Scotland’s Independent Scotch Whisky

This blog marks the first in a series we will run this year looking at some of these fine independent Scottish whisky bottling companies. Here at The Whisky Barrel, we specialise in stocking Scotch Whisky from Scotland’s finest Indy bottling companies. Much like us, they are often independent, family owned and family run. So we are keen to support similarly minded Scottish enterprises. We start with our chums at Morrison & MacKay, along with the group’s brand new Aberargie Distillery. They invited us for a visit early in January and we jumped at the chance. Inside #IndyScotchWhisky

The Morrison & MacKay Whisky Trail

I say ‘trail’…it’s a very short skip across the car park between the Morrison & MacKay bottling operations and Aberargie Distillery. If you are a regular to The Whisky Barrel you will be well versed in the range of fantastic independent whisky that is bottled by the fine folks of Morrison & MacKay:- so, a trail of releases we shall say. Their Carn Mor – Strictly Limited; Celebration of the Cask – and Old Perth label are some of the best indy whiskies available. Now, they have moved, literally, on to a whole new venture both with the opening of their new premises for bottling Carn Mor among others and the brand new Aberargie Distillery. This is an exciting new whisky project and much like the recent news of Daftmill Distillery, this is another one right on our doorstep…though not quite Fife.

In November last year, the first run of spirit came off the still and shortly after the first cask of Aberargie spirit was put into cask. Now laid down to rest, slumber and mature until the whisky is ready. So, with the opportunity to formally visit the Distillery we jumped at the chance.

Although this new distillery is a venture closely tied to Morrison & MacKay bottling company, it is owned by a separate company – The Perth Distilling Co., for the sensible practice of business clarity. This company is owned by the Morrison family. The farm on which the distillery and Morrison & MacKay’s premises are located, is also in the Morrison Family. Got that? Good. We will start here by looking at Morrison & MacKay’s bottling operations.

Carn Mor Whisky and More

Modern, intertwined with tradition.  Fancy new offices. Fancy new bottling hall. Same fantastic range of old and young traditional oak casks. These are the delights that are Morrison & MacKay’s new bottling premises in Aberargie, Perthshire – right on the border with Fife. Carn Mor Whisky, along with the Old Perth label, is the mainstay for this indy bottler. Both brands have grown a very savvy and well-informed following in the whisky world. And rightly so. Carn Mor Strictly Limited has set a place as the affordable scotch whisky. It offers young whisky but that brings a variety of distilleries. And, if you’ve tried you’ll know, whisky that usually belies it youthfulness. The Celebration of the Cask, Black Gold, and recently Bequest labels offer bigger vintages and ages – truly specially selected.

There is big whisky pedigree within this company. Both the Morrison and MacKay names being the very same of the Morrison-Bowmore fame on Islay. Connections such as this lead to access and opportunity for some very fine casks of whisky indeed. They are very proud of their wood policy here, and rightly so. Our visit to their bottling operations well and truly gave us straight from the cask, proof of quality. The new premises have given Morrison & MacKay the space and equipment needed to keep up with demand.

A swanky new bottling hall complete with a seamless line of bottling equipment. From a machine literally sooking up corks and popping them on the bottle to a machine whipping up the cardboard boxes for cases of whisky. But best of all, it leaves a certain focus on the warehouse. The treasure trove of casks. The warehouse is a working synonym. Modern, precise and engineered metal racking holding traditional, old, hand-made wooden oak casks. One day the walls will be black.

Casks of Whisky – To The Warehouse.

The warehouse of any distillery or bottling company is where the real interest lies for many visitors. And the same can be said for Morrison & MacKay and ourselves. The enthusiasm to show us what it slumbering in the warehouse is apparent. Our enthusiasm to explore evident. The warehouse with racking to the rafter, may look a little sparse in the pictures, but this is an indication of the growth planned for the company. Stocks of casks are already greater with this extra space. It’ll be no time until they are racking to the roof. So what whisky lurks?

First port of call was a rather special grain whisky. Suspected to be a blend of North British and Port Dundas and a vintage pushing towards the 50 year mark. It is utterly incredible! Depth, fruit and a very high quality mouthfeel. When this hits the shelves all bottled up, be ready. Second in line to taste was the next release of the Macallan-Highland Park blend for the Old Perth label. Release number 1 went down a storm last year. Release number 2 is due this year. And it’s good. Ink dark in colour and full of classic Macallan tropical fruits. The Highland Park is in their but Macallan runs this cask.

The warehouse was rounded off by two big hitters. Highland Park 1995 vintage and a Caol Ila 1983 just in the door. The Caol Ila in particular is something to behold. Tasting the whisky before it is bottled is special. Getting to watch whisky being dram from the cask as well, is always memorable experience. We can’t wait to see these and future casks make their way into Morrison & MacKay’s fantastic range of whisky releases.

The First 2018 Carn Mor Imminent

Younger casks followed, soon to be released in the Carn Mor Strictly Limited output – these should be available on TheWhiskyBarrel.com early February. There is a lovely Auchentoshan in the lineup. We sampled straight from the cask it was beautiful. At 46% it retains the character but perhaps a little more mellower which should open this up to a wider palate.

There is also a Macallan Black Gold. Special. It is a very balanced Macallan whisky. A 1992 vintage sherry cask and only around 180 bottles. Demand for this is high. There are more lined up for our shelves so check our New Arrivals pages in early Feb. (Due to land with us this week – keep an eye on social media too #IndyScotchWhisky)

Part 1.2 – Inside Aberargie Distillery will follow…

Finally, we were invited to take a look at the lovely new distillery operation of Aberargie Distillery.

Valentine’s Day

Show someone how much they mean to you this February 14th with the perfect gift from The Whisky Shop. From personalised bottles of our exclusive Glenkeir Treasures and engraved bottles of Jack Daniel’s, to whisky subscriptions and the very latest releases – there’s something to suit every taste and budget this Valentine’s Day.

Next day UK delivery available
International Shipping

Personalised Glenkeir Treasures

Exclusively available at The Whisky Shop, every whisky that bears the Glenkeir Treasures label is unique, different and special. We guarantee its quality and we confidently expect that it will bring great pleasure to all who enjoy it. Available in a range of styles including Speyside, Highland and Islay single malts. Show your Valentine you really treasure them with a handwritten message on the label for that extra personal touch.

From £45

These Whistle Pig cask strength barrels do it for me every single time, no matter how often I taste them or how many bottles I’ve already consumed. When you taste this recent 117.1 proof barrel that we just brought in, what will grab you the same way it grabbed me is the initial sweetness right off the bat, bolstered by the higher than normal ABV%. It lights up your tongue and primes it for the peppery rye spice that follows, giving you the vanilla and sweet oak before hammering home the herbaceous essence of the grain. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of buying these casks for K&L because I just about never tire of drinking them. There’s no limit for how much cask strength 10 year old WP my mind can handle, only my liver can decide when enough is enough.

Whistle Pig 10 Year Old “K&L Exclusive” 117.1 Proof Single Barrel Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey $89.99 – Only 130 total bottles from this cask.

-David Driscoll

Ralfy returns to a classic brand with Ralfy Review 712 – Glenfiddich 12yo @ 40%vol re-reviewed 2018

International Scotch Day February 8th, 2018

Scotch & Soda

By Ervin Trykowski, Global Singleton Ambassador 

Ingredients:

50ml Singleton 12 Year Old

Soda water

Orange Slice

Method:

Add cubed ice to a highball glass, add 50ml Singleton 12 YO, Top with chilled soda water, garnish with orange slice.

Haig Clubman & Cola

Ingredients:

25ml Haig Club Clubman

Cola

Slice of lime

Method:

Measure out 25ml of Haig Club Clubman and pour over ice in a highball glass. Fill the glass with cola and garnish with a slice of lime.

Johnnie Walker Whisky Sour 

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Johnnie Walker Black Label

Dash of Angostura bitters

1.5 oz. lemon juice

5 oz sugar syrup

1 egg white

Method:

Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add 1.5 oz. Johnnie Walker Black Label. Add a dash of Angostura bitters, 1.5 oz. lemon juice, 5 oz sugar syrup and 1 egg white. Shake until cold before straining into a tall glass.

