I LOVE GLEN SCOTIA! Let’s get that part out of the way first. This is a throw back to their old school days, pre-prohibition stuff. When Campbletown ruled the world…some would say that it still does today. Less talk, more booze! Cheers!
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Irish, Rockstar-approved whiskey to hit the auction block at Victor Mee Auctions
The team behind family-run Cavan auction house Victor Mee Auctions have announced a once-in-a-lifetime collection of pieces scheduled to hit the auction block for their two-day sale on Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st July. Titled ‘The Clermont Collection Rare Advertising, Pub Memorabilia and Architectural Fittings,’ the sale – which is sure to be the highlight of any avid collector’s summer – offers bidders the chance to own pieces of the history of the iconic Louth institution, the Clermont Arms pub, Blackrock.
The Clermont Collection has been carefully developed over the last 30 years, housed within The Clermont Arms, and is now being sold at auction. The wide variety of pieces included in the collection includes show-stopping advertising mirrors, vintage showcards, figurines, bar fixtures and fittings, whiskey bottles, confectionary cabinets and enamel advertising all produced between the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Commenting on the exciting chance to oversee and execute the sale auctioneer and proprietor Victor Mee said, “This may be one of the rarest collections I have come across in over 40 years in the industry, the likes of this may never be seen again in Ireland. It is extremely rare to see a single owner collection like this on to the market. Typically, over time, mass collections like this are usually broken up, given to family members or forgotten about.”
Whiskey fit for a rock star
A star lot within the ‘The Clermont Collection Rare Advertising, Pub Memorabilia and Architectural Fittings’ is an 1880s bottle of Cassidy & Co. Monasterevin whiskey, matured by the Cassidy family who made whiskey from 1784 until 1921 at their County Kildare mill. In recent years, the Ballykelly Mill has been restored by businessman and property investor Paddy McKillen, with support from U2 frontman Bono who has been named as an investor to help revive Monasterevin’s rich heritage in producing the finest whiskey going back to the 18th century.
This bottle of Cassidy & Co. Monasterevin whiskey is sure to light up the eyes of any whiskey lover or collector in Victor Mee Auctions’ upcoming July sale. In addition, ‘The Clermont Collection’ sale will also see a rare early 20th century Irish copper whiskey still go to auction. The whiskey still is roughly 300 litres and would look great displayed in a bar or may also be of interest to whiskey distilleries to utilise in their current development.
“Whiskey is another area of expertise for us at Victor Mee Auctions and selling extremely rare bottles of whiskey is becoming a common occurrence for us, much to our delight! We are looking forward to offering up such a unique bottle of whiskey as part of ‘The Clermont Collection’ sale, which has virtually been given the seal of approval from such a globally-known Irish Rockstar!” added Bryan Mee.
For more information on the upcoming 30th – 31st July The Clermont Collection Rare Advertising, Pub Memorabilia and Architectural Fittings sale at Victor Mee Auctions visit www.victormeeauctions.ie.
Raasay Distillery, situated off the north-west coast of Scotland on the idyllic Isle of Raasay, has gained international acclaim for both their rich and fruity single malt scotch whisky and their impressive calendar of regular ‘Raasay Tunes’ music events. Since the opening of their impressive visitors’ centre in January 2018, Raasay Distillery have hosted a wide range of artists, from local favourites to international stars.
On the 28th September, ‘Raasay Tunes’ welcomes two of Scotland’s most popular Highland multi-instrumentalists, Mairearad Green on accordion, bagpipes and vocals and Anna Massie on guitar, banjo, fiddle and vocals. Having performed for over ten years as a duo, the pair are famous for their combination of highly energetic performance and warm, funny stage presence. Tickets here.
On the 1st November, Raasay Distillery looks forward to a night of music and entertainment from The Donald Black Band. A native of Benderloch, Argyll, Donald’s roots are firmly steeped in the West of Scotland Highland Bagpipe and Gaelic tradition, but his repertoire extends well beyond to embrace the idioms of Ireland, Shetland Isles, Nova Scotia and mainland Scotland. He is totally self-taught and embraces his own unique style, which has taken him across the world from Moscow to Kansas City, Chicago to Stornoway. Tickets here.
