Events

PX MARKS THE SPOT “Events at The Whisky Exchange” – Scotch Whisky News

Sherry Cask Exclusives from The Whisky Exchange

PX marks the Spot

On Thursday 26 October, our own Billy Abbott will be hosting a tasting of Sherry Cask Exclusives from The Whisky Exchange at our Great Portland Street store. This tasting will feature our Lagavulin 1991 Cask of Distinction alongside some other highlights from our range of exclusives.

Billy is an award-winning drinks communicator passionate about all things whisky and this is a great way to discover more about this incredible style.

Sherry cask-aged whiskies are some of the most exciting and most celebrated of drams, and at The Whisky Exchange we are fortunate to have an incredible selection of exclusives. These range from more traditional examples which balance barley, warming spice and dried fruit, classic peat and sherry combos and more contemporary examples which are pushing the boundaries of flavour. On Thursday 26 October, Billy Abbott will be hosting a tasting at our Great Portland Street store featuring our Lagavulin 1991 Cask of Distinction to celebrate these brilliant drinks.

Book now 

The Details
Venue: The Whisky Exchange Great Portland Street
90-92 Great Portland Street
London
W1W 7NT
Date: 26 October 2023
Time: 7.30pm – 9.30pm
Price: £75

Book now

Recommendations for Top Whisky Distillery Centres – Scotch Whisky News

Recommendations for Top Whisky Distillery Centres

Glenfiddich – the first distillery to open a visitor centre to the public in 1969

Benriach – one of the most flavoursome experiences, featuring a bar, tasting lounge and retail space, visitors are encouraged to discover Benriach’s rich creative heritage which dates back to 1898

Nc’Nean – the greenest distillery – This pioneering whisky is not only making a big impression in the whisky industry, but is leading the way in sustainability in the spirit industry. Nc’nean is committed to the smallest environmental footprint, and has created a certified organic whisky that is made in a distillery powered by 100% renewable energy and bottled in a 100% recycled clear glass bottle, a first in the spirit industry in the UK.

GlenDronach – One of Scotland’s oldest licensed distilleries, The GlenDronach has long been established as the home of rich and characterful Single Malt Scotch Whisky, slowly matured in Spanish sherry casks. Inspired by this rich heritage and traditional craft, the enhanced visitor’s centre offers a new tasting room, whisky bar, lounge area and retail space. The experience even includes a selection of two distillery-exclusive Hand Fills which give GlenDronach connoisseurs a rare opportunity to personally fill, seal, label and sign their own cask strength bottle of The GlenDronach from a choice of two sherry casks.

Glen Moray – Glen Moray is a small authentic working distillery with bags of atmosphere and real people.  The popular visitor centre offers a range of distillery tours and tastings as well as a coffee shop and gift shop.

Port of Leith – has opened its tour bookings and reveals first-look images of the finished interior ahead of opening to the public on Wednesday October 11th.

Edinburgh Whisky Academy “Fall into study mode” 🍂 🥃 – Whisky Education News

Why learn about whisky?

I’ll give it a good go, but I don’t think you’ll ever get to the bottom of knowing every single thing there is to know about whisky!” Ever wondered why whisky is such a rich and worthwhile topic for study? We brought together a group of whisky experts and asked them why they love to learn more and more.

Learn More

A definition up for discussion?

Did you know that the current definition of single pot still whiskey does not accurately reflect the historical mashbills distilled across Ireland over the last two hundred years? Matt Healy (Certificate in Irish Whiskey teacher) highlights the upcoming public consultation period and the benefits that a potential change in definition would bring.

Learn More

Let’s talk about… barley

Make sense of how barley – a cereal packed with starch – is used by distillers in the Scotch whisky production process in this barley explainer video from one of our whisky lecturers, Vic Cameron.

Learn More

The Scotch whisky distilleries using worm tub condensers

Shell and tube condensers are modern, easier to repair/replace and thought to provide better copper contact than traditional worm tub condensers. Some distilleries do still use the worm tubs, however, and maintain that they affect the characteristics of their spirit (texturally complex, meaty and sulphury are the typical notes given).

Learn More

See you in November?

Huge thanks to the terrific candidates who joined us for a packed week of Diploma courses at Arniston House last week. It’s always a pleasure to teach such enthusiastic learners from around the globe. The November Diploma in Single Malt Whisky course (Thu 16 & Fri 17) is your last chance to join us in-person to study this year. So come along and earn your SQA-certified whisky diploma – our highest award – with us in spectacular surroundings with 15 likeminded Scotch whisky lovers.

Learn More

What’s New! Autumn Whisky Festivals incoming! – The Whisky Lounge News

We hope you have enjoyed the summer and had plenty of family (or otherwise) fun. I know it is still hot for most of us this week, but the cooling autumn is just round the corner, and I, for one, am quite looking forward to it!

With the autumn comes the 2nd half of our festival year. Liverpool is just a week away, with York, Manchester and, finally, Nottingham waiting in the wings. Tickets are still available for all of these and, if you’re quick, there might well be some juicy ‘early-birds’ still left for some of them.

I thought for this newsletter, we could focus on some new exhibitors, fresh to our festivals, for you to look out for…

Saturday 7th October 2023
York Racecourse

Buy Tickets Now!

