GlenDronach Single Casks Batch #13

Nine sherry cask vintages from 1968-2003

Shop – Glendronach

Unveiling ‘blas’ 

We’ve taken yet another unconventional turn by partnering with award-winning fashion designer Patrick Grant to create a new and exceptionally Limited Edition single malt Scotch whisky.

Blas, translated as ‘taste’ in Gaelic, is presented in a specially designed bottle by Edinburgh-born Patrick Grant. Patrick spent over a year designing the bespoke print, which is inspired by the brand, flavour notes of the limited edition liquid, and the time-honoured production methods used at the Knockdhu distillery.

Patrick is the creative director of Savile Row tailors Norton & Sons and luxury menswear label E.Tautz, and a judge on hit BBC2 show The Great British Sewing Bee. The Blas design includes inspiration from members of the public who contributed to Patrick’s work by submitting ideas via social media last year.

Patrick Grant commented: “I spent a lot of time at Knockdhu not only taking in the landscape and surrounding areas, but getting to know the people that work there and the methods that they use. Everything in the print is from the hill, the village of Knock or within the distillery itself and tells the story of the making of Blas. I’ve tried to interpret anCnoc’s history and tradition in a modern way, and hope this is translated through the aesthetic of the bottle.”

Tasting notes

In appearance, Blas is golden and honeyed. On the nose it is densely sweet and fruity with notes of lemon and candied orange peel. Tones of bitter chocolate and vanilla add complexity and weight. To taste, Blas is full bodied and oily, leaving a lasting impression. This limited edition has been matured in American oak barrels and Spanish oak butts. Chosen at its optimum level of maturation by our Blender, Mark Williamson, it has been bottled at 54% and in its most natural state, neither chill filtered nor coloured.

The spring portion of the 2016 Whisky Extravaganza is right around the corner; Ladies and Gentlemen are cordially invited to enjoy a connoisseur’s evening featuring rare & exceptional single malt, Scotch and unique whiskies from around the world. The evening includes unlimited tastings, epicurean food, a premium imported cigar for later enjoyment, souvenir snifter glass and much more. The Whisky Extravaganza brings the discerning enthusiast the opportunity to sample the participating whiskies in a sophisticated and elegant environment with genuine camaraderie and knowledgeable representatives from each participating distillery.

THE WHISKY EXTRAVAGANZA SPRING 2016 SCHEDULE 

New York – Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Guastavino’s

409 East 59th Street

New York, NY 10022

Denver – Thursday, April 28, 2016

The Brown Palace Hotel

321 17th Street

Denver, CO 80202

Houston – Thursday, May 5, 2016

The Royal Sonesta Houston

2222 West Loop South

Houston, TX 77027

Dallas – Friday, May 6, 2016

The Intercontinental Dallas

15201 Dallas Parkway

Dallas, TX 75001

All events from 7:00pm-9:30pm. Registration begins at 7:00pm. 

Whisky Intelligence readers receive a 10% discount on tickets to the Extravaganza when uses the promotional code “EXTD2016″. You can purchase tickets directly from the link here, by visiting our website www.thewhiskyextravaganza.com  (Please use “EXTD2016″ in the promotional code box to receive the 10% discount), or by calling 800.990.1991. 

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TheWhiskyExtravaganza

Instagram – @thewhiskyextravaganza

Springbank Local Barley 16 year old

The first in a series of annual releases distilled from barley grown locally around Campbeltown. Limited to only 9000 bottles. Tasting notes from our friends at Springbank: ‘Sweet and rounded with a very subtle peat influence combining with butter tablet, soft fruit and mineral notes.’

£129 Click to buy

Springbank 25 year old

This whisky has been matured in a combination of sherry and bourbon casks before being married together in port casks. It has been bottled at 46% and is limited to only 900 bottles worldwide. Tasting Notes: Very well balanced with notes of toffee apple, brandy butter, liquorice, milk chocolate and honeycomb.

