The Epicurean Launches Amarone Finish Edition to its unique ‘Wood Series’ bottlings
Douglas Laing & Co., leading distiller, blender and bottler, has today released an Amarone Wine Cask Finished Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky as part of The Epicurean Wood Series.
The seventh Single Cask release in the specialist “Wood Series” is bottled at a high alcohol strength of 48% and is proudly offered without colouring or chill-filtration. This innovative collection already encompasses a Tawny Port Finish and a White Port Finish, amongst others, and seeks to demonstrate that flavour is created throughout the Whisky-making process but most significantly during the interaction between the spirit and the wood when it is in the oak cask. This latest edition is said to be “Full-bodied with waves of dark chocolate, ripe cherries and a sensational spiciness”.
In crafting The Epicurean Limited Edition, the Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky is first matured in premium American Oak before being re-racked into a single, hand selected Amarone cask for a second maturation period of two years.
The Amarone cask itself originates from the renowned Italian region of Valpolicella, a highly regarded area situated in the North-East of the country that’s known the world over for its quality Amarone wine production.
Scott Morrison, The Epicurean’s Brand Manager commented:
“The ethos behind our Epicurean brand is that of enjoying the finer things in life, and this is exactly what our innovative Wood Series encapsulates. Renowned as the master of versatility, our Epicurious gent’s wonderfully fresh and vibrant Lowland character lends itself beautifully to experimentation with different wood finishes, allowing us to create something truly special with each release. The cask and the Whisky add their own unique personalities and with this Amarone finish, the outcome is a balanced marriage of cask and spirit character – we are delighted with the result.”
Packed in a premium gift tube, The Epicurean Amarone Finish Limited Edition is expected to retail at £65.00/€73.00 from good specialist retailers.
About The Epicurean:
Facebook: @DLTheEpicurean
Instagram: @theepicureanwhisky
A marriage of Single Cask Single Malts, only from the Lowland region of Scotland, The Epicurean is characterised by his fresh, zesty and grassy flavour profile. The multi award-winning Scotch Whisky belongs to Douglas Laing’s Remarkable Regional Malts – “the Ultimate Distillation of Scotland’s Malt Whisky Regions” – also encompassing Timorous Beastie Highland Malt Scotch Whisky, Scallywag (Speyside), The Gauldrons (Campbeltown), Rock Island (from the Islands) and Big Peat (Islay).
ABOUT DOUGLAS LAING & CO.
Douglas Laing & Co. is a leading independent Scotch Whisky distillery, blender and bottler specialising in the selection and release of Single Cask Single and Small Batch Malt Scotch Whiskies.
The company was founded by Fred Douglas Laing in 1948 and is still owned and run by the Laing family – Fred Laing Jr and his daughter Cara Laing.
The company philosophy is to bottle the way the distiller intended – at a high strength and without chill filtration to preserve the robust and unique character of the Whisky. Douglas Laing’s industry reputation and many awards is testament to this ethos.
WELCOME, WHISKY CURIOUS
February 27, 2023 – CaskStrength Media/WhiskyCast launches a new mobile social app designed for whisky enthusiasts to enjoy undiluted, cask-strength conversation about all things whisky.
“The app gives whisky lovers a unique social media community dedicated to their love for the “water of life,” said Mark Gillespie, the host and executive producer of WhiskyCast, the award-winning podcast series now in its 18th year.
The app is available now for download on mobile devices in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. It has already been downloaded by users in 14 different countries, and its launch was announced on WhiskyCast Podcast Episode 993: Club Whisky today.
“Our goal is to change the conversation with this app,” said Christina Philburn, Managing Director of CaskStrength Media. “To commemorate the 1000th episode, we wanted more than an one-time event. We wanted to bring the whisky community together in a collaborative and inclusive way which facilitates conversation.”
In addition to a dynamic discussion feed, whisky enthusiasts will be able to stay informed with the latest whisky news, bottle releases, and analysis while learning about the spirit. The app features multimedia content to expand members’ expertise, including each new episode of WhiskyCast Podcast and WhiskyCast videos. Members will be able to participate in live stream broadcasts on location and in-studio with whisky-makers and industry pros from within the app.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive. We worked with whisky industry professionals, consumers, and media to set policies which govern both conduct and content. It sounds like a small thing, but those community-driven standards make the community sustainable,” said Philburn. “Too often, both brands and consumers equate a ‘like’ to knowledge and follower totals to influence. We think there’s a broader conversation to have with whisky enthusiasts, and that’s what we’ve done for 18 years. Now, we’re building a bigger table.”
