What’s NEW THIS SPRING?

All the latest news from the Isle of Arran Distillery

Arran Distillery and Visitor Centre News
 
We have been busy over the winter months, and despite some stormy weather over the Christmas period, we have managed to push ahead with the construction of our brand new warehouse! Construction had to be halted for a couple of weeks again in February to allow for the nesting season of the pair of Golden Eagles which reside in the hills behind our Distillery, but we were soon back on track and can’t wait to get all our casks settled into their new home! Official 2012 production started on 13th February and we can’t wait to fill that warehouse with our precious new spirit.

Our Managing Director Euan Mitchell also made a special trip to Arran to present The National Trust for Scotland with a cheque for £6000 – we donated £1 from every bottle of our Limited Edition bottling “The Sleeping Warrior” to the Trust for the upkeep and safe maintenance of the pathways on Arran’s landmark mountain Goatfell.

The new season at the Visitor Centre starts again on 5th March and we are once again looking forward to welcoming many of our friends and fans across the world through our doors 7 days a week.  Faye and the team have been hard at work to get everything ready for our guests and we can’t wait to share some drams with you all. This year, we have some brand new exciting tour options to offer you, from the introductory “Oak” tour through to the VIP “Gold” tour.  More information on these tours can be found here on our web site.  Click for further details. 

 
The Final Icon has flown the nest!

At long last, the widely anticipated release of the fourth and final Icon of Arran is upon us!  In tribute to those magnificent hillside residents of ours, we chose “The Golden Eagle” to close this extremely popular series and you can buy your bottle and complete your set straight away in our web shop.

“The Golden Eagle” is a bottling of 16 Bourbon Barrels and 7 Sherry Hogsheads from 1999 and is an outstanding example of the Master Distillers craft.  Creamy citrus notes with hints of tropical sweetness and a depth of character not dissimilar to the eagles themselves, will make your palate soar and take you right across to the Isle of Arran in all its splendour.

We are all very excited about this release and indeed there is plenty more where this came from.  Later this year, we will be launching a new bottling named “The Devil’s Punchbowl” after another celebrated stretch of Arran landscape, and we can assure you that this one is not to be missed.  Whisky is being selected as we speak and we are sure that you will agree that there are worse jobs in the world than searching through our warehouses to find just the right casks for this devilishly extravagant amber nectar.  Watch our web site for updates on this and other new releases planned throughout the year.
 
Why not browse our web shop for all the latest bottlings and special offers? Click  here to lead yourself into temptation! 
 
Finally, our Open Day this year will be very special indeed, and is set to be the best one yet! On Saturday 30th June, our Open Day will take the form of the very first ever Arran Malt and Music Festival hosted by our very own Visitor Centre!  This looks set to be a fantastic event for all the family and will bring together the best produce on the island with our Single Malt and some fabulous musicians.  Put the date in your diary, come over and celebrate with us!  
 
Best wishes to all from everyone here in Lochranza,
 
Isle of Arran Distillers
 
Find us on Facebook (Arran Malt Distillery) and Twitter ( @arranwhisky)

Abbey Whisky – The Secret Casks 30 Year Old Speyside / 3cl Sample

​Wonderful deep sexy colour oozes from this 30 year old Speyside malt. Matured at a secret Speyside distillery and bottled for ‘The Secret Casks’ series by Abbey Whisky. This 30 year old single malt whisky boasts deep sherry flavours combined with hints of toffee apple, butterscotch and baked apple crumble. Exudes all the character you would expect from a classic Speyside single malt aged and matured in Sherry casks.

£6.90 (£5.75 ex Vat)

Abbey Whisky – The Secret Casks 40 Year Old Speyside / 3cl Sample

Reminiscent of walnut & date pudding in both colour and flavour this 40 year old Speyside is a tremendous, silky tasting single malt whisky with wonderful deep flavours of treacle syrup, muscovado sugar and hints of oak.

