I could murder a Greggs Steak Bake!

A dram of fine single malt and food. Famous for their sausage rolls and bakes, how many times have I said this to myself? Thousands of times.

We have so many celebrity chefs these days who like to match a dram with food, ok, they can be good, but cannee beat this.

Diced beef in a rich and tasty gravy, wrapped in a golden puff pastry parcel. If you’re after a little taste of lunchtime lovin’ baked in the oven, then you’ve come to the right place. Packed with diced cuts of prime beef in a rich and tasty gravy, this golden puff pastry parcel has been a firm favourite for years.

AND, since they’re freshly baked in their shops every day, there’s probably one coming out of the oven RIGHT now. Unless you’re reading this at 4am. In which case, go to bed. And dream of tomorrow.

It’s safe to say that UK bakery chain Greggs is a national institution, with many of us partial to one of their baked pies, sausage rolls or iced buns. Then there’s of course the famous steak bake that has long been a favourite for those craving a lunchtime treat or on the go snack. Because who doesn’t love that delicious golden puff pastry packed with mouthwatering meat and a rich gravy?

And there’s more …

The Nation’s favourite Sausage Roll. Much like Elvis was hailed the King of Rock, many have appointed Greggs as the (unofficial) King of Sausage Rolls. Freshly baked in the shops throughout the day, this British classic is made from seasoned sausage meat wrapped in layers of crisp, golden puff pastry, as well as a large dollop of TLC.

LUNCHTIME MAYBE?

A steak bake with a delicious dram – maybe a double – of Glendronach 18 year old. The GlenDronach 18 year old Allardice is named after the distillery’s founder, James Allardice. The Highlander was matured completely in Oloroso sherry casks, and was originally released in 2009 following the distillery changing hands back in 2008. An exceptional fruity sherried single malt.

Paul

I ADMIT I COMMIT MURDER QUITE OFTEN.   PAUL MCLEAN  

www.whiskytours.scot

Europe Move Over Barley

European whisky is undergoing significant changes, with producers moving beyond their usual barley and looking for alternative cereals to craft innovative and distinct expressions. This has seen whiskies crafted from grains such as rye and more unusually buckwheat, pushing the boundaries of what a traditional whisky looks and tastes like.

In this unique Whisky 24 Hours session, we’ll be talking to distillers from across Europe and explore the reasons behind their experiments. For this session we’ve prepared a lineup to taste alongside the livestream featuring the complexities of Hautes Glaces’ rye expressions, the surprises of Eddu’s buckwheat whisky, and Zuidam Millstone’s enchanting rye offering.

Discover More 

The Whisky Exchange & Speciality Drinks Limited. Elixir House, Whitby Avenue, Park Royal, London NW10 7SF, UK.

Gordon & MacPhail Mortlach 25 year old Distillery Label

About the Bottle: The Distillery Label range from Gordon & MacPhail is a testimony to the long and unique relationship built up between the independent bottler and the distilleries entrusting them with new-make spirit to mature in G&M’s own unique way. Cask Sherry

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Rich sherry aromas combine with fruitcake

Palate: Autumnal spices and undertones of orange compliment summer berries.

Finish: A long and lingering finish of almonds

£229.50

View Product

ralfy review 1026 – Kingsbarns Bellrock @61.1%vol:

THE LAST DROP DISTILLERS PRESENTS ITS 2024 COLLECTION: CELEBRATING THE CRAFTMANSHIP, SERENDIPITY AND THE TEST OF TIME

Celebrating the unique, the experimental and the bold with three exceptional liquids: a 40 Year Old Single Malt from the Auchentoshan Distillery and the oldest Single Malt Scotch Whisky released by The Last Drop to date 

LOUISVILLE, KY  – The Last Drop Distillers, curators of the world’s most remarkable spirits, is thrilled to announce its 2024 Collection featuring bottlings that celebrate the unique possibilities of spirit-making and blending: a 40 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the Auchentoshan Distillery (Release No. 34) and a 55 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the Tomintoul Distillery (Release No. 36).

Each release celebrates a different facet of the fine craft of spirit making, from the unique production methods of Auchentoshan, to the experimentation and foresight used to create the bold spirit of innovation imbued within this early whisky from Tomintoul. United by a vital ingredient – time –  each has matured to a great age, revealing remarkable layers to be discovered.

Release No. 34

The Last Drop 40 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the Auchentoshan Distillery

Auchentoshan Distillery is renowned for its unique production processes, honed over two centuries of whisky making. It is the only extant distillery in Scotland to distill its spirit three times, producing a liquid that is delicate, refined and luxurious. With Release No. 34, The Last Drop celebrates the craft and creativity of this Lowland distillery, famed for the soft mellowness of its single malts.

