CHIVAS DROPS LIMITED EDITION CHIVAS 18, IN COLLABORATION WITH K-POP ICON LISA

For something incredibly interesting and the outlier amongst our other Festival Rare Release single malts is the small-batch single grain, Dark ‘n’ Stormy Crème Brûlée, from distillery G16.

“G16 Dark ‘n’ Stormy Crème Brûlée has an interesting back story, with a new distillery code because it will be the 16th grain whisky that we’ve bottled at the Society,” says Euan Campbell, our Head of Whisky Creation. “It’s the result of a custom distillation that we carried out in when we did a special project to distil our own bourbon-style mash bill at distillery 156 back in April 2016.

“We took a bit of trans-Atlantic inspiration for this one, using some different grains and creating a mashbill of 58 per cent corn, 21 per cent malted barley and 21 per cent unmalted rye. It was distilled in a pot still, which is unusual for a grain whisky, and then matured in heavily charred 24-month air seasoned new oak barrels from Kelvin Cooperage in the US, with toasted heads added to the casks to create even more flavour. We bottled this at 6-years old and at 50% abv, as a nod to the “bottled in bond” strength you find in the US. It’s certainly one of a kind, a custom distillation never to be repeated, and utterly delicious.”

DON’T MISS this wonderfully unique bottling, priced at only £55 it is an experience not to be over-looked. Click over to our website now to BUY NOW along with the last few bottlings from our 2023 Festival Rare Release.

BUY NOW

ALL FESTIVAL BOTTLINGS

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

The final countdown has begun; our auction closes tonight.

Regular auction users by now will know the drill, but for those of you that don’t here’s how it works. From 7pm UK time our anti-sniping software will start monitoring activity on the site, as soon as the bidding begins to slow down significantly the auction will close at an unspecified time. In our experience it is some time after 9.00pm before the auction ends. Don’t worry, there is still time left to make your bids but the window of opportunity is closing.

Macaloney’s Island Distillery Scores ‘World’s Best’ Hat-Trick at World Whiskies Awards

Macaloney’s cements standing in elite group of global distilleries, claiming a third World’s Best gold medal in 2023’s World Whiskies Awards 

SAANICH, BC (April 20, 2023) – When Graeme Macaloney PhD, President and Whisky Maker at Macaloney’s Island Distillery, was invited to London, UK to attend the World Whiskies Awards in person, he thought he might go home with three awards. Instead, he brought home four, including World’s Best Pot Still award for one of their flagship whiskies, Kildara Signature Expression. This success demonstrates the reslience of Macaloney Distillers, who recently settled a lawsuit with the Scotch Whisky Association in April 2022.

In addition to the prestigious World’s Best award, Macaloney also brought home:

·     Best Canadian Single Malt, gold medal for its Siol Dugall Signature Expression

·     Best Canadian Single Cask Malt, gold medal for The Peat Project: Single Cask Portuguese Red wine Barrique with Washington Peat

·     Best Canadian Pot Still, gold medal for its Kildara Signature Expression

“Winning World’s Best Single Pot Still for our Kildara, along with three gold medals for Best Canadian Single Malt, Best Canadian Single Cask Single Malt, and Best Canadian Pot Still was breathtaking” said Macaloney. “With our prior World’s Best New-Make & Young Spirit awards in 2019 and 2020 for our peated spirits, we are the first Canadian craft distillery in history to take an unprecedented three World Best gold medals in blind tastings at the prestigious World Whiskies Awards in the UK!”

With their recent wins, Macaloney’s has now graduated to join a rare handful of global whisky brands such as Suntory, Red Breast, J.P Wiser, and Johnny Walker. Moreover, they are the only craft distillery in Canada to have won three or more World’s Best gold medals.

“None of this would be possible if it weren’t for the grassroots crowdfunding support we continue to receive from whisky enthusiasts across the country, the mentorship I received from the late, great Dr. Jim Swan, and the incredibly hard work of all of our staff,” commented Macaloney.

Macaloney’s Island Distillery’s medal haul of 4 gold medals joins two other Victoria and two other Canadian winners from the 2023 World Whiskies Awards, including:

·     Best Canadian Small Batch Single Malt – Devine Distillery’s Glen Saanich in Victoria, BC

·     Best Canadian New Make & Young Spirit – Anhoka’s Heavily Peated Single Malt in Parkland County, Alberta

·     Best Canadian Rye – Lot 40’s Dark Oak in Windsor, Ontario

·     Best Hotel Bar – Clive’s Classic Lounge in Victoria, BC

To learn more about Macaloney’s Island Distillery or purchase their award-winning whiskies, visit www.macaloneydistillers.com.

About Macaloney’s Island Distillery & Twa Dogs Brewery: Macaloney’s Island Distillery & Twa Dogs Brewery is a destination craft distillery & brewery funded by Canadian single malt whisky & beer enthusiasts from coast-to-coast via an on-going crowdfunding campaign. The Visitor Centre gift store is normally open 7 days per week for kilt-clad guided tours & tutored tastings.

