ralfy review 839 Extras – The innovation of disclosure.

SAZERAC WHISKIES SWEEP CANADIAN WHISKY CATEGORY AT INTERNATIONAL WHISKY COMPETITION 2020 

MONTREAL (Aug. 13) – The three medals in the Best Canadian Whisky category were awarded to Royal Canadian Small Batch, High River Canadian Whisky and Caribou Crossing Single Barrel, during the International Whisky Competition 2020.

The first place, Gold Medal went to Royal Canadian Small Batch with 85.7 points. Second place, Silver Medal was delivered to High River Canadian Whisky, and Caribou Crossing Single Barrel earned the third Place, Bronze Medal.

The International Whisky Competition launched in 2010 with a vision of creating a true competition, offering just three medals per category, like the Olympics. The IWC brings the best whiskies from around the world to be tasted and rated by a professional tasting panel. Complete results for the 2020 International Whisky Competition can be found at https://www.whiskycompetition.com/2020-results.

About Sazerac

Sazerac is one of America’s oldest family owned, privately held distillers with operations in the United States in Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Maryland, California, and global operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, India, Australia and Canada. For more information on Sazerac, please visit www.sazerac.com.

THREE A. SMITH BOWMAN DISTILLERY BOURBONS RECEIVE AWARDS AT AMERICAN WHISKEY MASTERS 

FREDERICKSBURG, VA (Aug. 19, 2020) – Three of A. Smith Bowman Distillery’s bourbons were honored at the 2020 American Whiskey Masters. Isaac Bowman Port Finished Straight Bourbon Whiskey and John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey were awarded Gold medals. Bowman Brothers Small Batch Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey was awarded a Silver medal.

“We feel honored to be presented these awards,” Master Distiller Brian Prewitt said. “These medals serve as a testament to our team’s hard work, and our continuous commitment to producing quality spirits.”

The American Whiskey Masters is chaired by The Spirits Business and a panel of leading spirits specialists. Spirits are judged in a blind taste test and awarded by category.

For more information about A. Smith Bowman Distillery whiskies, visit www.asmithbowman.com.

About A. Smith Bowman

A. Smith Bowman’s distilling roots date back to the years before Prohibition when the Bowman family had a granary and dairy farm in Sunset Hills, Virginia. They used excess grain from the family estate to distill spirits. In 1934, after the Repeal of Prohibition, Abram Smith Bowman and his sons continued the family tradition and built a more modern distillery in Fairfax County, Virginia called Sunset Hills Farm.  The Distillery was moved in 1988 and is now nestled in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.

As a small and privately owned company, A. Smith Bowman Distillery continues the time-honored traditions on which it was founded. Considered a micro-distillery by today’s standards, A. Smith Bowman produces an assortment of hand-crafted spirits distilled from only the finest natural ingredients and using the latest technology. This micro-distillery focuses on the production of premium spirits honoring the legacy of Virginia’s first settlers. As Virginia’s oldest and most award-winning distillery, its various brands have earned numerous prestigious awards over the years, including John J. Bowman Single Barrel, which received a gold medal at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit www.asmithbowman.com.

Col. E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Receives Master Medal, Prestigious Taste Master Medal at American Whiskey Masters 2020

13 Buffalo Trace Distillery Whiskies Earn Top Honors 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Aug. 18, 2020) For the second year in a row, Col. E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch received a Master Medal in the Ultra Premium category at the American Whiskey Masters. This year, the whiskey was also presented the Taste Master Medal. The Taste Master Medal is awarded at the conclusion of the competition to the overall taste winner, and is determined by re-tasting all of the entries that earned Master Medals.

Five of Buffalo Trace Distillery’s whiskies were awarded Master Medals this year, and eight received Gold Medals.

Master Medals were awarded to:

• Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Col. E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Col. E.H. Taylor, Jr. Straight Rye Whiskey
• Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Weller CYPB Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Gold Medals were awarded to:

• Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Weller Special Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Weller 12 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Weller Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Old Weller Antique 107 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Old Charter Oak French Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The American Whiskey Masters is chaired by The Spirits Business and a panel of leading spirits specialists. Spirits are judged in a blind taste test and awarded by category.

For more information about Buffalo Trace Distillery whiskies, visit https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/our-brands/buffalo-trace.html.

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 1775 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.

Whyte & Mackay in the celebratory spirit with prestigious industry award

Whyte & Mackay is raising a toast to light spirit drink Whyte & Mackay Light after being awarded Gold at the International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Whyte & Mackay Light scooped up the Gold award in the Light Spirit Drink category, scoring a total of 95 points in recognition of its clean, vibrant taste of which presents fresh citrus and light floral notes, balanced by soft wood and warming spice.

