NEW WORLD RECORD PRICES:

– The Macallan holds dominant position in spirits market, totaling 7% of all wine and spirits sales at $6.4 million

– Digital transformation results in 20 online auctions and 21 live, compared to just 6 online and 21 live in 2019

– 84% of lots offered across live and online auctions purchased by online bidders
– #1 worldwide in single owner auctions, with 13 sales accounting for 54% of global sales figure

– Bottle of Japanese Whisky: Karuizawa 52 Year Old Zodiac Rat Cask 51.8 abv 1960, sold in London for $435,273

– Bottle of The Dalmore: 62 Year Old The Mackenzie and The Cromarty 40.0 abv. NV, each sold in London for $324,445

About Sotheby’s

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury.  Sotheby’s promotes access, connoisseurship and preservation of fine art and rare objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 50 categories, which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Interiors, among many others.

Sotheby’s Wine’s annual worldwide auction sales of wine and spirits totaled an outstanding $92 million in 2020, with over 15,000 lots sold across 41 sales – a nearly 50% increase in the number of auctions held in 2019. Over $60 million of wine and spirits were sold to online bidders in 2020 versus $28 million in 2019, with 85% of all lots offered finding online buyers. Demonstrating continued strength in Asia, Sotheby’s led the market in the region for the third consecutive year, with over 70% of the total bid amount in all Wine and Spirits sales attributed to collectors in Asia.

Sotheby’s Wine’s has had the privilege of auctioning numerous record-breaking spirits in recent years, with 2020 alone witnessing new world auction records for any bottle of Japanese whisky, any bottle of whisky produced by the Dalmore Distillery. Sotheby’s Wine currently holds the world records for any whisky collection ever sold at auction.

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium and are net of any fees paid to the purchaser where the purchaser provided an irrevocable bid.

Stream live auctions and place bids in real time, discover the value of a work of art, browse sale catalogues, view original content and more at sothebys.com, and by downloading Sotheby’s apps for iOS and Android.

Ardbeg “Corryvreckan” Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $82)

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96 points Whisky Advocate

 Powerful, muscular, well-textured, and invigorating. Even within the realm of Ardbeg, this one stands out. The more aggressive notes of coal tar, damp kiln, anise, and smoked seaweed are supported by an array of fruit (black raspberry, black cherry, plum), dark chocolate, espresso, molasses, bacon fat, kalamata olive, and warming cinnamon on the finish. Quite stunning! (JH, Fall 2009) 

K&L Notes

2009 Scotch Whisky of the Year from the Malt Advocate. Named for Europe’s largest whirlpool, this whisky is now available on a full-time basis, having replaced the beloved Beist. Like the whirlpool, Ardbeg Corryvreckan is heady, intense and powerful. Its finish is long and deep, leaving the sipper with a lingering, mysterious and enticing taste. It is without a doubt one of the best Ardbegs ever created and lends a bit of richness to balance out the spicy flavors. Lots of peat, lots of power, but always perfectly balanced. A malt to really savor.

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

We are thrilled to announce the Glengoyne Distillery Shop will re-open from Monday 5th April following the latest Scottish Government announcement. The distillery’s fantastic Tasting Experiences and Malt Master will resume from 17th May.

STAY LOCAL, SHOP LOCAL

Whilst our distillery experiences will not be available until the 17th May, we are delighted to still welcome locals from surrounding towns to enjoy a shopping experience while taking in the picturesque surroundings of our beautiful distillery.

GLENGOYNE SHOP

THE PERFECT GIFT ON YOUR DOORSTEP

Come and see our multi-award whisky in all its sustainable glory, including the Legacy Series: Chapter Two, Cask Strength Batch No. 008 and our Fine and Rare collection. The ‘Time Capsule’ gift sets are also available in-store, including our award-winning 12 Year Old, the limited Legacy Series: Chapter Two and our 18 Year Old. Each gift set comes with three bottles and is available in 5cl or 20cl sizes.

GIFT COLLECTION

What’s New?…

Long time no see! Literally…

I hope you are all safe and well and staying sane.

I wanted to update you on where we are in terms of physical and virtual events, as it has been some time since I last emailed you.

With the government’s easing of lock-down, and the ‘end-game’ date of the 21st June approaching, we are keen to get out and about again, as I am sure you are too.

We have some ideas of what we would like to do, but it matters not a bit if it does not fit with what you want and need.

To this end, we would love it if you can help us shape what the future of our events looks like. We want you to come and see us, but we want you to feel safe in doing so.

Therefore this email is all about research and getting your more valuable than ever feedback. We would be massively grateful if you could take a look at the 10 question survey in the ‘Survey Monkey’ by clicking the button below.

Please take the survey!

Bristol, London & Edinburgh 2021

If you have tickets for any of these events, you should be receiving a separate email from us via Eventbrite, our ticket platform, today.
It is not, unfortunately, possible for these events to go ahead in their current form or date, so we have given you some possible options that hopefully will satisfy.

Festival in a Box 2021

On the back of the success of our first virtual whisky festival last October, we are planning our follow-up on the weekend of the 18th, 19th and 20th June. Whilst I cannot give you too much detail right now, plans are well in motion and we hope that as many of you will join us for this fantastic event.
Plus, if you have a festival ticket to Bristol, London or Edinburgh, you can put the value of this towards the festival pack.

We will also be re-starting our regular online tastings, so there will be plenty for you to go at whilst we are still in this limbo!

Keep an eye out for more details soon…

Autumn 2021 Festivals

We have plans and dates in place for Liverpool, Manchester and York in September, October and November. We will be releasing more info on these in due course, but just to say that we will be honouring tickets bought for the 2020 festivals that were postponed.

That’s it. No sales patter, no ‘click here to buy’, just a genuine catch-up and appeal for you to give us your thoughts.

Don’t forget to catch up on the latest whisky news from Connas HERE and we look forward to seeing you – on-line – soon!

In the meantime – Stay Safe. Stay in. Have a dram.

Sláinte and best wishes,
Eddie, and the whole Whisky Lounge Team

Beam Suntory to Invest in £6 Million Restoration and Upgrade of Glen Garioch’s Distillery in Oldmeldrum

If you’re ever looking for a new bottle, our Top 10s are a great place to start. Carefully curated every month to showcase an collection of our favourite whiskies, there’s always a mixture of new bottlings and old classics.

For March, our Top 10 Whiskies has been shaped to show off some of our favourite Irish drams to mark St. Patrick’s Day. Irish whiskey is often differentiated from other styles by its fruity flavours and easy-drinking characteristics – a perfect middle-ground between the sweet-caramel and spicy flavours of bourbon, and fruity, malty Scotch whiskies.

Whether you’re looking to branch out from your go-to drams or you’re already an established Irish whiskey afficionado, come and treat yourself to something special from this month’s Top 10 Whiskies.

SHOP TOP 10 WHISKIES

SEE ALL TOP 10s

The first of many updates about our available and incoming Single Casks expressions. The mission of ImpEx Beverages has always been to seek fantastic drams that deliver excellent taste and amaze the drinker from distilleries whose stories and philosophies provide an overall delightful experience. This experience is often best exemplified by a Single Cask offering, which captures both the art of that distillery, and the potential that the people behind it can accomplish. The overall goal is to deliver a dram that creates a symphony comprised of the best nature can offer from the passion these amazing people possess.

READY FOR DRAMMING

While these are sold out of our warehouse, you may still find them on the shelves of selected retailers near you.  Feel free to email the office for more information on your local area.

Kilchoman ImpEx Cask Evolution
8 yo Calvados Cask Finished

This 8 year old Single Cask was matured in a Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrel for 8 years before being finished in a Calvados cask for 8 months prior to bottling.

56.6% abv    50PPM    Less than 250 bottles

NOSE – Fresh citrus sweetness, tropical fruit, and light peat smoke.

PALATE – Green apples, fresh vanilla, cinammon sweetness, and floral smoke.

FINISH – Waves of crisp citrus and rich, earthy peat smoke.

Penderyn 15yo ex-Bourbon

This whisky has been matured in ex-Buffalo Trace Bourbon casks.

59% abv    114 Bottles

NOSE – Soft honey, vanilla and pears make an entrance, accompanied by oaky notes and spices.

PALATE – Rich and syrupy like a sponge cake with marzipan. Some light oak and Bourbon sits alongside soft yellow fruits ringing with papaya and pineapple notes.

FINISH – Loaded with honey, light tropical notes and light spices.

Penderyn 13yo Rich Oak

This whisky at has been matured in ex-Buffalo Trace Bourbon casks, and then finished in an ex-European STR cask.

58.1% abv     232 Bottles

NOSE – A caramel and dark chocolate richness… sweet, jammy and thick. Full of tropical fruits notes such as melon, mango, papaya.

PALATE – A rich taste in the mouth, sweet and jam-like. Deliciously juicy like fruit salad in a glass, followed by spiciness and notes of oak tannins.

FINISH – Dried fruits such as prunes and sultanas, whilst the jammy sweetness dries in the fade.

M & H STR Cask

This unique cask was specially handpicked by ImpEx and The M&H team. It is a STR wine cask that was aged under the Tel Aviv sun and bottled at cask strength.

55 % abv    Kosher

NOSE – The mahogany color is reflected by the aroma of dark red fruits, coffee, and oak. Impressions of dark chocolate and warm spices are also felt.

PALATE – Strong oak notes and flavorful spice. Lighter touches of cracked black pepper, candied fruits, and Christmas cake.

FINISH – Medium-long with lingering notes of dark chocolate, dried fruits, and just a hint of black pepper.

M & H ex-Islay Cask

When the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. This Single Malt whisky was fully matured in an ex-Islay cask that was used to age peated whisky for a decade in one of the renowned distilleries on the Scottish island before meeting the Tel-Aviv sun. With evident maritime and spicy notes, this whisky is exemplary for the fusion of tradition and innovation.

61% abv    Kosher

NOSE – Mineral and creamy, a mix iodine and salt meets stone fruit, mild peat spiced with white pepper.

PALATE – Charred herbs, dry ginger, a sweet swirl of marzipan and white chocolate.

FINISH – Pleasant with candied citrus peel, allspice, and chamomile.

COMING SOON
TO A DRAM NEAR YOU

These casks are either on their way to the U.S., or are in the process of whisky assembly, and will be on the way soon.  Either way, you will want to stay tuned so that you know when and where you can get access to these exceptional expressions.

• • The GlenAllachie 2006 14yr Port Pipe (click for the Press Release on this amazing expression)
  • Kilchoman Mezcal Finish
  • M&H ex-Rum Cask
  • Single Malts of Scotland Run 2.1
  • Single Cask Nation Release 7

SECRET TREASURE

Starting in April, our 3D (Distillery Deep Dive) Series is returning with new guests and a more robust Q&A Format.  Keep an eye out for news on what to expect in the series this year and the timing – we hope to see you there!

Thanks again for being part of our family and enjoying these fine whiskies with us!  Remember that during these uncertain times we encourage you to drink responsibly, so instead of quantity, drink quality!

We’ll be in touch about other exciting news as the year drinks on … 🥃

Please feel free to reach out for more details on the bottlings: office@impexbev.com

Our online shop is closing

After three years of selling The Glenrothes on our Online Shop, we recognise the need to improve our offering and levels of customer service.

In order to address these changes, the shop will temporarily be closing.

Last orders can be placed up until 12pm BST on March 31st, so there’s still time to purchase one of the few remaining bottles.

We will notify you again as soon as our reopening plans are in place. Until then, please do contact us if you have any questions.

The Glenrothes Team

Visit the Online Shop

#SpiritOfRothes

Following on from the news that President Biden has decided to suspend the 25% tariff imposed by the Trump administration on Scotch whisky, there is definitely a lot of optimism in the whisky market. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, the tariff attributed to a fall in exports to the US of 35%, amounting to over half a billion pounds in lost exports. Elite Wine & Whisky therefore expects that the lifting of this tariff will enhance Scottish trade with the US and demonstrate dramatic economic impacts. Although Elite Wine & Whisky does not expect a shift back to a consumption of Scotch whisky in the US to happen overnight, the removal of the tariff is expected to gradually enhance exports of the commodity once again, increasing the demand for Scotch whisky.

As discussed by the British International Trade Secretary Liz Truss, “the benefits will be felt across our nation, especially in Scotland, where Scotch whisky distillers will be able to sell at lower prices in the United States, their most valuable market. The easier it is for Americans to buy a bottle of Macallan, Talisker or Glenfiddich, the more money those producers will have to invest in their businesses, their staff and futures.”

But how will this temporary removal of the 25% tariff impact the global markets? In recent years the global landscape of investments has changed dramatically, with Elite Wine & Whisky noticing an increase in the willingness of the general public to take trading into their own hands and invest and trade in a range of commodities through online platforms and investment advisors. This year has demonstrated the global volatility of the stock markets and poor returns on extremely low interest rates, driving investors to discover ways to diversify their asset portfolios.

One such way to diversify is taking this opportunity to invest in a luxury commodity with great potential in the coming months following the aforementioned tariff reduction. Elite Wine & Whisky is currently trying to make the whisky market far more accessible to a range of investors, even those with no prior knowledge of whisky. But why should one invest in whisky over other luxury commodities? With exceptional returns in recent years (between 12-20%), a better question might be ‘why not whisky?’

As with any investment, it is extremely important to make sure you’re in the best hands. Elite Wine and Whisky is one of only a handful of companies globally that has been accepted into the prestigious London International Vintners Exchange, which is considered a great accolade in the industry.

Currently, Elite Wine & Whisky has around £20 million under its jurisdiction and they continue to work closely with the world’s finest wineries and distilleries. Their mission is to build and maintain a solid foothold in the marketplace that is sufficiently robust as to ensure their clients have autonomy when they wish to grow their portfolio.

It’s not very often that you get the opportunity to educate yourself in an investment. However, Elite Wine and Whisky believes in allowing their investors to embrace the sweet taste of success by inviting them to join one of their virtual whisky tastings. If lockdown has taught us anything, it is establishing the importance of expanding our knowledge, so there has no better time to develop your whisky knowledge by tasting a selection of whiskies from fantastic family run distilleries. Or if you’re merely just interested in making an investment, their portfolio specialists have got this covered too.

https://elitewineandwhisky.com/