Bunnahabhain Discovers Rare 40 YO Islay

Bunnahabhain has announced that it will release a one-off rare single malt that has lain undiscovered for four decades at the Islay distillery.

Bunnahabhain distillery, which is located on the north-east of the isle, will release only 750 bottles, which will be individually numbered and hand signed.

Hidden for 40 years, the whisky quietly matured until Master Distiller, Ian MacMillan, discovered the casks listed in the distillery ledgers: “It was an exhilarating moment to stumble on such a special find,” he said. “There are very few 40 year old Islays and unlike any other, Bunnahabhain’s taste is considered unique because the distillery does not heavily peat the fine malted barley.”

The Master Distiller recognised the significance of the discovery after finding the ‘Turney’ casks, which were filled with the precious Bunnahabhain malt over 40 years ago by eminent Glasgow wine merchants, J G Turney, and renowned for being the highest standard of quality.

Michelle Lansdowne, Senior Brand Manager at Burn Stewart, added: “ We are expecting a good deal of market interest in the 40 YO and with such limited availability of this one-off prestige bottling, it is sure to appeal to international collectors of rare malts.”

To capture the extraordinary journey, Bunnahabhain commissioned renowned illustrator, Iain McIntosh, to retrace the voyage through the specially designed labels. Each bottle is presented in a bespoke oak gift box containing a secret compartment that reveals hidden designs replicating the ‘Journey of Discovery.’

The multi-award winning Bunnahabhain is the flagship malt whisky from Burn Stewart Distillers and is exported to over 30 countries globally. Unlike its neighbouring distilleries on the Island, Bunnahabhain embodies “the gentle taste of Islay”, as it is the only non-peated Islay malt.

Bunnahabhain 40 YO
RRP: £1,999
Unchill-filtered (41.7% ABV)

Notes:
• Situated on the northern shore of Islay, Bunnahabhain Distillery was founded in 1881 by William Robertson and brothers James and William Greenless
• Bunnahabhain is Gaelic for ‘mouth of the river’ and the distillery is situated right at the shoreline, close to where the Margadale River flows into Bunnahabhain Bay
• In 2003 Bunnahabhain was sold to Burn Stewart Distilleries for £10million. Today, production stands at 2.5million litres a year. Of this, 21,000 casks are kept at the distillery for maturation and the resultant whisky is used for the Black Bottle blend and for bottling as Bunnahabhain single malt

SERGE AND HIS BELOVED BENRIACH 1976 MEGA-TASTING!

BACK in June, Serge Reijnders, a Belgian BenRiach enthusiast, hosted a unique tasting to sample nineteen BenRiach 1976 Single Cask expressions in one afternoon…and he sold out all forty places in just two days!

Collectors normally collect simply to collect – but Serge had different ideas. Such is his passion for BenRiach, he wanted to share as many of his beloved 1976 expressions as he could with his invited guests.

As 1976 is his favourite BenRiach year, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s also the year he was born. It’s not – he was born in 1978 but justifies his choice by pointing out there weren’t that many outstanding Benriachs from that year!

So where did his obsession for 1976 BenRiachs come from?

Known in the Low Countries as “that guy with all the BenRiachs”, he explained: “Bert Dexters got me started. His enthusiasm was contagious – his explanations about whisky and his insistence on writing down all the tasting notes. I was immediately sold so I joined “Cask Six”, Bert’s whisky club, and my first tasting was a few weeks later at a whisky festival where, as instructed, I noted everything we tasted.”

Serge prefers mainly fruity and sherry-matured whisky. “It took me some time to appreciate peated whisky – although I have always enjoyed whisky with only a hint of peat where the fruit or sherry comes through.”

As with many people, his love of BenRiach was started by the company’s Chief Executive and Master Blender Billy Walker and Serge tasted his first BenRiach at a Lindores tasting.

