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20 barrels a day? Nae bother! We had the pleasure of chatting to Barry, a cooper at The Balvenie Distillery, about what a typical day in his job involves, from repairing casks to helping the apprentices.
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1964 BOWMORE TRIO LEADS BONHAMS FINEST WHISKY AND SPIRITS SALE IN PARIS
From left to right: Black Bowmore-42-year-old-1964 Estimate: €14,000-18,000; White Bowmore-43-year-old-1964 Estimate: €13,000-16,000; Gold Bowmore-44 year old-1964 Estimate: €12,000-15,000
Paris –Three exceptional bottles of Bowmore lead Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr’s Finest Whisky and Spirits online sale in Paris running until 13 February 2024.
The trio comprises a bottle of Black Bowmore-42-year-old-1964 estimated at €14,000-18,000, a bottle of White Bowmore-1964 estimated at €13,000-16,000 and a bottle of Gold Bowmore-1964 estimated at €12,000-15,000. All bottles come in original presentation cases. This is a rare occasion to acquire these important whiskies.
The sale, which consists of 63 lots, also offers:
Clément Gaillard, Bonhams Whisky Specialist, said: “It’s a connoisseur’s dream to be offering some very special and sought-after bottles in this sale. At the forefront of the offering, the Black Bowmore is a milestone in whisky history and its White and Gold siblings offer a fascinating overview of the distillery’s golden era.”
Bonhams Edinburgh will also be offering an online Whisky sale from 26 February- 6 March 2024.Â
A bottle of Springback-18-year-old-1973, signed by J.C.A McDougall, the renowned distillery and production manager. Estimate: ÂŁ1,200-2,200.
Highlights of the sale include:
 Sale: Fine Whisky and Spirits Location : Paris onlineDate: 31 January – 13 February 2024
Sale: Whisky Location: Edinburgh onlineDate: 26 February- 6 March 2024
Link to catalogue
About The Bonhams Network
Bonhams is a global network of auction houses, with the largest number of international salerooms, offering the widest range of collecting categories and selling at all price points. Bonhams is recognised for its bespoke service, and a dedication to local market relationships, enhanced by a global platform. With 14 salerooms, Bonhams presents over 1,000 sales annually, across more than 60 specialist categories, including fine art, collectables, luxury, wine & spirits, and collector cars.
Founded in 1793, Bonhams has representatives in more than 30 countries and operates flagship salerooms in London, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. In 2022, Bonhams added four international auction houses to its network: Bukowskis, Stockholm; Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen; Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris and Brussels; and Skinner, Massachusetts. The success of Bonhams’ global strategy is a result of recognising the shift in growing intercontinental buying and increased digital engagement. More information here.
Recent important auctions and landmark single-owner collections, include the white glove sales of Sir Michael Caine: The Personal Collection, Alain Delon: Sixty Years of Passion; Sir Roger Moore: The Personal Collection; Personal Property of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and The Robert & Jean-Pierre Rousset Collection of Asian Art: A Century of Collecting. Other notable single-owner sales included The Estate of Barbara Walters: American Icon; The Alan and Simone Hartman Collection; The Crown Auction: Props and Costumes and The Claude de Marteau Collection.
Top lots for 2023 include 1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta, Sold at Quail Lodge, US for US$30,255,000. Tipu Sultan’s Bedchamber Sword (sold in London for £14m – a world record for both an Islamic and an Indian object); Paul Signac (1863-1935), Sisteron, 1902. Sold for US$8,580,000 (estimate US$4-6 million), and Claude Monet (1840-1926), La Seine près de Giverny, 1888. Sold for US$6,352,500 (estimate US$4-6m), both from the Alan and Simone Hartman Collection; A Gilt Copper Alloy figure of Virupaksha, Central Tibet, Densatil Monastery, Early 15th century. Sold for HK$37.9m (£4,060,326) in Hong Kong. Yoshitomo Nara (born 1959) Three Stars. Sold for HK$36,754,000 (£3,930,914), also in Hong Kong.
More information and highlights can be found HERE
For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com
FEBRUARY 2024 AUCTION NOW LIVE!
