Alistair Walker Whisky Co.

Loch Lomond
16 Year Old PX Cask

Shop – Loch Lomond 16 Year Old 2006

Croftengea 16 Year Old 2005 Infrequent Flyers. Loch Lomond Croftengea (peated) 16 Year Old 2005 vintage Highland single malt Scotch whisky. Single PX sherry puncheon #6353 bottled 2021 by The Alistair Walker Whisky Co. for the Infrequent Flyers series. 605 bottles. MAXIMUM 1 BOTTLE PER CUSTOMER. Loch Lomond Distillery is equipped with three different types of sills and was established just to the south of the Loch Lomond in 1964. There are two pot stills, six pot stills with rectifying columns in place of swan necks, a Coffey continuous still and additional continuous stills that produce grain whisky. Thus Loch Lomond Distillery produces malt and grain whisky. Inchmurrin malt whisky is produced using malt spirit distilled in the two pot stills fitted with rectifying columns in place of swan necks. The Loch Lomond single malts include a 12 Year Old and an 18 Year Old.

ralfy review 878 – Glencadam 10yo @ 46%vol: (2021)

BIG PEAT REVEALS “PEATRICHOR” LIMITED EDITION

IN LINE WITH NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Big Peat, the award-winning Islay Malt Scotch Whisky brand from family-owned Douglas Laing & Co, today unveils “his” special bottling for Summer 2021: Big Peat “Peatrichor” Limited Edition.

Bottled at a natural cask strength of 53.8% alcohol, Big Peat’s latest bottling celebrates the Islay rainfall – after all, today’s rain is tomorrow’s Whisky! The word Peatrichor (or petrichor) describes the earthy scent produced with rain falls on dry earth / soil.

Packaged in a premium gift tube, the packaging depicts Big Peat himself in a yellow rain jacket as the heavens open on his island home of Islay. Just over 5,000 bottles of this special commemorative bottling are available globally. In line with the Big Peat philosophy, the new release is proudly offered without colouring or chill-filtration.

This bottling coincides with the brand activating a new, multi-faceted campaign which aims to bring to life Big Peat’s positioning as the “ultimate taste of Islay”. The activity includes sampling initiatives throughout Asia and Europe as well as an interactive, virtual range tasting and a ramping up of their digital marketing via their social media channels coupled with global influencer collaborations.

Chris Leggat, Douglas Laing’s CEO comments: “As a brand, Big Peat is obsessed with both spirit quality and provenance. This latest release and accompanying marketing campaign brings to life the ultimate distillation of Islay and is definitely unmistakably Islay in style with notes of peat smoke, damp earth and a leathery charm.”

Big Peat’s “Peatrichor” Limited Edition will be available from specialist spirits retailers globally from May 2021.

ABOUT BIG PEAT

Instagram: @bigpeatwhisky

Facebook: /bigpeat

Established in 2009 by Douglas Laing & Co, Big Peat has amassed a somewhat cult following throughout his tenure in the world of Whisky. The multi award-winning small batch Scotch is a marriage of Single Cask Single Malts distilled only on Islay, including those distilled at Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila and Port Ellen Distilleries, amongst others. Celebrated for “his” trademark smoky, sooty, ashy and sweet flavour profile, Big Peat is proudly offered at high alcohol strength and always without colouring or chill-filtration.

ABOUT DOUGLAS LAING & CO.

www.douglaslaing.com

Douglas Laing & Co. is a leading independent Scotch Whisky distillery, blender and bottler specialising in the selection and release of Single Cask Single and Small Batch Malt Scotch Whiskies.

The company was founded by Fred Douglas Laing in 1948 and is still owned and run by the Laing family – Fred Laing Jr and his daughter Cara Laing.

The company philosophy is to bottle the way the distiller intended – at a high strength and without chill filtration to preserve the robust and unique character of the Whisky. Douglas Laing’s industry reputation and many awards is testament to this ethos.

Douglas Laing’s Remarkable Regional Malts, the Ultimate Distillation of Scotland’s Malt Whisky Regions, encompasses The Epicurean Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky, Timorous Beastie (Highlands), Scallywag (Speyside), The Gauldrons (Campbeltown), Rock Island (Islands) and Big Peat (Islay).

Beyond its Blended Malts expertise, the award-winning Douglas Laing portfolio also includes Provenance, Premier Barrel, Old Particular, Xtra Old Particular and XOP Black, collectively known as the firm’s “Exceptional Single Casks”.

Virtual Whisky and Chocolate Tasting!
The Singleton x COCO Chocolatier

Whisky and chocolate lovers rejoice! We have the ultimate treat for you.

