Father’s Day Gift Ideas From Park Avenue Liquor Shop
 
Father’s Day is fast approaching and the age old question of ‘What to get him’ is sure to be weighing on many of you. Well the Park Avenue Liquor Shop feels your pain and is here to offer many ideas for the Dads (and Grads!) in your life.

There are great deals and new arrivals below. As always, feel free to call us with any questions.

Cheers!

Jonathan & Eric
Park Avenue Liquor Shop
292 Madison Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10017
212-685-2442
info@parkaveliquor.com
www.parkaveliquor.com

Lagavulin 16 Year Old
 
“There’s nothing hurried about life on Islay or about dark, intense Lagavulin, which receives the slowest distillation of any Islay malt, then spends sixteen years in old oak casks before being bottled. Pungent and potent, this is a great Islay malt. With richly peaty, deep smoky flavours, it has an intense, long, ambrosial finish”.
 
Our Sale Price: $65

Oban 14 Year Old

Oban is made using only the finest barley, malted to the distillery’s own particular specification. Partly germinated barley is gently dried in a kiln where a light peat smoke gives the malt a distinctive character and taste. The result is the smoky, malty dryness in the flavor and finish of Oban.

The stills used are among the smallest in Scotland; the cramped nature of the site is attested to by the odd position of the worm tubs, fed by unusually short arms, and nestled in the ‘vee’ between the roofs of the still house and an adjoining building.

The taste style is medium, quite malty with a sweet opening, medium body and a generous dry finish. There is also a hint of spiciness, and perhaps seashore on the nose.

Our Sale Price: $65

Auchentoshan 1998 – Limited Edition  (Sherry cask)

Auchentoshan Scotch Whisky just released a 1998 Sherry Cask Scotch. This 1998 batch of single malt whisky was exclusively matured in Fino Sherry barrels with only 750 bottles available.

The Auchentoshan 1998 Sherry Cask is bottled at cask strength (109.2 proof) and is non-chill filtered, both of which yield lots of flavor and complexity. Here are some tasting notes provided by Auchentoshan.

Color – Deep copper

Body – Medium-bodied Lowland

Nose – Butterscotch, honey, preserved orange peel, toasted almonds

Palate – Sweet and creamy aromas at first which then give way to the signature citrus characteristic of Auchentoshan

Finish – A hint of green apple and blossom

Our Price: $80

Winner – “Best Lowland Single Malt” by Whisky Magazine (Issue 95)

Mackmyra – 1st Edition 

(Swedish Whisky) 
 
Park Avenue Liquor Shop the first store in the U.S. to stock “the 1st Edition” Mackmyra. For those of you who are new to Mackmyra – it started as a business in 1999 by 8 college friends who all later became civil engineers. On a ski trip to the Swedish ski resort Sälen they realized that they had all brought a bottle of whisky. This lead to a whiskey tasting; which in turn lead to them wondering why there was no Swedish distillery, and deciding to start one themselves. A year later, they started Mackmyra.

Aged in small hand-made roasted Swedish oak casks stored with care. Notes include, a hint of honey, vanilla and dried fruit. A spicy aroma and fruity elegant flavors followed by citrus and caramel. Non-chill filtered and no additives.

Our Price: $55 (Liter bottle)

 
Glenfiddich – Snow Phoenix   
 
On January 7th, 2010 weeks of snowfall caused 4 warehouse roofs of the Glenfiddich distillery to collapse.  Malt Master Brian Kinsman said, “It was as if some of the distillery angels had finished their ‘share’ and had come back looking for more.” After rescuing the maturing casks and moving them to secure areas an idea was born. The finest casks from the damaged warehouses (some very old, some previously held Oloroso sherry) were married together to create a very special Glenfiddich. It is called, “Snow Phoenix – a great Glenfiddich born of chance and adversity.” 

Limited edition – only bottled in 2010.

Nose – Creamy vanilla, apple, pear with fresh blossom.

