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Diageo Special Releases 2013
Autumn is upon us and the Diageo Special Releases 2013 are here. For those not up to speed on Diageo’s yearly release cycle, about now every year they release a range of whiskies from across the distilleries they own, including … Continue reading >>
“It’s beginning to look a lot like…”
It seems like Holiday decorations have been in stores since mid-August. While we’re in no rush to put you in the Holiday mood – we would like to share some ideas for Holiday
spirits.
The following are some new items that deserve early consideration as a Holiday gift. Also, take a look at what Marlon has in-store for the next MMD Dinner. Just click on the MMD logo on the right.
Please contact us with any questions and have a safe Halloween.
Cheers!
Jonathan & Eric
Park Avenue Liquor Shop
292 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
212-685-2442
info@parkaveliquor.com
The next M.M.D. Dinner may be its best one yet!
The Madison Malt Drinkers (MMD) next event is one that is not to be missed. Highlights include Nikka Japanese Malt, Glenrothes Single Malts, Dinner at St. Andrews and at cigars at Nat Sherman’s Johnson Club Room. Click on the MMD logo below for all of the details.
Compass Box: Delilah’s (limited release)
Delilah’s is a legendary punk rock whisky bar nestled in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. The bar stocks over 400 unique types of whiskey, and is said to be “one of the most important bars in the United States,” according to whisky-expert Michael Jackson.
Compass Box Delilah’s Limited Edition Blended Scotch Whisky is a celebration of the eponymously-named bar’s 20th anniversary. The whisky was developed jointly by the bar’s founder Mike Miller and John Glaser, the founder of Compass Box Whisky Co. The whisky is a blend of single malt whiskies sourced from the cities of Alness and Longmorn (this comprises approximately 50% of the blend), together with a single grain whisky sourced from the city of Fife (this comprises the remainder of the blend). Once the whiskies were sourced, they were aged in a mix of experimental new American oak casks and rejuvenated American oak hogsheads. “Mike wanted a Scotch whisky that, in his words, ‘thinks it’s a Bourbon,” says Glaser, “so we sourced some single malts aged in new American oak hogsheads, something that’s very hard to find in Scotland.”
The aroma gives way to notes of honeyed oak, and red fruits on the palate, which are well-balanced by a creamy vanilla undertone. The finish is smooth yet bold, with a sweet caramel flavor balancing notes of cinnamon and baking spices.
Only 6,400 bottles of this craft Scotch whisky, which was bottled in July 2013, will ever be produced.
Our price: $70/btl
Compass Box: The Peat Monster,
10th Anniversary Edition
We can’t quite believe it but it is ten years since our own Jonathan Goldstein of the Park Avenue Liquor Shop and John Glaser, founder of Compass Box created a bespoke blend of very peaty single malts as an exclusive bottle for our store. It sold so well that when this “Monster” became endangered Compass Box decided to share the idea with the rest of the world. It has gone on to become their best-selling whisky. In 2013, Mr. Glaser and Compass Box have created this special Limited Edition bottling of The Peat Monster with intense aromas of peat-reek, smoke, seaside character and burnt ropes and a subtle apple-fruitiness in the background. This unique recipe is a fitting tribute to such a full, round and tremendously complex whisky. For this special bottling, they produced a special recipe of The Peat Monster, maintaining the smoky, heavy-peated intensity of the classic bottling and adding a bit more malty richness through the use of some very special, quite odd casks of peaty Highland single malt. And rumor has it that Park Avenue may be bringing in yet another exclusive Monster of their own. Stay tuned.
Our price: $110/btl
Wild Turkey Forgiven Whiskey was created by accident when a distillery crew-member mistakenly mingled together a perfectly-matured, six-year old Wild Turkey Bourbon (78%) with a high-proof, four-year old Wild Turkey Rye (22%) (each had matured in American oak casks with a #4 char). After the mistake was made, Eddie Russell tasted the blend and quickly concluded that the exceptional whiskey should be brought to market, giving birth to Wild Turkey Forgiven. “I was mad when I first discovered our crew’s mistake,” says Russell, “but once I tasted it, all was Forgiven.”
Wild Turkey Forgiven has a bold and spicy aroma, with notes of cloves, oak, cinnamon and rye bread. “At Wild Turkey, we like the spicy note the rye gives you,” says Russell. The aroma gives way to a more mellow flavor profile, with notes of caramel, creamy vanilla and toffee that lead to a finish accented by touches of pepper and whipped cream.
