A New Release Sherried Peater from a Beloved Scotch Icon
Laphroaig 10 Year Old “Sherry Oak” Islay Single Malt
Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($89.99)
“This is an absolutely perfectly executed expression that offers so much enjoyment and complexity…” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

As one of Scotland’s most beloved whiskies, Laphroaig’s 10 Year Old Islay Single Malt is a perennial go-to for Scotch fanatics the world over. While it’s been a stunningly successful formula for decades, the distillery has finally heeded the call from the hardcore sherry crowd and released a sherried version of its iconic dram just in time for the holidays. The anticipation surrounding this new bottling cannot be overstated, and once we got it open at the tasting bar, it became plainly clear that the hype is more than justified. Spirits buyer David Othenin-Girard describes, “It’s right smokey with plenty of oily smoke and sweet peat wafting from the glass … On the palate, it’s unctuous and mouth-coating, most definitely due to the higher-than-normal proof, bold and unabashed with the sweetness of the sherry.” In a perfect display of Laphroaig’s mastery with both peat and sherry ageing, both elements meld in total harmony to produce an expression that is at once classically Laphroaig but also a thrilling new entry into the sherried malt sphere. There is quite simply nothing else like it on the market, and with the limited availability, we fully expect long-time fans of the distillery to go hard and heavy, causing it to vanish from our shelves in a flash.

Laphroaig 10 Year Old “Sherry Oak” Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($89.99)

K&L Notes: Laphroaig 10 is definitely in the running for Scotland’s most iconic bottling. After years of pining for a sherried version, it’s finally here. The 10 Year Old Sherry Oak is finished in Oloroso casks, providing a honeyed sweetness that perfectly complements the salty smoke of Scotland’s most richly flavored malt. While it’s our hope that this will eventually be a staple on the shelves, the initial release is extremely limited and will certainly sell out in minutes.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 08, 2021

The iconic Islay producer has long been a darling of the Scotch-loving world. There are fewer and fewer people out there who turn their nose up at the wildly peaty style that comes off the special stills at Laphroaig. Not only are they one of the few distillers to use their own malt, which is part of what many attribute to the unique flavors of their spirit, but they use a complex regime of seven stills to create a completely unique malt. While sherried Laphroaig is renowned historically, they rarely fill it into sherry butts. It’s a real treat if they can pull it off properly. Let’s have a taste. The color is amber/deep gold. OH THANK GOD! They haven’t totally neutered the fires of Islay with these sherry butts. It’s right smokey with plenty of oily smoke and sweet peat wafting from the glass. The sherry has drawn it slightly towards the BBQ flavors and away from the high-pitched medicinal flavors, which only the very pickiest Laphroaig lover will lament. Lots of roasted flavors—roasted wood, roasted earth, roasted meat, toasted pepper, roasted brush, ashy smoke. On the palate, it’s unctuous and mouth-coating, thanks most definitely to the higher-than-normal proof, bold and not at all unabashed with the sweetness of the sherry, it’s nutty frame just slightly taming the gamey peat character. We always worry that with these NAS bottlings they’ll try to sneak in some “under-mature” casks, but this feels extremely well composed and, dare I say, “older”? This is an absolutely perfectly executed expression, that offers so much enjoyment and complexity while slightly opening the door to those who might be otherwise afraid to dive into the South Shore smokies.

Register Your Interest: Hibiki Japanese Harmony

Due to the huge demand for this special Hibiki release we have decided to run a ballot so that customers will have a fairer chance at purchasing a bottle. Please register your interest at the ballot link below which will be live from now up until the 23rd November. We will then contact the successful entries with a link to buy.

ENTER BALLOT

Hibiki Japanese Harmony Limited Edition

This expression was released by Hibiki way back in 1989 for the first time to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Suntory. Fast forward to 2021 and this stunning limited edition bottle design of pays tribute to the Ryusui-Hyakka (One Hundred Flowers and Flowing Water). The blossoms of the 24 seasons in Japan are emblazoned across the glass, with the flow of water connecting one passing season to another, as well as the 24 facets of the bottle a nod to this.

