https://youtu.be/ILZtY7Z52_0

Harris ~ The Hearach, 46%

Another whisky with a much anticipated release is now here, The Hearach from The Isle of Harris.

A Hearach is a native of Harris, an island that hasn’t seen a legally distilled whisky since the mid-1800s, and here we are complaining about having to wait a couple of years. Made famous by their gin, for good reason too, the new single malt release sits in as stunning a bottle with a very detailed and methodical approach to its transparency and its story of Harris and its Hearachs.

Matured in bourbon, sherry, and fino sherry casks, peated between 12-14ppm, with no added colour and non-chill filtered, it’s everything we could ever want, right Well, during that wait, there have been some rather good releases of whisky, but, and it’s important, this whisky is about more than taste, initially anyway, it’s about progress.

THE DALMORE PRESENTS THE VINTAGES COLLECTION 2023

The Dalmore announce two Limited-Editions – Vintage 2005 and Vintage 2008

The third release from the annual Limited-Edition Vintage Collection

The Dalmore Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has unveiled two new Limited-Editions – The Dalmore Vintage 2005 and The Dalmore Vintage 2008 – which form the third release from the distiller’s prestigious Vintage Collection.

The Dalmore Vintage Collection, created by innovative Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass and Master Distiller Richard Paterson OBE, offers exceptional whiskies of distinguished character.  The whiskies selected to form The Dalmore Vintage Collection are ultimately dictated by the casks themselves and the way they choose to shine during the annual cask inspection week, in a tradition which dates back over fifty years.

Each November, The Dalmore whisky makers spend countless hours in their historic warehouses on the banks of the Cromarty Firth, reacquainting themselves with their rare casks that have been quietly, patiently maturing. November is the optimum time for this process to take place, with the casks at rest in the cooler temperatures after the warm summer months, and their flavours alive and true.

Only the most exceptional casks, which display the finest qualities of The Dalmore and its signature style during this time, are hand-picked to become a ‘Vintage’. For the 2023 Vintage Collection, The Dalmore’s unmistakable chocolate and orange profile is showcased. The 15 Year Old, Vintage 2008 offers milk chocolate and mandarin, while the 18 Year Old, Vintage 2005 presents dark chocolate and Seville orange.

The Dalmore Vintage 2008 provides aromas of milk chocolate, caramel, mandarin, and cracked black pepper. To taste, manuka honey, sweet cacao, poached apples, and golden sultanas. To finish, expect to enjoy vanilla cream, chocolate brioche, Navelina orange, and a light cinnamon warmth. This expression has been matured in American white oak ex-Bourbon casks and enhanced by hand-selected Matusalem Sherry and Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks, with an ABV of 45.8%, natural colour, and non-chill filtered.

The Dalmore Vintage 2005 offers aromas of dark chocolate, salted caramel, antique leather, and rich orange citrus. To taste, expect rich cacao, blood orange, dark fruits, marzipan, and moist ginger cake. To finish, Madagascan vanilla with Seville orange, a rich nuttiness and long, dry chocolate complexities. This expression has been matured in American white oak ex-Bourbon casks and enhanced by hand-selected Matusalem Sherry and Vintage 2005 Sherry casks, with an ABV of 49.3%, natural colour, and non-chill filtered.

Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass comments: “The annual cask inspection which ultimately leads to the creation of each years Vintage Collection is a true highlight of working on The Dalmore. We can never know what time and nature has given to these whiskies, until we take stock each November and see what magic has unfolded in the year. Richard and I select casks which we feel contain whiskies that exemplify The Dalmore’s quality and style, with the best of the best, becoming our Limited-Edition Vintages.

“For 2023, we are pleased to present two whiskies which, at different ages, showcase nuances of The Dalmore’s signature notes – chocolate, orange, and subtle spice. Vintage 2008 reveals naturally balanced shades and interplays of sweet cacao, fresh citrus and soft spices, and is a beautiful example of refined elegance from The Dalmore, captured at a moment in time. Vintage 2005 has quintessential dark chocolate notes which intertwine with rich citrus offering a flavour experience to be remembered and savoured.”

The Dalmore 2008 Vintage ($225) and The Dalmore 2005 Vintage ($490) will be available from November at select outlets worldwide.

