Smokehead Single Malt Scotch Whisky $54.99

Edinburgh, 02 June 2010: SMOKEHEAD was awarded an International Review of Spirits’ Gold Medal by the highly respected Beverage Testing Institute (BTI).

Judged by an expert panel from BTI in the institution’s Chicago Tasting Room, Smokehead was awarded an ‘Exceptional’ rating of 91/100 for its explosive, peaty flavours. With the appearance of ‘bright old gold’, the panel commented on the Single Malt’s ‘aromas of honeyed raisin scone, dried peaches and medical tinctures with a hint of cedar and mesquite-like smokiness’.

The BTI also commented on Smokehead’s ‘good depth and lingering body’ with ‘subtly complex and earthy smoked wood, leather and a prairie grass driven finish’.

Visit D&M at www.dandm.com

BENRIACH RELEASES 2010 WOOD FINISHES
 
BenRiach has this month released three exciting new Wood Finish expressions from its Speyside Distillery.
 
The brand new bottlings include:
 
The BenRiach 16YO Claret Finish – 46%

The BenRiach 17YO Rioja Finish – 46%
 
The BenRiach 17YO Burgundy Finish – 46%
 
Matured in the traditional style in American bourbon barrels, these whiskies have then been ‘finished’ in either Rioja, Claret or Burgundy wine barrels. During this additional period of maturation, the whisky derives a number of additional flavours and aromas specific to the ‘finishing’ cask.  
 
The tasting notes spell out what makes these single malts so special.

BenRiach 16YO Claret Finish

Nose – clean and fruity. Stewed plums and damsons with sweet oak nuances. Embracing but with real finesse.
 
Colour – bright sparkling orange gold.
 
Taste – Spiced fruit scones, enrobed in a fig and date syrup. Fairly light acidity, yet with lovely mouth-cleansing fruits. A whisky with the flavours standing in perfect equilibrium. 
 
BenRiach 17YO Rioja Finish
 
Nose – dry and robust with wild flower characteristics. Sweet oak follows with elegant vanilla bean extract and ripe fermented grape juice.
 
Colour – Full gold with distinctive amber traces.
 
Palate – subtle floral elements including, violets, rosehip and dandelion. Creamy oak notes, married with vanilla and nutmeg round off the mix partnered with ripe peaches and apricots.
 
BenRiach 17YO Burgundy Finish

Nose – summer red berries, including fermented strawberries and raspberries. This is complemented by bitter cocoa bean nibs and freshly-cut wild flowers.
 
Colour – Full gold with a subtle tawny hue.
 
Taste – Vanilla crème-brulée with a distinct butterscotch component. Redcurrant jelly and quince flavours interact with toasted oak to bring excellent clarity and weight. A fruit and oak marriage of great elegance.
 
Sales director Alistair Walker said: “BenRiach operates an extensive finishing programme, and a five-minute stroll around the distillery’s Warehouse 13 will testify to that! The current BenRiach range already includes expressions finished in Pedro Ximinez Sherry, Tawny Port, Madeira, Dark Rum, Sauternes, Gaja Barolo and Moscatel.
 
“BenRiach has always been an experimental distillery, even under previous owners, and we have continued that tradition. We try and keep the range fresh and interesting by releasing new finishes and single casks each year, but in very limited quantities.”
 
The three new BenRiach finishes will be available in over twenty export markets, and in the UK through specialist, independent whisky retailers.
 
UK RRPs as follows:
 
BenRiach 16YO Claret Finish – £39.99
BenRiach 17YO Rioja Finish – £44.99
BenRiach 17YO Burgundy Finish – £44.99

Visit BenRiach Distillery at www.benriachdistillery.co.uk

… whisky review 145 – Johnnie Walker Red Label from 1960’s and 2010 directly compared,  … one is good, one is not.

All happening at  www.ralfy.com

Connosr Distilled – the new online whisky magazine

The Whisky Social Network, connosr.com, has launched a new online whisky magazine called Connosr Distilled. The magazine is packed with features, video content, interviews, competitions and much more.

A sample from the inaugural issue:

* Watch a film about featured bottler Scotch Malt Whisky Society
* Advice from an expert panel on the perfect beginner’s whisky cabinet
* Four reasons for wine lovers to embrace whisky
* View from the community: Australian whisky reaches maturity

For more on this visit: www.connosr.com/distilled

The Dalmore Sale Extended  Tastings & Masterclass Recap

Richard Paterson The Master Blender for Dalmore was brilliant as was the whisky that he puts in the bottle. Richard chronologically brought us from 1263 through to current times and from the 12 Y.O. through The King Alexander with some great focus on The MacKenzie bottling and on the clan itself. Richard really looks at what goes into the make-up of all The Dalmores and he insists on great depth, balance and finesse. All are amazingly palatable and friendly to the masses with tremendous complexity and elegant subtlety to keep the most sophisticated palates intrigued from the 12 Y.O. through the 18 Y. O. and the Special Editions. Two of Federal’s customers and myself were able to taste a Dalmore single malt that was 58 Years old with a selling price of more than $1000.00 per year of age (x 58 = $60,000.00 a bottle.)

