Welcome to WhiskyIntelligence.com where we'll be gathering information on the whisky industry and scotch whisky news in the form of press releases, newsletters, events, tasting notes and comments.
Recent limited allocations have given us the opportunity to curate an astounding selection of whisky icons from Scotland and Japan. Leading the way is a trio of singular examples from Bowmore, each aged 30 years. Speaking of 30 years, we happen to have one of the best allocations of the incredible Macallan 30-Year, a rendition that’s rarely seen and could easily be the cornerstone of any enviable collection. From Nikka, their stunning Nine Decades release is available while it lasts, and their 1978 Sherry Butt is out of this world.
Item Name
Retail
Link
Bowmore 30 Year Old “No. 1 Vault” 45.1% ABV Limited Edition Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch 750ml
Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA
Crafted with tradition, innovation, and a dash of exclusivity, we’re thrilled to reveal the latest addition to the Whisky Magazine Special Selection: Arbikie Highland Rye 2017. This special release celebrates Whisky Magazine’s 25th anniversary and is limited to just 275 bottles.
Matured for 7 years in an American whiskey cask, Arbikie Highland Rye 2017 is a single cask, single grain whisky that boasts a bold, distinctive flavour profile.
Nose: Creamy, with rice pudding and toasted vanilla. Rye and oat crackers. Sharp citrus bite — lemongrass, and lemon and lime sherbet — and a hint of Chablis-like minerality. Light notes of honey, underripe plum, and straw. Whole-milk latte.
Palate: Medium-full bodied, retaining that creaminess. Toasted vanilla pod, with roasted coffee notes and a hint of caramelised white chocolate. Cinnamon and vanilla sugar-dusted doughnut. Slight anise notes of clove and liquorice. Continuing citrus-sherbet tingle. Sweet and spicy grain notes run as an undercurrent.
Finish: Long, but gentle. Crisp green apple, honey, and rye cracker come through in the finish with a final twist of lemon peel.
To mark 25 years of Johnnie Walker Keep Walking, we sat down with Jennifer English, Global Brand Director, and Christine McCafferty, Diageo Archive Manager, to explore its enduring impact. From its beginnings as a rallying call for individual progress to its evolution into a celebration of collective growth, Keep Walking is so much more than just a slogan.
Jennifer English (Johnnie Walker Global Brand Director):
Christine, it’s remarkable to think that Keep Walking has been part of Johnnie Walker for 25 years. Keep Walking is not just a punchy ad line – it is the Walker mantra and connects deeply to our brand story, underpinning everything we do. It inspires us to keep pushing ourselves and finding new ways to stay relevant to consumers globally. Can you tell us a bit about the origins of Keep Walking?
Christine McCafferty (Diageo Archive Manager):
In the years running up to the launch of Keep Walking, Johnnie Walker was showing up very differently across the world, and it had lost it’s connection to its DNA. We took the time to deep dive into the Diageo Archive and revisit the brand narrative from the last 100 years to reconnect with what made it distinctive. From the slanted label and square bottle to the Striding Man figure, and the way the Walkers built their business – the stories of innovation and progress soon led the team to Keep Walking.
For me, Keep Walking celebrates progress – inspiring both personal and collective advancement. Its strength is its universality, speaking to something deep within all of us. Having worked in the Diageo Archive for 27 years, I’ve seen how this campaign has been used worldwide as a rallying call, a challenge, and an affirmation.
Jennifer:
Absolutely. The idea of progress is something that everyone can relate to on a personal level. It’s not always about making huge leaps; it’s about taking the next step – whatever that means for you – and celebrating that.
I remember when I first came across a Keep Walking campaign. It was the ‘Fish’ TV commercial from 2003. Having studied the science of evolution, the commercial really caught my attention. It was beautifully shot with such a simple message – don’t be afraid to take that first step, even if it means breaking away from the pack.
Christine:
I love that example. When the campaign launched in 1999 with Harvey Keitel, it was right on the cusp of a new millennium – a time filled with possibility and potential. People were embracing the hope and optimism of a new era.
