Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• 1976 North Port – Brechin 28 Year Old Malt Cask Single Malt 750ml – 1 available ($219.99)

• 1982 Port Ellen 25 year old, Old Malt Cask Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 3 available ($324.99)

Scotland – Spirits Pre-Arrival

• 1994 Glendronach K&L Exclusive 17 Year Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($99.99) While ensconsed deep in the countryside of the Eastern Scottish Highlands, David OG and I sat at a small table in a low-lit guesthouse and marveled at the quality of the Glendronach single malts. I immediately blogged via the K&L Spirits Journal website that the 12 year old was the “best single malt that no one is drinking!” Very much like Springbank whiskies sans the peat smoke, Glendronach has an unctuous, chewy mouthfeel that isn’t overly cloying or too saturated with sweet sherry. We knew that if we could find a single barrel that tasted similiar to the amazing 12 year, we would have a real winner on our hands. The next morning we scoured the warehouses in search of the perfect expression and we found it in a 1994 barrel that had been briefly finished in PX sherry cask. Earthy notes from the warehouse aging permiate the rich, oily flavors of vanilla, raisined fruit, and cakebread. The cask strength proof really keeps the sweetness at bay and the result is a fabulously balanced malt that should appeal to just about everyone. This is the barrel everyone will overlook, but I’d bet my salary it’s the one that will get the best reviews. -David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer

• 1998 Springbank K&L Exclusive 13 Year Single Bourbon Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($84.99) We purchased this amazing bourbon cask of Springbank directly from the distillery during our 2011 visit to Campbeltown. Both David OG and I wanted something that exemplified the true character of Springbank – that unmistakable dense mouthfeel, brimming with chewy, gum-smacking texture and viscosity. Springbank whisky from a straight bourbon cask is one of the true pleasures in life. While the heavily sherried versions of the malt are wonderful in their own way, the sweetness from the sherry tends to mask some of qualities we love so much. We tasted this 13 year straight out of the barrel and loved the rich tannins provided from the wood, the intense vanilla aromas, and the nutty flavors that intermingled with salty accents. Seeing that Springbank was one of the true highlights of our trip, we really wanted to pick a cask that faithfully represented just what we loved so much. This whisky does exactly that. -David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer

• 1997 Springbank K&L Exclusive 14 Year Single Madeira Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($89.99) Upon our 2011 visit to Springbank, we knew we wanted to purchase a single bourbon cask, but we were open to other options were we to find another very special barrel. Of course, that’s exactly what happened. One of the most beloved whiskies in K&L customer history was a 2000 Springbank that was finished in Chateau d’Yquem barrels, giving a sweet highlight to the chewy textures of the malt. This 1998 Madeira-finished cask is bottled at cask strength, and is the more muscular, more mature cousin of that lovely 2000. Golden fruits, a rich, oily mouthfeel, and a long, supple finish all merge together and make this one of the easiest drams we’ve tasted in sometime. We can’t imagine anyone not loving this, so we decided to go deep and buy the whole thing. Like the 2000, we expect people to talk about this whisky for some time to come. -David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer.

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

The new Society bottle – Local Barley is now ready to be dispatched.   For the members who have ordered already, if I have your credit card details we will begin to dispatch from to morrow.   I have e mailed the members who have ordered and for whom I do not have card details.

If you would like to order the bottle and have not yet done so, then please let me know as soon as possible so that you will be sure to secure this very popular Society bottle.

I will be sending out a newsletter very soon, with details of the open day, just to remind you what’s going on, and also details of the golf competition for the day after the open day, plus details of one or two other things we have in the pipeline.

Regards

Janet

For the Springbank Society

J & A Mitchell and Co Ltd, The Tasting Room, 9 Bolgam Street, Campbeltown, Argyll, PA28 6HZ
Tel :   + 44(0) 1586 552009   Fax :  + 44(0) 1586 553232  website  http://www.springbankwhisky.com 

Contact Janet via society@springbankwhisky.com  for your chance to join the Springbank Society. 

Chivas Regal OB Vivienne Westwood 18yo 40%alc.

A limited edition with a special silk jacket designed by legendary punk icon Vivienne Westwood.

Richard likes this a lot.

More info here… https://www.lfw.co.uk/infosheets/Chivas_Westwood.pdf

Chivas Regal Vivienne Westwood 18 year old

Price excluding VAT: £340.83
£409.00 Including VAT at 20%

Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

Visit Loch Fyne Whiskies at www.lfw.co.uk

Chris Bunting, who is probably best known among whisky drinkers for his www.Nonjatta.com blog about Japanese whisky, has just published a new guide to Japanese alcohol culture with Tuttle Publishing Ltd.