The Mackenzie Clan and it’s heritage is why this limited bottling was done, the depth of the single malt has the depth of The MacKenzie Clan.

Sale Prices extended through Monday, August 9th
(Orders must be in by Saturday the 7th)

Reg Price Sale Price

Clan MacKenzie 46%
Warm and seductive with aromas of ripe plums, citrus fruits and marzipan, followed closely with ginger spice and mangos, a taste of sweet pear, bitter chocolate and crushed almonds reward the senses.
$199.99 $174.99

King Alexander Aged aromatic Oloroso butts and Madeira drums provide citrus orange, spice and nuts, whilst redolent Bourbon barrels deliver warm, vanilla notes. Rich port and Marsala woods add hints of wild berries and fleshy plums, enhanced with red fruits from vintage Cabernet Sauvignon barriques.
$234.99 $214.99

12 Y.O. Deep golden mahogany in color with orange, marmalade and aromatic spice on the nose. Elegant and rich on the palate with intense citrus and hints of sweet vanilla pod to finish enhanced by increased sherry wood for an aftertaste of great complexity.
$57.99 $51.99

Gran Reserva Elegant and refined with hints of citrus and autumn fruits on the nose. marmalade and Christmas cake tantalize the palate with subtle hints of roasted coffee and chocolate. This is followed with ripe oranges and lemon peel, giving delicate, zesty top notes.
$74.99 $67.99

15 Y.O. A rich and aromatic heart full of dried spices, cloves, cinnamon and ginger with a concentrated citrus mouth-feel to tantalize your tongue and an abundant aftertaste of spice to reward the palate.
$89.99 $84.99

18 Y.O. Aged aromatic Oloroso butts and Madeira drums provide citrus orange, spice and nuts, whilst redolent Bourbon barrels deliver warm, vanilla notes. Rich port and Marsala woods add hints of wild berries and fleshy plums, enhanced with red fruitsfrom vintage Cabernet Sauvignon barriques.
$164.99 $154.99

Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits

——————————————————————————–

Email: joe@federalwine.com
Phone: 617-367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/

Dear Customer

For our August releases we are pleased bring to your attention five (5) new bottlings under the OLD MALT CASK label – two (2) from the OLD & RARE “Platinum” selection – two (2) in the PREMIER BARREL Ceramic – two (2) from the Advanced Sample 20 cl selection – two (2) (45 year) old CLAN DENNY Grains – plus the eighth (8th) release of our Highland Park/Bowmore DOUBLE BARREL.

The Tasting Notes for OLD MALT CASK follow:

OMC1877 CRAIGELLACHIE CLARET WINE FINISHED 14 year old
Nose: Opens sweetly with stewed red fruit + plums + marzipan Palate: Round & complex with candied cherries + macerated fruit Finish: Warming finish replicates the palate’s fruity sweet quality (J)

OMC188 1 BRUICHLADDICH 20 year old
Nose: Sweetly perfumed and salty with a gristy style. Palate: Mouthcoatingly sweet then Malty with mocha tones. Finish: Sweetly toffee’d with light camphor then vanilla (F)

OMC1880 MANNOCHMORE 20 year old
Nose: Dryly spiced, perfumed, floral and gristy. Palate: Big and malted – citrus + barley – late barley + honey. Finish: The palate is neatly replicated. (F)

OMC1882 LINKWOOD 21 year old
Nose: Opens sweetly – runs to a stewed fruit (banana) & oranges character
Palate: Initially spicy & dry + a sweet almond and orange cake style. Finish: Long, balanced dry and sweet character with leather, spices and nuts (J)

OMC1878 GLEN GRANT BRANDY BUTT FINISHED 35 years old
Nose: Spicy, fruity, oaked, buttery and “very interesting”. Palate: Dry initially – runs to rummed raisins plus a peppery quality. Finish: More fruit, spice, camphor and light smoke. (F) (Understated)

Tasting Notes for PREMIER BARREL:

PBR0080 HIGHLAND PARK 12 year old
This Highland Park is a hyperbolically and hierarchically high spirited hero (hush-hush to the hankering hoi polloi!) with its halcyon hotch potch of peated panache, feisty fructiferousness and salubriously sympathetic spice with supplementary sweet scented smoke. (F)

PBR0081 MORTLACH 12 year old
May I monopolise, and muse over my munificently and melodiously mollifying Mortlach? Fundamentally, this frisky, flavourful festival of fructiferous fermentation is ffrankly, ffragrant, ffabulous, and full of ffinesse. (F)

OLD & RARE Tasting Notes:

OAR0099 LAPHROAIG SHERRY MATURED 21 year old
On the nose detect sweetly peated malt plus a distinctly smoked meat style masking some citrus and orange? quality. The palate is initially toffee’d then rolls into rich smoke, bonfire ash and soft summer tar. It finishes in a smoky/damp wood style, clove studied oranges, and even some burnt toast! (F)

OAR0103 MACALLAN WINE FINISHED 33 year old
The colour reflects its red wine “finish” – similarly apparent on its jammy nose full of macerated summer fruits – which warms to sugary fudge and barley. Those same malt and fruit flavours ebb and flow together then tend towards oak, walnuts and some tannin. The finish is interestingly spiced, and intriguingly smoked – now dry and spiced. (F)

The two (2) 20 cl ADVANCE SAMPLES are:

SMC0370 LAPHROAIG 9 year old
SMC0372 LINKWOOD 13 year old Bourbon Cask Matured

CLAN DENNY GRAIN Tasting Notes:

DEN0042 GIRVAN 45 year old
Round and full of crushed fruit quality, with bourbon cask/vanilla’d, oily and dunnage warehouse character all through the long, olfactory experience. Palatewise it takes you straight into the USA, with loads of those anticipated vanilla, light oak and buttery flavours – all sweet – coming through. The finish takes the more normal grain (shorter) route, but carries a mini replica of the palate. (F)

DEN0043 CALEDONIAN 45 year old
Fresh, clean, fruity and spicy – with an added fruit box style that all warms to old fashioned hair dressing and toffee smells on the nose. Palatewise it carries macerated fruit, barley sugar and late vanilla flavour – all replicated plus some dried spice on its short finish. (F)

DOUBLE BARREL

DBS0014 HIGHLAND PARK/BOWMORE – 8th Release

We certainly like these releases but more importantly we hope you similarly do. We thank you in advance for your kind consideration.

All best wishes
Fred H Laing
Managing Director

Visit Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask at www.douglaslaingwhisky.com

SEVEN SINGLE CASK BOTTLINGS FROM GLENDRONACH THIS MONTH
 
GlenDronach, the richly-sherried Highland malt, has released Batch 2 of its single cask bottlings which includes seven rare and very limited expressions.
 
In chronological order, they are:
 
1971, cask 489, 39YO
Oloroso Sherry Butt, 48.8% vol
Liquorice and cloves partnering flawlessly with classic oloroso notes and lashings of chocolate orange nuances. Depth is built upon a layer of walnuts and almonds.
UK RRP £379.99
 
1972, cask 718, 38YO
Oloroso Sherry Butt, 51.5% vol,
Fruity and long. A tremendous concoction of sweet stewed fruits, nuts and chocolate. Fine old oloroso notes with terrific balance and acidity create excellent depth and definition.
UK RRP £359.99
 
1978, cask 1040, 31YO,
Oloroso Sherry Puncheon, 51.2% vol
Dense and long. Very elegant and smooth with classic sherry influences. Walnut flavours emerge which align perfectly with ripe citrus fruits.
UK RRP £184.99
 
1989, cask 3315, 20YO
Pedro Ximinez Sherry Puncheon, 53.2% vol
Offers baked apples with sweet brown sugar syrup. Nutty, with almonds and hazelnuts bringing weight to the mix.
UK RRP £79.99
 
1990, cask 2621, 20YO
Oloroso Sherry Butt, 57.9% vol
Chocolate orange and coffee mocha mouse. Delightful balance and complexity with excellent length.
UK RRP £79.99
  
1991, cask 3182, 18YO
Pedro Ximinez Sherry Puncheon, 51.7% vol
Bursting with stewed fruits, particularly sweet prunes. Date and dried fig characteristics add lovely depth and concentration.
UK RRP £70.99
  
1993, cask 529, 17YO
Oloroso Sherry Butt, 60.5% vol
Spicy and long. Superb mocha and hazelnut influences emerge, leading to a sweet rich finish.
UK RRP £66.99
 
Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “Each year we specially select a handful of individual casks from the warehouses at GlenDronach to be bottled as our ‘Limited Releases’.
 
“We believe that the 2010 releases are excellent examples of the quality, richly-sherried style for which the GlenDronach distillery is famous.
 
“Batch 2 is being shipped to over twenty export markets and will also be available in the UK through independent specialist whisky retailers.”

