Glenfarclas Cognac Casks OB 43yo 40.7%alc.

Tasting Note: By George S Grant

Colour: Dark, Pure 24k Gold in Colour

Nose: Wonderful dried apricots lovely malty sweetness, honeycomb candy, light spicy aromas, topped with light white pepper, then classic Glenfarclas burnt Demerara sugar.( Just goes to show it does not just come from the Oloroso sherry cask).

Finish: Quite a dry finish, which is good as more whisky is required to moisten the mouth. Dark bitter chocolate, German or Belgian chocolate with high cocoa content. Crushed almonds and light oakiness to finish with.

Conclusion: An amazing whisky from Glenfarclas, a Great to Taste. Nothing like this has ever been done before and nothing like this will be done again, well not in my lifetime!

Glenfarclas 43 year old Cognac Casks

Price excluding VAT: £382.50
£459.00 Including VAT at 20%

We have a great selection of new Dimension bottlings in both cask strength and 46.0% now available, these include a ‘Light and refreshing’ Aultmore, that make you want it to be summer time, and many more. You can find full tasting notes for each release below.

For further information please get in touch via www.duncantaylor.com

Dimensions Cask Strength

Dimensions Blair Athol 1989 22YO, C2927, 50.5%
Descriptions: This was distilled one year after Allied distillers became the owners after the merge with Itiram Walker. The distillery is now owned by Inverhouse
Tasting Notes
Colour: Bright Gold
Nose: Orange peel. Chocolate, cornflakes, malt vinegar and brown sugar. Soft oily notes and a touch of pomegranate.
Taste: More orangey notes, marzipan and quite creamy. Pistachio nuts, white chocolate and nutmeg
Finish: Green apple, touch of lime and quire autumnal
Comment: Chocolate fruit and nut bar – in liquid form

Dimensions Craigellachie 1990 21YO, C5399, 52.0%
Descriptions: The malted barely used for Craigellachie whisky is obtained from Glenesk maltings
Tasting Notes
Colour: Golden
Nose: Earthy, stewed red fruits, ginger with floral notes emerging
Taste: Silky smooth, very nutty, citrus punch emerges at with sudden bursts
Finish: Very spicy with a waxy texture. The citrus still very strong lingers
Comment: Bursting with juicy citrus fruits.

Dimensions Imperial 1995 16YO, Cask 50054, 53.1%
Descriptions: Not to be confused with a blend of the same name which is hugely popular in the far east.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale Gold
Nose: The smell of a biscuit barrel – hints of ginger and zest. Gets creamier and orangey before getting darker, with notes of black cherry yoghurt and boot polish.
Taste: Robust, mouth coating, a trace of alcoholic spice. Sundried tomatoes, portabella mushrooms and a thick slice of buttered gingerbread.
Finish: Unexpectedly sweet, touches of Parma violets, wet stones with a slight wood influence.
Comment: This really keeps you guessing – a slightly twisted profile that’s hugely entertaining.

Dimensions Linkwood 1986 25YO, C991101, 47.2%
Descriptions: Produced in Linkwood ‘B’ which uses condensers compared with the original Linkwood ‘A’ which has a cask iron worm tub
Tasting Notes
Colour: Bright Straw
Nose: Mint humbugs and lashing of toffee and crisp golden apples. Touch of fennel and salted liquorices
Taste: Soft traced of smoke, touch of engine oil and a marshmallows milk chocolate, red cherries and raspberries.
Finish: Long lasting caramel and good quality ice cream.
Comment: Could nose this all day – if it didn’t tasted so good!!

Dimensions Linkwood 1989 22yo C.5042, 46.8%
Descriptions: Between 1902 and 1932, Linkwood was managed by Robert Innes Cameron who also owned Benrinnes, Tamdhu and Teaninich.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Straw
Nose: Fresh Dijon mustard and banana boxes. Slightly herbal with emerging meaty notes.
Taste: Very creamy and leafy, developing on larger flavors of Seville oranges and liquorices after time.
Finish: Smooth and medium-long with traces of fruit and sherbet.
Comment: Well balanced and easy to drink. Very moreish.

Dimensions Mortlach 1989 22YO, C4037, 52.0%
Descriptions: Mortlach was built on the site of a well that was allegedly used for illicit whisky distillation
Tasting Notes
Colour: Gold
Nose: Roasted pork with rosemary. Gooseberries and dark caramel and hints of liquorices.
Taste: Vanilla, dark chocolate. Increasingly sweet with more caramel notes. Red grapes and slight wood
Finish: Long and rich – Smoked meat and caramel linger
Comment: A Mortlach to feast on!

Dimensions 46.0%

Dimensions Auchentoshan 1998 13YO, Batch 0001, 46.0%
Descriptions: Auchentoshan is the Gaelic term meaning ‘corner of the Field’
Tasting Notes
Colour: Antique Gold
Nose: Surprisingly you get a burst of sherry notes. Crisp Apples, rice pudding with raisins.
Taste: Very gentle on the pallet, red apples, toffee, poached pears
Finish: Double cream, Hazel nut oil extract finish
Comment: Perfect for cleansing the pallet

Dimensions Aultmore 2001 10YO, Batch 0001, 46.0%
Descriptions: The majority of Aultmore is used in Dewar’s Blended whisky after they bought the distillery in 1998
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale Straw
Nose: Apple straddle, clotted cream and a light olive oil notes. Nettles, green tea and smoked cheese
Taste: Dried bananas, lemon drops and nougat. Some mixes red fruits and pine nuts
Finish: Notes of latte’s and root ginger, Dry white wine and soft brown sugar
Comment: Light and refreshing – bring on summer!!

Dimensions Benrinnes 1997 14YO, Batch 0001, 46.0%
Descriptions: Benrinnes is one of the four remaining distillers that used the traditional ‘worm tub’ cooling method
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale Gold
Nose: Rich, inviting aromas. Juicy oranges, light herbal notes and a whisp of developing smoke
Taste: Assertive, meaty, fresh root vegetables in wooden boxes. Becomes creamier
Finish: Surprisingly light and slightly chewy with hints of cloves and cinnamon
Comment: Well rounded with plenty of character

Dimensions Cragganmore 1997 14YO, Batch 0001, 46.0%
Descriptions: A distillery that looks like it was thrown together with little thought – though John Smith clearly had a plan.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale Gold
Nose: Vegetable boxes at a market, mossy and very herbal to begin with. Then hints of eucalyptus, fresh doughnuts, black fruit pastels and the center of a crunchie bar!
Taste: Leafy and grass – more herbal notes – sage, rosemary, some celery notes and onion granules. Light bodied and refreshing.
Finish: Fresh, soft and gradually fading.
Comment: One to enjoy at sunrise!

Dimensions Cragganmore 2000 11YO, Batch 0001, 46.0%
Descriptions: Cragganmore was the first distillery to be built to take advantage of the speyside railway – John Smith the founder was a ‘huge’ fan of trains
Tasting Notes
Colour: Light Straw
Nose: Herbal, Minty and some dry straw. Some hints of lemon and some granny pears and pancake mix. Faint hint of toffee.
Taste: Quite grassy, flint, tablet, popcorn and almonds. Touch of lemon grass and peaches
Finish: Soft fruity finish with sage and rosemary
Comment: Typically ultra-complex Cragganmore. Take your time it just keeps changing

Dimensions Dailuaine 1998 13YO, Batch 0001, 46.0%
Descriptions: The majority of Dailuaine’s output goes into the Johnnie Walker blends, but it is a fantastic single malt in its own right.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Polished Gold
Nose: rich caramel, dried fruits and spice. Oranges and cigar box wood.
Taste: Like walking into a bakery – fresh cream, Victoria sponge and milk chocolate.
Finish: Brown sugar, custard creams and slightly herbal.
Comment: Incredible nose with a surprisingly sweet taste. Indulgent!

