Malt of the Month:
Ledaig 18 Year Old

Our Malt of the Month for March is the indomitable Ledaig 18 Year Old – a subtle bruiser of a dram distilled at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. Peated and finished in ex-sherry casks, this smoky, maritime dram has softened with age, and which is laden with dried-fruit, zesty-citrus and earthy coffee and tobacco notes. Bottled at 46.3% ABV this is a distinguished, full-flavoured whisky.

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TyndrumWhisky.com

Brings you

Big Peat Heroes

A fantastic Charitable Limited Edition from Big Peat, celebrating our Nation’s Heroes. You can be part of choosing the charity via an on-pack QR Code and via Big Peat’s Social Media. The whisky itself is an earthy peat smoke and brown sugar sweetness!

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ralfy review 869 – Bunnahabhain 11yo @ 43%vol: (Gordon & MacPhail)

40 years at the cutting edge of crystal and glassware creation for Glencairn Crystal 

This year marks the 40^th birthday of the award-winning Scottish crystal company, Glencairn Crystal Studio.

Founded by Raymond Davidson in 1981, the company is not only synonymous with the world’s favourite whisky glass, the Glencairn Glass, but has also become a world expert in the design, creation and manufacture of high-end crystal and glassware.  Now the market leader in the production of containers for some of the worlds’ rarest and most exclusive spirits, Glencairn Crystal will be celebrating four decades of innovation by showcasing some of its most successful and pioneering decanters.

As a family firm Raymond’s ethos for his business was to focus on the needs of the customer and to build the crystal decanter side of Glencairn – leading the way in spirits packaging and creativity. Raymond believed that decanters had an important role to play in the whisky and spirit world. His vision was to use pioneering innovation and craftsmanship to enhance the presentation of his customers’ brands, adding value to any whisky (or any other spirit) contained within a Glencairn Crystal decanter.

Since then the business has gone from strength to strength creating some of the drinks industry’s most prestigious and ground-breaking decanters, whilst still remaining a family run business – now run by Raymond’s sons, Paul and Scott Davidson.

Over the years Glencairn Crystal has designed, created and delivered decanters to hold the world’s oldest whisky, the world’s oldest port and the world’s oldest rum. Other memorable crystal decanters produced have ranged from a decanter sitting on a stunning engraved silver crown, appearing to float on only four points of contact, to breathtaking vessels embedded with precious rubies and sapphires. The combination of high-profile brands and revolutionary design and production processes has ensured that Glencairn Crystal has truly established itself as a world expert in decanter design, innovation and creativity within the spirits industry.

To mark this special birthday, throughout 2021 the team at Glencairn Crystal will be releasing fascinating ‘behind the scenes’ decanter stories from the four decades and showcasing their decanter projects which truly ‘capture the spirit’ of what their talented craftspeople have achieved over the last 40 years. The stories will be hosted on the Glencairn Crystal website, via Glencairn’s social media channels and supported with podcasts featuring interviews with key figures in the whisky industry involved in the projects.

The birthday will also be marked later this year with the official opening of the new expanded Glencairn Crystal Studio site in East Kilbride, Glasgow, which has been delayed due to the pandemic. With an investment of over a million pounds the new-look premises include a stunning refurbishment, a new brand-orientated reception and a substantial new build on the original Glencairn site to cater for expanding demand. All the building and design work has been done by local Glasgow-based businesses.

Raymond Davidson, Founder of Glencairn Crystal, commented:

“When I started Glencairn Crystal in 1981 it was my ambition to create the most innovative, creative and impressive crystal decanters for the drinks industry. We started off as a small business with everyone in the family rolling up their sleeves to get involved.

I couldn’t be prouder of everyone at Glencairn and what we have achieved together in the last forty years.  In terms of our decanters I’d like to thank our customers for trusting us with such rare and beautiful spirits. Though we have grown to a team of over 70 staff now, our family values and customer relationships are still at the core of everything we do and we continue to lead the world in creating ground-breaking design and developing unique techniques that delight our customers.

