Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 459: Lindores Exclusive Casks: Bourbon vs Sherry

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries to single casks from the Lowlands. Lindores, like many other distilleries, also started releasing single casks. The first two – a bourbon cask and a sherry butt – are the ones that I would like to try. It’s not a veritable head-to-head, of course, for they are quite different.

https://youtu.be/gApkH2wS18s

Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® | Class of 2022 Inductees

Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® To Induct 

Six New Members In September 

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® will induct six individuals into its elite ranks next month, including two distillery founders, influential lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, a groundbreaking industry veteran and the acclaimed grandson of a Bourbon baron.

The Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award will be bestowed on the late Stephen Francis Thompson, founder and president of Kentucky Artisan Distillery, who unexpectedly died in 2021 after an accident. He was 79 years old.

“Since we lost the past two years to COVID-19, this is officially the 20th anniversary of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, whiskey’s most spirited honor,” said Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, which founded the Hall of Fame in 2001.

“Congratulations to this year’s esteemed class which celebrates the visionaries, artisans and partners that have made Kentucky Bourbon – and our beloved Commonwealth – the gold standard of American whiskey. And, on behalf of our industry, a heartfelt thank you.”

This year’s inductees are, in alphabetical order (full bios, as provided by each inductee, are attached via the below link:

·     Retiring Rep. D. Chad McCoy, R-Bardstown, Majority Whip, Kentucky House of Representatives, two-time recipient of the KDA’s “100 Proof” award for public service and champion of several landmark pieces of legislation.

·     The late Stephen Francis Thompson, Founder and President, Kentucky Artisan Distillery (Lifetime Achievement Award), former president of Brown-Forman Distilleries and a pioneering resource for craft distilleries across the country.

·     Julian P. Van Winkle, III, President, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, heralded grandson of Bourbon legend Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle, creator of the ultra-aged premium Pappy Van Winkle brand and the very first James Beard winner from Kentucky, as well as numerous other accolades.

·     Andrea Marie Wilson, distinguished industry veteran, Executive Vice President, General Manager and Master of Maturation at Michter’s Distillery, and in 2009, the first woman to chair the KDA Board of Directors.

·     Retiring U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Louisville, Co-Founder of the Congressional Bourbon Caucus and Chair of the House Budget Committee who helped lead a permanent reduction on the federal excise tax on distillers among other key measures.

·     Kaveh Zamanian, Founder, Whiskey Maker and CEO, Rabbit Hole Distillery, left Iran in 1979 during the revolution and founded Rabbit Hole in 2012. He blends the immigrant whiskey maker tradition with time-honored methods, diverse perspectives and modernist aesthetics.

The Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® recognizes individuals and organizations that have made a significant and transformational impact on Bourbon’s stature, growth and awareness. It is the highest honor given by the signature industry.

The invitation-only ceremony will be held Sept. 13 at My Old Kentucky Home state park in Bardstown, Ky., one of the state’s most revered historic sites. It is held annually in conjunction with the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, which runs Sept. 16-18 in Bardstown.

Following the induction ceremony, there will be an exclusive reception sponsored by Independent Stave Company, a KDA “Champion” level industry member. ISC President & CEO Brad Boswell and his father, John, are both Hall of Fame members.

The two-year break due to the pandemic allowed the KDA to evaluate its Hall of Fame processes and protocols, Gregory said. The prestigious event is known for its intimate celebration of the industry’s most revered champions and attracts dignitaries from around the world.

This year, for the first time ever, a blue-ribbon committee of renowned Hall of Fame members reviewed and selected inductees. Candidates are nominated each year by the KDA and its member distilleries in three categories: Industry, Roll of Honor and Lifetime Achievement.

The selection committee includes all living recipients of the Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award: Jimmy Russell, Master Distiller of Wild Turkey; Bill Samuels, Jr., Chairman Emeritus of Maker’s Mark; Max Shapira, Executive Chairman of Heaven Hill Brands and Even Kulsveen, Executive Director of Willett Distillery.

Also serving were Kevin Smith, Chairman of the KDA Board of Directors and Vice President of Kentucky Bourbon Affairs for Beam Suntory; Chris Morris, Governor of the Order of the Writ – Spirit of Kentucky Bourbon Society and Vice President and Master Distiller at Brown-Forman Corp.; and noted author Dixie Hibbs of Bardstown, who was appointed by the KDA President.

The KDA also commissioned glassblowing artist Brook Forrest White, Jr., of Flame Run in Louisville to craft unique and contemporary awards that incorporate Bourbon-inspired motifs such as amber colors, oak, copper and water.

A student of the late famed glass artist Stephen Rolfe Powell at Centre College in Danville, Ky., White’s work has been recognized nationally, including at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and at several distilleries in Kentucky.

Bourbon is one of Kentucky’s most treasured industries, a booming $9 billion economic and tourism engine sustaining more than 22,500 jobs with an annual payroll topping $1.23 billion each year, over $285 million in local and state taxes and $1.8 billion in federal alcohol taxes.

A key export, the iconic industry is currently in the middle of a $5.2 billion building boom, from innovative new tourism experiences to expanded production facilities, bottling centers and aging warehouses, all to meet the growing global thirst for Kentucky Bourbon.

Bourbon production has skyrocketed more than 435% since the turn of the century.

Kentucky now boasts more than 10.3 million barrels of Bourbon aging in warehouses across the Bluegrass, the most in its revered distilling history. Distillers filled more than 2.4 million barrels in 2020 alone, the third year in a row that production topped the two million mark.

“We look forward to seeing all our living legends next month and celebrating the best of the best of our historic industry and toasting our success,” Gregory said. “Thanks to our partners at Independent Stave Company and our distinguished members.”

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact KDA President Eric Gregory at eric@kybourbon.com.

Bios, as provided by each inductee, are below in alphabetical order:

Rep. D. Chad McCoy~ Late Stephen Francis Thompson + Red ~ Julian P. Van Winkle, III~ Andrea Marie Wilson ~ U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth ~ Kaveh Zamanian

Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is the historic voice for Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. Its diverse and growing membership produces 90 percent of the world’s Bourbon, from legendary, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are fostering the next generation of the Commonwealth’s timeless craft and treasured economic engine. Member benefits include media relations, international trade development, private sampling events, technical assistance, economic development support, networking, legal defense, marketing strategies, governmental and regulatory advocacy and innovative tourism experiences through the KDA’s world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® adventures. The KDA maintains an open membership policy, champions a strong commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage drinking and drunk driving. Learn more at www.kybourbon.com and www.kybourbontrail.com.

KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL CRAFT TOUR®, KENTUCKY BOURBON AFFAIR™, KBT®, BOURBON TRAIL™, KENTUCKY BOURBON HALL OF FAME®, ORDER OF THE WRIT®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TALES®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL WELCOME CENTER®,, URBAN BOURBON TRAIL® and THE PROOF IS HERE® are trademarks/service marks of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. 

Please enjoy Bourbon like a true Kentuckian – Responsibly

Mark Reynier is the founder and CEO of Waterford Distillery and will be here at The Kitchen on Sunday September 11 to host our first Whisky Pairing dinner since January 2020.

Mark grew up in the wine business and in 1996 he established Murray McDavid Independent Bottlers, we still have some of his bottles on the shelves and more in storage. The Murray McDavid team purchased the mothballed Bruichladdich distillery on Islay in 2000.

With Mark’s background in wine he learned much about terroir and the science behind wine making. He believed that terroir wasn’t just indicative to grape growing and the wine industry. Whilst at the helm of Bruichladdich he set out to prove that the soil where the barley was grown was as important as the soil for grape production. Bruichladdich still has terrior specific releases. In 2012 Remy Cointreau purchased Bruichladdich and Mark went searching for a new distillery location where he could grow the best barley. When the opportunity to purchase an old Guinness brewery in Southern Ireland presented itself, he jumped at the chance and Waterford was born.

Mark’s goal was to take his decades of expertise and “break the norms” by creating whisky with a focus on terroir. By using new technologies, avoiding shortcuts in the distillation process, and working directly with Irish farmers, Waterford is able to produce purer flavours. With their single farm origin whiskies, you can truly taste the flavours or Ireland in a unique way.

 Get your tickets here!

Demand Triggers Increased Production Of Hard Truth Distilling Co.’s Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey

NASHVILLE, IND. (August 29, 2022) – Hard Truth Distilling Co. has announced an increase in production of its Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey following a successful late-2021 launch and current high commercial and consumer demand.

This comes on the heels of Hard Truth’s recent announcement of a major expansion that includes constructing a second rackhouse twice the size of its current rackhouse, tripling storage capacity from 4,000 to 12,000 barrels for its critically acclaimed Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey and other whiskies.

Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey is Hard Truth’s debut sweet mash whiskey — the first to be distilled, aged, and bottled on Hard Truth’s 325-acre campus in Brown County, Indiana. It’s crafted using the sweet mash method and 100 percent fresh ingredients before aging in new, custom-charred, white oak barrels for a minimum of two years. Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey – Batch #001, Mash Bill 01 was released in November of 2021, with batches #002 and #003 having entered the market in the first half of 2022.

This was the first whiskey released in what will become a series of sweet mash whiskeys from Hard Truth. Over the next few years, the distillery will introduce whiskeys from four unique rye mash bills and four unique bourbon mash bills, bringing a variety of flavor profiles to market.

“We’re on the forefront of a new era of whiskey-making as sweet mash pioneers here in the state of Indiana,” said Hard Truth Master Distiller Bryan Smith. “There is a small, but mighty group of distillers making sweet mash whiskey and celebrating this innovative way of making whiskey, and I feel honored and proud to be in such great company.”

Most whiskeys are produced using a sour mash method — a process that uses leftover mash from previous distillations in each new batch of whiskey. Historically, this was done out of necessity because the high acidity of the leftover mash helps ensure no bacterial contamination or other infection in the new batches.

Advances in distilling systems and sanitization processes, however, enabled the development of sweet mash — a process where each new batch starts entirely fresh — an exciting way to create whiskeys with characteristics unique to the method.

“The standard sour mash process can mute some amazingly complex and pleasant grain flavors that the sweet mash process tends to highlight. It is a more expensive and labor-intensive process to make whiskey this way, but the final product speaks for itself,” explained Smith.

Hard Truth’s Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey has a layered and complex flavor profile and the sweetness of the grain features more prominently on the palate. According to Smith, “Most rye whiskey drinkers expect savory and spicy only from a rye whiskey, but with Hard Truth’s sweet mash, you expect bright fruit, complex brown sugar and mocha with baking spice in the finish.”

Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye is a deep, clear mahogany color with an aroma featuring notes of mocha, nutmeg, and ripe orchard fruit. It offers rich toffee, brown sugar, and peach flavors that envelop the palate, and the finish is smooth with lingering notes of chocolate, oak, and pepper.

“Authenticity is at the core of our whiskey making, which is why we are bottling our sweet mash rye whiskey at barrel strength, uncut and unfiltered — a true expression of our whiskey making,” Smith explained. “We are so very pleased with our whiskey at this younger age and are incredibly excited about sharing future releases as the whiskey gets older.”

Smith encourages rye fans to come to Hard Truth’s Brown County, Indiana campus to see it being made, taste it, and experience Hard Truth in a very real and up-close way.

“We are hardworking, real people, making incredibly innovative, high-quality whiskey, and that passion for hard work and making a quality product resonates with people.”

Available in 750 mL bottles, Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey is bottled at barrel strength — with batch proofs ranging between 100 and 120, with ABVs ranging between 50 and 60 percent. Bottles are available for purchase on the Hard Truth campus and in retailers throughout Hard Truth’s distribution area with a suggested retail price of $69.95 plus tax.

For more information on where to purchase Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey or any other Hard Truth product, visit: hardtruthdistilling.com/spirit-finder. Visit hardtruth.com for the complete Hard Truth experience.

About Hard Truth Distilling Co.

Headquartered in Nashville, Indiana, Hard Truth Distilling Co. produces more than 20 premium spirits, including critically acclaimed Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey and top-selling Hard Truth Cinnamon Vodka, Hard Truth Toasted Coconut Rum, and Hard Truth Toasted Coconut Rum Cream.

Hard Truth’s spirits are distributed throughout Indiana and Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine with several new states coming on board in 2022.

Founded in 2015, Hard Truth Distilling Co. quickly outgrew its original production space, and, by 2017, construction had begun on its current facility, an 18,000-square-foot distillery equipped with a state-of-the-art Vendome Copper & Brass distilling system. Hard Truth’s destination campus spans 325 wooded acres in Brown County, Indiana — an artists’ colony and tourist destination known for its natural beauty.

August 2022 Auction  // 26 August – 5 September

August 2022 Auction Ends Soon!

A warm welcome to our August Auction. Featuring over 8,500 rare whiskies and fine spirits, this is a unique opportunity to bid on some of the world’s most sought-after bottles.

