Whisky season is in full swing, get into the spirit with two NEW Flavour Hunters Festival Bottlings. Say hello to our Highland Rare Release Hazelnut Bubble Gum and our Vaults Collection bottling 29.278 Peat smoked porcini.

Both these exceptional whiskies are packed with flavour-fuelled fun. Don’t miss the celebrations, click over to our website now to buy or keep on scrolling to discover more details along with our Flavour Hunters Festival must-have recommendations.

BROWSE THE NEW WHISKY

MAY OUTTURN

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

ralfy review 927 – Mortlach 10yo @ 57.5%vol: (Editions Spirits Ltd:)

Elixir Distillers announces name of new Islay distillery ahead of Fèis Ìle festival

Just over six months after breaking ground, and after much speculation from whisky enthusiasts around the world, Elixir Distillers has confirmed that their new Islay distillery will be called PORTINTRUAN.

Located just outside the town of Port Ellen on Islay’s south coast on the way to Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg distilleries, Portintruan is pronounced Port-nah-truan. It takes its name from the historic farm estate where the distillery is located and means ‘place of the stream’.

Co-owner Sukhinder Singh explains the vision for the distillery: “Elixir Distillers has always taken a flavour-led approach and this will be the Portintruan philosophy as well. We will be utilising a number of old-style production techniques which we believe will accentuate the depth and character of the spirit. A key part of the process will be using malt predominantly from our own floor maltings on-site, and we will be using direct-fired wash stills for the distillation. We plan to work with different phenol levels across the range, which will all have their own specific flavour profiles.”

Portintruan will be where the past meets the future, combining these old-style production techniques with modern technology to improve process and quality, and of course sustainability. Being sustainable is one of the most important factors in Portintruan’s plans, although Distillery Manager Georgie Crawford recognises there is a lot of work still to be done:

“Working within what is currently possible on Islay, we want to be as green and as responsible as we can. We are talking to the Islay Energy Trust, our fellow distillers on the island and suppliers to ensure we take all opportunities to be greener. We are using the latest technology to implement a heat loop for our waterusage to ensure the maximum amount is recycled and reused with the heat recovered for other processes. We’re also using a bio diesel for our direct-fired stills which is the cleanest fuel we can currently source, and we’re building the distillery so that it can use hydrogen power once that is available.”

Portintruan will be adding an experimental distillery within the site – so it will be two distilleries in one. This will enable the team to produce not only different Scotch whisky styles but also rum. Plans for the distillery site also include 14 houses for Islay families working at the distillery, a visitor’s centre, a bar and restaurant, a tasting room bothy overlooking the sea, and a multi-purpose educational facility which will serve as a base for an apprentice programme to train the next generation of distillers.

The distillery name is being announced in time for the 2022 Fèis Ìle, the annual festival of whisky and music on Islay which will be held in person for the first time since 2019. The festival runs from Friday 27th May to Saturday 4th June and is set to welcome around 10,000 whisky-loving visitors to the island. The Elixir Distillers team will be setting up two cabins on the distillery site to welcome Islay whisky enthusiasts wishing to see Portintruan in the earliest stages of its development.

Visitors will be able to peruse the distillery plans, look out over the site of the distillery and chat with members of the Elixir Distillers team over a dram or two of one of their Islay whiskies. Elixir Distillers will
also be running a number of tastings and events across Islay during the festival. Full details can be found on the festival website https://feisile.co.uk/feis-ile-2022/

Work on the site is well underway, with ground works complete and foundations about to commence, followed by the steel work. Portintruan is anticipating starting distilling from early 2024.

About Elixir Distillers

Founded by Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh, Elixir Distillers is a creator, blender and bottler of fine spirits, combining delicious, characterful liquid with beautiful design. Their expertise is Scotch whisky and rum but they also work with Japanese whisky, tequila and other spirits. Their core brands include Port Askaig, Elements of Islay, Single Malts of Scotland and Black Tot which they export to more than 25 international markets around the world.

LAPHROAIG COMES OUT ON TOP AT BONHAMS FIRST WHISKY AND SPIRITS SALE IN PARIS

EXCEPTIONAL AND RARE BOTTLES ON OFFER

 Bonhams : Whisky et Spiritueux d’Exception

15-year-old Laphroaig, 1967. Sold for €51,240 (Estimate: €28,000 – €38,000)

Paris – A bottle of the highly-coveted 15-year-old Laphroaig, 1967 was the top performer at Bonhams inaugural sale of exceptional Whisky and Spirits in Paris on Tuesday 10 May. It sold for €51,240 against an estimate of €28,000 – €38,000. The189-lot sale made a total of €322,275 with more than 80% of the lots sold.

Diego Lanza, Senior Whisky Specialist at Bonhams, said: “We are delighted with the result of our first whisky sale in Paris. The 15-year-old Laphroaig, 1967 which led the sale sparked a keen bidding war and performed exceptionally well. There was also a strong showing from other bottles as well, including the Springbank-12-year old-1967 which sold for €18,300, having been estimated at €15,000-20,000, and the Longmorn Glenlivet-1974 which made an impressive €6,100 against an estimate of €3,500-4,500.”

Sale: Fine Whisky and SpiritsLocation: 4 rue de la Paix, ParisDate: Tuesday 10 May

Link to catalogue: Bonhams : Whisky et Spiritueux d’Exception

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

Malt of the Moment!

Littered with awards including a recent Gold medal at International Wine and Spirits Competition 2022, this delightful Benromach has been matured for 15 years in first fill bourbon and sherry casks. A sophisticated, well balanced and defined whisky that offers superb value for money.

As our current Malt of the Moment, we’re delighted to offer this exceptional single malt along with 2 Benromach branded tasting glasses for the fantastic price of £57.99! *

Slàinte

*whilst stocks last

BUY NOW

The Finest Rendition Yet of a Coveted Whiskey Phenomenon
Bardstown Bourbon Company “Discovery Series #7”
Blended Whiskey (750ml) ($139.99)
“This is easilty the best Discovery in years … What a find!”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

For a few years now, we’ve enjoyed tremendous success with the line-up of highly unique, expertly crafted whiskeys from Bardstown Bourbon Company. Eponymously named for the town at the epicenter of the Kentucky bourbon tradition, this distiller maintains a healthy respect for its roots while also pushing the innovative envelope in its blending practices and collaborative ventures. Their latest release, the “Discovery Series #7” shows the blending team in its finest form. The #7 edition is a big step in the series’ evolution, as for the first time, it includes whiskey distilled outside the U.S. The results are unconventional but also undeniably delicious. The K&L spirits team is well-versed in the singular character of the whiskeys in the Discovery Series, but the seventh edition has outdone them all. Buyer Andrew Whiteley calls it “one of the most compelling whiskies to date out of Bardstown, and that is saying something!” His colleague David Othenin-Girard was equally captivated, noting, “I just about fell out of my seat when I saw that this is a blended whiskey.” Like previous releases, the #7 edition is highly coveted by the most savvy collectors, and as word of the project’s exceptionally unique results starts to get around to a broader audience, we don’t expect to see it in stock for very long.

Bardstown Bourbon Company “Discovery Series #7” Blended Whiskey (750ml) ($139.99)

K&L Notes: We are seven releases in, and Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Discovery Series just gets better and better. The Discovery has always been about blending the best whiskey possible from meticulously sourced components and being transparent about what exactly went into the bottle. Discovery #7 marks a big shift in the blend and includes whiskey distilled outside of the United States for the first time. Here’s the mashbill breakdown: 31% of the blend is 12-year-old Kentucky bourbon with a mash of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. 25% is 12-year-old Kentucky bourbon from 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. 21% of the blend is Ontario-distilled, 12-year-old, 100% corn whisky. 15% is 7-year-old Indiana Rye made of 51% rye, 45% corn, and 4% malted barley. And the final 8% is a whopping 17-year-old Tennessee distillate of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley. The end result of all this is an incredibly smooth and approachable whiskey that steps outside tradition not for the sake of innovation, but because the fabulous results justify the approach.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: May 13, 2022

