APRIL AUCTION NOW LIVE
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Whisky Hammer is delighted to announce the launch of its April auction which is now live with a selection of whiskies in over 200 Lots.
Browse the LIVE auction now at
Highland Park 1999 – exclusive to The Whisky Exchange
Finding good whisky is difficult. I don’t mean on the shelves – despite loud online debates to the contrary, there has never been such a range of different, great-tasting drams available – but finding a cask of whisky that is not only really good but also for sale is really hard.
Fortunately, there are still independent bottlers out there who have contracts and relationships set up which let them get their hands on excellent spirit, and some of them will even let us have the occasional cask all to ourselves. Today’s guardian whisky angel is Gordon & MacPhail, owner of some of the finest casks of whisky in all of Scotland, and bottler of our latest Whisky Exchange exclusive release – a cask-strength Highland Park 1999, matured in a single first-fill bourbon barrel.
Orkney maybe rugged and far away, but it’s a very pretty place
Highland Park rarely bottles whisky that’s matured solely in bourbon casks, usually adding sherry-matured whisky to the mix to give the richer character that its whisky is known for. However, the spirit is worth examining in a more naked state, and while a first-fill ex-bourbon barrel still adds a lot of cask influence, it lets the distillery character shine though – soft fruit and a uniquely Orcadian smokiness.
When it comes to smoky whisky, Highland Park is not the first name that comes to mind. However, about a third of its malt is produced at the distillery’s own maltings and heavily peated to between 30 and 40ppm. Despite being at Ardbeg and Caol Ila levels of smokiness, it’s quite different, thanks to the use of heathery Orkney peat rather than Islay’s medicinal and iodine-laden fare. The peaty malt is then mixed with unpeated malt from the mainland, giving Highland Park’s spirit its characteristic gentle smokiness.
Nose: Honey, lemon and heather, with freshly scraped vanilla pods and tropical-fruit-flavoured chews. Soft floral notes build in the glass, with wax polish and a wisp of smoke.
Palate: Spicy and fruity, with balancing dryness and a tannic touch. Roasted banana and pineapple are joined by clove and freshly ground cinnamon, with apples, pears and black liquorice slowly developing. Behind it all is a pinch of ground charcoal and rich, savoury wood smoke.
Finish: Spicy, with mineral-heavy smoke and liquorice, that softens to creamy vanilla and clove.
Comment: Carefully balanced fruit, spice and smoke, showing the core of Highland Park’s character without a sherry overcoat.
The whisky is now available exclusively from The Whisky Exchange website and our London shop.
Benriach, Benromach & Bowmore.. which is your favourite?
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This 10 year single malt old showcases a livelier side to the complex and rich flavours associated with Whiskies produced in the Speyside region. A recent addition to their Classic Speyside range, The BenRiach 10 Year Old is selected from ex-Sherry & Bourbon casks.bYou can expect a lot of zest and spiced fruits to come through in this one.
Benriach 10 Year Old || £31.00 incl. VAT
This whisky has been bottled without chillfiltering and as a result, a completely harmless sediment may form in the bottle. What’s more, when you add water the whisky may turn a little cloudy. It’s nothing to worry about at all. Slainte!
Benromach 10 Year Old 100 Proof || £47.00 incl. VAT
Cosseted away in the finest, hand-selected oak casks and allowed to mature at its own sedate pace. This is one of the most remarkable, perfectly balanced malts of its kind. One of the rarest most exceptional bottlings, the stocks of Bowmore 18 Years Old may be limited but there’s no end to its enjoyment.
Bowmore 18 Year Old || £69.00 incl. VAT
NEWSFLASH!!
Dear Society Members,
UK Single Cask Bottling – AVAILABLE NOW!
I can confirm that the UK exclusive single cask bottling has now been bottled and is available for purchase in our Campbeltown shop from this afternoon and other UK retail outlets (including our Edinburgh and London Cadenhead shops) from Wednesday 20th April.
This new bottling is a Springbank 16 year old Fresh Sherry. It has been bottled at a cask strength of 54.2% and is extremely limited with only 540 bottles available. The price for this bottling is £85.00 and unfortunately no Society discount will be available as it is so limited.
If you would like to order a bottle from the Campbeltown Cadenhead shop then can I ask you to please get in touch with the shop directly as I will not be taking orders for this – simply because I will not be able to keep track of how many bottles they have available. Each shop will only have a very small allocation and I imagine they will sell very quickly. You can contact our shop by calling +44 (0) 1586 55 1710 (option 1).
The tasting notes for this bottling are:
Nose – Dark fruits. Prunes, dates, roasted nuts, walnuts and raisins and dunnage warehouse.
Palate – Lot’s of sherry influence. Fairly nutty as the nose suggests. Barbecue smoke, Coastal/salty with traces of spent matches.
Finish – Dry with hints of cinnamon and very moreish!!!
Society Bottling – April release
The whisky has been chosen for the next Society release, details will be sent in the next newsletter after we’ve managed to find a slot for it in the bottling schedule!
Sláinte,
Julie
Julie Jordan
Conyact Julie to join the Springbank Society at society@springbankwhisky.com
Springbank Distillers Ltd, 9 Bolam Street, Campbeltown, Argyll, PA28 6HZ
Tel : + 44(0) 1586 552009 Fax : + 44(0) 1586 553232 website www.springbankwhisky.com/
Auction Ends Soon!
Just Whisky’s April auction will soon come to a close. With over 1000 lots and not a lot of time left, now is a great time to place your final bids. Biddings ends from 8PM UK time.
Any bid placed in the last 5 minutes of a lot ending will extend the time remaining on that lot by 15 minutes.
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Bidding Ends Sunday 17th from 8PM (UK Time)
www.just-whisky.co.uk
Benromach Imperial Proof wins top award in the USA
A Benromach single malt whisky has scooped a top award at a prestigious international spirits competition in San Francisco.
Benromach Imperial Proof, launched last year in the USA, was named Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch in the category for Scotch whisky up to 12 Years Old. It is sold as Benromach 100° Proof in the UK and other markets.
More than 1,850 entries from around the world were judged by a panel of 39 industry experts including journalists, bartenders, hoteliers and drinks retailers.
And as Distillery Manager Keith Cruickshank explained: “Recognition for our classic pre-1960s style Speyside single malt is always welcome and this is a particularly highly regarded competition worldwide. We only recently launched the Imperial Proof in the US market so we’re pleased it has won this accolade.”
Benromach 10 Years Old also collected a Double Gold Medal which is awarded to spirits which are deemed to be outstanding and earned top marks from all the judges on the panel.
Regarded as one of the most respected and influential spirits competitions in the world, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition brings together a panel of carefully selected experts. With an emphasis on integrity and impartiality, all the judging is carried out using blind tastings.
Benromach Imperial Proof is bottled at 57% alc/vol and has the same classic Benromach style that draws its influence from Speyside whiskies of the pre-1960s. It is sold in the UK and other markets as Benromach 100° Proof. But as “proof” is interpreted differently in the USA from the UK, a change of name was needed when it was launched for the US market.
Benromach 10 Years Old is a classic Speyside single malt handcrafted by just three distillers. It is the flagship single malt in a range which includes Benromach 15 Years Old, Benromach Peat Smoke and Benromach Organic.
Originally built in 1898, Benromach Distillery was revived when leading whisky specialists Gordon & MacPhail purchased it in 1993. The distillery was extensively re-equipped over a five-year period to create a Speyside single malt whisky in a classic pre-1960s style.
For further information on Benromach please visit www.benromach.com.
Notes
Originally built in 1898, Benromach Distillery was brought back to life when leading whisky specialists Gordon & MacPhail purchased it in 1993. The distillery was extensively re-equipped over a five-year period before it was officially opened by HRH Prince Charles in 1998.
In reopening Benromach Distillery, Gordon & MacPhail decided to create a classic Speyside single malt – a style that draws its influence from Speyside whiskies pre-1960s.
Benromach Distillery is located on the outskirts of the ancient market town of Forres. A four-star visitor centre is open to the public throughout the year for tours and tastings. Benromach Distillery is a member of the world famous malt whisky trail.
Benromach Imperial Proof
Benromach Imperial Proof is a 10 Years Old single malt whisky with a distinctive golden amber colour. Sherry aromas lead, followed by stewed apple, pear and vanilla, with toasted malt aromas complementing an underlying menthol edge. Notes of cracked black pepper with juicy fresh strawberry and raspberry lead on the tongue, with hints of orange peel and milk chocolate, combined with a delicate smoky finish.
In the USA the term “proof” is defined by alcohol content so a spirit with 50% alcohol is described as 100° proof. In the UK, a product described as 100° Proof is 57% alc/vol – higher than the 50% alc/vol the term would indicate in the USA.