Serge takes up the story. “Then Bert Bruyneel arranged a tasting and we tasted 11 different BenRiachs including my first 1976 which was specially bottled for the Craigellachie Hotel, the first-ever 1976 bottling. I just adored it – that evening I lost my heart to BenRiach!”

Soon Serge started searching for all the 1976s that had been bottled…and once he had got them all, he found he couldn’t stop.

“I just had to get every new 1976 that was released, wherever that might be. Through Magnus Fagerstrom, currently the biggest BenRiach collector worldwide, I was introduced to his Japanese contact which helped a lot because soon afterwards the first 1976s for Japan were released.

“Magnus also put me in touch with his contact in Taiwan which allowed me to buy two bottles of cask 3033. I took one of them to last year’s Lindores Whiskyfest where everyone had to take and introduce one bottle. Someone else had cask 3557 which was specially bottled for La Maison du Whisky and another had the 1976 for Aston Morris with him. We tasted them and everyone liked the La Maison du Whisky bottling the most.”

It was that day which gave Serge the idea of doing his 1976 mega-tasting.

“Originally I thought I’d keep them for my fortieth birthday in 2018 but every time I told people about my tasting plans, they’d invite themselves over to my house! That’s when I thought: if people are so interested in attending, why not put all the whiskies in a huge tasting, and that’s what happened.”

The tasting was presented by Jurgen Vromas and cost €200 per person. The 19 whiskies were tasted in 4 groups, 3 consisting of 5 whiskies and at the end a blind tasting of 4 whiskies. The whiskies were grouped according to reputation which meant that the tasting would only get better as the day progressed.

Group 1 involved three peated whiskies and two sister casks bottled by Signatory. Journalist Johan van Samang from Whiskypassion magazine also attended the tasting and noted: “They were enjoyable but not exceptional whiskies – although we could taste the amazing character of BenRiach coming through.

“In Group 2, we tasted cask 2013 which hasn’t been bottled yet, but we could compare it with the 2014. Cask 2014 won, and also won this group.”

In Group 3, they tasted three 1976s bottled for Asia and two for Europe. In this category, the Shinanoya bottling stood out for everyone.

And finally, group 4 was the best of the best, blind tasted:

Johan said: “Cask 3557 from La Maison du Whisky was expected to win, but amazingly it didn’t even make it into the top three. Gold was won by cask 3033 for Taiwan, silver for 3029 for Shinanoya and bronze for 3032 for Japan, so Asia won convincingly from Europe.

“But what 3557 and 3033 have in common is that they are really complex, more so than the others. They go deeper, they have more layers and above all they have what makes BenRiach 1976 so special – that fantastic taste of tropical fruit.”

He concluded: “This was probably one of the hardest tastings I have ever done, but it’s also one of the most interesting and definitely the most enjoyable.

“This kind of tasting won’t be repeated very often so our thanks go to Serge for his incredible drive and passion. It’s clear the passion of the few has benefited the many BenRiach enthusiasts in the Low Countries!”

(This feature is based on an article which first appeared in the Dutch Whiskypassion magazine.)

Benromach supports Arts & Business Awards

Speyside’s smallest whisky distillery, Benromach, celebrated two of Scotland’s best assets, whisky and the arts with its sponsorship of the Arts and Business Awards 2012.

As part of the evening a delectable ice cream, using Benromach’s flagship 10 year old single malt whisky, was commissioned by Wild Thyme for diners.

For the last two years, Benromach, in partnership with the National Theatre of Scotland, has sponsored the critically acclaimed The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart which has recently completed a UK tour and is now touring North America.

The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart takes theatre into pubs and other unlikely venues, where stories are told, re-told, sung and passed on. It’s an evening of supernatural storytelling, music and theatre inspired by the Border Ballads, Robert Burns and the poems of Robert Service.

The Arts & Business Scotland Awards celebrate and showcase the best examples of business partnerships with the arts and museums in Scotland. Benromach was commended for its sponsorship of Prudencia Hart in the New or Returning Sponsor category.

