Benromach partners with MasterChef star to create exclusive menu

Sarah Rankin, a MasterChef 2022 finalist hailing from Kinross, has partnered with Benromach Distillery to create a unique collection of recipes celebrating the art of cooking using locally-sourced, high-quality ingredients.

As well as giving viewers a firsthand insight into how she handcrafts her recipes, foodies can now access and recreate Sarah’s Benromach menu, which features several easy-to-replicate dishes featuring two of the distillery’s most popular expressions: Benromach 15 Year Old and Benromach Peat Smoke.

Benromach Distillery is one of few in Scotland to have retained a traditional handmade approach to whisky making and its partnership with Sarah celebrates how personal care and attention can deliver mouth-watering results of the highest quality.

Using the best of Scotland’s natural larder, those with a savoury palate will love her take on trout cured with Benromach Peat Smoke and her Arbroath Smokie croquettes. Meanwhile, those with a sweet tooth can indulge in a lemon posset with white chocolate crumb or a classic chocolate cherry pot with a splash of award-winning Benromach 15 Year OId.

Sarah Rankin said: “I am so thrilled to be working with Benromach. The Peat Smoke and 15 Year Old expressions inspired me to create a range of dishes that celebrate not just the flavours, but also everything they do. We both have an ethos centred firmly around people and place, and for me food is about creating something delicious from quality, raw ingredients and to bring joy to others. I think Benromach do the same and it was wonderful to have an opportunity to work together.”

The collaboration between Sarah and Benromach is a natural pairing, with the MasterChef alumni previously working as a demonstrator at the distillery when it was reopened by Gordon & MacPhail in 1998. Today, Sarah celebrates Scotland’s artisan producers in her food writing, chef demonstrations, private dining and food festival appearances.

Keith Cruickshank, Distillery Manager at Benromach Distillery, said: “Sarah shares our passion for her craft and truly makes the most of the high-quality ingredients available on her doorstep.  The recipes are fantastic and it will be interesting to discover how others use our whisky to complement and enhance their own menus.”

Watch Sarah discuss the inspiration for her recipes at www.benromach.com/sarah-rankin. For more information and all of Sarah’s six recipes, please visit: www.benromach.com   continue reading »

ESTIMATED SHIPPING DATE: 3RD OCTOBER 2022

£12,000.00

Despite only producing for 18 years, Kinclaith remains one of the most elusive of all of Scotland’s Lowland distilleries. It’s a beautifully structured Whisky – even after over 50 years the cask remains active, offering seasonal spices of clove and cinnamon with remarkable freshness.

Nose: Sweet oak notes.

Palate: clove and cinnamon.

Finish: Beautifully balanced.

NEW IN AT
THE WHISKY EXCHANGE

Why not perk up the end of summer with a new dram? Get your hands on unpeated single malts from Bruichladdich’s Barley Exploration range, a series that explores the flavour impact of where, what and how barley is grown.

Or try the first-ever small-batch release by Watt Whisky from an Orkney distillery, the second release of Glenmorangie’s 15-year-old The Cadboll Estate, or Elements of Islay Sherry Cask, a blended malt bursting with sweet smoke, smoked black tea and dried autumn fruits.

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Axe Man Whiskey: Latest Collaboration By Foundry Distilling Co. and Surly Brewing Co.

West Des Moines, Iowa (September 8, 2022) – Foundry Distilling Co. and Surly Brewing Co. have done it again–collaborating to create a truly unique spirit. Their latest concoction is called the Axe Man American Malt Whiskey, distilled from the wort of Axe Man IPA beer. Foundry Distilling will release this whiskey on September 17th, 2022.

“We are very proud of this whiskey release in partnership with Surly Brewing Company,” said Scott Bush, owner of Foundry Distilling Company. “Axe Man Whiskey, at 96 proof, is an incredibly unique and wonderful whiskey. It is a one-time release that you won’t want to miss.”

The essence of Surly’s Axe Man IPA has been distilled into an American single malt whiskey with every ounce of the aromatic nature as its beer counterpart. Surly brought the beer’s wort to Foundry Distilling, where it was fermented, distilled, and aged for 28 months in new 30-gallon American Oak barrels to produce the malt whiskey. In total, the distillery will make 1,000 cases in a limited run.

Axe Man American Malt Whiskey Tasting Notes:

Aroma: Vanilla, Straw, Banana

Tasting: Clove, Pear, Peppercorn

Finish: Warm cinnamon, Pie crust

Foundry Distilling is hosting an Axe Man American Malt Whiskey release party at their distillery in Historic Valley Junction, Iowa, on Saturday, September 17th, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event is open to the public, and the first 100 attendees will get a complimentary branded rocks glass. People can sample Axe Man Whiskey and Axe Man IPA at the event while meeting with Foundry Distilling’s owner and production team. Attendees can even participate in axe throwing at the event.

Those looking to secure a bottle of this one-of-a-kind whiskey before the launch date can do so by pre-ordering online at BrewerDistillerAlliance.com. People who pre-ordered this whiskey will have to claim their bottle at the Foundry Distilling location within two weeks from the release date.

