Get a sneaky peek at two bottles from our early November list: both matured for 21 years, their subtle quality shines through. PLUS a few never-seen-before bottlings to suit all palates…

November Previews

Sweet, fruity & mellow

7.96 Subtle quality in a lady’s handbag

BUY  £85.30

Spicy & sweet

36.68 Sweet and salty combo

BUY  £82.80

New Online

Young & spritely

48.36 Lemon sorbet garnished with a mint leaf

BUY  £46.00

Sweet, fruity & mellow

36.62 The Italian Job

BUY  £77.60

Old & dignified

72.29 Luxurious afternoon tea

BUY  £160.20

Browse all bottlings

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 http://www.smws.co.uk/memberships for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers.

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Hillrock Estate Bourbon, Single Malt & Rye on Sale Now at Mora’s Fine Wine & Spirits (E. Setauket, New York)

Save 10% for a limited time on these meticulously crafted whiskeys from the heart of the Hudson Valley, two hours north of New York City. Led by owner Jeffrey Baker and renowned Master Distiller Dave Pickerell.

Hillrock Estate Solera Aged Bourbon Whiskey 92.6 Proof – $71.99 (Regular $79.99)

World’s first Solera aged Bourbon! Hillrock Solera marries small barrel-aged Hillrock Estate Bourbon with mature seed Bourbon before finishing in Oloroso Sherry casks to balance flavors and add complexity. Average age of whiskey now over 7 years with a rye content of approximately 37%.

Hillrock Estate Single Malt Whiskey 96.4 Proof – $103.49 (Regular $114.99)

U.S.’s first Single Malt made from grains grown and malted on-premise at a distillery. This batch was created using unpeated barley and as a result has more in common with and Irish malt. The Hillrock Single Malt is also finished in Oloroso Sherry casks.

Hillrock Estate George Washington Unaged Rye Whiskey 375mL 86 Proof – $44.99 (Regular $49.99)

Made through a special partnership with George Washington’s Distillery at Historic Mount Vernon using George Washington’s rye recipe. The 60% rye, 45% corn, 5% barley mashbill was determined by an analysis of whiskey actually made by Washington. Each bottle includes a small amount of Rye made on George’s stills in Mount Vernon.

Mora’s Fine Wine & Spirits

www.moraswines.com

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

West Coast Whiskies Talisker / Longrow / Kilchoman at Single Malts Direct

Talisker 10 Year Old 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. £36.00 Buy it Now!

Longrow Peated Longrow Peated is a no-age statement release from Longrow. One of the three whiskies distilled at Springbank distillery, Longrow is generally peaty in comparison to its siblings. A well balanced whisky with some slightly medicinal notes. £36.50 Buy it Now!

Kilchoman Machir Bay The 2013 release is a vatting of 4 and 5 year single malt, matured in fresh bourbon barrels, with the 4 year old being finished in olorosso sherry butts for 4 weeks prior to bottlling. £40.75 Buy it Now!

Talisker 2000 Distillers Edition The Talisker Distillers Edition is a single malt whisky from the excellent Talisker distillery on the Isle of Skye. A special Distillers Edition is not widely available. A wonderful scotch the only thing unlucky about the Talisker is that they didn’t produce more of it! £52.99 Buy it Now!

Longrow 11 Year Old Rundlets and Kilderkins Every year, the distilling apparatus at Springbank distillery in Campbeltown is cleaned out and the heavier malted Longrow is produced before reverting to Springbank again. Unlike Springbank, which is partially triple distilled, Longrow is double distilled. The whisky produced is not chill-filtered so that the whisky retains all of its flavours and mouth feel. The original Longrow distillery closed in 1896, Alfred Barnard described the distillery as the quaintest he had set eyes on, with everything done by hand. The one concession to modernity being a steam engine used to power the malt mill. Today one of the bonded warehouses is used today to house Springbank’s bottling plant. Longrow originals command big prices, with an 1864 going for £7200 in 2001. £58.99 Buy it Now!

Kilchoman 100% Islay 2nd Edition Kilchoman 100% Islay 2nd Edition is the second 100% Islay release from Kilchoman and has been produced from barley grown, malted, distilled, matured and bottled at the distillery. It has been aged in fresh and refill bourbon barrels. £58.99 Buy it Now!

Talisker Storm Talisker Storm takes its name from the more intense flavour of the liquid. The briny, maritime qualities of Talisker’s distillery character are carefully selected to create a more powerful flavour experience. Like a warm welcome from a wild Hebridean Sea. £39.49 Buy it Now!     Longrow 18 Year Old Longrow 18 Year Old Longrow is a double distilled, heavily peated single malt. The first distillation was carried out as an experiment when the Springbank chairman set out to prove that it was possible to produce an Islay-style single malt whisky on the mainland. This experiment produced a whisky so special that Longrow was distilled again a few years later and has become an important part of the Mitchell’s portfolio, with regular distillation having taken place since 1992. The barley used in the production of Longrow is entirely peat dried, giving the whisky a wonderfully smokey, peaty character. The whisky is named after the old Longrow distillery which stood adjacent to Springbank. £86.99 Buy it Now!

