THE MACALLAN SHERRY OAK 40 YEARS OLD: 2017 RELEASE

A RARE SINGLE MALT

Just 465 bottles to be released worldwide, following the successful 2016 release 

December 18^th, 2017 (New York, New York) – The Macallan, the world’s most admired single malt Scotch whisky, unveils its latest exceptional whisky in the coveted Sherry Oak range, The Macallan 40 Years Old. This highly collectible, limited-release whisky represents only the third non-vintage release of a 40 year old expression to come from the iconic Speyside distillery, and will be sought after by connoisseurs around the world. The Sherry Oak 40 years old reveals the unrivalled commitment to the mastery of wood and spirit, for which The Macallan has been known since it was established in 1824 and marks the pinnacle of the Sherry Oak Range.

Exclusively matured in hand-picked Oloroso sherry seasoned oak casks from Jerez, Spain, this rich and intense single malt is a testament to The Macallan’s exceptional oak casks, which are sourced, crafted and seasoned under the watchful eye of the Master of Wood and delivered to the demanding specifications of the Master Distiller and his team.

Once filled, the maturing spirit has remained undisturbed in the same casks for 40 years and it is these oak casks that are the single greatest contributor to the outstanding quality, natural color and distinctive aromas and flavors which lie at the heart of this rare Macallan single malt whisky.

When matured exclusively in sherry seasoned oak casks from Jerez, the robust, fruity and full bodied ‘new make’ spirit is transformed into a whisky of great richness and character. Crafted from an intriguing combination of three casks – 2 sherry butts and 1 sherry hogshead, The Macallan Sherry Oak 40 years old is a rich and complex whisky displaying a natural deep copper color.

On the nose there are hints of sultanas, gingers and wood spice against a backdrop of sweet cinnamon and citrus, while the palate opens with soft cinnamon spices leading into date and figs, before giving way to a long, rich finish with a lingering cinnamon spice.

Nick Savage, The Macallan Master Distiller, said: “After a gentle slumber for over 40 years in our exceptional sherry seasoned oak casks, this rare single malt is full of rich flavor and a beautiful natural color. The Macallan Sherry Oak 40 years old is an outstanding and distinctive addition to our collection of unique, mature whiskies and is testament to our enduring desire to create peerless single malts. We invest more in sherry seasoned casks than any other distillery in sourcing, crafting, seasoning and caring for our casks to create the depth, complexity and richness of flavor for which The Macallan is renowned.”

The Macallan Sherry Oak 40 years old forms part of The Macallan Sherry Oak Range which features a series of single malt whiskies matured exclusively in hand-picked sherry seasoned oak casks from Jerez for richness and complexity. Each expression is characterized by spice, dried fruits and mature oak with a depth of flavor developing through the range.

To create The Macallan Sherry Oak Range, The Macallan works very closely with fully integrated ‘tree to finished seasoned cask’ companies in Spain, to identify the oak trees, fell them sustainably, saw and air dry the oak staves, before shipping them to Jerez in southern Spain for further air-drying to reduce the moisture further still. The casks are then crafted and seasoned for 18 months with dry Oloroso sherry, before making the journey up to Scotland where they are filled with The Macallan ‘new make’ spirit to mature for decades.

The Macallan Sherry Oak 40 years old has an ABV of 44%. The 2017 release will be available starting in late December 2017 and will be limited to 465 bottles worldwide, with only 70 bottles allocated to the USA at a suggested retail price of approximately $9,000.

For further information visit www.themacallan.com

Whisky Makers Notes:

Color: Deep Copper

Aroma: Sultanas with gingers and wood spice. A background of sweet cinnamon and citrus emerges

Palate: Opens with soft cinnamon spices, quickly developing into a mouth coating of date and figs

Finish: Long, rich with a lingering cinnamon spice

About The Macallan

Founded in 1824 in the heart of Speyside, The Macallan was one of the first distilleries in Scotland to be legally licensed. Since then it has built a reputation as one of the world’s finest single malt whiskies.  The story of The Macallan is built on the Six Pillars, each influencing the whisky in its own distinct way.  From the spiritual home of Easter Elchies House; curiously small stills giving richness to the pure spirit; finest cut or the best of the best of the distillation, to exceptional oak casks which account for up to 80% of the final flavor in the whisky; natural color and finally peerless spirit, The Macallan itself.

