Glen Scotia 25-year-old sets sail 

Independent Campbeltown distillery, Glen Scotia, has added a 25-year-old single malt to its award-winning range.

The single malt, which is dominated by maritime influences, was launched at the Campbeltown Whisky Festival on Wednesday 24 May.

Founded in 1832, Glen Scotia distillery is one of three surviving distilleries in Campbeltown, which is one of Scotland’s five recognised regions of Scotch whisky production. The Argyll town was known as the “Victorian Whisky Capital of the World” when there were over 30 distilleries operating on the Kintyre Peninsula.

Michael Henry, who is Master Blender for Loch Lomond Group, owners of Glen Scotia, explained the unique flavour of this complex single malt.

He said: “I created the 25 year old with the history of Campbeltown in mind. For many years, trade has come through this port town bringing fruits and spices from all over the world on its salty sea breezes. I wanted the liquid to reflect this.

“The signature nose has hints of vanilla oak, interwoven with subtle notes of sea spray and spicy aromatic fruits. On the palate, it boasts tangy orange and juicy red apples mixed with a caramel sweetness. Its finish is a long lingering taste of sea salt with a spicy note of ground ginger.”

The 25-year-old is bottled at 48.8% ABV and is non-chill filtered for increased depth of character and flavour. The liquid was matured in the finest American oak barrels, before each cask being hand selected by Michael Henry and then married in first fill bourbon casks for a final 12 months before bottling.

Iain McAlister, Glen Scotia distillery manager, said: “We’re extremely proud of our newly released 25 year old malt and we’re confident that everyone who gives it a try is going to love it too. In recent years, our single malts have won some major industry awards and I can see our 25 year old challenging the current leaders for a few more titles.

“While our 25 year old maintains the unique character associated with Glen Scotia single malts, its gentle maturation in American oak and then finished in first fill bourbon casks delivers an intense depth and a nose that will have drinkers almost feeling the Atlantic breeze blowing in over the Campbeltown coast.”

The 25 year old won praise from renowned whisky writer Charles MacLean, who conducted a tasting of the new malt at its launch.

He said: “I’m very impressed by Glen Scotia’s new 25 year old. Even on the nose you can detect the age.

“It has all the characteristics that you’d expect from Glen Scotia but with a roundness to it. It is very nice indeed.”

The single malt will be stocked in all good whisky shops from June and will retail at £250 for 70cl bottles. The emblematic Glen Scotia bottle is presented in an oak case engraved with the Campbeltown coordinates.

Glen Scotia was recently named the Best Campbeltown Distillery of the Year at the 2017 Berlin International Spirits Competition.

Glen Scotia 25 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky tasting notes

• Nose – Bracing Atlantic breeze gives strong maritime influence.
• Palate – Red apple and tangy orange peel with vanilla syrup and caramel sweetness.
• Finish – Long lingering sea salt with a spicy note of ground ginger. 

About Glen Scotia:

• Independent distiller Glen Scotia has been producing single malt whisky in Campbeltown since 1832.
• Glen Scotia is one of three surviving distilleries in Campbeltown.
• Glen Scotia was named Best Campbeltown Distillery of the Year at the 2017 Berlin International Spirits Competition.
• Images and interviews with key staff from Glen Scotia are available upon request.

Glen Scotia variants

• Glen Scotia Double Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• Glen Scotia Victoriana Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• Glen Scotia 15 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• Glen Scotia 25 year old

Glen Scotia stockists

Glen Scotia will be available to purchase in June from all good specialists and online retailers including:

• Robbie’s Drams (www.robbieswhiskymerchants.com)
• Royal Mile Whiskies (www.royalmilewhiskies.com)
• The Whisky Shop (www.whiskyshop.com)
• Master of Malt (www.masterofmalt.com)

www.glenscotia.com /Twitter: @GlenScotiaMalts

Treat your Dad to a special dram this Father’s Day

Whether your dad enjoys the classic peaty malt or prefers the gingery, vanilla notes of a fruity and spicy dram, Benromach has something to offer everyone this Father’s Day.

