This month we have selected seven (7) new Malts to add to the PROVENANCE collection, whose Tasting Notes follow:

PRV 0806 Glen Spey 9 Year Old
Opens fresh and clean on the nose running to a buttery vanilla’d quality – home baked style. The palate opens with a gristy sweet character and develops to a sweetly spiced fruit trait. All this concludes in a drier finish with an orange pith tang. (J)

PRV 0771 Glenrothes 10 Year Old
Opens clean and fresh on the nose running to a sweet, macerated fruit character plus some toffee. The palate remains fresh and fruity (now wine gums in style) and runs to a sweet gristy style. The finish is sweetly spiced and carries a toffee’d apples quality. (J)

PRV 0914 Arran 12 Year Old
Fresh and fragrant on the nose carrying a summer fruit quality plus a real vanilla style. The palate remains fresh and fruity – developing to a gristy sweet character. This all runs to a creamy finish replete with a sweet almond essence. (J)

PRV 0916 Glengoyne 12 Year Old
Opens fresh, clean and fragrant on the nose, carrying a buttery and sweet quality – cookie dough style. The palate opens with a gristy sweet character then runs to crushed sugar and an attractive home baked style. Now citrus – lemon zest style – appears and lingers on the medium long finish. (J)

PRV 0917 Benrinnes 12 Year Old Sherry
Opens spicy and dry on the nose then dried fruit and vanilla custard appear. The palate is mouth coating, sweetly spiced and carries a toffee and mocha character plus some late tobacco. This all runs to a long finish that develops to a drier style with a soft oak tang with caramel still lurking. (J) 

PRV 0913 Caol Ila Young and Feisty Batch 3
Opens sweetly, carrying a freshly cut grass style plus a damp forest quality before gentle smoke becomes apparent on the nose. The palate remains sweet but the Islay character quickly appears – ashes – soft tar and rock pools. The finish is long with dark chocolate and smoked ham lingering. (J)

PRV 0912 Bunnahabhain (Young/Sweet but Feisty)
Attractively aromatic, lightly spiced, rather gristy – with a bit of brine on the nose. Palatewise, it opens distinctly sweetly – almost honeyed with some interesting toffee and tar flavours appearing – all neatly parcelled into the long, still sweet – camphor carrying finish. (F)

We hope you will appreciate these additions to the PRV selection.

All best wishes

Fred Laing

Visit Douglas Laing at www.douglaslaing.com

SULLIVANS Cove Tasmanian Single Malt takes Gold and two Silvers in London

Luxury Tasmanian single malt whisky Sullivans Cove, won Gold with its French Oak Cask and two Silvers with its American Oak Cask and Double Cask whiskies at the global whisky tasting competition, the World Whisky Masters today in London.

In the highly competitive challenge that saw Sullivans Cove take on other single malts from around the world, it was the Tasmanian that ended up with top prize in the super-premium category.

Judging panel chair and whisky commentator Neil Ridley said, “The highlights were undoubtedly Antipodean-themed, with Tasmania’s Sullivans Cove distillery creating the biggest surprise of the day with their consistently well produced range of single malts.” Competition judge Shannon McCoy was especially impressed with Sullivans Cove’s offerings, remarking on their unique style compared to other international single malts.

Between large gulps of whisky Patrick Maguire, Sullivans Cove’s Distiller, was unsurprisingly very excited with the results: “We have put some really hard work into making the best whisky that we can over the years, and it is such a good feeling to consistently come out on top on the world stage!”

These latest medals add to Sullivans Cove’s growing swag of awards won over the past five years in the major international whisky tasting challenges, including Liquid Gold Awards from Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible in 2007 and 2010 as well as three gold medals at last year’s World Whisky Masters and “Best Other Single Malt” (for non-Scotches) at the World Whisky Awards in 2007 and 2011.

The World Whisky Masters is part of The Spirits Business’s Masters Series, one of the world’s biggest and most influential spirits blind tasting competitions.

About Sullivans Cove

Tasmania Distillery produces Sullivans Cove Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky. Sullivans Cove Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky is double distilled using only Tasmanian barley with only the purest wilderness water from local mountains and forests. Matured in hand selected oak casks and allowed to settle and clear naturally, the whiskies retain full, creamy and lingering flavours that are winning fans the world over. Each cask is bottled separately, yielding only around 450 bottles, making each bottle a rare item to own and enjoy.