Dimensions Glentauchers 1997 14YO, Batch 0001, 46.0%
Descriptions: Glentauchers is known to be a key ingredient in the Ballantine’s and Teacher’s blends.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Gold
Nose: apples, pears, trace of birch wood and eucalyptus. Some sherry notes.
Taste: Apricots, raisins, smooth toffee and slight maltiness.
Finish: Fresh and chewy, red cherries and icing sugar. Quite light but lingers nicely.
Comment: A mellow whisky with great balance.

Loch Fyne Whiskies Stocks Two News BenRiach

BenRiach 17yo Solstice Second Edition  50% abv  £55.90 inc vat  £46.58 ex vat

BenRiach 17yo Septendecim  46% abv  £44.90 inc vat  £37.42 ex vat 

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

United States – Bourbon and Rye

Redemption Straight Rye Whiskey 750ml ($26.99)

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

Following on from the success of the Earl Magnus series of whiskies, Thor represents the first coming from Highland Park’s stunning Valhalla Collection; a range of four unique whiskies, released annually, taking inspiration from the legendary Nordic gods of old.

Bottled at a robust 52.1% abv this limited edition 16 year old whisky comes in a unique wooden frame, which echoes the fearsome contours of a traditional Viking long ship.

Tasting Notes

Nose – A powerful blast of aromatic smoke, followed by a delicate
floral sweetness giving way to rich dried fruits.

Palate – Smoke, honey and an intense rich fruit flavour from the
sherry casks. Big complex flavours, perfectly balanced.

Finish – Long and complex, some smoke and barley,
with just a little chocolate bitterness.

Overall – A whisky to match Thor himself, powerful, complex and beguiling.

£114.90 per Bottle

To place an order please visit 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

Loch Fyne Whiskies Stocks ‘GlenDronach Parliament 21yo Miniature‘

 GlenDronach Parliament 21yo 5cl  48% abv  £8.10 inc vat  £6.75 ex vat

Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

Loch Fyne Whiskies Reports;

The Arran Malt ‘Icons of Arran’ #4 The Eagle
(Due March 2012)

The fourth and final instalment of the Icons of Arran brings this series to a stylish close. The Eagle, perhaps the defining symbol of the Isle of Arran Distillery, is bottled from a selection of casks from our 1999 vintage and bottled at 46%. This limited release of 6,000 bottles will be bottled at 46% without chill-filtering.

The Arran Malt – Devil’s Punchbowl
(Due May 2012)

This Limited Edition release will highlight the cask selection skills of our Master Distiller and Blender James MacTaggart. Created from a vatting of our oldest and finest casks, the Devil’s Punchbowl will be bottled at Cask Strength and limited to approximately 6,000 bottles worldwide. With stunning packaging combined with superior whisky, we anticipate The Devil’s Punchbowl forming the first chapter of a new and highly sought after collection.

Rare whisky launched to mark Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

A 60 year old Single Malt Whisky is being launched today (6th February 2012) in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee by one of the world’s leading malt whisky specialists.

Gordon & MacPhail – the Elgin based and family-run Single Malt Whisky specialist – has released only 85 bottles of Glen Grant 60 Years Old.

Distilled on 2nd February 1952, four days before the Queen acceded the throne,   the whisky was bottled on 2nd February 2012 at cask strength, making it exactly 60 years old.

Gordon & MacPhail’s Joint Managing Director Michael Urquhart said: “Glen Grant 60 Years Old is a rare single malt whisky and we are delighted to be releasing it to mark the celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.

“With whisky of this quality and rarity – each bottle comes with a certificate of authenticity – we expect considerable interest, not just in the UK, but from the international marketplace where recent export figures have shown we have an avid consumer following.

“In producing the packaging for this remarkable Single Malt we worked with Scottish craftsmen, allowing us to showcase some of the finest talent in the country.”

Gordon & MacPhail Glen Grant 60 Years Old is described as having poise and great complexity, displaying aromas of Cox’s Pippins and Granny Smith apples, laced with cinnamon and root ginger. 

The palate reveals the age and depth of character as rich, burnt fruit notes mingle with a drying, spicy edge and a dusting of white pepper.

The Single Malt is presented in a pyramid shaped crystal decanter adorned with a diamond shaped stopper.  Each decanter is expertly engraved – the script in-filled with silver – and uniquely numbered. 

The decanter carries an engraved crown with a sparking Swarovski crystal, set at the meeting point of the crowns two arches.   A silver collar, placed around the neck of the decanter completes the presentation.  

The decanter is packaged in a hand-crafted box made of Scottish Elm, felled a short distance from Holyrood House, the Queen’s official Scottish residence.   The decanter nestles in the box lined with luxurious, purple Harris

Tweed and a dust jacket made from the same material protects the box and the precious contents.

The limited edition bottles are now being put on the market for a recommended retail price in the UK  of £8,000 per bottle. Prices in export markets will differ depending on duty and import taxes.

The launch of Glen Grant 60 year old is supported by an online social media campaign and dedicated microsite www.gordonandmacphail.com/diamond and Facebook page.  Both display images of the hand crafting bottling process and packaging of the final product. 

Notes:

1.                   Gordon & MacPhail Glen Grant 60 Years Old will be sold in specialist wine & spirit retailers, Duty free outlets and consumed in high quality on-trade establishments.  A single decanter will have a UK RRP of £8,000. 

Prices in export markets will differ depending on duty and import taxes.

TASTING NOTE:

After maturing slowly for sixty years the result is a beautifully balanced Single Malt with poise and great complexity. The introduction to the whisky is one of fresh fruit and spices – aromas of Cox’s Pippins and Granny Smith apples, laced with cinnamon and root ginger. In the background linger subtle hints of lavender and rose petals, all wrapped in a sweet, toffee parcel.

A sip of the whisky reveals the age and depth of character. Initially there are hints of cedar wood and freshly cut grass. However, these are quickly replaced by rich, burnt fruit notes with a drying, spicy edge and a dusting of white pepper.

A smokiness twists its way through the flavour leaving a slightly bitter, treacle toffee finish.

About Gordon & MacPhail:

Gordon & MacPhail is an independent, family-owned spirit and wine merchant who have been based in Elgin, Moray, since 1895. Four generations of the Urquhart family have continued the tradition of seeking out the best and rarest Scotch whiskies.

Since its founding, Gordon & MacPhail’s policy has been to send casks to distilleries throughout Scotland, fill them with ‘new make’ spirit and mature them either at the distillery of origin or in the firm’s own bonded warehouses in Elgin.

Now one of the world’s leading malt whisky specialists, Gordon & MacPhail exports to more than 55 countries. It offers more than 300 presentations of own-bottled Single Malts.  In 2009, Gordon & MacPhail was awarded the prestigious

Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

In 1993 the company purchased Benromach Distillery in nearby Forres.  After extensively re-equipping the distillery over a five year period, Benromach was officially opened by HRH Prince Charles in October 1998.  The award winning range includes

Benromach 10 Years Old and Benromach Organic – the world’s first single malt to be fully certified by the Soil Association.

Dear Client,

 This month we have selected four (4) PROVENANCE bottlings. PROVENANCE Tasting Notes follow:

PRV 0767 Dalmore 10 Year Old On the nose it is strawberry caramel sweet, citric and clean with a backdrop of barley. Spiced still with summer fruit (plus cream!) and sugar on the palate – it all runs to a finish carrying more warming spices, together with both mocha and liquorice flavours. (F)

RV 0768 Aberlour 11 Year Old Opens clean and fresh on the nose – carrying a zesty lemon style plus some honey. The palate opens sweetly with a fruity (peach & banana) character running to a soft creamy vanilla style. The finish is still sweet – now buttery – still fresh – and runs to a soft spicy tail. (J)

