AUSTRALIAN WHISKY HISTORY IN THE MAKING FOR RURAL BUSHFIRE RELIEF
As part of The Aussie Spirit Auction, we’re making the ultimate ‘Aussie Spirit’. Literally.

The “godfather of Australian whisky” Bill Lark will be guiding the blending and maturation of this very special whisky in Tasmania (stay tuned here for the distillery reveal very soon). 5 barrels – each boasting a different, delicious expression – will be up for grabs.

100% of funds raised from all auction items – including ‘The Aussie Spirit’ whisky – will go to Rural Aid for bushfire and drought relief.

Gather your friends and colleagues and go in together if you have to; this is a once-in-a-lifetime drop. Become a part of history while helping Australians affected by bushfire and drought by vying for this whisky.

The details

New make spirit has been kindly donated to make this whisky by 5Nines Distilling (SA), Archie Rose Distilling Co. (NSW), Belgrove Distillery (TAS), Manly Spirits Co. (NSW), Newcastle Distilling Co. (NSW), Ostra Distillers (VIC), Rochfort Distillery (SA), Sawford Distillery (TAS), Shene Estate & Distillery (TAS), Shipyard Distillery (NSW), SouWester Spirits (WA), Tin Shed Distilling Company/Iniquity (SA) and White Label Distillery (TAS).

Round Oak Barrels have very generously given us the following barrels:
– 1 x 15 gallon (57L) Rum
– 1 x 15 gallon (57L) Honey Spirit/Bourbon
– 1 x 10L ex-Tawny, heavy char
– 10 gallon (42L) Bluebird Distillery Four Grain Bourbon

Plus, Round Oak have also donated a 300L, 60 year old, French Oak, ex-Cognac/VSOP barrel – the jewel in our Auction crown! It came from Angove, makers of the famous St. Agnes brandy, adding yet another layer of significance to the whisky.

How to bid

1. Pre-bidding for 3 of the casks and bidding for the rest is now open online here. Pre-bidding will close before a gala Auction event on the 28th February. In the case of no bids at the event, the highest pre-bidder will become the winner – so bid well! Date And Time. Fri., 28 February 2020. 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm AEDT. Location Dockside Cockle Bay Wharf Balcony Level Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia
2. Live bidding on 3 of whiskies will occur at a gala dinner event in Sydney. Tickets are now available here. This will be your best chance to call one of these unique creations your very own.
3. Should you wish to compete in the live auction, but can’t attend the gala, please email hello@aussiespiritauction.com to discuss options.

Full details and FAQs for those who would like to invest in this whisky can be found here. Please read before bidding.

James B. Beam Distilling Co. Fills 16 Millionth Barrel Since Prohibition

The Archives:
Single Cask, Single Malt Scotches

From the people who brought us whiskybase.com comes Archives. Over the years they have continued to carefully select casks with the highest potential and then left them alone to develop into experiences that need to be shared. Only when the time is right and the whisky ready to drink, do they bottle the cask. Always bottled at cask strength without dilution or added coloring or flavors. We are lucky enough to have a selection of these extraordinary, limited-edition bottles.

Deanston 1997 ~ Age: 21 year
Distilled: 1997 ~ Cask: Bourbon Hogshead
270 bottles made

Nose: Oranges, floral and toffee notes. Ripe pears, honey and a bit of herbal elements.
Taste: A lot of oranges here, some honey
notes, the floral aspect emerges again which leads to toffee. The floral and herbal notes are nicely balanced with the oranges and honey.
Finish: Mid-long finish mostly on oranges, honey with floral/herbal aspects. Other funky elements in here make this a very interesting whisky.
PRICE: $195/btl

Ben Nevis 1998 ~ Age: 21 year
Cask: Bourbon Hogshead
292 bottles made

Nose: Some cereals and caramel to start that quickly lead towards a fresher, fruity side. Pears and apples, develop into tropical fruits where lychee and grapefruits are most dominant.
Taste: Fresh fruity flavors follow through. There is pineapple, lychee and juicy pears. Hints of grapefruit and some mango jump in to complete it all.
Finish: A subtle mid long finish, mostly on ripe pears, pineapple.
PRICE: $210/btl

