Step into Spring with Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery

There may still be a drop of snow in the air but here at The Famous Grouse Experience we’re getting ourselves excited for Spring! With lots going on and Easter just around the corner, now is the perfect time to pop up to our home at Glenturret Distillery. We’ve got some new releases in our Famous Shop, some delicious dishes on our Wilde Thyme menu and some great tours to be had!

Find out what’s going on at Scotland’s award winning, five star visitor attraction this month…

The Famous Shop New Arrivals

The newest addition to The Famous Grouse family has landed in our Famous Shop. Carefully crafted by our Master Blender to deliver a subtly sweeter, mellow flavour, The Famous Grouse Mellow Gold has been matured in sherry and bourbon casks to deliver a smooth, well rounded whisky.

Spring Menu at Wilde Thyme

With the new season comes new fresh, local produce. We’ve got some tasty dishes on our lunch menu, incorporating some of the best of Spring. Served daily between 12pm and 3.30pm, click here take a peek at the menu on the website.

Famous Blending Experience

Fancy yourself as a Master Blender? With our Blending Experience, enjoy a tour of the most traditional distillery in Scotland and a guided whisky tasting followed by an in-depth blending session where guests create their own blended whisky to take home. Find out about our Blending Experience here.

Opening Hours

The evenings are getting lighter and we’re open later! Tours now run hourly from 10.30am, with the distillery closing at 6pm. We’re open 7 days a week and you can book your tour online on our website here.

Cragganmore 30 Year Old 1985 Old & Rare

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
$355.92

Cragganmore 30 Year Old 1985 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whiskey. Single cask refill hogshead bottled October 2015 by Hunter Laing & Co. for the Old & Rare Platinum Selection. 180 bottles. This golden coloured whisky has a delicate mellow nose sweet vanilla initially then an assortment of fruit aromas appear banana peaches blackcurrants with butter shortbread adding weight .a creamy buttery mouthfeel on the palate with red berries cinder toffee and dark chocolate giving sweetness and complexity .The finish is long satisfying sweet pleasant slightly dry with a touch of oak. Cragganmore Distillery was established by John Smith in 1869 on a site close to Ballindalloch Station in the heart of Scotland’s Speyside whisky region. Cragganmore Distillery is a malt whisky distillery equipped with four very short stills and is one of the few Scottish malt whisky distilleries which continue to cool their new spirit in traditional worm tubs. Visitors are welcomed at the Cragganmore Distillery visitor centre where distillery tours are available. Cragganmore is a participant in the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

This week Joe Ellis reviews the Highland Park Dark Origins Single Malt Whisky.

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Rare and delicious Kilchoman now available to order

Don’t forget free postage on all orders over £75

Kilchoman Madeira Cask

Collector Item Alert Introducing the first ever first-fill Madeira cask release from Kilchoman. Bottled at 50% ABV, and limited to only 6100 bottles, it is without a doubt one of our favourite ever Kilchoman releases! A lifetime in first-fill Madeira barrels has allowed the whisky to develop flavour packed full of rich, fruity and peat smoke notes. Heaven!

£84 Click to buy

Kilchoman 2008 Limited Edition

To quote Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder and Managing Director: “The 2008 Vintage is a classic bourbon barrel aged Kilchoman, however the additional maturation has added layers of soft fruit and sweetness not seen in previous releases.”. Need we say more?

£65 Click to buy

Kilchoman 100% Islay

The 100% Islay embodies the spirit of Kilchoman perfectly. The distillery itself is based on a farm, and 100 tonnes of Barley is grown in the fields surrounding it. This, in turn, means that whole process of producing the Kilchoman 100% Islay – from barley to the bottle – is done at the distillery and its farm. A lighter and fresher whisky with citrus notes, this expression exemplifies the flavours distinctive to Kilchoman’s new make.

£63.95 Click to buy

Kilchoman Machir Bay

This is the core expression from the farm distillery, and named after one of Islay’s most beautiful sandy beaches which lies only half a mile to the west.  Matured in both ex-bourbon and sherry casks, the 2014 release is a vatting of five and six year old Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrels and Oloroso Sherry Butts. Machir Bay is a heavily peated malt, but at the same time it is intensely sweet.

£39.95 Click to buy

Lagavulin 200th anniversary – new 8 Year Old whisky

There aren’t many distilleries that have universal appeal. Some people adore rich, sherried whiskies; other people despise them. Some love lean, medicinal styles; others run a mile. But there is one whisky distillery that gets praise from all quarters: Lagavulin.

