Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 3 – Back in Stock

We have just managed to obtain more stock of the limited edition and incredibly popular Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 3. If you missed out first time around, or you fell in love with this year’s release, now is your chance to add this Speyside Single Malt to your collection.

Free delivery on orders over £75 Worldwide delivery available

An annual release from the Balvenie Distillery, Tun 1509 marries together casks hand-picked by Malt Master, David Stewart MBE, to create a unique expression that is always highly sought-after.

This third batch is comprised of 12 sherry butts distilled between 1989 and 1992, 11 American oak hogsheads from 1989 and 8 refill American oak butts from 1992 and 1993.

£280 Buy Now

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 139: Johnnie Walker Blue Label 

Mark Dermul, Belgian Whisky blogger, tastes a very famous premium blend. Johnnie Walker’s Blue Label is said to contain some very exclusive whisky, even some from closed distilleries. That should give us the feeling that it is indeed very old whisky, of course. How else can you ask between 125 and 175 EUR for a no age statement blend? Or is Mark being too harsh now? Is there more going on than just packaging (in every sense of the word)? Mark finds out. 

https://youtu.be/ANO44UKfkbs

The Greats of Glenfarclas

With the Glenfarclas 1981 Port Wood coming into stock at The Whisky Shop next week, we thought we’d take a look at this brand new release and some other great whiskies from the “valley of the green grass”. From highly limited editions to great deals, now is the time to get your hands on these gems from Glenfarclas!

Free delivery available on all orders over £75 Next day delivery available

Glenfarclas 1981 Port Cask

This brand new release is the fourth limited edition bottling in the Family Collector Series. Matured exclusively in a port cask rather than the typical Oloroso sherry casks used at Glenfarclas, this highly limited edition is Glenfarclas’ oldest port cask matured release to date at 35 years old.

With only 521 bottles available worldwide, this rare expression is bottled at cask strength revealing a distinctive character accentuated by a sweet port influence.

£450 Pre-Order Now Stock arriving w/c 22nd August

Glenfarclas 1953

This extremely limited edition is drawn from the oldest cask of whisky owned by the Glenfarclas distillery. Distilled in 1953 and matured in a single Spanish oak sherry cask, this Single Malt is presented non chill-filtered at its natural cask strength of 43.9% abv.

Gleaming rich sandy oak in colour, this malt offers a rich sherried nose that develops into lovely toffee notes followed by delicate oak. Once it has had time to breathe, the palate has warm spiced notes, stewed fruits and liquorice, while the finish is long and sweet with toffee apples and cinnamon sticks.

£5,454 Buy Now

Glenfarclas 1960

Bottled in 2013 from cask 1770, this Glenfarclas comes from the dawn of the Swinging Sixties. With only 166 bottles produced, very few remain on the market making this price an attractive investment opportunity.

Heavy in rich cocoa beans, this expression is reminiscent of an old fashioned Gentleman’s Club with Chesterfield chairs, polished banisters and old wood panels, notes of liquorice, toffee apple and treacle intermingling.

£2,300 Buy Now

Glenfarclas 21 Year Old with 101 World Whiskies to Try Before You Die

One of our best deals ever with one of our all-time favourite whiskies, this 21 year old expression of Glenfarclas is rich and full-bodied with fruity spice on the nose. Smooth on the palate with notes of malty biscuits and a touch of oak smoke, with a long and smooth finish.

Once you have whet your appetite, Ian Buxton’s 101 World Whiskies to Try Before You Die is on hand to provide a map to your next dram.

£69 Buy Now

Krishna Nukala has submitted a new E-pistle; it is the report of his visit to Paul John distillery in Goa, India. Please click Here to read the article.

Scotland

Faultline Blended Scotch Whisky (750ml) $24.99 View

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Celebrity spirits – pet project or moneymaker?

George Clooney, Matthew McConaughey, Mila Kunis and even Danny DeVito. Are stars attracted to spirit brands because they believe in the product, or just the money?

Early in the film Lost in Translation, Bill Murray’s character, an over-the-hill American actor in Japan to endorse Suntory whisky, is shooting an advert. He sits silently while the director yells instructions (in Japanese), with a translator on hand for guidance. With limited understanding, Murray delivers his lines only to be cut off repeatedly by the fiery director. The scene is genius because of Murray’s discomfort, his suspicion of the translator, and his general mood sat in a tuxedo endorsing whisky for a quick buck.

