Season’s Greetings

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at Gordon & MacPhail.

THE WHISKY SALE: A PRIVATE COLLECTION

AN EXCEPTIONAL COLLECTION OF WHISKY 50 YEARS IN THE MAKING COMES TO AUCTION  

A Private Collection of Whisky, 50 years in the making, comes to auction on 20^th March 2020 at Tennants Auctioneers in North Yorkshire. With a focus on Macallan, the collection includes such highlights as a bottle of The Macallan 52 Year Old Select Reserve 1946 (estimate: £20,000-30,000 plus buyer’s premium).

Comprising over 300 bottles, the collection was amassed by a businessman who was first introduced to whisky when his father-in-law gave him a bottle of The Macallan 10 Year Old. It proved revelatory, sparking a life-long interest in whisky and a deep love of Macallan. Indeed, The Macallan 10 Year Old has been his drink of choice ever since.

Tennants’ Wine and Whisky Specialist William McNab says of the collection: “It is a pleasure to handles such a fine collection of whisky put together with much dedication by a true connoisseur. Not only are there examples of some of the most desirable single bottles around, but there are year runs and top bottles from Scotland’s finest distilleries. The collection even includes an example of my favourite whisky, a rare and now discontinued Balvenie 10 Year Old Founder’s Reserve, Cognac Bottling”.

At the heart of the collection is Macallan, which is led by a bottle of The Macallan 52 Year Old Select Reserve 1946 (Estimate: £20,000-30,000 plus buyer’s premium). Distilled just after the War when production of whisky – a luxury good – had stopped, it was made with peated malt due to the scarcity of coal. A rarity on Speyside, it is now recognised as one of the greatest Macallans ever released. The collector has also put together a near-complete year run of The Macallan 18 Year Old from 1963 to 1997, missing only seven years, offering other enthusiasts the opportunity to add missing years to their collection.

Further star lots of Macallan include The Macallan 1951 Fine and Rare, which is bottle number 1 of 632; a very rare bottle from just after the War, it is estimated at £15,000-20,000 (plus buyer’s premium). Two rare bottles of The Macallan Red Ribbon, which was bottled for merchants around the world, are also on offer from 1938 (estimate: £10,000-15,000 plus buyer’s premium) and 1950 (estimate: £5,000-7,000 plus buyer’s premium).

The majority of the collection was bought in the UK, however, approximately 20% was sourced from Spain, Italy, France and Holland. The collector even travelled as far as Barbados to collect a particularly prized bottle. Amongst interesting lots sourced overseas are four bottles of The Macallan Cadenheads, Scotland’s oldest independent bottler (estimate: £800-1,200 plus buyer’s premium each), which he purchased from Cadenheads Amsterdam shop; here he also found a rare bottle of The Macallan 12 Year Old French Revolution 1789-1989 (estimate: £500-700 plus buyer’s premium).

The collection also offers good, collectable bottles of Glenfarclas and Glenmorangie as well as bottles from the top distilleries across Scotland; there is a particular focus on good bottles from the 1970s. In addition, the collection offers affordable bottles of single malt for drinking.

For further details of the auction and related events, or to register your interest, contact William McNab on william.mcnab@tennants-ltd.co.uk.

The sale catalogue will be available online from Friday 6^th March at www.tennants.co.uk and it will be on view to the public from Sunday 15^th March.

SALE:               The Whisky Sale: A Private Collection

Auction:           Friday 20^th March

Viewing:          Sunday 15^th March 11am-4pm

Monday 16^th March 10am-4pm

Tuesday 17^th March 10am-4pm

Wednesday 18^th March 10am-4pm

Thursday 19^th March 10am-5pm

Morning of sale from 8am

Venue:             Tennants Auctioneers, Harmby Road, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 5SG

Details:            www.tennants.co.uk

Whisky Specialist:      William McNab

William.mcnab@tennants-ltd.co.uk

+44 (0)1969 623780

Pictures 

• Part of the Year Run of The Macallan 18 Year Old
• The Macallan 52 Year Old Select Reserve 1946 – Estimate: £20,000-30,000
• The Macallan Red Ribbon 1938 and 1950 

1. All prices quoted are the Hammer Price, excluding buyers’ premium. 

NOTES 

Full sale results are available on our website: www.tennants.co.uk  

• Tennants Auctioneers is a fourth-generation family business and is one of the UK’s largest international Antiques and Fine Art auctioneers. Situated in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, Tennants holds over 80 sales a year.

