GLENTAUCHERS 1991 £10 OFF PER BOTTLE – NOW ONLY £28.99

TASTING NOTE

Colour: Dark straw.

WITHOUT WATER:
Nose: Delicate esters – very fresh and fragrant. Fruity influences with a sweet honey edge.
Palate: Mouth warming with a delicate hint of spice. Sweet with influences of freshly cut grass.

WITH WATER:
Nose: A distinct freshness dominated by a sweet influence, soft and rounded
edge with hints of butter toffees.
Palate: Initially sweet with delicate hints of cereal notes – malt. Mouth warming and fresh.
Body: Light.
Finish: Long and balanced.

Cask Type(s): Refill Sherry casks.  Whisky Style: Sweet, fruity and well balanced.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW

Old Pulteney 40 Year Old unveiled

Old Pulteney is proud to unveil the oldest and most exclusive official expression of single  malt to leave the warehouses of the northernmost distillery on Scottish mainland since its establishment in 1826. The spirit of Pulteney is influenced by its environment like no other. Windswept and rugged Caithness Coast and the remote fishing port of Wick provide the background for one of the most intriguing whiskies in the world. This new stunning Old Pulteney was shaped by the land and the sea for over four decades and is the ultimate expression of the Maritime Malt.

The Spirit

Old Pulteney 40 Year Old came from four casks. They included three Spanish ex-sherry hogsheads and one American oak ex-bourbon barrel. The casks yielded 493 bottles of whisky at a natural strength of 51.3% ABV. This unique single malt has been bottled at cask strength, has not been chill-filtered or coloured. Despite the age the spirit shows remarkable freshness and intensity and boasts an unmistakable Pulteney character. Pulteney Distillery Manager, Malcolm Waring, explains:

“Old Pulteney begins its life as spirit already full of character. Then we mature it on site, here in Wick, we think its hugely important. With each passing year the whisky takes on a little bit of Caithness, the initial charisma is there but it develops more and more complexity. To see that so clearly in a whisky matured for over four decades is extraordinary; we are overwhelmed by the quality of this liquid and by how firmly it’s anchored here. The people, the process, the land and the sea are all in there.”

The commentators who sampled the spirit prior to bottling remarked:

A complex whisky which is surprisingly vibrant for its age.
– Joel Harrison, www.caskstrength.net

Just brilliant! So much going on, and incredibly youthful in terms of sweetness and pep. We loved it!
– Ben Ellefsen, Master of Malt

Epic inside and out

Old Pulteney 40 Year Old is not only an extraordinary whisky crafted to perfection but also an important chapter in the history of Pulteney Distillery. As such it calls for bespoke presentation; a real show of fierce pride, strength of the community and stunning craftsmanship.

The whisky is presented in unusual deep-blue bottles crafted by The Tudor Crystal Design company and its sister company Plowden and Thompson’s Undertaking. Hand blown from melting silica, soda ash and special additions each bottle is then finished with solid silver melted blown across the glass to form a wave pattern. This gives the familiar ‘Smuggler’s Kettle’ Old Pulteney bottle elegance and flair that pay respect to the liquid inside.

Each bottle of Old Pulteney 40 Year Old is topped with a stone closure whittled, polished, fine-pressure jetted, milled and polished again by the famous local Caithness Stone Industries. The bottles are finished with a Scottish hallmarked silver medallion stating the age of the whisky. The high-gloss lacquered wooden box that encases the bottle has the iconic Old Pulteney herring drifter silver-etched into it to complete the stunning presentation.

In addition every bottle of Old Pulteney 40 Year Old comes with a hand-signed book by whisky expert Charles MacLean.

A long journey

Old Pulteney 40 Year Old boasts one of the most beautiful bottles ever to be used for single malt whisky. This extraordinary feat of design and craftsmanship comes as a result of intense, painstaking work by many people in Caithness and beyond. Old Pulteney Senior Brand Manager, Margaret Mary Clarke explains that the 40 Year Old has been a labour of love for all at Pulteney Distillery:

“The release of this wonderful 40 Year Old is a fitting way to conclude 2012, which has been an exceptional year for Old Pulteney around the world. Malcolm Waring, Distillery Manager, and his team have shown real dedication in bottling a whisky of the highest calibre which embodies the finest elements of Old Pulteney with even deeper complexity and character in every bottle.”

Old Pulteney 40 Year Old will be available from specialist whisky retailers globally from 1st November 2012 at a RRP of £1490.

Notes

· Old Pulteney’s core range includes Old Pulteney 12 Year Old, Old Pulteney 17 Year Old and Old Pulteney 21 Year Old. Old Pulteney 30 Year Old is also available.
· Old Pulteney 21 Year Old was named by Jim Murray as the World Whisky of the Year in the 2012 edition of his popular Whisky Bible
· Pulteney Distillery was established by James Henderson in 1826, at the peak of the local herring fishing boom
· Pulteney remains the most northerly whisky distillery on the Scottish mainland
· The distillery uses one pair of stills, the wash still featuring a very large boil bulb, and condenses spirit with the use of traditional worm tubs

Glen Ord Distillery: condensers

DIAGEO PLANS FOR GLEN ORD DISTILLERY EXPANSION

Diageo, the world’s leading premium drinks business, will this week submit a planning application for the expansion of the Glen Ord distillery near Muir of Ord.

The planning application, which will be submitted to Highland Council, is the latest step in Diageo’s £1billion investment plan to expand Scotch whisky production capacity over the next five years, which was announced by Diageo in June.

As part of the investment programme Diageo plans to expand around half of its existing 28 malt whisky distilleries in Scotland, as well as building at least one new single malt distillery.

Glen Ord is a key distillery for Diageo, producing spirit for its world-leading portfolio of blended Scotch whiskies, as well as for The Singleton of Glen Ord single malt Scotch whisky.

Under the plans being submitted this week, the distillery will see the installation of 10 new washbacks (vessels for the fermentation process) and six new copper stills. This adds to the 10 washbacks and six stills which the distillery currently has and will add to the production capacity by around 5million litres of alcohol per annum. This will take the overall capacity of the distillery to over 10mla. The new washbacks and stills will be housed in existing buildings at the distillery.

An additional mash-tun will be installed as part of the investment.

Brian Higgs, Diageo’s Director of Malt Distilling, said: “Earlier this year Diageo announced plans to invest £1bn in expanding its whisky production business in Scotland in order to meet growing global demand for our brands.

“Over the next few months we will be bringing forward a number of planning applications to increase capacity at our existing distilleries and the Glen Ord expansion is an important part of that programme.”

Kirsty Dagnan, Senior Site Manager of Glen Ord Distillery, also welcomed the investment plan for the distillery.

She said: “I’m delighted that Glen Ord distillery will benefit as part of Diageo’s plan to invest in Scotland and I’m particularly pleased that the local economy will also have the opportunity to benefit from the work we plan to carry out here.

“We will be working closely with the local authority and consulting carefully with the local community in the weeks ahead as we follow the planning application process.”

Glen Ord Distillery has already benefited from significant investment by Diageo in recent years. In 2011 Diageo invested over £3million to increase the capacity of the distillery by around a million litres by installing additional washbacks.

Last month Diageo submitted Proposal of Application Notices (PANs) in relation to three possible sites for a new distillery, although no final decision has been taken on the location. The sites identified for possible development are Teaninich, Ross-shire, and Glendullan and Inchgower, both on Speyside. All three locations are adjacent to existing Diageo distilleries.

www.ralfy.com gets a bit tacky with Whisky Review #312 – Bell’s Decanter Advice!

Advice is drink it!

Whisky & Ice

THE CARMEN CURLERS WHISKY & CURLING TOUR 2012 was taken here in Scotland during mid October.

As usual, chaos reigned, only slightly overshadowed by the curling and the whisky! Eight brave Swedish souls came to enjoy the water of life, with a blend of curling and of course, fun. The first day (arrival day) was cut short, rather than arrive into Aberdeen 10am, they arrived at 2pm! So a few items on the itinerary were lost, amongst them Glen Moray distillery and the Cooperage. We still managed the important call at Duncan Taylor in Huntly, saw casks, bottling in progress and purchasing some very, very nice whisky. From here to Craigellachie and lunch at the Highlander, where I (Paul) ran into chums Rachel, Fraser and Claire and Yumi Yoshikawa from Ashikaga, Japan. Also from Japan, Tatsuya with his wife and wee lad (in a kilt, they had been to a friends wedding). The Carmens ate well while Allan (driver) and myself chilled oot! From here directly to Inverness where we stayed overnight, a long day, specially for Paul and Allan, as they had started at 7.30am dropping our Russian group back at Aberdeen. If I said they enjoyed Inverness, it would be an understatement.

Day two saw us depart for Urquhart Castle, a good visit (in the rain), followed by an even better visit to Drumnadrochit, lunch at Fiddlers, many thanks to John here for his help and humour. Our group does like to sing! Great food, even better whisky and a good time had by all! Back to the hotel, change, rest and doon again at the coach for the curling rink. Two teams of our Swedes challenged two local teams, on this instance, Scotland won! After the curling back to the hotel to watch Wales Scotland match, enough said; we were robbed! But some fine whisky and enjoyed with good company. Carmens went out on the town again – in kilts

Day three, an early start – too early for some, 9am back to the ice. Mind, a Monkey appeared on the bus at 9am!!! Before curling, a dram or two at the bar to settle nerves, then curling. I am wondering why they do not win the games here??? Scotland 2, Sweden 0. However, more drinks with lunch followed at Inverness Ice before heading down to Tomatin distillery. 2pm; tour and taste and purchases. A bottle for the coach, as we headed back to Craigellachie, staying here tonight. Dinner booked at the Highlander, much liquid was enjoyed with dinner. By now the staff were getting used to singing Swedes, sorry guys, but I think you enjoyed them all. Bed beckoned to me, at least if no the group!

Day four, 10am we set out for a tour of Glenfiddich. Bert was conveniently away (poor excuse a wedding anniversary mate!) so Allan and myself sat it out with a cuppa. More tastes, x 3 drams each, before the shop. Then, sadly time to return to Aberdeen, we stopped for Sunday lunch at a local carvery and dropped our group at Dyce, hugs, kisses and farewells. I have to say, amongst those bottles that had disappearing contents on the coach were; a grand Irish Jameson, Woodford bourbon, Makers Mark, Glengoyne, Monkey Shoulder, Glenfiddich and a couple from DT. My thanks to the Carmen Curlers from Sweden for coming over to Scotland (yet again!), thanks to suffering Allan and all we “made” join in the fun on tour. See you next time.

Paul McLean’ www.mcleanscotland.com   info@mcleanscotland.com

Top Picks

• Balvenie 17 Year Old Doublewood Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($125.99) Hot on the heels of the tremendous success from the Doublewood 12, Balvenie is reaching further into its wonderful aged stock and releasing a double-matured single malt from 17 year old casks. First aged in ex-Bourbon casks then finished for another spell in ex-sherry casks, this is the richest and smoothest expression from Balvenie we’ve seen in a while. Big flavors of cakebread, cinnamon, fresh baking spices, and butterscotch that move over the palate at a slow crawl, but it’s never overtly sweet or cloying. The flavors are very much grounded in single malt with a holiday dessert accent. It’s decadent stuff and we expect it to sell VERY fast. Demand has been pent up for the last year once word of its release became imminent. Don’t wait on this one. It’s very good Balvenie. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)

• Compass Box Flaming Heart Fourth Edition Malt Scotch Whisky 750ml ($89.99) Here we go! The wildly popular Flaming Heart Series is back with one of the years most anticipated new blends. Coming from four of the official Scotch Malt regions, we all know that our dear friend Mr. Glaser tends to knock this out of the park. Serge Valentine writes, “Colour: dark straw. Nose: impeccable start, on a rather more refined peat than elsewhere (I mean in youngish single malts) and touches of agave and cane juice on top of an elegant Laphroaigness. Beeswax and seawater, antiseptic and overripe apples, bandages and damp clay, Japanese green tea and linseed oil. Then fresh mint, lime, oysters and just touches of diesel oil. Lovely lovely lovely. Mouth: the first thing I like here is the strength. Sounds odd, I know, but these 48.9% work extremely well, it’s nervous and big but approachable and, well, drinkable. Other than that, it’s a superb combination of pink grapefruits, shellfish, olive brine, marzipan, lemon, touches of fresh coriander, lemon balm, some kind of waxy citrons and plain green olives. Passion fruits, cough syrup, liquorice… It’s very smoky too. Finish: great as well because it remains elegant, zesty, even kind of ethereal despite all the oomph. Leaves your mouth a fresh as a baby’s! Comments: no, really, this is truly excellent. The bottle’s lovely too, it’ll be hard to throw it away once it’s empty (which will happen fast). Potential lamp stands? Nah, too narrow” 91 points whiskyfun.com

Back in Stock

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Knob Creek Rye 750ml ($37.99)

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

Winner!

11-15 Years Single Cask Scotch Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible™ 2013 Berry’s Own Selection Macduff 2000 for The Whisky Barrel Single sherry cask #5774 Buy – $53.83

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible™ 2013 Buy – $20.98

We will be selling the rest of the tickets today!!
We will be selling tickets for NEXT Wedneday’s event at the following time:

MONDAY 22nd Octorber: 12-2pm in Butchart Centre (Alfie’s)

It is unlikely tickets will be available on the door!

As always we will have some super whisky on offer.

£3 = 4 whiskies!

Date: Wednesday 24th October
Time: 19:00
Where: Bookends in Butchart Centre (University Rd)
What to bring: TICKET & MEMBERSHIP CARD and money for raffle
If you are a new member we will give you a membership card at the event!

You can still come to this event without becoming a member.
You should become a member as soon as possible – see details below!

________________________________________
Remember ALL members must renew their membership for this year.
Please see details below about how to do this.

HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE MALT WHISKY SOCIETY

We also need to get EVERYONE to become a member of the Malt Whisky Society.
To do this follow these steps:
1. Go to www.ausa.org.uk
2. Register a new account
3. Search for “Malt Whisky Society”
4. Add “Malt Whisky Society Student Membership” (£2) to your basket (like amazon.com)
5. Go to your basket – you MUST add “Societies Union” membership (£1) before you can pay
6. Follow payment instructions – you NEED a credit/debit card to pay.
7. Bring along your reference on a bit of paper/your mobile phone to the next whisky event and we will give you your membership card.

This is the only way you can become a member!

CASH PAYMENTS
It is possible to pay for membership with cash at the Butchart Recpetion desk during opening hours.

 Our mailing address is:
University of Aberdeen Malt Whisky Society
The Butchart Centre
University Road
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire AB24 3UT
United Kingdom

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY RELEASES COLONEL E.H. TAYLOR, JR. SMALL BATCH BOURBON WHISKEY

100 Proof Small Batch Whiskey coming soon

FRANKFORT, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY (Oct. 2012) – Buffalo Trace Distillery pays homage to former Distillery owner E. H. Taylor, Jr. with a small batch, Bottled-In-Bond, 100 proof bourbon whiskey aged in Taylor’s warehouse.

Taylor built his iconic brick warehouse for barrel aging in 1881 and the Warehouse is still in use today. After seven years on the sixth floor, his namesake bourbon whiskey tastes of caramel corn sweetness, mingled with butterscotch and licorice. The aftertaste is a soft mouth-feel that turns into subtle spices of pepper and tobacco.

The Small Batch Bourbon is the sixth and latest release in the line of the E. H. Taylor, Jr. collection of whiskeys, rounding out the collection of Old Fashioned Sour Mash Bourbon, Single Barrel Bourbon, Warehouse C Tornado Surviving Bourbon, Barrel Proof Bourbon and Straight Rye Whiskey. The Taylor collection was first released in early 2011. Like the previous five releases, this whiskey will have very limited availability and will be packaged in a vintage label and canister reminiscent of Taylor’s bottles over one hundred years ago.

“We’ve had a tremendous response to our E. H. Taylor, Jr. whiskeys,” said Kris Comstock, Bourbon marketing director. “We’re honored to pay tribute to a pioneer and legend like Taylor.”

Edmund Haynes Taylor is widely considered one of the founding fathers of the bourbon industry, fighting for the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, nearly three decades after he purchased the distillery that is known today as the Buffalo Trace Distillery. During his time, Taylor implemented several innovative methods still used today by Buffalo Trace, such as climate controlled aging warehouses. In addition to his bourbon interests, Taylor had political ties. He was the great-nephew of President Zachary Taylor and elected the mayor of Frankfort, state representative to the Kentucky General Assembly and a member of the State Senate.

