MORRISON SCOTCH WHISKY DISTILLERS  

EXPAND THEIR MAC-TALLA RANGE  

Mac-Talla Red Wine Barriques is the first limited edition release from the range 

Friday 1st July 2022, Aberargie, Scotland– Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers have announced the first limited edition release under their Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky brand, Mac-Talla.

Mac-Talla Red Wine Barriques has been fully matured in oak casks from the Bordeaux region of France. You can expect notes of juicy red fruits with cacao and summer berries, with its sweet and exquisite fruity smokiness bringing a new dimension to the Mac-Talla range.

Twenty-four handpicked oak casks were previously home to prestigious wines, marrying Islay’s untamed smoky nature with the refined fruitiness and opulence of Bordeaux wines.

Niel Hendriksz, Sales Director at Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers said:‘Islay is synonymous with peat and smoke, however through maturation in exceptional wood you can develop different styles and interpretations of that classic Islay smoke. Full maturation in Red Wine Barriques has resulted in an elegant, yet powerful dram with great balance of fruit and smoke.’

This new release from Mac-Talla further demonstrates the diversity of this iconic island, this is the first in a series of limited editions which will feature a range of specially selected cask types and maturation styles, all with exceptional liquid quality.

Limited to 7200 bottles Mac-Talla Red Wine Barriques is non-chill filtered with no color added to optimise flavor and will be available in key markets from early July 2022.

Tasting Notes 

Mac-Talla Red Wine Barriques – 53.8% ABV

RSP £68

Colour:Crimson

Nose:Summer berries with a herbal note and a hint of dry smoke

Taste:Juicy red fruits with cacao and a big waft of smoke

ABOUT MAC-TALLA  

Mac-Talla is a range of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies from the Scottish island of Islay. Created by one of Scotland’s oldest whisky families, it is a journey across this weather-beaten island through the eyes of the Morrison family. Mac-Talla, meaning “echo” in Scottish Gaelic, perfectly reflects the taste journey that the Morrison family take you on as they demonstrate the multiple dimensions that come from this complex, untamed environment.

ABOUT MORRISON SCOTCH WHISKY DISTILLERS 

Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers, is a family-owned Independent Bottling and Distilling business, with a legacy that spans 5 generations’ experience in the whisky industry. In every whisky released, they are committed to continue to impart the knowledge that has been passed down and with their years of commitment to the industry it gives them access to a wide variety of unique and exceptional casks from pedigree distilleries across Scotland. The company’s core values are run through everything they do and they proudly showcase these underneath each of their bottles reiterating their commitment to Patience, Intuition and Integrity.

For stockist enquiries go to www.mactallawhisky.com

Staff Choice 001 – Craig

This is the first staff choice/pick/recommendation that we are going to run very two weeks on a Sunday. This first week, Craig has chosen the brand new release, AD/ from Ardnamurchan Distillery. He has a soft spot for this distillery, that’s for certain. The make up for this release is 65% ex bourbon barrels from Kentucky and 35% ex sherry casks, Oloroso and PX, from Jerez.

If you follow Ardnamurchan and their stories on Social Media, you’ll see they are just back from visiting Laura & Jose Antonio Zarzana Spínola, tasting wines, sherries and brandy at their Pedro Xímenez Bodega. Ardnamurchan have been using Spínola PX casks since 2017, the spirit of Ardnamurchan lends itself extremely well to all the casks they have chosen.

If you are pondering your next whisky purchase, definitely look at the AD/ Release.

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ICONIC JAMESON 18 YEARS REVEALS LIQUID AND PACKAGING EVOLUTION 

Jameson, the world’s favourite and most awarded Irish whiskey[1], has unveiled a new liquid and packaging evolution for its iconic Jameson 18 Years.

Jameson 18 Years’ exceptionally balanced blend of distillates, matured in hand selected American and European oak barrels for a minimum of 18 years, is one of Jameson’s most awarded whiskeys. The much loved whiskey has undergone an important evolution including a sustainable packaging revamp and a higher ABV liquid.

