SPEYSIDE CLASSICS:
GLENLIVET SINGLE MALT

George Smith began distilling above the River Livet in the 1820s in a picturesque spot that looks north towards Ben Rinnes and Cardhu. Hidden far from civilisation, the Livet valley was the ideal place to build an illicit distillery as it meant that Smith could distil slowly, with little chance of interruption by the excise man. As a result, he was able to create a soft, fruity style of whisky that quickly earned widespread renown. So much so that in 1822, on a state visit to Scotland, King George IV asked to try a dram of the infamous Glenlivet whisky.

Famous for becoming the first officially-licensed distillery in Scotland, Glenlivet continues to create innovative and inspiring single malts today that continue George Smith’s pioneering vision. Equally at home in a tasting glass or a cocktail shaker, The Glenlivet retains all the charm and elegance that put it on the map two centuries ago.

  SHOP GLENLIVET 

Father’s Day is fast approaching, and it is the perfect occasion to celebrate the father figure in your life with a gift as unique as him. Whether you are treating yourself to a bottle or gifting it to someone special in your life, elevate your gifting with a bottle of The Macallan. Just like fathers, no two expressions of The Macallan are the same, each boasts a one-of-a-kind flavour profile that is both timeless and contemporary, capturing the essence of fathers everywhere.

The Macallan Double Cask Tasting Experience

This Father’s Day indulge in The Macallan Double Cask Tasting Experience set. Composed of three 50ml miniatures of Double Cask 12, 15, and 18 Years Old and accompanied by an exclusive online tasting session led by The Macallan Master Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell.

The Macallan Distillery Experience, The Macallan Distillers Ltd, 

Easter Elchies,  Craigellachie, Moray, AB38 9RX, Scotland, +44 (0)1340 318 000

THE VAULTS REFURBISHMENT

Thanks so much to all who took the time to answer our survey back in February about The Vaults in Leith – we really appreciate your input and your passion for our spiritual home!

We heard how much you value the ever-changing range of whiskies, the expert staff and how iconic our original Members’ Room is to you.

We agree that there are some parts that need a refresh and have incorporated your feedback into our designs. We are planning to carry out this work in July and August 2023. It is possible the work will finish sooner than this, and we will keep you updated over the summer.

While The Vaults will remain open during the period, due to the scale of the work to the Members’ Room, we look forward to welcoming you to other spaces at The Vaults over July and August.

You will still be able to enjoy our outdoor space in the Courtyard, which will be adapted to host you while the upstairs space is being developed and will be open 5pm to 9pm, Tuesday to Sunday. We will have a Bottle Shop available, we will still be serving food and we will also be delighted to host you in a pop-up temporary Members’ space on the ground floor.

One of the biggest changes you’ll see is that we’re going to move the bar to the south-west wall, in between the windows, and introduce more seating around it. Not only will you have more of a chance to sit and chat to our Society staff, moving the bar will let you see much more of the amazing range of bottlings we offer. We are delighted to give you a sneak peek here:

Our team at 28 Queen Street, Edinburgh also look forward to welcoming you while The Vaults work is underway and you can book a visit here.

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 here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

With the launch of The Hearach single malt whisky now officially on the horizon, we’d like to thank another group of people who have supported our work since the early days. Those of you who have invested in one of our limited private cask offerings have been part of the journey in a wonderful way and we hope you’ve enjoyed the experience so far. We’re now about to draw samples of those casks containing spirit at 7 years of age, so if you have one of our 2015 casks please check your email inbox for news.

We have no plans for another private release at the moment, but as always, if you have any questions about your cask just drop Harry a line via yourprivatecask@harrisdistillery.com

Meet The Hearach whisky

UK & Row Shop

EU Shop

Batch Strength

Single Casks

We’ve got the dads covered this Father’s Day!

Peat Chimney bottles up all the smoke and peaty character of the west coast of Scotland. Perfect for cosying up on a blustery Scottish day or taking out and about through the glens when the sun appears. Either way, this is the perfect treat for Father’s Day this year. If he prefers a sweeter expression or something a bit spicy in his whisky then why not purchase one of our different core range bottlings: The Hive or Spice King.

Richly smouldering and sumptuous

~ Peat Chimney

Abuzz with anticipation and possibility

~ The Hive

At once intense and exhilarating

~ Spice King

Send him on an exploration of bold flavour and vivid expression.

Shop Core Range UK

Shop Core Range EU

Or is he into something more exclusive and sweeter?

Nectar Grove is a sweet whisky that has been matured in ex-Madeira Wine casks from the exciting and flavour rich Portuguese islands off the west coast of Africa. Sun-baked peaches on the nose, a sumptuous rich vanilla essence building into a warm finish of complex spices. Quite the blend making quite the dram… We are very lucky to have access to such high quality oak casks, and any father will be even luckier to taste the spoils!

Shop Nectar Grove UK

Shop Nectar Grove EU

Whisky Magazine issue #192
Be the first to get your hands on our latest issue!

The cover stars for this issue are the team behind Kyrö Whisky. Not content with establishing a pioneering rye whisky producer in Finland, the founders of Kyrö Distillery Company are on a mission to change the wider whisky industry for the better.

GET YOUR COPY TODAY

First Release Wins Gold Medal

Gold Medal Winner

19-30 Year Old Blended Category

Spirits Business Global Scotch Whisky Masters 2023

Master Blender, Richard Paterson, on the announcement of the award said: “Ian and I knew how important this first release was for setting the benchmark for Wolfcraig. After our fantastic write up in Forbes a few weeks ago and now this gold medal, we feel the message is becoming very strong about the impeccable quality to expect from our collaborative series of rare and aged blends”.

Fellow Master Blender, Ian Macmillan, added: “Our first release for Wolfcraig is such a special bottle. Richard and I travelled all over Scotland, and had a wonderful time nosing and tasting some exceptional quality parcels to carefully select and debate what went into this rare blend. It is fantastic for us to see it getting the recognition it so richly deserves”.

Our Gold Medal winning Limited Edition First Release is available to purchase here.

CHIVAS BROTHERS’ MASTER BLENDER, SANDY HYSLOP, CELEBRATES 40 YEARS IN THE SCOTCH WHISKY INDUSTRY

BALLANTINE’S, CHIVAS REGAL, ROYAL SALUTE, THE GLENLIVET NEWS

An icon of the world of whisky, industry legend Sandy Hyslop – Director of Blending and Inventory at Chivas Brothers – celebrates his 40th anniversary in the Scotch whisky industry this May.

Among his many prestigious achievements, Sandy holds the rare position of being only the fifth Master Blender in the distinguished history of Ballantine’s blended Scotch whisky. Progressing to Director of Blending in 2016 and Director of Inventory in 2018, Sandy now oversees the creation of all Chivas Brothers single malts and blended Scotch whiskies, including brands such as Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet.

With an emphasis on quality and consistency at all times, Sandy is passionate about opening up the whisky category to new audiences and pushing the boundaries of Scotch whisky crafting. Catering to the growing taste for bolder flavours, Sandy and his team launched the Chivas Extra 13 collection in 2019, an experimental 13 Year Old blend range which delivers extra flavour through the use of different casks.

Since Sandy took on this role, Royal Salute has undergone a major evolution, driven in part through the extension of the 21 Year Old range and innovations, such as rare cask finishes (the 26 Year Old Scottish Oak Cask Finish), alongside high-aged releases including the recent Forces of Nature by Kate MccGwire which includes a precious 53 Year Old blend.

Coinciding with Sandy’s anniversary, Ballantine’s unveiled its new 40 Year Old Masterclass Collection last month. This series will see the annual release over five years of five exceptional expressions of Ballantine’s 40 Year Old whisky, with each expression celebrating the five essential skills that former Ballantine’s Master Blender Jack Goudy passed on to his then apprentice, and now world-renowned Master Blender, Sandy Hyslop.

Congratulations, Sandy!

Very Olde St. Nick 8 Year Old 86.8 Proof Ancient Cask Rye Whiskey

(750ml) (Previously $160) $79.99 View

The Very Olde St. Nick brand is generally well received for its excellent quality, but complained about for its price. We’ve fixed that by chopping the price in half! The Ancient Cask 8 Year Old Rye is stupendous. Golden straw in color and lusciously smooth it’s a bit of a dichotomy on the palate. It has tremendous sweetness and weight, but immense rye spice at the same time.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

AWARDED DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR AND WHISKY OF THE YEAR

We are incredibly honored and humbled to announce that we have been awarded “Distillery of the Year” and “Whisky of the Year” by the London Spirits Competition!

This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, who strive to create exceptional whiskies.

We are grateful for the support of our loyal customers, who have helped us achieve this milestone. We promise to continue pushing the boundaries of the American Single Malt industry and delivering unforgettable experiences to those who appreciate fine whisky.

Thank you to the London Spirits Competition for recognizing our efforts and the emerging category of American Single Malt. Shop our award winning whisky at the button below.

PURCHASE THE WHISKY OF THE YEAR