www.ralfy.com takes a Vintage perspective of a dead-Distillery with Whisky Review 283 – Hillside 1981 30yo Malt (BB&R)

The Devil’s Punch Bowl Chapter No.01

“I have selected the casks for the Devil’s Punch Bowl with a view to creating a special release of The Arran Malt where the sum is even greater than the wonderful parts. The Sherry Butts act like the rhythm section of a band; setting the tone and driving the character of the malt. Deep in colour and rich on the palate these casks are the heartbeat of this whisky. The 1996 Bourbon Barrels add a wonderful honeyed sweetness to proceedings whilst the Sherry Hogsheads imbue a perfect harmony of aroma and flavour. As a unique twist I have added some of our 2006 Peated Arran, in combination with regular un-peated Arran for the very first time, giving the finish a subtle smoky edge. They say the Devil has all the best tunes but here he has the perfect whisky too”.

– James MaTaggart (Master Distiller)

Devil’s Punch Bowl

The Devil’s Punch Bowl is a limited edition expression of The Arran Single Malt inspired by the glacial hollow Coire na Ciche whose sinister presence dominates the north-east coast of Arran. Our Master Distiller, James ‘Lucifer’ MacTaggart, has been to hell and back to select only the finest casks for this demonic masterpiece. Each cask has been chosen to contribute a specific characteristic and through the dark art of blending these whiskies have conspired to create an elixir of exceptional complexity and finesse.

Bottled at natural strength and without chill-filtration, The Devil’s Punch Bowl is a testimony to the consistent superior quality of The Arran Malt across each year of production. For your elucidation the numbers of every cask, hand-picked for this bottling, have been listed on the inside of this box. Dare to meet the devil and savour the astonishing array of aromas and flavours on display.

• Multi-Vintage release of The Arran Malt
• Named after a stunning landmark on the Isle of Arran
• Limited Edition of 6,660 Bottles Worldwide
• Bottled at Natural Cask Strength 52.3%
• Unique vatting of 24 Arran casks – Full details (Cask Number, Year of Distillation & Cask Type) printed on the inside lid of the gift box
• Based around stunning 1996 Sherry Butts
• Includes 2006 Peated Arran Barrels
• First-ever combination of peated & un-peated Arran
• Non Chill Filtered & No artificial colouring

Ben Nevis 15yo 1996/2011 (55.4%, C of Q, C#911, 231 Bts., HHD) 

A private bottling of a cask with a history of being embroiled in a massive fraud in the UK, the owners had thought they had lost it in the ensuing legal wrangling. However all was well in the end; the cask was quietly maturing in the Ben Nevis warehouses along, their ownership of the cask never in question. Now it’s been safely bottled for the Companions of the Quaich to enjoy. So with the legalities safely behind it on the undiluted nose there is some good creaminess with some small showing of malt but there is a very good showing of vanilla creams with a hint of mocha. Delicious! With water the creaminess evolves and reveals some very pleasant malt, some good notes from the oak (spiciness & unlit cured tobacco) and some sweet citrus (slightly over ripe orange perhaps). The undiluted taste is solid and very active, some good cask influence along with the malt and a little of the sweetness in the back ground but all in all quite excellent and very drinkable. Luscious. Hints of root beer in there some where. With water a some what tamed dram and perhaps a little less fun but still all the solid bullet points as previously described are present. The finish is bang on with the nose and the taste with good sweet malt and some tobacco, some light fruit and some dried liquorice root. 

Ben Nevis at its best but a departure from the official bottlings. 

$85 

Score 90 points

Park Avenue Liquor Shop, the iconic spirits retailer in NYC, has received two exciting new exclusive whiskies in time for the summer and we wanted you to be the first to know!

WILLETT 9 YEAR OLD BOURBON

Aged in American White Oak barrel #2504 and limited to 164 bottles, this bourbon is extremely smooth at 113.2 proof. The Willet family brought their distilling knowledge with them from England to the American colonies in the early 1600’s and became “The Willet Distilling Company” in 1935. Today, it is the home of “Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Ltd.” and is still headed by a member of the same family as its originators.

“It was a no-brainer to bring in this Willet 9 Year Old as a Park Avenue Liquor Shop exclusive,” says Jonathan Goldstein, senior vice president of Park Avenue Liquor Shop. “They have been the force behind many great bourbon brands.”

Park Avenue Liquor Shop price: $65.00

MILTONDUFF 15 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY BOTTLED BY GORDON AND MACPHAIL (SPEYSIDE)

Aged in first fill Bourbon barrel #9461 and limited to 198 bottles, this non-chill filtered whisky was distilled on June 24, 1996 and bottled in August 2011. The result is golden amber in color with a nose that is sweet with a honey edge and includes aromas of tropical fruit, fresh pineapple, and floral notes. Flavors of mixed spice with a defined sweetness and hints of citrus conclude with a long finish.

“We have a few ‘go-to’ providers for unusual distilleries,” says Jonathan Goldstein. “So, when I reviewed a list of casks available through Gordon and Macphail and saw a Miltonduff, I knew that we had to take a look.”

