There’s more choice than ever when looking for the perfect whisky so our head buyer Dawn Davies MW has selected our favourite rich and flavoursome whiskies to indulge in throughout the festive season or gift a whisky lover this Christmas.

Our selection includes classic single malts that have been aged in sherry or port casks, imparting festive flavours like Christmas cake, chocolate and candied peel. Along with coastal drams packed with pungent fruit and peat smoke, and single pot still Irish whiskies full of orchard fruit and spice. All top-notch bottles for sipping by the fire and celebrating the season.

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KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL® WELCOMES KENTUCKY BOURBON BOYS TOUR COMPANY AS OFFICIAL SPONSOR 

Homegrown Business Finds Success as Kentucky Bourbon Booms

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Distillers’ Association today announced that the Kentucky Bourbon Boys tour company is the newest official transportation sponsor of the world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experience.

Like the other official transportation sponsors, (Mint Julep Experiences, Pegasus Distillery Experiences and Central Kentucky Tours) demand for KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tourism program has helped build and grow small businesses like the Kentucky Bourbon Boys.

Based in Louisville, Kentucky Bourbon Boys provides transportation services to KDA-member distilleries in Bardstown, Lexington, Louisville, Northern Kentucky, Lawrenceburg, Danville and Frankfort, as well as cooperage tours at Kentucky Cooperage in Lebanon.

“With more distillery experiences than ever all across the state of Kentucky, reliable transportation options are an absolute necessity,” said Mandy Ryan, director of Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experiences for the non-profit KDA trade group.

“Kentucky Bourbon Boys has proven themselves to be a top-notch company that provides much-needed services to our visitors and distilleries,” she said. “We’re proud to welcome and recommend them as a transportation sponsor of our amber adventure.”

Tim Hagan, Chief Operating Officer of Kentucky Bourbon Boys, said the 12-year company strives to be an innovative leader in Bourbon tourism by providing memorable, unique experiences and first-class ​customer service.

“Since we began our business, we have worked hard to be great ambassadors for Kentucky and great partners to the distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We are proud of our old Kentucky home and enjoy creating and facilitating customized experiences for our guests.

“We look forward to continuing to show everyone who visits the Kentucky Bourbon Trail the best Kentucky has to offer.”

For more information, go to kentuckybourbonboys.com.

As an official sponsor, Kentucky Bourbon Boys will receive prominent placement on the KBT® website and in marketing materials, including recommended itineraries, on the site’s transportation page and more.

More than 70% of KBT® visitors come from outside Kentucky, and KDA has started initiatives, like recognizing official transportation sponsors, to ensure that responsibility is part of every experience.

“Responsibility is at the cornerstone of everything we do,” Gregory said. “We strongly encourage our visitors to plan their trips with the help of our transportation partners and let someone else do the driving.”

He added, “We have the honor of working in the Bourbon industry every day, but when we get to share it with visitors from across Kentucky and the globe, it’s special.”

“As people explore the KBT®, they get a first-hand look at all that Bourbon has built and helped grow, like Kentucky Bourbon Boys and our official sponsors. We’re telling the story of what makes Kentucky so uniquely great – partnership, collaboration and a signature spirit to be enjoyed together.”

Learn more at www.kybourbontrail.com.

The Intrepid Mariner

Today, The Whisky Curators proudly reveal the second release of our latest collection of hand-selected Single Cask bottlings, Introducing The Intrepid Mariner.

The Intrepid Mariner is an exclusive expression from Bunnahabhain, a distillery which has earned a reputation as the more understated among Islay Malts, characterized by a unique oiliness and a hint of sea air, distinguishing it from the predominantly peaty whiskies produced on the island.

While the distillery now introduces smoky expressions, it is the distinctly oily and largely unpeated whisky that has garnered acclaim among whisky enthusiasts worldwide.

As a 20 Year old Single Cask, The Intrepid Mariner is one that’s not to be missed. Available to shop from today.

The Intrepid Mariner 

 Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Region: Islay
ABV: 46%
Bottles in cask: 273
Matured in: Hogshead
Vintage year: 2002

Nose: Sherried, salty, unpeated & coastal shores.

Palate: A creamy mouth feel with a dried fruit influence with strong notes of coastal sea salt, indulgent caramel, subtle hints of nuts & tingling spice.

