Malt Messenger Bulletin 2 New KWM Casks

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

I’m writing you from Beautiful British Columbia where I have just finished a two day whirlwind whisky trip. Two days, three tastings, 28 whiskies, three flights and a lot of great people. I am writing you as I return home to Calgary for another amazing tasting in store tonight. Some whisky news just can’t wait for the next full Malt Messenger, so I found the time to bang out a quick Bulletin.

Our Summer 2017 tasting schedule is out, and open for registration, in store, by phone 403-283-8000 and online. Details on all of the whisky and spirits tastings are below.

The KWM exclusive Cadenhead cask ~ we are launching the Cadenhead Glen Moray 1992 25 Year KWM Cask tonight. The bottle will be available in store next week for $200, which is very reasonable for a 25 year old cask strength whisky.  It is our latest 25th Anniversary bottling to hit the shop. The gents at Cadenhead bottled it just a couple of days after it hit 25 years of age.

We have another new KWM exclusive cask too… The Kensington Wine Market Glenrothes 1997 Cask. Bottled from an Oloroso Sherry Butt, only 84 bottles have come to Canada, the rest bottled for a shop in Taiwan. More than half of the bottles have sold in just 10 days, we expect it to be sold out before the end of the summer if not sooner. Pop into the shop this weekend if you would like to have a taste!

Finally we have some new and very intriguing Cadenhead Small Batch bottlings in store. Some of them have already arrived with th balance expected to trickle in over the next few weeks. The 10 highlighted below are old and rare, and very limited. They won’t last long.

I hope this Malt Messenger Bulletin finds you well!

Slàinte!

In This Edition

1. New Summer Tasting ScheduleNew Cadenhead Glen Moray 1992 KWM Cask 25 Year
2. New Kensington Wine Market Glenrothes 1997 19 Year
3. 9 Exciting New Cadenhead Small Batch Whiskies

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter:

@scotch_guy, Instagram: @thescotch_guy/

or @kwmwhisky and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1

NEW Compass Box KWM 25th Anniversary Blend

This is one of our most exciting exclusive whiskies ever… It is a Compass Box Blend that we’ve created in collaboration with John Glaser of Compass Box. The whisky was inspired by some of John’s greatest hits, and it is stunning.

$160

More Information

NEW Wyoming Whiskey KWM Single Barrel Bourbon

Our first ever single barrel Bourbon from the Wyoming Whiskey distillery. Bottled at a barrel strength of 56.36%. Only 192 bottles, they won’t last long!.

$100

More Information

Only 30 Bottles Left! 

Glenfarclas 25 Year KWM Cask Strength

The first of our 25th Anniversary whiskies is a stunner and we can’t keep it in stock! Soft sherry influences and silky smooth at 52%!

 $285

More Information

New Summer Tasting Schedule 

Starting tonight with a very special tasting of old and rare Cadenhead whiskies!

Our summer tasting schedule is online and open for registration. Call 403-283-8000 to register, or do so online!

1. Hot Weather, Hotter Bourbon – Thursday, July 20th – Baby it’s hot outside, so let’s cool things off with some of the hottest new Bourbons! – $30
2. Samaroli Malt Whisky & Friends – On Thursday, July 27th we will pour 7 whiskies to sample in this tag team tasting of malt whisky up to 26 years of age… Evan and Jonathan will be your spirit guides on this quest! – $40
3. Independents’ Day – Tuesday, August 8 – With the prices of older Distillery-bottled single malts skyrocketing, some of the best value is coming from Independent Bottlers! – $50
4. Garden Party Cocktails – Tuesday, August 15 – Looking for some refreshing summer cocktails for your garden party? Look no further! – $20
5. Whiskies of Summer Festival – Thursday, August 17 – We have a boat-load of new whiskies landing this summer, so we’re putting on a Festival to crack some open! Includes a complimentary Glencairn glass! Proceeds from the event will go to the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank. – $50
6. All About Arran: Cask(s!) Launch Mini Festival – We have TWO new Arran casks coming, and on Thursday, August 24th we are throwing our doors open to introduce them to Calgary. This mini-fest is “All About Arran!” – $25
7. Whiskies of the World Unite – Scotland look out, the distilleries of the World are starting to make World Class Whisky… On Tuesday, August 29th we will showcase a wide range of whiskies from around the Globe. – $35

Call 403-283-8000 to register, or register online!

New Cadenhead Glen Moray 1992 KWM 25 Year 

Our first and only 25 year old anniversary bottling, distilled in 1992 the year KWM was founded!  

More details to come, only time to hammer out a quick tasting note!

Cadenhead Glen Moray 1992 KWM 25 Year – 55.1% – American Oak – Approx 220 Bottles – My Tasting Note: “Nose: doughy, decadent and floral; clotted cream, crystallized honey and creme brule; very delicate and tropical: melon, mango and juicy orange; a silky creamy base. Palate: soft, silky, floral, elegant and still very delicate; thin tendrils of honey, clotted cream and vanilla lead into the soft subtle tropical fruits and orange; both cantaloupe and honeydew melons, firm but balanced toasted oak and Demerara sugars; light but coating with lots of layers. Finish: long and very delicate it is both drying and coating with more soft oak tones, tropical fruits and decadent vanilla-cream. Comment: we patiently waited for this whisky to reach 25 years of age, and we’ve glad we did; it is a fine summer whisky, great value for a 25 year old single cask, and it won’t disappoint! – $205

New Kensington Wine Market Glenrothes 1997 Cask 

The labels aren’t pretty, but the whisky is awesome, and will be sold out in weeks! 

As many people know, I have not always been a fan of Glenrothes. While I have had good botltlings of the malt, most have been unimpressive, and I generally find it uninspiring! Sherry cask matured Glenrothes is especially dicey, but this Sherry Butt (7153) matured cask, bottled for KWM is an exception. It is insanely fruity, massively tropical, layered and complex. Only 84 bottles have been filled for KWM at 58%… and they won’t last! The label isn’t amazing, but who cares, the whisky is fantastic. Without bluster or exageration I can say that it will be sold out in no time flat. Of the 84 bottles that arrived last Wednesday, more than half have already sold.

 Kensington Wine Market Glenrothes 1997 – 58% – Sherry Butt 7153 – My Tasting Note: “Nose: decadent, fruity and very sherried; like PX matured Glendronach… loads of dark fruits; maple syrup, a hint of smoked bacon and dark chocolate; big spices, leather and tobacco. Palate: round, fruity, decadent and rich; the syrupy Maple syrup notes hit first, then the big dark fruits, chocolate and nutty tones; mid palate it settles down into notes of cedar, fatty smoked bacon and spices, before the big leather, tobacco and spice notes set it; lots of layers here, the sample blew us away, but the bottled version is even better. Finish: long and still decadent, fruity syrupy sherry tones and more leather, tobacco, chocolate and spices; this is no shrinking violet! Comment: the is a sherry bomb, the closest thing we have seen PX Glendronach in the skin of a Glenrothes ever… lots of layers and complexity!” – $200

10 New Cadenhead Small Batch Whiskies 

Old, Rare and available in very small quantities…

We have some limited and I suspect very sought after Cadenheads Small Batch Bottlings coming soon to KWM. All are limited, and if the past three years of Cadenhead Small Batch bottlings are any measure, these won’t disappoint. The whiskies are either single casks or extremely Small Batch, just 2-3 casks! A few of them are limited to 1 per customer. The Bunnahabhain got a good review from Serge, 89pts. The rest have not yet been reviewed. They are without doubt the best value older single malt whiskies (and one grain) that we can put our hands on:

1. Cadenhead Small Batch Blair Athol 1988 – 53.6% – 28 Year – 2 Bourbon Barrels – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Floral, with cut grass, dried apricots and sweet toffee. Palate: Chocolate eclairs, soft all spice, more toffee and whipped cream. Finish: Blueberries, hints of menthol with cherry cake and dark chocolate.” – $340
2. Cadenhead Small Batch Bunnahabhain 1976 – 49.4% – 39 Year – 3 Sherry Butts – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Spiritous, rich and polished wood. Coffee liqueurs with cream, apples and rich cooked fruit. Palate: Initially ginger and cinnamon spiciness which then smooths out to boiled sweets and pecan pie with rich wood undertones. Finish: Slightly drying but very warm and spicy. Distillery Fact: The second smallest whisky producer on Islay with 2.7million sites of pure alcohol coming off its stills every year, Bunnahabhain  distillery actually closed between 1982 and 1984.” – $630 89pts Serge
3. Cadenhead Small Batch Caol Ila 1983 – 50.2% – 33 Year – Bourbon Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Acrylic paint, very oily with bags of citrus and coastal grasses. Palate: leg of lamb with rosemary, lots of mineral notes with hints of rabbit and crispy sage. Finish: The harbour, soft distant smoke, dry ash, hints of seaweed and white wine vinegar.” – $515 – SOLD OUT!
4. Cadenhead Small Batch Fettercairn 1988 – 55.4% – 28 Year – 3 Bourbon Hogsheads – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Autumnal forests, banana loaf, and soft ashy notes. Palate: Marzipan, icing sugar, crystallised oranges and soft oakiness. Finish: Red fruits, melted tablet, dunnage warehouses with a salty edge.” – $340
5. Cadenhead Small Batch Glen Keith 1973 – 43.2% – 43 Year – Bourbon Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Peaches, Red Grapes, limes, syrupy with clotted cream. Palate: Hazelnuts with tropical fruits and hints of oakiness and faint flinty notes. Finish: Chocolate covered hazelnuts with lingering fruit cocktail.” – $759.99
6. Cadenhead Small Batch Glentauchers 1990 – 52.6% – 26 Year  – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Grapefruit and lime, syrupy notes with vanilla and coconut. Palate: Blackcurrants, cherries, brown sugar, green apple skins and very chewy. Finish: Chocolate milkshake, cocoa butter and dry spice.” – $325
7. Cadenhead Small Batch Highland Park 1996 – 50.6% – 20 Year – Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: New leather, touch of sea salt, with a little vanilla and cooked apple. Palate: Little lemon, citrus note, vanilla, loads of cream, apples crumble, sugar icing and an pear tart. Finish: Oily with citrus notes, milky, salt reemerges, very coastal finish.” – $230 – 1 Per Customer
8. Cadenhead Invergordon 1972 – 48.3% – 43 Year – 2 Bourbon Barrels – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Vanilla, caramel custard, milk butter and marzipan. Palate: Cream, butter, salted popcorn and oatcakes. Finish: Cheesecake, lemon zest, oranges and pears with milk bottle chews. Distillery Fact: The distillery started operations in 1961, four years later Ben Wyvis single malt distillery started up, closing in 1977. The stills from Ben Wyvis are now at Glenglye Distillery in Campbeltown, itself set up by Frank McHardy who started his career at Invergordon.” – $385
9. Cadenhead Small Batch Mortlach 1987 – 48.2% – 30 Year – Bourbon Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Creamy, minty, fruit coulis, hints of praline and toffee sauce. Palate: Leather, straw, maple syrup and condensed milk. Finish: Sweet, crispy cakes, syrup, vanilla and raspberries and white chocolate.” – $425
10. Cadenhead Small Batch Tomatin 1976 – 43.8% – 39 Year – Bourbon Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: light a very delicate with honey and lightly salted butter. Palate: slight citrus and zestiness, pink grapefruit. Finish: more citrus flavours, a refreshing fruit punch finish. Distillery Fact: Tomatin Distillery used to own and run an eel farm on a commercial basis until 1984, this also allowed them to make use of the waste hot water. – $630

Thank You for Reading the Malt Messenger! 

Contact & Disclaimers 

If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store.

All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change and don’t include GST. In the case of discrepancies in pricing, the price in our in store point of sale will be taken as correct.

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson

Owner & Scotchguy

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000

Glen Grant 8 Year Old – 2008 | Cask Strength

We’re always very excited to hear news from Gordon & MacPhail that they’re releasing a new bottling from their fantastic cask strength series. This single malt Scotch whisky, was distilled in 2008 at the Glen Grant distillery, then left to mature for 8 years in first fill sherry hogsheads 900011 & 900014. Bottled at 56.7% in 2017, great value for this spicy Speysider …

£47.80

THE ENGLISH WHISKY CO. PROUDLY PRESENTS THE LAUNCH OF THIS YEAR’S BATCH OF CHAPTER 17

It is finally here and in the new “Small Batch” clothing… so looks very smart. Chapter 17 is our triple distilled single malt whisky. Triple distilling gives a very light and delicate whisky which is perfect for these balmy summer days.

Only 1641 bottles released. £49.99

BUY NOW

There are some wonderful whiskies from July Outturn still available online at a very attractive price, with a great selection under £50. There are also Society savings on our pair, trio and case offers. Perfect for those planning summer adventures, order now before they are gone forever.

READ 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

Whisky hunters in quest for rare casks 

Cask brokerage launched to flush out ‘dormant’ rare whisky casks

Whisky analyst, broker and investment expert Rare Whisky 101 has launched a new bespoke cask brokerage service to meet increased demand from global whisky enthusiasts seeking rare whisky still held in wood.

Over the past 12 months, RW101 has brokered over 20,000 rare whisky bottles around the globe. However, with demand for Scotland’s rare liquid gold showing no signs of abating, the world’s leading whisky hunters are now casting the net wider to include dormant casks, which could be worth, more than £100,000 each based on average values brokered by RW101.

RW101 has already brokered casks (barrels, hogsheads and butts) from a range of iconic brands including Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Macallan, Highland Park, Rosebank and Springbank. These rare wooden treasures, if bottled at cask strength, would fill 13,576 bottles worth a total of £3.574M.  Prices have ranged from £2,500 per cask to over £500,000, with an average cask price of £132,000. RW101 believes there may be some casks in existence which, if they came up for sale, could fetch well over £1 million each.

By launching this new service, RW101 aims to attract owners of casks of rare whisky, which are most likely lying dormant in Scotland’s bonded warehouses, who may be looking to liquidate their stocks.

Whisky investment expert and co-founder of Rare Whisky 101, David Robertson said: “While we have always advised our customers against buying casks filled with “new-make spirit”, we believe that the market for older casks of high quality liquid from top tier distilleries will continue to go from strength to strength. RW101 has already seen an increased demand for quality casks from our more sophisticated clients be they connoisseurs, collectors or investors so it made sense to introduce a more formal cask brokerage service.

“We’re particularly keen to hear from any cask owners who may have either inherited old casks or acquired and then left them in storage. Given the booming global demand for rare whisky, these owners could be sitting on a very tidy profit!”

While the market for casks is gathering pace, RW101 is warning owners of the dangers of holding on to casks for too long:

“Many people would assume that as long as their whisky is stored in cask in a bonded warehouse, no harm can come to it. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. There is most definitely a finite time in which to sell a cask. We recently saw a 50 year old cask that had dropped below the legal minimum of 40% alcohol to 28% and was subsequently deemed worthless! I’d encourage any owners, even if they don’t want to sell, to get their casks re-gauged and sampled. Casks can also leak and become overly-woody so cask owners should ensure that their casks are checked annually.”

The secondary market for rare whisky witnessed another year of significant growth in 2016 outperforming many other well established asset classes, including wine and gold. The total value of rare whisky bottles sold at auction in the UK in 2016 hit record levels of £14.21M exceeding 2015 (£9.56M) by almost 50%. Over twelve months, 58,758 bottles of single malt Scotch whisky were sold in the UK on the open market, an increase of 15,300 bottles and a 35% increase on 2015.

For more information or to download the full report visit www.rarewhisky101.com 

Notes

About Rare Whisky 101 Andy Simpson and David Robertson launched Rare Whisky 101 in 2014 with the aim of offering a whisky valuation service, brokerage and consultancy for whisky connoisseurs, collectors and investors. Having tracked every bottle sold at UK auctions over the past 12 years, the business now offers the world’s first, only and most comprehensive online single malt Scotch & Japanese whisky dataset covering over 230,000 price records across just over 30,000 different bottle types. In the last 12 months, RW101 have brokered around 20,000 rare whisky bottles around the globe in addition to trading in aged casks from iconic distilleries such as The Macallan, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Springbank, Mortlach, Talisker, Caol Ila, Lagavulin and Highland Park.

Discover single malts from the Islands of Scotland!

Join us as we return to the cellars of Nickolls & Perks to taste six complex whiskies, from distilleries home to the Highlands & Islands. The evening will see us hop from coastal classics through to richer and more sherried mainland malts, with Brand Ambassador Christopher McArthur.