Facebook:           @thedalmore

Instagram:           @thedalmore

Twitter: @DalmoreWhisky

About The Dalmore

Founded in 1839 on the banks of the Cromarty Firth in the Scottish Highlands, the Dalmore has been making masterpieces of whisky for over 180 years.

The 12-point silver stag which proudly adorns each bottle was bestowed upon the first chieftain of Clan Mackenzie in 1263 by King Alexander III of Scotland. The stag became the whisky’s emblem when descendants of the clan took over the distillery in 1878.

The Dalmore distillery’s collection of idiosyncratic stills creates a New Make spirit of unique character and depth – robust and fruity, particularly well-suited to longer and more complex maturation. This allows renowned Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass and his team to develop spirit over longer periods, continuing a tradition of visionary whisky-making as they fully express their art using rare casks from some of the world’s finest wineries and bodegas.

Diageo agrees sale of Windsor Global to PT W Co., Ltd.

27 October 2023, Seoul, South Korea – Diageo has today signed and completed the sale of Windsor Global (“WG”), a subsidiary of Diageo which owns the Windsor business and associated intellectual property, to PT W Co., Ltd., a Korean company sponsored by Pine Tree Investment & Management Co., Ltd., South Korea’s leading alternative investment firm.

The transaction includes the sale of 100% of the shares of WG from Diageo Atlantic B.V. (“DABV”) to PT W Co., Ltd.

John O’Keeffe, President, Asia Pacific, Global Travel and India for Diageo said: “This transaction reflects Diageo’s disciplined approach to capital allocation and further highlights our continued track-record of active portfolio management. We remain fully committed to Korea and our international spirits and beer business. Our position in the market remains strong as premiumisation trends persist and consumer interest in categories like international whisky continues to grow.”

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

Invergordon 50 Year Old 1972 Clan MacBean Apollo 12

Invergordon 50 Years 1972 ~ Pilot Alan Bean flew to the Moon on board Apollo 12. In tribute to his Scottish ancestry, the astronaut carried a swatch of Clean MacBean tartan with him on the mission. What better way to celebrate this remarkable story than by raising a vintage dram… and what a cask we have found! Distilled at Invergordon Highland distillery in December 1972, half a century later yielding just 128 bottles. Each bottle includes a specially commission Launch Pad made using ex-Scotch whisky casks.

BUY NOW – £395 / $401* / c$555* / €379*

COURAGE & CONVICTION HITS THE ICE

To kickoff hockey season, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve teamed up with the NHL’s Washington Capitals! 🏒🥃 It’s an honor for Courage & Conviction to be the official “hometown whisky” for this season. To celebrate, we’ve launched a limited-edition gift set that’s as unique and thrilling as the game itself, including two puck-shaped whisky stones and a collector glass. This is a testament to how our world of whisky can perfectly align with the world of sports! Order your limited-edition gift set now before the buzzer sounds, available nationwide.

ORDER NOW

 Virginia Distillery Company
299 Eades Ln
Lovingston, VA 22949-2325

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 507: Kentucky Owl Takumi Edition

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries a special American whiskey. A limited edition from Kentucky Owl, blended by a Japanese Master Blender… That’s unique to say the least. And lo and behold, the bourbon is quite kaizen indeed… Shot on top of the Mont Saint Michel in France. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/4maEvM592Oo

The Glencairn Glass crime short story competition is back

The world’s favourite whisky glass – the Glencairn Glass – is once again delving into the dark side of crime fiction with the launch of its popular annual crime short story competition.

This year in partnership again with the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival and Scottish Field Magazine, the competition offers the winning writer a prize of £1,000 and their story published in Scottish Field and online.

Over the last two years the competition has attracted hundreds of entries from both experienced and novice crime writers internationally. Writers from around the world are invited to compose their stories, in less than 2000 words, on the theme: “A crime set in Scotland” – the competition closes on 31^st December 2023.

In addition to the £1,000 prize, the winner will also see their story published in Scottish Field Magazine in the spring. The runner up will receive a cash prize of £500. Both stories will be published online on the Scottish Field website, as well as on the Glencairn Glass website (whiskyglass.com).

