This Father’s Day we’ve got a fantastic selection of stunning gift sets and Whisky Shop exclusives that you will not find anywhere else. What’s more we are offering free postage on all UK orders over £60. Or why not take advantage of our click and collect service and have your bottle delivered to one of our stores.

The Johnnie Walker Private Collection

This 2014 Johnnie Walker Private Collection edition is a tribute to one of Johnnie Walkers signature flavours –– Smoke.

A bold 46.8% ABV blend of incredibly rare, smoky whiskies from 3 regions of Scotland, each possessing their own, unique smoky style: Highland, Island & Islay.

Highland –Subtle sophisticated smoke, contains extra layers of complexity through sweet and vibrant notes.
Island – Maritime character, fresh, oily, sea-salt, smoke.
Islay – Bold smoke – dry, medicinal and phenolic.

These blends are married with a worthy body carrier: the fruits of the J.W. & Sons innovative ‘Calculus’ experiment, an in-house spin on the finishing process started in the 1980’s. Only 8,888 numbered bottles available worldwide

£500.00 Click here to buy

Johnnie Walker Ryder Cup Blue Label

Each bottle of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label “Ryder Cup Limited Edition” is individually numbered, making it a rare and unique keepsake or gift. The distinctive design of both the packaging and the bottle depicts the unforgettable, classic view of the iconic Gleneagles Hotel and celebrates the return to Scotland after 41 years of The Ryder Cup, the world’s leading match play competition. One of only 1750 ever created.

Aroma: Honey, Hazelnut, Rose petals, Orange, Sherry cask Flavours: Dark chocolate, Smoke, Kumquat, Sandalwood Character: Intense, Complex, Smooth Stock arriving at the start of June

£225.00 – click here to buy

This week Joe Ellis reviews Jura Superstition. 

http://youtu.be/k7JH_FQ4S70 

http://Facebook.com/whiskytube 

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

GIVE THREE SHIPS PREMIUM SELECT 5 YEAR OLD FOR FATHER’S DAY 

To thank dad for being the great man that he is, choose the proudly South African, Three Ships Premium Select 5 Year Old, gold medal winner at the 2014 International Spirits Challenge (ISC) held annually in London and announced on 5 June.  

The whisky, an artful blend of grain and malt whiskies, is crafted by master distiller Andy Watts, who for the past 23 years has firmly placed the South African whisky industry on the global map. The whisky is produced at The James Sedgwick’s Distillery in the Boland town of Wellington, along with the Three Ships Select, Three Ships Bourbon Cask and the limited-edition Three Ships 10 Year Old Single Malt. 

The Three Ships Premium Select 5 Year Old is a tribute to the time Andy spent on the Isle of Islay where many years ago, he fell in love with the island and its iconic peaty whiskies. Andy uses peated barley, distilled in copper stills along with grain spirit, distilled in column stills, to create a beautifully balanced and well-integrated blended whisky. The whisky spends five years in oak developing its aromatic, full peaty and fruity character. Andy recommends enjoying this full bodied whisky neat with a dash of water and pairing it with blue cheese, chicken liver pâté, smoked chicken or Pancetta. 

The Three Ships Premium Select 5 Year Old is available from leading liquor outlets and retails for about R125.

The whisky awards gods have definitely been smiling on us recently. At the prestigious 2014 World Whiskies Awards organised by Whisky Magazine we won ‘Scotch Blended Malt of the Year’ and ‘Whisky Brand Innovator of the Year’. And then, two more awards came our way at the 2014 Drammie Awards, voted for by whisky lovers around the world.

The Peat Monster showed it’s as popular as ever as it swept up ‘Scotch Blended Malt of the Year‘. If anything though, our ‘Whisky Brand Innovator of the Year’ award is more pleasing as innovation is so much at the heart of what we do. This was the fifth time in total that we’ve won it, which might even be some sort of record.

However, we believe there is no more important accolade than one which comes from the people who love and drink whisky. The Drammie Awards do exactly that. Whisky fans voted Compass Box ‘Most Exciting/Innovative Whisk(e)y Producer/Bottler’ while Delilah’s was chosen as ‘Most Innovative New Whisky’

Father’s Day Whiskies

Forget golf balls or a tie this Father’s Day. Choose some delicious Compass Box whisky. Whether your Dad is a Peat Monster , a rebellious Spice Tree or a decadent Hedonism type we have the perfect whisky for him. Or if you’re not sure what he likes, a bottle of Great King Street Artist’s Blend  or the rich, elegant Oak Cross simply cannot fail. What’s more, you’ll be sure to have something good to drink the next time you see him. Simply pick up a bottle from your local retailer or via our UK Online shop. Happy Father’s Day!

