I would like you to be among the first to know that I have decided to step down as Laphroaig’s Distillery Manager. As you can imagine, it has not been an easy decision and one I have given considerable thought.

Long-standing Friends will know I joined the distillery 13 years ago, starting on the malt floors and in the warehouse, which from there led me to become Assistant Manager and then Distillery Manager in 2022. It’s been an incredible journey, but now I feel the time has come for me to explore new opportunities beyond my native Islay.

Whilst I have mixed emotions on leaving, Laphroaig will always hold a special place in my heart, particularly as it’s from Islay, where I too was born and raised. I remain hugely proud to be a part of this outstanding island community. Laphroaig will remain my favourite Scotch whisky, and I feel honoured to have a hand in over a decade of brilliant Laphroaig whiskies – from Cairdeas to Elements.

I’m also proud and humbled by our passionate community of Friends. Your support continues to fuel what makes Laphroaig what it is today. As a passionate advocate for making Friends of Laphroaig something for everyone all over the world, I will promise to support however I can and remain a lifelong Friend.

Please welcome our new management at the distillery with open arms and open hearts; this will be announced in due course. I’ll be working closely with colleagues in the distillery team over the coming months to create a smooth transition and see out my time here.

I hope to see and raise a dram with as many of you as possible at Fèis Ìle in a few weeks. And to all my Friends old and new, I wish you the very best for 2024 and beyond.

Slàinte.

Barry MacAffer, Distillery Manager

James J. Fox Exclusive Barántúil Release

Quote from Brendan – Founder & Distiller at Killowen

” Since we opened 5 years ago James Fox has been a venue, we longed to work with so it’s a pleasure to be here today. I am so happy we have found the perfect Irish whiskey for what is internationally an Iconic venue. I am surprised how delicate this pot still whiskey has become, with its balance of citrus and pot still spice harmoniously suspended in the most viscous of drops and the hint of leather workshop from the Killowen DNA. Why in hell did we make this cask only 120 litre? I hope there is enough to go around “

Get the James J. Fox Barántúil here

James J. Fox, Dublin’s most renowned cigar & whiskey merchants celebrate 143 years of trading with a unique Barántúil bottling

After 143 years of trading in 119 Grafton Street and five generations of family ownership, James J. Fox & Killowen Distillery are pleased to announce their collaboration in a limited, single cask Killowen Barántúil release.

Cask KD041 was developed as a contemporary acknowledgement of Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey, using the Killowen style of production, with a GI compliant mashbill of malted and unmalted barley, oats and wheat. It was matured for 3 years and 8 months in an ex-Kentucky bourbon quarter cask and finished for 7 months in a 120-litre amontillado sherry cask. The result is a fresh and crisp single pot still with an unmistakable citrusy and sweet character.

Bottled at cask strength of 57.2% and limited to 226 bottles, the Killowen Barántúil exclusive single cask is available from April 23rd 2024 in James J. Fox 119 Grafton Street and online on www.jamesfox.ie

Yiorgos Manesis, Managing Director in James J. Fox says: “We’re thrilled to partner with Killowen Distillery on this exclusive release. Having closely followed the journey of cask KD041, we’re excited to finally share it with the world.“

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Fresh green apple and banana bread, mingle with subtle oak, pear drops, rock salt and workshop leather.
Palate: Crisp dryness and sweet spice, with clove, oatmeal and lemon meringue.
Finish: Lingering and dense, with orange and lemon zest, and a touch of honey.

About James J. Fox, Dublin

Established in 1881, James J. Fox has been a cornerstone of Dublin’s cigar and whiskey connoisseur’s landscape for over five generations. Situated at 119 Grafton Street, this iconic establishment has served as the premier destination for enthusiasts from Ireland and around the world, offering an exceptional selection of the finest cigars and whiskeys. Following a recent renovation, the newly revitalized store continues to uphold the legacy of quality and excellence that has defined James J. Fox for 143 years. www.jamesfox.ie

Available instore or online at James J. Fox Dublin now for €130.00

Get the James J. Fox Barántúil here

The Launch of the 6th Annual Scottish Whisky Awards

The much-anticipated 6th Annual Scottish Whisky Awards has officially been launched, heralding another year of celebrating Scotland’s most iconic export- Scotch whisky. As the national awards programme dedicated to Scotch whisky, the Scottish Whisky Awards aims to recognise and reward the individuals, groups and products that contribute significantly to the enduring global success of this quintessentially Scottish spirit.

