ralfy review 898 – Tullibardine 15yo @ 43%vol:

Imperial Scotch Wins Gold Medal at International Spirits Challenge 2021 

LOUISVILLE, KY (Sep. 8, 2021) – Imperial 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky brought home a Gold Medal from the 26^th annual International Spirits Challenge (ISC).

The ISC strives to be a truly global competition, this year accepting more than 1,800 entries from nearly 70 countries worldwide. Tasting Award winners were chosen over 12 days of rigorous blind tastings held in the United Kingdom. A Gold medal indicates favorable scores from judging panels made up of more than 50 industry professionals for the product’s aroma, appearance, taste and finish.

Imperial 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky is blended with only the finest of whiskies and patiently aged to deliver a complex, yet well-rounded experience.

Full results from the 2021 International Spirits Challenge can be found at https://www.internationalspiritschallenge.com/live/en/page/isc-2021-winners.

About Sazerac

Sazerac is one of America’s oldest family owned, privately held distillers with operations in the United States in Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Maryland, California, and global operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, India, Australia and Canada. For more information on Sazerac, please visit www.sazerac.com.

THREE SAZERAC CANADIAN WHISKIES AWARDED MEDALS AT

2021 NORTH AMERICAN BOURBON & WHISKEY COMPETITION 

Montreal (Sept. 22, 2021) – Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky brought home a Gold medal from the 2021 North American Bourbon & Whiskey Competition (NABWC). Two other Sazerac Canadian whiskies were also awarded Silver medals following this year’s double-blind tasting: Canadian Mist Blended Canadian Whisky and High River Canadian Blended Whisky.

Founded in 2014, the NABWC spirits are judged on a 100-point scale by styles and price categories. This was a record-breaking year for the competition with a 48% increase in entries.

For more information about the 2021 NABWC, visit http://whiskeycomp.com/.

About Sazerac

Sazerac is one of America’s oldest family owned, privately held distillers with operations in the United States in Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Maryland, California, and global operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, India, Australia and Canada. For more information on Sazerac, please visit www.sazerac.com.

FIVE SAZERAC CANADIAN WHISKIES EARN MEDALS AT

2021 INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS CHALLENGE 

MONTREAL — (Sep. 2, 2021) – Caribou Crossing Single Barrel and High River Canadian Whiskies were awarded Gold medals at this year’s International Spirits Challenge (ISC). Three other Sazerac Canadian whiskies also received medals following the competition’s rigorous judging process, which included blind tastings by panels of more than 50 industry professionals.

Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whisky, Collingwood Blended Canadian Whisky and Canadian Mist Blended Canadian Whisky all received Silver medals at the 2021 ISC.

This is the 26^th year for the ISC, a global competition welcoming entries from nearly 70 countries. Throughout the 12-day process, judges scored products’ aroma, appearance, taste and finish to determine which medal would be awarded.

Sazerac’s Canadian Whisky portfolio brought home five of the 51 total medals received by the company, which was named ISC’s American Whiskey Producer of the Year for the second year in a row. A full list of results can be found at https://www.internationalspiritschallenge.com/live/en/page/isc-2021-winners. 

About Sazerac

Sazerac is one of America’s oldest family owned, privately held distillers with operations in the United States in Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Maryland, California, and global operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, India, Australia and Canada. For more information on Sazerac, please visit www.sazerac.com.

For the first time, the Maker’s Mark family is ‘opening up’ the home owned and operated by the founding Maker’s Mark family and sharing their personal history in an unforgettable way. The Samuels House is a premium vacation rental now available for booking, located in the heart of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

The 1820s manor was bought and renovated by 8^th generation whisky maker Rob Samuels in 2021. Although equipped with modern conveniences and luxury amenities, the house’s original detail and character have been preserved to showcase the history of the Maker’s Mark dynasty. Never before seen personal family artifacts, including the deep fryer used to create the iconic red wax tendrils and a hand-made bar with whisky spanning 150 years of Samuels family distilling, ensures a really special experience for bourbon enthusiasts.

Beginning just last month, the Samuels House is available for overnight accommodation, sleeping up to 8 people total. One-of-a-kind add-on experiences are available including tours of the distillery, chef-prepared dinner pairings and one-on-one time with former Maker’s Mark Chairman and history buff Bill Samuels Jr.

Additional Information:

HISTORY

The Samuels House was built around 1820 by John Samuels, son of Robert Samuels who served in the Continental Army and was the first of eight generations in the family who have been whisky makers in America.

The house remained in the Samuels family until the late 1950’s. Rob Samuels purchased the house in January 2021.

For the first time, the family is ‘opening up’ the house, family legacy and sharing personal stories with the public.

The house is filled with family heirlooms and memorabilia including:

• 50 bottles of whisky spanning 150 years of distilling
• Part of Margie Samuels’ collection of English pewter that inspired her to name the current family brand, Maker’s Mark
• The deep fryer Margie used to work out how to create the bottle’s iconic red wax tendrils
• The pistol that is sometimes associated with the actual end of the Civil War – surrendered in the front yard of The Samuels House by Frank James who was part of the last armed group fighting at the end of the war.

VACATION RENTAL

Beginning in early September 2021, the house is available for overnight accommodations. There are three suites (sleeps up to eight people total), 3½ bathrooms and a variety of sitting areas, including a spacious back porch and patio. The home’s centerpiece is the parlor which features a hand-made bar showcasing 50 bottles of whisky spanning 150 years of Samuels family distilling. The Samuels House is set on 2-acres surrounded by horse pastures and mature oak trees.

One-of-a-kind experiences including:

• Various whiskey activations
• VIP Nighttime Experience at Star Hill Farm, the Maker’s Mark Distillery
• Sipping & Storytelling with Bill Samuels Jr., Chairman Emeritus of Maker’s Mark
• Private Dinner Pairing prepared by Chef Newman Miller

*The house is available the week of the Kentucky Derby, which is Saturday, May 7, 2022.

Tickets Released for St Andrews Day
Dinner and Awards

The national independent awards programme for the Scottish Whisky industry has launched its new annual St Andrews Day event with a promise to stage an authentic celebration of the many achievements in the Scotch whisky business.

The 3rd annual Scottish Whisky Awards has revealed details for the event on 30th November and plans a truly Scottish showcase of Scotch industry success. Tickets have now gone on sale for the event which takes place in Glasgow and will also be broadcast live to ticket holders anywhere in the world.

Despite the challenges of the year, the competition has welcomed over 200 Scotch whisky products from 31 producers.   Over 40 judges have participated in the blind tasting and assessment of written entries from across Scotland.   As a result of the judging, five new categories have been created and an announcement on who has made the finals will be made next week…

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Book Tickets

Highland Park 32 Years 1988 Connoisseurs Choice Cask #1284

1988 vintage from the Connoisseur’s Choice label. Only 207 bottles at 52.8%. Highland Park 32 Year Old 1988 vintage Orcadian single malt Scotch whisky. Single refill American hogshead #1284 bottled December 2020 by Gordon & MacPhail for the Connoisseurs Choice series. 207 bottles.

Shop Highland Park 32yo »

Nose: Crystallised violets and coconut aromas give way to hints of cured meat.
Taste: Sweet red apple flavours combine with banana and citrus zest.
Finish: A medium-bodied finish with lingering fruit and smoke.

£729.00

Highland Park Distillery is the most northerly malt whisky distillery in Scotland and thus the closest Scottish distillery to the Arctic Circle. Highland Park was established on the periphery of Kirkwall in the Mainland of Orkney in 1825-26 by Robert Borwick, a merchant and straw plaiter in Kirkwall, and John Robertson who owned the land previously known as Rosebank but by 1825 known as Highland Park. Whisky had been distilled illicitly in the vicinity of the Parks of Rosebank by Magnus Eunson least as far back as 1798. Highland Park 12 Year Old, 18 Year Old and 21 Year Old are popular releases.

Exclusive Bordeaux cask Loch Lomond…

Here we have a fantastic example of a wine cask matured single malt. This 10-year-old single cask is exclusive to us at The Whisky shop and showcases bold red wine characteristics of summer berries, candied orange peel and gentle oak spice. Natural colour, free from chill filtration and cask strength – all the good stuff!

Loch Lomond 2011 #20/895 Description

Loch Lomond Exclusive →
£60.00

*UPCOMING RELEASE* THREE AMERICAN OAK SINGLE CASK WHISKIES

Three American Oak Single Cask Whiskies.

One of the joys in crafting single cask whisky is celebrating the individuality of every cask, and our latest release is no exception. With all three whiskies each having spent over ten years maturing in American oak, you might expect three very similar flavour profiles. Instead, we have a line-up that exemplifies why we continue to champion single cask whisky – to showcase the unique relationship between spirit and cask.

We are tremendously excited to release these outstanding American oak whiskies.

American Oak Ex-Bourbon TD0345

Malt, malt, malt. Need we say more? Chocolate bon bons, sherbet, malt and mashed banana on the nose, combine beautifully with a big whack of pineapple upside down cake on the palate. More malt and a sweet biscuit-y note on the finish will leave you wanting more.

TD0345 was matured for 12 years and 5 months in a single, 200L American oak cask previously used to mature one of our American Oak Ex-Bourbon whisky releases. It yielded 250 bottles.

American Oak Second Fill TD0184

The perfect blend of sweet and savoury. Biscuits, nutty granola and custard intertwine with a herbal medley of potpourri, wet leaves and tobacco. “Perfect for those of us who love a savoury or earthy drop” – Heather Tillott, Distillery Manager

TD0184 was matured for 14 years and 1 month in a single, 200L American oak cask previously used to mature one of our American Oak whisky releases. Yielding just 184 bottles.

American Oak Second Fill TD0072

A fantastic example of unfettered Sullivans Cove spirit, wonderfully matured in a second fill cask. Intriguing and very beautiful savoury spice greets you on the nose before moving into rich shortbread and banana muffins straight from the oven. Sullivans Cove’s tell-tale sweet fruit on the palate develops into earthy mushrooms, cocoa and anise before a lengthy sweet chocolate and caramel finish.

TD0072 was matured for 15 years and 3 months in a single, 300L American oak cask, yielding 471 bottles. The cask had previously been used to mature one of our American Oak releases.

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

All three whiskies will be available to purchase via ballot on Monday the 11^th of October.

A further note will be sent to mailing list subscribers on Monday 11:00am Hobart time with a link to enter the ballot.

A note on our ballot system.  These whiskies will be released via ballot. The ballots will open for 24 hours from 11:00am Hobart time on Monday 11th of October, 2021. Further details will be sent via email prior to the ballot opening. 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.

2010 Glentauchers 10 Year Old “Sovereign” K&L Exclusive Single Wine Barrel Finished Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $54.99 View

Glentauchers has a long history as an integral component in many famous blends. First created to supply malt for Buchanans it developed into a key part of Teachers, and finally today it’s a workhorse for Ballantines. The sad result is we rarely have a chance to appreciate the malt on its own. This 10 year wine cask finished example is pleasantly fruity with floral and honey top notes and a lovely red fruit basket complexity from the cask. A superb daily drinker for those who appreciate having something fun and different around.