The One and Only… Ugly Betty

“An oversized, upside-down dustbin made of copper” Tom Morton
described it in his excellent Spirit of Adventure.

Bruichladdich is pleased to announce the installation of an unusual fifth still
during recent still house renovations.

A Lomand still, a defunct experimental cross between a Coffey and a pot still,
was designed with a thick column-like neck with removable sections inserted.

The aim was to create more character and variety of styles of spirit by
imitating the effect that different lengths of still ʻneckʼ would have.

The versatile still had plates, like Roman blinds, which could be ʻopenedʼ and
varying the angle of the lyne arm for lighter or heavier spirit.

The first Lomand, a spirit still, was installed in 1956 at Inverleven, part of the
ginormous Dumbarton grain distillery complex, on the banks of the Clyde .

Inverleven was closed in 1991 and raised to the ground in 2004. But not
before we nipped in and removed, among other things, the Lomand.

So, fittingly, the first shall be last: the original, the only authentic Lomand in
existence, lives to fight another day.

True to its founding principal, it is being fitted with Jimʼs newly designed neck
section, the “Silver Gattling”.

It may be the only one of its type left, but sheʼs no oil painting. Welcome to
Ugly Betty.

Visit Bruichladdich Distillery at www.bruichladdich.com

Internationally acclaimed whisky writer and author Jim Murray has today announced that he is looking for an apprentice to assist him in the production of his best selling whisky book Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

Working with Jim Murray at his UK HQ, the appointee will play an active role in sourcing newly released whiskies from all over the world, preparing tasting sessions, and assisting in the production of his world famous title.  He/she will also play an important role in the growth of Dram Good Books, Murray’s in-house publishing company.

In offering this unique opportunity Jim Murray said “as the Bible has grown, so have the demands made upon me to produce it.  That means that our research department has become a much more important part of our overall set up. This is particularly true as the international aspect of the Bible has grown driven mainly by the increase in distilleries opening up around the world.

“Our previous researcher, David Rankin, did a fantastic job but has moved on and since his departure we have taken the opportunity to assess and reposition this important function. It will be demanding, but it will also be fun and unique. For someone wishing to get into the whisky industry – and perhaps hone their writing skills – I cannot think of a better way doing so”.

The person will also play a role in developing the company’s web presence, the organization of Murray’s whisky tastings and media appearances around the world.

Given the international and truly unique nature of the role, this is not a nine to five appointment and will require some early morning or late evening work, talking with the whisky industry in far off locations.

Interested parties should contact Jim’s office manager at edna@whiskybible.com in the first instance.

~Ends~
For more information please contact:

Mark Hunt
Director of Communications
Dram Good Books Ltd
Email: mark@whiskybible.com
Tel:  07768 145583

It is a fact that if you have tasted Highland Park you are more likely to buy it than any other single malt whisky. Therefore, it makes sense for us to encourage sampling, which is why we tend to be very supportive of whisky festivals and events around the world.

I find it hard to imagine that 10 years ago there was no such thing as Whisky Live. Now the event, from its relatively humble origins, has become a thriving global franchise with shows in 20 cities this year.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Whisky Live, first held in Tokyo and London in the year 2000. Whisky Live London 2010 will feature a number of new elements, including something called the Whisky Antiques Road Show. Visitors will be invited to bring along whisky, whisky books and accessories in order to have them assessed by Whisky Magazine’s resident experts. Once visitors have had their stuff valued, they can store it safely to take home, or enter it into the Whisky Auction, held at 4pm on Saturday 27th February.

With more space and more entertainment, a new half-day ticket on Saturday (11am to 2pm) and the exclusive Friday evening (available to just 500 guests), Whisky Live London 2010 promises to be a fitting celebration of a decade of presenting the world’s best whiskies.

