ARDBEG DAY RETURNS TO LONDON WITH A PLANET ARDBEG ‘DETECTIVE NOIR’

THEMED IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE FOR WHISKY LOVERS

This year’s Ardbeg Day celebration in London invites whisky lovers to transport themselves into the graphic novel universe of Planet Ardbeg to uncover the mysteries behind Ardbeg’s latest limited edition release, Heavy Vapours… 

Islay’s single malt Scotch whisky, Ardbeg, is excited to be bringing back its mythical, graphic novel universe, Planet Ardbeg this summer. The immersive experience will take place for Ardbeg Day in London on Saturday 3rd June 2023 at The Light Bar on Shoreditch High Street and is inspired by its 40-page sci-fi anthology which launched last year.

Returning for 2023, this year’s Planet Ardbeg Day celebrations are inspired by the creation of Ardbeg’s limited edition single malt scotch whisky – Heavy Vapours. For the first time ever, Ardbeg’s whisky has been distilled without a purifier, making the liquid the most full-blown, distinctive, and experimental whisky to be matured in Ardbeg casks.

The mystery of what happened to the untamed purifier, responsible for maintaining the balance between extreme peat and floral fruitiness, remains unsolved. Ardbeg will be inviting whisky lovers to locate the elusive purifier in this year’s immersive ‘Detective Noir’ Planet Ardbeg celebrations. Guests can expect to be fully immersed into the world of Planet Ardbeg as they embark upon their mission through a series of activities. Through solving riddles and cracking codes hidden amongst Planet Ardbeg graffiti, working with an investigative journalist in the Ardbeg Times office, and taking part in an exclusive Heavy Vapours whisky tasting with Agent 46, consumers will work to find the missing purifier and claim exclusive Ardbeg Day merchandise. A lucky few will also have the opportunity to win bottles of Ardbeg’s limited edition Heavy Vapours!

Planet Ardbeg Day 2023 celebrations will take place on Saturday 3rd June 2023 at The Light Bar, 233 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6PJ from 2-7pm. Tickets are priced at £40, and will include admission to the event, three delicious Ardbeg whisky cocktails, participation in all activities including the Heavy Vapours tasting, and food from ‘Shortie’s Smokehouse’.

Tickets are available to purchase now HERE

Ardbeg Heavy Vapours will be available to buy from Ardbeg Embassies, whisky specialists, online retailers and from the Distillery Visitor Centre from 23^rd May, RRP: £120. For more news on Ardbeg Day 2023 and all things Ardbeg, smoky malt whisky fans can join the Ardbeg Committee at Ardbeg.com.

About Ardbeg Day

Ardbeg Day is a global, annual celebration of all things Ardbeg, held on the final Saturday of Islay’s Festival of Music and Malt – the Feis Ile. In 2023, Ardbeg Day falls on Saturday 3rd June, with festivities set to take place at the distillery in Islay and online.

www.ardbeg.com

Follow Ardbeg on:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ardbeg
• Twitter: @Ardbeg
• Instagram: @ardbeg

ARE YOU GOING TO WHISKEY LIVE THIS WEEKEND IN DUBLIN?

If so, we will see you there, same stand as last year!

As a heads up for those going, and those that are not, we will have an exclusive bottling for Whiskey Live. This bottling marks the end of our Cooley stock which we loved dearly.

It’s the same good Rum and Raisin Single Malt we used to have in the early batches but it was rested for a year in Acacia wood. It’s brilliantly fruity with just enough wood spice.

The bottles are exclusive to Whiskey Live and all are purchased through the CWS shop. You must collect your hessian sack at our stand first before making your way to the shop where CWS staff will redeem your sack with your bottle purchase.

As we are not policing the shop there is no limit per person, but there are less than 200 available at a generous price of €54.95 RRP.

As usual this bottling follows the Killowen commandments: cask strength, non chill filtered, no colouring, integrity bottling and all round loveliness.

We look forward to seeing you all at Dublin Whiskey Live and if you can’t go get a friend going to pick up a bottle for you!! ;D

Sláinte

The Killowen Distillery Team

Killowen Distillery Ltd
29 Kilfeaghan Road
Rostrevor
Newry, County Down BT34 3AW
United Kingdom

Our May auction is LIVE!

Only 8.5% buyer’s commission.

Auction ends Wednesday 24^th May from 2000 GMT.