We have legendary bottlings from Springbank including each release from the famed Millennium Collection, a selection of high age-statement bottlings including the Mortlach 75 Year Old from G&M and the 55 Year Old Six Pillars release from The Macallan, plus an array of independent bottlings from Samaroli and the Whisky Agency (among many others!).

Also featured this month are three exceptional casks of whisky, with a particular highlight being a single hogshead #5486 from Jura distillery, distilled in 1992 and maturing as we speak at Whiskybroker’s bonded warehouse.

Wire Works Charity Auction: Whisky Auctioneer is delighted to partner with White Peak distillery to auction the first 12 individually-numbered bottles of Wire Works Whisky – Derbyshire’s first ever single malt – with all proceeds being donated to charity, discover more below!

Browse some of our curated highlights below and add to your collection.

White Peak Distillery  // Exclusively at Whisky Auctioneer

Wire Works Bottles #1-12 for Charity

Whisky Auctioneer is delighted to partner with White Peak distillery to auction bottles #1-12 of their innaugural Wire Works release in aid of Derbyshire Charities.

Read our exclusive interview with Claire Vaughan, Co-Founder of White Peak.

The bottles will be offered exclusively through our August Auction from 26 August – 5 September with all proceeds, including Whisky Auctioneer’s buyer’s commission, donated to two Derbyshire charities: the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the Peak District National Park Foundation.

Browse these exclusive lots in our August auction.

Mortlach 1939 75 Year Old from Gordon & MacPhail’s Generation Series

Springbank Millennium Collection 25–50 Year Old Vertical

Iconic Eagle Rare 20 Year Old

Still in Oak  // Exclusively at Whisky Auctioneer

Featured Casks: August 2022 Auction

Our August Auction features three incredible casks of whisky from three distilleries spanning the Highland and Island regions. This is an exceptional opportunity to own your own cask of single malt whisky. Featured are:

– Jura 1992 Hogshead #5486

– Glen Garioch 2011 Bourbon Barrel #2756

– Orkney Single Malt 2008 Single Refill Butt #2

Browse casks featured in our August Auction now.

Japan’s Finest – Yamazaki Single Casks

Iconic Bottlings by Silvano Samaroli

Glenfiddich Private Vintage – Distilled in 1955

+8,500 lots to browse in our July Auction now.

Interested in selling in our next auction? Fill out our Seller Form today.

Benromach 2012 B1 Cask Strength

Rich and spicy sherry aromas, vanilla and hints of chocolate with a palate of orange zest, black pepper and a soft smoky finish. Their cask strength single malt whisky delivers rich and spicy sherry aromas, vanilla and hints of chocolate with a palate of orange zest, black pepper and a soft smoky finish. Tasting notes: Colour: Light Mahogany Aroma: Vanilla pod and fruit cake aromas with hints of dark chocolate. Festive spices give way to citrus fruit and charred oak. Palate: Black pepper on the palate initially, leading to orange zest and stewed fruit. Red berries and subtle ginger spice. Finish: Long and full with lingering sulatana and soft smoke.

Only £59.95

Pre-order

Suntory “Hibiki Japanese Harmony” Blended Japanese Whisky (750ml)

$84.99

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SKU #121503891 points Wine Enthusiast

 The newest blended whisky offering from Hibiki is burnished gold in the glass and has a bold aroma that mixes vanilla, fresh pear and a hint of smoke. The smokiness comes forward at the first sip, wrapping around a core of oak and vanilla custard and finishing long, with a mouthwatering bitter chocolate note. *Wine Enthusiast Best of 2016* (KN)  (3/2016)

90 points Whisky Advocate

 Poised and complex, with typically lifted fruitiness: strawberry ice cream, pineapple, peach, balanced by delicate oak, bamboo shoot-like delicacy, then lemon. The palate is more rounded than that very forward nose, with toffee notes adding some weight. A touch of smoke comes along in the mid-palate, before fruits and caramelized coffee biscuits. Water allows the flavors to flood the palate. Exemplary blending skills and classically Hibiki. (DB, Winter 2015)  (12/2015)

