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Whisky Wednesday – High West American Praire Bourbon 46% – American Whiskey News

A bourbon that isn’t driven by heavy caramels and vanilla. A bourbon that is blended for a point of difference with stocks of the distilleries own now. A wonderful addition to your daily sipper cabinet.

High West was always abit of an illusion to me. Not easy to find in the UK, some very unusual titles and art work that is reminiscent of wanted posters from the late 1800’s. I’ve been a fan of their rarer options that I’ve been able to get hold of, but at £40 a bottle, the American Praire Bourbon is a must have. Cheers!

https://youtu.be/OQXiaj7_Eog

New single malt whisky distillery for Speyside Distillers as firm reveals plans for expansion – Scotch Whisky News

New single malt whisky distillery for Speyside Distillers as firm reveals plans for expansion

A major new distillery development has been announced for the Speyside region of Scotland.

Speyside Distillers, which operates the Speyside Distillery near Kingussie, has revealed its intention to build a new, state-of-the-art distillery in the region as part of its ambitious plans for expansion.

The firm – which is best known for its award-winning SPEY single malts – has also recently taken on two new members of distilling staff to assist with increased production.

Managing director Patricia Dillon said: “Last year was challenging for us, as it was for most businesses dealing with Covid-19. With our industry also facing the added problem of US tariffs, we have had to change our strategy to find new and innovative ways to drive our business forward.

Speyside Distillers Managing Director Patricia Dillon

“In 2019 we committed to increasing our distillate to meet rising demand, and this year we are producing five times our normal rates.

“Our plans for a new distillery will ensure that we can continue to distil the quantities of whisky required, while also allowing us room for further expansion.

“Although our full plans – including location and design – are currently under wraps, we’re looking forward to sharing more as they unfold over the coming months and years.”

Chief executive John Harvey McDonough is confident that this is the perfect next step for the SPEY brand and his Harvey family legacy. He said: “Building a new distillery is obviously a major commitment, and we are incredibly excited about the opportunities it shall bring for our single malt whisky brands.

John Harvey McDonough

“In recent months we have brought in two new team members – Martin MacLeod and Raymond MacKay – to assist long-serving employee Andrew Scorgie and distillery manager Allan Findlay, which will allow us to maintain the levels of production required to match demand.

“It’s important to us that we continue to embrace experience and history within the whisky industry, while also continuing to innovate and nurture new talent to ensure its bright future.”

Speyside Distillers operates the boutique Speyside Distillery near Kingussie, nestled in the foothills of the stunning Cairngorms National Park. Exporting its high-quality spirits to 32 countries around the world, the distillery is well known for its single malt whiskies – SPEY and Beinn Dubh – made using traditional methods, as well as the popular Byron’s Gin. Although not open to the general public, the distillery’s award-winning spirits are available from its visitor centre, The Snug, in Aviemore.

For more information, visit www.speysidedistillery.co.uk and www.thesnugspeysidedistillery.co.uk or follow the distillery on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Virtual Whisky Show: Old & Rare 2021 – Scotch Whisky News

Virtual Whisky Show: Old & Rare 2021

It’s that time again. As February rolls around, whisky fans from around the globe usually get ready to head to the UK to find some of the finest drams ever bottled from across whisky history at Whisky Show: Old & Rare. While that’s not going to be possible this year, we’re not going to let the year go unmarked. It’s time for Virtual Whisky Show: Old & Rare 2021.

How does that work?

Whisky Show: Old & Rare is very different to other whisky shows. The hundreds of bottles on offer are pulled from the collections of the world’s best bars and biggest collectors, and the show is all about the conversations and in-person sharing of drams – something that’s almost impossible to replicate online.

So, instead, we’ve decided to focus on one element of the show – the masterclasses. The chance to try some of the world’s finest whiskies, curated by the experts behind the show: The Whisky Exchange co-founder Sukhinder Singh, and whisky experts Angus MacRaild and Jonny McMillan.

