Start Shopping – All New Releases

Christmas can be a busy time; shopping for presents, preparing the dinner and choosing the perfect festive tipple, so let the Society do some of the work for you with our Christmas flavour guide. We’ve matched a Flavour Profile to every part of the festive celebrations, from party food, to Christmas Eve dinner to the big day itself – so you can easily find the perfect accompaniment to your occasion.

SEE OUR CHRISTMAS FLAVOUR GUIDE

VIEW ALL WHISKIES

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 353: Caol Ila 13 Year Old 2007 The Octave for Wine4You

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky vlogger, tries another Ileach. An Octave is a smaller type of cask that enables the spirit to have more contact with the wood and hence mature a lot faster. This Caol Ila from 2007 had the pleasure of kissing wood from a sherry octave. It was bottled by Duncan Taylor in their famous The Octave series, exclusively for the Belgian shop Wine4You. And it’s a stunner!

https://youtu.be/8JTTWxGhDCQ

Bids open at Whisky Hammer for unique historic cask resurrected by Holyrood Distillery

-Bidding closes at 7pm GMT this Sunday 13^th December – 

Daniel Milne

Whisky lovers have until Sunday (13 December) to bid on a very special series of casks from Holyrood Distillery, Edinburgh’s first single malt distillery for almost 100 years, on leading online auction platform Whisky Hammer.

Holyrood Distillery is recreating historic single malt whiskies based on those produced during Edinburgh’s rich distilling past and these are exclusively available on Whisky Hammer in their first dedicated online cask auction. The auction went live on Friday 4 December with bids starting at £3,000 for each numbered sherry hogshead from Holyrood Distillery. The auction closes at 7pm (GMT) on Sunday 13 December.

For this special auction, the distillery has adopted the whisky making styles used by Edinburgh distilleries in the 1800s and early 1900s. It is filling just 30 casks which will be distilled barley varieties during that period: Chevallier barley and Plumage Archer. Each winning bidder will then be able to select the historic barley variety they prefer and choose the wood to age the whisky in: American oak Oloroso Sherry Hogsheads or Spanish oak Pedro Ximenez Sherry Hogsheads. Holyrood Distillery will also use old-style brewer’s yeasts and recreate the slow distillation methods the now-closed Edinburgh distilleries would once have used. The casks will be filled with spirit in early 2021 and left to mature into exquisite single malt Scotch whisky.

The majority of the city’s distilleries closed in the 19^th century with the last ones being Dean, closing in 1922 and Glen Sciennes distillery, closing in 1925. Holyrood Distillery resurrected the distilling of single malt with its opening in 2019.

Whisky Hammer is one of the leading online whisky auctions globally and hosts online auctions each month.  Dedicated to whisky and other fine spirits, Whisky Hammer’s auctions allow buyers and sellers from every corner of the world to participate. It has auctioned many rare and collectible whiskies – both bottles and casks – since its launch in 2016. But this partnership with Holyrood Distillery marks Whisky Hammer’s first dedicated cask auction, and shows the growing interest in this area among whisky lovers and investors.

In October, Whisky Hammer auctioned a rare bottle of the world’s oldest whisky ever released by The Macallan – also believed to be the oldest whisky ever launched by a distillery – a 78-year old from the producer’s new Red Collection for £92,500.

Whisky Hammer has recently re-located to a new, purpose built, facility in Aberdeenshire which is also home to a sister business, Still Spirit – a whisky shop and exquisite tasting room.

Holyrood Distillery started distilling in September 2019 in Edinburgh’s city centre. Located right in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic distilling district – on St. Leonard’s Lane with views over Holyrood Park – the 180-year-old building has been thoughtfully renovated to produce gin, liqueurs and whisky.

Daniel Milne, managing director of Whisky Hammer, said: “Since the Holyrood Distillery cask auction went live on Friday, we’ve had great interest with a number of bids arriving from across the world. Purchasing whisky by the cask is continuing to grow in popularity, and we feel this is offering is further enhanced given Holyrood’s innovative recreation of historic Edinburgh heritage whiskies.

“We’re honoured to partner with Holyrood Distillery to offer these casks exclusively to our customers and would urge anyone interested in participating in the auction not to miss out on this fantastic opportunity.”

