Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon – This newest selection from Texas distillery Garrison Brothers is comprised of the ten best barrels they tasted out of the five hundred they used when they started bottling. They were good enough then to hold back, and are even better now for having aged four more years!

Johnnie Walker Rye – Dovetailing with the popularity of Rye whisky, here is a great selection from a great blended Scotch house. Expect a little more spice and depth of flavor from this newest choice of Johnnie Walker Scotch.

Ballotin Chocolate Whiskies – Flavored whiskies are a booming category, and these Ballotin Chocolate whiskies are a cut above. Each flavor is excellent and would make a great addition to pair with your dessert course.

Longrow Red Pinot Noir 12 Year – This year’s Longrow Red is finished in a Pinot Noir wine barrel. These are one and done deliveries, and always highly sought after with scotch enthusiasts. Get them while the getting is good.

Springbank Fresh Fill Casks (Bourbon, Sherry, Rum, and Port respectively) – These are the cherries of the great Campbeltown Scotch distillery that is Springbank. They are worthy selections to add to any Scotch collection or as gifts to your favorite Scotch enthusiast.

Allt-a-Bhainne Single Malt Scotch CWC 1993 22 Year – This Speyside whisky was distilled in 1992 and left to mature in bourbon barrels until 2015, when it was bottled for the Small Batch range. Allt-a-Bhainne was built in 1975 to supply malt from the Chivas blend but has a growing reputation amongst whisky drinkers that have been lucky enough to find it bottled as a single malt. Quite fruity on the nose – strawberries, with a creamy custardy character and sweet spices. More fruit on the palate – peach, lime, and a burst of toffee along with the continued creaminess. Wonderful stuff. 348 bottles were produced.

The Party Source, 95 Riviera Drive, Bellevue, KY 41073.

SCOTTISH LEADER’S RICH, SWEET, SMOOTH AND SMOKY FESTIVE TREATS 

Scottish Leader has brought out two stunning, limited-edition gift packs for the festive season. The special-edition Scottish Leader Original and Signature 750ml gift packs each include two beautiful whisky tumblers. They are both available from popular liquor outlets such as Makro, Tops at Spar and Ultra Liquors nationwide at around R130 and R170 respectively.

The well-loved Scottish Leader Original has a warm, honey-sweet and delicately smoky taste with a silky smooth finish. With Scottish Leader Signature, the distillers have amplified the island malts influence to give Scotch lovers a new, complex and layered whisky offering with a very rich, smoky profile.

Follow Scottish Leader on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ScottishLeaderSouthAfrica), Twitter (www.twitter.com/ScottishLeader) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/ScottishLeaderWhisky).

Join the conversation using: #ScottishLeader #NewPerspective #FollowTheLeader #Whisky

This article in a Tweet: Stunning @ScottishLeader #festive #gift packs now available at liquor outlets including @Makro_SA, @UltraLiquors, @TopsatSpar and more!

We are proud to announce that Whisky Intelligence (and editor Lawrence Graham) has once again been nominated in category of “Rest of the World” World Whisky Ambassador of the Year in the prestigious Icons of Whisky competition hosted annually by Whisky Magazine.

The competition is currently accepting votes and you can do so by registering here http://www.iconsofwhisky.com/vote/ with the closing date on Thursday, 26 November (You have 1 days left to vote!)

It will take about 2 minutes of your time; we thank you for supporting Whisky Intelligence!

Old Forester, the Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky, is partnering with The Whisky Shop to offer shoppers a unique opportunity to meet Brand President, Campbell Brown. Through an exclusive tasting, shoppers will have the chance to meet the great great grandson of the brand’s founder – George Garvin Brown – whose signature remains on the bottle today.

Held at The Whisky Shop’s flagship store in Piccadilly on 7th December, guests will be welcomed with the brand’s signature serve, the Whisky Smash. Old Forester’s Master Bourbon Specialist – Jacquelyn Zykan – will join Campbell and, together, they will take guests on a journey of the whisky’s unique history. As the only bourbon to be bottled pre, during and post prohibition, the tasting is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to discover this special whisky and learn about its heritage, which is as rich as its taste.

