Oban “Distillers Edition” Montilla Fino Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $149.99 View

 This vintage edition of Oban was distilled in 1999 and finished in montilla fino sherry casks, which lend a greater richness and complexity to the Oban house style without detracting from its essential characteristics. It was bottled in 2014. The nose is fragrant, with musky pineapple, and salted caramel. Silky on the palate, with Seville oranges, ginger nuts, and cloves, plus a faint suggestion of brine. Persistent orange and dry spice notes in the oaky, medium-length finish. (GS, Summer 2015) 

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Loch Lomond Group launches new whisky brand Noble Rebel

Innovative blended malt is available in three diverse flavour expressions

Loch Lomond Group has launched Noble Rebel; an innovative and bold new blended malt Scotch whisky brand that creatively pushes boundaries in the pursuit of flavour creation, combining the nobility of single malt whisky with the rigour of craftsmanship.

Drawing on centuries of know-how and deep bonds with like-minded distilleries, Noble Rebel blended malt whiskies are forged on the innovative spirit of Loch Lomond Distillery, the exquisite dram of Glen Scotia, and riveting liquids from trusted partners.

Available in three distinct expressions – Orchard Outburst, Smoke Symphony and Hazelnut Harmony – the flavours of Noble Rebel are brought to life through a series of vivid illustrations that detail the intricate stories, layers and tasting notes of each expression.

Each bold illustration is complemented by Noble Rebel’s premium embellished bottle, designed to replicate the heavy, intricate base of an old-fashioned rocks glass in tribute to the characterful flavours found within. Finished with the words ‘Noble’ and ‘Rebel’ embossed on opposite sides of the bottle lip, this intricate touch demonstrates the two faces of the brand; to visually showcase the nobility of single malts combined with Noble Rebel’s rebellious nature and ethos of pushing the boundaries of creativity in whisky blending.

Matured in ex-bourbon casks, Orchard Outburst balances crisp, ripe orchard fruits with surprising flavours of crashing salty ocean waves, resulting in an explosion of zest with hints of zingy lemon and lime. This intriguing malt contains whisky distilled with Chardonnay wine yeast, an unusual ingredient in whisky distillation which helps to intensify fruit and citrus flavours in the finished blend.

Smoke Symphony weaves threads of peat and smoke with hits of chilli. Lightning bolts of rich red body married with subtle berry tartness create a truly intriguing dram. Finished in Rioja wine casks, Smoke Symphony conveys notes of smoke, spice and dark berries.

Hazelnut Harmony mingles nuts with a hint of sweet honeycomb, with subtle pear undertones meeting imprints of warm oak. Completing the trio of expressions, Hazelnut Harmony is finished in toasted American oak casks, which adds a sweet flavour of honey, vanilla and hazelnut to the whisky.

Each expertly blended, no-age-statement blended malt whisky is non-chill filtered, natural in colour and bottled at 46% ABV.

All three Noble Rebel expressions are sealed with an emblem containing a droplet to represent the distillation process, a barrel to symbolise the maturation process, and a nosing glass in tribute to Loch Lomond Group’s blending prowess.

Each Noble Rebel expression is distilled, matured and blended under the expert eye of Master Blender, Michael Henry, at Loch Lomond Distillery. Using a combination of traditional swan-neck, and its signature high and low-cut straight-neck pot stills, Loch Lomond Distillery has a whisky-making capability like no other. The straight-neck stills, which are entirely unique to the distillery, provide Michael with greater control over the distillation process, allowing him to carefully manipulate the flavour profile of each whisky. In crafting Noble Rebel, Michael is both the artist and curator, combining the noble art of whisky distillation and blending with a knack for rebellion.

Michael Henry, Master Blender at Loch Lomond Group, said:

“Noble Rebel is an exciting new addition to the growing Loch Lomond Group portfolio. At the heart of each expression is our shared passion for blending finely curated malts into a product of beauty. Bringing new ideas to old ways and deeply-rooted traditions, our drams are modern masterpieces that welcome newcomers with open arms, and delight old friends alike.”

Each edition of Noble Rebel blended malt whisky is available from 16 February on the Noble Rebel website, RRSP £40 per 70cl bottle. Noble Rebel will also be available from 1 March 2023 at The Whisky Exchange.

Noble Rebel is part of the Loch Lomond Group, which also includes Glen Scotia, Littlemill and Loch Lomond Whiskies.

To discover more, visit: https://noblerebelmalts.com.

Join the conversation on social media:

https://www.instagram.com/noblerebelmalts

https://twitter.com/noblerebelmalts

https://www.facebook.com/noblerebelmalts

About Noble Rebel

Shaped by expertise and expressivity, Noble Rebel is a blended malt Scotch whisky unlike any other.

Skilfully curating the finest malts, each with a history of their own, and artfully blending them into striking whisky masterpieces, Noble Rebel pushes the boundaries of flavour with courage, craftsmanship and creativity. Respectful of tradition and inquisitive about the future, Noble Rebel heralds a new dawn of whisky mastery.

About Loch Lomond Group 

Loch Lomond Group is an independent distiller based in Alexandria and is home to several award-winning brands that are sold in more than 125 countries worldwide.

Loch Lomond Distillery has been producing the finest single malt whiskies since 1814. Images and interviews with key staff from the Group are available upon request.

For further details, please visit www.lochlomondgroup.com.

Hello from Shelter Point!

We hope that some of you were able to enjoy the good times at Victoria Whisky Festival. It was great to be back in person after such a long time. The range of masterclasses was amazing, it presented the opportunity to try so many great whiskies from such prestigious brands. It was great to see our Brand Experience Manager, Chris Read, presenting a masterclass as well, for those that missed it, it did include a sample of our 10 Year Old, more information on that will come later in the year.

Another highlight of the Whisky Festival was the confirmation of what had possibly become one of the worst kept secrets in Canadian Whisky. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Masterclass contained a sample of release 152.1 – which originated from this very distillery. Rumours of this release had been coming out of the UK late last year and it was with great pride that the news was confirmed in January. We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of appreciation that flowed from the announcement, we received some lovely coverage on Global News and CTV and received messages of support from far and wide. Releases 152.2 and 152.3 have also come out in different locations around the globe and it is fantastic to think that Shelter Point single malt is being enjoyed around the world.

This little flurry of exposure has come at a good time as we are also very excited about some other developments:

·         Our Single Malt Whisky is now being stocked in BC Liquor Stores across the province. Again this has taken a while to put into place so it is lovely that our flagship product is now out there in our broadest distribution ever. We’re working on plans to improve our distribution across Canada and this is a great step in the right direction. Keep an eye out too for the Evans Family Reserve which will be available exclusively in the BCL Stores soon.

·         We can’t forget our friends south of the border either! We have also just launched our direct to consumer service in the US, this means that we can ship our products to most locations in the States. The page can be found here with our Single Malt, Ripple Rock and Smoke Point currently available.

UPCOMING EVENTS

If you are in the area we would love to see you at these events!

Victoria
Island Craft Festival Winter 2023 Edition
Sun February 19^th , 5:00–10:00 a.m.
Wicket Hall, 919 Douglas St

Vancouver
Shelter Point Showcase
February 22nd, 2023
6:30PM-8:30PM
Taste of Legacy
Beside Legacy Liquor Store
1637 Manitoba Street

North Vancouver
Sip Around The World
February 23, 2023
The Pipe Shop
115 Victory Ship Way
North Vancouver

Winnipeg
Winnipeg Whisky Festival
March 3^rd & 4^th 2023
Hotel Fairmont Winnipeg, 2 Lombard Place
Winnipeg, MB

Nanaimo
Wee Tipple – Nanaimo’s Whisky Festival
March 4^th  2023
The Grand Hotel
4898 Rutherford Road
Nanaimo, BC

Vancouver
Vancouver Cocktail Week
Golden Era Cocktail Revival Gala
March 11^th 2023
Pacific Ballroom, Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
6 to 7 pm VIPs • 7 to 11 pm Partygoers

Duncan
10th Annual Cowichan Valley Whisky Festival
March 11^th 2023
Ramada by Wyndham Duncan Cowichan Valley,
140 Trans-Canada Hwy, Duncan, BC

We hope to see you at an event soon, in the meantime continue to enjoy a dram of Shelter Point.

Cheers!

