Very rare 1975 St Magdalene (LCBO # 203455)

This elusive whisky is now available at a limited number of LCBO stores in Ontario.  This is a 1975 St Magdalene single malt whisky and might just be the perfect Christmas Gift for that special someone.

History:

Founded in 1790 on the outskirts of Edinburgh this distillery used water from Loch Lomond.  The lowland distillery took its name from St Magdalene’s Cross, once a site of a mediaeval fair and leper colony. The Union Canal ran behind the distillery and not only supplied the cooling water, but in the distillery’s heyday it was also the main method of supply, with barley and other materials brought in by barge to its jetty. The distillery was closed down in 1983, and sold for property development. 

Tasting notes:

WITHOUT WATER

Nose: Sherry notes with strong fruit aromas – melons, red apples. Dry hessian note with a herbal aroma.

Palate: Sweet, with wine, oak and hop flavours. Some heather blossom (honey) elements are also present.

WITH WATER

Nose: Floral with polished oak influences initially. Subtle malt, dark chocolate and nuts aromas follow.

Palate: A little smokiness initially followed by sweet, Sherry elements with floral flavours also present.

Body: Mellow.

Finish: Light with a Sherry edge.

Cask Type(s): Refill Sherry hogsheads.

Whisky Style: A smooth, sweet whisky with the Lowland style evident.

This unique whisky is available in EXTREMELY LIMITED quantities, and once sold will probably never come back to Canada.  You can order directly from any LCBO store quoting LCBO# 203455 or pick up at one of these four locations.

·         LCBO Store    #10   Summerhill (Toronto)

·         LCBO Store    #38   275 Rideau    (Ottawa)

·         LCBO Store  #217   Queens Quay (Toronto)

·         LCBO Store  #355   Bayview Village (Toronto)

Also arriving very soon: Benromach 10 and 25yo, Dhallas Dhu and a Glen Grant.  We’ll keep you posted!!

Regards,

Bill at Claymore Imports

Currently available are barrels of;

10 yo Caol Ila, distilled 3/11/2000, £2200 (ready for bottling)
4 yo Tomatin, distilled 10/2/2006, £1000,
5 yo Linkwood, distilled 20/7/2005, £1100
7 yo Craigellachie, distilled 27/6/2003, £1100,
4 yo Balmenach, distilled 2/8/2006, £1000
4 yo Miltonduff, distilled 6/3/2006, £1000

All of the above casks are refill bourbon barrels, and warehoused at Bladnoch Distillery (1 year’s warehousing included in price). All prices are Under Bond – Duty & Tax payable before they are removed from the warehouse.
 
Also available are some casks of older whiskies.
 
I intend to bottle one of the barrels of 10yo Caol Ila which will be available in approximately 2 weeks time on www.whiskybroker.co.uk . Price per 70cl bottle at 54% is likely to be £25, plus postage.
 
Many thanks,
 
Martin Armstrong
www.whiskybroker.co.uk

PIONEERING WHISKY BORN FROM 2010’s “GREAT WAREHOUSE COLLAPSE”

Glenfiddich, the world’s most awarded single malt Scotch whisky, today announced the launch of Snow Phoenix – a unique whisky born of chance and adversity which commemorates a moment of drama in Glenfiddich’s long history.

In January 2010, after weeks of heavy snow and record low temperatures, four feet of densely compacted snow covered the Glenfiddich distillery roofs, which housed hundreds of casks of fine aged whisky, gently maturing in semi-darkness.

On the evening of 7th January, in the most remote part of the distillery estate, a number of warehouse roofs dramatically collapsed under the weight, leaving the maturing oak casks exposed to the night sky.  In wintery conditions and temperatures of -19˚C, distillery staff swung into action, working round the clock to clear the snow.

