Gift The Macallan this festive season

One of the great joys of whisky is sharing it with friends and family. So whether you’re looking to enjoy a bottle with loved ones during the festive season or choosing a gift for someone special, you can find a selection of different whiskies to suit your taste, direct from The Macallan online shop.

Order by 17th December for guaranteed delivery to Europe before Christmas.

SHOP THE MACALLAN

Full details of our shipping countries and pre-Christmas delivery dates can be found here.

KWM Whisky Advent Day 14 – Writers Tears Copper Pot

Today’s is the first whisk(e)y in the 2017 edition of the Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendar not to be from a single distillery. For Day 14 of Advent, we are delving into our second Irish whiskey, but a more traditional one than the first. The Writers Tears Copper Pot is a blended Irish whiskey, composed of 60% pot still and 40% malt. There is a lot to unpack here, but before we go any further let’s quickly discuss the Irish spelling of the word whisk(e)y. The Irish, along with the Americans, are the only people in the world to employ an “e” in the spelling of whisk(e)y. The difference relates to Anglicizations of uisge beatha Scots Gaelic and usice beatha Irish Gaelic for “water of life”.

Single Pot Still, formerly, Pure Pot Still, is the most Irish of whiskey styles. The first whiskies in Ireland and Scotland were made from malted barley, essentially distilled beer. Unlike corn or wheat, barley has enzymes which can convert insoluble starches in the grain into fermentable sugars. Barley is also a hardy grain, so it is ideal for storing in cool, wet climates like Scotland and Ireland. Scottish and Irish whisk(e)y production in the 1700s did not escape the eyes of the government in London. Westminster sought to curb excessive drinking and tax its production. One way of doing this was by taxing malted barley by the ton. Although the alcohol yield per ton of barley can vary by strain and by harvest, taxmen could estimate the amount of whisky that would result from a given ton of barley. They could also estimate a distillery’s production for the purposes of taxation.

Over the course of the 18^th Century the British imposed a series of “punishing malt taxes”. No one knows when or where the practice began, but Irish distillers began using a blend of malted and unmalted barley in their mashes as a way of avoiding or reducing their exposure to the “hated malt tax”. As is common in Canadian and American whiskies made principally from corn, you only need a small quantity of malted barley in the mash bill, 10-15%, for an efficient fermentation. So Irish distillers began making whiskey from a small amount of malted barley, and a greater amount of unmalted barley, or green malt. A uniquely Irish style of whiskey, Pure Pot Still, was born. In 2010 the style which had at least two other common names was legally re-categorized as Single Pot Still Whiskey.

Due to the Irish whiskey industry’s contraction, all Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey available today comes from the New Middleton Distillery in Cork. Some Single Pot Still Whiskey is bottled pure, under labels like: Red Breast, Powers, Green Spot, Writer’s Tears and Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy. But as with the bulk of single malt whisky production in Scotland, most pot still whiskey is produced for Blended whiskey. Many other distilleries in Ireland are making Single Pot Still whiskey, but none of them have yet produced whiskies old enough to bottle. Curiously Shelter Point on Vancouver Island has produced the closest thing we know of to Irish single pot still whisk(e)y, the Shelter Point Single Grain Montfort Lot 141.

Writers Tears is produced by Walsh Whiskey, which opened their own distillery in June of 2016 at Royal Oak, County Carlow. It is the first distillery to be built in this region of Ireland in over 200 years. The distillery was founded by Bernard and Rosemary Walsh, who started the Hot Irishman in 1999 to blend and bottle the perfect Irish Coffee. In 2007 the branched into whiskey with “The Irishman”, releasing “Writers Tears” for the first time a few years later.

Writer’s Tears Copper Pot – 40% – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: doughy with loads of cooked apple, white chocolate Hershey’s kisses, a touch of juicy malt and fresh almond croissants; a touch of that distinct, dusty but oily pot still note. Palate: round, oily and coating; more cooked apple, under-cooked pie crust and dewy flowers; steely, a bright copper note and citrus; more white chocolate and light coloured Jujubes. Finish: more white chocolate, almond croissants and Jujubes; light but lasting and fresh. Comment: this is not mind-blowingly complex, but it is dangerously drinkable, especially on a hot day!” – $52 for a 700ml or $7 for a 50ml

Benromach Distillery team expands as global popularity soars

Assistant distillery manager joins historic Speyside team 

Benromach Distillery has added to its team with the appointment of an assistant distillery manager.