Exclusive Dalmore Stag’s Head cufflinks free with selected whiskies

The lovely people at Whyte & Mackay have generously provided us with a very limited amount of stunning Dalmore stag’s head cufflinks to give away with selected expressions. When we say limited we mean limited so you need to get your order in quickly so as to be in with a chance.

See below for more details.

DALMORE CUFFLINKS FREE WITH SELECTED WHISKIES

These fabulous Dalmore platinum plated stag’s head cufflinks are, as you would expect, top quality and beautifully presented. We have just a few pairs available to give away to customers who buy a bottle of Dalmore 18 year old, 25 year old, King Alexander III or Constellation. Not on general sale, these cufflinks are truly something exclusive and with Father’s Day just over a week away a bottle of Dalmore accompanied by these cufflinks would make a very special present .
(This offer is only available whilst stocks last.)

FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE

The perfect Father’s Day gift – a ticket to TWE’s Whisky Show

Buying the perfect present for Father’s Day isn’t easy, we know that. Once you’ve run through the usual presents (socks, hankies, golf pitchmark repairer), inspiration can run dry.

But here at The Whisky Exchange, we have just the thing. Or things, actually. We have put together a trio of fantastic deals that will make your whisky-loving dad’s day. All three include a ticket to our fantastic Whisky Show, which offers hundreds of whiskies to sample, as well as masterclasses, Dream Drams and top-notch food.

Here’s a little bit of what went on at the show last year. Click to enlarge…

Our three gift packs also include a selection of cool whisky-related merchandise, including T-shirts, tasting glasses and books.

Choose from:

Laphroaig Bundle – £125

 a TWE Whisky Show ticket for Sunday 5 October 2014
 a 70cl bottle of Laphroaig Triple Wood Single Malt Whisky
 a Laphroaig polo shirt
 a Laphroaig tasting glass

Signatory Clynelish Bundle – £158

     a TWE Whisky Show ticket for Sunday 5 October 2014
 a 70cl bottle of the TWE exclusive Signatory Vintage Clynelish 1995 17 Year Old Sherry Matured Single Malt Whisky
 a copy of The World’s Best Whiskies by top whisky writer Dominic Roskrow (paperback)
 two whisky nosing glasses

Glenlivet Bundle – £125

 a TWE Whisky Show ticket for Sunday 5 October 2014
 a 70cl bottle of Glenlivet 1991 Nadurra Single Malt Whisky
 a Glenlivet tasting glass

These three packages represent excellent value when you consider that day tickets to the show cost £99. It’s also worth knowing that if you’re buying this as a gift but want to accompany your dad to the show, you can buy an extra ticket if required when you make your purchase. Tickets are starting to sell out, so don’t delay!

Don’t forget that weekend tickets to TWE Whisky Show are still available for £165 – a saving of £33 on two individual day tickets.

Originally published on The Whisky Exchange Blog – The perfect Father’s Day gift – a ticket to TWE’s Whisky Show

The whisky tasting revolution is on its way to the capital and we want you to join us!

Jura Tastival is a unique celebration of whisky and taste. For too long Single malt has been stuffy and confusing. We believe that whisky is to be enjoyed and that’s why we’re asking you to tell us what you taste.

From 12th – 15th June, the Aeronaut in Acton will host rich and immersive Jura Whisky event which will get your taste buds tingling. Get ready for a whisky tasting like no other, as we bring you a gastronomic exploration of eclectic foodie and whisky creations to inspire you to tell us what you taste!

To find out more and to reserve your places visit our Facebook page: facebook.com/JuraWhisky

FIRST EVER FULLY WINE-CASK MATURED GLEN GARIOCH LAUNCHED 

Glen Garioch adds some French ‘finesse’ to its limited-edition malt 

The first ever Glen Garioch to be fully-matured in French Bordeaux wine casks has been released. 

This limited edition vintage comprising just 450 cases globally, was distilled 15 years ago in the finest ‘tonneaux de vin rouge’ from Saint-Julien in Bordeaux. 

