DA MHILE SPRINGBANK 1992 VINTAGE 25 YEAR OLD ORGANIC SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY CASK

After the success last year with the sale of a cask of Da Mhile Springbank 24 Year Old Organic Single Malt Scotch Whisky, when we achieved a world record price of £88,750 (inc. buyer’s premium) for a cask of organic whisky, we are delighted to announce the sale of a sister cask to last year’s in our August Whisky and Wine Sale.  The cask is current stored under bond at the Da Mhile Distillery’s own warehouse in Ceredigion, South West Wales.

The cask details are as follows:

Distillery: Springbank

Age: 25 Years Old

Specifics: Organic – fully accredited by the Soil Association.

Cask No: 232

Original Fill: 243 Litres

Regauged Contents:           180.1 Bulk Litres

                                                90.23 L/A

Temperature: 15.5°

This lot is being offered for sale as Lot 100 with an estimate of £50,000 – £60,000.

Interested parties should contact us as soon as possible for further details and a limited number of samples are available.

We will also be offering a complete collection of whisky bottlings from Da Mhile, including the early bottles of Springbank Organic Single Malt from sister casks to this cask.

www.mulberrybankauctions.com

Highland Park 18 Year Old 1997 Old and Rare Whisky

Highland Park – Very Northern Whisky

Orkney Whisky. You can’t get Scotch Whisky from any further north on this planet than here. The Orkney Islands lie off the very northern tip of the Scottish Mainland. Islands with a history perhaps more akin to Norse gods and the Vikings, than it’s mainland compatriots. This gives the likes of Highland Park and Scapa, the islands only to distilleries, something of an obvious USP. When single cask, 18 year old releases become available they are well worth a look.  Although largely classed as Highlands whisky, there is no doubting this is truly whisky from the Scottish islands. The Highland Park brand is well known and well loved. With peat cut from the island, Highland Park whisky is known for its sweet, heathery and smokey character.

Owned by the Edrington Group – Macallan and Famous Grouse – there has been an ongoing battle between the age old traditional methods at Highland Park and brand driven, marketing approach. Various limited releases have hit the market in recent years with the aim of growing the fan base. Has the whisky suffered for this. It seems not, as Highland Park is still highly regarded and admired as a single malt whisky.

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Don’t look now, the Exciseman is coming!

The Smugglers’ Series of limited edition bottlings from Arran distillery has really captured the imagination, with a story that harkens back to days of illicit stills and casks stowed away on boats to the mainland. The third in the series lands tomorrow and although limited to just 8,700 bottles worldwide, we’ve managed to smuggle a few bottles for our customers.

MIGHTY MACALLAN SET TO STAR AT BONHAMS WHISKY AUCTION IN HONG KONG

Complete set of The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection. Estimate HK$3,600,000-4,600,000.

A complete set of The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection leads Bonhams Whisky sale in Hong Kong on 18 August. It is 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, “Individual bottles from The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection are among the most sought after and highest performing whiskies at auction. This is a wonderful and rare opportunity for collectors to acquire such a desirable set in its entirety.”

Macallan features strongly elsewhere in the sale with a single Macallan Millennium Decanter estimated at HK$210,000-250,000 and a vertical series of Macallan – 40 bottles from 1958-2006 inclusive – estimated at $600,000-800,000.

Collection of 15 single malt whiskies bottled for the Conti Brothers. Estimate: HK$220,000-260,000.

The sale also offers a collection of whiskies bottled specifically for the Conti Brothers grocery store in Sacramento. The shop, established in 1947, is famous for its gourmet products. This collection is made up of 15 single malts personally selected by the brothers and bottled for them in the 1970s and ‘80s.  It includes such famous names as Macallan, Glenfarclas, Highland Park and Longmorn, and is estimated at HK$220,000-260,000.

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

As ever, Japanese whisky is well represented in the sale –  notably, an Ichiro Hanyu Ace-high straight flush at HK$150,000-190,000 and, for the first time at a Bonhams Hong Kong Whisky auction, seven bottles from The Ghost Series, estimated at HK$270,000-350,000. The series is illustrated by images from New Forms of 36 Ghosts, by the 19th century master of Japanese woodblock printing, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. 

In total, the auction offers 298 lots and has an estimated value of HK$10,000,000.

NOTES

Whisky ~Bonhams Hong Kong, One Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong
18 August 6.30 p.m.
Specialist: Daniel Lam, Specialist

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.