Although not new to us, we have not had Compass Box at our events for a good few year, and god did we miss them. Creative, innovative and always pushing the whisky boundaries, the line-up they have on offer at their stands has already delighted festival-goers…

Friday/Saturday 20th/21st October 2023
Manchester Cathedral

Buy Tickets Now!

These two, relatively new distilleries are both doing very exciting things and are well worthy of your attention. WEETWOOD are a Cheshire brewery and distillery, only a (long) stones throw from both Liverpool and Manchester. Only distilling since 2018, they are very keen to experiment with all the variables that make a difference, such as different yeast strains, maturation ABVs, distillation cuts and more.

NC’NEAN, from close to Oban, Scotland, are an organic whisky-maker, with one of the only net zero carbon whisky distilleries in the world. Aside from the mission to be as planet-friendly as possible, they make very tasty whisky indeed, so be sure to seek them out in Manchester!

Saturday 4th November 2023
St.Mary’s Church

Buy Tickets Now!

Ok, so neither of these guys are new to us, sorry! However, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society have not done all of our shows for a long time and, being one of, if not THE world’s largest independent bottler, they have really gone all out this year, in terms of breadth of range. Come and see and taste for yourself! When the guys and gals at Ardnamurchan told us they wanted to more shows this year, we were very excited!

We have know Antonia of Adelphi for a long time and were delighted when the long awaited distillery came on stream in 2014. The whiskies from this beautiful, west of Scotland located distillery are very exciting too, normally with bold and slightly smoky characteristics.

Kensington Wine Market Malt Messenger No. 161 by Andrew Ferguson – Three new KWM Casks, a Ballot and more! – Whisky News!

Kensington Wine Market’s E-Whisky Newsletter

I hope this finds you well, and enjoying the first few days of fall!

As I teased last week, we have three new KWM-exclusive single casks launching today from Arran, Amrut, and Kavalan Distilleries.

Let’s start with the Arran 2013 KWM Sherry Cask 930, which is our 14th KWM exclusive single cask from the distillery. The only other distillery we’ve bottled nearly as many casks from is Kilchoman, and we have another of those coming in late October, or early November! This 9-year-old Arran is a bold but balanced sherried malt, and emblematic of what we love so much about the distillery.

The Amrut 9 Year KWM Port Pipe Cask 4660 is our 3rd store-exclusive cask of Amrut. When we selected it with Ashok Chokalingam last fall, it was to the best of our knowledge the 145th KWM exclusive single cask bottling… Ashok was so impressed that we had bottled 145 casks in less than 16 years, that he wanted to note that it was our 145th cask on the label. The whisky is lovely, but I want you to reflect on the age of the whisky for a second… it is 9 years old… very few Amruts ever reach this age!

The third cask is our first-ever Kavalan pick, the Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry KWM Cask. We’ve been fans of Kavalan ever since we help launch the brand in Canada nearly a decade ago. We are thrilled to get this bottling, not just because it is excellent, but because the Solist Sherry has only been intermittently available in recent years. Just a touch over 200 total bottles!

Also in this edition, the Compass Box Peat Monster Cask Strength, Diageo 2023 Special Releases, a Wee Ballot and more!

As always, in the event of a discrepancy in price, the point of sale at KWM will be taken as correct. Online ordering and in-store purchasing are always our preferences. You can email your requests in… but they won’t be dealt with as quickly as the web orders.

Sincerely,

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

In This Edition

1. Introducing: the Arran 2013 KWM Sherry

2. Introducing: the Amrut 2013 KWM Port Pipe

3. Introducing: the Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry KWM Cask

4. Coming Soon: Compass Box Peat Monter Cask Strength Origin Story

5. Diageo Special Releases 2023 – We’re finally worthy!?

6. A Wee Ballot of Stuff

7. KWM 2023 Whisky Calendars Update

8. On Sale!

9. Upcoming Tastings

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Introducing:

the Arran 2013 KWM Sherry Cask 930

Our 13th KWM exclusive single cask of Arran (16th if you count a couple of shared bottlings with a local club) was filled into a Sherry Butt Cask #930 on May 14th, 2013, and was bottled after 9 years on March 7, 2023, at 58.2%. We’ve bottled lots of Sherry Hoggies of Arran, but I think this is our first ever Butt, and there are 516 total bottles!

This was our last 30th Anniversary single cask bottling… but it took a little longer to get here than expected!

Arran 2013 KWM Sherry Cask 930 – 58.2% – 9 Year – Sherry Butt – My Tasting Note: “Nose: deep, rich, and earthy with dried fruits and festive spices; dark milk chocolate infused with pink peppercorns, soft new leather driving gloves, and Fruit by the Foot; Christmas Cake, sticky toffee pudding, and caramel chews; warm cinnamon-spiced apple cider, fennel seeds, and clove. Palate: dark, rich, and sherried with bags of sweet fruits and spices; more Christmas cake, sticky toffee pudding with treacle sauce, and churros; more spicy dark milk chocolate, chewy caramels, candied fennel seeds, and soft Aussie licorice; building festive spices, cinnamon, ginger, clove, and star anise; grilled figs, cooked raisins, baked apple, and more, much more… leather, tobacco, and earthy dunnage warehouse notes. Finish: warming, spicy, and toasty with a fine balance of fruits, spices, sherry, and earthy warehouse notes. Comment: a classic young sherry bomb, but with a finesse of a much older malt; big, rich, spicy, and fruity, with lots of layers; as my friend Jane would say, a rather moreish dram!” – $128+gst

Introducing: the Amrut 2013g

Our 3rd KWM exclusive cask of Amrut was selected last fall when our friend Ashok paid us a visit to the store. Distilled in August of 2013, the whisky matured 9 years in an ex-Port Pipe No. 4660, before bottling in December of 2022, after 9 years at 60%.