Date: Monday 7th December

Time: 5.30 – 7pm

Location: 70 Piccadilly, London, W1J 8HP

Cost: Free; to book a place, call The Whisky Shop on 020 7499 6649

OUT OF THIS WHISKY WORLD FINAL RELEASE AUTHENTIC COLLECTION NOVEMBER 2015

The final release of the season is now available to buy on-line with an amazing final release from across Scotland.

The truly amazing big peaty islay’s include Laphroaig & Bowmore, The Laphroaig is everything you would expect with TCP, The Bowmore is a rather special one with a rather complex range of tastes and aromas. Another standout dram is the new Springbank 14 year old well worth a look at the tasting notes for that little beast of a dram not what you would expect from Springbank as a more notable smoke and peat profile arrives with a bang.

We also have a really stunning Macallan this season that will be highly prised by those who manage to grab a bottle before it vanishes all too quickly, then we head off to the Lowlands for another amazing Littlemill (I did tell those who came into the shop seeking the small batch 24y/o not to worry we have another one due out soon!

So you might think that will be it from Cadenhead’s newsletters this year! Sorry folks we have another due out in December with the a list of the top drams still available from this years releases that you might have missed.

Plus news of a rather special new season in the tasting room as we move the tastings forward towards our London stores 21st anniversary and the 175th anniversary of WM Cadenhead’s in 2017(NOW WHAT IS THAT ABOUT?)

If you need any further information about the new season stocks email steve@whiskytastingroom.com I will do my best to get back to you when I have a few moments free.

BOWMORE Distillery 2000 15y/o 58.4%
NOSE: The nose starts off with a sweet vanilla note, some fruits in syrup like pears. Then in comes the coastal notes with the addition of oak smoked fish methanol and eucalyptus. (Yes very Islay)
PALATE: The fantastic balance of this dram is the first thing you will notice as smoke and fruits mingle together, more smoke than peat notes and again very rich and sweet fruits, burnt embers arrive to be counter balanced by melted marshmallows.
FINISH: The finish arrives with some dry smokiness then cedar wood and a final flourish of fruitiness with pineapple syrup. (Most enjoyable indeed)

Laphroaig Distillery 1998 17y/o 56.2%
1 bottle per customer we cannot honour orders above 1 bottle ONLY 192 Bottles in the world
Nose: Raspberry jam; walnuts and shredded wheat. Some iodine is noticeable with kiwis and honey and a hint of smoke spice like aromas.
Taste: Maritime, medicinal and peppery. Very salty and briny with hints of oily fish and salt water taffy.
Finish: Full bodied. Dried almonds, hints of TCP and coconut water. If you like Islay malts then you have everything you would ever want in this dram.

Littlemill Distillery 1991 24y/o 50.8%
1 bottle per customer we cannot honour orders above 1 bottle
Nose: Sweet with juicy vanilla notes. Oily and grassy with lemon sherbet and hints of boiled sweets.
Taste: Full bodied with lots of tangerines, egg whites and vanilla toffee.
Finish: Orangey with white chocolate. Soft woodiness in the finish.

Macallan-Glenlivet Distillery 1989 26y/o 49.6%
Nose: Intense orange, floral and sherbet.
Taste: Slightly musty. Some aniseed with faint grassy notes. Pencil
shavings and lemon and lime.
Finish: Crepe mix, lots of orange zest and quite oily. Raspberries and cream.

Springbank Distillery 2000 14y/o 49% ex New Zealand whisky cask
A very very rare single cask bottling under the Cadenhead’s Authentic collection range. Only 234 Bottles in the world
Nose: Lemon drizzle cake; lemon curd; lemon sponge cake. Gorse and very faint smoke in the background. Home made shortbread.
Taste: Oily and grassy; fishing nets, honeycomb and rock pools. Oak smoked Bavarian cheese.
Finish: Peaty embers with smoked brie and mango chutney.

Keep an eye on the January Tasting Room events, slots are selling quickly for the start of 2016 with all of the 2015 spaces now gone. February to late March tastings will be on-line soon.

All the best
Stephen W

Cadenhead’s Whisky Shop & Tasting Room. www.whiskytastingroom.com
London W1U 7QF 2017 935 6999

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

This week Joe Ellis reviews The Macallan Rare Cask.

https://youtu.be/DvEltR7BqZA

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

https://www.facebook.com/whiskytube

 ONE OF THE SCARCEST WHISKIES IN THE WORLD AT BONHAMS CHRISTMAS WHISKY SALE IN EDINBURGH

The Royal Brackla 60 year-old 1924, estimated at £3,500-4,500

Bonhams Annual Christmas rare and fine whisky sale in Edinburgh on Wednesday 9 December features one of the scarcest whiskies in the world – a bottle of The Royal Brackla 60 year-old 1924 estimated at £3,500-4,500.

The Royal Brackla 60 year-old 1924 was never officially released by the distillery and its appearance on the market has a fascinating history.  In 1985, over-production within the industry led to Royal Brackla’s closure. In 1991, its owner, United Distillers, decided to re-open the distillery. To mark the occasion, casks, which had been found in 1984 lying undisturbed in one of the warehouses and subsequently bottled at James Buchanan & Co., were released from bond.

This special issue of 62 bottles of very rare 60 year old Royal Brackla was presented to local dignitaries who attended the re-opening ceremony and to the workforce whose hard work had ensured the distillery was ready to resume production on time.

Leading the sale in value is a single lot of the Bowmore Trilogy. The three bottles – Black Bowmore-42 year old-1964, released in 2007; White Bowmore-43 year old-1964 released in 2008 and Gold Bowmore-44 year old-1964 released in 2009 – are much sought after by whisky connoisseurs and collectors. The Bowmore Trilogy is estimated at £12,000-14,000.

Other bottles in the sale include The Macallan Select Reserve-52 year old-1946 estimated at £5,000-6,000 and Dalmore-50 year old-1926 with an estimate of £4,000-5,000.

Bonhams Whisky Specialist Martin Green said, “This is a particularly strong sale and I’d happily settle in front of the Christmas fire with a glass from any of the bottles we have on offer.  If I had to pick a favourite, however, I’d go for the Royal Brackla 60 year-old for its incredible rarity. I’ve never been lucky enough to try it so this would be the perfect opportunity.”

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.

We are proud to announce that Whisky Intelligence (and editor Lawrence Graham) has once again been nominated in category of “Rest of the World” World Whisky Ambassador of the Year  in the prestigious Icons of Whisky competition hosted annually by Whisky Magazine.

The competition is currently accepting votes and you can do so by registering here http://www.iconsofwhisky.com/vote/ with the closing date on Thursday, 26 November (You have 2 days left to vote!)

It will take about 2 minutes of your time; we thank you for supporting Whisky Intelligence!

Secure the ultimate Christmas gift for the whiskey lover in your life with an exclusive membership to the Boann Cask Society and Boann Cask Collection 

Ireland’s newest craft distillery offers two unique opportunities to become part of the revival of Irish whiskey, the Irish whiskey Renaissance 

Looking for the perfect present for the whiskey lover in your life? Why not consider gifting them with exclusive membership to the Boann Cask Society and Boann Cask Collection, which will allow members to become part of history in the making of Ireland’s newest and most innovative craft distillery.

Located in the heart of the Boyne Valley and opening in 2016, the Boann Distillery will create the finest whiskeys from specially designed nano-copper pot stills in its state of the art distillery in Drogheda, Co Louth.

The Cooney family, creators of the Boann Distillery, are excited about the distillery nearing completion and are keen for whiskey lovers to play a role in the renaissance of Irish Whiskey. The distillery will honour the timeless tradition of Ireland’s master distillers by creating the finest Irish Malt and Pot Still Whiskeys for discerning drinkers and collectors around the world. From milling to mashing, distilling, maturing and bottling, every drop of Boann malt and pot still whiskey is crafted within the quietude of the unique family distillery.

Boann Distillery Head Distiller, Ainé O’Hora, learnt her trade from the internationally renowned Master Distiller, John McDougall. He is the only man alive to have distilled all five types of Scotch whiskey and Irish whiskey. Their shared passion and wealth of knowledge means every detail of Boann Distillery has been meticulously considered. 

