Loch Fyne Liqueurs

Sweets for your sweet!

For those with a bit of a sweet tooth, Hamish has just the thing!

The Loch Fyne Liqueur, with it’s delicious notes of chocolate orange and tangerine, has been a firm favourite of our customers for many years now. This year we have added a brand new expression to our range with The Loch Fyne Honey & Ginger Liqueur which takes two classic flavours and combines them with a healthy dose of our famous Loch Fyne Blend.

Whichever one you choose, our liqueurs are guaranteed to delight that special someone in your life.

Next day delivery available on UK orders We ship worldwide

New whiskies from Signatory, Old Pulteney, AnCnoc and Benromach

Glenturret 29 Year Old 1987

Single cask expression of the Highland single malt bottled October 2016 by Signatory Vintage for the Cask Strength Collection. Just 203 numbered bottles from the distillery situated on the edge of historic town of Crieff.

£111.79

SHOP NOW > 

AnCnoc 1975 2nd Release £484.34

SHOP NOW >

Benromach 1973 Cask #4606 £1,795.00

SHOP NOW >

EMAIL: info@thewhiskybarrel.com

Day 6 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 3rd Edition Day 6 Blog #139 – Ainneamh Highland 18 Year Old

Ainneamh (pronounced any-oov) means a rare thing in Gaelic and is an apt name for the independent bottling company owned by Brian Woods and Scott Watson. Releasing only a small number of bottling’s each year means that this whisky geek pair seek out only the most delicious drams. Today we visit the Highlands of Scotland and taste an undisclosed 18 Year Old Single Malt aged in a refill American Oak Hogshead.

I’ve been sworn to secrecy on the distillery but can give you a bit of a clue. It’s a difficult name to pronounce and so the house style of their Single Malt was called something completely unrelated to the name of the distillery.

I am a big fan of what most people think of as the “Highland” style of Single Malt. There is of course a lot of blurring of the lines these days but Honey and Heather have been two hallmarks of quintessential Highland Malt.

Ainneamh Highland 18 Year Old Single Malt – Aged in a refill American Hogshead barrel bottled at a natural cask strength of 57%

 Color:   Another light in color whisky after 18 years in a refill barrel.

Nose:   Lemon drop candies and ripe pear halves. A hint of salty sea air adds a layer to the otherwise fresh and crips nose.

Palate:   A teaspoon of malt powder stirred with some creamed honey. Oak influence is nicely subtle on this allowing even more fruit like ripe honeydew and Starfruit to appear.

Finish:   Long and zesty at 57% and the melon just keeps on coming. Like the ubiquitous side of honeydew and cantaloupe with your Eggs Benedict.

Lovely breakfast dram if ever there was one. I think I might have to put that to the test sometime soon.

Ainneamh does bottle whiskies with declared distilleries as well as undisclosed. Unfortunately this delicious dram was all snapped up to fill the calendar bottles and a few 700ml’s that were sold locally in Scotland. If you are looking for more of this then grabbing another 3rd edition will be your only chance.

Let’s check out what Whiskylassie has to say about today’s dram here.

In the 2nd edition on this day we visited the excellent Highland Distillery, Tullibardine (another coincidence that we had Highland today) from the eyes of The Malt Whisky Company. You can read or re-read it here.

It’s been really fun to be able to bring you some new small independent bottlers to add to the mix and offer up even more variety as we work to keep the 25 new whiskies in each edition interesting and unique.

Tomorrow we head back to Speyside for the first Samaroli in the 3rd edition. Any of you that have read some of my blogs know that I love the Samaroli style of bottling whisky so I can’t wait.

See you tomorrow

Slainte

Jonathan – Taster of Secrets

http://www.singlemalting.com/

Second Exclusive Release for Old Pulteney 35 Year Old Single Malt

Award winning Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky has today announced a second release of its limited edition 35 Year Old expression, following the success of its first release in 2014 which sold out globally.

Only 1,254 bottles of this rare and exceptional whisky will be available through specialist outlets around the world, with a recommended retail price of £515 per bottle.

The second Old Pulteney 35 Year Old release is matured in ex American bourbon and ex Spanish oak casks which have been hand selected by Distillery Manager, Malcolm Waring.

Each bottle reflects Old Pulteney’s uniquely shaped stills. The quality of the whisky is perfectly embodied by the striking beauty of its packaging, which is similar to the first 35 year old release but with refreshed colours chosen to emphasise the Spanish oak influence on its flavours.

