STOCKING FILLERS UNDER £60

Hunting high and low for that perfect gift? Your search may just be over… Forget crowded department stores, we have A toy shop in an orange grove (85.31). For the adventurous spirit, Ray Mear’s Digestif (G4.6) will be a welcome warmer. Delight a loved one’s inner child with An explosion of playfulness (39.113; strictly for grown ups) All of these – and 14 more – for under £60 make for a quick and painless tick off the list. But with just one week left for guaranteed Christmas delivery (midday Fri 18 Dec), shop now ’cause there’s no time to lose!

Young & spritely

39.113 An explosion of playfulness £56.30

54.36 Pocket rocket  £46.40

Sweet, fruity & mellow

28.28 Lay your head on my pillow £45.50

85.31 A toy shop in an orange grove £46.80

Spicy & sweet

48.58 Medieval jousting dram £42.80

G4.6 Ray Mear’s Digestif (Grain) £57.30

Light & delicate

70.11 Sweet, clean, juicy and moreish £46.50

55.32 Sunshine and lemon fizz £56.60

Juicy, oak & vanilla

41.68 Liquified “Bounty bars”  £50.20

36.92 High tea in a cottage garden £50.60

112.10 A comforting hug in a mug £50.00

Browse All Stocking Fillers >

Browse Latest Outturn >
Browse All Bottlings >

HOME IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS

Last order date for guaranteed Christmas delivery – MIDDAY on FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER 2015 (Based on advice from our courier and weather permitting).

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ Contact:mailto:sales@smws.comor 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

Time for something new! Time for something old!

Before we give you a few gentle clues about the next few months we should update you all on the releases of small batch and authentic collection malts.

We have taken delivery of a few more cases of the amazing Caol Ila 20 a nice full replenishment of the Glen Grant 20 year old also back in stock along with many others via the web shop and in store. Below you will find some of our top tasting whiskies we think you should consider.

We have a number of Small batch malts in back up stocks though this range is greatly depleted in some areas we will do our best to get the odd bottles in stock over the next week or two and with time add them to the web shop assuming they don’t sell out as soon as they arrive.

LONDON Christmas & New Year Opening Times 2015:

DECEMBER 2015
Saturday 19th 10:30AM to 6:00PM
Sunday 20th Closed
Monday 21st to Wednesday 23rd 10:00AM to 6:30PM
Thursday 24th 10:00AM to 3:30PM
Friday 25th to Monday 28th Closed
Tuesday 29th 11:00AM to 6:00PM
Wednesday 30th 10:30AM to 6:30PM
Thursday 31st 10:30AM to 4:00PM

JANUARY 2016
Friday 1st Closed
Saturday 2nd 11:00AM to 6:00PM
Normal hours resume from Monday January 4th

LOOKING BACK AND FORWARD

So what a year that was for Cadenhead’s & Springbank products with some ranges selling out in a matter of hours such as the last release of Authentic single casks, I can’t recall a time when every single bottle from a release was sold with-in 1 hour. We thought the last release would take us nicely to mid December!

Thankfully we managed to get a few cases from other releases to fill the shelves otherwise it would have been a rather ordinary looking whisky shop when people visited the London store. (More than enough stores selling the same products in this city we did not want to be one of them)

2016 is the lead in year to mark Cadenhead 175th anniversary and of course our own 21st birthday in London. Not that many single malt whisky specialists can say they are still run by the same owners in a city like London.

So with such a special year ahead what will we be doing? Quite a lot as it happens starting off with a new range named after the founder of the company William Cadenhead.

First off the block will be a new 12 year old cask matured sherrywood 46%vol then a rather big peaty Islay single malt for all those who love a big peat beast then this one aged to 7 years old bottled at full cask strength of 59.1% is for you.

Next we head off to Ireland for a new 13 year old smooth Irish at 46% this one is rather special so grab one if smooth and sweet is you’re thing.

The new range will be a mix of blended malts and unspecified single malts, each bottle will carry a picture of the founder himself on the label.

