SPRING IS COMING BIG BANG RELEASE 2019 

Hi everyone this is a rather important week for us here at Cadenhead’s London First off we have a small batch range with a nice diverse range of Highland and Speyside single malts plus an additional few extra drams to be found at the end of this long release newsletter.

The release is in 3 stages starting off with the new Small Batch, The latest Rums including 2 from closed Rum distilleries.

Finally we have a special release on Friday from Campbeltown’s Glengyle distillery the new Kilkerran Peated hits the ground running. This Friday 29/3/19 from 11AM to around 8PM we will be opening some sample bottles for you to try.

Check release dates for each range.

We are often asked about the tasting notes and how are they created? First off to get the notes on the back label space is limited so shorter more targeted notes are given to give a guide, imagine how long the bottle would need to be if we used longer notes and have to keep the legally required information on the labels at the same time!

From time to time here in London you will see (LTP) London Tasting Panel this is when our Cadenhead Club or Springbank Society members and try them during our monthly club nights or any customer give us feedback we look at the most common notes then add them to the information on the web shop.

You might notice in the images above some small batch bottles with a single cask label. Those will be some incredible one off limited availability bottles originally bottled for the overseas markets, Such as AN IRISH 12 Years Old or Tomintoul 12 for example. We will delve more into these bottles in another Newsletter

Thats the boring part of the newsletter done now its time to get into the products So lets get into our 25th Small Batch range Released Thursday 10:30AM

NEW WHISKYS

Creations Fruity, Honey, Toffee (Blended Malt) 1991 27 Years Old 43.6% VOL – 70CL

NOSE: Very sweet! golden syrup, dried cranberries, honey.

PALATE: Mangos, pomegranate, papaya.

FINISH: Hints of wood smoke, pineapples, peaches.

This is a Blended Malt Whisky blended together in 2006. This contains whiskies from the following distilleries; AultmoreGlenlivet, Braes of Glenlivet, Bruichladdich, Glen GrantGlenlivet, Glenlivet, Strathisla and Tamdhu

Glen Elgin-Glenlivet 1995 23 Years Old 50.6% VOL – 70CL

NOSE: Toffee shortbread, cardamom, pecans and white chocolate. Honey, sage and fennel.

PALATE: Juicy and syrupy, mangoes, passion fruit, peaches in syrup, maraschino cherries, apricots and lots of thick creamy notes.

FINISH: A syrupy fruit bomb with pouring cream and a hint of ginger snap biscuits.

Glentauchers-Glenlivet 2007 11 Years Old 2007 57.9% VOL – 70CL

NOSE: Warm banana loaf, barley loft, marshmallow sweet.

PALATE: Candy cane, root ginger, apple skins.

FINISH: Hint of mace, white pepper, mandarin.

Aultmore-Glenlivet 2006 12 Years Old 57.4% VOL – 70CL

NOSE: Creamy, fresh spearmint, slight moss.

PALATE: Watermelon, pineapple juice, clotted cream.

FINISH: Lemon and lime, orange bitters, grated nutmeg.

Dailuaine-Glenlivet 2008 10 Years Old 59.8% VOL – 70CL

NOSE: Honeycomb, roasted peanuts, soft brown sugar and creme caramel.

PALATE: Soft grassy notes, caramel, faint allspice. Hints of coconut along with butterscotch and coffee beans.

FINISH: Toffee meringues, faint white pepper, mashed bananas and kiwi fruits.

Benrinnes 1995 23 Years Old 51.1% VOL – 70CL

NOSE: Vanilla pods, hint of dunnage warehouse, fresh fruit salad.

PALATE: Kiwi, candy floss, strawberry yoghurt.

FINISH: Citrus hoppy notes, lemon peel, honeycomb.

Royal Brackla 2006 12 Years Old 57.7% VOL – 70CL

NOSE: Vanilla pods, whole pineapples, caramel with hints of 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.

