Single Malt Splendor from a Inimitable Islay Distillery

Kilchoman 9 Year Old 100% Islay Barley K&L Exclusive Cask #549 Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($149.99)
“This cask is a real stoater — a thing of exceptional beauty and grace.”
– Andrew Whiteley, K&L NorCal Spirits Buyer

This very special Single Malt was hand selected by our very own Andrew Whiteley on his most recent trip to Scotland. Produced by one of the most exciting and innovative distilleries in Islay, this 9-year-old is nothing short of heavenly. Anthony Wills, the founder of Kilchoman, is not a man to cut any corners. From growing his own grain to distilling and aging on site, every possible step is taken to maximize quality. Further, Willis feels that whisky, much like wine, is about place. This is very much on display in this exceptional dram. Fresh, expressive, and showing notes of herbs, Christmas spice, and sea salt, it is notable for its precision and focus. It perfectly captures all the best characteristics of an Islay malt. A wisp of smokiness from peating and its time in Bourbon barrels compounds its complexity, making for a rich and inviting dram.

Because it is a relatively new distillery (at least by Scotland’s standards), Kilchoman doesn’t yet have the following the more established brands enjoy. However, the tide is turning, as more and more Scotch drinkers are coming to recognize that Kilchoman is making some of the more intriguing bottlings in the region. As with all of our single cask exclusives, quantities are very limited, so we strongly recommend picking up your bottles today. This is an ideal scotch to drink now and through the holidays. For more on this remarkable single cask, be sure to check out our most recent Spirits Journal post.

Kilchoman 9 Year Old 100% Islay Barley K&L Exclusive Cask #549 Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($149.99)

When Kilchoman opened in 2005 it was the first new distillery on Islay in 124 years. Their founder, Anthony Wills, had a special approach in mind for a new kind of distillery. He wanted to create something with purpose and intention. His dream was to engage with the entire process of whisky making. He bought a farm and opened a distillery, making whisky in the same way it was always made: grow your own barley, malt it yourself, make your own whisky, age and bottle it on site, and deliver a product that shows an incredible sense of place, quality, and the heart and soul of the people who made it. Kilchoman is a true farm distillery in every sense. We were fortunate enough to peruse the dunnage warehouses with Anthony himself this past May and after tasting many casks, we settled on this beauty. For one, it’s just simply an outstanding whisky. But just as importantly, it tells the story of Kilchoman from start to finish in a way that many others didn’t. Laid down in 2008, just a few short years after opening, this dram was bottled just shy of its 10th birthday, making it one of the oldest Islay barley bottles out there. It encompasses everything that makes Kilchoman unique. From the salt breeze, fresh-cut grass notes of newly harvested barley grown within eyesight of the stills, to the sweet smell of wood from the exclusive Buffalo Trace barrel, to the lighter peat treatment in their own malting barn and kiln, this whisky is a pure expression of people and place.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 22, 2018

This cask is a real stoater. A thing of exceptional beauty and grace. The 100% Islay barley sings its sweet song loud and clear. While the Machir Bay typically hovers around 50ppm in phenols, the Islay barley malt is lighter in peat smoke, roughly 15-20ppm. The result is a nuanced whiskey that cries out with freshness. In addition to the fruitiness, there are really complex floral and vegetal tones, like a field of clover blossoms. It’s citrusy, with notes of cut grass, a touch of sea salt, tropical fruit, and a delicate smoke like a campfire wafting across the bay on a foggy night. The palate is superbly balanced. The Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrel leaves a signature cinnamon and butterscotch profile while the barley, grown just a few hundred yards from its malting barn and stills, really dials up the sweet fresh fruit. The finish is clean and long, lingering with more citrus, creme brulee, and easy smoke.

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 27, 2018

Kilchoman selects the best heart of what they distill, taking a very clean cut of the fresh distilled whiskey. This cask reflects this with its beauty and purity. The nose is pretty and seductive, a mix of smoke and sweetness with a hint of sea. In the mouth with no water it is round and balanced, much more subtle than one would expect. With a splash of water this cask opens up, showing layers of complexity with a nice sweet roundness, smoke, sea flavors and spice. There is a long finish.

Cameron Price | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 22, 2018

I know it’s only August but now is the time to start thinking about your Christmas whisky! And I hope you stock up on this one! Our exclusive 9 year Kilchoman is in my opinion going to be our Christmas smasher. This whisky is 100% Islay barley which comes from the farm on site at the distillery and is barreled exclusively for K&L in ex-Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels for 9 years! Islay is known for producing some dominating peated whiskies however with this one the balance is so incredible you almost have to search for it. First hit on the nose is almost like a cinnamon spiced cake with a bit of smoke coming in from the kitchen in which it was baked – but the room is far away so it’s not overpowering. There’s even a light flintiness to the nose with a moist waft of fresh hay. The palate, my word, that palate! A spicy, rich attack of sweet spices and salinity that are sure to carry you through the holiday. There is a lovely mouth-coating viscosity that takes that attack and calms it down, letting you macerate your taste buds for whatever length of time you desire. When I put this whisky to my lips, I pictured myself around the fire with a good book or off the coast of Scotland in a Viking ship fighting off invaders. Elegance and power are represented here and this little guy is sure to please the entire spectrum of the Scotch drinking crowd. Remember, only at K&L!

