NEW IN: Darkness Caperdonich 23 Year Old!

November 7th @ 5.30pm PST:

Virtual Bourbon Tasting with High West Distillery 

Go behind the scenes of High West distillery at our expert presented virtual whiskey tasting! Whiskey expert presenter Arianna King will take us through the distillery’s storied history and three award-winning High West whiskies, followed by an audience Q&A.

Sitting high in the Wasatch-Uinta mountains in Wanship, Utah, High West distillery creates award-winning ryes and blended whiskies with the help of great ingredients and a 1,600 gallon copperpot still. In 2016, Whisky Advocate, America’s leading whiskey magazine, named High West its “Distiller of the Year.” 

Featured Whiskies:

High West American Prairie Bourbon

High West Double Rye

High West Campfire 

Tasting sets are available for $25 

Click Here to RSVP

THE ENGLISH WHISKY BAUBLE

The English Whisky Co. proudly presents a Christmas bauble filled with The English – Original.  Aged to perfection in specially selected bourbon Casks, this is a great easy-drinking classic unpeated single malt, the perfect gift for Christmas.

20cl 43% ABV

£19.00

SHOP NOW

Talisker 8 Year Old 2020 Special Release

The first official bottling of Talisker to be matured in Caribbean rum casks. Bottled at 57.9% natural cask strength.

Shop – Talisker 8 Year Old 2020

https://youtu.be/_FpofunmYFQ

It isn’t difficult to gauge quality in whisky. What is difficult is understanding how something can be so good. A whisky that unifies all corners of Scottish whisky production. A whisky that is affordable. A whisky that is regularly available. A bottle of liquid that is so on point to what a community wants, it walks through the front door and makes itself at home in the wealth of nostalgia and memories that all good whisky should be associated with. Kilkerran nailed it; no surprise, really.

Laphroaig® unveils the Second Instalment In The Ian Hunter Series

Introducing Book Two of The Ian Hunter Story™, a rare collectable in Laphroaig®’s series of Super-Premium Whiskies

Following the huge success and popularity of Ian Hunter Book One, Beam Suntory’s Laphroaig has announced the second instalment in the fascinating Ian Hunter Story™ that continues to honour the legacy of the icon and last founding member of the Johnston family to run the Laphroaig® Distillery.

The Ian Hunter Story™ will consist of five annual releases, the first of which was launched in 2019, set into beautifully crafted books that document the story of Ian’s incredibly rich legacy. Every year a new chapter is unveiled, uncovering the extensive history behind Laphroaig® and the characters who created it.

Following on from Book One: ‘Unique Character’, Book Two is entitled ‘Building an Icon’ and is limited to just four hundred cases, meaning this incredibly rare liquid will be a highly sought after collectable from whisky enthusiasts all over the world.

This collection is unlike any other and one that is sure to be treasured by Laphroaig® passionate fans across the world.

Ian Hunter: Book Two

With Book One reflecting on Ian Hunter’s formidable character, Book Two is dedicated to the hours of tireless work Ian Hunter committed to the Laphroaig® brand whilst at the helm. Matured in Sherry casks for 30 years, this non-chill filtered whisky is beautifully rounded with a combination of sweet, spiced and medicinal notes. Ian’s innovative approach to whisky-making is especially notable here, resulting in Laphroaig®’s iconic signature flavour: complex, smokey and often polarizing.

For whisky lovers who have always wondered who built the undeniably iconic Laphroaig® distillery on a craggy shore on the Isle of Islay, the latest chapter of the Ian Hunter Story™ answers that very question. Who else but Ian Hunter? The second book of Ian’s story is dedicated to his tireless work building Laphroaig®’s distillery and infrastructure, and therefore, Laphroaig®’s icon.

The latest instalment delves deeper into Ian’s innovation in the very fabric of the distillery. Having introduced American oak, ex-Bourbon barrels to the maturation process, Ian realised the distillery itself would have to expand to keep pace with the changes he was to make. Although he may not have realised it at the time, Ian’s expansion of the Laphroaig® distillery would one day become a worldwide icon.

Ian’s tireless work on building the Laphroaig®’s iconic infrastructure ensured that the exquisite and distinctive whisky, that matures gently inside the warehouse while drawing on the flavour of the wood and breathing in the stormy Atlantic climate over 30 years, reaches its friends the world over.

The legendary Ian Hunter

At times polarising but highly regarded and loved by those who knew him best, Ian Hunter is one of the most important figures in the history of single malt whisky. His influence on Islay – one of the most famous whisky-producing regions – cannot be overstated.

Ian joined the distillery in 1908 as the youngest member of the Johnston family. His relatives, the brothers Donald and Alexander Johnston had founded the distillery in 1815. His arrival had a lasting legacy on the distillery that is still used to this day as he is credited with doubling the production and successfully exporting Laphroaig® whisky around the world.

One of his biggest successes was managing to sell Laphroaig® to America during Prohibition. Ian managed to do this by leveraging the spirit’s unique character, which meant that it could be sold for medicinal purposes.

John Campbell, Laphroaig® distillery manager, comments: “You cannot enjoy Laphroaig®’s exquisitely smokey and complex liquid, without paying homage to the legendary Ian Hunter. His influence in our whisky production techniques and our iconic brand as a whole is undeniable. The second book in our Ian Hunter Story™ celebrates his legacy in shaping Laphroaig® to what it is today.”

The limited edition whisky will be available from selected retailers for an RRP of £760.

