Save the date: 14th April, 6-8pm
We’re delighted to say that we are back in London next week to collect whisky. April 14th, 6-8pm, St Paul’s Hotel Hammersmith. If you would like to attend this whisky rendez-vous please fill out the attendance form by clicking on the picture to the right. Additionally please click on the button below and fill out our ‘Submission Sheet’.
Glenmorangie Grand Vintage 1991
Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1991 is the fourth limited-edition release in the Highland Distillery’s celebrated Bond House No.1 collection.
1991 is a significant vintage year for Glenmorangie as this was the year that their whisky creators dedicated themselves to furthering the emerging art of wood finishing. This whisky celebrates their pioneering vision, which still guides Glenmorangie’s expertise in wood today.
TASTING NOTES
Nose: Mellow, deep, intense and fruity. Lots of apricots, plum and baked apples, with chocolate, gentle oak, and a hint of truffles and star anise. A splash of water releases deeper notes, reminiscent of hickory-smoked ham and a damp forest floor.
Taste: A slightly peppery mouthfeel leads to a burst of fruity flavours intermingled with lots of milk chocolate, stewed apples, plum and ripe, red fruits such as cherry and raspberry.
Finish: A hint of zesty citrus and finally an intriguing combination of oak, fruit and sweet spices.
Orders Dispatched This Week
Pot still whiskies are awesome and for a lot of people, they’re an untapped resource for Irish whisky. Produced by Midleton across a variety of ages and cask styles, Redbreast is THE definitive Pot Still whisky style and I’ll fight anyone who wants to argue it! The 21 is unbelievable, but, in terms of value, this 15 wins it for me every time. Fruity, bold, spicy and as full of charisma as the lads and ladies who make it are. I really love this product and i can’t sing it’s praises enough. Cheers!
Darren Clarke
Putting extra work in on the range
Loch Lomond Whiskies adds new golfing special editions
Loch Lomond Whiskies has unveiled two new special edition single malts to celebrate the award-winning independent distiller’s second year as The Spirit of The Open.
Loch Lomond The Open Special Edition 2019, created in conjunction with Loch Lomond Whiskies’ golf ambassador Colin Montgomerie and Loch Lomond The Open Course Collection Royal Portrush 19 Year Old, crafted with former Open Champion Darren Clarke, also a Loch Lomond Whiskies golf brand ambassador, are designed to showcase the worlds of whisky and golf; two of Scotland’s most iconic exports.
The Open Special Edition 2019 encompasses four different spirit styles to deliver the distillery’s distinct fruity character underpinned with a gentle hint of peat and smoke. A complex single malt, it offers a vibrant palette of peach and pear, enhanced using specially selected spirit distilled from wine yeast fermentations. Notes of creamy vanilla oak and maple syrup add an air of sweetness before subtle peat smoke emerges, providing a balanced finish.
Crafted by Loch Lomond Whiskies’ master blender Michael Henry in partnership with brand ambassador Colin Montgomerie, who has won a record eight European Tour Order of Merit titles, Loch Lomond The Open Special Edition 2019 is presented in a distinctive green golf-inspired box baring Monty’s signature and is a perfect addition to any whisky collection. A limited edition release, Loch Lomond The Open Special Edition 2019 is priced at £37, and will be available to purchase worldwide from April 2019.
In honour of the 148th Open Championship, which is returning to Northern Ireland after a near 70-year absence, Loch Lomond The Open Course Collection Royal Portrush has also been created. The 19-year-old single malt was crafted in partnership with Loch Lomond Whiskies’ ambassador Darren Clarke, who has won 21 tournaments internationally including the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St George’s in England.
To create the edition, Loch Lomond Whiskies Master Blender Michael Henry worked with Clarke to carefully select casks from the distillery’s onsite cooperage that capture the fruit character achieved by Loch Lomond’s innovative straight neck stils. Matured in American Oak, the liquid was then finished in claret casks as an homage to the famous Open trophy, and as a result has developed a stunning rose colour. It has also help to deliver a beautifully balanced single malt, rich in honey sweetness with tropical fruits coming to the fore.
