Jolly Toper’s whisky tastings normally take place on Thursday nights from 7:30pm until approximately 10pm at The Kilderkin, 65/67 Canongate, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, (they do a mean pizza). For more details on the tastings themselves please click here

P/O/U/R/S = Peaty, Old, Unusual, Rare and Sherry cask matured. Recently many people have requested the exact nature of the line up at the ‘pours’ tastings remain secret so a proper ‘blind’ tasting can be held. However I understand some attendees would be more comfortable knowing which drams were to be tasted before committing to attending. If you don’t want to know the confirmed line up contact us before checking the details listed below.

* = £3 discount for first timers and members. Membership costs £10 for 13 months.

Future dates:

10th Anniversary of Canongate Tastings tasting  24.04.14 £28/25*   ***SOLD OUT *** but no waiting list started yet…

These five drams mean that in ten years we have tried whisky from every distillery in Scotland to have bottled their whisky since Maltmill closed in the 1950s (oops! except Kininvie)

Balmenach-Glenlivet Scotch Malt Whisky Society fresh Bourbon barrel cask strength

Glendullan-Glenlivet bottled exclusively for McBains of Dufftown by Gordon & MacPhail

Royal Lochnagar 17yo 1996 – 03/14 rum cask 606 bottles 57.4% Cadenheads

Dufftown-Glenlivet 34yo 1979 – 03/14 sherry cask 48.0% Cadenheads

Scapa 20yo 1983 – 2013 58.6%

Recent Cadenheads Bottlings 1.5.14 £TBC*

Dalmore 37yo cask strength

Bladnoch 23yo cask strength

Bowmore 13yo 46%

Benriach 18y 46%

something from a non Bourbon cask

8.5.14 Final (?) Marie Curie tasting £20 – 100% of ticket price goes to Marie Curie

Glencraig 22yo cask strength single cask Cadenheads

Glendronach 14yo single Oloroso butt cask strength

3 more drams perhaps including single Islay malt (Bowmore?) 21yo 46% The Wine Society, Ledaig 42% and one more-

feel free to donate another bottle and/or raffle/auction prizes

P/O/U/R/S 15.5.14 £TBC*

THE BEST CADENHEADS HAS No. 3, WEDNESDAY  21.05.14 £TBC but about £50

Those whisky daft Danes are back with the usual request – pour the 5 best drams Cadenheads currently have – hang the price.

Glenfiddich 1972 41yo cask strength £450 retail, Macduff 24yo single sherry cask cask strength, Longrow sherry cask 10yo cask strength then possibly Auchentoshan 21yo maybe Ben Nevis 17yo or Glen Lossie 20yo Bourbon hogshead, but we’ll wait and see what the next couple of bottling program offers…

P/O/U/R/S 29.5.14 £TBC*

P/O/U/R/S 12.6.14 £TBC*

P/O/U/R/S 26.6.14 £TBC*

P/O/U/R/S 10.7.14 £TBC*

P/O/U/R/S 24.7.14 £TBC*

Coming in August

– On a Saturday evening our second tasting on a canal barge, new route from Linlithgow, featuring 5 closed distilleries which were located alongside a canal: Glen Mhor, Littlemill, Port Dundas, Rosebank and St. Magdalene. Tickets circa £35.

– our initial walking tour of Edinburgh -visit sites of interest to whisky enthusiasts and try 5 drams connected to the capital and learn of the role ‘Auld Reekie’ played in Scottish whisky’s rise to prominence. Drams include Caledonian, North British, a 1970s bottled Queen Anne, Glen Kinchie and one other.

Future themed tastings: a vertical Glendronach tasting and Canadian whiskies.

Here are the details for the event:

Date: Friday May 2^nd, 2014

Time: 6:30pm to 8:00pm

Please note we will start promptly right at 6:30; doors open 6:15pm

Location:   The Strath Ale Wine & Spirit Merchants, 919 Douglas Street, Victoria

The Maple Room, above the Sticky Wicket Pub, entrance on Courtenay Street

Price: $35 each for Members & Partners, $45 for Non-Members/Guests   

(Not a member? Here’s your chance! Click HERE)

REGISTRATION:   

Space is strictly limited, so you must register in advance.  Guests are welcome, but we now have to restrict it to one guest per member. Members will always have priority. To secure your place you need to pre-pay.

IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY BOOKED, CONTACT US VERY SOON, as the event always sells out. 

The whiskies have already arrived in the store and they are another unique selection of cask strength drams. 

Please email, drop into the store or phone with credit card details (we do not keep card details on file) Email: whisky@strathconahotel.com  Phone: 250-370-9463 . Once your seat(s) are paid for by phone you will receive an email confirmation from me and this is your virtual Ticket.  If you pay in person in the store you will receive a receipt. We are also accepting bookings already for June, when First Friday falls on June 6^th.  As a heads –up, the August First Friday will NOT be on Friday August 1^st as we are busy with monthly inventory.  An alternate date will be announced soon. 

IMPORTANT: 

Please remember these are cask strength whiskies, so you should not be driving home after the tasting. 

Sláinte!

Colin Southcombe
General Manager
The Strath Ale Wine & Spirit Merchants
919 Douglas Street, Victoria BC, V8W 2C2
Tel: 250-370-9463
Email: whisky@strathconahotel.com

Welcome back to Aberdeen!

Hope you all had a great Easter Holiday! 
Wednesday 23rd of April: Society Tasting (6.30pm in Bookends, @Butchart )

We will have some super whisky on offer and you will be able to buy your hoodie!

Hoodies!

You can order your hoodies now. Please download this form and give it to us tomorrow with £18 and we will order them for you to collect before the end of the semester.

ALL members must renew their membership for this year.
Please see details below about how to do this.

HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE MALT WHISKY SOCIETY

We also need to get EVERYONE to become a member of the Malt Whisky Society.
To do this follow these steps:
1. Go to www.ausa.org.uk
2. Register a new account
3. Search for “Malt Whisky Society”
4. Add “Malt Whisky Society Student Membership” (£2) to your basket (like amazon.com)
5. Go to your basket – you MUST add “Societies Union” membership (£2) before you can pay
6. Follow payment instructions – you NEED a credit/debit card to pay.
7. Bring along your reference on a bit of paper/your mobile phone to the next whisky event and we will give you your membership card.

CASH PAYMENTS
It is possible to pay for membership with cash at the Butchart Recpetion desk during opening hours. 

This week Joe Ellis reviews the Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey! 

http://youtu.be/UkLPINge6aA 

http://Facebook.com/whiskytube 

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

BALLANTINE’S LAUNCHES LIMITED EDITION GOLF PACKS FOR 2014 

Ballantine’s, the world’s No. 2 Scotch whisky, has today announced the 2014 release of its popular Limited Edition Golf Packs, available for its 17 and 21 Year Old blends. 

Ballantine’s has a long-standing association with golf, dating back to 1960. The Limited Edition Golf Packs, first launched in 2012, are designed to reinforce the shared values, provenance and heritage between the renowned Scotch whisky and one of Scotland’s most revered sports. 

The 2014 packaging features the silhouette of a golfer in full swing with the Ballantine’s iconic ‘B’ in the background, while the gold foil and printing of the logo directly onto the glass epitomises the superior quality of both Ballantine’s 17 Year Old and Ballantine’s 21 Year Old. The green colour of the bottle and box of Ballantine’s 17 Year Old links back to golf courses, while the cream box highlights the premium credentials of Ballantine’s 21 Year Old. 

Peter Moore, Ballantine’s Global Brand Director, said: “We are excited to release this year’s Ballantine’s Limited Edition Golf Packs, which stay true to our golfing heritage and support our ongoing presence within the sport. The packs have resonated well in the past with both whisky fans and golfing enthusiasts, and we expect the consistently high quality of these whiskies to ensure that this year’s release is equally well received.” 

In 2013, Ballantine’s 17 Year Old was named ‘Scotch Blend of the Year’ for the fifth consecutive time in the 2014 edition of the much revered ‘Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible’. The Scotch whisky was given 97.5 points out of 100, and was described by the whisky expert as “one of the most beautiful, complex and stunningly structured whiskies ever created” and “truly the epitome of a great Scotch.” Both the 17 and 21 Year Old were also awarded gold medals in the 2013 Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition. 

The Ballantine’s Golf Limited Edition Packs are available now in Asia Duty Free, Korea, China, Taiwan and Poland. Ballantine’s 17 Year Old will retail at $78 and Ballantine’s 21 Year Old at $130 (USD).

Notes: 

About Ballantine’s

Ballantine’s is the No. 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the world’s No. 2 Scotch whisky by volume, and the range sells over 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 120 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for quality, as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the exclusive 40 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by the latest in a tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827.

www.ballantines.com 

About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.

www.chivasbrothers.com

Benriach & Glendronach Scotch Tasting

Tuesday April 22nd. 4:30 P.M. or 6:00 P.M.

with Alistair Walker

I was told once by an industry-insider that Billy Walker has one of the best noses and palates in the Business. Billy has been doing great work in the whisky industry for many years but the last ten years have been very special. In 2004 he and a group of investors purchased the Benriach Distillery. Although it has been open for more than 100 years, distillation was not actually taking place for more than half of that time. Because of their on-site malting facilities, they spent many years malting barley for other operations but not actively distilling it themselves. 

The group then purchased Glendronach in 2008 and I remember the day well — I looked up to the heavens and said “Thank You” because the U.S. never saw very much of their wonderful sherried single-malts. Then in 2013 the group acquired Glenglassaugh Distillery. Glenglassuagh is another distillery with a checkered past, but now it will get the love and attention it deserves, and flourish as it should.

We will focus on Benriach & Glendronach Distilleries in the tasting this coming Tuesday. Both have a great standard line-up that this time around we will skip but they’re ranges that we will show and work more with in the future. Billy’s talent for cask-selection shows when you taste any of his products, but especially in the limited single-casks we’ll be tasting next Tuesday. Quantities are limited and we are taking orders starting immediately for bottles that can be signed by Billy’s son, Alistair. This batch of casks from both Benriach and Glendronach are some of the best whisky that has come this way, and the depth and intricacy that they show are splendid. These are single malts that you (and those lucky few for whom you pour them) will remember for years after they are gone. In obtaining these Limited Releases I made a few people crazy — this state can be very hard to say the least. The sale price today reflect the pricing from last year but I believe that more increases are coming. There is not a bad apple in the bunch and they are they are all just precious. 

Benriach Heart of Speyside

Colour; Amber/ gold.

Nose; Fresh heather, fruit, honey, nuts and oak wood.

Palate: This expression cleverly captures fruit, honey, heather and spice notes, against a back drop of

mellow oak wood in a fresh and lively combination.

Regular: $41.99 Sale: $37.99 

Benriach  2000 12 Y.O. 58.1% Oloroso Sherry Finish  (34 days short of a 13 Y.O.)

Nose; Fresh oak spices roll over sweet golden sultanas and hints of ripe cantaloupe melon.

Palate; Creme caramel and rum-soaked sultanas balanced with cracked black pepper and sweet ripped mint.

Regular: $104.99 Sale: $92.99 

Benriach 1994  19 Y.O.  53.2% Peated / Oloroso Sherry Butt Finish

Color; Antique Gold

Nose; Mellow citrus smoke drapes over green apple and apricots.

Palate: Orange- zested roasted apples are engulfed by sweet, spicy oak smoke and spice.

Regular: $164.99 Sale: $149.99 

Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 2

Color; Rich golden amber with a crimson heart.

Nose: Wonderful rich aromas of honey drenched raisins and sultanas. Candied ginger and orange peel are spiced with a beautifully delicate back note of oak.

Palate: A perfectly balanced traditional sherried character. An explosion of chocolate coated raisins and zest of orange, mellowed with sweet warm  oak spices, hints  of soft toffee and gentle sugared almonds.

Finish; A uniquely balanced classic finish.

Regular: $139.99 Sale: $110.00 

Glendronach 1996 – 17 Y.O.  53.2%  Single Cask Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon

Color: Rich Burnt Amber

Nose: Toffee and fudge hold the rich dark fruits and oak spices

Palate: Chocolate and treacle combine with vanilla – laced prune syrup and figs; robust oak spices balance the sweet flavor explosion.

Regular: $154.99 Sale: $139.99 

Glendronach 1992 – 21 Y.O.  59.3%  Oloroso Sherry Butt

Color; Dark mahogany with rich ruby.

Nose; Crisp fresh- cut herbs and orange zest mingle with dark rum soaked raisins and currants.

Palate; Herbal stewed plums and orange bitters rolling to ground almonds and soft clove in a rich, traditional sherried finish.

Regular: $209.99 Sale: $189.99

Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits
Email: joe@federalwine.com
Phone: (617) 367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/

Auchroisk 12 William Cadenhead Bottling Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

The nose is filled with honey, flowers, a touch of peat, a whisper of peat smoke, along with a light nutty tone. The mouth feel is very precise and to the point with Brazil nuts, honey and tropical fruit dominating its light bodied nature. D&M Tasting Notes

Cadenhead’s was founded in 1842 and as such they have a quite storied history in the business of whisky, from retail to production. Cadenhead’s is currently owned by the J&A Mitchell and Co, better known for their Campbeltown trinity of Springbank, Longrow, and Hazelburn. Cadenhead also bottles other spirits including aged Demerara Rums, Cognacs and the well-known Old Raj Gin.

What excites us is that Cadenhead had pulled their single malt scotch bottling out of the US Market in 2003 and are just now returning! The story we have been able to glean from their current importer was that the previous importer had many issues with label approvals and bottle sizes, so Cadenhead felt the US was too difficult to do business with. Now whether or not this is simply the schadenfreude of one group over the misfortunes of another, we have not been able to ascertain. Karen did reach out to Cadenhead a number of times for the story from the source, but as of the time of printing, we have not heard back. We hope to find more bottling’s of their whiskies for our members, and to get the facts for you. In the meantime, enjoy!

BUY NOW $89.99

www.ralfy.com greets the arrival of summer with Whisky Review 449 – Glen Moray 10yo Chardonnay Casks

The Party Source Private Barrel Program has undergone some changes. In January of 2014 we formed a panel of whiskey and spirits experts to taste and select our future private barrels. Heather Johnson, John Hughes, Eric Brown, John Owen, Jon Overman and Marty Holland have been hard at work tasting and selecting new private barrels. We have recently selected “Private Barrels” coming from the following sources that will be appearing in the near future.

1792 RIDGEMONT RESERVE Single Barrel (Two Selections)
ANGEL’S ENVY Private Blend
JEFFERSON Ridiculously Small Batch
FOUR ROSES OESV Barrel Strength Un-Chill Filtered
FOUR ROSES OBSK Barrel Strenght Un-Chill Filtered
FOUR ROSES Single Barrel (Two Selections)
OLD FORESTER Single Barrel
W.L WELLER 107 Antique Single Barrel (Two Selections)
WOODFORD RESERVE Double Oak

In the last year we have seen many supply chain shortages in very popular Bourbons such as Elmer T. Lee, Blanton’s, Eagle Rare and lately the Weller Brand. The selections of these “Private Barrels” will give our customers superior options during this time of scarcity for bourbon. Stop by and see our current private selections or try a sample at the Spirits Library.

NEW PRODUCTS

We are very pleased to announce the arrival of our very own Old Forester Private Single Barrel. Don’t wait to pick up the Old Forester Single Barrel; they won’t last long! American Craft Distillery of California ha s released a very nice Low Gap Bavarian Hard Wheat Whiskey (coming soon) aged for two years. With the purchase of Bruichladdich by Remy Cointreau some products produced at Bruichladdich are headed for the chopping block. Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10 Year Heavily Peated Single Malt has just arrived; it’s a fuller bodied smoky version of last year’s Port Charlotte “Peat Project”. Get this one while it lasts folks!

Independent farm distillery, Kilchoman, has just released a limited edition Loch Gorm Single Malt Whisky. Only 2850 cases (17,100 bottles) of the five year-old bottling will be available worldwide through existing distributors and online.

This is the second Loch Gorm Single Malt to be released. The first, which was released in April last year, was awarded the prestigious 2013 IWSC Gold (2013 edition). Each release is differentiated by the distillation and bottling dates on the front of the bottle and carton. 

Fully matured from filling to bottling in fresh Oloroso sherry butts, Loch Gorm adds a new dimension to Kilchoman’s portfolio, bringing a depth of character and colour to the Islay Single Malt. The Loch Gorm range is the only all sherry cask-matured expression from Kilchoman. 

This range is named after the famously peaty loch in front of the distillery on Islay; Kilchoman draws the water for Loch Gorm from the burn that runs into the loch. 

Anthony Wills, Managing Director of Kilchoman, said: “’Our sherry cask matured releases have proved very popular and this is the third and most mature to date so we anticipate this latest offering to be very well received.

“Loch Gorm shows wonderful balance between the peat smoke and spicy rich flavours, typical of sherry cask maturation, producing a unique flavour which characterises Kilchoman whiskies.” 

Founded in 2005, Kilchoman is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland and the first distillery to be built on Islay for 125 years. A working farm distillery, it is one of only a handful of distilleries still practising floor malting. Kilchoman also grows a portion of its barley at the distillery, and completes all parts of the production process, from barley to bottling on the island. 

Loch Gorm is bottled at 46% ABV and will be available from specialist drinks, whisky stores and online, priced at a RRP of £55-£59. 

www.kilchomandistillery.com

facebook.com/pages/Kilchoman-Distillery

twitter.com/Kilchoman05 

Tasting Notes: Loch Gorm Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky

Nose: mixed preserved fruit, particularly lemon and rich peat smoke

Palate: dry cereal flavour develop in honey, biscuit with lingering peat

Finish: richly sweet and smoky 

Notes

Kilchoman Distillery is a small family run farm distillery based on the rugged west coast of Islay. The distillery was established by Anthony Wills in 2005, the idea behind being to build a new distillery which took whisky production back to its roots. Kilchoman produces its 100% Islay single malt from barley which is grown in fields surrounding the distillery and completes every stage of the whisky-making process at the distillery, including traditional floor malting. Kilchoman is the only distillery in Scotland to do this. Kilchoman is now very much a family affair: Anthony and wife Kathy are joined by their three sons: James, Peter and George. 

Since the first bottling was released in 2008, Kilchoman has quickly established itself as a high quality Islay Single Malt Whisky with these notable awards:

• · Kilchoman’s exceptional quality was recognised at the prestigious International Whisky Competition (IWC) when Anthony Wills was named Master Distiller of the Year 2013.
• · Machir Bay was named Whisky of the Year at IWC 2013. Loch Gorm was also awarded Gold, Machir Bay received Silver and 100% Islay 2nd Ed was given bronze.
• · Kilchoman 2007 Vintage received Whisky Advocate’s Award for Islay Single Malt of the Year 2013.
• · In 2012 Machir Bay was awarded two prestigious IWSC Gold medals and a Silver medal, and was named in GQ’s Best 100 Things of 2012.
• · Kilchoman won Malt Advocates Artisan Whisky of the Year 2011, only three years after the first bottling was released.