Buffalo Trace Distillery Releases

Latest Edition of Stagg Jr.

Release is 13th Since Series Started in 2013

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Jan. 16, 2020) Kicking off the new year with a bang, Buffalo Trace Distillery has released the latest iteration in its Stagg Jr. franchise, with a proof of 128.4.  The 13^th release since the series started, this latest offering follows suit for all previous Stagg Jr. releases in that it is uncut, unfiltered, eight years old, and with a taste profile similar to its elder statesman, George T. Stagg.

Tasting notes describe this barrel proof whiskey as having a nose with loads of dark cherries, followed by honey.  On the palate, there are flavors of cream caramel mocha followed by cherries, giving it a full-bodied mouthfeel.  The finish is described as a long finish of toasted oak, dark chocolate, and cinnamon.

Introduced in 2013, Stagg Jr. quickly became a favorite of whiskey reviewers, winning five double gold medals, 12 gold medals, and various other accolades, such as “tried and true,” and “great value,” from competitions such as San Francisco World Spirits Competition, New York World Spirits Competition, World Whiskies Awards, and others.

The Stagg line is named after George T. Stagg is one of the legendary craftsmen of Buffalo Trace Distillery, who was responsible for building the most dominant American distillery of the 19^th century on the banks of the Kentucky River, now known as Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Stagg Jr. is released twice a year. The 128.4 batch is being released to retailers now.  The next release, number 14, will be late spring/early summer.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 35 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon was named World Whiskey of the Year by “Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2018” and its William Larue Weller and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac were named 2^nd and 3^rd finest whiskeys in the world, respectively, in the “Jim Murray Whiskey Bible 2020.”  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 1,000 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.

OLD & RARE FRENCH OAK 18yo
Single Tawny Cask #HH0600

Our oldest ever release of Old & Rare French Oak Tawny Single Cask Single Malt Tasmanian Whisky is now ready for release exclusively to our mailing list members.

Cask number HH0600 was distilled on Valentines Day 2001 and decanted on the 24th of June last year for a maturation of 18 years and four months. This is one of only two remaining French Oak Tawny casks from the “HH” era, the rest having been released years ago. Bottled at 50.1% abv, this cask produced only 356 bottles, of which only 252 are being made available for online sale.

“This incredibly special whisky makes for a fantastic tasting journey from all perspectives, with an Odyssean length of palate to boot. But the real stand-out characteristic is the depth and complexity of that length. Far from being a one trick pony, this whisky is as powerful as a stallion, yet with all the grace of a ballet dancer.”
– Heather Tillott, Head Distiller

TASTING NOTES

NOSE: Gingerbread, grapefruit zest, cinnamon and honey. The oak is powerful but balanced, with an air of antique furniture along with cherry cola and black liquorice.

PALATE: Baked orchard fruits and menthol sit on a base of earthier tones like tobacco, leather, almond and white pepper. Herbal, spicy, floral and nutty all at once, with a beeswax texture that makes you salivate from the first sip.

FINISH: That texture carries notes of treacle, oolong tea and plum pudding for the long haul along with gentle waves of vanilla, candied orange dark chocolate and almonds to ease this mighty oak vessel on its long journey home.

Please Note: Purchase of this release is strictly limited to one bottle per person.

We have also made an update to our shipping system and rates: All domestic parcels will now be shipped via Australia Post Express, and charges will be based on actual shipping costs plus a small handling fee. This change has been made to improve shipping times and to decrease the incidents of lost and damaged packages. If you have any questions about this change, please don’t hesitate to email us!

Click the link below to purchase.

PURCHASE NOW

Saturday, January 25th, 3PM-5PM:

 Scotch Tasting: Laphroaig 

Joins us for a celebration of all things great and peaty at this expert presented in-store tasting, featuring legendary Islay distillery Laphroaig! From 3-5PM, we’ll have new and rare single malt scotches from Laphroaig for all to try, with whisky experts and distillery ambassadors present for all your scotch questions.

Click Here to RSVP

(or email us at info@whiskyshopusa.com)

For a limited time only, get 10% off.

It’s 2020, it’s Rabbie Burn’s Birthday and we’re feeling generous, so we’re offering 10% off Smokehead Original and Smokehead High Voltage in our online store. It won’t be forever though, offer ends 31st January.

(As always – see website for full terms.)

SHOP NOW

ralfy.com discovers Glenturret 10yo again !

https://youtu.be/UCrNAK6a6fo

THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY HOST HAGGIS HUNT IN CELEBRATION OF NEW GLASGOW VENUE 

The Society will place 18 mini haggises around the city centre to mark Burns Night on Saturday 25^th January, in celebration of their new Members’ Room opening on Bath Street in March 2020 

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) are hosting a Glasgow-based haggis hunt on 25^th January (Burns Night) giving the lucky folk who discover the haggises a chance to win annual membership to the Society, SMWS bottles or tasting glasses.

To redeem the prizes, the hunters must take their stuffed haggis into The Good Spirits Co. on 23 Bath Street, Glasgow where they can redeem their coveted SMWS whisky prizes*.

The 18 haggises will be placed on and around Bath Street, where the new SMWS Members Room will open in March, as well as iconic Glasgow landmarks – George Square, Kelvingrove, Glasgow Cathedral, Barrowlands.

SMWS HAGGIS HUNT PRIZES AVAILABLE 

• 1 x Annual Membership to SMWS including Tasting box
• 3 x Annual Memberships to SMWS
• 2 x 70cl SMWS bottle
• 6 x 10cl SMWS bottle
• 6 x set of SMWS Tasting glass

The new venue will open in early March 2020, bringing the Society’s colourful whisky experiences to Glasgow for the first time in a Members’ Room, which follows on from already established SMWS locations in Edinburgh, including their home at The Vaults in Leith.

The Bath Street beautifully renovated location is in the heart of the city, just a few minutes’ walk from Glasgow Queen Street Station, and will be open every week from Tuesday until Sunday exclusively for SMWS members and their guests.

Venue Manager at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Glasgow Members’ Room, Calum Lawson said: “So many of our members are based in and around the wonderful city of Glasgow, so opening a Members’ Room here was the natural move.

“Our haggis hunt is a great way for members and non-members alike to come together and experience the fun of the Society. Who knows, we could have some brand-new members by the end of the weekend.“

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was founded in 1983 through a spirit of friendship – a small group of people who used the discovery of single cask whisky as a reason to get together and enjoy each other’s company. The SMWS now has more than 26,000 members across the world. 

*The prizes are available at The Good Spirits Co, 23 Bath Street until 31^st January 2020. 

Participants must be aged 18 or over to claim a prize. Proof of age will be required on collection of prizes. 

The prize won is randomly selected and cannot be exchanged or transferred. 

The prize cannot be exchanged for cash. 

https://www.smws.com/

f: https://www.facebook.com/thesmwsuk

i: https://www.instagram.com/smws_uk/

t: https://twitter.com/SMWSUK

yt: https://www.youtube.com/user/SMWSsilverscreen/videos

#SMWS 

Notes:

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society 

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 26,000 members and branches around the world
• The SMWS bottles rare single cask, single malt whisky, and a range of other spirits
• The Society bottles single malts, unique single casks and exclusive blends
• The Society has bottled whisky from more than 138 distilleries from Scotland and beyond
• The Society offers a new batch of around 20 single cask, single malt whiskies every month
• The Society offers a variety of membership packages which can be tailored. Please see https://bit.ly/2uqKanT
• For more information about the Society, visit https://bit.ly/2HHiNyC
• Twitter: @SMWSUK Facebook: @thesmwsuk Instagram: @smws_uk

Burns Night with Jim and Dennis

Glen Grant for Burns Night with Jim Murray and Dennis Malcolm

What did you do for Burns Night 2019? Did you spend it in the UK’s tallest building, sipping award-winning drams with arguably the world’s best-known and longest-standing whisky writer, and the master distiller in charge of crafting Scotland’s finest single malt? I did. Yep. Not sure how I’ll top that this year. In the meantime, let’s find out why Glen Grant 18 Year Old could be perfect not just for Burns Night but, to hear Jim Murray tell it, near-on perfect in general.

