Loch Fyne Whiskies stocks Talisker OB 1999 11yo Distillers Edition 45.8%alc.

Distillers Editions are single malt whiskies that have been taken from traditional whisky casks and transferred to a second type of cask for further maturation. This Talisker has been transferred to an ex-Amoroso sherry cask to become more tarry and less peppery.

Not necessarily better – but different and well worthwhile.

Flavour Map Ref: F9
Rich / Smoky

Talisker 1999 Distillers Edition Double Matured 11 year old
Barcode: 5000281014074

Price excluding VAT: £39.57
£46.49 Including VAT at 17.5%

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

Talisker OB 10yo 45.8%alc. STORM

£1.00 from the sale of this limited edition is donated to the RNLI

The Isle of Skye produces a unique spirit. Spicy peppery, peaty, licorice and aniseed with a long tingling finish. A smoky gob-stopper! Not just a Classic but an Ace.

Try drinking this to The Who’s ‘Won’t get fooled again’, big start, long powerful finish with a constant peatiness, do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-da-da-da…….

Flavour Map Ref: E9
Smoky

Talisker 10 year old
Barcode: 5000281005416

Price excluding VAT: £26.81
£31.50 Including VAT at 17.5%

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

Dear Customer

We are pleased to be further adding these 5 Malts to the PROVENANCE selection.

Tasting Notes for PROVENANCE follow:

PRV0647 CAOL ILA 9 YEAR OLD
Initially sweet on the nose with a pleasant home baked quality, it then runs to sweet smoke and burnt toast. At first a sweet character appears before a herbal smoke style coats the palate with creosote and damp ashes. The finish is long and carries bonfire ashes, salty rock pools and sweet, soft tar. (J)

PRV0653 FETTERCAIRN 9 YEAR OLD
Initially a gristy sweetness appears on the nose with a fresh, cereal character that runs to a whisky warehouse and cotton candy style. The palate is sweetly spiced and carries a milk chocolate and orange cream filling taste. The finish is drier with a subtle nutty (marzipan?) quality. (J)

PRV0639 BUNNAHABHAIN 10 YEAR OLD
Distinctly ISLAY on the nose – detect peat and salt, ahead of a warm barley style. The palate is honeyed, sweet, phenolic, smoked and viscous – leading to a sweetly spiced – cough drop style – lightly smoked finish. (F)

PRV0638 BRAEVAL 11 YEAR OLD
Initially rather spiced on the nose then a more subtle barley style eases through. On the palate detect a mouthcoating and sweetly spiced style which runs to (treacle?) toffee. The finish is big on spice, malt and more caramel toffee flavours – then heads drier. (F)

PRV0649 BALMENACH 12 YEAR OLD
Opens with a gristy sweet character plus a barley sugar quality and develops to spicy, honey’d ginger biscuits. The very smooth palate opens sweetly spiced, fruity and runs to a vanilla and toffee style with more ginger. The finish is long, still fruitily sweet, now with spiced peaches. (J)

We believe that is an interesting new selection – hoping that you similarly agree.

Yours faithfully
Fred Laing
Managing Director

Visit Douglas Laing & Co at www.douglaslaingwhisky.com

Whiskey A Global History by Kevin R. Kosar

A Manhattan or a Sazerac; neat, on the rocks, or with a splash of soda—no matter how it’s served up, whiskey is synonymous with the poet’s inspiration and the devil’s spirit. Be it bourbon, rye, corn, Irish, or Scotch, whiskey has an infamous and celebrated history from a sometimes lethal, herb-infused concoction to a highquality, meticulously crafted liquor.

In Whiskey, Kevin R. Kosar delivers an informative, concise narrative of the drink’s history, from its obscure medieval origins to the globally traded product that it is today. Focusing on three nations—Scotland, Ireland, and America—Kosar charts how the technique of distillation moved from ancient Egypt to the British Isles. Contrary to popular claims, there were no good old days of whiskey: before the twentieth century, consumers could never be sure just what was being poured in their cup— unscrupulous profiteers could distill anything into booze and pawn it off as whiskey. Eventually, government and industry established legal definitions of what whiskey is and how it could be made, allowing for the distinctive styles of whiskey known today.

