WHISKY WEEKEND TO SPEYSIDE, FEBRUARY 2015

Liz and myself (Paul) left Perth 8 am on FRIDAY morning, well Paul left Perth, drove to Broughty Ferry to pick up Liz, then headed to Aberdeen. Taking the route past the airport we headed north towards Huntly. Turning at the sign for Insch, following this country road for a few miles, until we found Ardmore distillery. In we toodled to meet up and chat on a tour we are bringing here in April. A nice start to the day. From there back to the main road north and headed to Elgin – we do feel lately as if we live there!  Having been/stayed there so often lately. Calling in at almost a family home now; Glen Moray, a wee bit of shopping and a chat. From here to the Highlander Inn for lunch, fish and chips, Irn Bru – great!

A wee break from driving and a good look around the place (as usual) – did you know it is for sale? Aye, still. Liz and myself just dinnae have that amount floating around our bank! Anyhow, off we toodled again, this time up to Archiestown, turning here for our next port of call.  We wanted to take a few photos of the brand new Dalmunach distillery. Builders/security fences around it just now, as they are still working on it.  As you do, we went in and started the photo session!  At the door/entrance a fella came out “can I help you?”, in trouble yet again we thought. We explained who we were and why we were there, we then got an invite inside, Liz flew back to the car to turn it off and returned, we all 3 went inside to this wonderful Whisky cave of Aladdin! The circular entrance wall is made from the old Imperial distillery washback – it still smells wonderful! So many features here we cannot really chat about … a distillery design like no other in Scotland, eco green, earth friendly and out of this world!  The still room is amazing, a Star Treck layout for the control desk, spirit safe built as a hexagonal, the stills, in a circle! As we left we thanked our (cannee be named) host and went back to the car with a smile as big as a hoose! That was really something we hadnee expected atall, it certainly made my day! We then stopped a while at Dailuaine distillery before heading into Aberlour, met up with Mark’s (coach driver Mark) sister Louise and bought wooden toys in one of the wee shops there (Liz for nephews or something along that line). One more stop now before hanging up the car keys, Glenfarclas distillery. Liz hadnee been here, so a must! Aye, she loved it, we came oot lighter in the wallet but with a bottle of the fantastic 105.

So far so good. Arriving at the hotel, checked in and found the bar, as you do. Several very welcome drinks later, we headed for dinner, a very nice affair I must say. Delighted to be satisfied again in the belly region, we lingered in the bar waiting for the evening whisky tasting; An Cnoc 12yo, Glenrothes Select Reserve, Balvenie Doublewood 12yo, Spey Tenne, Glentauchers 17yo G&M exclusive and Tomintoul 10yo. There was also a Ballantines added!  A good day, we retired for a dram or three more, if only every day was like this, and not even a falling out! Doon at the bar, malt of my day Dalmore King Alec!

SATURDAY. Ohh, a 10.30 start (for Liz), Paul having been doon for breakfast at 8. On the menu today, drove to Glenlivet, surprisingly closed! Up to Tomintoul, dropped in at the whisky castle, passed the distillery and headed back into Speyside proper, Cardhu and Tamdhu visited. More driving today but fine, back to the hotel bar, ready for a relax and well deserved drink/s.  At 7.30 we were piped into dinner, a glorious 5 course affair with a dram per course.  5 course Taste of Scotland Gourmet Whisky Menu;  Spey Valley Smoked Salmon, Served with Capers Lemon & Brown Bread & Butter. Paired with: Lagavulin 16 Years Old.  Goats Cheese & Lemon Mousse, Micro Rocket & Crackers. Paired with:  Glenmorangie 10 Years Old.  Smoked Venison, Cranberry & Orange Compote with Scottish Salad Leaves. Paired with: Benromach.  Beef Fillet, Blue Cheese Marinade served with Crispy Leeks & Chive Butter. Paired with:  Auchentoshan 12 Years Old. Traditional Scottish Cranachan served with Homemade Oatmeal & Honey Biscuits. Paired with: BenRiach 12 Years Old.

Can I just say the meal was grand, but the highlight a goats cheese dish that was heaven!  Drinkies, followed by Match of the Day.

SUNDAY. Saturday all over again, Liz in the land of nod, checked out at 10am, where did we go? You guessed; Dufftown.  Called in to a friend and caught some liquid booty. Dropped by Balvenie and headed up to Keith. From here to another gem of a place; Knockdhu distillery, Many thanks to Iain (in the absence of Gordon) for the tour, Liz hadnee been here before either. I do like this place. Over an hour later and we were heading back to Huntly, time for lunch, Deans place. Back through Aberdeen and landing in Broughty Ferry, offload booty, a cuppa tea and a look what we found/bought/picked up!   A GREAT WEEKENDER.

