Just landed: Advent Calendars 🥃🎁

Get your Advent Calendar before December!

Drinks by the Dram’s spirit-filled Advent Calendars are now available for pre-order! It may only be September, but trust us: these sell fast. Chocolate advent calendars are timeless favourites, but why not elevate your Christmas Countdown this year with daily delicious drams?  Whisky? There’s a calendar for even the biggest scrooge out there.

These dramtastic calendars also make the ultimate festive gift for the curious imbiber in your life. Make their Christmas come early by sending a calendar directly to their doorstep – we’ll deliver UK orders over £50 for free!

Pre-order now ›

LOUISVILLE SPEED ART MUSEUM’S “ART OF BOURBON” ONLINE AUCTION CHOCKED FULL OF RARE BOTTLES:

THE BLACK BOWMORE 1964 50-YEAR-OLD COULD FETCH $80,000

 This is a LIVE event. Guests can choose to log in to the live-streamed production and place bids in real time against whisky lovers from around the nation.

LOUISVILLE, KY September 16, 2020 — The Speed Art Museum’s annual bourbon auction, which takes place Sept 24, will be completely online, live and virtual. This year’s “Art of Bourbon” is packed with another stunning lineup of rare or hard-to-find whiskies and VIP experiences. At the top of the auction block is the Black Bowmore 1964 50-Year-Old, which could fetch up to $80,000. Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, a Michter’s 25-Year, and even a Heaven’s Door Bootleg also make a cameo.

The auction is free to bid or participate but registration is required at artofbourbon.org

            – 7pm – 9 pm EST
– Pre-show begins at 6:30pm EST

            – Bottles up for bid are added daily

            – Pre-registration encouraged

The event combines Kentucky’s official art museum with Kentucky’s greatest product to produce the region’s premier bourbon auction. During the past two years, the museum has auctioned off some of the most rare whisky bottles and experiences ever, and this year is no exception. Elusive whiskies, exclusive bourbon experiences and single-barrel selections, are up for bid. Here’s a taste of what to expect:

Black Bowmore 1964 50-Year-Old, The Last Cask Estimate: $60,000 – $80,000

One of the most rare and sought-after single malt whiskies ever created, the last cask rediscovered of Black Bowmore 1964 spent an astonishing 50 years maturing in Bowmore’s legendary No.1 Vaults, one of the world’s oldest Scotch maturation warehouses, making this captivating whisky the oldest expression of the Black Bowmore series. Other acclaimed releases were in 1993 (29 Year Old), 1994 (30 Year Old), 1995 (31 Year Old), 2007 (42 Year Old), and the first collaborative creation between Bowmore and Aston Martin to be released this year: Black Bowmore DB5 1964.

This exceptionally rare offering – a mere 159 bottles were produced – would be the jewel in the crown of any collection.

The tale of the 159 bottles of the half-century-old last cask of Black Bowmore is as beguiling as it is complex: In 1964, seven first-fill Oloroso sherry hogshead casks were filled to mature meticulously in the No. 1 Vaults, where every cask and spirit unites to create a special aging relationship. In 2002, however, it was discovered that two casks were quickly losing volume to the angel’s share so they were combined into a single cask. Later, in 2007, 827 bottles of Black Bowmore 42 Year Old from the other casks were released. But the previously married cask was overlooked and was left undisturbed in the coolest, darkest corner of the No. 1 Vaults. This last cask was rediscovered when trawling through the stock ledgers in 2014.

Distillery Manager David Turner, whose grandfather worked on the original bottling over 50 years ago, said “Black Bowmore is one of those whiskies that’s celebrated by collectors and aficionados around the world. To have Black Bowmore available for auction is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

This refined whisky is presented in a hand-blown bottle created by renowned sculpting studio Glasstorm with cork tops made by Scottish Silver. Each bottle is filled/sealed by hand and encased in a handmade Scottish oak cabinet created by John Galvin Design.

Maker’s Mark Barrel Selection: Your Own Unique Barrel of Maker’s Mark and Dale Chihuly Artwork Estimate: $22,000

Hands down this is considered the best, once-in-a-lifetime experience in American whiskey. As personal guests of Maker’s Mark Managing Director Rob Samuels, an 8th generation whiskey maker, the winning bidder and nine friends won’t simply select a barrel at Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, Ky. Instead, the winner gets to create his/her own special Maker’s Mark “taste vision.” Using the same process as head honcho Bill Samuels Jr. did when he created Maker’s 46, you’ll get to formulate your own personalized, never-been-made barrel of Maker’s Mark bourbon.

Maker’s Mark upped the ante for the night: Bringing art and bourbon together in a way that only Maker’s Mark can offer, the winner will also receive a rare piece of iconic Dale Chihuly’s glass artwork, gifted from the distillery’s private collection.

“I’ve always felt a deep connection between fine art and the vision my grandparents created at Maker’s Mark, which was all about the painstaking attention to detail it takes to handcraft something truly unique,” said Samuels. “They also believed it was important to give back to the community in meaningful ways. So it seems a natural fit for us to provide this experience to celebrate that shared vision and support the remarkable work of the Speed Museum.”

This specific bourbon offering sets the exclusive tone for this auction. The bidder gets a complete Star Hill Farm experience and to top it off, Maker’s Mark donated a dinner at the distillery’s Star Hill Provisions with a special menu created by Chef Newman Miller, a Top Chef judge.

Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Rye Experience Estimate: $18,000

When Beam’s Seventh Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe set out to create Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Rye Whiskey in 2018, he did it with one purpose: to achieve an even bolder expression of Knob Creek’s signature rye whiskey for their valued customers. Since then, each barrel of Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Rye has been a unique expression of Knob Creek’s award-winning rye whiskey specially selected by a restaurant, bar or retailer for their own establishment and patrons.

For this auction, Knob Creek is giving one lucky bidder the chance to select their very own barrel of Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Rye – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any whiskey fan and one typically reserved solely for restaurants, bars and retailers.

The highest bidder would be able to select – through one of the two experience options – a one-of-a-kind single barrel of Knob Creek Rye Whiskey that reflects the craftsmanship, quality and full flavor that Knob Creek is known for. Bottles from the winner’s unique single barrel (approximately 150+, depending on barrel yield) will be packaged with a custom label reflecting your personalized barrel name and barrel information.

Experience #1 at Warehouse K in Clermont, Ky.

The Warehouse “K” Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Experience offers a hands-on selection experience at the home of Knob Creek. From swinging hammers to thieving whiskey directly from the barrel to sipping and selecting, you’ll come back with more than just a barrel. You’ll come back knowing your personal passion for this whiskey is reflected in the bottles on your shelf. This experience would also include a tour of the James B. Beam Distillery and lunch at Fred’s Smokehouse, a BBQ restaurant at the distillery.

Experience #2 Distiller’s Choice

Nobody knows Knob Creek like the guys who live with it every day at the distillery in Clermont. They know the warehouses. They know the barrels. And they know the signature characteristics of aroma, color, taste and finish that make one of those barrels a perfect candidate for Single Barrel Select Rye. In this experience option, seasoned barrel managers will select a barrel of one-of ­a-kind rye on your behalf that exceeds your expectations. In other words, we’ll take care of the work so all you have to do is enjoy the reward.

Hermitage Farm and Barn8 Restaurant Immersive Journey Estimate: $7,000

Here’s your chance to step back in time and enjoy an original Kentucky land grant farm. Steve Wilson and Laura Lee Brown invite 4 people to stay at the historic Hermitage Farm “Main House,” in Oldham County, Ky. As part of this bespoke experience, Steve and Laura Lee are including six bottles that are housed as part of the on-site Barn8 Restaurant barrel selections, and one very rare vintage bottle:

• a rare1973 Old Fitzgerald “Hospitality Decanter”
• Weller Full Proof
• Woodford Reserve
• Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
• Old Forester
• Maker’s Mark Private Select
• New Riff

In addition, as part of this bucolic getaway, you and your friends enjoy a privileged VIP bourbon tasting led by Bourbon Steward Adam Walpole as well as two crafted and curated dinners, one being in the Greenhouse, by Barn8 Executive Chef Alison Settle.

The package also features a Royal Brunch under the canopy where Queen Elizabeth viewed yearlings in 1984 as well as special ride in an antique carriage. Cap-off this experience with a walk through the newly unveiled Art Walk “Night Magic,’ created by acclaimed artist Ricardo Rivera. The Art Walk just opened this month.

Fred Minnick, widely considered the world’s leading bourbon authority, is advising the Museum and eying many of these lots closely, knowing that these bids can make a difference. “In the middle of the pandemic, these rare whiskeys can make a huge impact on one of our country’s best art museums and a cherished Louisville hotspot,” said Minnick. “We have the vintage and rare, and the new and unique. This is an outstanding collection and anybody who wins will be one happy camper.”

Here are other unique and hard-to-find bottles featured among the 34  lots:

Michter’s 25-Year-Old Estimate: $7,000

The grande dame of the portfolio, Michter’s 25-Year Bourbon represents more than a quarter century of maturation in the distillery’s finest barrels. Available only as stocks permit, this outstanding bourbon is extraordinarily rich in flavor. This 25-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon is viewed by many as fine as any bourbon ever released throughout Michter’s storied history. This exceptionally flavorful bourbon was distilled from a select mashbill, then matured to perfection for over 25 years in specially chosen, new charred American white oak barrels.

Old Fitzgerald 6-Year Bottled-in-Bond, 1961 Estimate: $1,500

Distilled at the original legendary Stitzel Weller facility, this 6-year-old Bottled-in-Bond is the perfect representation of the distillery’s capabilities at the height of its popularity. This was truly America’s whiskey in the heyday of bourbon culture. The original wheated bourbon, Old Fitzgerald continues to be one of the most sought after brands of “dusties” and of its new production by Heaven Hill.

Old Taylor 1960 Estimate: $1,000

Distilled in what is now the Castle & Key distillery near Frankfort, Ky, Old Taylor was one of the premiere bourbons of its time. Named after Col EH Taylor who’s said to have been one of the main proponents of the Bottled-in-Bond Act, this 6-year-old bourbon is smooth and balanced with a subtle sweetness at the front.

Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Collection, 3 bottles Estimate: $750

Hand selected by Eternal Optimist Hospitality & Willett Master Distiller Drew Kulsveen, these are some of the earliest barrels to be filled with Willett’s own product:

Willett Family Estate Bottled Single Barrel Bourbon – 6 Year, Barrel 191

Willett Family Estate Bottled Single Barrel Bourbon – 7 Year, Barrel 44 “Feast BBQ”

Willett Family Estate Bottled Single Barrel Rye Whiskey – 6 Year, Barrel 233

Heaven’s Door Bootleg Series: 2019 Edition, Limited Release Estimate: $500

The first expression in The Bootleg Series by Heaven’s Door. Each offering in the series features one of Bob Dylan’s paintings on a custom ceramic bottle. Each package is numbered and contains a hidden gold collectible coin. This edition is a 26-year aged whisky finished in Japanese Mizunara Oak barrels. Mizunara Oak, one of the rarest and most expensive types of oak, must be at least 200 years old before being harvested for barrel aging.

All major distilleries are participating and offering up some of the most sought-after and prized bottles, according to Museum Director Stephen Reily. Reily conceived the novel event concept of pairing bourbon with art in 2018. Auction proceeds will support the art institution’s exhibitions, outreach and education initiatives. Bill Menish serves as auctioneer.

Once again, organizers expect this to draw interest from serious bourbon enthusiasts and connoisseurs from around the nation.

“On Sept. 24, collectors have the opportunity to buy and taste history, and this auction creates these opportunities,” said Jamar Mack, founder of KOBBE, Kentucky’s Original Black Bourbon Enthusiasts, and one of several bourbon experts curating the auction.

“We’re talking 365,250 milliliters of rare spirits,” added Mack.

About the Speed Art Museum

The Speed Art Museum is Kentucky’s largest art museum. Its mission is to “invite everyone to celebrate art forever.” It is an independent and encyclopedic museum located on the campus of the University of

Louisville. In 1927, Louisville philanthropist Hattie Bishop Speed founded the Speed Art Museum, with a belief in the power of art to change people’s lives. The Speed reopened in July with the exhibitions Andy Warhol: Revelation, The World Turned Upside Down and The World Turned Upside Down: A Contemporary Response, and the much-acclaimed Loose Nuts: Bert Hurley’s West End Story. Upcoming exhibitions include Careful, Neat & Decent: Arts of the Kentucky Shakers and Mariam Ghani + Erin Ellen Kelly: When the Spirits Moved Them, They Moved, both part of Shaker Commonwealth, a celebration of Kentucky Shaker arts and culture at the Speed Art Museum. For more information, visit www.speedmuseum.org.

For access to online auction: artofbourbon.com

Cambus 27 Year Old 1988 vintage Lowland single grain Scotch whisky. Single cask #59233 bottled 2016 by Gordon & Co. for the Pearls of Scotland series. 328 numbered bottles.

