anCnoc releases Peatheart Batch 2 for Global Market

anCnoc Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky continues its journey ‘to the dark side’ with the global release today (30^th September 2020) of Peatheart Batch 2: the second consignment of its award-winning permanent peated expression.

After a limited release in Sweden, this second bottling will now be available to drinkers around the world, following the international success of Peatheart Batch 1 which was launched in 2017.

Batch 2 features the same smoky, mellow wood notes and phenol content as the original (40ppm) – but this time a more subtle smokiness is balanced with anCnoc’s brighter, fruitier flavours.

Tasting Notes

Colour: light gold

Nose: Understated peat smoke and barbecue balanced by ripe pineapples, pears and a dark, rich tone of baked toffee apples. Subtle vanilla and sparks of fresh lemon rind lend lightness and elegance to the composition.

Taste: Structured and full, with rich smoke in balance with juicy gummy bears and the light, fizzy sweetness of spun sugar. Undertones of a hay barn and fudge give it a delicious weight.

Finish: Long and growing, distinctly spicy and sweet with a warming, smoky finale.

Crafted at Knockdhu Distillery in the small village of Knock, by Huntly in Aberdeenshire, Peatheart uses peated barley in production to add a rich, smoky twist to anCnoc’s classic new make spirit, before maturation in American Oak ex-bourbon barrels.

Presented in a dramatic opaque black bottle and tube, which glisten with touches of bronze and white, it is set to be a perfect gift for whisky fans over the Christmas and New Year season.

Knockdhu Distillery Manager Gordon Bruce explained that the new batch is true in flavour and character to the original, but with intriguing differences that will delight whisky lovers. He said: ‘Despite having the same ppm as Batch 1, slight variations in maturation mean that our second Peatheart bottling offers something a little bit different, with a more refined smoky character. The combination of fresh, fruity anCnoc notes with these more mellow peat flavours creates a wonderful modern whisky that will be enjoyed by whisky fans across the spectrum. The peaty range now sits alongside our signature anCnoc whiskies to give drinkers two very distinctive sides to our whisky. Whether it’s a dram from our ‘dark’ or ‘light’ side, both represent our commitment to using the best traditional techniques and craftsmanship to make a very modern single malt whisky’.

Peatheart Batch 2 is set to be in high demand following the critical acclaim achieved by Batch 1 – which included a coveted category gold medal at the World Whiskies Awards in 2019.

anCnoc Peatheart Batch 2 (40ppm) is bottled in 70cl at 46% ABV, non-chill filtered and with natural colour. 1700 cases of the new batch will be available in the UK and for global markets, sold in independent and specialist retailers and whisky shops from 1^st October. RRP £52.

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ABOUT ANCNOC

anCnoc is produced at Knockdhu Distillery, which sits in the shadow of the ‘Black Hill’ (Knockdhu in Gaelic) near Huntly in Aberdeenshire. It was established in 1894 by the pioneering John Morrison, after he spotted an abundance of the natural resources needed to make fine malt whisky in the area: pure spring water and plentiful supplies of peat and barley.

Today, Knockdhu is known as one of the smallest and most enchanting distilleries in the Scottish Highlands, producing a refreshingly modern single malt whisky with the most traditional skills and processes. The Black Hill continues to supply pure water for the whisky making process. The distillery’s two copper pot stills replicate the original 1894 design, their bulbous bases giving anCnoc its light, fresh, fruity flavour. Old fashioned worm tubs are used to condense the vaporised alcohol. And Distillery Manager Gordon Bruce, and his team, make up one of the smallest workforces in any distillery (including many dogs!)

anCnoc’s first foray into peated whisky began back in 2014 with the launch of a new ‘Peaty’ range, inspired by the whiskies made early in Knockdhu’s history using local peated barley. 