£350 Click to buy

High West Bourye Bourbon/Rye Whiskey (750ml) ( $69.99) High West’s latest batch of Bourye, a marriage of Bourbon and rye adorned with the elusive jackalope – a cross between a jack rabbit and an antelope, is back for another limited run. The Park City, Utah outpost only releases the Bourye when they have sufficient quantities of the necessary ingredients, which are getting more and more difficult to secure in today’s market. This latest batch is bottled at 46% ABV and consists of 9 year old Bourbon, 13 year old rye, and 17 year old rye whiskey all sourced from MGP Distillery in Indiana, formerly known as LDI and Seagrams. Considering that a simple ten year old American rye whiskey seems to be worth its weight in gold, the fact that High West has included casks of a much older heritage is no simple task. The balance between both the richness of the Bourbon and the spiciness of the rye is quite wonderful here. There are no rough edges, the flavors meander from mellow oak to toasted with vanilla, all with a backbone of peppery rye goodness. We never have the Bourye in stock for long and we’re always handling questions about when we’ll get more. David Perkins continues to captivate us with his American whiskey blends, now considered the gold standard of the industry.

United States – Kentucky

Johnny Drum “Private Stock” 101 Proof Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $39.99

Kentucky Vintage Bourbon (750ml) $34.99

Pure Kentucky XO Bourbon (750ml) $34.99

Rowan’s Creek Bourbon (750ml) $39.99

Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon 1.75L (ships as 6L champagne) $89.99

United States

High West Bourye Bourbon/Rye Whiskey (750ml) $69.99

St. George Dry Rye Reposado Gin (750ml) $39.99

Taos Lightning Governer’s Reserve 5 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml)  $46.99

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

This week Joe Ellis starts his vertical tasting of the Highland Park range with their entry level 12 Year Old Single Malt.

https://youtu.be/kC1v5e8ZHs8

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

https://www.facebook.com/whiskytube

BUSHMILLS® IRISH WHISKEY LAUNCHES ITS FIRST EVER TRAVEL RETAIL EXCLUSIVE

THE STEAMSHIP COLLECTION™ is new innovation range, inspired by travel, from Ireland’s oldest working distillery

15 February 2016: BUSHMILLS® Irish Whiskey today announced its first new range of limited edition Irish whiskeys available exclusively to shoppers in select travel retail outlets – THE STEAMSHIP COLLECTION™. The first release in the collection, SHERRY CASK RESERVE, combines the centuries-old fine Irish whiskey making craft with intercontinental flavours, to mark the 125^th anniversary of the maiden voyage of SS Bushmills.

The limited edition collection is inspired by the extraordinary voyages of the SS Bushmills steamship to new corners of the world and introduces a range of special cask matured Bushmills Irish Whiskeys. In 1890 the ship, commissioned by then owners The Boyd Brothers, set course for America, travelling as far as Philadelphia and Yokohama, before eventually returning refilled with casks of rum, fortified wine and bourbon – the gateway to new flavour possibilities.

David Phelan, Director of Jose Cuervo® Global Travel Retail, said: “The launch marks an exciting phase for Bushmills and demonstrates Jose Cuervo’s commitment to unlocking the potential of this legendary whiskey in the high profile travel retail channel. The Steamship Collection is available now in Belfast, Dublin and London Heathrow, and while it can’t be purchased elsewhere, we hope distribution will extend across the world, just like the voyages of SS Bushmills to the USA, Asia and beyond.”

SHERRY CASK RESERVE is exclusively matured in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts to deliver additional spiced honey, dark chocolate and rich dried fruit flavours. The bottle is presented in a distinctive maritime-designed packaging featuring a replica illustration of the famous Bushmills steamship.

Speaking about Bushmills’ tradition for innovation Colum Egan, Master Distiller at The Old Bushmills Distillery, said, “For centuries distillers have experimented with different barrels so naturally I was inspired by the adventures of the ship and the opportunities it opened to experiment with various casks from around the world. So, together with Master Blender Helen Mulholland, we created a whiskey with a rich, complex flavour and a smooth finish – a characteristic synonymous with our range of triple distilled whiskeys.”