As popularity for the traditional Speyside malt continues to grow across the globe, Benromach today (6 December 2017) announced that Jessica Haworth has started work at the historic Forres distillery.

Jessica Haworth, (31) has lived in Forres for the past four years and is originally from Colchester. She studied Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh before moving to Crisp Malting Group and later Diageo, where she gained knowledge and experience in both the operational and technical aspects of the malting and distilling processes.

Jessica will be responsible for daily distillery management and operations while also supporting the team in the delivery of new and innovative projects for which Benromach is famed.

Keith Cruickshank, Benromach Distillery Manager, said: “Jessica’s appointment is a significant step forward and opens another new chapter in Benromach history. She joins us with considerable knowledge and expertise and will be an invaluable member of the team.

“Over the last 18 months, we’ve enjoyed considerable growth and, as the popularity of our award-winning whisky continues to grow, we have significantly expanded production to meet the international appetite for our whiskies.

“Ours is an industry that requires carefully forward planning and patience so the spirit that Jessica lays down today will not be bottled and tasted by our consumers for at least ten years or more.”

Jessica, who has worked in the whisky industry for eight years, added: “I was attracted to the role at Benromach as I have long admired the distillery’s commitment to the handcrafted techniques and time honoured methods that have been handed down through the generations. I love being hands on and I am already enjoying learning about the true and traditional Benromach way.

“The distillery has enjoyed an award winning year to date and I look forward to supporting its continued success.”

The Urquhart family revived Benromach Distillery, restarting production in 1998 after a five-year extensive refurbishment. The family decided to create a traditional single malt in a style that draws its influence from pre-1960s Speyside whiskies.

Sales of whisky from Benromach Distillery increased by 27% following an increased investment in marketing and brand building across the world.

For more information about the distillery, the range and the visitor centre, please visit www.benromach.com.

Notes

Originally built in 1898, Benromach Distillery was brought back to life when the Urquhart family purchased it in 1993. The distillery was extensively re-equipped over a five-year period before it was officially opened by HRH Prince Charles in 1998.

In reopening Benromach Distillery, the Urquharts decided to create a classic Speyside single malt – a style that draws its influence from Speyside whiskies pre-1960s.

Benromach Distillery is located on the outskirts of the ancient market town of Forres. A four-star visitor centre is open to the public throughout the year for tours and tastings. Benromach Distillery is a member of the world-famous malt whisky trail.

Cotswolds Distillery appoints Richard Watling to its Board

Industry veteran to serve as Director of Sales & Marketing Strategy

The Cotswolds Distillery today announces the appointment of Wine & Spirits industry veteran Richard Watling to its Board of Directors. Watling will serve as Director of Sales & Marketing Strategy, helping the award-winning young distillery continue its growth in both national and international markets.

The Cotswolds Distillery began production on its idyllic North Cotswolds site in September 2014 and its ‘outstanding natural spirits’ are now on sale in over 30 countries. It’s self-titled Single Malt Whisky was launched in October 2017 and is the first ever whisky to be created in the region. The distillery is also home to the globally acclaimed Cotswolds Dry Gin.

Richard Watling’s career in the spirits industry spans more than 25 years. He ran International Marketing for Hiram Walker, after which he become Marketing Director of Allied Distillers. Watling later worked with International Distillers and Vitners (IDV) in both Europe and Asia, and when IDV became Diageo he returned to the UK to become Chief Executive of their Justerini & Brooks (J&B) division. His last post at Diageo was as Scotch Whisky Director, which he held for 5 years. During the past year he served as the Master of Worshipful Company of Distillers, spearheading many industry and charitable initiatives. 

Daniel Szor, founder and CEO, Cotswolds Distillery commented: “We are very honoured to have such a highly respected industry veteran as Richard join our board. I’ve come to know him through the Distillers’ Company and have always been impressed by his great knowledge and drive. Richard will help us chart our course as we grow our market share and expand trade sales in whisky and gin.”  

Richard Watling added: “I am delighted to be joining fellow Liveryman Daniel Szor in this exciting venture. The foundations of this Distillery and brand are very strong, giving great potential for the future”. 

For more details on The Cotswolds Distillery please visit www.cotswoldsdistillery.com

NOTES: 

• The Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky, made using locally grown barley, gained early attention following three consecutive years rated as ‘Liquid Gold’ (94/100 points) in noted whisky writer Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.
• Prestigious accolades for the Cotswolds Dry Gin include ‘Best London Dry’ at the World Gin Awards 2016 and a Gold-Outstanding award at IWSC 2017. Difford’s Guide recently ranked the Gin as one of the top 20 Gins available in a survey of 450 brands.
• Cotswolds Dry Gin is on sale nationally and in over 23 countries.  Key national accounts include Waitrose, Majestic, Oddbins, Laithwaites, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, and Fortnum & Mason.
• The distillery has become a premier local attraction, offering tours and tastings daily, and receives nearly 30,000 visitors a year.  It represents an investment of nearly £7 million by the founder, backed by a group of passionate local investors, as well as its highly successful ‘Angels’ Share’ crowdfunding round in 2016.

Edradour 14 Year Old 2002 IBISCO

Single cask sherry butt #1413 bottled August 2017 into stunning IBISCO decanters, the ideal gift for the festive season. 693 bottles of the Highland single malt brimming with flavours of sweet sherry, raisins, chocolate and fudge. Edradour Distillery was formed in 1825 by a group of eight local farmers. Situated at Milton of Edradour near Pitlochry and still just a farm sized distillery equipped with a Morton refrigerator to cool the worts and two wee stills with their spirit cooled in a single worm tub. Whilst ranked amongst the small working distilleries in Scotland its owners Signatory Vintage have plans to increase its size and output. Official distillery releases include the Edradour 10 Year Old, Barolo Cask and Sherry Cask Ibisco decanters.

Shop – £83.41

Auction Live!

Bid on over 2,100 lots

This month Just Whisky celebrates its 4th Birthday. To celebrate, they are holding their largest and most diverse auction ever! From full cases of Macallan Gran Reserva to brand new releases from Arran & Highland Park – they’ve got it all in this fantastic auction.

Just Whisky has partnered with Annandale Distillery this month to offer 4 fantastic lots for auction during their December auction, with the aim to raise money for two charities; the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation which raises funds to aid research into Motor Neurone Disease and Doddie Weir’5 Trust. All commission (from buyer & seller) is being donated to the charities, as well as the entire sales price of the bottles.

On December 1st 2014, Scotland and British & Irish Lions rugby legend, Doddie Weir filled the first cask of Annandale’s Man o’Sword peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Cask #2014 040). Accompanied by Finlay Calder and Gary Armstrong, two other rugby giants, Doddie returned on December 1st 2017, to fill the first 5 bottles of Annandale’s Man o’Sword from Cask #2014 040.

Doddie has recently been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. Inspired by his courage, Annandale Distillery has gifted Bottles 2 – 5 to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation (Registered Charity No. SC047871) and to Doddie Weir’5 Trust. These rare bottles feature a silver-chrome collar engraved with Doddie’s signature, unique ‘Doddie Weir’s a Man o’Sword’ branding and each is presented in a bespoke, handcrafted box (by Cameron-Smith Designs, Kirkcudbright).

Bidding Ends from 8pm on Sunday 17^th December. View the entire auction at:

http://www.just-whisky.co.uk/

https://youtu.be/ZxPUXy4xtaM

This is an absolute gem of a single barrel! A very recent addition to the JD line-up and it’s an absolute stunner of a bottle,  with such a high rye content, you’ expect this whisky to be as varied as something such as Bulliet Rye or Sazerac, but no, this Rye fills it’s own unique place in the American whisky market. Delicate and balanced with winter spices with subtle notes of caramel and vanilla, this is a real stand out, especially at £50 a bottle! JD have done a cracking job with this product and I’m beyond impressed with every element of this bottling. Cheers!

KWM Whisky Advent Day 13 – Gordon Macphail Balblair 10 Year

Balblair is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries. The official founding of the distillery was in 1790, by a local man named John Ross. There are records though that indicate the distillery may have been operating on its original location, as far back as 1749. Built near Edderton, the original distillery was moved a half a mile north in 1895, to make better use of the Inverness to Ardgay rail line. The distillery operated until 1911 when tough economic times forced its closure. It would not reopen until 1949.

