Bimber to release exclusive Gonzalez Byass Matusalem sherry finished single malt whisky with Selfridges

London’s Bimber Distillery today announced that it has partnered once more with the iconic department store Selfridges to release an upcoming single malt London whisky that has been finished in Matusalem sherry.

Originally matured for over four years in American oak ex-bourbon casks, the whisky was transferred for an additional maturation in Matusalem sherry sourced from Gonzalez Byass – one of Spain’s most well-known sherry bodegas. The creation of Matusalem sees both Palomino and Pedro Ximénez grapes fermented, fortified and then aged in separate Soleras for around 15 years before being combined (75% Palomino with 25% Pedro Ximénez). The blend is then aged for an additional 15 years within a Matusalem Solera before being bottled as a deeply rich VORS style sherry.

The release of 965 bottles at 51.4% ABV will be available from Monday 13^th February in Selfridges London, Selfridges Manchester and Selfridges Birmingham as well as Selfridges.com where it will be sold jointly with bottles of the original Gonzalez Byass Matusalem sherry.

The single cask release was crafted to Bimber’s exacting standards. The spirit was produced from the distillery’s single farm barley and malted on a dedicated floor at Warminster Maltings, before being fermented for seven days in bespoke on-site constructed American oak washbacks. Distillation took place in Bimber’s customised stills which possess an increased copper surface area, resulting in a light, fruit-forward, layered new make spirit.

Bimber Distillery spokesperson Matt McKay said “We are thrilled to be releasing our third collaborative single malt whisky with Selfridges – and to be continuing to introduce Bimber’s whisky to the stores many spirit lovers. The absorbing complexity and rich sweetness of the Matusalem is the perfect counterpart to our bright, fruit-forward, textural single malt whisky.”

Neil McDonald – Beer, Wine and Spirit Buyer from Selfridges added “For this third partnership release with Bimber we sourced a cask from Gonzales Byass which would add a unique characteristic to our 2023 London single malt whisky exclusive. We’re delighted with the result which offers the perfect harmony between the whisky’s naturally rich, fruit-forward character and the sherry’s absorbing complexity.”

Bimber Matusalem Sherry Finish – Selfridges Exclusive

Matured in first fill ex-bourbon barrels, then finished in a Gonzalez Byass Matusalem Sherry

Nose: Deep and moderately sweet. Ripe cranberries and redcurrant jelly join gracefully aged sherry  with aromas of chocolate gateaux, cinnamon rolls and plump raisins

Palate: Highly textural with layers of fruit cake, gingerbread and grated chocolate. Vibrant stone and tropical fruits support alongside a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon

Finish: Enduring with luxurious sherried fruits and perfectly balanced spice

70cl

51.4% ABV

RRP £84.99

Available from Monday 13^th February via Selfridges

About Bimber 

Bimber Distillery produces world-class single malt whisky, handcrafted with passion in West London. As a leading distiller of English whisky, we combine generations of rich distilling heritage with the finest quality ingredients to create the ultimate craft whisky experience.

www.bimberdistillery.co.uk

About Selfridges

Selfridges was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge, changing the world of retail forever when the first store was opened on Oxford Street in 1909. Since then, the brand has opened three stores in Manchester and Birmingham.

Selfridges has been a key reinventor of retail with innovation across in-store experiences and brand partnerships with leaders in luxury. This includes Dior at Alto rooftop collaboration, the opening of Selfridges Cinema, and helping to launch industry disruptors and emerging retail innovators including Charlotte Tilbury and Pangaia.

Building on over a decade of retail activism, in 2020 Selfridges launched Project Earth, its evergreen sustainability strategy, with bold targets to reinvent retail and meet its commitment to a net zero future. Selfridges aims to help customers change the way they shop in three ways: by addressing the materials used in products, launching and exploring new retail models such as resell, repair, refill and rental, and engaging with teams, partners and customers to inspire a shift in mindsets. Selfridges has made ambitious 2030 targets for everything it builds, buys and sells to meet its environmental and ethical standards; for 45% of transactions to come from circular products and services; and to build an inclusive retail culture in which teams, communities and customers put people and planet first in all decision making. Underpinning Project Earth is a broader commitment to Science Based Targets and to achieve net-zero carbon across the business by 2040 as a signatory to the Climate Pledge.

Selfridges has been transformed in line with a long-term vision that harks back to the core principles of Harry Gordon Selfridge himself, whose high standards of style, service and desire to entertain run through each store today. Selfridges was named “Best Retailer” at the Positive Luxury Awards 2020, a “Best 25 Big Company To Work For” 2020 as awarded by The Sunday Times, and voted “Best Department Store in the World” at the Global Department Store Summits 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018. From weddings to the skate bowl, Selfridges continues to generate new ways to surprise and amaze its customers in London, Manchester, Birmingham and at selfridges.com.

www.selfridges.com

Gordon & MacPhail ~ The Private Collection

Gordon & MacPhail’s Private Collection range features a truly exceptional and unique collection of greatly aged single malts from a mixture of celebrated, little-known and now closed distilleries across Scotland.

Personally selected by members of the Urquhart family, each release is a unique and exquisite chapter in Scotland’s whisky history.

Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection Glenlivet 1976 70cl

Nose
Lemon peel and green apple aromas accompany a hint of smoke. Grapefruit zest comes to the fore with sweet poached pears and toasted oak

Palate
Smooth and sweet flavours of white chocolate are balance by soft aged leather.
Honeysuckle and aniseed lead to toasted almonds.

Finish
A light-medium finish of citrus peel and lingering cracked black pepper.

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Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection Glenlivet 1978 70cl

Nose
Stewed raisin aromas combine with orange peel and faint notes of beeswax polish. Baked spiced apples give way to vanilla pod and soft nutmeg.

Palate
Cinnamon spice flavours are followed by marmalade and toasted almonds. Roasted coffee beans come to the fore, leading to Morello cherry and hazelnuts.

Finish
A long finish with sultanas and a sweet sherry influence.

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2009 BenRiach 12 Year Old “K&L Exclusive” Peated Rye Barrel #13467 Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Previously $120)

$84.70

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The long and complicated history of BenRiach includes an optimistic vision, a long closure, a rebirth, a short closure, and finally, a modern renaissance – of which we are now in full swing. Built in 1897 by John Duff, BenRiach sits next door to Duff’s hugely successful Longmorn distillery. BenRiach boasts a huge floor malting facility and five on-site, traditional, stone-walled and earthen-floored dunnage warehouses. It is one of the most traditionally-styled distilleries in all of Scotland. Sadly, shortly after it was built, the market fell out of Scotch and it was shuttered for over half a century. When it was reborn in 1965, it was controlled by Seagrams for a time, then taken over by Pernod Ricard, then shuttered again in 2001. Fortunately for whisky fans everywhere, the inimitable Billy Walker purchased the facility in 2003 and with this change in ownership, BenRiach’s fortunes began to change. Walker had spent years blending whiskies and knew the magic that lied within BenRiach. Over his tenure the quality of their releases skyrocketed, and the popularity of the distillery soared. This grabbed the attention of Brown Forman, who took over in 2016. It is now under the watchful eye of one of Scotland’s finest Master Blenders, Rachel Barrie. This special K&L cask spanned both Mr. Walker and Ms. Barrie’s tenure. The peated distillate, laid down in 2009, drinks like a supremely old-school Speysider. Tropical fruit and intense spice mingle perfectly with the smoke.

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

BLIND DATE: VALENTINE MYSTERY MALTS 

We’re playing cupid this Valentine’s Week, introducing members to some sensational single malts that they may never have met before. Make a blind date with these marvellous Mystery Malts and expect an entertaining evening as you unravel lovely layers of full-bodied flavour.

Why all the mystery? Because life is short and our whisky is good, we like to have a little fun. There’s nothing quite like a surprise and delight for the senses. We’ve hand-picked a selection of bottlings that are sure to amaze. And rest assured, they have passed the picky noses of The Tasting Panel.

Keep on scrolling to discover more OR click over to our website to view our Valentine Cask Collection.

VALENTINE COLLECTION

BROWSE ALL BOTTLINGS

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

KENTUCKY DISTILLERS’ ASSOCIATION WELCOMES

ALL NATIONS DISTILLERY AS NEWEST CRAFT MEMBER

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Distillers’ Association today announced that All Nations Distillery in Garrard County is the newest member of the non-profit trade group that unites and leads Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry.

