HAPPY CANADA DAY, eh?

Malt Messenger Bulletin – The Ardbeg Tractour & KWM’s Summer Tasting Schedule

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

Summer is here, the days are long, and as the song says, the living is easy. Take advantage of those longer days to check out some of our new summer tastings, just posted online today! The theme is “Quickies and Afternoon Delights”, and these fun 1 hour tastings (starting at 6PM) will get you in and out in enough time for dinner or drinks on the patio. Pop in on your way home from work or before heading out on the town. We have a wide range of wine, whisky, beer and cocktail classes with which to delight you. More details below and on our tasting registration page.

One of the most exciting events coming up in the next few months is the visit of the Ardbeg Tractour to Calgary. The Gateway to the Rockies is the only stop in Canada for this marvel of farming machinery, and it will be parked out in front of Kensington Wine Market on Friday July 11 while two back to back Ardbeg Master Classes hosted by Ruaraidh McIntyre take place in side. The tastings are a bargain at just $20, and will take place from 5-7 and 7-8PM. More details below and on our tasting registration page.

One of the most exciting new whiskies to come into KWM recently is the Gordon & MacPhail Glentauchers 1994. Very few bottlings are seen from this elusive Speyside distillery, and this one caught our attention when it scored 96.5pts in the Whisky Bible. It is a KWM exclusive and sells for the very reasonable $115. More details on the Glentauchers can be found below, drop in for a sample!

Finally, Glenfarclas’ long awaited 60 Year Old whisky is to be launched in Canada this fall, and is available for special order. It is expected to retail at $22,000.00. Details on the whisky can be found below. Anyone looking for a bottle before Christmas needs to special order it by Thursday July 3rd, 2014. Pricing in Alberta is very competitive with the Global list.

I hope you enjoy this Malt Messenger Bulletin, and I hope we’ll see you in store at one of our exciting new tastings.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
Kensington Wine Market

PS- PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/scotch_guy and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1 .
www.fergusonwhiskytours.com

Our Summer Tasting Schedule is Open for Registraion!

Tantalize Your Taste Buds!

Drop in to the store, call 403-283-8000, or better yet register online for our summer tastings!

The Ardbeg Tractour is Coming!

And Calgary is its only stop in Canada!

Just in time for the Calgary Stampede, the Ardbeg Tractor is coming to Calgary, and specifically to the Kensington Wine Market, North America’s first Ardbeg Embassy. The Ardbeg Tractor will be parked out in front of Kensington Wine Market on Friday July 11 to give our customers a chance to see it and sample some whisky. We have two back to back Ardbeg Master Classes (5-6 and 7-8PM), to be hosted by Ruaraidh McIntyre. These tastings will feature 5 Ardbeg expressions including Galileo and the new Auriverdes for the bargain price of just $20. Call the store to register, or Register Online.

On Saturday July 12 the Ardbeg Tractor is rolling into the National on 10th Ave (341 10th Avenue SW) for an event from 3 to 7PM. The complimentary event (RSVP to katy@bondpr.ca) will give guest the opportunity to sample Ardbeg-inspired appetizers and complimentary Ardbeg cocktails created by National’s mixologists Stephen Phipps and Alex Newman.

Whisky of the Summer? Drop in and sample Gordon & MacPhail Glentauchers 1994 and decide for yourself!

Exclusive to KWM, 96.5pts Whisky Bible!

Glentauchers distillery was built in 1898 at the height of what became known as a the Pattison Whisky Crash, the devasting bursting of a late 19th century industry bubble. Unlike many of the distilleries founded around that time it survived and has been in production for the most part ever since. From the bottler: ” The Glentauchers Distillery Company started as a joint venture between James Buchanan, the creator of the “Black & White” and “Buchanan” blends and WP Lowrie. The distillery was designed by local architect John Alcock.”

The distillery is currently owned by Pernod Ricard, and there are virtually no official bottlings. The closest thing available are those released by Gordon & MacPhail, such as this 1994 vintage which scored 96.5pts in the last edition of the Whisky Bible. On a recent visit to Gordon & MacPhail in Elgin, Scotland, I had a chance to sample it. My tasting note from that visit is below. The whisky is available exclusively from KWM in Alberta, and is a lovely summer dram!

