© Ian Gavan

WELCOME TO OUR NEW BRAND HOME

The new Macallan Distillery and Visitor experience marries our whisky making heritage with the innovative vision that sits at the heart of The Macallan and guides our future. As the first distillery in Speyside to be designed by an internationally acclaimed architect, our brand home opens a window onto the whisky making process like no other.

Doors open 2nd June 2018.

VISIT                  EXPLORE

 

Sharing whisky – it’s better with friends

As someone who spends a lot of time writing tasting notes for whisky on his own, I sometimes forget that the true joy of a dram is sharing it with someone. Father’s Day is just around the corner and in the office, we’ve spent the past few weeks talking about which whiskies we’d share with our dads. Just the thing to give me a kick and remind me to share the whisky love, and not just with my dad.

When it comes to sharing a whisky or three, you have lots of options. While ‘sharing a dram’ almost always used to mean cracking open a bottle with friends at home, there are now loads more ways to taste great whiskies.

Get a tasting set

If you don’t feel like braving the outside world, then let the whisky come to you. Over the past few years, there has been an explosion in the number of companies that now offer samples of whisky for you to try at home, expanding way beyond the miniature bottles that fill hotel minibars.

Five vintages of Lagavulin Distillers Edition, with tasting notes and a glass? That’ll do

For a one-off tasting, we have a range of Perfect Measure tasting sets – curated packs of whiskies complete with tasting notes from me and The Whisky Exchange team. If you can’t find the set you want, we also have lots of other samples, so you can create your own custom tasting. Each sample is 30ml – enough for a pair of tasters, or a big dram for yourself…

See The Perfect Measure range

There are also great ways of regularly receiving whisky without the effort. Folks like Whisky-Me and The Dram Team offer regular deliveries of whisky samples to your door.

Just add a glass…

The idea is simple: they do the choosing and you get something tasty through the post. Whisky-Me sends out a large dram (enough for at least two) in a pouch that fits through your letterbox, and lets you share your thoughts online with everyone else – a virtual community drinking the same dram each month, all from the comfort of your sofa.

Go to a tasting

I started regularly going to whisky tastings about a decade ago. Even though I live in London, a city which caters for every interest from the popularist to the most niche, finding regular whisky meet-ups was difficult. Fortunately, I ran into a few like-minded souls attending monthly get togethers at The Whisky Exchange Shop, as well as occasional appearances by our friends at The Whisky Lounge.

Ten years on, I now run a monthly whisky club (and some members have founded their own clubs), The Whisky Lounge does tastings all over the country and we run even more tastings than ever before.

See all of our upcoming events

Whether you want to meet other whisky fans or drag your dad out for a night of drams, keep an eye out for tastings – there will almost certainly be some near you.

Share your favourites

In the end, it doesn’t need to be about variety. Whisky fans often spend a lot of time seeking out the new, rare and different, but sometimes it’s nice to sit down with a dram that you love.

On my shelf at home, I always have an open bottle of Clynelish and Laphroaig. When friends come to visit, they’re the first bottles I’ll reach for – reliable and tasty. We might dig into my box of cask samples later, but if you want to sit around, talk rubbish and drink whisky, then an old favourite is what you want.

And the best thing about a bottle of whisky? Stick the cork back in, and you can share the rest of it another day.

Whisky Stories – Your Turn

It’s time for another Whisky Story, this time from Matt, who had a great time in the north of Scotland visiting Old Pulteney. Please keep sending us your own Whisky Stories – we’ll be publishing more of our favourites over the coming months.

My first experience of whisky was similar to many people’s – nabbing a wee dram from my father’s open bottle when my palate was far too young and inexperienced to appreciate it.

But fast forward a few years, and Old Pulteney had firmly established itself as my gateway whisky into the wonderfully diverse world of single malts.

Initially, I didn’t actually like Old Pulteney; I found the salinity and brine challenging compared to other entry-level whiskies. But it didn’t take too long for my palate to learn to appreciate, then love, those coastal-tinged flavours.

Our journey to Old Pulteney started at Inverness Airport, taking the A9 northbound. The A9 is not just a picturesque and sometimes rugged route through Sutherland and Caithness, it’s also an ideal one for a whisky enthusiast.

Distilleries en route

Stopping off at Dornoch Castle (with its superb whisky bar), Glenmorangie, Balblair and Dalmore distilleries not only broke up our journey northwards, but also provided ample whistle wetting in advance of our final destination of Wick.

For our lodgings, there was only ever one choice – MacKay’s Hotel (seeing as it shares my surname) run by Murray Lamont. As a Wick resident, Murray and his family have long held ties with Old Pulteney, which was built in 1826 by Sir William Pulteney (the town originally being named Pulteneytown).

Murray’s hotel whisky bar is a treasure trove of bottlings – he’s quite the collector. During our time there, we helped him locate and order numerous bottles stored in the hotel cellar, and as a reward, a dram of one of the oldest Pulteneys I’ve seen, from a 37-year-old sherry cask Murray’s father had purchased in 1972.

Despite visiting many distilleries, the Pulteney tour is still the best I have experienced. On the day of our visit, not only did we have the entire site to ourselves, but we were guided by the passionate and highly knowledgable Kathy Csorogi.

Pulteney is a compact site, with all elements of production located a stone’s throw from one another. Our unexpected private tour allowed us plenty of time not just to learn about the distillery and its processes, but also to talk to the mashmen and stillmen while they worked. As with many things, tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I’ll remember.

During our visit we learned that the refined salinity that can often be tasted in Old Pulteney is actually present in its new-make spirit, although whether this comes from the naturally salty seawater and coastal location or simply though the distillation process is hard to say.

The still room is a highlight of any distillery tour and Pulteney’s unique stills make this even more so. The wash still doesn’t feature a typical swan neck and lyne arm – the story being that when the still arrived at the distillery, it was too tall for the stillhouse and had to be cut down in size to fit. Official bottlings of Old Pulteney reference the bulbous pot stills in their design.

Time to taste

Tastings at Old Pulteney take place in two locations – first we sampled some cask-strength expressions in the dunnage warehouse over the road from the distillery. Then we moved to the tasting room in the visitor centre to explore the distillery’s core range and some older expressions, including the rather lovely 35 Year Old.

No trip to a distillery is complete without taking the opportunity to hand-bottle your own whisky directly from cask, and Pulteney usually has two casks available. Kathy told us about some visitors who had got rather confused and placed their bottles straight down into the wax, bottom first – resulting in some rather odd-looking but certainly unique Old Pulteney bottles!

The experiences, sights and stories of my visit to Wick and Old Pulteney have stuck in my memory, and it won’t be long until I’m venturing up the A9 again. On my next visit there’s even more whisky goodness to explore, in the form of Wolfburn distillery.

With Pulteney and Wolfburn on the mainland and Highland Park and Scapa just a ferry ride away on Orkney, north-east Scotland is a pilgrimage every whisky enthusiast should make at least once.

Thanks very much to Matt for sending his Whisky Story to us. If you have one, we’d love to hear from you.

Ralfy heads down the “Glen of Tranquility” with Ralfy Review 727 – Glenmorangie 10yo Original (re-reviewed 2018).

The Single Malt market is still sizzling hot as more and more people get turned on to the special pot-stilled nectar of Alba. Scotch has been top dog in the spirits department for a long time and it’s still one of the best selling alcohol products worldwide. But sometimes our suppliers get it wrong. Either things are priced too high for market or perhaps they’ve just over estimated the interest in a particular product. When the big guys miss the mark, it’s a huge win for us. This sort of stuff doesn’t happen often so when it does we’ve got to strike while the iron’s hot. The first is a true work horse and easily the least expensive 15 year old single malt we’ve seen in decades. We’re not sure we’ll ever be able to sell whisky this old at such a low price ever again. This was perfectly good whisky for $60 and there’s just no good reason for this to be so low, but here we are. The next two are limited editions from Diageo that are nearly 50% off their original release and still selling around the world for double our price. Only a few bottles of each will be available.

The Singleton of Glendullan 15 Year Old Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Previously $55) ($34.99)

The lovely and easy drinking Singleton of Glendullan is always a favorite with the staff. It’s easy drinking and well aged and with a price like this it won’t stick around for very long. The Singleton brand is a bit of an enigma. Owners Diageo use malt from different distilleries in different markets under the Singleton name. Other markets see Singleton of Dufftown or Glen Ord and typically it’s a pretty high end brand. So when we’re able to offer it at this exceptional price we don’t hold back. Grab as much as you can now because price reductions like this won’t last forever. The style is round, rich and malty, showcasing the classy apple fruit, honey, and subtle mineral quality that Glendullan is known for.

Auchroisk 25 Year Old 2016 Limited Release Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $500) ($249.99)

The wonderful Auchroisk distillery is one of the least understood and most mispronounced malts in Scotland. This wonderful Speyside distillery is actually one of Diageo’s youngest. Founded in 1974, the distillery was marketed for years under the Singleton brand, likely due to the incompressible mangle of letters that make up its name. The humble and efficient Auchroisk has become a stalwart of the Special Release line, having been featured in the 2010 and 2012 line ups. The 2015 release is inarguably the best of recent official bottlings and at 25 years of age it’s in perfect form. The 3954 bottles were meant to fetch upwards of $500, but it tastes way better at $250.

1991 Glenkinchie 24 Year Old 2016 Limited Edition Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $400) ($200.00)

This unusual limited edition from Diageo’s stalwart Lowland distillery is one of the finest we’ve ever come across. It was aged exclusively in refill European oak and bottled at full cask strength. Bigger and richer than the standard releases from this special little distillery, expect a heady mix of dense fruit, woodsy powerful oak, barrel spice, and strong vanilla. Powerful and tense, quite unlike most lowland whiskies, with the structure and depth provided primarily by the European oak. There’s not an overt sherry influence, but we assume that some of this would previously held sherry at one point, leaving the soft impression of dried fruit and honey to balance the intensity of wood.

That’s it for this week, but stay tuned for the next edition of the Whisk(e)y News!

David Othenin-Girard
SoCal Spirits Buyer
davidgirard@klwines.com@klwines.com
323-464-9463
http://spiritsjournal.klwines.com
http://onthetrail.klwines.com

Ralfy tastes the biscuit-malt in Ralfy Review 726 – Rosebank 12yo @ 43%vol (Flora and fauna)

Malt Messenger Bulletin – New Glenmorangie, Whisky Festivals, Birthday Sale, Ardbeg Day & More!

We are in the midst of a busy and exciting week at Kensington Wine Market. Last night we hosted a launch tasting for the lovely new Compass Box Hedonism: The Muse. It is a beautiful dram, composed of whiskies 23-43 years of age. More details on the whisky and my tasting note below! What a great way to kick off the week!

This coming weekend is our 26th Birthday Sale. There will be amazing deals in-store and online. All in-stock wine will be 15% off, all in-stock whisky (with a few exceptions, details below) will be 10-30% off, all in-stock beer will be at least 5% off and there will also be deals on rum, gin and other spirits. To kick off the sale weekend we are hosting a whisky festival on Thursday night. The 26th Birthday Mini-Whisky Festival will not be so mini, it will feature 80+ single malts, including many of the sale weekends best deals. More details on the sale and whisky festival can be found below.

We also have details to share on Ardbeg Day 2018, a festival of Peat & Love! Ardbegians from all over Southern Alberta will gather at Central Memorial Park on Saturday June 2 to mark the release of the 2018 Ardbeg Day bottling, Ardbeg Grooves. There will be a Master Class hosted by yours truly, followed by a festival event at Provision. More details below.

Ardbeg’s sister distillery, Glenmorangie, has just launched the 9th Private Edition bottling. The Glenmorangie Spios arrived in-store at Kesington Wine Market last week. I’ve written up my own tasting note on the first Glenmorangie matured entirely in ex-Rye Whiskey barrels. You can find it and further details below!

I also have details on three new Gordon MacPhail Cask Strength bottlings. These will likely be the last we see before the roll out of Gordon Macphail’s new ranges. Two of them are matured in Ex-Sherry, including a 1998 20 Year old Ardmore, which is exclusive to KWM.

