WMTV reviews Bunnahabhain 23 Year Old 

The Rare Casks

Last time a Pierre tasted a whisky from AW’s, The Rare Casks series he got pretty excited. Find out what he thinks of this Bunnahabhain from the same range…

Distilled in 1989, this special malt was aged in a refill bourbon barrel for 23 years before being bottled at natural cask strength of 44% vol. As with the 1st release only 96 bottles have been filled and made available for this limited edition release.

Bunnahabhain 23 Year Old / The Rare Casks is available here for only £72.95

TOP PICKS

• Kininvie 23 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey 375ml (one bottle limit) ($149.99) These are 375ml half bottles of 23 year old Kininvie aged in both sherry and hogshead barrels. Very rare and almost never bottled as a single malt, Kininvie is a tiny distillery located behind Balvenie, originally started by William Grant’s daughter. Strict one bottle limit per customer.

• Highland Park “Dark Origins” Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($79.99) A darker, richer Highland Park that’s aged in twice as many first-fill sherry butts as the standard 12 year bottling.

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

    Ardbeg 1977

£395.83 ex VAT £475.00 inc VAT

 46% ABV | 70cl

NEW ARRIVALS

Scotland – Blended Scotch

• Chivas Regal 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky (circa 1960s) – 2 available ($199.99)

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Balvenie 25 Year Old Single Barrel Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 7 available ($599.99).

• SMWS 127.1 (Port Charlotte) “Harbourside Barbecue” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 1 available ($499.99) The ultra rare first bottling of Port Charlotte by the well renowned Single Malt Whisky Society.

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• High West “Valley Tan” Limited Edition Oat Whiskey 750ml ($54.99)

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 week Joe Ellis reviews a Caol Ila 30 Year Old Single Cask bottled by Hunter Laing.

http://youtu.be/h1bsYk_zLnA

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ABOUT OUR SINGLE MALT SCOTCH CLUBS

Members of our buyers’ club share an enthusiasm for the malt elixir in the most practical way, by saving time and money. No initiation or fees of any sort are charged. We simply ask that you undertake to remain in the club for the period of one year. As a club member you will receive a carefully selected, often unique bottling, complete with background information, shipped directly to your home or office every other month. The first club, the Single Malt Connoisseurs’ Club, has a limit of $84.99, per shipment usually less, on the cost of the bottle itself. (Does not include tax and or shipping)

In November 2014 our members received: 

Dalmore 14 Year Old, 1999 A.D.Rattray Bottling

This month’s selection was bottled for us at Cask Strength by A.D.Rattray. This is the Dalmore we always knew they could make. The color is a light straw that sits clear in the glass. Without the mask of sherry the nose is light and bright with a touch of oiliness, with additional aromas of tropical fruit, a bit more nut and a baked apple element. The palate has waxy notes with very light peat, fully ripe stone fruit flavors joined with nectarine and baking spice more towards nutmeg. We feel this is the perfect tipple for late fall into winter and hope you enjoy!

The history of Dalmore is steeped in a high degree of tradition from slightly illicit beginnings. The recent history of Dalmore has been a bit more posh. In September 2011, the last remaining bottle (of three) of The Dalmore 62 sold at Changi Airport in Singapore for approximately $200,000. While one would hope that the purchase was at duty free; the second of the trio sold for approximately $20,000 at auction in the UK making the savings for the unnamed Chinese business man who bought it negligible.The luxury that has been on display this millennium is quite different from Dalmore’s start in the heady days of the late 1830s. Dalmore was founded by Alexander Matheson, who made his first fortune exporting silk and tea from China, but more ominously importing opium into China.

The year that Dalmore was founded was actually the first year of open conflict in what would come to be known as the First Opium War. Dalmore was founded on the Ardoss farm twenty miles from Iverness in the heart of the excellent barley growing region of Ross-shire. The next half century involved a half a dozen operators and owners until in 1886 the land and distillery were brought by the prominent local family, the Mackenzies. The Mackenzie family is important to the creation legend of Dalmore for the Mackenzie family crest and motto has become Dalmore’s own: Luceo non Uro, “I shine, not burn.” The family legend has it that in 1263 an ancestor ofthe Clan Mackenzie saved Alexander III, King of the Scots, from being gored by a Stag. As a way to repay this noble deed, the Clan was allowed to use the royal symbol of the Twelve Point Stag on their crest.

