Glenturret 2000The MacPhail’s Collection 

A 2000 vintage Glenturret, bottled by independent whisky retailer Gordon & MacPhail for The MacPhail’s Collection. Beautiful colour on this Highland whisky, bottled in 2015 at 43% vol.

£38.80 (£32.33 ex vat)

Click here to purchase Glenturret Vintage 2000

Glenturret 2006 – Single Cask #545 Ewan McGregor 

A single cask release from Scotland’s oldest distillery. Distilled in 2006, cask #545 is a distillery exclusive and has been named Ewan McGregor due to the famous Scottish actor being born in Crieff, the same town in which the distillery is located.

£108.00 (£90.00 ex vat) 

Click here to purchase Glenturret Single Cask 545

Moray Golf Club toasts links with new packages

Visitors to Scotland now have the opportunity to combine the thrill of links golf with the pleasure of sampling the very best malt whiskies through a new range of exclusive golf packages. For the first time, Moray Golf Club has introduced a range of special offers designed specifically for visitors to the club, which will host one of the UK’s most prestigious amateur championships in May.

Moray Golf Club has launched the three new experiences following the success of its ground-breaking sole-supplier agreement with one of Scotland’s most respected suppliers of wines and spirits. Along with the launch of a limited edition 15-year-old Speyside single malt, the formalisation of the club’s relationship with Gordon & MacPhail was one of the highlights of the club’s 125th anniversary celebrations last year and has now been extended to a new three-year contract.

The interest it generated also led to the creation of the new packages, as John Thomson, captain of Moray Golf Club, explained. “The link between Moray Golf Club and whisky has always been celebrated by the club, but the new packages take this connection to another level. The combination of championship links golf and whiskies from every distillery in Morayshire and Speyside is a big draw, and now our tailored packages give us the means of delivering a very special Scottish experience.”

The link between Moray Golf Club – which will host this year’s Carrick Neill Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship – and whisky cannot be overstated. The club claims to have the longest association with its own malt whisky of any golf club in the world with its own malt being created when the club was founded in 1889. Indeed, many of its founders were distillery owners who collectively laid down hogs heads of whisky for the club’s members to enjoy. The club’s own current malt is a 10-year-old Glen Moray from nearby Elgin.

Within living memory, the club whisky was bottled on site with the practice only being abandoned after committee members were overcome by fumes emanating from the bottling process. The new experience packages have been designed to celebrate this link between golf and the ‘water of life’ with the first incorporating a round of championship golf on either the Old or New Moray course followed by a whisky tasting experience created by Gordon & Macphail. Hosted in the club’s Heritage Room which overlooks the sparkling waters of the Moray Firth, The Whisky Experience includes an exhilarating round of golf with a tasting session incorporating five specially selected drams.

The second package embraces the skills needed to tackle Moray’s celebrated championship links courses by playing six holes alongside the club’s pro John Murray. What better preparation could there be than picking the brains of one of Scotland’s finest coaches and an expert in links golf? The Links Experience is a unique opportunity to get some handy links tips and to test them out on the sandy turf before a full round.

The third option combines both The Whisky Experience with The Links Experience creating a full day of learning, fun and indulgence. The experience begins with either a one-to-one or group session with Moray’s resident pro followed by a round on the magnificent Moray Old and then a visit to the Heritage Room to taste some of the finest whiskies Scotland has to offer.

“The Moray Experience brings together the very best of Moray in a fantastic day of golf and whisky,” explained Thomson. “It has been devised to cater for individuals, pairs and groups, and provides a structure around which visitors can experience a day like no other.”

The new Moray experiences have been launched to coincide with the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival and Homecoming Scotland’s Whisky Month in May which form part of the Year of Food & Drink Scotland in 2015.

Notes:

About Moray Golf Club

1) Founded in 1889, Moray Golf Club is situated in Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland. The club has two 18-hole courses appropriately called the Old Course and the New Course.

2) A classic layout designed by Old Tom Morris, the Old Course is one of the finest links courses in Scotland with one of the most memorable closing holes you’ll find in golf. At 6,572 yards, it has a par of 71. It is No 37 in Golf World’s Top 100 Scottish Courses (2013).