Scott Davidson, Glencairn Crystal’s New Product Development Director, commented:

“Last year was an important year for us with the 20^th anniversary of our iconic Glencairn Glass for whisky, however this is also a momentous year for us as we pay homage to 40 years of Glencairn Crystal since my father started the company in 1981. We could not have built the business without our talented and passionate team, including the best craftspeople in the industry, some of whom have over 30 years experience in working with crystal. We look forward to continuing to lead the market in crystal, glass and container innovation and craftsmanship, whilst working with friends and colleagues across the industry.” 

For further information go to:  www.glencairn.co.uk/40th-anniversary/  

Notes:

About Glencairn Crystal:

• The Glencairn Glass, created in 2000 is the world’s favourite whisky glass.  Glencairn Crystal now make over 3.5 million Glencairn Glasses per year, across hundreds of brands, distributed to over 140 countries worldwide.

• The company has won three Queen’s Awards – one of the highest awards in British business – starting with the Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2006 for the Glencairn whisky glass and then the Queens Award for Enterprise in 2012 and 2017.

• Glencairn Crystal’s clients include leading drinks companies such as Brown-Forman, Diageo and Pernod Ricard as well as sporting organisations including the world famous premier clubs; Liverpool, Celtic and Rangers. Also organisations including Muller, Cunard, Facebook and Google, plus corporate clients including the Houses of Parliament and Scottish Parliament.

Winner of The Spirits Business PR Agency of the Year Award 2020

Hand-Selected by Our Spirits Buyers: Smooth Ambler
5 Year Old “Old Scout” Single Barrel Bottlings
“We’ve tasted through literally dozens of barrels to select these few excellent choices,
so you can drink with confidence.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L 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.

Smooth Ambler’s “Old Scout” lineup is a throwback to the excellence of their aged MGP bourbon, which used to define the character of our wildly popular Faultline bottling. After a break to let the whiskies age, we’re thrilled to announce that we have five new K&L exclusive single barrel selections ready for your enjoyment. The original Old Scout was released at 5 years old back in 2011, and we’ve followed the same path here, with all these bottlings clocking in at the same age. While still young, these bourbons show remarkable depth and provide a preview of the inimitable character Old Scout has to offer. Our buyers have chosen what they think are the best five barrels to be had, and all offer unique variations on a common theme. May we suggest that a five-part side-by-side tasting might be in order? Snap these bottles up now to experience the nuances of Old Scout.

Smooth Ambler 5 Year Old “Old Scout” K&L Exclusive Barrel #23890 Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($49.99)

After years of pining for the days of bourbon yore, we’ve finally come full circle to re-release the Ol’ Old Scout in its original form. There’s been tons of confusion on the market due to Smooth Ambler’s recent release of a large parcel of Tennessee bourbon, which was acquired from the famous distillery at Cascade Hollow, but this product is not that. Those whiskies are much loved by certain folks but show a completely different character than the original Old Scout. The brand became famous for bottling excellent bourbon and rye sourced from a fine distillery in Indiana. Those excellent whiskies were once the backbone for our now extinct Faultline Bourbon. Until now they haven’t had enough aged stock to spare single barrels for this program. Now that their stocks are finally coming of age, they’ve re-released these excellent bourbons at a respectable 5 years of age. This is the very same age that the original Old Scout was released way back in 2011. We’re very lucky to have scooped up several barrels before the rest of the market has realized that these are back on the table. We’ll likely continue to see the age statements on these excellent whiskies increase over the years, but even now the stupendous complexity of these bourbons at this lovely, youthful age is extremely satisfying. This High Rye bourbon (36% rye) was barreled in Char #4 on 11/17/14 and bottled 7/31/20 at 118.4 proof. With a loss of 27%, it yielded only 192 bottles.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 18, 2021

