We write to you from our sunny island home with a spring in our step, excitement in our voice and a masssssssssssive announcement. For we have made a pretty special purchase – investing in a brand new distillery building that we will soon call home, and we wanted our Island Dispatch friends to be among the first to know.

Please join us in raising a glass as we make a toast to hope, happiness and exciting new beginnings.

Slàinte
Kate & Jonny

Nunton Steadings.
A New Island Home.

When we first embarked on our distillery journey we had our sights set on creating a brand new distillery building – all shiny and new. But then something happened to de-rail our plans. We were swept off our feet by a stunning island beauty, who won our hearts and we are very much in love.

And so it goes, that the historic Nunton Steadings building right next door on beautiful Benbecula will become our new home.

Built way back in the early 1700s, this amazing U-Shaped building is bursting with island charm. A former steadings, our new home features beautiful original cobbled floors which will be the perfect place for our whisky casks during maturation.

With a rich history – including tales of Bonnie Prince Charlie taking shelter at Nunton, we couldn’t be more proud to take over such an important building as we plan for the future of our much loved distillery. The place will become home to Downpour gin alongside our planned whisky distillery as well as being a welcoming hub for you all to visit for a gin or a dram when we get our visitor centre up and running.

We’re looking forward to transforming Nunton Steadings into our new home. And we hope to welcome all of you as visitors in the near future.

 George Grant on Glenfarclas 
19th August Wednesday @ 19:30 (GMT)   

Glenfarclas has been a steadfast favourite here at Milroys since we opened in 1964 we have always shared the same ethos of bringing single malt to the forefront of the spirits industry.  Being one of the longest-running independent distilleries in Scotland, it has been  curated by the Grant family for over 150 years. Even though they boast some of the largest stills in Speyside they remain true to the independent family craft.

George Grant is the 6th generation to lead this one of a kind Speyside whisky.

George and the Grant family have been perfecting their process since 1865, there are few who can share stories of the industry in the same way. It will not be an evening to forget! Every bottle that comes out of the distillery is aged in sherry casks, a practise started by George’s grandfather. If you are a fan of fantastic sherried whisky, this tasting will not be one to miss.

Online tasting
Milroys & Glenfarclas tasting hosted by George Grant
19th August Wednesday @ 19:30 (GMT)   

The Flight
Glenfarclas 15
Glenfarclas 25
Glenfarclas 24 Milroys edition
Glenfarclas Family Cask 1998
Glenfarclas Family Cask 2003

Book Tasting

Does your collection need a bottle of E.H. Taylor Small Batch?

You could win a chance to purchase a bottle of Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch by doing one simple thing…downloading the new Party Source mobile app (and creating an account). All downloads and registered accounts made by Wednesday, August 5th at 11:59 PM will be entered for a chance to purchase a bottle. Those selected will be notified via email by August 7th.

Take the party on the go with the new Party Source app

Download the new Party Source app for easy ordering and exclusive deals. Available on Apple and Android.

ralfy review 836 – Glenfarclas 25yo @ 43%vol:

Chef Ben Tish teams up with Glen Moray for Cask Adventures

Glen Moray single malt Scotch whisky has today (23^rd July) announced a partnership with the award-winning chef and food writer Ben Tish, to celebrate the origins of some of its most popular cask finishes.

The new ‘Cask Stories’ campaign will dive into the world of wood to explore the importance of cask flavour and character in creating Glen Moray’s Port, Sherry, Madeira and Fired Oak expressions.

Ben, who is the Culinary Director of London’s Norma Restaurant and Stafford Hotel, has a long held passion for the food and flavours of Mediterranean and Moorish regions.

He has created a delicious selection of easy to make tapas dishes and cocktails – inspired by each Glen Moray whisky, the cask it is finished in and his extensive travels exploring the culinary traditions of Porto, Jerez and Madeira. And as a barbecue expert, Ben has also created an option to match the smoky, charred flavours of Glen Moray’s Fired Oak expression.

Food and drink fans will be taken on a journey through Glen Moray’s ‘cask hotspots’, as Ben shares stories of his favourite bars, restaurants and dining memories, and the creative spark behind each tapas dish and drink.

Ben’s long standing head sommelier Julien Hennebelle has collaborated with him to create four long, refreshing Glen Moray cocktails – perfect for summer drinking and packed with flavour to pair perfectly with each tapas dish.

Ben and the Glen Moray team will be sharing stories, recipes, cocktails ideas and a series of films over the summer, with Instagram live events planned for August. Ben commented: ‘I’m really excited to be working with Glen Moray and developing Mediterranean inspired recipes to match these brilliant whiskies. I’ve loved Mediterranean food for years and my latest book Moorish focuses on the regions that are covered in the Elgin cask series. The flavours of the whisky are clear and fresh – perfect for my style and a pleasure to work with. Some great summery cocktails too, from our bar man and sommelier Julien.’

