To the members of the Springbank Society

Hi everyone, how are we all doing? Hope your summer is rather sunnier than here in Campbeltown. We are all hard at work at Springbank Towers and we have exciting times coming soon.

It is time for another Society Quarterly – many of you know what these usually entail but for any new members we shall give a quick summery.

Society Quarterlies are released 4 times a year, roughly (very roughly) 3 months apart, and are larger and more expansive that the standard Society newsletter. For example, in this quarterly we shall touch upon topics like Society bottles, trips that the sales team are going on, upcoming releases, a message from our friends at WM Cadenhead’s and a reminder on how you can follow us online or get in touch with us.

We shall start with a “heads up” regarding upcoming releases. Please note that this email is not intended as an announcement email or as a society newsflash and all distillery releases will get their own Society Newsflash at the time of release.  Current/upcoming releases

Springbank 12yo cask strength, 56.5% – Available to purchase from 8th August. There will be a Society Newsflash next week to provide you all with details of this release.

SB14yo Bourbon Wood – This cask strength limited edition whisky will be released worldwide in mid-September. Upcoming events and tastings

This section is dedicated to the trips, travels, events and tastings undertaken by our diligent and knowledgeable sales team. This should (in theory) take us up to the date of the next quarterly.

August

11th – 13th: Edinburgh Whisky Fringe (David, Grant, Melanie and Ronan are all participating over the weekend)

19th: The Whisky Social, Falkirk (Grant)

September

1st-2nd: Manchester Whisky Lounge (Grant)

1st-2nd: Berlin Whisky Messe Herbst (Melanie)

4th-11th: Japan tour, including Modern Malt Osaka, 5th, and Modern Malt Tokyo, 8th (David)

26th-29th: France tasting Tour (Melanie)

30th-2nd Oct: Whisky Exchange Whisky Show, London (David, Grant, Ronan)

October

6th-7th: Palexpo Genève (Melanie). Please note, this event is for Glengyle/Kilkerran only.

10th-14th: Denmark Tasting Tour (Ronan)

12th: M&P Festival, Forteca, Warsaw (Melanie)

13th: Tasting in aid of Marie Curie at Fairley Wines, Coleraine, N. Ireland (David)

14th-15th: Budapest Whisky Show (Melanie)

20th: Bar & Spirits Festival, Vienna (Melanie)

21st: The Wee Dram, Bakewell (Grant)

28th: Dornoch Whisky Festival (Grant)

29th: Tasting, Willow Park, Calgary, Canada (Melanie)

November

1st: Willow Park Whisky Festival, Calgary, Canada (Melanie)

4th: Co-Op Whisky Festival, Calgary, Canada (Melanie)

4th-5th: Whisky Messe, Villingen, Germany (Ronan)

Please note that these events are subject to change.

Society bottles

Thankfully, most people have their Springbank 9yo Sauternes society bottles by now or have made arrangements regarding collection or delivery however, there are a few people who have not made those arrangements. In particular, if you asked for your bottle(s) to be sent to any of the European Cadenhead shops but have not collected them please make sure the staff know your intentions.

So if you asked for your Society order to be sent to Cologne, Berlin, Odense, Salzburg or Baden and have not collected your bottle(s) please contact the relevant shop. If you are unsure if this applies to you please email society@springbank.scot and we shall try to answer any questions you have.

Society section of the Website

If you haven’t signed up for the Society section of the website please do so whenever you have some time. As well as being a useful insurance policy to guard against not receiving a Society email (we upload the newsletters to the society section after we send them out to you guys) but it also gives you access to the occasional society blog or distillery update too.

Of course, the most important information will continue to be emailed but other day-to-day news will be added to the website.

I would urge all members to register for an online account to keep up to date with the news as it happens. To create an account please follow these instructions:

• Go to www.springbank.scot
• Click on the ‘Society’ tab along the top of the page
• Click on the ‘Confirm Log-In Details’ orange tab
• Please enter all the information that is required
• Once you have submitted this information, a notification should be displayed to tell you that an email has been sent to your given email address and it will ask you to verify this email address
• Please open this email in your email account and click the link to verify your email
• Once you have done this, I will receive a notification informing me that a new member has signed up to the website so I will then activate your account for online use
• When your account has been activated, you will be able to read all news stories in the Society section. To log in, just click the ‘Log-In to Society News’ tab where you will just be asked to enter your username and password for access.

Message from WM Cadenhead’s

As some of you may know, WM Cadenhead’s recently released their shop single casks to celebrate their 175th anniversary and they have asked us to include a message to you all in this newsletter:

Hopefully many of you are currently enjoying some of the amazing whiskies we released this week as part of the Cadenhead’s 175th anniversary celebrations, the highlight undoubtedly being the launch of the single casks bottled for each of our shops.

It has come to our attention that one complete set of the 10 casks bottled in the collection has already found its way into the hands of an auction site and it’s fair to say that we’re disappointed that such an incident has occurred. As most of you know, we do not condone the process of flipping – buying bottles just to sell them on immediately – and while we appreciate that many people build whisky collections for a number of reasons, it’s saddening that some people take advantage of our excellent whiskies and reasonable pricing just to try and turn a quick profit. In this case, an auction house managed to take possession of some of these bottles before some shops had even been able to put theirs on sale which no doubt most of you will find as frustrating as we do.

The UK Cadenhead’s shops took a joint decision this week to each sell 12 complete sets of the 10 casks bottled in the series, making 36 in total, and it’s a shame that at least one of these sets will end up turning a profit at auction rather than being in the hands of someone who who will properly appreciate what they have. We are always keen to ensure that our bottlings are distributed as fairly as possible and in future, in cases where we are able to identify flippers (not genuine collectors and certainly not people who buy our whisky to drink), we will ensure that those people do not get access to any special releases before the rest of our members.

Malt Barns

Our Malt Barns are currently being renovated and are therefore out of action for a few weeks. This work will be completed in approximately 7 weeks time and we shall keep all of our followers up to date with developments on our Social media outlets.

If you are visiting the distillery during the next few weeks while the work continues, please note that you will not be able to enter the Malt Barns as part of the distillery tour and that tour prices have been temporarily adjusted to reflect this. The details are contained on the attached poster.

Social Media

Before we finish, a quick reminder that you can follow us online through a variety of websites and social media channels.

Facebook – www.facebook.com/officialspringbankwhisky

Twitter – @Springbank1828

Instagram – @springbankwhisky1828

Also, we recently joined WeChat and you can find us under the name “Springbank Distillers” or by searching for SpringbankWhisky.

And, of course, you can always find us on the Springbank website – www.springbank.scot

Thank you for taking the time to read this Society Quarterly, hopefully you have found it informative.

If you have any questions, queries, concerns or comments please contact society@springbank.scot and we shall do our very best to get back to you as soon as possible.  If you wish to join the Society please contact them ASAP ~ WI

As stated above, the next contact you shall have with us is early next week for the Springbank 12yo Cask Strength newsflash.

Until then…

Slainte

Springbank Sales Team and Staff of Springbank Towers

Springbank Society

Springbank Distillers

Macallan masterclass Now On Sale

THE ART OF THE SHERRY CASK WITH STUART MACPHERSON
SATURDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2.45PM

Few would argue Macallan’s status as the Rolls-Royce of single malts. A pioneer of the art of the sherry cask in the 1960s, the distillery continues to produce some of the most sought-after sherry-matured whiskies in the world. This masterclass offers a chance to try whiskies from the past six decades with the current curator of casks, master of wood Stuart MacPherson.

Stuart will be leading us through a range of Macallans, from the more recent Double Cask 12 Year Old, Rare Cask and Edition No.2 to whiskies distilled in the 1960s and 1970s, with a taste of the iconic 25 Year Old along the way.

This is a rare chance to chart the evolution of Macallan’s current line-up by delving into its legendary past.

Few distilleries have as many legendary sherry-matured whiskies as Macallan. Known as an expert in the art of the sherry cask, the distillery continues to produce some of the world’s most lauded whiskies. Join Macallan’s master of wood Stuart MacPherson for a tasting that delves into Macallan’s liquid history.

