Loch Lomond Whiskies Unveils Limited Edition Whisky to Celebrate

The Open’s 150^th Championship

Award-winning, independent distiller Loch Lomond Whiskies has unveiled two limited edition single malt whiskies in celebration of The Open.

Loch Lomond The Open Course Edition 2022, and Loch Lomond The Open Special Edition 2022, have been created to mark the 150^th year of golf’s prestigious The Open Championship, of which Loch Lomond Whiskies is the official spirit partner.

The 150^th Open will be played on the historic links of The Old Course, St Andrews, this July.

Each single malt expression has been carefully crafted using Loch Lomond Whiskies’ remarkable straight-neck stills, which are entirely unique to the distillery.

These innovative stills allow Master Blender, Michael Hendry, to explore the flavour profiles in an imaginative way.

Loch Lomond The Open Special Edition 2022 has been crafted in partnership with legendary golfer Colin Montgomerie, who worked closely with Master Blender Michael Hendry to create a whisky worthy of The Open’s historic anniversary.

Perfectly capturing the distillery’s signature style of fruit, honey and soft smoke, this unique single malt is bursting with flavour, carrying notes of strawberry, peach and lime citrus, a creamy fudge sweetness, a lingering oak spice, and soft smoke finish.

The Open Special Edition 2022 has been aged in American Oak casks before being hand-selected for additional finishing in Bordeaux Red Wine Barriques, creating an additional layer of complexity.

Montgomerie’s signature appears on each bottle, adding an extra special touch to this wonderful edition.

Loch Lomond The Open Course Edition 2022 is a rich and elegant single malt whisky which pays homage to all the golf courses where The Open has taken place, from the first ever championship in Prestwick in 1860 to St Andrews where the 2022 event will be held.

The limited-edition single malt is a rare expression which captures the distillery’s spirit of exploration and unique whisky-making style.

First distilled 22 years ago, The Open Course Edition 2022 delivers notes of stewed apple, pear and black cherry with vanilla and dark chocolate, a warming ginger spice and wood smoke finish. It is aged in American Oak casks before being finished in the finest Haut-Médoc Claret Barriques for 36 months.

The Open Course Edition 2022 is presented in a striking blue case and boasts an elevated bottle design, making it the perfect gift which will stand out on any whisky cabinet.

Andrew Jack, Head of Whisky Marketing at Loch Lomond Whiskies, said:

“The Open is a such a prestigious event, bringing together some of the world’s best golfers. At Loch Lomond Whiskies we are very proud to show our support as the official spirit partner of this momentous anniversary.

“The ties between golf and whisky in Scotland date back generations. Our two new, limited edition single malts are highly valuable additions to our whisky portfolio, demonstrating the breadth of distillation techniques Loch Lomond Whiskies is capable of. We’re confident both expressions will appeal to a variety of tastes, budgets and interests, particularly in the lead up to Father’s Day in June.” 

Loch Lomond The Open Special Edition 2022 (ABV 46%, RRP £45) is available from www.lochlomondwhiskies.com/products/loch-lomond-open-special-edition-2022

Loch Lomond The Open Course Edition 2022 (ABV 48.2%, RRP £225) is available from www.lochlomondwhiskies.com/products/loch-lomond-open-course-collection-2022

For further information, please visit www.lochlomondwhiskies.com.

About the Loch Lomond Group

• Loch Lomond Group is an independent distiller based in Alexandria and is home to several award-winning brands that are sold in more than 125 countries worldwide.

• Loch Lomond distillery has been producing the finest single malt whiskies since 1814.

• Images and interviews with key staff from the Group are available upon request. lochlomondgroup.com

About Loch Lomond Whiskies

• Loch Lomond Distillery has one of the oldest heritages in the industry. It was founded by American, Duncan Thomas, the owner of the Littlemill distillery which was licensed in 1772. In the 1930s Duncan Thomas was at the forefront of innovation within the Scotch whisky industry and his innovative philosophy is ingrained into everything that is done at Loch Lomond to this day.

