BLANTON’S ORIGINAL SINGLE BARREL
GORDON & MACPHAIL EXCLUSIVE
70cl | 46.5%
Brand new Blanton’s from across the
pond, this time bottled exclusively for
Gordon & MacPhail.
Bimber releases first Founder’s series single malt whisky
Bimber Distillery has announced the release of the first bottling of its four-year long Founder’s series. Charting the growth of the distillery and the development of its London single malt whisky, the Founders series expressions are exclusively available to members of Bimber’s ‘Founders Club’.
Each release from 2019 through to 2022 will be drawn from one of the distillery’s oldest casks and bottled as a cask strength, single cask release limited to 200 bottles.
The inaugural edition of the Founder’s series has been drawn from ex-bourbon cask #16 which was laid down in 2016 – Bimber’s first year of production. Bottled at 57.8% ABV, with natural colour and no chill-filtration, the cask was selected by Bimber’s Master Distiller for its extraordinary reflection of the distillery’s naturally fruit-forward spirit style and well as its remarkable level of maturity.
Speaking of the launch Master Distiller Darius Plazewski said “We’ve been overjoyed and humbled by the reception that our inaugural single malt (The First) and our recently released Re-charred Oak Casks has received across the industry and particularly amongst whisky enthusiasts. Our Founder’s Club members share our passion for the highest quality, handcrafted whisky, and we’re delighted to now share this exceptional single cask release with them”.
Bimber’s Founder’s Club was launched in May 2019 as a comprehensive package for enthusiasts wanting to join the distillery on its early journey. Members receive four limited edition bottlings drawn from Bimber’s highest quality casks (one each year until 2022) as well as exclusive behind the scenes access to the distillery and a range of discounts on all online orders.
Notes
Ex-bourbon cask #16 laid down in 2016
Nose: Crisp, clean and fruity. Cider apples, turnovers and crumble sit with apricot yoghurt and candied orange peels whilst milk chocolate is livened by bees honey sweetness and a prickle of peppery spice.
Taste: Oily, fulsome and impactful – bright apples and pear juices mingle with freshly picked apricots, split vanilla pods and charred oak. Baked vanilla buns and crème patisserie sit with nutmeg and pepper spiced honey.
Finish: Lingering wood spices marry perfectly with fading orchard fruits, honey and dusty sweet pastries.
Limited to 200 bottles
70cl
57.8% ABV
Distribution: Available to Bimber Founder’s Club members worldwide
Bimber Distillery produces world-class single malt whisky, handcrafted with passion in West London. As a leading distiller of English whisky, we combine generations of rich distilling heritage, with the finest quality ingredients to create the ultimate craft whisky experience.
The seeds of Bimber were sown three generations ago in communist-era Poland, where our founder and master distiller’s grandfather, distilled his own spirits, known as moonshine. This craft was carefully perfected and passed through the generations to Darius who learnt the art of distillation from a very young age.
This rich distilling heritage has shaped and influenced our approach to spirit making. We are proud of our past and pay tribute to it with our name Bimber, which means moonshine in Polish.
The founders of Bimber, Darius and Ewelina, emigrated from Poland to London in 2003 and created a successful business in West London. However, Darius’s passion for whisky and distilling were always at the forefront of his mind, and when the opportunity arose to establish a whisky distillery in 2015, he knew he had to go for it. Our first casks were laid on the 26th May 2016, and we have been patiently waiting until now to release them.
Not one but two new expressions, exclusive to our customers, are available to order now from WhistlePig and Penderyn!
We’ve been waiting a while to be able to share these with you and they’re now available to order!
Free UK standard delivery on all orders over £99
We also ship worldwide
WhistlePig Single Barrel Rye
10 Year Old #72177
New & Exclusive
£125.00 Buy Now
Penderyn 2014
Bourbon Cask #175
New & Exclusive
£95.00 Buy Now
Award Winning feedback for our exclusive Islay malt
“Pure Islay, pure joy” – Serge at Whisky Fun | 90 points
“This is how Lagavulin should be commercially bottled” – Jim Murray Whisky Bible 2019 | 95.5 points.
