Thank you everyone for your incredible patience and understanding throughout this difficult time. We are pleased to announce that Auction 108, postponed in March, will go live on Friday 29th May. If you had bottles originally booked into Auction 108 these will automatically be included.  Our auction schedule has been updated for the coming months and we are very much looking forward to welcoming you all back.

Our offices remain closed to the public at the moment and we will update further as soon as we can.

Best wishes from all at Team SWA.

As America’s foremost spirits magazine, Whisky Advocate delivers everything you need to know to enjoy whisky, and much more!

From new product releases and breaking news, to hundreds of ratings and reviews, Whisky Advocate is America’s top source for whisky enthusiasts. Throughout your subscription, you’ll enjoy:

• Our annual Whiskies Of The Year (that are actually attainable)
• Top whisky travel destinations
• Exciting, new whisky releases
• Must-try whisky cocktails

To celebrate Memorial Day, we’re offering a FREE trial issue of Whisky Advocate magazine! If you like your free trial, you’ll receive “Whisky 101” – our special gift to you with your paid subscription!

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Not this week folks,  his samples didn’t arrive!

BLADNOCH DISTILLERY ANNOUNCES THREE LIMITED RELEASES TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH OF THEIR ONLINE STORE.

MAY 20th: 203 year old Bladnoch Distillery has announced the launch of their UK online store this month by releasing three limited bottlings. These releases are the amongst the first to come from Bladnoch’s new
Master Distiller, Nick Savage since he joined in July last year.

Bladnoch Single Cask 01 is the first in an annual five-part series of single cask bottlings hand-selected by Nick Savage. Cask 01 is a UK online exclusive and all 295 bottles were distilled in January 2008 and matured in an ex-red wine hogshead. Bottled at cask strength and non-chill filtered, the expression shows notes of red berries with floral honey, sweet oak and dark chocolate. The other four Single Cask bottlings for 2020 will be released in select markets worldwide.

Bladnoch’s 2020 release from the Talia range of rare, aged Single Malt will also be available via the UK online store. This year’s release is a Talia 26 Year Old Red Wine expression. Bottled at cask strength, the Talia 26 Year Old was pulled from the rarest barrels resting in the Bladnoch warehouses. This truly memorable malt shows notes of dark red berries, mature oak and sweet florals.

For the first time outside of their Visitor Centre, Bladnoch will be releasing their New Make Spirit exclusively on their UK online store. A look into the early stages of life of the Bladnoch Single Malts, the distillery’s New Make combines British barley and the pristine water from the River Bladnoch making it a beautiful expression of the region in which it was crafted. The New Make Spirit is fresh and creamy with notes of pear
drops and fresh cut grass.

To learn more about these new Bladnoch releases, visit www.bladnoch.com. Bladnoch Distillery will be offering free shipping across the United Kingdom while their Visitor Centre remains closed due to the
country’s lockdown.

Notes

Bladnoch Distillery is Scotland’s southernmost distillery, and one of a handful that remain independently owned. Since being purchased in 2015 by Australian entrepreneur David Prior Bladnoch has enjoyed a renaissance, launching their line of award-winning Bladnoch Single Malt Whiskies and Pure Scot, their contemporary Blended Scotch Whisky, in over 30 countries. In 2017, Bladnoch Distillery celebrated its 200 year anniversary making it one of the oldest continuously operating distilleries in Scotland. In June 2019, Bladnoch Distillery’s state-of-the-art visitors centre was opened, welcoming visitors to the distillery once again after its significant renovations. Acclaimed Master Distiller, Dr Nick Savage joined the Bladnoch team in July 2019.

Visit www.bladnoch.com or @bladnochwhisky for more information.

An Impressive Age Statement and an Even More Impressive Price
Speymhor 38 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky ($179.99)
“I’m shocked and confused as to why I’m able to sell this to people for less than $200. These barrels could have easily ended up as a Last Drop or Compass Box special release retailing for 10 times our shelf price.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L SoCal Spirits Buyer

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.

