The Chita

The first single grain release from Suntory Whisky, completing the single distillery trio (along with Hakushu and Yamazaki) that create the award-winning Hibiki blend. Aged in wine and Spanish oak casks in addition to American White oak casks for a milder, but complex flavour.

£55 Buy Now

Yamazaki 12 Year Old

This Japanese single malt whisky boasts delicious notes of sweet vanilla and fruitiness that is derived from white oak casks which are accented with fine aromas of spirits aged in sherry and Japanese oak casks.

£75 Buy Now

We are now in the final Weeks before our Michter’s Celebration of the Cask Lottery is drawn.   Tickets are not limited so if youre feeling lucky, grab yourself another and double your chances! We still have Tickets available for this once in a lifetime opportunity to win this truly sensational bottle. 4 runners up will also win a bottle of the exquisite Michter’s Core Range. Tickets are only £25. Not an opportunity to miss.

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INTRODUCING A SINGLE GRAIN MADE BY A PROUD MANY:

KILBEGGAN® SINGLE GRAIN IRISH WHISKEY 

Inspired by the resilient townspeople of its namesake, Kilbeggan Distilling Company honors both tradition and innovation with its newest expression

Chicago, IL (June 28, 2017) – For more than 200 hundred years, the humble town of Kilbeggan produced a whiskey beloved the world over. As Ireland’s oldest licensed distillery since 1757, Kilbeggan has always been more than just a stone building with a water wheel to power it and its copper pot stills. It has been the townspeople’s heart and soul, their pride and joy.

Today, the town of Kilbeggan celebrates the announcement of another beloved whiskey: Kilbeggan® Single Grain Irish Whiskey. Released in the U.S. this month, the newest addition to the Kilbeggan Distilling Company offers a premium whiskey for enthusiasts and bartenders alike.

When Prohibition in the U.S. and other factors contributed to the shuttering of Kilbeggan Distillery’s doors, the residents banded together to save the whiskey that defined their town. They pooled funds to pay for the distillery license and put in years of hard work, late nights and weekends to restore it until eventually the distillery came back to life and its stills were once again filled. Every bottle of Kilbeggan, an original Irish whiskey built on the strong bond between the town that birthed it and the distillery producing it, is proof that their spirit has never left. It is the townspeople’s dedication to honoring the whiskey-making traditions of the past while creating a better future that inspired the creation of Kilbeggan Single Grain. It can be said that this is a single grain made by a proud many.

“The passion and dedication that the citizens of Kilbeggan put into keeping this distillery alive is truly inspirational,” says John Cashman, Beam Suntory Global Brand Ambassador, Irish Whiskey. “Kilbeggan Single Grain is born out of this resilience and we are proud to offer a whiskey to be enjoyed by all – whether that’s as a traditional neat dram or in a modern craft cocktail. The folks at Kilbeggan Distilling Co. are happy to share it with you any way you like.”

The notion that “single grain” describes a whiskey made with just one grain is a common misperception. Rather, the term refers to whiskey made in a single location using malted barley and at least one other grain. Kilbeggan Single Grain is made of 94% meticulously-sourced corn plus 6% malted barley.

Distilled at 86 proof, Kilbeggan Single Grain is a delicate spirit that absorbs the flavors of the casks in which it is aged. After aging in ex-bourbon barrels, it is finished in a marriage of ex-bourbon and various fortified wine barrels. It possesses Irish whiskey’s trademark versatility and smoothness, making it the ideal for modern or classic cocktails, like a Whiskey Sour, but with enough depth of flavor to be sipped neat.

“Kilbeggan enjoyed a tremendous heyday back in the 1800s when Irish whiskey was thriving and distilleries abounded, before the devastation to the industry that came with Prohibition and other challenges,” says Cashman. “A few years ago, I’m happy to say, the world rediscovered the beauty of Irish whiskey. And Kilbeggan once again is rising to the top and setting the standard through innovations like Kilbeggan Single Grain. We can’t wait to see a bottle on every bar, just like in the good old days.”

With the booming consumer interest in brown spirits, Irish whiskey has seen substantial growth over the last decade. Per the Distilled Spirits Council, the national trade association representing producers and marketers of distilled spirits sold in the U.S., Irish Whiskey volumes rose 18.7% in 2016 to 3.8 million cases and revenues were up an impressive 19.8% to $795 million. The Council reports that much of this growth is fueled by the rise of high-end and super premium Irish whiskeys, which grew an astounding 737% and 3,455%, respectively, since 2002.

The U.S. will be the first country in the world to introduce Kilbeggan Single Grain Irish Whiskey. Available beginning in late June 2017 with a suggested retail price of $29.99 (750ml), it joins the U.S. portfolio alongside Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey (40% ABV), an approachable, smooth blended whiskey that is still made using traditional methods. With the new expression, Kilbeggan Distilling Company’s portfolio now features several whiskeys that appeal to and are available across a variety of consumer targets, price tiers and whiskey occasions.

KILBEGGAN SINGLE GRAIN TASTING NOTES | 43% ABV

NOSE: Coconut cream, vanilla, jellied fruit and summer red berries

PALATE: Wafer-like biscuit sweetness, hazelnut and light spice with nice oak tannins drying on the side of the mouth

FINISH: Crisp and fruity, glazed cherries drying with a lingering spice 

The Wheel

2 parts Kilbeggan® Single Grain

½ part of Aperol®

¾ part lime juice

¾ part simple syrup

2 dashes of absinthe

Combine ingredients, shake and serve on the rocks. Garnish with a lemon peel or thyme sprig.  

The Brosna Sour

2 parts Kilbeggan® Single Grain

¼ part lemon juice

¾ part grapefruit juice

¾ part simple syrup

1 egg white

Combine ingredients, shake without ice, then add ice (1/2 tin) and shake again.

Serve in a coupe glass without garnish.

Still Steam

2 parts Kilbeggan® Single Grain

½ part lemon juice

½ part genepy (alpine liqueur)

½ part simple syrup

1 black tea bag

Combine ingredients, top with hot water and steep for 3-5 minutes. Garnish with a thyme sprig or lemon peel. 

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, Hornitos and Sauza tequila, EFFEN and Pinnacle vodka, Sipsmith gin, 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 Chicago, 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 http://www.beamsuntory.com/ and www.drinksmart.com.

Billy Walker- GlenDronach No More; Glenallachie to the Fore

Billy is back; Glenallachie Distillery. Billy Walker, the main man behind the revival of GlenDronach, BenRiach and Glenglassaugh Distilleries. In 2004, Billy and two other investors purchased BenRiach Distillery under their BenRiach Distillery Company.  2008 came along and they purchased The GlenDronach Distillery. Finally in 2013, Glenglassaugh Distillery added. Now as you know, these distilleries, GlenDronach in particular, have established themselves among the scotch whiskey elite. GlenDronach Distillery’s reputation as a sherry cask matured scotch producer with the highly acclaimed and sought after Single Cask releases has soared in the past 5 year or so. Also, with American company Brown-Forman stepping in with a tasty £285m offer in 2016,  the figures show the level Billy and his team reached with their whisky production. But what next?

Billy Walker and Glenallachie Distillery

For these 3 distilleries, life will go on. But what route they go down remains to be seen. And with a smaller release of single casks vintages in the latest batch (#15) in May this year, are they heading down a different, more brand led path with GlenDronach? Who knows. However, last week brought exciting news. Billy and a small consortium purchased Glenallachie Distillery from Chivas Brothers; the Scotch Whiskey arm of the gigantic French Pernod Ricard drinks company. There had been a rumour in the air that Billy was keen for a new project but few would have guessed on Glenallachie Distillery. Built in 1967 this is a relatively new Scottish whiskey distillery and has a less than glamorous history. Mothballed for half the 1980s, in 1989 it restarted and the number of stills doubled to 4, to meet the demand for blended whiskey. This is not a renowned single malt whiskey distillery. It’s history is largely as a factory of production. With Billy Walker now at Glenallachie, its future looks bright and certainly interesting.

Please click HERE to read the remainder of the article.

Friday, July 21st: 5-7PM

The Macallan

Established in Speyside in 1824, Macallan has produced some of the most highly-sought after whiskies in the world. We’ll be pouring a variety of new and rare releases, with distillery representatives and our own in-store whisky experts present for all your whisky questions. Pour list will be revealed as the event approaches – be sure to follow The Whisky Shop on facebook to stay up to date!

Click Here to RSVP

Production Operative/Assistant Distiller

JOB DESCRIPTION

This position offers a fantastic opportunity to join a thriving craft distillery which is quickly establishing itself as one of the finest examples of craft distilling in the UK since opening in 2014. The successful candidate will be working as part of a small team and will be heavily involved in a range of tasks including:

·         Production of a variety of spirits (whisky, gin, apple brandy and grain whisky) from “grain to glass”.