Wood sits at the heart of The Macallan. The vital contributing influences of Spain, North America and Scotland, together with true mastery, set it apart from the rest. For more information on The Macallan, visit http://www.themacallan.com/. The Macallan can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

We Won! Icons of Whisky Scotland – Online Retailer of the Year 2018 – TheWhiskyBarrel.com

We’ve been rushed off our feet but finally (!) we have found a moment to properly acknowledge this amazing news. Wow! Now that is what we call an early Christmas present.

We are utterly thrilled to have recently been chosen as Whisky Magazine’s Icons Of Whisky Scotland, Online Retailer of the Year 2018. Sadly we couldn’t be there in person at the Award Banquet held in Edinburgh. Customer orders must come first! But now as we start the final week before the festive holidays, we can now raise one huge dram to celebrate.

As we have marked our 10th anniversary this year (2007-2017), this award is the absolute cherry on the cake. What a year it has been. As a Scottish, independent, family owned and run whisky retailer, this is a huge measure of success and recognition.

Thank You.

We would like to say thank you to the judging panel at Whisky Magazine for recognising the role we play within the wonderful industry of Scotch Whisky. Importantly we need to say a big thank you to all the wonderful companies who we work so closely with. They keep us stocked up on some of the finest Scotch Whisky, Scottish Gin, Rum and worldwide whiskey.

Finally, a huge thank you to all our utterly fabulous customers. The insatiable appetite, knowledge and support for Scotch Whisky in particular is what helps us, the indy bottling companies and distilleries continue to thrive.

Thank you and Slàinte Mhath from The Whisky Barrel Family.

A single malt of great richness and character

The Macallan Sherry Oak 40 Years Old – 2017 Release is a new limited edition single malt which marks the pinnacle of the Sherry Oak range. This is the third non-vintage release of a 40 years old expression from The Macallan.

This rare single malt was matured for 40 years in an intriguing combination of three different types of sherry-seasoned cask to create its distinctive style – complex, with a natural deep copper colour, and rich and intense character defined by dried fruits, ginger, wood spice and cinnamon.

This highly collectable release of only 465 bottles is available from December 2017 in select locations worldwide including the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa; as well as exclusive airport retail stores and The Macallan Distillery. A small number of bottles will also be available through The Macallan Online Shop in 2018 with delivery to selected countries. We will be in touch early next year with further details.

EXPLORE THE WHISKY

Orkney 17 Year Old – 2000 | North Star

An exciting new release from North Star Spirits, distilled September 2000 at an undisclosed distillery on the Isle of Orkney, matured for 17 years and finished in a ex Pedro Ximénez sherry hogshead. Only 366 bottles of this single malt Scotch whisky were bottled September 2017 at 55.2% vol.

£70.00

KWM Whisky Advent 2017 Day 22 – Glenfiddich 18 Year

For the second time in the 2017 Whisky Advent Calendar we are featuring a distillery bottled Glenfiddich, and we are excited to do so, because revisiting the Glenfiddich 18 Year is a little like reconnecting with an old friend. While some things changes, others standfast and hold true. The family owned firm of William Grant & Sons, parent company of Glenfiddich and Balvenie distilleries is a good example of this, as their 6^th generation starts to get involved in the business.

In some ways it is remarkable that the firm is still family owned and going strong. In 1953 William Grant Gordon, the 3^rd generation of owners, passed away, bequeathing the firm to his sons. Charles and Sandy were young, 26 and 22 years of age at the time. Many a business might have suffered from such a loss, but William Grants was in safe hands. Charles continued to grow the Blended Scotch whisky side of the business and built the firms grain distillery, Girvan in 1963. A malt distillery was run at the facility from 1968 to 1965, called Ladyburn. In 2007 William Grants opened a new malt distillery on the site called Ailsa Bay.

The other son, Sandy, is the one credited with taking Glenfiddich single malt global. The firm heavily promoted their product in print and on television. They sold an impressive 4,000 cases in their first year, a figure that grew to 174,000 cases in just a decade. Glenfiddich has been the World’s bestselling single malt whisky, with the exception of 2014, when for a year Glenlivet took that honour. Demand for the distillery’s single malt is continuing to grow today. The distillery currently produces a little over $13 million litres of spirit a year, but this figure is set to sky rocket with a whole new production site set to open!