Kilchoman 100% Islay 3d Edition Kilchoman Distillery was founded in 2005 and is the first distillery to be built on Islay for 12o years. It is a farm distillery and a proportion of the barley used in production is grown and malted at the distillery. The spirit is filled into a combination of bourbon barrels from Buffalo Distillery, Kentucky, USA and oloroso sherry butts from Miguel Martin in Spain. This is the third 100% Islay release from Kilchoman and has been produced from barley grown, malted, distilled, matued and bottled at the distillery. It has been aged for 4 years in a combination of fresh and refill bourbon barrels. £59.99 Buy it Now!

A Taste from the Past – William Grant’s Ale Cask Reserve (bottled in 2001) 

Hi everyone,

Today I revisited an old friend of mine – a bottle from the very first batch of Grant’s Ale Cask. Strangely, I immediately started feeling nervous. Just holding the bottle brought me back to 2001, to one of my very first trips abroad for the company.

We didn’t have a Grant’s ambassador in those days ,…(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,

Ludo

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2014 is now available to order from our website – http://www.whiskybible.com/ For an exclusive pre-order discount of £3 and a signed copy of the book simply type PRE2014 into the ‘Your Shopping Cart’ screen at http://www.whiskybible.com/ and click ‘Apply’. The code is available until the 28th October 2013.

THE WHISKY SHOP’S CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE 2013

The Whisky Shop has Christmas all wrapped up this year with a fantastic selection of unique and luxurious whisky gifts.

As the UK’s largest whisky only specialist retailer, The Whisky Shop offers an unrivalled selection of Scotch and international malt whiskies from the world’s premium distilleries, as well as an extensive choice of blends, and there is something to suit all tastes and budgets.

OVER £100

Jack Daniels Frank Sinatra Select – £150

Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select is bottled at 90 proof and gains its rich character from specially crafted “Sinatra Barrels” mingled with the classic Tennessee Whiskey. The Sinatra Barrels are handcrafted with the addition of deep grooves on the inside of the barrel staves.

This exposes the whiskey to extra layers of oak which imparts a rich amber colour, bold character and a pleasant smokiness, followed by an incredibly smooth vanilla finish. 

Highland Park Loki – £133

This 15 year old limited edition single malt comes housed in the same unique and award winning wooden frame as Thor, echoing the fearsome contours of a traditional Viking long ship.

The true shape-shifting ability of Loki springs to life on the palate: its waxy texture is amplified by an intense smoke that doesn’t appear on the nose, shattering the light citrusy illusion of the aroma. All is not what it seems. The smoke fades as liquorice and rich spiced apple flavours come out to play. Lemon and grapefruit are consistent throughout this elusive, yet intriguing character.

£50 TO £100

Bruichladdich Octomore 6.1 – £99.99

Bruichladdich Octomore 6.1 is the world’s most heavily peated whisky. This is the 6^th edition of the uber-experimental cult Octomore. Titanic amounts of peat but with a light, delicate complexity and a beguiling finesse. 

Highland & Island Selection – £89.99 

A wonderful selection of single malts inside an attractive snap shut gift box accompanied by two specially shaped malt blenders glasses.

Dalmore 12 year old (70cl) is a rich, full flavoured and complex single malt whisky.

Jura Superstition (70cl) is a single malt where tastes of spice, honey, pine and peat with a whisper of smoke make a dramatic impact. 

UNDER £50

Aberlour 12yo Non Chill Filtered – £49.99  

An easy drinking single malt, Aberlour 12 year old Non Chill Filtered is exclusive to The Whisky Shop and has a medium amber colour and a nose of baked apples, raisins, light caramel and nutmeg. With a creamy texture and tastes of dried fruit, marzipan, fudge and a touch of nutmeg and pepper and a long, rich fruit with delicate spice finish, this whisky is sure to make a lasting impression this Christmas. 

The Macallan Amber – £45

This single malt is part of The 1824 Series which showcases two of The Macallan’s greatest strengths: oak sherry casks and natural colour.  The Macallan Amber underlines the signature style of The Macallan embracing the defining elements which have made it one of the world’s truly great single malts.

The Macallan Whisky Maker, Bob Dalgarno, created four expressions by identifying the natural colour formed during maturation in different cask types to create the character informed by these colours. The expressions are Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby, all names reflecting the actual colour of the whiskies in the range, but also describing naturally occurring mineral and metals. 

Talisker 10 year old luxury gift set – £42.99

This beautiful pack reinforces Talisker’s ‘Made by the Sea’ heritage and includes two of the famous Talisker Rocking Glasses as well as a 70cl bottle of Talisker 10 year old. 

The W Club Gold Membership – £25.00

The W Club Gold Membership is the start of a journey of discovery.

