Two new single sherry cask bottlings from GlenDronach distillery.
The ONE is One
The ONE, the first blend of whiskies from around the British Isles ever to be produced and the inaugural product from The Lakes Distillery, will celebrate its first anniversary at this year’s Taste Cumbria festival on the 27th and 28th of September.
The artisan-style blend, which combines the finest whiskies from the British Isles, has enjoyed an incredible year since its launch at 2013’s Taste Cumbria and is now stocked in Harvey Nichols’ stores nationwide and Michelin restaurants throughout the UK.
The Lakes Distillery has also procured distribution deals for The ONE across The Netherlands, France, Belgium and The UAE, and The ONE joined the whisky world elite when it was classified recently as one of the best whiskies in the world – less than a year after launch, the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) awarded The ONE a silver legend.
Paul Currie, founder and managing director of The Lakes Distillery said: “This year has far surpassed our hopes and expectations. As opposed to blends made only of scotch whiskies, The ONE has been carefully created from the best whiskies from around the British Isles, leading to a very unique whisky.
“The Lakes Distillery is a Cumbrian brand through and through and we had enormous pride in launching The ONE at Taste Cumbria last year, so it seems only fitting we celebrate its first anniversary there this year.
“In addition, this year’s Taste Cumbria will see another exciting Lakes Distillery launch as we will be offering samples of The Lakes Gin for the very first time, as well as being joined by Olympic star Chemmy Alcott who is brand ambassador for the gin.”
Production of The Lakes Single Malt set to start this autumn at The Lakes Distillery, while its bistro, tours and shop will open to the public by December 2014.
For further information please visit www.lakesdistillery.com and to buy tickets for Taste Cumbria please visit www.tastecumbria.com.
Notes:
The ONE is available to buy online at http://www.lakesdistillery.com/shop/
The Lakes Distillery
Close to Bassenthwaite Lake, in an area of unimaginable beauty encircled by Cumbrian fells, is the perfect home for the first-ever Lakes Distillery.
The experienced team behind the Lakes Distillery, which includes managing director Paul Currie who co founded the Arran Distillery, Master Distiller Chris Anderson with over 30 years’ experience and Alan Rutherford a former Production Director of Diageo, are renovating the historic buildings of an old Victorian Model Farm next to the famous river Derwent and close to Bassenthwaite Lake, with the aim to produce a new world-class single malt whisky.
The water from the famous River Derwent, with its source high up in the fells, a team steeped in whisky experience, and perfect conditions for distilling are set to create a very special malt.
The Lakes Distillery will open to the public in late 2014. The Lakes single malt will begin production this summer, and its blended whisky from the British Isles, called The ONE, is available to buy now.
The ONE Whisky
The ONE is the first British blended whisky ever to be produced. As opposed to blends made only of scotch whiskies, The ONE has been carefully created from whiskies from around the British Isles, leading to a very unique whisky. This is very much an artisan blend – the team in Cumbria has enormous experience in making the very finest whiskies, and their expertise has put together this outstanding blend, which has a lightly peated character.
Blended whiskies are made up of grain and malt whiskies, and it is the quantity of malt whisky in the blend that dictates the quality – so the more malt whisky in the blend, the better the quality. The ONE has a very high malt content and its quality is very much in line with single malt whiskies.
Distributors
– Netherlands – Van Wees.
– France – La Maison du Whisky
– Belgium – Nectar
– UAE – MMI
– Spain/Poland – currently in discussions with potential distributors
The Connoisseurs’ Club
The company has launched a Connoisseurs’ Club, exclusively for those with a genuine passion for whisky. For this reason we will create only 60 limited edition oak sherry casks, exclusively for club members. No other editions of The Lakes Single Malt will be produced in these rare casks, providing members with a unique tasting malt not available for general retail. It’s an exciting, once in a lifetime opportunity, never to be reproduced.
Each cask is estimated to contain more than 100 bottles and members can be there on that historic first day to make the whisky themselves, fill their own Connoisseur’s Cask and see it stored in the distillery warehouse. The Connoisseurs’ Club limited membership costs £12,000, which includes the unique signature cask, exclusive annual events, accommodation at the nearby 4-star Trout Hotel, delivery, all duty and VAT. It’s estimated if kept, the cask will be worth over £20,000 in years to come.