An exclusive, commemorative bottling of Highland Park 10 Years Old at 59.3% will be launched at the show, together with a number of other special releases. To reserve a bottle for collection at Whisky Live London visit www.whiskylive.com/bottlings/

The Whisky Shop (with 13 stores throughout the UK) will be on hand for any of the whiskies on display at Whisky Live London, so to find out more about Whisky Live visit www.whiskylive.com

For more information on the Best Spirit in the World visit www.highlandpark.co.uk
 

Gerry
Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year, 2010

Some fantastic points on our whiskies by Jim Murray from the Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2010. Here are the top 5 point-getters in our portfolio that are available and in-stock. As a point of reference, the Whisky of the Year received 97.5 Points.

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible Award Winner 2010

JOHNNIE WALKER BLACK LABEL
“Best overall Whisky aged 5 – 12 Years, 95.5 POINTS”
CSPC: 7880
PRICE: $49.95
“(Nose) Pretty sharp grain: hard and buffeting the nose; a buffer of yielding smoke, apple pie and delicate spice cushions the encounter. (Palate) if there is a silkier delivery on the market today, I have not seen it: this is sublime stuff with the grains singing the sweetest hymns as they go down, taking with them a near perfection of weighty smoke lightened by brilliantly balanced barley which leans towards both soft apple and crème brulee; (Finish) this reassuringly rigid grains re-finish underlines the good age of the whiskies used; (Balance and Complexity) here it is: one of the world’s most masterful whiskies back in all its complex glory. A bottle like this is like being visited by an old lover. It just warms the heart and excites.”

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2010 top point-getters.

JOHNNIE WALKER GOLD LABEL
“96 POINTS”
CSPC: 128865 (this is the special gift pack )
PRICE: $99.95
“(Nose) At first it seems a level nose with little happening. But look again…deeper. Stirring in the glass are diced apples and moist raisins, a squirt of something peaty, and a honey and golden syrup mix. Sweet yet weighty with just enough smoke and oak to anchor. (Taste) the silky arrival magnifies the smoky edge to this: some Caol Ila here, I guess, doing what Caol Ila does best – buck up blends. But also that hallmark honey thread is there to savour, linking beautifully with soft grains carrying vanilla and fudge; meanwhile playful spices…play…”

DALWHINNIE 15 YO
“95 POINTS”
CSPC: 238097
PRICE: $84.99
“(Nose) Sublime stuff: a curious mixture of coke smoke and peat-reek wafts teasingly over the gently honied malt. A hint of melon offers some fruit but the caressing malt stars; (Taste) that rarest of combinations: at once silky and malt intense, yet at the same time peppery and tin-hat time for the tastebuds, but the silk wins out and a sheen of barley sugar coats everything , soft peat included; (Finish) some coca and coffee notes, yet the pervading slightly honied sweetness means that there is no bitterness that cannot be controlled; (Balance and Complexity) a malt it is hard to decide whether to drink or bathe in: I suggest you do both. One of the most complete mainland malts of them all. Know anyone who reckons they don’t like whisky? Give them a glass of this – that’s them cured. Oh, if only the average masterpiece could be this good.”

LAGAVULIN 16 YO
“95 POINTS”
CSPC: 207126
PRICE: $124.99
“Much more like the Lagavulin of old with unfettered development and delivery. Befitting the great distillery this unquestionably is.”

CROWN ROYAL SPECIAL RESERVE
“94.5 POINTS”
CSPC: 321208
PRICE: $54.99
“(Nose) A clean and attractively spiced nose with cinnamon and the faintest pinch of allspice leading the way: rye at work, one presumes; the fruit is clean and precise with weightier grape overshadowing a green apple freshness; (Taste) the old rye impact has been lessened by a safety net of cleaner fruits, but something hard and chewy still clings to the palate; the rye really does deliver towards the middle though. (Finish) dries and dusts up; sawdusty in part for all the fruitiness. Vague spices throb, the rye – or is it an echo of rye, like a lost leg – tries to make itself heard; (Balance and Complexity) Complex, well weighted and simply radiant: it is like looking at a perfectly shaped, gossamer – clad Deb at a ball. The work astonishingly well here (they appear to be of the malted , ultra – fruity variety).

Kris Steed
RESERVE BRANDS GROUP
A division of Diageo Canada

SPRINGBANK SOCIETY NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2010

Greetings to all Society members from a cold Campbeltown. Hopefully you are beginning to thaw out after all the snow. We were very lucky not to have much snow here which is just as well as we donʼt cope to well with the conditions. Winter always seems to take us by surprise.

Latest Releases

The Springbank 18 y/o has been released, and is just in our shop yesterday. The tasting was carried out last week, so here are the tasting notes:
Colour: Rusty Copper
Nose: Full of authority. Rich and creamy at first, the nose develops to reveal vanilla, ripe fruits and marzipan before hints of sherbert, almonds and strawberries tempt you onwards to the first mouthful.
Palate: A classic full-bodied dram. Thick and oily in texture with an extremely fruity and mellow taste which gives way to a sweet liquorice and aniseed flavour as it opens up. Hints of liquorice and aniseed.
Finish: Sweet and chocolatey with some coconut, the finish is long and consistent with a pleasant smokey tingle.

The cost for this yearʼs 18y/o is £62.50 plus postage and packing, one only per customer as it is limited. If you would like to order please e mail me as usual.

Springbank CV is also ready to “hit the shops” at a cost of £28.50 plus postage and packing. Tasting notes as follows:

Springbank CV is the product of a variety of different cask types and sizes, all specially selected by Director of Production Frank McHardy and Distillery Manager Stuart Robertson. Frank and Stuartʼs years of experience allowed them to choose a range of casks, every one complementing the other to ensure a great whisky with lots of flavour and the classic Springbank Style. What does CV mean? Chairmanʼs Vat? Curriculum
vitae? Cuvee of Vintages? It means whatever you want it to mean, enjoying the whisky is the most important thing.

Colour: Muted gold with a reddish glow.
Nose: The initial nose is a mix of subdued sherry sweetness, subtle peat notes, menthol and eucalyptus. Further nosing revealed a meaty character with complex hints of sesame oil and soy sauce.
Palate: Subtle sherry notes come through along with a depth of oak and spice. These then evolve into notes reminiscent of our traditional Dunnage warehouses.

Finish: The flavours remaining are mainly coming from the sherry casks, although right at the end a hint of port tannins can be detected, perhaps suggesting the pedigree of casks used for the Springbank CV.

Springbank CV will also be available from the online shop, or e mail me.

Society Bottle

We are thinking of the next Society Bottle and have asked our members in the USA to set up a tasting panel for this one. We felt it only fair to involve them a bit as normally they do not get to buy the Society Bottles.
We are now working with an importer in America who will distribute to our members in the USA. The next tasting panel after this one will again be announced on the website, later this year.

Staff Changes

We have two new members of our Sales team from the beginning of this month. They are Jenny Karlsson and Iain Scott. Jenny will be responsible for some of our European customers while Iain will be working with our UK customers. Photographs of both to follow when we can catch them!!!! Both have had a stint working in the distillery “with the boys” so that they have a feel for the Springbank process from start to finish.

Society Glasses

We now stock Glencairn whisky glasses with the Society logo. We thought it was a good idea to give members a free glass with the Hazelburn Society bottles as it was near Christmas. This turned out to be not really one of our better ideas (it was my idea, so blame me) as a number of the glasses were broken in transit. However, we have the glasses for sale at £5 each or £25 for six, plus postage and packing. They should be easier to pack in boxes of six so that they do not get damaged. If anyone would like to order please let me know. They will not be in the online shop as they are exclusive to members.

