Highland Park 12 – Malt of the Month

We do lots of special offers over on The Whisky Exchange website, and every month we choose a new Malt of the Month to do a great deal on. While we’ve been doing this quietly for a while, we’ve decided to make a bit more of a song and dance about it, and are kicking off with a great whisky – Highland Park 12 year old.

Malt of the Month isn’t about rare and hard-to-find whiskies, but instead the fantastic drams that we sometimes overlook. Highland Park 12, upsettingly, often falls into that category.

Consistently one of the best-value single malts on the market, Highland Park 12 combines the maritime climate of Orkney with the island peat’s heathery smoke and lots of fruity flavour.

Highland Park 12 year old, 40%. £27.95 this month, usually £30.95.

Nose: Salted lemons, a whiff of charcoal smoke, crunchy green apples, tropical fruit chews, unripe mango, beeswax, honey, dusty wood and fruity dark chocolate – maybe chocolate limes? It develops in the glass, picking up more fruit and slowly losing some of the citrus notes.

Palate: It starts with syrup sweetness, quickly moving on to sour and creamy wood, with more tropical chews, pineapple and smoked orange rind.

Finish: Smoky wood, malt syrup, green pine cones and woody spice.

Comment: While the older and more expensive Highland Parks have often become legendary, this shows that even at the other end of the scale, they know what they’re doing.

While the Highland Park 18 year old is the big award winner in their lineup – with 95+ point entries in The Whisky Bible, and The Spirits Journal having to create a Hall of Fame so that the HP18 could be retired from entering (and winning) their awards every year – but the 12 year old props up the range: a perfect everyday dram for those who know the distillery, and a great place to start if you don’t.

A cracker, and £3 off for the whole of June. Grab a bottle over on the Whisky Exchange website.

Originally published on The Whisky Exchange Blog – Highland Park 12 – Malt of the Month

DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE OFFICIALLY RE-OPEN
SCOTLAND’S OLDEST DISTILLERY

Glenturret Distillery, Scotland’s oldest and most visited whisky distillery and home to The Famous Grouse Experience, welcomed The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today (Thursday 29 May).

The Earl and Countess of Strathearn, as they are known in Scotland, officially opened the new-look five star visitor attraction which recently announced the completion of a £250,000 investment in its key visitor areas and café.

They enjoyed a private tour of the distillery, complete with a nosing and tasting of The Famous Grouse range, before becoming the first people to “Bottle your own” Glenturret whisky.  

Following this, the Royal couple attended the Civic Reception hosted by the Provost of Perth and Kinross, Liz Grant. In attendance were local people from the Perthshire area, invited as recognition for their work in the community.

A local pie created especially for the Royal visit was part of the menu and served to the guests. The Strathearn Pie, produced by Perthshire based company Wilde Thyme, was made with slow cooked local beef and onions sautéed in Glenturret whisky. 

Stuart Cassells, General Manager, The Famous Grouse Experience, commented:

“It was an absolute pleasure to welcome The Earl and Countess of Strathearn to The Famous Grouse Experience. With such strong links to this area through their Scottish titles, we couldn’t think of anyone more perfectly placed to open our new-look visitor areas. All the staff here at the Experience won’t be forgetting this day anytime soon!” 

Nestled at the foothills of the Highlands near the scenic town of Crieff, Glenturret Distillery is the spiritual home of The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch whisky.

Originally established as a single malt distillery in 1775, today The Famous Grouse Experience welcomes an average of 120,000 visitors every year.

Like all visitors, the Royal couple were shown how a single malt is made in the traditional way by Stillman, Ian Renwick. They were also shown how some of the Glenturret single malt is then blended along with other grain and malt whiskies to create The Famous Grouse, which has been Scotland’s favourite whisky for over 30 years, and is one of the world’s top 5 Scotch whiskies.

The Famous Grouse Scotch whisky holds a Royal Warrant, which was first appointed in January 1984.

NOTES

About The Famous Grouse (www.thefamousgrouse.com)

• The Famous Grouse is the no. 1 whisky in Scotland and no. 4 standard blended whisky worldwide (IWSR data 2012).
• The Famous Grouse has been the best-selling whisky in Scotland since 1980.
• The Famous Grouse is exported to over 100 countries.
• Created in 1896 by founder Matthew Gloag, it was originally called The Grouse Brand.
• The brand became so popular that on August 12^th 1905 it was renamed The Famous Grouse.

