This week would have marked the Society’s first trip to the Highland Whisky Festival. While we can’t physically be there, we’re still going wild for all things Highland. Check out how you can get into the festival spirit with us, with a celebratory bottling, an audio trip to a famous Highland distillery and our (already legendary) virtual pub sessions.

OUTTURN HUB                     SEE OUTTURN 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

Arran Bridgeton Burns Club
150th Anniversary
Private Cask #839
2009 Vintage · 9 Year Old · 70cl · 55.9% ABV

£74.95

This rare single cask release of Arran single malt was bottled exclusively for the Bridgeton Burns Club. With over 1000 members, the Bridgeton Burns Club is one of the largest in the world, dedicated to celebrating the life and works of the Scottish Bard.

This release of just 281 bottles was matured in a single Sherry cask for 9 years before being bottled at cask strength – 55.9% ABV – in November 2019. A bold and full bodied expression of Arran single malt with powerful flavours of prune, raisin, chocolate, nuts, and oak spice.

CHECK OUT OUR FULL RANGE OF ARRAN HERE

825th whisky review from ralfy.com

https://youtu.be/5-eIcWi9AE4

THE BALVENIE UNVEILS NEW EXPRESSION TO JOIN THE CELEBRATED STORIES COLLECTION 

• A new whisky from The Balvenie, The Edge of Burnhead Wood 19-Year-Old, will be released on 1^st May 2020 and joins The Balvenie Stories collection, first launched by the distillery in May 2019
• The latest whisky tells a tale of exploration and craft, culminating in the first ever expression of The Balvenie made entirely from ingredients grown on its Dufftown estate
• The Edge of Burnhead Wood is a delicately fruity and fragrant expression of The Balvenie, crafted with heather
• The Balvenie Stories collection celebrates human stories of endeavour and unexpected twists, as told by its craftsmen at the distillery in Dufftown, Scotland
• Drinkers can listen to the story behind the creation of The Edge of Burnhead Wood, as well as the three other expressions in the collection, via a specially recorded podcast series by the curators of the liquid at here

Today The Balvenie announces the release of The Edge of Burnhead Wood 19-Year-Old, the latest addition to the coveted Balvenie Stories range — a collection of single malt whiskies representing tales of character, endeavour and generational knowledge gathered at The Balvenie Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland. The expression brings the total number of bottles in the Stories range to four, joining The Sweet Toast of American Oak 12-Year-Old, A Week of Peat 14-Year-Old and A Day of Dark Barley 26-Year-Old. Each liquid brings to life a distinct narrative of the human touch, skill, and emotion behind every liquid produced by The Balvenie.

Inspired by the fragrant, heather-cloaked highlands which surround The Balvenie Distillery, The Edge of Burnhead Wood celebrates the pastoral tale of how The Balvenie craftsmen experimented with the distillery’s natural resources to find the perfect match between fresh heather and barley.  The expression, which is made from locally sourced ingredients found in the distillery grounds — home-grown barley malted at The Balvenie Maltings, water from the Convel hills, and fresh heather from Burnhead Wood — retains the familiar robust Balvenie taste, with a delicate fruitiness, as well as notes of light spice and juicy fruits. A balanced honeyed sweetness and spicy outburst with hints of cloves and caramelised baked dates develops to reveal an underlying oaky dryness, whilst a lingering oaky finish features notes of fragrant dried blossom.

Commenting on the release of The Edge of Burnhead Wood The Balvenie Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE says: “Stories are the lifeblood of The Balvenie Distillery and are deeply embedded in all the work that we do. The story behind The Edge of Burnhead Wood captures the majestic Speyside landscape and the inventive essence of The Balvenie’s loyal and determined craftspeople. In this way, The Edge of Burnhead Wood sums up the spirit of the work carried out at The Balvenie Distillery; The Balvenie remains true to the techniques and stories passed down by its craftsmen from generation to generation, while also looking forward by exploring new techniques, flavours and marriages to develop unique and original Balvenie expressions.”

Drinkers can hear the story of The Edge of Burnhead Wood via a specially recorded podcast series, featuring the craftsmen behind the expression, as well as The Balvenie Global Ambassador Gemma Paterson and Malt Master David C. Stewart. This podcast will be available at Burnheadwood.com and on Spotify, and can be accessed by scanning a QR code on the bottle with a Smartphone.

Storytelling is carried through every aspect of The Edge of Burnhead Wood with its tale depicted on the whisky’s packaging in a bespoke illustration from British artist and printmaker Andy Lovell. Andy’s work, which draws its inspiration direct from the distillery, can also been seen across the labels for the entire Balvenie Stories range. It uses bold, hand-made gestural marks to build up images that capture the evocative light and atmosphere of the distillery’s landscape. The texture and tactility of Andy’s work emphasises the importance of the human hand in the production of The Balvenie whiskies and the spontaneity and life that comes from The Balvenie’s artisanal ways of working.

The Edge of Burnhead Wood 19-Year-Old will launch globally on 1^st May 2020 and will be available in select whisky retailers, RRP £260.00

The entire Balvenie Stories collection is currently available in select whisky retailers, at the following prices; The Sweet Toast of American Oak 12-Year-Old (RRP £45.00), The Week of Peat 14-Year-Old (RRP £65.00) and A Day of Dark Barley 26-Year-Old (RRP £600.00).

