Whisky and Italian Delicatessen – 19 Greville Street, Tue 19 Jan   More > 

BURNS TASTINGS & SUPPERS

Aberdeen – The Caledonian Hotel, Thu 21 Jan   More >

Aberdeen – The Caledonian Hotel, Fri 22 Jan   More >

Dunfermline – Garvock House Hotel, Fri 22 Jan   More >

Glasgow Burns Tasting – Radisson Blu Hotel, Fri 22 Jan  More >

Cambridge – Best Western Plus, The Gonville Hotel, Fri 22 Jan   More >

FREE Live Music Night – The Vaults, Mon 25 Jan   More >

The Vaults Burns Tasting & Supper – The Vaults, Fri 22 Jan   More >

We hasten to add… but pleased to offer this evening of entertainment with an introductory Society dram, 3 dram tasting, and two course haggis supper amidst melody and three Act dramatic entertainment…

London Burns Tasting & Supper  – 19 Greville Street, Mon 25 Jan  More >

We are hosting our biggest Burn’s night yet! A traditional Burns’ Evening to be hosted at our neighbouring Crypt with bagpiper, haggis supper and of course John McCheyne!

Burns Night in the Dining Room – 28 Queen Street, Mon 25 Jan   More >

We present this relaxed Burns Tasting where whisky, wine and food will take centre stage. Piping, traditional Burns poems, 3 Society drams, 3 carefully matched wines & light entertainment will be interspersed during this pantagruelian 5 course meal.

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm).

Visit the Society 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

Laphroaig 32 Year Old – the end of a special birthday year

Laphroaig’s birthday celebrations have drawn to a close. It was their 200th, so we don’t begrudge them a year of partying, especially as it has featured a few special releases. Things kicked off with the 15 Year Old back in April, and continued with an excellent Cairdeas bottling at the Islay Festival, a Friends-of-Laphroaig-only 21-year-old and a travel-retail-exclusive 16-year-old. They’ve even made one of the best whisky adverts we’ve seen:

But they did one final celebratory release, saving the best for last – Laphroaig 32 Year Old, as previewed at The Whisky Show’s sold-out 200 Years of Peat masterclass.

Like many of the other legendary, long-aged Laphroaig releases, the new 32yo is all about sherry casks. To put the whisky together, distillery manager John Campbell sourced a variety of casks, including refills and spirit aged for up to 35 years. The finished whisky is bottled at cask strength with no added colour (and a clear glass bottle to show the liquid’s deep red hue) and no chill filtration.

LAPHROAIG 32 YEAR OLD, 46.6% ABV, £799

Nose: Blackcurrant and liquorice sweets, damp bracken and smouldering hay. It smells old, with classic dunnage warehouse flavours of bung cloth and earth joined by rich peat. The traditionally sharp medicinal notes of TCP and sea-spray ozone sit on top as a contrast, although sweet notes of icing sugar, chocolate butter icing, candied fruit and boiled sweets keep things balanced.

Palate: Rich peat, dark chocolate and damp-forest campfires – earthy rancio, tree bark and burning pine needles – red berries, cinnamon spice and freshly cracked black pepper. Behind the earth and spice are the sweet-and-sour fruity notes that you’d expect from a Laphroaig of this age – apples (sweet, sharp and baked), mango, star fruit, lime skin and bitter orange peel – as well as dark, sweet liquorice.

Finish: Big and spicy to start, with tingly black-pepper heat. The flavours fade slowly, leaving liquorice, chocolate sauce and stewed fruit.

Comment: Much more intense than I expected from the small number of other well-aged Laphroaigs I’ve had the opportunity to taste. It has the fruitiness that I love in their whisky once the peat has started to fade, but also has lots of smoke and a punch of flavour from the sherry casks.

There were only 6,000 bottles available worldwide and most have now sold out. We have just a handful and they’ll be hitting our website on the afternoon of 13 January. If you’d like to receive an email when it goes live, click through to our website and sign up by hitting the Notify Me button.

 Buffalo Trace Distillery Has Another Record Year for Visitors

Visitation has increased 190% since 2009

            Franklin Co, Frankfort, Ky. (Jan. 12, 2016) – Buffalo Trace Distillery ended 2015 on a high note, with a record number of visitors coming to see the 243-year-old National Historic Distillery. For the year ending Dec. 31, 2015, Buffalo Trace entertained 145,849 guests, an increase of 18% over the previous year.  Since the end of 2009, Buffalo Trace has seen an astonishing 190% growth in visitation.

            “Our Visitor Center expansion was completed last spring, just in time for a very busy summer and fall,” said Meredith Moody, marketing services director.  “Between the expansion, the opening of our Old Taylor House, the completion of our new technologically advanced 83,000 square foot distribution center, and the additional 282 acres of land we purchased to start our own farm-to-table bourbon, we’ve had very eventful year at Buffalo Trace Distillery.”

            And that’s not all – last year the Distillery was also awarded two very prestigious awards, the 2015 American and Caribbean Spirits Producer of the Year by the International Wine and Spirits Competition, and the 2015 Icons of Whisky World Whisky Brand Innovator of the Year.  A host of other awards and gold medals were awarded to the various brands produced by Buffalo Trace in 2015, all of which can be seen here.

            For 2016, Buffalo Trace Distillery has no plans to slow down its tourism efforts.  It will continue to offer its five complimentary tours, each followed by a complimentary tasting.  The consumer events such as the January “Legends” dinner series, Valentine’s dinner, Oaks Day festival, and more will continue to be offered.  The Distillery is also open now year round for tours, except major holidays.

“We’re excited about the future plans we have for the Distillery, most notably that we expect to reach our one millionth (cumulative) tour visitor sometime in 2016!,” added Moody.  “Our plans for celebrating that milestone are under wrap for now, but you can be sure to see something exciting from us later this year, probably in the fall.”

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 17 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named “Brand Innovator of the Year” by Whisky Magazine at its Icons of Whisky America Awards 2015.  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 300 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit http://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/.

Laphroaig 1997 TWE Exclusive – a steal of a price

Continuing our Laphroaig theme from yesterday, we’ve got a great TWE exclusive to share – Laphroaig 1997 bottled by Berry Brothers.

However, we also have an admission to make: we’ve been selling it at the wrong price.

Unfortunately, due to some bad calculator work, we’ve had the bottle on the website for £40 less than we should have, and now we’ve noticed we’ve had to put it up to its proper price of £150 – still a lot less than than the €259 one of its sister casks is going for elsewhere

We launched the Laphroaig in December, although there were a few preview bottles on the Berry Bros & Rudd stand at The Whisky Show back in October – it was hailed by many to be the best Laphroaig at the show, occasionally coming second to the now-sold-out show bottling.

Laphroaig 1997, Berry Bros & Rudd. Cask #46, bottled 2015, 53.8% ABV

Nose: Sea spray, beach bonfires and lashings of fruit – lime, mango, pear, passion fruit and maybe even a hint of banana. The fruit sweetness sits under a layer of sharp citrus peel and fresh bandages.
Palate: It starts with a big coastal hit of crashing waves, damp stones and rock pools, and then the fruit arrives. The fruit bowl from the nose backed up by burning logs, coal dust and an unexpectedly rich backbone of vanilla cream.
Finish: Classic Laphroaig medicinal notes lead – iodine and sticking plasters – before liquorice, menthol, leafy tarragon and sweet anise roll-in and fade away.
Comment: A super-fruity Laphroaig with a big kick of the distillery’s traditional medicinal nature, but perfectly balanced with out either taking the upper hand. The smoke is very much in the background, but provides an excellent contrast which adds yet another layer of complexity. A good dram.

We’ve sold most of the Laphroaig 1997 but it’s now back up on the website, and while it’s not the steal of a price it was before, it’s still a very good deal – grab your bottle here.

DIAGEO SPECIAL RELEASES TASTING
WITH COLIN DUNN

We’re delighted to announce our first tasting of 2016 – the latest Diageo Special Releases presented by whisky ambassador Colin Dunn. Diageo began their annual Special Releases in 2000 to allow enthusiasts to sample older, rarer and more unusual whiskies from the immense number of distilleries in the Diageo family. Often from closed or hard-to-find distilleries, they have proved popular with collectors and drinkers alike.

We’ll be trying seven highlights from this year’s range as we enjoy an evening of Colin Dunn’s signature mix of facts, anecdotes and fun:

– Brora 37yo
– Clynelish Select Reserve
– Dailuaine 1980
– Lagavulin 12yo
– Pittyvaich 1989
– Port Ellen 32yo
– The Cally 40yo

The tasting will take place on Tuesday 26 January at 7.30pm £65 per ticketAs ever, tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited to two per customer.

BOOK YOUR TICKET
Call Us: 020 8838 9448
Tickets on sale Friday 15 January at 3pm

VENUE

THE JUDGES COURT, BROWNS,
82-84 ST MARTIN’S LANE,
LONDON WC2N 4AG

PLEASE ARRIVE AT THE VENUE
FROM 7.15PM FOR A 7.30PM START

We are passionate, knowledgeable and care about good customer service.

Let us help you with any whisky or other drinks related queries.

Call our office: +44 131 524 9380 (Monday to Friday) or email: mailto:contact@royalmilewhiskies.com?subject=RMW%20Customer%20Query

United States – Kentucky

Woodford “Sonoma Master’s Collection – 1838 Style” White Corn Kentucky Straight Bourbon (750ml) $99.99

Willett Distillery 3 Year Old Kentucky Rye Whiskey (750ml) $44.99

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

Photo Credit Jen Steele

VICTORIA, Jan. 15, 2016 The jury has decided. A whisky distilled in Windsor, Ontario, is the best Canadian whisky of 2015.  A panel of ten independent whisky experts named Lot No. 40 the Canadian Whisky of the Year at the sixth annual Canadian Whisky Awards. They announced the results of this annual blind tasting competition Thursday evening, January 14, at the Victoria Whisky Festival in Victoria, B.C.

Chairman of the judges, Davin de Kergommeaux, described Lot No. 40 as: “A rye whisky sensation. Interest in rye is surging globally and here is proof that Canada makes the best all-rye whiskies in the world.”

Other top winners include Canadian Club 100% Rye, Gooderham & Worts, Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye, Crown Royal Hand Selected Barrel, and Masterson’s 10-Year-Old Rye.

“Canada’s whisky makers have responded to skyrocketing interest in Canadian whisky with a wealth of new high-end releases,” said de Kergommeaux as he revealed the winners. “For example, for the first time ever, a major legacy brand, Crown Royal, has bottled single barrel Canadian whisky at high proof.”

Canadian distillers released more small-batch and luxury whiskies in 2015, than ever before. Corby Distillers, for instance introduced four new whiskies including the highly innovative Wiser’s Hopped Whisky.

Forty Creek, Centennial, and Sortilège continued to maintain a strong presence for flavoured whiskies as well.

The list of all the winners is now available at http://www.canadianwhisky.org

Notes:

About the Canadian Whisky Awards

The Canadian Whisky Awards recognize the very best Canadian whiskies and encourage distillers to maintain the highest standards for making whisky. To qualify, the whisky must be distilled and matured in Canada. An independent panel of whisky writers, bloggers, and journalists selects the winners after tasting each whisky blind. Operated on a not-for-profit basis, the Canadian Whisky Awards are fully independent of the Canadian whisky industry.

SOURCE Canadian Whisky Awards

For further information: Davin de Kergommeaux (613) 563-0254

There’s no better way to beat the post-holiday blues than to daydream about summertime while enjoying a dram from our January Outturn. No doubt you’ll find at least one to put you in a dreamy mood!

Enjoy the brief bottle notes below and click on the titles to find the full tasting notes and prices.

Also, the January edition of Unfiltered magazine will be out soon, so keep an eye on your mailboxes!

CASK No. 55.28  DAINTY, MEASURED AND DELICATE 

14 years old; refill hogshead;  58%; Light & delicate

Heady scents of a lemon syrup sponge served in a garden centre.  Iced tea and Toffee Dodger biscuits.  Sweet and peachy, with lychees, vanilla, and burnt orange syrup.  Water brought apple scented soap, distant potpourri, apple juice jelly, with vanilla and dried cranberries to finish.

CASK No. 36.76  A SWEET WINTER WARMER

17 years old; refill barrel; 59.3%; Spicy & sweet

Lush and intensely sweet oaky aromas; honey glazed parsnips, freshly baked croissants and fudge. Warm, tingly and spicy on the palate neat with a cocoa powder finish. Water adds roses and carnations on the nose and in the taste popping candy and sour fruit jellies.

CASK No. 76.122  COMPLEX, SMOOTH AND ELEGANT

27 years old; refill hogshead; 53.6%; Sweet, fruity & mellow

A complex nose – apple, pear, strawberry, lemon sherbet, fudge and ice-cream, with sub-strata of Moroccan spices, saunas and incense smoke. The elegant palate has maple syrup, citrus, dark cherry, nougat and sugared almonds, with oak-derived flavours of sandalwood, leather and anise.

CASK No. 121.80  A CURIOUS AND ECCENTRIC CONUNDRUM

14 years old; refill hogshead; 54.6%; Spicy & sweet

A curious conundrum, the nose has pepper, burnt twigs and salty sweetness (sugared almonds and meatballs) – but also pomegranate, wine gums and flowers. The palate’s sweetness (chocolate, toffee, ice-cream, dark honey) ricochets off deeper elements (sea-salt, sardines, wood, salted caramel).

CASK No. 119.14  RASPBERRY IMPERIAL STOUT

11 years old; 1st fill sherry butt; 53.9%; Deep, rich & dried fruits

Deep notes of sherry trifle, black coffee and dark chocolate with cherry.  Spicy dark fruits of the forest, sweet, earthy beetroot, and imperial stout with raspberry.  Water brought ginger preserve, malt loaf, raspberry concentrate, chocolate prunes and Fisherman’s Friend to the fore.  We wanted more…

CASK No. 29.159  ANYONE FOR CRICKET?

17 years old; refill hogshead; 51.7%; Peated

Old apothecary chests and Germolene antiseptic cream in the cricket pavilion. Wet, mossy grass. Applewood smoke over tuna steak, wasabi, crispy seaweed and salt and vinegar chips. Earl Grey tea. Sportsman’s leathers like well worn gloves and sweet pipe tobacco. Dark chocolate with mint.

CASK No. 66.62  CLASSIC CAESAR COCKTAIL

16 years old; refill gorda; 56.6%; Oily & coastal

Striking a match to light a gas stove to cook pork tenderloin. Neat on the palate just like that gas ignition followed by langoustines, mussels and mackerels. Water makes a classic Caesar Cocktail and on the taste baked salmon croquettes.

SMWS Canada

1988 Blair Athol 26 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($179.99)

Last year’s cask of 1988 sherry-aged Blair Athol from Signatory drove our customers into such a frenzy that we still get phone calls asking about it over a year later. The big, rich, caked-in-sherry flavor blended beautifully with the soft-fruited core of the Highland whisky’s profile, creating an absolute beast when bottled at full proof. We’re happy to announce to all those who’ve been begging us for more that we were able to return to Signatory this past spring and purchase the lone sister cask to that beloved Blair Athol, bringing one last batch of that sherry-matured magic to K&L customers one last time. Whereas last year’s cask showcased all the sweetness and sugary spice that Oloroso sherry can offer, this whisky is much drier and earthier on the palate. It’s full of coffee bean, dried prunes, and burnt almonds, lingering far longer on the finish with a more dynamic finale of dried earth and savory splendor. It’s a fitting finale to one of the most talked-about and requested whiskies in K&L history. We’re happy we were able to finish out the legacy with a bang!

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: December 07, 2015

An expressive, rich and round single malt that is full-bodied. It is packed full of flavor with the sherry barrel aging showing itself. Malty and dried fruit flavors are part of the delicious flavor profile.

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