Strathisla 1965 Rare Vintage / Gordon & MacPhail

Liquid Gold Award, 94.5 Points – Jim Murray’s 2014 Whisky Bible

Much of Strathisla’s production is used for blending, in brands such as Chivas Regal. When released as a single malt it’s usually exceptional and this rare bottling is no exception. Distilled in 1965 and aged in a first fill sherry butt, bottled by Gordon & MacPhail under their Rare Vintage series.

£305.00 (£254.17 ex vat)

Click here to buy Strathisla 1965 Gordon & MacPhail

2014 is off to a roaring start with the MS Calgary and Victoria Whisky Festivals already in the rear view mirror and our Annual Year-End Inventory Sale and Scots Wha Hae: Robbie Burns Supper dead ahead. Our Annual Sale is this weekend, in store and online only (sorry no phone orders). Save at least 15% on all wines and most whiskies, 5% on beers.

Saturday night is our 9th Annual Robbie Burns Supper, featuring whiskies from Duncan Taylor, one of Scotland’s finest independent bottlers. We’ll sample seven whiskies from 12-40 years of age including to future KWM casks. All while enjoying a lovely dinner and a wee bit of Scottish culture. Our guest of honour is Mr. Peter Currie, the first two time guest of honour in our Supper’s history. More details below.

Finally, there are some new whiskies in the store I’d like to briefly plug, and some other great tastings coming up, you’ll find those below as well.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
Kensington Wine Market

PS- PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/scotch_guy and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1 .

Scots Wha Hae

$99.00

Caledonians Unite! It’s time to celebrate all things Scottish. Duncan Taylor are the featured producers for this 9th annual Robbie Burns Supper, and Peter Currie is our special guest. The first to host the event twice. We’ll have bagpipes, poetry, haggis with neeps and tatties and six amazing whiskies from Duncan Taylor, including some new exclusives KWM casks which aren’t even here yet!

The most fun you can have with your Sporan on!

Click Here For More Info

Annual Year End Sale!

Save 15% or more on all in-store wine, 15% or more on all in-store whisky* and 5% on all in store beer!
* Excluding Scotch Malt Whisky Society Whiskies

Scots Wha Hae!

Our 9th Annual Burns Supper – Saturday January 25, 2014 – $99

Caledonians Unite! It’s time to celebrate all things Scottish. Duncan Taylor are the featured producers for this 9th annual Robbie Burns Supper, and Peter Currie is our special guest. The first to host the event twice. Peter will do the honour of addressing the haggis, and will guide us through a range of 7 Scotch whiskies from 12 to 40 years of age. We’re featuring two new single casks selected by and bottled exclusively for Kensington Wine Market. Curious what they might be? You’ll have to join us to find out. There will also be bagpipes, poetry, wine with dinner and of course haggis with neeps and tatties! No previous whisky experience required. Location: Fort Calgary 750 9 Avenue, SE 7:00pm start time. Sat Jan 25

Call 403-283-8000 to buy a ticket or do so online at: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php  .

Registration closes Thursday January 23rd at 5PM. So don’t hesitate!

New Can’t Miss New Whiskies!