Rossville Union “K&L Exclusive” Barrel #1339 Barrel Proof Straight Indiana Rye Whiskey (750ml) $59.99 View

It began in 1847 with a bold, satisfying taste that would make Indiana the rye capital of the world. For nearly 200 years, Lawrenceburg’s master distillers and blenders have been perfecting the original handcrafted rye blends in one of America’s last Prohibition-era distilleries. Rossville Union is a return to the golden age of rye with an authentic taste that could only come from Whiskey City.

Rossville Union “K&L Exclusive Barrel #1557” Barrel Proof Straight Indiana Rye Whiskey (750ml) $59.99 View

This is a special-edition from our friends and master distillers at Rossville Union. The distillery sits directly atop a natural aquifer in Lawrenceburg, Indiana which gives its whiskeys their inimitable character – unlike water from the nearby Ohio river and other sources, this aquifer provides water with naturally lower levels of iron and sulfur which naturally allow the whiskeys’ spicy notes to shine.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Stunning Quality and Value from a K&L Speyside Favorite

2006 Craigellachie 15 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Sherry Butt 

“These sherried Craigellachies are an absolute delight … when they keep dropping these on us and the price goes DOWN, we just can’t say no.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

Bottled at cask strength from a first-fill sherry butt, this is a spectacular expression of the Craigellachie style, as the distillery’s singular profile is a perfect match for the barrel’s influence. This 15-year-old iteration offers arguably higher quality and an absolutely more distinctive profile than a previous 16-year-old cask, and for a significantly better price.

2006 Craigellachie 15 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Sherry Butt Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($99.99)

K&L Notes: Another stupendous sherried Craigellachie from Old Particular. Like 2021’s 16 Year Old, this butt retains significant distillery character while not forgetting that it aged in a sherry butt for a decade and a half. The fabulous distillery just across the river from the famous Macallan distillery was once one of Speyside’s most undervalued. Now, due to repositioning and tariffs, even the entry-level distillery offerings seem out of reach in value terms, let alone their extremely well regarded “Exceptional Cask” bottlings, which have gone up in price 30-40% over the last year. We’ve managed, on the other hand, to lower the price of this exceptional malt by over $20 for something of equal or greater quality and just one year younger than the former offering. The bold, sometimes funky malt character of Craighellachie does wonders when married with sherry, and the resulting malt won’t disappoint sherry lovers, although it’s not the sweet, raisiny style some drinkers have come to associate with modern, sherry-matured single malts. Instead, it’s a deeply complex and slightly esoteric style that will appeal to drinkers looking for something more classical and contemplative.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: June 08, 2022

These sherried Craigellachies are an absolute delight. We don’t like to do the same thing year in and year out, but when they keep dropping these on us and the price goes down, we just can’t say no. This new one is a classic funky Craigie, which reminds us that this is one of Speyside’s most flavorful malts and loves to play against a great sherry butt. The color is deep gold. The nose offers that great Craigellachie funk, industrial and old school, which few modern malts offer. The sherry is there, but it doesn’t feel artificially vinous like some modern bottlings can. We get almond butter, roast pecans, bright red fruit, slight camphor smoke, wisps of engine oil, black olive, kirsch, and golden raisins. On the palate, it’s sweeter than expected, now offering some gorgeous dark chocolate, Figgie pudding, sweet candied plums, and a slight minty note on the finish. With water we add some nutty notes on the nose, but it stays pretty much in line. On the palate, there’s now a wonderfully rich, velvety texture and more tropical fruit. This is an absolutely wild whisky and definitely one for the lovers of a bit of funk, although I waffle on whether to add water or not. It’s not sulphuous though, so if you’re sensitive to that, I don’t think it will be a problem. I feel like this is a very underrepresented style that I wish we saw more of—even last year’s excellent 16-year was much more straightforward, and this one offers much more nuance.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

A Vibrant masterpiece,
coloured by our highland landscape

A limited release of 1134 bottles, The 42 is the 2^nd oldest whisky to be released by The Glenrothes, and one of the first to be created by Master Whisky Maker, Laura Rampling.

A union of just 4 exceptional casks, that over 42 years have matured our spirit among the ever changing colours and evolving landscape of The Glenrothes Estate in Speyside.

The changing colours of the terrain are represented within the bold, contoured pack that houses the whisky, and shines through in the vibrant flavour of the whisky itself.

