With just a month left before the EARLY BIRD sale ends, don’t miss the chance to grab your fully refundable tickets for another magnifique WoW San Francisco, April 6, 2013.

Last year, we sold out Dram Club and VIP level tickets half a year in advance. So if you’re interested in an early entrée to the event, and the majestueux VIP whisky entrants, buy your tickets now!

(Be sure to read the related article “Whisky in French” to learn why we’re being so French!)

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GLENFARCLAS 105 20 YEAR OLD LIMITED TO 1200 BOTTLES FOR THE UK £200 PER BOTTLE

Speyside, September 2012 – J & G Grant are to launch a new limited edition expression of their iconic Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky. Aged for 20 Years and bottled at natural cask strength of 60% vol., only 4000 bottles of this remarkable whisky will be available worldwide.

This is the second time J & G Grant have released an older expression of Glenfarclas 105 – the first was in 2008 when a 40 Year Old 105 was released to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the first bottling of 105.

In 1968 when George S. Grant, 4th generation of the owning family, bottled a single cask straight from the warehouse, and sent the bottles to family and friends as Christmas gifts. By chance the strength of the cask George S. Grant selected was ‘105’ British Proof, and along with the name of the distillery, this was all the information he detailed on the hand written label. By the end of January the recipients of the gifts requested further bottles, hence Glenfarclas ‘105’, the first commercially available cask strength whisky of the modern age was born. The name refers to the strength in the British Proof system, equivalent to 60% alcohol by volume.

George S Grant, Director of Sales and 6th generation of the owning family commented; ‘My family have been producing Glenfarclas 105 for 3 generations now and the 20 Year Old makes a great addition to the ‘105’ family, along with the 105 and 105 40 Year Old. This is a 105 as it should be – big and powerful with all the classic Glenfarclas flavours coming through. Definitely a dram to savour as the finish just goes on and on.’

Glenfarclas 105 is a Cask Strength whisky. The vast majority of whiskies are ‘reduced’, water is added at the point of bottling to take the strength down to 40% or 43% Vol. Glenfarclas 105 is not reduced, instead casks are vatted together to obtain a constant strength of 60% Vol. Most whiskies would be deemed too over powering served at 60% Vol., however with a heavily sherried house style, Glenfarclas 105 is surprisingly smooth for its strength.

The British Proof system developed prior to the invention of the hydrometer. It is well known that most distilleries evolved from what were originally illicit stills, so the early distillers were not always completely straight in their business dealings. One trick was to sell watered down whisky to innkeepers. To check for this potential fraud the innkeepers devised a method to check the strength. They would add gun powder to the whisky and try to light the whisky, if it did not light, water had been added. If it lit, the whisky was ‘proved’. 105 stands for 5 over proof, equivalent to 60% vol.

Tasting Note by George S Grant:

Strong, rich oak, a 20 yo copper still. As 105 should be! Big Powerful aromas, of course be a little wary it is 60% alc. A very typical Glenfarclas nose, demerara sugar, figs. The end bit of a Christmas cake, a little drier than the middle but you get the extra sugar.

Remarkably smooth for a 60% whisky. More sweetness in the front of your mouth giving way to bitter sweetness. Chocolate covered coffee beans spring to mind sweet then melting into bitterness. Lots of fruit, brandy flavours are very apparent, delicate sherry tones also coming through after a while in the glass.

Lovely long finish, the age really coming through here over the strength, definitely a dram to savour as the finish will last a very long time.

EXCLUSIVE DRAMBUSTERS OFFER!

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CONTACT US BY EMAIL OR BY PHONE ON 01387256601 IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OFFER

WILLIAM LAWSON’S® FASTEST-GROWING TOP 50 INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS BRAND

London, August 2012 — WILLIAM LAWSON’S® Blended Scotch whisky is proud to be acknowledged as the fastest-growing of the 2011 Top 50 international spirits brands in the world.

Recently published figures from IWSR (International Wine & Spirit Research) for its Top 50 International Spirits Brands List revealed truly impressive international growth, with the brand showing a massive 46.1% value increase and 32% volume increase in 2011 vs. 2010.

In addition, WILLIAM LAWSON’S Blended Scotch whisky is acknowledged as the fastest- growing of the 1 million case Scotch whisky brands, achieving a sales milestone of more than 2 million nine litre cases worldwide in 2011.

France is a major market for WILLIAM LAWSON’S, accounting for one-third of all sales; while Belgium, Portugal, and Spain are also important established markets. Over the last year, the brand has enjoyed strong growth in Eastern Europe and Latin America; in particular Russia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Uruguay, where the brand has been in market for less than four years.

Contributing to the recent success of WILLIAM LAWSON’S has been a real focus on delivering its “No Rules. Great Scotch” proposition – a powerful combination of consistent award-winning advertising with an award-winning Scotch.

Esther Park, Global Marketing Director, WILLIAM LAWSON’S Scotch whisky, commented, “To be the fastest-growing brand amongst the top 50 international spirits brands in the world is an incredible achievement. Today’s consumers are seeking good value, but at the same time they don’t want to compromise on quality. WILLIAM LAWSON’S gives them a great-tasting Scotch at an affordable price.

“The last year has been a huge success for WILLIAM LAWSON’S with an amazing performance across the world. We plan to engage our consumers even more with our great value proposition in the coming year.”

www.williamlawsons.com

Bowmore 21yo 1990 (46.4, SMWS, Refill Hogshead, 3.182)

On the nose there is tinned fruit cocktail and gentle peat smoke with the faintest hints of unlit cured sweet tobacco; the combination of these descriptors is quite lovely and very seductive (very more-ish). The undiluted taste is slightly ashy, malty and peated however not a huge peat attack but just enough to add emphasis to the Islay heritage. A little maritime hint is also present in a clean and crisp fashion. Some water adds honey butt he peat smoke and malt are still present and while slightly more approachable it takes very little water; it’s fine without. The finish is very close to the nose and the taste and therefore it’s all quite balanced. And chewy. It’s not overly long but it’s very pleasant.

