“Forgotten” Macallan cask expected to fetch world-record price

A rare “forgotten” cask of Macallan 1988, bought for just £5,000, is expected to set a world record price as it opens for bids on specialist whisky auction site, Whisky Hammer.

Originally filled on 5^th May 1988, the 374 litre refill butt has been held in bond at The Macallan Distillery for almost 34 years and is expected to break the record set in 2021 by Bonham’s for the sale of a 30-year-old re-racked Sherry hogshead from Macallan, which fetched $574,000. The ongoing Whisky Hammer April auction, which includes more than 2,000 lots, is live until Sunday 24^th April at 7pm (BST).

The Macallan cask seller, an ex-pat who bought the cask on a whim over three decades ago, had forgotten about it until reminded by Macallan that it remained maturing in the warehouse.

Bids for the incredibly rare cask have already reached $170,000 since the auction went live, with prices expected to soar in the coming days. The team at Whisky Hammer anticipates a global bidding war for the rare cask which, if bottled today, would yield 534 x 70cl bottles of 33 year old Macallan.

Daniel Milne, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Whisky Hammer, said: “Casks of this age and size are extremely rare, especially from The Macallan. This is, without doubt, one of the most exciting casks we’ve seen come to auction in recent years and we expect it to set a new world record by the time the auction closes on Sunday.”

For further information or to register interest, visit whiskyhammer.com

Notes

Whisky Hammer is a family run whisky auction service founded by brothers and keen whisky enthusiasts Daniel and Craig Milne, who are supported by a team of passionate experts acting as trusted advisors to both buyers and sellers.

Whisky Hammer’s monthly auctions bring a range of desirable, rare and collectable bottles to market for buyers, alongside offering a hassle-free premium service for those looking to sell. As a truly global auctioneer with offices in the UK and Hong Kong, Whisky Hammer can deliver whisky and represent sellers worldwide, investing heavily in the safest warehouses on the market to store prized bottles appearing at auction.

The superior service offered by Whisky Hammer means it is trusted by some of the world’s most prominent whisky collectors and sellers, with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.

For more information, visit whiskyhammer.com.

The Lakes Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.5 Description

Looking to treat yourself this Easter? Handpicked by The Whisky Exchange co-founder Sukhinder Singh, our single cask selection features whiskies he loved enough to release them under our own name.

The range showcases the flavours and styles we love in whisky today – from a herbal and smoky 15-year-old Croftengea to a 2008-vintage Glen Elgin packed with orchard fruit flavour. Find a dram you’ll love from one of Scotland’s finest distilleries.

SHOP SINGLE CASKS

Fettercairn
Warehouse 2 Batch 3

Fettercairn’s latest Warehouse 2 batch 3

These Warehouse 2 releases from Fettercairn really do sell like hot cakes, so makes sure to grab a bottle of this third batch whilst we have it! With a combo of tasty casks paired with their tropical style spirit it is sure to be a winner.

£60.00
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The English Royal Platinum Jubilee

To mark this extraordinary event of seeing our Queen reign for 70years, we are releasing a wonderful single malt to join our Royal range of whiskies. This range is only bottled to mark births, marriages, coronations and jubilees; so any launch is always rare and sought after.

This launch is to celebrate the Queens platinum jubilee is no exception, with the whisky being a single malt sourced from the finest oak casks that have been sleeping in our maturation warehouses on site at the distillery.

46% ABV

Receive 10% discount when you purchase 6 bottles of  the Royal Platinum Jubilee Decanters.

Holyrood Distillery to Introduce Two New Strong Waters to UK Market

This Spring, Edinburgh’s Holyrood Distillery is set to introduce two ‘Strong Waters’ into the UK market. Launching in April, the new varieties, named Charmed Circle, are the magnificent results of Holyrood’s experimentation with heritage barleys and their progressive approach to spirit-making.

Fuelled by a passion for Edinburgh’s brewing past and the land that surrounds the distillery, Nick Ravenhall and Marc Watson set about trialling some of the UK’s most famed barley varieties, as well as digging deep to explore the very water that is found under the city. Drawing on Scotland’s native drinking culture around white spirits, Holyrood has categorised these spirits as ‘Strong Waters’ which is an archaic name, usually referring to any alcoholic liquids that were not being set aside as aqua vitae.

For centuries distillers have focused on a barley’s efficiency rather than its flavour, and as a result so many of Britain’s most popular barleys have been abandoned over time in favour of higher yielding varieties. By examining other properties and potential of heritage barley varieties such as Golden Promise and Chevalier, Holyrood’s team soon discovered the innate and powerful flavours, textures and aromas they could produce.

