Isle of Raasay Distillery launches new dining experience with world-renowned Three Chimneys Restaurant on Skye

Enticing visitors passionate about Scottish produce, cuisine and spirits, the collaboration will bring these two celebrated Scottish brands together for the first time to offer guests of the Three Chimneys a brand-new paired dining experience.

Officially launching in October and running until end of November, The Three Chimneys’ Head Chef Scott Davies, his talented team and Isle of Raasay Distillery have created a unique, eight course whisky pairing menu for guests to enjoy at the kitchen table – an immersive dining experience which takes place in the heart of the restaurant kitchen.

The evening begins with an Alder smoked trout paired with a Champagne cocktail featuring Isle of Raasay’s ex-Bordeaux red wine single cask whisky, followed by oyster and cauliflower panna cotta with langoustine and crispy oyster, accompanied by Distillery Special Release which was finished in Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks.

Further courses include duck fat confit salmon with foraged Skye mushrooms, Vatten farm lamb haggis with Jerusalem artichokes, and roasted prime of Vatten beef with onion fondant, horseradish and beef fat brioche, accompanied by Isle of Raasay’s unpeated ex-Rye whiskey single cask, unpeated Virgin Chinkapin oak single cask and peated ex-Rye whiskey single cask, respectively.

The evening is finished with bitter chocolate and smoked hazelnut praline with Chinkapin peated whisky, followed by whisky sour jelly with Isle of Raasay Single Malt in a Three Chimneys-style smoky Old Fashioned cocktail.

On select dates, one of the whisky experts from Isle of Raasay Distillery – located just a 25-minute ferry journey from Skye – will be joining the paired dining experience to discuss with guests the history and heritage, people, passion and processes which make their spirits so unique.

Isle of Raasay became the island’s first legal distillery when it officially opened in 2017, marking a new era for whisky and gin production on this remote Hebridean isle.

Deemed the best view from any whisky distillery in Scotland, Isle of Raasay’s vision is to create the finest Hebridean whisky and an exceptional visitor destination, designed to give even the most novice of whisky drinkers, or the greatest dram enthusiasts, an informative and unique experience.

William Dobbie, Commercial Director of Isle of Raasay Distillery, said: “It’s a real honour for us to be working with the world-renowned Three Chimneys restaurant. We admire their long-standing passion and commitment for locally sourced, exceptional food and outstanding approach to hospitality – we are very excited to share this special experience with their guests in the coming months.”

Krzysztof Dudkowski, General Manager of The Three Chimneys, said: “Since its inception a few years’ ago, we have followed the journey of Raasay with interest and enthusiasm, and it is hugely exciting for us to be working alongside the team to create a brand-new experience for guests of The Three Chimneys.

“Chef Davies and his culinary team have worked carefully with Raasay to create the delightful paired menu, and set in the heart of the kitchen, it is sure to be an unforgettable experience. We can’t wait to welcome our first guests this autumn.”

To book, visit: https://threechimneys.co.uk/restaurant/kitchen-table or call 01470 511 258.

Serving the best of the Isle of Skye, The Three Chimneys at Colbost has established itself as a multi-award-winning destination dining experience for more than thirty-five years. This iconic restaurant with rooms, situated in a classic crofter’s cottage and overlooking Loch Dunvegan, has become one of Scotland’s leading destination dining experiences.

Founded by Scots-born international hotelier, Gordon Campbell Gray, The Wee Hotel Company runs the iconic Three Chimneys on the Isle of Skye and The Pierhouse Hotel and Seafood Restaurant at Port Appin in Argyll.

For more information about The Wee Hotel Company, visit: www.theweehotelcompany.com

For more information about Isle of Raasay Distillery, visit: https://raasaydistillery.com

Bottles for Bibs: Take Home More than Just a Medal

You can run a race anywhere, but what makes the Bourbon Trail Relay® unforgettable? You guessed it – that sweet, amber nectar we call Kentucky Bourbon. Relay participants are treated to exclusive perks such as unique access to historic landmarks, behind the scenes distillery experiences, and some really delicious whiskeys.

And now you also have the chance to go home with some unique and truly sought after bottles!

Any team registered for the race before the end of the year will be entered into a “lottery” to win the chance to purchase one of the amazing bottles below. Follow the rules below to enter.

Subject to terms and conditions.

How It Works:

1. Make sure your team is registered for the Bourbon Trail Relay before December 31, 2022. Any team captain who has registered before this date is eligible to participate in the drawing.

2. There is only one (1) bottle of each offering available for purchase. Winners will be able to choose the bottle they wish to purchase based on draw order.

3. Winners will be drawn at random on New Year’s Day 2023 and will receive an email with further instructions. All winners will be contacted in the order in which they are drawn.

4. Winners will have one (1) day -or- 24 hours to respond, after which time the next name will be drawn.

5. Winners will be connected with their chosen distillery via email and must pay for and pick up the bottle at that distillery when they are here for the race in May 2023.

Registered Captains – here are some of the amazing bottles that you’ll have the chance to take home

The excellent Ben Nevis 10 Year Old is back on our shelves and we’re rather delighted to see it once again. The 2021 bottling was rated 89 points by Whisky Fun, so we’re expecting more of the same excellent whisky with this 10 year old Highland expression, which was bottled in 2022. Limited stock now available for immediate dispatch, along with the Ben Nevis Traditional bottling.

Here if you have any questions or queries.

Slàinte Mhath

£54.90

SHOP NOW

Benromach Triple Distilled

Benromach Triple Distilled is a limited release matured in First-Fill Bourbon barrels. Passing once through the wash still and twice through the spirit still, it delivers a lighter style which offers delicate and sweet notes with ripe tropical fruits, malt biscuits and vanilla, leading to banana, green apple and subtle smoke. Bottled at ABV of 46% with no added colour and no-chill filtration.

£49.99

Shop now

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!

SHOP NOW

LEARN MORE

ILLEACH CEVICHE

Cask No. 53.245

Age: 10 years

Cask: Refill Bourbon Hogshead

BUY NOW

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.

£95.00
BUY NOW

No review this week but Phil will return next week…

The Oldest Whisky Ever Offered at Auction Sells for £300,000

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 £300,000* ($325,740), almost tripling its estimate (£110,000-200,000). 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 £142,000 ($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.” 

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.

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