When Ashok was going through the samples with us, he was astounded to learn that his Amrut would be our 145th KWM exclusive cask bottling… so he put that little tidbit on the label. Shipments from India don’t happen overnight however, and in the 10 months since the cask was bottled, we’ve launched more than 10 other exclusive bottlings… But 10 months is an improvement, the last Amrut KWM cask took nearly a year and a half to reach us after selection.

It is worth noting, that at 9 years of age, this is a very mature bottling of Amrut. It is also almost certainly the first KWM-exclusive cask bottling from an ex-Port cask.

One final curiosity is the bottling strength of 60%. This is not cask strength, Amrut waters its bottlings down to 60%, if they are above, to save an enormous amount of Indian excise taxes…

Amrut 2013 9 Year KWM Port Pipe 4660 – 60% – ex-Port Pipe – My Tasting Note: “Nose: deep, jammy, and rich, with loads of chocolate and dunnage notes; soft leather and juicy tobacco; chocolate truffles, dark milk chocolate, acai berries dipped in chocolate, and chocolate fudge brownies; Fruit Source bars, stewed prunes, figs in honey, and blueberry compote; musty old oak and dunnage warehouse notes. Palate: rich, jammy, and chocolatey… so chocolatey… more acai berries dipped in chocolate, goats milk dark chocolate, fudge brownies, and cocoa nibs; soft new leather, sweet cigar tobacco, and more musty old oak; loads of dried and dark fruits: raisins, dates, and prunes; building warm spices poke out from underneath all that chocolate along with oranges and melons; and with patience it even starts going tropical! Finish: long, warming, and spicy, with oh so much chocolate… as well as a little leather and tobacco. Comment: add this to the list of things I said would never happen… we’ll never bottle a port cask matured whisky… well Ashok pulled another rabbit out of the hat for us… so much chocolate… a modicum of spices, dark fruits, leather and tobacco… and a little bit of tropical fruits to boot!” – $215+gst

Introducing:

the Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry KWM Cask

Our first-ever store-exclusive cask of Kavalan is a Solist Oloroso Sherry cask, S1705181510, to be specific. We haven’t seen much of this expression in the market in recent years, so we asked if they’d consider sending us a few samples so we could bottle our own cask. They did, and one of them stood head and shoulders above the other.

Hot climate maturation supercharges maturation, and also the angels share. So there are only 205 total bottles. Get ’em while they’re hot!

Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry KWM Cask – 52.4% – Oloroso Sherry Cask S1705181510 – My Tasting Note: “Nose: fruity, earthy, and nutty; fresh-picked raspberries, strawberries and blackberries; Marocan marmalade, canteloupe, and guava; polished oak church pews with plush leather knee cushions; cinnamon sticks, ginger root, and licorice sticks; no heat or rough edges. Palate: gorgeous delivery; fruity, spicy, and toasty; the woody spices and fruits are battling it out for supremacy while the leather, chocolateand tobacco watch from the sidelines; fennel seed, nutmeg, and clove add to the ginger, cinnamon, and licorice found on the nose; more freshly picked berry fruits, but also a dollop of jam too; marmalade and chocolate orange; more soft leather and polished out with some firm Dominican cigar tobacco. Finish: spicy, fruity, and toasty with a warming coating mouthfeel; more berry fruits, wood spices, and big sherry tones. Comment: it feels tightly wound, and ready to explode at any moment, which is saying something as it is already rather complex; but no time for that today; it is every bit as good as the sample we tried, and then some; I’d love to see how this stacks up to a twentysomething Speymalt Macallan… blind tasting coming?” – $260+gst

Coming Soon: Compass Box

Peat Monster Cask Strength Origin Story

Sadly 9000ish bottles don’t go very far when you have a global brand like Compass Box… so the Peat Monster Cask Strength is limited to 1 per person!

“To mark its 20th birthday, and to celebrate America’s influence on Scotch whisky more broadly, we have brought The Peat Monster back to where it all began. We originally created a peaty whisky called Monster for the Goldstein family at Park Avenue Liquor Shop in New York City, in 2003. It turned out to be so popular that we created a new batch, renamed it The Peat Monster and it joined our core range. The Peat Monster – like most Scotch whiskies – owes its maturation vessels to the US whisk(e)y industry and its practice of using casks only once.”

