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More Independent Releases
We have some great new releases and returning favourites from our Independent Bottlers in stock. Two great ranges that we love to work with are Auld Goonsy’s Malt and the Cooper’s Choice.
Adventurous with their cask range and consistent with their quality these are just two of the great range of Independent Bottlers available at the Inverurie Whisky Shop
Welcome to this week’s episode of the show in which I’ll be taking a look at the White Peak Distillery which is just up the road in Derbyshire.
Award Winning Loch Lomond Whiskies Unveils Steam & Fire: a Remarkable Single Malt Whisky Finished in Heavily Charred Casks
Steam & Fire pays homage to the extensive capabilities of the Loch Lomond Distillery
Independent distiller, Loch Lomond Whiskies, is adding to its impressive portfolio of whiskies with the launch of Steam & Fire.
A remarkable single malt whisky, Steam & Fire is finished in heavily charred American Oak casks, flamed at Loch Lomond Whiskies’ own traditional cooperage.
It is an entirely new concept for the distiller and has been crafted to showcase its extensive capabilities in distillation and maturation. Steam & Fire takes its inspiration from the extraordinary distillery – a place where alchemy and engineering meet time-honoured craftsmanship to create an unusual whisky destination which is unlike anything else seen in the industry.
Located near the banks of the iconic Loch Lomond, the distillery is home to innovative feats of engineering, including Scotland’s only set of Straight Neck Pot Stills. As the only distiller in Scotland to use these stills, Master Blender Michael Henry can influence flavour at the point of distillation, as well as during maturation.
It is also one only four in Scotland to house its own cooperage. A vibrant place where a team of experienced coopers repair and char barrels, it is the final stage in the whisky making process before casks are laid to rest.
Steam & Fire begins its journey being distilled in a combination of Straight Neck and traditional Swan Neck Pot Stills before maturing in first fill Bourbon barrels and refill American Oak casks. This exceptional single malt is then finished in heavily charred American Oak casks for 10 months.
The heavily charred American Oak barrels have a distinctive rich demerara sugar influence on the whisky, creating a rich flavour profile characterised by notes of orange, pear and melted brown sugar with a dark chocolate, and a soft smoke finish.
Steam and Fire is presented in bold packaging colours of blue and red, to reflect the brand colours and cooperage, with iconography from around the distillery illustrating the casks and unique stills.
Designed to hero Loch Lomond’s extensive capabilities, the striking creative is intended to ignite an emotive response and bring to life the importance of both distillation and maturation in Loch Lomond’s whisky making.
copper piping flowing in a d
The release of Steam & Fire follows Loch Lomond Distillery’s success at the globally renowned San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023, winning the title of ‘most awarded distillery’.
Michael Henry, Master Blender at Loch Lomond Whiskies, said: “Steam & Fire is unlike anything we have created at our distillery before.
“Intended to capture our extensive and unique capabilities in whisky making, it is a striking expression which speaks to the heart of what Loch Lomond Whiskies is trying to achieve and our ongoing experimentation with flavour.
“Steam & Fire is a representation of our quest to create whisky outside of the ordinary, bringing together our impressive capabilities in distillation and maturation.”
The launch of Steam & Fire includes a collaboration with renowned open-fire chef Genevieve Taylor, who partnered with the distiller for its Remarkable Makers campaign, which sees Loch Lomond Whiskies partner with like-minded creators and artisan craftspeople to lift the lid on the complex whisky making process.
An accomplished chef, she is the author of 12 cookery books and is fascinated by the science of cooking over fire. Genevieve is inspired by her lifelong love of nature and sustainability, with her recipes specifically created based on the seasonality and locality of ingredients.
She said: “Fire as a method for cooking is a time-honoured craft, much like whisky making, which has survived for generations.
“It is such strong primal element and in many ways it can be unpredictable. Like a master blender, you have to very carefully control all of the variables to curate the final flavour you want.
