Compass Box Vellichor

Vellichor, n – the scent of second-hand bookshops.

On discovering this marvellous new word, they began a quest to recreate the fragrance using Scotch whisky. Parcels were considered, identified and pursued. The process can be compared to scouring second-hand bookshops for specific volumes.

Their search met with success when a distiller and bottler in the north of Scotland offered them casks of whiskies which had been blended together in the past, before being returned to ex-Sherry butts for further maturation. Whiskies, like old books, contain their own stories.

They combined these Sherry-matured stocks with bold and mature malt whiskies from the Macallan, Highland Park and Caol Ila distilleries. The aroma is highly evocative for anyone with a fondness for books; the taste evolves and intensifies as any good political thriller or historical romance should.

A tribute to the storytelling potential of blended Scotch whisky, and the atmospheres of their favourite book stores.

£400.00

TyndrumWhisky.com
The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom

Whisky adventures come in all forms – whether it’s a cask strength single malt, an experimental ‘Heresy’ batch, or one of our single cask spirits. Cask No. 8.47: Slippers ’N’ Chill is a new whisky that stands apart from our regular offering.

Bottled at a slightly reduced strength of 48% abv, this strength has been selected by our whisky team as being the optimal abv for this particular cask. The result is a full-flavoured Society single malt that offers an alternative way to explore our range.

It’s good to experiment from time to time, and that’s what this trial release is – an opportunity for you to try something new and tell us what you think! 

TRY SLIPPERS N’ CHILL

SLIPPERS N’ CHILL

Cask No. 8.47

Age: 8 years

Cask: First Fill Oloroso Butt

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

COUNTDOWN COLLECTION 2025 RELEASE INFORMATION

The Countdown Collection is a celebration of the endurance, adaptability and unwavering commitment to producing whisky of the highest quality using traditional methods. The whiskies in this five part series are a tribute to the generations who have contributed to the success of Springbank under the steadfast leadership of J. & A. Mitchell.

The Countdown Collection series will feature one special bottling released each year from the distillery in the lead up to our landmark anniversary. Each edition will be limited to just 500 bottles available via ballot to Springbank followers around the world.

These whiskies are just one part of what will be a wider celebration of this huge achievement for the distillery which has remained independent throughout its 200 year history.

A variety of special events, experiences and prizes will be on offer in the lead up to and during our 200th Anniversary Year in 2028 so there is lots to look forward to and share with all those who have supported and taken interest in the distillery, or simply enjoyed drinking the whiskies made here over the years.

We hope you will join us on this exciting and inclusive journey, counting down the years to this momentous milestone.

JOIN US FOR A LIVE DISCUSSION

We will be hosting a live tasting at 7pm (GMT) on Monday 24th March to discuss the upcoming release and ballot. Streaming live on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

NOSE

The third release in our Countdown Collection series opens with notes of red apple, peach and raspberry, with a touch of dunnage and a caramel note developing over time.

PALATE

Creamy on the palate with a subtle oaky element, there are notes of lemon rind, kiwi fruit, clotted cream and leather.

FINISH

The finish is sweet with notes of soft fudge and tea leaf.

NEW IN AND EXCLUSIVE:
GREEN SPOT 10

Green Spot is a renowned single pot still Irish whiskey named after the practice of Mitchell & Son, who marked aging casks with coloured paint spots. A green spot indicated a 10-year maturation. This now famous style of malted and unmalted barley, has garnered acclaim for its quality, which is why we’re delighted to have released this outstanding exclusive. It offers a perfect balance of fruity whiskey and creamy, spicy bourbon cask influence. Expect juicy tangerine, pear, and apple pie notes, with fragrant clove and cinnamon. A splash of water reveals more citrus oils, vanilla, and the signature pot still spiciness. Get it while you can.

SHOP NOW

Scarabus Sherry Cask Edition

Inspired by an alchemy of craft and cask, time, sea and air. A whisky for those with a curious mind and an eye for detail. Bold and honest about its Islay origins and just a little mysterious about everything else.

Lochlea releases its smokiest whisky yet with final

seasonal release:

Ploughing Edition (Third Crop)

Lochlea Distillery in Ayrshire is releasing its last ever seasonal limited-edition release; the third and final Lochlea Ploughing Edition (Third Crop) – a culmination of the three-year series concluding this year by the award-winning distillery. 

