Suntory Hakushu 12 Year Old Japanese Peated Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $213) ($169.99)

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: April 05, 2023

Everybody is all over Yamazaki, but for me, Hakushu is the real gem in the Suntory portfolio. While Yama takes all the glory, Hakushu quietly produces some of Japan’s most delicious whisky. Some people look at our description and are worried that the “peat” will be too much. This is in fact a lightly peated product distilled on Hakushu’s narrow necked stills. The resulting spirit is full of vibrant complexity and the peat is so perfectly integrated that few would pick it out as the main attraction. Instead, expect a gorgeous nose of wet forest floor, candied stone fruit, citrus oils, clove oil, fresh herbs, jasmine flower, green tea, sweet malt, and tobacco leaf. On the palate, the freshness and vibrancy is paramount, offering sweet, almost candied malty character tempered with a zesty citrus note and an oily texture. The peat pops up on the finish in a lovely balancing way. In my opinion, this is the better of the two Suntory flagship single malts and certainly the one I’d hand to any expert or regular Scotch drinker who might be Suntory curious.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: April 05, 2023

Hakushu has always been my favorite of the Suntory malts. The sweet and elegant malt profile is rounded out beautifully by the gentle peat smoke, giving the whisky more body and texture than its brothers. The “forest distillery” also produces a verdant whisky—it feels green and fresh, cool and earthy. Moist peat and cool mint gently hold up the bouquet of flowers and cereal notes. The palate is extremely balanced with pepper and cinnamon playing off the sweeter grain notes. The smoke is more rich body than intense fire. A long and earthy finish is sweetened by a maple syrup and caramel note that leaves a very pleasant aftertaste. With Japanese whisky being so hard to get these days and the price ever increasing, you have to get while the gettin’ is good.

Gary Westby | K&L Champagne Buyer | Review Date: June 27, 2019

This expertly crafted single malt has extraordinary balance for a peaty style and a refreshing, salty lightness that makes me come back for more. I love that this has the smoke and complexity of peat but doesn’t get bogged down with oily heaviness. To the contrary, this is a refreshing whisky that is fantastic to enjoy after a big meal!

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

Still Spirit strengthens whisky business with £1 million cask warehouse investment

— The state-of-the-art warehouse will allow buyers across the globe to own and monitor whisky casks with confidence –

Whisky fans across the globe can now enjoy the ultimate whisky cask ownership experience thanks to the launch of Still Spirit’s new state-of-the-art cask warehouse.

Investing over £1 million, the warehouse is equipped with industry leading technology, including a bespoke racking storage system and management software which displays the cask’s history at a glance.

With capacity of over 2,000 casks, the warehouse has been carefully developed to allow Still Spirit to offer a full suite of cask services to private customers around the world – from purchasing whisky casks, storage, tasting samples, regauging, and re-racking, all the way to assistance with selling casks or bottling.

Still Spirit owns and verifies all casks available for sale, storing them in its own secure private warehouse, where strict HRMC guidelines are followed to ensure the proper ownership paperwork is delivered to the owner.

The catalogue includes over 1,000 casks from over 80 distilleries, covering single malt, single grain, and blends from a variety of vintages. All casks are owned by the group, have been verified for quality and authenticity, and are monitored daily by the warehouse team. Clients can manage their cask requests seamlessly through Still Spirit’s new cask e-commerce website for any additional services needed.

Those who purchase a cask will also have the chance to monitor its progress, including visiting the warehouse and sampling the whisky as it matures. Bottling or reselling the cask can also be assisted via Still Spirit’s sister whisky auction business, Whisky Hammer.

Daniel Milne, co-founder and managing director of Whisky Hammer and Still Spirit, said: “Craig and I are extremely proud to be able to open our cask warehouse in Aberdeenshire. This is a milestone achievement for us as it showcases our drive for further establishment in the whisky industry with a notable focus on ‘doing it right’.

“With Still Spirit, we can offer whisky enthusiasts worldwide the chance to own and monitor their own casks with confidence.”

Founded by brothers Daniel and Craig Milne in 2016, Whisky Hammer is a family-run whisky auction service that has achieved worldwide acclaim for hosting monthly auctions dedicated to whisky and other fine spirits. It has achieved the world record for the highest value cask ever sold at auction.

Four years later, they opened their Still Spirit premises in Ellon – a whisky shop, e-commerce site and dram bar offering over 100 rare whiskies.

For more information on available casks, visit casks.stillspirit.co.uk.

About Whisky Hammer

Whisky Hammer is a family run whisky auction service founded by brothers and keen whisky enthusiasts Daniel and Craig Milne, who are supported by a team of passionate experts acting as trusted advisors to both buyers and sellers.

Whisky Hammer hosts monthly auctions dedicated to whisky and other fine spirits, which attract more than 200,000 buyers and sellers from every corner of the globe. It has auctioned a wide range of whiskies, both bottles and casks, recently achieving the world record for the highest value cask ever sold at auction.

The superior service offered by Whisky Hammer means it is trusted by some of the world’s most prominent whisky collectors and sellers, with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.

Follow Whisky Hammer at @whiskyhammer on Facebook and Instagram or visit www.whiskyhammer.com

All Good Things Must Come to an End…

It’s difficult to wrap up an event like Spirit of Toronto without feeling a bit of a letdown. After months of planning we don our glass slippers for a night of euphoric chatter and a sea of endless smiles, and crossing the finish line is always anticlimactic.

The guests leave, you pack up, and then the Inbox goes quiet with the exception of the bills that need to be paid and other mundane administrative tasks. No one likes to clean up after a party so suffice to say that these last few chores feel like drudgery.

For this reason we’re elated when our Photo Gallery is finally published, affording us the chance to relive the show digitally. As the kids say, pics or didn’t happen:

Spirit of Toronto 2023 Photo Gallery

While my heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone who attended, it was an extra pleasure to meet so many of you in person (with a shout-out to those who traveled to Toronto after participating in our Virtual Series over the past three years – more on this after the signature.)

I always enjoy the show vicariously through your highlights — according to you some of this year’s fan favourites include the Dunville’s Irish Whiskey masterclass, all things Kavalan, Yellowstone Bourbon, the Gonzalez Byass showcase in our Sketches of Spain lounge, Johnnie Walker Blue Label (you ballers!), our expanded Oyster Speakeasy & Raw Bar and those Whiskey Burgers washed down with Cavehill Bourbon Juleps. 😍

There are a few more recaps after the signature, otherwise I look forward to keeping in touch over the coming year as we plan for our 20th anniversary bash on Saturday May 4 — and yes, The Force will be strong with this one!

In the best of spirits,

Johanna Ngoh
Founder and Executive Producer

See you next year on Saturday May 4, 2024!

Teapot Dram – Batch No. 009 is here

Our latest batch of the Teapot Dram – Batch No. 009 is here. Our extremely popular limited edition range, the Teapot Dram tells the story of an old distillery tradition where workers would be given three fingers of whisky, three times a day.

The Teapot Dram has been deliberately bold, sherry matured limited release ever since its launch. Batch No. 9 is matured exclusively in first fill European and American oak sherry casks and bottled at 58.9% ABV.

Due to the limited nature of the product sales are limited to two per customer.

Teapot Dram 009 is available from the Glengoyne website and our Distillery Shop.

There’s still time to get involved this May BUT time is running out. Join us at a unique tasting at our Members’ Rooms, local venues, Partner Bars or ISLAY. There’s even a virtual tasting event so you can join from home – with festival mini packs available online now.

MAY EVENTS

VIRTUAL TASTING PACK

ISLAY 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

ralfy review 978 Extras – More about cask wood.

Lux Row Distillers reaches new heights with introduction of Ezra Brooks 99 Rye and reimagination of Ezra Brooks Bourbon Cream

Latest Ezra Brooks brand-family variants now available with elevated proof and taste

ST. LOUIS (May 15, 2023) – Lux Row Distillers announced two new variants in the Ezra Brooks brand family: Ezra Brooks 99 Straight Rye Whiskey and a newly reformulated Ezra Brooks Bourbon Cream. Both variants will reach retail shelves across the country later this month at a suggested retail price of $24.99 for Ezra Brooks Straight Rye Whiskey and $21.99 for Ezra Brooks Bourbon Cream per 750 ml bottle.

