As the summer beckons we are having more and more interesting visitors from all four corners of the world. The visitors book continues to be a register of nations with super positive comments about the wonderful experiences guests have enjoyed.

A highlight of the month was the synchronised helicopter landing by three accomplished pilots, who were bringing an intrepid group of adventurers  here for a Stag do – pretty impressive!

Talking of visitors, how can I not mention Saturday 4th June? 265 French visitors descended upon us to enjoy axe throwing, archery, laser clays and of course private tours and tastings. The visitors munched their way through 450 servings from a variety of food trucks, enjoyed 265 ice creams and drank 530 drams.

Stay safe and stay well, from our corner of Fife.

Slàinte

Drew & Helen McKenzie Smith
Custodians of Lindores Abbey Distillery

DISTILLERY NEWS

It’s been very much business as usual at Lindores regarding operations. In June we normally see temperatures starting to rise but so far, we have been running below normal temperature, so things are slightly easier but still not without their challenges.

We are continuing to run last year’s harvest of local laureate malted barley, with an eye towards this year’s harvest, which is looking very good. It’s taken us a few months to find the optimum settings for mashing in last year’s harvest; but a good combination of knowledge, experience and luck has brought us to the point of balance between quantity and quality.

As we approach the end of June, we start our preparations for silent season. This is a traditional time in the distilling year where the distillery would be switched off, the workers would get a holiday and the process would get some well-deserved repairs and maintenance. Silent season normally takes place in July / August, because in the height of summer, the rivers, streams, burns, and lochs were all running low with water. Even the water that was available was too warm for cooling purposes. There’s an old story that still circulates up north about a wooden washback being filled with water, to allow the staff to have a summer dunk!

This year our steam boiler reaches the grand age of five, and with that come certain requirements. Each year it has to be stripped down and inspected by the boiler insurance inspector; its pressure relief valve tested; and the main crown valve serviced and maintained. This is very important when it’s generating 7 bar of steam pressure, or 101psi – to illustrate, you normally only blow your car tyre up to 36psi so we are at 3 times this pressure. It would also hold a column of water 70metres vertically into the air, so it’s not to be messed with and we treat it with upmost respect.

Also for its fifth birthday, our boiler must get a mandatory NDT Inspection (NonDestructive Testing). This is where the metal and the build integrity of the boiler is checked and that it’s in good order and not hiding any structural faults. We look after our boiler throughout the year, so we are sure that everything will be fine and that it will give us another five years of good health!

In the warehouse, we are extremely busy, filling the last of the sherry butts from Fernandez Gao. After that we will move onto our fresh STRs, followed by our own refills; and as always, Elliot keeps us busy with private cask filling.

Bottling? Well, it never stops here. Definitely maybe, without doubt, we have the smallest and busiest bottling facility in Scotland. It’s pretty amazing what comes out of there. It has its challenges, but it allows us to keep some sort of control and to time with delivering our orders. We have literally just finished and handed over to Jane, the 1494 Custodian, the latest bottling for the 1494; and it’s a quality dram, even better that it’s out of the casks, married and had a little time to breath – as I have said before, it won’t disappoint!

Lastly, with regret and pride we have to say goodbye to Lewis Wilkie our distillery operator. Lewis joined Operations from Front of House and has been a great asset to us. We wish him all the best in his new ventures, which thankfully for the industry is at another distillery – so his skills and experience will stay with making one of Scotland’s greatest products.

Slàinte

Gary Haggart
Distillery Manager

 

For those of you who may not know, we’ve been very busy over the past few months building a brand new still house which will be used to make our new make spirit. The new distillery will allow us to quadruple our production, which will make us the largest producer of English whisky in the country. It’s been an exciting week so far with our new mash tun and steel washbacks already in place, and our brand new shiny copper stills are due to arrive next week! Be sure to follow us on social media for all of our new distillery updates.

Cotswolds Distillery Phillip’s Field, Whichford Road

Stourton Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire CV36 5EX

GLEN GRANT 64 YEAR OLD – 1957

After initially selling out upon release, we’ve managed to secure some extra stock of this phenomenal and historic whisky!

Released in tribute to Mr George Urquhart, second generation of the family that owns Gordon & MacPhail, this is the Second Edition in the ‘Mr George Legacy’ series. A true pioneer within the Scotch whisky industry, Mr George started working in the business in 1933 and created the iconic Connoisseurs Choice in 1968.

Another outstanding malt has been chosen, which was laid down by ‘Mr George’ Urquhart himself. Distilled 10th October 1957 at the Glen Grant distillery and laid to rest in a first-fill Sherry butt for an incredible 64 years, cask #3483 was carefully emptied and filled to bottle, 9th November 2021 at an impressive, 59.4% vol.

Only 298 bottles of this well-aged Glen Grant have been bottled for this very special release.

As ever, if you have any questions, please just get in touch.

Slàinte Mhath

SOLD OUT!

ralfy review 934 – Timerous Beastie 13yo @ 50

Irish Distillers announces plans for Midleton Distillery to become carbon neutral by 2026, using break-through emissions reducing technology   

• Irish Distillers to invest €50 million over the next 4 years to fund projects aimed at transforming Midleton Distillery into a carbon neutral operation by the end of 2026
• This commitment represents the largest-ever investment by an Irish distillery in pursuit of a carbon neutral ambition, putting Midleton Distillery on track to become Ireland’s first and largest carbon neutral distillery
• Part of the carbon neutral roadmap for Midleton Distillery will benefit from grant aid provided by Enterprise Ireland
• The carbon neutral roadmap is the latest step in Irish Distillers’ sustainability strategy and is in line with the Pernod Ricard Group commitment to follow a Net Zero trajectory by 2050 

Cork, 13 June 2022: Irish Distillers has today announced that it will invest €50 million in Midleton Distillery over the next four years to deliver a carbon neutral operation by the end of 2026. This is the largest investment made by an Irish distillery to date in pursuit of this ambition, putting Midleton Distillery on track to become Ireland’s first and largest carbon neutral distillery.

The ambitious plan to eliminate scope 1 and scope 2 carbon emissions by the end of 2026 will involve the execution of a roadmap comprising several ground-breaking projects which will see Midleton Distillery entirely phase out the use of fossil fuels to power its operation.

The carbon neutral roadmap for Midleton Distillery will involve the roll out of several projects aimed firstly at reducing overall energy use by improving on-site energy generation efficiency and recycling waste heat in the distillation process. In time, the distillery’s remaining energy requirements will be fulfilled by generating power from renewable sources.

As part of the initial phases of the roadmap, Irish Distillers has invested in highly efficient boilers which will require less fuel to operate.

To deliver subsequent phases of the roadmap, Irish Distillers is working with global experts and partners on innovative Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR) technology which will see a closed looped system capture, compress and recycle waste heat in the distilling process. This the first time this technology has been used across multiple batch processes in distilling.

The first three phases of the roadmap alone are expected to reduce emissions by up to 70 per cent^[1].

The final phases will see the introduction of renewable sources of energy, including green hydrogen and biogas to power the distillery and close the door on natural gas usage. To achieve this, Irish Distillers has partnered with local experts at EI-H2 to explore opportunities to source green hydrogen.

Irish Distillers has also carried out extensive research in partnership with MaREI, the SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine, hosted by University College Cork, to determine the biomethane potential of the by-products of distillation and design the required anaerobic digestion process necessary to produce biogas.

Regarding its wider value and supply chain, Irish Distillers has recently completed a mapping exercise of its entire carbon footprint. Based on this data and insights gathered, Irish Distillers has committed to working with suppliers on projects and initiatives to reduce scope 3 emissions across all areas of its business including raw materials, dry goods, transportation, logistics and freight.

Speaking about the launch of the project at Midleton Distillery, An Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar TD, said: “Congratulations to the entire Irish Distillers team for blazing a trail, investing an incredible €50m to become Ireland’s first carbon neutral distillery by 2026. We need to take better care of our planet. Enterprise has a role to play, not just in reducing emissions that come directly from their operations, but by innovating and creating new products and ways of doing things that will help us make the changes that are needed. Companies, like Irish Distillers, who are committing to such bold and transformational change, will lead the way for many other similar businesses and I commend the team for their ambition and commitment.” 

Commenting on the announcement, Conor McQuaid, CEO and Chairman said: “Today is a hugely significant day for Irish Distillers as we announce our ambition for Midleton Distillery to become the first and largest carbon neutral distillery in Ireland by 2026. This announcement is reflective of our commitment and ambition to reduce our environmental impact. We understand that our long-term future depends on reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. This plan was many years in the making, and we understand that there are many more years ahead to reach our goal. However, we are confident that by making this bold and brave move into the future, we will leave fossil fuels behind for good. Through the delivery of this plan, we hope to play our part in supporting Ireland’s decarbonising strategy while also aligning with Pernod Ricard’s commitment to follow a Net Zero trajectory by 2050.” 

Leo Clancy, Enterprise Ireland CEO, said: “Supporting Irish companies to reduce their carbon footprint is a key strategic priority for Enterprise Ireland. Enterprise Ireland is proud to partner with Irish Distillers to support the roll out of an ambitious roadmap which will see Midleton Distillery become the first and largest carbon neutral distillery in Ireland by 2026. Distilling is an energy intensive process and Irish Distillers is committed to significantly reducing emissions and making a positive environmental impact across all areas of their business. Their plans to leverage break-through emissions reducing technologies will in turn provide a blueprint for the industry and other distilleries in Ireland.”  

Commenting on the announcement, Tommy Keane, Operations Director at Irish Distillers, said: “With the climate crisis at a critical juncture, Irish Distillers is committed to reducing our environmental impact across our entire value chain and an area that we cannot ignore is how we power our distillery. While the technical challenges the team face in transforming our operations at Midleton Distillery to become carbon neutral are considerable, we believe that with the help and support of our partners at home and across the globe, this is possible. We are committed to doing the right thing for our industry, people, and communities. Together, we can make a real impact.”

About Irish Distillers

Irish Distillers is Ireland’s leading supplier of spirits and wines, and producer of some of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys. Led by Jameson, our brands are driving the global renaissance of Irish whiskey. Jameson is the world’s bestselling Irish whiskey, experiencing 30 years of consecutive growth up to 2019 and hitting sales of 8.6m cases in 2021. Our brands are exported to 130+ markets.

Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son and Cork Distilleries Company. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard, gaining access to unprecedented levels of investment and an extensive global distribution network. Since 2012, we have invested over €400 million to double our production and bottling capacity to meet global demand for our products.

We employ over 600 people across our operations in Cork and Dublin.

As many of you know, our Compass Box 30th Anniversary Blend is launching next week. We know you are excited because about 1/4 of the bottles are pre-sold. To celebrate we are hosting an in-person launch tasting at KWM next Wednesday, with Scott Ellis from Compass Box. We have also added additional space to the Compass Box Virtual tasting on Friday, July 29th with Whisky Make James Saxon. Detail below.

Due to demand, we have also added additional space to our Elixir Distillers Single Casks tasting with Celine Tetu on Friday, July 22. We know many of you want to return to doing in-store tastings, and accordingly, we have also added a new in-store version of Elixir Distillers Single Casks, albeit hosted by one of our staff…

We have also added two other new virtual tastings that are sure to be popular. GlenAllachie Sales Director Ronan Currie will be our guest on Saturday for our GlenAllachie Virtual Cask Launch. We will be launching the GlenAllachie 15 Year KWM Oloroso Cask in early August. The tasting will also be an opportunity to sample a number of other GlenAllachies not available for sale! Photo to the right… sorry for the tease! 

The other new tasting is Wet Hot Whisky Summer – FOMO Warning! Once more we have strung together a selection of rare and in-demand whiskies that you’ll only have the opportunity to purchase if you take part in the tasting! Bowmore, Clynelish, Highland Park, Imperial (not our cask), Kilkerran, Laphroaig x2 & Springbank… new we say more?!

In new whisky news, we have whiskies from North Star Spirits, South Star Spirits, and Bimber Distillery to fill you in on. There is more, which will have to wait until next week’s full Malt Messenger, but we wanted to get the word out on these now, having freshly arrived in-store.

I do want to highlight one of them though, the North Star Spirits Blended Malt 7 Year for Ukraine. The producer has bottled the whisky as a fundraiser for Ukraine, saying “We have bottled the strongest whisky we have for the strongest people we know.” Both KWM and importer Gold Medal Marketing will be donating $10/each, from every bottle sold in support of Ukrainian refugees. Bottles can be pre-ordered now, and will be available next Wednesday!

I hope you enjoy this Malt Messenger Bulletin. The next full Malt Messenger is arriving a week from today.

Happy Stampede!

Sincerely,

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

In This Edition

1. A Whisky for Ukraine from North Star Spirits!

2. New Whiskies from North Star Spirits

3. Introducing: South Star Spirits

4. Introducing: Bimber Distillery

5. New Tastings

6. Other Up-Coming Tastings

A WHISKY FOR UKRAINE

FROM NORTH STAR SPIRITS

 

Both KWM and Gold Medal Marketing (the importer) will each donate $10 from every bottle sold to a charity in support of Ukranian refugees! 

North Star Spirits released this whisky, in support and solidarity with Ukraine. Only 500 bottles have been released of this 7-year-old blended malt, bottled at 65.5%. North Star has donated 100% of its proceeds from this bottle to charity! In Their Words: “We bottled the strongest whisky we have for the strongest people we know.”

North Star Blend Malt 7 Year for Ukraine – 65.5% – Sherry Butt – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Stewed bramble jam and a touch of roasted coffee. Palate: Maple syrup, butterscotch and allspice. Finish: Fearless and defiant.” – $125 – Limit 1 Per Customer!

NEW WHISKIES FROM NORTH STAR SPIRITS

We have some interesting new whiskies from North Star, including a very dark, though dear, GlenAllachie… the picture doesn’t really do it justice!

1. North Star GlenAllachie 13 Year – 56.8% – Sherry Butt – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: dark chocolate, dried grape stems. Palate: immediate oloroso rush, coated with toffee chews & treacle. Finish: long, dry, chocolate-covered shortbread. – $220 – 88.2pts Whiskybase

2. North Star Glen Elgin 15 Year – 53.4% – Oloroso Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: syrup sponge pudding with vanilla custard. Palate: Ginger tablet and soft herbs & spices. Finish: Liquorice allsorts & black coffee.” – $135

3. North Star Orkney 15 Year – 59.7% – Oloroso Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: marzipan, sourdough pizza balls & white chocolate. Palate: instant hug to the taste buds, like treacle. Finish: malty almond paste with marshmallow fondant.” $135 – Limit 1 Per Customer!

4. North Star Secret Highland 13 Year – 42.9% – First Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: rubber, sherry, dried fruits & toffee. Palate: Raspberry chocolate, waxy with some smoke. Finish: Warm tarmac, licorice, clean & fruity.” – $115

INTRODUCING: SOUTH STAR SPIRITS

There is a clear link to North Star Spirits here, but there is much more to it than that, but I’ll let them tell you in their own words…

In Their Own Words

“South Star Spirits Is a whisky bottling company born from 4 whisky enthusiasts who are building a distillery in the heart of one of Scotch Whiskies most cherished regions. We are celebrating this new addition to the magical world of distillation by releasing a small batch range of matured single malt whiskies to let you know we’re here…hello! The Dál Riata Distillery will be located in the heart of Campbeltown producing single malt scotch whisky with traditions and styles that are consistent with whiskies distilled and matured on the western seaboard. If you would like to learn more and join us on our journey, please visit….”

1. South Star Spirits Highland 10 Year Single Malt – 48% – Hogsheads – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Rich & intense smoke, some gentleness to it. Palate: Distinct peat, vanilla & salt. Finish: Lingering ashy notes with just enough oak.” – $96

2. South Star Spirits Islay 8 Year Single Malt – 48% – First Fill Hogsheads – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Dried oranges with a whiff of tobacco. Palate: Thick, nutty dark chocolate. Finish: Long, nutty & very clean.” – $96

3. South Star Spirits Speyside 10 Year Single Malt – 48% – First Fill Hogsheads – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Fruity, floral & citrusy lemon slice. Palate: Syrupy toffee with a touch of saltines. Finish: Cinnamon on baked apples & pears.” – $96

INTRODUCING: BIMBER DISTILLERY

Bimber Distillery was founded in 2015 on the outskirts of London. Whisky is made from barley, floor-malted for them at Warminster Maltings. The fermentations are long, in wooden washbacks, and the distillation slow in small-ish stills.

1. Bimber Apogee Pure Malt Whisky – 46.3% – 12 Year – Finished in ex-Bimber Distillery Casks – Producer Description: “Apogee draws from generations of historical expertise combined with modern virtuosity and elegance to offer an alluring, versatile and deeply captivating whisky. Artfully composed from a selection of the finest world whiskies, the aromas and flavours of Apogee have been enhanced further through sympathetic maturation in casks sourced from London’s award-winning Bimber Distillery. Apogee XII is a flawlessly balanced, meticulously crafted unity of exceptional world whiskies, created as a celebration of the fine art of blending. ” – $92

2. Bimber Canada Edition 2021 – 58.7% – Producer Description: “The Canada Edition Cask journey began at Bimber’s single farm, where 100% of their barley is grown. It is then traditionally floor malted, hand-mashed and fermented slowly for seven days in their wooden washbacks that were hand-made at the Bimber cooperage. They use direct fire to heat their small copper pot stills, and mature their spirit in hand-selected casks. This whisky was drawn from a remarkable ex-bourbon oak cask and bottled exclusively for PWS Imports.” – $152

3. Bimber ex-Bourbon Cask Batch No. 3 – 51.6% – Producer Tasting Note: “Aromas of green apples, dried apricots, milky cereal, vanilla sponge cake and coconut fill the nose, complemented by notes of vanilla, caramel, orchard fruits, baked apricots, peppery spice and charred oak throughout the palate.” – $115

THREE NEW TASTINGS

1 IN-PERSON & 2 VIRTUAL

We have 3 really exciting new tastings coming up in July. Details below!

ELIXIR DISTILLERS SINGLE CASKS – IN-STORE! 

·     Date: Thursday, August 11

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $50

·     IN-STORE TASTING

Elixir Distillers has become one of our best partners in recent years, and they keep feeding us some absolutely amazing single casks. This recent batch was selected in the Winter or Spring of 2021, but due to all the challenges around logistics these days, they have only just arrived! Guests will sample 7 Single Malts of Scotland bottlings, 6 of them cask strength single cask whiskies. Participants will try the 4 most recent KWM casks: Ardmore 11 Year, Glenburgie 22 Year, Imperial 22 Year, and Mannochmore 13 Year, and 3 others: Ben Nevis 1997, Linkwood 11 Year, and Reserve Casks Glencadam 10 Year. This is the exact same range we are doing virtually with Celine, but in person at the store, hosted by one of the KWM team. 7PM, Thursday, August 11.

GLENALLACHIE VIRTUAL CASK LAUNCH WITH RONAN CURRIE 

·     Date: Saturday, August 13

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $35

·     Pick-Up Date: July 16 (Estimate)!

We are about to receive our first ever KWM exclusive single cask of GlenAllachie… and we are stoked! Ronan Currie, Sales Director, has generously agreed to stay up and join us live from Scotland to host a virtual launch tasting. Our range will include a number of limited-edition whiskies not even available for sale, including the GlenAllachie 10 Year Batch 6, GlenAllachie 11 Year Grattamacco Cask, GlenAllachie 12 Year Sauternes Cask, GlenAllachie 13 Year Rioja Cask, and GlenAllachie 21 Year Batch 1 (not pictured(. To round out our lines, participants will also get to sample the GlenAllachie 18 and our GlenAllachie 15 Year KWM Oloroso Cask! Saturday, August 13, 2022, 5 PM!