Craigellachie – Glenlivet 2007 11 Years Old 54% VOL – 70CL

NOSE: Millionaire shortcake, green bananas, muscovado sugar.

PALATE: Paprika, pecans, honey.

FINISH: Dried mixed herbs, pears, star anise.

Strathmill 1991 27 Years Old 51.2% VOL – 70CL

NOSE: Rich and fruity, with chocolate brownies, almonds, coconut and pistachios. Dates, strawberries and green apple skins.

PALATE: Salted caramel, toffee apples with a hint of cloves. Pineapple in syrup, lemon drizzle cake and popping candy.

FINISH: Hints of rhubarb, star anise, cinnamon, fresh ginger and lemongrass.

TORMORE 1988 30 Years Old 47.9% VOL – 70CL

NOSE: Earthy, stewed fruits, caramel.

PALATE: Toffee ice cream, butterscotch, pine nuts.

FINISH: Lemon thyme, gooseberries, lemongrass.

FETTERCAIRN 2007 11 Years Old 56.7% VOL – 70CL

NOSE: Cinnamon buns, caramel and toffee shortbread. Agave syrup, grapes, passion fruit and ginger.

PALATE: Muscovado sugar. Strawberry yoghurt, raisin butter, figs, and peaches.

FINISH: Milk chocolate, faint cayenne pepper, coriander and salted butter.

SPEYSIDE DISTILLERY – Glenlivet 1991 27 Years Old 48.6% VOL – 70CL

NOSE: Focaccia bread, milk chocolate and hazelnut spread, icing sugar.

PALATE: Vine tomatoes, honeycomb, olive oil.

FINISH: Strawberry coulis, ginger ale, clove oil.

GLEN MORAY – Glenlivet 1998 Years Old 20 52.2% VOL – 70CL

NOSE: Lemon bonbons, cocoa powder, hazelnuts and golden syrup.

PALATE: Very syrupy with lime zest, persimmons, bergamot and a hint of liquorice.

FINISH: Long and syrupy with fennel, basil, lemon and growing runny honey finish.

BURNSIDE (™) Blended Malt 1991 27 Years Old 44.8% VOL – 70CL

NOSE: Parma violets, coconut milk, honey and raspberries.

PALATE: Creme brûlée, soft stewed fruits, juicy lime, mango and peaches.

FINISH: Citrus bonbons, hints of granite and then dried fruits grow along with a lingering fruit syrup.

Burnside is a very smooth Speyside Malt made exclusively for Cadenheads who own the BURNSIDE bottled brand hence the (™) after the name. Its named after a former Campbeltown distillery sadly lost to history but revived in name for this rather delicious whisky range.

Port Askaig 10th Anniversary Tasting 

WITH OLIVER CHILTON

Tuesday 23 April 2019

7pm-8.30pm
£50 Spaces limited. Tickets on sale now.

Book now 

The village of Port Askaig is a lasting memory for anyone who has been lucky enough to visit Islay and experience its magic. Though no whisky is made there, it is the gateway to the island and its many distilleries. Since 2009, Elixir Distillers has been sourcing casks of single malt whisky from distilleries across Islay and, when the time is right, bottling them as expressions in the Port Askaig range.

Always non chill filtered. Never artificially coloured. 10 years on, Port Askaig’s releases are loved by whisky drinkers around the world for their honesty and consistently excellent flavour. We invite you to explore Port Askaig’s whisky and sample the latest limited-edition releases, bottled specially for the 10th anniversary of the range. Joining us at this special birthday tasting is Oliver Chilton – the man behind Elixir Distillers’ expert cask selection.

THE LINE-UP 

Port Askaig 8 Year Old
Port Askaig 100 Proof
Port Askaig 10 Year Old (10th anniversary limited edition)
Port Askaig 28 Year Old (New limited-edition release)
Port Askaig 34 Year Old Single Cask
Port Askaig 45 Year Old

OLIVER CHILTON

Oliver Chilton has worked in the whisky industry for most of his adult life. He started in whisky shops, and moved on to being an ambassador and running whisky shows, but he soon fell into selecting, buying and bottling whiskies. He now channels his love of Islay and its spirit into finding great whiskies for Port Askaig and the Elements of Islay.

