Whisky Intelligence has reproduced (with permission) The Gauntleys Whisky Newsletter for October 2006; a look back in time. The author, Chris Goodrum, has some excellent insights into the whiskies being commented on which makes for excellent reading on a Sunday.  Enjoy!

Dear Whisky Customers

I have a packed newsletter for you this month, so without any more ado here we go!

BRUICHLADDICH PRICES

I now have the prices for the new bottlings from Bruichladdich which I reviewed in the last newsletter. We now have some stock of all of them with the exception of the Port Charlotte should be available towards the end of the month.

Bruichladdich 7 year old Waves 46% £26.95

Bruichladdich 12 year old 46% £30.95

Bruichladdich Links 14 year old Royal Liverpool Hoylake 46% £37.95

Port Charlotte 5 year old PC5 Evolution 67% £53.95

GLENMORANGIE TASTING

I had a visit from the Glenmorangie sales rep recently, mainly to introduce the new 15 year old Sauternes finish malt. I have to admit it has been several years since I have tasted the wood finishes and to honest I wasn’t particularly impressed, the exception being the Burgundy wood finish which is rather good. So with tasting glass in hand we began with their blend called Baille Nicol Jarvie, which I was told is the only blend not only to contain Glenmorangie, but the only one to have a 60% malt content, and for a blended whisky it was rather pleasant. My tasting note follows in the later ‘Blends Tasting’ section.

So onto the malts, next up the 15 year old, and shock horror I actually liked it. Very polished and very drinkable, certainly an easy drinking session malt. Next was the Madiera finish, and although it wasn’t as heavily casked influence as I remember it was distinctly so-so on the nose with an initial burst of sulphur. On the palate it was quite oily and waxy, not all together pleasant with a bit of an evanescent character. Onto the Port finish and this has definitely got better. Delicate cask influence, with a nice depth and quite a nice spicy complexity.

Finally the Sauternes finish. Apparently this has spent four and a half years maturing in Sauternes casks and according to the advertising blurb has a remarkable botrytis character to it. Well if it has I certainly couldn’t find it. The nose was ruined by sulphur, although after it dissipated it showed a nice depth of honied, syrupy fruit and malt on the nose. On the palate it is quite luscious with liquid honey fruits, vanilla, madiera cake, coffee, mature fruit with a tangy citrus edge. But oh dear! I am amazed that the powers that be at Glenmorangie have released this. I know that there are a lot of fans of Glenmorangie who will probably over look this fault, but I’m afraid that I can’t and especially with a price tag of around £50!

Glenmorangie 15 year old 43% £39.95

A lovely clean, polished, soft nose with honied orange fruit, coffee, a touch of pepper and spice along with a floral note reminiscent of orange blossom. The palate replicates the nose with a touch of natural caramel and a nice intensity of flavour on the middle. Good depth with a palate cleansing dry finish and a touch of menthol on the finish.

Glenmorangie 12 year old Port Wood Finish 43% £33.95

Quite a floral nose, delicate and subtly spicy with the ‘morangie fruit lying beneath. A nice depth with a touch of herbs and coffee. Smooth and creamy on the palate with the delicate spice and red fruit balanced by the rich, honied ?morangie fruit. Good depth and a lovely spicy finish.

INDEPENDANTS BOTTLERS’ CHALLENGE

Love or loath the Whisky Magazine, and many of you do?. Both!.
My own personal opinion (which is not tainted by the fact that we still haven’t received any recognition from them?  No, I’m not bitter, honest!) is that although they try to appear to be independent and ‘give it to you straight’ however they are not going to be contentious and risk upsetting their corporate sponsors. However it is the only magazine of its type and frankly I feel that they should be supported, especially now that they are recognising that life doesn’t begin and end with distilleries own bottlings.

Anyway in their latest issue they have published the results of their second independent bottlers’ challenge and many congratulations should go to Duncan Taylor who scooped the Highland, Lowland and Vatted/Blended Malt awards, Gordon & MacPhail who took the Islands (non Islay) award, and to Dewar Rattray who were awarded the Speyside Bottler of the year. So congratulations to them all, and we are proud to be stockists of theirs. I have become a big fan of Dewar Rattray over the last year, and it isn’t just down to the fact that they send me samples without me asking for them!

BLENDS TASTING

I have often been left samples of various blended whiskies by sales reps and have never got round to tasting them, primarily because we have no more space on the shelves in order to stock them, so they have sat in my whisky cupboard at home. So being gripped by a spirit of adventure I cracked them open the other day and the results were as follows.

Pigs Nose

Very spirity nose, ‘off the still’, young and cerealy with a touch of fruit, acetate and earth. The palate has a vague fruitiness, a touch honied but spoilt by its acetate flavours and ‘off the still’ rawness. To sum up, it’s not very nice!

Sheep Dip

Quite rich, with sherried fruit. However the nose is marred by its spirity, nail polish remover notes. The palate is rather unassuming, with some slightly sherried fruit and coffee, but oh look there’s the nail polish remover again!

Cu Dhub The Black Whisky

This is essentially heavily caramelised whisky marketed by the Speyside distillery as an alternative to the long gone Loch Dhu.

Sweet and syrupy nose, totally dominated by the caramel, burnt toffee and acetone! The palate isn’t much better (surprise!), sweet and syrupy, a vapid middle, loads of burnt toffee, real black liquorice and a touch of spice. Why would anyone want to drink this?

Baille Nicol Jarvie

A nice, crisp and clean nose. Quite fruity with touches of iodine, smoke and peat. Quite creamy beneath with a floral note, a touch of grain and peper. On the palate it is smooth, slightly honied, tangy with a late touch of smoke. Quite drinkable actually!

