The Last Drop 1972 Lochside

A Single Grain Scotch from the short-lived Lochside distillery (1957-1992) in Montrose. Aged over 44 years old, this expression was distilled in 1972 and filled to 2nd-fill bourbon casks. Only 109 bottles were produced by The Last Drop Distillers in January 2017. Presented in a chocolate brown leather case with a signed authenticity certificate, a 50ml miniature and a custom-made stopper.

£2,400 Pre-Order Now

Stock arriving w/c 27th February

*COMING SOON*

Taketsuru age statements 

This Wednesday, the Taketsuru 17 year and Taketsuru 21 year will be landing in store. Notoriously fast sellers so get your hands on them quick.

Masataka Taketsuru.

Founder of Japanese whisky.

Japanese whisky has been becoming increasingly prominent in the whisky industry and we have Mr Taketsuru to thank for it. In the early 1900s he did apprenticeships at Hazelburn and Longmorn after studying Organic Chemistry at the university of Glasgow. In 1920 he moved back to Japan with his Scottish wife Rita where he helped to establish Suntory as a whisky brand before he left and opened Yoichi Distillery in the mountains of Hokkaido and thus, the Nikka brand.

Hello you beautiful people! Irish whisky (whiskey) is something that i feel is still looked down upon by some whisky drinkers. All whisky is good, it’s just that we all have very different tastes, Irish whisky however has always held a place in my heart and palate. This expression from the Tullamore distillery is something that really blew me away last year, a 14 year old single malt, triple distilled and matured in a combination of; bourbon, sherry, port and madeira casks – not very typical at all. Irish whisky is on one hell of a rise and in the next decade, will continue to fly high and should do as well. Enjoy!

Whisky Reviews every Wednesday

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Ezra Brooks® Launches New Straight Rye

Brand Adds Rye Whiskey to Family Lineup 

(St. Louis) January 12, 2017 – The iconic brand Ezra Brooks® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has a new addition to its product lineup: Ezra Brooks® Straight Rye. The brand, which dates back to 1957 and has been a part of Luxco’s portfolio of whiskeys since 1993, will continue to provide variants for consumers that celebrate the modern gentleman in all of us.

Ezra Brooks Straight Rye, a genuine straight rye whiskey, is made from the finest ingredients available and bottled at an honest 90 proof. This rye whiskey offers slightly sweet and oaky tones with a warm, spicy finish – making it perfect for crafting classic cocktails or enjoying on the rocks. It is available nationally starting this month in 750ml and 50ml bottles.

“In the past 12 months, we have seen rapid growth in the rye category, up 27 percent*, which indicates consumers are interested in more rye whiskey products,” says Fletcher Buchman, brand manager at Luxco. “Ezra Brooks’ recent packaging refresh has elevated the brand to the same high-quality of the bourbon found inside the bottle.”

Ezra Brooks’ updated look includes a new corked bottle with a premium matte-finish closure capsule. In addition, a higher end label offers the bottle a craftier look and feel. The brand has recently earned top honors at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, taking Gold for Old Ezra Seven Year and Silver for both Ezra Brooks Black Label and Ezra B 12 Year Single Barrel in 2015.

The brand family – all offered in 750ml bottles and ranging in suggested retail prices of $11.99 to $26.99 – includes:

n  Ezra Brooks Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, bottled at 90 proof and offering a mellow flavor with hints of spice and chocolate and a smooth finish.

n  Old Ezra Seven Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, bottled at 101 proof and aged a full seven years for a buttery long finish and deep, rich taste.

n  Ezra Brooks Bourbon Cream, bottled at 25 proof and offering a rich caramel and toffee flavor with a smooth, creamy finish.

n  Ezra Brooks Blended Whiskey, bottled at 80 proof and offering a genuine Kentucky sour mash recipe with a light, warm finish.

Lux Row Distillers – a new distillery experience currently being built in Bardstown, Kentucky – will be the future home of Ezra Brooks, along with other Luxco bourbon brands. To follow the progress of the construction and for more information, please visit http://www.luxrowdistillers.com/, as well as Facebook and Instagram pages.

For more information about Ezra Brooks, please visit http://www.ezrabrooks.com/

*Source: NABCA 9L R12 through September 2016.

