Limited Release from The Arran Malt

Arran Millennium Casks 53.5%

TO BE RELEASED MID NOVEMBER – AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDERING NOW.
£65
1 BOTTLE ONLY PER CUSTOMER

The Millennium Casks bottling is a limited edition expression of 7,800 bottles of The Arran Single Malt inspired by a unique moment in time. Of these 7800, only 780 are available for the UK market. It is a memorable mix of 35 Bourbon Barrels and 10 Sherry Hogsheads filled at the turn of the new millennium on 31st December 1999 and 1st January 2000. This whisky has been matured at The Isle of Arran Distillery for 13 years and has been bottled at cask strength and without chill-filtration. The Millennium Casks are the perfect example of our forward thinking independent character which remains true to its roots.

Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is vibrant and zesty with an edge of spice
Palate: Candied citrus captures your tongue immediately taking you back to the hallmarks of Arran with orchard fruits and baked apples. A sprinkling of vanilla and cinnamon adds a layer of sweet spice and oak to the initial fruity character. A splash of water opens it up beautifully, exposing the layers of creaminess in this unique dram.
Finish: Clean and fresh with a hint of spice, this classic Arran lingers delicately. Notes of mandarins and grapefruit mingle beautifully with the last twist of toasted oak promising another perfectly balanced sip.

www.ralfy.com discovers a malt disguised as a bourbon with Whisky Review 404 – BenRiach 17yo Virgin Oak Matured (The Whisky Shop)

The Latest from the Elements of Islay

This year’s Whisky Show has been a rather busy time for us. Not only did we have a show to put on (it went very well, thank you for asking – our writeup of the weekend is over here) but … Continue reading >>

Home to some of Scotland’s most precious and rare whisky stocks, The Dalmore distillery is set to extend its Principal Collection of desirable whiskies with the launch of The Dalmore 25 Year Old.

Available in specially selected retail partners globally from 25 October, The Dalmore 25 year old will join the 12, 15, 18, Cigar Malt Reserve and King Alexander III as a permanent addition to the collection.

Meticulously crafted by Master Distiller Richard Paterson, The Dalmore 25 combines festive aromas of exotic fruits, marzipan, vanilla pods and fig cake.

As with all of The Dalmore’s prestigious and award-winning whiskies, much of The Dalmore 25’s unique character and quality comes from a passion to use only the finest wood.

This spirit has been matured initially in American white oak casks before being divided into hand-sourced 25 year old sweet Palomino Fino sherry butts and 1980 first-fill bourbon casks. These exceptional whiskies are then expertly married together in bourbon barrels before finally being transferred into Tawny Port pipes from Portugal, giving additional layers of complexity and richness.

Only 3,000 bottles of this outstanding single malt will be produced annually with an RRP of £600.

The Dalmore 25 won Gold at the 2013 International Spirits Challenge (ISC) awards and will be officially unveiled at this year’s TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes.

Dalmore Master Distiller Richard Paterson said:

“The Dalmore 25 is matured in casks that have previously housed a very special grape which creates a sweeter style of sherry. As a result, the cask has gifted a wonderful a palate of orange peel, chocolate truffles and spiced gingerbread. The Dalmore 25 is a truly spectacular addition to The Dalmore Principal Collection, and a must have for fans of the distillery.”

NOTES

The Dalmore 25 will be rolled out globally from 25 October and available in North America from early 2014.
The Dalmore 25 is bottled at 42% abv.
Tasting Notes:
• Aroma: Exotic fruits, marzipan, vanilla pods, treacle toffee, fig cake and sweet balsamic
• Palate: Orange peel, chocolate truffles, liquorice, sweet damsons and sherry soaked raisins
• Finish: Demerara sugar, maple syrup, bitter chocolate and spiced gingerbread

Further information on The Dalmore

Dating back to the days of King Alexander III, The Dalmore gained its iconic 12-point stag emblem in 1263 when one of the Mackenzie clan saved the king from being gored by a stag.
The Dalmore is produced in very limited quantities and due to the distinctive distillation process no two batches will be exactly the same, ensuring that each release of The Dalmore is unique.
The Dalmore distillery houses some of Scotland’s most precious and rare whisky stocks. Home of the record-breaking The Dalmore Trinitas 64 year old and a number of other rare expressions such as Sirius, Selene, Candela and Oculus, it is no wonder that whisky investors, collectors and aficionados keep a watchful eye on this collection.

TOP PICKS

• 1997 Glenlivet 16 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Sherry Barrel Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($75.99)
Although we didn’t advertise it at the time, we actually selected this first-fill sherry barrel of Glenlivet from Signatory as part of our 2012 trip. We thought the whisky was simply outstanding, a shining example of what the classic Speyside distillery can accomplish when one fantastic barrel is isolated from the rest of the batch. What we wanted to do was wait until this cask hit its 16th birthday, then bottle it immediately. You could tell it was right on the cusp of greatness, but it just needed an extra year. While the standard Glenlivet expressions are soft and supple on the palate, they rarely exhibit the amount of fresh sherry influence that this 16 year old barrel exudes. The result is a whisky that’s more like Macallan or Glendronach than what we think of as Glenlivet. Toffee, raisined fruit, baking spices, and cocoa came blasting out of the glass when we first pulled the sample straight from the barrel. This whisky was a beast! Since we kne w that a cask of Glenlivet would encompass a larger tent of customers than some of our more esoteric selections, we thought that proofing the whisky down to 46% might be a good idea in this case. (Not really – WI) After tasting it we knew this was the right move. The spice and heat turn into creamy, unctuous sherry, melting over the palate at a slow crawl. While the whisky isn’t at full proof, it is still non-chill filtered and from one single barrel. For the price, it’s hard to find a single fault with this single malt. (David Driscoll)

• 1995 Miltonduff 18 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($79.99)
Miltonduff was all over our trip this year, whether in its normal single malt form or under the name Mosstowie, referring to a separate whisky made on site using a Lomand still. While we skipped the Mosstowie (those Lomond stills are hard to work with no doubt) we could not pass up the opportunity to buy delicious, cask strength, 18-year-old whisky for this price. Miltonduff might be familiar to some as it is the key ingredient in the famous Ballantine’s blend. It is this particular whisky that makes me believe the Ballantine’s 17-year could actually be rated as Jim Murray believes it should be. Altogether more typically a Highlander than Speyside (if these regional descriptions mean anything to anybody any longer), it’s a powerhouse. Phenolic and earthy, there’s this sort of flinty aroma, it’s not sulfur, but more struck flint on iron. Sparks! There’s some herbal extract (Indian ginseng), floral remedies (crushed flowers) and an oily texture. If someone were using heavy machinery (like a license plate printing press) nearby while you were nosing this whisky you probably wouldn’t notice. An intense, powerful and unusual whisky that makes you pause for a moment before filling your glass again. And you will fill it again. (David Othenin-Girard)

• Talisker 18-year-old Isle of Skye Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Elsewhere $150) ($129.99)
93 points Whisky Advocate: “A sophisticated and refined Talisker, if that’s not an oxymoron. But this is certainly true when compared to the 10 year old. This 18 year old is deeper too, with less of the fishnets, more of oak boat docks. Less lemongrass, more fruit gum drops. There’s still that knock-out punch on the finish. There’s a fine line between polishing the rough edges of a beautifully powerful whisky and ripping its heart and soul out with a knife by dumbing it down. This whisky has not crossed that line. A fabulous whisky! (Vol. 14, #3)” K&L Notes: Limited to quantity on hand. This lovely 18 year old is always out of stock, so strike when the iron is hot! Strength: 45.8% ABV Appearance: Amber. Nose: Rich and fruity — Victoria plums, greengages, perhaps dried orange peel — with some butterscotch or rum toffee and a thread of smoke behind. The smoke soon advances into the foreground and the toffee note is joined by a light mintiness. With water maritime characteristics emerge — dry boat varnish, edible seaweed. Still sweet; now with notes of iodine and the smokiness of an un-struck match. Body: Full. Pleasant, smooth. Palate: Sweet in front, then more assertive, with a whiff of smoke. The development is towards smoke, coal-tar and toffee. Finish: Medium length. Talisker’s characteristic chilli ‘catch’ in the finish is subtly present in the aftertaste

BACK IN STOCK

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Ledaig 10 year old Isle of Mull Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 6 available ($49.99)

• Talisker 18-year-old Isle of Skye Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Elsewhere $150) ($129.99) 93 points Whisky Advocate: “A sophisticated and refined Talisker, if that’s not an oxymoron. But this is certainly true when compared to the 10 year old. This 18 year old is deeper too, with less of the fishnets, more of oak boat docks. Less lemongrass, more fruit gum drops. There’s still that knock-out punch on the finish. There’s a fine line between polishing the rough edges of a beautifully powerful whisky and ripping its heart and soul out with a knife by dumbing it down. This whisky has not crossed that line. A fabulous whisky! (Vol. 14, #3)” K&L Notes: Limited to quantity on hand. This lovely 18 year old is always out of stock, so strike when the iron is hot! Strength: 45.8% ABV Appearance: Amber. Nose: Rich and fruity — Victoria plums, greengages, perhaps dried orange peel — with some butterscotch or rum toffee and a thread of smoke behind. The smoke soon advances into the foreground and the toffee note is joined by a light mintiness. With water maritime characteristics emerge — dry boat varnish, edible seaweed. Still sweet; now with notes of iodine and the smokiness of an un-struck match. Body: Full. Pleasant, smooth. Palate: Sweet in front, then more assertive, with a whiff of smoke. The development is towards smoke, coal-tar and toffee. Finish: Medium length. Talisker’s characteristic chilli ‘catch’ in the finish is subtly present in the aftertaste.

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Balcones Baby Blue Texas Corn Whisky 750ml – 6 available ($44.99)

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

FINAL UK TASTING TOUR OF 2013!

Without wanting to promote panic in any of you, our loyal whisky-loving customers… but you are in danger of missing out on our showpiece finales to the Whisky Lounge tasting calendar! It is the time of year where we challenge ourselves to find six Islay whiskies that are eclectic, interesting and tasty. The last category is not too hard, given the quality of whisky produced on the ‘Whisky Isle’, but increasingly it is more and more difficult to find stuff you haven’t tried before!

However, we are confident we have succeeded and next week we start our final UK tour of tastings starting in the ‘Sarf’!  There will be whiskies from among the distilleries – Bruichalddich, Bunnahabhain, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bowmore and Kilchoman. Of course we can’t tell you which but then that’s part of the fun!

As the title suggests, these are blind tastings in order that each dram gets your palate’s full attention and that none of us get distracted by the pretty packaging that can catch our eye. They are always great fun and for only £20 you will get to try a real kaleidoscope of whiskies, mostly of the peated, smoky variety…

The dates:

LONDON               Tuesday 29th October, The Red Lion, SW1

LONDON               Wednesday 30th October, The Red Lion, SW1
BRIGHTON            Thursday 31st October, The Hilton Metropole
SHEFFIELD           Tuesday 12th November, The Blake Hotel
LEEDS                   Wednesday 13th November, The Cross Keys
YORK                    Friday 15th November, The Brigantes
NEWCASTLE        Friday 22nd November, Blackfriars SOLD OUT
MANCHESTER     Saturday 23rd November, The Britons Protection SOLD OUT

These dates are now available to book online BUT BE QUICK AS WE ARE ALREADY SOLD OUT IN SOME AREAS!

Full newsletter to come but in the meantime we look forward to seeing you soon at one of the above tastings.

Slainte,

Eddie, Amanda and Joe
The Whisky Lounge Team.

GlenDronach 1990 / Single Cask #1240 / UK Exclusive

Single cask #1240, a UK exclusive from GlenDronach distillery. This 23 year old single malt whisky was laid to rest in 1990 in a Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon before being bottled in the Autumn of 2013.

£105.80 (£88.17 ex vat)

RRP £116.99

Click here to buy GlenDronach UK Exclusive Single Cask 1240

BenRiach 1994 / Single Cask #4386 / UK Exclusive

Single cask #4386 is the 2nd UK exclusive to be released from the BenRiach distillery in 2013. Distilled in 1994 this single cask release has been aged for 19 years with a finish in a virgin American oak cask, giving the whisky a powerful, rich oak character.

