Unbeatable QPR in a Standout K&L Exclusive Sherry Cask
2010 Dailuaine 10 Year Old “Sovereign” K&L Exclusive Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky
(750ml) ($54.99)
“I’m totally in love with this Dailuaine … Deal of the year and an absolutely crushable single cask.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

Our first Scotch container of 2021 brought some unbridled thoroughbreds, but perhaps none more so than this absolutely jaw-dropping 10-year-old sherry butt from our good friends at Sovereign. Dailuaine is a workhouse in the Diageo portfolio, and we rarely see it on the market under its own name, but when we do, it delivers the goods without a doubt. This impeccable cask displays uncommon complexity for its age statement and more than stands up to the sherry influence from the cask. Spirits buyer David Othenin-Girard was simply blown away when he exclaimed, “it has so much gorgeous character I just can’t put it down.” We’ve seen some truly spectacular buys from Sovereign and Dailuaine over the past several years, but it’s safe to say this one takes the cake in terms of the unbeatable quality on offer for a mere $54.99. That incredible QPR combined with the miniscule yield that this cask brought in makes this a certain sell-out in lightning quick fashion, so any fan of sherry-aged Scotch shouldn’t hesitate a moment to add this to their repertoire.

2010 Dailuaine 10 Year Old “Sovereign” K&L Exclusive Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($54.99)

K&L Notes: This first Scotch container of 2021 sees a trio of exceptional, 10- to 12-year-old, sherry-aged malts. Sherried Dailuaine has been a fan-favorite at K&L for years, and we’ve sold 16 different bottlings over the last decade. Given the long-standing relationship many of our customers have with these bottlings, we don’t foresee this being around long. A classic Diageo distillery, Dailuaine has a sizable capacity upwards of 5 million liters per year yet is rarely seen as an official release. Stylistically, it sits somewhere between Clynelish and Blair Athol and shows both a waxy character associated with the former and an inherent sherriness associated with the later. This makes it a perfect candidate to stand up to a big ol’ sherry butt in just a matter of ten years. The quality-to-price ratio makes it one of the best deals of the year.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 26, 2021

I’m totally in love with this Dailuaine. It doesn’t have the oomph of the other two Sovereign sherry bombs, but it has so much gorgeous character I just can’t put it down. The color is old gold. The nose explodes with salted caramel, baked apple, figs, fresh walnuts, exotic honey and hints of golden raisins. It doesn’t feel like the sherry was Oloroso, but maybe instead a lighter, fresher style—maybe even an Amontillado or something of that nature, although it doesn’t have any of the funk you get from a Fino cask. On the palate, the malt stands up nicely, offering a bit of dark, roasted fruit, figgy pudding, and fresh, zesty spice. This guy is surprisingly balanced at the high proof, and while the water softens it up, I don’t think it really needs it. Deal of the year and an absolutely crushable single cask.

Neal Fischer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 24, 2021

This isn’t a particularly popular distillery, and many people might balk at the young age statement here, but it would be a mistake to overlook this cask of Scotch. The nose pours forth with ginger brightness, caramel-covered apricots, new leather, and melon. Pleasantly light on the tongue, more notes of leather and orchard fruit come out along with tobacco and tingly spices flowing into a long finish of honey. I recommend adding a few drops of water to this one to bring out flavors of pineapple and peaches & cream.

CRAGGANMORE DISTILLERY

25 Year Old 1995 Old & Rare

1995 vintage single sherry cask bottled 2021. 298 bottles.

Shop Cragganmore 25yo »

Cragganmore 25 Year Old 1995 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Single sherry butt bottled April 2021 by Hunter Laing & Co. for the Old & Rare series. 298 bottles. This burnished gold coloured whisky has a deep, rich, sweet nose of treacle, dried fruits and butterscotch. On the palate it is full bodied with a slight tongue prickle alongside stewed prunes and sultanas, all leading to a long, satisfying finish with a fruity aftertaste.

