FIRST CASKS AT NEW ARDARA DISTILLERY FILLED WITH SPIRIT 

Donegal’s Sliabh Liag Distillers has completed the first distillation of spirit at its new Ardara Distillery.  Ex-bourbon oak casks have been filled with a smoky, heavily-peated, triple distilled single malt, with operations commencing just 51 weeks after the foundation stone was set for the distillery in the festival town of Ardara, on Donegal’s Wild Atlantic Way.

This phase one build of the distillery is the latest chapter in the company’s mission to reclaim the distilling heritage of Donegal.  Built with local contractors and Forsyth’s of Rothes, Scotland – the revered coppersmiths – to the specifications of James and Moira Doherty, the distillery can produce 500,000L of whiskey per year, in both single malt and traditional pot still styles.

James Doherty, who co-founded Sliabh Liag Distillers with his wife Moira, is delighted with the progress to date: “Construction of the Ardara Distillery began in October 2020, and despite the many challenges that these past few years have thrown at us – from the pandemic to Brexit and everything in between – we managed to go from putting in the foundations to distilling in less than a year.  We couldn’t be prouder of all the team who pulled off such an amazing feat in super-quick time. It’s a standout building housing some truly beautiful copper stills – a fantastic new landmark for the county.”

“As a company, we want to create spirits that honour the deep traditions of whiskey making in this part of the world, so we’re distilling a rich, smoky whiskey in an authentic Ulster style.  The first spirit to have flowed from the stills is truly outstanding – I’m sure my grandfathers, who were both poitín men, would approve.  I think the spirit will take wood well, but we must now let the magic in the casks happen and busy ourselves with patience to see what effect maturation has” added James.

Moira Doherty commented: “Sustainability has also played a huge factor in the design of the new distillery, with a focus on waste and energy reduction through initiatives such as our ‘all grains in’ approach that also sees waste going on to being used as cattle feed.  We have also moved Meabh, our gin still, to the Ardara Distillery.”

The company’s operations in Carrick will become the hub for all administration, bottling and the home of Silkie with ten full time jobs based at the site. Sliabh Liag Distillers will provide up to 40 full time jobs in the area when the Ardara Distillery is fully operational.  The distillery’s interim visitor centre will open in time for the summer season 2022.  Plans are also underway to commence work on phase two of the distillery – a dedicated gin still-house and increased visitor centre capacity. There will be no café in the distillery, with visitors encouraged to use the town’s superb food and drink offering.

The distillery has also appointed Newcastle man Graeme Bell as its new Distillery Manager. Graeme has experience of working in the great whiskey making areas of the world, Speyside in Scotland for Scotch and Kentucky, USA for Bourbon and more recently Hamilton in Canada.

Speaking about his new role, Graeme said: “I feel fortunate to be in at the start for the Ardara Distillery, working in a beautifully designed new distillery with the finest copper stills from Forsyth’s in Scotland, which have been made specifically to reflect the distilling traditions of this area. Our goal is to use locally grown barley and oats to make both single malt and pot still whiskeys and to bring back many traditional whiskey-making methods from the past”.

“The opportunity to move to Donegal and be part of a very special revival was too good to miss” added Graeme. “Since moving to Ardara, I have been struck by the friendliness of the people and the magnificent scenery, and I’m delighted to be part of this community as we set about sharing the next chapter of distilling in Donegal.”

With casks now being filled, whiskey enthusiasts can become a ‘Seanchai’ and join the journey by buying a cask for themselves.  Just 600 are available, with full, transparent details of the costs involved available at www.sliabhliagdistillers.com.  If after five years buyers don’t wish to empty the contents for bottling, the company will buy the cask back off them for the purchase price plus interest (3% CAGR).

Notes  

Sliabh Liag (pronounced ‘sleeve league’) Distillers is an independently owned distillery committed to reclaiming the distilling heritage of Donegal. The distillery’s portfolio includes premium spirit brands An Dúlamán Irish Maritime Gin, An Dúlamán Santa Ana Navy Strength Gin, The Legendary Silkie Irish Whiskey, Dark Silkie Irish Whiskey, The Midnight Silkie Irish Whiskey and Assaranca Vodka. The Company has distribution in 35 countries around the world.

