Brighten the dark winter days… with whisky!

Christmas is over, the lights are coming down, the snow has been washed away by the rain, only to be replaced by the gales of Storm Eleanor, but there’s no need to get down in the dumps – beat the January blues with a wee gift to yourself!

We ship all over the world Next day UK delivery available

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of the Dog

£200

 Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak 2017

£250

Macallan Amber Gift Pack

£65

2017 was a weird one. Lots of great, lots of terrible. Friends lost and babies born. I can’t say that I know 2018 will be any smoother, but I can tell you that we’re going to be working doubly hard to make sure our customers are getting the most exciting spirits in the country. We’re making good on that promise immediately because we thrive on the knowledge that our hard work might grant someone a certain modicum of joy that they otherwise might not have had. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag of unusual whiskies and special casks that we think will help you start your 2018 off right.

It’s been a long while since we’ve been able to send you an email about limited edition distillery bottled Springbank. That special distillery on the Kintyre Peninsula, which I regularly declare to anyone who will listen is the most authentic distillery in Scotland bar none, has been next to impossible to acquire in any quantity aside from the standard line up. They’re malting their own barley, using natural yeast, distilling slow and with a direct fire element. Their methods are wildly inefficient. One ton of barley at a modern distillery makes about 3 times as much whisky as at Springbank. The lack of efficiency shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack in quality. No not at all. The old school inefficient techniques result in one of the most complex and flavorful spirits in all of Scotland. They’re production is tiny and over the last decade the demand for this special whisky has exploded. People are craving whiskies of character. We want something with a soul and nothing has more soul than Springbank.

We’ve gone from offering single casks without issue to receiving a handful of allocated bottles. That means you have to be waiting for the Springbanks when they arrive and they certainly won’t be sending an email out about the 4-6 bottles we might receive. This special release of Springbank is one for the purists. Naked Springbank is a sight to behold. All the complexity of hand malted Campbeltown peated on full display.

Springbank 14 Year Old Bourbon Wood Single Malt Whisky (750ml) – $119.99 – The wonderful limited release Springbank bourbon wood is a small batch marriage of fresh and refill bourbon barrels distilled entirely in November of 2002 and bottled in August of 2017. Only 9000 bottles were dumped worldwide, so fewer than 40 casks went into this tiny blend bottled at full strength of 55.8%. We are rarely seeing Springbank exclusively in Bourbon these days and many limited releases have various wine finishes and for the Springbank purists this one will be a real treat. Clean unadulterated Springbank at full strength isn’t something we come across regularly and usually when we do it’s usually 6-12 bottles per store max. In this case the importer was looking to pad the books before the New Year closed so they offered us nearly their entire inventory. For once we actually have some descent inventory on a Springbank limited release. Expect some classic flavors bold apple and pear, earthy smoke, fresh cut hay, cristiline citrus and vanilla. Bold and farmy style that reminds us why Springbank is the realest of real deal.

Douglas Laing Remarkable Regional Malts Limited Edition

As someone who believes wholeheartedly that blended whisky (and blended malt whisky) is once again where the future lies, I was completely stoked when David OG told me he managed to snag some of the Douglas Laing limited edition blends previously unavailable on the West Coast. While we work directly with the Laings to bring in our Old Particular casks, we are neither the importer nor sole outpost for their outstanding blends. The Timorous Beastie, Rock Oyster, Scallywag, and Big Peat were four of my favorite whiskies in 2017, the one portfolio that managed to give John Glaser over at Compass Box a little competition in the boutique blend category. While a large majority of our discerning Scotch customers still prefer single barrel, cask strength single malt whisky, I think there’s a growing number of us (I say us because I’m firmly in this camp) who would like a little more curation with our consumption these days. Personally, I want someone to create something delicious that’s beyond than the sum of its parts. I want to be wowed by real whisky craftsmanship and mouthwatering flavor, not by the mere technical idea or concept of a whisky.