Michael Urquhart, Managing Director of Gordon & MacPhail, owners of the Benromach Distillery, said: “This partnership represents Benromach’s first ever arts sponsorship. It’s been a great success story and highlights the real difference a successful partnership can make to both businesses.

“There is no better time to sponsor such a popular arts performance which has become a massive success in the UK as well as overseas. We’re excited to continue this sponsorship and were particularly pleased when we welcomed the cast, crew and audience to Benromach distillery where the award winning artistic performance was delivered for two nights.”

Guests at the award ceremony had the opportunity to try a dram of Benromach single malt whisky as well as taste a specially commissioned Benromach ice cream which has been made by Wild Thyme for the award’s dinner.

Elly Rothnie, Development Director, National Theatre of Scotland, said: “The partnership with Benromach has proven massively successful and has helped The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart to engage in a fantastic international tour taking two of Scotland’s great assets, arts and whisky, to a global audience.”

The awards ceremony took place on Wednesday, 23 October 2012 in Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh.

Notes  

• The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart originally toured Scotland in February 2011 subsequently playing at Latitude Festival, Òran Mór, Glasgow, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2011.  The production has won three awards, a Critics Award for Theatre for Best Music and Sound, a Herald Angel and an Argus Angel at the 2012 Brighton Festival.
• Benromach sponsored some US dates of the 2012 tour with American audiences being offered the opportunity to share a dram of the Speyside Scotch Malt during the show. This sponsorship covered all US venues where state legislation allows and is part of Benromach’s venturing into the arts and their first foray into international arts touring.
• Benromach and the National Theatre of Scotland are committed to promoting responsible drinking messages within the sponsorship of The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Scottish Government document ‘Alcohol Sponsorship Guidelines Scotland’.

About Benromach

Established in 1898, Benromach distillery changed hands many times and was virtually derelict when bought by Gordon & MacPhail in 1993. Drawing on generations of whisky expertise, the company carried out a painstaking refurbishment, and the distillery was officially re-opened by Prince Charles in 1998.

Just two men hand-craft Benromach using the finest Scottish barely and the purest spring water from the nearby Romach Hills.  They fill new spirit into the highest quality casks before being left to mature at the distillery for many years.  The Benromach portfolio includes the award winning Benromach 10 Years Old and the first fully certified organic single malt – Benromach Organic.

Please visit www.benromach.com for details.

About the National Theatre of Scotland

Since its launch in February 2006, the National Theatre of Scotland has been involved in creating 186 productions in 156 different locations. With no building of its own, the Company takes theatre all over Scotland and beyond, working with existing and new venues and companies to create and tour theatre of the highest quality. It takes place in the great buildings of Scotland, but also in site-specific locations, airports and tower blocks, community halls and drill halls, ferries and forests.  The Company has performed to over 810,000 people across four continents.   www.nationaltheatrescotland.com

The 11th month has arrived and with it comes Movember – the annual celebration of moustaches and men’s health.

http://www.movember.com

To help those growing a mo choose a great whisky to accompany their efforts we’ve matched up a range of different moustache styles with a selection of ‘appropriate’ drams. We’ll also be donating 5% of all the proceeds from whiskies purchased through our Whisky and Whiskers page to Movember at the end of the month.

http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/selection/movember/

You can let us know how your moustache growing antics are going over on Facebook or Twitter, as well as ask us for more whisky and whiskers recommendations – we’re fairly sure we can match up a dram to any kind of facial furniture…

http://www.facebook.com/TheWhiskyExchange

http://www.twitter.com/WhiskyExchange

Three Ships TELLS THE STORY OF JAN VAN RIEBEECK’S JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY 

In December 1651, Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company set sail from the Netherlands. His was the momentous task of crossing the stormy southern seas to set up a pioneering refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope.