Read More

KEY DATES

Download Our Entry Guide

April 2024 // 26.04 – 06.05.2024

Now Live: April Auction

A warm welcome to our April auction. Featuring thousands of rare whiskies and fine spirits, this is a unique opportunity to bid on some of the world’s most sought-after bottles.

We have legendary vintages from pioneering independent bottlers, grandeur aplenty from established distilleries and unique and experimental drams from the hottest names in the whisky industry right now.

Yamazaki 55 Year Old 2021

Ben Nevis 1926 Single Cask 63 Year Old #322 / One of 96

Colonel E.H. Taylor Warehouse C Tornado Surviving

Early Aberlour Bottlings

Whisky Fair

Raise your glasses high as our Speyside festival rare release bottlings have landed! From the rich aromas of aged malts to the smooth finishes of sherry cask maturation, prepare for an extraordinary journey through Speyside’s finest whiskies.

So, get ready to add to your collection and bring a taste of the festival fun straight to your doorstep.

BROWSE ALL

THE WRITING BUREAU

In celebration of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2024

SMALL BATCH BLENDED MALT

Age: 30 years
Cask: Second Fill Bourbon Barrels

BUY NOW

Join us on a journey through Speyside’s rich whisky heritage with our SMWS Dinner & Whisky Tasting event at The Craigellachie Hotel on April 30th, from 18:00 to 22:30 BST. Immerse yourself in an evening of exploration as we showcase exclusive Scotch Malt Whisky Society releases, including bottles from our Black Label and Vaults Collection bottlings. Led by our renowned Brand Ambassador, Olaf Meier, this guided tasting will unveil the unique character and captivating flavours of Speyside’s finest sherry cask-matured whiskies.  Tickets are available now, so secure your spot for an unforgettable experience!

LEARN MORE

Can’t make it to Speyside in person? No problem! Join us for a virtual hangout on THURSDAY, APRIL 25TH, AT 9PM BST, where we’ll dive into a world of flavour from the comfort of your own home. Don’t forget to set a reminder and mark your calendars!

Expect engaging chats on festival adventures, exclusive insights into what the SMWS has in store for you, special guests and even a fun-filled quiz to test your whisky knowledge.

Tune in live on the SMWS UK Facebook page or our YouTube channel.

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

Gold Spot – Irish Whiskey Bundle

Gold Spot The Generations Edition – Limited Release

13 Years old | 3 x 70cl | 46% ABV

The latest addition to the Gold Spot series is once again championing the use of wine casks in Whiskey. This extraordinary expression is matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for 13 years, with a unique maturation in Valpolicella Reciotto Italian wine casks for 16 months. This final maturation elevates the whiskey’s signature subtle spice notes, with the red wine adding a softly textured sweetness.

To celebrate the latest member in the Gold Spot family, this bundle includes:

Gold Spot: Luscious and sweet with red berry compote, toffee apple and raisin, followed by pot still spices and fruits.

Yellow Spot: Stone fruit heavy upfront with peach, apricot, and plum. Rich and warming with soft vanilla and sherry flavours.

Green Spot: Yellow plums, oily aromatic spice, caramelised banana, candied tropical fruit, mint leaf and vanilla.

£259.95

Add to Basket

The Spot Whiskeys originated from the Mitchell family’s practice of marking casks of different ages with a daub of coloured paint. These traditional Irish Pot Still whiskeys are characterised by full, complex flavours and a wonderful, creamy mouthfeel.

James Edie was a firm fan of Fife whisky. Such a fan, in fact, that more than half of all the grain whisky he purchased came from one Fife distillery: Cameronbridge. In 2005, just over 100 years after Mr. Eadie’s death, Fife saw the return of malt whisky distilling to the region. It now boasts five of the most innovative malt distilleries in Scotland.

For batch 1 of The Fife Blend, they have selected a cameronbridge (25 years old) finished in marsala cask – a favourite of Mr. Eadie – combined with a fifteen year old malt whisky, fully matured in a fresh bourbon barrel, from an Unnamed Farm Distillery in the Heart of the Kingdom of Fife.

