Old Rip Van Winkle 25 Year Old Bourbon to be Released 

Oldest Van Winkle Bourbon ever bottled is coming this Spring  

            FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Feb. 21, 2017) – An extra special, one-time bottling of Van Winkle bourbon will soon be released. Only 11 barrels comprise this very small batch bourbon, making the 710 bottles especially rare and even harder to find than the usual Van Winkle whiskeys.

            The barrels were distilled in the spring and fall of 1989 and stored on the lower levels of a metal clad warehouse built in 1935 at the Van Winkle family distillery in Shively, Ky.

In 2002 the barrels were moved to Buffalo Trace Distillery, where they continued to age for another 12 years on the lower floors in Buffalo Trace’s brick warehouses. The lower floor placement helped preserve the sweet, mellow notes of the world-famous wheated bourbon recipe. In 2014 the Buffalo Trace team moved the barrels into stainless steel tanks to halt the aging process and preserve the rich flavor profile fans have come to expect from the Van Winkle line.

These extra special bottles deserve an extra special vessel, so each bottle is a handmade glass decanter from Glencarin Crystal Studio. The bottle information is engraved on each decanter, individually numbered, and hand finished with a silver stopper. A glass top for the decanter is also included.

Each decanter is packaged in a handmade wooden box crafted in North Carolina by James Broyhill II of Heritage Handcrafted. The lid is constructed using the oak staves from the 11 barrels that held this bourbon. The outside of the box bears a metal plaque with the Old Rip Van Winkle logo and states “asleep 25 years in the wood.”   Inside each box, along with the decanter and glass top, is a bourbon certificate of authenticity, numbered and signed by Julian Van Winkle, grandson of original founder Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle, Sr.

            “We are excited to be able to offer something so unique and rare for our most devoted fans,” said Julian Van Winkle, president, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery. “This is a once in a lifetime offering and the beautiful decanter and wooden box just take it to the next level and make it something in which I’m very proud to be associated.”

            The 25 year Old Rip Van Winkle Bourbon is bottled at 100 proof and will start shipping in April. It is packaged one bottle per case. Suggested retail pricing is $1,800 for a 750 ml bottle.  

About Van Winkle Bourbon

The Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery has a four generation history. The Van Winkle

family’s involvement in the bourbon industry began in the late 1800s with Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle, Sr. He was a traveling salesman for the W.L. Weller and Sons wholesale house in Louisville. Pappy and a friend, Alex Farnsley, eventually bought the wholesale house and also partnered with Mr. A. Ph. Stitzel on the purchase of Mr. Sitzel’s distillery.  The three of them merged the two companies and became the Stitzel-Weller Distillery.

In May of 1935 at the age of 61, Pappy opened the newly completed Stitzel-Weller Distillery in South Louisville. Its prominent brands were W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell, and Cabin Still.  Pappy had a heavy influence on the operations there until his death at the age of 91. His son, Julian, Jr. took over operations until he was forced by stockholders to sell the distillery in 1972. The rights to all of their brands were sold to Norton Simon, Inc. Later, United Distillers, who eventually ended up with the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, sold off all of the original labels around 1999.  After selling the distillery, Julian Jr. resurrected a pre-Prohibition label, the only one to which the Van Winkles kept the rights, called Old Rip Van Winkle. He used whiskey stocks from the old distillery to supply his brand. Julian Jr.’s son, Julian, III took over in 1981 when Julian, Jr. passed away. Julian III has continued with the Van Winkle tradition of producing high-quality wheated bourbon. His son, Preston, joined the company in 2001 and the Van Winkles look to continue that tradition for generations to come.  In 2002 the Van Winkles entered into a joint venture with Buffalo Trace Distillery in Franklin County, Frankfort, Ky. All of the Van Winkle’s whiskey production now takes place at Buffalo Trace Distillery under the same strict guidelines the family has always followed. For more information on the Van Winkle family of bourbon please visit www.oldripvanwinkle.com/.

