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The Rare Old series from Gordon & MacPhail includes some rare & historic whisky gems from distilleries that have either been mothballed, completely closed, or even demolished. Bottles from this series are very limited but we’ve managed to receive some extra stock, from some very special distilleries, including Glenlochy, Inverleven & Convalmore to name just a few…
THE TIME HAS COME!! The newest Ardbeg release for this year and ladies and gentlemen, its a stunner! I’ve felt a bit deflated over the past few years of limited release, but the Kelpie has destroyed any of these feelings. A main distillation and maturation of whisky that has been stored in Virgin Oak casks from the coast of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe. It proved to be too powerful on its own, so Dr. Bill Lumsden has combined it with some standard Ardbeg 10 to take the intense edge off the sides. I;m genuinely impressed with this whisky; sweet, sour, smokey, spicy, coastal, salty – it’s all i could ever want from an Ardbeg, and it’s got a brilliant story behind it. Well done, Ardbeg. Another stunning showcase of style and originality. Enjoy!
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THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY MAKE WHISKY COOL THIS AUGUST WITH ICE DREAM DRAMS
12 flavours of whisky ice cream go on sale at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s Kaleidoscope Bar
From ‘Banana-Dram-A’ and ‘Smoky Lavender Kiss’ to ‘Salty Sea Dog’, and ‘Maple Bacon Crunch’, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has created 12 unique flavours of whisky ice cream to celebrate the summer.
The 12 ‘Ice Dream Drams’ will be available from Wednesday 9th August at The Society’s recently opened venue, Kaleidoscope Bar at 9A Devonshire Square.
Following the success of the ice cream in Scotland in 2015, The Society has joined forces once again with Scottish ice cream makers S Luca to bring the boozy frozen treats down to London.
The ice creams created by S Luca are made with the Society’s single cask whisky, ranging from 3.7% – 4.9%. They will be on offer in a special ice cream trike in the outdoor courtyard at Devonshire Square.
The ice creams reflect the Society’s flavour-based approach to whisky, which is based on its 12 unique whisky flavour profiles such as Sweet, Fruity and Mellow; Spicy & Sweet; and Young & Spritely. The flavours of whisky ice cream include:
Michael Cook, manger at Kaleidoscope Bar, said: “At the Society we focus on the amazing array of flavours in whisky and our 12 Ice Dream Drams made by S Luca are a great way to explore the different types of flavours you find in whisky.”
www.smws.com/kaleidoscope-london
Kaleidoscope Bar, 9A Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4YN
@SMWSUK
Notes:
About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
o Membership Pioneer with gift box containing three samples, £122
o Member without gift box, £61.50
o Sample Subscription – free trial membership.
o Visit https://www.smws.com/society-membership
About S Luca
Glenmorangie triumphs at prestigious industry competition with seven gold awards
Glenmorangie has won the most gold medals for Scotch Whisky in an acclaimed competition which celebrates the very best of the spirits industry.
Glenmorangie’s signature expression, Glenmorangie Original, upheld its industry reputation at the annual International Wines and Spirits Competition (IWSC), with the perfectly balanced spirit awarded a gold medal alongside six additional whiskies from the Highland distillery.
The core range of whiskies is celebrated with gold medals awarded to ruby port cask finish Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban; Sauternes cask finish Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or; travel retail exclusive Glenmorangie Duthac and Glenmorangie Extremely Rare 18 Years Old.
The distiller’s new innovations were also lauded with gold medals awarded to Glenmorangie Bacalta, the intriguing latest addition to the sought-after Private Edition, alongside the first release from Bond House No. 1 collection, Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1990.
Dr Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation and Whisky Stocks, said: “Glenmorangie Original is the cornerstone of each and every Glenmorangie whisky and it’s an honour to receive continued recognition from a globally respected competition.
“All of our whisky range is skilfully and passionately created, so it is a wonderful reflection when we receive such positive, independent verification from the prestigious IWSC.”
Now in its 48th year, the IWSC sets the standard for industry excellence, receiving entries from over 90 countries worldwide, judged by a panel of 400 handpicked master blenders, whisky writers and wines and spirits buyers.
Mulberry Bank Auction
This auction will consist of rare and collectable whisky and commences today, August 8th at 10am. If you wish to leave commission bids or organise a telephone bid please remember to do so by 9.30AM.
August Outturn brings an orchestra of fresh flavour with 22 single casks to taste and explore. Playing with our hearts this First Friday is an enthralling mix of marvellous malt whiskies.
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
Banff 1966 Rare Old | Gordon & MacPhail | Bottled 2015
A well aged, single malt whisky from Banff distillery, matured in a refill sherry butt for around 50 years! Distilled in 1966, only 362 bottles of this Lost Distillery bottling were filled by independent whisky bottlers, Gordon & MacPhail for their incredible Rare Old series.