Next up some general news on the 12th small batch release due again early in the new year. 10 – 12 new products start us off in this now iconic range, ages will range from 10 to 37 year olds with regions like islay and the islands featuring alongside some amazing Speysiders and highlands. Three of the new single malts will be in the single cask gold range. I am sure I will be able to predict one of them will fly off the shelves given its great age and coming from one of the islands?

I am not going to go on and on about the new range just yet…that will be in the next newsletter.

BENRIACH 1986 29y/o 50.1%-70cl Small Batch
A stunningly smooth malt that one should never share.

GLEN SPEY-GLENLIVET DISTILLERY 1995 19Y/O 58.5% 70cl Small Batch
A classic rich Speysider malt that goes on and on.

CRAGGANMORE 1993 22Y/O 56.3%-70CL Small Batch
One of the best I have ever tasted

TOBERMORY Distillery 1994 20y/o 57.8% 70cl – Sherrywood
This is a real gem of a whisky that changes constantly in the glass. (One of the top rated in the tasting room)

CAOL ILA Distillery 1995 20y/o 57.7% 70cl
Another fantastic Islay that will be a much treasured dram in the
future

FETTERCAIRN Distillery 1993 22y/o 53.7% – 70cl Sherry since May 2008
Simply elegant and smooth

BEN NEVIS Distillery 1998 16y/o 51.2% 70cl
Refreshing fruity west highland malt that is second to none

STRATHMILL 19Y/O 55.1% – 70cl Chateau Lafitte cask since 2009
Smooth creamy with lot of rich tones inc orange notes

SPEYSIDE distillery 24Y/O 53.3% – 70cl
This little distillery makes a huge rich malt at any age. Well worth a place in anyone’s collection. Elegance in a bottle

CAOL ILA 31 year old Islay London Special Edition 1984 70cl/ 54.3%
And finally one last champion whisky that will sell out very soon the last few Caol Ila 31 London special 2015. A rich smoke and peat with a lot of rich cream and vanilla notes can be found in this amazing Islay Single cask.  Dare I say the best vintage islay we have had for 2015. Bottled at 10:30am May 5th exactly 20 years to the day and the hour we opened the first Cadenhead’s shop outside Scotland.  When the London store opened a few of us thought would it work without selling wines and other spirits after all thats what everyone else did. No need to worry about being like everyone else doing what we do best has worked just fine.

Springbank will have a few new products in January early February 2016 again more about them soon, the big clues to what is coming are the clocks on the newsletters recently “all about turning back time”  As i am working on this newsletter the Springbank 15 bottled in October 2015 has sold out from the bonds. Another batch was bottled in October, the new batch is still 100% sherrywood but this time it has a more gold Amber colour than the dark offering back in August, the taste is all you would want and rightly expect with a little more smoke coming through in the October offering just a subtle amount though.

If you want the August bottling you can add a comment to the order or ask us over the phone to check if we still have the August stocks.

THE TASTING ROOM

Over 6024 people have attended the tasting room this year or will have done by December 30th, not to mention the several thousand we have seen during outside events, we added extra nights and employed a new team member to cope with demand, I doubt we can fit many more in next year indeed I know we cannot at this stage anyway.

To allow those with vouchers purchased last Christmas time to book in we are extending the redemption period until Thursday 31st of March 2016. So long as you call us before the extended date we can book you in with the voucher codes that will expire very soon.

I have been asked to run Rum tastings over the last year, due to so many advanced bookings we had trouble setting them up until now. Check the web site for the first Friday Night Rum session on Friday 1st of April 2016, we also have Irish Vs Scottish week with 2 evening sessions on March 15th & 17th again more info will be added to the web site soon alongside the dates already listed.

You can use the Trip Around Scotland vouchers for the new tastings listed on the web site now and any future additions to the events.

A limited Tasting Room Event: PERSONAL BLENDING NIGHT

The latest event that is very different has been added to the home page of the web site.