Whyte & Mackay Light, launched in 2019, is a premium spirit drink aimed to meet increasing consumer demand for spirits which are lighter in alcohol content. Blended with Scotch whisky and sherry, the spirit drink is crafted by expert distillers at Whyte & Mackay and enriched by sweet sherry casks and freshly emptied Bourbon barrels. Whyte & Mackay Light offered at 21.5% ABV and can be enjoyed either neat, over ice or mixed in a long drink.

Richard Paterson, Master Blender at Whyte & Mackay, said: “People are the heart of our business. Throughout our history we have always sought to listen to the consumer – we believe that is so important. We saw that there was a consumer demand for a lower-strength spirit, which led to our new Whyte & Mackay Light – a new lighter spirit drink, from Scotland. It was a project for myself personally that I am very proud of. It was a great test to the art of blending, and is a testament to the incredible skill and passion of our team that knew how to create a quality spirit, with incredible taste, but at a lower strength. To win a prestigious award from the IWSC is a great honour indeed, especially for our latest innovation”

The IWSC aims to reward excellence in drinks worldwide, and to set the international benchmark for quality. The winners, announced on 7th August, were chosen after a rigorous judging process. Judges ‘double-blind’ taste test the spirits – each in pre-poured and numbered glasses to ensure they never see a bottle.

Trophy winners from the spirits competition will be announced alongside the Scotch Whisky trophy winners in September.

About Whyte & Mackay Light

Tasting Notes: Smooth with a subtle hint of smoke.

ABV: 21.5% ABV

For more information, visit www.whyteandmackay.com 

About Whyte & Mackay Group Ltd.

Whyte & Mackay was founded in Glasgow in 1844, and today celebrates its 175^th anniversary with a multi-award-winning portfolio of brands which includes The Dalmore, Jura, Tamnavulin and Fettercairn whiskies alongside its namesake Whyte & Mackay Blended Whisky.

The award-winning whisky makers are proud partners of Flor de Caña, Camus and RumChata distributing their distinctive brands in the UK, while in recent years their focus on pioneering innovation has seen them reveal a plethora of brand extensions and new to world brands. From an exclusive 50 Year-Old Highland Single Malt from The Dalmore celebrating the career of Master Distiller Richard Paterson to a full range revamp on Jura. In the last twelve months, more than five new brands have been revealed, to name a few – Shackleton, Woodsman, and Wildcat, as well an independent boutique bottling arm The Whisky Works, fronted by whisky maker, Gregg Glass.

The global spirits business is headquartered in the heart of Glasgow, and employs over 500 people around the globe, across five international offices, five distilleries and a state-of-the-art bottling plant in Scotland.

Today, with the support of its owners Emperador Inc,. Whyte & Mackay is building a progressive, passionate and ambitious company for the future. Emperador is a subsidiary of Alliance Global Group, Inc (an international conglomerate listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange).

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana Raffling a Rare Flight of Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon

Last year’s raffle helped provide nearly 1,400 nights of lodging for families

Louisville, KY – Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana (RMHCK), which is raffling five Pappy bottles packaged as a rare flight, is expecting the 1,500 tickets to fly off the shelves during its second annual bourbon raffle. Click here to get your tickets!

Each ticket will be sold for $100 each and 100 percent of the proceeds benefit families who stay at the House when they travel to Louisville for medical care for their children.

“You can nab five coveted bottles offered as a group and help sick children,” said bourbon expert and author Fred Minnick, who serves as an advisor to the organization for the charitable cause. Minnick appraises this raffle item at $16,000.

The flight includes one bottle each of:

-Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year (2018)

-Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year (2019)

-Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year (2019)

-Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year (2019)

-Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year (2019)

“When people want to build their bourbon collection, they’re almost always hunting for a Van Winkle. These rare bourbons continue to be the most in-demand whiskeys in the world,” said Minnick. “And, it’s rare you can actually pay suggested retail price for one, because retailers frequently tack on ridiculous markups and the secondary market pricing reveals the true demand of Pappy,” he explained.

“This raffle is going to make somebody very happy. It will make their home bar look like a billionaire’s.”

The flight will be raffled Oct. 15. Winner does not have to be present. More details can be found at pappyraffle.org.

Founded in 1984, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana (RMHCK) is a Louisville, KY nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation that provides the home and support that allows families to stay together while they focus on the healing of their sick children at a critical time. In partnership with area medical facilities, RMHCK also operates Ronald McDonald Family Rooms at Norton Children’s Hospital, Frazier Rehab Institute and Norton Women’s and Children’s Hospital where local families can seek respite. All programs and services are free of charge to families.

In 2019, RMHCK served 1,259 families for a total of 9,514 nights lodging. For more information, visit rmhck.org or connect with us at @RMHCKentuckiana on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Don’t Miss This Truly Unique Find in Peated Scotch Whisky
Arran “Machrie Moor” Cask Strength Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($79.99)
“It’s really the perfect summertime peater.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

NOTE: Our walk-in retail locations are currently closed. We have curbside pickup and low cost (often 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.

With the sheer number of stellar Scotch whiskies on our shelves and in the market at large, it’s hard to believe how difficult it is to find a single malt that’s a true medium peater—that is, not a full-on campfire yet still enough to satisfy the smoke hounds. This style is highly sought-after but rarely achieved, and Arran’s “Machrie Moor” flat out nails it. At levels of 20 parts per million, this whisky hits all the right notes in the perfect peat register. It’s a thrilling preview of what’s to come from Arran’s brand new distillery at Lagg, where the focus will be on all things peat. The Machrie Moor is bottled at cask strength and without coloring, so the authentic nature of the whisky is free to shine. It is by no means shy on the smoke character, but this feature serves as a steady background to a staggering showcase of aromas and flavors. Ocean brine, sweet citrus, and candied almonds highlight the wide-ranging profile of one of the more unique single malts we’ve come across in a long time. Although it’s a stunner at full cask proof, the Machrie Moor is also extremely receptive to water, so splash away and ride out the dog days of summer with a truly refreshing Scotch, the likes of which you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

Arran “Machrie Moor” Cask Strength Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($79.99)

Independently owned since its inception in 1995, the folks at Arran have been quietly making some of the very best island-distilled whisky in Scotland for 25 years. Their water source is 100% rainwater coming from Loch Na Davie high above the distillery. The clean water combined with 100% Concerto malt and a careful distillation is the essence of Arran—it’s fresh, barley-forward and shows flavors heavy with citrus, stone fruit, and vanilla pudding. They never color or chill filter any of their whiskies, choosing instead to retain all of the natural beauty they worked so hard to capture. The Machrie Moore is named for a distinct peat bog on the west coast of the island and features a fresh blast of peat that perfectly matches the amazing freshness of the Lochranza distillate. Since 2019 all of the peated production on the Isle of Arran has moved to the new Lagg distillery on the south side of the island. This is the last chance to sock away a few bottles of the cask strength Lochranza-peated whisky before it’s gone forever.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 01, 2020

This fun whisky from Arran is now more or less extinct at least in this package. We are forever in search of a great malt that can properly be described as “somewhat peaty.” Despite what many might believe, there are very few in between malts. Almost everything that’s readily available is either 30+ parts or zero. Yes there are a few exceptions, like Oban, Balvenie, and Dalwhinnie, but in general these don’t really cross the threshold to really feel the peat in a big way (Oban is probably the closest). There’s of course a few exceptions, but the options are extremely limited. So when we came across the Machrie Moor at the very reasonable 20 ppm, we were intrigued. Now add that this small batch is not colored and is bottled at cask strength and that’s a recipe for something special. The color is pale gold. The nose is extremely focused with an obvious ocean quality, but not the Laphroiag slap that some peat lovers might be craving. Instead, the smoke is lingering in the background with salinity and crystalline malt coming through. Clean and gentle, yet not boring by any means. On the palate some smoldering peat and some green earthiness. Green apple skin, crushed oyster shell, and bits of citrus. This is NOT a lightly peated whisky, but it’s a balanced medium peater, which is really very rare in our world. Bottled at cask strength, it’s delicious, but this guy loves water too so don’t be afraid to hit it with a few satisfying splashes of water. It develops some interesting character at the slightly lower proofs, offering more citrus, more fruit and a bit of the salted fish character that we all love so well.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 29, 2020

The color of dried straw and with a nose of smoldering peat, the cask strength Machrie Moor gives us a brief glimpse into what we might expect from the Lagg distillery in a number of years, albeit on a different set of stills. Rather than being very heavily peated, the Machrie Moor clocks in at 20PPM peat levels, just enough to shine against the light and fruity background of Arran without overwhelming it. It’s really a perfect summer time peater. Fresh and salty with tons of sweet citrus. Dusted in cocoa powder and redolent with caramelized almonds. The peat hangs like the air after a forest fire is put out – warm and heavy.

This could be yours!

You could win a chance to purchase a bottle of Four Roses Single Barrel Barrel Strength – OESK Party Source Pick by doing one simple thing…downloading the new Party Source mobile app (and creating an account). All downloads and registered accounts made by Wednesday, August 26th at 11:59 PM will be entered for a chance to purchase a bottle. Those selected will be notified via email by August 28th.

Download the app below.

If you have already downloaded the app and registered an account, you will be entered.

Take the party on the go with the new Party Source app

Download the new Party Source app for easy ordering and exclusive deals. Available on Apple and Android.

We’ve had fun becoming whisky anoraks this month, getting to know the facts behind the flavours, and exploring the role technology is playing in enjoying whisky. Now’s the chance to put your new knowledge to the test as you delve into a cheeky selection of new mid-month releases, with a wealth of styles and flavour profiles to choose from.

view all new whiskies   view all whiskies

PLEASE NOTE: Depending on the demand of these new bottlings, you may encounter our new queue system in operation. The new system is being tested in response to our recent member survey, as we look to improve your experience online. Thanks!

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