HUNGARIAN OAK AMID NEW ADDITIONS

TO GLENALLACHIE’S VIRGIN OAK SERIES

The Speyside-based distillery introduces three new single malts

finished in Scottish, Hungarian and Spanish virgin oak 

Independent Scotch whisky distillery The GlenAllachie today reveals a new trio of limited-edition single malts joining its Virgin Oak Series.

The next tranche of whiskies includes the 8-year-old Scottish Virgin Oak Finish (UK RRSP £65.99), the 7-year-old Hungarian Virgin Oak Finish (UK RRSP £62.99) and the 10-year-old Spanish Virgin Oak Finish (UK RRSP £69.99).

‘Virgin oak’ refers to wood that has not previously been used to age any other wine or spirit; thus, the influence it has on the whisky is that of the oak alone.

The GlenAllachie’s Virgin Oak Series sets out to explore the impact of oak provenance, terroir and genus on flavour development during the whisky maturation process.

The three unusual cask types were adeptly obtained by Scotch whisky industry stalwart Billy Walker who has built a reputation, during his half-century-long career, for peerless wood innovation.

To create the triad of new whiskies, the spirit was first matured in American Oak (Quercus Alba) ex-Bourbon Barrels before undergoing a finishing period of approximately 18 months in the different oak varieties.

The 8-year-old Scottish Virgin Oak Finish enjoyed secondary ageing in Sessile Oak (Quercus Petraea) sourced from the Atlantic coast of Scotland.

Scottish oak is rarely used for cask production due to its tendency to knot as it grows, creating challenges in crafting staves; its porosity, boosting the chances of leakages; and its pronounced scarcity, commanding an eye-wateringly high price.

Before being filled, the wood was naturally air-dried for 36 months, allowing for further development of flavour characteristics, then toasted and charred to a medium level.

The 7-year-old Hungarian Virgin Oak Finish underwent an 18-month-long stint in Quercus Petraea from the Zemplén forest in the mountains of northeast Hungary.

A highly unusual oak type for Scotch whisky maturation, The GlenAllachie are among the first producers to experiment with the use of virgin Hungarian wood.

The rocky volcanic soil, along with the colder climate and higher altitude in which it grows, means trees in the area grow very slowly, developing tighter grain: a desirable trait for ageing spirit.

The 10-year-old Spanish Virgin Oak Finish used hogsheads made of Quercus Robur from the Spanish Cantabrian mountains with a cool yet humid climate.

The oak was dried in open air for 18 months, then subsequently toasted and charred, to open up the pores for flavour extraction by the whisky.

All three of the single malts were bottled at a high strength of 48% ABV, without added colouring or chill filtration.

Reflecting on the new product innovations, Walker comments:

“Virgin oak of varying provenance presents endless possibilities to me as a whisky maker. Exploring a variety of oak types, toasting and charring the casks to particular levels, and then closely observing the spirit development over time has been a truly joyful experience.

“These three new bottlings embody the range of flavours offered by oaks of different origins. From the Scottish, expect notes of biscuit, pear and gingerbread; the Hungarian boasts waves of lemon juice, cinnamon and raisins; and the Spanish oak has imparted bursts of toffee sauce and ripe banana. Each is as uniquely enticing as the last.”

The launch coincides with the release of Batch 9 of The GlenAllachie 10-year-old Cask Strength (UK RRSP £68.99); an expression which was previously crowned World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards in 2021 for its fourth iteration.

With UK RRSPs starting at £62.99, The GlenAllachie’s new Virgin Oak Finishes and the 10-year-old Cask Strength Batch 9 will begin hitting shelves from today, with global specialist retailers receiving stock in the coming weeks.

ABOUT GLENALLACHIE:

One of Scotland’s few independently owned and managed distilleries, The GlenAllachie is led by industry veteran, Billy Walker, who boasts over a half-century’s tenure in whisky. With an emphasis on wood policy, The GlenAllachie’s cask budget for 2023 stands at an eye-watering £2.7m/$3.3m. With 16 on-site warehouses holding over 50,000 casks, we have complete control of the end-to-end maturation process.

The GlenAllachie focusses on quality over quantity, which is why we chose to reduce our production capacity from 4million to around 800,000 Litres of Alcohol and increase our fermentation period to 160 hours for an ester rich, fruity spirit.

We believe age and integrity matter, which is why all our whiskies carry an age statement, and are bottled at a minimum of 46% ABV, natural colour and non-chill filtered for maximum flavour experience.

Our other brands are MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits – encompassing Lum Reek Blended Malt Scotch Whisky and White Heather Blended Scotch Whisky.

Further information on the distillery and company can be found at www.theglenallachie.com

Facebook – @TheGlenAllachie    |    Twitter – @TheGlenAllachie    |    Instagram – @theglenallachie_

TASTING NOTES

The GlenAllachie 8-year-old Scottish Virgin Oak Finish – 48% ABV

Colour: Golden Sunset.

Nose: Bursting with baked oats, butterscotch and toffee, with notes of cinnamon, gingersnaps and heather honey.

Taste: Lashings of heather honey, orchard fruits and lemon zest, followed by white chocolate, cinnamon and ginger, with toffee and butterscotch on the finish.

The GlenAllachie 7-year-old Hungarian Virgin Oak Finish – 48% ABV

Colour: Golden.

Nose: Bursting with butterscotch, citrus and milk chocolate, with cinnamon, raisins, orchard fruits and ginger.

Taste: Lashings of heather honey and cinnamon, followed by chocolate, lemon drops and caramelised brown sugar.

The GlenAllachie 10-year-old Spanish Virgin Oak Finish – 48% ABV

Colour: Mahogany.

Nose: Lashings of orchard fruits, baking spices and sticky toffee pudding, with notes of brown sugar, glazed cherries and citrus.

Taste: Bursting with chocolate, coffee and heather honey, followed by notes of pepper, ginger and molasses, with banana and sultanas on the finish.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS:
FIVE DECADES OF WHISKY

Though The Whisky Exchange was founded in 1999, the journey began in the 1970s when Sukhinder and Rajbir’s parents opened an off-licence in West London called The Nest. In honour of their family’s 50th anniversary in the drinks business, we are releasing a range of exclusives, including a whisky from each decade of the family’s history, from the 1970s to the 2010s.

Featuring a poem about the whisky industry and the family’s role within it on each label, the five-bottle series includes single malts from Caol Ila, Clynelish, Ardbeg and Linkwood, as well as a sherry cask-matured Speyside blended malt, all aged for between 21 and 50 years. Bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange by Elixir Distillers, this series of collectible and drinkable whiskies is a result of delving into casks they had been nurturing for a special occasion just like this.

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KILLOWEN CASK #024

Following on from our wonderful cask 001 & 002 releases, we can now confirm that Cask 024 is about to be released. It will be sold through our traditional Killowen retail channels. Many independent retailers across the Island will be receiving stock for sale, for online purchasing please visit Irish malts and Umbrella Project for mainland UK – be sure and check out the other Killowen in these spots while in store or online.

Killowen Barántúil Cask 024 – Irish Whiskey – Mixed Mash Bill & Peated

Release Date 22^nd March – Some stores may receive stock later in week

This bottling does not comply with the requirements of the GI governing Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey which allows for 5% adjuncts of oat, rye and wheat. Instead the mash bill has around 30% , the way Pure Pot Still was made in the heyday of Irish whiskey. The remaining mash bill consists of malted and unmalted barley – you will have to check out the packaging for the mash specifics. We look forward to the correction of this legislation and it’s alignment with historical accuracy. Until then we will continue to make this beautiful whiskey the way it should be made.

The quality of the distillate and distillers’ cuts is evident in this young whiskey and is further proof that Killowen does not need many years to become whiskey, it simply is, in of itself beautiful. We understand that this traditional whiskey should be smoked – only aged in an ex-bourbon cask, in an attempt to pair back the spirit to it’s simplest form. As Killowen is a ‘distillate led’ whiskey, the bourbon cask allows the consumer to enjoy a more paired back whiskey that is confident of its complex and balanced character and therefore does not need a heavy cask to dress it up. Sometimes whiskey enthusiasts understand there are too many whiskeys out there that are ‘all fur coat and no knickers’. That said plenty of our future releases will sport the most brilliant fur coats.

As standard this bottling follows all the Killowen ethos, cask strength, no chilled filtration and no added colours, therefore this is an integrity bottling so please open and share.

RRP: £99.95 / €120.00

Sláinte

The Killowen Distillery Team

I.W. Harper 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

$89.99

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 Silky and smooth, this Bourbon is scented with dried apricot, almond extract and vanilla. On the palate, expect lots of caramel and vanilla up front, followed by orange peel and nutmeg. Sherried notes come through on the finish, along with plenty of spice. (KN)  (9/2016)

Whisky Advocate

 Diageo has ‘brought I.W. Harper home’ after years of absence from the U.S. market with this bottling and a base bottling (see below). The source is ‘new’ Bernheim, but with a different mashbill from the base; this is 86% corn. Nose is warm corn and oak, with some spicy clove and cinnamon notes. Great medium-weight body and balance, palate repeats the nose, oaky-sweet finish; well-integrated whiskey. But my eyes pop at the price. (LB, Summer 2015) 

K&L Notes

Despite being bottled at Diageo’s Cascade Hollow, TN facility (a.k.a. George Dickel of 13 year Bottled-in-Bond fame) the I.W. Harper 15 year is all Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. A high corn content lends itself to a sweeter style of whiskey — rich and grain forward. But after 15 long years in new charred American oak — the caramel, vanilla, molasses, and dried fruits really show up in a big way. This is one of the best values for age stated Kentucky Bourbon still on the market.