G&M Glentauchers 1994 – 43% – Refill Sherry Butts & Recharred American Oak Hogsheads – My Tasting Note: “Nose: melons, pinapple and kiwi fruit; lots of honey, beeswax and citrus, subtle honey and soft floral tones; Palate: creamy, honeyed and still floral with smooth decadent oak and gentle spices; more melon and pineapple with a building creamy oakyness; Finish: long, clean and sweet, still fruity, soft and decadent.” – $114.99

Glenfarclas 60 Year 1954

Pre-Order by Thursday July 3rd

If the price of the whisky has caught you off guard, you can console yourself in the knowledge it could have been much higher. Demand for this highly collectible whisky was such that one Asian market apparently tried to buy it all and was prepared to pay to do so. Glenfarclas is a global brand, and they weren’t prepared to see it all go to one jurisdiction. Of the 360 bottles produced, 13 are slated to come to Canada. KWM is offering the whisky at pre-order price of $22,000.00, which is quite competitive considering the distillery is projecting a Global list price of more than $26,000.00 (£14,500.00).

Please find below the distillery’s press release. If you would like to order a bottle please contact us ASAP! From the Distillery:

“Ballindalloch, 6th of May 2014

J & G Grant launch 60 Year Old Glenfarclas

J & G Grant are delighted to announce the launch of a new 60 Year Old Glenfarclas. Only 360 bottles of this incredibly desira ble, rare single malt whisky will be produced offering a unique opportunity to acquire one of the oldest bottles ever released by this iconic family owned distillery.

Officially launched on the 3rd of April 2014 at the Nth Whisky Show in Las Vegas by George Grant, Glenfarclas’ Sales Director and 6th generation of the family, it will be rolled out across other key markets over the coming months.

George Grant says, ‘At a time when more and more distilleries are going down the no age statement route for their super premium products, we are delighted to be able to release this magnificent 60 year old Glenfarclas. My grandfather started laying down stocks for the future way back in the 50s, so it is thanks to his incredible foresight that we are able to bottle this today. I’m sure he would have been as impressed by it as I am.

Matured in a first fill sherry butt, it has an incredibly dark, rich mahogany colour. It is surprisingly vibrant with lots of dried fruits, demerara sugar and spice coming through on the nose as well as the rich, oaky tannins that one would expect from a whisky of this venerable age. The sherry influence really comes through on the palate, with rich treacle, bitter coffee and espresso notes all making an appearance. The finish is the longest I have ever experienced – 20 minutes later you will still be able to taste the subtle nuances of this incredible dram.’

The long family history and heritage is reflected in the packaging; a bespoke cut crystal decanter mirrors the shape of the classic Glenfarclas bottle while each side of the hexagonal presentation box represents one of the 6 generations of the Grant family to own and manage the distillery since 1865.

This is a truly exceptional bottle that will be sure to delight whisky aficionados around the globe. It is expected to retail for around £14,500.00.”

To pre-order a bottle send reply to this email or order it through our website!

Thank You for Reading the Malt Messenger!

Contact & Disclaimers

If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store.

All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change, don’t include GST. In the case of discrepancies in pricing, the price in our in store point of sale will be taken as correct.

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
Manager & Scotchguy
Kensington Wine Market
403-283-8000
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

Owner & Opperator
Ferguson’s Whisky Tours
www.fergusonwhiskytours.com
scotchguide@fergusonwhiskytours.com

Canadian Whisky News
Vol. 3 No. 3 – June 25, 2014

She’s A Canadian Whisky Icon!

Tish Harcus, brand ambassador for Canadian Club whisky and manager of the Canadian Club Heritage Centre, was named an Icon of Whisky at the World Whisky Awards held recently in London, England. The Canadian Club Heritage Centre is located at the distillery complex on Riverside Drive, in Windsor, Ontario, in the replica Florentine palace that was Hiram Walker’s office.

As well as learning the ins and outs of whisky making, visitors to the centre enter the subterranean speakeasy where Al Capone finalized many a whisky deal – some at gunpoint. More cerebral types may prefer the art gallery featuring some of Canada’s most renowned painters. All will learn the history of Canadian whisky while enjoying a fine dram (or two).

Congratulations to Harcus, Beam Canada, and Canadian Club brand owner, Suntory.

Whisky: The Manual

Dave Broom has been a whisky thought leader and taste maker for several decades. He was the first international writer ever to include well-researched and comprehensive coverage of Canadian whisky in his work. His most recent book, Whisky: The Manual provides new insights into the real joy of whisky – its myriad flavours. After delving into its history and how whisky is made, Broom sets us on a most enjoyable journey: teasing out the richest and most subtle of these flavours.

While he’s a Scot, who knows his Scotch, Broom emphasizes the pleasures of many whisky styles, illustrating his genuine enthusiasm for Canadian whisky with examples of how best to enjoy his favourites. Drinking customs he has picked up in his journeys around the world reveal just how much more there is to whisky than the serious contemplation of a neat dram.

Introducing five mixers used by whisky connoisseurs from around the world, Broom shows us which whiskies they work best with, and how. His highest accolades go, among others, to Seagram’s VO with coconut water and CC Premium with unsweetened green tea. With a page devoted to each of 102 whiskies from around the world, blends and single malts alike, Whisky: The Manual becomes a check list and a guide for those seeking an in-depth understanding of whisky flavours. Very highly recommended.

Available here on Amazon

Spammers Beware!

On July 1, it will become illegal to send spam in Canada. Yippee! It’s about time. There has been extensive discussion though, about how newsletters such as this one might be affected. It looks like Canadian Whisky News is exempt because most of our subscribers have added themselves to the mailing list. The rest are people with whom I have corresponded or exchanged business cards at whisky, cocktail and spirits events. As well, since this newsletter originates in the USA the whole discussion is likely moot.

Single Distillery Whisky

The cachet of whisky made in a single distillery is one of the special virtues often pointed to by lovers of single malt Scotch. But did you know that almost all single malts are really blends? Blends that is, of various malt whiskies, all distilled in one distillery and then aged for different periods of time in different types of barrels. Once they are ready, these diverse whiskies are brought together according to a deliberate recipe to create the consistent flavours we’ve come to expect from the brands we love.

For the most part, Canadian whisky is very much the same as single malt Scotch. The various component whiskies of an individual Canadian whisky brand are almost always made in a single distillery. While the pressures caused recently by growing demand for Canadian whisky have meant that, at least temporarily, a few brands currently include some whisky purchased from other distilleries, the overwhelming majority of Canadian whiskies are single distillery whiskies – just as single malt Scotch is.

Tasting Whiskey
A book by Lew Bryson

I feel as though I just spent an afternoon with a patient and kindly uncle who regaled me with stories and anecdotes while explaining the mysteries of whisky. Lew Bryson, Managing Editor of Whisky Advocate Magazine has written one of the most original and entertaining whisky books I’ve read yet. It’s a book, not about Scotch, bourbon or rye, but about whisky writ large and written to inform and engage the reader. A wealth of easy to understand colour illustrations ensure the lessons are mastered effortlessly. Best of all, for readers of this newsletter, Bryson really “gets” Canadian whisky.

“Tasting Canadian blended whiskies both before and after I fully understood how they were made and what they were intended to be has led me to reconsider some long-held prejudices about Canadian whisky, blended Scotch, and grain whisky. The frustrating thing now is encountering whisky drinkers who clearly still have those prejudices and not being able to get through to them with my newfound enlightenment.”

It’s complete, it’s comprehensive, and with its conversational style, Tasting Whiskey: An Insider’s Guide to the Unique Pleasures of the World’s Finest Spirits is just so engaging. Very highly recommended.

On sale October 21, Tasting Whiskey is available now for pre-order on Amazon.

From Newfoundland to New Orleans we’re tasting Canadian whisky

If you’re planning to be in New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail, July 16 to 20, master blender and mad scientist, Dr. Don Livermore and I will be pouring Corby and Wiser’s whiskies at a Pernod Ricard USA® spirited dinner, Thursday. I’ll be signing books Friday morning at Octavia Books, and Sunday will present Just A Little Bit: The Secret Hidden Additives of Spirits, a SED Talk about the subtleties of rum and whisky flavours.

And if you happen to be in St. John’s Newfoundland tonight – June 25, why not drop down to the Underbelly Speakeasy on Water St. (right below the Yellowbelly Brew Pub on George St.) at 9:00, for a tutoured whisky tasting.

Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert

The world’s first in-depth book about Canada’s national spirit.

WINNER, GOURMAND BOOK AWARDS
BEST SPIRITS BOOK CANADA 2012

WINNER, 2013 IACP BOOK AWARDS
WINE, BEER AND SIRITS

Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert is published by McClelland & Stewart and distributed by Penguin Random House. It is available from most book shops and on-line book sellers. On Amazon

JULY PREVIEWS: FEAST ON RARE, EXOTIC FLAVOURS

Picture market stalls overflowing with tropical fruits, walk through them and let the exotic aromas excite your senses. Tucked away in the corner, you come across a fruit so rare you can’t identify it but comparisons start coming to mind: “Hubba-bubba!” you think, “Or maybe mango? No. Monstera…”

Sweet, fruity & mellow

117.3 Hubba-bubba, mango and Monstera

VERY RARE IRISH SINGLE CASK!

The palate had an amusing, mouth-tickling effect like tiny leprechauns River-dancing on our tongues; sherbet, Monstera, mango, rhubarb and blackcurrant jam on toast – a sunny, honeyed, Sunday afternoon feel…

Age: 25 years old
Cask: First fill ex-bourbon barrel

BUY £335.00

Sweet, fruity & mellow

76.116 Tangier market

Exotic spices like saffron, cinnamon, turmeric and fennel next to jasmine make the first impression on the nose neat, followed by more meaty and hearty notes. Medium rare steak with peppercorn sauce, roast duck breast with lemon grass sauce

Age: 26 years old
Cask: Refill ex-bourbon hogshead

BUY £117.70

Browse June Outturn

Browse all bottlings

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Lismore
a refreshing value in quality single-malts

Lismore is an independent bottler of single-malts from Speyside. Today I present two bottlings: Lismore 15 year old and Lismore 18 year old. That’s all I really know, and beyond it I can only speculate. Since they are single-malts we know that the contents of each bottle came from a single distillery, but I don’t even know if they both came from the same distillery (I think not). There is no explanation of how this bottler came to acquire these casks (there rarely is), but again I have my theories.

What I do know is that I have tasted them and they are both very nice. Finding a nice single-malt isn’t hard of course, it’s finding one at a great price that is increasingly challenging. Now and then, little mystery can be a price worth paying for such extraordinary value. Wherever these Lismores come from, the whisky is a real treat, and deals like this don’t last long.

Lismore 15 year old 40% The color of a 15 year old copper still. The nose is majestic, elegant, and living up to all expectations. Heather honey tones and orange peel are topped with a drizzle of maple syrup. $54.99

Lismore 18 year old 40% Smooth, polished oak appearance. Sherried aroma with light cinnamon undertones. Notes of toffee, butterscotch and cotton candy. $74.99

Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits
Email: joe@federalwine.com
Phone: 617-367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/

Jura 10 Year Old
40%abv

£30.95

Off the west coast of Scotland lies a magical island of soft sea breezes, freshly caught lobster and a bank that comes once a week. As good as life used to be. One shop, one pub, one community. One fine malt whisky distillery. A gift from nature. Pure spring water, clean fresh air and generations of tradition quietly crafting a more delicate island malt. Colour – Deep amber gold. Nose – Light, rich and aromatic. Positive and firm. Silky, almondy wood notes. Palate – Firm, distinguished, elegant tones. A fruity oiliness with just a hint of smoke gently enriches the palate.

Jura 16 Year Old
40%abv
£44.95

For sixteen years in beachside warehouses, the gentle sea breezes have combined to make a whisky that truly expresses the magic of the island. A great age to drink Jura according to the locals. The rich colour of golden sun rays combine with a taste of strong butter notes, tinged with oranges and spices, leaving a sweet toffee and honey finish. Taste the best of island life. Visit the island, meet the people, explore the past. Colour – Glassy golden highlights. Nose – Full and rich. Each aroma beautifully structured to reveal harmony at its best. Silk and honey with a hint of ginger spice encompass this floral bouquet. Palate – Soft peaches and honey with a hint of citrus and marzipan will slowly arise, yet the backbone of its heritage continues to ebb away on the aftertaste, leaving the palate rewarded and satisfied.

