Whether your Valentine’s plans involve a digital date, a cosy night in (2.0 version), or a day of self-care, our gifts selection has everything you need to spread the love. Here are our top picks of swoon-worthy spirits.

Love from, 
Loch Fyne

Say it with an engraving

Our bottle engraving service allows you to personalise selected bottles (including The Macallan, Oban, Loch Lomond and more) with a thoughtful, hand-engraved message. Your recipient is guaranteed to love the personal touch, and they can keep the bottle long after the liquid is gone!

Engrave a Bottle ›

What’s new on the shelf

Dry January is officially over – hoorah! 😁

To celebrate, we’ve got some brand new bottles to show off, including a Chinese New Year special bottling from Macallan, a one-off single barrel from Balvenie, and new drams from Benromach, Bunnahabhain, Aberlour and more!

Have a gander at our new releases and see what takes your fancy…

Shop New Releases ›

Heaven Hill Brands Introduces Environmental Sustainability Strategy for Next Decade

Largest Independent, Family-Owned and Operated Distilled Spirits Supplier Identifies Four Key Areas to Cultivate Sustainable, Thriving Communities

BARDSTOWN, Ky. – Heaven Hill Brands announced today the company’s first official environmental sustainability strategy that addresses pressing environmental challenges within the industry and local communities in four key areas: water, emissions, waste, and conservation. As a leader in the industry since 1935, Heaven Hill’s success has been built on a commitment to integrity in the communities where employees work and live. These specific efforts set the course for continued resiliency, both a hallmark of Heaven Hill’s 85-year history and a guiding concept for the future.

“Heaven Hill has always strived to be a good partner in our communities and to be a good steward of the natural resources used to create our products,” said Rachel Nally, Heaven Hill Brands Manager of Environment & Sustainability. “Cultivating sustainable and thriving communities is important for our employees, our partners, and our neighbors. We are passionate about this next era in our commitment to responsibly use natural resources, reduce energy use, safely dispose waste, and conserve the ecosystems that support our business.”

The following goals were developed with a focus on science-based research, international climate standards, and internal expertise, and have been deemed necessary to achieve by 2030:

1. Use water more efficiently by improving water use efficiency by 15%
2. Drive toward zero carbon emissions by reducing carbon emissions from operations by 30%
3. Reduce waste by eliminating 10% of waste generated by operations, reducing virgin plastic in bottles by 50%, and working towards zero waste visitor experiences
4. Conserve the ecosystems that support the business by sponsoring planting of 5,000 trees of substantial size in local communities, supporting sustainable white oak supply, and supporting sustainable agriculture

Significant investments in these efforts across production, new technology and training initiatives are currently underway. A legacy of good stewardship of natural resources to create Heaven Hill’s products set the runway for this future growth. Heaven Hill has implemented a variety of projects over recent years, including replacement of light fixtures with more energy efficient LED bulbs, implementation of recycling programs within operations, completion of multiple boiler efficiency projects to reduce energy needs, and tree plantings around Bernheim Distillery. Over the course of the next decade, both corporate and branded initiatives will continue to be announced to support these goals as the long-term vision takes shape. To learn more about Heaven Hill’s environmental sustainability efforts, visit here.

ABOUT HEAVEN HILL BRANDS: Founded in 1935, Bardstown, KY -based Heaven Hill Brands (www.heavenhill.com) is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Larceny, and Henry McKenna Bourbons; Rittenhouse Rye Whisky; Deep Eddy and Burnett’s Vodkas; Admiral Nelson’s and Blackheart Rums; Black Velvet Canadian Whisky; Lunazul Tequila; The Christian Brothers Brandies; HPNOTIQ Liqueur; Carolans Irish Cream Liqueur; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur.

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY REPORTS STRONG VISITATION FOR 2020 DESPITE COVID-19 SETBACKS

More than 145,000 Guests Visited Oldest Continually Operating Distillery in 2020

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Jan. 26, 2021) – To say 2020 was a challenging year is an understatement, but making the most out of the unprecedented year is just what Buffalo Trace Distillery strived to do.

Despite a nearly four-month closure at the onset of the pandemic, and now limiting the number of guests it can welcome, Buffalo Trace is reporting strong visitation for 2020, all thanks to the many guests who felt comfortable visiting the Distillery during this time. The Distillery, which closed its doors to public visitation in early March, reopened July 1^st and welcomed 145,365 visitors throughout 2020 and actually grew visitation year-over-year in December.

Having welcomed nearly 300,000 guests in 2019, the Distillery shifted focus when the pandemic struck, utilizing the closure to drive forward with a massive expansion of its Visitor Center and enhance safety and sanitation protocols.

