As you can see from these photos taken by Ross, the Lindores Abbey orchard is blossoming beautifully. It’s also great to see that our honey hives are once again literally buzzing with life. With the new mashes going through we again have all the delightful smells of the distilling process wafting through the building, reminding us why we’re here.

It’s also good, after the usual quieter winter, to find ourselves inundated with visitors from all over the world. Lots of work for our tour guides – those who have been here for a long time and those who are just starting out. We’re always happy to read the comments in the visitors’ book about how well our tours are appreciated.

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

GOLD!!!

We are delighted to announce that our Friar John Cor Cask Strength Congregation Batch – Chapter 1 has won GOLD at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023.

DISTILLERY NEWS

We returned to mashing in April after a brief period of maintenance, and we have used the first of the 2022 harvest which was subject to last year’s very dry conditions. This leads to lower starch in the barley and so we are expecting somewhat lower yields.

One of the bigger jobs we have tackled in the meantime is repairs to our heat exchanger. We have just released Casks of Lindores Bourbon #2. Between 40 and 50 casks were vatted together and then diluted to 49.4% ABV. Like the others, this is a No Age Statement bottling (NAS). However, since it’s about 18 months older than our first Bourbon Casks of Lindores, we can confidently expect it to be even better.

Our plan is to release a new Casks of Lindores bottling every six months, rotating between STR, Sherry and Bourbon, and this has been well received by our aficionados.

In more admin related news our new Inventory Management system is under way. Inventory is a complicated process when you recognise that every cask we fill has to be stored for at least three years and a day before we can use it, and during that time we have to be able to say where it is and what’s happening to it. We have now logged every cask, and next have to programme all adjustments in the same system, for full traceability; write procedures; and carry out staff training.

At Lindores we are always trying to reduce our energy consumption and one of the ways we do this is to make sure our barley comes from farms within a five mile radius of the distillery and that we use local firms whenever possible. Our barley is malted at Crisp Maltings in Alloa then transported back here; and then we place orders for malt with Crisp for next year. Meantime Crisp use some of our farmers’ crop for seed for next year, and sell the seed back to them when they are planning their planting. We keep in touch with the farmers and have a daily awareness of how next year’s crop is going; and the cows eat our draff. The team can watch the barley growing from the distillery hall. How many distillery teams could make such a claim?

Slàinte
Dean McDonald
Distillery Operations Assistant Manager

ONE TO ONE AUCTION

In October this year, one of our Tiron Oak Casks of new spirit will be auctioned for Charity by Sotheby’s at the Distillers One to One Auction at Hopetoun House – a great honour for us!!

We are celebrating this in our creation of a new cocktail: VIEUX ABBAYE – a spin on the New Orleans classic cocktail Vieux Carré.

If you would like to celebrate along with us, here’s how:

35ml Lindores Tiron Virgin Single cask Whisky (or MCDXCIV will do just fine)
25ml Lillet Rouge (French Sweet/herbal vermouth style aperitif)
15ml Benedictine Liqueur
3 dashes of plum bitters
1 dash of angostura bitters
Stir down with ice then serve straight up in a coupe glass and garnished with a fan of fresh plum.

This is a booze-forward cocktail designed for sipping – not a session. It tells the story with which you will all be familiar – how the monks of Tiron Abbey came to Scotland and established Lindores Abbey, cultivating the land for barley and fruit. And now we have it – eight centuries later – our world famous Lindores Abbey Distillery Whisky.

The One of One auction ,organised by The Distillers Charity, provides funds for the Youth Action Fund in Scotland which helps support young people to a better future!! (More on this marvellous initiative in next issue!!!!).

Tormore 1993 29YO

Cask Type: First Fill Sherry Butt
One of only 554 bottles

Stewed red berry aromas complement vanilla pod and medjool dates. Baked apple flavours intertwine with cinnamon spice and charred oak. A full finish with summer berries and soft herbal notes. This release is from Tormore Distillery. Coming in the ‘Cask Strength’ range of Connoisseurs Choice.