WET HOW WHISKY SUMMER – FOMO WARNING! 

·     Date: Tuesday, August 16

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $85

·     Pick-Up Date: Available NOW!

Consider this a warning… there is a FOMO storm on the horizon, expected to make landfall during the wet hot whisky days of summer. Our tasting range consists of: Bowmore 21 Year Aston Martin Ed., Highland Park Wild Rose Single Cask, Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 5, Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength, Laphroaig Cairdeas 2021, LMDW Clynelish 25 Year, SMOS Imperial 1995 25 Year (not our cask), and Springbank 21 Year. And we have bottles of all 8 of these whiskies available for sale (by ballot), but only for participants in this tasting. Tuesday, August 16, 7 PM.

OTHER UPCOMING TASTINGS

COMPASS BOX KWM 30TH ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE LAUNCH TASTING WITH SCOTT ELLIS 

·     Date: Wednesday, July 13

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $50

·     IN-STORE TASTING

·     Only 8 spots left!

Compass Box Whisky has been one of our best and most supportive partners over the last 30 years. We were honoured when, in 2017, they collaborated with us on the now legendary bespoke Kensington Wine Market 25th Anniversary bottling. To help mark our 30th Anniversary, they have once more come through for us in a big way. Over the last year and a bit, we’ve been working with John Glaser and whisky Maker James Saxon on another bespoke whisky. Well, the Kensington Wine Market 30th Anniversary Blend has just arrived, and to celebrate we will be hosting both in-person and virtual launch tastings. Scott Ellis, Western Regional Manager for Compass Box Whisky in North America, will be our guest for the in-store launch tasting. Guests will have the opportunity to sample 7 Compass Box whiskies, including both the KWM 25th and 30th Anniversary bottlings, the Vellichor, Experimental Grain, Flaming Heart 2015 and two other releases. Participants in the tasting will also have the opportunity to enter a ballot to purchase both the Vellichor and Experimental Grain. 7 PM, Wednesday, July 13 !SPACES ADDED!

ELIXIR DISTILLERS SINGLE CASKS WITH CELINE TETU 

·     Date: Friday, July 22

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $45

·     Pick-Up Date: AVAILABLE NOW!

Elixir Distillers has become one of our best partners in recent years, and they keep feeding us some absolutely amazing single casks. This recent batch was selected in the Winter or Spring of 2021, but due to all the challenges around logistics these days, they have only just arrived! Celine Tetu, aka Lily, Elixir Distillers’ International Sales Manager, will be our guest as we sample 7 Single Malts of Scotland bottlings, 6 of them cask strength single cask whiskies. Participants will try the 4 most recent KWM casks: Ardmore 11 Year, Glenburgie 22 Year, Imperial 22 Year, and Mannochmore 13 Year, and 3 others: Ben Nevis 1997, Linkwood 11 Year, and Reserve Casks Glencadam 10 Year. 5PM, Friday, July 22. !SPACES ADDED!

COMPASS BOX KWM 30TH ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL LAUNCH TASTING WITH JAMES SAXON

·     Date: Friday, July 29

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $40

·     Pick-Up Date: AVAILABLE NOW!

Compass Box Whisky has been one of our best and most supportive partners over the last 30 years. We were honoured when, in 2017, they collaborated with us on the now legendary bespoke Kensington Wine Market 25th Anniversary bottling. To help mark our 30th Anniversary, they have once more come through for us in a big way. Over the last year and a bit, we’ve been working with John Glaser and whisky Maker James Saxon on another bespoke whisky. Well, the Kensington Wine Market 30th Anniversary Blend has just arrived, and to celebrate we will be hosting both in-person and virtual launch tastings. James Saxon, Compass Box Whisky Whisky Maker, and creator of our 30th Anniversary Blend will be our guest for the virtual launch tasting. Guests will have the opportunity to sample 7 Compass Box whiskies, including both the KWM 25th and 30th Anniversary bottlings, the Vellichor, Experimental Grain, Flaming Heart 2015 and two other releases. Participants in the tasting will also have the opportunity to enter a ballot to purchase both the Vellichor and Experimental Grain. 5 PM, Friday, July 29.

