We are busy working on a project and would love to ask for your help and input into the development given you and your friends knowledge of single malt.
 
We are pulling ourselves forward from 1779 and joining the future with the creation of a Bowmore App. We have lots of ideas but it is important to us that we develop something that is not only interesting but functional to all of our friends who enjoy Bowmore around the world.
 
If you have the time to complete this very short questionnaire, we would forever be grateful. To demonstrate this, anyone who does shall be entered into a free prize draw to win a Small Batch “Be the Blender” kit (not available to purchase).  Please click here to take part before Sunday 21st September 2014.
 
Raising a dram to your good health – Slàinte! 
 

This week whisky reviewer Joe Ellis of Whisky Wednesday celebrates his 100th review and reviews one of the rarest whiskies in the world. The Gordon & Macphail Generations Glenlivet 70 Year Old!

Featuring special guest Craig Mills 

http://youtu.be/Ykb-BagiSrc 

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

https://www.facebook.com/whiskytube

SECOND NEW PERMANENT RELEASE FOR THE GLENLIVET NÀDURRA RANGE 

The Glenlivet has unveiled a second new permanent expression in its innovative Nàdurra range, building on its leadership of the dynamic growth of craft spirits. The Glenlivet Nàdurra First Fill Selection is drawn from casks made from American White Oak that have never before been used to mature Scotch whisky, with these casks – a popular choice of distillers at The Glenlivet since the early 1900s – imparting hints of creamy vanilla to this wonderfully rich single malt.

Bottled at cask strength, The Glenlivet Nàdurra First Fill Selection will be available around the world and including within the UK, US and Sweden, rolling out from September 2014, priced at $80. The expression will also be available in Global Travel Retail at 48% ABV. 

The release follows the initial launch of The Glenlivet Nàdurra Oloroso in Travel Retail Europe earlier this year and is supported by a new cask strength edition of this expression. The Glenlivet Nàdurra Oloroso Cask Strength will also enter domestic markets, including India, Canada and Taiwan from the same month, priced at $75. 

These new permanent expressions showcase the versatility and multi-layered quality of The Glenlivet, whilst meeting the growing demand for handcrafted single malt whiskies with an interesting twist. The range is crafted in small batches using traditional production methods and capturing the original passion behind George Smith’s distillery. Celebrating the highly skilful traditions of whisky making at The Glenlivet, all expressions in the Nàdurra range are bottled without chill-filtration, offering the additional complexity, body and texture of a whisky that has just been drawn from the cask. 

The 19^th Century production methods, combined with maturation in first-fill American Oak casks, imparts The Glenlivet Nàdurra First Fill Selection with an inviting aroma of soft vanilla, fudge and sweet, ripe pears, developing into a tropical mix of pineapple, banana and citrus on the palate and leading to a refreshing finish. 

Nikki Burgess, Global Brand Director for The Glenlivet comments; “Whisky enthusiasts have admired The Glenlivet for its signature smooth and fruity flavour profile for nearly 200 years so, with our Nàdurra range, we want to highlight the skill and craftsmanship behind The Glenlivet. The Glenlivet Nàdurra has long held an extra special place in the hearts of single malt whisky connoisseurs and we are confident that our new Nàdurra innovations will satisfy their increasing appetite for excellence in single malt whisky craftsmanship.” 

The new expression comes in refreshed packaging, first introduced in April 2014, which all future expressions of The Glenlivet Nàdurra will be released in to emphasise the handcrafted nature of the range. The design includes a prominent batch number, cask-like stamps and a more visible translation of the Gaelic word, Nàdurra – meaning natural – to illustrate the essence of the brand. 

The Glenlivet Nàdurra First Fill Selection (cask strength) tasting notes

Colour: Light gold

Nose: An enticing mix of soft vanilla, fudge notes and sweet ripe pears engulf the senses

Taste: A tantalisingly tropical mix of juicy pineapple and ripe banana cut with a zesty citrus flourish

Finish: Medium and refreshing 

The Glenlivet Nàdurra First Fill Selection 48% ABV tasting notes

Colour: Light gold

Nose: An abundant bouquet of sweet, soft pears and creamy vanilla fudge

Taste: A deliciously sweet mix of tropical pineapple and ripe banana coupled with a delightful citrus sparkle

Finish: Medium and refreshing 

The Glenlivet Nàdurra Oloroso Cask Strength tasting notes

Colour: Bright gold
Nose: Aromas of ripe peaches, with gentle notes of cinnamon and rich fruit cake

Palate: Soft, creamy toffee, with the fruitiness of juicy sweet clementine oranges

Finish: Long and sweet, leading to a slightly dry, spicy finish 

About The Glenlivet

The Glenlivet is the No. 2 single malt Scotch whisky in the world. Crafted in the remote Livet Valley since 1824, it is the only whisky with the unchallengeable right to be called The Glenlivet. 

