International 27th Small Batch Release (August 2019)

This is the last bottling of the summer.
Well kind of – given Autumn really starts September 21st)

Before we start, let’s answer a typical question we get with every release! “Why some products have sold out before they get a chance to buy?”

This can happen as it will with the gold label bottles in this release. Especially Benrinnes 21yo we will only have 3 bottles available at best.

So why so few? It’s all down to how many bottles we get from a cask and in the case of the small-batch, it’s going to more than 9 shops, unlike the Authentic collection. Small Batch is a worldwide release so a lot more shops to divide the stock between.

We will be saying this time and time again in the future as much as we did in the past,
“Look beyond the label and age statement”, otherwise you can miss out on some incredible drams.

Be honest, how many of you will read this newsletter and see an age statement of say 8 years, and move on to the next ignoring the information about the cask! I know I do it even myself when the release sheets come in. I am like the rest of you – get excited about the older vintages or what gold label is coming in next? I then go back and read the notes, over and over again to make sure I have not missed anything.
Such as the amazing Paul John 6 small batch from last winter, or Benrinnes 23; that stunning small batch from a few months back.

Let’s not dwell on the things you can’t get, but rather on the things you can! First, let’s look back to Small Batch No 26, as it was the start of the summer releases with the most incredible selection of small-batch whiskeys.

The list below contains the ones we in at the London Shop think are the best examples of whisky you can get, especially if you are trying to put together a home bar or small tasting selection.
Far too many people get caught out trying to get the same style or older vintages because they see others do the same thing!

Variety is best especially if you want to avoid being so dedicated to one brand style or expression, just to realize that you need deeper and deeper pockets.

DAILUAINE 2004 14 Y/O 46% Pineapple with orange on the nose with butterscotch lemon and lime toasted almonds with a finish of mint and green tea – a truly enjoyable dram.

CAMBUS 1988 30 Y/O 46.1% Closed distillery. (yes we have another out today) One of the best examples of how good a vintage grain whisky can be with the most enjoyable palate of Rich soft Banana bread with raisin butter on the nose. The palate gives incredible hints of dark chocolate sauce with some ginger ice cream blueberries and summer fruits. The finish is superb with the perfect balance of honeycomb and praline, with sugar coated almonds, as this goes even smoother than we can list with any tasting note review.

Check out our web shop for more Small Batches you might have missed.
Now the Authentic Collection!

GLENTAUCHERS 2007 12 Y/O 59.3% Nose: Vanilla cream sponge, spearmint and a hint of rosemary. Taste: Very creamy but with satsuma notes, dried bananas, toffee sweets and strawberry yoghurt. Finish: Long and creamy with inter mingling fruits. This is one of the most enjoyable younger vintages we have had from this respected distillery.

FETTERCAIRN 11yo (2007) 57.6% Nose: Milk chocolate, sponge cake and lemon curd. Green olives and pecans. Taste: Spiced apple chutney, lemon meringue pie and hints of cranberries and greek yoghurt. Finish: Toasted pine-nuts, marshmallows and custard creams with a touch of eucalyptus.What a great dram this turned out to be and a worthy addition to the range of vintages we have released over the years from this distillery.

GLEN SPEY 17yo (2001) 54.5% Nose: Cinnamon buns, apple strudel and dried fruits with a hint of lemongrass and dandelions.Taste: Creamy and nutty, nougat, salted peanuts and the some mint notes and dry white wine. Finish: Lemony with hints of flint and basil.

DISTILLERY FOCUS
Glen Spey distillery founded as the Mill of Rothes distillery in 1878 by James Stuart & Co, who later in 1886 purchased the Macallan distillery. The distillery was sold around 1887 for the sum of £11,000 – ignoring the inflation, sounds less than a price of a modern car! Around 1920, the distillery has the obligatory fire that seems to have happened to so many distilleries. This malt is one of the main components of some of the world’s great blends, being one that any master blender should enjoy using when crafting a blend.

GLEN SPEY 2001 17 YEARS OLD 53.3% VOL – 70CL – SPEYSIDE
NOSE: Custard creams, hints of pork crackling, candy floss and traces of peanut butter.
PALATE: Coconut flakes, dried banana chips, hint of pickled ginger, watercress and milk chocolate with yoghurt covered raisins.
FINISH: Long and creamy with hints of wasabi and green tea.

AN IRISH DISTILLERY SINGLE MALT 10 YEARS OLD 47.4% – 70CL – Distilled in 2006
NOSE: Vanilla with pineapple, almonds, peaches and lemongrass.
PALATE: Creamy with tropical fruits, kiwi, papaya and passion fruit. Hints of mango and toffee sauce.
FINISH: For something so fresh the finish is big and syrupy with bags of fruit. Dangerously drinkable.

BALBLAIR 2011 8 YEARS OLD 57.8% VOL – 70CL – HIGHLAND
NOSE: Rich fruity nose, dried fruits with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.
PALATE: Thick and chewy, obvious sherry influence but still with some toffee in the background. Dark chocolate shavings with raspberries and dark cherries.
FINISH: Long dry sherry notes with some marzipan and maraschino cherries and gingerbread.
This was originally a Puncheon that was re-racked into two fresh sherry hogsheads in August 2017, before being vatted together for this bottling.

GLENROTHES 1996 22 YEARS OLD 50.1% VOL – 70CL – SPEYSIDE
NOSE: Eucalyptus, orange zest, peach skins and green olives.
PALATE: Lime zest, mango, lychee and apricots with golden syrup and butter popcorn.
FINISH: Big and fruity but lots of golden syrup and soft flinty notes.

KNOCKDHU 2010 9 YEARS OLD 56.2% VOL – 70CL – SPEYSIDE
NOSE: Gingerbread smothered in melting salted butter, apricot yogurt with pineapple fritters and banana bread.
PALATE: White chocolate buttons, lemon drizzle cake, and almond flakes. Soft lime zest and green apple skins.
FINISH: Spiced apples with runny honey and butterscotch sweets.

ORD 2006 13 YEARS OLD 53.3% VOL – 70CL – HIGHLAND BOURBON / MADEIRA WOOD
NOSE: Vibrant fruits, strawberries, raspberries, red-currants and banoffee pie.
PALATE: Mix of creamy vanilla along with sweet syrupy fruits. Marzipan, cola cubes and lemongrass.
FINISH: Mixed fruit yoghurt with whipped cream and pine nuts
This is a vatting of one bourbon Hogshead of 2006 Ord, married with another cask of 2006 Ord, that had been re-racked in a Madeira cask since 2017.

CAMBUS 1991 28 YEARS OLD 55.8% SINGLE CASK CLOSED DISTILLERY
NOSE: Honey, spice, marshmallows and crunch nut cornflakes. Creamy with a lemon balm note running through the middle
PALATE: Caramel wafers, honeycomb, satsumas and peaches in syrup.
FINISH: Long lingering honey, apple juice and star anise.

GLENBURGIE 1992 27 YEARS OLD 48.8% VOL – 70CL – SINGLE CASK
NOSE: Oily and herbal, fennel, fried sage and a hint of coriander – mix with olive oil, lemongrass, and chorizo.
PALATE: Some dry smoke mixed with ripe fruits, kiwi, mango, peaches, and dried apricots.
FINISH: Long lingering syrupy fruits with a hint of dry smoke.

BOWMORE 2002 17 YEARS OLD 53.6% VOL – 70CL – ISLAY SINGLE CASK
NOSE: Really creamy and oily, with paraffin smoke, lime pickle, and petrol lawnmowers.
PALATE: Dry smoke gives way to initially sour apples then becomes creamier with gooseberries and licorice.
FINISH: Oily smoke and fruit – a classic.

BENRINNES 1997 21 YEARS OLD 58.7% VOL – 70CL SPEYSIDE SINGLE CASK
NOSE: White crab meat, black olives, overripe fruits and pork pies.
PALATE: Olive oil, cream cheese, pineapple, a hint of paprika.
FINISH: Long and chewy a little dusty, some popping candy and orange bitters.

CREATIONS 1987 31 YEARS OLD 50.1%VOL – 70CL – BLENDED MALT
NOSE: Juicy fruits, faint warming spices and apricot jam.
PALATE: Proper old school mouth feel, chewy and fruity with passion fruit, guava and blood orange.
FINISH: More chewy fruit with soft spice that fades away – a dram to savour. A blended malt bottled from a single cask that was married together in 2004.

That’s it for now! We might be in touch again soon, as we head into the new whisky season of 2019/20 – oh and we might be in touch with some other exciting news as well !! For those who like a surprise or 2 keep checking the web shop around September 14th you never know what will arrive.

All the best Cadenhead’s London

Cadenheads Whisky Shop & Tasting Room
26 Chiltern Street, London, W1U 7QF

New To Loch Fyne Whiskies 

Macallan Estate (2019)

70cl / 43% abv
Limited to 1 per customer
£300.00Buy Now

From £56.99 to only £48.00

We’re clearing some space for exciting new releases, but here’s an opportunity to get one of our fantastic exclusives at a bargain price of only £48.

Order Now

Bowmore® Unveils 36-Year-Old Dragon Edition, The First Release In A New Chinese Exclusive Series

PRELUDE: COURAGE & CONVICTION RELEASE
Sunday, September 1st 12pm-6pm
Virginia Distillery Company | Lovingston, Virginia

“Have the courage of your convictions” was the guiding principle of our founder, Dr. George G. Moore. That same passion and dedication has led us to pioneer a new, world-class American Single Malt: Courage & Conviction.

Be the first to experience an early look into this new line with the release of
Prelude: Courage & Conviction on Sunday, September 1st at our Visitors Center in Lovingston, Virginia.  Learn more about the release event HERE.

This whisky will also be available at select Virginia ABC stores during the month of September and in other markets across the U.S. in October.  Can’t make it to the release party?  You can pre-order your bottle now for delivery in October!

Pre-Order Prelude: Courage & Conviction

September is just around the corner, marking the start of a week of festivities at our spiritual home for The Gathering at The Vaults. But until then, let’s enjoy a celebration of flavour, with five tantalising new preview bottles being released today from next month’s Outturn.

Showcasing a range of profiles, and packed full of diverse flavours, a limited number of preview bottles are available ahead of the full release on Friday, 6 September at 9am. Get them now before they’re gone.

ALL BOTTLES      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

Must-Have Single Malts from the Best Distillery You Don’t Know
“There are few more interesting and important whiskies on the shelf than the wonderful Glengyle Distillery malts.”—David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

Among the best-kept secrets in single malt Scotch, the Kilkerran Campbeltown whiskies from Glengyle distillery are produced in minuscule quantities. Indeed, we’re talking some of the smallest production in all of Scotland, producing only a few months a year. Glengyle also holds the distinction of being one of only two Scottish distilleries to employ the highly traditional, inefficient hand-malting process. The other is Glengyle’s sister distillery, the widely renowned and revered Springbank. In fact, it is Sprinkbank’s team that crafts this exceptional dram.

Despite only being established in 2004, Campbeltown’s first new distillery in some 125 years has thrilled the small cadre of aficionados who have had the good fortune to find these insiders’ gems. With their devotion to Campbeltown tradition, Glengyle makes the Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch No. 1 in a purposeful, old-school profile meant to serve as a window into the history of the region and the expression of a long lost style that’s now basically unheard of in the Highlands. Not to be overlooked, the 8-year and 12-year bottlings are some of the most compelling in their price ranges and offer a spectacular show of stylistic diversity from one distillery, a result of the intense labor that goes into Glengyle’s methods. At pricing that beats the current market rates by a comfortable margin, these incredible whiskies are must-haves for any devotée of pure single malt character.

