BALLOT NOW OPEN:
CHICHIBU LONDON EDITION 2022

We’re excited to present the long-awaited Japanese single malt: Chichibu London Edition 2022. Chosen by and bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange, there are only 1,861 bottles of this sought-after whisky available. The 2022-release is an expert blend of nine casks including chibidaru, Cognac and oloroso sherry, and highlights the attention to detail of the master blender Ichiro Akuto.

Due to popular demand, this limited-edition whisky will be available for purchase via ballot until 23:59 BST on Wednesday 26 July.

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HOW TO ENTER

Click the ‘ENTER BALLOT’ button to add the bottle to your basket. No other bottles may be added to your basket. To confirm your entry, complete the checkout process. Only one entry can be made per person, multiple will be ignored. You will not be charged unless you win the ballot.

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New sherried dram from Ardnamurchan

This beautifully sherried dram from Ardnamurchan has spent its life in a combo of Oloroso and PX casks. Purchase a bottle now to receive a ballot invitation to the other two Ardnamurchan limited releases below: Paul Launois 2023 and AD/08:15 Oloroso Cask.

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Ardnamurchan AD/ Sherry Cask Release

Matured in a delicious combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks, this heavily sherried, ruby red dram is free from chill filtration, at natural colour, and bottled at a powerful 50% abv.

£65.00

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Lindores Abbey Peated Islay Rum Barrel Exclusive

Matured in an ex-Islay rum barrel from a secret Islay distillery famous for its handbags and heavily peated whiskies.

We simply could not pass on the opportunity to support our local distillery the historic Lindores Abbey in the Kingdom of Fife which makes this remarkable highly unusual rum barrel even more special. Filled on 25th April 2019 this cask has yielded 247 bottles at cask strength 59.1%. Expect a maritime sea breeze, big smoky earth peat and even more maritime notes from the inland distillery.

Buy – Lindores Abbey Islay Rum Barrel £69 / $72* / €66* >>

Four Roses “The Ten Recipe Tasting Experience” Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (10x50ml) $129.99 View

Anyone who has ever read about Four Roses single barrel program has had the thought “I wish I could taste all 10 recipes side by side.” Well in an incredible display of listening to what their customers want Four Roses has created this 10 recipe tasting kit. It’s 10 x 50ml bottles, one single barrel bottling of each mashbill/yeast combination made by Four Roses all proofed at a robust 104 proof. Grab one for you and each of your buddies and see who can pick out all 10 blind or join Master Distiller Brent Elliott in a guided tasting video via the QR code on the box.

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

https://youtu.be/RqcseLmvY7I

Linkwood as a product is always at the forefront of independently bottled Scottish whisky, for all the right reasons too!

But, when you want to wrap your palate around the house style, and keep it affordable, there is only one option, and it’s this.

Linkwood 12YO is, or was, part of the Flora and Fauna series of whiskies from Diageo’s lesser known distilleries, typically distilleries that were prioritised for blending across the board.

Thing bottle is surprising to me as I didn’t expect it to be as peach driven as it is. Far more exotic than I remember it being. Although that last sip was many moons ago.

Cheers!

CÀRN MÒR COLLABORATES WITH WASTED DEGREES BREWERY

Aberargie, Scotland – Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers has announced their first ever Càrn Mòr collaboration. The Single Malt Scotch Whisky brand has teamed up with fellow Perthshire business, Wasted Degrees brewing to release a one-off expression.

The original liquid was distilled in 2012 at Glen Ord Distillery and after spending 9 years maturing in bourbon barrels, it was then transferred to a Wasted Degrees Porter Cask for an additional year of maturation and finally bottled in July 2023 at Cask Strength. The end result, something quite spectacular!

Niel Hendriksz, Sales Director, Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers said: “Working with the team at Wasted Degrees on this project was an absolute pleasure, given we share an intimate passion for good quality liquid and flavour creation. Collaborating with a local, independent business that shares our values and approach to business made this partnership an exciting exploration of the interaction between the various elements to create a truly unique product.” Graeme Mackeddie, Head of Production, Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers continued: This was our first experiment of this nature, so keeping a close eye on maturation and how the spirit was developing was critical. After about 6 months we got a fairly good idea of the interaction and were very satisfied with the progress. After 12 months we felt the interaction between spirit and wood had achieved great balance and complexity at the same time. It was an absolute delight to put this liquid in a bottle for us to share. 

Limited to 428 bottles, the Càrn Mòr Porter Cask combines a burst of orange marmalade, layered with velvety smooth salted caramel and a hint of honeycomb to finish.