Putting sustainability at the forefront, Jameson 18 Years will now be presented in new, lightweight packaging with the original box redesigned as fully recyclable cardboard complete with foiled accents.

The packaging redesign aligns to Irish Distillers’ and Pernod Ricard’s broader sustainability commitments by focusing on minimising waste at every step by fostering and applying a circular mindset across the business.

Alongside the new and lighter weight packaging update, Master Distiller, Kevin O’Gorman and his team have introduced a significant change to the celebrated Jameson 18 Years whiskey.

Kevin O’Gorman explains: “Made from a selection of some of our oldest and most precious distillates, which are then married and finished in first fill American bourbon barrels for a minimum of 6 months, Jameson 18 Years is already an exceptional whiskey in terms of quality.

“And to truly allow the complexity of this whiskey to shine, we have increased the ABV from 40% to 46% and removed the need for chill filtration. This modification helps to concentrate the signature flavours found in Jameson 18 Years balancing Jameson’s characteristic smoothness with the depth of the whiskey in its natural state.”

In addition, the new packaging will feature a scannable QR code which will direct Jameson fans to a virtual guided tasting hosted by the Master Distiller, Kevin O’Gorman.

Brendan Buckley, Global Marketing Director at Irish Distillers commented: “At Irish Distillers we are committed to reducing our environmental impact. We understand that our packaging plays an important role in the protection and in the delivery of the overall experience of our whiskey, but it is also one of the most carbon-intensive activities in the value chain when you take into consideration the manufacturing process, transportation, and its lifecycle.

“Over the past number of years, we as a business have been successful in devising and implementing new ways of reducing the environmental impact of our packaging through redesign and experimentation with new materials all of which is reflected in the updated Jameson 18 Years packaging. We will continue to innovate to minimise our environmental impact and preserve our natural resources by reusing, reimagining, recycling and reducing, adopting a truly circular mindset.”

The new look Jameson 18 Years will be rolled out globally in high-end, specialist off-trade and leading on-trade outlets over the coming months for an RRP of €200 (70cl).

Tasting Notes  

Nose: Aromatic oils with a touch of wood and spicy toffee.

Taste: Wonderfully mellow and smooth, with rich and complex flavours of toffee, spice and hints of wood and leather along with a gentle sherry nuttiness and vanilla.

Finish: A long lingering finish carries the theme of the wood, spice and toffee right through to the end.

About Irish Distillers

Irish Distillers is Ireland’s leading supplier of spirits and wines, and producer of some of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys. Led by Jameson, our brands are driving the global renaissance of Irish whiskey. Jameson is the world’s bestselling Irish whiskey, experiencing 30 years of consecutive growth up to 2019 and hitting sales of 8.6m cases in 2021. Our brands are exported to 130+ markets.

Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son and Cork Distilleries Company. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard, gaining access to unprecedented levels of investment and an extensive global distribution network. Since 2012, we have invested over €400 million to double our production and bottling capacity to meet global demand for our products.

We employ over 600 people across our operations in Cork and Dublin.

About Pernod Ricard 

Pernod Ricard is the No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales of €8,824 million in FY21. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has developed through organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard, which owns 16 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry, including: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard’s brands are distributed across 160+ markets and by its own salesforce in 73 markets. The Group’s decentralised organisation empowers its 19,000 employees to be true on-the-ground ambassadors of its vision of “Créateurs de Convivialité.” As reaffirmed by the Group’s three-year strategic plan, “Transform and Accelerate,” deployed in 2018, Pernod Ricard’s strategy focuses on investing in long-term, profitable growth for all stakeholders. The Group remains true to its three founding values: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and a strong sense of ethics. As illustrated by the 2030 roadmap supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “We bring good times from a good place.” In recognition of Pernod Ricard’s strong commitment to sustainable development and responsible consumption, it has received a Gold rating from Ecovadis and is ranked No. 1 in the beverage sector in Vigeo Eiris. Pernod Ricard is also a United Nation’s Global Compact LEAD company.

Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index

[1] Jameson is the world’s bestselling (IWSR 2020) and most awarded Irish whiskey based on the tasting results of the six most influential tasting competitions over the past ten years (2011-2021), including The Irish Whiskey Masters, IWSC, ISC, Beverage Testing Institute, San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Whisky Hunter — New Features!

We have some news to tell you about. As usual, we continue to add new features for our users that make their hard journey as whisky collectors or investors easier.

Tracking ROI for each bottle separately

Our paid subscribers now have the ability to track changes in ROI and costs for each bottle in the collection separately. Simply go into the collection and click on the ROI button to see a graph with the data for a particular bottle.

View lots completed today

In the previous, if lots ended, they would immediately disappear from Live and Targets and there would be no way to look at them. Now it is possible to see them.

To do this, click on the “Show finished” check box.

Auction end time in your local time

Whatever time zone the auction is held in, you can now see the end time of the auction in your local time zone. Which we get from your device’s time zone settings.

The time zone is displayed on the Live auction page at the bottom of the table.

We will be pleased to welcome you as a Whisky Hunter user – join us and you’ll be satisfied with our service.

K&L Exclusive Cask: A Coveted Islay Malt Makes a Triumphant Return
Kilchoman “K&L Exclusive” Ex-Bourbon Barrel Aged STR Finished Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
(750ml) ($149.99)
“This ex-Bourbon, STR-finished cask delivers so much value for the Islay lover.”
— Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

As Kilchoman’s star has risen dramatically over the past five years, we’ve been hard-pressed to source any single casks from this incredible Islay distillery. But we’re thrilled to say, this exceptional new arrival has more than made up for the extended hiatus. Produced by one of the most exciting and innovative distilleries in Islay, this cask is nothing short of heavenly. Aged in a first-fill Bourbon barrel and finished in a shaved, toasted, and recharred Portuguese red wine cask, this is big and bold yet remarkably polished and refined for the level of outright intensity that it conveys on both the nose and the palate. Luxurious fruits and spices give way to an incredibly assertive smoky character, culminating in a “long and mesmerizing” finish. K&L spirits buyer Andrew Whiteley notes, “This whisky is the complete whole, with no hard edges to be found.” Like all of our hand-selected single casks, this one is highly limited. Factor in the pent-up demand for something we haven’t seen in years, and you can be sure that avid collectors will act quickly and decisively to secure their bottles before it disappears.

Kilchoman “K&L Exclusive” Ex-Bourbon Barrel Aged STR Finished Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($149.99)

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

It’s been so long since we’ve had a Kilchoman cask to call our own. This ex-Bourbon, STR-finished cask delivers so much value for the Islay lover. It’s an incredible mix of caramelized fruits, mostly of the apple and pear varieties, mixed with intense applewood-smoked bacon, freshly cracked barley, dark roasted cocoa and coffee, tangy molasses BBQ sauce, sweet spices, and a faint suggestion of floral nectar. The palate is jammed with baking spices ranging from nutmeg, cinnamon, and mace to vanilla, allspice, and raw brown sugar. There isn’t a hard edge to be found here. It’s sweet and sultry, pinging back and forth between meaty, sweet, and a touch of savory. There is a prickly but sweet spice, like a Habanada pepper (the mutant Habanero with no heat, just all fruitiness), and yet something piquant about it. The smoke washes over you in waves. It moves from a raging bonfire to a wafting pizza oven in a flash. The whisky shows off a ton of vanilla and a touch of tropical coconut. The finish is long and mesmerizing. The whisky is a complete whole, with no hard edges to be found. With the addition of water, it doesn’t lose an ounce of intensity, but it does lose that piquant edge, giving way to a soft and supple texture that fans of smooth whisky will die for.

