Craigellachie 21 Year Old 1995

Single cask sherry butt expression of the Speyside distillery at the heart of whisky country. Selected and bottle by Hunter Laing & Co, for the OId Malt Cask series. A rich fruity malt with a chocolate and orange finish. Craigellachie 21 Year Old 1995 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whiskey. Single cask sherry butt #13740 bottled April 2017 by Hunter Laing & Co. for the Old Malt Cask series. 587 bottles. Craigellachie Distillery sits in the village of the same name having been designed by the renowned distillery architect Charles C. Doig. It was founded by Alexander Edward and Peter Mackie in 1888 and opened in 1891. Craigellachie is one of the few remaining malt whiskey distilleries that continues to cool its new spirit in traditional worm tubs. Most of this Speyside whiskey flows into White Horse and Dewar’s blends of scotch but it is available in a range of independent bottlings.

Buy – £86.64

Nikka Taketsuru 17 Year Old

Nikka Taketsuru 17 year old, a vatting of Miyagikyo & Yoichi single malt whisky, with a large percentage matured in sherry casks. A superb multi-award winning dram from Nikka. Worlds Best Blended Malt, Best Japanese Blended Malt & Category Winner – World Whisky Awards 2015 (WWA).

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ex VAT £162.08    £194.50

We’ve released six preview bottles from September Outturn, each with luscious sweetness and lip-smacking spice. Perfectly balanced and full-bodied, these comforting whiskies warm the heart with some stimulating spice – star anise, brandy snaps, ginger, cinnamon, fennel and coriander seeds.

A great opportunity to buy before next month’s First Friday but be quick to order, only a limited number of bottles are available ahead of the full Outturn release on Friday, 1 September at 9am.

VIEW OUTTURN

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

THE ‘KING OF WHISKY’ UNVEILS ULTIMATE CELEBRATION OF THE SPORT OF KINGS  

Royal Salute launches limited edition 21 Year Old Polo Edition 

The ‘King of Whisky’, Royal Salute, has unveiled an all-new 21 Year Old Polo Edition with a more delicate-flavoured whisky, designed to be enjoyed during the day and the ideal accompaniment to sophisticated sporting occasions such as polo.

Aptly launched at the Royal Salute Sentebale Polo Cup in Singapore on in June 2017, the new blend has been developed by Royal Salute’s Director of Blending Sandy Hyslop and is endorsed by Royal Salute Polo Ambassador, Malcolm Borwick, as a celebration of the brand’s longstanding affinity with polo and its lifestyle. The whisky is housed in a limited edition box signed by Malcolm, a Royal Salute ambassador of more than six years, and features his widely recognised red helmet.

Brighter in texture and tone with notes of honeydew melon, berry jam and creamy toffee, this new expression has been developed from a combination of fragrant grains and fruity malt whiskies for a smooth and sophisticated blended whisky, perfect for basking in the sunshine and outdoor entertaining.

The new Scotch whisky is housed in Royal Salute’s iconic hand-crafted porcelain flagons with a distinct polo theme, unique to the limited edition expression. It was officially launched to a 300-strong crowd of distinguished guests at the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup earlier this summer, an annual event benefitting the Sentebale charity, which was founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to support vulnerable children and adolescents living in extreme poverty and affected by HIV in southern Africa.

To further the fundraising effort, Royal Salute held an exclusive auction for the very first flagon of Polo Edition – traditionally kept as the treasured possession of the Director of Blending, Sandy Hyslop – wrapped in a bespoke piece of artwork. Hand-illustrated by British artist Natalie Reid, the artwork celebrated the emotional milestones and transformative initiatives achieved through the work of the charity. Bidding was officially opened at the Sentebale Polo Cup, where guests of Royal Salute were treated to a preview of the exclusive flagon, before online bids were welcomed from those not in attendance at the prestigious event.

Royal Salute Polo Ambassador, Malcolm Borwick commented: “I’m really excited about the Royal Salute 21 Year Old Polo Edition; it’s unlike anything we’ve seen from a Scotch whisky with its lighter and more delicate taste and it makes for the perfect daytime drink. Royal Salute has a longstanding relationship with polo, sponsoring more than 15 international tournaments around the world so it was fitting to unveil this exquisite new expression at the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup, arguably the highlight of our polo calendar.”

Royal Salute Brand Director, Peter Moore, added: ‘‘Polo is a noble game of honour, skill, integrity and respect – all values inherent in Royal Salute. We wanted to continue to celebrate the iconic pairing of our ‘King of Whisky’ with the ‘Sport of Kings’, and this new Polo Edition does just that in a more

delicate tasting blend ideal for outdoor, daytime enjoyment. We’re thrilled to bring it to whisky aficionados around the world.”

In celebration of the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup, the Royal Salute 21 Year Old Polo Edition is exclusively available in Singapore Duty Free throughout June. It will be available globally from September for an RRP of USD $140.

For more information about Royal Salute, visit www.royalsalute.com.

Instagram | @royalsalute

Twitter | @royalsalute

Facebook | RoyalSalutePolo

Notes:

The Royal Salute 21 Year Old Polo Edition Signature Serve

Introducing the Royal Salute Polo Spritz

A refreshing champagne whisky cocktail, the Royal Salute Polo Spritz is perfect for those long, summer days. Here’s how to create it:

• 1cl of chilled Spritz Syrup
• 2.5cl of Royal Salute 21 Year Old Polo Edition
• Top with 12cl of champagne
• Express an orange zest on top
• Add to the glass and stir 

About Royal Salute

Royal Salute is a careful blend of malt and grain whiskies – with its youngest blend matured for a minimum of 21 years. Created to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the 21 gun salute that honoured her, the brand is steeped in tradition and proud of its royal lineage, but is firmly engaged in the modern world by constantly pushing the art of blending into new, creative and ambitious forms. Royal Salute is deeply involved in polo – the world’s oldest surviving team sport and a game that’s expanding in the modern era. The brand sponsors more than 15 international tournaments from the UK and the USA through Argentina and China to Korea.

www.royalsalute.com

About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, the world’s co-leader 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 world’s No.1 single malt whisky; 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

@ChivasNewsRoom

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the world’s n°2 in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of € 8,682 million in FY16. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin and Malibu, Mumm and Perrier- Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of 18,500 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 “Brand Companies” and 85 “Market Companies” established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics.

Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index.

About Sentebale

Sentebale is a charity co-founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006. The charity aims to rewrite the future for the impoverished population of Lesotho, a small, landlocked country in southern Africa, providing the thousands of children and young people affected by HIV/AIDS with vital access to care, education and critically psychosocial support.

In 2015, Sentebale announced plans to expand into several southern Africa countries by 2020, delivering psychosocial support to 10 to 19 year olds who were struggling to come to terms with living with HIV. In December 2016, Sentebale launched the first weeks of camp in Botswana, providing psychosocial support to 150 young people. Additionally, during the financial year ending on 31st August 2016, the charity in partnership with the Ministry of Health delivered adolescent-friendly HIV testing and counselling services to over 16,500 people. That year, Sentebale more than doubled the number of children and adolescents attending residential camp at the newly opened ’Mamohato Children’s Centre in Lesotho to over 1,000 children and increased the number of children attending Saturday clubs by 18%.

Despite Sentebale’s progress to date, there remain many more adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa unaware of their HIV status and afraid to get tested. In line with UNAIDS Fast-track targets, Sentebale’s new Let Youth Lead advocacy programme aims to encourage all youth in sub-Saharan Africa to know and manage their HIV status by 2020. Through youth-led campaigning and advocacy, the ambition is to allow the voices of youth affected by HIV and AIDS to be heard and to change adult attitudes to these young people. The programme will also address the lack of youth-friendly health services and sexual reproductive health taught in schools, and will aim to strengthen leaders’ commitment to help young people affected by HIV/AIDS.

Sign up to received news from Sentebale at www.sentebale.org

Twitter/Instagram: @Sentebale

Facebook: SentebaleOfficial

RARE MACALLAN TRIUMPHS AT BONHAMS WHISKY AUCTION IN HONG KONG

Complete set of The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection. Sold for HK$3,797,500

A complete set of The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection sold for HK$3,797,500 at Bonhams Whisky sale in Hong Kong last week. It had been estimated at HK$3,600,000-4,600,000.

The six decanters, made exclusively by the renowned French crystal house Lalique, were issued in strictly limited numbers between 2006-2016, and contain very rare Macallan whisky aged, in order of release, 50, 55, 57, 60, 62, and 65 years old.

Bonhams Whisky specialist in Hong Kong Daniel Lam said, “I am not surprised that this complete set of The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection sold so well. The individual bottles are, of course, highly sought after, but the opportunity to acquire all six bottles at once like this, very rarely comes along.”

Elsewhere in the sale:

Seven bottles from The Ghost Series. Estimate: HK$270,000-350,000.

Seven bottles from The Ghost Series. Estimate: HK$270,000-350,000.

• Seven bottles from The Ghost Series sold for HK$882,000. Illustrated by images from New Forms of 36 Ghosts, by the 19^th century master of Japanese woodblock printing, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, the bottles had been estimated at HK$270,000-350,000)
• A vertical series of Macallan – 40 bottles from 1958-2006 inclusive – sold for HK$ 735,000 having been estimated at $600,000-800,000)
• A collection of whiskies bottled specifically for the Conti Brothers grocery store in Sacramento sold for HK$269,500. Made up of 15 single malts personally selected by the brothers and bottled for them in the 1970s and ‘80s, the collection had been estimated at HK$220,000-260,000
• A single Macallan Millennium Decanter estimated at HK$210,000-250,000 sold for HK$257,250.

In total, the sale made HK$13,624,818.

NOTES

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers of fine art and antiques, motor cars and jewellery. The main salerooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, with sales also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, Paris, San Francisco and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of forthcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com

Kensington Wine Market 2017 Whisky Advent Calendar Pre order Special!

If you pre-order the Kensington Wine Market 2017 Whisky Advent Calendar before September 30th, 2017 the price will be $340+GST and you will save a total of $35+GST. After September 30th the price will increase to $375+GST. We have endeavored to keep pricing down for this year’s version. The 2017 KWM Whisky Advent Calendar is $25 less than the 2016 – even before taking into account the early bird offer.

Our Kensington Wine Market Whisky Advent Calendar makes a great gift – for yourself or somebody you know. The 2017 edition contains the following:

– A custom logo Glencairn Scotch Glass

– 24x 50mL bottles of whisky for December 1st to 24th (or whenever you want to drink them of course!)

– 1x 100mL special bottle for December 25th/Christmas Day. This is an exclusive Scotch Malt Whisky Society whisky, specially selected for the KWM 2017 Whisky Advent Calendar. We even had the opportunity to name the whisky! Full bottles of this special whisky won’t be available for purchase to Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada members until 2018!

– Whisky Advent Discount Card good for 10% off any of the non-society bottle in the Calendar (subject to availability).

The whiskies in this year’s version are all new – none of them were featured in the 2014 thru 2016 editions. More information can be found on our website You are welcome to order through our webstore or phone us at 403-283-8000 (toll free 1-888-283-9004).

This Littlemill 26 year old 1988 single cask is a bottling from 2015 we are quite chuffed with. A cask selected by Hunter Laing & Co. we knew we were on to a winner. With a fantastic 86 points awarded last month on Whisky Fun its reputation has grown further. A blog article on this Littlemill, exclusive to us at The Whisky Barrel, had been on the agenda. However, in July 2017 a surprise review from the venerable Serge Valentin of WhiskyFun.com fame pushed this one up the to-do list.

