Greetings Fellow Whisky-Lovers!

Survived summer? Feeling the change in the air as we approach September? Fear not, we have an opportunity to warm the cooling cockles with a cheeky dram or two at a venue near you. As always, there is plenty going on at TWL HQ, both in the present and in the future, and we thought now was as good a time as any to tell you about a few of those things…

Our first tasting series back after the summer ‘break’ features our good friends from Mackmyra with their tremendous whiskies. However, you won’t be tasting much of their standard range as we will be focussing almost exclusively on their single cask whiskies, which is a great thing indeed. Not only that, but you will have the chance to purchase mature single casks as well as a Whisky Lounge exclusive Mackmyra bottling, on the night!

Dates & Venues

Thursday 13th September
London – Marlborough Arms

Friday 14th September
Manchester – Britons Protection
Newcastle – Blackfriars
York – Brigantes

Tuesday 25th September
Leeds – The Northern Monk
Sheffield – The Sheffield Tap

Wednesday 26th September 
Liverpool – Fly in the Loaf

The guys from Mackmyra’s UK and Swedish offices will be on hand on each night to ensure you get the maximum information and authenticity and these tastings are sure to be a lot of fun too! We challenge you to have more fun anywhere – with your clothes on – for £20!

Liverpool Festival Tickets and Masterclasses

And talking of festivals….

Don’t forget

First 2019 Whisky Festivals Announced!

Our first Whisky Festivals of 2019 have been announced and the first tranch of special offers are under-way. Get in quick to avoid disappointment!

And Finally…

The Gateshead Whisky News
with Gateshead TWL Correspondent, Lee Connors

Gateshead FC’s unbeaten run has now gone a whole three games! AND, it’s time for your weekly whisky news update from the only person you know who would care about that! You lucky lot, take it away Connas…

• Teeling Bring It Home…

Teeling Single Pot Still will be the first Dublin-distilled whisky available since the 1970’s! With a mash bill of 50:50 Malted and Unmalted barley, the 2015 vintage has been matured in ex-Muscat oak, and you will be able to bid for a bottle at auction from 30th August until 10th September…

• More Irish Giants…

Distribution company When We Were Giants have been appointed to Knappogue Castle Single Malt Irish Whiskey in the UK and Ireland, hope this means we’ll see more of them!

• Ailsa Bay 1.2. Re-Sweetened!

Gordon and MacPhail’s Lowland distillery Ailsa Bay have announced their second release. Ailsa Bay 1.2 Sweet Smoke has been designed to be the perfect balance between smoke and sweet flavours, and will be available next month for around £55. I’d like a crack at this one!

• Dist’ell of a line up…

Distell have announced six limited releases from across their portfolio of Scottish distilleries…

-Tobermory 2005 12yo Fino Cask Finish, RRP £110
-Ledaig 1998 19yo Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish, RRP £130
-Ledaig 1998 19yo PX Cask Finish, RRP £150
-Deanston 2008 Brandy Cask Finish, RRP £60
-Bunnahabhain 2008 Mòine Bordeaux Red Wine Cask Matured, RRP £75
-Bunnahabhain Palo Cortado Cask Finish, RRP £275

I’ve had two of these and they were great! Wonder what the rest are like…

• The Name’s Bond… No, Daniel…

Jack Daniel’s have a new high strength travel exclusive. Jack Daniel’s Bottled-In-Bond hits shelves this summer in select duty-free outlets in a 1-litre bottle size and will be offered at a suggested retail price around £35-40.

• The Prince And The Partner…

With the intention of training young people in the local area, Royal Lochnagar have partnered up with The Prince’s Foundation to launch its “Get Into Hospitality” outreach programme at Dumfries House. Fair play one and all…

• Lagavulin Dig For History, Not Just Peat…

The Lagavulin 200th Legacy Fund has enabled Scottish charity Islay Heritage to undertake an excavation at Dunyvaig Castle next to the distillery. This sounds cool…

(NB, sources confirm that this has nothing to do with a certain whisky evangelist burying a case of lager for safekeeping somewhere on Islay many years ago, which is still unaccounted for.)

• Worrying News Out Of Invergordon…

Pay cuts and job losses could be on the cards for a significant proportion of the employees at Invergordon Distillery as the premises are “modernised”…

• Macallan Fracas…

It would seem that some over-enthusiastic customers caused a bit of a to-do at the distillery launch of Macallan’s Genesis… Stay Safe, people…

• Pulteney Revealed! 

After last week’s teasers, Old Pulteney have confirmed their new range! Interesting…

• Auction Stuff…

Massive prices are expected for these rare Glenlivet and Macallan bottlings… Eddie’s on holiday, otherwise I’m sure he’d be right in the running!

• And Finally…

They could never afford Gateshead FC…

Well that’s all for now, enjoy the rest of the summer and we look forward to seeing you over a dram soon.

Slainte!
Eddie
Amanda, Guy, Rupert, Vicky, Connas, Chris
The Whisky Lounge Team

We turn 10 years old in 2018
Come and help us celebrate in style at one of our nationwide festivals or tasting events.