Three Ships Whisky commemorates his epic voyage with the release of a limited edition collector’s tin – the last in a series of three – containing the brand’s superior 10-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky, and depicting the three ships that formed Van Riebeeck’s little fleet. Just 8 000 bottles of the whisky have been produced for the series which pays tribute to intrepid seafarers whose names will always be associated with the Cape.  Having honoured Bartholomew Diaz in 2010 and Vasco da Gama in 2011, this year it is the turn of Jan van Riebeeck.

This single malt – South Africa’s one and only – was launched in November 2003, with an offering of just 6 000 bottles which were sold out within six months.  “We know South African connoisseurs appreciate a good single malt, but we did not know how well they would react to one produced locally,” says SA brand manager Marcel Swain. “Clearly there is a demand for first-class, affordable whisky, and what better way than to offer this exceptional single malt as part of a limited collector’s edition.”

Swain says just like Diaz, Da Gama and Van Riebeeck, Three Ships set sail into unknown territory when it launched its first single malt.

The ten-year-old is the creation of master distiller Andy Watts, who is based at The James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington, Western Cape, that is also home to the brand. “With its natural warm copper colour, this full-bodied whisky has a hint of peat but without associated smoke. The estery notes add a slighty sweet fragrance hinting of dried fruit and fudge. It has a long, warm finish with a good balance between the wood and the whisky,” Watts explains.

The three-tin collection will be the ideal keepsake for discerning whisky lovers. It is available from selected bottle stores countrywide and retails at about R220 per bottle. Share the journey of discovery and visit the Three Ships Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ThreeShips.

Buffalo Trace Distillery Releases Seventh Round of Single Oak Project Bourbon

Will Release Number Seven Contain the Lucky Number
Deemed the Perfect Bourbon?!

FRANKFORT, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY (Oct. 2012) – Buffalo Trace Distillery releases its seventh round of Single Oak Project Bourbons, and is wondering if lucky number seven will hold the key in its quest to find the world’s perfect bourbon!

All of the bourbons in this release were aged in Warehouse K, a wooden floor warehouse, entered into the barrel at 105 proof from the same half of the tree, and charred at a number 3 char level. This allows the release to focus on three other variables, the recipe, rye vs. wheat; stave seasoning, 6 months vs. 12 months; and the wood grain size, tight, average, or coarse. All of the other variables such as aging warehouse, entry proof, char level, and tree cut (top or bottom) remain constant.

“This release is small, but quite a good one for comparing bourbons made from different recipes. Bourbon drinkers can taste and decide if they like wheated bourbon or rye recipe bourbon better. Especially because the entry proof, aging warehouse and tree cut remain all remain constant,” said Kris Comstock, bourbon marketing director.

So far, nearly 1,955 industry expert and consumer reviews have been logged online at www.singleoakproject.com . These whiskey reviews will determine which Single Oak Project Bourbon is the favorite of fans worldwide. Buffalo Trace looks forward to more reviews, to hear what bourbon drinkers think, and will craft the perfect bourbon based our consumer feedback.

After a year and a half into this four year project, barrel number 97 leads by a narrow margin, barely edging out barrel number 106 which led a few months ago. But even industry experts can’t agree! Jim Murray gave barrel number 63 his highest score of those released to date. His 95.5 score earned this whiskey a Liquid Gold Award in his Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2013. Of number 63, Murray calls it a “perfect spice build” and “ultra complex.” And Paul Pacult, in his December 2012 issue of F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal is torn between three barrels, loving numbers 10, 30 and 72.

“Obviously the search for the perfect bourbon is a long way from being completed,” continues Comstock, “Consumers and industry experts each have their own favorites. It’s a perfect time for newcomers to get involved with the project and weigh in with their reviews online to help us pick the number one bourbon.”

After a consumer reviews a bottle online, they will be availed of all the aging details and provenance of the barrel. They can interact with others who’ve also reviewed the barrel, compare their reviews, and even learn for themselves which characteristics they enjoy most, in order to help them select future favorites. Participants online will earn points after each review and most importantly, actively participate in Buffalo Trace Distillery’s quest to create the perfect bourbon!

The Single Oak Project is part of an intensive research project Buffalo Trace Distillery started conducting in 1999 by hand picking 96 trees with different wood grains and then dividing them into a top and bottom piece, yielding 192 unique sections. From there, staves were created from each section and were air dried for either 6 months or 12 months. After all the staves were air dried, a single barrel was created from each tree section, resulting in 192 total barrels. These barrels were given either a number three or a number four char and then filled with either wheat or rye recipe bourbon.

To further the variety of experiments, the barrels were filled at two different proofs, 105 and 125 proof. And if this wasn’t enough, two completely different warehouses were used, one with wooden floors and one with concrete floors. In total, seven different variables were employed in Buffalo Trace’s ultimate experiment.

For eight years the Distillery continued with its tracking process, creating intricate databases and coming up with a potential of 1,396 tasting combinations from these 192 barrels!

The Single Oak Project Bourbon is being released in a series every three months from 2011 through 2015 until all of the 192 barrels have been released. The first release hit select stores in 2011. This seventh release will reach stores towards the end of November. Like all the other releases, the quantities are very limited. Every case will contain 12 bottles, each from a different barrel. The seventh release is made up of barrel numbers 18, 26, 50, 58, 82, 90, 114, 122, 146, 154, 178, 186.

All releases will be packaged in a 375ml bottle. Suggested retail pricing per bottle is $46.35.

At the conclusion of the Single Oak Project, the Distillery plans to take the top rated Single Oak Project Bourbon and make more just like it, under the Single Oak name.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com

THE GLENROTHES UNVEILS RARE CASK COLLECTION 

The Glenrothes single Speyside malt whisky, distributed by Maxxium UK is bolstering its range even further with the unveiling of a new series of single cask bottlings from the late 1960s and 1970s.

Since 1994 The Glenrothes has released less than one single cask a year. However, The Glenrothes newest series, The Extraordinary Cask Collection, will be welcomed by whisky enthusiasts who have expressed great demand for older and rarer bottlings.

The popularity of The Glenrothes spirit amongst the whisky industry’s master blenders has increased so much that, unlike some distillers, there has until now been no remaining older stock at the distillery.

However, the first of this new series, The Glenrothes 1970 Extraordinary Cask #10573 came to the attention of Ronnie Cox, Brands Heritage Director following a process of assessment where a small number of casks were subsequently selected.

Ronnie Cox said; “Extraordinary is a term associated with the heritage of the wines sourced and endorsed by Berry Bros. & Rudd. It applies equally to these casks selected for their personality and excellence, allowing them to stand alone as examples of the supremacy of The Glenrothes bloodline. The first of these is a whisky distilled in 1970 which, in keeping with The Glenrothes’ philosophy to bottle at peak maturity, is now ready to be committed to glass. The anticipation for this release is such that the first Extraordinary Cask is on allocation only.”

Commenting on the new release Peter Sandstrom, Marketing Director for Maxxium UK said: “The appeal of The Glenrothes is growing from strength to strength with its reach expanding.  This will be enhanced with the release of the new Extraordinary Cask Collection, which we anticipate much excitement for within the industry and strongly believe it will be warmly received by whisky enthusiasts.” 

The shape of the instantly recognisable iconic Glenrothes bottle has been enhanced further, using hand-blown lead crystal, for the single cask decanter. It is also in keeping with the elegance of the whisky and the heritage of The Glenrothes.

Each decanter has been individually created by a master craftsman at Atlantis Crystal in Alcobaca, Portugal, using the purest form of crystal. Brass has also been used for the hand-engraved collar on the neck of the decanter, supplied by Charles Stott, of the Edinburgh-based Scottish Silversmiths. In addition, the head of the stopper is fashioned from the wood of the very cask # 10573 in which the whisky has matured.

The Glenrothes 1970 Extraordinary Cask #10573 will initially be available from Berry Bros. & Rudd and its representatives in keymarkets. Prices will start at £3,000 (€4,000 or $5,000) and upwards per bottle.

www.theglenrothes.com  

Tasting notes for The Glenrothes 1970 Extraordinary Cask #10573

Appearance: Clear and bright with rich golden hues.

Nose: Distinctly earthy and autumnal, windfall apples and cider cellar. Toffee apples with icing sugar, sponge fingers with custard, puff pastry with apple.

Palate: Lightly peppery and fresh with citrus and eucalyptus. Subtle and supple, satin feel with a texture of crêpe de chine.

Finish: Long and beguiling with very, very dark chocolate. 

Notes: 

• The Glenrothes was founded in 1879
• Little more than 2% of the distillery capacity is bottled as Single Malt to ensure exceptional quality
• Of the 16 Vintages released to date, 12 have entirely sold out
• It is matured in a combination of Spanish and American oak casks – the best of both worlds
• The Glenrothes Select Reserve won a Gold Medal at the The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2012
• The Glenrothes Select Reserve was voted Best in Class at the World Whiskies Awards 2008 and won two Double Golds at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2007
• The Glenrothes 1972 was awarded a Trophy at the 2005 International Spirits Challenge
• The Glenrothes 1978 Vintage was voted Best Speyside Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2008
• The Glenrothes 1975 won a Double Gold award at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2008
• The Glenrothes 1991 won a Gold Medal at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010
• The Glenrothes 1994 won a Gold Medal at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010
• The Glenrothes Alba Reserve won a Double Gold at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010
• “I have always felt that Glenrothes deserved to be more widely appreciated. Beautifully rounded…sophisticated after-dinner malt.” Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion
• Jim Murray, in his Whisky Bible, refers to The Glenrothes Select Reserve; “One of the softest deliveries on Speyside, the silky barley and citrus caress the tastebuds with rare tenderness” and scores it 24 out of 25

Tomatin Celebrates Best Drink Accolade

Tomatin Distillery is celebrating success as winner of the ‘Best Drink’ award at the Highlands & Islands Food and Drink Awards last week. Over 260 people from food and drink businesses in the Highlands and Islands gathered at the Drumossie Hotel in Inverness for the eighth annual awards hosted by Celebrity Masterchef finalist and television presenter Kirsty Wark.

The core range of Tomatin Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (12, 15 and 18 year old expressions) was entered into this brand new award category, aimed at identifying businesses that can demonstrate success in the drinks market. Fighting off competition from another distillery and two breweries, Tomatin was announced the winner with Kirsty Wark citing the “smooth flavour” and “bold packaging” as elements of the entry which most impressed the judging panel.

Stephen Bremner, Sales Director, said: “We are very proud to have won this award. These Awards showcase and celebrate the contribution that Highland and Islands food and drink companies are making to the UK economy, something we should all be proud of.

Our core range of Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky contains multi‐award winning expressions, but this is the first award for the range as a whole. The Tomatin brand has been growing from strength to strength in recent years and we look forward to continuing this in the coming years.”

Notes

 http://www.hifoodanddrinkawards.com/2012‐winners.html
 The other shortlisted entries for the ‘Best Drink’ category were Bruichladdich Distillery, Black Isle Brewery and Cairngorm Brewery.
 The Tomatin Distillery Co Ltd is a producer and blender of Scotch whisky, boasting a strong core range of single malt whiskies along with a range of popular blends.
 Website: www.tomatin.com  Facebook: www.facebook.com/Tomatin1897  Twitter: www.twitter.com/Tomatin1897
 The distillery was established in 1897, and while historically the whisky produced was primarily sold for use in other brands of blended whisky, the company is now very focussed on growing the Tomatin single malt brand in its own right.
 The company’s most popular blends are The Antiquary, The Talisman and Big ‘T’.
 The distillery is owned by Japanese company Takara Shuzo: http://www.takarashuzo.co.jp/english/index.htm

We are delighted to announce the release of the first in a series of one-off, regional Scotch whisky blends under the Great King Street label: the “New York Blend”. Created for the 2012 New York Whisky Fest, the whisky is dedicated to Patrick J. Duffy, the man who legend has it was responsible for the first branded and bottled Scotch whisky to arrive in New York in 1894. The blend is based on an actual recipe from the 1890s.

