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

VALENTINES OFFER 

Free English Whisky Hipflask

Receive a FREE English Whisky hip flask with its own presentation gift box (worth RRP £9.99) when you spend over £75 online. (Your hip flask will automatically be added to your basket as you checkout. Offer only applies to spend over £75 before postage and packaging.  Promotion ends 19th February 2021. Offer excludes all distillery tours).

OFFER ENDS 19TH FEB 2021

SHOP NOW

Don’t forget that we are offering FREE delivery on all orders over £75 for Mainland UK Delivery.

Looking for a unique and exclusive way to connect with friends, family, or colleagues? Check out one of our private virtual tastings!

Enjoy a custom, guided experience led by one of our whiskey experts, from your own space. Pour lists can be tailored to your budgets and all tasting kits are delivered directly to your door!

For more details and scheduling availability, inquire below!

SCHEDULE YOUR PRIVATE TASTING

ralfy review 862 Extras – Whisky & Cigars 2021

SCOTLAND’S  BIGGEST WHISKY FESTIVAL GOES VIRTUAL IN APRIL

FULL FESTIVAL MOVED TO NOVEMBER SUBJECT TO COVID CONDITIONS

Spirit of Speyside festival has today (Thursday 28th January) confirmed that it is going to bring together some of the region’s most loved distilleries and whisky makers online instead of in person in April. With a full programme to be announced in the coming weeks, events confirmed so far include a tour of one of Scotland’s newest and most contemporary distilleries, Dalmunach Distillery, from Master Distiller, Alan Winchester; an exploration of Benriach’s World of Flavour and new portfolio with Global Brand Ambassador Stewart Buchanan and a whistle stop virtual tasting tour of Malt Whisky Country with The Malt Whisky Trail.

Festival organisers are hopeful that the event, which would have been celebrating its 21st year in April, will be able to go ahead in person on 3rd – 8th November 2021 providing it is safe for everyone to travel at that time, based on Scottish Government advice.

The decision to postpone original plans for the 2021 Whisky Festival reflects the quickly-evolving situation as a result of the new variant of the Covid-19 virus and current recommendations from the Scottish Government to restrict public gatherings and travel as a preventative measure.

James Campbell, Chairman at The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, said: 
 
“Given whisky lovers won’t be able to come to Speyside for our annual festival this April, we have decided to take the festival to them until it is safe for visitors to return to Malt Whisky Country hopefully later in the year.

We can’t wait to welcome new and returning visitors from the UK and further afield to this beautiful part of the world. In the meantime, we hope that our online programme of events in April will lift everyone’s spirits and give people a taste of what to expect from the festival in November. We will then revert back to our traditional date in 2022.”

The full programme of virtual events will be listed on www.spiritofspeyside.com and will be available for preview on 11th March 2021. Tickets will go on sale online on 16th March 2021.

Notes:

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. With a programme of over hundreds of whisky-inspired events over six days, the Festival is a mecca for the curious beginner and the whisky connoisseur alike. Festival events take 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.

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 six days of 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. For further information please visit:

Website:  www.spiritofspeyside.com 
Facebook: WhiskyFestival
Instagram: spirit_speyside
Twitter:  spirit_speyside

A very warm new year’s welcome from us here in chilly Glasgow. We’re all hoping you’ve blown away the January blues and begun the new year with a fresh spirit. This month there’s a plethora of malt, malt and more malt that may tickle the fancy or warm the cockles of collectors, drinkers and anyone in between.

View Auction

We have a superb selection of mighty rare Taliskers so pick from your choice whether it’s to be a 1951 Connoisseurs Choice, a 1937 Berry Bros & Rudd, or a Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries edition.

A rare beast from The Macallan, is the Easter Elchies 1985 release. Not very often we see one of these passing through the doors.

Do you like games? Do you like whisky? Oh boy, you’re in for a treat. We have some truly unique arcade machine style bottles celebrating 30 years (I know, I feel old now too) since celebrated Japanese game developer SNK released the legendary NeoGeo console.  Bottled for Whiskyfest Takao 2020 the labels feature characters from the iconic NeoGeo title Fatal Fury!

Get Bidding!

Coming Soon – Society Bottle and Online Tasting

Our new Society exclusive bottling and Society online tasting are coming soon. We will make the Springbank 8yo bottle and the tasting packs – featuring four Springbank 28yo samples – available to members as soon as possible. Also, during the tasting members will have the chance to help us select a future Society release because we will be asking for your feedback to help us make that choice.—

We are unable to confirm a release date for the new bottling and tasting packs at this time as we have been forced to temporarily suspend shipping to Europe as a consequence of the UK’s exit from the EU. We are working very hard behind the scenes to get to grips with the new regulations and will resume as soon as we have everything in place. We will keep you updated over the coming weeks. —

Society Bottle – Springbank 8yo Fresh Oloroso Sherry 57.3%

£55.00

We are launching the new Springbank Society Bottling soon – a Springbank 8yo Fresh Oloroso Sherry bottled at 57.3%. There will be 1,830 bottles available.

Nose: Rich, fruity, sweet and spicy, a true sherry maturation for this Society release. With notes of dried prunes, dates and figs, a dusting of cocoa powder and aromas of warming spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg and clove characteristics with the citrus tang of orange marmalade.

Palate: Sticky ginger cake and zesty orange marmalade. Creamy and jammy but with a peppery, BBQ smoky edge. Enduring rich fruit and spice characteristics.

Finish: Lasting citrus fruit characteristics and sticky glazed gingerbread. There is a touch of delicate peat smoke, soft brown sugar, ripe black cherries and juicy blackberries.

Society Tasting Pack for Society Online Tasting

£35.00

We will be hosting an online tasting with four unique drams, carefully selected from our 1992 stocks. Society members will have the opportunity to watch our online tasting and provide their feedback on which of these casks they would like to be considered for a future Society bottling.

Each pack contains 4 x 2cl samples.

• Springbank 28yo – Bourbon Hogshead – 47.2% ABV
• Springbank 28yo Spirit Drink – Rum Barrel – 38.1% ABV
• Springbank 28yo – Oloroso Sherry Hogshead – 51.3% ABV
• Springbank 28yo – Oloroso Sherry Butt – 46.1% ABV

We will confirm the date and time for the tasting when we launch the Tasting Packs. There will be 600 Society Tasting Packs available for members.

Please Note:

• Both the Society Bottle and the Tasting Pack will be allocated via a ballot – further details will be provided closer to the time.
• Each Society member will be able to enter the ballot for a maximum of one bottle and one tasting pack.
• At the time of writing, we are not currently accepting any entries to the ballot, nor can we accept orders in any other way.
• If you need to contact us for any reason please email society@springbank.scot. Our team are currently working from home and therefore we will not be in the office to answer any phone calls.
• Although we will be able to deliver your order to your home address, due to the current Covid-19 situation throughout Europe, we will not be able to ship items to any Cadenhead’s shop. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

We will be back in touch in due course but if you have any questions in the meantime, please let us know via society@springbank.scot.

Slainte,

Springbank Society

The Springbank Team

To join the Springbank Society please contact them at society@springbank.scot