Bowmore 21 Year Old Platinum Old & Rare

£225 Buy Now

Jura 28 Year Old Platinum Old & Rare

£199 Buy Now

The Loch Fyne Aultmore 10 Year Old

£65 Buy Now

The Spring Edit

While you wouldn’t know it from the weather, Spring has sprung and it’s time to freshen up your home – not forgetting that all important drinks cabinet. At The Whisky Shop we have a huge range of whiskies and spirits to suit every taste, every budget and every occasion!

Next day delivery on UK orders
International shipping

Loch Lomond 18 Year Old Engraved

£88 Buy Now

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Engraved

£50 Buy Now

The Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malt

£5,500 Buy Now

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 23 Year Old

£2,195 Buy Now

Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1989

£550 Buy Now

Taiwanese Treasures  with Kavalan master blender Ian Chang

UNLEASHING THE NEW LOUDER AND BOLDER SMOKEHEAD ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY   

Smokehead Islay Single Malt has always been the wild one of the whisky world, but now it has an even bolder attitude.

As Ian Macleod unveils the new look for Smokehead, the distiller has also revealed an intense new expression which is not for the faint hearted: Smokehead High Voltage.

Commenting on the new expression and bold new look, Iain Weir, Brand Director for Smokehead said: “Smokehead has always challenged the traditional whisky world with its unconventional look and attitude, appealing to the younger and adventurous whisky drinker. We’ve turned up the volume right across the brand. It’s not for everyone, but that’s ok”.

 “And if Smokehead is an assault on your senses, then High Voltage is an all-out attack. Louder, bolder and more intense than getting put in a headlock from an angry roadie.”

The iconic skull logo now plays a much more dominant role on the label and striking gift tin. It takes on a more evocative and free-spirited style, with a rush of smoke blowing through the head to create an element of defiance.

One thing that hasn’t changed though is its bold and award-winning taste which still takes you on a fiery rollercoaster of peat, smoke and spice with a little delicate sweetness thrown in.

Smokehead is a premium whisky, as independent, strong and single minded as the people who drink it.

‘Smokehead’ and ‘Smokehead High Voltage’ are both available through specialists and multiples worldwide. Smokehead RRP £38.99 and High Voltage RRP £54.99.

TASTING NOTES:

‘Smokehead’ (43% ABV) 

• The First Impression: The aroma of something powerful and fiery awaiting you. Thick, heavy woodsmoke. Rich, earthy peat. Extremes of spice and sweetness. Fresh lemon, zesty ginger, rich plum jam.
• The Full-on Flavour: An explosion of breathtaking peppery, peaty heat, soothed by honeyed sweetness, before the smoke comes to the fore again.
• The Finale: Exotic spices and a curious citrus tang of mandarin, both lulling you into a false sense of calm as the peat roars back to hit your senses again.

‘SmokeHead High Voltage’ (58% ABV)

• The First Impression: Breathe it in and feel the rush of spirit hit the senses and the nose prickle. Intense peat and smoke, maritime air, porridge oats, clean vanilla and toffee.
• The Full-on Flavour: A burn of hot spirit and the mouth fills with smoke, feeling almost thick with oiliness before softening and becoming creamier, with nutty, briny and citrus notes.
• The Finale: The mouth is almost in shock, numb and tingling. A sweetness mixes nicely with the slowly fading smoke, leaving a salty tang.

www.smokehead.com

f: www.facebook.com/smokeheadwhisky

i: www.instagram.com/smokeheadwhisky

#smokehead 

NOTES:

About Smokehead:

• Smokehead is an Islay Single Malt Whisky and has been given a bold new look by Ian Macleod Distillers.
• Originally launched in 2006, Smokehead has been labelled the wild one of Single Malt Whisky.
• Award-winning premium whisky that has an attitude-led positioning and heavily peated taste.

