ralfy.com finds a heavy glass bottle with . ralfy review 734 – Royal Brackla 16yo @ 40%vol

First release in landscape inspired series from the Isle of Arran Distillers 

The award-winning Isle of Arran Distillers is launching its latest series of limited-edition whiskies, this time celebrating the unique beauty of the landscape on the island. The first of The Explorers Series pays homage to Brodick Bay, which can be found on the east coast of the Isle of Arran.

The Brodick Bay whisky has been matured for a minimum of 20 years in both Bourbon barrels and Sherry hogsheads before being finished in Oloroso Sherry butts, sourced directly from Bodegas Tradicion in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. The result is a memorable sweetness with rich layers of intense fruit.

The first sip of the intense sweetness coats the taste buds as the creamy toffee develops into a treacle laced fudge. Dark chocolate raisins and honey give this dram delicious depth which stays long on the palate. Over time or with a drop of water, the Brodick Bay opens up to show another side with soft oak and hints of pink pepper.

Located 12 miles from the Isle of Arran’s Lochranza distillery, Brodick Bay is backed by dense woodlands of Scots pine and is guarded by the islands highest peak, Goat Fell. The bay is surrounded by a vast a unique terrain, ranging from a sandy beach, verdant field, lush forests and rocky mountain passes.

Speaking about The Explorers Series, Euan Mitchell, Managing Director of Isle of Arran Distillers, said: “Seeing the natural beauty of this island every day is so inspiring. It felt like the obvious choice to pay homage to the picturesque scenery through our new limited-edition series.

“This first release is a very complex and multi-layered whisky, which was a conscious choice to reflect the diversity and charm of the island. All the instalments from The Explorers Series will be innovative blend of flavours. We want to give whisky lovers something that is unlike anything else, because to us, there’s nowhere like the Isle of Arran.”

The Explorers Series follows the hugely popular Smugglers Series. Launched in 2015, it celebrated the illicit whisky trade that operated from Arran and up the Clyde to Glasgow.

The first installment of The Explorers Series is available from the Isle of Arran Distillers Visitor Centre in Lochranza or online at www.arranwhisky.com/shop-whiskies from Tuesday 10 July at 11am.  Suggested retail price is £130 for a 70cl bottle and only two bottles can be purchased by each customer.

Notes:

For more information visit www.arranwhisky.com 

Accolades for Isle of Arran Distillery include Winner for: Best New Exporter (2004), Queen’s Award for International Trade (2005), Scottish Distiller of the Year (2007) and Scottish Drinks Producer of the Year (2007) Scottish Field Visitor Experience of the Year 2014 & 2015, Drinks Business Best Contribution to Wine and Spirits Tourism (2017), Best Brewery/Distillery Tour – Scottish Outdoor Leisure Awards (2017)

Product awards include: Best Whisky Liqueur (2007), ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 12 Years & Under’ for The Arran Malt Amarone Cask Finish (2008) ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for The Arran Malt Sherry Single Cask 1998 (2010) and ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for the Icons of Arran Peacock (2011.) ‘Double Gold Award’ for Arran’s 14 Year Old Single Malt and ‘Gold Award’ for Arran’s 10 Year Old Single Malt at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2012). Double Gold in FiftyBest.com awards (2012). Double Gold Medal for the 12 Year Old Cask Strength in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2013). Double Gold for both the 10 Year Old and 12 Year Old Cask Strength at the China Wine & Spirits Best Value Awards 2014.  Category Winner & Gold Medal ‘Best Scotch 13-20 Years – Islands (Non- Islay) World Whiskies Awards for the Arran 18 Year Old (2018). Category Winner & Gold Medal ‘No Age Statement Single Malt’ for The Bothy Batch 3 World Whiskies Awards (2018). Silver Medal ‘Single Malt 12 Years and Under’ World Whiskies Awards 2018 for the Arran 10-year-old (2018).

A WHISKY FILM
A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT SCOTLAND’S MASTER DISTILLERS
AND THEIR ONGOING QUEST TO CRAFT THE WORLD’S BEST WHISKY

(July 1, 2018 – Los Angeles, CA) In recent years, feature documentaries like Jiro Dreams of Sushi and TV shows like The Mind of the Chef and Chef’s Table have taken viewers inside the minds and the kitchens of many of the world’s best chefs, going far beyond simple cooking shows and instead focusing on the live  and influence of these culinary artists.

The Water of Life, a feature documentary about the ongoing quest to create the world’s best whisky, wants to give Scotland’s best distillers the same treatment. Conceived by director Greg Swartz during a whisky walking tour in the Scottish Highlands, the film will focus on a handful of distillers, some young and  upcoming, others legends who have helped build Scotch whisky into the worldwide colossus that it is.