Based in the market town of Forres in Speyside, Benromach has a range of expressions that will suit all tastes, from sweet and fruity to heavily peated. It’s available across price points to suit every budget. At Benromach, we handcraft our single malt Scotch whisky and make it slowly, the time-honoured way. Using the finest natural ingredients, our distillers orchestrate every second of the distillation process; there are no short cuts to perfection. Every cask is hand-filled, hand-weighed and hand-stamped before maturing for many years in our traditional dunnage warehouses.

A bottle of Benromach Speyside single malt Scotch whisky is sure to put a smile on your dad’s face this Father’s Day.

For the traditional whisky fan   

Matured in a mixture of first fill bourbon barrels and first fill sherry casks, Benromach 10 Years Old is an impeccable dram. It exemplifies the classic pre-1960s Speyside single malt character, with notes of rich sherry, delicate spice, green apples and a touch of light peat smoke. It is the perfect malt for those dads who appreciate the sweet notes of a traditional Speyside whisky. RRP £34.25.

For the whisky connoisseur 

A full bodied and complex dram, Benromach 100° Proof will be a welcome Father’s Day surprise for whisky loving dads across the globe. Intense sherry notes lead on the nose, followed by stewed apple, pear and vanilla aromas that give way to delicious toasted malt with an underlying menthol edge. Flavours of cracked black pepper and juicy fresh strawberries and raspberries lead on the palate, before creamy notes of milk chocolate emerge. With a long, rich finish of lingering, subtle smokiness and bonfire embers, it is a sumptuous dram. RRP £48.25.

For spice lovers  

With a distinctive golden amber colour thanks to long maturation in sherry and bourbon casks, Benromach 15 Years Old is a stunning dram. Beautifully balanced sherry aromas lead on the nose followed by vanilla and spicy ginger, complemented by delicate chamomile and menthol notes. This is followed by flavours of stewed plum, red apple and the sharp edge of kiwi fruit on the tongue. RRP £50.25.

For the father with a sweet tooth

The world’s first wholly certified organic single malt Scotch whisky, Benromach Organic is a beautifully balanced malt matured in virgin American oak casks. A delightfully sweet and malty dram with vanilla, toffee and banana influences on the nose. Savour the taste of creamy pepper and sweet fruit flavours followed by a dark chocolate edge with a smooth long finish. Organic from start to finish, this rich, fruity and spicy whisky is the finest choice to serve your father after dinner this Father’s Day. RRP £36.99. 

For the Dad who loves seriously smoky whiskies 

The seriously smoky taste of Benromach Peat Smoke is a unique gift for fans of peated whisky. Sweet vanilla, honey and cured meat aromas combine with hints of apricot and lemon and a subtle tobacco note, followed by the rich flavours of cracked pepper and the lingering edge of bonfire embers. RRP £36.99

For the extra special treat this Father’s Day

If your dad really appreciates a special dram, or maybe he is celebrating a big milestone this year, he will be sure to appreciate Benromach 35 Years Old, a satisfying, complex malt with beautiful golden amber hues. The nose offers rich sherry influences with orange marmalade, kiwi and grapefruit aromas, complemented by gorgeous cinnamon spice. The flavour opens up with water to a fabulous combination of white pepper followed by dried tobacco, dewy stewed pair, raisin and zesty orange peel flavours, all heightened by a delicate edge of charred oak. A mature, contemporary whisky. RRP £425.

For further information on Benromach, and to explore the wide range of expressions available alongside stockist information, please visit www.benromach.com.  

Notes

Originally built in 1898, Benromach Distillery was brought back to life when leading whisky specialists Gordon & MacPhail purchased it in 1993. The distillery was extensively re-equipped over a five-year period before it was officially opened by HRH Prince Charles in 1998.

In reopening Benromach Distillery, Gordon & MacPhail decided to create a classic Speyside single malt – a style that draws its influence from Speyside whiskies pre-1960s.

Benromach Distillery is located on the outskirts of the ancient market town of Forres. A four-star visitor centre is open to the public throughout the year for tours and tastings. Benromach Distillery is a member of the world famous malt whisky trail.