David Robertson, co-founder of Holyrood Distillery, said:  “It’s great to see the interest in these unique casks. At Holyrood Distillery, we’ve taken a contemporary, flavour-led approach to our spirits, so recreating these historic whisky styles has been a fascinating process for us. I know the lucky winners will enjoy continuing this journey with us as they watch their whisky develop and mature.” 

To bid in the Holyrood 2021 Heritage Barley cask auction, please visit https://www.whiskyhammer.com/auction/current.php 

New Members can sign-up to bid using Whisky Hammer’s quick and straightforward registration process.

Notes  

Link to film: https://youtu.be/asLy3xa8qTU 

Follow Whisky Hammer on @whiskyhammer on Facebook and Instagram.

Follow Holyrood Distillery on @Holyroodwhisky on Twitter and @Holyrooddistillery on Facebook and Instagram.

Whisky Hammer:

• Whisky Hammer hosts auctions once a month, dedicated to whisky and other fine spirits, allowing buyers and sellers from every corner of the globe to participate at www.whiskyhammer.com
• It has auctioned many rare and collectible whiskies – both bottles and casks – since its launch in 2016.
• The business has recently re-located to a new, purpose built, facility in Aberdeenshire which is also home to a sister business, Still Spirit – a whisky shop and exquisite tasting room

Holyrood Distillery:

• Holyrood Distillery is the first single malt whisky distillery in Edinburgh for almost 100 years. The last working distillery in the capital was Andrew Usher’s Edinburgh Distillery (aka Glen Sciennes) which closed in 1925.
• Holyrood Distillery was founded by Canadian couple, Rob and Kelly Carpenter and Scot, David Robertson. Rob co-founded the Canadian branch of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society with wife Kelly, while David has 25 years experience in the industry with The Macallan and The Dalmore, as well as co-founding Rare Whisky 101.
• As well as distilling single malt whisky, Holyrood Distillery produces award-winning gins and liqueurs on its specially designed gin still.
• The distillery, which is in the heart of Edinburgh, features a 5-star visitor centre and shop.
• In addition, Holyrood Distillery’s bespoke cask programme launched this autumn and allows customers to be involved in every stage of the production process to create something truly customised to personal tastes. To find out more about the Holyrood’s Bespoke Cask Programme, visit www.holyrooddistillery.co.uk/cask-owners/.

Bimber Distillery reveals Re-charred single casks 

Re-charred Oak Casks #68, #143 and #144 will be available to purchase directly from the distillery from Thursday 10^th December 2020 

Concluding release of 2020 marks the end of highly successful first year for London craft distillery For Immediate Release

London’s award winning Bimber Distillery today announced the upcoming release of three single cask single malt whiskies drawn from the distillery’s remaining stock of re-charred oak casks.

Three exceptional casks from Bimber’s small inventory of hand-charred casks were reserved during the creation of the distillery’s popular maiden Small Batch release in October 2019. Following an additional year of maturation, these casks are now being made available as cask strength, single cask expressions.

The three new releases will be available to purchase directly from Bimber’s website from Thursday 10^th December. They are limited to one bottle per person and priced at £85.

The casks were hand charred by Bimber’s on-site coopers to level #4 char – also known as ‘alligator char’. This deep charring process caramelises the wood sugars, promotes greater interaction between the spirit and the oak and adds a layer of filtering carbon to the internal surfaces of the barrel.

The influence of this intense char has imparted incredible richness and distinctively sweet notes into these single malt whiskies. All of which perfectly marry with Bimber’s fruit-forward, spice-led house style.

Speaking of the upcoming release, Bimber spokesperson Matt McKay said: “We’re delighted to end what has been a tremendous year for Bimber with these very special single cask whiskies. The Small Batch edition of our Re-charred Oak Casks released last Autumn was a first taste of our single malt for many whisky lovers. Over the months since, we’ve received many requests to produce more of this popular expression – and so we’re now truly excited to unveil these three single cask editions.

He added: “It has been a challenging year for everyone involved in the industry and so we’re eternally grateful for all the support that the whisky community has shown us. We’re very eager to see how the growing cohort of Bimber fans react to these final releases of 2020.”