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Back in Stock: A Special Release from a Scotch Icon
Macallan “The Harmony Collection – 2022 Intense Arabica” Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)
(Elsewhere $250) ($174.99)
“It’s like the perfectly pulled shot of espresso—rich with a distinct crema, full, round, and yet lively.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

The anticipation surrounding last year’s second Harmony release from Macallan was well justified by the end results. Master Blender Steven Bremner applies the distillery’s renowned, signature sherry-cask aging with incredible precision and detail, making for an intensely expressive whisky that bears all the hallmarks of the world’s finest coffee roasts, while holding on to its classic, luxurious Macallan foundation. The Harmony Collection is shaping up to be a must-have series of releases, and these early renditions are sure to become highly coveted collector’s trophies in the near future.

Macallan “The Harmony Collection – 2022 Intense Arabica” Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $250) ($174.99)

K&L Notes: The new Harmony Collection from Macallan has been an enormous hit with single malt fans and collectors alike. The first release in 2021 can now be found averaging double its original price tag. The second release in the collection is 2022’s Intense Arabica. We were able to snag a large stock to close out the year and now have this wonderful whisky on offer without an allocation limit.

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

Macallan’s new Harmony collection is inspired by the natural world and looks to work in conjunction with what it has to offer. The latest rendition, Macallan Intense Arabica, not only utilized coffee bean husks to create the beautiful presentation box, but the casks selected by Master Blender Steven Bremner, also reflect the complex aromas and flavors that can be found in the Ethiopian Arabica bean when perfectly roasted and brewed by the best coffee professionals in the world. Of course, it’s still Macallan, so it’s aged in 100% sherry casks made of both American and European oak. The deft use of the barrels is on full display here. It’s not an overt sherry bomb, but like roasting a coffee bean to just the right level, it’s been perfectly paired to the raw material to coax out the most flavor. The nose is loaded with toffee, bread pudding, vanilla, chocolate, ginger snaps, and dark roasted malt, and of course, coffee. It’s like the perfectly pulled shot of espresso—rich with a distinct crema, full, round, and yet lively. The palate is sweet and expansive. It builds from dusty cocoa and sandalwood into succulent, ripe stone fruit and citrus bursting at the peel. Creamy vanilla wafers tie the whole thing together, surely thanks to a fair amount of quality American oak, although the full cask recipe isn’t given. The finish lingers very pleasantly with a spicier cinnamon bark note at the end.

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

We are thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a gold medal for our Cotswolds Bourbon Cask and silver medals for The Cotswolds Harvest Series: Golden Wold and Cotswolds Reserve at the San Francisco World Spirits Awards 2023. This competition is globally recognised as the standard for acknowledging the highest quality spirits in the world, and winning these medals is an exceptional achievement and a testament to the superb quality of our spirits.

Cotswolds Bourbon Cask 

Our Bourbon Cask is for those who appreciate discovering the most authentic flavours of single malt whisky. This award-winning spirit boasts aromas of honey, butterscotch, and apples, with flavours of lemon, baking spices and toffee apples.

Rob Patchett, Global Whisky Ambassador said “Our Cotswolds Bourbon Cask is our purest whisky to date, using the best quality first fill American oak casks from distilleries such as Basil Hayden’s and Bookers. These incredible quality casks help amplify our fruity spirit and really show our outstanding distillery character.”

Experience the unparalleled quality of our Bourbon Cask for yourself.

SHOP NOW

“We’re incredibly proud to have won these awards from such a prestigious competition. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team to create spirits of the highest quality,”

Founder and Executive Chairman, Daniel Szor

We want to thank you for your continued support and loyalty to the Cotswolds Distillery. As always, we are committed to crafting exceptional spirits that you will love and enjoy. If you haven’t already, we highly recommend trying our award-winning Cotswolds Bourbon Cask. This pure and authentic single malt whisky is best served simply, allowing its delicate flavours to shine.

Explore the Speyside Region with these two Single Malts

The whisky regions of Scotland are vibrantly diverse and produce character single malts that have lasted generations. The most historically affluent, and one of the oldest, is the Speyside region. Known for its fruity undertones and subtle differences from distillery to distillery, single malts from here are to be cherished and enjoyed by all levels of whisky experience.

Learn more about Speyside

First Wind and Bazaar Enchantment are two Speyside single malts from Mannochmore and Miltonduff. The two distilleries are not far from one another yet produce a noticeably different spirit and character. We urge anyone, whisky connoisseur or not, to try these single casks and explore a taste of Speyside.

