Wemyss Malts introduces Nectar Grove

Family run, independent bottler Wemyss Malts is releasing a new blended Scotch malt whisky called Nectar Grove.  Wemyss has selected Highland Scotch whiskies and finished them for a further period in casks which had previously held Madeira wine.

In keeping with other releases from Wemyss Malts, such as The Hive, Spice King and Peat Chimney; this new whisky has been given a flavour led name by the Wemyss tasting panel which reflects its succulent and luscious fruit character.

In Wemyss’ first foray into finishing, the Highland blended malt has been imbued with the fruity and complex sweet flavours of Madeira wine and reminiscent of a ripe fruit grove of peaches, nectarines and citrus.  The finish is of gentle oak spice, sweet pastries and juicy stone fruits. This fruity and fragrant malt whisky is ideally suited for enjoying during warm summertime’s and can be used to make a refreshing whisky cobbler cocktail.

Nectar Grove is bottled at its natural colour which has a beautiful peachy golden hue and at 46% non-chill filtered to retain the intensity of flavours and aromas in this whisky.

The eye-catching packaging design was inspired by Portuguese ceramics and fretwork, reflecting the vibrancy and variation within the whisky.

William Wemyss, Founder and Managing Director at Wemyss Malts, commented: “We are delighted with the results of our first “finished” blended malt.  Nectar Grove continues our line of limited edition blended malts which has previously included World Whisky Award winners Velvet Fig and Kiln Embers. ”

9000 bottles of Nectar Grove will be available from selected retailers in the UK, EU and Asian markets with suggested retail price of £43.95.

Notes:

• Edinburgh based Wemyss Malts is owned by the Wemyss family and their family seat in the brand logo is Wemyss Castle in Fife where they’ve lived since the 1300s.
• Nectar Grove Limited Edition joins 3 other blended malts in the 46% core range series that include The Hive, Spice King and Peat Chimney. Wemyss Malts has 2 other blended malt series that include the Batch Strength range and the Wemyss Family Collection.
• Wemyss blended malts have won prestigious World Whisky Awards five times: The Hive 12yo in 2012, Spice King 12yo in 2013, Velvet Fig in 2015, Kiln Embers in 2016 and Peat Chimney Batch Strength in 2017.
• The Wemyss family premium wines and spirits brands also include Lord Elcho blended Scotch whisky and Darnley’s Gin, together with the premium wine estate of Rimauresq Cru Classé in Cotes de Provence.
• The family has opened a single malt distillery at Kingsbarns, near St. Andrews in Fife and in July 2017 also opened Darnley’s Gin distillery on site. www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com

We have just received a hugely exciting collection of rare Glenfarclas Family Casks whiskies that are now available for purchase.

These exceptional whiskies are all from the original batch of 43 single cask releases that took the Whisky World by storm back in 2007.

The original batch of Family Casks was an ambitious collection of single cask releases, bottled at cask strength, with vintages spanning five decades from the 1950’s through to the 1990’s. Many of these whiskies were bottled at impressive ages of up to 50 years old, with a few being even older.

Ten years and hundreds of bottlings later, the series continues to go from strength to strength, and are firm favourites amongst connoisseurs, enthusiasts, collectors, and investors alike. This original series of releases are the rarest and most sought after of all.

Most of these legendary bottles are now little more than a memory in the minds of those who have been fortunate enough to drink them. As such, it is very rare to see such a comprehensive selection come on to the market at once.

Whether you are a whisky drinker, collector, or investor, this is a rare opportunity purchase an exciting piece of whisky history. All bottles are in excellent condition and are offered with their original wooden boxes, booklets, and packaging.

As you would expect, stocks are extremely limited and will be available on a first come first served basis.

CLICK HERE TO BROWSE THE COMPLETE FAMILY CASKS COLLECTION

MARCH AUCTION NOW LIVE
(ends Sunday 25^th March)

…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!