Park Avenue Liquor Shop price: $97.00

These are two very unique bottlings from this iconic spirits retailer. Please contact me if you’re working on a story where you would include Savona Communications client Park Avenue Liquor Shop – whether in the story or as the retail source or would like to speak with Jonathan Goldstein to find out more about the Willet 9 Year Old Bourbon or Miltonduff 15 Year Old. And an added benefit of shopping Park Avenue – they have the largest selection of bourbons, ryes and whiskies at retail in the entire USA. Free shipping is offered within Manhattan and if you don’t live in NYC, don’t worry – just give Park Avenue a call and delivery arrangements can be made.

ABOUT PARK AVENUE LIQUOR SHOP

Considered by many to be one of the most respected spirits and wine retailer in the United States, Park Avenue Liquor Shop opened its doors in 1934 on Park Avenue in New York City, not long after Prohibition was repealed in December 1933. In 1955, Herman J. Goldstein took over as owner and it has been with the Goldstein family ever since. In 1975, the family relocated the store to its current address at 292 Madison Avenue and today, the second and third generations of Goldsteins are at the helm – father Michael is president and sons Jonathan (whisky expert and member of The Keeper of the Quaich) and Eric run the operations, along with manager/part owner Scott Abramson who has been with the company since 1988. Park Avenue Liquor Shop is also one of the world’s premier wine shops, carrying a vast and enviable inventory of Bordeaux and Burgundies, many of which are very rare and hard to find.

292 Madison Avenue, between 40th & 41st Streets, New York, NY 10017

(212)685-2442

www.parkaveliquor.com

info@parkaveliquor.com

FACEBOOK: Park Avenue Liquor Shop

TWITTER: @ParkAveLiquor

Store Hours:

Mon thru Fri: 8am – 7pm

Saturday: Closed between Memorial Day and Labor Day

Sunday: Closed

Loch Fyne Whiskies reports ‘Expressions to be replaced soon…’

Word form the bottling halls is that OB Inchmurrin 12yo and OB Glen Scotia 12yo are soon to be replaced by new expressions in a new livery. We still have stock available for the regular price if you want to include a discontinued version.

You may read the remainder of the article here

Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

Whisky Ramblings Via Video #13

For the 13th Whisky Rambling on video, Belgian whisky blogger Mark Dermul tries the highly anticipated and already sold out Ardbeg Day. No Islay-limpics for Mark, just great Scotch. Enjoy!

http://youtu.be/EbBVURenRSg

New York, June 2012 – In between the rolling Mannoch Hills, the Rothes river, and barrels upon barrels of vintage whisky, four ordinary Americans made a little bit of dram history this month by sniffing, slurping, swirling, blending, extracting, and finally laying to rest The Glenrothes 2012 vintage. Jason Miller and Heather Wuelpern from Arizona, Bill Kiel from Wisconsin, and David Bocchino from Maryland, ousted 10,000 other Americans with their winning interpretations of a vintage moment. The winning quartet was chosen as part of The Glenrothes’ second annual Vintage Maker contest. What did they have to do? They were simply asked to share their thoughts or anecdotes on what makes for a vintage moment.

For the four lucky Americans, first on the list of things to do as part of their pilgrimage to Speyside was making the 2012 The Glenrothes vintage. The final cask was only filled with whisky from 2012, as the Glenrothes vintage system implies. A balance of first-fill American and Spanish (Sherry-prepared) wood was used, as well as refill casks from The Glenrothes’ ‘gene pool’. Bill Kiel, one of the Vintage Makers, commented, “the group decided that the 2012 vintage should have a ‘conversational’ style about it. However, until the casks are deemed mature, we cannot be totally certain of the flavor profile or the quantity that will be selected. What we can be sure of is that the maturity will be there, no matter what the age. Each of the 2012 Vintage Maker casks will develop in a slightly different way, but within the forecast parameters”.

With the distilling completed, the makers put their signatures on what is only the second ever cask to be signed at the distillery. Heather Wuelpern remarked “I’d pay my own way back from Arizona to revisit that cask! In the meantime, we all came home with a full bottle of Single Cask 2012 vintage Glenrothes, which we filled and labeled ourselves. A valuable treasure!”

It wasn’t all work and no play. When not tasting their way through the vintage back catalogue, the budding whisky makers went fly-fishing in the rivers flowing out of the Cairngorm mountains, toured the historic Ballindalloch Castle, and sampled local Scottish foods, including Achiltubuie smoked kippers, dill cured salmon, Stornoway’s black and white puddings, steak pies and brie-ish Muckle Wummel cheese from the Isle of Mull.
The Glenrothes Single Malt Scotch Whisky is the preeminent vintage distilled single malt whisky. At The Glenrothes, whisky making is about the perfect combination of time, place, people and occasion, or when everything comes together to create a vintage moment that will stay in the memory forever. The Glenrothes only releases vintages when they are deemed to be at the optimal level of maturity – not in response to a pre-determined 12 or 15 year-old age statement. “It is far more important what happens to the whisky in the cask than the length of time spent in it”, notes Ronnie Cox, Brand Heritage Director for The Glenrothes.

And what were the quartert’s winning vintage moments? Scroll down to see the winning entries in full.

Jason’s Vintage Moment
Jason went on a trip to Scotland for his 30th birthday in 2010, where he worked his way through a session of drams in a small back-street Glasgow bar. The moment he left the bar was the beginning of a love affair with whisky that he hasn’t been able to shake since.

Heather’s Vintage Moment
Heather had been taking care of a terminally ill man in 2008. After the patient passed away, a stunning looking dragonfly landed in Heather’s courtyard. She saw it as a sign that the patient’s spirit and love of whisky would live on.

Bill’s Vintage Moment
Bill took a road-trip with four life-long friends from the frozen tundra of Wisconsin to South Padre Island, Texas in 1987. The memories created on their trip have shaped them into a life-long brotherhood, which now – 25 years later – they still reminisce about while enjoying wee nips of The Glenrothes.

David’s Vintage Moment
David and his brother had both been deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Storm in 1990. Just before Christmas, his brother surprised him with a visit to his base and hand-delivered mail, goodies from home and a bottle of The Glenrothes – the best Christmas present ever.

Notes

1. The Glenrothes Select Reserve, the House Style, was voted Best in Class at the World Whiskies Awards 2008 and won two Double Golds at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2007
2. The Glenrothes 1972 was awarded a Trophy at the 2005 International Spirits Challenge
3. The Glenrothes 1978 was voted Best Speyside Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2008
4. The Glenrothes 1975 won a Double Gold award at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2008
5. The Glenrothes 1991 won a Gold Medal at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010
6. The Glenrothes 1994 won a Gold Medal at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010
7. The Glenrothes Alba Reserve won a Double Gold at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010
8. “I have always felt that Glenrothes deserved to be more widely appreciated. Beautifully rounded…sophisticated after-dinner malt.” Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion
9. Jim Murray, in his Whisky Bible, refers to The Glenrothes Select Reserve; “One of the softest deliveries on Speyside, the silky barley and citrus caress the taste buds with rare tenderness” and scores it 24 out of 25

About The Glenrothes

The Glenrothes is an award-winning Speyside Single Malt Whisky of exceptional quality, from the town of Rothes in Speyside – Scotland’s whisky distilling heartland. Established in 1879, the distillery was known only to Master Blenders until the early 1990s, and revered as, a Class-A quality enhancer for their premium blends. Today, only 2% of annual production, becomes The Glenrothes single malt scotch whisky. Each vintage is, by definition, rare, and finite. Currently available expressions in the U.S. include: The Glenrothes Select, Reserve – The House Style, Alba Reserve, Vintages 1998, 1994, 1985, 1975 and the limited edition John Ramsay.

Join the conversation at www.Facebook.com/TheGlenrothes or www.Twitter.com/TheGlenrothes

About Anchor Distilling Company

Anchor Distilling Company aims to provide the bridge between discerning buyers and world’s finest spirits. A privately owned distiller and importer, Anchor boasts an artisanal portfolio with over 300 specialty products from nearly 20 countries. All products are from multigenerational family-owned companies, and are sought by connoisseurs for their superior handcrafted artisanal qualities. From a distilling perspective, Anchor Distilling is dedicated to creating very small batches of traditionally distilled spirits. http://www.anchordistilling.com/

Invergordon 18yo (65.6%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, G5.4, 247 bts., +/-2011)

“Sweet Treats” and a bottling for the UK hence the  £ in the price! Aged in new toasted oak hogshead, distilled May 20th, 1993. Scottish grain Whisky. On the nose it is some what ‘American’ and also at the same time very, very Canadian; bourbon notes, high sweetness with a rich syrupiness in the back ground. Hints of subtle grains and moments of strong grains, also coffee grounds all taken together and it’s a heady mixture and it’s really quite excellent. The taste is sweetness, the coffee and some really sensational rich notes with fruit and bourbon. With water it becomes very ‘dusty’ and the syrupiness increases but don’t drown it; too much only lessens the impact and this is best taken with as little water as possible. Having said that it holds together very well. The finish is intense, powerful and quite frankly also very good. It’s also long and filled with sherbet and cream soda.

Not an off note to be found and very well balanced.

£58

Score 90 points

Many thanks to Rich L. for the sample…

A shoveful of Islay Single Malt Scotch Whiskies including malts distilled at Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bowmore and Port Ellen.

Big Peat carries a big peaty (often called “phenolic”), beachy, oceanic, slightly ashy selection of Malts from the island of Islay. Ally these lusty and robust Malts selected for Big Peat with the fact that no chill filtration takes place – a more old fashioned traditional approach – and you will detect a massive amplification of the anticipated sea-fairing qualities on the nose, palate and finish. These are particularly appreciated when consumed leisurely in the same style these Malts have waited for you in the cold, dark and windswept warehouses of Islay.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW

Glen Garioch Tasting at TWE Vinopolis

We had a great tasting of the full delights of Glen Garioch at TWE Vinopolis the other week.  Iain McCallum, Morrison Bowmore’s Malt Master, regaled us with tales of traumatic hangover breakfasts, an unfortunate incident with a boiler, and how he … Continue reading >>