• Tennants connects more than 200,000 buyers and sellers a year.
• As a family business, Tennants stays true to its Yorkshire heritage and offers its clients unrivalled service, expertise and value.
• In 2014 Tennants expanded the Auction Centre to 80,000sq ft with the development of The Garden Rooms – a dedicated venue for events, weddings, conferences and exhibitions. The venue is one of the region’s largest event spaces with a capacity of over 600 people.

The Best Whisky Gifts Available Right Now – December Edition

Christmas is now frighteningly close, so much so that my Christmas cake has now drunk more whisky than I have*.

If you’re still stuck for gift inspiration, or just fancy treating yourself, we’ve rounded up another 10 drinks-themed presents that are guaranteed to go down a treat. Below you’ll find two favourites from Tom’s earlier post that are still in stock and well worth your attention, plus eight shiny new options for you to peruse.

Filey bay yorkshire single malt – second release

£52.95
Buy now >

A great option if a) you need to buy a present for Sean Bean or any other professional Yorkshiremen and women or b) you know a whisky lover who’d like something tasty they’ve never tried before. Spirit of Yorkshire distillery released its first two whiskies late this year and we think they’re off to a flying start.

Ardbeg 10 Year Old Bone Pack

£46.25
Buy now >

Featured in Tom’s previous post, this bone-encased** bottle of the deliciously smoky Ardbeg 10 still makes us smile.

**No actual bones are included with this gift pack.

Christmas malt 2019

£56.95
Buy now >

You know that moment when you think ‘if only I could find something festive, yet good quality, that I can also engrave so it looks like I put a lot of thought into it’? Say hello to our exclusive Christmas malt, which this year is a tasty 10-year-old Linkwood with notes of sugared almonds, cinnamon, toffee and sultana.

Japanese whisky tasting set

£47.95
Buy now >

Due to its popularity and scarcity, the price of Japanese whisky is continuing to rise – something that makes it extra stressful if you’re trying to buy someone a gift and don’t know what they’ll like. This Perfect Measure set gets rid of all those problems, allowing both novices and connoisseurs to explore five different Japanese whiskies and taste them side by side. It does mean, though, that next Christmas they’re likely to pester you for a specific bottle.

Originally published on The Whisky Exchange Blog – The 10 Best Drinks Gifts Available Right Now – December Edition

Our December auction is now LIVE!

Place your bids from Friday 20^th December until Sunday 5^th January 2020, at

www.whiskyhammer.co.uk

Every month, we present an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits to our members right across the globe. You will find everything here from limited edition releases and vintage bottles to whole casks of rare whisky. There is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest or enjoy!

Macallan – 52 Year Old (1946) 

Kariuzawa – 35 Year Old (1981)

Glendronach – 37 Year Old

Selling whisky? Why not arrange the pick-up of your bottles using our global courier service? If you’re based in Scotland, you might want to arrange the personal collection of your bottles. Wherever you’re based in the world, we will make getting your bottles into our monthly auction as simple as possible. Get in touch with the Whisky Hammer team now by dropping them a message at sales@whiskyhammer.co.uk.

Need some gift inspiration? Perfect Festival malts

Share the gift of Scotch whisky this season

We’ve got Christmas all wrapped up! 

Choose from 1000’s of whiskies – which we can gift wrap and deliver directly to your loved ones, clients or colleagues worldwide.

ralfy.com goes Glengoyneing !

https://youtu.be/3J6utmpeTsQ

Whyte & Mackay takes top international prize at IWSC 2019 

Whisky maker Whyte & Mackay has been crowned Scotch Whisky Producer of the Year at the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) Producer Awards 2019, hosted in London’s Guildhall on Thursday 28 November.

Currently marking its 175^th anniversary, Whyte & Mackay beat off strong competition to land the title at the ceremony which is billed as the Oscars of the wine and spirits industry.

Founded in Glasgow in 1844, Whyte & Mackay’s whisky brands include international recognised single malt’s The Dalmore, Jura, Fettercairn, Tamnavulin and blends including Whyte & Mackay, The Woodsman.