JULY AUCTION NOW LIVE (ends Sunday 30^th July)

…place your bids at www.whiskyhammer.co.uk

With an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits there is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest, enjoy!

MORTLACH 16 YEAR OLD

£199

BUY NOW »

‘Treat yourself to this gem, you’ve earned it.’

Springbank 1995 Port Cask

Springbank, The Collector’s Loft, Single Cask

51% vol. / 70cl

£295.00 Ex VAT £245.83

If you try just one whisky this year…

Hamish has managed to unearth very special single cask bottling from Campbeltown’s Springbank distillery. Distilled in December 1995 and filled to a fresh port cask (no. 15/286-11) where it matured for the next twenty years before bottling in October 2016, producing just 216 bottles at a natural cask strength of 51% abv.

Available while stocks last

Nose: Rich treacle, banana, dark fruits.

Taste: Dark chocolate, berries, crème brûlée, a hint of coastal notes.

Finish: A light hint of smoke balanced with more heavy treacle notes.

https://youtu.be/lqfDavmT6fc 

Week 4/4 – Finishing up on the biggest and most distinctive flavour in Scotch, peat! Lossit was an Islay distillery but sadly shut down a very long time a go. Check out the video and do visit , Lost Distillery Co’s website for a full run down of their whole range of wonderful whiskies and styles. 

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Heaven Hill Distillery Announces Release of 2017 Parker’s Heritage Collection Limited Edition Bottling

Eleventh Edition of annual ultra-premium release will honor late Heaven Hill Distillery Master Distiller Emeritus Parker Beam and continue support of ALS research and patient care

BARDSTOWN, KY— Heaven Hill Distillery announced today the 2017 limited edition release of Parker’s Heritage Collection – an 11-year-old, Single Barrel Bourbon. The eleventh edition will be shipping into select markets across the country beginning in September.

The 2017 edition showcases what Parker felt was one of his greatest achievements throughout his more than 50 years of distilling experience – the introduction of Heaven Hill’s single barrel Bourbons. Aged in Parker’s favorite rickhouse location, Deatsville, the sixth-generation Master Distiller would have described these bottles as “just good Bourbon.” Bottled at 122 proof (61% abv) and non-chill filtered, the Bourbon tastes of heavy spice and oak, with a hint of smoke and raisin, followed by a long and dry finish.

The annual release of Parker’s signature line is one of the most highly anticipated bottlings for whiskey and Bourbon lovers worldwide, as the collection produces an innovative, coveted product each year and now serves as a remembrance of the collection’s namesake. Parker’s Heritage Collection was originally conceived to showcase the extraordinary quality and broad range of Heaven Hill’s American Whiskey holdings, as Heaven Hill boasts the world’s second largest inventory of aging American Whiskey.

The late Heaven Hill Distillery Master Distiller Emeritus Parker Beam, for whom the acclaimed series is named, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 2010. The past four editions from 2013-2016, including the “Promise of Hope” Bourbon, the “Original Batch” Straight Wheat Whiskey, the Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey, and the 24-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon respectively, have raised over half a million dollars toward ALS research and patient care through contributions made by Heaven Hill for each bottle purchased. Heaven Hill will continue with this cause-related campaign, and will contribute $10 from the average national retail cost of $129.99 of each 750ml bottle sold of this year’s release to the ALS Association. With every past edition of Parker’s Heritage Collection quickly selling out, the company expects to continue to generate significant dollars for this effort in Parker’s memory.

“Through Parker Beam’s leadership and influence, the history of Kentucky Bourbon and Heaven Hill’s American Whiskey heritage has an enduring foundation of quality, transparency, and passion,” said Susan Wahl, Group Product Director at Heaven Hill Distillery. “We are proud to continue offering the Parker’s Heritage collection in his memory and continue to support ALS research and patient care efforts.”

Packaged in the same upscale 750ml bottle as the previous ten editions but with a gray colored label, the Parker’s Heritage Collection 11-Year-Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey bottling reflects the care and craftsmanship of its contents. Available in a three bottle case, it will be featured on the shelves and back bars of the nation’s finest spirits retailers and on-premise accounts starting in September. With previous releases having won multiple awards from Whisky Advocate magazine, Whisky Magazine and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the rare bottlings stand as some of the most critically lauded American Whiskeys in recent memory. Past bottlings have won awards ranging from “Best North American Whiskey” to “American Whiskey of the Year” to “Best of Show, Brown Spirits.”

