Ralfy double-takes on a double-cask with Ralfy Review 691 – Macallan 12yo Double Cask @40%vol:

Tom’s Foolery Bottled In Bond Single Barrel #31 Ohio Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $49.99 View

Tom’s Foolery continues to deliver on the promise of providing ultra high quality craft whiskey at absolutely amazing prices. Tom and Lianne Herbruck are the perfect partners, not only are they the sweetest most down to earth distillers on this continent, they truly care about making the very best possible whiskey the old fashioned way. They’re also super chill so when they sent out this sample of BIB bourbon at just under 5 years old I jumped at the chance to bottle, but I asked if we could push the bottling date till exactly five years, their response was “No problem!” So here we have a wonderful classic Tom’s BIB aged in their unheated warehouse to perfection. It’s got all the robust rich pot still character that we’ve come to expect from Tom, but just one year older. Unlike Kentucky bourbon, which relies on Patent Warehouses to enhance the presence of the oak in the whiskey, the Tom’s whiskey pulls out oak only in the summer and enters a deep freeze in the winter, this oxidative phase adding texture and depth. As usual, this whiskey loves air. The powerful graininess falls away and reveals an exotic bouquet of special teas and rare fruit. This barrel was distilled on May 4th, 2012 from 72% yellow dent corn, 16% winter rye, and 12% malted 6 Row barley. Fermented and distilled in the old Michter’s Jug House system and filled at 120.5 proof into a char 4 barrel from Independent Stave. Harvest proof was 123.13 and Bottled in Bond at 100 proof.

Tom’s Foolery Single Barrel #127 Cask Strength Ohio Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml) $49.99 View

We already know that Tom and Lianne Herbruck make incredible Bourbon and spectacular Apple Jack, but their most exciting product might just be the Rye whiskey. Our first barrel of Rye from Tom’s Foolery was bottled in bond distilled from Rye, Malted, Rye, Corn and a tiny dash of malted barley. That was an experimental mash bill and this one is equally unique. Our first might arguably be described as a Kentucky style rye mash bill; I wanted to explore the possibility of doing something that alluded to the original home of the special stills that created this whiskey. The distillery in Schaefferstown where these stills came from is well east of the Monongahela River valley where once the great whiskey of the same name ruled over nearly all others it, but still cranked out some killer rye. Monongahela existed thanks to hundreds of small scale farm distillers across Pennsylvania and Maryland and would have easily been the most popular and available whiskey in the US before prohibition. Now at Tom’s Foolery, they’re about as close to those old farm distillers as any one in the states today. This awesome whiskey was distilled from 70% local winter rye and 30% malted Canadian rye. After souring and mashing in cooker #2 and four days in their cypress fermenters, it was distilled on Dec 10th, 2012. The distillation yielded 36.4 gal of pure magic at 159.8 proof. Cut to 109.8 proof for barrel entry in a Cooper’s Select Char 4. This whiskey is 4.5 years old and bottled at cask strength.

Arguably, one of the single greatest whiskies that has ever touched my lips. An all bourbon cask matured, Campbeltown whisky, aged for as long as I’ve existed on the planet and bottled at a higher strength, with no chill filtration and at natural colour. This is one of the best whiskies that I’ve ever come across and by all means, one of the most well balanced as well. A true stunner from the guys and gals at Glen Scotia, their 25YO is to die for. Cheers!

https://youtu.be/mlN7qqOkewc

New Single Barrel of Auchroisk 23 Year

While our previous cask of Auchroisk 15 year was a hot deal while it lasted, this advanced and equally brilliant 23 year old edition may have it beat. Absolutely brimming with sweet stone fruit, rock sugar candy, and syrup, this barrel of 53.3% cask strength single malt whisky from Diageo’s Highland distillery brings yet another bang for your buck under the guise of Old Particular. The nose has all the classic aromas of malted barley, vanilla, and oak spices, but it’s the initial blast on the palate where this whisky ultimately shines. Rich and robust on the finish, it’s a classic Scottish malt through and through and the unbeatable price reflects our continued effort to combat the current market forces with affordable, mature, and exciting whiskies straight from the source. If you’re a fan of straight-up single malt, not saturated sherry or super peaty whiskies, but old school, fruit and vanilla-laden Scotch with a rich and supple mouthfeel, then it doesn’t get better than this Auchroisk 23. The Johnnie Walker distillery makes classically flavored whiskies much like its neighbor Benrinnes, loaded with cocktail fruit, sweetness and charm. Any time I can nab a single barrel of 23 year old Highland whisky of this quality (at cask strength, no less) for under $100, I’m going to take that offer. I’m expecting about 200 experienced K&L whisky customers to do the exact same thing.

1994 Auchroisk 23 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) – $89.99

The 2017 Compass Box “Single Double”

At Whiskyfest last week we had the good fortune to meet up with John Glaser of Compass Box and in the snagged a few more bottles of the 2017 version of “The Single Double.” A blend of a single malt from the Glen Elgin distillery and a single grain from Girvan, it masterfully combines decadance with refinement. For fans of Compass Box, this is one whisky you won’t want to miss.

Compass Box “2017 The Double Single” Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) – $159.99

New Release

The third release in the Glenfiddich Experimental Series, this 21 year old has been finished in casks that previously held icewine – a sweet wine produced from grapes that have frozen on the vine and are picked by moonlight at temperatures of -10ºC. Now available to pre-order at The Whisky Shop, while stocks last.

Next day UK delivery available
International Shipping

GLENFIDDICH WINTER STORM

This Speyside single malt has been finished for six months in French oak Icewine casks from the renowned Peller Estate winery in Niagara, Canada. After visiting the estate in January 2016, Malt Master Brian Kinsman experimented with various combinations of Glenfiddich and icewine casks, finding that only the rarer whiskies could cope with the extra intensity. The result is Winter Storm, a limited edition 21 year old bottled at 43% abv.  The nose has tropical fruit notes and candied sweets with an underlying wine character. The palate has soft candied fruits, Turkish Delight, lychee and a rich drying sensation, before a short and crisp finish.

£199 Pre-Order Now
Orders will be dispatched w/c 16th October

Ralfy helps you deal with a tired old auction whisky with Ralfy Review 690 – Blending-up an 1980’s auction whisky

Thursday, October 19th, 5-7PM:

Bourbon Tasting: Smooth Ambler

Hailing from West Virginia, Appalachia distillery Smooth Ambler is a world-class spirit crafter. From grinding their own carefully selected regional grains, to labeling and signing each bottle, Smooth Ambler does everything by hand, the old-fashioned way. Their signature bourbon, Contradiction, has been highly praised by mixologists and bourbon fans alike, scoring 96 points in the 2017 American Bourbon category for The Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Click Here to RSVP

Ralfy blends-up a malt with Ralfy Review 689 – Bowmore 16yo (casks 1916+1917) @ 56.8%vol (Signatory)