Batch No.1
1 of only 458 bottles produced.
Natural colour & unchillfiltered.

£129.99

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

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 527: Tomatin 12 Year Old 2011 Double-V

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries an independently bottled Tomatin. This young Tomatin was bottled by Belgian bottler Double-V for a local whiskyshop – The Whiskybarn – & a local whisky club – The Green Door Whisky Club. It was in fact presented last summer when Mark was at their club hosting a tasting. At the end of the tasting the final bottles were offered and Mark was able to grab the very last one. He promised them he’d do a Rambling on it, so here we are. Mark added: ‘Let me first apologize for the long wait, but I really wanted to take it to Austria with me’. Nice detail: the malt was matured on a Koval cask, a craft whiskey producer in Chicago!

https://youtu.be/z9batJbbPSU

Lux Row Distillers’ Blood Oath Pact 10 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey arrives at retail in April

 In honor of the double-digit age milestone, the latest offering is double finished in Cabernet Franc and Merlot casks

ST.LOUIS (April 23, 2024) – Lux Row Master Distiller and Master Blender John Rempe marks a decade of distinction – and secrecy – as he renews his annual pact with bourbon drinkers by releasing Blood Oath Pact 10 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey double finished in Cabernet Franc and Merlot casks. A limited supply of 17,000 (3-in) cases will arrive at retail this month at a suggested price of $129.99 per 750 ml bottle. As with all of Rempe’s pacts, Blood Oath Pact 10 is offered at 98.6 proof (49.3% ABV).

Blood Oath Pact 10 combines some of the finest rare bourbons Rempe could find, including two well-bred ryed bourbons and one finished bourbon each complementing the others. In honor of Blood Oath’s double-digit age milestone, Rempe achieved a double finish for this year’s special, secret blend. The first finish was perfected in Cabernet Franc barrels, imbuing rich flavors of tart raspberries and black pepper. The second finish was refined in Merlot barrels, instilling the tastes of red stone fruits with undertones of vanilla, cocoa and anise. The result is a delicious and distinctive pour.

For a decade Rempe has sought out famous and forgotten rare bourbons and bottled them in combinations for his limited-release Blood Oath Pacts. Not to cater to anyone’s loyalties, he has sworn to never reveal where he finds his bourbon, but only promises to choose and make the best he knows.

“We wanted to create something truly distinctive and unique to mark our 10^th edition of Blood Oath and we did just that,” said Rempe. “For this offering I sourced three extraordinary bourbons that could be elevated even further through a double finish in Cabernet Franc and Merlot casks, and would ultimately deliver the kind of rich, fruit-forward notes and smooth drinking experience I wanted to achieve. It’s a superb blend and I’m excited to share it.”

Lux Row only releases one new Blood Oath Pact annually, and each limited edition features a distinct and thoughtfully designed label. This year, a black label with striking silver highlights adorns the Blood Oath Pact 10 bottle. And like its predecessors, each bottle of Blood Oath Pact 10 comes in a commemorative fire-branded wooden display box.

The official launch of Blood Oath Pact 10 will include a total allocation of 51,000 bottles, 1,400 of which will be held for a future Trilogy release. The first Trilogy featuring Pacts 1, 2 and 3, was released in 2018, and the second Trilogy featuring Pacts 4, 5 and 6, was released in September 2021 in conjunction with National Bourbon Heritage Month. The next Blood Oath Trilogy, featuring Pacts 7, 8 and 9, will be offered later this year.

About Luxco

Founded in St. Louis in 1958 by the Lux Family, Luxco is a leading producer, supplier, importer and bottler of beverage alcohol products. Our mission is to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of consumers, associates and business partners. Merged with MGP Ingredients, Inc. in 2021 (Nasdaq: MGPI), Luxco operates as MGP’s Brands Division and manages all MGP/Luxco brands. This extensive and award-winning spirits portfolio includes well-known brands from four distilleries: Bardstown, Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers, home of Ezra Brooks, Rebel, Blood Oath, David Nicholson and Daviess County; Lebanon, Kentucky-based Limestone Branch Distillery, maker of Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey and Bowling & Burch Gin; Jalisco, Mexico-based Destiladora Gonzalez Lux, producer of 100% agave tequilas, El Mayor, Exotico and Dos Primos; and Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey are produced. The innovative and high-quality brand portfolio also includes Penelope Bourbon, Everclear Grain Alcohol, Pearl Vodka, Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream, The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey, Green Hat Gin and other well-recognized brands. For more information about the company and its brands, visit luxco.com.

