Bowmore® Unveils 36-Year-Old Dragon Edition, The First Release In A New Chinese Exclusive Series

THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY

CELEBRATES HERITAGE WITH WEEK-LONG FESTIVAL IN EDINBURGH  

‘The Gathering’ encourages SMWS members from all over the globe to make the pilgrimage to their spiritual home at The Vaults, Leith 

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is hosting ‘The Gathering’, a week-long celebration of its Leith origins that will bring members together to discover and share wonderful whisky experiences. The festival is taking place from Monday 2 to Sunday 8 September at The Vaults and other iconic Leith venues.

‘The Gathering’ encapsulates what it means to be a member of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, with a jam-packed week of fun-filled whisky-themed events. Festivities include a fascinating walking tour of Leith’s illustrious whisky history, an exclusive whisky and Leith food pairing, tasting and film screenings at renowned Leith venues, as well as member events in the courtyard of the spiritual home of the Society, The Vaults.

BRINGING MEMBERS TOGETHER WHEREVER THEY ARE IN THE WORLD

The SMWS is now a truly global membership organisation, with members and partner bars across the world. For those who can’t make the journey to Leith, SMWS will share the spirit of The Vaults through an integrated online tasting experience. The Virtual Tasting, hosted by SMWS Master Ambassador John McCheyne, will be screened live from The Vaults to the world via Facebook on Saturday 7 September.

Branches across Europe including Munich, Paris and Stockholm will also be holding The Gathering events at their venues for local members from August 20 to September 21.

CELEBRATING LEITH’S HERITAGE  

The SMWS will celebrate the arts and film that support its unconventional nature with festivities going beyond The Vaults to other iconic Leith venues, with exclusive screenings at the beautiful Leith Theatre, as well as The Biscuit Factory.

The whisky experts have partnered with local producers, including a colourful food pairing with the much-loved Kilted Donuts, who will be pairing five of their sweet and savoury donuts with delicious SMWS whiskies.

Throughout the week, SMWS member and history enthusiast Justine Hazlehurst will be hosting regular walking tours of Leith, getting up close to the area’s intriguing history and whisky heritage.

Jan Damen, Operations Director at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, said: “As a Society, we’re always striving to ensure that our global members feel connected to one another and are able to share their whisky experiences together.

“This is a rare opportunity for our members from all over the world to come together and congregate at The Vaults for a series of unique events. We look forward to welcoming whisky lovers from near and far.”

For details on all the events and to buy tickets, visit: http://bit.ly/2HaaTM6

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 seehttps://bit.ly/2uqKanT
• For more information about the Society, visithttps://bit.ly/2HHiNyC
• Twitter: @SMWSUK Facebook: @thesmwsuk Instagram: @smws_uk

Springbank Society Newsletter:  August 2019 

We’re delighted to say it is time for the next Society Quarterly Newsletter. Throughout this email you will learn about Distillery developments, get the first look at upcoming releases and follow the Sales Team event schedule.

As we approach the end of summer we are busy bottling our core range and our exciting new release of Springbank 15 year old Rum Wood, which we’re sure you are all eager to try. Campbeltown and our distilleries have enjoyed being busy with many summer visitors who we suspect are bringing the good weather.

This month we have details of where our Sales Team will be travelling to over the next few months and a round-up of distillery news, letting you know what has been happening (and what we are planning for the future) at Springbank and Glengyle, in Campbeltown and beyond.

Distillery News

We enjoyed having a variety of scholars on site over 10 weeks to complete the whisky school, with this year being the first to have the ‘blend your own’ Springbank as part of the week long learning. June 3rd saw our first ever ‘Barley to Bottle’ tour guests, which was a great experience for staff and guests alike, and we look forward to welcoming many more over the coming years.

Production has continued at Springbank, with malt floors having to be worked extra carefully as we move into the hottest part of the year and the challenge of keeping the germination temperatures under 20 degrees celsius becomes more difficult. The traditional way of doing things invariably involves a lot of extra work, but it’s definitely worth it.

Mashing and distilling at Springbank has settled down after a few equipment issues earlier in the year. The 1,000th cask of 2019 was filled on the 11th of June and we are on course to fill around 1800 casks this year, which means that progress on the new bonded warehouse is important so that we have somewhere to house them in the coming years. We expect the new warehouse to be completed sometime in 2020 but it has been fascinating to watch the removal of the old ruined walls, the excavation and piling of the ground, and now the foundations going in.

Glengyle continues to wait patiently until we return to production in September, the equipment is receiving some TLC with washbacks one and two due to be replaced in August and the boiler serviced around the same time.

Sales Team Events

We kicked off the summer with our Malts Festival where lots of fun was had by all, especially the Sales Team. I’m sure you are all still thinking about that Springbank Society tasting. We would like to give everyone a massive thank you for joining us at our Malts Festival and we hope to see you next year.

At the beginning of May we welcomed Cara Wilson to the Springbank and Kilkerran Sales Team. Cara is a local girl from the island of Gigha and was part of our whisky school when she was studying at Campbeltown Grammar School. Last summer Cara worked on the Springbank Tours Team before returning to University to complete her degree in International Business Management. We have now enticed Cara back to Campbeltown to join our Sales Team and she is excited to meet all the Springbank and Kilkerran supporters on her trips home and abroad.

Once again we have been travelling far and wide to share the story of Springbank and Kilkerran. David has been across the globe from South Africa to the west coast of the USA. Melanie continued our Kilkerran focused tours in Germany and France where she survived 40 degree weather. Although it was when she returned to sunny Campbeltown Melanie managed to get sunburnt on the golf course. Ronan had many Kilkerran adventures to Seoul, London and finishing on the Cannongate hosting a tasting with the Cadenhead Edinburgh shop. Grant got to the Ayrshire coast for the day.

In the upcoming months you’ll be able to catch us all around the world again.

August:   

25th – 1st: David Allen will be jetting off to China on Kilkerran duty, with further visits to Hong Kong and Macau.

31st: Grant Macpherson will be in at the Spirit of Alba Gin & Whisky Festival in Kirkintilloch with our Kilkerran products.

September:

2nd – 4th: Cara Wilson will be in Amsterdam visiting a few top mixologists with Journalist, Sharon van Lokhorst, along with some Springbank tastings around Amsterdam as well.

6th – 7th: Ranald Watson and Cara Wilson are in Malzfabrik, Berlin presenting Springbank and Kilkerran masterclasses at the beer and whisky festival.

7th: Grant Macpherson will be dramming under the railway arches of ‘the Loco Klub” at Whisky Bristol’s Underground.

14th: Melanie Stanger will be at Oban Whisky Festival with Kilkerran, while Grant Macpherson visits Aberdeen Whisky National.

19th: Melanie Stanger will be holding a Kilkerran tasting at The Clydeside Distillery.

22nd: Melanie Stanger and Cara Wilson will both be in Paris at Salon Dugas whisky show presenting Springbank and Kilkerran.

27th – 29th: Ranald Watson, David Allen, Grant Macpherson and Cara Wilson will be at The Whisky Show in London pouring some Springbank and Kilkerran drams.

October:

5th: Grant Macpherson will be at the Whisky Lounge in York, while David Allen is at the Alhambra Whisky Festival both presenting Kilkerran.

4th – 5th: Cara Wilson will be flying off to Geneva Whisky show to present Kilkerran.

8th – 12th: David Allen will be visiting Denmark for a Springbank tasting tour. While Cara Wilson will be travelling around Belgium for a Kilkerran tasting tour.

11th: Grant Macpherson will be in Kirkcaldy for the evening holding a Springbank and Kilkerran tasting.

12th: Grant Macpherson will be in Dundee at the Whisky Social presenting Kilkerran.