Lagavulin distillery, as viewed from Lagavulin Bay

Part of the big-hitting trio of distilleries on Islay’s southern coast, Lagavulin celebrates its 200th anniversary this year, and is about to launch a special limited-edition bottling: Lagavulin 8 Year Old. This new bottling honours the work of whisky writer Alfred Barnard, who visited Lagavulin in the 1880s: ‘No prettier or more romantic spot could have been chosen for a distillery,’ he said, describing an eight-year-old whisky he tried there as ‘exceptionally fine’.

We were lucky enough to try a sneak preview of the whisky before it goes on sale in a few weeks’ time – and it didn’t disappoint. Lagavulin’s distillery manager Georgie Crawford told us: ‘I grew up in a pub in Port Ellen, and I was always of the opinion that Lagavulin was the premium single malt. When I started out, I wanted to be able to drink Lagavulin, but I had this perception that it was too powerful and smoky, so I started with Rosebank, then went on to Mortlach and Dailuaine.

Georgie Crawford, Lagavulin’s distillery manager, with Jock

‘With this new 8 Year Old, we were trying to create something as a tribute to Alfred Barnard, and I think the team has absolutely knocked it out of the park. It doesn’t have the big bite of the 12 Year Old; it’s more refined. I find it challenging and serene at the same time. It’s incredibly smooth for an eight year old, but it has that robust character.’

So, how does it taste? This is what I thought:

LAGAVULIN 8 YEAR OLD, 48% ABV

Nose: Cracked black pepper and aromatic woodsmoke at first, then fresh notes of orange and lemon peel. Appealing aromas of bonfires, hot shells and a touch of smoked meat. A little water brings out aromas of peach and green apple.

Palate: More woodsmoke, plus crunchy oatmeal and honeyed fruit. Rich mouthfeel, with notes of tobacco, bonfire embers and a peppery, spicy note.

Finish: The soft peat and characterful woodsmoke lingers for a long time.

Comment: Classy and complex, this has less fruit than the regular 16 Year Old, but adds a delicious extra layer of smoke and bite.

This special bottling of Lagavulin 8 Year Old will be available to buy from The Whisky Exchange in a few weeks’ time, and we’ll be getting plenty of it, so do not worry. The price is not confirmed yet, but we expect it to be around £5 cheaper than the 16 Year Old.

Introducing the latest products to arrive at the doors of The Whisky Shop. 

The 2015 award winning Springbank expressions to ‘looking for a gift?’ Why not make it personal by using our engraving service or you could select one of our ready made gift packs, perfect for creating that special wow factor! All items listed are available for immediate dispatch and available while stocks last.

Springbank 25 year old

This rare Springbank has been matured using a combination of sherry and bourbon casks before being married together in port casks. Limited to only 900 bottles. We expect demand to be high for this blockbuster so you will have to be quick. Official Tasting notes: Very well balanced with notes of toffee apple, brandy butter, liquorice, milk chocolate and honeycomb.

£350 Click to buy

SPRINGBANK 21 YEAR OLD – 2015

Springbank 21 year old has become something of a cult classic with demand growing throughout the world. This has been bottled at 46%, matured in both sherry and bourbon casks. Limited to only 3600 bottles. Official Tasting Notes: Robust and steadfast with a dry, creamy oiliness. Sugared almonds are heavily present as well as a dash of cinnamon.

£205 Click to buy

Springbank 12 year old cask strength

Crafted using both Bourbon (70%) and sherry casks 30% and bottled at a cask strength of 54.1% volume. A yearly release that usually sells out within days of it going on sale. Official Tasting notes: Bold and beautifully rounded. Vanilla and pepper notes are present alongside stewed apples, pear drops, orange marmalade and tropical fruits.

£65 Click to buy

LINKWOOD 1997 THE FIRST EDITIONS

First Editions tend to be elegant, older and gentle Speyside examples, but can include an array of expressions from well known distilleries such as Macallan, Port Ellen and less known ones like Mortlach and Linkwood. This single cask was bottled in 2015 aged 18 years at cask strength, non-chill filtered, non-coloured and one of 148 from a refill Hogshead cask. A mellow, full bodied nose with custard powder, butter, shortbread, stewed rhubarb and raspberry. Butterscotch, red berries and pears with a hint of oak.

£131 Click to buy

Macallan 18 year old Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ( $239.99) 92 points Wine Enthusiast: “This Speyside single malt is matured in Sherry oak casks from Jerez, Spain, for a minimum of 18 years. The amber spirit has a big, warm caramel flavor, finishing with a touch of sweet honey, bitter chocolate and espresso on the lingering finish. Viscous, creamy mouthfeel.” (12/2011) 91 points Whisky Advocate: “Macallan’s 18 year old expression is, for me, the highlight of its regular sherried range. Deep amber in color. The nose is rich and heavily fruited: fruit cake, mulberry, a little moist gingerbread, the bloody depths of molasses. On the palate, dried fruits — more figgy than raisined — while the natural oiliness in the spirit balances the boisterous tannins from the European oak. A singed note on the finish (an extension of the molasses?) completes the picture. Balanced and complex. (Vol. 20, #3)” Wine Spectator: “An object lesson in what Sherry does to whisky. A telltale nuttiness appears right on the nose, before spice and fruit join in on the palate, with a sort of chewing gum quality. The nutty notes return in earnest on the meaty finish. ” (02/2011) K&L Notes: The Macallan’s benchmark excellence is nowhere more evident than in the 18 year old, which is matured for a minimum of 18 years in seasoned, Sherry casks. Classic Macallan, with aromas and flavors of dried apricots and figs, spice, chocolate and orange zest.

United States – Kentucky

Johnny Drum “Private Stock” 101 Proof Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $39.99 View

Sazerac 90-Proof Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml) (3 bottle limit) $29.99 View

Scotland

Kilkerran “Work In Progress” #7 Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky (750ml)9$64.99 View

Macallan “Fine Oak” 15 Year Old Single Malt (750ml)10012$89.99 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

Scotland

1998 Ben Nevis 15 Year Old Fresh Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $199.99 View

Benriach 12 Year Old Sherry Wood Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $49.99 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

Glenburgie 1974 – 32 Year Old

A rare limited edition whisky, one of only 324 individually numbered bottles. This special malt was distilled in 1974 and aged for 32 years, before being bottled at cask strength, 55.9% vol.

£274.50

NEW TO THE PARTY

Banker’s Club Bourbon – Not much info is available on this newest bourbon to hit our shelves. There is a seemingly farfetched backstory on Reddit about a man, a bourbon business venture, and lost or stolen barrels, but who really knows? Check it out and tell us what you think.

Rebel Yell Variety 3-Pack – This is a steal of a deal. Try the American Whisky, Straight Bourbon, and Small batch Rye for nearly half the price of all three bottles individually!

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye – Rye whisky is making a comeback in a big way. It makes sense that one of the most iconic American whisky producers would join in on the party. Comprised of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley, it’s bottled at 94 proof.

Evan Williams Single Barrel TPS Private Barrel – Thank goodness that Heaven Hill has un-suspended their private barrel program! Leading off is this stellar single barrel of Evan Williams. It’s a smooth sipper with some serious stuffing. Non-chill filtered. Tasting notes below, under Private Barrels.

Bushmills 16 Year – The whisky is finished in bourbon, port, and sherry casks and it earned a Gold Medal at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. St Patrick’s Day is coming up, try something new and delicious!

Compass Box Flaming Heart – From Compass Box, “First released in 2006, Flaming Heart was the first whisky to combine the rich, complex spice of Scotch aged in new French oak with the evocative peat-fired smoke of Islay malt. It created a genre-defying style that was smouldering, spicy, complex – and so popular that we’ve re-released it four more times in the years that followed.” Natural color, non-chill filtered, 48.9% ABV.

Compass Box This is Not a Luxury Whisky – Again, From Compass Box, “Inspired by a 1929 surrealist artwork, ‘This is not a luxury Whisky’ is a compelling, lingering, complex Blended Scotch packaged in a style that we hope also poses questions about what it is that makes a luxury whisky a ‘luxury’. Complex, rich, lightly smoky and opulent. Sultanas, sweet sherry and concentrated floral notes combine with deep demerara sweetness, cacao and lighter creamy coconut character.” Natural color, non-chill filtered, 53.1% ABV.

Buchanan’s Master Blend – The personal creation of Buchanan’s Master Blender Keith Law, this is a whisky with a smooth sweetness and fresh and spicy notes on the tongue.

Knob Creek 50ml 3-Pack – Whether you’re a bourbon novice sampling all you can, or are buying for a true Jim Beam lover, what better way to check out the Knob Creek lineup than with this 3pk of 50 ml’s?

Jim Beam 50ml 6-Pack – Speaking of Jim Beam (see above), with this set you can try the bourbon and all the flavored bourbons Jim Beam offers!

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