• The Famous Grouse is owned by Edrington, the leading independent supplier of premium spirits which also includes The Macallan, Highland Park, Cutty Sark, Snow Leopard vodka and Brugal Rum.

About The Famous Grouse Experience

• The Famous Grouse Experience is located at Scotland’s oldest working distillery – Glenturret. Originally established as a single malt distillery in 1775, today The Famous Grouse Experience is the most visited distillery in Scotland (receiving an average of 100,000 visitors a year).

• The distillery offers the opportunity to learn about how a single malt is made in the traditional way, as well as learning about where some of the Glenturret single malt ends up – in the blending of The Famous Grouse.

• Opening Hours 9am – 6pm.  First Tour 9.30am & Last Tour 4.30pm. Tours from £9.95. Children under 12 go free. For more information please visit via this link

The Single Malts of Scotland – new look and new whiskies

Our sister company, Speciality Drinks Ltd, has unveiled a stylish new look for its Single Malts of Scotland (SMOS) range, as well as – count ‘em – FIVE new bottlings. 

The two previous SMOS incarnations, with the new look pictured on the right

The new whiskies comprise a trio from Speyside, one from the Northern Highlands, and one from the Isle of Mull, but the overall spectrum of flavour is vast: one displays fresh, zingy citrus notes, another heads down the waxy, fruity and peppery route, while a third brings dried meat and spicy barbecue notes to the party.

As with all previous SMOS bottlings, none of the whiskies are chill-filtered, and no colouring is added. So, let’s get on to the fantastic five new bottlings:

Glenrothes 1990 23 Year Old

Nose: Zingy! Aromas of lemon sherbet and bitter orange dominate, with a touch of fruit-cake richness and subtle spiciness lurking in the background.

Palate: Beautiful balance between the refreshing lemon and ginger notes and the rich spiciness, and dried fruits and nuts. Lemon meringue pie in a glass. Doesn’t need water.

Finish: Clean, zesty and moreish, with that sweet spiciness hanging on in there.

Clynelish 1995 18 Year Old

Nose: The freshness of cut green apple, then that classic Clynelish waxiness takes hold, with honeyed peachiness, a little peppery spiciness and an appealing leathery note.

Palate: Much fuller than expected, with pink peppercorns and burnt sugar taking charge. The addition of water brings out lighter, cleaner flavours, as well as malty, biscuity notes. A lot going on here.

Finish: Powerful and spicy – but clean and precise – and long lasting.

Glen Grant 1992 22 Year Old

Nose: An unexpected but delicious whack of barbecue sauce, with smoke and smoked-meat notes wafting out of the glass, softened by lemon, red-fruit and floral notes.

Palate: The meaty, smoky flavours persist – treacle-and-mustard-glazed ham with star anise and some spicy fruitiness. Hold the ketchup; this is the perfect accompaniment to a burger.

Finish: Rich, warm and satisfying.

Longmorn 1992 21 Year Old

Nose: Fruity and spicy: cinnamon, Seville oranges, cherries and cocoa powder, balanced by refreshing citrus and ginger notes, then a curiously dusty/leathery note, like an old library.

Palate: Restrained Christmas cake flavours, then notes of malt loaf, treacle toffee and Black Forest gateau all fighting for attention.

Finish: An enveloping blanket of warming autumnal spice.

Tobermory 1994 19 Year Old

Nose: Boozy Dundee cake with spicy Maya Gold chocolate. Fruitiness comes through with the addition of water.

Palate: Intense chocolate notes – The River Café’s Chocolate Nemesis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNWTpsNa0oc , with bags of dried fruit and spice. Very rich and mouth-filling, and definitely one for after dinner, or with pudding.

Finish: Rich and intense, with the spicy chocolate notes persisting.

All in all, a fantastically diverse bunch.

Originally published on The Whisky Exchange Blog – The Single Malts of Scotland – new look and new whiskies

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. If you would like to have your order delivered to a Whisky Shop near you simply check out our Click and Collect service.

The Glenlivet Gallow Hill 16 year old Whisky Shop Exclusive

The latest release from Glenlivet has already attracted some high praise for its well balanced Invigorating flavours. Available to purchase only at The Whisky Shop!

