BenRiach and Glendronach – new TWE exclusives

We spend a large amount of time at The Whisky Exchange looking for great whisky. While this sometimes appears as obscure old bottles and hard-to-find things from overseas, we also work closely with distilleries to snap up exclusive bottlings. We’ve convinced the folks at BenRiach Distillers to let us have another pair of single casks – one from BenRiach and one from Glendronach.

The BenRiach warehouses are a treasure trove of casks

BenRiach is known for its experimentation. Even before the current owners bought the distillery in 2004, BenRiach was playing with triple distillation, and since the takeover they have continued, with peated spirit, cask finishes and other tinkering going on.
Our latest exclusive from the distillery is one of the triple-distilled batches, produced on 27 May 1998 and bottled in July this year, after some time finishing in a Pedro Ximénez sherry puncheon – a big, short and fat cask. Triple distillation produces a much lighter spirit than regular double distillation, and combining it with a rich and active PX puncheon is a gamble – will the cask influence swamp the spirit or complement it? It certainly paid off in this whisky:

BENRIACH 1998, 17 YEARS OLD, CASK #7758. TWE EXCLUSIVE

Tasting notes by Stuart P (as I’m down with a cold and can barely taste Lemsip)

Nose: Toasty and nutty, with tempting aromas of walnuts and hazelnuts, beefed up with rich mocha, bitter orange marmalade and cinnamon. A touch of raisiny sweetness from the PX barrel but not heavy or overdone.

Palate: Rich, smooth texture. Lovely decadent dark chocolate cake, coffee, barrel char and sponge-cake batter, but crucially, not sweet or cloying. The palate is perked up by clove, nutmeg and fresh orange peel.

Finish: Rich but not sweet, with the mocha notes adding a rich bitterness.

Comment: A delightfully rich after-dinner dram that would go really well with a chocolate dessert, or alongside a coffee.

Along with the BenRiach, we also managed to convince the team to part with a cask from their second distillery: Glendronach. When BenRiach Distillers took over the distillery in 2008, they put lots of money into buying sherry casks, taking Glendronach back to their roots as a producer of excellent sherried whisky. This exclusive bottling is from a Pedro Ximénez puncheon, like the BenRiach, and you can tell from the first sniff:

GLENDRONACH 1995, 19 YEAR OLD, CASK #4028. TWE EXCLUSIVE

 Tasting notes by Stuart P

Nose: Big, big aromas of juicy raisins and sultanas along with dark chocolate, rum and espresso. There’s some marzipan in there, too, as well as candied mixed peel, honey and malty cereal. Very plush, ripe and comforting.

Palate: As expected, a rich hit of dried fruit, especially raisins, but accompanied by toasty cinnamon, hazelnuts and Demerara sugar. There’s some welcome espresso bitterness to counteract the sweetness, with some rum-like depth to add weight. Generous mouthfeel.

Finish: The rich raisin note persists, fading slowly along with the mocha and spice.

Comment: Unapologetically full-flavoured, this really shows off the quality of the cask it was aged in, while the spirit is rich and robust. This would be ideal served alongside crème brûlée.

A pair of bruisers – packed with flavour and a must for sherry heads. I’m hoping that I can shift this cold before the tasting bottles sitting in our office get polished off by the rest of the team…

Our Exclusive Bottlings of Whiskey – It takes a lot of tasting before we put our name on the bottle!

Masterson’s 10 Year Old D&M Exclusive Bottling Straight Rye Whiskey The nose shows nice candied fruit, cedar box with a peppery note and burnt toffee.$84.99

Corsair D&M Single Barrel Cask Strength Selection Triple Smoke Whiskey The palate has ample flavors of peat, brown butter, sweet spice rubs, old leather, brown sugar and grilled stone fruits.This bottling has become a favorite for many of our “Scotch” customers, as well as our American whiskey fans.$74.99

Taos Lightning Governor’s Reserve D&M Exclusive Straight Rye Whiskey The palate is rich and spice driven with fruit flavors towards orange marmalade, citrus zest, oak, and vanilla.$57.99

Blanton’s D&M Single Barrel Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey A bright and pretty style with aromas of spice, caramel and tending towards pepper.$52.99

