“Oh dear, Oh dear! I shall be too late!”

The clock is tick, tick, ticking for those that haven’t grabbed a holiday bargain…our Easter Sale ends this Good Friday (Fri 22 April)

Majestic Malt:
35.54 Bubbly, buoyant and up-beat
Speyside Lossie
ONLY £40.00 inc free p&p (SAVE £8.50)
The nose is buoyantly aromatic, with sherbet lemons, fudge, vanilla, honey and a whole patisserie shop vanilla sugar

The Royal ‘We’: 76.80 & 9.61
ONLY £82.50 inc free p&p (SAVE £18.70)

76.80 Tantalisations of spring and summer: The nose, velvety and inviting, has mocha coffee, golden syrup sponge, pineapple, puff candy and scorched heather

9.61 A hot summer’s day among the gorse: Fresh and floral, with lemon-sherbet and lemon puffs, flowering hawthorn, rowan and whin blossom, a a hint of steam

Mystery Malt Hoilday Pack
ONLY £105 inc free p&p (SAVE £40+)
We’re giving some of our favourite casks a right royal send-off with this red-carpet of Mystery Malt parcels. Enjoy the last few remaining bottles from some outstanding and never to be repeated casks

SALE ENDS: Fri 22 Apr
Available online & telephone
*See in-venue for Members’ Room Easter Sale

Society Tastings & Events (32 Society tastings online)

Easter Chocolate Tasting – The Vaults, Sun 24 Apr
A Taste of History – London, Thu 28 Apr
Society Whisky Dinner – Winchester HDV, Thu 28 Apr
Newcastle Preview Tasting – Northern Counties Club, Thu 28 Apr
Glasgow Preview Tasting – Radisson Blu, Fri 29 Apr
Whisky & Cheese Tasting – Queen Street, Fri 29 Apr
Music with Andy Johnstone – The Vaults, Sun 1 May (FREE EVENT)
New Outturn Tasting – The Vaults, Sun 8 May
Champagne Cocktail Masterclass – Queen Street, Thu 12 May
Stewart’s Beer Tasting – The Vaults, Fri 13 May

Society Whisky Tastings

Whatever and wherever our tasting or event, the main focus is to give members an informal, enjoyable and relaxed night out..with a taste of the single cask good stuff!

Events range from step by step instruction in how to get the most from tasting single cask, single malt whisky to more adventurous couplings of whisky with food.

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. 

… a discovered treasure from www.ralfy.com !

whisky review 196 – Springbank 12yo single cask for Oddbins 2009

The last time we heard from Japanese whisky blogger and Malt Maniac Chris Bunting, he was in the middle of writing a book on Japan’s drinking culture. “Drinking Japan” has just been published, and Chris joins us to discuss his book and the status of Japan’s whisky distilleries after the recent earthquakes.  Chris is also donating part of his royalties from the book to earthquake relief efforts. In the news, Bill Samuels Jr. of Maker’s Mark is the toast of Kentucky after his retirement, whiskies for the Royal Wedding, and much more!

Visit WhiskyCast at www.whiskycast.com

Ladyburn Distillery

Hello,

I only have one picture to share with you today but I doubt many of you will have ever seen it.

Ladyburn is a lowland distillery where the fourth generation of the Grant family used to distil single malt whisky between 1966 and 1975. Located next to our single grain distillery in Girvan, Ladyburn would have…(click on the link below to read the rest of the post)…

http://blog.grantswhisky.com/2011/04/ladyburn-distillery/

Kind regards,
Ludo

40 Year-Old Whiskies: A Guide

Ok, we’re doing something a bit different today on The Whisky Exchange Blog – a collaborative post!  Yes, this particular blog on forty year-old whisky has been written by myself AND Sukhinder:  he’s supplied the history and the cold hard facts, while I’ve contributed a cod-philosophical waffle about perceptions of value at the start.  A winning…(click on the link below to read the rest of the post)…

http://tinyurl.com/3cknzkz

Master of the Quaich

We can’t resist telling you that on Monday this week our boss Richard Joynson was elevated to Master of the Quaich, the highest possible accolade the Scotch Whisky Industry can bestow upon it’s servants (there are only 140 Masters).

Loch Fyne Whiskies is the only retailer (whisky or otherwise) to be managed or owned by a Master.

Best regards,

David.
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

Hello My Fellow Scotch Lovers –

This weeks Whisky Wednesday is an amazing opportunity to acquire a rare whisky, at an incredible price: Scott’s Selection Bladnoch 1984 Lowland Cask Strength Whisky.

Bladnoch is Scotland’s most southerly distillery, nestled on the green banks of the River Bladnoch, from which it takes its name. Located in this beautifully remote area of Galloway, the distillery has been producing the “Spirit of the Lowlands” since 1817.

F. Paul Pacult described the whisky as “The sweet nose and toffee flavor reveal a surprisingly light finish” in his Spirit Journal, and gave it a rating of 90-95 ‘Highly Recommended’.

Nicky No-Neck described the whisky “really friggin’ good” and has come through, yet again, with a price you can’t beat with a stick…and of course we’re passing those savings on to you, our subscribers: I am thrilled to be able to offer Scott’s Selection Bladnoch 1984 for $145/bottle(normally $175).

As usual, the product supply at this price is very limited…and once it’s gone, it’s gone.  So please purchase your bottle(s) ASAP if you are interested.

Finally, you won’t be hearing from me for a couple of weeks, as next week I travel to Scotland for 10 days of frolicking in the Scottish Highlands. I will be attending the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festivalwith my father, the Good Doctor Stone, who first introduced me to whisky many moons ago.

What better way to spend some time with your dad….eh?

We’ll be in touch in early May…until then,

Doug Stone

Founder

www.ForScotchLovers.com

SCOTT’S SELECTION BLADNOCH 1984 TASTING NOTES – WINE ENTHUSIAST

“The first nosings pick up beguiling scents of carnation, rose petal, spring garden, mint and cinnamon spiciness; further aeration adds nuances of white pepper, fir-tree needles, and a faint dollop of honey. The taste at palate entry is creamy and moderately spicy; at midpalate the flavor turns biscuity, doughy and Sherry-cask sweet. Concludes gracefully.” – 90-95 points (07/05)
___________________________________________________________________

WHAT THE HECK IS SCOTT’S SELECTION?

Admittedly, waiting for our rare casks of Scotch whiskies to reach their peak maturation points isn’t the most action-packed business, but the fruits of our labors are well worth our patience. Some years ago Robert Scott-former Master Distiller and renowned Scotch whisky connoisseur, whose “nose” for fine whisky is now legendary-began a quest. Joining forces with the Speyside Distillery, Scott expertly “nosed” his way through Scotland’s foremost distilleries, seeking out and purchasing rights to individual barrels with unusual promise. He possessed the rare ability to recognize potential greatness in a single malt Scotch with only a whiff of his nose. After hand-selecting the highest quality individual barrels, Scott waited. And waited some more. Finally, when the casks reached their optimum ages-always distinct from the time when the spirits were bottled by other distilleries for mass consumption-Scott bottled them. Thus, Scott’s Selection was born.

In addition to being aged to its optimum level, each finite stock of exceptional single malt (and one top-quality grain) is bottled with the greatest of care to ensure the malts keep as close as possible to their natural state in the cask. Every barrel of Scott’s Selection is bottled at cask strength, undiluted by water. Each bottle is non-chillfiltered; that is, the whiskies are not chilled during the filtering process prior to bottling. The chillfiltering process separates the whisky from its natural fats and oils and renders a clearer Scotch, and it is usually administered to more standardized Scotch whiskies. However, purists insist this process also compromises flavor, and that only by strict adherence to traditional whisky-making methods can the individual characteristics of each malt be appreciated.

The boys and girls at Auchentoshan, the triple distilled lowland whisky, have launched a completely restyled and revamped website at www.auchentoshan.com.

Check it out! Visit it often and sip generously (don’t gulp!)

Mark Dermul
A Toshan Man
(www.markdermul.be/toshanman)

Easter Sale: Share a magical malt moment this April

April is bursting with celebration, whatever or wherever your plans make the moment magical with a Society single cask malt.  And in the interest of caring and sharing, enjoy some superb holiday savings…

Majestic Malt:
35.54 Bubbly, buoyant and up-beat
Speyside Lossie
ONLY £40.00 inc free p&p (SAVE £8.50)
The nose is buoyantly aromatic, with sherbet lemons, fudge, vanilla, honey and a whole patisserie shop vanilla sugar

The Royal ‘We’: 76.80 & 9.61
ONLY £82.50 inc free p&p (SAVE £18.70)

76.80 Tantalisations of spring and summer: The nose, velvety and inviting, has mocha coffee, golden syrup sponge, pineapple, puff candy and scorched heather

9.61 A hot summer’s day among the gorse: Fresh and floral, with lemon-sherbet and lemon puffs, flowering hawthorn, rowan and whin blossom, a a hint of steam

Mystery Malt Hoilday Pack
ONLY £105 inc free p&p (SAVE £40+)
We’re giving some of our favourite casks a right royal send-off with this red-carpet of Mystery Malt parcels. Enjoy the last few remaining bottles from some outstanding and never to be repeated casks

SALE ENDS: Fri 22 Apr
Mail Order only

GO DOWN to the Society Members’ Rooms..
And you’ll be sure of a BIG surprise…even more Easter savings.  Our Members’ Rooms are having their own individual Easter Sales, stop in for offers not available via Mail Order.

The Vaults
28 Queen Street
19 Greville Street

Society Tastings & Events (34 Society tastings online)
Easter Chocolate and Whisky Tasting – London, Thu 21 Apr
Easter Chocolate Tasting – The Vaults, Sun 24 Apr
Steak & Chips Tasting – The Vaults, Thu 28 Apr
A Taste of History – London, Thu 28 Apr
Newcastle Preview Tasting – Northern Counties Club, Thu 28 Apr
Glasgow Preview Tasting – Radisson Blu, Fri 29 Apr
Whisky & Cheese Tasting – Queen Street, Fri 29 Apr

Society Whisky Tastings
Whatever and wherever our tasting or event, the main focus is to give members an informal, enjoyable and relaxed night out..with a taste of the single cask good stuff!

Events range from step by step instruction in how to get the most from tasting single cask, single malt whisky to more adventurous couplings of whisky with food.  

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. 

We’re delighted to be able to reveal our new look blog, bringing all of the latest inside information from the world of The Famous Grouse to our Famous Friends across the world.

Subscribers to our blog will be the first to hear all the latest information on The Famous Grouse Family including exclusive previews of new and limited edition products, special offers, events and much more.

Current news includes details of the opening of the new Taste Experience at The Famous Grouse Experience, a news flash about our latest innovation – The Ginger Grouse bar tap, a special announcement about our inaugural Music and Whisky Festival coming to you this summer, as well as introductions to all the people who are working here behind the scenes at The Famous Grouse.

To visit the all new blog from The Famous Grouse click here.

We hope that you enjoy learning a little more about Scotland’s Favourite Whisky.
 
Yours famously,
The Famous Grouse Team