The Boann Cask Collection price is €650 for 10 bottles over 10 years. 

Boann Cask Society prices start at €5,800  + Excise Duty + VAT. This is a lifestyle investment for your generation and the next.

Speaking about the Boann Cask Society, Ainé O’Hora, Head Distiller, at Boann Distillery said:

“Anyone who loves and appreciates the craft of whiskey will understand what a wonderful and unique opportunity the Boann Cask Society presents. It truly is the ultimate gift for whiskey lovers. We are very excited to welcome our 500 Cask Society Members and look forward to a long and rewarding journey with them.  I’m so proud to be involved with such a beautiful product and I’m excited to share that experience with our members.” 

Benefits of becoming a member of the Boann Cask Society

• As a Boann Cask Society Member, you will own one of the first five hundred whiskey casks, complete with certificate of authenticity and named cask.
• You can fill your own cask at the distillery and bottle it once it has matured.
• You can choose Irish Malt or Irish Pot Still Whiskey and decide which barrel to mature it in – Bourbon, Sherry, Port, with a choice of finishes. John or Ainé will be available to meet with you for guidance on the finishes.
• You can enjoy personal tastings of your whiskey cask with our Head Distiller. Alternatively, Boann Distillery will send you a taster every year, on your cask’s birthday.
• You will receive an exclusive Boann Cask Society loyalty card, which offers a 10% discount on all purchases at the distillery plus priority booking of events.
• You will be rewarded with a limited edition Boann Distillery Tasting Book to record your whiskey adventure.
• You will receive a special invitation to the Boann Cask Society Party, held once a year.
• You will have your cask stored safely for you, for a minimum of three years in the Boann Cellar.
• You will experience a once in a liftetime hands on experience through the distilling, filling, maturation, ageing, blending, bottling, appreciation and enjoyment of the wonderful world of whiskey.

Boann Cask prices start at €5,800  + Excise Duty + VAT. This is a lifestyle investment for your generation and the next. 

Benefits of becoming a member of the Boann Cask Collection 

• As a Boann Cask Collection Member you will own exclusive bottlings from our distillers choice casks, hand picked as they mature in our cellar and selected by our Master Distiller, as the best expressions of our signature style.

• This offer is a 10 bottle, 10 year plan in which you will receive a bottle of the maturing malt whiskey from one year spirit, two year spirit, three year old whiskey, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten year old whiskey, building a unique and covetable vertical collection of our special whiskeys, all with a unique limited edition label. 

The Boann Cask Collection price is €650 for 10 bottles over 10 years.  

About the Boann Distillery

The Boann Distillery and Visitor Centre, a state-of -the-art distillery in the heart of the Boyne Valley, is due to open in 2016.

The Drogheda based facility will include a whiskey distillery ,craft brewery and taproom , an architecturally designed visitor centre which will host distillery and brewery tours, 120 seater restaurant , whiskey snug , private event space, a gift shop and a botanical rooftop garden.

With plans to produce craft whiskey, gin and an innovative range of craft beers for the domestic and export markets, craft beer production is already underway in the 50,000sq ft building located in the lush Boyne Valley countryside.

The Boann Distillery and Boyne Brewhouse is the brainchild of the Cooney family, who have a long history in the Irish drinks industry. Nearly 40 years ago, Pat Cooney and his late brother bought a bottling company in Tipperary called M & J Gleeson. The company started manufacturing soft drinks around 1978 and in 1986, established the Tipperary Water brand. Over the following years, the company made a number of acquisitions, including Finches soft drinks and the Gilbeys wine portfolio. In 2012, Pat Cooney sold part of the Gleeson Group to C&C and retained the Cream Liqueur and Cider facilities.

It has always been a Cooney family dream to lead a renaissance of Irish whiskey from their homeland of Drogheda and the dream has now become a reality with the opening of the new Boann Distillery and Boyne Brewhouse. Together with Cream Liqueur and Cider they hope to cover the four pillars of the Irish Drinks Industry. Pat, his wife Marie and four of their children are involved in running the business.