Single Malt Scotch never sleeps!

We are constantly on the lookout for new and exciting bottles of single malt scotch. Tasting single malts. It’s a rough job, but someone has to do it. Jon and Marlon recently tried some phenomenal bottles from private bottler Chieftain’s that they had to have, as well as a new bombshell from The Arran. We’d also like to send a special ‘Thank You’ to the Walker Family who recently purchased Glenglassugh and making their distillery bottles finally available in New York.

All of the bottles listed here arrived today and are not yet listed on our website. Please call or contact the store if you are interested in any of these items. We are happy to discuss these or any item we carry and hope our friends in the U.S. are staying cool.

Cheers!

Jonathan & Eric

Park Avenue Liquor Shop

292 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10017

212-685-2442

info@parkaveliquor.com

www.parkaveliquor.com

Also New in store

Glen Moray 16 Year Old

We welcome back with open arms and expectant pallets, Glen Moray 16 year old. It  has been about 4 years since we’ve had a distillery bottle of Glen Moray and the 16 year old does not disappoint. It has a rich, mature nose with robust dried fruit, figs, raisins, mixed with chocolate and spices. A hint of leather and linseed oil are also present giving an overall impression of depth of character. Taste is sweet, full and exceptionally well-rounded with a good firm body.  The texture is gently oily and mouth-coating with chewy oak tannins. The flavor is initially of toffee, progressing to mint and barley sugar followed by a hint of peat smoke flavors. Finish is medium to long with a flavor and texture reminiscent of barley sugar. On Sale: $47/btl

Chieftain’s: Laphroaig 1998, 14 Year old

Laphroaig is a household name in the world of peated single malts. Prince Charles of Wales has hand selected barrels in their warehouse and we believe Chieftain’s has selected a winner here. It is no wonder that Laphroaig has been the best selling Islay malt whisky in the first decade of the third millennium. Looking beyond the peat, this 14 year old expression is loaded with citrus, spice and brine. At 121 proof, the malt is creamy and is perfectly balanced. Our price: $142/btl

Chieftain’s: Glentaucher’s 1992, 20 Year old

Glentauchers (pronounced glen-TOCH-ers) was built in 1889 by James Buchannan, the creator of the famous Black & White and Buchannan blends. The malt whisky is a key component of Ballantine’s and Teacher’s blends, which is why bottlings are rarely found. This particular bottling was distilled the year Glentauchers was re-opened after an 8-year closing. After 20 years in used bourbon casks, the whisky is reminiscent of flowers, baking spice and citrus. The richness of the malt carries these flavors and more for a very long finish. Our price: $190/btl

Chieftain’s: Linkwood 2000, 12 Year old

The Linkwood distillery was founded in 1821; a time when whisky distillation wasn’t quite yet legal. The founder, Peter Brown, ran the distillery for almost 50 years. It stayed in the Brown family until 1897 and is now currently owned by Diageo. Although there are a few official bottlings from the distillery, most of the Linkwood produced is used in Johnnie Walker and White Horse. This 12 year old bottling is unique becauseof the port wood finish. With its pinkish hue and berry nose, the single malt is inviting and juicy without being overly sweet. Our price: $97/btl

The Arran Malt: 12 Year old, Cask Strength

For Batch #2 of The Arran Malt 12 Year Old Cask Strength, Master Distiller James MacTaggart has selected a combination of 17 First-Fill Sherry Butts and 4 Second-Fill Sherry Hogsheads which have been bottled at Natural Cask Strength. The influence of the Sherry Casks has enhanced the classic Arran characteristics of sweet fruit and spicy oak to create a rich and powerful new edition of The Arran Malt. Our price: $83/btl

Glenglassaugh: “Revival”, 12 Year old

The first Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the re-furbished Glenglassaugh Distillery which is available through normal distribution channels. The Glenglassaugh “Revival” is a combination of first and refill cask styles, finished in 1st fill Oloroso sherry butts for a period of 6 months. Non-chill filtered and natural color, a Highland  Single Malt with a coastal charm. Our price: $71/btl

Glenglassaugh: 26 Year old

Glenglassaugh 26 year old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a marriage of the finest casks which were filled at the distillery in 1983. It is bottled at 92 proof and the result is a complex yet light whisky which still retains much of the youthful elements and light fruits of the original spirit. There are rich Sherry aromas with hints of fudge, toffee and boiled sweets. The 26 year old comes in a distinctive “tear shaped” bottle which is engraved with the distillery’s distinct logo. Our price: $285/btl

We are not responsible for typographical errors. Due to ever-changing inventory, we cannot guarantee bottle availability. Please contact the store with any questions you have.

At last! “THE WATER OF BLYTH”A novel about Single Malt Scotch Whisky 

“…it was a fun read and made me just slightly thirsty for a noggin or two.”

Owen Brown, Santa Cruz, California

“…read from the beginning right through to the end…which I did in a single sitting.”

 “I started The Water of Blythe last night and couldn’t stop till it was done. Loved it!”

