HEAVEN-SENT

Cask No. 12.62

Age: 31 years

Cask: First Fill Pedro Ximénez Sherry Butt

£385.00

An aroma of incense of the most valued scented aloeswood which noblemen of the ancient Japanese imperial court called ‘Kyara Kongo’ and translates into ‘Diamond Kyara’ filled the room. On the palate somewhat heavy and dark but at the same time fruity and light as we envisaged watching the show ‘How the Andalusian Horses Dance’, an equestrian ballet accompanied by Spanish music in the Royal Andalusian School in Jerez. With a drop of water, we imagined the beating wings of a hummingbird, gracile, filigree, a playful elegance and seemingly without the slightest effort. A heaven-sent enjoyment you will not easily forget. After twenty-nine years in an ex-oloroso butt, we transferred this whisky into a first fill PX butt.

DISCOVER MORE

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

Final call: get your ticket and relax!

Just a relaxed reminder that you only have a few days left to get your ticket for this year’s Maltstock. You have until 18 September, so pop into our online shop now: https://www.maltstock.com/shop

It’s going to be a fantastically relaxed weekend! We’re really looking forward to it. You have as many as 4 very relaxed masterclasses to choose from on Friday. And we’re hosting a record breaking 32 “Drinks with…” sessions on Saturday, presented by no less than 12 different speakers. Saturday night will be the moment of truth, can you believe all the great stories and drams with Billy, Jess, Mark, Connas and Tatsuya! Reliable sources tell us they are having a blast preparing for this unique session.

NEW IN AT
THE WHISKY EXCHANGE

Discover the fourth release in Fettercairn’s Warehouse 2 series, abundant with tropical notes and soft spice, the 12th edition of Kilchoman 100% Islay, a balance of fresh fruit, caramel sweetness and peat smoke, and a wave of whiskies from the Single Malts of Scotland Reserve Casks series. For fans of rich and spicy single pot still whiskey, Red Spot 15 Year Old is back in stock, along with the mellow and sweetly smoky Caol Ila 18 Year Old for the Islay enthusiasts.

SHOP NEW WHISKIES

Derbyshire’s White Peak Distillery breaks record with inaugural whisky at auction for local charities

Derbyshire’s first ever whisky Distillery, White Peak, has sold its first 12 bottles of its inaugural Wire Works Whisky release for over £15,000 at auction for charity.

The individually-numbered bottles of Wire Works Whisky – Derbyshire’s first ever single malt whisky – have been auctioned via Whisky Auctioneer, with all of the proceeds going to local Derbyshire charities. Wire Works Whisky bottle no. 1 individually sold for an incredible hammer price of £9,900 – the highest price paid at public auction for a single bottle of English whisky*.

The auction ran from 26^th August – 5^th September and invited whisky lovers from the UK and beyond to place their bids individually for each of the 12 bottles of Wire Works Whisky. During the 10-day period, over 370 bids were received from bidders across the UK, as well as from Denmark, Singapore, China and Andorra.

White Peak released just over 5,000 numbered bottles of its long-awaited first release Wire Works Whisky single malt in February this year and the whisky received an extraordinary response from the Distillery’s loyal followers and supporters, selling out both in stores and online in just a few hours. Since then, the Distillery has released four more whiskies under the Wire Works label with each one receiving significant acclaim within the whisky community.

Since being founded in 2016 by husband-and-wife team Max & Claire Vaughan – both originally from Derbyshire – the Distillery continues to go from strength to strength, having won awards for its Distillery visitor experiences, white spirits and – of course its well-known and much sought after single malt whisky.

Claire Vaughan from White Peak said: “We are absolutely delighted and humbled by the response to this charity auction. To have raised over £15,000 for our charity partners alongside Whisky Auctioneer is very special…. not to mention a special moment for English whisky! We hope that the proceeds can help to support our local community and some fantastic environmental projects for both Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and The Peak District National Park Foundation.”

The charities will receive 100% of the auction proceeds, as well as the auctioneers fees waived by Whisky Auctioneer. The Distillery has previously worked with both charities on numerous fundraising bottlings and activities, including limited-edition spirit releases and local environmental initiatives.

