Braes of Glenlivet 23 Year Old – Maltbarn
From the scarcely seen Braes of Glenlivet distillery comes the new release from Maltbarn, our favourite German bottler.
Nose: Candied fruit notes, with delicate sweetness, caramelised pears and honey.
Palate: Sweet and fruity with orchard fruits and tropipcal fruits in sweet harmony.
Finish: Oaky vanilla notes with cream and white chocolate.
£134.95
Friday, October 19th, 5-7PM:
Heaven Hill
. Established in 1935, Heaven Hill has worked to perfect the craft of distilling, aging and selecting award-winning whiskeys for decades. Elijah Craig, Larceny, Parker’s, and many more beloved American spirits are just a few of their successes. To-date, Heaven Hill is the only American distiller that produces every style of whiskey, and have claimed 12 Whiskey of the Year awards (and 12 more Double Gold Medal awards) for their extensive spirit lineup.
The return of a legend. New 2018 bottling following a three year absence. Aged in Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. On the nose incredible concentration of aromas. Treacle toffee and chocolate orange. A very dynamic and full bodied dram for its age. Chewy with coffee chocolate and treacle scones. Glendronach Malt Whisky Distillery was established north east of Huntley in the Highland whiskey region by James Allardice in 1826. The malting floors at Glendronach Distillery closed in 1996 and it was the last distillery in Scotland to heat its stills directly with flames from a coal-fired furnace, until it had to comply with new regulations in 2005. Glendronach Distillery is resplendent with a traditional cask iron mash tun, wooden washbacks, four stills. Famous for its well-aged and top quality sherried single malt, for example Glendronach 21 Year Old Parliament, and single cask releases. The distillery is now owned by Brown Forman of America.
Buy – GlenDronach 15 Year Old – £59.95
THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY CELEBRATES PARTNER BARS WITH EXCLUSIVE WHISKY
SMWS to offer a taste of Cask No. 64.97: A sunny day in late summer by the dramat its network of partner bars
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is celebrating its partner bar network this October by offering every one of them and their whisky lovers an exclusive Society whisky to be sold by the dram.
The SMWS has 100 partner bars across 21 countries (http://bit.ly/2C5WjDL) and every one will have a measure of Cask No. 64.97: A sunny day in late summer available to all customers from 11 October 2018.
SMWS partner bars provide a home-from-home for Society members and whisky lovers alike, and have been exclusively selected for their whisky selection, bar staff expertise as well as the warmth of their welcome.
This exclusive hand-picked whisky has been chosen to support and promote the SMWS partner bar network. It cannot be found anywhere else and will not be sold by the bottle. There are only 222 bottles in total.
SMWS members will be invited to a members-only preview at partner bars before it is available to the public by the dram on 11 October 2018.
Cask No. 64.97: A sunny day in late summer
The Society’s expert Tasting Panel found the nose immediately attractive – dark polished wood, dried flowers and a late summer impression of meadows and orchard fruits (pear, peach, russet apple).
The palate had juicy fruits (pear-drops, strawberry, stewed rhubarb), chocolate and marzipan confectionery, with the finish nodding in a pink peppercorn and tobacco direction.
Celebration of partner bars
Kai Ivalo, Spirits Director at the SMWS, said: “Our partner bars provide a place of interaction for like-minded whisky enthusiasts, a sense of community, as well as making whisky fun and approachable. This year is the perfect time to release this bottling as we celebrate the 35th anniversary of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.”
Full tasting notes
Flavour profile: Juicy Oak & Vanilla
Age: 9 years old
Date Distilled: 05 March 2008
Cask Type: Refill ex-bourbon barrel
Region: Speyside
Outturn: 1 of 222 bottles
ABV: 60.7%
The Tasting Panel found the nose immediately attractive – dark polished wood, dried flowers and a late summer impression of meadows and orchard fruits (pear, peach, russet apple). The palate had juicy fruits (pear-drops, strawberry, stewed rhubarb), chocolate and marzipan confectionery, with the finish nodding in a pink peppercorn and tobacco direction. The reduced nose seemed even brighter – a sunny day with freshly-laundered linen on the washing line, blackcurrant, Key lime pie and lemon posset. The reduced palate was simply sweet, juicy and lip-smacking, with rainbow drops, lime marmalade, orange Creamola Foam* and subtle hints of liquorice and tobacco – very easy-drinking for its age. (*fruity soft drink manufactured in Scotland from the 1950s to the ’90s. Sold in tins of soluble crystals which you had to mix with water).
For more information on membership:
UK
http://bit.ly/2OTIw6k
Twitter: @SMWSUK
Notes:
About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Watch the unveiling video and discover the first exclusive release from dekantā Oriental.
This remarkable release was bottled from a cask destined for Kavalan’s Solist Vinho Barrique range and hand selected at the Kavalan distillery by dekantā Director Makiyo Masa and Asian spirits specialist George Koutsakis, alongside Kavalan master blender Ian Chang. Distilled in 2013, ‘One’ Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask was selected for its exceptional quality which showcases the best of Asian whisky production. It is bottled at cask strength (57.1%) allowing you to experience a whisky that offers bold flavors that are free from dilution.
Vinho is fully matured in used American oak wine barrels that have been toasted and recharred in a way that brings out fruity vanilla notes from the whisky and wood overlaid on a delicate background of complex fruitiness. The casks are carefully shaved inside then gently toasted. This converts wine residues into a complex mixture of fruit flavours including sweet prune and berries. After toasting, the casks are charred for a short period of time to release flavours, such as dark chocolate and caramelised sugars. The result is a more complex whisky than is possible with casks alone.
