New! Director’s Cut Single Cask Scotch

1992 vintage single sherry cask expression of the favourite Islay single malt from Douglas Laing & Co.

Laphroaig 21 Year Old $273.42

TOP PICKS

• Kilchoman K&L Exclusive Single Bourbon Barrel #172 Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($109.99)
  If there is one battle we’re not willing to fight in the spirits world, it’s the idea that “craft” whisky is better whisky. We don’t think using quarter casks to mature whisky faster makes for better whisky. We don’t think using organic grains or designer barrels make for better whisky either. What makes whisky better? Time. If you’re not willing to let your whisky come around naturally, then you’re not going to convince guys like David and me to support your stuff. Kilchoman, in my mind, is the one “craft” distillery that does it right. Their whisky is still young, but it’s already light years beyond what we’re seeing from standard Islay releases these days. There are reasons for this. They operate their still at a slow drip -that takes TIME. They only use standard size Bourbon and Sherry casks, which take TIME to mature. And, they hired John MacLellan, the former distiller for Bunnahabhain who has decades of experience from putting in TIME! And they keep getting better. This Bourbon cask #172 is so delicate in mouthfeel, yet bursting with white pepper, smoke, and fresh peat that it almost seems unreal. At 60% it tastes like 45% because it’s in complete harmony with a small dose of butterscotch on the finish and then a lingering floral note. At only five years of age it’s more flavorful, satisfying, and exciting than anything I’ve tasted from any Islay distillery over the past year. While others still look to the future, I think Kilchoman’s time is now. (David Driscoll)

• Kilchoman K&L Exclusive Single Bourbon Barrel #74 Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($109.99)
  If there is one battle we’re not willing to fight in the spirits world, it’s the idea that “craft” whisky is better whisky. We don’t think using quarter casks to mature whisky faster makes for better whisky. We don’t think using organic grains or designer barrels make for better whisky either. What makes whisky better? Time. If you’re not willing to let your whisky come around naturally, then you’re not going to convince guys like David and me to support your stuff. Kilchoman, in my mind, is the one “craft” distillery that does it right. Their whisky is still young, but it’s already light years beyond what we’re seeing from standard Islay releases these days. There are reasons for this. They operate their still at a slow drip -that takes TIME. They only use standard size Bourbon and Sherry casks, which take TIME to mature. And, they hired John MacLellan, the former distiller for Bunnahabhain who has decades of experience from putting in TIME! And they keep getting better. This Bourbon cask #74 is zippy, lively, peppery, and bright with cinnamon red hots and bursts of sweet wood. It’s like a mezcal made on Islay, but with more vanilla and sweetness. What’s more amazing is the sheer drinkability at 59%. It’s never hot, overpowering, or out of whack. At only five years of age it’s more flavorful, satisfying, and exciting than anything I’ve tasted from any Islay distillery over the past year. While others still look to the future, I think Kilchoman’s time is now. (David Driscoll)

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

Eagle Rare’s 2014 Rare Life Award Proudly Goes to Angie Goodwin of Thumbs Up for Lane Goodwin
Goodwin’s Charity to be awarded with $40,000 Donation due to her courage,
leadership and devotion to Fight against Childhood Cancer

Calhoun, KY (March 4, 2014) — Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has named Angie Goodwin of Calhoun, KY as the winner of the Grand Prize 2014 Rare Life Award. Eagle Rare will donate $40,000 to Goodwin’s charity, Thumbs Up for Lane Goodwin Childhood Cancer Foundation, and host an awards ceremony in Henderson on March 7, 2014. Angie and her late son Lane, started the foundation to support childhood cancer research through funding and advocacy and to assist families battling childhood cancer by providing education, financial assistance and a volunteer network.

The Rare Life Award is an annual recognition program created to honor individuals who exhibit courage, leadership, survival, devotion, character and heroism. Candidates are nominated by friends, family and colleagues. For the 2014 awards 191 individuals were nominated and over 921,000 votes were cast. Their stories and photos are posted online at www.eaglerarelife.com, where visitors vote on these inspirational stories.

A Kentucky native, Lane Goodwin was diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) at age ten and passed away on Oct. 17, 2012, at age thirteen. ARMS is a type of cancer most often seen with older children and teens. Despite Lane’s life and death battle he never forgot to think about other kids battling cancer. His characteristic “thumbs up” was his way of saying, “I got this.” Lane’s cause gained national attention through a “Thumbs Up” social media campaign that went viral with names like Johnny Depp, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Kevin Durant and Tim Tebow tweeting photos of themselves giving a thumbs up in support of Lane.

During Lane’s final weeks his mom asked him why he thought all of this was happening. Lane replied without hesitation, “Mom, this is what we always prayed for. This will bring awareness and a cure.” Lane proceeded to tell his mom what he wanted her to do, and thus was born the Thumbs Up For Lane Goodwin Childhood Cancer Foundation. Lane was present when Kentucky Secretary ofState Alison Lundergan Grimes visited their home to present them with the Foundation incorporation papers in October 2012.

The foundation focuses on two areas, research into the cause of childhood cancers and research for new, less toxic treatments. In the 16 months since its inception, the foundation has raised $140,000 and helped hundreds of families with emergency assistance, hotel costs, transportation, and second opinions. This donation from Eagle Rare will be the foundation’s largest single donation to date. 2014 Grand Prize recipient Angie Goodwin said, “Getting this honor is a wonderful validation of the efforts of so many, including Lane, who want to see progress toward a cure and a reduction of the stress and suffering whole families experience. This donation also comes on the anniversary of Lane’s diagnosis March 4, 2010.

Eagle Rare spokesman Kris Comstock said, “Angie Goodwin truly leads a rare life. Two thumbs up from us. We congratulate and thank her, along our other winners and nominees, for sharing their rare lives with us. Hopefully this award provides them with greater visibility for their invaluable work.”

Eagle Rare will also donate $4,000 to the charities of choice of the six runners up, each one embodying a distinct characteristic of a Rare Life: Courage, Leadership, Heroism, Character, Devotion and Survival. Eagle Rare’s prize donations for 2014 total $64,000.

The six 2014 runners-up are:

• Becky Ortyl of St. Louis, MO: Courage Award for Mighty Oakes Heart Foundation
• Mika Moulton of Palm Springs, CA: Survival Award for Christopher’s Clubhouse
• Marge Gibson of Antigo, WI: Leadership Award for Raptor Education Group
• Barbara Capone of Philadelphia, PA: Devotion Award for Michael’s Army
• Marc Dibernardo of Poughkeepsie, NY: Heroism Award for Active Heroes
• Karen Shirk of Xenia, OH: Character Award for 4 Paws for Ability

For more information on the Rare Life Award or Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, visit www.eaglerarelife.com.

About Eagle Rare Bourbon

Eagle Rare Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey is part of the award-winning Buffalo Trace Distillery, a family-owned company based in Frankfort, (Franklin County), Kentucky. The Distillery is a National Historic Landmark with a rich distilling tradition dating back to 1786 and including such legends as E. H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Eagle Rare Bourbon is a 10-year-old single barrel bourbon that has won multiple awards, including five double gold medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. To learn more about Eagle Rare visit www.eaglerarelife.com

April Outturn Tasting – Victoria

4 April 2014

at The Strath Ale, Wine & Spirit Merchants, 919 Douglas Street

6:30pm 

Another great Outturn is coming!  Join us for eight delicious single cask, one-of-a-kind drams! Curious? Sign up now before it sells out!

Please join Colin and Rick at The Strath for what promises to be a night of great company, delicious food and delectable drams!

$35 for SMWS members ($45 for non-members)

The Strath Ale, Wine & Spirit Merchants
919 Douglas Street
Victoria, BC
V8W 2C2

whisky@strathconahotel.com

Phone 250.370.9463
Twitter @TheStrath

STORY SEASON IS DRAWING TO AN END, BUT WE HAVEN’T CLOSED THE BOOK ON IT YET…

Still waiting for the perfect time to open that shiny new bottle of Jura? Here on the island we believe that a bottle shared is a bottle doubly enjoyed. So why not #SaveTheDate and enjoy that first dram in good company? We’ve still got a few sets of whisky glasses to give away to our UK fans, so tweet us a picture of the two of you enjoying a dram, along with the unique code inside ‘promotional’ boxes of Jura, and we’ll send you a pair on us. Visit jurawhisky.com to find out more.

And how better to season your new set of glasses than with one of our harder-to-find bottles? Many of our limited edition and rare bottling’s are now available for purchase in the UK through our website, alongside all your favourites from our range. Check stock availabilities, and pick up a bottle for your next gathering at jurawhisky.com.

And finally, the time has come for us to turn it over to you to decide which story stands above the rest as the star of our #WinningWords competition. Visit jurawhisky.com to cast your vote for the one that you think is the world’s best story. Thanks to all of the incredibly talented storytellers who shared their #WinningWords with us.

Here’s to the next chapter in your Jura story.

Willie Cochrane and everybody at the Jura Distillery.

Due to popular demand, UK vlogger Joe Ellis from Whisky Wednesday reviews The Naked Grouse! 

http://youtu.be/MQfZMdki640 

http://Facebook.com/whiskytube 

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

TWO NEW SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALTS RELEASED AS TORMORE REVEALS NEW LOOK 6th March 2014

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, has released two new small batch, single malt whiskies from its Speyside distillery, Tormore.

The launch of Tormore 14 Year Old and Tormore 16 Year Old, both produced in limited quantities from a small number of carefully-selected casks, coincides with a new identity for the brand, as it aims to appeal to the growing number of discerning drinkers who appreciate the craft quality and provenance of Speyside single malt whisky.

Tormore 14 Year Old and Tormore 16 Year Old are aged in American oak casks that demonstrate the distillery’s light, smooth, and fruity character. Tormore 14 Year Old has a fruity nose that offers hints of citrus and raspberry, a smooth, sweet taste featuring liquorice and ginger, followed by a long, sweet finish with a spicy tang.

Tormore 16 Year Old, which is bottled without chill-filtration to reveal further layers of complexity, presents a well-balanced nose of sweet orange and barley sugar, a mouth-watering, juicy taste of ripe melon and pear, with a long and slightly dry finish. Tormore 14 Year Old and Tormore 16 Year Old are currently sold in France, priced at 42€ and 56€ respectively, and are expected to be available in other countries throughout 2014.

The new look for Tormore includes a contemporary logo and refreshed packaging, which highlight the distillery’s still room and natural landscape, reinforcing the purity of the spirit. The whiskies are presented in a luxury gift box that features the batch number and the signature of Master Distiller, Neal Corbett, reinforcing its crafted quality and making it an ideal gift for single malt fans.

A new website (www.tormoredistillery.com) has also been developed, enabling malt whisky enthusiasts to discover the unique flavour profiles of the two expressions and to explore the distillery’s heritage.

Neal Corbett, Master Distiller at Tormore Distillery, comments: “The re-design of Tormore and the release of these handcrafted whiskies herald a new era for the distillery, which I am proud to be leading. Tormore 14 Year Old and 16 Year Old showcase the distillery’s smooth signature style, so we hope that both Scotch connoisseurs and discerning drinkers looking to expand their repertoire will enjoy discovering these whiskies in the months to come.”

Tasting notes from Master Distiller, Neal Corbett

Tormore 14 Year Old 43% ABV

Nose: Refreshing citrus and raspberry notes with a background of toasted almonds.
Taste: Sweet with a hint of citrus, followed by an extra level of complexity from liquorice and ginger flavours.
Finish: Long and sweet with a spicy tang.

Tormore 16 Year Old 48% ABV

Nose: Deep and fruity with a tantalising layer of sweet orange and barley sugar. Incredibly smooth and well balanced.
Taste: Juicy and sweet with bursts of ripe melon and pear.
Finish: Long and slightly dry.

About Tormore Distillery

Tormore Distillery, named after the Gaelic ‘Torra Mhòir’, meaning ‘big hill’, is nestled in the heart of Speyside. Opened in 1960, the distillery was designed by renowned neoclassic architect Sir Albert Richardson and features stone balconies, a copper roof and a musical clock, which led to the distillery being granted listed building status within just 30 years of construction.

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.

In July 2010, Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.

For more information please visit www.chivasbrothers.com

 MANY THANKS TO EVERYONE – WE RAISED £395 FOR THE LIFEBOATS RNLI.

All monies direct to RNLI, thanks again to whoever bid this amount, amazing!

I would like to thank a few people (sounds like an Oscar eh!);

Charlie Maclean, Iain McClune, Ian Horne, and… the person who made the winning bid (and all other bidders).

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE 

Paul McLean

www.mcleanscotland.com

www.angelswhiskyclub.com

Explore bold new flavours! The March Outturn is now available. For full tasting notes and to purchase please visit www.smws.ca  

Also, please save the date Monday, April 14th as we’ll soon have some local news worth celebrating that evening! Watch for an email soon with all the exciting details!

Cask No. 48.34 In a sweetie shop
9 years old; 1st fill barrel, ex-bourbon; 63.3%
A candy shop of scents – candy cigarettes, Smarties, Toblerone, vanilla custard, creamy fudge and toffee popcorn. Sweet to taste with aniseed balls and a peppery kick mid-palate, and an aftertaste of nougat and granola bar.

Cask No. 72.31 Something old, something new
29 years old; refill hogshead; 48.3%; 30th anniversary bottling
A combination of lots of ‘new’ and ‘old’ aromas; a very old dusty leather bound library book in a new shiny cover and the lively spiciness of paprika powder. With water, hazelnut oil, figs and dried cherries and in the taste a Peshwari naan bread with mango chutney.

Cask No. G3.5 Chocolate cafe latte
33 years old; refill hogshead; 49.6%
Apple and pear juice initially followed by sweet aromas of spun sugar and freshly made pancakes. The taste neat is of pink and white nougat and rosewater. With water it turns into a chocolate hazelnut spread with orange chocolate liqueur.

Cask No. 44.58 A bittersweet sensation
13 years old; refill sherry butt; 59.1%
You are entering granny’s sweet shop; saltwater toffee, rhubarb custard swirly lollies and strawberry Starbursts. The taste is like a dark chocolate bar with whole cherries. With water the sweet notes still dominate and a creamy finish like rhubarb crumble with vanilla custard.

Cask No. 76.97 Nighttime campfire treat
17 years old; refill sherry butt; 57.2%
Mediterranean herb garden aromas followed by gorse, heather as well as golden syrup and pineapples. To taste, like melted milk chocolate with salted and peppered cashew nuts. With little water, caramelized bananas and the taste of orange liqueur and S’mores – delicious!

Cask No. 4.175 Suspicious skulkers on the catwalk
13 years old; 1st fill barrel, ex-bourbon; 55.9%
On the nose, scuffs of shoe polish hide behind toffee, barley, and juicy citrus (lemon bonbons, lime zest, raspberry sauce on ice-cream). The palate is also citric (lemon, lime, apple) but with smoke, embers and sugar-coated fennel seeds following.

Cask No. 29.134 Nurses and doctors attend a beach BBQ
17 years old; refill barrel; 61.5%
The minty, herbal, sinus-clearing nose suggests beach barbecues (smoke, embers, caramelized sausages, smoky bacon); but shifts to a hospital later. The huge palate has tarry driftwood, smoking tires, jalapenos, barbecued prawns, mint humbugs and clove-studded roast ham.

www.smws.ca

CHAPTER 14 & 15

Multi Award Winning Single Malts

Our latest additions, Chapter 14 & 15 are proving to be a big hit and with good reason, they are really beautiful single malt whiskies from England.

BUY NOW or visit our online shop for our full range of single malt whisky.