Whiskies of this age are extremely rare and one at this price, demonstrating such depth of flavour and balance offers incredible value for money.

£8.50 (£7.08 ex Vat)

Abbey Whisky
enquiries@abbeywhisky.com
www.abbeywhisky.com

Cooley’s Irish Whiskey Tasting Friday 16th March 2012
Held in the Station Hotel, over 100 Drambusters sat down to a selection of Irish Whiskeys, blended, grains and malts. Gordon Hughes, the speaker for the night was very grateful for the warm welcome received. We all learned a lot about the Irish Whiskey industry and the history of it and the favourite whiskey of the evening was the Greenore 8yo Single Grain. It was a smooth silky sweet and luscious dram.. perfect on its own or with a pint of Guinness!

Drambusters Whisky Festival 2012
Tickets will be on sale from May 1st for our second Whisky Festival. We have organised two Master Classes, Bruichladdich and either Tomintoul or McKillop’s Choice. More information will follow both in the newsletters and also online, so keep an eye on our email newsletters, website and facebook pages as well as our tweets @drambusters.

DRAMBUSTERS DATES FOR THE DIARY
Friday 27th April – Kilchoman Whisky tasting – details enclosed
Friday 1st June – Morrison Bowmore tasting – details enclosed
Saturday 30th June – Arran Malt & Music Festival – detail enclosed
Friday 13th July – Carn Mor tasting by Scottish Liqueur Centre (winner of the ‘Golden Dram 2011’ at our whisky festival with their Beinn a’Cheo Macallan)
Saturday 24th November – Whisky Festival

We are also trying to organise the following:
A ‘Whisky & Cheese’ tasting at The Room @ The Troqueer Arms as well as a rum tasting and a trip to Springbank and Glengyle distilleries later in the year with an overnight stay.. details will follow as soon as we know more!

Kilchoman Tasting Friday 27th August 2012
STATION HOTEL 7.30 for 7.45pm £13.50 per member

Dueto the success of our Whisky Festival in November last year, Anthony Wills of Kilchoman Distillery was very keen to do a tasting of his whiskies for us. As Kilchoman is a relatively new distillery, as well as tasting the whiskies, we are sure that the talk will be extremely interesting on the history of the distillery and the highs and lows of setting up and running a new distillery from scratch. With the tasting being just two weeks away please reply as soon as possible to avoid any disappointment. Please use the booking form enclosed with your newsletter that is coming through the post. If you wish to become a DRAMBUSTER so that you can attend this tasting please follow this link CLUB MEMBERSHIP

Morrison Bowmore Tasting
Friday 1st June 2012 STATION HOTEL 7.30 for 7.45pm £13.50 per member

Paul Goodwin, Whisky Ambassador for Morrison Bowmore, will be our guest speaker on the night. Paul took the Glen Garioch Master Class at the Whisky Festival last year. We will be trying whiskies from four distilleries on the evening, Auchentoshan, Bowmore, Glen Garioch and Yamazaki. The booking form will be sent out in next month’s newsletter.

ARRAN MALT & MUSIC FESTIVAL 2012
(formerly known as Arran Distillery Open Day) Saturday 30th June 2012 £50 per person
Due to the overwhelming success of last year’s visit and the very keen interest already shown for this year’s trip, we will be organising a bus for Saturday 30th June. The format will be the same as last year and please note that neither the bus nor the ferry will wait for any latecomers on the way there or on the way back! PRIORITY PLACES GO TO MEMBERS AND THEREAFTER TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. The distillery has organised a special tasting for us (taken in two groups of 26) and times will be confirmed for this later.

