Whisky production commences at Dunphail Distillery

First distillation takes place at new Speyside distillery

Dunphail’s on-site malthouse and kiln honours and preserves the craft of traditional distillery malting

Dunphail today announced that full production had commenced at its recently opened distillery and visitor centre in Morayshire. Following the sign off of all the approvals required to commence operations, the first cut of Dunphail’s newly distilled “fat and fruity” spirit took place at 10:15am on 6^th October.

The distillery was self-constructed over 18 months by the team behind the acclaimed Bimber Distillery. The 200,000 LPA capacity site, converted from an existing farm steading, now aims to shift the perceptions of what Scotch whisky can be.

Taking the traditions of the past to craft the whisky of the future, Dunphail will operate a the full suite of time-honoured processes including: on-site floor malting; traditional kilning; long fermentations and directly-fired stills. Producing both unpeated and peated single malt whiskies, the distillery will employ these long-established techniques to craft highly textural, fruit-forward single malt whiskies which offer a profound, expressive character kindred to the most distinctive whiskies created in Scotland’s past.

Dunphail’s malthouse features the first distillery-based malting floor newly constructed in Speyside since 1898. As well as fundamental to Dunphail’s whisky character, the facility was carefully designed and built to preserve this highly traditional craft and is operated using traditional malting tools.

Speaking of commencing production at Dunphail, Founder and Master Distiller Dariusz Plazewski said: “It has long been my calling to produce whisky that has been shaped by the richness of distilling heritage. At Dunphail we’re taking a extremely detailed approach to our whisky making – combining our knowledge and deep passion to ensure that everything we do is driven by the fundamentals of flavour and quality. Constructing the distillery over the last 18 months has been both a lifelong dream and one of the biggest challenges of my career. But that time and effort has been well worth it – our first batch of new make spirit is simply astonishing and unlike anything I’ve tasted to date. It is incredibly fat and fruity and already packed full of the personality derived from our traditional production processes. I’m looking forward to sharing it and working with my team to shape it into a truly extraordinary Speyside whisky over the years to come.”

The distillery’s visitor centre and shop opened earlier this year, offering daily tours and tastings of Dunphail’s Dava Way whiskies to a growing number of visitors. Over time it is envisaged that the distillery’s tour programme will be expanded to include both deep-dive warehouse experiences as well as visitor blending sessions.

About Dunphail Distillery 

Dunphail produces world-class full-bodied, fruit-forward single malt whisky using the full range of traditional production processes, each one shaped by generations of rich distilling heritage. We take a meticulous approach to whisky making, combining knowledge with passion to ensure that everything we do is driven by the foundations of flavour and quality. We craft the finest whisky the way it used to be made – taking the traditions of the past to shape the whisky of tomorrow.

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Macallan – 1995- Easter Elchies Cask Selection 2009

Easter Elchies Cask Selection was specially selected and released only once a year exclusively for visitors to the Macallan estate. This edition was distilled in 1995, matured in a sherry hogshead #14016 and bottled in 2009 at 13 years old.

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A Quarter Passed | Limited Release | 70cl

We are excited to reveal full details of a very special limited release, A Quarter Passed being launched, our Head of Production, Isabella Wemyss, has exclusively sourced this blend from single malts, all of which have matured in ex-Bourbon barrels where the spirit has gently married with the oak for 25 years.

Bottled at a generous cask strength of 53.6% ABV, this is a luxuriously sweet vanilla-rich dram with lingering spice. With an extremely limited release of only 1500 bottles available worldwide, A Quarter Passed is an expertly crafted blend designed to celebrate the luxury of time.

Nose: Vanilla, Coconut, Hibiscus, Lemon zest, Milk chocolate

Palate: Honeyed sweet nectarines, Toffee, Crème brûlée, Marshmallow

Finish: Warming cinnamon spice, Freshly grated ginger

ABV: 53.6%

Chill filtration: Non-chill filtered

£235.00

A Quarter Passed is an expression that honours patience and the passing of time in whisky making. It is a rare and exclusive limited edition blended Scotch malt whisky with an eloquently rich character. 