Nose: Bursting with concentrated fruit flavours. Sweet clementine orange and fruity pear complemented perfectly with a sensation of toasted almonds and moist gingerbread. Taste: Coats the mouth with wonderful sweet orange flavours intermingled with rich milk chocolate and a hint of sweet treacle toffee. Finish: Long and refreshing. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 51.8% volume.

Simply Click here to buy – £235

Exclusive products available only at The Whisky Shop make the ideal Father’s Day gift. Take pride in the fact that you will not find these products anywhere else!

Simply click here to discover more Whisky Shop Exclusive products!

Our barrels have a new home!

After a week of toil, all of our barrels are safely home in the new distillery building, and we didn’t spill a single drop. All that remains now is to stack them all neatly.

We should have the move completed by the end of the month and look forward to showing all of you around our new home. Luckily it is just next door to our existing building, so you don’t even need to learn a new address.

Best of all, we are working on some very exciting new products, so watch this space…

This week Joe Ellis reviews the Jura Origin 10 Year Old. 

http://youtu.be/qA9-hRAhm5Q 

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GLENGLASSAUGH RELEASES TWO NEW EXPRESSIONS IN ITS “MASSANDRA CONNECTION” RANGE 

AWARD-WINNING Glenglassaugh has added two stunning whiskies to its renewed “Massandra Connection” series. 

They are a 35 Years Old Madeira Wood finish and a 41 Years Old Sherry Wood finish, and are available worldwide as of today (29 May). 

Both are non chill filtered, at natural colour and finished in the finest Massandra casks. 

These casks had previously been used to mature the very finest wines from Massandra, the oldest winery in the Crimea and a favourite of Tsar Alexander III. 

Built between 1894 and 1897 near Yalta, the Massandra winery benefits from a subtropical climate and the protective shield of mountain chains which provide perfect conditions for the production of high-quality fortified and dessert wines. 

Some of our whisky has enjoyed a period of additional maturation, or finishing, in the various different casks from Massandra, with these wine casks dramatically evolving the flavour and style of the maturing whisky.

The results are simply spectacular, as the tasting notes show.

Glenglassaugh Massandra Connection 35 Years Old Madeira Wood Finish (41.7% vol):

Colour: Antique dark oak.

Nose: Rounded creamy notes of cantaloupe melon open to beautiful depths of gentle sweet oak. Waves of a subtle sea air coastal note balance the rich ripe fruit character.

Palate: A fantastic contrast of luscious ripe melon and sharp sour plums softens to boiled sweets and dried apricots with the smallest hint of ripped mint in the background. A gentle dry oak note sweetens to a dusting of iced sugar on the palate.

Finish: Layer upon layer of subtle fruit characters come together with delicate aged oak to give a delicious range of flavours in the unique Glenglassaugh style. 

Glenglassaugh Massandra Connection 41 Years Old Sherry Wood Finish (44.5% vol):

Colour: Warm harvest gold.

Nose: Dried pineapple, bananas and golden sultanas warmed by hints of stem ginger and white pepper spice. Candied peel notes soften to a unique sweet oak character.

Palate: A fresh crisp lime zest flows over green apples and pears. Hints of tantalising ripe tropical fruits emerge in the mid palate and combine with delicate cigar box spices and a gentle oiliness, bringing great depth to the long exclusive vintage.

Finish: A fantastically vibrant expression for a malt of this vintage, giving a diverse combination of classic fruit and spiced flavours.

Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “In 2010 Glenglassaugh brought over the first casks from the Crimea to create the unique new “Massandra Connection” series with five distinctive Sherry, Muscat, Madeira, Port and Aleatico finishes.

“It was the first time that the Massandra winery had allowed its casks to be exported and also the first time that Crimean fine wine casks had been used by a Scottish distillery for finishing.

“These remarkable new expressions launched today show how the subtle effect of the wonderful Massandra casks on our coastal Highland malt has resulted in two quite exceptional whiskies.”

The Balvenie Single Barrel Sherry Cask 15yo – My Sherry Amour

Ears certainly pricked up at TWE HQ when news came in of a new release from The Balvenie. There will be those still mourning the loss of the bourbon-matured 15 Year Old Single Barrel (officially discontinued, but we still have a few bottles left). Well, cheer up, because we have good news: it’s been replaced by The Single Barrel Sherry Cask 15 Year Old. 