The release’s rich green packaging, which is signed by Clarke, depicts a map of Royal Portrush Golf Club course in the centre, creating what it is set to be a highly prized collector’s item. Priced at £150, Loch Lomond The Open Course Collection Royal Portrush has an ABV of 50.3% and is available globally from April 2019.
Colin Matthews, CEO of Loch Lomond Group, said: “Monty and Darren Clarke are two of the most respected players in European golf, and it’s fantastic to be working with them to raise awareness of Loch Lomond Whiskies around the world. We’re confident our new special releases developed in conjunction with the pair will be a great success among both golf and whisky fans.”
Commenting on the new releases, Clarke said: “The release of my own signature edition single malt marks an incredibly proud summer for me. To be able to tee up alongside the world’s best golfers at a course that I call home is incredibly special. To do it with The Official Spirit of The Open by my side is the stuff that dreams are made of.”
Colin Montgomerie
Fellow legend of the fairways Montgomerie added: “I had the pleasure of meeting fans in the Loch Lomond Whiskies bar at The Open last year, so I know first hand about the passion for whisky that the golfing public has.
“I know the new special editions will prove a huge hit again this year at Royal Portrush and I can’t wait to share a wee dram in July!”
Loch Lomond Whiskies is set to release an additional premium expression this summer which celebrates Colin Montgomerie’s achievements through his 30 year career. One of golf’s most successful players, Montgomerie has claimed more than 50 tournament victories and was the European No. 1 for an unprecedented seven years.
Loch Lomond Whiskies, based in Alexandria, near Loch Lomond, agreed a five-year partnership with The R&A in February 2018. Known as “The One”, The Open is the most international of the major championships with qualifying events across five continents. The Championship is also broadcast to 600 million households in almost 200 countries around the world.
Michael Henry, Master Blender at Loch Lomond Whiskies, said: “We are proud to launch two limited editons to mark this year’s Open, which returns to Royal Portrush for the first time in almost 70 years. Each expression harnesses the spirit of our Loch Lomond distillery, conveying a fruity character punctuated with deep, complex flavours and delivering a rich mouth feel.
“Personally, these releases mean a great deal to me. Hailing originally from Northern Ireland, it is highly rewarding to be showcasing Scotch whisky to my home country and to have the opportunity to celebrate Royal Portrush.”
The Loch Lomond special editions will launch for sale in April. For further information visit www.lochlomondwhiskies.com
The Open Collection
About Loch Lomond Whiskies
VIRGIN OAK
Small Batch Release
What started off as an experiment has turned out to be a winner. We are really thrilled with this single malt whisky
This whisky is rich and oily with hints of honey, toffee and chocolate; a taste of chocolate and cloves lingers on the palate?
What is there not to like?
Only 2689 bottles released.
£51.99
Only 2689 bottles released
£51.99
Friday, April 12th 5-7PM:
AD Laws Whiskey
Laws Whiskey House is a fiercely independent Colorado distillery committed to producing the highest quality whiskey using local ingredients. With a ‘no compromise, no shortcuts’ philosophy, each whiskey is 100% produced from grain to glass at their distillery. The results are flavorful, award-winning bottlings, (Their ‘Bottled in Bond Secale Straight Rye received ‘World’s Best Rye’ distinction,) showcasing the character of the grain and distilling processes unique to American whiskey.
2019 release matured in port and rum casks. Limited edition of 3,600 bottles. Springbank 21 Year Old Campeltown single malt Scotch whisky. Matured in Port & Rum casks. 2019 limited release of 3,600 bottles. MAXIMUM 1 BOTTLE PER CUSTOMER.
Springbank Distillery was established in 1828 in Campbeltown at the foot of the Mull of Kintyre on the west coast of Scotland. Springbank produces three different types of single malt whisky Hazelburn which is non-peated and triple distilled, Longrow which is highly peated and double distilled and Springbank which is medium peated and partially triple distilled having been distilled two and a half times. Barley is spread across traditional malting floors at Springbank where it germinates and is then dried on the perforated floor of the malt kiln. The Springbank 10 Year Old, 15 Year Old Local Barley and Springbank 21 Year old annual release are very popular whiskies.
Old Forester K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #4093 (Warehouse H, Floor 5) Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whisky (750ml) $39.99 View
Another stupendous cask from the excellent distillery in the Louisville adjacent neighborhood of Shively. The old facility is one of the most authentic, using several practices now eschewed by modern distillers, including a proper souring element and an old school thumper. The thumper is an unusual style of doubler (pot still component of bourbon distillation that takes the first run up to final proof) where the alcoholic steam from the beer striping run (column still) is injected directly into a pot of water. The steam heats the water to boiling and the resulting quick condensation creates a loud bang or thump. The whiskies are then aged in old patent warehouse for 4-6 seasons. They’re very caged with the actual bottle ages here, but these are not the oldest whiskies on the shelf. They do see a number of seasons of steam heated aging in the winter time, which adds depth and softens the bourbons. All together the result is one of the most interesting and drinkable single barrel releases on the market. Expect a nose of stewed fruit, old exotic wood, wild flower honey and sweet maple syrup. The palate starts very soft and sweet with a warming spice that keeps it incredibly balanced and lifts this whiskey up for a long lingering finish of baking spice and roasted orchard fruit.
Welcome to this weeks show in which I’ll be reviewing the Series 007 releases from North Star Spirits.
Glenmorangie’s vintage collection reveals a whisky of implausible harmony
— Rich plum limited edition celebrates Highland Distillery’s wood-finish pioneers —
A Highland single malt which marries two profoundly different whiskies in
implausible harmony, is today revealed as the fourth release in Glenmorangie’s celebrated Bond House No. 1 vintage collection.
Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1991 takes its rich plum character from two parcels of whisky which, ordinarily, would never be brought together. One was finished in oloroso sherry casks for sweetness and spice. It seems utterly incongruous with the other, finished in Burgundy casks for earthy and truffle notes. Yet, united with skill, their contrasts create this surprisingly mellow 26-year-old limited edition – the latest in a collection exploring some of the Distillery’s most prized parcels of aged whisky.
Glenmorangie is renowned as one of the pioneers of wood-finishing. In 1991, when this whisky’s spirit was distilled, that art was still in its infancy. But even then, the Distillery’s whisky creators were alive to the possibilities that a wood finish could bring. And so, they began a period of intense experimentation, intent on creating new techniques and flavours.
Years later, Dr Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks, was inspired to revisit some of these parcels of 1991’s whisky, selecting two contrasting styles to create this vintage release. Both long-aged in bourbon casks, each had been finished in oloroso sherry casks or in Burgundy casks for more than a decade. With a master distiller’s flair, he married them, softened by a hint of whisky aged in new toasted oak, to create an expression of rich intensity.
Dr Bill said: “Bringing together two such incongruous whiskies goes somewhat against convention which, in part, is what drew me to the challenge of combining them. The result is a single malt with a rich plum character, deep, mellow aromas and tastes of ripe fruits and milk chocolate. Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1991 honours those early pioneers who dedicated themselves to the art of the wood finish in 1991, whose work still guides us today.”
Created with the collector in mind, Glenmorangie’s Bond House No. 1 series showcases some of the Distillery’s most scarce vintages. The collection takes its name from the largest of Glenmorangie’s 19th century Bonded Warehouses. For generations, Warehouse No. 1 was home to the Distillery’s casks of maturing spirit until, in 1990, it was transformed into a majestic new still house. Today, Bonded Warehouse No. 1 is the heart of the Distillery’s whisky creation.
Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1991 will be available to purchase online at www.Clos19.com and from whisky specialists, from 9th April onwards, RRP: £630.
Follow Glenmorangie on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Glenmorangie
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NOTES:
Tasting Notes:
Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1991 is bottled at 43% ABV.
Colour: Ochre
Nose: Mellow, deep, intense and fruity. Lots of apricots, plum and baked apples, with chocolate, gentle oak, and a hint of truffles and star anise. A splash of water releases deeper notes, reminiscent of hickory-smoked ham and a damp forest floor.
