March is here and spring is quickly approaching. We sure hope this is the last winter storm for us. We really need a break! A few new Private Barrel Selections have made their way to The Party Source shelves, and more are on the way. We also have a few new products that might pique your interest.

Cheers, -The Party Source Spirits Department

PRIVATE BAREL UPDATE

New selections now in-stock:

FOUR ROSES Single Barrel Bourbon TPS Private Barrel – $34.99

RUSSELL’S RESERVE Single Barrel Bourbon TPS Private Barrel – $48.99

WHISTLE PIG Straight Rye Whiskey 10 Year TPS Private Barrel – $89.99

We are anxiously awaiting their arrival of the following barrels:

OLD FORESTER Single Barrel Bourbon TPS Private Barrel

WOODFORD RESERVE Double Oaked Bourbon TPS Private Barrel

KNOB CREEK Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon TPS Private Barrel

JEFFERSON’S Small Batch Bourbon TPS Private Barrel 1792 Barrel Select TPS Private Barrel (three selections)

The success of our Old Forester Private Barrels has been very impressive. We are expecting one more barrel arriving very soon. However, we probably won’t get any more samples to try until this fall. So make sure our Old Forester makes the list for your next visit.

>>>Click HERE to Shop TPS PRIVATE BARRELS 

NEW TO THE PARTY

CHARLES GOODNIGHT Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon – $37.99

COMPASS BOX Delilah’s Blend Scotch Whisky – $51.99

GLENMORANGIE Single Malt Scotch Tusail – $97.99

AMADOR Straight Hop-Flavored Whiskey – $89.99

HAIG CLUB Single Grain Scotch Whisky – $68.99

HAZELBURN Single Malt Scotch 10 Year – $136.99

HIGH WEST Bourye Whiskey – $79.99

HIGH WEST Valley Tan Utah Oat Whiskey – $58.99 

PRECINCT NO. 6 Kentucky Sour Mash – $31.99 Distilled from 50% corn and 50% cane

WHISKEY ROW Bourbon Whiskey – $37.99

Liz and Paul dropped by the new Ballindalloch distillery recently, as they have two groups on tour later this Spring also going there, high time for a visit!

As Paul says; Brian welcomed us and did the tour, in fact, there are only 3 guys working there; Brian, Colin and Charlie; master distiller – who has more than 40 years’ experience in the industry, we met all three. The tour didnee take long, a wee distillery and a small footprint (unlike Dalmunach we also did on the same weekend), it is nestled in the Spey valley in the Ballindalloch Estate, home to the Macpherson-Grant family since 1546, the castle is also a good visit by the way. Ballindalloch is Scotland’s first Single Estate Distillery. It is open for visitors by appointment only and to small groups. Their own whisky will not be ready for a few years, up to a decade before you can sample the first drams, but the family had the foresight to establish a collection of private casks (including rare examples from the Macpherson-Grant family private Cragganmore casks from the 1980’s) Brian will happily pour you a dram or two. Brian is Distillery Host.

There is no automation/computer, nothing happens without the 3 guys being directly involved, whisky is crafted, not produced. When asked where the casks come from (to be filled) Brian said, the Speyside Cooperage, to source the finest available casks. It will produce around 100,000 litres of new spirit each year.  Ballindalloch estate owner and distillery founder Guy MacPherson-Grant, whose family have lived there since 1546, said the whisky was named “single estate” for good reason. “The estate has facilitated the project, but the partnership between the estate and the community has brought real benefits to both, and one that will continue in future months and years. The main principle behind calling it a single estate whisky is that around 80% of the tradesmen, and of course our distillers all come from within 20 miles of the distillery. The water comes from the hills, the barley comes from the fields, the people that made the equipment, the people that make the whisky, and we even feed the draff from the distillery to the cattle that graze the estate’s fields, so the whisky really is all from our single estate.”

On our visit, last minute work was being carried out, completing various things including the tasting rooms – “I look forward to going back, as that posh tasting room looks good to me!” MCLEANSCOTLAND will be back in April with friend and tour guest Ingvar Ronde, then may with a whisky club from Netherlands, who will be filling their two casks with new make!

Story by Paul McLean, http://www.angelswhiskyclub.com/ www.mcleanscotland.com

INDIAN DRAMS … trying out some whisky from Paul John. It is actually new single malts from Goa, India, from a company called John Distilleries which was launched in 1992 by chairman Paul John. They are the 6th largest whisky producers in the world, producing blends for the huge Indian market and have about 12 brands in India. Original Choice, one of their brands, ships over ten million cases a year! I met Michael John (no relation to Chairman Paul John) who is the master distiller, at the Edinburgh Stramash some years back. They use Indian malt, to their own spec from private malting’s. Peat is flown in from Scotland when it is needed. Goa has an average high temp in the 30°s C. This means maturation happens fast and the angels share is a hell of a lot higher than in Scotland – lucky them, I do have to say at this point we have been kindly sent 8 bottles (Scottish angels share!). Their whisky would struggle to mature for longer than 7 years. Is it expensive coming from half way around the world? No, for around £60 – it’s no bad – how does it taste? …

Paul, Angels Whisky Club. “I asked several friends, whisky freaks, and some guests on tour with us to try them”.

Kevin Cowie; working on the North Sea oil rigs, living in Perth; “Pretty harsh, although just realised it’s 60.5%. drop of water changes it, much nicer, nutty finish, quite good not a bad dram! An un-peated malt matured in ex-bourbon American oak casks. Crafted with Indian 6-row barley and again matured in bourbon casks”, so Paul told me. Kev asked for more by the way!

Dave Menzies; print finisher in Perth, was given the Brilliance; not to his liking, sharp, has a bite, not for him. I then gave him a single cask; 1444 – “that 60% proof hits the spot! Cannee walk, thank God I’m sittin doon! Single cask is the way to go”

Tabla Indian restaurant Perth; On a cookery stint with good pal Adeline, I took Edited. Praveen liked it so much, I followed up gave him samples of the Peated and Single cask Peated cask 1777 @ 59.2%. Who knows, these may soon appear on an Indian evening food & whisky experience! I’m up for that.

PJ, of Malt Teasers whiskey club; Ireland; PJ came to Scotland for the 6 Nations rugby, Scotland V Ireland. We also made time to drop in at Deanston distillery. Tasting notes to follow soon…

Angus Chan; my favourite local Chinese restaurant in Perth, was given the Edited and Peated. Tasting notes to follow soon…

Myself; afraid to say, tried every one! I did like the Peated single malt, matured in bourbon barrels and presented at a generous 55.5% ABV. The Edited; a partially peated malt, about 20% of the malt is peated in Scotland, bottled at 46%abv and again matured in ex-bourbon American oak casks, non chill-filtered. Edited was created by Master Distiller Michael John using 6-row barley as well as Peated Scottish barley and matured in bourbon casks. I also researched single cask peated, Cask 692 @ 58.5%. Cask 1777 single cask peated @ 59.2% – to be honest they were very different, but in a good way! I imagined a peat bog up on Orkney supplying peat to work the barley, probably totally wrong, but a nice thought. A good young peaty dram, no as powerful as Islay, but – I think, more palatable for non Islay lovers. It did last a good while both in throat and chest, or is that me having trouble? … and Cask 1444 single cask @ 59.7% Nose: vanilla and marmalade on toast. Taste: malty, butterscotch and honey; Finish: vanilla and caramels and a hint of coffee? Can you imagine a vanilla ice cream dribbled with honey and a touch of butterscotch/toffee? But, and here’s the rub; warm!

Liz; tried the Classic. Not to her palate I’m afraid. She doesnee like peat, so this time, stay with the Balvenie Caribbean.

So to sum up, some of the younger drams are not really to western tastes (judging on our angels), but head to the peats and single casks, they stand up with good Scottish whiskies any day. I would love to have sent a wee sample to Ravn, my pal in northern Norway, at 59.7% it just about creeps in under the no – no 60%, which is a banned dram there! A big thanks to my friend Michael (Michael John, Master Distiller, John Distilleries Pvt Ltd) at John Distilleries, one of the leading Alcohol manufacturing companies in India (and the world – by volume). Paul John single malts are now available in the UK market and most of the European and also Australian markets. I have sent Michael the details of another friend of mine in Helsinki, maybe Paul John will make an appearance there next February at the whisky fest. We do like giving these drams to our tour groups to sample, maybe open their eyes to world whiskies, aye I know they come here for our Scotch, but it’s good to see/taste the opposition.

See also my interview with Michael.  http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/pauljohn.asp

See whole story with images; http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/indiandrams.asp

Paul McLean of Angels whisky club  http://www.angelswhiskyclub.com/

GLENDIDDICH-50 YEAR OLD AND THE

MACALLAN LALIQUE-50 YEAR STAR IN BONHAMS EDINBURGH WHISKY SALE 

Two special bottles lead Bonhams Whisky sale in Edinburgh on Wednesday 11 March. The Macallan Lalique-50 year old from the Six Pillars Collection is estimated at £13,000-15,000 and The Glenfiddich-50 year old at £12,000-15,000.

The Macallan Lalique-50 year old is one of the most sought after of whiskies at auction.  It was the first of the Six Pillars Collection – a six phase collaboration between these two premium producers which reached its fifth pillar in 2014. Distilled and bottled by The Macallan Distillers Ltd, it comes in a limited edition Lalique crystal decanter numbered 25 of 470.

