Christmas Gifts Ideas from Glengoyne Distillery

The  Glengoyne elves are busy  stuffing the Stillmen’s stockings with bottles of our new cask strength, 15 Year Old and 18 Year Old, plus trinkets and curiosities of the finest kind; a selection of which are featured below. Remember, Christmas is a time for giving Glengoyne. To a loved one, or better still, yourself, but hurry – if you want to receive your Glengoyne gifts in time for Christmas, we will need to receive your order by Tuesday 18th December for UK Delivery. 

Shop Glengoyne Christmas Gifts Online >

Discounted postage, discontinued whiskies, toasts, a Christmas gift finder and more…

It’s been a rather busy few months at TWE and that’s before we’ve hit the Christmas rush. We like to show off some of the things we’ve done from time to time, so here are some things. Firstly, we’ve been … Continue reading >>

We offer three (3) new bottlings under the OLD MALT CASK label together with five (5) PREMIER BARREL releases.

Tasting Notes for OLD MALT CASK follow:

OMC 2221 Laphroaig 14 Year Old

Nose: Opens sweetly – then catch its “ocean” – peat and tar.

Palate: Still phenolic & sweet + spices – chimney soot & iodine.

Finish: Ashy – “bandaged” – still peated/sweet – tarry & spiced. (F)

OMC 2213 Macallan 18 Year Old

Nose: Fresh & clean with juicy barley’d – grass & a citrusy style.

Palate: Sweetly spiced – vanilla’d – with soft fruit – malt & honey.

Finish: Warmingly spiced + more sweet/sugary barley & smoke. (F)

OMC 2206 Bruichladdich 20 Year Old Sherry Finish

Nose: Hard candy sweet + sweet barley + sweet spices & late liquorice

Palate: Lightly salted initially – hints at peat & smoke-heads to ripe fruit

Finish: Carries camphor/cough drop spices, runny honey & late malt. (F)

PREMIER BARREL Tasting Notes:

PBR 0122 Glenrothes 8 Year Old Sherry

Relish this Rothes! For it is a rather rakish yet rustic rapprochement of refinement – being a characterfully crafted combo of captivating caramel and capricious chilli chocolate – whilst similarly sustaining a sumptuous and stylishly striking smokiness. (F)

PBR 0120 Dailuaine 10 Year Old Sherry

Dally with this dandifelarious Dailuaine dubbed “decadently delicious”. Fabulously fresh – it is fantastically fructiferous with a pleasing potion of poached pears and a magically multifarious maelstrom of mandarins – sweet, soft spices plus a paroxysm of perfect praline. (F)

PBR 0123 Arran 12 Year Old

An arrestingly archetypal Arran! A hallmarked, hearty herbal halcyon – in cahoots with a canvas of capacious– yes, and capricious – captivatingly catchy candied citrus – matched manfully by a masterful miscellany of Malt mash (F)

PBR 0119 Blair Athol 12 Year Old

Tango with this BA of the North! It facilitates faultlessly a fully fledged floral – and fruitful – flight of fancy with its galactic guzzleworthy gamut of glorious gristiness galore. Go get it, gastronome! (F)

PBR 0121 Glenburgie 13 Year Old

Gloriously gristy Glenburgie! Access avariciously its axiomatic Autumnal fructiferousness (Absolutely Apples!) -plus its hallmark halo of harmonious honey- and taste the tantalising toffee …… bringing its Bacchanalian butterscotch to buttress your taste buds. Beautifully bountiful! (F)

And so we close the year with the potential, and the hope, of some great Christmas/holiday sales for you, from these new monthly releases, as well as from our earlier selections. We thank you for your support of our Whiskies through 2012 – and though we have told you before – it merits repeating – they are appreciated and never taken for granted by us. All best wishes !

Yours faithfully

Fred H Laing

Managing Director

www.douglaslaing.com

December 2012 Outturn Offerings 

Arabesques of ash and high kicks of coal 

Cask No. 3.184                                             $115

Islay

This nose was complex – perfumed smoke, candles, black tea, vinegar on coal and buckets of brine – but sweet (barley sugars, sherbet lemons, cinnamon sweets, pineapple cake) and floral (lavender, geranium, jasmine). The taste swung from sweet (Edinburgh Rock) to savoury (smoked pork loin, honey glazed ham); also charcoal and witch hazel. The reduced nose had fragrant vanilla, lemon, roses, soap and White Linen perfume sprayed on driftwood. Flavours now danced around the tongue with leaps of liquorice, lavender and lemon, whirls of white pepper, arabesques of ash and high kicks of coal. 1779 distillery at the centre of whisky island.