“The film is not a travelogue or a how-to show,” says Swartz. “We’re not really interested in the global marketplace or the new record sales. We want to talk about the creative process involved in making a unique drink that has only three ingredients.”

Brittany Curran (The Magicians, Men of a Certain Age) is executive producing the film along with Trevor Jones and Lesley-Anne Morrison. The film is already partially financed and it began shooting last month in Scotland, but the producers just launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign complete the financing of the $250,000 film.

The film’s primary subject will be master distillers Jim McEwanand Dr. Bill Lumsden who are icons to devoted fans the world over. Their highly sought after whiskies are rivaled only by their funny, passionate and ribald storytelling.

The film will also feature stories about independent bottlers Gordon & MacPhail who consistently set records with their ability to age whiskies better and longer than anyone; the new Glasgow Distillery which is winning awards right out of  the gate; Carin Luna-Ostaseski, the American woman who crowdfunded her  way to creating her own award winning whisky, Sia; and other quirky and  interesting tales about the artistry and creativity in the whisky world.

The producers will be hosting a number of other whisky tastings and parties in  the weeks to come. Details are at wateroflifefilm.com/events/

PLEASE CONTACT:
media@wateroflifefilm.com

DIRECTOR GREG SWARTZ & PRODUCER BRITTANY CURRAN ARE
AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS
WEBSITE WITH TRAILER, ART & PRESS SITE:

www.wateroflifefilm.com

BEST IN CLASS

July Outturn brings whisky of the finest pedigree with 19 new single casks with distinguished character. Discover the divine diversity of these rare breeds with all twelve flavour profiles appearing throughout the bottling list, simply follow your nose to find your style.

This First Friday, whisky guru and long-time chairman of the Society Tasting Panel, Charlie MacLean has selected a collection of casks he believes to be best in show. Hand-picked specifically for this Outturn and in celebration of our 35th anniversary, the Tasting Notes for each of these whiskies have also been written by Charlie. Look out for his recommendations by spotting our special stamps.

VIEW OUTTURN

63.46 A walk in the park

This whisky is a sit up and pay attention experience, it’s no surprise it charmed our chairman. A real treat for the taste buds, 63.46 A walk in the park brings a Sweet, Fruity and Mellow mix of flower gardens and football pitches. Exceedingly tasty indeed.

Age:10
Price: £51.00

 DISCOVER MORE

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

Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 5

The fifth batch in the famous Tun 1509 series from the Balvenie, this Speyside single malt is a marriage of single casks hand-selected by Malt Master David C. Stewart and brought together in the eponymous Tun, a traditional oak marrying vessel. Each release is limited to just a few thousand bottles worldwide. This latest batch is presented at a strength of 52.6% abv.

The nose is incredibly rich and fruity. the palate brings a burst of spice before a deep sherry influence. Dried fruits linger with elegant oak notes in the finish.

£220 Buy Now

This weeks (actually last week – WI) episode of the show features bottlings by the relatively new independent bottling company James Eadie including their Trade Mark X blend.

A.SMITH BOWMAN DISTILLERY AWARDED TWO DOUBLE GOLD MEDALS AT THE 2018 SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION

Three A. Smith Bowman spirits received silver and bronze 

FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA (June 21, 2018) – At this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition, John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon and Tinkerman’s Citrus Supreme Flavored Gin, both from A. Smith Bowman Distillery, won the highest honor, a double gold medal. In total, A. Smith Bowman received five medals from the competition.

This year, 48 spirits experts convened to judge a record breaking entry of more than 2,469 spirits from all over the world.

John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon and Tinkerman’s Citrus Supreme Flavored Gin were judged as some of the finest products in the world. The double gold medal is given only if every judge awards a gold medal to the product and only few entries receive it.

Other A. Smith Bowman spirits that were recognized include Bowman Brothers Small Batch Virginia Straight Bourbon and Tinkerman’s Sweet Spice Flavored Gin which were awarded silver, and Tinkerman’s Curiously Bright & Complex Flavored Gin, which received bronze.

This competition is associated with the Triple Crown of Competitions (The San Francisco International Wine Competition and New York World Wine and Spirits Competition), and continues to be highly respected and the most influential spirits competition after 18 years.

The SFWSC is judged by a panel of the spirit industry’s most renowned judges including award-winning authors, buyers, journalists, educators and bar owners, who rate each spirit based off a blind taste test.

Results from the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition can be found at http://sfspiritscomp.com/results/.