This new Balvenie follows on from last year’s Single Barrel First Fill 12 Year Old, which we rather liked. David Stewart (we’re still impressed by the coolness of his job title, ‘Malt Master’) and his team drew 650 bottles from each oloroso sherry butt. Our sample was from butt number 4440 – obviously, each cask is different, so flavours will vary, but note that this is an ongoing release, not a limited edition.

So, how does this new sherrified 15YO compare to its younger brother? Well, as expected, it doesn’t pussyfoot around. There’s much more depth and richness compared to the lightly honeyed, floral notes of the 12YO First Fill. It feels more grown up, like that buzz you get when you’re get in to see a 15-certificate film for the first time, leaving the 12s behind – from Spiderman to Final Destination, if you will.

The dried-fruit elements are more pronounced on the nose, with more obvious oak influence, too. On the palate, real swathe of sherry influence, with rich dried fruits and nuts, burnt sugar and a hint of milk chocolate, finishing with a creamy flourish. 

The Balvenie Single Barrel Sherry Cask 15 Year Old

Nose: Rich aromas of candied fruit and mixed peel, slight creaminess, with notes of almonds, Christmas cake and Toffifee, countered with some soft fruits – green apple and pear.

Flavour: Obvious sherry influence: concentrated dried fruits, toasty oak, milk chocolate and burnt sugar, with some biscuit in there.

Finish: The creaminess mingles with the rich fruit. Very precise.

In all, a good crowd-pleaser, and Balvenie fans will not be disappointed. And towards the end of the year – hey, just in time for Christmas – The Balvenie will be releasing its third Single Barrel release: a 25 Year Old drawn from refill American oak.

The Balvenie 15 Year Old Single Barrel Sherry Cask is now available on the TWE website for £77.95.

Originally published on The Whisky Exchange Blog – The Balvenie Single Barrel Sherry Cask 15yo – My Sherry Amour

GLENLIVET VERTICALS

With the warmer weather here (yes, really), our sights move to those whiskies with a more summery theme and flavour. What better then, to be tasting in the coming weeks, than the sweet and complex whiskies from the distillery that ‘started it all’ in Speyside terms.

Although one of the best-selling single malts in the world, whisky enthusiasts rarely get a range tasting of this magnitude. From the much-loved 12 year old, through 15yo French Oak, the powerful 16yo Nadurra and then older expressions. One of the highlights will surely be the opportunity to taste 25 Years Old, which currently retails at £200 a bottle…

These tastings are starting this week but there is still time to get involved with a handful of tickets remaining in most venues. Tickets are just £20 each and include all samples.

Date, venue and times;

WEDNESDAY 4TH JUNE   LONDON             THE RED LION, CROWN PASSAGE, SW1
THURSDAY 5TH JUNE      BRIGHTON          HILTON METROPOLE, KING’S ROAD
WEDNESDAY 11TH JUNE LIVERPOOL        JENNY’S BAR, FENWICK STREET
THURSDAY 12TH JUNE    LEEDS                 THE CROSSKEYS, WATER LANE
FRIDAY 13TH JUNE           MANCHESTER   BRITONS PROTECTION, GT. BR’WATER
SATURDAY 14TH JUNE     YORK                  BRIGANTES, MICKLEGATE

Just click on the date you would like to attend and get booking!

THE #JURATASTIVAL BOTTLING 2014 IS ARRIVING AT LAST!

Let the flavour revolution continue…

Our drams are at the ready, the cooperage waiting and friends from far and wide are beginning to arrive on our beautiful island. Our journey into the heart of the flavour experience continues as the curtain finally rises over the #JuraTastival 2014, and a new limited edition Jura bottling is born.

Aren’t able to join us for this year’s celebration? We understand. Jura is an un-get-at-able island after all. But not to worry! You can still experience the flavour of this year’s festival with our #JuraTastival Bottling 2014, available from 10am on Friday in our online shop. A limited number of bottles are available for shipping to UK addresses only, so be sure to act quickly and secure yours.

Let your mind wander as you savour that first dram and your senses awaken. Explore the myriad flavours in every sip, and share your personal tasting notes with us for the chance to join us on the island for #JuraTastival 2015.

Visit us at http://www.jurawhisky.com/en/what-are-we-up-to or on Twitter @jura_whisky to get started.

Viva la #JuraTastival Revolución!

Willie Cochrane and everybody at the Jura Distillery.