Distilled: 1993
Bottled: 30th May 2022
Batch number: 22/109
Cask number: 5053
Cask Type: First Fill Sherry Butt
Aged for 29 Years
One of only 554 bottles

Bottled by Gordon & MacPhail

£275.00 >

Nikka Miyagikyo 2022 Limited Release “Aromatic Yeast” Japanese Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $269.99 View

Nikka Yoichi 2022 Limited Release “Aromatic Yeast” Japanese Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $269.99 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

ralfy review 975 – Bunnahabhain Stiuireadair @46.3%vol:

Bimber raises a glass to King Charles and Queen Camilla with the release of the distillery’s first marriage of unique casks

London’s Bimber Distillery today announced the upcoming release of ‘The Coronation of King Charles III’ – a special edition single malt whisky crafted from a unique marriage of American oak ex-bourbon and ex-Bordeaux red wine matured single malts.

Available directly from Bimber’s website on Friday 5^th May, the special release of 1,400 bottles is the distillery’s first expression created from a unification of multiple wood types. The base of ex-bourbon matured Bimber embodies the distillery’s textural, fruit-forward house style, whilst a sympathetic addition of single malt whisky fully matured in red wine sourced from Bordeaux adds both additional structure and complementary flavours of plump berries, shaved chocolate and tanned leather.

The celebration release has been bottled at 52.2% ABV and will be available for an RRP of £85. The design of the label and gift tube follows the same visual cues as the distillery’s 2022 Platinum Jubilee single malt whisky – with an array of illustrations drawing from the life and passions of King Charles III and his accession to the throne.

The expression has been crafted to Bimber’s rigorous 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 alembic pot stills which possess an increased copper surface area, and produce a fruit-forward, textural and layered new make spirit.

Speaking of the release of The Coronation of King Charles III, Bimber spokesperson Matt McKay said: “A Coronation marks a very special moment in any monarch’s reign. Bimber are delighted to celebrate the crowning of King Charles III and Queen Camilla with this equally special Bimber release. In the run up to the Coronation, the distillery team have spent many months assessing our developing inventory of diverse casks, whilst seeking out both contrasts and points of flavour congruence. This marriage of unique casks retains the profile of Bimber’s well-loved foundation of bright, expressive fruitiness, whilst adding layers of distinctiveness from the red wine matured whisky. The result is the perfect dram to celebrate the Coronation and to raise a glass to King Charles III.”

Bimber The Coronation of King Charles III 

A superlative marriage of ex-bourbon and ex-red wine single malt whiskies

1,400 bottles

70cl

52.2% ABV

RRP £85

Available from Friday 5^th May 2023

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.

Zing Zang® Partners with Watch Hill Proper to Debut the World’s Most Expensive Bloody Mary 

Mixologists, culinary creators and artisans collaborate to benefit Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund

Photo Caption – Zing Zang Win Place Show – Zing Zang, America’s #1 Bloody Mary Mix, and Watch Hill Proper Bourbon Bar & Kitchen, the world’s largest American Whiskey Bar and Kentucky’s first premier bourbon club, have teamed up to create the World’s Most Expensive Bloody Mary in time for the Kentucky Derby. The Zing Zang “Win” Mary (pictured above) is a $1,149 bourbon Bloody Mary featuring Zing Zang’s new Blazing Bloody Mary Mix, paired with a trio of decadent menu items, a flight of rare Pappy Van Winkle bourbon and is served in a 24-karat gold leaf, handblown crystal glass with a handcrafted custom silver sipper stirrer made by the fifth-generation silversmiths who made the Kentucky Derby Trophy for 47 years. Photo credit: Dan Dry.

CHICAGO, IL & LOUISVILLE, KY (April 19, 2023) – Zing Zang, America’s #1 Bloody Mary Mix, and Watch Hill Proper Bourbon Bar & Kitchen, the world’s largest American Whiskey Bar and Kentucky’s first premier bourbon club, have teamed up to create the World’s Most Expensive Bloody Mary in time for the Kentucky Derby. The Zing Zang “Win” Mary is a $1,149 bourbon Bloody Mary featuring Zing Zang’s new Blazing Bloody Mary Mix, paired with a trio of decadent menu items, a flight of rare Pappy Van Winkle bourbon and is served in a 24-karat gold leaf, handblown crystal glass with a handcrafted custom silver sipper stirrer made by the fifth-generation silversmiths who made the Kentucky Derby Trophy for 47 years. A portion of proceeds will be donated to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF), a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries. The Zing Zang “Win” Mary can be purchased online at www.watchhillproper.com/zingzang.

