Bimber Klub: a whisky experience that lasts a lifetime

London’s award-winning Bimber Distillery today announced the opening of ‘Bimber Klub’, a new membership option that provides a lifetime of whisky experiences for the growing number of Bimber enthusiasts.

A one-off £40 membership grants Klub members a variety of benefits, including:

 A welcome pack containing branded glasses and single malt miniatures
 Access to limited edition Klub-only releases
 Exclusive Klub member events
 A free annual distillery tour and tasting
 Ability to join tasting panels to select future releases
 A quarterly newsletter which includes advance notice of all official Bimber releases
 10% discount on all online purchases

Speaking of the launch, distillery spokesperson Matt McKay said: “We’re incredibly grateful for the depth and breadth of support that the whisky community has shown us.

Following the sale of the final space of our Founder’s Club in January, we knew we wanted to continue to offer enthusiasts unforgettable, behind-the-scenes access to our distillery. We’ve created Bimber Klub to provide a lifetime of experiences for those who share our passion for craft single malt whisky.

Klub members will have exclusive access to a range of new Bimber whiskies. As well as continuing to develop and release our stock of exceptional single casks we’re also looking at laying down a small number of unique casks – from fortified wines to ex-beer casks. As we continue to assess the versatility of our spirit, it’s our Klub members who will be the first to join us and explore these unique expressions.”

Notes

Bimber Klub
Membership of Bimber Klub will be open from 13th May 2020 and costs a one-off £40 joining fee. Full details of the package can be found HERE We will be dispatching Bimber Klub membership packs as soon as international supply chains improve and it is judged safe for our staff to return to work.

About Bimber
Bimber Distillery produces world-class single malt whisky, handcrafted with passion in West London. As a leading distiller of English whisky, we combine generations of rich distilling heritage, with the finest quality ingredients to create the ultimate craft whisky experience.

Highland Whisky Festival

£55.00

A Balanced and Beautiful Rye from a Heralded Kentucky Estate
Willett Family Estate 4 Year Old Cask Strength Kentucky Rye Whiskey (750ml) ($59.99)

NOTE: In accordance with local directives, our walk-in retail locations are currently closed. We have low cost and free delivery options available in ZIP codes where we can ship lawfully, including anywhere in California. We can also include any new or existing will call orders in your delivery batch. Choose local delivery at checkout to learn if you qualify.

Willett is one of the biggest names in American craft whiskey. Bottlings from this Kentucky estate always disappear in a flash and are coveted by collectors the world over. So it was only natural that when we were offered a 4-year cask strength expression from this prized distiller, we secured as much as we could. If you love a classic, well-balanced rye, then this is the bottle for you. The juice is distilled by Willett’s property just outside of Bardstown, so you know that quality will be second to none. As with all things Willett, it has all the drive and power you’ve come to expect while never sacrificing subtlety and nuance. At $60, this is a steal for a rye of this caliber making it an excellent candidate to add to your regular repertoire. Given the limited availability of this bottling, we don’t expect it to be around long. This is not an offer to sleep on.

Willett Family Estate 4 Year Old Cask Strength Kentucky Rye Whiskey (750ml) ($59.99)

The flagship, own-distilled rye from Willett Family is handcrafted by our good friends outside of Bardstown. The batches are tiny and have become extremely limited releases. Each batch is bottled at cask strength without chill filtration. Here are tasting notes from Bill Thomas of the Jack Rose Dining Saloon from a recent batch: “The barrels that went into this small batch combined to make an amazing drinker. Nose: Beautiful layering of brandied cherry over a mildly tart cherry. It opens up with time and is reminiscent of cutting into your dessert with your fork which releases cinnamon and baking spices with just a hint of oak to remind you that this is high proof youthful. Palate: A robust rye with dark cherry, burnt vanilla, and spices for days. It’s a delicious rye with a weighty mouthfeel. Balance: It’s insanely well balanced with the alcohol so perfectly integrated at 115 proof you’ll forget it’s there, but you’ll find yourself smiling more and happier with each dram. Finish: the finish is long and the spices dominate this batch, while the cherry does punch its way through to the surface.” Batches are not numbered and are distinguished only by their proof. For that reason we are unable to provide details on the batch proof or number in advance.

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY RELEASES

COLONEL E.H. TAYLOR, JR.  18 YEAR OLD MARRIAGE 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (May 5, 2020) – Buffalo Trace Distillery continues its homage to former Distillery owner Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. with a special release 18 year old bourbon whiskey which is a marriage of three mashbills, two rye bourbon mashbills and one wheated bourbon mashbill.

This 100 proof Bottled-In-Bond small batch bourbon was put into barrels in 2002. Barrels chosen for this special batch release matured using one of three Buffalo Trace mashbill recipes; wheated bourbon, rye bourbon #1 and rye bourbon #2. The whiskey from these 18-year-old barrels was married together to make this limited edition offering.

Tasting notes describe this bourbon as having a nose of vanilla butter cake, a taste of caramel and cinnamon, and a finish of toasted oak, cinnamon, and a hint of spearmint.

The Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. collection was first released in early 2011 and several subsequent releases such as Single Barrel, Barrel Proof, Straight Rye Whiskey, and Small Batch Bourbon have followed.  A previous limited release, E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon, was named World Whiskey of the Year by renown whiskey reviewer Jim Murray in 2018.

Like some of the previous releases, this one-time-only bottling of E. H. Taylor, Jr 18 Year Old Marriage is very limited.   Also consistent with past releases, this bottle displays a vintage label and is offered inside a distinct canister reminiscent of Taylor’s whiskey package from over one hundred years ago. These six bottle cases will be shipped in an impressive wooden box first used for the Cured Oak release in 2015.  The boxes are modeled after the wooden crates used by Taylor to transport goods during the days before Prohibition.

            Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr.  is widely considered one of the founding fathers of the bourbon industry, fighting for the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, nearly three decades after he purchased the distillery that is known today as the Buffalo Trace Distillery. During his time, Taylor implemented several innovative methods still used today by Buffalo Trace, such as climate controlled aging warehouses. In addition to his bourbon interests, Taylor had political ties. He was the great-nephew of President Zachary Taylor and elected the mayor of Frankfort, state representative to the Kentucky General Assembly and a member of the State Senate.

            This special bottling of Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. 18 Year Old Marriage Bourbon Whiskey will be available starting in June in limited supply.  The suggested retail price is $69.99 per 750 ml bottle.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 35 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon was named World Whiskey of the Year by “Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2018” and its William Larue Weller and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac were named 2^nd and 3^rd finest whiskeys in the world, respectively, in the “Jim Murray Whiskey Bible 2020.”  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 1,000 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.

Please discover our unique Mini bar and Reserve, made out of US army wooden ammunition boxes from the 70s. Whisky lovers love them! They are real conversation pieces. Our collection is called BOITES DE LA PAIX, Peace Boxes! 

1 minute video: https://.vimeo.com/263663215 

website: www.boitesdelapaix.com

Here’s the Mini Bar in Antique color:

In Red :

The hinges, clasp and rope handles are original. We make sure we keep an original stamp at the back for history.

Part of two Museums collections, Boîtes de la paix were launched at the Toronto Interior Design show and exhibited in galeries in Canada, in USA and in Germany.

Here’s the triptyque: A Mini Bar + 2 Reserves 

The Reserve is a liquor cabinet made with a very rare bigger size ammunition box. It’s offered in a very limited edition numbered out of 75.

Here’s the triptyque in Antique color :

Also very neat as a pair :

REmade in Montreal

Cheers!