This year’s show will run from 25-27 February and feature four masterclasses. Each class will be live-streamed on Facebook for anyone to watch, but we also have a tasting packs available if you’d like to taste along on Zoom with Sukhinder, Angus, Jonny, me and a whole host of guests from around the whisky world.

Find out more on the Virtual Whisky Show: Old & Rare website >

The Line-up

Sukhinder, Jonny and Angus have dug deep into their whisky collections and, after months of (occasionally heated) discussion, have created the four tasting line-ups, each examining something that they are passionate about in whisky – old-fashioned peat, waxy whisky, the wonder of old Longmorn and the overlooked masterpieces of Gordon & MacPhail.

Waxy Whisky
7pm Thursday 25 February 2021

When it comes to the character of old & rare whisky, waxiness is one of the most sought after flavours and textures. While the style is most commonly associated with Brora and Clynelish, there’s much more to the world of waxy whisky. This class looks into other distilleries and expressions distilled in the 1960s and 1970s, and asks ‘why?’ and ‘how?’. Our hosts will be joined by Roe and Co master distiller Lora Hemy, and whiskyfun.com creator and Clyenlish obsessive Serge Valentin to pull apart waxy drams and find out what makes them tick.

The drams:

  • Glen Ord 30 Year Old Diageo Special Releases 2005
  • Balvenie 1974 15 Year Old Signatory Vintage
  • Clynelish 1972 24 Year Old Rare Malts
  • Convalmore 1962 31 Year Old Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection
  • Balblair 40 Year Old Single Malts of Scotland
  • Clynelish 12 Year Old Green & Red Label

Learn more >
Buy the pack >

Longmorn
7pm Friday 26 February 2021

The way that whisky is made in Scotland means that we often don’t get a chance to try spirit from some of the greatest distilleries, other than in blends. Among those is Longmorn – one of Sukhinder’s favourite distilleries. Our hosts will be joined by The Whisky Exchange Old and Rare Spirits Manager Diego Lanza, and Catawiki whisky specialist Jeroen Koetsier for a look at what makes old Longmorn special. Expect old and elegantly fruity whisky with – especially if you ask Sukhinder – a touch of pink grapefruit.

The drams:

  • Longmorn 10 Year Old Hill Thompson, bot.1960s
  • Longmorn 15 Year Old Cadenhead Dumpy, bot.~1980
  • Longmorn 1970 Berry Brothers, bot.1998
  • Longmorn 1969 Signatory Vintage 10th Anniversary, bot.1998
  • Longmorn 1970 36 Year Old Single Malts of Scotland
  • Longmorn 1973 25 Year Old Hart Brothers, Port Wood

Learn more >
Buy the pack >

Gordon & MacPhail Old & Rare
4pm Saturday 27 February 2021

While Gordon & MacPhail is one of the best-known and -loved independent bottlers in the world, not all of its whiskies get the attention they deserve. Hiding in its extensive range of old and rare bottlings are the simply-presented, unassuming vintage bottlings. They are a surprisingly reasonably-priced way of trying long-aged whiskies, matured in excellent casks and distilled in the golden era of whisky production. I will be joined by Diego Lanza and Jason Vaswani from The Whisky Exchange’s Old & Rare spirits team to taste these old drams and look into the history of G&M’s bottlings.

The drams:

  • Glen Grant 1966 45 Year Old
  • Strathisla 1963 48 Year Old
  • Glen Grant 1953 60 Year Old
  • Strathisla 1972 40 Year Old
  • Glenlivet 1955 56 Year Old
  • Longmorn 1964 50 Year Old

Learn more >
Buy the pack >

Old-style Peat
7pm Saturday 27 February 2021

Peat may be one of the longest standing flavours in Scotch whisky, but it hasn’t been constant over the years. Changes in production and peat sources have changed the way that smoky, peaty flavours express themselves in whisky. While modern peat smoke can be wonderful, old-fashioned peat is a very different thing, and something worth examination. Our hosts will be joined by Scotch Whisky Research Institute senior scientist Frances Jack, and photographer, author and smoky whisky expert Marcel van Gils to dig deep into the history of peat and find out how and why things have changed.

The drams:

  • Highland Park 1960 17 Year Old
  • Port Ellen 1974 22 Year Old, Signatory Silent Stills, cask #6754
  • Ardmore 1977 Samaroli 35th Anniversary, bot.2003
  • Brora 32 Year Old, Diageo Special Releases 2011
  • Glen Garioch 1972 Oddbins, bot.1990s
  • Glenlochy 1965 37 Year Old Dun Eideann

Learn more >
Buy now >

See you at the show!

The tastings will all be live-streamed on The Whisky Exchange Facebook page for everyone to watch, but don’t forget that you can grab a pack to join in and taste along with us. You can find all the packs on The Whisky Exchange’s Virtual Whisky Show Old & Rare page.

And don’t worry if you miss a tasting – they’ll be up on Facebook and YouTube to watch again.

We look forward to (virtually) seeing you there!

The Whisky Barrel Originals – Exclusive Single Cask Whisky – Scotch Whisky News

The Whisky Barrel Originals®

Exclusive single cask whisky. Exclusively at TWB, hand-picked casks from our own inventory. Bottled when they were ready, natural colour, cask strength and un-chillfiltered. Some very low stock…

Shop All TWB Originals

1st fill Oloroso.

£100 / €93 / usd$112 / cad$144*

Shop – Bunnahabhain 10 Year

peated 1st fill bourbon.

£45 / €42 / usd$51 / cad$65*

Shop – Bunnahabhain 6 Year

1st fill Oloroso

£60 / €56 / usd$68 / cad$87*

Shop – Balblair 10 Year

refill bourbon barrel 

£140 / €131 / usd$159 / cad$204*

Shop – Cameronbridge 37 Year

1st fill Oloroso

 £75 / €70 / usd$85 / cad$109*

Shop – Ledaig 11 Year

1st fill Oloroso

£65 / €61 / usd$74 / cad$94*

Shop – Miltonduff 10 Year

Scotch Whisky Auctions ‘Contactless Doorstep Collection & Delivery’ – Auction Whisky News

Thank you to all customers who got in touch to register their interest in our contactless doorstep collection. We will be in touch will all customer to confirm a collection date over the coming weeks.

Due to the latest Covid restriction our office is closed to the public and we are unable to host our monthly collections throughout the UK. This has resulted in customers being unable to drop bottles for future auctions or collect their purchases from previous auctions.

In February we will be offering a free contactless doorstep collection to customers sending 10+ bottles or bottles to the value of £1000 and above. If you would like to be included in this please complete the form which can be found here. As this is a contactless doorstep collection, we will require your bottles to be boxed with your name and registered email address clearly marked on the front of the box. Additionally a submission sheet should be completed and packed with your bottles.

We are also offering a delivery service to our local customers who normally collect in store, there is a small fee for this. The delivery charge is £12 (inc VAT) per delivery regardless of the number of bottles to be delivered. Please complete the form which can be found here to request this, we will then be in touch with your invoice.

Please complete the request form as soon as possible. This service is subject to availability and only available to our mainland UK customers.

Stay Safe

The SWA Collection Team

Collection/Delivery Request Form

Submission Sheet

ralfy review 862 – Caol Ila 16yo 2002 @ 46%vol: (Gordon & MacPhail) – Scotch Whisky News

ralfy review 862 – Caol Ila 16yo 2002 @ 46%vol: (Gordon & MacPhail)

BOWMORE® ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY DEBUTS ANNUAL 30 YEAR OLD RELEASE – Scotch Whisky News

BOWMORE® ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY DEBUTS ANNUAL 30 YEAR OLD RELEASE 

A Celebratory Spirit Definitively Shaped By Time From One Of The World’s Oldest Maturation Warehouses

Islay, Scotland (January 2021) – Bowmore® Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky has unveiled its first annual release 30 Year Old in celebration of how time shapes the exceptional Bowmore character and bringing a new aged expression to the global portfolio.

