Announcing the arrival of the newest Whisky’s from Kilchoman Distillery

Kilchoman is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland with an annual production of 100,000 litres of alcohol. It is one of only six distilleries to carry out traditional floor maltings, but the key difference at Kilchoman is that the barley is grown on the farm at the distillery, whereas other distilleries purchase barley from around the country.

KILCHOMAN 2006 CSPC #747991

Nose: Oily, peaty and salty with grassy aloe notes; the nose is fishy with poached pears, blue cheese and honey;

Palate: Creamy, soft and coating with salty fish, white chocolate and grassy smoke; the palate is very fruity, even more so than the nose with peaches, more poached pears and even cooked green apple with baked blue cheese;

Finish: The vanilla lingers long, with oily peat and salted smoke; some dark spices but the white chocolate-vanilla and traces of white fruit fade last!

– Andrew Ferguson, Kensington Wine Market

KILCHOMAN MACHIR BAY CSPC #749725

The first ongoing bottling from Kilchoman, Machir Bay is made up of first fill bourbon matured whisky finished in oloroso sherry wood before bottling.

Nose: Picture yourself sitting around a lovely peat fire in a harbour: Plenty of peat, iodine, salt and oiliness. A lovely little bit of mintiness follows with floral and citrus notes hiding at the back.

Palate: Big hit of cut grass and syrup right from the word go! The smoke is much calmer on the palate and balances really, really nicely with that soft syrup and chocolate feel. The oily character has fallen but the coastal feel is still pretty dominant with the peat and sweetness on the palate.

Finish: Salty, savoury, and meaty like good dim sum dumplings.

-Royal Mile Whiskies – Staff Tasting Notes

KILCHOMAN SHERRY CASK CSPC #749726

This is the first sherry cask matured release from Kilchoman. It has been matured for 5 years in oloroso sherry butts.

Color: A rich golden color

Nose: Soft peaty aromas and a blend of soft fruits and spice.

Palate: An initial sweetness is followed by soft peaty aromas, mixed fruit and spice

Finish: The finish is long and clean with a character and richness that belies its tender age.

-Kilchoman Distillery Tasting Notes

Bruichladdich and Bowmore are two of the top distilleries in Scotland. These Islay distilleries stand on opposite sides of Loch Indal with little more than two miles of water separating them. Although Islay single malts tend to be big, potent and aggressive, both of these distilleries manage to put an elegant twist on their delightful whiskeys.

These are two of our favorite new additions to our single malt selection. We loved them so much we purchased the entire barrel and had them bottled at cask strength.

Bruichladdich 1989 22-year-old Chieftains 51.4% abv – $129.99

This scotch shows a pale gold color. The nose delivers amazing aromas of citrus, marzipan, vanilla cake batter, stone fruit, brine, and brown butter with bananas. A drop of water brings out a cornucopia of tropical fruit and a touch of brown spice. The palate exhibits ripe white fruit and apricots, sandlewood, brine, and a slight oily quality with a hint of smoke on the back palate. The finish is mouth-coating with butterscotch sweetness all held together with a classic Bruichladdich brininess.

Bowmore 1984 28-year-old Lorne Mackillop 50% apv – $150.00

The initial aromas convey heather, flamed orange peel, brine, and hints of stone fruit. There is a slight oily texture with flavors of anise, cake batter, smoke and oil. The palate progresses to apples and pears with good wood spice, hints of dry oak, and banana bread. The finish is long and pleasant, evolving into flavors of papaya and guava with some herbs and wood.

Virginia Distillery Company

Fond Farewell to a Fine Whisky Small Batch Eades Double Malt is Almost Gone

It seems that there are a lot of really endless “small batch” whiskies out there, but Eades Double Malt Whiskies are the essence of small batch. They are truly limited edition whiskies that cannot be duplicated. In Virginia, the last of these bottles are on the shelf in the Virginia ABC stores. So hurry to get your supply. If you’re in DC and MD, the first edition is on the shelves. For folks in New York City or Boston, you will be able to purchase both the first and second edition Eades Highland until their supplies are depleted and very limited number of 2nd Edition Speyside.

Thanks so much to all of you who purchased and enjoyed these whiskies. We really appreciate your support. Stay tuned for news about our next offering. Like Eades, our new whisky will be born in Scotland but this one will be raised in Virginia. We’ll be in touch with updates! Meanwhile, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and get your friends on board as well.

We wish everyone a safe and happy summer.

Best wishes,
Pat

Pat Jones
Virginia Distillery Company

Say the words “Port Ellen” to anyone who’s knowledgeable about single malt whiskies, and like a Pavlovian dog their eyes will light up, their rate of breathing will quicken and you’ll see them begin to swallow a lot as their mouth begins to water with desire.

And so, I’m thrilled to offer you the opportunity to acquire a bottle of Port Ellen 27 Year Old Single Malt Whisky for $435/ bottle (limit 2 bottles per customer please). 