If you’ve been a fan of Compass Box, then let us introduce you to a brand you need to know: Speymhor. While little known here in the States, this under-the-radar distiller has conjured up some remarkable bottlings, and chief among them is this captivating Speymhor 38 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky. Much like Compass Box, it is a soaring blended Scotch of stunning depth and range. Scotch, both blended and single malt, at the 38-year-mark commands a premium that can climb well into the $1000s. Nonetheless, this expression can be had for the jaw-droppingly low price of $179.99. This is almost unheard of and counts among the best finds in Scotch we’ve seen this year. A joining of two casks, one from Speyside, the other from Highlands, it holds its own against some of the top expressions we’ve tasted from Scotland’s best blenders. We could go on and on about the myriad of flavors and textures; however, our SoCal Spirits Buyer, David Othenin-Girard, puts it best when he summarizes that this is “[a]n absolutely unparalleled experience at this price.” There’s simply no two ways about it. If you love a perfectly aged malt with striking vitality and power, you must own this bottle. There are only 200 to go around, so we don’t expect our allocation to last long. Time is of the essence on this remarkable opportunity.

Speymhor 38 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($179.99)

The Speymhor brand (pronounced Spey-VOR) is small brand of blended and single malt from undisclosed distilleries. Bottled by the Glasgow Whisky Company, it’s not a brand we regularly see in the US. This exceptional whisky is a blend of both necessity and delicacy. It begins with a single cask from a high quality unnamed Speyside distillery from 1978. This cask showed exceptional depth and complexity, but was nearing the 80 proof mark and needed to be bottled soon. It was married with one single cask of 1978 from a distillery at the “foothills of the Highlands” that remained at considerable proof. Just two casks distilled in 1978 and bottled at a seamless 92 proof. Very few malt whiskies will offer more value or complexity than this special bottling. Expect a bouquet of deep tropical aromas—mango, cocoa, cinnamon and exotic honey. On the palate, wonderful texture and a rich sweetness prevents any bitterness of age from showing. Malty with tons of dark fruit, which makes us wonder if at least one of the components was aged in sherry. Surprising pop and freshness considering these very old whiskies can occasionally feel thin or overly ethereal. While the labels might not be as cool as the other prominent blended malt brands, the quality of the spirit is unquestionable and the cost, were it to be bottled by anyone else, would cost many multiples of this exceptional bottling. Only 200 bottles available.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: May 08, 2020

There’s absolutely nothing on the market like this. I’m shocked and confused as to why I’m able to sell this to people for less than $200. These barrels could have easily ended up as a Last Drop or Compass Box special release retailing for 10 times our shelf price. But, like the Munros bottling, this whisky was lost in time and space only to resurface right when the rest of the world’s Scotch whisky was becoming more expensive due to tariffs and unprecedented world demand. Now we finally have this gorgeous little two barrel blend from an otherwise unknown label and I was tempted to double the price. I don’t think anyone would complain about spending $400 on single vintage Scotch aged 38 years, but because it’s a “blend” it’s suddenly less valuable. I’d argue that this whisky is multiple times better than either of the two component whiskies would have been alone. Regardless of your feelings about blending, it will be impossible to deny that experiencing EXTREMELY old Scotch should be on every whisky lovers bucket list. Sadly, there’s almost no malt on the market over 30 years old that’s not thousands of dollars. So why would I sell this obviously under valued whisky for less than market value? I just don’t have a good reason except that I want people to enjoy and experience this and not covet and guard it. The color is nearly tawny. The nose is an explosive bouquet of rancio flavors – dried plums, old leather, fancy almond butter, dried spices – nutmeg, allspice, bay. The nose is so sweet and supple you almost expect the palate to be cloying, but the 92 proof keeps it from feeling flat or flabby. Lots of dark fruit, cocoa powder, Werther’s, roasted malt and old tropical hard woods. An absolutely unparalleled experienced at this price point.