Smooth Ambler

Long time residents of the Greenbrier Valley, West Virginia, both TAG Galyean and John Little knew that they wanted to make something, something that would leave a mark on Greenbrier County and the folks that call it home, something to be proud of.  That’s when TAG came across the TIME article featuring the re-emergence of craft distilling in the United States. With a sly comment of, ‘we should do this, in your garage…I’m serious’, began the journey of Smooth Ambler Spirits.

SMOOTH AMBLER OLD SCOUT AMERICAN WHISKEY

This Whiskey from Smooth Ambler is a blend of two whiskeys. One in fresh american oak casks and one in a re-charred cask.  Sweet and spicy, this release is not one to miss and sits at a generous 49.5%

BUY NOW

Smooth Ambler Wheated Bourbon

This is the first wheated release to come from the distillery’s own stocks. This release from Smooth Ambler is made from a wheated mashbill.   Rich in caramel and with a slight spice, this whiskey has a delightful whiff of orange peel and tobacco.

BUY NOW

SAZERAC’S Tennessee Distillery burning for Whiskey Production 

            Newport, TN (2017) Some distillers take pride in being hands on in their whiskey production, but Master Distiller John Lunn and Distiller Allisa Henley took that to a whole new level in late March when they unloaded four ricks of sugar maple wood from the trailer hitched to the back of John’s pick-up truck and began burning it in his backyard.

            Burning maple creates the charcoal for the Lincoln County process, essential for making authentic Tennessee whiskey, something Lunn and Henley are anxious to do now that they have joined the Sazerac family.  Late last year, Sazerac purchased the distillery in Newport Tennessee, and although the distillery has yet to have a formal new name, Lunn and Henley are not letting that stop them from making authentic Tennessee whiskey.

            “We know it’s going to take many years for this whiskey to age up, so we were anxious to get started on production as soon as possible,” stated Henley. And what a start! The wood was sourced from a sawmill in Tennessee and each rick contains pieces of maple approximately two inches by two inches and stacked in a specific way to let air flow through for a more consistent burn. Lunn and Henley took extra care in burning this charcoal and plan to be involved very closely in each step of the production process to ensure the highest quality Tennessee whiskey is produced.

            “We believe we can produce a better charcoal ourselves rather than buying it from a third party,” said Henley. “It is a very controlled process. We don’t want it to burn too long, but not too short either.”  To be classified a Tennessee whiskey the whiskey must be filtered through maple charcoal. The charcoal mellowing process will influence the whiskey making for a unique finish that distinguishes it from bourbon.

            Lunn and Henley will continue to burn more wood themselves as it is needed for the future, but for now, the next step is whiskey production. “The grains are in, the charcoal is ready, the barrels are here and we’re gearing up to start distilling in our pot stills, so stay tuned for more updates,” added Henley.

            The Tennessee whiskey, like the distillery, does not have a brand name yet, but announcements will be forthcoming as new developments are made.  To see the video of John and Allisa’s hands on maple charcoal burn, click here

About the Sazerac Company

         Sazerac is one of America’s oldest family owned, privately held distillers with operations in Louisiana, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, New Hampshire, Maryland, California, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Australia and Canada. For more information on Sazerac, please visit www.sazerac.com

The Milk & Honey Distillery – Israel’s first whisky distillery is proud to launch:

Israel’s first single malt whisky!

The wait for the first single malt whisky in Israel is over. Gearing up for World Whisky Day, that was marked on May 20, Milk & Honey bottled the first cask in its experimental series, an integral component of the formulation of the final product, now in production at the distillery. On May 20 – World Whisky Day, the first Israeli whisky was launched, and the initial sales of the distillery’s first 391 bottles of single malt whisky will go on sale later in June. 

Milk & Honey – Israel’s first whisky distillery is chalking up another achievement, with the announcement of the hotly anticipated sale of Israel’s first single malt whisky. On World Whisky Day, which marked on May 20 2017, the whisky will be launched and towards mid-June a sales event with 391 bottles from the first cask of the distillery’s “Experimental Series” will be held at Milk & Honey Distillery and at selected stores throughout the country.

Israel’s first single malt whisky by The Milk & Honey Distillery is the first whisky to be produced and bottled in Israel after being aged in cask for minimum three years. It therefore complies with the definition of whisky in Scotland and most countries around the globe. It is the harbinger of what is yet to come – special Israeli whisky that is well mature, thanks to the warm Israeli climate.

The distillation of this historical whisky began at the distillery’s early stages – even before it was established at its current location in south Tel Aviv, before the current industrial equipment was purchased, and before the successful crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo. The barrel was distilled in January 2014 in a warehouse in the Northern Sharon region , by Head Distiller Tomer Goren, together with internationally renowned master distiller, the late Dr. Jim Swan, as part of his role as consultant to the distillery at the time.

The liquid was aged for 31 months in a 225-liter virgin American oak cask and then for another seven months in an ex-bourbon cask matured at the distillery’s cask room in Tel Aviv.

The first bottles of Israeli single malt whisky will go on sale to the public in June, distributed by Hacarem at select stores nationwide. Sales of the first bottles in the special edition (numbers 1-100) will begin on July 7, 2017 for 10 days through a special international online auction.

About the distillery

The Milk & Honey Distillery is Israel’s first whisky distillery. It produces high-quality distillates and is working on Israeli single malt whisky that will be sold commercially. The first edition, the founders’ edition, was sold entirely through a successful crowd funding campaign and is currently aging in barrels. It will be launched in 2019. All of the raw materials, equipment, barrels and processes were selected to ensure that the final product – white distillates or aged whisky – meets the strictest and most uncompromising standards of quality and flavor, without any shortcuts on the lengthy journey until the whisky is rolled out: training and consulting by the late Jim Swan – world-renowned master distiller, who specialized in maturation in warm climates; equipment that was custom designed and ordered; fastidiously selected barrels, and selection of the finest raw materials available.

The Milk & Honey Distillery

16 HaThiya St., Tel Aviv, +972 (0) 363 20491

mh@mh-distillery.com www.mh-distillery.com

DORNOCH CELEBRATES PRESTIGIOUS DRINKS AWARDS!

The Carnegie Whisky Cellars celebrates its 1st Birthday with a National Award! As we approach our first full year of trading, we were extremely pleased to be nominated by the public for the Scottish Independent Retail Awards. As the only finalists North of Inverness in our category, we were even more pleased to be named as winners in our regional category of North of Scotland! We were, however, thoroughly surprised and delighted, not only to win that but to take the top award for best independent off license in Scotland.

This adds to a stellar year for Dornoch, as the world famous Dornoch Castle Whisky Bar next door to the Carnegie Courthouse took top awards for Whisky Bar of the year at the SLTN awards and pub of the year in Caithness and Sutherland in the CAMRA awards, they are also the number one ranked Whisky Hotel in the World on whiskybase.com. The town itself was the only Scottish finalist in the Great British High Street awards in the Rising Star category. Adding to this, the Thompson Brothers whose family owns the Dornoch Castle Hotel started production at the new Dornoch Distillery – housed in the towns old 1881 Fire House – on the 30th November and they recently launched their first ten experimental batches.

As a very small but dedicated and enthusiastic team we are grateful for the amazing support our customers have shown over the past year. It was this support from our local and international customers, including our local MP, Dr Paul Monaghan that took us to the top. You can see what some of our customers are saying on TripAdvisor or Facebook.

This last year, in our bid to become a centre of excellence for Scotch whisky we have seen our disused Courthouse building in the heart of historic Dornoch, transformed into the stylish and vibrant community asset it is today, housing several local independent businesses including our Whisky Cellars, you can see our shop for yourself with our new Google virtual tour.

Whisky tastings in our elegant tasting vault have proved extremely popular and we have, over the year, developed a great customer base among locals and visitors alike. We have whisky and gin club monthly meetings, and once again the local support has been amazing.

Ultra-special bottlings have appeared, (and disappeared again very quickly!) in the form of the 400 years of Golf at Royal Dornoch bottling created by Glenmorangie, our own Wolfburn Dornoch Whisky Festival bottling (which proved a winning collectable) and a single cask Caol ila bottling exclusive to us, a stunningly good expression which met with great approval by all those lucky enough to taste it! Our second exclusive single cask bottling will be with us in July – watch this space…

Last year was the second year for the Dornoch Whisky Festival which included tastings by Charlie Maclean and the Thompson Brothers. We also had tours at all of our local distilleries including Brora and Teaninich. This year’s festival will take place during the last weekend of October. Keep an eye out on their Facebook page for more event details.

