Whisky Galore!

The malt countdown ends for one Scotland’s smallest distilleries 

Last night, (Dec 1st, 2016) Strathearn Distillery officially became the first of the new wave distilleries in Scotland to launch their whisky after the exclusive auction came to a close.

Bottle 001 from Strathearn went for a staggering £4, 150, with the lowest bid at a very impressive £315. The bottles of Scotch whisky, which have been matured for three years and a day, are making their way to lucky bidders around the globe in the next few days.

The first 100 bottles from the distillery were auctioned off to the public by Whisky Auctioneer on the 23 August with the limited auction ending last night at 7pm. Founder of Strathearn Distillery, Tony Reeman-Clark will be hand delivering bottle 001 to an elated bidder in Italy.

Tony Reeman-Clark, Founder of Strathearn Distillery said: “This has been an amazing event, far exceeding my wildest dreams. This has proved to me that Strathearn’s friends are all around the world and all I can say is thank you!”

Strathearn Distillery, which is based in Perthshire and widely considered one of Scotland’s smallest distilleries, has been maturing its artisan single cask, single malt Scotch whisky using traditional methods and ideas.

The spirit is matured in small octave size (50 litre) casks to give the whisky a traditional and distinctive flavour. By using either peated or non-peated malt and varying the type of cask between sherry, rum or bourbon, each batch of whisky will be entirely unique.

For more information on Strathearn Distillery, please visit www.strathearndistillery.com/

Notes to Editors

Strathearn Distillery was established in 2013 by Tony Reeman-Clark who has a passion for whisky and small scale distilling.  Production began in the October of 2013, with their first cask being filled with Strathearn new-make spirit. After three years of maturation, the first Scotch Whisky will be released before the end of this year.  Strathearn also produces a range of highly acclaimed Scottish gins, experimenting with innovative production techniques and flavour profiles.

Working on a single cask, single malt basis allows Strathearn to experiment with different wood types and finishes, as well as appreciating the natural variations that occur throughout spirit production, influenced by the climate and ingredients used.

Malt Messenger Bulletin – Winter Tasting Schedule & Our Two New Arran Casks

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers, 

Our Winter 2017 Tasting Schedule is now online and open for registration.

We have a great range of tastings planned for this winter, including our Burns Bash, a facing off of Octomores, a Highlands, Islands & Campbeltown Festival and the first Ancient Malts tastings in years. But there is more: we are also tackling the oldest 9 BenRiach Batch 14 releases… And then there is the head to head pitting Evan, Hunter and I to see who’s whisky prowess dominates. There is something for everyone in our Winter Tasting Schedule including some great wine and beer tastings too! Details below and the full schedule can be viewed on our website!

We are three days into Whisky Advent Calendar 2016 and I hope everyone is enjoying the ride! We’ve had some great feedback and comments thus far on our social media feeds. There are still some 2016 Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendars available and they make a great Christmas gift. We are down to just a little over 10% of our opening inventory. Every day of Whisky Advent we will be posting that day’s whisky, the distillery it comes from, and our own tasting note.

Tickets for Calgary’s best whisky festival on Thursday January 19 are flying, and are already more than 60% sold. The VIP Master Class with Ruaraidh MacIntyre is sold out, and there are just over 50 VIP early entry tickets left! The VIP early entry tickets are a deal at $150, considering they include a special cut crystal Glencairn glass valued at $50. The general admission tickets are now $110. Further details are available below, or by clicking the above link!

I’ve written up my own tasting notes for our two new  Isle of Arran Casks! Our 6th and 7th exclusive Arran single casks will be arriving in store on Wednesday, and as you might expect, they won’t disappoint. We have a 7 year old lightly peated Arran, think of it as a single cask of Machrie Moor. Our other new Arran is our oldest yet, a 19 year old from a Bourbon Hogshead. Tasting notes and details follow below. Pop into the shop for a free sampling.

We formally launched our new 25th Anniversary Glenfarclas 25 Year KWM Cask Strength on Tuesday. It is the first of a number of planned 25th Anniversary whiskies we will be launching to mark our 25th birthday in May 2017. Bottled at 52%, it is a stunner, very layered and fruity. The pricing is great too, at $285 it is just $20 more than the regular 25 year bottled at 43%. So it is no surprise that the first 1/4 of the bottles have already sold in just a matter of days! Or that we had already sold out of everything we had in store prior to Tuesday’s event. Rest assured there is plenty more coming, but at the pace it is selling it won’t last long!

