GORDON & MACPHAIL RELEASES RECOLLECTION SERIES FEATURING RARE SINGLE MALTS FROM CLOSED SCOTTISH DISTILLERIES 

Gordon & MacPhail is unveiling a collection of exceptionally rare whiskies from closed distilleries across Scotland – a new annual series of single cask releases from its revered liquid library.

The ‘Recollection Series’ features a trove of whiskies from distilleries lost to the mists of time, giving enthusiasts and collectors a unique opportunity to enjoy forgotten masterpieces.

From the Private Collection range, personally selected by members of Gordon & MacPhail’s owning family, come a 1982 from St. Magdalene Distillery (Linlithgow), a 1982 from Glen Mhor Distillery (Inverness), and a 1981 from Lochside Distillery (Montrose). All whiskies are bottled at cask strength and unchillfiltered.

The whiskies, each matured in Gordon & MacPhail’s own casks, exemplify Gordon & MacPhail’s patient approach to maturation, guided by the principle that ensuring quality is always the key motivating factor.

The releases from St Magdalene, Glen Mhor and Lochside distilleries are available worldwide, with other releases in the series available in select international markets.

Stuart Urquhart, Operations Director at Gordon & MacPhail said: “We’re excited to release a series that revives and celebrates the spirit and character of these closed distilleries from across Scotland.

“Each remarkable expression is vanishingly rare and captures an unrepeatable moment in Scotland’s rich liquid heritage. Having carefully assessed the progress of each spirit down the decades, we feel now is finally the right moment to reveal these landmark single malts. We hope the annual series will excite single malt enthusiasts keen to try something different, and irreplaceable.”

For more information, visit www.gordonandmacphail.com

#GordonandMacPhail

Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection 1982 from St Magdalene Distillery [RSP £2249.99/ $3499 USD]*

The 39-year-old whisky has been matured in casks #2094 – a refill American hogshead – and will be available worldwide.

• ABV:8%
• Outturn: 165 bottles
• Aroma: Baked apple aromas lead to demerara sugar and faint dried herbs. Grapefruit zest develops accompanied by white chocolate and freshly cut grass.
• Taste: Dried pineapple flavours infuse with passion fruit and crystallised violet. Lemon curd comes to the fore alongside subtle icing sugar and a faint herbal edge.
• Finish:  White pepper and charred oak linger on the finish with citrus fruit.
• About the distillery: Built in the Royal Burgh of Linlithgow in the mid-18^th century by Sebastian Henderson who rented the lands of St. Magdalene’s Cross Convent from the Countess of Dalhousie to build the distillery. The operation of St Magdalene throughout the 20th century, though the distillery became one of nine permanently closed by the company in 1983. The distillery was renovated into residential flats in the early 1990s, though its malting barn and kiln, which are registered as C Grade listed buildings, remain.

Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection 1982 from Glen Mhor Distillery [RSP £2249.99/ $3499 USD]*

The 40-year-old Glen Mhor whisky has been matured in a refill Sherry hogshead and will be available worldwide.

• ABV:8%
• Outturn: 174 bottles
• Aroma: Rich Sherry influences with toasted hazelnuts and subtle milk chocolate. Morello cherry notes develop alongside sweet treacle toffee.
• Taste: Intense stewed fruit leads to pressed apple and demerara sugar. Raspberry compote combines with soft white pepper and a hint of dried tobacco.
• Finish: A full finish with citrus and summer fruit.
• About the distillery: Designed by Charles Doig, the distillery was built in in 1892 by John Birnie and Charles Mackinlay. Unusually, the Highland based distillery remained water-powered until the 1950s and had Saladin maltings installed in 1954. It was eventually demolished in 1986.

Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection 1981 from Lochside Distillery [RSP £3199.99/ $4999 USD]*

The 40-year-old whisky has been matured in a refill Sherry hogshead and will be available across worldwide markets.

• ABV:2%
• Outturn: 141 bottles
• Aroma: Rich Sherry aromas complement fragrant mandarin peel. Salted almonds come to the fore with raspberry compote and faint malted biscuit.
• Taste: Roasted coffee beans lead to walnuts and stewed raisins. Blackcurrant jam accompanies Seville orange peel and red apple.
• Finish: A long finish with lingering hazelnuts and cocoa powder.
• About the distillery: Lochside was a brewery from 1786 until its closure in 1957. It incorporated a white tower – a classic German brauhaus design – that was reinterpreted by Charles Doig in 1899. The site was then purchased with the new owner installing a Coffey and he set about installing a Coffey still, swiftly followed by four pot stills in 1961. The Coffey still was decommissioned and the distillery ran until the early 1990s before it was finally closed and sold to developers before being demolished in 2005.