Matthew McConaughey – Wild Turkey

Whenever I see a celebrity endorse an alcohol brand, I always wonder if they went through a similar experience to Murray’s character. Earlier this month, when Matthew McConaughey was announced as the new ‘creative director’ for Wild Turkey bourbon, he made a convincing case that he is more than just a celebrity spokesman: releasing a six-minute (admittedly stirring) video of him walking through the distillery while narrating in his trademark southern accent. He promises to have his ‘hands in the clay’ and ‘wants to be a part of the whole story’ – an elaborate exaggeration or genuine passion?

I think McConaughey is convincing, but I’ve laid out some more examples of celebrities who have dipped their toes into the world of spirits. The question is: are they just wooed by the cash, or are they credible?

Mila Kunis – Jim Beam

In 2014, Jim Beam changed its brand ambassador from country-rock singer Kid Rock to Hollywood star Mila Kunis. One of her first videos was an entertaining montage of landmarks in American history with flashes of Jim Beam logos and memorabilia. The ads are a success and I think that Kunis is a confident host and brand ambassador, but I have a difficult time believing that the Friends with Benefits star is a genuine bourbon fan.

Cash or credible? Cash.

Mila Kunis with Jim Beam master distiller Fred Noe

Originally published on The Whisky Exchange Blog – Celebrity spirits – pet project or moneymaker?

This week we have some great local drams from the distillery down the road. Springbank is Campbeltown’s oldest working distillery and, as the nearest distillery to our shop here on the shores of Loch Fyne, it’s our favourite. In 2004, Springbank owners J&A Mitchell re-opened the long silent Glengyle distillery and after 12 long years the first core expression has finally been released. The Kilkerran 12 Year Old is a lightly peated, double distilled Single Malt that is well worth the wait!

Kilkerran
12 Year Old

Springbank
12 Year Old
Cask Strength

Springbank
18 Year Old

After an exciting start to Whisky Season 2016, we’re back with a few more deals to tell you about. We’ve got a few new barrels of American whiskey that just arrived as well as a shocking end of summer deal that we hope will bring some serious value to your late August cocktails. Let’s not waste any time beating around the bush:

Colorado Whiskey K&L Exclusive

After years out of the market, Stranahan’s is back in a big way. In 2010, Stranahan’s began limiting sales severely to accommodate a distillery expansion and build stocks up from their initial popular release. Now, it’s started to reappear and to great acclaim. First the standard whiskey was released and then late last year their four year old Diamond Peak offering was released. We were excited to find out that they’d started a barrel program and when samples came through we drooled over the quality and complexity. Now, that cask is finally here and drinking better than ever.

Stranahan’s K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Single Malt Whiskey – $54.99 The exceptional Stranahan Colorado Whiskey is one of the original craft distillers. Founded in Denver CO in 2004 by Flying Dog Brewery owner George Stranahan and local firefighter Jess Garber after a fateful meeting at a barn fire, the small production single malt has become a favorite of locals and connoisseurs alike. The whisky is distilled from 100% malted barley and aged in new charred American oak. The dry high altitude climate, cold winters and warm summers create the perfect environment for slow aging malt whiskey. When we were offered a single cask of this special whiskey we jumped on the opportunity. The standard release is uses a base of 2 year with smaller portions of 3 and 5 year whiskey to round out the flavor, but this single barrel was aged a full four years before bottling. The result is something very close to their high-end Diamond Peak offering for a fraction of the price. A big nose of malted grain and sweet caramel cookies. Rich exotic dried fruit and oak spice explode out of the glass after a touch of aeration. On the palate this whiskey is medium bodied without any astringent notes whatsoever. Instead a rich round entry which exhibits dark coffee and sweet oak before transitioning to powerful baking spices on the finish. Altogether one of the best craft whisky we’ve ever seen at any price, but it easily out performs many of it’s competitors at much higher price points.

Speaking of Faultline…

When we ran out of our one-time-only edition of Faultline Blended Scotch a few months back it wasn’t long before I heard the sob stories and the tears. Apparently a number of customers were caught off guard. They thought this whole $25 dollar bottle of preciously-peated Faultline Scotch was going to be a permanent addition to our inventory, not a singular entity that would eventually fade away into the sunset. Unfortunately, I had no other option but to be the bearer of bad news-it was indeed gone forever. Until our importer emailed me last week and said he had found an additional few cases that he had apparently forgotten to deliver. This time I’m going to get out in front of the message: LAST CALL FOR FAULTLINE BLENDED SCOTCH! If this is your baby (like it was ours), then it’s time to load up…

Faultline Blended Scotch Whisky – $24.99 For three long years, David Othenin-Girard and I have been trying to create an inexpensive, delicious, value-driven, yet simultaneously interesting expression of blended Scotch whisky that we could feature under our Faultline label. There were many times when we thought we were close, but either the quality of the whisky or the cost of the barrels proved prohibitive. We didn’t want to make a $25 bottle of whisky just for the sake of it. If we were going to do it, then we were going to it right. Finally, after working on and off with the Laings for a year-long blending process, we hammered out a profile we were happy with. Big smoke, Ardbeg-like peat flavors, and a kiss of sweet grain was our goal and we definitely achieved it in this bottle. Unlike most big brand blends, there are no coloring agents or sweeteners in the Faultline Scotch, just a pale straw colored liquid that bursts with character and, due to the heavy malt content, finishes with richness and weight. We wanted to make sure that, upon launch, there would be absolutely nothing on the market that could match the quality of flavor, price, beauty of design, and bang for the buck. After three long years, we think we’ve done it. For $25 you get one helluva bottle of Scotch. Smokier than Johnnie Black, more complex than Chivas, and less expensive than both of them. Plus, it’s an assertive 100 proof. Try it in a cocktail, pour it over ice, add in soda water. It’s the real deal.

A New Single Barrel from Jim Beam

While Beam may have hired Mila Kunis to do its commercials, the distillery won’t need to invest much in marketing if it can continue to offer single barrels like this one to key retail accounts. Our latest selection K&L cask selection from Beam’s gigantic warehouses is a bright, supple, and incredibly balanced Bourbon that brings serious value to the single barrel category. While we know most people prefer the more boutique labels of Booker’s and Basil Hayden, don’t sleep on this guy. It’s pretty freakin’ delicious:

Jim Beam K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #JB5456 Kentucky Bourbon – $34.99 There’s a lovely sweetness that envelopes the sense from the first sip and sways between sweet vanilla and earthy grains all the way across the palate to the finish. It’s not an anomaly by any means; it’s classic Jim Beam. But with the flurry of cinnamon and cloves on the finish and the pleasant presence of sweet charred oak still glowing minutes after you’ve swallowed, this is truly a keeper. A must try for those who have continually overlooked Beam’s namesake label in favor of the “craftier” Booker’s, Baker’s, and Basil Hayden’s.

Laphroaig Lore Arrives!

I’m happy to announce we’ve finally received our initial shipment of Laphroaig Lore-a whiskey we first talked about back in May. It’s been a while since Laphroaig released anything in the $100+ range. It’s been one of the most reliable and price conscientious malts over the past few years, releasing a continuous line of affordable and delicious special edition whiskies like the Cairdeas and limited 15 year old expressions. The Lore is a bit pricier and it uses older whiskies in the mix. It’s a blend of 7 and 21 year old Bourbon casks, 9 year old full-term quarter casks, along with a few sherry and European oak casks for extra flavor. It’s richer, darker, more savory, and far more dense than what’s currently available in the portfolio. And it’s on the shelf now!

Laphroaig “Lore” Islay Single Malt Whisky – $119.99 It stands out from the standard Laphroaig portfolio in a big way. It’s richer, darker, more savory, and far more dense. It tastes like you’re drinking a very old whisky while simultaneously taking a sip of something much younger. Unlike the bright, medicinal peat that explodes off the bat in the 10 year old, the Lore takes you much deeper into the peat bog with more earth, more weight, and more rancio from the sherry influence.

David Driscoll K&L Spirits Buyer

daviddriscoll@klwines.com

650.556.2736

http://spiritsjournal.klwines.com/

This week Joe Ellis reviews Glengoyne 21 Year Old Single Malt.

https://youtu.be/3SAbwU28Z6E

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Five great London whisky bars

Our capital is filled with bars all jostling to claim ownership of the largest collection of Scotch, bourbon and Irish whiskies. But, as is the case with wine lists, a carefully curated selection in a convivial space with knowledgeable staff will always win against a backbar groaning under the weight of dusty bottles. These five whisky bars in London may have a huge selection or are simply known for their specialist bottles and keen interest in whiskies, yet either way are thoroughly enjoyable places to enjoy the finest spirit in the world.

Black Rock – for exploring your palate

9 Christopher Street, London EC2A 2BS Mon-Sat 5pm-late, Sun CLOSED

A small basement bar around the back of Liverpool Street Station, Black Rock has an unassuming entrance which, despite the fact it descends, is a staircase leading to whisky heaven. Let the centrepiece of the room steal your attention for just a few minutes – a majestic tree trunk which acts as a table and whisky ageing station – and then be guided through Scotland’s malt spirit allowing taste to be your decider. At Black Rock, rather than classify the bottles by region or brand, the team have tasted their way through each whisky and organised them according to six flavour groups and whether they’re heavy and light. It’s basically a flavour map – one which becomes easier to navigate once the drams start flying.

Milroy’s of Soho – for international drams

3 Greek Street, Soho W1D 4NX Mon CLOSED, Tue-Sat 6pm-Midnight

A London institution, you can allow your taste buds to go crazy at Milroy’s, with bottles from the Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, Islands, Islay and Campbeltown – and that’s just the Scotch. Come prepared to taste smooth bourbons and spicy rye whiskey from across the pond, and even sample malts from Japan, Sweden, Australia and South Africa. Milroy’s feels like a step back in time, and hunkering down in a corner with traditional blends, an interesting single cask and some punchy rye is one of London’s true drinking delights.

Bull in a China Shop – for Japanese whiskies

196 Shoreditch High Street E1 6LG Mon-Fri 8am-midnight, Sat 10am-midnight, Sun 10am-11pm

Rare and premium is the name of the game here, and you’ll quickly discover some of the fabulous whiskies on the market. Bull in a China Shop specialises in both Scotch and Japanese whisky but with a food menu themed towards Asian cuisine, it would be rude not to get involved with some fantastic Japanese bottlings. Try Japan’s answer to Islay with a smoky Yoichi, or one of their rare single malt whiskies. Better yet, order a whisky cocktail – after all, the Japanese dilute their own whiskies so why not follow suit?

Soho Whisky Club – for tastings

42 Old Compton Street W1D 4LR Mon-Thu noon-11pm, Fri noon-midnight, Sat 1pm-midnight

Members only. But don’t let that stop you, for once you have the key to the door (and for that, all you need to do is drop in and charm the staff – simples) this place will become your favourite spot to sit and soak up whisky knowledge, while sipping a dram alongside, naturally. It isn’t the most beautiful London bar but for the spirits available, the small terrace for a languid afternoon cigar and the free tastings, this is easily one of the best London memberships – Annabel’s, eat your heart out. If you joined tomorrow, you’d have access to 14 tastings till the end of 2016, including sessions dedicated to rum and gin as well as a wealth of various whisky distilleries from around the world. Plus there’s always the benefit of having somewhere calm to drink in Soho.

Sun Tavern – for Irish whiskies

441 Bethnal Green Road E2 0AN Mon-Wed noon-midnight, Thu-Sat noon-1am, Sun noon-midnight

This intimate pub in Bethnal Green may seem like just another local but it is in fact a temple to Irish spirits and London brews. Irish whiskey has had its tough times, and no one appreciates this more than the team here who will happily talk you though the differences with its neighbouring Scotch, pot-still distillation and why the Irish were so adamantly against blended whiskey. Try a healthy slug from the distilleries dotted around the Emerald Isle and, if you’ll allow a slight deviation from whiskey, then it would be crime to visit the Sun Tavern and not try poteen. The pub itself is an oasis of comfort with a relaxed vibe that only east London can truly deliver. No one here is judging how you enjoy your whiskey or even how you pronounce poteen…

Jane is editor at DrinkUp.London, the home of London Cocktail Week, London Wine Week and London Beer Week.