Thank you to everyone for your incredible support and understanding throughout this difficult time. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us personally, economically and emotionally. We know you may have questions regarding our auctions and we wanted to address these as best we can in the current circumstances. Please be reassured we will return, and when we do – it will be with the same high quality auction you have come to expect from us.

Q: Why are auctions postponed? 

It’s been asked why we have taken the decision to postpone our auctions as a result of the COVID-19 crisis while other auctions are still running. There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, and above all else is the safety of our team, suppliers and customers. Each and every bottle that is bought and sold undertakes a journey with us. When we receive a bottle it’s booked in and checked by our expert handlers. Every bottle is then individually processed through photography with descriptions before making its way into the auction. Throughout the auction we carry on this process for the following month. At auction end our finance department track payments and process for all of our buyers and sellers. Each order is then passed to our logistics team who process shipping worldwide, liaise with our couriers and packing team who then carefully pack the bottles ready for uplift. This process has ensured over the years that we have the highest quality offering for our customers globally, it’s a team effort to process every single lot that features in our auction. Could this be done from home? Not without comprising the quality of listings, the safety of lots and efficiency of the auction.

Following government advice we absolutely could not ask our team to come into the office to process the auction (as much as they would love to!) to protect them and their families during this difficult time. As much as we love a good dram, and in line with government rules, we simply cannot justify the auction as essential work at this time.

We are always very transparent with our business, we were the first whisky auction site in the UK and the original idea was honestly never really about making money, it was about sharing a passion for whisky with the world, while making auctions accessible for all. That’s why our fees are always the same for everyone, regardless of size or value of collection.
It’s that ethos that has seen our auction grow from hundreds of lots per month to thousands worldwide. We always aim to do the very best for all of our customers, buyers and sellers.

The COVID-19 crisis has put financial pressure on people all over the world, could we be confident going live that transactions would be successful? In a fast changing economic climate a bidder could very well find themselves unable to pay, a seller may not get the price they had expected or indeed may not be paid by the buyer, which makes it a disappointing scenario for everyone. Our extensive courier network are working hard to cope in exceptional circumstances but again, taking capacity from them for non essential services and needs to ship bottles would in our view be the wrong thing to do in the current climate.

Q: When will auctions restart?

We would love to be able to give you a definitive date however we are in the same situation as everyone else, we await government advice as the COVID-19 situation develops. We are simply following government rules that all non-essential business should close and for the reasons above we cannot work from home without compromising the quality of our auction. We are awaiting the review later this week on lockdown measures and if there is any indication of an end date we will be very quick to let everyone know. Our auctions are simply paused, not cancelled. Within days of being advised that it’s safe to return we can have our auction live. Auction 108 will go live as originally planned. All bottles are currently stored in our climate and light controlled secure storage facility. You can rest assured your bottles are safe and fully insured.

We appreciate that this is a difficult time for everyone and we truly hope you understand that by postponing the auction we are not only following Government rules we are putting people before profit, the health and safety of everyone involved has got to come first.

We thank everyone for the hundreds of messages, emails and calls of support throughout this trying time and we sincerely look forward to welcoming you all back to our auctions very soon. It goes without saying that our team are as frustrated as you are, we are passionate about what we do and we hope that you understand our position. We are all in this together.

Wishing you all the best from Glasgow, stay safe and well and we look forward to getting back to normal as quickly as we safely can.

Sincerely

Thomas Gardiner
Scotch Whisky Auctions

Bunnahabhain — meaning ‘mouth of the river’ in Gaelic, stands at the mouth of the Margadale Spring on the shores of the Sound of Islay on the island’s remote North East coast. Founded in 1883, much of the spirit was produced for blending and it wasn’t until 1979 that the standard 12 Year Old Single Malt was released.

Historically Bunnahabhain produced a peated whisky, not unlike many others from Islay. However, since the 1960’s the vast majority has been unpeated. These days, only around 20% of the output is peated, which is primarily used for the heavily peated Toiteach a Dha, and some other limited bottlings, setting it apart from many of the other Islay distilleries.

The large stills produce a light and delicate new make that has traditionally been filled into ex-Sherry casks, adding a sweet fruitiness, and spice. When matured in refill or ex-Bourbon casks, the whiskies display a fresh saltiness, a reflection perhaps of the distillery’s coastal location. It’s this distinctively oily, unpeated style of whisky that has made its name with whisky fans the world over.

BROWSE OUR FULL BUNNAHABHAIN RANGE HERE

Smokehead TV is back for episode 2 this Sunday 19th at 5pm – ‘Rock-in cocktails’ featuring friend of Smokehead – Gaz Jones.

