https://youtu.be/bvT3ha44nJI

The world of blended malts is becoming bigger and more relevant to all kinds of whisky drinkers, and the key market leader of this style, in the UK anyway, is Monkey Shoulder. A combination of Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininvie single malts, all produced by The William Grants family on their sprawling spot in Speyside.

I’m asked about this whisky weekly, I see it posted everywhere on whisky social media groups, and it is on most bar menus as a neat serve or a good cocktail. However, after having tried it and assessed it…I don’t really get it.

The smell is pure Speyside, it’s toffee, lemon, apple and clean greenery. The finish has a nice malty creaminess with a slow build of spice. But the palate is pretty dissapointing. However, this bottle is less than £30, sometimes less than £25, so to be too harsh on it is beside the point. The key market is is raising is an important one and for that we must thank it.

Lux Row Distillers Announces Arrival of Blood Oath Pact 8 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Latest offering from master distiller John Rempe features bourbon finished in Calvados casks

ST. LOUIS (April 5, 2022) – Lux Row master distiller John Rempe continues his annual pact with bourbon drinkers with the release of Blood Oath Pact 8 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in Calvados casks. A limited supply of 17,000 (3-pack) cases will arrive at retail this April at a suggested price of $119.99 per 750 ml bottle.

Blood Oath Pact 8 features a combination of the finest bourbons Rempe could find, including a 14-year ryed bourbon and an 11-year ryed bourbon, as well as an 8-year ryed bourbon finished in Calvados casks. Calvados is an apple or pear brandy from the Normandy region in northwestern France that is distilled from cider and aged for a minimum of two years in oak casks. These casks impart their unique aroma and flavor to make Blood Oath Pact 8 a one-of-a-kind pour.

Like with previous pacts, Rempe promises to make the best bourbon for the bourbon connoisseur, and as usual, he promises to never disclose the origin of the bourbons used to create Blood Oath Pact 8. 

“I’ve once again sourced three great bourbons for Blood Oath Pact 8, and I’m particularly excited to include a bourbon finished in Calvados casks,” said Rempe. “The Calvados cask will bring additional tasting notes characterized by slight apple on the nose, with hints of vanilla and cinnamon, as well as flavor notes of ripe apples, juicy pears, butterscotch and even subtle hints of chocolate. Blood Oath Pact 8 is a bourbon I’m proud to share with bourbon lovers, but the recipe is a secret I’ll be keeping to myself.”

Blood Oath Pact 8 features a label similar to its series predecessors, but in a rich green hue to signify apples and pears, which are used to make Calvados brandy. The official launch of Blood Oath Pact 8 will include a total allocation of 51,00 bottles, 1,400 of which will be held for a future Trilogy Pack release. The first Trilogy Pack, featuring Pacts 1, 2 and 3, was released in 2018, and the second Trilogy Pack, featuring Pacts 4, 5 and 6, was released last September in conjunction with National Bourbon Heritage Month.

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.

Another Towering Exclusive Cask from a Speyside Dynamo
Benriach 12 Year Old “K&L Exclusive” Peated Rye Barrel #13467 Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($119.99)
“This distillery has been absolutely on fire recently thanks to master blender Rachel Barrie and all these awards.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

Today we have part two of our incredible haul from one of the most compelling and in-demand Speyside distilleries in operation today. Our long-time single malt fanatics have caught on to the utterly thrilling whiskies coming out of Benriach, and word of the genius of master blender Rachel Barrie is reaching all corners of the Scotch world. So, imagine our out-and-out joy when we secured three individual 12-year-old casks from this dynamic powerhouse through our connections with the ever-amazing Hart Brothers Finest Collection. This 12-year-old Peated Rye puts a completely unique twist on single-malt Scotch, with the peat process and the rye mashbill combining to create a complex profile that suggests an older whisky than it actually is. Intense rye spices take center stage with tropical fruits playing perfectly at the other end the spectrum, while the peat smoke lends that aged grandeur to the whole picture. Hardcore Scotch fanatics are in for a treat once again with this next stellar offering from the remarkable Benriach.

Benriach 12 Year Old “K&L Exclusive” Peated Rye Barrel #13467 Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($119.99)

K&L Notes: The long and complicated history of Benriach includes an optimistic vision, a long closure, a rebirth, a short closure, and finally, a modern renaissance now in full swing. Built in 1897 by John Duff, Benriach sits nextdoor to Duff’s hugely successful Longmorn distillery. Benriach boasts a huge floor-malting facility and five old-school, stone-walled and earthen-floored dunnage warehouses on site, making it one of the most traditionally styled distilleries in all of Scotland. Sadly, shortly after it was built, the market fell out of Scotch, and it was shuttered for over half a century. When it was reborn in 1965, it was controlled by Seagrams for a time before getting taken over by Pernod Ricard and shuttered again in 2001. Fortunately for whisky fans everywhere, the inimitable Billy Walker purchased the facility in 2003, and with this change in ownership, Benriach’s fortunes began to change. Walker had spent years blending whiskies and knew the magic that lay within Benriach. Over his tenure, the quality of their releases skyrocketed, and the popularity of the distillery soared high enough to grab the attention of Brown Forman, who took over in 2016. It is now under the watchful eye of one of Scotland’s finest master blenders in Rachel Barrie. This special cask spanned both Mr. Walker’s and Ms. Barrie’s tenures. The peated distillate, laid down in 2009, drinks like a supremely old-school Speysider. Tropical fruit and intense spice mingle perfectly with the smoke.

Is it time for your next dram? As well as the best of what Scotland, American and Ireland have to offer, we have plenty of fine drams from across the world that prove whisky is a truly global spirit. To try and tempt you back, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite world whiskies here at The Whisky Exchange.

