You can vote in the Online Scotch Whisky Awards 2022!

Explore new whisky from Nikka that will take you on a deeper exploration of what’s possible in the world of Japanese Whisky. Reserve the set now.

https://youtu.be/H6NRn0rqrK0

Haven’t got my hands in an innaugral release for a while!

Lagg Distillery is part two in the realm of Arran. A distillery designed for heavily peated spirit, sourcing said peat from north eastern Scotland, it allows for a still very smoky but lighter, lemony, honey’d style of west coast peated whisky. Peated to 50PPM, 50% ABV, natural colour and non-chill filtered, this is an exemplary style of young Scottish whisky that Limited to 10,000 bottle in the first release, this has become much more difficult to get ahold of, but for those of you that have opened it, what a treat it is!

BOWMORE ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF RARE ARC-52 SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY IN THE US 

Past meets present as an Aston Martin designed, futuristic vessel unites with one of the oldest Bowmore whiskies ever produced

Chicago, IL (September 27, 2022) – Bowmore® Single Malt Scotch Whisky today announces the arrival of ARC-52, an exceptionally rare release of 52 Year-Old single malt, to the US market. Bowmore ARC-52, the most recent release in the storied partnership between Bowmore and Aston Martin, is sold in a cutting edge, strikingly futuristic and inspiring decanter – an appropriate homage to the oldest and rarest release to date from the two luxury brands. Just 100 decanters of Bowmore ARC-52 exist in the world, representing a highly exclusive, limited release and the height of achievement in collaborative bottle design.

Crafted with consideration over decades, Bowmore understands how every decision influences the final character of its whisky, and how time passed has shaped today.  Rooted in intentionality, Bowmore curates every last drop of whisky released, adding depth and distinction of flavor to each multi-dimensional single malt. It is this precise ethos which has produced ARC-52 – one of the oldest Bowmore whiskies ever released and a true coming together of heritage and innovation. At its heart, ARC-52 is a celebration of how Bowmore and Aston Martin champion constant evolution and ingenuity to provoke, inspire and excite appreciators of true luxury.

Ron Welsh, Master Blender, Bowmore, said “A Bowmore as exquisite and complex as this 52-Year-Old is testament to the skill of our distillery team and their commitment to optimizing the time spent in cask to create such an incredible spirit. The complexity of the ARC-52 single malt is unquestionable and to achieve such perfect balance not only defines its physical form but unites beautifully in every drop of this stunning whisky. Working with Aston Martin remains hugely rewarding and fascinating for me. It continues to inspire and show us a different way of working, with absolute precision, and has allowed us to create what, in my opinion, is the best Bowmore over 50 years old that I’ve ever tasted.”

Marek Reichman, Chief Creative Officer, Aston Martin, said, “ARC–52 sits at the apex of our partnership, truly showing the depth of what we can create collaboratively. We set out to produce something which hasn’t been seen before, capturing our uncompromised design principles and also the magnificence of the whisky. I believe that what we have created is truly a piece of sculpture. Taking balance as the most important factor, as we do in designing Aston Martin cars, we’ve harnessed heritage and innovation in perfect balance. For me there is just so much to discover with this whisky as it embodies so much hidden knowledge – even the color looks like it’s been created by time.”

The ARC-52 bottle explores the ideas of balance, capturing perfect stability combined with definitive intensity – the very same approach Aston Martin takes to design a vehicle. The process relied on the exacting principals of the latest 3D printing technology and hand-crafted clay modelling to craft a meticulously engineered, bespoke magnetic key which releases the striking aluminium top almost by magic, whilst maintaining sleek, clean lines on individually hand-blown glass.

Matured for a remarkable 52 years in a marriage of two cask styles in two exact parts, 50% American Oak Hogshead and 50% European Oak Butt, ARC-52 Single Malt promises unquestionable complexity and a perfect achievement of balance. The whisky captures the classic Bowmore character with herbal and medicinal notes combined with exotic fruits, praline and butterscotch to finish. Creamy and fruity aromas of vanilla and custard cream are carefully balanced with peach, pear, kumquat, mandarin, a hint of guava with herbal notes of fresh mint and eucalyptus. On the palate, the whisky continues to evolve as flavors of green grapes and peach melba, clementine, lime zest merge seamlessly alongside nutty notes of almond and hazelnuts, whilst tobacco leaves give way to a subtle peat ash and buttery character.

