The Last Bottles sale, April 2015

10%-off at Miner’s Delight Inn 

Periodically we reach a point when we have only one unopened bottle of a particular single malt Scotch whisky remaining in inventory.

Twenty-two of our single malts have reached that point. While we can reorder 3 of the 22, 19 are irreplaceable. All 22 bottles are on sale in April at 10% off our regular price.

We have an open bottle of each of these so you can try before you buy (some have only a few wee pours remaining):

We have four unopened bottles on the backbar that are last bottles. You won’t be able to try before you buy, but they’re also available at a 10% discount:

Visit us at www.minersdelightinn.com

THIS WEEK’S EVENTS 

Outturn Preview Tasting > The Vaults, Leith – Tue 31 Mar

Your choice of 5 drams from the April Outturn to try (and buy) ahead of the crowds.

Whisky Guffaw Comedy Night > The Vaults, Leith – Wed 1 Apr

No, this is not an April Fool’s joke: we’re hosting our first Comedy Night!

Whisky and Chocolate Easter Tasting > 28 Queen St, Edinburgh – Thu 2 Apr

Kick off the holiday weekend with five delicious chocolate and whisky pairings

New List Open Tasting >  19 Greville St, London – Sat 4 Apr

Your chance to try out five single cask whiskies from this month’s new Outturn

Easter Sunday at The Vaults > The Vaults, Leith – Sun 5 Apr

Complimentary chocolate pairings with your drams for Easter

Browse All Tastings >

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 Jolly Toper Himself

Benrinnes Distillery

Thursday 2nd April 2015 £23/20* 7.30pm

Benrinnes 25yo 1988 – 07/13 Bourbon hogshead 270 bottles 53.0% Cadenheads

Benrinnes Special Release 23yo 1985 sherry casks 58.8%

Benrinnes 21yo 1983 – 2004 40% private bottling

Benrinnes Flora & Fauna 15yo 43%

Crawford’s 5 Star

* £3 discount to members.

Contact the Jolly Toper himself HERE to reserve your spot

Hi folks. The 48th auction – marking our fourth birthday – is now live.

Enjoy!

THE 48th AUCTION 

Kind Regards from Glasgow

The SWA Team

Silent Distilleries Masterclass at Hard To Find Whisky

Hard To Find Whisky in Birmingham offer one of the largest of whisky collections in the UK on display, not only that but they run daily whisky masterclasses too. The Silent Distilleries masterclass is only £100 and you get to try legendary malts like Port Ellen, Brora, St Magdalene, North Port-Brechin 1981 and Millburn 1975. The masterclasses are available Monday to Saturday from 10am till 5pm there is no need to book, simply turn up at the store.

www.htfw.com
08456803489

International Whisk(e)y Day 2015

Today’s is the most important day in the whisky calendar! 27th of March 2015 marks the seventh annual celebration of whisk(e)y around the world. ​It’s International Whisk(e)y Day! ​For those that don’t know already, ​International Whisk(e)y Day​ is a global celebration of whisky originally set up to honour the late ​Michael Jackson​: ​“On this date let every whisk(e)y lover annually raise a dram – wherever in the world he or she may be – to honour the many unsung heroes of the past and present, who have been crafting the King O’ Drinks for centuries and will hopefully continue to do so till the end of time.“

International Whisky Day is entirely non-profit and exists through volunteers and donations from those who believe in the cause. Everyone is encouraged to get involved and together we hope to raise a lot of money for ​Parkinson’s UK​ and other charities which help people suffering with the disease as Michael did.

There are lots of fun ways you can get involved but the simplest and most fun is to submit a ​#WhiskyDaySelfie​ of you and your chosen dram for the day. Maybe give a little tasting note or let everyone know who you’re sharing it with.

Host a tasting, share a bottle, have a night at the pub, raise a quiet dram at home or open that special bottle you’d been saving with your nearest and dearest. Share your celebrations, on Facebook, Twitter or wherever, with the following hashtag, #WhiskyDay2015.