NOTES:

Stockists

The Edge of Burnhead Wood is available at Whisky retail specialists and prestige on-trade outlets nationwide. Stockists include The Whisky Shop, The Whisky Exchange, Master of Malt, & Grapevines﷟ 

About audio content;

The recorded stories and guided whisky tasting content is available in podcast format, and hosted on the most popular podcast platforms, allowing for playback on home devices such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home.

About The Balvenie Stories;

The Edge of Burnhead Wood – Aged 19 Years – 48.7% ABV 

• Tasting Notes:
  • Nose: Lively and vibrant, this Balvenie has notes of fig and geranium oil perfectly balanced with fresh herbal undertones reminiscent of green woodland.

• Taste:Flavours of honey, cloves and caramelised baked dates are layered on top of delicate citrus and spice. The sweetness reveals an underlying oaky dryness.

• Finish: Lingering, oaky, dried blossom.

May 2019 releases:

The Sweet Toast of American Oak – 12 –Year-Old – 43% ABV 

• Tasting Notes:
  • Nose: Lusciously malty with some sweet fudge, followed by citrusy and oak vanilla aromas with layers of spicy oak notes of ginger and cinnamon.

• Taste:Candied orange and lemon peel, vanilla toffee and butterscotch, layers of blossom honey, some melted brown sugar and oak spices at the end.

• Finish: Rich and malty with gentle waves of oak vanilla and subtle spices.

The Week of Peat – 14-Year-Old – 48.3% ABV 

• Tasting Notes:
• Nose: Gentle sweet peat smoke, lighter floral notes and delicate butterscotch honey.

• Taste: Velvety and round to taste with the peat smoke balancing citrus flavours, oaky vanilla and blossom honey.

• Finish: Gentle smoke with a lingering and creamy vanilla sweetness.

A Day of Dark Barley – 26-Year-Old – 47.8% ABV

• Tasting Notes:
• Nose: Big malty notes, soft brown sugar, vanilla toffee, blossom honey and a mild oaky spiciness.

• Taste: Syrupy with a toffee sweetness, some citrusy notes of tangy orange peel, followed by oak vanilla and a touch of cinnamon and ginger spices at the end.

• Finish: Enduring gentle waves of vanilla and oak spices.

About The Balvenie: 

• The Balvenie is a unique range of single malts created by David Stewart MBE. The Balvenie Malt Master was awarded an MBE for services to the Scotch whisky industry by Queen Elizabeth II in 2016. Each expression has a very individual taste, but is rich, luxuriously smooth and underpinned by the distinctively honeyed character of The Balvenie.
• The Balvenie is dedicated to the five rare crafts that are used to create The Balvenie’s distinctive taste. It is the only distillery that still grows its own barley, uses traditional floor maltings and keeps both coppersmiths and coppers on site – making The Balvenie the most handcrafted of single malts.
• The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky is produced by William Grant & Sons Ltd, an award-winning independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today run by his direct descendants.
• For further information on The Edge of Burnhead Wood and The Balvenie entire range, visit https://www.thebalvenie.com/.

Bimber Klub: a whisky experience that lasts a lifetime

London’s award-winning Bimber Distillery today announced the opening of ‘Bimber Klub’, a new membership option that provides a lifetime of whisky experiences for the growing number of Bimber enthusiasts.

A one-off £40 membership grants Klub members a variety of benefits, including:

 A welcome pack containing branded glasses and single malt miniatures
 Access to limited edition Klub-only releases
 Exclusive Klub member events
 A free annual distillery tour and tasting
 Ability to join tasting panels to select future releases
 A quarterly newsletter which includes advance notice of all official Bimber releases
 10% discount on all online purchases

Speaking of the launch, distillery spokesperson Matt McKay said: “We’re incredibly grateful for the depth and breadth of support that the whisky community has shown us.

Following the sale of the final space of our Founder’s Club in January, we knew we wanted to continue to offer enthusiasts unforgettable, behind-the-scenes access to our distillery. We’ve created Bimber Klub to provide a lifetime of experiences for those who share our passion for craft single malt whisky.

Klub members will have exclusive access to a range of new Bimber whiskies. As well as continuing to develop and release our stock of exceptional single casks we’re also looking at laying down a small number of unique casks – from fortified wines to ex-beer casks. As we continue to assess the versatility of our spirit, it’s our Klub members who will be the first to join us and explore these unique expressions.”

Notes

Bimber Klub
Membership of Bimber Klub will be open from 13th May 2020 and costs a one-off £40 joining fee. Full details of the package can be found HERE We will be dispatching Bimber Klub membership packs as soon as international supply chains improve and it is judged safe for our staff to return to work.

About Bimber
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.

Highland Whisky Festival

£55.00

A Balanced and Beautiful Rye from a Heralded Kentucky Estate
Willett Family Estate 4 Year Old Cask Strength Kentucky Rye Whiskey (750ml) ($59.99)

NOTE: In accordance with local directives, our walk-in retail locations are currently closed. We have low cost and free delivery options available in ZIP codes where we can ship lawfully, including anywhere in California. We can also include any new or existing will call orders in your delivery batch. Choose local delivery at checkout to learn if you qualify.

