NEW ARRIVALS

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• 1996 Bowmore 17 Year Old A.D. Rattray Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 5 available ($119.99)
• 1991 Caol Ila 22 Year Old Cadenhead’s Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 6 available ($139.99)
• 1984 Caol Ila 29 Year Old Cadenhead’s Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($239.99)

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Roughstock Montana Straight Rye Whiskey 750ml – 3 available ($49.99)

BACK IN STOCK

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Glenmorangie 18 year old Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($84.99)
Whisky Advocate: “43% abv. When compared to the 10 year old, this one’s richer, with darker fruit and more caramelized sweet notes, paired with accentuated dried wood spice, while the 10 year old is more vibrant and floral. Like the 10 year old, there’s good balance here. (Vol. 17, #2) ” K&L Notes: If I had to pick my favorite whisky from the LVMH line up, including all the Ardbeg expressions, I’d easily choose the 18 year old from Glenmorangie. It’s the best whisky they make for the price and everybody likes it: beginners, casual sippers, experts, whisky geeks. It’s so gentle, supple, rich, and full of flavor. The problem for me at K&L was getting a competitive price. I’ve got plenty of $115-$140 options that are more exciting to many of our serious whisky fans, but at $84.99, now we’re talking! Removing $32 from the price tag makes a world of difference. All of a sudden we’re talking serious deal! It’s not that the Glenmorangie isn’t worth $115, because it is. It’s just that it’s really worth $84.99. Kyle and I both agree that this is currently the hottest deal in the store. Soft stone fruit, caramel, creme brulee, vanilla, all the way to the finish. We won’t be able to sustain the pricing past this order, so when we sell through we have to raise it back up. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)

• 1991 Macallan 21 Year Old Speymalt, Gordon & MacPhail, Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 9 available ($149.99)

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Bourbon 750ml (ships as a 1.5L) – 12 available ($25.99)
• Leopold Bros.Maryland Style Rye Whiskey 750ml – 7 available ($46.99)
• Old Fitzgerald 100 pf Bottled in Bond Bourbon 750ml – 8 available ($14.99)

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

A message from Oliver at Malt Maniacs Central;

“I am happy to report that another new E-pistle has just been published. Louis has been understandably unhappy about the ever-increasing price of Lagavulin, so he offers advice for cheaper alternatives.”

THE E-PISTLE

www.ralfy.com has a classic cartoon-book moment with Whisky Review 411 – Loch Lomond Malt Whisky

Glengoyne Live Cask Event A Dram Good Success

12 November 2013: Last Thursday (7th November, 7.00pm), there was a momentous event for Glengoyne Distillery, the home of Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, as it hosted its first ever live online cask tasting.

Members of the Glengoyne Family signed up to take part in this unique tasting – the first of its kind by a single malt brand – where three specially chosen casks were opened, discussed and tasted by Stuart Hendry, Brand Ambassador and Robbie Hughes, Glengoyne Distillery Manager, live online.

Filmed in Glengoyne Distillery’s warehouse number eight and broadcast by satellite, over 400 Glengoyne fans tuned in from countries around the world including Hawaii, Germany, South Africa and Sweden. Viewers then had the opportunity to vote online for their favourite cask to be bottled. The winning cask was then available for advance purchase online from 8.00pm.

The three casks that were sampled ranged from 25-27 years old. The winning cask was Cask B with 152 votes – 26 years old, distilled on the 19 May 1987, a first fill European oak sherry cask at 54.6% abv.  A bright gold malt with a strong scent of brambles, a sweet blast of honey on the tongue with eucalyptus and oily lemon.

Robbie Hughes commented: “To take three Glengoyne casks and open them for the first time since being filled was immensely exciting. Each cask the same but all have been on a different journey, leading to a distinctively individual malt inside. To be able to share this with Glengoyne fans is incredible and we are thrilled with the chosen bottle, cask B – a perfect addition to the Glengoyne collection.”

Cask C was a close second in the vote – a 27 year old malt with an amber redness, a syrupy nose and a rich, peppery taste. It was the highest abv at 53.6%.

Cask A was a 25 year old malt, dark and rich in colour with a sweet toffee nose and a spicy fruity taste. Its abv was 52.6%.

Iain Weir, Marketing Director for Ian Macleod Distillers (owners of Glengoyne), said: “The live cask tasting was a great success and we are delighted with the response from the Glengoyne fans who participated. We believe this is a first for the industry – never before has a single malt whisky brand invited their members to watch an online tasting and vote for their favourite cask in real-time and it’s something we look forward to doing again in the future.”

