Whisky Offerings from Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery

Soon Christmas will be here and we’ll be taking a (tiny) little break to enjoy a wee dram in front of a cosy fire whilst the snow falls silently outside (we can hope), Christmas songs play quietly in the background and Santa gets ready to embark upon his big journey (remember to leave out a wee tipple – or two).

Until then though, we have lots of exciting things to tell you about this December. From new collaborations to gifts galore, we’ve got just the thing to help you with your festive shopping this year.

Let us tempt you with some offerings straight from our store. Don’t forget that all items are available to purchase here at our online store or on site. The last order date for Christmas delivery is December 18th. Make sure you don’t miss out.

The Famous Grouse Mellow Gold

The newest addition to the Famous Family, Mellow Gold has been carefully crafted by our Master Blender Gordon Motion to deliver a subtly sweeter, mellow flavour. With scents of orange peel and vanilla, perfumed with a hint of lychee and matured in sherry and bourbon casks to deliver a smooth, well rounded whisky. Get your Famous whisky online here or in store.

Personalised Bottles

Looking for something ‘special’ this Christmas? Why not personalise the label on a bottle of The Famous Grouse? The perfect gift for any whisky lover. Just visit our online store here to personalise and order yours today.

The Distillery and the Visitors Center: Now Completed!

Things were a little hectic this fall as we finished up construction on both the distillery and Visitors Center. We still have some work to do over the winter and spring on the grounds but are excited to announce the distillery is now up and running (read more below) and the Visitors Center is open. Stop by and see us soon! The Visitors Center is open daily for tastings, Monday – Saturdays, 11AM – 5PM and Sundays 1PM – 5PM.

At the Visitors Center, relax by the fireplace in the winter and in warmer months, hang out on the porch or patio and enjoy the pace of Nelson County life as you enjoy a whisky and cocktail flight.

The cocktail tasting menu is seasonally inspired and all mixers are made in-house as we work with local farmers and purveyors as much as possible. This approach allows us to highlight what we love best about the Virginia Highland Malt, our flagship whisky. (You may notice we have a new logo and new packaging — more on that below.)

In the spring, we will launch our tour program, which will give visitors a “behind-the-scenes” look at whisky-making. A walking tour of the distillery building, as well as a video and museum experience, will give guests an insiders look into single malt whisky production. We’ll keep you posted as we plan out events surrounding the opening of the tour program. The distillery is currently not open to the public.

Upcoming Events:

Join us at the Visitors Center this Saturday, December 5th, for our first annual Winter Warmer. Flora Artisanal Cheese will be out to share samples and tips for entertaining throughout the holiday season, and Kendra Bailey Morris, author of The Southern Slow Cooker, will share one of her favorite whisky-inspired dessert recipes. Live music from Butch Taylor and a warm fire will keep you entertained. We will also be accepting donations on behalf of Nelson Pantry, and Virginia Distillery Company will match the donations collected in the month of December. Festivities start at 11AM and go through 5PM on Saturday. See you soon!

Yula 20 Year Old (Douglas Laing) 52.6 %

A limited edition 20 year old blended malt Scotch whisky from popular independent bottlers’ Douglas Laing. Yula takes it’s name from the Norse goddess who’s presence are destined to be on Islay. The whisky is made up of Islay and Island malts at least 20 years old. Just 900 bottles were produced in the first release of what will be a trilogy.

Price: £107.00 (£89.17 ex VAT)

One Per Customer Only

THE GLENROTHES LAUNCHES THE VINTAGE VINYL TASTING SESSIONS WITH AN EXTRAORDINARY CASK FROM 1969 

Award-winning Speyside distillery, The Glenrothes introduces a new tasting platform, The Vintage Vinyl Sessions. The first session took place last night in a legendary setting – it was a seductive evening, of Vintage whisky and music on vintage vinyl.

