We’ve finally shed the cloak of winter. Spring temperatures and sunshine have returned, and we are once again looking forward to enjoying outdoor activities. In this week’s spiritual guide, we fill you in on what TPS Private Barrel Selections are now in-stock, as well as what is on-the-way. Our very own J.O. is back with the next installment of Drink Different, where we highlight some of the lesser-known gems on The Party Source shelves. Finally, mark your calendars for some upcoming events, and check out our new arrivals to make sure you’re drinking the latest and greatest this Spring.

Cheers, -The Party Source Spirits Department

PRIVATE BARREL UPDATE

In Stock:

OLD FORESTER Single Barrel Bourbon TPS Private Barrel – $39.99

JEFFERSON’S Bourbon TPS Private Barrel – $22.49

Future Private Barrels:

WOODFORD RESERVE Double Oaked Bourbon TPS Private Barrel

KNOB CREEK Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon TPS Private Barrel

1792 Barrel Select TPS Private Barrel (three selections)

NEW RIFF OKI Reserve Bourbon TPS Private Barrel

ANGELS ENVY Port Finish Bourbon TPS Blend We are very excited to announce we have chosen the first Private Barrel from John J. Bowman since 2011!

We expect to receive this nine year old bourbon sometime in May.

NEW TO THE PARTY

 JIM BEAM Signature Craft High Rye Bourbon 11 Year – $44.99

JIM BEAM Signature Craft Rolled Oat Bourbon 11 Year – $44.99

LEGACY Small Batch Blended Canadian Whisky – $19.99

 OBAN Single Malt Scotch Little Bay – $79.99

DATES TO REMEMBER

Wednesday, April 8th, 5:30pm – 7:30pm Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby bottle signing with Master Distiller Chris Morris

Saturday, April 11th, 3:00pm – 7:00pm American Born Moonshine Tasting

Saturday, April 25th, 3:00pm – 7:00pm Old Forester Mint Julep Tasting

Easter and Summer Store Hours: Easter Sunday, April 5th: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm Sunday hours beginning April 12th will be 11:00am – 9:00pm Monday: Closed Tuesday: Closed Wednesday: 12 – 8pm Thursday: 12 – 8pm Friday: 2 – 10pm Saturday: 2 – 10pm Sunday: Closed

Your Spiritual Advisors @ The Party Source Help yourself to our top shelf Everything but…the Guests!

The Balvenie Tun 1509

The first batch of the Balvenie Tun 1509, this whisky is made up of a combination of whiskies from 35 American oak barrels and seven European oak sherry butts, each hand selected by Malt Master David Stewart. The whiskies were then transferred to Tun 1509 in Warehouse 24 before bottling. This result is an incredibly smooth, rich, deep whisky with floral notes, vanilla and orange peel which is greater than some of its constituent parts.

£225 Buy Now

Taketsuru 17 year old 

The Taketsuru whiskies are a combination of single malt whiskies from Nikka’s two distilleries, Yoichi and Miyagikyo. In the 17 year old, a high percentage of the whiskies have been aged in ex-sherry casks, resulting in a deep, rich, complex whisky with more than a hint of smoke and oak. The Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 year old was named ‘World’s Best Blended Malt’ for the second year running at last week’s World Whiskies Awards.

£85 Buy Now

Founders Private Cellar The Final Signature

Extremely Limited Release Only 238 cases will be available worldwide What is The Final Signature? As some of you know, our Founder James sadly passed away last year but before he became too poorly, he instigated a final bottling chosen from the families private stock; these were his favourite two casks. This will be the last bottling ever to carry James’ signature and of course we have gone slightly over the top with not only the whisky, but also the packaging – this is a spectacular leather suitcase! Includes:

• One Leather Suitcase
• One Bottle of Single Malt Whisky matured in a Rum Cask, Cask Strength
• One Bottle of Peated Single Malt Whisky matured in a Sherry Cask, Cask Strength
• Four Engraved Glass Tumblers
• One Red China Water Jug
• One Founders Autobiography
• Two Certificates of Authenticity (one for each bottle)

£795 Available to buy from Thursday 26th March 2015

BUY NOW

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY RELEASES COLONEL E.H. TAYLOR, JR.  CURED OAK  BOURBON WHISKEY 

Limited Edition 17-Year-Old Bourbon Coming Soon  

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (March 17, 2015) – Buffalo Trace Distillery continues its homage to former Distillery owner Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. with a special release bourbon whiskey aged in cured oak barrels.  This 100 proof, Bottled-In-Bond, small batch bourbon was aged in Taylor’s warehouse “C” at Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The barrel staves used for this special release were allowed to dry outside in the open air for 13 months, more than twice as long as standard barrel staves. Most white oak barrel staves used for Buffalo Trace’s bourbons are placed outside for 6 months before being fashioned into whiskey barrels.  Collaborating with barrel manufacturer Independent Stave Company back in 1998, this extra aging curing process allowed the wood to dry even longer, eventually allowing the whiskey to extract more rich and complex flavors deep within the oak.

