Hello Whisk(e)y Lovers! Things are cracking along here with Driscoll recently back from a successful trip to Scotland to visit our dear friends and their new distillery as well as light a fire under their butts to get us some more casks before the end of the year! We’ve just got word that the new offerings from Tom’s Foolery have landed. We’re getting the new batch of the incredibly popular Bottled in Bond Bourbon along with our first single cask rye which was also Bottled in Bond. In addition, we’re extremely lucky to have been offered a tiny allocation of Tom’s extremely limited Bottled in Bond Applejack. The first batch of BIB Applejack yielded only 455 bottles we’re produced and we’ve secured about 1/3 of that allocation. It’s absolutely Spectacular!

TOM’S FOOLERY

Tom’s Foolery Bottled in Bond Batch #1 Ohio Straight Applejack (750ml) $54.99 Tom Herbruck is a pretty laid back guy. But one thing he takes very seriously is Applejack. Produced from locally sourced cider in small batches just like it would have by the pioneers 200 years ago, this Applejack is truly a handmade specialty of the region. To the small amounts of locally pressed fresh cider that Tom can source he adds a certain amount of hand-pressed crabapple cider. This was the tradition in Ohio and so it continues. The sweet cider is left to ferment naturally and takes at least three weeks before the natural sugars are completely converted to alcohol. This hard cider is then double distilled in copper pot stills before being aged in a variety of different barrels. The first batch of Tom’s Bottled in Bond Applejack was aged entirely in a single ex-cognac with a #3 char. 75.5 gallons of brandy entered the barrel at 118 proof and aged for four years and three months resulting in less than 370 bottles for the batch. The flavors are distinct and vibrant with tons of apple and spice on the nose. The palate is rich and viscous with plenty of fruitiness to balance the french oak component. One of the finest American apple brandies we’ve ever tasted. Only 30 cases were made available to California.

Tom’s Foolery Bottled In Bond Single Barrel #90 Ohio Straight Rye Whiskey(750ml) $49.99

Our first single barrel with the exceptional Ohio craft distillery also happens to be their second ever batch of Bottled in Bond Rye. This special little cask of rye was distilled on Monday May 21st, 2012 from a mash bill of 64% Rye, 11% Malted Rye, 22% Yellow Dent, and 3% Malted 2 Row Barley. Fermented without the addition of any enzymes on the grains in their old Cypress fermenter, it was distilled to 108.9 proof before barreling. During those four long years of aging nearly 20% of the barrel evaporated and the proof rose to 112. We decided that it tasted best at 100 proof and so Tom slowly lowered the proof for their bottled in bond label. Fabulously complex and driven by that spicy rye and earthy malt. Expect a robust mint nose with bready grain and toasty oak. The palate is unctuous and relatively oily with those big dry rye spices upfront and some sweet fruit coming through on the finish. Of course, this little guy won’t last long, so have at it while you can.

Tom’s Foolery Bottled In Bond Batch #3 Ohio Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $49.99

Tom Herbruck is an unassuming gentleman with a solid career and a beautiful family. He’s also a man with a secret. In the shed behind his house sit hundreds of barrels of whiskey. In 2011, he purchased the historic Michter’s Jug House Pot Stills and began producing what many consider to some of the finest craft whiskey on the market. In early 2016, K&L was lucky enough to connect with Tom & Lianne Herbruck to secure the first batch of his newly minted Bottled in Bond Bourbon. Truly a culmination in the Craft Whiskey revolution, Tom’s new BIB is easily the best craft bourbon we’ve ever tasted at any price point. The big bold pot still bourbon is unlike anything else on the market even from the finest Kentucky distillers. Powerful notes of fresh oak, stone fruits, and dense grain open to a playful palate of caramelized fruit and pointed evergreen. The finish is long and full with cocoa and dark smoked woods. Oily, rich and long. It doesn’t have the sweetness of the Kentucky bourbons, but definitely matches the complexity. It feels like a whiskey from a time long forgotten and so it is. Only a tiny amount of this small batch made it way out west and we’re the exclusive supplier for CA. Tom’s third batch of Bonded Bourbon is a blend of two casks over 4 years old. One is a high corn (75% Yellow Dent, 13% Winter Rye, 12% 6 Row Barley) and the other a very unusual high rye bourbon (51% Yellow Dent, 32% Winter Rye, 8% Malted Winter Rye, and 8% Wheat).

HIGH WEST

High West “Yippee Ki Yay” Whiskey (750ml) $59.99

Another winner from David Perkins and the gang at High West, the new Yippee Ki Yay takes rye whiskies from Barton and LDI distilleries and finishes the blend in both syrah and vermouth barrels for a completely unique experience. The color is an unusual beautiful ruby red. The aromas are of fresh cinnamon stick, crushed blackberries and cassis, with dried herbs in the background. The palate is a big, bold punch of cinnamon spice and blackberries on a foundation of vanilla and caramel with rye spices on the finish.