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

Our Vaults Collection offers members the chance to journey back into whisky history – and we are delighted to offer you these exceptional bottlings from Islay which are AVAILABLE NOW to buy (Membership info shown below).

These drams will not only transport you to another place, but to a different era. We’ve delivered timeless twins, with a split oloroso sherry butt from Distillery 53 which we divided into an ex-bourbon barrel and an ex-rye barrel after 27 years, for a further four years of maturation. From Distillery 29, prepare to find a tropical flavour paradise, with elegant perfumed spice and ripe tropical fruits finding perfect harmony after 27 years of maturation in bourbon wood.

Keep scrolling to learn more about each of these bottlings, or WATCH our introduction below.

WATCH THE TASTING

VIEW ALL THE BOTTLES

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/i4MDofjjdAY

Edradour 10YO

First mentioned as a name in 1837, but founded in 1825 as Glenforres distillery by local farmers, Edradour, for years, was the smallest distillery in Scotland for most of its modern life.

Bought in 1982 by Pernod Ricard and releasing their first single malt in 1986, the distillery is now owned by Andrew Symington, owner of Signatory Vintages. He purchased the distillery in 2002 and released all of the fun stuff from the warehouses. In 2018 a new distillery was commissioned and doubled the distilleries capacity, losing it’s smallest distillery moniker, but bringing the distillery into a new light and a bigger future.

The 10YO is a heavily sherried and rather complex prodcut for being bottled at 40% ABV. A distillery that had some unusual bias against, but luckily, good whisky can shine through any predisposition.

COMPASS BOX INTRODUCES

THE PEAT MONSTER CASK STRENGTH: ORIGIN STORY

The whiskymakers celebrate the smoky blended malt Scotch with a 20^th anniversary limited-edition release

March 2023: Scotch whiskymakers Compass Box celebrates the 20^th Anniversary of one of its most popular expressions with a limited-edition, blended malt Scotch whisky; The Peat Monster Cask Strength: Origin Story (RRP £105, ABV 56.7%).

The latest release from the award-winning Scotch whiskymakers will see 9,126 bottles available worldwide. The new Cask Strength bottle celebrates the origin story of The Peat Monster, which was first created thanks to Jonathan Goldstein of Park Avenue Liquors joining forces with Compass Box founder John Glaser for an exclusive release in 2003. The heavily peated whisky was so successful that it was released to the worldwide market in 2004 and has gone on to become one of Compass Box’s most popular expressions.

Today, The Peat Monster Cask Strength: Origin Story is comprised of Williamson Islay Malt, aged in refill American oak hogsheads (35%); malt whisky from the Caol Ila Distillery, aged in refill American oak hogsheads (34.2%), American oak bourbon barrels (17.9%), and refill puncheons (11.8%); and Highland Malt Blend aged in custom French oak barrels with a heavy toast (1.1%).

The resulting blend boasts “big blasts of smoke, cinnamon and tobacco notes,” according to the whiskymaking team. On the nose, find sooty barbecue smoke, green apple and powerfully aromatic citrus oils, all underpinned by warming cinnamon (the higher ABV heightens this expressiveness). On the palate, enjoy tarry, smoked almond, with the seasoned virgin oak delivering added richness and vanilla notes, plus seaweed, cayenne pepper and saltiness.

Compass Box further celebrates The Peat Monster’s U.S roots by recognising American coopers through a partial finishing of this blend, putting around half of the whisky in special barrels made from American white oak for three-to-four months. These grain-seasoned casks, created by the independent Stave Company, have been air-dried for two years and toasted using a highly technical process before being sent to Scotland and filled with grain spirit for one year.

Another nod to The Peat Monster’s American origin story appears on the label, which was designed by acclaimed American artist, Mark Burckhardt, featuring Dali-esque depictions of the monster against skyscrapers, subway steam grates belching smoke, and a hint of Central Park.

“It’s always been our mission at Compass Box to create compelling whiskies, even if it means breaking moulds – or creating new ones!” says Compass Box whiskymaker and founder John Glaser. “Thanks to the early collaboration with Jonathan Goldstein, we created a quintessential peated whisky that has gone on to become one of our core expressions, still beloved by whisky drinkers two decades later and one that we’re proud to be celebrating with this Cask Strength Limited Edition”.

Curious whisky lovers can find out more about The Peat Monster Cask Strength and other Compass Box whiskies at compassboxwhisky.com or follow @compassboxwhiskyco on Instagram.

Compass Box whiskies are available to purchase at compassboxwhisky.com, masterofmalt.com and thewhiskyexchange.com. 

