cream
Tullibardine Port wood finish
Cheese Selection
Tullibardine 1964
Bernd Staber
Bar Manager
Malmaison Aberdeen
49-53 Queens Road
Aberdeen
AB15 4YP
T: 01224 327 370
F: 01224327371
E: bstaber@malmaison.com
Dear Customer
We have six (6) new PROVENANCE bottlings this month, whose Tasting Notes follow –
PRV 0711 Caol Ila 10 Year Old
Wonderfully phenolic – and full of sweetly peated barley quality (initially) on the nose – then it softens to a ferry engine room and earthy style. The palate is sweet, spicy, peaty and full of Islay character – with the finish reflecting that character plus drier spices, tar and soot. (F)
PRV 0717 Aultmore 10 Year Old
Opens fresh and clean on the nose, carrying an attractive character of freshly cut wood plus a (fermenting) pear quality – with an almost ciderlike style. The palate remains fresh with early citrus then turns elegantly fruity and gristy, with a sweet candy quality. The finish is medium long with a lime zest tangy character. (F & J)
PRV 0720 Blair Athol 11 Year Old
Opens clean, fresh and fruity on the nose and runs to a sweet custard powder/vanilla quality. The palate is sweet with a crushed sugar character developing to an eggnog and cream trait. The finish is medium long and carries a candied orange zest style. (J)
PRV 0719 Craigellachie 12 Year Old Sherry
On the nose it is spiced and raisiny – with an interesting richness akin to fresh peaches in a wood carry box. Palatewise, it is full and sweetly barley’d – peppery – with more (now macerated) soft fruit dark very much evident. All this leads to a considerably drier finish with hints of tobacco, ginger and nutmeg (F)
PRV 0710 Auchentoshan 12 Year Old
The nose is fresh and fruity (apples) – carrying a sweet and creamy character (like cream on a fruit salad). The palate remains fruitily sweet and runs to a spicy and distinctly vanilla’d style. The finish is medium long, still sweetly spiced, with a fresh fruit tang. (J)
PRV 0718 Highland Park 12 Year Old
The nose opens with toffee and sweet spices and develops to a burnt toast plus honey character. The palate is sweet carrying a home baked quality, more toffee and runs to an attractively smoky style. The finish is long, attractively spiced with more smoke tailing. (J)
We hope you will see these additions as attractive, having read the tasting notes.
All best wishes.
Yours sincerely
Fred Laing
PROVENANCE
You can get all the seasons in one day in Scotland – indeed, it’s a bit of a tourist attraction.
Through its distinctive labelling, our PROVENANCE collection highlights the particular distillation of the seasons through Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter.
This ever-increasing range of single cask and “small batch” bottlings emerged from tastings at the office and at home – recreationally, a real labour of love for us. Well, it beats DIY and gardening, doesn’t it?
Pleasingly, this has been a great success, so we reckon it pays to take your work home.
By the way – the McGIBBONS connection comes from the “boys” mother’s side of the family – Ileachs through and through – with some of the family still visited on Islay by Stewart & Fred but they are 6 feet under in the Round Kirk of Bowmore (so conversation is difficult).
Visit Douglas Laing & Co. Ltd. at www.douglaslaing.com
Kilchoman Spring 2011 Release Wins IWSC ‘Gold Best in Class’ Award
Kilchoman Distillery is delighted to announce that the Spring 2011 Release has won the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition 2011 ‘Gold – Best in Class’ award in the non aged Islay single malt category.
The Spring release is 3 years of age and is a combination of 3 and 4 year single malt matured in bourbon barrels and then finished in oloroso sherry butts for 5 weeks prior to bottling.
Anthony Wills, Managing Director, commented, ‘this award is recognition for the small team at Kilchoman who have dedicated themselves to producing top quality Islay Single Malt at a relatively young age and shows what can be achieved’.
Visit Kilchoman Distillery at www.kilchomandistillery.com
Miner's Delight Inn
Second Saturday Scotch Sipping at Six
2nd Saturday each month 6 – 9 p.m. no reservation required
Enjoy 5 half-ounce samples of single malt Scotch whisky: $20
♦ We feature 3 single malts, including a Malt of the Month *
♦ You roll a die then pick a whisky from one of the six Scotch regions
♦ You pick your Connoisseur’s Choice from our menu of 73 single malts
Peruse our whisky library. Learn about our single malts in our menu book: distillery info, tasting notes, & more. Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres. Non-whisky drinkers welcome.
Featured malts:
* 10% off bottles of the Malt of the Month
August 13, 2011
Glenfiddich 15 yo *
Dalmore 12 yo
Deanston 12 yo
September 10, 2011
anCnoc 12 yo *
Cragganmore 12 yo
Arran Machrie Moor
October 8, 2011
Benromach 10 yo *
GlenDronach 12 yo
Highland Park 12 yo
November 12 , 2011
Glen Grant 10 yo *
Longrow CV
Glenkinchie 12 yo
Visit the Miner’s Delight Inn at http://www.minersdelightinn.com/
Bob at work...
The Whisky Barrel launches new online shop
To commemorate the third anniversary of TheWhiskyBarrel.com, Scotland’s specialist online whisky store, we thought it was about time to give our shop a facelift. Today, the company launches TheWhiskyBarrel.com 2.0.
Featuring an all new and easier to use interface, improved product and distillery descriptions and a simplified secure order process.
A new blog discusses whisky tastings, interviews, industry profiles and news from Scottish and international contributors.