96 points Wine Enthusiast: “Attention wine lovers: this fab bottling with the cowboy label is made with a blend of straight rye whiskies finished in two wine casks, formerly holding vermouth and Syrah. The result is a deep ruddy amber hue and a strikingly concentrated flavor profile. Look for warming layers of caramel, toffee and espresso, drying to leather, zingy orange peel and spice. Sip or mix into Manhattans or any drink including sweet vermouth. (KN)” (7/2016)

BENDER’S

Bender’s 7 Year Old Small Batch Rye Whiskey (750ml) $42.99

Well here we have another one of these fabolously mysterious new ryes. This was bottled in San Francisco, but it’s been confirmed that the product has Canadian roots, of course. When I asked why they weren’t talking about its origins, the owners made it very clear that the reason that they weren’t disclosing the supplier is that they’re affraid to loose the tiny amount of rye they’re getting from this distiller to someone else. Apparently, this isn’t the same old Canadian Straight Rye! When they say small batch, they really mean it. These guys are securing a handful of barrels at a time. This fourth batch clocked in at 2750 bottles, which translates to probably 6 barrels at full strength. The Whisky is a blend of Rye and Corn whisky at 85% and 15% respectively. Bottled at a seemless 96 proof it will definitely be getting some love from Canadian, Kentucky, and San Fran fans alike.

Much more coming soon!

David Othenin-Girard

K&L Spirits Buyer davidgirard@klwines.com

(650) 556-2702 http://spiritsjournal.klwines.com

Loch Fyne Range

Here in our workshop on the shores of Loch Fyne we do just one thing, and we do it very well. That’s to know what people like in a whisky. You’ve told us everything we need to know and we’ve heard you, because, like whisky, the skill of listening improves with age.

Buy Now

SWEET & PEAT PREVIEWS

We’ve just released 5 full-flavoured preview bottlings from October Outturn ahead of First Friday next week. A taste of what’s to come, be the first to sample our preview pick of sweet, smoky and peaty bottlings. With whiskies for the peat freaks, the sweet-toothed and the smoke-heads these drams are sure to get the juices flowing. Limited number of bottles are available to buy online now.

EDINBURGH MEMBER EVENT:
SCOTCH VS. BOURBON MEMBERS TASTING

In the tartan corner we have three fine Society drams and in the red, white and blue corner we have three fine bourbon drams. Tonight your Ambassador will take you through this special tasting, can there be a winner? Finishing with a head to head small serve of both haggis, neeps & tatties or a cheeseburger and fries for supper to help determine to overall winner.

Date: Tuesday 4 October
Location: The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Edinburgh. EH6 6BZ
Time: 7-9.30 pm
Tickets: £35

BUY

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

Hunter Laing & Co. GETS GO AHEAD TO BUILD NEW ISLAY DISTILLERY 

£8m Ardnahoe will be first distillery on the island for more than a decade

Hunter Laing & Co. has been given the green light from Argyll and Bute Council to build a new malt whisky distillery on Islay. The family-owned Glasgow whisky company led by Andrew and Scott Laing, along with their father, Stewart, expect to start work on Ardnahoe distillery in November and the first drop to flow from their stills in early 2018.

Hunter Laing & Co., which was established in May 2013 and distributes whisky to 65 markets around the world, submitted its planning application earlier in the year and will now proceed with plans to build Ardnahoe distillery on a four-acre piece of land at Ardnahoe, on the north east coast of Islay near Port Askaig. The land has been purchased from Islay Estates.

The distillery, which will focus on creating a single malt Islay whisky, will be the ninth on the island and the first to be built since Kilchoman was established in 2005. The distillery will draw water from the nearby Ardnahoe Loch and production of around 200,000 litres of alcohol is planned for the first year.

Commenting on the new distillery, Andrew Laing, Director, said: “We are absolutely delighted that our plans for Ardnahoe have been approved. Since starting our company, we’ve seen a huge demand for Islay whisky around the world and now is the perfect time to make the progression from blenders and bottlers to distillers and secure our own supply of Islay single malt.”

Adding his thoughts, Scott Laing, Director, said: “Our father spent time on Islay early in his career while working for a brief spell at Bruichladdich. He has always had a natural affinity with the island and we’re all fans of the peaty style of whisky it is renowned for so it’s wonderful to be able to build a distillery on the island.”

The building of the distillery will see a visitor centre comprising of a café, tasting room and shop. The distillery will create many full-time positions on the island, as well as a number of seasonal roles.

Remarking on the distillery, Stewart Laing, Managing Director, said: “This is the natural next step in the journey of Hunter Laing & Co. To be able to work with my sons on the new distillery is a real joy, as is the opportunity to be part of the incredible tradition of whisky-making on Islay, the whole experience is a dream come true.”

Notes: 

• Hunter Laing & Co has been operating since May 2013 and owns a portfolio of much loved brands including Old Malt Cask, Old & Rare, Hepburn’s Choice and Sovereign.
• Hunter Laing & Co is an independent bottler and blender and distributes to 65 markets around the world in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australasia.
• Hunter Laing & Co reported pre-tax profits of £1.4m on a turnover of £6.4m for its last full year of trading (end 30 April 2015).
• Heathgreen Ltd is a whisky business wholly owned by the Laing family under the Hunter Laing & Co. group. Planning application for the new distillery has been submitted under the Heathgreen Ltd company.

London art lovers get flavour of Cairngorms from Speyside Distillery art 

The ‘wildlife’ of the Cairngorms was taken to central London for an exhibition at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery. 

Wildlife images created by Speyside Distillery’s artist in residence were hanging at the Kings Road gallery and museum, bringing a flavour of the Cairngorms to the heart of the capital city. 

Prints by Joanna McDonough were part of an exhibition of works from The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts (PSTA) and Spey, the deluxe malt whisky produced at Speyside Distillery. 

Joanna’s work is inspired by the flora and fauna around the boutique distillery, set near Kingussie in the Cairngorm National Park, and her prints of otters, hares and house martins were selected for the collection of works submitted by PSTA students past and present earlier this month. 

Joanna finds the environment in which she lives and works stimulating for her screen printing and delicate pen and ink works. 

She says: “Otters can be found in and around many of the tributaries of the River Spey and are a wonderful sight to behold and I created ‘Otter Frolics’, a three-colour screen print with pen and ink drawn onto the print itself. 

“One of my favourites is of two beautiful hares. There was a hare living in the garden of the Speyside Distillery Gallery cottage and I often saw him lying in the summer sun. 

“In spring we had a very determined young house Martin trying to enter our home in Aviemore and it became quite a battle when the back door was let ajar, and my final print shows young house martins on a branch.” 

Earlier this year Joanna’s art formed a showcase of students’ work for the PTSA in Taiwan, an exhibition sponsored by SPEY. She will be returning to Asia to exhibit with the PSTA at The Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in November. She also has plans to show her work in selected galleries in the Scottish Highlands this winter. 

John Harvey McDonough, CEO of Speyside Distillery says: “Joanna is producing some wonderful art. With our partners The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts , Joanna’s beautiful art merges naturally with the art of distilling – which is the beating heart of our boutique Speyside Distillery . As Joanna’s husband I am very proud of her and her skills as an artist.” 

The luxury malt whisky firm is a keen supporter of the PSTA, a post-graduate academic institution in London which was founded by the Prince of Wales and seeks to promote the traditional arts. 

The whisky brand has a strong presence in Asia, particularly Greater China, and it has sponsored Asian students to study at the PSTA, including the institution’s first Chinese national, who graduated this summer. 

Speyside Distillery, home of the SPEY brand of malt whisky, has been in production since 1990 and is operated by Speyside Distillers Ltd. For further information about Speyside Distillery, visit www.speysidedistillery.co.uk. Follow Speyside Distillery on Twitter @SpeySingleMalt and on Facebook at facebook.com/speysidedistillery

Singularly Spectacular Whisky

This week we have two spectacular new whiskies to share with you. In fact, they are so good we bought the whole cask! With only a hundred or two bottles produced, these single cask expressions are available exclusively at The Whisky Shop.

Free delivery on orders over £75

Next day delivery available on UK orders

ABERFELDY 1991 SINGLE CASK

This limited edition single cask expression from Aberfeldy distillery in Perthshire was distilled in 1991 before spending 24 years in cask no. 6394. Bottled on 1st October 2015 at a strength of 53.5% abv, only 195 bottles are available, each one exclusive to The Whisky Shop. A delicate sweetness in the mouth with smooth creamy toffee notes, desiccated coconut mingling with a twist of lime and a wisp of smoke to finish.

£320 Buy Now

Aultmore 1996 Single Cask

Only 101 bottles of this limited edition single cask expression exist. Distilled at Aultmore in 1996, this Speyside Single Malt has spent 19 years in the cask before being bottled exclusively for The Whisky Shop on 2nd October 2015 at a strength of 50.4% abv. Finished in a Rioja wine cask for 8 years, the colour is a deep burning amber, the aroma rich and intense with crisp burnt sugar, followed by sublime creamy vanilla. On the palate the jammy fruity notes exert their influence, warming and smooth gliding effortlessly to a sweet, biscuit finish.

£240 Buy Now

Longmorn 1973 – Rare Vintage

This incredible Longmorn single malt Scotch whisky from Gordon & MacPhail was distilled in 1973, aged in a refill sherry butt and bottled in 2015, making it approximately 42 years old!

£469.20

Longmorn 1983 – Rare Vintage

A 1983 vintage Longmorn aged for around 30 years in a refill sherry puncheon before being bottled in 2014.

£238.80

Longmorn 1967 – Rare Vintage

A 1967 vintage Longmorn matured in a refill sherry butt. Longmorn is derived from the Gaelic, Lhanmorgund, which means ‘place of the holly man’. A beautiful sherried, Speyside malt.

 £510.00  

Strathisla 1972 – Rare Vintage

Another beautiful release from Gordon & MacPhail, bottled as part of their Rare Vintage series. This 1972 Strathisla was bottled in 2013 after spending around 40 years in first fill sherry hogsheads.

£478.80

Strathisla 1970 – Rare Vintage

Gordon & MacPhail hold some very impressive stock within their warehouses. This Strathisla whisky from 1970 was matured in a first fill sherry butt before being bottled in 2014 at 43% vol under their Rare Vintage series. A big, robust & very moreish Speyside single malt Scotch whisky.

£488.00

Breaking News
We are very excited to unveil our new look packaging and branding.

 In addition to the rebrand, we have launched the first two expressions to feature the new refreshed look.

The English Original 43% ABV &  The English Smokey 43% ABV

Commenting on the rebrand, Andrew Nelstrop, Director of The English Whisky Company said, “We have invested a lot of time in rediscovering our distillery and our values. Much has changed in the world of whisky over the last decade and we now have a far stronger voice, relevance and sense of identity in our rebranded packaging” Both bottles will be available from specialist retailers and St George’s Distillery next month

Evan Williams Bourbon and Major League Baseball Announce 2016 Partnership

BARDSTOWN, KY – Evan Williams Bourbon, the second-largest selling Bourbon in the world, is partnering with Major League Baseball to sponsor the 2016 World Series. As a proud sponsor of the 112^th World Series, Evan Williams will launch the largest sponsorship program in the Bourbon brand’s eight-decade history, including presenting sponsorship of MLB Network’s Emmy Award-winning program, MLB Tonight, during the Postseason.

The sponsorship will be supported nationwide through digital and traditional media. National advertising will feature a new co-branded television spot running on networks including ESPN, FS1, MLB Network, among others. A custom MLB-themed display featuring an Evan Williams jersey, hat and Louisville Slugger baseball bat will also bring the program into retail stores nationwide. 

As part of the World Series sponsorship, Evan Williams will send the grand prize winner and three friends on an all-expenses paid trip to one game of this year’s World Series. The World Series Sweepstakes is open now on the Evan Williams website at EvanWilliams.com/MLB and runs through October 14^th (Official sweepstakes rules here). An Evan Williams World Series Happy Hour featuring specialty cocktails will also be held around the World Series sponsorship. 

“As an authentic American brand, we are proud to support the national pastime by sponsoring Major League Baseball and the 2016 World Series,” said Chris Ratterman, Brand Manager, Evan Williams Bourbon. “Evan Williams has formed a strong partnership with MLB, focusing on the most exciting time of the year for both Bourbon and baseball to provide fans nationwide with new ways to experience seriously good Bourbon.”

Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon is the #2-selling Bourbon in the world. The brand is among the leaders in the rapidly growing American Whiskey segment. For the past three years, Evan Williams has been recognized by Beverage Information Group and Impact for sales growth. Additionally, Impact named Evan Williams Bourbon a “Blue Chip” brand – reflecting total value in the industry.

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 52 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 currently holds the titles of Whisky Magazine’s Distillery of the Year, Whiskey Advocate’s American Whiskey of the Year and Rye Whiskey of the Year from Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. 

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

This year covering 442 distilleries around the world!

* The Distillery Section completely revised with all the latest news
* The chapter on Distilleries Around the Globe now bigger than ever
* New exciting articles by distinguished writers such as Charles MacLean, Ian Buxton, Gavin D Smith, Becky Paskin, Neil Ridley and Jonny McCormick
* Completely new and expanded Japanese chapter by Nicholas Coldicott and Stefan Van Eycken
* More than 250 tasting notes, including Japanese malts and independent bottlings
* New feature – The State of Scotch
* A listing of more than 150 of the world´s greatest whisky shops
* The Whisky Year That Was – the most comprehensive summary you´ll find of the news and trends in the industry
* All the latest info on bottlings, web sites, books as well as the latest statistics and figures
* More than 500 colour photos All in all – the most updated whisky book on the market

Published by MagDig Media Ltd.
Publication date; 1 October 2016
Number of pages; 300
ISBN 978-0-9576553-3-1
Recommended retail price in UK; £13.95
Contact; ingvar.ronde@magdig.com
www.maltwhiskyyearbook.com