Be there in (Christmas) spirit…

Let us transport you to the beautiful banks of Loch Fyne this Christmas, with a little help from some of our best-selling spirits.

From spectacular single casks to brilliant blends, our original range of drams can help you find the ultimate gift for the whisky lover who already has everything.

🔔 Get free UK shipping on all orders over £75!

Completing your Christmas shopping list is one click away…

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Let’s be honest, Christmas is going to be very different this year but to get into the festive mood, we’re embracing the spirit of Christmas past and the comfort of a holiday season with a retro vibe. Today we’re bringing you five seasonal casks that will fill you with the warm memories of Christmases gone by. Each one conjures the rich, sweet and spicy flavours that are synonymous with the festive season, ready to uncork a sense of merriment this year.

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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

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 354: Ballechin 10 Year Old 2010 Signatory for McShelfie

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky vlogger, gets a taste of Pitlochry. Belgian Whisky Club of the Year McShelfie selected a single cask of 10 years old Ballechin that matured on a sherry cask. Indeed, it’s another heavily peated malt from the Edradour distillery.

https://youtu.be/BKl07ue_jSQ

Isle of Arran Distillers raise £2,100 for The Waverley Appeal

In partnership with WhiskyAuction.com, Isle of Arran Distillers have raised £2,100 in funds to continue to maintain the boiler of the historic Waverley – the last sea-going paddle-steamer in the world.

Earlier this year Isle of Arran Distillers produced a Distillery Exclusive Single Cask which was specially chosen and bottled in support of the Waverley Paddle Steamer’s Boiler Repair campaign.  This was an exclusive bottling sold only though the Arran Whisky web site and in the Lochranza Distillery shop.

In partnership with WhiskyAuction.com, the island distillers donated Bottle Number 1 from this very special cask to the December auction, with the intent that the proceeds raised would go towards raising funds for the Boiler Appeal of the iconic Waverley paddle-steamer.

Listed as a “vessel of pre-eminent national importance”, the Waverley has a special place in the hearts of Scots and, more recently, the whole of the British Isles. The current Waverley was built in 1946 as a replacement for an earlier paddle-steamer of the same name which served in both wars.

Until 1973 it reliably carried passengers from Craigendoran on the Firth of Clyde to Arrochar on Loch Long, becoming a familiar sight for generations of Scots, before it was sold to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society to operate excursions around the British coast.

The idea for this Private Cask came from local Arran Tour Guide Campbell Laing. As a surprise for Campbell, his colleagues in Lochranza contributed towards buying bottle number one for him to keep, as a reminder of the bottling that he helped bring to life. Rather than keep it himself, Campbell was willing to donate this exclusive bottle towards the auction to raise further funds.

The special whisky sold at auction was Bottle Number One of just 225 bottles of 12-year-old single malt aged in a single Bourbon Barrel and bottled at 59.6% ABV.

This precious bottle came packaged along with a hipflask and mini glass decanter with matching glasses.

On the close of the auction, the winning bid came to £2,100 and the full amount will be donated towards the appeal.

For further information on the Isle of Arran Distillers, including how to purchase their award-winning whiskies, please visit www.arranwhisky.com

The Society is here for all your magical moments this Christmas, sharing joy and happiness with our unique selection of whisky and gifts.

TIME FLIES AND FRUIT FLIES

CASK NO. 39.194

CASK:  Refill hogshead

AGE:  13 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Juicy, oak & vanilla

WITH AN UNBATTERED EDGE

CASK NO. 6.37

CASK:  2nd fill barrel

AGE:  10 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Light & delicate

A KRAFTWERK ORANGE

CASK NO. 89.11

CASK:  1st fill hogshead

AGE:  7 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Spicy & sweet

DEEP AND COMPLEX, SWEET AND EARTHY 

CASK NO. 10.192

INITIAL CASK:  Ex-bourbon hogshead

FINAL CASK:  2nd fill moscatel hogshead

AGE:  9 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Juicy, oak & vanilla

