Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 141: Braunstain Danica Whisky 14:1 Library Collection

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a Danish single malt. During his summer holidays in Denmark, he visited the Braunstein Distillery in Koge (45 minutes south of Copenhagen) and discovered their Danica single malt. They have both an unpeated and a peated whisky. Obviously he had to try them both. Mark first tried the unpeated version from their so-called Library Collection. The 14:1 whisky is the first release from 2014 and is a 7 years old whisky that matured on sherry casks and got a finish in a cognac cask.

https://youtu.be/qWq_SxEU5ks

TOMATIN DISTILLERY TOUCHES DOWN WITH NEW TRAVEL RETAIL RANGE  

The Highland distillers are voyaging into the world of duty free having launched a series of new and exclusive whiskies available now in airports across Europe.

Making the most of captive holiday makers, the brand’s travel retail offerings are currently checking in to travel hubs initially around Europe, to be followed by the USA and Asia over the next few years.  The age statement collection comprises the distillery’s flagship 12 year old and three travel retail exclusive editions: an 8 year old, a 15 year old and a rare 40 year old vintage.

Stephen Bremner, Sales Director commented:

‘We have been working on a strategy to establish our presence in the travel retail market for some time now in response to growing demand for Tomatin single malt on a global level.  While the majority of Scotch brands have elected to present no-age statement duty free ranges, our collection of age statement whiskies provides a point of difference. This is a priority market for us as it provides an introduction to Tomatin for thousands of globe-trotters so we wanted to create a range that caters for all tastes and budgets, whether you’re a whisky novice or a high-end collector.

The range is already en route to several airports and we look forward to seeing the brand in airports across Europe over the coming months.  There’s great potential in each of these markets and we hope that the success we have seen recently with our core range will be mirrored within travel retail, with sales of the core Tomatin range increasing dramatically over the past few years.  We have seen sales growth of 60% in our branded goods over the last 4 years and currently exports make up 92% of our business.  It’s an encouraging sign for the future.’

World-renowned whisky connoisseur Charles MacLean has already sampled the range and described it as: ‘First rate, with an elegant sweet and spicy flavour profile across all the ages.’

Introducing the series is the 8 year old, matured in Bourbon and Sherry casks.  The nose has aromas of vanilla-sweetened baked apples and pears developing into deeper dark fruit flavours, gently balanced with ginger and cinnamon for a sweet and spicy finish. Bottled at a strength of 40% with an RRP of 35 Euro.

The Tomatin 12 Year Old is a 1 Litre version of the distiller’s flagship malt which has an array of accolades including a double gold from the San Francisco World Spirits competition 2016. With an ABV of 43% and an RRP of 41.50 Euro.

Next up to board the range is the 15 year old, matured in North American Oak.  Light and fresh on the nose, charming citrus fruits are well balanced with emerging honey and toffee flavours, lingering softly on the palate for some time. Bottled at a strength of 46%, the limited edition retails at 55 Euro.

The final expression is a 40 year old malt matured in Oloroso Sherry casks.  According to the distillery this is a smooth and rounded triumph of dark and tropical fruits resulting in a big and fruity finish with just a touch of oak.  Charles MacLean described this mature malt as ‘a highly distinguished whisky with a long, warming spirit’. Retailing at a price of 1250 Euro and bottled at 43%.

In addition to Tomatin single malt, the range will also include a 1 Litre bottle of Standard Edition Cù Bòcan.  This is the distillery’s only peated expression originally launched in 2013.  The spirit was recently awarded a silver at the prestigious IWSC 2016 awards.

For more information about the Travel Retail range visit http://www.tomatin.com/.

Notes

For more information about the Tomatin Distillery contact Shelagh Considine, Communications Executive on 01463 248 148 , 07970908111 ,shelagh@tomatin.com.