!!NEW DATE!!! Oddball Distilleries – A+ Malts from the B Team 

·     Date: Tuesday, August 9

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $75

·     Pick-Up Date: Available NOW!

·     VIRTUAL TASTING

Overlooked, underappreciated, and in some cases, flat-out unknown distilleries will be the focus of this tasting featuring some of the most neglected distilleries in the Scotch Whisky world. We had to drag some of these poor unloved drams out from the orphanages, the cupboards under the stairs, and other assorted nooks and crannies, in order to bring you a line-up that is bound to appeal to the most discerning of whisky geeks. This has a truly stellar range if you can look past the brands and distilleries, to see some diamonds in the rough. 7 PM, Tuesday, August 9.

FREE DELIVERY

We are proud to offer Free City Wide Delivery on all orders over $100 Monday-Friday! Orders under $100 are subject to a flat rate $10 delivery fee. Note we likely cannot offer delivery before Christmas at this point!

CURBSIDE PICKUP

Physical distancing is made easy with curbside pickup. Order online or by phone, wait for confirmation your order is ready then call us when you are parked in the back or out front. Be sure to let us know what your vehicle looks like!

403-283-8000

1-888-283-9004

Regular Store Hours

Mon-Wed 10 AM – 8 PM

Thurs & Fri 10 AM – 9 PM

Sat 10 AM – 8 PM

Sun 11 PM to 6 PM

 

Our 133rd auction ends tonight with over 7000 bottles of fantastic drams to choose from.  To ease your scrolling burden we’ve taken the liberty of picking out a few highlights from this month’s offerings.

Macallan 1950 Tales of the Macallan Volume 1 Lalique Decanter

Distilled way back in the fifties the Macallan 1950 Tales of the Macallan Volume 1 is a special release indeed.  The whisky is contained in a resplendent Lalique decanter, which is itself housed in an impressive 800-page almanac.  The first release in the Tales of Macallan Series, expect this one to become even more valuable as new editions are released.

Yamazaki 1984 25th Anniversary

This tremendous Yamazaki 1984 25th Anniversary edition is a bottle as rare as it is prized.  Winner of the coveted gold medal at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2009, this is a special whisky with real pedigree.  Rarely seen at auction this is your chance to purchase something with real growth potential.

Springbank 50 Year Old Millennium Collection 75cl

The Springbank 50 Year Old Millennium Collection 75cl, part of the famed Millennium Collection from Springbank, is amongst the oldest whiskies ever bottled by the esteemed Campbeltown distillery.  Another one we don’t see too often; this is a US import version meaning you get an extra 5cl of goodness for your money!

We think you’ll agree these are some pretty special bottles, but as always with an auction so large there is a bottle to suit every palate and pocket so we’re certain you’ll find your own hidden gems in this month’s auction.  Happy bidding and best of luck!

BENROMACH SCOOPS ‘BEST IN SHOW’ AT PRESTIGIOUS GLOBAL AWARDS 

Benromach 40 Year Old Single Malt has been named ‘Best in Show’ at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) – the highest honour at the annual awards. The ‘Best in Show’ award is reserved for the outstanding winner in each of the five ‘Best of Class’ categories which include Unaged White Spirit, Aged White Spirit, Whisky / Whiskey, Brandy and Liqueur.

Benromach’s 40 Year Old expression was released in 2021 and with just 1,000 bottles available to purchase, it was highly sought after. The spirit is currently the distiller’s oldest malt, steeped in handcrafted precision and inhabiting the complexities of flavour that have become synonymous with Benromach, including subtle smokiness, light peat on the palate and lasting sherry notes.

The San Francisco World Spirit Competition, founded in 2000, is the oldest competition in North America and the largest drinks and spirits judging in the world. To reach its results, a total of 70 judges from around the world evaluate over 5,000 spirits over a two-week period before settling on a series of awards including ‘Best of Class’, ‘Best in Show’, ‘Most Awarded Distillery of the Year’, as well as, a series of spirit-specific medals ranging from Bronze through to Gold and Double Gold, with the highest accolade in this category being Platinum.

Keith Cruickshank, Distillery Manager at Benromach Distillery, said: “Every expression produced by Benromach Distillery is made by hand for genuine character by our small team of distillers who rely exclusively on their expertise and senses. To bring home the coveted Best in Show accolade from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is a true reflection of the hard work and dedication that goes into producing our distinctive Speyside single malts.”

Benromach 40 Year Old, 2021 release, was bottled at a cask strength of 57.1%. This rare single malt whisky is natural in colour and spent four decades maturing in the finest first-fill Oloroso sherry casks. The result is an exquisite single malt and the oldest expression in Benromach’s current line-up.

The single malt displays rich ginger and stewed fruit aromas, Seville orange, red apple and demerara sugar flavours before finishing with citrus zest and a subtle hint of charred oak.

Additionally at this year’s award show in April, Benromach took home three ‘Double Gold’ awards in its category for Benromach 40 Year Old, Benromach 15 Year Old and Benromach Contrasts: Peat Smoke 2009.  The ‘Double Gold’ award is reserved for entrants who receive unanimous ‘Gold’ ratings and where judges consider the spirit to be among the finest in the world.

The Benromach 15 Year Old also went on to scoop a Platinum award for its achievement in winning ‘Double Gold’ accreditation three years running.

For further information, please visit www.benromach.com

TASTING NOTES (Benromach 40 Year Old – 2021 expression) 

Benromach 40 Year Old is natural in colour, non-chill filtered and is bottled at cask strength – 57.1% ABV.

• Colour: Deep Amber
• Aromas: Rich ginger and stewed fruit aromas followed by citrus, cinnamon, toffee and beeswax polish.
• Palate: Intense Seville orange flavours with red apple and demerara sugar
• Finish: Citrus zest and a touch of charred oak
• Maturation: First fill Oloroso sherry hogshead cask
• RRP:£1,500

About Benromach Distillery

Originally built in 1898, Benromach Distillery was brought back to life when the Urquhart family realised a lifelong dream to own a distillery and purchased it in 1993. The distillery was extensively re-equipped over a five-year period before it was officially opened by HRH The Duke of Rothesay in 1998.

In reopening Benromach Distillery, the Urquhart family wanted to create a single malt whisky that has a classic Speyside character: beautifully balanced with a light touch of smoke.

Benromach Distillery is located on the outskirts of the ancient market town of Forres. A five-star visitor centre is open to the public throughout the year for tours and tastings. Benromach Distillery is a member of the world-famous Malt Whisky Trail.

For more information, visit: www.benromach.com

Our ‘Spirit of America’ Auction Ends Soon!!

Place your bids until Sunday 10^th July.

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Every month, we present an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits to our members right across the globe. You will find everything here from limited edition releases and vintage bottles to whole casks of rare whisky. There is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, investor enjoy!

Old Rip Van Winkle – 23 Year Old (1986) Signed

Old Fashioned Copper – 25 Year Old (1994) Vintage

WhistlePig – 17 Year Old (The Boss Hog VIII) LapuLapu’s Pacific

Michter’s – 20 Year Old (2015)

Black Maple Hill – Limited Edition

Old Fitzgerald – 10 Year Old (1849)

 

Selling whisky? Why not arrange the pick-up of your bottles using our global courier service? If you’re based in Scotland, you might want to arrange the personal collection of your bottles. Wherever you’re based in the world, we will make getting your bottles into our monthly auction as simple as possible. Get in touch with the Whisky Hammer team now by dropping them a message at sales@whiskyhammer.co.uk.

Our July Auction is now LIVE, follow the link below to browse and bid!! 

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A fine example of just some Springbank bottlings this month.  

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