Fine and Rare Tasting with Jolyon Dunn, Monday 4th September

Returning to Milroy’s for the final time this year is our Fine and Rare Tasting. We are excited to open the bottles at the end the shop to share with you, our lovely customers! The evening will showcase some of the finest whiskies bottled over the last 50 years!

This event will seek to demonstrate the ways in which these whiskies deserve their cult status amongst whisky drinkers, as well as examining the value of collecting and how to buy in the fine and rare world. Limited spaces available.

Please call the shop if you have any questions about the event on 0207 734 2277. P.S That is a 1969 Old Overholt Rye 1810, we can’t wait to try it!

Tickets at £95

September Outturn Alert

September Outturn goes on sale this First Friday at 9am. This month delivers an exotic cargo of flavours to taste and explore with 19 marvellous malts, including our first ever blended malt Scotch whisky. Don’t miss out on your favourite bottlings, click over to our website now and read the full listing ahead of the release.

READ ONLINE

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 173: North British 21 Year Old 1995 North Star Spirits

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a single grain. North Star Spirits is fast becoming one of Mark’s favorite independent bottlers. So far, all the stuff he has tried from them has been top notch. In May 2017 they released a single grain from the Lowland distillery North British – just outside Edinburgh – that matured for 21 long years. North British has no official bottlings to speak of, because the production is destined for the blending industry.

https://youtu.be/z1XvghLmXQc

Five-star success for Chivas Brothers’ distilleries

Scotch whisky and premium gin producer Chivas Brothers is in high spirits after three of its Speyside distilleries were awarded five-star status.

The visitor centres at Aberlour Distillery, Strathisla Distillery and The Glenlivet Distillery have been praised for providing ‘Exceptional Customer Experiences’ during a recent VisitScotland assessment.

The appraisals were carried out as part of VisitScotland’s Quality Assurance Grading Scheme, which is designed to inspire and encourage improvement within the visitor attraction sector by helping participating attractions to achieve their full potential and provide the best possible experience.

Visitor attractions are assessed across a wide range of criteria from the quality of the pre-arrival booking process to staff hospitality and friendliness, experience upon arrival, and catering and retail, with each of Chivas Brothers’ visitor centres scoring above 85 per cent to retain the highest ranking of five stars.

Commenting on the fantastic achievement, Chivas Brothers’ Visitor Centres Manager Caroline Mitchell said: “We are absolutely delighted that three of our Speyside distilleries have once again been awarded five stars for providing outstanding customer experiences.

“The achievement is a huge credit to each of our visitor centre distillery teams at Aberlour, Strathisla and The Glenlivet, which go above and beyond to ensure we maintain our high standards and provide excellent customer service across the board.”

The VisitScotland accreditation bolsters the success of Chivas Brothers’ Aberlour Distillery after Visitor Centre Supervisor Rikki Scott scooped the Whisky Magazine Global Icons of Whisky Award earlier this year.

Notes:

About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, the world’s n°2 in wines and spirits. Chivas Brothers’ award-winning portfolio features some of the world’s most revered Scotch whisky brands including Chivas Regal, the world’s first luxury whisky and the No.1 Scotch whisky in China; Ballantine’s, Europe’s No.1 Scotch whisky; The Glenlivet, the single malt whisky that set the standard; and Royal Salute, the world’s only exclusively prestige Scotch whisky range. The portfolio also includes two of the world’s leading English gins – Beefeater, the world’s most awarded premium gin, and Plymouth gin – plus a selection of highly acclaimed single malt whiskies, including Aberlour, Longmorn, Scapa, Strathisla and Tormore. The range is completed by a collection of blended Scotch whiskies operating in many of the world’s key whisky markets which includes 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport Scotch.

www.chivasspirit.com

AUGUST AUCTION NOW LIVE

Whisky Auctioneer is gearing up for an exciting announcement very soon, but before we get to that we first need to introduce our August Auction! 

A wonderfully varied and interesting range of bottles have come through our doors this month, from dusty vintage gems to shiny premium releases, we’ve seen it all. 

We guarantee that this is an auction worth exploring. You never know what you might discover and there’s no better time or place to start than with our featured highlights below!

GLENLIVET GORDON & MACPHAIL 1950S SELECTION

This month we feature some fascinating vintage whiskies and spirits dating back to the middle of the last century. Originally purchased from Hay & Son Ltd. Sheffield, the collection includes several of these stunning 1950s Glenlivet bottlings! 

MACALLAN 1957 RINALDI ANNIVERSARY MALT 25 YEAR OLD

A particularly special Macallan released in 1982 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Italian importers Rinaldi Brothers Inc. It doesn’t get much better than this! 

