The Norfolk Farmers – Single Cask 50cl

Our grain whiskies are bottled under “The Norfolk” brand & this is only the 2^nd ever release of a single cask bottling made available to the public. This cask holds whisky made from a range of different grains and the end result is an extraordinary whisky with layer after layer of flavour and aroma. Definitely worth leaving the safe harbour of single malts to try this unusual and rare whisky.

56.1% ABV

Receive 10% discount when you purchase 6 bottles of The Norfolk – Farmers 

Staff Choice 003 – Mark

Mark runs the day to day operations of our whisky website. He has been with us a few years now and many of you will have spoken to him once or twice using the Chat facility or through emails. He likes a broad range of whisky, with a particular fondness for peated whiskies and for this weeks staff pick he has selected Ledaig 10 year old. A lovely sweet and smoky whisky.

Check out Mark’s pick here >

Recently arrived as part of the Chivas Brothers Distillery Reserve Collection, a range of single cask expressions from across Speyside and beyond, showing the character and tradition of renowned single malt distilleries.

From nutty Tormore to rich sherried Strathisla and a maritime Scapa, these distillery reserves are a great opportunity to explore the bold flavours of your favourite distillery and discover limited drams that are rarely seen outside the realms of blends and independent bottlings.

 SHOP DISTLLERY RESERVE COLLECTION 

ralfy review 937 – Johnnie Walker 12yo @40%vol: (2022)

Bidding kicks off for special whisky

Unique opportunity to purchase 1990 Balblair whisky housed in bespoke bronze plinth to mark 100 years of Highland Rugby Football Club

As part of its centenary celebrations, Highland Rugby Football Club (Highland RFC) is auctioning a 29-year-old Balblair whisky, generously donated by leading malt whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail, housed in a bespoke bronze plinth created exclusively for Highland RFC by fine art, architectural and memorial bronze foundry Black Isle Bronze.

Already open for bids, the unique package will ultimately be sold on August 13^th at Highland RFC’s Centenary Dinner, taking place in Inverness with money raised going to charities Mikeysline, Alzheimer Scotland, My Name’5 Doddie and Highland RFC so that the club can continue to promote and deliver rugby to communities across the Highlands.

Just 469 bottles of this wonderful dark gold Balblair Highland Single Malt whisky were created from a single Sherry butt filled in 1990. It is part of Gordon & MacPhail’s famous Connoisseur’s Choice collection. Cask strength, it is described as having a soft cinnamon spice which leads to stewed plum and delicate sherbet aromas. The initial toasted malt flavours give way to light fruitcake with a hint of cashew nut. Hints of aniseed and dried ginger linger on the finish. Valued at around £800, it is expected to be a much sought-after bottle that is very hard to come by today.

The plinth was created by Farquhar Laing and his team at Black Isle Bronze based near Inverness. It took around four months to make and recreates a traditional rugby ball placed on a kicking tee and set in bronze. Designed specifically to display a bottle of whisky, one of the segments of the ball is removed, creating space for the bottle. The plinth is valued at around £4,000 which, when combined with the whisky, is a truly one-of-a-kind package.

Speaking about the exclusive package, Roy Dinnes, Vice President of Highland RFC, said: “This is a unique item, bespoke to Highland RFC, and we are extremely grateful to Gordon & MacPhail and Black Isle Bronze for allowing us to auction something very special in our centenary year and hopefully raise money to support charities particularly close to our hearts at the club. The auction site is live, and I would encourage whisky fans, rugby fans and collectors to take a look.”

Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige at Gordon & MacPhail, added: “We are delighted to be part of the centenary celebrations at Highland RFC. Roy and the team do a phenomenal job promoting the game and coaching and supporting schools throughout communities in the Highlands. I hope this special bottle of Balblair helps raise funds for worthwhile charities, allowing them to continue their excellent work.”

Farquhar Laing, Director at Black Isle Bronze, described his involvement with Highland RFC: “I am a member of the club, a volunteer coach and by son plays for the Under-16s team. You can see our work all over the world, from Dallas in Texas to Dubai and of course here in the UK. Having created the line-out sculpture for Twickenham, we were only too happy to create something special for Highland RFC and hope it goes to a good home and raises a lot of money.”

Anyone wishing to bid for the plinth and the bottle of Balblair whisky can do so by visiting HERE or by attending the Centenary Dinner in Inverness on August 13^th. Tickets for the dinner can be purchased here and are on sale until August 1st.

About Highland RFC

Founded in 1922, Highland RFC is the largest club in Inverness and caters for all ages.

From Micro and Mini teams all the way up to senior teams, an over 35s team, and women’s and girls’ teams; anyone interested in playing rugby is welcome.

The club prides itself on its quality of coaching, its strong community of volunteers and its involvement with local schools throughout the community.

As part of the 100^th anniversary of Highland RFC, the club has organised events throughout the year. A full list of the 100^th anniversary events can be found at www.highlandrugbyclub.com/centenary-year-calendar-of-events.

www.highlandrugbyclub.org

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Exclusive single casks from Gordon & MacPhail

From the acclaimed Connoisseurs Choice range comes these highly limited single cask whiskies, bottled by the legendary Gordon & MacPhail. Exclusively bottled for our customers at The Whisky Shop, these are three massive names in the Scotch world with glowing reviews from renowned writer Charles MacLean.

Sign up to The W Club to receive 10% off these and all other TWS exclusives.

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Gordon & MacPhail x The Whisky Shop

Dalmore 2008 13 Year Old Connoisseurs Choice TWS Exclusive

“The initial impression is fruity – fresh apple, pear in syrup, fruit salad, a suggestion of raspberry jam – beneath this is a whisper of shortcrust pastry. A soft texture and a sweet taste overall, with a surprisingly spicy savoury finish. Little change with a splash of water, the finish now slightly tart.” – Charles MacLean, Whiskeria Summer 2022

£140.00
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Glenlivet 2003 18 Year Old Connoisseurs Choice TWS Exclusive

“The top notes are sweet (fresh pineapple, with a trace of spun honey). A creamy, mouth-filling texture; the taste starts sweet and becomes savoury and spicy. Fresh and straightforward.” – Charles MacLean, Whiskeria Summer 2022

£195.00
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Mortlach 2002 19 Year Old Connoisseurs Choice TWS Exclusive

On the nose, there is spiced apple, fragrant vanilla, and dark honey. The palate is full of watermelon, citrus zest, and butterscotch before leading into the medium finish full of tropical fruit and oak.

£195.00
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Home to around 200 people, the Isle of Jura is a walkers’ paradise covered with wild mountains, peaceful lochs and a single road leading to its one and only whisky distillery.

Despite its close proximity to Islay, Jura’s single malts are typically less smoky than your average west-coaster – showing instead a spicy, oily profile filled with coastal minerality and warming oak influence.

Jura’s signature series features whiskies matured in ex-bourbon barrels before finishing in various cask types – from Caribbean rum to Bordeaux red wine barriques – to create unique expressions of the distillery character.

SHOP ALL JURA

YESTERDAY’S RAIN, TODAY’S COLLECTION

After last week’s searing heat, it’s time for some well-deserved freshness with two new rare and exquisite casks from our Vaults Collection. Coastal rain clouds roll in from the west with Cask No. 53.389: Goodnight and joy, bringing in waves of briny notes and dreamy flavours evocative of the crisp Hebridean coast. Aged to perfection in a refill sherry butt, you’ll be treated to eucalyptus sweets, tar extracts, salted mead and oysters with lime juice.

After the rain, bask in blissful, cooler, fruitier summer days with 65.7: Timeless and magnificent, which introduces summery treats to the table with poached pears, plum wine, roses and apple-infused tobacco. Hailing from a now-disappeared distillery, it’s a flavourful 30-summers-long story you will not want to miss. Late summer afternoons and evenings could hardly get better than that.

These bottles are online from 9am, grab one before the tide (and lucky members) swipes them away.

GOODNIGHT AND JOY

Cask No. 53.389

Bottle notes: An ode to sublime distillate and time in refill wood. Purity, power, precision, minerality, fragrant peat and hauntingly evocative complexity.

TIMELESS AND MAGNIFICENT

Cask No. 65.7

Bottle notes: Pears poached in Sauternes, cardamom and ginger followed by oak-aged Japanese Umeshu plum wine. Diluted; rose-scented perfume and apple tobacco.

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

New in

OLD & RARE WHISKIES

Last week, 300+ old and rare whiskies arrived offering a myriad of historic limited releases and independent bottlings from legendary distilleries such as Highland Park, Ardbeg, and Springbank, as well as closed distilleries like Rosebank and Port Ellen. Head on over and have a look!

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Welcome to this week’ episode of the show in which I’ll be taking a look at three recent single malt and three single grain bottlings in the House of Macduff’s Golden Cask range.

https://youtu.be/bc6dfwyhbdU