Will Blakely | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 20, 2020

Nope. There’s nothing quite like it. Citrus and stone fruit with so much weight and richness on the palate, I might cry. Expertly blended, this avoids the pitfalls of a great deal of 35+ year-old malt, where all the fruit and acid of its youth is replaced by wood tannin and antique furniture. Tones of golden apple and juicy apricot remain, along with notes of their dried counterparts and deeply integrated oak and herbs that can only come from properly matured whisky. Round and dense and endlessly appealing, what it lacks in the nuance of, say, our Caperdonich barrel from Chieftain’s, it more than makes up for in the way it over-delivers on every penny of its cost. In this case, I can confidently say that older does mean better. Whether giving a gift or looking for a gem to add to your collection, this bottle is a no brainer.

Keith Mabry | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 05, 2020

What a stunning offering! Beautifully defined flavors of rich toasted grains, vanilla, allspice and cardamom. A rich and smooth palate lead to an incredibly long finish. A must for fans looking to step away from the bigger blending house styles.

ISLAY FESTIVAL

WITH THE WHISKY EXCHANGE

Islay’s wonderful annual festival might not be able to go ahead as planned this year, but we think the Queen of the Hebrides and its famous spirit are still well worth celebrating. As such, we’ve collected all the most exciting whisky-related bits and pieces we can from our favourite Scottish island, so that even if you can’t be at Fèis Ìle in person, you can at least feel like you’re there.

On the blog

VIRTUAL
ISLAY FESTIVAL

Islay’s distilleries are determined not to let lockdown ruin a good party, and are running virtual events so that as many people as possible might join in the fun. Rather generously, TWE drinks ambassador Billy Abbott has called around, collated all the info he can get his hands on, and compiled it all in one, easy blog post. Want to join in with the festivities? Click below to get the lowdown.

READ NOW

Special offers

ISLAY FESTIVAL DEALS

As ever, we’ve got some great deals on the go to ensure that you’re well-stocked with Fèis-appropriate drams. Pick up an old favourite or try something new from one of Islay’s younger distilleries – we’ve got all bases covered.

SHOP NOW

Port Askaig 12 Year Old Limited Edition

The joys of spring just got a little peatier thanks to the latest limited-edition release from Port Askaig. This 12-year-old single malt is brimming with notes of barbecued lemons, soft smoke and toffee, with hints of mint. Will it last until summer? Probably not.

BUY NOW

Old & Rare Islay Whisky

It’s not just new bottles we’ve been stacking our shelves with in recent weeks – a quick look at our new products will show that we’ve had more than a few old and rare Islay whiskies land in our warehouse. Come in and take a look around.

SHOP NOW

Top picks

Top 10 Islay Whiskies

Looking for a new bottle without scouring reviews and descriptions to ensure you’re getting great whisky? Think no more – any one of our Top 10 Islay Whiskies, hand-picked by The Whisky Exchange co-founder Sukhinder Singh and head buyer Dawn Davies MW, is sure to put a smile on your face.

SHOP NOW

THANKS FOR READING!THE WHISKY EXCHANGE TEAM

Ardbeg

Blaaack

Ardbeg Day 2020 Release

£94.00

ADD TO BASKET

The 2020 Ardbeg Day bottling has arrived! Released to mark twenty years of the Ardbeg Committee, this superb expression celebrates Ardbeg’s status as the Black Sheep of the whisky world. Matured in Pinot Noir wine casks from New Zealand, Ardbeg Blaaack is bold, powerful, and full bodied. The characteristic smoke and oiliness of classic Ardbeg are complemented by rich, sweet flavours of ripe summer fruits – a perfect marriage of sweet and savoury that will keep you coming baaack for more!

Although the regular Ardbeg Day festivities have been curtailed, it is impossible to tame the spirit of Ardbeg. Ardbeg Day will be celebrated online on 30th May 2020. “The Ardbeg Blaaack Whisky Trials” will be streamed on Ardbeg’s Facebook and Instagram pages, featuring whisky tastings, games, and lots of other Ardbeg inspired shenanigans.

