Balvenie’s Batch 2s – Tun 1401 and 40 year old

The folks at Balvenie like keeping busy. After a summer of random events they’ve hunkered down as we approach the end of the year and have done that which we know them for most – made some excellent whisky. Not … Continue reading >>

(From the nice people at the English Whisky Company);

Let us introduce you to our new website…

We hope the wait has been worth it. The new website is packed with all the info you need and hopefully you will find it easy and quick to get around. We would love your feedback so send us a message or tweet us or write to us.

Nosing at home

Good afternoon all,

I always enjoy writing nosing and tasting notes at home more than anywhere else – not just because it’s comfortable but mostly because I believe I am able to identify more aromas in a whisky sample. I have often wondered why that is. Why should I find it easier to nose whisky at…(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the post)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,
Ludo

Whisky Magazine announced its U.S. Icons of Whisky Awards this week in Louisville, and I was on hand for the ceremonies. Four Roses won Distiller of the Year honors for the second year in a row, and Balcones Distillery in Waco, Texas was named Craft Distiller of the Year. We’ll hear from winners Jim Rutledge and Chip Tate. In the news, a French family-owned wine company has bought Tullibardine, ghost hunters search Buffalo Trace for spirits of the ethereal variety, and much more!

Visit WhiskyCast at www.whiskycast.com

Loch Fyne Whiskies  ‘Scotch Whisky Deals! 2011’

 That’s all our Deals! online now. Click below to download our Deals! Sheet (which is also in the post to our UK regulars).

Best regards,
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

November Outturn: Nipper UPDATE
With our Nipper November Outturn released and raising temperatures we take a look at the top 5 member favourites…

1) 93.48 Immense, manly, meaty and peaty
2) 125.50 Heavenly beauty
3) 1.160 Sunny spiced apples & vanilla cream
4) 33.114 Sweet versus savoury
5) 29.104 Not for wee boys

November Nippers:
Pair: Buy *76.83 & *29.105 for only £89.00
Trio: Buy *93.48, 30.64 & *29.105 for only £145
*Buy 29.104 & *29.105 and get a FREE tasting glass

*Alternative bottle

Nov Outturn
Browse all bottlings (47 single casks online)

SMWS Tastings & Events (28 events online)
All about wood – 28 Queen Street, Thu 17 Nov
Greenock Preview Tasting – The Tontine Hotel, Fri 18 Nov
Aberdeen Preview Tasting – Caledonian Hotel, Thu 24 Nov
Winchester Preview Tasting – Winchester Royal Hotel, Fri 25 Nov
Glasgow Preview Tasting – Radisson Blu Hotel, Fri 25 Nov
Harrogate Preview Tasting – Hotel du Vin, Fri 25 Nov

More Society tastings

London Members’ Room: We’re upgrading our bar area to make it even more fabulous. It does mean that from now until Tue 15 November we will have to close the bar. However, the upstairs Tasting Room will be open for drams and bottles, but sadly no food. Sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause.

Book an Event: Festive Dining & Suppers
This year the Society is capturing the essence of Christmas with a feast for the senses. Enjoy flaming cocktails, a fabulously festive three-course meal and whisky ‘affogato’
More details

Whisky Magazine’s 2012 Independent Bottler of the Year

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 http://www.smws.co.uk/memberships for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers.

Hello Fellow Scotch Lovers –

My guess is many of you are familiar with Citizen Kane, the 1941 film directed by and starring Orson Welles, that examines the life and legacy of newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane and the research of a newsreel reporter seeking to solve the mystery of the magnate’s dying word: “Rosebud.”

Any by now I’m confident that even more of you are familiar with Citizen Neck, the story of the relentless pursuits, shrewd business dealings and global triumphs of whisky magnet Nicky “The Neck”, who just yesterday was heard whispering the word “Rosebank” into his mobile phone from some far-away warehouse.

That’s right my friends…”Rosebank“….as in Rosebank 21 Year Old 1990 Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

For those of you unfamiliar with Rosebank, fear not, you’re not alone.

The Rosebank distillery was built in 1840 for James Rankine, a local merchant, on the waterside site of a former brewery near Falkirk in Scotland. It is one of the very few mainland distilleries that reached its markets by water (the Forth-Clyde Canal), and is highly regarded by Lowland malt enthusiasts. Tragically the Rosebank distillery was closed in 1993.