I don’t think the blended whisky market ever suffered because the concept of a grand assemblage was stale or outdated, but rather because the industry took its customers for granted. Scotland’s great blending houses assumed they could change the recipes, lower the quality, raise the prices, and no one would ever notice. They were dead wrong. Now, however, the independent bottlers who have filled the void for the last decade are going through a similar crisis: they’re running out of quality single barrels to sell. Now comes the question: do you bottle a cask with a great name, but a less than stellar flavor profile and turn a blind eye to the consumer (following the same path as the blenders before them), or do you attempt to weave a tapestry of harmony, using other whiskies to fill in the gaps and pick up the slack? I think you all know where I stand.

If you were a fan of the four aforementioned whiskies, I think you’re going to be very happy with these special editions, as well as the insane pricing that David OG was able to knock out. The Rock Oyster 18 is pretty much a blend of Jura, Arran, Highland Park, and a mystery Islay distillery (likely Laphroaig or Caol Ila from what I know of the Laing family’s stocks) for less than $100. It’s creamy, and salty, and oily, and just peated enough to please fans of the smoke. While you wouldn’t know it from the color, there are some lovely, rich sherry notes on the nose and more of that classic Oloroso character on the palate. Then you’ve got the sherry-finished edition, which packs in more of that decadence in a younger blend, the 18 year old Timorous Beastie that drinks like a more interesting verison of Glenmorangie 18, the 13 year old Scallywag aged entirely in sherry that brings the Christmas cake spices in droves, and the full proof holiday edition of the Big Peat.

Now the question for us becomes: how many can you afford to buy? Because at these discounted prices you’re going to want all of them; at least I do. David OG’s notes are below:

Douglas Laing’s Rock Oyster 18 Year Old Limited Edition Island Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $120) – $89.99 – This limited edition offering of 18 year old malts from Scotland’s famous Whisky islands: Islay, Skye, Arran, Orkeny, and Jura. That makes this one of the most affordable old Islands whiskies in the world. You’ll not find an 18 year old Single Malt from any of these Islands for anywhere close to this price. The glorious truth about Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, when created with care and thoughtfulness, is that the whole is greater than the some of its parts. A properly blended whisky can truly take you beyond any of the components within and the Rock Oyster 18 year is the perfect example. It gives great us incredible depth, elegance and complexity, in a perfectly seemless package for a price almost any Scotch drinker can appreciate. The nose is distinctly maritime with a quick rush of sea spray and a smoldering block of Sweet peat to start. It glances toward the earthy fresh tobacco and rich malt as it enters the palate offering a true Island style rather than allowing the overbaring Islay malt to take over. The finish is perfectly balanced with a sweet barley sugar and spicy phenol playing off each other perfectly for a long smoldering finish. Incredible value here that’s just not available in the price point anywhere else.

Douglas Laing’s Rock Oyster Sherry Limited Edition Island Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $70) – $49.99 – Here is the excellent Rock Oyster Blended Malt that we’ve loved so much with additional aging in high quality sherry butts from Jerez. The standard Rock Oyster takes our favorite Island malts, none of which cannot be named, from distilleries you know and love, blends them together thoughtfully and offers them at a very attractive price. That wonderful whisky highlights those special malts created Scotland’s Island distilleries (think Jura, Islay, Skye, Arran and Orkney). Very little go together better than salty maritime malt and sherry, so our friends at Douglas Laing have offered us this spectacular Limited Edition whisky for sale exclusively by K&L in California. What’s even crazier is that we’re able to offer you this special Oyster for LESS than the standard release. True, it doesn’t make sense, but we’re not paid to offer you a rational, just great whisky at the best possible price. This will likely be one of the best values of 2018 and it’s only just started!

