Glen Moray releases ‘hidden treasure’ Madeira Cask expression for Curiosity Range

Glen Moray has today (1^st June) unveiled the latest addition to its Curiosity Range of experimental limited editions: the Glen Moray Madeira Cask Project.

A single malt Scotch whisky fully matured in ex-sweet Madeira hogsheads for 13 years and 10 months, the expression is a rich and indulgent combination of Glen Moray’s classic Speyside style and the sweet fruit and toffee influences of Madeira.

Just seven of these casks were laid down in 2006, tucked away undisturbed in ‘Warehouse 1’ – home to the Elgin-based distillery’s maturation experiments over the years.

This is where they would have remained, if not for the company’s new Head of Whisky Creation, Dr Kirstie McCallum, who took the time to sample the casks and realised that ‘hidden treasure’ had been discovered.

1468 bottles have now been released to the UK market as the third expression in the ‘Elgin Curiosity Range’, which aims to push the boundaries of single malt maturation and celebrate Glen Moray’s long standing passion for cask experimentation and flavour.

Tasting Notes

Nose: toffee, dark chocolate, fig, and dates balanced with sweet pears, berries and subtle exotic spices.

Taste: sweet, syrupy, with deep notes of toffee, chocolate, black coffee, and figs, developing to sweet oak, poached pears, and soft fruit.

Finish: rich, lingering, and sweet with gentle exotic spices and dried fruit.

Dr Kirstie McCallum commented: ‘Single malt whisky matured in Madeira casks has been prized in the industry before, but typically the casks have only been used to ‘finish’ more conventionally matured whisky. That’s what makes this new expression so very special. Our new make spirit has been slowly mingling with the luxuriously sweet flavours of Madeira for nearly 14 years, giving a depth of flavour and an intense character that couldn’t otherwise be created. It’s a delicious dram, a dessert in a glass, and we are very much looking forward to sharing it with whisky drinkers in the UK.’

Madeira is made exclusively on the subtropical Portuguese isle that shares its name, just west of Morocco. Known for its nutty sweetness, balanced by a fresh, tangy acidity, it’s these rich notes that give the new Glen Moray expression its distinctive flavour.

Crafted since 1897 in the ancient town of Elgin, the capital of the Speyside whisky region, Glen Moray distillers have been curious about flavour throughout their history. Surviving handwritten ledgers show that a wide variety of casks were used to mature new make spirit back in those early days, which was an unusual practice for the time. A deep knowledge and expertise of wood has developed at Glen Moray through generations of distillers, resulting in today’s exceptional range of whiskies with a style to suit everyone.

Glen Moray Madeira Cask Project is bottled at 46.3% ABV at its natural colour and is non-chill filtered. It is a UK exclusive, available in 70cl in specialist whisky shops, RRP £65.

Watch Dr Kirstie McCallum, Glen Moray’s Head of Whisky Creation and Brand Ambassador Iain Allan introduce the new expression via: https://youtu.be/q-WNtGCLrgY

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ABOUT GLEN MORAY

Glen Moray is one of Scotland’s best loved single malt whiskies. It has been crafted since 1897 in the ancient town of Elgin, the capital of the Speyside whisky region, on what was once the Elgin West Brewery site on the banks of the River Lossie. Pure waters from the river, locally malted barley, distillation in traditional copper stills and maturation in American ex-bourbon casks combine to give the whisky its smooth, well-balanced, classic Speyside character. Glen Moray has always been a place where curiosity about flavour and cask maturation has been encouraged. Records dating back to the early days show new make spirit maturing in a wide variety of different casks – a highly unusual practice at this time. A passion for experimentation and a deep knowledge of wood have been passed down through generations of Glen Moray distillers. The result is today’s exceptional and extensive range of whiskies, offering a flavour and style to suit all tastes. Glen Moray is the 5th biggest malt whisky brand by volume in the UK and is growing in international markets.

ABOUT LA MARTINIQUAISE-BARDINET

Founded by Jean Cayard in 1934, La Martiniquaise is an independent French spirits group with a large portfolio of international brands. Headquartered near Paris, the group operates in over 100 countries with 38 subsidiaries and production sites. The Group’s four pillars are Scotch whiskies, ports, brandies, wines, rums and craft spirits from France.  www.la-martiniquaise.com

Summer and winter, light and dark, old and young; enjoy a journey of beautiful contrasts by exploring our new selection of unique bottlings including two from the same distillery but with very different flavour profiles!