·         Warehouse work·

·         Cleaning and maintenance.

The company are seeking someone who is hardworking, confident and has a drive to succeed in the distilling industry. The nature of the position requires a significant amount of hands-on physical work as well as associated tasks such as record keeping which require close attention to detail and accuracy. As our distillery is located in the Cotswolds countryside your own transport would be essential.

HOURS

40 hours per week shift rota, 7 days per week operation (must be flexible in order to meet business requirements which will include weekend work, evening work and early starts).

QUALIFICATIONS

·         Previous employment in a production environment or retail/hospitality management is desirable.

·         GCSE grade A-D in maths and science desirable.

·         DQC for 7.5T lorry desirable.

SKILLS AND QUALITIES

·         Can-do attitude with an ability to multi-task.

·         Hardworking and enthusiastic.

·         Reliable.

·         Excellent communication skills.

SALARY

·         Competitive salary.

·         Staff Discount.

·         ·Childcare Voucher Scheme.

If it sounds like the job for you, please EMAIL jobs@cotswoldsdistillery.com with your CV and a covering letter. Thanks!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

While we review each application on an individual basis, due to the high number of applicants we cannot guarantee that we will be able to reply to each candidate. Therefore, if you have not been invited for interview within two weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has not been successful.

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY FORGES AHEAD

WITH EXPANSION PLANS AS PART OF $200M INVESTMENT 

Bourbon Inventory Still Tight; Things Looking Up Long Term 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (July 11, 2017) Buffalo Trace Distillery is barreling ahead with its expansion plans announced last year, all in response to the continued rise in the popularity of bourbon whiskey. More than $200 million is being spent at this National Historic Landmark Distillery, as new barrel warehouses are built and the bottling operation is relocated to make room for distillery expansion with new cookers and fermenters.

Already, Buffalo Trace is finishing up the conversion of two former office buildings back into barrel warehouses, with warehouses “R” and “S” being filled with barrels to age now, and warehouses “T” and “U” completed last year. The two buildings hold a combined 200,000 barrels of aging whiskey, but this is still not enough to meet the growing demand for Buffalo Trace.

             In addition to repurposing warehouses, Buffalo Trace is also building new barrel warehouses on the additional 200 acres of farmland it purchased a few years ago. These are the first new barrel warehouses with significant capacity that Buffalo Trace Distillery has built since 1951.  Ground has already been broken on the first warehouse, which will hold more than 55,000 barrels, and completion is expected by the end of this year, with the first barrels planned to be rolled in early 2018. After that, a new warehouse will be built every four months for the next several years. These new warehouses will each cost about $7 million to build and another $21 million to fill with barrels, making this expansion a significant investment.

            All that bourbon needs someplace to be bottled, which is why Buffalo Trace is moving its existing bottling operation into its old Distribution Center, located near the visitor parking lot. The new bottling hall will be more efficient, flexible, and improve overall quality. The move is expected to be complete by the end of 2018.

            Once the bottling hall moves, the Distillery will install larger cookers and additional fermenters for more bourbon production.  Already this summer, bourbon production is scheduled to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the first time in known history.  “This year we plan to match the all-time high of barrel production here at Buffalo Trace, set in 1973,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. “Next year we’ll exceed that and set new production records.”

            While Buffalo Trace is preparing for the future, current bourbon inventory remains tight on its flagship bourbon. This shortage will continue for the next few years as demand continues to increase. Brands such as Eagle Rare, W.L. Weller and Blanton’s Single Barrel will see moderate growth. “While we have steadily increased bourbon production over the years, demand for our brands continues to outpace supply,” said Kris Comstock, senior marketing director. “Growth will be modest over the next few years, dictated by the number of barrels filled years ago. Most will be sold in the United States where demand continues to rise.”

            Bourbon allocations will continue, as they have for the past few years. Buffalo Trace will continue bourbon allocations monthly across the U.S. to ensure each state receives some every month. “We will not comprise taste nor quality, so rather than empty barrels prematurely, we’ll continue to wait for barrels to mature and allocate bourbon when it’s ready, while increasing production for the future,” added Comstock.

            Buffalo Trace Distillery would like to stress that while the bourbon shortages are prevalent on all of its brands, they speak only for themselves, not for the entire bourbon industry.  The overall whiskey category globally is up 4%, and in the U.S. whiskey growth is up 6.5%, according to International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR).  However, nearly all the bourbon brands made at Buffalo Trace Distillery are experiencing double digit growth despite allocations.

Although Buffalo Trace is moving forward aggressively with expansion plans, allocations will continue, with no foreseeable end in sight.  Buffalo Trace Distillery would like to thank its customers for their continued support as they endeavor to make more bourbon, but good whiskey takes time and Mother Nature cannot be rushed!

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 www.buffalotracedistillery.com.

Young whisky brand, R&B Distillers has now appointed the very first whisky distiller for the forthcoming Isle of Raasay Distillery which will open in September 2017.

The search for Raasay’s first distiller commenced in January 2017 and has spread far and wide, receiving applications from around the globe. The brand is now delighted to announce that the appointment of Iain Robertson as the first distiller.

Iain is a recent Honours graduate of the Heriot Watt Brewing and Distilling school. During his studies, he took a placement at North British grain distillery and worked at Edinburgh’s The Scotch Whisky Experience as one of their highly knowledgeable tour guides. Iain is not only formally educated in the art and science of distilling but is innovative and enthusiastic about respectfully pushing the boundaries of the spirit. Iain will be relocating to the small island of Raasay to join the team.

It’s a big in the K&L spirits department as we’ve just received our annual allocation of what is by far America’s best and most coveted single malt release: the Westland Garryana, made with whisky aged in Oregon Garryana oak barrels for a robust and unique flavor. I was a huge fan of the initial release last year and I’m just as enthused with this year’s release. But I think distiller Matt Hofmann’s words below summarize the creativity of this project better than I can:

We’re compelled to look out so we might see possibilities others don’t recognize. But seeing opportunity is not enough. You have to have the wherewithal to do something about it. During the trip, we explored one of the few remaining natural Garry Oak savannas in the Pacific Northwest. It was coated with lush mosses draping the otherwise bare limbs in the middle of winter. The oaks provided a juxtaposition of a life frozen in time and a world moving steadily forward. Again, we removed ourselves from the moment, wondering in amazement at our place in the world of whiskey, exploring physically at the edge of the earth and figuratively at the cutting edge of single malt philosophy. We, like our whiskies, are products of our time and place. While we look forward to the future we’re building with our new partners in this industry we cannot deny that what we live for now in the present is the exploration, the journey. This latest edition is another step forward along a path that winds all across the Pacific Northwest in search of insight.

I got the pleasure of dining with Matt this past Monday and talking in depth about not only the Garryana project, but also the future of whiskymaking for the distillery. These guys are just on another level, and now that they’ve partnered with Bruichladdich under the Remy umbrella, I think the sky is the limit. For those interested in great whisky, I’d compel you to exercise our one bottle allocation for the 2017 Garryana. For those who are fascinated by terroir in whisky and unique expressions of our American continent, then this is a must buy:

Westland “Garryana 2.1” Limited Edition Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($139.99) – The second release of Garryana is a more restrained and focused expression of what the gang at Westland Distillery hoped to showcase with their native oak project. Whereas the initial release was a big, bold, and brash expression, full of spice and a bit of smoke, this year’s edition dials back the peat and lets the oak have center stage. With 21% of the blend coming from Oregon Garryana barrels, the impact of that influence is allowed to better integrate into harmony with the remaining 52% of ex-Bourbon-aged malt, along with the 27% virgin oak matured whisky. Still present is the BBQ smoke, the molasses, the coffee bean, and robust flavor that highlighted last year’s release, but this time around its under complete control, bent and shaped into precisely the right proportions. Many of us here at K&L thought the 2016 Garryana was one of the best whiskies of last year, and seeing that this year’s total production was a measly 2600 bottles, we recommend jumping on the one bottle we’re allowing customers to buy. Westland has proven again and again that they are America’s premier single malt distillery. The 2017 release of Garryana should put any last doubts to bed.

In honour of Canada 150, Pat Dunlop at thewhiskymafia.com shares his 10 favourite Canadian whiskies!

July 1, 2017 marked the 150th anniversary of Canada’s confederation as a nation, a fact that if you’re not Canadian may well have escaped you (and if you are Canadian, it’s been hammered into each of our minds relentlessly since at least January of this year). As a proud son of Canada, I think now is perhaps the perfect time to highlight my affection for one of our great and lasting contributions to the world at large, Canadian whisky. Click here to read the remainder of the article