BOWMORE 30YO at The Whisky Shop
Looking for something extra special? The first release of Bowmore Distillery’s ongoing 30-year-old annual limited edition has landed! Drawn from a small selection of sherry-seasoned hogsheads and ex-bourbon barrels chosen by Distillery Manager David Turner and Master Blender Ron Welsh; this is a dram to savour.
Faer Isles Whisky Glass
We are also happy to be able to offer our very own whisky glass in our webshop from next week. Developed by famous Irish whisky glass producer, Túath, this conical-shaped glass beautifully captures the aromas and flavours of whisky. Specifically developed for nosing and tasting whisky, it is the perfect gift for the whisky enthusiast wanting to have his/her own special glass for whisky appreciation.
A unique feature is its ability to lay on the side, so you can better appreciate the colour. This is achieved by the special stem and foot, which also makes the glass fit perfectly into your hand and thumb for easy swirling, viewing, and nosing.
We’ve added our logo and also a special gift package that protects the glass and looks nice in storage in display cabinets and on shelves.
ANOTHER MILESTONE HIT AS B CORP CERTIFIED BRUICHLADDICH URGES THEIR SHOPPERS TO GO ‘ONE TIN LIGHTER’
Single malt whisky, now with no tin? Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and Octomore single malts, made at Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay, are known for their modern packaging design and convention challenging spirits. Their bold type and eye-catching colour palettes have helped distinguish the Scotch brands from the traditional designs expected from the category.
Ensuring their actions are as progressive as their packaging, Bruichladdich have launched a new initiative that urges customers to leave the tin out of their baskets and ‘make the world of whisky one tin lighter’. Across their online shop (www.bruichladdich.com) and in their visitor centre, preferences will be set to ‘no tin’ as a matter of default. Customers will purposefully have to select for a tin to be included.
In a bid to eliminate secondary packaging overall, this slow but steady approach to reducing demand will eventually see one less tin produced, one less transported and one less tin at risk of going to landfill.
Ambitious plans have been set to roll the initiative out globally. The volume of tins reduced from the web-shop and visitor centre could potentially reach ~15,000 tins annually, saving approximately ~17 tonnes of CO2e1. While it is a relatively small proportion of Bruichladdich’s overall business, the project is an immensely important ‘incubator’ phase that will seed long-term intentions with customers and help shape recommendations on how to reduce packaging universally.
Speaking on the matter, CEO Douglas Taylor: “As a business that places social and environmental progress at the heart of our decision making, we have an obligation to reduce our footprint and cut our carbon emissions wherever possible. While we are tackling the most impactful alternatives in renewable energy and sustainable agriculture, the marginal gains matter. A tin is an inevitable luxury that emits over 1kg of CO2e in its creation alone. It is our duty to phase them out wherever we can – producing less, transporting less and risking less packaging going to landfill.
“We are determined to lead from the front; to use less, use better, and take small steps towards significant milestones. We trust that our customers will support us as they always have done, knowing their choices will help us fuel investment into the long-term sustainability projects that reduce our impact and drive positive change.
“To date, we’ve purchased 30 acres of croft land that is designated for agronomical R&D. We’ve planted ~7,500 trees and invested in biodiversity through a pollinator project and wildflower conservation. We’ve installed a circulatory heating system to recycle our hot wastewater and have switched to 100% renewable electricity, sourced within the UK. For the community, we’ve based our warehousing, bottling and in the future, a proportion of our maltings on the island, to keep career benefits here. Decarbonising our stillhouse’s steam requirement is also within our future ambition. It’s a challenge that has seen us assess the feasibility of green hydrogen technology, as well as the potential of biomass, electrification, wind, solar and fuel-switching.
“We will continue to scrutinise packaging and waste under this wider sustainability program, taking a holistic view for the betterment of our people and our planet. We’ll learn from our community, share progress along the way, and no doubt urge and inspire others to join us on this journey.”
1 The creation of one Classic Laddie 70cl tin is estimated at 1.13kg CO2e. This calculation does not account for transportation of the outer packaging and is a minimum estimate.