Friday 5th February 2015 starts at 6:15PM finishing by 8:00PM

 You will taste 6 single malts (Think of this as speed dating for whisky). You will then choose 3 from the 6 to add to a base whisky for the blend.  We will supply you with a selection of wood styles and regions to taste, a short informative talk about the wood styles and flavour notes to look out for when making the final choice for blending.

You will have a hydrometer to measure the ABV (% VOL) of your personal blend. We will have a note sheet so you can keep track of the tastes you discover during the tasting helping you record of how you have made the choices for your personal blend.  After you taste the blend corking will take place along with filling out a Chiltern street personal label. You will also have a signed certificate after completing the tasting. Light snacks are provided during this tasting nothing too heavy to keep your palate clear.  If you purchase this session on-line we will send you a confirmation email with a PDF voucher to the email address associated with the order. We can also send a voucher if purchased over the phone, email us with the unique code we will give you after purchasing via phone.
6 Spaces are sold on-line 4 spaces over the phone by calling 0207 935 6999 between 10:30AM and 6:00PM Monday to Saturday.  This session cannot be moved to another date only 10 spaces available. Now I have to do the boring bit! Due to heavy demand for the tasting room events its becoming difficult to keep moving people to another date. When booking we strongly advise you to be 100% sure you can attend the tasting.  We do allow people to move but sometimes we have groups or individuals seek to change several times, it’s unworkable and not very fair when we have turned people away only to have a last minute cancellation. We will only move people or groups once with the full notice given as per T&C’s when booking or purchasing vouchers on-line.

CADENHEADS WHISKY CLUB MEMBERSHIP

If you are new to this newsletter you will have missed the information about the Cadenhead’s whisky club. The club is for those who purchase our amazing single cask malts on a regular basis, if you buy 6 or more bottles per year then this is a great way to add to your collection.

When you join the club you will be eligible to receive special bottling’s that will not be released in the shops, the bottles are so exclusive I never get to see them until they arrive for customer collection. Every Time you purchase a bottle from the Cadenhead’s range we will stamp a card one stamp for every bottle you buy.

You will receive a welcome pack when you join in archive tasting notes and a leather wallet with the club logo, the cost for membership £50 for the first year then £30 renewal fee if you would like me to forward your contact details to head office to get more information email me at steve@whiskytastingroom.com or info@whiskytastingroom.com

BREAKING NEWS

Some breaking news arrived late tonight 4/12/15 via The Whisky Magazine…

Cadenhead’s whisky shops have won the best multiple retailer of the year award for 2016 this is once again an honor to first be nominated then to win again in 2016.

A huge thanks to Whisky Magazine and the award sponsors Loch ness water. Our biggest thanks must go to the 1000’s of customers who have found us through word of mouth then taken the time to visit our shops in the UK and Europe, subscribed to our newsletters and reviewed our products (both good and bad).

I would also like to thank the tireless work from our suppliers who constantly keep me up to date with new products for our London store especially Gordon & Macphail, Tomintoul & Glencadam distilleries, Maxxium UK, Marussia beverages, J & B (DIAGEO).

Our own teams at Springbank (J&A Mittchell) and Wm Cadenhead for the fantastic ranges they provide to us for our customers and Distil This our web shop developers who are now working on the new we site after all my interference they just keep going.

 Above all thank you for making 2015 the best year ever for the company, you guide us we try to deliver.

Have a great Christmas and a very happy and prosperous new year 2016

All the best from the team in London

Stephen W

1973 Teaninich 41 Year Old Hunter Laing’s “Old & Rare” Single Sherry Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($449.99)

