SURPRISE BIRTHDAY SALE
April 1 2016 celebrates the one year anniversary of the sale of Kensington Wine Market to Andrew Ferguson. Please help us celebrate Andrew’s success (we’re still in business!) with this one weekend only in store and web sale. All in stock wines discounted 15%, all in stock single malt and other whiskies discounted 10%, all in stock beer 5%.
Friday April 1 to Sunday April 3
We aren’t fooling!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=01wUhewCre8
Farmers on Speyside are being urged to lead a fight back for the Scotch whisky industry after a Japanese malt was named best in the world – by feeding their cattle a daily dram.
A nip of our national drink – coupled with a diet of high quality feed from distillery by-products – could produce meat so succulent and tender that it will rival Japan’s famous Kobe beef.
And it is thought that playing cattle upbeat traditional Scots music, in much the same way that Kobe herds enjoy classical sounds, will further enhance the quality of the beef.
Now there are calls from organisers of the world renowned Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival for local farmers to help further trial the theory.
Thousands of visitors from all over the globe visit the annual Festival, and organisers are concerned about the level of attention being focused on Japanese whisky.
Ann Miller, a director of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, says, “We do not believe there is anywhere on earth that produces better malt whisky than Speyside – and millions of whisky drinkers agree.
“We were genuinely shocked and dismayed when Yamazaki was named the best whisky in the world, but we are firm believers in the old adage of don’t get mad, get even.
“And that is exactly what we intend to do. All the signs indicate that introducing Speyside malt into a cow’s diet and using animal feed created from distillery by-products gives the meat a lovely, whisky-tinged flavour.”
The incredible discovery was made by Speyside farmers Ali Rolfop and Joe King, who have a herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle.
They were mucking out a byre one evening on their farm, Ure Gullybale, near the distillery town of Keith and poured a bottle of single malt Scotch into a water trough.
Ali explains, “I’m a big fan of two of Speyside’s most famous products – malt whisky and traditional music – and so I decided to share these with our cattle.
“The next day, we noticed their coats were shiny and their eyes were bright. We’ve since been sharing a bottle of malt with them and we even have some local fiddlers come down to perform. We tasted the beef from the herd for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it is sensational – there is definitely a hint of whisky in the meat.”
The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival takes place from April 28 to May 2 and is one of the biggest events of its kind anywhere in the world. It comprises almost 500 different events, from distillery tours to whisky tastings, from ceilidhs to comedy nights, and from whisky themed dinners to outdoor events.
Ann adds, “With all this focus on Japan, I suppose we are a little worried that the thousands of visitors who fly in from all corners of the globe to enjoy our Festival might be tempted to go there instead.
“But while Japan may have been able to produce some decent drams, it doesn’t have the history and heritage of Scotch whisky. We’ve been producing the best whisky in the world for generations – no beef about it – and while they have learned how to make whisky from us, we’re now learning from their farming techniques.”
Tickets for all events in the 2016 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival programme are available to buy now at http://www.spiritofspeyside.com/ The Festival is also active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter and on Instagram.
Picture captions:
One of the Aberdeen Angus herd cannot wait to get his daily dram from Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival director Ann Miller.
Fiddler Lorna Edward has been entertaining the cattle at Ure Gullybale, which have also been enjoying a daily dram. Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival director Ann Miller suggests other Speyside farmers try out the newly discovered farming techniques.
Scotland
Balvenie 12 Year Old Single Barrel Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $69.99 View
Balvenie 25 Year Old Single Barrel Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $599.99 View
Glengoyne 21 Year Old Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $129.99 View
Glengoyne 25 Year Old Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $299.99 View
Tobermory 10 year old Isle of Mull Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $55.99 View
K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA
www.ralfy.com gets all smoked-up & overcomes microphone problems to explore the smoke-zone with Whisky Review 576 – Lagavulin D.E. 2015 single malt (Igv 4/504)
This week Joe Ellis reviews the Highland Park 30 Year Old Single Malt.