I hope you enjoy this Malt Messenger Bulletin. Stay tuned for the Malt Messenger Bulletin with the Sale details on Friday!

Sincerely

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter:

@scotch_guy, Instagram: @thescotch_guy/

or @kwmwhisky and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1

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Thursday’s Not-So-Mini 26th Birthday Whisky Festival

We Will Have 80+ Whiskies Open for Sampling, 10-35% Off!

You won’t want to miss the 26th Birthday Mini Whisky Festival on Thursday. The event will feature over 80 whiskies, and because it is the night before our biggest sale of the year, there are going to be some amazing deals. All in-stock whiskies* will be discounted 10-30% during our 26th Birthday Sale Weekend, and many of these will be open for tasting on Thursday night. Peasant Cheese is doing the food, and registration includes a Glencairn Glass. You won’t want to miss this event, only $50!

Register in-store, by phone 403-283-8000, or online! 

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SAVE THE DATE: 26th Birthday Sale 

Friday May 18 through Sunday May 20, 2018 – In-store & Online

Our biggest sale of the year is nearly upon us. All in-stock whiskies, with a few exceptions*, will be discounted between 10 and 35%. A special Malt Messenger Bulletin will come out on Friday morning highlighting the deals. Until then, save the date, and your pennies!

* Excludes Scotch Malt Whisky Society Whiskies, Membership Kits and a dozen other selected whiskies!

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My Tasting Note: Compass Box Hedonism The Muse 

That and a few other details!

We launched the new Compass Box Hedonism The Muse, at a special tasting last night. The whisky was very well received, and is lovely limited edition release. Less than 150 bottles are coming to Alberta. KWM is getting about a third of that, and nearly half of our allocation has already sold. Here are some further details on the whisky, including the age of the components, and my tasting note.

The latest limited release from Compass Box is Hedonism Muse, a Blended Grain Scotch Whisky built around an “exceptional” mysterious old grain whisky. The whisky has been bottled at 53.3% with a label designed by Compass Box as a tribute to the roll women play in the industry, especially at Compass Box. Just a dribble over 3,000 bottles were produced with only a tiny fraction of this coming to Canada. KWM is getting 48 bottles, half of which as pre-sold!

Compass Box Hedonism: The Muse – 53.3% – My Tasting Note: “Nose: very honeyed, floral and decadent; silky, toasty and fruity; candy apple, poached pear and lemon drops; premium white chocolate, dried apricot and ripe figs. Palate: big, silky, honeyed and sweet; decadent toasty oak, molten white chocolate, vanilla bean ice cream and Manuka honey; warm with decadent spice, more white fruits, apricot and figs. Finish: sweet, silky, honeyed and drying; elegant toasted oak, bright white fruits and fading decadent spice. Comment: very pretty (no surprise there), decadent and layered; dangerously drinkable.” – $375

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Introducing the Glenmorangie Private Edition No. 9 Spios 

The 1st Glenmorangie Matured Entirely in Ex-Rye Whiskey Barrels

The 9th annual release in Glenmorangie’s Private Edition series is the Spios, Scots Gaelic for ‘spice’. It is the first Glenmorangie to be matured entirely in casks that once contained American rye whiskey. It was bottled at 46%. I have included my tasting note and that of the distillery below!

Glenmorangie Spios – 46% – Matured in Ex-Rye Whiskey Barrels – Andrew’ Tasting Note:  “Nose: creamy and spicy, stone fruits, clotted cream and Old English Butterscotch; thick and oily with juicy malt, cool mint and lemon oil wood polish. Palate: juicy, fruity and very malty with a minty-herbal backbone; more clotted cream and Old English Butterscotch; dried apricots and peaches in cream with building-oily-spicy rye tones; German rye bread, clove and fennel; a sweet maple syrup on buckwheat pancakes note; assorted Jujubes. Finish: medium, and light given the weight of the palate and spicy with fading spices and sugars. Comment: there are lots of layers to this malt, which has picked up distinct oily-spicy rye tones from the casks; fruity and balanced, the finish is short-ish, but the palate is very drinkable!” – $122

Distiller’s Tasting Note

Aroma: Fresh and herbal, with hints of cherry, clove, mint toffee and scents of green grass. With water, more perfumed notes emerge, crisp and clean, alongside an inviting herbal complexity.

Taste: Rye’s spice bursts forth on the palate, bringing tastes of toffee, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg, alongside buttery vanilla.

Finish: Rich, sweet and lingering with more toffee, Brazil nut and a suggestion of citrus.

Distiller’s Description

“The ninth annual release in our acclaimed Private Edition series, Glenmorangie Spìos is the first Glenmorangie ever to be fully matured in American ex-rye whiskey casks. Full-bodied and savoury, its innovative character was inspired by the bygone elegance of America’s golden whiskey era, when American rye whiskey was fêted in the country’s most prestigious saloons. Glenmorangie Spìos (Scots Gaelic for ‘spice’ and pronounced ‘spee-oss’) recalls the spirit’s elegant past, inviting rye’s rare notes of cinnamon and clove to shine through in the Highland Distillery’s uniquely smooth spirit, for a single malt whisky of sophistication and subtle spice.”

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Three New Gordon Macphail Cask Strength Bottlings 

Including a KWM Exclusive Ardmore

We have three new Gordon Macphail Cask Strength release due in-store tomorrow including an exclusive 1998, probably 20 year old, Ardmore. Two of them matured in Ex-Sherry casks.

1. Cask Strength Ardmore 1998 – 53.5% – Refill Sherry Hogshead – Bottled 2018 – Producer’s Tasting Note: “Aroma Rich fruitcake aromas mingle with charred oak and hints of smoke. Cherry conserve, dark chocolate, and toffee notes all combine with a touch of citrus. Taste Sweet and creamy initally with chocolate, cinnamon, and blackberry flavours develop alongside cracked pepper. Aroma with Water Sweet vanilla aromas lead to ripe figs and spices. A candied citrus peel undertone mingles with hints of chocolate and smoke. Taste with Water Baked fruits followed by cinnamon and clove. Seville orange and dark chocolate flavours give way to charred oak. Body Medium. Finish Long and spicy with lingering charred oak.” – $225
2. Cask Strength Miltonduff 1997 – 58.8% – First Fill Sherry Butt – Producer’s Tasting Note: “Aroma Vibrant festive spices mingle with toasted oak and cocoa powder. Hints of grapefruit develop and lead to delicate chamomile floral notes. Taste Intense spice initially followed by toasted oak, chocolate, and orange marmalade flavours. Underlying liquorice comes to the fore on the finish. Aroma with Water Rich vanilla and fruitcake aromas lead to dried cherry and stewed raisin notes. Underlying spices accompany milk chocolate and toasted oak. Taste with Water Creamy and sweet followed by chilli chocolate flavours. Cinnamon and clove mingle with fresh citrus peel and muted liquorice. A subtle menthol edge. Body Medium. Finish Long and creamy with lingering spice.” – $220
3. Cask Strength Mortlach 1999 – 57.2% – 18 Year – Bottled 2018 – First Fill Bourbon – More details to come! – $195

Register in-store, by phone at 403-283-8000 or online: kensingtonwinemarket.com

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Ardbeg Day 2018 – Peat & Love 

The Annual Festival of All Things Ardbeg is Open for Registration

The Ardbeg Day theme this year is “Peat & Love”, marking the release of Ardbeg Grooves. There will be a Master Class hosted by yours truly, followed by a 60s themed party including a live band. More details on the event can be found here!

Register for the Ardbeg Day Master Class – Saturday June 2 – 11:30-12:30 – $20

“An Ardbeg Master Class hosted by Andrew Ferguson of Kensington Wine Market, featuring this year’s Ardbeg Limited Release, the Ardbeg Grooves, along with select Ardbeg expressions.”

Register for the Ardbeg Day Main Event – Saturday June 2 – 13:00-15:30 – $20

“Come and be transported back to the 60’s era, expressed in a uniquely Ardbeggian way…with Peat and Love!! Tickets include one Ardbeg cocktail, a sampling of this year’s Limited Release, the Ardbeg Grooves and 60’s themed snacks provided by Provision at Central Memorial Park.”

