A quick note of note from Colin Southcombe General Manager The Strath Ale Wine & Spirit Merchants located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada;

Vancouver Island Based Members of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

I am pleased to announce that I now have bottles of the December Outturn available for tasting.  Unfortunately we weren’t able to present these in the soon to be regular “First Friday” format.  However we wanted you to have the opportunity to taste these fabulous new whiskies;  you should all have received a copy of the December Outturn by email from our Canada headquarters.

You are invited to attend an informal stand-up tasting in the store next Saturday December 15^th between 3:00pm to 6:00pm.  I will be pouring all seven of the December Outturn and thanks to generous subsidizing by the Society, I am offering this for a nominal $10 per member and $15 for non-members.  If anyone wants to check out any of the remaining October and November releases, you are most welcome to do that too.

Just drop in any time between 3:00pm and 6:00pm.  No ticket is required, just pay at the door, but don’t miss out.  If you can let me know you are coming, that would help.

New members who have not as yet picked up their Membership Kit, can do so at the same time.  Anyone joining the Society at the time, becomes instantly eligible to purchase any Society whiskies.  Gift memberships can also be purchased and we have the kits here, so there is no delay.

As always, if you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Slainté!

Colin Southcombe General Manager The Strath Ale Wine & Spirit Merchants 919 Douglas Street, Victoria BC, V8W 2C2 Tel: 250-370-9463 Email: whisky@strathconahotel.com

Email the Society in Canada at curious@smws.ca for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers. Bottlings are currently available in Alberta (via Kensington Wine Mart Calgary) and in British Columbia (via The Strath Ale, Wine & Spirit Merchants Victoria and Edgemont Fine Wines, Spirits & Ales, Vancouver).

We offer two (2) new bottlings under the PROVENANCE label.

Tasting Notes for PROVENANCE:

PRV 0946 Glenrothes 8 Year Old Sherry

The nose carries a richly spiced character and develops to leather, bees wax and old polished oak furniture. The palate is powerful and mouthcoating, still spicy with a salted caramel and chili chocolate quality. The finish is long and dry, with leather returning plus tobacco and a light smoky style. (J)

PRV 0781 Glenburgie 12 Year Old

Opens clean and fresh on the nose carrying a sweetly gristed character plus a macedonia of fruit style. The palate is even sweeter, with a spiced ripe fruit quality which then develops to a citric tang. The finish remains fruity then runs drier to a subtle oak aspect. (J)

And so we close the year. We thank you for your support of our Whiskies through 2012 – and though we have told you before – it merits repeating – they are appreciated and never taken for granted by us.

Best wishes

Fred H Laing

Managing Director

www.douglaslaing.com

Loch Fyne Whiskies Stocks ‘Arran single Sherry Cask #1968 15yo 1996’ 

Arran Single Sherry Cask # 1968 15yo 1996 53.9% abv 

£62.90 inc vat £52.42 ex vat

Limited to 263 bottles

Loch Fyne Whiskies

david@lfw.co.uk

It’s time to toast the holidays and we have another fantastic line up of single malts perfect for every occasion (including our first appearance from The Society’s newest addition to the distillery list). View the December Outturn here: www.smws.ca and please contact your local retailer for details on availability. Whether it’s to accompany your turkey dinner, a hostess gift or a surprise under the tree for that lucky someone, we’ve got you covered!

Have a glance at these great gifters:

Cask No. 105.19 ‘O come all ye faithful
28 years old; 1st fill sherry hogshead; 55.1%

A rich and complex nose; dried Seville orange peel, nutmeg, cinnamon, and Christmas spices – even traces of mulled wine. Smooth and sweet to taste with burnt toffee and dark chocolate.

Cask No. 129.2 Humbugs in a horse’s nosebag
4 years old; 1st fill barrel; 61.6%

The nose, feisty, carried gorgeous toasted barley warmth, buttered crumpets, black tea, pepper and ciabatta bread. Considering the age, the taste had a distinct “Wow” factor, floods of sweet smoky flavours – barley sugars, smoke and meusli in a horse’s nose bag.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada
104-1240 Kensington Road NW, Suite 160
Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 3P7
Email the Society in Canada at curious@smws.ca for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers. Bottlings are currently available in Alberta (via Kensington Wine Mart Calgary) and British Columbia (via The Strath Ale, Wine & Spirit Merchants and Edgemont Fine Wines, Spirits & Ales).