Buy – Lagavulin 10 Year Old 2007 – £74.95
The ninth (and final?) release in Diageo’s Game of Thrones Collection, Six Kingdoms, is a 15-year-old Mortlach single malt, matured in a combination of first-fill oloroso sherry and ex-bourbon casks. With an Independent North, Westeros is down to just Six Kingdoms, but any excuse for more great whisky is fine with us. The Beast of Dufftown has had a resurgence of late with Diageo placing a focus on the incredible malts that have historically just been for Johnnie Walker blends. Complete your collection of the Game of Thrones whiskies.
Mortlach 15 Year Old “Game of Thrones Six Kingdoms” Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $149.99 View
Goldfinch releases first in rare cask series
Mey Selections Rare Cask Series Glen Ord – Aged 12 Years
Scottish whisky merchant Goldfinch has released the first in its new Mey Selections Rare Cask Series – a limited edition single cask bottling of a rare first fill Oloroso sherry cask from Glen Ord Distillery.
Set to delight whisky lovers and collectors around the globe, only 689 hand-numbered bottles of this exceptional single malt from one of Scotland’s oldest whisky distilleries and the only remaining single malt distillery in the Black Isle, are available.
Glen Ord single malt is normally only found in the Singleton range in the Asian market or as a blend in Johnnie Walker.
The 12 Year Old release, the first of the Mey Selections Rare Cask Series from Goldfinch, has notes of spice, fruit and butterscotch, is non-chill filtered and natural in colour. It was distilled in April 2007, matured in a single first-fill European oak Oloroso sherry butt and bottled in July 2019 at cask strength of 51% ABV.
The Rare Cask Series has been selected for Goldfinch by top whisky maker Max McFarlane who has been responsible for creating iconic whisky brands of the highest quality for many years. A donation from every bottle sold will go towards supporting rural communities in the far north of Scotland through the North Highland Initiative charity.
Max sampled whiskies all over the North of Scotland to choose the very best in quality. He explained why he selected the 12 Year Old Glen Ord to mark the first release of the series:
“The Glen Ord cask had superior sensory and palate qualities. The liquid has wonderful flavours of a sherry cask filled with whisky for the first time. It is fresh and fruity on the nose with hints of white grapes and aromatic spices followed by a breath of warm butterscotch. Beautifully formed and well rounded on the palate, with sweet notes of vanilla and prunes enriched by suggestions of malted barley and linseed oil. A whisper of light spice heralds a deliciously smooth and lingering finish. Add all this to good maturation and natural colour and we have a product fit for a King.”
Sherry casks are only used in a small percentage of whisky maturation because the casks are in limited supply and cost ten times more than a bourbon cask. The flavour and colour that the casks impart are coveted by whisky fans.
Andrew Macdonald-Bennett of Goldfinch said:
“We are delighted to launch the Mey Selections Rare Cask Series with this exceptional limited edition sherry oak matured single cask bottling from Glen Ord. It is an outstanding whisky and we feel privileged to be able to offer this rare gem to whisky enthusiasts and collectors and to give back to the North Highland community at the same time.”
Bottle No. 1 of Mey Selections Rare Cask Series Glen Ord was presented to HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay who is patron of the Mey Selections charity.
The bottle’s label features a painting of Castle of Mey, the Highland home of the late Queen Mother, by HRH The Prince Charles.
Mey Selections Rare Cask Series – Glen Ord is available now from Goldfinch Whisky Merchants www.goldfinchwhisky.com priced at £118 (incl UK duty and VAT) with free delivery. It is also available from Wood Winters, The Scottish Gantry, Master of Malt and Valhalla’s Goat.
www.goldfinchwhisky.com follow us on social @goldfinchwhisky
Notes:
Tasting Notes for Mey Selections Rare Cask Series – Glen Ord Aged 12 Years by Goldfinch
Nose: Fresh and fruity, white grapes, aromatic spices, warm butterscotch
Palate: Well rounded, sweet notes of vanilla, prunes, malted barley and linseed oil
Finish: Light spice, smooth and lingering
Goldfinch is a specialist Scottish whisky merchant, dedicated to sourcing exceptional casks from Scotland’s finest distilleries to share with whisky enthusiasts and collectors around the world. Every Goldfinch release is individually crafted, exquisitely packaged and carries a clear provenance.