Springbank Open Day

Preparations for the open day on Thursday 20th May are ongoing. The music will be provided Campbeltown Brass band for part of the day. They are a very accomplished band with numerous awards to their name. The band have just completed the recording of a CD which will shortly be on sale. As you can imagine the town is very proud of these young musicians.
Also there on the day will be John Brown with some of his wonderful wood carvings, “Food from Argyll” and also Maureen from Eaglesome Sandwich shop with some of her delicacies.

There will of course be distillery tours, masterclasses and Cadenhead tastings (in the tasting room). All of these things are beginning to take shape – if no where else, certainly in my head. The Society will also have a wee corner somewhere, trying to drum up new members, and with Society Bottles for sale (whatever we have left from previous bottlings).
There will be another newsletter before May, perhaps even two, to keep everyone informed of the progress of both the next Society bottle and the open day.

Springbank/Cadenhead babies

We now have tow new babies in the “family”. Peter Currie and Grant Macpherson are both “new dads” to beautiful baby girls.
Judging by both, but especially Grant just now, they arenʼt getting their full 8 hours sleep a night. Grant was reported as being “very grumpy” the other morning!!!

The Sales Team

The team have started their travels already, Ranald has been to Sweden and Peter is currently in Canada. Ranald is off again next week to the Linkoping Whisky Expo in Sweden on 5th & 6th February, from there he goes straight to Norway for VenFeber in Oslo on Tuesday 9th February, tastings in Stavanger on the 10th and 11th, and finally the Whisky Meet in
Bergen on 12th and 13th. Very busy person.

Holidays

I am going on holiday on 5th February for three weeks so your e mails may not be answered until I come back. I will be here all next week, so feel free to bombard me with e mails before I go off. Hopefully I will come back refreshed and raring to go with the winter blues banished!!
and finally……………….the technical bit from Stuart.

Fermentation

Once the sugar wort has been pumped from the mashtun to the washback
fermentation can be initiated. Washbacks can be made from a number of materials but in the main stainless steel and various species of wood are predominantly used in the whisky industry.

Stainless steel vessels usually have domed tops completely sealed with the
exception of a man door, a vent for CO2 extraction and possibly a switcher
(rotating blade for knocking back froth during fermentation). They usually have domed bottoms to aide emptying and can be fitted with side entry mixers for keeping the yeast in suspension. Wooden vessels are usually fitted with lids also made of wood which provide an adequate seal for fermentation. They can also be fitted with switchers and most now have CO2 extraction fitted. The wooden washbacks are usually set at an angle to aide emptying. Antifoam which alters the surface tension of the liquid in the wash back preventing foam forming can also be used when required.

Yeast, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, used for fermentation in the distilling industry can be purchased in a number of ways, pressed, slurry and dry. Here at Springbank we use pressed yeast, which is manufactured in the UK specifically for the distilling industry. Yeast is a living organism and must be stored in a clean refrigerated environment until used.

The essential properties of a good distilling yeast are as follows.
Good flavour production and complete and rapid fermentation of wort sugars . Lack of flocculence and minimal frothing coupled with the ability to grow well even above 30ºC and able to withstand a wash alcohol level of up to 10%abv. The concentration of yeast added to the washback will depend on the character we want to produce in the washback. As long as an adequate amount of yeast is added per tonne of malt mashed complete fermentation will occur.

At the beginning of fermentation the yeast culture uses the sugars in the wort to multiply, this is known as aerobic fermentation. Here at Springabnk the original gravity will vary between 1038 and 1048 degrees depending on which mash it is during the week. Once the reservoir of oxygen in the washback has been depleted the yeast begins to convert the sugars into various alcohol’s, carbon dioxide and energy in the form of heat, alcohol’s are a byproduct of what is called anaerobic fermentation. During fermentation the gravity of the wash will decrease due to the conversion of sugars to alcohol’s.

