ARRAN Bourbon Single Cask 15 Year Old
Another superb value for money single cask from Arran this time drawn from a Bourbon Cask and bottled at 15 years old.
Single Grain Whisky – Girvan distillery 1988 26 year old 57%
We know that single grains are seen by most as somewhat inferior to malts so we have been running a few blind tastings during the trip around Scotland nights and daytime tastings trying to gauge what people think of them. Most if not all have not spotted they were drinking a grain whisky side by side with south highlands and lowland malts. Once we tell them they are somewhat surprised.
GIRVAN DISTILLERY 1988 26Y/O 57% (246 btls)
Nose: Tangerines ; grapefruits ; kiwi fruits and soft candle wax.
Palate: Lots of vanilla and rich woody notes. Salt and pepper with runny caramel and lemon peel.
Finish: Very creamy finish with lemoncurd; coriander and pine needles.
If you are unsure about grain whiskies and would like to try one or two come along to the store on Chiltern street to see what you think of them. Best avoid 1pm-2pm or 5-6pm on Saturdays as we might be busy but most days we can give you a dram to try this month from our grain selection.
All the best from
Stephen and the London team.
United States – Bourbon and Rye
Japan – Single Malt Scotch
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
DECADENCE DEFINED
Introducing The Macallan Rare Cask
Since 1824, The Macallan name has been a guarantee of unrivalled craftsmanship and quality. And now there is a new whisky bearing this name; a single malt born from this unwavering endeavour. This is Macallan Rare Cask, the embodiment of our obsession.
Rare Cask is crafted by our Master Whisky Maker from a small proportion of maturing casks at The Macallan distillery. These casks are handmade from Spanish and American oak; and are the best in the business. Wood defines the flavour of The Macallan, with over 60% of the character comes from the cask it is aged in. But as the name suggests, there is more to this story. Rare Cask is truly rare. This rarity comes from the fact that some of the casks used in the creation of this whisky will never be used again.
The Macallan Rare Cask captures a true decadence; its creation goes beyond any other Macallan whisky and its rarity is absolute. It is a single malt of such diversity and intricacy it challenges the very conventions of whisky creation. It is almost a reinvention by design, but yet The Macallan at its core.
Bob Dalgarno, the Master Whisky Maker is responsible for creating Rare Cask, testing his knowledge and skill to create a whisky worthy of The Macallan name. “Rare Cask is about firstly identifying a selection of casks which can truly be called rare. Each of the cask styles result in different character, so each imparts their own distinct influence on the final whisky.”
With a rich mahogany red hue, The Macallan Rare Cask showcases two of The Macallan’s greatest strengths, exceptional oak casks and natural colour, which are combined with knowledge, skill, passion, commitment and creativity. A whisky produced through meticulous dedication to wood. Some would call this an obsession. We call it The Macallan.
The Macallan Rare Cask is available from specialist whisky retailers including The Whisky Shop and has a RRP of £200.
NOTES
About Rare Cask
Rare Cask is a truly individual Macallan whisky. It has been crafted from whiskies selected from 16 individually different casks profiles –the most ever used in a single Macallan whisky.
Less than 1% of the casks maturing are selected for Rare Cask, some of these are no longer available. Owing to the number of cask types involved and the length of time it takes to identify them, it takes longer to create than any other The Macallan. This is an extremely rewarding whisky owing to the complexity of flavour.
Rare Cask has been crafted from Spanish and American sherry seasoned oak casks, a high proportion of them being first fill, including some of the most precious and scarce casks. Collectively these factors have given rise to an exquisite whisky with a splendidly rich and resonant hue, and an unmistakably woody whisky.
Soft notes of opulent vanilla and raisin pique the nose, giving way to a sweet ensemble of apple, lemon, and orange. All balanced by a spicy quartet of root ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. On the palate this spicy quartet are unwavering. Oak resonates, timeless, polished and rich. Vanilla and chocolate lead the finale along with a light citrus zest. The finish of this naturally occurring mahogany-red spirit is full, warming and woody.
The Macallan Rare Cask is available from specialist whisky retailers including The Whisky Shop and has a RRP of £200.
About The Macallan
Founded in 1824 in the heart of Speyside, The Macallan was one of the first distilleries in Scotland to be legally licensed. Since then it has built a reputation as one of the world’s finest single malt whiskies. The story of The Macallan is built on the Six Pillars, each influencing the whisky in its own distinct way. From the spiritual home of Easter Elchies House; curiously small stills giving richness and fruit to the pure spirit; finest cut or the best of the best of the distillation to exceptional oak casks which account for over 60% of the final whisky; natural colour and peerless spirit, The Macallan itself.
Wood sits at the heart of The Macallan. The vital contributing influences of Spain, North America and Scotland, together with true mastery, set it apart from the rest.
For more information on The Macallan, visit www.themacallan.com
Like The Macallan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMacallan
Follow The Macallan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/The_Macallan
Follow The Macallan on Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_macallan
Highland Park has caught the imagination in recent years with their effective use of Norse legends and the integration into Orkney’s heritage and culture. The Valhalla Collection, which we’re focusing on here specifically is the most recent themed set from Highland Park. This built upon the achievements and experience gained from the Earl Magnus Editions although it’s not a recipe for success as the Warrior series demonstrated.