Littlemill 25 Year Old 2015 Release

The Collector’s Loft, Littlemill

50.4% vol. / 70clcl

Spring is less than a month away and what better way to greet the vernal equinox than with spirits! Our never ending search for the for the finest imbibables has recently revealed some real gems including a Prohibition Era style blend from the folks at Old Forester, an extremely limited single barrel expression of Elijah Craig, and a pair of inventive tipplers from the indefatigable Bryan Davis of Lost Spirits.

LIMITED SINGLE BARREL EXPRESSION FROM AN ICONIC BRAND

The iconic label from the Heaven Hill Distillery has long been considered one of the greats. This lovely cask of Elijah Craig is the second we’ve received from their newly rebranded Small Batch 9 year old single barrel program. This exceptional whiskey, which we’ve known for decades in its older 12 year expression, is now being bottled as a no age statement small batch. We’re lucky to get one of the few single barrels available this year. While these bottles don’t care the age designate on the package, each of their single barrels is aged at least 9 years and the whiskey remains one of the best values in the store. It’s a welcome addition to our extremely limited single barrel selection and one of the only single barrels we’ll get from Heaven Hill for quite some time.

Elijah Craig K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $29.99

RELIVE THE PROHIBITION ERA WITH BOURBON

Being one of only a handful of distilleries permitted to remain open during Prohibition (a dark era in American history), Old Forester decided to craft a bottling based on a formula that harkens to this bygone period. The result is among the best Bourbons we had in 2016 and our previous parcel sold out very quickly. While the mash mill remains shrouded in mystery, a pronounced rye element is evident as there’s plenty of body and spice which carries from beginning to end. This spice element holds center stage while being perfectly complimented by flavors of honey, caramel, apricots, rosemary, graham cracker, and more. At 115 proof it packs a punch, but never comes across as too hot or out of balance. Bourbon fans are going to want to flock to this beauty.

Old Forester “1920 Prohibition Style” Kentucky Bourbon Whisky (750ml) $59.99

A SPIRITS MAVERICK RIDES AGAIN

You absolutely cannot stop Bryan Davis. After his original Lost Spirits Distillery in Salinas went down, Bryan took his reactor out to the East Coast and began distilling. When that didn’t go as planned he came back to California, built a new still, and started making navy strength rum in Salinas again. Now he’s opened up a huge warehouse space in downtown Los Angeles where he’ll be continuing to move the brand forward. These two new Abomination releases should help accomplish that task. This time around, rather than using his own whisky distillates, Bryan contracted a bunch of peated new-make spirit from Islay and ran it through his reactor. The result is classic Bryan Davis, albeit without any of the funkiness or earthiness his earlier whiskies carried. Fans of the genre will be pleased. We also think Islay lovers will want to give these a whirl.

Lost Spirits “Abomination – The Sayers of the Law” Peated Malt Whiskey $49.99 Lost Spirits “Abomination – The Crying of the Puma” Peated Malt $49.99

K&L EXCLUSIVE MARKER’S 46 LAUNCH PARTY

This past November we visited Maker’s Mark distillery in Loretto, Kentucky to engage as one of the first participants in their new Maker’s 46 custom barrel program. Utilizing different types of oak staves with various levels of char, we were able to follow the example set from the standard Maker’s 46 expression, yet customize it with our own personal selection of oak types and preference for their placement within the cask. Bottled at cask strength, the resulting whiskey has recently been shipped to CA and we’re planning to premier the official K&L edition at Hard Water on Thursday night, March 2nd. Guests will not only get to try the new release, but also the standard Maker’s Mark 46 side by side, as well as munch on the fine cuisine provided by Hard Water’s kitchen, and sip on Bourbon cocktails mixed by their crack team of bartenders. A night out in the city with delicious food, fine Bourbon, and high-end drinks for only $25 per person? Yes, please! Only forty spots are available. Tickets are non-refundable after purchase. There are no paper tickets for this event; your name will be placed on a guest list.

