Quintessentially Canadian Magazine launches Canada’s newest Whisky magazine: QC Relish and Whisky.

A quarterly publication devoted entirely to the excesses of fine food and heavenly spirits. 

QC Relish and Whisky highlights the best of distilleries, expert advice for the whisky connoisseur, product innovations, and stories and details from the lives beyond the glass. Filled with recipes from the master chefs of the culinary world and new perspectives to open your eyes on spirits near and far. With a setting for all to enjoy, a comfortable visual escape, where questions are answered and curiosity is evoked. Local gastronomic to the Angels’ share.

Read online here

Last month Donald McNab, founder of Friends of Scottish Rugby, was presented with a specially labelled 3L bottle of Glenfarclas Single Malt Whisky by HRH Princess Royal. As Honorary Life President of Friends of Scottish Rugby, and a Glenfarclas enthusiast, Mr McNab has often arranged for the Princess Royal to present Glenfarclas whisky to notable people in recognition of their support of Scottish Rugby. On this occasion however, the presentation was in honour of Mr McNab himself and his fundamental role at FSR.

On the 22^nd February 2016, the FSR McNab Tribute Dinner was held at the Caledonian Club on Halkin Street in London. HRH Princess Royal is a long-standing and committed supporter of Scottish Rugby, and gladly accepted the invitation to present Mr McNab with such a grand token of appreciation. Chairman of Glenfarclas, John L. S. Grant, who is a member of the Caledonian Club and Friends of Scottish Rugby since its inception, was pleased to donate this special bottle in honour of Donald McNab’s achievements.

All those in attendance were gifted with a specially labelled miniature bottle of Glenfarclas. The unique label depicts a photo dedication with text reading ‘Presented to Donald McNab by HRH Princess Royal in recognition of his longstanding stewardship of Friends of Scottish Rugby on 22^nd February 2016’.

Glenfarclas
www.glenfarclas.co.uk
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/glenfarclas/

Faultline Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($44.99)

We’ve been doing gin and single malt for years, and now rum, so why not throw our hat in the bourbon pool? One of the obstacles that kept us from making a Faultline bourbon earlier was availability: the current demand has made the extra barrel a thing of the past. One of the only distilleries that would sell us a cask for a private label was the old LDI distillery in Indiana, but with the already overcrowded LDI market (Bulleit Rye, Templeton Rye, High West, etc) we didn’t think our product would be different enough, or of the quality we desired, for the Faultline name. That’s when John Little from Smooth Ambler stepped in and said he’d be happy to help us do something special. If we were going to work with LDI casks, then we needed the capability to blend something special to taste – the specs wouldn’t sell this baby. John had some incredible 10-year-old low rye formula that we used in conjunction with some 7-year high rye. We kept tasting and tasting until we found the sweet spot at 100 proof. It’s FAR better than I ever thought it would be. I hoped we could provide something fun and different, but the final whiskey is phenomenal. It’s rich, with sweet fruit right on the entry, a full-bodied mid-palate, and a long, rich, spicy finish. It tastes like it came from Four Roses or somewhere fancy and at 50% it pops in all the right places. I hope we can make another batch like this because this bourbon is the new king of K&L. Taste it if you don’t believe me. (David Driscoll)

David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 20, 2015

Every batch of Faultline Bourbon that John Little blends for us here at K&L gets better and better each time. The more we do this, the better we get at doing it. We’re putting out some of the softest, richest, most delicious bourbon on the market and it’s only for K&L customers at a fantastic price. If you haven’t bought a bottle yet, you’re really missing out.

K&L Wine Merchants http://www.klwines.com/ Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637) Email: wine@klwines.com San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

As we are settling into our new premises we would just like to make you aware of the parking facilities that are available to our customers. There is free parking available directly outside our premises and across from us in the visitors parking area. Please refrain from parking in the spaces outside of the Plumb and Drain Centres which are either side of ourselves. If there is no available parking outside the auction please use the on street parking which is very reasonable.