After crafting and filling these unique barrels, they were then aged inside of Taylor’s iconic brick and limestone warehouse “C,” built in 1881.  After seventeen years of aging in the cured oak, this bourbon whiskey delivers an aroma rich with inviting tobacco and dried fruit. A complex flavor meets the mouth with well-rounded notes of vanilla, toffee, and figs, followed by undertones of dry oak. The body is medium with a long, dry finish.

This Cured Oak Bourbon is the seventh and latest release in the collection of  E. H. Taylor, Jr. whiskeys, rounding out the collection of Old Fashioned Sour Mash Bourbon, Single Barrel Bourbon, Warehouse C Tornado Surviving Bourbon, Barrel Proof Bourbon, Straight Rye Whiskey, and Small Batch Bourbon. The Sour Mash and Warehouse C Tornado Surviving bourbons were one time only releases and are no longer available.

The Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. collection was first released in early 2011 and several subsequent releases have followed.  Like some of the previous releases, this one-time-only bottling is very limited.   Also consistent with past releases, Cured Oak Bourbon displays a vintage label and is offered inside a distinct canister reminiscent of Taylor’s whiskey package from one hundred years ago. Uniquely new for this release, each 6 bottle case will be shipped in an impressive wooden box, modeled after the wooden crates used by Taylor to transport goods during the days before Prohibition.

Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr.  is widely considered one of the founding fathers of the bourbon industry, fighting for the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, nearly three decades after he purchased the distillery that is known today as the Buffalo Trace Distillery. During his time, Taylor implemented several innovative methods still used today by Buffalo Trace, such as climate controlled aging warehouses. In addition to his bourbon interests, Taylor had political ties. He was the great-nephew of President Zachary Taylor and elected the mayor of Frankfort, state representative to the Kentucky General Assembly and a member of the State Senate.

This special bottling of Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Cured Oak Bourbon Whiskey will be available late March in limited supply.  The suggested retail price is $69.99 per 750ml bottle.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as Col. E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 17 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named “Brand Innovator of the Year” by Whisky Magazine at its Icons of Whisky America Awards 2015.  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 300 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com

New Blackadder Bottlings Arrive in British Columbia

We are excited about the latest batch of Blackadder to arrive in BC!

Raw Cask Peat Reek 59.8%

RAW Cask offering of the incredibly popular “Peat Reek” series. Selected only from casks of whisky produced using malted barley that has been heavily impregnated with the phenols and creosols of a gently smouldering peat fire. Multiple layers of Islay smoke to discern and enjoy.

Legendary Cask Strength 1988 23 YO

This bottling is from a mature single cask of what is today classed as Blended Malt Whisky. The whisky in this Legendary bottle comes from only two of the most highly respected distilleries on Speyside, aged and matured twenty three years married together in cask. The high end blend.

Black Snake Vat 1. 3^rd Venom

Solera style aging! Aged single malt whiskies (from non-disclosed distilleries) are married into a vat, and then are transferred to a PX or Olorso sherry cask for finishing. When the whisky is ready, two thirds of the cask is bottled and labelled as a “Venom”. The remaining third then meets the next vatting resulting in a subsequent strain of “Venom”.

For further enquiries please email Nick at Fountana Beverage

The Myth, the Mafia and the Magic:

The History of the Edradour Whisky Distillery Scotland’s Smallest Distillery

By Andrew Cameron 

A fascinating insight into the eventful history of Scotland’s favourite small whisky distillery

• A fascinating history of the people that made Edradour – from early days of illegal distilling to its control by the US mafia and now one of few independent distilleries in Scotland

• Best read with a wee dram by your side, the story of Edradour is the story of 300 years of whisky in Scotland – from illicit distilling in the 18^th century to a major worldwide industry

• A great gift book for any whisky enthusiast

The Edradour Whisky Distillery is the smallest and longest-running distillery in Scotland and receives over 50,000 visitors a year from all over the world. As the last remaining 19^th century distillery of its size, visitors get a true sense of how a distillery worked in the early 1800s – and the essentials of distilling have not changed since then. Everything at Edradour is on a small scale; production levels for an entire year are the equivalent to what a big distillery produces in a couple of weeks, but the whisky is much sought-after and is exported to over 30 countries around the world.