K&L Exclusive Maker’s 46 Launch Party @ Hard Water, March 2nd @ 7 PM $25.00

Glen Grant  25 year old Platinum Old and Rare

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 156: Rachel Barrie Interview 2014 

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, shares with us his interview with Rachel Barrie, former Master Blender at Auchentoshan. On 1^st of March 2017 Rachel Barrie – the First Lady of Whisky – will leave Morrison-Bowmore Distillers to join the BenRiach company as Whisky Maker. As most of you are aware, Mark is the Toshan Man, avid collector of Auchentoshan Lowland Single Malt Whisky – which was created by Mrs Barrie and her team for the past five years. During research for his book, Mark was able to interview Mrs Barrie in February 2014. This interview was printed in the book, of course, but the video was never before released. As a tribute to Mrs Barrie’s work at Auchentoshan (and Bowmore and Glen Garioch), he gladly shares this great interview with us. The interview is 26 minutes, so go ahead and pour yourself a dram first! 

https://youtu.be/5FvdtCvIAAc

This week, Maureen Robinson, Master Blender for whisky at Diageo celebrates a brilliant 40 years’ service. Maureen is involved in both blended Scotch and single malts as well as the exclusive range of Special Releases that Diageo release each year. She is often seen on the judging panels of whisky competitions and was made Keeper of the Quaich in 2012.

Having studied Pharmacy at Strathclyde University she began her career in the Glenochil Research Station as a young scientist in 1977. This is where she discovered her excellent sense of smell and spent 9 years developing her nosing and tasting ability, she even created her own language. Maureen then moved onto a Quality Assurance role which lead to her being Master Blender where she works on products through from development to launch.

Maureen said: “I can’t quite believe I’ve worked here for 40 years, it’s been such a journey and lots has changed over the past 4 decades.  I love my job very much, I privileged to work on fascinating projects, with brilliant people all around the world. 

I’m very proud to work with Scotch, the world’s favourite whisky to be enjoyed whenever, wherever – I love travelling widely to find new flavours and smells, it all influences my work.” 

Nick Morgan, Head of Whisky Outreach at Diageo comments: 

“Congratulations to Maureen for such a fantastic tenure at Diageo – her work for Diageo and for the Scotch industry is invaluable and we thank her for years of service and dedication. I’m so pleased we can celebrate this milestone with her.”

FEBRUARY AUCTION LIVE AND LEGENDARY!

This month spans the whole gamut, from the affordable and most drinkable to the rarest and most legendary, we’ve got it all. Check out the line up of legends below before heading over to the website to explore the rest!

KARUIZAWA 1981 SAKURA

Let’s face it, every bottle produced by this great lost Japanese distillery has now achieved legendary status but few more so than the 1981 Sakura Cask. One of only 45 released, it is an incredible whisky and a mere hint of the Karuizawa treasures that can be found in our current auction!

CLYNELISH AINSLIE & HELIBRON 12 YEAR OLD

The rarest of the rare, a pre-1965 Ainslie & Helibron Clynelish! Complete with box depicting the now silent distillery, this is an opportunity not to be missed!

MACALLAN CAMPBELL, HOPE & KING

Four stunning examples of Macallan bottled by Campbell, Hope & King. Including vintages from the 1950s and 1960s, these are some wonderful bottles!

JAMESON VINTAGE COLLECTION

A more intriguing group of bottles you will rarely see! From a bygone era of Irish whiskey production, examples like these don’t come along very often.

PORT ELLEN ANNUAL RELEASE COLLECTION

The lost jewel in Islay’s crown, Port Ellen has achieved near mythical status since its closure in 1983. This month features all 16 bottles from this stunning collection!

HANYU MONOCHROME & COLOUR JOKER

What a pleasure it is to feature both the Colour and Monochrome Hanyu Joker bottles in our February Auction! One of the rarest and most sought after Japanese whiskies around, the superb Monochrome Joker is one of only 241 bottles, containing liquid distilled in 1985 and matured in a single cask. An incredible pair!

Auction runs Friday 24th February to Monday 6th March.

There is no registration fee, our commission structure is very competitive and we offer worldwide shipping. For our terms and conditions please click here.

Happy bidding!

LONDON & M6 COLLECTION 2ND – 5TH MARCH

In the area and have bottles that you would like to enter for auction?

Get in touch and we will add you to our list of collections!

Isle of Arran Distillery adds a dram of poetry to London Fashion Week

The Robert Burns Single Malt, the only whisky officially endorsed by the World Burns Federation, has given London Fashion Week a taste of ‘Scotland in miniature’.