The gift pack also includes a copy of the Jim Murray Whisky Bible, a  Malt Blenders Glass and a Bowmore 12 year old miniature.

The W Club offers a range of benefits including:

• 10% off products at any of The Whisky Shop stores or at www.whiskyshop.com
• Access to www.thewclub.co.uk, a fully interactive website including a comprehensive whisky guide and all the latest whisky news
• Access to Limited Edition Bottlings
• Selected free of charge distillery tours and tastings
• Entry into ‘Money Can’t Buy’ competitions
• Invitations to exclusive instore tastings

Andrew Torrance, Managing Director of The Whisky Shop, said: “At The Whisky Shop we have a wonderful array of whisky gifts to suit all tastes and budgets this Christmas and our knowledgeable staff are on hand to help select the perfect present.” 

The Whisky Shop is the UK’s largest whisky only specialist retailer with a full range of whisky gifts available online at www.whiskyshop.com and at 22 stores nationwide, including premium flagships in London’s Piccadilly and on Manchester’s Exchange Street.

Limited Release from The Arran Malt

Arran Millennium Casks 53.5%

TO BE RELEASED MID NOVEMBER – AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDERING NOW.
£65
1 BOTTLE ONLY PER CUSTOMER

The Millennium Casks bottling is a limited edition expression of 7,800 bottles of The Arran Single Malt inspired by a unique moment in time. Of these 7800, only 780 are available for the UK market. It is a memorable mix of 35 Bourbon Barrels and 10 Sherry Hogsheads filled at the turn of the new millennium on 31st December 1999 and 1st January 2000. This whisky has been matured at The Isle of Arran Distillery for 13 years and has been bottled at cask strength and without chill-filtration. The Millennium Casks are the perfect example of our forward thinking independent character which remains true to its roots.

Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is vibrant and zesty with an edge of spice
Palate: Candied citrus captures your tongue immediately taking you back to the hallmarks of Arran with orchard fruits and baked apples. A sprinkling of vanilla and cinnamon adds a layer of sweet spice and oak to the initial fruity character. A splash of water opens it up beautifully, exposing the layers of creaminess in this unique dram.
Finish: Clean and fresh with a hint of spice, this classic Arran lingers delicately. Notes of mandarins and grapefruit mingle beautifully with the last twist of toasted oak promising another perfectly balanced sip.

www.ralfy.com discovers a malt disguised as a bourbon with Whisky Review 404 – BenRiach 17yo Virgin Oak Matured (The Whisky Shop)

The Latest from the Elements of Islay

This year’s Whisky Show has been a rather busy time for us. Not only did we have a show to put on (it went very well, thank you for asking – our writeup of the weekend is over here) but … Continue reading >>

Home to some of Scotland’s most precious and rare whisky stocks, The Dalmore distillery is set to extend its Principal Collection of desirable whiskies with the launch of The Dalmore 25 Year Old.

Available in specially selected retail partners globally from 25 October, The Dalmore 25 year old will join the 12, 15, 18, Cigar Malt Reserve and King Alexander III as a permanent addition to the collection.

Meticulously crafted by Master Distiller Richard Paterson, The Dalmore 25 combines festive aromas of exotic fruits, marzipan, vanilla pods and fig cake.

As with all of The Dalmore’s prestigious and award-winning whiskies, much of The Dalmore 25’s unique character and quality comes from a passion to use only the finest wood.

This spirit has been matured initially in American white oak casks before being divided into hand-sourced 25 year old sweet Palomino Fino sherry butts and 1980 first-fill bourbon casks. These exceptional whiskies are then expertly married together in bourbon barrels before finally being transferred into Tawny Port pipes from Portugal, giving additional layers of complexity and richness.

Only 3,000 bottles of this outstanding single malt will be produced annually with an RRP of £600.

The Dalmore 25 won Gold at the 2013 International Spirits Challenge (ISC) awards and will be officially unveiled at this year’s TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes.

Dalmore Master Distiller Richard Paterson said:

“The Dalmore 25 is matured in casks that have previously housed a very special grape which creates a sweeter style of sherry. As a result, the cask has gifted a wonderful a palate of orange peel, chocolate truffles and spiced gingerbread. The Dalmore 25 is a truly spectacular addition to The Dalmore Principal Collection, and a must have for fans of the distillery.”

NOTES

The Dalmore 25 will be rolled out globally from 25 October and available in North America from early 2014.
The Dalmore 25 is bottled at 42% abv.
Tasting Notes:
• Aroma: Exotic fruits, marzipan, vanilla pods, treacle toffee, fig cake and sweet balsamic
• Palate: Orange peel, chocolate truffles, liquorice, sweet damsons and sherry soaked raisins
• Finish: Demerara sugar, maple syrup, bitter chocolate and spiced gingerbread

Further information on 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.
The Dalmore is produced in very limited quantities and due to the distinctive distillation process no two batches will be exactly the same, ensuring that each release of 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.