2008 Aultmore 9 Year Old K&L Exclusive “Sovereign” Single Sherry Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($49.99)

Aultmore isn’t one of Scotland’s most recognizable whisky names, but ever since Bacardi’s move to establish the Dewar’s distilleries as veritable single malt brands, names like Craigellachie, Royal Brackla, Aberfeldy and Aultmore are moving more to the forefront on the global stage. Originally founded in 1896, Aultmore was sold by Diageo to Bacardi over 100 years later as part of the big Bombay gin deal, resulting in a rarely seen 12 year old edition half a decade later. Located in the Speyside region, the distillery’s sherried malts are often described as having flavors of “milky coffee” and that’s most definitely the case with this heavily-sherried 9 year old expression. Coffee in both its color and its aromas, the nose is pungent with heavily-roasted aromas and savory Oloroso rancio. Don’t be confused by the color, however, because despite its dark hue this is no supple, sweetly-flavored Sherry bomb. In fact, it’s a robust malt, dry on the finish and almost savory in its profile. The mid-palate is loaded with toasted almonds, tobacco, and bitter orange, but the finish is short and simple. While many of our casks are meant to be pondered and savored, this 9 year old Aultmore is very much to the point. It’s a cask strength, sherry-matured edition of everyday quality single malt, priced to drink and enjoy in volume. The high proof is almost unrecognizable with the saturation of the sherry and its very much drinkable at full strength.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 11, 2018

WOW! Aultmore is kind of one of those sleeper malts you just don’t think about much, but I’m going to be dreaming of it now! This ultra dense style sherry reminds me of samples of young sherried ‘farclas or Mac. There nose at first gives off a little amontillado funk which pairs perfectly with the underlying dark malty tones. On the palate its big, supple, and powerful. I found a nice dollop of water is exactly what I want in this whisky. The fruit comes forward and the malt takes a slight back seat to the complexity of whatever special butt this aged in. It’s not so old, but this ones a cracker by any measure.

David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 11, 2018

I remember sitting in the office in Scotland, tasting through these Sovereign samples, and looking up information on Aultmore distillery as I approached this 9 year old cask sample. It was a bit of an odd duck, but I appreciated it because it was so different in its character: dry and herbal rather than sweet and supple, the opposite of what I expected from such a dark and saturated sherry-matured whisky. The Single Malt Whisky Yearbook had tasting notes from other expressions of Aultmore that they described as having the flavor or coffee or even “milky coffee” and then I went back and tasted the 9 year old cask sample again…..there it was. Coffee. Not only in its color, but in its aromas and flavors! While the price is indeed incredible, this is a one trick sherry pony for sure. It’s big and spicy right off the bat, but that initial sweetness quickly fades and turns into herbaceous notes of dried herbs, pepper, toasted nuts, with a very dry finish. It’s a whisky meant purely as a bang-for-your-buck bargain and I couldn’t pass it up. It’s so different from anything else on the shelf and I get a kick out of that coffee note! Those of you who enjoyed some of our older Glenfarclas Family Casks of yesteryear may get a bit of nostalgic bliss from this earthier sherry expression. It’s definitely of the same ilk as that robust 1970 vintage barrel we did a while back.

Andrew Stevens | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 10, 2018

Let the people drink whisky!! This seems to be the theme of stuff I have been getting to taste recently, super tasty whisky for the sake of whisky that is actually affordable. Case in point, this delightful bottle of Aultmore from our friend Hunter Laing. On these chilly grey evenings this is going to be a spectacular bottle to become friends with. The aromatics practically leap out of the glass, big rich nutty and almost amaretto notes from the heavy sherry casking here are layered with some dark fruit. The age of this bottling really comes through in fantastic richness and power, itis bombastic but balanced. The casking allows the youth to shine without making you feel like it is too young. Rich barley sweetness, vanilla, clove and cinnamon all enhance each other and at cask strength there is a bite and spice that never overwhelms. Simply put, this is a drinking Scotch, perfect for here and now.

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY NAMED

DISTILLER OF THE YEAR BY WHISKY MAGAZINE

AT 2018 ICONS OF WHISKY AMERICA

Buffalo Trace Visitor Center Manager Named American Visitor Attraction Manager of the Year 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (March 13, 2018) – Whisky Magazine has named Buffalo Trace Distillery its 2018 Icons of Whisky America Distiller of the Year, and named its visitor center manager, Matt Higgins Visitor Attraction Manager of the Year. The Distillery received these awards Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018 at the Whisky Magazine Awards America presentation in New York City. The Distillery was also highly commended for Brand Innovator of the Year, and for Visitor Attraction of the Year.

“We strive every day to make all around quality spirits, so this is a huge honor for us,” Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley said. “From every step of the distilling and aging processes all the way to bottling, distribution, and even the hospitality in our Visitor Center, it truly is a team effort, so this is a great testament to the hard work our team puts in. We could not be more grateful for these recognitions.”