17th: Melanie Stanger will be attending the M&P Festival in Warsaw with Springbank and Kilkerran.

19th: Grant Macpherson will be pouring Springbank and Kilkerran at Wee Dram Fest in Bakewell.

23rd – 25th: Cara Wilson is flying off to Denmark to host a series of Kilkerran tastings.

23rd: Grant Macpherson will be attending the Inverarity121 Wine & Spirits Fair in Glasgow.

25th – 26th: Grant Macpherson is at the Manchester Whisky Lounge for Kilkerran.

28th – 29th: Cara Wilson is in Austria at Vienna’s Bar & Spirits Festival and then will be hosting a Springbank tasting in Innsbruck on Tuesday 29th.

27th – 3rd November:  Melanie Stanger is jetting off to Alberta Canada, holding tastings in Willow park and presenting Springbank and Kilkerran at Calgary Co-op Whisky festival.

November

1st – 3rd: Springbank and Kilkerran will be presented at Whisky Life Prague.

2nd: Grant Macpherson will be showcasing Kilkerran at Nottingham Whisky Lounge.

9th: Grant Macpherson and Donald Brown will be enjoying Glasgow Whisky festival, pouring both Springbank and Kilkerran.

9th – 10th: Cara Wilson and David Allen are in Belgium at Spirits in the Sky with Springbank and Kilkerran stands and a Springbank Masterclass. The rest of the team will be in both Villlngen Whiskymesse and Whisky Live Taipei.

16th: Grant Macpherson will be at Leicester Whisky Festival, whilst Melanie Stanger is at Liverpool Whisky Lounge both presenting Kilkerran.

18th – 22nd: David Allen will be flying to Israel to hold a series of Kilkerran tastings.

22nd – 23rd: Grant Macpherson is in Dublin pouring Kilkerran and Springbank at Whiskey Live. 

22nd – 24th: The team will be presenting Kilkerran and Springbank at Interwhisky in Frankfurt.

28th – 30th: Melanie Stanger and Cara Wilson will be jetting off to Switzerland to join Whiskyschiff in Zurich.

30th: Ranald Watson and Grant Macpherson are at Drambusters in Dumfries pouring Kilkerran and Springbank.

Events taking place further in the future will be included in the next Quarterly Newsletter and, 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

New Releases

As we approach Autumn we have some exciting new releases and a brand new addition to our core range.

September/October  2019 

Springbank 12yo cask strength.

The next addition of our 12yo cask strength series will soon be available.  This batch will depart from the usual sherry dominant maturation recipe, with a greater bourbon influence.

Springbank 15yo Rum Wood. 

An exciting rum matured Springbank bottled at cask strength.  9,000 bottles will be available worldwide.

Kilkerran Peat in Progress – Batch 2. 

The next installment of Kilkerran’s heavily peated series is almost ready to bottle and we can’t wait for you all to try it.

Given the uncertainty of Brexit on 31st October, we are also looking to bring forward a number of our winter releases to ensure we can despatch them to our customers all over the world without delay. These will include an exciting new whisky for our core range; Longrow 21yo! We love it and can’t wait for you to try it too.

There will also be new editions of Springbank Local Barley and Kilkerran 8yo cask strength. Look out for Society alerts and social media updates for more information on when these will be available.

We are sure you will all be anticipating the next Society bottling which is scheduled later this year. We are currently pilfering samples from our warehouses to find something suitable; any special requests?

Kilkerran 

This year we are celebrating Glengyle Distillery’s 15th anniversary after we re-opened it in 2004. To commemorate our achievement this we are releasing a series of 15 year old single casks to a number of selected markets. Some of you may also have seen the 15 year old Kilkerran rum wood which was exclusively sold at our Springbank Distillery and Campbeltown Cadenhead shop.

Glengyle distillery tours are now stand alone and no longer an added extra to our Springbank tours, which has been popular with Kilkerran fans. Further a field our sales team have been busy with Kilkerran tasting tours bringing along past and future releases to share the evolution of Kilkerran.

