C.1832 Scottish Distillery Maps For Sale At Mark Littler Ltd 

The distillery maps have been digitally restored to create high-quality framed prints. 

The first historical mention of whisky distillation in Scotland dates back to 1494 in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls in which there is a mention of “eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor wherewith to make aquavitae”, aquavitae being a latin term meaning ‘water of life’. The term ‘uisge beatha’ was often used in Gaelic.

Since this historic document was created, distilleries have sprung up, been mothballed, been demolished, and endured throughout Scotland’s history. Today there are over 140 distilleries in Scotland, some of which are shown in this digitally restored map of Argyllshire, originally made in 1832.

The maps are reproduced from the Atlas of Scotland maps, published in 1832 by cartographer, publisher, and bookbinder John Thomson. The maps were originally hand drawn by William Johnson and engraved by John & George Menzies. On the map such landmarks as the Isle of Mull, Islay, and Campbeltown.

Overlaid onto the maps are icons representing the currently active distilleries in Argyllshire, including Lagavulin, Bowmore, Oban, Laphroaig, Bruichladdich, Kilchoman, Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain, Lagg, Ncn’ean, Jura, Ardnamurchan, Port Ellen, Lochranza, Lagg, Springbank, Glen Scotia, Glengyle, and Ardbeg. In the bottom left-hand corner of the map, a street view of Campbeltown can be seen. Campbeltown was once the whisky capital of the world, with more than 30 operational distilleries. However, many of these distilleries fell foul of the 1980s whisky loch. Today, there are only 3 left: Springbank, Glengyle, and Glen Scotia.

These historic maps are the perfect gift for any whisky lover – an authentic, yet modernised, map of Scotland’s whisky-distilling west coast.

The prints are produced in Lancashire, England, printed via fine art Giclee techniques, mounted on an acid-free backing board and presented in solid wood frames.

The prints are available in three sizes at three different price points:

• A1 – £270 
• A2 – £157 
• A3 – £97

About Mark Littler Limited

Mark Littler is an independent whisky broker, market analyst and consultant with over a decade of experience in the industry. Each week he publishes new videos on his YouTube channel about topics such as cask investment fraud (and how to avoid it), the history of distilleries and bottles, debunking whisky investment myths and much more. For more information visit www.marklittler.com

If you are interested in the Distillery Maps or would like to chat to one of the team about our other services, please get in touch.

Email: whisky@marklittler.com

Telephone: 01260 218 718

Greetings spirited friends!

Our 11th Annual Whiskey Fest is on February 3, 2023!
And we only have a few tickets left!

We have a fantastic line up of exhibitors, with some lovely new and returning ambassadors and we’re thrilled about our new centrally located venue, at Native Sons Hall! And we’ll have music and appetizers as well!

Master Classes will be held at 7PM, with the Grand Tasting starting at 8PM. Updates will be added to the Whisky Fest page on our website and on our Facebook Page.

Buy Tickets

Happy New Year from us all at Shelter Point.

Here at Shelter Point we hope you had a wonderful festive season and are enjoying making plans for 2023.  We’ve certainly got some exciting plans ahead.

This week sees the 17^th Annual Victoria Whisky Festival. Running from the 18^th to the 22^nd of January it’s a fantastic showcase of some of the finest whiskies from around the world. If you are a whisky fan and are able to be in Victoria this weekend this is definitely not one to miss.

Shelter Point will be there featuring at a number of events. We’ll be kicking off the festival with a tasting dinner at Clives Classic Lounge on January 18.  Clive’s Supper Club featuring Shelter Point will feature delicious cocktails featuring some of our best whiskies and also a tasting flight that includes a sneak preview of our latest batch of our 10 Year Old. It won’t be released until later this year and will only be a limited release, so this will be a great time to give it a try. Tickets can be purchased here.

We’re also presenting a Masterclass on Saturday the 21^st, running through our full portfolio including the Evans Family Reserve Wine Finish and also a final chance to try the 10 Year Old. This will be a great chance to get some insights into our range of whiskies as well a chance to try them all alongside each other. More information can be found here.

Finally we will also be featuring in the Grand Tasting in the evening of the 21^st tasting some of our favourites from within the range. We’ll be there alongside some other amazing whisky brands from around the world, this Grand Tasting is a great chance try a wide range of different whiskies.

February will bring more news from us, keep an eye out for updates.

Cheers!

