The World Whiskies Awards is an annual celebration of all things whisky, from single malt Scotch to blended whisky and everything in between! This year’s winners have just been announced and you can get your hands on some of the whiskies with the top accolades at The Whisky Shop. With next day delivery on UK orders and Click & Collect available at any of our 20 locations throughout the UK, you won’t have to wait long for a taste of liquid gold!

BEST HIGHLAND SINGLE MALT

Glenmorangie LaSanta 12yo. Elegant but full bodied this whisky has spent ten years maturing in American white oak ex-bourbon casks before being extra-matured for a further two years in Oloroso and PX Sherry casks from Jerez in Spain. A delicious and soft whisky that will appeal to one and all.  A delicious and soft whisky, with lots of sweet sherry flavoured sultanas, orange segments and butterscotch, combining to create complex warm spices. A long and satisfying finish with spiced orange, chocolate and hazelnuts.
£50.00 Buy Now

BEST ISLAY SINGLE MALT

Corryvreckan takes its name from the famous whirlpool that lies to the north of Islay, where only the bravest souls dare to venture. Swirling aromas and torrents of deep, peaty, peppery taste lurk beneath the surface of this beautifully balanced Ardbeg dram. Like the whirlpool itself, Corryvreckan is not for the faint-hearted!  Intense and powerful, with lots of salt and tar, but also with an appealing dark chocolate sweetness and rich red fruits and muscovado sugar. Lots of pepper on the palate, and a mouthful of black tarry espresso balanced by soft, rich fruits. A long, powerful finish with black coffee, chocolate coated cherries and hot pepper sauce.  £75.00 Buy Now

BEST CAMPBELTOWN SINGLE MALT

Each cask of this Campbeltown Single Malt is selected for its rare character and exceptional maturity. Finished in deep charred oak before bottling straight from the cask, this non chill-filtered expression combines subtle wood and vanilla flavours with a full-bodied spicy fruit aroma.  The nose is elegant with oak and creme brulee notes leading to caramelised fruit and polished oak. The palate is sweet and concentrated with blackcurrant jam, subtle wood and vanilla, while the finish is clean and sweet with cocoa tones.
£80.00 Buy Now

BEST BLENDED MALT WHISKY

Created by legendary Master Blender Dr. Jim Beveridge and his team, Johnnie Walker Green Label is described by whisky expert Dave Broom as, “An arresting, pure malt-whisky with vibrant, natural notes of forest, shore and fruit. The different elements are all in evidence yet also in harmony. Concentrated flavours have been brought together and work together as a whole whilst retaining their individuality. It changes every time you pick up the glass.”  Charles Maclean’s official tasting notes:  Deep amber in colour, initially somewhat closed, then subtle scents of dry Xmas cake, complete with marzipan, icing sugar and waxed wrapper, being to emerge. A smooth, rich texture, and a sweet, dry-fruit mouth taste, with milk chocolate baking spices and a trace of ginger. Drinks well straight.  £47.00 Buy Now

BEST BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

Johnnie Walker Double Black Label is a Blended Whisky created in the style of Johnnie Walker Black Label, but with a rich, more intense, smokier flavour. It is proof that the pioneering spirit is still alive and well today.  Created through blending selected aged whiskies that are naturally smoky and rich in character, with those matured in deep charred old oak casks, it is a whisky of real character and depth of taste.  £30.45 Buy Now

Universal Whisky Experience, 1621 Central Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82001

This is the BIG ONE!

Whisky-lovers, rejoice! The one, the only, the original London Whisky Weekender is back, and it’s bigger and better than ever.

Featuring an eclectic selection of fabulous whiskies from near and far, a ton of workshops to get you clued up on the lovely stuff and, of course, drams for your tasting pleasure.

More exhibitors than ever, lining up to let you taste their latest and greatest – over 150 different whiskies will be available to sample!

This time we are at the iconic KIA OVAL cricket ground where so many historic moments have been made – and we plan on being one of them.

Plus for those of you truly wanting to make a weekend of it, we have an exclusive FULL WEEKENDER ticket for you!

Cocktail Sessions
Whether yours is an Old Fashioned or a Rob Roy, not only will you get to taste these wonderful cocktails, but our very own mixologist in residence, Guy, will teach you how to make them.

Just Beginners
Got a newbie with you? No problem! simply deposit them in the Whisky Creche and Matt Chambers, from Whisky For Everyone, will have them on the path to the righteous enjoyment of the water of life in no time!

Live Blending!
Wander over to our blending lab and learn from our team how to create your very own personal blend! The best of the best may well get to help create one of next year’s festival bottlings!

Fun & Games!
Join in the fun with our cask stave cricket stump challenge, tabletop football league, whisky ballpit bingo, not to mention our new Whisky Challenge – can you explain whisky in 21 seconds or less whilst being filmed?

This year’s sessions are…

Friday 12th May
6pm-10pm

Saturday 13th May
Early: 12pm – 4pm
Late: 5pm – 9pm

Sunday 14th May
12pm – 4pm

The exclusive to you £60 Full Weekender Ticket includes;

• Entry to one session on each day of the Whisky Weekender
• One commemorative Whisky Tasting Glass
• A bottle of water at each session
• A festival program
• Over 150 whiskies to sample at your leisure in each session
• 3 White ‘Under the Counter’ Tokens (one for each session)
• 3 Orange ‘Under the Counter’ Tokens (one for each session)

Plus, for the leather and willow-lovers amongst you, there is actual cricket being played at the ground on the Friday and Sunday! You can watch it whilst enjoying your favourite drams! This offer is only available to you, our valued customers, and can only be accessed by using this secret link – click HERE (Ooops ~ best to join the Whisky Lounge ASAP! ! Whisky Intelligence)

For those of you that already have tickets but would like to trade up, we have another exclusive for you coming to your inboxes hot on the heels of this one!

If you are just looking for one session tickets, they are still available – just click on the top banner or HERE.

Masterclasses

These will be announced very shortly – we are just putting finishing touches to them, so watch this space.

However, we can tell you that we will have Dr. Ian Chang, Master Distiller of the now famous Kavalan Distillery, with us for at least one exclusive masterclasses.

We will be contacting you soon to give you more details of this and other classes as they take shape…

We will have news for you all about our next tasting series and other festivals and such like next week, but for now, have a great weekend and we hope to see you soon!

Sláinte!

Eddie, Amanda, Rupert, Georgina, Vicky and Guy

Ever thought you can “skim better than the rest”?

The World Stone Skimming Championships 2017 will take place on Sunday 24 September 2017 on Easdale Island, near Oban in Scotland. Easdale is the smallest permanently inhabited island of the Inner Hebrides. It was once the centre of a thriving Scottish slate mining industry, and one of the disused quarries forms a perfect arena for the World Stone Skimming Championships.

A whisky tour with stones

Our unique tour consists of fabulous scenery, fabulous whisky and fabulous scenery! Hosted by MCLEANSCOTLAND you are sure to have lots of fun along the way.

Thursday 21 September.          We start the tour in Glasgow,  meeting at the airport and/or railway station.  We drive north where our first call is at Tullibardine Distillery, a really good whisky tasting and tour with friends of ours. Time allowed here for lunch, before we drive north again to the Victorian town of Pitlochry, where we tour Edradour Distillery. Our final drive north takes us to Grantown on Spey where we stay this evening – and enjoy a whisky dinner!

Friday 22 September.               After breakfast we tour Glen Moray Distillery. From here to Craigellachie and the famous Cooperage – see how they make/repair casks. Free time for lunch at the Glenfiddich Distillery, then a final whisky tour at Macallan Distillery. Return to GoS for a second night. Dinner included.

Saturday 23 September.           Heading west our first call is at Tomatin Distillery for a tour and taste. From here we drive along the length of Loch Ness, stopping for lunchtime in Fort Augustus. Onwards to Oban where we tour Oban Distillery. Overnight Oban.

Sunday 24 September.             The World Stone Skimming Championships. We take you there, enjoy the whole championship, then some walking/driving tours including  Kilmartin Glen, ancient stone circles and burial cairns over 5000 years old. Return to Oban for your final night here.

Monday 25 September.            We leave Oban and head south via the infamous Glencoe, stopping at the Green Welly whisky shop (refreshments, shops and toilets available). From here through to Inveraray and Loch Lomond, with a visit/tour included at Glengoyne Distillery, ending the day in Glasgow where you stay overnight. Your hosts say goodbye.