3) The tighter New Course was masterminded by Henry Cotton, whose preference for precision golf can be seen in the shorter layout and smaller greens. At 6,068 yards and a par of 70, it is every bit as challenging as the Old Course.

4) Closely associated with whisky, many of the club’s founders were distillers who collectively laid down various malts for the members of the club. In fact, the club has its own cask-strength collection called Founder’s Legacy which started with a 15-year-old Miltonduff. The second in the series is the current malt; the 14-year-old Mortlach (Dufftown’s oldest distillery). 5) The club’s first malt was Dailuaine before moving on to Glen Grant which lasted nearly eight decades before being replaced by The Macallan. Today, the club malt is a 10-year-old Glen Moray from nearby Elgin.

6) For more information about Moray Golf Club, visit http://www.moraygolf.co.uk/

7) For more information about the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, visit http://www.spiritofspeyside.com/

8) For more information about Whisky Month, visit http://www.visitscotland.com/ 

About Gordon & MacPhail 

Established in 1895 the family owned firm of Gordon & MacPhail has a number of business interests. It is as a retailer in Elgin; a wholesaler of wines and spirits in the UK; a bottler of Scotch whiskies, an exporter to over 60 international markets; and a distiller, owning Benromach Distillery in Forres.

Gordon MacPhail is one of the UK’s leading independent specialist wholesalers and distributors, stocking over 4,500 products, including an extensive portfolio of wines, spirits and UK specialist beers and ciders.

For more information about Gordon & MacPhail, visit http://www.gordonandmacphail.com/

Whisky sailing trips Tall Ship Thalassa 2015 and 2016

Make the once in a lifetime trip and sail with tall ship Thalassa! Sail along with us to the best single malt distilleries and visit the famous Islay Whisky Festival. During our whisky sailing trips you will discover Scotland’s coastal distilleries, enjoy the company of whisky lovers and learn from whisky professionals!

Do you prefer a rather unique combination of pure sailing pleasure with the most famous whisky distilleries of Scotland? Decide to join our whisky expeditions on board of tall ship Thalassa!

Would you like to experience such a special adventure in 2015 or 2016? Take your chances and make your reservation immediately!

Whisky sailing trips 2015 and 2016

For the third whisky trip the Thalassa will make in 2015, we still have some places available: Saturday May 30th till Saturday June 6th 

Price: € 995,- per person

The dates for the journeys in 2016 have been released:

Whisky trip 1: Saturday May 14th – Saturday May 21st 2016

Whisky trip 2: Saturday May 21st – Saturday May 28 th 2016 (during ISLAY-Whiskyfestival)

Whisky trip 3: Saturday May 28th – Saturday June 4th 2016

Sailing schedule:

Day 1: Embarkation in Troon, head towards Bruichladdich

Day 2: Sail to Port Ellen

Day 3: Leave to Bunnahabhain

Day 4: Visit distillery, sail to Port Ellen

Day 5: Port Ellen, in the afternoon sailing to Jura

Day 6: Visit distillery of Jura, leave for Campbelltown

Day 7: Visit Springbank distillery, sail to Arran, visit distillery, leave for Troon

Day 8: Disembarkation in Troon

Prices from € 995,- per person

Click here to book your journey online!  

Whisky expedition 2015 and 2016

Beside the popular whisky journeys mentioned above along the Westcoast of Scotland the Thalassa will sail a most unique whisky expedition in 2015 and 2016, starting from the rugged Westcoast, passing by the Northern treasures of Scotland and ending at the more quiet Eastcoast.

Decide to join our newest whisky expeditions and visit within one week not only the West of Scotland (Islay), but also the beautiful North (Skye and Orkney) to end this spectacular holiday at the Eastcoast, Buckie. A journey that cannot be made with regular means of transportation is within reach by ship for you.