Notes

Re-charred Oak Cask – Single Cask Releases December 2020 

Tasting notes (for Cask #144)

NOSE: Flambe orange peels, bruised apples and pineapple juices mingle with split vanilla pods and singed honeycomb. Cracked black pepper and oak smoke are tempered by rich toffee and creamy nougat.

PALATE: Jammy hedgerow berries, red apples and banana peels are combined with burnt toffee and butterscotch sauce. Prominent, characterful nutmeg and pepper wood spice runs through delivering both impact and a lively freshness.

FINISH: Sustained char and spice balances perfectly against lingering fruitiness and unctuous vanilla.

Cask #68 

70CL/58.1%ABV

1. OF BOTTLES 295

RRP £85

Cask #143 

70CL/58.4%ABV

1. OF BOTTLES 299

RRP £85  

Cask #144 

70CL/57.9%ABV

1. OF BOTTLES 303

RRP £85

Release date: Thursday 10^th December. Available directly via www.bimberdistillery.co.uk  

About Bimber  

Bimber Distillery produces world-class single malt whisky, handcrafted with passion in West London. As a leading distiller of English whisky, we combine generations of rich distilling heritage with the finest quality ingredients to create the ultimate craft whisky experience.

Whisky Reading For The Holidays

This holiday season, surprise your spirits loving family and friends with the incredible un-told stories of the exciting and cutting-edge distilleries that are re-shaping Canada’s spirits industry. The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries is a beautiful, thoroughly researched and thoughtfully presented homage to the hard-working people who have infused new life into Canada’s whisky and spirits movement.

Join authors Davin de Kergommeaux and Blair Phillips in discovering more than 200 Canadian distilleries, nearly 100 of them making whisky. You and your whisky loving friends will soon be making plans to visit – or armchair visit – all of them. Maps, tips and suggestions of where to go next are just the start of this comprehensive, tasting, travel and cocktail guide.

The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries pairs well with de Kergommeaux’s earlier book Canadian Whisky: The New Portable Expert. Here he digs deep into the stories and histories of Canada’s top whisky makers, their people, products and distilleries. This highly popular whisky book is now in its second edition and ready for gift-giving or gift-getting.

As New York Times journalist and bestselling whisky author, Clay Risen puts it, “To call Davin de Kergommeaux the soul of Canadian whisky is an understatement—he is its guide, its historian, and its leading advocate. Now comes The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries, with Blair Phillips, as astounding in its breadth of coverage as its depth of insight. Make room in your library, spirits fans: these are must-own books.”

Make your whisky lover’s day with one or both of these carefully researched and beautiful books. Available in major and most independent bookstores, and all online booksellers.

NEW! Bushmills Causeway Collection
2001 Feuillette Cask

Introducing Bushmills 2001 Feuillette Cask: a Whisky Shop exclusive and the first product to launch in the UK as part of the Bushmills Causeway Collection – a new range of rare and unique single malt whiskeys inspired by the natural wonder of the Giant’s Causeway.

This one-of-a-kind whiskey has been aged for over 17 years in oloroso sherry butts and bourbon barrels before final maturation for over two years in a rare feuillette cask ­– the first ever red wine cask finish from Bushmills.

Expertly crafted by award-winning Bushmills Master Blender Helen Mulholland, this is some highly limited liquid – a single cask of just 168 bottles has been produced, at a cask strength of 49% VOL. Get ready for an intense palate of almonds, crème Anglaise, maraschino cherries and rich Christmas cake.

Bushmills 2001 Feuillette Cask
The Whisky Shop Exclusive

£200.00

Buy Now ›

A Tantalizing Unsherried 28 Year Expression from a Speyside Icon
1992 Probably Speyside’s Finest (Glenfarclas) 28 Year Old “Old & Rare” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($179.99)
“It’s hard to argue for a better value in the 2020 whisky landscape than this.”
— Andrew Whitelely, K&L NorCal Spirits Buyer

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.

Not only is the 1992 Probably Speyside’s Finest (Glenfarclas) 28 Year “Old & Rare” bottling about as rare as hen’s teeth, it is also one of the sharpest Scotch buys we’ve encountered in 2020. Glenfarclas rarely releases casks to bottlers and never with the Glenfarclas name on it. Making it all the more unique, this is an unsherried cask, which allows one to experience the malt in its full, unadulterated beauty. Similar casks, when you can find them, often come with a price tag of $400 or more, making this deal all the more remarkable. But price and rarity are only part of the story here, as this single cask exclusive is downright delicious. A dazzling dram through and through, it combines wonderfully expressive fruit with a cascade of exotic spice. Balanced and pure, this 28 Year Old would be a welcome addition to any Scotch collection. If you wish to experience the nuanced side of Glenfarclas, this is your perfect chance.

1992 Probably Speyside’s Finest (Glenfarclas) 28 Year Old “Old & Rare” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($179.99)

The renowned old distillery in Ballindaloch does not generally sell their whisky to blenders. When they do, it will never include the famous name that the family regards as its exclusive trade property. For that reason, this incredible single malt will never be sold to blenders or bottlers with the distillery name included. We, in fact, have never been offered this whisky by any of our partners in Scotland before as a single malt, although a few of our partners do sell similar whiskies. If you know the exceptional Blairfindy malt from the Blackadder brand, you’ll be well aware of the quality this cask represents and since that whisky sells stateside for upwards of $450 for the same age statement as this, we think we’ve got a pretty good deal going here. It is, indeed, unusual to see this distillery filled into non-sherry cask in general, but there’s something extremely satisfying about experiencing this incredible malt in a completely mature unsherried style. The depth of the spirit itself truly shines through here in a way that the distillery bottings don’t express. The result is a whisky whose bold malt character has been tamed into deep expressive fruit and nuanced complexity unlike any we’ve ever sold before.

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

This whisky immediately makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. The excitement upon opening it was intense. The color is pure joy—a cross between goldenrod and marigold. The first nosing completes the candy store picture by screaming peach rings. It’s creamy and luscious and is an extremely easy drinking 47.4% ABV at cask strength. The cask influence is relatively minimal, especially when compared to most bottlings of Glenfarclas which typically feature some sherry maturation. The refill barrel really makes way for the complexity of Speyside’s Finest to shine after 28 long years in cask. It’s one of those whiskies that is incredibly hard to break apart into individual descriptors because everything is so perfectly integrated. The fruitiness is unmatched. There are stone fruits, citrus, berries, ripe sweet persimmon, and a touch of the tropical. The barrel spices are there, but seamless. Under all that fruit is sweet cinnamon and nutmeg, vanilla, allspice. Milk chocolate and more cream linger on the finish. It’s a beautiful dram and wildly underpriced. It’s hard to argue for a better value in the 2020 whisky landscape than this.

GlenAllachie 31 Year Old

1989 vintage singe sherry cask for the UK market. Last bottles!

Glenallachie 31 Year Old 1989 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Single cask Oloroso Hogshead #6118 bottled August 2020 for the United Kingdom market. 339 numbered bottles.

NOSE: Heather honey, mocha, nutmeg, pineapple and eucalyptus.
TASTE: Waves of dark chocolate, mocha and almonds, followed by orange zest, grapefruit and ginger.

BUY NOW

Glenallachie Distillery is a Speyside distillery sitting on the eastern edge of Ben Rinnes mountain where it is rather exposed to the elements and is often to be see sitting within the snowline. A modern building and its architect William Delmé-Evans created a distillery which is rather pleasing on the eye. Glenallachie was commissioned in 1967 with two stills which increased to four in 1989 in order to meet blenders ever increasing demand for Glenallachie malt whisky. Whilst official releases are few independent releases are more numerous with those from Signatory Vintage and Cadenheads proving popular.

I DON’T HAVE TO GO THROUGH AN AIRPORT TO GET THIS ANYMORE!! THE JOY!

I’ve waited for a solid opportunity to talk about this whisky when it wasn’t disappearing onto planes, literally. Finally avaliable for purchase from all specialist retailers, Makers Mark Cask Strength is an abundance of brown sugar and tobacco. Providing all of the elegant Makers style with some Kentucky power, which is very welcome here in Manchester! Cheers!

https://youtu.be/ja5i3SdB0wM