“As soon as the pandemic hit we got to work making modifications in order to be able to reopen safely and really create a comfortable environment for our guests,” Homeplace Development Director Meredith Moody said. “Our sincere thanks goes to the thousands of visitors, from across the country, who have felt confident in our safety protocols and chose to visit Buffalo Trace Distillery since we reopened.”

Upon reopening to the public in July, the Distillery began offering a safe haven bourbon experience for guests, and debuted its expanded Visitor Center, which triples the size of the previous space. The expanded Visitor Center conveniently allows for easier social distancing, and provides ample space and comfort for guests exploring the Gift Shop or tasting in the new expansive tasting rooms. With the reopening, Buffalo Trace kept its complimentary tours, but began limiting tour group sizes, accepting visitors by registration only, and implementing increased sanitation, mask-wearing and social distancing campus wide.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the first year the Distillery has not set a new record for in-person visitation since 2010, but paired with its increased virtual tourism numbers, the Distillery is showing no signs of slowing down.

In May, Buffalo Trace began hosting live stream segments on social media each week, called Whiskey Wednesday. From May 13 through December, these episodes were viewed by more than 3.6 million people around the world. The Distillery is continuing its Whiskey Wednesday episodes in 2021, continuing to feature a variety of topics including more bourbon tastings, behind-the scenes tours, trivia, history and special guests.

“With the many challenges 2020 brought to all of us, we are thankful to have seen such robust visitation, and even year-over-year growth around the holidays,” Moody said. “We are encouraged by the visitation we have experienced since reopening and look forward to welcoming more visitors to the Distillery in 2021.”

The Distillery, which has remained operational as an essential business, also undertook hand sanitizer production at the onset of the pandemic, having now created about 1.1 million gallons on an industrial scale for some of the world’s largest organizations in healthcare, government, military, retail, distribution, airline, pharmacy, and banking industries. This is in addition to its never-ceasing bourbon production, and its ongoing $1.2 billion infrastructure improvement and distillery expansion to increase production for future bourbon demand.

Operating hours for Buffalo Trace Distillery are 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday. Registrations for the Trace Tour, Old Taylor Tour, Bourbon Barrel Tour and Expansion Tour can be made at https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/visit-us.html. All tours are complimentary and include a socially distanced tasting. Curbside sales also continue. To place an order visit https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/shop.html.

A complete list of safety procedures, along with information about enacted sanitation measures and protective equipment in use can be found here.

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 1775 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 for 2018 and its William Larue Weller and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac were named 2^nd and 3^rd finest whiskeys in the world for 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

Thank you to all customers who got in touch to register their interest in our contactless doorstep collection. We will be in touch will all customer to confirm a collection date over the coming days/week.

In February we will be offering a free contactless doorstep collection to customers sending 10+ bottles or bottles to the value of £1000 and above. If you would like to be included in this please complete the form which can be found here. As this is a contactless doorstep collection, we will require your bottles to be boxed with your name and registered email address clearly marked on the front of the box. Additionally a submission sheet should be completed and packed with your bottles.

The dates currently scheduled are as follows:

North of Scotland

Wednesday 10th & Thursday 11th February 2021

Edinburgh

Wednesday 10th February 2021

Fife

Wednesday 10th February 2021

Glasgow

Thursday 11th February 2021

England

Saturday 13th – Tuesday 16th February

We are also offering a delivery service to our local customers who normally collect in store, there is a small fee for this. The delivery charge is £12 (inc VAT) per delivery regardless of the number of bottles to be delivered. Please complete the form which can be found here to request this, we will then be in touch with your invoice.

Please complete the request form as soon as possible. This service is subject to availability and only available to our mainland UK customers.

Stay Safe

The SWA Collection Team

Collection/Delivery Request Form

Daftmill Charity Auction. – https://www.scotchwhiskyauctions.com/…

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The Whisky Rant Podcast with Jeremy and Rob. – https://youtu.be/zaycdrLs8bE

Whisky 101:

A Virtual Tasting with The Whisky Shop

February 10th: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Join us at The Whisky Shop for a virtual whisky lesson, presented by Paul, Will, and Brandon! You’ll learn about the key differences in whisky production through five unique whiskies.

Each ticket comes with a sample collection of mystery whiskies, including Single Malt aged in a bourbon cask, Single Malt aged in a sherry cask, Blended Malt, Blended Malt & Grain and a Single Grain.