“Too much wood creates a very distinctive smoky flavour, which can distract from delicate dishes, whereas pure charcoal allows the subtleties of ingredients to come to the fore. The slightest change in this balance has a profound impact on the final recipe.”
Genevieve Taylor’s passion for fire cooking is driven by a curiosity to explore the extraordinary. She continued: “Loch Lomond Whiskies and I share a curious spirit, and an eternal desire to seek out new possibilities in our crafts. The traditional domestic kitchen can be a wonderful place, but it can also be restricting to creativity and exploration.
“Fire cooking opened up a whole new world of possibilities, and allows me to experiment with flavour and techniques which are outside of the ordinary.”
Steam & Fire launches 14 August and retails for £45.
It can be purchased at specialist retailers including Master of Malt, as well as directly from www.lochlomondwhiskies.co.uk
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Toffee, apple, fudge, vanilla, cinnamon.
Palette : Silky mouthfeel, orange, peach, marmalade, coffee, melted brown sugar, roasted marshmallow.
Finish: Medium to long dry finish with dark chocolate and soft smoke.
About Loch Lomond Whiskies
Loch Lomond Distillery has one of the oldest heritages in the industry. It was founded by American, Duncan Thomas, the owner of the Littlemill Distillery which was licensed in 1772. In the 1930s Duncan Thomas was at the forefront of innovation within the Scotch whisky industry and his innovative philosophy is ingrained into everything that is done at Loch Lomond to this day.
In 1814, the original site of the Loch Lomond Distillery was established near Tarbet, towards the north-west end of Loch Lomond; an area which has been at the heart of the whisky industry for centuries. With at least nine distilleries around the loch lost over the years, Loch Lomond Distillers has maintained a proud local tradition into the 21st century.
The multi award winning Loch Lomond Whiskies range includes the Loch Lomond 12 Year Old which has been awarded the Platinum Award in 2020, one of only 7 single malts to be awarded this honour at the San Francisco World Spirits Challenge 2020. Other expressions in the range are the single malts Loch Lomond Original; Loch Lomond Classic; Loch Lomond 18 Year Old; Loch Lomond 50 Year Old; the Loch Lomond Island’s Collection which includes the Inchmurrin and Inchmoan ranges as well as the deluxe blend Loch Lomond Signature and Loch Lomond Single Grain.
Earlier this year, Loch Lomond Distillery won “the most awarded distillery” at the globally renowned San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023, achieving multiple Double Gold and Gold Awards for its collection of malt whisky brands.
Loch Lomond Whiskies was awarded the following medals:
Double Gold
Gold
Silver
About Genevieve Taylor
Live fire and BBQ expert Genevieve Taylor is the author of 12 cookery books including the bestsellers SEARED, The Ultimate Guide to Barbecuing Meat, FOOLPROOF BBQ, CHARRED, a Complete Guide to Vegetarian BBQ and The Ultimate Wood-fired Oven Cook book.
A proud omnivore, Genevieve is on a constant mission to prove that great BBQ isn’t just about Man vs. Meat, although that said, her latest book, SEARED focuses on the science of cooking good meat over good fire. A biologist by training with a lifelong love of nature; sustainability and seasonality are at the heart of all she cooks. She is currently writing a book on fish and shellfish, naturally all cooked over live fire, and hopes to give people more confidence to source and cook better seafood.
She also runs the Bristol Fire School, a cookery school with the principal aim of helping people light better fires to cook better food.
When she’s not cooking outside, Genevieve can usually be found outside walking her dogs in the woods, growing a few good things to eat on her Bristol allotment and listening to a lot of music a little bit too loud.
She writes regularly on live fire cooking in the national press and a BBC Food Programme regular.
Whisky Fest.
We are extremely excited to share that our very first North Uist Distillery Whisky Festival is coming up in less than three weeks as part of the Hebridean Whisky Festival.
On September 4th we will be throwing open the doors at Nunton and welcoming whisky fans for a day of tastings, tours and much much more.
