www.ralfy.com finds malt-time for Whisky Review 474 – Glenfiddich 15yo Distillery Edition @ 51%vol

Brand new seriously collectable whisky now available to order right here at The Whisky Shop! All orders will be completed on a strictly first come first served basis.

Dalmore Custodian

The Dalmore 1263 Custodian Bottling is an extremely rare expression of The Dalmore, initially made available to Dalmore Custodians. There were only 421 bottles of this expression produced, and it was bottled at cask strength. The single cask was laid to rest in 2000 and was initially matured in American ex-bourbon wood and then transferred into a Matusalem Oloroso Sherry Cask, before being bottled in 2012.

Nose: Caramelised orange, sweet pear and ripe mango

Palate: Toffee apple, pineapple and Madeira cak

Finish: Muscovado, roast coffee and cocoa

Click here to buy – £90

Jura Elixir 12 year old

A legend based on the water found on Jura, the water’s said to have life giving properties. Aged in a mix of American White Oak and Sherry casks.

Nose: Fruity and spicy with hints of cinnamon and citrus.
Palate: A combination of flavours including crushed almonds, pineapple and fresh roasted coffee. The palate is rewarded with hints of citrus fruit, dark toffee and ginger spice.
Finish: Soft and delicate – long.

Click here to buy – £49

The Old Pulteney Clipper Limited Edition

The brand new release fom Old Pulteney is now available to order via The Whisky Shop. Matured in ex bourbon and ex sherry casks, this bottling was created in honour of team clipper in the round the world yacht race!

Nose: Sweetness of dried fruits and crispiness of green apples is accompanied by notes of fresh vanilla and white chocolate
Taste: Waves of honey and orange zest, a rounded oaky structure and an unmistakable coastal note which sets Old Pulteney apart.
Finish: Smooth and long-lasting
Bottled at 46% volume.

Click here to buy – £50

Jura Festival Bottling

To kick off the first ever Tastival – Jura created a whisky with an intriguing & uncommon smorgasbord of flavours. It has been created using a careful selection of ex bourbon American white oak casks from their warehouses and enhanced that whisky in 6 different oak barriques from France. Wood sourced from the ancient forests within the regions of Jupilles, Les Bertanges, Limousin, Troncais, Allier, Vosges has been used to craft around a dozen unique barriques.

Colour – Rich Amber
Nose – Banana, Pineapple, Marzipan
Taste –Wine Gums, liquorice allsorts and Caramel

Simply click here to buy £95

Yamazaki 25 year old

A rare chance to purchase one of the most sought after Japanese single malts of all time. This super premium whisky carefully vatted from key malts and aged over 25 years in sherry butts. It’s available in limited quantities and almost impossible to purchase here in the UK.

Nose gorgeous aroma (burnt sugar, scented handbag, almond oil).
Palate: Taste of canvas, burnt orange peel
Finish: Aftertaste of coal smoke.
Tasting Notes by Charles MacLean, at The World Whiskies Awards 2012

£1100 Click here to buy

NEW ARRIVALS

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Balmenach-Glenlivet 15 Year Old Cadenhead’s Single Malt 750ml – 1 available ($699.99)

• Cragganmore 17 Year Old The Manager’s Dram Single Malt Scotch (Previously $600) – 1 available ($399.99)

• 1966 Glen Albyn 18 Year Old Cadenhead’s Single Malt 750ml – 1 available ($599.99)

• 1969 Linkwood-Glenlivet 21 Year Old Special Individual Cask Selection Cadenhead’s Single Malt 750ml – 4 available ($699.99)

• 1956 Macallan-Glenlivet 24 Year Old Cadenhead’s Single Malt 750ml – 1 available ($3,999.99)

• 1967 Rosebank 20 Year Old Cadenhead’s Single Malt 750ml – 1 available ($1,499.99)

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Corbin Cash Merced Rye Whiskey 750ml ($46.99)

United States – Single Malt Scotch

• Westland American Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($69.99)

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 the new Master of Malt Reference series in this new comparison review! 

http://youtu.be/rrfT5PP7Za0 

http://Facebook.com/whiskytube 

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

www.ralfy.com confirms, Distillery is Highland, Warehouses are Lowland with Whisky Review 472 – Glengoyne 18yo @ 43%

Longrow
18 Year Old 2014
New 2014 release of the peated Springbank matured in sherry oak.

Limited release of 3,750 bottles.
Buy – $120.61

Glen Moray – Elgin’s hidden gem

With around 100 active whisky distilleries in Scotland, it’s inevitable that some get overlooked. One underrated distillery is Glen Moray. The distillery’s range is prominent in supermarkets, but has managed to stay under the radar of the average whisky drinker. I admit that I have been equally guilty, and have only tried Glen Moray on a handful of occasions at whisky shows. So, to rectify that, on a recent trip to Speyside, booking a distillery visit was my top priority.