Miles Philippe | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 22, 2018

Two words that unlocked this for me: Elegantly composed. The nose on this is simply astounding! It’s got all kinds of spices; its slightly herbal, toeing the line of medicinal, and overall just damned pretty. And the peat is used beautifully here. Like how a chef would use salt to unleash the medley of flavors of a dish, so too did the master at Kilchoman utilize peat with this bottling. Just add a drop of water to open this darling up, then savor the orchestral performance!

35TH ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL TASTING

Join fellow members across the globe as we embark on our first ever virtual tasting, with all of us sharing the same hand-picked drams from our limited-edition Discovery Pack. Broadcast live and direct from The Vaults, make sure you get involved this September – click over to our website for more details.

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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

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 213: Allt-A-Bhainne 24 Year Old 1993 for MMM

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, bottles his next MMM single cask. For the third release in their Antarctica Series, photographer Ilse Everaert allowed them to use a magnificent photo of Paradise Bay. But with these hot temperatures, they also wanted to offer something of a summery whisky. In their (not so) humble opinion, they succeeded. Please meet tehir 24 years old Allt-A-Bhainne, a malt of which owner Chivas does not even have an official release. But Mark & Manny thought of you. You’re welcome. Remember: only 50 bottles as Mark & Manny are wont to do.

https://youtu.be/2z_cv9EWSZk

THE LAKES DISTILLERY MAKES HISTORY WITH ‘STEEL BONNETS’ BLENDED MALT WHISKY

The Lakes Distillery is to release the world’s first blend of English malt and Scotch malt whisky. 

Created with the highest quality malt whiskies from both sides of the border, ‘Steel Bonnets’ is a combination of The Lakes Single Malt from England and some of the most respected malts from Scotland.

The name ‘Steel Bonnets’ pays homage to the memory of the English and Scottish people who lived in the Border Marches from Berwick-upon-Tweed in the East to Carlisle in the West during the 13^th-17^th centuries.

Their life was one of constant struggle to survive, exacerbated by the armies of Scotland and England as they marched through the border lands to fight for the right to govern a united Scotland and England.

The armies took from the people of this land, and in turn they also robbed or reived from others, English and Scots alike.

In early English, to reive is to rob, and from this were born the Border Reivers nicknamed the ‘Steel Bonnets’ after the distinctive helmets they wore.

Allegiance was to kin, not kingdom.  Loyalty was to clan – to family. These loyalties had no border or king, but united them under their clan names, Rutherford, Armstrong, Graham, Fenwick and Johnstone to mention but a few.

Neil Armstrong, the first man to step on the moon, was descended from a famous Reiver family. It was said that the Armstrong clan could call on more than two thousand men and horse, fully armed, within an hour to fight off their enemies.

This union of nations and families has been brought back today in the form of ‘Steel Bonnets’.

These families are now spread all over the world and ‘Steel Bonnets’ is the perfect way to celebrate that illustrious history of family loyalty and comradeship.

Malt whisky continues to grow in popularity and was worth over £1 billion to the UK economy in 2017. The Lakes Distillery will release its first Single Malt Whisky in July when 99 bottles of The Lakes Genesis Single Malt Whisky will be auctioned with whiskyauctioneer.com.

Nigel Mills CBE, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Lakes Distillery, said: “It was very important to us that our geographical location, its people and its culture were recognised in this new blended malt whisky, ‘Steel Bonnets’. The Border Reivers were an integral part of Border history in the 300 years leading up to the union between England and Scotland in 1707, which eventually brought peace to this battle-strewn land.”

The Lakes Distillery Master Whiskymaker, Dhavall Gandhi, said: “I handpicked the individual malt whiskies to create a unique blend – something that has never been tried before. The whisky, at 46.6% ABV, has a creamy, slightly nutty and full-bodied flavour with notes of vanilla, ginger, nutmeg and hints of dried fruit. All held together with a sweet layer of woodsmoke. A fitting tribute to the history of the Border families.”

Paul Currie, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of the Lakes Distillery, said: “This is a milestone year for the Distillery. We are releasing our first single malts to the public, and establishing the Lakes Distillery as a luxury global whisky brand. We know that people will appreciate the incredible story behind this historic release.”

