Tomintoul 16 Year Old is known as ‘the gentle dram’. Aged in bourbon casks, it’s rich, nutty and spicy with notes of almonds, vanilla and a buttery texture. The distillery may be one of Speyside’s lesser-known producers, but it produces some cracking whiskies such as this which offer great value for money.

NOTES

Tasting Notes From the Producer

• Colour: Amber gold.
• Nose: Soft fruits with hints of hazelnut and vanilla.
• Palate: Full flavour, nutty with spicy overtones.
• Finish: Creamy and velvety at first with, a spicy finish.

About Tomintoul

Tomintoul is a young distillery in Scottish terms, only built in 1964 by whisky-broking companies Haig & Macleod and W&S Strong. For most of its life, its main purpose has been to product malt whisky for blends, and single malt production remains low. Now under the ownership of Angus Dundee, the distillery’s whiskies continue to gain recognition, and a peated malt, Old Ballantruan, is also produced here.

Hello Folks! Nice and simple this week, Whisky of the Year for 2016. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Phil

Birmingham Whisky Club Goes Big On Burns’ This January

The Birmingham Whisky Club are beating the January blues this month by raising a dram (or several) to Rabbie Burns’.

Burns’ Night is the annual celebration in honour of Scottish poet Robert Burns’. If you haven’t attended a Burns Night event before, expect haggis based feasting, lashings of Scottish whisky, poetry, dancing and even a wee bit bagpipe music.

On Burns’ night itself (Wednesday 25th January), the club are hosting a whisky and food matching event at The Plough, Harborne. Expect a fantastic four course feast, matched to delicious whiskies from Ian Macleod distillers and expert advice along the way.

On Saturday 28th January, the club are hosting their biggest celebration in their whisky-soaked history at the beautiful Rowheath Pavilion in Bournville. In the afternoon they’re hosting a ‘family friendly’ session, where guests are invited to tuck into a delicious meal, enjoy music from the award-winning Burdock Ceilidh band and a whisky (or a wee nipper for the kids). In the evening, join them for a full three-course Scottish feast, lashings of award-winning Glen Grant whisky, a live bagpiper and two sessions of led Ceilidh dancing.

Amy Seton (owner of The Birmingham Whisky Club) had this to say, “Burns’ Night is a huge celebration in the Scottish whisky calendar, so we knew we had to throw something big to mark it. We’re very pleased to be working with Ian Macleod Distillers and Glen Grant whiskies to bring a taste of Scotland to the heart of the Midlands this January.”

Tickets for both events are now on sale. For more information on The Birmingham Whisky Club and all of their upcoming events, head to their website www.thebirminghamwhiskyclub.co.uk/.

Notes

For information about The Birmingham Whisky Club please visit www.thebirminghamwhiskyclub.co.uk/ or contact Amy Seton on 07966 266511 or email Vicky@birminghamwhiskyclub.co.uk.

About The Birmingham Whisky Club

The Birmingham Whisky Club is Birmingham’s only dedicated whisky tasting events company. We offer a diverse range of tutored tastings and whisky-themed events in and around Birmingham, including themed and rare whisky night’s, events with distilleries, whisky and food matching, and private and corporate events. We welcome everyone, from complete beginners to the more hardened whisky buff.

Visit our webpage www.thebirminghamwhiskyclub.co.uk/ or find us on Facebook.

Kavalan distillery is located on the edge of Yilan City in north-eastern Taiwan

Kavalan – on top of the podium

Regular blog readers may remember I wrote about Kavalan in May, when master blender Ian Chang hosted a TWE tasting. Inspired by this, I took a trip to Taiwan to see the distillery for myself.

The eastern Taiwanese region of Yilan County, where Kavalan’s distillery is located, has the purest spring water in the country. The site was originally founded as a bottling plant for owner King Car’s Green Time Natural Drinking Water, which still takes place there today, with the whisky-producing element being added during 2005. The Kavalan were one of the many indigenous tribes of Taiwan, and they inhabited the Yilan area up until the mid-19th century, speaking the language of the same name, which is now considered endangered.

Kavalan’s stills are made by Forsyth’s of Scotland

The distillery may be modern, but traditional methods are the order of the day – as with their whiskies, it’s a case of taking a Scottish product known the world over and adding a Taiwanese twist. This can be seen right from the initial mashing process, where two of the tuns are made from Taiwanese steel and a third made from copper by Forsyth’s of Scotland. The combination has seen the distillery receive many awards, including Solist Vinho Barrique winning the prestigious title of World’s Best Single Malt Whisky at the 2015 World Whiskies Awards. The recognition and subsequent surge in demand has resulted in the distillery celebrating its 10th anniversary by opening a second distillery on the same site, which will double capacity, allowing 10 million bottles to be produced per year.