This gorgeous barrel of MGP bourbon is as classic as they get. The nose has surprising lift coupled with some cocoa powder, maple wood, and a big burnt Seville peel. Then come some pungent tropical fruit and a bevy of exotic spices (tons of cinnamon), plus some salted caramel. On the palate, it stays ultra-lifted and bright. The orange peel remains along with some gorgeous barrel spice and hints of white pepper and fresh herbs. This one is a bit pricklier than some of the darker, richer barrels we’ve had, but if you’re a fan of a kick of spice and don’t want something too sweet, this the barrel for you.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 17, 2021

Perhaps my favorite cocktailing barrel of the current lineup. The higher proof helps this whiskey sit up straight in any mixed drink. I particularly like this with a sweeter style vermouth, since the whisky itself has the gusto. If you like your whiskey to push you around and assert itself, look no further. Cinnamon, sweet nutmeg, and allspice notes battle it out with all variety of peppercorn. The barrel notes sand the harder edges down with a little coconut and vanilla salve. Let your inner bartender go wild.

Smooth Ambler 5 Year Old “Old Scout” K&L Exclusive Barrel #24270 Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($49.99)

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 17, 2021

If you’re struggling to pick between our incredible selection of Smooth Ambler barrels, don’t stress too much. We’ve tasted through literally dozens of barrels to select these few excellent choices, so you can drink with confidence. The intrigue of these barrels is in the subtlety of the differences. All show a seriously robust spice profile and a hearty helping of quality American oak. The insane thing is that they’re here and available at an absurdly sharp price. Anything but new-make MGP is tough to find these days, and anyone who has it wants to charge an arm and leg because they can. John Little and the Smooth Ambler team haven’t cornered the market on great MGP whisky; they’re just among the few producers willing to sell it at fair prices and unadulterated cask strength. We saw the opportunity and stocked up while the gettin’ was good. If you insist on needing a barrel note, #24270 is a Werther’s Original caked in green peppercorn.

Smooth Ambler 5 Year Old “Old Scout” K&L Exclusive Barrel #24295 Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($49.99)

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 18, 2021

In many ways, this barrel feels the most typically “MGP.” The nose wafts out of the glass with plenty of caramel and spicy oak, hints of dill, and orange peel in the background. As it opens the vanilla takes along with the clove and cinnamon. On the palate, sweet brown sugar and dark cherries couple with that big vanilla continuing throughout. Clove runs through the entire thing with a rich caramel aroma balancing on the medium-long finish. Very personable and approachable. An easy one to recommend to anyone, even a bourbon novice.

Smooth Ambler 5 Year Old “Old Scout” K&L Exclusive Barrel #27990 Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($49.99)

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 18, 2021

This barrel is a nice contrast to several of the others that hinge on the big orange peel and toasted vanilla flavors. Here we’re much more on the woodsy and baked fruit notes. Dark wood spice, underbrush, baked apples, old teak, and varnish. On the palate, we’re still on the richer side of things with significant weight and big spice. A dark cherry sweetness keeps it balanced and builds into a menthol and red fruit finish. Long and lingering, it doesn’t have the grip you might expect on the strong entry. The diversity of flavors we see across these barrels is so incredible, despite their similar specs. Each one offers something new and exciting.

Smooth Ambler 5 Year Old “Old Scout” K&L Exclusive Barrel #28125 Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($49.99)

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 18, 2021

This barrel shows yet another diverse set of flavors compared to its compatriots. On the nose, big sugar candies, sweet poached pears, hints of licorice, and fresh oak. On the palate, it’s very creamy and rich with an almond buttery quality that doesn’t exist in any of the other barrels. Round and sweet but not lacking in spice considering the high rye. There’s subtle funky earthiness that kind of reminds me of Wild Turkey. If the other barrels don’t sound up your alley, with their red fruit or orange peel characters, this might be the perfect choice for you. You can feel the textural richness that the additional evaporation has created, but it still has that kick that so many bourbon drinkers love.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 17, 2021

Coming in at a very pretty 112.6 proof, this barrel riffs on the high rye spice but with a cooler palate. It’s more cocoa dust and caramelized citrus peel. The freshly ground pepper and savory, fresh cut grass note balances well with the citrus, which makes itself known on the nose, palate, and finish.

