For the first time in….well….as long as I can remember, we’ve got a new Kentucky Bourbon, of a distinct and elevated quality, at a price point you can afford, and in quantities that we can actually advertise! I worked hard to make sure we got the jump on this and my perseverance paid off. Old Forester has recently been releasing a series of old style whiskies to commemorate specific dates in the history of American whiskey. The “1920 Prohibition Style” is the third release in that series and it’s by far the best of the bunch, in my opinion. In fact, I thought it was so tasty that I did everything I could to get my hands on more of it. The 1920 edition commemorates the fact that Old Forester had a license to distill for medicinal purposes during Prohibition, and the distillery claims that the whiskey in this edition tastes like something that they would have batched during that period. If this is what medicinal Bourbon tasted like in 1920, then the sick folk were certainly drinking well! The nose gives off a heavy, dark, and concentrated aroma of maple syrup and rich oak, pretty much exactly like the distillery notes state (those are some accurate notes!). The palate is classic Brown-Forman Bourbon, it’s got that grainy, corny, pencil lead character, but heavier and rounder. Before you can really settle down on those flavors, the 57.5% ABV lights up what’s left of your taste buds before finishing with a clear note of dark chocolate and cocoa. I think what I like most about the Old Forester 1920 is that it doesn’t taste like anything else on the market. It’s a unique, satisfying, and interesting Bourbon that tells a story and delivers beyond expectations. I would highly, highly recommend snagging a bottle, especially if you’re looking for something new to try.

Old Forester “1920 Prohibition Style” Kentucky Whisky (750ml) $59.99

From the distillery: This 115 proof expression is the third release in our Old Forester Whiskey Row series and celebrates the brand’s continued distillation during Prohibition. For 13 years, the production, transport, and sale of alcohol was strictly prohibited. However, Old Forester was granted a permit to continue distilling on Louisville’s Whiskey Row. The 115 proof expression represents a barrel sample that company president Owsley Brown I would have batched at the beginning of Prohibition. The nose is an intense medley of cherry preserves, drippy caramel, dark chocolate, thickened maple syrup and seasoned oak spiciness. Dark caramel coats layers of malt nuttiness and sweet graham cracker all warmed by green peppercorn and coriander spice brightened with a hint of cedar. Tart apple crispness gives way to a long smoky finish full of toasted marshmallow, chocolate and graham cracker sweetness.

Redbreast’s new Lustau sherry-finished Irish whisky is absolutely delicious, in a you’ll-drink-way-too-much-of-it-way-too-quickly kind of way. The classic pot-still Irish whisky collides with rich and round Lustau sherry in this new Midleton distillery edition. What I particularly love about the whisky is that the sherry is artfully and gracefully intergrated into the true Irish character. It’s more like a light frosting on a delicious Midleton cake. The soft vanilla notes are still present, the light fruits and gentle grains that real Irish whisky fans hold so dearly, but they’re elevated, enhanced, and lifted by the sherry, particularly on the finish where the richness combines to create an oiliness with the grainy notes. I’d drink this over the Green Spot any day of the week. To me, it’s a vast improvement. If you’re looking for a new Irish whisky (which I know many of you are based on the emails I receive), this is a great place to start.

Redbreast “Lustau Edition” Sherry Finished Irish Whisky (750ml) $64.99

Until Next Time,

David Driscoll K&L Spirits Buyer

daviddriscoll@klwines.com 650-556-2736 http://spiritsjournal.klwines.com

Hello folks! This week, we’re looking at the Islands distilleries in Scotland. There’s a fair few of them dotted around the Northern and Western coasts of Scotland, all creating wonderfully different styles and flavours for the whisky drinker to enjoy! Jura and Ledaig take the spotlight this week, both well established but one certainly more famous than the other, kinda like Simon and Garfunkel.

https://youtu.be/M9KycIdGkB0

Cheers,

Phil (Whisky Wednesday)

In the UK, Bonfire Night has barely passed before stores put up their Christmas decorations and supermarkets launch their heartstring-tugging festive adverts. Not so in the USA, where my home country sets its sights on the most patriotic holiday of them all: Thanksgiving.

Politics in the USA is incredibly divisive, but one thing most Americans can agree on is the joy of getting nearly a half a working week off to celebrate Thanksgiving.

What’s great about this holiday, and why Americans love it so much, is that it is an American holiday that no one else celebrates. We invented it and will continue to celebrate it widely. However, this is not an easy holiday to host – most people finish work at lunchtime on Wednesday (Thanksgiving is always the last Thursday in November) and take the Friday off, too, so if you are hosting, you’ll have your work cut out.

