Strathmill 14 Year Old

2006 Vintage Sherry Butt

We’re sharing the love this Valentine’s Day with a generous discount on a much overlooked Speyside single malt 💕

Described by WhiskyFun.com as being like a VW Golf GTI – a well constructed, modern sherry cask whisky.

Bottled at a whopping 61% abv and to commemorate the Apollo 10 mission; a full dress rehearsal for the first historic moon landing.

Feel the love, don’t miss out on this lightning deal…

Strathmill 14 Years 2006 – £60 / $61* / €56*

Strathmill 14 Year Old 2006 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Fifty-one years ago Apollo 10 pioneered a full dress rehearsal for the first historic moon landing. Lunar module, dubbed “Snoopy” stopped short of landing on the lunar surface. As ‘Snoopy’ docked with command module ‘Charlie Brown’, Pilot Eugene Cernan proclaimed “Man, we is back home. Almost.” To mark this occasion we have bottled a single sherry butt distilled in 2006 bottled October 2020. 685 numbered bottles exclusive to The Whisky Barrel.

A black hole of sweet fruit cake dwarfed by rocket fudge, tobacco and rosewater. Telescopic sherry soaked raisins eclipsed by magnetic spices and a meteoric dry oak finish.

The original Strathmill Distillery was worked by John Keith from 1825 until 1829 but subsequently dismantled and converted into a corn mill. The present business was established in 1891 by re-conversion of the corn mill. a site tucked away between the River Isla and the Great North of Scotland Railway on the edge of the town of Keith. Now equipped with four stills and two traditional pagoda roofs to produce malt whisky primarily for the blending industry and so there have been very few official releases.

The Good Dram Show – Episode 495 ‘Brave New Spirits’

Welcome to this weeks episode of the show in which I’ll be taking a look at some of the releases in the new Brave New Spirits range called Cask Noir. The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum Episode 495 – Cask Noir et les trucs bizarrement funky!

Filmed in The Study Nottingham

Tasting Notes https://chriswhiskyman.wordpress.com Featuring Cask Noir Dailuaine 11 year old ‘The Rise of the Badger Clan’ 50.9% Cask Noir Craigellachie 14 year old ‘Telfords Travels to Gascony’ 52.3% Cask Noir Benrinnes 13 year old ‘Ruthie The Wanderer … In Bordeaux’ 57.2% Cask Noir Old Rhosdhu 28 year old ‘Bonnie Banks & The Call of the Past’ 48.6% Cask Noir Ardmore 9 year old ‘When The Eagles Watch’ 58.5% Cask Noir Inchfad (Loch Lomond) 17 year old ‘Secrets of Bonnie Banks’ 48.1% https://www.bravenewspirits.com/

FROM EDINBURGH EPIPHANY TO WORLDWIDE WHISKY CLUB, SOCIETY CELEBRATES 40^TH ANNIVERSARY & APPROACHES 40,000 MEMBERS

Year-long series of special activities announced by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society as it closes in on 40,000-member milestone

Pip Hills, founder of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, pictured at the Abderdeenshire farm where he first discovered single cask whisky: pic by Mike Wilkinson;

Maverick art by Andy Rogerson

Having been dismissed by industry experts in 1983 as an idea that would never work, a whisky club started ‘for a lark’ by a maverick whisky enthusiast in Edinburgh is this year celebrating its 40^th-anniversary and approaching 40,000 members around the world.

For four decades, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) has specialised in releasing ‘whisky in its purest form’ – mainly single malt whiskies bottled from single casks that are not diluted with water, artificially coloured or chill-filtered to prevent it going cloudy when water or ice is added.

Now The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, which has grown to include around 30 branches across the world including China, Australia and the USA, is marking this new milestone in its journey with a year-long series of special releases, events, collaborations and happenings, all inspired by its founder’s unorthodox outlook.

Alongside commemorative bottles and special releases for the 40^th year, the Society’s anniversary activities over the next 12 months include innovative creations such as a chilli-tinged whisky, collaborations with a ‘thrill engineer’ and a top-secret world-record attempt.