Head of production Isabella Wemyss has exclusively sourced this blend from single malts which have matured in ex-bourbon barrels where the spirit has gently married with the oak for 25 years.

That quarter-century has now passed, the years allowing exceptional flavours to develop. Bottled at a generous cask strength of 53.6% ABV,  this is a luxuriously sweet vanilla-rich dram, with hints of soft coconut, toffee and lingering spice. 

THE SINGLE CASK

The Single Cask is an independent bottling company founded in 2010 by Ben Curtis with its roots in London and Singapore. Focussing on single cask whisky at cask strength with no added colour and no chill filtering, The Single Cask have released a number of award winning whiskies recognised worldwide from the likes of Highland Park, Ardbeg, Ben Nevis, Caol Ila, Glenrothes and more.

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UNIQUE SPIRITS BOTTLED ONE CASK AT A TIME

JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL
ELUSIVE UMAMI

Each cask that went into this blend was specially selected for its character, creating a marriage of casks that offer the perfect umami profile. Combining aromas of ripe apples, cashew nuts, sea salt and savoury oak with notes of white peaches, blood oranges, oak spice, smoked meat, salt and black pepper, there is a careful balance between sweet and savoury that embodies that umami character.

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Get ready for a bigger and better
Whisky Live London 2024

The moment you’ve been waiting for is finally here! We’re thrilled to announce that tickets for Whisky Live London 2024 are now available for purchase! But wait, there’s more! We want to share the excitement with you by offering an exclusive 15% early bird discount on our Whisky Live Classic Experience tickets. That’s right, you get to enjoy unlimited whisky while saving at the same time! This is a limited-time offer, so be sure to book your tickets and secure your place today!

Book your tickets now and avoid disappointment.

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Our October 2023 Auction NOW LIVE!

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BUNNAHABHAIN – 30 YEARS OLD – 1980

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ralfy review 1,000 (3/5) – Return To Springbank. moment at the mill.

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Lochlea celebrates the autumn season on the farm

with ‘Fallow Edition’ (Second Crop) release

Award winning farm-to-cask Ayrshire distillery – Lochlea – is revealing the third expression in a new set of four seasonal limited edition whiskies – Fallow – that celebrates autumn on the farm.

‘Fallow Edition’ (Second Crop) reveals the richer, darker flavours found in Lochlea’s house whisky profile. Matured exclusively in Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, the whisky is full of sweet and spiced notes – perfect to sip and savour as the dark, autumnal nights close in.

The whisky pays homage to a vitally important time of year on the farm, marking the months when the land finally has time to rest and be restored. It is also a key part of the sustainability programme at Lochea – both as part of the farm and the distillery.

After nearly five months of barley growth on the farm – followed by harvest in September – the team at Lochlea plant cover crops of mustard and radish to open up the soil through winter, whilst also creating a leafy canopy to help prevent soil erosion. This cover crop is then intensively grazed with sheep for 4 to 6 weeks, before it is consolidated back into the soil as added organic material.

In addition to this, straw bales – which are the by-product of growing barley – are provided to neighbouring farmers for them to use as bedding for their cattle. Some of this comes back as manure, which is then spread back onto the barley fields in the winter before ploughing – all adding to the natural and sustainable practices which are a key part of every-day life at Lochlea.

Lochlea owner and farmer Neil McGeoch said: “Fallow season within our farming calendar is a vital time of year for us to regenerate the land ready for our barley to grow well in the spring and summer. This release is so important to us, as it gives us a chance to tell the story of the farm and explain some of our sustainable practices.”

The split between the two different types of sherry cask used for ‘Fallow Edition’ (Second Crop) are 55% Pedro Ximénez casks and 45% Oloroso casks.

Production Director John Campbell said: “ In this ‘Fallow Edition’ (Second Crop) – the third in our new set of four seasonal limited editions – we have used a combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez (PX) Sherry Butts. The introduction of the PX casks this year creates a very different flavour profile to our first release of ‘Fallow Edition’ (First Crop) last year, which saw us use only Oloroso casks.”