NEW BOTTLING FROM COMPASS BOX

Compass box has released a new innovative vatted malt whisky called ‘Oak Cross’. It uses only Highland malt whiskies which have been matured in first fill bourbon oak, with a proportion matured in casks specifically made for them. These casks are made from American oak staves and French oak heads, which means it will probably fall foul of the SWA ruling on what is traditional, but as yet no pronouncement has been made. The idea of these customs casks is marry the flavours that these woods impart. Is it a success? ? I should say so!

Compass Box ‘Oak Cross’ 43% £TBC

Quite a winey nose, reminiscent of Chardonnay/ Sauvignon Blanc. Aromatic with soft American oak, a touch of apricot and orange fruit with a rounded, delicately soft, spicy note along with a slight granity edge and a whiff of smoke. Soft and rounded on the palate, smooth, fruity and delicately spiced. Slightly winey with a lovely malty sweetness which builds on the middle. Lovely length with a granity note, hints of dried fruit and a dry finish.

NEW BOTTLINGS FROM RAYMOND ARMSTRONG

As you will know Raymond Armstrong of Bladnoch occasionally bottles the odd cask or two, and he certainly knows a good cask when he see’s one. We are proud to be one of the few places where you can get hold of his stunning whiskies. I reviewed the absolutely stunning cask strength 12 year old Craggenmore back in February, and surprise, surprise it has now all sold out, however there are some bottles of the 40% bottling available, although not quite as good as the cask strength bottling it is still rather good. I believe that the cask strength must rate as one of my favourite malts of the year? Hang on that’s an idea, maybe I’ll do a list of my top 10 for the year around Christmas/ New Year, time permitting of course!

Craggenmore 12 year old 40% £35.95

Clean, grassy and citrus with lovely clean vanilla oak, cereal, hay, orange fruit and a touch of strawberry. Stunning palate, slightly sweet with cereal, apricot, banana and delicate, sweet spices. Slightly oily with a tropical fruit middle along with the gloriously clean vanilla oak. Very long with the sweetness building on the palate. Glorious length and finish.

Tamdhu 15 year old 61.7% £46.95

A stunning nose. Rich, oily and fruity, full of re-fill sherry aromas, intensly spiced orange fruits, a touch of vanilla and loads of sweet orange candy. Luxurious and velvety, dripping with honied malt and cereal. Soft and smooth on the palate, rich and oily with spicy orange fruit. Awesome depth and complexity, the spice really builds amid the lovely delicate sherry fruits. This is stunning. A drop of water softens the nose and brings out an earthy/ perfumed note. It makes the palate sing, smoothing and again bringing out an earthy note. Water really brings it all together, pushing the spice to the background and bringing out a slight menthol note.

Caol Ila 15 year old 58.8% £46.95

A PURE Islay nose! Salty with medicinal peat, carbolic soap, coal dust, earth, tar, iodine and vegetation. Underneath lurks some glorious, slightly sweet apricot and orange fruit. Very, very smoky on the palate and I mean smoky ? pure coal scuttle! Followed by the medicinal peat which gently builds to a tangy, briny, fruity finish with the ever present smoke lingering. A drop of water brings out the sweet fruit on the nose and emphasises it to the max, (something that is often lacking in Caol Ila) at the expense of the rampant smoke. On the palate it again brings out the sweet fruit but doesn?t mute the smoke. A truly superb Caol Ila with a lovely balance with water and damn smoky. I love it!

NEW BOTTLINGS FROM DEWAR RATTRAY

As I said earlier, I have grown very partial to their single cask bottling’s and as my good friends at Dewar Rattray have sent me some samples of their new bottlings it would be very amiss of me not to taste them and tell you all about them. So what did they send? An interesting 16 year old Craigellachie, a disappointing 25 year old Caperdonich which was rather straightforward and just not particularly exciting, a superb 29 year old Glenglassaugh, a 31 year old Strathmill which I was really looking forward to tasting as they had bottled a 15year old last year which was very good and a luscious 30 year old Tomintoul.

Craigellachie 16 year old 57.7% £43.95

Interesting nose, opens with coffee/tobacco leaf on a wet morning, followed by clean apricot fruit and creamy vanilla builds nicely becoming a touch creamy with a wood smoke nuance. Quite sweet on the palate, rounded and nicely fruity with vanilla oak and gentle spices. Over time it develops a sort of slightly leafy/woody middle. Tangy length with custard cream after taste ? Good crispness/freshness throughout.

Glenglassaugh 29 year old 53% £78.95

A wonderfully crisp, fresh and granity nose of clean, oily fruit, vanilla, earth and a lowland-esque grassy citrus note. More weighty on the palate. Uite oily with delicate orange fruit followed by a big hit of dry spices. Lovely length with coffee and demerara sugar along with juicy and sweet fruit. Lovely length. No need for any water.

Strathmill 31 year old 49.3% £86.95

A gloriously dense, heavy aromas of orange oils? Wow you can really smell the viscosity. This is sumptuous with an infinite depth of creamy vanilla laced fruit. On the palate it is obviously heavy and oily with sweet, sensuous orange fruit and big wood. Time has melded the components wonderfully ? It might not be the most complex of flavours, but the depth is stunning. Do not add water, it kills its density and gives it a gin like botanical note.

Tomintoul 30 year old 41.5% £84.95

Lovely, dense, rich and oily aromas of menthol/mint infused earthy, foresty, loamy, undergrowthy fruit, along with smoke, a touch of mature peat, luscious fruit and vanilla. Stunning complexity. Again dense and oily on the palate. It opens with the earthy, loamy, mature fruit and mature peat flavours. Some lovely wood spices drift in and it finishes with the menthol note. Extremely oily, lingering and mouth-coatingly rich.  Stunning.

