FIESTA OF FLAVOUR

Festival fever is in the air this month, with an adventurous programme of whisky tastings and events happening in Speyside and Islay. May Outturn marks the occasion with a fiesta of flavour, bringing 21 colourful casks to explore – including our series of festival bottlings with celebratory labels, two from Speyside and four from Islay (look-out for the special stamps throughout the bottling list).

MAY OUTTURN: SOME RARE PEARLS INDEED

These rare bottlings have in some cases not been seen on the Society’s shelf for more than a decade! Seize this opportunity to (re-)discover and explore delicious drams of liquid history, guaranteed to lift your spirits.

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

1976 Cambus 40 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (750ml)

$299.99 SKU #1331543 

There’s been a distillery in the little village of Cambus on the River Devon since the early 1800s. It became one of the Distillers Company’s workhorses and important in their wildly successful line of blended Scotch. Old Cambus is most notably the base for the famous Johnnie Blue and recently made an official release as a 40 year distillery bottling. That whisky sells for a solid $1000 and while it comes in a pretty box, it is by no means an improvement on this magical cask of grain whisky. We’ve had a number of delicious old grain whiskies over the years, but this stands out as one of the most decadent and full flavored. Only the Port Dundas 36 year from years ago holds a candle in terms of intensity and depth. Ultra rich and chewy, soft sweet grains and tangy citrus. Coffee cake, shortbread and touches of woodsy spice. It’s got fresh vanilla bean for days and a purity of fruit on the palate that requires a double take. We’re reaching for malty heights here! Some snobby Scotch guys like to poopoo the single grains but one whiff of this stuff will convert even the stodgiest devotee. A truly special and rare offering, sister casks of which sell in Europe for multiples with no trouble.

JAMESON LAUNCHES ITS FIRST EVER CASK STRENGTH WHISKEY

Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength

Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength has been unveiled

The new cask strength Jameson finishes its maturation in Dublin’s only live Maturation House at Bow Street

Jameson Irish whiskey, which is produced by Irish Distillers in Midleton Distillery, has today announced the launch of Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength; the first cask strength Jameson to be available globally, which finishes its maturation in Dublin’s only live Maturation House in the Jameson Distillery Bow Street. A reinterpretation of the revered Jameson 18 Years, the new expression celebrates Jameson’s Dublin heritage by returning part of the production process to the brand’s original home in Smithfield for the first time since 1975.

Distilled and matured at the Midleton Distillery, Co. Cork, Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength is the new head of the Jameson family. After spending 18 years in a collection of bourbon and sherry casks, the blend of pot still and grain Irish whiskeys has been married together and re-casked in first-fill ex-bourbon American oak barrels for a final six to 12 months in the Maturation House at the Jameson Distillery Bow Street.

‘Marrying’ is a traditional method of re-casking batches of vatted whiskey and re-warehousing it to ensure infusion before bottling. The first batch is presented at 55.3% ABV without the use of chill filtration and will be available in 20 markets from July 2018 at the RRP of €240.

Billy Leighton, Master Blender at Midleton Distillery, commented: “I’ve long had the unique luxury of being able to taste Jameson straight from the barrel at cask strength. With this first ever global launch of a cask strength Jameson, I’m thrilled that Irish whiskey fans around the world can now experience the full intensity of our whiskey or add a few drops of water to enjoy it at their own preferred strength.

“As a tribute to John Jameson’s distilling legacy in Smithfield, we’ve introduced some methods that would have been employed in days past. The final maturation period in Bow Street is our nod to the traditional “marrying” method. We’ve put our own Jameson stamp on it by using first-fill bourbon barrels, whereas the traditional approach would be to use casks multiple times. I like to think of the whiskey getting engaged in Midleton and then “married” in Dublin!”

Simon Fay, International Marketing Director at Irish Distillers, added: “While Jameson’s approachability has been key to its success, we had an opportunity with Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength to reinforce the more serious whiskey side of the brand’s heritage. For years, Jameson fans have been asking for a permanent cask strength expression of Jameson 18 Years. Consumers are looking for increased choice in style and quality in Irish whiskey and Jameson, as the category leader, is committed to satisfying this appetite.

“On top of that, our research shows that consumers are increasingly looking for brand experiences. Now, for the first time ever, consumers will be able to experience the sounds, smells and aura of a functioning maturation room, in the heart of Dublin, at Jameson Distillery Bow St. Our doors are open and we look forward to welcoming whiskey fans to taste a piece of whiskey history.”

Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength is presented in a premium bottle design that truly reflects the quality and rarity of the liquid within. The bottle features 18 facets, one for each year of maturation, and the wooden presentation box celebrates the traditional pot stills used during the production process. In addition, a unique copper coin located underneath Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength bottles provides Jameson fans with access to an exclusive online portal where they can delve deeper into the story of the whiskey which bears the Bow Street name.

Jameson 18 Years, presented at 40% ABV and first released 15 years ago, has become one of the world’s most respected and awarded Irish whiskeys and will remain in the Jameson family, maintaining a vital link to Jameson’s history and providing further choice to prestige whiskey enthusiasts.

NOTES

Tasting notes by Billy Leighton, Master Blender at the Midleton Distillery:

Nose: Rich wood-driven influence with deep toffee notes and spice.
Taste: Toffee and oak remain consistent with hints of leather and vanilla along with a subtle sherry nuttiness creating depth and complexity.
Finish: Long and full with the sweet toffee notes slowly fading while the toasted oak and spice linger throughout until the very end.

About Irish Distillers
Irish Distillers is producer of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys. Led by Jameson, our brands are driving the global renaissance of Irish whiskey. Jameson is the world’s fastest-growing Irish whiskey, experiencing 28 years of consecutive growth and hitting sales of 6.5m cases in 2017. Our brands are exported to 130+ markets, with over 71 of those experiencing double- or triple-digit growth.

Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son and Cork Distilleries Company. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard, gaining access to unprecedented levels of investment and an extensive global distribution network. Since 2012, we have invested over €250m to double our production and bottling capacity to meet global demand for our products.

We employ over 600 people across our operations in Cork and Dublin.

About Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is the world’s n°2 in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of € 9, 010 million in 2016/17. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier- Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of approximately 18,500 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 “Brand Companies” and 86 “Market Companies” established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics.
www.pernod-ricard.com

Exclusive Availability on Not to be Missed Mature Single Malts

1995 Ben Nevis 21 Year Old Faultline Bourbon Hogshead ($89.99) – At far less than what you’d normally expect to pay for a single malt with a 21 year age statement of this quality, this Ben Nevis is an outstanding value that’s sure to grab the attention of many a Scotch drinker. The bulk of Ben Nevis finds its way to the Asian market, so bringing a bottling this well-composed and delicious stateside is an absolute boon. Rambunctious, lively, and fresh this stunning 21-year shows plenty of malt, fruit, sea salt, and honeyed tones. It’s so delcious, you’ll find it hard to put your glass down. At this price, a purchase of multiples just makes sense.

1995 Mortlach 22 Year Old Faultline Sherry Butt ($119.99) – With 18-year versions of Mortlach selling at $250 and above, the value here is incontestable. Like the Ben Nevis, Mortlach is increasingly hard to find in the States, which is a crying shame as they are making some of the most excting single malts in the market today. For sherry heads, this glorious 22-year version is right on the money as its sweet caramel, nut, and spice notes take center stage. Mortlach is known for its brawny and burly approach, but this version is remarkably approachable. It’s a kinder, gentler Mortlach that’s sure to appeal to a very wide audience. At a price that’s just south of $120, we expect the beauty to move at a very fast clip indeed.

1989 Mortlach 28 Year Old Faultline Sherry Hogshead ($149.99) – Another blockbuster value that might strike you as too good to be true. A bottle of this age and pedigee would normally sell in the $300 to $500 range, making the $149.99 price tag here an absolute steal. A true-to-style Mortlach, it has all the robust, beefy flavors one has come to expect from this historic distillery. But for all its power, it remains remarkably inviting. Braised meats, Oloroso, wood, and peppery spice join in perfect unison making for an experience that is at once hedonistic and cerebral. It just might be the finest Mortlach we have had to date.

When we created the Faultline program, we were one of the only retailers in the States scouring Scotland’s warehouses to find hidden gems for our loyal customers. We realized early that if we couldn’t be there to pick among the thousands of options, finding the true legends would be little more than a game of chance. We visited nearly every bottler in Scotland to examine their wares and negotiate pricing, but now the days of finding a hidden gem in some far flung shed seem numbered. While there’s still plenty of whisky out there, increasing world demand, supplier savvy, and general market maturation have limited our access. We’re still able to offer wonderful casks from our great suppliers – Old Particular, Old Malt Cask, Sovereign, Hepburn’s Choice, etc. – but finding casks free to bottle under our own label has been next to impossible.