Taste – Roasted apples, sweet heather and honey, subtle chocolate, a whiff of coffee and woodsmoke.

Finish –  Exceptionally long, sherry notes, satisfying sweetness.

Our Price: $100

Breuckelen Distilling Co. – Whiskey Batch 7 

The Breuckelen Distilling Co. has bottled 1 cask of its first whiskey. It’s labeled batch #7 because it was the 7th barrel to be filled at the distillery.

Distilled from a mash of New York State grown wheat, it was aged in new American oak for 123 days. Fermented, distilled, barreled, matured, and bottled on 19th Street in Brooklyn.

The Park Avenue Liquor Shop is one if the only stores in NY to stock it.

Our Price: $40

Not responsible for typographical errors. Due to ever-changing inventory, we cannot guarantee bottle availability. Please contact us with any shipping questions.

Hello Fellow Scotch Lovers – 

It’s been my mission of late to find whiskies that will allow me to keep drinking Scotch during the summer months, and offer them to you.  Last weeks offer of Stranahans is a great example of a quintessential summer whisky.  And this week I’ve got another for you.

Call me a bit of a “whisky caste snob”, but while I rarely pour a single malt whisky into a glass filled with ice, I have no problem doing so with a blended whisky.  And this week I’ve got an amazing blend to offer you, at another unbeatable price.

The King’s Crest 25 YO Blended Scotch Whisky is made using only 1977 Glenlivet as its single malt component and 1974 North of Scotland as it’s single grain component. It is bottled at the Glenlivet Speyside Distillery and is drawing casks from Robert Scott’s (of Scott’s Selection fame) legendary collection. King’s Crest is one of the only premium blended Scotch Whiskies to have an age statement meaning that no whisky used in this blend can be younger that 25 years old! The whisky was awarded Double Gold Medal Winner and ‘Best Blended Whisky’ – San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Now the really good news: Turns out Nicky “No Neck” has always wanted to be a “King-Maker”. So we sent him on a quest to find the Holy Grail of a prices on this whisky.  After months on his crusade, Nick came back with this offer:  King’s Crest 25YO Blended Scotch Whisky for $165 / bottle (normally $195 on our site, and typically found for $200-250 elsewhereelsewhere, and compare to Chivas 25 YO for over $300) while our supplies last.  But as always, the supply is extremely limited…and once its gone, it’s gone. So if you want a bottle or two to get you through the summer, order it fast.

I wish you all a most relaxing, enjoyable and hedonistic Father’s Day.

Doug Stone
Founder
www.ForScotchLovers.com

KINGS’S CREST 25 YO BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

THE KING’S CREST STORY   

King’s Crest Whisky is produced in limited quantities using traditional methods. But the secret, like the King’s Crest itself, goes back to a time when whisky was truly the stuff of heroes and the water of life, a time in Scotland’s history when legends were born in the swirling mists and rushing waters of the Highlands.

This secret is as much as part of the tradition and valour of Scotland as the King’s Crest. When you enjoy a dram of King’s Crest Scotch Whisky, you will be taking part in a custom as old as the highland clans, a tradition which owes everything to an age of heroes entitled to carry the King’s Crest.

Father’s Day – Sunday 19th June 2011

This Father’s Day, make it fun for him to remember. Single Malt Whisky with a personalised label. 

Select your bottle of Single Malt whisky and then personalise it by adding a photograph of your own choice and using a selection of different backgrounds and a message to the label. Our online label design is fun, quick and produces amazing results at the click of a button.

Here are a few we did to show you.

Click here to go to begin…………….

Great news for customers from Germany and Sweden…

Two bits of good news today, but in short: We are now delivering to Germany again Orders to Germany and Sweden will only get charged local duty – ie. they’re now even cheaper than before Since we had to stop sending orders to Germany four months ago we have been looking for ways to legally …(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Tennants Auctioneers of Leyburn, North Yorkshire, are to hold their inaugural Rare and Collectable Whisky, Wine and Spirit sale on Saturady 18th June, starting at 11am. 