Whiskey explains what whiskey is, how it is made, and how the types of whiskey differ. With a list of suggested brands and classic cocktail recipes for the thirsty reader, this book is perfect for drink and food enthusiasts and history lovers alike.

Available October 2010

Cloth ISBN: 978-1-86189-780-0 • $15.95
Published by Reaktion Books and distributed by the
University of Chicago Press

Mail Orders to:

University of Chicago Press, 11030 S. Langley Avenue, Chicago, IL 60628
Telephone: 1-800-621-2736 (U.S.A. only); 773-568-1550
Facsimile: 1-800-621-8476 (U.S.A. only); 773-660-2235
e-mail: orders@press.uchicago.edu
website http://www.press.uchicago.edu

Please visit the Washington Post to read their rave review;

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/05/AR2010100502103.html

Loch Fyne Whiskies has stocked a new item, ‘Lagavulin 1994 Distillers Edition’

Lagavulin Distillers Edition 1994/2010
43% abv
£59.90 inc vat
£50.98 ex vat

Bottled 2010

Transferred to a Pedro Ximinez (a rich unctuous sherry that the Spaniards put on their ice cream!) cask for finishing to develop a more tarry and smoky character.

Not necessarily better – but different – and has many fans.

Flavour Map Ref: J10
Rich / Smoky

Lagavulin 1994 Double Matured in Pedro Ximenez Cask Wood
Barcode: 5000281014036

Price excluding VAT: £50.98
£59.90 Including VAT at 17.5%

Best regards,
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk
https://www.lfw.co.uk/

Dear Customer,

With Christmas in mind – sorry! – we are releasing as many as thirteen (13) OLD MALT CASK bottlings, three (3) OLD & RARE’s together with three (3) additions to the 20 cl range. Beyond these Malts are two (2) old Grains under the CLAN DENNY label.

Tasting notes for the OLD MALT CASK follow:

OMC1912 ALLT A’BHAINNE SHERRY 13 YEAR OLD
Nose: Sweet, carrying a honey & chocolate cereal quality
Palate: Still sweet – now warms to rich spices and caramelized nuts
Finish: The spicy sweetness runs through on the gristy finish (J)

OMC1845 CLYNELISH 13 YEAR OLD
Nose: Barleyed, honeyed, oaked, spicy and citric
Palate: The very distinct honey dominates late oak and grist
Finish: Lightly smoked, rather spiced, very sweet (F)

OMC1911 CRAGGANMORE 13 YEAR OLD
Nose: Opens fresh/grassy/gristy – runs to a floral/heathery style
Palate: Elegant – carries a herbal, green fruit character with chamomile
Finish: Medium long, barley sugared with more spice appearing late (J)

OMC1898 HIGHLAND PARK 13 YEAR OLD
Nose: Honey sweet – with barley and a hairdressing style.
Palate: Initially toffee’d then dry earthy, dark peat kicks in.
Finish: Still earthy + waves of more toffee and light smoke. (F)

OMC1896 TOBERMORY REFILL SHERRY BUTT 15 YEAR OLD
Nose: Clean, fresh, salty, spiced and gristy dry.
Palate: Peppery hot with sweet barley and more spice.
Finish: Barleyed, sweetly spiced, with some cough drops warmth. (F)

OMC1913 GLEN SCOTIA 18 YEAR OLD
Nose: Toffee & shortbread, dried fruit + a buttery sweet character
Palate: Opens sweetly, then warmingly spiced + a dry oaky style
Finish: Long, dry, runs to a nutty/late herbal (camomile?) quality (J)

OMC1910 AUCHENTOSHAN 20 YEAR OLD
Nose: Gristy sweet + macerated oranges + late ripe bananas
Palate: Still fruitily sweet (fermented bananas) + a sherbet zing
Finish: Long, carries a ripe fruit style + dried raisins + sweet ginger (J)

OMC1895 ROSEBANK 20 YEAR OLD
Nose: Soft and subtly herbal sweet – aperitif style.
Palate: Still herbal + crunched white sugar and camphor.
Finish: Now drier – herbal – spiced – Italian digistif style (F).