Glenfiddich Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, commented: “Standing amongst the wreckage and exposed casks, we were working out our next steps and assessing the situation.  I was thinking about how the casks, some of which were very old, contained some beautiful whisky and it occurred to me that they would create a fantastic non-aged single malt. A limited edition bottling from the whiskies in the damaged warehouses would be an appropriate way of celebrating the pioneering spirit of the distillery team at this moment in Glenfiddich’s history. “

“A photographer was shooting the scene and rather fittingly, when we looked at the pictures, the light shining through the warehouse roofs looked like a phoenix rising above us. I suppose this was the moment of conception of Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix.”

Snow Phoenix was created by marrying together natural strength and non-chill filtered casks of different ages and finishes, including American oak and Oloroso sherry.  The result is a single malt, gold in colour with bright copper highlights.  Its nose is creamy vanilla mingling with vibrant notes of apple and pear complemented by the scent of fresh blossom. The taste is reminiscent of apples roasted in the embers of a campfire, sweetened with heather honey and accompanied by a piece of chocolate, rich and complex with a whiff of burned sugar, coffee and woodsmoke.  It has an exceptionally long finish – austere sherry notes mellow into a satisfying sweetness. The distinctive monochrome packaging and amazing photography pays dramatic homage to this exceptional whisky and details this exceptional story.

Shifting snow around the clock gave the Glenfiddich distillery team a deep admiration for those who work in extreme conditions. Glenfiddich has therefore dedicated Snow Phoenix to the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team (CMRT), who battle harsh environments to save lives in the heart of Speyside, and has made a special contribution to their funds.

To celebrate this partnership, Brian Kinsman invited a group of CMRT volunteers to a unique mid-mountain tasting where they developed the Snow Phoenix tasting notes. By conducting the tasting notes at a high altitude, Glenfiddich’s Malt Master was able to explore the difference temperature has on the taste of whisky. 

Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix is a one of a kind, limited edition single malt Scotch whisky which has been bottled in 2010. One thousand bottles will be made available exclusively to members of the online club, Glenfiddich Explorers, www.glenfiddich.com/explorers, with the remainder available in selected markets* from mid-November, ABV 47.6%, priced £49.99 RRP for a 70cl bottle**.

*Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix will be available in UK, Portugal, Netherlands, South Africa, Russia, USA, Taiwan, Cyprus, Lebanon, Spain, Andorra, Canary Islands, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, China, India, South Korea and selected airports around the world.

** Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix 75cl is also available priced $89.99 USD

Notes
 
Tasting Notes

Colour: Gold with bright copper highlights.
Nose: Creamy vanilla aromas mingle with vibrant notes of apple and pear – the whole complemented by the scent of fresh blossom.
Taste: This is Glenfiddich in the wild – apples roasted in the embers of a campfire, sweetened with heather honey and accompanied by a piece of chocolate, rich and complex with a whiff of burned sugar, coffee and woodsmoke.
Finish: An exceptionally long finish – austere sherry notes mellow into a satisfying sweetness.

William Grant & Sons Ltd:

William Grant & Sons is an independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today still controlled by the fifth generation of his family.  The Company distils some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s favourite single malt Glenfiddich®, the handcrafted range of The Balvenie® single malts and one of the world’s best loved blended Scotches, Grant’s®, as well as selected other spirits, including Hendrick’s® Gin, Sailor Jerry® Spiced Rum and Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey®

Click on www.williamgrant.com for more information on the Company and its brands.

Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky announce special Christmas Octave cask offer

Last year, Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky launched its newest innovation: The Octave Cask range. After years of experimentation, the company found that whiskies which had spent years maturing in full size casks could be decanted and matured for a short period of time in smaller casks, known as Octaves. The result was a spirit which was superior in nose, palate and colour, enhanced and invigorated beyond all expectation.

After a very successful first year, Duncan Taylor are now making the Octave range available to non-trade customers. Order and pay before 31st December to receive the following:

-66 Bottles with accompanying ‘pre’ Octave miniature -Personalised Octave labels -The empty Octave cask for display

Whiskies available include Bowmore, Caol Ila, Glen Grant, Kinclaith, Macallan and many more. For further information and prices, please get in touch using the details below.

(CONTACT) Mark Watt, Duncan Taylor Sales Director
01466 794055
mark@duncantaylor.com

Loch Fyne Whiskies News has stocked a new item, ‘Bowmore Tempest 10yo Batch 2’

Bowmore Tempest 10yo Batch 2
56% abv
£41.50 inc vat
£35.32 ex vat

The second of a series of batches of cask strength 10yo.

Smokier than Batch 1

Batch 1 Tasting Note:

Creamy with a butterscotch on pastry aroma (and some witch-hazel that clears with a little time), the peat is slight and on the nose is more as from wood embers, water reveals fruit. The peat floods the tongue with a very slight and perfectly acceptable Bowmore perfume note. There is a great mouth-coating finish of gentle peat smoke and pepper.

This is Bowmore truly back on form and an ace. Super to have it back.

We reckon on the Flavour Map Ref: E9
Smoky

Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk  

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

Win a Year’s Supply of Whisky from Master of Malt

Master of Malt have launched a Golden Dram Competition in which five lucky winners will receive a year’s supply of whisky from the world’s greatest distilleries.

The competition was launched to celebrate the release of Master of Malt’s dram sets – 24 different tasting sets showcasing the world’s finest spirits. Each set includes five beautifully labelled, wax-dipped samples, specially selected by the Master of Malt tasting team. There is a wide range of sets to choose from including an Old and Rare Whisky Tasting Set, a Regions of Scotland, a Super Peaty Whisky Tasting Set, and many more.

120 Different Whiskies

Golden Drams have been hidden in five lucky tasting sets, and if you find a golden dram before the end of November, you win a free Gold Membership (RRP £499.95) into Master of Malt’s Dram Club. Gold members receive a year’s supply of whisky, with 10 exquisite drams every month! That’s a glass of superb whisky every other day!

Dram Club

Master of Malt’s Dram Club is the ultimate chance to try exceptional whiskies from all over the world. There are three different membership options;

Bronze Dram Club Membership (£84.95) includes;

– A 5 dram box-set every three months
– Two Glencairn tasting glasses
Silver Dram Club Membership (£249.95) includes;
– 5 new whiskies to try every month
– Two Glencairn tasting glasses

Gold Dram Club Membership (£499.95) includes;

– 10 new and exciting drams every month (a year’s supply of whisky)
– Two Glencairn tasting glasses.

You can browse the range of dram sets here http://www.masterofmalt.com/dram-sets/

Or you can read up on membership into Master of Malt’s Dram Club here http://www.masterofmalt.com/dram-club/

For more information on the Golden Dram Competition, visit http://www.masterofmalt.com/golden-dram-competition/

About Master of Malt
– Established in 1985
– One of the UK’s leading online whisky and spirits retailers
– A highly rated independent bottler, all of whose single cask whiskies scored over 90 points in the Jim Murray Whisky Bible 2009.

– www.masterofmalt.com

Read the Master of Malt blog: www.masterofmalt.com/blog or follow Master of Malt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/masterofmalt  and Facebook: www.facebook.com/masterofmalt

For several years, Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited has been in the forefront of trying out new ideas and innovative in a number of fields, despite maybe not getting the acknowledgement that we deserve.
 
The Brilliant Idea

50 years ago Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited started laying down malts for long term maturation. Quite an investment when you consider it closely, few companies lock up an investment for no return within the lifetime of its management.

This investment and the quality of its whiskies provided a platform for many of the multinational whisky companies you see today to launch very old vintages. Yes, that’s right, whiskies sourced from Duncan Taylor. Many current multinational drinks groups didn’t even exist when Duncan Taylor was laying down its whiskies! They were still pastis companies, rum companies, venture capital groups, some were blenders not yet into malts.
 
Where We’ve Been

100 proof blends were first brought to market by Duncan Taylor back in the 1930’s via George Willsher & Co Ltd, their associate company.

In the ‘60s,  we created “Scotch’n Orange” when a certain new innovative blender was still in diapers.

Twenty years ago we were pioneering the vatting of malts from different distilleries and different regions, some worked and some didn’t, though we had loads of fun trying.

About eight years ago, we launched a range of grain whiskies, when grains were considered the poor cousin of malts and were shunned by the “cognoscenti”. I’m glad to see where we lead others are now following!
 
Our Newest Innovation, Now Available

For upwards of thirty years we have been occasionally maturing whiskies in smaller casks, predominantly octaves and quarters with great success. So much so that we created the Octave and Quarter range just over four years ago, this range has been growing and is now so unique to Duncan Taylor that we intend to roll it out to the masses, albeit, only to those that appreciate the finer things in life.

So where does the company go from here, watch this space, there’s exciting times ahead and rest assured, whoever comes along with us for the ride won’t be disappointed.

Select your cask today, contact our sales team on +44 (0)1466 794055 or email sales@quartercasks.com

Visit our Website www.DuncanTaylor.com

The O&Q Range

Our Octave and Quarter range has invigorated the Single Malts and Single Grains industry.

After a second maturation of three months, the octave casks has breathed new life into the whisky, quickly changing hue, taste, form and character of the spirit. The whisky is rejuvenated, a little more aggressive, with the commanding presence of a mature, well-balanced Scotch Whisky.

With fewer bottles from each cask, the spirit becomes all the more exclusive. There never has been, nor will there be anything exactly like it.
 
Available casks:

Aberlour 1993
Auchentoshan 1999, 2000
Auchroisk 1999, 1988
Aultmore 1989
Balblair 1991
Balmenach 2000
Ben Nevis 1995, 1998
Benriach 1990
Bowmore 1968, 1982, 1998, 2002
Bunnahabhain 1968, 1969, 1970, 1997
Cameronbridge 1978, 1979
Caol  Ila 1980, 1981,  1982, 1983, 1984
Caperdonich 1968,  1969, 1972 Carsebridge 1979
Cragganmore 1992
Craigellachie 1999
Dalmore 1990
Glenburgie 1988
Glen Elgin 1991
Glen Grant 1969, 1970,  1972,  1974, 1991
Glenlivet 1968, 1970
Glen Moray 1971, 1973, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988
Glengarioch 1991
Glenrothes 1968, 1969, 1970 Highland Park 1970
Imperial 1997
Isle of Arran 1996, 1999
Isle of Jura 1992
Invergordon 1965
Kinclaith 1969
Ladyburn 1973
Laphroaig 1997
Linkwood 1991
Macallan 1969, 1996, 1997
Macduff 1968, 1969
Mortlach 1993
North British 1978
Port Dundas 1973
Strathclyde 1973, 1980
Strathisla 1968
Tamdhu 1968
Tamnavulin 1989
Teaninich 1996
Tomatin 1965, 1976

November Nips & Top Five Hits
The November Outturn has landed with full-force, have you got your bottle yet? If you’re not sure what to top-up on, here are the five most popular bottles from this month’s First Friday release:

Number 1:  127.5 Morning dew on Islay                 
£43.70 inc. Free p&p
A platter of seafood awaited us; shrimps, oysters and crabs, with a boiling pot of crayfish and lobsters

Number 2: 44.47 Strawberries dangling over straw 
£41.20 inc. Free p&p
Buttered toast and an earthy fruitiness, like summer strawberries dangling over straw19.48 Big, friendly, toffee nose

Number 3:  76.78 Foamy bananas dipped in cayenne pepper 
£49.70 inc. Free p&p
Rum fudge, vanilla, French toast, brown sugar, toffee apples and polished red leather Chesterfields

Number 4: 121.39 Easy-drinking dream
£45.70 inc Free p&p
Rich treacle toffee, banana Toffoes, spun sugar, Maltesers and banoffee

Number 5:  7.60 Life is a Cabaret, old chum…
£69.40 inc. Free p&p
1930’s Berlin cabaret – fag packets, cheap perfume, lipstick, seamed stockings, grease paint, serge uniforms, leather jackboots and bacon crisps (did they have those in the ‘30’s?).