*Prices in international markets may vary due to local taxes and import duties.

About Gordon & MacPhail Whiskies

For over 125 years, Gordon & MacPhail has been driven by a simple mission: to create single malt Scotch whisky of exceptional quality.

Through four generations of family ownership, the company has matched spirit from over 100 Scottish distilleries to its own bespoke casks.

It is this unique depth and breadth of experience that enables Gordon & MacPhail to combine oak, spirit and time to create a portfolio of iconic whiskies found nowhere else in the world.

• ‘Discovery’–This flavour-led range is the perfect introduction to our portfolio of quality single malt Scotch whiskies
• ‘Distillery Labels’–A range celebrating our long-standing relationships with Scotland’s distilleries
• ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ –The heart of our portfolio. Always unique, these non-chill-filtered, natural coloured, small batch expressions are genuine one-offs.
• ‘Private Collection’–Greatly-aged single malts from celebrated, little-known, or closed distilleries specially selected by members of the Urquhart family
• ‘Generations’–A prestigious collection of old, rare, and exclusive masterpieces

2022 ADVENT CALENDAR: 25 CASKS FOR CHRISTMAS

What better way to count down the days to Christmas than with 25 different spirited casks? Maybe just a sleek new box to heighten the delight. You’ll find a Society surprise behind each calendar door that is sure to thrill the senses – mini 25ml bottles they each may be but rest assured they are MIGHTY in taste and flavour.

ORDER YOUR ADVENT CALENDAR NOW

VIEW CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

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

The Loch Fyne
The Living Cask Batch 12

Using some Batch 11 as the base this latest Batch 12 is comprised of whiskies from Linkwood, Mortlach and Ben Nevis. The Linkwood and Mortlach elements have been finished in Muscatel wine casks to add scrumptious sweet complexity.

£46.00
BUY NOW

ABERFELDY® ANNOUNCES TWO NEW EDITIONS TO ITS RED WINE CASK COLLECTION 

27^th September, 2022 – John Dewar & Sons announces the latest limited expressions to come from ABERFELDY’s Red Wine Cask Collection.

For this year’s annual release ABERFELDY is releasing two expressions; ABERFELDY 15 Years Old finished in Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks from Napa Valley, and ABERFELDY 18 Years Old finished in Tuscan red wine casks from Bolgheri, available in selected markets.

The ABERFELDY Limited Edition series is crafted by Malt Master, Stephanie Macleod. Being highly accomplished in the sensory analyses of whisky, this collection was born through Stephanie’s inherent passion for maturation and flavour development. Inspired by her adoration of fine wine, Stephanie began the exploration of how flavours from red wine casks interact with and elevate Aberfeldy’s aged malt. Painstakingly nosing each cask to monitor maturation and flavour development within the Aberfeldy inventory, the use of Stephanie’s sensory skills ensures that every whisky has been expertly finished, is flavoursome, balanced, and brimming with distillery character.

The first Single Malt in the collection was launched in 2019. Finished in Pomerol wine casks, the inaugural expression started Aberfeldy’s journey into French red wine; and the four subsequent bottlings further explored the famous reds of the esteemed Bordeaux and Rhone wine appellations. Evolving to include red wines from further afield, the newest bottlings to be released widen the collection’s offering to encompass cask finishes from both an Old World wine and a New World wine.

Stephanie has chosen to finish a 15-year-old Aberfeldy with a Californian red from the famed Napa Valley, alongside an 18-year-old finished with a Tuscan red from Bolgheri, the birthplace of the first Super Tuscan wine.

ABERFELDY 15 Years Old Limited Edition is first matured in a combination of refill casks, and then finished in ex-Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Barriques, sourced from the world-famous Napa Valley, California’s best known wine-producing region.

ABERFELDY 18 Years Old Limited Edition is first matured in a combination of refill casks, and then finished in ex-Tuscan Red Wine Barriques, sourced from Bolgheri in Italy. This Italian wine producing region of Tuscany is best known for Chianti, but Bolgheri, a relatively young yet prestigious Italian appellation, boasts being the birthplace of the first Super Tuscan wine, made with a Cabernet Sauvignon base.

Malt Master, Stephanie Macleod comments: “Aberfeldy with a Napa red wine finish delights with fragrant notes of raspberry jam, parma violets, then cinnamon and freshly ground coffee beans, all alongside the signature honeyed profile. It’s a rare, complex dram to savour.”