OMC1914 ST MAGDALENE 27 YEAR OLD
Nose: Fresh and florally sweet – runs to minted fruit salad
Palate: Interesting/warming character – still sweet, now with spices
Finish: The fruit quality returns + a liqueur chocolate aspect (J)

OMC1916 TEANINCH 27 YEAR OLD
Nose: Opens sweetly and carries a spicy caramelized fruit quality
Palate: Very gentle + a toffee & milk chocolate character
Finish: Round + vanilla tablet + gentle spices that linger (J)

OMC1917 INCHGOWER 28 YEAR OLD
Nose: Fresh, coconut cream style + macerated oranges and toffee
Palate: Sweet & spicy + a sweet walnuts & coffee cake character
Finish: Long, still sweet + coffee and dark chocolate late (J)

OMC1925 PORT ELLEN 27 YEAR OLD
Nose: Lightly tarred – distinctly phenolic – now rather dry.
Palate: Initially very dry – peated as it warms – earthy.
Finish: Distinctly Islay in style still – oily, creosoted, salty (F)

OMC1909 LINKWOOD 28 YEAR OLD
Nose: Sweet & spicy, with a toffee and caramelized apple quality
Palate: Initially toffee’d – runs to attractive malt, spices + dried fruit + oak
Finish: Cedar wood – still spicy + a sweet liquorice root character (J)

Tasting Notes for OLD & RARE:

OAR0102 ARDBEG 19 YEAR OLD
Initially barley sweet with vanilla fudge and subtle spices – it then warms through a certain citric style to something more salty, and darkly peated. That citrus is still apparent on its soft early palate – with some chocolate? – which then heads to a Fisherman’s Friend spiced style plus vanilla and more peat. On the finish detect the cough drop’s camphor, smoke, and liquorice – with a late ongoing and long lasting beachy and long lasting phenolic quality. (F)

OAR0108 TAMDHU 20 YEAR OLD
Its deep amber colour reveals its Sherry cask maturation – reflected by a nose full of dark oily macerated/liquor soaked fruit, beeswax and spice. The palate is massively spiced – yes with a bit of oak apparent too – tending to late dryness. Seville orange marmalade on light burnt toast finishes. (F)

OAR0105 PORT ELLEN 30 YEAR OLD
Quite distinctly and interestingly citric on the nose – anticipate and detect also a bonfire ash style allied to homebaked scones. Palatewise the sweetness is carried over – then heads into soft summer tar, and dry soot with a drift of sweet smoke. Long on the finish – it is very camphor and (old fashioned) cough drop in style.

The 3 20 cl ADVANCE SAMPLES are:

SMC0374 MACDUFF 10 YEAR OLD
SMC0376 HIGHLAND PARK 13 YEAR OLD
SMC0375 CLYNELISH 13 YEAR OLD

Lastly Tasting Notes for the CLAN DENNY GRAIN:

DEN0045 STRATHCLYDE BOURBON 40 YEAR OLD
On the nose, detect sweet spices, caramelised peaches, toffee and vanilla. The mouth coating palate is still sweetly spiced and carries a creamy caramel quality with coconut and milk chocolate. The sweet spices run through on the finish and develop to an interesting orange pith character. (J)

DEN0046 INVERGORDON BOURBON 45 YEAR OLD
Opens sweetly on the nose and carries a concentrated vanilla quality plus gentle spices. Vanilla returns on the rich, mouthcoating palate – now with a caramel and coffee quality. For a Single Grain, the finish is interestingly long – now with honey and more vanilla… very dessert-like. (J)

We believe that is an interesting new selection from all the Scottish regions – hoping that you similarly agree.

Yours faithfully
Fred Laing
Managing Director

Visit Douglas Laing at www.douglaslaingwhisky.com

England v Scotland in Single Cask Rivalry

6 October 2010, Dumgoyne: Award-winning Glengoyne Distillery has  challenged some of England’s best known and highly respected independent whisky retailers to select a rare limited edition single cask from the Glengoyne warehouses that they would be proud to name The English Merchants’ Choice. This will be the second Merchants’ Choice Single Cask bottling release, with the first being chosen by a team of Scottish specialist retailers.

Taking place in Glengoyne Distillery’s state-of-the-art Blending Room, the group of six whisky connoisseurs nosed, sampled and debated a wide range of Glengoyne’s finest single cask malts before collectively selecting a 13 Years Old European Oak Sherry Hogshead cask, bottled at 54.6% vol to have the honorary title of The English Merchants’ Choice.

