ARDBEG HEAVY VAPOURS
ISLAY SINGLE MALT

Just in time for Ardbeg Day – celebrated annually on the last Saturday of Fèis Ìle – the iconic Islay distillery has launched an experimental limited-edition whisky: Ardbeg Heavy Vapours. For the first time ever, Ardbeg whisky has been distilled without a purifier, therefore disrupting the distillery’s trademark balance between pungent peat and floral fruitiness.

Led by Dr Bill Lumsden, this experiment has unleashed the heaviest vapours by allowing them to rise up the still before being captured and bottled at 46% ABV. The result is a full-blown dram with untameable smokiness and hints of eucalyptus, cardamom and dark chocolate.

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A special new release from Benromach…

Benromach Peat Smoke 2014 Sherry Cask Finished

Only ever produced in very small batches using the finest Scottish malted with high levels of peat smoke at 57ppm. The Benromach Peat Smoke Sherry Cask bottling is only ever produced in very small batches using the finest Scottish malted with high levels of peat smoke at 57ppm. The Speyside expression is aged for eight years in oak casks, including a delectable finish in first-fill Sherry hogshead casks, and decanted at 46% abv. Free from chill filtration. Expect aromas of sweet vanilla bean and stewed fruits, leading to a palate full of zesty citrus peel and lush summer berry flavours. The finish brings the peat smoke, and hints of spicy ginger.

£55.00
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The Visitor Centre is officially now in the busy season, with up to 130 visitors a day, and likely to continue thus till mid-September. There is always terrific feedback for all the Tour Guides in the Visitors’ Book and on TripAdvisor  and a whole host of nationalities visiting. Dogs are frequent very welcome visitors, and people are still keen to spot the Netflix famous cats!

Meantime we are pleased to see the return of our swallows. Currently returned and nesting, and getting quite noisy! Thank you to Zoe Barrie for the wonderful photograph.

We were delighted to welcome lots of familiar faces back to the distillery for another Bear Burning – an event held annually to thank our 1494 Members who helped us to start producing whisky again after a mere 500 years or so. The weather was typically Scottish and a bit dreich but everyone had a wonderful time, helped along with some lovely food, delicious drams and great music.

We hope to see as many of you as we can at the distillery this season.

Slàinte

Drew & Helen McKenzie Smith
Custodians of Lindores Abbey

DISTILLERY NEWS

Now back in production in the distillery, we have made some slight changes to the mashing process as our recipe had drifted a bit – not in quality, but in quantity. The cost of malt has increased by 91% over the last year or so, and therefore more than ever it’s essential to get the best we can from it. Dean and the team have brought it back in line and we’re delighted to report an increase of 5% in our yield. This equates to about 20 litres for every mash.

Cask prices are also rising. A sherry butt is now costing into four figures in pounds sterling; and of course it’s vital for us to keep ourselves well supplied. We’re aware our customers enjoy some of our more unusual cask fills. Later in the year we are intending to invest in some more new casks and that will be an exciting time for all of us.

Slàinte

Gary Haggart
Distillery Manager

THE BEAR BURNING 2023

In May 2023 we once again welcomed our 1494 Members and VIP’s to Lindores Abbey Distillery to commemorate another year of whisky making, none of which would be possible without their support.

We once again celebrated by lighting the 300 foot bear which is carved out on the hill above our distillery and hosted whisky tastings, a ceilidh and enjoyed some delicious food.

The bear and ragged staff was carved into the hill to commemorate the links between the Earl of Warwick and the first Abbot of Lindores Abbey, Guido who was a cadet of the Earl.

The lighting of the bear is a truly spectacular sight and the ancient wee town of Newburgh comes to a standstill to witness it.

