Amrut Indian Single Malt launches the collectible ‘Greedy Angels’ across the world

Amrut Distilleries, India, known for their popular range of Single Malt whiskies which include Amrut Fusion, Amrut Portonova & Amrut Peated have launched 320 bottles of ‘Greedy Angels – Chairman’s Reserve’10 years old. This whisky is the first 10 YO single malts to be produced from India and are priced at circa 500 Euros.

Bangalore, India.

Amrut Distilleries Ltd., Bangalore is a boutique distillery known for their award winning single malt whiskies. Amrut recently concluded 10 years of presence in the international markets and have launched the Amrut Greedy Angels Single Malt Whisky – 10 years old to commemorate this occasion. The distillery had launched their malts in 2004 in Glasgow, Scotland by N.R. Jagdale, the Managing Director through his son Rakshit & his friend Ashok and now the malts bear unmistakable shelf presence across 40 countries. The brand peaked in the limelight in 2010 when acclaimed whisky writer, Jim Murray rated the Amrut Fusion with 97/100 points voting it the ‘3rd finest whisky in the world’ putting behind over 4000 whiskies from brands across the world. Amrut is also the only Indian whisky to feature in Ian Buxton’s ‘101 whiskies to have before you die’.

Their latest and most expensive whisky so far, the ‘Greedy Angels – Chairman’s Reserve 10 years old’ is the first 10 year old single malt to ever come out of India and is also India’s most expensive whisky so far. Given the high temperatures and humidity in India the loss of whisky during maturation is close to 10-12% in comparison to Scotland’s 1-2%. This makes ageing of these malts a very tricky affair and the quantity left for bottling quite meagre compared to what was started off with. A total of 320 bottles of these exquisite bottles are available with 284 bottles sailing to Europe & 36 to the United States of America. The specially designed package consists of a 700/750 ml crystal decanter bottled at 46% ABV and a 50 ml miniature decanter bottled at full cask strength of 71% ABV.

Industry Observers note that almost all of the bottles have been pre-sold or reserved and most of the units will end up as collectibles in shelves of aficionados. “The profile can be compared to some of the very old & rare Scottish single malts”, notes Ashok Chokalingam, GM – International Markets (Amrut), “you will spot a lot of tropical fruits, orangy citrus & a lingering finish”.

“Consumers will have to wait for quite some time before the next batch is released”, Ashok adds. “We are not sure when the next release of this ten years old malt from the Amrut stable will emanate as keeping the balance profile of the whisky is questionable given the conditions under which it matures”.

About Amrut Single Malt

Amrut Single Malt was launched in 2004 as an experiment by Amrut Distilleries, a Bangalore based conglomerate that started operations in 1948. Amrut was the first ever-Indian single malt and was launched in Glasgow, right in the heart of Scotland. The whiskies were received well across the world owing to their quality and have grown aggressively. Amrutt now bottles around 18 expressions of single malts, which are sold in 40 countries and growing.

Amrut 10yo, “Greedy Angels” 46% OB, 2014 

A rare offering from Amrut Distillers and hand delivered to Whisky Intelligence by Mr. Chokalingham himself. On the nose there’s lots of stewed fruit and a very nice ‘clean’ set of aromas, not dramatically complex but very, very nice. There’s also some characteristic Amrut style malt backing the stewed fruits. The taste is a reverse of the nose with the malt arriving first and then a quick switch to show case the stewed fruits once again. Absolutely lovely. The finish is a mirror image of the nose and the taste translates into some very good balance. The lovely malt arrives after a time and continues for an eternity.

Oh my, what a lovely whisky.

Score 90 points

Amrut 10yo “Greedy Angels” 71%, OB, 2014 

A massive cask strength version of the 46% version; 71.05% promises to be dramatic! It’s slightly darker than the46% also. On the nose there’s the appearance of a lot more age, perhaps from the lashings of oak spice that come streaking out of the glass like a missile with a trailing plume of the some really good sweetness. This is truly and elixir of exotic origin. A hold on the water is called for. The taste is aggressive and very, very dry but there is cocoa powder, lemon and coconut matting (think the tropics on really warm night indoors). The finish is more of the lemon with a really nice cream soda along with a late arrival of the wood spices.

A dribble of water turns out to be not enough, a veritable deluge is needed to bring some order to the cask strength melee. Water does the trick and it softens quite a bit and becomes, unsurprisingly much like the 46%… don’t add too much.

Very nice indeed.

88 Points.

Both samples of the 10 year old 46% and 71.05% provided by Amrut Distillers.

Kensington Wine Market Has a New Owner!

As of April 1, 2015, longtime employee Andrew Ferguson is the new owner of the Kensington Wine Market. Andrew has been with KWM for 13 years (starting as our delivery driver) and has, during this time, worked his way to becoming an internationally recognized scotch expert. As a result of his hard work,  Andrew has put KWM “on the map” as one of the most respected malt whisky stores in the world. Andrew is 100% dedicated to keeping KWM’s reputation as one of the best wine stores in Canada and will work with our team, already in place, to achieve these goals. We all congratulate Andrew, and look forward to working with him.

