Balblair 21 Year Gordon & MacPhail First Fill Sherry Cask Strength Single Barrel Single Malt Scotch 750ml

( $229.99) Only 5 cases for California and we got them all! This is massively sherried Balblair at the peak of maturity. A true Sherry Bomb if you’re in the market for one. Dark like coffee, rich like molasses. It’s a dream for any lover of the Sherried style, but also a great introduction to the unusual Balblair Distillery.

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

Treat the old man…or yourself this Father’s Day

This Father’s Day we’re giving away a free bottle of whisky to match each cask purchased between Monday the 31st and Sunday the 6th of September. In other words, buy a French Oak barrel and get a bottle of French Oak free. Hurry and remember, the only thing better than sharing a bottle of whisky with your father is sharing a barrel!

CLICK HERE FOR WHISKY BARRELS

Tasmania Distillery
Lamb Pl
Cambridge, TAS 7170
Australia

This week Joe Ellis reviews Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon.

https://youtu.be/PNkdm3um3Nw

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

https://www.facebook.com/whiskytube

ROYAL BRACKLA® SINGLE MALT: THE FIRST WHISKY FIT FOR A KING

Glasgow, Scotland, 25^th August 2015 – John Dewar & Sons Ltd. has unveiled a new range of proprietary bottlings from Royal Brackla distillery, one of Scotland’s oldest and most venerable distilleries.

The new expressions of this regal single malt, ROYAL BRACKLA® 12 year-old, ROYAL BRACKLA® 16 year-old and ROYAL BRACKLA® 21 year-old will be available initially in 10 markets from September 2015; a regal opportunity to savour whisky fit for a King.

Standing on the fertile farmland of the Cawdor Estate, Royal Brackla Distillery was established in 1812 by the fiery Captain William Fraser who returned to the family farm after military service and took advantage of the fine barley it grew. Within 25 years his distillery’s reputation for spirit of sterling taste received its crowning moment when King William IV bestowed ‘Royal’ status to Brackla, in 1835. It thus became the first ever Scotch to garner a royal warrant, a revelation that led to its nickname: ‘The King’s Own Whisky’.

Traditional production techniques help to protect a distilling heritage that spans more than two centuries and preserves the unparalleled quality of a rather special spirit. To allow for the development of intriguing complexity and fruitiness, extra time is taken at the fermentation stage, which acts for up to 80 hours; far longer than most Scottish distilleries.

The notably tall stills run at an unusually slow pace. Their height allows plenty of reflux, with the leisurely nature of the operation increasing the contact that the spirit shares with copper, thus filtering out unwanted sulphury notes. Instead, delicate and lightly perfumed notes of grass and green foliage develop, alongside inviting fruity aromas. Crucially, the whisky is finished in premium first-fill sherry casks, enriching it with notes of muscovado sweetness and dates, alongside opulent walnuts.

Stephen Marshall, Bacardi’s Global Marketing Manager – Single Malts says: “This is the one that was described as ‘The Drink Divine’ by the Royal household in the 1830s, that’s no small claim, so we had to take our time and the entire team have done an amazing job that really does justice to Royal Brackla’s incredible heritage. There’s only one whisky in the world that can be the first Royal whisky, I feel privileged to have worked on this”.

The new portfolio consists of three age statements, each bottled at 46% ABV: Royal Brackla 12 Years Old, Royal Brackla 16 Years Old and Royal Brackla 21 Years Old. Each expression has been launched in 10 initial markets around the world including Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States and Global Travel Retail.

http://www.lastgreatmalts.com/

Tasting Notes

Royal Brackla 12 Years Old, 40% ABV

Salute a superior Scotch: almonds, vine fruits, opulent spices; steeped in sherried richness. Ennobled nectar, fit for a king.

Royal Brackla 16 Years Old, 40% ABV

A royal flush of flavour: vanilla, soft caramel, ripe apricots; replete with sherry tones. Hold court with a monarch of the glens.

Royal Brackla 21 Years Old, 40% ABV

All hail a high-born spirit: summer berries, dark chocolate, star anise; infused with sherry sweetness. A member of malt aristocracy. 

About ROYAL BRACKLA Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Founded in 1812 by Captain William Fraser, ROYAL BRACKLA’s regal malt has a remarkable history. The distillery itself is over two centuries old and its malt’s nickname of ‘The King’s Own Whisky’ stems from its distinction as the first single malt to be granted a royal warrant.

High-grade barley, flawless water from the Cawdor Burn and slow distillation produce a truly refined spirit, before it’s matured in the finest first-fill oloroso sherry casks. This rich, robust whisky offers muscovado sweetness, dates and walnuts within its opulent, sherried depths.

The brand new portfolio comprises of three ROYAL BRACKLA single malts: the 12 Years Old, 16 Years Old and 21 Years Old.

The single malt brand of ROYAL BRACKLA is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.

http://www.royalbrackla.com/

About John Dewar & Sons Ltd.John Dewar & Sons Ltd. employs 300 people at seven locations throughout Scotland. The Company currently operates whisky distilleries in Aberfeldy, Macduff, Aultmore, Craigellachie and Nairn with ageing, blending, bottling and packaging facilities in Glasgow and additional maturation facilities in Poniel in Central Scotland.

http://www.lastgreatmalts.com/

For more information on the new single malt expressions, the five distilleries, tasting notes, crafting, and heritage, please visit http://www.lastgreatmalts.com/

ENJOY THE LAST GREAT MALTS RESPONSIBLY. 

ROYAL BRACKLA & THE LAST GREAT MALTS DEVICE ARE TRADEMARKS

Ladies and Gentlemen are cordially invited to enjoy a connoisseur’s evening featuring rare & exceptional single malt, Scotch and unique whiskies from around the world. The evening includes unlimited tastings, epicurean food, a selection of premium imported cigars for our guests’ later enjoyment, souvenir snifter glass and much more. The Whisky Extravaganza brings the discerning enthusiast the opportunity to sample the participating whiskies in a sophisticated and elegant environment with genuine camaraderie and knowledgeable representatives from each participating distillery.

Whisky Intelligence readers will receive a 10% discount on tickets to the Extravaganza. Please use the promotional code “EXTD2015″. You can purchase tickets directly from the link HERE, by visiting their  website  or by calling them at 800.990.1991.

All events from 6:30pm-9:00pm. Registration begins at 6:30pm.

Fall 2015 Whisky Extravaganza Schedule 

CHICAGO – THURSDAY 10/8/2015

THE UNION LEAGUE CLUB OF CHICAGO

65 WEST JACKSON BOULEVARD

CHICAGO, IL 60604

*JACKETS REQUIRED. NO DENIM OR ATHLETIC ATTIRE

WASHINGTON, DC – THURSDAY 10/29/2015

JW MARRIOTT HOTEL

1331 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE NW

WASHINGTON, DC 20004

BOSTON – THURSDAY 11/5/2015

THE TAJ BOSTON

15 ARLINGTON STREET

BOSTON, MA 02116

SEATTLE – FRIDAY 11/13/2015

THE RAINIER CLUB

820 FOURTH AVENUE

SEATTLE, WA 98104

*NO DENIM OR ATHLETIC ATTIRE

LOS ANGELES – THURSDAY 11/19/2015

MILLENNIUM BILTMORE HOTEL

506 SOUTH GRAND AVENUE

LOS ANGELES, CA 90071

 FT. LAUDERDALE – THURSDAY 12/3/2015

THE SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO

1 SEMINOLE WAY

HOLLYWOOD, FL 33314

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TheWhiskyExtravaganza

Instagram – @thewhiskyextravaganza

Values Soar as Demand for Rare Whisky Booms

The market for investing in and collecting rare whisky continues to boom, with a record number of bottles of rare whisky sold at auction in the UK during the first half of 2015, according to figures published today by whisky analyst, broker and investment experts Rare Whisky 101.

The first six months of the year saw 20,638 bottles of single malt Scotch whisky sold in the UK on the open market, an increase of 5,374 bottles and a 35% increase on the same period last year. Compared to the first half of last year, the value of collectables sold at auction grew 33.8% to £4.604m.

The continued growth of the whisky secondary market contrasts with the fortunes of the primary market where whisky exports have seen values fall over the past year.

Whisky investment analyst and co-founder of Rare Whisky 101, Andy Simpson commented: “Demand for rare whisky and the supply of bottles at auction are both accelerating at an extraordinary rate, and this is driving up values. Even using the broadest metrics of the top 1000 bottles, we have seen a dramatic and dynamic rise in values since 2008 to end June 2015.