Whatever you do, have fun, drink responsibly, spare a thought (and some cash) for Parkinson’s charities, and make sure you share photos with Malt Maniacs and friends.

Sláinte!

Moray Golf Club toasts links with new packages

Visitors to Scotland now have the opportunity to combine the thrill of links golf with the pleasure of sampling the very best malt whiskies through a new range of exclusive golf packages. For the first time, Moray Golf Club has introduced a range of special offers designed specifically for visitors to the club, which will host one of the UK’s most prestigious amateur championships in May.

Moray Golf Club has launched the three new experiences following the success of its ground-breaking sole-supplier agreement with one of Scotland’s most respected suppliers of wines and spirits. Along with the launch of a limited edition 15-year-old Speyside single malt, the formalisation of the club’s relationship with Gordon & MacPhail was one of the highlights of the club’s 125th anniversary celebrations last year and has now been extended to a new three-year contract.

The interest it generated also led to the creation of the new packages, as John Thomson, captain of Moray Golf Club, explained. “The link between Moray Golf Club and whisky has always been celebrated by the club, but the new packages take this connection to another level. The combination of championship links golf and whiskies from every distillery in Morayshire and Speyside is a big draw, and now our tailored packages give us the means of delivering a very special Scottish experience.”

The link between Moray Golf Club – which will host this year’s Carrick Neill Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship – and whisky cannot be overstated. The club claims to have the longest association with its own malt whisky of any golf club in the world with its own malt being created when the club was founded in 1889. Indeed, many of its founders were distillery owners who collectively laid down hogs heads of whisky for the club’s members to enjoy. The club’s own current malt is a 10-year-old Glen Moray from nearby Elgin.

Within living memory, the club whisky was bottled on site with the practice only being abandoned after committee members were overcome by fumes emanating from the bottling process. The new experience packages have been designed to celebrate this link between golf and the ‘water of life’ with the first incorporating a round of championship golf on either the Old or New Moray course followed by a whisky tasting experience created by Gordon & Macphail. Hosted in the club’s Heritage Room which overlooks the sparkling waters of the Moray Firth, The Whisky Experience includes an exhilarating round of golf with a tasting session incorporating five specially selected drams.

The second package embraces the skills needed to tackle Moray’s celebrated championship links courses by playing six holes alongside the club’s pro John Murray. What better preparation could there be than picking the brains of one of Scotland’s finest coaches and an expert in links golf? The Links Experience is a unique opportunity to get some handy links tips and to test them out on the sandy turf before a full round.

The third option combines both The Whisky Experience with The Links Experience creating a full day of learning, fun and indulgence. The experience begins with either a one-to-one or group session with Moray’s resident pro followed by a round on the magnificent Moray Old and then a visit to the Heritage Room to taste some of the finest whiskies Scotland has to offer.

“The Moray Experience brings together the very best of Moray in a fantastic day of golf and whisky,” explained Thomson. “It has been devised to cater for individuals, pairs and groups, and provides a structure around which visitors can experience a day like no other.”

The new Moray experiences have been launched to coincide with the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival and Homecoming Scotland’s Whisky Month in May which form part of the Year of Food & Drink Scotland in 2015.

Notes:

About Moray Golf Club

1) Founded in 1889, Moray Golf Club is situated in Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland. The club has two 18-hole courses appropriately called the Old Course and the New Course.

2) A classic layout designed by Old Tom Morris, the Old Course is one of the finest links courses in Scotland with one of the most memorable closing holes you’ll find in golf. At 6,572 yards, it has a par of 71. It is No 37 in Golf World’s Top 100 Scottish Courses (2013).

3) The tighter New Course was masterminded by Henry Cotton, whose preference for precision golf can be seen in the shorter layout and smaller greens. At 6,068 yards and a par of 70, it is every bit as challenging as the Old Course.