HAZELBURN 2nd EDITION v’s 1st EDITON

The second bottling of the 8 year old Hazelburn is now in the shop, and amazingly there are a few bottles left! So why should you buy this one I hear you ask, it’s obviously the same as the first bottling ? Well having tasted them against each other I can tell you that they are very different. The second edition being matured in American oak offers a fabulous insight into the style and quality of this unique spirit as the first edition was obviously sherry matured and shows how the cask has offset the innate youthfulness of the spirit.

Hazelburn 8 year old ?2 nd Edition? 46% £33.95

A very youthful nose with initially plenty of ‘off the still’ cereal and salt along with some apricot fruit, light coffee and smooth orange marmalade. Give this a few minutes in the glass and it becomes exuberantly fruity. Dry on the palate, again initially quite cerealy, obvious new make notes and a very intense tangy, salty middle with plenty of delicate apricot fruit and a slight hint of marmalade and citrus sweetness. The quality of the spirit is superb, currently rather straightforward and obviously need some time and some further wood influence. Personally I think it is an interesting experience to taste the pure spirit unencumbered by cask and peat, etc.

Hazelburn 8 year old 1 st Edition £46%

As this has long since sold out this tasting note is purely to show the difference. Just looking at the colour tells you that this has been matured in Sherry casks and it is obvious on the nose, displaying a greater intensity of rich, honied, earthy fruit, full of orange/tangerine with hints of chocolate, peat and coffee. Again fuller on the palate with the rich, sherry fruit and salinity dominating the proceedings. A touch of peat drifts in on the middle and finishes with the salt and smoke llingering.

BOOK REVIEW

I was recently sent a copy of Brian Townsend’s book ‘Scotch Missed” Scotland’s Lost Distilleries by Brian Townsend. This is a fascinating and well researched book. It’s amazing to think that the popularity of whisky has had some peaks and troughs in the past. At the moment it seems that its popularity shows no sign of waning, especially with new markets in Asia and Russia showing explanation growth potential. But of course this has not been the case, and this book highlights some of the darker moments of the industry which led to a number of closures, for example the 1909 duty price, the first world war, the 1920 depression and prohibition, the second world war and more recently the 1980’s downturn.

Another interesting point to note is that it was not only the small rural distilleries that the axe has fallen on, but a number of larger ones too. For example the huge grain distilleries of Caledonian (Edinburgh), Carsebridge (Alloa) and Cambus (Clackmannashire) are now all silent, as are some of the larger malt distilleries of Hazelburn, whose output was a hefty 250,000 gallons of spirit a year, along with St Magdalen (Linlithgow) (225,000 gallons per year) and Banff (Inverboydie) (200,000 gallons per year).

My only quibble with this book is that it was written six years ago, and that is a long time in the whisky industry and as such some of the information needs updating, for example the purchase of Glengyle distillery by Springbank, the revival of the Stronachie name by Dewar Rattray, and the continuing success of the new Speyside distillery. These very minor quibbles aside this is a very entertaining read, and copies can be ordered from ourselves for £8.99 plus postage and packaging.

A GENERAL ROUND UP OF TASTINGS

An Cnoc 12 year old 40% £25.95

Massively malty, slightly grainy with loads of rich, creamy orange fruit, a slight perfumed note. Superb complexity with a touch of smoke, earthy manure and pepper. On the palate it as multi-layered, opening with the delicious malt and followed by softly, juicy, slightly sweet fruit ? reminds me of a good Irish. Good wood and good spirit combine nicely, tails of rather quickly but leaves a lovely soft spicy after taste.

Laphroig 15 year old 43% £42.95

Rich and fruity aromas, quite heavy and oily with mature peat smoke, iodine, and kippers. Lovely complexity, phenolic and slaty with a hint of bog myrtle and rubber wellies! On the palate it is rich and fruity, again with mature peat smoke, iodine, kippers and rubber. Lovely depth, with a soft intensity. Oodles of coastal fruit on the middle and a long lingering finish with hints of bog myrtle.

Benromch Organic 43% £28.95

Yes I know I mentioned this whisky in the last newsletter, but to honest I hadn’t tasted it then and just used the distillery tasting notes (shame on me!) . But now I have tasted it and it is rather good!

Big, deep and rich aromas of luscious honied fruits, followed by tons of fresh oak and vanillins. Very, very weighty just like a good Bourbon with a late spice note drifting in. On the palate it is softer and more whisky like with the malty, honied fruit flavours leading the way, followed the vanillins. Very weighty with a lovely tangy spiciness to the fruit. The wood masks the innate youth of the spirit and makes this a very enjoyable dram. Lovely length with a softly tangy youthful finish.

John McDougall’s Tamdhu 1994 (11 year old) 61.3% £35.95

Young and intensely oily on the nose. Youthful, perfumed fruit with a cereal background. It displays what can only be described as ‘terroir’  essence of earth and granity hard malt! It’s young, delicate and maybe a bit evanescent but utterly charming. On the palate it is light, estery and oily, again youthful with cereal and light spices. Good length with a whistle clean finish. A touch of water smoothes and softens brining out the orange fruit but not detracting from its granity hardness.

John McDougall’s Caol Ila 1979 (27 year old) 58.9% £127.95

A very oily nose. Opening with menthol, bog myrtle, garden plants, undergrowth, manure, hemp, old compost heaps of peat followed by gloriously rich orange fruit, pure, liquid honied orange nectar and spices. This is superb with a lovely depth along with a touch of smoke and a coastal note. Soft and smooth on the palate. All the flavopurs have mellowed into a morass of rich, mature fruit, peat smoke, iodine, menthol, hemp, earth, mature rushes and pointed leafy plants (green reeds?) and a touch of salinity. Finally do not under any circumstance add any water to this trust me!