What I find remarkable, when looking through the Keep Walking, archives is that from the very beginning it was breaking new ground. Whisky advertising had been very masculine, and status driven. This was something different, connecting a whisky brand to a purpose that felt authentic and relatable. Really it opened the door to diversity and inclusion within whisky.
Jennifer:
And as the world has evolved, so has the campaign. After the initial run of advertisements, the brand made a shift to celebrating collective progress – the journey we share with others. We have amazing examples of work from around the globe such as Keep Walking Colombia – highlighting the human connection between communities on both sides of the civil war and Keep Walking Lesvos, shining a light on the people supporting refugees entering Europe.
Post-pandemic, our ‘Anthem’ advertising carried an important message of encouraging communities to come together again – and had a pretty killer soundtrack in my opinion! Today we’re seeing society shift again. Consumers are seeking our rich and varied experiences. Progress is still connected to others, but we’re approaching it in a more sensorial way – encouraging our consumers to enjoy what life has to offer.
Christine:
It’s amazing to see how Keep Walking has adapted. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of the first commercials such as the print adverts featuring quotes from Abraham Lincoln, Dr David Livingstone and Yoshida Kenko. But as a historian and storyteller, The Man Who Walked Around the World starring Robert Carlyle in 2009 was a wonderful way to combine the Keep Walking philosophy with the broader brand narrative.
Jennifer:
It was an incredible ad, and the journey of Keep Walking is far from over as we look to the future and how we can meet consumer demands for exploration, experiences and a fuller life.
Just this year, Johnnie Walker was awarded a Grand Prix at Cannes Lions for ‘Errata at 88’ – an incredible Keep Walking campaign in Brazil. That campaign goes to show how impactful this message still is and will continue to be. It’s an exciting place to be.
Christine:
That’s such a vital message. Keep Walking will continue to encourage people to live more expansive lives.
Jennifer:
Exactly. Whether it’s personal or collective, progress with a capital P or a small p, Keep Walking will always be about moving forward.
Highgrove Royal Gardens Edition Single Malt Whisky
We are proud to announce the launch of our limited-edition Royal Gardens Single Malt Whisky, created in collaboration with Highgrove. This special edition whisky has been crafted using heritage Plumage Archer barley grown exclusively at Highgrove Estate and aged in a combination of ex-red wine and first-fill bourbon casks.
Please note, due to the limited bottles available, customers will only be able to buy one bottle per person. No discount codes can be redeemed when purchasing this product.
Limited Availability
Bottled on 21st October 2024, this special edition is limited to just 400 bottles in total. 300 bottles are available at Highgrove (online and in-store) and 100 bottles are available at the Cotswolds Distillery (online and in-store at our 3 shops). Each bottle is presented in a gift box which features a watercolour of Highgrove House painted by His Majesty King Charles III.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Vanilla and orange peel.
Palate: Brown sugar, vanilla and candied ginger.
Finish: Lightly spiced and moreish.
50%
Supporting The Kings Foundation
The King’s Foundation is the custodian of Highgrove Gardens for the opening of Highgrove Gardens to the public, which generates an annual income for the charity. All profits from sales of the whisky will support The King’s Foundation for its charitable delivery of education and training initiatives, some of which take place at Highgrove. The King’s Foundation’s base at Highgrove accommodates education and training opportunities in furniture-making, fashion, and textiles, and building craft skills.
A warm autumnal welcome everyone to our now live 161st auction! We have scoured the United Kingdom and beyond to put together a strong auction this month, with seven thousand bottles to choose from as well as some more ‘Buy it Now’ options from our friends at American Single Cask. So, without further ado let’s delve into some of the highlights this month.
To begin with we have an excellent opportunity to buy an entire cask, a BenRiach 2014 Hogshead #25 currently being held at Whisky Broker. Since it’s reinvigoration by Billy Walker Benriach has been going from strength to strength and produced some truly exceptional whisky. If you have been looking for a chance to own your own cask of delicious whisky, then this could be the one for you. Recently re-gauged at 62.6% and 211 litres this cask is currently held at Whisky Broker and the winning bidder will need to set up an account at Whisky Broker if they don’t already have one.
