It’s that time of year when something special is in the air, whisky season is on the horizon making us feel magical. Enjoy a preview selection of casks from November’s First Friday Outturn, guaranteed to melt hearts and leave a warm fuzzy feeling.

A limited number of preview bottles are available ahead of the full release on Friday, 1 November at 9am. Click over to our website now before these preview releases disappear.

NEW BOTTLES ONLINE AT 2PM (GMT)

PREVIEWS

ALL BOTTLES

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

Cask Trade launches creating an honest marketplace to trade whisky by the cask

This month saw the launch of Cask Trade – the first real and trustworthy marketplace for trading single malt whisky casks.

Whisky experts, bottlers, collectors and journalists came together for the launch of Cask Trade at 67 Pall Mall, London, on Monday 7^th October.

Guests heard a presentation on whisky investment by the owner, Simon Aron, before a tasting of six cask strength whiskies. All of the tasted whiskies were in casks owned by Cask Trade including Glenlivet 1978 and Aberlour 1989. The tasting was given by Keeper of the Quaich Sir Colin Hampden-White and the world’s leading authority on whisky Charlie MacLean.

Serial entrepreneur and angel investor Simon Aron’s aim is to build an open and honest marketplace for whisky collectors, investors and whisky bottlers, to trade. Cask Trade is unique in that it only deals in casks of single malt whisky it owns. It is not a whisky cask broker and it does not sell shares in whisky funds or offer fractional sales.

In his presentation, Simon shared example figures on a mixed portfolio investment of £100,000. A total of 14 whisky casks purchased for £100,000 would appreciate at an average increase of 13-18% a year (over 4-6 years), generating a gross return of more than £214,000, an increase of 114%.

He also revealed future plans for the business that are revolutionary and innovative. 

At the tasting this week, Charlie MacLean welcomed the launch of Cask Trade and the stringent checks and processes the business has in place. “It’s terribly important to evaluate by nosing and tasting the whiskies that you are selling. It’s so important not to sell a pup. I’ve come across companies and individual casks that have really been below par,” says Charlie who added age is not a guarantee of quality.

To view a live stock list, register an account today at casktrade.com.

“All casks are owned by Cask Trade and whiskies are listed at a uniform price. – You won’t find casks being brokered here and are no different trade and retail prices either. We regularly check our casks, provide samples and arrange re-gauges. On our new live auction site, which is a world’s first, there is also a 0% sellers fee at auction. We can even arrange movement, bottling and shipment,” says Simon, who explains provenance and quality are ensured by the stringent application process.

Cask Trade has started the first live auction website dedicated to exceptional whisky casks: auctionyourcask.com.

Hosted four times a year, the auction helps private owners and investors sell their casks to independent bottlers and other investors all around the world. All casks will be re-gauged ready for auction and a full 70cl sample will be drawn so that bidders have the opportunity to try the whisky before they buy – wherever possible. Cask Trade validate all the sellers confirming proof of ownership and the history of the cask enabling bidders to safely buy. With complete transparency and 0% sellers’ fee Cask Trade can offer customers the actual hammer price. Their low buyers’ fee of 15% + VAT will offer the opportunity to buyers, trade or private, to buy fine and rare casks.

The first auction will take place on 20^th November 2019.

Picture Caption: Sir Colin Hampden-White, Charles MacLean and Simon Aron

A link to images from Monday’s event can be found here: https://we.tl/t-2RTEs4uP5z

NOTES 

Founded in 2018 by Simon Aron in partnership with several of the world’s foremost whisky masters, including Keeper of the Quaich Sir Colin Hampden-White, Cask Trade buys and sells exceptional casks of whiskies. The company is unique because it only sells casks it owns outright, and it only sells whole casks: it is not a whisky cask broker and it does not offer fractional sales.

A passionate whisky collector for more than 20 years, Simon Aron suffered many false promises from cask whisky investment companies and this drove his ambition to create a real and trustworthy market place for whisky collectors and investors, and bottlers:

The company’s casks are held in HMRC bonded warehouses, regularly visited and approved by Cask Trade’s experience staff. All stock holdings have a complete paper trail:

• Delivery orders from supplier to Cask Trade
• Invoices for transfer of ownership, storage insurance, re-gauging, sampling or movement
• HMRC-issued WOWGR (warehouse keepers, warehouse premises, owner of goods and registered consigners): a fully regulated and closely monitored license requiring due diligence on suppliers as well as customers.

