Fisherman’s Retreat Edition 6

Bruichladdich – Rivesaltes cask

12 year old
Distilled 23rd May 2007
Bottled September 2019
Bottles 249
ABV 50.4%
500ml
Price £90

“At 50.4% the addition of a little spring water allows the spirit to reveal some beautiful aromas. Initially, you are welcomed by the fruitiness of pomegranate & plump ripe grapes with floral hints of honeysuckle & gorse in bloom, followed by an updraft of heather and moorland flowers with coastal drift of Atlantic breezes”. Jim McEwan.

WEMYSS MALTS KICK OF THEIR 15^TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR WITH ‘BLACK GOLD’; A 30 YEAR OLD SINGLE SHERRY CASK BOWMORE.

The third exclusive release for the Wemyss Malts Cask Club; Black Gold is an exceptional single cask single malt from Bowmore distillery. Black Gold is single sherry hogshead cask of 1989 Bowmore that has matured for 30 years and bottled at a cask strength of exactly 50.0%ABV.

Bowmore is the oldest distillery on Islay and one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, tracing its distillation roots back to 1779. In keeping with its over 200 year heritage and tradition it is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries that still malts and kilns its own barley with local Islay peat.

The whisky has been noted for its deep, polished rosewood colour and a complex combination of flavours such as dried dark fruits, treacle toffee and earthy kiln smoke.

Black Gold follows on from the first and second releases (Smoky Nectar and Antique Armchair) of single cask Islay malts offered exclusively to the Wemyss Malts Cask Club members. The Cask club offers exclusive bottlings of the most exciting and interesting bottling’s and early access to new releases from Wemyss Malts.

“Black Gold is a strikingly distinctive single cask, single malt whisky and a great release to start the 2020 celebration of the 15th Anniversary of the founding of Wemyss Malts. I hope Cask Club members will enjoy, savour and share among friends the remaining 172 bottles as I purchased the first one for myself and have already enjoyed a few drams of it.”

-WILLIAM WEMYSS, DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF WEMYSS MALTS

Black Gold will be released exclusively to Wemyss Malts Cask Club members via www.wemyssmalts.com/cask-club at 12pm on Thursday the 23rd of January and is priced at £599 for the 700ml bottle and gift box. Membership to the Cask Club is free to join and can be signed up to from the same website.

Cask Club members will require there login password: Join the Cask Club for the password!

The Whisky Exchange Great Portland Street
Wednesday 12 February
7:00pm-8:30pm
£40
Limited spaces. Tickets on sale now. 

Book now

In Taiwan’s north-eastern Yilan county, both location and climate are integral to a distillery which has won some of the most prestigious whisky awards on earth. Kavalan makes its whiskies with water that flows down directly from the Xueshan, the second-highest peak in Taiwan, and uses un-peated malted barley from Scotland. The resulting spirit is then aged in an atmosphere which is helped along by the warm winds blowing in off the Pacific Ocean.

Prized by both fans and critics worldwide for its aromatic and floral character, Kavalan uses a variety of casks to mature its distillate, including those previously used to hold sherry, bourbon, wine, port and brandy.

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to taste these marvellous whiskies, and to celebrate our most-recent Kavalan single cask, which is aged in an ex-rum cask and exclusive to The Whisky Exchange.

The Line-Up
Kavalan Podium
Kavalan King Car
Kavalan Sherry Oak
Kavalan Solist Port Cask
Kavalan Solist Amontillado Cask
Kavalan Rum Cask TWE Exclusive

ABOUT THE HOST

Nathan is an award winning bartender-turned-whisky ambassador, and has spent the last 13 years working in the hospitality industry including renowned cocktail bars Callooh Callay and Swift. Nathan works on the whisk(e)y portfolio for Speciality Brands training bartenders, creating cocktails and waxing lyrical about the whisky category across the country.

The Whisky Exchange Great Portland Street
Wednesday 12 February
7:00pm-8:30pm
£40
Limited spaces. Tickets on sale now.

Book now

Buffalo Trace Distillery Releases

Latest Edition of Stagg Jr.

Release is 13th Since Series Started in 2013

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Jan. 16, 2020) Kicking off the new year with a bang, Buffalo Trace Distillery has released the latest iteration in its Stagg Jr. franchise, with a proof of 128.4.  The 13^th release since the series started, this latest offering follows suit for all previous Stagg Jr. releases in that it is uncut, unfiltered, eight years old, and with a taste profile similar to its elder statesman, George T. Stagg.

Tasting notes describe this barrel proof whiskey as having a nose with loads of dark cherries, followed by honey.  On the palate, there are flavors of cream caramel mocha followed by cherries, giving it a full-bodied mouthfeel.  The finish is described as a long finish of toasted oak, dark chocolate, and cinnamon.

Introduced in 2013, Stagg Jr. quickly became a favorite of whiskey reviewers, winning five double gold medals, 12 gold medals, and various other accolades, such as “tried and true,” and “great value,” from competitions such as San Francisco World Spirits Competition, New York World Spirits Competition, World Whiskies Awards, and others.

