International Beverage completes construction of

six new warehouses at Scottish headquarters

£7 million investment boosts cask storage capacity for future growth plans

Global spirits business International Beverage has concluded a major expansion programme at its headquarters in Airdrie, completing the build of six new state-of-the-art bonded warehouses at the site.

Representing a £7 million investment, the new warehouses are part of an upgrade of storage and logistics capabilities across the business, supporting the company’s long term global growth plans for its premium spirits portfolio, which includes Old Pulteney, Speyburn, Balblair and anCnoc single malt whiskies and Hankey Bannister blended Scotch whisky.

The 15-month project was managed in partnership with The Malcolm Group, one of the UK’s leading providers of logistics, construction and maintenance services. The new facility can house 60,000 casks, taking the Airdrie site’s warehousing capacity to approximately 700,000 casks overall, and providing much-needed extra maturation space for spirit from International Beverage’s five Scottish distilleries.

The new warehouses / Malcolm Leask from International Beverage + Ian McDonnell from The Malcolm Group

Positioned on the east side of the site, each warehouse measures 900 m² and has been constructed to the highest technical, production and safety specification, using steel portal frame fabrication. The design also includes a full surface water drainage system, plus high-tech CCTV and alarm systems.

Toasting the milestone, International Beverage Managing Director Malcolm Leask said the investment indicates the company’s confidence in the future of its award-winning brands, despite what has been a challenging few years for the Scotch whisky sector.

He commented: ‘The completion of this new warehousing is another major step forward for our business following a busy period of acquisitions and new additions to our spirits portfolio. We now have some of the industry’s most modern, high-quality bottling and storage facilities at our Scottish headquarters, allowing us to manage stocks of our premium Scotch whiskies with greater efficiency and scale. Whilst current trading conditions in our industry are challenging, whisky is a resilient sector and I’m very proud to be building for the future – and to see the ongoing evolution of our Airdrie site as a thriving hub at the heart of our global business.’

Ian McDonnell, Senior Project Manager, Construction Division at The Malcolm Group added: ‘Our business is known for its expertise in industrial projects, and we have brought the very highest levels of design, construction and technology to this new facility. The spec and quality we have delivered for these warehouses is at the forefront of what’s possible in the Scotch whisky industry and we’re very pleased to have played our part in ensuring the continued production of high-quality spirits for International Beverage.’

www.interbevgroup.com

About International Beverage

International Beverage is the international arm of Thai Beverage Public Limited Company. The premium spirits company’s portfolio is led by a range of high-quality brands including Old Pulteney single malt Scotch whisky, Hankey Bannister blended Scotch whisky, Caorunn Gin, PRAKAAN single malt whisky and Phraya Rum from Thailand, Larsen Cognac, and Cardrona spirits and liqueurs.

A certified Great Place to Work, International Beverage’s success is shaped by its 700-strong team based across the business’ network of nine global sites spanning the UK, France, New Zealand, and Greater China following the company’s recent acquisition of Asiaeuro International Beverage (AIB). For more information, please visit www.interbevgroup.com/.

2012 Port Charlotte 10 Year Old “Dramfool’s Jim McEwan Signature Collection 7.2″ First Fill Bourbon Barrel Cask #2554 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Previously $370) $258.10 View

Jim McEwan
Review Date: N/A

Aromas – Opens on a beautiful combination of peat smoked barley with tantalising hints of lemon & honey then waves of heather in bloom drift by. Little notes of juniper and pine mingle beautifully with the spiciness of bourbon residue and sweetness of malt extract. It’s Islay at its best, in the early summer with the warm winds from the Atlantic Ocean caressing the barley fields and depositing the salty moisture on the land that give the barley its unique flavour. Palate – The sweetness of malt extract is in harmony with the smokiness from the peat and also the spicy residue from bourbon-soaked staves, it evolves slowly creating the flavour profile that makes this spirit unique. The most important element of this spirit is that it is distilled by Islanders who simply walk in the footsteps of their fore-fathers; no computers, no chemists, no BS, just passion pride and patience.