Jack Low, Co-Owner & Director, Wasted Degrees Brewing said: “We are flavour explorers and the prospect of working with one of the country’s leading whisky makers was one we couldn’t miss! The beauty of this project is in the unknown, the alchemy of combining different materials, vessels, ingredients, drinks, to produce something of unique character. Much like single cask or limited release whisky bottlings, we take a similar approach to our range of beers: we only re-brew two of our recipes, and everything else is a one off – we’re here to explore together, confident in the journey ahead because of the quality of the brand and how the drink is produced. 

Speaking of the porter matured in the barrels, Conall Low, Co-Owner & Director, Wasted Degrees Brewing continued: ‘ It was brewed with rich malts and then aged (post-fermentation) for 6 months in three different ex-Loch Lomond whisky barrels belonging to Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers. Owing to the beauty of the casks going on to season more whisky, the beer is now long gone, but its legacy is in the soul of this new and exciting whisky! 

Càrn Mòr have also released a bottling of Glen Ord 2012, however this has had a full-term maturation in Bourbon Barrels, making it especially interesting to try with the Wasted Degrees Càrn Mòr, to compare the impact that different casks can have on a whisky.

Càrn Mòr Porter Cask is available to purchase now for £68 from Dunkeld Whisky Box

TASTING NOTES

Càrn Mòr Porter Cask

54.8% ABV

RRP: £68

Colour: Bank vault gold

Nose: Pink peppercorns and vanilla

Tasting Notes: A burst of orange marmalade layered with velvety smooth salted caramel and a hint of honeycomb on the finish

ABOUT MORRISON SCOTCH WHISKY DISTILLERS 

Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers is solely owned and operated by one of Scotland’s oldest and most prominent whisky families, Jamie and Brian Morrison. There has been over five generations of the Morrison family involved in the whisky business including grocers, brokers, blenders, bottlers and distillers, making them one of Scotland’s oldest whisky families.

Their heritage gives them access to a wide variety of unique and exceptional casks from pedigree distilleries across Scotland. Their family’s values are run through everything they do and they proudly showcase these underneath each of their bottles reiterating their commitment to Patience, Intuition and Integrity.

In every whisky they release, they are committed to continue to impart the knowledge that has been passed down from generations of family whisky makers.

Where many distilleries strive for consistency across larger batches, Càrn Mòr is able to release unadulterated expressions from these distilleries using traditional methods meaning it is as close to drinking straight from the cask as possible.

To find out more about Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers visit www.morrisondistillers.com or for Carn Mor visit www.carnmorwhisky.co.uk

ABOUT WASTED DEGREES

Founded in 2016, Wasted Degrees is owned by Perthshire brothers, Conall and Jack Low, both former pupils of Pitlochry High School and Breadalbane Academy.

It all began in a garage, a hobby running out of control with the ink barely dry on Conall’s teaching degree. Jack joined as co-owner in 2021, following a career in Commercial & Product Development, latterly in an international role in the Scotch Whisky industry.

The brewery produces craft beer from its 100% renewables powered brewhouse in Blair Atholl. From a 20 litre plastic home brew bucket, the business has grown to producing up to 20,000 litres of beer per month.

Underpinned by a strong sense of social & environmental responsibility, the team is very driven by the impact they can have on the local area, creating job opportunities and doing what they can for the local community, such as providing free period products at the brewery in an effort to tackle rural period poverty.

And from locally grown hops or brewing with native plants, Wasted Degrees makes a concerted effort to reduce the ‘food miles’ in its supply chain. It’s clearly about more than just the beer for them.

For more information go to www.wasteddegrees.com

Hard Truth Releases High Road Sweet Mash Rye

Developed by Hard Truth Distilling Co.

 to introduce more whiskey lovers to the qualities of sweet mash rye

Nashville, Ind. (July 18, 2023) – Indiana-based Hard Truth Distilling Co. today announced the release of Hard Truth High Road Sweet Mash Rye – a new sweet mash rye whiskey expression developed for a wider range of rye whiskey fans to experience the flavor, nuances and subtleties of the sweet mash rye distilling process.

According to Hard Truth’s Master Distiller Bryan Smith, the overwhelmingly positive response to Hard Truth’s rapidly-growing line of sweet mash rye whiskies — in terms of sales and feedback from reviewers and consumers alike – led to the development of a sweet mash rye with a lower proof and price point that will help build the entire sweet mash category.

“Our internal evaluation panel results along with taste-testing in twenty-plus markets confirmed that this is one of the most delicious, sweet mash rye whiskies we’ve ever produced,” said Bryan Smith, Hard Truth Master Distiller. “Not coincidentally this will be our first year-round sweet mash rye whiskey with corn in the mash bill.” 

