A Tightly Allocated Whisky That’s In Stock Now
Suntory “Hibiki Japanese Harmony” Japanese Whisky (750ml) ($74.99)
“Today, we…want to let everyone know it’s here. The trick is, with the insane popularity of all true Japanese whisky, it won’t be here for long.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

Our most recent allocation of one of the best buys on the market in Japanese Whisky has just landed. The Suntory “Hibiki Japanese Harmony” is always a hot item, considering its reputation as a go-to for many collectors. It also just happens to be one of the most compelling and versatile spirits in our shop. Our spirits buyer recently opened a bottle to taste, and he was “blown away by the richness in particular. The flavors are a delight…” It’s a no-brainer to load up now while it’s still available, as this whisky always sells out.

Suntory “Hibiki Japanese Harmony” Japanese Whisky (750ml) ($74.99)

Wine & Spirits: “You can’t be a Japanese whisky enthusiast without having noticed that there’s a shortage of the stuff. What once was readily available is now hard to find. What once was affordable now costs various bodily limbs. It is due to more than a fad. The best Japanese whisky is remarkable stuff, and none are better than the top single malts from Suntory, Yamazaki, Hakushu and the blended whisky Hibiki. Hibiki comes in 12-, 17- and 21-year-old expressions, but even the youngest of these is now allocated. Harmony, the newest release, carries no age statement, indicating that it contains younger whiskies than other bottlings. Nevertheless, this is a welcome concession, with Suntory’s classic sense of balance, nuance, and delicacy. *Best of 2015* (JM)” (11/2015)

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 30, 2021

If you haven’t had Hibiki Harmony recently, you must retry it. In all honesty, it’s not something we’ve opened for the staff here in a long time since it is so tightly allocated and sells out so quickly. It just wasn’t necessary. With our most recent drop of one of the most asked for Japanese whiskies on the market, I decided it was time to make sure the staff all knew what exactly we had. I must say, I was blown away by the richness in particular. The flavors are a delight: crisp apple, fresh stone fruits, a touch of piquant pepper, and a surprising amount of vanilla and caramel. The palate has much more weight, presumably from a higher malt content, than I recall. It coats the tongue but is never heavy. The finish is clean and bright and decidedly entices you to have another sip. We spend most of the year out of stock on this whisky, just sadly telling customers, “No, it’s not available.” Today, we are sitting flush and want to let everyone know it’s here. The trick is, with the insane popularity of all true Japanese whisky, it won’t be here for long.

Neal Fischer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 21, 2019

This whisky contains single malts from both Yamazaki and Hakushu, so there are chops to this blend. Toasted grain, vanilla syrup, new wood, and light tropical fruit notes on the nose with just a touch of spice to keep things playful. The palate has more caramel and honey characteristics, balanced by more tingly spice. There’s a great salinity here as well with a gentle medicinal note and robust malt character.

We hope you all are managing to stay relaxed and healthy. I’m sure you all had your fair share of MS Teams and Google Meet sessions. Often with some very relaxed drams. I know we certainly did! But, let’s Zoom in on Maltstock!!

Will Maltstock 2021 go ahead as planned?

The short answer is: we don’t know yet. But… we are rather hopeful. So do pencil it in the dates 10-12 September.

Let us be very clear: Maltstock will only happen if it can be done in a safe way. The health of our guests and our crew is our number one priority. Also there will be no Maltstock if social distancing rules are still in place.

So why are we hopeful?

Things are slowly but surely improving. People are getting vaccinated. And if everyone at Maltstock has been vaccinated or has a negative test result, we should all be safe.  A vaccination passport will certainly help us. The question remains of course if the speed at which people are being vaccinated is high enough. But more should be clear on that in a month or two.

Of course, social distancing rules will have to be lifted as well before we can have a relaxed Maltstock. We just need to be a patient for a bit longer. We expect to be able to get back to you by the end of June.

Again, we will only organize Maltstock this year if we can do it in a safe and relaxed way. If you for whatever reason do not wish to come to Maltstock this year, not a problem at all. Your ticket will remain valid for any future edition. We have our fingers crossed we will see most of you the September at Maltstock. How relaxed would that be!

Stay healthy stay relaxed!

Annette, Bob, Klaas, Stan & Teun

PS

If you haven’t bought a Maltstock ticket yet, you can still get yours here. It will be valid for the next edition of Maltstock. Which of course we hope will be this year!

Our journey through Scottish whisky festivals continues today, this time we’re exploring the rugged beauty of the Highlands and historic distilling hub of Campbeltown. With two very different styles and flavour profiles on offer, which tipple will take your fancy?

SEE ALL NEW BOTTLINGS

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

Secret Speyside 31 Year Old 1989 Asta Morris

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a secret Speyside malt distilled in 1989. Asta Morris has finally released a new whisky, the first in 2021. It’s a belter! No less than 31 years of age and in new livery to boot. This Heritage is a Speyside malt from an undisclosed distillery. It can be found somewhat halfway between the Mackessack Park and the Rothes Golf Club. You do the math.

https://youtu.be/_3iZWh7pCZA

Stewart Buchanan, Benriach Global Brand Ambassador

Stewart Buchanan, Benriach Global Brand Ambassador

GLOBAL WHISKY FANS LOG INTO CELEBRATE SPIRIT OF SPEYSIDE

From Turriff to Tokyo, 688 guests from 15 countries from around the world logged into Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival’s first online event, which took place last week.

Benriach’s World of Flavour proved to be the top pick of the festival, with Global Brand Ambassador, Stewart Buchanan, leading a tasting of their core range, giving a sneak peek behind the scenes of their new visitor centre in Elgin. Virtual distillery tours were also high on the agenda for visitors, with tours of Benromach and Tamdhu distilleries being the second and third most popular events.

In addition to the main festival events, guests were invited to join virtual booths hosted by distillery managers, brand ambassadors, and whisky experts to chat with like-minded whisky lovers. The festival saw 2,877 visits to the 20 available booths, with guests using a total of 2,254 emojis and enjoying drams from 836 tasting kits.

James Campbell, Chairman at The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, said:

“This year’s Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival might have been very different from years gone by, but the distilleries rallied to create one of our most engaging and internationally visited events in our 21 year history.

“With guests from every corner of the globe from Australia to The Philippines, Canada, Germany, Mexico and across the UK, whisky lovers rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in the whisky industry.

“But nothing beats being together to celebrate the world’s largest producing whisky region. We have our fingers and toes crossed that we can welcome back whisky explorers in person to the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival from 3-8 November 2021, subject to government guidelines”

Updates on the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival will be posted on https://www.spiritofspeyside.com and across social media. This will be subject to government guidelines and may be subject to change.

The 2022 festival will take place 27 April to 2 May 2022.

Notes 

About the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

First launched in 1999, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival’s annual celebration of Scotland’s national drink has developed into one of the largest events of its kind anywhere in the world. The Festival is a mecca for the curious beginner and the whisky connoisseur alike. Over the past 20 years, festival events have taken place throughout Speyside, the biggest whisky producing region in Scotland, located in the Moray area in the North-East of the county between Aberdeen and Inverness. This year is the first year that the festival has adopted an online format.

Over the years, the Festival has developed close links with many Speyside businesses and communities who help to fund the festival. It is a true team effort to deliver an ever-improving range of events and services to make the Festival a truly unforgettable experience.

The company is limited by guarantee, it runs the festival with a voluntary board of directors drawn from key areas of the whisky industry along with other local businesses and tourism organisations.

Despite the lack of tourists, spring has been a hugely busy time at the distillery. We took advantage of the cool damp weather before Easter to have our best-ever production period, with our mashmen and stillmen working long hours to produce great volumes of spirit, and without any loss of quality – quite an achievement. Simultaneously we were lucky enough to take delivery of an entire truckload of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso hogsheads; these have all now been filled and we look forward to seeing the results in five, ten, fifteen years… in this game it pays to be patient.

Happily the lack of tourists is now behind us, as the distillery formally reopened for visitors today – something we have been looking forward to for many months. All tours are fully compliant with current covid guidelines – Click here for details on how to book.

Today we are also announcing a brace of new bottlings: our Fathers Day special (last year’s was a huge hit, so we thought a sequel would be a good idea) and the much-anticipated issue of bottles from Iain’s private cask: the Manager’s Cask release. They’re now both be released from our webshop.

Finally, we’re offering our friends and followers a chance to win both the new releases: if you’re feeling lucky and fancy getting hold of a Fathers Day and Manager’s Cask bottle, please enter our competition. Wishing all our friends and followers a very happy summer!

Slàinte

The Wolfburn Team

Awards are always appreciated!

We are so pleased to announce the 2021 winners of this prestigious competition from our portfolio.  Some you may know well, while others may be new friends… all of them are delicious experiences!

SFWSC medal winners range from some of the most renowned international distillers to small-batch producers. Not only is an SFWSC medal a testament to your hard work, it’s a universally recognized indicator of exceptional quality and craftsmanship.

DOUBLE GOLD
Awarded to the entries that receive a Gold medal rating by all members of the judging panel; these are among the finest products in the world.

GOLD
Exceptional spirits that are near the pinnacle of achievement; these products set the standard for their categories.

MacNair’s Mastered the Double Gold Medals

Ne’er happier than when exploring the globe or the spirit from the golden still, Harvey MacNair was – in the parlance of his native Glasgow – a man or ‘lad o’pairts’: a true Victorian entrepreneur. A trader, thereby a traveler, an inventor of all sorts of mechanical contraptions, his genius lay in the blending of fine whiskies. He loved and championed the natural, unadulterated color of whisky. “Pure gold’ he said with a wink.

Today’s Lum Reek is the creation of Master Blender Billy Walker, raising his hat to the top hatted Victorian. It’s a peated malt, marrying Islay & Speyside whiskies with rich GlenAllachie, to extend the flavour profile. Lum Reek is matured in GlenAllachie’s warehouses, bottled at 46% (and above) and unchilfiltered, allowing its natural colour to shine like those golden autumns Harvey MacNair enjoyed decked out in his waders.

‘Lang may yer lum reek’, literally meaning ‘long may your chimney smoke’, is a traditional Scots way to wish someone a long and healthy life.

LUM REEK PEATED 12 YEARS OLD
Introducing the first age range statement from MacNair’s, the Lum Reek 12 years old, bottled at 46% ABV, reflects Billy Walker’s vast experience as a blender, his creative skills and his expert knowledge of wood management. A combination of whiskies from first fill Bourbon, Red Wine and Pedro Ximenez casks were blended together to produce this smoky malt.

COLOR: Copper Bronze.
NOSE: Sweet peat reek combining with butterscotch and mocha.
TASTE: Lashings of rich peat reek with mature heather notes, bog myrtle, butterscotch, toffee and sweet spices.

LUM REEK PEATED 21 YEARS OLD
A blend of some of the finest Islay and Speyside peated malts combined with richer, older GlenAllachie, the Lum Reek 21 years old, voted Worlds Best Blended Malt 2020, was aged in Oloroso, Virgin Oak and Red Wine casks. Non chill filtered, natural colour and bottled at 48% ABV, Billy Walker has recreated the peated whiskies of 100 years ago for the modern-day palate.

COLOR: Butterscotch.
NOSE: Aristocratic peat smoke with dark chocolate and fudge.
TASTE: Tobacco, leather, cedar wood and waves of peat reek with oodles of cocoa, vanilla, honey and spices.

M&H Shocked the Judges with a Vision of Things to Come

While this exciting Double Gold Winner is not available in the US, it is a true testament of the quality that M&H Distillery delivers.  This expression is a reflection of the difference that maturation at the Dead Sea can make in the hot climate of Tel Aviv, Israel and is a truly unique and special whisky.

To learn more about the M&H Apex Expression that are available here in the US you can visit our Bottle Images and More here.

For other M&H Expressions and content you can view our product page here.

Kurayoshi Crushed It

Kurayoshi 18yr Malt Whisky – 50% abv, 750ml – A deep and rich fragrance of the highest quality makes you feel the long-term maturation of over 18 years. The complex and deep flavor profile joins the sweet taste of honey mixed with smoke and spice, a mellow sweetness of vanilla, and a refreshing touch of mint. It is a drink that can satisfy the best whiskey enthusiasts.

It was so exciting to see Kurayoshi be so well received by the judges this year earning them these medals:

Gold – Kurayoshi Pure Malt
Gold – Kurayoshi Sherry Cask
Gold – Kurayoshi 8 yr
Gold – Kurayoshi 12 yr
Double Gold – Kurayoshi 18 yr

For more information on these and other expressions from Kurayoshi, you can visit our product page here.

Meet Matsui Umetsu

Tottori is the line of sourced blended whiskies brought together by the Kurayoshi distillery in Tottori, Japan. Kurayoshi is known for its fresh spring water which is best-suited for producing whisky. The name “Kurayoshi” in Japanese was originated from the phrase “Kurashiyoshi”, which is translated to “Good Living” in English.

This whisky is characterized by mellow sweetness and aroma. The mouth feel is refreshing with a faint fruity sweetness and an ornate finish. The finish is soft and lasting. Perfect for any style of drink, on the rocks, High Ball, and soon.

Thank you all so much!  We will be in touch as the year drinks on 🥃

If you have any questions or would like any additional information, please don’t hesitate to email office@ImpExBev.com.

The long awaited Batch 6 from Alistair Walker and his squadron of Infrequent Flyers Batch 6 is here. 6 wonderful releases of single casks, including two Pedro Ximenez Cask Finishes, a Rye, Virgin Oak, Chinquapin and Marsala finishes to truly explore wood maturation. We also have a bonus in the UK with an Exclusive cask release – for the first time – from Alistair. A wonderful Benrinnes 14 year old. Brilliant to drink and wonderful to add to the collection!

UK Exclusive Release

Infrequent Flyers Benrinnes 2007 14 Year Old UK Exclusive Release

This single cask was distilled in January 2007 at Benrinnes Distillery in Speyside.

Aged for 14 years in a Refill Hogshead and bottled in March 2021

A UK Exclusive release and part of Batch 6 of The Infrequent Flyers Collection.

Only 120 bottles produced.

The first UK Exclusive released by Alistair Walker

£75.00

Shop now

Raising your glass to the extraordinary

Inverurie Whisky Shop1 Burnside, Inverurie, AB51 3RY, United Kingdom mike@inveruriewhiskyshop.com

http://www.inveruriewhiskyshop.com

TAKE A BOTTLE OF GLENGOYNE, AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN

Every bottle of Glengoyne single malt is special, but imagine how extra-special it would be if it featured your own unique message on the label.

Whether you want to surprise someone special, commemorate a significant occasion or impress your friends, make it personal with a bottle of Glengoyne 10 Year Old or 12 Year Old.

Personalise Your Bottle

https://youtu.be/E3u4SU8nVzU

Longrow.

Not more needs to be said, does it?

With as little as 100 casks a year being filled, peated for 48 hours at a rate of 50/55PPM, it is a whisky in the mold of coastal classics…but does its own, very unique thing. What that thing is, well, I doubt we’ll ever really find out.

NAS whiskies, in all honesty, they’ve never bothered me. The fact they bother so many is quite baffling. If it’s quality liquid then why does it matter? Ardbeg Uigeadail or most of their range, any Jameson’s product, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, most bourbon products, and of course, this bottle of Longrow. Nobody seems to bat an eyelid about NAS when it’s on a brand that is universally loved…the fickle side of whisky.

Anyway. Longrow Gold. It’s brilliant. Enjoy