Prestige Whisky Auction is a family business set up and owned by Andrew and Nicola Loan. Founded on their expertise gained as successful investors in the ever-popular Scotch Whisky market, Prestige Whisky Auction benefits from their extensive industry knowledge and contacts gained from trading prestigious whiskies from all over the world.

Prestigewhiskyauction.com was a custom-built website which was meticulously designed by the couple to ensure it lived up to its prestigious name.

Each monthly auction, held online and lasting for around seven days, brings a large variety of rare and exclusive whiskies to their global customer base.

Andrew and Nicola have bought whisky from many outlets and felt that they could bring the personal service, transparent pricing and selection that the market demands.

Prestige Whisky Auction are very particular about the service they provide, believing that offering a personal service at an outstanding level is paramount. To accompany this belief, they offer an exclusive personal collection service for bottles which are to be auctioned. Customers can also take advantage of this service and arrange a bespoke white-glove delivery for high value orders.

Each auction includes whiskies from many prestigious distilleries including Macallan, Bowmore, Yamazaki and many more.

If you are thinking of selling your whisky but are unsure what it is worth, Prestige Whisky Auction offer a free no-obligation valuation service regardless of whether you have one bottle, a large collection or even a cask to sell.

Likewise, if you are looking to start a collection or add to an existing investment portfolio, whether you prefer Islay or Speyside whiskies, there is something for all whisky lovers.

Registering to become a member is quick and simple with a one-off lifetime membership costing only £6.

Their upcoming auction begins at 8pm on Friday 29^th April 2022. If you would like to enter any bottles into this auction then why not take advantage of their free UK collection service, and zero sellers’ commission. Listing fees are just £3 + VAT with optional reserve fee of £4 + VAT.

The whisky industry is a small yet amazingly interesting world and the possibilities are endless, let Prestige Whisky Auction be part of your whisky journey.

Find out more at Prestigewhiskyauction.com

Follow your nose towards a flavour-fuelled Easter adventure; we’re entertaining the senses with this captivating new collection of rare cask whiskies.

WHEN FRUIT AND CREAM COLLIDE

CASK NO. 88.24

CASK TYPE:  Refill ex-bourbon hogshead

AGE:  12 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Sweet, fruity & mellow

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Tangerines, cherries and mango fused with buttery croissants and banana bread while thick cream drizzled over rhubarb and apple crumble.”

LIGHT-HEARTED MEMORIES

CASK NO. 135.33

CASK TYPE:  1st fill ex-bourbon barrel

AGE:  9 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Juicy, oak & vanilla

BOTTLE NOTE:  “What a frightfully spiffing idea – we have tea on the lawn and play a game of croquet, ideally with Pimm’s in one hand and mallet in the other.”

PARIS IN THE SPRING

CASK NO. 5.79

CASK TYPE:  1st fill ex-bourbon barrel

AGE:  18 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Juicy, oak & vanilla

BOTTLE NOTE:  “We were transported to Montmartre in springtime. We sat outside a café with peppermint tea and a Biedermeier Torte as we watched the world go by.”

TABANCO TIME

CASK NO. N/A

CASK TYPES:  Oloroso & PX butts & hogsheads

AGE:  11 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Deep, rich & dried fruits

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Blended malt scotch whisky from PX and Oloroso sherry quarter casks, hogsheads and butts in Spanish & American oak.”

PUMPKIN RED APPLE SAUCE*

CASK NO. B6.2

CASK TYPE:  New oak barrel

AGE:  4 years

BOTTLE NOTE:  “A spicy pumpkin apple sauce with Red Delicious apples turned with water into cinnamon swirls and sweet dried apricots and papayas.”

*This is the Giving Spirit bottle for April; SMWS Canada will donate 100% of profits from sales to The Canadian-Ukraine Foundation.

AN ENGINE STARTER FOR COLD MORNINGS

CASK NO. 66.193

CASK TYPE:  1st fill ex-bourbon barrel

AGE:  7 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Lightly peated

BOTTLE NOTE:  “The palate starts your engine – pickled ginger, jalapenos, lime and tarry smoke. The nose evokes campfires, crashing waves and the steamie.”

