Father’s Day is June 19th. WhiskyFest San Francisco and WhiskyFest New York are guaranteed to sell out so buy your tickets now for someone who loves whisky as much as you do!
Whisky Ramblings Via Video #133
Mark Dermul, Belgian Whisky blogger, tries the latest Ardbeg Day offering. This year, Ardbeg Day became Ardbeg Night and the much anticipated bottling was named Dark Cove, referring to the illicit distillation of a previous era. It is said to be the ‘darkest Ardbeg ever’ with the heart of the malt matured in dark sherry casks. PR blurb or fact? Mark finds out.
RAISE A DRAM TO YOUR DAD THIS FATHER’S DAY
Looking for the perfect gift this Father’s Day? Leading whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail have a present for everyone. With a range of whiskies covering all flavour profiles, and an exceptional collection of Rare Vintage single malts to commemorate a special year in your dad’s life, there’s something to suit every palate on Sunday 19 June.
For the lover of the unique
In the mid-1960s Gordon & MacPhail launched ‘Connoisseurs Choice’, a ground-breaking range of whiskies which, until this time, would not have been available as single malts. Today Connoisseurs Choice retains this distinctive nature, providing a range of high quality single malts from distilleries throughout Scotland, including the below.
For those with a love of peated single malts, Connoisseurs Choice Ledaig 1999 is the perfect gift. Matured in refill remade Hogsheads casks, this whisky offers sweet cured meat and stewed apple, lemon and lime citrus aromas, with a delicate menthol note developing. Peppery flavours with ripe banana, orange and mango are complemented by a milk chocolate edge, which gives way to a long and lingering finish. Connoisseurs Choice Ledaig 1999 is available to purchase in the UK at an RRP of around £65.00.
Connoisseurs Choice Tormore 1997, a pale gold Speyside dram, is the ideal choice for dads who like something a little bit different. Sweet and fruity with hints of toffee, green apple and subtle vanilla notes on the nose, the whisky offers sweet and peppery flavours followed by tropical fruit, with a hint of honey sweetness. With a long and creamy finish, Connoisseurs Choice Tormore 1997 is available to purchase in the UK at an RRP of around £65.00.
If your dad prefers a sweeter dram, then why not share Connoisseurs Choice Tomatin 1997 this Father’s Day? Pale gold in colour, aromas of sweet vanilla mix with banana, pineapple and lime, as a delicate floral edge develops. Sweet and creamy on the tongue, the whisky is ripe with banana, orange zest and milk chocolate flavours, with a balanced and creamy finish. Connoisseurs Choice Tomatin 1997 is available to purchase in the UK at an RRP of around £70.00.
For the special man in your life
Gift the man in your life with something exceptional this Father’s Day by presenting him with a bottle of Gordon & MacPhail Rare Vintage. With a selection of single malts spanning from 1936 to 1983, it’s the perfect range of whiskies for those looking to mark a milestone with an extra-special present.
Celebrate the year he became a dad with a bottle of Rare Vintage Strathisla 1967, a remarkable whisky which recently won a gold medal at the world renowned International Spirits Challenge. A dark amber Speyside dram, it offers rich fruit cake notes with hints of stewed prunes, mixed spice, and a touch of milk chocolate sweetness. A gentle and warming dram to taste, menthol freshness gives way to a sherried edge, a touch of chilli spices, and creamy, fruity influences. A rich and smooth after dinner dram, Rare Vintage Strathisla 1967 is available to purchase in the UK at an RRP of £620.
Commemorate the year he was born and share a dram of Rare Vintage Mortlach 1954. A full bodied Speyside dram, rich sherry influences mix with dried fruits, bees wax and a subtle fresh peppermint edge on the nose. Initially spicy on the palate, the whisky offers tropical fruit and cocoa flavours and a creamy finish. Rare Vintage Mortlach 1954 is available to purchase in the UK at an RRP of £1,850.