The first in a new inspiring series, just 100 decanters of Bowmore ARC-52 are available globally with US availability in the NYC and LA markets, at an SRP of US $75,000 (ex VAT/duty) beginning in September 2022.

CASK TYPES: European Oak Sherry Butt and ex-Bourbon American Oak Hogshead

AGE: 52 Years Old, 1968

ABV: 42.3%

100 BOTTLES for the world

Tasting notes

ON THE EYE: Deep burnished gold.

BREATHE IN: Creamy and fruity with notes of vanilla and custard cream but also peach, pear, kumquat, mandarin, a hint of guava with herbal notes of fresh mint and eucalyptus.

TASTE: Sweet, fruity and citric with flavour of green grapes and peach melba, clementine, lime zest but also nutty notes of almond and hazelnuts, tobacco leaves with a lightly peaty ashy and buttery character.

SAVOUR: Herbal and medicinal with exotic fruits, praline and butterscotch note

 ABOUT BOWMORE®

For over 240 years, the Bowmore Distillery has been capturing the essence of Islay from the shores of its remote island home. Shaped by centuries of skill and tradition, Bowmore’s single malt harnesses the power of this time in every single drop, defined by the past and savoured in the present.

Time is defining at Bowmore® and we tirelessly harness the power of time to shape our whiskies. Our distillery’s adherence to traditional production methods helps to shape the character of our fruity and smoky single malts. Today, we are amongst one of a few distilleries which still produces its own floor malted barley, hand-turned by a traditional wooden malt shovel and hand drawn machinery.  Water for the whiskies is specially drawn from the Laggan River, with its rich peaty overtones – the same Islay peat that fires the malt-drying kiln.

Bowmore® Distillery’s proximity to the sea is also vital in determining the final character of its spirit and gives a hint of sea air to the character. The legendary Bowmore® No. 1 Vaults is where most of the whiskies spend their long picklives resting quietly in the cool, dark, damp cellars below sea level, oblivious to the waves thrashing the vault’s sea-facing wall.

Matured in oak casks, previously used for bourbon, sherry, or claret, over time developing rich and mellow flavours until the expertise of our whisky makers deems them ready for bottling.  It is this combination of peat, barley, sea breeze, water, wood, people, and tradition that makes Bowmore the exceptional single malt it is today.

Time is marked on each and every bottle of Bowmore, proudly and boldly as a marker of where and when each one’s journey began.  This is our story of time. This is Bowmore; the Art of Time since 1779. For more information visit www.bowmore.com and follow along on social at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

ABOUT BEAM SUNTORY   

As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires human connections. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the iconic Jim Beam® and Maker’s Mark® bourbon brands, Suntory whisky Kakubin and Courvoisier® cognac, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek®, Basil Hayden’s® and Legent™ bourbon; Yamazaki®, Hakushu®, Hibiki® and Toki™ Japanese whisky; Teacher’s, Laphroaig® and Bowmore® Scotch whisky; Canadian Club® whisky; Hornitos® and Sauza® tequila; EFFEN®, Haku® and Pinnacle® vodka; Sipsmith® and Roku™ gin; and On The Rocks® Premium Cocktails.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and vision of Growing for Good, which now includes its transformative sustainability strategy, Proof Positive. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.

ABOUT ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA

Aston Martin Lagonda is a luxury automotive group focused on the creation of exclusive cars and SUVs. The iconic Aston Martin brand fuses the latest technology, exceptional hand craftsmanship and timeless design to produce models including the Vantage, DB11, DBS Superleggera and the new SUV, DBX.  Based in Gaydon, England, Aston Martin Lagonda designs, creates and exports cars which are sold in 51 countries around the world.

Lagonda was founded in 1899 and Aston Martin in 1913. The two brands came together in 1947 when both were purchased by the late Sir David Brown. www.astonmartin.com

Arran Private Cask, Sherry 12 years old Dom Whisky Collection

Arran Private Cask, Sherry 12 years old (D.2009, B.2022) Dom Whisky Collection /56,9%/ is the first edition bottled exclusively for Dom Whisky (the biggest chain of whisky bars in Poland, wwww.domwhisky.pl)

Arran presented here was distilled on December 1, 2009, and aged in ex-sherry hogshead (# 2009/866) for over 12 years. The whisky was bottled at natural strength of 56.9% abv, of natural color and without chill-filtration on June 23, 2022, exclusively for Dom Whisky. The cask yielded 267 bottles.

Color: Dark Amber

Nose: walnuts, malaga ice cream, ginger, raisins, vanilla, cherry, a bit of sweet tobacco.