About the Spirits Business and the World Whisky Masters

The Spirits Business is the world’s biggest magazine covering the global spirits industry. Based in London, The Spirits Business is delivers industry news to spirits professionals around the globe. The Spirits Business runs The Spirits Masters, one of the world’s biggest and most influential spirits judging competitions. The World Whisky Masters covers whisky originating from outside of Scotland.

www.thespiritsbusiness.com

Tasmania Distillery Pty Ltd

Purple Valley Imports USA will begin distribution of all 3 expressions of Sullivans Cove in the USA early September.

Tennants Fine Wine and Whisky auction today, 10th August, at 12 noon.

There are some great bottles in the sale including a rare duty free bottle of Sherriff’s Bowmore, labelled for 26 2/3fl oz, but probably a litre. There is a Balvenie Masters Selection box set – featuring 10 YO, Double Wood and 25 Year Old – all 20cl bottles. The 25 YO is now close to a £1000 a bottle in most places!

Other interesting bottles include Bruichladdich 15 Year Old “Bottled for the ten parties to the Islay Accord”, Dunville’s V.R. Old Irish Whisky Circa 1900, The Glenlivet Special Jubilee Reserve 25 Year Old, Port Ellen 19 Year Old, plenty of Macallan and some good mixed lots for general drinking.

The catalogue can be viewed online at www.tennants.co.uk, where you will also find illustrations of each lot. You can also log onto www.the-saleroom.com and register to bid live via the internet. If you have any questions or would like more information about any of the lots please contact me on 01969 623780 or email me at mark.littler@tennants-ltd.co.uk  You can also email bids to this address, just include your full contact information and bid details.

Mark Littler – Tennants Auctions…

Grant’s True Tales At The Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Hi everyone,

After three weeks’ paternity leave, I’m finally back at work. And, with Saturday marking the opening of our Edinburgh Fringe events, what a great week it is to get back into the full swing of things.

From August 4th to 16th, the Grant’s team will be at Riddle’s Court where festival goers can expect daily…(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,
Ludo

Congratulations to Tomatin on winning this year’s The Spirit of Whisky Fringe Award. Quite a remarkable achievement for Alistair Mutch considering that he ran the Tomatin stand single handedly over all three days and had a full portfolio on display. Last year, the previous bottling of Tomatin 30 year old came in 9th place, this year’s new bottling took the show by storm, being clearly voted the outright winner. The Tomatin 1982 Single Cask also scored highly, along with the 40 year old and the new 15 year old Temperanillo finish. All in all some outstounding ‘plate spinning’ from Alistair and a thoroughly well deserved result!

Commiserations to the runners up. As always, a strong showing from Inverhouse Distillers with the new Balblair 1997, combined with a valiant defence from last year’s winner Old Pulteney 17 year old. While the youngest distillery on the block, Kilchoman really punched above its weight, putting in a sterling performance with its Single Cask 5 year old.

——————————————————————————–

1st PLACE

~ TOMATIN 30 year old ~
The Spirit of Whisky Fringe 2012

Royal Mile Whiskies (Edinburgh) 379 The Royal Mile Edinburgh EH1 1PW Tel: 0131 225 3383

Hi folks. It looks like we’ll be going live with the 17th auction on Friday, August 24. It will end on Sunday, September 02, after 6pm UK time. If you have bottles you want into this auction, please get therm to us as quickly as you can.

Regards from scorching Glasgow!

Bill, Tam & Mick

Visit Scotch Whisky Auctions at www.scotchwhiskyauctions.com

THE MACALLAN ANNOUNCES NEW GLOBAL MARKETING MANAGER

The Macallan, single malt whisky, distributed by Maxxium UK, has announced a significant new addition to its global brand team with the appointment of Jaume Ferràs Santín as Global Marketing Manager.

Ferràs Santín brings over 16 years of experience in the spirits industry. He joins The Macallan after 5 years working for Bacardi Spain where he held the position of Marketing Manager for Martini for the last two years. During his tenure he oversaw the 360º launch of Chispazo (Martini & Coca Cola); Martini Dolce & Gabbana and the Martin brand campaign, “Luck is an Attitude”. He was also heavily involved in a range of market leading NPD projects and brand extensions. Prior to this Jaume was Innovation Manager for Bacardi in the EMEA region and also Group Brand Manager for Bacardi Spain.

Having previously worked with Edrington as a Brand Manager for The Famous Grouse, and also overseeing the Group’s brands whilst at Maxxium Spain, Jaume is well-versed in the company and The Macallan, having worked closely on the launch of Fine Oak in Spain in 2004.