Alastair Brown, Managing Director of The Whisky Barrel, says, “We’ve come a long way since launching in 2008. Three years on we felt it was about time to spruce up our web shop and our approach was to make the new site even easier to use reinforcing our commitment to customer service.”
The Whisky Barrel’s catalogue features over 1,000 whiskies including the latest distillery releases, our favourites from independent bottlers as well as our own exclusive casks which are a connoisseurs and collectors paradise. We ship our delicious single malts and blends mail-order worldwide direct from Scotland.
With over 500 years distilling history in Scotland, whisky is often described as our nation’s greatest gift to the world. Our provenance is paramount. Our reputation is your guarantee.
The Whisky Barrel
www.thewhiskybarrel.com
facebook.com/thewhiskybarrel
twitter.com/whiskybarrel
E: info@thewhiskybarrel.com
T: +44 (0)845 2248 156
TheWhiskyBarrel.com Releases Exclusive Caol Ila 27 Year Old Single Cask
To celebrate the launch of TheWhiskyBarrel.com 2.0, our new web site, we have chosen to bottle a rare Islay cask of Caol Ila, which, despite its age, has retained the feisty smoky style associated with that Scottish distillery.
Distilled January 1984 and bottled June 2011 this 27 year old has, somewhat unusually, matured entirely on the Island of Islay, Scotland.
Bottled at full strength without chill-filtration, colouring or any other nonsense, from a single sherry hogshead.
Limited to 120 numbered bottles and available only online at TheWhiskyBarrel.com.
£83.32 GBP ($135 USD)
Tasting Notes: Caol Ila 27 Year Old TheWhiskyBarrel.com Exclusive
Nose: Vibrant sweet sherry, brimming with citrus fruits, barley, peat smoke, polish and a feint note of emergency room.
Palate: Full bodied – heavily sweet sherry, mandarin marmalade fruit explosion leading to tangy lemon peel, barley sugar with a soft malty coating of oil and a pinch of sea salt.
Finish: Long, warm and satisfying, more mandarins, lingering sherry, spices and smoke. Overall, incredibly well balanced.
Distilled: January 1984
Bottled: June 2011
Cask Type: Refill Sherry Hogshead
Volume: 70cl
ABV: 52.4%
The Whisky Barrel
www.thewhiskybarrel.com
Dear customer
We have nine (9) new DOUGLAS (of Drumlanrig) Single Malt bottlings this month. Their tasting notes follow:
DOD 0177 Allt-a-Bhainne 14 Year Old Sherry
Style: Sweetly spiced & honey’d + toffee & leather + liquorice (J)
DOD 0174 Glentauchers 11Year Old
Style: Sweet & buttery – spicy & fruity + mellow & smoked (J)
DOD 0176 Highland Park 13 Year Old
Style: Burnt toast & honey – toffee & smoke – long & spicy (J)
DOD 0178 Aultmore 10 Year Old Sherry
Style: Fresh & clean – fruity & malty + lime zest (F&J)
DOD 0179 Glen Grant 12 Year Old
Style: Fresh & vanilla’d – peaches & spices – sweet + dark chocolate
DOD 0180 Mortlach 14 Year Old
Style: Ffresh & malty – peach & mango – sweet toffee’d & spicy (J)
DOD 0175 Glen Ord 14 Year Old
Style: Fresh & sweetly fruited – poached pears & vanilla + orange zest
DOD 0181 Laphroaig 21 Year Old
Nose: Smooth / round – run to a salty/earthy style + sweet grist
Palate: Softly peated– mouth coatingly spiced + burnt embers
Finish: Iodine & phenols + a cough drop style + sweet vanilla (F)
DOD 0183 Bowmore 21 Year Old
Nose: Opens barley sugared – runs to sweet tar + cough drops
Palate: Distinctly peated – warmingly spiced + camphor & tar
Finish: Long – oily & smoky character with a liquorice style (F)
As you can see, the latest 2 bottlings show longer tasting notes since we have introduced a bigger lower label. That gives us more space for a bigger Distillery name print and for longer tasting notes.
We hope this selection is interesting to you.
All best wishes
Fred Laing
The story of the Douglas ~ of Drumlanrig ~ Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distilled those many years ago, our selected malt whiskies have matured in a cold, dark, Scottish warehouse until sampling has ensured their specific selection. Our subsidiary Langside Distillers has worked closely with the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry on his ever increasing range of preferred cask bottling
The common interest shared by Langside Distillers and His Grace in the finest products Scotland can offer, has led to the development of the DOUGLAS ~ of Drumlanrig ~ Single Malt Whiskies. “As with our other Malts DOUGLAS is offered un-coloured and in the old fashioned manner of not being chill filtered.
More recently, the whole packaging has undergone a restyle to make the whisky as appealing to the eye as it is to the taste. The symbolic winged heart crest of the Douglas family commemorates the courage of Sir James Douglas “The Good”, killed in action conveying the heart of King Robert The Bruce on a crusade to the Holy Land. The Duke’s Drumlanrig Castle, which is depicted on the label, has welcomed many distinguished visitors from Mary Queen of Scots to the first moon astronaut Neil Armstrong, except for one – “Bonnie Prince Charlie”, retreating in his ill-faited 1745 rebellion invaded the castle with 2000 followers two days before Christmas, eating them out of house and home!
The all important information on the Malt – it’s age, bottling date, cask style, number of bottles filled etc, appears on the paper label below the “branding” label. It’s gift box carries the same Malt information which appears on the bottle – all designed to appeal to the novice and the connoisseur alike.
Visit Douglas Laing & Co. Ltd. at www.douglaslaing.com
