ralfy review 1014 – Springbank Distillery (OSWA winner 2023)

I hope this email finds you well as we approach the Family Day Long weekend… at least it is a long weekend here in Alberta… though as I’ve said before, that doesn’t apply to those of us in retail!

We have six new whiskies to fill you in on, five from GlenAllachie, and one from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The GlenAllachies are all limited editions, including a single cask bottled for Canada. The Society bottling is a black label, 30 year old Mortlach. Some of you might recall sampling it in the KWM UBER Whisky Calendar.

There are also some new tastings to fill you in on, built around some pending new releases from GlenAllachie, and Compass Box.

Last but not least, we are having a drop-in event tomorrow, Saturday, February 17 at KWM for consumers to sample The Hearach First Edition. The whisky will be on sale for the day, and we have engraved glasses to give away with purchase… So if you’re around for the long weekend, drop in for a taste of one of Scotland’s most exciting new whiskies!

As always, in the event of a price discrepancy, the point of sale at KWM will be taken as correct. Online ordering and in-store purchasing are always our preferences. You can email your requests in, but they may not be dealt with as quickly as the web orders… especially if I am busy!

Sincerely,

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

Free Drop In Tasting – The Hearach 1st Release

Saturday February 17 – 12-5 PM

SAVE 10% – Free Glass with Purchase

We have been impressed with the inaugural release of whisky from the Isle of Harris Distillery. This lightly peated (12-15 ppm) single malt was matured at least 5 years in a mix of First Fill ex-Bourbon casks as well as Oloroso and Fino Shery Butts. It is married for at least 12 weeks in small batches before bottling at 46%.

We will be offering samples of The Hearach between noon and 5 PM tomorrow. It will be on sale, 10% off all day, and best of all we are giving away an engraved glass with purchase… but only tomorrow, Saturday, February 17!

New Whiskies from GlenAllachie

 We have five new GlenAllachies arriving next week, the 10th batch of the 10 Year Cask Strength, a trio of Wine Series releases, and an 11 Year PX Cask bottled exclusively for Canada. These will all be featuring in future tastings along with some other new GlenAllachie bottlings arriving in the weeks ahead!

1. GlenAllachie 10 Year Cask Strength Batch 10 – 586.% – PX & Oloroso Sherry Casks, as well as Virgin Oak barrels, and Red Wine Barriques – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Waves of honeycomb, orange zest and treacle, with fig syrup, mocha and poached orchard fruits, followed by cinnamon and butterscotch. Taste: Lashings of cocoa, heather honey and baking spices, followed by dried red berries and Black Forest gâteau, with maraschino cherries and anise on the finish.” – $120

2. GlenAllachie 9 Year Douro Cask – 48% – Finished in Douro Valley barriques – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Waves of plum jam, clementines and dried red berries, with notes of heather honey and vanilla spice. Taste: Bursting with dried apricots, heather honey and crystalised fruits, followed by hints of ripe black fruits, butterscotch and cinnamon spice.” – $100

3. GlenAllachie 10 Year Grattamacco Cask – 48% – Grattamacco Wine Finish – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Bursting with dark chocolate, butterscotch and heather honey, with notes of blackcurrant, caramelised brown sugar and cinnamon spice. Taste: Waves of ripe red berries, grapefruit and toasted honeycomb, followed by butterscotch, sugared fruit and black truffle.” – $102

4. GlenAllachie 11 Year Premier Cru Cask – 48% – – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Waves of butterscotch, blackcurrant and heather honey, with hints of minerality, poached orchard fruits and orange zest. Taste: Layers of honeycomb, black fruits and dark chocolate, followed by coffee, truffle and cinnamon, with crème de cassis and ginger on the finish.” – $113

5. GlenAllachie 2011 PX Sherry Cask #4493 – 61.8% – 11 Year – Bottled for Canada – PX Sherry Hogsheads – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Notes of Orchard fruits, black pepper and orange zest, with hints of ginger, mocha and caramel. Taste: Bursts of hazelnut, heather honey and grapefruit, followed by hints of ginger and icing sugar, with butterscotch and dried figs on the finish.” – $195 – Limit 1 Per Customer!

Introducing: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 76.151 Cloves Studded in Honey Glazed Ham

SMWS Canada released a new Vaults Collection* bottle yesterday. “It is from a distillery that has our heart, and it’s a rarity indeed! We haven’t seen a release from Distillery 76 since 2019, and certainly never one this old. A very small allocation came to Canada and we don’t expect them to last long, so show yourself a little love and snap one up before they’re gone.”