So, this year we’ll celebrate our 1st birthday with our Courthouse colleagues, and give our hearty thanks to all our customers, whose fantastic support has made us award winners! For those yet to sample the delights of our extensive selection of malt whiskies, Scottish gins, collectable whiskies and more, we extend a warm welcome and look forward to seeing all our customers old and new in the coming months – Sláinte

You can contact our team directly on 01862 811791 or email us at whisky@thecarnegiecourthouse.co.uk

‘ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER WHISKIES IN THE WORLD’ AT BONHAMS WHISKY SALE

TWO WORLD CLASS MACALLANS LEAD WHISKY AUCTION IN EDINBURGH

A bottle of The Macallan Millennium distilled in 1949, aged for 50 years in Spanish oak sherry casks, and bottled in 1999 is a highlight of Bonhams Whisky Sale in Edinburgh on 7 June. It comes in a Caithness glass decanter accompanied by a stopper, and in its own fitted oak presentation case.  It is estimated at £15,000-17,000.

With a taste described as Christmas cake style fruit, The Macallan Millennium is considered the greatest aged Macallan whisky of them all and, at 900 bottles, one of the most sought-after whiskies in the world.  In 1949, the Speyside distillery still used its own traditional malting floors, heating the air to dry the fermented barley and turn it into malt. Facing a post-war shortage of coal, they solved their fuel problem by adding more peat than usual to the mix. Connoisseurs can detect an extra hint of peat smoke in The Macallan Millennium to this day.

The sale also features a crystal decanter of Duncan Taylor Macallan-42 year old estimated at £12,000-15,000. Distilled at the Macallan Distillery in 1969, it was bottled by the acclaimed producer Duncan Taylor of Speyside and is part of the Duncan Taylor The Rarest Collection. The decanter is housed in a presentation case made from the oak cask in which the whisky matured.

Bonhams whisky specialist Martin Green said, “These two Macallans are among the finest whiskies to come to auction in recent times. The reputation of both is justifiably very high among collectors. This is reflected in the high estimates and the decanters will, I am sure, be keenly sought after.”

THE WHISKY SALE

Bonhams, 22 Queen Street, Edinburgh E2
7 June 2017, 11am
Specialist: Martin Green, Bonhams Whisky Specialist

NOTES 

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers of fine art and antiques, motor cars and jewellery. The main salerooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, with sales also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, Paris, San Francisco and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of forthcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com.

R&B Distillers – 10 year membership to an exclusive whisky club – Na Tùsairean Club

R&B are building the first distillery on the Isle of Raasay in Scotland. Na Tusairean Club members are given the opportunity to invest in an evolving craft whisky brand and to add rare and exciting new drams to their personal whisky libraries. Members will receive an annual supply of single malt including as well as  exclusive use of luxury members’ lounge and accommodation on the Raasay distillery site with three with striking views of the Cuillin mountain range on the neighbouring island of Skye.

Membership is valued at £1990 worth of benefits for 10 years but is priced at £999 (one of payment) or £55 a month over 18 months. 

Environmental first as Glenmorangie reintroduces Native oysters to the Dornoch Firth

Scottish Highland Single Malt distillery Glenmorangie has taken home five gold awards at a leading industry competition.

A range of expressions were lauded at the International Spirits Challenge, which receives more than 1,300 entries from almost 70 countries worldwide.

The gold winners were Glenmorangie Signet, Glenmorangie 18 Years OId, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, Glenmorangie Tarlogan and Glenmorangie Duthac.

Bill Lumsden, the Glenmorangie Company’s Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks said: “I am extremely proud to see five of our whiskies recognised with gold awards by such an esteemed body – and the response from whisky lovers around the world has been equally rewarding. This has been one of our most successful award years yet at the ISC.”

Another six expressions from Glenmorangie took home silver awards.