Cú Dhub Black Whisky (Black Dog) 40% Alc Speyside

Bottles (1/70CL). Duty Paid. There’s more to Cú Dhub than just the novelty fact of it being the World’s only Black Whisky. Cú Dhub translates as ‘Black Dog’, and is distilled near the Forest of Gaick, where the Witch of Laggan (allegedly) roamed and encountered the creatures who gave this dram its name… A dark, dark whisky from the village of Drumguish near Kingussie. Check out this award winner at a great price…

Tasting Notes
Colour: Solid black
Nose: Light and mild, sweetness, burnt wood, root of liquorice giving a cool impression.
Taste: Vanilla, hot notes of liquorice come forward, sweet, smooth and well-balanced.
Finish: Good balance between sweet and a hint of strong coffee. A whisky with a ‘bite’. The malt comes through.

…just £21.78 inc VAT per bottle!
£21.78 inc VAT
£18.15 ex VAT
Special Offer Save 15% Was £25.62

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Whisky Ramblings Via Video #66

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries the Auchentoshan Select. It was one the Lowland distillery’s NAS expressions. Bottled for the first time in the early 90s, it moved to the duty free range in 2008, but is no longer being produced as of 2012. It has been replaced with the Springwood & Heartwood. But Mark will try an old bottling, from 1994, for the Italian market. This is still a very nice, albeit undemanding, summer dram.

http://youtu.be/iywFMJMiwGA

Scotland’s Distillery Boom

New Morrison Distillery planned for Perthshire

Ernie – Ernst J Scheiner, The Gateway to Distilleries at www.whisky-distilleries.net

The Exchequer of James IV put the Tironensian and Lindores monk John Cor on the agenda of Scottish whisky history in 1495 by writing: “To Friar John Cor, by order of the King, to make aqua vitae VIII bolls of malt.” In Latin he noted: „Et per liberacionem factam Fratri Johanni Cor per preceptum compotorum rotulatoris, ut asserit, de mandato domini regis ad faciendum aquavite, infra hoc compotum viij bolle brasii.“

The wider Lindores area around Newburgh will become a distilling centre again with the working farm distillery Daftmill and the proposed micro Lindores-McKenzie-Smith-Distillery.

A further distillery will join the two Lowland distilleries according to plans which have been lodged with local planning authority and revealed just recently to The Gateway to Distilleries. The new whisky plant will be located just some miles west from the overgrown ruin of Frair Johanni’s Lindores Abbey in the small village of Aberargie, near Abernethy which is just south-east of the blending centre Perth.

The famous whisky dynasty, the Morrison Family of Bowmore, who sold their distilleries Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch to the Japanese drinks giant Suntory in 1994, will join in the distilling industry with verve again. Mid October plans were published by Tim Morrison who will built a 500,000 litre distillery in Glasgow’s famous Queen’s docks. After about 100 years the River Clyde will see a whisky distillery again.

His brother Brian, former chairman of Morrison Distillers, and his son Jamie will also invest in a distillery project in rural Aberargie where they own farmland around the proposed production site. Their intention is to use barley grown by their own farm and adjoining local farms. It is said that the new commercial distillery will produce double distilled single malt only. „Capacity has not been decided yet,“ explained Kenny MacKay, managing director of the Scottish Liqueur Centre in Perth. The Mackays and the Morrisons are the main shareholders (89%) of the Perth bottling and blending firm which has revived the former Thomson label Old Perth this year. Kenny MacKay has also set up the distinguished Cárn Mór cask bottlings launched in 2008. In their portfolio are also the Highland liqueur Bruadar and the premium cream liqueur Columba with single malt whisky sourced from Tullibardine distillery.

The new  distillery will not produce any grain whiskies but double distilled malts which would supply the whiskies for the new Blended Malt Old Perth. It would also allow „swapping spirits“ with other distilleries to secure further single cask bottlings of the Cárn Mór series. Thus they are following the footsteps of other successful Scottish independent bottlers like Andrew Symington and Ian Macleod who had aquired the Highland distilleries Edradour, Glengoyne and the Speyside Distillery Tamdhu.