1. The Tomatin Distillery Co Ltd is a producer and blender of Scotch whisky, boasting a strong core range of single malt whiskies along with a range of popular blends.
2. Website: http://www.tomatin.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Tomatin1897

Twitter: www.twitter.com/Tomatin1897

3. The packaging was designed by Pocket Rocket Creative Ltd – award-winning design agency
4. Press Kit can be downloaded here: http://www.tomatin.com/contact/
5. The distillery was established in 1897, and while historically the whisky produced was primarily sold for use in other brands of blended whisky, the company is now very focussed on growing the Tomatin single malt brand in its own right.
6. Tomatin Distillery produces Tomatin Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Cù Bòcan Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
7. The distillery is owned by Japanese company Takara Shuzo: http://www.takarashuzo.co.jp/english/index.htm

Lagavulin™  launches limited edition 2016 Jazz bottling

Lagavulin today launches its brand new limited edition single malt Scotch whisky release, Lagavulin™ Islay Jazz Festival 2016.
6,000 bottles are being produced following the popularity of previous Jazz festival bottlings. The whisky is a blend of refill American oak hogsheads and first fill American oak standard barrels. Available only for personal callers at thedistillery from September 9th, 2016.

Georgie Crawford, distillery manager at Lagavulin distillery adds: “This year’s limited edition is extra special. It encapsulates 200 years of Lagavulin and one of our busiest and best times on Islay – the Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival.”

The release of the limited edition Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival 2016 boasts notes of honey and fresh fruit, delivering syrupy harmonies on the palate, but ending with the classic Lagavulin smoke. Once mixed with water, the whisky presents more vanilla notes on the nose and the signature Lagavulin smoke moves front of stage.

2016 is a special year for Lagavulin and this bottling joins Lagavulin 8 Year Old and Lagavulin 25 Year Old to celebrate the bicentenary year. Another great reason to celebrate 200 years of Islay’s most famous whisky.

RRP: £99
ABV: 54.5%
Available from: only available from Lagavulin distilleryin brief… sweet and smoky on the nose with a taste of creamy toffee and fruit alongside signature smoke.

It’s been a few months since the last Laydown – hectic months which have seen Wolfburn whisky hit the shelves in 21 countries, from California to New Zealand, and many places in between.

Malt fanatics and followers all around the world have been singing the praises of our whisky – and we are very grateful for all the kind words of support received during our launch year.

In this edition of the Laydown:

• Aurora arrives! Wolfburn’s second permanent expression goes global.
• Win! Test your knowledge of Wolfburn and win one of the very first bottles of Aurora, complete with an accompanying box of Caithness chocolates – a taste pairing sent from heaven.
• Wolfburn on show – a list of whisky festivals and upcoming expo’s.

Slàinte

The Wolfburn Team

 SEPTEMBER TASTINGS AND EVENTS

UK-WIDE PREVIEWS WITH UISGE SOURCE

Glasgow – Radisson Blu Hotel, Fri 23 Sept More >

Aberdeen: Taster Menu Dinner at MUSA Thu 29 Sept  More >

Liverpool – Radisson Blu Hotel, Fri 30 Sept  More >

Newcastle – The Caledonian Hotel, Fri 30 Sept  More >

Winchester – Winchester Royal Hotel, Fri 30 Sept  More >

19 GREVILLE STREET – LONDON

Boiler Maker Tasting – Tue 13 Sept  More >

New Members’ Sensory Tasting – Tue 27 Sept  More >

THE VAULTS – LEITH 

Blind Tasting – Fri 23 Sept More >

October Outturn Preview – Thu 29 Sep  More >

FREE EVENTS

Live Music Night with Hot Tin Roof – Tue 13 Sept More >

Whisky Theme Night: Lowland and Speyside – Tue 20 Sept More >

28 QUEEN STREET – EDINBURGH

Smoke, Sea & Peat Tasting – Thu 15 Sep  More >

Smoke, Sea & Peat Tasting – Thu 22 Sep  More >

Browse All Events & Tastings >

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

www.ralfy.com mangles Shakespeare whilst dram-sippin’ with Whisky Review 587 – Pride Of Orkney 12yo malt (auction bottle 1980’s).

Whisky Legend Richard Paterson Celebrates 50 Years in the Industry

‘The Nose’ to mark anniversary with a global tour 

The greatest whisky maker of his generation is set to celebrate 50 years of work in the industry this month.