It was this trio celebrating local nobles that inflamed the collector and investor market thanks to the heritage styled labels, bottle design and wooden boxes that protected the whisky. These can be a real pain to unlock and no doubt assisted the team when they moved onto the Valhalla concept. An additional learning point was the release numbers for each of the Magnus releases, as these varied hugely and caused an avalanche of demand and bitterly disappointed enthusiasts unable to secure a bottle.
The Valhalla Collection debuted with the release of Thor in 2012. For those of you who weren’t interested in whisky back then, this release caused a huge debate with many criticising the pricing and packaging. The argument was that Thor was all presentation and little else. Priced at £120 for a 16 year old whisky also came under fire and for a while it seemed many turned their back on the concept.
I can recall being at the distillery around this time and Thor’s were in ….. Read more at Just Whisky’s Blog.
Our latest auction is now live, and will run until Tuesday 4 August, closing from 7.30pm BST.
You can now bid on your favourite bottles or simply add them to your Watch List and place your bid any time you like.
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!
Get bidding, and good luck! The Whisky Auction team.
Glendronach 15 Year Old
Revival Discontinued! Bidding a fond farewell (while stocks last) to the Highland favorite which will disappear until 2018.
AUGUST PREVIEWS: ALL THINGS SUMMER
Summer fetes rich with the heady aromas of home made jam and freshly baked treats; rosemary-skewered bangers on the open fire; ocean spray topping the sea wall as you ride past on your motorcycle… However you love to enjoy this brief, beautiful season, the first nips from the August Outturn are sure to make the perfect sundowners.
Oily & Coastal
4.209 The Cinderella cottage
Chilly cottage, damp plaster and salt encrusted windows. Old cinders in the grate reignited with heather, peat. Grilled sausages with rosemary. A makeshift feast of prawn crackers, dimsum and tempura shrimps with sesame seeds. Crispy skinned baked apples in the embers.
19 years old
Refill ex-bourbon hogshead
£76.00
66.71 An apothecary on a motorcycle
The nose has wood and clean smoke, suggesting first aid boxes, hospital laundries, menthol-suffused saunas and motorcycle workshops. The palate delivers menthol cigarettes, pan-drops, spicy fennel seed sausages, smoked mussels, embers, bicycle repair kits, light smoke and some pleasant balancing sweetness.
12 years old
Refill ex-bourbon barrel
£46.10
Old & dignified
G1.13 Summer Fete and flower shows
Summer fetes with peach jam, banana bread, golden plums. Airfix paint and crisp florals. Sweet and short as Scottish summer. Pink wafers, warm scones, homemade chocolate truffles and caramel coffee cake. Greenhouse aromas mingled with warm wood of old deck chairs.
36 years old
Refill ex-bourbon hogshead
£124.10
Browse New Outturn >
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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
Buffalo Trace Distillery opens its new technically advanced Distribution Center
$20 million dollar investment joins two other expansion projects Buffalo Trace completed this month
Franklin Co, Frankfort, Ky. (July 21, 2015) – Buffalo Trace Distillery has completed the construction of its 83,000 square foot revolutionary new distribution center, which uses satellite technology to store and retrieve pallets of finished goods. Buffalo Trace Distillery is believed to be the first spirits supplier to use this system, called an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS).
The AS/RS occupies 46,574 square feet inside the distribution center and contains three storage and retrieval machines (or cranes) which operate in three aisles, serving storage lanes five deep, and storing pallets six levels high. The cranes are each wrapped in Buffalo Trace’s logo, and have been named Albert, George, and Edmund in honor of Buffalo Trace’s founding fathers, Albert Blanton, George T. Stagg and Edmund Haynes (or “E. H.”) Taylor. Each crane can induct/output 55 pallets of finished goods per hour or a total of 165 pallets moving within the system. The AS/RS contains 20 pallet staging lanes which can hold 180 total pallets. To see a short video of the AS/RS in action, click here: https://youtu.be/c7GBwuCGGuY
The new distribution center connects to Buffalo Trace’s existing distribution center, making the total square footage of the center now 134,840 square feet. The new addition was artistically designed in keeping with the existing look and feel of the existing buildings on the 224-year-old campus, making it look like it has been in place for quite some time rather than brand new.
“We’re pleased our business has grown enough to support the need for this new highly advanced distribution center,” said Mark Brown, president and chief executive officer, Buffalo Trace Distillery. “We look forward to being able to serve our customers in a more efficient manner and having the capacity for even further growth in the future.”
Gray Construction, a nationally ranked design-build contractor, was responsible for the design and construction of the distribution center and Westfalia Technologies, Inc., installed the AS/RS.
This $20 million investment is part of parent company Sazerac’s $71 million investment in the state of Kentucky at its three distilleries: The Glenmore Distillery in Owensboro is receiving a new 223,000 square foot distribution center which should be completed later this year or early 2016, and the Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown added new equipment to improve production capacity. In addition to Sazerac’s $71 million investment, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) granted tax incentives totaling approximately $7.4 million between the three Sazerac sites.
This is the third construction project Buffalo Trace has completed this month, in early July a 5,500 square foot expansion of its Visitor Center was unveiled, which contained event space which includes four tasting bars. Also in early July, the Distillery opened its refurbished Old Taylor House, which dates back to the late 1700s and is the oldest residential property in Franklin County.
A private grand opening of the Distribution Center will be held in late July for media and other invited guests.
About Buffalo Trace Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 17 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named “Brand Innovator of the Year” by Whisky Magazine at its Icons of Whisky America Awards 2015. Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 300 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com