Peat Monster Cask Strength Origin Story – 56.7% – Producer Description: “To highlight the art of American coopering even further, we have finished part of the whisky used for this special Limited Edition in seasoned virgin American oak barrels, made for us in Missouri. You will notice an increased presence of vanilla and cinnamon notes compared to The Peat Monster you may be familiar with.” – Producer Tasting Note: “On the nose; sooty barbecue smoke, green apple and powerfully aromatic citrus oils, all underpinned by warming cinnamon. On the palate; tarry, smoked almond, with the seasoned virgin oak delivering added richness and vanilla notes alongside seaweed, cayenne pepper and saltiness.” – $174.99 – Limit 1Per Customer!

Diageo Special Releases 2023

We’re finally worthy!?

Finally, after years of being snubbed, or more likely just repeatedly overlooked by a clueless giant corporation that has difficulty viewing those that toil in its own shadow…, the Whisky God or Gods (if there are any) have finally seen to bestow upon us a taste of the Diageo Special Releases.

There was a time, 12+ years ago, when KWM was one of the few stores in the country that could actually sell such rare treasures, but time marches on just like that bloke named Johnnie with the giant stride.

A touch of sarcasm, in place of unconditional gratitude, might be courting hubris and it is certainly a classic case of looking the proverbial gift horse in the mouth… but I am who I am, and KWM has a brand to uphold… nihil sacrum!

Only 6-12 bottles of each, and we have no plans to steamroll any of them. First come, first serve!

About the Diageo Special Releases 2023

“The eight (we were only offered 7 of them) distillery first expressions have been expertly crafted by Malt Master Dr. Stuart Morrison in an unexpected collision of craft and culture. To bring the Special Releases to life, eight artists from across the world were chosen to illustrate the stunning packaging design, as well as inspire the liquid selection and cask finishing.”

1. Clynelish 10 Year – The Jazz Crescendo – 57.5% – Matured exclusively in first-fill bourbon American Oak casks. – Producer Tasting Note: “A richly composed, subtle example of Clynelish, elegantly imbued with rich caramel sweetness and vanilla spice while retaining excellent distillery character. Very pleasant to drink, it brings to mind a summer moorland.” – $255+gst – Limit 1 Per Customer

2. Glenkinchie 27 Year – The Floral Treasure – 58.3% – Matured in refill American & European Oak barrels and butts – Producer Tasting Note: ” One of the oldest Glenkinchie releases ever bottled, with clear features remarkably little marked by age, wears a coat of rich spiciness while its grassy heart still beats within.” – $475+gst – Limit 1 Per Customer

3. Lagavulin 12 Year – The Ink of Legends – 56.4% – Finished in Don Julio Añejo tequila casks – Producer Tasting Note: “To a Lagavulin at its most vigorous, delicious to drink and full of distillery character, the tequila finishing casks have brought indelible layers of bright, herbal smoke and dark plum fruit.” – $215+gst – Limit 1 Per Customer

4. Mortlach – The Katana’s Edge – 58% – Finished in ex-Kanosuke Japanese Whisky and ex-Pinot Noir Casks – Producer Tasting Note: “Vigorous, vibrant and vital, the subtle influence of the finely balanced finishing casks helps show a side of Mortlach never before encountered that is deeply fruity and richly rewarding.” – $450+gst – Limit 1 Per Customer

5. Roseisle 12 Year – The Origami Kite – 56.5% – First-fill ex-bourbon and refill casks. – Producer Tasting Note: “A fine baptism for a smoothly assured new malt that, in the style of this first-ever release, as in location, cleverly inhabits a country between the rich grassy, fruity bounty of central Speyside and the nutty- spicy notes of the highlands.” – $195+gst – Limit 1 Per Customer

6. The Singleton of Glendullan 14 Year – The Silken Gown – 55% – Finished in Chardonnay de Bourgogne French Oak casks – Producer Tasting Note: “A Singleton of perfect poise and balance that is quite delicious and easy to enjoy. The finishing casks have brought a lovely smooth summery brilliance to a balanced dram.” – $185+gst – Limit 1 Per Customer

7. Talisker – The Wild Explorer – 59.7% – Finished in Ruby, White, and Tawny Port Casks – Producer Tasting Note: “A full-on Talisker with rich, robust flavours that has gained rounded, fruity notes from subtle finishing, which embrace but do not tame the classic Talisker character.” – $190+gst – Limit 1 Per Customer

A Wee Ballot of Stuff

Owing to an incident we can’t speak of, there is only a tiny amount of Compass Box Delos available in Alberta, so we have lumped it into a ballot to give everyone a chance at a bottle. Rounding out this small selection is a new Speymalt Macallan from G&M, and the Michter’s 10 Year Rye. As with previous releases, we don’t have any specifics on the Macallan, other than it will be sherried… and delicious!

Before Entering the Ballot Please Read The Following

1. Note we have just 3-6 bottles of two of these, and not that many more of the other, so kindly set your expectations accordingly.

2. Don’t ask me for your favourites, or to enter you in the ballot, you can do that yourself… I will delete the email without replying… I get too many emails most days as it is!

3. The deadline to enter the ballot is 8AM MT, Monday, October 2.

4. In order to enter the ballot, you must be in our POS at KWM, and have made at least one purchase of $0.01 or more since April 1 of 2023. I do check this, and I excluded 50 entries in last month’s Springbank ballot.

