Strathisla 1987 33YO Connoisseurs Choice Cask #3053 56.8%

Sweet apple aromas complement fresh honey and lime zest. Tropical fruit flavours give way to cracked black pepper and roasted peanuts leading to a delicate finish of brown sugar and soft fruits.

£755.00 >

This release is from the Strathisla Distillery. Coming in the ‘Cask Strength’ range of Connoisseurs Choice.

Distilled: 1987
Bottled: 13th October 2020
Batch number: 20/056
Cask Type: Refill American Hogshead
Cask No: 3053
Aged for 33 Years
One of only 174 bottles

From Strathisla Distillery, bottled by Gordon & MacPhail

TyndrumWhisky.com
The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom

Whisky Magazine issue #197
Get your hands on our latest issue!

Our cover stars for this issue are Billy Leighton and Dave McCabe. In a changing of the guard at Irish Distillers, veteran master blender Leighton is handing the reins over to his protégé McCabe after 47 years with the company – but this duo have more in common than a job title.

Make sure you don’t miss out!
Buy your copy of Whisky Magazine today.

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Uncover the origins of the Tasting Panel, an essential part of the Society since its beginnings in Pip Hills’s Edinburgh kitchen. In the 1980s, they created a language for describing single cask, single malt whisky that challenged conventions in the whisky world.

Jump to our February Outturn – the Tasting Panel remains crucial. Explore our curated selection of bottlings and treat yourself to an extraordinary experience. Click through NOW to bring the magic of these drams into your life!

READ NEW OUTTURN

VIEW ALL BOTTLES

Unfiltered editor Richard Goslan and Calum Lawson from the Society’s Whisky Team sit down to unravel the critical role of the Tasting Panel, revealing the meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail that sets the Society’s high-quality standards. Get ready for a lively chat filled with anecdotes as they take you through the most exciting bottles from the February Outturn.

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

Bladnoch whiskies for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is an occasion to celebrate love, and whether that’s romance, friendship or self-love, the 14^th of February warrants a special dram. Scotland’s southernmost distillery, Bladnoch, has curated a list of recommended whiskies to enjoy with those who mean the most to us.

Bladnoch presents its core age statement range, an 11, 14 and 19-year-old, as well as its oldest limited-edition expression, a 30-year-old, as fitting expressions to pour for the day of love. Each whisky was expertly handcrafted through intricate cask selection by Master Distiller, Dr Nick Savage. All four whiskies are natural in colour and non-chill filtered, to be loved just the way they are.

Bladnoch 11 Year Old

70cl, ABV 46.7%, £75

An 11-year-old single malt matured exclusively in ex-bourbon casks. Each cask used to create this expression was hand selected by Bladnoch’s Master Distiller, Dr Nick Savage, to bring together this refreshing and sweet expression. Whether you are celebrating 11 years with your partner, or your partner is just as unique as an 11-year-old whisky – this expression would make the perfect gift for your other half.

Available at www.bladnoch.com, Amazon and specialist whisky retailers. 

Bladnoch 14 Year Old

70cl, ABV 46.7%, £110

A befittingly aged whisky to celebrate the 14^th of February. Released in 2023, exclusively aged in oloroso sherry casks. Master Distiller, Dr Nick Savage, carefully curated this rich flavour profile which shows notes of fruit cake, dark chocolate and subtle sweet cinnamon. Non chill filtered and natural in colour, enjoy Bladnoch 14 Year Old on the day of love.

Available at www.bladnoch.com, Amazon and specialist whisky retailers.

Bladnoch 19 Year Old

70cl, ABV 46.7%, £190

Bladnoch 19 Year Old is the first Pedro Ximenez, sherry cask expression to be released by Bladnoch. The flavourful casks have imparted delectable notes of dark liquorice sticks, dried fruit and warming nutmeg. A golden-hued whisky, Bladnoch 19 Year Old is a truly exceptional expression to be enjoyed on special occasions. Say you love them with Bladnoch 19 Year Old.

Available at www.bladnoch.com, Amazon and specialist whisky retailers.