Relinquishing the more traditional sherry and bourbon casks, the full maturation in red wine casks has added a touch of elegance to the rich, fruity, spicy Highland character that is Glen Garioch’s house style. 

The unusual maturation process reveals the malt’s rich and multi-layered character, full of fruit, sweetness and spice. 

Rachel Barrie, Master Blender at Morrison Bowmore, said, “Distilled entirely on 23rd June 1998, this Glen Garioch was fully matured for over 15 years in the finest Bordeaux barriques. 

“Over this time, the robust and hearty spirit teased sweetness, oak spices and multi-layered ripe fruits from the French oak allowing Glen Garioch’s house style to flourish.  Imagine a blueberry and chocolate muffin filled with ginger spice! Firm in structure, with a full, rounded body and complex spiced-fruit taste, Glen Garioch 1998 Wine Matured has married the sweetness of Bordeaux with the wholesome maltiness of the Garioch spirit – the Auld Alliance at its very best.” 

Handcrafted at the distillery in the heart of Oldmeldrum in rural Aberdeenshire, the non-chill filtered Wine Cask Matured Glen Garioch 1998 will hit shelves in June 2014, retailing at around £100 with an ABV of 48%. 

Tasting notes: 

Burnished copper in colour, the Wine Cask Matured Glen Garioch reveals brambles, wild blueberries and plums on the nose, bursting from the glass with hints of chocolate, demerara sugar. In structure and complexity, layers of chocolate malt, autumn fruits and ginger marmalade meld on the tongue, leading to a sweet honey and spicy finish. 

NOTES – 

The Glen Garioch Wine Cask Matured 1998 retails for around £100 at all good whisky and specialist liquor stores from June 2014. There are only 5,400 bottles available globally.  

Product images and samples are available on request Glen Garioch, pronounced “Glen Geery” was founded in 1797 and is one of the oldest remaining distilleries in Scotland The distillery lies on rising ground in the picturesque town of Oldmeldrum, just 17 miles north-west of Aberdeen Glen Garioch was relaunched in October 2010 with a core range of two single malt whiskies – Glen Garioch 1797 Founder’s Reserve, non chill-filtered  and bottled at 48% ABV and Glen Garioch 12 Year Old, non chill-filtered and bottled at 48% ABV after maturing in bourbon and sherry casks. 

Glen Garioch is owned by Morrison Bowmore Distillers Limited which also produce Bowmore and Auchentoshan. 

Visit http://www.glengarioch.com/ for more information.

Early June 2014 Outturn Offerings 

Cask No. 93.57                                           $170 

Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of this! 

Campbeltown 

The nose was both interesting and appealing – appeal from sherry-soaked Christmas cake, honeyed apricots, balsamic-glazed pears, spun sugar, dark toffee and gorse flowers; and interesting thanks to benevolent smoke, tobacco, hessian, old sailing ships and new cars. The palate got us quite animated – cinnamon, nutmeg and iced gingerbread, molasses, toffee apples, honey-glazed ribs, salty limes, sweet sherry, prawn tempura and ‘biting a leather steering wheel’. The reduced nose – ‘Tim Burton gothic candy floss’ and ‘Sixteen men on a dead man’s chest’. The palate now gave honey, toffee and vanilla, plus wood, leather and ash (‘recently used electric chair!’). From ‘Scotland’s Glen’. 

Drinking tip: Good dram for your last request (of the evening) 

Colour: Burnished copper gold

Cask: Refill butt

Age: 21 years

Date distilled: March 1992

Alcohol: 58.3%

USA allocation: 180 bottles

Cask No. 4.188                                           $125 

A ploughman’s picnic 

Highland, Island 

A bracing start to the day with breakfast of granary toast with marmalade, caramelised apple and fresh grapefruit. Our ploughman strides past hedgerows, damp woods and gorse bushes. The flavours are exotic with a dramatic blast of ginger, cinnamon stick and orris root. Lunch delivers pork pie and Branston pickle with pretzels, and salted crisps and cashews. Sweet apple pasties and gingerbread cake. One panel member likens it to a drag race between smoke and sweetness. A rolling mouthful of heathery smoke with blackcurrant jam, cherry lozenge complete this culinary joyride of adventure.  Everybody agrees the whisky is the winner. 

