Laphroaig 30 Year Old 2024 Release

Presenting Laphroaig 30 Year Old 2024 release, a stunning dram from the Islay icons. The whisky has been matured in a variety of specially selected American oak barrels, and European oak ex-sherry hogsheads and butts for three decades, before being bottled at 45.8% abv. The nose is fruity and sweet initially, with very distinctive top notes of zesty orange and lemon peel, vanilla custard and treacle toffee. More delicate background notes are revealed on the palate, such as bergamot, sweet pastries and fresh thyme, which lead to a finish of smouldering peat smoke and sooty campfire notes.

£775.00

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Ledaig
15 Year Old
70cl | 48.4% ABV

Matured in a single hogshead cask for 15 years, this Single Malt from Ledaig is delightfully earthy and richly spiced with a good kick of smoke.

£100.95

Tasting notes: 

Nose: Damp earth immediately – then comes bonfire ash and dark treacle.

Palate: More of the earth / soil character with allspice, peated Malt and heavily
charred oak.

Finish: Long…smoked bacon and damp ash balanced by a burnt sugar sweetness.

Established in 1948, Douglas Laing is a proudly independent, family owned Scotch Whisky business in its third generation. Abiding to the philosophy of presenting Whisky as the distiller intended, Douglas Laing’s Old Particular and Xtra Old Particular Collections enable Whisky lovers around the world to come as close as they possibly can to sampling a dram straight from the cask.

EWAN MCGREGOR RETURNS TO ARRAN DISTILLERY TO AUCTION EXCLUSIVE 26-YEAR-OLD SINGLE MALT FOR CHARITY

Renowned Scottish actor Ewan McGregor has returned to Lochranza Distillery, where he first toasted the inaugural cask of Arran Single Malt in 1998, to mark a special occasion. McGregor has partnered with the distillery to bottle and auction 150 exclusive bottles from his own personal 1998 cask gifted to him by the distillery. All proceeds will go to Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS), a charity dedicated to supporting children with life-limiting conditions and their families.

The limited-edition bottles will be auctioned by Whisky Auctioneer, the world’s leading online whisky auction platform, from September 27th to October 7th. The auction is open to bidders globally. Whisky Auctioneer has generously waived the seller’s commission and will also donate its 12.5% buyer’s commission, ensuring that the maximum possible funds reach CHAS.

This rare 26 year old Arran Single Malt, matured in an ex-Sherry Hogshead cask, is one of the oldest whiskies ever produced by the Lochranza Distillery. Bottled at 46% ABV, each bottle features a unique, specially designed label. The first twenty-four of the bottles have been personally signed by Ewan McGregor.

The Leith Agency worked in partnership with Ewan and his brother Colin McGregor to bring “Ewan’s Cut” to life on a pro-bono basis. The bottle design and name were inspired by Ewan’s illustrious career, featuring references to his iconic roles in films like Trainspotting and Star Wars, as well as his memorable Long Way Round adventure. Each of the 150 bottle labels reads like a mini film script, with no two labels alike.

Ewan McGregor said:

“I have been involved with CHAS and visited their hospices many times over the years, so I know the unwavering care that both Rachel House and Robin House provide children and their families during their hardest moments. 

“My hope is that this auction can raise a significant amount to ensure that these wonderful places are able to continue providing the service they do.”

In 2020, Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd celebrated 25 years of whisky-making at their Lochranza Distillery, maintaining its independent status while building a global brand with their Arran Single Malt. This auction offers whisky enthusiasts and fans of Ewan McGregor a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of whisky history and contribute to a worthy cause.

Rami Okasha, CEO at CHAS said:

“We are delighted that Ewan, who is a long-standing supporter and friend of CHAS, has kindly chosen to donate all proceeds from this exciting auction to our charity. We are grateful too to Isle of Arran Distillers for arranging this special event and to Whisky Auctioneer for waiving the seller’s commission to ensure that CHAS will benefit from the maximum funds. 

“Three children a week die in Scotland from an incurable condition and demand for our services is growing. Our ambition is that no-one should face the death of their child alone. 

“Over the course of the last year CHAS directly supported 419 babies, children and young people across the country, and hundreds more in hospital palliative care teams funded by CHAS. We provide support for the whole family – parents and siblings – and have assisted nearly 2,000 family members of seriously ill children this year. Knowing your child may die young is the hardest thing imaginable. The funds raised through the Ewan’s Cut auction will make a real difference to those families.”

Stewart Bowman, Distillery Manager at Isle of Arran Distillers said:

“In 1998 Ewan McGregor joined us at Lochranza Distillery to toast the first cask of Arran Single Malt, which was the first legal cask to be laid down on Arran for over 150 years. We presented him with his own ex-sherry hogshead that day and it has matured in our Warehouse until now. 

“Since then Ewan has gone on to have an amazing career and we have built a global whisky brand whilst proudly maintaining our independent status. 

“We are thrilled to invite Ewan back to the distillery, where our story began almost 30 years ago, to present him with the finished bottles of Ewan’s Cut. 

“Like Ewan, we remain close to our roots and are passionate about giving back to the community. We have looked after Ewan’s cask for the last 26 years and we are delighted to work with him, Whisky Auctioneer and Leith to raise money for CHAS.”

Joe Wilson, Head Curator and Spirits Specialist at Whisky Auctioneer said:

“At Whisky Auctioneer, we take great pride in supporting charitable causes, and we were honoured to be approached to bring Ewan’s Cut to auction. 

“The launch of Isle of Arran Distillers nearly three decades ago was a landmark moment in the whisky industry, ushering in a new era of independent Scottish distilleries. We are proud to play our part in this exciting chapter of their story and look forward to sharing this remarkable whisky with enthusiasts globally.”

To find out more and to register to take part in this auction please visit www.whiskyauctioneer.com

To find out more about Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS), please visit https://www.chas.org.uk/

To find out more about Isle of Arran Distillers, please visit https://www.arranwhisky.com/

To find out more about Leith Agency, please visit https://leith.co.uk/

About CHAS

Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) provides unwavering care to children who may die young and their families, at every step on this hardest of journeys.

• Our Unwavering Care 2024-2028 Strategy sets out how no family ever has to face the death of their child alone, with CHAS providing support at each critical stage of their palliative care journey – from the moment of a child’s diagnosis, to helping the child live well and by supporting the family after a child’s death.

• The Strategy was developed following in-depth consultation and feedback from families and stakeholders.

• CHAS is there to help every family member emotionally, clinically, and practically and provide integrated palliative and end of life care as well as respite care for the whole family in our two hospices, Rachel House in Kinross and Robin House in Balloch.

• Our outreach team operates in every local authority area – providing highly skilled nursing care for children in their own homes (often in partnership with local teams), as well as a full family support service. This includes social work, income maximisation, energy advice, spiritual and bereavement support, transition to adult services for 16 – 21s, and therapeutic play.

• There is a joint CHAS/ NHS specialist team in every children’s hospital in Scotland. The only specialist Paediatric Palliative Medicine posts in Scotland are funded by CHAS. Our Diana Children’s Nurses provide specialist support alongside the NHS in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

• We are there at the end of life, supporting children to die with dignity, in accordance with their and their parents’ wishes and we also help in the difficult days after a child dies with ongoing bereavement support.

• The wonderful letters which form our logo are created by the children and families that use our services.

• Follow CHAS on Twitter and Instagram: @supportCHAS, or like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/supportCHAS

About Leith Agency

The Leith Agency is an award-winning strategic and creative agency based in Edinburgh and Manchester with over 130 staff members. The agency was founded in 1984 and works with a number of global clients including The Macallan, Famous Grouse, AG Barr and The Scottish Government.

About Isle of Arran Distillers

Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd is an independently owned producer of Single Malt Whisky on the Isle of Arran, with two distilleries situated at either end of the island.

Arran Single Malt is produced at Lochranza Distillery which was established at the north-west tip of the Isle of Arran in the village of Lochranza in 1995.  The site was carefully chosen for the quality of its water source, Loch na Davie, which is filtered through six waterfalls before it reaches the distillery in the foothills of the village.  Lochranza will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2025.

Their second distillery opened at Lagg, at the south end of the island, in 2019 and produces the heavily peated Lagg Single Malt.

As one of the very first of a new wave of distilleries opening in the early 1990s, Lochranza Distillery has remained independent since day one, under the care of a dedicated small team of passionate whisky people.  Arran Single Malt is a mark of quality that whisky lovers respect and trust. The pioneering spirit of this independent team has ensured that this small Scottish island and its whisky is an important and globally respected part of the whisky industry.

About Whisky Auctioneer

Whisky Auctioneer is the global market leader and trusted authority on the buying and selling of whisky and spirits at auction. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Perth, Scotland, Whisky Auctioneer utilises its expertise and knowledge combined with its auction platform to increase interest and passion in the whisky and spirits community. The business currently sees over 150,000 bids per month and has conducted deliveries to 74 countries across the globe.

The central Scotland headquarter’s success paved the way for international expansion with secondary offices now located in central London and the Netherlands.

Whisky Auctioneer endeavours to make the secondary market more accessible for buyers and sellers of any background and demographic, wherever in the world they are based. Its monthly global auctions feature the most comprehensive selection of old, rare and collectible whiskies and spirits online, and are unmatched in volume, variety of bottles offered and prices achieved. Alongside an unrivalled selection of rare Scotch whisky and Irish Whiskey, Whisky Auctioneer has also established the business as the market-leading specialist in presenting world whiskies for sale; from rare American whiskey and bourbon to iconic Japanese whiskies.

In February 2021, the online auction house made history during the iconic sale of The Perfect Collection, when a bottle of The Macallan 1926 Fine and Rare 60 Year Old sold for a hammer price of £1 million. This was the first time a single bottle of whisky has sold at an online-only auction for one million pounds.

Elixer Distilers

Invergordon Distillery

48 Year Old 1974 The Whisky Trail

Cask #7844000054

Distilled in 1974 and matured for nearly five decades in a single cask, this exceptional whisky delivers rich notes of dried figs, smooth toffee, and subtle oak. Bottled by Elixir Distillers, the Invergordon 48 Year Old 1974 is a truly extraordinary single grain Scotch whisky from one of Scotland’s finest grain distilleries. Aged for nearly five decades in single cask #7844000054, this ultra-aged whisky offers an exceptional depth of flavour and elegance that only comes with time. Part of The Whisky Trail collection, this rare release is a testament to the richness and complexity that long maturation can achieve in single grain whisky.

£336.58

On the nose, the Invergordon 48 Year Old opens with an opulent bouquet of caramel, rich vanilla, and toffee, followed by layered notes of dried fruits like figs and raisins. There’s a refined complexity with hints of dark chocolate, toasted coconut, and gentle spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, creating a warm and inviting aroma.

The palate is exceptionally smooth and silky, delivering indulgent flavors of creamy vanilla, honeyed toffee, and malt, balanced by dried fruits like prunes and sultanas. The extended time in oak contributes a deep, well-rounded spice profile, with cinnamon, clove, and a hint of black pepper. Dark chocolate and roasted nuts add further richness, enhancing the whisky’s depth and luxurious mouthfeel.

The finish is long and warming, with lingering notes of sweet vanilla, soft oak, and dried fruits. Delicate spice and subtle oak tannins provide balance, leaving a lasting impression of elegance and richness. This 48-year-old Invergordon is a beautifully complex and refined whisky, perfect for those who appreciate the sophistication of well-aged single grain expressions.

Established as a dedicated large scale grain whisky producer, Invergordon Distillery located in Ross-shire in the Highlands is owned today by Whyte & MacKay. With the spirit predominantly used for blended Scotch, releases of bottled Invergordon single grain whisky is limited to independent bottlers.

Iron Gate Auctions in Canada presents its largest spirits auction to date with over 425 lots of rare and exceptional spirits. For the first time ever in Canada impossibly hard to find treasures, such as the storied 1974 Ardbeg Provenance 1974 Limited Edition, Colonel EH Taylor Jr Warehouse C Tornado Surviving Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and the Nikka Taketsuru “On the Road” Prestigious Trunk with 5 bottles honouring the father Japanese whisky.

Auction ends today!- September 23rd, 2024.

View Catalogue 

We firmly believe that whisky is all about what’s in the glass, not on the label. That’s why we bottle whiskies from a wide selection of distilleries but don’t include their name – so you can enjoy each sip without any preconceived notions. You might think you don’t like peated whiskies or prefer certain regions, but Society whisky has a way of surprising you if you’re open to it.

Our selection process is straightforward: if it doesn’t wow our Tasting Panel, it doesn’t make the cut. So, when you pour a dram from us, you’ll know it’s something exceptional, no matter where it’s from. Remember, it’s all about the experience in the glass, not the name on the bottle.

ALL WHISKY

GET IN TOUCH ~ We promise we’re not robots. We’re a small team, all of us members, and would love some chat from kindred spirits – if only to hear what you’ve been doing and what you’re drinking.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Kentucky Distillers’ Association Joins Prestigious World Spirits Alliance

The Worldwide Voice of Bourbon Celebrates New Era of Growth on Global Stage

FRANKFORT, Ky.– As the industry voice of Bourbon, America’s only native spirit, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) has been inducted into the prestigious World Spirits Alliance (WSA) based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Since 1880, the KDA has represented the heart of the Kentucky Bourbon industry and its now 100+ members. As a WSA member, the KDA is proud to enter a new era recognized as the worldwide voice of Bourbon amongst global spirits leaders and benefit from increased industry collaboration.

The WSA is the international trade association for the industry and acts as a representative partner and interlocutor before international organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations (UN).

The WSA offers member producers and leading trade groups a platform to exchange best practices and collectively comment on issues of global relevance, particularly in the areas of free and fair trade and regulatory policy.

Helen Medina, CEO of the WSA, said, “We are delighted to welcome the Kentucky Distillers’ Association to the World Spirits Alliance. The spirits industry is a global powerhouse, contributing an impressive US$730 billion to the world’s GDP in 2022 and supporting 36 million jobs worldwide.

“Cooperation across the industry is imperative and the KDA is such an important voice, offering historic achievements and sustainable success. Together, we can achieve remarkable progress in promoting sustainable growth, responsible practices, and a unified vision for the future of the spirits industry.”

The KDA is proud to offer its resources to the prestigious membership rolls as well, KDA President Eric Gregory said. From record-breaking economic growth to tourism programming to member collaboration and connectivity, Kentucky Bourbon has elevated its presence and is helping spirits industry leaders from across the globe learn from its success.

“With a Bourbon economy that is stronger than ever, Kentucky Bourbon is a leading force respected across the globe,” Gregory said. “As Bourbon continues to gain more momentum each day, a seat at the world table allows our industry the opportunity to maximize our impact, tenfold.

“As the worldwide voice of Bourbon, we regularly consult with other industry leaders who look to our tourism, innovation and economic growth as benchmarks for success. We’re excited to continue to do that while also learning from others who are champions in their industry.

“The WSA is a powerful network and we are honored to be part of it.”

Learn more about the WSA at worldspiritsalliance.com.

Jessica Pendergrass, Chair of the KDA Board of Directors and General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer at Heaven Hill, said she is proud to see Kentucky Bourbon cementing its place in the global spirits industry.

“As the global leader representing Kentucky Bourbon, the KDA is thrilled to sit at the table with our peers in the spirits industry as a member of the World Sprits Alliance. Through collaboration and partnership with other associations, the KDA is proud to share the history and heritage of Kentucky Bourbon and build on our collective success as we work together to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is the worldwide voice for Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry.