WhiskyCast is proud to be trusted and well-respected by both whisky brands and consumers. Recent WhiskyCast awards include: 2023 Spirits Communicator of the Year, International Wine & Spirits Competition; 2021 Whisky Communicator of the Year, Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky Awards; 2020 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best Online Video/Broadcast/Podcast.
For more information, please email Christina Philburn, christina@caskmedia.com
Glenfarclas 15 Year Old TWS 30th Anniversary
This delicious Glenfarclas has been bottled to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Whisky Shop. Since the first days of our journey, our very ethos is to bring unique, different and interesting whiskies to our customers. And this one is no different…
This is a classic Highland sherry bomb, with rich sherried notes further amplified by the higher abv of 54.5% – try it with a drop of water to unlock some further hidden delights. Aged for 15 years and limited to just 300 bottles, we recommend grabbing one of these whilst you can!
On the nose expect an array of complex aromas including notes of marzipan, Maraschino cherries and dark fruits. On the palate you’ll discover luxuriously deep sherry notes which are balanced perfectly with hints of liquorice, ground coffee and fresh cinnamon. The dram closes with a surprising tropical twist with notes of Mango and Papaya coming to the fore. This whisky also pairs perfectly with dark chocolate with the bitter notes of the chocolate complementing the complex sherry notes of the whisky perfectly.
A mysterious Speyside whisky that James Bond is sure to like…
Aged 13 Years, 2009 Vintage, Un-chillfiltered.
It may not be on the label, but this malt whisky was distilled at Easter Elchies. Matured in refill butts and bottled by Signatory Vintage in 2022 for the un-chillfiltered label at 46%, natural colour. An absolute bang for you buck, drama free ‘Mystery Malt’…
Shop – Macallan 13 Years – £59.50 / u$60 / €68
The Macallan Distillery was established by Alexander Reid in 1824 as Elchies Distillery near Easter Elchies House. Easter Elchies House dates back to 1700 and the estate itself to at least the 17th century. Macallan Distillery is a malt whisky distillery situated in Speyside whisky region. The old still house was re-commissioned in 2008 and now Macallan Distillery operates with two still houses sheltering twenty-one copper stills. A brand new distillery is under construction and designed to house thirty one stills thereby retaining Macallan amongst the top producers by volume. On-site maturation is carried out in traditional dunnage warehouses and by racking in large new warehouses on the estate. Popular official releases include Macallan 18 Year Old and Macallan 30 Year Old.
New Lost Lantern Single Cask Collection Highlights the
Evolution of Innovation in American Whiskey
WEYBRIDGE, Vt., February 21, 2022—Lost Lantern, an independent bottler of American whiskey, is pleased to announce the release of their ninth single cask collection since launching in 2020.
The Spring 2023 cohort features four limited-edition single casks—all aged at least 7 years–from three distilleries: Westland Distillery in Washington, Watershed Distillery in Ohio, and Corbin Cash Distillery in California. It is Lost Lantern’s first 2023 release and its first since being named the 2023 Independent Bottler of the Year at the Icons of Whisky Awards America in February.
The new collection demonstrates just how much the world of American whiskey has transformed in recent years. “Distilleries that began experimenting and exploring new ideas a decade or more ago have now proven that those ideas work,” said Lost Lantern founders Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski. “Once, Pacific Northwest single malt, estate-grown rye whiskey, and thriving urban distilleries were just intriguing ideas with a lot of potential. But today, they have become realities, thanks to years of dedicated effort and commitment on the part of the country’s most innovative distilleries. The Spring 2023 Collection is emblematic of the growing maturity of innovation in the American whiskey world.”
The Spring 2023 Single Cask Collection will be available for sale beginning March 1st on LostLanternWhiskey.com, Seelbachs.com, and at select retailers in California and Alberta, Canada. As always, all offerings are released with full transparency, bottled at cask strength, are non-chill-filtered and have natural color.
Single casks are an essential piece of the Lost Lantern model, inspired by the long tradition of independent bottlers in Scotland. Since its debut in October 2020, Lost Lantern has released 40 one-of-a-kind single casks from 20 of the finest distilleries in the United States: Santa Fe Spirits (NM), Cedar Ridge (IA), New York Distilling Company (NY), Ironroot Republic (TX), Whiskey Del Bac (AZ), Balcones (TX), Watershed (OH), Boulder Spirits (CO), Spirit Works (CA), St. George Spirits (CA), McCarthy’s (OR), Smooth Ambler (WV), Starlight (IN), Westward (OR), Frey Ranch Distillery (NV), Dad’s Hat (PA), Copperworks Distilling (WA), Breuckelen Distilling (NY), Westland Distillery (WA), and Corbin Cash (CA).