Notes:
On Bruichladdich Distillery:
Bruichladdich Distillery is situated on the southwestern tip of the Hebridean island of Islay.
Bruichladdich Distillery crafts four different spirits:
• Bruichladdich, unpeated Islay single malt Scotch whisky
• Port Charlotte, heavily peated Islay single malt Scotch whisky (40PPM)
• Octomore, the world’s most heavily peated Scotch whisky series (80+PPM)
The distillery was first established in 1881 by the Harvey brothers. It survived through periods of closure including world wars and economic uncertainly, only to be closed for 7 years in 1994. The closure left all but two redundant.
The distillery was reopened by Mark Reynier, Simon Coughlin and Jim McEwan in 2001. The team have breathed new life into the community by keeping as much of their operations on Islay as possible. They installed a bottling hall in 2003, first grew Islay barley in 2004 (now 52% of production) and have since added additional warehousing to ensure all single malts are conceived, distilled, matured and bottled on the island. They are one of only two distilleries on the island (9 total) to make those claims.
The independently owned Bruichladdich was purchased by luxury spirits company Remy Cointreau in 2012. They continue to invest in the values of the business, in being Islay-based, and in the local community.
In 2020, Bruichladdich became one of the only distilleries in the world to be B Corp certified. They are the first gin and whisky distillery in Europe, and one of two globally, to be recognised for balancing profit and purpose.
On Sustainability at Bruichladdich Distillery:
The distillery’s sustainability strategy is organised around four key pillars; Agriculture and Biodiversity, Energy, Packaging & Waste and Islay & Community.
Key milestones achieved to date, arranged under each pillar, can be found in the additional support material.
The Water of Life Film & independent bottlers, The Single Cask, announce a unique collaboration.
Pairing an exclusive 2009 Bruichladdich cask bottling and the Water of Life Film for an evening celebrating Scotch Whisky
LOS ANGELES – FEBRUARY 8, 2021 – Producers Blacksmith + Jones and The Single Cask today announce a collaboration which brings the story and heavenly taste of Scotch Whisky together into an exclusive event.
“Following the successful Burns Night Celebration, we want to continue to bring our story to the whisky world through unique experiences,” said The Water of Life Director Greg Swartz. “It’s important to us that we help our audience engage all their senses when seeing the film and this collaboration with The Single Cask is a natural fit with that desire.”
The Blacksmith + Jones are pairing that bottle with a screening event followed by a tasting session and Q&A between Pillai, Swartz, and the audience. Oh, and a visit from the man who distilled the whisky in the bottle: Jim McEwan.
This event will be exclusive to those who purchase the bottle – because, what’s a tasting session without the bottle! The full experience, film screening, bottle, tasting session and Q&A costs £149 and this Experience can be purchased through https://www.wateroflifefilm.com/ or https://www.thesinglecask.co.uk/
Bottles go on sale today and the The Single Cask Experience event will be held on the 5th March (to allow enough time for everyone to get their bottle delivered prior to the event).
“Jim McEwan era Bruichladdich casks are becoming impossible to find and the prices of those casks have gone through the roof in the past few months, “Ben Curtis, Owner of the Single Cask said. “Working together with Water of Life team to find a whisky to compliment the Film, this specific cask was a no brainer as it’s a beautiful expression of the whisky at its purest”.
Brendan Pillai, from The Single Cask added “This expression, Cask #3615, was distilled on the 12th of October 2009 at the Bruichladdich Distillery and matured in a first fill Bourbon cask for 11 years. It has been bottled un-chill filtered, with no added colour, at cask strength of 61.3%. The cask yielded 247 bottles and is a wonderful full bodied decadent example of Bruichladdich and will give the audience a true glimpse into a classic from that era.”
Tasting Notes: Bruichladdich 2009 #3615 (61.3% ABV) – 247 bottles
Nose: macadamia, sea salt, malt, honey, cacao, light hay
Palate: An immediate rush of liquorice, lemon, key lime and fennel which took the tongue a few minutes to process before it leads on to green apple, pineapple, cinnamon and mint on second taste before it exits and leaves you salivating with malt powder and sencha rice tea. Full-bodied and decadent.
Finish: Dries off into malt, white pepper, coriander seeds
For more information about the film and the bottle https://www.wateroflifefilm.com/
Click on Link to see the trailer
Click here for stills from the Film
Click here for Film Poster
About The Water of Life
The Water of Life is a feature documentary that focuses on the craftsmen, chemists, and renegades at the heart of the whisky revolution that turned the stagnant scotch whisky industry of the 1980s into the titan it is today.
Starting behind the locked gates of an abandoned distillery, Jim McEwan and Mark Reynier share their personal experiences of the risk-taking and wild experimentation they used to turn Bruichladdich into a creative and financial powerhouse.
The film also takes you on the journeys of visionaries like Gordon & MacPhail, Billy Walker, Rachel Barrie and David Stewart, whose mixture of talent, chemistry, hard work, grit, and a little sprinkle of magic paved the way for the next generation of innovators like Adam Hannett, Kelsey McKechnie, Liam Hughes, Iain Croucher, and Eddie Brook.
The Water of Life is a uniquely personal perspective on the evolution of whisky by those who lived it – the story of those who played a key part in rediscovering the crafting of the ancient spirit.
About Blacksmith + Jones
Blacksmith + Jones is a media production company that puts story first. Their primary focus has been in documentary style television and short form projects. Principals Trevor Jones and Greg Swartz have decades of experience and have produced shows for NatGeo, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. They have been partners for more than 10 years. The Water of Life is their first feature documentary.
About The Single Cask
Founded by Ben Curtis, The Single Cask was built on the belief that the search for the perfect dram never ends. Every cask we come across in our work is in some way unique, the best of them being well worth searching for. We have made it our mission to seek outstanding individual casks and bottle them as naturally as we can, without filtration, dilution, or colouring. Sometimes a rare cask from a lost age will catch our attention, or it might have been left to mature for longer than usual. Most important to us however is that each whisky is something we’d be happy to have at home simply because it tastes exceptional.
Our February end soon!
Place your bids from Friday 12th February until Sunday 21st February.
Every month, we present an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits to our members right across the globe. You will find everything here from limited edition releases and vintage bottles to whole casks of rare whisky. There is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest or enjoy!
Macallan – Red Collection
Chichibu – Intergalactic Series
Macallan – Easter Elchies (2008-2013)
Kavalan – Single Cask (Virgin Oak)
Macallan – 52 Year Old
Selling whisky? Why not arrange the pick-up of your bottles using our global courier service? If you’re based in Scotland, you might want to arrange the personal collection of your bottles. Wherever you’re based in the world, we will make getting your bottles into our monthly auction as simple as possible. Get in touch with the Whisky Hammer team now by dropping them a message at sales@whiskyhammer.co.uk.
Loch Lomond Whiskies, the official spirit of The Open, have released two new limited edition drams in celebration of this year’s championship, partnering with world class golfer Colin Montgomerie for the delicious Open Special Edition and marking this year’s 149th Open in England with the equally sublime 20-year-old Royal St. George’s.
Loch Lomond
The Open Special Edition
£40.00
Loch Lomond 20 Year Old
Royal St George’s
£160.00
THE MARITIME MALT
Old Pulteney single malt is distilled at the Pulteney distillery in the historic fishing port of Wick, located in the far North of the Scottish Highlands. The whiskies are typically rich, fruity, and malty, with characteristic notes of sea breeze and brine, said to result from the distillery’s coastal location.
Rarely bottled as a single malt until the mid 1990’s, Old Pulteney have made up for lost time, establishing an enviable reputation amongst whisky enthusiasts. Their 1989 Vintage release was awarded World’s Best Single Malt 2016 at the World Whisky Awards, and their 21 Year Old Single Malt was rated Whisky Of The Year in 2012.
12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch
40% ABV | 70cl
This excellent whisky has been matured wholly in air-dried, hand selected ex-Bourbon casks and displays the vibrant coastal character that the distillery is noted for. The nose and palate feature plenty of sweet honey and vanilla notes, plus nuts, spice, and fresh sea spray.
£31.95
15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch
46% ABV | 70cl
This superb coastal whisky was matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks. Rich and flavoursome with plenty of sweet vanilla and honey flavours, alongside bold orchard fruits, and darker notes of raisin and chocolate. The finish is bold and spicy which balances the initial sweetness. The faintest hint of brine or sea spray features throughout.
£65.95
18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch
46% ABV | 70cl
Matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon and Olorosso Sherry casks, this is a lovely expression from the Wick distillery. Amber in colour with a milk chocolate, orange and sandalwood nose. The palate is full and smooth with more of that sweetness evident. More red fruit is noticeable, raisin, damson and some sweet cinnamon. Honeyed, spicy and citrusy on the finish which is long and pleasant.
£111.95
Huddart Single Malt Scotch
43% ABV | 70cl
This smoky expression from Old Pulteney is named after the street where the distillery resides. The whisky is matured in ex-Bourbon casks that previously held heavily peated whisky. Coastal on the nose with citrus, spice and more than a nudge of smoke. That smoky element continues on the palate with the addition of vanilla, cream and toffee.
£42.95
VIEW THE FULL OLD PULTENEY RANGE
REVEALING THE MACALLAN ANECDOTES OF AGES COLLECTION –
A UNIQUE ART AND WHISKY COLLABORATION WITH SIR PETER BLAKE
The Macallan has unveiled the Anecdotes of Ages Collection, an extraordinary art and whisky collaboration with globally renowned British pop artist, Sir Peter Blake.
The collaboration, which is The Macallan’s third with the iconic artist and is part of a relationship which has spanned more than three decades, celebrates The Macallan’s rich legacy and Sir Peter Blake’s remarkable contribution to the art world.
At the heart of the esteemed collection are 13 one-of-a-kind bottles of exceptional 1967 whisky. Classic but with a distinctly colourful character, this peerless single malt Scotch has been matured for more than 50 years and was carefully selected to represent the year that Sir Peter Blake’s signature collages transcended from art into popular culture.
Each individual bottle features its own original Sir Peter Blake collage art on the label, detailing unique stories relating to The Macallan’s history, community, and the beautiful natural landscape of The Macallan Estate.
Pioneering pop artist Sir Peter Blake is renowned for his highly distinctive collages featuring images from popular culture. His diverse style ranges from colourful lettering to likeness drawing, but he remains best known for his signature crowd work. Over many decades, his unique and timeless style has transcended fashion, music, and even art movements.
The long-held relationship between The Macallan and Sir Peter Blake is based on a mutual respect for craftsmanship as well as a strong desire to deliver truly creative and visionary work. In 1986 he collaborated with The Macallan to create a bespoke label for The Macallan 1926 taking inspiration from the events of the era. In 2012 The Macallan and Sir Peter Blake collaborated again to create a unique, limited edition art piece in celebration of his 80thbirthday and decades of collaborating with The Macallan.
As part of The Macallan’s strong support for the arts, one of the extremely scarce 13 Anecdotes of Ages bottles is being auctioned to raise funds to benefit the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Support from The Macallan will advance efforts underway at the Guggenheim to increase free access and develop engagement with a variety of audiences, in alignment with the museum’s diversity, equity, access, and inclusion initiatives. The sale is being conducted by Sotheby’s in March 2021
Sir Peter Blake said: “I am deeply inspired by the incredible legacy of The Macallan, and its emphasis on family, tradition, and the natural world.
“Each collage in the Anecdotes of Ages Collection is inspired by The Macallan’s history and heritage, one that respects time and craft, two essential components of my own creative process. I meticulously worked on each collage, pulling from The Macallan Estate’s rich history to complete a collection that is a celebration of art and whisky.”
