Scott Davidson of Glencairn Crystal joins

The Worshipful Company of Distillers

 Chris Searle, Master of The Worshipful company of Distillers (left)

and Scott Davison of Glencairn Crystal (right)

Scott Davidson, New Product Development Director at the award-winning Scottish glassware company Glencairn Crystal, has been admitted as a Liveryman to The Worshipful Company of Distillers* as well as becoming a Freeman of the City of London.

Scott Davidson has been involved in the Glencairn Crystal family business, originally set up by his father Raymond Davidson, since 1985. As New Product Development Director, he continues to lead the business strategy, financial and legal areas of the company and is the driving force behind Glencairn Crystal’s custom-made decanters and unique glassware, sometimes for the world’s rarest and most expensive spirits.

Glencairn Crystal is also well known for producing the iconic Glencairn Glass, the world’s favourite whisky glass, with over 5 million glasses now being sold each year all over the world.

Glencairn Crystal has won The Queen’s Award for Enterprise twice, as well as The Queens Award for Innovation with the Glencairn Whisky Glass. It is also part of the ELITE network – the London Stock Exchange Group’s programme for fast-growing companies.

Scott Davidson said: “It is truly an honour to be invited to join The Worshipful Company of Distillers and great to further have our company recognised for its commitment to the drinks industry success for over 40 years”.

In 2018 Scott was also bestowed as a Keeper of the Quaich**.

For further information about Glencairn Crystal visit: www.glencairn.co.uk

Notes:

*The Worshipful Company of Distillers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. It was originally established under a Royal Charter in 1638 and empowered to regulate and supervise the production of spirits and liquors. Today it no longer exercises such powers but focuses on charitable distributions including educational scholarships and bursaries. Its membership includes executives from the drinks industry.

**Keepers of the Quaich is an international society to recognise, reward and celebrate those who have shown outstanding commitment to the Scotch Whisky Industry.

2009 Clynelish 13 Year Old “Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur’s Choice” K&L Exclusive Cask #307220

Single Refill Sherry Hogshead Nonchillfiltered Cask Strength Highlands Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)

$139.99 View

Another stupendous cask from the hallowed warehouses of the famous Gordon & Macphail company. This impressive operation began as a grocer in Elgin and has become one of the largest stocks of independently owned single malts in the world over the last 125 years. This rare expression from one of Scotland’s most renowned and hard to get distillers is tiny window into the unprecedented stocks that Gordon & Macphail command. While not particularly old, the whisky is exquisite. The whisky was filled into second use sherry hogshead from those unique stills in Brora on the 23rd of April 2009. The barrel in question must have been of absolute top quality as it has imparted an unbelievable amount of flavor on this waxy highland malt. But Clynelish’s rich weighty spirit is perfectly designed to stand up to powerful wood and wine flavors. The color is a vibrant mahogany, here are the bottlers tasting notes: “NOSE: Rich fruitcake combines sweet raisins and Seville orange. Notes of smooth dark chocolate combine with raspberry compote and subtle aniseed. Taste: Toffee apple notes complement autumnal spices and stewed red fruit. Black currant gives way to toasted hazelnut and charred oak. Finish: Meduim-bodied with spice and a lingering licorice” Indeed! Bottled at cask strength of 57.8% without chillfiltration or coloring, only 244 bottles exist sold exclusively at K&L Wine Merchants.

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

Edradour 10 Year Old – Bottled 2023

Matured in a single sherry butt #506 freshly bottled in January 2023. These heavily sherried Highland malts are becoming ever increasingly difficult to come by… don’t delay! Edradour 10 Year Old 2012 vintage Highland single malt Scotch whisky. Single sherry butt #506 bottled February 2023 by Signatory Vintage for the Un-Chillfiltered series.

Shop – Edradour 10 Years 2012 (2023)

Edradour Distillery was formed in 1825 by a group of eight local farmers. Situated at Milton of Edradour near Pitlochry and still just a farm sized distillery equipped with a Morton refrigerator to cool the worts and two wee stills with their spirit cooled in a single worm tub. Whilst ranked amongst the small working distilleries in Scotland its owners Signatory Vintage have plans to increase its size and output. Official distillery releases include the Edradour 10 Year Old, Barolo Cask and Sherry Cask Ibisco decanters.

To mark International Women’s Day this month and a celebration of difference and diversity, this First Friday we have released an exceptional collection of 15 new casks – brilliant and bold bottlings that dare to be different. DON’T MISS our DRAM-cierge top-picks either – our two Helens, Trine, Ebba and Anja have all selected their favourite flavours.

Available NOW, click over to our website to buy or keep scrolling to discover the recommendations. But be quick…once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.

BROWSE ALL BOTTLINGS

NEW OUTTURN

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

ralfy review 966 Extras – Presentation & Price of whiskies in 2023 (a perspective)

The Epicurean Launches Amarone Finish Edition to its unique ‘Wood Series’ bottlings

Douglas Laing & Co., leading distiller, blender and bottler, has today released an Amarone Wine Cask Finished Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky as part of The Epicurean Wood Series.

The seventh Single Cask release in the specialist “Wood Series” is bottled at a high alcohol strength of 48% and is proudly offered without colouring or chill-filtration. This innovative collection already encompasses a Tawny Port Finish and a White Port Finish, amongst others, and seeks to demonstrate that flavour is created throughout the Whisky-making process but most significantly during the interaction between the spirit and the wood when it is in the oak cask. This latest edition is said to be “Full-bodied with waves of dark chocolate, ripe cherries and a sensational spiciness”.