The Edradour distillery is loved by visitors and whisky fans around the world, but how did it manage to survive when similar distilleries were closing? What plans are there to preserve its charm, whilst ensuring its future? This fascinating book is an insight into the whisky trade in Scotland, as well as the distillery itself, and is a must-read for whisky drinkers.

About the Author

Andrew Cameron is a business writer, journalist, blogger and scriptwriter. His enthusiasm for whisky was an inevitable rite-of-passage for the son of a Glaswegian. His love of Edradour began in 2006 when he was asked to write a script for a DVD about the distillery. He found the history so fascinating that he went on to write a short book about it as well. He is currently writing a biography about the Victorian actor, Sir Henry Irving.

The Myth, the Mafia and the Magic is available at all good bookshops and online booksellers

Twitter: @EdradourBook

www.edradourbook.com

Published: 28th March 2015

March Outturn Offerings 

Cask No. 95.15                       $185

A Graceful Tight Rope Walker

Speyside, Spey

The initial nose had a whiff of varnish and pine reminiscent of the Big Top. A delightful balancing act ensued between grapefruit and marmalade, and the sweetness of Danish pastry and sultana cake with star anise. The tastes teetered with orange chocolate liqueur, Turkish delight and blackcurrant cordial delivering a spicy, lingering aftertaste. With a drop of water, it relaxed with mellow sticky toffee pudding with caramel icing poised between cooler notes of fennel and menthol. The finale flourished with chocolate chews, orange and damson syrup with black tea. Stage exit with balsa wood and hessian.

Drinking tip: For mulling and musing over

Colour: Copper belt buckles

Cask: Refill barrel

Age: 23 years

Date Distilled: June 1990

Alcohol: 57.4%

USA allocation: 150 bottles 

Cask No. 2.90                         $105     

Flower meadows and patisseries

Speyside, Spey

The nose told us that scythes had just been through the flower meadow and that children had just been through the patisserie (vanilla slice, fruit scones, strawberry jam, caramel, butterscotch and fudge). The palate balanced delightful sweetness (toffee, crème caramel, Danish pastry with vanilla icing, jam) with tart gooseberry, lemon, lime and cranberry – an unusual leather, liquorice and pine after-taste tingled the tongue. The reduced nose found blackcurrant, heather honey and digestive biscuits; the palate was now green, grassy and self assured, with custard cream sweetness and mouth-coating fruits dusted in fine ash. The distillery is uphill from the Packhorse Bridge.

Drinking tip: An anytime dram – but especially in the garden, with no thought of working.

Colour: Angel’s curls in the moonlight

Cask: Refill barrel

Age: 10 years

Date distilled: November 2003

Alcohol: 60.2%

USA allocation: 60 bottles

Cask No. 5.42                         $130 

Bathed in a bakers shop

Lowland

One panel member came over all broody, reminded of bubble bathed babies wrapped in fresh towels. Others found it very juicy, bouncing with green grape, apple chews and lemonade lollies. Ginger gave a lively spritziness to taste, baby was then soothed by vanilla Angels Delight, and peanut butter on bagels. The addition of water opened spearmint, elderflower soap and brioche on waxed paper. Mother hen found her baby swaddled in a newly laundered crochet blanket, while the rest found sweetly iced christening cake decorated with white lilies, lychee and pea shoots. A bonny, blooming bairn!

Drinking tip: A christening perhaps?

Colour: Cava spritzer

Cask: Refill hogshead

Age: 13 years

Date distilled: October 2000

Alcohol: 59.5%

USA allocation: 90 bottles

Cask No. 7.109                       $105

Take the MilkyWay

Speyside, Lossie

On first sniff, bananas, peaches in syrup, orange blossom and orange barley sugars. Vanilla and juicy oak begged us to take a sip, but not just yet. Cloudy lemonade fizz, spicy wedding cake mix and creamy nougat sweetness tempted further. “Wow!” went the taste. Top quality American oak gave flavours of lemon and sugar pancakes, Edinburgh rock, blueberry muffins, cherry bakewells and hot buttered malt loaf. Water stirred aromas of white chocolate and raspberries. Intense vanilla, frangipane and Juicy Fruit gum raised eyebrows while someone was reminded of holidays in Portugal with Pastéis de Nata (custard tarts). Cooling Softmints, Turkish delight, MilkyWays and toasted coconut to finish.

