Ralfy examines the evolving glass with Whisky Review 601 – Clynelish 17yo Indi-malt (Adelphi)

BEST SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY & DOUBLE GOLD AWARDS for CASK ISLAY

A.D. Rattray, Independent Whisky Bottlers, are delighted that the quality and popularity of their flavourful Cask Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky has been recognised with another two awards. The lively peaty malt has been awarded Double Gold and Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky in the 2016 New York World Wine and Sprits Competition.

A.D. Rattray specifically crafted this Small Batch Malt to embody the wonderful characteristics of Islay whiskies. The complex and refreshing flavours of Cask Islay will delight lovers of Islay whiskies, while its charm and charisma will tempt many to their first taste from this beloved West Coast isle.

Tasting Note

Colour: Golden Islay sunset.

Nose: Warm & fiery, roasting peat kiln, some citrus notes after the smoke.

Palate: Oily, burnt toffee, juicy barley and rich peat smoke.

Conclusion: Lively, peaty and full of flavour.

Glenfarclas 1986 Refill Sherry Butts V

This new release is the fifith bottling in the Family Collector Series of limited edition releases honouring the Grant family. Matured in specially selected refill sherry casks for a lighter sherry influence, only 180 bottles are available in the UK.

£580 Buy Now

Strictly limited to one bottle per customer

Loch Fyne Whiskies tel: 0141 427 2919 info@lochfynewhiskies.com www.lochfynewhiskies.com

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 144: Mackmyra Svensk Ek vs Vinterrök

Mark Dermul, Belgian Whisky blogger, tries two Swedish single malts. Mackmyra in Sweden currently has two working distilleries, the second one being a hypermodern ‘gravity distillery’. They have quite a few releases already and this seems as good a time as any to put two very different expressions head-to-head. Svensk Ek – or Swedish Oak – on the one hand versus the Vinterrök – or Winter’s Smoke – on the other.

https://youtu.be/5WIlt6PEJM4

Whisky tour on Speyside with 3 New Yorkers

Another whisky tour been and gone, another great trip enjoyed by all. I had 3 lovely ladies from New York on a short whisky tour. Meeting them at a hotel in Edinburgh after breakfast, we headed north to Speyside, en route we pulled in at Ralia for the rest rooms. Upon leaving here, I pulled out onto the A9 and without noticing, became a part of a police convoy – blue lights winking away. With a car and motorcycle outrider in front (also blue lights) I looked in my rear mirror. A huge truck with an extra wide load coming up maybe 1/8 mile behind, with more blue lights. The cop ahead didnee notice us for approx. 2 miles, but other drivers did comin the other way! Police were waving everyone over, ours was a large white car, people were looking at us wondering who we were? Royals, celebrities? I told my 3 ladies to wave anyhow. Shortly the cop waved us past, goos fun while it lasted.

Our first distillery visit was The Glenlivet. While they took the tour I took time out to test the food and a cuppa tea, good, even managed a wee bit of work! They came back in enthusiastic and raving aboot the tour – a good start. This was followed by lunch at the distillery for them, and a wee drive (10 minutes) to Glenfarclas. Pre booked and sorted … they went happily on their way here, returning to a few drams. Both these distilleries give good tours and we drop by both of them often. From Farclas to Forres and their hotel, check in, and a walk to the pub for the girls. I hung about as I was meeting up with Derek Hancock, he is taking one of our tours later on, I needed give him all the tour notes and drams etc, Derek is ex G&M and a great whisky man, we like him taking tours we cannee do ourselves. As Derek left (he was on holiday the next day) Vic Cameron arrived. Another whisky man and friend, Vic had been “booked” to chat to the girls on his Diageo experiences, what he doesnee know will fit on a postage stamp. An hour and a half later they were called into dinner. They had raved again with Vic, really enjoying his banter. I bade him farewell and hit the bar for a well-deserved drink – research you understand.

