Highland Park 8 Year Old

The MacPhail Collection, Single Malt Scotch Whisky  $39.99

Green straw color with an amazing nose of smoke, sea salt, coconut and chocolate. On the palate the slightly oily texture carries flavors of dry smoke and firm malt. It has that tell tale kiss of the sea that makes you think of Highland Park and just a lick of petrol to the finish. A big shouldered and complex whisky.

About the Distillery:

Situated on a hillside near Kirkwall the capital of Orkney, Highland Park is the northernmost distillery in the world, a distinction it holds by a clear half mile over the nearby Scapa Distillery.
The distillery gets its name because its location, in the High Parks overlooking the Northern Isles. It was the perfect hideaway for its founder Magnus Eunson to begin distilling whisky illegally in 1798. 

The location set the perfect backdrop for making whisky, a good source of fresh water was nearby and was not far from a plentiful source of peat.  It was also an excellent spot to watch out for the excise man.  By 1826 the distillery became legal and it was too late to change the name the reason being, the site was already known as ‘Highland Park’.  Not only is Highland Park important to us whisky fans, it plays a very important role to the Orkney economy.

Glenrothes 8 Year Old

The MacPhail Collection, Single Malt Scotch Whisky  $39.99

Pale pine colored whisky with red fruit, light smoke, citrus and butterscotch to the nose. The texture is just lovely. It starts out lightly and fattens up as it slides along your palate. There is beautiful malt along with notes of fruit and spice. Elegant and well built.

About the Distillery

Situated within the picturesque Spey valley, Rothes is home to five distilleries all tucked along the tiny main street – unbeknown to passing visitors.  Amongst these is Glenrothes hidden in a small glen on the outskirts of the village.

Approaching the distillery your eyes are automatically drawn to the right where the village graveyard stretches up the hill. As whisky matures it evaporates this is known as “the angels share”. Feeding off the evaporated whisky is a black sooty fungus, which, at Glenrothes, gives an uncanny eiry look and atmosphere to the
place.

About The Bottler:

For more than 110 years, Gordon & MacPhail has been carefully selecting, filling, maturing and bottling malt whiskies for your enjoyment and has remained independent and family owned throughout its long history.

Visit D&M at http://www.dandm.com/

The latest new whisky from Whyte and Mackay and Richard Paterson:

1951 was an incredible year. And while men dreamed of reaching the stars, guided by the brightest of them all, Sirius, it would be another 18 years before that journey took place. But for a whisky in the Dalmore distillery, 1951 saw it it begin on a journey that wouldn’t end until 2009.*

To me, this is one small step for a dram, but one giant leap for dramkind to continue the space theme (and I’ll come back to that later in the week). Coming from the oldest barrel left in the Dalmore distillery, Sirius is distinguished and elegant, age has gracefully finessed this brilliant expression. Aromas of intense citrus and honeyed chocolate are quickly joined by roasted coffee, crushed walnuts and hints of liquorice spice.

Let the spirit gently roll over the palate, holding it long in the mouth to tease out its illuminating flavours. First coffee and bitter chocolate, followed by crushed almonds and ripe apple, then toffee, spicy cinnamon and toasted oak provide the perfect finish.”

Visit the Dalmore Distillery at http://www.thedalmore.com/

Global Brand Ambassador Unveils Latest Masterpiece
Limited release Balvenie Madeira Cask to be available only in Alberta and New Brunswick

Toronto, ON (October 5, 2009) – David Mair, the Global Brand Ambassador for The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky, has travelled from Scotland to Alberta to unveil The Balvenie’s latest hand-crafted creation The Balvenie Madeira Cask 17 Year Old.

Matured in traditional oak and finished in casks previously used to make fortified Madeira wine, The Balvenie Madeira Cask 17 Year Old, will be made available in Canada exclusively in New Brunswick and Alberta starting in November. 