If you like the idea of gifting a vintage bottle of Malt Whisky to celebrate the above milestones Gordon & MacPhail offers an unrivalled range. Please speak to your Specialist Retailer or email us for assistance.
For further information and stockist details please visit the Gordon & MacPhail website at www.gordonandmacphail.com/.
The June Outturn stirs the senses with a lip-smacking new selection of summertime single casks for you to taste and explore!
CASK No. 44.69 TANTALIZING TANNINS
11 years old; refill barrel; 57.3%; Juicy, oak & vanilla
Tempting aromas like lifting the lid of a box off pralines whilst brewing a Rooibos chai tea. Diluted, fresh lemon juice and orange barley water followed by antique leather bound books on the nose and on the palate a Caribbean fruit punch.
CASK No. 28.28 LAY YOUR HEAD ON MY PILLOW
10 years old; refill barrel; 60%; Sweet, fruity & mellow
A crisp start with notes of warm wood embers to follow. Taste neat had a good chili heat with the syrupy viscosity of sweet and sour sauce. Diluted, zingy buttercream and flavours of carrot cake with a cinnamon frosting.
CASK No. 50.72 SUMMER’S NIGHT IN LOVERS’ LANE
25 years old; refill barrel; 50.2%; Deep, rich & dried fruits
Butterflies of scent flit around – orange blossom, heather, cedar, plum brandy and leather; honeysuckle, mango and apple pie with water. The palate has Danish pastries, butter croissants, pipe tobacco, coconut, pineapple, chocolate cherries and various woody spices (ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon).
CASK No. 35.133 MEDITERRANEAN MAHARAJAH GOES AMERICAN
20 years old; 1st fill toasted oak hogshead; 55.8%; Spicy & sweet
Powerful spicy rye: cardamom, cassia, blackcurrant and cinnamon cookie dough. Oily black tea scented with star anise. Smoky tomato tapenade, digestives dipped in dark chocolate, peanut brittle toffee. Tanned leather and meaty scallops in a rib sauce. Something’s gone awry!
CASK No. 29.164 A BALLERINA AT THE BARBECUE
17 years old; refill hoshead; 49.2%; Lightly peated
A damp deck, antiseptic and lint bandages. Bloody Mary with white fish wrapped in bacon, spritzed with lime. Popcorn with sea salt and black pepper with cucumber sandwiches. Shellfish drizzled with coriander with grilled halloumi and green peppers. Dainty and delicious!
CASK No. 3.255 GENIE IN A BOTTLE
21 years old; refill sherry butt; 46.6%; Peated
Clean perfumed smoke, sun scorched heather, crystallized ginger and seared scallops – this was a genie in a glass. On the palate the genie was released in a puff of perfumed smoke. Let’s give it a rub and make a wish.
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada
104-1240 Kensington Road NW, Suite 160 Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 3P7
Email – curious@smws.ca
Make Father’s Day Special With The Daddy Of All Gifts!
Show your dad just how much he means to you with the ultimate Father’s Day gift – a personalised bottle of whisky!
We’ve added even more bottles to our engraved range, so whether he’s a blended whisky fan or an Islay malt man, you can put a smile on his face this 19th June.
Or how about a gift set featuring his favourite whisky instead? Whatever your preference, we’ve got plenty to inspire you!
Free delivery available on all orders over £75 Next day delivery avaialble (selected lines only)
JACK DANIEL’S SINGLE BARREL WITH FREE GLASS & PERSONALISED ENGRAVING
Just one out of every 100 barrels is set aside to mature in the highest reaches of the famous Tennessee barrelhouses and become Jack Daniel’s Single Barrell Select. It’s there that dramatic temperature changes add depth and rich colour to the liquid, resulting in a whiskey that is robust with notes of toasted oak, vanilla, and caramel. As the Jack Daniel’s Distillery says “It’s not easy making a whiskey like Single Barrel. But easy never interested us in the first place.” Show your dad he’s #1 with a personalised bottle of this singularly special whiskey.