In partnership with Fentimans Botanically Brewed Beverages, the Isle of Arran Distillery served hundreds of their ‘Burnito’ cocktails during the presentation of the Le Kilt AW17 collection on the 17^th February.

Samantha McCoach founded Le Kilt in 2014 with a vision of adding a dash of modernity to her family’s kilt-making heritage. Central to the Le Kilt philosophy is a preservation of traditional techniques, underscored with modernity – an approach that the Isle of Arran Distillery shares.

Jaclyn McKie, sales & marketing manager at the Isle of Arran Distillery, said: “We believe that good whisky never goes out of fashion – but that’s not to say we shy away from a modern twist – our cocktail recipes being the perfect example.

“Samantha’s approach to a very traditional Scottish craft struck a chord with us and her show felt like a great opportunity to introduce a whole new audience to the Arran Malt.

“With the help of Fentimans, we were proud to bring a touch of Arran to London and a dram of poetry to London Fashion Week.”

The last Le Kilt presentation drew over 200 UK and international press attendees including US Vogue, British Vogue, W Magazine, Elle, Harpers Bazaar, The Telegraph, US Elle and Dazed.

The Burnito:

You will need

50ml Burns Malt Whisky

25ml Fresh Lime Juice

15ml Sugar Syrup

6 Mint Leaves

Fentimans Ginger Beer

Method:

Shake everything (except ginger beer) over ice and strain into ice filled highball glass.

Top up with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge and a mint sprig.

ENDS  For more information, samples and images, please contact Megan King at Inside Media on megan@insidemedia.uk.com or 01179 066 526.

Notes to editors: For more information visit www.arranwhisky.com/ * Accolades for Isle of Arran Distillery include Winner for: Best New Exporter (2004), Queen’s Award for International Trade (2005), Scottish Distiller of the Year (2007) and Scottish Drinks Producer of the Year (2007.)

Scottish Field Visitor Experience of the Year 2014 & 2015.

Product awards include: Best Whisky Liqueur (2007), ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 12 Years & Under’ for The Arran Malt Amarone Cask Finish (2008) ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for The Arran Malt Sherry Single Cask 1998 (2010) and ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for the Icons of Arran Peacock (2011.) ‘Double Gold Award’ for Arran’s 14 Year Old Single Malt and ‘Gold Award’ for Arran’s 10 Year Old Single Malt at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2012). Double Gold in FiftyBest.com awards (2012). Double Gold Medal for the 12 year-old Cask Strength in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2013). Double Gold for both the 10 year-old and 12 year-old Cask Strength at the China Wine & Spirits Best Value Awards 2014.

About Fentimans Botanically Brewed Beverages:

• Fentimans Botanically Brewed Beverages is a family owned and run business started in 1905 by Thomas Fentiman.
• Fentimans is the only brewer in the UK to use the time honoured process of botanical brewing to produce natural, full flavoured beverages.
• The mixer range comprises seven drinks, and there are nine soft drinks plus a selection of pre mixed alcoholic beverages and the craft beer, Hollows and Fentimans Alcoholic Ginger Beer and Alcoholic Spiced Ginger Beer.
• Fentimans was named as the UK’s number one soft drinks brand in The Guild of Fine Food’s Best Brands Survey 2016-17.

Excitement is building for Whiskies of the World in San Jose (#WOWSJ) on March 30th and in San Francisco (#WOWSF) on March 31st.  San Jose has grown and we moved the event to a larger venue, the GlassHouse at 2 S. Market Street.  That means more room for more whisky.