The first ever distillery in the beautiful Lake District, opening later this year, is setting aside the first ever 100 casks of malt whisky produced for members of its Founders’ Club. Each year for ten years, members will receive one 70cl bottle making up a collectible set of the distillery’s first ever production, all with unique, limited edition labels. These casks will not be available for the general public and are uniquely reserved for members.
As the bottles will undoubtedly be keepsakes, members will also receive two miniatures each year to taste the spirit as it develops over time into a wonderful, single malt whisky. Founder’s Club membership costs just £595, with an expected value of over £1,400 over the ten years period.
Jolly Toper Tastings, Edinburgh, Scotland
For years the premier whisky experiences in Edinburgh have been Jolly Toper Tasting events. Under this name Mark Davidson offers a variety of tastings in public and private settings. Davidson, who also manages the daily operations of the Cadenhead’s whisky shop on the Royal Mile, has responded to requests to expand Jolly Toper’s presence on social networks. He launched a Twitter account (@JTWhisky), Instagram (instagram.com/jollytoper), and greatly enhanced the Facebook page (goo.gl/CzSIWD) in order to bring the tastings outside the tasting room. The web page (http://www.jollytoper.com/) is undergoing major enhancements and will include previously unavailable options for those interested in attending the tastings, to join or renew annual membership. People unable to attend the tastings can experience them via his YouTube channel Jolly Toper Whisky (http://goo.gl/KC9Fpx).
The Jolly Toper Himself
Elements of Islay – new bottlings on their way!
Ears always prick up at TWE HQ when we hear about new bottlings of the ever-popular Elements of Islay range. Bottled by our sister company Speciality Drinks Ltd, Elements is a celebration of all things Islay, offering an alternative to the standard line-up of distillery bottlings – and three additions to the range will be available very soon.
We aren’t allowed to reveal the identity of any of the whiskies (although you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to work them out), but each one is a brilliant expression of their distillery, and shows that Islay whiskies have far more to shout about than just their peating level.
With each Elements release, the new bottlings have to be approved by someone with great whisky knowledge and a love of Islay malts – this time, the bottles were signed and given the seal of approval by Malt Maniac Konstantin Grigoriadis.
Konstantin says: ‘I am very pleased to be able to put my name to these new Elements of Islay bottlings. My personal favourite is Bw4, as it reminds me of the older-style bottlings from that distillery. It’s great to see the quality evident in these whiskies, as with all Speciality Drinks bottlings.’
Here are the new whiskies:
Ar5, 57.8%, £94.95
Nose: A rasping hit of maple-cured bacon, then enticing notes of rich, honeyed fruit and menthol lozenges, freshened up with a little maritime kick.
Palate: Intense peat leads the way, closely followed by stewed fruit and sour cherries, clove-studded gammon, and aromatic spiciness. A big-hearted dram.
Finish: Very long lasting, with peppery spice combining with the peat.
Comment: Ar bottlings are the most popular in the Elements range, and this will be no exception: rich and decadent, with generous helpings of fruit, peat and spice.
Bw4, 51.6%, £69.95
Nose: Delicious, bracing salinity, followed by appealing nuttiness, sweet custard-tart notes, a hint of nutmeg and a whiff of smoke. Very fresh.
Palate: Gentle, warming peat builds in the glass, accompanied by notes of succulent red fruits, tobacco and autumn leaves.
Finish: Clean and measured, with the peat slowly dissipating.
Comment: Elegance in abundance, this is a delightful dram that benefits from time to contemplate its complexity.
Cl7, 58.5%, £69.95
Nose: Clean and fresh, but there’s something extra there – lemon sherbet sprinkled over hot buttered toast, with a dusting of pink peppercorns.
Palate: Sprightly peat kept in check with candied lemon peel and black-pepper aromatics. Lovely balance; this would be excellent with a plate of smoked salmon.
Finish: Beautiful contrast between the earthy peat and crisp lemon.
Comment: There have been more Cl Elements bottlings than from any other distillery, and on the latest evidence, it’s not hard to see why. Cl7 is classy stuff, with razor-sharp citrus cutting through the peat and smoke.
There’s no doubt that Ar5 is the obvious crowd-pleaser of the three, with the peat and sherried fruit cranked right up. But it shouldn’t push the other two into the background; Bw4 is elegant, subtle and quietly classy, while Cl7 has, in my view, the best balance of the three, offering a delightful freshness to offset its peatiness, and is – marginally – my favourite.