Next up is a jaw-droppingly old expression from one of the most collectable distilleries out there, this is the Macallan 1928 50 Year Old 75cl. It’s hard to fathom just how old this liquid is, it was distilled the best part of a century ago and to put it into context John Logie Baird was transmitting the first transatlantic television signal while this delicious looking dram was coming off the still. Finally bottled in 1983 this is a certified time capsule which offers the buyer a bona fide taste of a bygone era.
Our first highlight was a hard act to follow, but this Talisker 45 Year Old Glacial Edge will give it a go. A truly unusual expression this one with an incredible back story. Twelve heavily charred American oak casks were taken onto a voyage into Arctic ice fields in Canada. With the ends of the casks removed, they were left exposed to sub-zero temperatures for 96 hours! This allowed the extreme cold to fracture the wood which in turn increased the surface area of the casks that the whisky was able to interact with during the finishing period in Scotland. At forty-five years old this unique dram is well-aged and well-travelled.
Now we have a terrific dram indeed from arguably Ireland’s finest distillery, this is the Redbreast 38 Year Old Dream Cask #38404 Zenith Edition. Just when you were thinking “Glacial Edge” was a cool name for a whisky along comes the “Zenith Edition”. The Dream Cask Series has produced some absolute belters but as the title suggest this one is at the top of the tree. Aged for almost four decades in a single Oloroso Sherry cask and one of only 822 bottles produced this is one of the finest examples of Irish single pot still distilling there is.
Last but not least we have a something special from one of Scotland’s heavyweight distilleries, this special bottling is the Glen Grant 1956 Gordon & MacPhail Decanter. Distilled way back when in 1956 and only bottled in 2015 by famed indie bottler Gordon & MacPhail, this lusciously dark dram is one of only 218 decanters made. The decanter itself is a thing of understated beauty and is festooned with Insular Celtic images from the iconic manuscript, The Book of Kells.
A. Overholt: A. Overholt uses the same mashbill Overholt™ founder, Abraham Overholt used in 1810 – 80% rye grain and 20% soft malted barley – creating a fully warm yet deep spice, similar to rye whiskey from the 1800’s. The brand pays homage to its namesake Abraham Overholt with this new Monongahela Mash – our first foray back to our roots with a Pennsylvania Style-inspired classic rye.
SRP: $39.99 | 47.5% ABV |
ARDRAY™ Blended Scotch Whisky: Developed by Beam Suntory’s Chief Blender for Scotch, Calum Fraser, and Suntory’s team of blenders from Japan, ARDRAY Blended Scotch Whisky presents a fresh perspective to Scotch Whisky. ARDRAY is an excellent Blended Scotch elevated by the precision and balance of Japanese blenders.
SRP: $85.00 | 48% ABV |
Baker’s Bourbon Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 13-Year-Old: The re-release of the much beloved Baker’s 13-Year-Old from 2023. It’s a limited-edition bottling of special 13-year-old single barrel liquid, bottled at 107 proof. This extra-aged expression explores how time and location in the warehouse drive distinction from barrel to barrel. From still to rickhouse to bottle, a lot of things happen with the liquid like weather, length of aging, and rickhouse placement all shape the distinct notes and flavors of each barrel.
SRP: $149.99 | 53.5% ABV |
Booker’s Bourbon Batch #1 “The Springfield Batch” + Batch #2 “The Beam House Batch”: Booker’s Bourbon has released two of the four annual batches thus far, “The Springfield Batch” and “The Beam House Batch”. Batch #1 is named after the small town in central Kentucky where Booker Noe was born and raised. Batch #2 is named after the house Fred’s great-grandad, Jim Beam, lived, as did his father Booker Noe, and now he does as well. In this batch, Fed has tried to capture some of the joyful memories he’s made in the Beam House for you to enjoy at yours.
“The Springfield Batch” SRP: $99.99 | 62% ABV | AND “The Beam House Batch” SRP: $99.99 | 62% ABV |
Bowmore Master’s Selection Third Edition: The 5th liquid collaboration between the two storied, ultra-luxury heritage brands. Double matured in purposefully selected European Oak, Oloroso Sherry seasoned casks along with the optimal mix of American Oak hogsheads, this 22-year-old single malt pays homage to the definitively constant character of Bowmore.