LET US GO DUTCH

CASK NO. 29.284

CASK TYPE:  2nd fill ex-bourbon barrel

AGE:  10 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Heavily peated

BOTTLE NOTE:  “A heavily smoked Dutch spirit called Kummel as we needed ‘Dutch courage’ to take a sip but realized that this will not need a ‘Dutch auction!'”

CONTEST TIME!

Here’s your chance to win an SMWS hip flask (valued at $65CAD)! 

SMWS UK is working on a flask-related feature for an upcoming issue of Unfiltered magazine, and if you own a flask then they want to hear from you on the UK social media channels! 

Here’s how to enter:

1) Post a photo of yourself and your flask on Twitter, Instagram and/or Facebook tagging in the UK accounts (@SMWSUK on Twitter; @smws_uk on Instagram; and @thesmwsuk on Facebook); you can also use the hashtag #smwshipflask

2) In your caption tell us:

-your favourite drams and flavour profiles for hip flasks and why

-tell us about your favourite style of hip flask

That’s it! Contest closes on Friday, April 29th and membership must be in good standing to win. Full Terms and Conditions here.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada
Suite 160
104 – 1240 Kensington Road NW
Calgary, AB  T2N 3P7
403-969-8225
curious@smws.ca
www.smws.ca

GlenAllachie
8 Year Old (2022)

New for 2022. Winning 92-points at the International Wine & Spirits Competition.

Matured in sherry and wine casks under the guidance of Master Blender Billy Walker, this first bottling delivers honey, butterscotch, almonds and a hint of peppermint. Glenallachie 8 Year Old Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Matured in pedro ximenez and oloroso sherry Puncheons, virgin oak casks and red wine barriques selected by Master Blender Billy Walker. Silver Medal from the IWSC 2022 (International Wine & Spirits Competition).

NOSE: Heather honey, butterscotch and cinnamon, followed by waves of ginger, toasted almonds and mocha.

TASTE: Lashings of treacle, dried sultanas and butterscotch, with cinnamon, peppermint and honeycomb.

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.

Buy – GlenAllachie 8 Year Old (2022) >>

K&L Exclusive Stunner: Age-Stated, Single-Cask Islay
2006 Bunnahabhain 15 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Bourbon Barrel Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) ($109.99)
“… it truly delivers a unique and delicious experience you’re not getting anywhere else for this price.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

Right up there with Hart Brothers and Sovereign, Old Particular is one of our all-time favorite independent bottlers, and we’ve just secured another spectacular exclusive cask of Bunnahabhain from their cherished stocks. Some of our greatest bang-for-the-buck single barrels in recent years have come to us through this top-tier Islay distillery, and this 15 Year Old Ex-Bourbon Barrel is no exception. While many other Islay malts of a similar age are going for well north of $200 (or more), this unbeatable specimen is available for just over the century mark. Spirits buyer David Othenin-Girard notes, “I just love how something so elegant and subtle on the nose can translate to something so racy and bold on the palate … you’ll find this mysterious little Islay is hiding some serious chops behind that proof.” Bottled at cask strength, it’s tailor-made for a dash of water to release its panoply of flavor complexities, with an especially salty component that Islay fanatics are going to absolutely love. Once again, this cask yielded a miniscule quantity of bottles, so Bunnah fans should act quickly and lock in their supply before it disappears.

2006 Bunnahabhain 15 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Bourbon Barrel Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) ($109.99)

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: September 10, 2021

We had one of these 2006s about five years ago from Old Particular. At 10 years old for $60, it was a pretty screaming deal. Now, Islay—even this unpeated one—is simply on fire, so we’re very careful to make sure what we’re putting out are extremely good values. While I wish we could still sell this for $80 like we did the 12 Year a couple of years ago, the reality is that those were very undervalued, and while we sold 15- & 18-Year Bowmore a couple of years ago for $150, it’s now worth $500 a bottle two years later. This relatively modest increase doesn’t keep this Bunnah out of our range, as it truly delivers a unique and delicious experience you’re not getting anywhere else for this price. The color is pale straw. The nose is relatively restrained at first, and it definitely needs some air and water to open. Once you’ve let it breathe, expect a fabulous mélange of salted butter, crystal malt, pithy citrus peel, and sweet tarts. It’s not the most powerful nose, but it’s elegant and linear and very inviting (after water, of course). But wait for the palate on this one. Here it’s really starting to turn up—rich salted fudge, yellow pluots, bright lemon peel, and a vibrant minerality. I just love how something so elegant and subtle on the nose can translate to something so racy and bold on the palate. Of course, the salty side is a favorite of mine as well. This will be a bit of a sleeper and might not be the best choice for those looking for big bold flavors, but if you’re a slow sipper that loves to take their time and let a whisky unravel, you’ll find this mysterious little Islay is hiding some serious chops behind that proof.

Keen to explore the powerful, smoky style of peated whisky but not sure where to start? Spring is a great time to start exploring smoke, so we’ve highlighted some lightly peated drams perfect for those new to the world of smoky single malts.

Build up your palate with subtler expressions that show classic peatiness balanced by clean and pure fruity notes. Our top picks include single malt Scotch whiskies from the likes of Bowmore and Balvenie, the richest of Johnnie Walker’s blended whisky roster, an earthy single malt from Seattle’s Westland distillery and a smoky Japanese single malt from Nikka’s Yoichi distillery.

  EXPLORE PEAT AND FRUIT  

https://youtu.be/bvT3ha44nJI

The world of blended malts is becoming bigger and more relevant to all kinds of whisky drinkers, and the key market leader of this style, in the UK anyway, is Monkey Shoulder. A combination of Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininvie single malts, all produced by The William Grants family on their sprawling spot in Speyside.

I’m asked about this whisky weekly, I see it posted everywhere on whisky social media groups, and it is on most bar menus as a neat serve or a good cocktail. However, after having tried it and assessed it…I don’t really get it.

The smell is pure Speyside, it’s toffee, lemon, apple and clean greenery. The finish has a nice malty creaminess with a slow build of spice. But the palate is pretty dissapointing. However, this bottle is less than £30, sometimes less than £25, so to be too harsh on it is beside the point. The key market is is raising is an important one and for that we must thank it.

Lux Row Distillers Announces Arrival of Blood Oath Pact 8 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Latest offering from master distiller John Rempe features bourbon finished in Calvados casks

ST. LOUIS (April 5, 2022) – Lux Row master distiller John Rempe continues his annual pact with bourbon drinkers with the release of Blood Oath Pact 8 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in Calvados casks. A limited supply of 17,000 (3-pack) cases will arrive at retail this April at a suggested price of $119.99 per 750 ml bottle.

Blood Oath Pact 8 features a combination of the finest bourbons Rempe could find, including a 14-year ryed bourbon and an 11-year ryed bourbon, as well as an 8-year ryed bourbon finished in Calvados casks. Calvados is an apple or pear brandy from the Normandy region in northwestern France that is distilled from cider and aged for a minimum of two years in oak casks. These casks impart their unique aroma and flavor to make Blood Oath Pact 8 a one-of-a-kind pour.

Like with previous pacts, Rempe promises to make the best bourbon for the bourbon connoisseur, and as usual, he promises to never disclose the origin of the bourbons used to create Blood Oath Pact 8. 

“I’ve once again sourced three great bourbons for Blood Oath Pact 8, and I’m particularly excited to include a bourbon finished in Calvados casks,” said Rempe. “The Calvados cask will bring additional tasting notes characterized by slight apple on the nose, with hints of vanilla and cinnamon, as well as flavor notes of ripe apples, juicy pears, butterscotch and even subtle hints of chocolate. Blood Oath Pact 8 is a bourbon I’m proud to share with bourbon lovers, but the recipe is a secret I’ll be keeping to myself.”

Blood Oath Pact 8 features a label similar to its series predecessors, but in a rich green hue to signify apples and pears, which are used to make Calvados brandy. The official launch of Blood Oath Pact 8 will include a total allocation of 51,00 bottles, 1,400 of which will be held for a future Trilogy Pack release. The first Trilogy Pack, featuring Pacts 1, 2 and 3, was released in 2018, and the second Trilogy Pack, featuring Pacts 4, 5 and 6, was released last September in conjunction with National Bourbon Heritage Month.

