New The GlenAllachie
Wood Finishes

Limited Release PX, Ruby Port and Madeira casks

Explore More From The GlenAllachie

As The Glenallachie name continues to grow, so does demand for these limited releases. We have decided to buddy-up each of these new, and very limited, Wood Finish releases with a bottled of core GlenAllachie 12 year old. This is to encourage customers to explore more of The Glenallachie’s superb range. Starting with the 12 year old double matured in Ruby Port casks bundled with the core 12 year old GlenAllachie.

Shop The GlenAllachie Port Cask >>

Glenallachie 12 Year Old Ruby Port Finish Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Double matured in Ruby port casks for the wood finish series. This bottling is being sold as a bundle.

1x botte of Glenallachie 12 Year Old Ruby Port Finish 2021 Release

1x bottle of GlenAllachie 12 Year Old Core Release

MAXIMUM 1 SET PER CUSTOMER.

NOSE: Lashings of heather honey, grape must, treacle, bananas and ginger.

TASTE: Heather honey, toffee, damsons and grape must, fused with orange peel and ginger.

Glenallachie Distillery is a Speyside distillery sitting on the eastern edge of Ben Rinnes mountain where it is rather exposed to the elements and is often to be see sitting within the snowline. A modern building and its architect William Delmé-Evans created a distillery which is rather pleasing on the eye. Glenallachie was commissioned in 1967 with two stills which increased to four in 1989 in order to meet blenders ever increasing demand for Glenallachie malt whisky. Whilst official releases are few independent releases are more numerous with those from Signatory Vintage and Cadenheads proving popular.

ralfy review 897 Extras – How to improve a budget malt.

“MISTER SAM” BLENDED WHISKEY RELEASING THIS FALL

 “Mister Sam” Whiskey Pays Tribute to Late Seagram’s Leader
Sam Bronfman

Montreal (Sept. 30, 2021) – The Sazerac Company is releasing its second edition of “Mister Sam,” a blended whiskey expression made with some of Sazerac’s finest American and Canadian Whiskeys.

Created to honor Sam Bronfman, or “Mister Sam,” as he was affectionately known, this blend was created by Sazerac’s Master Blender Drew Mayville whose career included 22 years at Seagram’s where he was the fourth and final Master Blender under the Seagram dynasty. Mayville had an arsenal of Sazerac’s best American and Canadian Whiskey stocks at his disposal while developing Mister Sam.  This project holds a special place in Mayville’s heart, a native Canadian now living in Kentucky.

“Creating Mister Sam has been one of the highlights of my career,” said Mayville.  “The second release is very evocative of the first, with the same bold and complex flavors, but I believe this blend to be even closer to perfect.  We’ve blended it with whiskies that slightly softened the explosive finish to allow a greater enjoyment of the essence of the whiskey.”

Montreal served as the headquarters of the legendary Seagram Company and its patriarch Sam Bronfman. The ties between Sam Bronfman’s Seagram’s Company and The Sazerac Company span nearly 80 years, when Sazerac’s owners became one of the first distributors of Seagram brands in the United States, forging a long-lasting relationship between the two companies.  Today, Sazerac owns 15 former Seagram’s brands including the iconic Seagram’s V.O., Seagram’s Five Star, and Seagram’s ’83, along with its own Distillery in Montreal.

Despite Sam Bronfman’s humble origins as an immigrant to Canada from Imperial Russia in the late 1800s, Bronfman would go on to propel Seagram’s into the then largest and most successful distilled spirits company in the world.  Relentlessly focused on making and blending the finest whiskies possible, maintaining the highest quality standards in the industry, creating cutting edge packaging to appeal to consumers and driving incessant product innovation, “Mister Sam” created some of the world’s most iconic spirit brands while at the helm of the Seagram’s empire until his death in 1971.

The first release of “Mister Sam blended whiskey in 2019 was lauded by spirits industry heavyweights and received several prestigious industry awards.  Highly regarded spirits reviewer and author F. Paul Pacult gave it Five Stars and noted that it is “An Instant Classic” with a finish “that’s hugely satisfying.”  Davin deKergommeaux, a foremost expert on Canadian Whisky, noted “Mister Sam” was one of the greatest whiskey achievements he had ever tasted.  The initial release also earned a Gold Medal at the 2020 and 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, a Gold Medal (96 points) at the 2020 International Wine and Spirits Competition, and Best Blended Whiskey in the 2021 World Whiskies Award.

Bottled at Sazerac’s Old Montreal Distillery in Montreal, Quebec, this release of “Mister Sam” is 122.6 Proof and it will be available only in the United States and Canada.  Suggested Retail Price is $249.99.  Bottles of “Mister Sam” are presented in an elegant wooden box and included a copy of the legendary “From Little Acorns” book which Sam Bronfman penned in 1970 and which details the history of the Seagram’s company.

The Old Montreal Distillery, located adjacent to the Port and Old Montreal, dates back to 1929. Sazerac purchased the Distillery in 2011 and brought distilling back to Old Montreal for the first time in decades when it installed a still and began producing whisky in early 2018. The Distillery has recently added a visitor center which pays tribute to Mister Sam and a gift shop.  Public Tours will be offered soon.

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.

1992 Glentauchers 28 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” Cask Strength Single Barrel Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $239.99 View

The Hart family have been licensed victuallers and publicans in Paisley on the outskirts of Glasgow since the 18th Century, but it was in 1964 that brothers Iain & Donald Hart incorporated the company as Wine & Spirit Wholesalers and Scotch Whisky Blenders. Alistair Hart, who still selects casks for this special line today, came on as Chief Blender in 1975. His charge at the time was to secure and select the finest casks of single malt that were not readily available to the market. Their commitment to excellence is second to none in the industry and they’ve built a reputation for acquiring high quality stocks and bottling exceptional single casks. The excellent barrel of Glentauchers was aged entirely in new oak for nearly 30 years. It’s the oldest Glentauchers we’ve ever sold and represents the oldest stocks on the market currently from this old distillery. The distillery is on the outskirts of Keith and was built during the whisky boom of the 1890s and is now part of the Chivas family. This key component of the Ballantine’s blend is typically on the lighter side of Spey, but this is not an aperitif; it’s pungent citrus and vanilla coupled with a vibrant mineral quality. The sometimes overpowering zestiness of Tauchers has been tamed here by time offering some waxy citrus and orchard fruit, fresh grass, and green fruits. Just 90 bottles will be available only to K&L customers.

1988 Ardmore 31 Year “Hunter Laing Old & Rare Heritage Platinum Selection” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $349.99 View

Only 60 bottles will be available of this intriguing, old Highland peater. Distilled in April 1998 and bottled in 2019 at 50.2% ABV without dilution or chill filtration, the Platinum Selection represents the very best of what Hunter Laing has to offer. These casks are the bottler’s finest stocks and are selected not only for their exquisite rarity but also their unbelievable quality. Built in 1898 by William Teacher, the Ardmore Distillery is one of the Highlands’ best kept secrets, offering only an extremely limited selection bottled by the distillery, and the Ardmore malt remains a key component in the popular Teacher’s Highland Cream, which may be why they’ve neglected to market the wonderful peated Highlander beyond the current limited offerings. This very old barrel offers an incredible expression of old-school Highland malt with deep coal smoke, cured leather, wild honey, and tart red fruit. Just perfect at nearly 100 proof, it needs no water to open but could use some air to develop fully in the glass. Despite the high quality and limited availability, the price is extremely reasonable, and it should be given some serious consideration by any lover of old peated whisky.

1988 Tormore 31 Year “Hunter Laing Old & Rare Heritage Platinum Selection” Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $349.99 View

This lovely Oloroso Sherry butt from the Tormore Distillery was distilled in May of 1988 and bottled in 2019. A sister to the wonderful barrel we purchased last year, this time bottled in 700ml, it represents one of the best values in old, sherried malt available in Scotland today. The Tormore Distillery and its iconic copper roof is one of Speyside’s newer distillers. Built in 1958, great care was taken with the design of the exterior, unlike at other distilleries of the period. The distillery was expanded in 1984 and can produce upward of 3.7 million liters of alcohol per year. Nonetheless, it’s extremely rare to find Tormore of any age in the U.S. The relatively short and wide stills give a rich and textured spirit which lends itself nicely to sherry aging. Bottled at natural cask strength of 49.1% ABV and without chill filtration, only 60 bottles of this exceptional cask are available in the U.S. exclusively at K&L Wine Merchants. As described by the bottler, “This amber coloured whisky matured in an Oloroso sherry butt has lashings of hazelnuts, coffee, chocolate and tobacco on the nose. Spicy and nutty on the palate with a touch of toffee leading to a long, rich, peppery finish.”

TAKE THE SPICE ROUTE

The range of spices you can detect in a complex glass of SMWS single malt is seemingly never-ending. But how does each one of the Society’s 12 flavour profiles pair with a specific flavour note? SMWS executive head chef, James Freeman, has paired one of his signature dishes with a suitably spicy Society dram and with a selection of Flavour Profiles still available from the October Outturn, there’s nothing to stop you experimenting in the kitchen this month.

VIEW THE OUTTURN

SEE JAMES’ SPICE MATCHES

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

New From Bruichladdich!

A stunning selection of big hitting drams just in door from Bruichladdich distillery, Islay. Octomore 12 – we’re now able to offer the full range, with 12.2 being made available to retailers! 12.1, 12.2 & 12.3, now in stock & available for dispatch. We also see a new vintage Bere Barley, which is always a favourite of ours along with a heavily peated Port Charlotte, Islay Barley edition.

Slàinte

Abbey Whisky

The Macallan Double Cask 30 Years Old is the newest release in our Double Cask range. Matured for 30 years in a harmonious union of American and European oak sherry seasoned casks to create a unique taste and character.

Acclaimed photographer and artist Erik Madigan Heck was inspired by nature to imagine and symbolise the rich depth of flavour of this single malt. The whisky itself is a rich medley of flavour, and he used natural light to capture this depth of character in his still life.

DISCOVER

DISCOVER THE JOURNEY

To create the Double Cask range, we bring new oak from America across thousands of miles to Spain, where casks are crafted and sherry seasoned before travelling to the Distillery on Speyside to mature.

The Macallan Distillery Experience, The Macallan Distillers Ltd, 

Easter Elchies,  Craigellachie, Moray AB38 9RX, Scotland, +44 (0)1340 318 000

‘As We Get It’

Loved by whisky fans and back at TWB. ‘As We Get It’ Highland at 66.8% and Islay at 60.8%.  Old fashioned whisky at its best. As We Get It Highland single malt Scotch whisky bottled by Ian Macleod Distillers. As We Get It is bottled straight from the cask from a mystery distillery in the traditional manner. As We Get It Islay single malt Scotch whisky bottled by Ian Macleod Distillers. As We Get It is bottled straight from the cask from a mystery distillery in the traditional manner.

Shop ‘As We Get It’ >>

Mystery single malt that don’t want to reveal their true identity. Rummage around and with a bit of investigation you are sure to find a rare unspecified bottling from independent bottler.

ralfy review 897 – Budget supermarket malt review, and how to make it better.

(Part 2 will publish tomorrow morning).

Whiskey Del Bac Celebrates its 10-year Anniversary With
Community-Focused Events in Phoenix and Tucson

Tucson, AZ (September 28, 2021) – Arizona-based Whiskey Del Bac is celebrating its tenth anniversary this fall with two events in Tucson and Phoenix. Arizona Wilderness Brewing will co-host the Phoenix event on Saturday, October 23 from 1:00pm – 7:00pm and the Tucson event will be co-hosted by Westbound in the Mercado San Agustin Annex on Saturday November 13 from 4:30pm – 10:00pm.

“We’re proud to be an Arizona-based company and these events not only celebrate ten years in business but also our incredible partners, Whiskey Del Bac consumers, and everyone who has helped establish the notion of Desert Terroir in whiskey. Award-winning whiskey can come out of the desert and we love pioneering this tradition,” said Amanda Paul, Co-founder of Whiskey Del Bac.

Festivities on both evenings will include farmers markets with local companies: Monsoon Chocolate, Barrio Bread, E & R Pork, and Exo Coffee Roasters in Tucson, and Desert Provisions, Blue Clover Bitters, Iconic Cocktail Co. and Agritopia Farm in Phoenix. Cocktail workshops and whiskey seminars will be offered, as well as live music and Whiskey Del Bac cocktails. Both events are free to attend. The seminars and workshops do have a cost to attend and seating is limited. Reservations and tickets for those can be made in advance online at www.whiskeydelbac.com

A special limited Tenth Anniversary Calvados cask release will be bottled and distributed at both events and the Distillery (2106 Forbes Boulevard, #106, Tucson, AZ 85745).

“We couldn’t be more grateful for the enthusiasm that Tucson and the rest of Arizona have shown for these Sonoran Desert single malts. You never know where an idea will take you, and the opportunity to make a single-malt whiskey with the true character of the place I’ve lived has been so rewarding. I hope we’ve been a part of many memorable moments for folks, and we look forward to being a part of cherished new experiences to come,” said Stephen Paul, Co-founder of Whiskey Del Bac.

As Whiskey Del Bac looks to the next ten years, the organization is focused on increasing its production and will be expanding the current distillery over the next year. To help lead the focus on expansion, Mark A. Vierthaler recently joined the Whiskey Del Bac team as Head Distiller. Mark has over five years of head distiller experience and has developed more than two dozen international award-winning spirits across multiple brands. Since interest for Whiskey Del Bac has increased, the team launched a website within the last year that offers the ability for consumers to order whiskey and merchandise directly from the distillery for delivery or pickup — if they live within Arizona.

About Whiskey Del Bac

Father and daughter co-founders Stephen and Amanda Paul purchased a small 40 gallon still in 2011 and took their whiskey to the local Tucson marketplace with positive feedback. Captivated by his wife Elaine’s idea of drying malt over a mesquite fire instead of a peat fire, Stephen had experimented since 2007 on a tiny 5 gallon still to produce a regional single malt whiskey with the flavor of the Desert Southwest. In 2011, Amanda suggested he make it official and they launched Whiskey Del Bac. Del Bac is an ancient term meaning “from the place where the river reappears in the sand.” It was inspired by Tucson’s Mission San Xavier Del Bac, which was named for its proximity to the Santa Cruz River where groundwater surfaced and gave the desert life.

That “mesquited” —not peated— single malt became The Dorado, and has garnered much attention nationally, including two Double Gold Medals at the largest competition in the U.S., the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Its sister whiskey in the Whiskey Del Bac line-up, The Classic, recently received a rating of 93 from Wine Enthusiast. Their Distiller’s Cut special releases are getting rave reviews as well, including a recent 91 rating in Whiskey Advocate.

Expanding to a 500 gallon still in 2014, and implementing a 5,000 lb capacity malt house, Whiskey Del Bac is one of only a handful of distilleries in the country to malt its own barley – only malting for The Dorado in order to give the distillery that unique ability to include the mesquited flavor profile.