Joe Wilson, Head Curator and Spirits Specialist at Whisky Auctioneer, said: “This is an exciting result for both Whisky Auctioneer and White Peak Distillery. To break the world record in such a fast-growing category with a distillery’s first release is momentous and we congratulate Max, Claire and their colleagues. This historic moment challenges the traditional dominance of established regions such as Scotland and Ireland in the single malt category, and we look forward to the future development of England’s vibrant whisky industry. We are proud to have supported the White Peak team in raising over £15,000 for charity with the inclusion of Whisky Auctioneer’s donation of £1,394.30.”

For those wanting to visit White Peak, the Distillery is open Monday – Saturday for shop visitors, with tours available every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For availability, timings and to book, please visit www.whitepeakdistillery.co.uk

*according to research from publicly available data.

About White Peak Distillery:

Provenance, heritage and flavour are at the heart of the Distillery ethos and whisky-making process, and its home at the dramatic former Johnson & Nephew Wire Works is celebrated within the whisky brand. The Distillery’s woodland home on the banks of the River Derwent has a long history of innovation and forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wire Works Whisky celebrates its rich homeland and the brewing heritage for which the region is so renowned. Every aspect of production and maturation is done onsite at the Distillery to ensure that the unique location and environment can play their part in the provenance of the final spirit.

The lightly-peated single malt whisky has been created using a combination of English un-peated and peated malted barley. A flavour-focused four-day fermentation uses a unique yeast Blend incorporating live yeast sourced from a local Peak District brewery.

The Distillery’s traditional, bespoke copper pot stills have been hand-built by McMillan and are run slowly to help produce the desired flavour profile. The final spirit is matured in a variety of carefully selected first fill oak casks, including ex-bourbon, virgin and STR (re-conditioned casks that have been shaved, toasted and re-charred), adding the final rich flavours to the whisky.    

About Whisky Auctioneer:

Whisky Auctioneer is the global market leader and trusted authority on the buying and selling of whisky and spirits at auction. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Perth, Whisky Auctioneer utilises its expertise and knowledge combined with its auction platform to increase interest and passion in the whisky and spirits community.

Whisky Auctioneer endeavours to make the secondary market more accessible for buyers and sellers of any background and demographic, wherever in the world they are based. Its monthly global auctions feature the most comprehensive selection of old, rare and collectible whiskies and spirits online, and are unmatched in volume, variety of bottles offered and prices achieved. Whisky Auctioneer is passionate about connecting these bottles with those who share their passion and actively support their customers in their aims, whether consuming, collecting or investing.

In February 2021, the online auction house made history during the iconic sale of The Perfect Collection, when a bottle of The Macallan 1926 Fine and Rare 60 Year Old sold for a hammer price of £1 million. This was the first time a single bottle of whisky has sold at an online-only auction for one million pounds.

Whisky Auctioneer became the first online auction house to sell a million-pound bottle and outperformed the nearest traditional auction house by 200% in value from spirits sales in 2020, showcasing the move that whisky collectors, investors and drinkers have already made online and firmly establishing their leading position within the modern secondary whisky market.

The business currently sees over 100,000 bids per month and has conducted deliveries to 74 countries across the globe. It also opened its first European base in Germany in 2020.

The business’ Founder, Iain McClune, was listed as ‘One to Watch’ in The Telegraph’s Most Ambitious Business Leaders 2020 programme.

About Derbyshire Wildlife Trust:

They are a small charity with big ideas, uniquely positioned to lead change in Derbyshire. They are bold, grassroots-oriented and local whilst also being part of a strong, cohesive movement, the Wildlife Trusts.

Their goals by 2030 are as follows:

• 33% of Derbyshire will be managed for wildlife
• They will have at least 1 million wild connections each year
• 1 in 4 people will act for wildlife
• We will be carbon positive

For more information and to support The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust visit: www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/support

About The Peak District National Park Foundation:

An independent charity that helps to care for the Peak District National Park and to make it accessible for all.