Sarah Burgess, Lead Whisky Maker at The Macallan, said: “This exceptional 1967 whisky was chosen for its classic yet distinctively colourful character, which is reminiscent of Sir Peter Blake’s work of the same year. With notes of oak and fig leading to a burst of hazelnut and strawberry, this is a truly special single malt that finishes with complex flavours of chocolate and lightly spiced peach. It is in many ways, its own work of art.”
The exquisite and incredibly rare Anecdotes of Ages Collection will be sought after worldwide by whisky and art lovers alike.
Each of the 13 original bottles are hand-blown with an oak stopper, and feature a label signed by Sir Peter Blake. Presented in a handcrafted European oak case incorporating thumbnail photography revealing Sir Peter Blake’s inspirational journey with The Macallan, the expressions are also accompanied by a leather-bound book showcasing all 13 label artworks and corresponding stories, as well as a certificate of authenticity.
While the 13th original bottle will be retained in The Macallan archive, a highly limited-edition whisky featuring a duplicate label and the same rare 1967 whisky, will be released as The Anecdotes of Ages Collection: Down to Work Limited Edition. Only 322 bottles will be available worldwide.
An innovative 360-degree virtual art exhibit enabling visitors to explore the Anecdotes of Ages Collection will be available on The Macallan website. Whisky and art enthusiasts will be taken on a journey through Sir Peter Blake’s studio and the Anecdotes of Ages gallery, which showcases the inspiration behind each of the individual artworks, before attending a world reveal of the 13 bottles with Sir Peter Blake’s handcrafted and original label artwork.
Whisky lovers will also welcome the release of a further special single malt Scotch created to commemorate Sir Peter Blake’s visit to The Macallan Estate on the legendary River Spey. An Estate, A Community, And A Distillery is displayed in a custom box inspired by Sir Peter Blake’s art, alongside a certificate outlining the history and heritage on which the art was based, and Sir Peter Blake’s artwork printed on a scroll.
To view The Macallan Anecdotes of Ages Virtual Art Exhibit, visit https://www.themacallan.com/virtual-art-exhibit. The Anecdotes of Ages Collection: Down To Work Limited Edition and the An Estate, A Community, And A Distillery will both be available from February 2021.
The RRSP of The Anecdotes of Ages Collection: Down to Work is £50,000
The RRSP of An Estate, A Community, And A Distillery is £750
For further information visit www.themacallan.com.
Whisky Maker’s Notes:
Anecdotes of Ages Collection: Down To Work Limited Edition
Colour: Caramelised peach
Aroma: Classic antique oak, dried fruit and fig combined with hints of pineapple and mango layered with a decadent chocolate strawberry note
Palate: Warm chocolate with light nutmeg and ginger, oak spices and sweet oak opening into pineapple and coconut with an unexpected strawberry and hazelnut burst
Finish: Complex with a medium to long finish of chocolate, sweet oak and lightly spiced peach
ABV: 46.7%
An Estate, A Community, And A Distillery
Colour: Cinnamon
Aroma: Rich in dried fruits and spices with a hint of orange and clove
Palate: Dried fruits with cracked black pepper and treacle, accents of vanilla and orange oil
Finish: A long, rich oak finish with cinnamon and cacao
ABV: 47.7%
About The Macallan
Founded in 1824, The Macallan is renowned worldwide for its extraordinary single malt whiskies. Their outstanding quality and distinctive character reveal the uncompromised excellence pursued by The Macallan since it was established by Alexander Reid, on a plateau above the River Spey in north-east Scotland.
In 2018, The Macallan opened a new chapter in its history with the launch of its award-winning Speyside distillery. Designed by internationally acclaimed architects to promote sustainability, the building takes inspiration from the surrounding ancient Scottish hills. It stands nearby Easter Elchies House, the Highland Manor built in 1700 which is The Macallan’s spiritual home and remains the heartbeat of The Macallan’s beautiful 485-acre Estate.