The distillery was expanded twice in the 20th century, to take advantage of the boom in demand for Scotch whisky in the 1960s and 1970s. A major expansion took place in 1964, followed by extensive improvements in the 1980s. The distillery was owned by Hiram Walker from 1970 until 1996. In 1996 the distillery was sold to Inverhouse Distillers, who already owned Old Pulteney and Knockdhu (anCnoc) Distilleries. They would later add Balmenach before that firm was itself sold to a beverage industry giant now known as Thai Beverage Inc.

Like Glenrothes, Balblair distillery bottlings don’t have an age statement range, instead releasing its whiskies in vintages. Independent bottlings of Balblair are increasingly rare, exception today’s Gordon Macphail Balblair, the only other whiskies available from this distillery in Alberta the distillery bottled vintages of 2005, 1999, 1990 and 1983. All of the whiskies are bottled at 46%, without artificial colouring. The Gordon Macphail bottling we are sampling today is from the Macphail’s Collection range, bottled at 43% after maturing in Refill Ex-Bourbon.

About the Gordon Macphail “Macphail’s Collection” (Courtesy Gordon Macphail): At the very heart of our business lies the sample room; its contents, the sum of over a century of experience maturing and bottling the finest Scotch whisky. We regularly sample the contents of our casks to make sure they are maturing well, only bottling them for sale when we believe they are truly ready. This approach to cask curation means we know exactly how spirit with a specific distillery character matures in different styles of oak. Using this knowledge, which has been handed down through four generations of the Urquhart family, we created ‘The MacPhail’s Collection’: a selection of seven unique distilleries from across Scotland; providing the perfect starting point for a spirited journey to discovering the outstanding diverse flavours of single malt Scotch whisky.”

Gordon Macphail Balblair 10 Year – 43% – Refill Ex-Bourbon Barrels – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: honey and orange strike out first with a slight maritime hue and almost, curiously, some clean smoke; malty, dried apricots and peach eau de vie. Palate: thick, honeyed and malty; oily and then bang… a wave of fruit: orange, apricot and peach; more salt and a whiff of smoke with some creamy-vanilla-oak-tones; very savoury with salted caramel. Finish: light and fresh the oils, salt, honey hang on even after the fruit has vanished. Comment: seems light but it catches you a bit by surprise; very fresh!” – $90 for 700ml

Old Elk^® Distillery Introduces Flagship Spirit, Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Master Distiller Greg Metze and entrepreneur Curt Richardson collaborate to craft a smooth bourbon that transcends tradition

FORT COLLINS, COLO. (Oct. 16, 2017) – Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a collaboration in legacy and innovation between Master Distiller Greg Metze and entrepreneur Curt Richardson (OtterBox; Blue Ocean Enterprises), is now available from Old Elk Distillery. With four times more malted barley than conventional recipes and a slow cut proofing process which allows more time for flavors to marry between proofing stages, the Old Elk Bourbon recipe transcends tradition to craft a rich, smooth bourbon.

“My passion for entrepreneurship paired with Greg Metze’s nearly four decades of experience distilling award-winning spirits led us to develop a recipe that honors tradition while innovating the process to create a distinct bourbon,” said Curt Richardson, founder of Old Elk Distillery. “Working together, our distilling team, along with Greg, tested a number of recipes and found that using four times the malted barley of conventional recipes, combined with a slow cut proofing process significantly longer than is typical, leads to an overall smoother bourbon.”

The Old Elk Bourbon recipe is a collaboration between the Old Elk Distillery team and Master Distiller Greg Metze. The partnership marks the award-winning industry veteran’s return to distilling and opens a new chapter in his long history of having a hand in some of the world’s best bourbons.

“We use traditional ingredients – malted barley, corn and rye – in an innovative, yet steadfast recipe to create a bourbon with smooth, rich flavors that act in harmony with caramel cues brought out by the charred barrels and spicy rye notes,” said Greg Metze, Master Distiller at Old Elk Distillery. “After testing a variety of proofing periods, we found that these flavors come together in a smoother bourbon when the proofing stages are longer. Instead of taking the usual 24 to 48 hours for proofing, we use a slow cut proofing process during which full-barrel proof bourbon is cut and left to rest – and we repeat this patient technique until the ideal character is achieved. It takes significantly longer than most common recipes, but taking the time to proof slowly makes all the difference.”

