The Good Dram Show – Episode 279 ‘Heaven Hill, Willett & Balcones’ – This weeks episode of the show is brought to you by the letter U, S and A. I’ll be looking at some new releases from Heaven Hill and Willett as well as re-visiting Balcones.
WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE WHISKY LEADS BONHAMS WHISKY SALE IN EDINBURGH
The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 60 year old. Estimate: £700,000-900,000
A bottle of the extremely rare The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 60 year old will be offered at Bonhams Whisky Sale in Edinburgh on 3 October. It is estimated at £700,000-900,000.
The whisky was bottled in 1986. Macallan commissioned two world-famous Pop Artists – Valerio Adami and Peter Blake – to design labels for a very limited edition of 24 bottles –12 of the Adami and 12 of the Blake labels. The bottle is elegantly presented in a specially commissioned cabinet or Tantalus, based on the traditional ‘Brass and Glass’ distillery spirit safe. It was bought by the vendor direct from the Macallan distillery for an undisclosed sum in 1994.
Another bottle of The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong in May this year for a world-record breaking price of £814,081 (HK$8,636,250). This is the most ever paid for a bottle of Scotch whisky at public auction. At the same sale, Bonhams also sold a bottle of The Macallan Peter Blake 1926 60 year old for £751,703 (HK$7,962,500).
Although 12 bottles of The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 were produced, it is not known how many of them still exist. One is said to have been destroyed in an earthquake in Japan in 2011, and it is believed that at least one of them has been opened and consumed.
Bonhams Whisky specialist in Edinburgh Martin Green commented:” The Macallan 1926 60 year old has been described as the Holy Grail of whisky. Its exceptional rarity and quality puts it in a league of its own, and the world’s most serious whisky collectors will wait patiently for many years for a bottle to come onto the market. It is a great honour to be offering this amazingly rare whisky at our Edinburgh sale.”
The renowned international whisky consultant Charles MacLean, who writes about The Macallan Adami 1926 in the latest edition of Bonhams Magazine, added: “Macallan single malt is the darling of whisky collectors and The Macallan Adami 1926 – with its Peter Blake stablemate – sits at the very pinnacle of the distillery’s distinguished output. All the appeal of Scotch whisky – the myth, the tradition and the romance – find its ultimate expression in this bottle.”
Valerio Adami (born 1935) is an Italian artist famous for painting bold, flat forms outlined in thick, black lines, in a style reminiscent of comic art. He is among the most highly acclaimed of 20th Century Pop Artists.
| Sale: Whisky |
| Location: 22 Queen Street Edinburgh EH2 |
| Date: Wednesday 3 October at 11 am |
| Specialist: Martin Green |
NOTES
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and antiques, motor cars and jewellery. The main salerooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, with auctions also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, Paris, San Francisco and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com.
Fettercairn – the relaunch
Fettercairn isn’t a well-known whisky. One of Whyte & Mackay’s single malts – along with Dalmore, Jura, Tamnavulin and Invergordon – it’s not received much love from the owners over the past few years. However, Whyte and Mackay has been doing some sprucing up of its whiskies: first Tamnavulin got its first official release in years – Tamnavulin Double Cask – then the Jura range had a complete makeover. Each time, I’ve asked whether it’s Fettercairn’s turn yet. The answer, as of this week, is yes – please welcome the new Fettercairn 12 Year Old.
Halfway between Dundee and Aberdeen, the village of Fettercairn is a quiet place. The distillery sits to the north west of the village’s main landmark – an arch erected to commemorate a visit by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1861 – and despite its less than flashy location, it’s different enough from other distilleries in Scotland to be worth a visit.
Engage geek mode: Fettercairn’s spirit still is weird.
It looks fairly normal, but why is the middle bit blue?
The process of distillation is a complex one, and it’s not all about creating a high-strength spirit. Along with concentrating the alcohol from the wash (the beer that is the starting point for whisky), the distiller will also want to remove any off flavours and create a spirit that will go on to mature into good whisky. A key to that is reflux.
Reflux is the process by which hot vapour starts to rise up through the still, but can’t quite make it to the top – it turns back into liquid, and runs down the inside of the still. The contact with the copper of the still will strip out off-flavours and create a lighter and more delicate spirit. Controlling the amount of reflux is key to making sure your spirit tastes right.
And this is where Fettercairn is unique.
There are lots of ways to control reflux: changing the height and shape of your stills, changing the angle of the lyne arm (the pipe that connects the top of the still), changing the temperature of the still and the speed of distillation. Fettercairn does something different: it sprays water on the outside of the still.
A ring of pipe with holes in sits at the top of the still, and during distillation the distiller sprays water from it on to the top of the still. That cools down the sides and causes the vapour inside to turn back into liquid more readily, increasing reflux. It looks strange while running and the still has a patina of oxidised copper on the outside – a beautiful combination of blue, orange copper and white.
The flagship new release from the distillery is the Fettercairn 12 Year Old. It focuses on a new house style: tropical fruit. The distillery hasn’t lost its traditionally weighty character, but the new 12 is all about fruit and they’ve selected the casks well: ex-bourbon all the way.