This release was distilled on July 18th, 2012 after spending its entire 10-year life maturing in cask #2554, a first-fill Bourbon barrel from the Jack Daniels distillery. It was bottled in February 2023 without chillfiltration and no added color, at a natural cask strength of 60.6%. Only 232 bottles were produced. Tasting notes from Jim McEwan: “Aromas – Opens on a beautiful combination of peat smoked barley with tantalising hints of lemon & honey, then waves of heather in bloom drift by. Little notes of juniper and pine mingle beautifully with the spiciness of bourbon residue and sweetness of malt extract. It’s Islay at its best, in the early summer with the warm winds from the Atlantic Ocean caressing the barley fields and depositing the salty moisture on the land that give the barley its unique flavour. Palate – The sweetness of malt extract is in harmony with the smokiness from the peat and also the spicy residue from bourbon-soaked staves, it evolves slowly creating the flavour profile that makes this spirit unique. The most important element of this spirit is that it is distilled by Islanders who simply walk in the footsteps of their forefathers; no computers, no chemists, no BS, just passion, pride and patience.”

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

The 51 is the oldest and most daring whisky ever to be released by The Glenrothes and the first in the world that can only be accessed by destroying its packaging.  A bold reimagining rooted in the founding story of our distillery, it is a celebration of the rewards of commitment and a testament to the founders who dreamt of daring elegance – and forged beauty from brokenness to bring it to life.

Discover More

This exceptional whisky is made from just two casks handpicked by our Master Whisky Maker, Laura Rampling. A vibrant and fragrant wonder, Jonny Fowle, Global Head of Whisky at Sotheby’s said “…the tropical fruit characteristics are bright and expressive, with a vitality that is rare to find in a whisky of such an age…”

The 51 is now available and bottles are already being acquired by collectors and connoisseurs around the world.  Will you become the next ‘keeper’ to discover what lies within the jesmonite column?  If you are interested in purchasing a bottle (RRP: £37,000) please email concierge@theglenrothes.com.

12 YO CASK STRENGTH

NOSE A sweet and vibrant introduction to this dram, there are notes of pineapple and banana loaf.

PALATE A slight hint of peat smoke kicks off the palate, with notes of milk chocolate and creme brulee.

FINISH The sweetness continues in the finish, along with notes of cinnamon.

UK RRP £70 – £72

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 567: BenRiach 14 Year Old 2010 Berry Bros & Rudd for GOS

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, loves BenRiach. Recently, the Sales Development Director of independent bottler Berry Brothers & Rudd, Mike Harrison, was in the country. Mark was fortunate enough to meet him—and taste quite a few delicious things—at the excellent Bar Terroir in the heart of Ghent. But the day before, the born storyteller had given a tasting with Ruben Gos in Heers, the strong man behind the drinks’ shop GOS. And Ruben had even selected a barrel for the occasion to bottle for his shop. It became this BenRiach 2010 (thus from the Billy Walker era) which yielded 120 bottles at cask strength. More than half of those bottles were sold at the tasting. Mark considers himself lucky to have gotten one.

https://youtu.be/cZSB6SbDGQ8

Our June auction is now LIVE!

Place your bids until 7pm (GMT) Sunday 22nd June 2025.

www.whiskyhammer.com

Every month, we present an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits to our members right across the globe. You will find everything here from limited edition releases and vintage bottles to whole casks of rare whisky. There is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest or enjoy!

Glenlivet – 55 Year Old (The Eternal Collection) First Edition

Karuizawa – 35 Year Old (1981) Single Cask #6183 (Dekanta) Tokyo & Osaka Cities of Japan

 Hanyu – Ichiro’s Malt Card Series (Diamonds)

 Midleton – Very Rare (Forêt de Tronçais) Edition 1

Selling whisky? Why not arrange the pick-up of your bottles using our global courier service? If you’re based in Scotland, you might want to arrange the personal collection of your bottles. Wherever you’re based in the world, we will make getting your bottles into our monthly auction as simple as possible. Get in touch with the Whisky Hammer team now by dropping them a message at sales@whiskyhammer.com.

