Kilchoman Release Loch Gorm 2022 Edition

From Islay’s Farm Distillery

Loch Gorm 2022 Edition was matured in oloroso sherry butts previously used by Bodega Jose y Miguel Martin for a minimum of eight years. The 22 casks selected are a combination of 20 fresh and 2 refill casks. The sherry soaked oak adds layers of rich fruity character which balance beautifully with classic Kilchoman peat smoke and citrus flavours.

£74.50

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Scotland’s First Family of Scottish Oak      

Pioneering Whisky Maker Gregg Glass achieves landmark

in his industry-leading Scottish Oak Programme

Esteemed whisky making house Whyte and Mackay has announced a landmark achievement, with every distillery in its collection now incorporated into the company’s industry-leading Scottish Oak Programme – an industry first.

The initiative, founded by pioneering Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass, led the industry to explore the potential for responsibly sourced, locally grown Scottish Oak to mature Scotch Whisky. The industry has historically favoured Oak sourced from outside Scotland.

Tamnavulin, in Speyside, joined the programme this week as Mark Kent, CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), joined the whisky makers to personally fill these special Scottish Oak casks.

The distillery follows island distillery Jura, and Fettercairn, located in ‘the Garden of Scotland’ – Aberdeenshire, where the initiative was born. Each distillery now has whisky experiments laid down to explore and evaluate the impact locally grown Oak has on each distinct distillery style and to identify the flavour characteristics that Scottish Oak lends to Scotch Whisky.

In doing so, the distilleries are paving the way for the wider use of responsibly sourced Scottish oak for future generations of whisky makers.

Led by Gregg Glass, Whyte and Mackay’s move towards Scottish oak maturation is an exploration into the unique flavour that the oak species possesses, as well as future-proofing both the sourcing and seasoning of cask options for the wider whisky industry, striving towards a more sustainable future.

Head of Whisky Experience at Whyte and Mackay, Ludo Ducrocq comments: “The filling of these special casks is really a celebration of the partnerships Whyte and Mackay has nurtured over time, which will ultimately benefit the whole industry.”

Glass has been exploring the use of native oak species for many years through Whyte and Mackay’s experimental arm, Whisky Works, which has previously celebrated the release of The King of Trees, a 10 year old blended malt finished in Scottish oak casks.

Since his appointment in 2016, Glass has developed long lasting partnerships with landowners and cooperages that share Whyte and Mackay’s vision for the future. Rooted in exemplary forestry management and considerate cooping practices, Whyte and Mackay believes that focusing on responsible sourcing and meaningful partnerships will drive positive change in the industry, leading to better whisky for everyone.

Glass explains: “The Scottish Oak Programme seeks to inspire change within the Scotch whisky industry. We want to champion the potential that home-grown oak offers the spirits industry, and the incredible diversity of flavour it offers the whisky maker.”

Whyte and Mackay – Award-Winning Whisky Makers

Whyte and Mackay are a famed whisky house, home to an award-winning collection of Single Malt Whiskies, led by The Dalmore. The collection includes Jura, the UK’s Number 1 [1]Single Malt, Tamnavulin[2], the world’s (IWSR, 2021)Single Malt and Fettercairn, home to enlightened whisky making.

In 2020 the company were publicly recognised by the First Minister of Scotland for their support of the national pandemic response. Whyte and Mackay are official partners to SAMH – Scottish Association for Mental Health, which saw Whyte and Mackay employees worldwide complete a virtual-race-around-the-world to raise awareness for the charity.

Founded in Glasgow 1844, the whisky makers recently celebrated their 175 year anniversary, and were recognised as Distiller of the Year 2021. Today Whyte and Mackay have offices from New York to Singapore. In Scotland, Whyte and Mackay operate a state-of-the-art Bottling Hall and Distribution Centre in Grangemouth and a Whisky Production and Warehousing Centre in Invergordon.

[1] Neilsen UK Off Trade MAT 26.03.22

[2] IWSR 2020

**NEWSFLASH** THE FIRST-EVER NFT LOT IN A WHISKY AUCTION SELLS FOR HK$937,500/ US$120,000 AT BONHAMS

Glen Grant-1948-72 year old Decanter alongside Year of the Dram and its NFT by celebrated South China Morning Post cartoon artist Harry Harrison sells in Hong Kong today

Glen Grant-1948-72 year old Decanter x Year of the Dram

Estimate of HK$700,000-900,000. Sold for HK$937,500.

