Glen Moray 15 Years Old

The Periodical is a brand of North Star spirits created to use all those casks that yield a small amount of whisky, named from the frequency of the releases.  This particular release was distilled at Glen Moray Distillery, located in the Speyside region of Scotland. It was aged 15 years in an Oloroso hogshead and bottled at 50% ABV without chill-filtration or artificial colouring. Only 300 bottles were produced.

£49.90

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Great Old Grain Whisky

Big vintages. Big age statements. Great value

North British 30 Year Old

A 1991 vintage TWB exclusive bottled by our chums at The Golden Cask.  A single bourbon barrel #CG001 bottled at 49.0%. Packed with flavour and character. Dried sweet fruits, herbs, spices galore.

Buy – North British 30 Year Old 1991- £99 / $103* / €97*

North British Distillery was established on farmland to the west of Edinburgh in 1885 by Andrew Usher, John M. Crabbie and William Sanderson. Since then the city has expanded ever outwards and now the distillery resides in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh. North British opened in 1887 to guarantee supplies of grain whisky for its owner’s cordials and scotch whisky blending businesses. It is equipped with four Coffey stills to produce grain spirit at 94.5% alcohol and multi-million litres of spirit annually. Whilst most of its whisky matures in racked warehouses in the central Lowlands, a small number of casks spend at least eight years at the distillery in dunnage Warehouse No.1. Official releases are very few but excellent independent ones are available from Hart Brothers and Hunter Laing.

An Absolute Rarity in 10-Year Scotch and an Unbeatable Steal
Longmorn 10 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Sherry Butt Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) ($74.99)
“This is nearly the perfect Speysider for me. … There isn’t a better $75 malt on the market today in my humble estimation.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

Our recent haul of exclusive casks from Scotland has delivered us some truly wonderful whiskies, but this thrilling, 10-year-old Speyside unicorn from the beloved Longmorn distillery might just take the cake so far. First, we can’t overstate how difficult it’s been to source this distillery on the independent market, so even at a “mere” 10-year age statement, we’re dealing with true rarity. Moving to the actual quality of the spirit, it’s a jaw-dropping expression in its category that “exemplifies the dichotomy of elegance and complexity that the region’s best malts are known for,” as spirits buyer David Othenin-Girard puts it. The first-fill sherry butt will no doubt thrill fans of the style, as “it’s perfectly matched to the medium body of Longmorn’s profile,” according to David’s colleague Andrew Whiteley. Finally, factor in the unbelievable price, and we have a legitimate contender for whisky buy of the year. As part of the Chivas stable, Longmorn plays a critical role in the blended whiskies of that giant brand, but any serious aficionado knows that when the chance comes along to experience this malt in its pure, singular form, it’s not to be missed.

Longmorn 10 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Sherry Butt Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) ($74.99)

K&L Notes: Even at this young age, a cask of Longmorn is a real rarity. Arguably the crown jewel of the Chivas portfolio, this wonderful distillery was once rather plentiful on the independent bottlers market. Gordon & MacPhail has been the most prolific bottler of this special distillery, likely owing to the fact that they still own the original trademark for the label, but in the last 10 years we’ve seen very little. Located outside the city of Elgin and a stone’s throw from their rival BenRiach, we only see the occasional distillery release stateside. The distillery was built in 1894 and just barely survived the subsequent crash in the whisky market. It likely owed its survival to immediate interest in the quality from blenders. It has four pairs of onion-shaped stills that produce a pure and complex spirit with great texture. Add an excellent sherry butt and you’ve got one of the deals of the year here. One of the most approachable and overtly enjoyable whiskies in the store at any price or age. This whisky was bottled without coloring or chill-filtration at an ABV of 56%.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: June 02, 2022

I love Longmorn, and I’m always surprised how difficult it is to get. I guess Chivas is aware of how dang good this stuff is, and you just can’t make that much blended scotch without the stuffing from these gems. So anyway, we jumped on the chance to own a cask of Longmorn, and we’re all the more excited to see it was aged in sherry cask. Now this sherry cask isn’t very dark, but my god it has a ton of character—indeed, color and character are not always correlated. The color is pale gold. This one pops immediately with a huge apple orchard fruit character. It’s so pungent it can’t only be the fruit of the malt at this age, but rather that gorgeous, high-quality sherry coming through. After that we get a big vanilla bean, wild honey, candied citrus peel, honeydew, and a bit of candle wax. On the palate, it’s very rich and oily. More apricot and honey, but also now some earthy malt and hints of fragrant heather. With water the nose becomes darker and maltier, which is very unusual and welcome. A bit more sherry funk comes out as well, losing its absolutely pristine nose in favor of even more intensity. The palate is downright thick now, a strange trick of water and whisky, where by the perceived density increases despite the obvious physical fact that you’ve diluted the product. Absolutely unparalleled vibrancy adds to the picture with countless fruit and botanical aromas flowing freely now. This is nearly the perfect Speysider for me. It exemplifies the dichotomy of elegance and complexity that the region’s best malts exhibit. There isn’t a better $75 malt on the market today in my humble estimation. For those who want elegance and depth over power and punch, this is the real deal.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: June 02, 2022