This final release of Lochlea Ploughing Edition (Third Crop) is released during winter on the farm when the fields are ploughed in preparation for spring’s sowing season in the months ahead. It showcases the distillery’s signature fruit and cereal-forward spirit with a peated twist.

Lochlea’s seasonal releases have been much-celebrated amongst the whisky community and beyond around the world since launching with the First Crop series in 2023. The limited-edition range has been instrumental in showing the farm-to-cask distillery’s innovation and creativity, not only within cask maturation but also with spirit style.

Of the four whiskies in the seasonal range, Ploughing Edition is the only spirit with a distinctive smoky profile, achieved through it being matured exclusively in 100% ex-Islay 200 litre casks.

The powerful peated casks coupled with the extra year of ageing from the Second Crop combine to produce the smokiest of Lochlea’s whiskies released to date, with delicious flavours or green apple, toffee and malted biscuits, alongside the mouthwatering smoky taste. 

Lochlea’s Master Blender, Jill Boyd – who joined the distillery team at the end of 2024 – commented: “We are delighted to share our third and final crop of Ploughing Edition – which also marks the end of the seasonal releases range. The range has been very well received over the past three years and has allowed us to tell our story with genuity and passion. “

“As a small farm-to-cask independent distillery growing all of our own barley here on the farm, it’s been imperative for us to talk about the importance of the land, the seasons and the farming calendar and the effect this has on our spirits. The seasonal Releases has showcased just how our spirits can evolve and change, influenced by the time of year and what profile of whisky we are looking to create to bring out the best of that season.”

“We hope whisky lovers have enjoyed joining us on the journey with the seasonal releases and will seek out this final release before it all disappears! We look forward to sharing more exciting innovations in the near future that tells another part of our Lochlea story.”

Lochlea’s seasonal releases are as follows:

• Ploughing Edition: released in winter when the fields are ploughed in preparation for spring.

• Sowing Edition: inspired by spring when the seed is sown for the year’s barley crop.

• Harvest Edition: timed with annual harvest on the farm.

• Fallow Edition: reflects the season of autumn on the farm when the fields are left fallow to rest after a busy harvest.

Availability & pricing:

Like all Lochlea’s whiskies, Ploughing Edition (Third Crop) has no added colouring and is non-chill filtered – it has been bottled at 46% and has an RRP of £51.50. Available from Lochlea stockists from 27^th March 2025 onwards and, like all the other seasonal releases, it is only available whilst stocks last. 

Ploughing Edition (Third Crop) – Tasting notes: 

Nose: Fresh green apple, sweet toffee and comforting notes of signature Lochlea cereal

Palate: More fresh fruit, giving way to wonderful savoury smoke and malted biscuits

Finish: Moreish fresh coastal notes of sea salt and a long lingering hint of peat

ABV: 46%

RRP: £51.50

Lochlea’s core range product:

Lochlea also has a core whisky expression available all year round – Our Barley. This unpeated single malt has been matured in a combination of three different casks: first fill ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry casks and STR barriques, all of which add depths of flavour to the spirit. Launched in July 2022, Our Barley has received much acclaim as a superb example of a young non-age statement (NAS) Lowlands whisky, made entirely from the distillery’s own home-grown barley.

About Lochlea Distillery:

Lochlea was originally a 222 acre livestock farm before being purchased by Neil and Jen McGeoch in 2006. After much consideration of the future of the farm and a successful trial to grow its own barley in 2015, the couple transformed the land and existing farm buildings into a fully-operational distillery in 2017 and started distilling the following year. The farming side has remained a unique part of Lochlea, with the move into barley production – paving the way for Lochlea to be one of the very few fully grain-to-cask distilleries in Scotland. It also has a rich Scottish heritage with strong links to Robbie Burns, with the bard having worked and lived on the farm a several years.

For a full list of Lochlea stockists, visit: Lochlea Distillery stockists

Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2025 Release – 10 Years Old

Loch Gorm 2025 Edition is the first ever Loch Gorm aged for over 10 years in oloroso sherry butts. Anthony selected 23 oloroso sherry butts in total, 20 fresh (first fill), 3 refill (second fill).

“10 years maturation in Sherry casks has added an abundance of rich spices, dark fruit and barbecue sweetness to the light citrus and peaty character of Kilchoman” – Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.

