Strathclyde 50 Year Old 1969

The first TWB exclusive for 2020 starts with a bang! A grand old single grain whisky from Glasgow’s Strathclyde distillery. This single barrel was distilled in September 1969 – in the same month The Beatles released their last album ‘Abbey Road’ and John Lennon departed, the first ATM in the USA appeared and Scooby-Doo arrived on the scene! Just 150 numbered bottles.

Shop – Strathclyde 50 Year Old 1969 – £399.95

I haven’t been able to try this whisky for a long time, thankfully it’s now available and I can lay my bearded hands on it! Matured in bourbon and sherry casks for most of its life and then finished in the finest of port casks, Bushmilld 16YO has this wonderfully coca-cola, syrupy, cherry notes strewn throughout. A truly delightful whisky to drink. Cheers!

https://youtu.be/4WGzptWZ_20

Buffalo Trace Distillery Announces

Blanton’s Gold will be Available in the U.S. 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Feb 27, 2020) Fans of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon have long asked for the Gold Edition to be available in the United States. This summer those bourbon lovers will get their wish. Available as a limited release in 2020, Blanton’s Gold will be released once every year in the U.S.

This is the first time the Blanton’s Gold Edition has been made available in the U.S. Previously the only version of the Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon available to fans stateside was the Original Single Barrel, bottled at 93 proof. While Blanton’s Original will still be available, the Gold Edition is now joining the ranks.

“We’ve seen Blanton’s soar in popularity over the last few years, and fans have asked us for the Gold version in the U.S. too,” said Kris Comstock, senior marketing director. “We’re thrilled to fulfill their requests this summer.”

The 103 proof Blanton’s Gold Edition is the same recipe as Blanton’s Original, but the proof is greater.  The bottle showcases a horse and jockey atop its stopper, in various poses to mimic running a horse race. The eight different horse and jockey stoppers feature a letter that collectors save to spell out the brand name “B-L-A-N-T-O-N-S.”  The horse and jockey on the Gold Edition is gold in color.

Tasting notes for Blanton’s Gold describe it as having a nose marked by honey, heavy rye, dried fruits, vanilla, and chocolate. The taste is described as full and rich, marked by apricot, butter, pepper, light honey, and oak. The finish has been called long, with toffee and apple, developing on pecan and caramel.

Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon is the world’s first single barrel bourbon, created in 1984 by Elmer T. Lee. Named after former distillery president Colonel Albert B. Blanton, Elmer recalled how Colonel Blanton would handpick “honey barrels” from the center cut of Warehouse H for the many parties Blanton held.  Many years later, the Distillery called upon Elmer to create a new bourbon in 1984 and Blanton’s was born – the world’s first single barrel bourbon.

Today, Blanton’s Single Barrel has become one of the most revered and award-winning bourbons on the market.  The Blanton’s Gold Edition was the second version created, after the Original 93 proof.  Gold will be available in the U.S. on a very limited basis for a suggested retail price of $120.  For more information on Blanton’s Gold Edition visit www.blantonsbourbon.com.

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

STOCK PHOTO

SOUGHT-AFTER JAPANESE AND SCOTCH WHISKIES

LEAD SOTHEBY’S SALES ON 18 MARCH 2020 

*Featuring the oldest Macallan and Karuizawa ever bottled*

 Finest & Rarest Spirits

Highlighted by:

Karuizawa 52 Year Old Cask #5627 Zodiac Rat 1960

*Coinciding with the Year of the Rat in the Chinese Zodiac Calendar*

Four Private Collection Decanters Numbered “1” Directly from Gordon & MacPhail

Complete Collection of The Macallan Six Pillars and the Macallan 72 Year Old 

Finest & Rarest Spirits

87 Lots with a Pre-Sale Estimate of £842,420 – 1.6 Million

Sotheby’s Finest & Rarest Spirits features the oldest Macallan and Karuizawa ever bottled alongside landmarks of luxury in the world of whisky.

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Spirits Specialist, commented: “We are delighted to present such a strong selection of bottles consigned directly from producers as well as from private collections to begin our 2020 sales in London. Among the most exciting bottles in this sale are the Gordon & MacPhail Private Decanters, all of which are numbered 1 of their respective outturn. This is the first time that any number 1 decanter from G&M has been offered for sale rather than kept within the Urquhart Family archives. Offering these alongside such iconic bottles as Karuizawa 52 Year old from Cask #5627 and so many Macallan in Lalique decanters showcases the strength of current demand for the very best in the world of whisky.”

Finest & Rarest Spirits features the highly sought after Karuizawa 52 Year Old Cask #5627 Zodiac Rat 1960, the most coveted bottle from this closed Japanese distillery that is fortuitously offered this year, the Year of the Rat. In 2018, a bottle of this Japanese single malt broke the record for the most expensive bottle of Japanese whisky ever sold at auction, superseded several months later by a rare bottle of Yamazaki 50 Year Old 1^st Edition.