Some whisky news just can’t wait until the next Malt Messenger…
1. Beniach 2001 MS Society Cask 48043 – 54.1% – 12 Year – Bourbon Barrel – From the Distillery: “A classic Speysider – lightly sweet and frey fruity – predominantly pears and pineapple, with a core of delicate vanilla and soft honey.” $10/bottle To the MS Society, Exclusive to KWM in Southern Alberta. – $99.99
2. Compass Box Peat Monster 10th Anniversary – 48.9% – Peated Blended Malt – Released to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Compass Box’s best selling whisky, this edition of the Peat Monster. From the Producer: “For this special bottling, we have produced a special recipe of The Peat Monster, maintaining the smoky, heavy-peated intensity of the classic bottling and adding a bit more malty richness through the use of some very special, quite odd casks of peaty Highland single malt.” – John Glasser, Whisky Maker – Exclusive to KWM in Alberta! – $99.99
3. Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 3 – 54.9% – No Age Statement – Matured in PX and Oloroso Sherry casks – Distiller’s Tasting Note: “Nose: Fantastic waves of soft golden syrup over dates and rum raisins hold a gentle tangerine and ground almond back note. Toasted oak with a dusting of cocoa adds a rich warmth and depth. Palate: Crisp barley and a fresh sawn oak spice burst through ripe plums and golden sultanas. A delicate note of dried apricots and candied peels adds a fantastic sweet, zesty balance. Subtle touches of milk chocolate soften the long expressive finish.Finish: A perfect harmony of classic Highland characters and elegant sherry influences.” – $83.99
4. Edradour 1999 Sherry Ibisco Decanter – 57.9% – 14 Year – Sherry Butt No. 230 – Yet another big and lovely Edradour single sherry cask. – $125.99
5. Signatory Bunnahabhain 1988 24 Year – 55.9% – 24 Year – Refill Sherry Butt 2800 – One of the finest Bunnahabhain’s I’ve tasted in a while. It’s just gotten here and is nearly sold out! – – Exclusive to KWM in Alberta! – $241.99
6. Signatory Caol Ila 1982 30 Year – 53.0% – 30 Year – Hogshead No. 6487 – A classic older Caol Ila, that only slightly mellowed, retaining the distillery’s classic smoky-salty-fishy character. – Exclusive to KWM in Alberta! – $311.99
7. Talisker 57 North – 57% – Named for the distillery’s latitude and alcohol strength. Tasting note to come! It is so rare that we see something interesting from Talisker in our market, and lets hope this is but the first of many to come. My preliminary tasting note, “YUM!”. – World Whisky Awards 2012 – Best Island Whisky No Age Statement – $159.99
Tasting notes on all these whiskies to come in a future Malt Messenger.

Kensington Wine Market 2014 Whisky Tasting Schedule

Tantalize your taste buds in 2014!

1. Scots Wha Hae – Caledonians Unite! It’s time to celebrate all things Scottish. Duncan Taylor are the featured producers for this 9th annual Robbie Burns Supper, and Peter Currie is our special guest. The first to host the event twice. We’ll have bagpipes, poetry, haggis with neeps and tatties and six amazing whiskies from Duncan Taylor, including some new exclusives to KWM! No previous whisky experience required. Location: Fort Calgary 750 9 Avenue, SE 7:00pm start time. Sat Jan 25 – $99
2. Scotland in 7 Drams – Can you define a country and industry in 7 whiskies? We’ll crisscross the Lowlands, Speyside, Highlands, Islands, Islay and Campbeltown, tasting Scotland in 7 drams. Thr Jan 30 7:00pmb – $40
3. Canada vs. USA: Whisk(e)y Playoffs – Leave your toque or American flag pin at home, all biases will be checked at the door for this blind tasting pitting American and Canadian whiskies against each other… game on! Tue Feb 4 7:00pm – $40
4. Compass Box Whisky Dinner – Join us at Buchanan’s Chophouse 738 3 Avenue SW, for a dinner tasting with Chris Maybin of Compass Box. We’ll be sampling the 10th Anniversary Peat Monster special release, two experimental batches of the Great King Street blend, and more! Tue Feb 4 Start Time 7:00pm – $90
5. Islay: The Whisky Isle – If the Speyside is Scotland’s beating heart, then Islay is its soul! We’ll traverse the isle, sampling some of its finest whiskies. Tue Feb 11 Start Time 7:00pm – $60
6. The Great Macallan Vertical Featuring Macallan ‘M’ – The Macallan 1824 “M” is about to be launched in Alberta. This ultra-premium Macallan has been bottled in a specially designed Lalique Crystal Decanter inspired by the six pillars of the Macallan brand. As soon as we heard about it, we had to open one, so we’ve booked the Southern Alberta Pioneers Hall for a special tasting. We have a grand vertical tasting of Macallans planned, up to and including the “M”. Thr Feb 13, 7PM, $225, 3625 4TH STREET S W – $225
7. Lost In Translation – For nearly 100 years the Japanese have been making whisky in the Scottish style, albeit with their own twist. Their reputation is soaring, as some of their whiskies are among the finest in the world. Tue Feb 18 7:00pm – $40
8. Classic Single Malts – This is our “classic” introduction to the world of single malt Scotch whisky. You’ll discover a little history, how it’s made and sample six distinct styles. Tue Feb 25 Start Time 7:00pm – $30
9. Rare Malts – Only the rarest whiskies, those more than 20 years of age, or from closed distilleries are considered for this very special tasting. Tue Mar 11 Start Time 7:00pm – $80
10. Irish Whiskey Renaissance – The last few years has seen a resurgence of interest in Irish whiskey. During the last two years alone plans for at least 5 new distilleries has been announced. We’ll look at Irish whiskey’s past, present and future while sampling some of its finest whiskies with a glass to Saint Paddy! Mon Mar 17 Start Time 7:00pm – $45
11. Ancient Malts – A tasting so good, we’re doing it twice! We always roll out the big guns for the Ancient Malts tasting, and this one will be no different. We’re opening a bottle of the Glendronach Recherche $4800, the oldest ever bottling of Glendronach. To round out the lineup we’ll sample at least 5 other whiskies between 30 & 40 years old! Register for one or the other! The whiskies will be the same at both tastings. Thr Mar 20 or Fri Mar 21 Start Time 7:00pm – $200
You can register for and view all of our tastings on line at: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php.