A new crystal decanter, an interpretation of The Glenrothes iconic bottle, holds the whisky with cuts inspired by the oak staves of our casks and crowned by an elegant crystal stopper.

The 42 boasts an intensely aromatic fragrance, distinctly sweet taste, yet a smooth, velvety mouthfeel. Bottled at natural colour, like all our whiskies, its naturally deep amber tone is a result of the four decades’ long maturation in oak casks.

if you haven’t done so already, register your interest in this rare and coveted release so that we can keep you updated on availability where you are.

Register your interest

Glenfarclas 35 Year Old

1st Release – Bottled 2022

Distillery Manager, Callum Fraser. During one of his regular visits through the traditional warehouses at Glenfarclas Distillery came across a parcel of casks approaching their 35th birthday. He found them to be exceptional and as a result, Glenfarclas decided to create their first release of the 35-Year-Old, in the classic red warehouse doors series.

Shop – Glenfarclas 35 Year Old 1st Release

Delos is the whiskymakers’ first limited-edition of 2023

February 2023: Award-winning Scotch whiskymakers Compass Box introduce a new, limited-edition expression with Delos; a delicate and soothing Scotch inspired by flavours of the past (RRP £265, ABV: 49%).

Available from February, Delos is a reimagined study of Compass Box’s much admired extinct blend, Asyla. Delos focuses on capturing Asyla’s vibrancy and soothing sweetness, turning to older stocks to achieve this. First created in 2001, Asyla was the ethereally beautiful cornerstone of the core range until its retirement in 2018.

Delos is the second release from the whiskymaker’s Extinct Blends Quartet series and will only have 5,520 bottles available worldwide. The Extinct Blend Quartet celebrates discontinued characters and flavours, reappraising four very different expressions of blended Scotch. The remaining two from the series will be introduced in late 2023 and early 2024.

Named after a Greek island said to be the birthplace of the god Apollo that is blessed with mosaics and ruined ancient temples, Delos signifies Asyla’s beauty and serenity as a whisky. Blended to entice the senses, the sumptuous and meditative flavours of Delos provide a moment of sanctuary, embodying a rare escape to a sun-kissed paradise of great antiquity.

With an interplay of grain and malt, Delos balances some of Compass Box’s rarest and most idiosyncratic stocks of whisky to create an elegant and refined flavour. Malt whiskies from the much sought-after Glen Elgin, Imperial and Miltonduff distilleries – all aged in American oak barrels – bring a sweet yet mellow medley of ripe pear, pineapple, orange, and vanilla notes, while the maturity of the grain whisky gradually builds to reveal guava, heather honey, and chai spices.

The captivating label art features a female lute player from the original Asyla label, reimagined in mosaic form. However, she now plays a lyre, the instrument classically associated with Apollo, with the outline of the tiles broken away to reflect the coastlines of Delos and Greece.

James Saxon, Compass Box lead whiskymaker says, “While inspired by the style and recipe structure of Asyla, Delos has richer and rounder flavours from using older stocks of whiskies which amplify the character, bringing more grandeur to it and making it more resonant. The delicate mouthfeel and transportive aromas within Delos are nevertheless familiarly delicious. For me, sipping Delos feels like a holiday.”

Curious whisky lovers can find out more about Delos and other Compass Box whiskies at compassboxwhisky.com or follow @compassboxwhiskyco on Instagram.

Compass Box whiskies are available to purchase at compassboxwhisky.com, masterofmalt.com and thewhiskyexchange.com.

 ABOUT COMPASS BOX

Compass Box are Scotch whiskymakers. The word ‘whiskymaker’ is their word – it does not appear in a dictionary. For over 20 years they have been relentlessly focused on reinventing Scotch whisky, with every new blend designed to help make the world of whisky a more interesting place. They have not done it on their own and have collaborated with some of the world’s most visionary bartenders and designers to really push the boundaries of what is possible. They are always experimenting, always looking for sparks of creativity that will deliver something totally compelling, yet completely surprising. This vision motivates them as whiskymakers. 

ABOUT COMPASS BOX LIMITED EDITIONS

Compass Box’s Limited Editions allow them complete creative freedom, often using smaller parcels at greater ages. Each Limited Edition is one-off in nature. Every year, Compass Box creates a number of Limited Editions from very rare releases of a few hundred bottles to more accessible runs of several thousand bottles. Each one boasts a different identity, each expresses deliciousness in Scotch whisky in a different way.

Oh Canada! We’re feeling the love this month as we celebrate the first ever Canadian single malt to be bottled by the SMWS in its 40 year history – Cask No. 152.1 “Vibrant and vigorous.”

And of course we have several other wonderful whiskies in this Outturn, including the first Rye Whiskey to be released by SMWS Canada – Cask No. RW5.3 “Exploring new frontiers” and an elegant small batch Speyside single malt – “Full Bloom” – that spent time in Australian Muscat wine barriques.

There’s a lot to love in February’s Outturn, and you can also look forward to another Vaults Collection release in mid-February, this time a 31 year old sherry-matured whisky from Speyside’s most famous distillery, so watch your email for details!

SWEET MEMORIES ON DESERTED BEACHES

CASK N0. 48.138

CASK TYPE:  Refill ex-bourbon hogshead

AGE:  12 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Spicy & sweet

BOTTLE NOTE:  “The cool sea breeze touching our warm cheeks as we enjoyed peppermint tea and saltwater taffy. Water added marshmallows and Dutch stroopwafels.”

FULL BLOOM

FB18

INITIAL CASKS:  1st fill ex-bourbon barrels

FINAL CASKS:  Ex-Muscat wine barriques

AGE:  18 years

“For the creation of this small batch single malt we teamed up with our friends at Nebb Whisky Barrels, who specialise in Australian vintage wine barrels. We selected some top quality Speyside single malt that had matured for 16 years in 1st fill bourbon barrels. We then transferred the whisky to some beautiful barriques that had been filled for 20 years with heady Muscat wine in a family run winery in New South Wales.”

EXPLORING NEW FRONTIERS

CASK NO. RW5.3

CASK TYPE:  New oak barrel

AGE:  5 years

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Sandalwood, orange oil and spicy Jamaican dark chocolate rum truffles with candied almonds. 95% rye and 5% malted barley.”

VIBRANT AND VIGOROUS

Cask No. 152.1

CASK TYPE:  1st fill ex-bourbon barrel

AGE:  9 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Young & spritely

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Attractively sweet (caramel log, toffee, Lebkuchen, marzipan); but zingy and vibrant at the same time (citrus, white pepper, wasabi, pine).” 

GOING LUXE

CASK NO. 64.127

INITIAL CASK:  Ex-bourbon hogshead

FINAL CASK:  1st fill custom hogshead

AGE:  12 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Sweet, fruity & mellow

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Sweet Virginia tobacco, frankincense and a chocolate and raspberry crème brûlée followed by churros dipped in hot chocolate and café con miel.” 

TANNIC, SHAMANIC, OCEANIC

CASK NO. 16.64

CASK TYPE:  Refill re-charred hogshead

AGE:  8 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Peated

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Sauna wood and burnt twigs, bonfire of driftwood and peat (tatties roasted in the embers), burnt sage leaves; caramel popcorn and neoprene.”

THROW THE CORK AWAY!

DISTILLERY 53 SMALL BATCH

INITIAL CASKS:  Ex-bourbon hogsheads

FINAL CASKS:  1st fill Oloroso hogsheads

AGE:  8 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Peated

BOTTLED FOR THE 2022 ISLAY WHISKY FESTIVAL

LIMIT ONE BOTTLE PER MEMBER

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada
Suite 160
104 – 1240 Kensington Road NW
Calgary, AB  T2N 3P7
403-969-8225
curious@smws.ca
www.smws.ca

ROSEBANK ROSES
ENCHANTMENT

It’s a big day for Rosebank fans and collectors as we launch the final instalment of 21-year-old single malt from Elixir Distillers’ extremely rare Rosebank Roses series. Matured in a combination of bourbon and madeira casks, Enchantment brings together the lost distillery’s signature floral and grassy character with orchard fruit sweetness and subtle spice.

Closed for more then 20 years, Rosebank distillery produces some of the rarest and most sought-after Scottish single malts. We have a limited number of bottles available for purchase via ballot until 23:59 GMT on Wednesday 15 February 2023. Details of how to enter are below.

  ENTER BALLOT