Whisky-expedition 2015: Saturday June 6th – Saturday June 13th

Whisky-expedition 2016: Saturday June 4th – Saturday June 11th

Sailing schedule:

Day 1: Embarkation in Troon, leave for Islay

Day 2: Port Ellen, visit numerous distilleries, at evening head towards Bunnahabhain

Day 3: Visit distillery of Bunnahabhain, leave north to Skye

Day 4: Visit Tallisker distillery, sail towards Orkney

Day 5: Prolong journey to Orkney, sleep over in Stromness

Day 6: Orkney, visit distilleries of Highland Park and Scapa

Day 7: Sail to Buckie

Day 8: Disembarkation in Buckie

Price: € 995,- per person

NB: All definite sailing routes depend on wind and weather conditions. Because of this the ship’s captain has the right to change this schedule if necessary. 

The ship

During the trip the guests are facilitated on board of tall ship Thalassa in one of the 15 high quality double cabins, each with a priviate shower.

With her 14 sails, altogether 800 square metres, tall ship Thalassa makes an impressive appearance. Rigged according to century-old traditions and equipped according to the latest security regulations, tall ship Thalassa is extremely seaworthy.De Thalassa combineert uitstekende zeilprestaties met hedendaags comfort. De enthousiaste bemanning zorgt ervoor dat het u aan niets ontbreekt.

Information and online booking

More information about the whisky sailing trips and whisky expedition can be found on our special website: http://www.whiskyzeilreizen.nl/index_uk.php. For further questions please contact us by email or phone: +31 – (0)10 – 4156600

Welcome on board!

HOLLANDS GLORIE

Liesbeth Wammes – de Graaf

Brigitte Beckers

SULLIVANS Cove named Best Australian Single Malt third year running 

Top Tasmanian whisky Sullivans Cove was named “Best Australian Single Malt” at the 2015 World Whiskies Awards in London last night (8:30am this morning in Australia). This is the third year running that Sullivans Cove French Oak has won this prestigious award.

Sullivans Cove is Tasmania’s top selling and most decorated single malt. Last year Sullivans Cove French Oak went on to claim the ultimate title at the 2014 World Whiskies Awards when it was named the world’s best single malt. Earlier this year the distillery’s American Oak single malt was awarded a coveted Liquid Gold Award by whisky guru Jim Murray in the 2015 Whisky Bible.

Speaking from the awards ceremony in London, Sullivans Cove General Manager Patrick Maguire said: “I’m thrilled to be here with the rest of the industry and once again we have had a fantastic result. It’s still quite unbelievable that we keep winning these incredible international awards and it just goes to show the quality of Sullivans Cove as a truly world class single malt whisky.”

20l casks of the famous French Oak single malt whisky are available from the distillery. Please visit http://www.sullivanscovewhisky.com to secure one.

About Sullivans Cove Whisky

Tasmania Distillery produces Sullivans Cove Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky. Sullivans Cove Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky is double distilled using only Tasmanian barley with only the purest wilderness water from local mountains and forests. Matured in hand selected oak casks and allowed to settle and clear naturally, the whiskies retain full, creamy and lingering flavours that are winning fans the world over. Each cask is bottled separately, yielding only around 450 bottles, making each bottle a rare item to own and enjoy.

New Release Penderyn Myth

£34.25 70cl, 41% ABV Buy now

 A new addition to the Penderyn range – a single malt whisky finished in Bourbon barrels. Fresh and lively, Myth has mixed citrus fruits mingling with apple, pear drops and the merest hint of tropical fruits.

This week Joe Ellis reviews BenRiach 18 Year Old Albariza.

https://youtu.be/pGDptHyvcLA

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

https://www.facebook.com/whiskytube

Wemyss Malts new Single Cask releases

Family-owned Wemyss Malts is delighted to announce the release of a new selection of single cask single malt Scotch whiskies.  This mouth-watering collection is named after the unique natural taste and aroma of each one and includes cask strength “The Rockpool” from Islay.

The full cask list of this release comprises:

“The Rockpool” 1995 single cask from Bowmore Distilery, Islay, Cask Strength “Foraged Fruit Fool” 1991 single cask from Blair Athol Distillery, Highlands “Toffee Tuile” 1999 singe cask from Aberfeldy Distillery, Highlands “Kumquat Cluster” 1993 single cask from Glenrothes Distillery, Speyside “Stem Ginger Preserve” 1995 single cask from Mortlach Distillery, Speyside “Rhubarb Royale” 2001 single cask from Benrinnes Distillery, Speyside

Each cask has been selected and named by the Wemyss tasting panel, under the watchful eye of industry aficionado Charlie Maclean.   There are only a few hundred bottles from each cask and the suggested retail prices range from £60 to £120. These bottlings will be available in selected retailers in the UK, EU and key Asian markets.