Bernheim Original 7 Year Old Small Batch D&M Exclusive Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey The palate is clean with tropical fruit notes, pepper spice and clean wheat and honey dominated finish. If your part of the world sees a hot traditional summer, this could be your summer jam.$32.99

Wathen’s Single Barrel Kentucky Bourbon – D&M Exclusive The palate is soft and round with caramel, Christmas spices, white chocolate and some bananas foster on the finish.$36.99

Buffalo Trace D&M Cask Single Barrel Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Subdued notes of hard cinnamon candy on the nose, with a little brown sugar, which both carry over to the palate, picking up caramel and spice on the way.$23.99

Prometheus 26 Years Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky was presented to Raymond Lee, Founder and Chairman of the Single Malt Club China (SMCC), by world renowned whisky author, leading whisky expert and holder of the extremely rare honour of “Master of the Quaich”, Charles MacLean. 

Liam Hughes, Co-Founder and CEO of the GDC* said “For us to have Prometheus presented to Mr. Lee is a great honour for our distillery and another sign that our young company is moving forward in a very positive direction. Having Charles presenting this fine and rare expression to the Single Malt Club in China speaks volumes about the quality of this Scotch whisky that we are using as a benchmark for our own original Glasgow whiskies that we will release in the years to come”.  

Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, recently opened SMCC’s new Whisky Experience Centre in Beijing. The facility is open to anyone wishing to learn more about single malt whisky, featuring educational material on the production process, items from distilleries and a display of single malts currently available in China. 

Prometheus 26 Year Old, named after the titan who gave man fire, is said to combine the “peaty fire of the islands with the rich complexity of the Highlands”. “Prometheus 26 Year Old is a great addition to our portfolio,” said Liam Hughes, CEO of GDC. “We have been very fortunate to acquire such a special whisky and Prometheus’ popularity continues to grow. We will release a very limited amount of our 27 Years Old expression in 2016 and will be holding back some of the liquid for further maturation.”

*So far WhiskyIntel has not been able to determine what GDC is…

Longrow Red 12 Year Old – Pinot Noir Casks

The 2015 release from The Longrow red series has been aged for 12 years in total, spending its final year maturing in fresh Pinot Noir casks from New Zealand. A much sought after release, bottled at a cask strength, 52.9%. Very Limited Stock!

£58.40

Springbank 18 Year Old – Second Edition

The second edition release of Springbank 18 Year Old, an award winning Campbeltown single malt Scotch whisky. New packaging for this latest release…

£79.95

Single Malt Whisky Distilling Returns to Edinburgh after a 90 Year Absence

Single malt whisky distilling is poised to return to Scotland’s capital after a 90 year absence, following the City of Edinburgh Council’s decision to enter into a lease with a new distillery at the Engine Shed near Holyrood Park.

Whisky expert and former Master Distiller for The Macallan, David Robertson, is behind plans to open the Holyrood Park Distillery – a £2 million boutique micro-distillery and visitor experience at the Engine Shed building in the heart of the city.

The proposal is now subject to a planning application.

David Robertson, project lead and master distiller of the Holyrood Park Distillery, said:  “We are very excited by the prospect of resurrecting the proud tradition of distilling single malt whisky in Edinburgh, following a 90 year absence of whisky distilling in the capital.

“The production and export of whisky is perhaps Scotland’s most iconic industry, supporting huge numbers of jobs, and visiting a distillery is a must for most visitors to Scotland. It seems to us that the one place missing a single malt distillery is Edinburgh, the capital of the country known for the world’s most famous whisky – Scotland. We hope to be able to create an immersive and entertaining visitor experience, supporting the local economy through jobs and training opportunities, while reinforcing the capital’s position as a world class tourism destination.

“Most importantly, our goal is to create beautiful, hand-crafted single malt whiskies which will stand shoulder to shoulder with the other great single malts that are now being produced in Scotland and elsewhere. The Engine Shed building is the ideal location for us to realise this ambition. With its history dating back to the 1830s, it will provide a fantastic home for us to create a small, but world class distillery and tourist destination of which Edinburgh can be proud.”