Kilkerran (Glengyle) 12 Year Old Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($64.99)

Whisky Advocate: “After six Work in Progress releases, Kilkerran from Glengyle Distillery has finally come of age with this core expression. It comprises 70% whisky from first-fill bourbon casks and 30% from sherry casks. Floral on the nose, with honey and a hint of brine, then peaty fruit notes develop. The palate is confident and oily, slightly earthy, with tinned peaches, black pepper, cinnamon, smoke, and a suggestion of medicine chests. The finish is relatively long, with pepper, licorice, and drying oak. (GS, Winter 2016)”

K&L Notes: When the doors opened at the Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery in March of 2004, it became the first new distillery to open in Campbeltown in more than 125 years. Campbeltown, once the center of whisky production for Scotland, had been hit hard over the last century and had dwindled down to two distilleries—Springbank and Glen Scotia. When the SWA threatened to take away the Campbeltown appellation, Springbank was told a region needed at least three distilleries to consider itself a specific locale. The decision was then made to reopen the long-dormant Glengyle distillery located immediately next door to Springbank. Kilkerran is the name that was chosen for the single malt produced at Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery because the name Glengyle is already used for a blended Highland malt and they wished to avoid any possible confusion between the newest single malt to come from the Campbeltown region and a pre-existing blended Highland malt. The flavor of the Kilkerran is a little bit of everything, offering something of a renaissance style that can be described as classically Highland. Very few malts offer so much complexity while remaining absolutely approachable. The quality of this malt is not to be undersold, it truly represents an authentic expression of the old way to make Scotch and delivers more enjoyment than just about any other whisky for your dollar in the shop. A mixture of 70% ex-bourbon barrels and 30% first and second fill sherry butts. A benchmark malt.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 08, 2019

There are few more interesting and important whiskies on the shelf than the wonderful Glengyle Distillery malts. The Kilkerran brand has such an interesting story, basically Springbank’s big middle finger to the SWA for trying to screw them out of a regional designation, but what’s even more interesting than the origin story are the incredible malts themselves. Many of our customers know and love the idiosyncratic malts distilled just down the road at Springbank. The 12 year old Kilkerran is the perfect example of how a slight difference in the process can significantly affect the flavor, texture and character of a whisky. This is essentially a slightly less peated version of the same malt that goes into the classic Springbank. It sees a more modern mashing process and a similar, if slightly cleaner, fermentation in traditional Larch vats. The wash is then distilled on the old Ben Wyvis stills, modified slightly to fit in the stone walls of Glengyle and produce the character of whisky that Mitchell was looking for. Tilted slightly up, the spirit produced here has some oiliness but also a purity that is that isn’t as obvious at Springbank. This is in many ways my perfect malt whisky. The nose billows out of the glass with sweet citrus, mineral/petrol, powerful herbs and deep clean smokiness. On the palate, it’s obviously peated, but not acrid and so wonderfully old school. Chewy texture, lemon balm, lanolin, chalk mineral, salted stone fruit and ocean spray. Tangy, structured, long, salty and satisfying as it finishes- there’s nothing quite like this out on the market this today.

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 28, 2016

This single malt is very easy to drink and enjoy. It is creamy, rich and soft with an interesting complexity. It also has a lively and fresh nuance to it that helps make it an exciting addition to our single malt selection.Very good.

Kilkerran (Glengyle) “Heavily Peated” Batch No. 1 Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($69.99)

The wonderful Kilkerran distillery is one of Scotland’s smallest in terms of production. Like the other J&A Mitchell distillery, Springbank, the malts made the Glengyle distillery are 100% handmalted primarily from local barley and always 100% Scottish barley, making them the only 100% hand malted distilleries in Scotland. The stills were acquired by Glengyle from the old Ben Wyvis distillery, which operated only from 1965 to 1977 and while the hand malting is the hallmark of all the J&A Mitchell’s products, the Kilkerran malts have a distinct character compared to its cousin down the road. This is the first heavily peated (upwards of 45ppm) offering from the small distillery. These small releases are always undervalued when they’re released and coveted once they’re sold out. There isn’t a lot of fanfare around these products because there’s absolutely no marketing budget here, but the real connoisseurs who understand the difference between modern “Scotch” and truly authentic single malt always jump on the special Kilkerran batches. Batch No. 1 of the Heavily Peated series is aged in a mix of 55% ex-bourbon and 45% ex-sherry. Bottled at a heady 118.6 proof, this special whisky is like a window into another time. Heavily peated Highlanders are rare and the only other handmalted one is the Longrow mark made down the road. An absolutely exquisite expression of a long lost style that exemplifies what young Campeltown malt might have been like 100 years ago.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 08, 2019

