Feis Ile 2012

Down to the final few days of the Feis Ile 2012, but what a week it has been. Whisky fans from all over the world have enjoyed some very special drams, great open days and wonderful food. To celebrate the Feis Ile 2012 we decided to have a look back at some of the previous year’s releases. There has been some cracking drams, below we have selected just a few.

To view all of our festival whiskies click this link.

If you didnt manage to get across to the Islay festival this year we have be posting some tasting notes via our whisky blog.

Slainte

Abbey Whisky

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

Milroy’s of Soho Single Cask Royal Lochnagar 2002, Aged 10 Years, Jubilee Bottling

To coincide with the Jubilee we bottled a deliciously delicate Royal Lochnagar. It is a fresh, slightly oily, rounded summer dram, with attractive apple and light vanilla hints.

We’re told that Queen Victoria regularly nipped round to the Royal Lochnagar distillery from Balmoral Castle and our in depth research ie Google Maps: http://g.co/maps/u7wny  shows that it would cost our Jubilant Queen Elizabeth II just 34p in fuel to visit the distillery (turn right, then right and right again Ma’am, you can’t miss it).

£35.00

Delivery will be charged at £9.95 to addresses in U.K. Mainland,
and charged at cost elsewhere.

To place an order please visit www.milroys.co.uk,
call Lee on 020 7437 2385
or email Lee.Tomlinson@jeroboams.co.uk

Our mailing address is:

Milroy’s of Soho
3 Greek Street
London, England W1D 4NX
United Kingdom

THE MACALLAN LAUNCHES LIMITED EDITION DIAMOND JUBILEE BOTTLING

The Macallan is celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s 60th year on the throne with the release of a stunning limited edition commemorative Diamond Jubilee bottling. The specially designed bottle bears a unique image of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II created by the sculptor Arnold Machin. With only 2012 bottles available, and like The Macallan’s previous commemorative royal bottlings, this edition is expected to be highly sought after by collectors from the worlds of whisky and art.

The pack was designed by acclaimed Art Director David Holmes, who was responsible for the 2011 Macallan Royal Marriage edition. Arnold Machin’s magnificent image of the Queen is displayed on an intricately designed ceramic brooch which sits proudly on the bottle’s label. The distinctive image, depicted here on a product for the first and only time, was one of a series of effigies created by Arnold Machin OBE RA. A development of this design was later used on all definitive issue British postal stamps.

Commenting on the special commemorative Diamond Jubilee edition David Holmes said; “A Royal Diamond Jubilee is extremely rare and should be celebrated with flair and unique exuberance. With this in mind and taking inspiration from a brooch gifted to Queen Victoria on her Diamond Jubilee, it was imperative to keep the design sophisticated. The motivation behind the colours stemmed from the tones so often favoured by the Queen, pale blue, pale yellow and pale green. These colours complement the product’s subtle tones perfectly when presented in the display case which, with its cushioned regal purple lid has the feel of a jewellery box. In a year of celebrating Britain, all elements of production were British based. The antiqued pewter surround was made in Scotland, the cameo in Staffordshire and the flags and ribbons are all made in Britain.”

The golden amber liquid has been specially chosen for the months it was drawn from the casks, 6th February, the Queen’s accession and the first week in June, traditionally when the Jubilees are celebrated. Bottled at 52%, in line with the year of the Queen’s accession, the exceptional sherry cask matured single malt gives hints of citrus fruits, ginger and clove.

Ken Grier, Director of Malts at Edrington commented; “The Macallan is honoured to showcase and play host to such an iconic British emblem. This unique combination between art and whisky results in an exquisitely designed creation which continues our exceptional attention to detail in all The Macallan products. Our Whisky Maker, Bob Dalgarno has put together a superb single malt which carries the character and nobility of the occasion it commemorates, whilst David Holmes has given us a truly inspiring way to use this iconic image”

The 2012 bottles are available from The Macallan Distillery Visitor Centre for UK collection only and online for UK customers at www.themacallan.com at a price of £350. Limited quantities will also be available via selected luxury retailers. Bottles will be available for sale from 31st May 2012.

http://www.themacallan.com/shop/detail.asp?pid=MACDJ01

© The Machin Arts Foundation and used with their kind permission.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Vanilla is the first to show, sweet to a point, yet shows maturity. Citrus fruits hang on to the coattails, (orange, apple, hints of lemon), almost appear when they are required. The cask influences then appear, resinous, never overbearing, changing to show polished oak, aged, reminiscent of a once exquisite dining room.

• Palate: Rich dried fruits open up to show their hand. Raisin drives the character in a non-nonsense manner. It is evident it is not alone, figs and dates, are the lesser players of the group. As they converse, treacle toffee takes a bow followed by the courtiers, ginger and clove. Like a finale the grand lady enters, Oak – refined, polished, elegant, overlooking all.

• Finish: Long, meanders, in no hurry to leave.

Announcing the arrival of the newest Whisky’s from Kilchoman Distillery

Kilchoman is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland with an annual production of 100,000 litres of alcohol. It is one of only six distilleries to carry out traditional floor maltings, but the key difference at Kilchoman is that the barley is grown on the farm at the distillery, whereas other distilleries purchase barley from around the country.

KILCHOMAN 2006 CSPC #747991

Nose: Oily, peaty and salty with grassy aloe notes; the nose is fishy with poached pears, blue cheese and honey;

Palate: Creamy, soft and coating with salty fish, white chocolate and grassy smoke; the palate is very fruity, even more so than the nose with peaches, more poached pears and even cooked green apple with baked blue cheese;

Finish: The vanilla lingers long, with oily peat and salted smoke; some dark spices but the white chocolate-vanilla and traces of white fruit fade last!

– Andrew Ferguson, Kensington Wine Market

KILCHOMAN MACHIR BAY CSPC #749725

The first ongoing bottling from Kilchoman, Machir Bay is made up of first fill bourbon matured whisky finished in oloroso sherry wood before bottling.

Nose: Picture yourself sitting around a lovely peat fire in a harbour: Plenty of peat, iodine, salt and oiliness. A lovely little bit of mintiness follows with floral and citrus notes hiding at the back.

Palate: Big hit of cut grass and syrup right from the word go! The smoke is much calmer on the palate and balances really, really nicely with that soft syrup and chocolate feel. The oily character has fallen but the coastal feel is still pretty dominant with the peat and sweetness on the palate.

Finish: Salty, savoury, and meaty like good dim sum dumplings.

-Royal Mile Whiskies – Staff Tasting Notes

KILCHOMAN SHERRY CASK CSPC #749726

This is the first sherry cask matured release from Kilchoman. It has been matured for 5 years in oloroso sherry butts.

Color: A rich golden color

Nose: Soft peaty aromas and a blend of soft fruits and spice.

Palate: An initial sweetness is followed by soft peaty aromas, mixed fruit and spice

Finish: The finish is long and clean with a character and richness that belies its tender age.

-Kilchoman Distillery Tasting Notes

Bruichladdich and Bowmore are two of the top distilleries in Scotland. These Islay distilleries stand on opposite sides of Loch Indal with little more than two miles of water separating them. Although Islay single malts tend to be big, potent and aggressive, both of these distilleries manage to put an elegant twist on their delightful whiskeys.

These are two of our favorite new additions to our single malt selection. We loved them so much we purchased the entire barrel and had them bottled at cask strength.

Bruichladdich 1989 22-year-old Chieftains 51.4% abv – $129.99

This scotch shows a pale gold color. The nose delivers amazing aromas of citrus, marzipan, vanilla cake batter, stone fruit, brine, and brown butter with bananas. A drop of water brings out a cornucopia of tropical fruit and a touch of brown spice. The palate exhibits ripe white fruit and apricots, sandlewood, brine, and a slight oily quality with a hint of smoke on the back palate. The finish is mouth-coating with butterscotch sweetness all held together with a classic Bruichladdich brininess.

Bowmore 1984 28-year-old Lorne Mackillop 50% apv – $150.00

The initial aromas convey heather, flamed orange peel, brine, and hints of stone fruit. There is a slight oily texture with flavors of anise, cake batter, smoke and oil. The palate progresses to apples and pears with good wood spice, hints of dry oak, and banana bread. The finish is long and pleasant, evolving into flavors of papaya and guava with some herbs and wood.

Now offering new make spirit, filled into first fill bourbon barrels distilled at the following distilleries;

Laphroaig 18yo Jubilee Bottle Now Available to Pre Order – The highly anticipated Laphroaig 18 year old Jubilee…Link to full article:

Kind Regards

The Whisky Shop
www.whiskyshop.com

LAPHROAIG UNVEILS DIAMOND JUBILLEE COMMEMORATIVE EDITION

To celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 60th year on the throne, Islay single malt whisky Laphroaig, is launching a special Diamond Jubilee commemorative edition. Bearing Prince Charles’ Royal Warrant, the 3,000 Jubilee cartons and bottles are set to become collector’s items. Laphroaig has also pledged to make a donation of £3000 to The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST).

Each limited edition carton will display that it is only one of three thousand in existence and will contain the Double Gold Medal * winning Laphroaig 18 Year Old single malt (48% abv). Bright gold in colour, the Laphroaig 18 Year Old offers a toffee sweet flavour, accompanied by its trademark peat smoke taste.

Laphroaig’s Diamond Jubilee bottling is especially fitting given their Royal Warrant, appointed personally by HRH Prince Charles when he visited the distillery in 1994. He also returned again in 2008 as part of his own 60th birthday celebrations.

