Inspired by the long-gone tradition of our daily whisky ration, the cask strength Teapot Dram V is deliberately young and bold. A strictly limited release of just five first fill Oloroso sherry butts, it’s only available from the distillery. Packed with flavour – porridge, strawberries and pepper on the nose, spicy oak, cinnamon swirl and walnuts on the tongue – the Teapot Dram is the perfect way to show your appreciation of that special whisky-lover in your life. And to keep them sweet for the year to come.

BUY THE TEAPOT DRAM

ONLY THE GOOD STUFF FOR THE GLENGOYNE TEAM

The workers’ daily dram: a vital part of distillery life until the 1970s. It was usually a meagre tumbler of new-make spirit, hot off the stills. But not at Glengoyne. Our daily dram was always from a young, flavour-packed sherry cask – so that’s exactly what you’ll find in the Teapot Dram V. What better way to show our appreciation of the team’s time and care?

FIRST ORDERS, LAST ORDERS

The first orders should be landing on doorsteps by Friday 16 December.
Want to be sure it’ll be there for Christmas? Here are the last order dates:

Last order date for UK shipping: 18 December
Last order date for international shipping: 15 December

A relaxed bottle to share and enjoy!

Not yet available in the shops. But you can pre-order your bottle now. The recommended retail price in the shops will be around 109,- euro. We have a special discount for all of you who read our newsletter. And an even bigger discount if you were at Maltstock this year. Please mention this when ordering your bottle.

the Whisky Agency

Blended Malt XO (the Maltstock 2016 Edition) Matured in Sherry wood, 44.9%, 70cl We have a very relaxed discount for you: Recommended retail price: 109,- Euro. – Newsletter readers: 10,- euro discount. – Maltstock 2016 visitors: 20,- euro discount. (Oh, and for the smart asses: If you are a Maltstock 2016 visitor and receive the newsletter your discount is 20,- euro not 30,-) Please note that this offer is only valid until Sunday, December 11. And on a first come first serve base. We do not and will not keep stock of this bottling. So after Sunday, December 11 you will have to check your local whisky shop if you would like a bottle. A great bottle to share and enjoy! If you are interested please send an email before 11th of December. Please use Teun’s emailaddress teun@maltstock.com

1997 Linkwood 19 Year Old K&L Exclusive “Signatory” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($89.99)

Because of its role in Johnnie Walker Blue and its renowned reputation abroad, Linkwood always demands a high price wherever it’s sold. Fine and finessed in a way that few other Highland malts demonstrate, the Diageo-owned distillery can often taste like a finalized blend straight from the cask! That’s definitely the case with this graceful and easy-drinking 19 year old hogshead from the Signatory warehouse, even at the relatively high 56% ABV. The 25 year old Linkwood sells at K&L for $250 a bottle, so when we saw the chance to offer a similar whisky for less than half the price, we jumped all over it. Adding in a few drops of water is essential to unlocking the complexity in this particular selection. Tempering that alcohol just a bit allows you to take in the sweet cereal grains, the citrus and vanilla, and the long finish of malted barley with just hint of fresh pine. It’s truly an elegant malt, one that continues to unfold the more time attention you give it. Try it as alternative to Johnnie Blue if you’re looking to save a few bucks!

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 19, 2016

Another gem from the warehouse at Signatory. At first, there are complex aromas of sweet honey and bees wax with a nice floral component. There is no smoke to get into the way of the creamy concentrated honey and malt flavors. There is a nice long finish. A touch of water helps soften and open up this wonderful selection.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 16, 2016

There’s no doubt that stocks in Scotland are getting tight. At Signatory, which was once our secret weapon, it’s become more and more difficult to find special casks. It’s not that the whisky isn’t there per se, but simply that the whisky we want is so far out of the price point that we’re willing to pay. But we occasionally stumble a few casks that haven’t been subject to the incredible price increases of the rarities around them. This Linkwood would falls solidly in that category. This fabulous Linkwood exhibits the wonderful malty character of this lovely distillery beautifully. The nose is sweet vanilla, bold citrus, bright apple and creamy malt. The palate exhibits tons of delicate fruit and has a rich texture that goes on for ages. The finish brings the barrel spices and a warming sweetness. At this silly price it won’t likely last long.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 15, 2016

If you’ve ever had the experience of walking into the cellar at a winery, you’ve tasted part of this malt already. That perfect combination of wood, humidity, earth, alcohol, and perhaps candlelight all hit your senses right at the same time and create the picture of elegance. If you take the time to tune in to the individual components you’ll find bright stone fruit, baked apples, butterscotch, and hard candies. The delicate oak spice meshes perfectly with the sweet malt. It’s supple, and with a little water, dangerously easy to drink.