Drinking tip: Add water and enjoy with pastries

Colour: Brass door knob

Cask: First-fill barrel

Age: 10 years

Date distilled: September 2003

Alcohol: 59.7%

USA allocation: 141 bottles

Cask No. 73.67                       $180 

Orchard meadow picnic dram

Speyside, Deveron

The main nose character carried butter, cake and vanilla (Victoria sponge, custard, buttered fruit scones); panellists also identified flower meadows, various fruits (banana, mango, citrus), pine-wood, furniture polish and considerable spice (aniseed, clove, chilli). The palate was citric and fruity (sherbet lemon, apple strudel, Haribo sours, blackcurrant jam), with Dr. Pepper, cinnamon, ginger and humbug spice. The reduced nose became even more attractive – apple orchards – sunny days – picnic of lemonade, stroop waffles and Terry’s chocolate orange. The palate developed lively flavours of bitter lemon, rhubarb and custard sweets, gummi bears, grapefruit and butterscotch. The distillery lies two miles from Keith.

Drinking tip: An aperitif, especially in the summer time

Colour: Warm, buttery gold

Cask: Refill barrel

Age: 22 years

Date distilled: March 1992

Alcohol: 50.1%

USA allocation: 140 bottles

www.smwsa.com

Rare and exclusive whiskies

From the very limited single cask bottlings from Hunter Laing, to the last remaining bottles of Brora and Port Ellen from Diageo’s 2014 Special Releases, we’ve got some fantastic whiskies that you definitely don’t want to miss out on! We’re also very sad to announce that stocks of our wonderful Bowmore Exclusive have almost run out, so it’s your last chance to get one before it’s gone forever!

Glenfarclas Family Casks

Glenfarclas Family Casks

The Family Casks are a unique collection of the best single casks from the Glenfarclas distillery’s warehouses. Launched in 2007, the collection initially comprised 43 single cask bottlings, with one cask from every year from 1952 to 1994. The Family Casks are bottled at cask strength and natural colour, allowing you to explore the subtle differences between casks and the history of family owned Glenfarclas.

£175 – £2,315 Explore the full range here

Single Cask Bottlings

Hunter Laing 

Hunter Laing is an independent bottling company based in Glasgow, who select the finest casks from the best distilleries in Scotland and bottle them under the Old and Rare, Old Malt Cask and Douglas of Drumlanrig brands. All of the Hunter Laing whiskies we sell are hand picked by our staff, based on their fantastic flavour profiles, value for money and exclusivity. All of the whiskies are of natural colour, and non-chill filtered.

Discover the full collection here 

Ghosted Reserve

Rare Cask Reserves  Ghosted Reserve

The Ghosted Reserve is the first blended malt from William Grant & Sons that contains whisky from long closed distilleries Inverleven and Ladyburn. Both of which have been closed since 1991 and 1975 respectively. This exceptional one-off expression offers notes of almond oil and zesty citrus fruit. One of only 4100 individually numbered bottles were created and only 1200 are available to purchase in the UK.

£350 Buy now

Last chance to buy

Port Ellen 35 year old 14th Release

A limited edition, natural cask strength single malt from Port Ellen, a closed distillery on the Isle of Islay. One of the most rare and highly sought after malts, this is the 14th of a limited series of annual releases and is the oldest release of Port Ellen ever to come from the original distillers. Part of Diageo’s 2014 Special Releases. One of only 2,964 individually numbered bottles, bottled at 56.5% abv.

£2,200 Buy Now

Brora 35 year old 13th Release

Distilled in 1978 and matured in refill American Oak and European Oak casks for over 35 years old. From the closed distillery at Brora on the Sutherland coast. It is the equal-oldest Brora bottled in this series and the thirteenth of a limited series of annual releases. One of only 2,964 individually numbered bottles, bottled at 48.6% abv.

£1,200 Buy Now

Glenturret 2000The MacPhail’s Collection 

A 2000 vintage Glenturret, bottled by independent whisky retailer Gordon & MacPhail for The MacPhail’s Collection. Beautiful colour on this Highland whisky, bottled in 2015 at 43% vol.

£38.80 (£32.33 ex vat)

Click here to purchase Glenturret Vintage 2000

Glenturret 2006 – Single Cask #545 Ewan McGregor 

A single cask release from Scotland’s oldest distillery. Distilled in 2006, cask #545 is a distillery exclusive and has been named Ewan McGregor due to the famous Scottish actor being born in Crieff, the same town in which the distillery is located.

£108.00 (£90.00 ex vat) 

Click here to purchase Glenturret Single Cask 545

New Release Penderyn Myth

£34.25 70cl, 41% ABV Buy now

 A new addition to the Penderyn range – a single malt whisky finished in Bourbon barrels. Fresh and lively, Myth has mixed citrus fruits mingling with apple, pear drops and the merest hint of tropical fruits.