Glendronach Port Wood

A stunning wee dram inspired by Scotland’s history of importing casked port. After an initial maturation, this expression spent a further three years maturing in Portuguese port casks to create bold flavours of spiced fruit. Lovely!

Our Hamish has had a sip and jotted down his thoughts.

Nose: cherry blossom, juicy blackberries, milk chocolate.

Palate: autumnal spices, baked apple, ginger snaps.

Finish: sumptuous, cinnamon, chocolate.

Edradour 12 Year Old “Caledonia” Single Malt Whisky (700ml)

$74.99

This prized bottle from Scotland’s wee Edradour distillery is named after musician Dougie MacLean’s Caledonia guitar. MacLean was visiting Edradour in the summer of 2009 to help select the first cask and take part in the bottling. Remember that only 3 men work at the distillery, and they are only able to produce about 12 casks a week, which is barely enough to satisfy any kind of commercial demand. Their standard 10-year-old bottling is one of the most unique whiskies in existence and one of the regular favorites on our shelves. The 12 year is unchillfiltered and has a strong nose full of rich oak and dried fruits. The palate is packed with baking spices, red fruits, and oily notes finishes with powerful complexity. The color is a deep tawny and this wonderful whisky straddles the line between grace and power. A great addition to the Edradour line, that has all but been unavailable in the California market for several years. Now its back, don’t miss out on this incredible price, only at K&L.

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

ralfy review 1094 Extras – Comparing two VERY different single malts.

Distillery profiles: Dallas Dhu.

Construction started in 1898 when the Glaswegian blenders Wright & Greig were granted a site at Dallas near Forres in Moray adjacent to the Highland Railway line on its route to Grantown-on-Spey, Aviemore and afterwards Perth. The land was part of distiller and entrepreneur Alexander Edwards’s Sanquhar estate. In this year Edwards also formed Oban & Aultmore-Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd, having built Aultmore in 1897, he also commissioned Benromach in 1898.

In Roderick Dhu Wright & Greig had a successful blend and as demand for the brand rose the company had to source more spirit, Highland Park had apparently been a major component. The name of the blend is taken from a character in Sir Walter Scott’s then popular Lady of the Lake. The distillery was originally going to be called Dallasmore but by November 1899, 7 months after the completion of the buildings, it was referred to as Dallas Dhu.

During construction the boggy nature of the land meant strengthening ties were required to prevent some parts of the distillery from sinking. As there was not originally a siding at the distillery goods in and out were initially transported to Forres station by horse and cart. Wright & Greig went in to voluntary liquidation in 1919 unable to survive 2 decades of downturn in the industry and ownership of the distillery was passed to J. P. O’Brien & Co. Ltd, again of Glasgow who also had control over Caol Ila.

Dallas Dhu Distillery- (Rotorworx / S. Gardiner)

In 1920 Benmore Distilleries Ltd. took over Campbeltown distilleries Benmore and Lochead as well as Lochindal on Islay and Dallas Dhu in 1921. The company was made up of brewers and merchants including several based in England. Benmore Distilleriies were taken over in January 1929 by DCL who then transferred it to its subsidiary, Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd. (SMD) the following year. After a period of closure in the early 1930s the distillery reopened in 1936 but a fire on the 9th of April 1939 destroyed the still room. It was said that had there been stronger winds and if the fire brigade not been so prompt to attend the fire may have spread and the whole distillery could have been lost. Although malting took place in the remainder of the 1939 season distillation did not restart until 1947 as the war years prevented barley being supplied for production.

Due to a limit on the water supply Dallas Dhu was not expanded in the post war boom of the 1950s and 60s although it was modernised with electric power being introduced relatively late in 1950. In common with other SMD sites 1963 saw the introduction of mechanical stoking of the coal fired stills. Subsequently along with other actions production increased by 25% the following year. As at its neighbour, Benromach, hand malting of barley was discontinued in 1968 with the opening of Burghead maltings. Internal steam heating was introduced in 1971 meaning a water wheel powered rummaged was retired. The rummager had been powered by overflow from the worm tubs.

After a peak in demand in 1979 there was a falling off in popularity for whisky and DCL decided to close some of its older and smaller units. After a period of operating at 50% of capacity the last cask was filled on 16.3.1983. The licence to distil was finally cancelled in 1992. The copper domed mash tun was made of cast iron, there were 6 45KL larch washbacks, 2 stills, the wash at 6,377L was heated by kettles whilst the spirit was heated by coiled pipes and has a 5,623L capacity, both have similarly descending lyne arm leading to worm tubs. Maximum output was 0.75ML. The distillery was selected to be preserved as an industrial museum having many original features retained as examples of historic practices and equipment.

