ralfy review 993 – Wolfburn ‘Fathers Day’ Quarter cask @ 54.2%vol:

WATERFORD DISTILLERY ANNOUNCES COLLABORATION WITH LESTRANGE TO BLEND SINGLE MALT WHISKY AND SLOW FASHION

Waterford Whisky, the leading producer of organic whisky, has announced a new collaboration with London-based low-impact menswear brand, LESTRANGE

The partnership brings together two companies that are passionate about innovation, quality, traceability and regenerative agriculture

The limited collection will include two signature items by LESTRANGE, with bespoke detailing highlighting product provenance and Waterford’s signature cobalt blue colour

31 August 2023: Waterford Distillery, the leading producer of organic whisky, has today announced a new partnership with London-based B Corp certified menswear brand, LESTRANGE, to bring fresh flavour to its signature garments.

As part of a limited collection and designed with the planet in mind, the bespoke capsule will include the LESTRANGE 24 Overshirt and the LESTRANGE Heavyweight 24 Trouser made from fully-traceable, regenerative cotton, to raise awareness of the importance of agriculture that benefits the soil and earth, and transparency in the respective industries.

Without compromising on style and luxury, the garments are created as an antidote to mass production and over-consumption.

Taking inspiration from Waterford Distillery’s unique terroir methodology, the clothing includes signature detailing to celebrate the complexity of flavour found in its whiskies. Custom colourways are inspired by the tones of organic barley, and are complemented by Waterford’s signature cobalt blue tones.

The two garments will be on sale to customers online and at LESTRANGE flagship biophilic-designed Coal Drops Yard store in London, and will include a 100ml sample of Waterford’s Organic: Gaia 1.1 from its Arcadian Farm Origin series. One per cent of sales proceeds will be given to the DIRT charity, an organisation dedicated to supporting regenerative agriculture across the UK.

Waterford Distillery’s commitment to regenerative agriculture is underscored by its position as the world’s largest producer of organic and biodynamic whiskies. The distillery works exclusively with Irish farmers to create the healthiest soil conditions possible, for growing the highest-quality barley. This is then turned into single malt whisky that boasts complex, natural flavours.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, LESTRANGE moved its entire supply chain of its bestselling 24 Trouser, 24 Overshirt and other products to regenerative farming, partnering with the largest farms Scheffer in Brazil with the aim to move its full supply chain to regenerative farming by 2025. This achievement resulted in moving the rest of the supply chain under one supplier, ensuring complete transparency from garment manufacturing to fibre production.

Regenerative farming improves soil health, sequestering carbon, increasing biodiversity and reduces flooding amongst other benefits. It is the front line method of protecting the Earth’s topsoil, with 90 per cent at risk by 2050 according to the UN.

Speaking about the collaboration, Mark Newton, Head of Brand at Waterford Distillery, comments: “Waterford Distillery and LESTRANGE are kindred spirits. We are both visionaries that take regenerative farming seriously and understand its positive impacts. For us, it helps to create the most flavoursome whisky, and for LESTRANGE it contributes to a unique sense of style.

“We are excited to bring a fresh take to LESTRANGEs bestselling signature items and highlight our shared focus on quality, innovation, provenance and traceability.”

Will Green & Tom Horne, Co-founders of LESTRANGE, add:

“When we first came across Waterford Distillery, we were captivated by their innovative and radically unique approach to distilling whisky. Both of our industries are opaque and we’ve come together in our shared values of pioneering transparent farming practices that benefit the soil and the planet. The capsule blends timeless style with inspiration from nature which is what we always strive for at LESTRANGE.”

About Waterford Distillery 

Waterford Whisky produces the most naturally flavoursome single malts. It is the world’s largest producer of organic and biodynamic whiskies. It is agricultural produce, not a manufactured product.

Unashamedly influenced by the world’s greatest winemakers, Waterford Whisky obsessively brings the same intellectual drive, methodology and rigour to barley – the very source of malt whisky’s complex flavour.