Alan Rutherford OBE, Chairman of the Lakes Distillery, said: “The Border region has a fascinating history of survival and family loyalty going back centuries. While there is a tendency to think of clanship as a uniquely Scottish attribute, on both sides of the border the tie of tribal blood was strong. ‘Steel Bonnets’ is a tribute to those people, and their families, who saw themselves as neither English nor Scottish, but rather the ‘Steel Bonnets’ Reiver warriors.”

THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY HOSTS 35^th ANNIVERSARY PARTY IN EDINBURGH’S QUEEN STREET GARDENS

Tickets are available to members and non-members of the whisky club 

On Saturday 8^th September, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is throwing open the gates to the normally private Queen Street Gardens to host a party celebrating its 35^th anniversary. The festivities start at 12pm and include food, drink and music with prices from £20 for members and £25 for non-members: http://bit.ly/2LnlF0Z

Each guest will receive a Society tasting glass on entry, which can be used to sample a wide selection of SMWS single cask whiskies, as well as whiskies from the many other distilleries that will be on hand to showcase their own malts throughout the day.

Guests will also receive a token for a dram from the SMWS Historic Stock Bar, featuring some very special Old & Rare bottlings.

If guests would like to add a little whisky education into the mix, the SMWS will be holding masterclasses all afternoon across the road in the Members’ Rooms at 28 Queen Street.

There will also be a Chapel Down bar serving English sparkling wine, the Edinburgh Beer Factory will be bringing along their Beer Van and live music will take place throughout the afternoon, along with a barbecue.

Jan Damen, UK Operations Director said: “We’re delighted to be hosting this party in the beautiful Queen Street Gardens to celebrate our 35^th Anniversary. The Society has risen from strength to strength over the years as our fantastic group of members continues to grow.

“We’re looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and welcoming some new guests to sample our wonderful range of single cask whiskies. For non-members, there will be the chance to purchase membership to the Society at the event.”

For more information on membership:

UK

http://bit.ly/2Lr81JY
Twitter: @SMWSUK 

Notes:

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society 

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is an international whisky club that bottles rare single cask, single malt whisky, and a range of other spirits
• The Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 26,000 members and branches around the world
• The Society only ever bottles single casks – each cask is unique, making every Society bottling a limited edition
• The Society has bottled whisky from more than 135 distilleries in its history
• The Society releases a new batch of around 30 single cask, single malt whiskies every month
• The Kaleidoscope Whisky Bar and Shop in Edinburgh has over 200 whiskies on offer and is open to everybody
• The Society offers a variety of membership packages which can be tailored. Please see http://bit.ly/2Lr81JY
• For more information about the Society, visit http://bit.ly/2Lr81JY

American Oak Tawny Cask TD0074

In the ongoing spirit of innovation at Sullivans Cove, we are thrilled to share with you that several exciting new whisky styles will be released in the coming years. These new styles are the result of years of successful experiments with various ageing techniques, yielding new flavours for whisky lovers to enjoy. The new labels will sit within our core range of French Oak Single Cask, American Oak Single Cask, and Double Cask.

The first whisky to be released is a single American oak cask that was previously used to age tawny (Australian port style) fortified wine. This differs from our traditional American Oak releases which use ex-bourbon casks – so we’ve called it American Oak Tawny.

The first American Oak Tawny release is cask TD0074. It was aged for 11 years and bottled at 47.5% ABV. The flavour profile of this whisky sits somewhere in between our French and American Oak styles, combining the malt and vanilla sweetness of American oak with the rich dried fruit character of fortified wine.

Both our French Oak and American Oak have won “World’s Best” titles in recent years, so American Oak Tawny represents the best of both worlds.

There are only 488 bottles of this whisky and as mailing list members, you have exclusive access to purchase this first release prior to the public.

“When we filled these casks about a decade ago, we had already seen good results from American oak bourbon and French oak tawny casks, so we thought it was time to experiment with different kinds of oak. We couldn’t be happier with the results. We’ve laid more down recently but they won’t be ready for at least ten years, so this is a great opportunity to try some of our early successes.”

Patrick Maguire, Head Distiller

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Loch Fyne Range

Here in our workshop on the shores of Loch Fyne we do just one thing, and we do it very well. That’s to know what people like in a whisky. You’ve told us everything we need to know and we’ve heard you, because, like whisky, the skill of listening improves with age.

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BIRTHDAY TEASER

We’ve decided to start the party early by releasing six casks from September’s 35th anniversary Outturn. Be the first to taste and explore our birthday bottlings ahead of First Friday. Inviting and vibrant, these new celebratory casks are an exhilarating experience for the senses – the life and soul of the party for sure!

Only a limited number of bottles are available now, the full Outturn will be released on Friday, 7 September at 9am, order now before they’re gone.

