COTSWOLDS DISTILLERY ANNOUNCES NEW PEATED CASK WHISKY

The Cotswolds Distillery is set to release the inaugural batch of its peated cask single malt whisky

The whisky is aged in ex-peated quarter casks to develop a balanced rich and fruity flavour with notes of peat smoke

The Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky Peated Cask will be bottled at cask strength and will be available on the Cotswolds Distillery online shop and from specialist retailers with an RRP of £64.95

The award-winning Cotswolds Distillery is set to release the first batch of its Single Malt Whisky Peated Cask, the first-ever whisky matured in peated barrels in the Cotswolds.

Available for sale from the 1st October, the whisky is made using un-peated local barley which is mashed and fermented before being distilled in bespoke copper pots. The whisky is then aged in ex-peated quarter casks from Scotland, creating a balanced rich and fruity flavour with subtle notes of peat smoke.

Dan Szor, founder and CEO of the distillery said: “The subtle notes of smoke and peat which these wonderful Islay casks impart to our Cotswolds Single Malt complement the fruity notes of our spirit without overwhelming it.  The result is an eminently drinkable and very moreish dram, even at cask strength.

What started as an experiment now becomes the newest addition to our growing core range of Single Malt Whiskies.”

The release comes following a year of success for the distillery’s whisky offerings. The flagship Single Malt Whisky has won multiple awards across the world including the World Whisky Awards, San Francisco World Spirits Competition and International Wine & Spirits Awards, while the Founder’s Choice cask has won multiple gold medals and was the only whisky to be given three stars at this year’s Great Taste Awards.

Consisting of 2,950 bottles per batch, the peated whisky is bottled at cask strength (59.3% ABV) with no added colouring. The whisky is available from specialist retailers and the Cotswolds Distillery’s online shop from October at an RRP of £64.95.

Notes 

Peated Whisky

Peated Single Malt Whisky is available to purchase from the Cotswolds Distillery online shop and via specialist retailers.

Founders Choice

Founders Choice is available to purchase from Harvey Nichols and specialist retailers Master of Malt and Gordon and MacPhail.

The Cotswolds Distillery

Located in Stourton, Shipston-on-Stour, the distillery has become a premier local attraction, offering tours and tastings daily, and now receives 30,000 visitors a year.

Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky was launched in October 2017. Each bottle lists the barley variety, harvest year and local Cotswolds farm it was grown on. It recently won Gold at the World Whiskies Awards 2019 and took 2 stars (one of only two whiskies to do so) in the 2019 Great Taste Awards. The distillery’s cask strength whisky release, Founder’s Choice Single Malt Whisky, was recently awarded the title of Best English Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2019.

In Jim Murray’s 2019 Whisky Bible, the Cotswolds Distillery received 5 ‘Liquid Gold’ awards. Three of their whiskies scored 95 points, with all of the distillery’s samples scoring over 88 out of 100.

Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky is available nationally and in 31 countries across the world. Key UK retailers include Waitrose & Partners, Majestic Wine, The Whisky Exchange, Harrods and Laithwaites.

The distillery also produces Cotswolds Dry Gin, which was named Best London Dry at the 2016 World Gin Awards and received the top Gold Outstanding award in the 2017 International Wine and Spirits Competition. Difford’s Guide recently ranked the Gin as one of the top 20 Gins available in a survey of 450 brands.

Cotswolds Dry Gin is on sale nationally and in over 30 countries.  Key national accounts include Waitrose & Partners, Majestic, Oddbins, Laithwaites, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, and Fortnum & Mason.

For more information, please visit www.cotswoldsdistillery.com.

Novelty Bottles – Cask Finishes Edition

Casks, amirite? Some of them are familiar, some of them are less so – all of them have an irrevocable (or irreparable, depending on where you’re sitting) effect on the spirit matured within them. In honour of Whisky Show and its theme – The Journey of the Cask – today we’re exploring some of the less familiar – or downright odd – cask-matured drinks wandering the spiritscape, from new releases to storied oldies.