About A. Smith Bowman

1. Smith Bowman’s distilling roots date back to the years before Prohibition when the Bowman family had a granary and dairy farm in Sunset Hills, Virginia. They used excess grain from the family estate to distill spirits. In 1934, after the Repeal of Prohibition, Abram Smith Bowman and his sons continued the family tradition and built a more modern distillery in Fairfax County, Virginia called Sunset Hills Farm.  The Distillery was moved in 1988 and is now nestled in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.

As a small and privately owned company, A. Smith Bowman Distillery continues the time-honored traditions on which it was founded. Considered a micro-distillery by today’s standards, A. Smith Bowman produces an assortment of hand-crafted spirits distilled from only the finest natural ingredients and using the latest technology. This micro-distillery focuses on the production of premium spirits honoring the legacy of Virginia’s first settlers. Its various brands have won more than 100 awards in the past five years, including “World’s Best Bourbon” in 2016 for its Abraham Bowman Port Finished Bourbon and again in 2017 for its John J. Bowman Single Barrel at the World Whisky Awards.  For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit www.asmithbowman.com.

BLACK FEATHER WHISKEY WINS DOUBLE GOLD AT THE SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION AND DOUBLES DOWN ON DIGITAL EXPERIENCE 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Black Feather Whiskey has been awarded the rare Double Gold distinction at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC). Known amongst industry insiders as the ‘Grammys of the spirits world,’ SFWSC is one of the world’s most respected spirits competitions due to its sterling ethics, procedural transparency and esteemed panel of judges.

Black Feather joins an elite group of brands that have won Double Gold in the history of the competition in the small-batch bourbon aged under five years category. With nearly 2,500 spirits submitted, Black Feather Whiskey stood out to the competition’s all-star panel of judges, who – after a rigorous four days of entry rounds, without receiving any information on the products they taste through, followed by the medal round – all furnished the American bourbon with a gold rating in a double-blind taste test.

Black Feather Whiskey was created to be accessible – a premium, but not precious, go-to American bourbon to be enjoyed by all levels of whiskey drinkers, whether poured neat, on the rocks or in a cocktail. A true whiskey workhorse, Black Feather starts big with an 86-proof kick, followed by an easy going finish. Its founders and investors include three media and entertainment platform builders, Jeremy Rawle and Travis Pastrana from the Nitro Circus franchise; and advisor/investor Rob Dyrdek, known for shows in which he has both starred and produced.

In addition to its smooth-drinking whiskey, Black Feather has become known for its many creative endeavors, the most recent of which is a new app that brings the brand’s illustrated crow, Odin, to life, sharing with fans the latest news about the brand, such as its strong showing at SFWSC. Through the app, now available for download from Google Play and the Apple App Store, users can interact with an animated Odin by pointing their smartphone at a bottle of Black Feather.

“The new app provides us with a mechanism for which to share with our fans the personality of our unofficial mascot, Odin, and to get the word out about our Double Gold distinction, all while having a little fun with our brand,” said Jeremy Rawle, CEO, Black Feather Whiskey. “Inspired by the hard-working artists, craftsmen, creators, doers and tradesmen, who like their lives driven by the creative fires that stoke within, its important for us to tell their stories. We’ll continue to develop content that will live on channels such as our app that share and honor those whose path in life is driven by living what they love.”

ABOUT BLACK FEATHER WHISKEY

Founded in 2016, Black Feather Whiskey is a true American product with handpicked allotments from Indiana, bottling in Houston, Texas, and headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah. Black Feather Whiskey is currently available in Texas, Utah, Colorado and California—and plans to open Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana and Florida in the coming months, with Illinois and Canada to follow. The average retail price is $30.00 for a 750ml bottle.

For more information on upcoming events, news and content releases and to join the #Featherhood, please visit blackfeatherwhiskey.com or stay connected on Facebook: facebook.com/blackfeatherwhiskey, Twitter: @bfwhiskey and Instagram: @blackfeatherwhiskey.