“We are particularly proud of this year’s Limited Edition 17-year old,” said Brand Ambassador, David Mair.  “It has just been released and already it is drawing praise and excitement from whisky connoisseurs around the world.  The Balvenie distillery is unique in the world for its tradition of handcrafting which is a key factor in the distinctive taste of our product.” 

A real treat for the Scotch whisky enthusiast, The Balvenie Madeira Cask 17 Year Old is an exceptionally rich and rewarding mature single malt, whose deep luxurious aromas translate into an equally rewarding flavour of spice and dried fruit. 

Created by the whisky industry’s longest serving Malt Master, David Stewart, The Balvenie Madeira Cask follows the 2008 release of the award-winning The Balvenie Rum Cask and is the latest in a series of six 17 Year Old limited edition releases by The Balvenie Distillery.  Drawing upon his unmatched expertise when crafting The Balvenie range of single malts, Stewart has continued in the tradition of quality and craftsmanship.  Each year, by using different cask types and mature spirit he has expertly crafted a new expression of The Balvenie’s uniquely honeyed character for limited release.

The Balvenie Madeira Cask 17 Year Old is a limited release that will go on sale in Alberta in November 2009. 

(more)

 
Notes to editors:

• The Balvenie Madeira Cask 17 Year Old tasting notes:  Nose – A rich, deep and complex nose.  Spicy, earthy oak notes with subtle hints of vanilla and honey.  Soft fruit aromas, a slow baked apple infused with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.  Taste – The deep, luxurious aromas translate into an equally rewarding flavour.  Initial sweet vanilla oak notes gradually develop into rich spices and dried fruits (apricots, figs, dates).  Finish -exceptionally long and an intriguing balance of sweetness and dry oakiness. 

• The Balvenie is a unique range of single malts created by David Stewart, The Balvenie Malt Master.  Each has a very individual taste, but each is rich luxuriously smooth and underpinned by the distinctively honeyed character of The Balvenie. 

• Produced in Speyside in the Scottish Highlands, the exceptional quality of The Balvenie Single Malt is due to the fact that The Balvenie Distillery retains and nurtures a high level of craftsmanship that other malt whisky producers no longer employ: nowhere else will you find a distillery that still grows its own barley, still malts in its own traditional floor maltings and still employs coopers to tend all the casks and a coppersmith to maintain the stills.

• The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky is produced by William Grant & Sons Ltd, an award-winning independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today run by his direct descendants. 

• For more information, please visit: www.thebalvenie.com
For more information, please contact:

Stephanie Charlton
Jesson + Company Communications Inc.
T: (416) 323-7828 ext. 26
M: (416) 727-9048
E: scharlton@jessonco.com

The Dalmore distillery has launched a new limited edition 18 year old.

Visit the Dalmore Distillery at http://www.thedalmore.com/

Loch Fyne Whiskies News has posted a new item, ‘Whisky Bible 2010 by Jim Murray’

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2010
£10.99

You may view the latest post at
https://www.lfw.co.uk/blog/2009/10/05/whisky-bible-2010-murray/

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

From Richard Paterson;

Say “hello, how are you,” to the latest Jura. Jura Prophecy. We’re proud of this one. Even before being officially launched, at the recent prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition Prophecy won a silver medal. So why don’t we get better acquainted…

It’s heavily peated, 46% ABV, without chill filtration (let’s see what the moaners when I blogged over at John Hansell’s place say about that), it’s the latest limited release from Jura.

The name’s got a cracking back story to it and some of you may have already tried it (especially if you’ve caught up with me on my recent travels), but knowing you lot you want to know what it tastes like first, so here we go with the tasting notes first, then some details on what others have said, then the backstory and then where to get it from…

Tasting Notes for Prophecy:

Colour: Rich, amber gold with shimmering highlights. A lustrous copper gold and cherry wood hue.

Nose: The tarry bonfire notes slowly give way to hints of soft liquorice and nutmeg.

Taste: Meticulously crafted from a selection of the finest and rarest aged Jura single malt whiskies, Prophecy is a profoundly peated spirit. Powerful flavours of peat smoke, fresh cinnamon and spicy sea spray lead the first assault. Finally the tarry bonfire notes slowly give way to hints of soft liquorice and nutmeg. Some say Jura Prophecy contains earthy notes of damp moss and peat coupled with bonfire smoke and Arbroath kippers too.

Bottled in a traditional style without chill filtration to preserve the true character and deliver an authentic taste of 1938.

What Others Are Saying:

Whisky Reviews

I thought Jura Prophecy was lovely. Ash, smoke, a hint of oranges in the body and sweetness and cinnamon in the finish. Very good!

And a little more on Jura Prophecy – do add water, as it brings the sweetness out and really reveals the Limousin oak influence.

The Backstory

A curse, a mystical seer and a fortune that came to pass 200 years later is the inspiration behind the newest edition to the award-winning Isle of Jura range, Jura Prophecy – a heavily peated single malt that harks back to the whisky that was brewing on the mysterious island centuries ago.

The single malt is inspired by one the island’s most compelling tales – the true story of the wise old ‘seer’ who predicted the downfall of the illustrious Campbell clan who held reign on the Isle of Jura in the early 1700s.

During this reign, the Campbells evicted the seer – who was believed to have the gift of “the third eye” and the ability to see the future – from the island.  As she left she foretold that the last Campbell would leave the island, one eyed and with all his worldly possessions held in one cart drawn by a solitary white horse.

More than 200 years later, in 1938, Charles Campbell, the last Campbell left… with only one eye after being shot during World War 1, and with a cart drawn by a white horse.

This makes our current range for Jura the Jura 10, Superstition and 16 years old, 1974, 40 years old, Elements, Paps and now Prophecy. But you might not be able to get Prophecy for that long. There’s only 1800 cases worldwide selling for an RRP of £56 per bottle. The whisky will be available to order direct from the distillery, see www.isleofjura.com or call 01496 820 385 for further details (there’s also an email address on the site).

If you try it, let me know what you think.

Dear All,

Another whirlwind month has passed in Adelphi Land. A quick trip to the Rockies in Canada for the 2nd Taste of Culture event, followed by the speediest terminal change at Heathrow to make the flight north, in order to drive to catch the last ferry to Islay…only to be told that the road had washed out. Luckily the very kind people at Cal Mac ferries held the boat.

I am very thankful that they did as we were then treated to a fantastic 2 days on Islay courtesy of Kilchoman Distillery – launching their 1st ever official Scotch whisky at 3 years old (an excellent dram), they fed, watered and boated us around the Island in style. Huge thanks to Anthony and his team!

One day to re-pack and a visit to HQ in Ardnamurchan to welcome our importers and agents from around the world for our annual gathering. This year we were also delighted to have the famous whisky chef, Chris Pepper, come over from Germany to join us and conjure up a delicious whisky dinner. Many thanks to Chris and Marion for making the twisty trip to Glenborrodale.

This week started on a high at the last day of the Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival, continued last night with a tasting to 250 people at Blair Castle and finishes tomorrow with a cosy, fire-side tasting at The Bookshop, Wigtown as part of this year’s Book Festival.

Later this month, its off to Sweden, where I hope to see a great number of the Dancey Man Club, for a 10 day tour followed by November in London, Germany, Holland and Switzerland – please check out the website for more details http://www.adelphidistillery.com/news

All these tastings have generated a few sales, but you will be delighted to hear that we have reserved the remaining few bottles of Breath of Speyside (the third edition) 1991 18yr old cask 5145 54.2% vol. for this month’s offer and I can also report that we are due to bottle a staggering 9 new casks later this month – more information to follow at the end of the month.