Free UK Delivery For The Remainder of 2012

Here at Abbey Whisky online whisky store we can’t think of anything more ‘Christmassy’ than a lovely glass of single malt Scotch whisky, (or whiskey if you’re American!). What better excuse to enjoy a special wee dram in celebration during this festive period!

Spend over £90.00 at Abbey Whisky and receive free 24hr delivery on any size of order… Valid for the remainder of 2012.

What do you have to do to receive this festive Christmas discount at Abbey Whisky ?

Nothing at all, just add your whisky(s) to your online basket, go through the checkout as normal and as long as you’re spending £90.00 or more in one single transaction and live in the UK, the discount will be applied.

Nikka Miyagikyo 2002 / Cask 101127

Miyagikyo single cask 101127, distilled in 2002 and aged for 9 years.

Bottled at cask strength in 2012, an incredibly youthful and seductive Japanese single malt whisky.

£154.50 (£128.75 ex vat)

Click here to buy Nikka Miyagikyo Single Cask 101127

Nikka Single Cask Coffey Grain 1998 Cask 143228

Made from 100% malted barley, just like single malt, the difference lies in the distillation method. Nikka innovates by distilling this malt in their Coffey Still (named after its inventor Aeneas Coffey), which is usually reserved for grain whiskies.

Distilled in 1998, aged in cask 143228 for 14 years before being bottled in 2012 at 60% vol.

£167.00  (£139.17 ex vat)

Click here to buy Nikka Single Cask Coffey 143228

Nikka Single Cask Coffey Grain 2000 Cask 231298

Distilled at Miyagikyo in a Coffey Still imported to Japan from Scotland, the Nikka Coffey Grain single casks are made entirely from corn. A signature Nikka bottling, one of the rare single grain whiskies on the market.

Cask number 231298, matured in a remade hogshead for 11 years before being bottled in 2012.

£129.50 (£107.92 ex vat)

Click here to buy Nikka Single Cask Coffey 231298

Abbey Whisky
enquiries@abbeywhisky.com
www.abbeywhisky.com
0800 051 7737

Robert Burns Malt Re-Launch

Arran Distillers Re-Launch Tribute Spirit – Robert Burns Single Malt

Award-winning Scotch whisky producer, Isle of Arran Distillers, have just re-launched their Robert Burns Single Malt, a multi-vintage edition of The Arran Malt named after Scotland’s most famous son. A fitting tribute to Scotland’s national poet, who famously had a taste for whisky, the new malt will hit stores at the end of September and is set to be a success with both whisky and literature fans alike.

This special Single Malt is the official Scotch whisky commemorating Robert Burns’ legacy and is consequently a highly anticipated launch from Arran Distillery this year.  Made of the finest ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks, with no artificial colouring added, the spirit has a rich and smooth flavour. Commenting on the flavour of the blend, Arran’s Master Distiller, James MacTaggart, said: “This malt has been skilfully created by combining different ages to produce a beautifully rounded whisky. The sweet, fruity notes and the depth of flavour mean that this malt can be happily enjoyed neat, on the rocks or as part of a classic whisky cocktail.”

Euan Mitchell, Managing Director of Isle of Arran Distilleries, said: “As a Patron of the Robert Burns World Federation we wanted to create something special and with the end result we have achieved liquid poetry. “Both Burns and whisky are global Scottish icons and we aim to promote this new bottling around the world”.

The Robert Burns Single Malt is the perfect romantic gift for a whisky lover or poetry fan.

ARRAN 2004 Orkney Bere Barley £46.50

Whisky made with the oldest (and previously most common) Scottish strain of barley available. An enticing taste of whisky as it used to be.

Royal Mile Whiskies
(Edinburgh)
379 The Royal Mile
Edinburgh
EH1 1PW
Tel: 0131 225 3383
Mon to Wed 10 ~ 6pm
Thurs to Sat 10 ~ 8pm
Sun 11 ~ 6pm

Royal Mile Whiskies
(London)
3 Bloomsbury St
London
WC1B 3QE
Tel: 0207 436 4763
Mon to Sat 10 ~ 6pm
(Thurs 10 ~ 8pm)
Sun 12 ~ 5pm

Christmas may be looming…but Drambusters makes it simple!