Included in its extensive list of customer services, Cask Trade’s rigorous processes means that the company will buy back from its clients the casks they have bought from and had managed by Cask Trade. It also offers:

• Regular sampling and re-gauging of casks
• Re-racking (sherry, wine, port, etc.)
• Estimates of bottles and strength in cask (effects of angels’ share over years of maturations)
• Financial modelling for each cask based on age and rarity with estimated % returns
• Costings for bottling, labelling and shipping (duty & tax)
• Regularly updated whisky investment guide which includes statistics from two authoritative third parties (independent of Cask Trade)
• Cask Trade will arrange for clients to receive samples of their whiskies and visit their barrel(s), upon request – where available.

Hosted four times a year and helping private owners/investors sell their cask to independent bottlers and other investors all around the world. All casks will be re-gauged ready for auction and a full 70cl sample will be drawn so that bidders have the opportunity to try the whisky before they buy. – Wherever possible. We validate all the sellers and confirm proof of ownership and the history of the cask enabling bidders to safely buy. With complete transparency and no sellers’ fee we can offer you the actual hammer price. Our low buyers’ fee of 15% + VAT will offer the opportunity to buyers, trade or private, to buy rare casks.

https://www.casktrade.com/

https://www.auctionyourcask.com/ 

Simon Aron

Simon Aron is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor. He has a background in technology, commercial property and agriculture. Aged 23, in 1990 he founded his first business, Eurodata Systems plc. He grew the business to 180 employees with a turnover of $50 million in just over 20 years. During that time Eurodata won 22 business awards and Simon was Plimsoll Publishing Entrepreneur of the Year in 2002 (https://www.plimsoll.co.uk/).

Simon is currently the Vice President of Agrovision (https://agrovisioncorp.com/) which includes a 24,000-hectare farm in Peru and is the one of the world’s largest supplier of blueberries. The company operates with special care for the natural conservation of the land and environment, and it strives to make a positive impact on its local communities through employment opportunities and training, health care, educational and recreational programs, infrastructure projects, and other charitable programs.

Amongst his extensive charity work, Simon is also a trustee of Ort UK (https://ortuk.org/), which is part of a global network that empowers young people through life-changing science and technology education and vocational training. “Having spent time with hundreds of IT Directors, working on their technology strategies, I believe that I can apply my knowledge to the next generation and even re-educate people on how to use IT to better enhance their lives and careers. Education in certain parts of the world is the only path to follow to counteract a vicious circle with no way out. ORT UK gives me the opportunity to make a difference; it’s a fantastic charity with a long heritage in education since 1880.”

Sir Colin Hampden-White

Sir Colin is Keeper of the Quaich and sits on the judging panel at the World Whisky Awards and International Wine & Spirits (IWSC) competition. He also presents on The Three Drinkers global TV show on Amazon Prime and is Chairman of the Circle of Wine Writers.

Colin has taken an unconventional route into the world of whisky. A trained quantity surveyor, in 2001 Colin decided to follow one of his passions and he moved into the world of media as a professional photographer. After several years at the Scotsman, he moved to London to work with The Times and The FT. There he was able to combine photography with wider journalism and became a freelance writer as well. His focus was fine wine and whisky for Condé Nast and LUX magazine. In 2012 he won the Louis Roederer Award for Artistry in wine.

Whisky Price Growth

Whisky, according to the recent Knight Frank Wealth Report, is 2019’s top performing luxury investment. With an increase of 40% on rare bottle values in the last 12 months, it far outstripped the more established alternative assets such as art, wine and cars.

From page 78 – https://content.knightfrank.com/resources/knightfrank.com/wealthreport/2019/the-wealth-report-2019.pdf

Data collected by Rare Whisky 101 suggests the four-year growth from December 2014 in rare whisky has increased over 160%, compared to just 2.47% for the FTSE 100. https://www.rarewhisky101.com/indices

The same report by Rare Whisky 101 claimed via the BBC that they had performed a controlled test of 55 rare bottles, of which over a third were fakes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-46566703

Proud to chart its own course, Raasay Distillery‘s ex-Speyside Scotch whisky oak casks are available to purchase on the distillery’s website and are priced from £999. The smaller casks make the island’s first expression more accessible to whisky lovers across the world and having been made using wood from ex-Speyside casks, they have ensured that the flavour of the final whisky are finely balanced.The smaller casks will sit proudly alongside the 190 litre first-fill ex-American whiskey casks which are also available to purchase online at £5000.