Littlemill Distillery was established in 1772 to the west of Bowling by the north shore of the River Clyde and on the main road into Glasgow. Subsequent modifications during the 1930s resulted in a number of novel features including double ventilation towers which sat over a single drying kiln and pot stills with rectifiers rather than the traditional swan necks. The combination of pot and column stills in Littlemill Distillery was designed to produce malt whisky which was expected to mature quickly. At the time of closure in 1994 Littlemill Distillery was the oldest working malt whisky distillery in Scotland.  Demolished in 2006 and now Littlemill is a lost Scottish distillery although the shell of the manager’s house remains.

Please click here to read the complete article.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 172: Vega 23 Year Old 1993 North Star Spirits

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries Vega, the new blended malt from North Star Spirits. It was distilled in October 1993 and bottled in May 2017, composed of only Speyside malts that matured on American oak and sherry casks. The result left him flabbergasted. Vega, by the way, is the 5^th brightest star in the sky – in the constellation Lyra – some 25 light years away from earth, twice the size and twice as hot as our own sun. That’s good to know…

https://youtu.be/SvdGmXAEb9c

Home of Whisky Festival, Salutation Hotel, Perth, Saturday, 19th August 2017, 1.00pm – 5.30pm

Exel Wines once again hosted the popular Home of Whisky Festival in Perth. The 2017 Festival started at 1pm with a welcome from Willie Wilson, Depute Provost (Mayor) of Perth. “C’mon Willie, wanting a dram here!”

Now then, having known the nice people at Exel for some years, Liz and myself did receive some extra guidance this year – well that’s our secret eh! There was a great selection of whiskies to try from a grand bunch of exhibitors. Guests were given 10 tokens in total (plus a complimentary dram on arrival of Old Perth) but sadly no option to buy more. There were 2 masterclasses hosted by Tomatin Distillery and Bruichladdich Distillery. The Tomatin hosted by another old contact, Ali – who provided taste-bud ticklers with whisky-based cocktails. There were 5 whiskies– Tomatin 12 Year Old, Tomatin 14 Year Old, Tomatin 18 Year Old and two mystery malts – Tomatin Mystery Malts were: Five series Earth which is peated and the Limited Release 36 Year Old.   Brooch masterclass were 5 whiskies tasted –Classic Laddie, Islay Barley, Port Charlotte Scottish Barley, Port Charlotte Islay Barley, Octomore 6.1, Liz almost hit the roof at the last one!

List of exhibitors: Benriach, GlenDronach, Glenglassaugh, The Glenturret, Bruichladdich, Douglas Laing & Co, Compass Box, Morrison & Mackay, Fraiser, Tomatin, Gordon & MacPhail, Wemyss Malts, Ian MacLeod Distillers, Murray McDavid, Indie Brands, Glenfarclas, Kilchoman. There were crackers for people to munch on as they tasted the whiskies as well as jugs of water.  All the stock for sale at the pop-up shop was at special prices for the day of the festival.  There was also a tear-off voucher on the back of the brochure that could be used when buying whisky in the shop during September.

The Glenturret Range Scotland’s oldest working distillery focuses on profiling the taste of the malt, three tastes to choose from, Sherry, Triple Wood and Peated. Here is where I got confused; Triple Wood – a combination of American sherry oak, European sherry oak and American bourbon oak casks have been used to create the distinct oaky flavour. Yet with all that sherry … a mix of orange peel, vanilla and peardrops (sweeties fae schooldays) with a taste of cedarwood, cinnamon, marzipan and a hint of coconut – so where is the oaky taste? Answers on a psot card please to Paul.