David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 11, 2016

Linkwood is such a great whisky and it’s so dependable. I’ve never really had a bad version of it, be it from Gordon & MacPhail or elsewhere. What’s paramount, however, is that you give the whisky its due. Linkwood is incredibly delicate, nuanced, and precise. You almost need to sip it in the absence of any other sensory distractions. Doing that will allow you to hone in on the brilliance of the spirit itself. There’s citrus, cereal grains, shortbread, and ginger spice lying in wait for those who make the effort to coax all the beauty out of the glass. This is yet another fantastic example of the elegant Scotch whisky.

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 11, 2016

Just so soft supple and creamy. Even at its cask strength 56% alc this is sipple straight up. Golden fruit, toasted grains, vanilla oak; this has almost a Sauterne like honeyed richness to it. Delicious and a great value.

Malt Messenger Bulletin – Winter Tasting Schedule & Our Two New Arran Casks

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers, 

Our Winter 2017 Tasting Schedule is now online and open for registration.

We have a great range of tastings planned for this winter, including our Burns Bash, a facing off of Octomores, a Highlands, Islands & Campbeltown Festival and the first Ancient Malts tastings in years. But there is more: we are also tackling the oldest 9 BenRiach Batch 14 releases… And then there is the head to head pitting Evan, Hunter and I to see who’s whisky prowess dominates. There is something for everyone in our Winter Tasting Schedule including some great wine and beer tastings too! Details below and the full schedule can be viewed on our website!

We are three days into Whisky Advent Calendar 2016 and I hope everyone is enjoying the ride! We’ve had some great feedback and comments thus far on our social media feeds. There are still some 2016 Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendars available and they make a great Christmas gift. We are down to just a little over 10% of our opening inventory. Every day of Whisky Advent we will be posting that day’s whisky, the distillery it comes from, and our own tasting note.

Tickets for Calgary’s best whisky festival on Thursday January 19 are flying, and are already more than 60% sold. The VIP Master Class with Ruaraidh MacIntyre is sold out, and there are just over 50 VIP early entry tickets left! The VIP early entry tickets are a deal at $150, considering they include a special cut crystal Glencairn glass valued at $50. The general admission tickets are now $110. Further details are available below, or by clicking the above link!

I’ve written up my own tasting notes for our two new  Isle of Arran Casks! Our 6th and 7th exclusive Arran single casks will be arriving in store on Wednesday, and as you might expect, they won’t disappoint. We have a 7 year old lightly peated Arran, think of it as a single cask of Machrie Moor. Our other new Arran is our oldest yet, a 19 year old from a Bourbon Hogshead. Tasting notes and details follow below. Pop into the shop for a free sampling.

We formally launched our new 25th Anniversary Glenfarclas 25 Year KWM Cask Strength on Tuesday. It is the first of a number of planned 25th Anniversary whiskies we will be launching to mark our 25th birthday in May 2017. Bottled at 52%, it is a stunner, very layered and fruity. The pricing is great too, at $285 it is just $20 more than the regular 25 year bottled at 43%. So it is no surprise that the first 1/4 of the bottles have already sold in just a matter of days! Or that we had already sold out of everything we had in store prior to Tuesday’s event. Rest assured there is plenty more coming, but at the pace it is selling it won’t last long!

We are expecting some other new whiskies in store this week too, I will go into greater detail on them in the next Malt Messenger. They include Talisker Port Ruighe, Lagavulin 12 Year 200th Anniversary, Jura Tastival 2016, and Laphroaig 30 Year. The last of these won’t last long. Of the dozen odd bottles we are expecting to receive, the first 9 are already sold!

Finally, we are getting a very small quantity of some “in demand” Japanese whiskies. These are limited to 1 per person, and due to demand and supply, we are not offering any discounts. We received just a handful of bottles of each! There are a couple new offerings, including a pair of no age statement single malts from Yoichi and Miyagikyo, as well as a couple blends. We also have received a couple of age statement Taketsurus. They will be the last of these we see for a while!