The Vintage Vinyl Sessions incorporate two great pleasures of taste and sound – The Glenrothes Vintage Single Malt and Vinyl Records. As a follow up to the occasion, The Glenrothes are soon to release a very rare, celebratory whisky, Extraordinary Cask #11483, from 1969 – a second-fill hogshead cask, filled on 31st July 1969. The cask yielded only 69 bottles at natural strength.

To complement the 1969 Vintage and to demonstrate a link back to the year the whisky was created, the Beatles album, Abbey Road was chosen by The Glenrothes Brands Heritage Director, Ronnie Cox, and specialist vinyl curator – Colleen Murphy*.

The very same year, 1969, that the whisky was distilled and laid to mature in the warehouse, The Beatles recorded their last studio album, Abbey Road. The iconic album cover, of probably the most famous road crossing in the world, brought Abbey Road to popular attention. The studios where the album was recorded have become a celebrated setting, steeped in musical history.

For this one-and-only time, last night’s session was held in the world-famous Abbey Road studios, a fitting venue with iconic links to music heritage. The inaugural Vintage Vinyl Session began with an introduction to the Glenrothes Extraordinary Cask 1969 given by host, Ronnie Cox. It was then the turn of music specialist Colleen Murphy to introduce The Beatles album before guests settled in to listen to music and taste fine whisky.

The idea behind these sessions is to offer a unique experience, to listen to a specially chosen album made in the same year as the Glenrothes Vintage in its entirety, one that compliments a particular Glenrothes expression and illustrates the connection between Vintage whisky and Vintage music. The evening also included tastings of The Glenrothes Vintages 1995 and 2001 as well as Vintage Reserve. Each accompanied by music on Vinyl from the same year; Single Vintage 1995 with High and Dry by Radiohead, Vintage Reserve with the Abbey Road album by The Beatles, Single Vintage 2001 with Sunrise by Pulp and finally XO1969 paired with He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother  by The Hollies.

As Ronnie explains: “There is nothing like the influence of music to enhance this liquid, music is after all an incredibly powerful emotional trigger; Singles, on 45RPM, are like our Single Vintages: good enough to be released on their own. Albums on 33RPM are like our Reserves: A selection of Single Vintages that, when married together, deliver a truly rounded and complete savouring experience: greater even than the sum of their parts.” He goes on, “the 1969, extraordinary cask? Now that’s like a platinum album: that good, that rare”.

The Glenrothes Single Cask 1969 #11483

The fourth release in the Glenrothes Extraordinary Cask Series, it is additional to the release of The Glenrothes Single Cask 1969 #11485, released back in February 2014. The Glenrothes Extraordinary Single Cask 1969 has been bottled from the contents of Cask #11483. It is bottled at a natural strength of 43.8% ABV, is unchillfiltered and, like all Glenrothes’ bottlings, of completely natural colour.

The hallmarks of The Glenrothes are quality and purity, evident in the beautifully-balanced, elegant and well-mannered single malt with peerless texture, perfectly expressed by this single cask bottling.

Tasting notes

Appearance:  Bright and clear and coppery.

Nose:           Powerful aroma of complexity including vanilla, coconut, toasted walnuts, herbal notes.

Palate:          Lots of good older wood notes, lingers lovingly with toffee, popcorn, nougat.

Finish:           Long melt in the mouth, honeycomb, superbly balanced for one so old.

The Glenrothes 1969 Extraordinary Cask #11483 will initially be available from Berry Bros. & Rudd in February 2016 and its representatives in key markets.  Prices will start at £4,000 (€5,000 or $7,000) and upwards per bottle.

www.theglenrothes.com  

Notes:

The Glenrothes was founded in 1879.

Only 3% of the distillery capacity is bottled as Single Malt to ensure exceptional quality.

Of the 22 Vintages released to date, 14 have entirely sold out.

The Glenrothes is an award-winning Speyside Single Malt Whisky of exceptional quality. A combination of many factors, including our unusually slow distillation process in tall copper pot stills, deliver our characteristic sweet, fruity and elegant spirit. Further flavours are derived from our extensive knowledge of maturation in oak casks. Each expression has its own unique personality, underpinned by the distinctive, hallmark characteristics of the distillery – ripe fruits, citrus, vanilla and an exquisite spicy finish all encased in the creamiest of textures and with a complex and well-poised balance.

The Glenrothes is only selected for bottling when it has reached its zenith of maturity; each cask is carefully checked, nosed and tasted many times. An age statement does not reveal the maturity of the whisky and so the Glenrothes is bottled only when ready, meaning mature and at its peak of perfection. Malt whisky matures at its own pace as shown by the two casks selected. 

* Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, is a London-based, American radio broadcaster and DJ. Described by Hi-fi Choice as “Hi-fi’s Modern Day Wonder Woman”, she is the founder of the world’s leading listening event Classic Album Sundays, a pioneer of audiophile sound and vinyl, music producer, remixer, record label owner, international DJ and protégé of the legendary David Mancuso (The Loft, NYC). Colleen has been working closely with The Glenrothes and Brands Heritage Director, Ronnie Cox to combine two great pleasures of liquid and music together.

Some of our recent awards and accolades for current bottlings:

The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve

• Gold, Scotch Whisky Masters 2015
• Double Gold, China Wine & Spirits Awards 2015
• Gold, The Asian Spirits Masters 2015
• “Officially Amazing”, Guinness World Record holder for largest Burns Supper, 2015

The Glenrothes Select Reserve

• Gold, Scotch Whisky Masters 2015

• Gold, The Asian Spirits Masters 2015

• Gold, San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition 2012

The Glenrothes Sherry Cask Reserve

• Double Gold, WSWA 2015
• Recommended, Whisky Magazine, Issue 123, February 2015
• Difford’s Guide, Exceptional 5 out of 5 stars 2014

The Glenrothes Bourbon Cask Reserve

• Excellent, Highly Recommended (92/100), Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2014
• Double Gold, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2010
• Silver, International Spirits Challenge 2010

The Glenrothes 1998 Vintage

• Silver medal, International Wine & Spirits Competition 2011
• 93/100, Excellent/Highly Recommended, Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2011
• Silver, International Wine & Spirits Competition 2010
• Silver, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010

The Glenrothes 1995 Vintage

• Gold, Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit, 2013
• Silver, International Wine & Spirits Challenge, 2013
• 92/100, Excellent/Highly Recommended, Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2011

The Glenrothes 1988 Vintage

• Silver, The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2012

The Glenrothes 1978 Vintage

• World’s Best Speyside Single Malt. World Whiskies Awards 2008

Just Whisky Auction’s latest auction is now live! Their Christmas auction sees them celebrate their 2^nd Birthday – Congratulations!  It runs from the 4^th – 13^th December, meaning you can receive your winning bids in time for Christmas. The quality of bottles this month is outstanding, with too many sought after bottles to count. We’ve tried to line up a small selection here to give you a preview. Here goes …

Ardbeg Double Barrel Limited Edition

This is a fantastic release from Ardbeg, and one of their most exclusive sets ever made; limited to only 250 worldwide. “Ardbeg Double Barrel is destined to become the accessory for discerning sportsmen and distinguished gentlemen amongst us”.

Macallan 1951, Macallan 1961, Macallan 1948, Macallan 1946 Select Reserve

There are some incredible heavyweight lots from The Macallan this month. In fact with over 70 bottles from the Distillery it’s hard to narrow the choice down.

Old Rip Van Winkle 23 Years Old – Family Selection Decanter

An ultra-rare and collectable crystal decanter set from highly rated Old Rip Van Winkle distillery of Kentucky. This 23 year old bourbon was distilled back in 1986 and left to mature on lower, cooler floors of their warehouse. Just a few barrels were then selected by Julian, president of Old Rip Van Winkle, and her Son Preston for this special bottling.

Hanyu Vintage 1985 – Ichiro’s Malt Ace Of Spades

This is the mighty Ace of Spades from the highly collectible Cards series. Distilled in 1985 and matured for 21 years, 1st in a Hogshead cask and then in a Spanish Oak Sherry butt. Bottled in 2006 by Sasanokawa.