ITINERARY
7:15am BUS LEAVES FROM WHITESANDS FOR ARDROSSAN
9:15am ARRIVE ARDROSSAN approximately
9:45am FERRY DEPARTS ARDROSSAN
10:40am ARRIVE BRODICK, ARRAN
10:50am BUS LEAVES FERRY TERMINAL FOR DISTILLERY approximately
11.30am ARRIVE ARRAN DISTILLERY approximately

15:30pm BUS LEAVES DISTILLERY (DON’T MISS IT!!)
16:10pm ARRIVE BRODICK FERRY TERMINAL approximately
16:40pm FERRY DEPARTS BRODICK
17.35pm ARRIVE ARDROSSAN
17:45pm BUS LEAVES FERRY TERMINAL AT ARDROSSAN approximately
19:45pm ARRIVE DUMFRIES WHITESANDS (approximately)

On arrival at the distillery you will receive a goodie bag which will include a tasting glass and vouchers to taste some Arran Malt Whiskies. The price of £50 is fully inclusive of the following

Return bus to Dumfries
Return ferry
Bus to and from Distillery
Entry to the Open Day
Special Drambusters tastings

There are only 53 seats on the bus for this fantastic trip, so if you want to come along, don’t dely and book today! Please use Booking Form enclosed with your newsletter coming in the post. Again, if you wish ensure that you are able to attend this trip, and you are not a member please follow the link above to join our Whisky Club. It only costs £10 to be a member until the end of the year. BRIAN’S MOBILE NUMBER IS 07872 937 439. SHOULD THERE BE ANY PROBLEMS ON THE DAY THEN PLEASE PHONE HIM. PLEASE ALSO ENSURE YOU LET US HAVE YOUR MOBILE NUMBER WHEN BOOKING FOR THIS EVENT.

EXTRA SPECIAL OFFERS

In addition to our fantastic Glenfarclas 15yo offer as per our email last week CLICK HERE IF YOU MISSED IT!

We also have the unmissable offers below on a selection of Old Malt Cask whiskies…

NORMAL PRICE SPECIAL PRICE EXTRAVAGANZA PRICE

BALBLAIR 20YO 50% £70 £50 NOW £40
DISTILLED JUNE 1990, BOTTLED JULY 2010 ONE OF 637 BOTTLES
NOSE: DARKLY SPICED, SOFTLY OAKED- GINGERY WITH LATE GRIST & HONEY
PALATE: MOUTH-TINGLINGLY SPICED – PEPPERY & FRUITY WITH BARLEY
FINISH: BUTTERSCOTCHED, STILL GRISTY & SPICED WITH A SOFT FADE

BLAIR ATHOL 15YO SHERRY BUTT 50% £54 £44 NOW £38
DISTILLED NOV 1995, BOTTLED NOVEMBER 2010, ONE OF 545 BOTTLES
NOSE: OPENS SWEETLY CARRYING GOLDEN SYRUP AND ORANGES
PALATE: WARMINGLY SPICED RUNNING TO A SWEET MOCHA CHARACTER
FINISH: LONG, STILL SPICY WITH A TANGY BURNT ORANGE PEEL QUALITY

LAPHROAIG 12YO 50% £55 N/A NOW £40
DISTILLED MARCH 1999, BOTTLED JUNE 2011 ONE OF 303 BOTTLES
NOSE: SWEETLY FRAGRANT WITH PEATED BARLEY & LATE SALT & CITRUS
PALATE: MOUTHCOATINGLY OILY/ASHY/TARRY & LATE GRIST AND HONEY
FINISH: BUTTERSCOTCH, DEMERARA SUGAR WITH PEAT & LATE LIQUORICE

AND FINALLY…
For those of you who are ‘DRAMBUSTERS’ having paid your £10 membership fee, your snail mail version of this newsletter will be popping through your door in the next couple of days. Be sure and reply quickly so you don’t miss out on any of these great events. JOIN HERE IF YOU NEED TO! 🙂

Our mailing address is:

T.B.Watson Ltd.
11/17 English Street
Dumfries, Scotland DG1 2BU
United Kingdom

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

1988 Glenrothes Speyside Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($109.99)

United States – Bourbon and Rye

Four Roses K&L Exclusive Single Barrel OESV Cask Strength Bourbon 750ml ($59.99) This barrel, aged 10 years and 6 months at the distillery, is from formula OESV and it’s the most utilitarian whiskey we’ve yet selected from Four Roses. It’s not the richest, the spiciest, the most esoteric, or the sweetest, but I believe it to be the most balanced and delicious. At 59% you’d expect it to be a monster, but it’s quite restrained, almost brooding in its profile in that you expect it to explode at any moment. It never does, however – it remains in check and keeps its distance. The fruit is there, lush and soft, but it stays in the background. The richness is there, but it’s not obvious. The spice is robust, with hints of cherry and banana struggling to be tasted, but still there’s some reluctant force holding it back. The result is dangerously drinkable Bourbon, one that takes three or four sips just to get a grasp on before you know what’s hit you. There’s no denying that it’s good, even great – but there will be fierce attempts to penetrate its core and understand what its all about. This Bourbon will not cave, however. It just wants to be drunk, not contemplated. It seeks to be enjoyed, not studied. It demands to be appreciated, but it will not beg for your attention. Who knew a Bourbon could be so anthropomorphic? -David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer

Back in stock…

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

Macallan “Fine Oak” 15 Year Old Single Malt 750ml ($79.99)

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

Kilchoman Sherry Cask   

Kilchoman, Islay’s Farm Distillery, is delighted to announce the release of ‘Sherry Cask’.  This is the first sherry cask matured release from Kilchoman. It has been matured for 5 years in oloroso sherry butts.     

Tasting Note:  

£48.99 inc VAT – £40.83 exc VAT 

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW

Welcome to the Angels Whisky Club newsletter for April.

Hello Angels, welcome to our latest newsletter, containing news and views within the worldwide whisky industry. We are away again on tours this month to distilleries all around Scotland. Maybe stocking up with some newly found bottles en route, who knows? Welcome to our new members, we hope you enjoy the club website, send in any news or features/photographs you wish.

Watch the world exclusive trailer for Ken Loach’s The Angels’ Share, a link on the homepage. Thanks to angel member; Roald Arne Kvamme

An Angel member told us of an interesting bottle recently sold for over 700 pounds in Moscow; http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/markwattdram.asp

The BIG WHISKY INTERVIEW; we have two for you this month, Isle of Mull and Willie Tait of Jura Distillery. Find both online by hitting the big whisky interview image on our home page.

ARDNAMURCHAN DISTILLERY news; Adelphi distillery … Maybe? a multimillion-pound distillery that could bring jobs and hundreds of thousands of pounds to a remote Highland glen on Ardnamurchan. http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/scottishdistilleries.asp

KINGSBARNS DISTILLERY, KINGDOM OF FIFE, SCOTLAND Here is a chance to become involved from the very start, plans for a new distillery near to the Home of Golf (St Andrews) are well under way. Paul has been chatting to Doug Clement, asking some questions on your behalf, some a wee bit awkward we thought, but needed to be asked… see Kingsmills Distillery feature; http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/kingsbarns.asp  Maybe become a shareholder?

Whisky News; http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/angelsnewsandviewsonwhisky.asp

Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, makers of the world’s No 1 Irish whiskey, Jameson, has been named Whiskey Distiller of the Year and Whiskey Brand Innovator of the Year http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/angelsnewsandviewsonwhisky.asp

Amrut Distilleries, the maker of India’s finest malt whisky, pick up the “New World Whisky” title in Chicago http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/angelsnewsandviewsonwhisky.asp

Tomatin Distillery’s single malt Scotch whiskies has received an “Extraordinary Ultimate Recommendation” . http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/angelsnewsandviewsonwhisky.asp

Famous Grouse news, see; http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/famousnews.asp

The last Johnnie Walker Red Label bottled at the Ayrshire plant. The world’s largest distiller, Diageo, announced in 2009 that it was closing the Kilmarnock facility, where more than 700 people were employed. Some staff are moving to other jobs, others have agreed to severance pay, and 82 are being made redundant.

Scotch export sales reached £4 Billion in 2011!!!

Angels Golden Dram Award; see home page bottom right corner, a couple of excellent Scottish pubs we have awarded a great honour!

We’re just back from the Outer Hebrides and a Abhainn Dearg Distillery Warehouse Tasting….

http://www.thewhiskybarrel.com/blog/post/id/abhainn-dearg-scotch

Kind regards,

Alastair @
The Whisky Barrel
www.thewhiskybarrel.com

Whisky Magazine’s Online Retailer of the Year Award 2009, 2010 & 2011

It’s been all go here at Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky with over 20 bottlings since our last stock update. Here are some of our new drams on offer.

Dimensions Cask Strength

Dimensions Blair Athol 1989 22YO, C2928,
Description: The spiritual home of Bell’s Blend the home of anoften exceptional single malt!
Tasting Notes
Colour: Straw
Nose: Custard powder, soft like pickle. Dry ice! Coconuts shells. A little oily then quite grassy and floral! Buttercups? Then caiman bars
Taste: Chocolate digestives biscuits. Praline chocolates pineapple sweets. Flat cherry cola and then a touch of spice
Finish: More cherries and faint bitter chocolate. Fades to fennel and sage.
Comment: Soft and delicate yet still packs a punch!!

Dimensions Clynelish 1995 16YO, C10157 54.7%
Description: The distillery released of Clynelish sells roughly 8000 cases per year worldwide. Thanks good for Independent Bottlers letting us have more!!
Tasting Notes
Colour: Mid Gold
Nose: Nutmeg, pralines, coffee, liqueurs. Swiss rolls, in fact arctic roll (Cheap Ice Cream) Orange sherbet
Taste: Satsuma’s, kiwi fruits, double cream and soft notes of cornflakes. Some cumin and oregano!! A lot going on here!
Finish: Delicate interplay between spices and sweet tropical fruits.
Comment: This is very goods – Give it time and enjoy!

Dimensions Glen Grant 1990 21YO, C16975, 55.3%
Description: Founded by John and James Grant who previously managed the low long gone Dandelaith Distillery
Tasting Notes:
Colour: Light Amber
Nose: Dark fruits, warm toffee sauce. Then some grassier notes. Apple sauce and then milk chew sweeties. Then clementines!
Taste: Obvious sherry notes, then a bitter chocolate, toffee and plums and poached pears
Finish: Very mouth coating, thick and chewy, toffee, raisins, dried oranges and faint anise.
Comment: A toffee monster!!

Dimensions Glen Moray 1990 21YO, C10297, 53.4%
Description: In 2009 the distillery produced a batch of peated spirit at 40ppm, this is from 1990 so is obviously unpeated.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Bright Gold
Nose: Cold meats, spearmints, lemon cheesecake. Very creamy with some oily notes. Faint notes of fried batter.
Taste: Ginger and nutmeg. Oranges and some cloves, sweet vanilla, honey and mace blades
Finish: Touch of spice gives way to a syrup citrus fruits
Comment: Fruity and spicy – I like!!

Dimensions Glen Moray 1988 24YO, C1350, 48.4%
Description: Converted from a brewery, as was sister distillery of Glenmorangie
Tasting Notes
Colour: Gold
Nose: Marzipan, glace cherries, lemon/lime marmalade, Cake!
Taste: Intense citrus fruits, lemon rind, Becomes earthy and grassy. Delicate mint leaf.
Finish: sweet and juicy citrus notes go on and on…. Grassy with a hint of dry creamy oak.
Comment: My kind of dram – perfect for spring with its zest vibrant nature.

Dimensions Glenlossie 1992 19YO, C981, 51.2%
Description: The Boby Mill that was used at Glenlossie Distillery came from Teaninich Distillery
Tasting Notes
Colour: Warm Gold
Nose: Honey, lots of creaminess. Oranges with a touch of mint. Traces of pineapple, almonds and toffee yoghurt.
Taste: Crisp Juicy fruits. Hint of French toffee. Wine gums and jelly babies. Some grassier notes emerge
Finish: Faint trace of white pepper along with sage and lime leaves
Comment: A fresh and fruity dram!! Cracking

Dimensions Glenrothes 1993 18YO, C161, 54.6%
Description: The distillery expanded from 8 to 10 stilled in 1989. So well used by the time this was distilled.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Bright Gold
Nose: Rich and meaty with a redcurrant edge. Smoky oily notes mixed with toffee popcorn and slight medicinal notes
Taste: Quite spicy with some more toffee notes crunchie and more strawberries and raspberries. Moving toward blackberries and blueberries.
Finish: Lots of vanilla ice cream and then gooseberries and key lime pie
Comment: Sweet, Creamy and Fruity. Summer Whisky!!

Dimensions Imperial 1995 16YO, C50055, 53.8%
Description: There are rumours that this distillery will reopen. Let’s hope it is not just rumours
Tasting Notes
Colour: Gold
Nose: Lots of citrus, limes, kiwis Clementine’s and also some passion fruit. Some milky notes and lots of grassiness and then some plum liquor.
Taste: Thick and oily, some waxiness but also some good quality chocolate. Becomes lighter with some floral notes sugar cordial.
Finish: Mid length but intense fruitiness leading to barley sugar cordial.
Comment: Another stunning Imperial – Please reopen!

Dimensions Mortlach 1995 16YO, C4099, 54.8%
Description: Distillery became part of John Walker and Son in 1923
Tasting Notes
Colour: Mid Gold
Nose: Thick and syrupy. Soft smoke (Very) brand bread, popping candy, white chocolate, ginger and blackcurrants. Also has a hint of nettles.
Taste: Weird but in a good way – soft smoke, oily, dry ash then bags of oranges and leather. Cigar boxes and the juicy fruits emerge.
Finish: Melted butter on bran bread toast, aniseed traditional lemonade – walnuts and apricots
Comment: Mortlach never lets you down!!

Dimensions Teaninch 1983 28YO, C6718, 46.5%
Descriptions: Distilled before the old still house closed in 1985
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale Straw
Nose: Melons, apricots, white chocolate, dried bananas. Hugely fruity with faint medicinal notes. Lots of peppermint too!
Taste: More fruits again. A real fruit cocktail. Lychee, mango and a touch of sherry trifle. A lot going on here with a slight lime kick
Finish: Becomes more floral and a little grassy then mint humbugs and mashed bananas!
Comment: Simply stunning, drink in the sunshine!

Dimensions 46.0%

Dimensions Benrinnes 1997 14YO, Batch 0002
Description: Amazingly at the bottom of the hill by the same name – No marketing department in 1986
Tasting Notes
Colour: Gold
Nose: Crème Brule, Blueberries, oranges bitters and grapefruits. Warm grass, liquorices and aniseed.
Taste: Honey, iced doughnuts and custard creams. Bags of sugared sweets, iced gems and toffee sauce.
Finish: Softer than expected but lingering citrus and desiccated coconut
Comment: An elegant Benrinnes – Drink before climbing!

Dimensions Linkwood 1996 15YO Batch 0002
Description: One of only 12 distilleries listed as being ‘Top Class’ in the 1974 blender list
Tasting Notes
Colour: Straw
Nose: Coconuts, mango and dried apricots! Mint chocolates and dandelion cordial. Also some grapefruit and amaretto biscuits
Taste: Creamy, lots of vanilla, herbal. Crème Brule and blueberry muffins
Finish: Soft peaches and runny caramel
Comment: One for a sweet tooth!!

 Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited