Balblair Golden Dram closes this Sunday!

This Golden Dram is a 2005 vintage from Balblair showcasing notes of chocolate, maple syrup, candied lemon peel, and orange blossom before floral spice. That sounds delightful, right? We will choose one lucky winner from any order of the four selected Balblair core expressions below up until Sunday 17th July and send them the prize bottle!

Read our Balblair blog →

Purchase any of these bottles before Sunday 17th July

Balblair 12 Year Old

Balblair 15 Year Old

Balblair 18 Year Old

Balblair 25 Year Old

Our July Auction ENDS SOON, follow the link below to browse and bid!! 

Only 8.5% buyer’s commission! 

Auction ends Friday 15^th July. 

www.highlandwhiskyauctions.com

A fine example of just some Springbank bottlings this month.  

Click here to register as a user.  

Looking to sell in our next auction?

0% Sellers commission.

We offer FREE valuations to give you an idea of what your whisky may sell for at auction.

We also offer FREE* bottle collections across the UK.

Contact us to arrange a valuation or collection. 

www.highlandwhiskyauctions.com

Loch Lomond | The Open

Celebrating the 150th Open Golf Championship at the
Old Course, St. Andrews

Loch Lomond Single Malt 150th Open Gift Pack

As The Open Championship tees off this week, just along the road from TWB at the Home of Golf in St. Andrews, there is no better time to add a Special Edition Loch Lomond single malt to you collection and to enjoy while watching the competition.

Matured in American oak cask before double maturation in Claret Red wine casks presented in a gift pack featuring The Open branded whisky tumblers.

Buy – Loch Lomond 12yo | Oosthuizen- £44.80 / $44* / €44*

Loch Lomond 12yo Louis Oosthuizen 

Celebrating both the 150th Open Championship and Louis Oosthuizen’s victory in 2010. Distilled in 2010 and matured in three types of American oak casks. Limited edition release.

Buy – Loch Lomond | The Open- £46.84 / $45* / €47*

Loch Lomond Single Malt 150th Open Edition

Raise a glass to celebrate the Open Championship at St. Andrews commemorating 150 years.

Buy – Loch Lomond | The Open – £47.59 / $44* / €43*

1995 Cragganmore 26 Year Old “Hunter Laing Old & Rare” First Fill Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) $250.00 View

This stupendously rare and delicious cask from one of Diageo’s most prized distilleries is a true diamond in the rough. The last time the owners of this special distillery released a malt of equivalent age, they asked over $500. Now we’re offering single first fill sherry butt from this famed, yet under valued distillery for just nearly half that price. This special pre-arrival price will not remain in place on arrival and we expect the price on the shelf to be easily $50+ and still well worth the price of entry. A similar sister cask was on sale, now seemingly sold out, in the UK last year for nearly $400 and that sold out very quickly from the top retailers. We’re extremely lucky to have access to this incredible sherry butt from this exceedingly rare and undervalued distillery thanks to our good friends at Hunter Laing. This well matured malt offers all the classic sherry bomb flavors – spiced plums, antique oak, raisins, wild honey and more. We very rarely come across barrels like this and have never ever been offered Cragganmore of this quality and character. All who appreciate the majestic quality that the highest quality sherried malts can offer must consider this outstanding deal before any other.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 451: Westward Belgian Ardennes Trappist Ale vs The Belgium Edition 2021

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, puts two US single malts head-to-head. From the first time Mark tasted a Westward bottling, he was a fan. When they then release a club bottling called Belgian Ardennes Trappist Ale – after the Ardennes  farmhouse yeast used by Culmination Brewing from Portland – he couldn’t help but beg Cinoco, the Belgian importer, to bring it to Belgium. And so it happened. At the same time as the Belgian Trappist Ale edition, a veritable Belgium Edition was also released, so Mark most certainly could not allow this to pass him by either. It is a single barrel that was cut to 50%. The barrel – barrel #780 – was specially selected by Stephan De Bolle and his Cinoco team.

https://youtu.be/EPsWzrON09A

Talnua Distillery Releases First-ever Bottled-in-Bond American Single Pot Still Whiskey

Arvada, Colorado, July 7, 2022 – Talnua Distillery released the world’s first Bottled-in-Bond American Single Pot Still Whiskey on Independence Day weekend, 2022. The release was a single barrel presented exclusively at the Irish Whiskey Fans of America meetup which was hosted at the distillery.

The release marks a hallmark moment in the revival of Single Pot Still Whiskey. The important bond between Ireland and America that has lasted for centuries inspired this release and the collaboration with Barry Chandler who is the creator of Irish Whiskey Fans of America and the Stories and Sips whiskey club.

As a friend of Talnua, Barry was asked to help select the Single Barrel that would be the first representation of Bottled-in-Bond Single Pot Still Whiskey in America.

The whiskey from a select few casks crossed the Atlantic to the ancestral home of Single Pot Still Whiskey where one was hand picked for its unique qualities.

This release is a milestone in American whiskey and was immortalized on the weekend of our nation’s Independence Day in accordance with the Federal Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897.

The whiskey features a mashbill of un-malted and malted barley, which was triple distilled following old world customs, and aged 4 years in charred virgin American white oak casks. The release was bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV) in sophisticated gold foil labels, paired with certificates of authentication, and enclosed in attractive birch tubes secured with red ribbon.

Supply of the single barrel was limited to less than 250 bottles, a handful of bottles remain at the distillery post-event and are available for pickup only at the distillery. No online sales or shipping available.

About Talnua Distillery

Talnua Distillery is an artisan small batch distillery that proudly hand crafts each of our spirits. Established in 2017, we embarked on a mission to define a new chapter of whiskey history with the introduction of our American Single Pot Still Whiskey.

True to gaelic-style distilling practices, and unique to the new world, our spirits are produced using a mashbill of un-malted and malted barley and triple distilled in copper pot stills. Located on the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, the altitude, changing seasons, crystal clear mountain spring water, and local barley all lend a uniquely American terroir to our products.

We are honored to carry on the traditions of our Irish ancestry and are proud to be leading the way as America’s First Single Pot Still Distillery.

It all began with husband and wife team Patrick and Meagan Miller. In a Galway pub on their honeymoon, they sat watching the 2011 Ireland vs. USA Rugby World Cup Match. An eager bartender was thrilled to share with them the first single pot still whiskey to be released in decades. He regaled them with the history of this nearly extinct style of whiskey and with the passion that one day, single pot still would regain its rightful place on the world stage. The love affair was instant, and the couples’ passion was forever ingrained in the story of single pot still whiskey.

With family history rooted in Irish ancestry, the couple returned to Ireland every year and knew that single pot still whiskey would forever be a part of their story.  Knowing that single pot still whiskey was not yet available in the US they set out to create the first Single Pot Still distillery outside of Ireland. They wanted to bring this style of whiskey to America and imbue it with the nation’s terroir while honoring Gaelic distilling traditions, the immigrant soul, and the pioneering spirit of the American people.

Our whiskeys and gins are produced using Single Pot Still distillation methods with a mashbill of 50% un-malted / 50% malted barley and triple distilled in copper pot stills. We age in the finest oak casks to mature every drop.  For more information on Talnua Distillery, please visit www.talnua.com, www.facebook.com/TalnuaDistillery, or www.instagram.com/talnuadistillery

Dive straight in, enjoy the whisky swirl and summer feel-good flavours!

GOLDEN SUMMER PEACH GAZPACHO

LIMIT ONE BOTTLE PER MEMBER

FIRST RELEASE FROM DISTILLERY 19 FOR SMWS CANADA

CASK NO. 19.66

CASK TYPE:  1st fill ex-bourbon barrel

AGE:  18 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Sweet, fruity & mellow

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Empire biscuits and glaze cherries next to a caprese salad while on the palate a golden summer peach gazpacho and chocolate cinnamon tuile.”

SLAP ON SUNSCREEN AND SLOW DOWN*

CASK NO. 28.64

CASK TYPE:  1st fill ex-bourbon barrel

AGE:  7 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Sweet, fruity & mellow

BOTTLE NOTE:  “This evokes summertime relaxation – bright, exotic fruits and citric zest, boiled sweets and sunscreen; leather, walnuts and oak to finish.”

*GIVING SPIRIT BOTTLE – 100% of SMWS Canada’s profits from the sale of this bottle will go to Food Banks Canada

 AY, CARAMBA CARAMBOLA

CASK NO. 113.58

CASK TYPE:  1st fill ex-bourbon barrel

AGE:  11 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Spicy & sweet

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Vanilla ice cream with mango slices and star fruit, then caramelized carambola with green Sichuan pepper ice cream was added – ay, caramba!”

INSUPERABLE ENJOYMENT

CASK NO. 80.31

INITIAL CASK:  Ex-bourbon hogshead

FINAL CASK:  1st fill Oloroso hogshead

AGE:  11 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Juicy, oak & vanilla

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Sweet, fruity, sun-soaked raisins and candied roasted nuts, while to taste a Jamun Cooler. After reduction, strawberry tarts and custard slices.”

APPEALINGLY CRISPY AND CRUNCHY

CASK NO. 44.146

INITIAL CASK:  Ex-bourbon hogshead

FINAL CASK:  2nd fill Oloroso hogshead

AGE:  14 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Deep, rich & dried fruits

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Beef tenderloin in a chili chocolate sauce accompanied by dark sweet cherries. After reduction, the crispy crackling skin of a duck l’orange.”

SOOTY MERINGUE

LIMIT ONE BOTTLE PER MEMBER

CASK NO. 4.301

INITIAL CASKS:  Ex-bourbon hogsheads

FINAL CASK:  1st fill ex-bourbon barrel

AGE:  13 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Peated

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Floral aromas wafted over dried herbs, liquorice and chimney soot. Single malt originally from an ex-bourbon hogshead, married in this cask.”