Macaloney’s Island Distillery & Twa Dogs Brewery

761 Enterprise Crescent, Saanich, Greater Victoria, BC, V8Z 6P7

| 778-401-0410

macaloneydistillers.com

Benromach Distillery has teamed up with a host of London bartenders to give our favourite cocktails a twist. From a nostalgic throwback to a nature-inspired tipple, why not try one of the below recipes this World Cocktail Day 13^th May, 2023.

For the full list of London Bartender recipes, click HERE

Nostalgic Throwback

KC Colada

This vibrant Highball-style serve beautifully incorporates two of Benromach’s most popular single malts alongside a complementary array of fresh, fruity ingredients. Creator Sam Grundy-Glynn, bartender at Bar Swift, commented that he often combines Sherry and peat flavours in his whisky cocktails, praising the Benromach 10 Year Old for its skilful balance of both.

Ingredients

20ml Benromach 10 Year Old

20ml Benromach Contrasts: Peat Smoke

20ml Aperol

20ml Fresh Raspberry Syrup

20ml Lime Juice

40ml Coco Lopez

5ml Apple Cider Vinegar

Method

Shake and strain over ice. Serve in a highball glass.

 Inspired by Nature

Green Apple & Cedarwood Sour

An artful combination of two Benromach Contrasts range whiskies creates the base for this Green Apple & Cedarwood Sour cocktail. With an enticing emphasis on fresh apple flavours, the partnership between sweet and sour plays out perfectly atop the woody and smoky background. A truly stunning single malt cocktail, designed by Jake Lovell-Hewitt from publiq.london.

Ingredients

45ml Benromach Contrasts: Organic

5ml Benromach Contrasts: Peat Smoke

17.5ml Cedar Cordial

2.5ml Apple Cider Vinegar

5ml Green Apple Juice

Method

Mix all ingredients together before stirring and straining into a coupette. Serve with lemon zest as garnish.

Smoky and Sweet

Peat Garden

This sweet citrussy serve kicks off on a confident zesty note before before revealing a hint of lingering peat smoke. Designed by Alex Basile of blackrock.bar, this is a layered and complex serve that is both dramatic and delicious. 

Ingredients

Muddle Vanilla Pods and Lavender Buds

37ml Benromach Contrasts: Peat Smoke

20ml Apricot Brandy

15ml Lemon Juice

7ml Maple Syrup

Method

Serve over ice in a highball glass, top up with soda and stir. Serve with lemon peel/lavender garnish.

Forbes hails First Release “magnificent”

It is an incredibly exciting day at the Wolfcraig office!

We are delighted to announce that Forbes have kicked off our press launch of the Wolfcraig 30 Year Old Premium Blend with an exclusive whisky review.

Forbes whisky writer, Joe V Micallef, describes our debut release as “magnificent” and gives our first independent tasting notes, which begins:

“The color is rich, burnished gold.
It’s very fruity and floral on the nose with an unmistakable Sherry influence.
The whisky features pronounced notes of golden raisins, figs, and tropical fruits…

Click here to read Joe’s full review.

Wolfcraig Master Blender, Richard Paterson:

“Working in a partnership with a prestigious magazine such as Forbes is something we all relish at Wolfcraig, particularly when it will bring more awareness around our releases that are so rare and exceptionally special”.

It is a fantastic moment for our cherished First Release to now be launched globally in the press, and for more people in the whisky community to be learning about Richard and Ian’s exceptional collaboration. Availability is already limited

Click here to secure your purchase of the
Wolfcraig 30 Year Old Premium Blend

2012 Dailuaine 10 Year Old “Firkin Whisky K&L Exclusive” Oloroso & Amontillado Single Cask Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $79.99 View

*This cask is currently being offered on a pre-arrival basis. We are expecting orders to be fulfilled by the end of May 2023.* The Firkin Whisky Company is offering some of the most exceptional casks in all of Scotland. Founded by Mike and Deborah Collings, the magic they impart is in the careful build and preparation of their finishing casks. The casks are custom built and prepared by Firkin, and are a unique combination of ex-bourbon barrel and charred French oak staves. They are built into “zebra” casks of alternating stave types, then the cask is seasoned with a custom sherry blend made specifically for the whisky that will be going into the cask. In the case of this spectacular 2012 Dailuaine, the custom cask was filled with a 50/50 blend of Oloroso and Amontillado for its seasoning period. It is the perfect match for the Dailuaine, which spent years finishing in this amazing barrel. The full spectrum of flavor imparted here is unlike any other single cask of whisky we have ever bottled. Dailuaine is one of the more interesting workhorse distilleries in the Diageo stable and beloved by “K&L Exclusive” cask fans for over a decade. We bottle at least one or two casks a year from this distillery, but none have seen a finishing like this. The heavy spirit style married the sweet candied fruit of the Oloroso with the savory oxidative and nutty characteristics of the Amontillado in perfect harmony. While Firkin typically bottles at 48.9%, we kept this one at proof: 57%.

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

Very Special Cotswolds Coronation Single Cask.