HAIG CLUB WITH FREE GLASS & PERSONALISED ENGRAVING
Looking for a Father’s Day gift that will make an impact? Treat your dad to a personalised bottle of Haig Club by engraving your very own message on the striking cobalt blue bottle! Made at Cameronbridge distillery, this genre-defying single grain Scotch whisky is a created in collaboration with David Beckham and legendary entrepreneur Simon Fuller. Crafted from three cask types to create a fresh, clean style and ultra-smooth taste, it’s can be enjoyed neat, with ice, or even in cocktails.
BUNNAHABHAIN 12 YEAR OLD PERSONALISED WITH YOUR MESSAGE
Give your dad truly unique whisky this Father’s Day: a bottle of Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old, engraved with your very own message! Translated from the Gaelic for ‘mouth of the river’, Bunnahabhain is distinct from other Islay single malts, as it is distilled in a time-honoured process using unpeated malted barley and pure spring water that flows away from the peaty moorlands. With signature ‘fruit and nut’ flavours, and the opportunity to personalise your bottle, it’s a perfect Father’s Day gift.
GLENMORANGIE 18 YEAR OLD PERSONALISED WITH YOUR MESSAGE
Buying for a serious Speyside fan? Look no further! Glenmorangie 18 Year Old is a single malt Scotch of serious distinction. Following 15 years in American white oak casks around 30% is transferred into Spanish Oloroso casks for a further three years maturing. When both elements reach 18 years they are re-blended to create a whisky with a rich bouquet and full, rounded flavour. A living legacy, rare in its complexity yet perfectly balanced, this elegant whisky is a gift to be treasured.
ARDBEG 10 YEAR OLD PERSONALISED WITH YOUR MESSAGE
Considered by some to be the peatiest, smokiest, most complex single malt of them all, a personalised bottle of Ardbeg 10 Year Old will go down a storm with Islay malt lovers this Father’s Day. Non chill-filtered and bottled at 46% ABV, this powerful whisky is all about big body and depth of flavour. Despite the intense peat, subtle smoky fruits, citrus juice and spiced toffee flavours shine, eventually giving way to the natural sweetness of malt, and an incredibly long-lasting, smoky finish.
CHIVAS REGAL 18 YEAR OLD PERSONALISED WITH YOUR MESSAGE
A personalised bottle of Chivas Regal is the ultimate present for blended whisky fans – or any whisky fan at all, for that matter! Uniquely rich and multi-layered, this blend includes over twenty of Scotland’s rarest single malt Scotch whiskies. With 85 flavour notes in every drop, each sip is a brand new discovery. Chivas Regal created the concept of luxury blended Scotch, and this attractively balanced blend certainly does their legacy justice. Soft and smooth, it’s a guaranteed crowd – and dad – pleaser!
AGE OF DISCOVERY 19 YEARS OLD MADEIRA FINISH
70cl / 40%
£89.95 WAS £105
Both Glenfiddich’s first 19-year-old whisky and its first Madeira finish, Age of Discovery is a spicy, fruity and nutty dram, combining the distillery’s orchard-fruit character with the depth of flavour of Madeira’s famed fortified wine.
This week Joe Ellis reviews the World’s Best Whisky: Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye.
NUMBER ONE DRINKS TO REPRESENT “THE EXCEPTIONAL”
US based spirits specialist, Sutcliffe & Son has teamed up with Number One Drinks to supply specialist whisky retailers across UK and Europe.
Don Sutcliffe, managing director of Craft Distillers, and Willie Phillips, former managing director of The Macallan have joined forces to create a series of exemplary small batch Scotch whiskies, THE EXCEPTIONAL by Sutcliffe & Son.
THE EXCEPTIONAL small batch bottlings are expertly created from a selection of aged whiskies, carefully chosen from several different Scotch distilleries, including rare casks from closed distilleries. Once crafted the whisky is gently married over time, finished in the finest first-fill Oloroso sherry casks.