Commenting on the appointment, Ken Grier, Director of Malts at Edrington said, “We have been seeking to fill this pivotal role for some time and with Jaume’s appointment we have found the right man for the job! His depth of experience and insight is first class and I am sure he will bring great thinking and charisma to The Macallan global brand team. We are at entering a crucial time for the brand and Jaume’s mix of spirit and luxury knowledge will undoubtedly help us realize our ambitions for this exceptional brand.”

The new addition to the team, Jaume Ferràs Santín said, “I have incredibly happy memories of working with Edrington, its people and its brands during my career, so I was delighted to be offered the role with The Macallan. The changing shape and footprint of the brand over the past few years is incredible and to be coming in to the team when The Macallan continues to outperform the category, is a dream come true. “

In his new role Jaume will be responsible for developing the overall positioning of The Macallan, working with partners from around the world, and driving the creative development of the brand. Working as part of the global brand team he will be involved in all key global platforms and initiatives, ensuring consistency and collaboration.

Great King Street “Artist Blend’ NAS (43%, Compass Box, 2011)

John Glaser of Compass Box explains, “In a world where malt whisky gets all the attention, people often overlook the pleasures of good Blended Scotch. We believe that Great King Street will change this. There are good reasons why the blending of grain whisky and malt whisky has been the mainstay of the Scotch industry for over 100 years. Well-made Blended Scotches have an elegance and approachability that make them a joy to drink. Great King Street will offer a new and compelling alternative for both whisky enthusiasts who ordinarily drink only malt whiskies, and for whisky novices.

By applying the same skill, techniques and philosophy that we use for the Compass Box Signature Range of whiskies, Great King Street will offer a style and approach to Blended Scotch that has not existed before. The keys are using individually chosen casks from some of Scotland’s best distilleries, a high proportion of malt whisky, truly excellent quality grain whiskies, and the careful use of new French Oak aging for added complexity. All bottled at a natural colour and without chill-filtering. We call whiskies made with this approach ‘craft blends’.”

On the nose there is a good combination of honey vanilla and malt with a hint of grape fruit in the back ground. Also in the back ground is some welcome oak spice (black pepper, chilies, clove, nutmeg etcetera and all enhanced by some leather and tobacco notes). All very good rich and luxurious; the fruitiness of the grapefruit is also very good (think citrus of some fashion). The taste is quite honeyed at first and then the malt arrives while quickly being over taken by the grapefruit/citrus as previously described. The chilies are also present and again the consistent harmony of the malt, grapefruit/citrus and the oak spice is VERY good. The finish is a mirror image of the nose and the taste with a very pleasant addition of some dry unsweetened cocoa powder or even 90% chocolate. The finish is dead straight line rail lines heading towards the horizon and equally long.

Delightful; find a bottle and enjoy it.

$45

Score 88 points

Visit http://tinyurl.com/42czrfg and www.greatkingstreet.com for further information.

TOP PICKS
 
Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

Bunnahabhain Toiteach Peated Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($85.99)

Caol Ila 20 Year Old Hart Brothers Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($139.99)

Glen Grant Major’s Reserve Single Malt 750ml ($26.99)

Scotland – Spirits Pre-Arrival

1990 Aberlour 21 Year Old K&L Exclusive “Exclusive Malts” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($89.99)
For all the esoteric, exotic, and out-of-the-ordinary casks of single malt we plan on bringing back from Scotland this year, we feel the need to balance them out with some sure-fire, no-nonsense whiskies that offer old-fashioned quality for a fantastic price. The Exclusive Malt warehouse outside of Glasgow offered us so many fantastic expressions at great prices that we couldn’t help but take every one of them. Perhaps the most impressive of the bunch was a 21 year old cask of Aberlour, one of the most popular Speyside distilleries around. With the recent upsurge in sales for their 12 year old and A’Bunadh single malts, we knew the time was right for an older expression that built upon the foundation of flavor our customers love so much: sweet barley, rich vanilla, hints of creme brulee and burnt sugar, with a rich and opulent finish. At 51.1%, the whisky is easily drinkable at the bottled cask strength, but a drop of water really opens up the palate to more complexity. The less-than-10 year old cask strength A’Bunadh sells for $60 on the shelf, but for an extra $30 we’re offering more than a decade of extra barrel aging and far less sherry-dominated character. This is the bottle you buy for someone who likes Scotch whisky of any kind. It’s very, very tasty and just about everyone can get behind its classically-styled flavor. A ripe deal from a fantastic new bottler. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits buyer)