Adding: “The 18-year-old edition is showing exactly the kind of depth and interest I’m aiming for when finishing in Tuscan red wine casks of this quality. On the palate there’s more fruit and almond, and also delightful hints of sliced green pepper and lime which mingles with Aberfeldy’s citrus and honey notes. Beautiful soft oak rounds out this complex and deeply satisfying dram. It’d be ideal with dessert.”

Stephanie and Global Brand Ambassador, Matthew Cordiner will host a Facebook live event on 6^th October at 7pm, in which they will introduce the two newest editions to the Red Wine Cask Collection in an online tasting, via the Dewars Aberfeldy Distillery Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/DewarsAberfeldyDistillery

ABERFELDY 15 Years Old finished in Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks from Napa Valley is bottled at 43% ABV and has a RRP of: £55, €59, $79.99 USD. The expression will be available in limited runs, initially from the distillery’s online shop, www.shop.dewars.com from 27^th September, and then will roll out in the following main markets: UK, France, Germany and USA.

ABERFELDY 18 Years Old finished in Tuscan red wine casks from Bolgheri is bottled at 43% ABV and has a RRP of: £95 / €99 / $120 USD. The expression will also be available in limited runs, initially from the distillery’s online shop, www.shop.dewars.com from 27^th September, and then will roll out in the following main markets: UK, India, Taiwan, China, USA, France and Germany.

www.Aberfeldy.com

About ABERFELDY Single Malt Scotch Whisky

ABERFELDY distillery was founded in 1898 by the dynamic Dewar brothers, John Alexander and Tommy. They built on a site just a stone’s throw from the birthplace of their father, the pioneering blender John Dewar.

Alongside the distillery, and known to contain deposits of alluvial gold, flows the Pitilie Burn; the perfect water source for the Golden Dram. While inside, time-honoured techniques like long fermentation, which conjures rare honeyed notes, safeguard the whisky’s flavour profile, renowned for its rich, sweet, smooth taste.

The brand’s core portfolio is comprised of ABERFELDY 12 Years Old, ABERFELDY 16 Years and ABERFELDY 21 Years Old.

The single malt brand of ABERFELDY is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.

ABERFELDY’S Red Wine Cask Collection

Aberfeldy’s French Red Wine Cask Collection launched in 2019 with the first release of Aberfeldy 15 Year Old, finished in Pomerol casks from Bordeaux, the second release in 2020 was an 18 Year Old expression finished in Pauillac casks, also from Bordeaux. For the third bottling introduced in 2021, Malt Master, Stephanie Macleod chose a robust yet elegant wine from Côte Rôtie. The newest bottlings in the series expand the collection’s offering with Aberfeldy 15 Year Old finished in Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks from Napa Valley and Aberfeldy 18 Year Old finished in Tuscan red wine casks from Bolgheri.

ENJOY ABERFELDY RESPONSIBLY ©2022 ABERFELDY IS A TRADEMARK

ImpEx Beverages Announces the release of Edition Two of their Independent Bottling line – The ImpEx Collection

October 1, 2022 – Sam Filmus and Chris Uhde of ImpEx Beverages announced today the release of The ImpEx Collection Edition Two. Following the success of Edition One, Edition Two features Scotch Whisky, World Whisky the brand fondly refers to as ‘Our Gems’.

When asked about Edition Two, Sam Filmus, President of ImpEx Beverages, said, “We were so pleased with the feedback we received from Edition One and we knew we had to keep that momentum going.  This year we have some new exciting and very special World Whisky expressions, we continue to find beautiful Scotches to share.  We look forward to bringing a new selection from Japan in Edition Three.  Our passion for what we do and the love we have for this industry shines through with each new expression we bring and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do”

The ImpEx Collection is inclusive and inviting, welcoming people to branch out beyond what they’re familiar with and try something new. These bottles are meant to be shared, whether for special occasions or simply among friends. Production size is always small, because spirits this special are always rare. Once they’re consumed, they live on only in memory.

SCOTCH WHISKY:

The ImpEx Collection 13 yo 2008 Ardmore Cask #5943 (Refill Bourbon Barrel)

The ImpEx Collection 6 yo 2016 Ardnamurchan Cask #86P (1^st Fill Oloroso Spanish Oak)

The ImpEx Collection 23 yo 1998 Auchentoshan Cask #100984 (Refill Bourbon Barrel)

The ImpEx Collection 10 yo 2011 Auchroisk Cask #806214 (Hogshead)

The ImpEx Collection 11 yo 2010 Tormore Cask #800985 (Refill Bourbon Barrel)

WORLD WHISKY:

The ImpEx Collection 3 yo 2018 M&H Cask #2018-1069 (Muscat Wine Cask)

The ImpEx Collection 5 yo 2017 Penderyn Cask #138/2017 (Blandy’s  ex-Malvasia Madeira Cask)

About The ImpEx Collection

The ImpEx Collection is a labor of love derived from the heart of Sam Filmus, President and Managing Director of ImpEx Beverages. He, along with his business partner Chris Uhde, has spent a great amount of time and passion selecting the casks that go into each bottle of The ImpEx Collection that you find on the shelf.

After over 40 years of combined industry experience, you can tell that each cask is unique and special, offering the best that different categories have to offer.

Whether you find yourself looking for a dram of rare and unique whisky you can be sure that each bottle of The ImpEx Collection will take your passion for a spirit to new heights.

The high expectations for quality and taste that Sam and Chris possess can be found in each sip of delicious juice. While we unveil the offerings from The ImpEx Collection, we hope you will find the taste and style that suits you best.

About ImpEx Beverages

In 2008, a new chapter began for Sam Filmus, after years in the business captaining JVS Imports. With ImpEx Beverages, his vision was to import premium and rare Spirits from around the world, with a special emphasis on the best of what Scotland has to offer.

In 2018, Chris Uhde joined Sam as his business partner in ImpEx Beverages and together they have expanded the portfolio and vision for ImpEx. Now, ImpEx boasts an impressive portfolio, including some of the most notable small to medium sized distilleries and independent bottlers.

ImpEx Beverages imports Whisky, Gin, Rum, and Mezcal from Scotland, Wales, Japan, Israel, Mexico, England, the Caribbean, and India with future anticipated additions from unexpected destinations. We also feature a fine line of Liqueurs and Cordials produced in the US.

Mossburn Aultmore 2009 12 Year Old TWS Exclusive

70cl 63.7% abv

£112.00

Mossburn Aultmore 2009 12 Year Old TWS Exclusive Description

Glenturret 7 Year Old, 2022 Release

£49.90

The beautiful, rugged surroundings of their distillery have inspired smoke-filled aromas and flavours found in The Glenturret 7 Years Old Peat Smoked. American oak sherry seasoned casks build the confectionery sweetness from the new make spirit whilst delicate refill casks deliver the abundant smoky notes. Akin to the comforting shelter from a warm highland bothy on the fresh Loch Turret hills, the whisky’s peated character heightens and amplifies from the outside in.

TyndrumWhisky.com
The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom

DIAGEO SPECIAL
RELEASES 2022

With the start of Autumn comes the much-anticipated annual collection – the Diageo Special Releases 2022: Elusive Expressions. This fantasy series showcases whiskies from lesser-known Diageo distilleries alongside new expressions from fan favourites.

The line-up includes a sherried 12-year-old Clynelish with extra layers of rich and sweet dark fruit, a 10-year-old Oban finished in palo cortado sherry casks, and a 26-year-old Cameron Bridge grain whisky that shows the distillery’s soft, sweet and toffee-forward character.

SHOP NOW

LEARN MORE

JOHNNIE WALKER

BLUE LABEL – GHOST & RARE SERIES

PORT DUNDAS

70cl | 43.8% ABV

The fifth in this much talked about limited edition series, Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Dundas, draws on rare casks from the Glasgow “ghost” distillery of Port Dundas, once a powerhouse of the Whisky world, which closed its doors in 2010. Other ‘ghost’ whiskies from Cambus and Brora distilleries are balanced with exceptional rare Single Malts.

Creamy, wood notes from Port Dundas embrace the vanilla and soft smoke from the “ghost” whiskies of Cambus and original stocks of Brora. Other very rare whiskies from Cameronbridge and Glenkinchie reveal notes of spiced apples alongside Clynelish, Dailuaine and Auchroisk, bringing aromas of peaches and berries.

£259.00

Pre-Order

SHIPPING OCTOBER 2022

An Extraordinary American Single Malt Unlike Any Other
Capital Liquors Project 5 Year Old “K&L Exclusive” Heavily Peated American Single Malt Whiskey (750ml) ($49.99)
“…this blows most [American single malts] out of the water from a quality standpoint. It’s fabulously well made.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

When it comes to micro-production and rarity, today’s offer takes the cake. This K&L exclusive cask of Capitol Liquors Project’s 5-Year-Old Single Malt is arguably the smallest-production spirit we’ve ever taken in at a mere 234 bottles. But that’s hardly the most intriguing feature at work here. Why is it produced in such small quantities, you might ask? The answer lies in the “mad scientist” behind the Capital Liquors Project itself. Gregory Miller is a full-time professor of distillation at UC-Davis who set about building his own licensed and bonded distillery … in his backyard shed. That’s right, this is a true one-man operation that redefines the concept of “boutique” distillation. Because he has no grandiose multi-year plans for expansion or repayment of investors, he’s free to experiment to his heart’s content, resulting in singularly extraordinary whiskeys like this one. Spirits buyer Andrew Whiteley declares, “This cask has so much going for it … The complexity is through the roof.” Most surprising of all, it comes in at an astounding sub-$50 price that, as Andrew contends, has it “underpriced by a factor of two or more when compared to the very best American single malts on the market.” Obviously, this is likely your one and only opportunity to score a whiskey like no other, so don’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

Capital Liquors Project 5 Year Old “K&L Exclusive” Heavily Peated American Single Malt Whiskey (750ml) ($49.99)

K&L Notes: Gregory Miller, a chemical engineer and professor of distillation at UC Davis, operates the smallest legal distillery we’ve ever seen. The fully licensed and bonded distillery and “rickhouse” sit just a few steps from the front door of his home on the western edge of Davis, CA. The tiny pot still is hand-built and of his own design — a project that came into being after his lab purchased a very expensive teaching still that wasn’t up to his rigorous standards. Rather than just moonshine as a hobbyist, Mr. Miller took the extra step of licensing his project and becoming the first legal distillery in Yolo County long before the modern craft boom got booming. But he never set out to run a fully operational distillery in a business sense. He doesn’t have production goals, he’s not in a hurry, he doesn’t have investors that need to be paid back, and he definitely doesn’t distill every day. In fact, there are only six barrels in the “rickhouse” (actually, five now that we bought this one). He has made rye, bourbon, single malt, and a number of other interesting experimental batches of liquor. It takes roughly 40 individual mashes and distillation runs to fill a full sized 53-gallon barrel. Water comes from the well on his property, and the distillery and barrel room regularly tops 100+ degrees in the summer months and drops near freezing in the winter. This incredible 5-year-old single malt is made from 100% Scottish Bairds heavily peated malt purchased in 25kg sacks and mashed one at a time.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: September 14, 2022

This cask has so much going for it. The distillery is so cool and so outrageously small. It’s basically the ultimate mancave—some guys have a shed full of tools, while Greg has a shed filled with a licensed distillery. But the whiskey itself is special. To start, it’s made from 100% heavily peated, Scottish malted barley from Bairds, so the grain itself is everything you could ask for in a single malt. It’s five years old, substantially older than most releases of American single malt available on the market. It is bottled at a massive, true cask strength of 66.7% ABV (and obviously not chill-filtered or colored in anyway). And because we are working directly with the distillery, it is arguably underpriced by a factor of two or more when compared to the very best American single malts on the market. Price aside, I think this blows most ASMs out of the water from a quality standpoint. It’s fabulously well made. Also, did I mention it tastes like bacon? Seriously—briny, smoky bacon. It’s delicious.

The new American oak from Demptos cooperage with a #3 char and toasted heads plays beautifully with the peat smoke and the malt. Even experienced tasters could easily be fooled for Islay malt in a blind tasting. It’ll come as no surprise when you taste this that one of Greg’s favorite distilleries is Laphroaig. The clean ferments (impressive considering 40 separate mashes went into the batch) have provided a sweet grain tea backbone that will be familiar to anyone who has ever brewed their own beer. And yet the complexity is through the roof. The nose offers peaches and nectarines, fresh cut grass, habanero pepper fruit (not spice, just the sweet fruity bits), saltwater taffy, applewood smoked bacon, and a fresher peat profile than you might expect. It presents more like the cut peat itself before it is dried for burning: vegetal and earthy.

When you move to the palate, you’ll find a sweet array of fruit and vanilla intermingled with a complex mélange of baking spices. The bacon and peat notes are robust on the back end. Brownies, dark chocolate, and roasted coffee all come to mind. It is something of a chameleon—when I start all over with a second pour, I find no peat. Then suddenly it’s back with a subsequent nosing. A roll call back through fruit, spice, wood, smoke, grass, meat, sweet pastry, and more comes with the exploration of an empty and now dry glass. The proof is eminently drinkable, and with water added a softer, fruitier side comes out, but so too is the oily, meaty nature intensified. It just seems to drop the more vegetal characteristics when diluted a little bit. It’s a damn fine dram of perhaps the rarest single malt on earth. One cask was produced. There is not another cask of peated malt in the warehouse. It’s a true one-off in every sense, but well worth the price of admission. The yield was a precious few 234 bottles.

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