Much of the whisky made in Dalmore’s first century was used to supply the blending business. The Mackenzie family’s long time friend and their best customer was James Whyte. James, with his partner Charles Mackay, began in 1882 one of the most successful Scotch blends: Whyte and Mackay.

Theirs was a success built to last decades and the boom period for blends resulted in the 1960 merger of Dalmore, Whyte and Mackay.Under this new company and with a focus on making more spirit, production was expanded from four stills to eight in 1966. Dalmore’s move from “blending” whisky to up scale single malt came in 2007 when the Indian Consortium United Breweries Group purchased Dalmore and its parent company. With this acquisition, the leader of UB Group, Vijay Mallya (nicknamed the Indian Richard Branson) has sought to bring Dalmore the prestige its place in Scotch whisky history deserves. Dalmore as a modern style is characterized by its richly sherried essence. The principal casks used for maturation are first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels and former sherry butts. Most of what the US sees for Dalmore Single Malt is of the sherry aged variety. While most of its 4.2million liter a year production is destined for blends the best and brightest of Dalmore does indeed shine these days.

Signup for this Club

www.ralfy.com reviews his “whisky of the Year 2014” with Whisky Review 511 – Benromach 10yo @ 43%vol

BenRiach 1999 / Single Cask #9150
UK Exclusive

A single cask BenRiach distilled in 1999 and matured for 15 years in a Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon… Single cask #9150 has been specially selected and bottled exclusively for the UK market.

£62.40
(£52.00 ex vat)

Click here to purchase BenRiach Single Cask 9150

GlenDronach Sauternes Cask Finish
12 Year Old

Replacing the now discontinued 14 year old Sauternes finish, this 12 year old release has initially been matured in European oak and thereafter finished its maturation in a very small batch of Sauternes wine barrels…

£40.92
(£34.10 ex vat)

Click here to purchase GlenDronach Sauternes

Bruichladdich Octomore 6.3 Islay Barley

Octomore 6.3 Islay Barley is the first release from this series to be distilled using 100% Islay grown barley. Peated to a humongous 258PPM which is 89PPM more than the previous level set – oh and it’s also been bottled at 64% vol! Octomore is not for the faint-hearted…

£144.00
(£120.00 ex vat)

Click here to purchase Octomore 6.3 Islay Barley

Arran Lochranza Reserve

Arran Lochranza is a classic edition of the Arran malt, specially created by master distiller James Mactaggart to highlight the lighter side of Arran single malt Scotch whisky.

£32.90
(£27.42 ex vat)

Click here to purchase Arran Lochranza Reserve

GlenDronach 1994 / Single Cask #2822
UK Exclusive

The final UK Exclusive of 2014 from the GlenDronach distillery! A 1994 vintage, aged for 20 years in a Pedro Ximénez Sherry puncheon, bottled late 2014 at cask strength, 54.8% vol.

Earlier this month we released an Abbey Whisky Exclusive single cask from the same vintage; call us biased but we believe we got the best cask… 😉 – We’d love to hear your thoughts…

£99.50
(£82.92 ex vat)

Click here to purchase GlenDronach Single Cask 2822

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Auction Ends TONIGHT!

View Auction

Our auction will end tonight from 7.00pm (GMT).

Just to remind you, any bids placed after 7.00pm (GMT) extend the ENTIRE auction by a further 2 minutes. The auction will end when there has been no activity within the last 2 minutes on any item. Bidding can take anywhere between 90 minutes and 3 hours to completely finish.

With over 10 years of experience in the whisky industry, Whisky Auctioneer specialises in auctioning whisky whether it be fine, old, rare, collectable or affordable. Formed in 2013 and based in Perth, central Scotland, we aim to be the most comprehensive website for the buying and selling of whisky online.

http://www.whiskyauctioneer.com/

Happy Bidding!

December 2014, Mulligan’s Grocer, Dublin.

I ventured out again into the wild world (after my Temple Bar tasting session) and thought it time for some food, that’s another story, the one that lead me to Mulligan’s Grocer – next story on my travels.