Their vision is a National Park enjoyed and conserved by everyone, forever. It should be a vibrant, colourful, and safe home for the wildlife we all love. Their right to enjoy the National Park was hard won by ordinary folk. In that spirit, let’s fight to make it ever more accessible, for everyone to enjoy. But it is also unique and very fragile; we must always strive to keep it special. This is what they believe – and why they exist. With your support, they can start to make good things happen.

OUR GLENFARCLAS 1992 KWM 30TH ANNIVERSARY FAMILY CASK IS HERE!

You don’t want to miss out on this one… This 29-year-old cask strength single cask Glenfarclas almost didn’t even happen… Which would have been a shame, as this could be one of the best casks we have ever bottled!

Glenfarclas 1992 KWM 30th Anniversary Family Cask– 52.6% – 29 Year – First Fill Sherry Butt –My Tasting Note: “Nose: big, rich, and nutty with loads of candied fruit, chocolate, licorice, and treacle; this is old school sherry, and very tropical… Five Alive, mangos, papaya, and nectarines; fancy Italian leather; cold tea dregs and Demerara sugars; a touch of menthol and eucalyptus. Palate: damn… this is every bit as glorious as the nose implied it would be; soooohhhh old school; loads of chocolate, smooth leather, and fruity tobacco; sticky toffee pudding with warm treacle sauce; dried and candied fruits, cracked nuts and a side of Manzanilla sherry; still tropical, more mango, papaya, and guava, but also some stone fruits too, plums and nectarines; decadent spices, licorice, anise, and candied fennel. Finish: long, elegant, and rich; more candied fruit, Christmas cake, treacle, and Aussie licorice; chocolate, leather and spices to boot, this is the full package! Comment: I never thought we’d ever have an opportunity to buy another single cask of Glenfarclas; but a little more than a year ago we were offered some samples of 1992 Glenfarclas, for consideration as a 30th Anniversary bottling, and one of them was stunning, we simply couldn’t turn the opportunity down; and best of all, the bottled product is as good or better than the sample we tasted in 2021; this is old-school, tropical, sherried whisky; it is the kind of whisky we don’t often see anymore… and it is glorious; best of all, in the time it took to get here, the whisky is looking like even better value than it did a year ago; you’ll never see another whisky like this, at anything approaching this price ever again!” –$600

Tormore 29 Year Old
United Kingdom Exclusive Single Cask

Tormore 29 Year Old Connoisseurs Choice

Selected exclusively for the United Kingdom market by G&M for the Connoisseurs Choice series.

Single first fill sherry butt bottled May 2022. Expect stewed red berries complement vanilla pod, subtle cocoa powder, cinnamon and ginger spice.

Buy – Tormore 29 Years – £283.30 / $272* / €273*

Nose: Stewed red berries complement vanilla pod and subtle cocoa powder. Medjol dates give way to dark treacle and notes of soft aniseed.

Taste: Baked apple intertwines with cinnamon and ginger spice. Dark chocolate leads to subtle citrus fruit and charred oak.

Finnish: Full with lingering summer berries and soft herbal notes.

Tormore 29 Year Old 1993 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distilled at Tobermory distillery. Single first fill sherry butt #5053 bottled May 2022 for the United Kingdom market by Gordon & MacPhail for the Connoisseurs Choice series. 554 bottles.

Tormore Distillery was established in 1958 in the Speyside whisky region to supply malt whisky to blending houses. It was designed by Sir Albert Richardson, President of the Royal Academy and is set in stunning landscaped gardens. Resplendent with green-coppered roofs, decorative pagoda roofs, a clock tower and clock which still chimes Scottish tunes, a rectangular curling pond, topiary and houses for the staff. Tormore Distillery is now operating with eight stills in its tall still house and Tormore malt whisky is still mostly flowing into scotch blends. Whilst official bottling are sparse it features amongst the ranges of a number of independent bottlers including Signatory Vintage and Connoisseurs Choice.