5. Please do not call or email to ask if your name has been selected, we will try to contact those not selected to purchase a bottle by October 6, if not sooner.

6. Please do not enter into the ballot for any bottles you do not intend to purchase.

7. And we kindly ask that you not be a dick by entering the ballot for any bottles you have already managed to acquire elsewhere. Please give someone else an opportunity to buy it!

Bottles available in this ballot:

1. Compass Box Delos Blended Scotch Whisky – 49% – Producer Description: “Littered with mosaics and ruined ancient temples, the island of Delos embodies the ideal of a beautiful, classical sanctuary. It is the perfect name for a whisky that reimagines Asyla using antique, rarefied components. Malt whiskies from the Glen Elgin, Imperial and Miltonduff distilleries – all from American oak barrels – bring enticing exotic fruit and vanilla notes while lush and fragrant grain whisky preserves the delicate mouthfeel that was Asyla’s hallmark.” – Producer Tasting Note: “A sweet succulence that breaks upon the nose in soft waves: ripe pear, pineapple, orange oil and vanilla cream. A medley of fruit tarts and white chocolate soothe the palate, while the maturity of the component whiskies gradually builds to reveal guava, heather honey and chai spices.” – $450+gst – Only available by ballot!

2. G&M Speymalt Macallan 2001 – 54.6% – Bottled 2002 (we think) – Producer Tasting Note (prior release): “Rich stewed fruit aromas with vanilla pod. The palate hods summer berries, Seville orange and black pepper. The finish is spicy with lingering charred oak.” – $515+gst – Only available by ballot!

3. Michter’s 10 Year Rye – 46.4% – Producer Description: “One of our most limited production items, Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye continues the legacy of America’s first whiskey variety (rye) from America’s first whiskey company (Michter’s, originally known as Shenk’s). After a nearly three year absence from the market, Michter’s then Master Distiller Willie Pratt finally gave the green light for the re-release of Michter’s 10 Year Straight Rye in April 2014.” – Producer Tasting Note: “Deep notes of vanilla and toffee, toasted almonds and cinnamon with an ample dose of crushed pepper and a hint of orange citrus.” – $275+gst Only available by ballot!

ENTER THE BALLOT HERE

KWM 2023 Whisky Calendars Update

Pre-orders have been brisk for the KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar and UBER Whisky Calendar. A little over half of our production of the KWM 2023 Whisky Calendars have already been reserved.

The calendars are ready for pickup, and we are hopeful we’ll be able to share the artwork next week.

I won’t fill up this newsletter rehashing all the details, you can read about them on our website, linked below!

KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar – 25x 28ml premium whiskies most of them aged 14 years or more with five of them in their twenties. The calendar includes a wee Glencairn Glass, discount card, and we will be doing 5 day recap tastings in December. Visit the website for more info! – $290+gst

This is just a short list of some of the current deals, you can browse all sale items here!

1. Bushmills 16 Year – 40% – Matured in Bourbon and Sherry Casks, and Finished in Port – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: The robustness of the three woods is immediately evident with big aromas of treacle toffee intermingling with sweet spice accents of cinnamon and nutmeg. Taste: Robust flavours of caramelised peaches and mango marry notes of toasted almonds and walnuts, giving exceptional depth and complexity. Finish: Layered and lingering, initial notes of concentrated jammed berries lead to a silky milk chocolate finish.” – Regular $135 – Save 25% – SALE $101.24

2. Compass Box Orchard House – 46% – Producer Tasting Note: “Aromas of apple and pear dominate, with hints of pineapple, lemon and lime zest, and Earl Grey tea. Take a sip and note the malty and gingery flavours. These are soon joined by honey, wild strawberries and vanilla shortbread.” – Regular $74 – Save 20% – SALE $59.19

3. Glen Scotia Double Cask – Regular – 46% – – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Crème Caramel, Toffee, Apple and Peach, Sea Spray. Taste: Rich spicy fruits, toffee, fudge. Finish: Vanilla oak and gentle spice.” – $78 – Save 25% – SALE $58.49

4. Woodford Reserve Bourbon – 45.2% – Evan’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Big cherry notes right off the get-go. Red Twizzlers, peach nectar, hickory-smoked peanuts still in the shell, brown sugar, and puffed wheat squares. Palate: Cherry-flavoured cough syrup, chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, peppermint tea, fresh peach slices, bananas, and cinnamon sugar doughnut twists. Finish: Fruity and sweet but a bit drying – like a heavily steeped tea on the fade.” – Regular $61 – Save 25% – SALE $45.74

Upcoming Tastings

Old Pulteney Distillery Vertical with Maurice Chevallier

·     Date: Tuesday, October 3rd·     Time: 7 PM·     Cost: $80·     VIRTUAL TASTING·     Only 9 spots left!
UPDATE: Maurice Chevallier, Old Pulteney Brand Ambasador, will be joining us for the tasting! The staff here at KWM have a soft spot for the savoury whiskies from the Pulteney Distillery on Scotland’s North Sea coast. With the return of the Old Pulteney 25 Year, and a 1982 vintage Gordon & MacPhail bottling kicking around, there was no better time to pull together an epic vertical of whiskies from the Pulteney Distillery. Participants will sample through 7 Pulteney whiskies, with a collective age of about 130 years… Andrew might even dig up some of his photos from the distillery! Tuesday, October 3rd @ 7 PM

Our full fall tasting schedule is now live online!