International Scotch Day – Scotch Facts

1. Only three basic ingredients are used to make Scotch – water, cereals and yeast.
2. Scotch can only be made in Scotland – All Scotch is whisky but not all whisky is Scotch – Scotch whisky has to be produced in Scotland, whereas other whiskies are made in other countries, such as Bourbon in the United States.
3. Scotch can only be matured in oak casks, in Scotland and for a period of not less than 3 years.
4. Scotch is the world’s favourite whisky – Scotch takes the lion share of all whisky sales globally pushing over half of all sales of whisky worldwide.
5. Johnnie Walker is the world’s bestselling Scotch – with more than 17 million cases sold globally every year.
6. There’s no e in (Scotch) whisky – in Scotland we’ve always spelled whisky without the “e”, it is believed that the time saved by omitting writing the “e” on labels left more time to enjoy the liquid.
7. Age isn’t everything – whilst Scotch needs to age in oak casks in Scotland for a minimum of three years to be officially classified as Scotch, aging is just a way of creating a different flavour profile by the way the whisky interacts with the cask. It doesn’t mean it’s necessarily better, it just depends on what you like from a whisky. No age statement? No problem.
8. Today’s rain is tomorrow’s whisky -which maybe explains why there’s so much Scotch in Scotland. After all, the term ‘whisky’ derives originally from the Gaelic ‘uisge beatha’, or ‘usquebaugh’, meaning ‘water of life’.
9. Scotch doesn’t need to be drunk neat and some of the most well-loved classic cocktails are made with Scotch – and increasingly Scotch is dominating the cocktail menus in some of the world’s best bars, with bartenders loving the diversity of flavour which no other spirit can match. Some people will tell you it’s made to be tasted neat with no ice or mixer – don’t listen to them.
10. Malt vs Blents what’s the difference? A single malt whisky is from one distillery only. Blended Scotch, like Johnnie Walker, mixes two or more whiskies from different distilleries around Scotland to create a unique taste, featuring different flavour groups including sweet, smooth or smoky.
11. Tasting – Every Scotch has a unique set of flavours. If you want to look and feel like a Scotch buff, try tasting it like the professionals do: noting the flavours of your drink ‘on the nose’, ‘tongue’ and ‘throat’. Smell the Scotch, swish it around in your mouth a little to taste it and finally pay attention to how it feels as it hits the back of your throat.
12. Scotch at your dinner party – Experiment with food and drink pairings. Light, sweet whiskies can match perfectly with seafood, so go for a lighter flavour-led whisky whilst fuller-bodied whiskies will go well with cheese courses and rich deserts. If you’re brunching, why not try a Johnnie Walker Black Label Bloody Mary?

February Releases

We are delighted to announce the imminent release of two new Springbank bottlings and the next chapter in our Longrow Red series.

Springbank 12yo cask strength 56.3%

Springbank 25yo 46%

Longrow Red 11yo Cabernet Franc 55.9%

These products are available to purchase in the UK from tomorrow (8th February). The email you are reading now will replace the ‘Available Now’ Newsflash normally sent out on the launch day as a number of members have requested that we let you all know sooner. As such, notifications on the launch day itself will only be made on social media. We do urge members not to publish the details below on social media before we announce it ourselves through our own social media channels. This will hopefully let you all get first bite of the cherry although we would highlight that we do not control how shops sell their stock, if they take pre-orders etc. Even the Cadenhead shops are out-with our control so if you have any enquires or comments about what stock individual shops have please contact them directly.

Springbank 12yo cask strength 56.3%

The latest 12yo cask strength follows the normal maturation recipe of 70% sherry and 30% bourbon and will be bottled at 56.3% ABV.

Nose: A very sweet beginning of glazed cherries, coconut and marzipan combined with soft notes of treacle, cloves and honeycomb.

Taste: A beautiful balance between vanilla and black pepper sitting alongside dark chocolate, cinnamon and liquorice with a delightfully delicate touch of smoke.

Finish: The classic Springbank style emerges; dunnage warehouse notes and salty maritime flavours, accompanying cream crackers along with caramelised sugar.

• The Campbeltown Cadenhead shop will be selling the Springbank 12yo CS for £49.50.
• This is not a Society exclusive bottle
• This is considered a core product so the Society discount can apply on this bottling (at the discretion of each individual Cadenhead shop).

Springbank 25yo 46%

The 5th annual release of Springbank 25yo will be available worldwide in limited quantities.  This version departs from recent editions of the 25yo where maturation combined bourbon and sherry casks into a final port pipe vatting, whereas this edition has been matured exclusively in refill sherry casks.

Nose: Typical Springbank; damp, hessian cloth with notes of flint followed by treacle, traditional Highland Toffee, marzipan, nougat and toasted oak.

Taste: Perfectly balanced, silky and smooth. Forest fruits and toasted marshmallows are prominent then pecan and walnuts. Cotton candy, butterscotch and orange peel.

Finish: Oily and fruity. Treacle as the nose suggests with tobacco leaf, citrus fruits then salty and briny notes.

• The Campbeltown Cadenhead shop will be selling the Springbank 25yo for £350.00.
• This is not a Society exclusive bottle
• This is not considered a core product so the Society discount does not apply.