“Demand for desirable single malt Scotch brands and previously discontinued bottles remains exceptionally strong. The dead hand of marketing is gaining an ever tighter grip on the single malt category, where retail releases are becoming non-age stated (NAS) and the number of bottles ever more prolific.  The dearth of truly collectable releases over recent years has only fuelled demand for older and discontinued past releases where quality and rarity are powerful motivations for purchase.

“For many in the broader Scotch industry, export and sales figures appear challenging. However, the secondary market for rarities shows little of this stress. We view this as a clear future trend, with the value of scarcity increasing demand from connoisseurs, collectors and investors.”

Liquid gold burns brighter

The top 100 performing bottles of Investment Grade Scotch (Rare Whisky 101 Apex 100 Index) increased by 8.93% compared to the same period last year.  The rising values have yielded an overall increase of 506.24% between 2008 and 31 June 2015. The Apex 250 and 1000 have recorded growth of 385.81% and 245.08% over the same time frame.

Bowmore rockets up rankings, but Balvenie takes a tumble

Leading rare whisky brands, Brora and The Dalmore, retain their positions as the top two ranked distilleries, but there has been significant movement elsewhere within the Investors Distillery Index. The biggest risers are Bowmore, up 13 places from 18 to 5, Ardbeg up 10 places from 19 to 9, and Glenfiddich which climbed 16 places to 23. Balvenie tumbled 10 places from 3 to 13.

Caveat emptor….worst performing whiskies continue to decline

Conversely, the negative indices plumbed new depths, continuing a downward negative trend. Despite producing a marginally positive performance (+0.16%) through the first half of 2014, the Negative 100 Index has experienced a significant -6.74% decline during the first half of 2015. From 2008 to the end of June 2015, the Negative 100, 250 and 1000 are down -67.84%, -60.2% and -44.12% respectively.

Japanese whisky experiencing meteoric ascent

While values for collectable single malt Scotch have made impressive gains during the first half of the year, their performance pales in comparison to some Japanese brands. Karuizawa, for example, has increased by 66.05% at the half year point, outperforming any other single malt Scotch brand.

For more information or to download the full report visit http://www.rarewhisky101.com/

Notes 

About Rare Whisky 101 Andy Simpson and David Robertson launched Rare Whisky 101 in 2014 with the aim of offering a whisky valuation service, brokerage and consultancy for whisky collectors and investors. Having tracked every bottle sold at auction over the past 12 years, the business now offers the world’s first and only online single malt Scotch whisky and most comprehensive dataset. In the last 12 months, RW101 have brokered around 15,000 rare whisky bottles around the globe in addition to trading in aged casks from iconic distilleries such as The Macallan, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Springbank and Highland Park.

Imperial 19 Year Old

Bottled July 2015 by Signatory Vintage, distilled at the lost Imperial Distillery September 1995.

Buy – $66.37

Imperial 19 Year Old 1995 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whiskey. Hogshead casks #50204 & #50205 of the lost Scottish distillery. Bottled July 2015 by Signatory Vintage for the Un-Chilfiltered Collection.

OUR LATEST AUCTION IS NOW LIVE!

Our latest auction is now live, and will end on Tuesday 8 September.

We have worked hard to put together an outstanding selection of whiskies from the much-sought-after Macallan 1938 to everyday drinking whiskies.

Our bourbon selection is impressive, including old releases from George T Stagg, Thomas H Handy and William Larue Weller.

Our line-up of miniatures is as strong as ever, with some rare examples that belonged to the one of the biggest collectors in the world, and some dating from the 1930s. Look out for the following bottles, and good luck with your bids!

• Brora 1970 32 Years Old Douglas Laing
• Glenlivet 1938 Gordon & MacPhail, bottled 1980s
• Highland Park 1968 Orcadian Vintage
• Johnnie Walker Red Label, bottled 1930s
• Karuizawa 1995 Noh Wine Cask #5039 for Dr Jekyll’s Pub
• Macallan 1938 handwritten label, bottled for Germany
• Macallan Private Eye
• Yamazaki 25 Years Old Sherry Cask

You can bid in two ways: either increase the highest bid by a fixed amount, or place your maximum bid straightaway – ideal if you can’t be online on the last day of our auction. Be the first to bid! Remember that you can also create a personalised Watch List to keep track of your favourite items.

View our current auction

Get bidding, and good luck!

The Whisky Auction team.