Extolling a hundred exclusive farms of Irish-grown barley, the distillery searches for natural flavours via three paths: its Single Farm Origins pursue the individualism of terroir-derived flavour; its Arcadian Farm Origins express the intensity of flavour from alternative philosophies and long-forgotten varieties; whilst its Cuvée Concepts revel in the ultimate complexity, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

For more information, visit www.waterfordwhisky.com

About LESTRANGE

LESTRANGE is an impact-conscious menswear brand for the modern essentialist who share a common belief of living better within planetary means. Our mission is to lead with essentialism as an aspirational way of life. We design finer essentials for life that represent a “With Less do More” mantra for anytime, anywhere.

LESTRANGE strives to innovate at every stage of the garment life cycle. From designing for versatility and disguising performance properties or launching the world’s first-ever widely available rejuvenating laundry tablet, the brand aims to reverse overconsumption and spearhead making more intentional choices with our wardrobe.

LESTRANGE has been seen on Tom Holland, Eddie Redmayne, Taron Egerton, Jack Whitehall, Frank Lampard, Michelin-star chefs including Andrew Wong from A. Wong, and Jeremy and Iré from IKOYI among many others.

LESTRANGE is a certified B Corporation and committed to using business for good for people and the planet. Visit LESTRANGE at lestrangelondon.com or at any of its retail locations in London and Amsterdam.

Instagram: @lestrangelondon

LESTRANGE Coal Drops Yard
Stable Street, Coal Drops Yard
N1C 4FQ, London
Mon – Sat: 11:00 – 7pm
Sun: 11:00 – 5pm

About DIRT Charity

DIRT is a charity that works to regenerate soil. Regenerating soil is one of the most important actions to be taken in the face of climate change. DIRT regenerates soil through supporting the biodynamic farming movement.

DIRT is an organization that knows the meaning of the word regeneration is two-fold; social and environmental regeneration happening in tandem gives lasting change the best chance possible. We recognize the impacts of colonialism are negative both on the colonized and the colonizer. This understanding is interwoven throughout everything that we do to work towards a future where everyone’s needs are met.

Now Open for Ordering

The KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar

& KWM 2023 UBER Whisky Calendar

This is our 10th annual KWM Whisky Calendar, and we have taken the opportunity to make a significant change. In recent years it has become increasingly difficult to source interesting mini bottles of whisky for the Calendar, and last year, despite ordering 6 whiskies more than we needed, we almost didn’t have enough arrive in time to complete the project.

In 2012 we brought the first Whisky Calendar into Canada, the Master of Malt Whisky Advent Calendar. It was well received, but we felt we could offer better value. So in 2013, we decided to produce our own Whisky Advent Calendar and chart our own path.

It is in that same spirit that this year, frustrated by our recent experience with supply chain difficulties, the lack of options for mini bottles, and ever-increasing prices, we have made the decision to become masters of our own destiny again…

Moving forward, the KWM Whisky Calendar will be filled with whiskies we bottle ourselves, and this is going to open up a lot of exciting possibilities.

The largest volume we are allowed to fill is 28ml, so we have sourced 1 oz bottles, and have redesigned the Whisky Calendar box accordingly. We also wanted to continue the tradition of including a whisky glass with our Calendars, though to accommodate the smaller box it is now a Wee Glencairn Glass…

While the volume of whisky in the calendar has come down, we are able to offer a much more interesting selection of whiskies, at a better price. Most of the whiskies in this year’s Calendar are aged 14 years or more, and there are a pair each of 21 and 25-year-olds too!

As with the past couple of years, you have two options to reserve a KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar: the Pre-Pay Early Bird offer, and the full price Pre Order & Pay Later Option.

If you select the Pre-Pay Preorder option, you will save $40!

There is one other advantage to taking more of the production into our own hands. We can now be more certain than ever about when the Calendar will be ready for pickup. If something we were counting on doesn’t arrive on time, we can replace it with something comparable. So we expect the Calendars will be ready for pickup the week of October 31st.

There is one more difference this year too. When we started floating the idea of filling our own bottles for this year’s Calendar, a number of you asked if we would be creating a higher-end version too. So we have taken that idea and run with it. We are also producing a very limited number of KWM 2023 UBER Whisky Calendars.

There is also a special offer for any who wish to purchase both Calendars. Details on that are below.

If you need your Calendar packed for shipping, please make a note of that in the memo field. We will be determining the cost for that at a later date. But it will be similar to or less than previous years.

About the KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar

The KWM Whisky Calendar, aka “25 Days of Dram Fine Whisky”, is back for the 10th straight year. Not only will it have a fresh new look this year, but it will be in a completely redesigned box. This year’s Calendar includes 25 28ml premium whiskies, and a custom logo wee Glencairn glass. You can follow along on the KWM Blog starting December 1st, or on one of our various social media channels as we introduce and discuss each day’s whisky.

The KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar artwork will be revealed in a few weeks’ time!

We will also be hosting the Whisky Calendar Recap Tastings throughout the month of December. Purchasers and recipients of the KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar will be able to join us for any or all of the 5 virtual tastings on December 5, 10, 15, 20 and after Christmas on the 27th, at 7 PM MT. Each of them will cover the 5 previous day’s whiskies in the Calendar.

We always keep the exact whisky list a secret, there are too few surprises left in this life… but we can tell you this year’s Calendar includes 3 KWM exclusive casks, a Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling, at least five whiskies in their 20s, and more new distilleries and producers than we have featured in a long time. We are confident that this is the best Whisky Calendar lineup we have ever produced!

Best of all, if you select the pre-pay preorder option, you will save $40… but this offer is only open for two weeks, until the end of the day, Wednesday, September 20th!

We anticipate the KWM 2023 Whisky Calendars should be ready for pick up by October 31st.

Two Options to Order

the KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar

1) KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar Pre-Pay Early Bird Special Offer – Select this option if you wish to save $40 on the regular price of $290, by prepaying now in full (please note this cannot be combined with other offers or discounts). You will be charged $250+gst when we receive your order. – EARLY BIRD PRICING OPTION ENDS ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th, 2023!

2) KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar Pay Later Full Price – If you want to reserve a KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar and pay the full price of $290+gst later, please select this option to submit your order, and you will not be charged until a few days before the Calendar is ready for pick-up.

About the KWM 2023 UBER Whisky Calendar

The KWM 2023 UBER Whisky Calendar, aka “25 Days of Dram Fine Whisky”, is like our regular Whisky Calendar, but we have kicked the range up into a whole different stratosphere. It consists of 25 uber premium whiskies and a custom logo wee Glencairn glass. You can follow along on the KWM Blog starting December 1st, or on one of our various social media channels as we introduce and discuss each day’s whisky.

The KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar artwork will be revealed in a few weeks’ time!

As with the regular Calendar, we will also be hosting UBER Whisky Calendar Recap Tastings throughout the month of December, if there is interest. Purchasers and recipients of the KWM 2023 UBER Whisky Calendar will be able to join us for any or all of the 5 virtual tastings on December 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and after Christmas on the 27th, at 8:30 PM MT. Each of them will cover the 5 previous day’s whiskies in the UBER Whisky Calendar.

We like to keep the exact whisky list a secret, as there are too few surprises left in this world… but we can tell you this year’s UBER Whisky Calendar consists primarily of whiskies aged 21 to 49 years of age, with an average of 29! Most of the whiskies selected retail for $500 to $1000, and one of them is well over $2000. Three of the whiskies are from closed distilleries. It is an impressive list!

A bagger range comes with a bigger price tag, but also a bigger early bird discount. Select the pre-pay preorder option, and you will save $125… but this offer is only open for two weeks, until the end of the day, Wednesday, September 20th, or until they sell out… we are only producing 25!

As an extra bonus, customers who purchase both the KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar, as well as the KWM 2023 UBER Whisky Calendar, will save an additional $50.

We anticipate the KWM 2023 UBER Whisky Calendars should be ready for pick up by October 31.

Three Options to Order

the KWM 2023 UBER Whisky Calendar

1) KWM 2023 UBER Whisky Calendar Pre-Pay Early Bird Special Offer – Select this option if you wish to save $125 on the regular price of $1000, by prepaying now in full (please note this cannot be combined with other offers or discounts). You will be charged $850+gst when we receive your order. – EARLY BIRD PRICING OPTION ENDS ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th, 2023!

2) Both KWM & KWM UBER Whisky Calendars – Select this option if you wish to save $215 by pre-paying for both the KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar & the KWM 2023 UBER Whisky Calendar. on the regular price of $1000, by prepaying now in full (please note this cannot be combined with other offers or discounts). You will be charged $1075+gst when we receive your order. – EARLY BIRD PRICING OPTION ENDS ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th, 2023!