A Can’t-Miss Collector’s Dream from Kavalan
Kavalan “Solist” Amontillado Sherry Cask Strength 57.8% ABV Single Barrel Taiwanese Single Malt Whisky (750ml)
(Previously $600) ($249.99)
“Like all the Solist whiskeys, this is obviously exceptional and so much fun to drink.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

At the cornerstone of this coveted whiskey line, the sherry-aged casks present the quintessential Kavalan poise and grace that has won this iconic distillery its countless accolades and awards over the years, including the 2021 Distillery of the Year at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, as well as a near-maniacal following among the most committed collectors. The third entry in a trifecta of truly spectacular Solist casks, this amontillado barrel is a worthy follow-up to its manzanilla predecessor that we offered a few weeks ago and a distinct specimen from its sister amontillado cask. While the 56.3% ABV amontillado cask is much more on the soft, opulent, fruit-driven side, this 57.8% ABV cask takes on all of the familiar Kavalan structural spine, with a savory profile that just screams of its sherry-aged character. For those who picked up either or both of the previous two casks, you are in a for the treat of a lifetime should you get your hands on this one and do a side-by-side comparison. There are few whiskeys in the world that compare to these, and owning all three casks, especially at our jaw-dropping pricing, is an opportunity that no serious spirits collector should pass up.

Kavalan “Solist” Amontillado Sherry Cask Strength 57.8% ABV Single Barrel Taiwanese Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Previously $600) ($249.99)

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: August 17, 2022

Good Lord, these Kavalan casks are really over-delivering. It’s a shame we can’t have these products all the time, but here we go. Drink now or forever hold your peace. The Amontillado is such an incredible style of wine and so rare to see in the malt aging process that tasting these barrels is an absolute treat. If you need a refresher, the Amontillado is a wine made in the oloroso style after being aged like a fino. In other words, we’re talking over 15 years to make a proper one and likely much longer for the quality barrels they have here at the King Car Distillery. The color is a vibrant, burnished amber. The aromas are pure butterscotch, rancio, roasted almonds, strawberry jam, fenugreek, maple syrup, and cacao nibs. On the palate, it’s surprisingly lifted, shedding the bold, nutty character in favor of stewed apricots, fresh cinnamon, quince, marmalade, toasted vanilla, and new leather. With water it brightens further but doesn’t lose the savory backbone and adds some honeysuckle and more stone fruit. Like all the Solist whiskeys, this is obviously exceptional and so much fun to drink.

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

THE GATHERING: SEASIDE ESCAPES

We’re exploring fresh new flavours this Gathering month with a thrilling trip to the seaside. Let your senses be transported to the beach with these TWO NEW Lightly Peated bottlings. These beautifully balanced drams should excite the peat lover and those looking to further their flavour frontiers.

Dive straight in, keep on scrolling for more details OR explore our Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits alternatives – always popular with members and perfect for the changing of the season.

VIEW ALL LIGHTLY PEATED

VIEW ALL PEATED WHISKIES

VIEW ALL DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS

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 944 Extras – The Malt Moment.

Bourbon Women, Kentucky Distillers’ Association Honor Beloved

Industry Author & Champion

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Award-winning author and Bourbon columnist Susan Reigler received the ninth annual “Lois Mateus Networking Award” Friday night honoring her distinguished contributions to the legacy of Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and spirits industry.

A former restaurant critic and beverage columnist for the Louisville Courier-Journal, Reigler is Bourbon columnist for Food & Dining and Covey Rise magazines and also writes for Bourbon+, LEO Weekly, and American Whiskey Magazine.

Reigler accepted the award recently at the Bourbon Women SIPosium Welcome Dinner at the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Bourbon Women Founder Peggy Noe Stevens and KDA Director of Industry Responsibility and Sustainability Sara Barnes presented Reigler with crystal decanter to commemorate her notable work preserving and elevating the legacy of Kentucky’s Bourbon heritage.

“Susan Reigler is a true Bourbon authority,” Stevens said. “Not only has she authored countless  books and is a well-respected whiskey writer, but she is graciously generous with her time and talent.  She has volunteered and networked with people all across the country to help build our Bourbon Women message.

“She is a true symbol of our mission in the industry, and we are elated that she has received this prestigious award from the KDA.”

