Big Peat Tyndrum Gold Edition

We’ve teamed up with the wonderfully talented Douglas Laing for our latest Tyndrum Exclusive, and there’s still more gold in them there hills, LIQUID GOLD. The good folks at Douglas Laing have created our Indiana Jones-esq label for our latest peated edition of Tyndrum Gold.

We have these Tyndrum Gold releases to celebrate the success of Scotland’s only GOLD Mine based in the hills on the outskirts of Tyndrum. Just remember there is no TIN in Tyndrum, it’s GOLD, and this is Liquid Gold, Tyndrum Gold Whisky.

Featuring the whiskies from Islay, including Port Ellen, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig and more!

From Douglas Laing & TyndrumWhisky

Order NOW >>>

Introducing Jura Islanders’ Expressions Collection No.1

The Islanders’ Expressions Collection, exclusive to global travellers, is a series of whiskies inspired by some of the creative collective among our tiny island community. Each whisky showcases the resourcefulness and originality of our islanders’ craftsmanship.  The first is a collaboration with Amy Dunnachie, aka Amy Finds, a Jura native, Amy is a story-telling jeweller who forages for objects across the island, creating new treasures with everything she finds, each telling their own unique story. This first whisky in the collection is a product of two islands – Jura and Barbados. Outside the bottle, we showcase a handmade pin made by Amy, formed from copper and rope washed up from afar on Jura’s shores. Inside the bottle, the whisky reflects the vibrancy of Amy’s work, combining our bright and lively character with the tropical fruit, warming sweet spice and richness from a finish in ex-rum casks from Barbados.

Golden bronze in colour, this whisky has vibrant aromas of rich tropical fruit, citrus and vanilla. On the palate you’re met with enticing sweet notes, balanced with a creamy finish with warm spice and a lingering richness. We can’t wait for you to give it a try.

Click here to find out more

Jura Whisky
St Vincent Plaza, 319 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5LP
www.jurawhisky.com

One of Dufftown’s finest is love at first sip!

‘Rome was built on seven hills and Dufftown stands on seven stills.’ The Singleton was the last of seven distilleries built in the famous Speyside whisky location. The core range celebrates a harmony of delicate flavours with a spirit profile of green apple, and their highly skilled art of cask maturation imparting rich nuttiness from predominantly American oak. Drink it how you like it!

Discover more →

The Singleton 25 Year Old
Trinity Cask Harmony

Matured in European oak and refill ex-bourbon, harmonised together in American oak casks to create a deep and resonant harmony of flavour.

£330.00
BUY NOW

The Singleton 39 Year Old

An exceptional dram from the Glen Ord distillery matured for almost four decades with notes of succulent blackberries and muscovado crumble.

£2,295.00
BUY NOW

The Singleton 54 Year Old

The Paragon of Time series showcases the oldest and rarest expressions ever released by The Singleton, spending over half a decade in European oak barrels since its creation in 1966, before being treated to an extra maturation in a single Pedro Ximénez-seasoned cask to finish.

£28,850.00
Pre-Order Now

Fettercairn 14 Year Old Infrequent Flyers

Fettercairn 14 year Old 2007 Oloroso Sherry

From the first batch off 2022 and Alistair Walker’s wonderful Infrequent Flyers series.  Bottled from a single Oloroso Sherry puncheon at 55.2% yielding 622 bottles. The sherry monster from the batch! Fettercairn 14 Year Old 2007 vintage Highland single malt Scotch whisky. Single Oloroso Sherry Puncheon #1823 bottled 2022 by The Alistair Walker Whisky Co. for the Infrequent Flyers series. 622 bottles.

Nose: Super sweet – muscovado sugar, heavily stewed fruits and salted caramel.
Taste: Rich and full flavoured. Cinnabons and maple syrup. Well-integrated flavours of cocoa, mocha, sultana and figs. A well-sherried dram indeed!

Buy – Fettercairn 14 years >>

Fettercairn Distillery was founded by Alexander Ramsay in 1824 on the edge of Fettercairn village at the foot of the Grampian Mountains within the Highland whisky region. The site was originally a corn mill. This is a malt whisky distillery equipped with four stills and operates a unique system whereby cold water tumbles down the exterior of its two spirit stills contributing to the lighter floral character in Fettercairn malt whisky. Fetercairn malt whisky is available through a number of independent bottlers including Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice and Signatory Vintage.

As many of you will know, this is a special year for Kensington Wine Market. As of the 15th of May – exactly 30 days from today – our humble business will be three decades old. To mark 30 years in business, it seems only fitting to take a full month to celebrate, and we hope you’ll excuse us for this indulgence.

We will be kicking things off with our Annual Birthday Sale, running May 13-15, and as we used to in the pre-Covid era, we will be kicking off our sale with a festival tasting. That’s right, for the first time in more than 2 years, we will be having an in-person event in-store!

Many of you have been asking our team in recent weeks and months when we would begin offering in-store tastings again. Our tasting room became a storage, logistics, and fulfillment space during Covid, and we were beginning the process of converting it back to a tasting room when the break-in occurred in February. This threw a proverbial wrench into those plans. But we have a birthday to celebrate, and nothing can stop that.

Accordingly, we will be marking our 30th Anniversary with both Wine and Whisky Festivals over the month of May, and we can’t wait to welcome all of our friends and neighbours back to celebrate with us. The Festivals will be a little smaller than those we used to hold, but they will still feature tons of great products, delicious food from our neighbour Peasant Cheese, and the smiling faces of the KWM team. There might even be some cake…

In addition to the Sale and Festivals, we are planning several virtual tastings, free drop-in events, and other special promotions in May and the months ahead. You only turn 30 once so we’re going to stretch out the fun as much as we can…

It is also possible that we may be able to reopen our tasting room to events in the months ahead, but we have some work to do before we get to that point.

In this Malt Messenger Bulletin, we have a new KWM Exclusive Cask, a 50-year-old Glenglassaugh, a new vintage GlenDronach 10 Year, and some new independent bottlings from James Eadie. We also have some new tastings, including two in-person in-store Whisky Festivals, an Archives range, and the 30 for 30 on 30, a 30th Anniversary inspired tasting of whiskies aged 30 years or distilled in 1992!

As always, in the event of a discrepancy in price, the point of sale at KWM will be taken as correct. Please don’t hesitate to email me with any questions, comments, or requests (but online ordering works too, in fact, it might be faster…).

Wishing you all a Happy Easter & Passover from your friends at Kensington Wine Market.

Sincerely,

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

In This Edition

1. Introducing: The Berry’s Ardmore 2009 KWM Cask

2. Introducing: The GlenGlassaugh 50 Year – Only 1 Bottle!

3. New: GlenDronach 2011 Aged 10 Years

4. New Whiskies from James Eadie

5. New Tastings – Including a Festival!

6. Other Upcoming Tastings

7. On Sale

Introducing: The Berry’s Ardmore

2009 KWM Cask

This is our 3rd exclusive single cask from Ardmore and our second Ardmore from Berry Bros. & Rudd. But it is our first BBR cask in their sexy new livery… very nice! Matured in an ex-Bourbon Barrel before bottling at 60.1%. We’re working on the assumption it is a 12-year-old… and we think the casks may have been used to mature whisky from a related Islay distillery… just saying! 211 total bottles.

