NEW WHISKIES IN STOCK

Eight brand new single cask whiskies as well as Velvet Fig Aged 25 Years are now available on wemyssmalts.com online shop.

Included are several rich, sherry cask matured Bunnahabhains and an outstanding bottling of single grain named ‘Candies Chestnuts’. Three Speyside single casks are also included and each showcase a rounded and refreshing fruity character.

Stocks for the eight single cask is very limited so grab a bottle while you can.

SHOP WEMYSS MALTS FULL RANGE

Welcome to this weeks episode of the show in which I’ll be reviewing a selection of Lidl own brand bottlings. Are they good value for money?

https://youtu.be/KTKhHkEZILk

THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF VELVET FIG BY WEMYSS MALTS NOW AS A 25 YEAR OLD LIMITED EDITION RELEASE.

Wemyss Malts continues its 15th Anniversary celebrations this year with the triumphant return of Velvet Fig in the form of a 25 year old Sherry cask blended malt composed from casks of Highlands, Speyside and unpeated Islay whiskies.

Velvet Fig was Wemyss Malts first limited edition blended malt released back in 2014 and received its flavour led name in reference to the rich flavours from the sherry cask maturation.

The release was hugely successful and Velvet Fig later went on to win the Best Scotch Blended Malt at the 2015 World Whisky Awards. The original Velvet Fig is now sadly finished (except perhaps for a few bottles squirreled away by savvy whisky fans) and is still often fondly remembered and talked about among Wemyss Malts fan. With such fan reverence Wemyss Malts tasked themselves to bring back Velvet Fig and continue their exploration into sherry cask matured malt whiskies.

In 2019, Isabella Wemyss, Production Director for Wemyss Malts secured 5 casks of exceptional 1994 vintage sherry cask matured malt whisky from undisclosed Highlands and Speyside single malt distilleries and the blending team used these as the base to develop the new premium age statement Velvet Fig recipe.

Blender and Brand Manager for Wemyss Malts Steven Shand commented:

“With the Speyside and Highland casks as the base of the whisky we set about combining additional old casks of whisky from our stocks to add a velvety body, richness and complex wood tannin. By carefully selecting and adding several 1988 vintage casks of unpeated, sherry matured Bunnahabhain’s as the final 29% of the recipe we were able to achieve an aroma, flavour and body that did justice to the Velvet Fig name.”

The resulting whisky is an exquisitely fruity, rich and complex malt whisky with aromas of antique wood, vintage leather and velvety flavours of dark fruits and chocolate. It has the natural colour of deep copper and has been bottled non chill-filtered at 42.3%abv and carries a 25 year old age statement.

The whisky was unveiled at Wemyss Malts 15th anniversary celebration at Gosford House on the 4th of February and was initially preview released to Wemyss Malts Cask Club members.

The release will be available in the UK, EU and Asia as of the 25th of February with a suggested retail price of £126 in various spirits retailers and from wemysmalts.com.

Wemyss Malts Cask Club members will be posting their own reviews of Velvet Fig Aged 25 Years via Instagram from Monday the 24th to Thursday the 27th of February. You can find out what their thoughts are by following @wemyssmalts and the hashtag #WMCaskClub.

Notes 

 Edinburgh based Wemyss Malts is family run company operated by brother and sister William and Isabella Wemyss. The Wemyss family Castle has been home to the family since the 1300s and is featured in the company logo.
 The Wemyss Malts Cask Club, launched in 2019 offers members access to exclusive bottlings, previews of new releases, competitions and the latest news. Membership is free and can be joined via www.wemyssmalts.com/cask-club
 Wemyss Malts craft blended malt whiskies such as The Hive, Spice King and Peat Chimneyas well as Batch Strength versions and single cask whiskies.
 The Wemyss family premium wines and spirits brands also include Kingsbarns Single Malt,Lord Elcho blended Scotch whisky and Darnley’s Gin, together with the premium wine estate of Rimauresq Cru Classé in Cotes de Provence.

Saturday, March 7th 3-7PM: 

Scotch Tasting: Glen Grant with Robin Coupar 

Join us for a tasting of Glen Grant single malt scotch, presented by whisky expert and reknowned brand ambassador Robin Coupar! Established in 1840, the centuries-old Speyside malt remains one of the biggest selling single malts in the world. Guest will be treated to rare favorites and new releases from the centuries old distillery, with whisky experts present for all your scotch questions.