Introducing Benriach Smoke Season

Say hello to Benriach Smoke Season: an intensely smoked small-batch release that celebrates this much-loved Speyside distillery’s sweet peat, distilled at Benriach in the summertime. Created with 100% peated malt.

Benriach Smoke Season has been double matured in both American virgin oak and bourbon casks and bottled at 52.8% abv. Spectacular stuff. The nose has orange peel, chocolate and rich caramel. The palate is decadently layered with sweetness from the virgin oak casks, with dark vanilla and stewed apple, alongside dry oak, woody smoke and gentle spice. The finish is nutty with a smoky peppercorn aftertaste.

Get this in your glass.

Shop Benriach Smoke Season ›

£53.00

We’ve delved into our historic stocks to bring you two new gems from our Vaults Collection this month. As pieces of whisky history, the bottlings will change your appreciation of these two classic distilleries, and are not to be missed.

These beautiful Old & Dignified drams will be amazing enough on their own, but as a game-changing experience, we’ve looked at how they could pair up perfectly with an Iberico ham, a rich cheese or even a barbecued steak.

Check out the website for more and take your appreciation of these incredible bottlings to the next level.

FIND OUT MORE

VIEW ALL VAULTS COLELCTION

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

The glen of the wild geess, originally known as the Burnfoot distillery, then Glen Guin and now Glengoyne. A whisky distilled in the highlands but with cask maturation in the lowlands, thanks to the highland line for that.

No peat is used in the drying of its barley, just pure hot air. Which gives it a distinct difference from a lot of its highland brothers and sisters. Like a lowland, it is lighter, brighter and crisp.

American and European oak sherry casks go into its maturation, not sure of that is its whole maturation though, as the smells and flavours would invoke a higher bourbon cask influence.

https://youtu.be/Jd0wQscteL4

BIG PEAT HONOURS PANDEMIC HEROES
WITH LIMITED EDITION CHARITY BOTTLING 

The family firm behind award-winning Islay Malt brand, Big Peat, today announces a charitable bottling in honour of the heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Big Peat “Heroes” Limited Edition will result in a bulk sanitiser donation to the value of £10,000.00 being made to a leading UK charitable organisation by Douglas Laing & Co.

Packaged in a rainbow-coloured premium gift tube, the Heroes Edition shows Big Peat himself tearing open his doctor’s coat to reveal a superhero costume underneath. The Whisky inside is a marriage of Single Cask Single Malts only from Islay, offered at 48% alcohol strength, without colouring or chill-filtration. It is limited to just 1,500 bottles and is exclusively for the UK, with the sale of each bottle contributing the equivalent of £6.67 worth of sanitiser to a worthy cause.

Says Cara Laing, Marketing Director and third generation in her family business, “When our Board met to establish our priorities for 2021, we unanimously agreed that we are focused on making tangible contributions to the UK’s recovery from recent catastrophic events.

We gathered our wider team on a Zoom call and between us, we came up with a number of initiatives – from donating to the BEN Society in support of the recovery of Scotland’s licensed trade, to offering our warehouse space for mass-vaccinations – plus Big Peat’s Heroes commemorative bottling. Every single individual in key worker roles deserves to be honoured, and this limited edition bottle is designed to do exactly that, by donating a substantial volume of hand sanitiser to a charity chosen by our consumers”.

Consumers are invited to vote for the charity of their choice via an on-pack QR code and Big Peat’s Social Media. The firm says it reached out to scores of UK charities, and arrived at a shortlist that includes: Erskine – caring for veterans of the British Armed Forces; Marie Curie – providing care and support for those with terminal illness and their families and Hearts & Balls, delivering financial and emotional support for rugby players affected by catastrophic injury.

Big Peat Heroes Edition will be available from late March from specialist spirits retailers across the UK and online, with an RRP of £45. Donations to Erskine, Marie Curie and Hearts & Balls can be made via the links below.

• Erskine.org.uk
• Mariecurie.org.uk
• Heartsandballs.org.uk

ABOUT BIG PEAT

Instagram: @bigpeatwhisky

Facebook: /bigpeat

Established in 2009 by Douglas Laing & Co, Big Peat has amassed a somewhat cult following throughout his tenure in the world of Whisky. The multi award-winning small batch Scotch is a marriage of Single Cask Single Malts distilled only on Islay, including those distilled at Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila and Port Ellen Distilleries, amongst others. Celebrated for “his” trademark smoky, sooty, ashy and sweet flavour profile, Big Peat is proudly offered at high alcohol strength and always without colouring or chill-filtration.

ABOUT DOUGLAS LAING & CO.

www.douglaslaing.com

Douglas Laing & Co. is a leading independent Scotch Whisky distillery, blender and bottler specialising in the selection and release of Single Cask Single and Small Batch Malt Scotch Whiskies.

The company was founded by Fred Douglas Laing in 1948 and is still owned and run by the Laing family – Fred Laing Jr and his daughter Cara Laing.

The company philosophy is to bottle the way the distiller intended – at a high strength and without chill filtration to preserve the robust and unique character of the Whisky. Douglas Laing’s industry reputation and many awards is testament to this ethos.

Douglas Laing’s Remarkable Regional Malts, the Ultimate Distillation of Scotland’s Malt Whisky Regions, encompasses The Epicurean Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky, Timorous Beastie (Highlands), Scallywag (Speyside), The Gauldrons (Campbeltown), Rock Island (Islands) and Big Peat (Islay).

Beyond its Blended Malts expertise, the award-winning Douglas Laing portfolio also includes Provenance, Premier Barrel, Old Particular, Xtra Old Particular and XOP Black, collectively known as the firm’s “Exceptional Single Casks”.

VIRTUAL FIFE WHISKY FESTIVAL RAISES FUNDS FOR CHARITY

A virtual whisky tasting hosted by the team behind Fife Whisky Festival has boosted the funds of a local charity.

The `Fae Fife’ online tasting was organised specifically to support Age Concern Cupar raising £1,000 for the group.

It also brought some lockdown cheer to Scottish whisky lovers who were disappointed the annual Fife Whisky Festival had to be cancelled this year.

Instead, 40 whisky fans from across the country were treated to ten drams from a range of Fife distilleries during a two-hour tasting session.

Fife Whisky Festival co-founder Karen Somerville said: “When we realised we wouldn’t be able to have our usual 700-strong crowd gather for the Festival we decided to host the next best thing – a tasting from Fife distilleries.

“We always raise money for Age Concern Cupar at the Festival with a raffle and we didn’t want them to miss out this year especially when they need funding more than ever to support elderly people through the difficult times we are all facing.

“The distilleries and our festival retailer, Luvians, kindly provided the whisky for us and we were limited to just 25 tickets which meant we sold out in about three minutes as hundreds of whisky lovers tried to snap them up!

“It was a great night and everyone had fun – the drams were great; we heard some interesting presentations from the distillers and brand ambassadors and best of all we raised £1,000 for Age Concern through ticket sales and some generous donations.”

Anne Ronaldson, Manager of Age Concern Cupar, was delighted with the funds raised by the whisky tasting.

She said: “I’d like to thank the team at Fife Whisky Festival for their continued support which is much appreciated.

“We’re closed now, due to lockdown, but are looking forward to welcoming people back for activities and social evenings when we can and this donation will make a big difference to us.

“I really appreciate the organisers thinking about us and hosting the tasting to help us this year.”

The distillers and brand ambassadors involved in the event also enjoyed the evening.