Drinking Japan is a 288-page guide based on a year and a half spent travelling around Japan exploring its unique alcohol culture.

Bunting says: “Many people may know me for various bits of writing I have done about Japanese whisky, but I have tried to go beyond that in Drinking Japan. It explores the history and development of Japanese whisky and there are detailed descriptions of the best of Japan’s world-famous whisky bars, but the book is also probably the first attempt in English to comprehensively explore the whole of Japanese alcohol culture.”

“Researching Japanese whisky gradually convinced me that trying to it in isolation from its environment, as an odd offshoot of the Scottish whisky, was a fundamental misunderstanding. I came to realise that I had to try to look at it in the context of the whole of Japanese alcohol culture and history, and that is the journey Drinking Japan took me on,” Bunting says.

“I think it really is the first attempt to comprehensively look at this culture in English.”

Drinking Japan offers extensive descriptions of Japanese alcohol’s development from prehistory to the extraordinary diversity it shows today. As well as whisky, there is a long chapter on the history of sake and the contemporary sake world, and the first extensive descriptions in an English-language book of Japan’s indigenous spirits, shochu and awamori. Whole chapters are devoted to the country’s beer and wine industries, offering insights that have until now not been available to readers in English, and there is also discussion of the development of Japan’s unique bar tending culture and its critical role in the postwar flowering of the Japanese bar scene.

The book is also practical guide, offering richly illustrated reviews of 122 of Bunting’s favourite bars in Japan. The entries are written with the newly arrived visitor to Japan in mind, with detailed price guides, language help, advice on food and drink choices, and maps and directions to get visitors to the bars if they go to Japan. There is an appendix offering help to the complete beginner on reading Japanese alcohol labels and tackling other language problems.

Half of the author’s earnings will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society’s earthquake relief effort.

Book site: http://drinkingjapan.com/
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Japan-Japans-Drinks-Establishments/dp/4805310545/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1303117216&sr=1-1
Publisher: http://tuttlepublishing.com/

Benromach Origins No.1 ( LCBO # 210328) 

Just released on Tuesday morning this is a cunning wee whisky from Speyside’s smallest distillery. A limited edition made from barley grown at Drumin Farm in Glenlivet where it received top honours.

Benromach Origins Batch1 Golden Promise 1999 50% (quite the pedigree eh?) can only be found in 9 LCBO stores in Ontario but, you can order at your local LCBO outlet and have it delivered at a cost of $96.95. I don’t expect this whisky to last very long but I will have three bottles put aside for the Spirit of Toronto show (May 14th), a tasting at Cornwall’s Companions of the Quaich (May 27th) and one for my cellar. 

Tom and Gavin have kindly given me permission to share their independant review of this whisky, see more of their reviews at  http://www.whisky-pages.com/notes/distillery.php?id=benr

Benromach Origins is a new series of bottling’s from the Forres distillery on Speyside, and the first ‘Origins’ release has been produced using locally-grown Golden Promise barley, once ubiquitous in the Scotch whisky industry, but now largely superseded by higher yielding varieties. However, some distillers who are willing to sacrifice yield for what they see as improved flavour have stuck with Golden Promise, with one high profile user being The Macallan. Commenting on the new Benromach expression, David Urquhart, joint managing director of distillery proprietors Gordon & MacPhail, says “At Benromach we are always keen to experiment and try different things. This first release experiments with a different barley variety – Golden Promise – which has undoubtedly contributed to the final flavour profile of the product. Consumers who are intrigued by this first batch of the Origins series have the opportunity to appreciate the complexities of the whisky making process. Future releases in this series will allow consumers to build on this and explore how subtle changes impact the final product.” This initial bottling of Benromach Origins has been matured in first and second fill Sherry casks, and the nose initially offers sour dough bread, with developing malt and Sherry notes. Smokier with the addition of water. Full-bodied, initially spicy on the palate then very malty, with distinctive Sherry and peat smoke. The finish is long and fruity, with spicy smoke and Sherry notes. Ultimately, molasses lingers. 50.0% ABV, 70cl, $96.95 at selected LCBO outlets.

TASTING NOTES

Body: Medium.

Finish: Long and balanced

Cask type(s): Sherry casks

Colour: Dark golden

INFORMATION:

Region:                Speyside, Forres.

Founded:             1898

Water Source:      Chapelton Springs in the Romach Hills

Owner:                 Gordon and MacPhail

Status:                 Operational

LOCATIONS for Benromach Origins (LCBO # 210328)

1. TORONTO-CENTRAL 2 COOPER STREET (416)864-6777 

2. TORONTO-CENTRAL 232 DUPONT STREET (416)922-7066  

3. PETERBOROUGH 879 LANSDOWNE STREET WEST (705)743-9955 

4. TORONTO-CENTRAL FIRST CANADIAN PLACE (416)594-9040

5. TORONTO-NORTH YORK 675 WILSON AVENUE (416)636-5349 

6. LONDON 3050 WONDERLAND ROAD SOUTH (519)471-4930 

7. OTTAWA-GLOUCESTER 3-2016 OGILVIE ROAD (613)745-9906 

8. TORONTO-CENTRAL 200 BAY STREET SOUTH, (416)368-9644

9. TORONTO-CENTRAL 10 SCRIVENER SQUARE (416)922-0403 

Don’t forget to say hello at the Spirit of Toronto where Michael Urquhart will be hosting the master’s class.

Regards,

Billy

Global Operations Director
Claymore Imports Inc.
Mail:     bill  [AT] claymoreimports.ca

THE MACALLAN RELEASES ROYAL WEDDING COMMEMORATIVE EDITION

As the excitement mounts for the first Royal Wedding in 12 years, The Macallan has announced the release of a limited edition of 1000 bottles celebrating the Royal Marriage of Prince William to Catherine (Kate) Middleton on 29th April 2011.

The unique and collectable edition will feature exceptional single malt whisky taken from two casks, both filled on 29th April – one from 1996 and one from 1999. Bottled at 46.8%, the single malt gives abundant wood spices combining with orange zest, floral and barley to produce a creamy overtone.

The creation of this special bottle follows the release of a commemorative edition to mark the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.  This comprised two casks, one from each of their birth years.  At the time, the bottle sold out and today is a highly sought-after item for collectors of The Macallan around the world.

Commenting on the release of this special commemorative edition, Patricia Lee from The Macallan said, “Having created a limited edition to mark the wedding of his parents in 1981, we wanted to follow this with a special bottling for Prince William’s own marriage.  Our Whisky Maker, Bob Dalgarno, has excelled himself once again by selecting two exquisite casks, each filled on 29th April, to create a whisky which brings together cinnamon, ginger and spice with toffee apples and vanilla giving a soft, full and long lasting finish.”

In keeping with this original bottling, The Macallan has commissioned the creative force behind the 1981 bottle, David Holmes, who was also one of the architects of the brand’s advertising campaign in the 1980s and the early 1990s, to create the label and packaging design.

The label design incorporates striking duck egg blue, featuring interwoven monograms and silver roses, whilst the bespoke silver coloured presentation box is designed with a ‘viewing window’ to show off the stunning bottle.

The 1000 bottles are available from The Macallan Distillery Visitor Centre and online for UK only at www.themacallan.com at a price of £150.

Tasting notes

•      Colour – Golden Amber

•      Nose – Cinnamon, ginger, clove, toffee apples, layered in vanilla. Chocolate orange flits in and out, along with summer fruits. Lightly floral and barley notes all come together in a delightful creamy overtone.

•      Palate – Abundant wood spices deliver an initial hit to the palate, giving a slightly oily texture. Fruits develop, balanced with soft oak tones. Orange zest, floral notes and barley all make an appearance later in the journey.

•      Finish – Soft, full, long lasting

Exclusive Malts
New Bottlings!

Distilled at Bunnahabhain Distillery
1988 Aged 22 Years
Whisky from the Bunnahabhain Distillery is often described as the gentler spirit from Islay, although this expression from a first or second fill ex-Sherry butt is not gentle but is not peaty like the distilleries neighbours. Instead expect rich fruit, heavy spice and oak flavours.

Distilled at Caol Ila Distillery
1980 Aged 30 Years
Caol Ila is the lesser known of the peaty-seaweed infused malts from Islay. This does not make it any less spectacular as the others as this 30 year old cask demonstrates – full of sweet oils, fruits aggressive peat and sea-salt. A real mouthful even after 3 decades in oak.

Distilled at Glenburgie Distillery
1995 Aged 15 Years
Glenburgie is not normally found bottled as a single malt being a large component of some famous blends. This cask shows us what we are missing with oodles of fruit and vanilla-creaminess on the nose with an equally pleasing palate and a real vanilla-laden finish.