There are almost 400 bottles of single malt, to be sold in around 70 lots.  Alongside modern classics such as Macallan 25 year old, bottled 1957 (estimate £300-550), Laphroaig 1976 (£150-250), and Ardbeg 1975 (£150-250), there are also a number of vintage bottlings from the 1970’s. 

The vintage bottles include a Springback 22 Year Old (£250-350), a 1970’s Laphroaig 10 Year Old (£250-350), two bottles of Glen Flagler, and a bottle of Sherriff’s Bowmore “Ship” label with box (£300-500).

The fully illustrated online catalogue is available at  http://www.tennants.co.uk/Catalogue/Sales/161.aspx starting at lot 1000. 

For those that cannot make the auction telephone bids can be arranged, or alternatively commission bids can be left.  Please contact Mark Littler on 01969 623780 for further information on the sale or consigning your own items to an auction.

Kindred Spirits
June 2011      
 
 Dear Friend,

Without the craftsmanship passed down through the generations, I know The Glenrothes wouldn’t be the exceptional creation that it is.

In a similar way, with Father’s Day round the corner on June 19th, it’s a time when many of us turn our thoughts to the attitudes, skills and characteristics that have been passed on to us by our Fathers.

Maybe now’s the time to give something back in return. The Glenrothes has always been a malt that you share with likeminded friends, and who better to share it with than your own Father?

I’d like to invite you to visit our online shop to see the gifts you could select this Father’s Day. Just click here to go to our shop. Significant times deserve a significant whisky, and many distinctive and memorable years are captured forever in a Vintage expression of The Glenrothes. Of course our Select Reserve, while not a vintage, similarly captures the essence of The Glenrothes in a perfect expression of subtle sweetness, spice, oranges and vanilla.

Whatever gift you choose this Father’s Day, I trust it will provide a memorable moment, not to mention a number of memorable drams together all through the year.

Raise a glass,

Ronnie Cox
Brand Heritage Director
www.theglenrothes.com

Ronnie Cox

A communication from Glengoyne Distillery
   
Last chance to order a 10% Off Personalised Bottle of Glengoyne for Father’s Day!

The cut-off time for Father’s Day orders is 11 am tomorrow (Wed 15th June) for UK orders.

We are still offering our loyal newsletter readers a 10% Discount on Glengoyne personalised bottles for Father’s Day!

Follow the link below to get a 10% discount on all personalised bottles – discount will be automatically applied.

Buy Personalised Bottles of Glengoyne with 10% discount >

Note: The discount will be valid until Father’s Day, however, UK orders placed after 11 am Wed 15th June will not be delivered in time for Father’s Day. 

Ardbeg Embassy Launch Tasting at TWE Vinopolis

As mentioned a few posts ago we ran a tasting at the end of May to celebrate our shop’s ascension to the rank of Ardbeg Embassy. We were joined by Distillery Manager Mickey Heads and an audience of peat fans eager to try the Ardbeg range. Over to Toby from the shop for a report …(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Dear Whisky Fans,

WoW hopes you’re having a great summer and enjoying some great drams during the warmer half of the year. We here at the WoW Expo office are planning an incredible 2012 Expo and look forward to impressing you with new and interesting whiskies as well as an exciting venue.

Nine months is a long time to wait for the Whiskies of the World® Expo 2012 and we don’t like to miss a chance to celebrate, nose, taste and compare expressions of uísque beatha or “the water of life”. Our latest occasion was the Memorial Day weekend when we sampled four different wood finished expressions of Glendronach released in 2010 including a 20yo Tawny Port finish. This particular whisky sold out very quickly so Glendronach released a second bottling in 2011. The new 15yo Tawny Port maintains the tradition of releasing non-sherry wood finishes of the highest quality and it is delicious.