Longrow Red 11yo Cabernet Franc 55.9%

This Longrow Red Cabernet Franc from De Toren Private Cellar in Stellenbosch, South Africa is the follow up from the previous Malbec release from the same winery. It has been bottled at cask strength having spent an initial nine years in bourbon barrels before a final two in Cabernet Franc barriques.

Nose: Initially there’s peat, peat and more peat. After leaving this to aerate red wine notes appear, as well as the sweetness of marzipan, toffee, raspberry Jam and Eton mess.

Taste: The peat remains as does the sweet taste of caramelised sugar and toffee apples. This is balanced by the contrasting fruity flavours of stewed rhubarb and crisp, juicy red apples from the red wine casks. There is also a rich buttery biscuit flavour on the palate.

Finish: To finish, there are lovely long sooty smoky burnt embers. This is accompanied by some dry oak vanilla tannins and phenolic antiseptic notes return to say adieu.

• The Campbeltown Cadenhead shop will be selling the Longrow Red 11yo for £55.00.
• This is not a Society exclusive bottle
• This is considered a core product so the Society discount can apply on this bottling (at the discretion of each individual Cadenhead shop).

These whiskies are available in the UK from tomorrow – for more information on when they will be released in different countries/markets please contact your local Springbank retailers and stockists, details of whom can be found by visiting: http://springbank.scot/distributors/.

Once again, we urge members not to publish the launch day on social media before we announce it ourselves through our own social media channels. And please remember that these are distillery bottlings, not under the control of the Society, so we are unable to reserve bottles and you cannot place orders through the Society.

Before we go, a quick reminder that Campbeltown Malts Festival tickets go on sale at 2pm GMT (UK time) on Thursday 15th February. They will be sold from Eventbrite. Further reminders shall be sent out in the days ahead so look out for them.

Slainte
Springbank Society
Springbank Distillers Ltd.

Contact the Society at society@springbank.scot to join!

Exclusive Malts Batch #15 is Here, and it’s Amazing!

The 15th batch of Exclusive Malts has arrived and it’s incredible! Eight amazing distilleries offer the spread of Scotland, while adhering to the highest standards of cask strength, non-chill filtered single cask expressions. We hope you enjoy tasting them as much as we enjoy bringing them to you. Get them while supplies last.

Rich and powerful with equal measures of heavy fruit and peaty smoke. As full bodied as they come and quite memorable. RRP: $125

Fruit and spice and all things nice. This whisky has spent 10 years getting very fruity from the refill ex-Port Hogshead it was maturing in. RRP: $100

A rich and malty whisky, bursting with barley sugar and sweet fruits. RRP: $100

Vanilla and toffee dominate this sweet and spicy whisky from the Highlands of Scotland situated near the region famous for Macbeth. RRP: $100

A rich and malty whisky, bursting with barley sugar and sweet fruits. RRP: $105

Heather smoke and woodland smells mixed with mild spice and a hit or two of toffee. RRP: $135

A balanced and beautiful whisky from one of the most Northern distilleries in Scotland. Heather smoke mixes barley sugar with delicious results. RRP: $155

Rich fruit mix with dessert flavours. RRP: $140

For more information on the bottlings, please email office@impexbev.com

Our mailing address is:
ImpEx Beverages Inc.
360 Swift Ave
Side B # 9
South San Francisco, CA 94080

Introducing The Macallan Classic Cut, 2017 release; the first in a new series of annual releases created to celebrate The Macallan’s extraordinary character and unrivalled commitment to the mastery of wood and spirit.

Matured exclusively in hand-picked exceptional oak casks seasoned with Oloroso sherry from Jerez, Spain, this unique Macallan single malt has been bottled to perfectly unlock its unique flavour profile. The result is an indulgent single malt whisky with a sweet and spicy character.

The Macallan Classic Cut is available in select locations worldwide including the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. A limited number of the 2017 release is now available to buy from The Macallan Online Shop*.

EXPLORE    BUY NOW

Octomore Masterclass_08.4 Virgin Oak

This 8 year old Islay single malt from Bruichladdich’s Octomore range is the fourth release in the Octomore Masterclass series. Distilled in 2009 from that year’s harvest, peated to 170ppm, 20% of the spirit was matured for the full term in first-fill virgin oak casks, with the remaining 80% in first-fill American ex-bourbon casks before being transferred into the European virgin oak casks that had previously held Octomore 07.4. Bottled without chill-filtration or tinting at a cask strength of 58.7% abv and limited to just 12,000 bottles worldwide.

£150 Pre-Order Now
Orders will be dispatched week beginning 26th February