Fortunately for us, thanks to those relentless pursuits, shrewd business dealings and global triumphs of our man The Neck, I am thrilled to be able to offer you access to a bottle of Rosebank 21 Year Old 1990. The 53.8%ABV whisky is a triple distilled, natural cask strength whisky that was aged in refill American oak and refill European oak casks. This is a very rare bottling of some of the oldest stocks now held by the original distillers, with only 5,604 numbered bottles worldwide.

The price for a bottle of Rosebank 21YO 1990 is $289 We have an extremely limited supply and, as always, once it’s gone, its gone. So please, order your bottle now (limit 2-bottles per customer).

I hope you will take advantage of this exceptional opportunity to acquire this collectable rare whisky.

Until next Wednesday…keep those cards and letters coming!

Doug Stone
Founder
www.ForScotchLovers.com

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ROSEBANK 21 YO 1990 LOWLAND SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

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ROSEBANK 21 YO 1990 DISTILLERS TASTING NOTES

COLOR: Pale gold. Moderate beading, very clear.

NOSE: Mild nose-feel. The soft start is soon balanced by a crisp, juicy fruit sharpness (tropical fruits, orange and tangerine peel) and sweetness (fruit sweets). Below this the sweet fruit gives way to a more delicate earthy, even floral character: lily and English rose. Water makes the aromas softer; sweet lemon fondant replaces the earthiness. Late green apple fruit and floral notes; ripe peaches in a brown paper bag.

BODY: Light.

PALATE: At natural strength, tingling mouth-feel and good acidity; fresh, clean and drying. Mineral and tart (ripe plum skins) with faint menthol, then pleasingly charred with light pepper. Beautifully silky with a little water, when a very soft floral sweetness emerges (fruit salad and orange water) before the lemony acidity asserts itself.

FINISH: Short and drying, with just an appetising hint of bitterness. Later, some red grape fruit. Softer, more gentle and rounded with water. Finally, a little late cocoa dryness.

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www.ralfy.com recommends a bit of your time to explore a different style with whisky review 231 – Hellyer’s Road (peated) Tasmanian Malt

A good example of a decent option of World Whisky

It was great to get home on Islay after my two week tour of Australia and the Far East. I really enjoyed it. But I am now off again on a tour of Canada and America. I look forward to meeting as many Friends as I can.

The highlight in the Far East was of course the Laphroaig Live broadcast on the 6th Oct in Sydney. We had a huge global audience and as always I am surprised at how many of you stayed up to watch from all around the World. It was fantastic to meet Lin Johnston the great-great granddaughter of one of our original founders, Donald Johnston. It was also a privilege to get to open and try a very rare “antique” bottle of 10 year old that he would have recognised. In those days Laphroaig matured its whisky in a much broader range of cask types than we do today so it had a different style, but none the less instantly recognisable as a classic Laphroaig.

I appreciate that for many of you it would have been either night time or very early morning when the live broadcast went out so we have put a full recording up on the website for you to enjoy: http://www.laphroaig.com/laphroaig-live/sydney-2011.aspx .

We had many questions sent in live on the night but if you have any when you have watched the programme do please write in and I will try and answer them. You can post them on my Twitter site at www.twitter.com/laphroaigwhisky  or on the Laphroaig Facebook page at www.facebook.com/laphroaig .

The majority of questions we received this year were about our special Laphroaig BBQ sauce we had on the night with our Australian BBQ (I loved the Kangaroo!). We are endeavouring to get the sauce made commercially for you. For any of you that want to attempt it yourselves, the recipe is on the Laphroaig Live website. Personally I thought the smoky Laphroaig influence was terrific, but if you do make it, please tell me what you think.

Finally may I give a warm thanks to all the Friends of Laphroaig I met in Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and Malaysia. You all made me feel very welcome; I hope to meet many of you in the future here in Islay when we can share stories over a dram!

Slàinte,

John Campbell
Distillery Manager, Laphroaig

For more information about becoming a Friend of Laphroaig visit www.laphroaig.com

TIM HAIN, master bluesman and whisky lover. The big whisky interview; Paul talking to Tim. Apart from this interview, I reall URGE you to check out his website, I love this music… http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tim+hain&aq=f  listen/watch

How you doin Tim, lets get right into it…
When did you start a liking for the blues? When I was 16 at public school. Bluesbreakers “Beano” album, with Eric Clapton – an earthquake…then Peter Green, Freddie King, Canned Heat, Mike Bloomfield, Hendrix. Saw Cream at Woking Town Hall! (Paul; anyone else out there doin what I’m doin? in me head am agreeing all the way!!!)