FORMIDABLE CHOCOLATE

ONE BOTTLE PER MEMBER

CASK NO. 1.215

INITIAL CASK:  Ex-bourbon hogshead

FINAL CASK:  1st fill Oloroso hogshead

AGE:  15 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Deep, rich & dried fruits

BURNT HEATHER AND HONEY

CASK NO. 66.136

CASK:  Refill hogshead

AGE:  12 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Lightly peated

A THIGH-SLAPPING DRAM

CASK NO. 33.138

CASK:  2nd fill Oloroso butt

AGE:  12 years

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Peated

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada
Suite 160
104 – 1240 Kensington Road NW
Calgary, AB T2N 3P7
403-969-8225
curious@smws.ca
www.smws.ca

Whiski Rooms
Reopening Thursday 17th December

We are delighted to be reopening Whiski Rooms on Thursday 17th December for the festive season. We were shocked that Edinburgh didnt get moved to Tier 2 last week but we have decided to open to enjoy the Christmas vibes regardless of what tier we are in. So on Thursday we hope to welcome you back, with or without alcohol, to get into the Christmas spirit and look forward to 2021.

Its been a long haul but we are so looking forward to welcoming you back to Whiski Rooms – great vibes, stunning views over Edinburgh in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle and the best Scottish produce always guaranteed.

Book a Table Now

WHISKI GIFT VOUCHERS

Valid for use in Whiski Rooms on the Mound, Whiski Bar & Restaurant on the Royal Mile and in our adjoining Whiski Shop with over 500 whiskies, gift hampers and Scottish gifts.

Browse our web store now

Featuring an Exclusive 32-Year-Old Scotch Masterpiece from Tormore

For time-sensitive bottles this December, please get your orders in early. Thanks and happy holidays! We appreciate your business. NOTE: Our walk-in retail locations are currently closed. We have curbside pickup and low cost (often free) delivery options available in ZIP codes where we can ship lawfully, including anywhere in California. We can also include any new or existing will call orders in your delivery batch. Choose local delivery at checkout to learn if you qualify.

Every once in a while we luck into a mature Scotch rarity that never lasts long when it hits our shelves. Our recent container just landed, and it is easy to see why Tormore’s 32 Year Old stands out as one of the highlights. Coming from a classic distillery, bottled at an impressive 55.4% ABV, and aged in a sherry butt, it hits all the notes that we look for in a top-shelf dram. But at over three decades old, it is a true luxury that’s almost unrivaled in the world of spirits for this kind of pricing. With only a handful of bottles available under our “Old & Rare” label, this is destined to sell out in a flash. Make sure to grab a bottle before they’re gone, as this Tormore 32 Year Old is truly one of a kind.

1988 Tormore 32 Year “Old & Rare” K&L Exclusive Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($399.99)

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: December 02, 2020

The unmissable, grand Tormore distillery overlooks the river Spey. The palatial building quietly churns out an impressive spirit that we’ve admittedly see very little of in the US. Much of the distillate finds its way into blends, but on its own it is a very pretty yet assertive malt. This 32 year old single malt is ancient by any whisky standard but has a lively thread that runs throughout. Aged in a sherry butt and retaining an impressive 55.4% ABV, there is no mistaking the malt characteristic here. It drives from the first nosing of toasted granola all the way through a rich finish of candied nut and brown sugar sprinkled oats. Playing nicely with the grain flavors is a candied melon and raisin sweetness. For the discerning collector, there is nothing better than an unusual item at a great price that merits a great deal of attention. If you’re looking for a whisky for yourself, or someone who has everything, this is the high-class gift of the season.

Due to Covid, Whisky Wednesday filming is postponed…

Isle of Arran Distillers celebrate growth alongside continued sales of new Lagg Distillery casks

The Isle of Arran Distillers is nearing the end of their newest distillery’s cask sales programme, with increasing demand in casks of Lagg Single Malt meaning there is only a small selection remaining to purchase.