Benromach 1980 58.6% £73.95

An intense, oily nose of honied orange fruit, a touch of peat and earth. There is a lovely freshness to the aromas with loads of refill-sherry notes and citrus. Lovely oarange fruit on the palate, buckets of clean honey, malt and mouth coating spices along with a touch of coffee. It needs a drop of water to fully appreciate this malt. It brings out a fresh perfumed note and a touch of vanilla and spices on the nose. On the palate it emphasises the oils, smooths and brings out the glorious fruit. Sweet and sappy with loads of wood spices on the finish. It certainly doesn?t seem like it is 24 years old!

Gordon & MacPhail Ledaig 1990 (16 year old) NOT STOCKING

A heavy and woody nose of peaty cardboard and stale coffee, a touch of sulphur, damp earth, orange fruit, salinity and vegetal (cabbage) notes. The palate is soft slightly oily with lots of wood, dried fruit and salt. Ok length with loads of wood spices and coffee. It?s amazing how hit and miss bottlings of Ledaig can be, this is most definitely a miss!

Glengoyne 1990 Single Cask (16 year old) 58.7 NOT STOCKING

A rich nose of vegetal sherry cask, earth, stewed fruits, late vanilla and farmyards. Dry and rich on the palate, again dominated by the vegetal sherry cask and alcohol. Tangy middle with a late marzipan/almond note. Several minutes later some rich sherry spices and coffee arrive. All the complexity is in the finish. A drop of water dosen’t help matters, it changes nothing! Far too vegetal, no whisky, all sherry cask.

Allied Distillers Last Bottling of Imperial 15 year old NOT STOCKING

Now this is a better sherry cask! Not much from the spirit, but a nice amount of orange fruit and coffee notes. Fairly non descript on the palate, again it is all sherry cask, a good cask at that, with a late coffee/bitter chocolate note.

That’s it for now, comments and orders to the usual place.

Sincerely

Chris Goodrum

http://www.gauntley-wine.co.uk/

Loch Fyne Whiskies News has posted a new item, ‘ORDERS FOR UK Mainland addresses:’

Placed before 4pm Monday 21st December will be delivered in time for Christmas Day.
Before 4pm Tuesday 22nd December will probably be delivered in time for Christmas Day.

You may view the latest post at
https://www.lfw.co.uk/blog/2009/12/18/orders-for-uk-mainland-addresses/

Best regards,
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

Kindred Spirits
December 2009
 
Merry Christmas

Everyone at The Glenrothes would like to wish you, our friends, kindred spirits, like-minded people – in fact all of you who have ever enjoyed a glass of Glenrothes – a fun-filled festive season: wherever you are and with whom you choose to share a dram at this time of year.

The Glenrothes has always been a malt for sharing with those people with whom we want to spend time – savouring a new Vintage perhaps while righting the world’s wrongs, or just in a calm moment of companionable silence. Whatever suits you, we trust the spirit of The Glenrothes will be with you.  
 
 
We’ve had a really busy yet enjoyable 2009. Throughout the year we’ve released quite a few new expressions. Each one, as always, unique in its own way.
The Vintage 1988 with its delicious cooked orange flavour and oodles of fruit.
The Vintage 1998 – Gordon Motion, the new Malt Master’s, first bottling – which he describes as ‘Carmen Miranda’s hat in a bottle’.
The Alba Reserve – a Kosher Glenrothes with no sherry influence at all; yet bursting with sweet vanilla and coconut.

 

The ‘Three Decades’ – only available in Duty Free, but with its combination of Glenrothes from across the decades that we have been bottling vintages, it’s worth travelling for.

And, to mark John Ramsay’s retirement in July as Malt Master, his very own legacy, aptly named ‘John Ramsay’ – just 1400 bottles of a rich, spicy expression full bodied with blood oranges, vanilla, oak and tropical fruits.
What a Christmas gift that would make!

We’re looking forward to lots more goings on in 2010 and to keeping in touch with you throughout the year.

Ronnie, Gordon, Luke, Sandrine, Sandy, Eric, Caroline and the entire Glenrothes team raise a glass to you!
Yours aye,
 
 

 

UK SHIPPING £6.99 UP TO 12 BOTTLES

Last UK postal date: 22nd December
Last Overseas postal date:18th December

With only 9 days to go until Christmas our little whisky elves are frantically packing malts for despatch around the world. We would like to wish all of our customers a “Very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year”, and we would like to say thank you for your very valued custom during 2009. We are really proud of our level of service, the team have worked tirelesly this year. We have increased our product selection and more importantly kept our prices at the lowest possible to benefit our customers.  
 
Very best regards and the “Season’s Greetings” to you all.
 
Duncan & Ronnie

and……

Longmorn 30 Year Old 43%
 
RRP – £78.99
NOW – £68.99
SAVE – £10.00 

Malt Messenger Christmas Gift Guide

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

That time of year is nearly upon us; Christmas day is but two weeks away! Every year I put together the Malt Messenger Christmas Gift Guide to help my subscribers find the perfect gift. I break the whiskies down by price, with my Top 5 recommendations in each price range from under $60 to several thousand. These are all whiskies that I love and believe in, and I know you’ll enjoy them too.

I am at the store straight through Christmas, so you’re almost guaranteed to catch me! The afternoon is the best time to drop by if you require some help selecting the perfect gift, or the right single malt to entertain with. You are always welcome to drop in for a dram and to talk single malts.

Some of you may be interested to know I was profiled by David Parker in the Calgary Herald last weekend. It is a great honour and I am very humbled! If you didn’t happen to catch the article and would like to read it you can view it at:

http://www.calgaryherald.com/Right+attitude+lead+passion/2307415/story.html

Our Jack Daniels cask is expected to be in store late next week and we have three new single barrel rums coming in! These last two weeks will be an exciting time.

Finally, I hope you and yours have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year, and that you enjoy the 2009 Malt Messenger Christmas Gift Guide!

Slainté!