Gaz is an ambassador for Coca-Cola Signature mixers – delicious little bottles of delight co-created with top mixologists to mix with premium dark spirits. We’ll be unleashing our High Voltage Smokehead and showing you what drinks harness its electrically smoky appeal. And paying tribute to music tracks that we at Smokehead think capture our upbeat outlier way we like to look at things.

Mikey Sim will be mixing Smokehead cocktails along to the tracks and if it all works out – it’ll be amazing! Grab a bottle and join us this Sunday.

Stay safe, stay indoors, Smokeheads.

SHOP NOW

During this challenging time, £1 from the sale of each bottle purchased from www.smokehead.com will be donated to the Drinks Trust and The Ben to support their mission of providing care and support to our hospitality colleagues.

Yoshino Spirits Co.’s KAMIKI Sakura Cask Finish – Launch

Osaka, JAPAN, 4th April 2020– Yoshino Spirits Co. has launched “World’s First Sakura & Yoshino Sugi Cask Finish Whisky Brand’ under Kamiki Whisky portfolio firstly in U.K. market and now available for global export this month.

Following on from the acclaimed Kamiki and Kamiki Intense expressions – the first whiskies matured in Japanese Cedar wood – this exciting new expression takes the brand an innovative step further, this time with a finish in Sakura wood, or Japanese Cherry Blossom as it is more commonly known.

This new expression is finished in Japanese Cedar wood, just like the two before it, before being transferred to casks made from the famous Sakura tree for further finishing. Kamiki Sakura Wood already picked up awards, winning a Gold Award at the China Wine & Spirits Awards 2019, a Double Gold at the Women’s Wine & Spirits Awards 2019, a Platinum Award at SIP Awards 2019, a Double Gold from Las Vegas Spirit 2019 Awards, Double Gold at Cigar & Spirits Magazine 2019, Innovation and Consumer Choice Awards at SIP Awards 2019.

About Yoshino Spirits Co.
Yoshino is a private company based in Osaka, exporting finest Japanese whisky, wine and spirits to the world. For more information please visit www.yoshinospirits.com

LOCH LOMOND GROUP GOES PLATINUM AT

2020 SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION 

• Loch Lomond 12 Year Old Single Malt and Glen Scotia 25 Year Old Single Malt both receive platinum honour at prestigious awards
• Loch Lomond Group records twelve separate medals in total

Loch Lomond Group has enjoyed one of its most impressive sets of results at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition this year, receiving twelve separate awards, including two coveted platinum medals for its Loch Lomond 12 Year Old Single Malt and Glen Scotia 25 Year Old Single Malt.

This was the 20th San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of the most respected and influential awards in the industry, which this year received over 3,000 entries.

The platinum medals were introduced last year and recognise brands that win a Double Gold or Best in Class for three consecutive years. This year only seven platinum medals were awarded across the entire Scotch category. To date only 17 platinum medals have been awarded across all categories in the competition.

Ten further awards were collected, including Double Gold for both Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 12 Year Old and Loch Lomond 18 Year Old; four gold awards for Glen Scotia Double Cask, Glen Scotia Victoriana, Glen Scotia 18 Year Old and Loch Lomond Inchmoan 12 Year Old; and four silvers for Glen Scotia 15 Year Old, Loch Lomond Original, High Commissioner Blended Scotch and Ben Lomond Gin.

John Grieveson, Chief Marketing Officer, Loch Lomond Group commented: “We are extremely proud to have received such a strong set of results at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition this year, and we’re especially pleased to have received two platinum awards for Loch Lomond 12 Year Old, such a central expression in our Loch Lomond Whisky range, and for our Glen Scotia 25 Year Old Single Malt. It’s a real testament to the skill of the team, headed up by our Master Distiller Michael Henry, who work so hard to ensure that our range consistently delivers whiskies of the very highest quality.

“In these challenging times for everyone, it’s a very welcome boost for the whole team to receive this level of recognition from such a prestigious awards body.”

Loch Lomond 12 Year Old is a beautifully balanced whisky with a deep fruity character and hints of peat and smoke. Matured in three different cask types – bourbon, refill and re-charred – the expertly crafted single malt delivers notes of crisp green apple, ripe pear and refreshing lemon while the taste is fruity, vanilla and biscuit.  Visit www.lochlomondwhiskies.com for more information.

Glen Scotia 25 Year Old is gently matured in our finest American oak barrels before being married in first fill bourbon before bottling. The signature nose has hints of vanilla oak, interwoven with the subtle notes of sea spray and spicy aromatic fruits. Visit www.glenscotia.com for more information.

For more information about The Loch Lomond Group visit www.lochlomondgroup.com.

Notes:

About the Loch Lomond Group

• Loch Lomond Group is an independent distiller based in Alexandria and is home to several award-winning brands that are sold in more than 125 countries worldwide.
• Loch Lomond Group brands include Loch Lomond Whiskies, Glen Scotia, Littlemill, High Commissioner, Glen’s Vodka and Ben Lomond Gin.
• Loch Lomond distillery has been producing the finest single malt whiskies since 1814.
• Images and interviews with key staff from the Group are available upon request. www.lochlomondgroup.com

About the San Francisco World Spirits Competition

• The San Francisco World Spirits Competition was founded in 2000 as a way to recognise exceptional products in the spirits industry and is considered to be one of the most influential spirits competitions in the world.
• The 51 judges of the 2020 Competition are established spirits-industry experts, including:
• Anthony Dias Blue (Executive Director), author, editor, publisher, and one of the most influential food, wine, and spirits writers and lifestyle personalities in the U.S.A.
• Tony Abou-Ganim (Director of Judging), the Master-Mixologist, one of the leading pioneers of America’s craft cocktail movement
• Julie Reiner, the renowned bartender who brought New York’s Flatiron Lounge and Clover Club rave reviews and top rankings among the best bars in the world
• Jeffrey Morgenthaler, of Clyde Common at Portland’s Ace Hotel, named America’s Bartender of the Year and the country’s Best Cocktail and Spirits Writer at the 2016 Spirited Awards
• More information about all SFWSC 2020 judges can be found at sfspiritscomp.com/about/judges/

SUPPORT U.S. BARTENDERS BY BLENDING YOUR OWN WHISTLEPIG WHISKEY AT HOME

Flaviar crowdsources new WhistlePig HomeStock Whiskey from armchair blenders

Flaviar, the world’s largest spirits community, has teamed up with WhistlePig Whiskey, the leading  distiller in the fast growing, ultra-premium and luxury rye whiskey category, to deliver scores of ‘Blend your own whiskey kits’ direct to its members’ doors this month ahead of a virtual blending event intended to lift spirits in this difficult time of social distancing.

Flaviar will provide a rare opportunity for spirits lovers to come together and participate in an innovative blending experience. Following on the heels of the award-winning Farmstock Series, which WhistlePig previously used as their innovative blending platform, the crowd creation of WhistlePig HomeStock Whiskey will harness the creativity of whiskey lovers from across the U.S., calling on them to select their perfect combination of Rye, Wheat, and Barley Whiskey.

The result will be a unique, limited whiskey release, WhistlePig HomeStock Whiskey. Available this Spring, WhistlePig will donate 20% of online bottle sales via Flaviar and Caskers to the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) Foundation’s Bartender Emergency Assistance Program providing funds for its COVID-19 Relief Grants that will assist those currently out of work or in financial distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Flaviar members can apply online to receive their blending kit, complete with blending tools, component base whiskeys and instructions from WhistlePig’s Master Blender, Pete Lynch. They can then put their exacting taste buds to the test and see if they have what it takes to create a winning blend. Flaviar members will be encouraged to donate at various touch points in the campaign including during the live blending session and when purchasing a bottle of WhistlePig HomeStock.

Flaviar’s community of whiskey enthusiasts will submit their preferred blend to an expert panel for consideration and tune in for a live-streamed tasting at the end of April. The top three blends crowd-sourced from members will be recreated live on air by WhistlePig’s Pete Lynch, with members able to blend and taste alongside them, then vote for their favorite in a live poll. The winning recipe from this virtual crowd-blending experiment, will then be bottled and released as WhistlePig HomeStock Whiskey, Blended Together, While Apart.

Pete Lynch, Master Blender at WhistlePig Rye Whiskey: “The most important thing we can do right now is stay home. By inviting people to blend whiskey at home, we hope to create a sense of community among fans, while raising some valuable funds for our friends in the bar industry. FarmStock has been one of our most exciting whiskey journeys, and we’re thrilled to partner with Flaviar to continue that story with HomeStock.”

Grisa Soba, co-founder of Flaviar adds: “If someone asks ten year’s from now, ‘what did you do during the lockdown? I bet they won’t expect you to say ‘I learned how to blend a whiskey’. Our members have pretty refined palates and so we’re confident with a little guidance from Pete, the concoctions they craft at home will ensure WhistlePig HomeStock will be a dram to savor.”

The WhistlePig HomeStock Blending Kits are available exclusively to Flaviar members to claim until April 17, 2020. To join Flaviar and experience great events like ‘HomeStock’ live blending, plus a quarterly spirits delivery shipped direct to your door, monthly shipping credits and access to a curated range of craft spirits, hidden gems and classic favorites and more, visit Flaviar.com.

https://flaviar.com/whistlepig-crowdblending

ABOUT FLAVIAR 

Founded in 2012, Flaviar is the world’s largest premium spirits club, with operations in the US and Europe. Flaviar offers a better way to experience fine spirits.

Flaviar members enjoy a full suite of benefits including quarterly tasting boxes and full-size bottles sent directly to their home, invitations to exclusive virtual spirits events, access to rare and original spirits available only to members, free shipping, over 200K member reviews and more.

Flaviar is here to help more people try more new things more often. Flaviar membership is $300 per year, or $95 a quarter.

For more information visit www.flaviar.com You’ve got to try this!

ABOUT WHISTLEPIG RYE WHISKEY

Founded in 2008, WhistlePig Rye Whiskey is the premier aged rye whiskey, featuring the bold and often untapped flavor of rye. WhistlePig Whiskey is leading a surge of innovation in the emerging field of North American whiskey. As the most decorated rye whiskey – having received the coveted ‘Best in Show Whiskey’ title from the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, WhistlePig is widely viewed as the world’s finest Rye. With the opening of its distillery on its 500-acre Vermont farm in the fall of 2015, WhistlePig has also become one of the leading farm-to-bottle rye whiskeys in the world. For additional information please visit whistlepigwhiskey.com. Please enjoy WhistlePig Rye Whiskey Responsibly.

ABOUT THE UNITED STATES BARTENDERS’ GUILD

Founded in 1948, the United States Bartenders’ Guild®️ is a non-profit professional society of bartenders and other hospitality professionals uniting the hospitality community to advance professional bartending. The USBG believes that every US bartender achieves greater personal and professional success by connecting to diverse local and national hospitality communities. Through our network of over 40 communities nationwide, the USBG connects members with peer-to-peer learning, expert instruction, community service projects, and skills-based competition. Learn more at www.usbg.org.

ABOUT THE USBG NATIONAL CHARITY FOUNDATION:

The USBG National Charity Foundation’s mission is to advance the lifelong stability and well-being of service industry professionals through education and charitable activities. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programming that focuses on social responsibility, community service, and philanthropy. You can learn more about the NCF at www.usbgfoundation.org.

ABOUT THE BARTENDER EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM:

The purpose of the Bartender Emergency Assistance Program is to assist those in the bar industry who are in need of assistance as a result of a catastrophic event or an emergency hardship. Fire, weather, medical, national crisis, or a family emergency, the BEAP is here to assist bartenders in their time of need.  Our goal is to assist as many qualified industry members as possible each and every year. We are striving to ensure that the BEAP is sustained as a safety net for those in the industry who need it most. Our hope is that you will support us to “help us serve those who serve us.” www.usbgfoundation.org/beap

AMERICAN OAK REFILL

The newest label from our Cask Variations Series, American Oak Refill, is finally ready for release. Today we are releasing two single casks side by side – TD0080 and TD0082 – the first ever bottling under the Sullivans Cove American Oak Refill label.

This exciting new whisky represents an evolution in the Sullivans Cove style. Unlike our standard American Oak ex-bourbon single cask label, these casks have never held bourbon. Originally commissioned by Sullivans Cove direct from the cooperage in the mid 1990s as virgin casks, they were first filled with an older batch of Sullivans Cove single malt whisky. Once that first batch was decanted and bottled, these casks were refilled with new make spirit. Thirteen years later, that refill spirit has reached its peak and is finally ready for release as Sullivans Cove American Oak Refill Cask.

According to legendary whisky writer Dave Broom, “Refill casks are so useful because they give a more gentle maturation, reduce wood’s influence, allow more interaction to take place (adding to complexity) and preserve character. They are essential for long-term maturation.”

To read more about the magic of refill casks, check our journal article

HERE

Normally we would release one cask online and make the other available via our Cellar Door, but because we have had to close to the public due to the COVID-19 outbreak, this time we’re releasing both casks to our mailing list, giving you twice the chance to secure a bottle. Very similar in age, style and flavour profile, these twin 300-litre American oak casks have both been aged for over thirteen years.

“Take your expectations and throw them out the window. This whisky is fascinating to both the palate and the mind.”
– Heather Tillott, Head Distiller

While these casks are remarkably similar, detailed tasting notes for each can be found on their respective product pages via the link below.

Please Note: Purchase of this release is strictly limited to one bottle from each cask per person.

Click the link below to purchase.

Normally we would release one cask online and make the other available via our Cellar Door, but because we have had to close to the public due to the COVID-19 outbreak, this time we’re releasing both casks to our mailing list, giving you twice the chance to secure a bottle. Very similar in age, style and flavour profile, these twin 300-litre American oak casks have both been aged for over thirteen years.

“Take your expectations and throw them out the window. This whisky is fascinating to both the palate and the mind.”
– Heather Tillott, Head Distiller

While these casks are remarkably similar, detailed tasting notes for each can be found on their respective product pages via the link below.

Please Note:

Purchase of this release is strictly limited to one bottle from each cask per person.

Click the link below to purchase.

PURCHASE NOW

Please Note:

Due to new health & safety policies implemented by Australia Post, and the reduction in domestic air traffic as a result of the COVID 19 outbreak, there may be some minor delays to shipping. Please don’t hesitate to email us with any questions!

BROWSE OUR FULL TOBERMORY RANGE HERE

BROWSE OUR FULL LEDAIG RANGE HERE

Welcome to this weeks episode of the show in which I’ll be taking a look at a relatively new independent bottling company called Heroes & Heretics.

https://youtu.be/I0aRfUedp3Y

RAASAY RISING CASK PROGRAMME – LAUNCH

JOIN THE ‘45 AND RESERVE YOUR PIECE OF SCOTCH WHISKY HISTORY 

The Isle of Raasay Distillery has today (Thursday 9^th April) launched an exclusive cask membership programme: the Raasay Rising.

The first 45 casks ever filled at the distillery have been made available as part of the ’45 cask offering, in a nod to Bonnie Prince Charlie’s time hiding out on Raasay following the 1745 Jacobite rising.

These historic 45 American oak bourbon barrels (190 litre) were used to mature the island’s lightly peated inaugural spirit that is now finishing maturation in Bordeaux red wine casks.

Whisky lovers and collectors alike can become part of the ’45 and personally fill their own cask on Raasay with their choice of peated or unpeated Raasay spirit, while ’hiding out’ for a night at the distillery’s whisky hotel. If they can’t make it to Raasay to fill their cask, they can visit their sleeping single malt at a later date. They will also receive a bottle of the distillery’s inaugural Isle of Raasay Single Malt later this year.

Isle of Raasay Distillery Co-founder Alasdair Day said:

“The first ’45 casks ever filled on Raasay, an island rooted in centuries of illicit distilling, hold a very special place in our distillery’s history.

“Rich in sweet vanilla and butterscotch flavours, with hints of smokiness from our lightly peated inaugural spirit, these bourbon casks are available with your choice of heavily peated or unpeated Raasay spirit.

“The Raasay Rising experience includes a night in our whisky hotel and one of the first bottles of our inaugural Isle of Raasay Single Malt later this year, before enjoying the contents of your single cask single malt after 10 years’ maturation, or even longer if you’d prefer.”

Each cask will yield hundreds of 70cl or 75cl bottles, lovingly packaged on the Isle of Raasay in our bespoke Scotch whisky bottle.

For further information, please email sales@raasaydistillery.com.

NOTES 

Raasay Rising Cask Brochure

Raasay Rising offer:

• Cask price: £4,000. Payment plans available, please email sales@raasaydistillery.com.
• Spend a night ‘hiding out’ on Raasay at the Isle of Raasay Distillery’s whisky hotel.
• An Isle of Raasay Distillery tour for two at our five-star Visitor Centre plus the chance to fill your own cask and sample the new-make spirit.
• A complimentary bottle of our Inaugural Isle of Raasay Single Malt release, the same spirit matured in the ‘45 casks.
• Isle of Raasay Distillery Cask Owner Certificate including our new single malt branding and cask owner’s keyring.
• Exclusive invitations to immersive Cask Owner Experiences at the Isle of Raasay Distillery and Manor Place tasting room in Edinburgh.

The Isle of Raasay Distillery facts:

• Capacity: 188,000 LPA
• Mash Tun: 1 Tonne
• Washback Size: 6 x 5,000 L
• Fermentation Time: up to 118 hours

• Wash Still: 5,000 L
• Spirit Still: 3,600 L
• Maturation: All maturation takes place on the Isle of Raasay.

For further information, please contact: pr@raasaydistillery.com. Please note, the distillery is currently taking a hiatus from distillation due to COVID-19.

Raasay Distillery, Borodale House, Isle of Raasay, Kyle IV40 8PB raasaydistillery.com
Instagram/ Facebook: @raasaydistillery, Twitter: @RaasayWhisky