This release has been richly-aged for four decades and with just 74 bottles produced, it presents an inimitable characteristic of Auchentoshan with a surprising sweetness.

Tasting Notes by Colin Scott, Master Blender, The Last Drop Distillers

APPEARANCE A light, delicate straw gold, with glints of yellow diamonds.

NOSE Light and delicate but with the richness of fruitcake and stewed apples, complemented with the ripe sweetness of raisins and black cherries. Notes of toffee and hazelnuts with hints of liquorice entice, with sweet spices and oak.

PALATE The richness of black cherries remains: cut grass, enhanced with the sweetness of raisins and caramel, intermingles with spices, vanilla, and a hint of oak, developing into a sweet floral, liquorice and spicy oak aftertaste.

CONCLUSIONS A soft, deep finish to linger over, this is a whisky full of surprise and delight. 

Release No. 36

The Last Drop 55 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the Tomintoul Distillery

The Last Drop’s oldest single malt release to date was born in the ‘Swinging Sixties’ when Scotch whisky was booming and new distillation technology was changing the game. The spirit of innovation was ubiquitous when these casks were put down to rest in Speyside – a time when the Tomintoul Distillery itself was less than 5 years old.

After aging for more than 53 years in six oak casks, and the angel’s claimed their share, the remaining liquid was married into an Amoroso butt for a further 20 months resulting in a liquid of richness and complexity, yielding 582 bottles.

Tasting notes by Colin Scott:

APPEARANCE A deep golden amber in colour, speaking of long years in rich sherry casks.

NOSE The colour heralds rich and ripe notes of dark fruits, sweet raisins, and fruitcake. This is followed by a gentle floral fragrance, grassy nettles, and notes of toffee, enhanced with the nuttiness of hazelnuts, spices, and an oaky sweetness.

PALATE The taste is an explosion of ripe fruits, and richly caramelised apples. A dance of spices and herbs tingles on the tongue, with buttery notes of sticky toffee pudding coming to the fore.

CONCLUSIONS The finish is long and lingering, as befits a whisky of such great age. Sweet oak and surprising floral notes alongside the complexities of fresh, ripe, and dried fruits aplenty.

Rebecca Jago, Managing Director of The Last Drop Distillers says: “We take great joy in sharing our discoveries and stories, and we are delighted to present The Last Drop’s 2024 Collection of Remarkable Spirits. It has been a fascinating mission to curate these releases; each reveals a different element of what makes our business unique: the originality of the Auchentoshan process and the spirit of innovation within the Tomintoul release from the distillery’s early years.

The Last Drop 2024 Collection will be rolling out in limited quantities to its United States distributor network, which will ship to select retailers, bars and restaurants as of May 2024 at a suggested retail price of $5,300 for the 40 Year Old Auchentoshan Single Malt Scotch (89.6 proof; 700ml + 50ml miniature) and $8,300 for the 55 Year Old Tomintoul Scotch Whisky (83.4 proof; 700ml + 50ml miniature); state taxes will vary per market.

For more information, please visit www.lastdropdistillers.com.

About The Last Drop Distillers

The Last Drop Distillers was founded by two icons of the spirits industry, Tom Jago and James Espey with over 80 years of experience between them. Their aim was to curate the world’s most remarkable spirits by finding treasures across aged spirit categories and sharing them with those who seek the genuinely extraordinary. This passion for exploration and discovery continued under the careful direction of Tom and James’ daughters: Rebecca Jago and Beanie Geraedts-Espey, who joined The Last Drop in 2014 to help bring their fathers’ vision to a wider audience. In 2016 The Last Drop was acquired by The Sazerac Company, one of America’s oldest private, family-owned, distillers. Rebecca continues to lead The Last Drop as Managing Director.

Since the company was founded in 2008, The Last Drop Distillers has released just 36 limited bottlings across Scotch Whisky, Cognac, Bourbon and Rum, Japanese Whisky and Irish Whiskey, as well as aged Ports and Pineau des Charentes, comprising fewer than 14,500 to date. Seeking nothing less than the remarkable in the spirits they curate, the company’s unwavering commitment is to the quality of the liquid and the pleasure of sharing the treasures they uncover.

About The Sazerac Company

With over 400 years of history, Sazerac is one of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies. Now in the fourth generation of the current family ownership, Sazerac strives each day to bring the finest spirits to consumers and communities around the world.