About Sir Peter Blake
Sir Peter Blake (b. 1932, Dartford, Kent) is a British painter, sculptor, draughtsman and printmaker. He is known as one of the leading figures of British Pop art. Peter Blake studied at Gravesend School of Art before being accepted into the Royal College of Art, London, where he studied alongside other key British Pop artists, David Hockney, R.B. Kitaj, Joe Tilson, Allen Jones, Peter Phillips and Derek Boshier. After graduating from the Royal College of Art in 1956, Blake began to appropriate pop culture icons and advertising imagery to create homages to the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, Elvis Presley and professional wrestlers. His iconic 1961 ‘Self-portrait with Badges’, in the Tate Collection, shows Blake holding an Elvis album, dressed in American jeans, Converse trainers, and baseball badges; here is the artist as a genuine fan. In other works, he composes assemblages of found objects with humorous allusions to art history and childhood fantasies. In 1967 he designed the iconic album cover for The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in his distinctive style of collage. Blake continues to be associated with the music world by designing album covers. In 1975 Blake co-founded the Brotherhood of Ruralists, a group of artists who moved to Somerset to build an artistic community outside of the city.
After completing his National Service with the RAF, he received the Leverhulme Research Award to study popular art and travelled through Europe 1956–7. Blake’s first solo exhibition was held in 1962 at Portal Gallery, London; solo shows followed at Robert Fraser Gallery, London (1965) and at Leslie Waddington Prints, London (1969). His first retrospective exhibition was held in 1969 at the City Art Gallery, Bristol. Subsequent retrospectives were held in 1973 at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, touring to Hamburg and Brussels and the Tate Gallery in 1983. In 1994 he was made the Third Associate Artist of the National Gallery, London. Peter Blake was elected a member of the Royal Academy in 1981, and was knighted in 2002. In 2007 the Tate Liverpool held a major retrospective of Peter Blake’s work which toured to the Museo de Bellas Artes, Bilbao, Spain in 2008. In 2010, Lund Humphries published Peter Blake: One Man Show, a comprehensive monograph by Marco Livingstone.
About Sotheby’s
Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Synonymous with innovation, Sotheby’s promotes access, connoisseurship and preservation of fine art and rare objects through auctions, private sales and retail locations. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 50 categories, which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Jewelry, Watches, and Wine and Spirits, among many others.
Sotheby’s Wine’s annual worldwide auction sales of wine and spirits totaled an outstanding $92 million in 2020, with over 15,000 lots sold across 41 sales – a nearly 50% increase in the number of auctions held in 2019. Over $60 million of wine and spirits were sold to online bidders in 2020 versus $28 million in 2019, with 85% of all lots offered finding online buyers. Demonstrating continued strength in Asia, Sotheby’s led the market in the region for the third consecutive year, with over 70% of the total bid amount in all Wine and Spirits sales attributed to collectors in Asia.
Sotheby’s Wine’s has had the privilege of auctioning numerous record-breaking wines and spirits in recent years, with 2020 alone witnessing new world auction records for any bottle of Japanese whisky, any bottle of whisky produced by the Dalmore Distillery, as well as any bottle of Cognac. Sotheby’s Wine currently holds the world records for any whisky collection ever sold at auction, any private wine collection ever sold at auction, the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold at auction and the most expensive bottle of spirits ever sold at auction.
In addition to auction, Sotheby’s Wine launched a retail business in 2010. With a retail store located in Sotheby’s New York headquarters and e-commerce at www.sothebyswine.com, Sotheby’s Wine offers a carefully curated selection of wines from the world’s most prestigious producers and important regions. Expertly assembled by our experienced specialists, the selection is built upon lasting relationships with winemakers from across the globe, with bottles that are ready for immediate consumption, in addition to investment-worthy wines from highly sought-after vintages. A second retail location opened in Sotheby’s Hong Kong galleries in 2014.
About the Guggenheim
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation was established in 1937 and is dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of modern and contemporary art through exhibitions, education programs, research initiatives, and publications. The international constellation of museums comprises the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice; the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao; and the future Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. An architectural icon and “temple of spirit” where radical art and architecture meet, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is among a group of eight Frank Lloyd Wright structures in the United States recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. To learn more about the museum and the Guggenheim’s activities around the world, visit guggenheim.org.