Visit GlenDronach Distillery at www.glendronachdistillery.co.uk

Bunnahabhain OB 12yo 46.3%alc.

After a period in the wilderness Bunnahabhain has been re-thought and returned as an ‘unchillfiltered’ and higher strength variant better reflecting the distilleries’ true character, and what character!

The non-peaty of the Islay whiskies celebrates with this new bottling as smooth and vibrant, velvety and yet stimulating, cherry-sweetness with a beefy undercurrent. The finish is long with a (very slight) sulphury smokiness. As a standard distillery bottling the new version is very much an ace.

It moves significantly in the Flavour Map, it was in G2 (Delicate side of Rich & Delicate) now on the flavour map I reckon it is now in square H4
Complex Rich & Delicate

Bunnahabhain 12 year old
Barcode: 5029704217366

Price excluding VAT: £27.15
£31.90 Including VAT at 17.5%

Your Chance to Try Rare and Super Peaty Whisky from Islay’s Latest Legend

The hottest young distillery on Islay, Kilchoman, is kicking up a stir as a legend in the making. Thanks to its super peaty malt, the distillery will compete with giants such as Islay’s other distilleries Laphroaig and Lagavulin. Kilchoman was founded in 2005 and its whisky has only recently reached the minimum 3 years required for it to be classified as single malt Scotch. Amazingly, before it even came of age, Kilchoman spirit was heralded by critics – including top taster Jim Murray – as being delicious, and many predicted it would become the star of Islay (a region that many connoisseurs believe to be the best in Scotland). Jim even awarded one sample 94 out of 100 points.

Kilchoman’s extraordinary and rare malt is available to try as a sample from Master of Malt’s acclaimed sample service – “Drinks by the Dram” (a range of 3cl samples of whisky and other spirits including gin, rum, vodka, cognac and more). The service offers customers a chance to try before they buy – well worth it when some of the bottles available as samples sell for as much as £1,500!

For the first time ever, Kilchoman single malt is available for purchase in 3cl sample form (available from Master of Malt). This is a unique chance for whisky lovers and spirits connoisseurs to try something incredibly rare – even more noteworthy because the current batches of Kilchoman whisky have almost sold out. Whisky drinkers will be able to detect heavy peat smoke, iodine and pine oil on the nose, and the palate offers warm peat, fruit and malt. It is an unusual and wonderfully rich whisky; despite the fact it is only three years old!

Order your 3cl sample of Kilchoman Single Malt at http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/kilchoman-spring-2010-release-whisky/

About Drinks by the Dram
–    Hundreds of inexpensive 3cl (30ml) samples to try before you buy
–    Revolutionary new concept in online drinks retail
–    See a list of drams at: http://www.masterofmalt.com/drinks-by-the-dram/

About Master of Malt
–    Established in 1985
–    One of the UK’s leading online whisky and spirits retailers
–    A highly rated independent bottler, all of whose single cask whiskies scored over 90 points in the Jim Murray Whisky Bible 2009.
For further information please visit www.masterofmalt.com
Read the Master of Malt blog: www.masterofmalt.com/blog
Or follow Master of Malt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/masterofmalt 

In Miner’s Delight Inn Bed & Breakfast, Atlantic City, Wyoming whisk(e)y sale (limited to stock on hand) August 7, 2010 10 a.m – 4 p.m.

Single Malt Scotch Whisky
¼ of our 68-bottle selection is on sale

Ardbeg Supernova 2010 $125
Ardmore Traditional Cask $45
Balvenie 12 years old DoubleWood $50
Balvenie 15 years old Single Barrel $60
BenRiach 1994 Limited Release 12 years old (single cask) $85
Glenfarclas 21 years old $95
Glenfiddich 15 years old $45
Glenlivet 15 years old French Oak Reserve $45
Glenlivet 16 years old Nadurra (cask strength) $50
Glenmorangie Original 10 years old (with two tumblers)  $40
Glenrothes Select Reserve (with a Glenrothes pen)  $40
Laphroaig 10 years old (with a Laphroaig pen)  $40
Laphroaig 18 years old (with a Laphroaig hat or shirt)  $90
Macallan 18 years old (1989)  $110
Old Pulteney 12 years old $35 
Singleton of Glendullan 12 years old $35
Talisker 10 years old $60

Blended Scotch Whisky

Chivas Regal 12 years old (with a Chivas key ring) $22
Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 years old (blended malt) $40

Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Bushmills 10 years old $25

Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey

Knob Creek 9 years old (single barrel to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Wyoming Liquor Division, wooden box)$ 40

Visit the Miner’s Delight Inn at www.minersdelightinn.com

Atlantic City in Autumn