The Loch Fyne Fynest Fettercairn 24 Year Old
The Loch Fyne Fynest Fettercairn 24 Year Old matured until February 2020 in an ex-bourbon hogshead before being re-racked to a first fill Sauternes cask. What you get is a truly unique, fabulously sweet, and rich wee dram. This limited release is free from chill filtration and at its natural colour, bottled at a powerful cask strength of 53.6% abv.
Staff Pick #6
Lois has chosen the Bruichladdich Organic, having an affinity to Laddie ever since being on the Bruichladdich Academy a few years ago
Organic
Crop rotation is key. Bruichladdich’s barley must take its turn in a seven year farm cycle that also produces organic cattle, sheep, oats, beans, grass, carrots, market gardening and a megawatt of green electricity.
Respecting the land, the soil and the climate nourishes a genuine and thorough understanding of terroir and the results are pure Bruichladdich.
A cracking choice from Lois, and brand new in from Bruichladdich.
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Diageo has today unveiled the new visitor experience at its Caol Ila Distillery on the Isle of Islay, the world’s most famous whisky island, following a multi-million pound transformation.
Boasting panoramic vistas of the neighbouring island of Jura, a modern retail space, a bar with floor to ceiling windows, and immersive storytelling rooms bringing to life Caol Ila’s history and craft, the visitor experience is a world removed from the traditional distillery tour offering.
Four years in the making, the new visitor experience is the seventh of Diageo’s whisky brand homes to be reimagined as part of the company’s £185 million investment in whisky tourism. It also completes the transformation of the four distilleries, Glenkinchie, Cardhu, Caol Ila and Clynelish, which are recognised as key ingredients in the Johnnie Walker blend.
In July, Diageo reported that global Scotch organic net sales grew 29% year-on-year with double digit growth across all regions and Johnnie Walker was up 34%.
Caol Ila means Sound of Islay in Gaelic and to celebrate the reawakening of the distillery’s visitor experience , Mercury Prize shortlisted Scottish musician Fergus McCreadie performed a specially created piece of music in front of the distillery’s incredible panoramic views.
“Caol Ila is the last of our reimagined brand homes to be unveiled and it’s truly something special. Islay is known around the world for its whisky and we’ve ensured that our visitor experience not only tells the story of the Caol Ila brand but also the major role whisky plays in the island’s history. The new building will offer something new and unique to visitors and also to locals who will be able to come for social occasions or just to simply enjoy the stunning views. We look forward to welcoming people from near and far now that our doors are officially open.”
Barbara Smith, Managing Director of Diageo’s Scotland Brand Homes
Along with Diageo’s other 13 visitor experiences in Scotland, Caol Ila holds a Green Tourism Gold Award – the highest sustainability accolated for a visitor attraction.
CHIVAS BROTHERS DOUBLES DOWN ON THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE SCOTCH AS GLOBAL GROWTH CONTINUES WITH FY SALES +25%
Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky business of Pernod Ricard, has today announced its FY22 (July 2021 – June 2022) full-year performance and confirmed its focus on sustainability, following the Pernod Ricard FY22 Full-Year Sales and Results.
The results reflect the significant increase in global demand for Scotch, its resilience as a category, and substantiate Chivas Brothers’ strategy for growth. With net sales up +25% derived from both mature markets (+16%) and emerging markets (+34%), Chivas Brothers is continuing to invest in portfolio innovation and the sustainable future of Scotch with a particular focus on technological advancements in production.
All four strategic international brands registered a record high growth in FY22, with Chivas, Ballantine’s, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet growing over 20% in domestic markets. In travel retail, Chivas and The Glenlivet recorded triple digit growth, demonstrating a steady recovery of the travel retail industry as restrictions lift.
Sales were particularly robust in emerging markets – Brazil (+56%), India (+43%) and Poland (+12%) with strong momentum in historically mature markets – Spain (+41%), South Korea (+35%) and Japan (+13%).
Performance across strategic brands
Chivas’ era of transformation, which includes a redesign of its iconic Chivas 12-year-old and a campaign to open up the Scotch category to a new, broader, contemporary audience, continues to expand the brand beyond traditional Scotch whisky audiences. The brand recorded global growth of +29% and a noteworthy result of +42% in emerging markets.
Ballantine’s reached historic heights with +27%, broad-based performance of Finest, acceleration of key innovations such as Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel (triple digit growth) and strong growth of the Prestige range across Asian markets.
Royal Salute recorded a performance of +38% with sustained performance in Taiwan, Korea and Travel retail and continued globalization of the brand with stellar growth in Brazil and India. Ongoing collaboration alongside iconic talents within the art & fashion landscape, such as Royal Salute Richard Quinn Edition & House of Quinn, contributed to this performance.
The Glenlivet momentum continues in mature markets, such as USA (+7%), Canada (+11%), and UK (+11%) combined with a growing consumer base in Asia (China +83%, Taiwan +17%, India +34%), through evolving product offerings such as The Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve and the new The Glenlivet 21YO and The Glenlivet 25YO cask finishes.
Doubling down on sustainable Scotch
Chivas Brothers’ strong results will help accelerate the company’s investment in ‘sustainable Scotch’ particularly in the area of carbon neutral distillation where the company has set an industry-leading target of carbon neutrality by 2026.
Following last year’s groundbreaking pilot study at its Glentauchers distillery which resulted in energy reductions of 90% on a single pot still, the company announced today plans to roll out Mechanical Vapour Recompression (MVR1) fan technology at Strathclyde, its largest distillery, with the potential to save almost 9,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide, and to install MVR technology at Allt A’Bhainne distillery in 2023. Additionally, two further MVRs are being installed at Glentauchers, making it the company’s lowest energy distillery, with MVR installations to be completed there by October 2022.
This builds on Chivas Brothers’ further MVR installations as part of an £88 million expansion at two of the company’s strategic malt distilleries, Aberlour and Miltonduff. This investment is going into upgrading sustainable distillation technologies along with significant production capacity enlargements which will grow Chivas Brothers’ total production by 14 million litres of alcohol per annum.
The company also shared progress on its commitment to achieve 100% recyclable, reusable, compostable packaging by 2025, in line with Pernod Ricard’s Sustainability & Responsibility roadmap ‘Good Times from a Good Place’. Whilst 690 tonnes of secondary packaging was removed last year, Chivas Brothers announced today plans to work closely with suppliers to remove a further 2,000 tonnes of cardboard in the next fiscal year, equivalent of 780 tonnes of CO2 emissions, beginning with the phase out of Chivas 12 cartons from autumn 2022.
Chivas Brothers Chairman and CEO, Jean-Etienne Gourgues, commented:
“These positive results demonstrate that our strategy for growth, with investment across innovation and sustainability, is on track. We are well set up to continue this trajectory in FY23 to shape the future of Scotch by opening up the category to new audiences across the globe.”
A stunning bottling of Invergordon, bottled exclusively for TyndrumWhisky.com. Coming in the XOP Black range by Douglas Laing.
A huge thanks to Douglas Laing for making this happen, one of the first, if not THE first retailer to get the XOP BLACK . . . Our logo makes it taste even better!
This Invergordon is a Vintage 1991, and aged for 30 years before being bottled in April 2022.
£195.00
Official Tasting Notes:
Nose: Polished oak floors give way to a sweet -shop style with a wonderful medley of raspberries and milk chocolate.
Palate: Pear drops / candied apples develop to a warming spiciness (baking spice and brown sugar) alongside vanilla cream.
Finish: Lingers with a tangy character – orange rind and lemon drops – balanced by creamy cereal and allspice.
One of only 134 bottles available.
A Bottling from one single Refill Hogshead.
Cask No: 15559
Natural colour and non chill filtered.
Distilled at Invergordon Distillery, and bottled at Natural Cask Strength by Douglas Laing.
Glendronach 15 Year Old “Revival” Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $79.99 View
95 points Wine Enthusiast
The nose on this copper-hued single malt shows caramel and a hint of smoke. The expansive, rounded flavors seem to gain intensity with every sip—dark toffee, espresso, cocoa and oak meld with peat smoke, leading into a warming, cinnamon-accented finish. *Top 100 Spirits of 2019* (KN) 
(12/2019)
92 points Whisky Advocate
GlenDronach 15 year old Revival went on hiatus three years ago due to a shortage. In 2018 it re-emerged with a new recipe, tweaked by master distiller Rachel Barrie. As before, a mixture of Pedro Ximénez and oloroso sherry casks has taken care of the aging process, and the result is one of the very best sherried single malts of its age on the market. The distillery’s characteristic spice, fruit, and chocolate notes are here in abundance, merging seamlessly and with satisfying complexity to create a great after-dinner dram. *No. 8 Top 20 of 2018* (GS, Winter 2018)
K&L Notes
The 15 year is finally back! After ceasing production in 2015, the Revival has returned. Aged in PX and Olorosso casks, the malt is classic, rich, and unctuous. It’s full of honeyed tones, chocolate, and dried fruits. I was nervous for the return, but it’s every bit as good as the last bottles in 2015, possibly even better. *Nonchillfiltered does not appear on the label*
Westward K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #277 Cask Strength Single Barrel American Single Malt Whiskey (750ml) (Previously $100)
Westward has long been producing some of the finest American single malts available due to a few very intentional choices and Scottish-like climate. We’ve selected one of their oldest available casks and it’s a classic. Westward only uses Pacific Northwest grown barley and it’s all malted just 10 miles from the distillery at Great Western Maltings. This two-row barley is malted to spec—high color pale malt—which would be something akin to a medium or medium + coffee roast. This brings out an array of beautiful toasted flavors ranging from filberts, almonds, and coffee to chocolate nibs and cereals. Perhaps the biggest flavor differentiator is in the yeast choice. The vast majority of distillers use an highly efficient distiller’s yeast, not so here. Westward employs the Chico Strain ale yeast—the very same yeast that accounts for Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale’s famous flavor. Combine that with a low and slow 5-day ferment and the tropical fruit esters in the whiskey are off the charts. Sweet mash leads to a little extra variation from barrel to barrel making the selection that much more special. Our barrel was aged in brand new #2 char 100% American oak for over 5 years in Clackamas, OR. The predominantly cool and wet climate with a short hot summer isn’t all that different from Scotland allowing for that ester development combined with barrel extraction that makes great single malt so special. Distilled 4-21-16. Bottled 6-10-21.
An Exclusive Custom Cask from a Bourbon Icon
Maker’s Mark 46 K&L Exclusive “Maker’s Squared” 109 Proof Private Select Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($69.99)
“This is easily the best first pour of ANY Maker’s Private Select that I’ve yet to try.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer
It’s been a while, but one of our most popular K&L Exclusive Cask line-ups is back in action. During their recent trip to the hallowed halls of the Maker’s Mark distillery in Kentucky, K&L buyers Andrew Whiteley and David Othenin-Girard were able to re-kindle the Maker’s Mark Private Select program to great success. For those unfamiliar, it’s a collaboration between the iconic bourbon distillery and our own intrepid spirits team to develop a custom-cask whiskey aged to our exact specifications. This latest entry is unlike any past Private Select offerings in that it introduces an all-new stave to the mix—the Roasted French Mendiant. While this experimental process can sometimes yield results that depart from the classic character of Maker’s, this is one keeps true to its roots like none other. As David explains, “It has all the classic Maker’s flavors, just turned up by a full order of magnitude, hence the name Maker’s Squared.” Fans of this quintessential Kentucky whiskey will find everything they’re looking for in this cask-strength powerhouse, with the added complexity of the unique aging vessel. It’s truly a singular piece of spirits craftsmanship, and it’s only available while our limited supplies last.
K&L Notes: David and Andrew carefully crafted the two latest Maker’s Mark Private Select casks overlooking the on-site reservoir behind the distillery. They had two goals in mind—transporting drinkers to this special spot in Loretto, KY with one dram and showcasing the brand new stave profile in the other. In the end, the goals required two seperate casks. Maker’s Squared is the transportation cask. Working closely with the Maker’s team, staves were chosen to truly highlight the soft wheat and sweet American oak that is so critical to the world-renowned profile of Maker’s Mark. Three Baked American Pure staves amp up the vanilla and toasted coconut. Two Seared French Cuvée staves bring out a bit more spice and tannic bite, which interplays with the higher 109 proof beautifully. Three Roasted French Mendiant staves (the new entry in the line-up) highlight a sweet milk chocolate profile that is often overlooked but always present in the classic Maker’s. And two Toasted French Spice staves act as a binding agent to bring the other three profiles together with Maker’s hallmark balance. The end result is perhaps the best barrel we’ve ever put together under this incredible cask program. Entirely Maker’s Mark, yet something more powerful and robust without yielding balance. It could be called nothing but Maker’s Squared.
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: September 02, 2022
The Maker’s Mark barrel program is a really fun although somewhat nerve-wracking endeavor. In a general sense, cask strength Maker’s is so good on its own, my general goal when building a blend is not to screw those flavors up too much. That means I end up with a lot of baked American staves in my blends as it always seemed like the most unobtrusive. But the addition of the new Mendiant stave has changed the game somewhat, offering another flavor option to balance the spicy, roasted character of the other French oak staves. It’s still extremely uncertain, after spending an hour playing with different blends at the distillery, you still can’t be sure exactly how it will turn out, and I was absolutely astonished with the results. This is easily the best first pour of ANY Maker’s private selection that I’ve yet to try. That’s not a knock on our other barrels, but often the overt woody character that these barrels exhibit integrates with air. This one was seamless right out of the bottle and is likely to keep getting better. It has all the classic Maker’s flavors, just turned up by a full order of magnitude, hence the name Maker’s Squared. The color is a gorgeous auburn tawny. The nose bursts from the glass with rich, dried stone and orchard fruits, dense vanilla extract, subtle baking spice, and the gorgeous toasted barrel character. As it opens in the glass, the fruit becomes more tropical—hints of green banana, mango, and passion fruit. Like all Maker’s, it’s barrel-driven but doesn’t have the fresh-cut wood that so many Private Selections start with. Instead, it’s all dense, sweet, roasted spices. On the palate, it’s rich and chewy, adding dark chocolate, fresh gooey nougat, and deep raisinated fruit, all balanced with a sweet wood spice that lasts for several minutes. This is a dang good barrel that really reinvigorates my interest in this program—mostly because it reminds me of Maker’s so much. An instant classic. Welcome to the team, Roasted French Mendiant!
Will Blakely | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 02, 2022
Quite possibly the best Private Select cask I’ve tasted, this bottling fires on all cylinders. Fans of the FAE series will find a lot to enjoy here. Rather than the intensely sugary style of some Maker’s releases, this is hot and powerful. Nougat, dried fruit, caramel, and toffee nut clusters dominate the palate. At 109 proof, ethanol is readily apparent on the nose, but the flavor is fully integrated and rich. Tons of wood character and spice remain present throughout tasting, but never feel overblown. Serious bourbon fans should not pass this bottle up, but folks just getting into barrel-proof whiskey will still have a great time with this one. Get yours before they’re gone.
We are saddened at the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
Over the course of her long life and her unprecedented 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth’s service and dedication was unparalleled and inspiring.
Our thoughts and condolences are with King Charles and the Royal Family during this time.
A Thrilling Speyside Exclusive Cask from the Coveted Benriach
2009 Benriach 12 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Sherry Butt Unchillfiltered Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) ($99.99)
“This distillery has been absolutely on fire recently … No one will be disappointed with this exceptional cask. It’s fabulous!” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer
As our Exclusive Cask program hums right along, the spirits team has just taken in another incredible haul from one of the most compelling and in-demand Speyside distilleries in operation today. Our long-time single malt fanatics have caught on to the utterly thrilling whiskies coming out of Benriach, and word of the genius of master blender Rachel Barrie is reaching all corners of the Scotch world. So, imagine our out-and-out joy when we secured three individual 12-year-old casks from this dynamic powerhouse through our connections with the ever-amazing Hart Brothers Finest Collection. We’re firm believers that you can never have enough Benriach on hand, and three casks in one swoop is a good place to start. On offer today is the 12 Year Old Sherry Butt, a monumental jaw-dropper that brings all the punch and power that sherry cask fanatics crave. Buyer David Othenin-Girard describes a truly multifaceted stunner in his review below, and all for a sub-$100 price. Even with the kaleidoscopic complexity from the aging vessel taking center stage, the now-famous, robust Benriach malt still manages to make its presence known in a full-throttle style. This is the single cask we’ve all been waiting for, and now is the time to get a hold of it.
K&L Notes: Benriach is quickly becoming one of the most attractive names in Scotch. They’ve won some huge awards, particularly for their slightly smoky 12 Year Old expression designed by the illustrious Rachel Barrie. Rachel is extremely adept at developing products that offer nuance and complexity, while not compromising on flavor. What we don’t see much out of most distilleries these days are LOUD whiskies—ones that step up and shout at you. And while we don’t always want to be screamed at, it’s impossible to deny the thrilling feeling of getting packed into a sweaty club and having a heavy metal band blow your socks off. It’s OK to enjoy it and still want to go to the opera next weekend. You don’t have stop liking Guns N’ Roses because you love ballet. This is bold, unabashed Benriach with 12 years in sherry butts, bottled at cask strength without chillfiltration or coloring. It might not be as punk rock as Ardbeg, but it’s still pretty cool. Most importantly, it’s absolutely delicious and totally worth the price of admission. We must thank Alistair Hart and his good reputation for getting us backstage passes to this event. Bottled without coloring or chillfiltration at a cask strength of 58.2% ABV.
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 01, 2022
It’s a sherry butt from Benriach! This distillery has been absolutely on fire recently thanks to master blender Rachel Barrie and all these awards. But the thing that people really want from this excellent Speysider, one of the few to operate its own malt floors in Scotland, are single casks. So we bought three of them. Having three different casks allows us to really begin to understand quintessential character of Benriach, which is a distillery that’s hard to pin down in the first place, the diversity of its offerings being one of its most prominent features. This sherry butt will be the most appealing to many, thanks to the continued obsession by most malt lovers with dark sherry casks. Let’s have a taste! The color is a beautiful tawny. A nice dark one here! I let it rest for ten minutes before first nosing. OMG, the nose has that perfect oloroso spice and nutty richness. Immediately, we get old saddle leather, the darkest cacao, stewed red fruit, and candied citrus. On the palate, liquified Christmas pudding, sweet and richly spiced. Big notes of cola, sarsaparilla, shoe polish, red currants, and a slight flinty character (not quite gunpowder). This absolutely loves water as well, which softens the savory, leathery nose and opens the jammy red fruit and rich, savory nuttiness. The bold ‘Riach malt still manages to poke through the rich wine and wood flavors. Tasting these three casks in succession is a truly eye-opening experience. No one will be disappointed with this exceptional cask. It’s fabulous! While the sister distillery sold out in a flash, this humble cask of Benriach remains one of the very best casks in the shop, but it will only take a few people to realize how special this is for it to disappear like the ‘Dronach we had.
It’s a simple picture, but one which is full of potential.
This is our Ardhasaig cask warehouse number two which is just nearing completion. Warehouse number one is now full of whisky, holding around 5000 barrels of beautiful island spirit.
A third warehouse is also almost ready to open alongside as we look to the future of Harris distilling. Soon these empty spaces will begin to fill with more new-make spirit as they set out to mature a historic whisky.
These are exciting times and embody a very real commitment to building a business for coming island generations.