We are very excited to offer this little Joker in our LIVE auction this month. Bottle 120 of only 330 produced, this sought after expression is the 2nd Jack of Clubs, distilled in 1991 and matured in a hogshead, then finished for a period in an American Oak Sherry butt before being bottled in 2006.
We are also delighted to offer the Macallan Genesis. Released in 2018 to mark the opening of the new Macallan Distillery, Genesis also celebrates the design processes used to build the state of the art & environmentally friendly building. A highly prized and important bottling in the history of the distillery with only 2,500 bottles produced.
Next up, we a have a Macallan Over 25 Years Old Anniversary Malt from the early 2000’s. A stunning addition for any whisky collection, or a very nice dram to celebrate a 25 year anniversary or occasion.
Inspired by the Scottish countryside, Macallan Green Meadow was released on the 1st of February 2024 exclusively for travel retail. Green Meadow is the second half of the third instalment of The Harmony Collection, which focuses on sustainability and innovative eco-friendly packaging materials taken from waste produce. We have not one but two of these bottles in our LIVE auction!
We have a number of small but mighty miniatures for you this month, including this 1982 Brora 5cl, from bottling supremo Gordon & MacPhail.
These are only a few of the bottles in our February auction, to view more wee gems visit clickwhiskyauctions.com. Register to bid. Remember, you’ve got to be in it to win it! Auction ends Sunday 18th February from 8pm GMT.
Single Pot Still – Brett Ale Cask – 338 bottles release Friday 4.00pm
Single Pot Still is the quintessential Irish whiskey. Although at Killowen we make mostly historically accurate styles we also have a tiny amount of casks left that adhere to the geographical indication of SPS. So making a giant experimental leap with one was a brave risk we where excited to take.
Beer hut brewing Co is just a few kilometers away from us and this cask made exceptional pale ale that boasted enormous tropical notes. All of this was made possible due to it’s combinations of fermentations pre and during cask conditioning, including highly experimental usage of Lactobacillus bacteria and Brettanomyces yeast. Essentially a controlled approach to what we do in the wild at Killowen making this collaboration a match made in heaven.
Original Ebbs & Flows ale
What to expect from this cask strength single cask of Single Pot Still?
Nose
Elegant & lively pot still notes with layers of lemon, peach and pineapple.
Palate
Silky and lathery in texture with flavours can only be described as upside down lemon & pineapple cake
FinishÂ
Tropical yes but then a nuttiness and slight savoury note that pairs perfectly with the milliard reaction notes of the flame-fed Killowen stills.
Release date
Friday 9th Feb 4pm (Killowen Distillery time) on the Killowen webshop – a few bottles have been leaked to local NI retail
£99.95 or €117
Killowen Distillery Ltd
29 Kilfeaghan Road
Rostrevor
Newry, County Down BT34 3AW
United Kingdom
A fantastically aged 56-year-old single malt from luxury whisky blender House of Hazelwood. Aged for over half a century, this is an astonishingly rare, complex whisky with layer upon layer of character. Distilled in the mid-1960s and blended just three years later, the expression has matured as part of the family reserves held by the family behind William Grant & Sons. It’s one of the rarest whiskies in the House of Hazelwood inventory – just 288 bottles have been released. Â
Tasting note:Â
Nose: Expressive and evocative, Christmas pudding, candle wax, paraffin and old furniture leap from the glass. Â
Palate: A creamy texture holds sweet and savoury components in perfect balance: there’s cinnamon, coffee and a herbaceousness.Â
Finish: Long and winding with a peppering of sweet spices. Â
THOMPSON BROS.
Exciting new drams just in from Thompson Bros.Â
An organic Highland blend from two highly regarded Scottish distilleries along with excellent new whisky from Linkwood, Craigellachie and Dailuaine! Limited stock available on all of these new drams. As ever, if you have any questions or queries, please just get in touch.
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Benromach 2012 Kiln Dried
Virgin Oak
Creamy and fruity flavours are followed by barley sugar and mixed tropical fruit. Subtle smoke and menthol on the finish. This limited-edition release has been matured in kiln dried Virgin Oak barrels. This results in sweet malted biscuit aromas with lemon and apple. Creamy and fruity flavours are followed by barley sugar and mixed tropical fruit. Subtle smoke and menthol on the finish.
TyndrumWhisky.com
The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom
Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 520: Glen Scotia 10 Year Old 2010 Limited Batch Release
Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, goes to Campbeltown. In 2021, Glen Scotia launched this so-called Limited Batch Release, 1918 bottles strong, for his northern neighbours in The Netherlands. The malt, distilled in 2010 and bottled in 2021, was given a heavy charred finish, which means as much as finished in heavily charred casks. Mark got a serious bottle remnant as a gift from his buddy Manny.
Heaven Hill Distillery Announces 2024 Heaven Hill Heritage Collection Release
This year’s release features an 18-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
BARDSTOWN, Ky. – Heaven Hill Distillery announced today the release of Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Each spring, this annual, highly limited release features some of the distillery’s oldest inventory of aging whiskey, continuing the standard of excellence Heaven Hill has practiced since 1935.
Each release in the ultra-premium collection features one of the six traditional American Whiskey mashbills produced by Heaven Hill, one of the only heritage distilleries to produce this range. This 2024 edition features Heaven Hill’s Bourbon Whiskey mashbill, comprised of 78% corn, 12% malted barley and 10% rye, and is bottled at 120 proof. With an age statement of 18 years, this release is made up of 133 barrels produced in December 2005 pulled from the third floor of Rickhouse 1I.
With its subtle nose of dried flowers, black tea and old oak alongside hints of toasted almond, this edition of the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection is sure to be a unique addition to any whiskey collection. A testament to its age, the initial notes on the palate include vanilla and caramel sweetness up front followed by old leather and a note of oak char with lingering peppery spices and orange oil adding to the depth and complexity. The finish is long, warm, and dry and includes large amounts of spice.
“The Heaven Hill Heritage Collection is our opportunity to showcase some of the oldest stock in Heaven Hill’s incredible inventory of aging whiskey,” says Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll. “We pride ourselves on having the necessary patience to age, taste, re-taste and select our whiskey at the moment we feel it is perfectly matured. This 18-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey epitomizes what consumers have come to expect from the highest quality of Heaven Hill’s releases.”
Along with its innovation-focused counterpart the Parker’s Heritage Collection, the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection is a testament to Heaven Hill’s patience and ultra-aging techniques.  Releases from both collections offer a glimpse into the long-term plan across Heaven Hill’s American Whiskey stock and commitment to quality, craft, and innovation.
As with the inaugural release, the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 750ml bottle will be accompanied by a premium box in signature Heaven Hill blue. The updated Heaven Hill Distillery seal is prominently positioned on the box, strip stamp and label, and will mirror that of Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond and a new Heaven Hill line extension launching later this year. A signature of the Collection, specific attributes such as warehouse site location, production date, mashbill percentages, and other designations are noted prominently on the packaging. Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey will launch nationally and internationally on a limited basis with a MSRP of $299.99 and will begin shipping in early March 2024.
ABOUT HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY: Founded in Kentucky by the Shapira family in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery continues its legacy as one of the foremost American Whiskey producers. Heaven Hill has cultivated the traditions and history of America’s Native Spirit with its fierce independence, passionate family ownership, dedication to quality, and thoughtful innovation. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery maintains over 2 million barrels aging in more than 60 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties. It is home to an award-winning collection of American Whiskeys including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Larceny Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Pikesville Rye Whiskey, Rittenhouse Rye Whisky, Parker’s Heritage Collection, and Old Fitzgerald along with its extensive Bottled-in-Bond label collection. Heaven Hill Distillery currently holds the title of 2023 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year and 2023 World’s Best Small Batch Bourbon from the Icons of Whisky, as well as the 2022 Large Spirits Producer of the Year from the Ascot Awards. Heaven Hill Distillery held the title of 2020 Whisky Advocate Whisky of the Year, the second Whisky of the Year for Heaven Hill Distillery in the past four years. In 2019 Heaven Hill Distillery was named San Francisco World Spirits Competition Distillery of the Year, Best in Show Whisky, and previously held the titles of 2018 San Francisco Spirits Word Spirits Competition Best Bourbon, 2016 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year. For more information, please visit www.heavenhilldistillery.com.
Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely. Drink Wisely.”