Berry’s Ardmore 2009 KWM Cask – 60.1% – 12 Year – ex-Bourbon (possibly refill, previously used for a related Islay distillery? just spitballing….) – My Tasting Note: “Nose: thick, honeyed, and gooey with juicy malt, firm smoke, and salted caramel; smoked trout, candied salmon and citrus; Graham Crackers, cream cheese and cappers; intriguing. Palate: thick and oily, with juicy malt, creosote soaked logs, tarry peat, and salted caramel; still rather fishy with more smoked trout, candied salmon, and langoustines; lemon and lime citrus tones, firm toasted oak, and barley sugar; sandy with a chalky minerality; espresso bean and German licorice; dabs of vanilla and honey too. Finish: long, warming and coating with more salted caramel, tarry peat, licorice and citrus. Comment: this is a rather Islay-like Ardmore. The nose betrayed fish and salt, notes I don’t often associate with Ardmore… and there was more on the palate; could this be an ex-Islay cask? or might the malt have come from Port Ellen maltings, spec’d for a sister distillery on the south coast of Islay? We don’t know, but it is fun to speculate. In any case, we have a big, bold, and very drinkable Ardmore cask here!” – $125

Introducing: The GlenGlassaugh 50 Year

Only 1 Bottle Available

Bottled at a precariously low cask strength of 40.1%, this 50-year-old single malt was bottled from a single Pedro Ximenez Sherry cask. 264 bottles produced, with just 2 coming to Canada!

Producer Description

“Bottled from a single Pedro Ximénez cask from Andalucía and matured for over 50 years next to the shores of Sandend Bay, this rare and complex expression presents a symphony of exotic fruit, on a gentle ocean breeze.”

GlenGlassaugh 50 Year – 40.1% – Pedro Ximenez Sherry – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Deep, seductive layers of sweet almond frangipane, figs and blackberry, carried on a wave of ocean spice, toasted oak and salted honeycomb. Palate: A complex symphony of cassis and soft exotic fruits with rolling waves of papaya, mango and cherry. Mellow oak and yellow plum add an elegant and memorable sophistication to this exceptional rare single malt. Finish: Savour the soft lingering finish of caramelised pear, pineapple and pomegranate, beautifully intertwined with almond and refined oak, on a gentle ocean breeze.” – $11,500.00

New: GlenDronach 2011 Aged 10 Years

This is the second vintage 10-year-old bottled for Canada by GlenDronach, distilled in 2011, it replaces the 2009 vintage. Bottled at 43%, it was “matured in the finest Pedro Ximenez casks from Spain.” The 2011 vintage is a darker and more stereotypical GlenDronach than the 2009 vintage bottling.

Producer Description

“For this limited edition vintage, a small number of Pedro Ximénez casks were hand-selected by our Master Blender Rachel Barrie to reflect the richness and complexity which The GlenDronach is renowned.”

GlenDronach 2011 Aged 10 Years – 43% – Pedro Ximenez Sherry – My Tasting Note: “Nose: nutty with milk chocolate coated candied orange peel and Caramilk bar; stewed prunes, cigar tobacco and rum raisin. Palate: soft and rich with building decadent baking spices; more milk chocolate, new leather and juicy tobacco; earthy with nutty sherry tones and Dutch licorice. Finish: medium-long and sherried; more leather, spices, chocolate and tobacco. Comment: darker in both colour and taste from the 2011 bottling, but remarkably similar, which is not too surprising as both whiskies are 10-year-olds from PX Sherry, and both filled into cask in the Billy Walker era; a dram for those who love their sherry!” – $98

New Whiskies from James Eadie

A-new-to Canada independent bottler, James Eadie is named for a 19th-century entrepreneur and self-made man who owned a significant brewery and network of pubs. He also sold a Blended whisky called Trade Mark X, which the man himself described as “an ancient Scotch mixture” from a recipe inherited from his father, “dispensed to a favoured few.” By the time Alfred Barnard, the famous 19th Century Beer and Whisky writer, visited it was rather more widely distributed at over 300 James Eadie pubs!

The James Eadie brand was revived by Rupert Patrick, James Eadie’s great-great-grandson. More info on the Trade Mark X Blend.