Thank You for Reading the Malt Messenger!

Contact & Disclaimers

If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store.

All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change, don’t include GST. In the case of discrepancies in pricing, the price in our in store point of sale will be taken as correct.

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
Manager & Scotchguy
Kensington Wine Market
403-283-8000
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

Owner & Opperator
Ferguson’s Whisky Tours
www.fergusonwhiskytours.com
scotchguide@fergusonwhiskytours.com

Kensington Wine Market
403-283-8000

The eagerly anticipated Glenmorangie Companta is now available to pre order at The Whisky Shop.

The Glenmorangie Companta

A spicy palate redolent of cherries and stewed fruits, with layers of blood orange and sugar plum alongside a hint of milk chocolate, leading to a mouth-coating finish. 46% ABV, Non Chill-Filtered.

After the success of Ealanta last year, named world whisky of the year by Jim Murray’s whisky bible, Glenmorangie are launching the new Private Edition release:

Companta, is Gaelic for friendship, it is an exquisite whisky that has been extra matured in Clos de Tart casks.

Tasting Notes:
Colour: Deep cherry red.
Nose: Rich, ‘Autumnal’ scents of red berries, damp forest floors, a hint of fragrant wood smoke and some aromatic, nutty oak.
Taste: Red/stewed fruits, sugared plums, blood orange, rose-hip syrup, milk chocolate, brown sugar.
Finish: Mouth-coating finish
£69.99

Simply click here to buy

JANUARY OUTTURN UPDATE:BEAUTY’S OF A FADING NATURE…

“But pleasures are like poppies spread, You seize the flow’r, its bloom is shed; Or like the snow falls in the river, A moment white—then melts for ever;” Robert Burns’ Tam o’Shanter

Top 5 January Drams
worthy of your love poems…

No. 1: Peated

3.202 Doctors surgeries and flower shops
A 15 year old whisky from a refill ex-sherry butt
Only 19 available
BUY £64.80

No. 2: Heavily Peated

53.200 A day at the beach
An 18 year old whisky from a refill ex-sherry butt
Only 40 available
BUY £71.70

No. 3: Heavily Peated

29.150 Hand rolled Cuban cigars
An 18 year old whisky from a refill ex-bourbon barrel
Only 23 available
BUY £69.70

No. 4: Sweet, fruity & mellow

39.92 Dessert Wine and Smoking Jacket
A 23 year old whisky from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead
Only 28 available
BUY £87.20

No. 5: Spicy & sweet

9.79 Quiet Time Dram
A 22 year old whisky from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead
Only 37 available
BUY £82.80

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 http://www.smws.co.uk/memberships for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers.

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

January 2014 Outturn Offerings 

Cask No. 44.58                         $125

A Bittersweet Sensation

Speyside, Spey

All of us, well the not so young ones, were transported back in time to an old fashioned sweet shop, wooden floor boards, saw dust and glass jars absolutely everywhere. There are so many aromas let’s mention a few; saltwater toffee, rhubarb and custard swirly lollies, apple and pear bonbons and strawberry chewits. The taste neat red berry jam, ripe Morello cherries and chocolate like Green&Black’s Dark Chocolate Cherry Bar. After a tiny splash of water initially quite dusty – opening a book after a very long time on the shelf, then sweet notes reappear quickly; fruity jelly beans, strawberry gelatine and Hubba Bubba chewing gum. An enticing fruity/sour combination with a creamy finish of rhubarb crumble and vanilla custard.

Drinking tip: When you feel nostalgic and listening to a vinyl record

Colour: Honey gold                                       Date distilled: August 1999

Cask: Refill butt                                  Alcohol: 59.1%

Age: 13 years                                      USA allocation: 120 bottles

Cask No. 17.35                         $110

Very fruity, very tasty

Highland, Island

We found lots of good stuff on the nose – honey, toffee, vanilla, Battenberg cake, vanilla and a variety of fruits (pear, apple, tinned pineapple, strawberry, three-fruit marmalade). We also found tarragon, straw, putty, menthol, brass and a stationery cupboard. The palate was tasty – majoring on fruit (star-fruit, rhubarb, peach, pineapple) – but also with gummi bears, soor plooms, some interesting ginger spice and a salty note. The nose shifted with water – oatcakes, tea caddies and pepper – the centre-piece still a bowl of fruit, but now sharper (gooseberry, lime). The palate became even tastier – Moffat toffees and coke with lime. Orkney’s smaller distillery.

Drinking tip: To serve before a lunch in summer

Colour: Liquid gold                             Date distilled: January 2002

Cask: Refill barrel                                Alcohol: 56.1%

Age: 11 years                                      USA allocation: 156 bottles

Cask No. 25.64                         $175

Manzanilla Sherry Trifle

Lowland

The nose neat reminded some of us of an old school study whilst others imagined an elegant ladies morning room. Both have in fact similar images; leather chairs and sofas, old leather bound dusty books, thick Persian oriental antique rugs, fresh cut wood on either side of the fireplace and the scent of potpourri and dried flowers in the air. The taste lively, peppery and sweet. Fruity flavours of blackcurrant, raspberry and blueberry together with Indian spice mix and salted limes. With the addition of water aromas of a herb garden surrounded by a pine forest and the flavours are Manzanilla Sherry trifle, pink grapefruit juice and in the finish liquorice allsorts.

Drinking tip: Before Sunday lunch

Colour: Virgin olive oil                                  Date distilled: November 1990

Cask: Refill hogshead                                    Alcohol: 59.8%

Age: 22 years                                                USA allocation: 66 bottles 

Cask No. 125.70                                 $90

A dram of two halves

Highland, Northern

The nose has an assertive, lively, fresh and briny aroma like sea spray scented air and an aged Manzanilla Pasada Sherry. All this accompanied by sea salt and cracked black pepper flavoured crisps as well as green olives and grilled goat’s cheese with quince paste (Carne de Membrillo) on toast. The taste has salty peanuts, fresh oyster juice and the sourness of a grapefruit sorbet – a real palate cleanser. With water the aroma changes completely; sweet fresh fruit salad, creamy Banoffee pie and the spiciness of a Tokaji sweet wine. The taste silenced the Panel; chocolate fondant with orange blossom cream, crunchy caramel toffee and chocolate covered figs. This is a dram of two halves and we loved both!

Drinking tip: As an aperitif (neat) or with desert (adding a drop of water)

Colour: Straw-yellow                                    Date distilled: February 2005

Cask: Second-fill barrel                                 Alcohol: 59.3%

Age: 8 years                                                 USA allocation: 150 bottles 

Cask No. 129.3                         $85

Unwind and set your watch to ‘Islay Time’

Islay

What a nose: maritime, fishy, antiseptic and herbal. Let’s make a start; lobster pots, breakfast kippers, smoked scallops in a creamy pepper sauce, Germolene, Savlon cream and to top it all, a lobster pot pie with a biscuit topping seasoned with chives and parsley. The taste does not disappoint, clean peat smoke and cured mackerel sushi with wasabi to accentuate the rich oily and slightly drying aftertaste. With water becoming sweeter; smoked honey marinated mackerels, toasted almonds and singed gammon steaks. And the taste from the newest distillery on Islay –  calamari with a honey dip, sweet hickory toasted almonds, stir fry with cashew nuts and soya sauce – do I need to go on,  just relax and enjoy!