Very good and not a typical Bowmore. Easy on the water…only 60 bottles imported into the USA(The total outturn is not specified).

$145

Score 89

To order (& to join) contact the Society at 1 800 990 1991 or www.smwsa.com and please visit HERE to read the official notes. Sample kindly provided by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America. Sample  four of four this week.

www.ralfy.com takes you to Tasmania with Whisky Review #298 – Sullivan’s Cove Bourbon cask (60% vol:)

Loch Fyne Whiskies Posts A New Article, ‘No bad whiskies? A wee essay…’

My first tasting of this was sufficiently interesting to warrant buying a dozen bottles to sell on to you, dear LFW.co.uk visitor. I was thinking this has an interesting, meaty, character. Ardmore is a favourite, consider Highland peat and wine?, okay let’s give it a try.

However, I have tried this twice again to consider if […please clcik on the link below to read the remainder of the article…]

THE LINK

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

EXCLUSIVE DRAMBUSTER SPECIAL OFFER THE WILD GEESE CLASSIC BLEND IRISH WHISKEY ‘UNTAMED’ 50CL 40%

In 1691 Ireland was torn by injustice and natural disaster. The soldiers and refugees who were forced to set sail on ships for other lands became known as ‘The Wild Geese’

Nose: Berries, fresh oak and a hint of spice
Taste & Finish: light sweet fruity taste; balanced and smooth. The grain comes through gently and it ends with a tingle of honey and citrus fruit. The finish is soft, fresh and clean.

SHELF PRICE £19.99 – DRAMBUSTERS PRICE- £13.99

Limited edition bottling by BenRiach and Caskstrength.net

Tunbridge Wells – August 2012 – Online retailers Master of Malt are proud to announce the exclusive release of a limited edition bottling of 16 year old BenRiach Single Malt Scotch Whisky selected by renowned whisky journalists Neil Ridley and Joel Harrison of Caskstrength.net. Working directly with BenRiach, Mr. Ridley and Mr. Harrison hand selected a single cask to release this limited edition run of 296 bottles.

The whisky was distilled in 1996, aged for 16 years including 4 years in a Pedro Ximenez sherry cask, and bottled in July of 2012. The whisky is a single cask whisky (cask #5614) and was bottled at cask strength at 55.2% abv.

This bottling represents the second in a series of ‘A-Z’ bottlings to be released by Caskstrength.net. Their first release was an Arran Single Malt Scotch whisky and sold out in a matter of days on www.masterofmalt.com. The Arran release has since become a collectors’ item and has tripled in price in the past year. Caskstrength.net has yet to reveal what their next release will be.

Each 70cl bottle is labelled with the ‘Cask Strength and Carry On’ logo, is individually numbered, and is hand signed by both Mr. Ridley and Mr. Harrison. The first 50 bottles will be sold with a limited edition ‘Cask Strength and Carry On’ cotton carrier bag.

Tasting notes:

Nose: Toffee sweetness and Werther’s Originals spring out of the gate. The PX finishing is extremely apparent with brown sugar and Christmastime notes with a hint of salted caramel and just a whisper of granny’s old baking-and-spice cabinet.
Palate: Rich, dark, and dried fruits roll down like an avalanche and lead into a river of caramel and toffee. Some soft potpourri and candied lemon peel pops up its head but doesn’t overpower. Begins elegantly and reveals a more powerful flavour with time.
Finish: Long and lingering, it carries the salted caramel through to the back of the throat for a pleasantly drying finish thanks to the Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.

Glenrothes 10yo 2001 (60.6%, SMWS Refill Gorda, 30.68)

On the nose it’s very strong, lots pepper and then some good meaty sweetness (like Bovril & honey) then some of the oak notes make an appearance but the strength really begs for a little water. With a splash of water significantly more of the sherry is revealed however the meatiness is still there and it’s quite good. The undiluted taste is quite strong but the cask heritage is quite evident as well as the Bovril and honey combination all wrapped in some good chilies. With water its significantly more approachable and quite simply delicious. The sherry sweetness is very good. The finish is creamy, mouth smacking and filled with malt; it’s in the middle range in regards to length. In the latter moments so tobacco and leather make an appearance however the malt holds casts the majority vote.

Still very peppery even with the water. Only 120 bottles imported into the USA (The total outturn is not specified).

$95

Score 86

To order (& to join) contact the Society at 1 800 990 1991 or www.smwsa.com and please visit HERE to read the official notes. Sample kindly provided by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America. Sample  three of four this week.

Happy Birthday Nico!

A quick shout out and slightly late Happy Birthday to Sahara Force India’s Nico Hülkenberg. But what do you get the F1 driver who has everything? Why a personalised bottle of whisky of course…

As with any personalised whisky, I’ve had a look at who Nico is, what drives him and from seeing that he’s a patient, self confident individual who wants to succeed both personally and on the track, I pulled together some nice drams.

I started with whiskies aged between 19 and 25 years old to reflect his birth date and his age.

I’ve also included malt from our Dalmore distillery that has been matured in Oloroso sherry casks in sunny Gonzalez Byass which not only represents his tarot symbol, The Sun, but the bodega is near the Jerez circuit which seems more than a fitting match for a Formula One driver.

The overall result is a whisky that is strong, highly complex but with secretive layers that unfold as you get to know the whisky – and I hope he’s enjoyed it with good company!