The team behind the event included Edinburgh based digital agency, Weather Digital who worked with web streaming specialists, Glocast and presenter, Stephen Jardine from Taste Communications.

The recorded production is available to view on the brand’s YouTube channel at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq0eKuHkBtg 

Only 339 bottles will be available to purchase of this limited edition malt from www.glengoyne.com, with an RRP of £350.

Glengoyne Distillery – highly regarded as Scotland’s most beautiful distillery is situated in Dumgoyne near Loch Lomond. Glengoyne runs its stills slower than any other distillery, proof that Glengoyne genuinely is “Worth the Wait”.

KILCHOMAN RELEASES ITS OLDEST WHISKY TO DATE – 2007 VINTAGE 

The 2007 Vintage is the next release in the Vintages range. We have previously released the 2006 Vintage which was a vatting of five year old bourbon barrels. The 2007 Vintage is a vatting of six year old fresh bourbon barrels and will be the oldest single malt we have released to date. The additional ageing of the 2007 Vintage brings through soft cooked fruits, vanilla and caramel on the nose with peat smoke, butterscotch and soft citrus fruits on the palate. There is a long lingering finish with peat smoke and sweetness very evident.”

Islay’s independent farm distillery, Kilchoman, is to release the oldest whisky to date. Only 10,000 bottles of the limited edition 2007 Vintage will be made available worldwide and it is expected to sell quickly.

With a smoky vanilla and caramel nose with cooked lemon and citrus fruits, the 2007 Vintage is smooth in the mouth with hints of butterscotch and soft citrus fruit, complimented by a lasting sweetness that blends with the peaty and fruity finish.

Anthony Wills, managing director of Kilchoman, said: “This is an exciting development and sees us enter a long-awaited period in our history. Although we’re a relatively young distillery our Vintage six-year-old shows a level of maturity normally associated with much older whisky.  We predict that this will sell quickly and hope Kilchoman followers share in our excitement in the development of our malt.”

Kilchoman’s portfolio now includes MachirBay, Loch Gorm and a new edition of 100% Islay which is the only Single Malt in Scotland where every stage of the whisky making process, from the barley grown in the surrounding fields to the malting, distillation, maturation and bottling, takes place at the distillery.

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.

The 2007 Vintage bottled at 46% ABV. RRP $80.00 

Tasting Notes: Kilchoman 2007 Vintage

Colour: light beech darkening with age

Nose: smoky vanilla and caramel notes with cooked fruits, lemon and citrus

Palate: butterscotch and soft citrus fruit with a lasting sweetness

Finish: peaty and fruity with a long lingering sweetness

Glenfiddich “Spirit of a Nation” Now Available at The Whisky Shop. Only available while stocks last. Free postage on all purchases.

This UK Exclusive, one-of-a-kind single malt was selected by the Glenfiddich Malt Master from a refill sherry cask that was laid down on February 14th, 1984.

The Spirit of a Nation cask conducted a UK tour hosting four events in key “garrison towns” supporting the Walking With The Wounded UK South Pole Challenge team. Two bottles will be sent to the South Pole with the team , one to open and one to return for auction.

Finished in an American Oak barrel which adds some soft, sweet notes to create a complex, rewarding and completely unique malt. One of only 200 bottles, available only in the UK. 29 year old, bottled at 48.8% abv.

£1000, click here to buy

For more information on this unique expression please click here

A few new releases from Bruichladdich Distillery and a few older releases that have almost gone. Stocks are limited.

Bruichladdich Cuvee 382 La Berenice
70cl | 46% ABV
Incl. Tax: £98.99

Bruichladdich 16 Year Old
70cl | 46% ABV
Incl. Tax: £58.00

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte
70cl | 50% ABV
Incl. Tax: £42.99

Bruichladdich Cuvee 407 PX
70cl | 46% ABV
Incl. Tax: £98.99

Bruichladdich Scottish Barley Classic
70cl | 50% ABV
Incl. Tax: £40.99

Bruichladdich Octomore 06-1
70cl | 57% ABV
Incl. Tax: £89.99

Bruichladdich Cuvee 640 Eroica
70cl | 46% ABV
Incl. Tax: £98.99

Bruichladdich Islay Barley Rockside Farm 2007
70cl | 50% ABV
Incl. Tax: £42.99

Duncan Taylor Bruichladdich 1992 20 Year Old
70cl | 49.3% ABV
Incl. Tax: £115.00

UK vlogger Joe Ellis a.k.a Whisky Wednesday reviews the Armorik Classic French Single Malt!

http://youtu.be/mhxwS7aXfak

http://Facebook.com/whiskytube

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

VOLUPTUOUS, intense and astounding – three adjectives used by those who have just sampled GlenDronach’s latest cask strength batch which is launched today (12 November).