Finish: Long, lingering with hints of dried fruit and spice.

SHOP INTREPID MARINER UK

SHOP INTREPID MARINER EU

Glenfiddich 

1976 Queen Mary 2

This limited, hard-to-find release was bottled for the launch of Queen Mary 2 – a transatlantic ocean liner, which set on its maiden voyage in 2004 and as of 2008 is the only transatlantic ocean liner in regular service between Southhampton, and New York City.  This single malt from Glenfiddich distillery was distilled in 1976 and bottled from a single cask exclusively for Queen Mary 2.  the bottle is in perfect condition and comes with original wooden box and booklet.

£2,225.00

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Glenfiddich’s latest Lunar New Year Release:
Designed by Raku Inoue

Paying homage to the Wood Dragon, Glenfiddich celebrate the festival with this limited creation.

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Get ready to turn up the volume on your celebrations, because our Big Outturn is nearly here to ignite the party vibes and make this festive season truly unforgettable! We’re pulling out all the stops with a selection of whiskies that will have you dancing, laughing and toasting until the early hours.

So, dust off your dancing shoes, gather your loved ones, and let’s make this festive season one for the books. Our Big Outturn is your ticket to an unforgettable party experience – a celebration of life, love and the joyous moments that bring us all together!

Click on to preview all DAZZLING drams in our Big Outturn or simply continue scrolling to soak up the party vibes.

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES

READ NEW OUTTURN

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Dunphail Distillery fills first casks and opens second funding round

Dunphail has announced, that on Thursday 26^th October, it achieved the landmark of filling and laying down its first casks. Using the initial runs of new make spirit collected from the first two weeks’ of full production at the distillery, ten sherry butts were selected as Dunphail’s maiden maturations and were laid down within the distillery’s on-site warehousing.

The larger format casks were carefully chosen because of their inherent alignment with the distillery’s robust and intense spirit.  Founder and Master Distillery Dariusz Plazewski explained: “The remarkable character and profound flavour of Dunphail’s spirit has been entirely derived from our traditional production processes – full on-site floor malting and kilning, alongside long, open-topped fermentations and directly fired stills. Our spirit is the product of our historical outlook on production combined with our forward-looking, innovative approach to whisky appreciation. Our first casks combine these elements perfectly – reflecting the fruit-forward, rich and full-bodied nature of both the sherry butts and our exceptionally characterful spirit. Now we wait. But, we’re all delighted to have started the clock for the arrival of Dunphail’s single malt whisky!”

Alongside the announcement of filling its first casks, Dunphail also revealed that it had opened a second funding round. A target of an additional £2m is being sought through an equity offering which will support further production, the expansion of sales and marketing capability and further development of the distillery’s tours and visitors experiences.

Plazewski commented: “Our calling is to produce world-class, full-bodied, fruit-forward single malt whisky using the full range of processes, each one shaped by generations of rich distilling heritage. We intend to establish Dunphail Distillery as one of the finest whisky producers within Scotland and are keen to work with investors who share our vision. Through an additional equity offering we’re looking forward to delighting out customers with thought-provoking single malt whiskies, whilst offering a truly exceptional distillery and visitor centre experience.”

Dunphail Distillery based in Morayshire commenced production in October 2023, having self-constructed the 200,000 LPA site by converting an existing farm steading. The distillery’s visitor centre and shop opened earlier this year, offering daily tours and tastings of Dunphail’s Dava Way whiskies to a growing number of visitors.

Dunphail New Make Spirit (filling strength 63.5%)

Crafted from 100% on-site floor malted and kilned Laureate barley

Nose: Crisp, clean and vibrant. The character and purity of the spirit are demonstrated with waxed lemons and limes alongside a scattering of hedgerow berries. The fruit-forward notes are then enriched by oven baked buns, buttered bread and freshly cut grass resulting in a captivatingly broad assortment of aromas.

Taste: Oiliness and texture runs throughout establishing a remarkably rich and fulsome mouthfeel. Lemon curd, zested limes and orange peels sit alongside substantive pastry character – brioche, malt loaf and barley cakes. Undertones of minerality and ginger spicing unravel to reveal a spirit that possesses an extraordinary distinctiveness.