Bazaar Enchantment UK

A Midsummer Meadow and A Treat Down Memory Lane, also from Speyside, are from Glentauchers and Dufftown distilleries respectively. A Midsummer Meadow is redolent of summer countryside walks through wild, blossoming orchards. A Treat Down Memory Lane tastes like a mouthful of sweet nostalgia with butterscotch and light spice. Both distinctly different but with Speyside regionality at their core.

A Treat Down Memory Lane UK

About the Single Cask Collection

Hand-selected from some of Scotland’s finest distilleries, each expression in our Single Cask Collection reflects the one-of-a-kind nuances of production, season and cask influence in Scotch single malt whisky. Evocatively named and beautifully presented, our Single Cask releases are extremely rare and highly-covetable.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 489: Ledaig 25 Year Old 1995 Valinch & Mallet

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries an unpeated Ledaig! He tasted this Ledaig for the first time at a tasting in Ghent, and really liked all but one bottle he tasted that night, but this one stood head and shoulders above the rest for him. This Ledaig was bottled by Valinch & Mallet in 2020 in their famous series The Lost Drams (which surprised Mark a bit, because Ledaig is still being made). It was distilled in 1995 and matured for a quarter of a century.

https://youtu.be/_bsPbMBFy90

Old Pulteney unveils first Distillery Exclusive expression dedicated to its coastal home

Old Pulteney, known as The Maritime Malt, has today revealed its first ever Distillery Exclusive whisky, which pays homage to its coastal home in the Scottish Highlands.

To create the limited-edition single malt Scotch whisky, Distillery Manager Malcolm Waring hand-selected his favourite casks before keeping a watchful eye over the whisky as it matured at one of the most northern distilleries in Wick, Scotland.

Offering deliciously rich notes of stone fruits, citrus and toffee, Old Pulteney Distillery Exclusive intertwines these with the classic briny undertone that is synonymous with each of the brand’s expressions, taking influence from the North Sea.

Matured in French Oak, the expression is available to buy exclusively from Pulteney Distillery and via Old Pulteney’s online shop (here).

Old Pulteney, The Maritime Malt, has unveiled its first ever Distillery Exclusive expression which pays homage to its coastal home, Pulteney Distillery, sat on the northern-most shores of mainland Scotland, in Wick.

Showcasing beautifully rich notes of stone fruits, citrus and toffee, the Old Pulteney Distillery Exclusive is wonderfully deep, and marries the bold flavours with the briny and sea-salt undertones that is synonymous with the brand’s expressions, after being lovingly matured for years on the banks of the North Sea.

Created as a tribute to Pulteney Distillery, which was established in 1826, the expression was first filled in American oak casks, before further maturation in French oak, pulling through deep, sweet notes with a subtle spice.

Old Pulteney Distillery Exclusive has been created by Distillery Manager Malcolm Waring, who carefully hand-selected his favourite casks to create a delicious flavour profile, before keeping a watchful and expert eye over the whisky as it matured.

On the nose, the expression is rich and offers a deep sweetness of caramelised apple, warm custard and cinnamon spiced pastries. Towards the end, notes of rye bread, orange citrus, stone fruits and a delicate oak dryness comes through.

The flavour is gloriously deep and showcases notes of sweetness and spice. Toffee, nutmeg and caramelised popcorn envelop the palate and develop into rich blossom honey, roasted almonds and creamy vanilla. The finish is slightly spicy, with notes of honey lingering on the palate before giving way to a welcome tannic dryness in the form of dried fruits.

The limited-edition expression is non-chill filtered and has an ABV of 53%, which is slightly higher than that of the distillery’s core range, allowing the delicious flavours of caramelised fruit, nutmeg and honey to come to the fore.

Malcolm Waring, Distillery Manager, said: “I’m very proud to introduce the first Old Pulteney Distillery Exclusive to the world. Capturing the very essence of its maritime location in every dram, the expression has been created as a homage to our home on the Caithness Coast in Wick, using my favourite French and American oak casks to create a beautiful, well-rounded flavour.

“For centuries, Pulteney Distillery has been creating some of the finest single malts with an unmistakable coastal character. Old Pulteney Distillery Exclusive is no different, and offers drinkers a rich and complex flavour profile, whilst keeping to its roots with the briny undertones that Old Pulteney is known for.”

Old Pulteney Distillery Exclusive is available at Pulteney Distillery and via Old Pulteney’s website (here), and retails at £85.