Paul, writing as only he can, please forgive grammar and a shocking disregard for the language. As most of you know by now, we offer/arrange superb whisky tours, last weekend we were doing some research & development again, brushing up on skills, knowledge and samples, making and re visiting whisky friends and contacts.   www.mcleanscotland  www.angelswhiskyclub.com

Well Done to all our friends at KWM!

Experience the excellent service, selection & friendship that embodies KWM for yourself at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

Scotch Lovers Abound in Calgary

Calgary Herald Article by Lisa Kadane

International whisky expert to headline Birmingham festival 

• Ian Buxton will launch new book during exclusive masterclass at Whisky Birmingham on 7 March
• Renowned whisky writer and expert has 30 years of industry experience
• Ian will host session exploring 5 whiskies from heritage distillery Bowmore
• Newly announced masterclass series to pair whisky with cigars, chocolate and cheese

An international whisky expert will make a headline appearance at the Whisky Birmingham festival on 7 March.

Whisky author and connoisseur Ian Buxton will host the first public signing of his new book But the Distilleries Went On: The Morrison Bowmore Story, during an exclusive masterclass on whiskies from the Bowmore distillery.

Ian Buxton is a best-selling whisky author and has spent thirty years in the industry. He is a judge for the World Whisky Awards and writes for a range of titles including Whisky Advocate and Whisky Quarterly.

He said:

“Traditionally Birmingham hasn’t been a whisky heartland, but something has happened over the past few years. There’s an exciting landscape growing, with retailers, bars and events like this one reaching a new and younger audience of whisky lovers. I’m really looking forward to being part of it.” 

Ian’s other whisky honours also include the highly regarded ‘Keeper of the Quaich’ and ‘Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Distillers’.

His appearance is a coup for Whisky Birmingham, which started in 2012 with an attendance of 200.

Three years on, the festival has tripled its visitor capacity and will spread across two exhibition halls.

Amy Seton, founder of the festival, said:

“It’s a real honour to have Ian Buxton on board as he is greatly respected within the whisky world and has a wealth of knowledge to share with our visitors.”

Brands exhibiting will include BenRiach, Chivas Regal, The Glenlivet, Old Pulteney, Hard To Find Whisky and Laphroaig. There will be a special tasting session led by Highland distillery Balblair.

Local whisky expert Craig Mills will host a series of masterclasses pairing whisky with cheese, chocolate and cigars. There will also be street food by Soul Food Project and Peel and Stone.

The Whisky Birmingham 2015 festival takes place on 7 March 2015 at The Bond. Information and tickets are available at the official website.

FEBRUARY & EARLY MARCH EVENTS

Cheese and Whisky Tasting >  28 Queen St, Edinburgh – Tue 24 Feb

Birmingham Preview Tasting >  Hotel du Vin, Birmingham – Fri 27 Feb

Manchester Preview Tasting >  Malmaison, Manchester – Fri 27 Feb

Newcastle Preview Tasting >  The Caledonian Hotel, Newcastle – Fri 27 Feb

Stirling Preview Tasting >  The Golden Lion Hotel, Stirling – Fri 27 Feb

Scotland v Italy Tasting Lunch > 28 Queen St, Edinburgh – Sat 28 Feb

New List Open Tasting >  19 Greville St, London – Sat 7 Mar

Steak & Whisky Tasting > 19 Greville St, London – Mon 9 Mar

St Patrick’s Day > 19 Greville St, London – Tue 17 Mar

Irish Whiskey Tasting > The Vaults, Leith – Thu 19 Feb

NEW TO THE SOCIETY?

New Members Welcome Night > The Vaults, Leith – Thu 26 Feb.

Come on down and meet us (and each other): we’re very friendly, we don’t assume any whisky knowledge and we love sharing our passion for single cask whisky…

Browse All Tastings >

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

Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame and World Whiskies Awards American winners announced at the W&SC North America

In its 10th anniversary year, the World Whiskies Conference has evolved to reflect the growing trends of this dynamic sector by becoming the Whiskies & Spirits Conference.

The Whiskies and Spirits Conference North America will be held in New York City, at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, Pier 61, on Tuesday 24 February, 2015. The event will host global leaders with speakers from the most influential companies in the industry. A presentation of the 2015 World Whiskies Awards will take place during lunch as well as the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame American inductees. Three remarkable individuals will be recognised for their lasting contribution to the industry:

• Steve Beal, Diageo
• Al Young, Four Roses
• Bill Samuel’s Jr., Maker’s Mark

Content has been developed by an industry panel and the program for the day will revolve around current major business issues. “The global spirits business continues to surge and this event offers a unique environment in which to learn from the best to harness growth and development of your own business,” says Damian Riley-Smith, Conference President.

