Whisky Ramblings Via Video #54
If the Angel’s Share is what is lost to evaporation during maturation, what remains in the cask must be the Devil’s Cut, according to Jim Beam. Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, finds out if the bourbon lives up to the ingenious brand name of this bourbon. Enjoy!
Enjoy sipping straight, the spiciness and pepper notes of a good rye, or kick up your cocktails by using Rye instead of bourbon.
Discounted Items
Goldrun Rye California Whiskey
Aromas of fresh marmalade on rye toast with a touch of honey and a handful of pecans. $69.99
Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
Nut brown with a pretty, perfumed nose. Lively, in the lighter – spicier style of rye. $37.99
James E. Pepper 1776 15 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey
Rich, Complex & Full Bodied; caramel, chocolate, orange, cloves & honey. $164.99
Few Spirits Rye Whiskey
Born of the hearty grain, this generous rye content is married with the sweetness of corn for a genteel interpretation of the venerable spirit. $62.99
Angels Envy Rum Finished Rye Whiskey
You smell citrus, caramel candy, maple sugar, vanilla oak, hazelnut, spice and sherry wood. You’ll taste sweet rum sherry wood and soft oak with a finish that’s sweet and dry as well as quick and easy. $72.99
Smooth Ambler 7 Year Old Old Scout Straight Rye Whiskey
Complex notes of dried fruit, caramel, vanilla and spice, backed by bold, peppery rye. Hints of eucalyptus, citrus fruit and oak emerge on the long, balanced finish. $42.99
D&M 2200 Fillmore St San Francisco CA 94115
Hi folks. We are now operating across two sites and if you are coming to collect whisky, please give us 24 hours notice to enable us to bring them to 1134 Argyle Street, G3 8TD. Apologies for any inconvenience but we simply don’t have the room here to store all the bottles which are to be collected.
Best wishes
The SWA Team
The top 10 whisky markets (2012)
Hello,
July’s always an exciting time of year for me as it’s usually the month when The International Wine & Spirit Research release their annual report on Scotch whisky trends around the world. I particularly enjoy looking at the table of the top whisky markets. There are often changes from year to year – and 2012 was…(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…
Kind regards,
Ludo
A wee snippet from Paul McLean, over in Scotland.
A friend of mine dropped by Tim Prokopov frae Moscow, I had been storing a few bottles and things for him, as he is an avid collector (and likes to sample) of whisky.
As he had promised (ages ago) he brought me a special bottle as a gift; his own make!
Ages back whilst in Scotland he bought a wee still and the equipment to make his own whisky back home in Russia. The bottle he brought me is really quite unique, it is one bottle of only eight in the world!
Although he cannee call it whisky – as it is 18 months old – it has that look and feel of whisky, upon tasting – aye well you have to do it eh! – I just didnt know what to think? It has that whisky taste, a good whisky taste, a heavy sherry Speyside or so, hard to put a name to the taste, bearing in mind it is still only 18 months old, but boy, did it have a grand nose and finish!
I had opened it as required by Tim, can I say it tasted somewhat like a very good Jamaican rum, mixed somewhere with a good sherry Speyside, it is certainly not what I would call “new make”.
You can see in the photo, I did sample this (ok, in a Clontarf glass!) and have enjoyed it. See the close up shot of the label, it says it all, better than I can.
I am certainly lucky to get one of these bottles, so many thanks go to Tim, we are friends from a long time back, when he first started his many whisky tours here with us.
Here endeth the story, a really good dram of ??? spirit!
Paul McLean
owner www.mcleanscotland.com
UK vlogger Joe Ellis a.k.a Whisky Wednesday reviews The Benriach 1995 17 Year Old The Whisky Shop Exclusive Bottling
Welcome (Failte) to the Whisky Society Fellowship.
Connect internationally with fellow whisky enthusiast societies & associations – Join the Whisky Fellowship movement! Together with the Malt Whisky Association of Finland, Angels Whisky Club has formulated a plan through which different whisky enthusiast organizations in various parts of the world can co-operate together in a fun & beneficial way.
We may be far apart, but in today’s world people travel more than ever, and a union of fellow whisky enthusiasts can offer a new angle and depth to the hobby we all love. General points of Global Whisky Society Fellowship between societies, club and associations:
1. Joining the Whisky Society Fellowship costs nothing to a club.
2. Our aim is to organize once a year a get-together tasting between delegations from various societies, hosted by one of the member organizations.