Not only tasked with selecting this exceptional single cask, the Merchants had to unanimously agree on all of the Merchants’ Choice values, from the bottle, packaging, label design and wording, to its name and tasting notes. 

The final tasting notes from the selection panel included an appearance of light straw with a nose of green apples, vanilla and leather followed by notes of ginger bread and orange peel on the palate. The bottling was also described as bold, elegant and delicately balanced.

Iain Weir, Marketing Director for Ian Macleod Distillers, brand owners of Glengoyne commented: “We had a fantastic response to our Scottish Merchants’ Choice release in December 2009 and thought a bit of healthy North-South rivalry had some great potential.”

“It is a novel proposition allowing our Merchants to select their own bottling but with their expert knowledge and passion for whisky, they were bound to pick a winner from Glengoyne’s finest casks. Now we will just wait to see which proves more popular – the English or Scottish selection.”

Just 291 bottles of this limited edition bottling are available now (UK only), from the six selection panel whisky specialists (see below), with an RRP of £105.00

With special thanks to:

Ben Ellefsen (Master of Malt)

David Gardener (Nickolls & Perks)

Isabel Graham-Yooll (Milroy’s)

Michael Hopert (Royal Mile Whiskies London)

Malcolm Mullin (The Vintage House) 

Mark Rowe (Constantine Stores)

For further information visit Glengoyne Distillery at visit www.glengoyne.com

Notes:

Tasting notes

SINGLE CASK-  The English Merchants’ Choice 1997 (13 Years Old)
 
Description

Appearance: Mahogany/Iroko

Nose: Raisins and citrus developing to sweeter mocha with a hint of leather

Palate: Intense complemented with orange peel and dried fruits

Finish: Delicate, yet bold and balanced
 
Wood Type- European Oak Sherry hogshead                                                                     
 
Cask No. 2716
 
No. of Bottles 291
 
Strength  54.6% vol                                                                                                    
 
Distillation Date 17th June 1997
 
Bottling Date 21 September 2010
 
Approved By  Ben Ellefsen (Master of Malt), David Gardener (Nickolls & Perks), Isabel Graham-Yooll (Milroys), Michael Hopert (Royal Mile Whiskies London), Malcolm Mullin (The Vintage House) and Mark Rowe (Constantine Stores)

The Organic

Once Again Dram and Land United

Islayʼs only organic whisky has now been released as a full scale world-wide bottling.

The Organic follows the inaugural, limited-edition bottling released last year by Bruichladdich. Organically grown Chalice barley was again used, this time from three Scottish farms – Mid Coul, Coulmore and Mains of Tullibardine.

Based on the 2003 vintage, matured in American oak casks (both used and new wood), it was created by head distiller Jim McEwan as a multi-vintage bottling – each of the three origins harvested, malted, distilled and matured separately – for ultimate complexity.

The strength was reduced to 46% with Islay spring water, bottled non chill-filtered, caramel-free and certified organic by the Biodynamic Agricultural Association. Distillery MD Mark Reynier said “This is extra-ordinary stuff. Though young it has a highly individual character: itʼs intriguingly layered with astonishing definition, an intoxicating intensity, extraordinary purity, and a finish that is simply to die for. Itʼs one of a kind.”

Only three distilleries market an organic single malt. Of those Bruichladdich commissions the largest volume of organic barley of any Scotch whisky distillery; depending on harvest, almost half of Bruichladdichʼs annual requirement is organically grown on Scottish farms.

The Organic now forms one of the central planks of the definitive Bruichladdich range. It retails at £34. Uk distribution: Blavod. Exports: andrew@bruichladdich.com

A REVOLUTIONARY OLD IDEA:

IN VICTORIAN TIMES WHEN BRUICHLADDICH DISTILLERY WAS BUILT, ALL SCOTTISH BARLEY WAS ORGANICALLY GROWN, AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF FARMER WITH HIS SOIL AND THE SEASONS, AND DISTILLER WITH FARMER WERE INTIMATE AND ENDURING. THESE NATURAL RHYTHMS AND TIES WERE LOST AS INDUSTRIALISED FARMING CUT THE ANCIENT SYNERGY OF MAN, SOIL, CROP, LIFE. AN AGE OF SUPER- EFFICIENT BLANDNESS WAS BORN; THE COST – A LOSS OF SOUL, IDENTITY AND DEFINITION.