The Stagg line is named after George T. Stagg is one of the legendary craftsmen of Buffalo Trace Distillery, who was responsible for building the most dominant American distillery of the 19^th century on the banks of the Kentucky River, now known as Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Stagg Jr. is released twice a year. The 128.4 batch is being released to retailers now.  The next release, number 14, will be late spring/early summer.

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 35 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” and its William Larue Weller and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac were named 2^nd and 3^rd finest whiskeys in the world, respectively, in the “Jim Murray Whiskey Bible 2020.”  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 1,000 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.

OLD & RARE FRENCH OAK 18yo
Single Tawny Cask #HH0600

Our oldest ever release of Old & Rare French Oak Tawny Single Cask Single Malt Tasmanian Whisky is now ready for release exclusively to our mailing list members.

Cask number HH0600 was distilled on Valentines Day 2001 and decanted on the 24th of June last year for a maturation of 18 years and four months. This is one of only two remaining French Oak Tawny casks from the “HH” era, the rest having been released years ago. Bottled at 50.1% abv, this cask produced only 356 bottles, of which only 252 are being made available for online sale.

“This incredibly special whisky makes for a fantastic tasting journey from all perspectives, with an Odyssean length of palate to boot. But the real stand-out characteristic is the depth and complexity of that length. Far from being a one trick pony, this whisky is as powerful as a stallion, yet with all the grace of a ballet dancer.”
– Heather Tillott, Head Distiller

TASTING NOTES

NOSE: Gingerbread, grapefruit zest, cinnamon and honey. The oak is powerful but balanced, with an air of antique furniture along with cherry cola and black liquorice.

PALATE: Baked orchard fruits and menthol sit on a base of earthier tones like tobacco, leather, almond and white pepper. Herbal, spicy, floral and nutty all at once, with a beeswax texture that makes you salivate from the first sip.

FINISH: That texture carries notes of treacle, oolong tea and plum pudding for the long haul along with gentle waves of vanilla, candied orange dark chocolate and almonds to ease this mighty oak vessel on its long journey home.

Please Note: Purchase of this release is strictly limited to one bottle per person.

We have also made an update to our shipping system and rates: All domestic parcels will now be shipped via Australia Post Express, and charges will be based on actual shipping costs plus a small handling fee. This change has been made to improve shipping times and to decrease the incidents of lost and damaged packages. If you have any questions about this change, please don’t hesitate to email us!

Click the link below to purchase.

PURCHASE NOW

Saturday, January 25th, 3PM-5PM:

 Scotch Tasting: Laphroaig 

Joins us for a celebration of all things great and peaty at this expert presented in-store tasting, featuring legendary Islay distillery Laphroaig! From 3-5PM, we’ll have new and rare single malt scotches from Laphroaig for all to try, with whisky experts and distillery ambassadors present for all your scotch questions.

Click Here to RSVP

(or email us at info@whiskyshopusa.com)

For a limited time only, get 10% off.

It’s 2020, it’s Rabbie Burn’s Birthday and we’re feeling generous, so we’re offering 10% off Smokehead Original and Smokehead High Voltage in our online store. It won’t be forever though, offer ends 31st January.

(As always – see website for full terms.)

SHOP NOW

ralfy.com discovers Glenturret 10yo again !

https://youtu.be/UCrNAK6a6fo

THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY HOST HAGGIS HUNT IN CELEBRATION OF NEW GLASGOW VENUE 

The Society will place 18 mini haggises around the city centre to mark Burns Night on Saturday 25^th January, in celebration of their new Members’ Room opening on Bath Street in March 2020 

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) are hosting a Glasgow-based haggis hunt on 25^th January (Burns Night) giving the lucky folk who discover the haggises a chance to win annual membership to the Society, SMWS bottles or tasting glasses.

To redeem the prizes, the hunters must take their stuffed haggis into The Good Spirits Co. on 23 Bath Street, Glasgow where they can redeem their coveted SMWS whisky prizes*.

The 18 haggises will be placed on and around Bath Street, where the new SMWS Members Room will open in March, as well as iconic Glasgow landmarks – George Square, Kelvingrove, Glasgow Cathedral, Barrowlands.

SMWS HAGGIS HUNT PRIZES AVAILABLE 

• 1 x Annual Membership to SMWS including Tasting box
• 3 x Annual Memberships to SMWS
• 2 x 70cl SMWS bottle
• 6 x 10cl SMWS bottle
• 6 x set of SMWS Tasting glass

The new venue will open in early March 2020, bringing the Society’s colourful whisky experiences to Glasgow for the first time in a Members’ Room, which follows on from already established SMWS locations in Edinburgh, including their home at The Vaults in Leith.

The Bath Street beautifully renovated location is in the heart of the city, just a few minutes’ walk from Glasgow Queen Street Station, and will be open every week from Tuesday until Sunday exclusively for SMWS members and their guests.