Douglas Laing’s Timorous Beastie 18 Year Old Limited Edition Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $100) – $89.99 – The Timorous Beastie has long been one of our favorite blends and we’re proud to be offering this exceptional limited edition version at an extremely reasonable price. This special blend highlights some of the Highlands finest, so expect the malt to be front and center here. The primary suspects here are the wonderful Glen Garioch from the east, Blair Athol from the South and Dalmore from the North. These three excellent distilleries offer something of a classic style as compared to some of the more modern Speysiders. Creamy rich and malty, but not overly bready. Sweet dark berries, carmelized sugar, pulvarized apple and pear and a touch of muesli. This is a detailed snapshot of what malty highland scotch is all about. For lovers of the natural unadulterated style of Highland Single Malt, this blend will over deliver at this price point.

Douglas Laing’s Scallywag 13 Year Old Limited Edition Speyside Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $80) – $59.99 – The Scallywag blended malt has been well received by Scotch lovers and critics alike for its elegance and nuance. It’s a blended of the great Speyside distilleries, like Macallan, Mortlach, Glenrothes and many more. Typically a small amount of sherried whisky is included in the blend with the majority coming from refill hogsheads and bourbon barrels. The Limited Edition Scallywag, however, has spent 13 long years entirely in Sherry butts from Jerez. It is indeed what some might term a Sherry Bomb, yet it remains balanced and full of life. Expect a nose of dense dried fruit, Christmas cake, tobacco spice and an underlying nuttiness. The palate adds some herbal spice, sweet molasses, and texture for days. Absolutely absurd that we can sell this for less than the standard offering. A totally perfect way to spend a cool winter evening.

Douglas Laing’s Big Peat “Christmas” Limited Edition Cask Strength Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $80) – $49.99 – The exceptional Big Peat Christmas 2017 arriving perfectly timed to avoid any holiday gifting or sharing with unappreciative relatives. The 2017 Christmas Edition of Big Peat is the probably the best received of these always beloved annual releases. This is a blend of sevenIslay single malts including the rare closed Port Ellen distillery. Douglas Laing has confirmed Bowmore, Caol Ila and Ardbeg, so that leaves Kilchoman, Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Bunnahabhain for us to speculate about. High quality blended malt bottled at full strength from these rare special distilleries, we’d expect a hefty price tag. Since we have the California exclusive, we can offer you this amazing whisky for the best price anywhere in the world. Enjoy it now or stock up for the 2018 Holidays.

Knob Creek K&L Exclusives

Tiny amounts are left of these two special casks which sold almost entirely without effort on our part. That’s because they’re 13 and 14 years old respectively. Each is very different from what most think of as Knob Creek, but with some subtle allusion to the younger standard release. They’re labeled like all Knob Creek Bourbons as 9 years old, but neither is anywhere close to that age. We’re not sure how much more old bourbon is sitting in Jim Beams warehouses in Clermont, but if it tastes anything like these, we’ll buy it all.

Knob Creek 9 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #5300B Kentucky Bourbon (750ml) – $49.99 – Another wild find from deep within the Jim Beam’s Clermont rick houses. This awesome cask of Knob Creek is bottled as a 9 year old, but was distilled on November 11th of 2003 and dumped in November of 2017. It was stored in warehouse W on the 4th floor of that 7 story warehouse. The perfect central location for long term aging, this barrel lost more than half its original volume and was bottled just below the original cask strength of 132 proof. So ultra old Knob Creek aged for 14 years in Kentucky and sold at the same price as there standard 9 year old single barrel. It doesn’t have the age on the label, but once you taste it you’ll immediately realize the difference. Instead of Knobs bold spice and sweet oak, the bourbon has rounded out the edges and exhibits incredible rancio aromas of ripe fruit, well worked leather and fresh vanillas. Knob often has a peanut quality in its youth, but this one has moved away from that with only the most subtle and complex notes of roasted chestnuts, hazelnut and almond butters. The nuttiness and fruit pair perfectly together and build to a subtle flamed orange peel finish. Dangerously easily to consume at 120 proof and lacking the intense bite that cask #5232 exhibits, this is easily one of the best values in old bourbon we will ever see.