About Ian Macleod Distillers:

• Established in 1933, Ian Macleod Distillers is one of Scotland’s leading independent, family-owned distillers, blenders and bottlers.
• Ian MacLeod Distillers is the world’s 10th largest Scotch Whisky company, producing and selling over 15 million bottles of spirits every year.
• Ian Macleod Distillers has built up an enviable portfolio of premium quality spirits and is proud brand proprietor of Glengoyne, Tamdhu, Rosebank and Smokehead Scotch whiskies and Edinburgh Gin to name but a few.

Love is in the air with speed dating at Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

Heritage, travel, education, music, food and drink, socialising – whatever interests you might list on a dating site, you’ll find an event to match during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, including speed dating.

It might not be about romance, but if you adore whisky, a one-to-one with some of Speyside’s most highly esteemed whisky experts could be just the ticket.

Speed Dating: Whisky Blethers is billed as the chance to spend an evening with key industry players and ask them all about the craft that they love and cherish. This is a chance to get up close and personal with the coppersmiths, coopers, stillmen, mashmen, warehousemen and managers that have created the whiskies of Rothes, in a festival first taking place at the distillery town’s Seafield Arms Hotel.

Whisky lovers will have the chance to spend up to 15 minutes with each expert, including Dennis Malcolm, master distiller at Glen Grant and a past winner of the Spirit of Speyside Award winner recognising 50 years’  service to the industry; Alasdair Anderson, current manager at Glenrothes Distillery in Rothes; Alexander Tweedie, who retired as technical support manager for Edrington but still hosts VIP tours at Glenrothes; Allan McDonald, now retired stillman and mashman at Glenrothes and Glen Grant; and Brian Webster, head cooper and Edrington’s Glenrothes cooperage.

While engaged in chat with the experts, a modern Rothes whisky flight featuring a dram of Glenrothes, Glen Grant, Speyburn and Glen Spey, will be served along with a buffet. What’s not to love?

Music and blindfolds will be among the tools used to take festival goers on a journey back in time to discover Speyside’s Lost Whisky Legends. The voyage will uncover the incredible story of the lost distilleries, like Speyside’s Towiemore which was built in 1897 in the parish of Botriphnie, just six miles from Dufftown.

This heritage session will lift the lid on the founder, a forgotten Speyside whisky baron called Peter Dawson, exploring his distilling roots, in a multi-sensory tasting experience with music, blindfolds and tastes from a hand-picked ‘chocolate box’ of Scotch to rediscover the pioneering 19th century era of whisky. Lost Whisky Legends Reborn is being hosted at The Drouthy Cobbler in Elgin on May 6.

In a centuries-old industry, it’s rare to get the chance to meet a distillery founder – but festival goers can do just that at Ballindalloch this year.

Share a drink with members of the Macpherson-Grant family and learn about their venture into traditional whisky making. In 2012, the family began the process of converting an old farm steading on their Estate into a distillery. Spirit ran for the first time in September 2014 and they will share their story during the Founders’ Tour on May 3 at Speyside’s newest distillery.

With distillery host Brian Robinson, guests will see what it means to make whisky without the use of automation in a detailed but relaxed look into the distillery, learning about its whisky making process and finding out why it was awarded Icons of Whisky Craft Producer of the Year 2016 and 2018.

What does a whisky tasting in Dufftown have in common with Star Wars? Think Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and whether an apprentice can surpass the teacher. In this this case, The Whisky Shop Dufftown’s ‘Lady of Drams’ Vicky Keough takes on shop owner Mike Lord, newly appointed Keeper of the Quaich, in a head-to-head whisky tasting. This will be done in front of an audience at St James’ Hall in Dufftown, who are sure to pick up a few good tips and pointers about the drams they will be sampling, before they decide which one is master or mistress of whisky tasting.