CAMBUS DISTILLERY

27 Year Old 1988 Pearls Of Scotland

BOTTLER Gordon & Co. DISTILLER Cambus CASK TYPE single cask CASK # #59233

ABV 47.5% TYPE Single Grain Scotch REGION Lowland AGE 27 Year Old VINTAGE 1988 VOLUME 70cl

CAMBUS SINGLE GRAIN WHISKY

John Moubry commissioned Cambus Distillery in 1806 at Cambus near Alloa to produce malt and grain whisky. He was amongst a group of contemporary distillers ‘paid’ to close their works for a number of years by the Stein and Haig distilling family in order to enable the later to maintain their monopoly in the exportation of Scottish spirits into the London gin market. Cambus Distillery is a lost Lowlands grain whisky distillery having closed in 1993 although its whisky remains available and the site is occupied by a Diageo cask filling works. Hunter Laing Sovereign Cambus grain whiskies are extremely popular.

Our new episode of Japanese Whisky World is just minutes away. Tune in now.

Discover the famous whisky from one of Japan’s most renowned distilleries.

Dekanta

2-49-7 Minamiikebukuro Toshima-ku, Tokyo,

2006 Glen Scotia “Malts Festival 2020 Limited Edition” Tawny Port Finish Peated Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)

$84.99

Finally some good news! After the extraordinary quality and popularity of the 2019 release, we knew something good would be coming in 2020 from Glen Scotia. Well, it’s reached California, and in very small amounts. We secured most of the state’s inventory of this beauty, and when it’s gone we expect we won’t see a second shot this year. Distilled in 2006, the Glen Scotia ‘Tawny Port’ Festival Edition is a peated Campbeltown Malt that has been matured in a mix of refill American hogsheads, medium char American oak and first fill bourbon barrels before being finished in first fill Tawny Port hogsheads and then bottled at cask strength 52.8% ABV. The nose shows blackberry, floral notes of rose and ocean spray and a faint trace of smoke. The palate has a silky mouthfeel, crisp green apple, peach syrup and vanilla with a honey sweetness. The finish really shows the gentle peat smoke of Glen Scotia along with a wide array of sweet port fruits, black currant and raspberries mix with clove and cooking spice.

ralfy review 843 – Ardbeg 5yo Wee Beastie @ 47.4%vol:

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH

…but here comes India’s Dram-A Sutra!

* Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible hails “rampantly beautiful” Canadian champion.

* US knocked off World Whisky of the Year top spot for first time in five years.

* India returns to podium with “near-perfect” offering.

A Canadian rye whisky which draws its water from the Rocky Mountains has been declared the summit of all the world’s whiskies. 

Whisky guru Jim Murray has given “totally world class” status to Alberta Premium Cask Strength in his Whisky Bible 2021, naming it World Whisky of the Year – the first time it has won the coveted top prize. 

Made from a mix of malted and unmalted rye, Alberta Premium Cask Strength weighs in at a massive 65.1% abv and scores 97.5 marks out of 100. 

The last time a Canadian won World Whisky of the Year in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, police in Toronto were called as drinkers fought over the last bottles still on the shelf. 

“It is such an honor to be named World Whisky of the Year by Jim Murray and we are thrilled for our Alberta Distillers team,” said Albert Baladi, President & CEO, Beam Suntory. “To receive this prestigious accolade is a testament to the team’s dedication and passion for crafting a premium spirit of the highest quality, and comes as at a time of Canadian whisky resurgence around the world.” 

“On behalf of the entire Alberta Distillers team, we are honored to have Alberta Premium Cask Strength named ’World Whisky of the Year.’ said George Teichroeb, General Manager, Alberta Distillers Limited. “We are incredibly proud of our Alberta Distillers team for creating such a unique and beautiful world-class whisky, and continually pushing the boundaries of what Canadian whisky can be.” 

After sweeping the board in 2020 with a unique 1-2-3, Kentucky distiller the Sazerac Company has to settle for the runner-up spot in 2021 with the “mind-blowing” Stagg Jr Barrel Proof, another bourbon out of the Buffalo Trace stable, boasting a finish of “cocoa, dark liquorice and so much toastiness”. 

But the most eye-catching podium entry of all is Mithuna, from the Paul John distillery in the tiny Indian state of Goa – the first time a South Asian whisky has taken a top-three gong in more than a decade. 