Richard Paterson, renowned for his role as Master Distiller at The Dalmore Distillery in the Scottish Highlands, has spent the past 50 years of his illustrious career creating some of the worlds most coveted and iconic whiskies.

The landmark will see Richard, a true artisan, pioneer and innovator, host a series of tasting events around the world while showcasing a selection of bottles including the renowned The Dalmore Paterson Collection and the recently released The Dalmore Quintessence.

Richard Paterson has been at the helm of The Dalmore for nearly five decades. His unparalleled passion, expertise and intimate knowledge of rare and exclusive casks allowed him to create the category of super luxury single malt, a category he has been defining with The Dalmore ever since.

Nicknamed ‘The Nose’ for his exceptional ability to assess and understand the structure of whiskies through smell alone, Richard’s charismatic and energetic approach to illuminating the art of whisky making has earned him a legion of fans and a celebrity status amongst whisky lovers the world over.

At the 2013 World Whisky Awards, he was recognised by Whisky Magazine with an Icons of Whisky Lifetime Achievement Award and entered into the magazine’s Hall of Fame – a permanent tribute honouring those noteworthy individuals who have made a lasting contribution to the world of whisky.

Bryan Donaghey, CEO of The Dalmore owners, Whyte & Mackay said: “With a unique flair and unwavering passion for developing only the finest whisky, Richard continues to be a driving force in the industry. His natural ability is unparalleled and he is, without doubt, a master of his art. Watching Richard work with The Dalmore is inspiring, and we are privileged to be able to help him celebrate such an important milestone in his career.”

The Dalmore Master Distiller Richard Paterson added: “The past 50 years has flown by and I am so proud of what I have achieved in the industry. My time with The Dalmore has provided me with some of my fondest moments. The chance to create and work with the world’s oldest and rarest malts has been an absolute privilege and I’m forever grateful that I’ve been able to share these treasures with fellow whisky lovers across the world.

“While my work with The Dalmore has undoubtedly been a career highlight, I’ve also been fortunate enough to share my passion with whisky fans whilst contributing to the work of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. This variety has made my time in the industry all the more enjoyable.

“The next 18 months are shaping up to be among my best yet. I enjoy meeting people who have a passion for whisky and I’m relishing the chance to share my celebration with connoisseurs from across the world.”

A brand film has been created by The Dalmore to celebrate the life of Richard Paterson and his work to date in the industry. The film can be viewed at http://bit.ly/TheDalmoreRP50

Notes:

The Dalmore is the definitive luxury malt, since 1839.

Founded by Sir Alexander Matheson, a restless entrepreneur and international businessman, The Dalmore was born with a different purpose, to go above and beyond to create luxurious single malt whisky unlike any other.

An unbroken chain of exceptional whisky makers have been fulfilling Sir Alexander’s vision ever since, pioneering both aged single malt, and also multi cask maturation over 100 years before this was commonly adopted by others in the industry.

Richard Paterson has been Master Distiller at The Dalmore for nearly 50 years.  The whiskies he has created during his tenure have help Richard to achieve global celebrity status.  He is the man who, with The Dalmore, created the category of super luxury single malt, a category he continues to define to this very day.

Rebel Yell® Bourbon Launches Single Barrel
New offering is aged a full 10 years and offered in limited quantity

(St. Louis) September 6, 2016 – Rebel Yell® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has introduced Rebel Yell® Single Barrel, meticulously aged for a full 10 years and bottled one barrel at a time at 100 proof. This hand-bottled wheated bourbon will be available nationwide in limited quantity – 2,000 cases – in September, and 4,000 cases are planned for 2017.

This ultra-premium bourbon is robust in flavor with a mature finish and hand-bottled for a uniquely rebellious experience. By being bottled barrel-by-barrel, each bottle will have a unique flavor profile — depending on how it aged, where in the rickhouse it was placed and the flavors that developed within that barrel.  In addition, each bottle includes the barrel number and an “aged since” date on the silk-screened front label. Each bottle, complete with a premium matte finish closure and natural wood cork, is sold in individual boxes.

“We are excited to take the classic Rebel Yell recipe and age it 10 years, creating a robust and complex finish,” says Fletcher uchman, brand manager at Luxco. “By bottling each barrel independently, we are creating a unique flavor profile specific to each batch. Some bottles may have a stronger vanilla and caramel flavor, some may favor more oak and wood tones, others may have more floral or tobacco notes, creating a unique tasting experience that may vary from bottle to bottle.”

Rebel Yell Single Barrel will be available in 750 ml bottles and offered at a suggested retail price of $49.99 (100 proof/50%ABV). Click here for a video with more details.

For more information on Rebel Yell and its product lineup, visit www.rebelyellbourbon.com. For more information on the brand’s loyalty program, Band of Rebels, fans can sign up at www.bandofrebels.com.

About Luxco

Luxco, Inc. is a leading producer, importer and marketer of beverage alcohol products. Our mission is to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of our consumers, associates and business partners. Founded in St. Louis in 1958, where it is headquartered, it is owned and operated by the Lux family. Its portfolio of brands include: Juarez Tequila & Triple Sec, Pearl
Vodka, Everclear Grain Alcohol, Arrow Cordials, El Mayor Tequila, Ezra Brooks & Rebel Yell Bourbons, Lord Calvert Canadian Whisky, St. Brendan’s Irish Cream, Salvador’s Cocktails, Yago Sant’ gria and other well-recognized brands. For more information about the company, visit www.luxco.com.

We feel like explorers this month travelling to exotic, idyllic, faraway places without moving.  The September Outturn is a journey for the senses bringing a bountiful selection of daydreamer drams – 7 new single cask whiskies to be carried away with.

CASK No. 44.71  INVIGORATING AND INSPIRING

11 years old; refill barrel; 58.3%; Spicy & sweet

Aromas of an old-fashioned dunnage warehouse created a zen like ambience and with the surprisingly snowballing chili heat on the palate, we felt truly invigorated. Water released a bunch of freesias and on the taste it was all about perfect balance.

CASK No. 36.97  GINGER PASSIONFRUIT TRIFLE

18 years old; refill barrel; 57.9%; Spicy & sweet

Bouquet of bright coloured flowers and autumn berry crumble were the aromas with the taste of a full flavoured IPA; sweet, citric and ginger in perfect balance. Water added an exotic fruity, floral dimension and in the finish a passionfruit trifle.

CASK No. 77.42  PORTUGUESE CUSTARD TARTS

14 years old; 2nd fill Sauternes hogshead; 58.4%; Juicy, oak & vanilla

Juicy fruit chewing gum, mint toffees and orange flavoured toothpaste were replaced by sweet porridge aromas neat, whilst in the taste we discovered spicy eggnog. Water added poached pears and Portuguese custard tarts. This whisky previously inhabited an ex-bourbon hogshead.

CASK No. 71.42  SINBAD PREPARING FOR A JOURNEY

17 years old; refill butt; 57.5%; Spicy & dry

The nose has crème brûlée, smoky bacon crisps, pork crackling and patchouli; an old-fashioned boat-builder’s yard, and Eastern rugs. The palate is big, tasty and dark – treacle cake, caramel popcorn, chili chocolate, caramelized apples with pork; beef jerky, leather and cigars.

CASK No. 3.261  RECORD SHOP AT THE RACES

14 years old; refill hogshead; 55.7%; Lightly peated

Lavender buttonholes and Parma Violets candies. Vinyl and fake leather jackets. Pit lanes at Le Mons: overalls and leather seats. Smoked ham and tobacco. Damp tweed and scorched heather.  A burnt twig used a dipstick. Red vinyl in a mahogany chest.

CASK No. 33.143  THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT

8 years old; 2nd fill butt; 59.9%; Peated

Big licks of maple bacon, sticky pulled pork over hickory smoke. Tropical fruit kebabs roasted over white hot coals. ‘Properly good smoke!’ Charred pork crackling with a Bloody Mary. Blood oranges in a smoky greenhouse.