Tasting Notes

Nose:

Dried Dates and Figs, Cigar box with Toffee and Dark Chocolate, liquorice with medicinal notes, pink peppercorns and all spice. Adding water brings out pipe tobacco and orange peel

Taste:

Manuka Honey Sweet, Smoked Stone Fruit

Finish:

Long and mouth drying

Colour:

Burnt Umber

ABV:

48.2%

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What’s New?…

Greetings from TWL Lockdown HQ

Firstly a massive thank you to everyone who took part in our Whisky Festival in a Box on the 16th to 18th October. If you missed it, all of the tastings and fun are available to watch on Facebook and YouTube, so please do check it out. 31st of October would have been our home festival in York – an event we look forward to (along with many of you) every year.

We, like everyone, have been through a lot this year so far. In 2020 we have gone from a team of 8 full-time and 8 part-time people, to just me, with some help from Chris, two days a week. Obviously not forgetting Connas with his contributions to the blog and weekly news.

Instead of 200 tastings and 9 festivals, and celebrating our 10th year of TWL festivals in London, we have done 10 tastings and 1 Festival.

We are using a ‘Bounce-Back Loan’ to survive and launch a new website, with the focus on virtual tastings and the Festival in a Box program.

However, I feel lucky to have had time at home and with loved ones that I would not otherwise have had. Although I have never worked so hard in my life at the same time! I also realise how fortunate I am to still be able to work in an industry I love – unlike so many others – as well as mine and my family’s health.

That’s why this newsletter is not about selling you anything. It is about asking for your help and support, which I hope will inject some much-needed fun into all our lives, the only cost is a little of your time and some creativity.

Over the coming two weeks, we will be launching a new subscription service, new virtual tasting series, the next Festival in a Box, what we are doing for Burns Night and much, much more.

Costs you nothing,
means everything to us

All we want from you is…

A simple ‘Like’ or ‘Follow Us’, or similar, on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Get your friends and family to sign up to our Newsletter. Leave a Google review if you’ve been to an event and enjoyed it.

This small, but important, effort on your part makes us more attractive and relevant to global brands, distillers and potential sponsors. This in turn helps our events, virtual and actual, become even more interesting and diverse, while putting us further up internet searches for people looking to buy gifts.

Interesting fact: 80% of all whisky bought, is bought as gifts.

We normally do 60% of our annual sales in the next 6 weeks.

The TWL Whisky Challenge!

Give-away time!

We have 12 bottles of whisky to give away in return for entry into the #whiskychallenge…

What is the whisky challenge?

It is a video of you explaining what whisky is in 21 seconds or less.

Here is a cracking example of one done by our friend, Kate Watt at Watt Whisky, to get your creative juices flowing…

Post your video on your social platform of choice, tag us in and use the #whiskychallenge hashtag.

As a reminder, our tags are;

Facebook       therealwhiskylounge
Instagram       thewhiskylounge
Twitter.           thewhiskylounge

Every Wednesday and Friday we will choose our favourite and that person will get a bottle of whisky from the TWL ‘archive’.

Thanks for reading, take care of you and yours and hope to hear from you soon.

Don’t forget to catch up on the latest whisky news from Connas HERE and we look forward to seeing you – on-line – soon!

In the meantime – Stay Safe. Stay in. Have a dram.

Sláinte and best wishes,

Eddie, and the whole Whisky Lounge Team

Important information concerning lockdown November 2020

Shop closed from Monday 2nd November 2020

Unfortunately, due to the Impending lockdown on Thursday 5th of November staff illness and redundancies to secure the future of the shop.

We have to close the shop today Monday, the 2nd of November. However, we will be available this week Wednesday 4th November and Thursday 5th November for pickup in-store orders by appointment only.

Please email pickup@whiskytastingroom.com to book. From next week you can pick up Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays from 12.00 then 10,20,30,40, and 50 minutes past the hour till 17:00 this well continue through the lockdown.

If you come without an appointment, you’ll be turned away with no exceptions; the safety of our customers and staff is paramount and non-negotiable.

We will be observing COVID-19 safety procedures, where social distancing, mask-wearing, and non-contact will be strictly enforced.

All orders from the Springbank release last weekend are being processed but the sheer mass of interest was overwhelming and it’s taken time to process orders and answer emails. Please bear with us, both Joel and I are taking the next couple of days to get on top of the orders and emails. To do this the shop will be closed and any visitors will be turned away without exception.

THE WEBSHOP IS STILL OPEN

Cadenheads Whisky Shop & Tasting Room
26 Chiltern Street, London, W1U 7QF

Announcing the release of Small Batch 204. Matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels, finished in Spanish oak ex-madeira hogsheads. 

The fifth in a line of small-batch whiskies from the far north, this release has matured for five years in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, then finished for six months in first-fill ex-Madeira hogsheads.  The result is a rich, sophisticated whisky, with a depth of flavour that offers complexity to the experienced, and surprises to the uninitiated.

THE MADEIRA CASK

The island of Madeira has been producing unique dessert wine for over 500 years. The fortified wine is produced by the Estufagem process – aged within Spanish oak casks in the warmth of the tropical sun – which since the late 15th century has been known to duplicate the effects of excessive heat and movement during a ship’s voyage and thereby transform the flavour profile of the wine.

A huge amount of that character is taken on by the cask during this process and subsequently infused into the Wolfburn spirit, during the finishing process.

This small-batch release has been matured for five years in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels then finished for six months in first-fill ex-Madeira hogsheads. The result is a gratifyingly sweet whisky with a deep, vibrant flavour, rich in colour and warmth.

THE DETAILS:

AGE: 5 YEARS

#1 CASK TYPE: FIRST FILL EX BOURBON

ALC%: 46%

DISTILLED: 2015

FINISHING CASK: FIRST FILL EX-MADEIRA HOGSHEADS

VOLUME: 70CL

on our website for £64.00
Buy now

The Whisky.Auction Team

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info@whisky.auction

+44 (0)20 8838 9381

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