Benromach 10 Years Old
Benromach 10 Years Old is created from the finest Scottish barley and pure spring water from the nearby Romach hills. After being matured for at least 10 years, it emerges golden in colour and displays rich fruit, sweet chocolate and delicate spicy aromas. With a rich sherry influence, the mouth-watering palate coats the senses with exotic fruit flavours, toasted malt and a delicate hint of smoke.
Benromach 2007 vintage Sassicaia Finish Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Double matured in ex-Sassicaia casks, bottled 2016.Benromach Distillery was designed by Charles C. Diog and constructed at Forres in 1898 and was due to commence production in 1899. But demand for scotch collapsed when the principle purchaser of Benromach’s malt whisky Pattison‘s of Leith went bankrupt and Benromach Distillery sat silent as the next decade rolled by. Intermittent production followed until major investment and refurbishment in the 1960s and 1970s turned Benromach into a thoroughly modern Speyside malt whisky distillery, only to close again in 1983. Ten years later it was purchased by the independent bottler Gordon and MacPhail who fired up its single pair of stills in 1998 and nurtured Benromach ever since. Benromach Distillery welcomes visitors into the Benromach Distillery visitor centre, offers distillery tours and is a participant in the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.
APRIL UPDATE: BLOOMING MARVELLOUS MEMBERS’ PICKS
Lavender or violet? Butterscotch or chocolate? Smoke or spice? April’s drams have it all so let your fellow members help you choose the perfect specimen with this month’s top 5. As fleeting as spring blossom, these bottles won’t be around for long so pick the best before they blow away on the breeze…
No. 1: Young & spritely
10.91 A well-mannered dram
Age: 10 years
Cask: Refill ex-bourbon barrel
Price: £60.80
No. 2: Deep, rich & dried fruits
30.89 Deep, dark and pleasantly attractive
Age: 24 years
Cask: Refill ex-bourbon hogshead
Price: £105.50
No. 3: Lightly peated
3.261 Record shop at the races
Age: 14 years
Cask: Refill ex-bourbon hogshead
Price: £69.00
No. 4: Sweet, fruity & mellow
37.74 Fresh & fluffy
Age: 18 years
Cask: Second-fill ex-Sauternes hogshead
Price: £69.50
No. 5: Sweet, fruity & mellow
36.98 Gaelic coffee
Age: 18 years
Cask: Refill ex-bourbon barrel
Price: £68.40
Browse Current Outturn >
Browse All Bottlings >
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
Glenfiddich 18 year, Ancient Reserve Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ( $79.99) 96 points Wine Enthusiast: “*Top 50 Spirits 2013* Luxe and easy-sipping. Look for enticing notes of butterscotch, baked pear, cinnamon and clove on the nose and palate, swathed in just the right amount of smokiness. ” (12/2013) K&L Notes: Silver medal 2007 International Wine & Spirit Competition. The Glenfiddich 18 year old has a delightfully rich aroma reminisce of ripe orchard fruit, spiced apples and robust oakiness. The palate is luxurious and warming, with dried fruit, candied zest and dates buoyed by subtle Spanish Oloroso wood notes.
Auchentoshan 12 Year Old Lowland Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $49.99
Auchentoshan American Oak Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $35.99
Bowmore 22 Year Old Seagull Ceramic Bottle Islay Single Malt Scotch $999.99
Bunnahabhain 18 year old Islay Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $109.99
Glenfiddich 18 year, Ancient Reserve Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $79.99
Highland Park “Thor” 16 Year Old, Isle of Orkney Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $1600) $799.00
Johnnie Walker “Double Black” Blended Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Previously $45) $36.99
Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 year old Blended Malt Whisky (750ml) $54.99
Laphroaig “Triple Wood” Islay Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $69.99
Laphroaig 12 Year Old “Leapfrog” Murray McDavid Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $299.99
1993 Mortlach 12 year old, Murray McDavid Bourbon/Guigal Cotes Rotie Syrah Cask, Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $149.99
Old Pulteney 12 year old Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $36.99
1966 Springbank 31 year Local Barley Bourbon Barrel #472 Single Malt (750ml) $2,500.00
White Horse “HM King” Cellar Blended Scotch Whisky (750ml) (circa 1949) $499.99
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
www.ralfy.com finds an old-fashioned flavour range with Whisky Review 578 – Springbank 12yo Cask Batch 12 @ 54.1% vol