Discovery. This is what happens when you drink this whiskey. You’ll discover that names aren’t as important as thoughtful, flavor-driven decisions. Controversial? Perhaps. Risky? Definitely. Worth it? Absolutely. One of the most compelling whiskies to date out of Bardstown, and that is saying something! My hat is off to the creators and blenders involved in this one. The color is mahogany. The nose is brimming with spice, fruit, wood, and fine leather. When thinking about the component whiskies, the cohesion feels like a surprise, but upon further reflection, it probably shouldn’t. It’s no different than any other thoughtfully created blend—they have just started with a more diverse set of ingredients. The mouth-feel is big and full. No sharp edges here. Just a nice kick from the 57.25% ABV. It feels fuller and more complete than the last several batches of Discovery. It’s almost like a great chef has been cooking with one hand tied behind his back. Now that hand has been untied, and the sky is the limit.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: May 12, 2022

I just about fell out of my seat when I saw that this is a blended whiskey. WHAT?! What an outrageously risky thing to do! I absolutely love it when companies do crazy stuff like this. If you’re not aware, this whiskey includes a not insignificant amount of old Canadian corn whisky, thereby removing it from the bourbon category. But what it lacks in nomenclature, it more than makes up for in quality. This is easilty the best Discovery in years, handily beating the excellent #6 and definitely better than #4 and #5. What’s so impressive about the Discovery #7 is how complete it feels. It certainly doesn’t feel at all outside the category (straight bourbon) and has a very old-school vibe to it, almost to the point of feeling slightly antique in the best way possible. Let’s have a go. The nose is a gorgeous conglomerate of dense red and black berry fruit, exotic spice, antique wood (sandalwood especially), freshly ground medium roast, and hints of honey-lathered saddle. Why you’d put honey on your saddle I don’t know, but leather and honey surprisingly go together, so I’m not judging you. The entry starts very sweet and honeyed as well, before being pushed back with a bold clove spice and some caramel-covered apple. The finish is long and surprisingly spicy with this gorgeous dusty note that gives it that antique feel that I love so much. This is a very modern whiskey in every way but flavor. An absolutely exceptional diversion from the last few batches and a welcome change that exemplifies the name perfectly! What a find!

Neal Fischer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: May 13, 2022

I enjoy the Bardstown whiskeys quite a lot for the flavors created through their blending techniques, but I also like them a lot because of how transparent they are about their blending. On the side of all their labels, they will tell you what whiskey is going into the batch, including info on mashbill, age, and location of origin. They don’t mention distillery names, mind you, but in any given project, they are up front about how much is coming from their distillery along with other Kentucky distilleries or even whiskey sourced from farther afield. This bottle is the seventh batch in their Discovery series, and it’s my favorite yet in that project line. The ages of the whiskeys in the blend span 7 to 17 years, and that depth and maturity really come through in the glass. One of the most fun and peculiar elements is a 12-year-old, 100% corn whiskey coming from Ontario, Canada. This ain’t your typical blend! The nose begins with big, juicy, red cherry notes, dusty oak, varnish/polish, and a touch of pine before dipping into dried mixed berries, brown sugar, and cinnamon stick. With more time in the glass and air exposure, the caramel and brown sugar notes turn to vanilla bean with building perfume-level aromatics along with a lot of allspice and clove. The palate is more fruit-forward along with more intense baking spices. More orchard fruit and dried fruit characteristics step forward, and the whiskey has a good texture, nearing chewiness. The Discovery #7 stands at an impressive 114.5 proof, so adding water would be a reasonable consideration. Happily, a little water does not diminish the whiskey at all and offers a change many might love. More salted caramel notes come out. Other dessert-oriented or confectionary flavors emerge as well, like a very tasty candy corn note, but the presence of the spice characteristics remains, especially headed into the medium-long finish. This is quite a lovely whiskey.