We rarely get to bottle Longmorn these days. While the world loves to talk about single malt, the fact is blends are still king, and Longmorn has been prized for over 100 years as a top-notch ingredient to add the stuffing to famous blends, from VAT 69 to Dewar’s and Chivas. In fact, due to its quality, Longmorn was one of the distilleries Nikka’s Masataka Taketsuru did a stint at in his legendary visit to Scotland. For years, you could find Longmorn without looking too hard at the independent bottling market, but it seems less and less is available today, certainly at reasonable prices. Official bottlings are hardly to be found, although they do exist. Fortunately for us, the Hart Brothers were able to come up with a first-filled sherry butt of 10-year-old Longmorn that checked all of our boxes. Bottled just shy of 11 years and with a beautiful golden amber hue, this famous malt offers a bushel of stone fruits and a full peck of apples, both fresh and baked. The slightest rancio notes sit behind all that fruit provided from a quality sherry butt. While not a bomb or wildly dark, it is listed as a first-fill butt, and frankly, it’s perfectly matched to the medium body of Longmorn’s profile. A warm and soft waxy character runs throughout, giving this a lovely texture and confirming the distillery’s critical role in the blending world. At 56% ABV it’s no slouch. With a little water, it almost louches so much oil comes out. The palate gets sweeter, and the texture is elegant and silky. The finish shows a dry tannin like the best red wines yet doesn’t lose that beautiful fruit from the first nosing. It’s a splendid cask and a screaming deal in the burning hot whisky market.

Hinch Blended Whiskey, 43%

https://youtu.be/ojeiaMrlUgc

Hinch are one of the new Irish distillers on the block, looking to make their mark in a vastly and ever expanding industry. A distillery that has a huge range of products, from 5YO and 10YO releases, Pot Still whiskies, sherry maturation, peated expressions, and this, their entry level blended whisky at 43% ABV. A mix of first fill bourbon matured stocks of both malt and grain, presented in a very memorable bottle and label. Does it make a dent in the entry level category of Irish whiskey? We shall see.

JOURNEYMAN DISTILLERY MAKES HISTORY IN GOLIATH BLIND TASTING COMPETITION

THREE OAKS, MI – In a historic, game-changing victory, Journeyman’s Corsets, Whips and Whiskey single-grain, cask-strength wheat whiskey has won three of the highest honors bestowed at the 2022 ASCOT Awards, including Double Platinum, Best Wheat Whiskey, and Best in Class: Whiskey of the Year. Additionally, Journeyman’s Silver Cross Four Grain Whiskey earned a Gold Medal in this year’s awards.

Journeyman Distillery’s victory is a landmark in more ways than one. Besides this whiskey outshining more than 800 submissions for Best in Show—including spirits from some of the most acclaimed distilleries in the world—wheat whiskeys are often overlooked. To be honored with this accolade having been tasted alongside bourbon, scotch, and Irish and Tennessee whiskeys emphasizes the colossal achievement. In laymen’s terms:

“This is like a minor-league team beating the Yankees at the World Series…this is Rich Strike winning the Kentucky Derby,” says Fred Minnick, founder of the ASCOT Awards. “For the first time in any major spirits competition, a wheat whiskey was judged to be best.” 

Corsets, Whips and Whiskey showcases the quality and terroir of the organic Michigan wheat used to produce it, offering a soft, sweet smoothness brought to you by the golden hour sunsets overlooking the wheat farm directly behind the distillery and aquifer flowing just beneath the Featherbone Factory. The distillery’s fervent commitment to hand-made quality is precisely what made this victory possible. As one of the few certified organic distilleries in the nation, Journeyman works hard to ensure every one of their grain-to-bottle spirits reaches full potential.

“Journeyman started in 2010 and was built on the core principle of ‘Always a Journeyman.’ A mindset of never a Master but always in pursuit of distilling excellence,” says Bill Welter, founder of Journeyman Distillery. “It’s amazing to have competed with some of the true Masters of the trade and to have fared so well!” – Bill Welter, Founder of Journeyman Distillery.