My meeting had been arranged with owner Michael some time back, time to pay him a visit. So once there, and a cup of tea in my mits, we chatted away. I had sent a whiskey tour group here earlier in the year with my mate/driver, Mark fae Belfast (he does all our driving on the island of Ireland), to sample the grocer delights. By the way, they later told me it was their tour highlight! Mark told the same story, so I needed to see myself what the fuss was aboot. It was a pre – Christmas day the bar was no too busy, grand, just what I had wanted. Apart from the drink, Mulligan’s is also famous for it’s food selection, specially the Scotch Eggs!!! With a grand array of whisky from everywhere, beers and wines spirits etc as usual it has a grand atmosphere and great staff – are you warming to it already? I did as soon as I set toes in the place. A big fella asks can he help, tis Michael I’m lookin fer says myself, there he is hiding behind the wee partition. We sat down and had a cup of tea! Which I was thankful for havin had many drams before I came in. We talked about whiskey, food, tour groups, special tastings and whisky dinners. Get your taste buds around this idea;

Single Pot Still Dinner and Barrel Charring.

Canapes paired with Redbreast 12 with Goats Cheese, Almond Financier, Honey Carrageen, Fino Spritz. Smoked Bacon & Star Anise Devils on Horseback

Starter paired with Green Spot.  Wild Trout Tartare, Whipped Toonsbridge Ricotta, Ginger Crisp, Brown Butter

Main paired with Powers John’s Lane.  Venison Haunch, Roasted Rainbow Beetroot, Hay Smoked Parsnips, Black Pudding & Golden Raisin Bon Bon, Lovely Gravy

Dessert paired with Barry Crockett Legacy.  Honeycomb Shortcake, Roasted White Chocolate Semifreddo, Sea Salt Toffee Apple, Almond Brittle

I wish I had stayed for this heaven on a plate! But, as we chatted on the history side of things (I do like my history). Historically in Ireland the local pub also served as the off-license, grocery, tea blender and even undertaker. Every Friday and Saturday they travel back to grocer roots, stocking the best of locally sourced products– ranging from craft beer in refillable growler flasks,  retro sweets, Arun Bakery sourdough, Irish farmhouse cheeses, Wall & Keogh teas, Gubbeen meats, coffee beans (they will even grind them for you), Dublin Kombucha, Ballyhoura Mushroom Powders, Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oils, Jams, Sauces and jars of tasty bacon jam.  So – to sample an old Irish grocery shop, make a date on a Friday/Saturday, expect to stay most of the day!

Another sample menu, och I don’t want to leave… Whiskey Dinner Menu hosted by the Teeling Master Blender Alex Chasko. Only 55 Euro to include all food and drams.

Welcome Drink; Teeling Small Batch.

Amuse Bouche, Teeling Poitin, Tomato Juice, Cayenne Emulsion, Preserved Lemon, Smoked Sea Salt Carlingford Oyster

Starter Teeling Grain Irish Whiskey. Sir Jack McCarthy’s Black Pudding, Golden Raisins, Champ Boxty, Sticky Apple Balsamic

Main  Teeling 21 Year Old Silver Reserve. Rosehip and Plum Water. Lamb Leg Steak, New Season Baby Golden Beets, Mouselline Potato, Honey & Lavender Jus, Gorse Flowers

Dessert Teeling Small Batch. Cheese; Coolea Gouda, Poach Apple, Ginger Crackerbread

So next time in Dublin and thinking about a visit to the Jameson Distillery museum, Mulligans is only a short walk away, If I can do it, you can. Don’t expect a brand new pub, full of flashing lights, pugy machines and jukies, this is a traditional hang out where you only go for the drink/food/craik. In excess of 150 whiskeys from Ireland and Scotland as well as a small range of Japanese, Welsh, Swedish and Belgian Single Malts  have been personally selected by owner Michael Foggarty. Mulligan’s also stocks each and every craft beer brewed in Ireland it’s one of the only bars in Dublin that doesn’t serve the ‘black stuff’. See you again soon Michael.

Paul McLean, owner MCLEANSCOTLAND.com and ANGELSWHISKYCLUB.com  was undertaking research & development on your behalf.