One thing evident at Kavalan not normally seen at a distillery is a special part of the cooperage. Coopering itself is a rare thing in Taiwan, and the original set of coopers travelled to Scotland to learn their trade, and they now train any new apprentices in Taiwan. The ex-wine casks used by the distillery are decharred, toasted and recharred on-site – I can tell you it’s a very warming experience in a country where the mercury regularly top 30°C. The climate is another feature that sets the distillery apart from its Scottish counterparts, with not just the temperatures, but also the extreme humidity causing the water to evaporate in the casks as well as the alcohol, and therefore the whisky to mature four times more quickly than in Scotland.

Kavalan is one of a few distilleries to rechar casks on-site

Taking the blind-tasting test at Kavalan

After seeing the production area of the distillery, I was treated to a blind tasting in the tasting room, but managed to get (guess!) all four at the first attempt. Two of them were whiskies that haven’t yet made it over to the UK: the first was the spicy and warming Solist Brandy Cask, one of the expanding Solist range which comprises whiskies fully matured in a single type of cask and which currently numbers 10 expressions; the second was the distillery-exclusive Distillery Reserve Peaty Cask, aged in casks formerly used for Islay whisky, which adds a subtle smokiness to the trademark Kavalan tropical-fruit notes. The third was a second member of the Solist range: the fruity and spicy Solist Port Cask, of which we are presently out of stock, but more should arrive in the New Year. This use of more unusual casks is something Kavalan likes to experiment with.

Last was one of the distillery’s newer releases, which I had not tried before: Podium. Here is what I thought:

Kavalan Podium, 46%

Podium uses a variety of cask types, including bourbon and sherry, combined with new American oak. This adds extra spicy notes and adds to the richness and complexity of the whisky.

Nose: Very fruity with apple and mango backed up by toffee, vanilla and cinnamon.

Palate: Creamy in texture and warming in nature. Spiciness comes to the fore, almost clove-like in dryness with menthol and the apple and mango notes following through from the nose, joined by hints of coconut and vanilla.

Finish: A long, spicy finish with menthol and dry spices.

Comment: This shares a similar taste profile to the Classic, with the distillery’s trademark notes of apple, mango, vanilla and coconut, but with an extra dimension added by the use of virgin oak. It’s warming at full strength, but add a drop or two of water and it’s very moreish.

Kavalan is a distillery that continues to rise in popularity and quality. If you ever get the chance to visit the distillery and Taiwan in general, I’d encourage you to do so. Everyone is very friendly, and even if like me, you don’t speak Mandarin or aren’t very good with chopsticks, you won’t have any problems!

The Kavalan range is available on the Whisky Exchange website, click here to see the range.

2016 – A Banner Year for K&L Exclusive Spirit Selections

The Spirits Department at K&L has traveled far and wide searching out those perfect finds that combine the ideal nexus between quality and value. From Scotland to France, Kentucky to Japan and nearly everywhere else a spirit is distilled, we’ve spoken directly with producers, learning their stories, and in the process discovering what makes their bottlings so special. Through developing these direct relationships, we’ve not only been able to track down amazing finds we know our customers will love, but we’ve also negotiated deals that skip several tiers of the distribution chain, thereby delivering substantial savings.

Those who have been working with our spirits department over the years will already know you won’t find a more dedicated or knowledgeable crew in the business – the spirits offered below are a testament to their hard work and savvy. Check out our Spirits Journal to learn about our most recent discoveries, as we are always unearthing new treasures that will tantalize the palate. So whether your preference is rare single malts or Japanese whisky we’ll have just the bottle for you.

Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)

Email: wine@klwines.com K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA

San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 151: Mortlach 19 Year Old 1997 Brachadair 

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a single cask of Mortlach. Brachadair is a Belgian bottler that took its name from the Gaelic word for brewer or maltman. They recently bottled a single cask of Mortlach 1997 – of which official bottlings have become all but unaffordable – at cask strength. Yes, this is the Beast of Dufftown alright! 

https://youtu.be/8m6rasM4TRM

Happy New Year From Whisky Intelligence!

