ralfy review 981 – Glenfarclas 15yo @46%vol (2023)

OAKPACKER AMERICAN SINGLE MALT

Kamiki Drinks proudly unveils OakPacker, the groundbreaking “World’s First Air Harvested Water Fused Whiskey” OAKPACKER AMERICAN SINGLE MALT WHISKEY.

OAKPACKER whiskey owes its unique flavors to squirrels, who aid in growing the oak trees for our barrels. Paying homage to these creatures, OAKPACKER embraces their contribution by giving the name.

With meticulous selection, OAKPACKER offers only the finest American single malt whiskies, ensuring exceptional taste, aroma, and complexity.

To preserve purity, OAKPACKER exclusively uses air-harvested water, reducing reliance on traditional sources and promoting sustainability. This innovative process makes OAKPACKER the “World’s First Air Harvested Water Fused Whiskey”

Choose OakPacker for a high-quality spirit that supports positive environmental impact.

For more information, please visit www.oakpacker.com

About Kamiki Drinks:

Kamiki Drinks, a distinguished beverage company, is dedicated to curating an exceptional portfolio of high-quality spirits. With an unwavering commitment to excellence and a drive for innovation, Kamiki Drinks continuously pushes the boundaries of the industry.  As part of its impressive lineup, Kamiki Drinks proudly presents brands such as Kamiki Whisky (www.KamikiWhisky.com), Umiki Whisky (www.UmikiWhisky.com), and MINOKI RUM (www.MINOKIRUM.com)

The Grand Whisky Auction is now LIVE!

There are 2200+ lots to browse and bid on this month with one of the highlights being this 2010 Bruichladdich Rivesaltes Hogshead.

Interested in selling whisky in our next auction?

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

Father’s Day is fast approaching, and it is the perfect occasion to celebrate the father figure in your life with a gift as unique as him. Whether you are treating yourself to a bottle or gifting it to someone special in your life, elevate your gifting with a bottle of The Macallan. Just like fathers, no two expressions of The Macallan are the same, each boasts a one-of-a-kind flavour profile that is both timeless and contemporary, capturing the essence of fathers everywhere.

The Macallan Double Cask Tasting Experience

This Father’s Day indulge in The Macallan Double Cask Tasting Experience set. Composed of three 50ml miniatures of Double Cask 12, 15, and 18 Years Old and accompanied by an exclusive online tasting session led by The Macallan Master Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell.

The Macallan Distillery Experience, The Macallan Distillers Ltd, 

Easter Elchies,  Craigellachie, Moray, AB38 9RX, Scotland, +44 (0)1340 318 000

THE VAULTS REFURBISHMENT

Thanks so much to all who took the time to answer our survey back in February about The Vaults in Leith – we really appreciate your input and your passion for our spiritual home!

We heard how much you value the ever-changing range of whiskies, the expert staff and how iconic our original Members’ Room is to you.

We agree that there are some parts that need a refresh and have incorporated your feedback into our designs. We are planning to carry out this work in July and August 2023. It is possible the work will finish sooner than this, and we will keep you updated over the summer.

While The Vaults will remain open during the period, due to the scale of the work to the Members’ Room, we look forward to welcoming you to other spaces at The Vaults over July and August.

You will still be able to enjoy our outdoor space in the Courtyard, which will be adapted to host you while the upstairs space is being developed and will be open 5pm to 9pm, Tuesday to Sunday. We will have a Bottle Shop available, we will still be serving food and we will also be delighted to host you in a pop-up temporary Members’ space on the ground floor.

One of the biggest changes you’ll see is that we’re going to move the bar to the south-west wall, in between the windows, and introduce more seating around it. Not only will you have more of a chance to sit and chat to our Society staff, moving the bar will let you see much more of the amazing range of bottlings we offer. We are delighted to give you a sneak peek here:

Our team at 28 Queen Street, Edinburgh also look forward to welcoming you while The Vaults work is underway and you can book a visit here.

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

LAPHROAIG

10 YEAR OLD
SHERRY OAK FINISH

70CL | 48% ~ £51.95 ~ WAS £61.95 ~ SAVE £10

SHOP NOW

Classic powerful and peaty 10-year-old Laphroaig single malt aged for most of its life in ex-bourbon casks before a finishing period spent in ex-oloroso sherry casks to create the perfect marriage of sherry and smoke.