The Society will also launch a new podcast series featuring maverick and game changing characters from around the world and assemble a first-ever female-only tasting panel to select future releases.

The worldwide whisky club was started in 1983 by then Edinburgh-based accountant Pip Hills. The idea came after he’d experienced an epiphany discovering that whisky drawn straight from a cask had much more flavour compared with that era’s choice of off-the-shelf whisky.

His ingenious idea of forming a club in Edinburgh to share these ‘pure’ single cask whiskies with others and making whisky more fun by using wine-tasters’ terminology to describe flavours was a game-changer at a time when the Scotch industry was perceived as dull and in decline.

Four decades on, the whisky industry is booming – thanks in part to pioneers like Hills – while the Society is also thriving. Despite being told by industry experts that his idea of a whisky club would never work, the Society now has around 30 branches around the world, over 100 partner bars worldwide, has bottled whisky from over 180 different distilleries and has more than 37,000 members.  The club is part of the Artisanal Spirits Company plc group, known for creation and curation of outstanding limited edition whisky and artisanal sprits for premium drinks lovers around the world.

The Society’s year of celebrations also include the release of a special short film about its origins which documents the whisky epiphany Hills experienced when he first sampled single cask whisky at an Aberdeenshire farm. Other plans involve the release of more sherry-cask matured whiskies, and new releases from distilleries the Society has never bottled from before.

Andrew Dane, CEO of Artisanal Spirts Company plc which owns the Society, said: “They say ‘mighty oaks from little acorns grow’ and that is true of the Society’s story. It’s incredible to think that a small gathering of pals sharing single cask whisky in Edinburgh has grown into this worldwide club.  It seems apt that in our 40^th year, we are closing in on reaching 40,000 members, worldwide.”

“As we enter our fifth decade, we’re incredibly excited. Our Spirits Team is hard at work seeking out incredible casks and we continue to bring people together to explore the flavours of whisky and create new friendships. Our members and adventurous whisky fans looking to join the Society can expect to see a few surprises during our 40^th anniversary year. Watch this space…”Society founder Hills, said: “I started the whole thing for a lark. At the time, most of the Scotch whisky industry was very dull and most of the whisky wasn’t up to much. I had had no great liking for whisky, but when I first tried whisky drawn straight from a cask, it was an epiphany – this whisky tasted astonishing and quite unlike any whisky I’d drunk before. I shared some with my friends and they loved it too, so it seemed like a good idea to share it with more people.

“When we started the Society and began to share the ‘secret’ of single cask whisky with others, there’s no doubt that we began to alter people’s attitudes, so that they came to see that behind the branded sameness of Scotch whisky there lay a world of variety and interest, as well as a drink that tasted a lot better than what they were used to. The great thing was that we had a lot of fun doing and people joined the Society in their thousands to share in the fun, as well as to get their hands on the whisky.”

https://smws.com

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS)

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and has 37,000 members around the world.
• It is owned by The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) plc
• The SMWS bottles rare single cask and single malt whisky, exclusive blends and a range of other Single Cask Spirits.
• The Society has bottled whisky from 180 distilleries from Scotland and beyond
• The Society offers a new batch of around 20 different single malt whiskies every month
• Members have access to four exclusive SMWS Members’ Rooms in Leith, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London along with a global network of 100 partner bars.
• The Society offers a variety of membership options that can be tailored.
• For more information about the Society, visit: https://smws.com/, Twitter: @SMWSUK Facebook: @thesmwsuk Instagram: @smws_uk 

About The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC)

• The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) plc is based in Edinburgh
• The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) plc is building a portfolio of premium brands that bring together some of the world’s best spirits producers with a growing movement of discerning consumers by curating unrivalled collections of craft spirits.
• ASC owns The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) and in 2021 it launched J.G. Thomson & Co. Inspired by its namesake, which was originally a wine and spirits merchant in Leith, Scotland, in the 1700s, J.G. Thomson is a new, adventurous blender, creating small batch blended malt whiskies, blended grain whiskies,and other spirits.