3. International whisky enthusiasts’ welcome dram, and “vow of hospitality” (on best effort basis, of course). Whenever a member of one of the societies travels to the other’s location (looking for whisky), there is some possibility of contacting the other society, and letting them know of this individual coming to their town. There’s no obligation, but maybe some member’s can volunteer to meet with the individual(s), and perhaps also help them find a good whisky bar, or show them around a bit, or just meet for drinks informally. If there are whisky distilleries in the country, we can also put in a good word for the guests, making sure they get top treatment during their visit. (Mika: I can certainly say that if anyone comes to Helsinki, some of our members can show the persons around, and help them find places and drink an informal welcome dram etc.)
4. An invitation to any annual whisky festival / event the society arranges locally. Perhaps we can at least extend an invite to few persons to come over & represent other clubs to see & enjoy the event as guests.(the travellers and their club will need to cover their expenses).
5. Every 5 years, a bigger meeting/get-together between delegations, where members get to know each other, have dinner, taste whiskies etc. Most likely in Scotland.
6. Jointly organized trips, and assistance in organizing trips: If one member society organizes a trip to Japan, Ireland, Scotland, USA or Canada (for example), interested fellowship society members may want join in, and can. Similarly, if one fellowship society is organizing a whisky tour, I am quite certain that we could benefit from each other’s experiences and knowledge in doing so, by sharing tour organizer data, information on locations, routes and places planned to visit. We may also be able to introduce each other to great whisky guides, or guest speakers who we’ve met and found to be excellent in their knowledge, and people we’d highly recommend.
7. Worthy Whisky Bars –listing to share. Many guides and such try to compile database on good whisky pubs & bars from around the world: Problem is, often the lists are outdated, or information is gained from commercially interested parties, i.e. they do not represent the views of enthusiasts. Together we could really make a grand map listing of worthy whisky bars & pubs that can be shared amongst participating societies.
8. New societies joining in: In general, the Fellowship is meant to be an open organization that any whisky / whiskey enthusiast group can join. To avoid any discrepancies and disagreements, any new society joining this plan can and will be discussed openly with the other parties involved (each club, society etc needs to give contact person names whom to keep in touch with). If needed, we can cast a vote aye / nae amongst ourselves for future memberships, and discuss the membership applications prior to approval. The objective here is to respect the view of each member society, not to discriminate against any potential member society.
9. Joint events (like the 5-year meetings) are always discussed together openly.
Final words on the Whisky Society Fellowship: This idea was not planned to create added burden or commercial / financial obligations to anyone. We do what we can, and try to create fun events and happenings that could be shared globally with like-minded organizations, and of course the people who belong to them. There is no obligation as such binding any society to participate to activities, or to organize activities etc. If & when needed. When this movement starts to grow, we can formulate more formal “rules & regulations”. Paul and Mika both have enjoyed enormously meeting numerous fellow whisky enthusiasts, professionals etc over the years, and we have seen already how gross-global co-operation benefits all participating parties. We have a united vision of how this organization could really benefit organizations around the world, whilst also strengthening the whisky culture in various countries. Together we are stronger, and wiser. Let us unite in this positive way and make this movement mutually beneficial and enjoyable!
Sincerely,
Mika R. Jansson. President, Malt Whisky Association of Finland
Paul Mclean. Chairman, Angel’s Whisky Club
www.ralfy.com gets a bit Speysiderish with Whisky Review 375 – Tamdhu 10yo
Old Pulteney Maritime Malts Available at Mora’s Fine Wine & Spirits (E. Setauket, New York)
The Old Pulteney distillery in Wick is one of the most northerly distilleries on the Scottish mainland. It is a windswept location, where the uncompromising landscape of the Highlands meets the North Sea, and the waves crash against the granite walls of the harbor. The extreme location and unique stills have resulted in a distinctive flavor, bursting with the power and subtlety of the sea. It is the Genuine Maritime Malt.
Old Pulteney 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch 92 Proof – $152.99 (5 bottles in stock)
“Old Pulteney 21 Year Old has been voted 2012 World Whisky of the Year by the prestigious ‘Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.’ Scoring a record-equalling 97.5 points out of 100, it is only the third time that a single malt has ever won the prestigious award, and we are just the second Scottish distillery to do so. As with the 17-year-old, with this expression we marry together Old Pulteney matured in ex-bourbon wood with spirit from ex-sherry wood casks. The crucial difference, however, is that the ex-sherry wood in this case is made from American Oak (mostly Fino sherries). This adds yet another layer of complexity, depth and character to this truly superb malt whisky.” -The Distillery
Old Pulteney 17 Year Old Single Malt Scotch 92 Proof – $95.99 (13 bottles in stock)
“Our 17-year-old predominantly features ex-bourbon maturation, with the addition of spirit that has been wholly matured in Spanish wood ex-sherry casks, predominantly Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso. This adds a subtle depth and complexity to the whisky, making for an outstanding after-dinner drink. Red amber color with a rich autumnal hue. Sweet on the nose with traces of apples and pears: slightly woody with a hint of butterscotch. Full bodied, with hints of vanilla and floral notes in the background; a long-lasting memorable finish.” -The Distillery
Old Pulteney 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch 86 Proof – $35.99
“Matured wholly in air-dried, hand-selected ex-bourbon casks, the ‘unashamedly excellent’ Old Pulteney 12-years-old is the definitive expression in the Old Pulteney family. Traditionally crafted using techniques that other distillers have long abandoned, this winner of numerous gold medals at the most prestigious international competitions is a high water-mark of quality spirits. Deep amber color with a slight pink hue. Medium to high aromatic intensity, dry with a hint of sea air. Dry, medium bodied and smooth with a clean finish: faintly salty with a slight sherry note.” -The Distillery
Mora’s Fine Wine & Spirits
631-941-4458
STRATHEARN DISTILLERY
Paul McLean was talking to Tony Reeman – Clark. A totally new distillery for Perthshire, just 20 minutes from MCLEANSCOTLAND/angels whisky club offices. Paul McLean went along to meet the team and see what they have on offer …
Once there Paul was shown around by Tony Reeman – Clark, Director.
A few questions while touring the site – didnee take long! What will be the annual volume of whisky? Tony; around 20,000 litres.
Paul; is that all! Tony; aye, the plans are small but quality distilling, we aim only to use octave casks (approx. 70 bottles worth per cask) and most of these we see selling to private buyers – in fact Angels are looking at obtaining one! We will also produce and market our own Gin.
Paul; so when do you expect the first dram to be ready? Tony; lets say 3 years, maybe September 2016. ALL casks will be cask strength approx. 64%. A light unpeated dram, or we may offer a lightly peated version. Our barley and water are local, we use brewer’s yeast, angels share in our casks will be around 6% annually. We will also have 30 litre casks further down the line.
Paul; why did you do it? “Tony; it was one of those conversations (with David Lang, fellow Director and David Wight our Brand Ambassador), we all had the same ideas and well, it happened!”
Paul; Why Perthshire? Tony; we also looked at Falkirk, Stirling and even the old Rosebank distillery. I was here on a corporate team building experience and saw the empty buildings, the rest as they say is history! Might I add, Perth & Kinross Council went out of their way to assist us, really helpful and we wish to express our thanks.
Paul; I was amazed when I saw the stills and the actual size of the “distillery”! Tony; we like to think we are “pushing the whisky boundaries”. Aye it is small, a micro distillery, but good things come in small packages.
Paul; we can bring our guests here for a tour and taste you say? Tony; yes, pre booked is not a problem, we would welcome your guests anytime, in fact, we can also offer whisky experiences for 1 – 5 days, assisting us making the water of life! Note; full details from Paul at mcleanscotland.
Paul; have you completed the label design and bottle shape? Tony; we have most of this ready, just still to decide on end colours – Paul saw these designs, was impressed, the branding will include the Kite design.
Tony; all bottles will be labelled and bottled by hand, with a directors signature on each one, numbered and cask number.
Chatting further on the casks; with a really good selling cost, these casks are good value, a good investment and a grand way for individuals and small whisky clubs to obtain some unique bottlings. Obviously these casks will need remain here 3 years minimum, but 50 at least are already pre sold, so get in there sharpish! So what finishes are available? Sherry, port and others to follow. Now here’s an idea; get together with family of friends, maybe buy two casks, upon maturity, bottle maybe half from each cask, then blend the remainder from each cask, giving you yet another whisky! By this method, say a sherry and a port finish, plus the blend of the two gives you 3 different whiskies! Dram-tastic!
Some wee notes; Strathearn is now probably the smallest distillery in Scotland. Later, a maltings may be added to the site. The brainchild of Tony and two Davids (David Lang and David Wight). Based in a 160 year old farm building, in addition to whisky, a Caledonia Classic gin
http://www.mcleanscotland.com/ http://www.angelswhiskyclub.com/ http://www.strathearndistillery.com/