Andrew Ferguson

Top 5 Whiskies Under < $60

1.       Finlaggan Old Islay Reserve – 94pts Jim Murray, one of our best selling whiskies and an exclusive. Dark chocolate peat! – $50.99

2.       Tantallan 10Yr – Another bargain, but one more geared towards the Speyside lover. Not sure at which distillery this whisky is made, but if I had to guess I’d say Glenturret. – $49.99

3.       Arran 10Yr – A lovely soft and approachable whisky from the only distillery on the Isle of Arran. Honeyed, grassy and malty, perfect for lovers of Lowland and Highland whiskies. – $53.99

4.       Famous Grouse 12Yr Blended Malt – It is hard to beat a bargain like this… you can be assured that some fine single malts found their way into it from Macallan, Highland Park and others. – $37.99

5.       John Black “Peaty” Blended Malt – A fine peaty dram that doesn’t empty your sporran. – $46.49

Top 5 Whiskies $60 – $80

1.       Kilkerran “Work in Progress” – It isn’t often that you have the opportunity to purchase a first edition bottling from a new distillery, and it is rarer still that you don’t take it on the nose for doing so. At only 5 years of age this dram from Glengyle distillery tastes more like a 10 to 15 year old. – $69.99

2.       Ledaig 10Yr – A peaty expression from Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull (Calgary is named after a beach on this island). Sweet, fruity and medicinal with a touch of smoke. – $71.99

3.       Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or – 94pts Jim Murray. Matured 10 years in ex-Bourbon casks and finished for 2 more in Sauternes casks, this dram is spectacular! Sweet and spicy… – $75.79

4.       BenRiach Heredotus Fumosus 12Yr – This peated, smoky Speysider has a chewy sweet backbone. It could fool any Islay drinker into thinking it is from the most famous of Scottish islands. – $71.99

5.       Arran Peacock “Icons of Arran #1” – This new limited edition Arran is the product of 13 ex-Bourbon casks and 7 ex-sherry hogsheads. Only 6,000 bottles produced. – $76.49

Top 5 Whiskies $80 – $100

1.       Bowmore Tempest – This new Islay dram is exclusive to Kensington Wine Market in Canada, and won’t be released in the US for 3 or 4 months. At the moment KWM is the only store in North America with this tasty new dram. It is the product of only first-fill Bourbon casks that matured in Bowmore’s legendary No.1 vaults. The whisky is creamy and buttery with lush tropical fruits and just a touch of salty peat. – $81.99

2.       Benromach Organic Special Edition – Matured in virgin American oak casks this lightly peated whisky has a grassy, herbal backbone with big sweet vanilla notes and soft white fruits. Lovers of the original Organic may find themselves disappointed with this new Special Edition, but I think it’s an improvement. – $84.99

3.       Duthies Cragganmore 15Yr – An independently bottled, unchillfiltered expression of Cragganmore that is very complex and round with notes of milk chocolate, cinnamon, burnt orange and dried fruits. – $94.99

4.       BenRiach 15Yr Madeira Finish – Matured 14 years in Bourbon casks and finished for 1 further year in Henriques Madeira casks. This whisky is soft, sweet and spicy. – $82.49

5.       Bowmore Wine Cask Matured 16Yr 1992 – Like the Tempest this is not your typical Bowmore, it is massive, big leathery and earthy with robust peat notes and firm wine tannins. $98.49

Top 5 Whiskies $100 – $150

Tullibardine 1993 KWM PX Sherry Cask 15081 – This is the single best buy in the store under $200, but it will be sold out by the end of the day today. We had 96 bottles from a cask we split with a Calgary law firm, we now have but 10 bottles remaining. Matured 14 years in American oak and finished for 2 years in Pedor Ximenez sherry casks the whisky has a solid foundation of creamy vanilla that is complimented but rich spicy fruits. Beautifully packaged. – $1199.99

Duthies Auchentoshan 19Yr – This whisky won a Gold Medal in Whisky Magazine this fall for independently bottled whiskies. It is wonderful floral citrus notes as well as soft smooth Bourbon notes. – $108.49

Duthies Glen Scotia 17Yr – I have tried few good bottlings from the distillery, likely owing to the fact that it is derelict. But this expression is an exception, fruity and malty with marzipan and a trace of salty smoke. It recently took a Silver Medal in Whisky Magazine. – $101.99

Ballechin 2nd Release – This peated expression of Edradour isn’t for everyone, but as the saying goes, “those who like it, like it a lot!” Matured in Madeira casks this whisky from Scotland’s smallest distillery is dominated by notes of sweet honey, and Cuban cigar ash. – $125.99

Glenmorangie 18Yr – The new 18 year old Glenmorangie is elegantly packaged and a fine expression of whisky. Matured 15 years in Bourbon casks, it is then finished for 3 years in Oloroso sherry casks. – $132.99

Top 5 Whiskies $150 – $250

OMC KWM Port Ellen 25Yr – Bottled exclusively for our store, this is without doubt the cask I am most proud of. The whisky hails from the Port Ellen Distillery which closed in 1983 and has since only been getting older, rarer and more expensive. Our cask was the overwhelming favourite at two blind tastings of Port Ellen conducted this Spring. Only 210 total bottles produced, with but 50 remaining. It is the product of a single refill sherry butt, with balanced notes of spicy caramelized fruit and salty smoky peat. – $249.99

Glenmorangie Signet – Probably the most innovative whisky released in years it is the product of whiskies made from chocolate malt (burn barley), old sherry casks and a selection of other whiskies. Beautifully presented and exceptionally rich on the palate. This whisky is running low! – $199.49

Macallan 18Yr – Always one of the best whiskies in the world, it has been creeping up in price over the years but this sherry casked beauty is still a gem. – $175.49

G&M Strathisla 25Yr – Matured in first and refill sherry casks this whisky is replete with big chewy candied fruit and Christmas cake notes. – $182.99
Bushmills 21Yr – One hell of an Irish whiskey, this whisky was traditionally only available at Duty Free. It is matured in a mix of bourbon and Oloroso casks before finishing in Madeira. 95pts Jim Murray – $202.99

