MASTERCLASS TICKETS NOW ON SALE 

THE ART OF INNOVATION WITH DR BILL LUMSDEN SUNDAY 1 OCTOBER 3.45PM

Many distilleries experiment with wood, but few actually release the results for the world to see. Back in the early 1990’s, Glenmorangie did exactly this, releasing a range of whiskies matured in brand-new casks made from different varieties of oak. Dr Bill Lumsden, the mastermind of the experiment, will be joining us to lead this class, giving us a chance to try these long-sold-out whiskies. Starting from The Glenmorangie Original 10 Year Old, the class will jump into the effect of different types of oak on whisky, ending with an unreleased experimental dram, specially selected by Bill Lumsden for the class. This is a rare chance not only to try a range of rare whiskies from Glenmorangie, but also hear about their creation from the man behind the drams.

Join Glenmorangie whiskymaker Dr Bill Lumsden to discover the distillery’s experimental past and how these whiskies shaped its future releases.

BOOK

Nikka Single Cask 1990 

Miyagikyo 19 Year Old Sherry Cask

We have been lucky enough to source just one bottle of this Single Cask Miyagikyo Single Malt from Nikka. This was part of a unique cask sent to Europe in 2009 and is completely unavailable everywhere we look. With fantastic reviews, this bottle is great for both investment and/or drinking! We even showed some of the managers at Nikka, who were surprised to see that bottle still around!  £1999.95

For information call the shop on 0207 734 2277 

Alternatively email Jolyon at jolyon@milroys.co.uk

The Lindores Distilling Co Ltd

Being half an hour from Liz and Paul, it is a must see distillery in progress, a crime not to travel this short distance for a new (we say new, but read on) distillery on the doorstep. The earliest Written Reference to distilling taking place on this site was as early as 1494, most probably long before that. Lindores Abbey, or the ‘Church by the Water’, was founded in 1191 by David Earl of Huntingdon, on land overlooking the River Tay (which by the way runs past my hoose – almost), given to him by his brother King William I of Scotland “the lion”. Lindores Abbey was visited by Kings and Queens (including Edward I of England, John Balliol, David II, James III and IV), warriors and statesmen, even big man Willie Wallace took refuge with 300 of his men after their victory over the English at the nearby Battle of Black Earnside (that’s another blog for another day). By the end of the Reformation, the Abbey was beginning to be dismantled (with the Abbey clock purchased by Edinburgh Town Council), but by the 17th Century, it was being used as a quarry, with slate, stone and carvings being taken and used in the building of many houses in neighbouring Newburgh, basically everyone pinching what materials they wished to build with, shame.

We are well-underway with the build and the countdown has started to the day when the stills are run for the first time. The distillery is being created by converting and enlarging the old Abbey farm steading, which was built from original Abbey stone. The glass-fronted stillroom looks directly out over the Abbey grounds. The water comes from a borehole near the distillery, the same supply used in 1494. The barley is grown on their own land, malted and then mashed in a conventional, semi-lauter tun supplied by distillery fabricators, Forsyths of Rothes. Fermentation is in wooden washbacks, supplied by Joseph Brown of Dufftown, yeasts, including an ancient local strain still present naturally at the distillery, with three Forsyths copper pot stills, one large wash still and two smaller spirit stills, creating a clean and delicate flavour in the spirit. The single estate Single Malt whisky (where have you heard that phrase before? Aye, Ballindalloch) will be made with Lindores barley, yeast and water, and so will be very influenced by the yearly farming cycles and natural rhythms of the land. Maturation – a warehouse behind the distillery, experimenting with temperature and evaporation in a way never before done with any scale in Scotland. Should be interesting. The Lindores Abbey Farm was bought by Drew McKenzie Smith’s grandfather in 1913. Like his father before him, Drew now holds the title of ‘Custodian of Lindores’.

So, how was our visit? Well, slightly disappointing if honest. The wee girl showing us around knew the history and patter, but stumbled on a few whisky questions, we both felt is will be more of a tourist attraction than a distillery. Good luck to them, it has been done very well, but am thinking our usual whisky geeks will be left like we were, something missing. To end, we will go back again another time when open and review again, in fact – Paul will be there next April with Ingvar Ronde.