There’s nothing unusual about ceilidhs taking place during the festival weekend but the venue for one – on board a train – is a little out of the ordinary. Speyside has its own whisky line, on which a heritage railway links Dufftown and Keith, and the operators are planning a hooley when passengers will enjoy the sounds of lively local ceilidh band Footerin Aboot, along with a dram and shortbread or whisky cake while passing by some great Speyside scenery. The first Ceilidh On A Train return trip departing from Dufftown has completely sold out but there are still some tickets for the final journey on the afternoon of Saturday, May 5.

James Campbell, chairman of Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, says: “This really is the year to make a date with our festival as we’ve got so many unique events in our programme. Hats off to the whisky lovers who came up with a novel take on speed dating, the chance to meet whisky experts and discuss a shared love, over a dram or two of course.

“While some events have already sold out, there is still time to get tickets for others, and the variety and the character of the offering is as diverse as the many different whiskies that are produced in the region’s 50 plus distilleries.”

Tickets are still available for events in this year’s festival, which runs from May 3 to 7. There’s everything from behind-the-scenes tours at internationally renowned distilleries not usually open to the public, whisky tasting masterclasses, whisky and food pairings complemented by outdoor activities and heritage events, meaning the festival offers something for die-hard whisky fans to those who have never tried it before.

For further information and tickets visit www.spiritofspeyside.com. The Festival is also active on social media: facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #dram18

Photographs: Love whisky? Don’t leave it too late – get your skates on and head for the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

On the grounds of Parkmore Distillery, the Murray McDavid Team will be hosting an evening of drams and music, a meal of quality local food and a range of great drink behind the bar. Throughout the evening, there will be a whisky quiz with many prizes to be won, followed by a lively Ceilidh band which will of course mean lots of dancing.

Guests will arrive at Parkmore where they will be greeted by a Murray McDavid cocktail, specially designed in honour of the Spirit of Speyside Festival. Throughout dinner, the Murray McDavid Team will rotate the tables, introducing four of their favourite drams. For those listening carefully, a whisky themed pop quiz will run through the evening with many whisky prizes to be won! Following the evening meal, there will be a lively blend of traditional and modern music which is sure to get the crowds up on their feet.

The Murray McDavid bar will have a range of locally produced drinks available at the bar, including their Aficionado collection.

Festival Bottling: The Murray McDavid special festival release, a single cask bottling, will be available to purchase at this event.

+44 (0) 1452 762 024     events@murray-mcdavid.com    www.murray-mcdavid.com

Compass Box “No Name” Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $170)

$139.99

SKU #1331128

In late 2017, Compass Box released this outstanding limited-edition whisky called “No Name,” a blend of 75.5% Ardbeg, 10.6% Caol Ila, and 13.4% Clynelish with an additional 0.5% French oak-aged Highland malt for extra flavor. We sold through our allocation in a flash, even with the “one bottle limit per customer” dictate slowing things down in the sales queue. Now that the fervor of the Christmas shopping season is over, we managed to consolidate a large chunk of what was left in the States and get it all delivered to K&L. That means no bottle limits, no restrictions, and no risk of running out anytime soon. If you were a fan of the “Flaming Heart” or the “Peat Monster,” this is sort of like a combination of the two. You get the clean, focused, highly peated intensity of Ardbeg, tempered ever so slightly by the roundness of Caol Ila and the oiliness of Clynelish

Ralfy introduces a new whisky bottler with Ralfy Review 722 – Introducing North Star Spirits Indi: bottler

Lux Row Distillers Opens on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail

Bardstown distillery holds grand opening celebration

BARDSTOWN, KY (April 11, 2018) – Nearly two years after breaking ground, today Lux Row Distillers marked its grand opening with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony on its 90-acre property in the heart of Bardstown, Kentucky.

Joined by Dick Heaton, the mayor of Bardstown, and a crowd of community supporters, the Lux family commemorated this momentous occasion by cutting the ribbon on the 18,000-square-foot state-of-the-art distillery. The distillery, which began bourbon production in January, officially opens to the public on April 12, 2018.

