ralfy review 1114 Extras – How to access a difficult malt.

Elijah Craig Honors Its History and Builds for the Future

Long before Elijah Craig became known as the Father of Bourbon, he was a preacher, an educator, and an entrepreneur with a spark for building what didn’t yet exist. Paper mills. Wool mills. And a new way of aging Whiskey.

In 1789, Elijah Craig stored his Whiskey in charred oak barrels, a technique that was not common practice at the time, but essential to Bourbon as we know it today. Some say the barrels caught fire by accident. Others claim it was intentional. Either way, the flavor told the story: deeper color, richer taste, unmistakable character. A true American original.

More than two centuries later, that same spirit of discovery lives on, not just in our barrels, but in the people who craft, innovate, and push us forward. The brand stands as the #5 Super Premium Bourbon by volume in the United States and this year, Elijah Craig’s inaugural Barrel Proof Rye expression was named Whisky Advocate’s Whisky of the Year. Behind those milestones is a culture of shared commitment across distillation, warehousing, marketing, innovation, and every role in between.

From meeting new Bourbon-lovers as the Official Bourbon of the PGA of America, to giving back to the causes that matter to its consumers, the brand continues to grow its presence and support its community with purpose. Through a partnership with the University of Kentucky’s Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies, Elijah Craig is supporting academic research that helps shine a spotlight on critical voices and stories from throughout Bourbon history. Additionally, over the past six years Elijah Craig’s Old-Fashioned Week has raised more than $600,000 in total donations for charitable causes, including the Southern Smoke Foundation, which supports food and beverage workers nationwide by providing direct funding to individuals rebuilding from natural disasters, seeking emergency medical treatment, and recovering from accidents or other crises.

Whether it’s honoring where the brand got its start or investing in what comes next, Elijah Craig’s rich legacy stands strong. With every barrel, every program, and every person behind it, Elijah Craig continues to prove that the pursuit of mastery is never finished. It’s an ongoing journey we all share in when we Thrive Together.

Invergordon Chapter 7 Single Cask Single Grain Scotch Whisky 50 Year Old · 1974 Vintage

£349.95

Distilled at Invergordon — the Highlands’ only grain distillery and a cornerstone of Scotland’s blending tradition — this single grain whisky was laid down in 1974. After maturing for 50 years in a single cask, it has developed exceptional depth and refinement. Bottled at natural strength, it displays the elegance and complexity that only half a century can bestow. This is a rare opportunity to experience a genuine piece of whisky history.

Rich aromas of dried tropical fruit, vanilla, and polished oak, accented by hints of coconut and aged leather.

The palate is silky and multi-layered, offering honeycomb, caramelized nuts, and spiced orchard fruits, all harmonized by gentle oak tannins.

The finish is long and refined, with lingering notes of toffee, nutmeg, and soft tobacco leaf.

Glenrothes 24 Years Old

This single malt from Glenrothes Distillery in Speyside region of Scotland was distilled on the 27th of May 2001. It was fully matured in refill ex-Bourbon hogshead for 24 years before bottling on the 12th of November 2025. Notes of gooseberries and plums, green tomatoes, curry spices and melon. Bottles by Fragrant Drops at natural cask strength, natural colour and no chill filtration.

£145.00

Distillery Corner: Tamnavulin

In this episode of Distillery Corner, Kirsty and Vic explore Tamnavulin. Owned by Whyte & Mackay, Tamnavulin is used for blends but has also released some approachable, great-value single malts of late that deserve a closer look. As Vic explains, good whisky doesn’t need to be expensive and this is a distillery well worth trying.📖 Read the Blog​ | 🎬 Watch the Video

Our newest ‘Heresy’ releases are something you don’t see every day. Teaspooning is the widespread industry practice of adding a tiny amount of single malt into another (traditionally around a teaspoon’s worth) resulting in a blended malt that can never be bottled as a single malt bearing the distillery name.

But why would we bottle this kind of whisky? For the full details, you’ll need to read the feature from our whisky quality manager, Julien, but we’ll leave you with one thought: if this were one of the only ways to try offerings from this particular distillery, wouldn’t you want to see what they were like?