We are expecting some other new whiskies in store this week too, I will go into greater detail on them in the next Malt Messenger. They include Talisker Port Ruighe, Lagavulin 12 Year 200th Anniversary, Jura Tastival 2016, and Laphroaig 30 Year. The last of these won’t last long. Of the dozen odd bottles we are expecting to receive, the first 9 are already sold!

Finally, we are getting a very small quantity of some “in demand” Japanese whiskies. These are limited to 1 per person, and due to demand and supply, we are not offering any discounts. We received just a handful of bottles of each! There are a couple new offerings, including a pair of no age statement single malts from Yoichi and Miyagikyo, as well as a couple blends. We also have received a couple of age statement Taketsurus. They will be the last of these we see for a while!

I hope this wee Malt Messenger Bulletin finds you way! The next time you hear from me it will be the annual Malt Messenger Christmas Gift Guide.

Sláinte!

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

In this Edition

1. KWM Winter 2017 Tasting Schedule is Now Online
2. Our Two New Arran Cask Are Coming This Week!
3. 2016 Whisky Advent is 3 Days In!
4. MS Calgary Whisky Festival 2017
5. New Japanese Whisky

PS- PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter:

@scotch_guy, Instagram: @thescotch_guy/

or @kwmwhisky and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1

Our 5th exclusive Kilchoman Cask!  

2011 PX Cask 444   

Our 5th exclusive Kilchoman single cask, 444, was distilled in 2011 and has been bottled at 57.5% a week shy of 5 years old! Matured in Bourbon it was finished in PX Sherry to add some richness. $160

 More Information 

Glenfarclas 25 Year KWM Cask Strength 25th Anniversary

Just $285  

The first of our 25th Anniversary whiskies is a stunner and we can’t keep it in stock! Soft sherry influences and silky smooth at 52%! $285

More Information

MS Calgary Whisky Festival 2017

More than 60% sold!  

Calgary’s best Whisky Festival is in it’s 6th year. Three different ticket packages, and they are going fast!

Thursday January 19

More Information 

A Perfect fit for under the ole Christmas Tree

The 2016 KWM Whisky Advent Calendar! 

For the third straight year we have designed and built our own exclusive Whisky Advent Calendar, featuring a custom logo Glencairn glass, 24 50ml whiskies and a 100ml Christmas Day bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Thursday January 19

More Information

Kensington Wine Market Winter 2017 Tasting Schedule is Now Online 

Great tastings and events in to tantalize your taste buds in January, February & March!

Our 2017 Winter Tasting Schedule is now online. We have some great tastings coming up this Winter and some of them will go quickly. Book early so as not to be disappointed. Please note all tastings start at 7PM and are held at KWM. Also please be aware of our cancellation policy:

• Registrations are transferrable so you are welcome to send someone in your place if you cannot attend a tasting.
• If you contact us more than 48 hours prior to the tasting date in order to cancel one or more seats, you will receive a store credit for the value of the cancelled seat(s).
• Store credits can be used for any future purchases, including tastings or products.
• Cancellation requests received within 48 hours of the tasting date are not refundable.
• NO EXCEPTIONS