The first consignment of whiskies will be available in three expressions, The Exceptional Grain (3rd Edition), The Exceptional Malt (2nd Edition) and the Exceptional Blend (1st Edition). Due to the individual nature of the cask make-up, each edition of THE EXCEPTIONAL has distinctive characteristics. The Scotch grain and malt whiskies are all bottled at 43% ABV.
Don Sutcliffe comments; “We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with the Number One Drinks team to introduce The Exceptional in the UK! Everyone to whom I spoke recommended we reach out to Marcin Miller for sound advice regarding the UK (in fact the world) whisky market.”
Willie Phillips believes “the timing is perfect to be introducing THE EXCEPTIONAL in Europe.” Adding; “European consumers are knowledgeable in the progression of Scotch whisky. Our whiskies are blended to be distinctive expressions, using exceptional casks of mature Grain and Malt whiskies, each bottling to express nuanced elegance and complexity.”
Don and Willie formed a lasting friendship when they met over 25 years ago. Sutcliffe, who was instrumental in the development of The Macallan in the US, being largely responsible for the success on the west coast and Phillips, the former managing director of the iconic Macallan Distillery for 23 years had always envisioned a future project together. With unparalleled access to some of the finest casks of whisky in Scotland and enlisting the help of master blender, Bill Arthur, their early ambition has come to fruition with the development of THE EXCEPTIONAL.
Marcin Miller, managing director of Number One Drinks said of the new partnership “Sutcliffe & Son are the perfect fit for our portfolio and we look forward to introducing these outstanding whiskies to enthusiasts across the UK and Europe.”
The first two batches were very well received in the US, meeting with critical acclaim and selling out swiftly. All expressions will retail at £86 per bottle.
Notes:
Tasting notes:
Spanning four decades, the component whiskies for each edition of THE EXCEPTIONAL bottlings are selected for their individual (yet complementary) attributes, to create a harmonious whisky of layered complexity and great depth.
THE EXCEPTIONAL GRAIN 3rd Edition 43%
A selection of remarkable casks from North British, Loch Lomond, Strathclyde, Cameronbridge and Carsebridge distilleries, blended and married in first-fill Oloroso Sherry butts.
First nosing suggests lemon meringue and toffee apple, followed by apple, cinnamon, cranberry and tablet on the palate. The finish is long and lingering with notes of apple pie, cream and butterscotch.
THE EXCEPTIONAL MALT 2nd Edition 43%
An extraordinary range of mature casks, including Glenfarclas, Ben Nevis, Balvenie, Kininvie, Glenfiddich, Alt-a’Bhainne, Auchroisk, Glenallachie, Westport, Speyside and (of course) Macallan distilleries, blended and married in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts.
Opening nose and palate are effusive with honeyed Christmas cake, tangerine, dark cherry and aniseed. The mid palate evolves into raspberry crumble with intriguing notes of tarragon and spice. The finish lingers with notes of sherry, toffee cream and a returning hint of anise.
THE EXCEPTIONAL BLEND 1st Edition 43%
An exemplary selection of mature grain and malt casks from North British, Strathclyde, Cameronbridge, Glenfarclas, Ben Nevis, Balvenie, Kininvie, Glenfiddich, Alt-a’Bhainne, Auchroisk, Glenallachie, Westport, Speyside and (of course) Macallan distilleries, blended and married in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts.
Initial nose is all crème caramel and orange marmalade, evolving on the palate to include wild strawberry and vanilla cream. The finish is long and lingering with notes of shortbread, orange peel and a whisper of herbal mint.
BENRIACH’S BILLY WALKER IS 2016 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
BenRiach’s Managing Director Billy Walker has been named Entrepreneur of the Year in the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2016.
He received his accolade last night in front of an 800-strong audience at Edinburgh’s EICC.