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL BEVERAGE HOLDINGS

International Beverage Holdings Ltd is one of the drinks industry’s most dynamic global businesses.  Established in 2006 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thaibev, the company operates as its international business arm, specialising in the development of premium local spirits for the global market. Its success is built on a strong understanding of local cultures and markets within a worldwide business network. Based in Hong Kong with regional offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, the USA and UK, the company is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of a portfolio of premium brands in over 85 markets. These brands are built on character, craftsmanship and quality, led by a range of award-winning Scotch whiskies and an array of vibrant beers and spirits. These include:

• Single malt Scotch whiskies Old Pulteney, Balblair, anCnoc and Speyburn
• Blended Scotch Hankey Bannister
• Caorunn, Scotland’s leading super premium gin
• Mekhong, ‘The Spirit of Thailand’ since 1941
• Chang Beer, Thailand’s iconic beer brand 

Inver House Distillers is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Beverage Holdings Ltd, producing its  Scotch whiskies and gin at five distilleries around Scotland: Pulteney, Speyburn, Knockdhu, Balblair and Balmenach. Inver House is also highly active in the warehousing and blending of Scotch whisky, with warehousing for 500,000 barrels and state of the art blending and laboratory facilities at its headquarters in Airdrie. The business has won many prestigious accolades over the years, including the Icons of Whisky Distiller of the Year Award for Scotland (2017).

www.interbevgroup.com

ARMORIK GOES PEATED!

After many years of ageing, tasting, we are finally ready to launch… our heavily peated Whisky. We are improving our game with a new line of peated single malts named Yeun Elez.

The Yeun Elez range, just like Armorik is distilled, matured and bottled at the Distillerie Warenghem, in Brittany, France.

YEUN ELEZ

GI Whisky Breton Single Malt, 46%, 70 cl Un-chill filtered – Natural colour

Yeun Elez is a peated Breton Whisky, distilled from peated (50ppm) malted barley from Scotland. Breton Single Malt Whisky, it has been distilled and matured to highlight its delicate, elegant and fruity peat. The name Yeun Elez comes from an old peat bog located in the heart of the Armorique Natural Park, which is also home to many Breton legends (such as that of Tadic Coz represented on the pack).

The legend

Located in the Monts d’Arrée, in the heart of the Armorique Natural Park, the Yeun Elez is a swamp considered in Breton legends as the Gateway to Hell.

According to the legend reported by Anatole le Braz, it is the place where the evil souls who haunted the living were thrown into hell. Tadic-Coz, knew the secret and the ritual of locking the souls of ghosts in the body of a black dog. He instructed young Jobic to guide the dog towards the underworld gates. The latter, going from presbytery to presbytery, led the black dog to the rector of Commana. Together, at sunset, they threw the black dog into the Yeun Elez swamp, condemning the ghost to hell.

« We are entering the Yeun Elez, he said to Jobic. Whatever you hear, don’t look away. It is about your life in this world and your salvation in the next. »

A.Le Braz, La Légende de la mort en Basse-Bretagne, 1893.

Tasting Notes

Pale yellow with golden reflections.

Nose: Beautiful aromatic intensity, the peat is medicinal (camphor, cloves) but supported by fruity notes, bananas, cooked peaches, and pastry (cream pastry).

Palate: The smoke rounds the palate, citrus notes bringing freshness. Nice roundness with a hint of salinity.

Final: A lingering, iodized and spicy finish, ending with a warm wood fire.

Yeun Elez is the result of the distillery’s foray into the territory of peated whiskies. We offer you a peaty variation of our single malt Armorik: We use Scottish peated barley, water from our own source and our artisanal know-how. Using our traditional pot stills, we strive to create an exceptional single malt that reflects the Breton character.

DISTILLERIE WARENGHEM – ROUTE DE GUINGAMP – 22300 LANNION – FRANCE

TÉL. : +33 (0)2 96 37 00 08 WWW.ARMORIK.BZH

LAST ORDERS! VAN WINKLE TO LAUNCH ‘TEN TO TEN’ TAKEAWAY DRINKS SERVICE

Glasgow’s newest restaurant and go-to bourbon bar Van Winkle will launch a new takeaway drinks menu tomorrow, Friday 2 October, designed especially in response to the 10pm curfew.