Knob Creek 9 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #5253C Kentucky Bourbon (750ml) – $49.99 – This exceptional barrel of Knob Creek was distilled on December 15th of 2004 and placed into Floor 5 of Clermont Warehouse F. There it sat on the 3rd tier of rick 11 for 13 long years before being bottled exclusively for K&L. This is one of the oldest Knob Creeks we’ve ever tasting and also one of the most delicious. The powerful nose is bombastic and bold, but showing the extreme age in the best way possible. Dense aromas of exotic sandlewood, dried vanilla bean, cherries and wild honey. The palate is big and spicy with the rye making its presence known through the sweet corn and dense oaky texture. Cut from 127 proof cask strength to 120 for bottling, it’s even better with that little drop of water to open up the intense flavors. This is one of the most affordable old bourbons in the shelf. Of course, they label all the Knobs as 9 years old, but this one is indeed 13 years of age. Only 144 bottles in this special cask.

Odds and Ends

While the following set may not fall easily into a single category that doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy of your attention! From a new Sherry Cask from Stranahan’s in Colorado to a Longrow 15 Year, these new arrivals are favorite’s among collectors and are destined to sell in a flash, especially given their limited quantities. Lock in your bottles today.

Stranahan’s Sherry Cask Colorado Whiskey (750ml) – $79.99

Barrell “Tale of Two Islands” Limited Edition Small Batch Cask Strength Rum (750ml) – $89.99

2007 Hazelburn 9 Year Old First Fill Sauternes Cask Single Barrel Single Malt Whisky (750ml) – $119.99

Longrow 15 Year Old “Bourbon/Chardonnay Matured” Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) – $149.99

Denver & Liely Whisky Glass

I’m glad I’m not the only person who thinks this is the best Scotch glass ever created. I went to a whisky tasting a few weeks ago and ran into some of my customers who were bringing their own Denver & Liely whisky glass with them for the event. I’ve been selling out of these babies as fast as I can get Denver to ship them to me from Australia (he’s now working on a Bourbon glass, too!). If you need the perfect vessel from which to drink your new Douglas Laing blended malt whiskies, look no further. This is the glass I use at K&L for my tasting every single day.

Denver & Liely Whisky Glass – $39.99 – Ignore the website’s stock photo. The glass is as shown in my image above.

That covers it this week, but a new Whisk(e)y News is around the corner. Until that time, be sure to check our Spirits Journal for all the latest spirits updates.

Cheers!

David Othenin-Girard & David Driscoll K&L Spirits Buyers

Happy New Year and welcome to 2018! 

When Allura and I started on this journey in 1986, we didn’t know where we’d end up, but here we are 31 years later with one of the largest whisky selections in the world. It’s been an amazing journey and along the way we’ve made countless friends from near and far. We know we couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you and all of the people we’ve employed throughout the years. On behalf of Allura, myself and our hard-working team we’d like to thank you all and wish everyone a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year.

With the largest selection in the country we have over 1300 whiskies from 11 countries and whisky from more than 100 Scottish distilleries, more importantly we’ve collected hundreds of whisky loving friends from all over the world.

How should we celebrate? How about a whisky pairing dinner?

To celebrate the new year and all things Fets and Whisky, we’re hosting a whisky pairing dinner on Tuesday January 23rd. The UK’s John McCheyne, the top whisky ambassador from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, will be in town to share 6 of the Society’s rare, cask strength, single barrel whiskies with us. Chef Thien and his team will be creating 6 very special dishes to pair with The Society’s Uisge Beatha (the water of life). Tickets are available here

We still have a couple of copies available of  The East Van Foodie book on sale at The Kitchen for only $45, add this to a Whisky Kitchen Gift Card and you’ve got a great whisky and food lovers gift!