Complete fermentation will take a minimum period of forty eight hours but
fermentation time can be as short as forty hours or as long as one hundred and thirty hours. Many flavour compounds are produced during fermentation and distillers “ tailor “ their fermentation’s to their specific requirements. During fermentation the temperature of the worts, now known as wash, will rise from 16 – 20ºC up to 34ºC. Temperatures above 35ºC will destroy the living yeast cell, so should be avoided.
Once fermentation is complete the final gravity of the wash as measured against water should be around 0. 998 but can be as low as 0.995. The alcohol content of the wash will depend on the original gravity of the wort. Some distilleries like Springbank will produce wash with an alcohol content of up to 5% by volume where other distilleries may produce wash with an alcohol content of between 8 and 10% by volume.

As always feel free to drop us an e-mail should you have a question.

Stuart Robertson,
Distillery Manager.

Well I hope this newsletter has not been too long winded for you. I am currently trying to think up a competition for you with a suitable prize. Hopefully the next one will have more than two entries!!!

As usual any comments, suggestions, etc are always welcome.

Slainte
Janet
for Springbank Society.

From Cristina Wilkie Tullibardine Distillery

I am delighted to confirm that we will be continuing with the cask offer this year and again plan to fill casks twice – June and December.  Orders will be accepted on a first come, first served basis and are secured by a deposit, as mentioned, in the attached literature.
 
The closing date for orders for the June filling will be Friday 21st May at 5pm, then the order book will be opened for the December filling until Friday 19th November 2010 @ 5pm.  This allows us time to order in and receive the casks, have them stencilled before filling.  We then photograph it for the certificate, which is handwritten prior to framing and despatch.  The balance of payment is taken when the cask has been filled.
 
I hope that the information is of interest to you and I look forward to receiving your order.
 
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries.
 
Regards
Cristina Wilkie
Sales & Marketing
 
Tullibardine Distillery
Blackford
Perthshire PH4 1QG
SCOTLAND
T: +44 (0)1764 682252
F: +44 (0)1764 682330
www.tullibardine.com

CASK PURCHASE

Thank you for your enquiry about our cask offer. In addition to being a purchase which is many whisky drinkrer’s dream, this is above all an offer which will provide much discussion, interest and fun whilst also giving you the chance to buy a little piece of history and access some top quality and extremely quaffable single malt whisky at a very attractive price, Be it for your own consumption, as a gift for a relative or friend, to commemorete an event ten or more years hence, or to share it with a consortium of other like-minded whisky lovers, you can be sure that it will give immenense pleasure.

Tullibardine is a very smooth and mellow malt which will suit most palates. It is not a heavily peated malt and has a very pleasant roundness which makes it, in the words of one of the key whisky writers, “eminently quafable”. We strongly recommnend that Tullibardine is not bottled until it is at least 10 years old, and it will clearly continue to improve thereafter so you can decide at a later date at what age and strength you would like it bottled. Naturally our master distiller will advise you of his view as to what age and strength combination he would recommend nearer the time.

This offer was set up in 2003 in celebration of the recommissioning of the distillery. The first new spirit was distilled in November 2003 by the hugely experienced and respected master distillerJohn Black. He will also personally select the best possible casks to ensure optimum maturation conditions for the spirit. Casks are filled twice a year, in June and Dccember and your order is secured with a £250.00 non refundable deposit. The balance of payment will be taken when the cask is filled.

Announcing Whyte & Mackay Whisky Auction Fundraisers for Haiti

(This from Richard Paterson);

Everyone has been touched by what’s happened in Haiti and here at Whyte & Mackay we’d like to do our bit to try and help. To that end, we’ve teamed up with Oxfam to offer a couple of auctions that you can access via ebay.

The first is for a full week’s stay on the Jura Lodge on the isle of Jura, where up to eight people can stay for a week, enjoying the scenery and sounds of the beautiful island. They will also receive gift bottles of whisky and a tour of the distillery, learning more about the various Jura expressions including Superstition and Prophecy.

On top of the stay, Whyte & Mackay whisky will provide the transport (or the costs of) for the eight people to get to Jura.