Nose: Candied lemon and pineapple, butter icing and a hint of mint. A touch of meatiness sits right at the back, giving the dram some weight. The sweetness builds and orchard fruit develops along with vanilla, milk chocolate and some green leaves. A thread of fruitiness runs through the middle.
Palate: Soft and rounded, with gentle spice, milk chocolate and sweet cream leading. Fresh pineapple notes are balanced by fresh oak, with damp oak and damp leaves following. Cinnamon, candied ginger and nutmeg develop, along with a touch of creamy coffee.
Finish: Vanilla cream, chocolate and coffee fade to leave menthol and crunchy apples.
Comment: Tropical fruit is in at the moment, and this is on point. It’s lighter and fruitier than older releases and harks back to the longer-aged expressions of years gone by.
The 12 Year Old is joined by Fettercairn 28 Year Old – distilled in the same year that distillery manager Stewart Walker started at Fettercairn as a warehouseman, and maybe bottled from casks that he rolled around in his early days – and will soon be followed by a pair of very limited, long-aged whiskies: a 40 Year Old and 50 Year Old. They’ll be arriving shortly: click on the links to sign up for an email when they’re in.
Fettercairn 12 Year Old is available now from The Whisky Exchange.
Port Ellen 1983
Aged 33 Years
57.1% vol – Cask No: 16055
SALE – £828.00
SALE APPLIES UNTIL THE END OF AUGUST
Don’t forget you get free marble coaster with this purchase.
Possibly the highest regarded of all the closed distilleries, Port Ellen single cask bottlings are incredibly rare. Here at Bartels we are proud to present our second edition Port Ellen 1983. Aged in a Bourbon Hogshead this 33 year old retained a very high strength of 57.1% and produced 249 individually numbered bottles. With the unmistakable Islay nose and rich coastal flavours this certainly is one not to miss. Sold in a beautiful black piano presentation box with a fur lining.
J & G. Grant are delighted to introduce two new tasting packs to its existing range.
The decision was taken following the successful introduction of the new 200ml bottles. This format is ideal for tasting with friends, as what could be better than tasting one whisky? Tasting three! The new tri-packs are the natural progression of the pre-existing miniature packs, but more convivial due to the larger bottle size being suitable for a small group.
There are two variants of this pack. The first contains 10 year old, 12 year old and 105; this is aimed at those starting their malt whisky journey. The second contains 15 year old, 21 year old and 25 year old and is for the more discerning malt drinker.
We believe that these packs are a great way to introduce whisky fans all over the world to the Glenfarclas range – or to allow existing fans to broaden their own enjoyment of Glenfarclas, or to allow them to introduce us to friends…
For any additional information please do not hesitate to contact us.
AUGUST AUCTION ENDS SOON!
(ends Sunday 26th August)
…place your bids at www.whiskyhammer.co.uk
With an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits there is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest, enjoy!
Two days late (WI kept this back and published a week later) but have we got something for you lot! Not only have we got the opportunity to shoot in a rather amazing cathedral of booze that is, The Whisky Shop Manchester but we can also take a look at one of their new exclusive from the formidable, Glen Scotia. A single cask expression from a lone ex-bourbon barrel, it packs spice and sweetness with a lovely coating of ashy and sooty peat towards the finish. A huge wave of clementines and orange skin on the nose, creamy almost butterscotch feel to the palate and a bitter and smoky finish that reveals more and more about the slight peat kicking around towards the end. A real stunner and now a proud part of my whisky collection, I mean, it’s Glen Scotia, what can go wrong? Cheers!
ABERFELDY® SINGLE MALT LAUNCHES MADEIRA CASKS EXCLUSIVE TO GLOBAL TRAVEL RETAIL
Aberfeldy, Scotland, 16th August, 2018 – ABERFELDY has announced the release of the ABERFELDY Madeira Casks, exclusively available in global travel retail.
Expertly hand crafted by ABERFELDY’S Malt Master, Stephanie Macleod, the distillery known for its Golden Dram has launched a 16-year-old and 21-year-old ABERFELDY, finished in the finest Madeira casks. Spending up to 12 months in the ex-wine casks before bottling, the extra maturation period in this combination of casks creates the perfect balance of flavour between ABERFELDY’S honeyed richness with the sweet notes of Madeira wine.
ABERFELDY is the fastest growing Single Malt in the top 15 for the last 5 years and is now the ninth-highest selling Single Malt in Asia Pacific. ABERFELDY has moved from 20th largest Single Malt in 2012 to being the 12th largest in 2017 (IWSR 2017). In a world where aged stock is increasingly rare and many age statements are disappearing from labels, ABERFELDY remains committed to proudly displaying age statements as a sign of craftsmanship and quality.
Two types of Madeira casks were sourced to finish both the 16 and 21-year-old expressions; ex-Malvasia Malmsey – the most famous and also the richest, sweetest style and ex-Bual – dark in colour, with medium-rich texture. These flavourful casks impart classic Madeira notes of caramel, peaches, orange peel and burnt sugar. Maturing ABERFELDY in this combination of Madeira wine casks elevates the maturing malt, heightening the level of complexity and adding the typical honeyed richness of distillery’s house style.
Stephanie comments: “Aberfeldy is a both an approachable yet complex dram, it has those similar sweet rich notes that Madeira wine is famously known for. By using Madeira casks I’m able to further develop the layers of flavour present in Aberfeldy’s honeyed-rich characters, resulting in a whisky with extra spiciness – the perfect complement to the Golden Dram.”
ABERFELDY Madeira Cask 16 Years Old tasting notes:
“The soft notes of honey are freshened with citrus and delicate tones of baked apples, rich spiced with cinnamon and creamy vanilla”
ABERFELDY Madeira Cask 21 Years Old tasting notes:
“Richly textured and complex whisky with notes of ripe fig baked in honey. There is a hint of walnut oil and a snap of dark chocolate”
The newly released ABERFELDY Madeira Casks, bottled at 40% ABV, join the existing portfolio of single malts as global travel retail exclusives. They will launch in airports globally, priced at $110 for the 16-year-old and $195 for the 21-year-old, available from August.
Notes:
About ABERFELDY Single Malt Scotch whisky
ABERFELDY distillery was founded in 1898 by the dynamic Dewar brothers, John Alexander and Tommy. They built on a site just a stone’s throw from the birthplace of their father, the pioneering blender John Dewar.
Alongside the distillery, and known to contain deposits of alluvial gold, flows the Pitilie Burn; the perfect water source for the Golden Dram. While inside, time-honoured techniques like long fermentation, which imparts rare honeyed notes, safeguard the whisky’s flavour profile, renowned for its rich, sweet, smooth taste.
The single malt brand of ABERFELDY is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.
UPDATED GLENFARCLAS EVENTS 2018
August 31st – September 1st – Distilled
September 7th – 8th – Köpenicker Whiskyfest
September 21st – Whisky Live Paris
October 5th – 7th – Potstill Festival Amersfoort
October 20th – Dramathon
October 22nd – Vienna Bar- & Spiritsfestival
October 27th – 28th – Whisky Show Budapest
November 11th – 12th – Milano Whisky Festival
November 16th – 17th – Malta Whisky Fair
November 16th – 18th – International Whisky Festival Den Haag
November 29th – December 2nd – Whiskyschiff Zurich.
November 30th – December 2nd – Interwhisky Frankfurt
Following a Glenfarclas dinner in New York back in June, Glenfarclas 25yo received a special mention in the The Daily Beast piece titled “Don’t Over Pay for Liquor: 8 Undervalued Bottles”.
It’s fantastic to see that more and more people around the world are able to enjoy some of our finest Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
For more information on where to find Glenfarclas in the US, please contact Sazerac.
Glenfarclas Distillery is now officially part of the North East 250.
The North East 250 is Scotland’s newest tourist trail. Consisting of 250 miles, it is the ultimate road trip to the heart of Scotland taking you through Speyside, the Cairngorms, Royal Deeside, Aberdeen, the East Coast and the Moray Coast.
For your next trip to Scotland, why not check out all the local attractions that the North East 250 has to offer; including of course a visit to Glenfarclas.
#NE250 #UltimateRoadTrip #HeartofScotland.
Our Australian representative Michael Riitano has been nominated as Scotch Whisky Ambassador for the Icons Of Whisky Australia 2019 awards. We believe him to be a very worthy winner, please click here to vote if you agree!
Our Distributors from Whiskynet Hungary came to visit and even had time to hike Ben Nevis- Sláinte!
“We are just back from Scotland a couple of days ago and still full with our wonderful memories, including our visit to Glenfarclas, which was very special in-sight tour including our warehouse tasting, thanks to you!
We would like to thank you again for your time and kindness to spend so much time with us!”
Kati Szatmári from Whiskynet Hungary
Zsolt Szigeti from Whiskynet Hungary
Zóra from WhiskyNet Hungary
Andy Bell from Arran Distillery
Please be aware there will be restricted access to parts of the distillery while we carry out essential maintenance. For more information, please do not hesitate to give us a call!In 1954 George Grant painted the warehouse doors at Glenfarclas a bright signal red. They have been that way ever since; familiar to all who visit the distillery. Every Summer during our production shutdown period the team give the doors a fresh coat of this famous colour; keep an eye out for this on your next visit!
#WorldWhiskyDay in the Phillipines was a great success this year as over 300 guests were treated to whisky paired, masterclasses and tastings. The Glenfarclas 17yo received a special mention in the writeup by ABS-CBN News. Plans to do this again next year are underway, for more information please contact Jonathan Vizcarra
The Perfect Gift?
We’re all searching for that perfect gift – something that’ll delight and surprise in equal measure. Well, after years of painstaking research, we have discovered how to give the perfect gift: make it personal and make it delicious! You can do just that with our bespoke engraving service. Available on a range of bottles including single malt and blended whisky, it’s the ideal way to show you care.
International shipping available
Lagavulin 16 Year Old Engraved
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Engraved
The Loch Fyne The Living Cask Batch 6
Engraved
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Engraved