Watch Hill Proper’s Creative Director and award-winning mixologist Karla Green has created a unique bourbon Bloody Mary featuring Zing Zang Blazing Bloody Mary Mix, a new hotter and spicier version of the original Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix, Benton’s bacon fat-washed Buffalo Trace bourbon, olive brine, lemon juice and horseradish. The Zing Zang “Win” Mary will be accompanied by a bone marrow luge and half-ounce pours of Pappy Van Winkle 23, 20 and 15-year-old bourbons. In addition, Watch Hill Proper’s Executive Chef Michael Crouch created a special menu to accompany the cocktail, featuring a fried king crab corn dog with clarified foie gras butter and caviar, a wagyu rib cap nigiri with uni shoyu and black truffle, and a duck confit and lion’s mane mushroom croquette with ramp and sour apple napa slaw.

The Zing Zang “Win” Mary will be served in the finest silverware and glassware. Zing Zang partnered with Susanne Blackinton-Juaire, a fifth-generation silversmith from S.R. Blackinton of Smithfield, Rhode Island, who produced the Kentucky Derby Trophy for 47 years, and handcrafted the silver sipper stirrers. The sipper stirrers feature a custom “wishing you good luck” design, inspired by a pin given to jockeys in Europe in the early 1900’s before a big race.

The Zing Zang “Win” Mary is served in 24-karat gold leaf etched crystal glasses, handblown by Benjamin Giguere of Gather Glass Blowing Studio, located on historic Federal Hill in Providence, Rhode Island. Giguere, an expert glass blower for 26 years, followed old-world, Swedish-style techniques for crafting these custom glasses.

Only four Zing Zang “Win” Marys will be available to purchase online or in-person at  www.watchhillproper.com/zingzang – but Watch Hill Proper will offer other bourbon Bloody Mary options for patrons.

A Zing Zang “Place” Mary will be available, following Green’s bourbon Bloody Mary recipe, paired with a half-ounce flight of W.L. Weller 12 Year Bourbon, Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon, Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon and select sides. The Zing Zang “Place” Mary will be served in a handblown commemorative crystal glass and available for $350.

An unlimited amount of Zing Zang “Show” Marys are available for patrons. Guests can enjoy the same unique recipe alongside a half-ounce flight of Eagle Rare Bourbon, E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, and 1792 Small Batch Bourbon and select sides for $65. The Zing Zang Win, Place and Show Bourbon Bloody Marys will be available May 2 – May 6, 2023.

“We are proud to partner with such an innovative establishment as Watch Hill Proper and world-class artisans as S.R. Blackinton and Gather Glass to create a bold, first-of-its kind cocktail, while raising money for an important cause,” said E.G Fishburne, Vice President of Marketing at Zing Zang. “Like Zing Zang, each element of these cocktails was meticulously crafted with the highest quality ingredients and materials available. We’re thrilled to help add a little spice and boldness to Derby week.”

Zing Zang Bloody Mary mixes are made from a proprietary blend of seven real vegetable juices and a complex array of bold spices and seasonings. The Chicago-based company delivers signature bold flavors with a variety of award-winning mixers made with real ingredients, as well as canned ready-to-drink and ready-to-serve cocktails.

Watch Hill Proper recently celebrated its first anniversary after an incredible year. After opening in April of 2022, it has become one of the most nationally recognized Bourbon Clubs known around the globe for its innovative modern cuisine with a classical French influence and award-winning cocktails.

“In just over a year, we have celebrated many milestones and can now add creating the World’s Most Expensive Bloody Mary to that list,” said co-founders Josh Howes and Tommy Craggs. “Whiskey is the perfect accompaniment to a Bloody Mary and we pride ourselves on having a near endless supply to choose from. When you combine Zing Zang, Karla and Michael’s creativity, renowned artisans and a hometown charity, it’s the perfect recipe for success.”

Win, Place, and Show – Zing Zang Blazing Bourbon Bloody Mary Recipe

4 ounces Zing Zang Blazing Bloody Mary Mix

1 ounce Benton’s bacon fat-washed Buffalo Trace bourbon

½ ounce fresh lemon juice

¼ ounce olive brine

Pinch of freshly grated horseradish

Glass: Collins

Method: Rolled

Cocktail Garnish: Dusted bourbon barrel smoked salt and Tajin citrus wheel, truffle fromage Cheese Whiz stuffed grilled olive, basil leaf, Watch Hill Proper amuse (pimento on rye)

Sides – Zing Zang “Win” Mary

• Three ½-ounce pours of Pappy 23 year, Pappy 20 year, Pappy 15 year bourbons
• Fried king crab corn dog with clarified foie gras butter and caviar
• Wagyu rib cap nigiri with uni shoyu and black truffle
• Duck confit and lion’s mane mushroom croquette with ramp and sour apple napa slaw
• Commemorative silver sipper stirrer and 24-karat gold leaf etched crystal glass

Sides – Zing Zang “Place” Mary 

• Three ½-ounce pours of Weller 12 Year, Elmer T. Lee and Blanton’s bourbons
• Fried king crab corn dog, with clarified foie gras butter and caviar
• Wagyu rib cap nigiri with uni shoyu and black truffle
• Commemorative crystal glass

Sides – Zing Zang “Show” Mary

• Three ½-ounce pours of Eagle Rare, E.H. Taylor Small Batch BIB, and 1792 Small Batch bourbons
• Duck confit and lion’s mane mushroom croquette with ramp and sour apple napa slaw

Learn more at www.watchhillproper.com/zingzang.

About Zing Zang:

Zing Zang® is the leading and fastest growing non-alcoholic cocktail mix brand in the U.S. The

company markets a complete line of premium-quality mixers including the leading Bloody Mary Mix

in the U.S., and a naturally crafted line-up of Margarita, Sweet & Sour, Strawberry Margarita-Daiquiri

and Piña Colada Mixes, which contain no high fructose corn syrup, no preservatives, and no artificial

dyes. Zing Zang recently introduced a line of ready-to-serve (RTS) Bloody Mary cocktails, and also

ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktails, using the Zing Zang award-winning mixes and premium

spirits. The RTD line includes Bloody Mary, Blazing Bloody Mary, Margarita, Mango Margarita, and

Bourbon Whiskey Sour. Zing Zang is available nationwide in over 200,000 retail and on-premise

locations. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. For more information,

please visit www.zingzang.com.

About Watch Hill Proper:

Watch Hill Proper Bourbon Bar & Kitchen in Norton Commons is the world’s most extensive American whiskey bar. The purpose of Watch Hill Proper is to be a dining destination that celebrates American whiskey from all around the country, particularly Kentucky bourbon. The restaurant hosts public and private events, including bourbon and wine tastings, meet and greets with bourbon master distillers, and themed dinners. For more information, please visit www.watchhillproper.com.

A Head-Turning Blended Scotch for a Wide Audience
Sassenach Blended Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($109.99)
“It’s a superbly easy-drinking blended Scotch that checks all the boxes for a high-quality whisky and offers so much more intrigue than I was expecting.”
— Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

While the focus of our Scotch program is undoubtedly the single malts, especially our K&L exclusive casks, our spirits buyers are always on the lookout for a surprise performer in the blended category, and they’ve found one in the Sassenach. Made predominantly from 9- to 12-year-old whiskies, over half of them single malts, it’s clear the producers put some serious ingredients into this one, and it shows. With a polished character that reminds us of other top-tier, boutique blends like those from the beloved Compass Box and an easy-going profile designed to appeal to a huge audience, it’s a no-brainer to stock on the bar.

Sassenach Blended Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($109.99)

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: April 27, 2023

The Sassenach blend is not your typical celebrity brand. Someone figured out that if you’re going to bother to make a whisky that’s going to be purchased by millions of potentially non-Scotch drinking fans, it’d better be pretty damn good. That’s a stark contrast from celebrity brands, which often seem comfortable marketing to the lowest common denominator at inflated luxury prices. But I’m not the only one to say that this is actually solid juice. It’s earning golds and double golds from every prominent awards show out there. There’s not a lot of information about the source, though there seems to be a connection to the Loch Lomond distillery, but there’s no question that there’s some solid old malt and grain in here. And rightfully so, as it’s not by any means a value brand. In any case, let’s give it a whirl. The color is a vibrant pale gold. On the nose, it starts off rather malty with clean stone fruit and pretty hints of yellow flowers and scrubby herbs. With some air, a more honeyed character appears, but the clean, rich malt is the star of the show. The palate is zesty with hints of lemon balm, great malty character, baking spice, and toasted vanilla bean. The 92 proof is welcome, and it seems as though they’ve put significant amounts of malt, and of no uncertain quality level, to bring an excellent-quality product to the table.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: April 20, 2023

Skeptical would be the correct word. I was highly skeptical going into tasting this whisky. Sure, Outlander is a great show. Sure, it takes place in Scotland. Sure, Sam Heughan is actually Scottish and looks like he can do no wrong. But that’s a far cry from what I need to be able to stock a whisky on our shelf. As a rule, we shy away from celebrity branded anything, but also as a rule, I’ll taste just about anything to see if I’m surprised by the quality of the product itself. Indeed, I am surprised. This 46%-ABV, non-chill-filtered, no-color-added, blended Scotch has a huge proportion of malt in it (over half!). That’s massive compared to most blended Scotch, even on the ultra-premium end. It’s put together by Master Blender Michael Henry from the Loch Lomond group, one of the most versatile distilleries in all of Scotland. As far as what I’m looking for in a blended Scotch, the Sassenach reminds me more of Compass Box than it does of Chivas or Johnnie Walker, a very good thing in my book. The nose is a pretty mix of chocolate malt, buttered toast, and vanilla with a healthy dollop of ripe stone fruits, a little peach pit, and a savory/sweet marzipan note. The palate is complete and full. Mouth-filling with just enough bite to be pleasantly engaged. The finish is medium in length and very pleasant. It won’t scratch the high-proof, single-cask, ultra-complex itch, but it’s not designed to do that, so I can’t judge it that way, even though it’s my personal default. It’s designed to be sexy (the package looks great), sleek, approachable, and dare I say, quaffable. It’s a superbly easy-drinking blended Scotch that checks all the boxes for a high-quality whisky and offers so much more intrigue than I was expecting. If you’re a fan of the show and love having a tasty bottle of Scotch on the bar, to simply pour and enjoy glass after glass, this is perfect.

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

Cask warehouses with a wonderful view.

Provenance is important to us, which is why we’re distilling every drop of our whisky right here in the Isle of Harris.

We’re also maturing our spirit here too, with our casks being stored in warehouses in the small village of Ardhasaig just down the road from the distillery.

It’s a beautiful part of the island, just yards from the sea and the bright boats bobbing in the natural bay of West Loch Tarbet.

The views are pretty stunning too, surrounded by croft land and old blackhouses, with the high Harris hills towering above.

Want To Hear More About ‘The Hearach’?

Isle of Harris Distillers Ltd is registered in Scotland.

Peat Monster Cask Strength 56.7%

While The Peat Monster may boast purely Scottish ancestry, this is a whisky born in the USA. To mark its 20th birthday, and to celebrate America’s influence on Scotch whisky more broadly, we have finished some of this whisky in very special seasoned virgin American white oak barrels.

On the nose; sooty barbecue smoke, green apple and powerfully aromatic citrus oils, all underpinned by warming cinnamon. On the palate; tarry, smoked almond, with the seasoned virgin oak delivering added richness and vanilla notes alongside seaweed, cayenne pepper and saltiness.

£102.00

ORDER NOW