I hope this wee Malt Messenger Bulletin finds you way! The next time you hear from me it will be the annual Malt Messenger Christmas Gift Guide.

Sláinte!

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

In this Edition

1. KWM Winter 2017 Tasting Schedule is Now Online
2. Our Two New Arran Cask Are Coming This Week!
3. 2016 Whisky Advent is 3 Days In!
4. MS Calgary Whisky Festival 2017
5. New Japanese Whisky

PS- PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter:

@scotch_guy, Instagram: @thescotch_guy/

or @kwmwhisky and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1

Our 5th exclusive Kilchoman Cask!  

2011 PX Cask 444   

Our 5th exclusive Kilchoman single cask, 444, was distilled in 2011 and has been bottled at 57.5% a week shy of 5 years old! Matured in Bourbon it was finished in PX Sherry to add some richness. $160

 More Information 

Glenfarclas 25 Year KWM Cask Strength 25th Anniversary

Just $285  

The first of our 25th Anniversary whiskies is a stunner and we can’t keep it in stock! Soft sherry influences and silky smooth at 52%! $285

More Information

MS Calgary Whisky Festival 2017

More than 60% sold!  

Calgary’s best Whisky Festival is in it’s 6th year. Three different ticket packages, and they are going fast!

Thursday January 19

More Information 

A Perfect fit for under the ole Christmas Tree

The 2016 KWM Whisky Advent Calendar! 

For the third straight year we have designed and built our own exclusive Whisky Advent Calendar, featuring a custom logo Glencairn glass, 24 50ml whiskies and a 100ml Christmas Day bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Thursday January 19

More Information

Kensington Wine Market Winter 2017 Tasting Schedule is Now Online 

Great tastings and events in to tantalize your taste buds in January, February & March!

Our 2017 Winter Tasting Schedule is now online. We have some great tastings coming up this Winter and some of them will go quickly. Book early so as not to be disappointed. Please note all tastings start at 7PM and are held at KWM. Also please be aware of our cancellation policy:

• Registrations are transferrable so you are welcome to send someone in your place if you cannot attend a tasting.
• If you contact us more than 48 hours prior to the tasting date in order to cancel one or more seats, you will receive a store credit for the value of the cancelled seat(s).
• Store credits can be used for any future purchases, including tastings or products.
• Cancellation requests received within 48 hours of the tasting date are not refundable.
• NO EXCEPTIONS

Our 2017 Winter Whisky & Spirits Tastings

1. Enter the Octomore Octagon – Tuesday January 10 – We’ve been hoarding Octomore releases for a special tasting to celebrate the launch of the Octomore 10 Year 2nd Edition seems like as good a reason as any to crack them. 8 Octomores, 1 tasting. Are you ready to enter the Octomore Octagon? – $40
2. Finishing School – Tuesday January 17 – Whether they call it “Aced”, “Finished” or “Extra Matured”, finishing a whisky in a different cask can be a way of adding character and offering variety. Discover the effects of different finishing casks. – $35
3. Burns Bash – Wednesday January 25th – Join us for a mini whisky festival featuring our favourite KWM exclusive whiskies. There will be haggis, bagpipes and no fewer than 50 exclusive whiskies open for sampling. – $40
4. Cadenhead on the Speyside – Tuesday January 31 – We have some fabulous exclusive Cadenhead Small Batch whiskies and single casks. We’ve selected a range for a great Speyside tour: Aberlour, Mortlach, Glenrothes, Strathisla and three others! – $60
5. BenRiach Batch 13 Vertical – Thursday February 9 – This tasting is insanely good value… half the price it should be. We can’t squeeze all twelve of the BenRiach Batch 13 vintages into one vertical tasting, but we can make room for eight of the oldest vintage single cask single malts. Vintages 1994-1975, one night only! – $150
6. Rare Malts – Thursday February 16 – Only malts 20+ years of age from Closed Distilleries and or the Very Rare need apply for this special tasting. – $80
7. To Peat or Not to Peat – Tuesday February 21 – Many distilleries now bottle both peated and unpeated expressions. Join Evan for a taste off, pitting peated and unpeated single malts against each other from four pairs of distilleries. – $40
8. Whisky Geek Paradise – Thursday February 23 – Hunter is putting a new twist on our old Classic Malts tasting showcasing value propositions that will still delight even the most discerning palate. – $30
9. Highlands, Island & Campbeltown Whisky Festival – Thursday March 9 – Travel the highlands and islands of Scotland at a festival highlighting whiskies from these regions as well as the town of Campbeltown. Includes your own Glencairn glass. – $60
10. Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey – The style came about as a way of avoiding the English “malt tax” and is still, even today, the most Irish of Irish whiskies. We’ll sample a range of seven Single Pot Irish whiskies and learn a little history. – $50
11. Head to head -Andrew vs Evan vs Hunter – Thursday March 23 – Join us for a one night only battle royal pitting three of our whisky experts against each other. Whose whisky picks will reign supreme… – $40
12. Ancient Malts – Wednesday March 29 -or- Thursday March 30 – It’s been a few years since we’ve put on an Ancient Malts tastings and frankly, we’re overdue! We have some very special bottles selected; including a pair of 1967s for what will be a memorable evening. – $200

Call 403-283-8000 to register, or do so online: kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/tasting-schedule/

Our Two New Arran Casks Are Coming This Week! 

And we’ve got tasting notes on these two new gems! 

Our 6th and 7th exclusive Arran single casks are due in shop on Wednesday. We’ve had a chance to snap a photo of the bottles, and more importantly write a tasting note. I’m very happy with these whiskies, the lightly peated 2008 cask is full of character for a 7 year old whisky with no rough edges. Think of it as a single cask of Arran Machrie Moor. The other barrel is our oldest Arran yet, but at a very competitive price. There was a slight mixup in the bottling hal with the label, and while it says it is a Sherry Hogshead on the label, it is an Ex-Bourbon Hogshead. We don’t want a detail like that to get in the way of a good bottle of whisky, so we won’t… Here are my tasting note on these two great KWM exclusive Arrans!

1. Arran 2008 KWM Cask 131 – 56.8% – 7 Year – Ex-Bourbon Barrel – Lightly Peated – 270 Bottles – My Tasting Note: “Nose: very soft, loads of cream and especially honey: honeycomb and creamed honey; elegant smoke wafting over tender grassy barley; toffee chews and treacle sauce with fresh picked oranges and lemons. Palate: a surge of silky honey and soft peat oils; more tender malt and added notes of Demerara and barley sugars; fresh orange and lemon peels with building spices and firmer earthy peat tones; a touch of dark bakers chocolate and clove. Finish: long but lithe; more gentle fading peat oils, all sorts of honey and citrus peels with spice. Comment: very interesting to compare with the sister cask bottled for the Companions of the Quaich. The latter was more juicy and oaky with this one I find to be a little more elegant, but also even more smoky!” – $105
2. Arran 1997 KWM Cask 1085 – 51.4% – 19 Year – Ex-Bourbon Hogshead – 258 Bottles – My Tasting Note: “Nose: dates squares, chocolate-orange marzipan, Fig Newtons and layered coconut cream cake; sweet orange, ripe honeydew melons and sliced mango appear on the fruit side of things; heather honey and gentle floral tones. Palate: big, rich and creamy with a firm but balanced oaky backbone; very fruity, juicy, more sweet orange, melon and mango; a touch of cooked pineapple too, the Fig Newtons are still there with dates, raisins and and honey; gentle oak spices emerge with some delicate floral malty tones; the palate keeps coming in layers a touch of leather, darker spices and more fruit. Finish: long and toasty with loads of coating-mouth-watering fruits; floral vanilla and honey all the way to the far off end. Comment: big but balanced American oak notes meet the gentle spirit of Arran and give birth to a beautiful, joyous malt; there is something in this whisky for everyone!” – $145

2016 KWM Whisky Advent Calendar 

Whisky Advent is now 9 Days in, and this year’s edition is more than 90% sold!

For the 3rd year in a row, Kensington Wine Market is producing its own Whisky Advent Calendar. 2014 and 2015’s editions were a huge hit, and this year’s edition should is expected to start trickling in store over the next two weeks.

We are really excited about our 2016 KWM Whisky Advent Calendar. For the third straight year we have designed and built our own exclusive Whisky Advent Calendar, featuring a custom logo Glencairn glass, 24 50ml whiskies and a 100ml Christmas Day bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (The Society). The Society is the world’s largest whisky club, and bottles whiskies exclusively for its members. This year’s Calendar has a single cask from the Society that has been selected and bottled exclusively for the Calendar and Canadian Society members (750ml bottles will be made available to Society members in January!). In collaboration with the Society’s Canadian branch, we were even given the opportunity to name the whisky… Since Society whiskies are exclusively available to Society members, this is an opportunity for non-members to get their hands on a Society whisky. Recipients of the KWM Whisky Advent Calendar will be the first people to sample this exciting new whisky!

The Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendar is more than just a product for us, it is a way for us to share and connect with other whisky lovers in Calgary, Alberta and across Canada. Details on the whiskies released and their distillery will be posted on the KWM Blog each day. Recipients of the Calendar are encouraged to share their thoughts with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The KWM Whisky Advent Calendar also comes with a 10% discount card, good for any of the whiskies in the Calendar (excepting the Society whisky), subject to availability.

Order a Kensington Wine Market 2016 Whisky Advent Calendar $399.99+GST

MS Calgary Whisky Festival 2016 Tickets Now On Sale 

Early Bird Deadline Extended Until November 30 & There is a Prize!

Now in its 6^th year, the MS Calgary Whisky Festival, Calgary’s best whisky event

of the year is back! We are expecting more exhibitors this year and even more whisky. There are three ticket classes this year:

–          VIP Early Admission & Master Class (5PM) $175

–          VIP Early Admission (6PM) $150

–          General Admission (7PM) $100 Until November 30 $110 Thereafter

VIP ticket packages include a cut crystal Glencairn glass to enhance your tasting experience. 100% of proceeds from the event go to the MS Society. Last year we raised $50,000. Help us do even better this year!

The VIP Master Class is an Ardbeg Deconstruction Tasting with Ruaraidh MacIntyre!

Tickets are available online from the MS Society: http://calgarywhiskyfestival.ca/tickets/

Kensington Wine Market403-283-8000

BUY NOW

There is a beautiful Island far far away in Scotland, and on this beautiful island there is a family owned distillery called Kilchoman. Now, Milroys & Kilchoman are the best of friends, and it was agreed the time had come to do something special together. So, two lovely chaps from Milroys, Angus & Simo, made their way to Kilchoman where they spent all day scouring the warehouse’s seeking the perfect cask. After several hours they came across a very interesting looking Quarter Cask, and after sampling their taste buds rejoiced with delight! However, it was decided, although the whisky already fantastic, there was something missing. Simo then noticed some empty PX casks, so he sniffed and he sampled until he had found the perfect one. It was then decided to empty their chosen whisky cask into the PX cask and began to further mature their already wonderful whisky. This was left for a further four months, after this time it was agreed the cask was ready, so they decided to bottle this fantastic smoky, rich and powerful whisky for all the friends of Milroys.

Our mailing address is:

Milroy’s of Soho

3 Greek Street

London, England W1D 4NX

United Kingdom

Issue Two of Distilled is shipping this week and we look forward to sharing the craft and culture of fine spirits with whisky lovers.

In our sophomore issue Canadian novelist Brad Smith visits the Hiram Walker distillery on the Detroit River and finds the stamp of Don Livermore on virtually every drop of whisky, and we learn all about Peter Mulryan’s plans to shake up the world of Irish whiskey as he goes from writer to stillman. Angus MacRaild reports from a barn on the idyllic west coast of Sweden to give us a Scot’s perspective on Smögen, the next cult whisky most will never get to taste, and a serious challenger to the best of Scotch whisky.

Issue Two includes still more whisky coverage with reviews of Stranahan’s, Arran, Bunnahabhain, Dewar’s, Redbreast, Tamdhu and Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Red Cask, while those in search of the perfect holiday gift will find some relief – subscribe to Distilled in the coming weeks and get a second gift subscription at no extra cost. Enjoy!

www.distilledmagazine.ca

Fortress Rum Barrels Shape New GLYNNEVAN® Cabot Triple Barrelled Whisky

Sydney, Nova Scotia – Authentic Seacoast Distilling Company Ltd. today launched the newest member of their award-winning GLYNNEVAN® Whisky family, a triple barrelled Canadian rye whisky finished in FortressTM Rum barrels from the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site on Cape Breton Island. GLYNNEVAN® Cabot Triple Barrelled Canadian Rye Whisky is Authentic Seacoast’s continued tribute to magnificent Cape Breton and to its traditions, beauty and people.

“I’ve developed a great passion for Cape Breton over more than three decades. Through our collaboration with Parks Canada and Fortress Louisbourg Association we created Full Steam Coffee’s Louisbourg 1713 French Roast and Fortress Rum,” said Authentic Seacoast Distilling President Glynn Williams. “Our GLYNNEVAN® Cabot Triple Barrelled Canadian Rye Whisky is our way of continuing the important work we are doing to create authentic and memorable brands that can help draw people to our region and create new opportunity on Canada’s East Coast.”

Canada’s only triple barrelled whisky, GLYNNEVAN® Double Barrelled Canadian Rye is finished in freshly drained oak barrels used to mature award-winning Fortress Rum. This third barrelling creates a smooth, complex and uniquely Nova Scotian whisky that takes Canadian rye to a new level. GLYNNEVAN Cabot opens with a sweet nose of butterscotch and tropical fruit. The palate is complex and warming with classic rye spices, cinnamon, vanilla, caramel and toasted oak.

Fortress Rum arrives with force for the finish with lingering spice; long, creamy and smooth. Like Fortress Rum, GLYNNEVAN® Cabot is 45% alc./vol. “As our whisky makes a trek across Canada, coming to rest in oak barrels here against the Atlantic Ocean, so too, do many Cape Bretoners travel to the West seeking employment,” said Glynn Williams. “Our Cabot Triple Barrelled Whisky makes this journey come full circle. We’re honoured to make products that can bring people together. Our GLYNNEVAN® emblem brings together prairie grain, the ocean, the Nova Scotia and Williams’ rampant lion, and now, with Fortress Rum barrels, GLYNNEVAN® includes the Celtic heart of North America.”

GLYNNEVAN® Cabot Triple Barrelled Canadian Rye Whisky is now available at the distillery in Guysborough and will be available throughout Nova Scotia at select Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) stores and other fine spirits retailers.

Glynn Williams will be at the Authentic Seacoast Distillery on Saturday, December 3rd from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm signing bottles from batch #1 of the GLYNNEVAN Cabot Triple Barrelled Canadian Rye Whisky.

Read more about GLYNNEVAN Whisky at: www.glynnevan.com

About Authentic Seacoast Distilling Company

Authentic Seacoast Distilling Company Ltd. produces handmade, craft distilled and blended spirits including GLYNNEVAN® Whisky, Sea FeverTM Rum and FortressTM Rum at its distillery next to Osprey Shores Golf Resort on the historic Guysborough harbour. It is a key part of Authentic Seacoast Company Ltd, which also includes historic DesBarres Manor Inn, Rare Bird Pub & Eatery, Skipping Stone Café & Store, Full Steam Coffee Co., Harbour Belle Bakery, Authentic Seacoast Brewing Co. (makers of Rare Bird Craft Beer), Glanbùrn Artesian Water, Authentic Seacoast Soaps and the Authentic Seacoast Store. Authentic Seacoast Company’s vision is to restore the proud trading legacy of a seacoast village in Nova Scotia and to create jobs in the community on a sustainable basis by producing and sharing high quality products and experiences that are authentic and memorable. The Authentic Seacoast Company embodies the fresh sea air, industrious people and proud determination that has kept this special place by the sea alive over the past four centuries.

Read more at: www.glynnevan.com www.authenticseacoast.com

Fifty year old Scotch whisky is an incredibly special thing. It’s the culmination of a complex flavor evolution that has proceeded slowly over five decades in wood, so finding an ample supply isn’t easy. As one might expect, fifty year old Scotch whisky is also an incredibly expensive luxury. Most of what’s available today on the general market sells for around $4000 a bottle for blends to between $10,000 and $12,000 a bottle for malts. A bottle of Glenlivet 50 year old will probably cost you $25,000 and the more prestigious names only get more expensive from there, which is partially why we’ve been so successful with our grain whisky barrel program over the last few years. We’ve been able to track down 40-50 year old Scotch whisky expressions for around $200-$300 per bottle that we feel scratch a similar itch for a much more reasonable price.