Wine & Spirits

 You can’t be a Japanese whisky enthusiast without having noticed that there’s a shortage of the stuff. What once was readily available is now hard to find. What once was affordable now costs various bodily limbs. It is due to more than a fad. The best Japanese whisky is remarkable stuff, and none are better than the top single malts from Suntory, Yamazaki, Hakushu and the blended whisky Hibiki. Hibiki comes in 12-, 17- and 21-year-old expressions, but even the youngest of these is now allocated. Harmony, the newest release, carries no age statement, indicating that it contains younger whiskies than other bottlings. Nevertheless, this is a welcome concession, with Suntory’s classic sense of balance, nuance and delicacy. *Wine & Spirits Best of 2015* (JM)  (11/2015)

K&L Notes

The newest incarnation of Suntory’s hugely popular Hibiki series, this time without an age statement attached. The same soft, mellow, vanilla-laden flavor is still here, however. It’s a true harmony of pure Hibiki flavor. *96 points, Ultimate Spirits Challenge Top 100 of 2020*

DUNCAN TAYLOR

Ben Nevis 9 Years Old Battlehill

This single malt was distilled in 2012 at the Ben Nevis Distillery, located in the Highland Region of Scotland. It was aged for 9 years in oak casks and finished in a Cognac cask, before bottling by Duncan Taylor for their Battlehill collection. This collection was named after a landmark located on the outskirts of Huntly, known for the skirmishes between clans and English, which took place there.

£58.49

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Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 458: A Trio of Lindores

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries two releases from a new Lowland distillery. Last summer the long-awaited first release of Lindores appeared (at least the one that was made available to the general public), a vatting of bourbon, sherry and wine casks. At the end of the year another bottling was released: The Casks Lindores ‘Bourbon’. And just now we got our hands of the 1494 Members Release that contains malt that matured on quarter casks. That makes for a very interesting head-to-head tasting.

https://youtu.be/_hmffM6vSYE

THE WORLD’S RAREST JAPANESE WHISKY REDISCOVERED

The World’s Rarest Japanese Whisky, Shirakawa 1958 Single Malt Japanese Whisky from Takara Shuzo Co.,Ltd will be released and distributed worldwide by Tomatin Distillery Co. Ltd from 13th September 2022.

Shirakawa 1958 is a single malt whisky from the lost Japanese distillery, Shirakawa, which was located 200km North of Tokyo, Japan. The whisky produced was rumoured to be exquisite, but destined only for blending and never to be captured as a single malt until now, with a collaboration between Tomatin Distillery and Takara Shuzo. This remarkable and incredibly rare expression will be the only official single malt bottling from Shirakawa Distillery; limited to 1,500 bottles globally and is the earliest single vintage Japanese whisky ever bottled.

“There are no known examples of Japanese Whisky claiming to be from a Single Vintage that predate Shirakawa 1958,” confirms Stefan van Eycken, the pre-eminent authority on the world of Japanese whisky and distilling. “Even though Shirakawa Distillery was one of the pioneers of malt whisky making in Japan, the liquid was never officially available as a single malt. This limited 1,500 bottle release will see the Japanese Whisky category, one of the most sought-after categories of spirit in the world, continue to grow from strength to strength”

The Shirakawa Distillery was built in the Fukushima Prefecture, in 1939 by Daikoku Budoshu and purchased by Takara Shuzo in 1947. Operating for nearly six and a half decades, it produced malt whisky between 1951 – 1969, one of the first distilleries in Japan to do so. The vast majority of the whisky produced was used in Takara Shuzo’s flagship ‘King’ blended whisky brand. The Shirakawa Distillery then was demolished in 2003.

Stephen Bremner, Managing Director of Tomatin Distillery Co. Ltd. had become intrigued by parent company Takara Shuzo’s history of malt whisky production in Japan and why so little was known about this aspect of the company’s history. Determined to uncover more, he pieced together anecdotal information from previous employees about whisky production and searched for long lost documents that might shed some light on Shirakawa’s single malt Japanese whisky making past.

The final remaining parcel was identified in Takara Shuzo’s Kurokabegura in 2019. The liquid had been distilled in 1958, aged in cask, then transferred to ceramic jars at the distillery. When Shirakawa closed, it was put into stainless steel tanks at Takara Shuzo’s factory in Kyushu where it lay untouched until now.

“Tomatin Distillery Co. Ltd had been bought by Takara Shuzo in 1986 and I became fascinated by the story of Shirakawa and its history of whisky production. There had never been an official single malt bottling, and the distillery had long gone, but I couldn’t help wondering what if a part of liquid history lay unearthed. After several in-depth discussions with colleagues at Takara Shuzo the last remaining parcel of Shirakawa was identified in 2019. When I discovered that the last remaining stock was distilled in 1958, I was astounded! It was a genuine WOW moment as I realised very quickly that what we were dealing with was extremely rare.” Explains Stephen Bremner, Managing Director of Tomatin Distillery Co. Ltd.

This rare discovery brought further mystery both for the liquid unearthed, as with the history of the distillery itself. The precise age of the whisky cannot be specified; although it is clear the liquid was matured in oak casks, the type of cask and length of maturation remains unknown to this day. Though production details are unclear, it is from a time when the distillery used predominantly Japanese malted barley and Mizunara oak casks.

The 1958 vintage – 49% ABV – bottled by Takara Shuzo Co.,Ltd in Japan, will exist as the only official single malt ever to be released from Shirakawa Distillery and the earliest known single vintage Japanese whisky ever bottled.

THE TASTE OF LIQUID HISTORY

Award winning and internationally acclaimed whisky writer Dave Broom presents his tasting notes for Shirakawa 1958 Single Malt Japanese Whisky from Takara Shuzo Co.,Ltd:

Nose: Resinous, slight dry earth, dried citrus peels, a hint of wax. Aromatic. A drop of water makes it more vibrant and also shows clear maturity as well as a hint of incense. Exotic.
Palate: The palate is expansive with a succulent texture and hints of fragrant grass. Fruits emerge in the middle. Layered, spiced, and dry. Water brings out ash from an incense burner, a satisfying mouthfeel and surprisingly perky acidity.
Finish: Nicely balanced and persistent on the finish which picks up mint flavouring and makes it more camphor-like.

SHIRAKAWA 1958 FROM TARAKA SHUZO CO.,LTD

1,500 (70cl) bottles will be available from 13th September 2022 via tomatindistillery.com and selected retail partners worldwide including Harrods, Berry Bros, The Whisky Exchange & Royal Mile Whiskies
RRP: £25,000

The only UK consumer tasting of Shirakawa 1958 will take place at The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show at 12:45pm on Saturday 1 October 2022. Tickets for the masterclass can be purchased from 24th August 2022 via www.whiskyshow.com/london/, guests must also hold a Saturday ticket for the show in order to attend.

Shirakawa Distillery

Shirakawa Distillery was built in the Fukushima Prefecture, 200km North of Tokyo, in 1939 by Daikoku Budoshu and demolished in 2003. Even though Shirakawa Distillery was one of the pioneers of malt whisky making in Japan, it was never officially available as a single malt. That category didn’t take off in Japan until the mid-80s, and by that time, Takara Shuzo’s focus lay elsewhere. The land where Shirakawa Distillery once sat was subsequently gifted by Takara Shuzo in 2011 to build emergency housing to accommodate the locals who had been displaced by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Tomatin Distillery Co. Ltd

In 1897 Tomatin was nothing but an isolated and idyllic setting for a distillery. With the new Highland Railway came opportunities, and so the distillery was born. Since then, the distillery has been at the heart of the community and the community at the heart of the distillery. Today, the Tomatin Legacy lives on in the form of an exciting and varied range of Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskies (Tomatin Single Malt & Cù Bòcan Single Malt).

Tomatin Single Malt exudes luxury among its batch releases and prestige limited editions. The Private Cask Program presents an esteemed collection of hand-selected single casks, truly remarkable expressions of the versatile spirit which Tomatin Single Malt offers. All vintages will be delivered within a crystal decanter with beautiful gold collar and stopper, a fully customisable label, bespoke engraving and cased within a contrasting textured wood and high gloss wooden box.

https://tomatin.com
Takara Shuzo Co.,Ltd

Takara Shuzo Co.,Ltd produces sake, other alcoholic beverages, and seasonings. This division comprises the original business; the holding company including it was formed in 2001 as Takara Holdings Inc. Takara Shuzo, one of Japan’s leading manufacturers of traditional alcoholic beverages since sake brewing operations in 1842, acquired Tomatin Distillery Co. Ltd in 1986.

In 1951, Takara Shuzo became one of only a handful of distilleries in Japan to produce malt whisky and it continued to do so uninterrupted until 1969. The vast majority of this malt whisky used in Takara Shuzo’s flagship ‘King’ blended whisky brand. https://www.takarashuzo.co.jp/english/