The Lindores Distilling Co Ltd   Lindores Abbey House Abbey Rd Newburgh Fife KY146HH Scotland.

Review by Paul McLean, www.mcleanscotland.com  www.whiskytours.scot

COPPER DOG WHISKY TAKES OVER HAMBURG FOR THE MOTHER OF ALL STREET PARTIES.

Local’s came in their droves to revel in the famous Speyside hospitality and spilled into the street for a party to be remembered.

Copper Dog went off the leash on Wednesday night in Hamburg, Germany, at Rehbar pub. The exclusive event began with a select crowd who came to experience a taste of Scotland. The cheeky Scotch was a hit with the locals and momentum for the evening grew and music offered by The Cuban Brothers on the back of a truck was a perfect party starter befitting the brands free spirited ethos. The evening was one to remember as everybody got into the party spirit, with more and more people arriving to taste the tipple and dance the night away. Before long, news travelled and thousands of people were spilled onto the road and shut down the road down with their celebratory mood, eventually being shut down by the local police.

Finally, there is a Scotch whisky that brings people together, from the strong community of Speyside to that of Hamburg, these revellers partied spontaneously because of no reason at all. Copper Dog is a Scotch everybody can pronounce, and everybody will enjoy!

What is a Copper Dog? Copper Dog originates from the ingenious method by which distillery workers used to filch a dram or three of whisky to take home. They would solder a penny to one end of a small copper tube and fit a cork in the other, smuggling their bounty out in their clothing. As the name suggests, Copper Dog Scotch was built on mischief, that is accessible, drinkable and mixable.

Speyside is an area of great craftsmanship and the largest whisky region in the world, remarkably home to 70% of all Scotch. Now Copper Dog whisky has been created in the heart of the region, blending eight Speyside single malts, with great skill for 6 months to create a liquid that has a beautiful diversity of flavors. Originating from The Craigellachie Hotel, built in 1893, the hotel and its pub has forever been popular with local highland travellers and distillery workers. In 2014, the pub was renamed Copper Dog, and a whisky of the same name was created that would have heart of Speyside plus a cool and modern take on what is an incredibly traditional craft. Master blender Stuart Morrison says, “The diversity of flavors created in Speyside is evident throughout – to me Copper Dog is a true representation of the region”.

GLENFARCLAS HAS ARRIVED IN COLUMBIA

J&G Grant have partnered up with Hobuch International S.A.R.L. and are delighted to announce that Glenfarclas 12yo, 15yo and 105 is now available to purchase in Columbia.

For more information, please contact Erick Viloria at Hobuch ERICK@HOBUCH.EU

Summer Shutdown 2017

We are in the middle of our shutdown period for Summer maintenance, this is a great time for many repairs and upgrades to be made to the plant and distillery buildings. Failure to maintain the distillery can result in losses in production, failure at unplanned moments and increased health and safety risks; therefore it is important to take this preventative action while we can.

Take a look at what’s been done so far…

A new Copper Seal Pot is being fitted to No.2 Wash Still, allowing the Still to vent if there is any vacuum built up inside.
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The windows are being replaced in the Tun Room and Mash House. These have let in light on over 44 years of production- the same amount of time Ally has worked here!

Opening to No.1 Spirit Still; this is opened once a year to allow inspection of the Flu, Brickwork and Still bottom. The area would be around 630 degrees when in production!

New warehouses continue to take shape!

From School Leaver to Maternity Leave

Export Clerkess Leanne Murphy worked her last day at Glenfarclas on Friday 21st July and can now enjoy maternity leave. Good luck Leanne!

It was our pleasure to host Piers Adam of Copper Dog Craigellachie and friends for his stag party. Usually the Copper Dog host friends and family of J&G Grant so we were more than happy to return the favour for such a special occasion.

Callum Fraser guided the group round the distillery and finished the evening with a special selection of tastings.

The event was recognised by many on social media when Guy Ritchie posted this picture on Instagram.

A great write-up was found in the Scottish Wedding Directory on how you can steal this stag do!