Speakers at the 2015 Whiskies and Spirits Conference North America include:

• Chris Bauder, General Manager and Vice President, Beam Suntory Whiskey & Cognac
• James Espey OBE, Last Drop Distilleries, Founder of the Keepers of the Quaich
• David Frost, Chief Executive, Scotch Whisky Association
• Dr. Nicholas Morgan, Head of Whisky Outreach, Diageo
• Joseph J. Magliocco, President, Michter’s
• Craig Wolf, President and CEO, Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America
• Ivan Bell, Managing Director, Stranger & Stranger
• David Ozgo, Chief Economist, Distilled Spirits Council

Delegate booking is now open at www.whiskiesandspiritsconference.com/register.php and delegate rates start at $425.

February 2015 Auction Ends on Monday 2^rd March 2015!

View February Auction

Our February auction is now live and will finish on March 2^rd from 19:00.

This is an incredible auction with so many interesting bottles, one of which has to be this: Hanyu Monochrome Joker, distilled in 1985.

Following this we have an absolutely stunning collection of the old ‘dumpy’ Cadenhead’s bottlings. Keep an eye on the Springbank 22 year old, however there are quite a few and they range from all over Scotland: from Dallas Dhu to Teaninich and Glenury Royal to Talisker!

An absolutely legendary Bowmore, distilled in 1964 from the same batch of casks as the infamous Black Bowmore’s this incredibly stunning whisky was released at 35 years exclusively to Oddbin’s. This is bottle number 5 of only 99 and is presented alongside a ‘sample’ of the whisky. 

Please remember!

There is no registration fee, our commission structure is very competitive and we offer worldwide shipping. For our terms and conditions please click here.

With over 15 years of experience in the whisky industry, Whisky Auctioneer specialises in auctioning whisky whether it be fine, old, rare, collectable or affordable. Formed in 2013 and based in Perth, central Scotland, we aim to be the most comprehensive website for the buying and selling of whisky online.

http://www.whiskyauctioneer.com/

Happy Bidding!

Auction is now live folks. Enjoy.

THE 47th AUCTION

Kind regards from Glasgow – The SWA Team

This Weekend Only!

Talisker 10 Year Old 45.8% ABV | 70cl

Save £5.00 (RRP £43.99)

The Talisker 10 Year Old is a single malt Scottish whisky from the Talisker distillery on the west coast of the Isle of Skye. This Talisker scotch has won many fans around the world as well as awards. The whiskey is variously described as peaty and smoky and is credited by many as being the finest 10 year old island single malt. The Talisker 10 year old is well worth a try.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Powerful peat-smoke with seawater saltiness, the liquor of fresh oysters and a citrus sweetness.

Palate: Rich dried-fruit sweetness with clouds of smoke and strong barley-malt flavours: warming and intense. At the back of the mouth.

Finish: Sweet malty flavours that blend into a smoky climax.

Price:£32.49 ex VAT £38.99 inc VAT

Blair Athol 12 Year Old Flora & Fauna 43% ABV | 70cl

Save £5.00 (RRP £51.99)

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Creamy, nutty, lightly peaty.

Palate: Full-bodied. Decidedly silky-smooth. Spiced cake. Candied lemon peels. Lots of flavour development.

Finish: Smoky, rooty, treacly. Impeccable balance between sweetness and dryness.

(Tasting Notes by Whisky Magazine)

Tasting note by whiskyfun.com

Colour: amber. Nose: starts very nutty and caramelly, with a big maltiness and hints of liquorice, developing more on notes of sherry, Seville oranges and a little peat, leather and tobacco. Rather concentrated and oily on the nose, despite the slightly ‘blendish’ character. Pleasant for sure. Mouth: the attack is even more sherried, not exactly bold but certainly satisfying. Classic fruitcake, coffee-schnapps, liquorice and orange liqueur, with hints of cherry stem tea in the background and maybe just faint hints of rubber and walnuts. An assertive dram, half-sweet, half-dry. Finish: medium long, very balanced, with an added spiciness (spices for mulled wine, cloves, Chinese anise and cinnamon.) Comments: perfect balance and profile at 43%, excellent cask selection I think. SGP:443 – 85 points.

Glenmorangie Pride 1978 triumphs at design awards