Benromach 2002 KWM Cask Launch with Richard Urquhart

·     Date: Tuesday, October 10th

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $40

·     VIRTUAL TASTING

·     Only 9 spots left!

To celebrate the launch of our 5th KWM exclusive cask of Benromach, we are putting on a vertical tasting of 8 Benromach whiskies, half of which are single casks. The lineup includes the Benromach Core Range bottlings of 10, 15, and 21-year-olds, as well as the Benromach Contrasts Triple Distilled. For the single casks, we have the new Benromach Polish Oak, a 2007 cask bottled for Calgary’s SinDicate whisky club, and two different KWM casks: our sold-out 2003, and the new 2002. Best of all, and this is late-breaking news… Richard Urquhart will be joining us for the tasting! Tuesday, October 10 @ 7 PM

Wolfburn 10 Years in the Making with Mark Westmorland

·     Date: Thursday, October 12th

·     Time: 6 PM

·     Cost: $25

·     VIRTUAL TASTING

Wolfburn is the first of the dozens of Scottish distilleries which opened in the 2010s to bottle a 10-year-old whisky. To mark the occasion we’re doing a Wolfburn vertical tasting with Brand Ambassador Mark Westmorland. We’ll sample through 7 different expressions of Wolfburn, including the soon-to-be-released Wolfburn 10 Year old! Thursday, October 12th @ 6 PM

Admiring Archives Whiskies

·     Date: Friday, October 13

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $70

·     VIRTUAL TASTING

We can’t resist the beautiful labels Whiskybase puts on their Archives whiskies, and as for the liquid, it doesn’t disappoint. Our selection for this tasting includes whiskies from Benrinnes, Caol Ila, Fettercairn, Longmorn, Miltonduff and a Secret Islay from 1990… And maybe, just maybe we might be able to get one of the Whiskybase guys to join us! Friday, October 13, 5PM

Battle of the Bens: Ben Nevis7

·     Date: Tuesday, October 24

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $100

·     VIRTUAL TASTING

The concept here is pretty simple, we are pitting 7 Ben Nevis bottlings in a head to head to head… you get the idea… tasting! We have cobbled together a range of Ben Nevis’ from Boutique-y, Decadent Drinks, Maltbarn, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, and Whiskybase. Which ones will reign supreme… only those who join us in battle will find out!

Tuesday, October 24, 7PM

Whisky Agency Wonders

·     Date: Tuesday, October 31

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $90

·     VIRTUAL TASTING

Looking for something to do after the kids crash from their sugar high, or while you hide in the basement with the lights off so no one comes trick or treating at your door? We have the tasting for you!

German-based The Whisky Agency is one of the most interesting and influential independent bottlers whose whiskies are highly sought after in Europe and Asia. We recently got a very interesting shipment we are just dying to try, so naturally we built a tasting around them. In you have the courage to join us, you’ll taste your way through Bowmore 1996, Bruichladdich 2004, Glenburgie 1995, Ledaig 2009, a pair of Macduffs from 2011 in sherry, and a 2007 Secret Islay single malt. Tuesday, October 31 @ 7PM

Elements of Islay & More with Celine Tetu

·     Date: Friday, November 3

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $50

·     IN PERSON

Our friend Lily, aka Celine Tetu, will be our special guest as we sample our way through the new Elements of Islay core range and some other treats from the Elixir Distillers Portfolio; think Single Malts of Scotland and Port Askaig. While this lineup will be peat forward, you can be assured something old and dignified will make an appearance too! Friday, November 3 @ 7PM

Introducing Claxton’s with Thomas Roskams & Martin Burnett

·     Date: Saturday, November 4

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $50

·     VIRTUAL TASTING

We are thrilled to introduce Claxton’s whisky to the Canadian market, and will be joined for this virtual tasting by Claxton’s Whisky Director Tom Roskams & General Manager Martin Burnett. For the occasion, we’ve pulled together an eclectic selection of malts, both young and old: Arran 2011, Glasgow 2017, Glen Grant 1998, Glenrothes 1988, Mannochmore 2008, Royal Brackla 2010, and Tobermory 1995. The early start time is to accommodate our special guests, who will be joining us live from the UK! Saturday, November 4, 5 PM

Revisiting BenRiach & GlenDronach

·     Date: Tuesday, November 7

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $50

·     VIRTUAL TASTING

It has been a wee while since we shone a little light on BenRiach and GlenDronach, two of our favourite Speyside Distilleries. So we’ve pulled together a selection of 7 malts, 3 from BenRiach (including the new 16 Year and a 1997 single cask) and 4 from GlenDronach (including the 15, an old 18, and the 21). The KWM whisky team will be joined by Calin Manuel from Brown Forman Canada for the occasion. Tuesday, November 7 @ 7PM

Fall Single Malt Festival – Night 1

 

·     Date: Thursday, November 9

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $65

·     FESTIVAL

Our ever popular Fall Single Malt Festival is back, and as with last year, we are offering two more or less identical Fall Single Malt Festivals, two weeks apart, to give as many of our whisky friends as possible a chance to attend. There will be up to 100 whiskies to sample, and the price includes a KWM logo glass Glencairn whisky glass. As always our neighbour Peasant cheese will be lining your stomachs with delicious cheese, charcuterie, sausage rolls, and other treats! Both Festivals are limited to 90 participants and we are asking people to only register for one date or the other, and not both, out of respect for our other customers. Thursday, November 9, 7 PM – 9 PM.