About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport. 

For further news of upcoming events please visit http://www.theglenlivet.com/ or www.facebook.com/theglenlivet 

For further information please visit: http://www.chivasbrothers.com/

The Return of the Milroy’s Bottlings

It has been some time since we last bottled whisky here at Milroy’s of Soho. Our aim is to always bottle the best whisky we have available to us and unless we can do that we won’t bottle anything at all. After a lot of hard work (our bottler-in-chief has experienced ‘new parent’ levels of sleep deprivation) we have put together an entirely new range of whiskies and spirits.

We had a few objectives in mind when we created this new range. The first was to address the issue we’ve had with our single cask bottlings, which is that because there is always only a finite amount of each release, people are disappointed when we sell out. We wanted a core range of whiskies that we will always have in stock. As such, we are producing a number of regional age-statement whiskies that you can always find on our shelves without fear of them disappearing in the puff of a barrel!

Do not fear however, we will still be bottling single casks as well. These will become available as and when we find casks we think are worthy of bottling.

Secondly, we have upped our game and replaced the old Milroy’s Finest Blended Malt with a brand new Blend and a new Blended Malt whisky  – the quality of these two is astounding and are great everyday drinkers!

Finally – we really quite like gin – a lot. So being the intrepid types that we are, we’ve decided to bottle our very own. Adorned, in style, with a label featuring Hogarth’s famous Gin Lane print – it’s pretty cool, and tasty.

As if this wasn’t enough, we have invested in a complete label redesign to complement what we think is a confident step-up in range and quality.

In other news, our 50^th anniversary is coming up and there may be a 50 Year Old bottling to match, and perhaps a party… with cake. More on that soon!

All the best,

Milroy’s of Soho

Our mailing address is:
Milroy’s of Soho
3 Greek Street
London, England W1D 4NX
United Kingdom

We always have new and exciting older bottlings and collectible whisky arriving in Huntly every week. Here are some of the highlights of our new arrivals. Remember and check our website regularly so that you wont miss that special bottle.

Slainte, Ronnie Routledge

Discover Bradan Orach

Whether you’re well versed in our wonderful range of single malt whiskies or just starting to discover them, we think you’ll agree that Bradan Orach embodies all that’s best about Speyburn.

Gaelic for ‘Golden Salmon’, Bradan Orach draws its name from the famously plentiful fish which in season populate the clear spring waters of the Granty Burn – the water which brings Speyburn to life.

The vitality of these magnificent fish is echoed in the qualities of Bradan Orach – a bright golden, easy-drinking whisky infused with a wonderful vigour and depth thanks to the bourbon casks in which it matures. Yielding green apple freshness, light citrus zest and honey sweetness, its well balanced creamy vanilla and floral flavours give way to a long-lasting spicy finish.

Intrigued? Then find out more via our website.

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

Game Dinner in The Dining Room, 28 Queen St, Edinburgh – Thu 18 Sept
York Members Tasting, Bedern Hall, York – Fri 19 Sept
Dunfermline Members Tasting, Garvock House Hotel, Dunfermline – Thu 25 Sept
Liverpool Members Tasting, Malmaison, Liverpool – Fri 26 Sept
Glasgow Members Tasting, Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow – Fri 26 Sept
Newcastle Members Tasting, The Caledonian Hotel, Newcastle – Fri 26 Sept
Guildford Members Tasting, Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel, Guildford – Fri 26 Sept
Winchester Members Tasting, Winchester Royal Hotel, Winchester – Fri 26 Sept
New Members Tasting, 19 Greville St, London – Tue 30 Sept

Browse all Society events

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 here for membership information This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

THE MACALLAN LALIQUE 62 YEAR OLD AND MORTLACH-70 YEAR OLD LEAD BONHAMS EDINBURGH WHISKY SALE  

The Macallan 62 years old in a specially designed  Lalique decanter and a decanter of the rare Gordon & MacPhail Generations Mortlach-70 year old lead Bonhams whisky sale in Edinburgh on 1 October.  They are estimated at £20,000-30,000 each. 

 The Macallan decanter is numbered 200 of a limited edition of 400.  It comes in a fitted wooden presentation case with a crystal stopper and is in its original cardboard  packaging.  This is the product of a long association between Lalique and Macallan  – each luxury branding reinforcing the other.  The whisky, which was distilled in 1950, is said to have the taste of rich dried fruits with layers of sweet ginger, figs and oak.  