Anne Lapierre & Bruno Chouinard

co-creators

BOITES DE LA PAIX

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

514-638-2833

www.boitesdelapaix.com

instagram.com/boitesdelapaix

Scotch Malt Whisky Society Membership Packs 

A Matter of Taste

The latest evolution of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society Membership pack marks the 5th iteration of the pack’s design and development in partnership with IPL Packaging over its several years of affiliation with the world’s leading whisky club.

“We’re understandably proud to have, once again, designed and developed a structural packaging solution for the SMWS Tasting Pack, creating a robust MDF box containing rigid board drawers, to which we applied the client’s branding,” comments LB Odendaal, Head of Design at IPL.

“As with previous configurations of the pack, we looked to combine innovation, functional minimalism and design to help heighten the user experience,” says Odendaal. “Designing a complete unveiling process that begins with mapping out the layers of engagement; including first contact, reveal, product extraction and post extraction, resulting in a memorable and tactile interface which enhances the final product and delivers a memorable user experience.”

The outer pack is wrapped in soft-touch paper and features gold foil and spot-varnished brand details to provide a luxurious, contrasting look. A PU leather carry-handle at top of the pack allows for ease of transport.

The box inner features suede lining on the main body, flocked EVA product fitments and silk ribbon pull-tabs.

In the first drawer sits a paper-wrapped product card with detailed brand information and a membership booklet that conceals three 10cl whisky taster bottles located in flocked EVA fitments

The second drawer of the pack contains flocked EVA fitments designed to hold two tasting glasses and a water jug.

 “IPL Packaging has a unique perspective and a proven process for generating fresh design concepts in luxury packaging. The innovation behind these concepts is often based on longstanding relationships developed over many years of being trusted creative and manufacturing partners to our clients and developing a deeper understanding of their brands,” says Odendaal.

IPL PACKAGING A MATTER OF TASTE

Peat Fans Take Notice—A 20-Year, Age-Stated Stunner for a Song
1997 Ledaig 20 Year Old “Munros” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Unchillfiltered Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky 

NOTE: In accordance with local directives, our walk-in retail locations are currently closed. We have low cost and free delivery options available in ZIP codes where we can ship lawfully, including anywhere in California. We can also include any new or existing will call orders in your delivery batch. Choose local delivery at checkout to learn if you qualify.

The latest stellar find from our K&L Exclusive Cask program is one that no aficionado of peat should pass on. Ledaig is a hidden gem for that classic peated malt profile, and over the years we’ve made plenty of Ardbeg and Laphroaig devotees very happy by turning them on to this largely unsung label distilled at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. We scored three numbered barrels of the very rare 1997 Ledaig 20 Year Old, bottled under the Glasgow Whisky Company’s Munros brand, from one of our trusty suppliers at an unbelievable price, which makes this one of the can’t-miss whisky offers of the year (so far). While an abundance of smoky, charred overtones and cask-strength weight define this Islay malt, there’s also a remarkably broad-ranging complexity capped by the signature Ledaig hallmark of a briny, salty piquancy that lends a singular stylistic flair to what is otherwise a tried-and-true smoke bomb. This 20-year peat monster offers all the stunning character one could expect from a whisky with this much age, but it won’t set you back nearly as much as comparable bottlings from the larger production brands. Fans and collectors of heavily peated Scotch whisky owe it to themselves to get their hands on this once-in-a-blue-moon expression, because when it’s gone it’s unlikely we’ll see it again, and certainly not for less than triple digits..

1997 Ledaig 20 Year Old “Munros” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Unchillfiltered Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($99.99)

The Munros are Scotland’s tallest peaks, all over 3000 feet, named for Sir Hugh Munro, who first compiled a list of Scotland’s 282 tallest individual mountain peaks. Becoming somewhat of an obsession for the UK’s mountaineering crowd, the Munros in Scottish culture represent the spirit of adventure and comradery that mountain climbing embodies. This tiny brand of high-quality single malts is bottled by the Glasgow Whiskey Company. Their US importer sadly passed away a few years ago and the stocks languished in a warehouse on the East Coast until one of our trusted suppliers came across them. This excellent cask strength offering is a vatting of three sequentially numbered American oak ex-bourbon hogheads filled at the Tobermory distillery on May Day 1997. Ledaig is the heavily peated spirit that comes out of the wonderful distillery on the Isle of Mull. The idiosyncratic style has won fans across the malt drinking world, but the relative rarity of this small production malt has pushed up prices recently. We are very lucky to have found these barrels at pre-tariff 2016 prices and bought every single bottle we could find.