About Luxco

Founded in St. Louis in 1958 by the Lux Family, Luxco is a leading producer, supplier, importer and bottler of beverage alcohol products. Our mission is to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of consumers, associates and business partners. Merged with MGP Ingredients, Inc. in 2021 (Nasdaq: MGPI), Luxco operates as MGP’s Brands Division and manages all MGP/Luxco brands. This extensive and award-winning spirits portfolio includes well-known brands from five distilleries: Bardstown, Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers, home of Ezra Brooks, Rebel, Blood Oath, David Nicholson and Daviess County; Lebanon, Kentucky-based Limestone Branch Distillery, maker of Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey and Bowling & Burch Gin; Jalisco, Mexico-based Destiladora González Lux, producer of 100% agave tequilas, El Mayor, Exotico and Dos Primos; Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where the George Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey are produced; and the Washington, D.C.-based Green Hat Distillery, producer of the Green Hat family of gins. The innovative and high-quality brand portfolio also includes Everclear Grain Alcohol, Pearl Vodka, Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream, The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey and other well-recognized brands. For more information about the company and its brands, visit luxco.com.

Another Towering Exclusive Cask from a Speyside Dynamo
Benriach 12 Year Old “K&L Exclusive” Peated Rye Barrel #13467 Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($119.99)
“This distillery has been absolutely on fire recently thanks to master blender Rachel Barrie and all these awards.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

Today we have part two of our incredible haul from one of the most compelling and in-demand Speyside distilleries in operation today. Our long-time single malt fanatics have caught on to the utterly thrilling whiskies coming out of Benriach, and word of the genius of master blender Rachel Barrie is reaching all corners of the Scotch world. So, imagine our out-and-out joy when we secured three individual 12-year-old casks from this dynamic powerhouse through our connections with the ever-amazing Hart Brothers Finest Collection. This 12-year-old Peated Rye puts a completely unique twist on single-malt Scotch, with the peat process and the rye mashbill combining to create a complex profile that suggests an older whisky than it actually is. Intense rye spices take center stage with tropical fruits playing perfectly at the other end the spectrum, while the peat smoke lends that aged grandeur to the whole picture. Hardcore Scotch fanatics are in for a treat once again with this next stellar offering from the remarkable Benriach.

Benriach 12 Year Old “K&L Exclusive” Peated Rye Barrel #13467 Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($119.99)

K&L Notes: The long and complicated history of Benriach includes an optimistic vision, a long closure, a rebirth, a short closure, and finally, a modern renaissance now in full swing. Built in 1897 by John Duff, Benriach sits nextdoor to Duff’s hugely successful Longmorn distillery. Benriach boasts a huge floor-malting facility and five old-school, stone-walled and earthen-floored dunnage warehouses on site, making it one of the most traditionally styled distilleries in all of Scotland. Sadly, shortly after it was built, the market fell out of Scotch, and it was shuttered for over half a century. When it was reborn in 1965, it was controlled by Seagrams for a time before getting taken over by Pernod Ricard and shuttered again in 2001. Fortunately for whisky fans everywhere, the inimitable Billy Walker purchased the facility in 2003, and with this change in ownership, Benriach’s fortunes began to change. Walker had spent years blending whiskies and knew the magic that lay within Benriach. Over his tenure, the quality of their releases skyrocketed, and the popularity of the distillery soared high enough to grab the attention of Brown Forman, who took over in 2016. It is now under the watchful eye of one of Scotland’s finest master blenders in Rachel Barrie. This special cask spanned both Mr. Walker’s and Ms. Barrie’s tenures. The peated distillate, laid down in 2009, drinks like a supremely old-school Speysider. Tropical fruit and intense spice mingle perfectly with the smoke.

Is it time for your next dram? As well as the best of what Scotland, American and Ireland have to offer, we have plenty of fine drams from across the world that prove whisky is a truly global spirit. To try and tempt you back, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite world whiskies here at The Whisky Exchange.

These include a great expression of rye whisky from Denmark, a popular grain whisky from Japan’s Nikka, a sherry-bomb single malt from Switzerland and a New Zealand single malt made with malted barley smoked with Manuka wood.

If you’d prefer a more experimental whiskey for your next bottle, try a Finnish rye whiskey from The Helsinki Distilling Company, finished in ex-Carribean rum casks, or Version Française’s Eddu buckwheat whisky, which has been matured in an ex-Cognac cask.

EXPLORE WORLD WHISKY