Our spectacular selection of festive one-of-a-kind bottlings has arrived. Available to buy from 9am on Friday 1 December, our December Outturn is bursting with Christmas joy with a range of bottlings that have something for everyone.

Read the Outturn to find out more on all new bottlings coming later this month. Or, embrace the festive feeling and dive straight in to browse your perfect seasonal spirit.

READ THE OUTTURN

VIEW THE 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

Cotswolds ‘The Alice’ Single (Calvados) Cask

‘The Alice’ Single (Calvados) Cask, named after our Distillery Manager, because this is her favourite cask. A beautiful honeyed whisky full of zesty citrus and orchard fruit. Made with 100% locally grown barley from the Cotswolds, this limited edition single malt whisky was matured full-term in a single (first-fill ex-Calvados) cask. Filled on the 10th of September 2016 and bottled on-site.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Warm stewed apples with star anise
Palette: Brown sugar, dark chocolate and toasted almonds
Finish: Light and fruity with lingering apple notes

‘The Alice’ Single (Calvados) Cask ABV: 54% | RRP £125 for a bottle.

Available exclusively to purchase online and in-stores.

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From Alice, our Distillery Manager

“The Calvados casks in our inventory have always been a favourite of mine. The light apple flavour and subtle, sweet wood are the perfect pairing for our equally light and fruity spirit. It displays the distillery character that the team and I work so hard for. This cask in particular strikes what I think is the perfect balance between these two elements. Whilst also celebrating the versatility of our spirit in a cask type beyond what you typically see in our core whisky range.”

From Calvados to the Cotswolds

This launch brought back memories of a journey that took place back in 2016. Our founder, Dan, and our Production Director, Nick, ventured to Normandy, France, where they hand-picked Calvados casks. Dan’s affection for the region and its famous apple brandy, Calvados, dates back to his weekends in Pays d’Auge. Over the years, he even crafted ‘Cotswolvados’ batches our distillery using local apple cider.

Obtaining Calvados casks is no easy task. They were once forbidden in Scotland for whisky aging, and Calvados distillers tend to hold onto them for generations. So, in 2016, Dan and Nick took matters into their own hands.

They rented a truck, boarded an overnight ferry to Le Havre, and began their adventure. Their journey led them to renowned distilleries like Christian Drouin, where they secured beautiful oak barrels that had matured Calvados for years. They also visited Tonnellerie du Pays D’Auge, acquiring a variety of barrels. The last stop was Domaine de Semainville, known for making exceptional Calvados the traditional way. They purchased barrels from Emmanuel Camut, including some of the oldest and largest ones.

Upon returning, the truck was filled to the brim with these treasured casks, which were promptly filled with our new-make whisky. The result? An absolutely unique bottling, marrying our full-flavoured single malt spirit with the rich flavours of dark chocolate and apples.

KILKERRAN HEAVILY PEATED – BATCH 9
RRP £50-52

Nose
Notes of freshly baked shortbread, cream soda, banana loaf and coconut shavings introduce this heavily peated dram.

Palate
The creamy, vanilla notes carry through to the palate in notes of buttered digestive biscuits and custard creams.

Finish
The peat is prominent in the finish, along with hints of gooseberries to round off this dram.

LIMITED DISTILLERY RELEASE

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 509: Armorik Maitre de Chai 2023

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries a French single malt. Mark recently visited the Distillerie Warenghem in Lannion, which is in Brittany, France. After a great tour of both the distillery and the nearby cooperage they work with, he tasted their 2023 Maitre de Chai edition. And it was delicious!

Legendary Kentucky Distiller, J. Mattingly 1845, Offers Personalized Bourbon Bottles Just in Time for the Holidays 

Online or In-Person Custom Bottlings Allow Everyone to play Santa Claus

FRANKFORT, KY (Nov. 20, 2023) –  Since its formal inception in 1845, the name Mattingly has been associated with both world-class-bourbon-making and innovation.  With at least nine known distilleries operated since its earliest days, and owning possibly the first registered distillery in Kentucky according to historical records, the Mattingly family has found new and unique ways to bring its handcrafted bourbon batches to its guests and customers.  John Graves Mattingly (1823 – 1910) was responsible for perfecting the now famous column still used by the greatest bourbon producers in the world to provide a more continuous process to satisfy the growing demand of his customers.  Now, Jeff Mattingly, a sixth-generation descendant of John Graves, has created and perfected the first-of-its-kind custom bourbon blending process at his new distillery in Frankfort, KY that allows guests to not only blend their personal bottle from multiple “Double-Staved” proprietary barrels selected by the Mattingly team of blenders, but also choose their bottle, label, closure (including wax colors of red, green silver or gold) and their own personal name for their creation.

