Oban “Limited Edition” 18 Year Old West Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $150)

($114.99)

91 points Whisky Advocate: “Drier, less toffee and fruit, more dried spice and oak when compared to the standard Oban 14 year old. A beautiful combination of rich, nutty toffee balanced by polished oak, salt, pepper, seaweed, distant smoke, and dried fruit. Somewhat oily in texture. Wonderful depth, too! An improvement on what is already the biggest-selling Diageo single malt scotch in the U.S. Very exciting and dynamic. (Vol. 17, #4, by John Hansell)”

K&L Notes: Always tough to find – this is a limited edition bottling for the U.S. only. As the canister states, “only so much can be made, it is never enough.”

 

There’s an alluring magic in the air and we’re enchanted.  Whisky season is upon us, that time of year when whisky really shines and sparkles, and our new batch of single casks will leave you spellbound.

CASK No. 36.96  CHOCOLATE CAKE COOKIE

9 years old; 1st fill barrel; 50.1%; Juicy, oak & vanilla

On the nose neat: sticky toffee pudding, salty caramel bread and butter pudding and glace cherry cake. Flavours on the palate neat were sweet, spicy and dark. Water lightens the colour; white chocolate-coated green grapes and an orange carrot smoothie.

CASK No. 39.122  1960’s FRENCH BREAKFAST

8 years old; 1st fill barrel; 62.5%; Sweet, fruity & mellow

A complex nose – fruitily perfumed (red fruits, orange, tutti-frutti) but also chocolate, fudge and cookie dough, hints of wool carpets and elder flower. The palate is a pleasant French breakfast – apricot jam, honey, toasted crumpets and buttery croissants, with orange blossom perfume.

CASK No. G7.10  THE TEXAN TEA PARTY

31 years old; refill hogshead; 59.2%; Spicy & sweet

Spicy sandalwood aromas from sawdust and the fencing around the rodeo stadium on which perched new leather saddles. Delicious vanilla ice cream, marzipan and banoffee pie with caramel sauce and custard. Spiced plum chutney, mulled wine and coconut-infused bourbon, which became sweeter with water.

CASK No. 35.142  SWEET TREATS AND FORBIDDEN PLEASURES

21 years old; 1st fill toasted oak hogshead; 56.2%; Spicy & sweet

Nose – Amazing. Fantastic. Deeply satisfying. Complex. Rewarding. Can’t put it down. Sweet treats. A sniffer’s dram. Palate – Forbidden pleasures. Manna from Heaven. A voyage of discovery.  We wanted more.

CASK No. 30.91  DELICIOUSLY DARK AND SWEET

18 years old; refill gorda; 58.7%; Deep, rich & dried fruits

Delightful nose – honey flapjacks, barley sugars, treacle tart, pumpkin pie – with water, stroopwafels, burnt leaves and old tennis racket handles.  A delicious palate – scorched meringues, black bun, toffee, muscovado, orange liqueur – and a tannic twist of mighty oak to finish.

CASK No. 42.24  THE BEE’S KNEES

9 years old; refill barrel; 59.5%; Lightly peated

Sea salted caramels, churros with salty peanut sugar and bitter chocolate on the nose neat, followed by an amazingly sweet, salty and smoky sensation on the palate. Even diluted it was still tantalizing every nook and cranny of our tongue.

CASK No. 3.266  SMOKE DRIFTING OVER GARDENS

15 years old; 1st fill barrel; 56.3%; Peated

The nose has distant smoke drifting over perfumed gardens, exotic fruits, salmon on beach barbecues, scented candles and honey and toffee. The palate explodes lavender smoke bombs, soapy perfumes, bitter chocolate and espresso dregs – finely balancing sweetness against smoky, earthy elements.

SMWS Canada

BOWMORE VAULTS EDITION 1

The Vaults Editions are hand selected to uncover the depth and range of flavours that have made Bowmore one of the most famous whisky brands in the world. This limited release is the first edition in a four part series and showcases one of the four key flavours most associated with Bowmore. The first edition represents Bowmore’s sea salt tang in a whisky that opens out like the vast atlantic ocean itself! Bottled at cask strength of 51.5% volume.

£100 Buy Now

CAMERON’S CUT

Whisky is liquid sunshine. Or so said George Bernard Shaw.  Shining some sunshine on a whisky career that now spans four decades, Glenturret Distillery’s latest release, Cameron’s Cut, was laid down to rest in 1987 and will be bottled this winter to mark our Distillery Manager Neil Cameron’s 40th year in the industry. Neil’s lifelong passion for Scotland’s favourite drink is firmly distilled in The Glenturret brand where tradition that is at the heart of what we do: making whisky the same way it was made in 1775 when the distillery first opened. It is this passion and skill that led to his recognition as Icons of Whisky Distillery Manager of the Year 2016. This rare limited collector’s edition 29 Year Old is a unique Glenturret expression and you are being given exclusive access to our ballot to purchase one of only 209 bottles available.

There are two ballots available, one for Special Bottle Numbers and the other for General Bottle Numbers.  Visit our website here to see which special numbers are available and how to sign up to the ballots.  Applications to take part in the ballots will close at midnight on Monday 12th November.  Due to anticipated demand and the rarity of the whisky, sales of Cameron’s Cut will be restricted to one bottle per person.

TASTING NOTES

Colour: Golden amber

Nose: Well balanced, good age, fruity,  slightly sweet & sour, buttered popcorn

Palate: Spicy, lavender notes, nicely rounded, melon

Finish: Lingering, slightly dry, hint of oak

Age: 29 years old

Size: 70cl

Strength: 48% VOL

Number of bottles: 209

PRICE General Numbered Bottles: £290

Special Numbered Bottles: £390

DISPATCH DATE 12th December 2016

Compass Box Deluxe 3 Year Old

Compass Box Deluxe, a blended malt scotch whisky created from 1% three year old and 90% unstated aged malt from a distillery near Brora, along with a peaty 1st fill sherry cask matured whisky distilled on the Isle of Skye. A wonderful creation once again from the chaps at Compass Box. Scotch whisky regulations only permit producers to state the youngest whisky used within an expression, Compass Box have been campaigning for transparency. They believe that Scotch whisky producers should have more freedom and to be able to disclose the age of every component used in their whiskies.

Read more…

Forgive me, it has been a long time since our last conversation.

How is everyone? Hope this email finds you all well.

We have been very busy here at Springbank Towers but I am delighted to finally announce the new Society bottles! That’s right, 2 Society bottles:

We have a Longrow 14yo Fresh Sherry cask and a Springbank 15yo Jamaican Rum cask and the details are below. However, before we get to that I must ask you to read on because I have a bit of explaining to do and there is important information that you need to know.

Please read this entire message before replying.

Firstly, how come there are 2 bottles this time?

The reason is not that mysterious or extreme, in fact it is quite simple. As most of you will know the Springbank 15yo was chosen by the members who attended the Society tasting during the Campbeltown Malts Festival. However, we later came to the conclusion that this cask would not give us enough bottles and far too many members would be left disappointed and without a Society bottle.

So we changed our plan. The Longrow 14yo came second in the voting that day so it seemed the obvious choice to release as the main Society bottle.

Autumn 2016 Society Bottle – Longrow 14yo Fresh Sherry 53.2%

NOSE: Rich walnut, pecan, notes of stewed fruits with woodiness and scent of worn leather TASTE: Stewed fruits remain, rhubarb, dunnage warehouse flavour and woody FINISH: Meaty and chewy, dry with menthol as the smokiness builds up.

Society members can buy a maximum of 2 bottles of the Longrow 14yo and the bottles cost £65.00 each. There is a total of 600 bottles.

To purchase your bottle(s) please contact me using the details below:

email: society@springbankwhisky.com 

telephone: +44 (0)1586 552009

So what is happening with the Springbank 15yo?

A very good question!

We always planned to release this whisky to the Society; we just had to work out how to do it fairly given the limited availability. We decided to do a lottery, thus giving everyone an equal chance of getting a bottle.

If you would like to be entered into the lottery then please send me an email telling me you would like to be included. If you are ordering a Longrow 14yo, then you can include in that email that you would also like to be included in the draw (you do not have to order a Longrow 14yo to enter the lottery, you can do these things separately).

The deadline for entry into this lottery is 12 noon (British time) on Monday 14th November 2016. Shortly after this I shall conduct a random draw allocating each of the bottles of Springbank 15yo.

Important: the only members I can guarantee a bottle of Springbank 15yo to are the people who attended the Society tasting at which this bottling was chosen. If you are one of these members can you please contact me within the 2 week deadline and confirm to me if you would like a bottle.

Bonus Bottle – Springbank 15yo Jamaican Rum Cask 51.2%

NOSE: Citrus notes, zesty with fresh orange peel, key lime pie and and milk chocolate TASTE: Ripe bananas and demerara sugar, watermelon and grapefruit FINISH: Sweetness continues with grenadine syrup, sweet potato, root ginger with brine and the saltiness of a Springbank dram

The Springbank 15yo will also cost £65.00, just like the Longrow 14yo, and I shall contact everyone who is allocated one after the draw to arrange payment. There is a total of 228 bottles.

Delivery

As we have welcomed a lot of new members to the Society over the past few months, here is some information on how the Society bottles work when it comes to delivery:

There are a couple of different options for delivery. You can either have the bottle sent to your home address or have it sent to one of our Cadenhead Shops for collection.

Excluding the USA (due to strict import laws), we are able to ship bottles worldwide so if you would like to know the shipping costs for 1-6 bottles to your country then please email me and I will send you over the details. Our prices include all taxes and costs on our side but does not cover any entry fees or taxes which may incur when the whisky reaches it’s destination country. We do not make any money from postage costs, we just charge what we have to to cover our costs.

As mentioned above, we can also ship your Society bottles to the following Cadenhead Shops for collection:

• Edinburgh (UK) for £2 per bottle
• London (UK) for £2 per bottle
• Cologne (Germany) for free
• Berlin (Germany) for free
• Salzburg (Austria) for free
• Odense (Denmark) for free

If you would like your bottle delivered to any of the Cadenhead shops mentioned then PLEASE state this when ordering your bottle.

If you order your bottle to be delivered to any of our European stores then you will pay for the bottle when you collect it from the stated shop. The European shops usually get orders every 2-3 months so if you would like it sent there then please let me know and I can arrange it with the next shipment. Please allow a bit of time for the delivery and as soon as I have a shipping date then I will let you know. Can I kindly ask that you wait until you have heard from me before phoning the shops to ask if they have arrived.

In addition to the two options above and for any of our members living in Canada, one of our stockists in Calgary, Kensington Wine Market, are able to import Society bottles so if you would like to have your bottle sent to them for collection then please let me know this and we can get it arranged.

Please note:

For practical reasons relating to the bottling schedule, we had to bottle the Longrow 14yo shortly before it officially became 15yo. I mention this incase anyone has concerns about the label but please let me assure you that the label on the front of the Longrow 14yo is correct, although at first it may look as if we can’t count 😉

And lastly, please be aware that I shall probably experience a high volume of emails and calls over the next few weeks (definitely during this week) and as such I ask that you please give me a couple of days to reply to any queries or questions. I will reply to you as soon as I am able.

To summarise, the Longrow 14yo is available for purchase right now. Allocation of the Springbank 15yo will be decided by a random draw; you have until 12 noon on Monday 14th November to put your name forward for that. Both bottles cost £65.00.

I hope that all makes sense to everyone but if you do have a question just drop me an email and I shall get back to you as soon as possible.

Lets not leave it so long this time…

Slainte

Nathan

Springbank Society

To join the Springbank Society please contact Nathan at society@springbankwhisky.com

Macallan “Double Cask” 12 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($54.99)

Macallan’s latest release is a 12-year-old “double cask” malt, meaning the whisky spent time in both American and European oak (or as we know it, ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. In a sense, it’s Macallan’s version of the Balvenie Doublewood or the Glenmorangie Lasanta: a rich and cocoa-laden malt that encompasses the sweeter and more decadent flavors of the sherry while still maintaining the malt’s inherent flavors at the core. The result is quite splendid. Macallan fans will revel in the Double Cask’s richness, its intensity and weight, and the creamy goodness of its palate. The flavors are dark and supple with plenty of cakebread, dark chocolate, and toasted oak. Fans of fine Scotch whisky will appreciate the price and the age statement, especially given the current trend of young whisky being sold at higher costs.

 

The Whisky Report Autumn 2016

Get your copy

Visit www.whisky-report.com and download your copy of The Whisky Report

Enjoy the Power of The Whisky Report

ONE THOUSAND WHISKIES. That’s how many drams we will have in our first year. All’s blind, of course. For us it’s all about taste, no fancy label shall mislead our honest opinion of every single whisky. Whisky & Bourbon Magazine is fiercely independent, we never second-guess a given score. Good stuff deserves attention despite its origins, either it comes from one of the big guys or an independent bottler you’ve never heard of.

We will never sample everything, no one can, the global whisky scene is changing too fast. But we will be there when it happens. We’re not print, our strength is that the Report is a digital publication. When a new whisky launches and enters the shops you can read about it on Whisky-Report.com. In short, our reviews are based on whisky sold right now. And the samples come directly from the distilleries.

You’ll get a digital PDF report four times a year. In between we do special minority reports (whenever we got material that needs quick attention). As an open-handed service to our subscribers we will collect all material once a year and do a lavish “bible”, a printed yearbook looking back to all that’s passed.

Accuracy is vital to us. We take our research into every whisky serious. Info on cask and age variation comes directly from the source. We even check market availability and recommended price for you. Along with our reviews you should have all the necessary info to make a sound buying-decision. Apart from the news section in each issue we look at various themes and often focus on a select distillery. And when it’s relevant, we look back and compare fresh editions with predecessors to demonstrate development/evolution in character.

Not registered? Sign up today for only € 9 / year

You’ll find the latest reviews together with hundreds of others in our database online. And you can download fresh PDF reports. Scrutiny and passion defines The Whisky Report – how can you resist… 

>> Visit us at

www.whisky-report.com

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Winter Edition

Arriving just in time for Christmas, only 600 bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Winter Edition have been made available to purchase in the UK. Presented in a beautiful two-tone blue bottle with golden snowflake accents, this limited edition is the ideal gift for any whisky lover.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label is the pinnacle of Blended Scotch Whisky making from Johnnie Walker. Only 1 out 10,000 casks is deemed to be of sufficient character to deliver its remarkably smooth signature taste, and these casks are drawn from the largest reserves of whisky in the world. Blue Label is a big flavoured whisky that reflects the Walker belief that neither whisky age alone, nor whisky from a single location, is enough to achieve the creation of a masterpiece.

Layers of big flavour, deep richness and smoke, layers of honey and fruit and an incredibly smooth finish deliver this truly rare character.

£225 Buy Now

Late October 2016 Outturn Offerings 

Special Bundle – A Tale of Two Glens 

 

Cask No. 64.65                             $135  

Bitter-sweet as lost love

Speyside, Lossie

The nose had unstinted salivating sweetness (toffee, marshmallows, nougat, maple syrup on ice-cream, Crunchie bars, sugary espresso dregs) plus a mesmerising melange of exotic fruits, some pine and old-fashioned perfumes. The palate was really juicy and lively – slightly bitter but attractive fruits dancing jigs on our willing tongues (kumquat, preserved lemon, Caribbean punch, sherbet lemons) – we also got balsamic glaze, cinnamon stick, vanilla and juicy oak. The reduced nose seemed fruitier, fresher and mouth-watering, with pineapple, apricot, melon, tutti frutti and lemon tart. The reduced palate was as bitter-sweet as Tennyson’s lost love – lemon drizzle cake, bitter lemon and pickled ginger.

Drinking tip: It’s quite lively – something to put you in the mood for dancing, funfairs or sky-diving.

Colour: Aladdin’s lamp

Cask: First-fill barrel

Age: 14 years

Date distilled: April 2001

Alcohol: 60.3%

USA allocation: 90 bottles

Flavour profile: Sweet, fruity & mellow

*AMANDA’S SELECTION*

 

Cask No. 29.178                                    $170

Bee-smoker on a pebble beach

Islay

We detected something of the sea on the nose – fresh oysters, a pebble beach, boat-decks and rush matting in a fisherman’s cottage. Beyond that we got gooseberry and lemon, salted caramel and bubble-gum bonbons – maybe also some bacon crisps. The palate was deliciously smoky, salty and floral – violets, lavender and sherbet straws, with dry earthy spices and an almost coal-dust minerality. The reduced nose evoked swimming pools in exotic parks or gardens, scented candles, dried seaweed and burnt paper in a bee-smoker. The palate had become a sweet, smoky, floral delight, with burnt flower bouquets and honey on charred staves.

Drinking tip: With oysters or when celebrating.

Colour: Old rolled gold

Cask: Refill barrel

Age: 20 years

Date distilled: April 1995

Alcohol: 55.0%

USA allocation: 84 bottles

Flavour profile: Peated 

 

Cask No. 7.133                             $125

A bag of boiled sweets

Speyside, Lossie

Very prickly to start, then develops into zingy boiled sweets – acid drops, lemon sherbets; fresh overall, but with an oaky base, especially apparent on the tongue. Water introduces canvas and plastic (new trainers), warm leatherette (the interior of a new Jaguar), the sweet freshness now sour green apples and travel sweets dusted with icing sugar. The taste is sweet, then immediately sour; spritely, with mulled wine spices and a warming finish. This would drink well straight from the freezer in a chilled martini glass.

Drinking tip: A bracing aperitif

Colour: Moonlight

Cask: First-fill barrel

Age: 12 years

Date distilled: September 2003

Alcohol: 57.9%

USA allocation: 90 bottles

Flavour profile: Young & spritely 

 

Cask No. G4.10                                     $240

Coffee toffee

Grain

We imagined sitting in an old church with polished pews, natural wax candles wearing a freshly starched white shirt and opening up a new cedar wood trinket filled with caramel flavoured marshmallows and honey roasted mixed nuts. Rich, creamy, silky-smooth mouthfeel like runny honey or maple syrup with fragrant wood spice and the slight tart finish of a fresh stick of rhubarb. Water turned it into a mocha java coffee with plenty of whipped cream and cinnamon and chocolate shavings sprinkled on top. To accompany the coffee we had candy and peanut brittle, creamy vanilla fudge, as well as chocolate covered toffee.

Drinking tip: With a cup of joe

Colour: Deep honey

Cask: Refill hogshead

Age: 34 years

Date distilled: February 1982

Alcohol: 52.8%

USA allocation: 60 bottles

Flavour profile: Spicy & sweet

Cask No. 46.30                    $135 

Flowers and chocolates for Churchill

Speyside, Lossie

The nose beckoned us into a garden centre, with green, leafy, floral and earthy elements, including the shop selling cane furniture and Yankee candles; in time we were transported to Churchill’s cabinet room (leather, wood and cigars). The palate was a bitter-sweet experience – vanilla, chocolate and sugared strawberry sweetness against more bitter aspects of wood, lime, ash and floral perfumes. With water, the nose presented rose and lime chocolate creams in paper cups in a wooden box. The palate turned considerably sweeter – burnt toffee, cookies and ice-cream – still some gooseberry, rhubarb and lime – but now wrapped in tasty, floral sweetness.

Drinking tip: To accompany afternoon tea in a garden

Colour: Chardonnay

Cask: Refill hogshead

Age: 14 years

Date distilled: September 2000

Alcohol: 58.6%

USA allocation: 138 bottles

Flavour profile: Juicy, oak & vanilla 

 

Cask No. 93.69                             $135

Props for a Hammer film

Campbeltown

The nose starts with dried dates and figs, polished wood, leather and hand-made Iranian carpets (a Middle Eastern market?) – Eventually finding other fruits (apricots, stewed plums, baked apple) and sweet coconut (like Peshawari naan) – definitely Eastern, exotic and alluring. The palate combines deep sweetness (malt extract, syrup of figs, muscovado) with lots of wood, spice cupboard warmth (turmeric, garam masala), tree-bark and eucalyptus. The reduced nose finds black rococo tulips, liquorice, leather and Fernet Branca (props for a Hammer film perhaps). The palate has manuka honey, black tea, All-bran and Demerara crunch – now sweeter and lip-smackingly more-ish – a serendipitous discovery.

Drinking tip: After dinner with espresso.

Colour: Amber

Cask: Second-fill Oloroso butt

Age: 14 years

Date distilled: April 2002

Alcohol: 59.5%

USA allocation: 114 bottles

Flavour profile: Oily & coastal

Cask No. 44.65                             $210

Subtle Complexity

Speyside, Spey

The nose neat was very soft, gentle and enticing compared to an Impressionist painting creating patches of light with soft pinks and purples. Aromas mentioned were sweet and salty crunch nut bars with honeycomb, a bowl of porridge with golden syrup and chocolate rice crispy cakes. A soft gentle heat to taste reminded us of roast pork in sweet tangy apple sauce. Water added more sweetness, tropical fruit salad with big pineapple chunks and cream, as well as Stroopwafel over a Latte. There was the exciting fizziness and juiciness of a Vin Gris with flavours of pear, mango and strawberry – subtle but complex.

Drinking tip: Whilst admiring the painting ‘Dance at le Moulin de la Galette’

Colour: Ash Blonde

Cask: Refill hogshead

Age: 24 years

Date distilled: August 1990

Alcohol: 52.4%

USA allocation: 60 bottles

Flavour profile: Sweet, fruity & mellow

Please visit the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America at www.smwsa.com