Just landed: The 2021 Legends Untold collection

This years set of rare whiskies in the highly revered Special Releases annual series from Diageo is inspired by the mythical, otherworldly beings that rule the land and waters around each Scottish distillery and their fables to match. These experimental cask strength malts are the stuff of legends and not to be missed!

Discover more here →

Glenallachie 2006 15YO Tawny Port Pipe, UK Exclusive

Colour : Golden Sunset.
Nose: Lashings of honey, dark chocolate and musky berries, followed by sweet spice, treacle and grape must.
Taste: Waves of blackberries, heather honey and cinnamon, followed by layers of mocha, dried fruits and vanilla pods

Cask No: #868
Cask Type: Tawny Port Pipe
Age 15 Years
Distilled 19th April 2006
Bottled August 2021 at 60.7%
One of only 719 bottles from a single cask

Distilled and bottled by GlenAllachie Whisky Distillery

Whisky made in Germany

St Kilian Distillers

Irish-German Crossover Bud Spencer Whisky

Ernie Scheiner, The Gateway to Distilleries

The St. Kilian distillery of Rüdenau in Lower Franconia, Bavaria, sent over a thousand tasting sets with the new Bud Spencer whisky edition to its steady growing fan group. Distillery Manager Mario Rudolf and distillery founder Andreas Thümmler presented an informative and thematically varied online tasting from their Still Room. Their special guest, Master Distiller and former Managing Director of Cooley Distillery in Co. Louth and current Director of Great Northern Distillery in Dundalk, set the pace: David F. Hynes.

The passionate engineer in chemistry, Hynes also a graduate of Harvard Business School, originally planned the German St. Kilian distillery together with Investment Banker Andreas Thümmler. They share their passion for good whisky in a longtime friendship, which actually formed the basis of the success of today’s Kilian whiskies. Since 2016 distillates made from domestic and Scottish malted barley – Glenesk Maltings – have been bubbling through the 6,000-litre copper stills. They had been manufactured by Forsyth’s famous coppersmiths in Rothes during the pre-Brexit period. The Kilian team around Distillery Manager Mario Rudolf installed the classic copper Swan Neck Pot Stills in a former disused textile factory. The wooden washbacks came also from Scotland, from Dufftown. Local Frankonian craftsmen refined and set the distillation equipment in place. The result is an impressive state-of-the-art distillery which is admired by thousands of visitors.

Please see for more detailed information

https://www.whiskyintelligence.com/2020/04/saint-kilian-is-happy-a-new-star-is-born-part-1-by-ernst-j-scheiner-the-gateway-to-distilleries/

https://www.whiskyintelligence.com/2020/04/saint-kilian-is-happy-a-new-star-is-born-part-2-by-ernst-j-scheiner-the-gateway-to-distilleries/

Motivation and Perspective

Master Brewer Mario Rudolf – a former Production Manager at the ecological Bavarian brewery Neumarkter Lammsbräu https://www.lammsbraeu.de  – was taught whisky distillation by the experienced David Hynes. The spiritus rector trained the Franconian in all details and helped him to do an internship with the Scottish whisky icon, Billy Walker. Furthermore, the experienced long time Master Distiller, Alan McConnochie, introduced Rudolf into modern production methods of the Scottish whisky industry. At the East Highland distillery Glendronach he imparted the highly motivated brewer diversified insights into the Scottish way of whisky distillation. Rudolf studied intensively the foundations of distilling and maturing in detail.

Back home at St. Kilian Distillery he has consistently diversified the methods of brewing and distillation. A range of highly acclaimed Kilian distillates have developed since. David Hynes had skillfully opened the gates to a new and fertile German world of whisky. For keeping with Irish traditions, the accomplished distillery plant developer integrated a reflux condenser into the lyne arm of the spirit still. This dephlegmator device, some kind of pipe spiral through which cooling liquids flow makes for higher or lower reflux reaction. This tool has since allowed Rudolf to finely control and adjust the amount of reflux of the condensed alcohol vapors within the lyne arm into the pot. The desired New Make character may be clean, pure or bold and robust. The individual adjustment water cooling temperatures of the dephlegmator increases or decreases the onset of purification of the particular distillate. As a result, the reflux condenser generates a range of distinguished flavour profiles within the new make spirits. The temperature of the cooling liquid largely structures the spirit: “multiple distilled Irish style of whiskey” or “…a very harsh whisky full of character.” This very special way of distilling malt spirits is quite exciting and challenging for the Kilian Team. A broad variety of spirits is the result.