Will Blakely | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 20, 2020

Fans of proper peat rejoice! All the rich, mossy earth and iodine and charcoal briquette you know and love are here in an impossibly well-priced package. While the malt is definitely the star of the show, boasting a golden char that brings sultana and citrus peel up from the peaty depths, that smoke is no joke. Dark chocolate full of chunky sea salt, seaweed and green leaves, barbecue pork and charred bananas all make an appearance, along with a cameo from something burning in the distance. It is difficult to find words to capture the fullness of flavor, but I have come to recognize Ledaig for its signature umami character. Few whiskies come close to that complete, slightly salty but entirely satisying feeling. And after recently closing temporarily to upgrade the equipment, the distillery will probably see a price increase for its coveted malt. Pick this one up while you can.

Keith Mabry | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 05, 2020

Deliciously sweet smoky peat flavors are rounded out with notes of incense and dried fruit. This rich and detailed version is a must for fans of Ardbeg’s more elite bottlings.

Dalwhinnie
Distiller’s Edition
2004 Vintage · 15 Year Old · 70cl · 43% ABV

£66.95

ADD TO BASKET

Diageo’s Distiller’s Editions have developed a strong reputation for excellence since their initial release. This 15 year old expression from Dalwhinnie is no exception, a light crisp and easy single malt with strong notes of nut, fruit and sweetness.

The current 2004 vintage of the Distiller’s Edition Dalwhinnie has been given an extra maturation period in ex-Oloroso Sherry casks, imparting extra spice, fruit, and sweetness to this delicate highland single malt.

NOTE: In accordance with local directives, our walk-in retail locations are currently closed. We have delivery options, typically low cost or free, available in ZIP codes where we can ship lawfully, including anywhere in California. We can also include any new or existing will call orders in your delivery batch. Choose local delivery at checkout to learn if you qualify.

For our spirits collectors, we’ve got everything from collector packs, a rare release of Doc Swinson’s, a 38-year-old blended malt from Speymhor, and an exclusive sherried whisky from Couvreur, to name but a few! There’s really never been a better time to buy spirits, and so many of the deals were are seeing are the best ever. No matter which direction you turn, there’s another fantastic dram to add to your collection.

Classic Malts “Strong Collection” (Lagavulin 16 Year Old, Talisker 10 Year Old, Cragganmore 12 Year Old) Single Malt Gift Pack 3-Pack x 200ml (Previously $80) $39.99 View

Michel Couvreur 12 Year Overaged Malt Whisky (750ml) $69.99 View

Ledaig 20 Year Old “Munros” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Unchillfiltered Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $99.99 View

Michel Couvreur Candid Scotch Whisky (750ml) $99.99 View

Doc Swinson’s 15 Year Old “Rare Release” K&L Exclusive Exploratory Cask Series Nonchillfiltered Small Batch Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $154.99 View

Speymhor 38 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $179.99 View

Michel Couvreur “Blossoming Auld Sherried” K&L Exclusive Malt Whisky (750ml) $279.99 View

The Balvenie

presents

The Stories #6

This is the story of how David Stewart made the perfect match between heather and barley.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Lively and vibrant, this Balvenie has notes of fig and geranium oil perfectly balanced with fresh herbal undertones reminiscent of green woodland.
Taste: Flavours of honey, cloves and caramelised baked dates are layered on top of delicate citrus and spice. The sweetness reveals an underlying oaky dryness.
Finish: Lingering, oaky, dried blossom.

AVAILABLE HERE NOW