Sliabh Liag’s new distillery at Ardara, Co. Donegal will open to the public in spring 2022. This state-of-the-art facility will combine the latest distilling technology and a unique “all grains in” process with ancient Donegal distilling knowhow to create a whiskey unlike that found in the rest of Ireland. Sliabh Liag Distillers will also feature on the Amazon Prime series, ‘The Three Drinkers in Ireland’ in early February 2022, shown in 130 countries and territories. For more information on Sliabh Liag Distillers, see www.sliabhliagdistillers.com

2010 Blended Malt (Miltonduff) 11 Year Old “Redacted Bros.” (Thompson/Dornoch) First Fill Bourbon Barrel Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival) $54.99 View

1992 Glenrothes 26 Year “Duncan Taylor Dimensions” Cask Strength Single Barrel Non-chill filtered Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $289.99 View 

1991 Isle Islay Malt 29/30 Year Old “Redacted Bros.” (Thompson/Dornoch) K&L Exclusive Single Refill Hogshead Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival) $299.99 View

1990 Isle Islay Malt 30/31 Year Old “Redacted Bros.” (Thompson/Dornoch) K&L Exclusive Single Refill Hogshead Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival) $299.99 View

1989 Isle Islay Malt 31/32 Year Old “Redacted Bros.” (Thompson/Dornoch) K&L Exclusive Single Refill Hogshead Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival) $349.99 View

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

PUNCHY. PEATED. POWERFUL. 

18.02.22

SOMETHING SPECIAL IS COMING TO WEMYSS MALTS.

French Oak Second Fill
TD0078

” Sullivans Cove, in my opinion, really nails gentle maturation. For this spirit to still hold its own after almost 16 years is phenomenal. An elegant and classy dram.”

-Ray Daniel, Barrel and Batch Whisky.

 We begin the new year with a whisky worthy of being our first release of 2022: French Oak Second Fill TD0078, aged for 15 years and 6 months in a cask previously used to mature one of our ex-Tawny releases. TD0078 exemplifies why our second fill releases are so highly celebrated, allowing long term maturation without the influence of the cask overtaking the character of the spirit. TD0078 is a wonderful way to experience the Sullivans Cove spirit alongside the lighter spice and herbal notes from the French oak.

Tasting Notes

A very classic Sullivans note of pine forest and rich glacé pineapple is complimented by gingerbread and biscuits, filling the breadth of the nose.

A lovely coastal, saline air note comes to the front, with just a hint of nori. The palate is sweet and full; buttery biscuits start the flavour wheel rolling, and then we find light liquorice, fennel honey, baked apple, dried apricots, sultanas, and salty pineapple. The finish begins with double cream and a big burst of guava and feijoa, with muscatels and a wave of ripe cantaloupe seeing it out.

Second fill French oak offers a lovely savoury herbal mix, giving soft structure and rounding out this beautifully complex whisky.”

TD0078 will be released via ballot on Monday, 17 January 2022. The ballot will open for 24 hours from 10AM Hobart time on 17 January 2022. Further details, with a link to enter the ballot will be sent via email prior to the ballot opening.

A note on our ballot system 

Our policy is one entry per person, per household. Our fraud detection algorithm detects multiple entries and removes them to ensure our whisky lands in the hands of our genuine supporters, so to ensure your entry counts, please enter once only. We appreciate your continued support and understand the disappointment in missing out on our incredibly limited whisky releases. We want you to know that if you miss out on a release, the chance of your success in a future ballot will continue to increase until you secure a bottle. While we can never guarantee success in specific ballots, we do everything we can to ensure our whiskies make their way into the hands of our loyal supporters. If you have any questions around our ballot process, you can email us at info@sullivanscove.com Successful entries will be notified shortly after the ballot closes.

BOWMORE DISTILLERY

1997 Samaroli (2021)

Cask #54

Buy – Bowmore 1997 – £1,728 / €1,723* / $1,956* / c$2,475*

Bowmore 1997 vintage Islay single malt Scotch whisky. Single sherry cask #54 bottled 2021 by Samaroli. 532 numbered bottles. Only Bowmore can  give life to such rare, unique and unrepeatable declinations. Elegant, fragrant nose. Rich in tones of white chocolate and powder that contrast with hints of stove charcoal and toasted wood. All this is the forerunner to those peaty tones that manifest themselves in in a delicate and not overwhelming way.

Abbreviated notes from Samaroli state: “Only Bowmore can give life to such rare, unique and unrepeatable declinations. Elegant, fragrant nose. Rich in tones of white chocolate and powder that contrast with hints of stove charcoal and toasted wood. All this is the forerunner to those peaty tones that manifest themselves in a delicate and not overwhelming way.”

Bowmore Distillery was established by David Simpson in 1779 on the Isle of Islay. Situated by the shore of Loch Indaal it is amongst the oldest working distilleries on Islay and one of the oldest malt whisky distilleries in Scotland. Bowmore Distillery continues to produce a proportion of its malted barley on its own traditional malting floors and malt kilns. Bowmore Distillery is a participant in Feis Isle, the Islay Festival of Malt and Music during which special bottlings. Popular official bottlings include Bowmore 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old and 25 Year Old.

UK Exclusive

Small Batch No. 3

70cl | 49.1% ABV

An exciting new release from Islay’s only farm-based distillery! This is the third small batch bottling from Kilchoman which is exclusive to the UK. This is a vatting which reflects the influence from 70% Bourbon, 5% Sherry Oloroso and 25% from Sauternes casks. The result is a marriage of classic Kilchoman citrus and peat smoke with layers of peaches, honey and white grape sweetness.

£57.95

Add To Basket

2013 Caol Ila 8 Year Old “Redacted Bros.” (Thompson/Dornoch) Single Refill Hogshead Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival)

$49.99 View

We couldn’t be prouder to be partnered with the Thompson brothers to bring their incredible hand-selected, independently bottled, single-cask single malts to the US market while we wait for their own spectacular single malts to mature. The brothers have made connections with all the major suppliers of good quality malt throughout Scotland, so while many new independent bottlers are paying high broker premiums for access to interesting stock, the boys up at Dornoch seem to have access at incredibly reasonable prices to solid blue chip stocks. We’re not entirely sure if that’s because of their good relationship with distillers or if their bootstrap business model allows them to operate with much leaner margins, but we tend to see incredible value and quality in each bottling. This fabulous cask of Caol Ila, unmuddled by overly active oak, is the perfect expression of purity from this Islay stalwart. Expect vibrant aromas of ocean breeze, citrus oil, smoky malt, and a creamy note that balances the wild seaside flavors. On the palate, plenty of kick with an oily texture—juicy and rich—tangy lemon peel, crunchy oyster shell, and a salty peat smoke throughout. A stupendous value for a wonderful malt that never disappoints.

LAPHROAIG DISTILLERY

18 Year Old 2000 Hunter Laing Old & Rare

Imperial 30 Years

1989 vintage single cask from the Lost Speyside distillery. 224 bottles. Imperial 30 Year Old 1989 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Single refill barrel bottled October 2019 by Hunter Laing & Co. for the Old & Rare series. 224 bottles. A pale golden coloured whisky with a rich, full-bodied, sweet nose with vanilla custard, stewed apples and red berries. Smooth and fruity on the palate with sweet vanilla tablet and butterscotch all leading to a long, satisfying, pleasant finish.

£800.00

Shop Imperial 30yo »

Imperial Distillery was designed by Charles C. Doig and established in 1897 by Thomas Mackenzie at Carron in the heart of the Speyside whisky region. Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and a huge golden crown was placed upon the pagoda roof of one of Imperial Distillery’s two malt kilns to commemorate the occasion. Imperial Distillery was equipped with four huge stills but closed in 1998 and was demolished in 2013. A new distillery called Dalmunach has been built on the site and opened in 2015. Independent releases of Imperial malt whisky feature in the Signatory Vintage ranges and those of Gordon & MacPhail.

The Epicurean Launches White Port Finished Addition to “Wood Series” Single Cask Series 

Douglas Laing & Co., leading distiller, blender and bottler, has today released a White Port Cask Finished Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky as part of The Epicurean Wood Series.

The sixth Single Cask release in the specialist “Wood Series” is bottled at a high alcohol strength of 48% and is proudly offered without colouring or chill-filtration. This innovative collection already encompasses a Ruby Port Finish and a Rivesaltes Finish, amongst others, and seeks to demonstrate that flavour is created throughout the Whisky-making process but most significantly during the interaction between the spirit and the wood when it is in the oak cask. This latest edition is said to be “perfectly fruity and packed with fresh, zesty charm, balanced with a delicious sugary sweetness”.

In crafting The Epicurean Limited Edition, the Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky is first matured in premium American Oak before being re-racked into a hand-selected White Port Single Cask for a second maturation period of more than twelve months.

The White Port cask itself originates from the Douro Valley in northern Portugal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest demarcated wine regions in the world.

Jenny Rogerson, Head of Marketing at Douglas Laing commented:

“Our Epicurean brand is characterised by his own effervescent, adventurous personality, and the spirit within is the ultimate distillation of Scotland’s Lowland region, representing the archetypally fresh, vibrant flavour profile of the Malt Whiskies distilled there. It’s these two factors – the versatile Malt Whisky and our Lowland gent’s innovative brand values – that lend themselves particularly well to this Limited Edition Wood Series, which seeks to compare and contrast a cross-section of fascinating finishes.”

Packed in a premium gift tube, The Epicurean White Port Finish Limited Edition is expected to retail at £60.00/€72.00 from good specialist retailers.