Announcing our 6th Anniversary Bourbon Release and Distillery Birthday Celebration Saturday June 25th  11am – 6pm

In celebration of our sixth year anniversary, Rock Town Distillery will release a limited edition bourbon whiskey called, “Rock Town Four Grain Sour Mash Straight Bourbon Whiskey.” It will be available for purchase only at the distillery in downtown Little Rock, starting at 11am on Saturday, June 25th.

Rock Town Four Grain Sour Mash Arkansas Straight Bourbon Whiskey

• $49.99 per 375ml bottle
• 100 proof Straight Bourbon
• Available only at the distillery tasting room
• Paid 50% deposit reserves your bottle
• Call 501-907-5244 to reserve your bottle

6th Anniversary Celebration Tastings

Rock Town will also offer two exclusive sit down tastings on Saturday, June 25th at 2pm and 5pm of four rare and exceptional Rock Town whiskeys paired with local cheese and meats:

• 6th Anniversary Four Grain Sour Mash Bourbon Whiskey – 100 proof
• Single Barrel Hickory Smoked Whiskey – Cask Strength
• Single Barrel Rye Whiskey – Cask Strength
• Our now Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey – Cask Strength

Space is extremely limited for the tastings and the cost is $40 per person. Tasting reservations can be made at http://store.rocktowndistillery.com/product-category/tastings/

6th Anniversary Celebration Tours

As a thank you to our friends and supporters we will be offering:

• Free tours 11am to 6pm held periodically throughout the day on Saturday June 25th

Cragganmore 30 Year Old 1985 Old & Rare Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

$365.04

Cragganmore 30 Year Old 1985 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whiskey. Single cask refill hogshead bottled October 2015 by Hunter Laing & Co. for the Old & Rare Platinum Selection. 180 bottles. This golden coloured whisky has a delicate mellow nose sweet vanilla initially then an assortment of fruit aromas appear banana peaches blackcurrants with butter shortbread adding weight .a creamy buttery mouthfeel on the palate with red berries cinder toffee and dark chocolate giving sweetness and complexity .The finish is long satisfying sweet pleasant slightly dry with a touch of oak. Cragganmore Distillery was established by John Smith in 1869 on a site close to Ballindalloch Station in the heart of Scotland’s Speyside whisky region. Cragganmore Distillery is a malt whisky distillery equipped with four very short stills and is one of the few Scottish malt whisky distilleries which continue to cool their new spirit in traditional worm tubs. Visitors are welcomed at the Cragganmore Distillery visitor centre where distillery tours are available. Cragganmore is a participant in the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

Enlightenment – Available Now!

Inspired by the writers, philosophers and scientists of the Age of Enlightenment, this Limited Edition release is our way of highlighting the issues of a regulatory system that currently prevents Scotch producers from sharing information about the age of every component whisky used in their blends. And of course the whisky itself is something rather special.  A summery blend of fruity, fragrant Highland Single Malt whiskies, it is bursting with aromas of fresh orchard fruit, flavours of vanilla, soft spice and an alluring apple peel waxiness on the finish. An uplifting whisky with which to ponder the world of Scotch not only as it is but also as it could be!

Whiskymaker John Glaser

The Circus

Also available from today, The Circus is built around a core of old Blended Scotch and Blended Grain whisky parcels that were aged pre-blended in sherry butts for many years. The resulting whisky has a lithe frame and opulent mouthfeel brimming with dried fruit character, a luscious maltiness and nuances of almond and hazelnut.   Like all the best circuses, this whisky is transient, ephemeral, in town for one night only.  All the more reason to enjoy it while it’s here!

Transparency Matters

If you haven’t already done so, please take a look at our Scotch Whisky Transparency campaign, which sets out to change EU and UK regulations that currently prevent us from sharing information about the age of every component whisky used in our blends.  If you agree with our proposal, please take a moment to sign our Statement of Beliefs.  Every signature we receive in support helps us lobby the industry to change the regulations for the better.