Pushing The Boundaries
Kavalan has an on-site cask reconditioning facility that has pioneered a practice called STR. The abbreviation represents their proprietary process of Shaving, Toasting and Re-charring casks that were previously used in the American wine or whisky industry. STR frees organic compounds from the cask to interact with the whisky, resulting in interesting flavors that push the boundaries of what traditional distillers thought possible.
MacNair’s Lum Reek
A new series of blended malts, created by GlenAllachie master distiller, Billy Walker…
MacNair’s Lum Reek 21 Year Old
MacNair’s Lum Reek 12 Year Old
And the winners are…
The 2019 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible has just been released and the awards for “Whisky of the Year” handed out with it. Find some of the winners at Loch Fyne and get the Whisky Bible for the full list.
Next day UK delivery available
We ship all over the world!
Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2019
With detailed notes on more than 4,600 whiskies, and over half a million copies sold, Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible is the world’s leading whisky guide. The 2019 edition marks the 15th anniversary of the Whisky Bible and features more than 1,200 new entries.
Single Cask of the Year
Laphroaig
LoreBest Single Malt (Non-Aged)
£77.95
Convalmore 32 Year Old
Best Scotch
28-34 Years (Multiple Casks)
£1,350
Johnnie Walker
Black Label
Best Blended Scotch
5-12 Years
£28.50
The Good Dram Show – Episode 287 ‘Carn Mor, Celebration of the Cask’
This week’s episode of the show looks at some recent bottlings by Morrison & Mackay in their Celebration of the Cask Range.
Diageo’s Johnnie Walker has collaborated with HBO® and Game of Thrones to today unveil the new limited-edition White Walker by Johnnie Walker as well as the Game of Thrones Single Malt Scotch Whisky Collection.
FEATURE 01 OCT 2018
In collaboration with HBO® and Game of Thrones, Johnnie Walker has today unveiled the new White Walker by Johnnie Walker. This limited-edition Scotch Whisky is inspired by the most enigmatic and feared characters on the hit show – the White Walkers – and is being released for fans to enjoy as anticipation builds ahead of the final season.
Created by whisky specialist George Harper, alongside the small team of expert blenders at Johnnie Walker, this innovative whisky is best served directly from the freezer, echoing the chilling presence of the White Walkers.
The bottling aims to bring consumers to the ‘Frozen North’ with an icy white and blue design along with the iconic Johnnie Walker Striding Man now fashioned in armour to fit in among the ranks of the Night King’s forces. Utilising temperature-sensitive ink technology, fans will be reminded that “Winter is Here” from an unexpected graphic icy reveal on the bottle when frozen.
Single Malts from Cardhu and Clynelish – one of Scotland’s most Northern distilleries, feature in the product. Blender George Harper used the Frozen North as his starting point for creating White Walker by Johnnie Walker.
“Whiskies from Clynelish have endured long, Scottish winters, not dissimilar to the long periods endured by the Night’s Watch who have ventured north of the wall – so it was the perfect place to start when creating this unique whisky.”
George HarperBlender and whisky specialist
“We knew there was fan appetite for a Game of Thrones whisky and once we saw the vision from Johnnie Walker for a way to collaborate we knew the idea was perfect and the time was now. From the beginning, they understood that we wanted to create something special, and they’ve accomplished that with White Walker by Johnnie Walker. We’re confident fans will enjoy sipping this delicious whisky as they wait for season eight and beyond.”
Jeff PetersVice President, Licensing & Retail at HBO
White Walker by Johnnie Walker is part of a wider partnership with HBO and Diageo which will also see the launch of the Game of Thrones Single Malt Scotch Whisky Collection. The collection features eight Scotches that are each paired with one of the iconic Houses of Westeros and the Night’s Watch giving fans an authentic taste of the Seven Kingdoms and beyond.
DISTILLED 2018 – THE TOUR
It’s come around again, we enjoyed last year so much we are back for more! Last year we had a great wee man from Japan with us, this year we had 5 guests with us from around the globe; Switzerland, New Zealand and USA. The tour started Friday in Glasgow with an overnight stay, that included a dinner in Waxy’s Irish pub, a fab whisky tasting in our hotel (thanks Don) – private room don’t you know, and drinks with the guests, oh aye, we also had an extra two lovely guests join us at the end of a previous tour with Paul. A good night to start and end the 2 tours!
Saturday we headed north, first stop to a favourite; Edradour Distillery, a tour and taste (except Paul who once again drew the “driver straw”). Fab fab fab, before north again all the way to Elgin, checked into the hotel and relaxed, Paul had a dram! That evening we headed oot to the evening session at DISTILLED. Dram good it was too, met up with many friends from distilleries – Stewart fae BenRiach, Glen Moray Graeme and fay and kids, Ian at Tomintoul, the girls from Cardhu and many more – Benromach, Paul fae Spey etc etc. The age mix was good, the place was heaving, it did get a wee bit too hot.
Sunday saw us move over to Strathisla Distillery for a tour/taste. Then away to Glenfiddich for lunch. Afternoon came, we dropped down to the Macallan cathedral, blended our wee group with another tour we have on at the same time, Ian driving, so 12 of us dondered around Macallan on a private tour. Back to the hotel, and a wee bit of time at the Drouthy Cobbler.
Monday we headed doon the road back to Glasgee, stops for lunch and drams – as usual. Our guests were dropped in the city and at the airport – two were away with us on tour in Ireland.
The hotel is booked for next year and we cannee wait! Next tour for us is the Dornoch Whisky Festival, it’s a hard life.