All Raasay spirit is produced and distilled on the island, using only Scottish barley, distillers’ yeast and mineral-rich water sourced and filtered directly from a Celtic well on site. A long fermentation period brings a rich, characterful flavour to the Raasay spirit before it even touches the oak of a cask. While the whisky matures, cask owners can come and visit their cask, staying in Raasay Distillery’s four-star accommodation: Borodale House. After the whisky is bottled, owners can also keep their empty cask as a treasured memento.

Raasay is now also part of Caskshare which allows whisky lovers to reserve ‘shares’ of whisky casks from their favourite distilleries, choosing between a wide variety of wood types and ages as the whisky matures. Single cask bottles of Raasay Single Malt will then be sent directly to buyers upon maturation, or even traded on this new leading-edge technology platform. Described as ‘crowdfunding for whisky’ customers can pre-order cask ‘shares’ from their distillery of choice via the Craft Whisky Club website.

Glen Scotia releases its oldest and rarest expression 

One of Campbeltown’s three surviving distilleries, Glen Scotia, has added an exceptionally rare 45-year-old single malt to its award-winning range.

Encased in a stunning handcrafted walnut box, and limited to 150 bottles world-wide, Glen Scotia 45-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is not only the oldest expression to be released by Glen Scotia distillery but also one of the most exclusive. A whisky truly made by history, Glen Scotia 45 year old reflects the centuries of craftsmanship and experience associated with Campbeltown.

Embodying all the signature characteristics of a Campbeltown single malt, the liquid is dominated by maritime influences. On the nose, it presents bold coastal elements, as well as sweet notes of ripe pineapple, crisp green apple, rose and vanilla.

The liquid was distilled in December 1973 before being filled into refill Bourbon casks two days before Christmas. Over three decades later, in 2011, the precious spirit was carefully re-casked into first fill Bourbon then laid to mature under the watchful eye of master distiller Michael Henry before finally bottling in 2019.

He said: “Glen Scotia 45-year-old is one of the most magnificent expressions to be produced by our Campbeltown distillery and we are excited that after 45 years we are now able to unveil it to the world.

“Distilled in 1973, this single malt is steeped in history and is extraordinarily rare. The liquid has been maturing in refill bourbon casks, tucked away in our bonded warehouses, for over three decades before being finished in first fill bourbon.

“It embodies all of the unique elements which Glen Scotia is known for, delivering a long mouth-watering finish with notes of sea salt and lime citrus. On the palate, the liquid presents caramel sweetness at first, then juicy fruit with pineapple, mango and water melon rounded by vanilla and honey.”

Non-chill filtered to ensure it is enjoyed as nature intended, Glen Scotia 45 year old is bottled at 43.8% ABV and presented in a striking case created by family-owned, UK-based luxury packaging manufacturer, Moran’s Wood Components. Each case is handmade using sustainably sourced British walnut and features contains a delicate tile engraved with the individual bottle number and tasting notes. Inside, the case boasts embossed leather lining.

Paul Moran, director, Moran’s Wood Components, said: “It was an honour to create such a beautiful box for the Glen Scotia 45 year old, a very rare and historic whisky. Inspired by the intrinsic link between wood and whisky, we also drew from Glen Scotia’s vision of incorporating quality materials and craftsmanship, to reflect the same principles that go into the distillery’s award-winning single malts. 

“We constantly strive to push the boundaries, and everyone at Moran’s is extremely proud of this project.”

Campbeltown is Scotland’s fifth and smallest malt producing region. Throughout the Victorian era it was known as the whisky capital of the world and home to more than 30 working distilleries.

To raise awareness of the importance of the region to Scotland’s whisky heritage, Glen Scotia distillery has been campaigning for Campbeltown to be recognised the “whiskiest place in the world.” In July 2019, a parliamentary motion on the issue lodged at Westminster received cross party support.

Iain McAlister, distillery manager, said: “It might be the smallest region, but the contribution Campbeltown has made to Scotch whisky is incomparable. 

“For over 100 years, our coastal town has been crafting some of the world’s most exciting expressions and Glen Scotia 45 year old exemplifies everything you would expect of a fantastic Campbeltown single malt. It truly is the perfect addition to any collection.”

Glen Scotia 45 year old will be priced at £3,795 and available from specialist retailers from October, including the Whisky Shop.

Stockist

www.whiskyshop.com 

Tasting notes

Nose

Bold coastal elements, sea-soaked basalt leads into thick fruit of ripe pineapple and crisp green apple before floral notes of rose, vanilla and toasted oak come through. 

Taste

Viscous oily mouthfeel coats the tongue. Caramel sweetness at first then juicy tropical fruit, with pineapple, mango and watermelon rounded by vanilla and honey. 

Finish

Long mouth-watering finish with sea-salt and lime citrus before warming cinnamon and ground ginger spice. 

About Glen Scotia:

• Independent distiller Glen Scotia has been producing single malt whisky in Campbeltown since 1832.
• Glen Scotia is one of three surviving distilleries in Campbeltown.
• The Glen Scotia 25 Year Old Single Malt Scotch was awarded a Double Gold medal at the prestigious 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Almost 30,000 spirits were judged by the competition, the largest number of entries in its 19-year history.
• Images and interviews with key staff from Glen Scotia are available upon request.

www.glenscotia.com /Twitter: @GlenScotiaMalts

Whisky Bible® 2020 TWB Winners

Best Single Malt 11-15 Years (Single Cask)

TWB exclusive Edradour Ballechin 12 Year Old scooped the 2020 category award with a remarkable 96-points! Consequently (and sadly for those who missed out) this peated Highlander has sold out.

Don’t miss out on the remaining bottles from these other exclusive single casks reviewed in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2020. Order today to avoid disappointment!

TWB Exclusive Edradour 10 Year Old 2008

92.5-points Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2020. First fill sherry butt bottled at cask strength 58.7% 339 bottles exclusive to TWB. Selling out fast!

Buy – Edradour 10 Year Old 2008 – £70.00

TWB Exclusive Cambus 30 Year Old 1988

94-points Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2020. Single refill hogshead bottled at 45.2% from this Lost Lowland distillery. 313 bottles.

Buy – Cambus 30 Year Old 1988 – £104.86

TWB Exclusive Dumbarton 31 Year Old 1987

92-points Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2020. Single refill hogshead bottled at 50.5% from this Lost Lowland distillery. 207 bottles.

Buy – Dumbarton 31 Year Old 1987 – £119.08

Kilchoman 2010 Vintage

The 2010 vintage release from Kilchoman distillery, a vatting of fresh bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry butts all filled in 2010 (roughly 85/15 bourbon/sherry casks). Bottled in 2019 at 48% vol, and as with all Kilchoman bottlings, with no chill filtration or colouring.

Limited stock available…

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The Norfolk Parched is back!  It is unique having been made from torrified and flaked cereals. The resulting whisky is delicious. We are very excited to announce that ‘The Norfolk Parched’ has acheived 96.5 points out of 100 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2020. “It is a superstar whisky that gives us all a reason to live”

Only 2041 bottles released.

£49.00
TASTING NOTES

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25th Anniversary Special Edition Twenty One Year Old

Sullivans Cove Distillery is celebrating 25 years, marking the anniversary with this very special limited-edition whisky. At an incredible 21 years of age, this whisky will be both the oldest Sullivans Cove has ever released and, as far as we know, the oldest official distillery release of Australian single malt whisky in modern history.

Between 1994 and 1999, the founders of Sullivans Cove produced a total of 162 casks of whisky. All of these casks were thought to be lost to time; bottled and sold years ago in one form or another. But last year, a phone call from out of the blue led us to a warehouse in Hobart, where we discovered four casks of Sullivans Cove’s earliest single malt. We were overjoyed at the discovery of such an incredible part of our own story – four casks of liquid history to share with the world. We were even happier when we tasted the whisky and discovered its incredible richness, texture and depth of character.

Sullivans Cove 25th Anniversary Special Edition is that whisky, aged for over 21 years in 200-litre American Oak ex-bourbon casks. Considering the incredibly advanced age and resulting low volume of these casks, the small amount of remaining whisky in each was married together to create this special release, yielding a total of 502 bottles at 49.6% abv.

This incredibly rare whisky comes with a hand numbered and signed certificate of authenticity and is presented in a crystal decanter by Glencairn. The label design reflects the packaging of Sullivans Cove’s first release of Tasmanian single malt from the late 1990s.

Click the link below to see full tasting notes and to purchase this incredible piece of Australian whisky history.

PLEASE NOTE: This release is strictly limited to one bottle per customer, and is not to be resold. Any attempts to purchase multiple bottles will be cancelled. 

PURCHASE NOW

2007 Unnamed Speyside (Macallan) 12 Year Old “Signatory Unchillfiltered Collection” 2nd Fill Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($109.99)

As you might have noticed the market for Macallan has gone absolutely bonkers. We can’t get old Macallan on the shelf for under $2000 and young Macallan is completely unavailable. In fact, over the years we’ve only bottled one other young Macallan and it was likewise not named. But this is the first and only sherried Macallan we’ve ever had the honor to put our mark on. I have no clue why the distillery is divesting stocks, especially those aged in ex-sherry (even refill). We hear grumblings that the distillery needs cashflow for the extremely expensive new distillery that they’ve built. Seems unlikely. Perhaps there are cracks in the crown, but there’s no question the worldwide clamoring for the great malts from this Speyside master continues. And of course, the distillery name cannot be used on the labels, but when we saw this beautiful second fill sherry butt in the Signatory warehouse, they didn’t need to say a word. We knew immediately where it came from. Further confirmed after one tiny whiff from the barrel. Now this is a big boy. High proof, powerful malt, that does need some water to coax out of its shell. One of the most astounding and obvious examples of this special distillery’s supremacy. The sherry is there, but the malt stands tall. Unctuous, inviting, complex and unabashed. Truly one of the world’s great spirits, on full display like we’ve never been able to offer before.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 26, 2019

To get an idea of how absolutely unusual it is for us to find a cask of Macallan in sherry to sell as an exclusive: this is literally the first time in a decade of selecting single casks that we’ve ever offered Macallan aged in sherry. Our teaspooned cask of William Hepburn three years ago was of course aged in ex-bourbon hoggies, as were the very expensive and older ones we’ve occasionally acquired as a thank-you from our best suppliers. Usually if it’s available it’s so outrageously priced we can’t even conceive of a world where our customers would consider paying a premium at, or above, the ridiculous premium the distillery already charges. So we were extremely excited to taste this gorgeous butt when our guide brought us into the warehouse. This will most closely resemble the highly sought-after Classic Cut offering that’s now popular in terms of its style, but of course we’ve got an older, single cask, and higher proof. The nose initially is punchy and full of dark malt, fudge, praline, hints of flint, and stone fruit. With air, more of the sherry character comes out, with a little bit of nutty oloroso aromatic framing the bold malt nicely. On the palate, sweet biscuits; very textured and rich, almost chocolatey finish. But this whisky at full strength is simply hidden, packed with quality, but slightly monotone. Now add water, not just a drop, but enough to see a little bit of cloudiness develop as the oils coalesce. Now we’re truly in rarefied air. The nose is now this absolutely pristine expression of exotic fruits: kiwi, passion fruit, jujubes, quince, candied lemon peel, and nougat. On the palate, the dark malt is gone and replaced with candied nuts, creamy custard, hints of lemon oil and anise. It somehow gains weight and texture with water. So if you’re one of those people that refuses to water down your whisky for whatever reason, than you should skip this. If you love to add water and experience a whisky in its many chimeric forms, then you’ll fall in love just like I did.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 24, 2019

One of the many advantages of selecting casks in Scotland instead of from shipped samples is that you sometimes get a behind the scenes peak at things. This unnamed Speyside had the remnants of the distillery’s paperwork left stuck on the side of the cask. The scrap of paper just read “llan.” More than enough supporting evidence for the rich, unctuous nose – especially when paired with classic sherry notes. Big, rich, and oily, this baby truly sings with the addition of a little water. Take it a notch back from the 63.4% cask strength ABV and release gobs of burnt orange peel, candied stone fruit, and the underlying malt base for the drinking experience you always wish you could have with the standard Macallan 12.

Jackson Lee | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 12, 2019

If you havent already grabbed a bottle of this, nows the time. Clocking in at over 120 proof, this bad boy packs a big punch, but not in the overly fumy, jet fuel kind of way. It’s big and expressive on the nose, and I was able to pick up warm and inviting notes of dried fig, chocolate chip cookie dough, black plums, sweet tobacco, and the tiniest bit of cherry brine (pickled cherries are awesome). This is the type of Scotch I want to drink sitting next to a fire in a ski chalet after a day of shredding some gnar pow-pow. The palate was hot and silky (prior to adding water) and offered flavors of brandied cherries, toffee, and mild roasted coffee. The addition of water mellows out some of the heat but leaves all the texture and starts to lead more into chocolate and fruit flavors while the finish remains nice and long with oak spice, plum jam, and chocolate covered cherries. Definitely a bottle Ill be picking up for myself and something that would make a great gift with the holidays right around the corner.

Introducing Macallan Rare Cask Batch No.2 (2019)

Don’t miss out, secure your bottle of the fantastic Macallan Rare Cask Batch No.2 (2019) today!

70cl 43% abv

£230.00

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