JOHNNIE WALKER
BLUE LABEL
YEAR OF THE DRAGON

70cl | 40% ABV

The Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year is the perfect way to mark the beginning of a prosperous year ahead, making it a precious and memorable gift this Lunar New Year. Designed by the contemporary artist James Jean this year’s release is a dynamic interpretation of 2024’s zodiac animal the noble Wood Dragon. Regarded as the mightiest of all the Zodiac animals, the dragon is a symbol of life, creativity and future prosperity in traditional Asian culture, echoing the defiant optimism of the Johnnie Walker motto, Keep Walking.

£217.95

Add to Basket

Some whisky drinkers treat the idea of adding water to their drams as a cardinal sin. But what if we told you that one of the most renowned Tasting Panels on the planet – yep, the big leagues – always sample their whisky with water.

Why, you ask? Because it’s like unlocking a hidden treasure trove of flavours! After savouring your whisky neat, a splash of water can set off a flavour explosion you never knew existed. Plus, it’s the magic trick to tone down any boozy fierceness, especially useful with our bold cask strength whiskies.

Ready to defy the whisky norms? Join us for a tasting experience at one of our Members’ Rooms that’ll make your taste buds do a happy dance.

ALL EVENTS

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 distillery partners with Enotria&Coe

Bladnoch, Scotland’s southernmost distillery, has partnered with leading wine and spirits distributor Enotria&Coe to accelerate growth of the single malt whisky brand across the UK.

As part of a three-year deal, Bladnoch will work with Enotria&Coe to expand the distillery’s core portfolio into new accounts throughout Bladnoch’s home market.

Over the coming months, Bladnoch and Enotria&Coe will work together to expand the brand across all UK channels, with a primary focus upon premium on-trade, independent wholesalers and prestige retail.

Established in 1817, Bladnoch is the oldest privately owned Scotch whisky distillery in the world. The legacy brand has been revived in recent years by owner David Prior, who purchased Bladnoch in 2015 and is the first Australian businessman to own a Scotch whisky distillery, and master distiller Dr Nick Savage, who leads Bladnoch’s taste-first approach to whisky making.

Bladnoch whiskies are now available in more than 40 markets worldwide, including Australia, Taiwan and the United States.

Glen Gribbon, CEO at Bladnoch, said: “Our proposition to create a bold Galloway spirit with a proud heritage is unique, and as a result we have seen demand for Bladnoch grow at pace in recent years.

“Enotria&Coe prioritises building strong, long-standing relationships with customers and producers, an ethos which aligns seamlessly with ours, given Bladnoch distillery’s 207-year history. We look forward to beginning our journey with Enotria&Coe’s distribution team to expand our customer base and help more consumers discover our signature Lowland style.”

Ants Rixon, managing director at Enotria&Coe, said:

“As part of our strategy to grow a small, but perfectly formed spirits brands agency portfolio, we are delighted to announce our exclusive partnership with Bladnoch in the UK.

“The company’s ethos of embracing history and learning from it, innovating at all levels and aspiring to always do better (in partnership) resonates very clearly with what we are both trying to achieve.

“Our teams are excited to be working together and we can’t wait to showcase Bladnoch at our Annual Tasting on Monday 26^th February.”

Bladnoch’s partnership with Enotria&Coe, established on 1^st February 2024, follows the appointment of Bladnoch’s first brand ambassador.

Actor Mark Rannoch, whose stage and screen credits include the global hit TV series, Outlander, joined Bladnoch last month [January]. He made his debut appearance at Bladnoch’s inaugural Burns Supper and will help to promote the brand worldwide.

Bladnoch’s signature whisky Vinaya takes its name from the Sanskrit word for respect and gratitude, paying homage to the distillery’s founders, who paved the way for Bladnoch’s exciting new era.

The distillery’s core range also includes Liora, Samsara, Alinta, Bladnoch 11-Year-Old, Bladnoch 14-Year-Old, Bladnoch 19-Year-Old and Bladnoch 30-Year-Old.

With this exciting new era comes a pipeline of innovation from Dr Nick Savage including The Dragon Series, a collection of five exceptional single malt whiskies that celebrate the natural unpredictability and captivating beauty of the whisky making craft.