Among the most notable bottlings in this auction is an impeccable array of old Gordon & MacPhail releases from previous decades with vintages stretching back to the 1930s, which culminate in a collection of four highly aged and very limited Crystal Decanters from the G&M Private Collection. These decanters have been consigned to Sotheby’s directly from the Urquhart family and each is number 1 out its respective outturn. This is the first time that any decanter numbered “#1” has been released for sale from Gordon & MacPhail rather than being kept in the Urquhart family’s own collection.

A truly impeccable lineup of aged Macallan Whiskies ranges from an independently bottled 48 Year Old through an unbroken vertical of The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection – six crystal decanters ranging from 50 to 65 years old, rarely seen in an unbroken vertical – to the inimitable 72 Year Old Genesis Decanter, the oldest whisky to be released from this exemplary distillery.

An Extremely Rare Aged Bourbon at a Jaw-Dropping Price
Doc Swinson’s 15 Year Old “Rare Release” Exploratory Cask Series Nonchillfiltered Small Batch Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 

Our spirits team really outdid themselves with this rare, one-of-a-kind opportunity. They’ve secured a parcel of a limited release Kentucky bourbon at a shockingly affordable price. As anyone who’s been watching the whiskey market will already know, aged bourbons from Kentucky have become some of the most desirable bottles around. The result is a demand that far outstrips supply, forcing pricing into the stratosphere with many of the top bottlings selling well above the $200 mark. We simply couldn’t believe our good fortune we when tasted this powerhouse and then learned we could offer it for a very affordable $149.99. This is handily one of the best opportunities in aged bourbon we’ve ever encountered. Remarkably the price is only part of the story, as the Doc Swinson’s 15 Year is outlandishly delicious and is one of the best examples we’ve encountered in some time. While we did secure a sizable allocation, there’s not a lot to go around and based on the price, we expect our stock to sell out in a flash. Bourbon collectors will want to run, not walk, to secure this awesome value.

Doc Swinson’s 15 Year Old “Rare Release” Exploratory Cask Series Nonchillfiltered Small Batch Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) ($149.99) —This product is expected to arrive for shipment or pickup by April 2020.

Opportunities like this one are about as rare as hen’s teeth in the whisky world. Even more unusual about this incredible offering is the climate we’re in today. Bourbon is absolutely on fire. Anyone with any interest in alcohol is aware that old bourbon is next to impossible to get. Even if you get access to whisky over 12 years old, it’s likely valued by the seller at several multiples above the retail price. Most of the time those old whiskies aren’t even from Kentucky. When they are actually distilled in Kentucky, their value goes even higher. So to be able to offer our customers a significant quantity of old Kentucky bourbon at a reasonable price is an absolute privilege. Add the fact that it’s cask strength, real small batch and sold exclusively at K&L in California and you’ve got a recipe for an absolute legend. The parcel is less than 20 barrels, mingled together before leaving KY to protect the identity of the manufacturer. The mashbill gives us a few clues to the source: 78-79% corn with near equal parts of rye and barley. Similar recipes are produced everywhere from Beam to Heaven Hill or Buffalo Trace. Why would anyone sell off such excellent barrels? Likely they couldn’t market such a small parcel and didn’t want the stocks to bolster a local competitor. Lucky for us it left KY to be bottled in Washington state for this upstart brand and out of nowhere we get the most exciting new bourbon of 2020. Great old Kentucky Bourbon at retro prices.

Shelby Griffiths | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 22, 2020

In two words: completely shocked. I have never experienced a bourbon quite like this before. On the nose I found red apple skins, eucalyptus, vanilla, mint, and pandan leaf playing a harmonic game of tug of war between the cool and warm aromas filling the glass. The palate is electrifyingly energetic, leaving a warming tingle with a rush of cinnamon, pink peppercorns, and touches of banana. It’s incredibly rare to come across a bourbon like this, and with 15 years of age on it, it would be a sin to not take home a bottle at this incredible value.

Bruichladdich 12 Year Old 2007

The latest UK single cask matured in Virgin Oak.
Cask #3668 limited to just 300 bottles at 61.0%
What a colour! While stocks last….