High West “Double Rye” K&L Exclusive Barrel #25206 Cognac Barrel Finished Cask Strength Rye Whiskey (750ml) $59.99 View

What if you take High West’s fan favorite Double Rye and turn everything up to 11? You get this exceptional barrel select. Finished for an additional fifteen months in an ex-Cognac barrel and left at its robust cask strength of 105.6 proof, this spicy rye is in perfect balance. Notes of orange peel, butterscotch, and cracked pepper mix with delicate fruit and florals from the Cognac and added nuance of well used French 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

Welcome to this week’s episode of the show, in which I’ll be taking a look at the latest batch of releases from the Dràm Mòr Group.

https://youtu.be/x3W9m9G45w4

Kensington Wine Market’s E-Whisky Newsletter

As North America’s first Ardbeg Embassy, we are thrilled to have the privilege of launching the 2023 Ardbeg Day release Heavy Vapours. The KWM whisky team helped kick off this year’s celebrations in-store on June 3 with some Master Classes and the main event at Hayden Block. And we are now excited to announce that the Ardbeg Heavy Vapours is available for sale in-store and online now while supplies last. More on that below… but please read on before jumping ahead.

Before we get to the Ardbeg Heavy Vapours, and the handful of other tidbits in today’s Malt Messenger Bulletin, please be aware of the following. To be the first to hear about future Ardbeg Embassy releases available from Kensington Wine Market, you will need to be a registered Ardbeg Committee member. Future release emails may come direct from Ardbeg and will direct you to an Ardbeg Alberta website for your respective embassy.

If you aren’t already an Ardbeg Committee Member, you can join in just a couple of minutes online

As we are already talking Ardbeg, we’ve highlighted the rest of the Ardbeg core range too, as well as one other limited (online only) release we have a few bottles of…

As always, in the event of a discrepancy in price, the point of sale at KWM will be taken as correct. Online ordering and in-store purchasing are always our preferences. You can email your requests in… but they won’t be dealt with as quickly as the web orders!

Sincerely,

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market – Ardbeg Embassy

Ardbeg Heavy Vapours Is Here!

The 2023 Ardbeg Day special release, Heavy Vapours, is bottled at 46%, from a parcel of spirit made without Ardbeg’s spirit purifier.

Producer Description

“A missing purifier. A dram forsaken. Who will restore the balance? Something weird has been going down at the Distillery. The legendary purifier on the still – responsible for Ardbeg’s exalted balance – is nowhere to be seen. And this whisky – Ardbeg Heavy Vapours – is the consequence. The familiar harmony between peat and floral fruitiness has been disrupted. What have risen are the untamed darker flavours and notes, gathering and filling the senses. It is an ominous dram of dramatic, aromatic pungency. Heavy Vapours will rise. Non chill-filtered at 46% ABV.”

Ardbeg Heavy Vapours – 46% – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: smoke rises with a cloying sweetness. Intense, pungent and aromatic, a distinctive farmyard scent drifts, along with a crunchy aroma, like creosote or tarry rope. A splash of water disturbs the vapours and dark chocolate cream billows, laced with a ribbon of smoked artichoke. Palate: Ardbeg’s untamed darker flavours and notes have risen. A burst of bittersweetness surges, disturbing ashy coal dust and casting a haze of cardamom, peppermint and coffee grits. Clouds of dark chocolate and mentholic eucalyptus roll in, obscuring the fruit and floral notes usually found at the heart of Ardbeg. Wisps of aniseed twists, cinnamon balls and antiseptic lozenges float on the palate. Finish: The aftertaste lingers long and bold, with an almost anaesthetising sensation.” – $175+gst (no discounts) – Limit 1 Per Customer!

Other Ardbegs Available

Details on all these glorious malts can be found on our website by clicking the links.

The Ardbeg 8 Years old For Discussion is limited to 1 per customer and is available online only on a first come first serve basis.

The core range of Ardbeg Single Malts is on sale, at 15-25% off, but today only…

1. Ardbeg 8 Years Old For Discussion – $108+gst – Limit 1 Per Customer / Online purchases only!
2. Ardbeg 10 Year – Retail: $94 – Save 15% – Today Only: $79.89+gst
3. Ardbeg Corryvreckan – Retail: $148 – Save 15% – Today Only: $125.79+gst
4. Ardbeg Uigeadail – Retail: $133 – Save 15% – Today Only: $113.04+gst

Ardbeg Wee Beastie – Retail: $81 – Save 25% – Today Only: $60.74+gst

A Few Selected Deals

Something Like A Father’s Day Sale…

Want to impress Dad, but looking for a deal? Here are just some of the whiskies we currently have on sale, in no particular order, you can browse the full list online.

Spring Single Malt Festival Spectacular

• Date: Thursday, June 15
• Time:7 PM
• Cost: $75
• FESTIVAL

It is hard to believe, but the last Spring Single Malt Festival was way back in June of 2019… So this is our 9th annual (ish) spring festival of all things malt whisky, though it would have been the 12th, if… you know… so we’ve added the word Spectacular for no specific reason because… why not! It will feature at least 100 single malts from Scotland & around the world, and as always it includes a KWM logo tasting glass. This event sells out quickly, so don’t hesitate… when it is sold out, it is sold out!

Thursday, June 15, 7 PM

SMWS July 2023 Virtual Outturn Tasting

• Date: Wednesday, July 5
• Time:7 PM
• Cost: $55VIRTUAL TASTING

Log in, pour your drams and join us from home, the cottage, another country, or work… for the July 2023 Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada Virtual Outturn Tasting. The KWM team will be your guide as you sample through an exciting range of 7 SMWS bottlings.

Wednesday, July 5 @ 7 PM

SMWS July 2023 In-Person Outturn Tasting 6PM

• Date: Thursday, July 6
• Time:6 PM
• Cost: $60
• IN-STORE TASTING

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada’s July 2023 Outturn tasting will feature new, never before featured bottlings. The range will be the same as the virtual tasting the night before but will also include nibbles from our friends at Peasant Cheese, and the comradery that can only come from 20 SMWS Members in our tasting room. Please note we will not be holding back stock of the Outturn bottles specifically to purchase for this in-person tasting, though there will likely be bottles of most whiskies still available.

Thursday, July 6 @ 6 PM.

Sipping Signatory in the Summer – 140 Years

• Date: Tuesday, July 11
• Time:7 PM
• Cost: $70
• VIRTUAL TASTING

We’re suckers for Signatory, especially the older Cask Strength Collection bottlings, so we’ve put together a selection of recently arrived Signatory Vintage malts with a combined 140 years of maturation. On the younger side, we are diving head first into first-fill sherry with the Edradour 10 Year, Linkwood 2012, and Benrines 2010. On the Cask Strength side, we have Benrinnes 1996, Dailuaine 1997, Glenrothes 1996, and an Unnamed Islay 1990 bottling (*cough Laphroaig*).

Tuesday, July 11th, 2023 @ 7 PM

Compass Box New & Old with Scott Ellis

• Date: Tuesday, July 18
• Time:7 PM
• Cost: $60
• VIRTUAL TASTING

With the arrival of three new limited edition Compass Box whiskies, the time is right for a Compass Box range tasting. So we have recruited Compass Box’s Scott Ellis, and we’ve pulled together a range of 8 whiskies. We’ll sample 3 different bottlings of Flaming Heart, both releases of The Circle, Ultramarine, Vellichor and one other.

Tuesday, July 18, 7PM

Daftmill Vertical Tasting

• Date: Tuesday, July 25
• Time:7 PM
• Cost: $50
• VIRTUAL TASTING

It has taken us a while, almost 3 years to be precise, but we have finally cobbled together enough bottlings of Daftmill for a range tasting… true, it is only 6, but how many of you can say you’ve done a vertical of Daftmill whiskies? The tasting will consist of 2007, 2009, and a pair of 2008s, as well as our 2008 KWM Cask, and the newly arrived 15-Year Cask Strength. Andrew is visiting the distillery in the weeks before the tasting, and will no doubt have some photos to share.

Tuesday, July 25th, 2023 @ 7 PM

Nothing but North Star Whiskies

• Date: Tuesday, August 1
• Time:7 PM
• Cost: $90
• VIRTUAL TASTING

You had us at 31-year-old GlenDronach… We recently received some cool new releases from Iain Croucher at North Star Spirits, and we can’t resist the temptation to try them. On the young side of things, there is the new Tarot Blend, a Campbeltown Blended Malt, and only the second-ever bottling from Dalmunach. We love a good Blair Athol, and how often do you see an indie bottle of Dalwhinnie? But the icing on the cake of this tasting will be the GlenDronach 31 Year. You almost never see indie GlenDronach, and this one has some great reviews!

Tuesday, August 1st, 2023 @ 7 PM

FREE DELIVERY

We are proud to offer Free City Wide Delivery on all orders over $100 Monday-Friday!

Orders under $100 are subject to a flat rate $10 delivery fee.

We are expecting high demand for delivery after the sale so please be patient!

403-283-8000

Store Hours

Mon – Wed 10AM – 8PM

Thurs & Fri 10AM – 9PM

Sat 10AM – 8 PM

Sun 11PM to 6PM

*All Prices Quoted here are subject to change and do not include GST. In the case of pricing discrepancies, the price at our point of sale will be taken as correct.

The Kensington Wine Market | 1257 Kensington Road NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 3P8 Canada

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY ANNOUNCES DANIEL WELLER:

AN EXPERIMENTAL LINE OF WHEATED BOURBONS HONORING AN AMERICAN WHISKEY FOREFATHER

The world’s most award-winning distillery showcases its commitment to innovation by experimenting with different wheats, launching with Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat

FRANKFORT, KY (June, 2023) — Buffalo Trace Distillery is thrilled to announce the launch of Daniel Weller: an experimental line exploring the impact of different strains of wheat on its storied bourbons, inspired by and named after the trailblazer of the Weller family. This exciting release from the original wheated bourbon brand demonstrates Buffalo Trace Distillery’s excellence in innovation while honoring a forefather of American whiskey, Daniel Weller – grandfather to William Larue Weller – and the family distilling traditions he passed down to the generations of whiskey pioneers that followed him.

While William Larue (W.L.) Weller’s place in whiskey history is widely known as one of the first to sell a “wheated” bourbon in Kentucky, his grandfather’s story has yet to be shared. After fighting in The Revolutionary War, Daniel Weller embarked on a flatboat voyage down the Ohio River with his wife and children, ultimately settling in Kentucky in 1794. Following in his father Johannes Weller’s footsteps, who distilled rye whiskey used as currency in early American barter economy, he soon began producing whiskey and leased his still to proprietors like Jacob Hirsch to supplement his income.

When Daniel passed away in 1807, he left no will, requiring his son Samuel to purchase his stills and equipment to continue the family legacy, which he would ultimately pass down to his son William Larue, founder of W.L. Weller & Sons.

The Daniel Weller experimental line is inspired by Daniel and his pioneering spirit, with plans to release one limited expression every other year, when each experiment is deemed ready for bottling by Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. The inaugural release is made with Emmer wheat, an ancient Egyptian grain that’s rarely seen in modern-day stills, and mainly used to make beer and bread. Archaeologists have found evidence of Emmer wheat domestication over 6,000 years ago, and its symbol is etched into the Egyptian pyramids.

“We began this experiment to see how one of the original, long-forgotten wheat strains would taste in our wheated bourbon,” says Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace Master Distiller. “We’ve found it offers just a slightly – yet delightfully – different taste that brings us into a new bourbon territory. It will taste like Weller, but with distinct, unique notes that make it stand apart from the other Weller whiskies we’ve released to date.”

The mashbill is not the only variable in this experiment. It was distilled in the E.H. Taylor, Jr. Microstill, named after the father of the modern bourbon industry, which Harlen spent two years custom-designing. A combination pot and column still, the Microstill is both versatile and innovative, allowing the team to experiment with very small batches without interrupting main production capabilities.

Aged for nearly 12 years, Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat is bottled at 94 proof. The nose is fresh and nutty, with notes of orange zest, hazelnut, cinnamon and caramel; the palate a well-rounded blend of bold oak, sweet honey and orchard fruits with a complex oak-forward finish complemented by baking spice and leather notes.

“At Buffalo Trace Distillery, we are appreciative that many of our brands have found a place in whiskey culture and we continue to invest in making more whiskey to meet the demand. However, our motto is ‘Honor Tradition, Embrace Change’ because we believe the world’s best whiskey has not yet been created,” says Andrew Duncan, Global Brand Director for Buffalo Trace Distillery. “We will continue to experiment with multiple variables that affect the final taste profile – grains, techniques, aging, barrels, and more – in pursuit of that ultimate goal. When an experiment ‘graduates’ to be released under a beloved brand like Weller, it’s a reflection of our confidence in the whiskey.”

In homage to Daniel’s pioneering journey, each release from the Daniel Weller series is packaged in a clear 750ml glass bottle with a unique compass stopper. Once opened, underneath the stopper one will find the coordinates pinpointing the location of Daniel’s farm near Botland, KY.

Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat will be rolling out in limited quantities to its distributor network,  which will ship to select retailers, bars and restaurants across the United States as of June 2023 at a suggested retail price of $499.99 (750ml); state taxes will vary per market. It joins the Weller lineup of Weller Special Reserve, Weller Antique 107, Weller 12 Year Old, Weller Full Proof, Weller C.Y.P.B. (“Craft Your Perfect Bourbon”), and Weller Single Barrel as well as William Larue Weller, which is released each fall as part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.

For more information, please click HERE

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort,  Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1775 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 40 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its George T. Stagg was named World Whiskey of the Year for 2022 and its Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye was named 2^nd Finest Whiskey in the World for 2022.  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 1,000 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.  To download images from Buffalo