Shirley and BobDavies, Newmarket, Ontario

“Loved your Scottish mystery. Wanted to join you in the ‘nosing room’.”

Sharon Willemse, Vancouver, British Columbia

BUY NOW

www.ralfy.com goes cheap but cheerful with Whisky Review 378 – William Lawson’s scotch whisky

A rare expression from the 1920s inspires Hankey Bannister Heritage Blend

Hankey Bannister Blended Scotch Whisky celebrates its illustrious and rich history today by launching the Heritage Blend, a faithful recreation of the 1920s style of Hankey Bannister.

In 2012 a British couple discovered they were in possession of a very rare bottle of Hankey Bannister Fine Old Liqueur Scotch Whisky dating from between 1924 and 1928. They approached the brand which purchased the find with a view to add it to the archives. As it turned out, the seal on the bottle was intact and the liquid inside was perfectly preserved.

First decades of the 20th century were the golden era of Hankey Bannister, at the time the favourite tipple of many celebrities and politicians, but until recently the brand had no liquid from that period suitable for analysis. This made the discovery of the old bottle all the more significant.

Slightly sweeter and noticeably smoky, the 1920s classic inspired the company Master Blender Stuart Harvey to recreate the style of the long-forgotten blend using currently available stock. Mr. Harvey used Hankey Bannister Original Blended Scotch Whisky as the starting point and carefully transformed it into a faithful recreation of the historic liquid with the use of older whiskies and peated malts. The result is a rich and full flavoured blend bursting with sweet and fruity aromas of burnt oranges and green apples followed by vanilla, caramel and hints of spice, with a whiff of smoke adding to its darker and more complex character. The blend has a high malt content is bottled at 46% ABV.

Hankey Bannister Brand Manager Lynne Buckley commented:

‘The colourful history of Hankey Bannister is of great interest to our team and also to our drinkers, so to have the opportunity to bring to life an authentic part of the whisky’s history has been an enormous pleasure. We are very fortunate that someone back in the 1920s decided to store this bottle for posterity – and that it was in such good condition 90 years after bottling. Stuart Harvey has done a great job in creating a blend that is true to the taste and style of the antique whisky whilst also being a wonderful dram for modern day whisky drinkers.’

In line with the meticulous work carried out in the blending lab, the design team took inspiration from the original packaging. The result is a beautiful and striking black bottle, created using a pioneering glass colouring technique, graced with period lettering and the iconic Hankey Bannister logo.

For a discerning whisky drinker Hankey Bannister Heritage Blend is a rare opportunity to experience first hand a piece of the whisky industry history and sample liquid which George V, Sir Winston Churchill, Evelyn Waugh and many of their contemporaries would instantly recognise.

5000 cases of Hankey Bannister Heritage Blend will be available globally. The recommended retail price in the UK is £25.

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY EXPERIMENTS

WITH ENTRY PROOF IN LATEST RELEASE  

Four Different Wheated Recipe Bourbons are the Latest

Experimental Collection Release 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (July, 2013) In the whiskey world, the topic of barrel entry proof has always led to heated discussions. Some distillers believe a higher entry proof, especially for a wheated recipe bourbon, will lead to a better end result, purporting that alcohol ages better than water.  While other distillers attest that a lower entry proof leads to a more mellow, consistent finish.

The latest Experimental Collection release from Buffalo Trace Distillery investigates the entry proof debate, with all four of the experiments coming off the still at a consistent 130 proof, but put into the barrel for aging using four different entry proofs.  All of the barrels were then aged together for 11 years, 7 months and bottled at 90 proof.  Here are the details:

Wheat 125 – At 125 proof, this was the highest entry proof used, which also resulted in a high evaporation rate of 71% in the 11-plus years it was in the barrel. The high entry proof of this wheat recipe bourbon resulted in a well-rounded flavor with the taste being a balance of cooked berries mingled with sweet honey and slight hints of spicy cloves and pepper.

Wheat 115 – This wheated recipe bourbon was put into the barrel at 115 proof and lost the highest percentage due to evaporation, at 73%.  Tasting notes for this bourbon say it is a well-balanced spirit, which was rated the best tasting by the quality analysis team at Buffalo Trace.  The upfront taste is sweet and fruity, with buttery toffee notes that follow. A dry oaky finish completes the taste.

Wheat 105 – At an entry proof of 105, the angels were particularity generous with their share, taking the lowest amount of all four experiments with a rate of 62%.  The 105 entry proof produced a bourbon that is a nice balance of sweet caramel, vanilla, and dry oakiness.

Wheat 90 – At an entry point of 90, this bourbon had a 64% evaporation rate as it aged alongside the other four experimental wheat barrels in Warehouse K. The result was a bourbon with more wood characters and slight sweet notes. It is mellow with hints of cedar and other wood flavors.