It is encased in a beautifully engraved wooden box featuring Old Pulteney’s distinctive herring drifter symbol, and is naturally coloured and non-chill filtered at 42.5% ABV.

A full bodied expression, it is initially sweet and spicy on the palate, before quickly developing a range of flavours from honey, rum soaked raisins and oranges to the heavier notes of seasoned leather, pralines and a touch of the salty North Sea air before finishing with waves of dried fruit. A truly indulgent, perfectly balanced whisky, on the nose, it brings together honey sweetness, exotic spices and citrus, before releasing more gentle undertones of vanilla.

Old Pulteney Senior Brand Manager, Margaret Mary Clarke commented: ‘We are delighted to launch the second release of Old Pulteney 35 Year Old Single Malt, building on the success of our first release which was in high demand amongst whisky lovers around the globe. It is an exceptional expression, fantastically balanced and a true representation of the skill and quality of the Old Pulteney distillery team.’

Founded in 1826 at the height of Wick’s herring boom, Pulteney Distillery is one of the most northerly distilleries on the Scottish mainland. A long-held favourite for whisky enthusiasts, many say they can taste a faint hint of the sea in Old Pulteney thanks to the Distillery’s windswept location and close proximity to the North Sea.

Old Pulteney has been acclaimed for its excellence many times over. Earlier this year its 1989 Vintage was awarded Whisky Magazine’s ‘World’s Best Single Malt’, whilst it’s 21 Year Old Single Malt was named ‘World Whisky of the Year 2012’ in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

www.oldpulteney.com / @OldPulteneyMalt  

Notes

Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Old Pulteney is one of the world’s finest and most distinctive single malt Scotch whiskies. Known as the ‘Maritime Malt’, it is crafted in the windswept coastal town of Wick, home to the Pulteney Distillery which is one of the most northerly on the Scottish mainland. The distillery was established in 1826 in the heart of ‘Pulteneytown’, the town created to house fishermen during Wick’s famous herring boom which drew a fleet of over 1000 boats and 7000 workers to this remote and rugged harbour.

Old Pulteney is the embodiment of this place, its people and its remarkable history. The skilled Pulteney Distillery team continues to craft whisky using the most traditional and time-honoured techniques that most others have long abandoned. This includes the uniquely shaped Pulteney stills, which are reflected in the design of the Old Pulteney bottle on shelves today.

Matured in hand-selected oak casks, the resulting whisky has been acclaimed for its excellence, its smooth drinking style and faint hint of the sea. Old Pulteney’s 21 Year Old Single Malt holds the coveted title of ‘World Whisky of the Year’ for 2012 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible – one of the industry’s highest accolades. Earlier this year Old Pulteney 1989 Vintage was crowned the ‘World’s Best Single Malt’ at Whisky Magazine’s prestigious World Whiskies Awards. The whisky also achieved top ten status in the UK single malt market in 2012 and is flourishing in many other countries around the world.

On Tuesday 6th December, 2 copper pot stills will arrive on the Isle of Raasay in Scotland following a long journey from Tuscany in Italy. The arrival of the stills is a huge milestone in the build for R & B Distillers, who will be launching their first distillery on the island in late spring 2017.

The two stills, one 5,000 litre wash still and a 3,500 litre spirit still, were manufactured by Frilli in Tuscany and custom made for the Isle of Raasay Distillery. The stills’s provenance is the reason that R&B Distillers is also sourcing Tuscan wine casks for the whisky.

Having left Tuscany on Wednesday, the stills travelled by sea and road to Raasay and, because of their huge size, only by night. Once arriving on the island, they will be housed in the distillery’s huge production hall.

R&B Distillers co-founder Alasdair Day is looking forward to welcoming the arrival of this essential part of the build. “It’s all very exciting and ever-real now. Seeing the stills wrapped up and leaving Italy it definitely looks like Christmas is coming early to our Raasay Distillery.”

In June 2016, award-winning Scotch whisky brand, R&B Distillers, commenced their momentous endeavour – to build the first legal distillery on the Isle of Raasay. With construction now underway, R&B plan to open, and begin production, in late Spring 2017.

The island’s striking Victorian villa and ex-hotel, Borodale House, has stood empty since 2006, and will now be converted into a visitors centre and luxury members’ accommodation with adjacent distillery. Designed by Olli Blair from ABIR Architects and Allen Associates, the distillery will be independently owned and operated and is expected to generate employment for up to 10% of the island’s 120 residents. Having subsequently secured grants for the distillery build from the FPMC (Food Processing Marketing and Co-Operation Grants Scheme), and the Highlands and Islands Enterprise, for the development of a visitor’s centre, construction for this long-anticipated project is now underway.