Hong Kong – Moments ago, the first-ever NFT lot in a whisky auction sold for the price of HK$937,500/US$120,000 at Bonhams Fine & Rare Wine and Whisky Sale in Hong Kong. The lot, a Gordon & MacPhail’s Glen Grant 72-year-old whisky, is accompanied by the painting Year of the Dram and its NFT to commemorate this sale in Hong Kong and the year 1948 – when the whisky was first laid down in its cask. The prized lot carried an estimate of HK$700,000-900,000.

The painting was commissioned by celebrated South China Morning Post cartoon artist Harry Harrison.

Gordon & MacPhail 72 year old is the oldest Glen Grant whisky ever released to the market. This lot presented in a hand-cut crystal decanter is numbered 172, out of only 290 bottles produced. The same whisky previously set the world auction record for the most expensive Glen Grant whisky, where it fetched HK$421,600 at Bonhams Hong Kong in 2021.

Commenting on the results, Christopher Pong, Bonhams Head of Sale, said: “Having recently been named the World’s Best Single Cask of the Year 2022 and Scottish Single Malt Whisky of the Year in Whisky Bible, the Glen Grant 1948 is simply extraordinary. We are also pleased to be the first to offer a lot with an NFT work at a whisky auction.”>

Fine and Rare Wine and Whisky20 May 2022Bonhams Hong Kong, 20/F, One Pacific Place, Admiralty.

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and collectables, motor cars and a luxury division, including jewellery, watches, wine and whisky. The main salerooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Hong Kong, with auctions also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers advice and valuation services in 53 specialist areas. For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com

TIMOROUS BEASTIE

“MEET THE BEAST”

13 YEARS OLD

A limited-edition cask strength marriage of Single Cask Single Malts, only from the Highland region of Scotland. One of only 3,000 bottles, this charming fieldmouse may look somewhat mild, but behind his adorable exterior lies one monster of a Malt Whisky, bursting with explosive spices and cask strength depth.

£70.00

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BIG PEAT

Feis Íle 2022 – Beach BBQ 

This particular release of an award-winning blended malt, Big Peat, was created for the 2022 Edition of the Islay Whisky Festival. It was made using only the best quality single malt from Islay, resulting in punchy peat-packed malt with maple-cured bacon, charred oak and chewy salted toffee.

£51.50

Loch Lomond 17 Years Old 

I’ll Take The Low Road 

NOSE: Soft smoke steams from the glass laced with sugary sweet and earthen peat. Vanilla ice cream follows on with hints of boiled sweets and citrus.

PALATE: A bold and heady concoction of complex flavours. First, the sweetness of peat and old malt coats the mouth, followed by a more deep and richer earthy peat. Then, as it fades, citric boiled sweets, creaminess of marshmallowS and a whole rack of spices emerge.

FINISH: Heady and earthy peat lingers long, mingled with sweetness and spice and all things nice. A touch of the orange rind is the last to leave.   Only 255 bottles were produced.

£120.00

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RAISE A DRAM TO A BRAND NEW BATCH

As part of the Family, you are one of the first to hear about our exciting new release – Glengoyne Cask Strength Batch No. 009, is now available to discover and enjoy.

Bottled at the strength it emerges from the cask, this delicious amber gold dram is un-chillfiltered, unfussed and untamed; the closest you’ll get to opening the cask yourself. It’s the perfect embodiment of our unhurried approach to whisky making.

Matured in one-third first-fill Oloroso sherry, two-thirds refill casks, and a smattering of bourbon barrels, this rich, complex whisky draws the oak’s intensity and creates a stunning dram at natural strength.

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PREPARE FOR A PEATY PURSUIT 

Discover the thrill of the taste, we are in hot pursuit of these outstanding peaty recommendations, available to buy now in our online shop. These rare beasts won’t be around for long, follow your nose over to our website to track down before they are gone forever.

ALL LIGHTLY PEATED

PEATED    HEAVILY PEATED

NOT SO PASSIONATE FOR PEAT?

If you’re not a phenol fanatic, check out our cask ends and secure a piece of SMWS history!

SHOP CASK ENDS

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

WHISK ME AWAY TO A HAPPY PLACE:

THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY CREATE WORLD’S FIRST LITERAL MEMORY BOXES

Credit: David Parry

JOIN THE FLAVOUR HUNTERS THIS MAY: The world’s most entertaining whisky club have created literal memory boxes in collaboration with a memory psychologist, chef and ‘thrill engineer’ to capture key moments in life that impact the way we experience flavour

To celebrate the SMWS Flavour Hunters festival throughout the whisky month of May, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) have created a sensory experience like no other. Based on the science of memory recall and creation, SMWS have designed the world’s first literal memory boxes.

Partnering with professional psychologist Dr Ansgar Endress, Scottish chef Bruce Clyne-Watson and rollercoaster designer & ‘thrill engineer’ Brendan Walker, the boxes will be available exclusively at The National Whisky Festival Glasgow 2022 on Saturday 7^th May & 2022 London Whisky Weekender on Saturday 14^th May, and in SMWS Members’ Rooms across the UK.

Utilising tasting notes from the six small batch festival bottlings specially released by the SMWS throughout May, the six distinct boxes use touch, taste, smell, sight and sound to transport people back to happy moments or places in their life, such as ‘Nan’s House of Tea’ which includes Haggis spiced lamb breast with caramelised red wine pineapple, malt loaf and toasted oats.

Renowned Scottish chef Bruce Clyne-Watson expertly crafted the memory-evoking canapes to feature alongside each box: ‘Camping Out’ embraces those warm Autumn nights huddling around the fire with rabbit liver rillette dressed in a marmalade chutney, candied walnut, and nasturtium leaves.

Paired with a peaty whisky, ‘Watching the Harbour Boats’ is matched with smoky langoustine sprayed with sea water and a smoke gun, served on pebbles alongside a deep-fried Mars Bar with Irn bru & tobacco essence, conjuring fond memories of the seashore.

The SMWS sensory experiences engage with the episodic memory, the part of the memory that takes in a whole experience and commits it to long-term memory, creating a pathway to a positive time. Experiencing these alongside the whiskies also gives our brains the power and tools to create new, happy memories over a dram.

Adding his thoughts on the partnership, Bruce Clyne-Watson said: “It’s a real joy to be working with The Scotch Malt Whisky Society on such an unconventional and exciting project. The Society itself is an endless discovery of flavour, making it so much fun to create these canapes, which match perfectly with the SMWS bottlings.

“Memory really does affect the way we experience flavour. Sampling the produce for this campaign genuinely evoked memories of my childhood, like going to my Nan’s house for tea as a wee lad; reminiscing over those warming, joyous memories. I can’t wait to see this campaign come to life in May and witness each guest’s whisky eureka moment.”

Commenting on the campaign, Helen Stewart, SMWS Head of Membership, said: “At the Society we believe flavour is more than what’s in your glass. May is whisky month and is the perfect time to show the world what the Society is all about.

“This May we want people to join the Society in our hunt for flavour. Whisky lovers can become part of the world’s most entertaining whisky club and get involved in the Flavour Hunters festival wherever they are, through our website, Members’ Rooms and at the fabulous whisky festivals taking place across the UK.”

Credit: David Parry

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society membership is about more than just whisky, come along to one of our UK Members’ Rooms to begin a discovery of flavour with the Society now: https://smws.com/

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

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#SMWS

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society 

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 30,000 members and branches around the world.
• The SMWS bottles rare single malt whisky, and a range of other spirits
• The Society bottles single malts, unique single casks and exclusive blends
• The Society has bottled whisky from 150 distilleries from Scotland and beyond
• The Society offers a new batch of around 20 single malt whiskies every month
• The Society offers a variety of membership packages that can be tailored. Please see: https://cutt.ly/aQGwfkH
• For more information about the Society, visit: https://cutt.ly/HQF6PTv
• Twitter: @SMWSUK Facebook: @thesmwsuk Instagram: @smws_uk

UK MEMBERS’ ROOMS

SMWS EDINBURGH

28 Queen St, Edinburgh EH2 1JX

The Vaults, 87 Giles St, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6BZ

SMWS GLASGOW

40 Bath St, Glasgow G2 1HG

SMWS LONDON

19 Greville St, London EC1N 8SQ

A.SMITH BOWMAN DISTILLERY HIGHLY COMMENDED FOR BRAND INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR BY WHISKY MAGAZINE

Two A. Smith Bowman Bourbons Receive American World Whiskies Awards

 FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA (March 16, 2022) – The Icons of Whisky America by Whisky Magazine highly commended A. Smith Bowman Distillery for 2022 Brand Innovator of the Year at a virtual presentation held Feb. 8. The magazine also announced the 2022 America World Whiskies Awards, honoring two of the Distillery’s bourbons.

A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a new limited expression the Distillery added to its permanent portfolio in 2021, was awarded a silver medal and John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey received a bronze medal.

“Experimenting is a core piece of who we are at A. Smith Bowman. We are constantly tinkering with ingredients and other variables to produce one-of-a-kind spirits,” said Master Distiller Brian Prewitt. “It is an honor to be highly commended for Brand Innovator of the Year. We look forward to continuing to release new and innovative spirits.”

Whiskies in each category of the World Whiskies Awards were subject to blind tastings in a three-round judging process to reward and promote the world’s best whiskies to consumers and trade across the globe.  The winners from the World Whiskies Awards and the Icons of Whisky Awards America 2022 will now compete with counterparts from all over the world, and global winners will be announced March 24 in London. For more information about the World Whiskies Awards visit www.worldwhiskiesawards.com, and for more information about the Icons of Whisky visit www.iconsofwhisky.com

About A. Smith Bowman

A. Smith Bowman’s distilling roots date back to the years before Prohibition when the Bowman family had a granary and dairy farm in Sunset Hills, Virginia. They used excess grain from the family estate to distill spirits. In 1934, after the Repeal of Prohibition, Abram Smith Bowman and his sons continued the family tradition and built a more modern distillery in Fairfax County, Virginia called Sunset Hills Farm.  The Distillery was moved in 1988 and is now nestled in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.

As a small and privately owned company, A. Smith Bowman Distillery continues the time-honored traditions on which it was founded. Considered a micro-distillery by today’s standards, A. Smith Bowman produces an assortment of hand-crafted spirits distilled from only the finest natural ingredients and using the latest technology. This micro-distillery focuses on the production of premium spirits honoring the legacy of Virginia’s first settlers. As Virginia’s oldest and most award-winning distillery, its various brands have earned numerous prestigious awards over the years, including John J. Bowman Single Barrel, which received a double gold medal at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.  For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit www.asmithbowman.com.

John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon Receives Gold Medal at 2022 International Wine & Spirits Competition 

FREDERICKSBURG, VA (April 12, 2022) The 2022 International Wine & Spirits Competition recognized four A. Smith Bowman bourbons. The Distillery’s bourbons took home one Gold medal and four Bronze medals. Medals were awarded as follows:

Gold medal went to

• John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Bronze medals went to

• Bowman Brothers Small Batch Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Isaac Bowman Port Barrel Finished Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey

“We are honored to accept these awards,” Master Distiller Brian Prewitt said. “We continually strive to produce quality spirits, and are thrilled the judges were impressed by our bourbons.”

The International Wine & Spirits Competition uses a double-blind tasting method, in which samples are tasted in pre-poured numbered glasses to ensure judges never see a bottle. Spirits are judged by a panel of world-renowned experts from across the global spirits trade, allowing for group discussion. For more information on the International Wine and Spirits Competition, visit https://www.iwsc.net/.

About A. Smith Bowman

A. Smith Bowman’s distilling roots date back to the years before Prohibition when the Bowman family had a granary and dairy farm in Sunset Hills, Virginia. They used excess grain from the family estate to distill spirits. In 1934, after the Repeal of Prohibition, Abram Smith Bowman and his sons continued the family tradition and built a more modern distillery in Fairfax County, Virginia called Sunset Hills Farm.  The Distillery was moved in 1988 and is now nestled in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.

As a small and privately owned company, A. Smith Bowman Distillery continues the time-honored traditions on which it was founded. Considered a micro-distillery by today’s standards, A. Smith Bowman produces an assortment of hand-crafted spirits distilled from only the finest natural ingredients and using the latest technology. This micro-distillery focuses on the production of premium spirits honoring the legacy of Virginia’s first settlers. As Virginia’s oldest and most award-winning distillery, its various brands have earned numerous prestigious awards over the years, including John J. Bowman Single Barrel, which received a double gold medal at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.  For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit www.asmithbowman.com.

American Whiskey | An Enduring Fascination  ENDS 23 May 2022

Now Live: American Whiskey Auction

A warm welcome to American Whiskey | An Enduring Fascination.

Featuring over 800 rare expressions, this auction offers both emerging whiskey collectors and seasoned connoisseurs with an unrivalled opportunity to acquire some of America’s most sought-after whiskeys.

Spotlighting over 70 exclusive barrel picks at its heart, the auction celebrates the enduring fascination among whiskey enthusiasts for private barrel selects.

Private Barrel Selects Magazine: Please browse our latest digital magazine which focuses on some of the world’s most exclusive and sought-after private label whiskeys.

Van Winkle 1975 Special Reserve 19 Year Old for Corti Brothers / Stitzel-Weller

Rare Expressions from Heaven Hill Bardstown

Pappy Van Winkle 1984 Family Reserve 23 Year Old Single Barrel / Kentucky Barrel Society – 2007 Barrel C

Mount Vernon Rye 1903 Macy and Jenkins 1/5 Gallon / Pre-Prohibition

Willett Family Estate 1984 Single Barrel 24 Year Old Bourbon #637 / Bonili

Dougherty’s 11 Year Old Pre-Prohibition Blend of Straight Rye Whiskies