Of course there were many people “behind the tables” we knew well, having been in this whisky industry selling whisky tours for over 21 years. It was nice meeting up again, specially Jacque (Wemyss whiskies) who we also met in Oban, Helsinki and others! That girl moves about. Ali from Tomatin and Jan – a timerous beasties of a man. It was busy on Saturday, not too busy like some we have attended (one comes to mind where punters were 5 deep waiting for a dram) but just about right. I was fortunate to see the programme before the event, and a good job of this was made, not all festivals do this. Before the event – well 4 days before actually, I had been tasting in the shop and aye, went home with two Perth pals, Old Perth bottles – ha! The 21 year old was not available at the show, am chuffed with this as I have one. It’s no often I get my hands on a 21 year old these days. Dianne Wilkie, Director of Exel Wines told me, ‘We first hosted the Home of Whisky Festival in the Salutation Hotel in 2014 (I was there at that too!), and it is a privilege for us to be able to bring the event back to this venue again this year. Perth has long had a love affair with the ‘water of life’ and the Home of Whisky Festival is a great way to celebrate this by not only raising awareness of the whisky-making heritage of Perthshire, but also throughout Scotland, giving those attended an opportunity to sample some of the best whisky Scotland has to offer and learn more about whisky production and distribution across the globe.’ Can I just mention the girls at the shop, ever charming, knowledgeable and reliable; these two are great fun and classed friends of mine.

Established in 2009, Exel Wines have gone from strength-to-strength over the years to become one of the UK’s largest online retailers of wine, whisky, craft beer and spirits. With a shop on 47 South Street, it is also Perth’s best whisky retailer offering wine and whisky enthusiast a treasure trove of delights, including many rare and collectable bottles. I know this for sure, I have shopped and come out many times with more than one bottle. They also offer superb tasting nights, with a limited audience, enabling much serious dramming without a crowd, hosted by experts too! So the moral of this story is – get along to Exel shop, festival events or the tastings, or like me, all!

Paul McLean www.whiskytours.scot/

Jim Beam Unveils New Jim Beam® Vanilla, Continuing A 222-Year Tradition of Exploration

(CHICAGO) August 8, 2017 – Today, Jim Beam®, the world’s No. 1 bourbon, officially announced the latest addition to its flavored portfolio, Jim Beam® Vanilla. Jim Beam Vanilla blends Madagascar vanilla bean liqueur with classic Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey.

Continuing a 222-year family tradition of innovation and exploration, Jim Beam distillers have struck the perfect balance of subtle Madagascar vanilla bean with hints of oak and caramel bourbon notes, producing a sweet vanilla aroma and golden brown color. Bartenders with early samples of the product have suggested mixing Jim Beam Vanilla year-round with cola and a cherry garnish for extra color and flavor.

Jim Beam’s flavored whiskey portfolio continues to contribute to the brand’s positive momentum following the launch of Jim Beam® Apple in 2015. According to Nielsen research, Jim Beam’s sales saw a 15 percent growth (USD dollar share) in the 12-month period that ended July 15.

“Jim Beam pioneered flavors in the bourbon category several years ago and the trend has continued to grow. We are always innovating, and are proud to offer a variety of flavors in our portfolio,” said Jim Beam’s 7th generation master distiller Fred Noe. “Of course, our newest is Jim Beam Vanilla, with a rich and smooth profile. But don’t just take my word for it, sit back and enjoy a sip.”

Jim Beam’s global brand partner Mila Kunis is also excited about the new innovation. Kunis will be featured in social and digital content around the official campaign launch this fall.

“I’m thrilled to collaborate with my friends in Kentucky to debut Jim Beam Vanilla,” said Kunis. “If you’re like me, you love the taste of bourbon but are sometimes looking for something a little different. Jim Beam Vanilla is perfect when I want a touch of flavor.”

Bottled at 70-proof, new Jim Beam Vanilla contains vanilla liqueur blended with Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. It offers the perfect balance of subtle vanilla sweetness and hints of oak and deep caramel bourbon notes. Jim Beam Vanilla joins the brand’s existing flavored whiskey portfolio already in market, including Jim Beam® Apple, Jim Beam® Kentucky Fire™, Jim Beam® Honey and Red Stag by Jim Beam® Black Cherry.

Jim Beam Vanilla has a suggested retail price of $15.99 for 750mL, and is now available in bars and retail locations nationwide. Prices may vary based on market and product size.

For more information about Jim Beam Vanilla, follow us on Twitter (@jimbeam) and Instagram (@jimbeamofficial) or visit www.jimbeam.com.