PRV 0778 Dailuaine 11 Year Old Sherry The nose opens with an attractively spicy and sweet character – carrying an interesting butterscotch style. The mouth coating palate remains spicily sweet and carries a toffee’d apples and buttery quality. The finish is medium long, still sweetly spiced with a ripe peach aspect. (J)

PRV 0780 Glentauchers 12 Year Old Opens clean and fresh on the nose carrying a sweet gristy quality and develops to crushed sugar and ripe pineapple. The palate is warmingly spiced, still fruity with dark cherries and apricots. The finish is medium long, still sweet and softly spiced. (J)

We hope you and your customers will like them as much as we do, and that we can progress together when convenient to you. Happy to be of assistance!

Yours sincerely

Fred Laing Managing Director

Hello Fellow Whiskey Lovers –    

I have some very exciting news to share with you.

As of today, ForScotchLovers has a totally new look, a vastly improved user experience…and a new name: ForWhiskeyLovers.com

The new site reflects the perspective we’ve heard from so many of our members, brand ambassadors and whiskey industry folk, and friends: that amazing whiskey is being produced in all corners of the world. 

The mission of the site hasn’t changed: provide a resource of expert whiskey content; a forum to learn from and share your passion with other whiskey drinkers; and a store that offers an unparallelled selection of amazing whiskies from around the world at fair prices. 

The new website, and all this talk of “world whiskies” around the FWL offices caused our boy Nicky “The Neck” to spring into action, as if on a new mission: Find a truly wonderful single malt whisky produced in some far corner of the world, and bring it on home Nick!

And because he IS “The Neck”, he succeed…which brings me to this weeks Whiskey Wednesday special: Lark Single Malt Single Cask Tasmanian Whisky.

That’s right…Tasmanian whisky…and man is it good!  

Lark Distillery produces all its whiskey in single quarter casks, smaller than the usual size, which means they gain more oak contact, ageing faster and acquiring many more flavours. This, along with the way Lark lightly peat their whisky and the fact that they own their own peat bog, results in a uniqueness that is enjoyed in every sip.

The actual barrel selected for bottling is carefully chosen at its peak for excellent drink-ability and is taken from the storehouse and bottled. The barrel number is hand written on the label of every bottle. Single barrel whiskies have the ultimate in uniqueness, where each barrel has a slightly different flavour profile to the next, meaning that Lark whiskies will always bring you something new.

Lark Single Malt Single Cask Whisky is the flagship product of the Lark Distillery. First produced in small quantities in 1992, it is distilled from Tasmanian (Franklin) barley, malted at the Cascade Brewery. The whisky is double distilled in locally crafted potted stills and it is only the “honey sweet” HEART of the run which we keep for barrelling in 100 litre oak casks. It is matured up to eight years in the smaller barrels which have a much larger surface area-to-volume of liquid. This allows a faster rate of evaporative losses and a considerably shorter maturation period than that required with the larger barrels used in Scotland.

The whisky is a lovely whisky, superbly made that is lightly peated (approximately 50% of the malt is peated) and resembles in flavour a Scottish Speyside or Highland whisky.

This is also a limited production whisky, but as always Nicky The Neck secured more than our fair share. And so I am thrilled to be able to offer you Lark Single Malt Single Cask Tasmanian Whisky for $149.95/ bottle.  
 
I hope you will take advantage of this exciting offer to try a wonderful whisky from “down under”…but do it fast…because as always, once it’s gone, it’s gone…

Until next Week…

Doug Stone
Founder
www.ForWhiskeyLovers.com

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LARK SINGLE MALT SINGLE CASK TASMANIAN WHISKY
    
 
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DISTILLERY TASTING NOTES: LARK SINGLE MALT SINGLE CASK WHISKY
 
COLOR: Varies due to single cask bottling from pale straw to golden honey rich.

NOSE: Malty, lightly peated, peppery spices dig into the oily malt.

TASTE: Massively malty, clean and fruity with a powdery oak offering further complexity, oily and fat.

FINISH: Beautifully spiced and delicate with fluttering malty tones caressing the palate.