Following on from our exceptional Daftmill exclusive, we’re excited to release our second Lowland single cask hailing from our home region of Fife. Presenting Lindores cask 591, our latest Abbey Whisky Exclusive. You might recall our recent Friday Focus feature about our visit to Lindores Abbey Distillery with its historical connection to whisky. We were so impressed with the work going on at the distillery and the quality of the spirit being produced that when presented with the opportunity to bottle our own cask, we jumped at the chance. And what a beauty of a cask it is…

For a limited time, each bottle of our exclusive ordered will receive a Lindores Distillery branded tasting glass. Please note, we only have a small quantity of glasses available, so don’t delay if you’d like this delightful combo!

Universal Whisky Experience | 1621 Central Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82001

ralfy review 960 – Isle Of Arran 10yo @46%vol (OSWA winner 2022)

C.1832 Scottish Distillery Maps For Sale At Mark Littler Ltd 

The distillery maps have been digitally restored to create high-quality framed prints. 

The first historical mention of whisky distillation in Scotland dates back to 1494 in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls in which there is a mention of “eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor wherewith to make aquavitae”, aquavitae being a latin term meaning ‘water of life’. The term ‘uisge beatha’ was often used in Gaelic.

Since this historic document was created, distilleries have sprung up, been mothballed, been demolished, and endured throughout Scotland’s history. Today there are over 140 distilleries in Scotland, some of which are shown in this digitally restored map of Argyllshire, originally made in 1832.

The maps are reproduced from the Atlas of Scotland maps, published in 1832 by cartographer, publisher, and bookbinder John Thomson. The maps were originally hand drawn by William Johnson and engraved by John & George Menzies. On the map such landmarks as the Isle of Mull, Islay, and Campbeltown.

Overlaid onto the maps are icons representing the currently active distilleries in Argyllshire, including Lagavulin, Bowmore, Oban, Laphroaig, Bruichladdich, Kilchoman, Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain, Lagg, Ncn’ean, Jura, Ardnamurchan, Port Ellen, Lochranza, Lagg, Springbank, Glen Scotia, Glengyle, and Ardbeg. In the bottom left-hand corner of the map, a street view of Campbeltown can be seen. Campbeltown was once the whisky capital of the world, with more than 30 operational distilleries. However, many of these distilleries fell foul of the 1980s whisky loch. Today, there are only 3 left: Springbank, Glengyle, and Glen Scotia.

These historic maps are the perfect gift for any whisky lover – an authentic, yet modernised, map of Scotland’s whisky-distilling west coast.

The prints are produced in Lancashire, England, printed via fine art Giclee techniques, mounted on an acid-free backing board and presented in solid wood frames.

The prints are available in three sizes at three different price points:

• A1 – £270 
• A2 – £157 
• A3 – £97

About Mark Littler Limited

Mark Littler is an independent whisky broker, market analyst and consultant with over a decade of experience in the industry. Each week he publishes new videos on his YouTube channel about topics such as cask investment fraud (and how to avoid it), the history of distilleries and bottles, debunking whisky investment myths and much more. For more information visit www.marklittler.com

If you are interested in the Distillery Maps or would like to chat to one of the team about our other services, please get in touch.

Email: whisky@marklittler.com

Telephone: 01260 218 718

Greetings spirited friends!

Our 11th Annual Whiskey Fest is on February 3, 2023!
And we only have a few tickets left!

We have a fantastic line up of exhibitors, with some lovely new and returning ambassadors and we’re thrilled about our new centrally located venue, at Native Sons Hall! And we’ll have music and appetizers as well!

Master Classes will be held at 7PM, with the Grand Tasting starting at 8PM. Updates will be added to the Whisky Fest page on our website and on our Facebook Page.

Buy Tickets

Happy New Year from us all at Shelter Point.

Here at Shelter Point we hope you had a wonderful festive season and are enjoying making plans for 2023.  We’ve certainly got some exciting plans ahead.

This week sees the 17^th Annual Victoria Whisky Festival. Running from the 18^th to the 22^nd of January it’s a fantastic showcase of some of the finest whiskies from around the world. If you are a whisky fan and are able to be in Victoria this weekend this is definitely not one to miss.

Shelter Point will be there featuring at a number of events. We’ll be kicking off the festival with a tasting dinner at Clives Classic Lounge on January 18.  Clive’s Supper Club featuring Shelter Point will feature delicious cocktails featuring some of our best whiskies and also a tasting flight that includes a sneak preview of our latest batch of our 10 Year Old. It won’t be released until later this year and will only be a limited release, so this will be a great time to give it a try. Tickets can be purchased here.

We’re also presenting a Masterclass on Saturday the 21^st, running through our full portfolio including the Evans Family Reserve Wine Finish and also a final chance to try the 10 Year Old. This will be a great chance to get some insights into our range of whiskies as well a chance to try them all alongside each other. More information can be found here.

Finally we will also be featuring in the Grand Tasting in the evening of the 21^st tasting some of our favourites from within the range. We’ll be there alongside some other amazing whisky brands from around the world, this Grand Tasting is a great chance try a wide range of different whiskies.