#WOWSF happens on the San Francisco Belle Yacht (remains docked) at Pier 3. VIP is already sold out, but general admission tickets are still available. Click here for San Francisco hotel partners. Announcing the San Francisco Masterclasses: (You must have a ticket for the main tasting in order to get into a seminar) masterclassessfo2017.eventbrite.com

• Beauty and the Beast: Glenmorangie vs Ardbeg: Travis Tidwell:
• Last Great Malts: Gabriel Cardarella
• Whisky Mixology:  H Ehrmann from Elixir
• Sonoma County Distilling:   Adam Spiegel
• Cigar/Whisky Pairing:    Thomas G. Brock

and the San Jose Masterclasses:

• 50 Shades of Spey: Alexander Murray Independent Bottler: Cameron Johnston
• Last Great Malts:  Gabriel Cardarella

                        Links to buy tickets: San Jose 3/30/2017 ; Sponsored by Silicon Valley Magazine San Francisco 3/31/2017 : Sponsored by SF Magazine Current list of participating brands San Jose; San Francisco Early bird tickets are now on sale for Texas and Atlanta events! Whiskies of the World Houston (#WOWHOU) will take place on Thursday, September 14th, at the JW Marriott Galleria Whiskies of the World Austin (#WOWAUS) is Saturday, September 16th, at the JW Marriott downtown. Whiskies of the World Atlanta (#WOWATL) is Saturday, November 4th, at the Westin Buckhead Lets talk about it! Be sure to use the hashtags when talking about the all the WOW shows on social media. Each time you post with the correct hashtags, you will be entered in a drawing to win a free ticket to that show. We will select one winner the week before the show. If you have already purchased your ticket which we recommend you do, we will refund it.  Post and follow on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. We have some world class whiskies coming to each show and would like to highlight a few more this issue. If you missed any issues of our newsletter, please be sure to look at the archive here for more information about your favorite whiskies.

The Last Great Malts from Dewar’s

The Last Great Malts is a branding of 5 single malts that are all part of the Dewar’s blend and owned by Dewar’s. They are Aberfeldy, Craigellachie, The Deveron, Aultmore, and Royal Brackla. Dewar’s has a long history, a heritage rich with stories, secrets, and of course full of delicious Scotch. The Last Great Malts represents some of the single malts used in Dewar’s, the single malts that are just too good to keep only for blending! Aberfeldy is the signature malt in Dewar’s, that delicious, fruity, sweet whisky! They call themselves the “golden dram” in part because the water they use to make the whisky is richly laden with minerals, including GOLD!  Craigellachie is an old fashioned malt, still made using worm tubs for condensing, which give it a meaty, sulphury taste that is cherished by many a Scotch fan! The Deveron can be found in other countries as Glen Deveron and McDuff, but from now on will be known simply as The Deveron. It is made by the sea and the bottle is a frosted green that evokes found sea glass on the beach. It is delightfully smooth and calls you back for another taste. Aultmore is “of the Foggie Moss” and has the nickname (and also can be asked for locally) as “a nip of the Buckie Road”. These names allude to a Scotch which is somewhat mysterious and unknown to most of the world, yet well known where it is made. It is flavorful, and a great value for the quality you get. Only three Scotches have had the “Royal” designation. Brackla received theirs from King William the IV, uncle to Queen Victoria, in 1833. Queen Victoria renewed the warrant in 1838. A Royal Warrant means that this whisky is a favorite of the royal family and chosen by them as an “official” whisky of the court. This is a sherry finished whisky and is fairly straightforward in its notes of vanilla, pepper and dried fruits. Though Aberfeldy and Craigellachie have been available in the US for quite some time, the other three are relatively new to US markets. Make the Dewar’s table a first stop at Whiskies of the World to see for yourself why they could not be kept a secret any more.

Crown Royal

The best known Canadian whisky in the world is also one of the best selling whiskies in the world: Crown Royal. While only three Scotch whiskies have been given the designation of Royal, Crown Royal was designed from its start for Royalty. In 1939 King George IV and Queen Elizabeth (the current Queen Elizabeth’s parents) came to Canada and Samuel Bronfman, then of Seagram’s, wanted to craft a whisky to give to them to honor their visit. He expertly blended over 50 whiskies to create Crown Royal and presented it to the Royal couple and stocked their train that took them across the country. It wasn’t until 1964 that it was introduced to the US and other countries. In recent times many delicious variations have been introduced, like the XO which is the original blend which is then finished in Cognac casks from the French Limousin forest, or the Monarch, introduced in 2014 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Royal visit that started it all. At Whiskies of the World, start a new tradition of your own by trying all of their fine expressions!

Woodford Reserve

Though not always called Woodford Reserve, the distillery where Woodford reserve is made is the oldest Bourbon distillery in Kentucky, built in 1838. Dr. James Crow, a Scottish scientist, is called the “Father of Bourbon” and was employed at the “Oscar Pepper Distillery” as it was known then. He perfected much of the process used in making bourbon today, including sour mash and aging in barrels. This would be enough accolades for any distillery, but Woodford Reserve is also the only Bourbon distillery using pot stills for part of their distilling. (Some of their spirit also comes from column stills, the usual method for distilling bourbon.) These pot stills originated in Scotland. Another rather unusual thing is that the warehouse for aging is made of stone rather than wood and therefore the temperature fluctuates more slowly and the spirit is heated and cooled at a more regular pace than many other bourbons sitting in barrels in Kentucky. Finally, Woodford Reserve is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, and releases a special Derby expression every year. At the Kentucky Derby you may have to pay $1000 for a Mint Julep made from Woodford Reserve, but a taste of this fine whiskey is included when you buy a ticket to Whiskies of the World in San Francisco.

The Glenlivet

The Single Malt that started it all! People in Scotland were making whisky long before it was legally permitted. In 1824, it became legal and George Smith, the founder of the Glenlivet, applied for a permit to change his illicit distillery to a legal one. Other distillers were mad that he did this as they hoped that if no one would apply for permits, it would not become something that had to be done. George Smith famously carried around two pistols to protect himself and his people from the angry distillers. Today The Glenlivet, named for the river in Speyside near where it is located, is the best selling Single Malt in the US and the second best selling in the world! There are 12 Whiskies regularly produced that cover a wide variety of wood finishes and even some peat flavors! The Glenlivet 12 is the standard against which many measure Scotch whisky. It is the one Scotch that you will find in almost every bar and if someone has tried Scotch, most often this is the Scotch they have tried. It is consistently smooth and easy to drink, and with the classic Speyside flavors of honey, heather, and vanilla, it is a complex, fruity malt. Additionally in the Classic range you have the 15, the 18, and the Founders’ reserve. The Nadurra collection emphasizes the whisky making tradition of the 19th century and is non chill filtered, often focusing on the wood flavors from the casks. Whiskies of the World in San Francisco welcomes The Glenlivet and encourages you to make this one of your first stops of the evening.

Sonoma County Distilling Company

California is known for making great wines, and some of the conditions that allow that to be true help make it a great locale for whiskey making as well. Sonoma County Distilling uses non GMO grains from California, Canada and the UK, and hand fires their pot stills, watching the process carefully and crafting whiskey slowly by hand, from grain to glass. They describe their new make spirit as “a viscous, high ester-driven” fluid ready to age in barrels from Minnesota and Missouri. Their cornerstone product is their Rye, but they also make a bourbon and a wheat whiskey. These tasty offerings are treats that are found mainly in California, and chances are you have not had the pleasure of trying this whiskey yet. Another fine reason to buy your WOW tickets today and indulge in the pleasure of finding new favorites among some old friends. Master Class With Adam Speigel, Owner of Sonoma County Distilling Join Adam Spiegel, Owner and Head Distiller of Sonoma County Distilling Company, to learn about his approach to crafting grain to glass whiskeys. As California’s first premier whiskey-focused distillery, Adam will discuss what sets their rye, wheat and bourbon whiskeys apart from what is made in Kentucky. He’ll share why utilizing direct-fired copper alembic pot stills, the finest grains for their mash bill and a unique barrel aging program makes all the difference in their limited-release whiskeys, each reflecting the exceptional terroir of Sonoma County.  Adam will be presenting this class at Whiskies of the World in San Francisco on March 31st. Sign up when you buy your ticket!

This is just a small sample of the 100’s of whiskies you can try at a Whiskies of the World event. There is something for every taste, and it all comes together in one great evening! Don your kilts, your dinner jackets and party dresses and come on out for an unforgettable night of whisky!

Cheers, Douglas Smith ~ Event Director Whiskies of the World

Hi folks.

The 71st auction is now live!

ENJOY!!!!!!