£82.99

Compass Box “5th & Harrison II” K&L Exclusive Dual Label Limited Edition Scotch Malt Whisky (700ml)

$179.99

The privilege of selecting a custom batch of Compass Box cannot be overstated. Only a handful of venues have ever been invited to participate in a collaboration with the great modern bespoke whisky maker. The blending and bottling of a K&L Exclusive Compass Box led by the illustrious John Glaser is one of our crowning achievements in terms of sheer quality. It took us almost 5 years from the moment we first approached the brand before they agreed to it. That whisky, 5th & Harrison, was a blend of old Caol Ila and sherried Glen Ord, a coupling for the ages. With killer price and a mysterious label -that were definitely NOT a drawing of any former K&L Spirits buyer- it sold out in just days for $180. Now the few bottles that remain fetch over $1000 at auction. Since then, so much has changed. John Glaser has handed the reigns over to a new generation of whisky maker and a new era of collaboration has blossomed.

K&L has a new location in Southern California and so much more. Nearly 10 years to the day that we began the process of creating 5th & Harrison, we’re ready to release a second custom batch bottled exclusively for K&L Wine Merchants by Compass Box. The act of blending whisky is one of the most gratifying and complex tasks I’ve had the incredible luck to perform. Blending whisky is not a materialistic endeavor that might be solved by wit and measure. The simple truth of blending is that 1+2≠3 and creating a whisky of great distinction and character is not as simple as just smashing three really good malts together. So, guided as it were, by the deft hand of Whisky Making Director and all-around splendid chap James Saxon, I embarked upon a supreme journey. We loved the original 5th & Harrison style and wanted to stay within that realm. James had an incredible array of wonderful old sherried and peated whiskies to choose from, but it was quickly narrowed down to a few lots. They had old Ardbeg, Highland Park, Caol Ila, Bowmore and sherried Glendullan or Tormore.

I wasn’t simply looking to recreate the prowess of the original in flavor terms. Instead, I felt we needed to focus on creating the same experience of unbridled value for your dollar. That immediately cut the potential of working with Ardbeg out of the question – despite the quality of the distillate, it’s not only difficult to integrate, but VERY expensive after 20 years of age. I’d assumed the same fate would hold true for the other Islay options, but after running the numbers, we found that we’d be able to use significant portions of Bowmore aged for almost 23 years in ex-bourbon. That product on its own would fetch many hundreds of dollars in today’s market.

With it we married a gorgeous first fill sherry butt of Glendullan of at least 21 years of age. This little-known distillery can offer some serious character and complexity if aged in quality casks. So little sees high value sherry it’s hard to generalize about the character, but this barrel was absolutely first rate. It brought out the deep tropical fruit and wild exotic side of the Bowmore. This original blend was supple and delicious -a 5th & Harrison redux if you will, but it didn’t really show the maturity of these two wonderful old spirits. In fact, the whiskies seemed to bring out the hidden youthfulness in each other, a noble trait, though now somehow masking some deeper complexities that the two exhibited apart. At James’ suggestion we began to explore the potential of encouraging a small amount of old rugged Caol Ila into the blend. This I also assumed would be cost prohibitive, but we forged ahead anyway.

After nearly two and half decades in refill American oak, the wild jagged spirit has smoldered into a dense singularity of salty ocean flavors. The feeling of boarding a weathered schooner, salt and tar covered, the captain’s pipe wafting as he steadies the wooden tiller. Whiffs of salted fish, sea spray and diesel smoke complete the harbor scene. Ultimately, this final note brought the new batch together perfectly by retaining the wild freshness but pinpointing both a base and top note that draws the deeper elements of the first two malts forward. The resulting blend is easily one of my favorite modern bottlings of Scotch in at least a decade. It exemplifies everything we are at K&L, providing a superior experience for an incredible price. I’ll attempt to do it justice here. The color is stunning hue of chestnut (1.2). The nose offers an incredible sense of the finest and oldest things -old teak, cordovan, salt encrusted rope, mango syrup, balsam, seaweed, bonfire, première eau and marmalade. On the palate the Bowmore shines at first offering salted tropical fruit, fried plantains in honey, grilled lemons.