‘Our project  is now in for planning permission, and once, and if, we know that we have it then we can start to look at the build project in much more detail, it doesn’t happen overnight,“ said Kenny MacKay, one of the main shareholders of the Scottish Liqueur Centre.

The distillery will be owned by a company (KIC Holdings Ltd, Perth) controlled by The Morrison family and the new site which will also contain a bottling and blending plant which will be operated by the Scottish Liqueur Centre.

Information:

www.scottish-liqueur-centre.com

www.whisky-distilleries.net

Photos

Kenny Mackay at the Whisky & Tobacco Days 2013 in Hofheim, Germany. Copyright Ernie- Ernst J. Scheiner 2013.

About the Author: Ernie – Ernst J. Scheiner M.A. was a director in an adult education centre. Ernie offers courses on whisky distilling, writes for newspapers, magazines and blogs in Germany. He is the editor of The Gateway to Distilleries at www.whisky-distilleries.net which gives an excellent photographic and educational insight into the whisky industry of Scotland, Ireland, Europe and Asia.

Please see also: http://www.whisky-distilleries.net

THE DRIVERS SHARE – what about a round of applause for the drivers!  Normally, this is what the driver has at each distillery; a cup of tea/coffee or an empty glass. We hope you all appreciate your drivers for whisky tours, being a driver myself (Paul) I know how it feels. The Drivers Share; An interview with our Irish whiskey tour driver; Mark Burgess, a Scot, now living in Belfast.

1. Mark, what does it feel like driving a whiskey tour group when you cannee drink?  A; Well I take great pride in driving the Whiskey tour, as I was brought up in the whiskey world, with my father being a master distiller (retired now) way up in Speyside at one of the stills, so I feel a strong pull and connection while on tour and love getting to know the groups and getting to know there interests and the whiskey clubs from around the world, but I have to say the worst part of the job has to be the fact that I am the driver. So no sample’s for me during the day.

2. Watching the group (and myself) enjoy samples usually with a satisfied smile, is it hard when do don’t even get to sample anything? A; Watching the group enjoy the samples on tour, does give me a bit of mixed feelings, (not bad ones) I love watching peoples reactions on tasting as everyone knows, each persons taste is different and I like hearing what they think, but on the down side, I do feel a little jealous when the groups get a wee special one to taste, which I know I will most likely never have the chance to try again.

3. back at the hotel each night, if asked what dram you would like, what would you choose? A; Back at the hotel I would often be offered a dram or 2, what I choose would depend on the area I was in, for instance if I was around the Middleton area of Co Cork I would choose something from the Jameson collection, or even trying a whiskey I have heard of but not tasted, basically having my own personnel tasting

4. again, at the hotel, how does it feel when you stop drinking at 8.30pm? A; Being a driver on tour does have disadvantages, having the Responsibility’s of having passengers on your coach, you have to very sensible and responsible and only trying one or two drams in the evening is enough, as the passengers safety and enjoyment is the most important part of the tour, so I don’t mind sitting with the groups drinking soft drinks as the crac is always great.

5. I know on our tours, we normally give you samples and drams to take home, would it not be better to be able to join in on the tour? A; Paul has always been kind to me and gives me samples to take home with me which is a real bonus for me and makes my tour even more special, as I can’t wait to get home and and try them and fill my whiskey notebook in with my own notes, but I must say it would be nice if you could sample the whiskeys with the groups on the visits to the stills, but as they say its the nature of the job.

6. At home, what are your whiskies of choice? A; At home, I like to have a good peat whiskey both from Scotland and Ireland, a few being, the Coal Ila 12 year old, Laphroaig quarter cask, and the Connemara single malts.

7. Finally, having driven tours for us this year myself, I do feel sorry for all drivers and know myself the drivers share is usually NOTHING, or a CUP OF TEA/COFFEE. Do you have a parting shot? A; The drivers share ha ha, what can you say? a tea or coffee sir, yes I do feel I am missing out on that special one, but I love the job it very interesting and very rewarding just to see my groups with big smiles on there faces after each visit and mostly empty wallets as well, but it would be nice if the stills did think about the driver and give a little sample to take away with him to try at his own leisure. Its not that he wants a bottle, just a little sample in a sample bottle would go a long way to a happy driver!

Interview by Paul McLean www.angelswhiskyclub.com and www.mcleanscotland.com

A COMPLETELY new type of Scotch single malt has been crowned World Whisky Of The Year in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2014.

Glenmorangie Ealanta was distilled as Scotch but matured in the style of American bourbon. The 19-year-old malt has been given a record-equalling 97.5 points out of 100 to see off the Kentucky bourbon William Larue Weller, which came in second.

In explaining his choice, Jim Murray said the unique Glenmorangie had pipped its rival “because it went out and did something very different: not only did it blow me away with its deftness, beauty and elegance, but it gave an aroma and taste profile completely new to me in over 30 years of tasting whisky”.

For the tenth anniversary edition of the Whisky Bible, Jim Murray tasted over 1,100 new whiskies from all over the world which had entered the market in the last year.

Ten years after the launch of the first Whisky Bible, the sales of which are now heading towards half a million copies, Jim Murray has also reprised his campaign against the use of caramel to falsely colour whisky.

Jim Murray insists that, despite whatever the distillers may claim, caramel dulls the taste and aroma of whisky and misleads consumers as the colouring is often not listed as an ingredient.

Jim Murray added: “Ten years ago, my campaign against caramel had a huge and positive impact on many distillers and independent bottlers around the world. But it is a shame that, a decade on, some of the bigger boys continue to use it. I hope my campaign will lead at least to legal acknowledgement on labels of the presence of colouring, as is the case in Germany.”

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2014 is available to buy now from http://www.whiskybible.com/ and good bookshops and liquor stores throughout the world.

Dear whiskyfriends,

Those of you who where at Maltstock this year might have noticed: Someone was filming us and taking pictures! Just like the rest of our guests by the way 😉 but for a different reason.

Gwen Jansen, who was our guest at Maltstock 2013, is a Dutch film maker who has set herself the task to make a documentary film about whisky in the Netherlands. She has taken a plunge into the Dutch whisky scene to make a film:

Since we very much like the initiative, and it is a crowd funding project, we thought it couldn’t hurt to bring it to your attention.

All the information about this wonderful project, and how to support it, can be found at this website: http://www.nederlandwhiskyland.nl/home.html

You can watch a Dutch TV news item (in Dutch) about this initiative here:

http://www.rtlxl.nl/#!/u/a88b8bde-48f2-4645-bae8-c554480ce58e

In a few day’s our regular newsletter will follow to keep you posted on the latest news about Maltstock.

Relaxed greetings,

Annette, Bob, Jeroen, Klaas, Stan and Teun
Maltstock

NOVEMBER OUTTURN: WARM UP FOR WHISKY SEASON

These 11 new bottlings offer a plethora of gentle, sweet and fruity flavours. Deliciously satisfying drams, perfect for drawing the curtains and cosying up by the fire…

Young & spritely

76.108 Raspberry Ruffles
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£49.40

Sweet, fruity & mellow

46.22 An Italian Kitchen
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£46.22
7.96 Subtle quality in a lady’s handbag
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£85.30

Spicy & sweet

9.75 Imperial Leather in a boat chandlery
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36.68 Sweet and salty combo
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£82.80

Spicy & dry

55.22 Backstage at a burlesque
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£64.50

Deep, rich & fruity

121.65 A well-oiled baseball glove
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£47.90

Old & dignified

35.99 Long, lingering contentment
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£87.80

Lightly Peated

3.211 Out of left field
*Low Outturn!*
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£110.00
53.191 Candy Fruit Filled Seashells
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£60.00

Peated

29.132 Hospitals and Japanese Restaurants
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£79.50

Browse all bottlings

In the SHOP:

Let us whet your
appetite with
offers guaranteed
to enhance your
enjoyment…

Purr-fect Pair

Only 35 available
Buy 35.99 & 9.75 for  only £119!
35.99 Long, lingering contentment
9.75 Imperial Leather in a boat chandlery

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Lip-smacking
Trio

Only 35 available
Buy 121.65, 35.99 & 9.75 for only £179!
121.65 A well-oiled baseball glove
35.99 Long, lingering contentment
9.75 Imperial Leather in a boat chandlery

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The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at http://www.smws.co.uk/memberships for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers.