Click here for more details & ticket purchase

Celebrate Purim with Milk & Honey

Celebrate this year with whiskies & gins from Israel’s first whisky distillery, Milk & Honey! The following bottles are 10% until the end of February with the code ‘M&H2021‘:

Milk & Honey Classic

Whisky In Bloom: Lightly Peated

Whisky In Bloom: Double Cask

Get 10% off with the code ‘M&H2021’ at checkout

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 368: Nc’nean Malts, Spirits & Cocktails

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, takes us on quite a journey this time around. He was quite fond of the first release by Nc’nean, so much so that he got all batches so far. In this rambling Mark has put them head to head. But he also discovered their botanical spirit and barrel aged spirit and couldn’t resist creating a few cocktails with them. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

https://youtu.be/xAaBvTAo5eM

Mark Littler Ltd Update Help Customers Sell their Whisky Even More Easily

Mark Littler Ltd has been helping private whisky owners sell their whisky online since 2016. In 2021 their updated website and services makes the process even easier.

As a private owner of whisky it can be difficult to know where to start when looking to sell whisky, whether it be rare bottles or whisky casks. With over four thousand visitors a month using their whisky-value webpage and another two thousand a month using their How to Sell Whisky Online blog,  Mark Littler Ltd have recently updated the sell whisky side of their website to help whisky owners looking for a way to legally sell their whisky.

The turbulent year of 2020 saw Mark Littler Ltd launch their exclusive online shop and their auction coordination service, which along with their traditional private buyers system aims to help customers find the most suitable route for selling their whisky in the way that meets their needs. The new webpages reflect the recently added services and help potential sellers explore the options to find out which might be most suitable for them.

The new sell bottles pages also include 39 guides to some of the most collectable single malt whiskies of the moment with 11 new pages dedicated to collectable Japanese whisky.

“We have seen a significant increase in interest in Japanese single malt whisky with our buyers over the last 12-24 months, which we think is in part driven by the success of Karuizawa and partly due to the 25% tariff on Scotch whisky that was introduced in America. Hopefully the end of the tariff is in sight, but we don’t see the popularity of Japanese whisky fading any time soon.”

Contact

Mark Littler
01260 218 718
mark@marklittler.com
Link please click HERE

SCOTCH WHISKY FETCH TOP PRICES AT BONHAMS HONG KONG SALE

Decanter of Glen Grant-1948-72 year old by Gordon & MacPhail

Sold for HK$1,054,000

Estimate: HK$300,000-380,000

Appearing at auction for the first time, a stunning decanter of Glen Grant-1948-72 year old by Gordon & MacPahil sold at Bonhams Hong Kong Whisky sale on 29 January for HK$421,600, exceeding the pre-sale high estimate of HK$380,000. Scotch whisky dominated seven of the top ten lots of the sale. The top lot was a classic Macallan Lalique-50 year old, which sold for an impressive HK$1,054,000, against an estimate of HK$750,000-900,000.

Macallan Lalique-50 year old

Sold for HK$1,054,000

Estimate: HK$750,000-900,000

Daniel Lam, Bonhams Director of Wine and Whisky, Asia, said, “After a record-breaking year for Japanese whisky, collectors are now turning their attention to Scotch whisky. Of all top ten lots sold in the sale, seven of them were Scotch whisky, all sold above their high estimate. This gives the market a very encouraging start for 2021.”

The decanter of Glen Grant-1948-72 year old was bottled in 2020 and this is the first time it has appeared at auction. Numbered 88 of 290, the bottle is especially auspicious – 88 is a symbolic number in Chinese culture, meaning “wealthy”. It is also unusual for a whisky of this age to retain such a high alcoholic content at 52.6% volume, and this gives particular vitality to its taste and aroma.

Top ten lots: https://bonhams.box.com/s/8obzl50qr3ev3cwbs10zq779rvq3zjqe

258 Macallan Lalique-50 year old  $1,054,000

177 Macallan Lalique Motor Car-1937-37 year old $558,000

178 Glen Grant-1948-72 year old Decanter $421,600

142 Hibiki ceramic-35 year old-Tokuda Yasokichi III $372,000

277 Bowmore-1967-40 year old-#4538 Decanter $347,200

45 Hibiki-Kutani-35 year old-九谷燒 色繪牡丹蝶図筒形瓶 $297,600

176 Macallan Fine & Rare-1965-36 year old $285,200

174 Macallan-40 year old $248,000

88 Karuizawa-45 year old-黑命の水  $223,200

257 Macallan Glenlivet-1949-50 year old Decanter $198,400

For full results, please visit: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26713/

Sale: Whisky Location: Admiralty Hong KongDate: Friday 29 January at 2pm

NOTES 

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and antiques, motor cars and jewellery. The main salerooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, with auctions also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, Paris, San Francisco and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com. bonhams.com