At Kilian distilling is done just like in Scottish still houses. Foreshots and feints are added to the low wines. This thrilling mixture is redistilled during the second runs in the spirit pot still. It makes for complexity. Therefore Master Distiller Rudolf speaks respectfully of the “Soul of Kilian Whiskies.” However, there are two of them: a non-peaty and a peaty version. Foreshots and feints are collected and kept ready in separate tax-sealed steel containers. “None of our alcohol is discarded.” German distilling tradition has it that foreshots and feints are not redistilled when the mash is composed of fruit. Their negative aromas would overdub and spoil the subtle fruity flavours of the middle cut when redistilled.

Diversified Cask Management

By now Kilian Spirits have been maturing in 255 different cask “cultures”. Since 2016 the warehousemen filled 7560 casks which are located primarily in a so-called Bunker City. The former U.S.-Depot covers more than 70 hectares of forest at 440 meters above sea level in the nearby hills of Rüdenau. By comparison, Great Northern Distillery has got 297,600 casks maturing in warehouses throughout Ireland. The prevailing and constant temperature at Kilian’s bunker-warehouses – former Cold War ammunition storage – is unique and creates a very supporting microclimate for maturing whisky. David Hynes admires Mario Rudolf’s nuanced and versatile wood management. He charmingly calls him a Whisky Wizard of Wood. Rudolf works creatively with the range of casks. The Kilian Master Blender creates very special vatting recipes again and again to compose new convincing whiskies. The variety of casks types, wood and sizes make for a different and highly sophisticated approach to integrate the particular flavour components of Kilian malts into the vatting or end product. The whisky community admire Rudolf for his excellency of fining new recipes again and again. His customer related detailed transparency makes for a much better understanding of the Kilian Way of Whisky Making.

Founder and only owner Thümmler is pleased with their success. The accolades of 60 international medals give them international recognition and motivitation. In 2021 the LPA will reach 300,000 litres of Kilian malt spirit. When they started five years ago their production was around 60,000 litres of pure alcohol. Not for long, they will expand to 600,000 litres a year and work 24/7 shifts. The team is growing. Further expansion of double sizing is planned.

Bud Spencer Strikes Again

It was probably the most successful and surprising whisky launch of the German beverages market. Let’s take a look back. Covid raged in December 2020 when a new whisky brand hit the shelves of German liquor stores: a single malt from St. Kilian under the name Bud Spencer. The launch made people sit up and take special notice. The media response was fierce. The late Italian actor, please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Spencer,

stirred multiple emotions and empathy among his German fans. No wonder that the first batch was sold out in just a few weeks. “We had to deliver more bottles as fast as possible,” Rudolf recounts, “in total, well over 30,000 bottles poured into the market with Bud Spencer Batch 1.2. We were surprised and overrun by the success. We reached our production limits.” The single malt at 46% vol with fair pricing delighted large sections of the whisky community in Germany. Bud Spencer whisky also found new connoisseurs who, until then, had tended to see a German whisky on the sidelines. Within a few weeks, Saint Kilian was literally on everyone’s lips. What a great marketing success, what a brilliant product placement! The peaty Bud Spencer Single Malt version from Rüdenau soon expanded the St. Kilian portfolio. Such a phenomenon has never been seen in recent German whisky trading. The outcome was immense.

However, the intended Bud Spencer whisky stocks were coming to an end. “We were overwhelmed by what had happened the weeks before Christmas last year,” Rudolf recounts, “probably the biggest whisky release there has been in Germany…unfortunately we couldn’t serve the demand…for quite some time…how to cope with it all was the vital question?” The management at Kilian had to rethink their strategies. Old project ideas were taken up and resulted in “…a strong innovation…an international blend…” For Andreas Thümmler, it was a natural consequence of the previous collaboration “…that both Master Distillers create a whisky together.”