READ THE FEATURE

If you’re unfamiliar with our ‘Heresy’ range, it’s what we call our boundary-pushing small-batch releases. They’re bottled in a clear glass bottle.
Expect the unexpected!

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

The Good Dram Show – Episode 621 ‘Glen Scotia’

Welcome to the first viewers choice episode of the show for 2026. A big thanks you to Andy Holbrook and Dave Croft for the Glen Scotia Samples. The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum. Episode 621 – There’s A Theme Developing Here..!  Filmed in The Study Nottingham.

Featuring

Glen Scotia ‘Campbeltown Malts Festival’ 2024’ 9 year old 56.2%
Glen Scotia ‘Campbeltown Malts Festival 2023’ 11 year old 54.7%
Glen Scotia Seasonal Release 2022: 12 year old 54.7%
Glen Scotia Icons of Campbeltown Release No2: The Dragon 14 year old 56.8%
Glen Scotia Exclusive Cask: Invererity Morton 2017 (6 year old) 57.4%
Glen Scotia ‘Campbeltown Malts Festival 2025’ 9 year old 54.3%

www.glenscotia.com

Jan Damen, Saltire Rare Malt European Sales Director

SCOTTISH WHISKY AWARDS BEST NEWCOMER MAKES SWEDISH DEBUT WITH FIRST ONLINE TASTING

Fresh from being named Best Newcomer at the 2025 Scottish Whisky Awards, Saltire Rare Malt will host its first-ever Swedish tasting on Tuesday 17th February 2026, marking another important step in the independent bottler’s expanding European journey.

The online tasting introduces Swedish whisky drinkers to Saltire Rare Malt, the Falkland-based independent bottler through a curated six-dram tasting pack and guided live session. Hosted by Klaus Bitschnau, Founder and Chief visionary officer of Whiskykalendern & Whiskysnack and Jan Damen, Keeper of the Quaich and European Sales Director for Saltire Rare Malt, who will introduce the brand, its philosophy and the stories behind each cask.

The tasting pack contains six 5cl samples from the Saltire Rare Malt range – each a minimum of 14 years – alongside a sixth dram from sister brand The Falkland Collection, a small-batch single malt whisky – tasting packs as well as Saltire Rare Malt’s full range of whiskies are available now through the BeMakers platform.

The Saltire Selection

• Dailuaine 14yo – 1st Fill Bourbon Hogshead
• Royal Brackla 16yo – Cask Strength, Refill American Oak
• Tanmavulin 17yo – 2nd Fill ex-Oloroso European Oak
• Speyside Distillery 18yo – The Cigar Malt, 1st Fill PX Hogshead
• Ardmore 14yo – 2nd Fill ex-Marsala Barrique
• The Falkland Collection – Speyside Single Malt, ex-Oloroso Butt

The tasting will take place online from 7-8pm (CET). Access details will be shared directly with customers who purchase the tasting pack.

Commenting on the Swedish debut, Jan Damen European Sales Director for Saltire Rare Malt said: “Sweden is an important and exciting market for Saltire Rare Malt. The depth of knowledge and curiosity among Swedish whisky drinkers makes this the perfect place to introduce our approach to enjoying whisky. It’s a real honour to have an expert like Klaus involved, we’re in for a fun night!”

Headquartered in Falkland, Fife – where Scotch whisky was first recorded in 1494 – Saltire Rare Malt has seen rapid growth across Europe, with strong momentum in markets including the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Poland. The Swedish tasting represents the next phase of that expansion as the company moves confidently into 2026.

Founded by lifelong friends Nigel Heywood and Keith Rennie, and guided by internationally respected whisky writers Hans and Becky Offringa (The Whisky Couple), Saltire Rare Malt continues to build its reputation through thoughtful maturation, limited releases and an unwavering focus on quality.