Our New Range:

1. James Eadie Auchroisk 12 Year – 55.8% – 2009 – First Fill ex-Bourbon – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Fresh and full of summery aromas, with apple, honey and floral notes all apparent. Brioche with light vanilla essence. Taste: Like the nose, the palate is full of orchard fruits – apples, pears and damsons – along with a whisp of wood smoke and a hint of ginger. Finish: Big, long finish of almonds and shortbread with a lingering sweetness.” – $135

2. James Eadie Dailuaine 9 Year – 46%- 2011 – Refill Bourbon & First Fill Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Creamy and full-bodied, as banana and ginger combine with milk chocolate, vanilla and almond butter. Taste: Ripe banana and pears with vanilla ice cream, malty cinnamon bun and a gentle hint of ginger and cracked pepper. Finish: Peppery, spicy and sweet, with cinnamon bun, banana and pear drops.” – $91

3. James Eadie Linkwood 10 Year – 46% – 2010 – Recharred ex-Bourbon Hogsheads – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Full of classic floral and citrus notes, tangy orange peel and honey alongside lemon sherbet and icing sugar, with light touches of cut grass and pear drops. Taste: Fizzy lemon and orange sweets pair nicely with buttery shortbread and icing sugar, developing into a lemon drizzle cake with orange peel. Finish: A medium length finish, buttery pastry with a lingering note of peppery lemon sherbet.” – $92

4. James Eadie Teaninich 10 Year Palo Cortado – 56.9% – 2011 – Finished 20 Months in a Refill European Oak Palo Cortado Sherry Hogshead – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Rich notes of butterscotch, lavender and honey combine with green apple and a squeezed grapefruit. Taste: Initial notes of toffee, vanilla and honey combine with dried fruit and raisins in the mid palate. Finish: Soft and dry, leaving gentle floral notes.” – $143 – Limit 1 Per Customer

New Tastings – Including a Festival…

Our First In-Person Event in 2+ Years

30TH ANNIVERSARY WHISKY FESTIVAL NIGHT 1

·     Date: Thursday, May 19, 2022

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $80

·     Pick-Up Date: No pickups… it is in person!

Our Fall and Spring Single Malt Festivals pre-Covid were, to say the least, a hot ticket. Often they would sell out so quickly that we felt compelled to offer a second night. And given that Covid isn’t completely behind us yet, it doesn’t feel right cramming 100 of our whisky friends into the shop just yet. Accordingly, we are offering two more or less identical 30th Anniversary Whisky Festivals, one week apart, for a smaller crowd than usual, to give as many of our whisky friends as possible a chance to attend. As always, our neighbour Peasant Cheese will be lining your stomachs with delicious cheese, charcuterie, sausage rolls, and other treats! Both Festivals are limited to 70 participants and we are asking people to only register for one date or the other, and not both, out of respect for other customers. Thursday, May 19, 7 PM – 9 PM.

ARCHIVES WHISKIES WITH THE WHISKYBASE GUYS

·     Date: Friday May 20

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $75

·     Pick-Up Date: TBC – Soon!

We recently received a very cool range of whiskies from our friends at Whiskybase, who are best known for their “Fishes of Samoa” series of Archives bottlings. We’ll be joined in the tasting by CJ and Abby of the Whiskybase team as well as their Canadian importer Igor Kossov. Our range will include: Balcones 2017, Benrinnes 1997, Burnside 1996, Glentauchers 1989, Glentauchers 1996, Irish 1990 and Secret Speyside 1998. Note: the photo was taken before we tweaked the range to add the Irish single malt. This is a truly awesome range, and you don’t want to miss it! Friday, May 20, 5 PM. *Please Note the 5 PM start time!*

30TH ANNIVERSARY WHISKY FESTIVAL NIGHT 2

·     Date: Thursday, May 26, 2022

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $80

·     Pick-Up Date: No pickups… it is in person!