Social Media

You can follow Springbank on Social Media:

Facebook – Official Springbank Whisky

Twitter – @Springbank1828

Instagram- springbank1828

You can follow Kilkerran Single Malt on Facebook and Instagram too.

Slainte

The Springbank Team

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

PRELUDE: COURAGE & CONVICTION RELEASE
Sunday, September 1st 12pm-6pm
Virginia Distillery Company | Lovingston, Virginia

“Have the courage of your convictions” was the guiding principle of our founder, Dr. George G. Moore. That same passion and dedication has led us to pioneer a new, world-class American Single Malt: Courage & Conviction.

Be the first to experience an early look into this new line with the release of
Prelude: Courage & Conviction on Sunday, September 1st at our Visitors Center in Lovingston, Virginia.  Learn more about the release event HERE.

This whisky will also be available at select Virginia ABC stores during the month of September and in other markets across the U.S. in October.  Can’t make it to the release party?  You can pre-order your bottle now for delivery in October!

Pre-Order Prelude: Courage & Conviction

September is just around the corner, marking the start of a week of festivities at our spiritual home for The Gathering at The Vaults. But until then, let’s enjoy a celebration of flavour, with five tantalising new preview bottles being released today from next month’s Outturn.

Showcasing a range of profiles, and packed full of diverse flavours, a limited number of preview bottles are available ahead of the full release on Friday, 6 September at 9am. Get them now before they’re gone.

ALL BOTTLES      NEW OUTTURN
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

Must-Have Single Malts from the Best Distillery You Don’t Know
“There are few more interesting and important whiskies on the shelf than the wonderful Glengyle Distillery malts.”—David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

Among the best-kept secrets in single malt Scotch, the Kilkerran Campbeltown whiskies from Glengyle distillery are produced in minuscule quantities. Indeed, we’re talking some of the smallest production in all of Scotland, producing only a few months a year. Glengyle also holds the distinction of being one of only two Scottish distilleries to employ the highly traditional, inefficient hand-malting process. The other is Glengyle’s sister distillery, the widely renowned and revered Springbank. In fact, it is Sprinkbank’s team that crafts this exceptional dram.

Despite only being established in 2004, Campbeltown’s first new distillery in some 125 years has thrilled the small cadre of aficionados who have had the good fortune to find these insiders’ gems. With their devotion to Campbeltown tradition, Glengyle makes the Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch No. 1 in a purposeful, old-school profile meant to serve as a window into the history of the region and the expression of a long lost style that’s now basically unheard of in the Highlands. Not to be overlooked, the 8-year and 12-year bottlings are some of the most compelling in their price ranges and offer a spectacular show of stylistic diversity from one distillery, a result of the intense labor that goes into Glengyle’s methods. At pricing that beats the current market rates by a comfortable margin, these incredible whiskies are must-haves for any devotée of pure single malt character.

Kilkerran (Glengyle) 12 Year Old Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($64.99)

Whisky Advocate: “After six Work in Progress releases, Kilkerran from Glengyle Distillery has finally come of age with this core expression. It comprises 70% whisky from first-fill bourbon casks and 30% from sherry casks. Floral on the nose, with honey and a hint of brine, then peaty fruit notes develop. The palate is confident and oily, slightly earthy, with tinned peaches, black pepper, cinnamon, smoke, and a suggestion of medicine chests. The finish is relatively long, with pepper, licorice, and drying oak. (GS, Winter 2016)”