Loch Lomond 22 Year Old

Loch Lomond 22 Years Old Course Collection

1999 vintage limited release of 4,000 bottles to commemorate the 150th Open Golf Championship at St. Andrews. Double matured in Haut-Medoc Claret Barriques. Maximum 1-bottle per each.

Buy – Loch Lomond 22 Years 1999 Open 150th

NOSE: Oak spice, clove and star anise, berry fruit of redcurrant, raspberry and honey.

TASTE: Apple, pear and black cherry with vanilla and dark chocolate.

FINISH: Warming ginger spice and wood smoke finish.

Loch Lomond Distillery is equipped with three different types of sills and was established just to the south of the Loch Lomond in 1964. There are two pot stills, six pot stills with rectifying columns in place of swan necks, a Coffey continuous still and additional continuous stills that produce grain whisky. Thus Loch Lomond Distillery produces malt and grain whisky. Inchmurrin malt whisky is produced using malt spirit distilled in the two pot stills fitted with rectifying columns in place of swan necks. The Loch Lomond single malts include a 12 Year Old and an 18 Year Old.

LONGMORN 18 YEAR OLD

Save on our Whisky of the Month for May – a smooth and juicy single malt from Longmorn distillery near Elgin. Bottled as part of the Secret Speyside Collection, this fruity and nutty dram was matured in a combination of American oak barrels and hogsheads leaving it full of tropical aromas with notes of fudge and toasted oak on the palate.

https://youtu.be/FVbt8bHDIyA

Independent bottlers have always been a go-to for me when trying to get a different idea/identity of a distillery.

Glenfarclas, despite the robbery which took place recently, my deepest apologies to the folks at Glenfarclas; a horrendous act. That aside, I’ve never been a huge fan of the distilleries style. I haven’t tried the Family Cask Range, I can’t afford to, but at this crossroads of style are independent bottlers, Duncan Taylor specifically with their Octave range.

Double maturation in a 50 litre, hand made sherry cask by some of the most famous sherry bodegas – the Octave range allows a rather unique and oddly specific sherry influence onto distilleries which are sometimes famous for sherry use themselves, and some not.

This Iconic Speyside (Glenfarclas) is the finest rum and raisin soaked style that I’ve ever tried, Glenfarclas now has a place in my heart, via Duncan Taylor.

Dead Guillemot, Fabric Plasters and Blackened Engine Grease?

Glen Moray unveils the whisky world’s wackiest tasting notes ahead of World Whisky Day and asks if it’s time for change?

We use hundreds of words to describe the taste of whisky, from the basic to the truly weird and wonderful! To tie-in with World Whisky Day this weekend (Sunday 22nd May), Glen Moray asked the experts to reveal the strangest tasting notes they’ve encountered and suggest some modern alternatives to make life easier for newcomers and accessible to all.

Leading whisky writers, including Dave Broom, Henry Jeffreys, Jim Coleman, Ian Wisniewski, Mark Gillespie, Brian Townsend and Philip Day all rose to the challenge and revealed their funniest findings, pet peeves and guilty pleasures when it comes to ‘interesting’ whisky lingo. As Henry Jeffreys confessed:

“My bete noir for tasting notes, and I’m as guilty as anyone, is being unnecessarily specific, for example saying Conference pear, rather than just pear, Manuka honey rather than just honey, wild strawberries and Columbian Coffee. I think they are used to give a false sense of exactness.

But, that’s not to say that tasting notes have to be a plain. I love silly comparisons. My favourite ever tasting though, comes from wine and it is ‘sturdier than Robert Mitchum’s trousers press’. Beat that!”

Jim Coleman revealed one tasting note that has stuck with him is ‘tastes like the left wing of a dead seagull on an Islay beach’ whilst whisky aficionado Dave Broom also has a soft spot for an avian analogy, siting Charlie MacLean’s taste of ‘dead guillemot’ as his firm favourite.