VENUE

BROWNS COVENT GARDEN

82-84 ST MARTIN’S LN
LONDON
WC2N 4AG

Hunter Laing Authors’ Series

Each Authors’ Series release is dedicated to a particular figure in literature, featuring a photograph or drawing of them on the front label and a paragraph detailing their history on the back. The wax-sealed, decanter-like bottles are presented in a handsome hinged gift box and the whiskies themselves are selected by Andrew Laing as especially rich and complex casks from distilleries across Scotland.

Next day UK delivery available
We ship all over the world

Springbank 1997 Authors’ Series – Oscar Wilde

Intense notes of sherry-maturation are immediately apparent on the nose, with raisins, plums and oranges combing with a wonderful wood polish/old library note. In the mouth we have Christmas cake, dark chocolate, cherries, pepper and a faint hint of smoke, leading into a beautifully dry, smoky finish. This fantastic 21 Year Old has been bottled at 52.9% ABV

£625.00 – Buy Now

Tullibardine 1993 Authors’ Series – William Thackeray

A nose of vanilla custard, apricots, barley sugar and the sweetest of oak. A malty, mouth-filling dram with caramel, apple crumble and a touch of honey, leading into a long, sweet, satisfying finish. Aged 25 years and bottled at 53.3% ABV

£395.00 – Buy Now

Tormore 1998 Authors’ Series – Charles Baudelaire

Honey, apples, toffee and hints of melon on the nose. Slightly waxy on the palate with orange, pineapple and rich malty notes. A long finish with hints of strawberry combining with the sweetest of oak. An exquisite 30 Year Old bottled at 43% ABV

£425.00 – Buy Now

Speyside’s Finest Authors’ Series – Nathaniel Hawthorne

Rich notes of the finest Oloroso sherry maturation on the nose with chocolate, sultanas, raspberries, plums and even coffee. Intense red fruits on the palate with more ripe plums, cherries, hints of liquorice, orange and Jamon Iberico. A long, long finish with the sweetness of the red fruits lingering on the tongue. A stunning 50 Year Old bottled at 50.2% ABV

£2,750.00 – Buy Now

https://youtu.be/aXWdXpWEw5A

 100% sherry matured, Speyside whisky form what is still a small distillery, less than £50 per bottle, natural colour, non-chill filtered and most of the sherry is Pedro Ximinez…TAKE ALL OF MY MONEY! Rachel Barrie has hit it out of the park again! Again, she has brought out a release from a well regarded distillery and not let anybody down in anyway at all. Big sweet nose with a lovely, oak driven, spicy finish to it. Stunning and good value! Cheers!

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival offers visitors a unique opportunity to get hands-on in whisky-making process

Visitors attending the world’s leading Scotch whisky festival are being given a unique and exclusive opportunity to get hands-on with the distilling process. Speyside Distillery is offering just 10 people the chance to work alongside its distillers to produce spirit when it throws open its doors during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

Only two people each day will be invited to join the team at the artisan distillery near Kingussie – home to SPEY from Speyside Distillery and Beinn Dubh single malts – to get an in-depth understanding of its traditional hand-crafted distillation processes.

It will be the first time that the boutique distillery, which has been running since 1990, has allowed anyone other than its team of expert distillers to take a hands-on a role in production.

Speyside Distillery managing director Patricia Dillon said that the team wanted to create a special and unique experience that visitors to the Festival, taking place from May 1 to 6, could enjoy.

The Festival will play host to over 600 events in six days, making it the biggest on record. Thousands of visitors will travel from as far afield as Australia and South America to the annual event, which is now in its 20th year.

Patricia said: “Speyside Distillery is not usually open to the public, but the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is one of the very few times during the year when we open our doors and share our secrets with the outside world.