This month’s offer:

BREATH OF SPEYSIDE 1991
18 Yr. old Speyside 54.2% Vol.
1 of only 520 bottles from cask 5145

http://www.adelphidistillery.com/whisky/bos19915145

This expression of our ‘secret’ Speysides has come from a first-fill Spanish oak butt, and its colour – a glorious deep umber, with crimson lights, like an old tawny port. The nose is of rum toffees, with a heavy fruitiness – dried fruits (cherries, raisins, sultanas, mixed peel) all macerated in blond rum, with a distinct Jaffa Cake aroma behind (dark chocolate, bitter orange, sponge). All these scents hold together well when you add water, joined by a slight waxiness, like buttery cake-mix. A smooth texture, slightly mouth-cooling in its effect; a sweet then dry taste, but not overly tannic, with burnt sugar and bitter orange marmalade in the finish. A superb example of the rich style of Speyside.

The Dancey Man Offer price is £62.70 inc. VAT per bottle.

Please let me know if you would like any. Due to the limited amount of bottles remaining, this will be sold on a 1st-come-1st-served basis.

Best wishes,

Alex.

Alex Bruce

Sales & Marketing Director

Adelphi Distillery Ltd.

Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 1383 842 912

Mobile: +44 (0) 7795 424 838

Skype: alex.bruce

Email: alex@adelphidistillery.com

Web: www.adelphidistillery.com

Loch Fyne Whiskies News has posted a new item, Ardbeg OB Corryvreckan 57.1%alc.

Extremely limited so strictly only 1 each…

Neat there is smouldering, oily clinkers; the smoke from tall chimneys, industrial pre-cleanup levels of coal fuelled smog, ahhhh! breath it in deep, so evocative of a by-gone age, and sweet. Ardbeg is a heavy duty dram and this is HD Ardbeg.

With water I start to get some of the myriad of guff in their tasting notes (see link below). The whisky bursts in the mouth, pauses a moment then covers the buds with absolutely perfect balance, tipping to the sour then drying. Still neat, there is a medium-short finish drifting to a memory of strong black coffee and just a drying.

Back to earth with water (so to speak), tarry, peat for the first time and (gosh!) some mint and old bog-brush. Quite sweet and fruit – berryish. A nice sweet finish with power at slack tide.

Ace.

Ardbeg Corryvreckan
57.1% abv
£59.90 inc vat
£52.09 ex vat

…smoke from tall chimneys, industrial pre-celanup levels of coal fuelled smog, ahhhh!…

You may view the latest post at
https://www.lfw.co.uk/blog/2009/10/01/ardbeg-corryvreckan/

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

Federal Wine & Spirits Ardbeg Tasting
Beauty and The Beist, Steller!
Thursday Oct 8th Pourings at 4:00 P.M. & 5:00 P.M.

Joe writes,

Ardbeg Evangelist, Divinia Small the beautiful, will bring us the new, the release of Corryvreckan and the old, the last of the Beist which is being discontinued. There are very low stocks, so if you like it, now is the time to get it.

Corryvreckan named for a whirlpool very close to the Isle of Jura that almost drowned George Orwell, is a wonderful addition to the line, a cask strength whisky for everyday drinking which will please the distillery’s fans.

This will be the last of the 17 y.o Airigh Nam Beist which is reaching the end of its run. We will have the the cask-strength Uigaedail.

Unless you are one of the lucky ones to have scored some, this will be your only chance to taste Supernova, It is already legendary, just a few months after its release. Please don’t call to order it. We have none to sell, and I won’t sell the tasting bottle either.

With the best Ardbeg pricing in years, this will be a tasting not to be missed.

Old Price NEW

Ardbeg 10 Y.O. – 46% $64.99 $61.99

Airigh Nam Beist – 46% $129.99 $94.99

Corryvreckan 57.1% 89.99 $81.99

Uigaedail $110.00 $79.99

Email: joe@federalwine.com
Phone: 617-367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com

Loch Fyne Whiskies News has posted a new item, ‘Port Ellen Signatory 1982 27yo’

Port Ellen 1982 27yo bottled by Signatory Vintage
59.0% abv
£135.00 inc vat
£117.39 ex vat

You may view the latest post at
https://www.lfw.co.uk/blog/2009/09/28/port-ellen-signatory-1982-27yo/

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