Nancy Carten, founder of KWM, will be working with Andrew and his team over the next three years to ensure her legacy of 23 years continues.

We all look forward to continue welcoming you to the Kensington Wine Market!

  Kensington Wine Market Store Hours

Mon – Wed 10am to 8pm

Thu – Fri 10am to 9pm

Sat 10am to 8pm

Sun Noon to 6pm

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000

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 whiskey (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 this stuff and offer it to every K&L customer with no limits or restrictions on quantity.

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

Not got your ticket yet? Don’t miss out on a fantastic day of dramming!

Tickets available here Only £25

This week Joe Ellis reviews Kininvie 23 Year Old Batch 2.

https://youtu.be/RIJdJ8GBBzM

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

https://www.facebook.com/whiskytube

The French Connection – serving up a taste of Speyside, from glass to plate

From cheese to champagne, France is famous the world over for its food and drink – but now a French food writer is ensuring Scotland’s finest food and drink receives the recognition it deserves during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

French-born journalist Martine Nouet has been writing about food and drink for more than 25 years.

And while the nation of her birth is famed for its fine wine and champagne, Martine has developed a passion for whisky, so much so that she has become known as the Queen of the Still.

On her first visit to Scotland two decades ago, she visited Tamdhu Distillery on Speyside and became so fascinated by the distillation process, the aromas and the culture and heritage behind making malt that she fell in love with the ‘water of life’.

She now lives in Scotland, on the island of Islay, and her love of drams and her talent for cookery has seen her become widely regarded as a specialist in matching food and whisky.

Martine has an international reputation in the world of food and drink and is looking forward to sharing her skills with audiences during the upcoming Festival.

She is leading three demonstrations showing just how well whisky can be used as both an accompaniment and an ingredient to both sweet and savoury recipes.

Her from glass to plate Cooking with Malt Whisky Demonstrations take place at the Oakwood Cookery School, Elgin, on Friday, May 1. Each lasts for an hour and a half, starting at 10am, 1pm and 3pm. Each session costs £20 and tickets are available now on the Festival website.

Martine believes that whisky goes so well with food because of its very special flavours and characteristics.

She says: “Whisky has such a wide and complex array of aromas and tastes, as much, if not more, than wine and when paired with food, the two bring out new flavours.

“I’m giving three cooking demonstrations as I’d like to show people easy to reproduce recipes and show that whisky at the table is a great sensory experience. The people attending will of course taste the dishes: a seafood starter, mushroom risotto for the main and a quince jelly, pear and ricotta dessert.

“The festival helps visitors learn or develop an interest in whisky and the aim of my cookery sessions will be to harmoniously mix entertainment with education.”

Martine is also hosting a vintage dinner on Saturday, May 2 with Ronnie Cox from Glenrothes in Rothes House, as well as being part of the Victorian Picnic in the gardens of Glen Grant distillery on Sunday, May 3.

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival runs from Thursday, April 30-Monday, May 4 2015. Check out www.spiritofspeyside.com for up-to-date news and follow the Festival at www.facebook.com/WhiskyFestival or www.twitter.com/spirit_speyside

Photo – Food and drink writer Martine Nouet is leading three malt whisky themed cookery demonstrations at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

Notes 

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is committed to promoting responsible drinking.

Visitors travelling to and from festival events can take advantage of a range of transport options.

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has received funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners.

Gordon & MacPhail Whisky Tasting
In-store
Thursday, April 9th
Two Pourings
4:30 and 6:00

This Thursday  we will have Gary Kiemach, Senior V.P. of G&M’s importer join us with some wonderful single-malts from independent bottler Gordon & Macphail. There will be two sessions with exactly the same line up, the first at 4:30 and again at 6:00 — each lasting a bit short of an hour. Pick whichever time works best for you. It has been a while so make sure you make it.

All the malts are very good but two are extra special:

The Balblair 21 Y.O. is a sherry cask single malt from one of the most picturesque distilleries in Scotland (says Nate, Joe maintains Strathisla is tops for him). I think it will be one of the best of the year. Things like this never last as long as I would like, and too many people won’t get a chance at one.

The Benromach 10 Y.O Cask Strength really hit me. It comes from a small Speyside distillery which reopened in 1998 and has been making great whisky with passion ever since.It’s a distillery to watch. This 10 Y.O. spent its time in first fill bourbon barrels giving it a wonderful fruitiness and a very special elegance.

Gordon and Macphail Tasting:

Miltonduff 10 Y.O. 43% Reg Price $59.99 – Tasting Special $53.99

Benromach 10 Y.O. Cask Str. 58.2% Reg Price $99.99 – Tasting Special $89.99

Linkwood 15 Y.O. 43% Reg Price $83.99 – Tasting Special $74.99

Balblair 21 Y.O.  53.4% Tasting Special $249.99 includes 2 scotch glasses for orders through day of tasting only

Ledaig 14 Y.O.  Cask Str.  56.9% Reg Price $114.99 – Tasting Special $103.99

Caol Ila  10 Y.O. 46% Reg Price $69.99 – Tasting Special $62.99

Joe Howell

Federal Wine & Spirits

Email: info@federalwine.com

Phone: (617) 367-8605

Web: http://www.federalwine.com/

NEW RELEASE AUTHENTIC COLLECTION DUE IN APRIL

As soon as we have the Authentic range ready we will send you another newsletter (It could be very soon). Below you will find the edited tasting notes

Dailuaine-Glenlivet Distillery 1997 18y/o 54.4% Chateau Lafitte cask since 2009

Nose: Honey and spiced gingerbread. Becoming creamier with blood oranges, strawberries and vanilla pods. Taste: Runny toffee, blueberry muffins, then fig compote, star anise and growing zesty notes Finish: Slightly nutty with developing fruitiness, quince, pears and mango giving way to melted white chocolate.