To help age and blend Old Elk Bourbon, the distillery team worked with key partners to ensure the quality and consistency of the bourbon in each hand-selected Old Elk barrel.

Old Elk Bourbon (SRP $49.99), now available in Colorado, features flavors of sweet maple and a hint of chocolate, overlaid with deep wood and coconut. It offers aromas of sweet vanilla and caramel, along with clove spice and nutty almond. Its mouthfeel is smooth, with a sweet, lasting flavor.

For more information, visit OldElk.com and connect with Old Elk at @OldElkBourbon on Instagram and Facebook, and @OldElkOfficial on Twitter.

About Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey is where legacy meets innovation. Where a master distiller with nearly four decades of bourbon under his belt collaborates with a master entrepreneur known for ingenious ventures to create a spirit that transcends tradition. The flagship spirit from Old Elk Distillery was crafted in a collaboration between entrepreneur Curt Richardson and Master Distiller Greg Metze. The smooth, rich bourbon uses a mash bill of traditional ingredients – barley, corn and rye – in an innovative recipe to create a distinct bourbon. In combining four times more malted barley than traditional recipes with a slow cut proofing process, significantly longer than is typical, this intentional time period allows the flavors to marry between stages, until the exact character is achieved, creating an overall smoother bourbon. The result is an overall smoother bourbon, in harmony with caramel cues evoked by charred barrels and spicy notes of rye. Learn more at OldElk.com.

About Old Elk Distillery

Old Elk^® Distillery – named best Colorado distillery at the 2016 and 2017 New York International Spirits Competition – is the distillery behind Old Elk Bourbon, Dry Town Gin, Dry Town Vodka, and Nooku Bourbon Cream. Founded by Curt and Nancy Richardson, the innovators who created OtterBox and Blue Ocean Enterprises, Old Elk Distillery follows the Richardsons’ tradition of innovation by crafting spirits unlike any others. Led by a team of experienced and passionate distillers based in Fort Collins, Colo., Old Elk prides itself on developing premium, handcrafted vodka, gin and bourbons.

WHISKY GALORE AUCTIONEERS LTD (pic 2 logo)

INTRO

Whisky Galore Auctioneers Ltd was formed 2017 by myself Stephen and my friend Paul both avid Whisky Collectors over many years…… which gave us the idea to not only drink, collect and invest in Whisky but to work within the world of Whisky too……

We are based in Coatbridge and are new to this line of work, but we come with lots of business experience from other fields as well as some Whisky Knowledge too …. We are no the finished article (who is ) and we do believe that every day is a school day and are always up to learn new things and develop and grow ourselves as well as our business Whisky Galore Auctioneers Ltd.

Our First Auction is going live on Friday 22^nd December 2017 – and one of the many bottles we have go available for this auction is :-

We have something very special and a very rare, a collectors dream indeed, to the best of our knowledge this bottle has never appeared on an online auction site before.

The bottle in question is a 20 Year Old Macallan Master of Photography Albert Watson – many of you reading this will be thinking (maybe) that you have seen this bottle many times on many auction sites before? (Pic 1 Macallan box/bottle)

But I beg to differ ! Let me explain why?

We may all know that Macallan produced 1000 bottles of Master of Photography Albert Watson – but what is not common knowledge is 900 of these bottles were produced in the standard black box alcohol volume is of 42% but 100 bottles were produced in blue/grey box with an alcohol volume of 46.5% making this a truly unique bottle and would be an ideal find for the avid Macallan collector.

So we are offering all our new customers the chance to join the Whisky Galore Auctioneers Ltd experience by only charging £1.00 to sign up and find out more about us join us on our journey.

We want to be different not just an online whisky online website – we want to share our knowledge, any top tips, and any new we hear of and we want to include our members and treat them like family we welcome all our customers to membership of the Whisky Galore Auctioneers Inner Circle group.

We welcome anyone wishing to take part and bid in our upcoming auction and as a welcome offer we are charging ZERO % sellers commission and free entry on all items in the auction ie currently saving £5.00 per item.

We are accepting all bottles to be in by Wednesday 20^th December 2017 with Auction going live on Friday 22^nd December.

We would like to take this opportunity in wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year……..