Glen Moray’s UK Sales Director Claire Baigrie added: ‘Glen Moray is one of the most adventurous malt whiskies available and we have always pushed the boundaries when it comes to the casks we use for maturation. Our new partnership with Ben is a way to really explore and celebrate these flavours, and the wonderful results of our new make spirit meeting seasoned casks from different parts of the world. Ben is an absolute expert in the places where our casks originate and we are thrilled to have him tell our cask stories to food and drink lovers. This is an invitation to come with us on a journey to learn more about flavour and to enjoy whisky in a way that really breaks down the barriers of how and when single malt whisky should be enjoyed. At a time when summer holidays to these regions are limited, we hope Glen Moray fans will enjoy the ride!’

Port Cask Finish

Mussels with cinnamon, lemon, marjoram, bay and migas. Lightly steamed mussels with fresh, spicy and citrusy flavours to complement the Port Cask whisky’s notes – topped with crispy ‘migas’ breadcrumbs which are a Portuguese staple. 

The Lossimonatta: a light, refreshing blend of Port Cask Finish, the juice of red berries, cherry liqueur and lemonade, served over ice and inspired by the River Lossie running next to the Glen Moray Distillery.

Cumin rubbed grilled pork pinchos with almond alioliFired Oak

A sweet, smokey barbecued street food that works with the deep charred flavours of Fired Oak whisky

The Elgin Fizz: a refreshing summer combination of smoky Glen Moray Fired Oak, spicy ginger liqueur and sweet sparkling apple juice, served over ice. 

Roasted peaches with orange flower honey, mascarpone, pistachios

Madeira Cask

Madeira has the most wonderful peach varieties, and the sweet caramelised peach juices and aromatic honey are a great match for the Madeira cask’s flavours.

The Whisky Rose Julep: an exotic, full-flavoured combination of Madeira matured whisky, rose syrup and fresh mint, served over ice.

The combination of rich, salty cheese and sweet honey works perfectly with the Sherry Cask’s notes. Reminiscent of the fried flowers served in every Spanish tapas bar over the summer months.Fried courgette flowers, goats cheese and honey

The Oloroso Breeze. A long, delicious Mediterranean style drink, mixing Glen Moray Sherry Cask Finish, sherry vermouth and sparkling San Pellegrino Bitter – served with a slice of orange. 

www.glenmoray.com

www.facebook.com/GlenMorayDistillery

www.instagram.com/glen_moray_whisky

www.twitter.com/glenmoraydist

BEN TISH                                                                                                       

Ben Tish is the Culinary Director of London’s Norma Restaurant and the Stafford Hotel, and is established as cooking at the forefront of the modern tapas scene. At the Stafford Ben oversees the hotel’s food offering including the Game Bird restaurant, the American bar and private dining. In September 2019 he opened the critically-acclaimed Norma – a Sicilian-Moorish influenced restaurant on London’s Charlotte Street featuring a bespoke raw bar serving Sicilian style crudos,

Classically trained with over 20 years’ experience, Ben spent his formative career working with Michelin starred chefs such as Jason Atherton and Stephen Terry at various ground breaking London restaurants. He went on to head up his own operations at the Italian restaurant Al Duca in St James, London, and the Crinan Hotel in the West Highlands. More recently he was Chef Director and Partner of the Salt Yard Group – a group of 5 highly-acclaimed modern Spanish / Italian restaurants in Central London.

Ben is also an accomplished and award winning food writer with three published cook books. Moorish, his last book, was published in April 2019 and was named cook book of the year in the Times Magazine. Ben will publish his fourth book SICILA in Summer 2021. He appears regularly on TV including Saturday Kitchen, Sunday Brunch, and Masterchef and writes for Delicious, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times, Noble Rot, Restaurant Magazine, Chef Magazine, and other publications.

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.

A Classic Speyside Single Malt at an Unbeatable Price
1995 Glen Grant 22 Year Old “Munros” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Unchillfiltered Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Elsewhere $200) ($109.99)
“An incredible value by even our own astronomical standards.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L SoCal Spirits Buyer

NOTE: 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.

Those who closely follow the Scotch market will know that 22-year-old bottlings are not only increasingly hard to find, but when they do appear they often come at a significant premium. This is why the Glasgow Whisky Company is a bit of an anomaly. They are offering some of the most compelling, classic single malts in the market and doing so at very affordable prices. The Glen Grant 22 Year Old “Munros” cask featured here is a shining example of the remarkable values coming from this bottler. Among the top Speysides we’ve had this year, this 22 Year Old offers up a classic profile of ripe orchard fruit, invitingly complex cereal notes, and a creamy texture. Simply put, it is a proper dram in every way. We are the only retailer in California carrying this cask with it priced outside of the state in the $200 range. Our $110 price is shockling for an aged single malt of this caliber. We have a knack for finding some outstanding Scotch values, but this one is in the running for the top buy of 2020. These single malt exclusives never last for long, so don’t delay in adding very special Glen Grant to your collection.