Hand-crafted from the pristine waters of the River Bladnoch, which flow alongside the distillery, Bladnoch whiskies are non-chill filtered to ensure the truest flavours shine through.

Join Enotria&Coe and Bladnoch on Monday 26^th February to taste through the range at Enotria&Coe’s Annual Portfolio Tasting at The Brewery, London. To register, click HERE

For more information, visit https://bladnoch.com.

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.

About Enotria&Coe 

Enotria&Coe is the UK’s leading premium wine and spirits distributor.

With a portfolio of over 300 exclusive wine producers and over 1,500 spirits producers, Enotria&Coe supplies 12,000 on-trade sites across the UK. Enotria&Coe’s client base includes fine dining, specialist bars, hotels and events venues, such as Gordon Ramsay Group, Tom Kerridge, The Dorchester Collection and Lord’s Cricket Ground.

New limited editions

LONGMORN SINGLE MALT

Hard to come by outside of independent bottlings, Longmorn distillery has unveiled its first annual single-batch release: an 18-year-old and 22-year-old. Both matured in ex-bourbon casks, they display the typical creamy toffee character and rich sweetness adored by whisky connoisseurs worldover. This Speyside distillery has been around since 1894 and continues to provide whisky for many of the big-name blends on shelves today. This, however, is a 2023 distillery release from Longmorn, displaying the hallmark characters of dried apricot, candied citrus, coconut husk and a hint of vanilla throughout the palate,

  SHOP NOW 

Sweetshop Symphony

A delightful riot of pear drops, marzipan, sherbet & sour apple candy.

Glen Moray exhibits a light style in its younger expressions, yet it is elegantly balanced and meticulously crafted. It possesses a medium-bodied character.

Distillery: Glen Moray

Region: Speyside

ABV: 57.3%

Whisky type: Single malt

Bottles in cask: 186

Matured in: Matured in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels sourced from North America which produces a rich and sweet malt.

Vintage year: 2007

Nose: Honey sweetness on the open, white chocolate with swathes of sticky caramel. Crumbled fudge topped with flaked sea-salt.

Palate: Buttery custard, crème brule. hard candied sweets, lemon peel & chocolate covered raisins.

Finish: Comforting cinnamon & freshly ground ginger.

SHOP NOW UK

SHOP NOW EU

Vic Cameron, one of our whisky lecturers says: “Esters are one of the groups of flavour compounds that we find in malt whisky. You create an ester by combining an acid with an alcohol, and these esters then give you the fruity, floral aromas that we can get in some Scotch whisky. You can make esters in quite a few parts of the process. You do it in fermentation, you do it in distillation, and you also create them during maturation.”

🎬 Watch the Video | 📖 Read the Post

SPRINGBANK
25 YEARS  46%

UK RRP £500 – £510

NOSE
On the nose, we get intense cherry menthol sweets, rich blood orange, milk chocolate, stewed fruits and apple crumble.

PALATE
Upon arrival, we pick up lots of musty, earthy and oily notes from this whisky. There’s also subtle peat smoke, which is only apparent in the background. From the sherry casks, there’s demerara sugar, strawberry confectionery, liquorice and walnuts.

FINISH
This is a well balanced dram with a slight herbaceous note of tarragon and savoury deli meats in the finish.

SMWS 46.142 Mosambi Mojito (Glenlossie), 59.2%

https://youtu.be/mzULv22OeZU

The SMWS are such a solid stepping stone for everyone who is into whisky. Would you like it single barrel, cask strength, and as naturally presented as possible? Then they’re the people to go and see!

I was in Edinburgh last year when I decided to become a member, and I’m happy to say that it’ll be renewed as soon as it can. The trickiest bit, as is with any single barrel selections, is deciding what you want. It took me a good month or two before I could click checkout on things that really appealed to the nerd in me. This is the first of two bottles that we’re going to talk about.

Glenlossie is a relative unknown in a vast world of Speyside whiskies, and tends to be hidden deep away into the Diageo vaults. Prioritised as part of the Johnnie Walker blending selection, and rarely seen as a single malt outside of a Flora and Fauna 10YO, with the odd occasion of being involved with the Special Releases.