Hard Truth High Road Sweet Mash Rye is bottled at 46.5 percent ABV (93 proof). It is available in 750 mL bottles with a suggested retail price of $39.99. High Road features 55 percent rye, 36 percent corn, and 9 percent malted barley.

High Road features a deep copper appearance, with an aroma of apricot jam, honey, baking spice and graham cracker. Its taste offers up rich vanilla, maple, custard, and spices that coat the tongue. Its finish is bold with a lingering caramel that fades to honey, coffee and nougat.

“We’re proud that Hard Truth is at the forefront of what we believe is a sweet mash rye revolution,” said Smith. “Sweet mashing – a process in which each batch of whiskey

begins with entirely fresh ingredients – typically results in whiskeys that are softer and have a more complex palate. And even though the process is more labor intensive, meticulous and costly than sour mashing, we believe the result is a rye whiskey that is both distinctive and delicious.”

High Road was distilled with the same skill, innovation and passion of its sweet mash predecessor, Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye introduced in 2020. “Since the day we opened the doors at Hard Truth, we have been working to develop a versatile multi-occasion sweet mash rye whiskey that is perfect on its own, on the rocks or in your favorite whiskey cocktail,” said Smith. “We’re confident that High Road is that whiskey.”

High Road will be Hard Truth’s largest scale release in the 8-year history of the distillery. The production of High Road is one of numerous reasons Hard Truth recently conducted a major distillery expansion that includes the construction of its second rackhouse. Just completed Rackhouse No. 2 is twice the size of Hard Truth’s first rackhouse, tripling storage capacity from 4,000 to 12,000 barrels.

Hard Truth sweet rye whiskeys have seen their fair share of awards and praise. Hard Truth’s first batch of Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey was named in the top 50 of Fred Minnick’s Top 100 American Whiskeys of 2021, and since then has taken home a gold medal in USA Spirits awards, double platinum medal in the Ascots and earned two 93 ratings in other tasting competitions.

Recently, Hard Truth’s Master Distiller’s Reserve Malted Rye Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey won the prestigious 2023 Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits competition.

About Hard Truth Distilling Co.

Headquartered in Nashville, Indiana, Hard Truth Distilling Co. produces more than 20 premium spirits, including critically acclaimed Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey and top-selling Hard Truth Cinnamon Vodka, Hard Truth Toasted Coconut Rum, and Hard Truth Toasted Coconut Rum Cream.

Hard Truth’s spirits are distributed in Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming with several new states coming on board in 2023.

Founded in 2015, Hard Truth Distilling Co. quickly outgrew its original production facility, and by 2017 construction had begun on its current facility, a distillery housed in a 50,000-square foot building equipped with a state-of-the-art Vendome Copper & Brass distilling system. Hard Truth’s destination campus spans 325 wooded acres in Brown County, Indiana — an artists’ colony and tourist destination with the largest state park in Indiana.

Our July 2023 Auction ENDS TONIGHT!

Whether it’s to expand your collection or to find that perfect drinking dram, you will be sure to find what you are looking for in our LIVE auction which ends soon!

Auction closes from 8pm (BST) Tuesday 25th July

www.speysidewhiskyauctions.co.uk

GlenDronach – Single Cask Selection Batch 8

This month we are delighted to offer THE COMPLETE Batch 8 of Glendronach’s Single Cask series. Each of these carefully selected whiskies have been matured in either a single Pedro Ximenez or Oloroso Puncheon and cover more than 30 years of distillation – from 1971 all the way to 2002! Whether you are a long-time GlenDronach fan and want to expand your collection, or you want to begin a new one, we can’t think of many better opportunities to start than here! So make sure that you check out these GlenDronach’s and many more available in our July auction (which ends tonight)!

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A New Arrival from a Burgeoning Craft Bourbon Star
Frey Ranch “Farm Strength Uncut” Cask Strength Nevada Estate Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($79.99)
“It’s lights out. All the ‘oomph’ of a single barrel, uncut and unfiltered, but with the added balance and complexity of a carefully composed blend … This is a showpiece both on the shelf and in the glass.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

You simply can’t get more farm-to-table, or farm-to-glass in this case, than Frey Ranch. This family farm with 165 years of history outside of Reno is now one of the country’s most dynamic craft distillers. Because they control the entire process from start to finish, farming all their own raw materials on their estate, the quality and character are simply uncompromising. After much anticipation, their Farm Strength Uncut has hit the shelves, and it’s nothing short of a barn-burner. For anyone who’s sought one of their unicorn single casks but come up short, this will more than fit the bill, with its cask-strength ABV married to a precisely composed, blended profile. The future is already bright for this rising star distillery, but it just went into another gear with this impeccable offering.