The Holyrood Park Distillery will be developed with the visitor experience fully integrated into the design of the facility. Visitors will be able to follow the distillation process from start to finish, experiencing at first hand the creation of Edinburgh’s only single malt.

The boutique distillery will also host an education facility to be used as a community and school resource for learning about whisky distilling and the rich history of the site. Visitors will be able to enjoy locally sourced food and drink at an on-site restaurant and bar and ambitions stretch to establishing a weekend market for local crafts and products in the courtyard.  Subject to final design and receipt of planning permission, there are also plans to provide facilities for community events.

Holyrood Park Distillery will initially employ up to 25 staff at varying levels, from trainees right up to experienced distillery operators, tourism and production managers. The business aims to start distilling whisky by Summer 2016 and release a single malt whisky within four years. Due to the small scale of the operation, it will produce only 100,000 litres of alcohol per year, resulting in around 250,000 bottles of mature single malt in 8 to 12 years’ time.

Edinburgh has a long and proud history of whisky production. Back in the late 1700s there were eight licensed distilleries and it is estimated that there may have been as many as 400 illegal stills in Edinburgh. Urban production fell out of fashion but is currently enjoying a boom, with urban distilleries popping up in some of the world’s iconic cities including New York, London, Dublin, Glasgow, Portland, Nashville, New Orleans, LA, Detroit, San Francisco and Austin.

Glen Sciennes was the last single malt whisky distillery to operate in Edinburgh, and was also located in the St. Leonard’s area. The distillery’s maltings were sited near the Engine Shed before its closure in 1925 and later demolition.

The Engine Shed building was built in the 1830s as a goods warehouse for the Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway, also known as “The Innocent Railway”. Under the ownership of Lothian Regional Council, the building was renovated and, most recently, leased by a social enterprise providing a supportive living and working environment for people with learning disabilities.

A Speyside Legend

Prometheus, Titan of ancient Greek mythology, is remembered today for his greatest deed. When an angered Zeus took fire from man, Prometheus rebelled against the Father of Gods. He captured a flame from the hearth of Mount Olympus and carried it back to man.

Today, the spirit of the fire-bringer and champion of man lives on.

Twenty-six years ago, one of the Olympians of Speyside created a new kind of single malt: a whisky to marry the rich complexity of the Highlands with the intensity of peat smoke from the Islands.

As with all great malts, time was needed for this new Titan to mature. But while the young whisky lay sleeping, hidden from expectant eyes, the heavens shifted. The whisky’s creator departed and a malt that could be both sophisticated and powerful was seen, by some, as a threat.

Protectors of the orphan Titan kept him hidden until, in the summer of 2014, they met in secret to plan his release.

Prometheus would be free, but on two conditions: he would be mortal – destined to live a short, but glorious life – and he could never reveal from whence he came.

So we give you Prometheus. A titanic Speyside with the inner strength of barley malted over peat smoke. A whisky of sublime sophistication and balance, bottled at the peak of its powers. A truly unique Single Malt Scotch Whisky, available in the most limited quantity for just one moment in time.

First Release | Full-bodied 26 Year Old Single Malt

Produced by one of the finest distilleries in the world.  This is the first release and only 1,000 bottles will be available in North America.  Rich, refined and full-bodied, a 26 year old single malt Highland whisky from Speyside.  Filled with character, this magnificent whisky was matured in sherry casks, hand crafted from Spain.

Appearance
Rich amber with coppery hues.

Nose

 A warm and welcoming bouquet with sweet notes of  butterscotch, aromatic heather, orange zest and smoky  charcoal.

Palate

Satisfyingly longlasting, creamy and peppery with aromas  of roasted nuts, nutmeg and clove entwined with hints of  Madagascan vanilla, dark chocolate, rich fruitcake,  heather honey, candied fruits and smoke.

Born of fire. | Great on the rocks. | A connoisseur’s whisky.  

Prometheus; an epic Speyside with Titanic power, a perfect blending of barley malted by burning peat. A whisky of sophistication and elegance, bottled at the height of its power, twenty-six years old. Welcome this Single Malt Scotch Whisky of secret origins, available in the most limited quantity for an exclusive few.

SINGULAR FINE AND RARE WHISKIES

bespokespirits.net

Japan

Kikori Japanese Whisky 750ml  $39.99 Buy

Scotland

Balblair 21 Year Gordon & MacPhail First Fill Sherry Cask Strength Single Barrel Single Malt Scotch 750ml $229.99 Buy

1983 Brora 18 Year Signatory Vintage Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 750ml  $449.99 Buy

1981 Brora 21 Year Unchillfiltered Collection Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Elsewhere $1400)  $499.99 Buy

1978 Brora 35 year old Gordon & MacPhail Rare Old Single Malt Whisky 750ml  $1,199.99 Buy

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

http://www.whisky.dufftown.co.uk/

St Magdalene 32 Year Old – 1982

Only 282 bottles of this ultra rare Lowland single cask whisky were released by Cadenhead’s. Distilled in 1982 at the St Magdalene (Linlithgow) distillery and aged for 32 years, before being bottled at cask strength 58.1% vol.

Very Limited Stock!

£395.80

Yamazaki 18 Year Old

Award winning Yamazaki 18 Year Old from Suntory. Recently awarded ‘Best Japanese Single Malt’ at the the 2015 World Whisky Awards.Very Limited Stock!

£198.50

Caol Ila 1994 Sassicaia Wood Finish

Bottled by Gordon & MacPhail under their Private Collection series is this Caol Ila Islay malt whisky distilled in 1994. After maturing in traditional casks for ten years, the whisky was then transferred to Sassicaia casks for further eight years maturation. Bottled in 2012, a limit edition release of 1100 bottles.

£114.90

Curtain rises on world’s most exclusive whisky

Whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail raised the curtain today (Wednesday 2 September 2015) at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, on what it believes to be the world’s most exclusive single malt Scotch whisky.

Mortlach 75 Years Old by Gordon & MacPhail is the latest offering in the Generations range from the family-owned Scotch whisky firm. It was unveiled by members of the Urquhart family, together with whisky writer and connoisseur – and occasional film star – Charles MacLean.  He was joined by renowned Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith.

On 17^th November 1939, John Urquhart, the first generation of the family to be involved in Gordon & MacPhail, instructed the first-fill Sherry cask to be filled with new-make spirit from Speyside’s Mortlach Distillery. Seventy-five years later, the cask was emptied and the precious amber liquid was carefully transferred into beautiful crystal decanters.

With notes of dried apricots and pomegranate, followed by hints of spice and creamy vanilla, the latest release to the luxury Generations range has a smooth and lingering smoky finish which remains long after the dram has been savoured.

Founded in 1895, Gordon & MacPhail is known the world over as the custodian of some of the oldest and rarest single malts. The fourth generation of the Urquhart family involved in the business uphold the same traditions and dedication to whisky which embedded in the company’s philosophy since it was first established.

Stephen Rankin, great grandson of John Urquhart introduced the special whisky saying: “We’ve been anticipating this moment for a long time.  Having been nurtured and cared for by four generations of our family it gives us great pleasure to release this unique and incredibly rare single malt.

“Our family has been immersed in the whisky industry for more than one hundred years and we’ve built up an expertise and knowledge, handed down from generation to generation.”

Members of the third and fourth generation of the Urquhart family poured the single malt for the assembled guests before Charles MacLean invited everyone to join him in tasting the whisky, describing it as “Smooth and highly sophisticated – elegant as a grande dame…the Ingrid Bergman of malts!

“Gordon & MacPhail is one of the few, if not the only company in the world who could have produced this rarest of whiskies. Generations of the Urquhart family have taken a long term view to maturing Scotch whisky, guided by a simple family saying – The future is shaped by what we do today. Today reveals what we did in the past. This philosophy has enabled the current generation to unveil this exquisite whisky,” he added.

Generations Mortlach 75 Years Old by Gordon & MacPhail is presented in the iconic teardrop-shaped Generations decanter. Each decanter is uniquely numbered and skilfully handcrafted with 75 multi-level “cuts”; each cut representing a year of the whisky’s maturation. The decanter sits on a white presentation plinth with two specially designed crystal glasses.