While the distillery is being built, R&B Distillers have released the aptly named Raasay While We Wait whisky, a preview of the calibre and flavour of whisky yet to come – every sip certain to transport the drinker to the rugged island of Raasay.

With Raasay While We Wait, R&B Distillers have crafted a single malt whisky by bringing together two expressions from one distillery: one peated, one un-peated. This precise combination is a tantalising prediction of the flavours that will be produced at the new distillery on the Isle of Rasaay, off the remote west coast of Skye. The smoky peat aroma is softened in the finishing process which occurs in French oak Tuscan red wine casks and results in a unique, lightly fruity aroma and a heather hue. Raasay While We Wait has now been awarded three prestigious international awards: In May 2016, Raasay While We Wait received a bronze medal in the International Spirits Challenge (ISC), in August this was followed with a Silver Medal at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) and in November a bronze from the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition (HKIWSC). The awards are tremendous accolades for such a young whisky.

Meanwhile, Borders echoes the soft rolling landscape of its future location in the South of Scotland. This single grain whisky is lighter and softer in flavour than the smoky peat dram of Raasay While We Wait. Matured in Bourbon casks and finished in Oloroso sherry casks, Borders has been produced to reflect a lowland style. Alasdair Day’s great-grandfather blended whisky in the Coldstream and now, over 150 years since the last distillery in the Scottish Borders, Alasdair is returning to his roots and planning to reinstate whisky in this forgotten region. In 2015, Peebles was selected by the Scottish general public as the preferred location for the new distillery. In November 2016 Borders was awards its first international award – a bronze medal in the HKIWSC.

As a precursor to the new distilleries being built, R&B Distillers also unveiled membership to their Na Tùsairean club (Scots Gaelic for ‘The Pioneers’) – an exclusive offering for whisky aficionados. The inaugural 100 casks of Raasay whisky will be bottled exclusively for Na Tùsairean members who will receive one bottle each year for ten years, gradually acquiring up a rare collection of R&B Whisky. Members will also receive miniatures so they can experience a dram of the whisky without breaking into their collector’s bottle, are entitled to the equivalent of one night’s stay per year for the duration of their membership in the luxury members accommodation.

NOTES

RETAILERS UK:

 Master of Malt (online)

 Whiski Rooms (Edinburgh shop)

 Oban Whisky & Fine Wines (Oban)

 Shop4Whisky (online)

 JL Gill (Crieff)

 Royal Mile Whiskies (Edinburgh & online)

 Raasay Community Store (Raasay)

 Jeffrey Street Whisky & Tobacco (Edinburgh)

 The Whisky Shop (Dufftown)

 Mainstreet Trading Co. (St Boswells, Scottish Borders)

 Oblo Bar (Eyemouth, Scottish Borders)

BARS/RESTAURANTS

 Whiski Rooms (Edinburgh bar)

 Teuchters Landing (Edinburgh Leith)

 Teuchters West End (Edinburgh West End)

 Drysbrugh Abbey Hotel (Drysbrugh)

 Raasay House Hotel (Raasay)

 Sconser Lodge (Skye)

TASTING NOTES:

‘While We Wait’

Aroma: Surprisingly very little smoke on the nose but instead light fruity notes come through.

Colour: Natural colour, heather tinted imparted from Tuscan red wine oak casks.

Taste: Instantly there is peat smoke and spice (a distant campfire, black pepper, liquorice, oak and then the sea breeze) slowly this is balanced with the dry fruit from the Tuscan red wine casks (black currant, blackberry, raspberry and cherries).

Finish: A long lingering finish.

Food Pairings: Pairs well with Sconser Scallops, Smoked Salmon, game, grouse, woodcock, venison, creamy blue cheese, bacon, haggis.

ABV: 46% Non-Chill Filtered

Year released: November 2015 – 1st Release Limited Edition

‘Borders’

Aroma: Prominent sherry notes on the nose, hints of sugar-coated nuts.

Colour: Natural colour, lightly golden taken from sherry finishing casks.

Taste: Surprisingly dry on the palate with the sherry influences dominating. Walnuts balanced with vanilla, herbaceous and floral notes coming through towards the end, and just a touch of warm spice.

Finish: Lingering, dry and complex.

Food Pairings: Pairs well with Cocoa Black dark praline chocolates.

ABV: 51.7% Non-Chill Filtered

Year released: November 2015 – 1st Release Limited Edition

Bunnahabhain Single Cask #1428

An exciting sherry cask matured whisky distilled at the Bunnahabhain distillery October 2001 and matured for 14 years in single cask #1428. Bottled in 2016 by The Vintage Malt Whisky Co. for their excellent Coopers Choice range, only 420 bottles filled.

Limited Stock!

Buy Now!

Ralfy shares his seasonal bargain hunt with Whisky Review 610 – whisky bargains and stuff!

Day 5 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 3rd Edition Day 5 Blog #138 – A.D. Rattray Ledaig 9 Year Old

Welcome back a little fire breathing today as we finally give those that love a little smoke in their whisky their due. Sourced from the Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull today’s dram is labelled Ledaig by A.D. Rattray in deference to the brand used for their peated Single Malt.

We always try to have at least one or two island distilleries represented throughout the 25 days of dramming and it is fantastic to finally have a heavily peated Island expression in front of us.

Tobermory is the only distillery on the isle of Mull and was founded in 1798. One of the oldest commercial distilleries in Scotland, Tobermory has a rich history. It was closed for 41 years from the mid 30’s till the 1970’s and then still struggled with uncertain markets and difficult economic times and in the 1980’s some of the distillery warehousing was converted into flats (townhouses) and it looked like another closure was inevitable. Burns Stewart purchased it in 1993 and breathed a new lease of life into the distillery. With a unique spirits that captures the spirit of the Scottish Isles Tobermory is amongst only a few distilleries that boast two unique house styles.

Today we get to try Ledaig (pronounced Le chig) as seen from the eyes of the excellent team at A.D. Rattray. Ledaig Single Malt 9 Year Old aged in a refill Bourbon cask and bottled at the cask strength of 57.9%.

Colour:   Light as you would expect from only 9 years in a refill cask boasting a lovely polished Pinot Gris effect.

Nose:       Buttered Popcorn on the cusp of being over popped. Topped with bacon bits and sea salt.

Palate:     Lamp oil and colored pencil shavings, smoked cod and smoldering latex not necessarily in that order 🙂

Finish:     Long salty, earthy, rubbery and all with a backbone of a smoky sweetness.

This is a delicious Ledaig and I love the contrast here from what Islay brings to the table in terms of peated whisky. This is every bit as large and consuming but definitely has a much different feel. Younger peated whisky is something I find myself reaching for when I want some big smoke and peat flavors that are underpinned by youthful fruit. This Island variant fits the bill perfectly and absolutely warms all the way down. Even now I can still feel it’s magic all over my tongue and throat. Certainly the cask strength here just absolutely gives it wings.

Water:   Just a couple of drops here adds even more sweetness and just takes that living large edge away. Some marzipan kicks in at the death stealing the limelight. I think for most occassions I would go big or go home on this one personally but I did really like the slightly softer and sweeter version that mutated with a little water.

Tomorrow we head to the Highlands to welcome a brand new independent bottler to the calendar.

On this day in the 2nd edition we had the delicious A.D. Rattray Caol Ila I didn’t actually mean for this to be so spot on with the order from the 2nd edition but I do know that keeping the peat lovers away from their favorite flavors for too long is a dangerous thing so there will always be something to sooth the aching need at least once a week.

For those looking for this delicious Ledaig alas there was none to be had after we took our stash for the 3rd edition. Whatever you have in your glass or still in your bottle is all there is.

Johanne has her take on this A.D. Rattray Ledaig here.

Until tomorrow have a fabulous night

Slainte

Jonathan – taster of secrets

http://www.singlemalting.com/

Blog Post for McLean Scotland

“What is your favourite whisky?” is a question I am asked all the time. It is an interesting question but it is also a silly question to ask anyone who loves whisky (and I really love whisky). It is like asking me which is my favourite child, and I have three wonderful kids.

There is such a wide variation in styles and flavours of Scotch whisky that I think it is impossible to have a favourite, and if I did it would be changing all the time. There are styles that I prefer, but not to the extent that I would say I do not like the other styles. For example I am a ‘bourbon head’ rather than a ‘sherry head’, preferring whisky that has been matured in an ex-bourbon cask over an ex-sherry cask, however only last night I thoroughly enjoyed a Talisker Distillers Edition (finished off in an Amoroso sherry cask). I also prefer peated whisky from Talisker and Islay rather than other regions, but this does not put me off enjoying a Benromach 10 year old now and again. If it were winter and cold outside my favourite would be a big and bold Lagavulin or Caol Ila, if it is summer and warm I would rather have a gentle yet complex Glenmorangie Original.