Tuesday 26 September.           Sadly you all make your way home – we can arrange extended tours for anyone wishing to stay longer.WE CAN TAKE YOU THERE we can arrange travel and accommodation locally, just a long weekend or make a week or longer with a great tour built around it – whisky, golf, sightseeing, or everything combined!

http://www.stoneskimming.com/   for entry forms and further information.

To book this tour contact us at info@mcleanscotland.com   Cost: £1130 per person based on 2 people sharing.

http://www.mcleanscotland.com/ http://www.wwhiskytours.scot/

KILCHOMAN WITH GEORGE WILLS

WHISKY OF THE YEAR 2017

TUESDAY 4 APRIL
7.30pm-9pm

Tickets on sale now

BOOK »

Named after the most spectacular beach on Islay, Kilchoman Machir Bay is the flagship of the distillery’s range and The Whisky Exchange’s Whisky of the Year 2017. Chosen at a blind tasting by our customers, the fresh and fruity Machir Bay is a worthy winner. To celebrate the win, we will be tasting it alongside five more of Kilchoman’s whiskies. Not only will we be trying the core range, but we’ll also have two as-yet-unreleased whiskies and the distillery-only single cask.

Machir Bay

Sanaig

Original Cask Strength

100% Islay 2017
(unreleased)

Loch Gorm 2017
(unreleased)

Distillery-only Single Cask

Hosting the tasting will be George Wills, Kilchoman’s sales manager and son of distillery founder Anthony. George has worked at the distillery since the day it opened and is the perfect person to lead us through the whisky’s journey from farm to shelf. It will be an evening of excellent Islay whisky, showcasing Kilchoman’s ability to do every part of the whisky-making process, from field to bottle.

TUESDAY 4 APRIL
7.30pm-9pm
£40 per ticket

Please arrive at the venue from 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start

BOOK »

VENUE

BROWNS COVENT GARDEN
THE JUDGE’S COURT
82-84 ST MARTIN’S LANE
LONDON WC2N 4AG

Kavalan Whisky Masterclass with Ian Chang!

We’re excited to be hosting a tasting with Ian Chang from Kavalan during his visit to the UK in May. This special Masterclass will be held in Birmingham city centre at The Wellington on Bennetts Hill on May 5th.

KING CAR DISTILLERY

Kavalan produced their first whisky in 2008 after setting out to do the unthinkable by producing whisky in Taiwan. The distillery is situated in Yi-Lan and takes its name from the indiginous people of the region, the Kavalan. Today they distill using a growing number of copper pot stills and have a range of highly popular whiskies winning awards all over.

MEET THE MASTER DISTILLER

Ian joined the King Car Group back in 2005 as master blender and since then has been quite the professor, taking on multiple roles including head of global operations and master distiller. There really isn’t anyone that knows Kavalan whisky like Ian.

WHAT’S ON TASTE

Six whiskies will be tasted from the distillery, all matured in different cask types. Ian will begin by introducing the Kavalan Concertmaster – Port Cask Finish, followed by the King Car Whisky – Conductor and the Kavalan ex-bourbon Oak. We’ll then taste two single cask whiskies from the Solist range as well as their highly commended Vinho Barrique release!

This is an opportunity not to be missed!

– TICKETS £30 –

BOOK NOW >>

VENUE

The Wellington
37 Bennetts Hill
Birmingham
B2 5SN

Friday 5th May 7:00pm – 9:00pm

KAVALAN WHISKY TASTING – WEDNESDAY 3RD MAY

We hosted our first whisky tasting on 21st April 2007  and over the years we have enjoyed some memorable evenings with various characters from the whisky industry who have educated and entertained us.  As we celebrate 10 years of tastings we would like to say a huge thanks to all these people, and to all our suppliers who have supported us so well, and also to all of you, our wonderful customers, who have come along and helped to make the evenings such a success.

On Wednesday 3rd May we are delighted to start off this anniversary year by welcoming along for the first time Kavalan Distillery from Taiwan, a distillery who in 2007 had only been established for a couple of years and who have, in the years since, built a strong reputation worldwide.  They were the first to produce whisky in Taiwan, and their success story started when the dream of King Car founder, Mr Tien-Tsai Lee, was brought to reality with the help of Ian Chang, Master Blender, and Dr Jim Swan, whisky consultant.

The combination of quality new make spirit and hot Taiwanese summers, that speed maturation, results in a whisky that has its own distinctive character.  It is fruity, smooth, mellow and creamy but with different twists, dependent on the type of maturation cask.  The tasting will not only give you the opportunity to sample a range of diverse whiskies from the range, but also to hear direct from the Master Blender himself, Ian Chang, just how Kavalan’s multi award winning whisky is made and the story behind it.  As Ian won the title of Master Distiller of the Year in 2015 and World Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year in 2017 then this promises to be a very interesting evening.

Tickets are £15 per person and will be available to buy online from 1.30pm on Friday 31st March.  Please note, no bookings will be taken before this time and because of the high demand for these tickets the maximum number per booking is 6.

Tickets for these event always go very quickly so make sure you go online to book yours as soon as they are released.  If you do miss out then please contact us to register your interest and we will add you to the reserves list for any returned tickets.

See below for all the details and if you have any queries just contact us.

Sláinte!

Fran and Ken

Arkwrights Whisky and Wines

www.whiskyandwines.com

UPCOMING EVENT

Name KAVALAN WHISKY TASTING
Date Wednesday 3rd May 2017
Time Please arrive at the venue at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start
Venue Stanton House Hotel, Stanton Fitzwarren SN6 7SD

Details Admission to the tasting is by ticket only, and the whiskies tasted will be available to purchase on the night.  Tickets are £15 per person, and this also entitles you to a discount of £3 against a bottle of one of the featured whiskies if bought or ordered on the night of the tasting. Tickets are very strictly limited, and restricted to 4 per booking.  As these tastings usually sell out immediately it is best to book as soon as the tickets are released.  To buy tickets just log on to www.whiskyandwines.com from 1.30pm on Friday 31st March and place an order for the number you require (up to a maximum of 6). Please note that tickets cannot be reserved without payment and are non-refundable.

Mark Watt

Mark ‘Allround Fashion Guru’, ‘Nose of Cadenhead’s‘, ‘Whisky Nerd’, ‘Storyteller’, ‘Once upon a time in a Japanese bar’ Watt will be at Maltstock again. Oh, and he is going to do the Campfire tasting. Fasten your seatbelts, you’re in for a ride!!  But since most of you probably have heard his stories by now, we decided to also ask Cameron McGeachy from Cadenhead’s. Together they’ll host the campfire. Let’s see who gets burned 😉

Both sessions at Whisky in Leiden are sold out, well done Jack. You might have become a bit sad after reading this news. This is where Maltstock steps in, because we still have some tickets left for the weekend session at Maltstock. Lucky you! Last Cabin tickets still available. Why wait? You will be more relaxed with a Malstock ticket. Visit our webshop to become relaxed.

Fukano and Ohishi Whiskies

with Distillery Guests

10AM – 2PM 

 Join us March 31st for a full day of world whiskies. From 10AM-2PM we’ll be pouring Japanese whiskies by Ohishi and Fukano distilleries, presented by the distillery owners themselves. Then after a short break, we’ll be pouring Pürgeist Bavarian whiskey with distillery representatives until 4:30.

Click Here to RSVP

Japanese Whiskey Pour List:

Ohishi Brandy Cask

Ohishi Sherry Cask

Fukano Brandy Cask

Fukano Distillery

Fukano Distillery is located in Hitoyoshi City, of the Kumamoto Prefecture of Japan on the island of Kyushu. Owner Shigeruriku Fukano is the fifth generation of his family to run the distillery. They use a combination of malted and un-malted rice to make their whisky, resulting in a smooth, deliciously balanced product with hints of old wheated bourbon, sea salt, and caramel. Each bottling of this special, limited edition whisky is only available a few times a year.

Ohishi Distillery 

Ohishi is the closest distillery to the source of the Kuma River, a river reknowned for its superior water quality. Blessed with fertile soil and clear underground water, Ohishi Distillery produces it’s own rice for use in their whiskies, with traditionally organic methods – koi fish are employed to keep the rice fields free of weeds. With about 1200 Sherry and Brandy casks, Ohishi Distillery puts a lot of effort into maturing its products over a long period of time, transforming their locally produced rice liquor into engaging and flavorful whiskies.

Our guest Oishi-san is the 6th generation master distiller from this distillery.

Our guest Fukano-san is the American sales manager from Fukano Distillery