For more than 240 years, Bowmore Distillery has captured the essence of Islay from the shores of its remote island home. This single malt harnesses the power of time in every single drop, which tells a story of the past that’s savored in the present. This a single malt defined, shaped and crafted by time. 

Distilled in 1989, this rare single malt whisky has been carefully nurtured for three decades in Bowmore’s finest Sherry hogsheads and Bourbon barrels. It is matured in the legendary Bowmore No. 1 Vaults, one of the world’s oldest maturation warehouses. Selected from just two casks each year, this is an exceptional single malt that embodies the last thirty years at the very core of its character.

Bottled at a cask strength of 45.3% alcohol by volume, this 30 Year Old is a celebration of Bowmore’s rich fruity and subtly smoky style. With a burnished gold natural color, this whisky offers up aromas of heather, bananas, peaches, pineapple, vanilla and butterscotch. While on the palate, tropical fruits and honey sweetness unite with subtle peat smoke and hints of eucalyptus, ensuring a warming and lingering finish.

“By adding an ongoing 30 Year Old Bowmore to the portfolio, we are able to showcase how vital the length of time spent in casks shapes and influences our spirit, making it even more exceptional and full of character,” said David Turner, Bowmore Distillery Manager. “Each annual release will tell the rich story of Bowmore, but importantly each will have their own unique style and character. As for this release, this is another perfect example of classic Bowmore but with boundless depth and intrigue reflecting the long standing interaction of spirit and wood.”

With only 2,580 bottles available globally as of late 2020, Bowmore 30-Year-Old is inspired by the terrain that surrounds the Bowmore Distillery and the legendary landscape that defines our whisky. Capturing the art of time, the bottle and box containing this whisky take cues from the detailed markings on driftwood and the refined polish of sea glass, reflecting its eternal connection with Islay.

Bowmore® 30-Year-Old is available from January 2021 with an SRP of $2,500 in the U.S.  

Tasting notes: Bowmore 30-Year-Old – 45.3% ABV

COLOR: Burnished gold

NOSE: Heather honey, bananas and peaches, with pineapple, vanilla and butterscotch

TASTE: Tropical fruits with honey sweetness, subtle peat smoke and hints of eucalyptus

FINISH: Mouth warming, with ripe fruits lingering on the tongue 

ABOUT BOWMORE

Founded in 1779, Bowmore® is the oldest licensed distillery on Islay, one of the Scottish isles which make up the region known as the ‘Islands’ in the lexicon of Whisky. The other regions are the Highlands, Speyside and the Lowlands.  Islay malts are famous for their characteristic smokiness and Bowmore is no exception; the malt is carefully smoked in a peat-fired kiln, using skills honed over two centuries to craft a perfectly balanced Single Malt.

Time is savored at Bowmore and the distillery’s adherence to traditional production methods helps to shape the character of its Single Malts. Today, it prides itself as one of the rare distilleries which still produces its own floor malted barley, hand-turned by a traditional wooden malt shovel and hand drawn machinery.  Water for the whiskies is specially drawn from the Laggan River.

Bowmore Distillery’s close proximity to the sea is also vital in determining the final character of its spirit. The legendary Bowmore No. 1 Vaults, one of the world’s oldest maturation warehouses, is where most of the whiskies spend their long lives resting quietly in the cool, dark, damp cellars below sea level, oblivious to the waves thrashing the vault’s sea-facing wall.

They mature in oak casks, previously used for bourbon, sherry or claret, gradually developing rich and mellow flavors until the expertise of our whisky makers deems them ready for bottling.  It is this combination of peat, barley, sea breeze, water, wood, people and tradition that together create the perfectly balanced warm and smoky character of Bowmore® Single Malt Scotch Whiskies. Through peerless maturation expertise and sense of timing, Bowmore® is “Time, Savoured®” – a rich reward for those that appreciate the value of time and an exquisite whisky coveted the world over.

Bowmore USA domestic product range: Bowmore 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old, 18 Year Old and 25 Year Old.