WITH THIS WHISKY, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR ORGANIC FARMERS, SIR WILLIAM ROBERTS OF MAINS OF TULLIBARDINE, WILLIAM ROSE AT MID COUL AND NEIL SCOBIE AT COULMORE, WE ARE RECONNECTING, REDISCOVERING THAT SOUL. ONCE AGAIN LAND AND DRAM UNITED.

SUPREME QUALITY BARLEY COMBINED WITH A SLOW TRICKLE-DISTILLATION TO DO IT JUSTICE, AND SOME NEW OAK HAS RESULTED IN THE CREAMIEST SPIRIT WE’VE EVER SEEN. THIS IS HOW IT USED TO BE IN A MORE INNOCENT AGE BEFORE THE COMMERCIAL PRESSURES OF COMPUTERISED DISTILLING AND INDUSTRIAL CONFORMITY.

REFLECTING THIS, THE TIN’S IMAGE IS OF BRIGHDE, PRONOUNCED “BRIG-HEED-HER”, THE GAELIC GODDESS OF FERTILITY, HARVEST AND HOME. SHE IS A POWERFUL SPIRIT OF THE LAND AND “MOTHER OF THE ISLES”, SHE IS THE VERY LIFE-FORCE OF THE HEBRIDEAN ISLANDS THEMSELVES.

DISTILLERY NOTES:

THE ONLY ORGANIC ISLAY SINGLE MALT. 100% ORGANIC CERTIFIED BY THE BIODYNAMIC ASSOCIATION. 100% SCOTTISH-GROWN ORGANIC BARLEY. SINGLE VARIETY BARLEY: CHALICE. THE FIRST MAINSTREAM ISLAY ORGANIC BOTTLING. BRUICHLADDICH’S “CREAMIEST SPIRIT EVER”. MULTIVINTAGE BASED ON 2003 HARVEST. 7 SCOTTISH TERROIRS FOR ULTIMATE COMPLEXITY, PROVENANCE AND TRACEABILITY. TIN DESIGN FEATURING BRIGHDE, GAELIC GODDESS OF FERTILITY AND HARVEST. MATURED IN AMERICAN OAK CASKS – NEW AND USED. TRICKLE-DISTILLED, MATURED AND BOTTLED ON ISLAY AT 46% ABV. NATURAL WHISKY: NON CHILL-FILTERED, COLOURING-FREE, BOTTLED WITH ISLAY SPRING WATER.

Highland Park distillery, creators of The Best Spirit in the World*, has unveiled the  oldest ever island single malt whisky – Highland Park 50 year old – launched exclusively at Harrods, London.

With only 275 bottles produced, this prestigious edition is set to become an exclusive collectors’ item.  Each bottle is unique, encased in an intricate ‘net cage’ of hand-crafted ornate Sterling silver created by Scottish jewellery designer Maeve Gillies, who took inspiration from Orkney’s elemental forces. Maeve’s bottle design celebrates Orkney: its seas, island life, wild elements, incredible natural light and the passage of time.

In recognition of the famous St Magnus Cathedral and its medieval beauty, the front of each bottle features a single piece of circular Orkney sandstone into which is hand-carved the Highland Park amulette.  Inside the bottle, behind this sandstone, lies a Sterling silver replica of the St Magnus rose window which is revealed over time as the whisky is enjoyed.

Bottled at 44.8% abv, Highland Park 50 year old is a vatting of five refill oak casks distilled in 1960.  Its naturally burnished mahogany colour, rich and spicy tannins and muscovado sugar flavours makes this Highland Park single malt an extraordinary whisky that builds on the world-class reputation of the award-winning distillery. 

Matthew Turner, Global Controller of Highland Park, said: “The success of Highland Park’s 30 and 40 year old single malts, coupled with the distillery’s enviable position of having aged whisky stocks available, has enabled Highland Park to meet increasing demand for exclusive bottlings.  We are thrilled to be launching what we believe to be the oldest ever island single malt whisky.

“At a price breaking the £10,000 mark reflecting the super-premium nature of the product, the 50 year old combines the strong, award winning reputation of Highland Park with a unique and artistic artefact unlike anything ever seen in the single malt whisky industry.

“Furthermore this historic limited edition encapsulates Highland Park and its close connection with the land and seascape, wild elements, history and culture of Orkney.”

The bottle designer, Scottish born Maeve Gillies of MaeVona, said: “I genuinely love Highland Park, it’s a fabulous whisky and I’ve been going to Orkney since I was a child.  I felt there was a real synergy between my own philosophy and that of Highland Park with its strong character, flavours and taste.

“This bottle design is my tribute to the incredible natural beauty of Orkney and Highland Park.  The design and crafting was made to look and feel in tune with ancient artefacts that define Orkney and with every bottle being uniquely hand- finished, each is very personal and dear to my heart.  I hope people enjoy it for a lifetime, and beyond.”

Highland Park 50 year old is presented in a hand-carved Scottish oak box with softened edges as though eroded by the Orcadian elements.   Each has its individual characteristics and detailing along with a Sterling silver porthole through which one can view the Highland Park bottle and on its front the single piece of Orkney sandstone and the hand-carved amulette.

The Highland Park 50 year old is available exclusively at Harrods in London until the end of October when it will be available in the UK from specialist independent whisky retailers and globally.

*Highland Park 18 year old was named Best Spirit in the World by American drinks expert Paul Pacult in Top 115 Spirits, Spirit Journal 2009 and 2005.

Notes

Details: Highland Park 50 year old

Recommended Retail Price: £10,000.  Actual price may vary by retailer.

Strength: 44.8% alcohol by volume

Appearance: Clear and bright with burnished mahogany hues.

Aroma: Complex and multi-layered; cigar box and old tobacco pouch at first.  Slowly the emphasis moves to fruit and spices; cooked damsons, raisins and nutmeg are prevalent.

Taste: At full strength it is rich and spicy, with excellent tannins and notes of muscovado sugar to the fore, with hint of wax.  When reduced, orange peel, camphor and cloves emerge.

Aftertaste: Long and very spicy, slightly smoky remnants.

Highland Park:

Five keystones contribute to making the Best Spirit in the World:

Hand-turned malt adds to the deliciously succulent, balanced layers of aromatic character found in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
Aromatic peat gives a delectably seductive, luxuriant floral sweetness to Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
Cool maturation enhances the smooth character of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
Sherry oak casks contribute to the distinctive richness and multi-dimensional complexity of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
Cask harmonisation ensures consistency and balance in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
 
Established in 1798 on Orkney, Highland Park is one of the most remote Scotch whisky distilleries in the world.  For over 200 years, the distillery has combined time old tradition and the very best craftsmanship to achieve perfection.   Its core range of 12, 18, 25, 30 and 40 year old single malt is consistently acclaimed by connoisseurs and experts. 

Highland Park has won a string of prestigious awards across its portfolio, including Gold’ Best in Class’ for its 18 year old and 25 year old and Silver for its 12 year old single malt at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2010. It has also won Silver for its 12 year old, 15 year old and 18 year old at the International Spirits Challenge 2010. In 2009, Highland Park was awarded ‘Best New Whisky Release’ for its 40 year old single malt and ‘Best Whisky In The World’ for its 21 year old expression in the World Whisky Awards, as well as four Double Gold awards in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Highland Park 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky was named the ‘Best Spirit in the World’ by US author/journalist/critic F. Paul Pacult in the Top 115 Spirits in the World for 2009 in the June 2009 issue of F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal, his advertising-free, subscription-only quarterly newsletter. In 2010 he named Highland Park 18 year old single malt his ‘number one Scotch’. 

Maeve Gillies

Maeve Gillies is an internationally-renowned and multi award-winning designer of engagement rings and bridal jewellery. Raised in Edinburgh, as a young girl Maeve first connected with jewellery when she was 14; her grandparents had an art gallery in the Scottish Borders stocking the work of a local jeweller. 

After a degree in jewellery and goldsmithing from Edinburgh College of Art, Maeve took a Master’s degree at London’s Royal College of Art. Thereafter, she travelled the world teaching, designing and consulting on an international scale. She found her niche in engagement and bridal jewellery, which led her in 2005 to co-found ‘MaeVona’ based in New York City, specialising in Celtic-inspired bridal and fashion jewellery.

Maeve’s family combine nationally acclaimed artistic, literary and musical talent which has inspired inherent creativity.  Her mother Valerie was the Edinburgh Maker, poet laureate to the city, 2005 – 2008 and Maeve herself was six times champion at The Mod for her performance on the ‘clarsach’, a historic Scottish harp.

www.maevona.com

Dear Customer,

The seasons are a-changing, and as we turn our collars to the cold and damp. we begin our annual flogging of wintery items. Unlike so many retailers, we know it’s far too early to even mention Christmas, but it’s certainly not too early to suggest some delicious winter warmers to ease us all into the chillier seasons.

This week we’re doing a sherry spectacular – we’re flaunting whiskies that have been aged in sherry casks. Each offers up distinctive fruity, plummy, rich flavours and will be sure to see you in good stead for brisk evenings by the fire.

Cheers!

– The Chaps at Master of Malt –

——————————————————————————–
 
OUR SHERRY AMOUR

Since Scotch whisky doesn’t taste particularly good when it’s aged in unused “virgin” oak, distilleries have to find casks that have already been used for ageing something. The classic casks used to age single malt whisky are from the bourbon or sherry industries.

Not only does sherry take the harsh, tannic, woody edge off a cask, it also leaves a flavour of its own. You see, casks are like sponges; as the seasons change and the wood changes temperature the cask sucks up the liquid in the barrel. After the barrel is emptied out there’s still a good amount of sherry flavour in the wood, so when the new make whisky is taken off the still and put into the cask, it gains all kinds of flavour (notably plums, dried fruits, black pepper and winter spices, and sometimes musty, umami notes such as truffles and leather).

We’ve come up with our top three “sherried” whiskies. They’re rich, full of flavour and utterly delicious.

Aberlour a’Bunadh

At natural cask strength this is a powerful, robust whisky from Speyside’s Aberlour distillery. It’s also noteworthy for being inspired by an old bottle of century-old whisky that was discovered, hidden away in the distillery. The contents (well, what was left after the distillery workers helped themselves to the bottle) were analysed and replicated (even down to the old-fashioned dumpy bottle).

The whisky is aged solely in Oloroso sherry butts – a style of sherry that is notably dark, nutty and rich. A’Bunadh (Gaelic for “Original”) developed wonderful sherried, nutty, fruity aromas from the sherry butt, and the palate is just huge – like a dry explosion of almond, ginger, mince pies, black cherries, pepper and thick malt. Oh, and at £33.45 – for a cask strength, Oloroso sherry matured classic from Aberlour – it’s a snip!

Yamazaki 18 Year Old

Japan’s first malt whisky distillery, Yamazaki is about as scenic as they come – set in the beautiful Vale of Yamazaki. In true Japanese distilling style, only the best sherry casks are used to age the whisky and they’re sourced from the top bodegas in Spain. Yamazaki 18 has been showered with awards and not without good reason – it’s a stunner from the more “umami-rich” school of sherried whiskies. Oaky, fruity, cherry and plum like aromas lead into a palate of dark fruit, hints of forest floor, pine needles, heather roots, dates and, naturally, sherry. This corker picked up a Gold at the International Spirits Challenge, and a Double Gold at the hallowed San Francisco Spirits Competition. Incredible value for money at £59.95 a bottle.

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old “Scottish Classic”

A super premium addition to the Glenfarclas range, this is not your everyday malt; this is something very special indeed. Matured in the best sherry casks Glenfarclas could lay their hands on (like all whiskies in their range) this is a limited edition of just 600 bottles.
The nose is full of exotic spices like nutmeg, ginger and vanilla and it offers thick malt and even thicker honey. The palate is rum-like, with full, rounded notes of sherry that just build and build with hints of molasses, figs, dates and black pepper. We can honestly say it’s one of the best whiskies we’ve ever tasted. Whilst it is expensive, we’d certainly say it was worth it…

£77.45 for a 3cl sample
£1489.95 for a 70cl bottle
 
NEW ARRIVALS

——————————————————————————–
 
Speyside’s Finest 42 Year Old

A secret whisky from an unnamed Speyside distillery, all we can say is you’ll just have to try it for yourself…

£139.95

Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength

 
Laphroaig turned up to 11 – powerful, medicinal and full of intensely peaty, smoky flavour…

£38.95

Buy from Master of Malt at www.masterofmalt.com