Grape Scott! Bacchus to the Future: Part 1

You know what they say: ‘when life gives you left-over grape bits, distil them and whack the resulting high-strength spirit in a red wine cask for six months.’

East London liquor company East London Liquor Co. have followed that old adage to the letter, teaming up with Renegade London Wine to take 2017’s Hereford Bacchus grape pomace and turn it into a hilariously punny, full-flavoured, grappa-style spirit, bottled with a healthy, healthy dose of 80’s film nostalgia.

In many ways, like weird, grapey cask cannibalism.

WhistlePig Amburana Rye 12 Year Old TWE Exclusive

Now, this one isn’t going to make an awful lot of sense unless you’ve tried it.

The cask impact on this spirit cannot be understated, especially when you consider that this batch of WhistlePig rye whiskey rested in its South American amburana-wood cask for a period of just ten days. Ten days. The result is a powerfully fragrant, richly spicy whiskey, riddled with coconut flavours and tonka-bean character.

Unlike anything you’ve tried before, unless you’ve tried it before…

Amrut Naarangi

It’s well known that whisky-maturation regulations are – if you want to be taken seriously, at least – pretty strict. Not only does this ensure that whisky in a bottle is more or less what we think it should be, but it also encourages people to work out some pretty fascinating work-arounds.

One such work-around comes in the form of Amrut Naarangi, which deftly side-steps the question, ‘how do I infuse my whisky with orange without actually infusing my whisky with orange?’ by filling an ex-oloroso sherry cask with white wine and orange peel for three years, emptying it out, then finishing a three-year-old whisky in it for three more years.

Bravo, Amrut. Bravo.

 Asta Morris Glorious Bastard

What happens when you – rumour has it, accidentally – finish a single malt Scotch whisky in a cask which previously contained gin? Well, Glorious Bastard, that’s what.

Contrary to common sense, academic wisdom and, indeed, previous personal experience, whisky + gin seems to, in this instance at least, work. Juniper enhances this single malt’s citrus character while balancing out some of its sweeter parts with that particular gin-y bitterness.

Also, being a child stuck in a grown-up’s body, I think swear words on commercial goods are funny.

Bastard. Hehe.

JJ Corry – The Battalion

Have you ever been just kind of, you know, hangin’ out, chillin’, letting your mind wander, and suddenly thought to yourself, ‘phwoar, yeah, whisky and tequila and mezcal probably taste pretty nice together’?

Now we’re no mixologists but, no, neither have we, to be honest. But then we’re not superstar independent Irish whisky bottler JJ Corry!

The Battalion, named for a battalion of Irishmen who fought for Mexico in 1846, is a blended Irish whisky finished in ex-mezcal and ex-Tequila casks. Sounds like a strange choice but, now we think about it, that slightly smoky, herbal edge might be pretty interesting.

A recent re-do of Scotch whisky maturation rules to allow ageing in agave-spirit casks means we’re likely to see a whole lot more of this sort of thing, too…

Herring, Tabasco and beyond…

The world of cask-finishes has been to some weird places, and it’s not getting any less adventurous. That being said, there are some places which, once visited, need not be explored again.

Billy’s very own bottle of Hotscotch.

In 2002 for instance, the SMWS finished whisky in a cask seasoned with Tabasco sauce. The result was, by all accounts, a brain-meltingly fiery whisky which, while undrinkable on its own, went on to live a happy life of saucedom in the form of Hotscotch.

Image from ScotchWhisky.com.

The descent into madness continues with the now all-but-ungettable, nigh-on-mythological Fishky – a single cask of Bruichladdich finished in a cask previously used to store herring. It is, according to our very own Billy Abbott, “very bad” – he’s not tried it himself, but has patiently held the hand of many an adventurous whisky geek who has, as they tearfully recounted its terrible, innate, fishy wrongness. But ours is not to wonder why – only to marvel at the, well… marvellousness of it all.

September 2019 Auction

is now LIVE!

Welcome to our September Auction.

This month’s auction features a line-up of impressive whiskies, both new and old.

Take a look at some of our highlights below, but bear in mind there are thousands of fantastic lots awaiting your bids…

The Macallan Fine & Rare Vintages

Our current auction features over 40 vintages from the Fine & Rare series from The Macallan. These whiskies are hand-selected to exemplify the finest stocks of The Macallan.

1950s Talisker Bottlings Gordon and MacPhail / Edward & Edward

A sublime range of 1950s single malts from Skye Distillery, Talisker, bottled by Gordon and MacPhail for Edoardo Giaccone. Rare whisky expert Angus MacRaild discusses Giaccone’s bottlings and what makes them so special on our blog.

Brora 40 Year Old

A stunning bottling of Brora, distilled in 1978 and unveiled in 2019 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the distillery. Since its closure Brora is one of the most sought-after names in Scotch whisky.

Royal Brackla 35 Year Old

This beautiful bottle is one of only 100 produced to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the relatively unsung Royal Brackla. Brackla was the first of only three distilleries to be awarded the Royal suffix.

Bowmore 1967 Premier Range 40 Year Old

One of only 39 bottles, this fantastically rare single cask Bowmore from the 1967 vintage was matured for 40 years in Bourbon casks and bottled at cask-strength.

Tamdhu 1963 50 Year Old

A colossal 50 years of maturation in an extraordinary sherry oak cask have culminated in the oldest ever expression from Tamdhu Distillery.

Samaroli Bottlings

A sensational selection from the great Italian independent bottles, Samaroli, including the highly sought-after Glen Garioch 1971 Sherry Wood Single Cask which scored an impressive 91 points by Serge Valentin of WhiskyFun.com.

Exclusive Japanese Auction

Auction Dates: 11 – 21 October

Bottle Entry Deadline: 7 October

A unique and tailored focus on iconic, rare and sought-after Japanese whisky at auction.

This exclusive auction offers an exciting opportunity for Japanese whisky enthusiasts to buy and sell whisky online.

Find out how you can get involved with the auction here.

Interested in selling whisky?

Next auction: 25 October – 4 November

Bottle deadline: 14 October

Free expert valuation for your bottle(s) on request at  info@whiskyauctioneer.com

Complimentary Collections

We are frequently travelling around the UK and can arrange a personal collection from you. This service is perfect if you want to avoid courier costs. Please get in touch and we can get it organised for you.

Not in your area? Just let us know where you are in the UK and you can request a personalised pick-up from your home, we will try to arrange a collection from you as soon as possible (available for sizeable consignments).

Glasgow | 10 October

Edinburgh | 11 October

Inverness & Elgin  | 14 October

Orkney | 14 – 17 October

Aberdeen | 15 October

Along M6 Corridor | 18 October

London Area | 19 & 20 October

Along M1 Corridor | 21 October

Arrange a Collection

WHISKY SALE

Bunnahabhain 1991 – Aged 26 Years – Cask Strength 50.3% – First Fill  Sherry Butt – 144 Bottles

£335.00

£268.00
(Free UK Next Day Delivery as always)

BRORA 40 YEAR OLD
200TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
70cl | 49.2%

One of the oldest ever Brora single malts released,
marking the 200th anniversary of this
silent distillery’s original opening.

SHOP NOW

Rare Bourbons at Loch Fyne Whiskies 

We’ve recently got hold of some incredible bourbons from the heart of Kentucky, including this very special expression from Pappy Van Winkle. Don’t miss out on this increasingly hard to get hold of Family Reserve bottle!

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 23 Year Old

Distilled and bottled by the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery in Frankfort, this limited edition Kentucky straight bourbon has been matured for 23 years. Bottled at 47.8% abv and presented in an embroidered velvet bag. This bottle has come from a private collection. Please note the bottle number may differ from that shown in the image.

£2,750.00

Buy Now

COMPLETE YOUR LAPHROAIG COLLECTION!

This whisky was bottled at its unusual age as part of the celebrations of the 10th Anniversary of the Friends of Laphroaig. Each bottle has been personally signed by Robin Shields.

Bottled: 2004

Age: 11 Years Old

40% ABV / 70cl

SEE ITEM!

The Society was founded to share good times – and good drams – with friends and loved ones, and ahead of next month’s Outturn, we’re bringing you five new casks to help you continue your whisky journey.

Showcasing the eccentric names and assortment of flavours that make Society casks all together unique, a limited number of preview bottles are available ahead of the full release on Friday, 4 October at 9am. Head to the website now before they disappear.

ALL BOTTLES                NEW OUTTURN

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

Laphroaig® unveils an exclusive 25-year-old whisky in celebration of the first woman of whisky 

Introducing The Laphroaig Bessie Williamson Story™

Beam Suntory’s Laphroaig has announced the release of a super-premium 25-year-old Laphroaig, which celebrates the life of Bessie Williamson, an icon of Laphroaig and the first female distillery manager to own and run a Scotch whisky distillery in the 20th century.

This unique and highly exclusive bottle is a tribute to Bessie and embodies many of her qualities including her warm, rich and unmistakably-Islay character. This is a tribute to Bessie and all that she made at Laphroaig.

Laphroaig® 25 Year Old, The Bessie Williamson Story™, will be available exclusively in the Global Travel Retail market for £410.

A celebration of Bessie Williamson

Williamson was born in Glasgow in 1910 to John Williamson, a gunner in France with the Royal Garrison Artillery and Agnes Whyte. She attended the University of Glasgow from 1927, intending to become a teacher, graduating in 1932.

After graduating with an MA in 1932, Bessie accepted a summer job at Laphroaig distillery intending to stay only a few months. She worked directly with then owner Ian Hunter, eventually taking on responsibility for US distribution following Hunter’s stroke in 1938. By the time of the Second World War she had become the full-time distillery manager and the most senior woman in Scotch anywhere in the industry.

Bessie is credited with being among the first to anticipate the coming trend for single malt scotches and to position the Laphroaig whiskies, and by extension other Islay malts, to the American market.  The Scotch Whisky Association named Williamson as its American spokesperson from 1961 to 1964 and she toured the US representing Islay whisky to buyers and distributors.

Laphroaig Bessie Williamson

A whisky of true significance; this super-premium 25-year-old Laphroaig commemorates Bessie, speaking to her success, her unique role on Islay, and her lasting impact on the Laphroaig distillery.

This expression has been aged in refill American oak hogsheads and refill barrels to allow the liquid’s individual character to shine through. The result is a whisky of lingering warmth and unmistakable character – a genuine expression of Bessie’s friendliness, individuality and strength.

The Bessie Williamson Story is presented in a beautifully crafted book that allows purchasers to discover the story of Bessie’s legacy in depth, and includes tasting notes and a message from John Campbell, the distillery manager.

The whisky is now available exclusively through the Global Travel Retail market for an RRP of £410.

John Campbell, Laphroaig distillery manager, comments: “Laphroaig is a globally recognised whisky thanks to Bessie.  It is well documented that Bessie was universally loved and respected by her colleagues at Laphroaig and the people of Islay. It is this aspect that we celebrate with this whisky, remembering her as a true icon of Laphroaig.”

Tasting Notes

Nose:

Peaty with spicy and floral notes. Sweeter notes of pear drops, green apples and bonbons that add to a sweet malty backcloth. 

Palate:

Salty tar oil paste, sweet herbs and spices, acacia honey, tomato leaves and black pepper. Unmistakeable Laphroaig coastal notes with peat smoke sweetness and earthiness bring the classic Islay spirit. 

Finish:

Warming and long lasting with floral and coastal notes. 

Colour:

Pale gold.

The whisky is best served neat, with ice or a drop of water. 

ABV:

Bottled at 43% ABV.

www.facebook.com/laphroaig
twitter.com/laphroaig
instagram.com/laphroaig
www.laphroaig.com