Top 5 Whiskies $250 – $500

OMC Probably Speyside’s Finest Distiller 43Yr – The bottlers Douglas Laing can’t refer to the distillery where this whisky was made—Glenfarclas—by name, by I am under no such constraints; GLENFARCLAS! This whisky is a lovely chewy expression of Glenfarclas and a bargain at under $300, given that an equivalent Family Cask Bottling would be at least $2000.00. – $287.49

G&M KWM Glen Grant 1966 – This 41 year old whisky was bottled for our store and recently scored 90pts in Malt Advocate Magazine. The whisky was noted for its soft, delicate and complex character; something unusual for a whisky of this age. – $499.99

G&M Strathisla 40Yr – Matured in first and refill sherry casks this whisky from possibly Scotland’s oldest distillery is exceptionally smooth with notes of Christmas cake, tobacco and old leather. It is also roughly 1/10 the price of most distillery edition 40 year old whiskies. – $339.99

Macallan 25Yr – The late Michael Jackson—the writer, not the human tragedy—felt this was one of the best whiskies in the world. Until recently it was very rare to come by indeed. Matured in Oloroso sherry, this is a big Speysider. – $497.99

Port Ellen 29Yr 8th Release – Diageo is rumoured to be running out of Port Ellen, and each bottling is rumoured to be one of the last. The 8th release was a good expression and well priced. – $361.99

Top 5 Whiskies $500 and Up!

The Last Drop – Quite possibly one of the finest blends ever bottled. The whisky is the product of 70 different malt whiskies and 12 different grain whiskies. It has been bottled at a cask strength of 52% and is limited to 1,347 bottles worldwide. – Apprx $2000.00

Bruichladdich DNA – This whisky is the last of the 1960’s and 1970’s vintages from Bruichladdich distillery. Matured in 80% Bourbon, 20% Sherry and finished in Chateau Le Pin. – $793.99

Auchentoshan 1957 – Only 2 casks of this whisky were ever released, and they are exceptional drams. Barely more than 100 bottles produced with only a dozen or so coming to Canada. – $3749.99

White Bowmore 1964 – This is the second bottle in the 1964 Bowmore Trilogy. Matured in Bourbon casks it curiously has the same tropical fruit notes as the Black Bowmore but with sweet round vanilla notes. – $4388.99
Black Bowmore 1964 – One of my top 5 whiskies of all time. Matured in Oloroso sherry casks this whisky is big round and chewy, enormously complex with lush vibrant tropical fruits. – $4099.99

Books, Magazines & Gift Packs – Great Stocking Stuffers

1.       Jim Murray’s 2010 Whisky Bible – The most comprehensive tasting guide to World whiskies updated for 2010. – $21.99

2.       Malt Whisky Yearbook 2010 – The most wide-ranging book on single malts in the world gives a detailed history for every distillery in Scotland and Ireland as well as most of the world’s other single malt distilleries. Easily the most interesting book on whisky. – $29.99

3.       Malt Advocate Magazine – The world’s best whisky magazine covers Scotch whisky, Irish whiskey, Bourbon and others. Each issue lists new releases and reviews selected whiskies. – $6.50

4.       Whisky: A Definitive World Guide – The late Michael Jackson (whisky writer) is the editor of this beautiful book on whiskies. It would make a great gift for the coffee table and or whisky library. – $49.99

5.       Glenmorangie Gift Pack – A great little gift pack that includes 100ml bottles of 10Yr, Lasanta, Quinta Ruban and Nectar D’Or beautifully packaged in an LVMH influenced box. – $56.49

6.       Glenrothes Gift Pack – This smart little gift pack includes 3 100ml bottle of Glenrothes, Select Reserve, 1991 and 1994. – $41.99

Tastings – Thoughtful Gifts

3 times a year (Fall, Winter and Spring) we release a slate of classes and tastings which we conduct in store. They are fun and informative, and make great gifts. For a complete list of tastings you can visit: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php.. I have listed a few of the highlights below!

1.       Whisky Appreciation Level II – The world of single malt Scotch whisky is a little like Alice and the Rabbit Hole, you’re never sure just how deep it will go. Hot on the heels of Level I this class will examine a number of facets of malt whisky in greater depth. Lecture I, American Oak, and Lecture II, European Oak will focus in depth on these cask types and how they influence whiskies.  Lecture III, Finishing, will look at how whiskies can be influenced/enhanced by maturing for short periods in secondary casks. Lecture IV, will tackle one of the least understood aspects of Scotch whisky, The Influence of Peat.  While older whiskies are highly prized, age is not a guarantee of quality, so Lecture V will tackle, The Influence of Time. Finally, the course will conclude with a fun Blind Taste Test. The course fee includes: all course materials, sampling of 6 whiskies per each of 6 classes, a map of Scottish distilleries, a whisky book and a set of 6 Glencairn single malt glasses. Wed Jan 13 20 27 Feb 3, 10, 17 $500.

2.       Scots Wha Hae – Hard though it may be to believe this tradition is now 5 years running: join us for our 5th Annual Robbie Burns Supper on January 25th with special guest Jamie McKenzie of Morrison Bowmore distillers. Every year we take a traditional Burns Supper with poetry, bagpipes, highland dancing and haggis and add to it a casual tasting of six single malt whiskies. This year’s distillery is Bowmore, and we will be sampling through the distillery’s range including the new Tempest. Our Burns Supper is a lot of fun and is reputed to be one of the best in town. Best of all, lassies are more than welcome… – January 25th – $99

3.     The Lowland Distilleries – This tasting will focus on the single malt distilleries of the Scottish Lowlands. You’ll sample whiskies from Rosebank, Auchentoshan, Bladnoch and Glen Kinchie while learning about the region’s history and whisky styles. – February 11th – $60

____________________

If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store. Feel free to forward me any whisky news you feel should be included in a future issue of The Malt Messenger; it might just get included.

All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com.. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change!

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger!

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
KWM Scotchguy

403-283-8000
888-283-9004
1257 Kensington Rd. NW
Calgary, AB, Canada
T2N 3P8
scotchguy@kensingtonwinemarket.com

SOCIETY NEWSLETTER CHRISTMAS 2009

Christmas Greetings to all Society members from the staff of Springbank Distillery.

It doesn’t seem like a year has passed already.   Where does the time go?

As we get ready to wind down for the holidays and get our party frocks on, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our Society members for their support over the past year.

What a year this has been for us,  we had a visit from the Hairy Bikers and their film crew, and were included in their T.V. programme,  we also had our very first open day at Glengyle Distillery, which was a great success and saw us running around like mad people for part of the day until we settled in to enjoy ourselves.

This year also saw a crop of local barley being gathered for future use.   We had a few new releases this year, as well as two Society bottles, one thanks to our tasting panel made up of Society members.

We could not have asked for a better end to the year than the two fabulous awards from Whisky Magazine, one for Young Brand Ambassador of the year 2010 and the other for Distiller of the year 2010.    Pete and Stuart will be first at the bar at the Christmas party to buy everyone a drink to celebrate their success.

All in all a great year for Springbank.

Next year we hope to continue the practice of selecting a tasting panel for Society Bottles – watch the forum for these announcements.   We will also have a competition or two, just to keep everyone invlolved.   Hopefully we will have more than two entries for the next competition, although I’m sure the two who entered the poetry competition are delighted there were no more entries as they both won a prize.

We will also be hosting another open day, this time at Springbank Distillery on Thursday 20th May.    There will be a cask of Springbank on that day, as well as another cask, yet to be decided.    During the day there will be masterclasses by Stuart Robertson and Frank McHardy, ticket prices to be announced later, as well as free distillery tours.

Hopefully we will also have Food from Argyll and music to keep you entertained.   Details will be announced in newsletters and on the website nearer the time.

The new releases planned for next year are:

January Springbank 18 y/o and Springbank CV
March    Springbank 12 y/o and Springbank Claret
May       Kilkerran Work In Progress
Sept      Hazelburn 12 y/o

We will of course also have at least two Society bottles.

We also have Glencairn whisky glasses with the Society logo etched on them,  for sale to Society members at a cost of £5 per glass, or £25 for a box of six.   We did send out a free glass with the last Society bottle as it was approaching Christmas. 

All that remains is for us to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.    We look forward to a busy 2010,  so get in touch,  keep us on our toes.   Give us your ideas for the Society and we’ll try our best to accommodate you.

Merry Christmas from all at Springbank.

Slainte

Janet
 
For the Springbank Society

J & A Mitchell and Co Ltd, The Tasting Room, 9 Bolgam Street, Campbeltown, Argyll, PA28 6HZ
Registered in Scotland, registration number 3582
Tel :   + 44(0) 1586 552009   Fax :  + 44(0) 1586 553232  website  http://www.springbankwhisky.com 

Please contact Janet to join the Springbank Society

Short and Sweet

Peated Whisky

We are just finishing off the distillation runs of our week of mashing using peated barley. The next stage is to fill this spirit into a mix of refill casks and fresh ex-bourbon barrels. We will monitor this spirit as it matures and are likely to carry out further production periods using peated barley at the end of next year, using our experience of this year to refine the process, if necessary.

New Apparel

For those cask owners who ordered a rugby shirt or polo shirt I can tell you that they have now arrived and we will be despatching them this week. For those of you that now own a cask but didn’t receive the option to buy one of these garments, we will be repeating the offer in the New Year.

Mhairi Leaves

Mhairi MacDonald left us at the end of November to take up a post with Diageo in their process support team. She is a young lady with a great deal of knowledge of the process and passion for malt whisky and will have a good future in the industry. We wish her all the best for the future.

2010

We have started planning for 2010 but are not yet in a position to share everything. However we are anticipating increasing our distributor network globally and are hoping to launch in several key markets including the USA and South Africa, early in 2010.

We are also hopeful that we will finally get our off-sales licence approved by Aberdeenshire Council and so should be in a position to sell direct from the distillery from the start of next year. At the same time we will be modifying the web site so that there is an on-line shop where you will be able to order all bottled products and other merchandise which we sell.

Our range of brand merchandising will be increased and in particular there will be a greater range of clothing available. These items will reflect the values of the brand and will be of high quality and made by reputable, well-known manufacturers.

Once again if anyone has any comments or questions then please add them below or email me direct.

Stuart

http://www.glenglassaugh.com/

Bonhams New York
580 Madison Avenue
NY, NY 10022

212-644-9001
212-644-9009 fax
www.bonhams.com/us

Press Release

For immediate release
November 23, 2009
New York City…

Dalmore 50 Year Old

The Willard S. Folsom Collection of Old and Rare Whiskies
To Be Offered At Bonhams New York This December

Aficionados of fine, rare Whiskies will be presented with an unparalleled collecting opportunity when the renowned Willard S. Folsom Collection goes to block on December 17th at Bonhams New York.

A sports fan, football handicapper, race car driver, master of finance, scuba diver, skydiver, and salsa dancer at various times in his life – Folsom began his love affair with Whisky in 1988 while reading a list of the best bars in the United States for Single Malt. Included in the list was a restaurant ten minutes from Willard’s home in Burlingame, California. After attending his first Single Malt Scotch tasting he immediately became a devotee of the Whisky arts.