Our price: $62/btl
Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey is made from three different grains, including malted barley, unmalted barley and corn. Once the grains are harvested, they are milled and mashed with hot water before being fermented in wooden washbacks. During fermentation, the grains’ sugars are converted into alcohol, creating a strong yet sour beer called wash. The wash is then triple distilled through three copper-pot stills: a wash still, a low wines still and a pot still. Through each distillation process, the alcohol content and flavors of the whiskey are intensified.
Following distillation, the whiskey is matured in traditional oak casks until it reaches its peak flavor. Then, a portion of the whiskey is double-barreled, or finished, for an additional two years in Oloroso Sherry casks. Once the whiskey has been finished, it is bottled at 110 proof without the use of chill filtration.
Tullamore DEW Phoenix Irish Whiskey has a creamy and rich aroma, with hints of vanilla, molasses, toffee, brown sugar and spicy ginger. The aroma gives way to notes of malted barley, cinnamon and woody spices on the palate, which are complemented by a sweet undertone of honey and red fruits. The finish is long and smooth, with a warming touch.
Gold Medal at the Irish Whiskey Masters Competition in 2013.
Only 2,500 cases of this limited edition whiskey will ever be made.
Our price: $65/btl
Wassmund’s latest way of “shaking up” the whisky world is this remarkable rye whisky made with an extraordinarily generous amount of their smoked malt. The mash bill is 2/3 Virginia rye and 1/3 Virginia Thoroughbred hand-malted barley-kiln dried with Applewood and Cherrywood smoke. Double pot-stilled to between 150 and 160 proof and aged with a progressive series of new and used apple wood and oak chips inside used bourbon barrels. Their innovative aging process results in a truly unique rye whisky that is savory and complex with the characteristic Wasmund’s finish. Copper Fox Rye has a copper gold color, along with an aroma of buttered biscuits, rye spices and honeyed oak. Notes of cinnamon, allspice and cloves dominate the palate, and are well-balanced by touches of dried fruits, chestnuts, figs and cola. The finish is long and well-balanced, with notes of rye and caramel complementing each other.
Copper Fox Rye Whisky earned a score of 94 points from the Beverage Testing Institute
Our price: $47/btl
Talisker Storm Single Malt Scotch Whisky takes its name from the harsh conditions that the Isle of Skye often experiences. “We were inspired to craft an expression as unique as the dramatic terrain of the island from where it hails,” says Jim Beveridge, Talisker’s master blender. The whisky is crafted by marrying together both rejuvenated and refill casks of different ages to enhance the vibrant intensity that is the signature of Talisker Distillery. This approach allows Beveridge to create “one vibrant dram.”
Talisker Storm has an aroma of spicy oak, smoked beef, black pepper and honey. The aroma gives way to notes of mellow and rich caramel on the palate that are followed by warming notes of pepper and cloves. The finish is smooth and lasting, with touches of smoke, pepper and salt.
Our price: $75/btl
BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY EXPERIMENTS
WITH BARREL STAVE DRYING TIME IN LATEST EXPERIMENT
Fifteen Year Old Bourbon is Tested with Six Month
And Thirteen Month Stave Drying Time
FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Oct. 29, 2013) Barrel stave drying time is the latest focus in Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Experimental Collection program, as two experiments are released, one with the standard Buffalo Trace stave drying time of six months, and one with a 13 month stave drying time.
Both bourbons were put into new, charred white oak barrels produced by Independent Stave Company 15 years ago. Both groups of barrels were charred with Buffalo Trace’s standard number four char, which is 55 seconds. One group of barrels was crafted from staves that had been air dried for 13 months. Air drying, or seasoning, refers to the process of allowing barrel staves to be left out in the open air to experience all of the natural temperature and weather changes that occur around them. The other group of barrels, the “control” barrels, received Buffalo Trace’s standard six month air drying time on its staves. Then both sets of barrels were filled with Buffalo Trace Rye Mash #1, and left to age.
The taste differences began to show up early in the experimental process, as all experimental barrels at Buffalo Trace are tasted every few months to check in on the progress. The end result for the standard six month stave seasoned barrels was a well-rounded bourbon that has flavors of caramel, vanilla, and oak.
The 13 month stave seasoned barrels led to a bourbon that tastes of sweet nuts balanced with mild spicy notes, creating a robust flavor.
“What’s normal for us isn’t normal for most,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. “We have our cooperage age our wood for six months before it’s even made into a barrel, because we’ve found the six months allows our wood to season and bring enzymes to the surface that allow the wood to produce just the right amount of tannins and wood sugars during the charring process. This allows for the alcohol to extract those flavors efficiently while aging.”
Wheatley continues, “In this experiment, we wanted to explore the changes as the stave drying time was increased from our ‘standard’ six month stave drying to 13 months of stave drying time. The differences were marked, with the longer stave drying time yielding a sweet, but robust flavor.”
These barrels are part of the more than 1,500 experimental barrels of whiskey aging in the warehouses of Buffalo Trace Distillery. Each of these barrels has unique characteristics that differentiate it from all others. Some examples of these experiments include unique mash bills, type of wood and barrel toasts. In order to further increase the scope, flexibility and range of the experimental program, an entire micro distillery, named The Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. “OFC” Micro Distillery, complete with cookers, fermenting tanks, and a state-of-the-art micro still has been constructed within Buffalo Trace Distillery.
The Experimental Collection will be packaged in 375ml bottles and will be packed 12 to a case, with six bottles of each experiment in a case. Each label will include all the pertinent information unique to that barrel of whiskey. These whiskeys will retail for approximately $46.35 each. These rare experimental bottles should be available in November. For more information on the Experimental Collection or the other products of Buffalo Trace Distillery, please contact Elizabeth Hurst at ehurst@buffalotrace.com.
About Buffalo Trace Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1786 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 seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.
www.ralfy.com enjoys a classy moment with Whisky Review 406 – Brora 30yo (2010)
An Night of Whisk(e)y
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
6pm to 730pm
Please join us in Washington, DC for a tasting of four (very) different American whiskies: bourbon, rye, American peated single malt, and our own Virginia Highland Malt whisky. Taste what makes each whisky so unique, experience the whiskies paired with creative fare, and discover how to mix some great whisk(e)y cocktails.
Tickets are $35 and space is very limited. Click here to reserve your seat.
Ristorante i Ricchi has created interesting and unusual food to pair with the whiskies, including grilled quail and walnut-crusted cheesecake (just to be clear, those are two separate dishes) among other delicious treats.
Our own Dan FitzHenry, who will lead the tasting, has concocted a menu of cocktails displaying the unique character of each of the whiskies, which will be available after the tasting. Watch him mix up a few, and learn what makes a good whisk(e)y cocktail great.
We’re excited to see you there!
1220 19th St NW
Washington, DC 22036
202.835.0459
NEW CASK STRENGTH BEAUTIES
SPRINGBANK Gaja Barolo £57.95
Should be just as good (if not better) than the long gone Longrow Gaja Barolo. Feisty and fruity, yet another quality combination of casks from Springbank.
BENRIACH 1994 Virgin Oak £79.95
There are an awful lot of chaste whiskies about these days! Exclusive to UK retail only, a divine 19 year old Virgin Oak for your delectation.
GLENDROANCH 1990 Pedro Ximenez £111.95
We love Pedro Ximenez and the amazing complimentary effect it has in making fantastic whiskies even better. Another exclusive to UK retail only.
NEW ADDITIONS TO RANGES
CARDHU Special Cask Reserve £42.95
A wee while ago there wasn’t enough stock to meet demand. Now there is a great range of single (not ‘pure’) malts. Nothing to do with the collapse of their biggest market then?
GLEN GRANT 16 Year Old £44.95
Major Grant would surely have approved of this addition to the portfolio and undoubtedly kept a bottle in his not-so-secret garden hidey-hole.
OLD PULTENEY Navigator £39.95
Not a permanent addition to the Old Pulteney range, but a great limited edition celebrating the Clipper Round the World Race.
RARE, CLOSED & LESSER KNOWN DISTILLERIES
TAMNAVULIN 25 Old Particular £99.95
This single malt has always been hard to get hold of due to intermittent production and primarily being used for blending purposes. Which makes this 25 year old a ‘particularly’ good buy.
GLENUGIE 1980 Deoch an Doras £275.00
Deoch an Doras translates from Gaelic as ‘Drink at the door’ (i.e. savour a ‘last wee dram before you leave’). Better priced than official bottlings from certain other closed distilleries.
INVERLEVEN 1973 Deoch an Doras £285.00
Both this and the Glenugie Deoch an Doras are extremely rare official bottlings from two long gone distilleries. Modestly presented and emminently collectable, both are worthy investments.
“Some like wine and some like hops but what I really love is my scotch It’s the power, the power of positive drinking”(The Power of Positive Drinking, Lou Reed 1942 – 2013)
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For the most constant source of up-to-date information, follow us on Twitter or Facebook (click on the links)
FOR ALL GENERAL ENQUIRIES PLEASE CALL: 0131 524 9380 or email: contact@royalmilewhiskies.com
Royal Mile Whiskies
Whisky Magazine’s ‘Retailer of the Year 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2011’
Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert
Canadian Whisky is on the shortlist for Taste Canada 2013 book awards.
SHORTLISTED, TASTE CANADA BOOK AWARDS
CULINARY NARRATIVES (winner to be announced Nov 4)
Vote here for the CBC People’s Choice Award
WINE, BEER AND SIRITS
Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert is published by McClelland & Stewart and distributed by Penguin Random House. It is available from most book shops and on-line book sellers.
