The Macallan 12 Year Old Sherry Oak

The modern interpretation of the famous Macallan style for which the distillery is so well known! The 12 Year Old Sherry Oak is refined, rich, and rounded with plenty of that tasty sherry cask influence that so many of us adore. Most definitely a dram to be enjoyed with friends…or save it for yourself!

WAS £75.00
NOW £69.99
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Nose: Fresh fruit salad, charming cloves

Palate: Dark fruit, Christmas cake, rich almonds

Finish: Stewed Apples and the sweetest prunes

The year of 2022 is in full swing and we’ve welcomed an influx of new whiskies ready for you to fall in love with. We have an array of sherried whiskies, including our new exclusive Glendronach 1993 and a 10-year-old Edradour from the distillery’s Straight From The Cask series.

We’ve also said hello to Batch 3 of Kilchoman’s small-batch UK exclusive single malt and a fresh and balanced blend from Woven Whisky. Here’s our full round-up of recent releases that have caught our attention.

SHOP NEW WHISKIES

https://youtu.be/iayaC7XMaRg

Daftmill is a name that, for most of us, is associated with impossible ballots and ever climbing auction prices, and there is still no change in that.

I was lucky enough to win this through the Berry Bros & Rudd ballot and seemed wrong to not open it, purely based on my own luck.

Said many times before by myself and others, the lowlands region of Scotland is exploding with whisky distilleries and Daftmill was the one that took the secondary market and collectors side by storm. Not that others haven’t, the quality all around is great but this one climbed to the top. A batching of twenty-five ex-bourbon casks – it is a clean, fresh and citrus driven nose with a rather different palate and finish that is almost reminiscent of a rather celebrated highland style of whisky.

Demand is high. Production is low, the place is literally a farm. The quality is excellent, but the price tag doesn’t justify the liquid. It’s great, but as are other products for a little less.

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Owners of the Isle of Raasay Distillery announce opening of the first farm to bottle distillery in Campbeltown in over 180 years

The Machrihanish Distillery is the second single malt whisky brand for R&B Distillers Ltd.

The distillery will create Campbeltown’s first farm to bottle single malt in over 180 years and in time create over 20 new jobs for the area.

Dhurrie Farm

To add to their ambition of becoming Scotland’s leading artisanal distiller, R&B Distillers Limited have announced a bold new plan to add a second single malt whisky brand to their roster by building The Machrihanish Distillery – the first farm to bottle distillery in the coveted Campbeltown region in over 180 years.

The owner of the Isle of Raasay Distillery is setting out to complement its brand portfolio by creating Campbeltown’s first farm to bottle single malt in over 180 years. As well as creating much needed skilled employment in the local area, R&B Distillers’ move will bring a contemporary single malt to the old Victorian capital of whisky, once home to over 30 distilleries in days gone by.

R&B have completed the purchase of the Dhurrie Farm in Machrihanish with the intention of building a new farm to bottle distillery, complete with a visitor centre and ultimately its own whisky club. The distillers are expected to finalise planning during 2022 and aim to break ground in 2023. The business is developing a recipe for the Machrihanish single malt that will bring a different style of whisky from a different whisky region in Scotland to complement its existing Isle of Raasay Single Malt, as well as increasing the Company’s total addressable market and production output. The planned initial production output of The Machrihanish Distillery will be 400,000 litres of pure alcohol per year.

It’s R&B’s ambition to create a sustainable net zero distilling process that doesn’t use any fossil fuels in the production of their whisky. In addition to that, they plan to use biological farming practices to ensure that they have a positive impact on the surrounding environment and create greater biodiversity on the farmland.

The Campbeltown region is an underserved, sleeping whisky region in Scotland, once home to over thirty distilleries and now just three. The local community are welcoming the new inwards investment, as the company predicts to create over 20 new jobs. In addition, R&B Distillers’ Co-founder Bill Dobbie’s family were from the Campbeltown area, bringing extra conviction to The Machrihanish Distillery’s part to play in regenerating a rural community in Scotland.