Mey Selections is an award-winning range of food and drink, created as part of a charity initiative to help communities in the North of Scotland by supporting the local food and drink industry. It supplies the highest quality produce from within a 150 mile radius of the Castle of Mey, owned by the Royal Family. It is one of the most successful ventures of the North Highland Initiative, a charity which aims to address some of the challenges facing rural communities in the far north of Scotland by creating a powerful regional identity for the area. Mey Selections’ current product portfolio includes; beef, lamb, salmon, cheese, oatcakes, biscuits, shortbread, whisky cakes and a new line of cashmere in Mey Selections tartan with Johnstons of Elgin. The North Highland Initiative offers a premium to farmers who reach Mey Selections specifications.
A Perfectly Aged Single Grain Spectacular
1979 North British 40 Year Old “Old Particular” Single Refill Barrel Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($299.99)
“This cask is everything you can ask for in a 40-year-old whisky and then some.”
— Andrew Whiteley, K&L NorCal Spirits Buyer
We’ve had some pretty amazing single grains over the years, but this 40-year-old expression from North British is in the running for an all-time favorite. Not only is its age statement more than impressive, but the juice within is also mind-bogglingly delicious. Take a moment to read through the staff reviews below, and you’ll understand that there’s something extra special about this Old Particular bottling. Its multi-dimensional delivery offers a little something for everyone. As our SoCal spirits buyer, David Othenin-Girard, notes, “This is the sort of spirit that will make anyone a lover of single grain.” Aged Scotch as a category can be prohibitively expensive with many bottlings priced well into the $1000s. But thanks, once again, to our direct-import program, we are offering this stunner for only $299.99. This is a lot of whisky for such a modest price. More and more, Scotch drinkers are finding their way to these single grain expressions and absolutely loving them. Based on what we tasted, this North British 40 Year Old is sure to earn more than a few new acolytes. As always, quantities are very limited, so don’t delay in adding this dazzling whisky to your collection.
This year we were more picky than usual in our grain selections. Perhaps the cream of the crop is the 40 year old North British. Though this cask is a bit younger than the 58 year old official distillery bottling released last year, it is still definitely no spring chicken. As single grain whiskey ages past the 20 year mark it often takes on tropical fruit notes, as it progresses even further, rich cream and honey often layer on top. At 40 years old as long as the cask doesn’t overwhelm the spirit, this all comes together in a glorious mesh as a sweet and decadent dessert. For whisky lovers it rarely gets better than this. A massive age statement, a bomb of sweet flavors, a creamy mouth coating palate, and an extraordinary price. Consider that the distillery’s official bottling will set you back over $2,000, if you can even find a bottle, and the modest $300 price tag here is placed into the broader context. Just a screaming good deal for one of the best whiskies of the year.
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 25, 2019
A true expression of the potential that single grain has to transcend the category on quality terms. While most grain has some distinct characteristics, usually the fact that the aromatics are restrained, woodsy and driven by sweet coconut or cereal, this one is like nosing some ungodly elixir in terms of complexity. On first nosing we’re in the realm of the very best natural cognacs, supple and soft dried stone fruits, exotic spice, toasted vanilla and deep roasted coffee bean. The palate is ultra sweet up front with a kind velvety texture. As the whisky travels the palate, rich oak spice and legendary tropical fruit take over from the sweet grain. This is the sort of spirit that will make anyone a lover of single grain. D’you love old bourbon? Try this. Are you a brandy nut? Try this. Do you love ultra aged single malt? Why not this? It doesn’t replace any of those categories, but it’s got a finger in each and will seduce any lover of great spirits.
Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 23, 2019
Gummy peach rings, creamy custard, strawberries, sticky syrup, caramels, brown sugar topped creme brulee, sweet afternoon biscuits, the list goes on and on. We were extremely picky when it comes to grain whisky this year. Rather than build a selection with a broad spectrum of what grain has to offer, we selected only the most opulent, over the top casks that still met our strict value proposition requirements. At 300 bucks, this 40 year old is bluntly put, a slam dunk. If you need a perfect gift for a whisky lover (even if that is just a gift to yourself) you cannot mess this up. Succulent, sweet, candied notes, gobs of fruit and cream, and a lively Christmas spice finish, this cask is everything you can ask for in a 40 year old whisky and then some. “Glorious” comes to mind.
Jackson Lee | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 29, 2019
I always get a bit giddy when I have a chance to try a dram older than I am, and this offering did not let me down. The initial whiff reminded me of Fernet Branca Menta herbal, anise, and mint; but as that faded, pine wood shavings, caramel chews, tar, and roasted cacao nibs found their way out of the glass. It reminded me of a funky, well-done Jamaican rum, giving an excuse to really geek out on the aromas. The palate returned to the Scotch path as I got kettle corn, blondies, oak barrel (like, the actual barrel), and sassafras. The texture was also quite compelling, not quite velvety but soft and full-bodied. As the finish approached, caramel corn, sweetgrass, green apple peel, oak wood, and Saigon cinnamon all got a chance to make a cameo during the long fade. A fun and complex Scotch that is sure to impress a crowd.
Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 24, 2019
North British distillery is just outside of Edinburgh, and from what I have so far tasted, produces tasty and elegant grain whiskeys. This forty year old is lively and full of finesse and flavor. The nose is sweet brown sugar. In the mouth it is mouth coating brown sugar but it’s not heavy and has a kiss of elegance. There is a long finish. With a little water the nose is the same as above but there are a subtle undertones of Christmas spice. The mouth is the same as above but more elegant and delicate.
Tim Telli | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 23, 2019
Only 257 bottles of this single cask 40-year-old whisky were filled. This reminds me of a British custard cream biscuit. Honey and floral aromatics give way to a warming finish. This would be a perfect dram to drink by the fireplace on a cold winter’s night. A single malt with this much age would cost a heck of a lot more than this.
Stefanie Juelsgaard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 23, 2019
People often disregard the single grains in favor of single malts for their prestige, but there is no way you will find a whisky of this quality and age statement at this price for a single malt. We are lucky to have such devoted and fastidious spirits buyers who take the time to bring the best products back to our customers at K&L and this bottling is one of their best finds. Bottled by one of the most trusted names in Scotch whisky, Douglas Laing, the North British is pure decadence, with definite custard notes and a long, slightly spicy finish. I was a huge fan of our last release of North British and didn’t think it could be better, but I was proven quite wrong after tasting this release.
Neal Fischer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 23, 2019
Brandy-like on the nose at first, this bottling from North British is quite delicate given its 40 years of age. Crisp green apples, light apricot, cherry, and cream drift to the nose. More florality develops with continued swirling and sniffing. The palate is even more intensely fruity with an apple medley and red berries. There’s a little sugar cookie sweetness with soft vanillas melding with the fruits then becoming more leathery, oaky, and bold into a long finish.
Tyndrum Gold Batch 3
(BenRiach Distillery)
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LINKWOOD 12 YEAR OLD 2007
THOMPSON BROS.
70cl | 55.3%
A wonderful Linkwood with grassy and
herbal notes alongside citrus peel.
CARSEBRIDGE 46 YEAR OLD 1973
THOMPSON BROS.
70cl | 53.5%
Single grain Scotch whisky distilled in
1973 aged for four-and-a-half decades.
CAMPBELTOWN BLENDED 5 YEAR OLD
THOMPSON BROS.
70cl | 50%
This blended Campbeltown whisky is fresh
and vibrant, and even has an illustration of
ramen on the label. Who doesn’t like ramen?