“This was an interesting experiment for us to conduct, and by keeping all of the variables consistent such as the proof off the still, aging time and placement next to each other in the warehouse, we were able to focus just on the entry proof into the barrel and see how it affected taste and evaporation rate,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller.  “We were pleased that what we consider the ideal entry proof for a wheated bourbon, at 114 proof, was pretty close in proof to what we evaluated to also taste the best in this experiment – which was the 115 proof experiment. It was gratifying to see that we have been on the right track this whole time with our entry proof for our wheated recipe bourbons.  Another point of interest is the higher entry proofs, the higher the evaporation rates, which is something we’ve always suspected but now know for a fact.”

These wheated recipe barrels are part of the more than 1,500 experimental barrels of whiskey aging in the warehouses of Buffalo Trace Distillery. Each of these barrels has unique characteristics that differentiate it from all others. Some examples of these experiments include unique mash bills, type of wood and barrel toasts. In order to further increase the scope, flexibility and range of the experimental program, an entire micro distillery, named The Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. “OFC” Micro Distillery, complete with cookers, fermenting tanks, and a state-of-the-art micro still has been constructed within Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The Experimental Collection will be packaged in 375ml bottles and will be packed 12 to a case, with three bottles of each entry proof in a case. Each label will include all the pertinent information unique to that barrel of whiskey. These whiskeys will retail for approximately $46.35 each. These rare experimental bottles should be available in late June or July. For more information on the Experimental Collection or the other products of Buffalo Trace Distillery, please contact Elizabeth Hurst at ehurst@buffalotrace.com.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com

Loch Fyne Whiskies ‘New in Stock: GlenDronach Single Casks Batch 8’

GlenDronach Single Casks Batch 8

Best regards,

Loch Fyne Whiskies

david@lfw.co.uk

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Smooth Ambler Old Scout 10 Year Old Bourbon 750ml ($52.99)

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

Jefferson’s a maker known for its very small batch selections wedded from well-aged whiskeys purchased by the owner/negotiant Trey Zoeller, is branching out with new Bourbon that is old enough to buy itself: Jefferson’s Presidential Select 21 Years Old. The whiskey, unlike the company’s Jefferson Reserve, which is a marriage from different sources, comes from one distillery and is made from a single-grain recipe.

Learn More!

July 16, 2013

Dear Friends,

It is with a very heavy heart that I share with you that our beloved Master Distiller Emeritus Elmer T. Lee, 93, passed away July 16, 2013 after a short illness.

In the world of making really fine whiskey the role of Master Distiller is pivotal, but Elmer’s meaning to those he met, came to know, and worked with closely extended far beyond that of a Master Distiller. Elmer defined, in the simplest terms, what it means to be a great American – hard working, self-made, courageous, honest, kind, humble, and humorous.

Elmer was born in 1919 on a tobacco farm near Peaks Mill in Franklin County, Ky. He graduated from Frankfort County High School in 1936 and worked for Jarman Shoe Company until December 1941. He then served with the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II as a radar bombardier on a B-29. After flying missions against Japan through 1945, Elmer was honorably discharged in January 1946. He returned home and studied engineering at the University of Kentucky, where he graduated with honors in 1949.

In September 1949 Elmer began working in the engineering department of the George T. Stagg Distillery in Frankfort. In 1966, Elmer was promoted to plant superintendent, responsible for all plant operations and reporting to the plant manager. 1n 1969, he became plant manager.

But it was in 1984 that Elmer’s contribution to the bourbon industry gained him the most notoriety, when he introduced Blanton’s, the world’s first Single Barrel Bourbon.  Elmer retired in 1985 but continued to serve as an ambassador for Buffalo Trace, and in 1986 he was honored with his very own single barrel bourbon, Elmer T. Lee. Of course, for those of us who knew Elmer, he never really retired. Every Tuesday we could see Elmer making his rounds at the Distillery in his trademark cap, signing bottles, posters, and other memorabilia at the Gift Shop, visiting his friends in Blanton’s Bottling Hall, and tasting bourbons (for quality control purposes!) in the lab.

Elmer was always ready to offer advice, and was a wealth of information that many of us relied on, myself included. Harlen Wheatley would inquire with Elmer when stuck on a mechanical problem, and any historical questions about the Distillery always went to Elmer, who, with his razor sharp memory, could invariably answer.  To all of us, Elmer was a friend, a mentor, and a trusted advisor.

Elmer was known through the bourbon industry for his expertise and knowledge about bourbon whiskey and he received numerous awards and recognition, including induction into the Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2001, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Whisky Advocate in 2002, and the Lifetime Achievement Award and Hall of Fame induction from Whisky Magazine in 2012.

We have lost a wonderful friend today, and he will be missed terribly.

Services for Elmer T. Lee are pending and will be announced shortly.

Sincerely,

Mark Brown

WHISKY SCHOOLS

We have a full schedule of our fabulous and fun Whisky Schools this autumn. Take yourself or a loved one for a day of whisky pampering at one of our lovely venues around the UK. Tasting, blending, learning and enjoying are all on the cards. Click here for more.