Monday 2nd July 2018 marked the re-launch of GlenAllachie Distillery. Many of you may never have heard of this distillery. But today has been a highly anticipated day. Highly anticipated whisky too. Ever since news broke last year that Billy Walker headed up a team to purchase the lesser known GlenAllachie Distillery, whisky fans have been waiting. Specifically, fans who followed Billy and his remarkable success with GlenDronach Distillery. We have been looking forward to this too. GlenAllachie has echoes of The Whisky Barrel, being an independent Scottish owned and run business. There is a strong familial feel to the setup too. We now have our hands on the full new range of GlenAllachie Single Malt Scotch Whisky. All available now at TheWhiskyBarrel.com

Unsurprisingly, Billy and his team are going with a formula that proved very successful at his previous haunt. Sherry cask matured, strong age statements and 46% or more.  So now is the chance to get hold of brand new Whisky. The time has come to revive a once understated and overlooked blending whisky. The time has come to explore GlenAllachie Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

GlenAllachie 10 Year Old Cask Strength Batch #1 57.1%

At 57.1% ABV The GlenAllachie 10 Year Old Cask Strength Batch #1 is a limited release of 2,000 cases. Matured American Oak, Pedro Ximenez, Oloroso and Virgin Oak. This is the release that allows you to taste Glenallachie whisky as it comes from the cask, full throttle. Billy and his team’s notes allude to spices, heather, honey and toffee. Speyside indeed.

GlenAllachie 10 year old Cask Strength available to buy online now at TheWhiskyBarrel.com

GlenAllachie 12 Year Old 46%

The flagship bottle of the new GlenAllachie range is the GlenAllachie 12 year old.  At an easy price point to allow the novice to dip into this whisky. This is the whisky to show off the new core range of GlenAllachie whisky. Matured in Pedro Ximenez, Oloroso and Virgin Oak. Unchillfitlered and natural colour. The spirit and the casks have done all the work. Notes of butterscotch and honey are prominent at the front with almonds and and hint of bitter chocolate levelling it out. There is good depth to this. For an entry level core bottling, it offers plenty.

The GlenAllachie 12 year old available to buy online now at TheWhiskyBarrel.com

GlenAllachie 18 Year Old

The GlenAllachie 18 year old is limited to an annual release of 1,000 cases worldwide. Billy has carefully selected casks from the GlenAllachie warehouses to make his mark on the 18 year old release. With access to Glenallachie casks back to the 1970s, this is a treat. More maturation in American Oak, Pedro Ximinez and Oloroso casks and bottled at 46%. There is an added level of depth with the sweeter notes of vanilla, butterscotch and toffee being left with notes of spice, raisins, dark red cherries and dark chocolate. An extra bite to the 18 year old.

The GlenAllachie 18 year old available to buy online now at TheWhiskyBarrel.com

GlenAllachie 25 Year Old

This GlenAllachie 25 year old is something even more special. Bottled at a higher 48% it is limited to just 1,000 cases worldwide. American Oak, Pedro Ximinez and Oloroso cask matured this offers real luxury whisky. A rich and complex whisky with big influence of the sherry casks but in perfect harmony with the spirit. Brings notes of sultanas, dark chocolate, Christmas cake and crisp citrus fruits. There is a distinctly more luxurious mouthfeel. This is peak Glenallachie whisky.

GlenallAchie 25 year old available to buy online now at TheWhiskyBarrel.com

TWB Favourite?

Each of these new releases offers something different. The 12 year old offers a superb flagship bottling. At 46% and with a lovely balance between the sherry oak and spirit, it offers the whisky fan something very interesting and enjoyable. For the new whisky drinker, it is a taste of what a very good whisky experience is all about.  But if we had to pick one it would be the 25 year old. Yes, we know, the most expensive. But the combination of American oak, Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso casks has worked wonders with the spirit providing great depth and a good bite with the flavour profile. But we also like the 10 year cask strength…and the 18 year old! GlenAllachie Distillery is sure to quickly be a favourite here at TWB HQ.

So, a huge congratulations to Billy and all the team up at GlenAllachie Distillery. Fantastic to see this previously quiet and lesser know distillery now firmly placed on the single malt scotch map.

THE IRRESSITABLE SINGLE CASKS OF JOHN MILROY

Over the years we’ve worked closely with nearly every Scottish independent bottler. Often times we are the first retailer in the U.S. to feature a particular brand, but it’s not often that we’re able to secure a truly exclusive sale. We’re not an importer and have no particular rights or claims to any brand. Instead, we build relationships through positive interaction and responsible stewardship. We’ve brought many brands to the US that our importers would otherwise not have the opportunity to sell and likewise we’ve secured exclusive rights with certain international brands in California.

The John Milroy line of single malts is precisely one of those relationships. We’re not going over there to select casks. In fact, we rely on the honorable Doug McIvor to make his astute selections for the brand. He is the Director of Spirits for the formidable Berry Bros & Rudd Co. in London. This wonderful company is a hybrid of high-end retailer, negociant, independent bottler, and brand incubator. He started his illustrious career running the Milroy of Soho whisky shop – the baby (the shop is tiny) of brothers John and Wallace Milroy. When Jack Milroy sold his diminutive Soho shop, he turned to Doug to help continue his legacy of bottling exceptional single malts.