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KWM’s Spring 2018 Tasting Schedule 

With 6 Weeks Left in the Schedule, There Are More Than a Few Great Events Still to Come…

There 5 Spring Whisky Tastings Remaining Before Summer!

1. KWM’s 26th Birthday Mini-Whisky Festival – Thursday May 17 – Consider this the “Sneak a Peek” for the whisky deals during our birthday sale weekend. Includes a Glencairn glass and the opportunity to sample from a range of more than 80 different whiskies! – $50
2. Two Brewers Single Malt Release Vertical with Bob Baxter – Thursday May 24 – We will sample our way through the Two Brewers Releases 04-09, and another treat, with co-founder/owner Bob Baxter. He’ll highlight the broad range of single malt whisky styles coming from this award winning Yukon distillery! – $25
3. Ardbeg Day 2018 Peat & Love – Saturday June 2 – Ardbeg Day 2018 will be a celebration of Peat & Love all over the world. See the section above for more details. – $20 Master Class – $20 Main Event
4. Ancient Malts – !!!Choice of Two Nights!!!: Friday June 15 (3 Spots) or Thursday June 21 (SOLD OUT) – It’s been over a year since we’ve put on an Ancient Malts tasting, and frankly, we’re overdue! We have some very special bottles selected for this one, including a pair of Broras, two 1968 vintage single malts and three other treats. Includes a special cut crystal Glencairn glass! – $250
5. The Spirit of Canada – Wednesday June 27 – Canadian whisky has caught the world’s attention in the last few years, just as a surge of craft Canadian whiskies are about to hit the market. We’ll feature some of the best new releases! – $35

Register in-store, by phone at 403-283-8000 or online: kensingtonwinemarket.com

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Thank You for Reading the Malt Messenger! 

Contact & Disclaimers 

If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store.

All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change and don’t include GST. In the case of discrepancies in pricing, the price in our in-store point of sale will be taken as correct.

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson

Owner & Scotchguy

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000

Croftengea 2008 – exclusive to The Whisky Exchange

Announcing our latest Whisky Exchange exclusive – a rare chance to try one of Loch Lomond’s wide range of single malts that don’t usually see the light of day as single malts. Introducing our brand new Croftengea 2008.

Croftengea 2008, 9 Years Old, 54.8% ABV

Here’s what I thought of it:

Nose: Chocolate, liquorice and candied lemon start proceedings, with a rich background of earthy peat smoke. A sharp stewed apple fruitiness dominates the centre, dusted with sugar and drizzled with warm tar and TCP.

Palate: Rich smoke rolls around the mouth: a bonfire of burning peats, tarred planks, liquorice root, cocoa nibs and a handful of damp bracken. Sweetness hides behind: soft liquorice, more chocolate, minty hints, lemon Lockets and a touch of drinking chocolate. A drop of water opens everything up beautifully.

Finish: Salty caramel and burning leaves fade to leave ash and lemons. The citrus lingers for ages, with smoky tar and oak hanging around in the wings.

Comment: A big smoky dram, with a rich and chocolatey core run through with sweet smoke and occasional flashes of seasidey island character, despite not being from an island…hints of Lagavulin, maybe?

What is Croftengea?

Loch Lomond is one of the distilleries that excites me the most in Scotland at the moment. I’m a colossal whisky geek and Loch Lomond does more weird and wonderful geeky things within its walls than anyone else in Scotland. With four types of still, 14 styles of whisky – 13 malt and one grain – and a healthy program of experimentation, the distillery has stacks of interesting whisky hiding in its warehouses.

Some of the stills at Loch Lomond – straight- and swan-necked pots

Learn more about Loch Lomond’s malt whisky here on The Whisky Exchange blog – Thirteen styles of whisky, one whisky distillery.

Last year, we worked with Loch Lomond to release a Whisky-Exchange-exclusive single-cask bottling of Inchmurrin 2001. It’s the style of whisky that made me re-evaluate Loch Lomond when they relaunched a few years back: packed with orchard and tropical-fruit flavour, Inchmurrin is now a staple of my whisky cabinet. But our next Loch Lomond project has been waiting in the wings until now.

Croftengea is the name the distillery gives to its smokiest spirit. Peated to 40ppm and distilled using the same straight-neck pot stills as Inchmurrin, it’s got the intense peat smoke you’d expect as well as loads of fruit. We selected a 2008 vintage single cask and have been keeping an eye on it over the past year. We tried a sample in March and realised it was time to get it bottled and out into the world – it is now available on our website.

This exclusive Croftengea 2008 is now available both online and in our Covent Garden shop. And on that note, we’ll soon have a new shop! Keep an eye on Facebook and Twitter for news of our Fitzrovia shop, opening on Great Portland Street as soon as we finish building it.

Both Port Askaig Expressions Entered Took Home The Gold From the San Francisco World Spirits Competition!

110 PROOF 

NOSE:  Old-fashioned liquorice, saltwater taffy, fresh oyster shells and citrus spray.

PALATE:  Sharp and stony initially, with an intense minerality that quickly becomes sweet and spiced – rich lemon oil with peat smoke, dark chocolate and crunchy barley sugar. The spice grows, adding stewed apple with cinnamon, along with heavy charcoal smoke.

FINISH:  Cinnamon spice slowly fades to a flavor of dried apples and pears.

8 YEAR

NOSE:  Zesty lemon, smoke, and iodine notes come say “hello” at first sniff, followed by buttery vanilla and cut grass.

PALATE:  Surprisingly sweet with caramel paste, honey-glazed barbecued bacon slices, lemongrass and charcoal.

FINISH:  The finish is a bit spicier. The perfect companion for a BBQ evening with some friends.

Review by Anne-Sophie Bigot of distiller.com

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

This World Whisky Day (Saturday 19th May), the Raasay Distillery is teaming up with esteemed whisky bar and restaurant, Bull in a China Shop in Shoreditch.

Boasting an impressive collection of over 100 whiskies from around the globe, Bull in a China shop is an apt place to share celebratory drams this World Whisky Day. For the occasion, Bull in a China shop has created an internationally-inspired cocktail that brings together Hebridean and Italian ingredients in a smoky, yet fruity, tipple.

Please find the cocktail recipe below:

SKYE LARKING 

50ml Raasay While We Wait whisky

10ml wine reduction

5ml Italian Walnut Amaro

Stir all ingredients together with ice, Old-Fashioned-style, in a rocks glass.

Garnish with a twist of lemon zest.

The Skye Larking cocktail alludes to the Raasay Distillery’s location in the Inner Hebrides with impressive views of the Cuillins on neighbouring island, Skye. The Italian inspired flavours of the cocktail pick up on thew whisky’s wine-finish. Raasay While We Wait single malt is finished in Tuscan Montechiari Cabernet casks which gives it fruity notes and a heather hue.

Occupying a Dickensian-fronted pub opposite Shoreditch’s iconic Tea Building, Bull in a China Shop is a Modern British with a pinch of the orient -inspired all-day restaurant and whisky bar. With an eclectic collection of medicine bottle, ornaments and artwork the bar is a true modern day curiosity shop.

Raasay While We Wait single malt scotch Whisky 46% abv, natural colour, non-chill filtered.

Awards:

First Release IWSC 2016 Silver, ISC 2016 Bronze, HKIWSC 2016 Bronze
2nd Release ISC 2017 Bronze

While waiting for our new spirit to mature into Scotch Whisky, we have crafted a single malt demonstrating our whisky making skills to offer a tantalising taster of what’s to come.

We achieved this by blending two expressions from one distillery; one peated, one unpeated. The whisky then is then French oak Tuscan wine casks from three vineyards that produce Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

The result? Single malt whisky of uncommon provenance.

Aptly enough, this special edition, lightly peated whisky is christened While We Wait.

We’ve produced three releases of Raasay While We Wait to date. How do they differ? First release finished in red wine casks for 8 weeks while the 2nd release finished for 18 months. With the 3rd release we combined these 2 finishes for the perfect balance.