Then our Glendullan adds wild nutty oxidized rancio, dense spices and freshly chopped dark chocolate. The finish brings a heavy dose of lemon oil, old wood, baked orchard fruit, apricot jam, salted almonds, camphor and smoldering tobacco. It doesn’t need a drop of water and certainly not more than that if you must. Bottled at extremely near cask strength 0.1-.2% to round out the labels and with no chillfiltration, coloring or other additives whatsoever. Today, to commemorate the expansion of K&L into new waters, we launch both 5th & Harrison II & Culver & Sepulveda. These two sister bottlings include the exact same juice, but each label celebrates these two wonderful cities that we call home. IN some comedic twist of fate, we’re able to offer these wonders – an old blended malt scotch whisky at the exact same price as the previous K&L/Compass Box collaboration from over a decade ago, a true triumph.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Max Homa Partners with Elijah Craig for Ultra-Exclusive Toasted Barrel Pick

The standout 8-year-old pick will be released in extremely limited quantities with less than 200 bottles available exclusively for the most discerning golf and Bourbon fans

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 18, 2025) – PGA TOUR® pro Max Homa, known for his humor and strong performance on the golf course, has teamed up with Elijah Craig to create a one-of-a-kind Bourbon expression. When he’s not perfecting his swing, Homa can be found enjoying the rich, sweet oak notes of Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel, which he has dubbed his “hands-down favorite.” So, when the opportunity arose to collaborate on a private barrel pick for his fans, he jumped at the chance.

The result is a truly exclusive Toasted Barrel pick that captures Homa’s love for craftsmanship, collaboration, and the pursuit of excellence. The process begins with Elijah Craig’s renowned Small Batch Bourbon, which is then elevated by a second, custom toasted barrel. This step imbues the Bourbon with an additional layer of sweet oak complexity, creating a rich, full-bodied profile.

“Since the beginning of my partnership with Elijah Craig, fans have been asking for a barrel pick,” said six-time PGA TOUR® winner Max Homa. “All of the barrels I sampled were delicious which made the decision very difficult, but in the end my Toasted Barrel pick ultimately stood out with its rich creamy notes of butterscotch and vanilla alongside the classic oak smokiness and spice Elijah Craig is known for.”

For Max’s signature sip, the team followed the same finishing process, but with a unique twist—working with single barrels that were uncut and bottled at barrel proof. After sampling four carefully curated options alongside Elijah Craig Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll, Homa stepped into the role for the day, ultimately selecting a standout 8-year-old Bourbon. This Bourbon, initially aged on the fifth floor of Heaven Hill’s Rickhouse M and finished for six months on the fifth floor of Warehouse H1, boasts an impressive 126.6 proof.

The result is a Bourbon with a depth of flavor that begins with the unmistakable aroma of toasted oak and sweet caramel. The finish is warm and satisfying, with lingering hints of chocolate and baking spices—perfectly embodying the signature toasted finish Elijah Craig fans know and love, while amplifying every rich note.

Max Homa’s exclusive Toasted Barrel pick is exclusively available to residents of Max’s home state of California, providing an opportunity for fans to enjoy a truly exceptional expression of Bourbon crafted by one of the game’s most talented athletes. Fans of both Elijah Craig and Max Homa can sign up to be the first to know when the release will be available for sale by visiting the Elijah Craig website. By providing contact information on the sign-up page, fans will receive an exclusive email with the limited opportunity to purchase the product. Note that joining the list is not a guarantee of purchase and product will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

Please note that joining the list is not a guarantee of purchase.

ABOUT ELIJAH CRAIG BOURBON: Elijah Craig Bourbon bears the name of the Reverend Elijah Craig, known as “The Father of Bourbon,” who established his distillery in 1789 on the banks of Elkhorn Creek in modern day Georgetown, Kentucky. He is credited with being the first distiller to age his wares in charred oak barrels. The clear, unaged corn liquor became transformed into a bold amber liquid with a distinctively smooth flavor that makes Bourbon what it is today. Produced by Heaven Hill Distillery, the family of whiskeys includes Elijah Craig Small Batch, Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey, Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Bourbon and Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Rye, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and Elijah Craig Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. First brought to market in 1986, Heaven Hill Distillery’s Master Distillers were selecting a small number of barrels of the finest Bourbon to make Elijah Craig Small Batch long before the term “small batch” even existed. It is this attention to detail and superb craftsmanship that give Elijah Craig an ideal balance of age, robust body, and rich flavor. Elijah Craig accolades have included Whisky Advocate’s Whisky of the Year, Best Small Batch Bourbon, Best Single Barrel Bourbon (aged 11+ years) and Best Straight Bourbon at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and Excellent Highly Recommended honors at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. For more information, please visit www.elijahcraig.com