Hibiki Harmony 2021 Limited Edition
£200.00

REGISTER FOR BALLOT HERE

A TASTE OF THE EXTRAORDINARY FROM EDINBURGH AS
J.G. THOMSON & CO UNVEILS AWARD-WINNING FIRST COLLECTION
OF SMALL BATCH SPIRITS 

Small batch spirits with simple ingredients and complex flavours
are the order of the day for new J.G. Thomson & Co brand 

A first and already award-winning collection of small batch spirits with simple ingredients and complex flavours is today being launched by J.G. Thomson & Co, a new brand from Edinburgh.

Hailing from Scotland’s capital, J.G. Thomson & Co’s first collection of small batch spirits includes, three blended malt Scotch whiskies featuring Sweet, Smoky and Rich expressions, and two exceptional limited edition aged whiskies – one a 23 year-old blended malt, the other a 1972 blended grain.

Several of J.G. Thomson & Co’s first collection of small batch spirits have already won industry awards, including a prized Masters medal for Batch 1 of its rich 23-year-old blended malt Scotch whisky, Golds for the first batches of its three blended malts and its gin at the Spirits Business Luxury Masters 2021.

All of J.G. Thomson & Co’s spirits are crafted creatively in small batches, meaning that the individual taste characteristics of each spirit will evolve with every new batch – providing adventurous drinkers with a new taste experience to discover every time a new batch is released.

J.G. Thomson & Co takes its name from an 18^th-century wine and spirits merchant once based in Leith in the 1700s, a time when trade ships were bringing new and exciting goods into Edinburgh. At the time, the savvy Thomson family became renowned for selecting some of these new spirits being brought in and introducing them to their discerning customers in Edinburgh, and to the wider world.

J.G. Thomson & Co is being launched by The Artisanal Spirits Company, which owns the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and is building a portfolio of premium brands and curating collections of craft spirits. 

Driven by a dedication to creating small batch spirits with simple ingredients and complex flavours, the J.G. Thomson & Co brand offers a core range of three small batch blended malt whiskies, featuring Sweet, Smoky and Rich expressions.

With a focus on combining characterful spirit with high-quality casks, the blending team at J.G. Thomson & Co works closely with selected partner cooperages to either procure specific casks, or to create their own customised casks, toasted and charred to defined standards.

In addition to its core range, J.G. Thomson & Co is launching with the first two batches in a series of limited edition whiskies; a rich, complex 23-year-old blended malt Scotch whisky made of 100% Speyside malts; and a sweet 1972 blended grain Scotch whisky bringing notes of honey, wax and ginger on the nose.

All of J.G. Thomson & Co’s small batch spirits are available to order from jgthomson.com/shop as well as ​​a range of leading whisky shops, bars and restaurants.

Emily Coyle from J.G. Thomson & Co, said: “Just like the Thomsons did in the 1700s, we’re constantly on the hunt for new spirits, flavours and tastes to explore from around the world, whether that’s handpicking whisky in Scotland. By focusing on creating small batches and limited editions, we want to explore different tastes and take full advantage of the opportunity to experiment, innovate, marry, blend, discover and learn.

“We believe there is a growing appetite for exceptional spirits among adventurous drinkers who are looking to taste something new and extraordinary. All our spirits are made using traditional methods such as small batch distillation, non-chill filtering and natural colour to focus entirely on taste and take people on a journey of discovery.”

Notes:

J.G. Thomson & Co

JG Thomson & Co is a new, adventurous blender, creating small batch blended malt whiskies, blended grain whiskies, rum and gin. Inspired by its namesake, which was originally a wine and spirits merchant in Leith in the 1700s, JG Thomson & Co showcases exceptional quality blended malt whisky and spirits that are a little out of the ordinary, appealing to drinkers keen to continue their journey in bold taste.

https://jgthomson.com/

The Artisanal Spirits Company

The Artisanal Spirits Company plc is the owner of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, the leading curator and provider of premium single cask Scotch malt whisky for sale primarily online to a discerning global membership. In June 2021, the company floated on the stock market with a valuation of £78 million.

https://www.artisanal-spirits.com/

The latest in the Causeway Collection from Bushmills

Bushmills 2000 Ruby Port Cask
The Causeway Collection – 2021 UK Exclusive

A whiskey that is standing on the shoulders of giants! Just a stone’s throw away from the world-famous Giant’s Causeway, the Bushmills team have released another sensational Irish single malt whiskey in the hugely popular Causeway Collection that celebrates the history and myth of this fascinating world heritage site. Classically triple distilled, it has spent its entire 20 year long slumber in first-fill ruby port casks, left free from chill filtration and at a cask strength of 54.1% abv. Very limited so get it in the basket!

£260.00
Buy Now

Our latest exclusive whisky has landed – an Australian single malt from Melbourne’s Starward distillery.

This rich and fruity whisky was aged for four years in a first-fill, 200-litre Apera (aka Australian ‘sherry’) cask and then bottled at full strength exclusively for The Whisky Exchange. Aromas of leather, freshly-chopped cedar, sultana crumble and baked apple leap out the glass, while the palate reveals flavours of apricot, honeycomb and vanilla ice cream. It’s all wrapped up by a rich and long finish with sweet hints of warming chilli.

The cask only yielded 250 bottles of this delicious whisky, so make sure you get one before they sell out.

SHOP NOW

Seasonal Release 2021

Limited Edition | 12 Year Old | 54.7% ABV | 70cl

Bringing together a series of unpeated distillations from 2009 and earlier, this seasonal spirit was matured in first fill Bourbon casks and American Oak hogsheads. After eleven years maturation it has then been finished for twelve months in first fill Oloroso hogsheads and heavily charred American Oak barrels before being married prior to bottling at cask strength.

NOSE
Toffee, apple, seaspray, vanilla

PALATE
Warm spice, nutty, floral, orange citrus, melted brown sugar

FINISH
Long nutty finish with pears and dried peel

£74.95

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A Singular Peated Scotch from a K&L Exclusive Cask
2014 Bunnahabhain Staoisha Heavily Peated 6 Year Old “Signatory K&L Exclusive” Dechar/Rechar Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($79.99)
“These young Staoisha malts are an absolute revelation … This stuff is just incredible]y well made and delicious.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

One of our most popular exclusive casks of last year was the utterly unique 4-year-old Bunnahabhain peated malt from our friends at Signatory. A winning combination of an incredible price, limited availability, and a singular profile thanks to the innovative ageing method made for a whisky that Scotch aficionados couldn’t get enough of. Now Signatory has come through once again, this time with a 6-year-old cask of the same outstanding juice that shows deeper complexity from the extra two years in the dechar/rechar hogshead (see below for more details on this barrel reconditioning method). Bunnahabhain crafts a renowned unpeated whisky, but they love to flex their prowess with peat through these impeccable Staoisha bottlings. Spirits buyer Andrew Whiteley says, “this 6-year-old malt is a big, intense peater … It’s pretty, sweet, and just smoky enough. It’s also a steal of a price.” This an unequivocal must-have for fans of cutting edge Scotch, and given how well its predecessor performed, we fully expect this cask to sell out in short order. Collectors and enthusiasts of all stripes will want to get on board while they can, especially if they missed its younger sibling the last time around.

2014 Bunnahabhain Staoisha Heavily Peated 6 Year Old “Signatory K&L Exclusive” Dechar/Rechar Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($79.99)

K&L Notes: Bunnahabhain sits on the northern shores of Islay and has made a famously unpeated Islay malt in that remote location since 1881. Beginning in the 1990s, Bunnah began to experiment with varying levels of peat and has sold peated Scotch under a number of different names since then. In the last five years or so, we’ve seen several casks on the independent market trading under the Staoisha name for Bunnahabhain’s heavily peated offering. These extraordinary casks taste absolutely fabulous when they are very young, and they are just getting better and better with more age. Now at six and a half years of age, this cask was matured in a dechar/rechar hogshead. This unique process involves scraping a cask to expose new oak and then recharring the wood to seal it and caramelize the sugars. These whiskies drink a bit like first-fill bourbon casks due to the fresh char, but the most robust tannins have already been removed from the cask’s first use. The result is a best-of-both-worlds scenario that marries with heavy peat just perfectly. Cask No 10568, 59.4% ABV.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 03, 2021

Yielding just 198 bottles, this cask is moving quickly, even before we write up the whisky. Previous Signatory bottles of Staoisha have won many fans who eagerly await the next chance to add to their collection. Much older than previous bottlings, but still in the youthful stage, this 6-year-old malt is a big intense peater. It doesn’t feel quite as smoky as the last cask, but more peaty, with the focus more on the wet, salty, earthy nose. The palate is massive, briny, and a little dank. The fruit is really spectacular, almost like a liquid version of a salted caramel candied apple. It’s pretty, sweet, and just smoky enough. It’s also a steal of a price. Don’t blink or it’ll be gone, and we likely won’t see another for at least a year.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 27, 2021

These young Staoisha malts are an absolute revelation. Not only are these big boy peaters out of the norm for Bunnah, but the dechar/re-char thing is a real treat. For those who remember, the last barrel was wildly delicious at four years old, and with an extra two years in cask, it’s achieved an insane level of complexity. Let’s have a taste. The color is deep gold. Pungent and wild with an incredible saline note balanced by sweet oaky depth and an almost chocolaty note. On the palate, it’s got incredible weight and a gorgeous, earthy, coastal character. Wild stone fruit, rich, sweet spice and a lengthy, ashy finish. This stuff is just incredibly well made and delicious.

A Secret Speyside 2007 Vintage | Berry Bros & Rudd – AW Exclusive

A stunning single cask release, bottled by Berry Bros & Rudd exclusively for Abbey Whisky. This rich Speysider spent 14 years maturing in a first fill sherry butt and gives masterclass in sherry wood maturation, it’s packed with wonderful rich flavours, perfect for the darker cold nights.

In our opinion you can’t go wrong with a Berry Brothers single cask, the quality speaks for itself and although we can’t disclose the distillery, the opportunity to bottle this cask was too good to pass by. Only 211 bottles were filled from cask #949 at natural cask strength, 61.5% vol.

3 BOTTLES PER CUSTOMER

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Single Malt 10 Year Old
The Wait Is Over  

Shelter Point’s second 10 Year Old Whisky Release!

Attention Shelter Point Community: As of right now, you can visit https://shelterpoint.ca/single-malt-whisky/ and purchase a bottle of our second ever official 10 Year Old Single Malt Whisky! Bottled at 46%, this whisky is for the Shelter Point whisky fans across Canada and around the globe.

10 Years is a long time. A lot has changed in the world since Shelter Point started production in 2011, but what hasn’t changed is our commitment to craft, quality, and doing things the best way we know how. For the second 10-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky, we decided to let the casks and the spirit do the talking, and present this limited-edition small batch for your enjoyment.

With a nose led by notes of creamy vanilla, apples and bananas, a palate that features a blend of assorted spice, caramel and just a hint of sea salt. Our 2nd 10-Year-Old Single Malt finishes with a wonderful balance of sweetness and fruitiness. A whisky designed to be shared and savored..

This much anticipated whisky is a limited run and is guaranteed to sell out extremely quickly, so be sure to order yours online before it’s too late!

*Please note that due to a shortage of staff and irregular hours due to our ongoing public closure, that curbside pickup orders cannot be fulfilled until Tuesday November 9th at the earliest. You may also experience some longer than usual delays in shipping times for this release, as demand will be high*

Single Malt 10  Year Old is available in a 750ml ($130) and can only be purchased online at https://shelterpoint.ca/single-malt-whisky/

For all the latest news and information visit our website at https://shelterpoint.ca/

Unnamed Islay 28 Year Old

A secret Laphroaig

This 1992 vintage is purportedly a Laphroaig and has a flavour profile to match. A vatting of bourbon barrels (#6772) bottled in April 2021 at a nice 52.5%. Only 252 individually numbered bottles for the Signatory Vintage Cask Strength label.  Islay 28 Year Old 1992 vintage single malt Scotch whisky from a mystery distillery. Matured in bourbon barrels cask vatting #6772 bottled April 2021 by Signatory Vintage for the Cask Strength Collection. 252 numbered bottles.

Islay 28 Year Old – £361 / €352* / $406/ c$506

MYSTERY MALT SINGLE MALT WHISKY

Mystery single malt that don’t want to reveal their true identity. Rummage around and with a bit of investigation you are sure to find a rare unspecified bottling from independent bottler.