The Ten to Ten Takeaway offer at the new Byres Road premises will let customers order a selection of drinks to take away just before the bar shuts for the night.

Between 9.30pm and 10pm only, anyone looking to enjoy a final nightcap back at home will be able to choose from a selection of cocktails, beers and wine and take a few refreshments with them to go.

Launched in partnership with Buffalo Trace – Van Winkle’s best-selling bourbon brand – the Ten to Ten Takeaway menu will include a range of mouth-watering Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare cocktails including an Old Fashioned, Bourbon Mary and Cowboy Shandy.

Van Winkle visitors will also be able to grab sealed containers of bottled and draft beer and choose from bottles of red, white and rose wine to take home with them.

Derek Mallon of Van Winkle said: “It’s fantastic to have opened our second branch of Van Winkle and to be up and running in the west end. With opening hours now limited to 10pm, we wanted to give customers the option to take a taste of Van Winkle back home with them. 

“People can enjoy an evening of food and drink with us before nabbing a night cap to go at last orders. Changing guidance means we need to act fast and continue to innovate so we’re delighted to launch our new Ten to Ten Takeaway service.” 

Van Winkle opened its second branch on Byres Road on Thursday 24 September, almost three years after it first launched opposite the iconic Barrowland Ballroom in the city’s east end.

Customers to the new west end spot have more than 50 bourbons to choose from, as well as a wide selection of American whiskeys, cocktails, beers and wine. The menu boasts a variety of mouth-watering wee plates, burgers and sandwiches, alongside a five-cheese macaroni and the Van Winkle buffalo chicken wings.

A perfect spot for dog lovers, Van Winkle also has a special nutritious dog-friendly menu, developed by BBC Scotland’s resident vet Ross Allan from Pets’n’Vets.

From Friday 2 October, Ten to Ten Takeaway is available from 9.30pm to 10pm each night for customers already eating or drinking in the bar. All takeaway alcohol will be sold in sealed containers and Van Winkle asks that customers drink responsibly and do not open their alcohol until they are home.

Van Winkle is located at 94 Byres Rd, Glasgow. It is open now for dining inside and out and available for takeaway and home delivery.

For more information go to: www.vanwinkle.co.uk

Address: 94 Byres Rd, Glasgow G12 8TB

Facebook @VanWinkleBar / Instagram @VanWinkleGlasgow / Twitter @VanWinkleBar

TWO SAZERAC CANADIAN WHISKIES AWARDED GOLD AND SILVER MEDALS AT THE 2020 NORTH AMERICAN BOURBON & WHISKEY COMPETITION 

Montreal (Sept. 24, 2020) – The North American Bourbon & Whiskey Competition has published its results for the 2020 double-blind tasting competition.  Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky received a Gold award and Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whisky received a Silver award.

The NABWC promotes excellence in bourbon, whiskey, and moonshine through a double-blind competition and is based on a 100-point scale. The spirits are judged by styles and price categories, and this year’s competition was judged virtually in light of COVID-19.

For more information about the 2020 NABWC, visit http://whiskeycomp.com/.

About Sazerac

Sazerac is one of America’s oldest family owned, privately held distillers with operations in the United States in Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Maryland, California, and global operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, India, Australia and Canada. For more information on Sazerac, please visit www.sazerac.com.

Oh it’s 5 o’clock somewhere! Time to get those weekend drams in and don’t forget to check on those bottles you’ve got your eye on. Our 112th auction ends in just 3 days. Have a great weekend from all of us here at SWA.

This 50-year-old single grain whisky is the first and only official bottling from North of Scotland distillery, which was operational for just 23 years, from 1957 until 1980. It has been matured exclusively in ex-bourbon casks for five long decades, in which time it has developed a decadent profile packed with juicy blood orange, golden syrup and nutty notes, as well as a soft, baking-spice warmth.

A rare treat limited to just 1,500 bottles worldwide, this will not just convince newcomers of the heights single grain whisky can attain, but also hold its ground against the very finest whiskies in any collection

BUY NORTH OF SCOTLAND 50 YEAR OLD

SHOP OLD & RARE WHISKIES

Just landed: Macallan Edition No.6

Inspired by the River Spey, the sixth and final release in Macallan’s Edition series is crafted with a combination of American and European oak sherry butts and hogsheads to create a multifaceted experience with a deep and rewarding flavour.

Buy Now ›

Enjoy fresh fruits, nutmeg, ginger, chocolate, toffee and vanilla on the nose, followed by ripe plum, orange and cinnamon on the palate, soon developing into spicy fruits and creamy chocolate, with toasted oats in the finish.

Be the first to add this exquisite limited edition dram to your collection.

Macallan Edition No.6
£98.50

Buy Now ›

The Perfect Speysider at a Very Attractive Price
1994 Braeval 22 Year Old “Munros” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Unchillfiltered Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($109.99)
“This is as quintessentially Speyside as any malt in our selection right now and offers an incredible value from a relatively rare distillery.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L SoCal Spirits Buyer

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.

The perfect complement to the Tormore 22 Year Old we offered earlier this month, the Braeval 22 Year Old “Munros” is yet another remarkable find from the team at the Glasgow Whisky Company. While the Braeval name may be unfamiliar to many, we expect that to change, as they are crafting some of the brightest and wonderfully approachable Speysiders in the market today. Aged in bourbon barrels, this dram is a fruit-driven expression that is equal parts smoothly seductive and intellectually engaging. Rarely do we see single casks from Braeval, but when we do we snatch them up as quickly as we can, as they consistently capture everything we love about Speyside malts. At cask strength, you might think this 22 Year Old is a powerhouse, but it comes across as remarkably balanced and poised. Like the Tormore before it, we expect our small, exclusive allocation to disappear in short order. Similarly aged drams will set you back over $200, so finding one this attractively priced is always a huge win. If you are looking for a great, easy-going single malt with loads of personality, then you’ve come to the right place.

1994 Braeval 22 Year Old “Munros” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Unchillfiltered Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($109.99)

The lovely small batch bottlings in the “Munros” line up are selected by the small Glasgow Whisky Company and represent some of the best values in single malt Scotch today. This small outfit has become an increasingly important player in the sale and bottling of small scale lots of high-quality Scotch. The Munros line is a reference to Scotland’s 282 mountains over 3000 feet. Explorers across the UK have long considered climbing each peak a rite of passage and likewise the great malts represent the heights of achievement in the eyes of whisky lovers across the world. The Braeval Distillery (formerly Braes of Glenlivet) was built in the early 1970s to help sustain the growth of the popular Chivas Brand. It has yet to be sold by the owners regularly as a single malt, but we’ve had success with a few from various independent bottlers over the years. Here the malty fruity character of the spirit is heightened perfectly after over two decades in fresh American bourbon barrels. Like all the Munros, this is a small batch of sequential casks bottled without chill filtration or reduction of any kind. Expect a very easy drinking Speysider focused on fruity malt, vanillas and subtle spices. A gorgeous example of this unsung little distillery.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 31, 2020

Another young but well-liked distillery, this one is distinct across the Munros line in that it was aged in exclusively ex-bourbon barrels. The already clean and fruity style of the Braeval (previously called Braes of Glenlivet) works perfectly with the round subtle American oak and sweet flavors imparted by these great bourbon barrels. The color is pale gold. The nose has the perfect blend of yellow and orange fruits, hints of fresh apricots and mirabelle. Touches of roasted almond and toasted vanilla bean heighten the clean fruitiness perfectly. On the palate, lemon candies, white pepper, cherry pits, ground clove and tiniest hints of fresh bread yeasty quality. Certainly not a whisky that’s going to scare anyone away, as it’s round and approachable, but by no means one-note or boring. This is as quintessentially Speyside as any malt in our selection right now and offers an incredible value for a relatively rare distillery.

ralfy review 845 – Old Pulteney 15yo @ 46%vol: (2020)