Bowmore 38 Years Old 1957

An outstanding Islay malt from the No.1 Vault of Bowmore, described by the distillers as ‘Saved from extinction’. Distilled on the 14th of January 1957, the new spirit was filled into 5 casks and left to mature for 38 years when Islay Campbell, Distillery Manager, found the spirit was sitting just above the critical 40% alcohol volume strength for Scotch Whisky. So he moved with haste to have the whisky bottled, if he had waited a moment longer the whisky would have become extinct.

Springbank Christmas 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008

A nice lot of Private bottlings which were made exclusively for the Shareholders, Directors and staff of J. & A. Mitchell & Co. (Group). Containing Springbank Christmas releases from 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008. All bottled & boxes are either signed by the General Manager (Frank McHardy) or the Distillery Manager (Stuart Robertson).

Port Ellen Maltings 21 Years Old – 25th Anniversary

A truly remarkable and highly sought after Port Ellen, bottled for the 25th anniversary of the Port Ellen Maltings in 1998. The recipient of an incredible 94 point score from whiskyfun.com, this is one of those rare Port Ellen’s that really lives up to its expectations.

Hanyu 1988 – 2009 For Full Proof – Cask No.9306

Distilled in 1988 then bottled in 2009 by independent distrubutors Full Proof Europe. This is a limited edition of 200 numbered bottles. Bottled at full proof from Big Butt 9306.

Ardbeg Kildalton 1980 – Signed by Stuart Thomson

A very hard to find release from Ardbeg; the original Kildalton was the result of an experiment in 1980 by then distillery manager Hamish Scott. He distilled a batch of slightly peated and un-peated (!) Ardbeg and then combined these two spirits to create what has become one of the most collectable Ardbeg releases ever.

Just Whisky’s Christmas auction ends on the 13^th December. Be sure to place your bids!

www.just-whisky.co.uk

GET BIDDING THIS WEEKEND!

Our current auction is in full swing and we’ve already seen a lot of interest in some of the rarest bottles. The weekend is the perfect opportunity to take a look at the hundreds of items listed in our pre-Christmas auction.

The Whisky Shop Japanese Whisky Gift Box

A 70cl bottle of Yamazaki Distillers Reserve with an ice sphere mould. In Japan ice is almost as important as the whisky itself. Traditionally, perfect ice spheres were hand carved so that the ice would roll around the glass. We have found an easier to replicate this. The ice sphere mould can be filled with water and kept in the freezer for when a traditional Japanese moment comes on!

The Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve is a wonderful balanced whisky. Full of soft, fresh fruits and Mizunara (Japanese Oak) aromas, this is a classic example of Japan’s number one whisky.

£85 Click to buy

The Whisky Shop ‘Tour of Scotland’ miniatures pack

Your chance to taste a whisky from every major whisky region in Scotland. Perfect for appreciating the vastly different characteristics of whisky distilled in Speyside compared to one distilled in Islay. We have it all for you in one stylish presentation box.

In the box: Old Pulteney 12 year old: Auchentoshan 12 year old: BenRiach 12 year old: Ardbeg 10 year old:

£35 Click here to buy

Glendronach 2003 Whisky Shop Exclusive

Winner of the prestigious Liquid Gold award in the latest Jim Murray Whisky Bible – scoring 94.5 points:

Limited to only 625 bottles this Glendronach 11 year old has been matured in a Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon. It was distilled in January 2003 and bottled in November 2014 from cask number 3568.

Jim Murray: A little maple syrup and butterscotch tries to equal the spices; helped by a superb, entirely sulphur free butt, this malt is as clean as it rich as it is memorable as it is excellent. 53.3%. 625 bottles.

Find out the full review by clicking here: £60 Click to buy

Glenfarclas 1994 Whisky Shop Exclusive

Winner of the coveted Liquid Gold award in the 2016 Jim Murray Whisky Bible – scoring an impressive 95.5 points:

Bottled exclusively for The Whisky Shop and limited to only 1200 bottles. Bottled at 43% volume.