That’s why these casks are so special. Faultline represents the very best of what we have to offer for your dollar. It’s all about providing value for our loyal customers and doing so in a unique and interesting way. These casks were bottled in partnership with Alexander Murray, a small California based bottler who is famous for doing BIG store brands. These are some of their first Cask Strength Single Casks and represent a new phase in our relationship with the company, whose standard business model only allows us limited opportunity.

The fanciful and colorful labels were designed by Ivan Diaz, our former Spanish wine specialist in Los Angeles, who’s moved on to pursue his creative passions.

We’re working on providing more Faultline, but we’re not sure we’ll ever be able to provide value quite like this again.

1995 Ben Nevis 21 Year Old Faultline Refill Bourbon Hogshead Cask Strength Single Cask Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($89.99)

This incredible collaboration between Alexander Murray and K&L is part of the first batch of Faultline casks we’ve had in years. There are only a couple of factors that qualify a cask for inclusion in this special program. The casks must be absolutely exceptional and they must represent the best possible value for our customers. As the whisky boom has continued to explode across the world, fewer sources are available and scarcity means higher prices. The great casks we find are less likely to be made available to us under our own brand as our suppliers want credit for great casks under their own labels. That’s why this find is so incredible. Ben Nevis is an unbelievably good distillery that is unfortunately NOT regularly available in the US. Located on the western coast of Scotland in the town of Fort Williams, they’re owners are Japanese, which means that’s where the whisky goes. This gorgeous old hogshead filled once previously was fashioned from American oak and shows all the great texture and depth we’d expect from Ben Nevis, although with none of the saltpeter or sulfur that is sometimes present in their heady distillate. Pungent and almost extreme, the nose is a concentrated particle beam of fruit and malt flavor. This cask is all about freshness, maturity and balance. While it may not be as showy as the others on paper, the absolute purity of the aromatics and the unrelenting energy of this malt will leave a lasting impression on anyone lucky enough to procure one.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 25, 2018

I might have to count this weird and wonderful Ben Nevis as my personal favorite of the new Faultline casks. Ben Nevis is a cool little distillery that we have almost not working relationship with. The vast majority of their malt gets blended into Japanese whisky – sounds stupid, but it’s true. It’s a fab malt driven style, that always has this funky little backbone but as it ages the sulfur can take over or take a back seat. That’s part of why Nevis does so well in sherry, the sweet flavors of the sherry balance out the funk – but this little hoggie is naked Nevis and I love it. The nose is an absolute dream. Tangerine, fudge, freshly malted barley, oolong, and an odd sort of wonderful red fruit quality that’s pungent but not overly perfumed. There’s something raw about it, but equally inviting. On the palate the sweet malt is absolutely astounding. Creamy vanilla, rich grain, crunchy fruit all held together with this subtle brackishness. There’s no doubt this will be the sleeper of the three current Faultlines, since it lacks the obvious credentials of the other three, but this will turn on the malt geeks once they taste it. One for those who like something a bit more spirit driven.

Alex Schroeder | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 25, 2018

Ben Nevis is a coastal Highland distillery owned by Nikka since 1989. This particular cask is a second fill bourbon cask, giving you an ultimately focused, classic, and exceptionally good Highland malt for a great price. On the nose it has creamy baked cereals, caramel, and a hint of tropical fruits with underlying floral notes. On the palate it is fresh and light with great integration of creamy malt flavor with hints of tropical fruits like banana and citrus. In my opinion this is the best of the Faultlines for the money.

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 21, 2018

The nose on this single cask selection is seductive and inviting with pretty beeswax, honey, and floral notes. There are no smoky aromas or flavors. It is rich and soft with complex and subtle malt and fruit components. There is a tongue coating finish. It it not big and full, but medium bodied. Of the current Faultline selections this is the most elegant.

Andrew Stevens | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 20, 2018

This is only my second chance to try a Ben Nevis seeing as they never come into the US, and this bottle impressed me as much as the last one maybe even more. Lovely vanilla and white stone fruit on the nose with hints of orange and oak. The palate is balanced and elegant with layers of vanilla, candied fruit, saline, and spice notes. On the finish creeps in earthy grain notes that combine with a touch of salt that lead to a long and surprisingly gristly finish. Delicious whisky, and with absolutely gorgeous label art this is one to snag immediately.

Anthony Russo | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 16, 2018

Ohhh yes. Definitely smells like a super old bourbon. Butterscotch, toffee, and caramel all melt together with a touch a vanilla. The Ben Nevis “freshness” and “fruitiness” really comes through with a bit of air. The classic scotch whisky flavor is much more apparent on the palate. This is the bottle for bourbon lovers who want to branch out a touch or scotch fans who want to try something off the beaten path.

1995 Mortlach 22 Year Old Faultline First Fill Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Cask Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($119.99)

We almost never see Mortlach available for sale by the cask in Scotland. If we do it’s almost certainly in a third or fourth fill barrel and almost certainly young and expensive. Even the underwhelming NAS bottling from the distillery still costs $100. Why is it so expensive and hard to get? That answer starts with a J and ends with a Walker. There’s just too much money in that special blend to let these casks out of the system. When they do make it out, there’s usually a reason. On the rarest of occasion, likely the result some fortuitous clerical error or bad bets by a London executive, we might happen across something like this. Two decades old Mortlach always raises eyebrows around here. Tell me it’s been aged in a fresh sherry butt, can be sold for around $100, and tastes amazing? I’m looking like a Vince McMahon Reaction meme -almost a wrestling reference. Even more exciting is that truly is Mortlach for the masses. Sometimes the beefy gnarly quality of the distillery, the result of an unusual multi-still distillation process, can overwhelm the uninitiated. This casks, however, is so fun and forgiving with all that wonderful Mortlach meat playing second fiddle to the dense sherry and dark malt flavors. There’s no question that this is going to be the cask, among all our recent Faultline releases to consider stocking deep. It’s very unlikely that we’ll ever see value and quality converging quite like this again. Let’s all pray that we can keep pulling casks this good.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 25, 2018

If someone is asking me which of the new Faultlines I’d jump on – I’m always going to point them to this outrageous butt. I’m not being glib when I say that all casks are exceptional in their own right and you won’t waste your money no matter which you pick, but if you have to only take one it might just be this one. It’s not only because I FREAKING love the weirdo label. It’s because this Mortlach represents something that the old one doesn’t – a heavily sherried malt that almost anyone can appreciate. The nose is filled with both sweet and savory elements – bold spices, sweet oak, nutty sherry, meaty Mortlach. I love that the spirit doesn’t totally disappear behind the wood and the wine. A little bit of water brightens it all up significantly, bringing some orange liqueur, rancio fruit, fresh tanned hide. On the palate the entry is borderline sweet with tons of texture and dark flavors of cacao and exotic woods to balance the stewed fruit at the front. With water we lighten up to find a little bit more citrus, some rounder malt, and a touch of herbal earthiness on the mid palate. You can’t NOT love this.

Alex Schroeder | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 25, 2018

This Speyside distillery, owned by Diageo, usually goes into blends like Johnny Walker, so finding a single cask of the single malt is very exciting! On the nose it has bright, expressive fruit flavors of stone fruit, caramel and a hint of banana. It is incredibly smooth on the palate with the perfect balance between fresh, bright fruit flavors and warm, creamy caramel, and malt. Another knockout single cask for a VERY reasonable price… enjoy it while it lasts!

Andrew Stevens | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 21, 2018

It’s all about the Sherry baby, that is what this bottling of Mortlach sings all the way through. On the nose there are hints of that smoked meat/savory thing that Mortlach is famous for, although here it almost comes through as a roasted corn note to me. However, once you get into the bottle it is all about that rich smooth Sherry life. Warm nutty layers with marzipan and a touch of cocoa overlay everything with the meaty, woody quality hiding behind. Soft and short on the finish this is an amazingly fun and rich bottle from a distillery that is near impossible to get these days.

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 21, 2018

Mortlach distillery produces exceptional and delicious single malts. This single cask continues this trend. It is rich and round with the sherry aging showing. It is full and sweet with hints of sweet dried fruits. With the addition of a little water it becomes a glass of soft sweetness. Fans of mature and lively sherry barrel aged single malts should love this selection.

Anthony Russo | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 16, 2018

Twenty-two year old Mortlach, aged in a first-fill Sherry butt, and under $120?! What more can you ask for? The classic grassy flavors of the distillery blast through the sweet, nutty center so well to create an incredibly well balanced juice that can be enjoyed by novice and seasoned scotch drinkers alike. A great cigar drink.

1989 Mortlach 28 Year Old Faultline First Fill Sherry Hogshead Cask Strength Single Cask Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($149.99)

We’ve always looked to make Faultline about providing exquisite values for our customers. This is the third Mortlach we’ve procured under the Faultline brand and the oldest to date. The last time we had Mortlach it was nearly the precise opposite style of this wild cask. Three years ago we found a 25 year old Mortlach in a refill hoggie and bottled it at over 60% alcohol. If you’re lucky, maybe you have that bottle in your cellar to compare to this one which is opposite in style in almost every way. Filled almost three decades ago into a fresh sherry hogshead, it must have been stored in an extremely humid warehouse since it’s only 84 proof at full strength. This is real deal Mortlach with the savory beefy quality front and center. It’s something like walking into an old wooden house, perfectly preserved antique leather furniture, mahogany cabinetry and in the kitchen a great big pot of stew bubbles slowly on the stove. Inviting, warm, complex and yet somehow familiar – there will be very few whiskies comparable to this one available this year and absolutely NONE anywhere near this ridiculous price point. We could probably sell this whisky for twice the price and still convince everyone that it’s a steal. Though it’s not as approachable and universally likeable as its younger sibling, this cask will undoubtedly some of our diehard customers as one of the finest we’ve ever procured.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 25, 2018

This was the first whisky I tasted when evaluating these casks. It kind of ruined everything after it just a bit. Most bottlers would take a cask like this and try to sell it for $300-500. And, to be honest, the price would have been close to that had I not pushed back on the initial list. I’m not totally convinced that I couldn’t have sold this for two or three times the price we’re asking, but that’s just not how we roll. This silly little Mortlach was distilled in 1989 before the Berlin wall came down. This is textbook Mortlach. The nose is all Oloroso sherry poured over braised beef shoulder. It almost reminds me of old Armagnac in a way because the meaty malt and the oxidized sherry notes retain a fruit component that seems unlikely. The palate is textured and dense, owing to the great evaporation of the last three decades, but the natural low proof isn’t obvious. Prickles of black pepper and earthy wood poke through on the palate dominated by those gorgeous Oloroso flavors. This one is pretty obvious in the best way possible.

Andrew Stevens | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 21, 2018

Mortlach is one of those distilleries I would always hear about from Scotch aficionados; one that was always described with a wistfulness of how you just cannot find anything that tastes quite like it these days. This single barrel from 1989 is only my third bottling of Mortlach I have ever tried, and I finally get what people mean when they talk about looking for this flavor. It is unique, and old, and not sweet or soft in ways I would think but it is good. I love the description David gave of an old house because that is precisely what it felt like to taste this. Old wood, old shoe polish, old leather, but with a warm bubbling pot on the hearth, and a finish that feels like it will go on as long as this house of our imagination.

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 21, 2018

I tasted this single malt out of the bottle with no added water because it has 42.5 abv. It is full bodied, a touch sweet, concentrated and layered, with flavors of malt, dried fruits, and a hint of wood. The age of the cask and the sherry barrel have really influenced the flavor profile. There is a wonderful long nutty finish. Single malts from Mortlach always seem to please and this single barrel is no exception.

Anthony Russo | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 16, 2018

Between the 22 and the 28 year old expressions, this is the one for people who want a bit more of the sherry richness. Also a bit softer, the nose slightly reminds me of a very high end, unsweetened Cognac. Almost a touch minty. With a slightly lower ABV, this is the complex Mortlach for those who want to pour themselves a glass after a long day and just focus on the complexities of the dram. The age of the spirit is most apparent on the palate as the woody notes really stand out.

MAY OUTTURN ALERT

We’re celebrating The Spirit of Speyside and The Islay Festival of Music and Malt this month with a carnival of single casks – 21 new whiskies including our series of special festival bottlings that mark the occasion. Don’t miss out on your favourite bottlings, click over to our website now and read the full listing ahead of the release on Friday, 4 May at 9am.

READ 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

Sullivans Cove French Oak
Cask TD0039

Aged in a 300L French Oak ex-Australian Tawny barrel, French Oak Cask TD0039 was distilled in 2005 and produced only 512 bottles.