Holyrood distilled these barleys as part of their signature single malt new make and then blended them with neutral grain spirit, intensifying the flavours of the barleys, whilst also developing their richness and mouthfeel, creating texture in the resulting spirits. These innovative liquids aim to bring flavour back to the white spirit sector, to be enjoyed neat and in longer mixed drinks.

While Scotland’s capital has an established brewing history, not many modern spirit makers are utilising the city’s terroir and high-quality water supply that once powered brewing in the city. The very name of the new Strong Waters refers to a collection of wells situated around Arthur’s Seat. Known as the ‘Charmed Circle,’ this cluster of wells supplied the flourishing brewing community the city once held, with some of the wells and water aquifer still in use underneath the distillery today.

Heritage barley connects the liquid with the land in the same way as wine relates to its terroir. The two expressions reveal interesting facets of the cityscape, the brewers that came before and the season in which they were developed. The Golden Promise is a classic British spring barley variety that was the dominant variety in Scotland during the 1970s, whilst Chevalier also dominated the English brewing crop for around 60 years. Holyrood aims to bring these barleys back to their former glory, highlighting barley as a key flavour component in white spirit making.

Tasting Notes

Golden Promise: Comprises 15% Golden Promise – New Make Spirit + 85% GNS + water
– N. Bright, citrus, lemon zest, refreshing orange blossom
– B. Clean, mouthcoating, lemon blossom lift
– F. Clean, gentle, moreish

Chevalier: Comprises 15% Chevalier – New Make Spirit + 85% GNS + water
– N. Creamy, butter, digestive biscuit
– B. Rich, mouthcoating, churned cream and butter
– F. Long rich, moreish

Holyrood’s spirit making ethos remains the same, to share their making journey, inspired by the city which makes them as a team and the liquids they produce.
Charmed Circle’s RRP is £34.99 and will be available from April 2022.
www.holyrooddistillery.co.uk
@holyrooddistillery

Ross & Squibb Distillery releases Rossville Union 2022 Barrel Proof

Annual, limited-release straight rye whiskey, now featuring a 7-year age statement 

ST. LOUIS (April 12, 2022) – Lawrenceburg, Indiana-based Ross & Squibb Distillery announced the launch of Rossville Union 2022 Barrel Proof, its annual, limited-release straight-rye whiskey. Set to reach retail shelves across the country starting this month, this limited allocation of 3,000 six-pack cases was bottled at 117.2 proof (58.6% ABV) and has a suggested retail price of $69.99.

Rossville Union 2022 Barrel Proof features a medley of straight-rye mash bills, distilled by one of the largest producers of rye whiskey in America – Ross & Squibb Distillery. The flavor profile includes an aroma of rye spice, vanilla, caramel, oak, and slight chocolate; forward flavors of sweet caramel and vanilla, moving to baking spices and chocolate; and a lingering finish of rye and a hint of sweet mint.

There were 82 barrels selected for this year’s release, which is displayed on each bottle of Rossville Union Barrel Proof. And for the first time, every bottle prominently features a 7-year age statement.

“Rossville Union 2022 Barrel Proof is another example of the great rye-whiskey tradition we’ve carried on at Ross & Squibb Distillery and yet another reason Indiana is the rye capital of the world,” said Ian Stirsman, master distiller at Ross & Squibb distillery. “As the popularity of rye whiskey continues to grow, we’ve selected another exceptional medley of rye mash bills to satisfy even the most discriminating tastes among the ever-growing numbers of rye-whiskey drinkers.”

The award-winning Rossville Union Family of brands also includes a 94 Proof offering – Rossville Union Master Crafted Straight Rye Whiskey, which has a suggested retail price of $39.99. 

About Luxco

Founded in St. Louis in 1958 by the Lux Family, Luxco is a leading producer, supplier, importer and bottler of beverage alcohol products. Our mission is to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of consumers, associates and business partners. Merged with MGP Ingredients, Inc. in 2021 (Nasdaq: MGPI), Luxco operates as MGP’s Brands Division and manages all MGP/Luxco brands. This extensive and award-winning spirits portfolio includes well-known brands from five distilleries: Bardstown, Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers, home of Ezra Brooks, Rebel, Blood Oath, David Nicholson and Daviess County; Lebanon, Kentucky-based Limestone Branch Distillery, maker of Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey and Bowling & Burch Gin; Jalisco, Mexico-based Destiladora González Lux, producer of 100% agave tequilas, El Mayor, Exotico and Dos Primos; Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where the George Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey are produced; and the Washington, D.C.-based Green Hat Distillery, producer of the Green Hat family of gins. The innovative and high-quality brand portfolio also includes Everclear Grain Alcohol, Pearl Vodka, Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream, The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey and other well-recognized brands. For more information about the company and its brands, visit luxco.com.