And what was your first gig (however young?) At same school, by the river, at 16 singing and playing Red House, badly…

What or who, are the big influences in your music? As Mentioned, plus Albert King…followed by West Coast Rock, Byrds, Dead etc. Then big on reggae in The 80s,Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Black Uhuru, Sly and Robbie..and all great singer/songwrtiters – Beatles, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Peter Gabriel…then African township vibes – 4 Brothers, Thomas Mapfumo. Graceland was great.

At what point did you realise blues and whisky blended so well? – (see what I did there, och so clever eh!) OK don;t rub it in! I think when I met Colin Dunn. We…erm…blended well together. I match his taste in music, and true to his word ( rare these days) he got me some work at some wonderful whisky events – Whisky Lounge, The TWE Whisky Show (1 last 2 years )

There is also a wee tune or two with a Reggae beat, do you enjoy this breakaway also from blues? What d’you think Rasta? I am the masterblender! Blues and Reggae = Bleggae LOL!!

Who are or what is The Jamside Up Band? An evolving Bleggae party band with excellent members including some top reggae drummers like Barry Prince and Tapper who back the best in reggae…

Your love of motor racing is obvious to anyone browsing your website, when did this start? When I was 11…

You met a hero of yours, Sir Stirling Moss, what was that like? Both A dream come true and like meeting an old friend…

And how did the Glen Moray come into it? SM invited me to open a bottle in his drinks cabinet – he doesn;t like whisky BTW – “The Jim Clark Festival Malt.” And it’s rude to Refuse a legend!! Check out The song on my website www.timhain.com. It tells that story. Then I decided to resurrect it for the 40th anniversary of Jim’s sad death at Hockenheim. Glenmorangie put me In touch with Glen Moray, I designed a label, and GM send out a bottle, from whichever cask is In their visitor centre at The time, and I keep a percentage Of every order I give ’em. Iain is a lovely bloke and has sent me same mega samples…

There is an image stuck in my head of old blues singers wrapped around a bottle of Jack Daniels, the music of yours seems so joined up with lyin back sippin an excellent malt, have you heard noises like this before, or is it just me? No, not just you. It’s a bit of a stereotype image. Ask Keef Richards! (there I go, stereotyping!) Well Blues and Malt is very different from that trad. image, Frankly I can’t STAND Jack Daniels. But getting up with Colin Dunn and blues harp maestro Alan Glen after a Dunn Masterclass is the business!

Do you have a favourite dram? and why? As they say “The one I’m drinking right now!” Which happens to be a Laphroaig Triple Wood, part of my “wages” for performing at The Whisky Show. Like the QC but softer. Most memorable include Lagavulin 21, a Talisker 25 Colin forced me to taste last week ( he’s such a bully!) a 23 YO Bowmore – one Of 288 bottles, a 50 YO Macallan 1946, the Glen Moray “Mountain Oak”. a SMWS Yamazaki…and a £30 Irish Knappogue Castle 12, the most subtle and delicate Of Irish malts gifted me buy a fan, Martin Clarke who runs a great Internet Blues Station, Radio Wey, every Friday. Check him out. www.thebluessession.co.uk  Last time I was on his show it turned into a whisky tasting…he’d appreciate a Link! DONE!

What are the plans for the future? New album with Alan Glen for starters, almost finished…more work singing at whisky events. I have a song, “Cry For Love” included on a new documentary about Bob Marley “The making of a legend” by Esther Anderson, a former girlfriend and photographer of Bob’s. The Rest JAH KNOW! Official trailer for “Making Of A Legend.” www.youtube.com/watch?v=U12IclF0WeU  

Do you have any plans for a gig inside a whisky distillery? (Maybe we can chat on that?) Maybe we can! Let’s do it…

Finally; do you have any track in your set that mentions “angels”? or an angel? or whisky for that matter? I have a 5 track CD – “One More Dram ” – of whisky songs I made for the Whisky Show…it includes “Jim Clark Festival Malt” song mentioned earlier…

Well, many thanks Tim, keep the music acomin. (och Iv’e been to the southern States too often!) Paul was chatting over a dram & background blues with Tim Hain, www.timhain.com

See interview with pictures and sound links at www.angelswhiskyclub.com Free to join club