William Wemyss, Founder and Managing Director at Wemyss Malts, commented: “We’ve had an excellent start to 2015 and are already releasing our second parcel of single casks. As always, the tasting panel has come up with names evocative of these whiskies’ natural tastes and aromas and I’m sure they will delight our customers .”

Notes:

• Wemyss Malts is exhibiting for the first time at Whisky Live London 20/21 March 2015 where some of the new single malts will be available to taste
• Edinburgh based Wemyss Malts is owned by the Wemyss family and their family seat is Wemyss Castle in Fife where they’ve lived since the 1300s.
• Wemyss Malts has an ongoing blended malt whisky range comprising: The Spice King, The Peat Chimney and The Hive; single malt single cask bottlings and blended Scotch range, Lord Elcho.
• The Wemyss family premium wines and spirits brands also include boutique gin Darnley’s View, together with the premium wine estate of Rimauresq Cru Classé in Cotes de Provence.
• The family has opened a single malt distillery at Kingsbarns, near St. Andrews in Fife www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com

Wemyss Malts wins another World Whisky Award

Edinburgh based boutique Spirits Company Wemyss Malts is delighted to announce that it is celebrating a third World Whisky Award from Whisky Magazine as Best Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 2015.

This year’s winner is “Velvet Fig”, a limited edition launched in late 2014. Only 6000 bottles were available and the whisky was bottled at 46% abv and non chill-filtered.

Like the rest of the Wemyss Malts blended malts selection, “Velvet Fig” is named after the whisky’s natural flavours and aromas. The natural mahogany colour has a depth and richness that comes from the quality sherry casks selected. The generous nose is abundant with rich fruits bound with sweet mead and warm leather. The palate has luscious golden sultanas, soft fig and Medjool dates, spiced with nutmeg and ginger and yielding sweet chestnut and toasted walnuts in the finale.

Wemyss blended malts have collected World Whisky Award for best blended malt Scotch twice before: “The Hive” in 2012 and “Spice King” in 2013. “Peat Chimney” collected the bronze award in 2014.

Speaking after his presentation at yesterday’s Whiskies and Spirits Conference in London, William Wemyss, Founder and Managing Director at Wemyss Malts, commented: “This award for “Velvet Fig” is a great start to Wemyss Malts’ 10th anniversary year. “Velvet Fig” has been enormously popular for us and bottles can still be found in specialist retail and online whisky stores.”

Notes

 Wemyss Malts is exhibiting for the first time at Whisky Live London 20/21 March 2015 where Velvet Fig and some new single malts will be available to taste

 Edinburgh based Wemyss Malts is owned by the Wemyss family and their family seat is Wemyss Castle in Fife where they’ve lived since the 1300s.

 Wemyss Malts has an ongoing blended malt whisky range comprising: The Spice King, The Peat Chimney and The Hive; single malt single cask bottlings and blended Scotch range, Lord Elcho. Velvet Fig

 The Wemyss family premium wines and spirits brands also include boutique gin Darnley’s View, together with the premium wine estate of Rimauresq Cru Classé in Cotes de Provence.

 The Wemyss family has opened a single malt distillery at Kingsbarns, near St. Andrews in Fife www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com

 Islay Blended Duncan Taylor Bottling Malt Scotch Whisky

This Islay Blend is a “teaspoon” of some of our favorite Islay malts. Distilleries use this method to keep independent bottlers from using the term Single Malt.

$174.99 Buy Now

Wathen’s Single Barrel Kentucky Bourbon 

Made with a high corn, low rye and high malted barley mash bill, the D&M Wathen’s possesses aromas of soft caramel, cardamom spice and white pepper.

$36.99 Buy Now

High West Double Rye D&M Barrel Select Whiskey 

The first hit in the nose is of a younger rye with butter pickle, spice, and cinnamon. With time in glass notes of the Scotch barrel emerge with smoke and peat spice and light fruit. 

