Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd & ImpEx Beverages Inc
Trading Agreement Announcement

Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd, a dynamic force in the Scotch Whisky Industry is delighted to announce that effective January 1st 2012, their Single Malt and Blended Scotch will be imported into the United States by ImpEx Beverages Inc.

Andrew Hogan of Isle of Arran Distillers commented that “This agreement with ImpEx will bring us the brand building success that we seek at this stage in our development. I am delighted to have the chance to work with ImpEx, and to benefit from the experience that Ed Kohl and his team brings to the USA whisky market. “Hogan added that he “…looked forward to increased influence within the US market and this appointment was the best news possible prior to the busy holiday selling season.”

For ImpEx Beverages, Ed Kohl stated “We are delighted to represent this prestigious distillery in our portfolio of malt and blended whisky. Isle of Arran is a new and innovative distillery who is offering an exciting range of single malts and blends to the whisky connoisseur who is looking for yet another new experience. The combination of our two companies compliments each other extremely well as we move forward with our consumer tasting programs. Mr. Hogan will also be a valued partner as we develop Isle of Arran in the U.S. Market.”

Glen Grant 41yo (49.4%, G&M, Refill Sherry HHd, C#6718, D28/11/’66 B25/09/’08)

A private bottling for Kensington Wine Mart in Calgary Alberta. On the nose a gentle collection of aromas from the off set but very, very fruity however not fresh fruit but dried and macerated in rum or brandy. Dried plums, apricots, a little rich Christmas cake, toffee and rich vanilla bean. All very lovely with some hints of sandal wood or cedar in the back ground and some cereal notes. The taste now shows a little bit of the lumber in the fore court but then the sherry and dried fruit take over followed by some dryness (actually quite a lot) which morphs into some chili peppers. The finish is warming, big and very much of the wood notes and very, very dry however some good fruit makes an appearance at the last.

A spicy and active whisky.

$450 (but the last few bottles are on sale at 25% off!)

Score 90 points

The Whisky Shop

Balvenie 1401 Tun Now available to order via The Whisky Shop! – The Whisky Shop has received a very limited amount…

To produce it the Balvenie Malt Master, David Stewart selected 10 premium casks from his warehouses and these have been put together in a vessel called a tun. This is a large barrel/cask, which is traditionally made of oak, where different whiskies are allowed to ‘marry together’ for some time. In this batch, he chose to again use one of the finest tuns at Balvenie for this marrying process – tun number 1401 – which took three months. The range of the 10 casks selected is interesting – one from 1967, one from 1989 and the other eight from the 1970s, mostly the early part of the decade. Seven are ex-bourbon casks and three are ex-sherry casks. The Tun 1401 Batch 2 has an alcohol strength of 50.6% ABV and is available from the Whisky Shop for £149.99

Kind Regards

The Whisky Shop
www.whiskyshop.com

Hello Fellow Scotch Lovers –

About a month ago, we got our hands on a shipment of Ardbeg Alligator 2011 Release. It sold out in about 2 hours. But thanks to our boy Nicky The Neck, and his friends who know a guy, we have secured a second and final shipment for this phenomenal limited production whisky.

Ardbeg Alligator is named for the high level of char on the inside of some of the casks used for maturation, which makes the wood look like alligator skin. The Alligator is a unique expression for Ardbeg, and indeed for Scotland in general. This young whisky is aged for an undisclosed amount of time in heavily charred new oak barrels, like a bourbon. The resulting whisky is mingled with the standard 10 year old expression and allowed to age further for one more season in refill casks.

The folks at Ardbeg describe Alligator as “a spicy, dark dram of hidden depths, within which lurks deep tarry coffee, barbecue sizzle and sooty aromas. For it is an expression that may prove a challenge to the unwary and test the palate of even the most hardened Ardbeg adventurer.”

The price for a bottle of Alligator is $115. We have an extremely limited supply and, as always, once it’s gone, its gone. So please, order your bottle now (limit 1-bottle per customer).

I hope you will take advantage of this exceptional opportunity.

Until next Wednesday.

Doug Stone
Founder
www.ForScotchLovers.com

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ARDBEG ALLIGATOR

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ARDBEG ALLIGATOR 2011 RELEASE TASTING NOTES – Courtesy of CaskStrength

Nose: Immediate spicy, fruity notes, with rolled oak shavings, BBQ charcoal, stewed apples, white pepper and hints of strong tea and fresh bourbon. With a dash of water the whisky really comes alive with wonderful rich vanilla tones, chocolate orange notes and hints of copper. Sterling stuff.