The monthly Hand Crafted Spirits Radio Show with Joe Leary and Darryl Lamb is still being hosted at The Kitchen. Tune in to TSN Radio 1410 at noon on the first Saturday of each month. you can click here to listen to past broadcasts

We still have the largest whisky selection in the country with nearly 800 different whiskies on our shelves, including 200, cask strength single barrel bottlings from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We also have representation from over 100 Scottish distilleries. Life is good here at The Kitchen.

Our Partner Scotch Malt Whisky Society retailer is Legacy Liquor Store in the Olympic Village and host to our monthly Society Outturns on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of the month. Allura and I present on the Tuesday.

Whisky Dinner Tuesday January 23rd

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is the world’s foremost whisky club with over 27,000 members world wide. The society bottles about 300 casks per year that are only available to members. Fets became the 19th bar in the world to partner with the society and we have the largest selection of society whiskies in the world.

The society’s award winning whiskies are packaged in their iconic green bottles without the distillery name but rather using a mysterious numbering system. As the whiskies are single barrel and cask strength they don’t always depict the distillery’s typical flavour profile. These are some of the best and rarest whiskies in the world. As they are single barrel whiskies the outturn of each release is dictated by the size and contents of the cask, we have some bottlings with as few as 72 bottles for all the world to share.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s top UK ambassador, John McCheyne will be in town for his first visit to The Kitchen. Along with tales from afar, John will be bringing with him 6 of the society’s rare cask strength single barrel whiskies.

Chef Thien and his team are creating 6 stunning dishes to pair with these great whiskies. This will be a most memorable night.

This is sure to be another great night of food, whisky and distillery tales.

Why not grab one of our limited tickets and join us on Tuesday January 23rd for some great whisky and food.

Tickets are limited and I can assure you, as always, they sell out fast.

Be sure to plan for a safe ride home!

The cost for this event is only $115 plus GST taxes

click here to register

Thursday, January 11th, 5-7 PM:

Aberlour 

Founded in the heart of Speyside in 1879, Aberlour is reknowned as one of the world’s great malt whiskies. A variety of Aberlour’s new and award-winning drams will be presented, with distillery representatives and whisky experts available throughout for all your whisky questions. 

Click Here to RSVP 

This is one of two Aberlour tastings in January. Our second is:

Saturday, January 20th, 

2:30-5:30 PM.

Click Here to RSVP

STUDENTS AWARDED £4,500 AS PART OF CHIVAS BROTHERS BURSARY

Four students are set to take their talents to the next level after being awarded a total of £4,500 in funding as part of Chivas Brothers’ national bursary scheme. Held in partnership with the Scottish International Educational Trust (SIET), the sought-after scheme offers financial support to ambitious employees and their family members, helping them to realise their aspirations through further education or vocational training.

Announced today, this year’s successful recipients are Claire Park, who is studying Applied Science at Moray College; Lauren Evans, a Forensic and Analytical Chemistry student from West Dunbartonshire; Paul McFadden, an aspiring programmer from Glasgow; and Eilidh Ross, a Human Rights and International Politics student at the University of Glasgow.

26-year-old Elgin resident Claire Park first heard about the bursary opportunity from her step-father Fenton Perrie, who works as a Project Engineer at Chivas Brothers. Awarded a total of £1,000, this bursary will help her to fund a higher mathematics course and allow her to purchase study materials for her HNC in Applied Sciences.

Claire said: “I worked as a healthcare assistant from the age of 15 and then last year I decided to go to college to help boost my skills and grow my career prospects. I’m absolutely over the moon to have been selected for this year’s bursary as it means I will now be able to focus on my studies and not worry about any extra costs. Ultimately, I want to move on to study for a degree in Applied Sciences or Pharmacy, and I’m really thankful to Chivas Brothers for helping me to take the next step on my education journey.”