1984 Benriach 27 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single PX Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($179.99)
While tasting through the cask samples at Glendronach, David and I noticed a few older barrels from Benriach as well, its sister distillery run by the same ownership group. We’ve really championed the former whisky, but Benriach has always remained in the background at K&L. We like the whisky, especially the fantastic new 12 year expression, but it had never lit a fire under us. However, when David noticed that one of the casks was dated “1984,” our curiosity instantly peaked. During the early 80’s, when Benriach was still owned by Seagrams, the distillery was known as an experimental laboratory, turning out all kinds of interesting malts, some of them heavily peated. We poured ourselves a sample, noted the rich sherry color, and suddenly the whiff of peat smoke tickled our noses. This was one of those storied whiskies – a PX sherry-aged peated whisky of 27 year old maturity with the same integration of richness and smoke that one finds in old Islay malts or the legendary peated Brora. In fact, David and I were so floored by the quality, we thought it was better than some of the older Lagavulins and Broras we had tasted. “No one is going to believe us if we talk that way,” I said, but the truth couldn’t be denied. This whisky is phenolic, oily, briny, supple, chewy, rich, raisined, and smoky. It hangs with the great aged island malts, but priced far below them. Easily one of the top three whiskies from the trip and destined to become a K&L classic. (David Driscoll, K&L)

1993 Glendronach 18 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($115.99)
On the heels of our Glendronach 16 year old cask–perhaps the most generally beloved of any cask we’ve ever purchased for K&L–we knew we had to look for a quality successor. Even if we couldn’t match the greatness, the concentrated sherry sweetness with that unctuous, chewy, malty goodness, we had to at least try. Our relationship with Glendronach went from non-existent to bosom-buddies in 2011 after our visit. This year, our trip to the remote Highland institution offered us another chance to scour their wonderful selection of aged stocks. First off, we tried some younger 10 to 12 year old casks, but found them less interesting than the already fantastic distillery bottle. Some twenty year old casks were rich and decadent, but they were perhaps too over-the-top. The 18 year old selection, however, smelled of Armagnac and rich caramel with roasted fruits and big sherry aromas. The palate was soft, integrated, and very smooth, even at full proof. The richness was powerful, but unlike the older selections, it was completely in check and balanced by the spice and alcohol in the malt. It offered many of the same characteristics that last year’s cask displayed, but in a more subdued and elegant way. The result is a familiar, yet intriguingly new expression of Glendronach bottled entirely for K&L and it’s the same price as last year’s cask! I find this 18 year to be even more accessible and expect it to be even more successful. (David Driscoll)

United States – Other Spirits

Charbay R5 White Whiskey 750ml – 3 available ($49.99)

BACK IN STOCK

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

Kilchoman Machir Bay Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($53.99)
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Kilchoman distillery here at K&L. Our recent visit to the distillery on Islay really opened our eyes to the incredible job they’re doing. Kilchoman is a tiny operation, producing on one still and malting whatever they can inside their humble barn. Because of their small scale, their cost of production is higher and prices for their whisky have not been inexpensive. But having tasted the new-make spirit right off the still, I can firmly say that, in my opinion, there is no higher quality peated whisky being produced anywhere else. Kilchoman’s hands-on style and attention to detail make a world of difference. Every release has been better than the last, albeit extremely limited in supply. All that said, this small farm is finally introducing a full-time, affordable, house recipe, rather than another pricey single barrel release. The Machir Bay is not only incredibly delicious, it’s a huge victory for a distillery that had to overcome huge obstacles. At $54, this is what Kilchoman fans have been waiting for: incredibly delicate, finely-tuned flavors of soft smoke, sea salt, creamy vanilla and butterscotch. It’s a more subdued version of their high-toned barrel expressions, but it’s still very much Kilchoman. Think Bruichladdich meets Lagavulin. Think possible best whisky of 2012. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits buyer)

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

BenRiach 1971 / 40 Year Old Single Cask 1947

BenRiach 1971, cask 1947 is the oldest in BenRiach’s 2011 range of limited edition single cask releases. 40 years of age and part of batch 8, this wonderful single malt whisky scored a massive 96.5 points in Jim Murray’s 2012 Whisky Bible. If you don’t take the ‘bible’ as gospel, it also received an excellent 93 points by Serge via www.whiskyfun.com

Only £570.00

(£475.00 ex vat)

Click here to buy BenRiach Single Cask 1947

Abbey Whisky

enquiries@abbeywhisky.com
www.abbeywhisky.com
0800 051 7737