Jura Superstition
45%abv
£39.50

The people of Jura are superstitious. From the prophecy of the one-eyed Campbell to an aversion to cutting peat before May, age-old island beliefs resonate to this day. Drawing on Jura’s finest older malts and spring-peated younger whiskies, Jura Superstition is a tribute to the people, the traditions and the mystical heritage that make Jura island life unique. Colour – Deep intense mahogany with glittering sun rays. Nose – Firm and positive, yet forcibly mellow. Strong accents of phenolic aromas. Rich, sensual nuances of honey and marzipan. Palate – Spice, honey, pine and peat aromas make a dramatic impact, the long years in oak casks have tempered and tamed this mystic spirit creating a long, lingering and tantalising aftertaste.

Jura Prophecy
46%abv
£54

A new addition to the Jura line-up, Prophecy is a robustly peated Jura. A limited release (labelled as Limited Annual Release Year 1), it is bottled at 46% ABV, without chill-filtration. A vatting of several vintages, the oldest whisky was distilled in 1989. Having tasted Jura Prophecy a few days ago, we think it might well surprise a few Islay loving peat-heads. As one would expect with any Jura whisky, it is supple and round in texture. On both the nose and the palate it is noticeably peaty, with bonfire notes, liquorice and spicy sea spray. A big step up from the more commercial Jura Superstition, this is a real surprise and definitely worth investigating.

One of only a handful of Single Grain Bottlings in the world and recently awarded the title of “World’s Best Grain Whiskey”.

Made through the combination of unique ingredients, predominately maize/corn, and the modern technique of column distillation producing an exceptionally clean smooth and sweet Irish whiskey.

To add a depth of character Teeling Single Grain is exclusively fully
matured in Californian Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrels creating a very distinctive amber color imparting strong spicy notes and lush berries and grape flavors.

Like all the Teeling whiskeys it is bottled at 46% with no chill filtration allowing for all the natural flavours of the whiskey to be retained.

CSPC# 762725 700ML/6

www.goldmedalmarketinginc.ca

www.ralfy.com  tells a wee whisky story along with Whisky Review 467 – Campbeltown Loch 21yo @ 46%

Hi folks. Just a quick email to tell you about our revised opening times. We will be available Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. If you really need to come in on Saturdays, please call ahead through the week and set an appointment. This change will enable us to give you a better service through the week.

Kind regards from Glasgow

The SWA Team

info@scotchwhiskyauctions.com

The Whisky Exchange

Springbank Distillery – a family affair

David Allen, a key member of the Springbank team

It’s hard to think that Campbeltown was once the whisky capital of the world. With just three distilleries in operation in the area now, you wonder what happened to the other 27 that were there in the 1800s. Campbeltown isn’t the easiest of places to get to. There’s no train station, so your options are a three-hour drive, a four-hour bus journey, or a flight in a tiny plane on to one of the longest runways in the world. But however you get there, it’s well worth the visit. Were it not for Hedley Wright (the owner of Springbank Distillery), Campbeltown may have been lost as a whisky region altogether.

Back in 1998, the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) decided that two distilleries were not enough to classify Campbeltown as a whisky region alongside the likes of Speyside, Islay, Highlands and Lowlands, and so it was merged into the Highlands. But Hedley spotted that there were only three operational distilleries in the Lowlands, and took it upon himself to purchase a second distillery in the region. After a large amount of investment – and a lot of time and energy – Glengyle distillery was completed in 2004, and following a visit from the SWA, Campbeltown was back on the map.

This highlights the care and love that the family and team at Springbank put into making whisky. They were once described (affectionately) as an ‘odd company of odd people’, and they’re quite happy with this label. They don’t always follow convention when it comes to making whisky. There are elements of their distillation process which no one can provide a reason for other than that’s what’s always been done, including producing ‘two-and-a-half-times-distilled’ whisky (more on that later). Springbank is the oldest independent, family-owned distillery in Scotland, dating to 1828, when John Mitchell first started distilling legally on the site of his father’s illicit still.