Over the years Buffalo Trace Distillery has received more than 500 awards for its whiskies, distinguishing Buffalo Trace as the World’s Most Award Winning Distillery, which remains a testament to the Distillery’s strong focus on producing quality spirits over volume.

With quality in mind, the Distillery believes that the perfect bourbon has yet to be created, and continues forth with the goal of producing a bourbon that hits that mark.

As such, Buffalo Trace continues to forge new innovative paths through its commitment to experimentation, with more than 17,500 barrels of experimental whiskey currently aging at the Distillery, and is even growing its own corn on its farm to one day create its own Single Estate bourbons.

            Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Visitor Center, under the leadership of Matt Higgins, holds a strong hospitality focus and is continuously working to accommodate its growing visitation. The Distillery offers six different complimentary tours and tastings, and welcomed a record-breaking 201,491 visitors last year alone, an increase of 18 percent over the last calendar year.

Buffalo Trace Distillery will now go on to compete for these two titles on a global level. The global Icons of Whisky awards will be announced March 22 at the Whisky Magazine Awards Dinner in London.

American Icons are determined following nominations from producers, retailers, distributors and importers, which are then voted on by those in the industry before Whisky Magazine’s editorial panel reviews and draws up a shortlist from which the winners are selected.

For more information about the World Whisky Awards and the Icons of Whiskey, visit www.worldwhiskiesawards.com and http://iconsofwhisky.com/. 

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 21 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon was named World Whiskey of the Year by Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2018.  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 500 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com

POPULAR FIFE WHISKY FESTIVAL TO RETURN NEXT YEAR

Fife Whisky Festival is set to become an annual fixture following the success of the inaugural event.

Organisers Justine Hazlehurst and Karen Somerville announced the move after the festival – opened by Scottish cycling legend Mark Beaumont – was praised for boosting the local economy.

More than 500 whisky-lovers from across Scotland, and as far afield as Argentina and Germany, attended tasting sessions held at the Corn Exchange in Cupar at the weekend.

They enjoyed drams from a wide range of distilleries and independent bottlers, music from Fife-based duo The Coaltown Daisies and the chance to chat with guest of honour Mr Beaumont.

Mrs Somerville said: “It was a brilliant day and given all the positive feedback we’ve decided to make it an annual event.

“We had visitors from Argentina, France and Germany who were in Scotland on holiday and made the trip to Fife specially to visit the Festival.

“And it was great to have Mark there – he really enjoyed the festival and ended up meeting some of his old school friends.

“We’re delighted with how the day went and looking forward to doing it all again next year.”

Cupar councillor Karen Marjoram praised the event for boosting the local economy.

She said: “I very much enjoyed the day – it was such a friendly event with people who’d never met before chatting away to each other and it certainly put Cupar on the map.

“It was a real boost to the economy and wonderful to see the town so busy with the shops and restaurants full of people who stayed to see more of Cupar after their whisky session.

“I met people who had travelled a long way to come to Cupar and bringing the tourist pound to Fife in this way was a great bonus.

“With all the new distilleries in Fife, having the festival helps put the region on the whisky map so I’m pleased it’s becoming an annual event.”

Endurance cyclist Mr Beaumont also welcomed the news.

He said: “This is a fantastic event for Fife and having partly grown up in the Kingdom I am proud of all it has to offer.

“This festival and events like it are so important in putting Fife firms on the map for travel and business.”

The inaugural festival was launched by businesswomen Justine Hazlehurst, founder of Kask Whisky, and Karen Somerville, managing director of Angels’ Share Glass.

They joined forces to organise the festival in a bid to bring whisky back to the Kingdom of Fife.

Ms Hazlehurst said: “After years of attending whisky festivals around the world, we wanted the chance to bring an exciting new event to Scotland and are over the moon with how it went.

“People loved it and were asking when the next one will be held so we are pleased to announce it will be an annual event.”

The Festival, sponsored by Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers, showcased the renaissance of whisky-making in Fife with exhibitors including the Kingdom’s well-known Kingsbarns Distillery, Creative Whisky Company, Glen Moray and Isle of Arran Distillers.

Nearly 300 whisky-lovers attended the first session with 250 at the second taster while drinks specialists Luvians, who have bottleshops in Cupar and St Andrews, were on hand as on-site retailer.

Graeme Dempster, from Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers, said: “We were delighted to support the inaugural Fife Whisky Festival and having our Corporate Ambassador Mark Beaumont there to open the event was particularly special.