Unveiling the Last Precious Drops:
Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition
Whisky connoisseurs and collectors from around the world will have a rare opportunity to acquire a single malt from an extinct distillery thought to be one of the oldest in Scotland.
Littlemill has released Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition – a new limited edition whisky celebrating the last precious drops of single malt from the distillery.
Rumoured to be one of the oldest in Scotland, and possibly even the world, the Littlemill distillery has a long and fascinating history. Officially established and producing whisky legally from 1772 in Bowling on the banks of the River Clyde near Glasgow, the distillery fell silent in 1994 and was subsequently destroyed by fire in 2004, never to produce a drop again.
As a result there is now a very limited amount of Littlemill single malt left and the spirit of the distillery lives on in a series of sought-after expressions. Priced at £2,250, Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition is the second in the series celebrating this rare whisky. It offers aficionados the opportunity to acquire a piece of Lowland Scotch whisky history.
The latest release comprises 500 individually numbered limited edition bottles encasing the precious 27 Year Old whisky in the Littlemill Lowland style. Each opulent decanter is presented in a luxurious case which also features a unique piece of Littlemill cask used to mature this rare malt, as well as a miniature of the precious whisky itself.
Littlemill’s rich history includes a number of owners over its lifetime and it was notably one of the first distilleries to have a female licensee, Jane MacGregor, in 1823. In the 1930s, the distillery was known for triple distillation before moving to the more traditional double distillation now associated with Scotch whisky.
In 1931, under the stewardship of the American Duncan Thomas, Littlemill was at the forefront of still innovation with technical designs that could create three styles of single malts from full-bodied to light. These innovative stills provided the inspiration for the Loch Lomond Distillery, which was opened in the 1960s.
To create the edition, Master Blender, Michael Henry selected eight casks from 1990 to pay homage to the true Littlemill distillery character; creating a lighter, floral spirit, reminiscent of the triple distillation of the Duncan Thomas era.
Michael Henry, Master Blender at Loch Lomond Distillery, said: “It is rumoured that illicit distilling took place at the Littlemill distillery from 1750 and even for centuries before, possibly making it the world’s oldest whisky distillery.
“It’s a tragedy that the distillery fell silent and was later destroyed by fire, committing Littlemill to legend. Once the last precious drops are consumed, an important part of Scotland’s and Scotch whisky’s heritage will be lost forever. A sip of Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition is more than just a memorable pleasure; it is a unique and historic experience and the spirit of the distillery and its innovative stills live on at the Loch Lomond Distillery today.”
Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition has been crafted from casks with the strongest floral character and subtle wood notes from distillations between 11th and 19th May 1990. The casks were filled at 68.8% strength, allowing them to retain more of the distillery character throughout the maturation in refill bourbon barrels. Ageing in refill bourbon barrels gave a softer wood influence and once selected the casks were married in fresh bourbon barrels for 12 months before bottling.
Rare amongst the Lowland malts in using a Highland water source, as well as peat from Stornoway and Perthshire, Littlemill whiskies are renowned for a subtly floral, vanilla-rich sweetness.
Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition follows Littlemill 2015 Private Cellar Edition. In the UK it is available to buy at most independent specialists including The Whisky Shop, The Whisky Exchange, Royal Mile Whiskies and Master of Malt and it will also be available in global markets, including Taiwan, France, Germany and Travel Retail.
For further information visit www.lochlomondgroup.com
Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition Tasting Notes
About the Loch Lomond Group:
About the brands:
Littlemill:
Other brands from the Loch Lomond Group:
www.lochlomondwhiskies.com Twitter: @LochLomondMalts Instagram: @lochlomondmalts
Whisky finishing – a recipe for success?
Our latest TWE shop tasting featured Irish whiskey producer Teeling, a distiller known for its skill in maturing and ‘finishing’ its whiskey in a variety of casks – some well known, some more obscure. What is finishing? It’s when a distiller decides to age a whisky in a different type of cask to the one it has spent most of its life in. The classic example is a bourbon-cask-matured whisky that has a second maturation in ex-sherry barrels, which typically adds rich notes of dried fruit and spice, but the whole gamut from the drinks world has been tried by distillers, all eager to add elusive extra complexity.
The Teeling tasting got me thinking about the concept of whisky finishing and why distillers do it. My first experience of them was Glenmorangie, probably around the late 1990s – I remember the small sets of bottles in airport duty-free shops, all with neat colour-coded packaging, depending on the finish: Cognac and Sauternes were definitely in there, along with port, and being a fan of all three drinks in their own right, I was intrigued. Glenmorangie was definitely on to something, because these new expressions had the wider attraction of appealing to Cognac, Sauternes and port drinkers. I suspect that most Cognac drinkers would be keen to try a whisky that has spent time in a Cognac cask, if only to satisfy their curiosity.