On the 15th November, by popular island demand, Willie Campbell brings his song-filled solo performance back to Raasay. An energy-filled night of beautifully crafted songs from his cross-genre repertoire ranging across Country and Western, Pop and Hebridean Americana to Trad Gaelic awaits visitors to the distillery, and his irresistible hook-filled melodies, ringing guitar sound and catchy choruses are guaranteed to flush out the reluctant Raasay crooners in the audience. Tickets here.
Each event will cost £12 and will take place in the distillery Gathering Room from 8 pm until late (doors open at 6.30pm).
Fifty years ago Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong took “One giant leap for mankind” when he set foot on the Moon – one of the most historic, scientific and culturally significant events of the 20 Century.
To mark this occasion, TheWhiskyBarrel.com has bottled a single American oak first fill Pedro Ximenez sherry cask distilled in 2009 at the Deanston Highland distillery. Yielding 276 numbered bottles at cask strength 61.6%.
In the interest of fairness One Giant Leap Deanston 10 Year Old is limited to one bottle per customer (but you don’t have to be an astronaut to buy it!)
Shop – One Giant Leap – $127.85
We’ve just added some cracking whiskies to the site including a spectactular Bowmore 17 Year Old and the brilliant Benromach Cask Strength 2008 Batch 1. Take a look at the best of our new releases below.
First Editions
Bunnahabhain 2007
£70.00 Buy Now
First Editions
Tullibardine 2008
Benromach
Cask Strength 2008 Batch 1
Loch Lomond
2002 Christie Kerr
Old Malt Cask
Bowmore 17 Year Old
Tyerconnell 16 Year Old
Oloroso & Moscatel Cask Finish
Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 267: Kilchoman 7 Year Old 2011 Madeira Finish for Belgium
Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries an Kilchoman Twin Cask Release! Prima Vinum – a Belgian whisky shop – was looking for a single cask release of Kilchoman. But the owner was faced with a dilemma, for the two samples he received were both very much to his liking. He could not choose and in a flurry of bewilderment decided to mix both samples. Eureka! The vatting of both casks yielded his favourite expression and the Twin Cask Release was born.
THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE AND RAREST JAPANESE WHISKY COLLECTION
HANYU ICHIRO’S FULL CARD SERIES
RETURNS TO BONHAMS HONG KONG FINE & RARE WINE AND WHISKY SALE ON 16 AUGUST 2019
Preview: 13 – 16 August, 2019
Bonhams Hong Kong Gallery
20F, One Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Hong Kong – Bonhams, the international auction house, presents a rare opportunity to avid whisky aficionados to acquire the most coveted and rarest collection of Japanese Whisky with the sale of the Hanyu Ichiro’s Full Card Series in its forthcoming Fine & Rare Wine and Whisky auction on 16 August 2019 in Hong Kong.
Carrying an estimate of HK$4,500,000 – 6,000,000, the celebrated collection comprises 54 bottles representing each of the playing card in a full pack. Each ‘card’ was bottled from a single cask of premium whisky ranging in production years from 1985 to 2014 from the acclaimed closed distillery of Hanyu.
In 2015, Bonhams was the first auction house to sell the Full Card series, which set the world record for the most expensive Japanese whisky collection at HK$3,797,500 – a record that Bonhams still holds to date and anticipates to surpass with the current lot.
Daniel Lam, Bonhams’ Director of Wine & Spirits, Asia, comments, “Four years since the Hanyu Ichiro’s Full Card Series set the world auction record at Bonhams, the current market demand is at its strongest for Japanese Whisky. It is believed that no more than four sets of Full Card Series exist in the world. Over the years, moreover, many bottles have either been consumed or strictly kept in private, making it harder than ever to assemble a complete – and with such trusted provenance – series.”
Founded in 1941 by Isouji Akuto, a 19th generation descendant of a long line of sake brewers to produce Scotch-style malt whisky, the Hanyu distillery ceased production in 2000. But not before Ichiro Akuto, grandson of Isouji, stepped in to secure the 400 premium whisky casks left from the distillery. An avid whisky lover like his grandfather, Ichiro personally selected the prized amber liquid to be bottled for each ‘card’ released between 2005 and 2014, ensuring that the Hanyu legend lives on.
OTHER SALE HIGHLIGHTS – JAPANESE WHISKY
Chichibu Single Malt Whisky
In the spirit of his family legacy, Ichiro Akuto established Venture Whisky Co. in Chichibu City in 2004, and three years later opened the Chichibu Distillery. Since then the Chichibu Distillery has been producing award winning Single Malt Whisky and drawing significant interest on a global scale.