1995 Glen Grant 22 Year Old “Munros” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Unchillfiltered Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $200) ($109.99)

The lovely small batch bottlings in the “Munros” line up are selected by the small Glasgow Whisky Company and represent some of the best values in single malt scotch today. This small outfit has become an increasingly important player in the sale and bottling of small scale lots of high qualityi Scotch. The Munros line is a reference to Scotland’s 282 mountain’s over 3000 feet. Explores across the UK had long considered climbing each peak a right of passage and likewise the great malts represent the heights of achievement in the eyes of whisky lovers across the world. This exceptional expression of the famous Speyside distillery, Glen Grant, was distilled entirely on July 26th, 1995. Filled in to refill american oak ex-bourbon barrels, it’s been allowed more than 22 years to mature in the cool climate of northern Scotland. Bottled on the 30th of October, 2017 without chill filtration, the addition of water or color whatsoever. The resulting whisky is one of the most honest and quintessential expression of the classic Speyside style available. A cornicopia of dried fruit, sweet cereal, orchard fruit and creamy texture makes this the perfect whisky for any occasion. Thanks to incredible work securing these stocks and unbelievable prices, we’re able to offer the Munros line-up signficantly below market value. While this is an exclusive in California for K&L, you might see the same bottle in other markets fetching upwards of $200.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 20, 2020

Another absolutely stupid value from the Munros line. This brand, you may remember from the previous offering from Ledaig, was originally brought into the states by a now defunct importer in New York. The stocks sat in the New York warehouse for 3 years before being discovered by one of our suppliers. We were luckily in a position to take a significant portion of the stocks, but not before small parcels were sold off at standard retail to a few limited markets. Those would markets would easily sell this exact same bottle for $200 or more. But now we’ve got a beautiful expression from one of Speysides finest distillers for just over $100. An incredible value by even our own astronomical standards. This exceptionally balanced and approachable whisky is by now means without complexity. Let’s have a taste. I love a good mature Speyside in refill bourbon. We’re always looking for first and second fill when we select casks because it narrows down the likelihood that we’ll find something great and a great Speyside malt in second fill bourbon is sometimes the perfect recipe. You have the oak influence still, but it does not act to hinder or obscure the incredible detail and finesse that these wonderful malts exhibit. Nose: The nose is very forward and open baked full of dried apples, hints of citrus peel, graham cracker, honeysuckle and the tiniest touches of green tea. Palate: very creamy and rich, with the apple now feeling baked and the tiniest sprinkle of clove.

AVAILABLE NOW

The largest-ever collection of single malt whiskies from Chivas Brothers is comprised of fourteen bottlings of Speyside single malt Scotch whisky from ‘secret’ distilleries.

The focus of the collection is to shine a light on some lesser-known Speyside distilleries which have – by design or circumstance – kept a low profile. The four chosen distilleries are connoisseur-favourite Longmorn, Glen Keith – the first distillery to be built in the 20th century – remote, little-known Braes of Glenlivet and closed distillery Caperdonich.

Whiskies in the collection range between 18 and 30 years old, and Caperdonich’s six-bottle-strong contribution contains both peated and unpeated whiskies, presenting the opportunity for unparalleled insight into the spirit’s character.

SHOP NOW

On sale now

WhiskyCast’s Future Forward Masterclass

We are delighted to introduce our collaboration with veteran journalist Mark Gillespie to bring you WhiskyCast’s Future Forward Masterclass! This year at the show, we are focusing on the way that whisky never stays still, with something new around every corner…

WhiskyCast’s Future Forward
Host: Dave Broom with John Glaser, Dr Bill Lumsden, Mark Gillespie, Ichiro Akuto and Sukhinder Singh
Sunday 4 October
12.30-2pm
£100

Join veteran drinks writer, Dave Broom, alongside four of the most influential people in the whisky world to examine the shifting nature of whisky.

Joining us will be:

John Glaser: whiskymaker and founder of Compass Box.

Dr Bill Lumsden: director of distilling for Glenmorangie and Ardbeg.

Mark Gillespie: founder of WhiskyCast which will be marking its 15th anniversary during The Whisky Show as the world’s longest-running whisky podcast series.

Ichiro Akuto: distiller blender and founder of Japan’s Chichibu distillery.