Bill Dobbie and Alasdair Day, the founders of R&B Distillers

With clear pride Bill Dobbie, Co-founder & Executive Chairman of R&B Distillers Ltd, states:

“When the business was founded in 2015 we had a clear ambition to create Scotland’s leading artisanal distiller – building on Raasay’s nascent success, and noticing the clear global demand for supreme quality drinks with unquestionable provenance, today’s announcement confirms significant progress towards this goal”.

Donald Kelly, Argyll & Bute Councillor states:

“We are delighted to see what could be the beginning of a renaissance of whisky distilling in the Campbeltown region. With years gone by since we were Scotland’s home of whisky, seeing the return of a farm-to-bottle distillery that will provide important local employment and a vibrant visitor attraction is something that really excites me and the broader community.”

Andrew Smith, local businessman and family friend says:

“When you see what Bill Dobbie and his team have done on the Isle of Raasay, to do the same in Kintyre can only be described as exciting. Being from the family that owned the Drumore Farm, one of the last farm distilleries in Campbeltown which closed in 1837, I am over the moon to see the return of farm distilling in the Campbeltown region. When the R&B team came to me with the idea, we embarked on the pursuit of finding the perfect farm for growing barley and that’s when we found the Dhurrie. The location is perfect and I can’t wait to taste the whisky that is produced by the farm.”

As well as The Machrihanish Distillery project, R&B continues to develop its founding strategy of producing super-premium, artisanal spirits in partnership with underdeveloped, but vibrant, local communities. They aim to capitalise on the global consumer shift in preferences towards superior quality products with true provenance.

Now nearing the end of the first year of availability of the Isle of Raasay single malt, the company has just outlined its further commitment to doubling its local production capacity on the island from c.200,000 lpa to c.400,000 lpa on the Isle of Raasay over the next three to five years. The company launched the Isle of Raasay single malt in late 2020, and is now distributing via hundreds of outlets in the UK, as well as through experienced distributors in twenty four international markets including the leading world whisky markets of France, Germany, Japan, China and Taiwan.

R&B’s original commitment of building upon Co-founder and Master Distiller Alasdair Day’s family whisky history in its original Coldstream location has also led to the concept of building a micro grain distillery in Coldstream. The Coldstream distillery has a working title of ‘The ‘Duke St Distillery, Coldstream’. R&B distillers, South of Scotland Enterprise and Borders Council are exploring several options for the site of this new distillery which should be confirmed shortly. The distillery will build on the Day family whisky recipe book, and the market curiosity around a ‘Scottish Bourbon’, to produce some unique whisky from different grains. The increasing market uptake of such whiskies will allow the micro-distillery to grow over time.

Both family connections, in Machrihanish and Coldstream, and the respective ambitions gives the strategy added depth, and brings an extra special dimension to the business.

Alongside these announcements R&B are re-aligning their executive team with Co-founder & Executive Chairman Bill Dobbie leading Alasdair Day as Co-founder & Master Distiller, Norman Gillies as Operations Director, William Dobbie as Commercial Director and Stuart Blues as Finance Director.

It is also expected that the plans will lead to further employment growth at the firms Edinburgh HQ, Raasay, and of course Machrihanish and Coldstream. The business currently employs 25 people between Raasay, Edinburgh and London.

ANGEL’S ENVY® RELEASES LIMITED-EDITION RYE WHISKEY FINISHED IN ICE CIDER CASKS   

The fourth release in ANGEL’S ENVY’s Cellar Collection, this limited-run of just 6,000 bottles marks the brand’s first new finished rye offering since 2013

Beginning today, members of ANGEL’S ENVY’s 500 Main can enter to win the chance to purchase the release ahead of the official launch; public sale will begin on February 25 at select retailers in NY, CA, FL, TN, IL, TX and KY, as well as at ANGEL’S ENVY’s distillery

LOUISVILLE, KY (February 15, 2022) – ANGEL’S ENVY®, the Louisville-based craft distiller that produces small batch, finished whiskeys, today announced the release of its ANGEL’S ENVY Rye Whiskey Finished in Ice Cider Casks. ANGEL’S ENVY created this first-of-its-kind release by finishing seven-year-old, 95% rye whiskey for 364 days in ice cider casks from Vermont-based Eden Specialty Ciders. It is the fourth release in ANGEL’S ENVY’s Cellar Collection, the brand’s special release program that honors the late Lincoln Henderson’s pioneering and innovative spirit.

“The flavor profile of this whiskey is very unique – the spiciness of the rye is balanced by the fruity sweetness from the ice cider casks, and there’s a crispness that is really distinct. We’ve never seen a whiskey finished in ice cider casks before, so we’re excited to introduce this finish as part of our Cellar Collection,” said Kyle Henderson, ANGEL’S ENVY’s Distillery Production Manager. “My brother, Andrew, was the one who found these barrels and raised the idea of an ice cider finish; he’s really championed this project from the beginning. As we tasted samples and learned more about the craftsmanship, time and resources required to create each bottle of ice cider, we fell in love with the product and the process and knew these special casks would be an excellent match for our rye.”

Ice cider is a dessert-style cider that is produced primarily in the northern US and Canada. The French oak casks used to finish this ANGEL’S ENVY release were used by Eden Specialty Ciders to create an ice cider from tart, late-season Northern Spy apples that had been naturally cold-concentrated in Vermont before partial fermentation and aging. Inspired by the unique, climate-driven elements of ice cider production, ANGEL’S ENVY packaged its Rye Whiskey Finished in Ice Cider Casks in a frosted glass bottle and commemorative gift box.

The limited-edition release, which consists of just 6,000 bottles total, will be available for purchase beginning on February 25 at select retailers in NY, CA, FL, TN, IL, TX and KY, as well as at ANGEL’S ENVY’s downtown Louisville distillery. Beginning today, ANGEL’S ENVY 500 Main members can enter for the chance to purchase a bottle ahead of the public sale for pickup at ANGEL’S ENVY’s distillery. A total of 500 bottles will be reserved for the 500 Main presale lottery.

ANGEL’S ENVY Rye Whiskey Finished in Ice Cider Casks is 107-proof (53.5% ABV). On the nose, it offers notes of caramel candy apple and toasted oak, with faint notes of nuttiness and cinnamon. The palate features bold peppery and cinnamon notes accompanied by vanilla, ripe apple, toffee and butterscotch. The finish is long and transitions from spicy to sweet, with notes of brown sugar and apple with hints of earthiness and oak. Suggested retail price for a 75omL bottle, which may vary by market, is $249.99. For more information, visit angelsenvy.com/whiskey/IceCiderFinish.

About ANGEL’S ENVY

ANGEL’S ENVY is a Louisville-based craft distiller that produces small batch, finished whiskeys. Co-founded in 2010 by the late Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson and his son Wes Henderson, it began as a passion project that combined their family’s deep-rooted passion for and knowledge of the industry with an innovative outlook on bourbon making and finishing. Today, the ANGEL’S ENVY team continues to produce several highly acclaimed core offerings – a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Port Wine Barrels and a Rye Whiskey Finished in Caribbean Rum Casks – as well as a variety of innovative, special releases.

ANGEL’S ENVY opened the doors to its distillery in 2016 – it was the first full-production whiskey distillery in downtown Louisville and is located at 500 East Main Street. The company distributes to all 50 U.S. states and several select international markets as of February 2020. ANGEL’S ENVY is produced by Louisville Distilling Company, a subsidiary of Bacardi Limited.

For more information, please visit us at www.angelsenvy.com, or on:

Facebook: facebook.com/AngelsEnvyBourbon or facebook.com/TourAngelsEnvy

Twitter: @angels_envy

Instagram: @angelsenvy

A Can’t-Miss Best Buy in Sherry-Aged Single-Malt Scotch
2013 Glen Ord 8 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength First-Fill Sherry Butt Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival) ($49.99)
“Despite the relative youth of this whisky, it’s absolutely packed full of character and offers one of the best values we’ll be seeing for some time in my humble opinion.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

The Hart Brothers deliver the goods once again, this time in the form of a stunning value from the rarely seen Glen Ord. Part of the Diageo stable that forms a critical component of Dewar’s, this remarkable distillery in the northern Highlands (with neighbors like Clynelish, Balblair, and Glenmorangie) is almost never seen on the independent market under its own name, so we were absolutely thrilled at the opportunity to get our hands on this cask. When we saw the price, it became a no-brainer. The first-fill sherry butt worked tremendous magic on the youthful spirit, resulting in a wildly expressive and nuanced dram at just eight years of age. David Othenin-Girard’s review below details just how kaleidoscopically complex this 8 Year Old is, both with and without water added. Bottled at a cask strength of 57.5% ABV without chillfiltration, it retains every last bit of its Highland character and even takes it up a notch or two, if that even seems possible. The rarity of this opportunity cannot be overstated, especially at the razor-sharp price of just $49.99. So spirits enthusiasts are highly advised to go big, as this wonderful cask has all the makings of a true smash hit.

2013 Glen Ord 8 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength First-Fill Sherry Butt Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival) ($49.99)
*Pre-arrival item is expected to be available for shipment or pickup in June 2022.

K&L Notes: Glen Ord distillery was built in 1838 in the plains to the north of Inverness and was part of the Dewar’s family for most of the last century. In the ’60s, their floor maltings were replaced with the popular Saladin Box, and subsequently a drum malting was added. It became an important hub for malt in Northern Scotland and was eventually acquired by a predecessor of Diageo in 1985. Bottled under “The Singleton” brand for the Asian market, the distillery is not typically available in the US. This wild cask of heavily-sherried Glen Ord is an absolute wonder for us. We very rarely get offered Glen Ord, and when we do it tends to be in third- or fourth-fill blender’s casks. While this doesn’t necessarily mean the whisky is bad, it certainly doesn’t provide the level of complexity that one might hope for, even with decent age. This fabulous Sherry butt shows us, once again, that age isn’t everything. Eight years in a first-fill Sherry butt is enough to cut right through the raw spirit character of this bold northern Highlander. Full bodied, rich, and full of spice, there will be few better deals in full-term Sherry coming this year. Bottled without coloring or chillfiltration at a cask strength of 57.5% ABV.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: December 02, 2021

Glen Ord isn’t one we see too often and even less so in dark, first-fill sherry like this one. Despite the relative youth of this whisky, it’s absolutely packed full of character and offers one of the best values we’ll be seeing for some time in my humble opinion. Ord is one of those Diageo properties that gets totally forgotten, since they don’t bother to sell it as a single malt in this market. It’s also part of the little crew of exemplary distilleries in the “Northern Highlands.” That is to say the distillers north of Inverness in an area collectively known as the North Coast. The other names in this area are becoming quite famous—Clynelish, Glenmorangie, Pulteney, and Balblair—so it’s a real pleasure to feature this exceptional cask. Distilled on February 11th, 2013 and filled into a fresh sherry butt, the color is a fiery, old oak tawny. Rested for ten minutes before nosing, we’ve got an immediate raisiny sherry character, almost to the point that I might have guessed PX, although without the overt sweetness one might expect. Instead of saccharine sweetness on the nose, we get baking spice, French roast, black tea, ginger snaps, and some pumpernickel. The palate is rich and full of roasted malt, more coffee, sweet black cherry compote, bold clove, and some tobacco leaf. It’s absolutely delicious at cask strength and doesn’t need the water, but adding creates tons of nuance on the nose instead of the more straight-forward and powerful initial nose. Now we’re getting all we had before, plus some interesting mossy-ness, earthy, freshly tilled soil, the tiniest hints of peat in the distance, and gorgeous salted plum character. On the palate, the spice remains, and the sweet barley comes through more, but we lose a bit of the “oomph.” It’s tough to tell which is better—maybe just a few drops (no more!) and some air to capture the best of both worlds. For everyone who loved those dark Sovereigns we did with Hunter Laing, this is your next bunker stuffer.