$49.99 Buy Now

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Glenlivet 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Elsewhere $37) ($27.99) 90 points Wine Enthusiast: “Vibrant gold with orange highlights, fruity scent of apples and pears plus a whiff of vanilla. Soft, velvety feel. This is a pleasant and drinkable Scotch, but the flavors are relatively muted. It mixes well with other flavors, making it a good contender for cocktails. Good value.” (12/2011) Whisky Advocate: “As with the ‘Fiddich (reviewed in this issue), here’s a malt where an improved wood policy has brought a dram to life and added complexity. The Glenlivet has always been about lightness, but the trick is to have sufficient solid base to allow its flower to blossom, so as well as lily, orchid, and pineapple, there’s a thick creaminess that gently beds all of these flighty flavors down. With water, there’s mandarin and rose petal, and a sneeze of white pepper. Simply lovely. Value Pick.” K&L Notes: The Glenlivet was the first legal distiller in Scotland (1824) and the only one allowed to be called “The Glenlivet.” What Grande Champagne is to Cognac, the glen of the river Livet is to Speyside–the most famous Speyside highland malts. For shipping orders these ship as a bottle only, no gift box or packaging will be included.

• Glenmorangie 12 year old Quinta Ruban Extra Matured Range Port Cask 750ml ($47.99) 91 points Wine Enthusiast: “While “extra finished” for two years in ruby Port casks, the impact on the spirit is minimal, imparting a rose-gold hue and a shadow of red berry flavor. Though it lacks the “wow factor” of the Nectar d’Or, it’s still quite good: Expect a warm, fruity scent with a hint of cedar and a smooth caramel-honey flavor with baking spices on the finish. ” (12/2011) Wine Spectator: “Pink in color from its ruby Port finish, this whisky is like biting into a chocolate-covered cherry. Deep, ripe, dark fruits announce themselves on the nose, with some spice, honey and cocoa. A blast of chocolate is followed quickly by creamy cherry notes and a snap of licorice on the palate, and the finish turns quite spicy with cinnamon. Finished in Port casks. Non-chill filtered.” (02/2011) Whisky Advocate: “Finished in port casks. Like the Nectar D’or above, this expression adds lushness, body, and a sweet complexity (but with darker fruit and spice than the Nectar D’or) while still allowing Glenmorangie’s complexity to shine through. (Vol. 17, #2) ” K&L Notes: A Double Gold Medal winner in the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The Quinta Ruban is an intense, incredibly dark whisky in the extra matured range from Glenmorangie. It first spends 10 years in in American oak, then another two in Port pipes. A non chillfiltered bottling, the Quinta Ruban has a citrusy nose, with undercurrents of incense, walnuts, spice and Andes dark chocolate mint. The nose carries gracefully over to the palate, which is velvety, sweet and long.

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Mosswood Espresso Barrel Aged American Whiskey 750ml ($39.99) Mosswood is a new line of re-casked MGP whiskies; a project started by Jake Chevedden and Therese Agnew who used to work booze retail in downtown SF. Unlike most non-distiller producers, however, Jake is actually going out and doing something unique with cask maturation. He’s reconditioning used barrels with apple brandy, cold brew coffee, and sour ale to make three different selections for Mosswood. The espresso is shockingly delicious. I don’t normally associate whiskey with coffee, but if it works in an Irish Coffee then why wouldn’t it work as a cask enhancement? What matters is that it does.

• Noah’s Mill Bourbon 750ml – 3 available ($54.99) Wine Spectator: “A fiery oak nose eventually yields sweet corn, herbal grass notes and light vanilla. Laser-intense flavors of mint, rye and eau-de-vie-purity corn spirit heat up the mouth. Break it with a bit of water and you’ll get corn pudding, boozy vanilla and a drying oak finish. It’s a great example of deep flavor hidden in overproof whiskey. ” (02/2012) K&L Notes: Noah’s Mill is a handmade, small-batch Kentucky Bourbon with unique character and a smoothness rarely found in young whiskies. Awarded a Gold Medal at the 2005 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. This received 91 points in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, with the following review: “Stunning small grain, the rye in particular starring…This is one of Kentucky’s most complex whiskies by far. Small grains, big heart.”

• Wild Turkey 101 Rye 1L – 12 available ($39.99)

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