Glen Moray has had just a handful of owners in its 117 years of operation – founded in 1897 on the site of the West Brewery, it was purchased by Macdonald & Muir (later to become Glenmorangie plc) in 1920, remaining in the same ownership until 2008 when French spirits group La Martiniquaise took the reins.

The distillery has shown its innovative nature over the past decade. Glenmorangie gained the plaudits for its range of whiskies finished in different types of wood, but not many know that Glen Moray was the spirit used for the trials a decade or so ago. Glen Moray’s Chardonnay-cask-aged expression is still available (although originally released as a No Age Statement, it’s now their 10 Year Old offering). Some of these casks are still kept in the warehouses, having been joined by casks filled after the distillery was taken over by La Martiniquaise in 2008, and include a seven-year-old rum cask and a four-year-old fully matured port cask.

Experimental wood ageing at Glen Moray – some left over from its Glenmorangie days

The cask experimentation is continuing – last year, the distillery filled 95% of production into bourbon casks, but with the increase in costs – Iain Allan (who showed me round) says bourbon barrels are rapidly approaching half the cost of a sherry butt (gone are the days when they were a tenth of the price). Experiments have recently begun with brandy casks being filled with spirit.

More innovation can be seen in the production area; four new washbacks were installed in 2012, with one of the older ones decommissioned and converted into a heated water well. The wash passes through this after fermentation, thus increasing its temperature and reducing the amount of energy needed to heat the stills – lowering costs and improving efficiency.

The distillery has more freedom than it did under Glenmorangie ownership and the team are experimenting with how to get the best out of the entire production process, not just with cask ageing. The distillery’s output is primarily unpeated, with peated spirit produced just one month a year – partly to be used for an upcoming peated release, currently available as a 2 year old in the distillery shop, and also to be used in the company’s Label 5 range of blended whiskies.

With the demand for Scotch growing, Glen Moray is increasing production. Having produced 2.2 million litres of spirit in 2012 and 3m in 2013, they are aiming for 9m in 2015. To achieve this, the building which used to house the on-site maltings (dormant since the late 1970s) has been demolished. In its place, a new production building (which will house an 11-ton mash tun, 12 new stills and around 10 washbacks) is being constructed. This is effectively building a new distillery on site, as it will be larger than the current Glen Moray, which only has six stills and nine washbacks.

Glen Moray’s six stills

We were delighted that Glen Moray were among the first exhibitors to be announced as returning to October’s TWE Whisky Show. If you are attending, I’d recommend visiting the stand and seeing Iain and Emma (who also run the distillery’s visitor centre), especially if you’ve never tried Glen Moray before.

I couldn’t leave without trying a few whiskies from the range:

Glen Moray Classic. 40%.

Aged for an average of seven years entirely in ex-bourbon casks, of which a high percentage are first fill, this is the distillery’s entry-level offering.

Nose: Rather closed, with just the malted sweetness coming through.
Palate: Light, grassy and sweet with notes of green apple and lemon.
Finish: Medium-length and slightly drying, with the lemon notes remaining through to the end.
Comment: It’s not a whisky to set the world alight, but that’s not what it’s meant to do. An easy-to-drink, entry-level single malt that’s a bargain at just a little over £20.

Glen Moray 10 Year Old, Chardonnay Cask. 40%.

Unusually for a Scotch single malt, this has been aged full-term in white-wine casks. This is a whisky that has always intrigued me, so let’s see if it was worth the wait.

Nose: Sweet, with notes of orange and a hint of butteriness in the background.
Palate: Sweet marmalade and butter (in keeping with the nose). The fruit intensity, sweetness and alcohol are very well integrated.
Finish: Medium to long, rich and fruity, with plenty of that marmalade that is a recurrent theme throughout.
Comment: Whiskies aged full-term in wine casks are pretty rare and those aged in white-wine casks even more so. The butteriness comes from these casks, and while it is an unusual trait in whisky, integrates well with the rest of the flavours. At just a smidgen over £25, it’s another excellent-value whisky.

Glen Moray 2 Year Old Peated. 60.6%.
Not yet legally whisky, this will be added to the core range in the next year or so (when it reaches the legal minimum of three years old). We managed to find some stock of this in the past and it flew off the shelves, so I was eager to give it a go.

Nose: A whack of peat – iodine more than TCP.
Palate: Warming, with the youthful peat balanced by sweetness and orange notes.
Finish: The fruitiness slowly dissipating to leave warming iodine notes.
Comment: Rather rough around the edges, but it is very young, so this can be overlooked. A real insight into what the distillery is capable of producing in terms of peated whisky, and shows excellent potential.

Glen Moray is a distillery I’ll be keeping an even closer eye on in the future, with some interesting releases planned – watch this space!

Paul

Paul McLean co – owner of MCLEANSCOTLAND talks to a guest on tour recently 

What was your first tour?  for friends from USA.  Och many years ago, they wanted a tour where they wouldnee have to drive on the wrong side of the road, I obliged!

Do you like what you do?  aye!  I get paid for enjoying myself in my own fantastic country! What better?

Who is your hero? My Dad (sadly departed). 

What keeps you going?  well many things really, it’s my job and only income, I have to make a living somehow so may as well do something I love doing. The love of the job keeps me going, showing people my country and not least; Liz keeps me going! A slave driver so she is!!! 

What is your favourite part of Scotland?  aye a hard one as its all brilliant. I would say definitely the west coast. 

Who or what is your “big thing in life”?  er, that’s a hard one to admit to. I would say two things – a person and my country! Say no more. 

You have tattoo’s that we have seen, what are they?  right arm; clan crest and Liverpool & Celtic, referring to my two football teams and my clan. Left arm, a Scottish thistle and Dalriada, and “sons of Kilkenny” for my mum. 

Yes that’s another question – what is your accent?  another hard one, half Irish, half Scottish and half Scouse, work that one out! I have lived in England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

We see you with a pipe band, what do you play?  nothing, they won’t let me near any pipes or drums! They made me the band manager because I have got them some gigs and take care of the coaches, ferries and any hotels needed.  I am not the manager any more, the band got a new Pipe Major, he does all that himself now, but I still go to all major band events when possible.

Where are your family?  Mum and Stuart are in Liverpool, Scott is in Wirral. In laws and outlaws are all over the place, mainly Ireland. My Dad is drinking whisky on a cloud with others (the angels share). He fought in WWII in Burma, he was a special forces Chindit. He survived the war only to be killed at work in Liverpool in an explosion. He was a carpenter my Dad. Dad was a McLean, Mum is a Daley. 

Ah yes, is that why you do Irish tours?  Aye, I love taking tours in Ireland, so different from Scotland, but still Celtic!

Is it true you only offer whisky tours now?  No not at all, only recently we had numerous tours for couples, wee and large groups, not dedicated to whisky, we do everything here!

But you do like a dram?  Oh yes, several to be honest, I can’t do whisky tours properly without some research can I? Scotland has over 100 distilleries, whereas Ireland has 5 or 6 you can actually get into – at the moment, watch this space!

What do you keep as sacred?  My special friends, my country, my Dad my mum and boys. And a few special bottles of whisky I have hidden away!

Paul’s guest (Finland) saw an interview with Paul a while back and wished to add on some questions.

www.mcleanscotland.com

info@mcleanscotland.com

BACK IN STOCK…
(items we’ve carried in the past that have just arrived again)

Canada – Other Spirits

• Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whisky 750ml (Elsewhere $30) ( Price: Hidden )

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Arran Sauternes Finish Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 5 available ($69.99)

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey 750ml ($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

The Big Whisky Interview…

Paul McLean interviews a bottle of Laphroaig Select 

Where do I start? … well hello Mr Select, it is good to meet you.  Please – tell me, where were you born?

Select: I am an Islay production, born and bred Islay, off Scotland’s west coast. My ancestors are also from Islay, I can trace them back to 1815.

Paul: Tell me a wee bit about yourself.

Select: I like to think I am special, even though a part of a big family. I have a large part of me that is Scottish, a part American; I have been left alone to contemplate for 6 months in a warm warehouse. I also have some European in me – I am sweet really with a powerful aroma.

Paul: You have that certain Islay colour about you. Have you been in the sun?

Select: No, mine is a natural colour, very complex in my taste. I do love giving pleasure to people, I am a FRIENDLY KIND!

Paul: What do you know of your ancestors?

Select: 80-90 years ago, Ian Hunter was one of the biggest influences in my life as he was one of the first distillers to travel to bourbon county in the USA. He later married this ‘new’ style with European (I have a hint of Spain in me also). I have a grand history!

Paul: How old are you?

Select: Ah, I cannot say, all I will say is that I am well matured. I am a blend of family members.

Paul: You obviously like meeting people. Where can they find you? 

Select: At the moment I am on a world tour, starting in Australia and parts of Europe, and soon to be visiting the US later this month. I will be touring the world – give me time.

Paul: Many thanks for your time Mr Select, much appreciated.

Paul wishes to thank Vicky at Laphroaig and all the team on Islay in the help of this interview. The “interview” ended with a dram, and grand it was, a dram for sharing and a dram to savour slowly looking out over the sea that surrounds Laphroaig distillery. 

Select; Bottled at 40% ABV, Laphroaig tell me that the new single malt offers the trademark ‘peat reek’, an additional layer of complexity and depth brought about by the fusion of the maturation styles and different woods. Master Distiller John Campbell said; “Select is an exciting and unique expression that brings together the best of Laphroaig’s flavour profile”. Who are we to disagree? 

http://www.mcleanscotland.com/

http://www.angelswhiskyclub.com/