Fruity whisky – The Whisky Agency and The Whisky Exchange

Our latest exclusive whisky releases are here! This time it’s a showcase of one our favourite styles of whisky: the fruit bomb. We’ve teamed up with German indie bottler The Whisky Agency to bring you a pair of fruity drams: one from Bowmore and one from an anonymous Irish distillery.

Bowmore 1998, 19 year old

While Bowmore isn’t that well-known for its fruity drams these days, step back a few decades and you’ve got stacks of fruity whisky. Bowmore from the 1960s is, quite rightly, the most famous, but more recent vintages have also seen the distillery start to reclaim its old reputation.

For Bowmore, the end of the 1990s is when we’ve started regularly finding tropical fruit turn up in the whisky again, and when The Whisky Agency sent us over some samples of 1998 Bowmores, this one stood out – fruity but balanced.

Nose: A seaside sweetshop – minty rock, aniseed balls, wine gums and midget gems scoffed on a beach with a splash of sea spray and peat smoke winding down from nearby chimneys. Fruitiness sits at the core, with pineapple, mango and Granny Smith apples surrounded by barley sugar. Rock pools and sea breezes sit around the outside.

Palate: Gentle and definitely Bowmore. Soft and spicy peat smoke blankets juicy wine gum and jelly baby fruit, with chocolate limes and black liquorice to follow. The chocolatey notes build, adding a bittersweet backbone to the fruity character.

Finish: More chocolate limes along with a hint of mint. That fades to leave a puff of peat smoke.

Comment: It’s fruity, it’s got a maritime tang, it’s got a lick of peat smoke: this is the sort of Bowmore I like. It’s not as fruity as a 1960s’ bottling, but its definitely facing in the right direction.

Buy now >

Irish 1993, 24 Year Old

We can have a good guess at which distillery this came from (I reckon it begins with B), but we don’t know for sure. However, it is definitely the same spirit that we’ve bottled a few times over the past couple of years and it’s as fruity as ever.

While we don’t know quite how they managed to imbue the whiskey with so much fruit, we’re very happy they have. Dear <anonymous redacted Irish distillery, more like this please.

Nose: Sweet and sour nose, balancing dried and candied fruit against sharp fresh fruit. Dried apple and pear rings are piled on top of fresh and dried mango, sherbet lemons and a handful of just-peeled lychees. Hints of vanilla and soft spice waft out from underneath.

Palate: Soft and sweet, with vanilla pods balanced on top of the fruit from the nose. Royal icing sweetness sits alongside candied pineapple pieces and gentle oaky spice develops. Buttery and biscuity grain notes hang around the edges, creating a pie crust for the tropical-fruit filling.

Finish: Lemon shortbread and a tingle of cinnamon lead to lingering sherbet lemons and wine gums.

Comment: More restrained in its fruitiness than some of our previous releases, and more complex with it. The tropical fruit provides a tasty backdrop with grain and spice dancing around in front.

Buy now >

You can find these and all of our other exclusive whiskies on our Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange page.

Limited Editions

If there’s one thing we love more than whisky it’s discovering new whisky to love! This week three new limited editions have found their way to Inveraray and each one is a wee gem!

From Highland Park Valknut, the follow up to last year’s Valkyrie, to a fully certified organic 15-year-old from Deanston, and Arran Brodick Bay, the first release in the Explorers Series, each one offers a new take on its distillery’s signature flavour.

If you can get your hands on a bottle before they’re gone, we’re sure you’ll love discovering them too.

Next day UK delivery available
We ship all over the world – including the USA!

Highland Park Valknut

£58 

Arran Brodick Bay

£130 

Deanston 15 Year Old Organic

£70

BUNNAHABHAIN CANASTA 1980 
36 Year Old, 70cl / 49.5%

£1,649.95

FREE UK SHIPPING

Buy CANASTA

A DEEP AND SMOKY CHARACTER

Crafted to reflect the diverse history of The Macallan single malt and house a subtly smoky Macallan, M Black is the latest and most complex release in The Macallan Decanter Series. It celebrates the mastery, creativity and character that defines the very heart of The Macallan’s single malt.