GLENMORANGIE 1993 SWAMP OAK 12 YEAR OLD

An unusual bottle with a tale to tell! It is believed that the entire shipment of 247 bottles was lost in transit to the US only to be found years later and returned to Glenmorangie, where the majority are still held. 

MOON IMPORTS 30TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION

A set of 9 single cask bottlings released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Moon Import. Renowned for their colourful label art, as this collection clearly demonstrates! 

HANYU ICHIRO’S MALT THE JOKER ‘MONOCHROME’ & ‘COLOUR’

What a treat it is to feature both incredible bottles in the auction! One of the rarest and most sought after Japanese whiskies around, the Monochrome Joker is one of only 241 bottles, containing liquid distilled in 1985. 

PAPPY VAN WINKLE 20 YEAR OLD FAMILY RESERVE

This month’s auction is an American whiskey bonanza with an incredible range of Pappy bottlings alongside many other rare and unusual bourbons! 

Our August Auction is live until Monday 4th September, there is no fee to register on our site, our commission structure is very competitive and we offer worldwide shipping. For our terms and conditions please click here.

Happy bidding!

FREE LONDON COLLECTION – 27TH SEPTEMBER TO 1ST OCTOBER

If you are in the London or M6/M40 area and have bottles that you would like to enter for auction get in touch now to arrange your free pick up!

Kilchoman West Coast Tasting Tour

Saturday, September 9th 10AM-7PM

Come by for a day of Kilchoman’s finest whiskies! Starting at 10am, we’ll be pouring a variety of Kilchoman’s releases, presented by members of the Kilchoman family themselves. For the tour, Kilchoman distillery released a limited release of Machir Bay, bottled at cask strength. These collectible custom-labeled bottles are only available during the tasting, and any remaining will travel with Kilchoman to their next location- if you want one, arrive early! Additionally, you can talk Kilchoman with the sons of the distiller – George and Peter, dressed in Scottish regalia, while they sign your tour bottle, or anything else you want to bring for them to sign.

Click Here to RSVP

Dram Good Netherlands – The Final Chapter

All good things must come to an end, and for Pat Dunlop of thewhiskymafia.com the end of his adventures in the Netherlands has come a bit sooner than expected. Fear not however, as his imminent return to Canada can only spell exciting new things and signal the beginning of a brave new chapter for The Whisky Mafia. To read more about the impending departure, and to catch up on the Netherlands saga in its entirety, click here.

Welcome to our newest series! Over the next six weeks, we’ll be reviewing and assessing the Pappy Van Winkle range and in all honesty this is something that I didn’t think we’d be able to do at any point with this channel. Starting off with the 10, we’ll be walking you all through the 12, 15, 20, 23 and something special at the end as well. Keep an eye out for the whole series over the next few weeks and we can all discuss how spectacular these bourbons are to drink! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GskpP9rEyaw – Sit down interview with, Preston Van Winkle.  

http://thewhiskeyjar.com/ 
http://www.flagtimefilms.com/
https://www.facebook.com/whiskytube/
 
https://youtu.be/9ljRDVIawHo

The GlenDronach Distillery Releases ‘Whisky Fit for a Kingsman’

The GlenDronach Distillery is pleased to announce the exclusive release of The GlenDronach Kingsman Edition 1991 Vintage, a unique collaboration with Marv films and Twentieth Century Fox to mark the release of ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’.

The GlenDronach was personally selected by Film Director, Matthew Vaughn, for his new Kingsman film as The GlenDronach is his single malt whisky of choice. To create The GlenDronach Kingsman Edition 1991 Vintage, which marks the birth year of Kingsman agent Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin, only the finest sherry casks were selected by Whisky Maker Rachel Barrie. Unashamedly Highland and endlessly complex, this rare, limited release shares the Kingsman creed of impossible perfection built on unshakeable tradition.

Film Director Matthew Vaughn said:

“A Kingsman is smooth, elegant and packs a punch, as does The GlenDronach – so it felt like the perfect fit. I selected the 1991 vintage as it marks birth year of ‘Eggsy’, who is also known as Kingsman agent Galahad. It’s really special to get a limited edition vintage like this, and even more so as The GlenDronach is my favourite single malt whisky. I hope Kingsman fans around the world enjoy it as much as I do.”

Each of the special individually hand-numbered whisky bottles is presented in bespoke, luxury packaging, featuring a custom Kingsman gold metal charm. Both the Whisky Maker and Film Director’s signatures adorn the bottle’s packaging. Deep walnut brown in colour, with waves of black grapes on a woody vine on the nose, ripe Victoria plum on the palate

with a lingering and warm finish, the whisky is 48.2% ABV, non chill filtered and, as always for The GlenDronach, of natural colour, for authenticity, richness and texture. The GlenDronach Kingsman Edition 1991 Vintage will appeal to film fans and whisky collectors alike. This rare limited edition will be available worldwide and can be purchased in speciality retailers across the UK from September.

The GlenDronach Whisky Maker, Rachel Barrie said:

“It took over a quarter of a century for The GlenDronach Kingsman Edition to come of age, matured in sherry casks from birth. As we say at the distillery, ‘Cask is King’ and this is evident in the taste experience of The GlenDronach Kingsman Edition 1991 Vintage, which is richly sherried, elegant and full bodied to the last. We hope you agree, it is whisky fit for a Kingsman’.”

The GlenDronach Distillery Releases ‘Whisky Fit for a Kingsman’

NOTES :

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep walnut brown.

Nose: Waves of black grapes on a woody vine combine with antique leather and maple leaf tobacco.

Palate: Ripe Victoria plum and Seville orange give way to Old Jamaican ginger cake and sticky black treacle.

Finish: Lingering and warm, with ground coffee, dark chocolate and walnut raisin cake.

ABV: 48.2%, non chill filtered and of natural colour, for authenticity, richness and texture.

RRP: £550

Retail: Across speciality retailers including Berry Bros. & Rudd, The Whisky Shop, Gordon &MacPhail, The Whisky Exchange, Royal Mile Whiskies, The Grapevine, and Master of Malt

About The GlenDronach Distillery:

Nestled in the valley of Forgue, deep in the East Highland hills, is The GlenDronach, one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. The GlenDronach is of true Highland style: a heavy and robust spirit, perfect for a long maturation period in sherry casks. At The GlenDronach Distillery, we have carried forth the tradition of our founder James Allardice since 1826, maturing our whisky in the finest Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks. The award-winning GlenDronach range marries the best of Highland and Spanish skill and heritage to offer whiskies of elegant, complex character with tremendous depth of taste.

About Kingsman: The Golden Circle:

In “Kingsman: The Golden Circle”, The Kingsman face a new challenge when their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage. Their journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organisation in the US called Statesman, dating back to the day they were both founded. The Statesman, based in Louisville, Kentucky, act as Master Distillers to hide their true identity. In a new adventure that tests their agents’ strength and wits to the limit, these two elite secret organisations band together to defeat a ruthless common enemy, in order to save the world, something that’s becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy. The sequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kingsman: The Golden Circle is directed by Matthew Vaughn and stars original cast members Colin Firth, Taron Egerton and Mark Strong, and introduces new cast members, Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, Halle Berry, Julianne Moore and Elton John.

The ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ world premiere will be in London on 18th September and will be released in UK cinemas on the 20th September.

Visit: www.glendronachdistillery.co.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheGlenDronach

The Whisky Exchange Quiz of the Year – how’s your whisky knowledge?

This week saw the inaugural Whisky Exchange Whisky Quiz of the Year. Five intrepid teams gathered in our Covent Garden shop to do battle for the honour of being crowned as the first champions.

The quiz in full flow…

Across six rounds, complete with ‘guess which whisky is in your glass’ as the final task in each, our teams put up a valiant fight against quizmaster and shop assistant manager’s Chris Bolton’s occasionally very hard questions and even worse jokes. In the end, while ‘Glenlivet Let Die’ walked away with a bottle of Glenfarclas 15yo for the evening’s best team name, it was ‘For Peat’s Sake’ that took away the grand prize: tickets to The Whisky Show.

The quiz will return next year, but for now, is your whisky knowledge up to scratch? Here are my favourite 12 questions of the evening, a mix of the taxing and comparatively easy. If you score more than eight, then you’d be in with a chance of winning…

Question 1

Who is this former distillery manager?

Question 2

Which Macallan does Daniel Craig drink whilst starring as James Bond in Skyfall?

Question 3

Which whisky distillery holds a Royal Warrant, and who are they ‘by appointment to’?

Question 4

Name the song and artist

Question 5

How many stills are used in Springbank’s complex distillation process?

Question 6

What name is commonly given to the waste liquid left in a wash still after distillation?

Question 7

What is the name of the single malt whisky produced at Pradlo distillery in the Czech Republic?

Question 8

Which distillery houses these stills?

Question 9

Which Indian whisky became the biggest-selling spirit in the world in 2014, replacing Smirnoff vodka?

Question 10

The Girvan grain distillery in Ayrshire was once home to which closed single malt distillery?

Question 11

Who is this?

Question 12

Which family has been associated with the Springbank distillery since it was founded in 1828?

You can find the answers here. How did you do?

You can sign up to our events mailing list to hear about the next quiz and lots of other tastings here, or see what’s available at the moment on our events page.