This limited edition from Laphroaig distillery has matured for more than a quarter of a century in casks of various sizes, from quarter casks to butts, before being married in sherry casks for 12 months to harmonise the flavours. Bottled at 44.4% abv and presented in a beautifully crafted wooden display case.
NOW £460.00
Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 258: Kavalan 2006 Virgin Oak for The Nectar
Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a Kavalan for Belgium. The boys and girls of The Nectar, Belgian bottler, knocked on many distilleries’ doors for a special cask for their tenth anniversary last year. Many of those can be found on Mark’s blog, but this one was sold out before he was able to get my hands on it. Luckily he found a bottle via social media recently. Turns out, he thinks it’s a belter of a Kavalan. On virgin oak, no less.
The Macallan Unveils First Ever Estate Expression
A Whisky Maker’s Tribute To Home and Heritage
To celebrate its iconic home and rich character, The Macallan presents Estate – an exceptional new whisky containing rare spirit distilled with barley grown on the Easter Elchies estate.
A rich and complex whisky with a remarkably long finish, The Macallan Estate was created by our Whisky Makers to celebrate the single malt’s peerless provenance and heritage.
The Macallan Estate represents a unique opportunity to experience a single malt containing spirit made from precious home-grown barley from Easter Elchies estate, which is distilled just once a year over the course of a single week. Before the release of The Macallan Estate, this spirit was limited to the most exclusive and sought-after releases of The Macallan.
The 485-acre Easter Elchies estate is set within the legendary Speyside region of Scotland, where The Macallan has been creating extraordinary single malts since 1824. Its carefully tended barley fields are located on the banks of the River Spey, overlooked by the new award-winning distillery.
The Macallan distillery, which was inspired by Scotland’s undulating hills and cut into the slope of the land to complement its Spey Valley setting, opened its doors to the public in June 2018.
Displaying a warm chestnut hue, The Macallan Estate exudes aromas of wood spice and orange oil. The sweet, subtle hint of citrus acts as the perfect counterbalance to the traditional sherried richness associated with distinctive single malts of The Macallan.
“The Easter Elchies estate lies within the legendary Speyside region of Scotland, a place of timeless natural beauty, and a place that The Macallan is proud to call home,” said Sarah Burgess, Whisky Maker for The Macallan. “With its wonderful sweet citrus hints and warming wood spice, The Macallan Estate is a rich, satisfying and complex spirit that pays homage to the fertile Speyside lands where The Macallan is located and celebrates the unrivalled craftsmanship for which we have been known since 1824.”
Presented in an elegant gift box featuring landscape-inspired designs, The Macallan Estate packaging reflects the natural stones found on the estate and includes an inlay of slate with every bottle, along with photography of the estate’s impressive barley fields on the banks of the River Spey. The Macallan Estate will be available in the U.S. market and select global markets starting this June for a suggested retail price of $250.
Tasting Notes:
Color: Conker, chestnut hue
Aroma: Warm, comforting and homely notes of cinnamon. Wood spice and orange oil, opening into dried fruits with a sweet lemon, banana and caramel.
Palate: Soft and warming with wood spice, opening into a dry oak flavor spiked with candied raisins and fresh fig. Moving into a sweet fresh orange and delicate fresh citrus.
Finish: A sweet citrus twist.
ABV: 43%
For further information visit www.themacallan.com/en-us
About The Macallan
Founded in 1824 in the heart of Speyside, The Macallan was one of the first distilleries in Scotland to be legally licensed. Since then it has built a reputation as one of the world’s finest single malt whiskies. The story of The Macallan is built on the Six Pillars, each influencing the whisky in its own distinct way. From the spiritual home of Easter Elchies House; curiously small stills giving richness to the pure spirit; finest cut or the best of the best of the distillation, to exceptional oak casks which account for up to 80% of the final flavor in the whisky; natural color and finally peerless spirit, The Macallan itself.
Wood sits at the heart of The Macallan. The vital contributing influences of Spain, North America and Scotland, together with true mastery, set it apart from the rest. For more information on The Macallan, visit www.themacallan.com/en-us. The Macallan can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
GLENMORANGIE GRAND VINTAGE MALT 1991 WINS WHISKY OF THE YEAR AT THE 2019 INTERNATIONAL WHISKY COMPETITION®
[LAS VEGAS, NV, June 14, 2019] Dr Bill Lumsden, Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks at Glenmorangie Distillery becomes Master Distiller of the Year for crafting the Whisky of the Year 2019 and will receive the top prize in the industry, the Golden Barrel Trophy.
The International Whisky Competition just released its results for this year’s most respected blind tasting judging event. The top recognition, Whisky of the Year, was awarded to Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1991 which scored 97 points, the highest scoring whisky of the competition.
2019 Official results: www.whiskycompetition.com/2019-results
The 10th edition of the International Whisky Competition took place in Las Vegas over three days, from May 15 to 17 and received whiskies from all over the world from what distilleries believe to be their very best. A world-class tasting panel made of whisky, spirit, beer and wine experts blind tasted each whisky on an individual basis (8 minutes per whisky).
Each whisky was scored using a comprehensive 100-point scale system developed by Sebastien Gavillet, IWC Head of Tasting Panel. This process and the fact that only three medals are awarded in any category make the International Whisky Competition the most followed whisky competition and one of the most professional competitions of its kind in the world.
We warmly congratulate Dr Bill Lumsden, as well as his team, for creating such an exceptional whisky. This is the third time in the last four years that Dr Lumsden receive the highest awards for his whisky creations.
Last year’s Whisky of the Year was Aberlour A’Bunadh, which scored 97.4 points. Glenmorangie Distillery will receive the Golden Barrel Trophy for winning the Whisky of the Year during a ceremony to be held this summer in Tain, Scotland.
About the International Whisky Competition®
The International Whisky Competition is the most followed Whisky Competition on Social Media and brings whiskies from around the world to be blind tasted and rated by a professional tasting panel using the most comprehensive tasting method available. 15 criteria are required to produce the tasting notes as well as aroma and flavor profiles for the International Whisky Guide. Unlike other competitions, the judges are presented with one whisky at a time, to ensure each whisky gets the proper attention. It’s the only competition in the spirits world to deliver unique medals designed to promote each of the winning whiskies. Only 3 medals (Gold, Silver & Bronze) are awarded per category. The Whisky of the Year (highest score during the competition) gets rewarded with the Golden Barrel Trophy.
“The Olympics of whisky competitions.” – Jim McEwan, Master Distiller.
For more information about the International Whisky Competition, please visit whiskycompetition.com or contact:
USA – Sebastien Gavillet, Head of Judges / s.gavillet@whiskycompetition.com +1 702 234 3602
Canada – Sylvain Allard, Managing Partner / s.allard@whiskycompetition.com +1 418 271 6678
Two new releases from Ian MacLeod from the famed Islay distillery. 20 Year Old 1998 for Chieftan’s yielding 478 bottles and a 15 Year Old 2004 vintage for the Dun Bheagan series matured in bourbon barrels, yielding just 384 bottles.
The GlenDronach is a distillery synonymous with sherried excellence. The well-aged expressions display the formidable quality of the spirit, as well as the masterful cask management. Highly limited, get them whilst stocks last!
£264.95
Throughout the month we’re getting creative in the kitchen and experimenting with intriguing whisky and food pairings. Whether you choose a traditional match or a slightly more unusual suggestion from one of our international branches, explore our specially selected bottlings which are perfect for pairing.
READ ONLINE NOW PREVIEW BOTTLES
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
SAZERAC CANADIAN WHISKIES AWARDED GOLD AND SILVER MEDALS AT 2019 DENVER INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS COMPETITION
Montreal, Canada (June 6, 2019) – Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky received a Gold Medal at the 7th Annual Denver International Spirits Competition, while High River Canadian Blended Whisky and Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whisky were awarded Silver Medals. Judges voted for the best spirit entries in 102 different categories.
Gold Medal Winner:
Silver Medal Winners:
The Denver International Spirits Competition is conducted double blind by a seasoned panel of beverage professionals. The judging panel consists of sommeliers, retail buyers, journalists, mixologists and beverage directors. All judges undergo a daily calibration class designed to maintain consistent evaluation and scoring of all spirits.
Complete results of the 2019 Denver International Spirits Competition can be found at http://www.denverspiritscomp.com/
About Sazerac
Sazerac is one of America’s oldest family owned, privately held distillers with operations in the United States in Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Maryland, California, and global operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, India, Australia and Canada. For more information on Sazerac, please visit www.sazerac.com.
SAZERAC SPIRITS AWARDED TOP HONORS AT WORLDWIDE COMPETITION
Glenfarclas receives 6 total medals including 4 gold
FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (May 23, 2019) Sazerac is proud to announce 11 gold and silver medals were awarded by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition to Glenfarclas, Janneau and Père Magloire which the company imports. The 19th annual competition had a record-breaking year featuring 3,000 entries from across the globe. A panel of 44 respected industry experts judged each entry by conducting blind taste tests, ultimately awarding the Sazerac Company’s import brands with five gold medals.
Gold medals are awarded to spirits that are near the pinnacle of achievement and set the standard for each category. Silver medals go to outstanding spirits that show refinement, finesse and complexity.
Gold
Silver
Complete results for the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition can be found at http://sfspiritscomp.com/results/.
About Sazerac
Sazerac is one of America’s oldest family owned, privately held distillers with operations in the United States in Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Maryland, California, and global operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, India, Australia and Canada. For more information on Sazerac, please visit www.sazerac.com.
EAGLE RARE AND STAGG JR. NAMED BEST OF CLASS BOURBON, RECEIVE DOUBLE GOLD AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS COMPETITION
Buffalo Trace Distillery whiskies win eight top awards
FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (MAY 28, 2019) Buffalo Trace Distillery products were recognized with eight top awards at the 8th annual Denver International Spirits Competition, including two Double Gold honors, which were awarded to Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
In addition to the double gold winnings, whiskies from Buffalo Trace Distillery also received three Gold and three Silver awards.
Gold recipients include:
Silver recipients include:
“We are so pleased to be honored with these awards,” Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley said. “Our team is dedicated to producing the highest quality whiskies on the market and being recognized for our hard work is truly humbling.”
The Denver International Spirits Competition was held in Denver, Colorado, and is the largest professional spirits competition in the Rocky Mountain Region. Winners were selected by a panel of 30 respected spirits authorities who rate entries through a double-blind process on a 100-point scale.
Complete results for the 2019 Denver International Spirits Competition can be found at http://www.denverspiritscomp.com/.
About Buffalo Trace Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 21 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon was named World Whiskey of the Year by “Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2018.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 500 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com