Glenfiddich 31 Year Old 1977 Cask #4414 Speyside Single Malt

 

North of Scotland 44 Year Old 1971 Hart Brothers Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

$265.91

North of Scotland 44 Year Old 1971 vintage Lowland single grain Scotch whiskey. Single cask distilled August 1971 and bottled August 2015 by Hart Brothers. Just 66 bottles from the cask. North of Scotland Distillery near Cambus was originally Strathmore malt whisky distillery which was converted to a grain whisky distillery in 1960 and renamed North of Scotland. Closed in 1980 and demolished in 1993, some warehouses remain in use.

Beam Suntory Pushes The Boundaries Of Japanese Whisky With The Chita Exclusive To Travel Retail

PIONEERING INNOVATION IN GRAIN WHISKY

Set for release in July 2016, Beam Suntory Global Travel Retail (GTR) will launch its new Japanese Single Grain Whisky, The Chita, exclusively in Asia Pacific and European Travel Retail and in limited quantities in Americas Travel Retail. The Chita demonstrates Beam Suntory GTR’s continued dedication to innovation in the Japanese whisky category and respect for the traditional values of The House of Suntory Whisky, offering Japanese whisky fans a distinctly versatile spirit with a smooth and floral taste profile. The Chita will be available in a 70cl format presented in an elegant indigo blue gift box.

EXPLORING DIVERSE TECHNIQUES

Renowned for their superior Japanese whiskies, The House of  Suntory Whisky has expertly crafted The Chita to achieve an unrivalled balance of complexity, subtlety and refinement in grain whisky.

Grain whisky has always been more than just a component for The House of Suntory Whisky’s Master Blenders, who have created a different and distinctive, light-­‐bodied spirit with The Chita using diverse unblended whisky distilling techniques at the distillery in Aichi Prefecture on the Pacific coast of Japan.

The Chita is made as ‘Dashi’, a special Japanese broth used across The House of Suntory Whisky’s award-­‐winning range to enhance the balance and  harmony of the blend, resulting in a gentle and sophisticated finish. Previously only available in Japan, due to increased demand Japanese whisky fans around the world will now be able to purchase this unique expression in Asia Pacific, European and Americas Travel Retail.

Michael Cockram, Global Marketing Director, Travel Retail at Beam Suntory, comments: “The Chita is a perfectly balanced Japanese whisky that reflects the artistry and diversity of The House of Suntory Whisky. With our rich history of innovation and award-­‐winning Japanese releases, Global Travel Retail will continue to be a priority platform to showcase innovative new products from the Beam Suntory portfolio to the rest of the world.”

TASTE PROFILE

A bright gold whisky with notes of cardamom, acacia honey and blossoming rose, The Chita is mild and smooth on the palate with a clean finish offering subtle bittersweet hints of spiced oak. Best enjoyed in a traditional Japanese highball with soda, The Chita will add a deep honeyed flavour to the signature serve.

The Chita, RRP US$55 (70cl) will be available from July 2016 in Asia Pacific Travel Retail and European Travel Retail, as well as in limited quantities in Americas Travel Retail.

About Beam Suntory Inc.

As the world’s third largest premium spirits company, Beam Suntory is Crafting the Spirits Brands that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbon brands and Suntory whisky Kakubin, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek bourbon, Yamazaki, Hakushu and Hibiki Japanese whiskies, Teacher’s, Laphroaig, and Bowmore Scotch whiskies, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Sauza tequila, Pinnacle vodka and Midori liqueur.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and commitment to Growing for Good. Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.

JUNE OUTTURN: FLAVOUR PACKED FEAST

This First Friday we’re out on the lawn drinking tea and eating a flavour-packed feast of fresh fruits, pastries, sweet cakes with lashings of jam, barbecued honey-glazed ham and some sultry smoked bacon fat!  June Outturn stirs the senses with a lip-smacking new selection of summertime single casks for you to taste and explore.