Drinking tip: Perfect ceilidh dram – or as a reward for some other strenuous achievement

Colour: Moon gold                                     

Cask: Refill hogshead                                

Age: 15 years

Date distilled: October 1996

Alcohol: 61.0%

In a wild garden, late summer 

Cask No. 48.26                                             $155

Speyside, Spey

Distinctly floral to start – jasmine, lilac – with earthy, ‘mushroom grow-bag’ notes behind. We were reminded of a wild garden, but the heavy scents balanced by emerging lemon sherbets – and this citric note also modifies the sweet taste, with traces of paprika. Fresher and more Speyside-like with water, but still earthy, with a whiff of smouldering leaves, and a fresh note of ‘lemon-scented fabric-softener’. The taste is soft, sweet and quaffable; rounded and centre-palate – ‘mashed strawberries with black pepper’– with a medium length finish. This remote distillery overlooks the Haughs of Cromdale, where once a battle was fought, and its make is not currently bottled by its owner.

Drinking tip: Whilst watching someone else gardening

Colour: Pale amber; mousseaux beads            

Cask: Refill butt                                           

Age: 23 years

Date distilled: March 1988

Alcohol: 50.5%

Perfumed sweetness and zesty fruits

Cask No. 125.51                                           $90

Highlands, Northern

The nose took time to develop – eventually producing sharp zesty fruits, grated orange peel, vanilla, caramel, hint of mint and polished or waxed furniture. The palate was more immediately defined – the sweetness of Danish pastries (with vanilla cream and apricot jam) and the perfumed astringency of lime sorbet, starfruit and grapefruit; pepper and chilli arriving in the finish. In reduction, the nose expanded to include papaya, strawberry split ice-lollies, toffee, magic tree vanilla and yankee candles. The reduced palate delivered rich, perfumed sweetness (‘biting a woman’s neck’ someone suggested); oak sharpened the after-taste. The distillery was a brewery until 1843.

Drinking tip: The character comes through more in the palate than the nose

Colour: Dead man’s chest                                   

Cask: First-fill barrel                                    

Age: 9 years                                    

Date distilled: August 2001

Alcohol: 57.4% 

 Sweet and sour mélange 

Cask No. G9.1                                              $100

Grain

The nose balanced toffee, marzipan, glacé cherries and lemon puff biscuits against some spritzy, slightly acidic sherbet; we also found waxed paper, hazelnuts, greenery and geraniums. The unreduced palate had sharp, tropical fruits and lemon peel; also new wood and then something spicy and savoury. The reduced nose suggested peaches, cheesecake, woodland paths and a ruined castle by a lily-pad loch – quite a landscape. The reduced palate seemed a reasonable mixture of sweetness and astringency – a sweet and sour mélange of toffee, pineapple, green sappy wood with some white pepper spicy heat in the finish. Captain Haddock’s favourite dram, apparently.

Drinking tip: While watching (or reading) Tintin

Colour: Sunset gold                                               

Cask: Refill barrel                                       

Age: 11 years

Date distilled: September 2000

Alcohol: 57.8%

Please visit the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America at http://www.smwsa.com/ for further information on their single cask bottlings.

Glenturret 10yo 2001 (57.2%, SMWS, 16.32, refill port pipe, USA 120 Bts., +/-2012) 

From a refill port pipe which on the nose presents a richness vaguely familiar, some what like Isle of Mull or Deanston, along with some herbaceous notes and some really good honey sweetness. The meatiness richness along with the herbaceous notes and the honey make for an intriguing combination. The taste is once again reminiscent of Isle of Mull and Deanston and the herbaceous and honey notes are still present with a little bit of oak spice. A little water softens it somewhat but it remains true to form (not much changes). The finish shows some good malt and a lot of tobacco (unlit cured) and is quite good and fairly long. The honey notes have vanished somewhat but the aforementioned descriptors are a suitable alternative.

$95

Score 83 points

Rosebank 21yo 1990 (59.8%, SMWS, 25.63, refill hogshead, USA 108 bottles, +/-2012)

On the nose there are some ‘green’ notes along with some good malty notes and with time in the glass the malty notes grow and there is a curious and unusual hint of Chardonnay lurking in the back ground. The taste is quite dry and this grows over a very short time period, lots of cask influence here and then some chewy malt followed by more cask notes and still very dry. A splash of water brings the down the volume a fair amount but the cask influence is quite evident. The finish is also quite woody and astringent, the malt saves the day coming at the van to bring some order to the scene.

$145

Score 80 points

Cardhu 27yo 1984 (52.6%, SMWS, 106.18, refill hogshead, USA 78 bottles, +/-2012) 

On the nose there is juniper and rich warm honey (like the waft off warm toast) and some moments of ‘antique’ however the aromas definitely lean towards the juniper side of the house and all very pleasant. The taste is good, warming, some malt, some crème brûlée and a little sourness to give it a bit of an edge.  A dash of water doesn’t change things too much but the crème brûlée plays a bigger part. The finish is quite big and active with some nice cask influence and some really good malt moments, also some leather and chewy malt.

$175

Score 81 points

Penderyn 5yo 2006 (61.3%, SMWS, 128.3, First fill barrel, USA 78 bottles, +/-2012) 

The third ever SMWS bottling of a cask from Penderyn which has on the nose bananas, hair spray, lemon (at first) followed by a good richness that is quite enjoyable. Water releases the serpents (the swirls in the glass). The taste is amazingly sweet tinged with some vibrant oak spice and dry cocoa powder and moments of dry sherry. At full strength it’s all very dramatic. With a little water a Christmas tree pops up for a moment and the oak spice and dry cocoa take over, not to be out done. The finish is a riot of the aforementioned flavours now with some moments of malt, a little egg nogg (‘tis the season) and it’s a little short but nothing so short as to be a fault.

$85

Score 83 points

Kilchoman 5yo 2006 (60.2%, SMWS, 129.1, first fill barrel, USA 114 bottles, +/- 2012) 

The very first bottling of Kilchoman bottled by the Society; the UK allocation sold out in moments so a bit of a surprise that it should pop up in the USA but well done in any case. On the nose there is…drum roll please…peat smoke and from the initial nosing it’s a fair bet to say there is lashings of the stuff yet to arrive. And of course with time in the glass it only grows, like a massively desiccated and shrunk Godzilla that once rehydrated only grows and grows until you are confronted by a massive shadow blocking the sun…ok, ok a bit much but you get the point. It’s good too…. With a little cut grass with some youth thrown in for good measure. Seat belts please for the taste which is slightly perfumed with some good fruit but then the steam roller arrives to crush everything under unrelenting rollers made of peat smoke with a little coal smoke thrown in for good measure which is a wonderful delight since it adds so much depth. Malt arrives, waving for attention but of course the peat smoke steps in front. The malt however does make a good showing in the finish which is massive and long and quite sensational.

Well done….

$85

89 points

Stock Photo

Ellerstina Team Wins 119th Campeonato Argentino Abierto de Polo

Royal Salute, the world’s leading luxury Scotch whisky, marked its first year as official Whisky  sponsor of The 119th Campeonato Argentino Abierto de Polo (Argentine Polo Open), with 20,000 strong international crowd watching Ellerstina win the world’s most prestigious tournament, 12-10.

With people gathering from all over Buenos Aires and around the world, the 119th Argentine Open got off to an exciting start between La Dolfina and Ellerstina. La Dolfina stole the first four chukkas 7-6, to take the lead going into the second half. Both teams came back with passion and determination, which saw Ellerstina powering through to regain the lead scoring in free play, taking the score to a nail biting 10-7.

Both teams were equally matched, the Pieres brothers, Facundo (10), Gonzalo (10) and Nicolas (9) and brother-in-law Aguerre (9) didn’t disappoint and fought hard to carry the ball up the field away from the strong 10-goal players from La Dolfina, Cambiaso (10), Stirling (10), Mac Donough (10) and Nero (10), to regain the title of the Argentina Polo Open Champion.

Neil Macdonald, Global Brand Director for Royal Salute, commented: “Royal Salute begins where others end, like the Argentine Polo Open where teams are at least 27 goals to compete in the world’s most elite polo tournament. We are delighted to extend Royal Salute’s commitment to international polo here in Palermo and we look forward to many more opportunities in Argentina in the future.”

Guests of Royal Salute were hosted by Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers Christian Porta, with Patron JB Lee and the rest of the Korean polo team, England player Malcolm Borwick and His Grace Torquhill Ian Campbell 13th Duke of Argyll all toasting Ellerstina win at the Royal Salute VIP bar.

The world’s most famous polo tournament took place from 17th November – 8th December; the final taking place on the 8th.

Royal Salute’s commitment to international polo is ever growing, with sponsorships of some of the world’s most prestigious polo events across America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.

Notes

Royal Salute is the world’s leading luxury Scotch whisky, and begins where others end as only whiskies matured for at least 21 years are ever selected for Royal Salute blends. In 2012, Royal Salute became the first ever brand to be officially associated with the Royal Gun Salutes at the Tower of London, as part of a long term partnership with the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces.

Royal Salute is a leading international supporter of polo, ‘the king of sports and the sport of kings’. Royal Salute World Polo is truly international with a presence in every major region globally: o Argentina Campeonado Abierto de Polo, Palermo, Buenos Aires o Australia Sydney Gold Cup, Sydney and Portsea Polo, Victoria o Brazil Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup, São Paulo and Copa Ouro São José Polo,  São Paulo o China Royal Salute China Open, Beijing o India Royal Salute Maharaja of Jodhpur Golden Jubilee Cup, Jodphur o Italy Polo Gold Cup, Cortina d’ Ampezzo o South Korea Royal Salute Polo Cup, Jeju o Spain Snow Polo, Baqueira, Lérida and Sotogrande, Cádiz o UAE Royal Salute Nations Cup, Dubai o USA Foundation Polo Challenge, Santa Barbara and Royal Salute Jubilee Cup, Greenwich, New York o UK The Sentebale Polo Cup, Coworth Park,  Kent & Curwen Polo Club, London And Beaufort Polo Cup, Tetbury

Chivas Brothers Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.

In July 2010 Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.

Abbey Whisky – The Secret Casks – Release 2

We are proud to announce the 2nd release of ‘The Secret Casks’ series, a trio of single malt Scotch whiskies, aged 30, 40 and 50 years old, matured at Speyside’s finest distilleries and bottled under the Abbey Whisky label.

New bottle, new label, new whisky! A cracking range of exceptional drams, just in time for Christmas!

Abbey Whisky 30 Year Old Speyside / 2nd Release

The youngest addition to our Secret Casks Series is this beautiful 30 year old single malt distilled at secret distillery in Speyside. Lots of sweet wonderful flavours combined with ripe golden delicious apples. The flavours get deeper and more intense when the dram warms up a little. It’s not in any way over sweetened; it’s perfectly balanced with great complexity. A dram you could nose all day, lovely!

Nose: Wonderful sweet flavours, lingering caramel, toffee apple made from ripe golden delicious.
The back of the nose shows light butterscotch and hints of spices. The warmer the dram gets the richer the flavours become. This dram you could nose all night long!

Palate: Butterscotch apple, sweet golden syrup, a very smooth coating of the mouth. A very slight taste of spice & back to golden delicious apples with a hint of ginger.

Finish: Long finish, lovely sweet flavours coating the mouth, very light hint of chocolate liqueur with a hint of spice.

£129.95 (£108.29 ex vat)

Click here to buy Abbey Whisky 30 Year Old – The Secret Casks

Abbey Whisky 40 Year Old Speyside / 2nd Release

The second 40 year old release from our ‘Secret Casks Series’ is this stunning example of an aged single malt Scotch whisky. 40 Years of age, a dram that has beautiful deep flavours that have not been over powered from the long rest in cask. This is a dram that you just can’t get enough of.

Nose: WOW! Sweet golden syrup with hints of gentle spice, lingering muscovado sugar & baked stewed apples. Raisins & sultana bake, bread & butter pudding.

Palate: Sultanas, golden syrup, nutty mature Christmas cake. Again muscovado sugar, dried fruits with slight hints of oak…

Finish: Coats your mouth with lovely, sweet baked flavours, slight hint of spice and oak. You just want more of this dram.

£229.95 (£191.63 ex vat)

Click here to buy Abbey Whisky 40 Year Old – The Secret Casks

Abbey Whisky 50 Year Old Speyside / 2nd Release

The oldest and rarest in ‘The Secret Casks’ series is this 50 year old single malt whisky from Speyside. To think this whisky has been slumbering in casks for as long as 50 years is truly amazing, the involvement of the flavours combined, produce a stunning dram.

Nose: A very welcoming nose, keeps pulling you in for more. At first, lovely warm spices, followed by dried fruits, butterscotch along with sweet sherry flavours. At the back of the nose lingers sultanas, hints of oak and further spices.

Palate: A superb combination of flavours, similar to those on the nose, followed by hints of oak and dry sherried flavours, quite dry, with a nutty butterscotch undertone.

Finish: A smooth, long mouthful, hints of Christmas spice, cloves, nutmeg & cinnamon followed by a slight sweet sultana notes. Nutty-ish.

£369.95 (£308.29 ex vat)

Click here to buy Abbey Whisky 50 Year Old – The Secret Casks

This weeks email features MORE great gifts for the WhiskeyLovers in your life: A spectacular, limited edition single malt whisky from Ireland, a great tasting sampler from the 16 Men of Tain, and a great way to have your whiskey in the car or at work.

First, and most exciting, is the release from Midleton Distillery in Ireland of a spectacular limited edition single malt: Midleton’s Barry Crockett Legacy Irish Single Malt Whiskey.

In 1966, John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son and the Cork Distillery Company (which owned the Old Midleton distillery) merged to form the Irish Distillers Group. The board of the newly formed company decided to close their existing distilleries and consolidate all production at a new facility. This was built at Midleton as it was the only existing site with room for expansion. In July 1975, production ended at the old distillery and began in the new one. The old distillery has since been turned into a visitors’ centre.

The new Midleton Distillery is one of the most modern distilleries in the world and has its production areas linked via fibre-optic networks. The Midleton facility, with a production capacity of 19 million litres per annum, is the largest in Ireland. The distillery boasts three 75,000 litre pot stills, and three column, which are used in combinations of three to produce different types of whiskey.

First released in 2011, Midleton’s Barry Crockett Edition is named after the distillery’s master distiller. It is produced from a selection of pot still whiskies which have been matured exclusively in American bourbon barrels, with a subtle contribution from a pot still distillate, which has matured in an unseasoned American barrel.

Whisky Aficionado Dominic Rostrow said of the Barry Crocket Legacy Edition: “Like the man himself, this is altogether more considered and elegant, mixing whiskeys up to 25 years old for a complex and less bruising experience…Instead, lemon and lime zest, kumquat, and blood orange entwine themselves around vanilla, nutmeg, and soft, drying tannins. No big knockout punches, but it goes the distance and wins unanimously and easily on points”

The Barry Crocket Legacy Edition is truly a really exciting whiskey. And with only 2500 bottles are released each year, very hard to come by. But fortunately for us, our man Nicky The Neck has extended family” in Ireland, and so we’ve been able to procure more than our fair share. So it’s with great excitement that we offer you the opportunity to acquire a bottle of Midleton’s Barry Crocket Legacy Edition for $258.75/ bottle. But act fast, because once it’s gone…

Next, are you looking for a great gift that provides both exceptional quality and variety at an unbeatable price? I urge you to consider the Glenmorangie Taster Pack (4X100mL bottles), a great way to experience the classic Glenmorangie The Original 10 YO, along with several of the award winning Extra Mature Range of whiskies produced by Glenmorangie.

The three Extra Matured expressions are aged for two more years in Sherry Casks (Lasanta), Port Casks (Quinta Ruban) and Sauternes Casks (Nectar D’Or), While The Original 10 YO provides the quintessential Glenmorangie experience, the three additional 12 Year Old expressions allow for further taste exploration into Glenmorangie’s mastery of wood maturation. And at $37.95 for 4-100mL bottles, it makes a great gift at a phenomenal value.

Finally, if you are looking for a way to bring your whiskey to work, checkout Wondermade Gourmet Bourbon Marshmallows, made with Maker’s Mark Bourbon. These mallows are an incredibly delicious indulgence with hot coco, or eaten “neat”, and make great stocking stuffers for the WhiskeyLovers in your life.

Until next week…I wish you high spirits!

Doug Stone
Founder
ForWhiskeyLovers.com

BARRY CROCKETT LEGACY IRISH SINGLE MALT WHISKEY

GLENMORANGIE TASTER PACK – 4X100ML BOTTLES

WONDERMADE’S HANDCRAFTED BOURBON MARSHMALLOW

www.ralfy.com presents a re-review with Whisky Review 324 – Glenfiddich 12yo Scotch re-reviewed and offers few opinions on a Billionaire Property Tycoon demanding a boycott of Glenfiddich!