The Whisky Shop Exclusives

This week we’re bringing you whisky that you literally cannot find anywhere else. These bottles are all exclusively available at The Whisky Shop and have been hand-selected by our team so you can be certain of their quality.

Glen Garioch 1978

One of only 187 bottles produced from Cask #11000, this sophisticated Highland Single Malt was hand-selected by The Whisky Shop in October 2011. Distilled in 1978 at the Glen Garioch distillery in Oldmeldrum, this whisky was matured in North American Oak before being bottled non chill-filtered at a strength of 54.2% abv.

£395 Buy Now

MALT OF THE MONTH
– SEPTEMBER 2016 –

GLENROTHES 1989 26 YEARS OLD

70cl / 52.5%

£84.95
WAS £115

BUY NOW »

Well-aged and complex whisky from Speyside favourite Glenrothes. This single cask has been selected by the Single Malts of Scotland team to show off the distillery’s classically fruity and malty character.

www.ralfy.com suggests that a decent natural coloured, higher strength malt is to be found with Whisky Review 596 – Balvenie 12yo Single Barrel @ 47.8%vol.

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY WELCOMES MILLIONTH VISITOR

Visitation has more than doubled at this National Historic Landmark in the past five years  

            FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Aug. 31, 2016) Buffalo Trace Distillery welcomed its one millionth cumulative visitor Wednesday.  The Distillery has been keeping track of visitation since it first opened for tours in 1999, and recently began actively counting down the visitors in anticipation of reaching the one millionth milestone.

            Some careful calculations led the team to narrow down which week they would likely host the one millionth visitor, and with some planning, the team was able to organize a festive day for everyone.

            Around 11 a.m. the unsuspecting visitor, from Lexington, was greeted by Buffalo Trace team members who gathered in the Visitor Center to welcome the lucky person with cheers, a balloon drop and a special prize pack. The exciting moment was captured live on Facebook and can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/buffalotracedistillery/videos/1223133587718628/

            The celebration continued throughout the day with cupcakes and surprises for visitors, commemorative T-shirts for employees, and more. View photos from the day on Instagram at BuffaloTraceDistillery, and on Facebook.com/BuffaloTraceDistillery.

            Visitation at Buffalo Trace has grown leaps and bounds ever since first opening for tours 17 years ago. Regularly welcoming visitors from all 50 states as well as more than 25 other countries, the Distillery has more than doubled its annual visitation over the last five years. In the last year alone, visitation at Buffalo Trace Distillery increased by more than 23 percent.

            With this milestone reached, and with prospects for visitation not slowing anytime soon, Buffalo Trace will count onward to its two millionth visitor.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 17 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named “Brand Innovator of the Year” by Whisky Magazine at its Icons of Whisky America Awards 2015.  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 300 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit http://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/.

Whisky Quotes public Beta release goes live

After months of development and data collecting Whisky Quotes is ready for public Beta release. 

Whisky Quotes is a service for whisky collectors and investors that want all the price information from different auction sites conveniently in one place.

Our database has now close to 5000 bottles with prices from 3 different auctioneers – and counting. 

Sign up at www.whiskyquotes.com and explore. We are open for comments and suggestions. 

Thank you!

The Whisky Quotes Team

BOWMORE 9 YEAR OLD

 £28.25 introductory price

 SHOP NOW »

This new addition to the Bowmore range displays the distillery’s trademark balance between maritime character and peat smoke, backed up by rich notes of cocoa, dark fruits and crème caramel. Matured in Oloroso casks, this is a superb introduction to sherried, peated whisky. This is a must-try for fans of smoky whisky, and to celebrate its release, you can save £3 with our introductory price.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 140: Armorik 2008 for MMM

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, and his buddy Imanuel, have just released their third bottling for MMM – Mark & Manny’s Malts. This is something special as it is the first ever independently released whisky from the Warenghem Distillery in Lannion, France, famous for their Armorik single malt. It is again limited to only 50 bottles. The Armorik 2008 for MMM is a port cask finished single malt at 49%.

https://youtu.be/KUurc53sqKQ

Laphroaig Cairdeas Madeira Cask

This is the newest release from the esteemed Islay distillery of Laphroaig. The initial maturation takes place on ex-bourbon barrels, and then additional aging happens in Madeira casks. The result is a delightfully peaty dram with layers of orange, spice, and a kiss of salinity. It’s a must have for Friends of Laphroaig, or any Islay enthusiast.

www.thepartysource.com

95 Riviera Drive, Bellevue, KY 41073  (859) 291-4007

THE JAMES SEDGWICK DISTILLERY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 

The James Sedgwick’s Distillery in Wellington, the only commercial whisky distillery in Africa and home to the internationally award-winning range of Three Ships and Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky, will be opening to the public from 3 September on selected dates and times.

An incredible tourism boost for the town of Wellington and the Western Cape, the whisky distillery is destined in becoming a major attraction for South African and international consumers to experience first-hand how whisky is made.

The tastings and tours are limited to 10 people at a time to ensure a personal experience and offered on Fridays and Saturdays at 10am and again at 2pm. Visitors can explore the passion and craftsmanship of South African whiskies, come to understand the art of whisky-making, learn about the rich history of the distillery spanning 130 years and taste some of the world’s best whiskies.

On arrival, guests will enjoy a whisky-cocktail followed by an informative video. A knowledgeable guide will offer an on-foot tour to witness first-hand how the whiskies are crafted through the various stages from raw material to distillation to maturation. Back at the tasting room, the guide will present a tasting of three whiskies paired with five sample dishes allowing guests to explore in their own time how the flavours of certain dishes complements the aromas found within a particular whisky.

Situated in Wellington about an hour from Cape Town’s City Centre, the distillery offers sweeping views of the Hawekwa and Groenberg Mountains. Award-winning, The James Sedgwick Distillery was awarded as Best Brand Innovator in Whisky Magazines’ 2011 Icons of Whisky as well as in 2015 named Best International Whisky Distillery at the New York International Spirits Competition.

All tours and tastings are for over 18’s only with booking in advance essential at https://www.webtickets.co.za/events/tourism/whisky-experience/1464501779

No bookings can be made at the distillery or on arrival.  The cost is R350 per person for a welcome drink, tour of the distillery, and three whiskies paired with five food sample dishes to explore the various flavour combinations and match your favourite.

The range of South African whiskies will be available to purchase at the end of the tour and tasting. Limited release whiskies, only available at the Distillery, will from time to time be offered for purchase to continue the extraordinary experience you had at home or to share the moment with someone special in the form of a gift.

For more information contact The James Sedgwick Distillery by sending an email to  info@jamessedgwickdistillery.co.za, calling 072 415 3440 or visiting  http://www.bains.co.za/ and http://www.threeshipswhisky.co.za/

#HomeofSAWhisky

Europe’s biggest Harley-Davidson rally toasts drams created by Speyside Distillery in honour of its 20th anniversary year

It may be Scotland’s secret distillery – but its hidden location off the beaten track didn’t stop dozens of leather-clad bikers from discovering drams produced in their honour today (August 28).

Harley-Davidson enthusiasts who gathered in the Highlands for the annual Thunder in the Glens motorbike rally this weekend descended on Speyside Distillery to be presented with commemorative bottlings produced to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the event.

The quiet countryside roads around the distillery – located in the shadow of the Cairngorm mountain range – echoed to the sounds of roaring engines as a group of riders staged a ride out from their base in Aviemore.

Speyside Distillery is the home of Beinn Dubh – an unusual ruby-black coloured whisky – which was launched at Thunder in the Glens last year. It won rave reviews from thousands of bikers at the event, which is the biggest Harley-Davidson rally in Europe.

Two limited edition releases have been created for the anniversary. The first is a rare 20 year-old single malt from the archives of Speyside Distillery and just 200 bottles have been produced. In addition, the distillery has produced a second 20th anniversary single malt with commemorative label which is available in greater quantities

One of the commemorative bottles of Beinn Dubh has been sent across the Atlantic to Milwaukee in the United States – the home of the Harley-Davidson and the patriarch of the world renowned company, Willie G. Davidson.

Speyside Distillery’s chief executive officer John Harvey McDonough says the firm is honoured to help Thunder in the Glens mark such a special occasion.

He adds, “Beinn Dubh is the local whisky of the Cairngorms, so it is incredibly fitting for us to produce a very special bottling for an event that has become integral to the local area. Following the launch of Beinn Dubh at last year’s rally, the whisky has gone on to achieve huge global success in markets around the world.

“The distillery has played host to many special visitors over the years, from former England footballer Michael Owen to VIP dignitaries from Taiwan, but I don’t think anything will be quite as memorable as the sound of those motorbikes roaring up the drive of our normally tranquil boutique distillery.

“The 20-year-old single malt Scotch whisky that has been used for this commemorative bottling is extremely rare. We have very limited stocks of vintage whisky, but we felt that only something very special should be used to mark this historic occasion.”

George McGuire is the rally co-ordinator for Thunder in the Glens and led the ride out to the distillery, which is located near the village of Kingussie.

“We feel a special affinity with Speyside Distillery, and being able to take so many of our visitors out here today has been a truly magical experience – one of the highlights of the entire weekend,” he says.

“As we were travelling further and further away from civilisation, I am sure some of them thought I was pulling their leg and the distillery didn’t actually exist. But that’s the real beauty of Speyside Distillery – it can only be found by those who want to seek it out.

“However, now that so many Harley owners around the world have become fans, I’m not sure how much longer it will remain a secret.

“Our visitors recognise what a rare chance they have to own what is essentially a piece of the distillery’s history. Opportunities to buy something like this do not come along every day, and some of our visitors have bought one bottle for drinking and one for keeping on the shelf to commemorate a fantastic weekend.”

Beinn Dubh is the name given to Ben Macdui, the highest peak in the Cairngorm mountain range, and translates from Gaelic as the black mountain. It refers to its dark, spooky and mysterious atmosphere which countless climbers are said to have encountered. The ruby black whisky is Speyside Distillery’s tribute to Ben Macdui and the area that it calls home.

Beinn Dubh’s taste is deep and dark: rich fruits, currants and chocolate dominate at first, but these gradually give way to both bitterness and sweetness.

The 20-year-old single malt Beinn Dubh Thunder In The Glens 2016  is priced at £150 while the 20th Anniversary single malt is £56. A very limited number of bottles are still  available, but can be ordered directly from karenann@speysidedistillers.co.uk

For further information about Beinn Dubh, visit www.beinndubh.com or follow Beinn Dubh on Twitter @BeinnDubhWhisky

Ends

Picture caption: Beinn Dubh’s fallen angel Klaudia Zrobek joins bikers from Thunder In The Glens during a ride out to Speyside Distillery which launched commemorative bottlings for this year’s 20th anniversary rally.