On Thursday 27th May at 19:30 GMT we will be hosting a virtual tasting led by Diageo Brand Ambassador Jo Last, where she will be guiding us through the core range of single malts from The Singleton – the 12, 15 and 18 Year Old expressions. These will be paired with indulgent chocolates from Edinburgh based COCO Chocolatier featuring their Orange and Rhubarb & Ginger Milk Chocolates.

Tickets are now live and cost £24.95pp. The perfect tasting for a sweet tooth – why not treat yourself (or a friend!) and join in?

The Singleton
Whisky and Chocolate Tasting

27/05/2021 19:30 GMT

£24.95

Buy Now

A Tightly Allocated Whisky That’s In Stock Now
Suntory “Hibiki Japanese Harmony” Japanese Whisky (750ml) ($74.99)
“Today, we…want to let everyone know it’s here. The trick is, with the insane popularity of all true Japanese whisky, it won’t be here for long.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

Our most recent allocation of one of the best buys on the market in Japanese Whisky has just landed. The Suntory “Hibiki Japanese Harmony” is always a hot item, considering its reputation as a go-to for many collectors. It also just happens to be one of the most compelling and versatile spirits in our shop. Our spirits buyer recently opened a bottle to taste, and he was “blown away by the richness in particular. The flavors are a delight…” It’s a no-brainer to load up now while it’s still available, as this whisky always sells out.

Suntory “Hibiki Japanese Harmony” Japanese Whisky (750ml) ($74.99)

Wine & Spirits: “You can’t be a Japanese whisky enthusiast without having noticed that there’s a shortage of the stuff. What once was readily available is now hard to find. What once was affordable now costs various bodily limbs. It is due to more than a fad. The best Japanese whisky is remarkable stuff, and none are better than the top single malts from Suntory, Yamazaki, Hakushu and the blended whisky Hibiki. Hibiki comes in 12-, 17- and 21-year-old expressions, but even the youngest of these is now allocated. Harmony, the newest release, carries no age statement, indicating that it contains younger whiskies than other bottlings. Nevertheless, this is a welcome concession, with Suntory’s classic sense of balance, nuance, and delicacy. *Best of 2015* (JM)” (11/2015)

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 30, 2021

If you haven’t had Hibiki Harmony recently, you must retry it. In all honesty, it’s not something we’ve opened for the staff here in a long time since it is so tightly allocated and sells out so quickly. It just wasn’t necessary. With our most recent drop of one of the most asked for Japanese whiskies on the market, I decided it was time to make sure the staff all knew what exactly we had. I must say, I was blown away by the richness in particular. The flavors are a delight: crisp apple, fresh stone fruits, a touch of piquant pepper, and a surprising amount of vanilla and caramel. The palate has much more weight, presumably from a higher malt content, than I recall. It coats the tongue but is never heavy. The finish is clean and bright and decidedly entices you to have another sip. We spend most of the year out of stock on this whisky, just sadly telling customers, “No, it’s not available.” Today, we are sitting flush and want to let everyone know it’s here. The trick is, with the insane popularity of all true Japanese whisky, it won’t be here for long.

Neal Fischer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 21, 2019

This whisky contains single malts from both Yamazaki and Hakushu, so there are chops to this blend. Toasted grain, vanilla syrup, new wood, and light tropical fruit notes on the nose with just a touch of spice to keep things playful. The palate has more caramel and honey characteristics, balanced by more tingly spice. There’s a great salinity here as well with a gentle medicinal note and robust malt character.

We hope you all are managing to stay relaxed and healthy. I’m sure you all had your fair share of MS Teams and Google Meet sessions. Often with some very relaxed drams. I know we certainly did! But, let’s Zoom in on Maltstock!!

Will Maltstock 2021 go ahead as planned?

The short answer is: we don’t know yet. But… we are rather hopeful. So do pencil it in the dates 10-12 September.

Let us be very clear: Maltstock will only happen if it can be done in a safe way. The health of our guests and our crew is our number one priority. Also there will be no Maltstock if social distancing rules are still in place.

So why are we hopeful?

Things are slowly but surely improving. People are getting vaccinated. And if everyone at Maltstock has been vaccinated or has a negative test result, we should all be safe.  A vaccination passport will certainly help us. The question remains of course if the speed at which people are being vaccinated is high enough. But more should be clear on that in a month or two.

Of course, social distancing rules will have to be lifted as well before we can have a relaxed Maltstock. We just need to be a patient for a bit longer. We expect to be able to get back to you by the end of June.

Again, we will only organize Maltstock this year if we can do it in a safe and relaxed way. If you for whatever reason do not wish to come to Maltstock this year, not a problem at all. Your ticket will remain valid for any future edition. We have our fingers crossed we will see most of you the September at Maltstock. How relaxed would that be!

Stay healthy stay relaxed!

Annette, Bob, Klaas, Stan & Teun

PS

If you haven’t bought a Maltstock ticket yet, you can still get yours here. It will be valid for the next edition of Maltstock. Which of course we hope will be this year!

Our journey through Scottish whisky festivals continues today, this time we’re exploring the rugged beauty of the Highlands and historic distilling hub of Campbeltown. With two very different styles and flavour profiles on offer, which tipple will take your fancy?

SEE ALL NEW BOTTLINGS

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Secret Speyside 31 Year Old 1989 Asta Morris

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a secret Speyside malt distilled in 1989. Asta Morris has finally released a new whisky, the first in 2021. It’s a belter! No less than 31 years of age and in new livery to boot. This Heritage is a Speyside malt from an undisclosed distillery. It can be found somewhat halfway between the Mackessack Park and the Rothes Golf Club. You do the math.

https://youtu.be/_3iZWh7pCZA

Stewart Buchanan, Benriach Global Brand Ambassador

Stewart Buchanan, Benriach Global Brand Ambassador

GLOBAL WHISKY FANS LOG INTO CELEBRATE SPIRIT OF SPEYSIDE

From Turriff to Tokyo, 688 guests from 15 countries from around the world logged into Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival’s first online event, which took place last week.

Benriach’s World of Flavour proved to be the top pick of the festival, with Global Brand Ambassador, Stewart Buchanan, leading a tasting of their core range, giving a sneak peek behind the scenes of their new visitor centre in Elgin. Virtual distillery tours were also high on the agenda for visitors, with tours of Benromach and Tamdhu distilleries being the second and third most popular events.

In addition to the main festival events, guests were invited to join virtual booths hosted by distillery managers, brand ambassadors, and whisky experts to chat with like-minded whisky lovers. The festival saw 2,877 visits to the 20 available booths, with guests using a total of 2,254 emojis and enjoying drams from 836 tasting kits.

James Campbell, Chairman at The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, said:

“This year’s Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival might have been very different from years gone by, but the distilleries rallied to create one of our most engaging and internationally visited events in our 21 year history.

“With guests from every corner of the globe from Australia to The Philippines, Canada, Germany, Mexico and across the UK, whisky lovers rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in the whisky industry.

“But nothing beats being together to celebrate the world’s largest producing whisky region. We have our fingers and toes crossed that we can welcome back whisky explorers in person to the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival from 3-8 November 2021, subject to government guidelines”

Updates on the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival will be posted on https://www.spiritofspeyside.com and across social media. This will be subject to government guidelines and may be subject to change.

The 2022 festival will take place 27 April to 2 May 2022.

Notes 

About the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

First launched in 1999, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival’s annual celebration of Scotland’s national drink has developed into one of the largest events of its kind anywhere in the world. The Festival is a mecca for the curious beginner and the whisky connoisseur alike. Over the past 20 years, festival events have taken place throughout Speyside, the biggest whisky producing region in Scotland, located in the Moray area in the North-East of the county between Aberdeen and Inverness. This year is the first year that the festival has adopted an online format.

Over the years, the Festival has developed close links with many Speyside businesses and communities who help to fund the festival. It is a true team effort to deliver an ever-improving range of events and services to make the Festival a truly unforgettable experience.

The company is limited by guarantee, it runs the festival with a voluntary board of directors drawn from key areas of the whisky industry along with other local businesses and tourism organisations.

Despite the lack of tourists, spring has been a hugely busy time at the distillery. We took advantage of the cool damp weather before Easter to have our best-ever production period, with our mashmen and stillmen working long hours to produce great volumes of spirit, and without any loss of quality – quite an achievement. Simultaneously we were lucky enough to take delivery of an entire truckload of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso hogsheads; these have all now been filled and we look forward to seeing the results in five, ten, fifteen years… in this game it pays to be patient.

Happily the lack of tourists is now behind us, as the distillery formally reopened for visitors today – something we have been looking forward to for many months. All tours are fully compliant with current covid guidelines – Click here for details on how to book.

Today we are also announcing a brace of new bottlings: our Fathers Day special (last year’s was a huge hit, so we thought a sequel would be a good idea) and the much-anticipated issue of bottles from Iain’s private cask: the Manager’s Cask release. They’re now both be released from our webshop.

Finally, we’re offering our friends and followers a chance to win both the new releases: if you’re feeling lucky and fancy getting hold of a Fathers Day and Manager’s Cask bottle, please enter our competition. Wishing all our friends and followers a very happy summer!

Slàinte

The Wolfburn Team