Ezra Brooks 99 Straight Rye Whiskey has a 51% rye mash bill and is charcoal filtered for a smooth, mellow finish. Bottled at an elevated 99 proof, Ezra Brooks 99 Straight Rye Whiskey delivers tasting notes that include hints of chocolate, leather, vanilla and spicy grains, balanced by slightly sweet and oaky tones. Ezra Brooks 99 Straight Rye is offered in upscale packaging on par with its bourbon sibling (Ezra Brooks 99 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey), including a prominent “99” proof callout and Lux Row Distillers embossing on the bottle’s shoulder.

Ezra Brooks Bourbon Cream is still made using all-natural cream and Kentucky Straight Bourbon but is now bottled at 33 proof – one of the highest proof levels of any offering in the Bourbon Cream category. Tasting notes include cinnamon, nutmeg and caramel with hints of vanilla and sweet pecan on the nose and buttery caramel, sweet toffee and a smooth, warm finish on the palate. Like its other elevated namesakes, Ezra Brooks Bourbon Cream now is offered in upscale packaging – in this case, with a prominent “33” callout and Lux Row Distillers embossing on the bottle’s shoulder.

“Based on the success of Ezra Brooks 99 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, we have elevated the proof for both the Ezra Brooks Rye and Bourbon Cream variants,” said Eric Winter, brand manager for Ezra Brooks. “Ezra Brooks 99 Rye drinkers will find the same great rye-whiskey taste, but with enhanced flavor delivered by the higher proof. Similarly, our new Ezra Brooks Bourbon Cream delivers a bolder, richer expression of the bourbon-cream flavor our customers love.”

About Luxco

Founded in St. Louis in 1958 by the Lux Family, Luxco is a leading producer, supplier, importer and bottler of beverage alcohol products. Our mission is to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of consumers, associates and business partners. Merged with MGP Ingredients, Inc. in 2021 (Nasdaq: MGPI), Luxco operates as MGP’s Brands Division and manages all MGP/Luxco brands. This extensive and award-winning spirits portfolio includes well-known brands from four distilleries: Bardstown, Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers, home of Ezra Brooks, Rebel, Blood Oath, David Nicholson and Daviess County; Lebanon, Kentucky-based Limestone Branch Distillery, maker of Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey and Bowling & Burch Gin; Jalisco, Mexico-based Destiladora González Lux, producer of 100% agave tequilas, El Mayor, Exotico and Dos Primos; and Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey are produced. The innovative and high-quality brand portfolio also includes Everclear Grain Alcohol, Pearl Vodka, Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream, The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey, Green Hat Gin and other well-recognized brands. For more information about the company and its brands, visit luxco.com.

First International Whiskey Trail Launches in Pacific Northwest: Slàinte to the Northwest Whiskey Trail! 

The new Northwest Whiskey Trail features seven distilleries across British Columbia, Washington State, and Oregon. 

SAANICH, BC (May 18, 2023) – Whiskey enthusiasts, it’s time to pack your bags and head to the Pacific Northwest for a one-of-a-kind experience. The Northwest Whiskey Trail, the first of its kind to cross an international border, launches today and is ready to welcome enthusiasts and newcomers to the world of single malt and potstill whiskey.

The brainchild of Graeme Macaloney Ph.D., CEO and Whiskymaker at Macaloney’s Island Distillery, the Northwest Whiskey Trail is an international adventure taking visitors through British Columbia, Washington State, and Oregon. This self-guided trail features seven distilleries, each with its own character and history, offering visitors an unforgettable whiskey experience.

“We are thrilled to finally unveil the Northwest Whiskey Trail, a unique and exciting experience for whiskey lovers,” said Graeme Macaloney. “Our goal is to showcase the incredible distilleries and whiskies found in the Pacific Northwest, and to provide a fun, educational and memorable experience for visitors. Collectively, we export our whiskies to every continent and can’t wait for whiskey enthusiasts from around the world to come and explore this beautiful region and all it has to offer.”

