Wild Turkey Longbranch has won the coveted DOUBLE GOLD at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2020.

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) is one of the most influential awards in the world, and one of the oldest of its kind. Established 20 years ago, the SFWSC is a universally recognised indicator of exceptional quality and craftsmanship. This year’s competition had over 3,000 entries, judged by all 51 members of spirits-industry expert judging panel, including:

● Anthony Dias Blue (Executive Director), author, editor, publisher, and one of the most influential food, wine, and spirits writers and lifestyle personalities in the U.S.A.
● Tony Abou-Ganim (Director of Judging), the Master-Mixologist, one of the leading pioneers of America’s craft cocktail movement.
● Julie Reiner, the renowned bartender who brought New York’s Flatiron Lounge and Clover Club rave reviews and top rankings among the best bars in the world.
● Jeffrey Morgenthaler, of Clyde Common at Portland’s Ace Hotel, named America’s Bartender of the Year and the country’s Best Cocktail and Spirits Writer at the 2016 Spirited Awards.

Quote from Nick Williamson – Campari UK Marketing Director:

“Campari are extremely proud to have been honoured with this year’s 2020 medal for not one but two of our prestige spirits. In these times, one thing we can be sure of is our commitment to quality and craftsmanship”.

WILD TURKEY: Instagram: @wildturkey_uk
Stockists: The Whisky Exchange , Master Of Malt , DrinkSupermarket

Notes

For more information about all the SFWSC 2020 judges please visit the official website

About Wild Turkey

The Distillery for Wild Turkey Bourbon is located in Kentucky, situated on a deep limestone shelf on the Kentucky River. The shelf acts as a natural filter and provides the distillery with crystal clear water, vital to making such a high-quality product. Wild Turkey features the legendary father and son Master Distilling team of Jimmy and Eddie Russell, who have nearly 100 years of collective experience working at the Wild Turkey distillery. The famous Wild Turkey brand name first came about back in 1940 when distillery executive Thomas McCarthey took a few warehouse samples on a Wild Turkey hunting trip with a group of friends. The following year, his friends asked him for “some of that Wild Turkey whiskey” and the brand was born. Wild Turkey is distilled and put into new oak barrels at a much lower ABV than most bourbons. This results in a much richer flavour, as less is cooked out during the production process. Ageing in the highest quality new American oak barrels with the heaviest char available (the Number 4 “alligator” char), imparts a smooth flavour and deep amber colour to the whiskey. The barrels are filled at the distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. For more information: www.wildturkeybourbon.com

ABOUT CAMPARI UK

Campari UK is Campari Group’s subsidiary in the UK market, headquartered in London. A multicultural and dynamic team, Campari UK comprises of more than 50 ‘Camparistas’ from over 10 different nationalities. At the heart of Campari UK are three main portfolio offerings. The first is the Aperitivo Champions portfolio, led by the iconic Italian brands Aperol and Campari. The second is the Urban Disruptors portfolio, featuring distinctive brands like Wray & Nephew Rum, BULLDOG Gin and Magnum Tonic Wine. Finally there is the Prestige Challengers portfolio, including exquisite brands such as Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum, Wild Turkey Bourbon and Grand Marnier. In total, the company is proud to offer an unrivalled portfolio of more than 40 distinctive and desirable premium spirit brands. Visit www.campariuk.com to find out more about the company and range of brands or follow Campari UK on Instagram or Twitter at @CampariGroupUK . Please enjoy our brands responsibly.

Relaxed virtual Milk and Honey tasting

The very relaxed people of the Milk & Honey Distillery in Israel have asked us if they could host a tasting just for the Maltstock community. Of course we said yes!

The tasting will be on Sunday 26 April 15.00 CET. It will be on Facebook, for everyone to join in and learn all about the very interesting things they do at the Milk & Honey Distillery. Tomer Goren will host the tasting, he is the head distiller. We know him as very knowledgeable, passionate and relaxed!

As mentioned, everyone can join in! With or without a relaxed dram. To make it even more enjoyable, the relaxed Milk & Honey people have also sent over 20 tastings sets. These are available at cost (€ 20,- including shipping).  But we only have a very limited amount of these tasting sets available and we would like to give everyone an equal chance of getting one.

How can you get your tasting set?

Well, easy, by simply being relaxed! Send us a picture of you, relaxed, with a Maltstock logo clearly visible. This can be the Maltstock glass, the (virtual) flyer, a polo, whatever, be creative! Post it on our Facebook page with #StayRelaxed.

Please post if before Sunday 19 April midnight CET. On Monday we’ll select the most relaxed photos and contact you for your address. We’ll send out the tasting sets the day after, so they should be with you before the tasting.

So tune in on our Facebook page, Sunday 26 April 15.00 CET and learn all about the very relaxed and interesting Milk & Honey distillery!

Stay healthy, stay relaxed and look after each other!

Annette, Bob, Klaas,Stan, Teun

Our April auction is now LIVE!

Place your bids from Friday 17^th April until Sunday 26^th April at

www.whiskyhammer.co.uk

Every month, we present an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits to our members right across the globe. You will find everything here from limited edition releases and vintage bottles to whole casks of rare whisky. There is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest or enjoy!

Macallan – 35 Year Old (1988) Mizunara

Karuizawa – 35 Year Old (1981) Fazzino

Macallan – 1956

Cask sales – Bunnahabhain (1989), Craigellachie (2008) & MacDuff (2009)

Buffalo Trace (1993) Old Fashioned Copper

3 x Charity bottles to support NHS Grampian during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Selling whisky? Why not arrange the pick-up of your bottles using our global courier service? If you’re based in Scotland, you might want to arrange the personal collection of your bottles. Wherever you’re based in the world, we will make getting your bottles into our monthly auction as simple as possible. Get in touch with the Whisky Hammer team now by dropping them a message at sales@whiskyhammer.co.uk

Built in 1965 Tomintoul Distillery lies in the heart of the stunning Cairngorms National Park, located close to Tomintoul, the highest village in the Highlands of Scotland. Situated in the ancient Glenlivet Estate, the distillery takes its water from the pure, natural Ballantruan Spring, nestled in the Cromdale Hills. The natural environment, high altitude and exclusive use of the Ballantruan water source combine to produce the smooth and well balanced single malt that is Tomintoul, known as “the gentle dram”.

BROWSE OUR FULL TOMINTOUL RANGE HERE

Whisky Sale!

All Bruichladdich & Westland whiskies are %10 off with the corresponding coupon codes

“BRUICHLADDICH” &

“WESTLAND” 

This is a great deal, as it applies to

all whiskies from the related distilleries – not just those featured during the event.

Click below to purchase whiskies:

Bruichladdich

Westland

HOW TO SPEND £1M… AT HOME IN YOUR PYJAMAS

For most of us, online shopping is an everyday occurrence. But when it comes to big spending or making investments, have you ever considered the possibility of spending over £1m in one go, without even leaving your sofa?

From 10-20 April 2020, online whisky auction specialists Whisky Auctioneer will launch the second part of its sale of The Perfect Collection by Mr. Richard Gooding – a library of over 3,900 of the rarest, most coveted, most expensive as well as expansive range of bottles of Scotch Whisky ever to go to public auction.

During the 10-day sale of 1,958 bottles, whisky lovers worldwide will have what may be a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase some very special whisky. Some highlights include:

● The Macallan 1926 Fine & Rare 60 Year Old
● A host of highly sought-after bottles from some of Scotland’s lost distilleries including Dallas Dhu, Glenugie and Killyloch with some bottles dating back as far as 1921
● Glenfiddich 1937 Rare Collection 64 Year Old; with only 61 bottles produced this is a very rare find and is the oldest expression ever to have been released by Glenfiddich
● Glenfiddich 1936 Peter J. Russell – a truly unique example of one of Glenfiddich’s early single malts, bottled in 1969
● Alongside Mr. Gooding’s favourite bottling, Bowmore’s 1964 Black Bowmore, there are many other exceptional examples from the Islay distillery including other 1964 vintages and expressions, including both the Black, White and Gold as well as the Fino, Oloroso and Bourbon cask ‘trilogies’
● Rare Bowmore finds such as the 1967 Largiemeanoch and the 25 Year Old Auld Alliance Chateau Lagrange bottling .

Iain McClune, Founder of Whisky Auctioneer said:

“The Perfect Collection auction is a once in a lifetime opportunity for collectors, investors and whisky lovers to acquire a piece of whisky history. They will find many bottles that have never, or rarely, been seen on the secondary market.

The auction includes the opportunity to purchase The Macallan 1926 Fine & Rare 60 Year Old, a range of highly sought-after bottles from some of Scotland’s lost distilleries, and special Bowmore, The Balvenie and Glenfiddich bottlings – all of which are gold dust for collectors.

With the current situation requiring so many of us to stay at home, the beauty of Whisky Auctioneer, unlike traditional auction houses, is that we bring the opportunity of this magnificent collection of whisky to you wherever you may be. It is so easy to get involved anywhere in the world by bidding from the comfort of your own home on your laptop or phone, with something for all ranges of budgets – from a hundred to over a million pounds – a truly accessible auction for all those who have an interest in whisky.”

To sign up for Part Two of The Perfect Collection by Mr. Richard Gooding and for more information, visit:

www.whiskyauctioneer.com www.whiskyauctioneer.com/perfect-collection-mr-richard-gooding

CLICK HERE FOR THE PERFECT COLLECTION DIGITAL CATALOGUE

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO AUCTION LISTING

Notes 

Since launching in 2013, the Perthshire-based company has made its mark in the realm of whisky auctions by creating an accessible and easy way of buying and selling whisky online. Up until February 2020, Whisky Auctioneer has sold 228,551 lots and in February this year made history during part one of the iconic sale of Mr. Gooding’s Collection when a bottle of The Macallan Valerio Adami fetched over one million dollars, and 1,932 bottles were sold for $4,277,000 (£3,290,000) in total – the most ever at an online only whisky auction.

The Perfect Collection was diligently assembled by late American businessman, Mr. Richard Gooding over almost two decades. Fuelled only by his passion for whisky, it was his mission to collate what has been deemed ‘The Perfect Collection’, with the aim of collecting examples of single malt whisky from every Scottish distillery, whether open or closed. He would regularly fly to Scotland with his private pilot to get his hands on some of the most prized bottles to exist in the whisky world from his favourite distilleries.

The following whiskies are part of the Marquee bottlings from auction two:

● The Macallan 1926 Fine and Rare 60 Year Old 75cl / US Import Est. hammer price: £1,000,000 – £1,200,000
● Glenfiddich 1936 Peter J Russell Est. hammer price: £3,000 – £5,000
● Glenfiddich 1937 Rare Collection 64 Year Old Est. hammer price: £50,000 – £60,000
● The Balvenie 1937 Pure Malt 50 Year Old 75cl / Milroy’s of Soho Est. hammer price: £18,000 – £23,000
● Bowmore 1964 Black Bowmore 29 Year Old 1st Edition Est. hammer price: £12,000 – £17,000
● Bowmore 1967 Largiemeanoch 12 Year Old Est. hammer price: £10,000 – £15,000
● Dallas Dhu 1921 Private Cask 64 Year Old #296 Est. hammer price: £5,000 – £10,000

About Whisky Auctioneer

Whisky Auctioneer specialises in auctioning whisky, whether it be fine, old, rare, collectible or affordable. Formed in 2013 and based in Perth, central Scotland, its website aims to be the most comprehensive available for the buying and selling of whisky. Whisky Auctioneer sources not only Scottish whiskies but also those from distilleries around the world, including America, Japan, Sweden and Ireland. Registering to bid is easy. No matter what whisky you are looking for, whether an old and rare The Macallan, exciting limited Glenmorangie, vintage The Glenlivet, youthful intense Ardbeg, rich and powerful Lagavulin, aggressive Laphroaig, old and unusual Springbank or rare Glenfiddich, it sells whiskies to suit all tastes. The organisation is always on the lookout for those closed distilleries we all wish still existed; Port Ellen, Rosebank, Dallas Dhu, Imperial and Brora to name a few.

For more information visit: www.whiskyauctioneer.com

For more information on The Macallan

A quick update on the shop before we get into the newsletter in full.

​The shop is like many; closed at the moment, however we are still running our business online. We had planned a look back season before any new releases in April, so this is our planned update, but things have changed obviously around the world.

We aim to keep the Scotch flag flying (and other spirits), so we can keep our shop going into its 25th anniversary intact. We can only do this with our amazing customers who have supported our small family business so much over the last 25 years!

We would also like to thank all the frontline workers in these times of crisis, your valuable work saves lives every day and we think it would be appropriate to raise our glasses (at home) to these brave people.

Keep in touch via

Email whisky@whiskytastingroom.com

A little change to our web shop shipping costs with a few reductions during the next few weeks

Please take a look at our current shipping costs

1-2 Bottles (£5.59), 3-4 Bottles (£7.50), 5-6 Bottles (£9.50)

Please be aware that we cannot guarantee next day delivery at this time

SCOTCH 

Does Scotch have a heart you might wonder? If anything, for many of us, whisky has a special place in our heart, just like it has a particular place in Scotland’s geography. Majority of whisky in Scotland can be found in the Highlands, in fact, in the region called Speyside. This is the place of fruity and creamy exquisite malt whiskies, the home of many big shots and smaller distilleries worshipped by many dedicated connoisseurs.

Speyside, the mighty name that decorates many bottles of Scotch, derives its name from the River Spey (Uisge Spè). This stream of life goes across the region and has offered the foundation for many Whisky distilleries and their malty lore. Speyside in general is known for its smooth and fruity flavours, which often surprise its first-time drinkers. “What? I thought all whisky was peaty” Is often heard from the mouths of the beginners who have probably been offered a smoky dram in the early hours of the morning. Then again, for the experienced whisky drinkers and collectors, the flavours of the Highlands and Speyside might generate a notable load of nostalgia. Maybe these flavours were exactly what ignited the spark of their whisky passion in the first place.

But how about the picturesque and almost mythological lands of the Highlands? Sometimes they find themselves in the middle of the eternal squabble between people who debate whether best the whiskies are soft and sweet or smoky and salty. Many of these distilleries in between produce one of the finest and most complex whiskies in the world, with their oily, nutty toffee taste. If you forgot to get that desert in the restaurant, the Highlands will fix your desire of a malty pudding in your own table or as a great gift for a dear person.

These feelings of joy and maybe a bit of nostalgia are exactly what we want to offer for you today. It’s time to jump on that boat and sail down immense hillsides of the Highlands all the way to the River Spey in a quest to feel the taste of the past, the present and the coming days!

Lets first have a distillery profile or two 

Teaninich was founded in 1817 by Hugo Monro on the estate that the distillery is named after.

The distillery does look a little modern the distillery is in a rural location with hills in the background and lots of green open space.

The distillate from Teaninich is usually higher than most, the malted barley is ground down to a fine flour with the use of a Hammer Mill, Several types of Barley can be used allowing a greater spirit yield.

This is a distillery with a greater quality malt that delivers time after time.

Ord Distillery Established 1838 by Thomas Mackenzie in Ross-shire as Glen Oran Distillery, the name Glen Ord was later given to the distillery in 1923                                                   One of the most productive distilleries in Scotland making a consistent great single malt that has a huge following world wide, known as Singleton of Ord in some regions of the world.

The current distillery has grown from just 2 stills in 1966 to 6 with a capacity of around 11.000.000 litres by 2018/19

This distillery had a visitor centre as far back as 1988 some distilleries only started to add such tourist centres fairly recently.

The distillery is just north of Inverness with one of the best microclimates that allows the sweet waters of the highlands to marry perfectly with a slight maritime hint in some single cask releases we have in our current collection, the main feature of the liquid is smooth fruity and superbly rich.

Dailuaine Established 1852 Carron Banffshire 

This distillery was the first to have the now iconic symbol of Scottish distilling the pagoda roof, in 1891 the company Dailuaine-Glenlivet distillery Ltd is founded, by 1898 the distillery merges with Talisker, Imperial & a Grain distillery in Aberdeen (we now see the seeds to something much bigger to come)

Whiskies like Dailuaine are amazing to bring together any quality blend, the reason some blends are still very much to the fore today is because they can reach a balance or consensus if you like on the palate.

As a single malt this shines as a stand out whisky no matter what the age, We have had several 10 – 14 year olds based on taste and quality alone

Benrinnes Established 1826 

A quick history opens in 1826 – Flood destroys the distillery in 1829 – New distillery Lyne of Ruthie is built a few kilometres away – 1896 Fire destroys the distillery, its then rebuilt until 1955 / 1956 when a total rebuild takes place.  Yes we have featured this distillery before for good reason, its a great tasting profile of course, but it was also one of those distilleries that had a unique distilling process, in the case of Benrinnes it was  between 1974 and late 2007 they would do a form of triple distillation.

Glenburgie Established in 1810 as Kilnflat distillery until 1870 when it closed then reopens some 8 years later 1878 as Glenburgie-Glenlivet 

The first official distillate is recored in 1829 at the original distillery, that’s a long gap between establishment and operations but this distillery is like so many unique in many ways including in 2003 the demolition and rebuilding of a new efficient distillery in operation in 2004.

​Its a new distillery in many ways but makes a single malt with its history and quality shining through first and foremost.

THE RANGE 

Teaninich 2008 10 Years Old  – 57.2% VOL  – 70CL – Highlands Single Cask

NOSE: Banana leaves, whole mangoes, brandy butter and faint figs.

TASTE: Thick, lychee, icing sugar, spearmint and fennel. Hints of calvados and dark chocolate.

FINISH: Refreshing with popping candy, watermelon and peaches in syrup

Teaninich 2009 10 Years Old 55.1% Vol – 70CL – Highlands

NOSE: Walnuts, green apples, freshly cut wood.

PALATE: Nuttiness continues with caramelised banana and pinecones.

FINISH: Brown sugar, cinnamon and a slight lemon zest.

Ord 11 YEARS OLD 56.4% – 70CL – Small batch

NOSE: Mint, white chocolate, soft flint notes, whole lemons, cappuccino froth and gooseberries.

PALATE: Lemon infused olive oil, apricots, strawberry yoghurt with a trace of white pepper.

FINISH: Melted milk chocolate, dried orange peel, crystallised ginger and lemon sorbet.

Ord 11 years old – 56.2% – 70cl – Highland single cask whisky

NOSE: Faint hint of Mezcal, gooseberries and key lime pie.

PALATE: Orange bitters, clotted cream with some peaches. Coriander and white chocolate.

FINISH: Growing creaminess with pine needles, icing sugar and almonds

Ord 14 years old – 54.8% – 70CL – Highland single cask whisky

NOSE: Salmon pate and cream cheese. Lemon bonbons and toasted almonds.

PALATE: Shortbread, dried cranberries, honeycomb and melted white chocolate.

FINISH: Soft earth notes hide behind a big dollop of clotted cream and then some red berries.

London Tasting Panel (LTP) Nose: coastal with lots of creamy honey and citrus like notes. Very fresh and alluring. Plate to Finish: Lots rich creamy notes across the whole palate with berries and a cream filled fruit bun!  As this grows on the palate it takes us to a warehouse full of sweet maturing whisky, fresh dried tobbacco leaves and rich vanilla, the palate and finish are finished with some frothy coffee and whipped cream.

Still a nice hint of the coast as we can find in some whiskies from the north east, but never over the top more like summer on the beach

Dailuaine-Glenlivet 2004 14 years old – 46% – 70CL – Speyside small batch

NOSE: Pineapple, gooseberries and quite floral. Orange blossom water and freshly baked scones.

PALATE: Soft butterscotch, lemon and lime along with butter icing and toasted almonds. Hints of cracked black pepper, strawberries and clotted cream.

FINISH: Bigger than expected, with beeswax, spearmint and green tea.

Dailuaine-Glenlivet 2008 10 years old – 60.6% – 70CL – Speyside single cask

NOSE: Hard toffee sweets, rye bread with soft paprika and fresh cut grass.

PALATE: Stem ginger, caramel, vanilla custard and sauvignon blanc.

FINISH: Light and spicy with white pepper, lemon and tarragon.

Dailuaine-Glenlivet 2008 10 Years Old 59.9% – 70CL 3 x HHDs

NOSE: Syrupy fruit salad, cereal notes, butter popcorn.

PALATE: Buttered toast, Mocha and vanilla pods.

FINISH: Cocoa powder, maple syrup the soft wood spice.

Benrinnes 12 Years Old – 57.2% – VOL 70CL – Speyside Region

Nose: Lots of syrupy fruits, spearmint, banana bread and almonds.

Palate: Kiwis, whipped cream, nutmeg, pine needles and lychee.

Finish: Cardamom, brown sugar, juicy fruits, mango, kiwi and cashew nuts.

Benrinnes 2004 14 years old – 55.4% – 70CL – Speyside small batch whisky

NOSE: Buttered raisin toast, barley water, watermelon.

PALATE: Green apples, cucumber water, rhubarb.

FINISH:  Dried herbs, tinned pineapple, honey and lemon.

London Tasting Panel (LTP): Very drinkable rich fruity classic Speyside whisky one that should suit most palates for those who want a simply good honest smooth dram. Soft vanilla and lemon with tropical fruits nice long smooth finish

Glenburgie-Glenlivet 15 years old – 54.0% – 70CL – Speyside small batch whisky

NOSE: Malt loaf, hints of molasses and icing sugar. oily and grassy. Custard creams.

PALATE: Lemon peel, gingerbread, golden syrup and a little aniseed.

FINISH: Soft raisin notes along with ore gingerbread and vanilla ice-cream

GLENROTHES -GLENLIVET 1996 22 YEARS OLD 49.7% VOL SPEYSIDE SMALL BATCH

NOSE: Toffee, hot cross buns and cassia bark. slightly herbal with hints of linseed oil.

PALATE: White chocolate covered raisins, black cherries and golden syrup along with barbecue sauce and pineapple.

FINISH: Soft warming spice along with chocolate, caramel, figs and toffee apples.

Royal Brackla 12 YEARS OLD 57.7% – 70cl – Small batch

NOSE: Vanilla pods, whole pineapples, caramel with hints lime and paprika.

PALATE: Thick chewy mouthfeel with lemon peel, honey, almonds and gooseberries.

FINISH: Hint of spice, heavy cream with lemon, white chocolate and soft orange notes.

Glenrothes-Glenlivet 18 YEARS OLD 51.1% – 70cl – Small batch

NOSE: Honey, lime zest, coconut, cream sponge cake, dill and hints of fennel.

PALATE: Creamy and thick, tangerines, pears in syrup, toffee sauce and condensed milk with fresh rhubarb and pine-nuts.

FINISH: Soft creamy and orangey notes with growing blueberries, pomegranate and traditional lemonade.

Thank you to everyone for your incredible support and understanding throughout this difficult time. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us personally, economically and emotionally. We know you may have questions regarding our auctions and we wanted to address these as best we can in the current circumstances. Please be reassured we will return, and when we do – it will be with the same high quality auction you have come to expect from us.

Q: Why are auctions postponed? 

It’s been asked why we have taken the decision to postpone our auctions as a result of the COVID-19 crisis while other auctions are still running. There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, and above all else is the safety of our team, suppliers and customers. Each and every bottle that is bought and sold undertakes a journey with us. When we receive a bottle it’s booked in and checked by our expert handlers. Every bottle is then individually processed through photography with descriptions before making its way into the auction. Throughout the auction we carry on this process for the following month. At auction end our finance department track payments and process for all of our buyers and sellers. Each order is then passed to our logistics team who process shipping worldwide, liaise with our couriers and packing team who then carefully pack the bottles ready for uplift. This process has ensured over the years that we have the highest quality offering for our customers globally, it’s a team effort to process every single lot that features in our auction. Could this be done from home? Not without comprising the quality of listings, the safety of lots and efficiency of the auction.

Following government advice we absolutely could not ask our team to come into the office to process the auction (as much as they would love to!) to protect them and their families during this difficult time. As much as we love a good dram, and in line with government rules, we simply cannot justify the auction as essential work at this time.

We are always very transparent with our business, we were the first whisky auction site in the UK and the original idea was honestly never really about making money, it was about sharing a passion for whisky with the world, while making auctions accessible for all. That’s why our fees are always the same for everyone, regardless of size or value of collection.
It’s that ethos that has seen our auction grow from hundreds of lots per month to thousands worldwide. We always aim to do the very best for all of our customers, buyers and sellers.

The COVID-19 crisis has put financial pressure on people all over the world, could we be confident going live that transactions would be successful? In a fast changing economic climate a bidder could very well find themselves unable to pay, a seller may not get the price they had expected or indeed may not be paid by the buyer, which makes it a disappointing scenario for everyone. Our extensive courier network are working hard to cope in exceptional circumstances but again, taking capacity from them for non essential services and needs to ship bottles would in our view be the wrong thing to do in the current climate.

Q: When will auctions restart?

We would love to be able to give you a definitive date however we are in the same situation as everyone else, we await government advice as the COVID-19 situation develops. We are simply following government rules that all non-essential business should close and for the reasons above we cannot work from home without compromising the quality of our auction. We are awaiting the review later this week on lockdown measures and if there is any indication of an end date we will be very quick to let everyone know. Our auctions are simply paused, not cancelled. Within days of being advised that it’s safe to return we can have our auction live. Auction 108 will go live as originally planned. All bottles are currently stored in our climate and light controlled secure storage facility. You can rest assured your bottles are safe and fully insured.

We appreciate that this is a difficult time for everyone and we truly hope you understand that by postponing the auction we are not only following Government rules we are putting people before profit, the health and safety of everyone involved has got to come first.

We thank everyone for the hundreds of messages, emails and calls of support throughout this trying time and we sincerely look forward to welcoming you all back to our auctions very soon. It goes without saying that our team are as frustrated as you are, we are passionate about what we do and we hope that you understand our position. We are all in this together.

Wishing you all the best from Glasgow, stay safe and well and we look forward to getting back to normal as quickly as we safely can.

Sincerely

Thomas Gardiner
Scotch Whisky Auctions

Bunnahabhain — meaning ‘mouth of the river’ in Gaelic, stands at the mouth of the Margadale Spring on the shores of the Sound of Islay on the island’s remote North East coast. Founded in 1883, much of the spirit was produced for blending and it wasn’t until 1979 that the standard 12 Year Old Single Malt was released.

Historically Bunnahabhain produced a peated whisky, not unlike many others from Islay. However, since the 1960’s the vast majority has been unpeated. These days, only around 20% of the output is peated, which is primarily used for the heavily peated Toiteach a Dha, and some other limited bottlings, setting it apart from many of the other Islay distilleries.

The large stills produce a light and delicate new make that has traditionally been filled into ex-Sherry casks, adding a sweet fruitiness, and spice. When matured in refill or ex-Bourbon casks, the whiskies display a fresh saltiness, a reflection perhaps of the distillery’s coastal location. It’s this distinctively oily, unpeated style of whisky that has made its name with whisky fans the world over.

BROWSE OUR FULL BUNNAHABHAIN RANGE HERE

 

Smokehead TV is back for episode 2 this Sunday 19th at 5pm – ‘Rock-in cocktails’ featuring friend of Smokehead – Gaz Jones.

Gaz is an ambassador for Coca-Cola Signature mixers – delicious little bottles of delight co-created with top mixologists to mix with premium dark spirits. We’ll be unleashing our High Voltage Smokehead and showing you what drinks harness its electrically smoky appeal. And paying tribute to music tracks that we at Smokehead think capture our upbeat outlier way we like to look at things.

Mikey Sim will be mixing Smokehead cocktails along to the tracks and if it all works out – it’ll be amazing! Grab a bottle and join us this Sunday.

Stay safe, stay indoors, Smokeheads.

SHOP NOW

During this challenging time, £1 from the sale of each bottle purchased from www.smokehead.com will be donated to the Drinks Trust and The Ben to support their mission of providing care and support to our hospitality colleagues.