The Gordon & MacPhail Generations Mortlach-70 year old was distilled in 1938 and bottled in 2008.   It is bottle number 53 of 54 and comes in a hand blown glass decanter with sterling silver stopper and cradle.  In tasting notes the noted whisky commentator Charles MacLean describes it as “a delicate, fresh, vital, fruity whisky, but with unusual attributes of waxiness and smokieness – uncommon today, more usual before the 1960s.” 

Bonhams Whisky specialist Martin Green said, “We are fortunate to have two such rare and sought after whiskies to lead the sale and I expect this will generate strong interest from collectors.” 

NOTES  

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is the world’s third largest auctioneer of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments go to www.bonhams.com

Haig Club – whisky for the cocktail fan?

There’s been talk about Diageo’s new Haig Club whisky for months, with much speculation and discussion about its celebrity connections, thanks to endorsement by Simon Fuller and David Beckham. One thing that’s been missing, however, is information about the whisky itself. We’ve talked about Cameronbridge, the distillery where it’s made, but as we’ve not had any bottles to put on the website we’ve not said much about the Haig Club.

However, it’s now up on the site, so here’s a bit more background to share with you.

Firstly, some tasting notes:

Haig Club, 40%, £46.75

Nose: Toffee and bananas up front, with green grassy notes, and gentle ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon spiciness.
Palate: Sweet and creamy to start, with soft caramel and toffee. Lemon peel zestiness develops, with tingly cinnamon. Creamy lemon posset with a cinder toffee?
Finish: Spice, toffee, soft anise and a touch of warmth.
Comment: Light and sweet with more complexity than you might expect. It’s not a whisky that you’ll be sitting down to examine over hours, but it does have good flavours, which are strong enough to shine through even when mixed.

As it says on the back label, this is a whisky focused at mixing, either in short, old-fashioned cocktails or in long drinks. The Haig Club team have put together a selection of drinks, but these are our favourite two:

The Haig Clubman
50ml Haig Club
35ml sparkling apple soda (Appletise or one of its friends should work nicely)
6 dashes of ginger bitters (we like Bob’s Ginger Bitters)
Add all the ingredients to tumbler with some ice and stir gently to combine. Garnish with a thin slice of root ginger.

The cocktail appears to be named after an old advertising slogan for John Haig’s whiskies from the early part of the 20th century – The Clubman’s Whisky. It’s a spicy apple pie of a drink, with fruit from the apple, buttery sweetness from the whisky and a touch of heat from the ginger.

Haig Club New Old Fashioned
60ml Haig Club
10ml sweet vermouth (a spot of Gancia Rosso would do here – you don’t want anything too heavy)
2 dashes of orange bitters (we’d go for Gary Regan’s Orange Bitters No.6)

While we’d probably call this a “Haig Club Rob Roy on the rocks” rather than a New Old Fashioned, it certainly fits the bill as a twist on the more classic Old Fashioned. Focused on the whisky, with the vermouth adding a touch of both sweetness and bitterness, it showcases the spirit’s fruity notes.

It’s a versatile whisky, with enough punch of flavour to work in a long drink, but without some of the rawness that appears in Cameron Brig (which is also made at Cameronbridge). We suspect we’ll see this popping up in bars across the country as the launch rolls out, and it’s certainly worth a try.

The Haig team, as well as Diageo whisky ambassador and cocktail expert Andrea Montague, will be at this year’s Whisky Show. So, if you want to have a chat about the whisky and try some cocktails, make sure you get a ticket – we are close to running out of tickets…

Companions of the Quaich

Thomas Chen & Barry Dunner

request the pleasure of your company

at a Companions of the Quaich

Whisky Tasting & Dinner

Featuring

Master Distiller Mike Nicolson

Event Theme: Made By Mike

Sample 5 Diageo single malt whiskies

* Linkwood * Royal Lochnagar * Glen Ord * Blair Athol * Coal Ila *

 Wednesday, the 8^th of October

two thousand and fourteen at seven o’clock

 Whiskies • Dinner • Dessert

Sample five whiskies made by Mike (plus a mystery dram)

sumptuously paired with a four-course meal

(Meal details to follow)

 Venue

Vancouver Lawn Tennis Club

1630 W 15th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V6J 2K7

RSVP by September 19, 2014                    Programme: October 8

Companions of the Quaich                        Reception: 6:45 pm

140-6751 Graybar Road,            Whisky tasting & dinner: 7:00 pm

Richmond, V6W 1H3                                    Casual attire

email info@vanquaich.com            Couvert: $85; $95: non-members

At the Door: $10 more           Seating limited to 25 participants 

• The Companions of The Quaich is a non-profit society dedicated to sharing knowledge and enjoyment of Single Malt Whisky •

• A ‘Quaich’ is the traditional Scots drinking vessel for whisky • The name comes from the Gaelic ‘cuach’ which means ‘cup’ •