Bottled on the 26 July 1991 by William Grant & Sons, The Glenfiddich Distillery, the bottle of The Glendiffich-50 year old (numbered 465) comes with its own wooden presentation case and a certificate of authenticity. The whisky was distilled in casks filled in 1937 and 1939.

The Glenfiddich-50 year old is regarded as one of the finest single malts and is one of the ten most expensive whiskies in the world.

The sale also includes another highly sought after Macallan. The Macallan Millenniuim Decanter-50 year old 1949, – estimate £12,000-14,000 – was distilled in January 1949 and bottled in 1999. The decanter is made from hand blown Caithness Glass.

An unusual feature of the sale is a run of 16 bottles of the Macallan from 1947-1961 (with the exception of 1948). The bottles will be sold as individual lots with a combined estimate of £14,700-£18,500.

NOTES

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. Today, the auction house offers more sales than any of its rivals. The main salerooms are in London, New York and Hong Kong. Sales are also held in the UK in Knightsbridge, Oxford and Edinburgh; in the US, in San Francisco and Los Angeles; in Europe, in Paris and Stuttgart and in Sydney, Australia. Bonhams also 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 forthcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com.

First new release of 2015

Many of you will remember that we released a 16 & 17 year-old in 2013 and 2014 to mark the countdown to our first ever commercial 18 year-old. The final bottle in this trilogy is being released on our web site on 16th March and will be another limited release of 9,000 bottles worldwide. Once again, this is a bottling of exclusively ex-Sherry Hogsheads.  We will have a limited number available in our web shop and numbers are being restricted to two bottles per transaction. You can read more about this very special edition of Arran by clicking here, and enjoy the advance tasting notes! Our newly re-designed 10 year-old, 12 year-old Cask Strength and 14 year-old Single Malts have been proving extremely popular as a special choice of whisky that can’t be found on every supermarket shelf.

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Taos Lightning Governer’s Reserve 5 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey 750ml – 11 available ($46.99)

Japan – Single Malt Scotch

• Suntory Hakushu 18 Year Old Japanese Peated Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 2 available ($199.99)

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Bunnahabhain Toiteach Peated Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 4 available ($65.99)

• Caol Ila 12 year old Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($59.99) 90-95 points Wine Enthusiast: “**Best Buy** A seductive brininess and waves of oily peat-reek greet the olfactory sense. The palate entry finds a surprisingly buttery-creamy leaning along with the peat-reek; at midpalate the flavor becomes concentrated, oily, malty sweet, and only moderately peaty. Ends on a sweet malty note. Builds from stage to stage, each phase being better than the last.” (06/2006) Whisky Advocate: “Funny to think how recently Caol Ila was an Islay giant that was kept pretty much under wraps by its owner. These days it has cemented its reputation as the island’s Mr. Consistent. This version shows its character the best, a nose that mixes seashore and grass with a distinct hint of smoked bacon. The peatiness isn’t dominant, but flows throughout the palate, scenting, lifting, and subtly changing the mix. A delicious oiliness makes it a great food whisky. (Vol. 21, #2)” Wine Spectator: “A very balanced Islay, with a flowery sweetness on the nose that gives as good as it gets against the insistent peat and salt. The peat increases on the palate, but once again the whisky counters with honey and bread dough to maintain equilibrium. Then come sweet spices that get more vibrant on the finish as they’re joined by smoked salmon. Blend drinkers should note that this is where Johnnie Walker gets much of its peat.” (02/2011)

• Glenlivet 15 year old French Oak Reserve Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($39.99)
• Lagavulin Distiller’s Edition Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($109.99) The 2014 limited edition is here!
• Smokehead Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 6 available ($52.99

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Bulleit 10 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey 750ml – 2 available ($44.99)

• Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bourbon 375ml ($39.99) Whisky Advocate: “This is what I wish the standard Maker’s Mark would be: more mature, spicier, more complex, and with a richer finish. This was initially released in Kentucky only, but rumors are that it will get a wider distribution in the future. The best Maker’s Mark since the now extinct Maker’s Mark Black, which was released for export only. If you can track down a bottle, you won’t be disappointed. -John Hansell” K&L Notes: Kentucky’s most popular wheated Bourbon that isn’t called “Pappy”, Maker’s Mark has long been famous for using winter wheat as the flavor grain (along with the majority of corn) instead of the ubiquitous rye. The only thing that ever kept Maker’s Mark from capturing the hearts of serious Bourbon aficionados everywhere was the low proof. In 2014, however, they released a tiny amount of cask strength whisky (in tiny bottles) to Kentucky residents and people went bananas. Seeing that landing a bottle of Pappy today is like winning the lottery, the Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is easily the next best thing (and, depending on who you talk to, it might even be better!). Big richness, bold spice, and that classic, creamy wheated profile combine into one epic ride. We’ve been forced to limit customers to one bottle only, and most people were lucky just to get that. But somehow, someway, we’ve managed to grab a truckload of t his stuff and offer it to every K&L customer with no limits or restrictions on quantity.