All three whiskies will be going on sale any day now – keep checking the TWE site for details…
Late September 2014 Outturn Offerings
Cask No. 29.148 $150
A fantastic fusion of flavours
Islay
An evocative nose – sweet treats (liquorice allsorts, Blackpool rock, walnut whip, corn candies) competed with smoky, briny elements (sweet peat smoke, oysters, harbour, tarry ropes); panellists also found bicycle shops, new carpets, First Aid boxes, seared gammon and lavender soap. The palate – a fantastic fusion of flavours – medicinal, liquorice, perfumed smoke, hickory chips, rum and raisin fudge, muscovado and ash – an impressive sweet/smoky balance. The reduced nose had us enjoying tomato sauce crisps, chocolate limes and liquorice toffees by a swimming pool. The palate’s robust carbolic smoke was squeezed in hugs of barley and oak sweetness. Nearest distillery to Port Ellen.
Drinking tip: To cheer you up and restore your balance and positivity
Colour: Bullion bars
Cask: Refill barrel
Age: 18 years
Date Distilled: April 1995
Alcohol: 60.7%
USA allocation: 169 bottles
Cask No. 5.38 $125
Lemon drizzle cake
Lowland
Tart apple pie, with grass clippings, lemon zest/lemon marmalade, key lime pie and a hint of sherbet. Surprisingly sweet in the mouth, with lime, lemon sherbet then strawberry jello and wine gums. Water reinforces this with boiled sweets and artificial red fruits; fresh bread or proving dough and cornflakes behind. Not as sweet now, but soft and fruity (tinned fruit cocktail); mouth-cooling, with a short finish. Fresh and easy to drink, with a trace of lemon-grass in the aftertaste. An excellent aperitif.
Drinking tip: With Thai food
Colour: Pale gold
Cask: Refill hogshead
Age: 13 years
Date Distilled: October 2000
Alcohol: 57.2%
USA allocation: 78 bottles
Cask No. 26.97 $125
Spritzy Citrus and Ikea Candles
Highland, Northern
The nose packed a punch of pink grapefruit, fizzy sherbet, and cranberry followed by delicate floral – citronella, lilac and elderflower. Tinned mango, wine gums and pistachio emerged, and hint of water butt on a warm day. The taste was tingling and tropical with fresh wood, zesty mandarin and Edinburgh rock. Water delivered a box of Ikea candles, Turkish Delight, lemon and ginger marmalade and roses after summer rain. The panel were reminded of eating a meaty fish baked in salt whilst sitting on a wet rock. A spritzy finish softened with marshmallow, cream soda and a handful of playdough.
Drinking tip: Ideal for summer drinking on a park bench or rock
Colour: Old brass
Cask: Refill hogshead
Age: 13 years
Date Distilled: April 2000
Alcohol: 51.4%
USA allocation: 81 bottles
Cask No. 72.41 $95
Girlie holiday breakfast dram
Speyside, Lossie
Some described this as a feminine nose – pot-pourri, tanning lotion, cocoa- butter, orange-scented candles, honey-nut cornflakes, pancakes and bucks fizz – perhaps a girlie holiday breakfast dram? Nothing feminine about the palate though – this was a big hitter! – burnt toffee, black bun, treacle scones, caramelized nuts, Jamaica cake, muscovado and rendang sauce – spicy, fruity and darkly sweet. The reduced nose turned to cinder toffee, pencil boxes, Maya Gold chocolate and jelly babies – plus the girls had now been in for a swim. The palate – mmm – coffee creams, sticky toffee pudding, chocolate-coated raisins – delish! The distillery, ironically, has connections with monks.
Drinking tip: To go with dessert, or instead of dessert; or to get into the holiday mood
Colour: Amber
Cask: First-fill white wine hogshead
Age: 9 years
Date Distilled: September 2004
Alcohol: 59.8%
USA allocation: 90 bottles
Cask No. 73.61 $185
A work of Art
Speyside, Deveron
We are transported into a joiner’s workshop that specialises in restoring antique mahogany furniture. The aromas filling the air are all very subtle and elegant; oily, waxy and hot melted glue mixed in with a smoldering Cuban cigar and a freshly made sticky toffee pudding. The taste is initially sweet, chocolate coated cinder toffees, a hint of smoke as well as ‘woody’ flavours and a surprisingly dry, nutty finish like a VORS Amontillado Sherry. With water a bag of mixed nuts, figs, prune juice, hickory wood chips and mead wine. The taste is now dry with a lovely sweetness – a coffee and walnut cake accompanied by a glass of Oloroso Dulce Sherry.