Our latest online auction of Rare and Collectable Whisky is now live. It will run from 5pm on the 22^nd May to 5pm on the 29^th of May with fantastic selection to choose form. Are you looking for the perfect dram to sip of an evening?

Why not search through our online catalogue and you could find something suitable to see you through the summer months and beyond.

You can view the catalogue at www.mulberrybankauctions.com and bid through the-saleroom.com.

Stay safe and Good Luck!

TOMATIN’S LOCKDOWN WHISKY FESTIVAL RAISES VITAL FUNDS FOR MAGGIE’S HIGHLANDS
Popular event raises over £8,000 for cancer charity Maggie’s

18th May 2020 – Tomatin hosted its second virtual whisky festival on 9th May to raise much-needed funds for its charity partner, Maggie’s Highlands.

The event, which was live-streamed on Tomatin’s own YouTube channel, saw over 5,000 individuals tune in across the globe. The Highland distillery partnered with several other whisky brands, with a view to giving back to the community as they share their expertise and insights, and managed to raise over £8,000 for Maggie’s through the virtual event.

Maggie’s, a charity which provides free practical and emotional support to people living with cancer, is currently unable to see people face to face at their 26 centres across the UK and abroad, including its centre in Inverness, close to the Tomatin distillery, which offers support across the Highland’s region.

Maggie’s experts are now supporting people by phone, email and through their online community as they live with the added stress and anxiety of living with cancer, plus changes and delays to treatment and self-isolation.

Jennifer Masson, Head of Brand for Tomatin Single Malt commented: “We were so disappointed to not be able to support Maggie’s Highlands with their golf day last month, which usually raises around £60,000 in one day and unfortunately had to be cancelled. They require over half a million pounds a year in donations to operate so it really was a no-brainer when it came to who we would support.

“This event and the funds it has raised has made a huge difference to them, as well as providing entertainment to whisky fans the world over. We were amazed by the generosity shown by our viewers on the day, and beyond. We aimed to raise £5,000 and this was achieved during the live stream, and the donations continued to come in until today.”

Andrew Benjamin, Centre Manager of Maggie’s Highlands, added: “We feel very lucky that, even with everyone’s attention turned to other issues, Tomatin and other whisky brands have chosen to continue to show support. We have been humbled at how much of the support has come from Tomatin’s global audience, and we can’t thank them enough for doing this. It’ll go a long way to helping us to support people with cancer and their families over this difficult time. “

The recorded streams of both Lockdown Whisky Festivals are available to watch on the Tomatin Distillery YouTube channel.

Maggie’s Highlands are continuing to raise money to fund their online support capabilities, donations can be made at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/maggieshighlands.

Notes:

• Donations were received until 12 noon on Friday 15^th May here: www.justgiving.com/tomatinformaggies
• The total amount raised at 12 noon Friday 15^th May was £8,144.57

Tomatin Distillery has been producing and blending malt Scotch whisky since 1897. Over the last 50 years, the distillery has borne witness to vast change. At its peak in the 1970s, Tomatin was the largest distillery in the world operating 23 stills and producing 12 million litres of alcohol every year. Over the last decade, significant time has been invested in rediscovering the distillery, people and values, and in refining the business model to move away from the formerly lucrative bulk commodity market to now focus on Tomatin’s core range of single malts.

Tomatin is located in the Scottish Highlands (near Inverness) and is famous for its portfolio of soft and mellow whiskies, including a core range, a limited-edition range and a premium archive range (prices range from £35 – £10,000). In the last ten years, Tomatin has secured over 60 prestigious awards in a variety of categories, and in 2019 the distillery celebrated its most successful year ever at the San Francisco World Spirit Competition, securing seven Double Gold awards and four Gold awards.

Participating brands:

Blanton’s
That Boutique-y Whisky Company
Douglas Laing
Glengoyne
Mackmyra
Old Pulteney
Raasay
Tamdhu
Tomatin Highland Single Malt

The Glenlivet Spectra – can you solve the puzzle?

The Glenlivet is a tricksy whisky. While the distillery is normally quite transparent about how it makes its whisky, once a year they release a bottle where they hide all the details. First Alpha, then Cipher and Code, and now the latest in the range: The Glenlivet Spectra.

A riddle wrapped in an enigma

The conceit is simple. Firstly: here’s a whisky, and we’re not going to tell you anything about it that we’re not legally obliged to – strength, size of the bottle, ‘single malt Scotch whisky’ and not much more. Then: taste it, write tasting notes and compare them to what master blender/distiller/everything else Alan Winchester thought. And finally: they’ll let you know how closely your thoughts matched up with Alan’s with a percentage score.

Good whisky, a bit of a game, and a score at the end – what more could you want?

What about three whiskies?

If one’s good, why not three?

This year’s release is called Glenlivet Spectra and rather than being one whisky, it’s three, showing the range of flavour you can get from a single distillery – the spectrum of flavour, if you will.

We don’t have any information about the whiskies themselves, but they have been deliberately created to be very different-tasting whiskies while still all being Glenlivet.

And rather different each of the three is.

Oh, SPOILER ALERT: if you don’t want to know anything about the whiskies, jump to the bottom of the post and ignore my tasting notes.

The Glenlivet Spectra

Spectra #1

Nose: Fresh and floral – vanilla, grass and meadows. Nice biscuits and a hint of lemon. Apple and ripe pear notes develop along with caramel shortbread.

Palate: Light, delicate and creamy: apples, pears and green leaves. The floral notes from the nose build, along with more biscuits and a touch of lemon shortbread.

Finish: Damp oak and twiggy hints, with stewed pear and a touch of earthiness.

Comment: This is a zesty and rather traditional take on Glenlivet – light, floral and delicate.

Spectra #2

Nose: What’s happening here? Sweet barbecue sauce, burning wood and a handful of singed leaves? This not what I expect from Glenlivet… Damp peat smoke, menthol and fresh sea breeze follow. Floral notes and crisp apple develop.

Palate: Soft, rounded and focused on charred wood. Roasted bananas on a beach barbecue with salty air whipping around. Pears and creosote appear, accompanied by lemon, grapefruit and a good sprinkling of salt.

Finish: Maritime and smoky – burnt toffee and zingy toffee apples.

Comment: This is not what I expected. It’s still got the orchard fruit and flowers you’d expect from Glenlivet, but someone’s set them on fire.

Spectra #3

Nose: Vanilla toffee with a hint of mint to start. Soft spice builds with fudge and leafy hints. Creamy apple, orange, peach and spongecake follow.

Palate: Very creamy, with loads of spiced apple sauce and a touch of clove-studded orange. Wine-poached pears are drizzled with toffee sauce and crumbled spiced biscuits.

Finish: A burst of mint and menthol is washed away by cream and apple sauce. Hints of charcoal and char build, along with mint.

Comment: Rich, rounded and creamy, this hints at the first whisky while making its way straight to the after-dinner drinks trolley.

Glenlivet Spectra is on sale now >

Final thoughts

SPOILERS OVER

In short: mission accomplished – these are all definitely Glenlivet, but they are all very much their own drams. From zingy to smoky to rich and toffee-laden, it’s a demonstration that with a few tweaks here and there in the whisky-making process can lead to a very different end result.

The Glenlivet Spectra website offers a headphones-recommended multimedia experience – accessed via a QR code on the (rather excellent) box – which adds sound and vision to the whisky-tasting experience before you give your tasting notes, and they help steer you in the direction of Alan Winchester’s take on the drams.

Everyone will get something different from these, so don’t pay attention to your score (and I’m not only saying that because one of mine was only 60% – I also got a 90%, so it all evens out) – it’s a fun way of pulling apart the flavours you can find in one of the world’s favourite whiskies.