Father’s Day marks another whisky rendezvous on the calendar. It takes fortitude to be a good father so this Father’s Day why not fortify your Dad with a good bottle of whisky?  We’ve done some research for you and can recommend several phenomenal expressions that will not leave any Dad disappointed.

Featured Whiskies:

For lovers of the best Scottish single malts we suggest Glenglassaugh 26 Years, a whisky rarely found in US stores.  This Highland malt is a marriage of the finest casks filled in 1983 from the Glenglassaugh distillery. Those who sampled it at the Expo gave rave reviews of this complex yet light whisky (46% alcohol) which still retains much of the youthful elements and light fruits of the original spirit. The price seems reasonable enough for an original distillery bottling, meaning this wonderful whisky wasn’t only produced but also bottled right at the distillery.

For the connoisseurs of everything single malt, not necessarily Scottish, Amrut whisky from India will be a perfect fit. Amrut Intermediate Sherry Matured is uniquely different from the usual sherry finished or sherry matured whiskies. It is the first “intermediate sherry matured” whisky – with the malt aged in sherry casks between periods maturing in either bourbon or virgin casks at Amrut’s Bangalore distillery.

Blended whisky fans will definitely appreciate Johnnie Walker Swing. Named for contrasting malts in the blend from the northern Highlands and Islay that will swing on your tongue the distinctive convex shape of the bottle makes a visually striking presentation. This proprietary bottling is not easy to find and any Dad will appreciate having it in his collection.

On a very important note, we recommend a great a great place to purchase these whiskies, alongside hundreds and hundreds of other liquid delicacies—Whisky Shop in San Francisco. Please don’t worry if you’re not a San Franciscan, as you can order directly from their website at http://www.whiskyshopusa.com and enjoy the convenience of on-line shopping.

Bible For Dad

Another great Father’s Day gift is the new 2011 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. This comprehensive guide to whisky contains almost 4000 tasting notes of single malts, blends, vatted malts and grain whiskies from around the globe, many of which have been released since the publication of the previous edition. The tasting notes will not only help to understand the character of a whisky before buying it, but are by themselves a fascinating read for anybody interested in whisky.

The 2011 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible also contains copious tasting notes for Bourbon and American whiskey aficionados as well! Order now to have it delivered by Father’s Day!

Featured Father:

When we talk about great fathers we mean fathers whose children respectfully and gratefully follow in their footsteps. Sometimes it takes generations to revive family roots and bring back the traditions founded by a great patriarch. There are a number of examples of children following in their father’s footsteps in the whiskey business.  This Father’s Day Whiskies of the World would like to honor Augustus Bulleit who created the legendary recipe for Bulleit Bourbon and his great-great grandson Tom who recreated the legendary recipe of Bulleit Bourbon 150 years later.

The story of Bulleit Bourbon began in the early 1800s when Augustus emigrated from France to New Orleans and using his knowledge of brandy-making created small batches of Kentucky Bourbon. Popular among the pioneers migrating westward of the Mississippi River, business was booming for Augustus Bulleit until 1860. Augustus  and his legendary Bourbon died while transporting whiskey to New Orleans, at least until Tom Bulleit came along.

If you stopped at the Bulleit table at the last WoW Expo, you probably met an interesting couple and received a generous pour of bourbon from them. This would make you part of Tom Bulleit and his daughter Hollis’ family whiskey tradition that represents a continuity of both Bulleit family history and a lost American era.

Cheers,

Douglas Smith

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

Welcome to summer and our Spring Whisky Week!

Tonight we are hosting our annual Spring Single Malt Festival which is another sell out. We have probably our best line-up of whiskies ever, with more than 120 on offer. Tonight we will be launching a number of new whiskies on to the market, like the Isle of Jura Prophecy one of our latest exclusives. We also have an advance bottle of the Shackleton Whisky—Mackinlay’s Old and Rare Highland Malt. This is a meticulous recreation of a whisky discovered under Shackleton’s hut in Antarctica. We will be the exclusive retailer of the Shackleton Whisky in Alberta, and are taking pre-orders for it. (I will include some pre-order info on the Shakleton Whisk in the next full Malt Messenger) There are also a slew of other new whiskies to showcase from Signatory, Edradour and a number of other producers which I will write in detail about in the next Malt Messenger.