This SMWS bottling is sourced from first fill bourbon, cask strength, and all the good stuff! At a price of £62 per bottle, this really hits everything that the SMWS is about for me. Obscure. Naturally Presented. Affordable. Easy To Get Into.

Next weeks bottle is double the price, but still equally worth it in my mind. Cheers!

THE GLENLIVET REDEFINES SINGLE MALT WHISKY WITH LAUNCH OF ITS NEW FUSION CASK SERIES

Introducing The Glenlivet Rum & Bourbon Fusion Cask Selection; a first-of-its-kind innovation, offering an elevated taste experience that pushes boundaries in single malt Scotch whisky. 

The Glenlivet, the iconic Speyside single malt whisky, introduces The Glenlivet Fusion Cask Series: Rum & Bourbon Fusion Cask Selection. Offering a one-of-a-kind taste experience, this expression adopts a category-first technique that marries first-fill rum casks with American bourbon barrels to create one single, harmonious fusion cask finish. The release marks the beginning of The Glenlivet’s Fusion Cask series as well as this year’s bicentennial celebrations of 200 years of innovation and excellence from The Glenlivet.

The Glenlivet has pioneered two centuries of pushing boundaries in whisky, from its inception to this day, and remains committed to continuously setting new standards of excellence within the Single Malt category for the next 200 years. The Glenlivet Fusion Cask Series answers an increasing demand for prestige spirit drinkers seeking flavour experimentation and unique taste experiences, whilst boldly embracing an unconventional process, demonstrating its commitment to craftsmanship and innovation. Both a first for Chivas Brothers and in the whisky category at large, this pioneering approach to cask craft imparts a distinct finish and unparalleled taste experience.

For the first in the series, The Glenlivet Rum & Bourbon Fusion Cask Selection has been selectively finished* in recrafted first fill rum and American bourbon casks to create a bespoke fusion cask. These hand-selected barrels have been dismantled and reassembled – with the ends of one barrel put together with the body of staves from another – by expert coopers, offering a flavour profile transformed by the fusion of influences from two distinct cask types. The Glenlivet Rum and Bourbon Fusion Cask Selection delivers aromas of orange, vanilla custard, caramel, coconut and zest of lemon, notes of juicy apricot and peach, fresh apples, toffee-covered bananas and subtle cinnamon spice on the palate, and a sweet and smooth finish with enduring notes of orange.

The Glenlivet Cask Expert, Kevin Balmforth commented:

“This category-first innovation continues our commitment and 200-year legacy of pushing boundaries in whisky. As a team of makers at The Glenlivet, we work closely with our partners at the cooperage to ensure the handmade casks are of the highest quality, and this intricate dismantling and reassembling process to create new bespoke casks ensures a distinctive and expertly-crafted finish”.

The Glenlivet Fusion Cask: Rum & Bourbon Fusion Cask Selection will be initially available in the US for purchase from February 2024, priced from $99.99. Whisky enthusiasts are invited to experience this extraordinary blend, an embodiment of The Glenlivet’s commitment to craftsmanship, innovation, and a rich legacy of 200 years.

*A portion of the whisky spends time in the referenced cask

INTRODUCING
HOME COLLECTION, RIVER SPEY

Introducing the second release in The Macallan Home Collection, River Spey. This exquisite release captures the innate beauty of our home at The Macallan Estate and the River Spey, which flows through it.  We are proud custodians of our 1.5-mile stretch of the river, protecting its waters and the wildlife around it. This special single malt, inspired by the natural beauty of The Macallan’s birthplace and the River Spey, exudes complex flavours of rich raisin and sultana, rich velvety butterscotch, toasted oak and chocolate, and nutmeg with a hint of anise.

DISCOVER MORE

THE MACALLAN BALLOT

Home Collection, River Spey, is the second release of a Collection that showcases our extraordinary Estate. This single malt will be available for online purchase via The Macallan Ballot, launching on the 20th February 2024 12:00 GMT. We will notify you when the ballot is open for entries. In the meantime, please ensure that you have a Macallan account and your details are correct.