HOW THE BEAR GOT UP THE HILL

Until the 1970s, Newburgh pageants were held in the abbey ruins and gave way in due course to the Newburgh Festival. Those were the days of Arts Council funding for community events, and youth workers were deployed to help set up large scale dramatic reconstructions. Jim Lee takes up the tale:

‘In 1981 when the first Newburgh Festival was formed, we were looking for a logo. The previous pageants had been held in the abbey ruins, so we decided to use something connected to the abbey. We decided on the Bear with the Ragged Staff, the Coat of Arms of the Earls of Warwick.

‘That year, one of the Scottish Arts Council people came up with the idea of putting the Bear on the hill. This isn’t as easy as it sounds – you have to take account of perspective to draw it out so that it looks right from a distance. A surveyor was brought in, and he stood in the abbey ruins, communicating with others on the hill via walkie-talkie. They used pegs to set the proportions of the Bear. The outline was then marked out using lime; it was only intended to last the one year.

Unfortunately however, the wind got up; so Tommy Howison, the landowner, sent Wendell Wilkie up the hill to plough the outline before the lime was all blown away.

‘The bear was first lit up in 1986, when I helped to set up and clear up. I took over the bear burning the following year and have done so ever since. This will be my 36th year of burning the bear, and I hope to continue for a few more yet! I’m very lucky that I have a good team. Members have come and gone through the years, but they always give their time and talents to make sure that the burning is spectacular. Without them it wouldn’t happen.’

The Bear with the Ragged Staff is still seen in many places and many a pub is named after it, in its home counties of Huntingdon and Worcestershire (the boundaries having changed through the centuries).

Closer to home, you can walk up the High Street in Newburgh and see, above the Bear Tavern, the original sculpture of the Bear with the Ragged Staff from the lintel of the Abbot’s House, which was next to the Slype in the Abbey ruins.

Turntable Whiskies 03: Purple Haze, 46%

https://youtu.be/0bE8-Mj09Is

Purple Haze! All up in my…glass? Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, but luckily, the whisky is as impactful to taste as that song is when you first hear it.

We have:

44% Balmenach in a Pedro Ximinez Puncheon

42% Craigellachie in an Oloroso sherry butt

14% Invergordon in an ex-Sherry cask

All of these profiles really work soundly together. They amplify each other and are very complimentary. But, it’s still Craigellachie that leads the way with its slightly salt, soft savoury notes, all backed up with that densely soaked sherry profile. A true charmer and a very, very memorable blended whisky.

Massive congratulations to Turntable Whiskies for this release. It is rather special!

The House of Suntory Launches Limited-Edition Hakushu^® 12 and 18 Year Old Whiskies in Honor of 100-Year Anniversary

From Hakushu’s mountain forest distillery, the House of Suntory proudly introduces two new limited-edition expressions to its iconic ranges as part of the historic brand’s multifaceted centennial celebration

NEW YORK, NY, May 24, 2023 – For the House of Suntory, a pioneer of Japanese whisky, this year marks a century since founder Shinjiro Torii established Yamazaki Distillery, and fifty years since the Hakushu Distillery was formed. As a nod to its future and a way to honor the craftsmanship and innovative spirit of the brand, the House of Suntory announces two limited edition bottlings released for Suntory Whisky’s centennial: a new, limited release Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt, along with the flagship Hakushu 12 Year Old clad in limited-edition celebratory packaging for the 100^th anniversary. These two Hakushu releases are unveiled alongside two limited-edition Yamazaki bottlings, announced separately.

“Blending is at the heart of everything we do at the House of Suntory, and we hold each of our whiskies to the highest standards throughout the process,” shared Fifth Generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo. “I am proud to share the release of Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt and special edition packaging of our Hakushu 12 Year Old with the world.”

The House of Suntory’s limited-edition Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt is comprised of meticulously selected malt whiskies all aged for a minimum of 18 years. Nestled deep in Mt. Kaikomagatake, the Second-Generation Master Blender, Keizo Saji, founded the Hakushu Distillery in 1973. Its blenders accepted the challenge of working with peat – a daring move made possible thanks to the area’s unique terroir, climate and exceptional mountain water (filtered through granite rocks) which together soften the whisky’s signature smoky taste.