Cragganmore Distillery in 1869 in the heart of Scotland’s Speyside whisky region. This is a malt whisky distillery equipped with four very short stills and is one of the few Scottish malt whisky distilleries that continues to cool its new spirit in traditional worm tubs. The few distillery bottlings including Cragganmore 12 Year Old and Distillers Edition are well enhanced by those of independent bottlers.

Welcome to this weeks episode of the show in which I’ll be taking a look at a selection of Aberfeldy bottling and talking batch variation!

https://youtu.be/1PDifA5OzGA

Glen Moray unveils the 2008 Manzanilla Finish, Warehouse 1’s final expression for 2021

Glen Moray has today (29^th November) released another Warehouse 1 treasure just in time for Christmas, the 2008 Manzanilla Finish. A stunning example of Warehouse 1’s innovation and experimentation, this very special dram is strictly limited to only 1240 cask-strength bottles.

The Manzanilla Finish celebrates the distilling team’s creativity with a fresh, evocative and luxurious dram. It’s a partnership of river and sea, bringing together the soft Spey water of Glen Moray’s spirit with the slightly sea-salt tang of Manzanilla sherry, which is famously only ever produced along the sea estuary of the Guadalquivir river.

This beautiful whisky opens with sweet ripe pears, green apples and freshly cut grass; perfect for enjoying by the fire right now, but also an ideal companion for the longer, lighter spring nights to come.

Created in the evocative bodegas of Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Cádiz, Manzanilla is the driest of all sherries. Afficionados swear it tastes of the sea, because the unique coastal conditions have a dramatic effect on the flor, as Glen Moray Brand Ambassador Iain Allan notes: ‘As distillers, this notion of ‘place’ is endlessly fascinating, particularly as our home of Speyside is so much a part of the Glen Moray story.

We started to wonder what would happen if we brought Glen Moray spirit and Manzanilla casks together? If Speyside met Cádiz in the barrel, what would the results be? Soft with salt? Citrus with herbaceous? Questions like these can get the team quite animated, to say the least, but only time can ever answer their restless curiosity – and these results have been worth waiting for. This is an exceptional whisky which represents the best of two very different worlds in one unique malt.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Pale gold

Nose: initially very soft, evoking sweet ripe pears, green apples and fresh cut grass. Lively and vibrant, with background hints of camomile tea.

Taste: clean fruit gives way to drier oak spice. A luxurious mouthfeel leads back around to the herbal characteristics first introduced on the nose.

Finish: long, lingering and savoury, with characteristic Manzanilla salt accents.

I’m thrilled that it’s closing out an exceptional year for the relaunched Warehouse 1. But of course, innovation doesn’t take time off for Christmas – we’re already well ahead in planning our 2022 expressions. We can’t wait to share some very special whisky in the year ahead.” 

Glen Moray Warehouse 1 2008 Manzanilla Finish is bottled at cask strength (54.6% ABV), non-chill filtered and with natural colour. It is a UK exclusive, available in 70cl packs in specialist whisky shops, RRP £74.95

www.glenmoray.com

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ABOUT 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.

ABOUT LA MARTINIQUAISE-BARDINET

Founded by Jean Cayard in 1934, La Martiniquaise is an independent French spirits group with a large portfolio of international brands. Headquartered near Paris, the group operates in over 100 countries with 38 subsidiaries and production sites. The Group’s four pillars are Scotch whiskies, ports, brandies, wines, rums and craft spirits from France.  www.la-martiniquaise.com

Winners Announced in 3rd Annual
Scottish Whisky Awards

The winners in the national awards programme for Scotch whisky have been announced following a St Andrews day dinner and celebration held in Glasgow last night.

The 3rd annual Scottish Whisky Awards revealed the winners from its comprehensive competition that included the blind tasting of 200 Scotch whiskies and the assessment of 58 distilleries and whisky producers.

The ultimate award of the night, Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year, sponsored by Bruce Stephenson Insurance Brokers, was presented to Glen Scotia Distillery in Campbeltown.  Part of the Loch Lomond Group, the distillery won praise for its commitment to the community, excellent product development and high-quality standards achieved in a challenging year.  They also collected a Gold Medal and a Silver Medal in two taste categories…

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View Winners

LEARN MORE

PEATED RUM CASK
Only 230 bottles available
£85
51.4% ABV

SHOP NOW

VIRGIN OAK AND SHERRY CASK
286 bottles available
£75
52.6% ABV

SHOP NOW

Speyburn Single Cask

An rare official distiller release from the Rothes distillery. 14 year old 2004 vintage bottled for the United Kingdom Market. From a single first fill bourbon barrel #263 bottled at 52.5%. While stocks last…

Shop Speyburn 14 yo »

Speyburn 14 Year Old 2004 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Single 1st fill ex-bourbon American oak cask bottled 2018 for the United Kingdom market. 222 bottles. The nose is bursting with hints of pineapple, almonds, creamy white chocolate and sweet vanilla. On the palate, there are notes of banoffee pie, light citrus fruits and honey all wrapped together with a hint of tobacco. With a warming and sweet finish.

Speyburn Distillery was designed by Charles C. Doig and when constructed in 1897 it was the first malt whisky distillery to install Drum Maltings. Although the Drum Maltings closed in 1967 they have been retained and this is the only surviving example in Scotland. Speyburn is a malt whisky distillery situated in Scotland’s Speyside whisky region and operates with three stills of which two are spirit stills and connected to traditional worm tubs to cool the new spirit, a dunnage warehouse to house some of its maturing casks of whisky and has retained its classic pagoda roof over the old kiln house. Speyburn’s 10 Year Old is a popular core release.

DAPPER DRAMS AND GLITZY GIFTS

Let the Society and our whisky be at the heart of your celebrations this Christmas with show-stopping drams and great gifts that are sure to impress.

OUTTURN HUB

ALL NEW WHISKIES

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

ralfy review 905 Extras – three greats malts re-bought 2021

Thomas S. Moore Port Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon Named Gold Medalist at 2021 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition

 1792 Distillery Products Claim 10 Total Medals

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Nov 4, 2021) The 2021 installment of the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition (NYWSC) recognized 10 whiskeys produced at Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. Its Thomas S. Moore Port Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon earned a Gold medal in addition to the six Silver medals and three Bronze medals earned by other Barton 1792 brands. The complete list of Barton 1792 brands recognized this year are as follows:

Gold medals went to

• Thomas S. Moore Port Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Silver medals went to

• 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• 1792 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• 1792 Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Thomas S. Moore Cabernet Sauvignon Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Thomas S. Moore Chardonnay Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Early Times Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Bronze medals went to

• 1792 Aged 12 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• 1792 Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Early Times Kentucky Whiskey

The NYWSC is committed to three principles: legacy, integrity and experience. Predicated on these principles, the spirits are judged by the industry’s most trusted authorities. Results from the 2021 NYWSC can be viewed at https://www.nywscomp.com/results.

For more information on the award-winning portfolio of brands produced at 1792 Distillery, visit https://www.1792distillery.com.

About Barton 1792 Distillery

Barton 1792 Distillery is part of Barton Brands.  Barton Brands has facilities in Bardstown, Ky., Carson, Calif., and Baltimore, Md. Barton Brands is owned by the Sazerac Company, an American family-owned company based in New Orleans, La. Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” The Distillery is located on 196 acres and includes 28 warehouses, 22 other buildings, the Morton Spring and the Tom Moore Spring.  Distilling, aging and bottling fine Bourbon whiskey are hallmarks of the historic Barton 1792 Distillery. 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is produced at Barton 1792 Distillery, and is named for the year Kentucky became a state. The Distillery has garnered a number of prestigious awards for its whiskies, including its 1792 Full Proof, which was named the World Whiskey of the Year for 2020.  To learn more visit www.1792bourbon.com