Day 2 and an early start to get them to Balvenie distillery, David Muir took this tour, a 3 and a half hour epic, one of the best whisky tours that can be found, they thought so also, couldnee stop them talking about it. We travelled a short distance to Glenfiddich distillery, where I pushed them into the ladies bathroom – it has to be seen to be believed. Oh by the way, what did I do for those hours? Drove to Strathisla distillery, I had a tip off re a low cost dram, too true, I bought a case of 12 year old Tormore single malt whisky @ £20 a bottle, FAB! Last Christmas Liz and myself had stayed at the distillery in one of the cottages for 3 days – another story. Haggis, cheese board, and sandwiches later we left Glenfiddich for the Macallan, the girls were gobsmacked at all the work goin on, another 2 hour tour lay ahead of them, so I wandered off and spent some down time chillin out in church (now an antique/junk shop) in Rothes. Returning for them, they were dramming and happy as three birds on a tree. Before heading back to the hotel, I took them on a wee detour to the back of the Cooperage to see flat pack casks etc, more open mouths, which was handy as I had a dram for them again. They had supped drams in the car from day one every now and again, we like to keep our guests happy. I had also phoned and booked them a dinner in Findhorn; Kimberly’s, a great seafood place, a local taxi each way and they loved it all, the food, the taxi driver, the locals and the craic. Meanwhile, back at the hotel I had another meeting, Lewis Maclean (MD Maclean’s Bakery) who we shall be working with in June 2017 at the Clan Maclean Gathering (we have tours booked for approx. 90 Maclean’s so far), he will supply the butterscotch, cookies and shortbread etc www.macleansbakery.com/ Then off for a drink and food myself.

Day 3 saw an early start (or so I thought it was going to be) at 8.50, should have been 8.30 but och well. Cardhu called us, we arrived and to be sure fed the hairy coo’s, what a giggle, between laughs, frights and horns, we enjoyed putting digestive biscuits into the waiting mouths. Cardhu with tastings, then we hit the road – drams in car once again. We stopped at the House of Bruar for nibbles and shopping, before heading over to Broughty Ferry to pick up Liz. Now I had 4 women all talking at the same time! We eventually arrived at St Andrews, luggage in and a bar had our name on it. One round then away to another pub, the Keys, where many drinks followed, along with exhaustive conversation, my ears are still red. So well were we all getting on, Liz didnee want to leave, I gave her the option 1. Go after the next drink, as I was still driving and on juice! Or 2. Stay the night. After much discussions we left, but did much “research” back at the Ferry in Liz’s house – too much research for Liz.

Day 4 a hotel pick up at 10.45 then a dash to Edinburgh airport, the girls were going to Dublin for a few days. This ended this tour, but all are sure it will continue next year. Meanwhile I went to Dublin with a pal a few days later, that’s another story to be told – and it will be.

Written by Paul McLean www.mcleanscotland.com/   www.whiskytours.scot/

Over the last five years, no single malt whiskies have satisfied our staff members and customers more than the K&L selected single barrel expressions from the Signatory warehouse in Pitlochry, Scotland. Located within the Edradour distillery grounds, Signatory’s independently-purchased inventory of casks has become the gold standard of excellence for our most serious single malt consumers; it’s also the most anticipated appointment of the year for our spirits team. Since 2011, we’ve been working directly with Signatory manager Des McCagherty, sampling through hundreds of different barrels on site, and choosing what we feel are the best of the best from one of the true treasure troves of Scotch whisky. This past March we made our fifth trip to visit Des, tasted dozens of whiskies directly from the barrels, and whittled our selections down to three sure-fire contenders: a soft and fruity 20 year old Benrinnes, a rich and hedonistic 24 year old Longmorn, and a bold, intensely smoky Ballechin—the peated malt distilled on site at Edradour.

Those looking for bang-for-your-buck, dangerously drinkable, classic Scotch whisky should grab one of the 112 bottles of Benrinnes. It’s one of our favorite whisky distilleries and this concentrated cask evaporated itself down to 48.2% naturally. It’s a gem, especially for the price. Those who have graduated beyond Islay and it’s traditional peated whiskies should look at the Ballechin. In this case, we’re buying a bold and brilliant malt directly from the source-the first time we’ve done so from Edradour-and fans of Kilchoman will instantly taste the similarities. It’s a whisky we don’t see very often in the U.S., so we thought peated whisky drinkers would appreciate the opportunity to expand their horizons. Finally, those in search of vintage Highland style excellence should absolutely grab the Longhorn. Rarely do we find such single casks of individual beauty that taste as polished and poised as this whisky. Part of the enjoyment of drinking single cask whisky is the anomaly. In this case, however, everything has come into harmony without the aid of blending. It’s one of the most perfect single cask whiskies we’ve ever tasted, and it’s a malt we would recommend to any lover of Scotch, of any style.