“As well as great entertainment, it was a chance for us to meet our existing Distillery clients and talk to owners of private whisky collections who were there to support this exciting new event.”

Plans for the second Fife Whisky Festival will get underway later this month with dates for the next event announced soon.

For more details about the Festival visit www.fifewhiskyfestival.com

Something special…

We have so many fantastic whiskies at Loch Fyne it can be difficult to choose! That’s where we come in. We love talking about whisky and with our range of great value everyday drams, free gifts, single casks and limited editions, we can help you pick the perfect bottle whatever the occasion.

Only available while stocks last
We ship all over the world!

Macallan Rare Cask

£175 BUY NOW

Springbank 25 Year Old

£425 BUY NOW

Ralfy celebrates St Patrick’s Day with Ralfy Review 718 – Glendalough 13yo Mizunara cask whiskey.

Upcoming Tastings at The Whisky Shop

Enjoy Irish Whiskey at The Whisky Shop!

Friday, March 23rd 5-7 PM:

Barr an Uisce & Egan’s 

Discover the world of Irish Whiskey at our tasting of two notable Irish Distilleries, the ancient celtic-inspired Barr an Uisce and 6th generation Irish distillers Egan. We’ll be pouring a variety of drams from both distilleries, with whiskey experts present for all your whiskey questions.

Click Here to RSVP 

THE BALVENIE APPOINTS GEMMA PATERSON
AS NEW GLOBAL AMBASSADOR 

• The Isle of Lewis native spent the last two years as The Balvenie Ambassador for East Coast USA
• Gemma will take over the reins from previous Global Ambassador Sam Simmons

The Balvenie, the world’s most handcrafted single malt Scotch whisky, today announces an important decision for the custodianship of the brand, as it appoints Gemma Paterson to be its next Global Ambassador.

Born in the Scottish Highlands, Gemma Paterson grew up in the Hebridean Isle of Lewis, Scotland. After graduating from the University of Glasgow in 2011 with a degree in Russian Language and Slavonic Studies, Gemma spent time at The Balvenie distillery, where she gained first-hand experience studying the art and science behind scotch malt whisky production. During her time at the distillery, Gemma also obtained a General Certificate in Distillation from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, where she is currently working towards her three-year Diploma.

Gemma’s tenure at the distillery earned her a place on the William Grant & Sons’ Nosing Panel, where she had first-hand experience working with David C. Stewart MBE at his tasting room in Glasgow.  Eventually Gemma’s love of single malt scotch and her passion for sharing this love led her to New York in May 2016, where she took up the post of The Balvenie Ambassador, United States East.

Commenting on her appointment, Gemma says: “Words can’t express how excited I am to start this next chapter in my career with The Balvenie. I feel so privileged to take up such a prestigious role and be given the opportunity to play a part in the history of this great distillery.”

Gemma will be taking over from current Global Ambassador Sam Simmons. Sam, a respected whisky expert and Keeper of the Quaich who often goes by the moniker of ‘Dr Whisky’, has been with the Speyside distillery since 2008, initially as The Balvenie Ambassador USA, and subsequently as Global Ambassador, which he was appointed to in 2010.

“Sam has provided a wealth of support and guidance to me throughout my time with The Balvenie and I’ve thoroughly enjoy our recent handover period,” Gemma continued. “We’ve followed a similar path from USA Ambassador to Global Ambassador, so he’s been the perfect mentor for me as I transition into my new role.”

Commenting on his successor, Sam Simmons says: “Having known Gemma for a number of years now, it’s abundantly clear that she has all of the credentials needed to succeed within the role of Global Ambassador. Gemma’s dedication to the distillery and passion for sharing the wonderful world of scotch whisky will set in her good stead for the future. I hope she invites me to a tasting soon!”

About The Balvenie: 

• The Balvenie is a unique range of single malts created by David Stewart MBE, The Balvenie Malt Master was awarded an MBE for services to the Scotch whisky industry by Queen Elizabeth II in 2016. Each expression has a very individual taste, but is rich, luxuriously smooth and underpinned by the distinctively honeyed character of The Balvenie.

• The Balvenie is dedicated to the five rare crafts that are used to create The Balvenie’s distinctive taste. It is the only distillery that still grows its own barley, uses traditional floor maltings and keeps both coppersmiths and coopers on site – making The Balvenie the most handcrafted of single malts.

• The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky is produced by William Grant & Sons Ltd, an award-winning independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today run by his direct descendants.