The Cross-Border Surprise: Bud Spencer Batch 2.0

“Batch 2 of the new Bud Spencer Whisky is a crossover of the Master Distillers who have virtually built Saint Kilian. A blend composed by Mario and David,” Thümmler, who hails from Rüdenau, was so pleased, “I am personally very excited…this is simply a classy blend.” The whisky, he pointed out, not only manifests the trio’s close collaboration, but also their mutual friendship. The demand made them inventive. Creatively, they solved any supply problems, because Kilian’s stocks did not allow a new edition of the previous Rudolf-vatting recipe of 80% bourbon and 20% Amarone cask-matured Kilian whiskies. A new product had to be created. “Why not merge the whiskies distilled by Mario and David?” thought Thümmler. Plans and ideas evolved. GND samples were exchanged for months. The team created something absolutely new that has never been seen before in recent German distilling history.

Without any import and customs problems, a pot still whiskey that was just over three years old and a similarly aged single malt arrived in Rüdenau. The whiskeys came in thousand-litre IBC containers from the Great Northern Distillery which the Irish whiskey patron, Dr. John Teeling, founded in Dundalk in 2015. The triple-distilled spirits had previously matured in bourbon barrels in Ireland and were selected and vatted by Hynes and his GND team. It was Rudolf’s challenge and task to compose a blend by using some of his own Kilian stocks. He choose double distilled single malts which had matured in specific Italian Amarone and other red wine casks and married them with the selection of Irish GND whiskeys. The task was rather difficult as the new blend had to match some way or another the former red wine flavour profile of the first Bud Spencer Whiskies. The new Irish-German Bud Spencer would have to meet the charismatic aroma of the well-received whisky. The result was a “blend” of 18.75% Amarone cask-aged and other red wine barriques-matured double-distilled non-peated Kilian malts, which were married with triple-distilled 18.75% GND pot still whiskeys and 62.5% GND single malts. The final blending session was completely done by Rudolf alone at St. Kilian distillery.

The mash bill of the GND pot still whiskey was composed of a larger part of malted barley and a smaller part of unmalted plus some other grains like rye and oats. The grain cocktail was distilled at the former Harp Brewery in Dundalk. Hynes and Forsyth had converted the former beer brewing kettles into pot stills. He also installed a cooling reflux spiral in the horizontal lyne arm of the spirit pot still. A special pipe to lead the condensing heavy alcohol vapor mixture from the lyne arm directly back into the kettle to get redistilled again. “The Pot Still is a very concise product,” Hynes pointed out to the German viewers, “…the GND pot still whiskey is a typical Irish historically grown distillation variant.” In the new Bud Spencer Batch 2.0 Mario and David have not used any GND grain whiskey at all, as it would be the case with traditional Irish or Scottish blended whiskies.

At this point critics could be advised: It is perfectly legitimate for a German whisky distillery to choose such a cross-border method of cooperation and expansion of its portfolio. The origin of the particular product is clearly and transparently formulated on the label. The consumer is well-informed. We might also consider the special link and interrelation to St Kilian. The missionary Saint came originally from Ireland to Frankonia during the 7^th century. Therefore Saint Kilian is very closely based in the history and culture of the region where St. Kilian Distillery is situated. The congenial trio of Rudolf, Hynes, Thümmler is also linked to each other in different ways. They have cooperated and worked together to create Kilian Whiskies and a new crossover whisky. The mild Bud Spencer whisky is the result of a close German-Irish cooperation within the European Union. Furthermore the fascination of Bud Spencer Whisky Batch 2.0 lies in its intercultural relation: Italian actor, Italian and French wine makers, German and Scottish malsters, Irish distiller, German distiller and a Franconian investor. By the way the glass bottles were made in Italy. This is what Europe is all about, working together in a prosperous mutual friendship.

What does the new Bud Spencer Whisky taste like?

The whisky unfolds in the glass, its light, slightly greenish-warm color is reminiscent of a white wine like a Pinot Grigio delle Venezie. The oily legs suggest an aroma rich whisky with a dense body. The nose is by no means disappointed, intense fruity-fresh aroma bundles please as well as notes of toffee. Joyful is the positive expectation of a tasty full-bodied whisky. The fruity, honey-sweet, creamy and oily flavour with a fair dash of vanilla thrillingly fascinates tongue, palate and nose. There are especially the emerging not too spicy, peppery notes that harmoniously balance the young whisky. Lingering spearmint impressions lead into a fresh whisky. David Hynes likes the flashing of an old fashioned Irish character of Pot Still in the Bud Spencer blend, he is quite enthusiastic because his “…Pot Still pushes to the front…very forward.” Mario Rudolf’s integrating blending skills result in a very tasty and enjoyable charming whisky…an everyday tipple and the whisky appears to be older. “Italy, Ireland and Germany are integrated in a perfect blend,” the whisky maker promises. David and Mario were not wrong with their expectation. The instant reception by their fans was positive. They were thrilled by the new recipe and the fruity flavour profile of Bud Spencer.

Output

The “mild” Bud Spencer Batch 2 resulted in 27,000 bottles, which were bottled by hand at the distillery at 46% abv, not chill-filtered and without any caramel coloring. The “distinctive” Bud Spencer bottle will hit the shelves of specialist retailers this October 2021. The German retail price is a moderate 39.90 euros for a 07 l bottle. A smoky Bud Spencer variant will follow soon. New markets may be developed in Hungary and Italy, because in these countries the actor Bud Spencer is a very popular figure, in contrast to his poor reception in Ireland. The latest release of Bud Spencer Whisky is also available at the St Kilian Distillery.

Let’s keep in mind: The European Union made this intensive cross-border cooperation quite  easily possible. There are no trade and tax barriers. Direct sourcing of high-quality casks within the EU and from the USA allows St. Kilian Distillers the production of attractive whiskies meeting international standards. European law gives the German whisky makers the creative opportunity to use any wood for whisky maturation – in Scotland, only oak is allowed to shape the whisky. The cross-border EU-wide cooperation with distilleries, national and international cooperages, bodegas, wineries, etc. makes for a highly individual and diversified selection of cask qualities from Europe and the world.

Contact: www.stkiliandistillers.com

Ernie Ernst J. Scheiner is the editor of The Gateway to Distilleries at www.whisky-distilleries.net

and publishes articles in the German whisky magazine The Highland Herold www.highland-herold.de and the trade magazine Kleinbrennerei www.kleinbrennerei.de.

Glen Grant honours master distiller’s milestone with unique Whisky Magazine collaboration

Six decades is an impressively long time to have been doing anything. It is a milestone that is not achieved without dedication, scrupulous care, and passion. This year, The Glen Grant Distillery in Speyside honours its revered master distiller, Dennis Malcolm, who has reached his 60th year in the whisky industry, not just with the release of the oldest and rarest The Glen Grant whisky yet, but with the unveiling of a special documentary film telling the story of his life – made, we are delighted to announce, in collaboration with Whisky Magazine!

This is not the first time Malcolm’s achievements have been honoured. His careful craftsmanship and attention to detail distilling and creating The Glen Grant’s whiskies has received worldwide acclaim on numerous occasions, and he was inducted into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame in 2014.

Excitingly, to celebrate Malcolm’s important milestone, Whisky Magazine has partnered with The Glen Grant to release a full-length documentary film that tells the story of Malcolm’s life and his unique influence on Speyside. The first full-length film to be produced entirely by the team at Whisky Magazine, A Life in Whisky: The Dennis Malcolm Story will be available to view in full, free of charge, at our website from Sunday, 7 November.

We hope you will tune in and watch the fruits of this special collaboration, and learn more about the story behind an incredible life in whisky, perhaps while sipping your favourite dram – cheers!

Christopher Coates
Editor
Whisky Magazine

I have great news! The KWM 2021 Whisky Calendars are nearly ready. The final pieces arrived in-store on Wednesday after being tied up in customs for 2 weeks. To give you all an idea of how tough logistics are these days, these products were ordered last February… Regardless, we are nearly there, and just in the nick of time… Whisky Advent is just a little over 3 weeks away. Before swinging down to the store to pick up your Calendar(s) or reaching out to arrange packaging, please read through the entire email below first. It has important information regarding the KWM 2021 Whisky Calendar, the 5 Zoom Tastings we are doing, pick-ups, and packaging.

Incidentally, if you know someone who hasn’t already purchased a

KWM 2021 Whisky Calendar,

but might want one, there are still a couple of dozen left… but they won’t last long!

Sincerely,

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

5 NIGHTLY WHISKY CALENDAR

RECAP TASTINGS

Last year, inspired by Covid and the rise of Zoom events, we held 5 Whisky Calendar Recap Tastings throughout the month of December. They were such a big hit, that we knew we’d have to bring them back again this year. Accordingly, we will hold tastings for interested participants on December 5, 10, 15, 20, and after Christmas on 29th. Each of them will cover the 5 prior day’s whiskies in the Calendar and will be held at 7 PM Mountain Daylight Time.

CURB SIDE PICKUP

Physical distancing is made easy with curb side pickup. Order online or by phone, wait for confirmation your order is ready then call us when you are out front.

FREE DELIVERY

We are proud to offer Free City Wide Delivery on all orders over $100 Monday-Friday! Orders under $100 are subject to a flat rate $10 delivery fee. We are expecting high demand for delivery after the sale so please be patient!

403-283-8000

Store Hours

Mon – Wed 10AM – 8PM

Thurs & Fri 10AM – 9PM

Sat 10AM – 8 PM

Sun 11PM to 6PM

*All Prices Quoted here are subject to change and do not include GST. In the case of pricing discrepancies, the price at our point of sale will be taken as correct.*

Special Cask TD0073FS
15yo French Oak Apera Finish

Special Cask TD0073FS
15yo French Oak Apera Finish

We rarely use a second cask to finish our whisky, but occasionally an opportunity arises for us to take a different approach – one that creates something extraordinary.⁠ ⁠When our tasting panel discovered the American oak second fill cask for our next release, we knew it would be perfect for finishing in a hand selected French oak Apera cask. After allowing the whisky two additional years to mature in the French oak, ⁠the end result has been sensational. The influence of both the original and the finishing casks are equally present and combine to create a harmonious fusion of the spirit and its two casks.

Cask Details:

TD0073FS was first matured for 12 years and 5 months in a single, 300L American oak second fill cask. It was then finished for an additional 2 years and 7 months in a 225 litre French oak Apera cask, yielding 426 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

A warm and welcoming aroma fills the nose immediately. Beginning bright, with dried apples and pomegranate juice before slowly fading to glorious vanilla custard with rich estery depth – like an aged fine Haitian rum and buttery shortbread. The palate brings rich vanilla slice: the pastry, the icing and the passion fruit seeds. Apples and tropical fruit burst through whilst a light candy note moves in and out of the background. Finishing off with Italian cake, more custard and tropical notes.

 Full tasting notes and cask details can be found on the product page via this link.

Special Cask TD0073FS will be available to purchase via ballot on Monday the 8^th of November.

A note will be sent on Monday 10:00am Hobart time with a link to enter the ballot.

TD0073FS will be released via ballot. The ballot will open for 24 hours from 10:00am Hobart time on Monday 8th of November, 2021. Further details will be sent via email prior to the ballot opening.

A note on our ballot system. 

Our policy is one entry per person, per household. Our fraud detection algorithm detects multiple entries and removes them to ensure our whisky lands in the hands of our genuine supporters, so to ensure your entry counts, please enter once only.

If you have any questions around our ballot process, you can email us at info@sullivanscove.com Successful entries will be notified shortly after the ballot closes.

For Christmas this year, we bring you a 16-year-old Highland single malt Scotch whisky, exclusive to The Whisky Exchange – A Fine Christmas Malt 2021.

This limited-edition winter dram – with only 2,200 bottles available – offers a softly smoky rollercoaster through festive flavours, from Christmas cake to apples and oranges. It is rich and fruity with a lick of smoke, leading through to warming flavours of candied apple and cinnamon spice on the finish.

It’s a great whisky to share, whether you engrave the bottle with a special message as gift for a whisky lover or pop the cork and pour a dram for your friends and family. It’s the perfect whisky for the festive season and we’re very pleased to be able to share it with you.

SHOP NOW

THE HOUSE OF SUNTORY DEBUTS

THE 2021 LIMITED-EDITION DESIGN BOTTLE

OF HIBIKI^® JAPANESE HARMONY^™ 

The 2021 artfully designed limited edition bottle of Hibiki® Japanese Harmony illustrates the Japanese philosophy of harmony expressed through the cyclical passage of the seasons. 

London, UK (October 21, 2021) – The House of Suntory, the founding House of Japanese Whisky, announces the release of a specially-designed, limited edition bottle of Hibiki® Japanese Harmony™. Adorned with painted flowers and flowing ribbons of water, this one-of-a-kind bottle was designed to represent the vital force of Japan’s everchanging twenty-four seasons. This limited-edition bottle will be available to purchase from Master of Malt and The Whisky Exchange.

“The iconic Hibiki bottle has always been a representation of Japanese art and design, as represented by the many limited-edition series over the past ten years,” said Jon Potter, Managing Director of the House of Suntory. “This specially-designed bottle is not only the continuation of this artistic expression, it honours Hibiki and Suntory’s ethos to live in Harmony with nature. In 2021, this philosophy may echo with the world more than ever.”

The Hibiki brand was introduced to the world in 1989 and since then has been embraced as the paragon of Japanese Whisky. It is not only Japan’s most highly awarded blended whisky, but also among the most prestigious and honoured whiskies in the world. Introduced in 2015, Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a harmonious blend blessed with the riches of Japanese nature and craftsmanship. Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a meticulous blend of the finest selection of malt and grain whiskies from the House of Suntory Whisky’s Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries. This delicate blend creates a oneness unfolding a full orchestra of flavors and aromas.

Whether for an elevated gifting occasion or a personal indulgence, the 2021 Hibiki limited edition is an invitation to appreciate and enjoy Japanese harmony. Hibiki Japanese Harmony 2021 Limited Edition is available for a suggested retail price of £134 for the 700ml bottle.

TASTING NOTES: HIBIKI JAPANESE HARMONY – 43% ABV

Luminous. Delicate. A transparency that unveils complexity.

Color:   Amber

Nose:   Rose, lychee, hint of rosemary, mature woodiness, sandalwood

Palate:  Honey-like sweetness, candied orange peel, white chocolate

Finish:  Subtle, tender long finish, with hint of Mizunara (Japanese oak)

ABOUT SUNTORY WHISKY

Since 1923, Suntory has been renowned as the pioneer of Japanese whisky for its House of Master Blenders and for their Art of Blending. The founding father of Japanese whisky Shinjiro Torii built Japan’s first malt whisky distillery in Yamazaki, and the Suntory legacy continued with Torii’s son, Keizo Saji, Suntory’s second master blender who continued to establish distilleries including the Hakushu distillery. As the generations of Suntory’s master blenders carry on, Suntory Whisky remains committed to heritage and innovation. The House of Suntory Whisky has been named four-time Distiller of the Year at the International Spirits Challenge in London, UK (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014).

Suntory Whiskies are subtle, refined and complex. The portfolio includes two single malt whiskies:  Yamazaki—Japan’s N°1 Single Malt, multi-layered and profound, Hakushu—verdant, fresh, and delicately smoky; and two blends: the noble blend, Hibiki—Japan’s most highly awarded blended whisky and Suntory Whisky Toki.

whisky.suntory.com                #SuntoryWhisky                      @SuntoryWhisky 

About Edrington UK  

Edrington UK is the UK’s number one whisky supplier, part of the global Edrington family and responsible for the UK sales, marketing and distribution of a portfolio of premium brands including The Macallan, Highland Park, The Famous Grouse, Naked Malt and Brugal.

As a distribution partner of Beam Suntory, Edrington UK also represents many of its brands in the UK marketplace, such as Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Bowmore, Laphroaig, Courvoisier and The House of Suntory range of Japanese craft spirits.

Edrington UK also handles sales and distribution for a portfolio of liqueurs and specialities including 1826 Cocktails, Sourz, and After Shock.

Sounds delicious – New bold whisky launches with world’s first ‘sonic seasoning’ playlist 

– Black Bottle Whisky is taking the term ‘eating with your eyes’ to a new level by teaming up with Oxford University Experimental Psychologist, Charles Spence, to release the world’s first collection of audio tracks that alter and heighten sensory perceptions when drinking whisky 

– The playlist, which is available on AlchemySeries.co.uk, was created to mark the launch of Black Bottle’s Alchemy Series

– This is the first experiment to combine ‘sonic seasoning and real world sounds’ to change the way food tastes

Spirits meet science today as Black Bottle Whisky takes the term ‘eating with your eyes’ to a new level. The brand has teamed up with leading Experimental Psychologist Oxford Professor, Charles Spence to release the world’s first collection of audio tracks, that are specifically created to alter and heighten sensory perceptions when drinking whisky.