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

CHANCE TO SAMPLE WHISKY GALORE AT BOWHILL 

Beginners to the world of whisky tasting will have a chance to learn more about Scotland’s amber nectar at an event at Bowhill House, Selkirk, on November 2.

The informal tasting event will give visitors the chance to find out if they know their malts from their blends, or their Highlands from their Lowlands.

The evening will provide the chance to sample a wide variety of whiskies, with highlights including the Douglas of Drumlanrig single malt range.

The tasting session will be hosted by whisky aficionado Calum Flanders.

He said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for people to learn more about Scotland’s most famous export.

“Perceptions of whisky have moved on considerably, and what might once-upon-a-time have been perceived as an ‘old man’s’ drink is now loved by men and women of all ages. We look forward to attracting a diverse group to the event and giving them the chance to sample some special treats from around the country.”

Calum will discuss the effect spring water has on whisky, and how water from different areas can have different effects on the flavour.

He will also educate attendees on the impact the cask can have on the taste and talk through mashing charts and tasting charts.

In addition there will be discussion around the importance of your nose when it comes to whisky tasting, with humans relying on just four primary taste receptors compared with at least 32 smell receptors.

And to top it off there will also be a chance to round off the evening with some sweet treats, with some quality chocolate samples available.

This not-to-be-missed event takes place from 7pm-9pm, and costs £25 which includes a light refreshment. To secure a place call 01750 22204 or visit www.bowhill.org

Hello everyone,

I took a very deep breath before I started writing these words. It was more than 4 years ago when I seized the opportunity presented to me and became Grant’s whisky first Global Ambassador. With a strong team of craftsmen, marketers, family shareholders and a blend whose name was already trusted in every corner… (please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,

Ludo

Islay’s independent farm distillery, Kilchoman, is to release an exclusive bottling to its club members.

Managing director Anthony Wills and distillery manager John MacLellan have chosen eight fresh bourbon barrels from an October 2008 filling which are currently being finished in Oloroso Butts. These will be bottled at cask strength and around 2,000 bottles will be made available for sale.

The Kilchoman fans who have signed up to the club – that provides special access to a limited edition bottling each year, special tastings and discounts – can purchase the second annual release for £75 on Monday 4 November from 12pm on the distiller’s website.

Anthony Wills, managing director of Kilchoman, said: “Last year the release was very popular with our club members, as it sold out instantly and the amount of visitors brought down our website. In preparation we’ve expanded the website to make sure it can cope with the expected increase in traffic.”

Kilchoman’s portfolio now includes Machir Bay, Loch Gorm, a new edition of 100% Islay and its most recent addition, the Vintage 2007 which is Kilchoman’s oldest whisky released to date.

With an ambition to take whisky production back to its traditional roots, Anthony Wills built and founded Kilchoman Distillery in 2005 on a farm situated on the rugged west coast of Islay. The first distillery on the island for 124 years, Kilchoman is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland and one of only a handful left that still practise the traditional floor malting method.

Kilchoman fans can sign up to the member’s club at www.kilchomandistillery.com

The second annual club release will be made available from 12pm on Monday 4 November on the Kilchoman website www.kilchomandistillery.com priced at £75.00.

www.kilchomandistillery.com

facebook.com/pages/Kilchoman-Distillery

twitter.com/Kilchoman05

Notes 

About Kilchoman

Since the first bottling was released in 2009, Kilchoman has quickly established itself as a high quality Islay Single Malt within the whisky industry. Awards include two prestigious IWSC Gold and a Silver medal in 2012, Malt Advocates Artisan Whisky of the Year 2011 and GQ’s 100 best things in 2012.

Most recently, Kilchoman’s exceptional quality was recognised at the prestigious International Whisky Competition (IWC), which named Machir Bay as its Whisky of the Year and Anthony Wills as Master Distiller of the Year 2013. In addition, at the IWSC 2013 Awards, Loch Gorm was awarded Gold, Machir Bay received Silver and 100% Islay 2^nd Ed was given bronze.