“This warming and unctuous whisky starts with aromas of rich manuka honey, moving to luscious golden syrup and ground coffee beans. Layers of sweetly spiced candied ginger follow on the palate, leading to the finish offering hints of freshly crushed almonds.

We’re proud of this bold, rich whisky and hope Lochlea lovers will enjoy exploring this other side to our house spirit!”

Lochlea’s seasonal releases are as follows:

• Fallow Edition: reflects the season of autumn on the farm when the fields are left fallow to rest after a busy harvest.
• Ploughing Edition: released in winter when the fields are ploughed in preparation for spring.
• Sowing Edition: inspired by spring when the seed is sown for the year’s barley crop.
• Harvest Edition: inspired by the annual harvest on the farm.

As with all of Lochlea’s whiskies, ‘Fallow Edition’ (Second Crop) is non-chill filtered – it has been bottled at 46% ABV – RRP: £51.50, available from Lochlea stockists from 26^th October onwards.

In addition to the seasonal limited edition releases, Lochlea has a core whisky expression available all year round – Our Barley. This unpeated single malt has been matured in a combination of three different casks: first fill ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry casks and STR barriques, all of which add depths of flavour to the spirit. Launched in July 2022, Our Barley has received much acclaim as a superb example of a young non-age statement (NAS) Lowlands whisky, made entirely from the distillery’s own home-grown barley.

NEW RELEASE FROM

THE WINE SERIES

10 Years Old Wine Series: Grattamacco Wine Finish

All the whiskies in the Glenallachie’s Wine Series are first aged in the best quality American Oak ex-bourbon barrels, before being re-racked into wine barriques carefully sourced by Billy Walker for over 2 years.  The second winery established in Tuscany’s renowned Bolgheri area, The Grattamacco Estate, produces wines with a signature style of elegance. Complementing our fruit-forward Speyside spirit, maturation in these barriques has created a palate rich with juicy blackcurrant and sweet tannins. Truly embodying the complexities of the red wine previously held in each cask, the resulting whisky offers up honeyed elegance with a well-balanced finish.

NOSE: Bursting with dark chocolate, butterscotch and heather honey, with notes of blackcurrant, caramelised brown sugar and cinnamon spice.

PALATE: Waves of ripe red berries, grapefruit and toasted honeycomb, followed by butterscotch, sugared fruit and black truffle.

£56.99

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11 Years Old Wine Series: Premier Cru Classé Finish

All the whiskies in the Glenallachie’s Wine Series are first aged in the best quality American Oak ex-bourbon barrels, before being re-racked into wine barriques carefully sourced by Billy Walker for over 2 years.  The Premier Cru French oak barriques were procured from one of just five Premier Cru Classé chateaux located in the world-renowned wine region of Bordeaux, France. Top of the official Bordeaux wine classification, these estates are considered to produce wines of the highest quality and flavour. Maturation in casks which previously held such full-bodied red wine has imbibed our honeyed spirit with deep notes of black cherry and smooth espresso. The resulting golden malt delivers a truly refined yet complex drinking experience.

NOSE: Waves of butterscotch, blackcurrant and heather honey, with hints of minerality, poached orchard fruits and orange zest.

PALATE: Layers of honeycomb, black fruits and dark chocolate, followed by coffee, truffle and cinnamon, with crème de cassis and ginger on the finish.

£60.99
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9 Years Old Wine Series: Douro Valley Wine Finish

All the whiskies in the Glenallachie’s Wine Series are first aged in the best quality American Oak ex-bourbon barrels, before being re-racked into wine barriques carefully sourced by Billy Walker for over 2 years.  Located in the heart of Portugal, the Douro Valley is one of the world’s oldest protected wine regions, established in 1756. With the country’s highest wine classification as a Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC), this historic region is a significant producer of robust, characterful red wines. The barriques selected have imparted richness of both colour and flavour to our Speyside malt, offering decadent layers of dried stone fruits and delicate hints of warming spice.

NOSE: Waves of plum jam, clementines and dried red berries, with notes of heather honey and vanilla spice.

PALATE: Bursting with dried apricots, heather honey and crystalised fruits, followed by hints of ripe black fruits, butterscotch and cinnamon spice.

£55.99
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