Drinking tip: Pull yourself up a comfortable arm chair and say good bye to care

Colour: Moon light glow                                Date distilled: September 2008

Cask: First-fill barrel                                     Alcohol: 60.2%

Age: 4 years                                                 USA allocation: 120 bottles 

Cask No. G5.10                         $195

Sugar and spice and all things nice

Grain

The nose had a dusty quality, suggesting pepper, straw, icing sugar and sanded wood; also a freshly glued balsa model; spiced apple strudel, lychee, glacé cherries and banana chips with good sweetness (toffee, candy floss, Demerara). The unreduced taste was sweet heat – banana toffee, Caramac, butterscotch, caramel sauce, brown sugar and chocolate powder on cappuccino; heat coming from pink peppercorn, cinnamon and clove. In reduction, the nose found cinder toffee and almond biscuits, while the palate reached a tasty bitter-sweet balance of dark chocolate and icing sugar. ‘Sugar and spice and all things nice’ from the only Highland grain distillery.

Drinking tip: Could be served between courses at dinner – e.g. preparing the mouth for dessert. Be careful with the water.

Colour: Toffee gold                                       Date distilled: March 1988

Cask: Refill barrel                                Alcohol: 62.3%

Age: 25 years                                      USA allocation: 60 bottles

Please visit the Scotch Malt Whisky Society at http://www.smwsa.com/

On the heels of the indulgences of the holiday season, we present seven delicious drams, all with a foodie theme in the title…because you probably haven’t had enough good stuff in the last few weeks! Dig in and enjoy January’s temptations…

To purchase please contact The Strath Ale Wine and Spirit Merchants at http://ow.ly/ssFIF

Cask No. 50.51 Wedding cake and jelly babies
22 years old; refill bourbon barrel; 55.8%abv
The juicy, fruity nose has apples, oranges, pineapple, vanilla, wedding cake and jelly babies, but all packaged in walnut shells, bookshelves and dunnage warehouse pulpits. The palate is big and tasty – candied chestnuts, buttered gingerbread, Snickers, honey.

Cask No. 84.15 An apple a day…
11 years old; refill bourbon barrel; 56.4%abv
Very fruity, red apples, bananas and pears followed by sweet lemon drizzle cake. The taste neat is hot like biting on a chili. With water, apple sorbet and Campino candy; the taste is very refreshing like a spritzy apple wine with sparkling water.

Cask No. 64.42 Peppered strawberries with Creme Anglaise
22 years old; refill bourbon barrel; 55.6%abv
A walk on a warmer summer’s evening in a flower garden, with honey brioche and Creme Anglaise. Neat on the taste, velvety and mouth-coating and slightly peppered strawberries. With very little water it turns into a fruit cocktail and barley sugar soaked in rum.

Cask No. G7.4 Buttery waffles on polished wood
28 years old; refill hogshead; 58.4%abv
The delightfully sweet nose suggests toffee sauce, ice-cream, banana and iced caramels-complexified by cigarette packets and oriental massage parlours. The palate has maple syrup, chocolate fondue with fruit and oaky spices (clove, nutmeg, cinnamon) – lip-smackingly tasty.

Cask No. 73.51 Mead, sherry and butterscotch
23 years old; refill sherry butt; 57.9%abv
Burnt notes of marmalade, hot sneakers, maple syrup and welly boots – pleasant for some, not for others. Hot, bitter, and tannic to taste, crying out for water. Dilution revealed mead, dark honey, raisins, figs, butterscotch, brown sugar; elegant on the palate (still rubbery) with barley sugar, apricot jam.

Cask No. 66.36 Milano salami and tropical fruit kebab
10 years old; refill sherry butt; 58.2%abv
This is a big, massive dram – Italian salami, spare ribs marinated in a hickory sauce. The taste is hot, spicy and smoky like a heavily char-grilled sausage. With water tropical fruit notes appear and the taste has a scorched heather note to finish.

Cask No. 33.125 Salted caramel lollipop
7 years old; 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel; 64.4%abv
Smoky peaty chimneys, fresh tobacco, breakfast kippers and gauze dressings neat on the nose. The taste antiseptic cream, peaty, tarry but also fresh and salty. Water adds sticking tar to an expensive leather shoe and the taste is a balance between smoke, sweetness and salt.

To purchase please contact The Strath at
http://ow.ly/ssFIF

JANUARY OUTTURN: A Cast of Colourful Characters

We’ve released 15 characterful whiskies that would grace any Burns Night table. Pick out your preferred flavour profile, then let The Tasting Panel’s poetry pull you in…

Sweet, fruity & mellow
39.92 Dessert Wine and Smoking Jacket
BUY
£87.20
48.42 Grown-Up Ice Lollies
MORE
Exclusive to pair

Spicy & sweet
1.176 Zesty Ginger-Lime Cooler
BUY
£54.50
9.79 Quiet Time Dram
BUY
£82.80
44.57 Sea salted caramel pebbles
MORE
Exclusive to case

Spicy & dry
7.99 Ham Gobblin’ Ghoul
BUY
£95.90
76.113 John Barleycorn was a hero bold
BUY
£49.50

Deep, rich & dried fruits
2.84 Katharine Hepburn in a Vintage Jaguar
BUY
£80.50

Juicy, oak & vanilla
4.182 Slippery shape-shifter
BUY
£51.80
36.70 Rosewater flavoured Turkish Delight
BUY
£77.60

Peated
3.202 Doctors’ surgeries and flower shops
BUY
£64.80
66.45 An inspired menu
MORE
Exclusive to trio

Heavily Peated
29.150 Hand rolled Cuban cigars
BUY
£69.70
53.200 A day at the beach
BUY
£71.70

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 http://www.smws.co.uk/memberships for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers.

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

New Year – New Arrivals at Park Ave

We interrupt the ‘Polar Vortex’ to bring you this special annoucement. Nothing beats bone-chilling record low temperatures quite like new products at the Park Avenue Liquor Shop. Well, we like to think so. Here’s a small list of new bottles at Park Ave that we think are more interesting than talking about the weather.

Cheers to your health and happiness in 2014!

Jonathan & Eric
Park Avenue Liquor Shop
292 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
212-685-2442
info@parkaveliquor.com
http://www.parkaveliquor.com/

Our spirited sources tell us that Johnnie Walker ‘Odyssey’ will soon be freed from the shackles of ‘travel retail only’ (aka ‘duty-free shops’) and land on good ‘ol regular retail shelves. We also know that this is going to be an extremely allocated item – so for starters we won’t be getting more than a couple of bottles. Be sure to check in with us if you are interested.

Ransom: The Emerald 1865, Straight American Whiskey

“Thanks to colorful folklore passed down through the generations, we know that the Irish whiskey of today little resembles its 19th century predecessors. Trouble was, there was none left of the traditional whiskey to taste in our quest to recreate the long lost gems of the Emerald Isle. Fortune gave us two good turns; a British excise agent who recorded an Irish mash bill in 1865, and our friend David Wondrich, who found said recipe poring over the microfiche annals of history and passed it along to us. With this mash bill as our guide, we set out to create our own interpretation of a traditional Irish whiskey. To call our version modern might be a stretch- We grow a percentage of the barley organically on our farm, our grains are milled, mashed and fermented in small batches at our distillery and farm in the emerald hills of Sheridan, Oregon, and we distill according to our senses in our handmade, direct-¬-fired alembic pot still. The Emerald matures in a mix of French and American oak for three years, and is hand bottled, capsuled, and labeled. The result is a highly aromatic spirit with the weight, richness, and complexity of its forbearers.”
– Tad Seestedt Proprietor, Ransom Spirits

Our price: $90/btl

Nikka: Miyagikyo (Aged 12 years)

Miyagikyo is located on the island of Honshu, two hours by high-speed train to the northeast of Tokyo. Built in the foothills of the Miyagi prefecture, at the heart of a region famous for its waterfalls and many hot springs. The distillery is a true haven of peace. This site was chosen by Nikka founder, Masataka Taketsuru for its pure air and high humidity levels, ideal for aging in barrels. The environment is similar to that of the Cairngorms region in the heart of Scotland. Miyagikyo, uses large stills that produce a spirit that is rich and fruity with elegant aromas.