As part of our whisky week I am hosting a special whisky dinner tomorrow night at Buchanan’s Chop House, I am calling it the Peat Monster Dinner. Participants will enjoy a three course meal and six heavily peated whiskies including three single cask single malts from Kilchoman Distillery. Last year three casks of Kilchoman were sold to North American Retailers, one to Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago, one to the Whisky Shop San Francisco and the other one too… you guessed it the Kensington Wine Market. I’ve acquired a bottle of each of the Whisky Shop and Binny’s bottlings, and we will sample these rare single malts next to the Kensington bottling. The dinner will also feature a whisky from Port Ellen and the Ardbeg Supernova 2010 and another unnamed single malt. The cost for the dinner is $120 + GST. It includes a three course dinner, six whiskies and gratuity!+

Finally, Father’s Day is nearly here. Happy Father’s Day to all you father’s and grandfather’s out there. Below you’ll find a copy of my Father’s Day gift guide. I hope it comes in handy!

FATHER’S DAY GIFT GUIDE

Under $60

1.       Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2011 – A dense tome of whisky musings, tasting notes and pointed personal opinions on whiskies from all over the world from one the industries foremost critics.- $21.99

2.       Malt Whisky Yearbook 2011 – A great resource on the Single Malt Scotch Whisky Industry with in-depth descriptions of all active distilleries and what happened in the industry over the last year! – $29.99

3.       Finlaggan Old Islay Reserve – A peated mystery malt from oops, Caol Ila Distillery. 94pts Jim Murray. Exclusive to KWM! – $50.99

4.       Arran 10 Year – The best unpeated malt available for less than $70 bucks! – $53.99

5.       Nikka From the Barrel – I’d call this whisky cute, but you might not take it seriously… this cask strength little Japanese whisky is sublime and comes in a handsome little square bottle. – $53.49

Under $100

1.       Auchentoshan 1998 – An excellent vintage just awarded best Lowland Whisky in the World Whisky Awards – $64.49

2.       Glenmorangie Sonnalta  PX – One of the most lovely noses you’ll ever sample, and a very soft complex palate. This KWM exclusive is currently our best selling whisky by a long shot! 96pts  Jim Murray. – $74.99

3.       Bowmore Tempest 1st Edition – Over the last year and a half this is our best selling single malt, and it was just awarded Best Islay Single Malt Whisky in the World Whisky Awards. – $81.99

4.       Arran KWM Bourbon and Sherry Casks – A couple of times a year the Kensington Wine Market selects a barrel to be bottled exclusively for our store. We review a selection of barrel samples and with the assistance of some select customers we choose one exceptional cask. This time things went a little bit sideways, we were unable to decide between one rich bourbon barrel and a superb sherry cask, SO we decided to do both! Our Bourbon and Sherry cask Arran bottling are each from a unique single barrel, bottled at natural cask strength, without chill filtering or added colouring. Like a proud father unable, nae unwilling to decide which child he prefers, you’ll have to decide for yourself which is the better whisky! – $84.99 / Each

5.       Duthies Ardbeg 16 Year – From a single cask bottled at 46% without added colouring or chill filtering; 1110 bottles. The whisky is a classic mature Ardbeg with soft oily peat, earthy spices and sweet vanilla! – $91.99

Under $150

1.       Glendronach 1995 KWM PX – Our Glendronach single cask PX Sherry Puncheon is one for the ages, sweet, chocolaty and soft with fruit and spice notes. It has yielded 682 individually numbered bottles at a cask strength of 52.2%, fewer than 125 left! – $114.99