The experiment marks the launch of Black Bottle’s new limited edition Alchemy Series, which with its fearless flovour and bold taste goes beyond the limits of traditional whisky, and is the first of its kind to combine ‘sonic seasoning’ and real world sounds. Professor Spence worked alongside Black Bottle’s Master Distiller to take on the brands mission of pushing the boundaries of taste even further by designing a special playlist that takes whisky drinkers on a journey of sensory discovery, altering the perceptions of taste based on the sounds played.

Sonic seasoning is the growing scientific field that uses sounds to change the way in which you taste food, for example, high-frequency sounds enhance the sweetness in food, while low frequencies bring out the bitterness.

Professor Spence said: “I am fascinated by how our brains process the information from each of our different senses to form the extraordinarily rich multisensory experiences that fill our daily lives.

Whisky has a distinctive taste and smell which produces a very specific multisensory reaction for drinkers. When Black Bottle approached me to partner on this experiment, I thought it would be really exciting to see how we could heighten our bodies reaction to the new Alchemy Series.”

The unique experiment was initially previewed at a series of online events, hosted by Professor Spence, but now whisky fans around the world can experience the phenomenon themselves at home, by listening to the sonic tastings playlist on Spotify and downloading a how-to guide on the Black Bottle website.

Craig Black, Global Brand Manager for Black Bottle, said: “Black Bottle has a long heritage of experimentation through our expressions and partnerships. It has been fascinating working with Professor Spence on the impact that sound have on our tastebuds.

The reactions that we had from the initial tastings was great and now we can’t wait to bring the experience to whisky drinkers everywhere. The sonic seasoning playlist will give whisky drinkers a truly personal experience, whilst also showcasing the layers of complex flavours within the spirit.”

Black Bottle’s Alchemy Series launches with a Double Cask and an Island Smoke. The Double Cask a full-bodied expression created using Spanish casks. A raucous sherry red colour, on the nose the expression shows off notes of charred citrus, wood, wine and warming spices. Whisky drinkers can enjoy a blast of berries and a delicious sweetness of Spanish sherry on the palate, before a long, luxurious finish with notes of toffee, walnuts and robust red wines.

Reminiscent of the beach on a stormy day, Island Smoke is an intense whisky that encapsulates the power of the sea. A blended malt that perfectly balances both unpeated and peated grain, this expression nods to notes of chilli, cardamom and the familiar saltiness of the sea. Burnished gold in colour, on the nose the expression is smoky and offers a surge of exotic spices. Flavours of salt and black pepper crash onto sweet cereal, making way for a blast of citrus sweetness and vanilla. The finish is wonderfully spicy, with a hint of dry sea salt.

For more information and to listen to the playlist, visit: www.alchemyseries.co.uk

Tasting Notes

Black Bottle Double Cask

• Colour: Raucous sherry red
• Nose: A winter wonderland of charred citrus, wood, wine and warm winter spices
• Palate: A blast of berries and tsunami of sweet Spanish sherry
• Finish: Long and luxurious; flaming toffee, toasted walnuts and robust red wines

Black Bottle Island Smoke

• Colour: Burnished gold
• Nose: An intense, stormy smokiness and a surge of exotic spices. Medicinal notes evoke fire-seared feasts on golden sands
• Palate: Crushing waves of sea salt and black pepper crash onto sweet cereal, exploding in a blast of citrusy sweetness, vanilla and cardamom
• Finish: Roaring currents of oak spice and dry sea salt

Learning About Whisky from the Best

TORONTO, November 1, 2021 – Whisky is Canada’s most popular spirit; according to Statistics Canada, one of every three bottles of spirits sold in this country is a bottle of whisky.

But it is such a broad category that can be confusing — just in Canadian whisky alone there are roughly 140 different varieties from which to choose. And that says nothing about the American bourbon, Irish whiskey and Scotch (to name but a few whiskies from around the world) rounding out the choices.

To help people navigate through this complex maze, J.P. Wiser’s Master Blender Dr. Don Livermore has launched The Canadian Whisky Master Class, a series of books to shed some light on the rich history of distilling whisky in Canada. The first two volumes in the series — The Keeper of History and Blending 101 — have been released simultaneously and are currently available online at the Shop on the J.P. Wiser’s website.

The Keeper of History

Offering an inside look at the history of the Hiram Walker and Sons distillery in Walkerville, Ont. (today part of Windsor, Ont.), one of Canada’s oldest and largest whisky distilleries, and producer of many of Corby Spirit and Wine’s award-winning whiskies including J.P. Wiser’s and Lot 40. The book charts the lives of early Canadian whisky barons, industry consolidation during the wild Prohibition years and the industrialization and modernization of Canadian whisky post-Prohibition.

Meticulously researched and lushly illustrated, this book highlights Dr. Don’s 25-year contribution to the Canadian whisky industry, including how he has helped reshape early 21^st century whisky production.

Filled with personal insights, Dr. Don also explains the rigid distilling and blending processes to ensure the final products are unique, exceptional and pleasing.

The book also explains – in layman’s terms – how a Master Blender designs new styles of whisky and ensures it maintains its unique characteristics, from batch to batch.

Blending 101

Whisky connoisseurs and amateur enthusiasts are constantly seeking ways to better understand the many differences between Canadian, Scotch, Irish and American whiskies.

J.P. Wiser’s launched “Blend Your Own” whisky classes to help consumers better understand the distinctive characteristics of more than 140 different styles of Canadian whisky. During these sessions, participants also have an opportunity to blend whisky to their tastes. “Blending 101 – The Canadian Whisky Master Class” is a compendium of these sessions.

This book introduces Dr. Don’s innovative Canadian Whisky Flavour wheel, illustrating how grain, fermentation and aging in wood casks contributes to unique whisky flavour profiles. Next, it examines the importance of the distillation process and its impact on whisky. Lastly, it explores various blending methods, which brings everything together to create unique Canadian whiskies.

This tome also charts Canadian whisky-making practices from the mid-1800s through the 21st century, including the evolution of the science and precision required to develop consistent, high-quality Canadian whisky.

The Canadian Whisky Master Class pairs perfectly with J.P. Wiser’s Blend Your Own Whisky kits, a unique idea that gives whisky lovers the chance to play the role of the Master Blender. Each kit includes five 200mL bottles of different whiskies to blend and create their own whisky to enjoy at home, an empty 375mL bottle to fill with your own concoction, a graduated cylinder and pipette and Dr. Don’s Master Blending Guide.

A limited number of the kits are available this holiday season online, at LCBO outlets across Ontario by early November and in BCLS stores in British Columbia by November 13^th.

About Corby Spirit and Wine
Corby Spirit and Wine Limited is a leading Canadian manufacturer, marketer and distributor of spirits and wines. Corby’s portfolio of owned-brands includes some of the most renowned brands in Canada, including J.P. Wiser’s®, Lot 40®, and Pike Creek® Canadian whiskies, Lamb’s® rum, Polar Ice® vodka, McGuinness® liqueurs, Ungava® gin, Cabot Trail® maple-based liqueurs and Chic Choc® Spiced rum, and Foreign Affair® wines. Through its affiliation with Pernod Ricard S.A., a global leader in the spirits and wine industry, Corby also represents leading international brands such as ABSOLUT® vodka, Chivas Regal®, The Glenlivet® and Ballantine’s® Scotch whiskies, Jameson® Irish whiskey, Beefeater® gin, Malibu® rum, Kahlúa® liqueur, Mumm® champagne, and Jacob’s Creek®, Wyndham Estate®, Stoneleigh®, Campo Viejo®, and Kenwood® wines. Corby is a publicly traded company based in Toronto, Ontario, and listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbols CSW.A and CSW.B.  For further information, please visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.

About Hiram Walker & Sons Limited
Established nearly 160 years ago, Hiram Walker & Sons Limited’s tradition of blending quality ingredients, processes and highly skilled people continues at the Windsor, Ontario based production facility. Hiram Walker produces brands such as J.P. Wiser’s®, Lot No. 40®, Pike Creek®, Gooderham & Worts® and Royal Reserve® Canadian whiskies, Polar Ice® vodka, Malibu® and Lamb’s® rums, and McGuinness® liqueurs for Canadian distribution by its affiliate, Corby Spirit and Wine Limited. Hiram Walker is a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard S.A., a leading global spirits and wine company with premium international brands such as ABSOLUT® vodka, Chivas®, The Glenlivet® and Ballantine’s® Scotch whiskies, Jameson® Irish whiskey, Beefeater® gin, Kahlúa® liqueur, Mumm® champagne, and Jacob’s Creek®, Stoneleigh®, Campo Viejo® wines.