• The multi award winning Loch Lomond whiskies range includes the Loch Lomond 12-Year-Old Perfectly Balanced which has been awarded the Platinum Award in 2020, one of only 7 single malts to be awarded this honour at the San Francisco World Spirits Challenge 2020.

A selection of other recent medals include:

Loch Lomond 21 Year Old Perfectly Balanced – Double Gold San Francisco World Spirits Awards 2021

Loch Lomond 12 Year Old Inchmurrin – Best Highland Scotch 12 Year Old & Under, World Whisky Awards 2021; Gold International Sprits Challenge 2021; Double Gold San Francisco World Spirits Awards 2020.

Loch Lomond 12 Year Old Inchmoan – Gold San Francisco World Spirits Awards 2020; Gold International Sprits Challenge 2020

Loch Lomond 30 Year Old – Double Gold San Francisco World Spirits Awards 2021

May has come and gone and we were so happy to once again be able to hold The Bear Burning, which was a great success everyone seemed to have had a marvellous time, and it was brilliant to host such a big event here again.

Those of you who live nearby, or who have visited recently may have noticed that those lovely copper works of art seen through the distillery windows are hot again? We are extremely happy to be distilling once more. It’s also a joy to be welcoming so many visitors to the brand home. The Visitors’ Book tells a fabulous story – on some days there are visitors from nine or so different countries, all raving about what a wonderful experience they have had.

Stay safe and stay well, from our corner of Fife

Slàinte

Drew & Helen McKenzie Smith
Custodians of Lindores Abbey Distillery

DISTILLERY NEWS

We in operations find ourselves moving at a blistering pace. Whether that be in distillation or bottling, it’s currently all systems go –  all the time. Why is this? Because the brand is being so well received; and as our distributors, importers, social media, pilgrims, supporters and good old “word of mouth” works its magic, more and more people want to try our whisky.

That can only be taken positively so today I am going to start with thanking the operations team for maintaining this pace.

The US market will be opening up very soon and that will keep us even busier as we try to keep up with that demand.

From the distillery and the warehouse, it’s pretty much business as usual. Maintaining that Lindores Character in the SRWV ( Spirits Receiving Warehouse Vessel ) ready for cask filling is all important, and that recipe that will not get changed. Yes, there may be a little refinement, but the key ingredients will remain the same: local malt, local water, yeast and that secret ingredient, people!

We have lots of casks coming in and out of the warehouse including some that are bringing back memories. Can you believe it, we are already starting to bottle 4yo whisky. When and where did that happen? We have also done some private cask bottling which has been hugely enjoyable, and a great experience for all involved.

Slàinte

Gary Haggart
Distillery Manager

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

For the past few weeks I have been working on the sensory analysis of the different casks that are in the process of maturation. I evaluate their organoleptic characteristics, checking how the spirit is developing different flavours and aromas. I enjoy discovering that every single cask has its own profile.

Recently I have been sampling some Bourbon, Sherry and STR casks, all of them around 4 years old and I can confirm that Lindores Spirit is behaving well inside our different casks, influenced by the DNA in our New Make Spirit: mellow fruity, apples and ripe pears with soft elegant aromatic floral notes.

The Bourbon releases beautiful vanilla, butterscotch, custard cream and on the palate, a silky texture with a rounded finish. The Oloroso Sherry cask from Jose y Miguel Martin Cooperage is outstanding with mellow fruity raisins, marmalade tastes and rich chocolate notes. The STR casks are releasing fruity black cherry jam and spicy woody notes.

All these casks maintain the Lindores character. Most of these casks are well balanced and complex and could perhaps be classified as a ‘special occasion dram’. As you know our Lindores MCDXCIV is a blend of these three different type of casks, the Bourbon, Sherry and the STR Wine Barrique, producing an interesting, unique profile.

The heart of Lindores MCDXCIV comes from Bourbon casks with mellow vanilla and caramel notes; the influence of STR Wine barriques and Sherry Casks add expression to the final formula. The STR casks provide balance with a powerful combination of spicy woody notes and a subtle red wine touch that combines beautifully with the rich dried fruits and nuttiness of the Sherry casks.