From hints of paint thinner, motor grease and Cullen Skink, to notes of rotting fish, beeswax and Germoline, Glen Moray’s findings reveal that whisky lingo is indeed an acquired taste. Below are some favourites that the experts and Glen Moray fans have flagged:

Tastes like

• Pork scratchings dusted with paprika
• Dirt
• Damp cardboard
• Spicy cigarette ash
• A touch of the tack room
• Roofing tar
• Plankton
• Driftwood campfire smoke – a tasting note that is not all together unusual, however as Whisky Cast’s Mark Gillespie points out, one he has caught holy hell for from his family over the years who always want to know “when where you ever around a driftwood campfire on a beach?” 

On the nose, with a hint of

• Sileage
• Wet Labrador
• Toilet Duck
• A wet worsted blanket
• Damp autumnal hay
• Scented candle (but which scent?)

In a word…

• Grungy
• Masculine
• Flaccid
• Inoffensive
• Gullet-warming

And the best of the rest when it comes to descriptions:

• ‘Like a young cricket bowler joining the senior squad too young: some of the delivery is wayward but the power, energy and enthusiasm is there in abundance.’
• ‘Like a liquidised Tunnock’s Caramel Log in a glass’
• ‘It’s a sit back with a cigar and show off your cufflinks kind of dram’

Dave Brooms explains: “Our sense of smell is an internalised sense and therefore the most personal. That means we all have different memories and triggers when we smell something. It depends on your background, where you live, what you eat, when you first encountered an aroma. No surprise then that you get some wild descriptors – but they are the right ones for you.

The key is to know what they mean. If I smell clean rabbit hutch/hamster cage I know I’m smelling a malty whisky …You might smell biscuits, or dusty attics … or a dead mouse…

It hinders enjoyment if you don’t allow people to relax and allow their memories to come out.”

One thing many of the experts agree on however, is that it may be time to give whisky a bit of an update by being more alive to the aromas around us and using descriptors and terms that are universally understood.

Scents of Nandos, CBD oil, candy floss, Oreo, cookie dough and peanut butter are just some of the suggestions provided in addition to considering describing mouthfeel more often, think creamy, silky, velvety, oily, juicy and delicate.

And when it comes to Scottish Whisky, Dave Broom would like to see the following used as often as possible: the Gaelic word ‘sgrìob’ which describes the itchiness of the lip when a dram is required and ‘It’s Hoorish strong/ A-hoora strong’ (used as a warning to people who are about to neck a cask-strength dram).

www.glenmoray.com

www.facebook.com/GlenMorayDistillery

www.instagram.com/glen_moray_whisky

www.twitter.com/glenmoraydist

ABOUT GLEN MORAY

Glen Moray is one of Scotland’s best loved single malt whiskies. It has been crafted since 1897 in the ancient town of Elgin, the capital of the Speyside whisky region, on what was once the Elgin West Brewery site on the banks of the River Lossie. Pure waters from the river, locally malted barley, distillation in traditional copper stills and maturation in American ex-bourbon casks combine to give the whisky its smooth, well-balanced, classic Speyside character. Glen Moray has always been a place where curiosity about flavour and cask maturation has been encouraged. Records dating back to the early days show new make spirit maturing in a wide variety of different casks – a highly unusual practice at this time.

A passion for experimentation and a deep knowledge of wood have been passed down through generations of Glen Moray distillers. The result is today’s exceptional and extensive range of whiskies, offering a flavour and style to suit all tastes. Glen Moray is the 5th biggest malt whisky brand by volume in the UK and is growing in international markets.

ABOUT LA MARTINIQUAISE-BARDINET

Founded by Jean Cayard in 1934, La Martiniquaise is an independent French spirits group with a large portfolio of international brands. Headquartered near Paris, the group operates in over 100 countries with 38 subsidiaries and production sites. The Group’s four pillars are Scotch whiskies, ports, brandies, wines, rums and craft spirits from France.  www.la-martiniquaise.com