Our May auction is now live as of Friday (May 20th) at 7pm (UK time).
Whisky Hammer Ltd
PLACE YOUR BIDS AT
Ellon Business Centre, Broomiesburn Road, Ellon,
Aberdeenshire, AB41 9RD, Scotland
Langatun Swiss whisky – one man’s dream
I’ve never tried Swiss whisky before, and I suspect that quite a few of you reading this are the same. It’s always fascinating to try a whisky from one of the non-traditional whisky countries/regions, so when four bottles from the Langatun distillery arrived at HQ, I was keen to taste them.
The Langatun distillery (above) is housed in a former grain store
Langatun was created in 2007, but the family behind it has a history in brewing and distilling that stretches back more than 100 years. Jakob Baumberger took over a small brewery in the 1860s, acquiring a top-quality spring-water source a decade or so later. After his death, his son Hans carried on the work, setting up a peat-cutting business to provide fuel for the distillery and malting plant. Fast forward to the present day and his grandson Hans Baumberger III has continued the story, producing Langatun whisky, as well as rum, vodka and liqueurs.
The distillery is based in an old grain store in the village of Langatun, situated about 30 miles north-east of the capital, Bern. We currently stock two lines: Old Deer and Old Bear. Old Deer is unpeated, and matured in both ex-sherry and Chardonnay wine casks; Old Bear, which is named as a tribute to the family’s former brewery, which had a bear as its emblem, is peated, and spends time in Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine casks. Let’s give them a try:
Nose: Good mix of woody spice and rich fruit – roasted banana, toasted marshmallows, Parma violets and a savoury, almost rubbery note.
Palate: Soft and balanced, alternating between soft fruit and toasty spice. Plenty of creamy fruit on the palate – stewed apples and melon – along with cinnamon and nutmeg, cracked black pepper and a touch of banana skin.
Finish: Fruity and peppery, with the soft spice gently fading.
Nose: Creamy aromas, laden with ripe fruits, pink peppercorn, banana skin and wet grass, along with honey-drenched toast and sponge-cake batter.
Palate: Hot and peppery at full strength, with orchard fruit and a soft citrus note. A splash of water calms things down, bringing out fresh lemon, bramble fruit and buttery richness.
Finish: The fruit and toasty spice linger.
Nose: Herbal and pine-cone freshness leaps from the glass, then richer aromas of vanilla custard and stewed red berries.
Palate: More custard notes on the palate, subtle smoke and black pepper, along with stewed fruit, cake spices and toasty oak.
Finish: Burnt sugar and cinnamon, with a hint of red berries.
Nose: Woody spice at first, with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, followed by stewed red fruits, marshmallow and custard tarts. A faint grassy note, too.
Palate: Rather hot at full strength, but keep going and sweet flavours of sponge cake, stewed fruits and custard. Adding water brings out the fruitiness, with notes of summer berries, fruit cake and brioche. A slight rubbery note, too.
Finish: Rich and sweet, with the red fruits lasting longest.
After trying all four, it’s clear that the flavour profile is a little different to most Scottish and Irish whiskies – what really stood out were the tempting red-fruit and sweet custard notes. I didn’t get much peat from either Old Bear bottling – perhaps the influence of the Châteauneuf casks outweighed the smoke. Either way, if you’re looking for an alternative to your regular go-to bottlings, these are well worth a try.
All four Langatun whiskies are available to buy here.
MAY UPDATE: FAST FLYING DRAMS
With all 12 flavour profiles represented in our May Outturn, here’s your chance to see which winning drams are flying fast out of the door. Peat is always popular and there’s just one bottling left so hurry if you’re a fan! And a surprise second place from an elegant, light and delicate dram; the Sauternes cask finish might have something to do with that… Want even more value? Browse our Sensational Set section below or pop a cheeky Flavoursome Under £50 bottle in your basket tonight; they’re all down to the last handful.
No. 1: Spicy & sweet
123.16 Madagascan white chocolate mice
Age: 10 years
Cask: First fill ex-bourbon barrel
Price: £51.00
BUY >
No. 2: Light & delicate
26.117 Silky smooth sundowner
Age: 14 years
Cask: Second fill ex-Sauternes hogshead
Price: £68.50
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No. 3: Peated
66.83 A memory of summer
Age: 14 years
Cask: First fill ex-bourbon barrel
Price: £54.00
BUY >
No. 4: Juicy, oak & vanilla
36.102 After the rain
Age: 12 years
Cask: First fill ex-bourbon barrel
Price: £55.30
BUY >
No. 5: Spicy & dry
7.131 Apples in the cellar
Age: 12 years
Cask: First fill ex-bourbon barrel
Price: £55.10
BUY >
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
MALTSTOCK PROGRAM
This is the day, the day you’ve all been waiting for. We are almost done with the Maltstock 2016 program and thought you would be interested in reading what we have to offer you at this year’s Maltstock. We have a couple of very relaxed Masterclasses for you to choose from.
Cadenheads – Mark Watt
ChiChiBu – Yumi
Chieftains, Tamdhu, Glengoyne – Antony
Creative Whisky Company – Paul McKendrick
Douglas Laing – Jan Beckers
Inverhouse – Lukasz
the Macallan – Sietse Offringa
Speciallity drinks – Billy Abbot
Zuidam – Patrick Zuidam / surprise
+ maybe even more
Campfire Tasting by Donald MacLellan (Loch Lomond Group)
Quiz winners Tasting – Hans Offringa Breakfast – Hielander restaurant Alkmaar
>Raffle – with a huge amount of relaxed prizes
Pizza, BBQ, Midnight Cafe and relaxed Pop-up fun
Trust us, you don’t want to miss this edition of Maltstock. We still have some tickets available, but please be fast in a relaxed manner of course, before we sell out.
Get your ticket(s) here: TICKET SHOP
MALTSTOCK RAFFLE PRIZES
Some of the grand raffle prizes are confirmed and we would like you to know about them. There we go:
1. A very relaxed tasting at Douglas Laing in Glasgow
2. A visit to Tomatin Distillery with 10 of your friends.
3. Probably more to come
As always there’s a very good chance to win bottles of whisky and other whisky related prizes. All sponsord by many of our very relaxed sponsors.
TWO WHISKEYS NAMED “CHAIRMAN’S TROPHY FINALISTS”
AT ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE
Ten whiskeys from Buffalo Trace Distillery receive top honors
FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (May 12, 2016) Judges selected Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Thomas H. Handy Straight Rye Whiskey as Chairman’s Trophy Finalists at the 2016 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, where 10 whiskeys from Buffalo Trace Distillery were awarded top honors.
Those awarded as “Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation” include:
Those awarded the distinction of “Excellent, Highly Recommended” were:
Awarded the distinction of “Very Good, Strong Recommendation” were:
Eagle Rare, Sazerac Rye, Stagg Jr. and Benchmark were deemed to be “Great Values.” Receiving a designation as “Tried & True” were Blanton’s, Sazerac Rye and Stagg Jr.
This competition, in its seventh year, is judged by a panel of the spirit industry’s most renowned judges including award-winning authors, buyers, journalists, educators and bar owners, who rate each spirit on a 100-point scale.
Complete results for the 2016 Ultimate Spirits Challenge can be found at www.ultimate-beverage.com/usc2016results.
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 http://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/.
Kavalan whisky – made in Taiwan
We’ve been big fans of Kavalan since it first made an appearance on our shores in 2011, so much so that we spent a year to be the first to stock its whiskies in the UK, and it has been winning awards ever since. We welcomed Ian Chang, Kavalan’s master blender to TWE for our latest tasting to find out more about the major player of Taiwanese whisky.
Ian Chang, master blender at Kavalan
‘I’m head of research and development, global brand ambassador and master blender; in Taiwan it’s normal to be paid one salary for three jobs. It’s the best job in the world though; I get paid to drink every day‘
‘It’s free to visit our distillery and taste our whisky. We have a coffee shop above the visitor’s centre, but you have to pay for the drinks – I never go upstairs!’
‘Our distillery receives more visitors per year [one million] than all of Scotland’s combined. So the Taiwanese are more alcoholic than the Scots!‘
‘Dr Jim Swan [freelance distilling consultant] is my mentor, and not just for whisky – if I ever get divorced, he’s the man to blame!‘
‘We used to use bourbon casks from Jim Beam, but we can’t any more since they merged with Suntory – we now use sexier casks from Four Roses, Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey’
‘We built the distillery in nine months – it Scotland it would take five to six years’
‘In the summer we close the windows in the warehouse to keep the heat in [it gets up to 42°C] which speeds up extraction of flavour from the casks, and open them in winter to let the casks breathe again. We have 95% humidity for most of the year, which helps to keep the angels’ share down to 10-12%’
The Kavalan tasting line-up
Kavalan Classic – the flagship of the range, this has the distillery’s classic notes of mango, green apple, vanilla and coconut.
Kavalan Concertmaster – finished in ruby-port casks, this has notes of dark chocolate and blackberries.
King Car Conductor – similar recipe to the Classic, but with more use of sherry casks adding extra dried-fruit flavours.
Kavalan Solist Bourbon – luscious and rich with lots of vanilla and coconut notes.
Kavalan Solist Sherry – thick texture with an abundance of treacle and raisins.
Kavalan Solist Vinho – aged in re-charred wine casks; creamy and fruity with a hint of spice – a masterpiece.
Kavalan Solist Moscatel – available later this year; fruity and floral with notes of honey, lychee and rose.
Boooooom! That palate Blimey Charlie Chocolate orange and cloves on and ooooon Powerhouse @kavalanwhisky #TWEtasting pic.twitter.com/dfsErkw7k5
— WhiskyAlex (@WhiskyAlex) May 9, 2016
All of the whiskies are very different, yet maintain the fruity house style, with varying degrees of warmth and complexity. Each has its own time and place for enjoyment, and on the evening it was the original – Kavalan Classic, a great introduction to the distillery and the whisky that highlights the quality of the range.
Nose: Very fruity – predominantly mango and apple, with an abundance of vanilla and coconut, too.
Palate: This displays the classic distillery character with notes of mango, green apple, cherry, vanilla and coconut, held together with a creamy texture.
Finish: Medium in length with coconut, butter and a hint of cinnamon.
Comment: This was released by the distillery on 4 December 2008, the first whisky to be sold. Aged in a mixture of four types of cask (refill, sherry, bourbon, and one secret), of which 99% is American oak. The recipe adds complexity and lots of vanilla and coconut, and the hot and humid climate allows much more extraction of flavour from the wood, so this tastes mature, despite only being around four years old.
It was a pleasure to be led through the range by Ian, who was awarded Master Distiller of the Year and shortlisted for Brand Ambassador of the Year at Whisky Magazine‘s Icons of Whisky awards in 2015. To keep up with growing demand, the distillery is continuing to expand – the original four stills were joined by six more at the start of the year and a further 10 will be operational by August, allowing them to produce nine million litres of alcohol per year (which would put it in Scotland’s top 10). Ian stressed that the new stills will be the same shape as the original pairs, so while volume may be changing, the style and consistency will not. There are a number of new Solist releases due later this year, with the Moscatel joined by Brandy and Amontillado, among others. Solist Vinho won World’s Best Single Malt Whisky at the 2015 World Whisky Awards, so if you’ve never tried Taiwanese whisky before, why not pick up a bottle of Kavalan? Gānbēi 幹杯!
Join us in raising a glass for World Whisky Day this Saturday! Celebrate the splendid spirit with over 400 whisky lovers attending SMWS events worldwide from Vancouver to Melbourne, or pop in to one of our 3 venues for WWD promotions and that special dram. Which flavours will you celebrate with? Find inspiration with pleasing parcel offers and a showcase of beautiful bottlings for all budgets.
Young & spritely
121.87 Pink Cadillac – Online Exclusive
Price: £56.00
BUY >
Sweet, fruity & mellow
125.72 Strawberry delight
Price: £175.00
BUY >
Spicy & sweet
36.97 Ginger passionfruit trifle
Price: £70.00
BUY >
Spicy & dry
50.61 A fickle date in no haste
Price: £101.60
BUY >
Old & dignified
7.127 Herbal enough to please a gerbil
Price: £423.60
BUY >
Juicy, oak & vanilla
48.49 Herbal enough to please a gerbil
Price: £92.60
BUY >
Oily & coastal
31.32 Piri-piri and teryaki chicken
Price: £116.90
BUY >
Lightly peated
42.21 Ploughmans on the beach
Price: £58.10
BUY >
Peated
66.83 A memory of summer
Price: £54.00
BUY >
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
Let Us Introduce Fly…
1905 was a momentous year. It was the year that the first legal definition of whisky was declared by a magistrate’s court in London and it was also the year the photo above was taken at Glenturret Distillery in Crieff, Perthshire. Back then, we had 16 Stillmen producing whisky By Hand and By Heart with trusty companion, border collie Fly. Meet Fly’s 16 Masters Edition. This exclusive limited edition 16 Year Old is a celebration of those 16 men (and their dog). Our stillmen may have changed over the years, but the way we make our whisky hasn’t.
