JIM MURRAY’S NEW 2014 WHISKY BIBLE HAILS BENRIACH, GLENDRONACH AND GLENGLASSAUGH SINGLE MALTS

SINGLE malts from BenRiach, GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh have been called “perfection”, “faultless” and “astounding” in Jim Murray’s new 2014 Whisky Bible, with two taking top awards in the aged single cask categories.

Murray is widely regarded as one of the best whisky writers and his Bible has been hailed as the world’s most authoritative whisky guide.

This year he analysed over four thousand whiskies from around the world, with scores going from 0 to 100. Those in the 94-97.5 category are, he says, “superstar whiskies that give us all a reason to live”…and amongst them are seven BenRiach, GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh expressions.

Topping them all is the GlenDronach Recherche 1968 which won the 41 years and over single cask category with 97 points. Murray comments: “I have come to look at this style of malt beyond fondly. In fact this is love. Truly incredible. A real once in a lifetime treat for most.”

Next is the Glenglassaugh Massandra Collection Aleatico aged 39 years which took the 35-40 years single cask award with 96.5 points. “We are talking, in short, perfection. One of the few whiskies this year which has made me sit bolt upright in my seat. Whisky of the very rarest beauty and one of the finest scotch whiskies to land on my tasting desk for a great many years.”

Also gaining 96.5 is the GlenDronach 18 year old. “The ultimate sherry cask whisky. Faultless and truly astounding.”

A further four expressions took 96 points.

The BenRiach single cask 1983 aged 30 years (Batch 10 cask 296): “This is how a great Speyside malt of three decades’ maturation should taste. Classic doesn’t do it justice.”

The BenRiach single cask 1996 aged 17 years (Batch 10, cask 10306): “Astoundingly beautiful.  A distillery landmark malt.”

The GlenDronach 1992 aged 21 years (Batch 8, cask 145): “The delivery of dreams. This is sherried Highland malt of the very highest calibre.”

The GlenDronach 1994 aged 19 years (Batch 8, cask 101): “Magnificent.”

Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “2013 has been an exceptional year for us. Winning ten medals at the International Wine and Spirits Competition, the top single malt award in the China Whisky Guide, four Scottish Field Whisky Challenge awards and now receiving these wonderful commendations in Jim Murray’s latest Whisky Bible is very special.

“It’s especially pleasing that the accolades are spread across all three of our brands. I believe our success is due to the distilleries’ consistent quality and craftsmanship, our wood management strategy, Billy Walker’s excellent cask selection and the passion and enthusiasm of our people. That is what produces these incredible whiskies time and time again.”

The Yamazaki Cask Selections Now Available At The Whisky Shop. Only Available While Stocks Last. Free Postage On All Bottles!

Available to order only while stocks last…

Click Here To Buy: £250

Yamazaki Mizunara is part of the Yamazaki limited edition single malts series, designed so that whisky lovers may discover the amazing variety of unblended whiskies. Hints of sandalwood and aloes wood, incense, cinnamon and coconut. Smooth with a rich sweetness and a pleasant lingering aftertaste. The Whisky Shop is proud to present The Yamazaki Cask Collection. All expressions now available via whiskyshop.com

Click Here To Buy: £100

The sherry cask that has matured this Yamazaki whisky was made from Spanish oak, in Spain, to Suntory’s exacting specifications. Rich, fruity aromas and an excellent balance of sweet and sour flavours. Raisins, dark chocolate and dried fruit lead to a pleasantly bitter and lingering finish.

Click Here To Buy: £100

A distinctively Japanese whisky with an uncommon aroma and smooth, lingering, sweet flavour. The charred white oak imparts an elegant aroma and sweet vanilla flavour.Made from carefully selected Yamazaki malts, this is a robust, smooth whisky with aromas of tropical fruit, vanilla and caramel which finishes slightly sweet and pleasantly lingers. Purchase something unique and special this Christmas with The Yamazaki Cask Collection.

Click Here To Buy: £100

Since it began making whisky in Japan in 1923, the Yamazaki distillery has taken exceptional care over the selection of the right casks needed to craft its wide variety of single malt whiskies. We invite you to savour the rich aromas and sweet coconut and vanilla flavour that only a Puncheon cask can deliver. Aromas of peach, honey and vanilla move on to a slightly sweet, clean finish.

GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 3

Batch 3 of the ever popular GlenDronach, cask strength edition. Matured in a combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, bottled at 54.9% vol.

If the previous two batches is anything to go by, this is sure to be another wonderful limited edition release from GlenDronach distillery.

£53.90 (£44.92 ex vat)

Click here to buy GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 3

GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 2

Batch 1 is sold out completely but we still have limited stock of Batch 2! Be quick though as it won’t hang around forever…

£49.75 (£41.46 ex vat)

Click here to purchase GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 2

Caol Ila Masterclass with Colin Dunn

Monday 11th November saw the eagerly anticipated return to Vinopolis of Colin Dunn, Diageo Whisky Ambassador and recently deserved inductee into the Keepers of the Quaich. Star of such classic tastings as “Barley and the Chocolate Factory featuring Johnnie Walker” … Continue reading >>

Finchatton Forms an Exclusive Collaboration With Dalmore Whisky

International design and development firm Finchatton has partnered with legendary whisky brand The Dalmore. The collaboration, which is exclusive to Finchatton and The Dalmore, has resulted in the creation of a specially commissioned, integrated drinks cabinet encasing an exclusive single malt whisky in Finchatton’s new Penthouse apartment in London’s Mayfair.

Finchatton’s new residence, The Penthouse, Connaught Apartments, is in a prime central London location on exclusive Mount Street. The 3,765 sq ft south-east facing penthouse includes access to the neighbouring Connaught Hotel’s outstanding amenities and services including 24 hour concierge and room service, housekeeping and valet services, the extensively equipped Aman Spa, and two Michelin-starred cuisine from Hélène Darroze. Access to the Connaught Hotel is via a secure internal doorway.

The Dalmore’s single malt whisky for The Penthouse is as exceptional as it is rare. One iconic bottle with a signature engraving has been released by The Dalmore.

The Dalmore distillery has some of the oldest and rarest whisky stocks in Scotland, which it has been producing since 1839. The bespoke Penthouse bottling, which has been matured in hand selected bourbon barrels and Matusalem oloroso sherry butts from the renowned bodega of Gonzalez Byass, has been specially created for the apartment by award-winning Master Distiller Richard Paterson.

The Dalmore Master Distiller, Richard Paterson:

“The Dalmore, like Finchatton, prides itself on qualities of artisanship, exclusivity and excellence, so we’re delighted to be partnering with a like-minded brand on such a creative project. The skills that have been passed down through generations to create each drop of our whisky are matched by the meticulous attention to detail that goes into each of Finchatton’s residences. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship between the two brands.”

Andrew Dunn, Co-Founder of Finchatton:

“The Penthouse, we believe, stands apart as a truly bespoke residence. Such outstanding and inimitable specification is achievable through the exceptional partnerships such as that between Finchatton and The Dalmore, to whom we are delighted to have collaborated with.”

About Finchatton

Since 2001, Finchatton has designed, managed and financed more than 50 major development projects worth in excess of £870million around the world in locations such as France, America, Switzerland, the UK, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Australasia. In addition, they have completed over 70 prestigious, private commissions. Finchatton currently has in excess of £300million worth of development in progress including a variety of multi-unit residential schemes and aviation interior design projects. Today, the company has ambitious plans to expand and has multiple projects at any one time. In January 2013, Finchatton launched The Lansbury in Knightsbridge, comprising six exceptional apartments. The company has two distinct divisions: Finchatton Private which undertakes bespoke commissions around the world, and Finchatton Residences for development.

www.finchatton.com

About The Dalmore

Dating back to the days of King Alexander III, The Dalmore gained its iconic 12-point stag emblem in 1263 when one of the Mackenzie clan saved the king from being gored by a stag. Unlike other whiskies The Dalmore is produced in very limited quantities. Due to the distinctive distillation process no two batches will be exactly the same, ensuring that each release of the The Dalmore is unique. The Dalmore distillery houses some of Scotland’s most precious and rare whisky stocks. Home of the record-breaking The Dalmore Trinitas 64 year old and a number of other rare expressions such as Sirius, Selene, Candela and Oculus, it is no wonder that whisky investors, collectors and aficionados keep a watchful eye on this collection.

www.thedalmore.com

Single Cask 

Cask Strength 58.1%Vol

Aged 12 Years

Single Malt

  Bottled Exclusively for Gold Medal Marketing Inc. and only available in Alberta.

 You will not find this Whisky anywhere else in the world

Cask Type: Refill Sherry

 Number of Bottles Produced: 522

 Distilled: November 2000

 Bottled: June 2013

 Gold Medal Marketing believes in giving back, so for every case of this bottling that is sold, $50 will be will be donated to local charities. 

 CSPC #759383

AUCHROISK 21 YEARS OLD… THE SECOND JEWEL OF WHISKYNEWS.IT SELECTION BY HIDDEN SPIRITS

Now is available the second release of “whiskynews.it selection” bottled by Hidden Spirits.

This release is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, an Independent bottling distilled at Auchroisk distillery.

Aging for over 21 years old in barrels ex bourbon, this whisky was second filled in sherry hogshead for 90 days. Bottled at 45%abv is a pleasant dram where you can try greats feelings.

Official tasting notes

Nose: unmistakable sensation of the first day of spring rounded by the honey and by the sugar of malt and compote.

Palate: creamy, the sweetness gives way to pink grapefruit, green tea and to the sensation of spices.

Finish: long, slowly the pink grapefruit gives way to the sweetness of barley sugar, compote and eventually to vinosity of the sherry.

You can buy it HERE at € 75,00.

Whisky Shop Exclusive Christmas Gifts

Free delivery on all UK orders over £50

The Glenlivet Quercus 17 year old £203

“someone has cherry-picked a cracker of a cask” – Jim Murray
(Whisky Bible 2014. Score: 93.5)
Aged only in one cask there are only 250 bottles available worldwide. Nose: Soft, ripe red apples intertwined with baked almonds. Mellow floral notes crescendo into a zesty flourish. Taste: A soft, smooth, creaminess gradually develops until the whisky hints at chewy, sticky toffee. A delicate floral note creeps in, which lingers tantalisingly until a final burst of Seville orange rounds it off. Finish: Long, sweet and very slightly dry.

Click here to buy

Aberfeldy 16 year old Ramble  £120

Whisky Bible Score: 93.5
“An almost flawless cask” – Jim Murray

A Whisky Shop exclusive of 643 bottles drawn from a single cask at 56% volume. This rich whisky combines complexity with subtle soft fruit flavours.

The wonderful whisky shop exclusive bottling – The Aberfeldy Ramble has created quite a storm since its launch with sales souring throughout The Whisky Shop chain.

Click here to buy

Single Malt Tasting with Chris Riesbeck of Gordon & MacPhail, November 20 at Mora’s Fine Wine & Spirits (E. Setauket, New York)

Chris Riesbeck

At Mora’s on November 20th from 4-7pm we will be sampling 6 single malts with special guest, Chris Riesbeck, National Brand Ambassador for Gordon & MacPhail, Scotland’s oldest independent bottler & rare whisky specialists. Featured products are discounted 10-15% through November 30^th. Please visit Mora’s Monthly Spirit Tasting page for more information or to place an order.

Brenne Estate Cask French Single Malt Whisky

Event Price: $56.69   Regular Price: $62.99

Benromach Traditional Single Malt Scotch

Event Price: $31.49   Regular Price: $34.99

MacPhail’s Collection Highland Park 8 Year Old Single Malt Scotch

Event Price: $33.29   Regular Price: $36.99

Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs’ Choice Tormore 14 Year Old Single Malt Scotch

Event Price: $64.79   Regular Price: $71.99

Benromach 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch

Event Price: $44.19   Regular Price: $51.99

Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila 2000 11 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch

Event Price: $94.49   Regular Price: $104.99

Chris Riesbeck is the Director & Sr. Brand Ambassador for Classic Imports, the exclusive US importer for Gordon & MacPhail Whisky Specialists and their distillery Benromach. Since January 2011 Chris has been traveling the United States in an effort to educate consumers and promote single malt scotch as a category. He currently resides in the Northeastern US with his wife and 2 dogs. An avid collector of single malt he is always on the lookout for pre 1970 Speysiders.

Mora’s Fine Wine & Spirits

www.moraswines.com

631-941-4458   sev.clemens@moraswines.com

HRH The Princess Royal presents Queen’s Award to Gordon & MacPhail

It was a true family affair today (Thursday Nov 7) as HRH The Princess Royal presented the Queen’s Award for International Trade to whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail.

For members of the third and fourth generations of the family-owned whisky specialist and distiller were on hand to meet The Princess Royal as she toured the company’s premises at Elgin.

As Managing Director Michael Urquhart toured the site with The Princess Royal, he introduced various members of staff who, he explained, had all played their part in the successful growth of the company. “Winning this award is a fantastic achievement and recognises the hard work of everyone in the team, as well as our customers and suppliers across the world. “

Amongst those meeting The Princess Royal were recent recipients of the Celebrating Success Award which is given to members of staff who, in the view of their colleagues, have conducted themselves in a manner which exemplifies the company’s values and culture.

Gordon & MacPhail was established in 1895 and is one of the world’s leading malt whisky specialists. The company offers more than 300 presentations of own-bottled single malts and exports to more than 55 countries.

A major factor in the company’s export success has been the continuing growth in sales of Benromach which have increased by more than a third in the first seven months of this year alone.

Gordon & MacPhail brought the Benromach Distillery back to life in 1998 when it was officially re-opened by HRH The Prince of Wales. Since then the Forres distillery has enjoyed significant growth in both the UK and overseas markets of its hand-crafted single malt whiskies, including the flagship Benromach 10 Years Old.

HRH The Princess Royal toured the bottling hall and the warehouse, where she saw some of Gordon & MacPhail’s casks of maturing whisky including some from the 1940s and 1950s.  She also met one of the fourth generation members of the family working in the business, Stuart Urquhart, who highlighted two expressions from the Gordon & MacPhail portfolio. The first, a Glen Grant 60 Years Old, was released in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen. The second was a Generations Glenlivet 70 Years Old, one of two Generations whiskies which are the world’s oldest single malt whiskies.

The Generations range was launched in 2010 and continues to be highly sought after as part of the extensive range of single malt whiskies Gordon & MacPhail offer to the market. As a result total exports have almost doubled in three years to more than £6m in 2012.

The family-owned company has been based in Moray since it was established more than a century ago and its directors and staff all play an active role in the local community.  As Michael Urquhart explained: “We were particularly delighted that HRH The Princess Royal came here today to present the Queen’s Award, given her long association with the area.”

Gordon & MacPhail employs almost 140 people in Elgin and Forres. Custodians of some of Scotland’s oldest and rarest casks, the company bottles over 300 different expressions of Scotch Whisky.

About Gordon & MacPhail

Gordon & MacPhail is an independent, family-owned Scotch whisky specialist which has been based in Elgin, Moray, since 1895. Four generations of the Urquhart family have continued the tradition of seeking out the best and rarest Scotch whiskies.

Since its foundation, Gordon & MacPhail’s policy has been to send casks to distilleries throughout Scotland, fill them with ‘new make’ spirit and mature them either at the distillery of origin or in the firm’s own bonded warehouses in Elgin.

Now one of the world’s leading malt whisky specialists, Gordon & MacPhail exports to more than 55 countries. It offers more than 300 presentations of own-bottled single malts.  In 2009, Gordon & MacPhail was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

In 1993 Gordon & MacPhail purchased Benromach Distillery and re-equipped it before it was officially opened by HRH Prince Charles in 1998. A four star visitor centre is open to the public throughout the year for tours and tastings. Benromach distillery is a member of the world famous malt whisky trail.

In 2010 Gordon & MacPhail made history by bottling the oldest cask ever released – a 70 Year Old Mortlach, distilled in 1938. They followed this up by releasing 100 70cl and 175 20cl decanters of 70 Year Old Glenlivet in 2011. They have now released the remaining 100 70cl decanters from this cask.

Gordon &MacPhail is proud of its Moray roots and the company, its directors and its staff play an active role in their local community by supporting local charities and sponsoring local events.