• Peach Street Colorado Straight Bourbon Whiskey 750ml – 11 available ($62.99)

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

Easter Egg Hunt

Join us at St George’s Distillery from 3rd to 6th April, 10am – 4pm, for our very own Easter egg hunt. £1 per treasure map, no advance tickets required Collect your treasure map and stamp from Reception, then follow the trail. Collect your bag of treats at the end. The trail is outside and may be wet, so remember to bring your wellies! All proceeds to Cancer Research UK, in memory of our founder

FIZZY NEW HEIGHTS

We’re bubbling with excitement. Spring is in the air and our heads are dizzy with thoughts of warm weather and being outdoors. Whether by the sea, camping or grilling there’s plenty fun to chase, March Outturn brings 15 single casks bursting with fizzling lip-smackingness.

With the weather warming it may be time for a refreshing beer too? Glance down the page for our springtime ‘hauf ‘n’ hauf ’ suggestions as part of our Spritzich whisky and beer celebrations…

Spicy & sweet

55.24 £73.20 Cherry pie moonshine

35.127 Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Exclusive to offers

Lightly peated

66.63 Yabba-Dabba-Doo! £45.00

3.239 Acrylic paints and petrichor £60.00

Juicy, oak & vanilla

36.83 Warm apple tart £45.00

85.30 Tropical Exotical £46.80

7.112 Gooseberry fool and biscuits £49.50

Old & dignified

 30.84 ‘To sit by the samovar’ £171.00

Peated

29.159 Anyone for cricket? £68.60

53.222 The Three Little Pigs £51.80

Young & spritely

4.203 Romantic tales, songs and whispers £59.60

Light & delicate

48.52 Teeing off £44.70

Sweet, fruity & mellow

84.16 ‘A beaker full of the warm south’ £48.70

41.60 Fun to chase £96.00

Spicy & dry

5.44 Fizzling, sizzling lip-smackingness £48.10

Browse New Outturn
Browse All Bottlings

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

New owners at the Harbour Inn, Islay

STYLISH RUFFIANS HANKEY BANNISTER COMES TO TOWN, COURTESY OF CONTAGIOUS 

Having created a fresh and sophisticated visual brand style for Hankey Bannister blended whisky, Edinburgh agency Contagious brought the new look vividly to life at an exclusive bloggers’ tasting evening at Ruffians, the stylish barber shop and whisky bar in Edinburgh’s West End.

International Beverage, the brand’s owner are looking to move Hankey Bannister up a couple of notches and focus on a more youthful and discerning audience. Teaming up with stimulating venues for promotional events is key to their  strategy and Ruffians was the ideal playground to reflect the brand’s positioning, SUBSTANCE WITH STYLE. Contagious created an overarching theme of vintage chic and sartorial elegance, inspired by London’s St James area, home of Savile Row and Hankey Bannister & Co’s offices from 1757 to the early 20th century.

Playing on the duality of the spirit’s founders – Hankey, a flamboyant marketer and Bannister, a restrained business man – is key to the creative strategy as Designer Director, Kay Koyama-Gore comments: “Hankey Bannister is packed with personality and idiosyncratic style so, as well as borrowing cues from the tailors of Savile Row, we took great delight in bringing to life the contrasting personalities of the founders, including designing and producing fabrics in branded patterns – flamboyant damask for Hankey and retrained herringbone for Bannister – which we used as backdrops, as swatches in a tailoring tools display and in bespoke waistcoats adorning authentic tailors’ dummies. We topped off the dummies with a bowler hat for Bannister, top hat for Hankey and some rather splendid moustaches!”

From brass handled canes, wooden dummies and original tools from picking blades and point turners to cotton reels and tailors’ chalk, Contagious sourced and commissioned an exciting range of props to style a highly tactile and inviting space in which the visiting bloggers – travelling from as far afield as Philadelphia, USA – could immerse themselves in the brand while sampling the smooth spirit.

Additional information:

www.hankeybannister.com

www.interbevgroup.com

Hankey Bannister is an exceptional blended Scotch that includes single malts from all five International Beverage whisky distilleries – hand selected and carefully blended to create a smooth, light and perfectly balanced blend. Hankey annister & Co was established in 1757, and their illustrious clientele included Prince Regent William IV, George V and Winston Churchill.

Today Hankey Bannister aims to bring an intriguing sense of style and sophistication to the crowded blended Scotch category.

www.contagious.co.uk

Contagious is a creative brand agency working with clients around the world who have amazing brands. Our team of hugely talented, extraordinarily diverse, multi-disciplinary people specialise in brand communication, digital, environments and experiential design.