Glen Grant 18 Year Old – Whisky Bible 97 Points

Two of Whisky Bible‘s most sought-after titles – Scotch Whisky of the Year and Single Malt of the Year (Multiple Casks) – were unified in one single malt whisky in 2019: Glen Grant 18 Year Old. Of which, Jim Murray said the following:

“This is so in tune and well balanced it is impossible to nail what leads and which follows. Instead, one is left mesmerised…” – and that’s just on the nose.

So what sets it apart from the competition? Well, for one thing, consistency.

Dennis Malcolm, Master Distiller at Glen Grant distillery:
I would never put Glen Grant’s reputation on the line with a single cask. They’re a snapshot, whereas I want to make a consistent product. As a result, I don’t nose like Jim does. I don’t have that kind of nose; I’m not looking for that kind of nuance. I know Glen Grant’s profile: fruit, nuts, spice. That’s what I’m looking for.

Jim Murray:
The first fifteen years of drinking whisky, it’s all discovery. It’s like having sex for the first time. It’s amazing. Now it’s like, ‘ah, have I got to do that again?’.

The first thing I do when I taste whisky is look for faults. I probe it for failure. Then I do it again, and again. With the Glen Grant 18, there are none. There’s a purity to it. It’s very elegant. It’s got a lot to do with the wood, I think.

Glen Grant 18 Year Old

Dennis:
When I started at the distillery as an apprentice cooper, I learned a lot about wood. That if you put good spirit in an exceptional cask, you might enhance it. If you put really amazing spirit in a not-so-good cask, you’ll ruin it.

Glen Grant is a vulnerable whisky, because it’s all American oak, primarily ex-bourbon, and primarily second-fill. There’s no sherry in it, and that means there’s nothing to hide behind.

Jim:
Yeah, it’s naked whisky.

I look for the best whisky in the world, and this one is always in the running.

Glen Grant on Burns Night

Jim clearly likes a drop of Glen Grant, then. But would he drink it with his Burns Night supper?

Jim:
Never, ever drink whisky with food. Why on earth would you f**k up a whisky like that by drinking it with food? Drink it before or afterwards, after a black coffee, but never during. That’s what beer and wine are for. The spices in a haggis will destroy a whisky like [Glen Grant 18].

Haggis – anathema to nuance

Well then, that about sees us out, doesn’t it? If you want to ignore Jim and treat yourself to what he believes to be the finest Scotch single malt whisky on the planet, pick up a bottle here. Or if you’d rather follow his advice and pick up an alternative, Billy has waxed lyrical on multiple occasions on the relative suitability of wine, beer, sherry, whisky, gin and more. Our resident Master of Wine and head buyer at The Whisky Exchange, Dawn Davies, has also curated a list of 20-odd drams, any or all of which will see you happily through the evening. Slàinte!

300+ DRAMS AND COUNTING!

The World’s Greatest Whisky Bar is already stocked with more than 300 incredible drams, with even more to be announced.

From a 1947 Glenrothes to a 1980’s Karuizawa, there’s something to stir the soul of any whisky fan – and drams start from just £1! The dram list is constantly growing and will be updated as bottles are confirmed.

View the dram list

We have even more exhibitors confirmed for Whisky Show: Old & Rare, from Limburg regular Magnus Fagerström to highly respected independent bottlers, Gordon & Macphail. See our spectacular exhibitor list below for more info.See the Exhibitor List Show Details

29 February-1 March 2020
11.30am-6.30pm
(last pour 6.10pm)

One Great George Street
London
SW1P 3AA

Book now

Spectacular Gifts at The Whisky Shop

Whether it be a birthday, a wedding, an anniversary or simply to show someone that you care, The Whisky Shop has the perfect whisky gift for you.

Free UK Delivery on orders over £99

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Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie
Scottish Barley Gift Pack

70cl / 50% abv

£52.00

Whisky of the year for 2019 is HERE. Kavalan TWS Virgin Oak Release was the winner.