Made with 100% locally grown barley from the Cotswolds, this limited edition single malt whisky was matured in a single Bourbon cask. Filled on the 23rd of January 2018 and aged full-term at our distillery in the Cotswolds, we bottled this expression on-site on the 14th of April 2023 at 55.6% ABV.

This expression was bottled from cask number 2023 and is being released to commemorate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. Each bottle is numbered and comes beautifully presented in a luxury display carton. With just 175 bottles available, this product is limited to one bottle per customer.

56.6% l £125.00

BUY NOW

Cotswolds Distillery Phillip’s Field, Whichford Road Stourton Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire CV36 5EX

ralfy review 976 – Kilkerran 16yo @46%vol:

RYE RE-IMAGINED: INNOVATION EXCELLENCE OPENS NEW CHAPTER IN SCOTCH WHISKY HISTORY 

InchDairnie Distillery releases its first ever product, a Scottish rye whisky 

The ingenious, highly engineered InchDairnie Distillery located at the heart of the Kingdom of Fife has released its much anticipated first whisky.  Named RyeLaw, the distillery has used its sophisticated technology to extract maximum flavour from Scottish-grown rye and barley.  The elegantly designed bottles of this 2017 vintage are available from today, RRP £110 (70cl/46.3% ABV), at select retailers including Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Fortnum & Mason.

The result of years of meticulous planning by distillery founder Ian Palmer is set to delight discerning drinkers the world over as they savour this new, luxury whisky.  A single-minded approach to using innovative materials, methods and maturation practices has resulted in a spicy rye flavour that is unlike any other Scotch whisky.  These include:

• 53% malted rye and 47% malted barley ground extra finely for maximum flavour extraction
• Cereals mashed using a Meura mash filter, one of only two used in Scotland
• Fermented using a rye-specific yeast, which results in lower yields, but higher flavour
• Double distilled in pot stills – not continuous distillation – the first with rare, double condensers and the second a bespoke Lomond Hill still, designed by Ian Palmer alongside stillmaker, Frilli (it is the only precision distilled rye Scotch whisky made in this way)
• Matured in charred new oak casks, created from trees that can be traced back to forests in the Ozark Mountains, USA

Commenting on the release of Ryelaw, industry veteran of 45+ years and InchDairnie Distillery Managing Director Ian Palmer, said: “We’ve been preparing for this day for well over a decade, and it is only now that we feel the quality of RyeLaw meets our exacting standards that we are putting it into bottles.  And what a whisky it is…  While we are rooted in Scotch whisky tradition, we have explored what is possible when agriculture meets industry and innovative technologies combine with methodology, to create a superb rye whisky that is sure to excite palates.”

“The rye spiciness with vanilla, sweet biscuit cereal and dried fruit notes seem much more defined than rye whiskeys from America we’ve compared it to.  There’s a richer, more luxurious mouthfeel and great balance, which are certainly helped by the favourable maturation conditions we have in Fife compared to Kentucky.  The use of malted rye in the mash means we have a softer, more sippable style of rye whisky.  We look forward to hearing if our American cousins agree.”  Added Scott Sneddon, Distillery Manager.

Presented in an elegantly tall bottle, with a ripple effect on one side representing the Company’s “3Ms” philosophy – innovation in materials, methods, maturation – looks like drops of water landing simultaneously, each creating its own ripple effect.  The bottle’s neck is inspired by the special filter of the hammer mill.  With distillation of this inaugural RyeLaw release taking place in just a single week in the whole year, only 200 casks of the ‘year one vintage’ have been bottled and made available worldwide.  Subsequent vintages are already maturing in different types of cask to those from year one’s Ozark Mountains.  In a field of its own, RyeLaw is free from colourings and is non-chill filtered.

With its first distillation on Christmas Day in 2015, InchDairnie Distillery has been quietly building its stocks of whisky, producing different styles, driven by the seasons.  Knowledgeable whisky aficionados have been eagerly awaiting the first release of the distillery’s spirit since news of the engineer-driven, alternative approach being taken at the energy-efficient production facility started becoming public.

Official Tasting Notes:  

Colour: Golden

Aroma: Distinguished rye spiciness mingling with mellow oak above a soft layer of vanilla

Flavour: Cascading pepper from the rye caressingly wrapped in mouth-coating, oily viscosity and sweet biscuity, cereal and dried fruit notes

Twitter: @InchDairnieDist

Instagram: @inchdairniedistillery

Website: www.inchdairniedistillery.com

#RyeReImagined #RyeLaw #InchDairnieDistillery

Notes:

• Product available at Selfridges, The Whisky Shop, The Whisky Exchange, Luvian’s, Speciality Drinks, Harvey Nichols, Hedonism, Good Spirits Co, Fortnum & Masons amongst others.
• RyeLaw is produced by the InchDairnie Distillery Ltd, and the only product currently available from the Company
• The Company is led by Founder and Managing Director, Ian Palmer
• Distribution worldwide is conducted by MacDuff International Ltd and their network of affiliate partners in each market.