200 Days to Go – Let the countdown begin
World Whisky Day – Saturday 17th May 2014
Start getting excited
World Whisky Day falls on the 3rd Saturday in May so for 2014 this means it will be on Saturday 17th May. Mark that in your diary now and tell the next person you meet to mark it in their diary too. 200 days may seem like a long time but it will be here before we know it.
But isn’t every day a whisky day?
Now you may be thinking ‘isn’t every day a whisky day?’. Well kind of, however, World Whisky Day is about celebrating whisky/whiskey and about giving whisky global stage and global media attention for not just a day but for a considerable amount of time around this date. The purpose of this is to introduce whisky to people who have never tried it before and for those that already enjoy whisky to have something special.
All for one and one for all
World Whisky Day is a day for:
• all types of whisky/whiskey.
• everybody, of any background, to enjoy whisky responsibly.
• people new to whisky and people who already enjoy whisky.
All whiskies great and small
World Whisky Day is working with the biggest distilleries in the Scotland and the newest tiniest distilleries in world to make sure that World Whisky Day celebrations can showcase all whisky producers in the world in a fun and open platform available to all.
New to whisky or never tried it before?
If you are new to whisky then World Whisky Day might just be the excuse you need to try whisky for the very first time, as you have always put it off in the past. Why not just give it a go? There could not be a more fitting day to try whisky for the first time. Find an event near you on the World Whisky Day website and learn about the best drink in the world.
Are you a whisky geek?
If you are already a whisky fan then why not open something extra special on World Whisky Day? Everyone has a bottle of something in their cupboard that they have been holding on to for years. Well, why not open it on World Whisky Day and share that special whisky with your friends and family? Hundred’s of people have already done this during the 1st and 2nd World Whisky Day celebrations. Alternatively you could look for a World Whisky Day event happening near your home. Or better yet why not host your own World Whisky Day event?
What has been happening since this year’s WWD in May?
Well, I graduated in July and a week later I was awarded a £50k grant from the Scottish Government to grow and develop World Whisky Day. Since my graduation I’ve been working full time on World Whisky Day to help build what I believe to be an excellent day for the global whisky community to come together and celebrate whisky, the thing we all love.
So what will be happening on WWD 2014?
We are getting a great new website built that makes it much easier to find and add events. We are working closely with distilleries to get them engaged and involved in the global celebrations. We are also working closely with Scottish Government and VisitScotland to help promote World Whisky Day to a worldwide audience.
We hope that World Whisky Day 2014 will be the biggest celebration yet and will see even more whisky enthousiasts than ever before enjoying a glass of whisky on 17th May 2014.
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Get Involved
Venue Owner?
You will be able to register your World Whisky Day event in early 2014 but get your thinking caps on now and tell your regulars to save the date for World Whisky Day on 17th May 2014.
Whisky enthousiast?
Please tell your favourite bar and all your whisky friends about World Whisky Day. Make sure you follow us on Twitter (@worldwhiskyday) and Facebook (Facebook.com/worldwhiskyday) for the latest news and some very exciting competitions.
Whisky Distiller or Whisky Brand?
We endeavour to have as many distilleries and brands involved as possible. If you have not heard from us yet we will be in touch very soon. But if you want to let us know about an exciting idea then by all means please drop us a quick message to info@worldwhiskyday.com
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That’s all for now but I’ll keep you updated with exciting developments and announcements planned for early in the New Year.
In the meantime if you want to discuss your plans or find out more about getting your venue or whisky involved then please email info@worldwhiskyday.com or call +44 (0)131 208 2582.
Kind regards,
Blair Bowman
Founder
World Whisky Day
www.worldwhiskyday.com
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and very exciting competitions.
Tomintoul 1977 / Single Cask #3691 / 36 Year Old
Following on from the success of their first ever single cask release (single bourbon cask #5985), Tomintoul distillery have released this rare single sherry cask edition. Distilled in 1977, single sherry cask #3691 has been aged for 36 years, it was bottled in 2013 at 54.9% vol.
Only 297 bottles were produced, each bottle has been individually numbered.
£415.00 (£345.83 ex vat)
Click here to buy Tomintoul 1977 Single Cask 3691
Toronto’s all-new, re-launched Whisky Live kicks off whisky season with a bang. In a classy new venue at the Harbour Castle Westin Hotel and under new ownership the festival has done away with tasting vouchers and has an extensive demonstration area for each of the five steps in making whisky. Sample whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, USA, Canada, Japan, South Africa. Tickets available at whiskylive.com