For more information, please visit www.oldpulteney.com

About Old Pulteney

Old Pulteney’s story, distillery, and whisky is shaped by the sea itself. The unique combination of brisk sea air and meticulous cask selection makes its flavour unlike other single malt Scotch whiskies. The award-winning core collection, revitalised for the modern market in 2018, includes: 12 Years Old, Huddart, 15 Years Old, 18 Years Old, and 25 Years Old.

The 19th Century fishing boom, which saw thousands of fishermen and their families descending on Wick every year, led to the founding of the distillery in 1826. Today, the town is better known as the home of Old Pulteney and its distillery. Inseparable from the spirit of the harbour town it calls home and distilled and matured by the sea, Old Pulteney will always be The Maritime Malt.

In 2022, Old Pulteney launched the first in its Coastal Series, a collection of whiskies that have been matured in seaside casks. The series is made up of four expressions, which will be released annually. The first expression to be launched was Old Pulteney Pineau des Charentes.

Recent awards for Old Pulteney’s core range include Silver for both Old Pulteney 12 Years Old and Huddart at the 2022 IWSC awards, along with an Outstanding for Old Pulteney 18 Years Old. Old Pulteney 12 Years Old and Huddart also took home Silver awards at the 2022 ISC awards.

A CELEBRATION OF THE HEBRIDEAN ISLE OF RAASAY:

ISLE OF RAASAY DISTILLERY REVEALS NEW LIMITED-EDITION WHISKY, FULLY MATURED IN EX-MANZANILLA CASKS

11^th May 2023, London: The Isle of Raasay Distillery has unveiled a new limited-edition expression in celebration of winning the coveted Tourism Destination of the Year Award at the Scottish Whisky Awards 2022.

The new ‘Distillery Exclusive – Tourism Destination of the Year’ is inspired by the rugged yet beautiful windswept Isle of Raasay, with the team choosing a unique blend of sherry and ex-Manzanilla Pasada casks to achieve a salty maritime note within the whisky that encapsulates the island’s climate. Overall, this maturation process delivers a whisky which is lightly peated with notes of chamomile, almonds and salted caramel and has an ABV of 63.5%.

Co-founder and Master Distiller, Alasdair Day said: “The Isle of Raasay is a very small rugged, windswept Hebridean island that lies off the East coast of Skye. An island off an island. With all of our spirit being matured on Raasay in our warehouses there has been a lot of discussion about our maritime climate and how this may influence the flavour characteristics of our maturing whisky. It was with this thought in mind, combined with the tradition of maturing Scotch Whisky in sherry casks that we selected a small quantity of ex Manzanilla Pasada casks for our Isle of Raasay Single Malt to mature in.

“Manzanilla is a very dry sherry, similar to Fino, made in the same way but at the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda next to the sea and not inland in Jerez. This results in a salty maritime note in Manzanilla which is not present in Fino sherry. It is this note that we were looking to promote in this very special release of our Isle of Raasay Hebridean Single Malt. It combines our maturation by the sea with the maritime influence of the Manzanilla sherry.”

Only 2,500 bottles of ‘Distillery Exclusive – Tourism Destination of the Year’ will be released which will be exclusively available to their online whisky club and at the Isle of Raasay Distillery from 17^th May 2023 with a retail price of £95.

‘Distillery Exclusive – Tourism Destination of the Year’ details:

Fully matured in ex Manzanilla sherry cask.

Release Date: Slainte Club Ballot opens 8th May & closes 15^th May 2023.

ABV: 52%
Peat Level: Barley 48-52ppm | Residual in bottle estimated 8ppm
Presentation: Natural colour, non-chill filtered
Cask Types: First fill North American oak casks (Quercus alba) seasoned for 24 months with Manzanilla pasada
Spirit Types: Isle of Raasay peated
Yeast Type: Distillers’ Yeast
Water Source: Isle of Raasay Distillery 60 metre well on site – Tobar na Bà Baine
Fermentation Time: 3 and 5 day fermentations
Spirit Cut Point:75 to 65 abv
Cask Filling Strength: 63.5% abv
Distilled: 25/10/2019 – 1/11/2019
Maturation & Bottling: Isle of Raasay Distillery

The Grand Whisky Auction is now LIVE!

There are 2600+ lots to browse and bid on this month with one of the highlights being this 2005 Dalmore Barrel.

Interested in selling whisky in our next auction?

T. +44 (0)1463 210 427 –  sales@thegrandwhiskyauction.com