If you have a few days spare you might even want to make a week of it. Organised by the Hebridean Whisky Trail, the festival runs from September 2nd – 9th with events at six fantastic Hebridean distilleries. Start in Jura on on the 2nd, and travel north through Uist to Harris, then hop over to Skye and visit Raasay, before the Festival Finale with all six distilleries gathering at Talisker in Skye on the 9th for the ultimate celebration of Hebridean Whisky!
Keep an eye on your inbox next week for the complete programme of events at Nunton, as it’s definitely going to be a date for your diaries, and in the meantime you can grab your ticket for one of two whisky tastings we’ll be holding on the 4th right now!
Whisky Tasting 12-1pm
Whisky Tasting 2-3pm
Its only halfway through summer, but a little much needed recent rain turned our thoughts toward those cold winter nights. We thought we’d share a little of our barrel smoking process that we use to create our award winning Smoke Point.
In Smoke Point we have created a whisky for you to enjoy that captures the spirit of the island campfire and brings the best of Vancouver Island to the canon of smoky, peaty whiskies. We start by collecting driftwood from the shore, and other woods from the farm are smoked, with a little bit of local peat added to the mix as well. This smoke is then piped into the barrels allowing the smoke to infuse into the wood, ready for our spirit to extract the flavour.The rich smoky flavours carry a salty tang and hint of iodine from the seaweed and salt on the driftwood that balances perfectly with the sweet creamy mouthfeel of this award-winning whisky. Experience campfire, cigar smoke and oak on the nose. Chocolate, fruit, and toffee on the palette, finishing in a delicious combination of creme brulée and salty graham cracker.
On a hot summers evening you want something long and cool, but still with the that campfire smoke tang. We were inspired to create the ‘Beachfire at Sunset’, a refreshing cocktail that lets the best bits of the Smoke Point shine through.
Beachfire at Sunset recipe:
1oz Smoke Point
1oz Aperol
2oz Soda Water
Ice
Enjoy!!
We believe this is the world’s first-ever international whisky trail, encompassing some of the ‘world’s best’ whisky distilleries across the Canadian Province of British Columbia, and the American States of Washington and Oregon. Make sure Shelter Point is your first stop along the way! Find out more here
Chris Read spent some time talking to CBC radio in their feature on the Northwest Whisky Trail, you can listen to it here.
Our 10 Year Old has made it out to a selection of private liquor stores. It took longer than we planned but bottles of the 10 Year Old are now available in select stores across BC. We will be happy to help you find a store near you that has stock, however as there is only limited availability we also recommend calling the store in advance to avoid disappointment.
TURNTABLE BLENDING HOUSE
New drams just in from Turntable Spirits!
This superb blending house was started by two very experienced brothers with a serious love of all things whisky, with each blend crafted without compromise on the whiskies used. They taste fantastic and come with excellent transparency on the liquid within.
New additions include, Smokin’ Riff, Bittersweet Symphony & Paradise Funk.
Head over to the Abbey Whisky website to learn more about these exciting new drams…
As always, if you have any questions, please just get in touch.
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Slàinte
Limited edition Japanese single malt
Another special release from the House of Suntory 100th Anniversary editions, celebrating the start of Japan’s first dedicated single malt producer. This limited-edition peated Hakushu 18 Year Old has been matured in a variety of casks and offers notes of vanilla, wildflowers, oven-fresh cookies and sweet smoke.
International Beverage boosts management team with two senior appointments
New Head of Supply Chain and Head of Finance & Risk confirmed
International Beverage has announced the arrival of two new senior executives to the business this week, with both set to take up strategic roles in the global spirits producer’s management team during a period of ambitious growth.
Fiona Meldrum joins as Head of Supply Chain
Fiona brings over 15 years’ experience in supply chain leadership and logistics to the role. After studying Business Management at Edinburgh Napier University, she began her career at The Heineken Company, spending eight years working across a number of global export, customer service and logistics projects, latterly as Head of Export – Customer & Logistics.
