Happy Whiskey Saturday To You Fellow WhiskyLover

I have two exciting bits of news to tell you about this week.

First…Over the last several months we’ve received many emails from WhiskeyLovers requesting information on organizations that conduct private tastings at a home or office. Being the helpful sort that we are, we searched and searched, but were unable to find a resource that we felt would serve the needs of our readers.

And so we’ve decided to offer our own private whisky tasting service: ForWhiskeyLovers’ Private Tasting Expeditions.

A FWL Private Tasting Expedition is…

• a group of friends, enjoying each others company as they embark upon an evening’s exploration of a variety of outstanding hand-crafted whiskies from the world’s great whisky producing regions
• six sensational whiskies, selected specifically to match the interests and experiences of your group of Whisky Explorers,
• an evening’s adventure, guided by a nationally renown Whisky expert at a casual pace, that is as informative as it is entertaining.
• a night to remember…a new appreciation for fine whisky, and an unparalleled event that will be remembered by all, for years to come.

All taking place in the comfort of your home or office, country club or location of your choice.

Each private tasting expedition is designed specifically for your group of Whisky Explorers, and we come to you. Our team of renown expert whisky evangelists are available in most major metropolitan areas of the United States, and travel can be arranged to remote locations, for an additional cost.

ForWhiskeyLovers Private Tasting Expeditions start at $2,250 for up to 25 people, and includes all whisky for the tasting, and glasses for the evening. You can read about our six expedition packages here, or contact us directly to plan a customized adventure for your group of Explorers.

Next, and equally as exciting for me, is this weeks Whiskey Wednesday featured whisky: Glenfiddich Malt Master’s Edition single malt scotch whisky.

Glenfiddich Malt Master’s Edition encapsulates the fifth-generation, family-owned distillery’s innovative casking techniques. Using the highest quality of both Sherry and refill Bourbon casks, this rare liquid reflects the distillery’s historic 125 years of creating truly wonderful whiskies.

Brian Kinsman, Glenfiddich’s Malt Master, is the bloke in charge of the distillery’s pioneering whisky making process, from cask selection and overseeing the marrying of different ages and characters, to managing the unique maturation process within the Glenfiddich warehouse in Dufftown, Scotland.

A chemist by training, Kinsman became Glenfiddich Malt Master in December 2009. He first served an eight year apprenticeship under his predecessor David Stewart, who held the post for 35 years and is currently the industry’s longest serving Malt Master at sister distillery Balvenie.

Glenfiddich Malt Master’s Edition has an ABV of 43%, and was selected from over 1,000 entries at the 17th annual International Spirit Challenge to receive a Gold Medal.

So it’s with great excitement that we can offer you Glenfiddich Malt Master’s Edition 2012 for $84.50/ bottle. But with only 18,000 bottles of this exceptional limited-edition whisky released worldwide, it certainly won’t be around for long.

So if you want a bottle, act fast, because once it’s gone…

Until next week…I wish you high spirits!

Doug Stone
Founder
ForWhiskeyLovers.com

GLENFIDDICH MALT MASTER’S EDITION 2012

Malt Master Brian Kinsman’s Tasting Notes
Color: rich, ruby red

Nose: entices with damp earth and whisky-soaked wood intermingling with vanilla and smoky embers.

Taste: zingy sherbet leads but this slowly turns to plum and spice with hints of almond and wedding cake.

Finish: silky smooth.

The brand new Balvenie 17 year old is now available to order! Free Postage on all orders over £50.00 still applies to mainland UK deliveries.

If you only drink one more whisky this year make sure it’s this stunning new release from Balvenie.  A significant new addition to the range from Scotland’s longest-serving Malt Master, David Stewart. An elder sibling to Balvenie’s most popular expression, the new aged version shares the same DNA and the honeyed, spicy characteristics as the 12yo Although it is distinctly different, with deeper vanilla notes, hints of green apple, creamy toffee and a striking richness and complexity. To craft the 17yo, David Stewart, who celebrates his 50th year at The Balvenie, this year, returned to one of his most celebrated achievements – consecutive maturation in two different types of cask, a process often referred to as ‘cask finishing’. This technique is at the heart of DoubleWood – it sees the whisky matured first in American oak barrels, which impart soft sweet vanilla notes, before being transferred to European oak sherry casks, where the second cask ageing adds rich spicy flavours that a depth and fullness of flavour.

Click Here To Buy Only £74.99

The Whisky Shop Tel 0141 440 0600 info@whiskyshop.com  www.whiskyshop.com

Grant’s 25 Year Old Launches in the UK

Hello all,

Last week saw the UK launch of Grant’s 25 Years Old at London’s famous Selfridges store. Around 40 journalists, customers and whisky bloggers joined us inside Selfridges’ wine and whisky shop for an evening discussing blends, Grant’s and the story behind the 25-year-old.

Initially launched as a duty-free exclusive back in 2010, Grant’s 25 Years…(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,
Ludo

Loch Fyne Whiskies Stocks ‘Glencadam 1982 30yo’ and ‘Old Ballantruan 10yo’

Glencadam 1982 30yo
46% abv

£250.00 inc vat
£208.33 ex vat

Old Ballantruan 10yo (Peated Tomintoul)
50% abv

Special introductory DEAL! price:

£39.90 inc vat
£33.25 ex vat

Best regards,
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

Suntory Takes Top Honors At The International Spirits Challenge 2012

Suntory Liquors is pleased to announce that it has been named “Distiller of the Year” at the 17th International Spirits Challenge (ISC) 2012 held on Monday, November 5, in London, England. This declaration is an annual honor bestowed upon the distiller who consistently produces a variety of high-quality products. Suntory has now received the “Distiller of the Year” award for two years running, a testament to the brand’s reputation for quality products as well as superb malt whisky production techniques.

This prestigious award also coincides with the designation of its single-malt whiskies Yamazaki 18 year old and Hakushu 25 year old as the winning trophies in the Whisky category. Yamazaki 18 year old and Hakushu 25 year old, which competed among approximately 350 whisky products in the event, were given the top spots as the best products in the Whisky category. It is the first time in ISC history that a distiller has won multiple trophies in the Whisky category. Suntory received high praise, such as that from Gordon Motion, Master Blender of Edrington Distillers, who said, “Yamazaki 18 year old and Hakushu 25 year old single malts were outstanding. The overall quality of the Suntory whiskies was very clear.”

http://www.suntory.com/business/liquor/whisky.html

The beginning of winter is hot toddy time. Try it Japanese style!

London October 2012: A hot toddy is one way to keep on top of cooler weather and here is a hot toddy recipe Japanese style. It’s a warming cocktail for the season they call Ritto, the “Beginning of Winter”, starting around 5th November.

Hakushu Ritto:
50ml Hakushu 12 Year Old Single
Malt Whisky
75ml hot green tea
Teaspoon of runny honey
Pinch of powdered ginger
Squeeze of lemon juice
Pour Hakushu and green tea into a
mug, add honey, ginger and lemon
juice
Stir until honey is dissolved
Add ginger slice and serve

With a cocktail to welcome in each of their 24 seasons the Japanese raise a Hakushu Ritto (hot toddy) in early November to acknowledge the first sign of winter.  Whatever your normal preference for a warming winter drink this is a recipe with a difference. Suntory Brand Ambassador Zoran Peric has created a cocktail for each of the 24 Japanese seasons, and the Hakushu Ritto combines the subtle tastes and aromas of a 12 year old single malt whisky with hot tea to stimulate the taste buds in colder weather.

Suntory Japanese whiskies are world beaters having won more than 60 international awards since 2003 and whisky lovers have taken to them. There is something about their subtle aromas and delicate flavours which appeal to the palate whether taken neat, over ice, in cocktails or in a hot toddy as above..

Suntory Single Malt Whiskies are firm favourites in Japan and here in Europe. Enjoy them and especially the warm glow that comes with the Hakushu Ritto.

Pronouncing Suntory Names
Yamazaki – (Ya-ma-zarkee)
Hakushu – (Ha-koo-shoe)
Hibiki – (Hi-bi-kee)

Suntory single malt whiskies are available from: Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, The Whisky Exchange, independent specialist retailers and www.drinkon.com Hakushu 12 year old single malt around £49.95

The Yamazaki and Hakushu range of single malt and Hibiki blended whiskies from Suntory is distributed in the UK by Cellar Trends. For all sales enquiries contact: sales@cellartrends.co.uk

Remaining 70 Year Old Single Malt released to UK and international market  

The remaining bottles of the world’s joint oldest single malt Scotch whisky go on sale worldwide today (13 November 2012).  

