A Whisky Advcocate Top Ten Standout at Best Pricing
Kentucky Peerless Double Oak Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($79.99)
“Very tasty, and with plenty of panache.” — Whisky Advocate

An original and prominent Kentucky bourbon brand of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Kentucky Peerless was revived by the founder’s great-grandson in 2015 to much fanfare. Bearing the original Distillery Plant Number 50 (newly issued numbers now start in the 20,000s), the resurrected operation has caught the attention of bourbon aficionados everywhere. Once the double barrel-matured Double Oak Straight Bourbon landed at #8 on Whisky Advocate‘s Top 20 list of 2021, the rush was on. Previously very scarce in the market, the Double Oak is back stock in quantity so collectors can go big on an all-star bottling.

Kentucky Peerless Double Oak Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($79.99)

92-93 points Whisky Advocate: “A nose of confectioners sugar and peach tart, as well as Toblerone, cherry cola, roasted almonds, barrel char, leather, and drying oak. More baking spice on the palate, melding with chocolate syrup, savory notes of roasted nuts and charred corn, pepper, and perfumed oak. Earthy notes emerge with water, along with spice and chocolate. An herbal finish offers flavors of cherry tart, light chocolate, and spice. Very tasty, and with plenty of panache. *Ranked #8, Top 20 Whiskies of 2021* (DF, Summer 2020)”

K&L Notes: This limited-edition release used to be absolutely impossible to get. With the tremendous reception they had at the distillery for the Double Oak, Peerless decided to double down and expand its distribution. They combed the warehouses for the most fruity, grain-forward, and herbal barrels (the more intense the better) and then promoted those barrels into the Double Oak program. The extra intensity of the original barrels is able to stand up to a second maturation in new oak. The whiskey then becomes the balanced bourbon that Peerless requires but with the added focus on American oak.

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

Signatory Vintage Ben Nevis 2014 8 Year Old

Matured for 8 years in a pair of second-fill Oloroso sherry butts

£48.00
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With the Easter weekend and April Outturn nearly here, we’re on the hunt for new flavour experiences. Follow your nose and join us and fellow members at one of our tasty tastings this April. OR plan ahead and be sure to secure your tickets to an event during our Flavour Hunter Festival this May. Discover the full programme online with tickets available NOW.

FLAVOUR HUNTER FESTIVAL

READ APRIL OUTTURN

VIEW ALL TASTINGS

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

White Peak Distillery reveals first main whisky release of 2023

 -Wire Works Whisky – Caduro-

White Peak Distillery in Derbyshire is this week revealing its first main 2023 release of Wire Works Whisky, just over a year since the launch of its award-winning single malt English whisky.

Caduro takes its name after a global cable brand that was once made onsite by Johnson & Nephew at the former Wire Works, the home of the Distillery since 2016. Derbyshire heritage and provenance are at the heart of every aspect of White Peak Distillery and its craft spirits, and Caduro is an extension of this strong sense of place.

Bottled at 46.8%, Caduro is a unique vatting of Derbyshire single malt whisky matured in a combination of American and French oak, both first fill ex-bourbon and White Peak’s signature STR Casks (re-conditioned wine barriques that have been shaved, toasted and re-charred). The selection of STR casks, and proportion of French oak used for Caduro are different from previous releases, adding extra fruit depth and intensity to the lightly-peated spirit. As with all White Peak spirits, every aspect of production is done onsite at the Distillery with nothing added during the process and no chill-filtration.

Caduro will also be the very first Wire Works Whisky release to be offered as a Distillery refill for those who are keen to enjoy their whisky and embrace the concept of a bottle for life. Visitors to the Distillery who bring their empty Caduro bottle back to the Distillery shop can enjoy a 15% refill discount. In addition to this, the release is set to be White Peak’s first exploration into a potential benchmark core range product under the Wire Works Whisky label.

A complex, approachable single malt whisky in the Distillery’s lightly-peated core house style.  Green apple, banana and candy cane on the nose, with citrus zest, cereal and tobacco on the palate, and a warm, spicy finish with a good mouthfeel and a wisp of smoke.

White Peak Distillery was founded seven years ago by husband-and-wife team Max & Claire Vaughan – both originally from Derbyshire – and continues to go from strength to strength. Last year saw the Distillery winning multiple awards not only for its whisky, but also for its Distillery visitor experiences and the much-celebrated Wire Works Whisky packaging.

Max Vaughan, co-founder of White Peak said: “Off the back of an amazing 2022 for Wire Works Whisky and having sold out of last month’s Double Oak Port release, we are excited to now be sharing our first main release of 2023. Over the past year we have been overwhelmed by the response we’ve had from our various communities, sector partners and friends who have supported us, bought our whiskies and visited us here at the Distillery.

The launch of Caduro marks a milestone for us a year on from our first release, both as a development towards a benchmark core whisky, and with a name that is grounded in the passion and connection we feel for our home and rich heritage here at the Wire Works. We’re excited for the future and hope that our spirits continue to be enjoyed by those who care about how their whisky is made, where it’s made and who is making it.”