Please enjoy more detailed Bowmore information on our recently updated website at www.bowmore.com On Facebook | Twitter | Instagram: BOWMORE

ABOUT BEAM SUNTORY

As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires human connections. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbon brands, Suntory whisky Kakubin and Courvoisier cognac, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s and Legent bourbon; Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki and Toki Japanese whisky; Teacher’s, Laphroaig and Bowmore Scotch whisky; Canadian Club whisky; Hornitos and Sauza tequila; EFFEN, Haku and Pinnacle vodka; Sipsmith and Roku gin; and On The Rocks Premium Cocktails.  Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and vision of Growing for Good.  Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan.  For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com

Icons of Whisky Revealed! – Whisky Icon News

Tune into the 2021 Icons of Whisky regional awards!

The whisky world is once again preparing to celebrate the best of the global industry’s people and places at the Icons of Whisky awards.

Run by the team at Whisky Magazine, the Icons of Whisky awards aim to celebrate the best people and places in the sector – not just the distilleries and the teams that work in them, but also the individuals and businesses that work to support and promote them and their products.

Although the Covid-19 pandemic means that the awards cannot be presented in person this year, the Icons of Whisky team will be hosting five virtual presentations to announce the regional winners in America, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, and the rest of the world. 

These awards presentations will be broadcast on Facebook and YouTube in the week beginning 1 February, so viewers around the globe can tune in and discover the winners in their region.

The broadcast times for each regional 2021 Icons of Whisky awards presentations are:

  • Icons of Whisky America: Monday, 1 February at 12.30pm Central Time (6.30pm GMT)
  • Icons of Whisky Australia: Tuesday, 2 February at 7.30pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (8.30am GMT)
  • Icons of Whisky Ireland: Wednesday, 3 February at 6.30pm GMT
  • Icons of Whisky Rest of World: Thursday, 4 February at 1.30pm Central European Time (12.30pm GMT)
  • Icons of Whisky Scotland: Friday, 5 February at 12.30pm GMT

The presentations will also feature the highly commended nominees in each awards category and the shortlisted entrants.

You can join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #WhiskyMagAwards. For more information about the Icons of Whisky awards go to www.iconsofwhisky.com.

Good luck to all nominees – we hope to see you tuning in next week!

Anita Ujszaszi
Awards Director

Rare & Collectable Coleburn at The Whisky Barrel – Scotch Whisky News

Rare & Collectables

Coleburn 1981 vintage Private Collection. Very rare release from this lost Speyside distillery. Coleburn 38 Year Old 1981 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Single cask refill sherry hogshead #476 bottled March 2019 by Gordon & MacPhail for the Private Collection series. 101 bottles.

COLEBURN SINGLE MALT WHISKY

A Dundee based firm of whisky blenders commissioned the architect Charles C. Diog to design Coleburn malt whisky distillery in 1897 and it duly opened in 1899 at Coleburn farm just to the south of Fogwatt in Scotland’s Speyside whisky region. Coleburn Distillery was built beside Colburn railway station which ensured a speedy connection to the southern whisky blenders. This distillery closed in 1985 and whilst many of the buildings remains most of the equipment has gone. Recent releases are few and are highly collectable, an example being Gordon & MacPhails Coleburn Rare Old.

Shop Rare Whiskies

GLENALLACHIE 2006 TRILOGY PART III, TYNDRUMWHISKY EXCLUSIVE – Scotch Whisky News

GLENALLACHIE 2006 TRILOGY PART III, TYNDRUMWHISKY EXCLUSIVE

The Finale of the TyndrumWhisky Trilogy. It is very difficult to say which was best for us, however this release certainly ticks the boxes, it was up against seriously stiff competition in Part 1 & 2… take the best parts of 1 and 2, and you have part 3…

£104.00

This cask was again distilled on the very same day as the first and second release and has spent it’s time in maturation by it’s side, however this one has had an additional 2 / 4 months to mature.

Distilled: 19th June 2006
Bottled: November 2020
Cask Type: 1st Fill Oloroso Puncheon
Cask No: 678
One of 690 Bottles available.

From GlenAllachie Scotch Whisky Distillery, bottled exclusively for TyndrumWhisky.com


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