In what is likely to be the most-overlooked of the recently acquired Hunter Laing “Old & Rare” series, don’t let this 41 year old sherry cask of Teaninich fall off your radar. It’s one of the most pleasing, easy to love, deliciously decadent sherry aged whiskies we’ve tasted this year. While most people have never heard of the Johnnie Walker distillery, the name on the bottle is perhaps the least important aspect of this whisky’s quality, yet it’s completely relevant when determining the price. Simply put, if this bottle said Macallan 41 on the label we’d be slapping a five figure price point on the shelf. However, with similar sherry-aged flavors, sweet toffee richness, and single barrel concentration of flavor, the comparison isn’t all that far off. The sweetness of the sherry is still there even after 40+ years in the barrel. It’s robust, brimming with dessert-like qualities, but it’s not even remotely tired. It’s a beautifully balanced ride from front to back, meandering from maple donut bar to baking spices and cloves. $450 is a serious chunk of change in today’s whisky market, but considering the age and the quality of this Teaninich, we think it’s quite the steal. Our goal was to find a less expensive luxury whisky that delivered the highest possible quality for the best possible price. We think we’ve succeeded in that quest.
David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 29, 2015

Along with the Springbank, this whisky absolutely blew me away. But whereas with the Springbank I was impressed by what I expected to be the case, with this 41 year old Teaninich I was shocked by the quality I tasted in spite of my expectations. This whisky is an absolute sherry bomb that is still fresh as a daisy despite its four decades in wood. The oloroso flavors are still sweet, the spices are still lively, and the richness never at all dry or musty. It’s a complete curve ball. This is what people wish high-end Macallan tasted like after dropping $1000 or more on an ancient bottling. This is what I wish all high-end whisky tasted like.

1967 Speyside’s Finest (Glenfarclas) 47 Year Old Hunter Laing’s “Old & Rare” Single Sherry Butt Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($999.99)

When we visited the Hunter Laing office this past April, we were hoping to find something truly special as our hopes for cult distilleries like Port Ellen and Brora have long since dried up, or been crushed by the four-figure price tags. For us at K&L personally, Glenfarclas continues to be one of the most beloved and iconic producers we continue to work with directly. However, upon our last trip to the Highland distillery we were unable to find anything beyond 24 years of age that was available for us to purchase. When our friends at Hunter Laing said they might be able to bridge that gap with a bit of “Speyside’s Finest” they gave us a little wink and smiled wryly as sample was fetched. What we tasted that afternoon in Glasgow was simply unreal. An old school expression of ancient sherry, rancio, earth, spice, cocoa, fudge, and classic Glenfarclas grit that offered up a mouthful of true Speyside character. This whisky is nearly 50 years in age, bottled at cask strength, and unchillfiltered. Only 60 bottles were made available and supplies are limited to quantities on hand.

K&L Wine Merchants http://www.klwines.com/

Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)

Email: wine@klwines.com

San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

While our annual delivery of hand-selected Signatory single malts continues to provide some of the best bang-for-your-buck deals in the nation, don’t think we didn’t load a few premium casks onto our most recent container. We dug deep into the vast selection of barrels this past Spring to uncover two absolute gems: an ethereal, malt-driven stunner from Linkwood distillery, and a decadent, sherry-aged beauty from Glenlivet. Both represent some of the finest values you’ll find domestically for single malt whisky of this quality and maturity. Supplies are limited to quantity on hand.

1985 Linkwood 29 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($199.99)

Linkwood is one of the most iconic Speyside distilleries not typically sold as a stand-alone single malt, and for good reason: Diageo needs every drop for Johnnie Walker and the various other blends sold by the spirits giant. Linkwood is considered by most blenders to be the ideal canvas, loaded with fresh fruit flavors, a flutter of grassiness, and plenty of weight on the palate. While younger single malt expressions typically bottled by independent labels can be quite enjoyable and perfectly drinkable, they often lack depth and complexity in our opinion. What’s missing is age. Wouldn’t it be great to see how Linkwood tastes after three decades in wood? Now we finally can thanks to this incredible little cask we found tucked into the corner at the Signatory warehouse this year. This 29 year old Linkwood is pure Speyside heaven, loaded with rich vanilla and caramel aromas that tease you into a second and third nosing. The palate is soft and oily, much lighter than the nose would suggest, with a touch of that grassy element coming into play on the finish. This is textbook Highland whisky, a whisky for Glenlivet and Glenfiddich drinkers who enjoy the classic flavors of single malt Scotch whisky, but are looking for more nuance and depth–something more out of the ordinary. For serious aficionados, this is a screaming hot deal. The cask had proofed itself down under 50% naturally, so we knocked another $60 off the bottle price by choosing NOT to take it at “cask strength”.

David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 16, 2015

I think most single malt collectors have been trained to know two things in today’s market: really good, exciting new bottle of Scotch = $100; and really, really good exciting new limited edition Scotch = $400+. Yet, with a little practicality and some good luck, we managed to find a really, really, really great bottle of single barrel, limited edition Scotch for $199; something better than most $400 bottles we’ve tasted over the past few years. Part of the trick was choosing to bottle at 46% versus cask strength. We can shave a few bucks off that way, and the fact that this almost-30 year old cask had evaporated under 49% already made that decision easy. The other factor that most people overlook is the ex-hogshead barrel. Sherry butts in today’s market are expensive. Islay whisky is expensive. Underrated Highland distilleries aged in old hogsheads? Not all that expensive. So when you find the right one you can get a pretty incredible deal. This whisky is pure harmonic perfection. Soft, delicate fruit, creamy vanilla that will haunt you in your dreams, and perfect pitch of creamy malt that glides down your palate like silk. Compare this to any other $200 bottle in the store and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Your money is going 10x as far with this Linkwood. It’s a serious, serious bottle of whisky for a price that, in today’s market, seems circumspect.

NEW TO THE PARTY

Benromach – We reloaded on quite a few items from this esteemed Speyside distillery.

Glenrothes – A richer style than Benromach, and equally as delicious.

Cragganmore – Yet another Speyside distillery, but different in style than the two above. This whisky has a beautiful range and depth of flavors to captivate any scotch-loving palate.

THE RESERVE LIST

Whether you are in need of a gift for your father or mother, husband or wife, boss or client, check out these selections below for some of the best we have to offer.

Glenlivet 25 Year – $381.99

Glen Garioch 19 Year – $124.99

Springbank 19 Year Fresh Fill Bourbon Cask – $289.99

Gordon & MacPhail Highland Park 24 Year – $158.99

Longrow Red 12 Year Pinot Noir Barrel – $109.99

Balvenie Portwood 21 Year – $210.99

The Party Source, 95 Riviera Drive, Bellevue, KY 41073.

Port Charlotte 2007

Distilled at Bruichladdich. Single refill sherry butt bottled 2015, limited release of 480 bottles for the Cooper’s Choice new range.  Port Charlotte 2007 vintage Islay single malt Scotch whiskey distilled at Bruichladdich Distillery. Single refill sherry butt #2424 bottled 2015 by The Vintage Malt Whisky Co. for the Coopers Choice series. 480 bottles. Bruichladdich Distillery was established in 1881 on the Rhinns peninsular on the island of Islay close by the sandy bays of Loch Indaal. Bruichladdich Distillery re-opened in 2001 with much of the original Victorian equipment restored to working order. The first release of Bruichladdich’s new whisky was the highly acclaimed PC5, the first release in the limited Port Charlotte range. Bruichladdich  also produces very highly peated Octamore, Organic using Islay grown barley, and triple and quadruple distilled single malts whiskies. The Bruichladdich Distillery visitor centre welcomes visitors and offers distillery tours including the bottling hall, and the distillery participates in Feis Ile the annual Islay Festival of Malt and Music.

Buy – $75.34

Flaming Heart Fifteenth Anniversary Limited Edition – Available now!

Since we launched the Compass Box Whisky Company back in 2000, we have always aimed to experiment, to innovate and to explore where others wouldn’t in the world of Scotch. No whisky is a greater example of this ambition than Flaming Heart.

First released in 2006, Flaming Heart was the first whisky to combine the rich, complex spice of Scotch aged in new French oak with the evocative peat-fired smoke of Islay malt.  It created a genre-defying, smouldering, spicy style that proved so popular we re-released it three more times in the years that followed.   In this our fifteenth year, we felt compelled to revisit this unique style one more time. Our anniversary release is a huge, layered, long-lasting mouthful to enjoy late into the night.  Brooding, indulgent and bottled on average once every three years – make sure you pick your bottle up while you still can!

The Glenturret Peated Edition

The Glenturret Peated Edition, part of the new Glenturret Core Range. The Peated Edition delivers a heavy smokiness through the use of malted barley dried over peat fires, a taste akin to the whisky produced when the distillery first got its license in 1775. Want to know more?  Here’s Lucy with her Peated Edition tasting video. Enjoy!

Available to buy online and in store now!

Cask No. 26.102                     $220  

Pomanders in a lady’s parlour

Highland, Northern

The nose had undeniable sweetness (Edinburgh Rock, glazed fruit tarts in a patisserie and jam-making) but beyond that we found an enigma of teasing aromas, including Barbour jackets, scented candles, basketry, leather, polished wood, shale, sandalwood, fir and freesias. With water we detected more citrus and ‘rose creams and pomanders in a refined lady’s parlour’. The palate was deliciously sweet and warming with a pleasant waxy mouth-feel; sweet flavours of marzipan petits fours, honey, Danish pastries, fruit fondants and chocolate truffles; but the experience made more complex with lemon, orange zest, leather, cinnamon, clove and aromatic oils. Brora’s only working distillery.

Drinking tip: A delightful reward for having done a good deed or for hard work.

Colour: Light amber

Cask: Refill butt

Age: 29 years

Date distilled: December 1984

Alcohol: 56.0%

USA allocation: 114 bottles

Flavour profile: Sweet, fruity & mellow 

*President’s Choice*

Cask No. 41.67                               $240

Bitter-sweet with a dash of fun

Speyside, Spey

True to its colour the nose delivered apricot jam, brown sugar-sprinkled peach flan and orange crepes; we also found pressed flowers, butterscotch, lemon drizzle cake and tinned syrup sponge – quite a dessert! The neat taste was a bitter-sweet experience of dark chocolate orange, oranges preserved in brandy syrup, marmalade, lemon sherbets and warming spices (chilli, ginger, liquorice). The reduced nose became a tropical fruit explosion – lemon, lime, papaya, banana, cranberry, raspberry, rhubarb, with some floral notes chucked in for fun. The palate remained mouth-drawingly citric (grapefruit, lime zest, gooseberry) but reasonably balanced by sweet and sour confectionery (Haribo Tangfastics, Jolly Ranchers).

Drinking tip: An early summer’s evening perhaps – but be sure to allow it plenty of time.

Colour: Muted apricot blush

Cask: Refill hogshead

Age: 30 years

Date distilled: September 1984

Alcohol: 53.7%

USA allocation: 60 bottles

Flavour profile: Sweet, fruity & mellow 

*Low Outturn*

Cask No. 35.122                     $125 

Perfumed lady at a garden fête

Speyside, Lossie

The nose combined sweet and woody notes – sawmill yards, hessian, peeled twigs, white pepper and leather lined up against golden syrup, mashed banana, bread-and-butter pudding, barley sugars and vanilla sponge. The palate balanced vanilla ice-cream, honey and sugar puffs with pink grapefruit, perfume, chilli pepper and lemon – really quite interesting and unusual. On the reduced nose a perfumed lady stood between a sweetie stall (jelly tots, tutti frutti, sherbet straws) and a cake stand at a garden fête. The palate was now sweet, salty, spicy, woody, teasing, titillating and tremendously tasty. The distillery is vulnerable to flooding from the River Lossie.

Drinking tip: Unusual enough to provoke conversation

Colour: Saharan sands

Cask: First-fill barrel

Age: 12 years

Date distilled: December 2001

Alcohol: 57.3%

USA allocation: 72 bottles

Flavour profile: Spicy & sweet 

Cask No. 50.64                       $200

Magic balloons in a eucalyptus forest

Lowland

To our noses, it seemed that magic balloons floated free, then exploded into firework bursts of flowers, which fell to earth in a eucalyptus forest; we also got lime cordial, sultanas, Christmas spices and dark chocolate orange. The palate was an explosion of syrupy fruits (cherry, orange) and various fruity sweets, some dark chocolate, interesting chilli spice plus polished furniture and book shelves. Fruits were more obvious on the reduced nose (rhubarb rock, papaya, dragon fruit, mandarin) – someone got an old-fashioned Post Office (sweets, newspapers, stationery etc). The palate now found sugar-coated fennel seeds, ginger Edinburgh Rock, lychee and lemonade.