When my son is home or we have something to celebrate my Talisker 25 year old becomes my favourite, but if it is just a wee dram before bed I could just about anything. Different seasons, different times, different company all alter my favourite whisky. For a long time my I would have answered the original question as, “Caol Ila 18 year old”. This is a wonderful whisky, with the added benefit that I got it cheap as a Diageo employee. At that time I also really stuck with Diageo products, being a loyal employee wanting to see the share price continually rise.

Since leaving Diageo and starting my own business I have had the joy of nosing and tasting numerous other Scotch whiskies, increasing the range of flavours and aromas perceived and thus increasing my enjoyment. I first experienced the delights of whisky from a virgin American oak cask when tasting the Glenrothes Alba. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted before and became in instant ‘favourite’. Then along came the Glen Moray Chardonnay 10 year old, also unlike anything I had ever tasted, also becoming an instant ‘favourite’. Oh, and how about Glenfiddich 14 year old Rich Oak, finished in both new American and Spanish oak cask, also an instant and now my current ‘favourite’.

I was once asked if Japanese whisky was as good as Scotch whisky, I said no. I was then asked if I had tried Japanese whisky, again my answer was no. There is too much Scotch out there to be bothering with anything else I told the reporter. This is not actually true as I am starting to discover the delights of some Japanese expressions and some bourbons, but Scotch is still my first love and the product I will keep returning to again and again.

I intend to find lots more ‘favourites’ as I carry on in this journey of exploration, do you have any suggestions for me?

Vic Cameron

Discerning of Spirits 

Note; Vic is a great pal of ours and has taken many special tastings for us and whisky schools, he will continue to do so.

“What is my favourite whisky?  The one you are about to buy me!”   Paul McLean

www.mcleanscotland.com/   http://www.whiskytours.scot/

Day 4 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 3rd Edition Day 4 Blog #137 – Lost Distillery Company Jericho

It’s a perfect Sunday afternoon here in Calgary to take some time out for today’s dram. I must add a big welcome to The Lost Distillery company on their debut with their take on Jericho. A unique and enthralling story unravels as we delve into the ghostly past of a long dead distillery.

Jericho began production as a distillery in 1822 and was renamed Benachie in 1884. Unfortunately even with a certain degree of success the distillery was closed in 1913. Brian Woods and Scott Watson founded The Lost Distillery company as a means to turn their passion for the history of closed distilleries into a rebirth of forgotten drams.

To quote Scott Watson, co-founder of Crucial Drinks and The Lost Distillery Company “We’re obsessive about craft and uncompromising when it comes to whisky quality. Each resurrected brand is the subject of an in-depth research project to establish the original character of the long lost distilleries”.

They have an absolutely amazing in depth history of the distillery that you can read here.

As a secret bonus that we did not include on the label today’s dram is actually the Christmas Pudding edition of Jericho that was a limited release in 2015. Thanks guys for allowing us to take the last of it.

Lost Distilleries Company Jericho Christmas Pudding Blended Malt – Sherry Finish 46% ABV no chill filtration and natural color.

Color:   Not overly dark for a sherry finished whisky but certainly some tinges of red among the amber hues.

Nose: Does certainly take me in a Christmas direction with cinnamon and rich glazed sultanas and orange peel.

Palate: Much richer on the palate than the nose implies with a lovely Christmas Cake (the dark fruit laden kind) edge including the ever present marzipan icing. Rolls into some dark blackberry notes like an accompanying berry coulis. Softly sweet throughout over a base of heavier almost savory notes that only come through in sporadic bursts.

Finish: Mouth watering with some drying citrus that immediately asks for more. I could happily drink this pre or post Christmas dinner or anytime for that matter.

The wonderful world of whisky is so much fun and to delve so deeply into the past and recreate as closely as possible the style of long departed distilleries is awesome. Thanks for all your attention to detail guys The Lost Distillery Company is a really cool edition to our Scotch Whisky Calendar landscape.

For those of you looking for your own bottle of Jericho please email me at jonathan@secretspirits.com and I’ll point you in the right direction.

Please head on over to Whisky Lassie for her take on today’s dram here.

Blended malts as anyone that has read my past blogs knows are the decidedly delicious and mostly ignored category of Scotch that offers up so much for more often much less than you would pay for an equivalent Single Malt. Remember that Blended malts are made up of a combination of Single Malts the very same ingredient that is seen as the pinnacle of Scotch Whisky.

Tomorrow we head to the Highlands for an a-typical Highland dram that will make a lot of you very happy.

Slainte

Jonathan – Taster of Secrets

http://www.singlemalting.com/