Finish: Boundless energy still persists, as expressive notes of citrus progressively fade into a malt-driven conclusion.

About Dunphail Distillery 

Dunphail produces world-class full-bodied, fruit-forward single malt whisky using the full range of traditional production processes, each one shaped by generations of rich distilling heritage. We take a meticulous approach to whisky making, combining knowledge with passion to ensure that everything we do is driven by the foundations of flavour and quality. We craft the finest whisky the way it used to be made – taking the traditions of the past to shape the whisky of tomorrow.

KILLOWEN POITÍN NOW RELEASE – DAGDA’S OATS & NEW 700ML RUM&RAISIN

This weekend is Poitín Now weekend – a weekend where the best of Irish spirit enthusiasts descend on Dublin from all over the country & world and celebrate our native spirit – Poitín

For one day & two sell out shows Bar 1661 becomes Nerdistan for us like minded poitín lovers. As is becoming tradition Killowen has thought long and hard, and created a poitín suitable for the occasion.

The Dagda’s Oats

The Dagda is Irelands Zeus, Thor or Oden – and aside from reproducing, killing, and flattening mountains he was famed for carrying a pot of oats that never emptied, enabling him to feed people endlessly. Only fitting that we should make a wonderful peated oaten poitín in his name and memory.

FLAVOUR EXPECTATIONS

Imagine a peaty crème brûlée, with white chocolate sauce and potstill spice – all these come together in this chewy alcoholic custard. A spirit fit for the king of the Gods.

Killowen’s signature Rum & Raisin is growing

Killowen Rum and Raisin has grown so much in popularity in the past 3 years that it has now grown in bottle size too. This jump in size from 500ml to 700ml means that we still have all the same great flavours and high strength of 55%, the only difference is you get more in your bottle. This delicious single malt is finished in our own Rum casks and PX sherry casks to give an amazing flavour profile that delivers long into the nose pallet and finish.

This Bottling, although large, will carry the same RRP – we know that will make you happy coming into Christmas.

Available everywhere in a store near you, right now or very soon.

Créatúr

For those who don’t know of Fionnán O’Connor yet and his wonderful new book project the following is for you:

Quote from Fionnán’s website

Nearly 10 years in the planning, Créatúr is the second book by Irish whiskey historian and A Glass Apart author Fionnán O’Connor.  Scheduled for publication in 2026, you have a chance now to purchase a bottle of his whiskey and book in advance

Créatúr is a book about whiskey and the people who make it. And the people who made it. And the making of it too. It’s a book about the way we drank and the ways we just might. In 2024 it’s one for the road. No bullshit, just the créatúr. Along the way, we’ll be talking to some wonderful friends doing things that I admire, as well as with some folks who don’t always get a look-in: barley farmers, publicans, tillage researchers, ethnomusicologists, lab analysts, mixologists, folklorists, a Phylloxera historian, a peatland scientist, Willie Murphy, all sorts… Ultimately, Créatúr is a little bit fluid and hopefully no less pungent for it either.

As connoisseurs of Irish Whiskey – we owe it to those carrying out independent research so if you wish to support by buying a bottle and copy and signed book in advance, jump on the following link: https://creatur.ie/shop/

Sláinte

The Killowen Distillery Team

Celebrate HM King Charles III 75th Birthday with Highgrove’s Exclusive Commemorative Whisky

This limited-edition blends heritage Plumage Archer barley from Highgrove Estate, matured in Bourbon, Port, and ex-Red wine casks. We will be bottling on His Majesty’s birthday on 14th November 2023. Adorned with a commemorative label and presented in a royal blue tube, this collector’s item offers a sensory journey befitting of this special day.

Highgrove King’s 75th Birthday Vatting Whisky

Tasting Notes
Nose: Star Anise and Blackcurrant
Palette: Custard, Nutmeg and Red Fruits
Finish: Lingering Spices and Dark Chocolate

Highgrove King’s Birthday Single Malt Whisky ABV: 50% | RRP £175 for a bottle.

Available exclusively to purchase from: www.highgrove.com

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER

Cotswolds Distillery

Phillip’s Field, Whichford Road Stourton Shipston-on-Stour,

Warwickshire CV36 5EX