Distilled at Macduff Distillery
2000 Aged 10 Years
A lesson in young, sherry-casked whisky. This butt from Macduff Distillery in the North-East highlands is nothing short of exceptional bursting with sweet raisins, sherry and fruit. The strong Macduff spirit shines through making this a perfect marriage of ex-Sherry cask and Whisky.

Distilled at Benromach Distillery
1999 Aged 11 Years
Benromach Distillery, situated outside Elgin, is gaining a solid reputation for producing some outstanding expressions. This cask demonstrates why with its full and rich body, slightly peaty with cured meats and smoked cheese. A real palate turner!

Distilled at Laphroaig Distillery
1990 Aged 20 Years
Laphroaig whisky is often billed as one of the strongest flavoured whiskies in the world and from the contents of this 20 year old cask it is difficult to argue! A huge surge of peat and seaside flavours, mixed with a rich oakiness and even a drop of vanilla on the finish.

Exclusive Malts

Single Cask whiskies bottled at Cask Strength and usually wholly aged in one cask. The Exclusive Malts are casks as young as 8 years old and as old as 40 but carefully selected; each year less than 24 casks are chosen for this range. Originally presented in a Saltire (Blue with White stripes) carton, these whiskies are now beautifully adorned with paintings of Birds of Prey. The birds share no connection with Scotch whisky or any preference within the company; we just liked them.

Visit Exclusive Malts at http://www.creativewhisky.co.uk/malts.html 

Another month has passed and I’ve now completed my online shop, which accepts card payments through a secure payment provider.

I have selected and bottled a few casks, all of which are single cask bottlings, not chill filtered, with no added colourings and individually numbered labels. Hopefully a few more will be coming along soon.

For those among you who enjoy “blind” whisky tastings with your friends, there is a special “Mystery Whisky” which presents a fun option, with clues on the label as to where the whisky was produced. This makes a great gift for any fellow whisky lover but equally, a great present just for you!

NEW 70CL WHISKIES AVAILABLE NOW 

Bottles can be purchased from the Whiskybroker website by clicking “Online Shop” on the menu. Postage to other European countries is the same for one bottle as for six bottles so ordering in bulk with friends or as part of a club is a real money-saving option. Payment will not be taken for any orders placed until the order has been processed and is ready for posting. You will be notified when the order has been despatched and it is anticipated that this will commence next week.

GREAT VALUE CASKS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE

Please write a comment on the website guestbook, especially if you have made a purchase. Feedback will be appreciated. Finally, if you have any website related suggestions, don’t hesitate to send me an email.

Regards,

Martin Armstrong

www.whiskybroker.co.uk

info@whiskybroker.co.uk

Loch Fyne Whiskies has stocked a new item, ‘Balmenach CC 1999 11yo’

Balmenach CC 1999 11yo
43% abv
£25.30 inc vat
£21.08 ex vat

Great value Speyside quality.

Refill sherry cask, a very satisfying Speysider.

Square F3 on the Flavour Map (in Dad’s opinion). Complex / Delicate

A ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ bottling from renowned bottlers Gordon & MacPhail.

Best regards,
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk 

Visit Loch Fyne Whiskies at www.lfw.co.uk

Premium Whisky Brand Launched in Las Vegas

The world’s most expensive bottle of whisky, a journey through Scottish arctic conditions and a genuine love of the spirit are the inspirations behind an innovative premium whisky brand, unveiled at a major event in Las Vegas. 

The Sirius Intrepid Whisky Purveyors brand, which is the brainchild of Mahesh Patel (Atlanta, Georgia), renowned whisky collector, was unleashed at his own event, the “Nth” Universal Whisky Experience – the world’s first luxury whisky enjoyment experience – held in the prestigious Wynn Resort in Las Vegas (18/19 March 2011).

International creative branding and design agency, threebrand, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, was behind the brand concept, including DNA, packaging design and support sales materials, as well as resources for the launch exhibition.

The Sirius range contains four whiskies, which are limited in stock due to the nature of the spirit; one exceptionally rare cask from the world famous malt distillers at The Dalmore, a hidden single malt gem from Fettercairn and two rare single grain whiskies. Mahesh’s view on grain varieties is that they are “misunderstood and wrongly ignored”. He feels they will become extremely rare and highly collectable over time.

