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What’s the one thing better than shopping at The Whisky Exchange? Shopping and getting your order for free! For the next seven days we’re offering our customers the chance to do just that, and selecting winners at random every day. Simply place an order on our website before 23:59 BST on 23 October 2022 to be eligible to win. Good luck!
ILLEACH CEVICHE
Cask No. 53.245
Age:Â 10 years
Cask:Â Refill Bourbon Hogshead
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 Lakes
The Whiskymaker’s Editions: Infinity
Matured in a combination of sherry butts, including rare Palo Cortado seasoned American oak casks, Infinity is bottled at 52% abv, free from chill filtration and at natural colour. Aromas of incense sticks, musk and toasted rye moves into a palate of spice and dates, treacle and cocoa nibs, with a long and intriguing finish.
The latest expression in The Whiskymaker’s Editions series of whiskies from The Lakes Distillery is titled Infinity, a dram inspired by the interconnectedness of fragrance and flavour. Matured in a combination of sherry butts, including rare Palo Cortado seasoned American oak casks, Infinity is bottled at 52% abv, free from chill filtration and at natural colour.
Aromas of incense sticks, musk and toasted rye moves into a palate of spice and dates, treacle and cocoa nibs, with a long and intriguing finish.
No review this week but Phil will return next week…
The Oldest Whisky Ever Offered at Auction Sells for ÂŁ300,000
at Sotheby’s in London
Proceeds from Sale of One-of-a-kind Special Edition of
The Macallan The Reach 81 Years Old
To Benefit The Macallan Artisan Apprenticeship Fund
LONDON, 5 October 2022 – Today at Sotheby’s in London, a one-of-a-kind special edition of The Macallan The Reach 81 Years Old single malt, the oldest whisky ever to come to auction, sold for ÂŁ300,000* ($325,740), almost tripling its estimate (ÂŁ110,000-200,000). Acquired by a UK private collector, the decanter was presented in a special single-lot sale, with proceeds raising funds for The Macallan’s recently established Artisan Collective forum, to benefit The Macallan Artisan Apprenticeship Fund. The previous highest price paid at auction for a bottle of the world’s oldest whisky was established at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong in October 2021, when Decanter #1 of the Gordon & Macphail Generations 80-Years-Old, sold for ÂŁ142,000 ($193,000).
Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Head of Whisky & Spirits, North America and EMEA, said: “This extraordinary result for the oldest whisky ever to come to auction is thoroughly deserved. One of one versions of special Single Malts are highly coveted, and we saw competitive bids playing out as the sale began to close, pushing the final price ever higher, to nearly three times over estimate. Age, rarity and provenance – once again, the holy trinity for collectors.”Â
Crafted from a single, sherry seasoned oak cask, The Macallan The Reach is encased in a decanter created from mouth-blown, hot glass, cradled on a bronze sculpture of three hands representing characters in The Macallan’s history. Unveiled in February 2022, this release from the distillery reflects an extraordinary moment in time, the liquid laid down during a period of increasing hardship during the Second World War, just before The Macallan was compelled to close its doors for the first time in its history.
The cabinet housing the decanter has been crafted using wood from a fallen elm tree which is thought to have been on The Macallan Estate in 1940, the year the spirit was distilled. The decanter itself is encased in a display cabinet lined in red leather – reflecting the red thread that has run through The Macallan’s branding since it was founded almost 200 years ago – rather than the traditional cream leather which features on the original whisky release.
Synonymous with age in the whisky world is rarity, since not many barrels in bonded warehouses in Scotland make it to the age of 50 due to the rate of alcohol evaporation. The Macallan The Reach represents the age and quality that the world’s leading spirits collectors look for in ultra-rare whiskies.
The winning bidder will also enjoy an exceptional distillery experience at The Macallan Estate, including a tasting of this extraordinarily rare 81-year-old single malt whisky.
The Macallan | The Reach 81 Years Old: The World’s Oldest Whisky
*Excluding VAT
Whisky Maker’s Notes – The Macallan The Reach
Colour: Deep auburn
ABV: 41.6%
Nose: Dark chocolate, sweet cinnamon, aromatic peat, plums, leather, pink grapefruit, redcurrant jelly and a rich resinous note.
Palate: Treacle toffee, bramble jam, liquorice, crystalised ginger, nutmeg, charred pineapple, pecans, woodsmoke.
Finish: Intensely rich, sweet and smoky.
The Macallan Artisan Collective is a creative forum for likeminded master makers to network, exchange ideas, innovate and collaborate via live gatherings and digital events. Established in 2021, it champions and celebrates the artisans, their philosophies, knowledge, skills and their critical role in our local and global economies.
In the same year, The Macallan created The Macallan Artisan Apprenticeship Fund in recognition of the need to preserve and safeguard legacy crafts, trades, skills and values to support employment for generations to come.
Introducing House of Hazelwood — A new rare whisky bottler
For the better part of a century, generations of the Gordon family have steered the fortunes of two of the world’s most well-known Speyside whisky distilleries and some of the world’s leading Scotch whisky brands. During these long years, Hazelwood House, the family’s home near the distilling capital of Dufftown, has been a quiet retreat for contemplation, recreation and, of course, the sharing of a dram or two from the Gordons’ personal casks with friends and special associates.
In honour of its Speyside home and the fond memories made there, the family has recently introduced House of Hazelwood, a new standalone bottler that has brought the Gordons’ private stocks of old and exceptionally rare Scotch whisky to market for the first time. Following the immense success of its first release and to celebrate the new Autumn collection, now available online at House of Hazelwood, Whisky Magazine is delighted to offer readers the chance to win a taste of House of Hazelwood’s whiskies.
To learn more about House of Hazelwood, read our full editorial by Gavin D Smith.
The Loch Fyne Fynest
Glen Grant 24 Year Old
With a year finish in a Sauternes cask, this rich and floral Glen Grant is best in class. At 24 years old its impressive cask strength of 61.8% abv is a testament to the tightness of the cask staves, locking in all that flavour. Expect to encounter notes of exotic fruits, dark chocolate and toasted marshmallow.
From one of the oldest malt distilleries in Speyside, this rich and floral Glen Grant, this is best in class. At 24 years old its impressive cask strength of 61.8% abv is a testament to the tightness of the cask staves, locking in all that flavour. Expect to encounter notes of exotic fruits, dark chocolate and toasted marshmallow.
This was matured in a bourbon barrel until 2020 and was then finished in a 1st fill sauternes cask for approximately one year.
Get ready to take taste to another level…buckle up and enjoy the ride. Our latest experimental small-batch release Marmalade overdrive has arrived in top gear. Similar in character to our Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits flavour profile but with BIG notes of oranges and candied peel this rare release has that lovely dark colour that makes your mouth-water. The whisky and its casks have been on quite a journey giving an experience not to be missed…and all for just €83.30.
Go fast track and buy now OR click over to our website to read the adventures behind the bottling. Our own Julien Willems has suggested some sweet and savoury pairing suggestions to stir the senses into complete overdrive.
Discover that flavourful blast below.
VVVroooooooommm!
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