BOOK

The Rare Old series from Gordon & MacPhail includes some rare & historic whisky gems from distilleries that have either been mothballed, completely closed, or even demolished.  Bottles from this series are very limited but we’ve managed to receive some extra stock, from some very special distilleries, including Glenlochy, Inverleven & Convalmore to name just a few…

Shop the Rare Old series…

https://youtu.be/gsQEM_qa6WQ 

THE TIME HAS COME!! The newest Ardbeg release for this year and ladies and gentlemen, its a stunner! I’ve felt a bit deflated over the past few years of limited release, but the Kelpie has destroyed any of these feelings. A main distillation and maturation of whisky that has been stored in Virgin Oak casks from the coast of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe. It proved to be too powerful on its own, so Dr. Bill Lumsden has combined it with some standard Ardbeg 10 to take the intense edge off the sides. I;m genuinely impressed with this whisky; sweet, sour, smokey, spicy, coastal, salty – it’s all i could ever want from an Ardbeg, and it’s got a brilliant story behind it. Well done, Ardbeg. Another stunning showcase of style and originality. Enjoy!
—

Whisky Reviews every Wednesday
Facebook.com/whiskytube
Twitter.com/whiskytube
Youtube.com/whiskywednesday

THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY MAKE WHISKY COOL THIS AUGUST WITH ICE DREAM DRAMS  

12 flavours of whisky ice cream go on sale at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s Kaleidoscope Bar 

From ‘Banana-Dram-A’ and ‘Smoky Lavender Kiss’ to ‘Salty Sea Dog’, and ‘Maple Bacon Crunch’, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has created 12 unique flavours of whisky ice cream to celebrate the summer.

The 12 ‘Ice Dream Drams’ will be available from Wednesday 9^th August at The Society’s recently opened venue, Kaleidoscope Bar at 9A Devonshire Square.

Following the success of the ice cream in Scotland in 2015, The Society has joined forces once again with Scottish ice cream makers S Luca to bring the boozy frozen treats down to London.

The ice creams created by S Luca are made with the Society’s single cask whisky, ranging from 3.7% – 4.9%. They will be on offer in a special ice cream trike in the outdoor courtyard at Devonshire Square.

The ice creams reflect the Society’s flavour-based approach to whisky, which is based on its 12 unique whisky flavour profiles such as Sweet, Fruity and Mellow; Spicy & Sweet; and Young & Spritely. The flavours of whisky ice cream include:

• Green Goddess – beautifully balanced Lightly Peated whisky ice-cream with a zingy, zen-like lime ripple
• Banana-Dram-A – banana and marshmallow ice cream made with a Sweet, Fruity and Mellow whisky
• Smoky Lavender Kiss – lavender ice cream with Palma Violets and a Heavily Peated whisky
• Snowball Seduction – Oak and Vanilla whisky ice cream with chunks of tongue-teasing coconut snowball
• Salty Sea Dog – salted caramel ice cream with Oily & Coastal whisky
• Maple Bacon Crunch – sweet syrup and smoky bacon flavours combined with Peated whisky
• Chilli Devil – Spicy and Sweet whisky ice cream with a naughty chilli kick

Michael Cook, manger at Kaleidoscope Bar, said: “At the Society we focus on the amazing array of flavours in whisky and our 12 Ice Dream Drams made by S Luca are a great way to explore the different types of flavours you find in whisky.”

www.smws.com/kaleidoscope-london 

Kaleidoscope Bar, 9A Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4YN

@SMWSUK

Notes:

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is an international whisky club that bottles rare single cask, single malt whisky, and a range of other spirits
• The Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 26,000 members and branches around the world
• The Society only ever bottles single casks – each cask is unique, making every Society bottling a limited edition
• The Society has bottled whisky from more than 132 distilleries in its history
• The Society releases a new batch of around 30 single cask single malt whiskies every month
• The Society offers different levels of membership

o   Membership Pioneer with gift box containing three samples, £122

o   Member without gift box, £61.50

o   Sample Subscription – free trial membership.

o   Visit https://www.smws.com/society-membership

• For more information about the Society, visit www.smws.com 

About S Luca 

• In 1908, Luca Scappaticcio and his wife, Anastasia, opened the first S. Luca Ice cream parlour in Musselburgh.
• Made from fresh Scottish double cream and whole milk, S. Luca dairy ice cream is renowned for its smooth, creamy texture and sophisticated taste.
• The S Luca ice cream recipe has remained largely unchanged and it is still produced in the same factory as it was in Luca Scappaticcio’s day.