Since opening their second site on the Isle of Arran last year, Lagg Distillery, the distillers have been offering whisky fans the opportunity to be part of their uniquely exciting whisky story by purchasing the first casks of the single malt whisky produced there.

The programme has driven exceptional growth in the independently owned distillers, with total sales across the company increasing by 62%, in part due to the fact that over 600 casks of Lagg Single Malt have been sold from the allocation of 700. Alongside this, the island distillers have also seen online mail order sales of whisky double during this turbulent year.

Owning a cask of Lagg whisky, which will mature into Lagg Single Malt and eventually be available to bottle, means the owner will become part of the exclusive Lagg Cask Society.

This comes with some unique additional benefits, including a golf pass which entitles the owner to play all of Arran’s courses and the gift of a bottle of whisky from Cask Number One when it is bottled at 10 years-old, which is being specially held aside for cask owners.

The opening of Lagg Distillery, the company’s second site on the island, last year was a significant milestone in the island’s unique whisky story. Its distinctive shape is now a fixture on the island’s Southern coastline, bringing distillation back to its traditional heartland in that area of the Isle of Arran.

The spirit produced there, and available to purchase in casks, is expected to mature into the rich, earthy, smoky, Lagg Single Malt which will be very different in character to what the distillers currently produce at their original distillery in Lochranza.

Director of Operations & Production for Lagg Distillery, James MacTaggart said: “Since we opened Lagg Distillery in 2019, we’ve been delighted to see how many whisky fans have already supported our journey by buying a cask and becoming part of our unique Lagg Cask Society.

“It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get involved with a distillery right at the very start of its story and to share in a brand-new island adventure with our pioneering whisky company.

“Purchasing a cask goes much deeper than just the financial benefits and represents an emotional investment, buying into the passionate people on the Isle of Arran that make our whisky and forming a lasting connection – it’s hard to put a price tag on that.”

When purchasing any cask of whisky, it is not a finished product but instead a work in progress that will mature over the coming years with plenty of patience required. The very nature of Scotch whisky means that it takes a long-term view, with spirit having to mature for at least three years and often aging much longer than that.

For further information on how to purchase the last remaining casks to be filled at the Lagg Distillery and becoming a member of the Lagg Cask Society, visit www.laggwhisky.com

Notes: 

Accolades for Isle of Arran Distillery include Winner for:

Drinks Business Best Contribution to Wine and Spirits Tourism (2017)

Best Brewery/Distillery Tour – Scottish Outdoor Leisure Awards (2017)

Best Visitor Experience – Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (2018)

Product Awards include:

Arran 10 year-old: Gold Medal ‘Best Single Malt 12 Years & Under, World Whiskies Awards (2019) San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double Gold Medal (2018). International Wine & Spirits Competition Gold Medal (2018). Category Winner and Gold Medal ‘Best Scotch Under 12 Years’ Islands Non-Islay at the World Whiskies Awards (2018). International Spirits Challenge Silver Medal (2018). Ultimate Spirits Challenge 91 points (2018). Ultimate Spirits Challenge Cocktail Commendation for the Rob Roy (2018). Double Gold Medal China Wine & Spirits Best Value Awards (2014)

Arran 18 year-old: Gold Medal & Category Winner ‘Best Single Malt 13 – 20 Years, World Whiskies Awards (2020)  Gold Medal ‘Best Single Malt 13 – 20 Years, World Whiskies Awards (2019) International Wine & Spirits Competition Gold Medal (2018) Category Winner & Gold Medal ‘Best Scotch 13-20 Years – Islands (Non- Islay) World Whiskies Awards (2018). International Spirits Challenge Silver Medal (2018) Scottish Field Whisky Challenge – Gold Award for Best Whisky £50-100 (2018)