4) Closely associated with whisky, many of the club’s founders were distillers who collectively laid down various malts for the members of the club. In fact, the club has its own cask-strength collection called Founder’s Legacy which started with a 15-year-old Miltonduff. The second in the series is the current malt; the 14-year-old Mortlach (Dufftown’s oldest distillery). 5) The club’s first malt was Dailuaine before moving on to Glen Grant which lasted nearly eight decades before being replaced by The Macallan. Today, the club malt is a 10-year-old Glen Moray from nearby Elgin.

6) For more information about Moray Golf Club, visit http://www.moraygolf.co.uk/

7) For more information about the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, visit http://www.spiritofspeyside.com/

8) For more information about Whisky Month, visit http://www.visitscotland.com/ 

About Gordon & MacPhail 

Established in 1895 the family owned firm of Gordon & MacPhail has a number of business interests. It is as a retailer in Elgin; a wholesaler of wines and spirits in the UK; a bottler of Scotch whiskies, an exporter to over 60 international markets; and a distiller, owning Benromach Distillery in Forres.

Gordon MacPhail is one of the UK’s leading independent specialist wholesalers and distributors, stocking over 4,500 products, including an extensive portfolio of wines, spirits and UK specialist beers and ciders.

For more information about Gordon & MacPhail, visit http://www.gordonandmacphail.com/

Whisky sailing trips Tall Ship Thalassa 2015 and 2016

Make the once in a lifetime trip and sail with tall ship Thalassa! Sail along with us to the best single malt distilleries and visit the famous Islay Whisky Festival. During our whisky sailing trips you will discover Scotland’s coastal distilleries, enjoy the company of whisky lovers and learn from whisky professionals!

Do you prefer a rather unique combination of pure sailing pleasure with the most famous whisky distilleries of Scotland? Decide to join our whisky expeditions on board of tall ship Thalassa!

Would you like to experience such a special adventure in 2015 or 2016? Take your chances and make your reservation immediately!

Whisky sailing trips 2015 and 2016

For the third whisky trip the Thalassa will make in 2015, we still have some places available: Saturday May 30th till Saturday June 6th 

Price: € 995,- per person

The dates for the journeys in 2016 have been released:

Whisky trip 1: Saturday May 14th – Saturday May 21st 2016

Whisky trip 2: Saturday May 21st – Saturday May 28 th 2016 (during ISLAY-Whiskyfestival)

Whisky trip 3: Saturday May 28th – Saturday June 4th 2016

Sailing schedule:

Day 1: Embarkation in Troon, head towards Bruichladdich

Day 2: Sail to Port Ellen

Day 3: Leave to Bunnahabhain

Day 4: Visit distillery, sail to Port Ellen

Day 5: Port Ellen, in the afternoon sailing to Jura

Day 6: Visit distillery of Jura, leave for Campbelltown

Day 7: Visit Springbank distillery, sail to Arran, visit distillery, leave for Troon

Day 8: Disembarkation in Troon

Prices from € 995,- per person

Click here to book your journey online!  

Whisky expedition 2015 and 2016

Beside the popular whisky journeys mentioned above along the Westcoast of Scotland the Thalassa will sail a most unique whisky expedition in 2015 and 2016, starting from the rugged Westcoast, passing by the Northern treasures of Scotland and ending at the more quiet Eastcoast.

Decide to join our newest whisky expeditions and visit within one week not only the West of Scotland (Islay), but also the beautiful North (Skye and Orkney) to end this spectacular holiday at the Eastcoast, Buckie. A journey that cannot be made with regular means of transportation is within reach by ship for you.