Click this link for the auction for the Jura Lodge. http://tinyurl.com/yg57h8b

The second is for a chance to win me – not for keeping – but for me to come to an event you are putting on – or your home – and put on a whisky presentation, letting you try various expressions, learn more about whisky and generally have a good time. Again, there will be no cost to you. Whyte & Mackay will pick up all the travel and associated costs for me. Your only cost is the auction.

Click this link for the auction for the master blender tasting session. http://tinyurl.com/y8uahvw

Both of these are available to anyone who stays in the UK. That doesn’t stop people from outwith the UK bidding, it just means that in the case of the Jura auction, you have to get to the UK before we transport you to Jura and in the second auction that you have to have a UK venue or location we can meet at.

Let’s hope we can raise a lot of funds here for something which has devastated a lot of lives. As you would expect we’ll be using our social media connections – my twitter feed, Jura’s twitter feed, the Whyte & Mackay twitter feed, the Jura Pictures page, The Diurachs Facebook page and other sites – to promote this.

The auctions will be running for 10 days. Please spread details of these far and wide so we can raise as much as possible.

The 16th annual Malt Advocate Whisky Awards will be presented in the Spring 2010 issue of  magazine, due out March 1st. However, for the first time ever, we will be announcing the award winners on the Malt Advocate blog, “What Does John Know?” beginning February 1st.

The award will then automatically be published on Malt Advocate Publisher John Hansell’s Facebook and Twitter (@JohnHansell) accounts.
 
The advantage of publishing the awards on the Malt Advocate blog is two-fold:

The awards can be announced quicker on social media than in print media and will reach a larger audience.

Announcing the awards in a blog platform allows for further discussion and interaction between whisky enthusiasts, press, and trade.

“We are always trying to be as progressive as possible,” notes Hansell. “We look forward to using social media more in the future to provide Malt Advocate readers with the best whisky experience possible — one that is complementary to Malt Advocate magazine.”

The dates the category winners will be announced are:

February 1st:  Best Buy Whisk(e)y of the Year

February 2nd:  Artisan Whiskey of the Year

February 3rd:  American Whiskey of the Year

February 4th:  Canadian Whisky of the Year

February 5th:  Irish Whiskey of the Year

February 6th:  Scotch Whisky Blend of the Year

February 7th:  Scotch Whisky Single Malt of the Year

February 8th:  Pioneer of the Year

February 9th:  Industry Leader of the Year

February 10th:  Distillery of the Year

February 11th:  Lifetime Achievement Award

On February 11th, we will also be announcing our “Top Ten New Whiskies for 2009.”

Be sure to tune in to What Does John Know? beginning February 1st. http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/

The Johnson’s Whisky Tot from Bottega del Vino Crystal becomes the Official Whisky Tasting Glass of the 2010 International Whisky Competition

January 15, 2010 (WI is catching up…slowly)
Official Whisky Tasting Glass will shine at the International Whisky Competition

CHICAGO; Jan. 15, 2010 – In a joint press release, the International Whisky Competition (IWC) and Bottega del Vino today announced that the Johnson’s Whisky Tot is becoming the Official Whisky Tasting Glass of this year’s edition of the IWC.

This noble single malt glass will be used by the master whisky experts judging at the whisky competition. Benefiting from a unique design by noted Scotch Whisky authority, David Johnson, the Johnson’s Whisky Tot is designed to be a tasting glass, as compared to a nosing glass.
“If the whisky matters, so does glass – it’s that simple” said Robert J. Hall, Chief Whisky Officer at Bottega del Vino. “Several fine nosing glasses are available in the world today,” he went on, “and a couple of them are even made by friends of ours. We’re proud to have been recognized by the International Whisky Competition for our focus on tasting glasses and look forward to participating in this wonderful event” added Robert.
 
The International Whisky Competition will take place at the Hotel 71 in Chicago, IL USA from April 8th to 10th 2010 and will be hosted live on the web by a panel of whisky experts acting as competition judges.
 