Caol Ila 2010 ~ Age: 9 year
Cask: Bourbon Hogshead
284 bottles made

Nose: Surprisingly fruity to start with, subtle peat elements. Fresh apples, pears and subtle vanilla. Later, the Islay elements start to speak up, becoming more coastal and peated.
Taste: Fresh fruits, salty, vegetable peat and then obvious coastal influence. However, not an overly peated malt – Can definitely be a good intro to Islay whisky.
Finish: Long finish, sweet ripe pears, some icing sugar. Salty rocks, peat and a very gentle touch of smoke. Complex!
PRICE: $105/btl

Glen Moray 2007 ~ Age: 11 year
Cask: Bourbon Barrel
197 bottles made

Nose: A nice subtle caramel and banana
combination. Fresh green apple skin, on top of stewed apples, a hint of burnt oak. Some milk chocolate to top it off. Lots going on!
Taste: Nice ripe bananas, fresh juicy apples, some honey and vanilla.
Finish: A mid-long finish. Caramel is here again combined with subtle spices.
Hint: use a few drops of water to play with the flavors!
PRICE: $92/btl

The Park Avenue Liquor Shop
270 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
212-685-2442
www.parkaveliquor.com

Big Peat 27 Year Old, The Black Edition

This is the final installment in the series – The Black Edition

Tasting Notes: Allow a heady, chimney-smoked nose to whisky you off to Big Peat’s Islay home, with hints of a briney sea air, chewed leather and a honey sweetness. The refined palate shows a complex amalgam of barbequed meats, coal dust and rock salt, running to a long and satisfying finish with drifting puffs of peat smoke.

ORDER NOW

Introducing Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Rare Side of Scotland

Free UK delivery on all orders over £99 for a limited time

Featuring a beautifully designed bottle this brilliant expression has been crafted with single malt and grain whiskies from across Scotland – including Caol Ila, Benrinnes, Cardhu, Clynelish, and the ghost whisky of Port Dundas.

£215.00

The Famous Grouse overtakes Jack Daniel’s to become Britain’s No.1 Whisky by Value

Sales topped £71m over Christmas

Value grew +2.6% compared to the year previous

No.1 whisky in the No.1 spirits category with total whisky sales larger than both gin and vodka at £393m

The Famous Grouse enjoyed an outstanding Christmas in the UK off-trade, with sales topping £71m – making it the number one whisky in the UK.*

The whisk(e)y category in total was valued at £393 million, larger than both vodka and gin making The Famous Grouse the number one whisky in the number one category this Christmas.*

While The Famous Grouse has a long-standing streak as the UK’s favourite whisky, the brand has returned to No.1 Whisk(e)y by value this Christmas.  The Scotch blend reports +2.6% value growth over the festive period compared to the previous year, in turn, overtaking Jack Daniel’s. The US whiskey had held the top spot in 2018 but saw value drop -9.3%.

The news comes despite the wider blended Scotch category continuing to struggle, with value down -4.1% over Christmas.

Mark Riley, managing director, at Edrington-Beam Suntory UK says: “The Famous Grouse for years has been the UK’s favourite whisky and driving force behind the blended Scotch category, so we are delighted to have reclaimed our number one spot in the UK’s largest spirits category. 

“It’s fantastic to see a Scotch back in the top spot, particularly for The Famous Grouse, where success has been driven by our strong equity, premiumisation and increased demand for smaller bottle sizes.”

Source: Nielsen ScanTrack, Off-Trade Total Coverage, 12wks To 04.01.2020.

NOTES

Edrington-Beam Suntory Distribution UK is one of the UK’s biggest spirits sales, marketing and distribution companies. It is a joint-venture company jointly owned by Edrington and Beam Suntory.