Taste: A slightly peppery mouthfeel leads to a burst of fruity flavours intermingled with lots of milk chocolate, stewed apples, plum and ripe, red fruits such as cherry and raspberry.
Finish: A hint of zesty citrus and finally an intriguing combination of oak, fruit and sweet spices.
RRP:
It will be available from whisky specialist shops and www.Clos19.com, RRP: £630.
About the Bond House No.1 Collection:
The Bond House No.1 Collection is an exclusive collection of vintage expressions, all exceptionally fine and smooth. The series, which celebrates Glenmorangie’s most prestigious aged whiskies,
has been created for connoisseurs and collectors. It is named after Bonded Warehouse No. 1 – the largest of Glenmorangie’s traditional 19th-century warehouses – transformed into the Distillery’s majestic new still house in 1990. Fittingly, Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1990,
released in 2016, was the first expression in the collection. It was lauded by industry experts, winning first place at the International Whisky Competition (IWC), in the category Single Malt Whisky (Highland) and gold medals at the International Wine and Spirits Competition and the
San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1989, the collection’s second expression, released in 2018, was rewarded with a gold award at the International Spirits Challenge. At the IWC, it won Best Single Malt Scotch 25 Years and Over. Most recently, Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1993, released exclusively in Travel Retail in 2018, was awarded gold at the 2018 Global Travel Retail Spirits Masters.
About Glenmorangie:
Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky originates in the Scottish Highlands where, at
the Glenmorangie Distillery, it is distilled in the tallest malt whisky stills in Scotland for a purer spirit, expertly matured in the finest oak casks for great depth, and perfected by the Men of Tain. The Distillery was founded in 1843 and is renowned as a pioneer in its field, uniting tradition with innovation.
About Dr Bill Lumsden:
Dr Bill Lumsden is Glenmorangie’s acclaimed Director of Whisky Creation, Distilling & Whisky Stocks. Dr Bill is regarded by the malt whisky industry as an innovator, creating whiskies which have revolutionised the single-malt market. In recognition of his team’s work, The Glenmorangie Company was named Distiller of the Year at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in 2012. Dr Bill, who has a PhD in biochemistry, has combined art and science in his work since he joined The Glenmorangie Company in 1995. He is renowned for his groundbreaking wood-management techniques, experimentation with exceptional casks at various ages, and use of wood finishing. Dr Bill has won a series of prestigious awards and accolades. Most recently, he was named as Master Blender/Distiller of the Year by the International Spirits Challenge for 2018 – an award he also won in 2015. He has also won the International Whisky Competition’s award for Master Distiller of the Year 2016 and 2017. He was further honoured with the title of Master Distiller/Blender of the Year, at Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky 2016 awards.
About Glenmorangie’s pioneering work in extra-maturation:
Glenmorangie was among the pioneers of the wood finish – and has been leading the field in wood finishing for more than 30 years. Here are some of its earliest milestones in pursuit of this art:
1987: The Distillery releases its first wood-finished whisky, Glenmorangie 1963. Finished in oloroso sherry casks, it is among those at the forefront of a new category.
1990: Glenmorangie releases Glenmorangie 18 Years Old, part-finished in sherry casks.
1991: Intent on furthering the art of wood finishing, Glenmorangie’s whisky creators begin a
period of intense study and experimentation. Their discoveries inform Glenmorangie’s
whisky creation even now.
1994: Glenmorangie Port Wood Finish is released – believed to be the world’s first.
1995: Glenmorangie Madeira Wood Finish is released – believed to be another first.
1996: The Wood Finish Range is released. Consisting of a sherry-cask finish, a port-cask finish and a Madeira-cask finish, it is the first range of different wood-finished Scotch whiskies.
Building on the expertise developed in 1991, Glenmorangie has continued to innovate with wood-finished whiskies over the past 20 years. Today, the complex depths a wood finish creates can be enjoyed in pioneering single malts throughout the Distillery’s range, delighting both connoisseurs and those who are new to single malt.