Sukhinder Singh: co-founder of The Whisky Exchange and Whisky Show.

Come with questions and an open mind, and discover what the panel thinks we have in store for us in the future of whisky.

Book now

Please note: you must have a Sunday ticket to Whisky Show to attend this class.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 328: Ardbeg 5 Year Old Wee Beastie

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky vlogger, encounters a Wee Beastie. You have to admit it: Ardbeg has guts. For as long as Mark can remember the Ten was (and is!) the entry level malt – and a very good one too! An absolutely brilliant Ardbeg. And while they added the An Oa (a NAS release) to the core range only recently, it is now joined by one with an age statement… but a very young one, just 5 years. In traditional (is it?) Ardbeg Style, they gave it a resounding name: Wee Beastie. It’s a vatting of both bourbon and oloroso sherry casks and upon release it was priced between 35 and 45 EUR, but in some markets it was markedly more expensive.

https://youtu.be/0o66dQlV5Zo

Jura Whisky launches smooth and vibrant Sherry Cask 12 Years Old exclusive to Asian market 

Jura Whisky has released a new sherry finished 12 Years Old single malt Asia exclusive launching in Taiwan. Jura 12 Years Old Sherry Cask uses only unpeated spirit finished using the finest Spanish Sherry casks to deliver a smooth, well rounded and rich whisky for the Asian market.

The vibrant new release has been created exclusively for the Taiwanese market and becomes the latest addition to Jura’s permanent Signature Series.

The latest release from the tiny island community distillery is vibrant and full of character, like the islanders who make it. It has been carefully distilled using Jura’s exceptionally tall stills and matured in American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels before being finished exclusively in the finest hand selected aged Oloroso sherry casks from Jerez, Spain.

This rich, fruity and vibrant 12 year old single malt unites the heart of Jura with the soul of Spain to create a single malt celebrating the classic Jura character. With added depth from its Sherry finish, the lively whisky perfectly captures the warmest of Jura welcomes, enhanced by the flair of a Spanish Sherry finish, promising life in every drop.

Gregg Glass, Whisky Maker & Blender at Whyte & Mackay, commented: “In bringing together the unique passion and influence of Jura, with the flair and vibrancy of our Sherry making partners of Jerez, this 12 Years Old showcases a richly dark and fruity character for the Asian market.  The new release has a sweet warmth with rich flavours and fruity notes which we know will appeal to those looking to experience a classic Jura single malt together.

The classic style of Jura evokes the early years of modern distillation at the distillery following its reopening in 1963; a time when our tall stills and unpeated malt created a character full of fruit and vibrancy. It is this distinctive style which we wanted to bring to the Taiwanese market on an exclusive basis, demonstrating our commitment to introducing innovative new whiskies in Asia.”

Jura 12 Years Old Sherry Cask is defined by plums and fresh fruit, with toffee, sweet spices and underlying citrus notes; capturing both Jura and Spain perfectly.  Sherry soaked raisins and dark toffee merge with fig, mango, grilled banana and Seville orange zest. These beautifully merge and develop into sweet cassia bark and bergamot, with coffee and liquorice notes to finish, creating a vibrant yet warming flavour.

Each bottle of Jura Whisky is a celebration of its island home and embodies the passion of those who make it. This remote Scottish island provides the canvas from which these dedicated islanders take their inspiration and the distillery provides the means by to bring this to life through whisky making.

Jura 12 Years Old Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky is available throughout Taiwan priced at RSP 1050 NT$.

Notes

About Jura:

Jura is a tiny Scottish island nestled off the West Coast of Scotland. With only one road, one pub, one whisky distillery and 212(ish) people, Jura is as beautiful as it is remote.

The distillery was established in 1810 and reborn in 1963 to revive the community.

Inspired by our history and our island home, we create single malt with a true passion for the craft of whisky making.

Product information:

Jura 12 Years Old Sherry Cask

ABV: 40%

Available in 70cl

Colour :

Rich antique amber

Nose :  

Warm honey and vanilla to start, evolving to rich fruit and toffee. A perfect combination of rich brioche, apricot, chocolate and almond appear.

Reminiscent aromas of Scottish cask warehouses combine with classic Bodegas full of beautifully aging sherries.

Taste : 

Richly dark, with sweet, ripe plum flavours lead to sweet spices that are enhanced by layers of citrus.

Sherry soaked raisins and dark toffee merge with fig, mango, grilled banana and Seville orange zest. These beautifully merge and develop into sweet cassia bark, bergamot with coffee and liquorice notes to finish, creating a vibrant yet warming flavour.

Rich, fruity and vibrant, Jura 12 Years Old Sherry Cask celebrates the shared passion and dedication of two cultures; united by a passion for their craft.