Glenmorangie triumphs at prestigious industry competition with seven gold awards

Glenmorangie has won the most gold medals for Scotch Whisky in an acclaimed competition which celebrates the very best of the spirits industry.

Glenmorangie’s signature expression, Glenmorangie Original, upheld its industry reputation at the annual International Wines and Spirits Competition (IWSC), with the perfectly balanced spirit awarded a gold medal alongside six additional whiskies from the Highland distillery.

The core range of whiskies is celebrated with gold medals awarded to ruby port cask finish Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban; Sauternes cask finish Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or; travel retail exclusive Glenmorangie Duthac and Glenmorangie Extremely Rare 18 Years Old.

The distiller’s new innovations were also lauded with gold medals awarded to Glenmorangie Bacalta, the intriguing latest addition to the sought-after Private Edition, alongside the first release from Bond House No. 1 collection, Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1990.

Dr Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation and Whisky Stocks, said: “Glenmorangie Original is the cornerstone of each and every Glenmorangie whisky and it’s an honour to receive continued recognition from a globally respected competition.

“All of our whisky range is skilfully and passionately created, so it is a wonderful reflection when we receive such positive, independent verification from the prestigious IWSC.”

Now in its 48th year, the IWSC sets the standard for industry excellence, receiving entries from over 90 countries worldwide, judged by a panel of 400 handpicked master blenders, whisky writers and wines and spirits buyers.

Mulberry Bank Auction

This auction will consist  of rare and collectable whisky and commences today, August 8th at 10am. If you wish to leave commission bids or organise a telephone bid please remember to do so by 9.30AM.

www.mulberrybankauctions.com

August Outturn brings an orchestra of fresh flavour with 22 single casks to taste and explore. Playing with our hearts this First Friday is an enthralling mix of marvellous malt whiskies.

VIEW OUTTURN

VIEW WHISKY

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Banff 1966 Rare Old | Gordon & MacPhail | Bottled 2015

A well aged, single malt whisky from Banff distillery, matured in a refill sherry butt for around 50 years! Distilled in 1966, only 362 bottles of this Lost Distillery bottling were filled by independent whisky bottlers, Gordon & MacPhail for their incredible Rare Old series.

BUY NOW

Unveiling the Last Precious Drops:

Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition 

Whisky connoisseurs and collectors from around the world will have a rare opportunity to acquire a single malt from an extinct distillery thought to be one of the oldest in Scotland.

Littlemill has released Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition – a new limited edition whisky celebrating the last precious drops of single malt from the distillery.

Rumoured to be one of the oldest in Scotland, and possibly even the world, the Littlemill distillery has a long and fascinating history. Officially established and producing whisky legally from 1772 in Bowling on the banks of the River Clyde near Glasgow, the distillery fell silent in 1994 and was subsequently destroyed by fire in 2004, never to produce a drop again.

As a result there is now a very limited amount of Littlemill single malt left and the spirit of the distillery lives on in a series of sought-after expressions. Priced at £2,250, Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition is the second in the series celebrating this rare whisky. It offers aficionados the opportunity to acquire a piece of Lowland Scotch whisky history.

The latest release comprises 500 individually numbered limited edition bottles encasing the precious 27 Year Old whisky in the Littlemill Lowland style. Each opulent decanter is presented in a luxurious case which also features a unique piece of Littlemill cask used to mature this rare malt, as well as a miniature of the precious whisky itself.

Littlemill’s rich history includes a number of owners over its lifetime and it was notably one of the first distilleries to have a female licensee, Jane MacGregor, in 1823.  In the 1930s, the distillery was known for triple distillation before moving to the more traditional double distillation now associated with Scotch whisky.

In 1931, under the stewardship of the American Duncan Thomas, Littlemill was at the forefront of still innovation with technical designs that could create three styles of single malts from full-bodied to light. These innovative stills provided the inspiration for the Loch Lomond Distillery, which was opened in the 1960s.

To create the edition, Master Blender, Michael Henry selected eight casks from 1990 to pay homage to the true Littlemill distillery character; creating a lighter, floral spirit, reminiscent of the triple distillation of the Duncan Thomas era.

Michael Henry, Master Blender at Loch Lomond Distillery, said: “It is rumoured that illicit distilling took place at the Littlemill distillery from 1750 and even for centuries before, possibly making it the world’s oldest whisky distillery.

“It’s a tragedy that the distillery fell silent and was later destroyed by fire, committing Littlemill to legend. Once the last precious drops are consumed, an important part of Scotland’s and Scotch whisky’s heritage will be lost forever. A sip of Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition is more than just a memorable pleasure; it is a unique and historic experience and the spirit of the distillery and its innovative stills live on at the Loch Lomond Distillery today.”

Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition has been crafted from casks with the strongest floral character and subtle wood notes from distillations between 11^th and 19^th May 1990. The casks were filled at 68.8% strength, allowing them to retain more of the distillery character throughout the maturation in refill bourbon barrels. Ageing in refill bourbon barrels gave a softer wood influence and once selected the casks were married in fresh bourbon barrels for 12 months before bottling.

Rare amongst the Lowland malts in using a Highland water source, as well as peat from Stornoway and Perthshire, Littlemill whiskies are renowned for a subtly floral, vanilla-rich sweetness.

Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition follows Littlemill 2015 Private Cellar Edition.  In the UK it is available to buy at most independent specialists including The Whisky Shop, The Whisky Exchange, Royal Mile Whiskies and Master of Malt and it will also be available in global markets, including Taiwan, France, Germany and Travel Retail.

For further information visit www.lochlomondgroup.com

Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition Tasting Notes

• Nose – Green herbal notes of peppermint and eucalyptus lead into natural perfumed floral bursts of honeysuckle and lavender.  Cedar wood elements give structure.
• Taste – Vibrant fruit is prominent with a background soft, subtle sweet character.  Mouth-watering crisp green apple, zesty grapefruit and tart juicy pineapple are followed by green tea notes and a delicate clover honey sweetness.
• Finish – Warming spice of stem ginger and nutmeg liven the tongue before a long peppermint and sugar syrup finish.

About the Loch Lomond Group:

• Loch Lomond Group is an independent distiller based in Alexandria and is home to several award-winning spirit brands that are sold in more than 100 countries worldwide.
• Loch Lomond distillery has been producing the finest single malt whisky since 1814.
• Images and interviews with key staff from the Group are available upon request.
• www.lochlomondgroup.com

About the brands: 

Littlemill:

• The Littlemill distillery was officially established in 1772 on the site of an old brewery that had been founded during the 14th century in Bowling on the banks of the River Clyde near Glasgow.
• It is rumoured that illicit distilling had taken place there since 1750 when the site was bought by George Buchan, a malt master, and according to the renowned whisky historian and writer Misako Udo in her book ‘The Scotch Whisky Distilleries’ distilling may have taken place there for many centuries before, possibly making it the world’s oldest whisky distillery.
• Littlemill fell into perpetual silence in 1994 and then the distillery was destroyed by fire in 2004.
• In 1931 Littlemill led whisky still innovation whereby its innovative design could create three styles of spirit under the stewardship of the American Duncan Thomas. It was these stills that provided the inspiration for the Loch Lomond Distillery that was commissioned in 1964 and commenced production in 1966.
• In 2015 Loch Lomond Group commenced the new Littlemill Private Cellar Edition.
• Twitter / Instagram: @LittlemillMalt, Facebook: @Littlemillwhisky 

Other brands from the Loch Lomond Group:

• Loch Lomond Whiskies including Loch Lomond Signature, Loch Lomond Single Grain, Loch Lomond Original, Loch Lomond 12 Year Old, Loch Lomond 18 Year Old, Inchmurrin 12 Year Old, Inchmurrin 18 Year Old, Inchmurrin Madeira Wood Finish, Inchmoan 12 Year Old and Inchmoan 1992 Vintage.

www.lochlomondwhiskies.com Twitter: @LochLomondMalts Instagram: @lochlomondmalts

• Glen Scotia Single Malt Scotch whisky www.glenscotia.com Twitter: @GlenScotiaMalts
• Glengarry Single Malt Scotch whisky
• High Commissioner Blended Scotch whisky
• Glen’s Vodka / Glen’s Platinum Vodka A S E