1995 Benrinnes 20 Year Old K&L Exclusive “Signatory” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($99.99)

Here at K&L we love Benrinnes distillery so much that, as soon as one cask sells through, we turn right back around and buy another. Whereas we usually like to shake things up and diversify our inventory to keep things fresh, we start breaking out into sweats when the Benrinnes starts to get low. While it’s not a household name, Benrinnes is part of the Johnnie Walker empire and, while it’s rarely bottled as a single malt, the distillery makes one of the softest, fruitiest, most drinkable whiskies in the business. Everything about the flavor of Benrinnes is joyful, lithe, and warming. This particular cask is light on its feet with fresh stone fruit on the initial entry, followed by soft touches of oak from the hogshead cask and a lovely note of biscuit and sweet malt. What’s also interesting about this cask is that it only yielded 112 bottles and proofed itself down to 48.2% naturally. The result is a high-end session whisky designed to please serious fans of old school Scotch. The bad news about this cask is that it’s the last one in Signatory’s warehouse, meaning we’re going to have to look elsewhere for future releases. At least 112 people will go home happy! (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 30, 2016

This Benrinnes speaks for itself. As soon as one smells it, the Benrinnes 20 invites one to drink it with pretty aromas that are floral and malty. In the mouth it is classic, light and pretty with fruit and malt flavors. It is easy to drink and there is a nice finish.

Andrew Stevens | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 01, 2016

This is now the third bottling of a Benrinnes I have tried, and the second from Signatory, and I am still struck by how good the whisky from this distillery is. The third party bottlings of Benrinnes have become my go to for elegance and balance, and for anyone looking for an amazing bottle on the lighter and more delicate side. There is a lovely whiff of peat on the nose wrapped in notes of green apple and pear. Light fruited notes with layers of peat and a subtle smoke lead to a slightly spiced finish that has very little heat. This is a beautiful bottle that is light, elegant, and perfectly well balanced.

2005 Ballechin (Peated Edradour) 10 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single Bourbon Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($89.99)

Although we’ve been working directly with Edradour’s Signatory label for five years now, we’ve never bottled anything directly from the distillery until finding this monster cask of 2005 Ballechin on our last trip. Ballechin is what Edradour distillery calls its heavily peated expression, and the result is something far more beastly than anything you’ll find on Islay. That’s not to say the whisky is peatier, but rather it’s heavier, more earthy, brooding, and dense. The peat smoke is clear right off the bat, but once it begins to collide with Edradour’s intense maltiness, the peat becomes something completely different. If you can imagine the smells and flavors of fermenting malt, that combination of sour, sweet, and cooked grains, then combine those elements with scorched earth, heavy smoke, and burnt peat, then you’ll begin to understand the power of this single Bourbon cask of Ballechin. Now power that profile up to 55.8% and all that intensity gets dialed up a notch. What’s ironic to me about this whisky is that it comes from one of Scotland’s tiniest, daintiest, most manicured and fairy tale-esque distilleries. There’s nothing dainty about this malt, however. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 30, 2016

I am very happy that we were able to purchase this cask from Edradour. It is flavorful, interesting and just plain fun to drink. There are nice fruit and smoke aromas. In the mouth it is a lusty gem with an interaction between expressive fruit and smoke with smooth and clean flavors. Very good.

Andrew Stevens | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 01, 2016

This is one of the most unique and interesting 10 year old Scotch whiskies I have tasted from anywhere in Scotland. A heavily peated Highland style that offers almost a char-grilled fruit note with layers of caramel and toffee. The big fruit with highlights of vanilla are bolstered by scorched earth and malty goodness. This is a super fun whisky that is a big boy, yet still balanced for all that and a different approach for those of us who love big peat and bold flavors.

1992 Longmorn 24 Year Old K&L Exclusive “Signatory” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($159.99)

If pressed, I would probably put Longmorn in the top tier of Highland malt whisky producers right alongside more heralded names like Macallan, Glenmorangie, and Glenfarclas. There is something ineffably quintessential about Longmorn’s richness, weight, and texture; there’s a core of sweet vanilla and malted barley in just about every expression I’ve ever tasted from the distillery, and I always walk away from the drinking experience utterly satisfied. For that reason, I will always buy an older, reasonably-priced cask of Longmorn when I get the opportunity. This past spring, I stared down a vintage-dated 1992 barrel in the Signatory warehouse and had yet another fantastic dram. This 24 year old whisky should be the mold after which all other Highland malt whiskies are created. It’s almost heavy on the palate and it moves slowly across the tongue, a creamy wave of dried apricot, vanilla bean, and sweet grains. The finish has more of the same, but throw in a hint of butterscotch for dessert. There’s no sherry maturation or sweetness really from the hogshead cask. All that richness is inherent in the whisky itself. All in all, there’s nothing extraordinary about this whisky because just about every edition of Longmorn we’ve ever bottled has been outstanding. This whisky is nothing more than another example of a superior Scotch distillery doing what it does best. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 30, 2016

I have always liked the selection of single casks that Signatory offers. They are always of high quality and are worth the price. This 1992 Longmorn is packed full of flavor. There are beautiful honey and floral aromas. In the mouth it is round with honey and malt flavors. It it full bodied, concentrated and complex. Most importantly, the Longmorn 24 is an easy to drink and enjoy single malt.

Andrew Stevens | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 01, 2016

So as to not leave anyone without during the holiday season we have more fantastic cask strength single malts from Signatory to satisfy your whisky cravings. This one from Longmorn is a rich verging on decadent offering for those who like the bigger Highland style. Caramel, vanilla, and baking spice in the nose lead to a densely fruited palate with a creamy mouth feel and a soft finish. A little smoke on the nose and a low heat finish round this bottle out and make it a beautiful choice for cool weather and long nights.

Shaun Green | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 28, 2016

Oh Yes, rich and creamy with lots of weight and texture. The creamy caramel/butterscotch element is very up front and very subtle apple skin and light spice moving back palate. It’s so smooth that even at 51.1 it shows a silky elegance. One more win for Signatory!

MALT OF THE MONTH

OCTOBER 2016

PORT CHARLOTTE ISLAY BARLEY 2008

70cl / 50%

£49.95
WAS £54.95

BUY NOW »

Rich and smoky whisky from the west of Islay – Scotland’s whisky isle. This is made at Bruichladdich only using barley grown on the island.

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY WINS TOP AWARDS AT 2016 NEW YORK WORLD WINE AND SPIRITS COMPETITION

Spirits awarded one double gold medal, four gold medals, and total of eight medals won  

        FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Sept. 28, 2016) – Buffalo Trace Distillery has a lot to celebrate after the results from the 2016 New York World Wine and Spirits competition were released. The Distillery received double gold for its Benchmark Old No. 8 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, in addition to claiming four gold and three silver medals.

“We are flattered to receive these awards. To be ranked so highly by such a prestigious competition is a great feeling,” Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley said. “We take a strong pride in our whiskey making and we are very honored by each of the awards our products were given.”

This year, the number of brand entries increased by 50 percent and the NYWWSC reported that the quality of the brands entered ranked superior. The competition had more top medal winners than has been seen in the past several years.

Those brands awarded Gold included:

• Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

• Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

• Blanton’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

• Old Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

      Those brands awarded Silver were:

• Col. E.H. Taylor Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey
• Wheatley Vodka

Benchmark Old No. 8 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey received the highest honor, the double gold medal. The double gold medal is given only if every judge awards a gold medal to the product.

This competition is associated with the Triple Crown of Competitions (The San Francisco International Wine Competition and The San Francisco World Spirits Competition), and is in its sixth year. The NYWWSC is judged by a panel of the spirit industry’s most renowned judges including award-winning authors, buyers, journalists, educators and bar owners, who rate each spirit on a 100-point scale.

Results from the 2016 New York World Wine and Spirits Competition can be found at www.nyworldwineandspiritscompetition.com/. 

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 17 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named “Brand Innovator of the Year” by Whisky Magazine at its Icons of Whisky America Awards 2015.  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 300 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com/.

A bottle of The Glenfiddich Collection 1937 sold for a record beating £68,500 at Bonhams Whisky Sale in Edinburgh today (Wednesday 5 October). It had been estimated at £25,000-35,000. The price is the highest paid at auction for a bottle of Glenfiddich and a Scottish auction house record for the sale of a single malt.

The whisky, which was bought by a bidder in the Far East, was laid down in cask 843 at The Glenfiddich Distillery in 1937, the year of George VI’s coronation, and bottled 64 years later in 2001. It is highly unusual for a  single malt Scotch Whisky of this age to have kept its strength and it is this attribute which makes the sixty bottles from cask 843 so special. It is the oldest and rarest bottling ever undertaken at the distillery.

Bonhams Whisky specialist Martin Green said, “The record price reflects the exceptional rarity of the Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937 and its great appeal to collectors everywhere.”

In total, the sale made £310,000.

NOTES

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. Today, the auction house offers more sales than any of its rivals. The main salerooms are in London, New York and Hong Kong. Sales are also held in the UK in Knightsbridge and Edinburgh; in the US, in San Francisco and Los Angeles; in Europe, in Paris and Stuttgart and in Sydney, Australia. Bonhams also has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of forthcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 143: Shelter Point 2016 Inaugural Run

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a new Canadian whisky. On Vancouver Island, the utmost west Canada, you can visit the new Shelter Point Distillery. This is a beautiful distillery in which the owners have clearly invested a tremendous amount of money. And in June 2016 the released their very first bottling: Shelter Point 2016 Inaugural Run. This whisky was produced from two row barley that grows on the farm, double distilled in copper pot stills from the Scottish company Forsyth’s and matured for 5 years on American oak.

https://youtu.be/xsqy9ppSrqc