All Nations was founded in 2018 by Matt Shirah, its chief executive officer, and Ray Franklin, senior vice president. Located at 450 Southern Soul Way, the distillery is nestled among 230 picturesque acres near downtown Lancaster which is wet – allows the sale of alcohol – while the county is “dry.”

In fact, Garrard County was the birthplace of Carrie A. Nation, an anti-alcohol advocate famous for using a hatchet to demolish taverns before Prohibition. Many saloons proudly displayed signs that read, “All nations welcome except Carrie,” which is where the distillery took its name.

The distillery plans to celebrate the history of Carrie Nation and has even restored her stone home on its grounds. Its “All Nations” brands include an 11-year rye, a Kentucky Straight Bourbon, a 6-year small batch and All Nations Prohibition Reserve, a marriage of a 15-year Kentucky Bourbon and 11-year rye.

On joining the KDA, Shirah said, “The All Nations team appreciates the KDA’s advocacy and welcomes the opportunity to work with other KDA members. Our team is focused on making positive contributions to Garrard County, the great Commonwealth of Kentucky, and the Kentucky distilling industry.“

KDA President Eric Gregory said All Nations offers a distinct perspective on the industry’s rich heritage by educating consumers and tourists about its Prohibition-era history.

“They’re a great addition to the growing distillery presence along the U.S. 27 corridor,” Gregory said “On behalf of the KDA and its members, we thank All Nations for their investment in our beloved Commonwealth and proudly welcome them to our growing family of Kentucky’s finest distillers.”

Learn more at https://allnationswhiskey.com/.

A Class B licensed distiller, All Nations joins KDA as a Craft-level member aging less than 10,000 barrels a year and is part of a growing list of distilleries in the Bluegrass region including Wilderness Trail, Blue Rook and Kentucky Mountain Moonshine. Garrard County is about an hour south of Lexington, Ky.

The distillery also is now eligible to apply to join the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour®, which the association created in 2012 as the nation’s first and only tourism attraction to showcase the flourishing artisan distilling movement.

Founded in 1880, the KDA is the voice for Bourbon and spirits issues. Its diverse membership produces the overwhelming majority of the world’s Bourbon, from legendary, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are building the next generation of the timeless craft.

Bourbon is one of Kentucky’s most treasured industries, a booming $9 billion economic and tourism engine that sustains more than 22,500 jobs with an annual payroll topping $1.23 billion each year, and pays over $285 million in local and state taxes and $1.8 billion in federal alcohol taxes, more than any other state.

A key export, distilling has the state’s highest job spin-off factor among top manufacturers; buys at least 17 million bushels of corn and other grains every year, mostly from Kentucky farm families; and is currently investing more than $5.2 billion in new stills, warehouses, bottling lines, tourism experiences and more.

Bourbon production has skyrocketed more than 475% since the turn of the century.

Kentucky now boasts more than 11.4 million barrels of Bourbon aging in warehouses across the Bluegrass, the most in its revered distilling history. Distillers filled more than 2.6 million barrels in 2021 alone, the fourth consecutive year that production topped 2 million.

Attendance at the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® distilleries has surged more than 300% in the last 10 years. Total attendance in 2021 was more than 1.5 million visits, just below the pre-COVID record of 1.7 million visits in 2019.

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

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association that passionately unites, promotes, protects and elevates the Commonwealth’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. The KDA maintains an open membership policy, champions a strong commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage drinking and drunk driving. 

KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL CRAFT TOUR®, KENTUCKY BOURBON AFFAIR™, KBT®, BOURBON TRAIL™, KENTUCKY BOURBON HALL OF FAME®, ORDER OF THE WRIT®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TALES®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL WELCOME CENTER®,, URBAN BOURBON TRAIL® and THE PROOF IS HERE® are trademarks/service marks of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. 

Please enjoy Bourbon like a true Kentuckian – Responsibly

AUCTION NOW LIVE!

ENDS SUNDAY 19^TH FEBRUARY FROM 8PM

Make it Macallan

We have several bottles of Macallan in our third auction, including Folio 5. The Macallan Folio series is inspired by original, vintage adverts that were run between the 1970’s – 1990’s. Each Folio release is presented with an illustrated hardback book.

Which Bond era is your favourite? Decade II represents the 1970’s when Roger Moore was at the helm of one of the most popular franchises in movie history. Or maybe you are more of a Millennial? Decade V enters the 2000’s, when Daniel Craig took over as 007.

We love an old school bottling, like these classic examples from Gordon & MacPhail. The Pride of Orkney 12 year old contains whisky from the Highlands and Orkney, whilst the Old Elgin is a 15 year old single malt. Dallas Dhu 1970 is 17 years old, part of the popular Connoisseurs Choice range.

Register now at www.clickwhiskyauctions.com to bid on these wonderful bottlings and many more besides.

Did you know Saint Valentine is also the patron saint of beekeepers?  Tis true – and thus in celebration of love and sweetness we have bundled up two of our best-selling whiskies into a Valentine’s offer.

Aurora is our best-selling expression globally. Crafted from a marriage of whisky matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry hogsheads, it’s a stunningly sweet dram which has won awards in major competitions in Europe, Asia and America.

Accompanying it is a bottle of our hugely popular Small Batch 458 whisky, matured in the best hand-selected casks, with every ounce of sweetness and flavour drawn from the oak.

And to make sure there’s no argument over the loving cup, we’re also including two engraved Glencairn tasting glasses.

Grab this bundle from our webshop while stocks last.

With love

From all at Wolfburn

BUY NOW

New Limited Release:

Lum Reek 10 Years Old Cask Strength Batch 2

This peated blended malt was aged for at least ten years. Created by Master Distiller Billy Walker, who has sourced the finest vintage Speyside and Islay Single Malts and blended them with aged Glenallachie in pursuit of the perfect balance between peat and rich, fruity character. The spirit was laid to rest in premium Spanish sherry casks, wine barriques and virgin oak casks. The flavours marry and extract additional characteristics from the wood as time passes. Batch #2 of the 10 Years Old is bottled at a natural cask strength of 55.8% ABV, with no colour added and non-chill filtered for maximum flavour.

NOSE: Waves of grilled honeycomb, ginger and vanilla, cinnamon, campfire smoke and treacle.

PALATE: Bursting with dark chocolate, burnt orange peel and honeycomb, followed by smoked spiced, butterscotch and roasted coffee beans, with notes of ginger on the finish.

£60.99

Shop now

The 140th auction closes Sunday evening (tonight!), so we thought we’d take this opportunity to highlight a few excellent lots in this month which you might have missed.

Hibiki is a Japanese blend launched by the whisky giant Suntory in 1989 to celebrate their 90th anniversary; and it is really something special. It has received a Gold Editor’s Choice award from Whisky Magazine, not to mention achieving the top prize in its category at the World Whisky Awards 2010. This Hibiki 30 Year Old Kacho Fugetsu is a triumph of design with an elaborate 30-sided bottle, each face representing a year of maturation.

This one is definitely for those amongst us with deep pockets, The Macallan 72 Year Old Lalique Genisis Decanter.  An utterly tremendous expression this one, distilled in the 1940’s the whisky comes in a bespoke decanter by celebrated French crystal producers Lalique which is itself held in a case designed by Burgess Studio and handcrafted by cabinet maker NEJ Stevenson.  One of the oldest whiskies Macallan have ever bottled, this is your chance to purchase one of the most sought-after expressions on the secondary market.

And finally, we have another absolutely stunning dram from Speyside’s juggernaut, The Macllan 50 Year Old The Red Collection.  Taking inspiration from founder Alexander Reid, who’s surname means “the red one”, this show stopping range is also noteworthy for having been crafted by Macallan’s first female Master Whisky Maker, Kirsteen Campbell, who took the up the reins in 2019.  We’re running out of superlatives to describe The Red Collection, so let’s just say this is one of the finest collections The Macallan have ever released, so don’t rest on your laurels if you want to snap this one up.

We have some fantastic bottles in this month, so make sure to get your bids in early so you don’t miss out.  Happy bidding everyone and best of luck to you all in the auction.