Glenfarclas Distillery 1990 25y/o 52.6%

Nose: Sweet and nutty, cashews and pecans. Honey glazed ham and pineapple juice. Taste: Some cereal notes, bourbon biscuits, vanilla ice cream and lemon icing. Finish: Lemon curd; white chocolate; butter shortbread and a touch of coriander.

Glenlivet (Minmore) Distillery 1996 18y/o 53.7%

Nose: Intensely sweet and creamy. Bags of vanilla with honey and faint orange zest.  Taste: Very vibrant; lots of American cream soda, melted white chocolate and toffee shortbread. Finish: A mouth coating creaminess that lasts and lasts with runny toffee leaving you endlessly wanting one more sip.

Glentauchers-Glenlivet Distillery 1976 38y/o 50.8%

Nose: Juicy fruits, limes, lychee and strawberry bubblegum. Some sour apple sweets and a dusting of brown sugar.  Taste: Soft oakiness, white pepper, and then more fruits. Strawberries with white chocolate and limeade. Finish: Long and slightly drying grassy notes with a hint of oak and developing creaminess.

Laphroaig Distillery 1998 16y/o 57.5%

Nose: White chocolate, caramel and lemony notes with a background of oily smoke. Taste: Wet ash, then green apple skins, pebble beaches and oily rags. Finish: Dry smoke with smoked almonds, white chocolate covered raisins with grapes and more olive oil.

Ledaig Distillery 1993 22y/o 54.3%

Nose: Treacle; initially quite meaty then becoming creamy and oilier. Quite grassy and floral. Taste: Dry creaminess with soft smoke. Tangerine and peach notes develop. More grassiness and hints of coconut. Finish: Drying medium length finish. Slightly flinty with salt and limoncello.

LongrowTM distilled at SpringbankTM Distillery 2002 12y/o 53.1% (Sherry)

Nose: Oily, earthy and slightly medicinal with soft smoke. A little meaty, with rich dark fruits and a touch of BBQ sauce. Taste: Big and oily with wet wood smoke, then blackcurrants, pancetta and apple chutney. Finish: Developing smokiness fights through big fruity notes with a twist of orange and growing creaminess.

Tomatin Distillery 1989 25y/o 51.9%

Nose: Sweet honeycomb; vanilla with faint aniseed notes. Taste: Toffee and nougat with faint chocolate notes and lashings of golden syrup. Finish: Caramel doughnuts, lemon icing and soft grassy notes.

WORLD WHISKIES

Irish Whiskey (Peated) from Cooley Distillery, Eire 1992 23y/o 55%

Nose: Clotted cream, custard creams, vanilla custard and very soft sweet smokiness. Taste: More smoke than the nose suggests; creamy with raspberry jam, strawberry yoghurt and salted butter. Finish: Initially very creamy then a dry ashy smokiness builds along with gooseberries and olive oil.

Scottish Single Grain from Girvan Distillery 1988 26y/o 56.6%

Nose: Initial cereal notes fade and give way to dried banana chips, cardamon pods, liquorice and white flour. Taste: Sweet and chewy; quite oily with pine resin, hard boiled orange sweets and a little star anise. Finish: Quite peppery without water, but gives way to soft milk chocolate, cookie dough and dry vermouth.

Tasmanian Single Malt – Cradle Mountain from The Small Concern Whisky Distillery ex Cabernet Sauvignon cask! 1996 18y/o 52.9%

Nose: Peanut butter, balsamic vinegar and soya sauce. Black cherries, figs, chocolate and redcurrant jelly. Taste: Big fruitiness with soft wood smoke, dry spices and more nuttiness. Almond butter and spiced orange notes. Finish: A big whisky; rich, nutty, fruity and very meaty. A whisky to chew on.

I think that’s it for now? I could tell you about the new Springbank Port wood I guess but lets leave that until the next newsletter along with the exciting news about Kilkerran 11 year old WIP 7

Stephen

Cadenhead’s Whisky Shop & Tasting Room

26 Chiltern Street London

W1U 7QF

Tel: 020 7935 6999

Grape and Grain >  19 Greville St, London – Tue 7 Apr

Breaking a taboo with 3 Society drams with 3 contrasting wines

Beer & Whisky Tasting > The Vaults, Leith – Thu 9 Apr

Celebrating the ‘hauf ‘n’ hauf’ as part of Spritzich Whisky & Beer celebrations

Browse All Tastings >

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