 Click Here to RSVP 

(or email us at info@whiskyshopusa.com)

Strathclyde 50 Year Old 1969

The first TWB exclusive for 2020 starts with a bang! A grand old single grain whisky from Glasgow’s Strathclyde distillery. This single barrel was distilled in September 1969 – in the same month The Beatles released their last album ‘Abbey Road’ and John Lennon departed, the first ATM in the USA appeared and Scooby-Doo arrived on the scene! Just 150 numbered bottles.

Shop – Strathclyde 50 Year Old 1969 – £399.95

I haven’t been able to try this whisky for a long time, thankfully it’s now available and I can lay my bearded hands on it! Matured in bourbon and sherry casks for most of its life and then finished in the finest of port casks, Bushmilld 16YO has this wonderfully coca-cola, syrupy, cherry notes strewn throughout. A truly delightful whisky to drink. Cheers!

https://youtu.be/4WGzptWZ_20

Buffalo Trace Distillery Announces

Blanton’s Gold will be Available in the U.S. 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Feb 27, 2020) Fans of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon have long asked for the Gold Edition to be available in the United States. This summer those bourbon lovers will get their wish. Available as a limited release in 2020, Blanton’s Gold will be released once every year in the U.S.

This is the first time the Blanton’s Gold Edition has been made available in the U.S. Previously the only version of the Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon available to fans stateside was the Original Single Barrel, bottled at 93 proof. While Blanton’s Original will still be available, the Gold Edition is now joining the ranks.

“We’ve seen Blanton’s soar in popularity over the last few years, and fans have asked us for the Gold version in the U.S. too,” said Kris Comstock, senior marketing director. “We’re thrilled to fulfill their requests this summer.”

The 103 proof Blanton’s Gold Edition is the same recipe as Blanton’s Original, but the proof is greater.  The bottle showcases a horse and jockey atop its stopper, in various poses to mimic running a horse race. The eight different horse and jockey stoppers feature a letter that collectors save to spell out the brand name “B-L-A-N-T-O-N-S.”  The horse and jockey on the Gold Edition is gold in color.

Tasting notes for Blanton’s Gold describe it as having a nose marked by honey, heavy rye, dried fruits, vanilla, and chocolate. The taste is described as full and rich, marked by apricot, butter, pepper, light honey, and oak. The finish has been called long, with toffee and apple, developing on pecan and caramel.

Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon is the world’s first single barrel bourbon, created in 1984 by Elmer T. Lee. Named after former distillery president Colonel Albert B. Blanton, Elmer recalled how Colonel Blanton would handpick “honey barrels” from the center cut of Warehouse H for the many parties Blanton held.  Many years later, the Distillery called upon Elmer to create a new bourbon in 1984 and Blanton’s was born – the world’s first single barrel bourbon.

Today, Blanton’s Single Barrel has become one of the most revered and award-winning bourbons on the market.  The Blanton’s Gold Edition was the second version created, after the Original 93 proof.  Gold will be available in the U.S. on a very limited basis for a suggested retail price of $120.  For more information on Blanton’s Gold Edition visit www.blantonsbourbon.com.

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 1773 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

STOCK PHOTO

SOUGHT-AFTER JAPANESE AND SCOTCH WHISKIES

LEAD SOTHEBY’S SALES ON 18 MARCH 2020 

*Featuring the oldest Macallan and Karuizawa ever bottled*

 Finest & Rarest Spirits

Highlighted by:

Karuizawa 52 Year Old Cask #5627 Zodiac Rat 1960

*Coinciding with the Year of the Rat in the Chinese Zodiac Calendar*

Four Private Collection Decanters Numbered “1” Directly from Gordon & MacPhail

Complete Collection of The Macallan Six Pillars and the Macallan 72 Year Old 

Finest & Rarest Spirits

87 Lots with a Pre-Sale Estimate of £842,420 – 1.6 Million

Sotheby’s Finest & Rarest Spirits features the oldest Macallan and Karuizawa ever bottled alongside landmarks of luxury in the world of whisky.

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Spirits Specialist, commented: “We are delighted to present such a strong selection of bottles consigned directly from producers as well as from private collections to begin our 2020 sales in London. Among the most exciting bottles in this sale are the Gordon & MacPhail Private Decanters, all of which are numbered 1 of their respective outturn. This is the first time that any number 1 decanter from G&M has been offered for sale rather than kept within the Urquhart Family archives. Offering these alongside such iconic bottles as Karuizawa 52 Year old from Cask #5627 and so many Macallan in Lalique decanters showcases the strength of current demand for the very best in the world of whisky.”

Finest & Rarest Spirits features the highly sought after Karuizawa 52 Year Old Cask #5627 Zodiac Rat 1960, the most coveted bottle from this closed Japanese distillery that is fortuitously offered this year, the Year of the Rat. In 2018, a bottle of this Japanese single malt broke the record for the most expensive bottle of Japanese whisky ever sold at auction, superseded several months later by a rare bottle of Yamazaki 50 Year Old 1^st Edition.

Among the most notable bottlings in this auction is an impeccable array of old Gordon & MacPhail releases from previous decades with vintages stretching back to the 1930s, which culminate in a collection of four highly aged and very limited Crystal Decanters from the G&M Private Collection. These decanters have been consigned to Sotheby’s directly from the Urquhart family and each is number 1 out its respective outturn. This is the first time that any decanter numbered “#1” has been released for sale from Gordon & MacPhail rather than being kept in the Urquhart family’s own collection.

A truly impeccable lineup of aged Macallan Whiskies ranges from an independently bottled 48 Year Old through an unbroken vertical of The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection – six crystal decanters ranging from 50 to 65 years old, rarely seen in an unbroken vertical – to the inimitable 72 Year Old Genesis Decanter, the oldest whisky to be released from this exemplary distillery.

An Extremely Rare Aged Bourbon at a Jaw-Dropping Price
Doc Swinson’s 15 Year Old “Rare Release” Exploratory Cask Series Nonchillfiltered Small Batch Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 

Our spirits team really outdid themselves with this rare, one-of-a-kind opportunity. They’ve secured a parcel of a limited release Kentucky bourbon at a shockingly affordable price. As anyone who’s been watching the whiskey market will already know, aged bourbons from Kentucky have become some of the most desirable bottles around. The result is a demand that far outstrips supply, forcing pricing into the stratosphere with many of the top bottlings selling well above the $200 mark. We simply couldn’t believe our good fortune we when tasted this powerhouse and then learned we could offer it for a very affordable $149.99. This is handily one of the best opportunities in aged bourbon we’ve ever encountered. Remarkably the price is only part of the story, as the Doc Swinson’s 15 Year is outlandishly delicious and is one of the best examples we’ve encountered in some time. While we did secure a sizable allocation, there’s not a lot to go around and based on the price, we expect our stock to sell out in a flash. Bourbon collectors will want to run, not walk, to secure this awesome value.

Doc Swinson’s 15 Year Old “Rare Release” Exploratory Cask Series Nonchillfiltered Small Batch Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) ($149.99) —This product is expected to arrive for shipment or pickup by April 2020.

Opportunities like this one are about as rare as hen’s teeth in the whisky world. Even more unusual about this incredible offering is the climate we’re in today. Bourbon is absolutely on fire. Anyone with any interest in alcohol is aware that old bourbon is next to impossible to get. Even if you get access to whisky over 12 years old, it’s likely valued by the seller at several multiples above the retail price. Most of the time those old whiskies aren’t even from Kentucky. When they are actually distilled in Kentucky, their value goes even higher. So to be able to offer our customers a significant quantity of old Kentucky bourbon at a reasonable price is an absolute privilege. Add the fact that it’s cask strength, real small batch and sold exclusively at K&L in California and you’ve got a recipe for an absolute legend. The parcel is less than 20 barrels, mingled together before leaving KY to protect the identity of the manufacturer. The mashbill gives us a few clues to the source: 78-79% corn with near equal parts of rye and barley. Similar recipes are produced everywhere from Beam to Heaven Hill or Buffalo Trace. Why would anyone sell off such excellent barrels? Likely they couldn’t market such a small parcel and didn’t want the stocks to bolster a local competitor. Lucky for us it left KY to be bottled in Washington state for this upstart brand and out of nowhere we get the most exciting new bourbon of 2020. Great old Kentucky Bourbon at retro prices.

Shelby Griffiths | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 22, 2020

In two words: completely shocked. I have never experienced a bourbon quite like this before. On the nose I found red apple skins, eucalyptus, vanilla, mint, and pandan leaf playing a harmonic game of tug of war between the cool and warm aromas filling the glass. The palate is electrifyingly energetic, leaving a warming tingle with a rush of cinnamon, pink peppercorns, and touches of banana. It’s incredibly rare to come across a bourbon like this, and with 15 years of age on it, it would be a sin to not take home a bottle at this incredible value.