Jim Murray says sampling its sensational chocolate-and-spices complexity is “like after you have just made love…and you are unable to speak or move while your senses get back into some kind of normality”. 

The renowned and influential whisky writer tasted 1,252 new drams for the 2021 edition of the Whisky Bible. 

Speyside veteran Glen Grant takes Scotch Whisky of the Year for its Aged 15 Years Batch Strength 1^st Edition with Jim Murray praising the Moray distillery’s “extraordinary and unique charm”. 

Meanwhile, lowland newbie Annandale – opened only in 2014 – is handed Best 10 Years And Under Single Cask Scotch and hailed as a reason for whisky lovers to not “cling to the lifebuoy of age, tradition and history”. 

Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey is named the inaugural winner of American Blended Whiskey of the Year, but the Kentucky distiller also picks up a further three awards for its bourbon and rye whiskeys. 

Other sectional winners include: Gordon & MacPhail Mr George Centenary Edition Glen Grant 1956 (single cask of the year); Ballantine’s 30 Year Old (Blended Scotch); Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy (Irish); Thomas H Handy Sazerac (American Rye); Nikka Whisky Single Malt Yoichi Apple Brandy Wood Finish (Japanese); PUNI Aura Italian Single Malt (European). 

Editor’s Notes

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2021 contains tasting notes for around 4,500 drams.

Available from 16/9/20 at whiskybible.com, priced £14.99.

INTRODUCING JAMESON CRESTED X EIGHT DEGREES BREWING

Irish Distillers, makers of some of the world’s most enjoyed whiskeys, has joined forces with Eight Degrees Brewing for a unique edition of the beloved Jameson Crested.

Launching this month, Jameson Crested Finished in Black Ball Metric Stout Barrels is the next step in an exciting collaboration between Irish Distillers and its Co. Cork neighbour, Eight Degrees, who last year celebrated eight years of adventurous craft beer brewing by releasing a uniquely dark Black Ball Metric Stout finished in Jameson barrels as the last iteration of their Rack ‘em Up Series.

Always seeking an opportunity to innovate, Jameson returned the compliment by selecting a special whiskey to mature in the stout soaked barrels. The result is a stunning evolution of Jameson Crested, with a rich stout influence married with a luscious creamy texture and lingering finish of pot still spices and malt.

“We were delighted when the opportunity arose to create a truly special whiskey,” explains Irish Distillers’ Blender Dave McCabe.

“When we were selecting a whiskey to mature in these barrels, Jameson Crested became the obvious choice. It’s higher pot still component and sherry cask inclusion allowed the whiskey to meet the impact of the stout head on, creating a balanced reaction.

“We filled the casks in November last year and carefully monitored the whiskey’s progress. After about four months of ageing we felt it was just right.  The stout influence is prevalent in the taste, complementing the whiskey beautifully.

“It’s a truly unique liquid, perfect when enjoyed neat, paired with a craft stout, or as part of a spiced cocktail,” adds McCabe.

Derek Neville, Head Cellarman at Eight Degrees Brewing adds: “It was an honour to be given the opportunity to create our special 8^th anniversary stout using barrels from Jameson, the world’s most popular Irish whiskey. Today we are delighted to have made our mark on Jameson Crested, an icon of Irish whiskey, through the release of this special edition.”

A limited-edition release of fewer than 10,000 bottles globally, Jameson Crested Finished in Black Ball Metric Stout Barrels will launch in Jameson’s brand home outlets at Bow Street, Dublin, and Midleton, Cork, this month, and will be available through Jameson’s online shop at jamesonwhiskey.com, priced at €45 (70cl)[1]. It will also be available to air passengers vising the new Dublin Airport shop in Terminal 2 from mid-October.

Notes: 

Jameson Crested Finished in Black Ball Metric Stout Barrels Tasting Notes, by Dave McCabe, Blender, Midleton Distillery 

Nose: Rich stout influence; malt and vanilla chocolate. Jameson Crested pot still spices and dried fruits. 

Taste: Luscious creamy texture, mild spice, roasted coffee beans and chocolate. 

Finish: Sweet notes fade, pot still spices and malt lingers.

How to Drink:

Enjoy neat to get the best of this liquid or pair with a craft stout (Black Ball Metric Stout the best suiter). For something mixed try:

Eight Degrees Stout & Spiced 

Ingredients: 40ml Crested x Eight Degrees, 100ml Fever Tree Spiced, Orange Ginger Ale, 3 dashes chocolate bitters.

To Make: Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in whiskey, bitters and top with spiced ginger ale. Garnish with an orange wedge. 

About Irish Distillers

Irish Distillers is Ireland’s leading supplier of spirits and wines, and producer of some of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys. Led by Jameson, our brands are driving the global renaissance of Irish whiskey. Jameson is the world’s bestselling Irish whiskey, experiencing 30 years of consecutive growth up to 2019 and hitting sales of 7.6m cases in 2020. Our brands are exported to 130+ markets.

Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son and Cork Distilleries Company. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard, gaining access to unprecedented levels of investment and an extensive global distribution network. Since 2012, we have invested over €400 million to double our production and bottling capacity to meet global demand for our products.

We employ over 600 people across our operations in Cork and Dublin.

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales of €9,182 million in FY19. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has developed through organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard, which owns 16 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry, including: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard’s brands are distributed across 160+ markets and by its own salesforce in 73 markets. The Group’s decentralised organisation empowers its 19,000 employees to be true on-the-ground ambassadors of its vision of “Créateurs de Convivialité.” As reaffirmed by the Group’s three-year strategic plan, “Transform and Accelerate,” deployed in 2018, Pernod Ricard’s strategy focuses on investing in long-term, profitable growth for all stakeholders. The Group remains true to its three founding values: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and a strong sense of ethics. As illustrated by the 2030 roadmap supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “We bring good times from a good place.” In recognition of Pernod Ricard’s strong commitment to sustainable development and responsible consumption, it has received a Gold rating from Ecovadis and is ranked No. 1 in the beverage sector in Vigeo Eiris. Pernod Ricard is also a United Nation’s Global Compact LEAD company.

Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index.

[1] Jameson Crested Finished in Black Ball Metric Stout Barrels will be available for online ordering globally, except US.

Springbank Society Newsletter  September 2020

The Springbank team are back to work!

After over four months closed due to Covid-19,  the distillery has now restarted operations. We have continued to follow Scottish Government guidelines and are taking a cautious approach to reopening to ensure the safety of both our staff and community. We look forward to seeing you all in person soon and shall keep you informed of our plans to restart distillery tours.

This month we have an update on our Virtual Malts festival plans, upcoming releases, a round-up of distillery news, letting you know what has been happening in Campbeltown over the last few months.

Distillery News

Where do we start? As with most of the country we locked down on the 23rd of March, with only a skeleton staff remaining on site to run down the maltings, mashing and distilling (it’s neither safe nor practical to stop our production instantaneously.) After that almost all of our staff were furloughed on 100% wages, with the exception of the Senior Management team and Directors who continued working to ensure the business ticked over and major projects were kept on top of to ensure we would be in the best possible position when lockdown ended – like most of you we didn’t think that would be 4 months later!

From a production point of view, we kept a close eye on the site and even had the condenser on Low wines still 2 replaced (it had begun to spring a few leaks after years of loyal service) and closely monitored the guidance to see when we would return to work, and how we’d do it safely.

We put together a detailed, phased reopening plan that included changes to ways of working, new PPE, Perspex barriers, reducing team sizes where possible and utilising the opportunity for staff to work from home to ensure the safety of our staff. The safety of our staff is always our number one priority, and it isn’t something we compromise under any circumstances.

Staff began to return to work from the 6th of July, ultimately leading up to us resuming full production on the 3rd of August. This has involved the bottling hall being split into 2 shifts and our production teams being 2 person ‘bubbles’ for each shift. Tomorrow (Friday 11th September) is the last day of the year we will be producing whisky at Springbank! We begin the transition up to Glengyle next week where will be working until the end of the year.

It has been great to welcome staff back on site and everyone has done a fantastic job of following the new protocols and procedures. We will continue to monitor and review our safety protocols and look forward to welcoming you all back to the distillery when it is safe and practical to do so.

Sales Team Events

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak, all future sales team events have been suspended.  We will follow government guidelines and hope to be back on the road visiting as many of you as possible soon.

Please remember, the Events Section of the Springbank Website is updated whenever we have new information to share with you all.

Springbank Website – Events Page

Although the sales team have been grounded in Campbeltown for the time being we plan to make good use of the internet to spread the good Springbank word. If there is anything you would like to see from us in the meantime please get in touch.

Springbank sales team coming to your screens soon…

Campbeltown Virtual Malts Festival: 26th – 30th October 

Save the date!

You may have seen from social media that to try and make up for not being able to host our annual Campbeltown Malts Festival we have decided to host a virtual one instead in October.

This will be a 5 day online event with tastings exploring all of our brands: Springbank, Longrow, Hazelburn, Kilkerran and Cadenheads.

Tasting packs will be pre-sold so we can all enjoy a dram together on the day. In addition our annual festival bottlings for sale online. The sales team are putting the festival bottlings through quality control as we speak to ensure the highest standards.

Those who had tickets to the cancelled event in May will be offered the first opportunity to purchase tasting packs and bottles, thereafter Society and Cadenhead Club members and finally the public.

More details for this event will be announced closer to the date.

New Releases – Available from Friday 11th September.

Now that our bottling and despatch operations have resumed, we have a number of releases ready to hit the shelves of your favourite bottle shops.

Springbank 21yo 46%

This year we have selected an exciting mix of bourbon, sherry, port and rum casks to make up our legendary Springbank 21yo.

Nose

There’s a rich, sweetness to this edition, a combination of demerara sugar, treacle, orange rind and smooth milk chocolate.

Palate

Mouth coating and oily in texture with immediate dunnage warehouse and coastal influences coming through. It is lightly peated and less sweet in taste than on the nose, nicely balanced with oaky tannins.

Finish

The finish is long and rich with dried fruit flavours coming to the fore from the port and sherry casks. Raisins followed by roasted coffee beans and a lasting note of bung cloth. A true old-style Springbank dram.

Longrow 18yo 46%

The rich, smokey and complex Longrow 18yo is now ready after enjoying a maturation in bourbon, sherry and rum casks.

Nose

Initially rum soaked strawberries with a delicate aroma of peat smoke. Vibrant scents of pineapple, mango and lemon sherbet follow.

Palate

A lovely burst of sweetness and smoke like marshmallows toasting on peat embers. Rich flavours of sea salt, dark chocolate, raisins, prunes and molasses.

Finish

A pronounced peated malt note, like being inside the kiln after it’s just finished burning. Liquorice and the classic Springbank coastal influence.

And from our friends at Kilkerran Single Malt… 

Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 3  59.7%

The next addition of Kilkerran’s peat in progress is a 80% Bourbon to 20% Sherry maturation and still packs a punch of peat and tropical fruits.

Nose

The nose is bright with notes of citrus and smoked applewood. A true maritime coastal influence and hints of blackened, toasted marshmallow and tropical fruit sweetness. As ever, that familiar dunnage warehouse funk hangs in the background.

Palate

Initially biscuity and buttery, flavours of liquorice and fennel developing later. Sweet, fruity peat smoke gives way to a drier smoky peat, evoking that real, full smoky atmosphere of the working kiln room. An apple strudel note makes its way through and lemon sherbet flavours develop with every sip.

Finish

Long, well integrated peat smoke carries through. It’s remarkably complex throughout with the heavy peat smoke not overpowering. A malty, cereal character and more of a coastal influence coming through in this batch in comparison to previous editions.

All of the above mentioned whiskies will be available from UK and European retailers from Friday 11th September, although it will take longer to reach some destinations due to transit times.

Friday 11th September is also the launch of a Single Cask bottled for the UK market – Longrow 12Y/O Sauternes 56.9%.  Fully matured in a fresh Sauternes cask with 264 bottles available. This will be available from a selection of retailers throughout the UK.

Longrow Sauternes 12Y/O 56.9%

Nose

Cream soda, barley sugar, cinamon, brown bread and chocolate spread.

Palate

Sweet with tropical fruits, apricots, peaches and toasted almonds.

Finish

Finally the Longrow peat smoke comes through in a long and elegant finish with notes of cherry and blackberry.

October Releases 

Springbank 12 cask strength. 

The next edition of our biannual Springbank 12yo cask strength will be available soon. This edition features an array of cask types; Bourbon, sherry, burgundy and port and is already a favorite amongst the sales team

Hazelburn Sherrywood 13yo

Our annual release of sherry matured Hazelburn showcases the very best of Hazelburn in oloroso sherry casks and this year is no exception, available as a 13 year old.

We also have some exciting Kilkerran news; our much anticipated 16yo will be bottled shortly for worldwide distribution.  Please keep an eye on social media for further updates.

You can follow Kilkerran Single Malt on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Slainte,

Springbank Society
The Springbank Team

Please contact Springbank Society society@springbank.scot to join the Society