SOUGHT-AFTER GLENFIDDCH 50 YEAR OLD

LEADS BONHAMS’ FINE WHISKY SALE IN MARCH

The Glenfiddich 50 year old, estimate £12,000-15,000; three bottles of Black Bowmore 1964, estimate £4,000-4,500 per bottle

A bottle of The Glenfiddich 50 year old leads Bonhams’ next Fine Whisky sale on Wednesday 2 March in Edinburgh.  It is estimated at £12,000-15,000.

The whisky was bottled in 1991 from casks filled in 1937 and 1939 and is numbered 448 of an edition of a limited edition.  It comes in its original fitted wooden presentation case and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity provided by The Glenfiddich distillery.

Bonhams Whisky Specialist, Martin Green commented: “The Glenfiddich 50 year old is one of the most sought-after whiskies at auction and always excites much interest when it appears.  Whisky collecting is very much an international pursuit and I would not be surprised to see bidding for this bottle from the USA and countries in the Far East as well as closer to home.”

The sale also features three bottles of Black Bowmore 1964 to be sold separately with estimates of £4,000-4,500 per lot. Bottled in 1993, 1994 and 1995 respectively, they represnt the three editions of 1964 whisky distilled by Morrison’s Bowmore Distillery in casks previously used to age Oloroso Sherry.

As usual, the sale also offers some rarely-seen bottles including The Glenrothes-Glenlivet 20 year old distilled in 1946 and bottled in 1966 by Hepburn & Ross Ltd, Glasgow.  It is estimated at £1,500-1,800.  The company was founded in 1920 by two former First World War soldiers with experience of the whisky trade, Charles Hepburn and Herbert Ross, and had a policy of employing almost exclusively demobilised servicemen.  Although the firm passed out of the founders’ hands in 1959, its name persists and it is still remembered as the original producers of a blended whisky called Red Hackle after the decoration worn in the Tam O’Shanters of the Black Watch Regiment in place of a cap badge.

The Fine Whisky Sale takes place at Bonhams, 22 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 on 2 March starting at 11.00.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

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.

Whisky News from Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery

We’ve had a busy month of tours at The Famous Grouse Experience and there’s just a few days left to make the most of our fantastic £5 Distillery Experience tour offer! Visit Scotland’s oldest working distillery and see exactly how Glenturret Single Malt is made using traditional methods. Tours run hourly and can be booked online here. Find out what else is going on at Scotland’s award winning, five star visitor attraction this month…

Afternoon Tea at Wilde Thyme

For those looking for an extra special treat, Afternoon Tea is available at our cafe Wilde Thyme at Glenturret daily between 1.30pm-3.30pm for just £12.50 per person. Enjoy tasty sandwiches, a freshly baked scone with clotted cream and a selection of mini cakes. Find out more and how to book online.

Top Spot on Tripadvisor

Everyone at The Famous Grouse Experience is delighted to have been voted #1 for ‘Things to do in Crieff’ on TripAdvisor, with many people giving us an excellent ‘five star’ rating! Read more about this story here and don’t forget to leave us a review if you’ve recently visited.

The Famous Shop

A visit to The Famous Shop is a must when you visit Glenturret Distillery! Full of whisky exclusives including The Black Grouse and The Famous Grouse Mellow Gold, you can even bottle your own whisky from our current Andy Murray cask. With lots of great gift ideas, it is the perfect place to pick up something extra special.

Famous Tasting

Discover how the Glenturret Single Malt is made and learn the art of blending with The Famous Tasting Experience. Enjoy five different tastings of The Famous Grouse and Glenturret whisky and receive a souvenir nosing glass to take home with you. Find out more and book online here.

Elements of Islay Peat – a slice of island life

We like the Elements of Islay here at The Whisky Exchange blog. Admittedly, they are bottled by our sister company and selected by Oliver Chilton, occasional writer here and developer of The Whisky Exchange’s own exclusive bottlings, but fortunately they are also very good. The latest release in the range has just hit our shelves and it’s a departure from the series’ usual approach – it’s a blended malt. Introducing Elements of Islay Peat.

Oliver Chilton: master of the elements

So far, the Elements of Islay have all been small batches or single casks of single malt whisky, all from individual distilleries on the island of Islay. With the introduction of Peat, they now have a blended malt in the range, using whiskies from several distilleries to create a consistent and ongoing bottling, so, rather than being a small batch that will sell out in a few weeks or months, if you like it,you’ll be able to come back and grab another bottle. It’s also bottled at full proof – 59.3% ABV – making it ideal for fans of cask-strength whisky.

We’ve questioned Mr Chilton extensively about Peat and what he’s used to make it, but all he’ll reveal is that it uses whisky from a ‘handful of distilleries’ on Islay.

Elements of Islay Peat, 59.3% ABV

Nose: Singed lemons, damp peat and freshly roasted malt roll out the glass before your nose even reaches the lip. Hiding underneath are notes of rich earth and liquorice, with stewed citrus fruit – lemon, lime and grapefruit – and a pinch of molasses-rich dark sugar.

Palate: Warm and leathery with damp heather, abandoned seashore campfires and roasted fruit: apple and lime with a sprinkle of caster sugar. Sharp citrus and peat smoke build with a background of spicy heat. Water softens the spice and dials up the fruit, revealing layers of sweet apple and candied lemon.

Finish: Comparatively restrained, with sea spray and baked apple fading to charcoal-edged cinnamon toast and freshly sliced orchard fruit.

Comment: A great, everyday Islay whisky – it has hints of character from around the island, with light and dark flashes, and a backbone of fruit and smoke. Just what the doctor ordered.

