Saturday, January 27th

2:30-5:30 PM

Glenlivet

“The Single Malt that Started it All,” Glenlivet distillery was founded in 1824 in Moray, Scotland- and has operated almost continuously since. Guests will be treated to a selection of award-winning drams, with distillery representatives and whisky experts present throughout.

Pourlist to be revealed as event approaches – RSVP to find out soonest.

Click Here to RSVP

Balblair launches new 1991 and 2000 limited editions 

Premium global whisky brand, Balblair, is, this month (January 2018) unveiling the limited-run second release of its 2000 vintage and the third release of its 1991 vintage.

Matured and bottled at one of the oldest working distilleries in Scotland, Balblair whiskies are crafted and timed to perfection, and bottled at the exact point of optimum maturation.

The second release of the 2000 has been matured for 13 years in American oak, ex-bourbon casks and five years in first fill Spanish oak butts. The liquid is bright copper in appearance and the nose is full-bodied with aromas of seasoned oak, baked red apples and fruitcake, followed by warming vanilla and ripe tropical stone fruits.

The second release of the 2000 features ground spices and old hardwood which build up to brighter flavours of tinned pineapples, bitter orange peels and honey. The finish graduates slowly with lasting sweetness, creaminess and notes of bitter chocolate.

The third release of the 1991, matured for 24 years in ex-bourbon, American oak casks with a further three years in first fill Spanish oak butts, does not disappoint.

Bright amber in colour with rose gold highlights, the nose is expansive and complex with rich citrus fruits and vanilla notes as well as toffee and chocolate. Notes of honey, winter spices and apricot, with a hint of liquorice are imparted from the bourbon barrels and Spanish oak butts used in the maturation process.

The palate features Balblair’s signature citrus orchard flavour profile and is followed with rich creamy chocolate and layers of poached apples and pears, Christmas pudding and hot vanilla sauce. It finishes with sparkling orange and toasted coconut overtones accentuating full-bodied sweetness of vanilla and caramel creating a rich and celebratory dram.

Matt Jamieson, Balblair Global Brand Manager said: “At Balblair, we only release our whisky when its ready and these new vintages are no exception. Both featuring a very different nose and palate, the 2000 and 1991 are exquisite drams which are sure to appeal to the most discerning of whisky drinkers.”

 Established in 1790, Balblair distillery is one of the oldest working distilleries in Scotland. Its location on the Dornoch Firth is intrinsically linked to the process with its water source in the Allt Dearg burn water flowing nearby.

Balblair 2000 and Balblair 1991 will be available globally online, and in independent and specialist retailers.

www.balblair.com

Notes 

Balblair distillery is the oldest working distillery in the Scottish Highlands, initially established in 1749 and the first official records of it from 1790. The distillery building and its warehouses sit on the original site to this day.

Balblair whiskies are only released when they have reached their exact point of ‘optimum maturation’, the peak of perfection.

About International Beverage Holdings

International Beverage Holdings (www.interbevgroup.com) was established in 2005 as the international arm of ThaiBev, one of South East Asia’s leading alcohol beverage companies. With a network of regional offices in Asia, Europe and North America, the company is responsible for the production, sales, marketing and distribution of a portfolio of premium global brands in over 80 countries and territories.

The Permit Room will serve a special late-night whisky cocktail for Burns Night. 

Edinburgh cocktail bar The Permit Room, hidden beneath the kitchen of Dishoom in St. Andrew Square, will be celebrating Burns Night with a cocktail that pays homage to a lovely Bombay-Edinburgh connection.

The bespoke drink, called The Patrick Geddes, will be available from Burns Night and then as part of a special offer during the Edinburgh Restaurant Festival in February.

It is named after Sir Patrick Geddes – distinguished Scotsman, botanist, ecologist, sociologist, town planner and social reformer – who was a long-time resident of both Edinburgh and Bombay, and had a significant influence on both cities.

Celebrating this little-known Bombay-Scotland connection, the drink combines Monkey Shoulder, which contains three whiskies from Speyside, and Amrut Fusion Indian single malt whisky, made from barley from both Scotland and India.