For more information, please contact:

Pia Reinhold at preinhold@commongroundpr.com

Kelsey Arends at karends@commongroundpr.com

About Luxco

Luxco, Inc. is a leading producer, importer and marketer of beverage alcohol products. Our mission is to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of our consumers, associates and business partners. Founded in St. Louis in 1958, where it is headquartered, it is owned and operated by the Lux family. Its portfolio of brands include: Juarez Tequila & Triple Sec, Pearl Vodka, Everclear Grain Alcohol, Arrow Cordials, El Mayor Tequila, Ezra Brooks & Rebel Yell Bourbons, Lord Calvert Canadian Whisky, St. Brendan’s Irish Cream, Salvador’s Cocktails, Yago Sant’ gria and other well-recognized brands. For more information about the company, visit http://www.luxco.com/.

A Colossus Of Deal On One Of The World’s Most Coveted Scotches

1993 Macallan 23 Year Old “Old Particular – K&L Exclusive”

($299.99)

“We’ll always take older casks of Macallan if there’s a reasonable price attached to the barrel. In this case, $299 is beyond reasonable. It’s downright unreal.” – David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer

This single cask of barrel strength Macallan 23 represents our biggest coup yet in the post-Brexit Scotch era. We’re living in whisky world where Macallan 25 now costs $1700 per bottle. If the distillery even offered a cask strength edition of that expression it would easily be over $2000. Yet somehow, someway, we’ve managed to secure a single barrel of 23 year old Macallan at full proof for a shocking $299.

One of the main differences you’ll find in the Old Particular offering is the lack of sherry influence, which would normally be the calling card of the distillery version. Rather than toffee and cakebread, this single hogshead cask highlights the finesse and fruitiness of the Highland legend. With ample vanilla, dried apricot, oak spice, and plenty of sweet malted barley on the finish, the flavors are dialed up at 110.2 proof, so a bit of water is recommended. Macallan is one of the most graceful and effortless whiskies in the world, qualities that have cemented its status as the elite Scottish single malt distillery. We have to imagine this will be the last time we’re able to offer a whisky of this status at this price. Having just gone back to find more this past month, prices were upward of $800 per bottle for casks of the same maturity.

1993 Macallan 23 Year Old “Old Particular – K&L Exclusive” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($299.99)

David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 07, 2017

Come and get it while you can! That’s pretty much all I can add to the above tasting notes. This is classic Highland whisky that showcases everything Macallan is famous for (other than the sherry). It’s elegant, complex, easy to love, full of Highland flavor, and it tastes expensive. I would never pay $2000 for a bottle, but of course we’re not asking you to. We’ll always take older casks of Macallan if there’s a reasonable price attached to the barrel. In this case, $299 is beyond reasonable. It’s downright unreal considering the market.

Glenrothes 9 Year Old – 2007

An indie Glenrothes, aged for 9 years in a sherry butt! Distilled in 2007 and left to mature in cask until 2017 then bottled by Scotch whisky bottlers, Càrn Mòr for their Strictly Limited whisky series.

£42.60

Bunnahabhain Moine Oloroso

This limited edition from Islay’s Bunnahabhain distillery takes its name from the Scots Gaelic for peat, Moine, and the seven Oloroso sherry casks in which it was matured. Revealing a side of the distillery not often seen, this rich and complex single malt is presented non chill-filtered at a cask strength of 60.1% abv.

The nose is rich in raisins, sultanas and toffee before a peppery smoke. The palate is rounded with sweet sherry and dried fruit, salted toffee and a syrupy feel developing into smoke layered over oak and citrus. Sweet smoke lingers in the finish.

£74.99 Pre-Order Now

Ralfy examines means, motive and opportunity with Ralfy Review 624 – Fake Whiskies in 2017

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society partners with World Masters Golf Championship

The recently launched World Masters Golf Championship has received a significant boost with the announcement that The Scotch Malt Whisky Society will be a partner for the championship in its inaugural year.

The World Masters Golf Championship was launched last month with a call to all amateur golfers over 50 years of age to take up a unique opportunity to play on the iconic links of Scotland – the home of golf. As well as world class golf, the participants and their supporters can now savour the world class single cask whisky of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is a club unlike any other. As well as being a place to connect with other like-minded whisky lovers, it is also internationally renowned for its mission: to provide members with an adventurous and fun journey of discovery of the world’s widest and finest collection of single cask whiskies.

Director of the World Masters Golf Championship, Hamish Grey, said: “The World Masters is a celebration of golf staged here in Scotland – the home of golf. I can think of no better fit than whisky, another Scottish icon, to link with this event. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society produces high quality and unique whisky which aligns so well to the World Masters Golf Championship.”

Kai Ivalo, Director at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, said: “We are delighted to be a partner for the World Masters Golf Championship and add a particularly Scottish welcome for the players joining us from around the world. We look forward to working together to build this event and providing participants with an outstanding whisky experience to match their enjoyment of these iconic golf courses.”

The World Masters Golf Championship provides the opportunity to play competitive golf on outstanding courses in a fun, social environment. The event is open to all golfers with an official handicap who are over 50 years of age as at 17 September, 2017.

The Championship will be staged over four days from 18 to 21 September 2017, on some of the best courses in the world, including Prestwick, Dundonald, Western Gailes and Royal Troon.

Limited to 240 entrants, it is a chance to follow in the footsteps of legends such as 2016 Open Champion Henrik Stenson.

Competitors will have the opportunity to explore the great beauty and history of Scotland around the World Masters Golf Championship – enjoying great Scottish hospitality, and now the very best single cask whisky from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Go to http://www.worldmastersgolf.com/ for full details of how to enter the Championship for the golfing trip of a lifetime or to find out more about The Scotch Malt Whisky Society visit http://www.smws.com/

Gratis photo supplied is of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Members’ Rooms at 28 Queen Street, Edinburgh.

Notes to editors:

For further information please contact Hamish Grey (0044 (0) 7771 956913) or Andy Salmon (0044 (0) 7387 159450) or Richard Goslan at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (0044 (0) 7375 123113)

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is an international whisky club which bottles rare single cask, single malt whisky, and a range of other spirits
• The Society releases a new batch of around 20 single cask single malt whiskies every month
• The Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 26,000 members and branches around the world
• The Society bottles the finest single malt whisky from around 350 single casks every year and has bottled whisky from a range of more than 132 distilleries in its history.
• The Society offers three levels of membership:

1. Membership Pioneer with gift box containing three samples, £122
2. Member at £61.50 – without gift box
3. Sample Subscription – free.

For more details, visit https://www.smws.com/society-membership

Triple Crown For Wolfburn 

Wolfburn distillery has won its third gold medal, this time at the prestigious World Whiskies Awards. This is the first time ever that a new entrant to the scotch whisky industry has won three consecutive gold medal awards.

“Absolutely delighted,” was how Shane Fraser, Wolfburn distillery manager, described his reaction on hearing the news. “To be honest we’ve been blown away by the response to our whisky – it’s been a truly amazing experience.”

The gold medal was awarded to Wolfburn’s ‘Northland’ expression, first released in early 2016. Wolfburn’s second permanent expression ‘Aurora’ will also be entered into international competitions during 2017.

Asked about the unprecedented achievement of winning three consecutive gold medals, Shane commented: “To the best of our knowledge this has never before been done by a new entrant to the market. When you think that Wolfburn’s single malt whisky was only released less than a year ago, it’s really quite amazing that we’ve picked up three gold medals in our first three competitions.”

Wolfburn’s Northland expression is made via a long and gentle production process, which creates a sweet, smooth spirit. This is matured in top-quality ex-bourbon quarter casks, which impart a mellow flavour to the spirit, making a wonderfully easy-drinking

ABOUT WOLFURN: 

The original Wolfburn Distillery was founded just to the west of Thurso by William Smith in 1821. In its day it was one of the largest distilleries in Scotland, producing, according to HMRC records, 28,056 “gallons of proof spirit” in a single year. Taking its name from the stream that provided the water – the Wolf Burn – the distillery operated until around 1870. The reasons for its closure are lost in time, but by 1877 the newly produced Ordnance Survey maps showed it being in ruins.

In 2011 plans were laid to resurrect the old distillery. Construction began in mid-2012 and in January 2013 the new Wolfburn Distillery commenced production, thereby becoming the most northerly distillery on the Scottish mainland. Situated 300m from the site of the original distillery, the new Wolfburn operates in much the same way as the old: craftsmen use traditional methods to produce fine spirit, which is laid down in best quality oak casks to await the day when it is bottled as single malt scotch whisky. Wolfburn’s first expressions were launched globally in 2016.

Wolfburn Distillery, Henderson Park, Thurso, Caithness KW14 7XW

www.wolfburn.com

www.facebook.com/wolfburn