For the next 18 years Willard amassed his private collection. Starting with establishing relationships within San Francisco’s Scotch community it was not long before he began travelling the world in search of rare bottles. Having toured the Highlands, the Lowlands, Speyside, Islay, and Orkney, he purchased whisky from all over Scotland and the rest of the UK- resulting in a collection of over 3,000 bottles.

 

Following the successful sale of a portion of the vast collection in Edinburgh and another sampling to be offered on November 27th in Hong Kong, part three of the sale will take place at the New York galleries of Bonhams and consists of nearly 900 lots of premier Single Malt Whisky. The meticulously selected collection ranges from Single Malts distilled in the 70s and 80s to a 1924 Royal Brackla 60 year old estimated at $2,400-3,300 (pictured, left).  The New York sale is being held in conjunction with Bedford Wine Merchants.

Undoubtedly one of the most sought after lots will be the Dalmore 50 year old (pictured, top). It is beautifully presented in a crystal decanter along with a hand crafted wooden presentation case. Carrying an estimate of $6,500-7,300 it is sure to draw serious collector attention.

Also of great interest is the Dalmore 30 year old. This 150th Anniversary issue is offered in an Edinburgh Crystal decanter with sterling silver labelling. Bottle 37 out of a limited run of 50 and never for sale on the open market, the  lot is estimated at $2,400-3,300.
 
The Balvenie 50 year old is also highly anticipated. Distilled in 1937 and bottled 50 years later, the bottle is designed to replicate the bottling style of the 1930s when it was originally distilled. This nostalgic lot is expected to fetch $4,900-5,700.

Another lot certain to attract bidders is a group of limited edition Springbank whiskies. Bottled for the millenium at five year intervals from 25 to 50 years maturation in the cask, the lot is comprised of Springbank 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 year old. The six bottle lot carries an estimate of $3,000-5,000.

Two 1940s Macallan’s will also highlight the sale. Accompanied by a miniature for sampling purposes, the 1948 Macallan Select Reseve 51 year old is estimated at $3,500-$4,500 (pictured, right). The 1946 Macallan Select Reserve 52 year old is numbered 536 and is expected to bring $2,000-2,300.

Also cause for excitement is an 18 year old Bowmore. Estimated at $3,300-4,100, this rarely seen bottle was distilled and bottled by Sherriff’s Bowmore Distillery in the 1950s. 

Other notable lots to be offered are a rare, limited edition 1963 Laphroaig 40 year old (est. $1,100-1,500); a limited edition Aultmore Centenary 16 year old only available to employees of the distillery (est. $900-1,200); and a 1963 Bowmore, bottled especially for a dinner at Chateau La Grange marking the 30th Anniversary of Morrison Bowmore’s ownership of the distillery (est. $900-1,200).

“We’re extremely excited to present this collection,” states Director of Whisky, Martin Green. “Not only is it the largest collection ever to come to auction; it is also distinguished by the fact that Folsom bought multiples whenever possible, which allowed him to take pleasure in actually drinking many of these bottles- highly unusual for a collector.”

 The sale will take place on December 17th at 4PM EST. The illustrated auction catalog for the sale will be online at www.bonhams.com/us in the weeks preceding the auction.  For more information about the department, please visit www.bonhams.com/newyork.
 .

-End-

 

Press Contact:   PRNY@bonhams.com, Staci Smith, 917-345-5157
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further seven throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Boston in the USA; and Switzerland, France, Monaco, Australia, Hong Kong and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 50 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com. (January 2009)

Octave & Quarter Cask Range “The O&Q Range”

You possibly have noticed on visits to our premises here in Huntly that we have been experimenting for quite a few years on the use of Octave and Quarter casks. In fact we have been maturing whiskies this way since the mid 90’s but only more recently on a commercial scale. We currently have around a hundred Octave casks maturing with loads of new whiskies going into cask soon. Quarters will be available for sale soon.

We haven’t held back in any way with the type of  whiskies being used in our casks as we want to continue experimenting with many different whiskies, ages, woods and cask sizes. So far the outcome has been very positive, with excellent feedback on tastings and resultant sales to private UK clients.

Octaves are the ideal size for a broad spectrum of customers, they contain on average 70 bottles, are affordable and therefore not going to break the bank in these recessionary times. Private buyers, corporate customers, professional organisations, bars, private clubs, restaurants are all target markets for low volume single cask , cask strength bottlings.

This range is a separate concept from what we do with the Duncan Taylor Rare Auld range which is clearly single casks from first fill through to final bottling. The Octave and Quarter cask range contains whiskies of all ages, mainly from casks that have been matured for a number of years beforehand.

The “O and Q range” is available for bottling under any label and casks are only being sold on the basis that they are ultimately bottled at Duncan Taylor’s bottling plant.

We have produced an actual label “The Octave” or “The Quarter” for those people who want to identify the brand directly with Duncan Taylor, please see a copy of the label on the attached pdf. If a private or customer label is required then approval must be given by Duncan Taylor & Co Ltd beforehand.

Casks are only being sold on a CWO basis ( cash with order) and discounts are only given on multiple cask purchases. Duncan Taylor reserve the right of sale. Casks will be held after sale for a period of up to one year before bottling. All bottling costs and storage are included in the price. Label costs for own label will be the responsibility of the customer. Note that we do have a cask ratio system built into our sales so that we do not have too much emphasis on demand of our rarer whiskies.

If you require any further information please feel free to contact info@duncantaylor.com

We hope you are going to participate in our cask programme and good luck with sales.

Kind Regards

Karen Law

Marketing Manager

Duncan Taylor & Co Limited
Scotch Whisky Merchants & Bottlers
4 Upperkirkgate
Huntly
Aberdeenshire, AB54 8JU
Scotland
Tel.: +44 (0)1466 794055
Fax:  +44 (0)1466 794618
www.duncantaylor.com
IWSC 2008 , 2009 Trophy Winner
Independent Bottler of the Year 2008 – 2009