Gordon & MacPhail, the world’s leading malt whisky specialist, is releasing the remainder of the 100 bottles of the Glenlivet 70 Years Old to the UK and  international market, giving collectors and consumers a final chance to own a piece of Scotland’s liquid history.  It follows an exclusive sales preview of the rare malt at Vancouver International Airport through late September and October.

Distilled in 1940, the first batch of the Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 Years Old was released in March 2011 and met with international acclaim. All 100 large decanters sold out quickly to customers worldwide.

The decanters now on sale are the last drops left of the Glenlivet 70 Years Old from this cask.

Michael Urquhart, Managing Director of Gordon & MacPhail, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the international interest for our Generations range.  The Glenlivet 70 Years Old is a sublime whisky and is a treasure for whisky enthusiasts and collectors.

“Our family has passed its knowledge and expertise of Scotch whisky from generation to generation since we were founded over 117 years ago. We’re proud to be able to share this with the rest of the world.”

Cask 339 was filled at Glenlivet Distillery on 3rd February 1940, to the instruction of John Urquhart, grandfather and great-grandfather of Gordon & MacPhail’s current owners. Successive generations of the Urquhart family waited for the day when it would be ready to share with fellow whisky enthusiasts. 70 years on, the whisky was bottled at cask strength (45.9%).

World-renowned whisky expert, Charles Maclean, said: “The Glenlivet 1940 comes from a distillery which has been the benchmark against which other malts have been measured since the 1820s.  Such a whisky will never be seen again. It is incredibly rare, and therefore highly collectable. But, more importantly, it is also celestial on the palate.”

Each bottle is beautifully presented in a tear-shaped hand-blown crystal decanter with an elegant British Hallmarked silver stopper. The decanter nestles in a Sterling silver base and is framed in a handmade box, crafted in Scotland using Scottish Yew.

Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 Years Old was matured in a First Fill Sherry Butt, and bottled at cask strength (45.9% ABV).  It is the second in a series of extremely rare malt whiskies to be released by Gordon & MacPhail under its Generations brand.  In 2010 the family owned firm made history as it released Generations Mortlach 70 Years Old, in Scotland’s capital city, at Edinburgh Castle.

Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 Years Old has a recommended retail price of £15,000 in the UK.  Prices may vary in different countries due to different excise and sales taxes and currency fluctuations.

For more information, visit http://www.gordonandmacphail.com/ 

TASTING NOTE

Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 Years Old by Charles MacLean

70YO Single cask Speyside @45.9%Vol

Appearance: Deep amber, with tawny lights. First fill sherry butt.

Aroma: A mild nose-feel. The first aroma is of an old cocktail cabinet, with sherry notes predominating: polished wood, soft leather and a trace of candlewax. Behind this are fruity notes, lightly baked apples (even Tarte Tatin), but also fresh orange juice, and a thread of smoke or ash in the distance Adding a drop of water suppresses the fruity notes and slightly enhances the sweetness (now tablet) and smokiness.

Taste: A waxy, teeth-coating, mouthfeel; smooth and voluptuous. The taste is sweetish to start, then savoury, with a trace of salt – might this be a rare example of ‘umami’ in whisky, the elusive fifth primary taste? The finish is long, with a faint smokiness in the aftertaste. Drinks well at natural strength. With a drop of water the flavours remain intact.

Development: Fades gracefully towards vanilla fudge and sanded wood.

Comment: A stupendous whisky! Although it resonates with aged character – and indeed characteristics from another era – it retains vitality, both on the nose and in the mouth.

About Gordon & MacPhail

Gordon & MacPhail is an independent, family-owned spirit and wine merchant 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 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. Now they have released the remaining 100 70cl decanters from this cask.

