www.ralfy.com discusses generations of sherry monsters with Whisky Review 586 – GlenDronach 12yo Original @ 43%vol

Beam Suntory Pushes The Boundaries Of Japanese Whisky With The Chita Exclusive To Travel Retail

PIONEERING INNOVATION IN GRAIN WHISKY

Set for release in July 2016, Beam Suntory Global Travel Retail (GTR) will launch its new Japanese Single Grain Whisky, The Chita, exclusively in Asia Pacific and European Travel Retail and in limited quantities in Americas Travel Retail. The Chita demonstrates Beam Suntory GTR’s continued dedication to innovation in the Japanese whisky category and respect for the traditional values of The House of Suntory Whisky, offering Japanese whisky fans a distinctly versatile spirit with a smooth and floral taste profile. The Chita will be available in a 70cl format presented in an elegant indigo blue gift box.

EXPLORING DIVERSE TECHNIQUES

Renowned for their superior Japanese whiskies, The House of  Suntory Whisky has expertly crafted The Chita to achieve an unrivalled balance of complexity, subtlety and refinement in grain whisky.

Grain whisky has always been more than just a component for The House of Suntory Whisky’s Master Blenders, who have created a different and distinctive, light-­‐bodied spirit with The Chita using diverse unblended whisky distilling techniques at the distillery in Aichi Prefecture on the Pacific coast of Japan.

The Chita is made as ‘Dashi’, a special Japanese broth used across The House of Suntory Whisky’s award-­‐winning range to enhance the balance and  harmony of the blend, resulting in a gentle and sophisticated finish. Previously only available in Japan, due to increased demand Japanese whisky fans around the world will now be able to purchase this unique expression in Asia Pacific, European and Americas Travel Retail.

Michael Cockram, Global Marketing Director, Travel Retail at Beam Suntory, comments: “The Chita is a perfectly balanced Japanese whisky that reflects the artistry and diversity of The House of Suntory Whisky. With our rich history of innovation and award-­‐winning Japanese releases, Global Travel Retail will continue to be a priority platform to showcase innovative new products from the Beam Suntory portfolio to the rest of the world.”

TASTE PROFILE

A bright gold whisky with notes of cardamom, acacia honey and blossoming rose, The Chita is mild and smooth on the palate with a clean finish offering subtle bittersweet hints of spiced oak. Best enjoyed in a traditional Japanese highball with soda, The Chita will add a deep honeyed flavour to the signature serve.

The Chita, RRP US$55 (70cl) will be available from July 2016 in Asia Pacific Travel Retail and European Travel Retail, as well as in limited quantities in Americas Travel Retail.

About Beam Suntory Inc.

As the world’s third largest premium spirits company, Beam Suntory is Crafting the Spirits Brands that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbon brands and Suntory whisky Kakubin, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek bourbon, Yamazaki, Hakushu and Hibiki Japanese whiskies, Teacher’s, Laphroaig, and Bowmore Scotch whiskies, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Sauza tequila, Pinnacle vodka and Midori liqueur.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and commitment to Growing for Good. Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.

JUNE OUTTURN: FLAVOUR PACKED FEAST

This First Friday we’re out on the lawn drinking tea and eating a flavour-packed feast of fresh fruits, pastries, sweet cakes with lashings of jam, barbecued honey-glazed ham and some sultry smoked bacon fat!  June Outturn stirs the senses with a lip-smacking new selection of summertime single casks for you to taste and explore.

If you need some extra help choosing your bottles this month, SMWS Ambassador Phoebe Brookes reviews her favourite casks online – visit the SMWS blog >

Sweet, fruity & mellow

7.132 Nougat and chocolate semifreddo
Price: £51.80
BUY >

G4.8 Spinning honey
Price: £126.80
BUY >

36.100 Aristocratic pretensions
Price: £68.70

Spicy & sweet

121.84 What goes around…
Price: £54.70

35.146 Mellow yellow
Price: £94.50 

Old & dignified

64.70 The Spicy cake cabinet
Price: £110.00 

41.70 C’est Magnifique!
Price: £332.00
Get a FREE Uisge Source Trio!

Light & delicate

55.36 Popping candy in flower meadows
Price: £65.30

Juicy, oak & vanilla

5.50 Golden delicious
Price: £67.20 

85.37 Discover the secret side!
Price: £44.20 

Oily & coastal

31.33 Piri-piri & teryaki chicken
Price: £116.90
Low Availability Online Exclusive!

Lightly peated

3.262 Medicine for the soul
Price: £91.40

42.24 The bee’s knees…
Price: £59.40 

Heavily peated

29.183 A cold cure
Price: £96.80 

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

Nickolls & Perks Ltd

37 Lower High StreetStourbridge West Midlands DY8 1TA UK

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. 

https://youtu.be/Kot-YBTATEo

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.

SMWS Canada

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.

£50 Buy It Now

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.

£45 Buy It Now

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.

£49 Buy It Now

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.

£109 Buy It Now

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.

£62 Buy It Now

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!

£60 Buy It Now

AGE OF DISCOVERY  19 YEARS OLD  MADEIRA FINISH

70cl / 40%

£89.95  WAS £105

BUY NOW

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.