There are few more satisfying malts than the Kilkerran lineup, and the new Heavily Peated is no exception. This guy is peated up to the level of a Longrow, but trucked down the road to the new old stone distillery. Biggest difference here between Longrow and Kilkerran HP are the mash, fermentation times, still shape, and condensers. Despite the high peat level there’s a restraint that isn’t found in the Longrow products. Perhaps it’s the slightly upturned lyne arms or the quicker fermentation, but the peat is hidden slightly behind a kind of salty earthiness. For the nose, expect subtle salted nuts, kippers, old leather armchair, lightly roasted coffee bean, camphor, and quince. The palate is decidedly more peaty, but this stuff doesn’t start to really speak until you’ve doused it a bit. Now a bit more peat and more camphor, pithy lemon peel, purity, and tension. A feeling of being in a harbor with tugs and fish boats coming and going, the ocean roaring outside the break, the Mull of Kintyre in the distance. On the palate, unctuous and oily, but linear and focused. Big sooty smoke, salted fish, exotic herbs, wild fruit, menthol – analgesic, numbing, and delicious. A fabulous ancient style of whisky that has almost no correlate in the modern whisky world.

Diana Turk | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 13, 2019

This is a Scotch that will put hair on your chest yet still manages to feel balanced. Although I’m not a superfan of peated whisky, I do count Kilkerran among my favorite distilleries, so I was excited to try our new “Heavily Peated” Batch No. 1 Campbeltown Single Malt. I may have initially let out a cough that made me feel like a cartoon dragon and I could have sworn a ring of smoke came out. But with water, this beast is easily tamed. There is an evocative salinity up front, followed by notes of coffee and caramel, tempered by insistent peat. The palate stays earthy and focused, with an extra herbal hit on the finish. This release will satisfy peatheads without overwhelming the senses, although it does conjure up a sense of place more than any other Scotch I’ve tried in recent memory. Plus, Kilkerran is making Scotch the old school way, so you’re essentially drinking history. Well worth the price.

Jackson Lee | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 11, 2019

Sweet, oaky, and peaty, this expression has it all. Salted caramel apple, chocolate truffle, pencil shavings, and preserved kumquats waft from the glass and enthrall your olfactory senses. A literal, mmm escaped my vocal chords when I first put this to my lips; it was like drinking a sexy bbq. Light, exotic wisp of smoke entangles with soft layers of caramel chews and bbq potato chips without the cloying sweetness some can have. A mild sweet mint comes in towards the finish and just leaves you with a warm, pleasant tingling that keeps me coming back.

Kilkerran (Glengyle) 8 Year Old Cask Strength Bourbon Cask Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($79.99)

The powerful and complex cask strength offering from the excellent Glengyle distillery is one of the most multifaceted and authentic malts on the shelf. Aged exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels for 8 years, this wonderful Kilkerran exemplifies the wild diversity this tiny distillery can offer. The reason every other distiller in Scotland doesn’t make whisky this way is efficiency, but also consistency. Each small batch of Kilkerran can have a very distinct style and that’s why we love them. This naked expression of a truly authentic single malt offers even the most developed palate something exciting. It loves water but doesn’t need a ton to find its best balance.

Arran 20 Year Old Highland Laird

Free UK Shipping

This bottling of Arran by Highland Laird is one of the shop’s favourite sherry matured Island whiskies. A favourite of Milroys owner Simo for its ‘big sherried profile’, we were fortunate to find the last remaining bottles to share with you, our favourite whisky collectors and drinkers.

£129.95

Stocks are limited.

Introducing Brora 40-year-old: 200th anniversary limited edition