“Today marks a great celebration and momentous occasion in the evolution of Luxco. It gives me great pride to be here to cut the ribbon as we embark on this new chapter of distilling our own whiskey for our award-winning brands,” says Donn Lux, chairman and CEO of Luxco. “We further extend our sincerest thanks to the city of Bardstown and the bourbon community for welcoming our family into theirs. We are looking forward to making world-class bourbon here for many years.”

Lux Row Distillers proudly produces nationally-recognized, award-winning Kentucky straight bourbon brands, including Ezra Brooks, Rebel Yell, David Nicholson and Blood Oath. The distillery has a current production capacity of 20,000 barrels with the ability to increase to 50,000 barrels in the future. John Rempe, a 20-year veteran of the spirits industry and creator of Blood Oath Bourbon, is the head distiller at Lux Row Distillers.

“With the opening of Lux Row Distillers, the future of our bourbon brands is in our hands – and it’s an incredible feeling,” says John Rempe, head distiller. “I am eager to continue the tradition of our long-standing brands, as well as flexing our creativity with new flavor profiles – continuing to provide our customers with the best bourbon in the world. We have already filled more than 2,200 barrels and we are looking forward to filling thousands more.”

Lux Row Distillers also recently joined the Kentucky Distillers’ Association as a “Heritage” member, the highest level in the non-profit group that unites and leads the state’s signature bourbon and distilled spirits industry.

The distillery’s new address is 1 Lux Row (same location, previously 3050 E. John Rowan Blvd). Lux Row Distillers is now open Wednesday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sunday from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. Tours, offered at the top of every hour, are $12 and include a 45-minute walking tour of the site and an educational tasting seminar in the distillery’s Tasting Room, where guests enjoy Lux Row Distillers’ award-winning bourbons and learn about their storied history. A retail shopping experience featuring the bourbon brands and other branded merchandise is available in the visitor center. To book a tour, call 502-337-7420 or visit luxrowdistillers.com.

Journey to Opening

In May 2016, the Lux family announced plans to build a distillery in the heart of Bourbon Country and broke ground on construction. That September, the distillery name was announced to the public – Lux Row Distillers is a nod to the family name and the scenic row of trees lining the property’s entrance. In March 2017, the distillery’s 36-inch Vendome all-copper still was installed, and in early 2018 bourbon production began. Now, with more than 2,200 barrels already resting comfortably in its 20,000-square-foot barrel warehouse, Lux Row Distillers is ready to welcome the public for tours, tastings and retail shopping. 

ABOUT LUX ROW DISTILLERS

Real roots, real family, real products: Lux Row Distillers – a new bourbon distillery experience on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail – is a family-owned venture, bringing the Lux family history and spirits tradition to the bourbon industry. Lux Row Distillers is the home of Luxco’s bourbon brands, including Rebel Yell, Blood Oath, David Nicholson and Ezra Brooks Kentucky Straight Bourbons.

Located in the heart of Bardstown, Kentucky, the 18,000-square foot Lux Row Distillers includes a visitor center, barrel warehouses, a tasting room, and event space, making for an all-encompassing bourbon experience. The 90-acre property is home to an 18^th century stone house – which is registered as a National Historic Place – and a long, tree-lined driveway providing a scenic entrance to the distillery.

For more information about the distillery, visit www.luxrowdistillers.com. You can also like Lux Row Distillers on Facebook at www.facebook.com/luxrowdistillers or follow the distillery on Instagram @luxrowdistillers.

Bunnahabhain 1988

A distillery from the idyllic island of Islay, Bunnahabhain bucks the trend of the heavily peated offerings of the region. Instead maritime notes dominate with gentle salinity. This is an excellent example of a well aged Bunnahabhain bottled by Carn Mor. The 1988 vintage has some legendary bottlings we have seen, this is no different. Bottled at an impressive 59.9%, thankfully the angels were not too greedy on this one…

Web Exclusive Price of £279.95

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