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Isle of Arran 2001/2012 (55.2%, OB for Kensington, Bourbon, C#808, 233 Bts., D’13/12/2001, B’12/09/2012) 

Yet another single cask selected for Kensington in Calgary, in 2011 they bottled Arran KWM Bourbon Barrel – Distilled July 9th, 1999 – Bottled January 19th 2011 – 11 Years – 57.4% – 202 individually numbered bottles and Arran KWM Sherry Hogshead – Distilled April 2nd 1998 – Bottled January 19th 2011 – 12 Years – 55.3% – 282 individually numbered bottles. This latest is from an ex-American bourbon cask and on the nose there are some slight hints of gin, the high alcohol comes through but then after just a few moments in the glass some wafts of toasted sour dough bread starts to emerge followed by hints of heather, rose water and some sweet malt. There are also tantalizing moments of BBQ; somewhat multi-faceted. With water some further sweetness emerges, more malt and caramel or even barley sugar. The undiluted taste is big, aggressive and quite vibrant with loads of malt. With water the whisky is significantly more approachable (it handles quite a bit of water with aplomb) and is much like the undiluted nose with the lighter fragrant notes working well with the malt and sweet notes. The finish is much like fizzy orange drink (think of a soda that’s been sitting in the sun a while and has lost some of its fizz) with lots of malt. There’s lots of mouth smacking moments of malt (try saying that 3 times quickly). As times winds in the malt comes to dominate and grow, astonishing.

Vibrant, active, big and malty but not as malty as previous bottlings in the nose and the taste but certainly in the finish.

$88 (for a cask strength single cask whisky – well done!)

86 points

The Whisky Shop is proud to announce the opening of its new flagship store in Piccadilly London on Thursday the 22nd of November!

Andrew Torrance, Managing Director of The Whisky Shop, said: “This is a very exciting development and we believe that whisky deserves to have this platform. We want to offer customers a very different retailing experience that is both accessible and can serve the needs of the most discerning whisky customer.

“The new store reflects the continuing success story of whisky and will combine prestigious and super premium whisky offerings with the high service standards that customers have come to expect from The Whisky Shop.”

The store will also offer some of the most exclusive whiskies in the world including Royal Salute, ‘Tribute to Honour’, one of the most opulent and rarest of blends in the world of which there are only 21 bottles. Priced at £150,000, the whisky is presented in a spectacular bejewelled bottle, embellished by royal jeweller Garrard in flawless diamonds and shimmering gold.

The Dalmore Constellation Collection, priced at £158,000, consists of 21 individual expressions of some of the world’s rarest single malts created at the Highland Distillery between the years 1964 and 1992.

The flagship Piccadilly store will include a vast whisky library stocking over 400 whiskies as well as an information bar using iPad technology to lead the customer through their whisky journey and to help with their understanding of Scotch.

The Whisky Shop
Tel 0141 427 2919
info@whiskyshop.com
www.whiskyshop.com

Whyte & Mackay Spirit Guide

There are only 34 days until Christmas, which is both a thrilling and daunting realisation. All the things that are brilliant about Christmas – the office party, cooking, buying gifts, spending time with family – are also all of the things that can cause a little bit of dram-a (get the whisky pun?). At Whyte & Mackay, we’ve been thinking a lot about the real spirit of Christmas and we’ve compiled a light-hearted ‘Spirit Guide’ designed to help you (and us) cope with all the tricky bits of Christmas without losing our sense of humour or embarrassing ourselves at the Christmas party. We like to make sure the only dram-a at Christmas is Whyte & Mackay. Enjoy!

Download the Whyte & Mackay Spirit Guide

Dear Client

We have six (6) new PROVENANCE bottlings this month, whose Tasting Notes follow –

PROVENANCE Tasting Notes:

PRV0940 Glen Ord 8 year old

Opens clean and fresh on the nose, developing to a fruity (fresh apples & lemons) quality. The palate is light, still fresh, sweetly spiced and nicely vanilla’d. The finish now runs drier carrying an orange pith style. (J)

PRV0943 Dailuaine 10 year old Sherry

Opens and clean and fresh on the nose carrying a fruity sweet quality plus interesting toffee. The palate remains fruity and sweet and develops to a softly spiced character and hazelnut praline. The finish is medium long and runs to sweet pears and tangy mandarins. (J)

PRV0939 Aberlour 12 year old

Big and sweetly Malted initially on the nose – it then softens to a more heather and honey formula – lightly spiced. Its palate has an old fashioned hard candy sugar platform (not so fruity) – again attractively spiced – with late chewy toffee apparent. All that leads to a finish carrying more warming spices – cough drop style – mocha and a late drift smoke. (F)

PRV0942 Allt-a-Bhainne 12 year old Sherry

Opens fresh and clean on the nose – warming to something really honey sweet and gently spiced. Palatewise – anticipate a replication of the (chewy/runny)sweet honey plus barley- baked apple? with similarly sweet herbs and spices. The finish is every bit as (toasted) barley sweet as per the nose/palate – with a hint of the cask’s oak. But its essence is SWEET. (F)

PRV0801 Glen Moray 12 year old

Attractively floral, spiced, gristy, honied, (and aromatic generally) on the nose. Palatewise there are more warming spices initially – developing as you hold it, to dark runny honey and barley flavours – all wonderfully intertwined on its warm finish (F)

PRV0945 Speyside 13 year old

Opens with a sweet & fruity quality on the nose and develops to a buttery, honey’d style. The palate carries a gristy sweet character plus vanilla and soft spices. The finish is long, still sweet then runs drier to a lemon pith style. (J)

We hope you and your clients will find these interesting and commercially attractive additions to the range. We are at your service!

Best Wishes

Fred Laing

Visit Douglas Laing at www.douglaslaing.com

For the last two years we’ve brought you our ’12 Drams of Christmas’ as chosen by you. So we thought it would only be rude not to do the same again this year, and use it as a great excuse to start getting into the festive spirit.

Between now and Wednesday the 12th of December we’d love to hear your nominations for your favourite festive whiskies. Then on Thursday the 14th of December we’ll publish the list of the top 12 drops of festive drammage in ranking order as chosen by you! Along with accompanying retail details so they can be enjoyed by all over the festive period and indeed beyond.

To take part click hereand email us your top three favourite festive whiskies, that we’ll then use to help compile our ’12 Drams of Christmas 2012’. Please remember to mark the subject line of your email ’12 Drams of Crimbo’.

Everyone who enters will have their name added to our Santa hat, then on the 14th of December one name will be drawn and one lucky winner will be sent a duo of dramspanking Glen’s to dramlax with over the festive period, in the form of the reassuringly rewarding and rich Glenlivet 15yr and the sumptuous solera sensation that is the Glenfiddich 15yr. We’ll also do our best to ensure the winner receives their bottles in time for the big day.

Which drams will make the final 12?
You decide!

t&c’s You must be over 18 years of age to enter!

Port Charlotte 10 Year Old

All new multi-vintage release of the heavily peated Bruichladdich Islay single malt Scotch.

Matured in American oak casks.

Bottled at 46% ABV

Buy – $48.74

JAMESON LAUNCHES SECOND EDITION OF ITS FILM MAKING COMPETITION ‘JAMESON FIRST SHOT’

Building on the success of its inaugural year, Jameson is launching ‘Jameson First Shot’ short film competition for 2013, with two major Hollywood actors now involved in the project.

After the success of the first year which saw over five million people worldwide watching the three winning films starring Kevin Spacey, the second Jameson First Shot competition will offer talented amateur film-makers the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with acting legend Kevin Spacey and for the first time, to direct double Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe.

Aspiring film-makers in South Africa, Russia and the USA are invited to submit a script inspired by one of the three themes – ‘legendary’, ‘humorous’ or a ‘very tall tale’ – by 1st January 2013 on www.jamesonfirstshot.com. All submitted scripts will be judged by an esteemed panel including Spacey, Dafoe and Dana Brunetti, President of Trigger Street Productions.

The shortlisted filmmakers will then go through to the next stage of the competition where they will have to demonstrate their directing skills, before the three winners – one from each country – are chosen and flown to Los Angeles to film their short film starring Willem Dafoe.

Howard Southern, International Marketing Director for Jameson says: “Last year’s Jameson First Shot competition was a runaway success and further established the exciting association Jameson has with the film industry. It is great to be able to offer aspiring film-makers such an amazing opportunity to help them turn their passion into a profession and we are thrilled to have such well-known Hollywood figures involved in this unique project. We are very proud of the strong associations Jameson has built with the film industry over the last 14 years and we’re delighted to say that the brand is now involved with cinema projects across more than 30 countries. This involvement really resonates with our consumers and ultimately works towards increasing brand loyalty amongst our target audience worldwide.”

For full details on how to enter plus exclusive videos and tips from Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti, visit www.jamesonfirstshot.com

Notes

Jameson is the world’s No 1 Irish whiskey. Award-winning as a result of its exceptional smoothness following its unique triple distillation process, Jameson is enjoyed in more than 120 countries worldwide. The core Jameson range includes Jameson; Jameson 12 Year Old Special Reserve; Jameson Gold Reserve; Jameson 18 Year Old Limited Reserve; Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve; and Jameson Signature Reserve (Travel Retail exclusive).

Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey has won countless plaudits from the film industry, including two Academy Awards, a Tony award, two National Board of Review awards, a Critics Circle award, an Olivier award and a BAFTA. Kevin has been nominated for six Golden Globes, two Emmys and a Grammy. He has produced and directed for both the stage and screen. He has also pioneered new content and distribution models with the creation of TriggerStreet.com as an online community for unrepresented screenwriters and short film directors. The site immediately took off with thousands of online users uploading their work, reviewing work created by their peers, and participating in online competitions and short film festivals. Kevin is also the Artistic Director of The Old Vic Theatre, London, and will continue in this role up to 2015.

Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe is one of Hollywood’s most provocative and engaging actors. Dafoe has spent much of his working life in experimental theatre in New York, as well as starring in over 70 feature films ranging from major Hollywood blockbusters (Spider-Man, Once Upon A Time In Mexico, Clear And Present Danger, Mississippi Burning, Platoon) to independent cinema (The Clearing, The Boondock Saints, American Psycho) and world cinema (Wim Wenders’ Faraway and The Spierig Brothers’ Daybreakers). He has twice been nominated for an Academy Award and nominated once for a Golden Globe.

Dana Brunetti
Feature film and TV producer Dana Brunetti is Kevin Spacey’s long-term business partner and President of Trigger Street Productions. His film credits include 21, Fanboys, Bernard and Doris and Casino Jack. Dana produced 2010’s The Social Network, which received numerous awards including eight Academy Award nominations. Dana was nominated twice and won a Golden Globe for The Social Network, as well as winning many other awards, including the National Board of Review and The Critics’ Choice Award.

Trigger Street Productions
Trigger Street Productions is an entertainment production company formed by Kevin Spacey and his producing partner Dana Brunetti in 1997. Trigger Street’s credits include Golden-Globe winning The Social Network and the Emmy-nominated Bernard and Doris, as well as numerous other film productions including 21, Shrink, Fanboys and The Big Kahuna, as well as stage productions of The Iceman Cometh and Cobb.

For further information visit www.jamesonwhiskey.com

Springbank Distillers has joined forces with independent whisky vlogger extraordinaire Ralfy and Scotch Whisky Auctions to put forward a unique bottle to be auctioned to raise money for local primary school children.

The specially-labelled bottle of Springbank, which is 17 years old and comes from a port cask, has been signed by Distillery Manager Gavin McLachlan and is accompanied by a 20cl “tasting sample” and a coveted, individually-numbered, Springbank local barley canvas print which has been signed by Springbank’s production team.

It is being auctioned by Scotch Whisky Auctions, who have waived their usual fees, and promoted jointly by ralfy.com and Springbank.

The money raised will be donated to Campbeltown’s Dalintober Primary School, who will use it to develop and equip their school allotments. The allotments are tended and maintained by the pupils themselves, growing fresh vegetables for use in the school kitchen. In addition to providing a good supply of produce for the school, the allotments also encourage pupils to take pride in their work and provide a fresh-air activity for them to enjoy.

Ralfy commented: “ralfy.com has become established in only three years as one of the most prominent, eccentric and original whisky sites on the internet pioneering the dysfunctional but entertaining Vlog (Video Blog) format to opine, educate and simply share experienced whisky-stuff/reviews with anyone who is interested in Scotch Whisky.

“After very successful partnerships with Bladnoch Distillery in 2010 and Benromach Distillery in 2011, the theme of a partnership bottling for a specific distillery-local good cause continues here in 2012 with that most iconic craft Scotch Malt Distillery which we know as Springbank.

“Springbank have donated a one-off hand-prepared and dated, manager-signed bottle of cask strength 17yo port matured single malt whisky along with a 20cl sampler and quality canvas limited edition staff-signed old-labelling poster. The bottle is the only one of its kind stating on the label ‘1 of 1’ and as such is outstandingly unique for any distillery to release.”

Ralfy is adding to this package with a memory stick All-Vlog collection of videos relating to the auction along with a private Vlog for the fortunate buyer, plus handwritten tasting notes, a hand-made whisky dropper, and a yet-to-be-declared special addition!

The Scottish-based on-line Auctioneers scotchwhiskyauctions.com are, for a second year, presenting the auction free of buyer’s commission and continue to enjoy a growing reputation as one of the internet’s best sources for rare and valuable whiskies.

Ralfy added: “Show us your bids Malt-mates and lets raise all we can for Dalintober Primary School children. The school are using the produce grown on the allotment in the school canteen and any excess is then sold to staff and parents.

“This project needs funds for a tool shed, assorted tools, seeds, fertilisers and protective clothing. Thanks for looking at this auction lot.”

The auction will go live this Friday, November 23rd, at www.scotchwhiskyauctions.com.

Friday 23rd November 2012, Edinburgh, Scotland

Black Friday 2012 Deals at TheWhiskyBarrel.com

Online whisky shop TheWhiskyBarrel.com launches Black Friday Scotch Deals with unprecedented savings of up to 50% on selected whiskies for one day only.

We are preparing for a stampede of malt lovers on Black Friday. Save on Scotch from the Highlands & Islands including Bruichladdich, Laphroaig, Glenfarclas, Dalmore, Arran, Glendronach and many more!

Access our Great Savings on Great Scotch at The Whisky Barrel by visiting:-

http://www.thewhiskybarrel.com

Deals starts at 9AM GMT

The Whisky Barrel

www.thewhiskybarrel.com
Find us on Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Google+
E: info@thewhiskybarrel.com
T: +44 (0)845 2248 156

Loch Fyne Whiskies Stocks ‘Port Ellen 1982 30 Year Old Chieftain’s’

Port Ellen 1982 30yo Chieftain’s 50.1% abv

£450.00 inc vat
£375.00 ex vat

Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk