GLENTURRET 2024 RELEASE

The Glenturret distillery’s 2024 release is now available at The Whisky Exchange. Made up of eight single malts crafted by the legendary whisky maker, Bob Dalgarno, this year’s collection features six core releases and two rare single malts aged for 23 and 30 years and limited to less than 300 bottles each.

The core release features the sweet and mellow Triple Wood, a duo of Peat Smoked expressions and 12- and 15-year-old whiskies that have spent time in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and sit at the heart of the range.

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The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom

The Good Dram Show – Episode 562 ‘Dram Mor, Gleann Mor & House of Macduff’

Welcome to this weeks episode of the show which features 2 new-ish releases from each of the Independent bottlers Dram Mor, Gleann Mor & House of Macduff. The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum Episode 562– Episode Titled 3 x 2..! Filmed in The Kitchen Nottingham!

Featuring

Dram Mor Pitilie (Aberfeldy) 2015 (9 year old) 54.8%

Dram Mor Caol Ila 2015 (9 year old) 55.2%

https://drammorgroup.com

House of Macduff ‘Golden Cask’ Ben Nevis 2014 (9 year old) 58.8%

House of Macduff ‘Golden Cask’ Ardmore 2011 (12 year old) 52%

https://houseofmacduff.co.uk

Gleann Mor ‘Rare Find’ Royal Brackla 2011 (12 year old) 59.5%

Gleann Mor ‘Rare Find’ Old Rhosdhu 1994 (30 year old) 58.6%

https://gmspirits.com

COURAGEOUS SPIRITS LAUNCH KING’S INCH AGE STATEMENT WHISKY

Brand-new King’s Inch whisky; 8 Year Old King’s Inch Bourbon & Sherry Cask vatting. 

Glasgow-based Courageous Spirits launch their first-ever age-statement whisky under the King’s Inch brand. Adding to their already award-winning non-age statement King’s Inch whisky, this summer they announce the 8 Year Old King’s Inch (46%).

Hand-selected by the team at Courageous Spirits – the King’s Inch 8 Year Old, priced at £49 is carefully chosen from the best-quality mix of the Bourbon casks and Sherry butts, a small vatting of just 1,500 bottles. This 8 Year Old whisky is an ultimate example of a Bourbon and Sherry cask vatting crafted specifically to be bottled at a younger age statement.

As the liquid slowly matures the Courageous Spirits team have been experimenting with how the whisky responds to different woods and finishes.

Golden, with a tinge of amber – the nose is rich and soft, laced with hints of heather honey and subtle kick of spiced oak and citrus. On the palette, there are notes of subtle sweetness, tropical fruit and dried raisins that lead onto spiced oak and ginger. Spiced ginger on the finish, lingering at the back of the palate and finishing with a warm and long-lasting sweet chilli.

AWARDS FIT FOR A KING

King’s Inch is named after the old imperial measurement of an inch, and a forgotten island in the Clyde, with its first bottling fresh off an award-winning run in 2022. King’s Inch Non-age statement (£45) was awarded Gold at the IWSC International Wine & Spirit Competition with 95 points, received Gold as well as Best in Show at the London Spirits Competition 2022, and achieved Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2022.

NEW DIGS

Announcing the 8 year old whisky coincides with the official opening of the brand-new Courageous Spirits premises based on 121 Lancefield Street, Glasgow – where the company wants to bring everything under one roof. The new 8 year old release from King’s Inch is a project Courageous Spirits are taking on before they hope to build their very own urban distillery, with plans aiming to be announced later in 2024.

Situated on the edge of Finnieston’s hub of culture & creativity, the new site currently offers 3rd party services. Aiming to bring dry goods storage, bonded storage, bottling and distribution all under one roof – significantly reducing road miles and associated carbon.

Andy McGeoch, Managing Director and Founder of Courageous Spirits, commented on the launch: “We’ve always known King’s Inch is special since its launch in 2021. The awards and customer feedback gave us real confidence in the spirit. We’re now at a point where we can experiment with casks and see how the spirit reacts. That to us, is a really exciting prospect – one that will continue to bring the best out of our King’s Inch spirit. We really look forward to hearing feedback from our customers, good or bad!”

“At Courageous Spirits, our team really takes pride in our work, and pride for our city. Our brands continue to go from strength to strength and to have our new premises bring everything under one roof, makes our future very promising as we expand the vision of Courageous Spirits.”

GLOBAL EXPANSION

Home to both the award-winning Glaswegin and King’s Inch Single Malt Whisky brands, Courageous Spirits is planning to further break into global markets; targeting international territories such as Hong Kong, Myanmar, India and currently recruiting distributors across the globe.

Courageous Spirits aims to produce world-class liquid in outstanding packaging from Glasgow to the world. They hope to launch their urban distillery plans later in 2024. Their brand-new King’s Inch 8 Year Old, priced at £49 is available to buy now: https://kingsinch.com/

*Full Tasting Notes 

King’s Inch 8 Year Old | £49

The King’s Inch 8yo is a perfect example of a bourbon and sherry cask vatting made specifically to be bottled at a younger age statement. West coast barley, narrow cut points in the distillation and fresh (some would say wet) casks all contribute to the deep and ever changing nature of the spirit. An 8yo with the profile and characteristic to stand up to any 16yo.

Colour – Golden with a tinge of amber.

Nose – Rich and soft laced with hints of heather honey and subtle kick of spiced oak and citrus.

Palette – Notes of subtle sweetness, tropical fruit and dried raisins lead onto spiced oak and ginger.

Finish – Spiced ginger lingers at the back of the palate and finishes with a warm and long lasting sweet chilli.

Link to buy: https://kingsinch.com/

Courageous Spirits
Home of multi-award-winning spirits Glaswegin Premium Gin and King’s Inch Single Malt Whisky, Courageous Spirits products embody innovation and modernity in Scottish craftsmanship.
W: https://courageousspirits.com/

King’s Inch

Named after the old imperial measurement of an inch, and a forgotten island in the Clyde, a contemporary single malt with exceptional character.

W: https://kingsinch.com/
I: @kings_inch_whisky
Link to buy: https://kingsinch.com/products/kings-inch-whisky

Glaswegin
Developed, distilled and bottled in Glasgow, Glaswegin was inspired by the city and its people and is truly a gin for Glasgow (and beyond).
W: https://glaswegin.com/
I: @glaswegin
Link to buy: https://glaswegin.com/collections/shop

FAREWELL TO OLD FRIENDS…

THE SPICE TREE

&

THE STORY OF THE SPANIARD

Every now and then, a much beloved whisky must go into retirement. It is always a bittersweet time as they will have undoubtedly served us well, sharing their stories and bringing colour to the Compass Box journey. This year, we’re saying goodbye to old friends The Spice Tree and The Story of The Spaniard.

The Spice Tree first appeared in 2006 causing controversy from the outset. In 2007, largely due to this whisky, we won Innovator Of The Year in Scotch Whisky. Funnily enough this was also the year The Spice Tree had to be first retired for pushing the boundaries of Scotch whisky too far for the Scotch Whisky Association.

As a result, we developed our own hybrid-cask program for The Spice Tree that many in the industry have now adopted. It allowed us to bring rich spice notes and intensity to our Scotch whiskies. This whisky has always been about one thing: oak-derived spice.

Pour some of The Spice Tree for rich, baking spice, toasty oak and a fruity maltiness.

The Story of The Spaniard was our first long-term commitment to making sherried whisky. We set out, not to make a sherry bomb, but to create something balanced, complex and nuanced.

The first batches of The Story of The Spaniard had not just sherry-seasoned casks but also wine casks: our nod to the great similarities of whiskymaking and winemaking. The recipe has evolved over time, and yet that underlying full, soft and sumptuous character of sherry has always remained.

In The Story of The Spaniard you’ll find a whisky that is full, soft and sumptuous on the palate with jammy flavours of pears poached in red  wine, citrus peel and spices.

Don’t worry, you’ll still find The Spice Tree and The Story of The Spaniard on shelves for a little while. But for now, we wanted to share the news of this momentous milestone in Compass Box history.

These are the last two bottling codes for The Spice Tree and The Story of The Spaniard respectively L 21 12 23 and L 21 06 23. You’ll find these printed on the back of the bottle.

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Compass Box Whisky 3 Water Lane, Richmond, TW9 1TJ

We’re immensely proud to announce that our latest feature-length documentary is OUT NOW!

Created in partnership with the team behind Ardray, the film delves into the world of blended Scotch and tells the story of this oft-misunderstood category in an unprecedented level of detail, through conversations with whisky history expert Justine Hazlehurst; master blender Calum Fraser; Bar Swift manager Rachel Reid; and members of the Ardray team.

One of the most intriguing new-wave blends on the scene, Ardray is a malt-rich blended Scotch whisky bottled un-chill filtered at 48% ABV, with only its natural colour. Head over to YouTube now to watch the full film, and don’t forget to hit the subscribe button so you never miss one of our videos!

WATCH NOW

Shop the last of our latest releases while stock lasts

These are the very last remaining bottling’s from some of our recent launches. Don’t miss out on your chance to grab one of our bottlings before they’re gone for good!

Whisky Sponge Equilibrium III Highland Single Malt 22 years old

Whisky Sponge Ed.95 ‘SideBurn’ 31 years old

Decadent Drinks Ltd DECADENT DRINKS LTD, WEST BUILDING RUTHVENFIELD GROVE,

INVERALMOND INDUSTRIAL ESTATE PERTH, Highlands PH1 3FN United Kingdom

Boutique-y Blended Grain Scotch #3 Aged 45 Years – The Unbottling

Fresh from the July 2024 Whisky Showcase, Adam tries the extra special That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s 45 year aged Blended Grain #3. This features two different closed distilleries – which in the video Adam describes as Cambus and North Of Scotland – but sources seem to suggest that it’s actually Carsebridge not Cambus – which is even rarer. Our members scored it 93.07 and put it in the “Fruity & Spicy” flavour profile.

THE UNBOTTLING REVIEW

The Good Dram Show – Episode 563 ‘Ben Nevis’

Welcome to this week’s episode of the show, which features a selection of archive bottlings of Ben Nevis. The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum Episode 563 – Is Mr Taketsuru A Happy Bunny…?

Filmed in The Kitchen Nottingham

Featuring

Master of Malt ‘Single Cask Series’ Ben Nevis 1996 (16 year old) 57.4%

Ben Nevis 2002 (12 year old) ‘White Port Matured’ 56.3%

Ben Nevis 2000 (15 year old) Single Cask 59.7%

Ben Nevis 1990 (25 year old) ‘Mr Taketsuru’s Cask’ 61.3%

Maverick Drinks Darkness!Ben Nevis 17 year old 49%

Grindlay’s Selection ‘Single Cask Release’ Ben Nevis 1997 (18 year old) 52.6% 

Hidden Barn Bourbon Wins Double Gold

at Prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Series 1, “23B” Finalist for Best in Class Award

SPARTA, KY (July 24, 2024) –Hidden Barn Bourbon’s Series 1, Batch 23B has won a double gold at The Tasting Alliance’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition in the Small Batch Bourbon – up to 5 Years category and is a finalist for its Best in Class awards, which will be announced in October 2024.  The judges described 23B as “a perfectly balanced bourbon” and awarded it a score of 98 points.  This is the second year in a row a Hidden Barn Bourbon has won a double gold at the esteemed San Francisco award competition.

Batch 23B, released in the fall of 2023, was distilled at Neeley Family Distillery and blended by Jackie Zykan.  The two have paired up for six other Hidden Barn Bourbon releases, including a Seven-Year-Old bourbon, released on July 7th of this year.  Batch 23B is a blend of 20 barrels aged five to six years old using Neeley’s flagship mashbill of 70 percent corn, 20 percent rye and 10 percent malted barley.

Like all Neeley Family Distillery distillates, this bourbon was double pot distilled after fermenting with wild-crafted Appalachian yeast, a practice of the Neeley Family dating back generations.  Batch 23B was bottled at cask strength at 110.1 proof with only sediment filtration.

“We’re so humbled that Hidden Barn has won double gold medals back-to-back in 2023 and 2024, in what is one of the most distinguished and also largest spirits competitions,” said Master Blender Jackie Zykan.  “To have the judges describe it as ‘perfectly balanced’ is an enormous compliment as a blender, especially in such a crowded category as small batch bourbon.”

Zykan’s tasting notes for this bourbon call it rich and intense, with a buttery caramel corn base, dark fruit and florals, and significant baked apple.  A touch of pepper throughout ramps up into a robust finish complemented by dried peppermint and anise.

Suggested retail pricing for the Hidden Barn Series 1, 23B is $74.99. It is available at Neeley Family Distillery gift shop, online and at retail in Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, Missouri, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

About Hidden Barn Bourbon

Hidden Barn’s name harkens back to the local communities who painted their barns black in solidarity with distillers during Prohibition.  This sense of community is continued today through the passion for quality whiskey and camaraderie shared by its three partners, Jackie Zykan, Royce Neeley and Nate Winegar.  Together, the three friends bring their own strengths – a superior palate, distilling prowess, and a powerhouse connector to form Hidden Barn Bourbon.  Previous Hidden Barn Series have earned Double Golds at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2023 and 2024 and Best Small Batch, 1st Place at the 2023 New Orleans Bourbon Festival.  Hidden Barn Bourbon is owned by Neeley Family Distillery.   The brand is available online and in select states. For more information visit hiddenbarnwhiskey.com

About The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition was founded in 2000 and is the largest competition of its kind with nearly 5,000 entries.  Each entry is judged double blind by a panel of spirits experts.  A double gold medal is awarded when each judge on the panel gives a gold medal to the entry.  The SFWSC medal is a testament to the hard work of the spirits industry’s distillers and producers and is a universally recognized indicator of exceptional quality and craftsmanship.