To commemorate the accolades, the Corsets, Whips and Whiskey Summer Celebration will take place at the Distillery in Three Oaks, Michigan from June 23-26 including a multi-course dinner hosted by founder Bill Welter, backyard BBQs with live music as well as special distillery tours and features at Staymaker, the distillery’s on-site family-friendly restaurant. The distillery will also be releasing a limited Corsets, Whips and Whiskey bottle that was finished in Schramm’s Mead barrels at the celebration.

Screenshot from Fred Minnick’s Instagram

The competition created by famed spirits personality Fred Minnick, the ASCOT Awards highlight spirits from across the globe. Submissions underwent a blind taste test by a panel of industry-leading experts, who then determined winners for both individual categories and the Best in Show. See all category winners here.

Judges include Minnick; author, bar owner, and educator Martin Cate; the world’s first female Master Bourbon Taster and founder of the nationwide organization Bourbon Women Peggy Noe Stevens; educator, influencer, and highly sought-after special events bartender Tiffanie Barriere; world-renowned mixologist and spirits industry educator Francesco Lafranconi; craft cocktail entrepreneur Denaya Jones; and author and bourbon columnist Susan Reigler.

World Whisky Forum Sets Sights on Sustainability

The fourth World Whisky Forum, taking place from 21^st to 23^rd June at Stauning Whisky Distillery in Denmark, will turn its attention to the importance of sustainability in the whisky industry.

The Forum, which brings together distilleries and stakeholders from around the world, is dedicated to building bridges in the whisky community, sharing open-minded thinking, insights and innovations.

The programme will focus on sustainability and its impact on the whisky industry; from how sustainability can impact production, distribution and consumption, to the sustainability of cereal crops and supply of wood, to the design of next-generation whisky distilleries and the future of packaging.

Following an opening day of introductions, scene setting and a keynote speech from Tommy Rahbek Nielsen of sustainable energy provider Vestas Wind Systems, day two will feature two special study sessions exploring the future of sustainability within global whisky.

‘The Use of Finite Resources’ will feature Whyte & Mackay Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass, Magali Picard from Demptos Cooperage Research and James Brosnan from the Scotch Whisky Research Institute.

Gregg Glass comments: “The World Whisky Forum offers an exciting opportunity to meet with likeminded individuals across our industry from around the globe.

“It’s an honour to have been invited to discuss the use of finite resources. Last year, at Whyte & Mackay we announced our Scottish Oak Programme, through which we’re helping to establish the use of native oak across distilleries in Scotland. It’s an ongoing and rewarding project and I’m proud to be able to share our insights at the World Whisky Forum.

“Dave Broom, one of the co-founders of the World Whisky Forum, has been key within in the industry in supporting my journey as a whisky maker, as well as our Scottish Oak programme in particular. His perspective is truly unique in our industry.”

The second session, ‘Building Sustainable Distilleries and the Financial Upside of Sustainable Production’ will involve Annabel Thomas from Nc´nean Distillery, Alex Bruce from Adelphi Distillery, Todd Leopold from Leopold Bros., Oskar Bruno from Agitator and Bastian Heuser from Stork Club Whiskey / Spreewood Distillers.

The final panel sessions on the third and final day of this year’s Forum will include Joanna Watchman from Content Coms, Ryan Chetiyawardana from Mr Lyan and Peter Kreiner from Noma, who will discuss the challenges and opportunities surrounding ‘Communicating with the Consumer’.

The World Whisky Forum was co-founded by Jan Groth, Ingvar Ronde and Dave Broom, the latter of which will moderate all panel discussions.

Dave Broom comments: “The role of the World Whisky Forum is to be a place where anyone working within the category can come, listen, debate, learn, and share. It is an example of the industry at its best, a collegiate space where everyone’s opinion is valid, no matter how big or small your operation may be.

“No topic is more important than sustainability and navigating this complex area successfully will only be achieved by collective action and debate. I am looking forward eagerly to see what emerges at Stauning and encourage anyone interested to either attend in person – or virtually.”

The three previous World of Whisky Forums have taken place at High Coast Distillery in Sweden, Cotswolds Distillery in the UK and Westland Distillery in the USA. The fourth meeting will be held on the beautiful west coast of Denmark at Stauning Whisky Distillery, a pioneer in the New Nordic whisky movement.

For the first time, attendees can also participate virtually, to watch panel discussions and even tour the distillery. Tickets can be purchased via the World Whisky Forum website – https://worldwhiskyforum.org/tickets/

Aberdeen Whisky Shop
Price
£30.00

Join our virtual mystery dram tasting on Friday the 24th of June at 7 pm. A fun and informative evening showcasing some more unusual and overlooked drams. A great way to discover new flavours and find a new favourite.

