Introducing our latest Hearts and Crafts release

We are delighted to announce the release of our Hearts and Crafts Calvados Single Malt Whisky (55% ABV) – the sixth expression in our annual Hearts and Crafts series.

This series celebrates the Arts & Crafts movement, which flourished in the Cotswolds in the late 19th century and stood for the importance of traditional craftsmanship – the same values upon which the rural distillery was built. This latest expression embodies this spirit, meticulously crafted, thoughtfully matured, and undeniably inspired by the creative soul of the Cotswolds.

For this limited-edition release, our single malt whisky has matured in hand-selected Calvados casks, delivering rich notes of orchard fruits and a gentle, lingering sweetness that beautifully reflects the essence of traditional craftsmanship. A lighter, fruit forward and accessible whisky which is an elegant celebration of subtlety, sweetness and skilled maturation.

This whisky will go on sale for our general release today from 10am (Monday 5th May 2025).

Tasting Notes 

 Nose: Subtle notes of poached pear, baked pastry, and a gentle hint of oak bring warmth and depth to the nose, evoking the aroma of a rustic apple tart straight from the oven.

Palette: Delightfully sweet, this dram opens with pronounced stewed apple and sticky toffee pudding. Hints of vanilla custard and golden sultanas emerge mid-palate, adding softness and richness.

Finish: Clean and balanced, tapering gently into light wood spice with a trace of cinnamon and nutmeg. Lingering flavours of dried apple and sweet malt give it a graceful conclusion without overwhelming the palate.

Hearts and Crafts Calvados Cask Single Malt Whisky ABV: 55% | RRP £100 for a 70cl bottle

Launch of the 7th Annual

Scottish Whisky Awards

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the 7th Annual Scottish Whisky Awards — Scotland’s national celebration of excellence in whisky production.

Over the past six years, the Scottish Whisky Awards have grown to become a benchmark of quality, craftsmanship, and innovation across our world-famous whisky industry. This year, we are proud to continue that tradition, shining a spotlight on the outstanding people, products and places that make Scotch whisky a true global icon.

Whether you are a distillery entering your latest creation, a brand championing tradition with a modern twist, or part of the team behind the scenes, this is your chance to be recognised on Scotland’s biggest Scotch Whisky stage.

Check out our entry guide.

Image © Peter Kwasniewski

Is location important to maturation? We think so. In the quiet coastal village of Ardhasaig, nestled between sea and stone, our island warehouses offer more than just shelter—they shape the best of our whisky.

The Outer Hebridean climate, with its salt-laden winds and shifting seasons help breath life into the spirit which fills every oak cask. Our single malt is matured in first fill ex-Bourbon, ex-Oloroso, and Fino sherry casks, each carefully selected to define the spirit’s character.

The result is a complex, elegant dram that unfolds slowly in the glass and reflects the elemental nature of our island home.

FROM THE ISLAND

Capture the spirit of our Whisky Wanderers Festivals 2025 releases and join us as we embrace adventure and exploration with new casks live this morning.  This year we’re celebrating Scottish whisky festivals differently. You’ll find whiskies you wouldn’t normally expect from certain distilleries or regions with specially selected casks curated to take you on the path less trodden.

EXPLORE THE CASKS

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

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 560: Kilchoman 100% Islay

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries the 14^th Edition already of the Kilchoman 100% Islay. Unlike the other releases of this Ileach, their 100% Islay is a whisky made exclusively from home-grown and peated barley, in this case Publican with 20ppm. And its popularity is proven by the fact that it has been on the market for so long. This is already the 14th edition. The whisky is 9 years old and matured in a combination of bourbon (90%) and Oloroso sherry casks (10%).

https://youtu.be/S2oWGhrUnCc

LOST LANTERN LAUNCHES MONTHLY DISCOVERY CLUB TO SHOWCASE RISING STARS OF AMERICAN WHISKEY

Members-Only Exclusive Bottlings, Insider Access, and More

Vergennes, VT (May 1, 2025)— Lost Lantern, an award-winning independent bottler known for highlighting innovative and noteworthy whiskies from distilleries across the United States, is delighted to announce the launch of the Lost Lantern Discovery Club, a subscription-based monthly whiskey club designed to help whiskey lovers discover emerging stars and hidden gems in American whiskey.

Every month, Discovery Club members will receive a new, never-before-released Lost Lantern bottling from a rising star or lesser-known distillery that is breaking new ground in the whiskey world. Members will experience firsthand the innovation and diversity shaping American whiskey today. These bottles will be exclusive to Discovery Club members and will not be released any other way.

“Our goal with the Discovery Club is to share our journey of exploration with whiskey enthusiasts,” says Adam Polonski, Lost Lantern Co-Founder and Head of Whiskey Sourcing. “I visit every distillery we work with, and I’m constantly discovering exceptional whiskies from innovative distilleries all across the country. The Discovery Club is our way of sharing these whiskies and these stories directly with passionate whiskey drinkers.”

Membership Details:

• Monthly membership is $90 plus shipping
• Signup bottle shipped upon Discovery Club purchase
• Members receive a new 750ml Discovery Club release every month
• Discovery Club releases are exclusively available to members
• Behind-the-scenes stories and insights into featured distilleries
• Invitations to exclusive events, virtual tastings, and conversations with partner distilleries hosted by Adam Polonski
• Early access to all new Lost Lantern releases
• Access to Discovery Club library bottlings

Beginning May 1, visit the Lost Lantern website to sign up for membership. The initial signup bottle and first monthly release will feature whiskies from two of Lost Lantern’s most sought-after partners. The following 12 monthly releases will come from distilleries Lost Lantern has never previously collaborated with, many of which are only available in one or two states. Club releases will span a wide range of American whiskey styles, with about half being bourbons.

Members (limited initially to a maximum of 180 people) will also benefit from flexible account management options, including the ability to add additional bottles from the Lost Lantern shop, delay or skip shipments, or pause and cancel their subscription at any time. The Club will be available to customers in states where Lost Lantern can ship through its website, as well as at the Lost Lantern Tasting Room in Vermont.

The Discovery Club underscores Lost Lantern’s commitment to transparency, quality, and exploration, offering a unique opportunity to explore the breadth of American whiskey’s evolving landscape.

For more information or to sign up, visit HERE .

ABOUT LOST LANTERN

Founded by Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski, Lost Lantern is an award-winning independent bottler of American whiskey based in Vergennes, VT. The brand has been honored as Independent Bottler of the Year at the 2023 Global Icons of Whisky Awards, and founders Nora and Adam were both named to Beverage Information Group’s 40 Under 40 list for 2025 and named to SevenFifty Daily’s 2023 Drinks Innovators of the Year. The company seeks out the most unique and exciting whiskies from across the U.S. and releases them as single casks and blends, always with a deep commitment to transparency. Lost Lantern has now released whiskey from more than three dozen distilleries in over 20 states.

For more information about Lost Lantern, to learn about upcoming, available, and retired whiskies, to visit the tasting room, or to subscribe to Lost Lantern’s newsletter, please visit LostLanternWhiskey.com. Engage with Lost Lantern Whiskey on Instagram and Facebook: @lostlanternwhiskey.

LAPHROAIG ELEMENTS 3 ROADSHOW!

4 venues, 5 incredible drams, 1 iconic brand
and the UK’s number one whisky retailer!

Join The Laphroaig Brand Ambassador this May for an exclusive tasting of The Laphoraig range, in our latest exciting tour at The Whisky Shop. Tickets are £35 and can be redeemed against the purchase of any 70cl bottle of The Laphroaig Elements range and lineup in store on the night.

The Whisky Shop is the exclusive retail launch partner for Laphroaig Elements 3 so to be the first in UK to sample this amazing liquid; pop along to one our events or pick up a bottle online or in store from 9th May.

The evening of all things Laphroaig, which will be hosted by Brand Ambassador Liv Jackson, will feature tastings of not only their new and exciting L3.0, but also a host of other delicious Laphroaig drams including Elements 1 & 2, 10 Year Old Sherry and 18 Year Old.

Starting in Manchester on Wednesday 14th May, Leeds on Friday 16th with Glasgow and Edinburgh the following week on Wednesday (21st) and Thursday (22nd).

These events are incredibly popular with some venues already close to selling out already, so hurry to ensure that you can join these exciting exclusive events in your local area.

BOOK YOUR TICKET TODAY! >

Free Next Day Delivery for 12 Months For just £14.95 you can enjoy free next day delivery on all your orders for a whole year! Geographic restrictions apply, see full T&Cs. Find out more ❯

Iron Gate’s Whisky Auction

Ends Monday!

April 28-May 5, 2025

Only in Canada

Spring has arrived and Iron Gates’ third Spirits Auction of 2025 is in full bloom. Featuring The Macallan Distil Your World: NEW YORK Edition. Only 1000 bottles worldwide. Sharing the sunlight is a hand-filled, single cask Balvenie 30-Year-Old and a 1973 Glenfarclas Family Cask aged 38 Years. Independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail showcases its finest spirits with a 20 Year Old Speymalt and 25-Year-Old Rosebank (silent still).

SHIPPING AVAILABLE ACROSS CANADA

BROWSE THE CATALOGUE

Iron Gate Auctions Operated under license by Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis and Alberta Auction license #352487.

Here we go, not only have we seen actual real-life sunshine this week, but now we have yet another jam-packed selection of drams to peruse in our now live 167th auction!

We have a really great collection of whiskies and more to showcase this month, giving all you lucky people the opportunity to fill up those drinks cabinets in anticipation of yet more sunshine.  Or more likely drinking whisky indoors to avoid the rain but I digress.  With all the great drams available it is always hard to pick out just a few but pick a few we have.

Our first pick is a genuine rarity and bottle of supreme quality this is the Bowmore White 1964 43 Year Old 75cl.  Sitting alongside the coveted ‘Gold’ and ‘Black’ releases, this highly sought after Bowmore was filled into six bourbon casks then laid down to mature in the distillery’s famous No. 1 Vaults. Distilled way back in 1964 this tasty looking morsel was then left to mature for a whopping 43 years in Bourbon casks before finally being unleashed.

Next up we have a really interesting bottle, this is the Glenrothes-Glenlivet 1947 28 Year Old 26 2/3 Fl Oz.  This must be one of the oldest official Glenrothes bottlings kicking about given its’ 1947 vintage, and it is in remarkable condition considering it was bottled about half a century ago.  And not only that but it also achieved a highly respectable 86 points from the lads over at whiskyfun.com.  For the many among us who enjoy older bottlings for the weird and wonderful taste profiles they offer this little gem is surely a must-have.

Next up is a bottle from one of the most prolific indie bottlers out there, this is the SMWS 27.10 Springbank 1965.  Older Springbank bottles from SMWS are incredibly hard to come by given they were mostly happily drank at their time of release which for this bad boy was back in 1987.  Weighing in at a rather hefty 60.9% ABV this whisky packs one hell of a punch, and offers one lucky punter the chance to try some of Campbeltown’s finest the way it used to be made.

Last but most certainly not least is a bottle from another indie heavyweight, this is the Mortlach 1957 Private Collection Gordon & MacPhail.  Founded in 1895, Gordon and MacPhail has been bottling single malt whiskies for 120 years and by the 1950s it held the largest range of bottled malt whiskies in the world.  This deliciously dark dram from The Beast of Dufftown was distilled in 1957 and bottled fifty years later in 2007, so has some serious ageing under its belt.  One of only 514 bottles produced this is a bottle for the serious connoisseur.

If these beauties are a tad out of your price range then fear not for we have an enormous selection of drams to suit every budget on offer this month, so now is the time to delve into this month’s offerings and start building that watchlist.  Best of luck to everyone in the auction, and as always………..don’t lose your bottle.

Dhavall Gandhi redefines Whisky Maturation for India:

 Introducing SOLARES Cask

Visionary Whiskymaker and maturation expert Dhavall Gandhi has revealed a breakthrough whisky cask designed for Indian* climates, in exclusive collaboration with José y Miguel Martín, Spanish cooperage and wine makers.

SOLARES has been designed to help Indian* distilleries scale without compromising on flavour consistency or quality, SOLARES also delivers significant efficiencies to the maturation process – solving one of the whisky industry’s most pressing challenges. 

Challenge & Opportunity

Dhavall Gandhi said: “Whisky maturation has traditionally been shaped by the cooler climates of Scotland and Ireland. But in tropical regions like India, accelerated extraction due to higher temperatures often results in imbalance – and the unreliable quality of available casks frequently leads to batch-to-batch inconsistency. Our SOLARES cask changes that narrative.”

“It’s not just about maturation – it’s about creating the foundation for scalable growth, without compromising on quality or consistency.”

Through proprietary transformation and seasoning techniques, each 225L ex-wine barrique – sourced from Rioja and Ribera del Duero – is precisely adapted to deliver balance, depth, and consistency, redefining the next frontier of tropical whisky maturation. 

Three Distinct Variants 

SOLARES casks are offered in three distinct styles, giving distillers the ability to shape their house character with precision and reliability:

1. DULCE – Rich & sweet.
2. MEDIO – Balanced.
3. SECO – Dry & complex. 

Sustainability, research and testing

SOLARES is not just about innovation – it’s about creating a more sustainable future for whisky production.

By transforming ex-wine casks instead of relying on new oak, SOLARES actively reduces deforestation, minimizes waste, and lowers the carbon footprint of cask production.

At its core, SOLARES is built on circular design:

• Repurposed casks – Eliminate the need for fresh oak harvesting.
• 100% renewable energy – All operations are powered by sustainable sources, resulting in a low environmental impact.

This innovation is backed by years of research and refinement in Puerto de Santa María, Spain. SOLARES casks are now actively used by Indian whisky producers, demonstrating exceptional performance, structural integrity, and cost efficiency in real-world production.

Additionally, SOLARES has been successfully integrated into the maturation of rum, and other tropical spirits, proving its versatility and consistency across categories.

Scalability

Through direct winery partnerships and large-scale sourcing, SOLARES delivers consistent, scalable quality—solving a critical challenge for Indian distilleries: inconsistent supply and variable quality that disrupt production planning and cause batch variability.

Casks are sourced in large batches directly from the wineries, creating a vertically integrated supply chain that ensures reliable, high-quality inventory. These casks undergo transformation within a strict timeframe, resulting in a cleaner, more refined spirit through a rapid, controlled process.

The Visionary Behind SOLARES

Dhavall Gandhi is one of the most sought-after strategic advisors in the world of luxury whisky, trusted by promoter-led businesses, family-owned enterprises, and established whisky houses. With deep expertise in whisky maturation and portfolio architecture, he guides boards and leadership teams in defining the direction, positioning, and long-term vision of their whisky brands.

Formerly the Whiskymaker for The Macallan, Dhavall became the global authority on Sherry casks, transforming The Lakes Distillery with a visionary, Sherry-led house style and groundbreaking production techniques. His advisory firm, DHAVALL GANDHI, is considered the “haute couture” of the whisky world, offering bespoke strategic direction to family-owned businesses, established distilleries, and emerging luxury whisky brands around the world. 

Availability

SOLARES is available exclusively through José y Miguel Martín, S.L. (Spanish coopers and wine makers). For further information, contact Dhavall Gandhi Limited. (solares@dhavallgandhi.com).

LinkedIn: (13) Dhavall Gandhi | LinkedIn

ITG: @dhavall_gandhi

*as well as distilleries located in warmer climates