An evolution of the iconic M Decanter, M Black continues the collaboration between three masters of their crafts: The Macallan, Fabien Baron and Lalique. At the heart of Baron’s design vision are the six facets of the decanter that pay homage to the Six Pillars foundation stones that define the character of The Macallan.

Fashioned in the highest-grade black crystal for the first time, and crafted from a very limited number of casks, The Macallan M Black tells its own story of exceptional cask ageing and the commitment taken to nurture and mature The Macallan spirit.

Our new location is open for tastings and tours

Starting this Thursday!

12pm-5pm

Our new location is open for tastings and tours

Starting this Thursday!

12pm-5pm

6731 West Coast Rd, Sooke, B.C.

We’re so excited to show you our new space!

Open 12 am – 5 pm, 7 days a week.

Check out our new tasting room and exclusive merchandise.

Let Master Distiller Jason MacIsaac show you our new distillery, including our new copper stills!

Follow The Action

Start your summer off fresh with the new
Sheringham swag.

FlexFit hats, t-shirts and sweatshirts featuring our refreshed logo,
and new glassware and barware available too!

And as always, we invite you to

#MakeitaSheringham 

Directions:

From Port Renfrew         From Victoria 

Our address is 6731 West Coast Rd, Sooke, B.C. (In the building behind the Suds and Pups Carwash) Parking is on the side and behind the building.

Now easily accessible by BC Transit.

From Downtown Victoria, take the number 50 bus, which turns into the number 61 bus. Get off at Otter Point at Ayre and walk South toward Highway 14. Turn right, and walk one block (about 400 m total from the bus stop).
We’re located behind the Suds and Pups Carwash.

Auchentoshan Three Wood Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($56.99)

94 points Wine Enthusiast: “The name of this whisky is a nod to how its matured in three different casks: American Bourbon, Spanish oloroso and Pedro Ximénez Sherry. Its robust, with a deep amber hue and rich caramel scent. The flavor profile shows toffee, campfire smoke and a mouthwatering butterscotch note on the exhale. It almost reads like a peated Bourbon. (KN)” (12/2015)

K&L Notes: A favorite of the employees at Auchentoshan and many at K&L, the Three Wood is deep amber in color, nutty, rich and aromatic on the nose. It’s extremely full on the palate, sweet sherry flavors complement the high tones and fruity nature of the spirit. The finish is long and warm. Aged in Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry, and Pedro Ximenez casks the Three Wood is the perfect combination.

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 30, 2018

This is a wonderful single malt for those looking for an easy drinker. The the nose is light and pretty with a hint of bees wax. In the mouth it is light and delicate with the sherry aging adding juicy notes. What makes this single so nice is that all of the flavor aspects are balanced and harmonious. There is a delicious finish.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 25, 2018

Filled in 3 different barrel types, this dram showcases American Bourbon casks, Spanish Olorosso butts, and unctuous Pedro Ximenez casks. This cask regimen does several things. The bourbon highlights the inherent fruity, vanilla cake, and creme brulee character of the spirit. The Olorosso adds gobs of cocoa, nuttiness, and toffee. And of course, the PX dials up a beautiful sweetness, intensity, and raisined fruits. While this triple casks regime adds layers of complexity, body, and richness, it also belies the notion that Lowland whisky is light and simple. At just $56.99 this is a shameless sherry dram for every day enjoyment. While the lowlands does have some highly coveted bottles, it’s this kind of easy enjoy-ability that makes it such a special place for whisky.

Will Blakely | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 22, 2018

The Three Wood beautifully showcases the movement away from age statements and toward creative cask finishes. On the nose, it immediately offers enticing aromas of dried fruit, orange peel, caramelized sugar and ample spice. On the palate, it tastes full and complex despite its three distillations. Vanilla and dry sherry dominate at first but give way to soft tones of toffee and raisins. Typical of lowland malts, the finish brings a lingering nutty sweetness, but with a hint of charred wood. Altogether, it makes for an endlessly enjoyable dram that satisfies most any palate. I highly recommend this bottle for fans of bourbon or Irish whisky trying to break into Scottish single malts. It’s also a great pick for scotch drinkers looking for something new in a sherry-focused style.

From Dufftown to Dublin, Craigellachie to Kentucky, Tobermory to Tokyo, whisky has travelled around the world and found a home on the shelves of thirsty connoisseurs all over the globe. Whether you prefer your smoky Islays or dabble in a dram from Japan, you’ll find what you’re looking for at The Whisky Shop – including some exclusive single casks not available anywhere else!

Next day UK delivery available
International shipping

Japanese Whisky

Yamazaki 12 Year Old

£129 Buy Now

Hibiki 17 Year Old

£495 Buy Now

Hakushu 12 Year Old

£195 Buy Now

SINGLE CASK EXCLUSIVES 

Kilchoman 2007

£115 Buy Now

Glen Scotia 2006 Bourbon Cask

£85 Buy Now

Balblair 1997

£140 Buy Now

THE LOWLAND DELIGHTS OF AUCHENTOSHAN

Often overlooked, the Lowlands have a tremendous experience to offer. Specifically – an elegant drinking experience for those that actually love to drink their whisky, not just watch it collect dust on the shelf. Featured here is one of our favorite Lowland distilleries: Auchentoshan. The only Scottish malt to be 100% triple distilled, the entire lineup screams elegance and harmony. That’s not to say the whiskies are all light, which is often the notion regarding lowland malts. The base of all Auchentoshan expressions, the unpeated new malt spirit, is light and fruity with a beautiful character reminiscent of a fresh farmhouse ale, complete with a full complement of stone fruit notes and lovely baked-bread aromas. This is the DNA of Auchentoshan – a clean, bright, and fruity malt. This lighter bodied spirit plays very well in a wide variety of casks, but has the intensity of flavor to stand up to even boldest of sherry casks and still hold its character.

Auchentoshan Three Wood Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($56.99)

One of the most impressive bottlings in Auchentoshan’s line up is the humble Three Wood. Filled in three different barrel types, this dram showcases American Bourbon casks, Spanish Oloroso butts, and unctuous Pedro Ximenez casks. This cask regimen does several things. The bourbon highlights the inherent fruity, vanilla cake, and creme brulee character of the spirit. The Olorosso adds gobs of cocoa, nuttiness, and toffee. And of course, the PX dials up a beautiful sweetness, intensity, and raisined fruits. While this triple casks regime adds layers of complexity, body, and richness, it also belies the notion that Lowland whisky is light and simple. At just $56.99 this is a shameless sherry dram for everyday enjoyment. While the Lowlands does have some highly coveted bottles, it’s this kind of easy enjoy-ability that makes it such a special place for whisky.

Auchentoshan “Bartender’s Malt – Edition 1” Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($44.95)

Equally as noteworthy is the “Bartender’s Malt – Edition 1.” Auchentoshan named this whisky the “Bartender’s Malt” because it was designed and blended by a team of twelve different bartenders from all over the world who helped to select the barrels. Here’s the really compelling part: they used single malt whisky from the 1970s, ‘80s, ‘90s, 2000s, and current decade in the blend, from ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry, ex-wine, and even German oak barrels! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: innovative blends like this are what’s going to drive the business forward, especially in a market where single barrel pricing is proving to be cost prohibitive and access is getting more and more difficult. For a very affordable price, this is a drinker’s whisky. It is absolutely jam-packed with sweet barley flavor, loads of vanilla, spicy ginger, candied orange peel, and a symphony of oak and baking spices on the finish that light up your mouth for minutes with distinct and supple flavors of milk chocolate. Bottled at 47% ABV, it’s got punch as well.