3) KWM 2023 UBER Whisky Calendar Pay Later Full Price – Pay Later Pre-Order – If you want to reserve a KWM 2023 UBER Whisky Calendar and pay the full price of $1000+gst later, please select this option to submit your order, and you will not be charged until a few days before the UBER Calendar is ready for pick-up.

Please order online if you can (using the links above), or by phone at 403-283-8000 if you can’t. 

As always, in the event of a discrepancy in price, the point of sale at KWM will be taken as correct. Please don’t hesitate to email me with any questions, comments, or requests.

Sincerely,

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

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.*

Our September 2023 collection schedule has now been finalised.

Please click HERE for the list of dates, locations and to register your interest in this service. The deadline for collection requests is 12noon on Monday 11th September 2023.

Home collections are available for those customers sending 10+ bottles or bottles to the value of £1000. Unfortunately this service is not available in London or to those customer who live within 10 miles of a collection point.

Collections are limited and offered on a first come first served basis.

It is essential that a submission sheet is completed, you can do so under the selling section on your ‘My SWA’ page.

It would be appreciated if bottles could be packed for uplift with your name clearly marked on the front of the box.

A winner in our auction? We are now offering a delivery service to customers who are dropping bottles off for a future auction. This service is charged at £12 (inc VAT), optional loss and breakage cover is available.

Submission Form & Label

THE MAGIC OF THE CASK

The past few decades have seen the attention to detail when selecting casks to mature whisky in rise to new levels. Here we highlight some of the pioneering Scotch whiskies for pushing the way we use casks to transform a spirit and making us look deeper into the casks we mature in.

Get a taste of history with a modern sherry monster and the first-ever cask-strength core release from a distillery by Glenfarclas, an original Balvenie that was one of the first-ever whiskies to undergo secondary maturation, and Dalmore’s experimental King Alexander III for which master blender Richard Paterson vatted whiskies matured in Port pipes, madeira drums, marsala barrels and wine casks.

SHOP SCOTCH WHISKY

Blanton’s Gold Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

(700ml)(European Import)

$240.00 View

The rare Blanton’s Gold has become beloved by connoisseurs and collectors world wide. The ultimate single barrel bourbon and founder of the category, Blanton’s has become one of the most asked for and hardest to obtain bourbons on the market today. We’ve found some limited stocks of European bound product that would otherwise have not been available. The famous “Gold” Blanton’s is so named for its unique golden horse and golden writing. Bottled at a perfect 103 proof, the Blanton’s Gold ups the complexity considerably from the standard release without the heat that the Straight From the Barrel offers. This is the perfect whiskey to offer nearly any bourbon lover if you’re looking for a special bottle that they’ve never had. It’s a true Kentucky benchmark and should be considered one of the truly great whiskies on the market today.

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

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 500: Auchentoshan’s 200th Anniversary Festival & more…

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, is known as the Toshan Man, huge fan of the Lowland triple distilled malt Auchentoshan, founded in 1823. On 3 September 2023 Auchentoshan celebrated its 200^th anniversary with a festival on the distillery grounds with cocktails, foodtrucks, local musicians, single malt (doh!) and – the icing on the cake – the release of a special 25 Year Old for the occasion. It goes without saying that Mark was there… this is his report. And it’s no coincidence that this is Rambling 500! Oh, right, lest we forget… Mark also visited the Glenkinchie Distillery, the Clydeside Distillery, the Port of Leith Distillery and the Johnnie Walker Experience.

https://youtu.be/ZpDa0KZwq4Y

Glen Moray single malt whisky issues ‘invitation to play’ with new Twisted Vine Campaign

The only rule is there are no rules! Glen Moray has today (22^nd August) announced a new partnership campaign which encourages drinkers to cast their single malt rule books aside and get creative when enjoying their latest expression – Glen Moray Twisted Vine.

Launched in July this year and inspired by Glen Moray’s long history of cask exploration, the delicious Cognac cask matured whisky has gone down a storm with single malt drinkers in the UK thanks to its sweet, spicy flavour and bold design.

To celebrate its ethos of putting your own twist on whisky, the Glen Moray team is challenging like-minded partners to experiment and give single malt their own modern makeover.

First up is the London-based pioneering duo behind the popular drinks magazine, website and podcast ‘The Cocktail Lovers’. The pair – Gary Sharpen and Sandrae Lawrence – have done what they do best, creating a refreshing serve inspired by the sweet, fruity notes in the whisky – and featuring a surprising ingredient that’s not typically associated with whisky-based drinks: pineapple.

Their Pineapple DiVine cocktail is simple yet delicious, mixing Twisted Vine with pineapple syrup and fresh lemon juice, before topping it up with Prosecco.

This first partnership in the series will be rolled out over social media and other online platforms over the coming months, whilst Glen Moray followers will be encouraged to reimagine how they too can elevate their single malt whisky experience. 

Glen Moray UK Marketing Manager James Collins said: ‘Historically Glen Moray was one of the first distilleries in Scotland to explore the effects of using unusual casks on whisky maturation, and it’s something we still do to this day. It’s this playful approach that we wanted to underline in our new campaign. Teaming up with like-minded partners is an exciting way to showcase that there really shouldn’t be any set rules when it comes to enjoying single malt. As The Cocktail Lovers have done, we hope our drinkers will get inspired and explore flavours and ingredients for themselves, to put their own twist on our new single malt.’

The Pineapple DiVine

Ingredients

50ml Glen Moray Twisted Vine

25ml homemade pineapple syrup (recipe below)

20ml fresh lemon juice

40ml Prosecco

Grape for garnish

Method

Shake the first three ingredients over ice and strain into a large wine glass filled with ice cubes. Top with the Prosecco and garnish with a grape.

 Homemade Pineapple Syrup

Ingredients

¼ fresh pineapple

120ml brown sugar

120ml water

¼ teaspoon mixed spice

Method

Cut the pineapple into small chunks and add them, along with the sugar, mixed spice and water to a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer very gently for around 30 minutes, occasionally mashing down the pineapple to make a puree. Leave to cool and strain off the lovely pineapple syrup. (Don’t throw away the remaining puree, its great mixed with ice cream for dessert.) 

Distilled and matured in Elgin, in the heart of Speyside, Glen Moray Twisted Vine is the perfect marriage of spirit and cask wood: sweet and woody with notes of dried fruit, nuts and spice. It is available in Asda, Morrisons and Coop stores across the UK as well as specialist whisky and spirits outlets. Bottled in 70cl at 40% ABV, RRP: £29. 

www.glenmoray.com

#caskexplorersforever

#twistedvine

#glenmoray

www.facebook.com/GlenMorayDistillery

www.instagram.com/Glen_Moray_Whisky

www.twitter.com/glenmoraydist

ABOUT GLEN MORAY 

Glen Moray is one of Scotland’s best loved single malt whiskies. It has been crafted since 1897 in the ancient town of Elgin, the capital of the Speyside whisky region, on what was once the Elgin West Brewery site on the banks of the River Lossie. Pure waters from the river, locally malted barley, distillation in traditional copper stills and maturation in American ex-bourbon casks combine to give the whisky its smooth, well-balanced, classic Speyside character. Glen Moray has always been a place where curiosity about flavour and cask maturation has been encouraged. Records dating back to the early days show new make spirit maturing in a wide variety of different casks – a highly unusual practice at this time. A passion for experimentation and a deep knowledge of wood have been passed down through generations of Glen Moray distillers. The result is today’s exceptional and extensive range of whiskies, offering a flavour and style to suit all tastes. Glen Moray is the 4^th biggest malt whisky brand by volume in the UK and is growing in international markets.

ABOUT THE COCKTAIL LOVERS

ForFor the last 14 years husband and wife duo, Gary Sharpen and Sandrae Lawrence, have been serious in their mission to share their passion for the people, places and products behind their favourite drinks. Not only with the growing number of cocktail curious consumers but with industry professionals all around the world.

Through their website https://thecocktaillovers.com/ , along with their award-winning The Cocktail Lovers magazine and award-winning The Cocktail Lovers podcast, you’ll l find everything from news, views and interviews with the people moving and shaking things up in the cocktail world, in addition to recipes, previews of the most inspiring new cocktail menus, product launches and a whole lot more.