About International Whisky Competition
International Whisky Competition is a young and creative company organizing a world-class whisky competition.  The International Whisky Competition is the first whisky-only international competition in the world. Our goal is to bring as many whiskies from around the world to be tasted and rated by a panel of judges. The annual International Whisky Competition attracts whisky lovers from across the world via the web and these can vote on whiskies participating in the competition.  The company was founded in Canada by a group of three whisky connoisseurs in 2009.  Its home page is www.whiskycompetition.com.

About Bottega del Vino Crystal
If the wine matters, so does the glass™ – it’s that simple. Tasting after tasting, test after test, time after time, wine enthusiasts are amazed by the difference the glass makes. Inspired by a life in wine and created by Severino Barzan, Bottega del Vino Crystal wine glasses are first and foremost, wine-driven in design and creation. Each piece is painstakingly mouth blown and hand finished to the highest world standards for balance, weight, shape and the tactile pleasure of holding the stem and drinking from it. Each piece features a superbly crafted bowl with single pull stem for the best possible feel in hand and mouth. Our crystal is unique in the world because it is not fragile, yet it offers the finest presentation available for your wines both in appearance and taste. It homepage is www.bottegadelvinocrystal.com

Wintry Start to January

Happy New Year to everyone, it wasn’t exactly the start to the year we had hoped for with Huntly basically coming to a stand still due to the wintry conditions. As a result of the bad weather a lot of homes and businesses have been damaged, many distillery roofs have collapsed with the sheer weight of snow and many have experienced leeks as the snow melts.Our own bottling hall roof has not escaped and is currently being repaired due to damage caused by the wintry weather.

Upcoming Events – Burns Night

The 251st Anniversary of Robert Burns is just around the corner, our annual pilgrimage to the Great Scottish Poet. Why not stock up on some of our latest bottlings to compliment your haggis, neaps and tatties.

Address to a Haggis

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin’-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang’s my arm.

For more information on Robert Burns, visit http://www.robertburns.org/

First Octave Bottlings

We are delighted to introduce our Octave Collection of single malt and grain whiskies.  There are 3 types in the range so far, Bowmore 1982, Caperdonich 1972 and Cameronbridge 1978.  These can be purchased individually or as a trio.

The Caperdonich bottle will be provided with a signed certificate to show the authenticity of this first release, Caperdonich is more highly sought after amongst drinkers and collectors due to the news that the distillery will never produce whisky again, therefore a great collectors item and a must have.

The whisky in the Octave Range has not been chill-filtered or coloured, whiskies were originally matured in standard sized casks before undergoing Sherry Octave Invigoration for the final three months. This process has energized and added vitality to the whiskies as shown by the before and after tasting notes on the back label of the bottles.  Each Octave has produced only 70 bottles and each cask is uniquely numbered. 

More Octave bottlings to be added to the collection in the coming months, so watch this space!! 

TASTING NOTES

Caperdonich
Before:  Green apples, mown grass, lemon, lime, sweet.
After: Tutti fruity sweets, slightly medicinal, spicy oak, red fruits, white pepper.

Bowmore
Before: Warm grass, slightly smoky, spirit.
After: Balsam, bananas, rice pudding, crushed heracleum maximum, rounded.

Cameronbridge
Before: Dry straw, spicy, peppery, alcohol buzz.
After: Sweet, creamy, light cinnamon, sweet tea, citrus.

For a list of available whiskies and further information, visit the O&Q product page.

For further information, please contact:
Duncan Taylor & Co Ltd
Whisky Merchants and Brokers,
4 Upperkirkgate, Huntly,
Aberdeenshire, Scotland AB54 8JU
website: www.duncantaylor.com
email: info@duncantaylor.com
Phone: +44 (0) 1466 794055
Fax: +44 (0) 1466 794618
 

Purveyors of the worlds most exclusive range of Scotch Whiskies