50% Off a Best-Selling Single Malt Stunner
2007 Benromach “Batch #1” Cask Strength Speyside Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $80) ($39.99)
“No matter how much you buy, it’s the kind of whisky you’ll forever wish you got more of while the getting was good.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

Simply put, this is one of the greatest deals in single-malt Scotch we’ve ever come across. The fabulous Benromach distillery is one of our absolute favorite, family-run operations in Scotland, a Speyside stalwart that consistently over-delivers. The “Batch #1” has been a staple on our shelves since its release to market in 2018. At its original $80 market price, it was always a stupendous value for the price, but now it’s just about rocketed off the QPR charts. After a change in distribution, we were able to secure a new parcel of this perennial best seller at a completely jaw-dropping price of half off the original going rate. You read that right. An 11-year-old, cask-strength, single malt Speysider at under $40. Made in a highly labor-intensive, super-traditional method, it’s “a whisky that has a human touch of excellence,” as buyer Andrew Whiteley describes it. The complexity is kaleidoscopic, even more so with a few drops of water. Many of our hardcore Scotch aficionados already know and love it, so those who have yet to discover the thrill of Benromach should get on the good foot. We’ll keep restocking it at this price for as long as we can, but we fully expect the response to be gangbusters, so there’s no telling how long the deal will last (hint: not long at all).

2007 Benromach “Batch 1” Cask Strength Speyside Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $80) ($39.99)

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: March 12, 2022

It would be hard to overstate how great a distillery Benromach is. Lovers of Springbank will appreciate the ethos—it’s an old fashioned place, owned by an independent family, not a giant corporation. They do things slowly and by hand, always focused on quality, not quantity. Holding true to an old style of Speyside malt that carries a bit of peat and always filling in first-fill sherry and bourbon casks, the whiskies produced here are simply sublime. The distillery, like many, has a long and complex history. The modern end of that history is the acquisition by the legendary bottler Gordon & MacPhail in 1993 and refurbishment of the distillery completed in 1998. The Urquhart family has long bottled the best casks in Scotland, but this purchase marked their first foray into distillation itself. Their history with and understanding of Scotch maturation informed their decision-making in how Benromach would be run. Since then, production has relied on the expertise of a very small team that makes their decisions all by sensory evaluation before storing in ultra-high-quality casks in traditional dunnage warehouses. The result is a whisky that has a human touch of excellence. In 2018, Batch #1 of Benromach’s first cask-strength whisky was released, a 2007 vintage that has long been a staple on our shelves. Today, thanks to the vagaries of modern distribution networks, we are able to offer this world-class spirit at a stunning price.

Let us taste. The color is striking gold at its core with a straw edge. The aromas are wildly complex for an 11-year-old spirit, in part thanks to the little bit of peat and in part thanks to the first-fill sherry and bourbon casks. Without water, cooked apples, fig, raisin, bread pudding, and the earthly delight of fresh peat shine. The palate is rich. Vanilla, dates, butterscotch, orange zest, tobacco, and honey abound. A few drops of water added and the essential oils come crashing out. The nose opens to reveal a more complex yet easy going smoke profile—fresh peat mingles with bonfire, burnt orange peel, fresh straw, and ripe stone fruits. Honey-drizzled cereals and milk chocolate stand in relief. Black tea emerges. The palate is softened from the spicy and gripping 58.2% ABV and becomes wonderfully soft, yet retaining its strength, like suede. The finish shows fresh green apple, cinnamon, sweet barley, and a touch of sage. It’s a beautiful whisky that was terrific at $80. Now, at half that price, no matter how much you buy, it’s the kind of whisky you’ll forever wish you got more of while the getting was good.

Released as part of Chivas’ Secret Speyside Collection these vintage expressions are an example of liquid from Glen Keith produced previous to the mothball in 1999.

Glen Keith 21 Year Old

A dramatic 21-year-old dram from the mysterious Glen Keith distillery! Released as part of Chivas’ Secret Speyside Collection, this expression is bursting with notes of orchard fruit and fresh herby hints. Simply delicious!

Nose: brown sugar, ripe plums, toffee.

Palate: pear, dried fruits, basil.

Finish: gentle, smoky, nutty.

£150.00
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Glen Keith 25 Year Old

A bold dram from the elusive Glen Keith distillery! Released as part of Chivas’ Secret Speyside Collection, this expression spent 25 years maturing in first-fill American oak barrels before being bottled at 43% abv. Sumptuously sweet, we are big fans of this Speyside dram!

Nose: toffee, ripe apples, citrus.

Palate: dried stone fruits, vanilla, cinnamon.

Finish: sweet and satisfying

£350.00
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