Whisky-expedition 2015: Saturday June 6th – Saturday June 13th

Whisky-expedition 2016: Saturday June 4th – Saturday June 11th

Sailing schedule:

Day 1: Embarkation in Troon, leave for Islay

Day 2: Port Ellen, visit numerous distilleries, at evening head towards Bunnahabhain

Day 3: Visit distillery of Bunnahabhain, leave north to Skye

Day 4: Visit Tallisker distillery, sail towards Orkney

Day 5: Prolong journey to Orkney, sleep over in Stromness

Day 6: Orkney, visit distilleries of Highland Park and Scapa

Day 7: Sail to Buckie

Day 8: Disembarkation in Buckie

Price: € 995,- per person

NB: All definite sailing routes depend on wind and weather conditions. Because of this the ship’s captain has the right to change this schedule if necessary. 

The ship

During the trip the guests are facilitated on board of tall ship Thalassa in one of the 15 high quality double cabins, each with a priviate shower.

With her 14 sails, altogether 800 square metres, tall ship Thalassa makes an impressive appearance. Rigged according to century-old traditions and equipped according to the latest security regulations, tall ship Thalassa is extremely seaworthy.De Thalassa combineert uitstekende zeilprestaties met hedendaags comfort. De enthousiaste bemanning zorgt ervoor dat het u aan niets ontbreekt.

Information and online booking

More information about the whisky sailing trips and whisky expedition can be found on our special website: http://www.whiskyzeilreizen.nl/index_uk.php. For further questions please contact us by email or phone: +31 – (0)10 – 4156600

Welcome on board!

HOLLANDS GLORIE

Liesbeth Wammes – de Graaf

Brigitte Beckers

We’ve got some great events lined up in upcoming weeks.

TWO representatives from TWO different distilleries in Scotland hanging out with us. We will be welcoming James Wills from Kilchoman Distillery and Louisa Young from Arran Distillery for a get together at CA Events. March 29th  Tasting at Block Butcher in Sacramento (starts at 5:00 pm)

Tasting with Sonoma County Single Malt Society (starts at 5:00 pm). More info here. March 31st  Tasting/seminar at PlumpJack Wines & Spirits

April 1st  Tasting with The Whisky Shop SF  April 2nd  Kilchoman & Arran Educational Party @ The Daily Pint/Santa Monica at 7pm-10pm.

This is not a formal tasting, but a casual event where the goal is maximize the one-on-one time that our members get to spend with both James and Louisa. Included in the event will be a flight of 6 whiskies as well as 2 different scotch cocktails. A Kil-Roy (barrel aged Rob Roy made with Kilchoman) and an Arran Punch. Let’s loosen the collars, hang out as a club and welcome these two into sunny California. Pre registration is $20 (includes tip) or $30 at the door (doesn’t include tip).

Thank you a lot in advance and please let me know if you need any additional information.

Sam Filmus

Impex Beverages Inc

LAST CHANCE FOR THIS WEEKEND

Whisky & Beer Theme Night > The Vaults, Leith – Mon 23 Mar

As part of our Spritzich Whisky & Beer celebrations join us for a night focused on beer & whisky pairing.

New Members Tasting > 19 Greville Street, London – Tue 24 Mar

A chance for us to share our knowledge and passion for single cask whisky.

Whisky and Alechemy Beer Tasting > 28 Queen Street, Edinburgh – Wed 25 Mar

As part of our Spritzich Whisky & Beer celebrations we’ve teamed up with local craft brewers Alechemy for a night of fun, flavour and exploration.

Uk-wide Preview Tastings

Local Society Ambassadors introduce a sneak preview of some truly remarkable drams from the upcoming Outturn

Cheltenham Preview Tasting > Hotel du Vin & Bistro, Cheltenham – Fri 27 Mar

Dundee Preview Tasting > Malmaison, Dundee – Fri 27 Mar

Inverness Preview Tasting > Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness – Fri 27 Mar

Leeds Preview Tasting > Malmaison, Leeds – Fri 27 Mar

Outturn Preview Tasting > The Vaults, Leith – Tue 31 Mar

Your choice of 5 drams from the April Outturn to try (and buy) ahead of the crowds.

Browse All Tastings >

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