Frey Ranch “Farm Strength Uncut” Cask Strength Nevada Estate Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($79.99)

K&L Notes: Colby and Ashley Frey, like the great farmers they are, keep their ear to the ground. They know what the people want, and they want Frey Ranch Uncut! Frey Ranch’s amazing Estate Bourbon is now available at “Farm Strength”—uncut and unfiltered, blended in tiny batches and utilizing their 100%-homegrown mashbill of 66.6% corn, 12% two row barley (malted on site in their custom malting drum!), 11.4% winter rye, and 10% soft winter wheat. Proof varies from batch to batch, but runs between 120 and 132 for most batches.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: July 15, 2023

It seems that our friends at Frey Ranch have really figured it all out. Not only have they challenged the legacy model of bourbon production, developing their own recipe, using their own grain, on a scale no other craft producer has been able to match, but they’re consistently producing excellent whiskey at reasonable prices. The secret sauce is not challenging the ideal for what great bourbon should taste like, learning and adapting the techniques of the large producers to fit their unique environment. The result it inarguably one of the most successful craft bourbon distillers of this new era, and their whiskey just keeps getting better. The Farm Strength is an exercise in blending and starts to give us a better idea of the ultimate “house style” that’s developing at this special farm outside of Reno. Let’s have a go! The color is an inviting auburn. The nose starts a bit shut down, but there’s obvious power brooding in the glass. With a bit of air the whiskey begins to unravel, offering stewed fruit, roasted oak, old wood, varnish, cream corn, and fresh tobacco leaf. On the palate, there’s big sweetness, mostly of the caramel type, and more spice—clove and cinnamon—but the roasted oak character remains a big component. It finishes with a gorgeous raisinette character. I don’t often recommend adding water to cask-strength bourbon because it tends to lose more character than it gains, but I really enjoyed this with a splash of water. It really moves in a different direction and gives you some options if you’re feeling the big, bold oak isn’t what you’re after for that particular session. With water, we get pretty stone fruits, subtle smoked tea, touches of metallic industrial equipment, sweet grains, and soft nuttiness. On the palate, it’s now so sweet and easy, utterly appealing in every way. It’s really a completely different whiskey with water, and I think a very fun one that most people should seriously consider if they’ve followed any of the craft whiskey world over the last ten years.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: July 15, 2023

Single barrels of Frey Ranch have been pretty much unobtainable. They instantly sell out, and they are always excellent. Well, the desire for cask-strength Frey Ranch whiskeys didn’t go unnoticed by Colby and Ashley, and they have started releasing this small-batch, uncut bourbon made from their unique, estate-grown, four-grain mashbill. It’s lights out. All the ‘oomph’ of a single barrel, uncut and unfiltered, but with the added balance and complexity of a carefully composed blend. Big on the barrel spice and sweet tones, it is also balanced by a distinctly earthy profile that I can’t help but attribute to the careful farming—it is as though just a touch of earth came through with the sweet grains in the still. Sweet caramelized sugars, tons of baking spice, cracked pepper, the fire of high proof, and just a bit of balancing savor. The tiniest hint of smoke really sets off the candied orange peel notes. This is screaming to be made into an Old Fashioned. Of course, it also comes in Frey Ranch’s proprietary bottle, perhaps the most stunning piece of glass on the market from any distiller. This is a showpiece both on the shelf and in the glass.

Will Blakely | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 14, 2023

The highly anticipated release is finally here! Every time I taste Frey Ranch, it gets better and better. What a wealth flavor from such a unique distillery. Deep aromas of stewed plum and varnished wood immediately leap out of the glass. Cocoa, fig, nougat, and warming spice comingle marvelously on the palate. The finish brings a bit of bananas foster and some burnt orange peel to round things out. With the addition of water, the spice profile explodes, and the palate takes on a higher tone. Candied citrus peel, honey roasted peanuts, and lemon curd come up ahead of just-ripened nectarine. I actually prefer it without water though; the mouthwatering concentration makes every sip a delight. Hopefully we will have plenty of this going forward, but don’t miss your chance to try it now!

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

Speyside 17 Years Old (M)

This single malt was distilled at a secret Speyside Distillery (M) on the 11th of July 2005. It was aged for 17 years in a single 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt and bottled by Signatory on the 23rd of June 2023 without chill filtration or artificial colouring. Only 662 bottles were produced.

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ABV: 58.2% | AGE: 17 Years Old | COUNTRY: Scotland | REGION: Speyside | WHISKY TYPE: Single Malt | CASK TYPE: 1st Fill Sherry Butt

CASK NUMBER: DRU17A106#16  | BOTTLING COMPANY: Signatory | COLLECTION: Cask Strength Collection |OUTRUN: 662 Bottles