Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2012 Awards

Best Single Malt Scotch 35-40 Years (Single Cask)

Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited are proud to announce that our Peerless Glen Grant 1970 cask 3497 has been awarded Best Single Malt Scotch 35-40 Years (Single Cask)in the 2012 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

This is a significant achievement that is made even more impressive as Jim Murray nosed, tasted and rated almost 1,500 whiskies in the competition, with a much wider crop of vintage whiskies than ever.

Peerless Glen Grant has been described as an outstanding, world-class whisky of the rarest quality and represents yet another exceptional success for Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited.

Duncan Taylor’s CEO Scott Watson commented “We have watched the Glen Grant gently mature into a giant of a whisky – truly Peerless! It’s great to see Jim Murray endorse it as one of the very best.”

Jim Murray’s Tasting Notes:

Peerless Glen Grant 1970 40 Year Old Cask 3497 48.5%.

Nose: Almost defies belief as the barley absolutely sparkles; gooseberries punctuated with oak; nothing is out of place…it is almost too perfect…
Taste: Nigh on perfect weight on delivery. There is a stunningly crisp sheen to the barley, which appears coated by Demerara sugar crystals. The oak offers a deep, semi-earthy Java coffee background…and is probably behind the slow swelling of spice that sits so comfortably in the nougat-vanilla middle;
Finish: Confirms itself as a malt of the rarest quality: the barley continues its sugar-led path, the spices beet out their delicate tattoo, the oaks weave a vanilla-butterscotch tapestry and various random fruit notes pop up here and there…
Comment: More Cary Grant…just how sophisticated is this…? A whisky which I found almost impossible to spit and shows just why the very greatest whiskies you ever taste are things of not just unique beauty, but experiences never to be forgotten.

A Benromach Best in Whisky Bible 2012

Benromach has been awarded the Best Single Malt Scotch whisky in the latest edition of the world’s leading whisky guide.

Benromach 30 Years Old was described as “magnificent, one of the outstanding malts of the year”, scoring 95.5 points out of 100, in Jim Murray’s famous Whisky Bible which published its 2012 edition today (24 October 2011).

The prestigious accolade adds to the growing list of awards for the whiskies from Speyside’s smallest working distillery and the increasing success of Benromach across the UK and internationally. Export sales of Benromach increased by 24 per cent in the first nine months of the year to 36 countries across the globe. Earlier in the year the brands flagship Single Malt, Benromach 10 Years Old was awarded gold at the 2011 Great Taste Awards.

Operating under the management of Gordon & MacPhail, Benromach is handcrafted by just two experienced distillers. Using their unique skills they have developed the distillery’s portfolio which includes the popular Benromach 10 Year Old and Benromach Organic – the world’s first fully certified organic single malt.

Proud to have been honoured by the Whisky Bible awards, David Urquhart, Joint Managing Director of Gordon & MacPhail, said:

“It’s a great achievement to be given this award. More people across the globe are adopting whisky as their drink of choice as they actively seek out high quality, desirable items that have a unique appeal. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of Benromach and being recognised by the Whisky Bible 2012 can only boost our success over the coming year.”

The Whisky Bible contains over 4,500 tasting notes on whiskies across the globe and includes 1,200 new entries personally sampled by Jim Murray. Benromach 30 Year Old was awarded the Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky 28-34 Years (Multiple Casks).

It follows recent gold awards by the Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival 2011 for Benromach 2001, Cask Strength and Organic Special Edition.

Benromach single malt whiskies are available from whisky shops and fine wine and spirits retail specialists.

For more information about Benromach Distillery and the Benromach range of Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whiskies go to www.benromach.com  

Notes

Jim Murray describes Benromach 30 Years Old in the 2012 Whisky Bible tasting notes as:

Tasting Note:

Benromach 30 Years Old db (95.5) n23.5 spiced sultana, walnuts and polished bookcases; t24 no malt has the right to be anything near so silky. The sugars are a cunning mix of molasses and muscovado; the honey is thinned manuka. Still the barley gets through, though the vanilla is right behind…; f24 drier, but never fully dries and has enough spotted dog in reserve to make for a moist, lightly spiced finish. And finally a thin strata of sweet, Venezualan cocoa; b24 you will struggle to find a 30-year-old with less wrinkles than this.. Magnificent: one of the outstanding malts of the year. 43%

Other Benromach expressions include:

Benromach Ten Years Old

Benromach Ten Years Old is created from the finest Scottish barley and pure spring water from the nearby Romach hills. After being matured for at least ten years, it emerges golden in colour and displays rich fruit, sweet chocolate and delicate spicy aromas. With a rich sherry influence, the mouth-watering palate coats the senses with exotic fruit flavours, toasted malt and a delicate hint of smoke.

Benromach Traditional

A rich and mellow single malt with fruit and malty tones, balanced with a hint of smoke.

Benromach Peat Smoke

Full bodied, intense and challenging with a smoky character, yet balanced with the fruity elegance of Speyside.

Benromach Origins

A series of special bottlings crafted to highlight how small changes in the art of whisky-making can help to shape the character of the final single malt.

Benromach Cask Strength

A mouth warming and smooth single malt with hints of spice. Containing earthy influences it also has a delicate peaty edge and is bottled at 59.9% ABV.

Benromach Organic Special Edition

Made using the finest Scottish organic barley and dried using peat smoke to produce a fresh, vibrant single malt that is smooth and creamy with a strong oak influence and sweet vanilla notes.

Please visit www.benromach.com for details.

Diageo Special Releases 2011

There are some things that are constant in this world – death, taxes, the revival of Big Brother for yet another year despite no-one admitting to watching it, my inability to write one word where I can shoe-horn in five of them; and the yearly Special Releases from drinks giant Diageo. With 28 distilleries (29 and […please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article…]

THE LINK

Three Bruichladdich tastings this Friday October 28th with Master Distiller Jim McEwan at the Omni Parker Hotel

Get ready! We’re gearing up for our nearly sold-out Masterclass with Jim McEwan from Bruichladdich. the response to the Masterclass announcement was so overwhelming we’ve decided to offer TWO free tastings at the same location. These free tastings are really important to us as it offers ALL our customers a chance to meet some of the greatest men in the industry. We’ll be pouring a more basic line-up but it’ll still include some real crackers in both the peated and non-peated categories.

Please read this carefully, I’m afraid we’re changing things slightly once again. We will be hosting the two free tastings at the Omni Parker House Hotel at 60 School St. (very close to the store). The first free tasting will begin at 4:30 and last until 5:30, the second will begin at 6:00 and finish at 7. At 7:30 we will begin our nearly sold-out Masterclass. (call ASAP to reserve one of the last seats) Please arrive promptly to the Omni and follow signs for the Kennedy room.

We can’t possibly express how honored we are to once again have Jim McEwan, Master DIstiller at Bruichladdich, grace us with his presence. This man and his team at Bruichladdich are shaping the scotch-whisky world in ways that will be felt for a very long time. Join us in this rare opportunity to hear the thoughts and experience the wares Mr. McEwan has to share. We’ll be some of the first to try the brand-new 10 year old – a whisky comprised of some of the first whisky ever distilled under the current owners of Bruichladdich. If you’ve never seen Jim at an event like this, you really shouldn’t miss this chance. If you have – then you know why you’re coming.

If you are one of the lucky few to have secured a spot at the Masterclass please contact us this week with payment information. You may stop in, call us at 617-367-8605 also please note that the bottle of the new 10 Y.O. included in the price of the Masterclass may not be picked up at the event. It may be picked up anytime the following week. If you would like a special message or a bottle other than the 10 Y.O. signed please contact joe@federalwine.com with your order.

Please pass this on to any friends who are Scotch enthusiasts!

Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits

——————————————————————————–

Email: joe@federalwine.com
Phone: (617) 367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/

Whisky Review 227 – Bains Cape Mountain Whisky brought half-way around the World for you to discover by www.ralfy.com … wonderful!

Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2004 Kentraw OB 50%Abv.

Kentraw Farm Foreland

Unpeated and limited to 6000 bottles

‘Chalice barley harvested September and distilled December 2004. Grown on the Kentraw Field of Foreland. One mile from the distillery.

This is the first Islay grown whisky to be distilled in recent times.’

 Price excluding VAT: £28.75
£34.50 Including VAT at 20%

https://www.lfw.co.uk/blog/2011/10/18/bruichladdich-islay-barley-2004/

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

OLD PULTENEY 21 YEAR OLD TAKES 2012 WORLD WHISKY CROWN

The most northerly distillery on mainland Britain and one of the most remote in all Scotland has won the coveted title of World Whisky of the Year in the 2012 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

The Pulteney distillery in Wick, Caithness, scored a record-equaling 97.5 points out of 100 for its 21-year-old Old Pulteney single malt. It is only the third time that a single malt has ever won the prestigious award, and just the second Scottish distillery to do so.

This year Jim Murray tasted over 1,200 new whiskies plus many more re-tastes for the latest edition of his best-selling annual whisky guide.

Pulteney distillery, which dates back to 1826, is located in the heart of Wick and is much prized as a blending whisky. It is still relatively unknown as a single malt.

But Mr Murray, who has long admired the Highland malt, hopes that will now change – though he is the first to admit that even he was surprised when he encountered the 21-year-old.

He said: “I was on the home straight after four months of continuous tasting. By that time I was pretty sure I knew what the winner was going to be. With what I still had to taste it needed something exceptional to knock the leader off its perch. But that’s exactly what happened. To be honest, I was amazed. I knew the Old Pulteney 17-year-old was likely to be exceptional, and it was. However, I had never come across a Pulteney 21-year-old like it. Talk about coming out of leftfield….

“I first went to Pulteney nearly 25 years ago and I have never known them to produce anything other than top rate malt. Owned by a relatively small company, without the financial muscle of the major whisky barons to market their malts on the global stage, I hope that this award helps Pulteney to become better known around the world; that is the whole point of my Whisky Bible, after all”.

Second and third Whiskies of the World went to went to US bourbons George T. Stagg and Parker’s Heritage collection Wheated Mash Bill Bourbon Aged 10 years, respectively.

In picking up the second placed title with its bourbon brand, George T. Stagg, Buffalo Trace distillers continues to outperform all other competitors in the World Whisky Awards, which were first presented in1994.  Since this date, Buffalo Trace has won no fewer than seven top awards including three World Whisky of the Year titles and this year’s runner up place for its George T. Stagg bourbon.  “Buffalo Trace continues to be one of the greatest distilleries in the world today”, continues Mr Murray.  “Their ability, drive, and passion to produce whiskies of the highest quality year in, year out, without exception is truly and unreservedly astonishing’.

Jim Murray’s Tasting Note:

Old Pulteney 21-Years-Old:  If you had the formula to perfectly transform salt, citrus, the most delicate smoke imaginable, sharp barley, more gristy barley, light vanilla, toasty vanilla, roasted hazelnut, thinned manuka honey, lavender honey, arbutus blossom and cherry blossom, light hickory, liquorice, and the softest demerera sugar into the aroma of a whisky, you still wouldn’t quite be able to recreate this perfection…; t24 the sugars arrive: first gristy and malt-laden, then Demerara. This is followed by a salty, nerve-tingling journey of barley at varying intensity and then a slow but magnificently complete delivery of spice…; f24 those spices continue to buzz, the vanillas dovetail with the malt and the fruit displaying a puckering, lively intensity. Ridiculously long fade for a malt so seemingly light, the salts and spices kiss the taste buds goodnight…; b24.5 by far and away one of the great whiskies of 2012, absolutely exploding from the glass with vitality, charisma and class. One of Scotland’s great undiscovered distilleries about to become discovered, I think… and rightly so!

Jim Murray’s  Whisky Bible 2012  – World Whisky Awards

Overall Winners

2012 World Whisky of the Year – Old Pulteney 21 Years old
Second Finest Whisky in the World – George T. Stagg
Third Finest World Whisky in the World – Parker’s Heritage Collection Wheated Mash Bill Bourbon Aged 10 Years

SCOTCH

Scotch Whisky of the Year Old – Pulteney 21 Years Old
Single Malt of the Year (Multiple Casks)-  Old Pulteney 21 Years Old
Single Malt of the Year (Single Cask) – Scott’s Selection Highland Park 1981
Best Scotch New Brand – Clan Gold Blended
Scotch Blend of the Year – Ballantine’s 17 Years Old
Scotch Grain of the Year – Clan Deny Cambus 47 Years Old
Scotch Vatted Malt of the Year – Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Years Old

Single Malt Scotch

No Age Statement (Multiple Casks) – Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX
No Age Statement (Runner Up) – Laphroaig Quarter Cask
10 Years & Under (Multiple Casks) – Ardbeg 10 Years Old
10 Years & Under (Single Cask) – SMWS 126.2 Aged 10 Years (Hazelburn)
11-15 Years (Multiple Casks) – The Macallan Fine Oak 12 Years Old
11-15 Years (Single Cask) Berry’s Own Selection Clynelish 1997
16-21 Years (Multiple Casks) – Old Pulteney 21 Years Old
16-21 Years (Single Cask)  – The GlenDronach Single Cask 1992
22-27 Years (Multiple Casks) – Highland Park Aged 25 Years
22-27 Years (Single Cask)  – Malts of Scotland Port Ellen 1983
28-34 Years (Multiple Casks) – Benromach Years Old 30
28-34 Years (Single Cask)  – Scott’s Selection Highland Park 1981
35-40 Years (Multiple Casks) – Balvenie Aged 40 Years Batch 2
35-40 Years (Single Cask) – Peerless Glen Grant 40 Years Old
41 Years & Over (Multiple Casks) – Highland Park 50 Years Old
41 Years & Over (Single Cask) – Gordon and MacPhail Glenlivet 1954

Blended Scotch

No Age Statement (Standard)-  Ballantine’s Finest
No Age Statement (Premium) – Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute
5-12 Years Johnnie Walker – Black Label 12 Years Old
13-18 Years – Ballantine’s 17 Years Old
19 – 25 Years – William Grant’s 25 Years Old
26 – 50 Years – The Last Drop 50 Years Old

IRISH WHISKEY

Irish Whiskey of the Year – Powers John’s Lane Release Aged 12 Years
Irish Single Malt of the Year  – Sainsbury’s Dún Léire Aged 8 Years
Irish Blend of the Year – Jameson Rarest 2007 Vintage Reserve

AMERICAN WHISKEY

Bourbon of the Year – George T. Stagg (143 proof)
Rye of the Year – Thomas H. Handy Sazerac (126.9 proof) Bourbon
No Age Statement (Multiple Barrels) – George T. Stagg (143 proof)
No Age Statement (Single Barrel) – Four Roses Single Barrel
9 Years & Under – Virgin Bourbon 7 Years Old (101 Proof)
10-17 Years – Parker’s Heritage Collection Wheated Mash Bill Aged 10 Years (124.2 proof)
18 Years & Over (Single Barrel)  – Elijah Craig 18 Years Old Single Barrel
18 Years & Over (Multiple Barrel) – Evan Williams 23 Year Old

Rye

No Age Statement – Thomas Handy Sazarac (126.9 proof)
11 Years & Over – High West Rocky Mountain 21 Year Old

CANADIAN WHISKY

Canadian Whisky of the Year Crown – Royal Special Reserve
Japanese Whisky of the Year – Hibiki Aged 21 Years

EUROPEAN WHISKY

European Whisky of the Year (Multiple) – Mackmyra Moment “Urberg”
European Whisky of the Year (Single) – Penderyn Bourbon Matured Single Cask

WORLD WHISKIES

Indian Whisky of the Year – Amrut Two Continents 2nd Edition
New World Whisky of the Year – Kavalan Solist Fino Single Cask

Jim Murray Liquid Gold Awards

Created to recognise whisky-making excellence around the world some 231 new whiskies, scoring 94 points or more, have been awarded Liquid Gold Awards in the 2012 Whisky Bible. 

Representing just 5.1 % of all the whiskies tasted for the 2012 edition they are, says Mr. Murray “the elite; the very finest you can find on whisky shelves around the world. Rare and precious they are liquid gold”.

A full account of the 2012 World Whisky Awards can be found in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2012 published today (24 October 2011).  And with over 4,500 tasting notes, including 1,200 of the very latest releases, the ‘Whisky Bible’ remains the definitive and most up to date guide available.

Published by Dram Good Books priced at £12.99 ($19.99), the ‘2012 Whisky Bible’ is available through good book shops.  Signed copies by the author can be purchased from www.whiskybible.com.

GLEN GARIOCH UNVEILS 25 YEAR OLD VINTAGE RELEASE

1986 special edition released just in time for Christmas

Twenty five years of patience have been rewarded with the release of Glen Garioch’s latest small batch vintage expression, the Glen Garioch 1986.

The limited edition is the fifth special addition to the Glen Garioch single malt range and is perfect for enjoying by the fire this winter.

Just 250 8.4L cases in total are being released for the UK, France, Netherlands, US and Canadian markets making it one of the most exclusive vintage releases yet by Scotland’s most easterly distillery.

Retailing at £125 from selected specialist retailers, it’s a special dram that will be an excellent addition to any collector’s range.

John Mullen, Glen Garioch brand manager, said: “This is the fifth addition to our vintage range but it is one of the most exclusive to-date.

“Our small batch casks are handpicked at the peak of their perfection and are selected to display the quality of liquid produced by our artisan Highland distillery. The 1986 adds new flavour and depth to our limited edition range.

“The light touch of old Glen Garioch smokiness coupled with a blend of cream, coconut and a little pepper make this a stand out dram. With a cask strength 54.6% ABV and non-chill filtration, it’s firmly aimed at connoisseurs.”

The 1986 is a real hardy and distinctive Glen Garioch. The smooth velvet creaminess married turns to woodspice with a pungent peat smoke and a medley of sweet juicy pears and ripe bananas on the palate.

The end result is a wave of flavour, with hints of spice, juicy fruits and a traditional old style Glen Garioch smokiness. A robust, yet refined Highland treat.

Glen Garioch only began releasing small batch limited editions last year. The 1986 now stands proudly in the range alongside the 1978, 1990, 1991 and the 1994. Vintages are only selected when it is felt they have reached the peak of their perfection.

At 54.6% ABV, Glen Garioch 1986 is available from specialist wine and spirit merchants, retailing circa £125. It is distributed by Cellar Trends in the UK.

Notes

• Glen Garioch can be enjoyed with Criffel cheese – voted the Best Scottish Cheese at the Cheese Awards in 2011. The organic semi-soft cheese has a creamy richness that enhances the smooth velvet like creaminess of the Glen Garioch 1986. The smooth texture and tangy floral taste matches with the fragrant Highland dram.
• Glen Garioch, pronounced Glen Geery, founded in 1797 is one of the oldest remaining distilleries in Scotland
• The distillery lies on rising ground at the picturesque town of Oldmeldrum, just 17 miles north-west of Aberdeen
• Glen Garioch was relaunched in October 2010 with a core range of two single malt whiskies – the Glen Garioch 1797 Founder’s Reserve, a non chill-filtered single malt bottled at 48% ABV and the Glen Garioch 12 Year Old, non chill-filtered single malt bottled at 48% ABV after maturing in bourbon and sherry casks.
• Glen Garioch is owned by the Morrison Bowmore Distillers Limited who also produce Bowmore and Auchentoshan
• Glen Garioch is distributed by Cellar Trends in the UK, tel: 01283 217 703.

New arrivals at Miner’s Delight Inn 

Arran Premium Cask

 Arran Sherry Cask 1996. USA exclusive. 165 bottles from cask number 1785. 56%. 750ml. Distilled on November 6, 1996, and bottled on March 31, 2011.

Oban Distillers Edition

Oban Distiller’s Edition 1996. Bottled in 2011. 43%. 750 ml.

Lagavulin 12yo

Lagavulin aged 12 years. Bottled in 2011. 57.5%. 750 ml. Tenth in the annual series.

Bruichladdich Links – St. Andrews “The Old Course, St. Andrews – 17th Hole”. 46%. 100 ml. “The last case ever” in the USA warehouse, according to the importer.

Ardbeg Alligator. 51.2%. 750 ml. 2011 limited edition bottling.

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

The latest auction at www.scotchwhiskyauctions.com is well under way….with 297 items available for your bidding pleasure…