Glenfiddich 18 Year– 40% – Oloroso Sherry & Ex-Bourbon – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: creamy and tropical, treacle sauce and maple butter; melons, mango and papaya; chocolate shavings and cinnamon dusted on top of a foamy cappuccino. Palate: still creamy, tropical and fruity with maple syrup and more subtle treacle notes; more mango, papaya and flambéed banana; more dark chocolate shavings and cinnamon, soft leather and some salted caramel. Finish: long, coating and fruity. Comment: it is nice to revisit the old standbys and remind yourself how pleasant they can be.” – $153 for 750ml – or – $13for 50ml

GENTLEMAN JACK AND WIRED TEAM UP FOR “PITCH DISTILLED”

Amateur Entrepreneur Competition Kicks Off in Detroit December 12th

Gentleman Jack Double Mellowed Tennessee Whiskey and WIRED Brand Lab today announce Pitch Distilled – a multi-city event series that brings together local entrepreneurs to pitch start-up business concepts. These ideas are then judged by founders from Seamless, Wanderu and Startup52 for a chance to win prize money and be featured in WIRED. In its third year, Pitch Distilled will be touring a new set of markets, hosting these events in emerging innovation hubs across the United States, including Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Denver and Houston.

“The innovation that is represented at every Pitch Distilled event never fails to inspire. We are thrilled to once again partner with Gentleman Jack on a program whose ethos is so true to the heart of our brands” said Kim Kelleher, Chief Business Officer of WIRED. “This year, the event series will bring the spirit of entrepreneurship to life from Philadelphia to Houston. We look forward to uncovering the next Big Idea in each of these markets.”

To compete in Pitch Distilled, entrepreneurs should submit proposals online at pitchdistilled.gentlemanjack.com. A panel of judges, selected by WIRED Brand Lab, will narrow down entries to three finalists per market. The finalists then receive special one-on-one mentoring from the judges, to help them craft their pitch, before they deliver it to a live audience at the Pitch Distilled events in each city. The audience selects the winning entrepreneur, who receives a $5,000 monetary prize, along with a branded feature on WIRED.com.

“We’re thrilled to bring Pitch Distilled back for the third year to a new group of markets across the US,” said Ana Kornegay, Gentleman Jack Brand Director. “Jack Daniel had an entrepreneurial spirit which led to the founding of his Tennessee Whiskey back in 1866 and we’re excited to give our friends the opportunity to let their creativity shine.”

The judges selected this year are Jason Finger, co-founder of Seamless, the revolutionary food ordering service which serves more than 10,000 enterprises and one million individuals in 22 cities throughout the world; Chike Ukaegbu, founder and lead executive at Startup52, the first accelerator in NYC focused on identifying and supporting minority and female entrepreneurs; and Polina Raygorodskaya and Igor Bratnikov, co-founders of Wanderu, a travel technology company valued at $100 million that allows riders in the U.S. and Europe to book bus and train tickets on their mobile devices.

For more information on Pitch Distilled visit http://pitchdistilled.gentlemanjack.com/. For the latest news on the Pitch Distilled, including event dates, location, and updates follow @WIREDInsider on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

About Jack Daniel’s

Officially registered by the U.S. Government in 1866 and based in Lynchburg, Tenn., the Jack Daniel Distillery, Lem Motlow proprietor, is the first registered distillery in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Jack Daniel’s is the maker of the world-famous Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, Gentleman Jack Double Mellowed Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select and Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails.

Your friends at Jack Daniel’s remind you to drink responsibly.

Pitch Distilled is produced by WIRED Brand Lab, a creative and experiential in-house agency for the WIRED Media Group, which includes WIRED, Ars Technica, and Backchannel. WIRED Brand Lab connects brands with a WIRED-approved roster of writers, filmmakers, photographers, designers, and engineers, for cross-platform storytelling experiences with a distinctly WIRED-style.

How do you make the world’s peatiest whisky?