Their awards include Best Broadcast, Podcast or Online Video Series: Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards 2022: Best Food & Drink Podcast: The Publisher Podcast Awards 2022; Best Cocktail & Spirits Publicatiob: Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards 2016 and two appearances on The London Evening Standard 1000 Most Influential People 2015 & 2017.

“Remarkable” whisky auction could raise more than £60,000 for Maclean family’s new clean water charity

Last month, the Maclean brothers completed a cycle and row to every whisky distillery in Scotland.

Now, it’s the turn of their famous father, whisky expert Charles Maclean MBE, to bring his skills to the table to raise money and awareness for their new charity, The Maclean Foundation.

Not to be outdone by the World Record-breaking trio, the author has rallied the Scotch whisky industry to donate a collection of “very rare and highly collectable” spirits for auction, with all funds raised funding the charity’s mission to raise funds for clean water projects in developing countries.

The “outstanding” auction’s 39 lots include a unique one of one Port Ellen from 1979, a 35 year old bottle of Port Ellen, which is part of the Douglas Laing Old & Rare selection and a 36 year old Glengoyne from the Russell Family cask. The Auction runs until 12th September.

Also available will be one of only six bottles in existence of Karuizawa Omoiyari, a single malt Japanese whisky and the first bottle of 278 from the Chichibu Distillery’s thousandth cask.

Charles Maclean MBE

Charles Maclean MBE, who starred as Rory Macallister in Ken Loach’s award winning film ‘The Angels’ Share’, commented: “All the items have interesting stories. Some are very rare and highly collectable, although some lots are easily affordable – appealing to consumers as well as collectors and investors. The provenance of every item is flawless.

“The auction is unusual in many respects. Assisted by other trustees, who have or had long involvement with the Scotch whisky industry, we approached a number of friends and colleagues, and they have been hugely generous.

“The funds raised from this outstanding and unique auction will allow the charity to get off the ground and to start having an impact through the provision of clean water.”

The fundraising target for the auction is £60,000. The charity had hoped for 35 lots in total – one for each day it took the Maclean brothers to row across the Atlantic in 2020 – but thanks to the generosity of its supporters, 39 are available.

A couple of weeks ago,  the trio of adventurer brothers completed a human-powered journey between 121 Scottish distilleries to introduce the new charity to the whisky industry.

Between them, the brothers travelled 2,200 miles by bike and 160 nautical miles across some of the most challenging bodies of water in the British Isles.

The auction is being hosted, free of charge, by Whisky.Auction, a London-based auction website that offers the finest whiskies, spirits and wines from all around the world.

Isabel Graham-Yool, Director of Whisky.Auction said: “This is one of the most remarkable auctions of my career. What is so special is that every single one of the 39 lots has particular significance, not only to whisky enthusiasts, but also to the Maclean family and their generous friends who donated such rare and exceptional bottles from their own private collections. We expect there to be a huge amount of interest in this charity auction.”

Also available will be an outstanding library of 40, primarily first edition, whisky books donated from the personal libraries of 15 of the world’s leading whisky writers, including Gavin Smith, Ian Buxton, Alice Lascelles, Nicholas Morgan, Dave Wondrich, Ingvar Ronde and Charles Maclean.

To support the auction, visit whisky.auction

Whisky auction

Whisky.Auction is an auction website that offers the finest whiskies, spirits and wines from all around the world. Based in London, Whisky.Auction is run by a team of knowledgeable industry experts, including auction director Isabel Graham-Yooll. The platform runs a monthly auction for full spirits and memorabilia with all lots being received, checked and catalogued by the team, as well as a popular quarterly miniatures auction.

The Maclean Foundation 

The Maclean Foundation has been founded by Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean alongside their dad Charles Maclean MBE, to  raise funds for clean water projects through adventures and collaboration with the whisky industry.

The Maclean Foundation (SC051703) is a registered Scottish charity that exists to create positive change through compassion and the spirit of adventure.

Visit themacleanfoundation.org or follow @themacleanfoundation on Instagram to find out more.

The Maclean brothers

In 2020, Edinburgh born brothers Ewan, Lachlan and Jamie Maclean became the first three brothers to row any ocean, as well as the fastest and youngest trio to row across the Atlantic Ocean.

During their 35 days at sea, as their charity fundraising efforts ramped up to more than £205,000, the brothers began to talk about their aspiration to build a family foundation.