Glenmorangie was one of the first producers to draw attention to its whisky finishes
Personally, I am immediately drawn to any whisky that has seen some kind of sherry maturation, whether it’s rich, nutty oloroso or even Pedro Ximénez, that dark, sticky wine that resembles engine oil in texture and is like liquid Christmas cake. What sherry casks can give a whisky – wonderfully aromatic Christmas spices and fruity richness – is a huge draw, particularly when those flavours are imparted to peaty drams: an absolutely delicious combination.
I’m more choosy when it comes to whiskies that spend time in ex-port or red-wine casks, because to my palate at least, the extra layer of fruit sometimes struggles to integrate with the rest of the whisky. One gratifying exception, however, is Teeling’s Single Grain Whiskey, matured exclusively in French-oak casks that used to contain Californian Cabernet Sauvignon. Sampled at our tasting, it was a glorious mix of butter-toffee popcorn, black pepper and red berries, yet still clean and fresh.
Alex Chasko, Teeling’s master distiller and blender, likens finishing to ‘making a curry or a soup – you have to tinker with the recipe. We have 65 different types of cask in our warehouse, and Irish whiskey is a great canvas for them. We’ve even bought some aquavit casks from Sweden, and we’ve tried Calvados casks, too.’
What impressed with the Teeling whiskeys was their balance – not once did I take a sip and felt various flavours fighting to make themselves heard. Teeling’s Single Malt Whiskey is a perfect example. Matured in five different types of wine cask (sherry, port, Madeira, white Burgundy and Cabernet Sauvignon), Alex says it took nine months of trialling and 27 attempts to get it right. The result is a rich whiskey that really dialled up the fruit, whether that fruit was fresh, stewed or spicy.
Balvenie was among the first whisky producers to age its whisky in more than one type of cask, although it didn’t shout about it in the way that Glenmorangie did (and still does). Its Balvenie Classic is one of the most memorable whiskies I’ve ever tried; when I tasted a 1980s’ bottling at a Whisky Show Masterclass, I described it as ‘a thing of beauty, loaded with ginger, cinnamon, stewed fruit and candied orange peel’. It was aged in bourbon casks then finished in sherry oak.
Whenever I try a whisky that has been matured in more than one type of cask, I always ask myself what that second maturation brings to the whisky. Does it make the whisky better? Are the extra flavours beneficial? Next time you sample one, try that approach. You’ll quickly learn which flavours really matter to you when you drink whisky, whether that’s fruit, spice, or smoke.
The awards continue to role in for Wemyss Malts Batch Strength, Batch No.001! This time a silver streak from The International Wine & Spirits Competition for both The Hive Batch Strength and Spice King Batch Strength.
Peat Chimney Batch Strength received a outstanding judges score and was noted for its flavours of: “Peat embers, recently extinguished bonfire and cough sweets mingle with vanilla fudge, Tarte Tatin cooked in honey”
All 3 of the Wemyss Malts Batch Strength, Batch No.001 have now been awarded Silver by The Spirits Business 2017 Scotch Whisky Masters and The International Spirits Challenge. Peat Chimney was singled out by Whisky Magazines World Whisky Awards, receiving a Silver in the blended malt category.
If you are interested in trying any of our award wining Batch Strength blended malts, they are available from specialist spirits retailers and from our sister company; Kingsbarns Distillery HERE.
Look out for Wemyss Malts & Darnley’s Gin in the following month at these upcoming locations and events:
10th of August – In store tasting and sampling – Robert Grahams Canongate, Edinburgh
11th to 13th of August – Edinburgh Whisky Fringe (with Kingsbarns ) 16th of August – In store sampling and tasting – Whiski Rooms, Edinburgh
17th of August – In store tasting and sampling – Robert Grahams Rose Street, Edinburgh
19th of August – Falkirk Whisky Festival – Dobbie Hall, Larbert
19th of August – We Love Perth Whisky Festival – Salutation Hotel, Perth
24th of August – In store tasting and sampling – Robert Grahams Canongate, Edinburgh
26th of August – The Secrets to Blending Whisky – Robert Grahams Rose Street, Edinburgh
Throughout all of August look out for Wemyss Malts as the Malt of the Moment at Bow Bar, Bow Street Edinburgh
Sample Tailor-made Old Fashioned’s all August at Solid Liquid’s Cocktail Kitchen popup at Market Street, Edinburgh