As mentioned, no holiday is more important in the US than Thanksgiving, so for those American readers expecting a particularly patriotic guest, choose a whisky that will suitably match an American tradition that’s been going since 1789. Have a bottle of Garrison Brothers Single Barrel Bourbon waiting on the table – a rich bourbon dressed with a lone star on the bottle, signalling its heritage to the state of Texas. Or instead, celebrate with a Jefferson’s Bourbon – one whose distinctive taste is only matched by its distinctive bottle, adorned with an engraving of the founding father himself.

Got the in-laws coming around? Need to impress them? Enter Whistlepig 12 Year Old Rye. At £150, this is not an everyday drink, but remember that whoever you drink it with will be obliged to bring something nice for Thanksgiving 2017. Finished in a Madeira cask, this rye is a delicious step above from your everyday American whiskey.

New blog post for our three new Burns Malt releases.

THE WHISKY SHOW: OLD AND RARE – FEBRUARY 2017

THE WORLD’S GREATEST WHISKY BAR, FOR ONE WEEKEND ONLY…

11.30am-6.30pm, 18-19 February 2017 (last pour at 6.10pm) Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow

For 2017, we are adding a new show to our line-up – The Whisky Show: Old and Rare. Taking place in February in central Glasgow and organised in association with whisky experts Angus MacRaild and Jonny McMillan, the show focuses exclusively on old and rare whiskies, bottled over the past century and available to purchase by the dram.

The show brings together some of the world’s rarest and most sought-after whiskies under one roof – it is the world’s best whisky bar, for one weekend only.

LEARN MORE

The Best Exhibitors Rather than distillers, exhibitors at The Whisky Show: Old and Rare are curators of great whisky – bars, shops, auctioneers, independent bottlers and collectors, who have sought out incredible whiskies and will open them for you at the show. They will be selling whiskies by the measure, giving you a wide choice of drams to try.

MORE DETAILS

ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME MASTERCLASSES Featuring experts in old and rare whisky, the show masterclasses are once-in-a-liftetime events. Combining expertise and knowledge with legendary whiskies, they are unlike anything else available at a whisky show anywhere in the world.

MORE DETAILS

SATURDAY TICKETS

SUNDAY TICKETS

*Please note this is a generic photo

Chapter 7 Highland Single Malt Whisky 19 yr 6/750 ml 56.2% alc. RRP $180

The marriage of two selected casks from an undisclosed Highland distillery, aged for over 19 years.

The brand has snagged two Liquid Gold medals in Whisky Bible 2017, scoring 94 and 94.5 points.

“This small batch whisky and its design caught our attention and we hope it catches yours too. We’re pleased that it’s joining the ranks of ImpEx’s Independent Bottler range. It perfectly reflects ImpEx’s adoration for Scotch that’s natural color, bottled at a higher proof, and non chill-filtered. The depth behind the concept and what it represents made it an attractive choice for us. We were also drawn to Selim’s passion and enthusiasm that aligns with the philosophy of our company and those with whom we work.” – Sam Filmus

And now, about the brand…

The premise of Chapter 7 is simple – each cask of whisky is unique, and each one tells a story. The wood, age, temperature, location in the warehouse… Everything makes a difference. Two casks of a distillery filled at the same time and sitting next to each other can taste different. This is why bigger single malt brands marry casks in large vats so that the master blender can try to make the taste of the brand consistent.

Chapter 7, a Swiss brand, is the brain-child of Selim Evin. He is a world-traveling entrepreneur living in Switzerland who was inspired by his Scottish grandfather’s passion for whisky. Selim thinks that each cask should remain singular to tell its own unique story. He was taught at an early age that casks are not just vessels but they give the whisky its character and soul. So he travels to Scotland and Ireland to hand-select single casks from different distilleries. Then he custom bottles each one with its own story. Chapter 7 editions are bottled at cask strength and are non-chill-filtered to present the characteristics of the whisky untouched. It is more than a business, it is a passion.

Chapter 7’s minimalist and natural design and packaging texture attracts a trendy and younger consumer profile with design awareness. Gift buyers that represent a large proportion of whisky buyers are attracted by the minimalist design and exclusivity. Each cask is chosen by whisky connoisseurs from the trade. Some casks are from distilleries that do not have their own distillery bottlings hence are interesting as collectables. Each bottle is hand-numbered to offer personalization.

“This photo evokes memories of days gone by. Studious men seeking knowledge amongst the chaos. Much like the Malt Masters of old learning their art in the pursuit of whisky greatness, When I raise a dram, I like to think of all great men who have been involved in crafting it. From the cooper to the Malt Master and everyone in between. Slainte.” – Selim Evin

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

2016 KWM Whisky Advent Calendar 

With T-17 days until Whisky Advent, this year’s edition is more than 60% sold!

For the 3rd year in a row, Kensington Wine Market is producing its own Whisky Advent Calendar. 2014 and 2015’s editions were a huge hit, and sold out well before the start of Advent. This year’s edition is now available for purchase and pickup in store!

We are really excited about our 2016 KWM Whisky Advent Calendar. For the third straight year we have designed and built our own exclusive Whisky Advent Calendar, featuring a custom logo Glencairn glass, 24 50ml whiskies and a 100ml Christmas Day bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (The Society). The Society is the world’s largest whisky club, and bottles whiskies exclusively for its members. This year’s Calendar has a single cask from the Society that has been selected and bottled exclusively for the Calendar and Canadian Society members (750ml bottles will be made available to Society members in 2017!). In collaboration with the Society’s Canadian branch, we were even given the opportunity to name the whisky… Since Society whiskies are exclusively available to Society members, this is an opportunity for non-members to get their hands on a Society whisky. Recipients of the KWM Whisky Advent Calendar will be the first people to sample this exciting new whisky!

The Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendar is more than just a product for us, it is a way for us to share and connect with other whisky lovers in Calgary, Alberta and across Canada. Details on the whiskies released and their distillery will be posted on the KWM Blog each day. Recipients of the Calendar are encouraged to share their thoughts with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The KWM Whisky Advent Calendar also comes with a 10% discount card, good for any of the whiskies in the Calendar (excepting the Society whisky), subject to availability.

Order a Kensington Wine Market 2016 Whisky Advent Calendar $399.99+GST

After not speaking to you for so long, you can’t get rid of me now. This newsflash is in 2 unequal parts. Firstly, allow me to tell you all about the new Hazelburn that we have out, you may have seen it on social media. It looks very pretty.

Secondly, I will give you all a little update on the current situation regarding the recent Society release(s).

Let’s get down to business…

The Hazelburn 9yo Barolo (57.9% abv) spent 6 years in a fresh bourbon cask and then 3 years in a refill Barolo wine cask (which had previously contained Springbank).

Hazelburn Barolo Tasting Notes

NOSE: The dram begins with perfume and confectionary, then the essence of sugared almonds is revealed, complimented by the sweetness of sherbet

TASTE: Peppery with light tannins and the sweetness is continued with dry fruits and the subtle hint of coconut shavings

FINISH: Sugary, with dark chocolate guiding us throughout the pineapple custard combined with vanilla

It is available in our three UK Cadenhead shops now and elsewhere in the UK from next week onwards. Releases in other countries/markets will vary throughout the weeks ahead. Please contact your local retailers and stockists for more information, details of whom can be found by visiting www.springbankwhisky.com/distributors/.

If you would like to buy it directly from us you can contact our Campbeltown Cadenhead shop by calling +44 (0)1586 551710. I will not be taking orders for this as I am not aware of our shop’s stock or allocation.

There will be approximately 10,800 bottles available worldwide.

Some important points that you need to know:

• The Campbeltown Cadenhead shop will be selling the Hazelburn 9yo Barolo for £60.00.
• It will be strictly 1 per person. 
• This is not a Society exclusive bottle
• This is not considered a core product so there will be no Society discount on this bottling.

Autumn Society Release

Thank you all for your patience in waiting for a response from me regarding the Society bottlings. As many of you will know this is how things usually happen with the Society, it can take me a little time to reply to the high volume of emails I receive during this time.

As of now, all of the Longrow 14yo bottles have been allocated and I will be contacting everyone who emailed me as soon as I can. If you have not received a reply from me yet, that does not mean you have not got a bottle. It simply means I haven’t got to your email yet.

 The deadline for entering the lottery for the Springbank 15yo Jamaican Rum cask is 12 noon (GMT) on Monday. Members who attended the Society tasting at this year’s Campbeltown Malts Festival do not need to enter however they do need to confirm with me that they would indeed like a bottle before the deadline.

I am sure we shall all speak soon.

Slainte,

Nathan

For the Springbank Society

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/officialspringbankwhisky/

Twitter –  https://twitter.com/Springbank1828

Instagram –  Search Springbank Whisky (@springbankwhisky1828)

Please contact Nathan if you wish to join the Society

DISTILLERY – INTERVIEW with Paul McLean and Sally – Anne Cooney, Boann Distillery, Drogheda, Ireland

When I was over in Ireland recently I stayed a couple of nights in Drogheda, it was sonly right I should talk about and visit this new distillery in the making. A little bit of local history was made in Drogheda when the copper pot whiskey stills were delivered to the new Boann Distillery on the Platin Road. The three nano-copper pot stills, one with a capacity of 10,000 litres and the other two 7,500 and 5,000 litres respectively, were hand made in Sienna, Italy. The stills, which were brought by truck from Siena, mark a significant milestone for the distillery which is set to open in 2016.  Typically they were given female names—Sunshine, Sally-Anne and Celestine after the female members of the Cooney family.  “The plan is now to distil in early 2017 and open up the visitor centre by the end of 2017” Sally – Anne.