Jim Murray: Very close in character and quality to the distillery’s latest official 1994 release. Which means it’s not far off God’s gift to present day sherried malt whisky…

Find out more about this award winning whisky and how to order some bottles by clicking here:

£84 Click here to buy

Cutty Sark Tam O’Shanter 25 year old

A 25 year old Blended Scotch Whisky from Cutty Sark, named in honour of the poem and character Tam O’Shanter, created by famous Scots Poet, Robert Burns. The whisky comes in a traditional wooden box decorated with scenes of the horrors encountered in the Poem. It is also accompanied by a book featuring the full text of the poem, and complemented by a selection of art illustrations by Alexander Goudie. This whisky was released to celebrate Burns Night 2012, and is limited to only 5,000 bottles.

Was £199 Click to buy £120

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VERY RARE AND UNUSUAL BOTTLE OF LAPHROIG

ADDED TO BONHAMS WHISKY SALE IN EDINBURGH

An exceptional and very rare bottle of early 20th Century Laphroaig Old Liqueur, estimate £6,000-7,000

An exceptional and very rare bottle of early 20th Century Laphroaig Old Liqueur is a last minute addition to Bonhams Whisky sale in Edinburgh on 9 December. It is estimated at £6,000-7,000.

It was distilled and bottled by D. Johnston & Co., Laphroaig Distillery, Isle of Islay and is described  on the label – unusually for a single malt from Islay – as ‘non-peaty’.

Bonhams Whisky specialist Martin Green explains how this came about, “I believe it would have been bottled from an autumn cask filling. The ‘non-peaty’, nature of the whisky is almost certainly the result of distilling after a particularly long dry summer when the water supply would have contained fewer of the natural peaty phenols which give Laphroig and other Islay malts their characteristic nose and taste. As you can imagine, bottles like this appear extremely rarely and it could be many years until a similar bottle comes onto the auction market, if ever.”

The bottle comes from a distinguished collector who has owned it since it was discovered at Alexander McGavin’s, No. 12 Bond, Robertson St., Glasgow in the early 1980s. The auction is on the 9th of December, 2015

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 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.

1-2 October 2016

11:30am – 6:30pm

Old Billings Gate, London

THE WHISKY EXCHANGE WHISKY SHOW 2016:
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

On Saturday and Sunday 1-2 October, The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show will return to Old Billingsgate in London for a weekend of whisky and more.

Now in its eighth year, The Whisky Show has grown to be the UK’s biggest and best whisky festival, attracting visitors from around the world. With incredible guests, masterclasses, free seminars, food pairing and hundreds of different whiskies to try, it’s a must visit for fans and those wanting to discover more about whisky.

Saturday Tickets: £99

Sunday Tickets: £99
EARLY BIRD DEAL: £80!

Weekend Tickets: £175
EARLY BIRD DEAL: £160!

Fellow whisky connoisseurs,

We are formally inviting you to join us January 17th-18th, 2016 at the Terminal City Club for the first annual Vancouver Whisky Festival. This VIP event will showcase some of the finest and most unique whiskies that the industry has to offer, as well as provide one of the nine master classes that will be hosted by top industry professionals and brand ambassadors alike. You will explore the comprehensive range of the brand whiskies, or in-depth tasting of independent bottler whiskies – offering non-mainstream flavour profiles. Even more, you can blend your own whisky and go beyond the traditional whisky producing countries.

The dates are:

• January 17th, 2016: Master Classes from 4:30pm – 8:30pm (25-30 seats per class)

• January 18th, 2016: Grand Tasting from 6:00pm – 9:30pm

Tickets are available for purchase from our website for $250 each with the proceeds being donated to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. For further information on the products being showcased, the presenters, and the itinerary please visit our website: www.vancouverwhiskyfestival.com

Thank you,

Dave Mason, Roberto Roberti, Barry Dunner and Thomas Chen