Other ingredients include Punch a la Ford (an aged punch that is made by steeping lemon rinds in alcohol), lemon juice, black pepper and a hop foam from Tempest Brewing Co.’s Elemental Dark Ale.

The Patrick Geddes has been created by Dishoom Edinburgh’s Head Bartender, Will Salisbury, and is available until 3am every night from Burns Night on 25^th January to 25^th February for £9.

Carl Brown, Dishoom’s award-winning Daru-walla (drink guy) said: “In celebration of this Bombay-Scotland connection and Burns Night, Will has developed a seriously special and delicious cocktail that showcases the versatility of whisky and the first-class craftsmanship that goes into our tipples.”

Edinburgh Restaurant Festival

The cocktail will continue to be available throughout the Edinburgh Restaurant Festival (5^th – 25^th February 2018), where Dishoom and The Permit Room will also be serving a delicious Lamb Raan Bun for lunch and dinner.

The Lamb Raan Bun is a hearty feast for one, with juicy, slow-cooked, pulled Scottish lamb, piled up in a soft sourdough bun and served with Dishoom Slaw, sali crisp-chips (sweet and spicy, skinny potato crisps), and fried green chillies. It will be sold throughout the festival for £12.90.

The Permit Room, 3A St Andrew Square, is open every evening from 5pm until 3am. Reservations are available for groups of up to 12 guests from 5pm until 1:30am every night. For all reservation enquiries please email edinburghpermitroom@dishoom.com

http://www.dishoom.com/permitroom/

facebook.com/edinburghpermitroom

Notes 

The Permit Room beneath Dishoom Edinburgh

3a St Andrew Square

Edinburgh

EH2 2BD

Tel: 0131 2026406

Opening hours

The Permit Room

5pm – 3am daily. Last orders at 2.30am.

About The Permit Room

The Permit Room is named after the Bombay bars where only permit-holders may consume alcohol (if only ‘for preservation and maintenance of one’s health’).

The bar’s design pays homage to the Bombay tradition of Parsi theatre, which is an appropriate connection to explore, given Edinburgh’s heritage in the performing arts. The Dishoom team spent many days in Bombay researching and visiting performance institutions like Capitol Theatre and the Royal Opera House for inspiration.

The artwork that decorates the walls (kindly curated by Bombay author Meher Marfatia) includes photos of famous Parsi playwrights, and heroes of Parsi theatre, as well as original theatre posters. 

About Dishoom

Dishoom pays loving homage to the Irani cafés that were once part of the fabric of life in Bombay. Opened early last century by Zoroastrian immigrants from Iran, there were almost 400 of these cafés at their peak in the 1960s. Today, fewer than 30 remain. These cafés broke down barriers by bringing people together over food and drink. They were the first places in Bombay where people of any culture, class or religion could take cool refuge from the street with a cup of chai, a simple snack or a hearty meal. People from all walks of life shared tables, rubbed shoulders and broke bread together.

Like the old Irani cafés, Dishoom breaks down barriers: in its restaurants, which employ and serve people from all walks of life, at its events, and through charity (donating a meal for every meal – 3 million meals so far).

Dishoom serves a lovingly curated menu of Bombay comfort food and award-winning drinks in beautiful restaurants with unique stories. Everything Dishoom does shares its love for Bombay’s culture, heritage and people, and everyone is welcomed with warmth.

Dishoom is managed by a team of Babus* led by co-founders Shamil and Kavi Thakrar. Naved Nasir (Burre Chef- walla) is the Executive Chef-walla. The first Dishoom opened in Covent Garden in 2010, and Dishoom now has five cafes in London and one in Edinburgh.

*Babu can be a term of respect in India but is more frequently used to refer to bureaucrats behind desks who don’t do much.

 Dishoom Covent Garden
12 Upper St Martin’s Lane, London WC2H 9FB

Dishoom Shoreditch
7 Boundary Street, London E2 7JE

Dishoom King’s Cross
5 Stable Street, London N1C 4AB

Dishoom Carnaby
22 Kingly Street, London W1B 5QB

Dishoom Edinburgh
3a St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2BD

Dishoom Kensington
4 Derry Street, London W8 5SE

Website: Dishoom.com
Careers & recruitment site: www.dishoom.com/join-us
Twitter/Instagram: @dishoom

Friday, January 26th 5-7PM:

Bourbon Tasting: Four Roses

with Whisky Shop Exclusive Bourbon! 