The decanter is packaged in a luxury Aniline leather travel bag and accompanied by a specially commissioned book, Seven Nights with Mortlach. Acclaimed whisky writer, Charles Maclean and international bestselling author, Alexander McCall Smith have joined forces to tell tales of Scotland, whisky and the people behind this special malt, accompanied by illustrations from up and coming Scottish artists.

Mortlach 75 Years Old by Gordon & MacPhail was matured in a first-fill Sherry butt cask.   Only 100 decanters, bottled at cask strength (44.4% ABV), have been released for worldwide sale.

The RRP of Generations Mortlach 75 Years Old by Gordon & MacPhail is £20,000, although prices may differ in international markets due to local taxes and duty.

For more information visit www.gordonandmacphail.com/generations

Notes 

About Gordon & MacPhail

Gordon & MacPhail is an independent, family-owned spirit and wine merchant who have been based in Elgin, Moray, since 1895. Four generations of the Urquhart family have continued the tradition of selecting, maturing and bottling Single Malt Scotch whiskies.

Since its foundation, Gordon & MacPhail’s policy has been to send casks to distilleries throughout Scotland, fill them with ‘new make’ spirit and mature them either at the distillery of origin or in the firm’s own bonded warehouses in Elgin.

Now the world’s leading malt whisky specialists, Gordon & MacPhail exports to more than 50 countries. It offers more than 300 expressions of own-bottled single malts. In 2009 and again in 2013, Gordon & MacPhail was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, reflecting their successful growth in exports over a ten year period.

The company’s guiding philosophy states: “The future is shaped by what we do today. Today reveals what we did in the past.”

Tasting Notes for 75 Years Old Mortlach single malt Scotch whisky

Written by: Charles MacLean

Appearance: Mid-amber, with rubious lights.

Aroma (Nat. Str.): Fresh and clean; very slight nose prickle: still lively. A highly perfumed, floral top note – lily of the valley, barber’s shop, scented hand cream, soft leather lady’s dress handbag – with a fruity complex in the middle (dried figs, pomegranate, ripe pear. Peach juice); creamy vanilla (Crème Anglaise), even vanilla fudge, and a faint trace of coffee in the background.

Aroma (@30% Vol): Water reduces the floral notes with scented oil (bath oil? Teak oil?), increases the soft leather note and dries out the aroma somewhat (warm sanded hardwood).

Taste (Nat. Str.): Sweet to start, but not as sweet as expected; considerable fresh acidity and slightly mouth drying. Bitter almonds. A most unusual trace of hemp ropes and very faded creosote, lending a slight smokiness. A medium-length finish, leaving an attractive aftertaste of sandalwood.

Taste (@30% Vol): Lightly sweet; slightly oily texture; mouth drying; then slightly bitter finish. Some spice across the tongue. Warming, even at this lower strength.

Comment: A most unusual taste – never before encountered. Smooth and highly sophisticated – elegant as a grande dame – the Ingrid Bergman of malts!

About the Packaging

Generations Mortlach 75 Years Old by Gordon & MacPhail is beautifully presented in the iconic teardrop-shaped Generations decanter. Each of the 100 decanters released worldwide is uniquely numbered and skilfully handcrafted with 75 multi-level “cuts”; each cut representing a year of the whisky’s maturation.

The decanter nestles on an elegant white presentation plinth, delicately sculpted with ripples to resemble the movement of the water used to create this whisky in 1939.  Two crystal glasses, uniquely designed for the enjoyment of this exclusive Single Malt, sit either side of the decanter.

Accompanying the presentation is a book written by acclaimed whisky writer, Charles Maclean and international bestselling author, Alexander McCall Smith.  In “Seven Nights with Mortlach” the authors relate tales of Scotland, Scotch Whisky and the people behind the Single Malt.   Seven beautiful poems, written by McCall Smith, accompany the narrative.  The poems are accompanied by illustrations commissioned for the book by emerging Scottish based artists.

Completing the presentation is a luxury travel holdall.  Handmade using the finest Aniline leather, the holdall is finished with exquisite detailing.