Everything at Springbank is done on site, from the malting of the barley right up to the labelling, which is done by hand. There has never been any chill-filtering or colouring, and production is all done in batches. Although this means that there can be some slight variances from batch to batch, it can’t be denied that each bottle is made with a huge amount of care – I’m yet to try a bad whisky of theirs. For this evening’s tasting, David Allen, a key member of the Springbank team, flew down especially to guide us through a selection of his fine whiskies.

A diverse range of whiskies are produced at Springbank Distillery in Campbeltown

Hazelburn 12 Year Old, 46%

The night began with Hazelburn. Production is split into three styles at the distillery, with Springbank making up 80% of the production, and Hazelburn and Longrow the other 20%. Hazelburn is unpeated and, unlike most Scottish single malts, it is triple distilled, giving it a floral and fruity character which many have described as a ‘breakfast whisky’ (light and approachable).

Nose: True to its style, the nose is rather fruity with notes of peach, mango, sweet dried fruit, and a hint of raisin and dried banana, too. With a touch of water, a malty character edges in.

Palate: The malty character is more pronounced on the palate both with and without water. This is backed up quite nicely with stone fruits, sweet dried fruit and candied bananas. There’s a touch of sweetness in there, too, which makes it go down rather easily.

Finish: Long finish here with all the flavours playing together; there’s peach, malt and sweetness all working beautifully together.

Comment: I really like this. The sherry cask influence is light and subtle, adding fruit but nothing overbearing. It’s fresh, fruity and slightly sweet and goes down oh so easily.

Hazelburn 2003 Rundlets & Kilderkins, 50.1%

Rundlet and Kilderkin are names for types of cask which – at 68 and 81 litres respectively – are much smaller than those normally used to mature whisky. These smaller barrels give the whisky much more interaction with the wood, giving the whisky further character. However, the ‘angel’s share’ is much higher with these casks, making it a rather expensive whisky to produce. This one is about 10 years old and a mix of first-fill bourbon and sherry casks.

Nose: Quite woody (as you’d expect), but in a good way. Honeycomb and chocolate comes through with time, and a lanolin note also.

Palate: Sweet mango, peach, honeycomb, chocolate and a soft alcohol prickle which softens nicely with water.

Finish: An earthy note comes through on the finish with some honey and unripe papaya.

Comment: Rich and fruity with some lovely earthy notes towards the finish. All backed up with a lovely honeycomb character along the way.

Kilkerran WIP 6 Bourbon Wood, 46%

Glengyle is still quite a young distillery, at just 10 years of age, and as such they’re yet to release a standard bottling. They are, however, rather good to us, and like to keep us all in the loop with how things are going. Work In Progress (WIP) was first launched in 2009 as a single bottling of ex-sherry and bourbon casks vatted together. This continued annually until last year when WIP 5 was released as a sherry cask and bourbon cask individually, and they have done the same again this year. WIP 6 is double distilled, lightly peated and 10 years old. The suggestion from David is that once the whiskies reaches 12 years of age, they will release a standard bottling, but we’ll just have to wait and see…

Nose: Slight hint of smoke. They get their peat from the Speyside region which is more mossy and earthy than Islay peat, and provides a very different character to the whisky than its island counterparts. This peat character is backed up with lots of green fruit – apples and grassy notes.

Palate: Lovely and fresh, slightly sweet with notes of green apples, zesty, sweet peach, grassy, floral and ever so slightly nutty. There’s even a hint of Scottish tablet.

Finish: This finishes with a green-tea note which is delicious and completed with lots of green flavours like grass and apple skin.

Comment: I’m a big fan of this one. It’s well balanced, fresh, delicate and delicious already. If this is the current benchmark for Kilkerran, then their first official bottling is definitely one to look out for.

Kilkerran WIP 6 Sherry Wood, 46%

Nose: Nutty, dried fruit, tropical notes and prunes. It doesn’t seem overly sherried; they use a mix of first- and third-fill casks which keeps the sherry influence quite light.

Palate: Lovely gingerbread character, and full of nutty, dried-fruit flavours and sweet smoke. It starts out quite sweet but becomes drying in the mouth. With a little water, the dryness softens and dark-chocolate flavours come forward.

Finish: The finish is a little dry – again, in a good way. It has a huge length with lots of fig, nutty and dark-chocolate flavours backed up with some sweet spice.

Comment: A very interesting whisky, full of lots of layers, but ultimately rich, chocolatey and packed with dried fruit.

Springbank 12 year old Cask Strength #7, 50.3%

Released in 2013, this is the seventh batch of 12 year old cask strength. Springbank’s distilling techniques are slightly unusual to say the least; they distil the whisky two-and-a-half times. In essence, part of the spirit is distilled two times and a portion is redistilled a third time. They have tried experimenting with double and triple distillation for Springbank, but the resulting liquid has never been as good.

Nose: Sweet smoke, nutty, toffee, fruity and slightly earthy.

Palate: Quite sweet, fruity, nutty, lots of toffee, stone and tropical fruit along with a hint of dried fruit. As it opens up, there’s vanilla, chocolate and raisin coming through. With water added, there’s a lovely briney character along with an oily texture and Scottish tablet.

Finish: The finish is delicate, with notes of chocolate, dried fruit and raisins, and a soft, sweet character.

Comment: This is lovely, rich and surprisingly smooth for its strength. Full of flavour.

Longrow NAS, 46%

The malt for Springbank is peated to 10ppm but for Longrow malt, it leaps to 50ppm. Although one might think this would come across as a smokier flavour in the whisky, I found that the smokiness in the NAS is actually quite subtle. The Speyside peat could explain this one, as peat doesn’t always mean bonfires and smoke.

Nose: Salt and brine character balanced around aromas of lime, grape, grass and citrus.

Palate: Sweet and green. Lots of lime, grass, brine, opens up in time to show dried peach, pear, mango and the slightest hint of smoke.

Finish: This opens up slowly but ends with sweet, juicy sultanas and stone fruits.

Comment: This really changes over time. What starts out as a really fresh, citrusy whisky develops after four or five minutes into quite a rich, fruit-driven dram that continually develops. Definitely savour this over a long period – you’ll be well rewarded.

Longrow Red Port Cask (abv unknown)

Longrow Red has previously been aged in Australian Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks. For this next release, they have moved on to a port cask and used it for its entire maturation rather than just to finish the whisky. As a result, this release of Red is quite definitely, without any doubt, a red whisky. But don’t be fooled by its colour; it’s absolutely delicious.

Nose: Cherries, red berries, plum, prune, stewed red cherry and Braeburn apple. Everything about this nose screams red fruit with abundance.

Palate: Lots of chocolate here, supported by red fruits: sweet cherry, red berries, raspberries and Braeburn apple. Although bold in flavour, there’s a lovely soft, creamy character, especially with a bit of water added.

Finish: Chocolate raspberries

Comment: So, so fruity. This is big, rich and packed full of red fruit and chocolate. Even though it’s red in colour, I wasn’t expecting this much red-fruit flavour. I’m not always a fan of port-matured whiskies, but everything that I’ve tried lately has blown me away, and this is no exception. This is due to be bottled in August with approximately 11,000 bottles being made.

Springbank 1999 14 year old local barley, 57.8%

The evening culminated in a rather special bottling, normally only available to members of the Springbank Society. This was one of only 546 bottles, matured entirely in refill sherry casks and, as the name suggests, made using local barley. Typically, Springbank use Optic barley – a variety commonly used for whisky production – from the Fife area. Optic barley doesn’t grow particularly well on the west coast, however, so Westminster barley is grown instead. This variety produces lower yields and is harder to use, but that hasn’t stopped Springbank from making a fantastic whisky from it.

Nose: So much going on here. Caramel, toffee, dried fruit, a hint of smoke, Brazil nuts, raisins and that classic ‘rancio’ note.

Palate: Nutty, toffee, caramel, dark chocolate, raisin, dried fruit, damp peat and earth. With water, this gets fruitier and the chocolate gets milkier.

Finish: Such a long finish. The peatiness comes forward more on the finish and is complemented with chocolate and raisins. As it changes and develops, some earthy notes then come into the fore.

Comment: This is an exceptionally good whisky. Springbank have a huge following for their whiskies and it’s not hard to see why. As mentioned earlier, this is only available to those who are members of the Springbank Society. That said, the suggestion is that in a couple of years’ time, they may well release this same whisky, or something very similar, as a 16 year old.

As always, our thanks go to David Allen for coming down from Campbeltown and hosting a superb evening filled with delicious whiskies.