Edrington-Beam Suntory UK represents leading spirit brands in categories including:

Blended Scotch (The Famous Grouse, Naked Grouse and Teacher’s)

Malt whisky (Highland Park, Laphroaig, The Macallan and Ardmore)

Japanese whiskies (Yamazaki, Hibiki, Hakushu, Toki and Chita)

Bourbon (Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek)

Imported whiskies (Canadian Club and Kilbeggan Irish whiskey)

Gin (Roku and Larios)

It also handles UK sales and distribution for Courvoisier cognac, Snow Leopard vodka, Brugal 1888 rum and a portfolio of liqueurs and specialities (including Sourz, Bols liqueurs, Galliano and After Shock).

Springbank Society

Newsflash – Longrow Red 13yo 

We are delighted to confirm that the new Longrow Red 13yo 51.6% will be available from today – Friday 21st February 2020.

The whisky spent 10 years in Bourbon and Sherry casks before spending the next 3 years in Cabernet Sauvingon barrels – sourced from Mont Gras’ Intriga Estate in Alto Maipo, at the foot of the Andes in Chile. There will be approximately 9,000 bottles available worldwide.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Rhubarb and custard, stewed red fruits, blackberries and ginger. Strawberry & cream boiled sweets and notes of barley sugar.

Palate: Barley water, summer berries and red apples. Peat embers, goat’s cheese and black tea.

Finish: Becomes fairly dry with coastal notes and billowing peat. Rosemary and thyme focaccia, leather and tobacco leaves.

This bottling will be available in the UK from Friday 21st February 2020 – please note that the release date in various markets and countries is likely to vary. For details on when the Longrow Red 13yo is available near you please consult your preferred Springbank retailer or visit the “Where to Buy” section of our website to find a Springbank stockist.

• The Campbeltown Cadenhead shop will be selling this bottle for £57.00
• The 10% Society discount can be applied to this bottling.
• This is not a Society exclusive release.

Slainte

Springbank Society
The Springbank Team

To join the Society please contact them at Springbank Society society@springbank.scot

Last Bottles of Laphroaig 30 Year Old
The Ian Hunter Story Book One

We have a handful of Laphroaig 30 Year Old left. Act fast before they’re all snapped up.

Free UK delivery on all orders over £99 for a limited time

Laphroaig 30 Year Old
The Ian Hunter Story Book One

£699.00

Buy Now

Benromach Whisky Tasting
With Michael Urquhart

Browns Covent Garden
7pm-8.30pm
£45
Tickets on sale now.

BOOK NOW

This is your chance to be part of whisky history as we celebrate our Whisky of the Year 2020 winner: Benromach 15 Year Old.

Join us and former Gordon & MacPhail Managing Director, industry legend Michael Urquhart, as he steps out of retirement to host this one-off, exclusive tasting and accept our Whisky of the Year award on behalf of the iconic Speyside distillery that he helped reopen.

This tasting is sure to be one for the books and tickets are limited.

BENROMACH 15 YEAR OLD

Introduced to the Benromach line-up in 2015, this lusciously rich Speyside single malt is a fruity, chocolatey and lightly smoky dram that will delight fans of traditional styles. Matured in a mixture of ex-sherry casks and ex-bourbon casks, with a greater emphasis on sherry than the Benromach 10 Year Old, this is a charming reflection of Speyside both past and present.

THE LINE UP

Benromach Organic
Benromach 10 Year Old
Benromach 15 Year Old
Benromach 2011 8 Year Old Sherry Cask #400 Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange
Benromach Cask Strength Batch 1
Benromach Peat Smoke 2008
Benromach 35 Year Old

Browns Covent Garden
7pm-8.30pm
£45
Tickets on sale now 

BOOK NOW

We’ve been delving into the idea of mood this month and how the right Society whisky can perfectly reflect how you’re feeling at any moment. If the names of these five new bottlings are anything to go by, we think it’s safe to assume that the Tasting Panel were left feeling fantastic by our new mid-month selection!

Head over to the website now and grab one of these vibrant and cheerful casks – guaranteed to brighten your day.

CHECK OUT OUTTURN            SHOP 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