PREVIEW WHISKIES

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

GORDON & MACPHAIL CELEBRATES 50^TH ANNIVERSARY OF ‘CONNOISSEURS CHOICE’

The innovative range has paved the way for single malt whiskies for five decades

To celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of its ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ range, family-owned whisky creator Gordon & MacPhail is enhancing the range with a series of single malts aged 30 years and above.

George Urquhart, second-generation member of the Urquhart family that owns Gordon & MacPhail, first pioneered the ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ range in 1968 at a time when very few whiskies were bottled as single malts.  Presenting these new releases as a range effectively invented a category in a market which, up to then, had been dominated by blends. In the late 1960s the ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ range provided a platform for many of Scotland’s single malt distilleries, some of which had never before been released as single malts.

Over the past five decades, almost 100 of Scotland’s distilleries have been represented across more than 2,000 separate bottlings under the ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ banner, encompassing the entire spectrum of single malt flavours and profiles and featuring spirit from many distilleries that have been closed for decades.

Today’s range remains true to George Urquhart’s original vision and philosophy – the perfect marriage of liquid and cask to deliver exquisite whiskies in small batches often from single casks.

The new series of ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ releases is aged to a minimum of 30 years and features single malts from distilleries such as Mortlach, Caol Ila and Linkwood, among others. Available in decanter-style bottles inside engraved wooden presentation boxes, each whisky has been selected for bottling by Associate Director of Whisky Supply, and grandson of George, Stuart Urquhart at its peak, a skill handed down through four family generations.

The premium expressions are complemented by 30 further ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ single malts. Matured in Gordon & MacPhail casks in small batches, all are non-chill filtered and bottled at natural colour.

Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige and a fourth-generation member of the Urquhart family, owners of Gordon & MacPhail said: “We’re proud to be the curators of Scotland’s liquid library – the world’s most diverse stock of single malt whiskies. When my grandfather first launched ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ in the 1960s he was considered eccentric for taking such an approach. Today, he is heralded as one of the industry’s pioneers having provided whisky lovers with the opportunity to explore many whiskies never readily available as single malts. Our new releases celebrate this proud heritage, presenting unique expressions from revered distilleries that will appeal to a wide range of tastes around the world.”

Gordon & MacPhail is also releasing three new expressions in its new ‘Discovery’ range, designed as an ideal starting point for whisky drinkers to explore the wide diversity of flavours that exist within single malt Scotch. Under the ‘Discovery’ banner, Gordon & MacPhail groups new expressions in three distinct colour-coded profiles; ‘Smoky’, ‘Sherry’ and ‘Bourbon’. The latest releases are from the Ledaig, Bunnahabhain and Tomatin distilleries.

Prices for the new ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ releases start at approximately £75 RSP, rising to around £500 for the premium expressions, dependent on taxes and import duties. Whiskies in the ‘Discovery’ range retail at £50.

Earlier this year, the 123-year-old, family-owned company streamlined their existing portfolio into five new ranges, with ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ the first to be relaunched in April 2018, specifically coinciding with the 50^th Anniversary. The second range to be launched was ‘Discovery’ in May, with ‘Distillery Labels’ following in July. ‘Private Collection’ will be revealed to consumers later in the year. The launch of the next ‘Generations’ release is yet to be revealed.

For more information about the new ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ and ‘Discovery’ range and the streamlined portfolio, visit www.gordonandmacphail.com.

Notes:

Gordon & MacPhail Whiskies

Established in 1895, family-owned Gordon & MacPhail is curator of some of the world’s finest and rarest single malt Scotch whiskies from over 100 distilleries. Four generations of the Urquhart family have continued to pursue the perfect partnership between spirit and cask.

Since its foundation, Gordon & MacPhail has carefully matched spirit to the highest quality oak casks which are sent to distilleries throughout Scotland, filled with new-make spirit, and matured either at the distillery of origin or in the firm’s own bonded warehouses in Elgin.

It is this simple but endlessly complex pairing that creates an intriguing and unique portfolio of expressions – single malts that Scotch whisky lovers will not find anywhere else.

In 2018, the company unveiled its new portfolio:

• Discovery – Utterly dependable, this flavour-led range is the perfect introduction to our portfolio of quality single malt Scotch whiskies.
• Distillery Labels – A range celebrating our long-standing relationships with Scotland’s distilleries.
• Connoisseurs Choice – The heart of our portfolio – always unique, these non-chill-filtered, natural coloured, small batch expressions are genuine one-offs.
• Private Collection – Greatly-aged single malts from celebrated, little-known, or closed distilleries specially selected by members of the Urquhart family.
• Generations – A prestigious collection of old, rare, and exclusive masterpieces.

www.gordonandmacphail.com