In Bonhams May 2019 sale, a total of 18 lots of Chichibu Single Malt whiskies were 100% sold with over half exceeding high estimates, reflecting a strong market appetite. For this forthcoming sale, Bonhams responds to this demand with an offering of over 30 individual bottles, including:
Speyside Region Malt-Galaxy Express 999-18 year old-#1027 (1)
2 bottles
Estimate: HK$23,000–28,000
1 bottle
Estimate: HK$10,000–14,000
OTHER SALE HIGHLIGHTS – SCOTCH WHISKY
Highland Park 50 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Estimate: HK$ 200,000 – 260,000
Directly from the Highland Park Distillery, the 50 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is the distillery’s oldest and most prestigious release for nearly a decade. With a very limited release of only 274 bottles, each one is individually numbered and hand-signed by Whisky Maker Max McFarlane.
As part of the total package under the auction offer, this lot also includes an immersion trip to the very heart of Highland Park Distillery. The tour accommodates 2 guests who will be looked after on the ground by dedicated Highland Park colleagues on a 3-day visit program. Refer to the department for further details.
Macallan Lalique Genesis 72 Year Old Decanter
Estimate: HK$ 800,000 – 120,000
The oldest aged statement of Macallan whisky to have been ever released in the market.
OTHER SALE HIGHLIGHTS – WINE
From an esteemed private collector, we are presenting a total of 47 lots of wine with a total estimate starting at HK$1.25 million. Highlights include:
| Fine and Rare Whisky and Wine Sale |
| Bonhams Hong Kong Gallery, 20F, One Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Hong Kong |
| Preview: 13 – 16 August 2019 |
| Auction: Friday 16 August 2019, at 3pm |
| Specialist: Daniel Lam, Bonhams’ Director of Wine & Spirits, Asia |
About Bonhams
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and antiques, motor cars and jewellery. The main salerooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, with auctions also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, Paris, San Francisco and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com.
Follow Bonhams on
Twitter: @bonhams1793
Facebook: bonhams1793
Instagram: @bonhams1793
WeChat: 邦瀚斯Bonhams
Exceptional Casks at Remarkable Prices
Last week, we offered five of the rarest most expensive casks you’ll see from K&L this year. We’ve decided to start offering single malt on pre-arrival again, because it offers our best customers an opportunity to take advantage of lower prices while letting them secure the products they know they’ll want later this year. We started selling single malt in advance of its arrival nearly a decade ago, but back then no one knew that we were building the country’s premier single cask whisky program. Now the true connoisseurs agree that K&L is the ONLY place to consider when buying independently selected single malt scotch. We’ve built that reputation on years of selecting exceptional casks and offering them to customers at incredible prices, and there’s absolutely no better way to buy these incredible malts than before they’ve left Scotland. Not only are you getting a better price than you’ll be offered come fall, you’re also making sure you don’t miss out on some of the most incredible casks of the year. Today’s offer is all about value. It’s a bevy of high-quality, Speyside blue-chip malts all WELL below market prices. If you compare these casks to great offerings from years before, you’ll notice a trend that’s almost unheard of in Scotland – PRICES ARE LOWER! At no time in our history of selling single malts have we managed to negotiate such advantageous terms as those we’ve acquired here—you are the beneficiary of that work. Take advantage now or pay MORE in the fall.
Mortlach 9 Year Old “Old Malt Cask” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) ($49.99)These products are expected to arrive for shipment or pickup by September 2019.
Nobody ever believes us when we find delicious young Mortlach. Everyone wishes it was heavily sherried and 30 years old, but they can’t all be beasts. This special whisky is no less impressive than one of its older siblings just for different reasons. The wonderful distillery on edge of Dufftown is one of the few that we haven’t yet been allowed to visit. Their recent release of some proper single malt in a relatively affordable price point is one of the most successful new offerings from Diageo and a complete reversal from the dismal attempt they made to over-premiumize the distillery a few years ago. That said, there’s no one who questions the inherent quality of the top notch spirit coming out of Mortlach. We’re always looking to offer something from them, young or old, because we know that no matter who picks it up, there’s a great chance they’ll enjoy it. The beefy, almost savory style isn’t simply the result the distillery’s predilection for Sherry barrels, but the result of an unusual distillation schema equating to 2.81 distillations. We usually expect more distillation to offer a softer smooth product, but in this case the odd mixture of distilled heads and tails blended offers something far from expected. Never a slouch even if not coupled with the Sherry it loves so well, this gorgeous cask offers you the true nature of this wild distillate on full display. A relatively active hoggie does little to tame the beast within. Bottled at 57.8%, add a bit of water.