Our Fall and Spring Single Malt Festivals pre-Covid were, to say the least, a hot ticket. Often they would sell out so quickly that we felt compelled to offer a second night. And given that Covid isn’t completely behind us yet, it doesn’t feel right cramming 100 of our whisky friends into the shop just yet. Accordingly, we are offering two more or less identical 30th Anniversary Whisky Festivals, one week apart, for a smaller crowd than usual, to give as many of our whisky friends as possible a chance to attend. As always, our neighbour Peasant Cheese will be lining your stomachs with delicious cheese, charcuterie, sausage rolls, and other treats! Both Festivals are limited to 70 participants and we are asking people to only register for one date or the other, and not both, out of respect for other customers. Thursday, May 26, 7 PM – 9 PM.

The 30 for 30 on 30 – 30th Anniversary Whisky Tasting!

·     Date: Monday, May 30, 2022

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $215

·     Pick-Up Date: TBC!

We wanted to do an epic range of 30-year-old whiskies, and whiskies from 1992, the year we opened to celebrate our 30th Anniversary. We also liked the idea of hosting the tasting on the 30th… just for effect. Our range includes a few bottles we held back just for a special tasting. Our full range is: Archives Secret Speyside 1990, Bowmore 30 Year, GlenAllachie 30 Year, Glenfarclas 30 Year, Peat’s Beast 30 Year, Signatory Jura 1992, Whisky Fassle Aberlour 1990 30 Year and Whisky Fassle Glen Keith 1992. The tasting also includes a special KWM 30th Anniversary Logo glass… provided they arrive in time! Monday, May 30, 7 PM

Deals, deals, deals! Especially on Waterford, and more than what I have highlighted below too. You can browse the full sale list online!

1. Smokehead Rum Rebel Islay Single Malt – 46% – This undisclosed Islay Single Malt is rumoured to come from Ardbeg and has been finished in rum casks. – Was $92 – Save 20% – Now $72.79

2. Smokehead Sherry Bomb Islay Single Malt – This undisclosed Islay Single Malt is rumoured to come from Ardbeg and has been finished in sherry casks. – Was $115 – Save 20% – Now $91.99

3. Lismore The Legend 21 Year – 43% – Undisclosed Speyside single malt from the owners of Glenfarclas, with a soft sherried character. – Was $165 – Save 20% – Now $131.99

4. Jura Seven Wood – 42% – Not content with double wood or triple wood, Jura has gone right to SEVEN WOOD with this bottling. – Was $121.99 – Save 35% – Now $79.29

5. Cragganmore Distillers Edition – 40% (boo) Diageo is still playing catch up, so this is still on sale. – Was $107.99 – Save 25% – Now $80.99

6. Cragganmore Flavour Led – 55.7% – Old NAS Cragganmore with good reviews that is a lot more palatable on sale than at full price! – Was $1199.99 – Save 30% – Now $839.99

FREE DELIVERY

We are proud to offer Free City Wide Delivery on all orders over $100 Monday-Friday! Orders under $100 are subject to a flat rate $10 delivery fee.

CURBSIDE PICKUP

Physical distancing is made easy with curbside pickup. Order online or by phone, wait for confirmation your order is ready then call us when you are parked in the back or out front. Be sure to let us know what your vehicle looks like!

403-283-8000

888-283-9004

Regular Store Hours

Mon – Wed 10AM – 8PM

Thurs & Fri 10AM – 9PM

Sat 10AM – 8 PM

Sun 11PM to 6PM

*All Prices Quoted here are subject to change and do not include GST. In the case of pricing discrepancies, the price at our point of sale will be taken as correct.*

 

GOOD FRIDAY EASTER TREATS 

Happy Easter! We hope you have a wonderful weekend. To kick start the celebrations, we’ve released a NEW bottling full of flavour and sweet indulgence. With Belgian waffles, melted white chocolate, banana toffee and fudge, Cask No. 13.96 A pinch of pink peppercorns makes the perfect Easter treat.

We’re also welcoming back a few favourite flavours, with bottlings back in stock after appearances at our tasting events. Don’t delay in tracking these down as bottles are limited in numbers.  Keep on scrolling for more details or click over to our website – ALL bottlings are available NOW.