Refined and elegant, this rare Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt brings a new angle to the world of peated whisky. On the nose, this Hakushu expression features vibrant notes of sage, ripe green apple, and hints of ripe pineapple. It has a complex smoky flavor on the palate that reveals layers of herbal, grapefruit and acacia honey notes, with a smoky finish that lingers with undernotes of fresh green citrus. Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt is presented at 48 percent ABV with a suggested retail price of $1,200.00 (700ml).

The House’s centennial Hakushu 12 Year Old packaging is designed as an homage to “Monozukuri” craftsmanship—a Japanese principle which embodies elevated artisanship, relentless pursuit for quality, ingenuity, and expressiveness. The illustration on the bottle captures the Hakushu Distillery in soft hues of verdant green, representing the forest surrounding the distillery. It depicts Shinjiro Torii’s dream to make whisky blessed with the riches of Japanese nature and craftsmanship that is still carried on today.

On the nose, Hakushu 12 Year Old offers aromas of basil, pine needle and green apple. On the palate, it presents notes of sweet pear, mint and kiwi with a green tea and subtly smoky finish. This expression is bottled at 43 percent ABV with a suggested retail price of $185.00 (750ml).

The Hakushu 12 and 18 Year Old releases will be announced this month in select global markets including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, and Singapore. Since its founding, the House of Suntory has been crafting world-class spirits and is known for its Yamazaki, Hakushu, Chita, Kakubin, Hibiki, Suntory Whisky Toki and Ao, as well as Roku Gin and Haku Vodka.

The House of Suntory invites fans to join its new global membership program. Members will be among the first to hear about House of Suntory new releases, receive priority consideration for invitations to consumer experiences*, learn news from the distilleries, gain early access to content and more. The House of Suntory membership program aims to bring Japanese whisky enthusiasts together around the world and provide a cultural journey through Japan. To sign up, please visit us online here.

For more information about the House of Suntory, please visit us online here.

*Limited number of invitations in key cities.

About The House of Suntory

Since 1923, Suntory has been renowned as a pioneer of Japanese Whisky for its House of Master Blenders and for their Art of Blending. Founder Shinjiro Torii built Japan’s first malt whisky distillery in Yamazaki, and the Suntory legacy continued with Torii’s son and Suntory’s second Master Blender, Keizo Saji, who continued to establish distilleries including the Hakushu Distillery. As the generations of Suntory’s master blenders carry on, Suntory Whisky remains committed to heritage and innovation. The House of Suntory has been named four-time Distiller of the Year at the International Spirits Challenge in London, UK (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014). Suntory Whiskies are subtle, refined and complex. The portfolio includes Yamazaki, Hakushu, Chita, Kakubin, Hibiki, Suntory Whisky Toki and Ao. The House of Suntory portfolio also offers Roku Japanese Gin and Haku Japanese Vodka. Created from Japanese ingredients by the master artisans at the House of Suntory, Roku Gin and Haku Vodka represent the nature and spirit of Japan. This year, Suntory Whisky celebrates one hundred years of whisky innovation—a major milestone not only for the brand’s history, but for Japanese spirits culture as a whole. To mark this anniversary, the House of Suntory will be rolling out its centennial campaign throughout 2023.

About Beam Suntory

As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires the brilliance of life by delivering great consumer experiences through its world-class portfolio of brands.  Known for its craftsmanship of premium whiskies, including Jim Beam®, Maker’s Mark®, Basil Hayden® and Knob Creek® bourbons; Japanese whiskies, including Yamazaki®, Hakushu®, Hibiki® and Toki®; and leading Scotch brands including Teacher’s, Laphroaig® and Bowmore®, Beam Suntory also produces leading brands such as Courvoisier® cognac, Tres Generaciones®, El Tesoro® and Hornitos® tequila, Roku and Sipsmith® gin, Canadian Club® whisky, and is a world leader in ready-to-drink cocktails, with brands like -196 and On The Rocks™ Premium Cocktails. 

A global company with approximately 6,000 employees in more than 30 countries, one of Beam Suntory’s core values is Growing for Good and through its Proof Positive sustainability strategy, the company has committed to ambitious goals and investments to promote environmental sustainability in its operations, ensure the company has a positive impact on the communities where employees live and work, and programs to inform consumers as they make choices about drinking. Headquartered in New York City, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com

Our May Auction ENDS TONIGHT!

Auction closes from 8pm (BST) Tuesday 30th May, 2023

www.speysidewhiskyauctions.co.uk

Interested in Selling Whisky?

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1970s ARDBEG:
THE GOLDEN ERA

Widely considered one of Islay’s cult distilleries, Ardbeg is the perfect example of the island’s archetypal heavily peated character. Ardbeg today produces some of the highest quality peated single malts out there, offering a whirlwind of peat, complex malt and citrus sweetness. But for dedicated Ardbeg enthusiasts and collectors, the 1970s was the distillery’s golden era, with single cask bottlings from this decade receiving legendary status.

In the mid-1970s, demand for peated blends saw Ardbeg stop its floor maltings (malting its own grain) and turn to peated malt from the nearby village of Port Ellen, resulting in a change of style from old-school Ardbeg. The distillery was then hit by the effects of over-production and declining demand – known as the “whisky loch” – resulting in its closure from 1981 to 1989. Scraping along providing parts to its then-sister distillery Laphroaig, Ardbeg’s full production and revival only commenced when Glenmorangie purchased the distillery in 1997.

Thanks to independent bottlers like Douglas Laing and Gordon & MacPhail, as well as rare official single cask bottlings from the distillery, we’re able to find a limited number of Ardbeg single malts distilled in this celebrated era. Discover our favourite releases below for a chance to try old-fashioned Ardbeg, long before its 21st-century reinvention.

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The second outrun of 2023 is here!

This quarter we are proudly releasing five Lady of the Glen rare cask releases from our portfolio. We have chosen to select casks to present a broad palate of flavours, while the casks are roughly the same age bracket all the finishes are in first fill casks and bottled at cask strength.

Auchroisk 10 year old. #802246 – Oloroso Finish. 56.3%ABV
Benrinnes 10 years old. #300746 -Tawny Port Finish.  57.8%ABV
Glentauchers 10 years old. #800466 – ex-Islay refill PX finish 58.9%ABV
Glen Spey 10 years old.  #807700 – Banyuls Finish 58.4%ABV
Royal Brackla 11 years old #1216 – Ruby Port Finish 56.9%ABV

Complimenting our Lady of the Glen range we have released two Dalgety bottlings that includes a Caol Ila which is a marriage of two ex-Amarone cask finished sister casks. The second Dalgety is a marriage of two Inchgower casks that were finished in ex-first fill Oloroso casks sourced from Hidalgo cooperage in Spain

Caol Ila 9 years old. Amarone Barrique Finish. 50.5%ABV
Inchgower 11 years old. Oloroso Finish. 50.6%ABV

All releases were bottled at our site in Dalgety Bay by hand. If the bottle you want is sold out don’t worry as we have sent orders to various independent shops and traders across the UK!

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Drop-off Appointments

We are not running a collection on Islay this year during the Whisky Festival, but we will be opening on Saturday the 3rd of June between 11am and 3pm for anyone wanting to drop off bottles.

Drop-offs will be strictly by appointment only, so if you are wanting to submit any of the bottles you’ve acquired at the Festival then log into your SWA account and book an appointment now.

For everyone going to Islay next week, we hope you have a great time (and the queues aren’t too bad!).  Any bottles submitted will be entered into the 145th auction which goes live on Friday the 30th of June, unless otherwise specified.

Scotch Whisky Auctions · Unit C · 139 Lancefield Street · Glasgow, Lanarkshire G3 8HZ · United Kingdom

Grain-to-glass Lochlea Distillery

launches inaugural Cask Strength single malt

@lochleawhisky

Family-owned grain-to-glass distillery, Lochlea, is launching its first ever Cask Strength single malt whisky this month as part of a new series of annual special bottlings from the Ayrshire distillery that is fast becoming renowned for its award-winning* whiskies.

This inaugural high proof release – Cask Strength Batch 1 – has been carefully selected by Master Blender John Campbell and his team, bottled straight from the cask at 60.1% ABV. The final spirit has been aged in first-fill ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks that work particularly well at higher strength, amplifying the fruit, nut and cereal flavours that form part of Lochlea’s house style.

Cask Strength follows an array of unique releases from the awarded barley farm-based distillery since it introduced its very first single malt whisky for Burns Night in January 2022 – Lochlea First Release Single Malt Whisky.

Last summer also saw an exciting permanent addition to the range – Lochlea Our Barley. The unpeated single malt is a marriage of three different casks: first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, Oloroso sherry butts and STR barriques, all of which add depth of flavour to the spirit. Launched in July 2022, Our Barley has received much acclaim and multiple awards* as a superb example of a young non-age statement (NAS) whisky made entirely from the distillery’s own home-grown barley.

In celebration of the seasons that govern Lochlea’s own farming practices, the distillery has also released limited edition seasonal whiskies throughout the year, all made from the distillery’s own barley. The seasonal edition releases are: Sowing, Harvest, Fallow and Ploughing Editions. 2022 saw the first edition or ‘Crop’ of each season release with a follow up of each to be revealed again in 2023.

John Campbell, Master Blender said: “Here at Lochlea we are passionate about the quality and traceability of our whiskies and this is reflected in every stage of our whisky-making process. From our own barley fields surrounding the distillery and our traditional wooden washbacks, to our sourcing of the finest casks available and racked warehouse storage, there are absolutely no compromises on our quality. Our new Cask Strength whisky enables this quality to shine through in every dram, showing an amplified version of our signature Lochlea style for those whisky-lovers looking for an extra special something: a bold, yet elegant spirit made with a contemporary approach alongside respected traditions.”

David Ferguson, Commercial Director said: “It’s been a quick 18 months for us since the launch of our first whisky! The recent award wins for our core expression Lochlea Our Barley have been milestones for the distillery, and we’re now following these up with our first ever Cask Strength release. Lochlea Cask Strength Batch 1 brings the Lochlea flavours that our customers have grown to love, but amps them all up a level! I look forward to allocating these bottles across our valued UK on and off-trade partners, and our importers across 20 markets in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.”

Lochlea was originally a 222 acre livestock farm before being purchased by Neil and Jen McGeoch in 2006. After much consideration of the future of the farm and a successful trial to grow its own barley in 2015, the couple transformed the land and existing farm buildings into a fully operational distillery in 2017 and started distilling the following year. The farming side has remained a unique part of Lochlea, with the move into barley production paving the way for Lochlea to be one of the very few grain-to-glass distilleries in Scotland. It also has a rich Scottish heritage with strong links to Robert Burns, with the bard having worked and lived on the farm during his formative years from 1777 to 1784.

Ahead of the first whisky release in 2022, the team has focused on getting the distillery and business up and running – its quietly confident, yet ambitious approach since being established is starting to make its neighbours sit up and take notice.

Cask Strength Batch 1

Tasting notes:

Cask Strength Batch 1 begins with a concentrated fruit punch note leading to soft cigar notes and aromatic coffee beans. It then develops with more signature Lochlea fruit, a hint of Brazil nuts and finishes with a moreish orange syrup mixed with aged oak shavings.

The casks used comprise approximately a 70/ 30 split between first fill ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry.

Cask Strength Batch 1 launches on Wednesday 31^st May and will be available from selected specialist whisky retailers, RRP: £65.

Lochlea Our Barley is available from specialist whisky retailers across the UK RRP: £45.

For a full list of Lochlea stockists, visit: Lochlea Distillery stockists