What’s on Taste

Bunnahabhain | Tobermory | Ledaig | Deanston

Islay isn’t the only place to find delightful peated whiskies. We’ll be discovering Ledaig (pronounced Led-chig), otherwise known as peated Tobermory, and comparing the two styles from the Mull distillery.

Deanston, from the Highlands of Scotland, is another distillery we’ll touch on. Expect to find wonderful vanilla notes with caramel, shortbread and dried fruits.

Lets not forget Bunna…

Bunnahabhain Distillery

One of our all time favourites situated on the north-east coast of Islay, here you’ll find one of the Island’s most interesting styles of whisky – rich sherried notes balanced with classic coastal saltiness. You’ll also be one of the first to get a sneak peak of something new from them!

– Tickets £25 –

BOOK NOW >>

VENUE

Nickolls & Perks
37 Lower High Street
Stourbridge
DY8 1TA

Thursday 27 July 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Wild Turkey “Master’s Keep – Decades” Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($129.99)

The second release in the Master’s Keep series, the Wild Turkey “Decades” is a marriage of casks aged between 10 to 20 years that, in my opinion, is a huge step up from the previous 17 year old release for a number of reasons. The first: it’s bottled at a higher 52% ABV that really adds lift and vigor to the richness and spice of the whiskey. Whereas the 17 year was quite mellow and soft having been aged in a brick warehouse off-site, the Decades is bold and quite lively. Second reason: whereas the 17 year was a marriage of similar casks, the Decades is a marriage of whiskies between 10 – 20 years old, carefully constructed so that the best parts of each barrel highlight one another. Think of this as Wild Turkey’s version of the Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition – mature casks, blended with skill to create a whiskey greater than the simple sum of its components. Everything about the Decades tastes fantastic. There’s plenty of sweetness, a roundness of fruit, loads of baking spices like clove and cinnamon, and a bold, mouthwatering finish. There’s no need to add water, but you can if you like. Perhaps the whiskey’s greatest strength is its immediate accessibility and gorgeous bottle, making it the perfect gift for any Bourbon lover. As someone who’s tried pretty much every Bourbon in the book, I’m planning on adding the Decades to my collection. But I can just as easily imagine the casual whiskey drinker being absolutely wowed by this. (David Driscoll, K&L Buyer)

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 05, 2017

The Wild Turkey Decades is distinct from your every day Wild Turkey as it contains nearly two decades of production. The concept actually seems crazy considering how much old whiskey is actually in this blend (it’s likely 90%+ 15 years old) but the inclusion of both the very old 20 year and the standard 10 year add some incredible edges to the exquisite center. Expect powerful WT spice on the nose pointed with sweet burnt sugars, cedar, spearmint, cocoa and blackberry jam. The old whiskey comes forward on the palate allowing some of those mahogany and roasted walnut flavors out from behind the bold spice and sweet oak. The finish is long a pleasing, leaving you with just the right amount of Tellicherry pepper to balance the sweet fruit. For sales purposes I wish I could say this is 100% over 15 years old, but honestly the balance between young and old does wonders here and I’m certain that it would be a lesser whiskey without the inclusion of the powerful young WT.

Kirk Walker | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 15, 2017

This has a complex yet humble nose. It is warm, generous and inviting with a mellow sweetness backed with just the rights amounts of spice on the nose. For being 104 proof it doesn’t need any water. That extra hint of heat drives the long finish on this extra fine Bourbon.

Andrew Stevens | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 15, 2017

Finding both rare and extremely good bourbon that can be a gift (for you or if necessary someone else) has become a difficult task. Good, aged bourbon is increasingly scarce in the market, and while I love just good everyday bourbon sometimes you need that bottle that will catch the eye and the imagination. Enter the Wild Turkey Decades, the new expression from Master’s Keep collection. Essentially this is a blend of carefully selected barrels of older Wild Turkey, the nose is warm, sweet and inviting with vanilla and candy corn notes. The palate shows a soft richness with rising heat and spice from the 104 proof. This bottle showcase the depth and breadth of Wild Turkey that few other places can boast, a supple smoothness that speaks to craft.