A limited edition release, bottled at cask strength in 2013, exclusively for the UK.

£74.82 (£62.35 ex vat)

RRP £83.99

Click here to buy BenRiach UK Exclusive Single Cask 4386

Highland Park Toast 40 Years of Linn

A press release lands on our doormat with a small bottle. Not an unusual occurrence; but this is a far from usual bottle, as it contains no less than Highland Park 40 year old. I first tasted this whisky as … Continue reading >>

Global superstar DJ Pete Tong brings the bass to Edinburgh for the Ballantine’s ‘Soundtrack of You’ party

Competition winners from around the world attended the exclusive event after creating the soundtrack of their lives

Winners from around the world were whisked away to Edinburgh, Scotland to spend the evening at the exclusive Ballantine’s Soundtrack of You event, which featured global superstar DJs Pete Tong and Heatbeat.

The one-off club night took place last night (16th October) at popular Edinburgh venue, The Caves, and saw legendary DJ Pete Tong and talented Argentinian DJ duo, Heatbeat, take to the decks for competition winners and guests of Ballantine’s, the world’s No 2 Scotch whisky.

The lucky winners travelled from all over the world for the opportunity to dance to two of the world’s greatest DJs after winning the Ballantine’s Soundtrack of You competition, with each submitting a soundtrack which reflected their personality and told their life story through music. Facebook fans then voted for their favourites, sending the winners on their way to Edinburgh for a night of beats and bass.

Pete Tong said of the experience: “I’ve really enjoyed being a part of the Ballantine’s ‘Soundtrack of You’ competition. Music is the ultimate form of self-expression, and no matter where I am in the world I love to see how passionate people are about music. The international crowd at The Caves embodied this, and the atmosphere was electric! I really enjoyed my set.”

Heatbeat added: “The Ballantine’s ‘Soundtrack of You’ party was awesome! People from all over the world connected through their love of music, which is the perfect crowd to us, and exactly what the Ballantine’s competition was all about. The venue looked amazing, and everyone had a really good time, especially us. We can’t wait to come back to Edinburgh again soon!”

The event was held to celebrate the launch of the new Ballantine’s Finest bottle, which reflects the essence, personality and life story of its founder, George Ballantine. The new bottle, whilst more contemporary, stays true to the original essence of Ballantine’s, resulting in an iconic design which reinforces the quality of the whisky inside.

NOTES

For pictures and video content from the event, go to: facebook.com/Ballantines and twitter.com/Ballantines_LtdNotes to editors

About Ballantine’s: Ballantine’s is the No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the world’s No 2 Scotch whisky by volume, and the range sells over 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 120 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for quality, as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the exclusive 40 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by the latest in a tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827.

About 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.

UNLUCKY FOR SOME BUT IT COULD BE LUCKY FOR YOU

 To celebrate our Story Season, we are offering you the chance to win one of 13 amazing prizes inspired by the great works of literature. These include:

Bose Soundlink® Wireless Speaker with iPod touch 16GB

Mulberry leather and silver money clip and £200 cash

PRADA classic tortoiseshell square frame sunglasses

Sennheiser digital wireless RS 220 headphones and transmitter

Leica D-LUX 6 digital camera

Murdocks of London Wren Shaving set – with Murdock Mach 3© Razor, Best Badger Brush and chrome metal stand, 200ml Shave Cream Jar and 100ml Post Shave Balm

Mont Blanc Pen – Meisterstück platinum line classique rollerball

Christopher Ward c5 Malvern automatic mk ii dress watch

Tannergoods Field Tan canvas and leather Nomad Duffle bag

Box of 10 Cohiba Behike 52 cigars

Jaques 18″ Staunton design Walnut, Sycamore and a solid Mahogany Chess Board with 3 1/2″ Original Staunton Design Chess Set

3″ Sterling Silver Quaich

Paul Smith ‘City Webbing’ black grained leather shoulder bag

Visit jurawhisky.com to take part.

Also this month, we’re inviting you to Save the Date with a good friend and sit down with a glass of Jura to swap a story or two. More details here.

Become an honorary Diurach to find out about more exclusive tastings, events and all of the latest updates from our beloved island. Be part of our story