BROWSE THE NEW WHISKY

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

Tobermory 12 Year Old
2007 Port Pipe Finish

 

A four year finish in Port pipes brings scrumptious Turkish delight with rich oak and exotic spice! A limited-edition 12-year-old from Tobermory that was distilled and filled into whisky refill hogsheads in October 2007 for 8 years, before being transferred into Port Pipes in June 2016 for a further 4 years. Just 3101 bottles have been produced, all at a cask strength of 58.6% ABV and without chill-filtration or added colouring.

£105.00
BUY NOW

HAMISH SAYS

W.B. Saffell Limited Edition Batch #1 107 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (375ml) ($49.99)

Made by master distiller Eddie Russell, the man responsible for some of the most famous and coveted bourbons to come out of the Bluegrass State, this is an absolutely top-shelf expression that should be on any collector’s short list. Bottled at 107 proof and showing the unmistakable signature of a true master, the W.B. Saffell Batch No. 1 is an unequivocally outstanding addition to the craft bourbon scene that has found a fanatical fan base, just as with previous Whiskey Barons releases like Old Ripy that now command hundreds of dollars on the secondary market.

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

FETTERCAIRN UNVEILS THIRD RELEASE IN SMALL BATCH SERIES

New Warehouse 2 Batch No. 003 celebrates Fettercairn’s enlightened approach to whisky making.

Fettercairn Distillery has unveiled the third release in its hugely popular and sought-after Warehouse 2 Collection, an inspired small batch series created to celebrate the hidden gems within its 14 dunnage warehouses and to showcase its commitment to enlightened whisky making.

Limited to just 9,600 bottles, Fettercairn Warehouse 2 Batch No. 003 was distilled in 2015 and matured in a selection of handpicked ex-Bourbon barrels (57%), rum barrels (16%) and French red wine barriques (27%).  This unique combination of casks was carefully chosen from the treasure trove of aging stock in Warehouse 2, where high humidity combines with the relatively cool and temperate environment to make their mark on the maturing spirit.

The Warehouse Collection celebrates the talent, passion and commitment of the distillery team, coupled with the vision of Gregg Glass, Master Whisky Maker, in seeking unusual and interesting casks to craft these unconventional small batch releases.  Limited in number and availability, the Collection has already captured the imagination of both collectors and whisky drinkers with its striking look and clear purpose.

With discovery a driving force at Fettercairn, this wonderful collection of whiskies has been crafted to explore the treasure trove of aging stock in Warehouse 2. In line with the ethos of enlightened whisky making, a detailed breakdown of the cask make-up is proudly presented on each bottle and pack bringing complete transparency to every new release.

Gregg Glass, Master Whisky Maker, said: “With expectation high following the popularity of the first two releases in the Collection, we knew we needed to deliver something special with this third release, without compromising the approach we’ve been striving to adopt.  As such, when personally hand selecting casks for this edition, I wanted to push the boundaries further to create a beautifully balanced single malt which delivered both freshness and complexity in character. I believe Batch No. 003 is another true one off for Fettercairn.

“Warehouse 2 has so much to offer in terms of diversity and quality of the casks and it is always a challenging, yet enthralling task to select the ones to create each batch. The choice of French barriques combined with rum barrels for this release has brought a truly different dimension to this spirit and enabled us to keep showcasing our innovative and experimental approach.”

Fettercairn Warehouse 2, Batch No.003 will be available at an RSP of £60 in key global markets including the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France from April, extending to key Asia markets from May onwards.