An Astounding Exclusive Cask from an American Visionary
Virginia Distilling Co. Courage & Conviction “Cuvée Cask #1275” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength American Single Malt Whiskey (750ml) ($99.99)
“… it’s difficult to express how special this barrel is. The closest comparisons are the truly wonderful malts from Kavalan.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

Virginia Distilling Company is perhaps the most important name in domestic whiskey that you’ve never heard of. Founded by the late Dr. George Moore, this uncompromising distiller is “rightfully among the pantheon of great American single malt producers,” as our own David Othenin-Girard puts it. A leading light in establishing the standards by which this burgeoning category will be defined in the years to come, VDC has nonetheless flown under the radar of most American whiskey aficionados—until now. By utilizing a premium STR cask (shaved, toasted, and re-charred), they have crafted a profile that can most accurately be compared to the iconic Taiwanese spirits of the coveted Kavalan brand. The highly active cask results in a level of complexity virtually unheard-of in American whiskey, especially after a few drops of water. As David exclaims, “this thing is an absolute dream. Few craft (or industrial) distillers can match the quality and complexity that this special cask offers.” For collectors and connoisseurs who thought they’d seen the pinnacle of American whiskey, Virginia Distilling and the Cuvée Cask #1275 are ready to open a whole new paradigm. With extremely limited quantities available, swift action is highly recommended, as we don’t expect to see these casks again any time soon.

Virginia Distilling Co. Courage & Conviction “Cuvée Cask #1275” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength American Single Malt Whiskey (750ml) ($99.99)

K&L Notes: The Virginia Distilling Co. is one of the country’s most exciting whiskey producers. Founded by the late Dr. George G. Moore in 2011, the Virginia Distilling Co. has worked within the burgeoning American Single Malt category and its best producers in the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission to define the category and create standards which will help future producers navigate the complexities of American whiskey laws. In addition to helping define the category, VDC is committed to producing exceptional single malts using the highest-quality ingredients that reflect the place in which they were distilled. Dr. George Moore liked to say, “Have the courage of your convictions.” But nothing about the malts he made lead us to believe that he was on the wrong track. Distilled on Scottish-built pots and aged in the highest quality barrels, this exceptional single cask was filled on April 30th, 2017 and dumped in July of 2021. The barrel type in question, their Cuvée Cask, is the same developed by Jim Swan for Kavalan in Taiwan, known as the STR—shave, toast, rechar. The resulting malt shows surprising depth at its age due to the excellent cask, spirit, and strong temperature fluctuations at the distillery. Robust and flavorful, few craft distillers are putting out more complex and complete products than Virginia Distilling Co.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: June 30, 2022

The Virginia Distilling Company sits rightfully among the pantheon of great American single malt producers, and it’s difficult to express how special this barrel is. The closest comparison is truly the wonde​rful malts from Kavalan, and indeed the barrel in question is the same style used at the famous Taiwanese distillery. There it is known as “Vinho Barrique,” but in Virginia they call it the Cuvée Cask. The two distilleries have very different climates—although both see extreme heat, Virginia has significantly more diurnal fluctuation as compared to the almost always humid and hot tropical warehouses in Taiwan. Nonetheless, a huge amount of extraction is achieved, and with the highest-quality malt and exceptional water, this whisky is sure to be considered world-class in no time. The color is auburn with flecks of polished mahogany. The nose has a purity rarely seen in American single malts or even in Scotland, with delineated apple and pear framed by sweet spices and dark cocoa. The toasted vanilla is evident as well, alongside some seriously appealing, earthy malt. On the palate, baked apple and cinnamon spice are paired with a rich, malty note that somehow powers through the dense, woodsy character created by the highly active STR cask. With a splash of water, this malt really starts to shine! Extremely pungent, dark plummy fruit now explodes from the glass. Sweet and savory espresso roast coupled with cherry compote ​emerges after the dark fruit subsides. On the palate, it’s dark chocolate and plums all day with a gorgeous baking spice that runs throughout. With a bit of water this thing is an absolute dream. Few craft (or industrial) distillers can match the quality and complexity that this special cask offers.

https://youtu.be/X_Muom77vB0

Matured for nearly a quarter of a century in ex-bourbon, then transferred into indulgent sauternes wine casks, Fettercairn’s light and mailable spirit has been growing on my radar since their first warehouse release.

Bottled as part of the Loch Fyne Fynest Series, these new, chunky single barrel bottles have already had some wonderful releases including Bunnahabhain, Glengoyne and now Fettercairn!

Cask strength, natural colour, non-chill filtered and showcasing a whisky that is growing in appreciation, this bottle has really struck me in ways that I didn’t think it would. Sauternes is a cask type that I’ve never loved, always found it a little flat and just generally sweet. This, however, is just a wealth of chocolate, roasted coffee and big tropical fruits (classic Fettercairn).

I’ve got this bottle open in The Whisky Shop Manchester, so if you want to try something different and fancy branching out, then why not try this?