In crafting The Epicurean Limited Edition, the Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky is first matured in premium American Oak before being re-racked into a single, hand selected Amarone cask for a second maturation period of two years.

The Amarone cask itself originates from the renowned Italian region of Valpolicella, a highly regarded area situated in the North-East of the country that’s known the world over for its quality Amarone wine production.

Scott Morrison, The Epicurean’s Brand Manager commented:

“The ethos behind our Epicurean brand is that of enjoying the finer things in life, and this is exactly what our innovative Wood Series encapsulates. Renowned as the master of versatility, our Epicurious gent’s wonderfully fresh and vibrant Lowland character lends itself beautifully to experimentation with different wood finishes, allowing us to create something truly special with each release. The cask and the Whisky add their own unique personalities and with this Amarone finish, the outcome is a balanced marriage of cask and spirit character – we are delighted with the result.”

Packed in a premium gift tube, The Epicurean Amarone Finish Limited Edition is expected to retail at £65.00/€73.00 from good specialist retailers.

About The Epicurean:

Facebook: @DLTheEpicurean
Instagram: @theepicureanwhisky

A marriage of Single Cask Single Malts, only from the Lowland region of Scotland, The Epicurean is characterised by his fresh, zesty and grassy flavour profile. The multi award-winning Scotch Whisky belongs to Douglas Laing’s Remarkable Regional Malts – “the Ultimate Distillation of Scotland’s Malt Whisky Regions” – also encompassing Timorous Beastie Highland Malt Scotch Whisky, Scallywag (Speyside), The Gauldrons (Campbeltown), Rock Island (from the Islands) and Big Peat (Islay). 

ABOUT DOUGLAS LAING & CO.

www.douglaslaing.com

Douglas Laing & Co. is a leading independent Scotch Whisky distillery, blender and bottler specialising in the selection and release of Single Cask Single and Small Batch Malt Scotch Whiskies.

The company was founded by Fred Douglas Laing in 1948 and is still owned and run by the Laing family – Fred Laing Jr and his daughter Cara Laing.

The company philosophy is to bottle the way the distiller intended – at a high strength and without chill filtration to preserve the robust and unique character of the Whisky. Douglas Laing’s industry reputation and many awards is testament to this ethos.

WELCOME, WHISKY CURIOUS

February 27, 2023 – CaskStrength Media/WhiskyCast launches a new mobile social app designed for whisky enthusiasts to enjoy undiluted, cask-strength conversation about all things whisky.

“The app gives whisky lovers a unique social media community dedicated to their love for the “water of life,” said Mark Gillespie, the host and executive producer of WhiskyCast, the award-winning podcast series now in its 18th year.

The app is available now for download on mobile devices in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. It has already been downloaded by users in 14 different countries, and its launch was announced on WhiskyCast Podcast Episode 993: Club Whisky today.

“Our goal is to change the conversation with this app,” said Christina Philburn, Managing Director of CaskStrength Media. “To commemorate the 1000th episode, we wanted more than an one-time event. We wanted to bring the whisky community together in a collaborative and inclusive way which facilitates conversation.”

In addition to a dynamic discussion feed, whisky enthusiasts will be able to stay informed with the latest whisky news, bottle releases, and analysis while learning about the spirit. The app features multimedia content to expand members’ expertise, including each new episode of WhiskyCast Podcast and WhiskyCast videos. Members will be able to participate in live stream broadcasts on location and in-studio with whisky-makers and industry pros from within the app.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive. We worked with whisky industry professionals, consumers, and media to set policies which govern both conduct and content. It sounds like a small thing, but those community-driven standards make the community sustainable,” said Philburn. “Too often, both brands and consumers equate a ‘like’ to knowledge and follower totals to influence. We think there’s a broader conversation to have with whisky enthusiasts, and that’s what we’ve done for 18 years. Now, we’re building a bigger table.”

WhiskyCast is proud to be trusted and well-respected by both whisky brands and consumers. Recent WhiskyCast awards include: 2023 Spirits Communicator of the Year, International Wine & Spirits Competition; 2021 Whisky Communicator of the Year, Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky Awards; 2020 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best Online Video/Broadcast/Podcast.

For more information, please email Christina Philburn, christina@caskmedia.com

Glenfarclas 15 Year Old TWS 30th Anniversary

Glenfarclas 15 Year Old TWS 30th Anniversary Description

(Secret) Macallan

A mysterious Speyside whisky that James Bond is sure to like…
Aged 13 Years, 2009 Vintage, Un-chillfiltered.

It may not be on the label, but this malt whisky was distilled at Easter Elchies. Matured in refill butts and bottled by Signatory Vintage in 2022 for the un-chillfiltered label at 46%, natural colour. An absolute bang for you buck, drama free ‘Mystery Malt’…

Shop – Macallan 13 Years – £59.50 / u$60 / €68

The Macallan Distillery was established by Alexander Reid in 1824 as Elchies Distillery near Easter Elchies House. Easter Elchies House dates back to 1700 and the estate itself to at least the 17th century. Macallan Distillery is a malt whisky distillery situated in Speyside whisky region. The old still house was re-commissioned in 2008 and now Macallan Distillery operates with two still houses sheltering twenty-one copper stills. A brand new distillery is under construction and designed to house thirty one stills thereby retaining Macallan amongst the top producers by volume. On-site maturation is carried out in traditional dunnage warehouses and by racking in large new warehouses on the estate. Popular official releases include Macallan 18 Year Old and Macallan 30 Year Old.

ralfy review – 966 Signatory Vintage Indi: Bottler (Winner OSWA’s 2022)