Palate: Big, resonant and dry, leading into more of the chocolate orange notes, sweet vanilla, hints of Five Spice and more stewed apple. Then the smoke arrives, soft, aromatic and gentle at first, giving this a superb complexity.

Finish: The sweet vanilla develops alongside the soft smoke for a very lengthy and pleasing finish.

Overall: What a mega whisky. We were critical of the last committee bottling (Rollercoaster) and its apparent lack of consistency and overly youthful tones, but Alligator is just brilliant. Rich, complex and spicy, it puts Ardbeg right back up there in terms of how to construct a highly drinkable and complex smoky whisky. Miss this one at your peril.

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WHISKY FESTIVAL AT CHESTER, ENGLAND 29 OCTOBER

Angels Whisky Club & MCLEANSCOTLAND were there. We actually met Russell (organiser) at Manchester whisky lounge event, where he was helping out a pal. Liz and Paul travelled doon from Perth to Chester, “och its a longer drive than we thought!” said Liz. There were several sets of roadworks, resulting in us leaving Dundee at 10.15 and arriving in Chester at 5.45! Friday saw a wee chat witha nice couple who run whisky tasting company, more on that soon.Time for dinner, “where are you taking me?” says Liz, how is it Paul always pays??? Good grub, now time to chill before the event.

Saturday; The exhibitor’s included; Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Bowmore, Auchentoshan, Yamazaki, (our pals) Cooley’s, Compass Box, Buffalo Trace, Amrut, Heaven Hill, Gordon & Macphail, Arran, Bruichladdich, Tomatin, Antiquary. MCLEANSCOTLAND & Angels Whisky Club.

To be honest there were more independents and bottlers there than distilleries. Also a number of vodka, cognac, etc. Unlike many whisky events we have attended, this was more relaxed, whisky lovers drifted in from 10.30 onwards, no great panicked rush at the opening, made things easier all day for the stand holders. Also, grand news; there was food available at this event! The “punters” were made up of veteran whisky freaks, the casual whisky drinker and complete beginners, in our opinion, it was a great success, the scale of ages, expertise and appreciation was huge, it made for a really good day. Weird how many Scots we met there coming to see what all the fuss was aboot! The most asked question to us; what do we do now? an explanation; we were the first stand/table left of the door, and most people seemed to travel in a clockwise direction, making us first! So what does Liz say; “go get some drams down you and come back to talk to us”.

The venue was ‘The Pavillion’ at Chester Racecourse, newly built Suite – the largest venue at Chester Racecourse and is based in exclusive Paddock area of the course, it was really good as a venue. Started at the racecourse at 09.30 and left around 6pm. Another tiring day but hey, its what we do! Met lots of people and we felt it a good success.

Sunday; homeward bound, at least the road was quiet. Made it back in approx 5 hours. Sadly, no time at all to wander around Chester, its been 20 odd years since either of us have been there, och well.

Did we mention this was the very first whisky event in Chester like this? well it was, our hearty congrats go to Russell and his team – www.chesterwhisky.com see you next year mate! Finally; a big thank you to all stand holders for putting up with Liz and myself beggin for drams!!! The Highland Park and Cooley’s were my favourites (Paul). Liz; er, Bruichladdich and several others!

See story with photos at; http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/chesterwhiskyfest.asp

Ralfy at www.ralfy.com concludes a Series looking at World Whiskies with Whisky Review #230 – Nikka All Malt Black,  a quality, if unfashionable style of blended malts Whisky.

If you’re heading south for the winter, take us with you!

On Friday, November 4th The Scotch Malt Whisky Society will have seven great new bottlings available.

From light and easy-drinking breakfast whiskies to the heartier, smoky ones to nurse by the fire and everything in between, The Society has your tastes covered. But remember – only members can buy them, so if you haven’t already joined don’t delay; sign up now or you’ll miss out on these limited offerings.