Discover Fettercairn: Rare, Pure & Enlightened

Tasting notes

Nose: Warm honey, Alphonso mango, brioche, cocoa, subtle forest fruits and waves of rose water

Taste: Passion fruit, papaya, red berries and grape must harmonise with sugared almonds, patisserie spice and heather honey.

www.fettercairnwhisky.com

Facebook @fettercairnwhisky

Instagram @fettercairnwhisky

Twitter @FettercairnWh

About Fettercairn

Our founder, Sir Alexander Ramsay, was one of the Scottish landowners who campaigned for the licensing of Scotch Whisky distilling. In 1824 Fettercairn he established the Fettercairn Distillery, in the Northeast of Scotland; it was to become one of the first licensed single malt distilleries. Despite his campaigns for regulation, Ramsay recruited illicit whisky makers as his first stillmen, knowing only they had the knowledge and experience required to make great whisky. From our very beginnings, we’ve been doing things a little differently in the pursuit of great whisky.

In the mid-1950s, the whisky makers at Fettercairn experimented, seeking ways to create a purer expression of their spirit. They found that pouring water down the still cooled the copper, increasing condensation inside so only the lightest vapours could rise for collection. They fashioned a copper tube around the top of the still to continually douse it with crystal clear mountain water. This simple yet ingenious engineering feat not only creates a purer expression of our whisky, but beautiful oxidized patina of the copper with shades of teal, brushed cooper and white proudly marking our stills. To this day our copper cooling ring remains unique in Scotch whisky making.

Today Fettercairn Distillery continues this trend of ingenious thinking and is the home of enlightened whisky making, where experimental and considered, open minded innovation provides inspiration in the creation of the most exceptional and rare single malt whiskies.  Driven by the idea of entire craft, there is an inherent commitment to the land and the idea of nurturing and embracing every single part of the process, from forest to field to Fettercairn.

As part of this philosophy, we are always discovering and learning and feed our imagination and passion to create distinct whiskies with a surprising tropical character.

About Gregg Glass- Master Whisky Maker

Respected whisky maker Gregg Glass joined Whyte and Mackay in 2016, where he has been a leading light in the rejuvenation of Fettercairn alongside Distillery Manager Stewart Walker.

Gregg enjoyed a childhood in the heart of whisky making country, the Black Isle. With 22 years in industry notably 11 years at innovative whisky maker Compass Box, Gregg joined Whyte and Mackay in 2016 to work alongside renowned Master Distiller Mr Richard Paterson OBE.

Gregg has enjoyed 15 years career as a blender and whisky maker. At Whyte and Mackay Gregg has led whisky development for Fettercairn Single Malt Whisky, Jura Single Malt Whisky and in 2017 launched Whisky Works – an independent innovation wing of Whyte and Mackay.

Gregg is devoted to his craft and believes in flavour-led hands-on whisky making. Gregg is passionately involved in every aspect of the whisky making process from ‘acorn to glass’ and since 2020 leads whisky making across the Whyte and Mackay portfolio. 

Award-Winning Whisky Makers Whyte and Mackay

Whyte and Mackay is home to a collection of multi-award-winning Single Malt Whiskies including The Dalmore, Jura and Fettercairn. With a premium spirits portfolio that includes contemporary whisky brands Shackleton, Woodsman and John Barr, alongside popular alcohol brands Wildcat, Fundador and Harveys Bristol Cream and Aperitivo. In the UK the company produce Whyte & Mackay, an award-winning ever-popular Blended Whisky, which recently launched the market-leading ‘Whyte & Mackay Light’ – a lighter spirit drink from Scotland, bottled at a lower ABV.

In 2020 the company were publicly recognised by the First Minister of Scotland for their support of the national pandemic response. Whyte and Mackay are official partners to SAMH – Scottish Association for Mental Health, which saw Whyte and Mackay employees worldwide complete a virtual-race-around-the-world to raise awareness for the charity.

Founded in Glasgow 1844, the whisky makers celebrated their 175 year anniversary in 2019. Today Whyte and Mackay have offices from New York to Singapore. In Scotland, Whyte and Mackay operate a state-of-the-art Bottling Hall and Distribution Centre in Grangemouth and a Whisky Production and Warehousing Centre in Invergordon.

Whyte and Mackay’s whisky making is led by Master Distiller Richard Paterson OBE and pioneering Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass.

Glencairn Crystal Studio offers luxury spirits glassware solution  during industry shortage

Premium and luxury spirits brand owners are currently facing a packaging challenge within the industry: the sourcing and availability of premium glass.

In response to the current situation, Scotland-based crystal glassware company Glencairn Crystal is reaching out to the drinks industry to offer support. Due to the company’s strong and consistent supply chain, it has large quantities of premium glass bottles available and is working hard to meet the ever-increasing needs of clients – both existing and new – who are searching for a solution to the growing problem.

This issue is proving particularly challenging for the premium malt whiskies category aged 18 years and over, as well as other spirits of significant age and value. Often priced around £100 and over, this sector requires vessels that are more exclusive than a standard mass-produced bottle, however still kept at an affordable price point offering decent economies of scale.

Why has this situation emerged?

With the trend in luxury spirits still very much on the rise – whisky and spirits companies continue to ‘premiumise’ many of their expressions in order to meet this demand and are keen to, not only create the finest liquid, but also beautiful, stand-out packaging to add value to and increase the desirability of their new product launches.

However, the global rebound in demand as Covid subsides in many areas, coupled with increased energy costs and world-wide transportation issues has pushed up price and extended lead times of premium glass bottles, leading to delays of up to 12 months, with new projects taking up to 18 months to bring to production.

With a need for solutions that address environmental concerns, the lack of suitable glass and on-going supply chain issues all frustrating the industry. It is this element that Glencairn is offering unrivalled support in terms of outstanding service that includes design, creation and supply of premium glass bottles and with such a superior supply chain, they can meet demand at short notice.

Filling the gap in the market:

Scott Davidson, New Product Development Director at Glencairn said: “We’ve been evolving our offerings for over 40 years to provide an unparalleled range of premium cosmetic glass bottles and lead-free crystal bottles and decanters. We have worked hard to take the learning from some of the most expensive decanters in the world and supply this on more affordable, and importantly, more readily available, premium glass bottles.”

“Our talented team of craftspeople can decorate cosmetic glass and bottles to the highest standards with bespoke designs developed by our inhouse design team. Our decoration facilities are at the cutting edge of the market, with industry leading production processes in engraving, decoration and precious metal and materials application.”

Glencairn Crystal’s premium cosmetic glass bottles come in all shapes and sizes and are fully recyclable (minimum order quantities far less than many other suppliers).

The company also supplies semi-automatically produced, hand finished crystal decanters, as opposed to hand blown, meaning that luxury spirits can be housed in high quality crystal glassware but without the huge leap in cost for crystal decanters made by hand, which are for only the rarest releases.

To hear more about what Glencairn Crystal  is offering existing, new and potential customers in this area of glassware, please contact: contact@glencairn.co.uk

Glencairn Crystal’s sustainability strategy and environmental positioning:

As a socially and environmentally responsible family business we are strongly influenced by our families’ children’s views on the environment, as they are the future of both our business and our planet.

We’ve undertaken an extensive expansion and remodelling of our factory and offices at our headquarters in East Kilbride, just outside Glasgow, as part of our strategy to increase our level of sustainability and to re-use and reduce rather than just recycle.

This marks an exciting moment for us as we strive to become 100% dependent on our own solar energy. The energy generated by our brand new solar storage system will be over and above the required amount for our company to run off and any excess electricity generated will be sent back to the grid and can be repurposed for other local usage.

We’ve also invested in various other key initiatives including electric car charging points so that all company cars are now either fully electric or hybrid. Day-to-day office functions such as recycling and packaging have been carefully considered, with the ambition to remove the use of all plastic packaging entirely over the next five years. We’ve also reduced gas usage across the business by 30% and this will to rise to 60% over the next 5 years – eventually leading to removal of gas energy altogether over the next ten years.