LOTS OF NICE THINGS

CASK NO. 66.159

CASK:  1st fill barrel

AGE:  12 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Sweet, fruity & mellow

BLONDIE BOMBSHELL

CASK NO. 95.32

CASK:  2nd fill barrel

AGE:  8 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Young & spritely

THE WICKER DRAM

CASK NO. 52.29

CASK:  1st fill barrel

AGE:  17 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Spicy & sweet

ELIXIR OF EUPHORIA

CASK NO. G7.16

CASK:  New oak barrel

AGE:  28 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Deep, rich & dried fruits

PAPAYA THE SAILOR MAN

CASK NO. 93.102

CASK:  1st fill barrel

AGE:  11 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Lightly peated

ROBOCOW

CASK NO. 66.154

CASK:  Refill barrel

AGE:  10 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Peated

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada
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Introducing Virginia Distillery Co.’s Reopening Plans

Hello friends! We sure have missed having you at our Visitors Center and we are so excited to welcome you back. Starting June 19th, our Visitors Center will be on a reduced schedule, open for outdoor tastings Fridays through Sundays by reservation only. 🎉

GET THE DETAILS

A Perfect Gift for Father’s Day

Is whisky the best Father’s Day gift? We’ll let you make that decision. In the meantime, shop our selection of whisky, cocktail kits, glasses, and more on our website. 🎁

SHOP HERE

Defining American Single Malt Whisky

We’re proud to be the largest independently-owned American Single Malt Whisky distillery in the United States. But how does American Single Malt compare to Scotch and Bourbon? Read all about it in our complete guide. 📖

LEARN MORE

Find a Bottle Near You

From Fort Lauderdale, to San Jose, to Boston, and everywhere in between, Virginia Distillery Co. products can be found in 23 states across the country. Check out our new recently-launched store locator on our website and find a product on a shelf near you. 🥃

FIND YOUR BOTTLE

Our mailing address is:
Virginia Distillery Company
299 Eades Ln
Lovingston, VA 22949

NOTE: In accordance with local directives, 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.

Ardbeg “Blaaack” Limited Edition Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $119.99 View

A special release to honor the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Ardbeg Committee, which is one of more than 140 on the island of Islay but has a global membership of more than 120,000. Distiller notes: “For the first time in Ardbeg’s history, we rounded up Pinot Noir casks from the country that lies the furthest distance from Islay – New Zealand, that other remote island nation where sheep have been known to outnumber the locals by 7:1. Ardbeg Blaaack knits together velvety summer fruit pudding and bitter cherry, with a deeper edge of soot and Ardbeg’s hallmark smoke. Perfect for toasting our legendary committee.”

It’s great to be back! Thank you to everyone for your patience throughout our closure as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our offices are now open for appointments and shipping has resumed. Please note there may still be some delays due to international restrictions however we are monitoring this daily and we are working hard to get orders to you as quickly as possible.

We continue to offer free E.U and U.K collections for sellers. If you have over 10 bottles or a minimum value of £1000 we can arrange a courier pick up.  Complete the form online to arrange collection.

We are delighted to now offer bottle drop off and collection appointments at our Glasgow office. Appointments are available Monday to Friday 10am-7pm. We are following strict social distancing guidelines and hygiene best practice. Find out more.

We are also offering free doorstep collections for over 10 bottles or collectively worth a minimum of £1000 across Central Scotland. Contact us to find out more and check availability.

The details we await………

PORT ELLEN 40-YEAR-OLD : PORT ELLEN’S 9 ROGUE CASKS

A NEW 40-YEAR-OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY RELEASED FROM THE CELEBRATED ISLAY DISTILLERY, AHEAD OF ITS RETURN

Introducing the second release in the highly collectable Port Ellen Untold Stories Series that explores the story of Port Ellen’s past ahead of the distillery’s return. Each precious drop of this exclusive 40-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is from 9 rogue casks and is one of the oldest and rarest releases ever to be made available direct from the distillery. It offers an entirely new dimension of flavour never before seen from Port Ellen. With only 1,380 bottles of this release made available to the public, it is one of the last chances to own a part of Port Ellen’s history.

The Port Ellen 40-Year-Old and the story of its captivating 9 Rogue Casks was unveiled at the first virtual edition of the famed Islay whisky festival Feis Ile. During an online whisky tasting, the future master distiller for Port Ellen Georgie Crawford shared a series of rogue stories from Port Ellen’s past, and revealed the new release for the very first time.

Port Ellen was distilled for just sixteen of the last ninety years, and not a cask more since its closure in 1983, making the original dwindling stocks finite and incredibly rare. In 1979, a small parcel of stock was identified as holding unusual flavour characteristics that stood out from the typical Port Ellen distillery character. Unsuitable for the needs of the blenders at the time, the casks were marked and set aside for further maturation and blending in the future.

Forty years on, today’s master blender Dr Craig Wilson carefully selected nine special casks from the original stock: each was identifiably Port Ellen but with its own defining character. He skilfully blended together the nine casks, four American oak hogsheads and five European oak butts, to create a Port Ellen unlike anything seen from the distillery before.

The rogue characteristics that saved the casks from blending in the 1980’s, are today celebrated at the heart of a new momentous 40-year-old single malt. Port Ellen’s signature soft peat smoke and rich sweet aromas, are met with a more refined character that is unusually layered and distinctive. The medium peated style holds a lighter character, with unusual tropical fruit flavour notes and a hint of aromatic spice and cinnamon.

This release highlights the variety of styles produced historically at Port Ellen and the skill of today’s master blender in bringing these together. Each sip offers an opportunity to experience the next chapter of Port Ellen’s Untold Story.

A donation of 20 signed bottles including the Port Ellen 40-Year-Old bottle and bottles from Islay distilleries Lagavulin and Caol Ila will be donated to the Islay Feis Ile Committee. The 20 special bottles, worth a total value of £10,000, will be used to support fundraising activities to raise money for Islay based charitable organisations and community groups.

Notes:

The second release of Port Ellen Untold Stories series: The Port Ellen 40-Year-Old will be available globally through selected luxury retailers Recommended Retail Selling Price in UK is £6,500 (including tax and duty) Bottle size: 70cl ABV: Cask Strength 50.9%

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Delicate, grassy/herbal, burnt tangerine skin, very mild smoke at cask strength, opens up a little with the addition of water, crème caramel/roasted coffee, red fruit compote, ripe peach skin
• Palate: Much more pronounced bonfire smoke, pipe tobacco, leather, wood spice
• Finish: Long, wispy smoke finish

Port Ellen’s 9 Rogue Casks:

Four American Oak Hogsheads
• CASK 1469 – green, oily, cinnamon, herbal
• CASK 1680 – green, fruity, tropical fruit, vanilla
• CASK 1747 – fruity, leather, tropical fruits, green
• CASK 5176 – clementine, cinnamon, creamy

Five European Oak Butts
• CASK 4890 – herbal, floral, green, spicy
• CASK 4913 – cinnamon, fruity, aromatic, leather
• CASK 4914 – herbal, cinnamon, ripe fruit
• CASK 6806 – green, herbal, raisin, confectionery
• CASK 6816 – menthol, medicinal, fruity

About Diageo:

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff and Cîroc vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness. Diageo is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

2020 Winter Feast Limited Release

Winter Feast is Dead – Long live Winter Feast

June is an exciting time of year for Tasmania and Sullivans Cove. Dark MoFo is one of our busiest events of the year, when we welcome tens of thousands of visitors to our mid-winter revels. This year, we had planned parties, bar takeovers, our Dark Cellar speakeasy within the Winter Feast food hall, and of course our extremely limited Winter Feast whisky. But as you probably know, Dark MoFo 2020 has been cancelled due to COVID-19. The borders to Tasmania are still closed. There will be no party.

But that didn’t stop us from making our Winter Feast Whisky. Known locally as “The Witch’s Brew” Winter Feast is a chance for our Head Distiller Heather to go a little crazy, making use of our entire library to create an extremely limited, bespoke blend of over 500 different cask samples ranging in age from 2 to 20 years. Bottled at 50.2% abv, the resulting liquid is 13 years old on average and heavily influenced by French Oak Apera cask for a rich, meaty and endlessly complex whisky that’s unmistakably Sullivans Cove.

Normally, this limited edition Sullivans Cove Single Malt is only available to purchase in person from our Winter Feast bar. But because of the cancellation, this year we’re making Winter Feast available to our entire mailing list through a ballot system. There are only 79 bottles all together from this year’s batch, so you’ll have to be lucky to get one, and registering via the link below is your only chance to get hold of Sullivans Cove’s most limited whisky of the year.

Details of the draw are in the form, so click below to enter!