Elements of Islay Peat is now available from The Whisky Exchange website and The Whisky Exchange Shop @ Covent Garden. If you fancy trying it and some previous releases in the range, then there are still a few tickets to our Elements of Islay tasting in London on 29 February, hosted by Mr. Chilton himself.

The last few tickets are still available to purchase for our Whisky Tasting this Friday the 26th February at our Central Birmingham Store.

PEATY BOUND: ONLINE RELEASE

Prepare your taste buds for an out-of-this-world adventure, we’re leaping head first into flavour with an online release of peaty bottlings. This elite crew packs-a-punch with a fresh trio and four very different peaty drams to explore. But be quick peaty lovers, these online releases are extraordinarily limited in number.

SMOKY SWEET SENSATION TRIO £299

This trio has everything you’ve ever wanted in a peaty dram. A whipped whirl-wind of sweet smoke, meaty peat and honey – mouth-watering and ‘to die for’. BUY TRIO >

Peated

33.133 Whipped with Happiness
Age: 8 years.
This was a full Scottish Breakfast served in a leather armchair in front of a peat fire with aromas of fried eggs and bacon, grilled tomato, tatties, bangers, baked beans, sautéed mushrooms and black pudding. Wait until you try it.
Exclusive to Trio

29.178 Bee-smoker on a pebble beach
Age: 20 years
Something of the sea on the nose – fresh oysters, a pebble beach, boat-decks and rush matting in a fisherman’s cottage.
Exclusive to Trio

3.255 Genie in a bottle
Age: 21 years
£107.20
Sweet and floral at first, but then salted caramel arrived and in the finish, a pleasant dryness.

BUY TRIO >

Lightly peated

29.172 Smoked beer
Age: 20 years
£89.00 

3.249 Barnacles and bath bombs
Age: 14 years
£65.70 

Peated

53.229 Life is a beach
Age: 21 years
£89.50 

3.255 Genie in a bottle
Age: 21 years
£107.20

Browse Current Outturn >
Browse All Bottlings >

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm).

Visit the Society 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

www.ralfy.com bangs the drum for Compass Box with “Support Compass Box Whisky Transparency Campaign”

GlenDronach Single Casks Batch #13

Nine sherry cask vintages from 1968-2003

Shop – Glendronach

Unveiling ‘blas’ 

We’ve taken yet another unconventional turn by partnering with award-winning fashion designer Patrick Grant to create a new and exceptionally Limited Edition single malt Scotch whisky.

Blas, translated as ‘taste’ in Gaelic, is presented in a specially designed bottle by Edinburgh-born Patrick Grant. Patrick spent over a year designing the bespoke print, which is inspired by the brand, flavour notes of the limited edition liquid, and the time-honoured production methods used at the Knockdhu distillery.

Patrick is the creative director of Savile Row tailors Norton & Sons and luxury menswear label E.Tautz, and a judge on hit BBC2 show The Great British Sewing Bee. The Blas design includes inspiration from members of the public who contributed to Patrick’s work by submitting ideas via social media last year.

Patrick Grant commented: “I spent a lot of time at Knockdhu not only taking in the landscape and surrounding areas, but getting to know the people that work there and the methods that they use. Everything in the print is from the hill, the village of Knock or within the distillery itself and tells the story of the making of Blas. I’ve tried to interpret anCnoc’s history and tradition in a modern way, and hope this is translated through the aesthetic of the bottle.”

Tasting notes

In appearance, Blas is golden and honeyed. On the nose it is densely sweet and fruity with notes of lemon and candied orange peel. Tones of bitter chocolate and vanilla add complexity and weight. To taste, Blas is full bodied and oily, leaving a lasting impression. This limited edition has been matured in American oak barrels and Spanish oak butts. Chosen at its optimum level of maturation by our Blender, Mark Williamson, it has been bottled at 54% and in its most natural state, neither chill filtered nor coloured.

The spring portion of the 2016 Whisky Extravaganza is right around the corner; 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 premium imported cigar for 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.

THE WHISKY EXTRAVAGANZA SPRING 2016 SCHEDULE 

New York – Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Guastavino’s

409 East 59th Street

New York, NY 10022

Denver – Thursday, April 28, 2016

The Brown Palace Hotel

321 17th Street

Denver, CO 80202

Houston – Thursday, May 5, 2016

The Royal Sonesta Houston

2222 West Loop South

Houston, TX 77027

Dallas – Friday, May 6, 2016

The Intercontinental Dallas

15201 Dallas Parkway

Dallas, TX 75001

All events from 7:00pm-9:30pm. Registration begins at 7:00pm. 

Whisky Intelligence readers receive a 10% discount on tickets to the Extravaganza when uses the promotional code “EXTD2016″. You can purchase tickets directly from the link here, by visiting our website www.thewhiskyextravaganza.com  (Please use “EXTD2016″ in the promotional code box to receive the 10% discount), or by calling 800.990.1991. 

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

Instagram – @thewhiskyextravaganza

Springbank Local Barley 16 year old

The first in a series of annual releases distilled from barley grown locally around Campbeltown. Limited to only 9000 bottles. Tasting notes from our friends at Springbank: ‘Sweet and rounded with a very subtle peat influence combining with butter tablet, soft fruit and mineral notes.’

£129 Click to buy

Springbank 25 year old

This whisky has been matured in a combination of sherry and bourbon casks before being married together in port casks. It has been bottled at 46% and is limited to only 900 bottles worldwide. Tasting Notes: Very well balanced with notes of toffee apple, brandy butter, liquorice, milk chocolate and honeycomb.

£350 Click to buy