CASK No. 53.234  SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE

16 years old; refill hogshead; 64.1%; Heavily peated

Smoked bacon, smoked sea salt, smoked salmon, smoked scallops and smoked brown sugar. The taste neat had a chili heat and plenty of big, deep and penetrating – smoke. Water released smoked plum lemonade and Arbroath smokies with cream and mustard.

SMWS Canada

Rare Scotch Whisky Breaks £5 Million Barrier for H1 2016

The value of collectable bottles of Scotch whisky traded within a half year period has surpassed £5 million for the first time since records began in 2008, according to figures published today by whisky analyst, broker and investment experts Rare Whisky 101.

During the first six months of 2016, the value of collectable bottles sold in the UK on the open market rose more than 25 per cent to £5.771M compared to the same period last year. The volume of collectable bottles experienced an ever bigger rise of 28.5 per cent to 26,527 bottles.

Based on current trends, Rare Whisky 101 is predicting the UK auction market for rare Scotch to reach 55,000 bottles for the full year, ten times the volumes sold in 2010 and to exceed a total value of £12M.

Whisky investment analyst and co-founder of Rare Whisky 101, Andy Simpson commented: “For some in the broader Scotch category, export and sales figures still appear challenging. However, the secondary market for rarities shows little of this stress and 2016 is shaping up to be yet another record year for rare whisky”.

“The lack of truly collectable new product releases in recent years continues to fuel demand for older and discontinued releases where quality and rarity are powerful motivations for purchase.  However, the market continues to be heavily polarised with value for collectables and limited editions from less sought-after brands softening as buyers stick to the best known, iconic brands.”

“As the secondary market continues to grow and mature, so the profile of the buyer has changed. We’re beginning to see the arrival of more high net worth buyers – be they connoisseurs, collectors or investors – and we are now seeing an emerging group of professionals entering the market. While many believe this will drive up prices, in our experience, few of these larger buyers seek to acquire at auction.”

Japanese gems driving up bottle prices 

The availability of Japanese whisky at auction continues to increase led by the highly sought-after Karuizawa, the iconic Japanese silent distillery. These low volume but high value bottles impact the market significantly with many bottles fetching in excess of £2,000.

Best performing indices rise while worst performers soften

The top 100 performing bottles of Investment Grade Scotch (Rare Whisky 101 Apex 100 Index) increased by 19.87% in the half year and have delivered a 24.05% increase over the last 12 months.

This positive trend is reflected across all of the key composite indices for Scotch single malts. In contrast the negative indices for the worst performing 100, 250 and 1000 bottles have continued to soften. The star performers over the first half of the year have been the Macallan 18 and 25 YO indices, experiencing rises of 29 per cent and 27 per cent respectively.

Little change in collectors rankings but investors rankings highlight star performers.

Leading rare whisky brands, Brora and The Dalmore, retain their positions as the top two ranked investor distilleries, while Macallan and Ardbeg occupy the same positions in the collectors’ rankings.

The investors’ rankings continue to show the greatest movement with the biggest risers in the market including Balvenie (up 8), Lagavulin (up 10), Pittyvaich (up 16) and Highland Park (up 9). Conversely, the biggest fallers are the silent stills (closed distilleries) Ben Wyvis, Millburn, Lochside and Coleburn with the iconic Skye based Talisker being the biggest faller for an open distillery.

For more information or to download the full report visit http://www.rarewhisky101.com/   

Notes  

About Rare Whisky 101 Andy Simpson and David Robertson launched Rare Whisky 101 in 2014 with the aim of offering a whisky valuation service, brokerage and consultancy for whisky connoisseurs, collectors and investors. Having tracked every bottle sold at UK auctions over the past 12 years, the business now offers the world’s first, only and most comprehensive online single malt Scotch & Japanese whisky dataset covering some 175,000 price records over 25,000 different bottle types. In the last 12 months, RW101 have brokered around 20,000 rare whisky bottles around the globe in addition to trading in aged casks from iconic distilleries such as The Macallan, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Springbank, Mortlach, Talisker, Caol Ila, Lagavulin and Highland Park.