www.ralfy.com discovers (and share’s with you) a rather juicy  bottle of Irish nectar with Whisky Review 346 – Greenore 8yo Irish Grain Whiskey

Top Picks

•1993 Glenmorangie Ealanta 19 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($115.99)
It’s getting to the point where the annual Glenmorangie special edition release is personally my most anticipated whisky of the year. The peated Finealta from two years back was a splendid release, super refined and very lithe on the palate. Last year’s Artein was simply magical – it was easily in my top three favorites of the year. 2013 brings us another slam dunk, gotta-have-it, masterpiece release with the Ealanta: a 19 year old whisky aged in new oak from Missouri’s Mark Twain National Forest. While that may not sound too interesting to the average whisky fan, it is very unusual for single malt whisky to see new wood – especially charred. American Bourbon must always be aged in new oak barrels, but Scottish single malt is almost exclusively aged in ex-Bourbon or ex-Sherry casks, which have already been seasoned with a previous liquid. The barrels used to age the Ealanta were air-dried for over two years, but were never used otherwise. The resulting flavor s are not foreign, but they are intensified. The richness is richer, the oak spice is spicier, and the vanilla is creamier. This is absolutely one of the most polished whiskies I have ever tasted from Dr. Bill. There’s nothing fancy going on with the Ealanta – it’s simply perfect single malt whisky. Flawless. Round, robust, intriguing, with lovely baking spices and candied orange peel on the finish. I can’t imagine anyone – either new to single malt or a chiseled veteran – not adoring the Ealanta. A true must-buy.

•Laphroaig “Triple Wood” Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($64.99)
94 points Whisky Advocate: “This is the first time I’ve been up for reviews here so I had a game plan: play it cool, mark tightly, let everyone know I’m hard to please. Then they gave me this, the whisky equivalent to front row tickets to Neil Young on his current Twisted Road tour: not just a chance to get up close and personal with an old favorite, but to do so with an old favorite who’s on fire. Laphroaig’s owners are intent on ensuring a big peaty engine for any new release, but this is a monster by anyone’s standards. It’s essentially Quarter Cask finished in oloroso sherry casks, so in addition to the intense charcoal smoke attack there are rich fruity notes; blackcurrant and berries. It’s an evening barbecue whisky. Grill that fish until it’s blackened and crispy, drizzle on lemon, and as the smoke rears up in protest, sip this. Big, moody, broody, fruity, and rich: what’s not to love? (Vol 19, #3)” K&L Notes: A limited release that was supposedly for European Travel Retail only! Lucky for us some popped up in California. This is essentially the Quarter Cask finished in Oloroso Sherry Butts. There’s an extra touch of savory richness at the back end, but the entry is all peat and iodine just like we expect from Laphroaig. The finish really lurks for some time, morphing from smoke, to nutty rancio, to savory sea salt. It’s a great new release from Laphroaig – a distillery that has been absolutely killing it with their special edition whiskies as of late.

•Macallan 25 year old, Distillery Bottling Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 12 available ($699.99)
Extremely Limited! Macallan’s 25 year old sherry casks are a modern classic.

Back in Stock

Ireland 

• Irishman Original Clan Irish Whiskey 750ml – 6 available ($29.99)

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Glengoyne 17-year-old Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Elsewhere $100) ($49.99)
• Laphroaig 25 year old Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Previously $500) – 5 available ($499.99)

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Black Maple Hill, Small Batch Bourbon 750ml (1 bottle limit) ($33.99)
• Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Old Small Batch Rye 90 Proof 750ml (3 btls per customer) ($34.99)

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 Macallan 25 year old is back in stock.

We are delighted to announce the arrival of another gem from Macallan.

Limited stock will be arriving in our warehouses on Monday the 11th of March and it is now available to order via our website.

The winner of many accolades including the gold medal at the International Spirits Challenge 2012.

Colour: Rich Mahogany.
Nose: Citrus balanced with cinnamon, sherry and wood smoke.
Palate: Full and rich, with dried fruits and wood smoke.
Finish: Long, with dried fruits, wood smoke and spice.

 To buy one of the rarest and highly sought after Macallan single malts in the world simply click here.

Only £499.99

The Macallan – The Flask

According The Macallan this is “The ultimate whisky accessory”. At The Macallan, we handle our single malt with care. And if you’re on the go, so should you! Unveil: The Flask – the ultimate accessory for the active whisky aficionado. … Continue reading →

We’re delighted to present our review of the majestic Karuizawa 1964 from Number One Drinks bottled for Wealth Solutions.

http://www.livingroomwhisky.com/project/karuizawa-1964-number-one-drinks/

www.ralfy.com heads off to Ireland in the run up to St Patricks’ day with Whisky Review 345 – Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey . . .  very easy drinking.

Whisky Wednesday reviews the fantastic German Single Malt whisky Slyrs!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58ZTWBLcIzk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

We’ve had some great new whiskies and wines in over the last few weeks, including a follow on to the Shackleton Discovery whisky, a couple of limited edition Jura whiskies, some new expressions from Dewar Rattray, a host of Bladnochs and the addition of a number of Laurent Perrier bottlings to our champagne range. We’ve shown a selection below but you can see more in our New Products section online.

And with only a week or so to Mother’s Day why not check out our handy article on gift ideas for Mum? Go on, you know she’s worth it!

Sláinte!
Fran and Ken

On the lookout for something different? Look no further!

Our March Outturn is available now, so visit www.smws.ca to view our latest batch of single cask beauties.

A reminder for our Vancouver and Lower Mainland members, the usual Outturn tasting will not happen on Monday as we will be premiering all seven releases at Tip A Wee Dram on Friday, March 8th.

Edgemont Fine Wines, Spirits & Ales will be accepting bottle orders as of today but your first chance to sample them will be at Tip A Wee Dram.

TAWD, sponsored by Edgemont and Team Hope, is a fund-raising whisky festival for the BC Cancer Society.
It’s a great cause and if you’d like to attend, you can purchase tickets here:
www.tipaweedram.com

For now, let two of our tasting notes tempt you:

Cask No. 39.82 Suede shoes walking through clover
13 years old; refill sherry butt; 60%abv
The nose conveyed clementines, cherries, sweet and salty popcorn, a basket of mushrooms and suede shoes walking through clover. The palate had peppery, earthy, salty, savoury elements yet was surprisingly sweet too.

Cask No. 29.121 Seafood party on the beach
20 years old; refill sherry butt; 55.1%abv
The initial nose gave coal sacks, beach barbecue wood smoke, ash, raisins, toffee and toasted nuts. The palate was very sweet – coconut, candy and sweet tobacco balanced nicely by cigars and smoke from a driftwood fire.

Tempting? There are plenty more where these came from. To view the rest of the March Outturn as well as fantastic past bottlings still available, go to:
www.smws.ca

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada
104-1240 Kensington Road NW, Suite 160
Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 3P7
Email – curious@smws.ca