This collaboration with Surly Brewing was made possible through Foundry Distilling’s Brewer-Distiller Alliance initiative, which aims to work with notable breweries across the nation to produce remarkable, distinctive whiskeys from their beer recipes. Foundry Distilling and its partners have generated a diverse collection of exclusive limited-edition whiskeys.

This release represents the second collaboration between Foundry Distilling and Surly Brewing. In July 2021, the Brewer Distiller Alliance launched Furious American Malt Whiskey. The whiskey was based on the brewery’s immensely popular Furious IPA beer.

For more information about the Axe Man American Malt Whiskey or the Brewer-Distiller Alliance, visit FoundryDistillingCompany.com/Axe-Man-IPA.

About Surly Brewing Co

It’s Surly’s mission to deliver true flavor, an irreverent attitude, must-have beers, and world-class experiences to its fans. From their 2004 start in a converted abrasives factory in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, Surly has grown into one of the premiere destination breweries in the country. Along the way, they earned countless medals from the Great American Beer Festival and the honor of being awarded the Best Brewery in America. Surly is known for bold and uncompromising beers that don’t adhere to strict style guidelines, such as Furious IPA, Grapefruit Supreme, Axe Man IPA, and Abrasive Double IPA. Often polarizing but never compromising, Surly knows their beers aren’t for everyone. They’re for you. You do enough settling in life. Don’t settle. Get Surly. To learn more, click here.

About Foundry Distilling Co.

Foundry Distilling Co. strives to be one of the most innovative distilleries in the world by providing unique products, offering once-in-a-lifetime experiences, like our Private Barrel Club, and collaborating with an alliance of nationally recognized breweries known as the BrewerDistiller Alliance. Their flagship product, The Real Stuff, is made from a mash of grain and cane and aged in charred oak kegs and is an attempt to recreate the actual process used to make the legendary “off-the-farm” spirit of rural Iowa farmers. To learn more, please visit FoundryDistillingCompany.com.

Experience the Re-Imagination of Time

The Re-Imagination of Time is a new collection of rare whiskies from the legendary Speyside distillers at Glenfiddich. To complete the trio to our previous release of the 30 Year Old, we now have stock in of the 40 Year Old, and we also have one bottle of 50 Year Old on display at our Piccadilly shop. Have a browse below. We have also just received a restock of the Glenfiddich 21 Year Old!

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Glenfiddich 40 Year Old
Cumulative Time

This dram celebrates Glenfiddich’s unique remnant vatting – the only distillery that uses this intricate process. The remnants of the previous batch are carried over each time, and married with the casks selected for each subsequent release, to create an accumulation of flavours over time adding depth and complexity.

£3,650.00
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Glenfiddich 50 Year Old
Simultaneous Time

Only 220 bottles have been produced, with beautiful packaging designed by Manuel Jiménez García, who decrypted meteorological data from the past 50 years into an algorithm to generate a physical design representing the specific climatic conditions of the time span; symbolising how climatic conditions effect casks.

£36,700.00
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Flaming Heart #7

This is their seventh edition of Flaming Heart, the whisky that revels in the harmonies between heavy peat and toasted French oak. Imagine Metallica with a backing orchestra, and you’re getting close.

With the best bands, each album is an opportunity to explore and experiment; every record is an evolution from the one before. For fans of Flaming Heart, they always seek to evolve the ‘sound’ and have introduced a deep fruitiness to the arrangement for the 2022 version.

The smoke machine is powered by a combination of malts from the Laphroaig, Caol Ila and Talisker distilleries, while our Highland Malt Blend has spent more than six years in richly toasted virgin French oak custom casks to deliver round, booming spicy richness.

£129.90

Benromach Cask Strength 2012 Vintage Batch 1

This cask strength single malt whisky from Benromach Distillery delivers rich and spicy sherry aromas, vanilla and hints of chocolate with a palate of orange zest, black pepper and a soft smoky finish. ABV: 60.2%

COUNTRY: Scotland REGION: Speyside DISTILLERY: Benromach WHISKY TYPE: Single Malt CASK TYPE: First Fill Sherry and Bourbon Cask BOTTLING COMPANY: Benromach

£53.99 £59.99

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Just landed! Dalmore 25 Year Old 2022

A classy dram has landed at the shores of Loch Fyne. Matured for a quarter-century; it started off in American oak, a wee move into Palomino fino sherry butts and ex-bourbon, and then ended up married together in some Tawny Port pipes. And now we have it here – that’s a tasty journey!

🔥 Free delivery over £75 🔥

Nose: dried fruits, sugared almonds, Victoria sponge cake.

Palate: fruity, raisins, vibrant citrus zest.

Finish: cocoa, spicy, sumptuous.

£1,200.00
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Introducing The Art of the Blend – first release by Max McFarlane.

Not just another whisky brand. 