“What we’ve come to understand from hosting Festival visitors over the years is that, regardless of whether the person is a whisky connoisseur or tasting whisky for the first time, they are all absolutely fascinated by how we make it.

“As an independent artisan producer with a small site in such a beautiful location, we thought we would go one step further than just showing visitors the process and instead invite them to cover part of a shift with our distillers, who have a wealth of knowledge to share.

“Very few – if any – people who visit a distillery will ever be able to say that they helped to produce the spirit that is then matured in warehouses and later released for whisky lovers the world over to buy. This is a truly unique experience.”

Tickets for the hands-on production experience are £140 and include a nosing and tasting of specially-selected award-winning SPEY single malts, including its limited-edition release for this year’s Festival.

With such a limited number of tickets on offer, demand is expected to be high. However, there are other opportunities during the Festival for visitors to get closer to the production experience.

Sandy Hyslop, director of blending at Chivas Brothers, will be staging interactive and competitive sessions at Strathisla Distillery in Keith where participants can pit themselves against the elimination tests that any aspiring whisky blender must pass. There will be a prize for the best blender – a bottle of malt signed by the company’s blending team – at the end of session, which will also offer the opportunity to nose and taste a wide range of interesting samples.

Dr Andrew Forrester, head of whisky science at Murray McDavid, will host an art of blending session at Parkmore Distillery. Using cask samples from the firm’s Coleburn Distillery warehouse, apprentice blenders will have the chance to hone their skills and create their own personalised 30cl bottle of Scotch.

In one of the more unusual events, there will be an opportunity to go behind the scenes at Chivas Brothers’ Technical Centre, located next to Glen Keith Distillery, where a constant watch is kept on production to ensure consistent quality.

During the tour, visitors will gain an understanding of the rigorous testing of raw materials and how spirit produced in Chivas Brothers’ distilleries is then extensively evaluated in order to detect counterfeit products.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival takes place in locations across the region – the spiritual home of Scotland’s whisky industry – from May 1 to 6. Over 600 events are on offer during the six days, including exclusive behind-the-scenes tours, whisky nosing and tasting with industry experts, food pairing as well as outdoor and heritage activities.

The programme is designed to appeal to people of all levels of interest in whisky, from the connoisseurs who have a deep-rooted passion for Scotland’s national drink to those who have never tasted it before. While many events are ticketed, some are free – and it is possible to enjoy the excitement and atmosphere of the Festival without touching a drop.

Tickets for individual events are on sale now at www.spiritofspeyside.com with regular updates on social media: facebook.com/whiskyfestival and  Twitter and Instagram @spirit_speyside

Picture captions:

Speyside Distillery is offering Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival visitors the unique opportunity to get hands-on with production – one of many events during which whisky lovers will be able to get practical production experience.

Sandy Hyslop, master blender at Chivas Brothers.

Be the first to try the brand new balblair range Same pride. Same spirit. New style.

New Balblair Core Collection

Since 2007 Balblair has been bottled in limited edition ‘vintages’, with casks selected by the company’s Master Blender, Stuart Harvey, by year, not by age, but with what he describes as a ‘rolling core’ of whiskies around 10, 20 and 30 years old.

Now Balblair’s owners, Inver House Distillers, is signalling a new era for Balblair now moving away from ‘vintage-only’ and introducing age statement whiskies to the core range.