ABOUT LOST LANTERN’S SPRING 2023 SINGLE CASK COLLECTION
Lost Lantern’s single casks show that the best whiskey reflects where it’s made, how it’s made, and who made it, and demonstrate that compelling whiskey comes from across the United States.
2023 Single Cask #1: Westland Distillery American Single Malt 7 Years Old
(215 btls | 105.7 Proof): SRP, $130
Washington-based Westland is a transformative voice in American single malt and a champion behind the emerging terroir of the Pacific Northwest. This release, Lost Lantern’s first from Westland, was distilled from the distillery’s signature 5-malt recipe. Aged for 7 years in a new oak cask, this whiskey is fresh, creamy, warm, and malty, with balanced notes of grain and oak and flavors of rich vanilla and caramel creams.
2023 Single Cask #2: Westland Distillery American Single Malt Finished in a Red Wine Cask 8 Years Old
(185 btls | 107.68 Proof): SRP, $140
Lost Lantern’s second cask from Westland shows a different side of the distillery. Like the first, it is made from Westland’s signature 5-malt recipe. It was aged for 5 years in new oak and then finished for 3 years in a Washington Cabernet Sauvignon wine cask. The finish amplifies the fruity, spicy flavors of the whiskey. Soft and rounded with a lot of spice, it has flavors of black raspberry, soft oak, apple cider donuts, and black cherry ice cream.
2023 Single Cask #3: Watershed Distillery Ohio Straight Bourbon Whiskey 7 Years Old
(65 btls | 132.2 Proof): SRP, $120
Founded in 2010, Watershed is one of the most sought-after and beloved distilleries in the Midwest, thanks to its meticulous production methods, commitment to local ingredients, and innovations with grain. In 2021, Lost Lantern released a 5-year-old five-grain bourbon from Watershed. This cask is its sibling. While the first was bottled right away, Lost Lantern continued to age this one in Vermont. After two years of humid summers and long, cold winters, this is a different whiskey than it was before: even deeper and more nuanced, yet still recognizably Watershed. It has a rich, full oak flavor, with notes of baking spice, vanilla sweetness, and fresh oatmeal raisin cookies. This is the oldest straight bourbon whiskey Lost Lantern has ever released, and one of the only 7-year-old releases to date from Watershed.
2023 Single Cask #4: Corbin Cash California Straight Rye Whiskey 7 Years Old
(217 btls | 128.72 Proof): SRP, $120
The Souza family has been growing sweet potatoes in California’s Central Valley for over 100 years, and they’ve been growing rye for just as long as a cover crop. In 2007, David Souza opened Corbin Cash Distillery, named for his son, and began distilling that rye. Their grain to-glass whiskies reflect the bounty and warmth of one of the world’s great agricultural regions. This release was distilled from 100% estate-grown Merced rye and was aged for 7 years in a heavily charred new oak barrel in the heat of the Central Valley, making this a rye from an uncommonly hot climate. The result is a welcoming and powerful whiskey. It is fresh and minty, with notes of sweet chocolate, delicate oak, and wintergreen. This is Lost Lantern’s oldest rye whiskey to date.
ABOUT LOST LANTERN
Founded by Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski, Lost Lantern is an independent bottler of American whiskey. In 2023, they were named Independent Bottler of the Year at the Icons of Whisky Awards America. The company seeks out the most unique and exciting whiskies being made across the country and releases them as single casks and blends, always with a deep commitment to transparency. Currently, the portfolio consists of American Vatted Malt Edition No. 1, an award-winning blend of American single malt whiskey made in collaboration with six U.S. distilleries, and 40 single casks (10 of which are available now). Lost Lantern debuts new hand-selected whiskies throughout the year and announces one-off limited releases from time-to-time. Subscribe to Lost Lantern’s newsletter to learn about new offerings as they become available. Lost Lantern Whiskey is available for purchase at LostLanternWhiskey.com, at Seelbachs.com, and at select retailers in California and Alberta, Canada.
Engage with Lost Lantern Whiskey on the following channels:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostlanternwhiskey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lostlanternwhiskey
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LostLanternDram
We added a new bottle to our catalogue last month and have been delighted at the success of the launch of the Friar John Cor, The Cask Strength Congregation Batch, Chapter 1. A dram that we are exceptionally pleased with, and which is receiving absolutely fabulous feedback.
The FJC was matured in a blend of Bourbon, Monbazillac, STR, and Sherry casks. The introduction of the Monbazillac casks gives a sweetness and complexity that complements perfectly the classic Lindores style. The bottles are now released into the wild, so visit our stockists page and see where your nearest bottleshop is to pick up a bottle!
Tours and events are filling up on a daily basis now, and we are looking towards a really busy season in 2023. Daily tours start again in April, so if you are planning a visit this year, it might be an idea to book.
The Legacy Bar opened on Friday 17th February for the first of our new monthly bar nights and it was a really cracking evening with a great crowd, some good drams and lots of impromptu singing; there will be a food truck each month, we will be serenaded by musicians or a DJ and once the weather improves we will move from the intimate space of the Legacy to the rather more accommodating area of the Courtyard Bar.
We have been welcoming lots of casks owners to the distillery as they finally get to bottle their private casks, which involves lots of filling and labelling bottles for the delighted owners.
We hope to see as many of you as we can at the distillery this season!
Slàinte
Drew McKenzie Smith
Managing Director of Lindores Abbey Distillery
& Custodian of Lindores Abbey
Amazingly, our distillery is coming into its sixth year of production, and is starting to show a little bit of wear. You cannot run a Ferrari without it going in for a major service every so often! And for lovers of obscure facts, especially the person who asked this question – the Lyne arms on our spirit stills sit at an angle of 27.5°!
Alongside essential maintenance, we are catching up with some campaign bottling. As I write, Lorena is nosing and tasting fifty cask samples for some exciting single casks. Amongst this little lot, in no particular order, you will find the following type casks, all filled with our new make spirit:
As with some of our oldest casks, they have a beautiful colour and nose, we are happy with how these turned out
We have also managed to get some of our product into new markets for Elliot and it’s great to hand Friar John Cor Chapter 1 over to Murray, and see the buzz happening around it in the UK. It’s not going to sit on the shelf for long, trust me. In fact I think most shops are no longer taking pre-orders as it’s all sold – just fantastic news!
Slàinte
Gary Haggart
Distillery Manager
Lindores Abbey Distillery
Abbey Road
Newburgh, Fife KY14 6HH
United Kingdom
To mark International Women’s Day this month, here at the Society we find ourselves celebrating those who think differently. This First Friday, taste and explore a truly exceptional selection of casks BUT be sure to be bold in selecting your bottlings – now is the time to try something a little different.
Ahead of our March Outturn release on Friday, 3 March at 9am, Unfiltered editor Richard Goslan sat down for a chat with SMWS head of whisky creation Euan Campbell and spirits coordinator Julien Willems to discuss some interesting bottles to look out for.
Discover a taste of what to expect, sit back and listen to the conversation in full via the link below. OR click over to our website now to browse the new Outturn before the bottles go on sale.
DON’T MISS: In the meantime, don’t miss out on our new Maverick whisky, the first of our 40th anniversary releases. AND with today being St David’s Day, a celebration of the patron saint of Wales, be sure to give the unique bottling Cask No. 128.29 Biscuit rose de reims a sample.
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
Friar John Cor
‘The Cask Strength Congregation Batch’
Chapter 1
A new release from Lindores Abbey Distillery – The Friar John Cor – Chapter 1. It was matured in a blend of Bourbon, Monbazillac, STR, and Sherry casks. The introduction of the Monbazillac casks gives a sweetness and complexity that compliments perfectly the classic Lindores style. Lindores Abbey is the officially recognised site of the first recorded distillation of Scotch Whisky in 1494, when Brother John Cor, a Lindores monk, was commissioned by King James IV in 1494 to turn 8 bolls of malt into Aqua Vitae, Lindores is again taking its place in history with its, now commercially available, Friar John Cor ‘The Cask Strength Congregation Batch’ – Chapter 1.
NOSE
Mellow ripe banana, honeycomb, apricot, and fresh pastry aroma fills the nose. A beautiful combination of fruity red apples, peaches and layers of winey touches.
PALATE
Rich fruity dates, apricots and spicy cinnamon with figs, prunes, blood orange, nutty almonds and waves of vanilla. Extremely silky texture. Very well balanced and complex.
FINISH
Pleasant medium to long with sweet honey, subtle spices and nutty.
£67.00