Thanks,

SWA Team

Reawakening the spirit of Scotland’s rugged north coast

wolfburn.com

IT’S BEEN A WHILE

In 2011 the founders of Wolfburn Single Malt Whisky travelled to Thurso in Caithness, the most northerly town on the British mainland, in search of the old Wolfburn distillery. After 150 years of neglect, what they found of what was once one of the largest whisky producers in the county was a pile of old stones. The only thing that remained was the flow of water that once fed the mash tun and stills all those years ago. The team were convinced that if the water was still there, then the whisky could be too.

In May 2012, the purchase of the land was finalised. By January 2013 the new Wolfburn distillery was complete and on Burns Night, a cask of Wolfburn whisky – the first for nearly 150 years – was laid down in Thurso. Using unpeated malt, master distiller Shane Fraser and his team have crafted the latest incarnation of Wolfburn whisky from a blank canvas by pot still distillation, the old way; no automation, no rush and a lot of care. The worts are fermented for roughly 75 hours, allowing the yeast activity to mellow the wash, releasing a series of floral notes that carry through to distillation and maturation and are present in the finished whisky. The spirit is double distilled, slowly, first through the wash still and then through the spirit still, which were specifically designed and handcrafted by coppersmith Forsyths of Rothes. Once the distillation is complete the whisky is left to mature on site, in Spanish and American oak casks that are stored using traditional dunnage methods; on their side, bung up, on stows, never higher than three.

The end result is a famously smooth, full bodied, and enjoyable whisky bottled at 46% abv.

Available from the 14th March, Wolfburn Single Malt Whisky is wonderfully unique in flavour. It’s light and fragrant with aromas of fruit, malt and a hint of peat, sweet and nutty on the pallet, leaving a pleasant flavour of smoke in the mouth.

The Inaugural bottling, crafted from the very first casks from the new Wolfburn distillery, is truly something for collectors and connoisseurs. Limited in number to 875 bottles (100 for the UK market), each individually numbered and engraved, and presented in a hand-made oak box. The whisky inside was selected by Shane Fraser specifically to become Wolfburn’s first. Using long fermentation, long slow distillation, and matured in hand-selected casks, it is genuinely something special.

Wolfburn Single Malt Whisky is distributed in the UK by Amathus Drinks PLC. Pre-orders are being accepted now: sales@amathusdrinks.com. For more information please visit www.wolfburn.com or contact holly@amathusdrinks.com.

MWW Wolfburn Single Malt 46% 70cl £44.95

MWWI Wolfburn Inaugural Special Edition Single Malt 46% 70cl £200.00

Singleton of Glen Ord 15 Year Old – Malt of the Month

I’ve been intrigued by Glen Ord for years. Back in the dim and distant past, I became aware of the distillery when I was asked to write about them in 1001 Whiskies to Try Before You Die – I tried a few drams and really liked them. However, it’s only more recently that I’ve managed to visit and learn about more about the distillery first-hand.

Situated a short drive away from Inverness – and easily accessible by train for those like me who shouldn’t be in control of a motor vehicle – on the edge of the village of Muir of Ord, the distillery has been operated without much interruption since 1838. It sits on the south-western edge of the Black Isle, a fertile peninsula well known for its grain production, and when it opened it was one of almost 20 distilleries operating in the area. Times have changed, and these days it’s the Black Isle’s only distillery and one of the most important in Diageo’s malt portfolio. Add to that the large maltings a few minutes walk away – a facility that provides malt to a some of Diageo’s best-known distilleries – and you have site that’s involved in the production of a lot of whisky.

The Ord maltings are impressive – a cathedral dedicated to malting barley

Until 2015, the distillery had a capacity of 5 million litres of alcohol per year, putting it in the top 20 malt producers by volume in Scotland. But a major distillery expansion has now bumped that to 11 million, pushing it into the top five, at about the same level of production as Glenlivet and Macallan. However, unless you go behind the scenes at the distillery, you can’t tell – the buildings are still the same as before for the most part, with the expansion mostly happening in the disused buildings that once housed the on-site saladin maltings.

The plan was simple: double production by doubling the number of stills and washbacks and adding an extra mash tun, while keeping all the original buildings in place. As the project progressed, they found some more space and added in a couple of extra washbacks, removing a pinch point in production and kept the complex jigsaw of spirit production running smoothly. Along with the extra washbacks and mash tun, they also needed to find space for some stills. This is actually a new building, hidden behind the old site and filled with seven new copper pot stills.

Seven new stills – still shiny

The spirit they produce is classified – using Diageo’s internal definitions – as ‘grassy’. One of the key parts of getting that character is how they condense the spirit vapour into liquid. The distillery uses shell-and-tube condensers: wide pipes filled with small tubes full of water, which cool the spirit vapour as it flows through, turning it into liquid. While we usually think of the water used for cooling the vapour as being cold, Glen Ord uses warm water. This allows the vapour to stay as vapour for longer, increasing its interaction with the copper of the condenser and producing a lighter, grassier spirit.

My first introduction to Glen Ord was a double-bill tasting of the now-discontinued 12 and 28 Year Old, but further exploration was hampered by an annoying sales decision – Glen Ord’s whisky was only available in Asia. As the third distillery in Diageo’s Singleton range – along with Dufftown and Glendullan – Ord was confined to shops on the other side of the globe. However, Diageo has now decided to open up the range to the whole world, and to celebrate, Singleton of Glen Ord 15 Year Old is our Malt of the Month – we’ve knocked £8 off for the whole of March.

Singleton of Glen Ord 15 Year Old

Nose: Soft and waxy with orchard fruit – apples and pears – backed up by soft spicy notes and a hint of the tropical. As it sits in the glass, honeysuckle and butterscotch develop, along with a touch of buttery pastry.

Palate: Slightly oily texture with the fruit from the nose complemented by orange zest and a touch of bitter citrus oil. Spice is more noticeable on the palate, with ginger and nutmeg sitting on top of vanilla and creamy notes.

Finish: Quite long, with sharper fruit softening to a spicy end.

Comments: A rounded and waxy dram with richer flavours providing a solid background for lighter and sweeter notes.. A great every day sipper.

While the lack of easily findable Ord has given me an excuse to visit the distillery a couple of times, the extra-availability will hopefully make it easier for everyone to grab a bottle and find out why it’s my favourite in the Singleton stable.

• Knob Creek 9 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #3080 Kentucky Bourbon (750ml) ( $47.99) On a recent trip to Kentucky, our buyers paid their first ever visit to Jim Beam to taste barrels with esteemed distiller Fred Noe, son of the late, great Booker Noe. With supplies of mature, age-labeled Kentucky Bourbon on the decline due to increasing demand, they were searching for value in market with few true deals as of late. Jim Beam, being the state’s largest distiller of Bourbon, still has healthy supplies of 9+ year old casks and was happy to make them available for the boys upon their arrival. Bottled with at a whopping 120 proof, these hand-selected casks of Beam, bottled under the brand’s Knob Creek label are not for the faint of heart. Cask #3080 brings the power and punch on the entry, but shows a more delicate and nuanced character on the finish. In the between the diminuendo are flavors of toasted oak, burnt vanilla, and even floral flutter before the heavy herbaceous notes and charred wood spice dominate the finish. It’s a whole lotta whiskey for less than $50 and it definitely shows a different side of the standard Beam profile.

• Knob Creek 9 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #3127 Kentucky Bourbon (750ml) ( $47.99) On a recent trip to Kentucky, our buyers paid their first ever visit to Jim Beam to taste barrels with esteemed distiller Fred Noe, son of the late, great Booker Noe. With supplies of mature, age-labeled Kentucky Bourbon on the decline due to increasing demand, they were searching for value in market with few true deals as of late. Jim Beam, being the state’s largest distiller of Bourbon, still has healthy supplies of 9+ year old casks and was happy to make them available for the boys upon their arrival. Bottled with at a whopping 120 proof, these hand-selected casks of Beam, bottled under the brand’s Knob Creek label are not for the faint of heart. Cask #3127 is like an older, better version of Booker’s. While the namesake of Fred’s father is quite the legend, recent editions are now around 6 years of age. This single barrel of Knob is richer, bigger, bolder, spicier, and lengthier than any of those recent batches. The finish is like a dash of black pepper covered in burnt vanilla. Impressive stuff.

• Knob Creek 9 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #3128 Kentucky Bourbon (750ml) ( $47.99) On a recent trip to Kentucky, our buyers paid their first ever visit to Jim Beam to taste barrels with esteemed distiller Fred Noe, son of the late, great Booker Noe. With supplies of mature, age-labeled Kentucky Bourbon on the decline due to increasing demand, they were searching for value in market with few true deals as of late. Jim Beam, being the state’s largest distiller of Bourbon, still has healthy supplies of 9+ year old casks and was happy to make them available for the boys upon their arrival. Bottled with at a whopping 120 proof, these hand-selected casks of Beam, bottled under the brand’s Knob Creek label are not for the faint of heart. There are folks out there who claim they can pick the signature Beam flavor out of any line up, but in a recent blind tasting our staff guessed Four Roses across the board. The heavy accents of pencil shavings, savory spice, powerful force, and light vanilla are a trademark of the Lawrenceburg legend, but in this case their emanating from a bottle of Beam. This cask is a hot, hot deal considering that bottles of Four Roses single barrel now retail for $67, so expect the same level of quality for $20 less.

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Fund Dornoch Distillery

Punxsutawney Phil says an early spring, but baby it’s still cold outside.

Here are some warming whiskies.

Compass Box 10th Anniversary Peat Monster Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

Scotch Vatted Malt of the Year: Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2015.$119.99

High West Double Rye D&M Barrel Select Whiskey

This right here is an interesting beast!$49.99

D&M, 2200 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115

The Arran Malt Comes of Age

As the award-winning Isle of Arran Distillers celebrates its 21^st Birthday, the Arran Malt reaches maturity with the first bottling of the year – the 18 Year Old Single Malt.

Anticipation for the return of the 18 Year Old Single Malt is high after the first limited run of 9,000 bottles last year rapidly sold out. The Arran Malt reaches full maturity at 18 years making this an incredibly complex and sophisticated dram.

Gold in colour, caramelised citrus and tropical notes mingle on a background of toasted oak.

The classic Arran flavours of citrus and orchard fruits combine with milk brioche and dark chocolate for a luxurious finish that lingers on the palette.

A drop of water reveals light floral notes and the delicious aroma of orange fondant creams.

Bottled at 46% (vol), it is distilled without chill-filtration or artificial colouring for a pure yet intricate taste.

James MacTaggart, master distiller at the Isle of Arran Distillery, says: “This is a very special bottling for us. As the most mature expression of the Arran Malt it represents the very best of the distillery in this, our 21^st year.

“As the only distillery on the island, we stand for its centuries of whisky-making tradition. The 18 Year Old is a worthy reflection of this heritage with all the depth of aroma and flavour for which Arran malts have become known around the world.”

Available at whisky shops and online www.arranwhisky.com

RRP £74.99

Notes:

For more information visit www.arranwhisky.com

* Accolades for Isle of Arran Distillery include Winner for: Best New Exporter (2004), Queen’s Award for International Trade (2005), Scottish Distiller of the Year (2007) and Scottish Drinks Producer of the Year (2007.)

Product awards include: Best Whisky Liqueur (2007), ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 12 Years & Under’ for The Arran Malt Amarone Cask Finish (2008) ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for The Arran Malt Sherry Single Cask 1998 (2010) and ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for the Icons of Arran Peacock (2011.) ‘Double Gold Award’ for Arran’s 14 Year Old Single Malt and ‘Gold Award’ for Arran’s 10 Year Old Single Malt at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2012). Double Gold in FiftyBest.com awards (2012). Double Gold Medal for the 12 year-old Cask Strength in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2013). Double Gold for both the 10 year-old and 12 year-old Cask Strength at the China Wine & Spirits Best Value Awards 2014.