We operate a next working day courer service for only £8.50 in mainland UK. Off shore customers needn’t worry about delivery costs either as we can usually offset high courier costs by using Royal Mail where possible. On top of all this.. we have some great ideas for Christmas Gifts!

Our mailing address is:
T.B.Watson Ltd.
11/17 English Street
Dumfries, Scotland DG1 2BU
United Kingdom

Christmas Parcels: 2 weeks to the BIG Day
Don’t panic….not quite Christmas, our last orders for guaranteed delivery is Wed 19 Dec (midday).  Any orders after this date, sadly might not arrive in time for Christmas.  Save last minute panic buying, order now!

Have you ordered your Christmas Parcels?

21.27 An enticement of sweet oak
39yo Speyside Deveron, £439 with free gift carton
An enticing nose – every sniff uncovered something new – including tobacco leaf, maple syrup, sugary espresso dregs, polished furniture, chocolate-coated raisins, plums, banana, melon skin and blood orange. BUY

1.97 Orange syllabub
30yo Speyside Deveron, £134 with free gift carton
Although there is still a significant prickle considering its age, there is a combination of satsumas and cream in the undiluted nose. We settled on the comforting notion of orange syllabub, with a significant quantity of zest grated on top. BUY

Delightfully Different Pair: 76.97 & G8.2 only £99
76.97 Night time campfire treat, 17yo Speyside Spey
G8.2 Spun sugar and spooned honey, 23yo Single cask grain
BUY

Regional Trio: 35.76, 26.91 & 3.200* only £139
35.76 Afternoon tea, 16yo Speyside Lossie
26.91 Lemon picker in a Barbour jacket, 12yo Highland
3.200* A bothy with an oil painting, 15yo Islay
BUY    *First ever 200th cask

Unadulterated 35 Luxury: 35.59 & 35.63 only £399
35.59 Arabian Nights, 39yo Speyside Lossie
35.63 Stylish & aristocratic, 38yo Speyside Lossie
Includes free gift boxes and pair of tasting glasses
BUY    OR 35.59 with gift carton for £228 BUY

Christmas Parcels   on-sale NOW

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.

The Yamazaki Cask Selections Now Available At The Whisky Shop. Only Available While Stocks Last. Free Postage On All Bottles!

The Whisky Shop is proud to present The Yamazaki Cask Collection. All expressions now available via whiskyshop.com

Click Here To Buy: £250
Yamazaki Mizunara is part of the Yamazaki limited edition single malts series, designed so that whisky lovers may discover the amazing variety of unblended whiskies created by Suntory at the Yamazaki distillery. Suntory began to use homegrown Mizunara, a type of Japanese oak, after the Second World War when supplies of foreign oak were difficult to source.

Click Here To Buy: £70.00
Whisky distilling in Japan starts with Shinjiro Torii who made Japan’s first whisky at the Yamazaki distillery in 1923. In the autumn of the following year he put the new-made, pot-still whisky into casks. The first cask to be stored in the Yamazaki warehouse was made from Spanish sherry oak barrels. From this small beginning Shinjiro Torii built the foundations for the high quality Suntory whiskies of today.

Click Here To Buy: £70.00
Bourbon barrel refers to the type of cask used to hold Bourbon whisky. The Cask interior has been thoroughly charred. When used to age Yamazaki malts, the charred white oak imparts an elegant aroma and sweet vanilla flavour. Smaller than other types, these 180-litre barrels are more susceptible to the surrounding atmosphere and produce whiskies distinctive to the region where they have been aged.

Click Here To Buy £70.00
Since it began making whisky in Japan in 1923, the Yamazaki distillery has taken exceptional care over the selection of the right casks needed to craft its wide variety of single malt whiskies. A broad range of casks are made by the distillery’s own skilled craftsmen. Among them is the Puncheon, a stout, 480-litre cask which nurtures the new-make spirit as it matures over the years.

Purchase something unique and special this Christmas with The Yamazaki Cask Collection.