Reigler has authored or co-authored six books including Kentucky Bourbon Country: The Essential Travel Guide, The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book, The Bourbon Tasting Notebook, and The American Whiskey Tasting Notebook, and Which Fork Do I Use with My Bourbon? – Setting the Table for Tastings, Food Pairings, Dinner, and Cocktail Parties.

A graduate of Indiana and Oxford Universities, Reigler has served as president of both the Bourbon Women Association and the Kentucky chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, an organization of women culinary professionals.

In 2019, she was recognized by industry leaders with an induction into the prestigious Order of the Writ, a fraternal and charitable organization that embraces the spirit of Kentucky Bourbon education, responsibility, environmental stewardship, history, scholarship and an unwavering commitment to the furtherance of America’s spirit.

KDA President Eric Gregory said Reigler’s generous knowledge, wit and dry humor make her a favorite educator and consultant among Bourbon fans and Bourbon makers alike.

“Susan has spent her decades-long career elevating the integrity of Kentucky’s Bourbon heritage through scholarship and literary enterprise.” Gregory said. “It is our distinct honor to present her with this year’s Lois Mateus award.”

The award is named for Lois Mateus, retired Senior Vice President of Brown-Forman, Inc., and the first woman ever to serve on the KDA Board. Her two-year term in 1992 paved the way for other women in high-ranking roles throughout Kentucky’s signature Bourbon industry.

“To be given this award, named in honor of one of the true pioneers and mentors of women in the Bourbon industry, is truly an honor,” Reigler said. “It’s also a reminder of the responsibility those of us in a position to do so have to continue nurturing talented women who can contribute so much to Kentucky’s and America’s native spirit.”

The award is given annually by Bourbon Women in conjunction with the KDA based on the following criteria for a woman who has:

·     Excelled in her profession by continuously building key relationships to contribute to the growth in her respective industry

·     Broken through barriers to grow her career

·     Contributed to the community through service and philanthropy

·     Increased exposure for other women to grow their networking and career opportunities

·     Developed creative partnerships and strategic alliances to further the growth of her respective industry

·     Become a role model for female professionalism

Bourbon Women is the premier organization for women who are passionate about exploring Bourbon and the culture that surrounds it.

Designed exclusively for educational, networking and charitable purposes, Bourbon Women’s fast-growing membership is made up of women from over 39 states and continues to grow beyond their 16 branches across the country.

Since its inception, the Bourbon Women Association has inspired books on women in the industry, nurtures partnerships with key industry associations, created the only women-focused Bourbon conference – now in its 8th year –  and continues to raise money for philanthropies through their curated, unique, high-quality events.

Bourbon Women from around the country come together once a year for their annual Bourbon Women SIPosium. This year’s event was held in Louisville and featured 13 distillery excursions, 17 seminars by industry leaders in the Bourbon industry, keynotes, and networking receptions featuring Kentucky Bourbon, hand-crafted cocktails and delicious local fare.

Learn more at www.bourbonwomen.org.

Founded in 1880, the KDA represents 80 members, including 50 distilling companies operating 73 locations in 40 counties across the Commonwealth – the most since the repeal of Prohibition. Kentucky distillers produce 95 percent of the global supply of Bourbon.

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.

Visit www.kybourbon.com and www.kybourbontrail.com to learn more.

Gregory said Reigler’s dedication to bringing Kentucky Bourbon culture to the world through her endeavors is the true spirit of the industry. “The impressive breadth of Susan’s work is essential to promoting and protecting Kentucky’s rightful place as the one, true, authentic home for Bourbon.”

“On behalf of KDA and our 80 members, we congratulate Susan and thank her for her leadership, support and essential contributions to Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry”

For more information, contact Heather Wibbels with Bourbon Women at (615) 294-6672; Peggy Noe Stevens at (502) 338-6564; or Eric Gregory with Kentucky Distillers’ Association at (502) 875-9351.

KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL CRAFT TOUR®, KENTUCKY

BOURBON AFFAIR™ and BOURBON TRAIL™ are trademarks/service marks of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. Please drink responsibly.