An Exclusive Custom Cask from a Bourbon Icon
Maker’s Mark Private Selection “Baklava Barrel” K&L Exclusive Stave Finished Cask Strength Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($69.99)
“The Maker’s Private Select barrel program continues to deliver in one of the most innovative and interesting ways in all of Kentucky.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

During last year’s trip to the hallowed halls of the Maker’s Mark distillery in Kentucky, K&L buyers Andrew Whiteley and David Othenin-Girard were able to re-kindle the Maker’s Mark Private Select program to great success. For those unfamiliar, it’s a collaboration between the iconic bourbon distillery and our own intrepid spirits team to develop a custom-cask whiskey aged to our exact specifications. The Baklava Barrel shows the classic Maker’s Mark profile that has attracted legions of fans over the years, but our buyers’ added input has yielded a truly singular expression that brings additional power and depth that will thrill avid and casual fans alike.

Maker’s Mark Private Selection “Baklava Barrel” K&L Exclusive Stave Finished Cask Strength Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($69.99)

K&L Notes: This new barrel of Private Select continues our foray into experimentation with the new mendiant stave. If you’re just catching up to the Private Select program, this is a system for creating unique single barrels where Maker’s allows us to select from five stave types for a 90-day finish to make a unique selection unlike any other. Starting with the extremely delicious cask-strength Maker’s product, we added two staves of Seared French Cuvée and eight of the new Roasted French Mendiant. The idea was to evoke the sweet and savory character of the mendiant chocolates for which they’re made, but the sweet, wheated maker’s profile kept transporting us to some secret Turkish bazaar.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: December 28, 2022

The Maker’s Private Select barrel program continues to deliver in one of the most innovative and interesting ways in all of Kentucky. Maker’s has always been about consistency, and the core Bourbon is pretty close to being their only product. They go so far as to rotate barrels in the rickhouses so that each barrel is as close to all the others in profile as possible. While this is great from a quality-control standpoint, they needed to do something to differentiate barrels in their single-barrel program. Enter the Maker’s 46 process: take one of those incredible single barrels of full-proof Maker’s Mark Wheated Bourbon and hang additional staves in the barrel for nine weeks. Different types of staves means endless combinations of flavors. The stave selection process is one of the funnest single-barrel selection experiences available in Kentucky, and the flavors you’re capable of achieving are unmatched in the bourbon world. Think Toasted Barrel from Michter’s or Elijah Craig on steroids! This year Maker’s introduced a new stave to the mix, the Roasted French Mendiant stave. Just like its namesake candy, this stave offers chocolate, fruit, and nuts. Add to that the honey and sweet vanilla of Maker’s Mark, and we felt “Baklava” was a reasonable descriptor of this whiskey. Of course, we don’t know anything for sure until the long nine-week wait is over and the precious liquid is delivered in bottle. Let’s see how it turned out! The nose is classic Maker’s but with a dark side. It’s much more chocolate and spice than we even expected and seems to throw varnish and lacquer into the mix as well. Manuka honey and Madagascar vanilla are balanced by a bit of herbal thyme and cinnamon spice. The palate is bolder than most of the Maker’s barrels we’ve bottled in the past—rambunctious almost. It’s fiery and robust, a bit of a surprise. At 54.3% ABV, it’s one of the higher ABV barrels available in the typical range (they usually run from 52-55% with a couple of outliers on occasion). The palate and finish really bring on the nutty complexity, offering an array of candied almonds, roasted pistachios, and baked walnuts. Freshly sawn oak and more honey mesh with citrus peel and orange blossom to round out the sweeter profile. While it always feels a little bit like you’re shooing in the dark when mixing these staves together, I think that after at least a dozen barrels, we’re getting pretty dang good at it!

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

TOP 10 WHISKIES
FOR BURNS NIGHT

Our top 10 whiskies this month feature fine drams for those celebrating the life of Scotland’s National Bard, Robert Burns, as well as those looking for a great excuse to try a new Scotch whisky. Throwing a Burns Supper? Start the evening off with the light and fruity Arran Robert Burns single malt before moving on to fuller bodied or peated whiskies from the likes of Balblair and Benromach to match the rich, spicy flavours of haggis. Finish off with a sweet and spicy sherried dram from Benrinnes or Royal Brackla to toast the end of the night.

TOP 10 WHISKIES

BRAW BURNS 

SUPPERS & SIPPERS

Celebrations and tastings happening this January…get involved and buy your tickets now.

ALL EVENTS

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

https://youtu.be/jED9KNxUX8w

Teeling have always been a brand that look to do things a little differently. After being recommended the full range by several viewers, here I am….with an experimental release. Having previously held the Teeling Small Batch Rum release, the barrels were shipped over to Umberella London where they aged their house ginger beer in them for two years. Once emptied, the barrels were sent back to Dublin where this whisky was finished in them for six months. Quite a journey those barrels have been on. This whisky is fun, it’s relatively affordable and there are only 700 bottles of it. That’s a nice limited amount that people can enjoy and not shelter away for the cupboards.

‘Dare to discover different’ in 2023 with this  Single Malt from New Zealand!

Nestled in a warm, often misty valley, protected by the volcanic hills from which they source their pure spring water, Pōkeno is a hidden treasure of a remote and beautiful land – and a natural choice of location for this state-of-the-art distillery.

Everything done here is driven by a goal to create one of the world’s great Single Malts. Batch production, long fermentation, and slow distillation are just a few of the things that help make them different. As craft distillers, they are also able to focus on quality over quantity and on doing things their way, not the easy way.

Using only pure volcanic spring water from the North Island distillery’s surrounding volcanic hills and family-farmed barley from New Zealand’s rich, fertile South Island, Pōkeno selects only the finest casks to mature their precious spirit, and the warm subtropical local climate accelerates its maturation and flavor development.

All of this allows Pōkeno to produce Single Malt whisky with exceptional body and flavor; whisky that captures the pure spirit of Aotearoa New Zealand.

The New Zealand spirit is forged through a unique marriage of culture and climate. It’s an intangible phenomenon that produces tangible greatness and enables Kiwis to fearlessly stride on a global stage. It’s this spirit that inspires the team at Pōkeno to experiment with flavor to create world-class- but distinctively different – Single Malts.

When asked of the new partnership with ImpEx Beverages in the US, Founder Matt Johns said, “We are delighted to be partnering with ImpEx Beverages for the distribution of Pōkeno Single Malt Whisky in the United States.  We are passionate about what we do, and were focused on finding a partner who shares the same passion for Single Malt whisky to bring our fantastic range of New Zealand Single Malt whiskies to the American market”

Sam Filmus, President of ImpEx Beverages said, “Matt and his team truly have a passion for what they do and a love of where they come from. All of this translates into every drop of this beautiful liquid. We couldn’t be more proud to introduce this small piece of New Zealand to whisky lovers in the US and are excited to see consumers here fall in love with Pōkeno in its quest to be ‘fearless, relentless, and ever original’”

Pōkeno officially launches in January of 2023 with two core expressions and a US Exclusive Single Cask offering.

Pōkeno Origin is matured in first fill Bourbon casks. It is a delightfully sweet and round whisky with beautiful citrus, honey, grapefruit, and creamy toffee notes that give way to a complex and lingering finish.

Pōkeno Discovery is fully matured in first fill Bourbon, Oloroso, and Pedro Ximenez Casks then allowed to marry perfectly together. It is a rich and complex whisky with beautiful notes of dark chocolate, black forest gåteau, ripe cherries, and sweet citrus that give way to a rich, smooth, and incredibly long finish.

ImpEx debuted this exciting new addition to the portfolio in their last ImpEx Distillery Deep Dive of the year hosted on their Facebook and YouTube Channels December 21^st 2022 at 3pm Pacific/6pm Eastern Time.

Pōkeno will be available at specialty retailers across the US. For more information on where to purchase this amazing spirit of New Zealand please contact our office at Office@ImpExBev.com.

About Pōkeno Whisky

In 2017 Pōkeno Whisky was founded with a vision to put New Zealand on the map as a producer of single malt whisky. It is the largest single malt distillery in the country. Today, the Pōkeno Whisky Company handles all processing on site at a state-of-the-art distillery with maturation warehouses, filtration and bottling facilities, and a fully functional cooperage.

About ImpEx Beverages

In 2008, ImpEx Beverages was founded with the vision to import premium and rare spirits from around the world, with a special emphasis on the best of what Scotland has to offer. Today, ImpEx boasts an impressive portfolio, including some of the most notable small to medium sized distilleries and independent bottlers; importing Whisky, Gin, Rum, and Mezcal from Scotland, Wales, Japan, Israel, Mexico, England, India, and New Zealand with future anticipated additions from unexpected destinations. ImpEx also features a fine line of Liqueurs and Cordials produced in the US.

After a Covid hiatus, the Rotary Club of Comox is delighted to be hosting the 11th annual Whisky Fest in Courtenay, in support of the WeCanShelter Society. SMWS Canada founders Rob and Kelly Carpenter will be there with a table of tantalizing whiskies. Come along to the Native Sons Hall on Friday, Feb. 3rd to sample your way through some great SMWS drams and support a great cause at the same time!

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS

CELEBRATE LUNAR
NEW YEAR 2023

Celebrate Lunar New Year in style with a special whisky or spirit including this new limited-edition Year Of The Rabbit release of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, decorated with illustrations by Chinese fashion designer Angel Chen.

  SHOP JOHNNIE WALKER 

YEAR OF THE RABBIT