Speyside (GL) Signatory 100 Proof Exceptional Cask 16 Years Aged – Whisky Folk Review

A Whisky That Supports Wild Atlantic Salmon – Tamdhu 12 Year Old, Exclusive to Waitrose

The iconic sherry matured Speyside single malt Scotch whisky, Tamdhu, is making a splash at Waitrose by launching a charity bottle in support of the Atlantic Salmon Trust – a conservation charity working to secure a future for wild Atlantic salmon and their environment. A special expression of this much-prized whisky, Tamdhu 12YO, is leaping into Waitrose and is available in selected stores and on Waitrose.com and www.Waitrosecellar.com

For every bottle sold of this special Speyside single malt whisky, a donation will go to the charity. Each purchase will help this important environmental cause – so raise a glass to help save wild salmon and give their environment a sustainable future.

The Tamdhu 12YO expression created in support of the Atlantic Salmon Trust is bottled at 41.3% ABV and costs £50 for a 70cl bottle. It is beautifully packaged in a gift box.

Tamdhu from Speyside is a multi-award-winning collection of ultra-premium whiskies. Tamdhu fully matures all its single malt whisky in Oloroso Sherry casks. Tamdhu is a historic distillery, having operated for over 125 years. The Tamdhu 12YO bottled and sold for The Atlantic Salmon Trust is exclusive to Waitrose.

The River Spey is world famous for both its whiskies and wild salmon population, and the river remains a stronghold for the species. However, it is now on the endangered list in Great Britain. Across the wider North Atlantic, the species has declined by around 70% in the last 30 years.

The Atlantic Salmon Trust and Tamdhu are aligned behind the message in the bottle – the need to ensure the health of our rivers and seas to give wild Atlantic salmon and wider biodiversity a thriving future.

Sandy McIntyre, Distillery Manager for Tamdhu Whisky, said: “We are so grateful to Waitrose for working with Tamdhu to support this important cause. We’re excited to bring both our whisky and the Atlantic Salmon Trust’s valuable work to a wider audience of Waitrose whisky lovers. With Whisky Day coming up on 17 May and Father’s Day just around the corner too (15 June) this is the perfect time to leap into the whisky aisle at Waitrose and help a good cause at the same time as enjoying a great whisky”.

Sustainability is at the heart of Tamdhu’s ethos. The whisky is distilled and bottled near the banks of the River Spey and relies on the Tamdhu spring water which flows into this impressively clean waterway for its whisky creation. Both whisky and salmon need cold, clean water. It’s taken a dozen years to mature this Waitrose exclusive and the family firm which owns the Tamdhu label – Ian Macleod Distillers – is delighted to be supporting the charity.

Mark Bilsby, CEO of the Atlantic Salmon Trust, commented: “Wild Atlantic salmon are an amazing species telling us about the health of our rivers, coasts and seas, yet they face challenges that are causing them to become endangered and threatened with extinction. However there is hope, as with the amazing support coming from Ian Macleod Distillers and the great team at Tamdhu we can focus our efforts to better understand salmon and crucially help restore rivers to give salmon the best chance at thriving once again.  By working together we can all collectively give wild Atlantic salmon the future they deserve.

The donations from bottle sales will support the important core operations of the Atlantic Salmon Trust, enabling the charity to design, develop, and deliver on-the-ground restoration projects with partners across the country. This work includes activities such as removing manmade barriers to fish migration, tree planting to restore native riverside woodlands, as well as peatland and wetland restoration. In addition, the Trust carries out cutting-edge research work on land, in rivers and at sea to better understand the causes of wild salmon decline.”

Tasting notes for TAMDHU 12YO Atlantic Salmon Trust edition:

Nose Fresh churros and vanilla oak – then spearmint leaf rubbed between fingertips.

Palate Velvet waves of just-ripened banana and shortbread, then the long embrace of sherried oak.

Finish Nutmeg giving way to dried figs and still-warm Scottish tablet – with the softest curl of peat smoke.

JUNE 2025 AUCTION ENDS SOON!

Not long now! There is still time to bid on your favourite bottles, including this very limited Glenfiddich, designed in partnership with internationally renowned French artist André Saraiva. Inspired by the collision of two luxury worlds, Saraiva visualised the world of Grand Château by creating this exclusive Mr. A Artist edition, unveiling the unexpected marriage of Speyside with Bordeaux. This rare edition is one of only 250 bottles!

A wonderfully-aged expression that marked Gordon & MacPhail winning the coveted Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in 2009. Distilled at the Glen Grant Distillery in 1965, matured in a first-fill single Sherry Cask and then bottled in 2009, this particular release was never available to retail but was gifted to the employees of Gordon & MacPhail in appreciation of their efforts for the company.

The first Islay Jazz Festival took place on the Island in 1999 and has remained a very popular, well attended event ever since, bringing tourists, whisky lovers and fans of Jazz to the Island. This Lagavulin 15 Years Old was released in 2023 for the annual event, and is one of only 3,000 bottles produced.

Released in 2012 to mark the 125th anniversary of the Glenfiddich Distillery, this expression was distilled on Christmas Day in 1987 at Glenfiddich Distillery, the same year that the world famous distillery was celebrating its centenary. One of only 250 bottles produced!

These are only a few of the lots in our June 2025 Auction, to view more, visit clickwhiskyauctions.com. Register to bid. Remember, you’ve got to be in it to win it! Auction ends Sunday 22^nd June from 8pm BST.

2007 Glengoyne 16 Year Old “Old Malt Cask” K&L Exclusive Single Refill Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (700ml) (Previously $110) $63.13 View

David Othenin-Girard
K&L Buyer
Review Date: 09/2024

We’ve only bottled a handful of Glengoynes over the last 15 years and all but one have been 2nd or 3rd fill hogsheads. The last one we did was about the most controversial whisky we’ve ever bottled, a PX butt bottled by Old Particular. That whisky was so weird and wine-y, customers either loved it uncontrollably or were completely revolted by it. There was no in-between. This whisky, on the other hand, will almost certainly result in consensus across the board. This beautiful butt, which I assumed was first fill albeit not very dark due to its complexity and flavor, is so creamy and friendly. There may not be another more drinkable malt in the store. Let’s see! The color is a splendid burnished (1.1). Immediately on the nose we get roasted almonds, dried Seville orange peel, fresh mango with the skins, rich toffee syrup, exotic wood and a rich dried barley note. With air the sweetness and the toffee come forward, but it doesn’t forget about the fruit. The palate has tons of sweet chocolate, beeswax, sandalwood, dried apricots, and a building spice -ginger root and cinnamon. The finish is very long with a big tingly spice that pushes the sweetness of the nose and front palate out of mind until the next sip. A tiny splash of water brings out the nuts and the fruit. Now there’s tons of citrus and a strong almond butter character. The palate too has added tons of fruit, and the ginger is a lingering afterthought. This is just so good. Mostly when I’m wanting to drink scotch it’s something like this, tons of complexity, but not overpowered by any one element. The perfectly balanced whisky especially with a dash of fresh spring water. Hard to argue that this isn’t one of the best casks of the whisky season, especially for the seasoned sipper who craves balance and depth over power and intensity.

The wonderful Glengoyne distillery is always one to keep an eye. Built in 1833, it was sold by Archiball Macllelan to the Lang Brothers where it remained until 1965 when it was purchased by a predecessor organization to Edrington Group. In 2003, it was sold to blenders and bottlers Ian Macleod and they’ve rightfully made Glengoyne a worldwide brand. They’re famous for their sherried malt and it’s rare to see a butt make it out of their warehouses under anyone else’s label. That’s why we were so excited to see this pop up and when we tasted it we knew we had a real winner. The Glengoyne distillery is located in tiny town of Dumgoyne on the road to Blairquhosh, just 13 miles north of central Glasgow. It sits just beyond the imaginary line that all Scots agree is the starting point of the highlands. Despite its proximity to the lowlands, it’s very much in the classic highland style and has carved out a name for its self-providing nicely balanced sherry and rich malt character. We rarely see it bottled by independent bottlers and when we do its almost always in tired old hogsheads. This gorgeous 2nd fill butt, however, is so distinct and characterful, you might mistake it for first fill. We certainly did. A deep golden color and an explosive sherry nose filled with rich dried fruit, chocolate, and gorgeous malt. Many will second guess this one because it’s not a traditional “sherry bomb,” but one nosing is all it takes to see that this whisky is of exceptional quality.

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