Our price: $130/btl

Glenrothes: 2001 Vintage

“The Glenrothes Vintage 2001, bottled in 2012 was selected from a variety of casks to deliver soft but stimulating and conversational properties. It combines the maturity of oaky vanilla, with the fullness of ripe black cherries and has a lingering, typically Glenrothes finish of soft spices. It has wonderful length and depth, hugely satisfying and an excellent demonstration of the Malt Master’s skill and dedication to the art of wood management.”
– TheGlenrothes.com

Appearance: Golden straw, clear and bright
Bouquet: Lemon meringue pie, sandalwood and a hint of black cherries
Palate: Oaky vanilla, cream topped with grated nutmeg
Finish: Sweet oaky vanilla with lingering soft dry spiciness

Our price: $67/btl

Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr: Single Barrel

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 what is now called Buffalo Trace Distillery. During his time, Taylor implemented several innovative methods still used today, including climate controlled aging warehouses. E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel is aged exclusively in Warehouse C, which was built by Taylor in 1881 and proven to be an excellent aging warehouse. Each barrel is hand-picked and Bottled in Bond at 100 proof to honor its namesake.

TASTING NOTES:
The aroma carries lightly toasted oak, with dried figs and butterscotch. One sip brings flavors of sweetness balanced with tobacco and dark spices. The finish is just long enough to prepare the palette for another sip. The bottle itself is a likeness to Colonel Taylor’s original design used over a century ago.

Our price: $80/btl

Hillrock: Double Cask Rye

Hillrock Estate Double Cask Rye Whiskey is handcrafted from small batches of organically grown rye that are harvested from the Hillrock Estate. Once harvested, its mashed and fermented, before being distilled through a custom-made, 250-gallon copper-pot still which was built in Kentucky to Master Distiller, Dave Pickerell’s exact specifications. It’s a testament to his extraordinary control over the character and quality of the whiskey.
After distillation, the rye is matured in traditional oak casks before being double-barreled, in secondary casks. These casks are composed of American oak and have been charred with a #4 char. In addition, the staves of the secondary casks were air-seasoned for over two years prior to the casks’ assembly. As a result, the secondary casks contribute strong notes of vanilla and caramelized wood sugars to the rye, while minimizing bitter tannins that are often present in kiln dried oak.

‘Double Cask Rye’ has a deep golden amber color, along with a warm aroma of vanilla and caramel that is complemented by touches of prunes, apricots and rye. The aroma gives way to notes of caramel and rye, along with touches of cloves, cinnamon and butterscotch, and leads to a long, warming finish. The rye is a store favorite in the Hillrock line-up.

Our price: $95/btl

Due to our ever-changing inventory – we cannot guarantee bottle availability. Not responsible for typographical errors. Prices are subject to change. Please contact the store with any questions. Lastly, we believe that the concept of “Dryuary” is just plain silly.

As for Dryuary – we at WI, agree with the above sentiment!

Dryuary – The Urban Dictorianry

JANUARY OUTTURN PREVIEWS

Happy New Year, we hope 2014 brings you oodles of tasty drams. To kick start things, we’ve released two preview bottlings from January’s Outturn. Only a few bottles are available before the official release on Fri 10 Jan.

JANUARY PREVIEW BOTTLES

Heavily peated
53.200
18YO
Refill ex-sherry butt A day at the beach
We found ourselves on the beach next to a fishing harbour and the boats are coming in landing their catch of scallops, crabs and langoustines. Aromas of fresh seaweed growing on the rocky shore and old overgrown wooden groynes are mingling with the harbour smells. The taste neat is like a ‘pick-me-up’, a sweet, salty and clean fresh sea breeze, oysters with Tabasco sauce and honey butter roasted scallops. With water warm like the engine room of a fish trawler or starting a barbecue at the end of a hot day. BUY
£71.70

Spicy & dry
76.113
11YO
First-fill ex-bourbon barrel John Barleycorn was a hero bold
The nose weaved an intriguing tale (chiefly in the Scottish dialect). Oak shavings, linseed oil and new pine furniture in the National Library of Scotland. Then, we dream’d we lay where flowers were springing (heady scents of marigolds and lavender). A citric sharpness appeared with barley sugars, tea caddies and mild tobacco. Water softened – wood and laundry conjured up Steamie washboards; also butterscotch, Barbour Jackets and snuff. BUY
£49.50

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 http://www.smws.co.uk/memberships for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers.

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video