I recently spent some time with Bruichladdich’s production director Allan Logan, learning about how they make the fabled Octomore – including Octomore 8.3, the world’s peatiest whisky. Allan, part of the two-man team that took over the distillery when Jim McEwan retired, is exceptionally passionate about provenance and peating, as well as and making great whisky. Here’s what I learned from him about making a peat monster… don’t try this at home?

Distillery Manager Allan Logan and Head Distiller Adam Hannett

How are peat levels measured?

As humans, we’re pretty sensitive to peat and can detect its smoky, meaty, delicious presence at very low levels. But what we’re sensing isn’t actually peat – it’s the chemical compounds called phenols which are released when peat is burned. There are lots of different phenols, furthermore, each one creating slightly different flavours: everything from smoky, meaty guaiacol, to musty and medicinal o-cresol (if this were the beauty industry they’d all have funky names like superphenol or baconol+, but sadly we’re stuck with what we’ve got).

Phenol levels are measured in PPM – Phenolic Parts per Million. Somewhat confusingly, though, that number is measured from the malted barley (the stuff dried by the burning peat) and not the final spirit. So you’re not drinking 309ppm when you drink Octomore 8.3,  but the barley the whisky was originally made with was peated to that level (don’t get me wrong though, it still tastes super peaty).

Why don’t they measure the PPM in the whisky? Allan explains: ‘it’s an industry standard to talk about phenol on the malt, not the spirit, because the latter changes and there are so many variables.’ Adding that even the barley measurements can be misleading, due to the fact that there are about six different methods of doing it, Allan also says that Bruichladdich has debated publishing the PPM of the whisky instead of, or perhaps alongside, the barley figure – something to look out for in future?

Which type of peat?

It’s no longer a case of burning whatever peat happens to be near the distillery because it’s a cheap and convenient source of fuel. Nowadays distillers can pick and choose their peat depending on the desired effect, because different types of peat – whether that be cuts from higher or lower in the peat layer, or from varying parts of the country – have different effects on the barley. If you’d like to read more about this, I recommend this great article on peat terroir by Dave Broom in online whisky magazine scotchwhisky.com

Ironically, Bruichladdich, which has a strong focus on provenance, has struggled to use local peat: ‘We’ve done some experiments with local peat on Islay,’ says Allan. ‘Wwe couldn’t get the PPM above 44. We did it in exactly the same way as we use the peat from Aberdeen and we just couldn’t get the same result.’

How do you peat barley?

Once you’ve got your hands on some really peaty peat, you then have to get its phenols into your barley – which in the case of Octomore 8.3 comes from Islay’s Octomore farm, where it’s grown by James Brown, known to Bruichladdich as ‘the godfather of soil’.

Most distilleries and maltings – places that produce barley for whisky-making – use a traditional method: they burn the peat for around 25 hours then dry the barley with fan-driven hot air.

Bruichladdich, however, has worked closely with its maltings Bairds to evolve the process and make much peatier barley than can normally be produced. As Allan explains: ‘The secret of Octomore is that we’re basically cold-smoking it for five days. The trick is to get smoke not heat, if you heat the barley and dry the barley it eventually will not absorb any more phenolic content.’ They have developed two key techniques to achieve their aims: recycling the smoke so it passes more than once through the grain, and misting the grain with water so that more smoke can stick to it – but not enough so that it starts growing.

Despite this diligence and innovation, there is actually no way to know what the PPM value of the barley will be until the process is finished. ‘The PPM will change based on the time of year, the moisture of the peat, even how agile the guy stoking the fire is!’ says Allan.

How do you distil peaty whisky?

Having painstakingly put all the peat into the barley, the distiller now spends the rest of the process shaking it out. ‘You lose phenols during mashing, fermenting and distillation’ explains Allan. ‘Depending on how you distil you can lose anything between 60-80% of the original PPM, so when you’ve made your spirit you could find you’re anything like 80% less than you started with.’ Taking the back-of-a-napkin approach, this means that Octomore 8.3 could, in reality be as low as 61.8ppm – low being a relative term…

Bruichladdich isn’t, however, focused on making the peatiest-tasting whisky in the world. Allan and the team actually discard quite a large number of the chunkier phenols when they distil, by letting a larger-than-usual proportion of the spirit run into the ‘heads’ (the first, highest-alcohol portion of liquid which comes off the still, which is always redistilled). By sacrificing these phenols, Allan explains, they create a more balanced whisky that has more to offer than heavily robust smoke. ‘It’s more elegant, and we get the flavours of the distillery, the fermentation, the malted barley as well.’