About the Kentucky Distillers’ Association:

Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is the worldwide voice for Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. Its diverse and growing membership produces the overwhelming majority of the world’s Bourbon, from historic, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are fostering the next generation of the Commonwealth’s timeless craft. Kentucky Bourbon is a $9 billion economic engine generating more than 23,500 jobs and attracting over 2 million visits annually through the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experience. A 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, the KDA maintains an open membership policy, champions a strong commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage drinking and drunk driving. Learn more at www.kybourbon.com and www.kybourbontrail.com.

OUR SECOND EXPRESSION
LAUNCHES 10AM (UK TIME) 24TH SEPTEMBER 2024…
–
ON SALE IN HARRIS, ONLINE, AND ACROSS THE UK
AVAILABLE GLOBALLY OVER THE COMING MONTHS

It’s Vapour, not paper: The Scottish tech start-up transforming spirit production and maturation around the world

– Vapour, founded in the northeast of Scotland, provides contemporary solutions for comprehensive tracking of a product journey from crop to cask, offering distilleries and cask managers valuable insights into spirit production and maturation

– Gaining attention from a growing customer base across Europe and Australia, Vapour is revolutionising the drinks industry with a digital-first solution

Vapour, a pioneering cloud-based spirit management system, is transforming the way distilleries and cask management companies around the world manage their production and maturation processes. 

Co-founded in Speyside, Scotland by digital expert – and Elgin native – Stephen Hamilton, Vapour is a cutting-edge digital platform that provides an innovative digital-first solution to augment traditional methods used in spirit production and maturation, offering unparalleled traceability and transparency from crop to cask.

The innovative platform, developed alongside industry experts, is enabling brands like Brewdog Distilling and Lochlea Distillery to track their products’ entire lifecycle with a mobile device, from raw material intake to cask maturation and beyond.

By capturing data at every stage of the production and maturation processes, Vapour creates a comprehensive record of provenance, allowing distilleries to monitor quality, track changes, and gain valuable insights into their spirits’ unique journey. This traceability is built into the platform from the moment it is used.

Vapour offers a flexible pricing model tailored to the needs of all sizes of business, making it an accessible and cost-effective solution at a time where value is of utmost importance.

Co-founder and CTO at Vapour, Stephen Hamilton, said: “We have developed Vapour in collaboration with leading industry experts, ensuring that the platform addresses the specific operational challenges of running a distillery or maturing and bottling spirit. A key aspect of our philosophy is that we don’t ask you to do anything different than you do today – it’s as simple as recording your existing activities in Vapour.”

“We’re proud to say that in just a few short years since launching, we now have customers as far afield as Australia using Vapour, and our customer base across Europe has expanded significantly too. The nature of the product means it’s extremely quick to set up for customers anywhere in the world and can be done remotely from our base in Scotland.”

“It is not just a digital record, we are digitising operations within distilleries and in turn giving them scalable, efficient and detailed support at every stage of production. It is fantastic to have clients like Brewdog Distilling, Lochlea Distillery and Scotch Whisky Investments on board who we’ve worked with to enhance and craft the platform to meet the needs of our clients. We have also developed important industry partnerships such as Clyde Associated Engineers, a major supplier for fluid handling businesses like our distillery and maturation customers, to automate and digitise data capture on the distillery or warehouse floor.”

“As is the nature of the product, we can easily adapt and add new functionality to Vapour based on feedback from our customers. We are in the relatively early stages of bringing Vapour to the world, but we feel hugely optimistic about the future.”

John Campbell, Production Director at Lochlea Distillery, and legendary former distillery manager at Laphroaig stated: “Having previous experience of the traditional technology used in large volume spirit producers, I was immediately impressed with the Vapour platform from day one with how easy it has been to use and embed into our processes in the distillery. The fact that Vapour is a digital platform means that wherever I am in the world, I can have an instant overview of what’s happening at the distillery across Production, Maturation, and soon our Bottling processes. Our inventory management and traceability have never been as good as they are now. The depth of utility and flexibility offered by Vapour is ideal for us and I’m sure many other spirits businesses.”

For more information, please visit: https://vapour.scot