Murray Stevenson, UK Sales Manager and Brand Ambassador at Lindores Abbey Distillery in Newburgh, said: “It’s a real honour to be part of an event showcasing the thriving industry of Fife Whisky distilling which has gone from strength to strength during the past decade with Single Malt Whisky from our little corner of the globe now among the most sought after worldwide. 

“For us here at Lindores Abbey Distillery attending the Fife Whisky Festival, be it virtual or the real thing, is one of our most important and enjoyable dates in our calendar. 

“With Lindores being a young distillery, we relish the opportunity to engage with whisky enthusiasts in our local community and introduce them to our phenomenal malt spirit, beautiful distillery and incredible history of the ancient Abbey that is on their doorstep. 

“The Festival is also a fantastic platform to communicate our brand and story to those further afield from Fife too and it is a real joy to be part of the new wave of whisky tourism coming to the area and welcoming the world’s whisky pilgrims to the Kingdom of Fife.”

The tasting session began with drams from Lindores Abbey Distillery and Lady of the Glen – an independent bottler whose new warehouses are in Dalgety Bay.

They were followed by a dram presented by Kingsbarns Distillery’s Peter Holroyd, who also treated viewers to a live tour of the distillery, before Francis Cuthbert presented a single cask whisky from Daftmill Distillery in Cupar.

The fifth dram was a single malt from Eden Mill Distillery in St Andrews followed by a taste of last year’s festival bottling of a 22-year-old Cameronbridge which was finished in a marsala cask for 12 months.

This dram was presented by Vince Fusaro, owner and founder of Luvians Bottle Shop, and Hugh Barron – Sales Manager for whisky specialists James Eadie who bottled the Cameronbridge.

The ‘Fae Fife’ finale featured four tasting samples in a deluxe pack from InchDairnie Distillery in Glenrothes and a presentation from distiller Scott Sneddon.

Karen Somerville and her co-founder Justine Hazlehurst are now planning the next Fife Whisky Festival which takes place in March 2022.

Ms Hazlehurst said: “We’ve already booked the Corn Exchange in Cupar for March 5 and aim to bring the Festival back to Fife bigger and better than ever.

“As usual we’ll have more than 30 distilleries and independent bottlers from all over Scotland showcasing their whisky wares.

“It will be an opportunity not to be missed and I think we’ll all be looking forward to it after having to cancel our 2021 event.”

Mrs Somerville, Managing Director of award-winning giftware firm Angels’ Share Glass, and Ms Hazlehurst, founder of Kask Whisky, launched Fife Whisky Festival in 2017 with the first event held in March 2018.

The annual Festival aims to showcase the renaissance of whisky-making in Fife by bringing together the best whisky producers from the region and beyond with the next event scheduled for March 4-6, 2022.

It will feature an Opening Dinner at Lindores Abbey on Friday March 4 followed by tasting sessions at the Corn Exchange in Cupar on Saturday March 5 with additional, smaller events on the Sunday.

Tickets for the 2022 event are due to go on sale in September this year.

For more details about the Festival, visit www.fifewhiskyfestival.com

Notes 

Fife Whisky Festival was launched in 2017 by Justine Hazlehurst and Karen Somerville and the first event, opened by endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont, was held at the Corn Exchange in Cupar on Saturday March 10, 2018. For more details, go to www.fifewhiskyfestival.com

Angels’ Share Glass is a family-run business based in Bridge of Allan, near Stirling. The firm is co-directed by Karen Somerville and her father Tom Young – a world-renowned Master Craftsman who has been glassblowing and making lamp-work glassware for nearly 60 years. More information about the company can be found at www.angelsshareglass.com

Justine Hazlehurst is the founder of Kask Whisky, a whisky events company based in Edinburgh. She has established the Fife Whisky Trail and the Leith Whisky Trail and works alongside Holyrood Distillery developing and leading the distillery’s Whisky Walking Tour. For more details about Kask Whisky, go to www.kaskwhisky.com