The Glencairn Glass is no stranger to the ‘dram-atic’ world of Scottish crime fiction. The Scottish family business Glencairn Crystal has celebrated and supported the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival since 2020 with its Glencairn Glass sponsorship of the McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year and the Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year awards. Earlier this year a new three-year deal was agreed to secure the company’s commitment and sponsorship until the end of 2025. 

The judges

This year’s Glencairn Glass short story competition judging panel includes Callum McSorley, a Glasgow based writer whose debut novel Squeaky Clean won this year’s Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year. He is joined by Kate Foster the Edinburgh based national newspaper journalist and author, whose debut novel The Maiden won this year’s Bloody Scotland’s Debut Prize and has become a Times and Waterstones bestseller.

Glencairn Crystal’s marketing director Gordon Brown, who is also one of the founding directors of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival, is the third judge. Gordon, who is also a crime writer, has had eleven crime and thriller books published to date.

Gordon commented: ‘We are delighted to set out on the search for a great Scottish set crime short story once more. The Glencairn Glass’s sponsorship of the crime writing prizes at Bloody Scotland and its success globally, makes it the perfect glass to toast all those writers that are about to sit down to pen a classic crime short story.’

Previous winners

Last year’s short story competition was won by Frances Crawford from Glasgow, whose captivating tale The Dummy Railway told the story of a disturbing discovery through the eyes of a young Scottish girl. Frances graduated last year, at the age of 60, with an MLitt (First) in Creative Writing from Glasgow University and says that winning the competition has opened many doors for her.

Frances commented: “What attracted me to the Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition was the fact that it is so inclusive and open to everyone, whether absolute beginner or published author. Since winning, I developed The Dummy Railway as a full-length novel, with very promising agent interest. It was an honour to win such a prestigious prize. I would encourage crime writers at all stages of their writing path to enter”.

The winner of the first Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition in 2021 was Brid Cummings, a fiction writer and occupational therapist in South Australia. Her story Halmeoni’s Wisdom was a dark tale of human trafficking, illegal trade and a desire for freedom. Winning the competition gave Brid the confidence and encouragement to complete her psychological suspense novel and she has recently been signed up by a UK literary agency.

How to enter

All short story entries must be submitted at www.whiskyglass.com/crime-short-story-competition. The competition closes at midnight on Sunday 31st December 2023. The winner and runner up will be announced in March 2023.

Bloody Scotland’s Festival Director, Bob McDevitt, said: “Bloody Scotland has always been dedicated to supporting and discovering new writing and this short story competition provides a great opportunity for writers to flex their creative muscles and explore the broad church of crime writing.”

The winner and runner up will also receive a set of six bespoke engraved Glencairn Glasses.

For further details about the competition rules and regulations please visit:

www.whiskyglass.com/crime-short-story-competition

For further information about the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival please contact fiona@brownleedonald.com

About the Glencairn Glass:

The Glencairn Glass for whisky was created in 2000 by Glencairn Crystal, and over 6 million glasses are now sold each year across the world.

October 2023 Auction ENDS TONIGHT

 October 2023 Auction ends – 06.11.23

Featuring almost 9,000 rare whiskies and fine spirits, this is a unique opportunity to bid on some of the world’s most sought-after bottles. From a beautiful collection of old and rare Talisker, to a great selection of 1980s and 90s Van Winkles including Lot H and Lot B, and an array of beautiful 1960s Islay G&M Celtic Label releases, there is something for all.

Aurora Spirit – Bivrost ‘Alfheim’: Whisky Auctioneer is delighted to once again partner with Aurora Spirit to auction the penultimate eighth release in their collectible Bivrost series, celebrating the the nine worlds of Norse mythology. Bottles #1-20 of Alfheim are available now in our live auction, read more about the Bivrost series here.

Islay G&M Celtic Label Collection

Iconic Van Winkle

1960s Single Malt Scotch

Mortlach 1939 Gordon and MacPhail 75 Year Old Generations

Auora Spirit Bvirost Alfheim – Bottles No.1-20

Take part in the world’s most historic whisky auction.

Blair Castle c.1833 // November 24 – December 4

There is less than a month to go until Whisky Auctioneer hosts a historic auction of what is believed to be the oldest Scotch whisky in existence. Read our latest article as we explore Perthshire’s Connection to Whisky throughout history to present day.

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