Willett is one of the biggest names in American craft whiskey. Bottlings from this Kentucky estate always disappear in a flash and are coveted by collectors the world over. So it was only natural that when we were offered a 4-year cask strength expression from this prized distiller, we secured as much as we could. If you love a classic, well-balanced rye, then this is the bottle for you. The juice is distilled by Willett’s property just outside of Bardstown, so you know that quality will be second to none. As with all things Willett, it has all the drive and power you’ve come to expect while never sacrificing subtlety and nuance. At $60, this is a steal for a rye of this caliber making it an excellent candidate to add to your regular repertoire. Given the limited availability of this bottling, we don’t expect it to be around long. This is not an offer to sleep on.

Willett Family Estate 4 Year Old Cask Strength Kentucky Rye Whiskey (750ml) ($59.99)

The flagship, own-distilled rye from Willett Family is handcrafted by our good friends outside of Bardstown. The batches are tiny and have become extremely limited releases. Each batch is bottled at cask strength without chill filtration. Here are tasting notes from Bill Thomas of the Jack Rose Dining Saloon from a recent batch: “The barrels that went into this small batch combined to make an amazing drinker. Nose: Beautiful layering of brandied cherry over a mildly tart cherry. It opens up with time and is reminiscent of cutting into your dessert with your fork which releases cinnamon and baking spices with just a hint of oak to remind you that this is high proof youthful. Palate: A robust rye with dark cherry, burnt vanilla, and spices for days. It’s a delicious rye with a weighty mouthfeel. Balance: It’s insanely well balanced with the alcohol so perfectly integrated at 115 proof you’ll forget it’s there, but you’ll find yourself smiling more and happier with each dram. Finish: the finish is long and the spices dominate this batch, while the cherry does punch its way through to the surface.” Batches are not numbered and are distinguished only by their proof. For that reason we are unable to provide details on the batch proof or number in advance.

Founded in 1825 by “Long” John Macdonald, the whiskies were hugely popular in the 19th century, both as single malts and for blending. Now owned by Japanese distiller Nikka, Ben Nevis produces a range of single malts and blends that are held in high regard. Often matured in ex-Sherry casks, the whiskies are typically bold and robust with a rich, chewy texture.

BROWSE OUR FULL BEN NEVIS RANGE HERE

Port Ellen! The one, the only, the infamous Islay. I’ve tried two in the past, three now; as to be expected, they’re all very good. Not life-changing but still extremely good whisky that shouldn’t be allowed to disappear before you get to try it. Samples are expensive, as indeed are measures at a bar, but I’d say its worth doing to tick off that box and be able to make up your own mind as well.

https://youtu.be/b860A1ft3J4

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY RELEASES

COLONEL E.H. TAYLOR, JR.  18 YEAR OLD MARRIAGE 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (May 5, 2020) – Buffalo Trace Distillery continues its homage to former Distillery owner Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. with a special release 18 year old bourbon whiskey which is a marriage of three mashbills, two rye bourbon mashbills and one wheated bourbon mashbill.

This 100 proof Bottled-In-Bond small batch bourbon was put into barrels in 2002. Barrels chosen for this special batch release matured using one of three Buffalo Trace mashbill recipes; wheated bourbon, rye bourbon #1 and rye bourbon #2. The whiskey from these 18-year-old barrels was married together to make this limited edition offering.

Tasting notes describe this bourbon as having a nose of vanilla butter cake, a taste of caramel and cinnamon, and a finish of toasted oak, cinnamon, and a hint of spearmint.

The Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. collection was first released in early 2011 and several subsequent releases such as Single Barrel, Barrel Proof, Straight Rye Whiskey, and Small Batch Bourbon have followed.  A previous limited release, E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon, was named World Whiskey of the Year by renown whiskey reviewer Jim Murray in 2018.

Like some of the previous releases, this one-time-only bottling of E. H. Taylor, Jr 18 Year Old Marriage is very limited.   Also consistent with past releases, this bottle displays a vintage label and is offered inside a distinct canister reminiscent of Taylor’s whiskey package from over one hundred years ago. These six bottle cases will be shipped in an impressive wooden box first used for the Cured Oak release in 2015.  The boxes are modeled after the wooden crates used by Taylor to transport goods during the days before Prohibition.

            Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr.  is widely considered one of the founding fathers of the bourbon industry, fighting for the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, nearly three decades after he purchased the distillery that is known today as the Buffalo Trace Distillery. During his time, Taylor implemented several innovative methods still used today by Buffalo Trace, such as climate controlled aging warehouses. In addition to his bourbon interests, Taylor had political ties. He was the great-nephew of President Zachary Taylor and elected the mayor of Frankfort, state representative to the Kentucky General Assembly and a member of the State Senate.

            This special bottling of Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. 18 Year Old Marriage Bourbon Whiskey will be available starting in June in limited supply.  The suggested retail price is $69.99 per 750 ml bottle.

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.