catawiki whisk(e)y auction

Looking for something to share at Maltstock 2016? Please read on:

Who doesn’t enjoy a glass of very fine whiskey? At the online Whiskey auctions presented by Catawiki auctions, you’ll find stunning selections of over 300 magnificent whiskeys every week.

A very special selection of whiskeys Every week, Catawiki presents bidders with exclusive listings including vintage and limited edition whiskeys by labels like Macallan, Ardberg, Highland Park, Port Ellen, Glenfiddich, Jack Daniels, and many others. Our two weekly Whiskey auctions start Fridays at 12:00 (CET). The regular Whiskey auctions end Wednesdays from 20:00 (CET), and our Exclusive Whiskey auctions, featuring various (extremely) hard to find editions, end Sundays at 14:00 (CET).

Our auctions are truly exceptional in that they are compiled and supervised by specialised auctioneers – guaranteeing a varied and high quality selection. Care to have a sniff around? Visit our auctions here.

HTFW @ The Harrow Whisky Festival 2016

TRY SOME 20 YEAR OLD BOURBON!

BECAUSE WHY NOT?

The guys at Michter’s have just confirmed their line-up for our Michter’s Ambassador Night on the 26th October. The highlight is a phenomenal 20 year old Bourbon which we had the pleasure of sampling at this year’s Whisky Show, needless to say it’s a real treat! Oh, and if we didn’t mention  it, you get your ticket price back against a bottle of Michter’s on the evening, can’t say fairer than that! More…

Amrut Whisky Tasting – single malt from India

Something a little different for our latest TWE Vinopolis tasting – Indian single malt. It has taken time for Indian whiskies to be taken seriously by traditional whisky drinkers, but the best now stand toe-to-toe with their Scotch counterparts – and sometimes beat them. Our host was the engaging Ashok Chokalingam from Amrut Distillery, based in Bangalore in southern India.

In Their Own Words – Ashok Chokalingam

 ‘When you say “India”, you say “chicken tikka masala” or “Bollywood”, but “single malt whisky”? No chance!’
‘India is the largest consumer of whisky in the world – 350 million cases a year’
‘Our first product was rum, in 1950. Then we started making brandy in 1970, and finally in 1980, we started malt distillation’
‘We get the majority of our barley from the north west of India, from Rajasthan and the Punjab’
‘To start with, Amrut was never sold in India. The first place we sold a bottle was Glasgow’
‘We did a blind tasting with three Amruts and three Scottish whiskies and we won hands down!’
‘Amrut distillery is at 900 metres altitude – the highest Scottish distillery is Braeval at 330 metres’
‘There used to be a theory that to make good whisky, you need to use water filtered through limestone, and so on. That is rubbish; nothing but marketing. Why do you think that every distillery in the world uses demineralised water to reduce the alcohol level in their whisky?’
‘Do I add water to my whisky? If people are being horrible to me, then no – straight down! But most of the time, yes, a few drops’
‘Every single Amrut whisky has that liquorice/anise character that comes from tropical maturation’

 We Tasted
Amrut Single Malt – tropical fruit, candied orange, toffee and vanilla. Fruit salad in a glass.
Amrut PX Single Cask – dark berries, boozy raisins, dark chocolate and espresso, very rich.
Amrut Naarangi – Oranges and lemons, honey and malt, oat biscuits and syrup. Sweet, clean and full flavoured.
Amrut Portonova – Butterscotch Angel Delight, with liquorice, cherry and toffee, plus refreshing red fruits.
Amrut Fusion – Stone fruit, sea spray and cloves, with cinnamon, black pepper and clean citrus. Great balance; an absolute bargain.
Amrut Indian Peated Malt – Tar and smoke, with a refreshing fruity, nutty note. Rich earthiness combined with sweet spice. Plenty going on here.

Best #TWETASTING TWEET

@TWELondonBridge @Amrutsinglemalt Peated. Germolene cheesecake palate. Tastes better than it sounds.

Whisky of the night

It has to be Amrut Fusion. Made with Scottish and Indian barley, this is a phenomenal whisky for under 50 quid. Jim Murray gave it a whopping 97/100 in his 2015 Whisky Bible.