Visit www.smws.ca for the full listing of November releases, but for now, here’s a teaser to whet your whistle:

39.76 Delish!

28 year old Speyside

The unreduced nose suggested vanilla, raspberry ripple, candy floss and banana, but it mostly conveyed scents from a lady’s dresser – citrus, floral perfumes (violet, lavender , lily of the valley) soft leather and sandalwood. This floral intensity continued with water and we also found carmalised onions and spices (white pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon). The unreduced palate was floral and woody (like chewing on charred heather stems, birch twigs or even hyacinth bubs). We also detected toffee and carmelised orange. With water it became syrupy sweet, with cedarwood and cloves in the finish – Delish! The distillery was built by Peter Brown in 1825.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada
104-1240 Kensington Road NW, Suite 160
Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 3P7
Email – curious@smws.ca

Rare and Collectable Whisky to go under the Hammer at Tennants Auctioneers

Tennants Auctioneers are to hold their second Whisky sale in conjunction with their first Wine sale on the 26th November. This sale will feature for the first time live internet bidding, allowing buyers to bid wherever they may be. The full online catalogue is available at: http://www.tennants.co.uk/Catalogue/Sales/184.aspx

As always there is a great selection of whisky in the sale, divided into around 100 lots of modern classics and rare vintage bottles. Macallan fans are sure to like the 18 Year Old Gran Reserva, estimate £300-500, and there are two bottles of Bowmore, including a Bicentenary bottle, complete with its original wooden crate and certificate, estimate also £300-500.

Another lot sure to be popular is the of Port Ellen 22 Year Old First Annual Release; this bottle is becoming increasingly popular and prices keep climbing. For those looking to buy a bottle to last the full festive period, there is a Double Magnum (four bottles) of Springbank 10 Year Old, distilled 1990 and bottled 2000 by Signatory Vintage, with an enticing estimate of £150-250.

There are also some rare vintage bottles in the sale including a 1931 bottle of Canadian Club, a bottle of Baldnoch, and a bottle of The Three Arches. The bottle is from the early part of the 20th century, but very little is known about the whisky or the distiller, Peter McDavid & Co., Dundee. Also offered in the sale is a collection of fifteen bottles of cognac from the 19th century, some dating back to 1808, as well as a huge selection of Fine Wine, Port and Cigars.

Tennants is a fourth generation family run business based in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. With a specialised team and 21 departments, Tennants can accurately appraise virtually any item, free of charge, with values ranging from £50 to many hundreds of thousands of pounds.

For any enquiries please contact Mark Littler on 01969 623780 or email mark.littler@tennants-ltd.co.uk .

Kind regards,

Mark Littler

Auctioneer and General Valuer
Wine, Whisky and Spirits Specialist

www.tennants.co.uk 

Glenglassaugh 29yo (53%, A. Dewar Rattray, Bourbon C#2368, 290 Bts., D’17/12/’76 B10/08’06)

An individual single cask offering from A. Dewar Rattray the independent bottler and bottled without chill filtration or added colour. The undiluted nose is quite strong along with fruit and dusty malt; a little leather hides in the back ground. Time in the glass brings out a sensational richness with a glorious increase in the amount of fruit. With water the sample turns a little fragrant. The undiluted taste is quite strong and active; some malt and fruit manages to make themselves known and some really good oak spice and tobacco tussle for preeminence. With water things mellow out and it’s naturally sweeter and slightly syrupy in the mouth. Some good black pepper is quite evident to add to the mix. The malt is very evident and active. The finish is all fruit and malt (with a little of the oak spice thrown in) and then surprise, surprise a little orange pops up just to make things interesting at the very end. Water increases the length of the finish dramatically.

Another quality cask from A. Dewar Rattray.

$200

Score 89 points

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 77 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.

November 12 , 2011
Glen Grant 10 yo *
Longrow CV
Glenkinchie 12 yo

December 10, 2011
Glen Moray 12 yo *
Smokehead
Kilchoman Winter 2010

January 14, 2012
Bunnahabhain 12 yo (46.3%) *
Ardbeg 10 yo
Old Pulteney 12 yo

February 11 , 2012
BenRiach Curiositas 10 yo *
Cardhu 12 yo
Arran 10 yo

March 10 , 2012
Ardmore Traditional *
Glenlivet 16 yo Nadurra
Auchentoshan Valinch

10% off bottles of the Malt of the Month*

Bob at work....

Visit the Miner’s Delight Inn at http://www.minersdelightinn.com/