TOP PICKS, New Arrivals & Back in Stock

• 1999 Benrinnes 12 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($75.99)
One of our favorite experiences when visiting Scotland is the chance to taste whisky from distilleries that don’t bottle their whisky as a single malt. Diageo owns the whisky from more than forty distilleries, many of which are used only for the company’s blended Scotch labels like Johnnie Walker. Benrinnes is one such distillery. Named after the famous Speyside mountain, it is known for its lively character and fruity essence, providing the backbone of expression to many successful blends. Our cask is very much reminiscent of this reputation, beginning with plenty of fresh fruit with barrel spice and a playful palate that reminded us of our Bladnoch selection from last year. With a few drops of water the oils come out, bringing more texture, soft flavors of oak, and plenty of vanilla to balance out all the fruit. The result is a wonderful bottle of Scotch, offering depth, variety, and drinkability. Benrinnes isn’t as widely-known as many of the other distill eries whose whisky we’ll be importing and it is precisely for that reason we’re excited to bring it to our customers. In the great hunt for value in single malt whisky, we must continue to search outside the box. In this case, we’ve found a real winner from a distillery we’d like to see more of. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)

• 1980 Glenlochy 31 Year Old K&L Signatory Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($449.99)
I’ve maybe glossed over a mention of Glenlochy in the Malt Yearbook or one of Michael Jackson’s books, but it has never had a form or context for me. It has not been on our radar because it is absolutely one of the rarest single malts on the market today. Purchased by DCL (the company that would become Diageo) in 1953, Glenlochy is one of these distilleries that met its demise during the whisky slump of the early ’80s. It had only one wash still and one spirits still. That is to say, they made very little whisky. This is the only bottle of Glenlochy currently available in the US market. It also happens to be the sister cask to the incredibly acclaimed 31 year old Glenlochy that was recently rated 92 points by Serge Valentine of Whiskyfun.com. I cannot express how outrageously complex this whisky is. The range of flavors is unfathomable. This thing is absolutely packed up. It’s like unraveling a giant ball of yarn. We start on the almond, nougat, exotic wood , all savory and powerful. Subtlety shifting into the herbal and fruit aromas, this nose is like a chameleon, at once beautifully exotic and powerfully brooding. On the palate, fabulously rich in texture, the whisky is like a ball of plasma oscillating through multiple states of being. It leaves you smiling and exhausted. Seriously, this is one of a kind. (David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer)

• 2002 Longmorn 10 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($55.99)
The Signatory warehouse in Pitlochry is bursting with hidden treasures, many of them at a tremendous price point. While the big names draw even bigger prices, we found ourselves more inspired by some of the lesser-known distilleries – the ones with reputations for great booze without the designer label. Pernod-Ricard’s Longmorn distillery, ensconced deep within the Speyside region, produces one of the most respected single malts in the business, known for its balance and elegant richness. Stateside, we only get the lovely 16 year old, but at a price most people aren’t willing to pay. That makes independent bottles of Longmorn quite the coveted item amongst American collectors who want serious whisky at a bargain price. Our ten year old barrel, from a Bourbon hogshead fitted with new toasted ends, is wonderfully fruity and expressive. The palate is light, fresh, and full of supple vanilla across the backend. The finish is malty with sweet grains dancing long after the whisky has vanished. We strongly felt that whisky tasted better at 46%, which is why we decided not to bottle at full proof. That brought the price down even lower, making this whisky one of the best values from our entire trip – period! (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)

• Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch #6 Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($249.99)

• 1979 Dallas Dhu 33 Year Old Gordon & MacPhail Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 12 available ($349.99)

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Breuckelen Distillers 77 Whiskey “Local Rye & Corn” Whiskey 750ml – 11 available ($44.99)
• Breuckelen Distillers 77 Whiskey “Wheat” Whiskey 750ml – 11 available ($39.99)
• Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection 19 Year Old “Giant French Oak Barrels” Bourbon Whiskey 375ml – 3 available ($199.99)
• Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection 23 Year Old “Giant French Oak Barrels” Bourbon Whiskey 375ml – 3 available ($199.99)

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Robbie’s Drams Presents
Whisky An’ A’ That X

 Whisky An’ A’ That is Ayr’s annual Whisky Festival held on the first Saturday June 2013 marks the tenth year of this much loved celebration and it promises to be the biggest and best yet! From every Whisky producing area in Scotland, exhibitors will showcase an array of Whiskies including Limited Editions and rare, hard to find examples. A fun and educational day out, for both the novice and connoisseur alike. Telephone our Ticket Hotline on 01292 284279 or order online by clicking on the banner below.

Whisky and Art?

[We are joined this week by one of our newest recruits in the shop – regular target of antipodean jokes and actual Australian, Mr Joel Eastman] After an Olympic-sized hiatus, our regular tasting evenings finally returned to Vinopolis. 35 eager … Continue reading >>