John Glaser has created only 1,800 bottles of this unique, smoky, full-flavoured Blended Scotch whisky. The New York Blend uses lots of peaty single malts, plenty of sherry cask-aged single malts, and a much higher proportion of malt to grain whisky (80%/20%) than is typically used today. Just as the finest blending houses would have done in 1894.

Bottled at a higher strength of 46%, Great King Street – New York Blend will only be available in the US, primarily in the New York Metropolitan area, following its launch on Saturday 27th October. However, we are also offering a few bottles for sale on an exclusive basis from our UK-based web shop so if you would like to pick up a bottle, don’t delay!

Trio of tinned malts a tempting tipple

Speyside’s smallest distillery, Benromach, has launched a gift pack which will allow whisky lovers to sample three of its most popular expressions.

The gift pack, with contemporary tin plate packaging and Benromach’s sophisticated branding, contains three 20cl bottles of the distillery’s flagship single malt, Benromach 10 years Old, along with the Benromach Peat Smoke and the Benromach Organic, which was the first certified organic single malt Scotch whisky.

Michael Urquhart, joint managing director of Gordon & MacPhail, the family-run company that owns Benromach, commented: “Gift packs are the ideal present to introduce people to whisky or for whisky lovers to try different expressions.

“The three malts included in the gift pack showcase the finest qualities of Benromach and all are award winners. The 10 Years Old has an excellent mellow character, while the Organic has a delicious oak influence and soft fruit flavours. Peat Smoke is a seriously smoky experience, balanced with the elegance of Speyside.

“Benromach is Speyside’s smallest distillery but we produce a range of whiskies that each offer a unique tasting experience. This gift pack will give people who aren’t yet in on the secret of Benromach a chance to discover how special and varied our single malts are.”

The Benromach Distillery, nestled in Speyside, employs just two men who make Benromach by hand, using the finest Scottish barely and the purest spring water from the nearby Romach Hills. They fill new spirit into the highest quality casks before being left to mature at the distillery for many years.

The Benromach gift pack is on sale now, RRP £34.99. For more information about Benromach visit www.benromach.com

Notes

Benromach 10 Years Old

Tasting note
Benromach 10 Years Old is created from the finest Scottish barley and pure spring water from the nearby Romach hills. After being matured for at least ten years, it emerges golden in colour and displays rich fruit, sweet chocolate and delicate spicy aromas. With a rich sherry influence, the mouth-watering palate coats the senses with exotic fruit flavours, toasted malt and a delicate hint of smoke.

Awards
Benromach 10 Years Old was awarded gold at the 2011 and 2010 Great Taste Awards and in November 2011 it gained gold at TheFiftyBest.com awards in New York. For the full list of Benromach 10 Years Old’s awards, visit: http://www.benromach.com/benromach/benromach-10-years-old-strength-43-14-benromach.html

Benromach Peat Smoke

Tasting note
Full bodied, intense and challenging with a smoky character, yet balanced with the fruity elegance of Speyside.
Awards

The Peat Smoke won gold in the Scotch Whisky Masters 2012.

Benromach Organic

Tasting note
A fresh, vibrant whisky with strong oak influence. The Benromach Organic was the world’s first bottled single malt to be fully certified as organic when it was launched in 2006. The whole process, including the use of the raw ingredients, distillation, maturation and bottling, is certified to the rigorous standards set by the UK Soil Association.
The whisky is matured in virgin American oak casks from environmentally managed forests which has added a unique robustness and depth which complements the traditional Benromach spirit.

Awards
The Organic won silver at the Scotch Whisky Masters 2012.