Lauren Evans from Alexandria is currently studying a Forensic and Analytical Chemistry degree at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. She was encouraged to apply for the bursary by her father Raymond, who works as a Team Leader at Chivas Brothers’ Kilmalid site. She said: “I can’t believe that I’ve been accepted. The £1,000 will go a long way in helping to alleviate some of the travel costs I face commuting from Alexandria in West Dunbartonshire to my university in Glasgow. My ultimate career goal is to work for the Forensic Department of Police Scotland, and now I’m determined to make this dream a reality.”

Meanwhile, Paul McFadden, from Glasgow, has been awarded £1,000 to put towards his HNC Games Development Course at West College Scotland in Paisley. With aspirations to become a programmer in the gaming industry, the funding will help him to purchase the latest coding and software development programmes. He said: “I feel very privileged to have been selected as one of this year’s bursary recipients. It has already given me a huge confidence boost and I’ll be able to buy everything I need to develop a career in the games industry. I can’t thank Chivas Brothers enough for supporting me.”

Finally, Eilidh Ross, whose father Bryan works as a Distillery Operations Technician at Chivas Brothers’ Scapa Distillery in Kirkwall, has been awarded £1,500. She is currently working to complete her Masters degree in Human Rights and International Politics at the University of Glasgow, and will use the funding to support with the cost of travel from her home on Orkney. She said: “This bursary will have a massive impact on my studies and also on my career. With the support of Chivas Brothers, I will now be able to attend an important study trip to the United Nations in Geneva. This is something I never thought would be possible, and it will be an important factor in helping me to pursue a career within politics or the humanitarian sector.”

Chivas Brothers’ national bursary scheme launched to great acclaim last year, and has already contributed towards the studies of an aeronautical engineer, a budding actress and a Classics student at Cambridge University. The scheme is open to all 1,600 of Chivas Brothers’ employees and direct family members, providing them with the opportunity to secure funding of up to £5,000 a year. The scheme will run for three years, this being its second.

Jennie Norrish, Global Communications Director at Chivas Brothers, added: “We’re really proud to be able to support our employees and their family members to realise their ambitions. Our 2017 bursary recipients have so much talent and each of them has a real passion and determination to achieve their dreams. This entrepreneurial mind-set is something we really champion at Chivas Brothers, so it’s fantastic to be able to relieve some of the financial pressures that come with studying full time. We can’t wait to see how the funding helps them over the next year.”

Michael Ewart, Director of SIET, a body which provides talented individuals with grants to complete further education studies, added: “This bursary is such a worthwhile initiative and we’re delighted to be able to support a second cohort of students on their education journey. The scheme shows Chivas Brothers’ dedication to championing the success of its employees and their family members.”

About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is a global drinks producer and exports company steeped in Scottish heritage. It is the only Pernod Ricard business dedicated entirely to Scotch whisky and comprises a prestigious range of single malt and blended whiskies. Chivas Brothers’ award-winning portfolio features some of the world’s most revered Scotch whisky brands including Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet. With a multitude of awards and accolades for its quality, craftsmanship, industry-leading sites and award-winning campaigns, its brands are at the heart of moments of connection across the globe.

The company comprises 1,600 employees, 14 Scotch distilleries, two bottling facilities and over 300 warehouses across its 26 sites including Orkney, Scotland and London.

www.chivasspirit.com

For further information, please contact Chivas Brothers’ press office team: chivasbrothers@text100.com or 02079086594 About the Scottish International Education Trust The Scottish International Education Trust (SIET) was set up by Sir Sean Connery and Sir Jackie Stewart in 1971. Sir Sean donated his $1m fee for the film “Diamonds are Forever” – at the time the largest fee ever commanded by an actor for a single film. Both Sir Sean and Sir Jackie are Patrons of the Trusts and take an active interest in the Trust’s work. SIET’s principal aim is to give awards to mainly young Scots who have shown particular promise and who need help to take their education or professional training further – usually at post-graduate or equivalent level.

www.scotinted.org.uk

With Christmas and New Year fading fast in our memories, we can’t wait for the next special occasion. This year brings the Society’s 35th anniversary and we’re looking forward to sharing some good times with our members.