ABOUT COMPASS BOX

Compass Box are Scotch whiskymakers. The word ‘whiskymaker’ is their word – it does not appear in a dictionary. For over 20 years they have been relentlessly focused on reinventing Scotch whisky, with every new blend designed to help make the world of whisky a more interesting place. They have not done it on their own and have collaborated with some of the world’s most visionary bartenders and designers to really push the boundaries of what is possible. They are always experimenting, always looking for sparks of creativity that will deliver something totally compelling, yet completely surprising. This vision motivates them as whiskymakers. 

ABOUT COMPASS BOX LIMITED EDITIONS

Compass Box’s Limited Editions allow them complete creative freedom, often using smaller parcels at greater ages. Each Limited Edition is one-off in nature. Every year, Compass Box creates a number of Limited Editions from very rare releases of a few hundred bottles to more accessible runs of several thousand bottles. Each one boasts a different identity, each expresses deliciousness in Scotch whisky in a different way.

It is often forgotten that blended brands make up more than 90% of the global sales of whisky. It’s a phenomenal amount of market share, and it is fair to say that if we ceased creating malts tomorrow, within the week, whisky would be on its knees.

There are the classic names, Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker, Famous Grouse and many more, but there are some lesser known, wonderful blends on the market today.

Blended whiskies are often seen as the ‘Cinderella’ of the whisky world – certainly in the UK! They do all the work behind the scenes, keeping the industry ticking over and ensuring that everything is clean and tidy.

On the face of it, the Single Malts often take the glory and the limelight, being the sought after whiskies on the market. The ‘Ugly Sisters’, per say.

So, what is a blend, and how is it different to Single Malt?

The vast majority of whisky is made up of casks that have been vatted together to create a flavour profile. This goes for Single Malts too. Nearly all Single Malts are, in practice, Blends. The only difference here is that the whisky being used has all been created in one disitllery, hence the term ‘Single’ – this is a nod to the fact that one single distillery produced all the spirit.

With Blended Whisky, more than one distilleries products have been used. They are then combined with a product called Grain Whisky. Grain whisky was introduced to Scotch whisky production in the 1800’s when an Irishman by the name of Aeneas Coffey created the Coffey Still (now known as the Column Still) which was patented in 1831.

Grain Whisky is distilled to a higher abv than Malt Whisky, which strips more flavour from the spirit and allows the creation of a lighter, more consistent drink. The amount of Grain Whisky used in a Blend varies from around 80% for the mainstream names, down to 50% for some niche market and ‘Deluxe Blends’ (there is no legal definition of what makes a Blend ‘Deluxe’).

This allowed for the Scottish Whisky market to expand globally with consistent products and the creation of Blended Whisky was the true birth of our worldwide fame as a whisky producing nation.

Blended Malt

Blended Malt is kind of a hybrid between the two styles, Blended Whisky and Single Malt. Effectively this is a blend of Single Malts with no addition of Grain Whisky. This gives the producer the ability to marry together the flavour and mouthfeel of Single Malts and get the consistency and bulk volume of a Blended whisky.

The Future of Whisky?

With the prices of casks ever increasing and the tendency for these to be held for investment rather than bottling, Independent Bottlers are finding the release of Single Cask Single Malts every more challenging.

Many are now looking to create a consistent, Blended Malt to allow an affordable, yet top quality whisky to bear their name and help create a whisky to appease demand.

With Lady of the Glen, Dram Mor, Berry Brothers & Rudd, Mossburn and Little Brown Dog amongst the host of brands looking to branch into Blended Whiskies, expect to see more on our shelves. Grab one and enjoy!

So remember, the next time someone turns their nose up at your choice of Blend, remind them that their fancy Single Malt is probably blended too, and would undoubtedly not exist if you weren’t enjoying your Blended Scotch Whisky.

Brilliant Blends at Inverurie Whisky Shop

It’s hard to believe that we’re now onto the ‘Second Crop’ of Sowing Edition from Lochlea distillery!

This latest limited release was crafted from 1st fill ex-bourbon barrels located higher up in the Lochlea warehouse than the single malt that was used to produce the 2022 edition. The extra heat up high gives for a faster maturation and combined with the older spirit resulted well and is said to show a clear progression from the previous year’s edition.

It’s fabulous to watch Lochlea distillery grow, this latest release sounds like another great single malt from this exciting Lowland distillery.

Available now, limited to 1 per customer.

Slàinte

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Glenfarclas 35YO

It’s here! Glenfarclas are delighted to welcome their new 35 Year Old to complete the Red Door range. This is a limited annual release. The whisky is rich and decadent with flavours of toffee, chocolate and dried fruits – perfect for any Glenfarclas lover!

£869.00

Tasting notes:

Deep amber with hints of dark gold. Reminiscent of roasted almonds, dried dark fruits, and creamy toffee. Lingering aftertaste of cinnamon and cocoa powder creating a warm decadent finish.