Whisky enthusiast, owner of Sirius and CEO Universal Whisky Experience, Mahesh Patel, said:

“I started my search naturally in Scotland and have spent 10 years visiting key distilleries there – both malt and grain – to uncover the very best stocks that are ripe for bottling. My journey in 2010 to discover these liquid treasures happened in the worst early winter snowstorm the country had experienced in over 50 years. I traversed the country, through the arctic conditions, to reach a Highland distillery where I was presented with over 100 of its rarest whisky casks. 

“When sampling my whiskies, I focus particularly on mouth feel, texture and finish and use my trusted blindfold method. The key for me is the drinking experience, its enjoyment and its delivery, which is what led me to the single grains in particular. It was important for the Sirius brand to reflect all of this – from the DNA to packaging and support sales materials.”

The range was unveiled to a select audience of whisky connoisseurs, collectors and enthusiasts from the USA, who also took part in various events, including, whisky and cigar / chocolate pairing, whisky mixology and a new spirits tasting enhancement method.

Initial reactions to the range have been very positive, with strong word of mouth recommendations expected to boost sales initially, before an exclusive deal is confirmed with an online retailer.

On selecting Edinburgh-based threebrand to handle branding and design aspects, Mahesh continued:

“threebrand’s tremendous packaging expertise, first class premium spirits’ experience and the fact that the team was quick to understand, provoke, uncover and ‘get’ the brief, allied with a strong chemistry, confirmed there could only be one winner for the business. threebrand understood my passion for whisky and my desire to develop a super premium independent bottler business.”

Sirius is one of many clients outside of the UK on threebrand’s extensive portfolio, including Heineken USA, Proximo Spirits and Philips (Paris).

Nick Cadbury, Creative Director at threebrand, said:

“We were recommended to Mahesh through a current whisky client and immediately took to his idea, enthusiasm and approach. The brief was to create an innovative new premium whisky brand, which would challenge the usual independent whisky bottler genre.

“We provided a simple solution using black and white – one for malt, one for grain. The creation of brand name – which literally means the brightest star in the sky – and icon, was pivotal to capturing the lengths Mahesh was prepared to go to whilst looking for this rare liquid.

“The “Nth” Universal Whisky Experience was the perfect launch pad for Sirius and we’re confident that the exclusive range will be popular with whisky connoisseurs across the world.”

For more information on Sirius, visit www.siriuswhiskypurveyors.com or for the “Nth” Universal Whisky Experience, www.universalwhiskyexperience.com

For more information on threebrand, log on to www.threebrand.com.

Notes:

threebrand:
• threebrand is a creative branding agency, launched in 2004
• Its hand-picked and highly motivated team enjoy working from Boat 1502U, located on the Water of Leith in the heart of Edinburgh’s creative community
• threebrand aims to help its clients create distinctive brands by following three simple steps:
o understanding the dynamics of their brands’ marketplace
o taking this knowledge and creating inspired design solutions
o ensuring brand integrity and consistent implementation
• threebrand PR compliments threebrand, offering both an integrated approach, together with stand alone PR consultancy and advice
• The company strongly believes that brands will benefit from a threebrand integrated approach with the new PR arm providing:
o a one team approach
o consistency and alignment of brand, guidelines, aims and objectives
o shared values, professionalism and expert advice
• PR support services will be recommended and tailored to the brand needs and requirements, but could include the following:
o brand management, reputation management and profiling (consumer and corporate), event management, media relations
o crisis and issues management (plus crisis/message training), web design and management
o press office support (proactive and reactive), research, planning and evaluation, special projects and professional consultancy

Sirius Intrepid Whisky Purveyors
• Sirius Intrepid Whisky Purveyors is the brainchild of Mahesh Patel, renowned whisky collector, investor and founder of Universal Whisky Experience
• Mahesh is a successful commercial real estate developer in Atlanta, Georgia. For the past two decades, the company has spawned commercial construction, development, management companies and hotel franchises throughout the south-eastern United States
• Mahesh’s great passion in life is whisky, namely ‘Scotch’ whisky and he has been a collector of fine and rare whiskies for more than 20 years
• A connoisseur and enthusiast, he frequently attends exclusive whisky events and gatherings both domestically and abroad
• Well-connected and respected among industry leaders, distillery managers and owners and brand ambassadors, Mahesh has leveraged these relationships and is excited to offer the world’s first luxury whisky enjoyment experience, the “Nth” 2011 Show in Las Vegas, Nevada
• Sirius has limited availability due to the nature of the spirit. To find out more on the range or if you are interested in purchasing, visit www.siriuswhiskypurveyors.com
• Prices range from £1,000 to £2,000 per bottle, with the four casks being filled from 1962 to 1967.