NEW VAULTS COLLECTION BOTTLING

Whisky this good deserves to be shown the love! With amazing orange notes – orange sherbet, orange grove, orange filled with orange sorbet and boozy blood orange trifle next to maple syrup, candle wax and cinnamon coconut cookies – this whisky is something special. Bottles are available one per member, order NOW to avoid disappointment.

OH-SO-ORANGE

Cask No. 12.64

Cask: Second fill bourbon barrel
Region: Speyside
Age: 31 years
Distilled: 7^th May 1990
Outturn: 112 bottles
ABV: 43.4%

LIMITED TO 1 BOTTLE PER MEMBER

We all got, in one way or another, the scent of orange; orange sherbet, orange grove, confit of orange filled with orange sorbet and boozy blood orange trifle next to maple syrup, candle wax and cinnamon coconut cookies. On the palate, thick, luscious, creamy and wonderfully chewy like chocolate-covered marshmallow kisses with a maraschino cherry on top as well as a Fish House Punch – orange pekoe tea, dark rum, cognac, peach brandy and lemon juice. With water we had a picture of rolling cigars in an old factory in Cuba as the newspaper was read to us while to taste, juicy and incredibly soft like honey orange macarons.

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

PRIVATE BALLOT NOW OPEN

Aged for 21 years in a mixture of bourbon and madeira casks, it is the sixth and penultimate entry in the series. It brings together the classic, floral-and-grassy character of Rosebank – closed since 1993 – and adds layers of vanilla and spice thanks to the carefully selected casks. It’s an old-fashioned style of whisky that is rarely seen these days, and a slice of history from a distillery that closed almost 30 years ago.Valentine’s Day is here and with it the latest release in the Rosebank Roses series – Rosebank Unity.

As whiskies from Rosebank are so rare and sought after, the very limited numbers of bottles available will be sold via ballot.

The ballot will run until 11.59pm GMT on Wednesday 16 February 2022. Details of how to enter the ballot are below.

HOW TO ENTER

• Click the ‘ENTER BALLOT’ button and you will automatically add the bottle to your basket.
• No other items may be added to your basket as part of this transaction.
• To confirm your entry, complete the checkout process.
• You must enter your card details as part of the checkout process, but you will not be charged unless you are successful.
• You will receive an email confirming your ballot entry.
• The ballot will remain open until 23:59 GMT on Wednesday 16 February 2022.

ENTER BALLOT

TERMS & CONDITIONS

• Winners of the ballot will automatically be charged for the price of the product they are successful in purchasing (price breakdown will be detailed at checkout), plus any relevant taxes and charges.
• Only one entry per person. Multiple entries will be ignored.
• The ballot will close at 23:59 GMT on Wednesday 16 February 2022.
• The draw will take place on or after Thursday 17 February 2022.
• Ballot winners will be contacted with confirmation of purchase.
• Those unsuccessful in the ballot will receive confirmation that they have not been selected.
• This ballot is not open to employees of The Whisky Exchange or associated companies

OLD & RARE 2022

The UK’s biggest celebration of old and rare whisky is back!

Join us on Zoom for Virtual Whisky Show: Old & Rare 2022’s live-streamed tasting sessions, featuring some of the rarest and most-treasured bottles in the world. Join show co-founders Sukhinder Singh, Angus MacRaild and Jonny McMillan and their guests from across the world at this timeless event. Get your Perfect Measure tasting pack today to taste these exclusive drams with the experts in their online masterclasses.

See All Tastings 

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 426: Caol Ila 10 Year Old 2010 Old Particular for Our Belgian Friends

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a special Coal Ila. This Caol Ila was bottled by Douglas Laing in their well-known Old Particular series, but stands out for two reasons. Firstly, you can see the Belgian tricolor on the label, because it is exclusively bottled ‘for our Belgian friends’ and secondly it is a single cask that was bottled at cask strength. The refill hogshead thus yielded 296 bottles. It is very pale, by the way.

https://youtu.be/ac5tMguNbxE