The Scotch Guy’s First 20 Years: A Retrospective Tasting – Virtual

·     Date: Tuesday, November 21

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $60

·     VIRTUAL TASTING

Andrew, aka the Scotch Guy, started his career in whisky at KWM on November 24, 2003, making this his 20th Anniversary in the business. One of our other whisky team members came up with the idea of doing a retrospective tasting, where he could reflect back on his journey, and some of the interesting brands that helped chart his course. Andrew will host both virtual and in-person versions of this tasting (on different nights), with the same range of whiskies. The lineup is still in flux… but it will include a new 10-year-old cask of Kilchoman 100% Islay, bottled to mark his anniversary, and some long sold-out KWM exclusive casks of Arran (19 Year) and Imperial (29 Year), as well as whiskies from Ardbeg, Bruichladdich, Springbank, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. You’ll sample 8 great whiskies, while Andrew waxes nostalgic sharing some of his favouirte stories, a few tall tales, and a handful of old photos! Tuesday, November 21 @ 7PM

Fall Single Malt Festival – Night 2

·     Date: Thursday, November 23

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $65

·     FESTIVAL

Our ever popular Fall Single Malt Festival is back, and as with last year, we are offering two more or less identical Fall Single Malt Festivals, two weeks apart, to give as many of our whisky friends as possible a chance to attend. There will be up to 100 whiskies to sample, and the price includes a KWM logo glass Glencairn whisky glass. As always our neighbour Peasant cheese will be lining your stomachs with delicious cheese, charcuterie, sausage rolls, and other treats! Both Festivals are limited to 90 participants and we are asking people to only register for one date or the other, and not both, out of respect for our other customers. Thursday, November 23, 7 PM – 9 PM.

The Scotch Guy’s First 20 Years: A Retrospective Tasting – In-Person

·     Date: Friday, December 1

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $65

·     IN PERSON

Andrew, aka the Scotch Guy, started his career in whisky at KWM on November 24, 2003, making this his 20th Anniversary in the business. One of our other whisky team members came up with the idea of doing a retrospective tasting, where he could reflect back on his journey, and some of the interesting brands that helped chart his course. Andrew will host both virtual and in-person versions of this tasting (on different nights), with the same range of whiskies. The lineup is still in flux… but it will include a new 10-year-old cask of Kilchoman 100% Islay, bottled to mark his anniversary, and some long sold-out KWM exclusive casks of Arran (19 Year) and Imperial (29 Year), as well as whiskies from Ardbeg, Bruichladdich, Springbank, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. You’ll sample 8 great whiskies, while Andrew waxes nostalgic sharing some of his favorite stories, a few tall tales, and a handful of old photos! Friday, December 1 @ 7PM

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Raise a glass to the finalists of the Scottish Whisky Awards 🥃 – Scotch Whisky News

 

Finalist Announced in
5th Annual
Scottish Whisky Awards 

The Scottish Whisky Awards, the national celebration for achievements in the Scotch whisky industry, has unveiled its list of finalists as part of its 5th annual competition. 40 distilleries and 174 Scotch Whiskies have been selected in the competition following judging which included a comprehensive blind tasting event when over 1200 samples of whisky were poured and presented to an expert judging panel.

With results now processed and independently audited, finalists in 11 taste categories and 6 business categories have now been revealed in the awards, the only one of its kind in Scotland.

Learn More

UPCOMING RELEASE* 17 Year Old American Oak Whisky – Tasmanian Whisky News

Old & Rare
American Oak Second-Fill
17 Year Old Whisky

17 years in the making, on Monday we release our oldest American oak second-fill yet. On the 19th of January, 2021 our sensory panel tasted TD0064 and said “Watch this cask – it’s going places”. They were right. Over two years and 21 tastings later, a 17 year long maturation has created a graceful, warm, complex, and comforting tapestry of flavour.

17 Year Old American Oak Second-Fill TD0064

TD0064 offers a harmonious blend of sweet citrus, tropical fruits, earthiness, tannin, and sweet, old oak notes – an absolute treasure. By the grace of second-fill American oak and the skill, patience and restraint of the Sullivans Cove production team, we have an exceptionally memorable, Old & Rare whisky. Matured for 17 years in a second-fill 300L American oak cask, yielding just 446 bottles of Sullivans Cove single cask whisky.

Read the full tasting notes here

This whisky will be released via ballot. The ballot will open for 26 hours from 10am Hobart time on Monday 25th of September. Further details will be sent via email (sign up at our website) prior to the ballot opening.

A note on our ballot system. 

Our policy is one entry per person, per household, per ballot. Our fraud detection algorithm detects multiple entries and removes them to ensure our whisky lands in the hands of our genuine supporters, so to ensure your entry counts, please enter each ballot once only. If you have any questions around our ballot process, you can email us at info@sullivanscove.com Successful entries will be notified shortly after the ballots close.

What’s New! Autumn Whisky Festivals incoming! – The Whisky Lounge News

We hope you have enjoyed the summer and had plenty of family (or otherwise) fun. I know it is still hot for most of us this week, but the cooling autumn is just round the corner, and I, for one, am quite looking forward to it!

With the autumn comes the 2nd half of our festival year. Liverpool is just a week away, with York, Manchester and, finally, Nottingham waiting in the wings. Tickets are still available for all of these and, if you’re quick, there might well be some juicy ‘early-birds’ still left for some of them.

I thought for this newsletter, we could focus on some new exhibitors, fresh to our festivals, for you to look out for…

Saturday 16th September 2023
The Crypts

Buy Tickets Now!

Annandale have been with us a for a year or so now, but in the short time they have, they have swept the honours in terms of Dram of the Day! Making both, peated and unpeated single Lowland malt whisky and having the mystique of the Dr. Jim Swan connection, they are well worth seeking out! We are delighted to re-introduce

Buffalo Trace to you! It has been a very long time since we were able to do that, and we are hugely excited to broaden the range of American whiskies in our shows, especially with those from such a historical and legendary name. Our gain is your gain!

Saturday 7th October 2023
York Racecourse

Buy Tickets Now!

Although not new to us, we have not had Compass Box at our events for a good few year, and god did we miss them. Creative, innovative and always pushing the whisky boundaries, the line-up they have on offer at their stands has already delighted festival-goers…

Friday/Saturday 20th/21st October 2023
Manchester Cathedral

Buy Tickets Now!

These two, relatively new distilleries are both doing very exciting things and are well worthy of your attention. WEETWOOD are a Cheshire brewery and distillery, only a (long) stones throw from both Liverpool and Manchester. Only distilling since 2018, they are very keen to experiment with all the variables that make a difference, such as different yeast strains, maturation ABVs, distillation cuts and more.

NC’NEAN, from close to Oban, Scotland, are an organic whisky-maker, with one of the only net zero carbon whisky distilleries in the world. Aside from the mission to be as planet-friendly as possible, they make very tasty whisky indeed, so be sure to seek them out in Manchester!

Saturday 4th November 2023
St.Mary’s Church

Buy Tickets Now!

Ok, so neither of these guys are new to us, sorry! However, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society have not done all of our shows for a long time and, being one of, if not THE world’s largest independent bottler, they have really gone all out this year, in terms of breadth of range. Come and see and taste for yourself! When the guys and gals at Ardnamurchan told us they wanted to more shows this year, we were very excited!

We have know Antonia of Adelphi for a long time and were delighted when the long awaited distillery came on stream in 2014. The whiskies from this beautiful, west of Scotland located distillery are very exciting too, normally with bold and slightly smoky characteristics.

DISCOVER SOME AMAZING BLENDS TODAY! – Aberdeen Whisky Shop News

Blends are some of the most underrated whiskies out there, getting a bad rep from some lower-quality products available on the market. But blending can be used to create unique and complex whisky profiles that can truly stand out from the single malt crowd. The art of blending is often overlooked and undervalued, yet it is a skill that requires a great deal of expertise and experience to perfect. The most successful blends are those where the individual components are perfectly balanced, creating a whisky that is greater than the sum of its parts.

DISCOVER SOME AMAZING BLENDS TODAY!

USE CODE

BLENDS10

AT CHECKOUT

SHOP NOW

Offer ends Sunday 17/09/2023 at 11.59pm

Aberdeen Whisky Shop
474 Union Street, Aberdeen, United Kingdom, AB10 1TS

Scotch Malt Whisky Society “The Gathering is HERE” – Scotch Whisky News

The Gathering is officially upon us! And you are in for a treat as we have a PACKED calendar of tastings and events at our venues, partner bars, Members’ Rooms and more throughout the month. It’s a great time to get involved and make the most of your membership.

The Gathering is our annual celebration of everything that makes the Society unique. The festival is for all members, no matter where you are in the world. It’s the time of year you’ll hear our rallying cry ALL TOGETHER NOW!

NEW OUTTURN

GATHERING EVENTS

 

Our Gathering tasting events are just around the corner, so book your tickets now and don’t miss the party! Continue to browse ALL events at the Society or scroll on to see what events are close by so you don’t miss out on the celebrations.

SEE WHAT”S ON

GUINNESS WORLD RECORD: BIGGEST ONLINE TASTING

As part of our 40th anniversary celebrations this year, we’re attempting to set a Guinness World Record for the largest online whisky tasting. This will be a 45-minute, three-dram tasting on Saturday, 30 September 2023 at 2pm BST. For those of you who can’t join us at an in-person event, we invite you to join us in sharing these drams online at our virtual tasting.

We have virtual tasting packs available on the website NOW, so make sure you are part of this MAVERICK moment! BUY your tasting packs and be sure to read the instructions on how to make sure your tasting on the day counts.

PURCHASE YOUR TASTING PACK

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

SMWS LOGO 2017 NEW


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