Sherry Butt Pair:
76.78 & 44.47 for £81 and save £9.90

SMWS Whisky Tasting & Events

South African Rugby Brunch – The Vaults, Sat 20 Nov
Christmas Outturn Tasting – Queen Street, Thu 25 Nov
Winchester Preview Tasting – Hotel du Vin, Thu 25 Nov
Glasgow Preview Tasting – Malmaison, Fri 26 Nov
Pan-Asian Curry Experience – London, Sat 27 Nov
Christmas Parcels Tasting – London, Thu 2 Dec
Newcastle Christmas Tasting – Northern Counties Club, Fri 3 Dec
Christmas Drinks 101 – Queen Street, Fri 3 Dec

Visit the Society for your chance to join at http://www.smws.co.uk/memberships

Glenglassaugh Distillery ‘The Manager’s Legacy’
Release No.2 – Dod Cameron 1986 45.3%

The second in a series of four single cask releases to celebrate the achievements and influences of Glenglassaugh distillery managers during the period 1964 – 1986. Bottled on site at natural strength, without colouring or chill-filtration. The Dod Cameron release is limited to 500 individually numbered bottles from a refill sherry butt filled in December 1986 and was one of the last casks filled at Glenglassaugh under its previous ownership.

Age: Distilled December 1986
Volume: 700ml
Strength: 45.3% abv

Tasting Note
Colour: Orange Gold
Nose: Fresh and fruity with barley sugar sweetness. Boiled sweets, stewed plums and a sprinkling of demerara sugar. Banana skins and orange essence giving way to clove oil and liquorice.
Palate: Juicy, syrupy and round with sweet stewed plum and orange flavours, balanced with gentle oak spice and nuances of clove and liquorice.
Finish: Lingering fruits, warming spice and liquorice.   

Excl. VAT: £135.00 Incl. VAT: £114.89

The Rare Cask Series

With cask stocks continuing to deplete, Glenglassaugh’s youngest whisky is a 26 years of age. It’s still the same tear-drop bottle but with the older age on the neck label.
Excl. VAT:£127.65 Incl. VAT:£149.99
 
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
phone: 0845 6066145
email: info@singlemaltsdirect.com
web: www.singlemaltsdirect.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whisky in Your Pocket
Publication date: 18th November 2010

Waverley Books Limited
Book Publishers

World’s bestselling pocket guide to Scotch returns after 12 years

The single Scotch malt category owes much of its increasing popularity to a couple of Scottish wine and spirit merchants who persuaded the big London hotels, restaurants and clubs to start stocking single malts back in the late 1960 and 70s. They were the Milroy brothers, Jack and Wallace, who made their forays into the on-trade from their tiny Soho Wine Market. In the mid-1980s Wallace was approached by Neil Wilson, a  whisky writer and publisher, who suggested he should write a pocket guide to single malts for his fledgling list. The result was Wallace Milroy’s Malt Whisky Almanac and it was to go on to sell over 300,000 copies worldwide.

After seven editions Wallace and Neil felt that it had served its purpose and it was retired in 1998. Jack went on to sell the Soho Wine Market and Wallace became a consultant to the trade. But in 2009 Neil and Wallace decided that the time was right to bring the almanac back, but this time to cover grain and blended whiskies as well. Their reasons were simple: confused consumers were growing in number and a new entry-level pocket guide to the world of Scotch was desperately needed. The published guides that had followed the original almanac had raised the level of information and subjective opinion on whiskies, but they felt that newcomers to the subject were increasingly confused and bewildered by what was on offer.

The result is Whisky In Your Pocket, which details 139 single malts (including Bushmills from Northern Ireland), 10 single grains, 4 blended malts, 2 blended grains and 16 blended Scotch whiskies. Illustrated with bottle shots, regional and distillery location maps throughout, the result is a comprehensive thumbnail picture of what consumers can expect when they take their first foray into the amazing world of Scotch whisky.

Whisky In Your Pocket by Wallace Milroy and Neil Wilson
Publication date: 18th November 2010
ISBN: 978-1-84934-023-6
Price: £7.99
192 pages, full colour throughout