During a trip to Madagascar, one of the poorest countries in Africa, to see clean water boreholes they previously funded all three became ill through contact with dirty water and were treated for parasitic worms.

Whisky for Water

In preparation for their Atlantic row in 2020, the Maclean brothers rowed 300 miles up the West Coast of Scotland, starting in Arran and finishing on the Isle of Skye, stopping at 16 whisky distilleries, ‘pillaging’ donated bottles as they rowed.

The bottles were blended by Charlie to produce a blended Scotch and a blended Malt which alone raised £55,000 for clean water projects, resulting in the construction of eleven boreholes in Madagascar which serve approximately 2,750 people. 

Charlie Maclean MBE

 A graduate of St Andrews and Dundee universities, he was founding editor of Whisky Magazine in 1998, British editor of the Russian glossy Whisky, and contributing editor of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s Newsletter.

Mr Maclean famously starred in Ken Loach’s film The Angels’ Share, which won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012, as well as frequent appearances as a commentator on both radio and television.

He was elected a Keeper of the Quaich in 1992 for ‘his services to Scotch over ten years’, elevated to Master of The Quaich – the industry’s highest accolade – in 2009. In 2016 he was inducted into the Whisky Hall of Fame and in May 2019 won the accolade of ‘International Ambassador of the Year’ at the Spirit of Speyside Festival.

Mr Maclean was trained in ‘the sensory evaluation of potable spirits’ by Pentlands Scotch Whisky Research (now the Scotch Whisky Research Institute) in 1992 and has presented numerous tastings and talks in the U.K. and abroad for whisky companies, corporations, universities and clubs, and on radio and TV. He is a member of the Judging Panel (Spirits) of the International Wines & Spirits Competition, was runner-up as ‘Communicator of the Year’ in the 2003 IWSC Awards and won ‘Outstanding Achievement of the Year in Scotch Whisky’ in the 2012 Awards.

In January 2020 he won the Hurun Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to UK – China Relations’, in connection with ‘Whisky Promotion in China’.

In May 2021, he was appointed M.B.E. (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by H.M. The Queen, “for services to Scotch Whisky, UK exports and charity”.

Mr Maclean is a Writer to Her Majesty’s Signet, a Visiting Lecturer to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, an Honorary Fellow of Massey College, University of Toronto, and of Champlain College, University of Trent and a former office bearer in the Commanderie de Bordeaux à Edimburg.

The World’s Rarest Japanese Whisky – Shirakawa 1958 Single Malt

The Shirakawa Distillery is one of Japan’s lesser known silent distilleries, situated in the Fukushima Prefecture, around 200km North of Tokyo. It was built in 1939 by Daikoku Budoshu, who were also responsible for building the legendary Karuizawa Distillery. They owned the distillery for around 8 years, until, in 1947 it was purchased by Takara Shuzo.

In 1951, Shirakawa became one of the first distilleries in all of Japan to produce malt whisky, however at this time the Single Malt market was almost non-existent, both at home and abroad. The malt whisky produced at Shirakawa was used in “King Blended Whisky”, which achieved moderate success around Japan, but never made it onto the international market. The distillery continued producing malt whisky right up until 1969, however they never released a single malt whisky onto the market.

The distillery was demolished in 2003, and in 2011, Takara Shuzo gifted the land where the distillery once sat to the Japanese government, in order to build emergency housing to accommodate the locals who had been displaced by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Tasting Notes

Nose
Waxy oak aromas, sweet fruits, gentle nuts, candied pineapple and orange liqueur, gradually making way for cut grass, honeysuckle, coconut and a waves of spices, floral tones and woody aromas.

Palate
Freshly sliced apple, zingy lime curd, soft marzipan and white chocolate evolving into a tropical trail mix with a dusting of cinnamon and ginger.

Finish
Fruity aromas, a soft nuttiness, light spice and just a touch of smoke.

Own a Piece of Japanese Whisky History Today

We are delighted to announce that the Shirakawa 1958 is now available to purchase on dekanta. Limited quantities of this iconic whisky remain, with most bottles already being snapped up by collectors and aficionados around the world.

This is a rare opportunity to own your very own piece of Japanese whisky history, and it’s one you don’t want to miss out on. Order online today to secure yours.

BUY NOW FOR $32,000