A classic French Oak, TD0039 is similar in style to cask HH0525 that won the World’s Best Single Malt in 2014.

As supporters, we’re delighted to offer this release exclusively to you today – before its release to the public.

Please click on the link below to purchase ($450 per bottle)

PURCHASE NOW

Sullivans Cove Distillery · Lamb Pl · Cambridge, TAS 7170 · Australia

15 year old Port Charlotte 2001 ex-bourbon hogshead 58.3%, £95 (Islay Whisky Festival Exclusive)

6 year old Octomore 2011 ex-bourbon barrel (Simon Coughlin’s cask) 62.0% 150ppm, £160 (Islay Whisky Festival Exclusive).

Contact bruce@dramfool.com or via the Dramfool Facebook page

www.dramfool.com

THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY UNVEILS FIESTA OF FLAVOUR FOR ISLAY AND SPEYSIDE FESTIVALS

SMWS takes members on flavour journey with a total of 10 exclusive bottles to celebrate both the Spirit of Speyside and Feis Ile festivals. 

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is making May a month to savour for its members with the release of 10 exclusive bottles to celebrate both the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival (3–7 May) and Feis Ile, The Islay Festival of Music and Malt (25 May–2 June).

The Society will also be holding a series of events at both festivals, as well as Speyside and Islay-themed tastings at its Members’ Rooms and partner bars throughout the UK and Europe.

Both regions have their superfans and this year the Society is urging members to make their voices heard, by joining the online debate between Speyside supporter the Craigellachie Crusader and peat freak the Islay Avenger at https://goo.gl/JgLRDe

The celebratory festival bottlings include:

Speyside

• 9.143: Graceful gravitas (21-years-old) – UK and EU bottling
• 107.13: Andalusian gazpacho (9-years-old) – UK and EU bottling

Islay

• 3.307: A journey into joy (20-years-old) – UK and EU bottling
• 3.308: A maritime meander (13-years-old)
• 10.141: Indulgence by the sea (12-years-old) – UK and EU bottling
• 10.146: Sweet smoky succulent sensation (9-years-old) – UK and EU bottling
• 29.241: A perfect moment (20-years-old) – UK and EU bottling
• 29.244: Weaving wondrous dreams (8-years-old) – available on Islay only
• 53.248: Slapped by Poseidon’s glove (11-years-old)
• 53.252: Smoky incarnations (11-years-old)

Helen Stewart, senior brand manager for the Society, said: “The Speyside and Islay Whisky Festivals are key dates in the whisky calendar, with May seeing the annual pilgrimage to the renowned whisky festivals. This year we have bottled more casks than ever before to give members all over the world even more opportunity to purchase one.”

For those fortunate enough to be travelling to the Islay Festival of Music and Malt, the SMWS will be releasing 29.244: Weaving wondrous dreams. To reward members who have made the journey to attend the Islay festival, this limited edition will only be available for existing and new members to purchase on the island.

The bottling is an 8-year-old peated whisky from a refill ex-bourbon barrel. The palate is described as intense – with an earthy sweetness (chocolate brownies, flying saucers, aniseed, liquorice root) and smoke-derived flavours of tar, iodine and coal. The SMWS Tasting Panel said, “the long-lasting medicinal smoke will waft and weave into wondrous dreams”.

With only 222 bottles available to members, this will be a very limited edition and sought-after bottle.

Like all Society bottlings, the distillery name is kept a secret on all the bottles.

The six casks destined for the UK and EU will be available (while stocks last) online at https://goo.gl/c38urY and at the Society’s venues and partner bars (by the dram only) from Friday 4 May 2018.

Speyside events

SMWS will be hosting tailored tasting events featuring special celebratory bottlings at the Speyside Festival with Society ambassador Hans Offringa. These will be held in SMWS official partner bar, The Quaich at The Craigellachie Hotel on Friday, 4 May. (http://www.spiritofspeyside.com/events)

Islay Whisky Festival

On Islay, the SMWS will be running a series of tastings and masterclasses throughout the festival, starting with an Open Day on Friday, 25 May on the lawns at Islay House, home to Society partner bar, The Peat Cutter Inn. Tastings and events will be hosted by master brand ambassador John McCheyne.

SMWS Venues: Members’ Rooms & Partner Bars

If you can’t make it to the festivals, then throughout May, the SMWS will be running Speyside & Islay-inspired offers and menus with matched whiskies in its Members’ Rooms and partner bars. There will also be special Islay and Speyside festival flights to sample and enjoy. Tastings will focus on an Islay versus Speyside theme, where the two regions will be presented against each other. In the Kaleidoscope Whisky Bar in Edinburgh, Festival themed cocktails will be created from Friday 4 May.

For more information about the Islay and Speyside bottlings and events, please visit https://goo.gl/JgLRDe

We’re Having Another Birthday!

Yes folks, we at Cadenhead’s like to mark social days or events, so this is our big one for the year!

SMALL BATCH 21st RELEASE IS NOW AVAILABLE

Before we go into the release list it’s worth going over a few drams we will explain about the small batch for our new customers! Cadenhead’s small batch is a by-monthly release that sits alongside the Authentic single cask selection.

Small batch can be from a single cask or barrel or several cask married together for example Knockdhu 11 is made from 3 casks Macduff 11 is 1 cask!

Why do they do this? Simple really because it’s all about the taste profile. Some of most legendary whiskies have come out under the small batch range, this season will see a whole new range of legendary whiskies.

I will also list a few of the archive whiskies from the range we are releasing on the web shop!

Lets talk about age and brand!

What is it that makes you buy a whisky, is it the age or distillery or both?

We see a huge spike in demand for the usual suspects so lets dig a little deeper into the drams you miss out on! From this seasons release I am going to say Macduff 11 & Knockdhu 11 alongside the Tomintoul 11! Yes they are young but they taste so much older!

From other releases we have the following small batch whiskies…

LINKWOOD 1992 24 Years Old 50.9% -70CL- HOGSHEAD CASKS

AULTMORE 20 YEARS OLD 1997 51.8% – 70CL – HOGSHEAD CASKS

GLEN SPEY 22 YEARS OLD 57.9% HOGSHEAD CASKS

While some of you know of the distilleries some do not! So its normal to feel unsure about trying them out!

In our tasting room you will usually find a dram or 3 you have never tied before so with that in mind check out the store in the coming few Saturdays we will have open house events upstairs in-between the Tasting experience events where we will try out the lesser known and younger drams!

Mind you our younger drams are older then most other malts on the general market!

The LONDON TASTING PANEL = (LTP)

Has been taking place over several days and nights for the new range!

The general consensus is possibly the best response to a release I have seen since the early 2000’s every dram had fans every taste made them smile especially with the younger vintages!

To truly get a proper perspective the tastes can and will be blind so they have no idea what the distillery is age or ABV so as to give a truly honest tasting note.

Check out the new range (click the links below) and tasting notes online today.

LINKWOOD – GLENLIVET 22 48.8% £79.90 18 bottles available

KNOCKDHU 54.7% 11yo £49.90 MACDUFF 11 yo 46% £41.50

TOMINTOUL – GLENLIVET 11 55.4% Limited Availability

TOMATIN 10yo 54.4% ORD 12yo 46% £41.50

NORTH BRITISH 32yo 55.2%

MACDUFF 11yo 46% £41.50

GLENROTHES – GLENLIVET 21 £76.95 18 bottles available

GLEN SPEY – GLENLIVET 16 £54.90 18 bottles available

BUNNAHABHAIN 28yo 43.8% £128.90 Limited availability

The whiskies below are fully reserved as a result of club members making reservations. If you are a club member please be aware that we are holding for 5 days from the time you get this email, after 5 working days we will release any unclaimed bottles online.

GLENTAUCHERS -GLENLIVET 27 54.4% All Reserved Not online

COOLEY 26yo 52.3% All reserved Not online

CREATIONS 44yo Light Fruity Sherry 43.4% All Reserved Not online

BEN NEVIS 21yo All reserved 52.9% All Reserved Not online

The Cadenhead’s Club & Springbank Society membership for 2018 is now available, for a one off life time fee of £30 you get the following:

• Free Cadenhead Club Tastings
• 2 Free warehouse tastings per year for life in our Campbeltown Bonds
• Access to exclusive bottling’s
• Advance notice of 7 days for new releases before none club members

Springbank Society membership, for a one off lifetime fee of £50 you get the following:

• Society Polo Shirt
• Whisky miniature
• Access to limited edition bottling’s twice a year bottled exclusively to members
• Free distillery tours of Springbank Distillery
• Regular blog updates with news from the distillery about upcoming releases
• 10% off selected whiskies in the participating stores like our own at Cadenhead’s London for example
• 10% off merchandise sold in the distillery with a future limited holding available in London of selected merchandise (We will update you when this can be done in London)

Next Month will be a special one as we head into Summer with a bang!!