Pre-Order is now open for this Limited Edition Whisky
TASTING NOTES
Appearance: Warm in your belly sun kissed amber hue Nose: Lightly perfumed, citric, newly cut flowers, hints of marzipan, popcorn
Palate: Long and lingering, mature fruit notes, black cherries, mocha coffee
Finish: Vibrant, well-aged, good balance, easy to drink
Age: 16 years old
Size: 70cl
Strength: 44% VOL
Number of bottles: 1,740
PRICE £95
DISPATCH DATE
Week commencing 23rd May 2016
A limited release from BenRiachs Wood expressions range. The BenRiach 15 Year Old Dark Rum Finish is first matured in American Bourbon Casks. The Whisky is then finished in Jamaican Rum barrels, where it takes on some of those deep and chocolatey flavours associated with the Rum that was housed before it.
£42.99 incl. VAT
A peated Speyside Whisky, not something you’d usually have in the same sentence, but BenRiach have done just that! Their Peated range is a hark back to the classic Speyside whiskies of the 19th century, and the 10 Year Old Curiositas is an excellent place to start.
£31.99 incl. VAT
The Septendecim is the latest edition to the BenRiach Peated range. This 17 year old peated whisky has been matured in ex-bourbon casks and is a real robust heavyweight. Septendecim is non chill filtered, and bottled at natural colour with a strength of 46% vol.
£48.00 incl. VAT
BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY RELEASES BOURBON EXPERIMENT USING INFRARED LIGHT WAVES
Two Experiments Employing Short and Medium Wave Light
Make Up the First Experimental Collection Release for 2016
FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (May 11, 2016) Buffalo Trace Distillery has engaged in an unconventional way to use infrared light waves for its latest bourbon experiment, applying the light waves to barrels before charring, with the goal of learning how new and different flavors can be drawn from the oak.
Working with barrel cooper Independent Stave Company in 2009, eight special barrels were constructed. All eight first underwent the same process as standard Buffalo Trace barrels, staves were open air seasoned for six months before being made into barrels.
Then, the barrels were divided into two groups and subjected to two different levels of infrared light waves. The first group of four barrels underwent 15 minutes of both short wave and medium wave frequency at 70% power. The second group of four barrels was subjected to 30 minutes of both short wave and medium wave frequency at 60% power. The barrels were then given a quick #1 (or 15 seconds) char, before finally being filled with Buffalo Trace’s Bourbon Mash #1.
After six and a half years of aging, the bourbon from both barrels expressed distinct flavor notes of wood, caramel, and vanilla, as well as pepper flavors drawn from the oak. Another observation from the experiment was the short wave infrared light seemed to affect more of the inner layers of the wood, while the medium wave infrared light affected the surface and medium layers.
Tasting notes for each describe the 15 minute infrared light barrels as having a floral nose followed by a complex flavor profile. Oak and tannins mingle with dry raisins and sweet caramel. The 30 minute infrared light barrels are described as strong wood notes complemented by a taste of dried fruit. A lingering finish leaves a hint of cracked black pepper.
These barrels are part of more than 5,000 experimental barrels of whiskey aging in the warehouses of Buffalo Trace Distillery. Each of them has unique characteristics that differentiate them in distinct ways. Some examples of experiments include unique mash bills, types of wood, and different barrel toasts. In order to further increase the scope, flexibility, and range of the experimental program, an entire micro distillery, named The Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. “OFC” Micro Distillery, complete with cookers, fermenting tanks, and a state-of-the-art micro still has been constructed within Buffalo Trace Distillery. Buffalo Trace has increased its commitment to experimentation with the recent addition of its Warehouse X. Although small in size, Warehouse X is designed to explore the extent of environmental influences on the flavor profiles of whiskey.
The Experimental Collection is packaged in 375ml bottles, with six bottles from each infrared light experiment in a case. Both entry proofs were bottled at 90 proof. Each label includes all the pertinent information unique to that barrel of whiskey. These whiskeys retail for approximately $46.35 each and will be available in late May, 2016. Experimental Collection releases are generally quite small and have limited availability. For more information on the Experimental Collection or the other products of Buffalo Trace Distillery, please contact Elizabeth Hurst at ehurst@buffalotrace.com.
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 being 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.