Handcrafted since 1888, Four Roses Bourbon survived Prohibition, The Great Depression, Two World Wars, and 40 years of exile from the US, only to be named American Whisky Distiller of the Year for 2011, 2012 and 2013 – three years in a row – by Whisky Magazine.

This tasting will feature our exclusive The Whisky Shop bottling of Four Roses, plus more limited edition and award-winning releases presented by whisky experts.

Click Here to RSVP

JANUARY AUCTION NOW LIVE
(ends Sunday 28^thJanuary)

…place your bids at www.whiskyhammer.co.uk

With an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits there is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest, enjoy!

Irish whisky is fantastic! But, the folks at Midleton tend to hit the sweet spot every single time! Redbreast 21 is a pot still whisky, combining malted and unmalted barley, triple distilling the spirit and then aging for a minimum of 21 years in a combination of 70% ex-sherry casks and 30% ex-bourbon casks, it’s a true stunner of a product that stands head an shoulders above a lot of other standard 21’s, be they Irish or not. Beautiful spring smells and flavors of elderflower, pine and cake batter mixed in with big, rich Christmas flavours of raisins, cinnamon and a ton of sherry! It’s a real barnstormer. Cheers.

https://youtu.be/5Zi2deYRf1c

GlenAllachie Operations Director Richard Beattie

The GlenAllachie Distillers Company appoint new operations director for fresh chapter in Speyside distillery’s future

 Billy Walker-led consortium lays foundation for plans to revive GlenAllachie

 The new owners of The GlenAllachie Distillery near Aberlour in Speyside have appointed Richard Beattie as its new Operations Director to help realise their vision for a global independent whisky brand.

Operations Director Richard Beattie was previously Director of Distilling at Mossburn Distillers Ltd, parent company for Torabhaig Distillery in Skye and Akashi Distillery in Japan.

Mr Beattie began his career as distillery manager at Speyside Scotch Malt Whisky Distillery and has almost 30 years’ experience within the industry. His past roles include Distilling/Technical Sales Director for Crisp Malting Group and Business Development Director at Briggs of Burton, where he was involved in developing distilling projects in Scotland, Ireland and the US.

A Fellow of the Institute of Brewers and Distillers, he is former Chairman of the Scottish section of the Institute of Brewing & Distilling, a member of the Education and training committee of the Malt Distillers Association of Scotland and has chaired the commercial committee for the last five Worldwide Distilled Spirits Conferences.

Consumers are expected to enjoy their first taste of a revived GlenAllachie this year following the distillery’s sale to a consortium led by award-winning whisky veteran Billy Walker.

He had earlier sold BenRiach Distillery Company to American drinks giant Brown-Forman, after transforming a £5m investment in a previously mothballed distillery into a global business with £40m turnover.

Mr Walker was joined in acquiring GlenAllachie from Chivas parent company Pernod Ricard by long-term business partner and BenRiach colleague Trisha Savage, and Graham Stevenson, a former Managing Director at Inver House Distillers.  The GlenAllachie Distillery Company Ltd consortium has more than a century of experience between them.

Mr Walker, named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2016, said:  “GlenAllachie is one of Speyside’s younger distilleries, yet we’re fortunate to have a substantial stock portfolio laid down ready for release.

“Richard brings a wealth of experience and knowledge not only about whisky making itself but also understands the intricacies of distillery engineering and design. Incidentally, GlenAllachie was designed so that the whole process was gravity fed, this is one of the reasons we have horizontal condensers which is an unusual feature for a distillery.”

GlenAllachie Distillery sits within a 20-acre estate in Speyside and has warehouse stocks dating to the 1970s, which will form the foundations for the brand’s future development.

As well as the 1967-built distillery, the consortium has taken over the single malt brand and blended Scotch brands MacNair’s and White Heather, which it plans to develop as a premium yet affordable range to a global market.

The first phase will see a selection of aged whiskies, from a 10 year old to 25 year old, that are expected to launch this year. There are also moves to develop special edition whiskies.

GlenAllachie plans include exploring emerging markets as well as more established export arenas in France, Germany and the United States.

 Majority shareholder Mr Walker, who began his career in production at Ballantine’s in Dumbarton in 1974, added: “We are looking forward to bringing classic GlenAllachie single malt to a new generation, and exploring how it can deliver new blends that can become the classics of the future.“

The GlenAllachie Distillery was designed by William Delmé-Evans – the architect behind Jura, Macduff and Tullibardine – and was built in 1967 by Mackinlay McPherson, the distilling arm of brewers Scottish & Newcastle. It has four stills and, unusually, two separate spirit safes, one for each set of stills.

Further information on the distillery and company can be found at www.theglenallachie.com

Facebook – @TheGlenAllachie

Twitter – @TheGlenAllachie

Instagram – @theglenallachie_

THE WHISKY EXCHANGE;

Glenglassaugh: Revival, Evolution and a new chapter

When it comes to revivals, Glenglassaugh has had one of the more impressive crawls back from the dead in recent years. A decade of stuttering resurrection has been rewarded with the dawning of a new era for the distillery, with a future that’s still to be decided.

The distillery is a few miles to the east of the Highland/Speyside border, on the coast at Sandend. Rather than the more maritime spirits that many coastal distilleries produce, Glenglassaugh focuses on old-school fruity flavours. While that fruitiness is reminiscent of sister distillery Benriach‘s famous character, Glenglassaugh has a more modern feel – it may be more than 140 years old, but the distillery’s current incarnation is much more recent.

In the beginning…

A hodge podge of architectural styles, expanded over more than 100 years

While Glenglassaugh opened in 1873, it’s seen extensive rebuilding over the years and the current distillery only settled down into its current state in the 1960s. A casualty of the industry downturn of the 1980s, it was mothballed in 1986 and it looked like the end was in sight. For 22 years, the distillery sat silent, but in 2008, the current chapter begun.

A new challenger

It started with an investment group, which bought the distillery, refurbished it and started production again. With a minimum of three years to wait before the spirit could be called whisky, the distillery released old stock as well as some youthful spirits to raise capital – the older releases remain legendary, while the younger are a curiosity that are well worth trying.

Eventually, in 2011, a whisky appeared – Revival, the first spirit to be distilled at Glenglassaugh in more than 25 years. It wasn’t enough to keep things going, however, and in 2013 a seasoned player stepped in: The Benriach Company.

The Benriach Company

Former Burns Stewart director Billy Walker had struck out on his own in 2004, leading a group that bought Benriach distillery. In 2008, he added Glendronach to the company’s portfolio and by 2013 he was looking for a third distillery. Glenglassaugh was the perfect fit.

While reviving Benriach and Glendronach had given the company experience with creating ranges that relied on spirit distilled before they took over, Glenglassaugh gave them a unique challenge – no whisky at all between five and 27 years old. They rose to the challenge, launching Evolution, a whisky vatted from bourbon casks distilled since the reopening, and a a 30-year-old, drawing on the extensive stocks in the warehouses.

Brown-Forman

It looked set to continue, with Benriach and Glendronach taking the limelight, and Glenglassaugh slowly building up its stocks, now including peated whisky, released as Torfa. But in 2016, things changed again – The Benriach Company was bought by Brown-Forman, the American distillers best known for producing Jack Daniel’s.

Rachel Barrie, contemplating whisky and the meaning of life. while trying not to fall out of a boat

Billy Walker was replaced by experienced master blender Rachel Barrie, known for her work with Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, as well as more recently curating the ranges at Auchentoshan, Glen Garioch and Bowmore. With production now settled after 10 years of distillation and the core range of whiskies tasting better than ever, Rachel has arrived ready to push the distillery into the next era of its development.

The range

It all starts with fruity new-make spirit – it’s packed with estery fruit – pear drops and Fruit Salad chews – as well as a touch of farmyard funkiness. The Revival, bottled at around three years old, takes that fruitiness and adds in layers of sherry-cask spice, thanks to a short finish before bottling. The result is a whisky that has changed a lot since its initial release, now showing that young whisky doesn’t need to be run through with peat to taste good.

Spirit running from the Glenglassaugh stills

Like many distilleries across Scotland, Glenglassaugh has been making smoky whisky alongside its more traditional unpeated output. This has resulted in Torfa, which allies the Revival’s combination of fresh fruit and sherry spice with smouldering peat and singed citrus. Again, it’s a youthful dram, but zesty and full of life – another whisky that has developed since its first appearance on the market.

The present

For the past few years, the distillery’s focus has been on its whiskies produced since reopening, but the warehouses are far from bare – while there’s a two-decade gap after 1986, there’s still a lot of whisky from before then, and it’s still tasting excellent. I look forward to seeing what the new owners decide to do with this nest egg.

The latest arrivals from Glenglassaugh – a range of four cask finishes

While Benriach and Glendronach have continued as before, it’s Glenglassaugh which has received the most attention since Brown-Forman arrived on the scene, with four new releases arriving at the end of 2016. Focusing on more mature spirit, peated virgin oak and unpeated Pedro Ximénez finishes are joined by both peated and unpeated port-finished whiskies, giving a hint as to what Glenglassaugh has hiding in its warehouses and maybe what might appear in the future.

With Rachel Barrie taking up the blending reins and supported by an experienced team at the distillery, the next few years should be interesting. With the 10th anniversary of the stills restarting popping up later this year, we will hopefully see more from Glenglassaugh even sooner.

Russell’s Reserve K&L Single Barrel #998 Kentucky Bourbon (750ml)

If you’ve ever dipped your nose into a box of cinnamon red hots and inhaled all that sweetly-spiced goodness, then consider yourself well prepared for our latest single barrel (#998) from Wild Turkey Distillery, the spiritual home of fine Kentucky Bourbon. We rummaged through the warehouses with both Jimmy and Eddy Russell to dig out this concentrated cask and there was a unanimous sense of awe in the room after we tapped this particular barrel. Originally filled in October of 2008, we bottled this baby right after its 9th birthday, right about the time Jimmy Russell believes these Wild Turkey whiskies show their best. Emptied at 118.4 proof, everything about this whiskey showcases the textbook and trademark characteristics of the distillery style: loads of baking spices, vibrant oak tannins, creamy corn, and a finish of both savory pepper and sweet vanilla. Getting to select a barrel like this with the father and son duo is about as fun as our job gets-if you don’t count the part where we actually get to drink it. Only 120 bottles from this tiny, concentrated cask.

$59.99

Product Reviews:

David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 1/11/2018 
Eddy, Jimmy, and I dug through about ten barrels to reach this cask, #998, located in the heart of the H warehouse at Wild Turkey. When it comes to the Kickin’ Chicken, I’m not looking to reinvent the wheel. I’m not searching for the anomaly or the unique gem that stands in contrast to what made Russell’s Reserve famous. I wanted classic, true to form Bourbon that tastes like vintage Wild Turkey and that’s exactly what I got from this 9 year old single cask. Everything in harmony, just dialed up in proof. Vanilla, oak, creamy corn, and that youthful vigor that pops on your palate like a bag full of cinnamon candy. Jimmy Russell doesn’t like any Bourbon older than 10 years old, which I think is awesome. I’m trying to be more like him, so with this cask I relied completely on his guidance.

By: Gary Westby | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 1/11/2018 
I love this whiskey! The feral rye character of this Bourbon marries perfectly with corn richness and fabulous new American oak vanilla roundness. The Russell’s have another winner with this big, 110 proof whiskey. Our stocks of this are limited, so I better buy my bottle of this single barrel stuff now.

Thursday, January 25th 5-7PM

Bourbon Tasting: Smooth Ambler

Hailing from West Virginia, Appalachia distillery Smooth Ambler is a world-class spirit crafter. From grinding their own carefully selected regional grains, to labeling and signing each bottle, Smooth Ambler does everything by hand, the old-fashioned way. Their signature bourbon, Contradiction, has been highly praised by mixologists and bourbon fans alike, scoring 96 points in the 2017 American Bourbon category for The Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

We’ll be pouring a variety of favorites and new releases, presented by distillery representatives and our own in-store whiskey experts.

 Click Here to RSVP