K&L Notes: When the doors opened at the Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery in March of 2004, it became the first new distillery to open in Campbeltown in more than 125 years. Campbeltown, once the center of whisky production for Scotland, had been hit hard over the last century and had dwindled down to two distilleries—Springbank and Glen Scotia. When the SWA threatened to take away the Campbeltown appellation, Springbank was told a region needed at least three distilleries to consider itself a specific locale. The decision was then made to reopen the long-dormant Glengyle distillery located immediately next door to Springbank. Kilkerran is the name that was chosen for the single malt produced at Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery because the name Glengyle is already used for a blended Highland malt and they wished to avoid any possible confusion between the newest single malt to come from the Campbeltown region and a pre-existing blended Highland malt. The flavor of the Kilkerran is a little bit of everything, offering something of a renaissance style that can be described as classically Highland. Very few malts offer so much complexity while remaining absolutely approachable. The quality of this malt is not to be undersold, it truly represents an authentic expression of the old way to make Scotch and delivers more enjoyment than just about any other whisky for your dollar in the shop. A mixture of 70% ex-bourbon barrels and 30% first and second fill sherry butts. A benchmark malt.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 08, 2019

There are few more interesting and important whiskies on the shelf than the wonderful Glengyle Distillery malts. The Kilkerran brand has such an interesting story, basically Springbank’s big middle finger to the SWA for trying to screw them out of a regional designation, but what’s even more interesting than the origin story are the incredible malts themselves. Many of our customers know and love the idiosyncratic malts distilled just down the road at Springbank. The 12 year old Kilkerran is the perfect example of how a slight difference in the process can significantly affect the flavor, texture and character of a whisky. This is essentially a slightly less peated version of the same malt that goes into the classic Springbank. It sees a more modern mashing process and a similar, if slightly cleaner, fermentation in traditional Larch vats. The wash is then distilled on the old Ben Wyvis stills, modified slightly to fit in the stone walls of Glengyle and produce the character of whisky that Mitchell was looking for. Tilted slightly up, the spirit produced here has some oiliness but also a purity that is that isn’t as obvious at Springbank. This is in many ways my perfect malt whisky. The nose billows out of the glass with sweet citrus, mineral/petrol, powerful herbs and deep clean smokiness. On the palate, it’s obviously peated, but not acrid and so wonderfully old school. Chewy texture, lemon balm, lanolin, chalk mineral, salted stone fruit and ocean spray. Tangy, structured, long, salty and satisfying as it finishes- there’s nothing quite like this out on the market this today.

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 28, 2016

This single malt is very easy to drink and enjoy. It is creamy, rich and soft with an interesting complexity. It also has a lively and fresh nuance to it that helps make it an exciting addition to our single malt selection.Very good.

Kilkerran (Glengyle) “Heavily Peated” Batch No. 1 Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($69.99)

The wonderful Kilkerran distillery is one of Scotland’s smallest in terms of production. Like the other J&A Mitchell distillery, Springbank, the malts made the Glengyle distillery are 100% handmalted primarily from local barley and always 100% Scottish barley, making them the only 100% hand malted distilleries in Scotland. The stills were acquired by Glengyle from the old Ben Wyvis distillery, which operated only from 1965 to 1977 and while the hand malting is the hallmark of all the J&A Mitchell’s products, the Kilkerran malts have a distinct character compared to its cousin down the road. This is the first heavily peated (upwards of 45ppm) offering from the small distillery. These small releases are always undervalued when they’re released and coveted once they’re sold out. There isn’t a lot of fanfare around these products because there’s absolutely no marketing budget here, but the real connoisseurs who understand the difference between modern “Scotch” and truly authentic single malt always jump on the special Kilkerran batches. Batch No. 1 of the Heavily Peated series is aged in a mix of 55% ex-bourbon and 45% ex-sherry. Bottled at a heady 118.6 proof, this special whisky is like a window into another time. Heavily peated Highlanders are rare and the only other handmalted one is the Longrow mark made down the road. An absolutely exquisite expression of a long lost style that exemplifies what young Campeltown malt might have been like 100 years ago.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 08, 2019