Our 2017 Winter Whisky & Spirits Tastings

1. Enter the Octomore Octagon – Tuesday January 10 – We’ve been hoarding Octomore releases for a special tasting to celebrate the launch of the Octomore 10 Year 2nd Edition seems like as good a reason as any to crack them. 8 Octomores, 1 tasting. Are you ready to enter the Octomore Octagon? – $40
2. Finishing School – Tuesday January 17 – Whether they call it “Aced”, “Finished” or “Extra Matured”, finishing a whisky in a different cask can be a way of adding character and offering variety. Discover the effects of different finishing casks. – $35
3. Burns Bash – Wednesday January 25th – Join us for a mini whisky festival featuring our favourite KWM exclusive whiskies. There will be haggis, bagpipes and no fewer than 50 exclusive whiskies open for sampling. – $40
4. Cadenhead on the Speyside – Tuesday January 31 – We have some fabulous exclusive Cadenhead Small Batch whiskies and single casks. We’ve selected a range for a great Speyside tour: Aberlour, Mortlach, Glenrothes, Strathisla and three others! – $60
5. BenRiach Batch 13 Vertical – Thursday February 9 – This tasting is insanely good value… half the price it should be. We can’t squeeze all twelve of the BenRiach Batch 13 vintages into one vertical tasting, but we can make room for eight of the oldest vintage single cask single malts. Vintages 1994-1975, one night only! – $150
6. Rare Malts – Thursday February 16 – Only malts 20+ years of age from Closed Distilleries and or the Very Rare need apply for this special tasting. – $80
7. To Peat or Not to Peat – Tuesday February 21 – Many distilleries now bottle both peated and unpeated expressions. Join Evan for a taste off, pitting peated and unpeated single malts against each other from four pairs of distilleries. – $40
8. Whisky Geek Paradise – Thursday February 23 – Hunter is putting a new twist on our old Classic Malts tasting showcasing value propositions that will still delight even the most discerning palate. – $30
9. Highlands, Island & Campbeltown Whisky Festival – Thursday March 9 – Travel the highlands and islands of Scotland at a festival highlighting whiskies from these regions as well as the town of Campbeltown. Includes your own Glencairn glass. – $60
10. Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey – The style came about as a way of avoiding the English “malt tax” and is still, even today, the most Irish of Irish whiskies. We’ll sample a range of seven Single Pot Irish whiskies and learn a little history. – $50
11. Head to head -Andrew vs Evan vs Hunter – Thursday March 23 – Join us for a one night only battle royal pitting three of our whisky experts against each other. Whose whisky picks will reign supreme… – $40
12. Ancient Malts – Wednesday March 29 -or- Thursday March 30 – It’s been a few years since we’ve put on an Ancient Malts tastings and frankly, we’re overdue! We have some very special bottles selected; including a pair of 1967s for what will be a memorable evening. – $200

Call 403-283-8000 to register, or do so online: kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/tasting-schedule/

Our Two New Arran Casks Are Coming This Week! 

And we’ve got tasting notes on these two new gems! 

Our 6th and 7th exclusive Arran single casks are due in shop on Wednesday. We’ve had a chance to snap a photo of the bottles, and more importantly write a tasting note. I’m very happy with these whiskies, the lightly peated 2008 cask is full of character for a 7 year old whisky with no rough edges. Think of it as a single cask of Arran Machrie Moor. The other barrel is our oldest Arran yet, but at a very competitive price. There was a slight mixup in the bottling hal with the label, and while it says it is a Sherry Hogshead on the label, it is an Ex-Bourbon Hogshead. We don’t want a detail like that to get in the way of a good bottle of whisky, so we won’t… Here are my tasting note on these two great KWM exclusive Arrans!

1. Arran 2008 KWM Cask 131 – 56.8% – 7 Year – Ex-Bourbon Barrel – Lightly Peated – 270 Bottles – My Tasting Note: “Nose: very soft, loads of cream and especially honey: honeycomb and creamed honey; elegant smoke wafting over tender grassy barley; toffee chews and treacle sauce with fresh picked oranges and lemons. Palate: a surge of silky honey and soft peat oils; more tender malt and added notes of Demerara and barley sugars; fresh orange and lemon peels with building spices and firmer earthy peat tones; a touch of dark bakers chocolate and clove. Finish: long but lithe; more gentle fading peat oils, all sorts of honey and citrus peels with spice. Comment: very interesting to compare with the sister cask bottled for the Companions of the Quaich. The latter was more juicy and oaky with this one I find to be a little more elegant, but also even more smoky!” – $105
2. Arran 1997 KWM Cask 1085 – 51.4% – 19 Year – Ex-Bourbon Hogshead – 258 Bottles – My Tasting Note: “Nose: dates squares, chocolate-orange marzipan, Fig Newtons and layered coconut cream cake; sweet orange, ripe honeydew melons and sliced mango appear on the fruit side of things; heather honey and gentle floral tones. Palate: big, rich and creamy with a firm but balanced oaky backbone; very fruity, juicy, more sweet orange, melon and mango; a touch of cooked pineapple too, the Fig Newtons are still there with dates, raisins and and honey; gentle oak spices emerge with some delicate floral malty tones; the palate keeps coming in layers a touch of leather, darker spices and more fruit. Finish: long and toasty with loads of coating-mouth-watering fruits; floral vanilla and honey all the way to the far off end. Comment: big but balanced American oak notes meet the gentle spirit of Arran and give birth to a beautiful, joyous malt; there is something in this whisky for everyone!” – $145

2016 KWM Whisky Advent Calendar 

Whisky Advent is now 9 Days in, and this year’s edition is more than 90% sold!

For the 3rd year in a row, Kensington Wine Market is producing its own Whisky Advent Calendar. 2014 and 2015’s editions were a huge hit, and this year’s edition should is expected to start trickling in store over the next two weeks.

We are really excited about our 2016 KWM Whisky Advent Calendar. For the third straight year we have designed and built our own exclusive Whisky Advent Calendar, featuring a custom logo Glencairn glass, 24 50ml whiskies and a 100ml Christmas Day bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (The Society). The Society is the world’s largest whisky club, and bottles whiskies exclusively for its members. This year’s Calendar has a single cask from the Society that has been selected and bottled exclusively for the Calendar and Canadian Society members (750ml bottles will be made available to Society members in January!). In collaboration with the Society’s Canadian branch, we were even given the opportunity to name the whisky… Since Society whiskies are exclusively available to Society members, this is an opportunity for non-members to get their hands on a Society whisky. Recipients of the KWM Whisky Advent Calendar will be the first people to sample this exciting new whisky!

The Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendar is more than just a product for us, it is a way for us to share and connect with other whisky lovers in Calgary, Alberta and across Canada. Details on the whiskies released and their distillery will be posted on the KWM Blog each day. Recipients of the Calendar are encouraged to share their thoughts with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The KWM Whisky Advent Calendar also comes with a 10% discount card, good for any of the whiskies in the Calendar (excepting the Society whisky), subject to availability.

Order a Kensington Wine Market 2016 Whisky Advent Calendar $399.99+GST

MS Calgary Whisky Festival 2016 Tickets Now On Sale 

Early Bird Deadline Extended Until November 30 & There is a Prize!

Now in its 6^th year, the MS Calgary Whisky Festival, Calgary’s best whisky event

of the year is back! We are expecting more exhibitors this year and even more whisky. There are three ticket classes this year:

–          VIP Early Admission & Master Class (5PM) $175

–          VIP Early Admission (6PM) $150

–          General Admission (7PM) $100 Until November 30 $110 Thereafter

VIP ticket packages include a cut crystal Glencairn glass to enhance your tasting experience. 100% of proceeds from the event go to the MS Society. Last year we raised $50,000. Help us do even better this year!

The VIP Master Class is an Ardbeg Deconstruction Tasting with Ruaraidh MacIntyre!

Tickets are available online from the MS Society: http://calgarywhiskyfestival.ca/tickets/

Kensington Wine Market403-283-8000

BUY NOW

There is a beautiful Island far far away in Scotland, and on this beautiful island there is a family owned distillery called Kilchoman. Now, Milroys & Kilchoman are the best of friends, and it was agreed the time had come to do something special together. So, two lovely chaps from Milroys, Angus & Simo, made their way to Kilchoman where they spent all day scouring the warehouse’s seeking the perfect cask. After several hours they came across a very interesting looking Quarter Cask, and after sampling their taste buds rejoiced with delight! However, it was decided, although the whisky already fantastic, there was something missing. Simo then noticed some empty PX casks, so he sniffed and he sampled until he had found the perfect one. It was then decided to empty their chosen whisky cask into the PX cask and began to further mature their already wonderful whisky. This was left for a further four months, after this time it was agreed the cask was ready, so they decided to bottle this fantastic smoky, rich and powerful whisky for all the friends of Milroys.

Our mailing address is:

Milroy’s of Soho

3 Greek Street

London, England W1D 4NX

United Kingdom

Issue Two of Distilled is shipping this week and we look forward to sharing the craft and culture of fine spirits with whisky lovers.

In our sophomore issue Canadian novelist Brad Smith visits the Hiram Walker distillery on the Detroit River and finds the stamp of Don Livermore on virtually every drop of whisky, and we learn all about Peter Mulryan’s plans to shake up the world of Irish whiskey as he goes from writer to stillman. Angus MacRaild reports from a barn on the idyllic west coast of Sweden to give us a Scot’s perspective on Smögen, the next cult whisky most will never get to taste, and a serious challenger to the best of Scotch whisky.

Issue Two includes still more whisky coverage with reviews of Stranahan’s, Arran, Bunnahabhain, Dewar’s, Redbreast, Tamdhu and Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Red Cask, while those in search of the perfect holiday gift will find some relief – subscribe to Distilled in the coming weeks and get a second gift subscription at no extra cost. Enjoy!

www.distilledmagazine.ca

Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)

Email: wine@klwines.com K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA

San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Day 9 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 3rd Edition Day 9 Blog #142 – Single Cask Nation Loch Lomond (Croftengea) 10 Year Old

Here we are on day 9 of our little jaunt through the glens and moors of Scotland. Today we welcome back Single Cask Nation to the lineup. You may remember a particularly delicious Undisclosed Islay from the 2nd Editon that was their debut. Thanks to Joshua and Jason for spending time rooting through warehouses in Scotland to find us today’s dram.

“It’s a Highland Jim but not as we know it”. Loch Lomond is a distillery in the Highlands that was originally founded in 1814 and there are no actual records of exactly when it closed. The Loch Lomond distillery as it stands today was founded in 1964 by the then owners of the famed but closed Littlemill distillery.

Certainly industrial by Scottish standards Loch Lomond is a work horse of a distillery. Unique among distilleries Loch Lomond opened a Grain distillery in 1994 and was at the time the only distillery in Scotland able to produce both Grain and Malt whisky.

Croftengea is the proprietary name for their peated range of Single Malts that to my knowledge is not seen here outside of the odd independently bottled cask.

Single Cask Nation Loch Lomond Croftengea Peated Highland Single Malt bottled at a cask strength of 55.6% with no chill filtration or colour. Aged in a refill Bourbon Hogshead cask number 486. 10 Years Old.

We have had a few refill Hogsheads so far and for good reason. Using a refill cask can work well in leaving vibrant fruit characteristics that would otherwise be drowned out by a first fill barrel.

Color:   Light again as you would expect but as we have come to learn so far light in color does not mean light in taste. This might be our lightest whisky so far in the 3rd edition and is saved from being almost clear by the tiniest fleck of gold.

Nose:   Pan fried Lamb chops and roasted root vegetables that get all crusty and almost burnt. Pumpkin, Potato, Broccoli and Carrots. This is like Sunday dinner in a glass.

Palate:   Wow thick and unctuous with smoldering rubber and a lovely bitterness that only adds more depth. completely fills the palate with an oily mouth feel that reaches out to every crevice. Some creamier aspects flow along adding just a soft sweet ride to it all.

Finish:   Finally there is some fruit that peeks through all the vegetables and for me it is burnt citrus and specifically thick skinned blood orange cut in half and grilled. The finish rolls on and down warming right to the heart.

Fantastic peated Highland that will fulfill all those peat lovers dreams and maybe take some Highland loving folk along for the ride as well.

Lets see what whiskylassie has to say about this here.

In the third edition on day 9 we had the monster Glen Moray from A.D. Rattray that I mentioned yesterday in comparison to our behemoth Glenrothes from Malt Whisky Company. You can read all about it here.

There will be bottles available of this dram so please email me and I will point you in the right direction. jonathan@secretspirits.com

Well onward and upward as they say.

Tomorrow we head back to Speyside for another single cask from the folk at A.D. Rattray.

See you then

Slainte

Jonathan – Taster of Secrets

www.singlemalting.com/

Fortress Rum Barrels Shape New GLYNNEVAN® Cabot Triple Barrelled Whisky

Sydney, Nova Scotia – Authentic Seacoast Distilling Company Ltd. today launched the newest member of their award-winning GLYNNEVAN® Whisky family, a triple barrelled Canadian rye whisky finished in FortressTM Rum barrels from the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site on Cape Breton Island. GLYNNEVAN® Cabot Triple Barrelled Canadian Rye Whisky is Authentic Seacoast’s continued tribute to magnificent Cape Breton and to its traditions, beauty and people.

“I’ve developed a great passion for Cape Breton over more than three decades. Through our collaboration with Parks Canada and Fortress Louisbourg Association we created Full Steam Coffee’s Louisbourg 1713 French Roast and Fortress Rum,” said Authentic Seacoast Distilling President Glynn Williams. “Our GLYNNEVAN® Cabot Triple Barrelled Canadian Rye Whisky is our way of continuing the important work we are doing to create authentic and memorable brands that can help draw people to our region and create new opportunity on Canada’s East Coast.”

Canada’s only triple barrelled whisky, GLYNNEVAN® Double Barrelled Canadian Rye is finished in freshly drained oak barrels used to mature award-winning Fortress Rum. This third barrelling creates a smooth, complex and uniquely Nova Scotian whisky that takes Canadian rye to a new level. GLYNNEVAN Cabot opens with a sweet nose of butterscotch and tropical fruit. The palate is complex and warming with classic rye spices, cinnamon, vanilla, caramel and toasted oak.

Fortress Rum arrives with force for the finish with lingering spice; long, creamy and smooth. Like Fortress Rum, GLYNNEVAN® Cabot is 45% alc./vol. “As our whisky makes a trek across Canada, coming to rest in oak barrels here against the Atlantic Ocean, so too, do many Cape Bretoners travel to the West seeking employment,” said Glynn Williams. “Our Cabot Triple Barrelled Whisky makes this journey come full circle. We’re honoured to make products that can bring people together. Our GLYNNEVAN® emblem brings together prairie grain, the ocean, the Nova Scotia and Williams’ rampant lion, and now, with Fortress Rum barrels, GLYNNEVAN® includes the Celtic heart of North America.”

GLYNNEVAN® Cabot Triple Barrelled Canadian Rye Whisky is now available at the distillery in Guysborough and will be available throughout Nova Scotia at select Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) stores and other fine spirits retailers.

Glynn Williams will be at the Authentic Seacoast Distillery on Saturday, December 3rd from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm signing bottles from batch #1 of the GLYNNEVAN Cabot Triple Barrelled Canadian Rye Whisky.

Read more about GLYNNEVAN Whisky at: www.glynnevan.com

About Authentic Seacoast Distilling Company

Authentic Seacoast Distilling Company Ltd. produces handmade, craft distilled and blended spirits including GLYNNEVAN® Whisky, Sea FeverTM Rum and FortressTM Rum at its distillery next to Osprey Shores Golf Resort on the historic Guysborough harbour. It is a key part of Authentic Seacoast Company Ltd, which also includes historic DesBarres Manor Inn, Rare Bird Pub & Eatery, Skipping Stone Café & Store, Full Steam Coffee Co., Harbour Belle Bakery, Authentic Seacoast Brewing Co. (makers of Rare Bird Craft Beer), Glanbùrn Artesian Water, Authentic Seacoast Soaps and the Authentic Seacoast Store. Authentic Seacoast Company’s vision is to restore the proud trading legacy of a seacoast village in Nova Scotia and to create jobs in the community on a sustainable basis by producing and sharing high quality products and experiences that are authentic and memorable. The Authentic Seacoast Company embodies the fresh sea air, industrious people and proud determination that has kept this special place by the sea alive over the past four centuries.

Read more at: www.glynnevan.com www.authenticseacoast.com

International Beverage, Alan Winchester, Malts of Scotland and Ian Millar of William Grant & Sons among those recognised in Whisky Magazine‘s top awards

The finest products, companies and individuals were recognised at one of Whisky Magazine’s most prestigious awards ceremonies held at the Surgeons’ Hall, Edinburgh on Friday 2 December 2016.

Whisky author and writer Charlie MacLean, hosted a lunch for the Scotch whisky industry alongside Whisky Magazine‘s managing editor Rupert Wheeler, and Scotland contributing editor Gavin D Smith. Guests made the journey from all across Scotland, including the Islands, to take part in the celebrations.

During the afternoon, three of the magazine’s top awards were presented including:

• Icons of Whisky Scotland 2017
• Independent Bottlers Challenge 2016
• Hall of Fame

Rupert Wheeler says: “As managing editor of Whisky Magazine, it is a privilege to be involved in these awards. Our Independent Bottlers Challenge rewards the independent companies that play such an important part in producing a unique range of whiskies while the Icons of Whisky pay tribute to the expertise that go into each bottle of Scotch. “Our Hall of Fame recognises those people who have made a longstanding contribution to the world of whisky. I would like to congratulate both Ian Millar and Charles MacLean on being inducted this year. I first met Charlie in Bengaluru, India in 2014 where we were presenting the Icons of Whisky India awards. I have never witnessed a more appreciative audience as when Charlie addressed the haggis. A superb evening enjoyed by so many whisky enthusiasts… that’s what whisky is all about. “And finally I would like to thank the international panel of judges and our sponsors for helping make these awards so worthwhile and rewarding.”

ICONS OF WHISKY SCOTLAND

THE RESULTS

Distiller Sponsored by Glencairn Crystal Winner: International Beverage (Inver House Distillers) HC: Beam Suntory

Brand Innovator Sponsored by Multi Packaging Solutions Winner: Tomatin Distillery Company HC: Douglas Laing & Co

Visitor Attraction Sponsored by Christie’s Winner: Highland Park Distillery HC: Speyside Cooperage Visitor Centre

Craft Producer Sponsored by Wade Winner: Glasgow Distillery Company HC: Arbikie Highland Estate

Master Distiller / Master Blender Winner: Alan Winchester, The Glenlivet Distillery HC: Dr Craig Wilson, Diageo

 Distillery Manager Sponsored by Broxburn Properties Winner: Keith Cruickshank, Benromach Distillery Company HC: Gordon Bruce – Knockdhu Distillery

Scotch Whisky Brand Ambassador Sponsored by Procurus Winner: George S Grant, J&G Grant (Glenfarclas) HC: Gordon Dundas, Beam Suntory

Visitor Attraction Manager Winner: Rikki Scott, Aberlour Distillery HC: Leigh Aitken, Lagavulin Distillery

Multiple Outlets Retailer Sponsored by Amrut Distilleries Winner: Robert Graham HC: Drinkmonger   S

ingle Outlet Retailer Winner: Gordon & MacPhail HC: Royal Mile Whiskies   Online Retailer Winner: Royal Mile Whiskies, www.royalmilewhiskies.com HC: Robbie’s Whisky Merchants, www.robbieswhiskymerchants.com

Travel Retailer Sponsored by Steklarna Hrastnik Winner: World of Whiskies, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports HC: The Fly Nip Whisky Shop, Inverness Airport

Supermarket Winner: Tesco HC: Lidl

For full Icons of Whisky results including shortlists, go to www.iconsofwhisky.com

INDEPENDENT BOTTLERS CHALLENGE

THE RESULTS

Non-Scotch Independent Bottler of the year Celtic Whiskey Shop Campbeltown Independent Bottler of the year The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Grain Independent Bottler of the year Malts of Scotland

Highland Independent Bottler of the year Douglas Laing & Co

Islands Independent Bottler of the year That Boutique-y Whisky Company

Islay Independent Bottler of the year Malts of Scotland

Lowland Independent Bottler of the year The Vintage Malt Whisky Company

Speyside Independent Bottler of the year Malts of Scotland

THE INDEPENDENT BOTTLER OF THE YEAR 2016 Malts of Scotland This independent bottler is based in Germany and has distributors worldwide. The company offers a range of highly exclusive whiskies from over 80 Scottish distilleries to the trade, whisky clubs and to individuals. Malts of Scotland provides a cask selection service with a tasting in the warehouse. If required, the team will produce individually labelled bottles complete with club, company or hotel logo.

The 23^rd Annual Whisky Advocate Awards will be announced on Whiskyadvocate.com beginning this Friday, December 9^th.

The Whisky Advocate Awards exist to recognize excellence in the world of whisky. Now in its 23^rd year, the program honors the world’s greatest whiskies, distilleries, and the individuals who make and promote our favorite spirit. As always, these awards are not necessarily assigned to the whiskies that received the highest ratings in our reviews. The awards are recognition of a combination of excellence, innovation, tradition, and always, great-tasting whisky. Our Buying Guide reviewers reach a consensus on the awards.

The Whisky Advocate awards are the oldest and longest-running annual whisky awards program. We taste and sample over the course of the year, at year’s end we consider and confer, and then we make our decisions based solely on the merits of the whiskies… as we have done for over twenty years. We give you our word: that’s how it will continue to be.

Stop by each day to see a new winner revealed with our commentary on the selection. Visit whiskyadvocate.com to view the daily announcement schedule.

Be sure to check in every day, and join the lively conversation that these announcements always inspire!

Christmas Gift Edit

The Advent Calendars are open and Shakin’ Stevens is on the radio. It can only mean one thing: Christmas is coming!

If the words “Christmas shopping” strike fear in your heart then The Whisky Shop is here to help. We’ve brought some of our favourite gift ideas together into one place so you can have Christmas all wrapped up in just a few clicks. And with free delivery on orders over £100, you needn’t brave the shopping centre crush!

Next day delivery available on UK orders Free delivery on orders over £100