I urge you to act swiftly on this if you are interested. This is another once in a lifetime chance to acquire a highly collectable bottle of whisky…but then hide it when you get it. Because once it’s gone… 

Doug Stone

Founder

ForWhiskeyLovers.com 

CELEBRATED YELLOW SPOT IRISH WHISKEY MAKES A COMEBACK

Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard has announced a return to the fold for the revered Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, which has been skilfully recreated by the dedicated team at Midleton Distillery in Cork. The re-launch underpins the company’s pledge to introduce new Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey expressions each year, as part of its continued commitment to reinvigorate the category.

Part of the ‘Spot’ range of Single Pot Still Whiskeys, Yellow Spot was originally produced, bottled and sold by Dublin-based wine merchants Mitchell & Son. Established in 1805, Mitchell & Son were ageing whiskeys bought from John Jameson’s Dublin distillery in their own casks up until 1968, when the practice of selling whiskey to bonders in cask ceased. From that date, Green Spot was bottled by Irish Distillers Ltd., and is now joined by Yellow Spot 12 Year Old.

The exceptional skill of the Midleton Masters, combined with Mitchell’s old notes on the Yellow Spot expression, has led to the recreation of this 12 Year Old whiskey. Rather than simply being a ‘finished’ whiskey, Yellow Spot is an expression that has been matured for a full 12-year period, in three oak cask types: American bourbon barrels, Spanish sherry butts and uniquely, Spanish Malaga casks. Bottled at 46% ABV and set to be produced annually in batches of just 500 cases, the first bottles will be available in key markets from late May 2012.

Anna Malmhake, Chairman & CEO of Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, says: “Through the skill and craftsmanship of our Midleton Masters, we have been able to retrieve this stunning long-lost gem. We are delighted to welcome it back into the portfolio today and we’re confident that it will heighten the rekindled interest we see in Single Pot Still Whiskeys around the globe.”

Yellow Spot will be available in Ireland through Mitchell & Son, in France through La Maison du Whisky, online via The Whisky Exchange and in Germany through Irisch Lifestyle. RRP €65 for a 70cl bottle.

Notes

Yellow Spot Tasting Notes

Nose: The initial freshly mown hay aroma is given substantial depth by the typical pot still spices. Red bell peppers, freshly ground nutmeg, a tincture of clove oil and a splash of green tea, balanced with the sweet soft nose of honey and peaches contributed by the Malaga wine casks seasoned in Andalucia. An exquisite sensory experience.

Taste: The mouth coating sensation to be expected from this Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is apparent from the first sip. Honey sweetness with Pot Still spices slowly gives way to a spectrum of flavours, from the depth of freshly ground coffee, up through creamy milk chocolate to crème brûlée, picking up some red apples and toasted oak along the way.

Finish: Sophisticated and complex, the sweetness of the initial sip remains throughout, with a beautifully succulent mix of red grape and dry barley grains at the exit.

About The Midleton Masters

· Master Distiller Barry Crockett has been immersed in the art of whiskey distilling for almost 50 years, having learnt from his father, Midleton Master Distiller Max Crockett.

· Master Blender Billy Leighton selects and expertly marries a vast array of exquisite whiskey styles matured in different cask types.

· Master of Whiskey Science Dave Quinn manages all new product development and innovation.

· Master of Maturation Kevin O’Gorman oversees the wood management programme at Midleton Distillery. He manages a stock of more than 900,000 casks.

· Master Cooper Ger Buckley is a 5th generation cooper based at Midleton, having learnt the trade from his father Dominic Buckley.

About The Single Pot Still Whiskeys of Midleton

In 2011, Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard launched the Single Pot Still Whiskeys of Midleton initiative, aimed at promoting consistent communication on the provenance and quality of single pot still whiskey. The launch heralded an increase in investment in Irish Distillers’ existing portfolio, ahead of a planned roll-out of innovative extensions.

About Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard

Irish Distillers Limited, part of Pernod Ricard Group, distils and distributes a range of Irish whiskey, gin and vodka brands globally including Jameson, Powers, Paddy, Midleton Very Rare, Redbreast, Cork Dry Gin and Huzzar Vodka.

Whisky and food pairings: starters

Some fantastic feedback yesterday about the whisky and curry suggestions (no one sent in any more magic tricks mind you) and that got me thinking about those who aren’t fans of curries…

Glenfarclas 105

What better way to stock up for Father’s Day than with a heroic single malt Scotch!

Rich, complex and powerful with toffee, dried fruit, coffee and sweet sherry flavours – what isn’t there to love!

Gift Wrapping available at the checkout

Buy – £41.99 (£34.99 ex VAT)

www.ralfy.com keeps you right with whisky review 275a – Identifying fake auction whiskies. Bad things can happen with auction-sale whisky so buy with care.

Ardbeg Day at TWE Vinopolis

Fèis Ìle, the Islay Festival of Malt and Music, will be upon us shortly and despite our shop being almost as far from Islay as you can get while still being in the UK (as the crow flies) we wanted … Continue reading >>

A quick update from Scotch Whisky Auctions;

Hi folks. Hope your weather is as beautiful as it is here in Glasgow! The 14th auction will be going live shortly, but before that, as usual, here is a peek at the new front page.

http://www.scotchwhiskyauctions.com/

Enjoy!

Bill, Tam and Mick