Caduro will be available from Friday 24^th March via the Distillery shop and online, as well as from trade partners including Booths, Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange, and select independents nationwide (https://www.whitepeakdistillery.co.uk/where-to-buy-wire-works-whisky/). RRP: £60 per 70cl.

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

About Wire Works Whisky Caduro:

46.8% ABV

100% natural colour and non-chill filtered.

Tasting Notes:

A complex, approachable single malt whisky in our lightly-peated core house style.  Green apple, banana and candy cane on the nose, with citrus zest, cereal and tobacco on the palate, and a warm, spicy finish with good mouthfeel and a wisp of smoke.

Nose: Pear drops, green apples, banana, orange marmalade, nutmeg, white chocolate, candy cane, vanilla fudge, marshmallow, marzipan, popcorn, burnt sugar.

Palate: Chocolate orange, treacle tart, liquorice all-sorts, tobacco, clotted cream, citrus zest, tea cakes, allspice, cereal, trail mix and baklava.

Finish: Butterscotch, mace, citrus, marmalade, crème brulee, vanilla sugar with a wisp of smoke.

About Wire Works Whisky:

Wire Works Whisky from White Peak Distillery is Derbyshire’s very first single malt.

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.

White Peak Distillery Awards:

2022 and 2023 has seen White Peak also win numerous awards for their whiskies and packaging, as below:

UK Packaging Awards 2022:

• Corrugated Pack of the Year
• Best Packaging of a New Product
• Glass Pack of the Year, Spirits, Perfumes and Cosmetics

The Global World Whisky Masters 2022:

• Necessary Evil: Gold
• Small Batch: Gold

International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2022:

• Best Contemporary Design: Wire Works Whisky

People’s Choice Awards 2023:

• Best Whisky: Wire Works Whisky Small Batch – World Whisky Category 

English Whisky Guild:

White Peak Distillery is one of the 15 members of the English Whisky Guild, that was founded in 2022 by the English whisky industry to represent the interests of the increasing number of English whisky distilleries (currently there are 40) on the world stage of whisky.

For further information visit:  English Whisky Guild

SUPPORTING WOMEN IN DISTILLING

To celebrate Women’s History Month, we are thrilled to announce the Angela H. Moore – Women in Distilling Scholarship, and in support of the initiative, a new limited edition release: Scholar’s Craft Coffee Cask American Single Malt.

The scholarship will provide $100k of aid for students at Appalachian State University entering the field of distillation and whisky production.

The renewable scholarship will provide annual aid to fermentation sciences majors above the age of 21 in a 5 year endowment. Half of our investment will be used to conduct student driven research projects on distillation. With our help, students will now have the necessary funds to develop research ideas and carry them out under the mentorship of the fermentation sciences faculty. Additionally, we’re offering paid-internship opportunities to those students that receive aid from this scholarship, giving them on-site, real world experience working inside a whisky distillery. Interns will work across all facets of whisky production including distilling, cask house operations, and packaging.

“I’m incredibly proud to launch this program and hope it encourages those who are interested in a career in distilling to pursue their passions,” said Angela H. Moore, Board Chair at Virginia Distillery Company. “As a minority in a male-dominated industry, my goal is to grow representation and create opportunities for women in the production of world-class whiskies.”

BUY SCHOLAR’S CRAFT

The Scholar’s Craft Coffee Cask is made from 100% malted barley, aged in ex-bourbon casks and finished in barrels that previously held ethically sourced small-batch coffee. Coffee was selected for this expression to acknowledge the vital role that it plays in the lives of college students. All proceeds from Scholar’s Craft will go towards the scholarship fund. We invite you to try this exceptional whisky, and in doing so, join us in supporting women in distilling.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to sharing a dram of Scholar’s Craft with you.

Cheers,

Virginia Distillery Co. 🥃

Blanton’s Black “Takara” Kentucky Straight Bourbon (750ml)(Japanese Import) $210.00 View

Blanton’s Red “Takara” Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon (750ml)(Japanese Import) $220.00 View

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

Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2023

This latest delightful dram takes its name from the dark, murky, and peaty waters of the nearby Loch Gorm. An annual release, we always look forward to this Islay sherry-bomb! Named after the dark and peaty loch next to Kilchoman’s distillery on Islay, this 12th annual release of Loch Gorm is the 2023 version of the only regular expression matured entirely in Oloroso sherry butts. The expression is a marriage of 22 specially chosen casks: 8 distilled in 2013, 6 distilled in 2014, and 8 distilled in 2015. Bottled at 46% abv.