The Macallan 1926, featuring the Valerio Adami label, set a new auction record for any bottle of whisky or wine ever sold, achieving $2.7 million

NEW YORK, April 2024 — Today, Sotheby’s Wine is pleased to share our 2023 Wine & Spirits Market Report, offering a comprehensive review and analysis of our global auction and retail sales. The report features what we believe are the most interesting developments in our Wine & Spirits business, illustrating changes in sales categories, insight into where demand is coming from, top producers, and other captivating trends

Last year, Sotheby’s annual worldwide auction sales of Wine & Spirits achieved a record total of $159 million, surpassing last year’s high of $158 million.

Notably, the number of auctions held worldwide increased for the fourth consecutive year, doubling pre-pandemic levels with a +17% increase of lots offered year-over-year.

Last year was also a critical year for new talent across both auction and retail with two important additions to the global team: Nick Pegna was appointed Global Head of Wine & Spirits and Vanessa Conlin was appointed Global Head of Wine Retail, both bringing an expanded number of roles across the global team.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Auction sales reached a new high for the third year in a row, achieving $159 million
• In November, Sotheby’s Wine & Spirits achieved the Highest Grossing Week of Wine & Spirits sales ever staged by any auction house, realizing a combined total of $50 million across three regions within the same week
• The Macallan 1926, featuring the Valerio Adami label, set a new auction record for any bottle of whisky or wine ever sold, achieving $2.7 million
• Sotheby’s remains the undisputed global leader in Single-Owner auctions, surpassing $100 million in Single-Owner sales for the first time
• The first tranche of the world’s most important and valuable wine collection ever to come to market was offered with The Epicurean’s Atlas: The Encyclopaedic Cellar in Hong Kong
• Sotheby’s remains the market leader in Asia for wine and spirits auctions, and held inaugural auctions in Shanghai and Singapore
• Charity auctions raised nearly $40 million for philanthropic causes, including for the 163rd Hospices de Beaune auction and second Distillers One of One auction
• U.S. buyers were the strongest bidders by country in wine and spirits auctions, while Asia remained the leading market overall
• 19 Scotch whisky distillery records were set in one auction alone, with Distillers One of One
• In response to a global demand for fine wine available at retail, Sotheby’s opened a wine boutique in Zurich

About Sotheby’s

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access to and ownership of exceptional art and luxury objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 70 categories which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Design, as well as collectible cars and real estate. Sotheby’s believes in the transformative power of art and culture and is committed to making our industries more inclusive, sustainable and collaborative.

About Sotheby’s Wine

Sotheby’s Wine’s annual worldwide auction sales of wine and spirits achieved a record total of $159 million in 2023, surpassing the previous record total of $158 million in 2022. Sotheby’s currently holds the world records for any whisky collection ever sold at auction, any private wine collection ever sold at auction, the most valuable bottle of wine ever sold at auction and the most valuable bottle of spirits ever sold at auction, in addition to the highest ever total for a charity wine auction.

In addition to auction, Sotheby’s Wine launched a retail business in 2010. With a retail store located in Sotheby’s New York headquarters and e-commerce at www.sothebyswine.com, Sotheby’s Wine offers a carefully curated selection of wines from the world’s most prestigious producers and important regions. Expertly assembled by our experienced specialists, the selection is built upon lasting relationships with winemakers from across the globe, with bottles that are ready for immediate consumption, in addition to investment-worthy wines from highly sought-after vintages. A second retail location opened in Sotheby’s Hong Kong galleries in 2014.

 *Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium and are net of any fees paid to the purchaser where the purchaser provided an irrevocable bid.

Stream live auctions and place bids in real time, discover the value of a work of art, browse sale catalogues, view original content and more at sothebys.com, and by downloading Sotheby’s apps for iOS and Android.