www.ralfy.com celebrates having over 51,000 subscribers on YouTube with a wonderful discovery to be found at Whisky Review 516 – Glen Garvin 8yo Malt Blend

Kirsty Wark – ‘my memories of whisky are from a very early age’

Kirsty Wark has been a television presenter for nearly 30 years; her debut novel was published in 2014

We caught up with Newsnight presenter and author Kirsty Wark to discuss her love of Scotch whisky, what she likes to drink, and how she drinks it.

What’s your earliest memory of whisky? My memories of whisky are from a very early age. My father would go fly fishing, most often on the River Doon on Saturdays, and when he came home he would pour a whisky and soak in the bath. He was fond of Highland Park. When I was little there would be an empty bottle of Dimple into which Mum would put sixpences, and there was always a hip flask of whisky at rugby internationals.

What attracts you to whisky? I like it over other spirits because of the smell, the colours and the history.

What else do you like about it? I love the fact that all distillery professionals take their jobs very seriously and are incredibly knowledgeable, knowledge handed down through generations. A friend of mine’s son from Port Ellen studied astrophysics at Glasgow University and gained a First, but his summer job was at Ardbeg, and now whisky is his life; he represents the company throughout Canada and North America.

Have you visited many distilleries? I’ve been to several Islay distilleries, and for a while I drank Laphroaig, but eventually found it too intense. Of the Islay malts, I like Bruichladdich.

You’re a fan of Arran, too, aren’t you? Thirteen years ago, my husband and I were invited to lay down a cask at Lochranza, so in 2017 we’ll have 360-odd bottles of our own Arran malt. I love Arran’s distinctive warming taste and pale colour.

How do you drink your whisky? My father will be birling in his grave, but I like my whisky with ice.

Any memorable purchases? I am new to whisky auctions but they are a wonderful place to wander and check the labels, typefaces and the design. I bought my husband a bottle of 30-year-old Macallan for £100. I think I got a bargain, and as the bottle has long been empty, I think he thought so, too.

• The Legacy Of Elizabeth Pringle by Kirsty Wark is published by Two Roadsin paperback, priced £7.99. It is also available as an ebook.

The Collectors Corner

• Lagavulin 12 Year Old 2014 Edition Natural Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($105.99) Lagavulin’s string of 12 year old releases has always begged the question from consumers: why is the 12 year old forty dollars more than the older 16 year expression? Good question! For one, the Lagavulin 16 is made in gigantic quantities and sold in every liquor store from San Francisco to Shanghai, making it a competitively-priced product. On top of that, the 12 year old is bottled at cask strength and not produced in nearly as high of a volume. Fans of the distillery have long lusted for a higher-proofed version of their beloved Islay legend, and Diageo has sought to pacify that demand with the lovely 12 year expression. The 2014 release is bottled at 54.4% and is a golden straw color. The nose is simply perfect: smoke, salted caramel, vanilla, and the sea. The palate lives up to the aromas and explodes with campfire smoke, nougat, white pepper, and medicinal peat notes that linger for minutes after you’ve coated your stomach with warmth. Tasting t he 12 next to the 16, there’s no doubt as to why one is more expensive than the other. Yet more proof that age can be incredibly deceiving.

• Oban Little Bay Limited Edition Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($72.99) It’s not often we see the classic malts of Diageo expand into new releases of their iconic whiskies, but the Oban Little Bay marks that very occasion. Aged in smaller casks to increase the ratio of wood to whisky, the influence is perceptable in the weight of the Little Bay and not so much the flavor (which is a welcome relief!). There is no toasty quarter cask flavor, but rather a soft and supple nose of stonefruit and a rounded, mellow mouthful of dried apricots with just a bit of phenolics on the finish. Those looking for bold flavor should look towards Lagavulin or the other Diageo classic malts because this is yet another gentle dram from Oban; as it should be.

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

Dare to be honest and fear no labour.  The spirit behind these words – taken from the pen of Scottish bard and renowned whisky lover Robert Burns – has been at the heart of our business since we started making whisky nearly fifteen years ago.  

Like the great poet himself, we have always aimed to learn from the past without being enslaved by it.  And there is surely no better example of this than our Great King Street Glasgow Blend – a whisky inspired by the artisan recipes of 19th century blending houses but reinvigorated with the technical expertise of a 21st century whiskymaker.