I’ve never really understood Longmorn. It’s an absolutely top notch distillery, well-regarded by critics and consumers alike, that seems to have absolutely no presence on the whisky stage at all. Sure the owners put out a passable 16-year offering that could cost you more than $140 a bottle, but they don’t seem to make much of an attempt to sell it to anyone. Understand, that every drop diverted to the single malt program is another drop not going into the Chivas blends, which are of course far more lucrative from a profit standpoint, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt either brand to put a little more effort into reestablishing this malt as one of the top names in Scotland. Most of what anyone knows about Longmorn is known through independent bottlers, in particular Gordon & Macphail. In fact, we don’t see tons of this stuff on the market, but when we do we always stop to check it out. Due to the scarcity they tend to be rather expensive even in their youth, but this little cask has pushed back against that bias. And while Longmorn certainly has a propensity to be absolutely stunning at 25+ years of age, I’ve become completely enamored with this youthful style. At 14 years old in a relatively mild refill hoggie, the Longmorn’s true character comes out. Malty, sweet, clean, almost singing. This one is all about freshness and finesse, with the oak stuffed in the boot and the malt with both hands on the wheel. Don’t be shy about adding water here, as this one loves to swim.
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 16, 2019
Utterly approachable and sublimely sippable is what you’ll find in this special Longmorn. The slightly shy debut here is just a ploy. The nose starts with subtle white and yellow fruits, flinty chenin blanc from Saumur, wet stones, and tea biscuits. On the palate, it’s like cotton candy sweet with a slight herbal tinge to keep it exciting. But one tiny splash of water and we’re in a whole different territory. Poire Williams eau-de-vie, premier cru chablis, persimmon, and yuzu peel. The sweetness has turned to pure weight on the palate. Almost chewy in texture, the pear continues but brings along honeysuckle, pepper, and licorice root. A tempting, teasing, subtle malt, that ultimately unveils itself to be a true beauty with some coaxing and kind words. Should be one of the best buys of the year.
We can wax poetic about the magnificence of the unsung distillery hidden off the road in between Craigellachie and Keith. But this bottling is simply a value proposition. There’s absolutely nothing on the market this old, this good and this cheap. Auchroisk is not a really well-known distillery, but our customers have been treated to some rather lovely versions over the years. In fact, we just recently bottled a 21-year-old that we thought to be pretty dainty, but the fact that this one is three years its senior and similarly priced made it a must-buy. Auchroisk is one of these ’70s workhorse distilleries built in an era when Scotch seemed unstoppable. Justerini & Brooks used this facility as vatting facility to consolidate malts from the Highlands before sending them south for final blending. The young distillery is quite attractive visually despite being designed for modern efficiency. But the name has been a sore spot for the owners, who can’t seem to make up their minds. They’re worried the non-Scots won’t be able to pronounce it and they’re right. Everyone gets it wrong. But that doesn’t make this whisky any less tasty. A phenomenal value is only worth it if the product delivers, and this fabulous cask definitely does. Vibrant, sleek, almost sexy, this malt punches way above its weight class. The only question now is how many you can fit in the bunker?
Smashing summer
We’ve been inspiring you with summer serves throughout July, and now we’re adding six more fresh summer casks for you to choose from. Offering a wealth of flavours across five different profiles, plus a rum that will transport your mind to the beaches of Trinidad, they’re the perfect selection to help you continue to serve up summer.
Please join the Society to purchase their bottlings!
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
SKU #1413452
Distiller’s notes: “A masterful union of three well-bred bourbons. One, a 13-year mahogany bourbon, un-apologetically peppery with shavings of dark chocolate. Two, an 11-year silky, wheated bourbon rich with vanilla and honey. And three, an 8-year find, finished in Caribbean rum barrels to impart orange, brown sugar and warm island spice. Every sip, an uncharted, sensory adventure. Blood Oath Pact 5 adds additional flavors with the Carribean Rum Cask Finish.”