Our customers are often so excited by the pricing that we sell out of our supply in hours, if not minutes. This past September, on a rainy Glasgow morning, we visited one of our favorite warehouses and tracked down three more rarities that seemed to have fallen through the cracks: three unique barrels of Scotch whisky that had been distilled and blended as new-make whiskies back in December of 1964. Originally intended for a blended Scotch recipe, the identity of the whiskies had become lost over the years and simply sat around getting older, so it was anyone’s guess as to which distilleries we were dealing with. What was perhaps more compelling was the fact that each whisky had been married according to type: two of the barrels were blended grain whiskies and the third was a blend of purely single malts. Two of them had the fruit and oak spice we’ve tasted in previous ultra-mature grain editions, and the third had the creaminess and the texture of a classic malt. We knew we had stumbled upon something special.

While age and richness often go hand-in-hand, as more exposure to oak generally implies a darker and fuller whisky, these three barrels are something of an anomaly. As all three are refill hogshead casks (meaning the barrels had been used previously to age other whiskies), the influence of the wood has been slow and gradual. Rather than an intense and concentrated maturation, it’s as if all three whiskies have been simmering over a low flame for more than five decades. Much like a slow-cooked stew, they have also reduced their power naturally. Almost like a fine Bordeaux aging fifty years in a cellar, each has naturally dropped to 45% or lower and shed much of their original baby fat. The result is a finesse, elegance, and a haunting mellowness that can only be achieved over time. In the case of the pure malt whisky, the proof had dropped so low we weren’t sure if we could even legally bottle it, but luckily for us it clocked in at 40.1%, just a hair over the minimum. The resulting 51 year old Scotch whiskies are as soft and smooth as can be. What they are not, however, is significantly dark, rich, or incredibly complex like you might expect for something so old. They are what I consider to be fifty year old session whiskies: incredibly delightful, dangerously drinkable Scotch whiskies that go down easy and with a long, smooth finish. As a result of their unidentified origins and simple charm, we’ve been able to price them accordingly. For the first time ever, we’re offering a 50+ year old Scotch malt whisky for under $1000, along with two 51 year grains at our standard bargain price point. With the holiday season in full swing, we expect rare editions of 51 year old Scotch whisky to be an incredibly popular gift option, so it’s likely these ancient selections won’t last the weekend. We’ll be heading back to Scotland in 2017 in search of more ultra-mature whiskies, but unfortunately 51 year old selections like this don’t grow on trees. They do, however, fit nicely in a gift box under them.

1964 Sovereign 51 Year Old “K&L Exclusive” Single Barrel (44.6%) Cask Strength Blended Grain Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($299.99)

This 51 year old blend is comprised of various grain whiskies, but drinks like one singular entity working in complete harmony. As grain whisky ages it becomes soft, mellow, mild, and creamy in nature, so after five decades in wood this mystery blend is as smooth as they come. There’s not much of a noticeable difference between the two casks we’re currently offering, but tasting them side by side this particular blend has a bit more wood and more of a pure grain flavor, almost like you can taste the husks in between the sweetness of the oak. There’s a flurry of spice on the finish that tingles your taste buds just before the soft wave of texture washes away. What this whisky lacks in complexity, it makes up for in pure grace.

1964 Sovereign 51 Year Old “K&L Exclusive” Single Barrel (45.8%) Cask Strength Blended Grain Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($299.99)

This 51 year old blend of grain whiskies comes in at a slightly higher proof than its sister cask and it’s the richer and rounder of the two. Whereas the other whisky is creamier, this whisky has a bit more fruit and a certain pop on the mid-palate that you wouldn’t expect after fifty-plus years in wood. There’s a hint of toasted oak on the finish and a bit of oily resin as well, which is standard for hogshead-aged whiskies of this age. After five decades, this whisky is still full of life and character. In no way is it tired, over-aged, or past its prime. It’s primary in its profile, but dangerously drinkable and most importantly showcases all of the fruit, texture, and simple pleasure that grain whisky has to offer.

1964 Sovereign 51 Year Old “K&L Exclusive” Single Barrel Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($399.99)

This 51 year malt is comprised of an unknown number of pure single malt whiskies and is so refined and reduced after five decades in wood that it’s naturally down to 40.1%. This is by no means a rich and over-oaked malt. It’s quite the opposite: light as a feather, soft as silk, and elegant as a whisper. Notes of oxidized fruit, fino sherry, burnt sugar, and oolong tea swirl faintly over a creamy layer of soft vanilla. Those expecting fifty-plus years of richness will be caught off guard by the standard amber color and classic Scotch whisky hue. This is old school Scotch from a lost era. It is not a bold and complex beast of exotic flavor, but rather a graceful echo of what was and what will no longer be; it’s a ghost.

Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637) Email: wine@klwines.com

K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

New whiskies from Signatory, Old Pulteney, AnCnoc and Benromach

Glenturret 29 Year Old 1987

Single cask expression of the Highland single malt bottled October 2016 by Signatory Vintage for the Cask Strength Collection. Just 203 numbered bottles from the distillery situated on the edge of historic town of Crieff.

£111.79

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AnCnoc 1975 2nd Release £484.34

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Benromach 1973 Cask #4606 £1,795.00

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EMAIL: info@thewhiskybarrel.com

Second Exclusive Release for Old Pulteney 35 Year Old Single Malt

Award winning Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky has today announced a second release of its limited edition 35 Year Old expression, following the success of its first release in 2014 which sold out globally.

Only 1,254 bottles of this rare and exceptional whisky will be available through specialist outlets around the world, with a recommended retail price of £515 per bottle.

The second Old Pulteney 35 Year Old release is matured in ex American bourbon and ex Spanish oak casks which have been hand selected by Distillery Manager, Malcolm Waring.

Each bottle reflects Old Pulteney’s uniquely shaped stills. The quality of the whisky is perfectly embodied by the striking beauty of its packaging, which is similar to the first 35 year old release but with refreshed colours chosen to emphasise the Spanish oak influence on its flavours.

It is encased in a beautifully engraved wooden box featuring Old Pulteney’s distinctive herring drifter symbol, and is naturally coloured and non-chill filtered at 42.5% ABV.

A full bodied expression, it is initially sweet and spicy on the palate, before quickly developing a range of flavours from honey, rum soaked raisins and oranges to the heavier notes of seasoned leather, pralines and a touch of the salty North Sea air before finishing with waves of dried fruit. A truly indulgent, perfectly balanced whisky, on the nose, it brings together honey sweetness, exotic spices and citrus, before releasing more gentle undertones of vanilla.

Old Pulteney Senior Brand Manager, Margaret Mary Clarke commented: ‘We are delighted to launch the second release of Old Pulteney 35 Year Old Single Malt, building on the success of our first release which was in high demand amongst whisky lovers around the globe. It is an exceptional expression, fantastically balanced and a true representation of the skill and quality of the Old Pulteney distillery team.’

Founded in 1826 at the height of Wick’s herring boom, Pulteney Distillery is one of the most northerly distilleries on the Scottish mainland. A long-held favourite for whisky enthusiasts, many say they can taste a faint hint of the sea in Old Pulteney thanks to the Distillery’s windswept location and close proximity to the North Sea.

Old Pulteney has been acclaimed for its excellence many times over. Earlier this year its 1989 Vintage was awarded Whisky Magazine’s ‘World’s Best Single Malt’, whilst it’s 21 Year Old Single Malt was named ‘World Whisky of the Year 2012’ in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

www.oldpulteney.com / @OldPulteneyMalt  

Notes

Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Old Pulteney is one of the world’s finest and most distinctive single malt Scotch whiskies. Known as the ‘Maritime Malt’, it is crafted in the windswept coastal town of Wick, home to the Pulteney Distillery which is one of the most northerly on the Scottish mainland. The distillery was established in 1826 in the heart of ‘Pulteneytown’, the town created to house fishermen during Wick’s famous herring boom which drew a fleet of over 1000 boats and 7000 workers to this remote and rugged harbour.

Old Pulteney is the embodiment of this place, its people and its remarkable history. The skilled Pulteney Distillery team continues to craft whisky using the most traditional and time-honoured techniques that most others have long abandoned. This includes the uniquely shaped Pulteney stills, which are reflected in the design of the Old Pulteney bottle on shelves today.

Matured in hand-selected oak casks, the resulting whisky has been acclaimed for its excellence, its smooth drinking style and faint hint of the sea. Old Pulteney’s 21 Year Old Single Malt holds the coveted title of ‘World Whisky of the Year’ for 2012 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible – one of the industry’s highest accolades. Earlier this year Old Pulteney 1989 Vintage was crowned the ‘World’s Best Single Malt’ at Whisky Magazine’s prestigious World Whiskies Awards. The whisky also achieved top ten status in the UK single malt market in 2012 and is flourishing in many other countries around the world.