Distillery manager John Campbell said; “With Laphroaig’s royal connection to HRH Prince Charles, and as our most famous patron, we thought it only right to create a special pack to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne. As proud bearers of a royal warrant Laphroaig is delighted that our 18 Year Old has become part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in its beautifully designed, premium Jubilee packaging.”

Reinforcing its special royal connections, Laphroaig is donating £3,000 to QEST. The charitable arm of the Royal Warrant Holders Association, the funds will go towards awarding craftsmen throughout Britain to help them further their careers, celebrating the excellence of British Craftsmanship as symbolised by the Royal Warrant of Appointment.

The 3,000 bottles are available to buy in the UK only from June in selected whisky specialists and retailers (RRP £77).

www.laphroaig.com

Laphroaig 18 Year Old Tasting Notes

Colour: Bright gold

Nose: At bottling strength, a soft toffee sweet, faintly spicy flavour counterbalances the trace of delicate phenols and fruit. There is an all-encompassing smoothness when these are all brought together. Adding a touch of water allows the seaweed and salt to come through but not enough to overpower the vanilla and honey sweetness with just a trace of new mown hay and peat at the finish.

Body: An intense depth that is exceptionally balanced and warming.

Taste: An instant warming tang of smoke that fades into smooth floral scents and blends seamlessly into an oaky nuttiness and leaves a lasting sweetness on the taste. With a touch of water the peaty warmth fills the mouth but does not overshadow the sweet chocolate smoothness. This is balanced by the rich toffee taste and slowly fades into a delicate hint of heather and peat smoke.

Finish: Full bodied, long with a luxurious oily smoothness.

*2011 SF World Spirits Competition

Notes:

Laphroaig is the No.1 selling Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky globally and in the UK. Laphroaig has won an incredible array of awards at the biggest spirit competitions in the world – most recently taking double Gold medals for 10 Year Old, Cask Strength, 18 Year Old and Gold medal for Quarter Cask at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2011. Unmistakably peat-smoke flavours are delivered by burning local Islay peat, containing unique traces of seaweed and heather. One of only a few distilleries that still uses traditional malting floors and dries and infuses its own malt with the thick blue smoke from old peat-fired kilns. Laphroaig has a strong presence online through the Friends of Laphroaig, recently breaking through the 500,000 FOL barrier and the brand is frequently the subject of blogs. It has recently topped the first ever Whisky 100 Brand Index (www.mepath.com) which is an online survey designed to track positive words associated with whisky brands. Laphroaig has an outstanding range from the classic 10 Year Old through to the lovingly created 25 Year Old – Full range, 10 Year Old, Quarter Cask, Triple Wood, 18 Year Old and 25 Year Old.

LAPHROAIG® Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. D Johnston and Co, Isle of Islay.

Loch Fyne Whiskies stocks  ‘Lagavulin 12yo 57.5% Bottled 2011’

Lagavulin 12yo 57.5% Bottled 2011

£59.90 inc vat (£49.92 ex vat)

The Joynson speaks “Tried this at the end of a marathon tasting session and my notes merely say ‘Nice”.

Here’s the official blurb on it:

A limited edition, natural cask strength single malt whisky. From the essential Islay distillery, Lagavulin, on Islay’s rocky south coast. Ninth of a series of special 12 year old releases from the original distiller’s stocks. Vatted from refill American Oak casks, each at least 12 years old. Official Tasting Note: Appearance: Pale gold. Light beading. Nose: Mild nose-feel. Immediate and complex, with butter toffee to the fore and fragrant wood smoke on the breeze behind. As with a well-made vinaigrette dressing on peppery salad leaves, eaten with smoked mackerel. After a while, the honeyed wood-smoke develops hints of newly polished brogues and distinctly medicinal carbolic soap and bath salts, laced with creamy vanilla. Sharper and more savoury with water: clean and fresh, with seaweed, and lightly oily. Like eating fresh cooked chips, with a splash of vinegar, straight from the bag on a cold day. Body: Light. Palate: Sweeter than expected, with a pleasant texture, then vinegary, then very smoky indeed. Drying at first with smoky wood-ash, then tart notes of citrus and pine come in to create a kind of carbonic fizz. Very savoury and appetising with water. Fish grilled on a beech-wood fire; hot baked potatoes. Like chewing on a charred stick and finding it unexpectedly delightful! Finish: Long and toasted. Later, with water, more charred and savoury notes emerge (liquorice root, fennel, some mushrooms and truffle oil), thrown into fine relief by the deliciously insistent, smoky and medicinal backdrop.

Flavour Map Ref: D10 Smoky / Light & Smoky

Best regards,
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

Have you ever been in a shop and you were not sure if you tasted a particular whisky? Maybe you even doubt if you have the bottle at home in your collection. It would also be nice to know if the price is right.

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