ENDS TODAY! (06/02/2023) January 2023 Auction

A warm welcome to our January Auction. Featuring over 6,000 rare whiskies and fine spirits, this is a unique opportunity to bid on some of the world’s most sought-after bottles.

Our first sale of 2023 features some very special highlights, from the beautifully designed Bowmore x Aston Martin ARC-52 to some elusive yet legendary independent whisky releases such as the Royal ‘Green’ Brackla 1975 and Ardbeg 1967 Kingsbury 29 Year Old – both of which are Serge Valentin’s ‘favourite’ expressions from each respective distillery on WhiskyFun.com. We also bring Part II of Luc Timmermans exceptional Glenfarclas collection to auction, which features some incredible old Grant Bonding Co. expressions and well-aged SMWS releases.

Exclusive to Whisky Auctioneer: We are delighted to partner with the independent bottlers Spheric Spirits in our January Auction to offer the earliest bottle numbers from their first ten releases.

Read more about Spheric Spirits in our latest interview.

Discover some of our curated highlights below and bid now in our first auction of the year.

Luc Timmermans Glenfarclas Collection Part II – SMWS Highlights

Ardbeg 1967 Kingsbury 29 Year Old #922

Bowmore Arc-52

Royal ‘Green’ Brackla 1975 Whisky Exchange 27 Year Old

Yamazaki 1993 Single Sherry Cask #3T70070 / LMDW

Exclusive to Whisky Auctioneer – Spheric Spirits

+6,000 lots to browse in our January auction now.

Interested in selling in our next auction? Fill out our Seller Form today.

Platinum Arran
1997 25 Year Old

The nose is sweet with apples, plums, and garden herbs moving to a palate that is dry with notes of caramel and mint

Platinum Arran 1997 25 Year Old Description

£690.00
BUY NOW

Lochlea
Ploughing Edition

This warming, smoky version of Lochlea was crafted using ex-Islay whisky barrels and peated quarter casks. Bottled at 46% abv, with natural colour and free from chill-filtration.

£50.00
BUY NOW

Fall in love with flavour this February First Friday, we’ve just released our NEW Outturn with 17 bottlings we’re crazy about. Click on over to our website NOW to find your perfect partner. BUT be quick, these captivating casks are sure to melt the heart of many. OR keep on scrolling to discover our colourful collection of pair, trio and six bottle case offers – our recommendations that take away the heartache of too much choice, offered at a generous price.

NEW OUTTURN

ALL OUTTURN BOTTLES

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

New St Kilian Releases

Surprise in 2023

By Ernie Scheiner, The Gateway to Distilleries  www.whisky-distilleries.net

Germany’s largest whisky distillery is situated in Franconia along the Main River near the medieval town of Miltenberg. The impressive state-of-the-art distillery features a Scottish set up: traditional mash tun, four wooden washbacks and two 6.000 litre swan neck pot stills made by Forsyths in Rothes. St Kilian was founded in 2012 by entrepreneur Andreas Thümmler and designed by the Irish specialist David F. Hynes. The first whiskies were released in 2019. Today the LPA is about 256.000 litres.

By the end of 2022 CTO and Master Blender Mario Rudolf presented an acclaimed web tasting new releases: seven whiskies and one whisky liqueur. He was joined by Iron Finger Axel Ritt, lead guitarist of the heavy metal band GRAVE DIGGER, and Honorary Brand Ambassador Dr Heinz Weinberger. What a record! 1.300 sample sets reached the viewers.

The peated GRAVE DIGGER BERRY METAL forest fruit liqueur (54ppm) was bottled at 40% ABV. The basis of this exceptionally strong red liqueur is a double swan neck distilled St Kilian spirit made of Scottish malted barley sourced from Glen Esk Maltings in Montrose.

A new limited single malt version of a GRAVE DIGGER FIELDS OF BLOOD was presented in an iconic bottle. Only 5.450 bottles will come to the shelves. Whisky Blender Mario Rudolf preferred an alcohol concentration of 47% ABV, non-chill-filtered and non-coloured:

“The single malt is wonderfully creamy, sweet and fruity with some notes of vanilla, red berry compote and juicy grapes. Accompanied by a warming oaky spicyness with some fine tannins and wrapped in mild peat smoke.”