Palate: slightly spicy, caramel, dried fruits, ginger, nuts, citrus peel, cloves, toast with plum jam, oak.

Finish: long, dried fruits, the sweetness of a cigar, oak, slightly dry.

The bottle is available for purchase in our whisky shop Dom Whisky Online

OCTOMORE THE 13TH SERIES

Octomore from Bruichladdich distillery, heavily peated single malt from Islay which was first released in 2008, we’re now onto the 13th series! Straight forward yet complex, the fundamentals of Octomore are ever present in this latest series, if you’re a fan, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Here if you have any questions or queries.

Slàinte Mhath

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EERIE-SISTIBLE DRAMS

It’s all treats and no tricks this October with our NEW autumn selection with 21 diverse bottlings to discover. Also, this First Friday…explore the tasty trinity of beer and curry pairings alongside our devilishly good selection of eerie-sistible drams.

Search for our spookily good spirits over on our website now – but be quick, before they vanish.

NEW BOTTLINGS

READ OUTTURN

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

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 463: Trip to Scotland Part 1 of 4

In September Mark took Dearly Beloved and his good friend Manny on a trip across the Scottish Highlands. They visited no less than 14 distilleries and enjoyed some sightseeing as well. After all, Scotland is the most beautiful country in the world. In this first part of a four part series they visit Teaninich, Dalmore, Invergordon, Glenmorangie and Dornoch. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/3jFnN5DPIG0

Landmark moment at The Cairn 

It was a landmark moment at The Cairn Distillery at Grantown-on-Spey with the final handover by the contractors to the owners Gordon & MacPhail.

The building itself is now complete and the equipment fully operational. All that remains are some final finishing touches in the visitor centre.

Donald McLachlan from Morrison Construction and Richard Forsyth from Forsyth of Rothes met at the distillery with Ewen Mackintosh, Managing Director of Gordon & MacPhail to mark the occasion.

As Ewen Mackintosh said: “This is another significant milestone for Gordon & MacPhail as we take over full control of the building. It’s a tremendous achievement to deliver this wonderful new building in such a stunning location – and all while facing the challenges of a global pandemic.  Later in the year we look forward to welcoming guests from all over the world to experience for themselves the care and attention that has gone into creating this fantastic building whilst learning about our approach to making single malt whisky at The Cairn.”

Donald McLachlan, Managing Director – Highland of Morrison Construction commented: “Having been entrusted to construct and fit out this exemplar Distillery in such a fantastic location we are now delighted to be handing it over to our valued client.”

The Cairn is a second distillery for renowned whisky experts Gordon & MacPhail, the family firm based in Moray. And they turned to fellow Moray based family owned firm Forsyths to manufacture the distillation equipment at their fabrications sites at Rothes and Elgin.

As Ewen Mackintosh explained: “Our roots are firmly in the North of Scotland, and we were determined to use as many local contractors as possible. Around 90% of the work was completed by businesses in the north, keeping jobs in the local area and supporting the local economy. Central to this was the use of Forsyths and Morrison Construction who were very supportive of our aim to use local companies wherever possible.”

Richard Forsyth Managing Director of Forsyths Limited added: “I feel immensely proud to be part of this landmark moment for Gordon & MacPhail, we’re delighted to have been involved in the project with the design and build of the distillery process.”

Planning permission for the distillery was granted in 2019 and work started on site once COVID restrictions on construction were lifted in July 2020.

Opening to the public later this year, The Cairn Distillery overlooks the River Spey towards the Cairngorms.  It will offer a selection of immersive visitor experiences, whisky tastings and carefully selected gifts.  Visitors will also be able to eat @ The Gathering and experience the finest produce sourced from throughout Scotland. It has been designed to sit within this world class setting with features including a “green” sedum roof which has already become a haven for bees.

Gordon & MacPhail has partnered with the local community by match funding money raised locally to support an annual programme of events aimed at locals and visitors alike. The distillery will become a major tourist destination on the outskirts of the town and act as a gateway to Speyside.

Notes 

Gordon & MacPhail is a family-owned premium spirits company based in Elgin, Scotland. Owner of Scotch whisky distilleries, Benromach and The Cairn, Gordon & MacPhail is also a Scotch whisky maturation expert, the owner of Scottish Gin brand, Red Door and the operator of a wholesale business in the United Kingdom selling premium Scotch whiskies and spirits, along with a high-quality retail outlet.

The company owns Benromach Distillery located in Forres in Moray.  Benromach Single Malt Scotch Whisky is handcrafted using traditional methods by a small team of distillers using the finest Scottish barley and the purest spring water from the nearby Romach Hills. The multi award-winning portfolio of single malts is enjoyed by whisky drinkers worldwide.

The company launched Red Door in the summer of 2018. Created at Benromach Distillery, this award winning, small batch Scottish gin now forms a strategic part of the company’s product portfolio.

Work commenced in July 2020 on The Cairn, the company’s second distillery, overlooking the River Spey towards the Cairngorms.  The new site will add further distillation capacity and brand ownership to the company’s asset base and is a key part of the plans to continue building a long-term sustainable business.  A high-quality visitor experience offering tours and tastings will attract visitors from around the world.

Since the founding of the business in 1895, Gordon & MacPhail has sent casks to Scotch whisky distilleries throughout Scotland to be filled with new-make spirit, before being left to mature for many years either at the distillery or in their bonded warehouses in Elgin.  The Gordon & MacPhail portfolio offers some of the world’s rarest and most sought-after Single Malt Scotch Whiskies to discerning whisky drinkers globally.

The company’s wholesale business serves customers throughout the United Kingdom selling Benromach Single Malt, Red Door gin and Gordon & MacPhail whiskies into the on and off trade. The business also exclusively represents a number of ‘distributor’ brands and stocks premium whiskies and spirits.

The retail shop in Elgin remains the ‘spiritual home’ of the business, 127 years after it was first established in 1895. The shop is home to a large selection of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies and is a destination for many whisky aficionados from around the world.

THE GLENDRONACH LAUNCHES RARE 28-YEAR-OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

The latest much anticipated release of The GlenDronach Grandeur Batch 11 is an exquisite example of The Glendronach’s signature richly-sherried Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The GlenDronach Grandeur Batch 11 is a 28 year old Single Malt hand-selected by Master Blender, Rachel Barrie, from a small number of rare Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks.

Having matured in fine sherry casks for nearly three decades, this rare and luxurious expression epitomises mastery of the finest Spanish sherry cask maturation. It embodies The GlenDronach’s commitment to crafting the most exceptional Single Malts, using time-honoured methods passed down through the generations for almost two centuries.

A limited number of Batch 11 bottles will be available from selected specialist retailers, with each individual bottle sealed with wax and numbered by hand to reflect its rarity

Rachel Barrie, Master Blender said: “The GlenDronach Grandeur is an unparalleled range of the finest aromas and character from masterful Spanish oak sherry cask maturation. A Single Malt of elegant finesse, this expression offers a symphony of sherry aromatics interwoven with dark manuka honey, roasted almond and walnut. It is intense and full-bodied, as is the signature of The GlenDronach, with a crescendo of black cherry and espresso adorning each mouthful.”

The GlenDronach Grandeur Batch 11 is bottled at 48.9% ABV, and as is the case for all The GlenDronach expressions, develops its deep colour naturally over time from the Spanish oak in which it rests. It will be available to buy from specialist retailers worldwide from October 2022.

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Tasting notes:

Colour:  Ruby tinged walnut.

Nose:  Opulent and powerful with a symphony of sherry aromatics,  interwoven with dark manuka honey, roasted almond and walnut. Baked plum and ginger captivate the senses, deepening to rustic vintage leather and freshly ground coffee.

Palate:  Intense and full-bodied with dark fruit notes on a base of velvet and fine leather. A crescendo of black cherry and espresso adorns each mouthful.

Finish:  Richly rewarding, with a persistent chocolate, liquorice and walnut finish.

About The GlenDronach Distillery:

Nestled in the valley of Forgue, deep in the East Highland hills, is The GlenDronach, one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland. The GlenDronach is of true Highland style: a complex and full-bodied spirit, perfect for slow maturation in Spanish sherry oak. At The GlenDronach Distillery, we have carried forth the tradition of our founder James Allardice since 1826, maturing our Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky in the finest Spanish Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía in Spain.

Our richly-sherried Highland Single Malts are recognised for their deep colour and complex flavour profiles, which range from the sweet fruity flavours of the Pedro Ximénez casks we select, to the dry and nutty notes of our Oloroso casks.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE GLENDRONACH DISTILLERY:

Visit: www.glendronachdistillery.co.uk

Facebook: /TheGlenDronach

Twitter: @Glendronach

Instagram: @Glendronach