Back in December last year, the GlenDronach distillery delighted its worldwide admirers by producing its first cask strength single malt. All 12,000 bottles sold out in a matter of weeks and Batch 2 quickly followed due to popular demand.

Now Batch 3 has been released with GlenDronach’s trademark combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks aiding its careful maturation.

The Oloroso influence introduces notes of fruit and toffee while the Pedro Ximenez contribution adds zesty spice – and the result is a truly delicious sherried Speyside malt. Excellent aged oak combines with classic GlenDronach spirit to give a majestic example of an uncut whisky – straight from the cask at 54.9% vol, non-chill filtered and at its natural colour.

Billy Walker’s tasting notes show the wood and whisky have interacted over time to produce a dram bursting with beauty.

Appearance

Hints of ruby through a body of deep golden amber.

Nose

Fantastic waves of soft golden syrup over dates and rum raisins hold a gentle tangerine and ground almond back note. Toasted oak with a dusting of cocoa adds a rich warmth and depth.

Palate

Crisp barley and a freshly-sawn oak spice burst through ripe plums and golden sultanas. A delicate note of dried apricots and candied peel adds a fantastic sweet, zesty balance. Subtle touches of milk chocolate soften the long expressive finish.

Finish

A perfect harmony of classic Highland characters and elegant sherry influences.

Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “We believe this is another GlenDronach gem where spices mingle with the richness of the fruit to give a hugely satisfying malt to be savoured slowly during special, quiet moments.

“We’ll continue to release our cask strength batches as long as this wonderful expression remains popular with consumers.”

If you would like to receive more information, please contact us on info@glendronachdistillery.co.uk

JIM MURRAY’S NEW 2014 WHISKY BIBLE HAILS BENRIACH, GLENDRONACH AND GLENGLASSAUGH SINGLE MALTS

SINGLE malts from BenRiach, GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh have been called “perfection”, “faultless” and “astounding” in Jim Murray’s new 2014 Whisky Bible, with two taking top awards in the aged single cask categories.

Murray is widely regarded as one of the best whisky writers and his Bible has been hailed as the world’s most authoritative whisky guide.

This year he analysed over four thousand whiskies from around the world, with scores going from 0 to 100. Those in the 94-97.5 category are, he says, “superstar whiskies that give us all a reason to live”…and amongst them are seven BenRiach, GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh expressions.

Topping them all is the GlenDronach Recherche 1968 which won the 41 years and over single cask category with 97 points. Murray comments: “I have come to look at this style of malt beyond fondly. In fact this is love. Truly incredible. A real once in a lifetime treat for most.”

Next is the Glenglassaugh Massandra Collection Aleatico aged 39 years which took the 35-40 years single cask award with 96.5 points. “We are talking, in short, perfection. One of the few whiskies this year which has made me sit bolt upright in my seat. Whisky of the very rarest beauty and one of the finest scotch whiskies to land on my tasting desk for a great many years.”

Also gaining 96.5 is the GlenDronach 18 year old. “The ultimate sherry cask whisky. Faultless and truly astounding.”

A further four expressions took 96 points.

The BenRiach single cask 1983 aged 30 years (Batch 10 cask 296): “This is how a great Speyside malt of three decades’ maturation should taste. Classic doesn’t do it justice.”

The BenRiach single cask 1996 aged 17 years (Batch 10, cask 10306): “Astoundingly beautiful.  A distillery landmark malt.”

The GlenDronach 1992 aged 21 years (Batch 8, cask 145): “The delivery of dreams. This is sherried Highland malt of the very highest calibre.”

The GlenDronach 1994 aged 19 years (Batch 8, cask 101): “Magnificent.”

Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “2013 has been an exceptional year for us. Winning ten medals at the International Wine and Spirits Competition, the top single malt award in the China Whisky Guide, four Scottish Field Whisky Challenge awards and now receiving these wonderful commendations in Jim Murray’s latest Whisky Bible is very special.

“It’s especially pleasing that the accolades are spread across all three of our brands. I believe our success is due to the distilleries’ consistent quality and craftsmanship, our wood management strategy, Billy Walker’s excellent cask selection and the passion and enthusiasm of our people. That is what produces these incredible whiskies time and time again.”