SRP: $400.00 | 51% ABV |
Hatozaki Omakase Rye Third Edition Mizunara Cask Finish: A testament to the seasoned artistry of the Yonezawa family aging tradition, crafted in small batches of no more than 10 casks. The blend, consisting of at least 51% rye, is aged in new charred oak and then finished in traditional Mizunara casks. This dual maturation allows the Mizunara to impart its distinctive character, resulting in notes of sandalwood, coconut, and Japanese incense – a refined encounter with Japanese elegance.
SRP: $95.00 | 42% ABV |
Hatozaki Small Batch 12 Year Old Umeshu Cask Finish: A 100% hand-crafted malt whisky, a blend of premium single malts, each aged for a minimum of 12 years in American Oak casks before being married and then further finished in bespoke barrels that previously held superior Umeshu liqueur for an additional 6 months. Without coloring or chill filtration this perfectly balanced whisky is complemented with subtle accents of sweet infused Japanese plum.
SRP: $130.00 | 46% ABV |
Laphroaig Càirdeas 2024 Cask Favourites: Developed in ex-Bourbon barrels, this single malt combines the distinctive peaty flavor of Laphroaig with notes of freshly ground ginger, charred citrus fruits, and a whisper of bonfire notes embers through on the finish. The celebratory malt is bottled at a fixed strength for a memorable experience to share with friends.
SRP: $109.99 | 52.4% ABV |
Little Book Chapter 8: “Path Not Taken” is about reimagining the variety that rye grain has to offer and pushing the limits of what it can be. Freddie looked across America’s oldest whiskey frontier from a new vantage point and created a complex, redefined, and differentiated profile by blending ryes of different age, char, and mashbill. Chapter 8 is Freddie’s first concerted effort to blend an expression based on the influence and unique flavors of rye whiskey and the nuances of the rye grain primarily in the American Straight Rye styles selected, as well as its mashbill influence within high-rye bourbon.
SRP: $149.99 | 59.1% ABV |
Photo Credit: Suntory Global Spirits & Hatozaki Whisky
Killowen Distillery makes the list as the second highest ranked Irish Whiskey in The World’s Most Admired Whiskies 2024
Killowen Distillery has just been ranked as number 37 out of 50 in the list of the ‘World’s Most Admired Whiskeys’
This is simply amazing news for us to be ranked so highly amongst thousands of distilleries, making us the second highest ranking Irish Whiskey in this list. This is all down to the Killowen Team and of-course the absolutely amazing people who enjoy Killowen on a regular basis. We always love to meet these folks and will continue to do our best for them.
We look forward to more brilliant whiskies in the future.
Thank you wholeheartedly to our brilliant supporters.
The fourth expression in our renowned and award-winning Cigar Malt collection, Cigar Malt IV.
Cigar Malt IV is a 53.8% ABV, non-chill filtered, annual batch release single malt. Rich in texture and flavour that perfectly complements the complexity of both the aroma and mouthfeel of a handcrafted luxury cigar.
The expressions within the Cigar Malt range are always a highlight of the year for the team, due to its richness and depth of flavour. For the same reason, we know it’s a favourite, and we’re confident this release will be no exception. It’s a magnificent dram.
Each bottle of Cigar Malt IV comes with a stainless steel Tamdhu cigar cutter.
As with all Tamdhu whiskies, Cigar Malt IV is exclusively sherry matured. Though unique from many other expressions from the distillery, Cigar Malt IV uses only a small selection of first fill European oak sherry casks. Similar to each leaf of a cigar, these casks deliver richness in both colour and taste. The commitment to quality and craftsmanship of Cigar Malt IV ensures an exceptional whisky, making it the perfect accompaniment to a high quality cigar for connoisseurs, or of course a magnificent dram on its own.
On the nose, Tamdhu Cigar Malt IV presents sticky ginger pudding with aromas of warm sherried oak. The palate opens with crème brûlée, followed by notes of plum crumble steeped in sherry. The finish reveals notes of apricot and almonds, with crisp and sweet honeycomb.