In order to finish out 2016 with a bang, we put together a few last minute deals with some of our most beloved suppliers to take normally limited and allocated whiskies and unleash them with hardly any restrictions for your New Year’s party needs and well beyond. We’re talking about some of the whiskey world’s greatest gems including WL Weller, Sazerac Rye, and Blantons. We even have more of our previously sold out High West Midwinter’s Dram and a standard-setting Laphroaig 2016 Cairdeas. If you’ve been without any of the following selections these past few months, now is the time to load up while the shackles have been removed! While supplies last…

W.L. Weller Special Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($21.99)

K&L Notes: This Special Reserve is the bottle of bourbon that our staff take home and enjoy! W.L. Weller replaces the rye in their bourbon recipe with wheat, creating a Kentucky straight bourbon with an exceptionally smooth, full-bodied taste.

Sazerac 90-Proof Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml) ($29.99)

93 points Wine Enthusiast: “*Best Buy* The aroma entices with bold caramel and vanilla. The palate is brisk and relatively dry, despite the succulent aroma, showing vanilla and oak up front, and rounding into nutmeg, almond, vanilla and bitter orange on the finish. Versatile for cocktails, including its namesake Sazerac. (KN)” (07/2016)

K&L Notes: The K&L Sazerac Cocktail: 1/2 oz Kubler absinthe, 2 oz Sazerac Straight Rye, 1/2 oz simple syrup, 2 dashes of Peychaud bitters, Lemon – twist as garnish. Fill an old fashioned glass with ice. Add the absinthe to the glass. Combine all other in a shaker and mix over ice. Discard the ice and absinthe from the old fashioned glass, letting the absinthe coat the glass. Strain shaker ingredients into prepared old fashioned glass. Garnish with the lemon twist.

David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 19, 2015

The ultimate rye whiskey for the money. It doesn’t get better.

Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($49.99)

96 points Wine Enthusiast: “Bold and well structured, this Bourbon features warming vanilla and caramel accented by orange peel, stone fruit and a dry baking-spice finish. Sip it with a chunk of ice, or mix up a round of juleps. The trademark round, faceted bottle with the horse-topped cork is perfect for Derby Day. (KN)” (09/2014)

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 06, 2016

The special Blanton’s single barrel has been a staple of any solid back bar since its release in 1984. Truly a pioneering effort from the new owners of the George T Stagg distillery as it was known at the time, Blanton’s was indeed the first single barrel to be marketed by any Kentucky distillery since before prohibition. Despite coming from the standard “Buffalo Trace” recipe, Blanton’s is unique for being drawn from Warehouse H, the only warehouse on the property built from metal. The metal warehouses absorb more heat and therefor add something extra special to the aging liquid inside. Appropriately enough this warehouse was commissioned by Albert Blanton, one of the early owners of this very old distillery. Despite spending decades under the radar the recent explosion in interest in bourbon has hit the Blanton’s stocks hard. Production on this brand is capped due to the single barrel requirements, each barrel must be dumped and bottles filled by hand. Needless to say, we’ve had a very hard time keeping it on our shelves, often seeing several months without a single bottle to sell. More recently, the product has been allocated to levels similar to the ultra-popular Weller brands, i.e. 12 bottles per week. Blanton’s being a single barrel is never quite exactly the same, but it’s ALWAYS delicious. Certain bottles, coming from the cherry casks, are absolutely exquisite. Expect rich caramelized sugar, strong notes of vanilla, and spicy drie

Laphroaig 2016 “Cairdeas” Madeira Cask Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($79.99)

Each year Laphroaig’s Master Distiller, John Campbell, handcrafts a limited edition malt to celebrate friendship (“Cairdeas” in Gaelic). The 2016 bottling features fully-matured Laphroaig aged in ex-bourbon barrels before being blended together for a second maturation in Madeira-seasoned traditional hogsheads. The result is a classically smoky Laphroaig with accents of sweet fruits and honey around the edges. Bottled at 51.6%, the extra kick helps balance out the additional richness.

High West “A Midwinter Night’s Dram” Limited Edition Whiskey (750ml) ($89.99)

98 points Wine Enthusiast: “This limited-edition blend of straight rye whiskeys finished in French oak and former port barrels offers huge, rounded notes of rich toffee, dark fruit, orange peel and mulling spices. Its almost like a wintry whiskey punch in a bottle. The language on the label winks at Shakespeare, making this a special gift for a theater lover as well as a whiskey lover. (KN)” (07/2015)

K&L Notes: The rye forms a beautiful base of vanilla, caramel and cinnamon; the port barrels enhance with plums and dried fruits; the French oak provides a spice accent.

Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637) Email: wine@klwines.com K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA

San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Use discount code “SIA2016” for 10% off SIA blended scotch whisky purchased 12/31