Drinking tip: An embracing and invigorating hug of a dram 

Colour: Foxes whiskers

Cask: First-fill barrel

Age: 13 years

Date distilled: June 2000

Alcohol: 61.8%

USA allocation: 114 bottles

Cask No. 53.192                                        $180 

Mojitos, cigar smoke and everlasting joy 

Islay 

The nose evoked beach scenes – sea air, rock pools and a new tar road through the sand dunes; gammon was cooking on a smoky barbeque – also pineapple, coconut and lemon puff biscuits. The palate was interesting and tasty – lemon pepper pork, chalky mineral notes, good wood (pencils, cedar boxes, wood-burning oven in a bakery) and a perfect balance between sweetness and smoke. The reduced nose was a walk on the beach – sea-shells, sun-tan lotion, trees, sun coming up – heart singing with happiness…. The palate now had mint humbugs, caramel, ash, mojitos, cigar smoke and everlasting joy. From Islay’s biggest distillery. 

Drinking tip: For relaxing on the beach – or whenever you are feeling happy 

Colour: 18 carat gold

Cask: Refill hogshead

Age: 23 years

Date distilled: December 1989

Alcohol: 55.9%

USA allocation: 120 bottles

Cask No. 76.109                                        $90 

Sinfully seductive 

Speyside, Spey 

Attractive perfumes made the nose sinfully seductive; elderflowers, daffodils, white grapes, lemon and pepper, floated like pretty clouds over luscious landscapes of cereal. With water, we found it spritzy, fresh and clean; fruit salads of pineapple, strawberry, peach, pear and grape on beds of vanilla custard.  The immediate palate was deliciously sweet (iced donuts, dried fruits) with entrancing orchard flavours (Williams pear and delicate blossoms made us long for Spring), but besides that, we also encountered zesty lemon sorbet, magnificent malt, subtle wood, peppery spice and (believe it or not) salty leather. An amazing, lip-smackingly tasty dram from Dufftown’s oldest distillery. 

Drinking tip: Not very typical of the make – could be an aperitif – especially for the first picnic lunch of Spring 

Colour: Translucent buttercup

Cask: First-fill barrel

Age: 8 years

Date distilled: May 2004

Alcohol: 59.5%

USA allocation: 126 bottles

Cask No. G4.6                                            $150 

Ray Mear’s Digestif 

Grain 

Pre-dilution, the panellists were post supper. The nose suggested sweet treats- Battenberg cake and flapjacks smothered in Golden Syrup. Once tasted sweet transferred into cinnamon and then- liquorice, chicory, smoked meat, coal tar soap and pitchuli.  The addition of a tiny portion of water encouraged the scent of petrichor. To taste- Victorian Lemonade drunk from a plastic milk carton along with wet cardboard. One panellist suggested a wet muslin package with clove, ginger, tagine spice and dried banana. 

Drinking tip: While Foraging 

Colour: 18 Carat Gold

Cask: Refill hogshead

Age: 18 years

Date distilled: February 1988

Alcohol: 55.4%

USA allocation: 72 bottles

Please visit the Scotch Malt Whisky Society at http://www.smwsa.com/

Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Ltd’s new ‘Single’ range continues the company’s long history of bottling Single Malt and Single Grain Whiskies from some of Scotland’s finest distilleries.

The majority of the whiskies in the ‘Single’ range are at least 30 years old, or from distilleries that are no longer producing whisky. Bottled from a Single Cask, at Cask Strength, presented in a handsome leather and hardwood case, as rich and luxurious as the whisky it contains. 

Ardbeg 1994 19 Year Old Single
70cl | 53% ABV
Incl. Tax: £340.00

Bunnahabhain 1979 34 Year Old Single
70cl | 42.7% ABV
Incl. Tax: £390.00

Cameronbridge 1978 35 Year Old Single
70cl | 53.9% ABV
Incl. Tax: £359.00

Caol Ila 1983 30 Year Old Single
70cl | 52.9% ABV
Incl. Tax: £370.00

Caperdonich 1992 21 Year Old Single
70cl | 54.5% ABV
Incl. Tax: £250.00

Laphroaig 1997 16 Year Old Single
70cl | 53.7% ABV
Incl. Tax: £279.00

Miltonduff 1982 31 Year Old Single
70cl | 52.4% ABV
Incl. Tax: £349.00

Springbank 1993 20 Year Old Single
70cl | 54.4% ABV
Incl. Tax: £325.00