Over 500 of the world’s most extraordinary brands are part of the Sazerac portfolio, including Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare, Weller, The Last Drop Distillers, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Southern Comfort, Wheatley Vodka, Meyers’s Rum, White X Cognac, Sazerac de Forge Cognac, Paddy’s Irish Whiskey, and many more.

Sazerac is also the steward of many fine distilleries internationally, including Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, United States; Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac in Cognac, France; Paul John Distillery in Goa, India; and Lough Gill Distillery in County Sligo, Ireland. Additional impressive locations can be found in New Orleans, Montréal, London, Cork and Sydney, to name a few.

To learn more visit www.sazerac.com.

We’re on a never-ending hunt for flavour with our May Outturn, so dive in to please your palate. And be sure to download the pdf of this month’s Outturn from our website to read about the making of the SMWS’s first-ever documentary “Scotch & Sherry: A Flavour Odyssey” which you can view on the SMWS Silverscreen YouTube channel.

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Spicy & sweet

FIRM AND FRUITY

CASK NO. 112.115

REGION:  Highland

CASK TYPE:  1st fill ex-bourbon barrel

AGE:  8 years

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Firm, fruity and fun! A terrific mix of exotic fruit notes, grasses, oils, waxes, cereals and citrus curds. Gelatinous and superbly drinkable.”

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Juicy, oak & vanilla

FREE AS A BEE

CASK NO. G9.8

REGION:  Highland

CASK TYPE:  2nd fill ex-bourbon barrel

AGE:  22 years

BOTTLE NOTE:  “We prepared a pineapple white wine cocktail before eating a tonka bean panna cotta. Water adds oodles of vanilla and a cup of bee pollen tea.”

DO YOU FEEL LUCKY, PUNK?

CASK NO. B5.19

REGION:  Tennessee

CASK TYPE:  New oak charred barrel

AGE:  7 years

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Full-on cinnamon, incense and lychees give chase with all sirens blaring to elderflowers, passion fruit and sponge cake cooked in a V8 engine.”

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Deep, rich & dried fruits

TRULY A BRAW DRAM

CASK NO. 95.93

REGION:  Speyside

INITIAL CASK:  Ex-bourbon hogshead

FINAL CASK:  2nd fill oloroso hogshead

AGE:  10 years

BOTTLE NOTE:  “A Scottish traditional dessert called cranachan, but this time with brambles, is followed by plums, baked marsala figs and chocolate brownies.”

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Lightly peated

LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING FUNNELS

DISTILLERY 93 RARE RELEASE

REGION:  Campbeltown

CASK TYPE:  1st fill ex-bourbon barrels

AGE:  8 years

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Two fishy characters and a mobster lobster made a getaway in a tugboat ambulance as it blasted thick engine oil and smoke over salted toffee.”

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Peated

SALTED MARZIPAN SANDWICH

CASK NO. 155.5

REGION:  Israel

CASK TYPE:  1st fill ex-bourbon barrel

AGE:  4 years

BOTTLE NOTE:  “A slab of marzipan sat between heavy madeira cake and crispy seaweed while singed porridge was served with a pinch of salt and  marsala wine.”

FLAVOUR PROFILE:  Peated

RETRO WALNUT ASHTRAY

CASK NO. 16.89

REGION:  Highland

CASK TYPE:  Refill re-charred hogshead

AGE:  9 years

BOTTLE NOTE:  “Cigar ash in a retro walnut wooden ashtray and singed smoked pigeon breast. Diluted, burnt Cumberland sausages and oxtail braised with chorizo.”

BROWSE MAY OUTTURN HERE

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada
Suite 160
104 – 1240 Kensington Road NW
Calgary, AB  T2N 3P7
403-969-8225
curious@smws.ca
www.smws.ca

As Spring makes itself know here at Lindores and we welcome in the sunnier days, things just get busier and busier.

Visitor Book

In the Visitors Centre we have welcomed tours and visitors from across the globe. On one particularly busy day we had visitors from 5 different continents – from Edinburgh to El Paso! Guests have been excited to discover some changes in the Visitors Centre including lots of new Lindores merch which will be available on the website soon – sadly our April 1^st release of “Abbey – pour femme” and “Bear – pour homme” proved too popular and are now all gone!

We have also launched our new menu of cocktails and whisky flights, along with an incredible new menu for our events. Our chef, Andrew Wilkie, is a master when it comes to creating delicious dishes using wonderful produce Scotland has to offer – and this menu absolutely exemplifies this with Lindores Lamb, St Andrews cheddar and Aqua Vitae custard (although thankfully not on the same plate!).

If you are looking for a venue for a private or corporate event – please do get in touch.

Some of our friends from across Europe might have been lucky enough to catch one of the Lindores team on one of the many trips they have taken over the past month. It has been a typically jet-set month for Elliot and Lorena with visits to Belgium and Germany. Lorena had a wonderful time in Limburg sharing the good word of Lindores – a particular highlight for her was a whisky and cheese tasting organised by a local expert cheesemonger. She can now wholeheartedly recommend pairing our STR release with blue cheese and enjoying some Red Leicester, tomatoes and pesto with our Bourbon cask releases.

Closer to home, Murray, John, Scott and Seb have been all over Scotland for tastings and shows. The Clackmannanshire Whisky Festival was a great success with lots of interest being shown in our spirit, and Murray had a similarly good show at The Biscuit Factory in Edinburgh later in the month. John and Murray also held a particularly interesting, and unique, tasting at the reopening of the Rutland Hotel in Edinburgh. The tasting was held in a bedroom to showcase the Hotel’s stylish new refurbishment – hosting 30 people for a whisky tasting with most of them sitting on the bed was not something they thought they’d ever pictured themselves doing!

For those of you interested in cask ownership at Lindores – it has been another interesting month for our Cask Custodian, Matt. He had the chance to fill a fantastic ex-peated cask for a client this month, and he is very excited about our imminent delivery of exotic casks. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates on these or contact Matt at casks@lindoresabbeydistillery.com for more information.

Finally, we celebrated the famous distillery cats’ 7^th birthdays! FJC and Vesper were showered in love by their 70+ thousand Instagram followers and indulged with lashings of cream – they celebrated by sleeping for most of the day. Oh, to be a cat!

Helen and Drew McKenzie Smith
Custodians of Lindores Abbey Distillery

Introducing “Oud and Obsidian” – our smoky and rich Miltonduff, named to match its moody and luxurious flavours.

As independent bottlers, we act as the curators of the whisky regions of Scotland. Our latest release, the 14-Year-Old Miltonduff from Speyside, is testament to our dedication to sourcing exceptional whiskies.

Hand-selected by Isabella Wemyss for its distinctive character, our Miltonduff presents tasting notes of sweet tobacco, oil, and the scent of old library books, all surrounding a lusciously sweet finish. This expression challenges the typical traits of a Speyside malt, offering an uncommon departure with its oiliness and subtle threads of sweet tobacco smoke.

Tasting Notes

Nose: A deeply honeyed aroma, accented by notes of apricot jam.

Palate: Malty vanilla and toasted cinnamon, intertwined with hints of tobacco smoke, black pepper, and leathery books, all complemented by the exotic allure of oud.

Finish: Lingering flavours of flaky pastry and waves of warming vanilla, leaving you with a memorable finish.

SHOP UK

SHOP EU

New Availability on The Iconic Japanese Single Malt
Suntory “Yamazaki” 12 Year Old Japanese Single Malt Whisky 
“Yamazaki has undeniably set the standard for Japanese whisky for the past century.”
— Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

There’s no more recognized name in Japanese whisky than Yamazaki, and anytime a new allocation of the flagship 12 Year Old drops, there’s a mad dash. Our latest batch has just arrived in stock.

Suntory “Yamazaki” 12 Year Old Japanese Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($199.99)

93 points Whisky Advocate: “The first thing you notice is the elegant fragrance of lychee, spring blossoms, lily, rosewater, and raspberry meringue. Deeper in, grassy notes with star fruit, kumquat, and kaffir lime leaves. The flavors offer perfection in their simplicity: silky honey, soft spices, crystalized pineapple, barley sugar, lemon, and orange. On the finish, the spices chatter on and on as the sweet citrus and honey fade in and out. One to cherish. (JM, Spring 2018)”

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: May 06, 2024

Yamazaki has undeniably set the standard for Japanese whisky for the past century. While there is no shortage of contenders popping up today, it seems that Suntory, and Yamazaki in particular, are poised to be the standard bearer for the category for the foreseeable future. This latest batch of the 12-year-old single malt pours a solid gold. The nose is a complex array of ripe stone fruits, warm cereals, freshly churned cream, vanilla, tropical fruits, and spices. The Mizunara oak is seamlessly integrated. Candied ginger, lemon grass, and sun-dried raisins are carved in relief against a background of sweet baking spices. On the palate, the fine balance makes it somewhat difficult to pull obvious notes at first. With a little more time in glass and after several sips, the beautiful weight and texture unfold into toasted coconuts, grilled peaches drizzled in honey, lemon curd, and nutty granola. The finish reprises the complex wood profile provided from a mix of cask types, the lovely spices of which linger on the palate for a long time.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA