ralfy review 918 – Bowmore 15yo @ 43%vol (2022)

Crabbie launch 22 Years Old Orkney Single Cask Expression with Palo Cortado finish

Historic Edinburgh whisky producers John Crabbie & Co have today (7^th March) unveiled a new single cask bottling of 22 Years Old Orkney Single Malt Whisky, finished for extraordinary flavour in a rare Palo Cortado sherry cask.

Just 253 bottles of this special new dram are being released under the signature of renowned master blender Dr Kirstie McCallum, who took charge of the Crabbie’s whisky portfolio last year.

After spending 21 years in ex-bourbon casks, this peated Orkney single malt was transferred to a highly coveted Palo Cortado sherry cask, hand selected by Dr Kirstie, before being left to rest for a final six months at Crabbie’s warehouse in Edinburgh’s port of Leith area.

Tasting notes

Colour: bright gold.

Nose: hints of raisins, dried fruit, vanilla fudge and berries, balanced with peppery smoke.

Taste: layers of sweet berries and cream, with soft coffee caramel toffee. Dried fruit develops to a sweet, balanced peppered smokiness, with hints of dark chocolate and coffee.

Finish: long, lingering and smoky.

Bottled at 47.5%, the influence of this unusual sherry – described as Amontillado on the nose and Oloroso on the mouth – gives a wonderfully complex and rounded quality to the spicey smokiness of the finished whisky.

A nose of dried fruit, vanilla fudge, forest berries and a hint of peppery smoke lead to flavours of sweet berries and cream, caramel toffee, dried fruit and hints of dark chocolate and coffee, followed by a long, smoky finish.

This exclusive new bottling continues Crabbie’s legacy of whisky innovation and excellence, with the new expression being hailed as a rare treat for whisky fans. Dr Kirstie commented: ‘This beautiful, single cask Orkney single malt is a very special whisky, an unusual coming together of the wonderfully smoky flavours of the original bourbon-matured dram with so much depth and richness from one of the world’s rarest and most coveted sherries. And with only a few hundred bottles going on sale, I’m sure it will delight for drinkers looking for something special to enjoy.’

‘It gives me enormous pride to be continuing the founder’s legacy: of producing unique, unexpected and great quality whiskies for everyone to enjoy.’

With over 200 years of whisky expertise behind them, the modern day Crabbie team continue founder John Crabbie’s quest to seek out the finest, most interesting and eclectic Scotch whiskies to finish and bottle under his mark. Investment by parent company Halewood International in Crabbie’s new Bonnington Distillery has given fresh impetus to this pioneering Scottish brand, as they prepare to add their own whiskies to the range – distilled, matured and bottled in Leith, and set to launch this year.

Crabbie 22 Years Old Orkney Single Malt is bottled at 47.5% and is non-chill filtered with natural colour. It is available from Whisky Exchange and whisky-online with an RRP of £175.

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About Halewood Artisanal Spirits (www.halewood-int.com)

For all the latest news and launches:

Instagram:  @halewood_artisanal_spirits

Twitter: @HalewoodIntern1

Facebook: @HalewoodArtisanalSpirits

LinkedIn: Halewood Artisanal Spirits

Halewood Artisanal Spirits is an award-winning UK-based craft distiller. Its premium gin brands include Whitley Neill Gin, City of London Gin, Marylebone Gin and Liverpool Gin.  Halewood also has a strong portfolio of other high growth premium sprits, including Dead Man’s Fingers spiced rum, J. J. Whitley Russian Vodka, Samuel Gelston’s Irish Whiskey and Crabbie Whisky.

The business operates 10 artisanal distilleries across the UK, Russia and South Africa including:  The City of London Distillery (the home of Whitley Neill Gin), The Liverpool Gin Distillery, Crabbie Distillery in Edinburgh, Aber Falls Distillery in North Wales, Bankhall Distillery in Blackpool, The Bristol & Bath Rum Distillery, Belgravia Distillery in South Africa and JJ Whitley in Russia. The company also operates the Hawkshead Brewery in Cumbria.

Evan Williams American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund Opens 2022 Grant Applications

Bardstown, Ky. – The Evan Williams American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund application period for the 2022 Veteran Community Action grants is now open. Eligible nonprofits that serve the veteran community can apply now through April 1, 2022 for the one-time grants.

As an American-made and American-owned Bourbon, Evan Williams is proud to support U.S. military veterans through the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund. First established in 2020, the fund continues the brand’s support of veteran communities since launching the Evan Williams American-Made Heroes program and limited-edition label in 2015. To date, Evan Williams has recognized 42 veteran heroes on its American Hero Edition bottles and donated $450,000 to nonprofits. For the third consecutive year through the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund, Evan Williams will be donating up to $75,000 to veteran causes with each grant totaling between $4,000 to $6,000.

The purpose of the foundation is to provide a platform for sharing inspiring veteran stories, raising public awareness for causes impacting the veteran community, and supporting nonprofit organizations that help veterans and their families through a specialized grant program. To learn more about the organizations eligible for support, or to apply for a Veteran Community Action grant, visit https://american-madeheroes.com/grant.php.

ABOUT EVAN WILLIAMS: The flagship Bourbon of Heaven Hill Distillery, Evan Williams is among the leaders in the rapidly growing American Whiskey segment as the world’s second largest-selling Bourbon. Evan Williams is a proud sponsor of Major League Baseball and the World Series, first forming a partnership with the national pastime in 2016. As an American-made and American-owned brand, Evan Williams has recognized true American heroes through their exceptional stories of honor and bravery on special edition American-Made Hero labels for the past seven years, now supported by the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund. The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience (www.EvanWilliamsBourbonExperience.com) celebrates the legacy of Evan Williams through an immersive visitor’s center experience which brings to life the history and tradition of Kentucky’s native spirit as an official stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

The monthly auction is now live over at Whisky.Auction, with more than 1200 lots, and it’s a bit of a Johnnie Walker bonanza including six Directors Blends never available at retail. Read on to find out more.

The auction is currently live, ending from 7.30pm on Tuesday 15^th March 2022.

Lots for Johnnie Walker fans…

Starting with the awesome Johnnie Walker Excelsior. This is one of JW’s rarest releases and only appears at auction once in a blue moon. It was made with whiskies distilled in 1947 and matured for around 50 years before it was bottled in 1997

Twelve years later Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Old Centenary Edition was released in 2009 to commemorate 100 years of Black Label, first created in 1909.

Six Johnnie Walker Directors Blends from 2009 through to 2013 are all in good condition and with impeccable provenance. This is a rare chance to snap up all of these beautiful blends which were never available at retail, instead being given only to esteemed friends of Johnnie Walker.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare is a one of eight limited editions in a series that explored the flavour and characteristics from closed, or ‘ghost’, distilleries. This special variation includes malt from Port Ellen and grain from Carsebridge and Caledonian, all lost ghost distilleries.

One for the uber collector, there’s a Johnnie Walker Premier which was released for the Asian market and also includes whiskies from closed distilleries in the blend. This one is in excellent condition and comes with a numbered certificate

We do love a blend…

We love great Old Blends at Whisky.Auction, even when usually the focus is on single malts, so here are four superb examples all dating from the 1950s to 1960s:

• The iconic Buchanan’s Black & White, sealed with a spring cap
• Dewar’s Ancestor, bottled in the 1960s
• Ainslie’s King’s Legend, from the owners of Clynelish/Brora, bottled in the 1950s to 1960s
• Finally the ubiquitous Dimple, a great dram which can be picked up for a snip at auction

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 433: Nc’nean Quiet Rebels Annabel

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries another Nc’nean. I think you can safely say that Mark is a fan of Nc’nean. He’s tasted the first ten batches and it’s become a bit of a daily sipper for him. So accessible and pleasantly priced that he can drink it daily without any problems. But they recently launched the so-called Quiet Rebels series – an ode to the distillery’s employees, each time vatting something special – and start with the distillery’s leading lady: Annabel Thomas. In addition to the classic bourbon and STR casks, she now also chose  Tokaji and sherry casks. Tokaji is the oldest type of wine made in Hungary. Mark was very excited to try this.

https://youtu.be/svOsCOCJK5U

In every auction there is always a few bottles that stand out from the crowd and these three distinguished old drams, distilled more than five decades ago, certainly do that.

Macallan 1967 Sir Peter Blake Anecdotes of Ages

Celebrating the legacy and history of Sir Peter Blake and The Macallan, the Anecdotes of Ages Collection comprises 13 unique bottles of exceptional 1967 whisky, selected for its classic, yet distinctly colourful character.

Dalmore 40 Year Old

Released in 2017, the Dalmore 40 Year Old was aged in bourbon casks for 30 years, then aged in oloroso-sherry butts for a further seven before being finished in first-fill bourbon barrels. The result is an intensely rich and full bodied single malt.

Macallan-Glenlivet 40 Year Old Gordon & MacPhail Edinburgh Crystal Decanter 75cl

A fine example of Edinburgh Crystal craftsmanship, this well-aged Macallan-Glenlivet is the embodiment of what a Speyside whisky can be. Complete with a stunning stopper and thistle engravings, this diamond in the rough is a Macallan collector’s dream.

SPIRIT OF YORKSHIRE DISTILLERY ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF IMPEX BEVERGES

AS THEIR EXCLUSIVE US IMPORTER

Filey Bay, named for the local beach, comes from the ambitious Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery, and combines a passion for making amazing whisky with a progressive approach to the distillation process that is underpinned by quality and traceability. The Flagship bottling is a Single Malt whisky made with 100% homegrown barley from the distillery’s farm, matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks. The result is a light and fruity style whisky, with citrus, honey, caramel and vanilla notes, and a creamy mouthfeel.

Much of the unique character of Filey Bay comes from its field to bottle approach: all of the barley used in the distilling process is grown on co-founder Tom Mellor’s adjacent farm in Hunmanby on the Yorkshire Coast, making it one of the only genuinely field to bottle whisky distilleries in the UK. Chalk aquifers directly underneath the farm provide a consistent water supply that’s ideal for whisky distilling.

Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery began distilling and aging whisky in 2016, with operations headed up by co-founders Tom Mellor and David Thompson, who both have extensive expertise in barley farming in the local area. The farm, which has been in Mellor’s family since World War II, specializes in growing malting barley, and is also home to Mellor’s Wold Top Brewery, which opened in 2003.

Expertise into the whisky making process was provided by the world-renowned whisky expert, the late Dr. Jim Swan, who mentored Mellor and Thompson from the start. Two Forsyth pot stills and a four-plate rectifying column still are used in the distilling process to create two distinct styles of new make spirit, resulting in greater options for flavor in maturation and in the whisky making process. Combining a respect for tradition with a progressive approach to distillation, the result is a pair of complex and distinctive new make spirits that mature beautifully using a range of cask maturation techniques. After distilling, the whisky is matured predominantly in first fill ex-Bourbon casks which help to define the distillery’s light and fruity house style. Maturation also takes place in several types of Sherry barrels as well as STR casks – a hallmark of Dr. Jim Swan’s approach that stands for shaving, toasting and re-charring – giving it a complex and refined character.

Spirit of Yorkshire Co-founder David Thompson said,

“When entering a new market like the USA it’s essential that we find a partner who has the same passion as we do, and who fully understands the value of provenance in the making of Filey Bay Yorkshire Single Malt Whisky. 

The team at ImpEx Beverages are experts at selecting interesting and exciting new whiskies to complement their portfolio. Filey Bay is made from 100% homegrown barley and handcrafted at every stage of production and maturation; ImpEx immediately recognized the value of this unique provenance. 

Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery is excited to work with such a knowledgeable team at ImpEx. With them as our exclusive US Importer, Filey Bay has a fantastic opportunity to become a major Single Malt whisky in the USA. “ 

Sam Filmus, President and Managing Director of ImpEx Beverages, said of the partnership,

“We are extremely excited to launch Filey Bay here in the US.  The people and the story behind Spirit of Yorkshire very much align with the ImpEx Beverages philosophies.  We are confident that consumers will love and appreciate the quality and care that goes into each bottle and will look forward to finding these at specialty retailers across the nation.”

Filey Bay will make its debut in the US with three expressions.  Their Flagship at 46% alc., an STR Finish, aged partly in former Rioja Barriques, which gives it a subtle, delicious red-fruit character botted at 48% alc.; and a US Exclusive Fino Single Cask offering lovely fruit and spice notes which recently won a Gold Medal and Consumers’ Choice Award from Whisky and Barrel Nite (WABCCA) bottled at Cask Strength.

For more information on Filey Bay or where to purchase this amazing Single Malt please email Office@ImpExBev.com.

About Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery

Spirit of Yorkshire distillery was set up in 2016 by Tom Mellor and David Thompson in Hunmanby, North Yorkshire, UK. A sister operation to the Wold Top Brewery, it is located close to the owners’ arable farm, which specializes in growing malting barley, and uses progressive, sustainable farming practices and unique distillation methods in its range of Single Malt whiskies.

The distillery and its operations are underpinned by a long-standing passion for sustainable agriculture and careful environmental stewardship. The co-founders’ background in farming means low-impact techniques are used wherever possible, and issues like soil health and biodiversity are front-of-mind when it comes to the farm’s operations and protecting the soil for the next generation.

About ImpEx Beverages

In 2008, ImpEx Beverages was founded with the vision to import premium and rare Spirits from around the world, with a special emphasis on the best of what Scotland has to offer.

Today, ImpEx boasts an impressive portfolio, including some of the most notable small to medium sized distilleries and independent bottlers; importing Whisky, Gin, Rum, and Mezcal from Scotland, Belgium, Wales, Japan, Israel, Mexico, and England with future anticipated additions from unexpected destinations. ImpEx also features a fine line of Liqueurs and Cordials produced in the US.

#FileyBay #SpiritofYorkshire #Yorkshire #ImpExBev #SingleMalt #FieldtoBottle

LAST CHANCE!

Virtual Whisky Show: Old & Rare 2022 is almost upon us.

With just one week to go until the tasting experience of a lifetime sampling some of the world’s rarest and most-treasured bottles, don’t miss your chance to get your hands on the last of our remaining packs. Dive into the world of timeless whiskies with show co-founders Sukhinder Singh, Angus MacRaild and Jonny McMillan and their expert guests from across the globe with the limited edition tasting packs below.

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