Ralfy buys a fancy bottle of seasonal malt with Whisky Review 609 – Glenmorangie 18yo @ 43%vol

Day 1 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 

Singlemalting Whisky Blog #134 – 3rd edition Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar December 1 – Secret Spirits 18 Year Old Speyside 

Welcome again to another rollicking 25 days of whisky whisky whisky. What a ride it has been this year to get to this day. If you are not attending our launch party tonight in Calgary then hopefully you will be tomorrow in Edmonton. If not then put it in your calendar for next year because toasting in the Advent season with the first whisky in the calendar is a lot of fun with a roomful of SWAC (Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar) community friends.

It is a real treat for us this year to be able to offer up the first ever whisky selected and bottled by Secret Spirits. We are not looking to turn ourselves into a full time independent bottler but rather just throw our hat into the ring a little as we go on this journey. I feel extremely humbled that we are amongst great companies like A.D. Rattray, Wemyss, Malt Whisky Co. Samaroli and Single Cask Nation that have all been a part of making it all happen in previous editions. This time around we are even adding a few more amazing companies that we will get to meet in the coming weeks.

So without further ado lets look at Whisky No. 1 for the 3rd edition SWAC. Our first stop is the Speyside region which as you are probably aware accounts for the vast majority of Scottish distilleries and as such normally makes up a good portion of the SWAC offerings every edition.

Secret Spirits Speyside 18 Year Old undisclosed Single Malt Whisky – 58.1% cask strength. No colouring, no chill filtration, refill Bourbon cask # 3299 – Region Speyside

Coming from or near the town of Rothes there are a few distilleries that could be potential candidates for this one lets check out the nose and the taste and you can make up your own minds because I have been sworn to secrecy. A quick look online will reveal the small number of distilleries to choose from so get googling. Time to grab that NEAT glass and get stuck into the fun part. We decided to go with this unusual glass to further the cool collection of unique whisky glasses that we have started and because I was really impressed with how open this glass is and yet how much the nosing is enhanced without being overpowering. This will be going into my next series of whisky glass comparison blogs coming in 2017.

Colour:     Firstly it is light in colour more like a rich Chardonnay than an 18 year old whisky. This is no doubt definitely due to this being a refill cask that is probably on its third time around the block aging delicious whisky just for you.

Nose:     Peaches and Cream on a pavlova base. No wonder I liked this whisky. Flavors from my childhood. Cindy got Creme Brulee which is her absolute favourite dessert so when we looked up from the wee sample bottle on a wild and wet day in Scotland and gazed deeply into each others eyes we knew straight away that this was going to be our first Secret Spirits whisky.

Palate:     Very slightly sweet and creamy palate here bursting out all over with notes of honeysuckle and French vanilla.

Finish:     58.1 leaves a little lingering tingle to let you know its up there but does not take away from the whisky. The finish takes on an earthier note with a hint of aromatic bitters that I like a lot and actually has me craving another sip to load up the sweetness again. Dying hints of watermelon salad with just a touch of mint.

This is one unique whisky with a lot of interesting layers. So fun to find this our first time out looking to bottle our own selection. I didn’t play with water but I’m sure it would be interesting to give it a little splash.

Anyone like to take a guess at the distillery in question here? We of course could have and will in the future bottle whiskies with the distillery name on the label but those that have read some of my blogs in the past will know that sourcing an “undisclosed” cask can be really fun and invariably less expensive than it would otherwise be. Besides Secret Spirits just had to release a Secret Whisky its first time out right.

So thankyou for joining in either on your first journey through our Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar or for coming along again. For those that want to reminisce over the Day 1 whisky last year you can look at my blog here and think about that lovely sherried Tomintoul from A.D. Rattray. Please head on over to Whiskylassie.com to read Johanne’s take on our Speyside 18 along with all the whiskies from the 3rd edition.

If you like this whisky and want a full bottle you can email me for a list of retailers that carry it.

Tomorrow we will be tasting something from those fun people at Wemyss Malts that love to tell you all about the whisky in the title.

Heres to the next 24 days and by the way my calendar is number 736 what’s yours?

Cheers

Jonathan – taster of secrets

http://www.singlemalting.com/

CHRISTMAS WHISKY CONCIERGE SERVICE LAUNCHED TO HELP SHOPPERS FIND THE PERFECT PRESENT 

Experts at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society will help make finding the right whisky easy and fun

Christmas shoppers searching for a whisky to buy can now get expert advice thanks to The Christmas Whisky Concierge, a new service launched by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (www.smws.com/).

The Society is inviting shoppers searching for whisky to sign up and join a Christmas Whisky Concierge session at its Kaleidoscope Bar.

The weekly group sessions, which start on Tuesday 22 November, will be hosted by a Society Whisky Concierge, who will help make the often-tricky job of choosing a whisky to buy as a present easy and fun.

The Whisky Concierge will guide shoppers through the different flavours of whisky available, and give them the opportunity to sample some whiskies from the Society’s range of 12 different flavour profiles. The Society has released 60 new single cask whiskies for Christmas, which are now on sale.

For those who can’t visit one of the sessions at Kaleidoscope, the Society has also posted an ‘Ultimate Christmas whisky gift guide’ article on its website at www.smws.com/gift-guide

The Society’s online shop at www.SMWS.com/whisky also offers a live chat ‘Whisky Concierge’ service.

Jan Damen, Operations Director at the Society, said: “Whisky is top of many people’s Christmas wish-lists but with so many styles of whisky now available, we know that choosing the right one can be complicated.

“At the Society, we bottle whisky from different distilleries around Scotland and the world every year and we focus on the flavours of whisky. This makes it easier to understand and more fun for people who are often daunted by traditional regional classifications and distillery brand names.” 

To reserve a place at a Christmas Whisky Concierge session, visit www.SMWS.com/christmas-whisky-concierge 

The Christmas Whisky Concierge sessions, Kaleidoscope Bar, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, 28 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JX.

£15, 22 November, then every Tuesday and Wednesday 6-7pm, and every Saturday and Sunday 3-4pm, until Thursday 29 December 

@SMWSUK

#whiskyconcierge

Notes:  

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society 

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is an international whisky club which bottles rare single cask 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 3 levels of membership

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

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

STRATHEARN DISTILLERY INAUGURAL RELEASE – AUCTION ENDS TOMORROW!

When the auction started back in August, 1st December felt like an age away! But the end is in sight and with it comes a unique opportunity to own one of the very first bottles ever produced from this Perthshire distillery.

The first of a new generation of small distilleries, Strathearn ‘Probably Scotland’s Smallest Distillery’ produces single cask, single malt whisky using traditional methods. This, their inaugural release, has reached 3 years of age and can now legally be called Scotch whisky.

Limited to only 100 bottles, the lucky highest bidder on bottle 001 will have their whisky hand delivered by the distillery! Beautifully presented, the stylishly simple bottle and box will be accompanied by a Red Kite feather, a nod to the distillery’s emblem. The perfect Christmas present for your loved one we agree, but please be aware that there is no guarantee that the bottle will reach you before 25th December. We will do our very best though!

Our auction of Strathearn Distillery’s inaugural release will finish tomorrow night from 7pm (GMT). Once 7pm is reached activity on ANY ITEM will prolong the ENTIRE auction by a further two minutes. The ENTIRE auction will end when there has been no activity placed on ANY ITEM within the last two minutes after 7pm.

Happy bidding and good luck!

FREE UK AND EU COURIER COLLECTIONS

Our Special Extended December Auction is up next. If you have bottles that you are thinking of entering for auction then there is no better time to do it! We are currently offering free UK and EU* courier collections. To find out more and book your collection get in touch now!

*minimum of 6 bottles required. 

+441738 245576 / info@whiskyauctioneer.com

http://www.whiskyauctioneer.com/

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar – In Stores Now! 

The only Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar in the world. Independently bottled and selected just for our calendar. Designed to take you on a journey through the regions and styles that make Scotch the most sought after whisky in the world.

The vast majority of the scotches in this calendar have never been seen before and not be seen again. They are single barrel bottlings exclusive to our calendar and you.

Now releasing our 3rd edition of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar Secret Spirits has been forging a new category in the world of spirits that encompasses the three tenants that make up the foundation of their releases. Explore, Experience, Entertain.

Boasting a unique tasting glass each edition, a collector’s lapel pin, tasting booklet with background on all the independent bottler’s and room for your own notes the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar is truly unique.

The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar contains 25 x 50ml bottles that are filled by Secret Spirits direct from the cask or occasionally decanted from rare single cask bottling’s from years past.

Utilizing world class independent bottlers like A.D. Rattray, Wemyss Malts, Samaroli, Malt Whisky Company, Adelphi, Single Cask Nation, Ainneamh, and now our own Secret Spirits selections.

Limited to only 2000 calendars plus the gorgeous Collector’s Editions with solid rosewood and brass fittings of which only 100 are made.

Available for order throughout Canada the UK and EU in 2016 and the US in 2017.

Go to www.scotchwhiskyadvent.com 

Video: CTV Calgary Morning Show LIVE

www.secretspirits.com

NOVEMBER AUCTION NOW LIVE

(ends Sunday 4th December)

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

With an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits in over 580 lots, there is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest, enjoy or gift this Christmas!

The auction ends on Sunday 4th December – so plenty time to get bottles delivered to your door ahead of Christmas!

What are Whisky Wednesdays?

They’re a chance for members of The W Club to scoop up an outrageously good deal that can be delivered in time for the weekend. However, numbers are strictly limited, so you have to be quick off the mark!

How does it work?

We post a small number of bottles on the web that are discounted by up to 50% for a maximum of 24 hours or until stock runs out. At 10am on Wednesday morning members of The W Club receive an email with that week’s deals as soon as they are live.

How can I take part?

Only members of The W Club have access to Whisky Wednesdays, but don’t worry there’s still time to join if you want to take advantage of tomorrow’s deals.

JOIN NOW

For just £20 a year you’ll have access to a host of brilliant benefits, including: Exclusive members-only offers at The Whisky Shop Priority notice on rare and restricted releases A quarterly copy of Whiskeria magazine, delivered to your door Special W Club competitions Members-only bottlings and opportunities to join the tasting panel Behind the scenes news, reviews and Q&As

Here’s a sneak peak at todays deals

Mulberry Bank Auctions Winter Whisky Auction will take place on Friday 2^nd December from 2pm.  The catalogue can be viewed at HERE  or through The Saleroom

Hey guys and girls! This week we’re putting the biggest single malt distillery in Scotland under the microscope, but only one bottle in particular, the Project XX. As soon as this bottle was announced, a long with it’s sister bottle, the IPA Cask. I knew that I had to get my hands on it. Twenty global brand ambassadors from Glenfiddich have been given the keys to the warehouses and picked their favorite casks, resulting in this wonderful and limited expression. Seventeen bourbon barrels, two sherry casks and a port pipe have gone into it’s development and is one of my contenders for bottle of the year. Enjoy!

THE VIDEO

THE FAMOUS GROUSE BRINGS BACK THE BIRD THIS CHRISTMAS 

There’s already a sense of Christmas in the air but it will all become very real on Monday when The Famous Grouse is back on our screens with a brand new advert.

For over 20 years the famous bird has graced our TV screens, heralding the start of the festive season, and this year sees the brand’s icon return but in his natural habitat, in the Highlands of Scotland.

The UK’s No.1 whisky has created two new TV adverts communicating ‘perfectly balanced’ and ‘smooth’ – two key characteristics of The Famous Grouse – underpinning the quality of the nation’s favourite whisky.

The ‘Perfectly Balanced’ advert will air for the first time on 17 October on various channels and VOD with the second advert set to air in November.

“Our fans tell us they know Christmas is coming when they see our icon on TV” explained Johna Penman, Marketing Controller for The Famous Grouse. “This year he is back and can now be seen enjoying life in his natural habitat, whilst retaining his playful sense of humour.”  

Notes

About Maxxium UK

• Maxxium is the distributor of The Famous Grouse in the UK.
• The Famous Grouse portfolio includes: The Famous Grouse, The Famous Grouse Smoky Black, The Famous Grouse Mellow Gold, and The Naked Grouse.
• Maxxium UK Ltd is part of the global sales and distribution alliance between Beam Suntory and Edrington.
• Its UK portfolio of premium brands includes: Blended Scotch (The Famous Grouse, Teacher’s and Cutty Sark), malt whisky (Highland Park, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Auchentoshan, The Macallan, and Ardmore), imported whiskey (Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Canadian Club, Red Stag) Japanese whiskey (Hibiki, Yamazaki, Hakashu), cognac (Courvoisier) vodka (Stolichnaya), rum (Brugal), liqueurs and specialities (Sourz, Midori, Bols liqueurs, Galliano, After Shock).