Glasgow Blend harks back to a golden age of whiskymaking that Burns himself would recognise to create a style of whisky that nobody else is even trying to create today.  You will find full-blooded flavour, complex character and a rich, indulgent body – perfect for enjoying neat, with your Burns’ Night feast or in a celebratory cocktail.

Twice the Spice

Sometimes the most straightforward combinations are the best. And in our estimation, it’s hard to beat the warm-reeking’ spice of haggis alongside the rich pepper, clove and ginger notes of Spice Tree this Burns Night.  You can read more about how we create the distinctively complex Spice Tree character here but as for the haggis, let’s just say some mysteries are perhaps best left unsolved.

Win a signed copy of The Manual

We love to explore progressive approaches to enjoying whisky.  So this Burns Night, we’re asking for your help to find new ways to enjoy our range.  Simply visit our facebook page, tell us how you’ll be using your favourite Compass Box whisky in your Burns Night celebrations and we’ll send a signed copy of Dave Broom’s inspirational Whisky: The Manual to whoever comes up with the most imaginative suggestion.

Springbank 18 Year Old Burns Malt

Every Burns Supper has its own special form and flavor. Why not make one of our very own Burns Malts yours on Sunday 25th January. Freedom and whisky gang thegither!

Springbank 18 Year Old $116.92

Ireland – Irish

• John L. Sullivan 10 Year Old Irish Whiskey 750ml ($36.99)

Scotland – Irish and Blended Scotch

• Black Bottle Blended Islay Scotch Whisky 750ml – 6 available ($19.99)

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Cardhu 12 year old Distillery Bottling 750ml ($49.99)

• Clynelish 14 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($49.99)

• Dalwhinnie Distiller’s Edition Oloroso Cask Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($84.99)

• Longrow 18 year old, Campbeltown Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Previously $200) – 6 available ($179.99)

• Talisker 25 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 6 available ($549.99)

• 1985 Talisker 28 Year Old Maritime Edition Isle of Skye Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 5 available ($599.99)

• Talisker 30 year old Isle of Skye Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 4 available ($749.99)

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Tuthilltown Hudson Baby Bourbon (375ml) – 12 available ($42.99)

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

THIS IS A SPECIAL YEAR IN OUR LONDON STORE 2015 Marks the 20th anniversary of Cadenhead’s Whisky Shop in London.

When we opened in Covent Garden 20 years ago nobody expected whisky to become the world wide success that we have seen it become today. It’s strange to see how the whiskies we sold 20 years ago become so collectable and expensive today on some collectors sites & auctions, what we offer as ordinary has become extraordinary. So lets have a look at some new iconic vintages due out very soon…

DEMOLISHED BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

After a long wait the much wanted St. Magdalene is finally due out by the end of this month, I am told along with a few others under the Authentic range. This 32 Year old vintage from the long dismantled lowland distillery is going to be gone very fast, we can only allow 1 bottle per customer due to the already high demand. St. Magdalene distillery was opened in the late 1800s on the site of a former leper colony that dated back to the 1100s, the distillery was one of the first to have a licence to distil, sadly like so many others it was closed during the 1980s. When the distillery closed in 1983 the site was soon snapped up by developers who converted most of the distillery into housing but using the structure of the distillery rather than demolish and build again, mainly due to the historic significance of the site and protection of the buildings.

Imperial Distillery 1977 37 Year Old – 70cl / 53.5% Small Batch

Next on the list is Imperial 1977 vintage 37 years old, this is a dram that’s lost no power given its age. Founded in 1897 during the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, I think we can safely guess its name was in no small part down to the jubilee. The distillery has closed several times but finally closed this century 2000 the site was fully cleared by 2012/13 with plans for a new distillery to be built on the site but it can’t be Imperial.

Speyside’s Finest 100th Anniversary

50 year old 1964 vintage distilled at Glenfarclas Distillery. Single cask bottled on 18th December 2014 to mark the 100th anniversary of Fred Douglas Laing – founder of Douglas Laing & Co.

Glenfarclas 50 Year Old $453.37

This week Joe Ellis carries on his vertical tasting of the Springbank whiskies and reviews Hazelburn CV

http://youtu.be/Kh5I-iT2PIA

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