The 50th IWSC Wine Producer Awards was attended by the world’s leading producers, retailers and distributors. A panel of 400 international judges reviewed entries for seven months of the year, with a rigorous process including blind testing, chemical and microbiological analysis.

In recent years Whyte & Mackay’s whisky portfolio has seen significant growth and investment with the notable relaunch of Tamnavulin Single Malt Whisky, Fettercairn Single Malt Whisky and Jura Single Malt Whisky – produced by the tiny island community of 212 people off the West Coast of Scotland. In 2019 Jura released a ‘212’ limited edition to celebrate the number of people that call Jura home.

The Dalmore Single Malt Whisky continues to produce exceptional releases, with a landmark auction at Sotheby’s of The Dalmore L’Anima achieving £108,000. The Dalmore will launch a series of events and whiskies to celebrate the 180^th Anniversary of the Distillery in December.

Within the wider parent company, Bodegas Fundador won Brandy and Fortified Wine producer of the year. The producer’s brands include Harvey’s Very Old Amontillado and Spanish brandy, Fundador.

Collecting the award Bryan Donaghey, Chief Executive Officer, Whyte & Mackay, said: “We’re incredibly proud to come home with the most prestigious whisky honour the industry has to bestow. To receive such recognition from industry is testament to the incredible whiskies we have released, and the dedication of each and every person behind them at Whyte & Mackay.

“Our success across 175 years is built on our shared entrepreneurial spirit. That is as true today, as it was in 1844. That spirit is at the heart of our whisky and our people, producing great whisky in Scotland, to be enjoyed by our consumers right around the world.

“Equally the awards recognise the excellent work of our colleagues in Spain, and we extend our contratulations to the team at Bodegas Fundador.”

In August this year Whyte & Mackay toasted the success of its whisky portfolio after landing fifteen Gold and Gold Outstanding IWSC medals. Highland Single Malt Whisky, The Dalmore was the whisky maker’s most notable success, scooping four Gold Outstanding awards and three Gold awards.

Whyte & Mackay’s premium whisky portfolio also includes its namesake Whyte & Mackay Blended Whisky and the popular John Barr Blended Whisky. It relaunched single malts Tamnavulin, Fettercairn and Jura in 2016, 2017 and 2018 in addition to launching a boutique whisky brand – Whisky Works, led by whisky maker Gregg Glass.

Whyte & Mackay were founded in Glasgow, Scotland, where their global head office is located today. In November 2019 Whyte & Mackay and Bryan Donaghey celebrated their continued success, speaking at the Glasgow Growth Summit, hosted by The Times of London and KPMG.

https://www.iwsc.net/

About Whyte & Mackay Group Ltd.

Whyte & Mackay was founded in Glasgow in 1844, and today celebrates its 175^th anniversary with a multi-award-winning portfolio of brands which includes The Dalmore, Jura, Tamnavulin and Fettercairn whiskies alongside its namesake Whyte & Mackay Blended Whisky.

The award-winning whisky makers are proud partners of Flor de Caña, Camus and RumChata distributing their distinctive brands in the UK, while in recent years their focus on pioneering innovation has seen them reveal a plethora of brand extensions and new to world brands. From an exclusive 50 Year-Old Highland Single Malt from The Dalmore celebrating the career of Master Distiller Richard Paterson to a full range revamp on Jura. In the last twelve months, more than five new brands have been revealed, to name a few – Shackleton, Woodsman, and Wildcat, as well an independent boutique bottling arm The Whisky Works, fronted by whisky maker, Gregg Glass.

The global spirits business is headquartered in the heart of Glasgow, and employs over 500 people around the globe, across five international offices, five distilleries and a state-of-the-art bottling plant in Scotland.

Today, with the support of its owners Emperador Inc,. Whyte & Mackay is building a progressive, passionate and ambitious company for the future. Emperador is a subsidiary of Alliance Global Group, Inc (an international conglomerate listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange).

Exciting Experiences:

Distillery Tour and tasting: Begin with a guided tour of the distillery, including the production areas and warehouses followed by a full tasting across the spirits range.

£15 per person, pre-booking is a must

Whisky blending masterclass which includes, a highball whisky cocktail on arrival, a guided tour of the distillery and the warehouse, an in depth exploration of the whisky-making process, a chance to blend your own whisky, bottles to take home and more!

£100 per person, monthly bookable sessions

The Cotswolds Distillery Single Malt Whisky

The Cotswolds Distillery Single Malt Whisky is the first to be created in the Cotswolds ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ and is made using only Cotswolds-grown barley. The inaugural whisky is rich and fruity in style; it is matured in a combination of first-fill, ex-Bourbon barrels and specially shaved, toasted and re-charred red wine casks. The young expression bursts with notes of honey and butterscotch, layered with light fruits (peaches, apricots) and a hint of marzipan. To taste, the whisky is rich with malt, oils and dark sugar. Spice and caramelised bitter orange lead into a long, resinous finish with dark red fruits and a hint of treacle.

Awarded Gold at the International Wine & Spirit Competition 2019.

Stockists: www.cotswoldsdistillery.co.uk, Amazon UK & Waitrose

RRP: £44.95

Founder’s Choice Single Malt Whisky 

Founder’s Choice Single Malt Whisky: This cask strength release from the Cotswolds Distillery comes from the Founder, Dan’s, favourite casks: shaved, toasted and re-charred American Oak red wine barriques. These uniquely active casks give a rich and intense maturation to the distillery’s fruity spirit, offering toffee, oak and red fruits, and a beautiful, deep colour.

Awarded Best English Single Malt 2019 by the World Whiskies Awards

Stockists: www.cotswoldsdistillery.co.uk, & Amazon UK

RRP: £64.95 

Membership at Milroys’ The Dram House

The Dram House is a members club above Milroys Whisky Bar in Spitalfields, a part of London’s oldest whisky specialist, Milroys of Soho. Established in 1964 by Jack and Wallace Milroy and remains a centre for whisky enthusiasts worldwide.

The Dram House was a name first posited by legendary brothers Jack & Wallace Milroy on one of their tours of Asia. During a successful mission to introduce fine Scottish whisky to the Japanese market, the brothers were considering naming whisky bars The Dram House to share their passion with as many people as possible. Unfortunately this had not been realised until today.

The bar is London’s finest members club for whisky aficionados. Members can enjoy some of the finest spirits available above Milroys Whisky Bar in Spitalfields. The club boasts a private cigar terrace, as well as a tasting room for up to 25 people. Events at The Dram House are tailored to a knowledgeable consumer, providing some of the most unique tastings in the city.

THE DRAM HOUSE MEMBERSHIP

Membership to The Dram House is not limited to access to one of the best whisky bars in the city, fees include the following:

Twelve complementary tickets to tasting events.

10% off Milroys Exclusive releases.

Up to two guests.

Standard membership fees are £250 per year.

THE DRAM HOUSE PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP

Premium membership provides comprehensive access for the true whisky aficionado. The membership is strictly limited and affords the following benefits:

Complementary tickets to all tasting events at Milroys of Soho and Milroys Spitalfields.

10% off all bottles at the Milroys Shop.

Up to three guests.

A cage within the club with space to store a limited amount of whisky purchased from the Milroys Shop for enjoyment at the bar.

Premium membership fees are £1,000 per year, subject to availability.

CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP

Corporate membership is ideal for local business and drinks businesses. This tier grants the following solutions:

Access for staff and up to six guests.

Use of the club and tasting room to hold meetings and product trainings.

Options to make use of the tasting room for consumer tastings.

Corporate membership fees are £1,500 per year.

For membership applications, please email andrea@thedramhouse.co.uk

Introducing Bunnahabhain 1988 Marsala Cask Finish

This outstanding Bunnahabhain 1988 Marsala Cask Finish is in stock and available to order today!

Free UK standard delivery on all orders over £99
We also ship worldwide

Bunnahabhain 1988 Marsala Cask Finish

This 30-year-old single malt was distilled at Islay’s Bunnahbhain distillery on 1st December 1988. Matured for almost three decades, it was transferred to four Marsala wine hogsheads on 7th July 2016 and matured for a further two years. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 47.4% abv, free from chill filtration and artificial colouring.

Only 1,260 bottles have been filled, each one individually numbered!

£450.00