Quarter Cask ‘The Bothy’: Best Scotch Island Single Malt, World Whiskies Awards (2020 & 2019) Category Winner & Gold Medal ‘No Age Statement Single Malt’ for The Bothy Batch 3 World Whiskies Awards (2018). International Wine & Spirits Competition Silver Outstanding Medal (2018). International Spirits Challenge Silver Medal (2018)

Arran Barrel Reserve:  Silver Medal ‘No Age Statement Single Malt’ World Whiskies Awards (2020)

Karuizawa Distillers and Komoro Distillery – a new chapter in Nagano whisky making

Karuizawa is a hefty name in Japanese whisky. A town with an eponymous distillery whose  whiskies now change hands for many thousands of pounds a bottle. A distillery which is not only closed but has also been demolished, removing any hope of it reopening despite its booming popularity. However, there will soon be whisky in Karuizawa again – get ready for Karuizawa Distillers and Komoro Distillery.

A New Karuizawa

Karuizawa Distillers is a new project bringing together long-time Karuizawa residents Koji and Yoshie Shimaoka with Ian Chang, the distiller and blender best known for his work at Kavalan, Taiwan’s biggest whisky distillery. When Ian left Kavalan last year there were lots of rumours about what he would do next – the answer is building and opening Komoro Distillery.

Komoro Distillery

Komoro is a town just to the west of Karuizawa, and, like its neighrbour, also sits in the shadow of Mount Asama, the most active volcano on Japan’s main island of Honshu. While Karuizawa is a resort town, with skiing in winter, and hiking and golf in the summer, Komoro is much quieter, a getaway for those looking to play in the outdoors without the crowds. The distillery site is on the northern edge of Komoro and ticks a lots of boxes: it’s easy to get to and has a nearby natural water source. At 910 metres above sea level, the distillery will also be the highest in Japan – it has a claim to fame already, and it’s not even been built yet.

The distillery is designed to look modern but also blend in with its surroundings

The distillery has been designed by Akira Sogo, an architect known for projects that work with and integrate with their environment. This is appropriate for Komoro Distillery, which has a focus not only on making great whisky, but also being green – Karuizawa Distillers’ overall aim is “to make the best Japanese single malt whisky, in the most environmentally friendly way possible, whilst honouring and protecting the legacy of the Karuizawa name.”

Learn more about the closed Karuizawa distillery >

The plans are in and work starts on construction early in 2021. Ian and the team expect to run their first spirit in early 2022.

But there’s more…

The distillery is only the first part of the project. Along with a visitor centre, the team are also building a whisky academy, headed up by long-time friend of The Whisky Exchange, Eddie Ludlow of The Whisky Lounge. Koji Shimaoka had read Eddie’s book Whisky Tasting: A Course and quickly grabbed him for the project.

The team: Founder Koji Shimaoka, distiller Ian Chang, global product manager Kellie Tu, chief educator Eddie Ludlow and brand consultant Amanda Ludlow.

Komoro Distillery itself is also just phase one. The Shimaokas aren’t stopping with just Komoro, and already have plans to build more distilleries over the next decade. Japanese whisky continues to grow.

The Japanese whisky boom

Japan is going through a whisky boom. Fans from around the world are snapping up whiskies from the country, and even the inclusion of kanji on a label can cause prices to spike. With supply outstripping demand and Japan’s whisky legislation allowing spirit produced elsewhere in the world to be called Japanese, times are difficult for whisky from the country. But things are already starting to look up.

Learn more in our Focus on Japanese Whisky >

Komoro Distillery and Karuizawa Distillers are the latest new faces on the Japanese whisky scene, joining the 20+ distilleries that are already operating in the country, from the tiny to the massive. It’s very difficult to start a distillery in Japan, a country famed for its complex bureaucracy, but times are very much changing and we expect this new wave of distillers to continue. With new regulations in the works, the landscape will alter over the coming years and the future is looking increasingly bright for Japanese whisky.

With Ian Chang at the helm, we hope Komoro will continue to honour the legacy of the Karuizawa region, and look forward to trying his whisky when it is finally ready. It certainly is exciting times.