Mulberry Bank Auctions is pleased to announce its second pre-sale tasting. Taking place at our west end auction rooms in Glasgow on Tuesday the 27th of March at 7.30pm. We will be showcasing a stunning line up of 8 incredible spirits. Apart from such single malt gems as a Glen Grant 30 year old distilled in the 1930s and an incredibly rare Glendronach 1970, we will also have a Caroni Rum from the 1920s and last, but certainly not least, an incredible 1870, pre-phylloxera Grand Champagne Cognac. And as if that wasn’t enough there will also be a selection of fine Scottish cheeses, courtesy of local cheesemonger George Mewes, to sample as well. All in all it should be the tasting event of a lifetime. If you thought the first tasting was good, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Tickets are strictly limited and sold on a first come first served basis. They are priced at £50 per head and are available directly from our auction house by calling 0141 225 8181.

7.30-10.30pm. March 27th. Mulberry Bank Auction House. 26a St Vincent Crescent. G3 8LH.

The full line up is:

1: Bruichladdich 1971 39yo single cask. A Privately bottled single cask that has been bottled at a naturally low cask strength of 39%.

2: Bruichladdich official vintage 1970. The legendary 1970 vintage from Bruichladdich, bottled back in 2002.

3: Martell 3 Star cognac. An old bottling from the 1930s with a spring cap seal.

4: Grand Champagne Cognac from an unknown producer. Vintage 1870. Bottled by Cockburn & Co of Leith, Edinburgh. Bottled around the turn of the 20th Century this is from one of the greatest vintages of the 19th century.

There will be a break here for a selection of Scottish cheeses supplied by local cheesemonger George Mewes.

5: Caroni Navy Rum. 90 proof. Bottled sometime in the 1920s.

6: Glen Grant 30yo by G&M. Distilled sometime in the 1930s and bottled in the 1960s. A great chance to taste a pre-war malt.

7: Dalwhinnie 36yo 1966. Bottled 2002.

8: Glendronach 1970. A single cask bottled by Cadenheads in the 1990s under their legendary White Label series. This is from a great vintage and, unusually, is not matured in a sherry cask.

World Wide Whisky Design Awards 2012

Great King Street Blended Scotch whisky by Compass Box (nominated in  Category 1 – Bottle, less than € 250)

Great King Street Blended Scotch whisky in 50cl bottle at 43% abv. Great King Street is a recent new mission from Compass Box; a mission to get people to rediscover the joys of Blended Scotch. “Great King Street will offer … Continue reading →

Toshan Man at Whisky Festival Ghent (Belgium)

On Saturday 11th February 2012, I visited the Whisky Festival in Ghent (Belgium), where I was able to sample some 35 whiskies from all over the world. Some of the finer drams I tried were the Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength, Highland Park 22 Year Old from Sesante and Caol Ila 25 Year Old from Kintra, to name but a few.

FOTO 1

But the highlight came at the end of the show, when I again visited the booth from Morrison-Bowmore, manned by the sympathetic brand ambassador Gordon Dundas and the importer for Belgium Stephan De Bolle (who, incidentally, won the Brand Ambassador Award at the Belgian Whisky Awards 2012, congratulations!) where I tasted the Glen Garioch Founder’s Reserve, the Bowmore 25 and – last but not least – the Auchentoshan 40 Year Old 1965.

I could not believe my luck when, at the end of the day, Stephan offered me (after some nudging on my part, I admit) to buy the remainder of the bottle for my Toshan Man collection. I jumped at the chance without a second thought, when he (less reluctantly than I had feared) agreed.

I am very happy to be the owner of (albeit a half full) bottle of this wonderful whisky. Only 200 bottles of this great dram are in existence. They retail around 900 EUR, so you can imagine it is not the kind of bottle you purchase on a whim (if you can find it in the first place). Getting a half bottle, number 75/200, was a deal too good to be true. Well, not really, since I did get it.

Another great addition to the Toshan Man Collection.

Thank you, Stephan and Gordon, for making this whisky lover’s day!

Mark Dermul – Toshan Man
www.markdermul.be/toshanman

An Evening of Whisky, Food and Cigars

When: Thursday March 1, 2012 6 pm to 8:30pm

Where: Ferraro’s Patio – 4480 Paradise Road Las Vegas, NV 89169 www.ferraroslasvegas.com

What: $25 Admission gets you:

• Amrut Whisky tasting of Single Malt; Fusion, Cask Strength & Intermediate Sherry –
• A Free Cigar
• Passed Appetizers
• A “No Host” Whisky Bar available for all four Whiskies above to be purchased by the glass plus a special Amrut Whisky Cocktail

How: For Reservations: Contact Nikki Blake at 702 364 5300 – Limited to 50 people

Key Milestone Reached for Virginia Distillery — Stills Are Set!

These pot stills are central to the promise of VDC whisky. In the U.S. anyone can call their whisky single malt, but to be authentic it must be double distilled in single batches in copper pots. This view is from the mezzanine level of the distillery. Here you can see the wash still and the spirit still are connected with the lyne pipes. In the center is nerve center of the distilling process, the spirit safe. That is where the quality of the whisky is controlled.

The spirits from the both the wash still and the spirit still are sent to the spirit safe. There the master distiller monitors the alcohol content with a hydrometer. The low wines are from the wash still are tested for quality. The spirits coming from the spirit safe are fractionated into thirds — the foreshots, the potable spirit and the feints. The foreshots and feints are returned to the process and redistilled. The remaining spirit goes into barrels for aging. The narrower the middle the lower the yield but the higher the quality. That’s how you can tell the quality of whisky before it’s aged a day.

Rare View of Copper Pot Still

This photo was taken before the final flooring was placed on the mezzanine which allows for a full view of the installed stills. The stand was specially fabricated by a roller coaster company because they were the only ones who could bend the steel to provide sufficient stability.

Inside the VDC Single Malt Distillery

 
VDC’s consulting engineer, Jim Taggart, sets the swan neck on the stills. The swan neck stretches to the rafters and will be the most visible section of the stills from the Mezzanine level.

The rakes inside a mashtun are rarely seen. This photo was taken before the top was installed. This equipment mixes the malted barley with water to make the mash. The liquid from the mash, called the wort, is then transferred to the fermenter where yeast is added.

The tanks and fermenters are now in place. The next phase is boiler and pipe installation followed by electrical.

Harry Cockburn, VDC’s master distillery engineer, visited from Scotland in January to check the status and plan the next phase. He, Chairman George Moore and President John McCray visited the distillery just prior to closing off the mezzanine floor.

Virginia Distillery Company
299 Eades Lane P.O. Box 509 Lovingston,
VA 22949
info@vadistillery.com
http://www.vadistillery.com/

Hello Fellow Whiskey Lovers –

I have three very exciting bits to discuss with you this week:

First, with the launch of the new ForWhiskeyLovers, we are now shipping to Massachusetts via a partnership with arguably the top whisky shop in New England. So if you or a WhiskeyLover you know resides in the great state of Bill-Belichick-inspired-despair, the good news is relief is now a few clicks/a couple of days away from being delivered to your door.

Next, we’re running a VERY exciting contest for the next week: The team at Wemyss Malts are about to bottle their latest release, and they’re stuck for a name.

So they sent Managing Editor Ian Buxton a sample of it, and he sent us tasting notes to “experience it” with him (ahem). Now we’re challenging you to check out his notes…get inspired(or at least have a flash of something snappy)…and send it to us.

If your name is chosen, you’ll receive a bottle for your bar signed by someone important, and instant cred’s in the world of whiskey….having recently named your first whiskey…arguably on your first try and with little effort. Not bad….

Finally, an opportunity for the whiskey collector and those who appreciate the opportunity to get their hands on something really special.

A few emails back I told you about Silvano Samaroli, who has been selecting and bottling the world’s greatest whiskies since 1968. However I did a lousy job of communicating how much of a legend this guy is within the whiskey world. I had recently met a rep from the company, tasted a few of the whiskies, and was truly blown away. So we acquired some, and offered it to you.

However at the time I didn’t know who he is….

What I quickly learned after relaying my tasting experience to Ian, was that Silvano Samaroli is considered, amongst those who matter, the Zen Master (Ian’s words) Mac Daddy (mine) of whisky bottlers. These are the guys who hand-select barrels for themselves, often directing additional finishing to differentiate thier liquid, and then bottle it under their name. If you haven’t heard of Silvano Samaroli, it’s because his whiskies have just hit our shore in the last year or so, so you’re excused…

But you will know…as I now know…that the 70 year old Samaroli is truly The Master of this craft.

And so, I am thrilled to be able to offer you one of my favorites from the tasting: Samaroli Bunnahabhain 1990 Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky from the island of Islay

The malt whiskies produced on the isle of Islay are generally phenolic (smoky), pungent and salty. However since 1883 Bunnahabhain has contradicted this taste profile, and has consistently produced a smooth, almost winey, whisky.

And with this being a small bottling from a single hand selected cask, there were only 276 bottles released for sale.

Fortunately we have Nicky The Neck, his connections in “the old country”, and more than our fair share of the whiskey as a result. So I’m happy to be able to offer it you at $214.95/ bottle, with a limit of 2 bottles/ customer and, as always, once it’s gone…it’s gone.

So this weeks assignment: 1) Send whiskey To Mass…2) send whiskey names to me…3) and send a bottle of Samaroli Bunnahabhain 1990 Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky to yourself.

And have fun.

Until next Wednesday…

Doug Stone
Founder
ForWhiskeyLovers.com

________________________________________________________________________

SAMAROLI BUNNAHANHAIN 1990 SINGLE CASK SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

________________________________________________________________________
TASTING NOTES: courtesy of SILVANO SAMAROLI

Very penetrating refined bouquet.

Impetuous but at the same time clear.

Mature but lively.

Hard and also smooth, clean and at the same time ample.

Has great character. As deep as the ocean

Powerful – doesn’t pass unnoticed.

Glenfarclas Cognac Casks OB 43yo 40.7%alc.

Tasting Note: By George S Grant

Colour: Dark, Pure 24k Gold in Colour

Nose: Wonderful dried apricots lovely malty sweetness, honeycomb candy, light spicy aromas, topped with light white pepper, then classic Glenfarclas burnt Demerara sugar.( Just goes to show it does not just come from the Oloroso sherry cask).

Finish: Quite a dry finish, which is good as more whisky is required to moisten the mouth. Dark bitter chocolate, German or Belgian chocolate with high cocoa content. Crushed almonds and light oakiness to finish with.

Conclusion: An amazing whisky from Glenfarclas, a Great to Taste. Nothing like this has ever been done before and nothing like this will be done again, well not in my lifetime!

Glenfarclas 43 year old Cognac Casks

Price excluding VAT: £382.50
£459.00 Including VAT at 20%

Pernod Ricard Distillery Tour

Friday 16th March

7.30 PM

Venue : The Cellars

PHILL HUCKLE (Pernod Ricard) who many of you will remember from the Whisky Festival last year, is coming to the conduct a fantastic tasting for us in the cellars of Nickolls and Perks. Phil has amassed an exclusive selection of Malt Whiskies for us to taste and he will guide us around severn different distilleries on the night.

On taste there will be :

SCAPA 16
STRATISLA 12
THE GLENLIVET NADURRA 16
LONGMORN 16
ABERLOUR ABUNNADH,
CHIVAS 18
ROYAL SALUTE

Tickets :£25
Cheese n Oaties provided.

Slainte

David

We have a great selection of new Dimension bottlings in both cask strength and 46.0% now available, these include a ‘Light and refreshing’ Aultmore, that make you want it to be summer time, and many more. You can find full tasting notes for each release below.

For further information please get in touch via www.duncantaylor.com

Dimensions Cask Strength

Dimensions Blair Athol 1989 22YO, C2927, 50.5%
Descriptions: This was distilled one year after Allied distillers became the owners after the merge with Itiram Walker. The distillery is now owned by Inverhouse
Tasting Notes
Colour: Bright Gold
Nose: Orange peel. Chocolate, cornflakes, malt vinegar and brown sugar. Soft oily notes and a touch of pomegranate.
Taste: More orangey notes, marzipan and quite creamy. Pistachio nuts, white chocolate and nutmeg
Finish: Green apple, touch of lime and quire autumnal
Comment: Chocolate fruit and nut bar – in liquid form

Dimensions Craigellachie 1990 21YO, C5399, 52.0%
Descriptions: The malted barely used for Craigellachie whisky is obtained from Glenesk maltings
Tasting Notes
Colour: Golden
Nose: Earthy, stewed red fruits, ginger with floral notes emerging
Taste: Silky smooth, very nutty, citrus punch emerges at with sudden bursts
Finish: Very spicy with a waxy texture. The citrus still very strong lingers
Comment: Bursting with juicy citrus fruits.

Dimensions Imperial 1995 16YO, Cask 50054, 53.1%
Descriptions: Not to be confused with a blend of the same name which is hugely popular in the far east.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale Gold
Nose: The smell of a biscuit barrel – hints of ginger and zest. Gets creamier and orangey before getting darker, with notes of black cherry yoghurt and boot polish.
Taste: Robust, mouth coating, a trace of alcoholic spice. Sundried tomatoes, portabella mushrooms and a thick slice of buttered gingerbread.
Finish: Unexpectedly sweet, touches of Parma violets, wet stones with a slight wood influence.
Comment: This really keeps you guessing – a slightly twisted profile that’s hugely entertaining.

Dimensions Linkwood 1986 25YO, C991101, 47.2%
Descriptions: Produced in Linkwood ‘B’ which uses condensers compared with the original Linkwood ‘A’ which has a cask iron worm tub
Tasting Notes
Colour: Bright Straw
Nose: Mint humbugs and lashing of toffee and crisp golden apples. Touch of fennel and salted liquorices
Taste: Soft traced of smoke, touch of engine oil and a marshmallows milk chocolate, red cherries and raspberries.
Finish: Long lasting caramel and good quality ice cream.
Comment: Could nose this all day – if it didn’t tasted so good!!

Dimensions Linkwood 1989 22yo C.5042, 46.8%
Descriptions: Between 1902 and 1932, Linkwood was managed by Robert Innes Cameron who also owned Benrinnes, Tamdhu and Teaninich.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Straw
Nose: Fresh Dijon mustard and banana boxes. Slightly herbal with emerging meaty notes.
Taste: Very creamy and leafy, developing on larger flavors of Seville oranges and liquorices after time.
Finish: Smooth and medium-long with traces of fruit and sherbet.
Comment: Well balanced and easy to drink. Very moreish.

Dimensions Mortlach 1989 22YO, C4037, 52.0%
Descriptions: Mortlach was built on the site of a well that was allegedly used for illicit whisky distillation
Tasting Notes
Colour: Gold
Nose: Roasted pork with rosemary. Gooseberries and dark caramel and hints of liquorices.
Taste: Vanilla, dark chocolate. Increasingly sweet with more caramel notes. Red grapes and slight wood
Finish: Long and rich – Smoked meat and caramel linger
Comment: A Mortlach to feast on!

Dimensions 46.0%

Dimensions Auchentoshan 1998 13YO, Batch 0001, 46.0%
Descriptions: Auchentoshan is the Gaelic term meaning ‘corner of the Field’
Tasting Notes
Colour: Antique Gold
Nose: Surprisingly you get a burst of sherry notes. Crisp Apples, rice pudding with raisins.
Taste: Very gentle on the pallet, red apples, toffee, poached pears
Finish: Double cream, Hazel nut oil extract finish
Comment: Perfect for cleansing the pallet

Dimensions Aultmore 2001 10YO, Batch 0001, 46.0%
Descriptions: The majority of Aultmore is used in Dewar’s Blended whisky after they bought the distillery in 1998
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale Straw
Nose: Apple straddle, clotted cream and a light olive oil notes. Nettles, green tea and smoked cheese
Taste: Dried bananas, lemon drops and nougat. Some mixes red fruits and pine nuts
Finish: Notes of latte’s and root ginger, Dry white wine and soft brown sugar
Comment: Light and refreshing – bring on summer!!

Dimensions Benrinnes 1997 14YO, Batch 0001, 46.0%
Descriptions: Benrinnes is one of the four remaining distillers that used the traditional ‘worm tub’ cooling method
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale Gold
Nose: Rich, inviting aromas. Juicy oranges, light herbal notes and a whisp of developing smoke
Taste: Assertive, meaty, fresh root vegetables in wooden boxes. Becomes creamier
Finish: Surprisingly light and slightly chewy with hints of cloves and cinnamon
Comment: Well rounded with plenty of character

Dimensions Cragganmore 1997 14YO, Batch 0001, 46.0%
Descriptions: A distillery that looks like it was thrown together with little thought – though John Smith clearly had a plan.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale Gold
Nose: Vegetable boxes at a market, mossy and very herbal to begin with. Then hints of eucalyptus, fresh doughnuts, black fruit pastels and the center of a crunchie bar!
Taste: Leafy and grass – more herbal notes – sage, rosemary, some celery notes and onion granules. Light bodied and refreshing.
Finish: Fresh, soft and gradually fading.
Comment: One to enjoy at sunrise!

Dimensions Cragganmore 2000 11YO, Batch 0001, 46.0%
Descriptions: Cragganmore was the first distillery to be built to take advantage of the speyside railway – John Smith the founder was a ‘huge’ fan of trains
Tasting Notes
Colour: Light Straw
Nose: Herbal, Minty and some dry straw. Some hints of lemon and some granny pears and pancake mix. Faint hint of toffee.
Taste: Quite grassy, flint, tablet, popcorn and almonds. Touch of lemon grass and peaches
Finish: Soft fruity finish with sage and rosemary
Comment: Typically ultra-complex Cragganmore. Take your time it just keeps changing

Dimensions Dailuaine 1998 13YO, Batch 0001, 46.0%
Descriptions: The majority of Dailuaine’s output goes into the Johnnie Walker blends, but it is a fantastic single malt in its own right.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Polished Gold
Nose: rich caramel, dried fruits and spice. Oranges and cigar box wood.
Taste: Like walking into a bakery – fresh cream, Victoria sponge and milk chocolate.
Finish: Brown sugar, custard creams and slightly herbal.
Comment: Incredible nose with a surprisingly sweet taste. Indulgent!

Dimensions Glentauchers 1997 14YO, Batch 0001, 46.0%
Descriptions: Glentauchers is known to be a key ingredient in the Ballantine’s and Teacher’s blends.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Gold
Nose: apples, pears, trace of birch wood and eucalyptus. Some sherry notes.
Taste: Apricots, raisins, smooth toffee and slight maltiness.
Finish: Fresh and chewy, red cherries and icing sugar. Quite light but lingers nicely.
Comment: A mellow whisky with great balance.

A-Z of World’s Best Bars: B & C

Last week we launched a list of what we’re calling the World’s Best Bars. As you would expect after A comes B…and C. Seems only fair to give you two letters this week in case you’re looking for more variety.

Now, this is just the opinion of the whisky team in here – if you know of a cracking place that starts with B or C, add it in the comments or let us know on our Facebook whisky page – who knows I might pop in soon!

B

Boulevard 1, San Francisco, USA

Chef Nancy Oakes culinary skills have made this restaurant one of the most popular in San Francisco. The menu is an amazing mix of American regional flavours mixed with just a sprinkling of French influence. Try the Wood Oven Roasted Angus Fillet served with a side of Dalmore – perfect!

Blue Bar, Taj Westend, Bangalore, India

This stylish, open-air bar is surrounded by water and the music is a blend of Buddha Bar, Lounge, House and Retro. Relax at a table in the gardens or get closer to the action. Either way the Blue Bar will work its irresistible magic.

Bar 252, Pune, India

Bar 252 is a well known bar for it single malts. It is a part of a five star hotel which has the name of sun and sand.

Bar 101, Pune, India:

A well-known bar known for its vast whisky collection

C

Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles, USA

The Chateua Marmont is not a place you would describe as understated and being its LA, then you wouldn’t really expect it to be. Housed in a chateau style building that is modelled on an infamous royal residency in France’s Loire Valley, this restaurant-come- bar-come hotel, takes you on a fantastic journey into the land of make believe. Some might it’s over the top, but we think it’s excellent!

The Corinthian, Glasgow, Scotland

The Corinthian, was built in 1842 in Whyte & Mackay’s hometown of Glasgow and is possibly one of the most captivating buildings in the city. The beautiful building started as Glasgow Ship Bank before being a court building and in its most recent transformation into The Corinthian bar and restaurant which is a must visit destination in the city. Superb meals, fantastic cocktails, a luxurious collection of single malts and even a casino await you.

Caledonian Hilton, Edinburgh, Scotland

Originally built as a railway hotel in 1903, it is one of the oldest hotels in Edinburgh. It’s staff are brilliantly educated when it comes to whisky, which is just as well as it’s bar boasts one of the largest selections of whiskies in the capital.

Cameron House Hotel, Loch Lomond, Scotland

Set on the famous bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, Cameron House is one of the most iconic hotels in Scotland. In “The Great Scots Bar” you can enjoy a single malt from their vast collection, whilst taking in the stunning views over the Loch to Ben Lomond.

Cuan Mor, Oban, Scotland

This is a fantastic bar/bistro in Oban that is so good you will want to keep it as your own little secret. Sneak through the back of the building you and you will find the Oban Bay Micro Brewery and a huge selection of single malts – the most exclusive of which you will find behind locked iron cages!

Other notable C’s include:

The Curly Coo, Crieff, Scotland

The Coo has over 100 malt whiskies all served by major whisky fan (and owner) Mandy Silver. Their 100th whisky of the collection was the Mackinlay’s Shackleton malt.

Chaya Downtown, Los Angeles, USA

A great selected on Euro-Asian cuisine perfectly complements the large whisky selection on offer

Craft, Los Angeles, USA

Superb fresh menu in both their restaurant and bar.

Canny Man’s, Morningside, Edinburgh

A treasure trove of bits and bobs and a brilliant selection of whiskies.

The Clyde Bar, Helensburgh, Scotland

Instantly recognisable from either land or sea due to its vibrant colour scheme. An eclectic (but friendly) mix of locals, tourists and sailors from the local Navy Base enjoy live music whilst sipping one of the many many whiskies on offer.

The Counting House, Glasgow

Right in the heart of the city, this former bank is now home to a busy bar which is enjoyed by local and tourists alike.

Cape Town, Goa, India

A well known Lounge bar in Goa, Cape Town creates a buzz with its beautiful cocktails, delicious food and innovative theme nights.