Bladnoch 30 Year Old

70cl, ABV 45.5%, £1200

Matured in two exceptional and rare cask types: Oloroso Sherry and Moscatel, Bladnoch 30 Year Old, is the oldest release from Bladnoch to date. This single malt carries aromas of dried fruits, warm nutmeg and light floral notes. On the palate you can expect a rich almond, marzipan like flavour paired with Seville oranges. The finish will surprise you with a light and fruity end, with a hint of cracked black pepper. Limited to just 950 bottles worldwide and to one bottle purchase per person. Show your partner they’re the one with Bladnoch 30 Year Old.

Available at www.bladnoch.com. and specialist whisky retailers.

Notes 

Tasting notes

Bladnoch 11 Year Old

Colour: Lemon grind.

Nose: Delicate floral with notes of honey, refreshing citrus and cut grass.

Palate: Floral Parma Violets with fresh cut apples and hints of wood spice.

Finish: Sweet mouth coating leading to a refreshing finish. 

Bladnoch 14 Year Old

Colour: Bronze sunset.

Nose: Wood spices, rich raisins and sultanas with a hint of orange peel and chocolate.

Palate: Raisins, dried fruits, rich fruit cake with sweet cinnamon and chocolate.

Finish: Rich and long with slight dryness. 

Bladnoch 19 Year Old

Colour: Dark sunset.

Nose: Dark liquorice sticks and aged oak with a floral background.

Palate: Liquorice sticks with dried apricots, almonds and nutmeg.

Finish: Long with a dry sweetness.

Bladnoch 30 Year Old

Colour: Copper.

Nose: Dried apricots, floral, nutmeg and Seville oranges.

Palate: Almonds and marzipan with Seville oranges.

Finish: Light, floral and fruity with a crack of black pepper.  

About Bladnoch Distillery

Bladnoch Distillery was established in 1817, making it the oldest privately owned Scotch whisky distillery in the world. As the southernmost distillery in Scotland, Bladnoch is commonly referred to as the ‘Queen of the Lowlands.’

Hand-crafted using malt from British growers and the pristine water from the River Bladnoch which flows alongside the distillery, Bladnoch single malts are non-chill filtered to ensure the truest flavours shine through.

This legacy brand has been revived in recent years by Master Distiller, Dr Nick Savage, formerly of The Macallan, and owner David Prior, who purchased Bladnoch Distillery in 2015 and is the first Australian businessman to own a Scotch whisky distillery.

The team at Bladnoch is truly passionate about the preservation of the environment and the local community’s generational involvement in this iconic distillery.

Whisky Auctioneer Live Auction
January 2024 Auction Ends – 05.02.24
ENDS TONIGHT: January Auction

A warm welcome to our January auction. Featuring over 7,000 rare whiskies and fine spirits, this is a unique opportunity to bid on some of the world’s most sought-after bottles.

Sensational Springbank collection: Whisky Auctioneer is delighted to bring an exceptional collection of Springbank to auction this month, featuring hundreds of old & rare expressions. This is a chance to discover legendary official releases, iconic Italian independent bottlings, and a selection of true rarities available for the first time at Whisky Auctioneer.

Discover further auction highlights below and happy bidding!

Browse our live auction.

Dalmore Collection

Macallan 16 Year Old early 1980s / I.H. Baker

Springbank Collection

Glenfiddich Celebration 1995 / McCann-Erickson 25th Anniversary

Springbank Italian Independents

Highlights from Samaroli, Moon Import, A. Sutti, and Velier all feature this month. Read our feature article that delves into the story of Italy’s pioneering bottlers and shines a light on some January auction highlights: When Italy and Campbeltown Meet.

Balblair 1990 29YO Connoisseurs Choice Cask #4166 58.4%

Soft cinnamon spice leads to stewed plum and delicate sherbet aromas. Initial toasted malt flavours give way to light fruitcake with a hint of cashew nut. Traces of aniseed and dried ginger linger on the finish.

£595.00 >

This release is from Balblair Distillery. Coming in the ‘Cask Strength’ range of Connoisseurs Choice.

Distilled: 1990
Bottled: 4th February 2020
Batch number: 20/017
Cask number: 4166
Cask Type: Refill Sherry Butt
Aged for 29 Years
One of only 469 bottles
Bottled by Gordon & MacPhail

TyndrumWhisky.com
The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom

Holyrood Distillery Arrival — The Unbottling With Calum Rae

After an action-packed and incredibly delicious Victoria Whisky Festival, we keep the whisky train rolling with this wonderful single malt that made its BC debut at the festival. Calum Rae (along with the Rob & Kelly Carpenter) joins Adam Bradshaw in the studio to chat about all things Holyrood, explain the concept behind the Arrival Single Malt, and even give a sneak preview of the future. Don’t forget to join The Dram Association for free to save 10% on this bottle while it’s being featured, as well as to have the opportunity to come down to The Strath and try it for just $5.