The trail showcases the best award-winning (including World’s Best & Country Best) whiskies in the Northwest, including those made by Westward Whiskey in Portland, OR, Copperworks Distilling and Westland Distillery in Seattle, WA, Macaloney’s Island Distillery in Victoria, B.C., Goldstream Distillery in Cowichan Valley B.C., Shelter Point Distillery in Campbell River, B.C., and Deep Cove Brewers & Distillers in Vancouver, B.C. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore each distillery’s unique distilling process, sample their signature whiskey, and learn about the history and culture behind each brand.

“When Graeme first approached us with the idea of creating an international whiskey trail featuring like-minded craft distilleries in the Pacific Northwest, we thought it was a brilliant idea,” said Copperworks Distilling Co. president, co-founder, and co-owner Jason Parker. “We’re excited for more people to visit, learn about the distilleries, and most importantly, taste the difference between each distillery.”

One of the highlights of the trail is the Northwest Whiskey Trail passport. Visitors can collect stamps at each of the participating distilleries along the trail, and once they fill up their whiskey passport, they can redeem it at their final distillery for an exclusive, limited-edition Northwest Whiskey Trail Glencairn whiskey glass, pictured above.

The trail takes visitors through stunning landscapes and scenic routes, from the pristine coastlines of British Columbia to the rolling hills of Washington State and the urban landscapes of Portland. The Northwest Whiskey Trail is the perfect opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves in the Pacific Northwest’s rich whiskey culture while enjoying the region’s stunning natural beauty.

Whether you’re a seasoned enthusiast or a newcomer to the world of single malt and potstill whiskey, the Northwest Whiskey Trail is the ultimate experience. So, grab your passports, pack your bags, and head to the Pacific Northwest for a whiskey adventure you’ll never forget.

For more information about the trail, please visit www.northwestwhiskeytrail.com.

About the Northwest Whiskey Trail: The trail is the World’s first international whiskey trail. It consists of seven award-winning single malt whiskey distilleries from Portland and Seattle to Vancouver Island and Vancouver. Each distillery offers visitor centre tastings and most also offer immersive, experiential distillery tours. Participating distilleries collectively export to Europe, Asia, Australia, S. America and N. America, therefore the trail represents an opportunity for international single malt whisky consumers to come to the source of their favourite whiskies. A trail passport provides a trail map for navigation, and allows tourists and whisky enthusiasts alike to collect a stamps from each distillery. Upon completion of all seven distilleries, participants earn a complimentary limited-edition Northwest Whiskey Trail Glencairn whisky glass as a souvenir of their accomplishment. www.northwestwhiskeytrail.com

We’re proud to announce our first, historic dram will be launched on 22nd September 2023. The Hearach Single Malt Whisky is woven from People and Place, with every drop made by Harris hands here in our elemental island.

Learn more about our whisky, the launch plans, and watch a new film via the link below…

Slàinte mhath!

Mike Donald, Chief Storyteller

www.harrisdistillery.com/behere

MAY CÀRN MÒR RELEASE

We are thrilled to share our new May Càrn Mòr release with you. These exciting new expressions include a combination of Speyside and Highland bottlings, including an extra-special distillery…

The MacDuff 2009 has spent its life in a mixture of first and re-fill Oloroso Sherry Hogsheads. Developing its flavours for 13 years, it has a warming palate of dark fruits and spices, balanced with an elegance of gentle cask influence. For those who enjoy a sherried malt, this one is a must!

Aberlour 2011 offers a refreshing option for those who love a typical bourbon-matured malt. This expression has been maturing for 11 years in first-fill Bourbon Barrels, presenting a crisp palate of green apples, juicy pears and fresh spearmint.

A unique bottling that is rarely seen outside of blends, the Balmenach 2012 is an exceptional dram in this new line-up. The spirit is typically known for its rich and meaty flavours, balanced with an Oloroso Sherry maturation, expressing a beautifully sweet and spicy sip.

Finally, we are very pleased with the Royal Brackla 2009. It has spent 13 years waiting patiently in a combination of re-fill Bourbon, first-fill Bourbon and new oak with a number 4 char. This balance of casks brings notes of distillery character, gentle citrus and vanilla alongside some richer brown sugar and spiced notes.

These expressions and more are on their way to a retailer near you.