“When it opens next year the €20m facility will include a whiskey distillery, craft brewery and taproom. The taproom will be an experiential space for a craft beer experience where we will have tasting stations for tutored tasting through our range , ingredients and beer styles . An architecturally designed visitor centre which will host distillery/brewery tours, a 120-seater restaurant, whiskey bar, private event space and a gift shop. Boann Distillery will create a range of Irish single malt, pot still and blended whiskies from the technologically advanced nano-copper pot stills. A small batch premium gin will also be produced in a custom made 500 litres Bennett Still”.

Sally – Anne continued “We launched “The Whistler range “at Whiskey Live Dublin – 3 expressions of Irish single malt whiskey we have been aging and finishing in hand picked sherry Oloroso casks for the last two years– a 7yo 46% non chill filter , no colour / 7yo cask strength 59% non chill filter, no colour / 10yo 46% non chill filter , no colour. We will distil single malt and Irish pot still whiskey on site using 100% Irish barley. It will be aged in predominantly Bourbon but cask experimentation (rum, wine, fortified wines etc) will be practiced with a % of all stock also for special expressions”.

Boann Distillery is a family company, born and believed in by Patrick and Marie Cooney, along with their family; Sally-Anne, Celestine, Peter, Patrick and James. With a combined wealth of experience, including forty years in the Irish drinks industry building up the Gleeson Group from a small independent bottler to a company with a turnover in excess of €300 million per annum, the Cooney family understands what it takes to create successful, premium brands.

What is your background and role Sally – Anne? “I am the Marketing,PR and hospitality Director. I have full responsibility for marketing and PR across the brands and also the development of our visitor centre and tourism offering. I am a qualified accountant and spent a number of years in the wine trade, most recently managing Gilbeys, Ireland largest wine company. My love of barrel maturation and experimentation comes from this time. Our whiskeys will be crafted as Irish malt and pot still whiskeys. Irish pot still being uniquely Irish, came about with the introduction of the 1682 Malt Tax. In true Irish fashion and to avoid paying full excise taxes on the whiskey, the Irish introduced an element of unmalted barley to the mix. Using our own well water, drawn from below the Boyne Valley and local Irish barley, we will mill, mash and distill on site. Our distinctive pot stills have been specially designed to maximise both traditional methods and also the use of modern techniques in the form of special reflux cooling jackets and patented nanocopper technology. By combining both tradition and technology, we will produce the purest spirit of great character that will uniquely reflect its sense of place—a unique and contemporary spirit with a unique provenance. Maturation of all our spirit in the finest oak casks will all occur on site in our cellar and custom-built warehouse under the close eye of our team to produce a whiskey of distinct character with a real sense of place”.

Where are casks sourced from? Bourbon Barrels are sourced directly from the USA. Sherry Oloroso casks are handpicked in Jerez and we will also have a number of special finish casks that we have soused from various contacts around the world. We bottle in-house, thus controlling the whole process from grain to glass. While we wait patiently for our whiskey to mature for a minimum of three years and a day we will also be crafting a very special gin, incorporating local hedgerow botanicals, from our small specially commissioned Bennett gin still. Once again a unique product linked closely to its place of origin.

 Paul continued along with a drink in hand …

How is it having a still named after you? It is very special ! The wash still is “Sunshine” after my mother Marie , the intermediate still is Sally Anne , the Spirits still is Celestine after my sister and the Gin still is Isabella after my daughter Isabella, the first grandchild. Three generations of strong women!

Do you have any thoughts about finishing? Port, Sherry etc. More and more finishes are now on offer. In fact, do you have a favourite finish (mine is sherry)?  A sherry finish is a personal favourite , however I have a real interest in wine cask finishes with my history in wine and look forward to experimenting with this in the future.

Where do you see the whiskey (Irish) industry being/going in 5 years from now?  The Irish whiskey industry is on a roll at the moment and we predict big growth internationally over the next 5 years for Irish Whiskey following the current trend – led by innovation and experimentation. New, smaller, independent whiskey distilleries have the flexibility to experiment with finishes and styles and I believe that Irish whiskey style is going to evolve and differentiate from the crowd. Watch this space.

Many thanks Sally-Anne and I hope to return next year to see all working and delivering spirit, am excited now just thinking of it!

PAUL MCLEAN (Sean Daley)   www.whiskytours.scot/ & www.mcleanscotland.com/

Macallan 18 year old Fine Oak

Introducing the new and limited Macallan 18 year old Fine Oak edition, available to order while stocks last. This sensational Macallan boasts flavours of tropical fruit, citrus and even the slightest hint of peat. If you are a fan of Macallan you simply have to try this! You will need to be quick though we don’t expect this to last long!

Commenting on The Macallan Fine Oak, whisky expert Jim Murray said: “The breadth and depth and sophistication of The Macallan Fine Oak range is simply jaw-droppingly good”.

£200 Buy Now