Buy – Bruichladdich 12 Year Old 2007 Single Cask – £114.82

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 299: Clynelish 10 Year Old 2009 Highland Whisky Festival 2019

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tastes another celebratory Clynelish. For the very first time in history you could score a hand-filled bottle at Clynelish during the Highland Whisky Festival 2019. That had everything to do with the fact that the distillery celebrates its 200^th Anniversary. The original Clynelish was founded in 1819. Hence it sold out pretty quickly too, but a friend of Mark’s was there and thus able to get him a bottle. ‘Hurray! I love this whisky community’, says Mark.

https://youtu.be/VGpjie2LHh4

THE WHISKY SALE: A PRIVATE COLLECTION 

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

**CATALOGUE NOW ONLINE**

https://bid.tennants.co.uk/m/view-auctions/catalog/id/824 

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).

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 handle such a fine collection of whisky put together with much dedication by a true connoisseur. Not only are there examples 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.”

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, 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.

NB: All estimates are subject to 20% buyer’s premium plus VAT. 

SALE:               The Whisky Sale: A Private Collection

Auction:           Friday 20^th March

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

                        Monday 16^th March 10am-5pm

                        Tuesday 17^th March 10am-5pm

                        Wednesday 18^th March 10am-5pm

                        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 01969 623780

ABOUT TENNANTS 

• 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.

GLENGOYNE HIGHLAND SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY UNVEILS “DUNCAN’S DRAM”

LIMITED-EDITION SINGLE CASK WHISKY TO BE RELEASED, HAND-SELECTED BY ASSISTANT DISTILLERY MANAGER, DUNCAN MCNICOLL, AFTER 43 YEARS AT GLENGOYNE DISTILLERY Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky today (27th February) revealed Duncan’s Dram, a limited-edition 17 Year Old Single Cask bottled in honour of Assistant Distillery Manager Duncan McNicoll, who retired in January 2020 after working at the distillery for 43 years.

To mark his many years of service, Glengoyne asked Duncan to hand-select one cask from the warehouses to be bottled under his own name. He picked cask number 561, a 17 Year Old single cask which was distilled on 24th April 2002. Only 520 numbered bottles have been produced, and Duncan has rightly been gifted bottle number one.  The remaining bottles are now available to buy from the Glengoyne Distillery shop as well as from the Glengoyne website (glengoyne.com).

Duncan began his career as a mashman at the Glengoyne Distillery in 1977, aged 20. He then worked as a stillman and latterly as Assistant Distillery Manager. He lives next door to the distillery, where his children were born and grew up.

The limited-edition single cask bottling was matured in an American Oak sherry butt, imparting a warm toffee colour with aromas of red apples, rosehip syrup, vanilla fudge, and candied lemons on the nose. It has rich, spicy oak on the palate, with flavours of dark brown sugar and lemon marmalade, and a long finish with a burst of fresh pineapple.

Robbie Hughes, Group Distillation Manager at Ian Macleod Distillers, said: “Duncan has been a beloved member of the Glengoyne family for over 40 years, so we felt there was no better way to honour his legacy than to release a whisky in his name, bottled from his favourite cask, hand-selected by Duncan himself.

“Duncan has gone from mashman, to stillman, to assistant distillery manager over 43 years, and has spent his final years passing on his tremendous knowledge to fellow members of the team, ensuring the same unhurried production methods of Glengoyne carry on for generations to come. Thank you again, Duncan.”

Duncan McNicoll, retired Assistant Distillery Manager, said: “While sad to be leaving the Glengoyne team, I have loved every minute of working here. It’s been such a massive part of my life, as well as my family’s. To be asked to personally select a cask for release is a true honour.

“Every single cask of whisky has its own character and flavour and no two are exactly the same, meaning this single cask release is entirely unique. With so many stunning drams to choose from it wasn’t easy picking a favourite, but I’m sure this one is a winner.”

 This Glengoyne 17 Year Old Single Cask release is available from the Glengoyne Distillery shop and from the Glengoyne website (glengoyne.com), and is priced at £189 per bottle.

Notes

o          Cask number 561

o          Distilled on 24th April 2002 (17yo) and bottled January 2020

o          Cask type is an American Oak sherry butt

o          57.3% ABV which is Cask Strength, and un-chillfiltered

o          The release comes with a neck tag telling the story of its bottling, along with a Glengoyne black canvas bag

o          520 bottles were bottled from the cask, and are available, priced at £189 per bottle from the Glengoyne Distillery shop and on https://shop.glengoyne.com/

MsRWQ@tWSD@SoS

Maltstock relaxed Whisky Quiz at The Whisky Shop Dufftown during Spirit of Speyside

Dear Maltstockees!

We love the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival! And of course we’ll be attending again this year. There are so many amazing events to choose from. But for the very first time it now also includes a very relaxed event:

That’s right, a relaxed whisky quiz, hosted by us!
Hope to see a lot of you there!

Tickets available NOW!

Get your tickets here!!

Annette, Bob, Klaas, Stan and Teun

The Whisky Shop Dufftown features many great events during the Spirit of Speyside festival. Click here of on their logo to see all events!