The award comes after BenRiach was acquired in April by Brown-Forman, producers of Jack Daniels, for £285m.
The Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards recognise those businesses and individuals in Scotland who are leading the way with innovation, enterprise and quality.
Mr Walker and his two South African partners Geoff Bell and Wayne Kieswetter built up the company over the last twelve years after acquiring the mothballed BenRiach Distillery on the outskirts of Elgin from Chivas Brothers.
Convinced that developing high-end specialist whisky was the way forward in a competitive market, they went on to add the Huntly-based GlenDronach Distillery and the Glenglassaugh Distillery in Portsoy to their portfolio.
The Edinburgh-headquartered company now exports 95% of its products and employs 165 people across its four sites.
Last year BenRiach announced plans to invest more than £25m in the business on the back of record results; pre-tax profits rose by 24% to £11.1m and turnover increased 17.6% to £41.5m.
The company was named Global Whisky Distiller of the Year at the 2015 Icons of Whisky Awards and was also highlighted as one of the country’s most influential companies.
Billy Walker said: “It’s an enormous compliment and a very pleasant surprise to receive this prestigious award. I’m delighted to accept it on behalf of the extraordinary people across our four sites who have helped me build BenRiach with their hard work, passion and commitment.”
THE BANANA (Brexit) FILES THE TRUTH’S NOT OUT THERE.
Well folks it’s been some time since my last newsletter, the amazing drams released a few weeks ago have almost gone sadly.
A lot of funny things have been going on since we last communicated. It would be remiss of me not to have a dig wouldn’t it!
Before anything else though lets get to the big news from Springbank.
The new Springbank 12 year old Burgundy Wood has been released in the UK literally as this newsletter is arriving in your inbox!
This new vintage is going to be limited again however it’s available worldwide very soon
with over 10,000 bottles, unlike the small amount we had with the 16 year olds this spring.
The nose and palate are stunning, lots to dig into from the moment you open the bottle. The finish will deliver a more complex end than expected so take a seat and relax as you delve into this amazing Springbank.
If you have a bottle on reserve you have 7 days to get in touch with us to pay.
Looking forward to the next Cadenhead’s Small Batch release…
We have decided to release after the referendum in the UK on June 23rd and expect to deliver the new stocks into the stores around June 28th (you know how good we are at keeping to dates so don’t panic if we have not sent the newsletter by then, it will happen – honest).
Below will be the full list of new malts but before we give you a heads up let me just say you will need a dram or two once this crazy Brexit vote is over and done with in a few weeks knowing the governments own MP’s I doubt they will let it rest!
Expect that truly horrendous Boris to spin more fake stories about bananas or some other item. Notice how nobody is allowing Boris to debate on TV simply because he makes things up! But that’s nothing compared to dear old Dave & Gideon who have told us about world war 3 or something? Odd I know, and lets not leave it with those 3, how about Corbyn! Silence is golden or what.
So with all that to look forward to we think you’ll be ready for the new small batch range from Cadenhead’s! I know a lot of you already know since the Campbeltown festival I have been given a list of most wanted by so many of you.
Distilleries we will be featuring…
WHAT, NO AGES? Always leave them wanting more I say!
Do we have anything else? Of course we do but all in good time…
I can tell you about Kilkerran though! Expect a special announcement soon about the release due in August for the official 12 year old.
Also due back soon will be Springbank 21 (Possibly the best of the new 21 year olds and will be a fast seller with limited availability).
New Springbank 18 is also due soonish I am told, but soon in Whisky time can be several months!! (I will update you all when I can).
Anyway, that’s it for now. I know some will be wanting to know why I have a picture of our old labels! All will be revealed soon (ish).
Remember no matter what the government or the Brexit camp say, it’s all just smoke and mirrors with as much reality as Harry Potter (Only Harry Potter is better and more truthful I bet)
Stephen W
Cadenheads Whisky Shop & Tasting Room 26 Chiltern Street, London, W1U 7QF