Nose: Fresh and tinned fruit – peaches, mangos, apricots, plus spicy cinnamon and clove, joined by aromas of Earl Grey tea and just a touch of smoke and sea spray.
Palate: A real hit of fresh fruit and citrus-orange notes, with black pepper and cinnamon adding a zingy layer of spice. Rich and refreshing; absolutely delicious.
Finish: The spice and fruit linger for a long time.
Many thanks to Ashok for an entertaining tasting – each whisky was very well received, particularly the Fusion and the Naarangi. What came through was his persistence to put Indian whisky on the map, travelling the world to persuade bars and retailers to stock Amrut. His hard work has paid off.

NEW EVENT FOR FANS OF WHISKEY DEBUTS IN LONDON THIS NOVEMBER

An exciting event for any casual or serious fans of scotch, bourbon, whiskey or cocktails

A new event is making a debut in London this November. A lively and fun night out for any fans of whiskey who may discover new brands, drinks and favourites along the way. Split into four sections: scotch, bourbon, whiskey and whiskey cocktails, there is something for all levels of knowledge catering for beginners right through to the aficionado.

The event takes place at Conway Hall in Red Lion Square, London on Saturday 28^th November at 7pm. Tickets are £10 each and available online now.

This new festival makes its debut in London before going nationwide next year. Originating from a simple idea: to explore the world of whiskey comprehensively, whilst having fun and ensuring inclusivity for any level of knowledge in the attendee.

Music, speakers and representatives from the brands are all comprising factors of the events and even people with no interest in whiskey can sample the cocktail menu and still enjoy the night!

Organiser Catherine Jackson is keen to develop a burgeoning whiskey interest and share her enthusiasm with as many people as possible:

“I had so many friends who were knowledgeable about different whiskeys and I was often lost as to where to start. I wanted to dip my toe into the differences and similarities within the brands and learn how to judge which finishes and ages suited my tastes more but I wanted to do so with friends and have a good night out at the same time.

There are some wonderful, smaller independent distillers involved next to household names so there is a true mix of brands to sample. A rockabilly band is providing our entertainment for the evening and a photo booth will provide a permanent memory of the night. It’s going to be great fun and we can’t wait to share it!”

To learn more about the business and the event visit http://www.thewhiskeyaffair.co.uk/

Free Balblair Masterclass at Hard To Find Whiskies!

OCTOBER TASTINGS

Flavour Profile Tasting – 28 Queen St – Thu 15 Oct  More >

Uisge Source Tasting – 19 Greville St – Tue 20 Oct  More >

Perth Preview Tasting – The Salutation Hotel – Fri 23 Oct  More >

Sheffield Preview Tasting – Leopold Hotel – Fri 23 Oct  More >

Greenock Preview Tasting – The Tontine Hotel – Fri 23 Oct  More >

Duck’s at Kilspindie Preview Tasting – Ducks, Aberlady – Fri 23 Oct  More >

New Members’ Tasting – 19 Greville St – Tue 27 Oct  More >

Cheese & Whisky Tasting – The Vaults – Thu 29 Oct  More >

Manchester Preview Tasting – Malmaison – Fri 30 Oct  More >

Cheltenham Preview Tasting – Hotel du Vin & Bistro – Sat 31 Oct  More >

Melrose Preview Tasting – Town House Hotel – Sat 31 Oct  More >

Which Whisky is Witch? – 28 Queen St – Sat 31 Oct  More >

FREE ENTERTAINMENT AT THE VAULTS

FREE Live Music >  Mon 19 Oct

Browse All Tastings >

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ Contact:mailto:sales@smws.comor 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

Michter’s American Whiskey Tasting: Friday 23rd October

Price: £20.00 Date: Friday 23rd October Time: 7:00PM Location: N&P Cellars Book tickets online:

Join us as we take a look at these award-winning Small Batch American Whiskies all the way from the Michter’s distillery in Louisville, Kentucky.