Slàinte

Lorena Baez
Product Development

FATHERS DAY 2022

Want to get an amazing gift for Father’s Day but aren’t really sure where to start? Then why not let us take away some of the hassle with our easy to follow Father’s Day gifts guide on our website that should hopefully provide some inspiration, and will make a change from the usual socks!

FATHERS DAY GIFTS

Miltonduff 1990 31 Year Old Connoisseurs Choice #19440

A delectable palate filled with aniseed, cinnamon, and ripe raspberries with a vibrant citrus finish.

A stunning vintage Speyside expression from Miltonduff. Matured in a first fill sherry butt, just 437 bottles of this expression were filled in December 2021.

On the nose, there is dark chocolate, orange peel, and rich toffee. The palate has aniseed, cinnamon, and ripe raspberries before leading into a long finish full of citrus.

£750.00
BUY NOW

Raasay Single Malt R-01.1

The latest single malt release from Raasay distillery has arrived! Raasay R-01.1 has been crafted from peated and unpeated Raasay spirit matured separately in first fill Rye whiskey, Chinkapin oak and first fill Bordeaux red wine casks, then combined resulting in a lightly peated dram.

Each stage in the process, from distillation, maturation and bottling takes place on the Isle of Raasay. R-01.1 was bottled in 2022 at 46.4% vol using water from their very own well, named Tobar na Ba Bàine (the Well of the Pale Cow).

Slàinte

BUY NOW

Found North 18 Year Old “Batch 4” Barrel Strength Unchillfiltered Canadian Whiskey (750ml)

$139.99 View

Nick and Zachary Taylor seem to be two men on a mission. They’re determined to prove that Canadian Whisky is more than just “smooth”. The goal is to sources extremely high quality aged stocks from Canada’s best distillers and blend them uncut and unfiltered. Proving that the category has more to offer shouldn’t be difficult, but getting bourbon nerds and whisky geeks to buy in is another story. That requires actually producing that does more than provide lip service, no they actually have to make something people want to drink. They’ve achieved that whole heartedly with their small batch blends of old cask strength Canadian whisky. Batch 4 is built around a base of 21 year old corn whisky paired with a 25 year old corn whisky aged in Hungarian oak. Balancing the rich sweetness of the two corn whiskies are two 18 year old ryes aged in ex-speyside scotch and recharr used American oak. The resulting blend is a bourbon lovers delight, rich sweet aromas of maple and molasses paired with exotic wood and savory spice.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

https://youtu.be/Hd_Il10uA9I

Benromach. Why aren’t we giving Benromach the praise it deserves? Can’t find Spiringbank or Longrow? Why would you spend some horrendous secondary price on a bottle of 12/15YO when you can buy most of Benromach’s range for less than £80? Utterly baffling.

Recently retried the 10YO and fell head over heels, easily up their with Arran 10 in terms of taste and value. This I bought through a marketing email, which typically never entice me. But…first fill bourbon casks, 46%, and a type of barley I’ve never heard of for less than £50? Sold. Incredibly tasty, but did need some time to open up.

I have also reviewed this previously with John Drinks, see that video below.

https://youtu.be/yrrUNYrGPTQ

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whiskytube/

Instagram: @thisiswhiskywednesday

Twitter: @whiskytube

TAMNAVULIN ANNOUNCES NEW DISTILLERY MANAGER

Leon Webb joins Tamnavulin following distillery’s success at

Spirit of Speyside Festival

The award-wining Speyside distillery Tamnavulin has appointed experienced whisky maker Leon Webb as its new Distillery Manager. His arrival further bolsters the distilling team at the world’s fastest growing Single Malt[1], which recently won gold at The Spirit of Speyside Awards for Tamnavulin Spanish Grenache Cask.

Leon joined the team in early May, returning to his native Scotland following a period of five years in Canada, working as Master Distiller and Blender for the well-respected Shelter Point Distillery on Vancouver Island, B.C.

Leon, second right.