Wyoming Whiskey “Private Stock” K&L Exclusive Barrel Strength Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) SKU #1314185

This spectacular single barrel from the exceptional craft distillery in Kirby, WY is easily one of the best single casks we’ve ever received from a true craft manufacturer of bourbon whiskey. Wyoming Whiskey and their Master Distiller, Sam Mead from Maker’s Mark, really know what they’re doing here. They are able to source their grain from local farms, age it properly in full size casks and offer an extremely affordable price even compared to industrial distillers in Kentucky and Indiana. We’ve tasted these over the last few years and found incredible improvements in their standard release as the average age increase, but we’ve never come across a craft whiskey quite as special. The fine distillery in Kirby is making wheated bourbons very much in the style of Van Winkle, Old Fitzgerald, Weller, and Maker’s, but of course WW is different for in one very particular way, they don’t heat the warehouses. That means that the whiskey is subjected to incredible weather extremes that exist in Kirby. The winters are much colder than Kentucky, so you don’t get the same intensity of sweet oak early stages; instead the long slow maturation means more complexity. They may not age as quickly as their KY counterparts, but Wyoming Whiskey is without a doubt in the top tier of the nation’s craft distillers. We’re lucky to be the only retailer in California to receive a single cask of this special whiskey and after 6.5 long years in Kirby this whisky is showing astounding depth and complexity.

BUY

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! BOOK YOUR TICKET

30 SEPTEMBER – 1 OCTOBER 2017, 11.30AM 6.30PM
OLD BILLINGSGATE, LONDON

MASTERCLASS TICKETS ON SALE

After last week’s exciting masterclass announcements, we have another two new classes launching this week. We will be announcing the rest of the masterclass programme over the coming weeks – keep an eye on your emails as we don’t expect tickets to last for long.

SEE ALL MASTERCLASSES

TOMATIN DISTILLERY LAUNCH LIMITED EDITION 1972 SINGLE MALT

Rare Scotch Enjoys Record Run

The UK auction market for Scotch malt whisky has enjoyed a record run, with the total value sold at auction surpassing £2 million in each of the last 3 months of April, May and June , according to new data released by whisky analyst, broker and investment experts Rare Whisky 101.

During these past three months, the secondary market for rare Scotch malt whisky has achieved its highest ever average price per bottle of £286.

21,617 bottles were sold on the secondary market during this record-breaking period, versus 12,638 in the same period in 2016, a 71% increase.

A cumulative total of £6.18M has been spent on rare whisky at auction compared to £2.80M in the same period in 2016, an increase of 121%.

The figures underline the continued trend of value growth exceeding volume growth. In the past month (June) alone, RW101 has noted a 54% increase in volume and a 94% increase in value of Scotch malt whisky sold at auction, compared to June last year.

The figures point to another very strong six months’ performance for the UK’s secondary rare whisky market, when RW101’s half year report is published later this Summer.

Whisky investment analyst and co-founder of Rare Whisky 101, Andy Simpson commented: “Any question as to whether the recent increases in the rare whisky market would begin to plateau can, for now, be summarily dismissed. Even we wondered whether the market could continue to expand at such levels, following another record braking year in 2016. The performance of Scotch malt whisky at auction over the past three months has been nothing short of phenomenal.

“The growing popularity of online auctions, combined with recent moves by traditional rare whisky retailers to set up their own auction sites, continues to drive demand.  By joining the secondary market sector, these “bricks n mortar” retailers have finally realised that they can’t afford to lose rare whisky customers to the auction market.

“Anecdotally we have seen growing demand from North America and Asia over recent times.   We have also experienced a dramatic increase in enquiries from Asian and USA professional buyers looking to set up new supply agreements to capitalise on this dynamically growing market.”

To download the last full set of results for the UK rare whisky auction market, click here

Notes: 

Images: Rare Whisky 101 co-founders Andy Simpson and David Robertson

About Rare Whisky 101 Andy Simpson and David Robertson launched Rare Whisky 101 in 2014 with the aim of offering a whisky valuation service, brokerage and consultancy for whisky connoisseurs, collectors and investors. Having tracked every bottle sold at UK auctions over the past 12 years, the business now offers the world’s first, only and most comprehensive online single malt Scotch & Japanese whisky dataset covering almost 240,000 price records across over 30,000 different bottle types. In the last 12 months, RW101 have brokered around 20,000 rare whisky bottles around the globe in addition to trading in aged casks from iconic distilleries such as The Macallan, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Springbank, Mortlach, Talisker, Caol Ila, Lagavulin, Rosebank and Highland Park.