If you need some extra help choosing your bottles this month, SMWS Ambassador Phoebe Brookes reviews her favourite casks online – visit the SMWS blog >

Sweet, fruity & mellow

7.132 Nougat and chocolate semifreddo
Price: £51.80
BUY >

G4.8 Spinning honey
Price: £126.80
BUY >

36.100 Aristocratic pretensions
Price: £68.70

Spicy & sweet

121.84 What goes around…
Price: £54.70

35.146 Mellow yellow
Price: £94.50 

Old & dignified

64.70 The Spicy cake cabinet
Price: £110.00 

41.70 C’est Magnifique!
Price: £332.00
Get a FREE Uisge Source Trio!

Light & delicate

55.36 Popping candy in flower meadows
Price: £65.30

Juicy, oak & vanilla

5.50 Golden delicious
Price: £67.20 

85.37 Discover the secret side!
Price: £44.20 

Oily & coastal

31.33 Piri-piri & teryaki chicken
Price: £116.90
Low Availability Online Exclusive!

Lightly peated

3.262 Medicine for the soul
Price: £91.40

42.24 The bee’s knees…
Price: £59.40 

Heavily peated

29.183 A cold cure
Price: £96.80 

Browse Current Outturn >
Browse All Bottlings >

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

RAISE A DRAM TO YOUR DAD THIS FATHER’S DAY

Looking for the perfect gift this Father’s Day? Leading whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail have a present for everyone. With a range of whiskies covering all flavour profiles, and an exceptional collection of Rare Vintage single malts to commemorate a special year in your dad’s life, there’s something to suit every palate on Sunday 19 June.

For the lover of the unique

In the mid-1960s Gordon & MacPhail launched ‘Connoisseurs Choice’, a ground-breaking range of whiskies which, until this time, would not have been available as single malts. Today Connoisseurs Choice retains this distinctive nature, providing a range of high quality single malts from distilleries throughout Scotland, including the below.

For those with a love of peated single malts, Connoisseurs Choice Ledaig 1999 is the perfect gift. Matured in refill remade Hogsheads casks, this whisky offers sweet cured meat and stewed apple, lemon and lime citrus aromas, with a delicate menthol note developing. Peppery flavours with ripe banana, orange and mango are complemented by a milk chocolate edge, which gives way to a long and lingering finish. Connoisseurs Choice Ledaig 1999 is available to purchase in the UK at an RRP of around £65.00.

Connoisseurs Choice Tormore 1997, a pale gold Speyside dram, is the ideal choice for dads who like something a little bit different. Sweet and fruity with hints of toffee, green apple and subtle vanilla notes on the nose, the whisky offers sweet and peppery flavours followed by tropical fruit, with a hint of honey sweetness. With a long and creamy finish, Connoisseurs Choice Tormore 1997 is available to purchase in the UK at an RRP of around £65.00.

If your dad prefers a sweeter dram, then why not share Connoisseurs Choice Tomatin 1997 this Father’s Day? Pale gold in colour, aromas of sweet vanilla mix with banana, pineapple and lime, as a delicate floral edge develops. Sweet and creamy on the tongue, the whisky is ripe with banana, orange zest and milk chocolate flavours, with a balanced and creamy finish. Connoisseurs Choice Tomatin 1997 is available to purchase in the UK at an RRP of around £70.00.

For the special man in your life

Gift the man in your life with something exceptional this Father’s Day by presenting him with a bottle of Gordon & MacPhail Rare Vintage. With a selection of single malts spanning from 1936 to 1983, it’s the perfect range of whiskies for those looking to mark a milestone with an extra-special present.

Celebrate the year he became a dad with a bottle of Rare Vintage Strathisla 1967, a remarkable whisky which recently won a gold medal at the world renowned International Spirits Challenge. A dark amber Speyside dram, it offers rich fruit cake notes with hints of stewed prunes, mixed spice, and a touch of milk chocolate sweetness. A gentle and warming dram to taste, menthol freshness gives way to a sherried edge, a touch of chilli spices, and creamy, fruity influences. A rich and smooth after dinner dram, Rare Vintage Strathisla 1967 is available to purchase in the UK at an RRP of £620.

Commemorate the year he was born and share a dram of Rare Vintage Mortlach 1954. A full bodied Speyside dram, rich sherry influences mix with dried fruits, bees wax and a subtle fresh peppermint edge on the nose. Initially spicy on the palate, the whisky offers tropical fruit and cocoa flavours and a creamy finish. Rare Vintage Mortlach 1954 is available to purchase in the UK at an RRP of £1,850.

If you like the idea of gifting a vintage bottle of Malt Whisky to celebrate the above milestones Gordon & MacPhail offers an unrivalled range. Please speak to your Specialist Retailer or email us for assistance.

For further information and stockist details please visit the Gordon & MacPhail website at www.gordonandmacphail.com/.

The June Outturn stirs the senses with a lip-smacking new selection of summertime single casks for you to taste and explore!

CASK No. 44.69  TANTALIZING TANNINS

11 years old; refill barrel; 57.3%; Juicy, oak & vanilla

Tempting aromas like lifting the lid of a box off pralines whilst brewing a Rooibos chai tea. Diluted, fresh lemon juice and orange barley water followed by antique leather bound books on the nose and on the palate a Caribbean fruit punch.

CASK No. 28.28  LAY YOUR HEAD ON MY PILLOW

10 years old; refill barrel; 60%; Sweet, fruity & mellow

A crisp start with notes of warm wood embers to follow. Taste neat had a good chili heat with the syrupy viscosity of sweet and sour sauce. Diluted, zingy buttercream and flavours of carrot cake with a cinnamon frosting.

CASK No. 50.72  SUMMER’S NIGHT IN LOVERS’ LANE

25 years old; refill barrel; 50.2%; Deep, rich & dried fruits

Butterflies of scent flit around – orange blossom, heather, cedar, plum brandy and leather; honeysuckle, mango and apple pie with water. The palate has Danish pastries, butter croissants, pipe tobacco, coconut, pineapple, chocolate cherries and various woody spices (ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon).

CASK No. 35.133  MEDITERRANEAN MAHARAJAH GOES AMERICAN

20 years old; 1st fill toasted oak hogshead; 55.8%; Spicy & sweet

Powerful spicy rye: cardamom, cassia, blackcurrant and cinnamon cookie dough. Oily black tea scented with star anise. Smoky tomato tapenade, digestives dipped in dark chocolate, peanut brittle toffee. Tanned leather and meaty scallops in a rib sauce. Something’s gone awry!

CASK No. 29.164  A BALLERINA AT THE BARBECUE

17 years old; refill hoshead; 49.2%; Lightly peated

A damp deck, antiseptic and lint bandages. Bloody Mary with white fish wrapped in bacon, spritzed with lime. Popcorn with sea salt and black pepper with cucumber sandwiches. Shellfish drizzled with coriander with grilled halloumi and green peppers. Dainty and delicious!

CASK No. 3.255  GENIE IN A BOTTLE

21 years old; refill sherry butt; 46.6%; Peated

Clean perfumed smoke, sun scorched heather, crystallized ginger and seared scallops – this was a genie in a glass. On the palate the genie was released in a puff of perfumed smoke.  Let’s give it a rub and make a wish.

SMWS Canada

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada

104-1240 Kensington Road NW, Suite 160 Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 3P7

Email – curious@smws.ca

NUMBER ONE DRINKS TO REPRESENT “THE EXCEPTIONAL”

US based spirits specialist, Sutcliffe & Son has teamed up with Number One Drinks to supply specialist whisky retailers across UK and Europe.

Don Sutcliffe, managing director of Craft Distillers, and Willie Phillips, former managing director of The Macallan have joined forces to create a series of exemplary small batch Scotch whiskies, THE EXCEPTIONAL by Sutcliffe & Son.

THE EXCEPTIONAL small batch bottlings are expertly created from a selection of aged whiskies, carefully chosen from several different Scotch distilleries, including rare casks from closed distilleries. Once crafted the whisky is gently married over time, finished in the finest first-fill Oloroso sherry casks.

The first consignment of whiskies will be available in three expressions, The Exceptional Grain (3^rd Edition), The Exceptional Malt (2^nd Edition) and the Exceptional Blend (1^st Edition). Due to the individual nature of the cask make-up, each edition of THE EXCEPTIONAL has distinctive characteristics. The Scotch grain and malt whiskies are all bottled at 43% ABV.

Don Sutcliffe comments; “We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with the Number One Drinks team to introduce The Exceptional in the UK!  Everyone to whom I spoke recommended we reach out to Marcin Miller for sound advice regarding the UK (in fact the world) whisky market.”

Willie Phillips believes “the timing is perfect to be introducing THE EXCEPTIONAL in Europe.” Adding; “European consumers are knowledgeable in the progression of Scotch whisky. Our whiskies are blended to be distinctive expressions, using exceptional casks of mature Grain and Malt whiskies, each bottling to express nuanced elegance and complexity.”

Don and Willie formed a lasting friendship when they met over 25 years ago. Sutcliffe, who was instrumental in the development of The Macallan in the US, being largely responsible for the success on the west coast and Phillips, the former managing director of the iconic Macallan Distillery for 23 years had always envisioned a future project together. With unparalleled access to some of the finest casks of whisky in Scotland and enlisting the help of master blender, Bill Arthur, their early ambition has come to fruition with the development of THE EXCEPTIONAL.

Marcin Miller, managing director of Number One Drinks said of the new partnership “Sutcliffe & Son are the perfect fit for our portfolio and we look forward to introducing these outstanding whiskies to enthusiasts across the UK and Europe.”

The first two batches were very well received in the US, meeting with critical acclaim and selling out swiftly.  All expressions will retail at £86 per bottle.

www.one-drinks.com

Notes:

Tasting notes:

Spanning four decades, the component whiskies for each edition of THE EXCEPTIONAL bottlings are selected for their individual (yet complementary) attributes, to create a harmonious whisky of layered complexity and great depth.

THE EXCEPTIONAL GRAIN 3^rd Edition 43%

A selection of remarkable casks from North British, Loch Lomond, Strathclyde, Cameronbridge and Carsebridge distilleries, blended and married in first-fill Oloroso Sherry butts.

First nosing suggests lemon meringue and toffee apple, followed by apple, cinnamon, cranberry and tablet on the palate.  The finish is long and lingering with notes of apple pie, cream and butterscotch.  

THE EXCEPTIONAL MALT 2^nd Edition 43%

An extraordinary range of mature casks, including Glenfarclas, Ben Nevis, Balvenie, Kininvie, Glenfiddich, Alt-a’Bhainne, Auchroisk, Glenallachie, Westport, Speyside and (of course) Macallan distilleries, blended and married in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts.

Opening nose and palate are effusive with honeyed Christmas cake, tangerine, dark cherry and aniseed. The mid palate evolves into raspberry crumble with intriguing notes of tarragon and spice. The finish lingers with notes of sherry, toffee cream and a returning hint of anise.

THE EXCEPTIONAL BLEND 1^st Edition 43%

An exemplary  selection of mature grain and malt casks from North British, Strathclyde, Cameronbridge, Glenfarclas, Ben Nevis, Balvenie, Kininvie, Glenfiddich, Alt-a’Bhainne, Auchroisk, Glenallachie, Westport, Speyside and (of course) Macallan distilleries, blended and married in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts.

Initial nose is all crème caramel and orange marmalade, evolving on the palate to include wild strawberry and vanilla cream.  The finish is long and lingering with notes of shortbread, orange peel and a whisper of herbal mint.