The inaugural bottling of Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey will be available in November. The suggested retail price is $39.99 per 750ml bottle.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 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 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

Van Winkle Bourbon Available Soon

Coveted Bottles Remain in Short Supply, Other Changes Announced 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Oct., 2012) – Finally, the wait is nearly over! Van Winkle bourbons will be back on shelves in late October.  The popularity of Van Winkle whiskeys remains unmatched, but still in short supply. Known for their smoother and sweeter flavor, Van Winkle bourbons are aged years longer than most others and garner an impeccable reputation among connoisseurs.  “When bourbon ages over 15 years, much is lost to the angel’s share.  Many barrels often yield less than 20 gallons, out of the original 53 gallons produced,” said Julian Van Winkle, president, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery. “However, our patience creates bourbon with unrivalled flavor.”

Although Van Winkle bourbons have become increasingly popular worldwide in recent years, less is sent overseas than ever to allow more of this coveted bourbon to remain in the United States.  “Because demand has escalated so much here, we’ve decided to scale back exports to help supply our American fan base,” continued Van Winkle.

Furthermore, there will be more Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old Bourbon at 107 proof. “We prefer the taste of our 10 year old bourbon at 107 proof. The rich flavor is compounded by the high proof,” added Van Winkle. “We’ll no longer bottle our 10 year old whiskey at 90 proof. Therefore, there will be more 107 proof available. For those who will miss the 90 proof Old Rip, we suggest adding a little more water to their glass. As Pappy used to say, ‘why ship all that water across the country!’”

The Van Winkle collection consists of several expressions. Suggested retail prices are as follows:

• $39.99 – Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10 Year Old 107 proof
• $54.99 – Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12 Year Old
• $69.99 – Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye Whiskey 13 Year Old
• $79.99 – Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 15 Year Old
• $129.99 – Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 20 Year Old
• $249.99 – Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 23 Year Old

The Van Winkle line of whiskeys has won a bevy of awards through the years, including 2010 “Spirit of the Year” from Wine and Spirits Magazine for Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Old; “Best of Show” and “Best Whiskey” at the 2010 Los Angeles Wine and Spirits Competition; Gold medals at the 2011 and 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition; Best of Category, Small Batch Bourbon 11 Years or Older, 2012 Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition; and 2012 Chairman’s Trophy Finalist: Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

The Van Winkle Whiskeys will be available near the end of October, but please be mindful that supply is quite limited and bottles shall be hard to find in stores, bars and restaurants. They will be packed three bottles per case, rather than traditional 12 bottle cases. 

About Van Winkle Bourbon

The Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery has a four generation history. The Van Winkle family’s involvement in the bourbon industry began in the late 1800s with Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle, Sr. He was a traveling salesman for the W.L. Weller and Sons wholesale house in Louisville. Pappy and a friend, Alex Farnsley, eventually bought the wholesale house and also partnered with Mr. A. Ph. Stitzel on the purchase of Mr. Sitzel’s distillery.  The three of them merged the two companies and became the Stitzel-Weller Distillery.

In May of 1935 at the age of 61, Pappy opened the newly completed Stitzel-Weller Distillery in South Louisville. Its prominent brands were W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell, and Cabin Still.  Pappy had a heavy influence on the operations there until his death at the age of 91. His son, Julian, Jr. took over operations until he was forced by stockholders to sell the distillery in 1972. The rights to all of their brands were sold to Norton Simon, Inc. Later, United Distillers, who eventually ended up with the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, sold off all of the original labels around 1999.

After selling the distillery, Julian Jr. resurrected a pre-Prohibition label, the only one to which the Van Winkles kept the rights, called Old Rip Van Winkle. He used whiskey stocks from the old distillery to supply his brand. Julian Jr.’s son, Julian, III took over in 1981 when Julian, Jr. passed away. Julian III has continued with the Van Winkle tradition of producing high-quality wheated bourbon. His son, Preston, joined the company in 2001 and the Van Winkles look to continue that tradition for generations to come.

In 2002 the Van Winkles entered into a joint venture with Buffalo Trace Distillery in Franklin County, Frankfort, Ky. All of the Van Winkle’s whiskey production now takes place at Buffalo Trace Distillery under the same strict guidelines the family has always followed. For more information on the Van Winkle family of bourbon please visit http://www.oldripvanwinkle.com/.