Season’s Greetings
& Thank You
2020 has been quite a year.
But despite it all we have had incredible support from our customers.
So here is a selection of your photos shared through 2020.
See if you can spot yours.
And THANK YOU!
#HappyWhiskyCustomer
We’re delighted to announce that the latest edition of Whisky Magazine, issue #171, publishes later this week, and will be landing on your doorsteps shortly!Benriach’s Rachel Barrie graces our cover, as Dr Chris White delves into the history of the distillery. The feature examines Benriach’s less-than-auspicious beginnings in the late 1800s, and how it’s risen to become the brand we know today. Benriach’s storied past, combined with its rich stock of both spirit and cask types, means the distillery has not only resisted being pigeonholed by its whisky, but also offers a “world of flavour” for the team at the distillery to play with. But we’ll let you read what Rachel has to say about that part…
We hope you enjoy this issue!
Let us know your thoughts on Twitter or Instagram @Whisky_Magazine, or on Facebook @WhiskyMagazine
Christopher Coates
Editor
Whisky Magazine
WHAT’S IN WHISKY MAGAZINE 171?
Justine Hazelhurst defends blends, and explains why there’s more to Scotch than single malts
Becky Paskin takes a closer look at Scotland’s oldest distillery as it takes things in a new direction
Andy Jennings get stuck into Bourbon’s Irish roots
Plus, a bumper 55 whiskies tasted this issue!
Including Balcones, Glen Moray, Highland Park, Michter’s, The Glenlivet, and more!
Why not give a subscription of Whisky Magazine – the ideal gift for all whisky lovers.
Enjoy 3 issues of Whisky Magazine for just £3
Guarantee savings of up to 83% OFF the regular rate
Receive FREE magazine delivery direct to the door
Open up the gateway to the world of whisky
Got a nose for a good deal? Treat yourself to the world’s finest Whisky Magazine and enjoy the same low price of 3 ISSUES FOR £3.
Remember, you can also purchase back issues from our amazing back catalogue!
Hard to Find Whisky have launched their Christmas catalogue – perfect for all your festive gifting needs, whether you’re buying for a die-hard fan or a newcomer to the world of whisky! See below for details.
Scotch Whisky
The Whisky Magazine Annual
Have you seen our new Scotch Whisky annual?
Packed with interviews, distillery focus features and blind tasting reviews, Scotch Whisky turns the spotlight on distilleries old and new, large and small. Curated by Whisky Magazine’s editor, Christopher Coates, Scotch Whisky is a valuable addition to any whisky lover’s bookshelf.
• 132-page ‘bookazine’
• Available in print and digital editions
• Includes six in-depth interviews with the great and good of whisky
• Distillery features on Highland Park, GlenAllachie, Macallan, Rosebank, Raasay, Glenturret, and many more
• More than 100 blind tasting reviews of the latest whiskies
• Tasting notes and progress reports on unreleased spirits from some of Scotland’s newest distilleries
If collection is not an option, we can certainly help with that too! At your online Basket, simply enter your AB51 postcode in to the Local Delivery option and we will deliver to you! There is a £2.00 charge for this, however this will enable us to deliver to your door on Wednesday or Thursday to ensure that your order is with you for Christmas. Last orders for our local delivery to arrive before Christmas is 3pm on Christmas Eve.
Sign up to our loyalty scheme today and earn rewards, discounts and offers. It’s free and easy to join, with no strings attached.
Raising your glass to the extraordinary
Inverurie Whisky Shop
1 Burnside, Inverurie, AB51 3RY, United Kingdom
mike@inveruriewhiskyshop.com
http://www.inveruriewhiskyshop.com
Well, according to the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, you are.
At this year’s awards, The Glenrothes 18 Year Old picked up the Chairman’s Trophy and received an overall score of 98 – the highest score of any whisky in the entire competition, and the third best score overall.
This means that, according to the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, The Glenrothes 18 Year Old is the best single malt in the world. Not too bad, we think you’ll agree.
These awards are judged by highly respected authorities in the industry, so we were delighted to do so well. It’s a real testament to the craft, passion and commitment of our brilliant distillery and whisky-making teams.
We’ve always known we make good whisky. Now the world knows it, too.
#SpiritOfRothes
We are still accepting orders to UK destinations for Christmas delivery!
We’re extending the deadline until 4pm on Tuesday December 22nd GMT.
DISCOVER
Merry Christmas to all our members near and far. There is no doubt that this year has been challenging but it has brought us together in many wonderful ways. Thanks for being with us, you really do make us #alltogetherunique. Just take a look at all our whisky adventures this year…
A YEAR UNLIKE ANY OTHER, BETTER DAYS AHEAD
Members have always been at the heart of the Society, and we kicked off 2020 by reinforcing our commitment to put you at the heart of everything we do as a club.
The Society’s MD and Chief Member Champion, David Ridley, reflects on this year and looks forward to more whisky adventures in 2021. Click over to our website to read more.
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
Brand new bottles at Loch Fyne: Chinese New Year special bottlings from Johnnie Walker, a magical cask from Compass Box, and new drams from Benromach, Paul John, Westland and more!
Compass Box Magic Cask
£157.00
A blended malt made up mostly of whisky from the closed Imperial Distillery, drawn from 1st-fill bourbon barrels and blended with a younger Speyside whisky, which was re-racked into Oloroso-seasoned butt casks. Behold, the Magic Cask!
Can’t be there in person? Our ‘Message in a Bottle’ service allows you to add a video message to selected single malts, completely free of charge. Upon receiving their dram, the whisky fan in your life will be able to scan a QR code that will reveal your video message – a truly personal touch!
A missing link on Orkney
Wideford distillery – Islands Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Wideford distillery was located about two miles from Kirkwall on the slopes of Wideford Hill and on the Burn of Hatston, which was likely its water source. Wideford was licensed to Mr W. Traill in 1813 and he distilled there until its closure in 1825. In 1825 it closed, cannee find much info about it. A missing whisky link to our past, has anyone got more details of this lost distillery?
What I did find; Wideford Hill Chambered Cairn – built some 5,000 years ago on an artificial terrace on a steep hillside. It’s placed in a location with views out across Wide Firth and other Orkney islands. The nearby Cuween Hill chambered cairn is also visible. The cairn was intentionally in-filled during prehistory, though when and by whom is unknown, it had been opened and robbed of any contents before any antiquarians were able to investigate it in the 1800s. Its layout comprises: a narrow entranceway, a central chamber, with side walls reaching almost 3m in height, three complex side cells. Today entrance from the cairn is no longer through the low, narrow passage. Visitors now have to enter by descending through a modern roof. Part of the original roof survives and the large lintels forming the passage’s roof and the cells were constructed with architectural expertise, think about that, built so long ago, who had the brains?. The form and architectural techniques here are similar to Maeshowe. On the tomb walls there are still rare examples of Neolithic art. The presence of such imagery reinforces the relationship between tombs such as Wideford Hill and other settlements such as Skara Brae, where similar marks have been found. The Wideford Cairn faces west and as such is bathed in the light of the setting sun from the end of February. The entrance to the cairn is very low and small, unlike Maeshowe’s grand entrance to welcome the light of the midwinter sunset. The name “Wideford” probably comes from the Norse “vide-fjord” referring to the hill’s proximity to the stretch of sea known as the Wide Firth.
A few miles to the west, and facing the Wideford Hill tomb, is the Cuween Hill cairn. The name “Cuween” derives from the Old Norse, “kúa-eng”, meaning “Cattle Pasture”. The current spelling of the name “Cuween” is a fairly recent corruption. In the early years of the 20th century the hill was still written as “Kewing”, in common with other “Kewing” placenames in Orkney. Like many others in Orkney, the Cuween Cairn was thought to be the home of fairies. As a result, the local name for the cairn was simply “The Fairy Knowe.” Building a chambered cairn required considerable effort. Working only with stone tools, the Neolithic craftsmen erected structures that are estimated to have taken between 10,000 and 100,000 man-hours to complete. The sheer manpower required for the structures confirms their significance to the Neolithic people of Orkney. Stone blocks and flagstones had to be quarried, often from sites some distance from the site of the cairn, and where the chambers were cut into hills, such as Cuween, the main chamber had to be carved from solid bedrock before work on the roof could begin.The builders’ work, even by today’s standards is impressive. Their drystane walls are neat and level and the interiors today, after many thousands of years, are still stable and dry.
Orkney-Cromarty cairns: These are made up of a single long chamber, divided into stall-like “compartments” by stone uprights, found in Orkney and the Scottish mainland. Although the Orkney-Cromarty tombs do not have side cells, a few hybrid chambers, such as Unstan in Stenness, have incorporated them in their designs. Maeshowe-type Cairns: This style is unique to Orkney. The tombs have one main central chamber that is reached by a low, long entrance passage. One, or more, side chambers branch of from the main central chamber. Regarding the Maeshowe-style cairns, their construction, with larger, well-cut and fitted stones, is more monumental.
For our 12th day, originally for travel retail, but we know how hard they’ve been hit this year, We understand this retails around £110 in ‘Airport venues’.
NOW ONLY £60
We’ll keep all our deals of Christmas open until the stock is finished, even if you miss the previous day,