The peated malted barley (54ppm) came from Glen Esk south of Aberdeen. It was fermented for more than 70 hours in wooden washbacks and slowly double distilled in 6.000 litre pot stills. The spirit fully matured in red wine casks, first-fill Bourbon barrels and Ruby Port wine casks.

St Kilian’s range is absolutely special. The limited Signature Editions give an idea what modern whisky making is all about. Different malt and yeast varieties, various distillation methods and lots of different casks allow Mario Rudolf further methods of whisky blending by using whiskies which fully matured in different wood. His recipes are an arrangement of flavours which integrate and summerize the various profiles of whiskies which enjoyed full time maturation. Finishings are not liked by head distiller Rudolf.

New Signature Editions TWELVE (mild) and THIRTEEN (peated)

For the Signature Edition TWELVE Master Distiller Mario Rudolf selected ‘mild’ (non-peated) four-year-old single malts which had been matured in first-fill-Moscatel de Setúbal barriques (225l, ), first-fill Jamaican rum barrels and some virgin American white oak casks (190l). The particular vatting of the whiskies was filled in 12.550 bottles at 50,8% ABV. The shape of the bottles resemble the swan neck pot stills of St Kilian.

“Juicy peaches, sweet grapes and creamy vanilla with the impression of ripe pineapple pieces make for a mouth warming melange of spicy oak, notes of grape seed and a pinch of pepper,” Mario Rudolf describes the flavour profile. Signature Edition TWELVE is a delightful, tropical and spicy whisky made in Germany.

The Signature Edition THIRTEEN, on the other hand, is characterized by a rather diverse and unusual composition of five different virgin wood casks.

In the European Union by regulations distillers are allowed to use any kind of wood for whisky maturation. At St Kilian the mastermind Mario Rudolf takes a keen advantage of a wide range of wood types. Today more than 424 cask varieties shape the aroma profiles of St Kilian whiskies.

Signature Edition THIRTEEN is created of whiskies which fully matured either in casks set up by Palatinate oak (225l, 11%), Hungarian oak (225l, 32%) and rather unique woods such as 225 l Barriques of Wild Robinia (also known as ‘false Acacia, 27%), chestnut (225l, 27%) and cherry (95l, 3 %). By the end of 2022 Rudolf selected whiskies which the St Kilian team had distilled in 2016, 2018 and 2019. The malt was peated again by malsters from Glenesk to 54ppm by using peat from St Fergus. The single malt is bottled at 53,9% ABV. Limited to 8.680 bottles only.

“Juicy apricots, red cherries and sweet vanilla cream combine with warming woody notes.

Fine spicy oak, white pepper and a hint of ginger, discreetly wrapped in aromatic peat smoke make for a a full-bodied, colour-intensive and characterful single malt…The latest edition of a St Kilian single malt presents itself as a creamy and spicy melange of dark fruit jam, fine tannins and mouth warming notions of peat smoke with some subtle dry ash notes and hints of cocoa.”

St Kilian Standard Range

Two new core St Kilian single malts will be available in future:

ST KILIAN CLASSIC – Mild & Fruity

and

ST KILIAN PEATED – Rich & Smoky.

Both varieties are blends of single malt whiskies made by St Kilian distillers.

Whisky Creator Mario Rudolf explains his recipe: “70% of my whiskies have fully matured in barrels which held Bourbon beforehand and 30% of them were flavoured by seasoned Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry casks while full time maturation. At St Kilian we do not finish our whiskies.”

The Kilian Classic is “…Balanced sweet and at the same time warming with apricots and peaches, creamy toffee as well as spicy ice cream. Perfectly rounded off with a pinch of white pepper and a hint of fresh mint.”

The mild ST KILIAN CLASSIC impresses with its balanced fruit sweetness, which is perfectly rounded off by spicy oak aromas and some fine herbal notes.

Whereas the latest ST KILIAN PEATED single malt standard convinces with its full-bodied fruity sweetness plus its spiciness along with some very fine peat smoke and fresh mint notions.

The warming peat smoke flavour makes for an interesting profile which has a rich intensity of grilled apricots, creamy toffee and subtle oak spice wrapped in a lingering peat smoke. The peated standard (54ppm) is well balanced and full of character. The sweetness makes it for a lovely daily tipple.

Both versions are bottled at 46% ABV, non-chill-filtered and non-coloured. The iconic St Kilian pot still shaped heavy bottles are of 700ml size. They bear no age statement and they are not chill-filtered and not artificially coloured. The whiskies are of 3 to four years old.

For further information and shop please see

https://www.stkiliandistillers.com

Please see also

Saint Kilian A New Star is Born Part 1

Saint Kilian A New Star is Born Part 2

An Unforgettable Evening with an Iconic Distillery
Ross & Squibb (MGP) Dinner
Featuring Master Distiller Ian Stirsman ($100.00)
Tuesday, February 7th, 2023, 7:30PM-10:00PM
Bar Moruno, Los Angeles

Join us in welcoming Ross & Squibb Distillery’s Master Distiller Ian Stirsman at Bar Moruno in Silver Lake on the evening of Tuesday, February 7th. We’ll sit down with the facility’s first official Master Distiller to discuss this incredibly historic site. Ian knows the facility and its operations like the back of his hand as he is the person piloting Ross & Squibb to take its rightful place as one of the country’s great legacy distillers. This is the perfect opportunity to learn all the behind-the-scenes details that only a Master Distiller can share.

Ross & Squibb (MGP) Dinner with Master Distiller Ian Stirsman ($100.00)
Tuesday, February 7, 2023, 7:30PM-10:00PM
Bar Moruno
3705 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Please pick “Will Call Hollywood” as your shipping option at checkout to avoid additional charges. Our apologies, we’re in the process of applying a software patch to handle this more elegantly. We’ll have your name at the door next week, no tickets will be mailed.

Ian will lead us through a flight of some of the core range of products (Rossville Union & George Remus), as well as the super-rare expressions that have become so elusive. Along with the tasting, you’ll enjoy a family-style meal of Moruno classics—candied olives and almonds, Gildas, Pan con Tomate, marinated feta, Mejadra Rice, and Beef Maruno! Seats are extremely limited so please secure your spot now.

*PLEASE NOTE: K&L is marketing this event on behalf of Bar Moruno, who receives all revenue from ticket sales.

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

The Macallan Reveals Distil Your World New York Single Cask Edition For Charity Auction

Sotheby’s to auction one of the two Distil Your World New York Single Cask Edition bottles, with proceeds to benefit ChaShaMa, a non-profit arts organization based in New York City.

On January 30th, The Macallan in partnership with Sotheby’s unveiled Distil Your World New York Single Cask Edition for auction, a limited edition bottle from The Macallan’s recent release of Distil Your World New York, a whisky that captures the essence of one of the most iconic cities in the world.

Estimated at $30,000 – $80,000, the extraordinary multi-component lot includes the Distil Your World New York Single Cask Edition bottle housed in a striking blue presentation box featuring an engraved aerial map of New York, a booklet about the bottle and Distil Your World New York series that is signed by the talent featured in the Distil Your World New York documentary that aired with the release of the original bottle, and a dining experience at El Celler de Can Roca for the lucky collector and three guests. Bidding for the sale began on Monday, January 30th and ends on Friday, February 10th.

An exceptionally rare and special whisky, this Distil Your World New York Single Cask Edition single malt has been created to take consumers on a sensorial journey through one of the world’s most iconic cities. In collaboration with the Roca brothers, owners of El Celler de Can Roca, The Macallan explored the mastery behind the city and created an innovative whisky that embodies and celebrates New York as a dynamic metropolis of art, creativity and visionary talent.

Distil Your World New York Single Cask Edition is a single cask whisky from a European Oak Sherry Puncheon from 2002. This limited edition bottle delivers a quintessential New York flavor note of chocolate covered peanuts, along with a new taste of sweet candy and a hint of cherry blossom. A rare chocolate flavor which has been uncovered from a single cask, each sip takes taste buds and imagination on a journey of discovery, bringing the unique character of the city to life.

The auction offers collectors the only, rare opportunity to acquire one of two bottles created of this limited edition whisky, as the second bottle will be kept in The Macallan archive.

Geoff Kirk, Channel Director Secondary Market at The Macallan remarked “We are delighted to continue our long association of partnering with Sotheby’s to present very special releases that raise funds for charitable organizations around the world. The Macallan Distil Your World New York Single Cask Edition bottle pays homage to one of the world’s most iconic cities, with proceeds benefiting New York City artists through the ChaShaMa charity. This unique auction, of one of two bottles created and an exclusive dinner with the Roca brothers at their world-renowned restaurant, will appeal to whisky enthusiasts, collectors, and philanthropists alike.”

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Head of Whisky & Spirits, North America and EMEA, said “It is always a huge event in the world of collectible whisky when Sotheby’s partners with The Macallan to release an exclusive whisky. Owning a unique bottle is the ultimate goal for whisky collectors, and this is the only opportunity for the world’s most dedicated collector to obtain an elevated single-cask, high strength version of the venerable Distil Your World New York.”

The Macallan has a longstanding history celebrating artistry and supporting the arts. In that spirit, all proceeds from the sale will benefit ChaShaMa, a non-profit arts organization based in New York City that nurtures artists by transforming unused real estate into affordable work and presentation spaces. Support from The Macallan will benefit small businesses, underserved NYC communities, and the arts in NYC.

To view The Distil Your World New York Single Cask Edition auction, please click HERE. To learn more about The Macallan visit TheMacallan.com.

Whisky Maker’s Notes:

The Macallan Distil Your World New York Single Cask Edition:

Color: Maple

Nose: Peanut brittle, candy, sweet oak and poached pear, with a hint of cherry blossom

Palate: Chocolate covered peanuts with syrup sponge, raisins, sweet oak and lemon peel

Finish: Medium sweet with peanut and oak

ABV: 55%

About The Macallan 

Founded in 1824 on a plateau above the River Spey in north-east Scotland, The Macallan is renowned globally for its incomparable craftsmanship, creativity and innovation with each bottle of single malt whisky revealing its unique mastery of wood and spirit.

Social and environmental sustainability is at the heart of The Macallan, and as part of its commitment to establishing a positive legacy it revealed its award-winning new Distillery in 2018. Designed by internationally acclaimed architects, the building takes inspiration from the surrounding ancient Scottish hills and is located on The Macallan’s beautiful 485-acre Estate. To this day, the single greatest influence on The Macallan’s sought after portfolio of single malts is its sherry seasoned oak casks from which its whiskies derive their distinctive flavours, aromas and natural colour.

Crafted without compromise. Please savour The Macallan responsibly.

About Sotheby’s

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access to and ownership of exceptional art and luxury objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 70 categories which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Design, as well as collectible cars and real estate. Sotheby’s believes in the transformative power of art and culture and is committed to making our industries more inclusive, sustainable and collaborative.

Sotheby’s Wine’s annual worldwide auction sales of wine and spirits achieved a record total of $150 million in 2022, a 14% increase from 2021. Sotheby’s currently holds the world records for any whisky collection ever sold at auction, any private wine collection ever sold at auction, the most valuable bottle of wine ever sold at auction and the most valuable bottle of spirits ever sold at auction, in addition to the highest ever total for a charity wine auction.

About ChaShaMa

Chashama is a nonprofit organization that transforms unused real estate into spaces for artists, small businesses, and community-centric art classes. Since 1995, Chashama has provided 30,000 artists with space to create, rehearse, and present their work. By transforming unused space, Chashama creates a more equitable, vibrant future for local artists, the neighborhood, and the property owners. Learn more at www.chashama.org.