Balblair is one of the oldest distilleries in the Scottish Highlands known for its premium liquids. Brand Manager Matthew Jamieson says “The whisky isn’t changing. Balblair will always be a single malt Scotch whisky of premium quality, with a true Highland strength of character. We’re immensely proud of our new collection and confident that the flavour profiles, along with super-premium packaging, will reinvigorate Balblair and excite consumers.“

Shop the brand new Balblair Core Collection below…

Balblair 12 Year Old

Matured in American Oak, ex bourbon and double fired American oak casks, bringing elegant complexity and warmth. Each of Balblairs four new expressions have been meticulously hand selected and remain true to their intriguingly complex house-style. In the fine balance of fruit, spice and sweetness, encapsulates the gentle charisma of the Highlands. Elegant and approachable, this is the defining expression of Balblair Distillery, one to which all others refer.⁣

£52.00 – Buy Now

Balblair 15 Year Old

The 15-year-old has been first matured in American oak ex-Bourbon casks, before being transferred into first-fill Spanish oak butts. Tropical and mature, with the texture of melted chocolate and one of the finest finishes a single malt can bring, this stunning whisky calls for quiet admiration. Round and velvety, yet developed and fresh. Smoothed over by time, but with a beating heart.⁣

£80.00 – Buy Now

Balblair 18 Year Old

First left to rest in American oak ex-Bourbon casks, this late-night expression is rich and autumnal, developed and amplified to unexpected heights, while staying perfectly balanced and closely tied to the bright and fruity character of the Distillery.⁣

£125.00 – Buy Now

Friday 26th April

Book your place at our tasting at our Edinburgh store!

Craig and our Edinburgh team of in-house whisky enthusiasts will be pouring drams of these whiskies:

 Usquaebach Reserve
Dalmore 15 Year Old
Old Pulteney 15 Year Old
Loch Fyne Glentauchers 10 Year Old
Caol Ila 7 Year Old

The tasting will take place in our Cockburn Street shop just off Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Tickets will cost £20 

For the first time you’ll be able to book your tasting ticket online! Get your ticket here

Alternatively you can register your interest by dropping into the shop or giving us a call on 0131 226 2134.

We hope to see you there!

All the best,
Craig
Loch Fyne Whiskies, Edinburgh

We know we don’t usually contact you about anything non-Springbank related but we think you will all agree that this is a very special occasion.

We are delighted to be in touch to help announce the release of the Kilkerran Heavily Peated from our friends at Kilkerran Single Malt.

Available Now – Kilkerran Heavily Peated

The Kilkerran Heavily Peated has been matured in 55% Ex-Bourbon casks and 45% Ex-Sherry casks and has been bottled at 59.3% abv.

Nose: Fresh apples, mixed seeds, strawberry laces and confectionary sweets. Smouldering campfire and toasted marshmallows

Palate: Grilled fruits, cooking popcorn, caramelised brown sugar, puff pastry and peppermint creams

Finish: Toasted oats, salted beef, butter, parma ham and crushed vanilla pods.

This bottling is available from today, Friday 29th March 2019, but please note that the release date for different markets and countries can vary. For details on when the Heavily Peated is available near you, please contact your preferred Kilkerran stockist.

The Campbeltown Cadenhead Shop are selling the Heavily Peated for £40.00

As this is not a Springbank product, there is no Society discount.

In-store Pourings

To celebrate the launch of the Heavily Peated there will be in-store pourings in the UK.

Cadenhead’s Edinburgh

Cadenhead’s Campbeltown

Cadenhead’s London

The Green Welly Stop

Valhalla’s Goat

Woodwinters (Bridge of Allan)

TB Watson

Join the teams at any of the above shops to sample the new Kilkerran Heavily Peated today.

You will all receive a more traditional Society email soon, so look out for that!