The Art of the Blend, according to founder Todd Lawrence, is a platform for whisky makers to showcase their own unique expressions, one blend at a time.  There is a true art to whisky making seldom observed by the consumer.  The Art of the Blend brings these creative skills to the forefront by offering whisky makers a blank canvas to develop their most alluring blends.

The focus of The Art of the Blend is on premium blended malt.  Each release will be created by a different whisky maker without restrictions, skillfully selected and artistically blended to perfection.

Todd has aligned himself with some of the best in the industry, mostly through friendships and whisky consultants who have offered their expertise and guidance.  Overall he has seemed to accomplish the nearly impossible.  The first release will shoot for the moon with the collaboration of legendary whisky maker Max McFarlane. 

Max McFarlane has been in the whisky industry for over 46 years and is rightly so a Keeper of the Quaich.  He has put together by nose many single malts including Glengoyne, Tamdhu, Glenrothes, Bunnahabhain and Highland Park.  During his tenure at Edrington, the Highland Park 18 years old was awarded the best spirit in the world on two occasions.  An award winning career to say the least.  Max is a firm believer in natural coloring and non-chill filtering as well as cask selection being equally critical in the process of making quality whisky.   With absolute freedom he has carefully selected three first fill Sherry casks for The Art of the Blend’s first release.  The result of marrying these three spectacular single malts exudes exceptional depth and complexity. Brown sugar, dark chocolate, stone fruit compote and cinnamon spice will envelope the nose.  The palate is beautifully balanced with dry spicy notes, sherry trifle and chocolate brownies.  According to Max, “The finish will want to holiday on your palate”.  A finish that caresses lovely with raisiny sherry.

“The Art of the Blend is built on trusting the artistic skills of the whisky maker and giving them free rein to develop each release.”  – Todd

If you haven’t already heard of The Art of the Blend, you will soon hear their amazing story from all corners of the globe.  According to Todd, every whisky has a story and simply put, his story begins at the heart of whisky making.

Todd is new to the whisky industry and does not claim to be a whisky expert, instead he describes himself as a collector and  whisky enthusiast.  He has set the bar extremely high and has basically orchestrated a platform to produce a line of blended malts he himself would want to collect and enjoy.  In addition to his passion for whisky, Todd is also the designer and patent holder of the Whisky Vault, a handcrafted bulletproof whisky display he sells to collectors around the world.

“Always keep in mind what you are trying to communicate to the consumer.  People will question your path, your worth, your entire ideology.  Stay focused and trust your gut.”  – Todd

Not only has he built a very curious and eager following who have waited patiently for the first release, he has aligned himself with iconic whisky makers, many of whom are lining up voluntarily  to collaborate on future releases.

The second release in the series will be in collaboration with another whisky superstar.  Finance professional turned Whiskymaker, Dhavall Gandhi has over ten years of experience in the alcoholic beverage industry.  Gandhi was the whiskymaker for the luxury single malt The Macallan before joining The Lakes Distillery as Whisky Director.  Considered by many as a polymath whiskymaker and “Game Changer” in the whisky domain.  He is one of the thought leaders and experts in Sherry Cask maturation.  Gandhi judges at various prestigious whisky competitions, including the international Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) and World Whisky Awards.  Dhavall was also named as Master Distiller / Master Blender of the Year 2021 by Whisky Magazine.  In March 2022, his creation, The Lakes Whiskymaker’s Reserve No 4, was awarded as World’s Best Single Malt at World Whiskies Award in London.

And let’s not forget about the spectacular label and packaging design by none other than Stranger & Stranger.  An award winning design house taking label design to a whole new level and beyond with their creative artistry.   In their latest project with The Art of the Blend, they have effortlessly brought together the art of whisky making with brilliant visionary style that will undoubtedly help catapult this blended malt into the spotlight.

The Art of the Blend will launch in October 2022 at Whisky Live Taipei, Taiwan.  Why did the founder choose Taiwan?  Well, he has lived there for the past 27 years and knows the market well.  It’s possible to inquire through their website for sales outside of Taiwan.  Their concept is fully scalable and the potential for global expansion is possible with future releases, but they will do this organically.  The founder is a firm believer that perfection cannot be rushed, artistic creation takes time. 

“I’ve created The Art of the Blend for whisky makers and for whisky lovers.  Let’s let the liquid tell the story, one blend at a time.”  – Todd

And his thoughts on the many celebrity endorsed brands being launched over the past few years?

“There’s room for everyone, and of course celebrities are great for marketing.  The difference will be in the liquid.  The Art of the Blend is for those who want more from their whisky, an artistic approach.  Intrigue.  Excitement.  Each blended masterpiece unveiling a new story, creating history.  The whisky maker “is” our celebrity.”   – Todd

“To all the whisky makers around the world, imagine the freedom to create a masterpiece without restrictions.  The blending combinations are endless.” – Todd

Three carefully selected first fill sherry casks from three different Speyside distilleries under the artistic creation of Max McFarlane, married at 58.8% abv, non-chill filtered.  A finish so spectacular it will want to holiday on your palate.  US$350 / 700 ml.  Limited to one release of 1968 bottles.