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

JULY OUTTURN ALERT

Get ready to ride a wave of flavour. July First Friday is the week, bringing with it 20 new Society cask bottlings perfect for summer sipping. With a wide variety of feel-good flavours, there’s something for all tastes and occasions. But if you’re looking for inspiration, our spirits manager Euan gives some recommendations and suggestions.

READ THE 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

A K&L Exclusive Cask Debut from a Bourbon Powerhouse
Angel’s Envy “K&L Exclusive” Cask #2665 Private Select Port Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon (750ml) ($89.99)
“This is it! This is the profile we want from Angel’s Envy.”
— Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

Our latest epic exclusive cask comes from one of the hottest names in arguably the hottest spirits category in the market right now. This Kentucky distiller has found a fanatical following over the last ten years for crafting some of the biggest, boldest whiskeys out there, so we were ready to jump at any chance to get our hands on an exclusive single cask. When we finally thought we had one, a mix-up at the distillery resulted something unexpected in the form of Cask #2665. While it’s not what we originally selected, it’s most likely better, so count this as a big win. And although it’s not technically cask proof, its quintessentially boisterous nature makes it drink like a bigger whiskey than it is. More importantly, it’s everything Angel’s Envy fans are looking for. As spirits buyer Andrew Whiteley notes, “It’s big, it’s sweet, it’s intensely concentrated, and most importantly for anything finished in port barrels, it’s clean.” Profound bourbon spices and maple character ring across the entire profile, and despite it being “only” 110 proof, a few drops of water bring out the full kaleidoscopic panoply of flavors and aromas, resulting in a whiskey that defies individual descriptors. Our first go at an Angel’s Envy cask had some real twists and turns, but the story ends with a most incredible (yet highly limited) bourbon that every collector will want to get their hands on.

Angel’s Envy “K&L Exclusive” Cask #2665 Private Select Port Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon (750ml) ($89.99)

K&L Notes: Mistakes happen. No one is immune. The real test comes down to what you do when you make one. Angel’s Envy showed the utmost in integrity after the mix-up here at K&L. Barrel #2665 is the glorious replacement for the infamous #4018 cask. If you weren’t involved from ordering one and the subsequent refund, you may not know, but #4018 was never supposed to enter the door at K&L—it wasn’t the type of cask we were looking for, and it most definitely wasn’t the cask we ordered. However, Angel’s Envy went out of their way to make things right. Unfortunately, our originally selected cask ended up in another store somewhere else in the country, so we weren’t able to get that one, but in the end things worked out in our (and our customers’) favor. Angel’s Envy rushed us an epic set of cask samples and scheduled a personal zoom with Kyle Henderson to walk through each barrel and make our selection. Despite all of the samples being superlatively good, cask #2665 stood out above the top-notch field. We bottled at the highest available ABV of 55% (they protect the cask-strength bottling for the highly limited official CS release), but in truth, it opens up dramatically with a few drops of water anyway, so be sure to add some!

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: June 10, 2022

This is it! This is the profile we want from Angel’s Envy. It’s big, it’s sweet, it’s intensely concentrated, and most importantly for anything finished in port barrels, it’s clean. Robust, but not a fruit bomb. The spice of the bourbon stands proud, helped along by the maxed-out (and just a few points shy of true cask strength) 110-proof bottling. While we fought hard to leave it at full proof, it just simply wasn’t in the cards. The nose is a bit dusty in that beautiful old Kentucky way. It’s almost gummy on the palate, like a hard candy chew, as red fruits shine through, especially cherries and plums. There is a sweet bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup profile that threads from start to finish. If you add a touch of water (and for all my kvetching about proof point, I recommend you do anyway), the oils come out beautifully, and the whiskey opens in dramatic fashion. It becomes an integrated whole rather than a bunch of individual tasting notes. It’s now something to pick apart sip by sip and enjoy pour after pour. All in all, we won out in this quest to get our “first” Angel’s Envy cask here by winding up with Cask #2665 on our shelves.

The Peaks Whiskey Glass Set live on Kickstarter

The Peaks Whiskey Glasses Take Whiskey Drinkers to New Heights

Tour the world with friends on your next whiskey night. The Peaks Whiskey Glass set by Liiton introduces four new destinations to add to your collection. Whiskey lovers can visit Mont Blanc, Denali, K2 and Fuji while enjoying their favorite premium single malt or blend.

Whiskey fans are enthusiast about the news. Not only has The Peaks Whiskey Glass smashed through its Kickstarter goal in less than 24 hours, it has surpassed the same-day goal set by its predecessor, the Everest Whiskey Glass.”

You spoke and we listened,” says Liiton founder Peng Lin. “During our Everest campaign, you asked for more mountains and so we’re delivering four peaks in this collection. We couldn’t be more pleased to bring whiskey fans the glasses they have been clamoring for.”

With the Peak Whiskey Glass set, Liiton is offering whiskey fans who missed out on the Everest Kickstarter Campaign to be first to jump on board for their newest premium whiskey drinking experience. More than 13,000 whiskey lovers backed the Everest Whiskey Glass.

“If you thought our Everest project was ambitious, we went to new heights to design four new, true-to-scale replicas of these four iconic mountains.” says Lin of the collection.

Visit the four corners of the Earth with The Peaks Whiskey Glass Set

Here are just a few features of the Peaks Whiskey Glass:

Power in your Palm

Precision-crafted Peaks Whiskey Glasses are the only tumblers to feature a true-to-scale 3D glass carving of these breathtaking mountains.

Chill-Charge System™

The glass sculpture of each mountain embedded within the whiskey glass charges up with cold to chill your drink, evenly distributing it throughout the whiskey without watering down the beverage for the cleanest unadulterated whiskey experience.

Unlocks Aromatics

The Peaks Whiskey Glass offers the optimal expression of whiskey flavors by gently and naturally releasing the aromatic compounds of your whiskey through interaction with each mountain carving.

Stronger. Faster. More whiskey flavor.

Each glass in The Peaks Whiskey Glass collection is made from X1 Crystalline, a proprietary glass tested over hundreds of days. It chills drinks quicker, and it offers more durability and the most pristine aromatic whiskey flavors available.

The Peak Whiskey Glasses Set is live on Kickstarter now. Learn more now about it here.

http://liiton.com/thepeaks/presskit

ABOUT LIITON

At Liiton, we know every good whiskey deserves a trustworthy companion. A wingman who lifts you to greater heights and won’t let you down when it matters most. We named our company Liiton, the Finnish word for union, to bring people together through the enjoyment of whiskey. We’re on a mission to create the world’s best products for whiskey lovers. Spending an evening with Liiton is creating lasting friendships and lifelong memories.

COMPASS BOX CANVAS LIMITED EDITION

A fantastic Compass Box release, experimental barrels, (casks seasoned with Vino Naranja – Spanish fortified wine infused with Orange Peel), be prepared to refill your glass. This is an exceedingly colourful and vibrant Scotch whisky, thanks to a parcel of single malt re-racked into experimental barrels for three years.

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Barton Distillery 1792 “Full Proof” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #7393 Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $54.99 View

Barton’s Full Proof is widely regarded as one of the best deals coming out KY today. Add to that the intensity of a K&L selected single barrel and you’ve got a recipe for success. We ordered this bad boy ages ago, but it’s finally here. 3 bottle limit/household will be strictly enforced.

I.W. Harper 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) 94 $89.99 View

We had the distinct pleasure of selecting this cask at the incredible Frey Ranch in Nevada back in February. It is a marvelous visit and if you ever find yourself in Reno or the Tahoe area, it is not a far drive and it is well worth the trip. Truly estate produced and with an impeccable attention to detail at every turn, these casks are superlatively good. It was simultaneously one of the hardest and easiest barrel picks we’ve done. Insanely hard because every cask put in front of us was a knockout. Easy, becuase we couldn’t go wrong. In the end cask 938 came home with us becuase it was just a touch punchier than the others with a massive 134.1 proof. Undoubtedly this barrel won’t stick around long.