A limited number of bottles of SHERRY CASK RESERVE are available now exclusively to travellers in Belfast City, Dublin and Heathrow T5 priced at €80, £65, $89 for 1Litre. It is the first release in the collection, which will soon comprise three permanent expressions plus regular special releases.

Notes

• SHERRY CASK RESERVE is available in 1L
• SHERRY CASK RESERVE has an RRP of €80, £65, $89
• SHERRY CASK RESERVE has an ABV of 40%

TASTING NOTES

Oloroso (‘scented’ in Spanish) is a darker sherry, with a rich and nutty flavour profile. This adds to sherry’s intense raisin characteristics and provides a new layer of complexity within the whiskey.

Colour: Medium rich gold

Nose: A full bodied intriguing aroma with dried fruit, spices and burnt sugar sweetness

Taste: Bushmills’ distinctive honeyed maltiness is intensified in this robust, darker liquid. Dark chocolate, nuttiness and spice with sweet oils mingle with vanilla and honey.

Finish: A long, sweet and smooth finish with subtle liquorice notes.

HAMISH GIVES ADVICE ON COLLECTING WHISKY IN 3 EASY STEPS
Don’t forget free postage on all orders over £75

 Glenmorangie Milsean

Step one:

‘ Try to purchase a limited edition whisky that has just been released to the market and attracts a high level of interest.’ Introducing the Glenmorangie Milsean: a whisky that can be bought to drink and to collect. Crafted using both bourbon and red wine barrels in an attempt to create a sweet candy flavour, it is the 7th edition from the Glenmorangie private edition range. £76 click to buy

Bowmore 1967

Step two:

‘Consider age and distillery reputation when making whisky collecting decisions:’ Bowmore is amongst the most sought-after whiskies in the world when it comes to collecting; it has a legendary reputation that helps to make it one of the most popular investment whiskies in the world. Older Bowmore whiskies are getting thinner on the ground, and this 1967 ticks all the right boxes. Highly limited!  £2700 Click to buy

Step three:

Port Ellen 31 year old ‘Platinum Old and Rare’

‘Keep your eyes open for closed distillery releases. One day soon there will be no more liquid left of some of the world’s most in-demand whiskies.’ Port Ellen finds its self in the top 10 most collectable whiskies year after year, and is amongst our top tips to collectors the world over. Closed in 1983, demand for this distillery’s rare liquid continues to surge. This particular release is limited to only 28 bottles and is resistricted to one bottle per customer!  £1420 Click to buy

The Whisky Barrel have published a two part series on their recent visit to Daftmill Distillery.

The articles may be read here;

PART ONE

PART TWO

An afternoon with Angels

Sunday 1 May Royal Hotel Elgin, 3pm

This will be a spiritual experience. How the Angels get their share, how much they get and where from. The heavenly drink!

Our afternoon is shared with the MCLEANSCOTLAND Spiritual Team of Vic Cameron and Robert Ransom. Vic is ex Diageo and now is a minister in his own church – how did that happen? And why? So Vic knows all about the Angels taking drams, he now also chats with them via the Heavenly sermons! Robert is the founder of Angels Nectar, an ex Glenfarclas man, he too knows a thing or two about Angels. We have also good background support, as our own whisky club; Angels Whisky Club has for a Patron, no less than Charles Maclean.

During the ageing process, at least 2% of the whisky in each (Scottish) barrel evaporates through the oak. Although 2% may sound small, at around 50 litres lost per barrel over a ten year maturation period (multiplied by thousands of barrels) it can add up to many hundreds of thousands of litres. A twenty year old whisky, for example, can lose up to 40% of its volume to evaporation, about £1 million per year!

DRAMS; 5 drams to share in the afternoon with a nibble of food or two!

Limited £45 tickets available from info@whiskytours.scot or www.spiritofspeyside.com/events