2.       Kilchoman KWM Fresh Bourbon Cask – KWM is the first store in Canada and one of only 3 in North America to be given the privilege of bottling our own cask of Kilchoman, Islay’s newest and most exciting single malt. Less than 50 of the 260+ bottles left! – $114.99

3.       Tullibardine Gold Medal Marketing Cask 1987 – Bottled for the Alberta Importer this cask is sublime, rich with very soft sherry notes. Plus $5 from each bottle sold by Kensington Wine Market will go to the Children’s Hospital Aid Society. – $131.99

4.       Auchentoshan 21 Year – A classic, elegant, well priced single malt. 93pts Jim Murray’s Whisky Bibile. – $126.49

5.       Balvenie 17 Year Sherry Oak – Rich with big, dark sherry notes. This is one of my favourite Balvenies period! – $128.99

Under $250

1.       Signatory Glen Albyn 1981 – A very soft whisky from a little know closed distillery.  I have only seen one other bottle from this distillery come into the store over the last 9 years. – $173.99

2.       G&M Conn Choice Convalmore 1984 – Round full and oily, this is a whisky that really leaves an impression, but I dare not say what it makes me think of. – $182.99

3.       Glenmorangie Signet – This is one of the most interesting and unsual whiskies in the store. Made from chocolate malt and very old sherry cask whiskies. It is decadent! – $226.49

4.       G&M Conn Choice Glen Keith 1968 – A very reasonably priced whisky from a recently closed distillery. Lots of spice, and soft oak notes, hard to believe its 42 years of age. Exclusive to KWM! – $247.99

5.       Signatory Glen Mhor 1982 – This whisky from a long lost Inverness Distillery is intriguing with multiple layers and facets to it. Exclusive to KWM! – $234.99

Under $500

1.       Compass Box Hedonism Maximus – A Blended Grain Scotch whisky combining 41 year old Invergordon (70%) and 29 year old Carsebridge (30%). Only 1500 bottles ever made, exclusive in Canada to KWM. 93pts Jim Murray: “massive chewy oak”. – $233.99

2.       Pittyvaich 20 Year – Early reviewers have highlighted the whisky’s nose as being exceptional. The whisky is also exceptionally rare, this being only the second ever official bottling and the oldest. 6000 bottles worldwide. – $269,69

3.       Port Ellen 29 Year 8th Release – This 8th official release of Port Ellen is 29 years old and is already sold out in Europe. Distilled in 1978 only 6,678 numbered bottles were released World Wide of what is expected to be one of the final official releases. – $361.99

4.        Glenrothes Anniversary Cask 1979 – In 1979 Glenrothes celebrated its 100th anniversary, installed 2 new stills and laid down a couple of special casks distilled from the new stills. Cask # 13459, 492 bottles at 56.6%ABV. – $409.99

5.       Glenfarclas 40 Year – Only Glenfarclas could release an official 40 year old single malt for less than $500. Malt Advocate gave it 96pts and called it “Scotch Whisky of the Year”, Whisky Mag named it “Best Speyside Whisky!” – $499.99

Sky’s the Limit

1.       Signatory BenRiach 1966 – 42 Year – This one came as a huge surprise. Lovely soft malt and silky oak. A steal for its age, quality and price. – $777.99

2.       Signatory Bowmore 1970 – 40 Year – Two different 40 year old casks from the same vintage 1970! One of them is bottled at 43.2 and the other at 51.5%. – $1136.99 and 1137.99 respectively.

3.       Glenfiddich 40 Year – This retooled 40 year old comes in a beautiful box you can lock with a key, lest you should be tempted to dip into it at an inopportune time! – $2729.99

4.       Bowmore White 1964 – One of the three whiskies in the legendary trilogy. By far the softest and creamiest of the three but still retaining the trademark tropical fruit notes. – $4388.99

5.       Balvenie 40 Year – Only 150 bottles available worldwide, mostly from Duty Free. But a few bottles have made it to the retail level in Canada, and we have one! – $4633.99

Visit Kensington Wine Mart at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com