Originally from Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands, Leon graduated with an MSc in Brewing and Distilling from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, before embarking on his distilling career in both Scotland and Canada, producing a number of award-winning liquids.

He joins Tamnavulin’s Distiller Sam Douglas and Blender Kirsty Hodge, who has been working closely with the distillery in recent years, as part of the wider Whyte & Mackay Distilling Team, which is headed up by Master Whisky Maker and Blender Gregg Glass.

Shane Healey, Distillery Director at Whyte & Mackay, said: “Leon will be a fantastic addition to Tamnavulin and our Distilling Team. I am confident he will build on all the great work already done at the distillery and make a great contribution to the extraordinary growth of the Tamnavulin brand around the world. Leon joins Tamnavulin at an exciting time, fresh after the Spirit of Speyside Festival.”

The single malt brand was brought back to life in 2016 as a quintessential signature Speyside malt whisky. The fruit-forward liquids produced are all double-matured and enhanced through wine cask finishes, released at an affordable price point.

Numerous award wins later – coupled with a rapid growth in demand from consumer and trade alike  have quickly established Tamnavulin as a leading example of quality Speyside whisky – testament to a distillery and whisky making team that will be further bolstered by Leon’s experience.

Tamnavulin recently announced the addition of a White Wine Cask Edition to its core range, building on the popularity of the brand’s Red Wine Cask Editions.

About Tamnavulin

On the Southern edge of Speyside, in the foothills of the Cairngorm Mountains, lies Tamnavulin Distillery. Built in 1966, the Distillery takes its name from the Gaelic for ‘mill on the hill’, the distillery was named after the historic woollen mill which still sits next to the distillery. After closing in 1995, the distillery underwent a major refurbishment before it was re-opened in 2007. The first whisky from the newly opened distillery was launched in 2016, much to the anticipation of whisky fans.

Tucked away on the edge of the River Livet, set on the bank of the Allt’ a Choire, Tamnavulin draws water from underground springs in the Easterton hills formed by snowmelt from the surrounding mountains. This water is naturally filtered through ancient limestone rock before reaching the distillery, resulting in some of the purest spring water to be found in Scotland.

The small group of skilled, time-served craftsmen began creating Tamnavulin’s signature Speyside malt whisky over fifty years ago using the finest ingredients combined with age-old distilling expertise and sophisticated techniques.

Since its launch in 2016, Tamnavulin has driven a successful path which has seen it become the fastest growing single malt globally in 2020 (IWSR ‘000’s 8.4L cases) and the no.4 brand by volume in the UK (Nielsen Scantrack/Kantar date to 9^th of October 2021).

www.tamnavulinwhisky.com

[1] *IWSR 2019-20, largest growing Single Malt

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

2006 Bunnahabhain 15 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Bourbon Barrel Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $109.99 View

2005 Glengoyne 16 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Hogshead Cask Strength Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $79.99 View

The Glengoyne distillery straddles the official dividing line between the lowlands and the highlands, but the famous distillery’s credentials have never been questioned. Founded in 1833 and not ceasing operation during the several industry crises and closures, the Glengoyne Distillery has long been associated with sherry matured single malt production. The distillery name, an anglicization of the term Glen Guin, means to the valley of the wild geese. The distillery received the Royal Warrant to supply the household of the Queen Mother in 1984 and the distillery’s current bottlings still feature the warrant prominently. The distillery boasts long fermentation and a very slow distillation intended to enhance the sweet fruity character of the spirit. While the distillery is typically filling European and American Oak seasoned with sherry, this unusual expression exemplifies the true nature of the spirit perfectly. At a lovely point in its maturation with a nice somewhat active hogshead not completely masking the character of the spirit, few single casks will offer as much inviting fruity character and approachable flavors. A particular strong value considering the current prices of the core range and while some Glengoyne lovers might prefer this whisky matured in Sherry, few would plausibly deny the inherent quality of this exceptional spirit in this rarely seen style.

2009 Talisker 11 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Hogshead Cask Strength Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $119.99 View

What can we say about these exceptional Talisker stocks except that we simply wish we could get more. The special distillery on Skye was once completely off limits for independent bottlers. We bottled the first IB Talisker we’d seen in decades back in 2014, a young 5 year old that was unbelievable good. Now more than a half decade later, those same stocks are incredibly still available and significantly more mature. This gorgeous Talisker exemplifies everything we love about the magical distillery. Truly born of the sea, the character of Talisker is distinct from all other peated malts. Wild and complex, it’s very difficult to get a similar experience from even the finest Islay distillery. This one does love water so don’t avoid a few drops or you’ll be leaving at intermission.

1991 North British 30 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Bourbon Barrel Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (750ml) $149.99 View

Once a bastion of ridiculous value, the single grain market has seemingly jumped the shark over the past couple of vintages. Supplies are tight and prices are high, but occasionally we come across casks that still far outpace their price point in terms of quality. This 30 year old North British is exactly that. One of the more complex grains we’ve had in some time, it was aged for three decades in a fresh bourbon barrel, which likely accounts for the exceptional quality. The North British distillery was established in 1885 not far from Edinburgh Castle. Now controlled as a joint venture between Diageo and Edrington, it can produce upwards of 65 million liters of pure alcohol per year from mostly corn. The exceptional size of this distillery does not proclude it from making high quality grain and while most of the production is used in Famous Grouse and Johnnie Walker, we occasionally get access to product of high quality at reasonable prices. The key, it would seem, to producing high quality grain seems to be using high quality wood and allowing long maturation. This is exactly what we’ve got here. A gorgeous creamy and very approachable old grain for a very solid price.

1990 Isle Islay Malt 30 Year Old “Redacted Bros.” (Thompson/Dornoch) K&L Exclusive Single Refill Hogshead Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $299.99 View

The hits never end from the excellent team in Dornoch. This treble of casks from a famous, undiclosed distillery on the southern coast of Islay represents some of the finest values we’ve ever come across. Even considering the extreme inflation in prices on old Islay malts, we would have never previously been able to offer casks of this quality from this exceptional traditional distillery at this price. But thanks to the incredible network that the Thompson Brothers have developed we’ve been able to garner unprecedented access. An exceptional example of the heavily peated style after 3 decades in barrel, unsullied by wine barrels or finishes of any type. Few whiskies offer more distinctly charming examples of this sought-after style. This exceptional cask was distilled in November of 1990 and bottled just before it’s 31st birthday in 2021. It was bottled at cask strength without chillfiltration at 100.4 proof. Sold exclusively at K&L Wine Merchants, the old hogsheads turned out just 252 bottles.

We’re delighted to introduce you to our limited edition Platinum Jubilee Whisky, created to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II ascending the throne. On the 29th April 2016, we filled cask number 1952, a first-fill shaved, toasted and re-charred (STR) ex-red wine cask, which was left to mature at our distillery in the Cotswolds. Bottled especially to mark the Platinum Jubilee, this celebratory single malt offers deliciously sweet notes of orange, toffee and dark chocolate and is the perfect way to toast this very special occasion.

With only 350 bottles produced at 55.4% ABV, our Platinum Jubilee Whisky is now exclusively available to purchase on our website and in-store.

SHOP NOW

Cotswolds Distillery
Phillip’s Field, Whichford Road
Stourton
Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire CV36 5EX
United Kingdom

Win a VIP experience at Johnnie Walker Princes Street

Experience the Journey of Flavour, Archive tour, private tasting in the Whisky Makers Cellar, drinks in the 1820 rooftop bar, and fill your own bottle. Plus travel, accommodation, and all meals including dinner at one of Edinburgh’s incredible Michelin star restaurants!

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Buy any of the 70cl bottles from the Johnnie Walker range for your chance to win this amazing prize. Closes 30th June 2022.

View all bottles here →

Terms & Conditions
Open to Residents of UK (except NI) over the age of 18. To enter you must purchase a 70cl from the Johnnie Walker range. Maximum of 3 entries per person. There is only one Johnnie Walker Experience Prize. Promotion operates from 19th May to 30th June 2022. Proof of Purchase will be required.