We’ve tried many times to work directly with BBR and had only limited success. Our industry is a complicated web of relationships, trade agreements, and back channel dealings. Most brands can’t simply turn around and sell products to us directly. We’re just not a big enough fish to fry when it comes to some of the other national relationships BBR has developed over the years. When the Milroy line came up as an independent brand free from the complexities of Berry Bros other dealings, I jumped on the opportunity to work with them. While these aren’t true direct buys and we only take a fraction of the total amount imported, we are negotiating incredibly advantageous pricing and selling these exclusively in California. That means if you live in CA, you’re going to spend 30-50% less for a bottle of Milroy’s than if you lived anywhere else in the world.

After our initial purchase a year ago, we’ve had to wait a long time before the right casks popped up. Since we’re not fully in control and even though Milroy is offering exceptional quality across the board, we simply can’t offer products that don’t provide our customers with the extreme level of value that they expect. We’re lucky to have found these three special casks that represent the ethos brand and its highly distinctive style perfectly; an odd, yet wonderful Island whisky, a shockingly affordable and bizarrely drinkable young peater and a classic zesty summer Speysider. We’re still a few months out from the next big container of whisky (The Season is coming, don’t worry) but these three gorgeous casks will help you bridge the gap.

2013 Staoisha (Heavily Peated Bunnahabhain) 3 Year Old “John Milroy – K&L Exclusive” Single Barrel Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($34.99)

An astonishing whisky in so many ways. We’ve tasted young peaty whisky many times and while it can sometimes be delicious (I’m thinking Kilchoman here), it’s typically much more neutered and spirity than you’d expect. The peatiness can take many years to really poke through, especially when you’ve got high proof and powerful malt to hide behind. This goofy whisky, however, is exactly the opposite. It’s a true peat bomb even at this young age. But that’s not all: the dense ashy smoke is tamed by robust sweet malt and some hints of salty fruit. This is an impressive whisky by any account and while it will by no means be in anyone’s top five, I’ll challenge anyone to name a more interesting and drinkable cask strength peater under $35 that’s even half as good. I’m not sure what they’re doing over there at the bay north of Port Askaig, but there’s definitely something amazing happening there. We can only pray that we’ll continue to see such affordable and delicious whiskies coming out of Scotland in the future.

2008 Tobermory 8 Year Old “John Milroy – K&L Exclusive” Single Refill Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($54.99)

This crazy little Tobermory is exactly what I love about this unique distillery on the Isle of Mull. It was filled into a used sherry butt in 2008. This distillery sometimes gets a bad rap, in particular because the independently bottled stuff is usually filled into 4th and 5th fill cask. The slightly feinty style of the malt really needs some higher quality oak to be softened enough to release its complexity, but once it does it can be an absolute treat. There’s no question that Tobermory has the potential to provide incredible depth and enjoyment, but it’s often a challenging whisky not necessarily designed for the novice. This particular cask represents that dichotomy perfectly. Second fill sherry butts are perhaps the perfect vessel for this funky spirit, adding and taking from the whisky in perfect balance. As expected this whisky is fun and funky, but it also represents one of the starkest examples of the benefits a few drops of fine spring water can bring to a quality single malt like this one. It’s nearly mandatory with something this youthful to at least try it with a few drops of water and thank god we did because this thing absolutely transforms. What was once hard edged and idiosyncratic is now opulent and enlightening. There is a complete turnaround in the glass and one of the most unique and exciting drinking experiences we can offer at any price point. An odd yet beautiful whisky that will appeal to the real malt geek.

1995 Glen Keith 21 Year Old “John Milroy – K&L Exclusive” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($109.99)

This wonderful cask of Glen Keith was selected by our friend Doug McIvor for its exceptional balance and character. The distillery in Keith has been rare in modern times due to its closure from 2000 until 2013. While it served as a partner to neighboring Strathisla as one of the component malts in the Chivas Blend, it was also the site of much experimentation and some unusual production techniques. There they developed unique yeast strains and alternative ways of peating whisky–namely the use of extremely peaty water to ferment the mash. Keith has long remained out of sight and out of mind of the modern whisky consumer, but now we’re starting to see wonderful casks pop up from the period right before the closure. The gorgeous aromas and purity of malt are astounding. Extremely round, ripe orchard fruit and subtle highland grasses. The seamless body and silky texture are what set this whisky apart and create the perfect frame for the creamy malt and subtle savory nuttiness to balance the zippy citrus and apple fruit. A subtle whisky that might seem a little shy at first, but blossoms into something absolutely lovely. An easy go to for the summer Scotch drinker.