There are few more satisfying malts than the Kilkerran lineup, and the new Heavily Peated is no exception. This guy is peated up to the level of a Longrow, but trucked down the road to the new old stone distillery. Biggest difference here between Longrow and Kilkerran HP are the mash, fermentation times, still shape, and condensers. Despite the high peat level there’s a restraint that isn’t found in the Longrow products. Perhaps it’s the slightly upturned lyne arms or the quicker fermentation, but the peat is hidden slightly behind a kind of salty earthiness. For the nose, expect subtle salted nuts, kippers, old leather armchair, lightly roasted coffee bean, camphor, and quince. The palate is decidedly more peaty, but this stuff doesn’t start to really speak until you’ve doused it a bit. Now a bit more peat and more camphor, pithy lemon peel, purity, and tension. A feeling of being in a harbor with tugs and fish boats coming and going, the ocean roaring outside the break, the Mull of Kintyre in the distance. On the palate, unctuous and oily, but linear and focused. Big sooty smoke, salted fish, exotic herbs, wild fruit, menthol – analgesic, numbing, and delicious. A fabulous ancient style of whisky that has almost no correlate in the modern whisky world.

Diana Turk | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 13, 2019

This is a Scotch that will put hair on your chest yet still manages to feel balanced. Although I’m not a superfan of peated whisky, I do count Kilkerran among my favorite distilleries, so I was excited to try our new “Heavily Peated” Batch No. 1 Campbeltown Single Malt. I may have initially let out a cough that made me feel like a cartoon dragon and I could have sworn a ring of smoke came out. But with water, this beast is easily tamed. There is an evocative salinity up front, followed by notes of coffee and caramel, tempered by insistent peat. The palate stays earthy and focused, with an extra herbal hit on the finish. This release will satisfy peatheads without overwhelming the senses, although it does conjure up a sense of place more than any other Scotch I’ve tried in recent memory. Plus, Kilkerran is making Scotch the old school way, so you’re essentially drinking history. Well worth the price.

Jackson Lee | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 11, 2019

Sweet, oaky, and peaty, this expression has it all. Salted caramel apple, chocolate truffle, pencil shavings, and preserved kumquats waft from the glass and enthrall your olfactory senses. A literal, mmm escaped my vocal chords when I first put this to my lips; it was like drinking a sexy bbq. Light, exotic wisp of smoke entangles with soft layers of caramel chews and bbq potato chips without the cloying sweetness some can have. A mild sweet mint comes in towards the finish and just leaves you with a warm, pleasant tingling that keeps me coming back.

Kilkerran (Glengyle) 8 Year Old Cask Strength Bourbon Cask Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($79.99)

The powerful and complex cask strength offering from the excellent Glengyle distillery is one of the most multifaceted and authentic malts on the shelf. Aged exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels for 8 years, this wonderful Kilkerran exemplifies the wild diversity this tiny distillery can offer. The reason every other distiller in Scotland doesn’t make whisky this way is efficiency, but also consistency. Each small batch of Kilkerran can have a very distinct style and that’s why we love them. This naked expression of a truly authentic single malt offers even the most developed palate something exciting. It loves water but doesn’t need a ton to find its best balance.

Arran 20 Year Old Highland Laird

Free UK Shipping

This bottling of Arran by Highland Laird is one of the shop’s favourite sherry matured Island whiskies. A favourite of Milroys owner Simo for its ‘big sherried profile’, we were fortunate to find the last remaining bottles to share with you, our favourite whisky collectors and drinkers.

£129.95

Stocks are limited.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 272: Caol Ila 22 Year Old Feis Ile 2019

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, got his hands on the Caol Ila for Feis Ile 2019. He had to wait for it for a little while, but thanks to a Scottish pal he was finally able to get his hands on this Feis Ile 2019 release from his favorite distillery on Islay. Very refreshing to see that they very transparently put on the label that the whisky matured on ‘sherry-treated American Oak casks’. And guess what? Mark says it’s out of this world!

https://youtu.be/r3YQcf27Iwk

Introducing Brora 40-year-old: 200th anniversary limited edition