VIEW WHISKY

READ OUTTURN

EXCLUSIVE BURNS BOTTLING

Indulge in a sophisticated soirée with our celebratory bottling 7.195 If Rabbie Burns did afternoon tea. Sweet, fruity and mellow, let this charming whisky captivate your senses with delicious banana bread, crystallised ginger, spiced apricot chutney and the aroma of a red, red rose.

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

Welcome to 2018

So 2017 has dribbled away, have all the drams run out? Not by any chance, in fact so many new distilleries opened in ’17 here in Scotland,and more are planned. In October Ian Macleod Distillers announced it is to reopen Rosebank in 2019, Diageo to reopen Port Ellen and Brora by 2020. In 2017 – 10 new whisky distilleries opened. August; Twin River distillery, at Deeside Brewery became the first whisky distillery to open locally for almost 200 years. Friends of ours and very local, Aberargie opened November, GlenWyvis began distilling on St Andrew’s Day (30 November). BrewDog’s Lone Wolf, started the first rye spirit seen in Scotland for a hundred years or so, unsure on rye whisky myself. This year 10 new whisky distilleries could follow on.

The 2018 Islay Festival (25 May – 2 June) could also include a visit to Hunter Laing Ardnahoe distillery, I took a few folks there last year, just to see the start … the first Borders distillery for almost 200 years is running schedule, possibly to start producing in January, in Hawick, the £10m distillery is said to aim at 1.8m litres of spirit, for both single malt whisky and gin. Why is everyone producing gin? OK easy, fast money but – come on whisky producers, stay with whisky please. Burnbrae Distillery in East Kilbride, one to keep an eye on maybe. J&G Distillers, who also own Hart Brothers, has been extending bottling warehouses in East Kilbride, a malt whisky distillery is expected operational early this year, is not expected to open to visitors. Douglas Laing & Co.’s £10.7m distillery opens at Pacific Quay, Glasgow, city’s fourth whisky distillery, joining the Strathclyde grain plant, Glasgow and Clydeside malt distilleries. Meanwhile in the capital; Liverpool drinks company Halewood Wines & Spirits (I had family living in Halewood 40 odd years ago), will produce 165,000 litres of spirit each year, bringing the John Crabbie & Co. name back to the capital. Now owned by Halewood (Liverpool), John Crabbie & Co was one of the six founding partners of Edinburgh’s North British distillery in 1885, with John Crabbie the conglomerate’s first chairman, today a ginger beer, John Crabbie & Co was a distilling and blending Scotch whisky. This summer, the Granton Harbour development will finally see the company return to its roots. “crabit” When some one is in a bad mood. (Scots Slang) as in, God, I’m feeling crabit today, we look forward to the Crabit drams! Edinburgh’s Engine Shed malt whisky distillery and visitor centre at Holyrood Park is expected to open, and will produce about 100,000 litres of spirit each year we are told, making it among the smallest distilleries in Scotland. Meanwhile a whisky fact; Scotland has built only two grain distilleries in the last half century – Loch Lomond in 1993, and Starlaw in 2010. This year, the eighth grain distillery is looking to open in the borders. Reivers is the first distillery complex being built by Mossburn Distillers, near the River Jedwater, Reivers is a small, distillery designed to produce a range of spirits, including malt whisky in pot stills and grain whisky in columns. Looking forward to this one also, is expected to be open by June. Meanwhile, its sister distillery, the larger Mossburn complex, won’t be here until at least 2020.

Up in the Highlands – Toulvaddie distillery is thought to be nearing completion, near Tain, it will be the first whisky distillery to be founded solely by a woman – television producer Heather Nelson – and will produce 30,000 litres of a whisky once running. Toulvaddie is entering all Friends of the Distillery into a prize draw to win the first bottle of single malt whisky produced by the distillery, FAB! More should be doing this rather than some crazy price for bottle one, as we have seen recently. With all this new distillery talk, don’t forget all the existing distilleries, aye we shall be taking our tours at the usual, the unusual and some new ones – look out for news.

One of my favourites bands Runrig, are to take a final bow after 45 years, the Skye-born band (originally) are to create a whisky to commemorate their last stand. Runrig’s Final Mile farewell tour this year will end in August with The Last Dance concerts at Stirling City Park. They have partnered Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky in Huntly to produce several special bottles of whisky for different tours in the past, so they called for one more Runrig whisky called – One For the Road. Calum dropped by Duncan Taylor’s to oversee production, it will be distributed alongside their merchandise on their final tour. Moji Shand, chief executive of Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky, said: “When Runrig announced they were pulling down the curtain on their 45 years in music, it was only apt that we would collaborate with them again on a whisky. The whisky is on sale at £69 from The Spirits Embassy website www.thespiritsembassy.com “my favourite band and good pals DT are collaborating, Liz, we should get in here!”

What put Perth on the whisky map? As you may know, we are based here in Perth, so here are a few Perth dramfacts; Bell’s, Dewar’s, Famous Grouse and, for a time, Beneagles, were all blended and bottled in the town before being exported and enjoyed across the world. John Dewar & Sons was based at Inveralmond. Its bonded warehouse was on the junction of Glasgow Road and Glover Street, now the Dewar’s curling rinks. Nowadays whisky has gone fae Perth, but should you wish to recollect or delve into the past, try a bottle of Old Perth – Old Perth Scotch Whisky was originally created in the early 1900,s by the Thomson family, well known grocers in the City. By late 1970 the brand disappeared. Brought back to life as a blended malt in 2013 by Morrison & MacKay, the brand is the only whisky now blended in Perthshire. I wholly recommend these drams of Old Perth, easy to find and easy to drink.

Have a dram happy 2018!

Paul and Liz, mcleanscotland.com and whiskytours.scot

Check Out These Fantastic Whisky Advocate Reviews!!

If you thought the previous email had all the achievements we received this year, you were mistaken. 

This year, Whisky Advocate compiled a list of their Top 20 Whiskies of the year.  Below are a couple of really distinguished highlights from that list which we’re especially proud of.  

Earning 93 points, Tamdhu Batch Strength #002 came in at #8!!

Check out Susannah’s tantalizing description below the tantalizing image.

“Historically used for blending, Tamdhu flies under the radar of many scotch aficionados. But this underappreciated Speyside whisky compares well with more famous sherry bombs by offering a sweet, savory, slightly funky depth. At first sniff, Tamdhu seems like it might knock you out with one blow—but this gentle giant is a lover, not a fighter. Viscous and meaty, this cask-strength stunner reveals dried fruit, dark chocolate ganache, ginger spice, and saline minerality, thundering softly into a long finish.” ~ Susannah Skiver Barton

Coming in at #20 with 90 points, Fukano Japanese Whisky – 2017 made the list! 

In fact, this is the only Japanese whisky to make it to the list!! If you like Japanese whiskies you must try Fukano; it’s unlike anything else!  If you haven’t tried Japanese whiskies yet, you must; it’s unlike anything else!   Check out Jonny’s mouth-watering review below the image. 

“Japanese rice whiskies enjoy a cult following for their delicate flavors. This Fukano stands out with its ethereal fruity delights, the result of meticulous vigilance to preserve the spirit’s subtle nature. It brings a supple nose of lychee, ripe peaches, Smarties, watermelon, allspice, and white pepper. A light, slightly syrupy texture is underscored by watermelon and raspberry as it unwraps peach, nectarines, rhubarb, and custard candy, fruit Life Savers, stewed fruits, red berries, and light citrus. Fukano promises to broaden our whisky horizons.” ~ Jonny McCormick

Thanks again for being part of our family and enjoying these fine whiskies with us. We look forward to bringing you more excellent whiskies in 2018!

Happy New Year!

Please feel free to reach out for more details on the bottlings: office@impexbev.com