Asides.

In 1843 Dallas, Texas was renamed after American vice-president George M. Dalllas who was a descendant of William de Ripley who was granted the lands around which the distillery was eventually built. De Ripley changed his name to de Dallas.

Between 1894 and 1899 19 distilleries were built in Speyside and Banffshire. Dallas Dhu was the last facility to be constructed in the 19th century.

Mark Davidson, aka The Jolly Toper Profile

We managed to get our Whisky Advent ducks in a row a lot earlier this year, and we are thrilled to announce that our KWM 2025 Whisky Advent Tastings are now open for registration. And Early Bird Pricing is in effect on the Full Sets for two weeks, now through September 17.

While we still can’t call them Advent Calendars, to comply with the AGLC and Excise Canada, this year we are offering our Full Sets of five 5-whisky Advent Tastings in a single box. So while it may resemble an Advent Calendar, make no mistake… it is Still Not An Advent Calendar! 😉

Still Not An Advent Calendar Full Set – All KWM 2025 Whisky Advent Tastings

One of our goals every year is to try and offer as much value as we can for our participants in the Whisky Advent Tastings. By putting the Whisky Advent Tasting Full Sets back into one box this year we will cut down on our labour cost to produce them. It also allows us to include a Wee Glencairn Glass again.

We are also moving to a standardized box design with black printing on plain cardboard. This design change substantially reduces the cost of our Advent boxes, reduces waste, and allows us to put more focus on the whisky. But don’t worry, they’ll still look cool!

As a little teaser, to give you an idea of where we are going this year, I thought I’d share an image of one of the box designs we decided not to go with. This note is full of text, and begging for an image to break it up. The mockup ABOVE is NOT our KWM 2025 Whisky Advent Tastings Full Set box!

There is one other little change this year. We won’t be redacting any details on the bottle labels, as you will be able to reveal the whiskies one at a time as you open each window. But don’t be mistaken… it is Still Not An Advent Calendar… it is a collection of five 5-whisky tastings! 😉

Our KWM 2025 Still Not An Advent Calendar Full Set features an all-new range of whiskies, primarily single malt Scotch, with an average age of roughly 19 years. The oldest whisky this year is a 44 year old Scotch. Like our old Advent Calendars it will also include a Wee Glencairn Glass.

We are also producing a limited number of KWM 2025 Still Not An UBER Advent Calendar Full Set this year, similar to the UBER Whisky Calendar we produced in 2023. The average age of whiskies in the UBER edition is more than 29 years, and the oldest is 50!

Pre-Sale Early Bird Pricing is in effect on Full Sets of both the KWM 2025 Whisky Advent Tastings and KWM 2025 UBER Advent Tastings until September 17th. And if you purchase both, you will save an additional $25.

As we did last year, we are also offering the five KWM 2025 Whisky Advent Tastings for purchase individually. And…….. Still Not An Advent Calendar BOTH SETS

I know we say this every year, but our lineup(s) this year is the best one yet… for the 12th year running we are bringing you 25 Days of Dram Fine Whisky!

Plenty of details can be found below, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

There are also a handful of new and returned whiskies to fill you in on.

Sincerely,

Andrew Ferguson

PS – 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!

The warmest of autumnal salutations to all, and welcome to our now live 171st auction!  We have a fabulous array of drams in this auction everything from far eastern rarities to homegrown heavyweights sourced from right here in Scotland.  With so many bottles being offered we thought it prudent to pick out a few lots to shine a spotlight on, so here we go.

First up we have a bottle which boasts exquisite design and is of tremendous rarity, this is the Karuizawa 1965 50 Year Old Single Cask #8636 for La Maison du Whisky.  As we all know Karuizawa is no more, having fallen silent in the year 2000, which makes expressions like this all the rarer.  It has spent a mammoth five decades ageing before finally being bottled for release while still somehow managing to maintain a hefty ABV of 62.6% in the process.  An increasingly sought-after bottling, and a genuine highlight in even the most salubrious of whisky collections.

Next we have a bottling which has attained near-legendary status in the world of American whiskey collecting, this is the A.H. Hirsch Reserve 1974 16 Year Old.  Distilled at the now defunct Schaefferstown Michter’s distillery in 1974 and aged for 16 years this special dram exhibits the famed ‘golden hue’ Hirsch was renowned for.  This bottling has been leaving reviewers astonished for years due to its richness and depth of flavour, so why not pick this one up and see what all the fuss is about?

It wouldn’t be a highlight reel without something special from Scotland and this beauty most definitely fits the bill, this is the Macallan 40 Year Old The Red Collection.  Taking inspiration from Macallan founder Alexander Reid, who’s surname means “the red one”, this show stopping range is also noteworthy for having been crafted by Macallan’s first female Master Whisky Maker, Kirsteen Campbell, who took the up the reins in 2019.  An absolutely fantastic and understated release from Macallan, solidifying their position as one of the most collectable distilleries out there.

Finally we return to Japan for our last highlight and a lot which includes not one but three of the most collectable Japanese whiskies on the planet, this is the Chichibu 2009, Hanyu 2000 and Karuizawa 35 Year Old SAFE Bubbles and Malt Premium Collection 3 x 70cl.  Produced for Hong Kong whisky merchants SAFE Bubbles and Malt this collection features a Chichibu, a Hanyu and a 35 Year Old Karuizawa; a fearsome lineup we trust you agree.  Each whisky is drawn from a single cask and they have been packaged together in a beautifully understated presentation box adorned with Asian imagery.As always we have an enormous selection of drams to suit every budget on offer this month, so now is the time to delve into this month’s offerings and start building that watchlist.

Best of luck to everyone in the auction, and as always………..don’t lose your bottle.

Our Next Harvest Series Release

Something special is on the horizon… the fourth release of our annual Harvest Series Single Malt Whisky is nearly here.

Harvest #4 save the dates:

18th September 2025 – Available to buy in our retail shops only.

19th September 2025 – Available to buy on our website.

We will also send you an email the moment it goes on sale, so you won’t miss out! In the meantime, why not savour the last few bottles of Harvest Series Amber Meadow Single Malt Whisky release or explore the rest of our whisky collection below? Perfect timing as the nights draw in and the air turns crisp.

SHOP AMBER MEADOW

SHOP ALL WHISKIES

Our September Outturn sets the tone for Adventures together, the season that takes us into the last four months of the year. We celebrate the power of shared experiences and the fact that all Society journeys have one thing in common: they start with a single dram.

This is the magic of Society whisky and when you combine it with our global community, it really is extraordinary. With that in mind, it seemed fitting to turn this month’s Outturn cask introductions over to some of our members to hear all about their Society experiences. Keep reading to hear what they had to say.

September Outturn is now live.

EXPLORE THE OUTTURN HUB

TAKE ME TO 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

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST-EVER TRAVELING TASTING EXPERIENCE, BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY ON TOUR

The complimentary experience brings an award-winning tasting lineup to four U.S. cities this October 

FRANKFORT, KY (September 3, 2025) – Buffalo Trace Distillery announces today a first in the Distillery’s history: this fall, Buffalo Trace Distillery is taking its award-winning bourbon on the road with a brand-new traveling tasting experience. This October, the Distillery will launch Buffalo Trace Distillery On Tour, a tasting and retail experience coming to four U.S. cities: St. Louis, Kansas City, Jacksonville and Tampa. 

With Buffalo Trace Distillery On Tour, step into the legendary world of Buffalo Trace Distillery as the team brings an elevated tasting experience directly to bourbon fans around the U.S. This experience offers guests a curated setting to explore four thoughtfully selected tasting pours, each accompanied by rich stories and insights from an expert host. Discover the fascinating history of Buffalo Trace Distillery and the bourbon icons who shaped the industry, all while sipping your way through a flight of storied bourbons. Guests will also have the rare opportunity to shop custom, city-specific barware available only at the experience while supplies last.

“We’re honored to have welcomed so many visitors to Buffalo Trace Distillery over the years, and it’s been a privilege to be part of the memories they’ve made with us,” said Andrew Duncan, Global Brand Director, Buffalo Trace Distillery. “We have long sought to bring our story to those who cannot, or have not yet, visited our Distillery. For the first time, Buffalo Trace Distillery On Tour allows us to meet our fans where they are to share our history, craftsmanship, and award-winning whiskies. We’ve created an experience that tells the stories of our most impactful luminaries and brands that welcome everyone and allows space for discovery. On top of all that, bourbon is supposed to be fun – there will be guided tastings and maybe even a surprise or two.”

Each stop on Buffalo Trace Distillery On Tour will offer a total of 10 complimentary tasting experiences spread out over four days with staggered afternoon and evening time slots. Each session will feature a guided tasting lasting approximately 1.5 hours and a lineup of popular brands including Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare 10 Year Old, Weller Antique 107, and the new Sazerac Rye 100 Proof.

The dates and locations for each city are as follows:

• St. Louis, MO at the D’Amici Room – October 3-6
• Kansas City, MO at The First Creek Farm – October 9-12
• Jacksonville, FL at The Glass Factory – October 15-18
• Tampa, FL at Armature Works – October 19-22

“There’s something special about sharing a good pour with good company,” said Ed Bell, Sazerac Homeplace Director. “It’s a feeling people experience when they visit our Distillery, and now we’re excited to bring that same feeling to folks right where they live. We hope it’s a shared experience guests will never forget and one that inspires them to continue their own journey with bourbon.”

The experience is free to attend, though you must go online and reserve your ticket in order to participate. Tickets go live at 12PM noon ET/11AM CT on Wednesday, September 10th. Please limit four tickets per person. Ticket availability will be limited. Those interested can find tickets here.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery  

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1775 and it is a National Historic Landmark, as well as listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site. The Distillery has won more than 40 distillery titles since 2000 and garnered more than 1,000 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. Its William Larue Weller and Stagg were named Best of Show at the 2024 Denver International Spirits Competition and its Traveller Whiskey is the Most Awarded Super Premium Whiskey Release of 2024. Buffalo Trace Distillery has a deep commitment to supporting charitable initiatives. Nonprofit organizations interested in learning more about the Distillery’s efforts are encouraged to register their charity here. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery, visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.

Kentucky Senator Bourbon Named “Bourbon of the Day” at Kentucky Downs for Third Consecutive Year

For the third consecutive year, Kentucky Senator Bourbon has been named as the Bourbon of the Day sponsor on September 7th at the iconic Kentucky Downs, one of America’s most exclusive and prestigious Thoroughbred racing venues. Known for its age-stated, small-batch character and deep Kentucky roots, Kentucky Senator Bourbon will once again take center stage during a meet that draws top horsemen, racing enthusiasts and spirited fans from across the country.

Continuing a cherished tradition, each winner on September 7th at Kentucky Downs will be presented with a custom-engraved bottle of Kentucky Senator Bourbon-a keepsake that perfectly pairs the thrill of victory with the craftsmanship of a fine, award-winning bourbon. These bottles not only celebrate the moment but also become lasting mementos, often displayed proudly long after the cheers of the winner’s circle fade.

Kentucky Senator Bourbon will be showcased throughout the September 7th race program at Kentucky Downs with a race entitlement, signage, key bar placements, program ads, a special cocktail, an interview and tv commercials on Fan Duel TV and trophy bottle presented throughout the day.

“We are thrilled to return to Kentucky Downs for the third consecutive year,” said Kentucky Senator Spirits co-founders Andre Regard and Damon Thayer. “This track is steeped in history and tradition- values we share in every bottle we produce. To have our bourbon poured and celebrated here is both an honor and an opportunity to share our story with a passionate, engaged audience.”

The Kentucky Downs spotlight provides more than just exposure- it places Kentucky Senator Bourbon alongside two of the state’s greatest cultural treasures: bourbon and horse racing. It is a unique stage to connect with new fans, deepen relationships with loyal supporters, and reinforce our mission to deliver a bourbon rich in character, heritage, and Kentucky Spirit.

About Kentucky Senator Bourbon

Kentucky Senator Bourbon is an award-winning small-batch Bourbon brand committed to crafting exceptional spirits with a side of American history. Each limited-edition release is named after a U.S. Senator and represents a blend of tradition, character and U.S. heritage; it is distilled and aged in Kentucky for at least six years (the same length as a U.S. senate term).

Founded by Andre Regard and Damon Thayer, Kentucky Senator Bourbon revives a historic brand once produced by Crigler and Crigler in Covington and later Double Springs Distillers in Bardstown. The brand launched its first revival release in 2021 and has since become known for producing richly aged, 107-proof Bourbon expressions that connect past and present.

Awards & Recognition

• Kentucky Senator Bourbon’s inaugural release, the Alben W. Barkley Release, was highlighted in Forbes’ Online Magazine 
• Fred Minnick, a noted Bourbon author, ranked Kentucky Senator Bourbon in his Top 100 Whiskeys of 2021, 2022 and 2023
• Kentucky Senator Bourbon has won Gold ASCOT Awards for taste and a Double Platinum ASCOT Award for marketing and brand design
• Kentucky Senator Bourbon recently won its first Double Gold medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its 2024 John Brown release