About Heaven Hill Distillery Founded in Kentucky by the Shapira family in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery continues its legacy as one of the foremost American Whiskey producers. Heaven Hill has cultivated the traditions and history of America’s Native Spirit with its fierce independence, passionate family ownership, dedication to quality, and thoughtful innovation. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery maintains over 1.2 million barrels aging in 54 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties. It is home to an award-winning collection of American Whiskeys including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Larceny Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Pikesville Rye Whiskey, Rittenhouse Rye Whisky and Parker’s Heritage Collection. Heaven Hill Distillery previously held the titles of 2016 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year, 2016 Whiskey Advocate American Whiskey of the Year and 2016 Rye Whiskey of the Year from “Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.” For more information, please visit www.heavenhilldistillery.com.

Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely.  Drink Wisely.”

Bourbon vs Scotch: what’s the difference?

To non-whisky drinkers, Scotch and bourbon are the same thing. A dark spirit, made with the same ingredients and aged in the same barrels. Right? Wrong. The two drinks have a lot in common but there’s also a world of difference, which we’ll explain for you.

Location

Scotch: No prizes for guessing this one: Scotch whisky must be made in Scotland. Not only that, to use the term ‘Scotch whisky’ on the label, the whisky must be bottled in Scotland, too (with the exception of blended whisky).

Bourbon: Contrary to popular opinion, bourbon does not have to made in Kentucky. It can, in fact, be made in any US state, but the limestone water found in Kentucky makes it an ideal location – the limestone filters out impurities such as iron.

95% of bourbon is made in Kentucky

INGREDIENTS

Scotch: Scotch single malt whisky must be made with 100% malted barley; grain whisky is generally made with a combination of malted and unmalted barley, as well as wheat.

Bourbon: Bourbon must be made with a basic recipe (‘mash bill’) of at least 51% corn (maize), with the remainder made up of rye, wheat and barley. The greater the proportion of corn in the recipe, the sweeter the bourbon; rye-heavy bourbons will have a spicier taste.

Highland distillery Glenmorangie has the tallest pot stills in Scotland

DISTILLATION

Scotch: The method in which Scotch whisky is distilled depends on the style or category: single malts are generally double-distilled (sometimes triple-distilled) in pot stills, while grain whiskies will be distilled in a column still. As always, there are exceptions: Mortlach single malt, for example, uses a complicated ‘2.81’ system involving a combination of pot stills.

Bourbon: Almost all bourbon is firstly distilled in a column still, then the spirit undergoes a second distillation in a modified copper pot still known as a ‘doubler’ (or ‘thumper’).

Whisk(e)y draws much of its flavour from the barrel it is matured in

MATURATION

Scotch: People who make Scotch whisky have a lot to thank the bourbon industry for. Bourbon distillers are only allowed to age their spirit in new oak casks; after they’ve been used once, the casks are no use to them, so the majority gets sold to Scotch producers, who are more than happy to age their whisky inside them. Scotch distillers have much more freedom when it comes to ageing their whisky, and use a huge variety of casks, including those which formerly contained wine, port, or even Cognac.

Bourbon: The other big difference between the Scotch whisky and bourbon is the climate. The warmer temperatures of Kentucky mean that evaporation rates are much higher, so the bourbon matures much quicker than its Scottish equivalent – about twice as fast.

FLAVOUR

It is extremely difficult to talk about a generic style for either Scotch whisky or bourbon, but there are some general flavours you can expect, depending on the style.

Scotch: There is no single generic Scotch whisky style – a light, grassy Speysider has little in common with a robust, peaty monster from Islay. Moreover, due to factors including cask type, peating level and length of maturation, Scotch whiskies can be elegant and floral, rich and spicy, or even have a salty, maritime character.

Bourbon: A bourbon made with a high proportion of corn will taste sweeter than one with a hefty dose of rye. It is also fair to say that bourbons will generally have a sweeter taste than most Scotch whiskies, and will often display notes of toffee, cinnamon and vanilla (the latter from the American oak it is matured in).

When comparing Scotch whisky and bourbon, it is impossible to say whether one is better than the other; it is more a question of which spirit you prefer. Most bourbons are made in an approachable style, but there are plenty of Scotch whiskies that are soft and subtle, too. We would recommend trying a few of each and building your whisky repertoire – we have plenty to choose from! Happy drinking.