REGISTER NOW

WARNING
Under the Liquor Licensing Act 1990 it is an offence: for liquor to be delivered to a person under the age of 18 years.
Penalty: Fine not exceeding 20 penalty units ($3,360 for 2019-20) for a person under the age of 18 years to purchase liquor.
Penalty: Fine not exceeding 10 penalty units ($1,680 for 2019-20)
Liquor Licence Number: 75253
To enjoy our website and purchase our products you must be of legal drinking age in your country of residence.
Drink responsibly. Find out more at drinkwise.org.au

A Long-Time K&L Favorite Comes Through in Strong Fashion
1991 Bruichladdich 27 Year Old “Faultline” K&L Exclusive Single Cask #2121 Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($189.99)
“This whisky is absolutely everything you want it to be and more!”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

NOTE: In accordance with local directives, 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.

Jim McEwan and the Bruichladdich distillery essentially lit the engines on our single cask program back in 2012. We’ve long enjoyed this partnership, and this spectacular 27-year-old bottling of the Faultline label is just the latest fruit from that still-growing tree. While most very old, labeled Bruichladdich on the market today will have spent time in a wine barrel and set you back as much as four figures, this beauty is pure, no-frills Islay in a standard hogshead. While it’s not peated, it still displays the hallmark salinity of Islay along with wonderful herbal, grassy notes and a touch of nutty complexity. The palate is loaded with viscosity to carry the honey, floral, and citrus tones through the long finish. Fans of very old Scotch whisky will certainly thrill at both the profile and price of this exclusive cask, and for less than four figures, let alone for less than $200, you’re unlikely to find as compelling a bottle of dram as this for a long, long time.

1991 Bruichladdich 27 Year Old “Faultline” K&L Exclusive Single Cask #2121 Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($189.99)

The Bruichladdich Distillery and K&L have had a long history together. Our store was one of the first to champion the mission of this special distillery after a group of private investors refurbished and reopened the facility on the banks of Lochindaal in the early 2000s. It was also the first place we went to find casks way back in 2012. In fact, it was the illustrious Jim McEwan, distillery manager at the time, who sold us our first cask of Faultline Single Malt. That was our Littlemill 21 year which sold for a cool $120 back then. Now, of course, Jim has left Bruichladdich and they’re not in the single cask game any longer, but our Faultline brand of single malts persists. What’s most unusual about this cask is that the distillery was not able to secure access to the casks in this lot, because if they had, we’d have seen them finished in wine casks and sold for many multiples of this price. There must have been some personal or political reasons why the owners chose to avoid selling the lot back to the current owner. There is almost no pre-sale, independently bottled Bruichladdich available. It’s simply too valuable to the distillery. We don’t often get opportunities to bottle under the Faultline name because we reserve it for whiskies we believe offer unprecedented value and quality. This single hogshead has all the hallmarks of the wonderfully idiosyncratic spirit from this excellent distillery. Unpeated, but so distinctly Islay, a bottle of pure Islay just for us.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: May 27, 2020

I’m honestly surprised that we were able to snag this cask considering the hype around the Bruichladdich distillery these days. The owners have plenty of cash to grab old stocks from private sellers and even though this is just a plain old hogshead, a few years finished in some goofy wine cask and you’ve got the next 30 Year Rare Release for over $1000! So by some great luck we stumbled upon these stocks, three casks from the 1991 vintage, two of which were close to 80 proof already. Both of those were lovely but lacked the power and tension of this special cask. And Jim McEwan would kill me for telling you to add water to a Laddie this old, but it’s just a whisper out at first out of the bottle. A few (six to be precise) drops later and we’ve unlocked totally the treasure. The nose is a ton of marzipan being pulverized on a rock beach in a storm. Certainly no hint of smoke a but a linear salinity that’s so inviting. Wild grass drying in the summer sun. On the palate ultra complex with tons of salted grains, chewy and viscous. Powerful pepper, wild flower honey and candied lemon peel. Long, textural and satisfying on the finish. This whisky is absolutely everything you want it to be and more! Just DON’T skip a few drops of water on this one.

TyndrumWhisky
presents

GlenAllachie Premier Cru

This release was hand filled at the distillery a couple of weeks ago, and comes from the same type of casks that held the (also) amazingly tasty Bruichladdich MRC. This is up there with the best. Billy Walker is certainly creating some stunning whiskies up at GlenAllachie, and this is not to be missed.

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