*The Vaults Collection is a selection of the finest and rarest single cask, single malt whisky, set aside from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s most remarkable stocks over the years. They have been released from the depths of our treasure trove of casks, after decades of slow maturation and careful nurturing. The Vaults Collection represents the whisky lover’s dream: a chance to journey back into whisky history, including the opportunity to experience styles or distilleries that no longer exist. The Collection takes its name from the Society’s historical home at The Vaults in Leith, Scotland’s oldest commercial building in continuous use whose connection with the drinks world dates back to the 12th century. Each bottle has a specially designed label and is offered in a beautiful wooden box.

Scotch Malt Whisky Society 76.151: Cloves studded in honey glazed ham – – 57.2% – 30 Year – 26 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead before being transferred to a 1st fill oloroso hogshead – Flavour profile: Old & dignified – Panel’s tasting note: “An irresistible concoction of coffee and cloves pulled us towards beef jerky smoked with pencil shavings and served with maple syrup on bacon. A prickly palate of peppercorns and pickles danced with glee to the sound of black pudding sizzling in whirling clouds of wood smoke. A drop of water unleashed a compelling accumulation of chamomile, caramel and cooling camphor that skilfully merged with the heavyweight hues of molasses, prunes and almond-coated jamaica cake. Then cloves and saffron adorned poached pears alongside oloroso sherry trifle while we used burnt sticks to trickle rich honey over oily iberico ham. After spending 26 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead this was transferred to a first fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead for the remainder of its maturation.” – $1675

Not a Scotch Malt Whisky Society Member? No problem… purchase of this bottle would also include your first year’s membership!

Changing of the guard at Isle of Raasay Distillery owner R&B Distillers

William Dobbie appointed as Managing Director, with Bill Dobbie switching to Chairman role at company he co-founded in 2014

William Dobbie moves up from Commercial Director, a position he has held for the last four years

R&B Distillers owns Isle of Raasay Distillery, and plans to launch the Machrihanish Distillery near Campbeltown over the next 12-24 months, with longer term plans for The Duke Street Distillery at Coldstream

R&B Distillers reported revenue of £5.0 million in calendar year 2023, and has set sights on growing sales to over £25 million in the next decade

Left to right are William Dobbie and Bill Dobbie of RB Distillers (by Stewart Attwood)

Edinburgh, Isle of Raasay, London, 5 February 2024 – R&B Distillers Limited has announced a reorganisation of its senior executive team, with William Dobbie appointed as Managing Director and his father Bill Dobbie switching to the Chairman role at the company he co-founded with Alasdair Day in 2014.

Bill Dobbie, Chairman, R&B Distillers, said: “William has helped drive double-digit revenue growth at over 20 per cent per annum during his four years as Commercial Director, and R&B’s Board was unanimous in its decision to give him the opportunity to lead the company’s next phase of growth.  We have continued to see solid growth in the UK and internationally over the last few years, including during what was a challenging year for the industry in 2023, and are excited by our prospects to build sales in existing and new markets over the next decade.”

R&B Distillers owns the Isle of Raasay Distillery, which opened its doors in 2017, and plans to launch the Machrihanish Distillery near Campbeltown on the Mull of Kintyre over the next 12-18 months, which will mark the first new farm distillery in the region in over 180 years. There are also longer term plans for The Duke Street Distillery at Coldstream in the Scottish Borders.

R&B Distillers reported revenue of £5.0 million in the year ended 31st December 2023, and now sells in 40 markets worldwide after launching the Isle of Raasay Gin in mid-2019 and the Isle of Raasay Single Malt at the end of 2020. The company has set its sights on growing sales to over £25 million in the next decade.

William Dobbie, Managing Director, R&B Distillers, said: “The whole team deserves so much credit for our success to date, and our 10-year vision is centred on taking the business to the next level, increasing our international presence in lucrative markets like North America and Asia. While the high end of the whisky market has come under pressure over the last year, we have managed to significantly increase sales, grow a loyal customer base and brand in the face of industry headwinds.”The Isle of Raasay Distillery, based on the Inner Hebridean island off the west coast of Scotland, sells directly to tens of thousands of consumers through hundreds of outlets in the UK and via distributors worldwide. The distillery, which has a visitor centre and luxury accommodation, won Distillery of the Year and Tourism Destination of the Year at the Scottish Whisky Awards in 2022. R&B has a team of 47 people, with 35 based on the Isle of Raasay, supporting long-term local employment for the community.

R&B’s senior management team also includes Stuart Blues (Finance Director), Norman Gillies (Operations Director), and Alasdair Day (Co-founder and Master Distiller).

R&B Distillers is owned by Scottish entrepreneur Bill Dobbie’s Chanrossa Group, a Scotland-headquartered scaleup with a portfolio that includes both spirits & drinks and beauty & wellness brands. The drinks business includes stakes in the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Caskshare.com, Waterford Distillery, and Renegade Rum Distillery. Chanrossa positions itself as a “long-term business that creates and owns brands of provenance, quality, and global appeal.”

Every drop of The Hearach single malt whisky is distilled, matured, blended, married, and bottled here in the Isle of Harris and nowhere else. Our distillers and blenders are all drawn from the local community and have been trained from scratch in the craft and science of spirit-making. We have one of the youngest teams of distillers in Scotland with an average age of 25 years with the youngest Rebekah Morrison from the village of Bowglass being 21 years old.

Some key facts about the whisky they make…

Bottled at 46% abv

Non-chill filtered and no artificial colourings

Released in batches of around 12,000 bottles

Each batch is ‘married’ for a minimum of 12 weeks

The youngest spirit in each batch is 5 years old 

Matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks, Oloroso and Fino butts

Lightly peated (12-15 ppm)

HEAR ABOUT THE HEARACH

After the ‘First Release’ of our historic single malt whisky in September last year, we’re now almost ready to release batches 9, 10, 11, and 12 of The Hearach. Every batch is made to the same recipe. However, there will be subtle, natural variations between each which reflect the casks chosen and the length of time we ‘marry’ the vatting. Our bottles come with a special combination of letters and numbers on every stopper seal. This strip code helps you to learn more about the dram in the bottle you’ve bought or plan to buy. Simply visit our website to find the code which matches your bottle and you’ll be able to read and download an information sheet to discover the story behind your dram…

ALL ABOUT OUR BATCHES

As you know we are hard (but relaxed) at work to provide you with a great anniversary program in September! We will be out there meeting you and our exhibitors at several festivals.

Want to meet us? The first quarter of the year is usually a period of lots of relaxed whisky festival goodness! The next couple of days, February 9th and 10th, you can find us in Alkmaar at the Hielander festival. So if you have got any questions or suggestions, or want to find out why Maltstock is so relaxed!

Don’t just take our word for it. Hear from our guests! Seasoned Maltstock guests (The very relaxed Bianca and Victor) will join Klaas in the Maltstock stand in Alkmaar. Stop by for a relaxed dram and here about Maltstock from a guest perspective

So, see you at a festival nearby or in September at our 15th edition of Maltstock!

Annette, Bob, Klaas, Stan, Teun

So feel free to join the relaxed fun. Simply get your ticket here:

https://www.maltstock.com/shop

Visit Us On Islay.

Whether you’re dropping in for a dram or looking to soak up Laphroaig for the day, our new tour schedule has something for everyone. Learn more about our new tours and experiences below, and don’t forget, Friends are always welcome. Our Visitor Centre team has grown due to some promotions, and we’re delighted to unveil our new tour programme starting this March.

Alongside the release of our revamped tour schedule, this year promises a number of unforgettable ways to interact with our Visitor Centre and production teams; from sharing a dram on Laphroaig Day at Fèis Ìle to engaging virtual events that we can’t wait to unveil throughout the year.

Our new tour programme combines beloved favourites with new tastings, offering a unique journey into what makes Laphroaig truly special – there’s something for everyone

learn more

Laphroaig Distillery, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, Argyll & Bute Scotland, PA42 7DU, United Kingdom

Bienvenue dans l’episode de cette semaine du bon dram spectacle dramatique! This week I’ll be reviewing the spirits produced at the French distillery Domaine Hautes Glaces. The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum Episode 543 – Circle, Square, Triangle, Wave, They Open To Me Like A Flower! Filmed in The Study Nottingham

Featuring

Hautes Glaces Vulson Organic Rye Eau de Vie 43%

Hautes Glaces Episteme ‘Yellow Circle’ Single Track Organic Rye Whisky 47%

Hautes Glaces Episteme ‘Yellow Square’ Single Track Organic Rye Whisky 47%

Hautes Glaces Indigene Organic Single Malt 44%

Hautes Glaces Episteme ‘Green Triangle’ Single Cask Organic Whisky 53%

Hautes Glaces Episteme ‘Green Circle’ Single Cask Organic Whisky 53%

https://hautesglaces.com

Penelope Bourbon releases small-batch Tokaji Cask Finish

Annual release of award-winning variant hits shelves in February

ROSSELLE, N.J. (Feb. 6, 2024) – It’s back! Award-winning Penelope Bourbon Tokaji Cask Finish will start arriving at retail in February. A limited-allocation of 1,900 (6-pack) cases will be available at a suggested retail price of $89.99 per 750-ml bottle.

Rich and decadent, Tokaji Cask Finish straight rye whiskey captures the late harvest notes of Tokaji wine from Hungary, once dubbed, “the wine of kings” by King Louis XIV. Distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, aged eight years and bottled at 106 proof, its two-grain mash bill consists of 95% rye and 5% malted barley. The rye whiskey features a nose of dark chocolate-covered raisins and almond pastry; a viscous body with notes of sweet honey and caramel with hints of orange zest; and a savory finish highlighted by notes of black cherry, tobacco and red wine.

“From consumers to tasting panels, our Tokaji Cask Finish was really well received last year,” said Michael Paladini, founder of Penelope Bourbon. “For the initial release we used a 6-year-old straight rye whiskey as our base, and we are excited to bring this back but with an 8-year base at the same price point.”

In 2023, Penelope Bourbon Tokaji Cask Finish received 91 points from Whisky Advocate and was awarded a Gold Medal ASCOT Award.

It is the third installment of the company’s Cooper Series, which takes Penelope straight whiskeys on a world tour. The other members of the series include Rosé Cask Finish, Valencia and Rio. The Cooper Series was named after the son of Daniel Polise, one of the founders and the master distiller of Penelope Bourbon. A product locator for the Penelope family of bourbons can be found here.

ABOUT PENELOPE BOURBON

Founded in 2018, Penelope Bourbon has been one of the country’s fastest-growing whiskey brands. Named after the founder’s daughter, Penelope boasts a series of straight bourbon whiskey expressions that are all uniquely blended. Remarkably smooth and flavorful, Penelope is perfect whether sipping neat or mixing in a cocktail.

Penelope’s core expressions, Four Grain, Barrel Strength, Architect and Toasted Bourbon, have received over 35 combined awards and industry accolades. In 2023, the brand won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Best In Category at the ASCOT Awards – both for its Private Select.

In addition to its cornerstone expressions, Penelope continues to introduce new and innovative limited releases within its Cooper Series, Private Select and Founders Reserve lines. Today, Penelope Bourbon is sold in over 40 states and three countries. Proving that with enough love, care and hard work, anything is possible.

The Grand Whisky Auction is now live for February 2024!

Happy Valentines and Happy Bidding!

The auction closes on Tuesday the 20th of February 2024!

Interested in selling whisky in our next auction?

T.+44 (0)1463 210 427 – sales@TGWA.com

The Wall Collection: Peat

36 Year Old | 70cl | 42.5% ABV

The first release in Laphroaig’s new Wall Collection is Peat, a 36-year-old which puts the very lifeblood of Laphroaig’s character front and centre. A limited release of only 200, each bottle is quite literally a work of art, hand painted by London illustrator Laura Carlin with the exact paint from the iconic Warehouse No.1.

£4,499.95

Add to Basket

TASTING NOTES:

NOSE
Fruity with aromas of exotic passionfruit, strawberries, moist sultanas, intermingled with soft leather and sweet cinnamon spice.

TASTE
Sweet with notes of zesty orange peel, pineapple, runny honey, vanilla, custard tart and an ending hint of marzipan.

FINISH
Sweet and smooth with lingering signature peat.

The Archive Collection

36 Year Old | 70cl | 40.2% ABV

A decade-by-decade journey of flavour brought to life, The Archive Collection 36 Year Old is first in a new series of highly limited aged whiskies. This release is housed in custom-made, hand-blown glass bottles inspired by the sea glass found on the beaches of Islay.

With only 400 bottles available worldwide, this first release is a striking and refined tasting experience, with its sherry seasoning making for a hearty, rich depth of flavour.

£3,749.95

Add to Basket

TASTING NOTES:

NOSE
Honey sweet with hints of white peach and mango, followed by creamy dark toffee, vanilla and cedar wood, then subtle oil of wintergreen and notes of singed sage and liquorice root.

TASTE
Zesty and sweet with orange and tropical fruit, mouth coating initially then moving to mouth drying.

FINISH
Warm and lingering to finish which brings out the peat in the mouth and the salt on the lips.