Thanks for reading

Slainte,

The Kilkerran Sales Team

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

An Amazing Find from a Favorite Ghost Distillery

Port Dundas was one of the most important distilleries in Scotland you’ve never heard of. The distillery was built way back in 1811 and at a high point churned out 39 million liters a year of high-quality grain whisky. Just 1km from Glasgow’s city center, it served as backbone for both the local economy as well as several famous old blends like Johnnie Walker, J&B, Haig and Buchanan’s. But the old distillery could not fend off the insurmountable pressure of modern whisky efficiency and was up demolished in 2011. Along with Cambus and Garnheath, the Port Dundas distillery is one of the few closed Scotch distilleries that we continue to have access to, but we’ve managed to keep the prices of these rare ghost distilleries very low thanks to our good relationships in Scotland. One of the most expressive and complex Single Grain Scotches in our portfolio, offering exceptional depth of fruit and texture in contrast to the more subtle coconut and woodsy qualities of some of its sister casks, this Port Dundas is the perfect whisky to open your eyes and palate to the exciting (and affordable) world of Single Grain Scotch. We’ve strived to offer an array of Single Grain Single Cask Scotch at extremely affordable prices, but the three decades for under $100 benchmark that we’ve worked so hard to deliver seem less and less achievable as uncertainty in the world markets and incredible demand for these special products continues to skyrocket. So take advantage of this incredible value before the United Kingdom dissolves completely!

1990 Port Dundas 28 Year Old “Sovereign” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($99.99)

Built in 1811, Port Dundas grew throughout the 19th and early 20th century by absorbing neighboring producers. It quickly became Scotland’s largest distillery. During its long history on the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal in Glasgow, this grain whisky powerhouse provided much of the juice for the Johnnie Walker and White Horse blended whiskies. With Diageo’s expansion and modernization of Cameronbridge in the early 2000s, production at Port Dundas ceased, and in 2011 the landmark site was completely demolished. That closure makes this 28 year old single grain whisky a veritable piece of history. And at the same time, one of the most affordable ghost distilleries available on the market. Nearly every time we have the opportunity to purchase old grain from Port Dundas at this kind of price, we have to take it. The whisky is too enjoyable to pass up. Just as it’s been a workhorse for blenders for 200 years, it’s a workhorse in nearly every K&L staff member’s whisky collection.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 17, 2019

I often talk about how Single Grain shouldn’t be seen as some type of Single Malt light or an offshoot of bourbon, but should really be treated as a stand-alone category that should be judge on its own merits. That’s why we thought it was so important to offer a diverse selection of well-aged grain at reasonable prices. We’ve managed to amass a collection of nearly ever active grain distillery (save for Girvan) along with several ghost distillers all in the $100 range and absolutely delicious. Anybody who can wrap their brains and palates around the subtle complexities of grain whisky should consider amassing as many of these awesome examples as they can afford, not only for the exquisite learning experience, but simply because we’re not sure when we’ll have this kind of broad access again. This lovely Port Dundas is not the typical thing we get on these grains. Subtle is normally the name of the game, but this Dundas pops right out of the glass with a tinned pineapple, bake apples, toffee and lemon meringue. The oak is very much on the back burner with the vibrant zesty fruit taking over. Touches of savory cereal qualities come in for a growing finish that goes darker and exhibits tiny bits of oak char and vanilla bean. A fun one that’s more expressive than your average grain.

Neal Fischer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 15, 2019

Sugar, spice, and everything… tropical! That’s what this grain whisky is made of. I pick up on aromas of warm brown sugar, clove and cinnamon, along with banana bread, toasted coconut, and candied pineapple. The bready qualities stand out more on the palate with warming spice and some supple leather flavors that stick to the tongue. The light brown sugar and leather notes continue into a long finish with spice that warms up through the end tying together with a menthol flourish. Quite delectable.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 14, 2019

Markedly tropical, this casks displays that special characteristic that whisky can sometimes take on after 25ish+ years. Coconuts and pineapples, it’s one of my favorite hallmarks of old grain. I have no idea how or why the chemistry shakes out so that distillate of a grass mixed with years in a tree creates tropical fruits, but I dig it and I’m glad it does. Of course you also have gobs of the usual suspects, oranges, vanillas, baking spices, but the story of this bottle lies between Capricorn and Cancer. Those sweet tones carry from nose through to the finish.

The Good Dram Show – Episode 306 ‘Murray McDavid’ – Welcome to the latest episode of the show. This weeks see’s the return f the ‘Prodigal Doggy’! Yes, it’s an entire episode devoted to Murray McDavid.

https://youtu.be/DYv_Xh6cvvE