Old Pulteney on Top of the World as 1989 Vintage Crowned Best Single Malt
The team at Pulteney Distillery in Wick is celebrating one of its greatest triumphs to date in the global industry, after Old Pulteney 1989 Vintage was crowned the ‘World’s Best Single Malt’.
The extraordinary achievement was announced last night (Thursday 17th March) at Whisky Magazine’s prestigious World Whiskies Awards, hosted at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London.
Only the world’s most exceptional whiskies are nominated, and with a record number of entries this year leading to tough competition, Old Pulteney has even greater cause to celebrate this accolade.
The ‘Maritime Malt’ released its peated Old Pulteney 1989 Vintage in September 2015 as the embodiment of Pulteney Distillery’s renowned craftsmanship. Its distinctive smoky character comes from maturation in hand-selected American oak ex-bourbon barrels, which previously held heavily peated malt.
Old Pulteney Senior Brand Manager Margaret Mary Clarke was thrilled to hear news of the success. She commented: “This is a wonderful win for everyone at Pulteney Distillery and we couldn’t be more proud to have our 1989 Vintage recognised as the world’s best single malt. When we released the whisky last year it was a real hit with whisky enthusiasts and Old Pulteney devotees, who already recognise the quality and character of our full range of fine single malts. Last night’s award is another great testament to the dedicated Distillery team up in Wick whose passion and skill for creating incredible malt whiskies continue to be recognised around the world.”
The Managing Editor of Whisky Magazine, Mr Rupert Wheeler said: “This year has seen a record number of entries into our World Whiskies Awards and the Icons of Whisky continue to grow with the addition of new categories. I was delighted to have met so many guests last night, all of which make the whisky industry a pleasure to be a part of. The evening went extremely well and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the judges and sponsors of all of our awards. We look forward to doing it all over again next year.”
Each distinctively designed bottle of Old Pulteney 1989 Vintage is natural in colour, non-chill filtered and bottled at 46%. On the palate it is peaty to start, with a heavy, spicy underpinning and notes of vanilla, coconut and oranges giving this indulgent single malt a long-lasting finish.
Old Pulteney has been acclaimed for its excellence many times over. Old Pulteney’s 21 Year Old Single Malt holds the coveted title of ‘World Whisky of the Year’ for 2012 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible – one of the industry’s highest accolades. The whisky also achieved top ten status in the UK single malt market in 2012 and is flourishing in many other countries around the world.
Founded in 1826 at the height of Wick’s herring boom, Pulteney Distillery is one of the most northerly distilleries on the Scottish mainland. It is this unique maritime heritage that gives the whisky its identity as the ‘Maritime Malt’. A long-held favourite for whisky enthusiasts, many say they can taste a faint hint of the sea in Old Pulteney thanks to the Distillery’s windswept location and close proximity to the North Sea.
Notes
Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Old Pulteney is one of the world’s finest and most distinctive single malt Scotch whiskies. Known as the ‘Maritime Malt’, it is crafted in the windswept coastal town of Wick, home to the Pulteney Distillery which is one of the most northerly on the Scottish mainland. The distillery was established in 1826 in the heart of ‘Pulteneytown’, the town created to house fishermen during Wick’s famous herring boom which drew a fleet of over 1000 boats and 7000 workers to this remote and rugged harbour.
Old Pulteney is the embodiment of this place, its people and its remarkable history. The skilled Pulteney Distillery team continues to craft whisky using the most traditional and time-honoured techniques that most others have long abandoned. This includes the uniquely shaped Pulteney stills, which are reflected in the design of the Old Pulteney bottle on shelves today.
Matured in hand-selected oak casks, the resulting whisky has been acclaimed for its excellence, its smooth drinking style and faint hint of the sea. Old Pulteney holds the coveted title of ‘World Whisky of the Year’ for 2012 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible – one of the industry’s highest accolades. The whisky also achieved top ten status in the UK single malt market in 2012 and is flourishing in many other countries around the world.
Old Pulteney continues to celebrate all things related to its maritime heritage and is renowned for its long standing support of sailing adventure across the globe. In 2015 the whisky announced a partnership to raise vital funds for the global maritime charity The Mission to Seafarers, the organisation that cares for the world’s 1.5 million men and women who face danger each day while working at sea. Old Pulteney will donate £1 from every bottle of Old Pulteney 12 Year Old sold in 2015 to the charity, aiming to raise £30,000 to support their work providing counsel and friendship for merchant seafarers in need – whether they are stranded, isolated or far from home.
World Whiskies Awards 2016 – who won?
Today is the start of Whisky Live London (tickets still available here) and that means that last night marked the announcement of the winners of the World Whiskies Awards 2016.
The World Whiskies Awards judges – if you look very carefully you can see the top of my head
I’ve been a judge for the awards for the past two years, and have been waiting patiently since the beginning of February to find out which whiskies have won this time. The judging process began back in December, when the panel of judges received packs of anonymously labelled samples to taste and score. The results were collated and a smaller group of judges met in person at the Honourable Artillery Company on the edge of the City of London on 1 February to try the highest-scoring whiskies from the first round and select the best of the best.
Now, after six weeks of waiting, the winner of the prestigious World’s Best Single Malt award has been revealed:
It’s the latest peaty-cask dram from owners Inver House, where they have matured the traditionally unpeated spirit from their distilleries in casks that once held smoky whisky. The rumour was that the original Balblair release was created due to someone not checking the casks before filling them, but whether this was a happy accident or deliberate decision, congratulations go to Old Pulteney – it may not be the best-known distillery, but with a Jim Murray ‘Best Whisky in the World’ award for the 21 Year Old and a WWA World’s Best Single Malt under it’s belt, I suspect we might see more from them in the coming years.
Unfortunately, our handful of remaining bottles sold out within minutes of the result being announced, but we have a lead on some more – you can sign up to receive an email if we do get more stock on this page by hitting the Notify Me button.
You can find all of the category winners that we have in stock over on our World Whiskies Awards 2016 Winners page and all of the winners on the World Whiskies Awards website.
Rosebank 1990 – Rare Old / Bot. 2015
A 1990 vintage Rosebank bottled by whisky gurus Gordon & MacPhail. Bottled in 2015 for their fantastic Rare Old series, Rosebank distillery fell silent in 1993 so releases like this example are becoming harder to find of late.
Port Ellen 1980 – Rare Old / Bot. 2015
A 1980 vintage Port Ellen, filled by Gordon & MacPhail in 2015. Aged for around 35 years, only 236 bottles have been filled at 46% vol.
Coleburn 1981 – Rare Old / Bot. 2015
Only 161 bottles of this rare Coleburn single malt Scotch whisky were filled by Gordon & MacPhail for their Rare Old series. Distilled in 1981 and bottled in 2015, Coleburn distillery closed in 1985 and has since been dismantled.
St.Magdalene 1982 – Rare Old / Bot. 2015
A 1982 vintage from the sadly now closed distillery, St Magdalene (Linlithgow). Bottled by Gordon & MacPhail in 2015 at 46% vol, as part of their fantastic Rare Old series.
Brora 1982 – Rare Old / Bot. 2015
With Brora distillery being dismantled in 1983, releases from this Lost Distillery have become rather rare and hard to come by. This 1982 vintage has been bottled by Gordon MacPhail in 2015 as part of their Rare Old series. One of only 365 bottles filled…
WORLD’S BEST SINGLE POT STILL WHISKEY
“The bouquet is full of dry humidor, rich stewed fruit, marshmallow and vanilla. Almonds and dark honey dominate the palate, with hints of creme brûlée and dark sugar. The finish is long with some gentle liquorice spice.” €69.95 *limited availability
ralfy dives into the peat-monster loch with Whisky Review 575 – Laphroaig 10yo re-reviewed 2016