Buy a bottle right now online here 

Where did the week go? The pace of life here is supposed to be slow but it feels like the last seven days have simply blown by.

It must be all the storm-force winds speeding the hands of Harris time along…

We’re at that time of year where the long winter is wearing thin. There’s always something special about this season when the dark nights begin to draw in, it’s a chance to light fires, pour drams, and enjoy the elemental nature of this island at its most raw.

But, as the months roll on, the endless wild weather begins to take its toll and most of us are yearning for those longer days and the light they bring.

So, safe to say we’re looking forward to spring with its sense of new life and renewal as we look out of our windows at all this rain.

One sure sign of change is the reopening of our distillery doors to the public for the first time this year…

Sandra and her team will be warmly welcoming visitors from the 5th of February, with the Shop open from 10am – 5pm from Monday to Friday.

They’re also holding a daily behind-the-scenes tour each day at 12pm and the online booking diary is now live if you’d like to secure your place over the next two months.

And, if you can’t be with us here in Harris, rest assured we’ll stay connected with you through this weekly Journal and our wider social media stories.

We have lots of exciting things to share with you this year, from whisky yarns to tales of people and place…

More on all this very soon, meantime enjoy all the latest news from our island below and be sure to stay well-stocked with our island spirits as we go!

Le gach deagh dhùrachd,

Mike Donald, Chief Storyteller

VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE

Our whisky is a Harris whisky, and we do not seek to emulate other drams or regions.

The elegant flavours of our whisky will be perceived differently by different people as they allow the complex character of our dram to unfold in their glass over time.

So, we won’t issue any ‘official’ tasting notes and instead encourage folk to explore the scents and sensory experience of The Hearach single malt from a more personal point of view.

Instead, each batch will come with some simple words written by someone from our local community as they enjoy a glass and delve a little deeper into their island memories and imagination, to help things along.

We’d also love to hear you own thoughts and memories evoked while enjoying your dram of The Hearach. 

Email us with your own tasting notes via the button below

SHARE YOUR TASTING NOTES

If the interminable wind and rain is getting you down, fear not, for our 152nd auction is now live and offering you the opportunity to drive away those winter blues with the help of old John Barleycorn!

We have a fantastic selection of bottles to choose from this month, with some rarely seen SMWS bottlings a particular highlight.  So, without further ado here are a few fine bottles to ease you into this month’s auction.

Macallan 52 Year Old 2018 Release

Let’s start things off with a superlative expression, the Macallan 52 Year Old 2018 Release.  An undoubtedly special Macallan this expression was released in 2018 and was described by the distillery as an “outstanding example of how perfect harmony can be created through the mastery of wood and spirit”. Hand-signed by Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess this is a rare and exclusive bottling of unmatched quality.

SMWS 116.1 Yoichi 1986 16 Year Old

As previously stated we have a lot of really interesting SMWS bottlings in this month, and the most prized is often the first bottling from a new distillery much like this SMWS 116.1 Yoichi 1986 16 Year Old.  This 16 year old cask strength dram comes from the Japanese distillery Yoichi, and weighs in at a mightily impressive 56.6% ABV.  For collectors the .1 is often the most prized so expect there to be competition if you are bidding on this one.

Macallan 1946 52 Year Old Select Reserve with Certificate & Keys

We started with a fantastic 52 year old Macallan, so why not finish with one, this is the Macallan 1946 52 Year Old Select Reserve with Certificate & Keys.  The predecessor to the hugely respected Fine & Rare collection the Select Reserve series was released in the 1990’s and showcased a new sleek design which has since become a Macallan hallmark.  With over five decades of ageing under its belt this is a rarity of exquisite grace and fine craftsmanship.

As always, we have a wide range of drams with something to suit everyone, so now is the time to get moving picking out your own personal favourites for your watchlist.  Best of luck to everyone in the auction, and as always………..don’t lose your bottle.