Venue Manager at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Glasgow Members’ Room, Calum Lawson said: “So many of our members are based in and around the wonderful city of Glasgow, so opening a Members’ Room here was the natural move.

“Our haggis hunt is a great way for members and non-members alike to come together and experience the fun of the Society. Who knows, we could have some brand-new members by the end of the weekend.“

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was founded in 1983 through a spirit of friendship – a small group of people who used the discovery of single cask whisky as a reason to get together and enjoy each other’s company. The SMWS now has more than 26,000 members across the world. 

*The prizes are available at The Good Spirits Co, 23 Bath Street until 31^st January 2020. 

Participants must be aged 18 or over to claim a prize. Proof of age will be required on collection of prizes. 

The prize won is randomly selected and cannot be exchanged or transferred. 

The prize cannot be exchanged for cash. 

https://www.smws.com/

f: https://www.facebook.com/thesmwsuk

i: https://www.instagram.com/smws_uk/

t: https://twitter.com/SMWSUK

yt: https://www.youtube.com/user/SMWSsilverscreen/videos

#SMWS 

Notes:

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society 

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 26,000 members and branches around the world
• The SMWS bottles rare single cask, single malt whisky, and a range of other spirits
• The Society bottles single malts, unique single casks and exclusive blends
• The Society has bottled whisky from more than 138 distilleries from Scotland and beyond
• The Society offers a new batch of around 20 single cask, single malt whiskies every month
• The Society offers a variety of membership packages which can be tailored. Please see https://bit.ly/2uqKanT
• For more information about the Society, visit https://bit.ly/2HHiNyC
• Twitter: @SMWSUK Facebook: @thesmwsuk Instagram: @smws_uk

Burns Night with Jim and Dennis

Glen Grant for Burns Night with Jim Murray and Dennis Malcolm

What did you do for Burns Night 2019? Did you spend it in the UK’s tallest building, sipping award-winning drams with arguably the world’s best-known and longest-standing whisky writer, and the master distiller in charge of crafting Scotland’s finest single malt? I did. Yep. Not sure how I’ll top that this year. In the meantime, let’s find out why Glen Grant 18 Year Old could be perfect not just for Burns Night but, to hear Jim Murray tell it, near-on perfect in general.

Glen Grant 18 Year Old – Whisky Bible 97 Points

Two of Whisky Bible‘s most sought-after titles – Scotch Whisky of the Year and Single Malt of the Year (Multiple Casks) – were unified in one single malt whisky in 2019: Glen Grant 18 Year Old. Of which, Jim Murray said the following:

“This is so in tune and well balanced it is impossible to nail what leads and which follows. Instead, one is left mesmerised…” – and that’s just on the nose.

So what sets it apart from the competition? Well, for one thing, consistency.

Dennis Malcolm, Master Distiller at Glen Grant distillery:
I would never put Glen Grant’s reputation on the line with a single cask. They’re a snapshot, whereas I want to make a consistent product. As a result, I don’t nose like Jim does. I don’t have that kind of nose; I’m not looking for that kind of nuance. I know Glen Grant’s profile: fruit, nuts, spice. That’s what I’m looking for.

Jim Murray:
The first fifteen years of drinking whisky, it’s all discovery. It’s like having sex for the first time. It’s amazing. Now it’s like, ‘ah, have I got to do that again?’.

The first thing I do when I taste whisky is look for faults. I probe it for failure. Then I do it again, and again. With the Glen Grant 18, there are none. There’s a purity to it. It’s very elegant. It’s got a lot to do with the wood, I think.

Glen Grant 18 Year Old

Dennis:
When I started at the distillery as an apprentice cooper, I learned a lot about wood. That if you put good spirit in an exceptional cask, you might enhance it. If you put really amazing spirit in a not-so-good cask, you’ll ruin it.

Glen Grant is a vulnerable whisky, because it’s all American oak, primarily ex-bourbon, and primarily second-fill. There’s no sherry in it, and that means there’s nothing to hide behind.

Jim:
Yeah, it’s naked whisky.

I look for the best whisky in the world, and this one is always in the running.

Glen Grant on Burns Night

Jim clearly likes a drop of Glen Grant, then. But would he drink it with his Burns Night supper?

Jim:
Never, ever drink whisky with food. Why on earth would you f**k up a whisky like that by drinking it with food? Drink it before or afterwards, after a black coffee, but never during. That’s what beer and wine are for. The spices in a haggis will destroy a whisky like [Glen Grant 18].

Haggis – anathema to nuance

Well then, that about sees us out, doesn’t it? If you want to ignore Jim and treat yourself to what he believes to be the finest Scotch single malt whisky on the planet, pick up a bottle here. Or if you’d rather follow his advice and pick up an alternative, Billy has waxed lyrical on multiple occasions on the relative suitability of wine, beer, sherry, whisky, gin and more. Our resident Master of Wine and head buyer at The Whisky Exchange, Dawn Davies, has also curated a list of 20-odd drams, any or all of which will see you happily through the evening. Slàinte!