She then moved to the beer and cider specialists C&C Group where she spent three years managing supply chain planning across the company’s network of own brand and contract products as Head of Planning. After a brief tenure at Hunter Boot Ltd as Global Logistics Manager, Fiona moved to Chivas Brothers as Head of Planning, where she led a team of 30 people and helped to build the company’s supply chain transformation agenda, incorporating bottling and material planning.
Laura Millar joins as Head of Finance and Risk
Laura qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte, where she went on to spend six years working in Audit across the company’s portfolio of clients, gaining experience in a diverse range of different industries.
In 2010 she joined the Japanese owned global medical device manufacturer Terumo Aortic – part of the Terumo Group which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Here she has spent the past 13 years working from the company’s UK base in Renfrewshire, during a time when the division’s annual global turnover has grown from c.£70m to over £200m. Having started as Financial Accounting Manager, she progressed through the business to Financial Controller, Head of Finance & Compliance and latterly to Global VP of Finance Control & Compliance.
Both Fiona and Laura will be based at the company’s Airdrie headquarters. IBHL Managing Director Malcolm Leask welcomed the years of experience and expertise that both will bring to the company’s growth agenda, commenting:
‘International Beverage is delivering a strong performance across our portfolio of brands thanks to investment and ambitious growth plans in over 85 global markets. We still face many challenges in these markets however, and we are investing in bringing on board the very best people to help us navigate our way to success – not least in the fields of finance and supply chain management. Fiona and Laura are two exceptional leaders in their respective disciplines, and we welcome the talent and drive they bring to our growing team. Their involvement on priority projects such as our path to fully compostable and recyclable packaging, plus improving our management information processes, will be invaluable in the months ahead.’
As the spirits arm of one of the world’s top ten drinks producers ThaiBev, International Beverage is responsible for the global sales, marketing and distribution of a multi-award-winning portfolio of premium brands, including single malt Scotch whiskies Old Pulteney, Balblair, anCnoc and Speyburn; the blended Scotch Hankey Bannister.
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL BEVERAGE
International Beverage is one of the drinks industry’s most dynamic global businesses. Established in 2006 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thaibev, the company operates as its international business arm, specialising in the development of premium local spirits for the global market. Its success is built on a strong understanding of local cultures and markets within a worldwide business network. Based in Hong Kong with regional offices in Singapore, Malaysia, the USA and UK, the company is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of a portfolio of premium brands in over 85 markets. These brands are built on character, craftsmanship and quality, led by a range of award-winning Scotch whiskies and an array of vibrant spirits.
AUCTION ENDING SOON!
Our auction is almost at a close, finishing on Sunday the 20th August from 8pm BST. Don’t miss out on your last chance to bid on some interesting bottles, including these wonderful Old Malt Cask classics.
Laid down in 1964, then bottled in 2004 by Elgin bottling giants Gordon & MacPhail using their house style labels, this Strathisla is a lovely example of a range that is becoming ever scarcer to source.
The Macallan Folio series is inspired by original, past adverts that were run between the 1970’s – 1990’s. Each Folio release is presented with an illustrated hardback book that depicts the history of those adverts, which were originally designed by David Holmes and advert copywriter Nick Salaman. The Folio series was first released in 2015, this extraordinarily popular and highly collectable series has been added to with new releases almost annually ever since. Released in late 2020, this is The sixth release of the Folio series.
After releases of the 17 years old it was decided that 18 years was the preferred age for what would become an iconic age stated annual release for the distillery. This 18 year old expression was distilled in 1982 then bottled eighteen years later in 2000.
Whatever your preference, we’ve got something we think will interest everyone and remember folks, if you want to place a cheeky late bid, you’ve got to be in it to win it! There’s still time to register at clickwhiskyauctions.com. Auction ends from 8PM BST on Sunday 20th August.