Drinking tip: To provide inspiration while Christmas shopping on-line

Colour: Toffee penny wrapper

Cask: Refill barrel

Age: 25 years

Date distilled: January 1990

Alcohol: 54.5%

USA allocation: 79 bottles

Flavour profile: Spicy & sweet

*USA exclusive*

Cask No. 3.234                       $145

Scallops cooked on a puffer shovel

Islay

The nose had many dimensions – rock-pools and busy harbours, sweet toffee, vanilla and Edinburgh Rock, something sweetly citric (Jaffa cakes, chocolate limes), savoury notes of smoky bacon, heather flowers and Germolene. The palate had sherbet, parma violets, smoked gammon and Demerara; marshmallows speared on twigs roasting over a beach bonfire and ‘scallops cooked on a puffer shovel’ – a complex dram with a big presence. Water brought heather honey, jasmine, lavender oil and hot dogs to the nose. The palate now had grilled prawns and floral smoke – sweeter and more gentle but somehow still impressive. The distillery is in the island’s capital.

 Drinking tip: Evening barbeque – with meat, fish or marshmallows

Colour: Gold coins

Cask: Refill butt

Age: 16 years

Date distilled: September 1997

Alcohol: 57.5%

USA allocation: 180 bottles

Flavour profile: Peated

The Outturn can be viewed online here: Early December 2015 Outturn

Please link readers to http://www.smwsa.com/ for more information.

Scotland – Land of Whisky 2016
Calendar for Scotland lovers and whisky fans

The pagoda roofs of the Dalwhinnie Distillery are a unique landmark in the Scottish Highlands. They decorate the title of a new calendar especially for Scotland lovers and whisky fans: „Scotland – Land of Whisky 2016“. The Germany-based photo journalist Michael Schmidt lived in Glasgow for two years time and was busy as a press correspondent and tourist guide. In Scotland, he learned a lot about the national drink. He started taking pictures of whisky distilleries and went on to self-publish a calendar in 2010, which is now available in the UK for the first time.

Scotland – Land of Whisky is full of pictures shot at famous distilleries per example: Deanston, Dalwhinnie and Fettercairn. It depicts unique moments of the art of whisky production. One motive shows the sanctum of Aberfeldy Distillery – its dark and damp warehouse packed with wooden casks. Michael Schmidt talks about shooting pictures at distilleries: „It is rather difficult to get a permission to take pictures inside the buildings. It takes time and some persuasion.”

The calendar is not just an eye-catcher for whisky fans. It shows all the ingredients of a Scotland lover´s dream: cute Puffins, the dramatic mountain scenery of Glen Coe and secluded sandy beaches in the far North.

The German design agency K.Design in Wiesbaden was in charge of layout. The small calendars (210 x 148 mm) cost 10,80 £, the large prints (420 x 297 mm) 17,90 £. For order details please contact: reporter@schmidt-punkt.de. Postage is additional, depending on the number of orders.

The photographer Michael Schmidt, born in 1974, works as freelance reporter and photo journalist in Langen (Hessen) near Frankfurt am Main in Germany. He organizes journalistic and photographic projects related to Scotland. He spent two years in Glasgow, working both as a correspondent for German media and as a travel guide. His major topics are renewable energy, media issues, religion, politics and the history of Scotland. In Germany he hosts whisky tastings and provides multimedia lectures about Scotland – his home away from home.

Michael Schmidt Photo Journalist  Freelance Reporter Voltastr. 4 63225 Langen (Hesse) Germany Tel.: 0049 6103-2027544 Mobil: 0049 173-7479269 E-Mail: reporter@schmidt-punkt.de Web: www.schmidt-punkt.de