Your tasting set will include 6 x 20ml drams and will be hosted by Bryan Roberston of Aberdeen Whisky Shop. Please note to join the tasting you will need a device with access to zoom.

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SUPERHERO WHISKIES

Whether it’s for sharing, gifting or raising a glass, don’t forget Father’s Day NEXT Sunday (19 June). We’ve hand picked a special selection of 12 whiskies to celebrate our heroes on the day. Fly on over to our website now to view the selection OR keep on scrolling for some superhero highlights.

DAD DAY DRAMS

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

Stunning Quality and Value from a K&L Speyside Favorite
2006 Craigellachie 15 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Sherry Butt Speyside
Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($99.99)
“These sherried Craigellachies are an absolute delight … when they keep dropping these on us and the price goes DOWN, we just can’t say no.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

The bounty of new K&L Exclusive casks coming through our doors is seemingly without end. The latest edition is from Craigellachie, a K&L-favorite Speyside distillery that has provided us with some of our most popular single casks over the years. This time they’ve not only brought their signature style in spades, but they’ve also trimmed the price to make this a surefire contender for the single malt deal of the year. Bottled at cask strength from a first-fill sherry butt, this is a spectacular expression of the style, as the distillery’s singular profile is a perfect match for the barrel’s influence. As spirits buyer David Othenin-Girard notes, “This is an absolutely wild whisky and definitely one for the lovers of a bit of funk.” It’s also one for lovers of unbeatable quality for price. Last year’s 16-year-old cask wowed our sherried Scotch fanatics, and this year’s 15-year-old iteration offers arguably higher quality and an absolutely more distinctive profile for a significant discount. Whether you’re a fan of Craigellachie, Speyside, or sherried single malts in general, this gem is an unequivocal must-have in any well-curated collection.

2006 Craigellachie 15 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Sherry Butt Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($99.99)

K&L Notes: Another stupendous sherried Craigellachie from Old Particular. Like last year’s 16 Year Old, this butt retains significant distillery character while not forgetting that it aged in a sherry butt for a decade and a half. The fabulous distillery just across the river from the famous Macallan distillery was once one of Speyside’s most undervalued. Now, due to repositioning and tariffs, even the entry-level distillery offerings seem out of reach in value terms, let alone their extremely well regarded “Exceptional Cask” bottlings, which have gone up in price 30-40% over the last year. We’ve managed, on the other hand, to lower the price of this exceptional malt by over $20 for something of equal or greater quality and just one year younger than the former offering. The bold, sometimes funky malt character of Craighellachie does wonders when married with sherry, and the resulting malt won’t disappoint sherry lovers, although it’s not the sweet, raisiny style some drinkers have come to associate with modern, sherry-matured single malts. Instead, it’s a deeply complex and slightly esoteric style that will appeal to drinkers looking for something more classical and contemplative.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: June 08, 2022

These sherried Craigellachies are an absolute delight. We don’t like to do the same thing year in and year out, but when they keep dropping these on us and the price goes down, we just can’t say no. This new one is a classic funky Craigie, which reminds us that this is one of Speyside’s most flavorful malts and loves to play against a great sherry butt. The color is deep gold. The nose offers that great Craigellachie funk, industrial and old school, which few modern malts offer. The sherry is there, but it doesn’t feel artificially vinous like some modern bottlings can. We get almond butter, roast pecans, bright red fruit, slight camphor smoke, wisps of engine oil, black olive, kirsch, and golden raisins. On the palate, it’s sweeter than expected, now offering some gorgeous dark chocolate, Figgie pudding, sweet candied plums, and a slight minty note on the finish. With water we add some nutty notes on the nose, but it stays pretty much in line. On the palate, there’s now a wonderfully rich, velvety texture and more tropical fruit. This is an absolutely wild whisky and definitely one for the lovers of a bit of funk, although I waffle on whether to add water or not. It’s not sulphuous though, so if you’re sensitive to that, I don’t think it will be a problem. I feel like this is a very underrepresented style that I wish we saw more of—even last year’s excellent 16-year was much more straightforward, and this one offers much more nuance.

JOHNNIE WALKER

BLUE LABEL
GLASS SET

70CL | 40%

£155

WAS £180

SAVE £25

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An impressive gift pack of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, joined by two elegant tumblers. Johnnie Walker’s signature dry smokiness reveals itself on the nose, followed by a velvety mouthfeel and an explosion of hazelnuts, honey, dark chocolate and spices on the palate.