February will bring more news from us, keep an eye out for updates.

Cheers!

An Exclusive Custom Cask from a Bourbon Icon
Maker’s Mark Private Selection “Baklava Barrel” K&L Exclusive Stave Finished Cask Strength Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($69.99)
“The Maker’s Private Select barrel program continues to deliver in one of the most innovative and interesting ways in all of Kentucky.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

During last year’s trip to the hallowed halls of the Maker’s Mark distillery in Kentucky, K&L buyers Andrew Whiteley and David Othenin-Girard were able to re-kindle the Maker’s Mark Private Select program to great success. For those unfamiliar, it’s a collaboration between the iconic bourbon distillery and our own intrepid spirits team to develop a custom-cask whiskey aged to our exact specifications. The Baklava Barrel shows the classic Maker’s Mark profile that has attracted legions of fans over the years, but our buyers’ added input has yielded a truly singular expression that brings additional power and depth that will thrill avid and casual fans alike.

Maker’s Mark Private Selection “Baklava Barrel” K&L Exclusive Stave Finished Cask Strength Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($69.99)

K&L Notes: This new barrel of Private Select continues our foray into experimentation with the new mendiant stave. If you’re just catching up to the Private Select program, this is a system for creating unique single barrels where Maker’s allows us to select from five stave types for a 90-day finish to make a unique selection unlike any other. Starting with the extremely delicious cask-strength Maker’s product, we added two staves of Seared French Cuvée and eight of the new Roasted French Mendiant. The idea was to evoke the sweet and savory character of the mendiant chocolates for which they’re made, but the sweet, wheated maker’s profile kept transporting us to some secret Turkish bazaar.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: December 28, 2022

The Maker’s Private Select barrel program continues to deliver in one of the most innovative and interesting ways in all of Kentucky. Maker’s has always been about consistency, and the core Bourbon is pretty close to being their only product. They go so far as to rotate barrels in the rickhouses so that each barrel is as close to all the others in profile as possible. While this is great from a quality-control standpoint, they needed to do something to differentiate barrels in their single-barrel program. Enter the Maker’s 46 process: take one of those incredible single barrels of full-proof Maker’s Mark Wheated Bourbon and hang additional staves in the barrel for nine weeks. Different types of staves means endless combinations of flavors. The stave selection process is one of the funnest single-barrel selection experiences available in Kentucky, and the flavors you’re capable of achieving are unmatched in the bourbon world. Think Toasted Barrel from Michter’s or Elijah Craig on steroids! This year Maker’s introduced a new stave to the mix, the Roasted French Mendiant stave. Just like its namesake candy, this stave offers chocolate, fruit, and nuts. Add to that the honey and sweet vanilla of Maker’s Mark, and we felt “Baklava” was a reasonable descriptor of this whiskey. Of course, we don’t know anything for sure until the long nine-week wait is over and the precious liquid is delivered in bottle. Let’s see how it turned out! The nose is classic Maker’s but with a dark side. It’s much more chocolate and spice than we even expected and seems to throw varnish and lacquer into the mix as well. Manuka honey and Madagascar vanilla are balanced by a bit of herbal thyme and cinnamon spice. The palate is bolder than most of the Maker’s barrels we’ve bottled in the past—rambunctious almost. It’s fiery and robust, a bit of a surprise. At 54.3% ABV, it’s one of the higher ABV barrels available in the typical range (they usually run from 52-55% with a couple of outliers on occasion). The palate and finish really bring on the nutty complexity, offering an array of candied almonds, roasted pistachios, and baked walnuts. Freshly sawn oak and more honey mesh with citrus peel and orange blossom to round out the sweeter profile. While it always feels a little bit like you’re shooing in the dark when mixing these staves together, I think that after at least a dozen barrels, we’re getting pretty dang good at it!

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

TOP 10 WHISKIES
FOR BURNS NIGHT

Our top 10 whiskies this month feature fine drams for those celebrating the life of Scotland’s National Bard, Robert Burns, as well as those looking for a great excuse to try a new Scotch whisky. Throwing a Burns Supper? Start the evening off with the light and fruity Arran Robert Burns single malt before moving on to fuller bodied or peated whiskies from the likes of Balblair and Benromach to match the rich, spicy flavours of haggis. Finish off with a sweet and spicy sherried dram from Benrinnes or Royal Brackla to toast the end of the night.

TOP 10 WHISKIES

BRAW BURNS 

SUPPERS & SIPPERS

Celebrations and tastings happening this January…get involved and buy your tickets now.

ALL EVENTS

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

https://youtu.be/jED9KNxUX8w

Teeling have always been a brand that look to do things a little differently. After being recommended the full range by several viewers, here I am….with an experimental release. Having previously held the Teeling Small Batch Rum release, the barrels were shipped over to Umberella London where they aged their house ginger beer in them for two years. Once emptied, the barrels were sent back to Dublin where this whisky was finished in them for six months. Quite a journey those barrels have been on. This whisky is fun, it’s relatively affordable and there are only 700 bottles of it. That’s a nice limited amount that people can enjoy and not shelter away for the cupboards.