All The Best

Stephen & the London Team

1995 Mortlach 22 Year Old Faultline First Fill Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Cask Single Malt Whisky (750ml) We almost never see Mortlach available for sale by the cask in Scotland. If we do it’s almost certainly in a third or fourth fill barrel and almost certainly young and expensive. Even the underwhelming NAS bottling from the distillery still costs $100. Why is it so expensive and hard to get? That answer starts with a J and ends with a Walker. There’s just too much money in that special blend to let these casks out of the system. When they do make it out, there’s usually a reason. On the rarest of occasion, likely the result some fortuitous clerical error or bad bets by a London executive, we might happen across something like this. Two decades old Mortlach always raises eyebrows around here. Tell me it’s been aged in a fresh sherry butt, can be sold for around $100, and tastes amazing? I’m looking like a Vince McMahon Reaction meme -almost a wrestling reference. Even more exciting is that truly is Mortlach for the masses. Sometimes the beefy gnarly quality of the distillery, the result of an unusual multi-still distillation process, can overwhelm the uninitiated. This casks, however, is so fun and forgiving with all that wonderful Mortlach meat playing second fiddle to the dense sherry and dark malt flavors. There’s no question that this is going to be the cask, among all our recent Faultline releases to consider stocking deep. It’s very unlikely that we’ll ever see value and quality converging quite like this again. Let’s all pray that we can keep pulling casks this good. $119.99 View

1989 Bunnahabhain 28 Year Old Faultline First Fill Sherry Hogshead Cask Strength Single Cask Single Malt Whisky (750ml) We’ve had an incredible set of old Bunnahabhains over the last two years. This isn’t our first Bunnah under the Faultline label, that was released in 2013 and was a steal for $100. We’ve bottled Milroys, Hepburns, Exclusive Malts, and multiple Old Particulars in the last few seasons. The sale of the distillery a few years ago has certainly sparked some house cleaning at the gorgeous old distillery in the cove north of Port Askaig. While we’ve had many exemplary old offerings from this special distillery, none represent quite as much value as this special cask. 1989 was an unusual year for Bunnahabhain. Something unusual happened that year, as a significant number of old casks from the vintage have turned out malt whisky at considerably lower proof than is typical. Perhaps they’d procured an excess number of casks that vintage and decided to fill at lower proof or maybe all the stuff we’re seeing today was stored in EXTREMELY humid conditions, thereby encouraging the evaporation at a higher rate. We may never know why these whiskies are so different from other vintages, but its obvious after tasting several that something special was going on. The heights achieved here are totally unique and deliver an experience unlike any other. Fill that into a fresh sherry hogshead and you’ve got what is likely one of the most interesting cask we’ve ever bottled. What’s even more incredible is that the “Bunnahabhaininess” still shines through after nearly decades. Oh and that price, dang $149.99 View

1989 Mortlach 28 Year Old Faultline First Fill Sherry Hogshead Cask Strength Single Cask Single Malt Whisky (750ml)e’ve always looked to make Faultline about providing exquisite values for our customers. This is the third Mortlach we’ve procured under the Faultline brand and the oldest to date. The last time we had Mortlach it was nearly the precise opposite style of this wild cask. Three years ago we found a 25 year old Mortlach in a refill hoggie and bottled it at over 60% alcohol. If you’re lucky, maybe you have that bottle in your cellar to compare to this one which is opposite in style in almost every way. Filled almost three decades ago into a fresh sherry hogshead, it must have been stored in an extremely humid warehouse since it’s only 84 proof at full strength. This is real deal Mortlach with the savory beefy quality front and center. It’s something like walking into an old wooden house, perfectly preserved antique leather furniture, mahogany cabinetry and in the kitchen a great big pot of stew bubbles slowly on the stove. Inviting, warm, complex and yet somehow familiar – there will be very few whiskies comparable to this one available this year and absolutely NONE anywhere near this ridiculous price point. We could probably sell this whisky for twice the price and still convince everyone that it’s a steal. Though it’s not as approachable and universally likeable as its younger sibling, this cask will undoubtedly some of our diehard customers as one of the finest we’ve ever procured. $149.99 View