How does peaty whisky age?

The Bruichladdich team chooses not to add water to Octomore before it’s barrelled, as Allan explains: ‘We want the whisky not to take on too much influence from the barrel in the early years; we want it to have the DNA of the spirit.’ In addition, Octomore is also always bottled at cask strength, because the oils are held together at higher strength and preserve the whisky’s flavours and nuances. As any Octomore drinker will tell you, as soon as you add water the phenols open up and it becomes much smokier – but the flavours also quickly disappear.

How peaty can whisky go?

In a few short years Octomore’s whiskies have risen from the initial 80ppm to 309ppm. But is there an upper limit? There’s certainly no concrete number, but there are many barriers to further progress, including physical limits to how much barley can absorb.

For Bruichladdich, in any case, it is clear that its focus is on producing fine and enjoyable whiskies, rather than merely chasing numbers.

It’s that time of the year again; the lead up to the Christmas season when I like to do a special whisky offer in a trio. In the past it’s been Four Roses barrels (the three gifts of the magi), but for 2017 I’m bringing you three very special barrels using code names to hide their true identities. In order to understand the secret contained inside each very special Sovereign bottle, you have to understand a bit about how the Scotch industry works and what teaspooning means. There’s a long history of barrel trading and brokering between blenders and distilleries in Scotland, and some producers are very protective of their name brand. As you’ve likely noticed, we’ve been able to secure single cask selections from top names like Bowmore, Caol Ila, and Highland Park over the years, and those distilleries allow us to use the name, but others take more drastic measures. By adding a teaspoon of a second single malt whisky into the barrel, the whisky instantly becomes a blended malt rather than a single malt, rendering the labeling of that whisky as a single distillery illegal. Hence, all these whiskies say “Blended Malt” rather than “Single Malt” and we’ve used code names to refer to each edition.

 1997 Hector Macbeth 20 Year Old “K&L Exclusive – Sovereign” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky – $99.99

This 20 year old Hector MacBeth single barrel comes from one of the Grant family’s famous Glens and it only takes one sip of this rich, supple, and oak-laden whisky to instantly recognize that classic profile. While the 21 year old distillery version of this whisky will run you $150 or more, this cask strength, single barrel 20 year old release offers a serious bang for your buck proposition in exchange for the anonymity. The initial flavors are oily with vanilla and sweet resin and brandied peaches, moving quickly into concentrated oak, toasted barley, and creme brulee. The finish is dry and spicy and at 56.4% the heat is on! Of the three Sovereign teaspooned casks we have to offer this December, the Hector MacBeth is the darkest, oakiest, and most concentrated of the bunch and when you taste it there’s really no doubt about where it was made. You’ve seen the ubiquitous green tins for the 12 year lining the major liquor stores and airport duty free shelves all over the world, the mark of the deer above the distillery name. This is a 20 year old, single barrel cask strength edition of that classic Highland profile for a cool $99.99. Why the deal? Because of the small teaspoon of a second whisky added into it. I’ll take that deal every time, however. I’m guessing at least 200 other fans of the Glen will take the plunge with me.

We have to be very careful revealing the source of this particular barrel as we got in trouble last time around from the distillery, who wanted to know where we had tracked it down and how it made its way into our hands! All I can tell you for right now is that it was made by one of the most famous producers in the Speyside and that it tastes every bit as soft, creamy, succulent, and refined as all of the official distillery releases. If you’re a classic Highland fan who loves the purity of single malt that tastes like fruit, barley, oak, and spice, then you’re going to treasure this bottle. It’s simply Scotch whisky perfection without gimmicks, barrel enhancements, or any other unnecessary additions.

1995 John McCrae 22 Year Old “K&L Exclusive – Sovereign” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky – $99.99

This round, luscious, soft-textured 22-year-old malt whisky is from Scotland’s Speyside region, made at a very famous distillery renowned for its doublewood expressions and its famed wooden blending vats, sometimes referred to as tuns. While there’s no sherry maturation in this single hogshead, this whisky is grace and elegance defined: golden grains, supple vanilla, richly-textured stone fruit, and generous oak on the finish. Independent casks from this distillery are almost never available, making this John McCrae a true rarity for those in the know.

Those of you who just bought our 24 year old Old Particular cask on pre-order, might also want to have a look at this special 11 year old mystery barrel from “William Hepburn” as both ultimately emanate from the same place. This 11 year old edition is distilled Highland refinement in a bottle. It’s gorgeous from front to back, no frills, nothing out of the ordinary, just classic sweet stone fruit, grains, vanilla, oak, and malt flavor at full proof with no water added. The only thing that’s been added is a teaspoon of a second malt whisky, rendering this barrel a “blended malt” rather than a single malt. That means 99.99999999% of it is from….William Hepburn….and the other .000000001% is from somewhere else. That’s why the price is so good. I’ll take the secret deal over the expensive brand name every day of the week.

2006 William Hepburn 11 Year Old K&L Exclusive “Sovereign” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky $49.99

This 11 year old William Hepburn comes from a distillery in the Speyside known for its sherry matured 12 year and 18 year old editions, as well as its Fine Oak collection. While recently offering up a Classic Cut higher proof edition, rarely do we see non-sherried editions of this whisky at full proof. Despite the 56.9% ABV, the renowned elegance of this distillery shines through here with soft stone fruits (pears and nectarines), supple vanilla, and creamy malt flavor highlighted with oak spices on the finish. Highland whisky fans will be thrilled with the bolder, more concentrated edition of a classic profile. Fans of the big Mac will rejoice, snagging a serious discount with this teaspooned edition.

Until next time!

– David Driscoll, K&L Assistant Head Buyer

Ralfy offers a swatch of the label with Ralfy Review 706 – Balvenie 17yo Doublewood @ 43%vol

KWM Whisky Advent Day 20 – Glengoyne 15 Year

Glengoyne was officially founded in 1833, as Burntfoot Distillery by the Edmondson family, who were the areas major landowner. There was distilling taking place on the site for decades before the 1830s. The distillery sits on the edge of the Highlands, its warehouses technically in the Lowlands. A great hill rises behind the distillery, shorn of trees by Scotlands tempestuous climate. It would have provided an excellent vantage point from which to spot the taxman approaching.

The distillery was acquired by the McLelland family in the 1850s and passed on to the Lang brothers of Glasgow in 1876. The changed the distillery’s name to Glen Guin, which was anglicised to Glengoyne in 1905. The distillery was acquired by Robertson & Baxter in 1965. This firm would later become part of the Edrington Group (A Trust) who own Macallan, Highland Park, Glenrothes and Glenturret). It was an important component in their blends.

The distillery’s single malts slowly started to gain a following in the mid-2000s, after it was acquired by Ian Macloed Distillers in 2003. Ian Macleod had and eye to increasing Glengoyne’s exposure as a single malt. The Glengoyne 15 Year, the whisky we are sampling tonight, was introduced in 2012 and has been a staple in our shop ever since. Glengoyne, like Macallan, Glenfarclas and Glendronach, is a whisky predominantly matured in European oak Ex-Sherry.

The distillery’s production, a little over 1 million litres, is small. It’s focus is on quality over quantity, and it is not afraid to take its time. It has very long fermentations and distillations in comparison with other distilleries. The consistency of its spirit profile the most important consideration.

Glengoyne 15 Year – 43% – Cask Specifications: 30% 1st Fill American Oak Bourbon. 20% 1st Fill European Oak Sherry, 50% Hand-selected quality Oak Refill casks. – My Tasting Note: “Nose: English marmalade on burnt toast, firm leather and milk chocolate; creamy and fruity; citrus fruits and new rubber boots in the rain. Palate: big, rich and smooth; loads of caramel, toffee and milk chocolate; Toffifee; more marmalade on burnt toast before heading out in the drizzle in a new pair of rubber boots; the silky fruits follow with tropical tones and dried apricot. Finish: medium, it tapers off but gently lingers. Comment: very easy drinking, complex but not a thinker; the kind of dram you want after a long and exhausting day!” – $90 for 750ml – or – $11 for 50ml!