Saltire Rare Malt Tasting Pack & Online Tasting
Tuesday 17th February 2026
Online | 7-8pm (CET)
599 SEK (incl. VAT)

About Saltire Rare Malt Whisky
Saltire Rare Malt are bottlers of a unique range of limited-run single malt whiskies. The independent bottling company was born from a longstanding partnership between friends & founders Nigel Heywood and Keith Rennie – the pair have collected fine and rare single malts over three decades. A shared passion for the ‘water of life’ led to the creation of Saltire Rare Malt – a global vehicle to share their outstanding collection of Single Malt Whiskies.

W: https://www.saltireraremalt.com/
I: https://www.instagram.com/saltireraremaltwhisky
F: https://www.facebook.com/people/Saltire-Rare-Malt-Whisky/61554723364117/

About The Whisky Couple, Hans & Becky Offringa:

Hans Offringa is an international author and whisky expert who has worked in the industry for over 30 years. An inductee of the Whisky Hall of Fame, a Kentucky Colonel and a Keeper of the Quaich, Hans is a judge at the Scottish Whiskies Awards and the World Whisky Awards and serves as Director on the Advisory Board of The Council of Whiskey Masters.

Becky Lovett Offringa is a Keeper of the Quaich and co-author of numerous whisky books. Becky is a well-respected judge at the Scottish Whisky Awards and the World Whiskies Awards. She also is a Member on the Advisory Board of the Council of Whiskey Masters. Becky and Hans, internationally known as ‘The Whisky Couple’, are trusted partners of the Saltire family.

Glenfarclas Millennium Cask 25 Year Old Decanter Collection #4 UK Exclusive

£681.95 GBP

The Glenfarclas Millennium Cask 25 Year Old is the spectacular fourth release in the esteemed Glenfarclas Decanter Collection — a series that has celebrated the distillery’s heritage through rare, long-aged single cask bottlings. Selected by Pol Roger Portfolio, this fourth edition showcases the very best of Glenfarclas’ traditional sherry-matured style. Drawn from a single sherry butt (#7516) filled on 31st December 1999 and matured for over 25 years, it was bottled on 28th August 2025 and presented at natural colour and 51.2% ABV. Just 600 Glencairn decanters have been produced exclusively for the United Kingdom market.

• The fourth release in the acclaimed Glenfarclas Decanter Series

• Matured over 25 years in a single sherry butt (#7516)

• Distilled on the last day of the millennium (31 December 1999)

• Bottled at natural colour and 51.2% ABV

• Limited to 600 Glencairn decanters for the UK market

• Captures the full depth, richness, and tradition of Glenfarclas sherry cask maturation

• A landmark collector’s piece marking the conclusion of a historic series

The Glenfarclas Millennium Cask 25 Year Old Decanter Collection stands as a fitting finale to this prestigious series—combining rarity, heritage, and timeless Speyside sherry-matured excellence. A must-have for collectors and Glenfarclas devotees worldwide.

Old Forester “Barrel Strength” K&L Exclusive (Warehouse J, Floor 3) Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky (750ml) $79.99 View

Josh Gelfand Review Date: 12/2025

Back with another beast from the folks at one of the longest continually operating distilleries in the United States, and the only one owned and operated by the same family before, during, and after Prohibition. Old Forester has built its reputation time and time again by delivering consistently great bourbon without getting too tangled up in the overhyped allocations game that so many others have fallen into. Our last barrel from them was a big one and sold out quickly. This release comes from the same warehouse, but from the third floor rather than the first. That extra heat in the rickhouse gave this barrel a bit more heat as well, nudging the proof up by half a percent. Beyond that, the similarities are unmistakable, but it’s certainly not identical. The nose delivers familiar notes of stewed stone fruit, caramel crust, and charred cinnamon, with a little more forest mulch than the previous barrel. The wood is ever present, almost as if the barrel received an extra touch of char before filling. The first sip leans even harder into the oak, then quickly opens into tart black cherries, black licorice, cloves, and curry spice. A touch of water (recommended) reveals honey-roasted peanuts and caramel apple on top of the rich oaky foundation. The long finish unfolds as a journey of woody resin that slowly evolves into dark fruit leather, star anise, dried herbs, and black pepper. If you liked the last one, you’ll certainly enjoy this. And if you missed it, here’s your chance to experience a worthy sequel.

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