Drinking tip: Enjoying a rest from working in the garden
Colour: Golden syrup still in the tin
Cask: Refill butt
Age: 24 years
Date Distilled: May 1989
Alcohol: 57.2%
USA allocation: 108 bottles
Please visit the Scotch Malt Whisky Society at http://www.smwsa.com/
Single-Malt Scotch Tasting
Thursday, October 2nd
4:30 P.M. OR 6:00 P.M.
Featuring Independent Bottler Gordon & MacPhail
Lead by Importer, Gary Kiemach
Free
Left: Michael Urquhart, who is retiring as Managing Director of G&M and handing over the title to the first ever non-family member to hold the position. Right: His successor, former COO of G&M, Ewen Mackintosh
Those of you who joined us for our last tasting of whiskies from the Gordon & MacPhail portfolio back in March will remember Gary Keimach. Only six short months later he’ll be back in the store again with a whole new set of offerings (plus the always reliable Benromach 10 year old from the distillery owned by the bottlers). Gary is a font of knowledge and we’re lucky to have him. Come pick his brain, learn, and taste through a lovely line-up. The two tastings (one at 4:30, one at 6) will be identical, so pick whichever works best for you but please be prompt. Bring a fellow whisky-nerd, a scotch-curious acquaintance, or just come yourself — but you won’t want to miss this tasting. We’ll taste the following whiskies, with pricing information to follow shortly:
G&M Bunnahabhan Cask Strength 9 Y.O. (Peated )
Regularly $94.99, At the Tasting $84.99
Benromach 10 Y.O. $59.99, At the Tasting $49.99
G&M Scapa 10 Y.O. $71.99, At the Tasting $64.99
G&M Smith’s Glenlivet 15 Y.O. $89.99, At the Tasting $80.99
G&M Ardmore 15 Y.O. $79.99, At the Tasting $71.99
G&M Mortlach 25 Y.O. $274.99, At the Tasting $249.99
Prices subject to change without notice.
Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits
Email: joe@federalwine.com
Phone: 617-367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/
The Distillery Section completely revised with all the latest news.
The chapter on Distilleries Around the Globe now bigger than ever
New exciting articles by distinguished writers such as Charles MacLean, Ian Buxton, Gavin D Smith, Dominic Roskrow, Neil Ridley, Jonny McCormick and Bernhard Schäfer
Completely new Japanese chapter by Nicholas Coldicott
More than 250 tasting notes, including Japanese malts and independent bottlings
Whisky Around the World – whisky profiles around the globe invite you to their country
Expanded section on Independent Bottlers
A listing of more than 150 of the world´s greatest whisky shops
The Whisky Year That Was – the most comprehensive summary you´ll find of the news and trends in the industry
All the latest info on bottlings, web sites, books as well as the latest statistics and figures
More than 500 colour photos
Published by MagDig Media Ltd.
Publication date; 1 October 2014
Number of pages; 300
ISBN 978-0-9576553-1-7
Recommended retail price in UK; £13.95
Contact; ingvar.ronde@magdig.com
www.maltwhiskyyearbook.com
Just to give you all a heads up; we’ve got three rather delicious UK exclusive single casks available at the moment: one from Benriach and two from Glendronach. The Benriach is a 1996 18 year old finished in PX sherry which gives a big, rich raisiny sweetness to the classic garden fruit style of 1990s Benriach. A terrific dram and perfect for anyone who enjoys either classic Speyside or lighter sherried drams. Or just great whisky in general.
The Glendronachs are a 1995 19 year old from a PX sherry puncheon (cask 3250) and a 1995 19 year old from an Oloroso sherry puncheon (cask 4887). Both represent the best of the early 1990s production style at Glendronach; fast becoming recognised as a letter day golden era for this distillery. Expect a beautiful earthy, tertiary richness and complexity from the Oloroso matured cask 4887, countered by more dark, unctuous fruitiness in the PX matured cask 3250. Trying both side by side makes for fascinating and sublime drinking.
All in all three fantastic new releases at great, highly drinkable prices. Don’t wait around if you want to get one of these.
The Whisky Online Team.
Hi folks. We’re now live with the 42nd auction. We hope you enjoy it.
Kind Regards from Glasgow
The SWA Team
Please click here to view the 42nd Auction