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 15, 2017

This Bourbon offers what a mature whiskey should. It has concentrated flavors that are subtle and delicate . It is mellow and easy to drink with caramel and honey notes that are harmonious. This Bourbon is about nuance and flavor. What really stands out is the long delicious finish.

Gary Westby | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 15, 2017

I feel strongly that this Decades bottling from Wild Turkey is the best Bourbon in the store, and I haven’t tasted anything this good in a long time. Instead of doing a series of single barrel releases to go after collectors money, Eddie Russell has put together a masterpiece by blending some of the best stuff in the vast Wild Turkey stocks. The synergy of these whiskeys is obvious at first sniff, and I have to pinch myself when I get to taste something this good at work! This has cream, caramel, and a hint of something savory that makes it beguiling to return to. If you want to treat yourself to an unforgettable bottle, look no further!

David says

“I’ve gotta make some room for new casks, so I’m going to run a little special on these peated values. Previously fifty bucks, now a cool $39.99. Grab ’em while they’re hot, while it’s hot.”

2009 Talisker 6 Year Old “Old Malt Cask” Single Sherry Barrel Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Previously $50) ($39.99)

2009 Caol Ila 6 Year Old “Old Malt Cask” Single Sherry Barrel Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Previously $50) ($39.99)

North Star Spirits is a Glasgow based company priding itself on bottling finest whiskies and bourbons. All their products are small batch, no chill filtration and always at cask strength. This is the second series of bottles to come from North Star Spirits and it’s even better than the first. Only available in limited quantities trust us when we say, these bottles are out of this world…

These bottles are available at the Green Welly Stop to purchase please click HERE

The Glenallachie.

One of only 326 bottles available from Cask series 002.

Distilled – 2008.

Bottled – May 2017.

Cask type – Sherry Butt.

Tasting notes.

Nose – Toffee with subtle spice and citrus.

Taste – Jammy cinnamon fruit cake and caramel.

Finish – A triumphant sherry crescendo.

Aged for 8 years.

The Linkwood.

One of only 290 bottles available from Cask series 002.

Distilled – 2006.

Bottled – May 2017.

Cask type – Bourbon Hogshead.

Tasting notes.

Nose – Dried fruit and slightly nutty.

Taste – Lemon sherbet sorbet and creme brule.

Finish – Long lasting dry citrus and marzipan.

Aged for 10 years.

The North British.

One of only 146 bottles available from Cask series 002.

Distilled – 1995.

Bottled – May 2017.

Cask type – Bourbon Barrel.

Tasting notes.

Nose – Dark chocolate, sweet coffee.

Taste – A creamy rum and raisin dessert.

Finish – More coco and tropical sweet fruit.

Aged for 21 years.

The Tullibardine.

One of only 255 bottles available from Cask series 002.

Distilled – 1993.

Bottled – May 2017.

Cask type – Bourbon Hogshead.

Tasting notes.

Nose – Barley, chocolate and vanilla fudge.

Taste – Dry nut, green apples and sweet citrus.

Finish – Sweet, dry and pistachio cream.

Aged for 24 years.

The Islay.

One of only 230 bottles available from Cask series 002.

Distilled – 2008.

Bottled – May 2017.

Cask type – Bourbon Hogshead and finished in Sherry Octaves.

Tasting notes.

Nose – Medicinal peat smoke and dark chocolate.

Taste – Sweet peat and delcate sherry notes.

Finish – Subtle ash, citrus and peppery peat smoke.

Aged for 8 years.

The Bunnahabhain – SOLD OUT.

One of only 84 bottles available from Cask series 002.

Distilled – 1986.

Bottled – May 2017.

Cask type – Bourbon Hogshead.

Tasting notes.

Nose – Delicate smoke. White pepper and cinnamon sticks.

Taste – Rich and oily with vanilla pods.

Finish – Cloves and ginger resonates.

Aged for 30 years.

The Tennessee – SOLD OUT.

One of only 154 bottles available from Cask series 002.

Distilled – 2003.

Bottled – May 2017.

Cask type – American Oak.

Tasting notes.

Nose – Toffee, walnut and charcoal.

Taste – Caramel, vanilla and a touch of citrus.

Finish – A fresh oily extended finish

Rafly visits a bad place with Ralfy Review 666 – bad liquor with bigclivedotcom