Michter’s Whiskey is made from top notch American corn and is matured to the peak of perfection before it’s bottled at the distillery. There is no surprise that this whiskey is some of the best that comes out of the US, it’s crafted by master distiller Willie “Dr. No” Pratt who has over 40 years’ experience in the whisky industry. Willie is quite known for refusing to release whiskey to the bottling stage until he feels it is just right, even though the whiskey may already be significantly older than the age stated on the label. We assure you, this stuff is seriously tasty!

“…a magnificent style of whiskey…big, confident, high class…a glorious piece of heritage.” The Complete Guide to Whiskey, Jim Murray

As Maxim Magazine enthused, “Bask in the aftertaste and never brush your teeth again!”Phone 01384 394518 or email us for more details

JUST WHISKY’S LATEST AUCTION ENDING TONIGHT!

Just Whisky has been live over the past few days with their 23^rd auction. There are 1026 lots in total and there is something to suit every budget. There are hundreds of reasonably priced bottles for the keen whisky drinker. There are the usual big hitters from the well-known silent distilleries and the likes of Macallan, Ardbeg etc, but for drinking can there be better value? 

The auction will end at 8PM on Sunday 11^th October

What about Independent bottlings?

Aside from the main headline grabbing bottles, we think there are many opportunities to drink some whisky you wouldn’t otherwise be able to get a hold of at a price which is more touchable for a lot of us. A large amount of whisky from independent bottlers goes under the radar when compared to their ‘official’ siblings released by the distillery. This often makes releases from independent bottlers outstanding value and a fantastic way to try new, high quality whisky without breaking the bank.

So what can you look for when searching for a good quality independent bottling? Whisky reviews are often plentiful, but be careful – a rave review can often bump up the price of a bottle which otherwise could have been a complete bargain! One such example is the recent release from Cadenhead’s. A 24 year old from Littlemill distillery received extremely high praise from a particularly well known review site “Whisky Fun”. On the back of this review the price over tripled last month (from £110 to £375!). Of course not all releases receive such high praise from prominent figures in the whisky world, but nevertheless there are outstanding quality drams out there for the tasting.

Well respected independent bottlers include, but are not limited to, Signatory Vintage, Hunter Laing, the aforementioned Cadenhead’s, Gordon & MacPhail, Duncan Taylor, Douglas Laing, Malts of Scotland, La Maison Du Whisky and many more, even Gleann Mor (see what we did there … )

Anyway we have highlighted some examples for you guys (& gals) below, and linked to the areas in the auction you can place your bids.

Bidding ends at 8PM UK Time on the 11^th October. Any bid placed in the last 5 minutes extends that auction by 15 minutes.

Convalmore-Glenlivet 36 Years Old 1977 – Cadenhead’s Small Batch

Convalmore-Glenlivet single malt, bottled by Cadenhead’s. This 36 year old Speyside whisky was distilled in 1977 and left to mature in bourbon Hogshead barrels until 2013, when it was bottled for the Small Batch range. Only 288 bottles produced.

Mortlach 21 Years Old 1992 – Douglas Laing Director’s Cut

The Directors’ Cut from bottlers Douglas Laing & Co. A 21 year old Finest Single Malt Scotch Whisky distilled at Mortlach Distillery in September 1992 then bottled December 2013 from a single sherry butt. One of 255 bottles, produced at natural cask strength and colour. Un-chill filtered.

Macallan 25 Years Old 1984 – The Crowther MacDougall

This single malt whisky was distilled at the Macallan distillery in 1984 and matured in cask number 7821 until its 25th year. It was malt sourced from Michael Crowther’s own maltings that helped produce this dram of considerable character. The cask was bottled in 2010 and was selected and bottled by Michael’s son Angus.

Port Ellen 29 Years Old 1979 – Old & Rare Platinum Selection

Distilled in December 1979 then bottled in February 2009 at natural cask strength, this 29 year old single cask expression from silent Port Ellen Distillery was bottled by Douglas Laing as part of their Platinum Old & Rare selection exclusively for World Duty Free. 

The auction will end at 8PM on Sunday 11^th October

View the rest of the Auction here

15 might be the magical number: there are a few seats left for the “15 year old” Scotch Whisky class this Saturday at 2:30 pm. 

Click here to register

The Brandy Library 25 N. Moore Street, New York, NY 10013