Now, J. Mattingly 1845 is taking its latest innovation to another level by providing its custom bourbon bottles to its customers across the country through the online J. Mattingly 1845 Holiday Custom Bourbon Experience.  The J. Mattingly 1845 blending team has been selecting hundreds of barrels of Kentucky Bourbon and Rye Whiskey to create blends for customized bottles for this holiday season to give as gifts or just to enjoy this world-class, Double-Staved Bourbon. “We are thrilled to get to watch and interact daily with our thousands of guests who come to the distillery to create their own custom blend and bottle of J. Mattingly 1845,” said Andrew Varga, managing partner for J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery.  “This holiday season we are equally excited to expand the experience online to provide our customers around the country the ability to enjoy these custom bottles for themselves or as gifts for their loved ones.”  

The digital J. Mattingly 1845 Holiday Custom Bourbon Experience launched online at the jmattingly1845.com website today, and all orders placed by Dec. 8 will arrive by Dec. 24 (shipping exclusions apply for some U.S. states). Orders placed after Dec. 8 will be filled and shipped out as soon as possible but not guaranteed prior to December 24.  An option to have a gift box and branded card will be offered to ensure a memento can be wrapped for gift giving. “Whether you’re able to visit us in person in Frankfort to blend your own custom bottle or order it online using our pre-selected mash bills, the J. Mattingly elves will craft your personalized whiskey, allowing you to choose ‘one hell of a pick’ for yourself or for your friends, family or business associates this holiday season,” said Harry Richart, president of J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery.

The J. Mattingly Holiday Custom Bourbon Experience is available online Nov. 20 through Dec. 8 and in person at the Distillery in Frankfort through Dec. 23 (reservations are requested for the in-person experience).  Gift cards are available for the in-person and online experience.  Prices for the custom bottles start at $155 for a 750 mL bottle.

About J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery

The Mattingly family has been synonymous with distilling in Kentucky for more than two centuries, having a hand in the development of at least nine separate distilleries in the Commonwealth, and with connections to some of the most illustrious names in the distilling industry, including George Garvin Brown, the Willetts and the Samuels.

It all started in 1845, with John Graves Mattingly’s first distillery in Marion County, Kentucky, Registered Distillery #2.  Many historians today believe his distillery was the first registered distillery in Kentucky.

In 2010 Jeff Mattingly took up the family mantle and started his own craft bourbon business.  Today, Jeff’s son Cameron has joined the team as Vice President of Production, continuing the legacy into the latest generation for J. Mattingly Distillery 1845 in Frankfort, Kentucky. For more information about J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery visit www.JMattingly1845.com.

Win the Holidays with Laphroaig
Thrilling selections for any fan of Islay’s iconic malt…

There’s perhaps no single malt more emblematic of Islay than Laphroaig. When it comes to time to treat the Scotch lover in your life (or yourself) with a holiday winner, we’ve got several selections to fit the bill. From K&L Exclusive Cask bottlings by Old Particular and Redacted Bros. to the distillery’s own limited-edition Cairdeas and Ian Hunter Book releases, there’s nothing like Laphroaig to make a big impression.

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

Upcoming Events

January seems a long time away at the moment but we will be attending the Victoria Whisky Festival and will be putting on a masterclass showcasing our 10 Year Old and our 12 Year Old as well as a chance to compare our different Evans Family Releases, including the yet to be released Oloroso Sherry Finish. We’ll also be partnering with Clives Classic Lounge to put on a paired whisky dinner. Keep an eye on the relevant websites for ticket details.

Wishing you all the best and drink responsibly as we enter the festive season.
 
Chris

THE MACALLAN A NIGHT ON EARTH THE JOURNEY

The Macallan A Night On Earth The Journey

The second release in A Night On Earth series, The Journey has been crafted in collaboration with acclaimed Chinese artist Nini Sum.

Guarantee your bottle before it is released.  Pre-Order today and have it delivered direct to you from next week!

£105.00

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Free Next Day Delivery for 12 Months For just £14.95 you can enjoy free next day delivery on all your orders for a whole year! Geographic restrictions apply, see full T&Cs. Find out more ❯

LONGROW 21 YEARS 46% 
RRP £260 – £270

Nose
There is a savoury note in the introduction to this dram, along with hints of hazelnut and blackcurrants.

Palate
Syrupy sweet yet delicate on the palate, there are notes of fizzy cola bottles and cigar box smoke.

Finish
A characteristically Longrow finish reminiscent of shingle beaches, flint and seaweed.

DISTILLERY LIMITED RELEASE

https://youtu.be/edMMFqklcEw

Bruichladdich.

That distillery name conjures up many an opinion on their many distillates. But now we get to focus on one that doesn’t get so much attention, Rhinns.

Rhinns is the level below Port Charlotte, but just above the standard distillate regarding PPM. This, along with Lochindaal (baby Octomore), are rarely sold in the public facing sectore, they’re typically reserved for private cask purchases, which makes them all that more elusive to the ‘must try all’ whisky drinkers that we are.

Matured in a Yulumba Viognier cask, this has all of those fun notes from Laddie, but with a little more flourish around the edges.