£78.00
BUY NOW

ralfy review 971 – Kilchoman Sanaig @ 46%vol:

One man, a dram and a mountain

Local medical charity Cobalt supporter Philip Pinchin is going to great heights to raise money for the charity.  On 6 April, Philip will set off on an expedition to summit Lhotse at 8,516m, the fourth highest mountain in the world. As part of the challenge Philip plans to share some drams of Bimber whisky at Camp 2 situated at 6,553m, which if successful would beat the current highest whisky tasting record by more than 1,100 m.

Kirsty Bradbury, Supporter Engagement Officer, Cobalt said “We hope that Philip’s exceptional challenge will help us raise much-needed funds to provide the very latest diagnostic imaging for people with cancer, dementia, and other conditions.  It’s an extraordinary undertaking and we are very grateful; for Philip’s support.  We will be following his progress up the mountain and hope to share photos of his climb along the way”.

Philip Pinchin

Supporting Philip’s expedition are Dunphail and Bimber whisky distilleries. Bimber will launch a rare London single malt – The Lhotse Challenge 2023. This incredibly special Bimber will be an entirely unique marriage of three different cask types, including some of their oldest and finest stock.

The miniatures will each possess a stunning hand-painted artist label.  One bottle plus seven 5cl miniatures will be offered via a raffle to raise funds towards Philip’s trip.  Tickets will cost £10 each and are available to purchase from the Bimber web shop until Wednesday 29 March.  The lucky winners will be revealed in a live draw on the Bimber Facebook page on Thursday 30 March at 9pm.

One miniature will hopefully summit and return with Philip. This miniature along with a bottle will be sent for a special charity auction upon Philip’s return to England. All proceeds from the auction will be presented to Cobalt.

Cobalt provide support to the NHS and invest in the latest diagnostic imaging technology.  They have supported over 59 research studies and clinical trials and completed over 700 research scans per year. Cobalt support the NHS England Targeted Lung Health Check Programme. Cobalt is the leading provider of the programme and supports seven TLHC services across England with over 50,000 CT scans.

For more information on medical charity Cobalt go to www.cobalthealth.co.uk/support-us/  or follow @CobaltSupporters on Facebook.

Charity information 

Cobalt

Cobalt pioneer innovation in medical imaging diagnosis by investing in equipment, integrated research and education to improve outcomes for patients now and in the future.

Each year Cobalt provides diagnostic imaging for over 130,000 patients at Imaging Centres in Cheltenham and Birmingham and with a fleet of mobile MRI CT and PET/CT scanners supporting hospitals across the UK.

The Charity participates and funds research mainly in the areas of cancer and dementia and provides training for healthcare professionals on a local, national and international basis.

For every £1 raised through voluntary income, 88p is spent on charitable work.

Follow Cobalt on Twitter @cobaltfr or like @CobaltSupporters on Facebook.

www.cobalthealth.co.uk 

Bimber Distillery 

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

Dunphail Distillery 

Our firm belief in the importance of high-quality barley and the use of onsite floor malting and kilning ensures that Dunphail’s spirit is a product of uniqueness, shaped by generations of rich distilling heritage. We craft the finest whisky the way it used to be made – taking the traditions of the past to shape the whisky of tomorrow.

www.dunphaildistillery.com

SAVOUR THE SKYSCRAPERS
OF SMOKE

It’s the 20th anniversary of The Peat Monster. And to mark this momentous occasion, we’re going back to where it all began. Introducing our next limited edition – The Peat Monster Cask Strength: Origin Story. Follow us on a flavoursome homecoming journey to New York City, the place where the monster first came to life.

HOW THE PEAT MONSTER
CAME TO BE

While its components are sourced from Scotland, our beloved blend, The Peat Monster was born in the USA, as a whisky made in collaboration with Park Avenue Liquor Shop. After adapting and refining the recipe to get the right level of smokiness, we created something very special. The bottle was sent to Park Avenue Liquor Shop with a note, which simply read: “It’s a monster”.

Now the monster returns from Scotland to New York City, bringing skyscrapers of smoky flavour to the glass.

BIGGER. BOLDER. SMOKIER.

At 56.7% ABV, The Peat Monster Cask Strength grows into something stronger and more expressive. A blend both smokier and peatier than the original. On the nose, expect wisps of sooty barbecue smoke, green apple, and aromatic citrus oils, all underpinned by a gentle cinnamon warmth. On the palate, there’s a dazzling metropolis of flavours – from tarry smoked almond, to seaweed, to cayenne pepper – all made more industrial and more intense by the whisky’s higher ABV.

AN ODE TO AMERICAN ART

This limited edition is a celebration of The Peat Monster’s American roots – from the cooperage behind the barrels it was finished in, to the illustration on the label. The whisky in the bottle was part-finished in seasoned virgin American oak barrels made specially for us in Missouri, which brings an increased presence of vanilla and cinnamon.

The label design, created by American artist Marc Burckhardt, shows the monster returning to its birthplace of New York City, surrounded by its iconic skyscrapers and steam grates.

CLICK ABOVE TO SHOP FOR THE PEAT MONSTER CASK STRENGTH AT COMPASSBOXWHISKY.COM