These include a great expression of rye whisky from Denmark, a popular grain whisky from Japan’s Nikka, a sherry-bomb single malt from Switzerland and a New Zealand single malt made with malted barley smoked with Manuka wood.

If you’d prefer a more experimental whiskey for your next bottle, try a Finnish rye whiskey from The Helsinki Distilling Company, finished in ex-Carribean rum casks, or Version Française’s Eddu buckwheat whisky, which has been matured in an ex-Cognac cask.

EXPLORE WORLD WHISKY

What’s new at Loch Fyne?

After something different to the whisky norm? Well we have an abundance of super single cask releases that stray from the path. Berry Bros. & Rudd have a variety of whiskies from all over – Tasmania, Norway, Finland, Wales. We also have stock of Mossburn who have bottled some vintage Scotch classics!

🔥 Free delivery over £75 🔥

View all New Releases →

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 437: Ben Nevis 6 Year Old 2015 Adelphi

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a feisty Ben Nevis. His whisky buddy Manny brought a bottle with him on his last visit. It involved a very young Ben Nevis that spent barely 6 years on a very active 1st fill oloroso sherry butt. The cask still yielded 588 bottles after 6 years, at a devilishly high ABV of 62.2%.

https://youtu.be/DW3R-KDOqSc

THE BEST WHISKY BAR IN THE WORLD:

EDINBURGH’S KALEIDOSCOPE BAR WINS TOP PRIZE AT WHISKY MAGAZINE AWARDS

OPEN TO ALL: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s Kaleidoscope Bar at 28 Queen Street Edinburgh has been announced as Global Whisky Bar of the Year at the prestigious Whisky Magazine 2022 awards. A visit is a must for all whisky adventurers in the city

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s (SMWS) Kaleidoscope Bar in Edinburgh has been named the Icons of Whisky, ‘Global Whisky Bar of the Year,’ in Whisky Magazine’s World Whisky Awards 2022 in London. A huge achievement for the SMWS and superb timing as we head into a restriction-free summer.

The journey of discovery when tasting whisky can be overwhelming but Kaleidoscope Bar offers something quite magical for both SMWS members and non-members compared to rival whisky experiences. From the bar’s remarkable and captivating building to offering guests can’t-buy-anywhere-else whiskies and experiences, a visit to the bar is a must for all whisky adventurers in the city.

Kaleidoscope Bar is a warm, welcoming whisky bar located on the ground floor of 28 Queen Street, an elegant four-story Georgian town house in the heart of Scotland’s capital city. The award-winning bar is open to all, offering fantastic welcome deals to not-yet-members including ‘Membership and a bottle for £99’.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s focus is always on flavour and Kaleidoscope Bar love to experiment with sensory elements to enhance the enjoyment of drinking whisky. Every visit brings something different with a new selection of rare whiskies to explore almost every week alongside creative food pairings, music matches, one-of-a-kind cask cocktails to playing with aroma. A recent collaboration with Kingdom Scotland, Scotland’s first fragrance house, incorporated guests’ olfactory systems to show how your sense of smell is key to discovery when enjoying whisky.

Kaleidoscope Bar’s expertly trained staff guide visitors through the colourful world of SMWS whiskies and recommend the best dram for them based on their flavour preferences. It’s the perfect way to discover and learn about SMWS whisky, but also the benefits of being an SMWS member.

The bar is home to an ever-changing collection of more than 500 exclusive single malts from Scotland and beyond – the SMWS recently celebrated its 150^th distillery release, from Ireland. The bar also offers the finest craft beers, artisanal spirits, cocktails and wines.

The 28 Queen Street venue hosts a busy programme of colourful whisky tasting experiences, previews of new SMWS bottlings, one-off whisky events and masterclasses as well as private bookings – there’s something for everyone.

Commenting on the prestigious award, Sarah Prior, Venue Manager at 28 Queen Street, said: “To win ‘Global Whisky Bar of the Year’ is an outstanding achievement and to gain that highest level of recognition is amazing. We pride ourselves on being a warm and welcoming bar with expertise in whisky, but Kaleidoscope is a fantastic bar for anyone to visit, whatever their level of whisky knowledge. If you’re a whisky lover already, it’s a must-visit location.

“The passion our staff have for the Society is embodied in our friendly and first-class service. Being open to non-members gives us the chance to show this love for the world’s most colourful whisky club.

“From ever-changing unique single malt and one-of-a-kind single cask drams to a range of summer cocktails and delicious bar snacks, there’s something to please every guest. As we welcome more visitors to our beautiful city over the summer months, Kaleidoscope Bar will be the place to visit in Edinburgh for locals and tourists alike.”

Begin a discovery of flavour with the Society now and find out more about visiting Kaleidoscope Bar here: smws.com/venues/28-queen-street

CONTACT DETAILS

28 Queen Street Edinburgh EH2 1JX

0131 220 2044

E: queenstreet@smws.com

F: @SMWSQueenStreet

T: @SMWSQueenStreet

I: @SMWS_queenstreet

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

FB:  https://cutt.ly/SMWSUKFacebook

IG:  https://cutt.ly/SMWSUKInstagram

T:  https://cutt.ly/SMWSUKTwitter

YT: https://cutt.ly/SMWSUKYoutube

#SMWS

Notes:

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 30,000 members and branches around the world.
• The SMWS bottles rare single malt whisky, and a range of other spirits
• The Society bottles single malts, unique single casks and exclusive blends
• The Society has bottled whisky from 150 distilleries in Scotland and beyond
• The Society offers a new batch of around 20 single malt whiskies every month
• The Society offers a variety of membership packages that can be tailored. Please see: https://cutt.ly/SMWSUKMembership  
• For more information about the Society, visit: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

UK MEMBERS ROOMS

SMWS EDINBURGH

28 Queen St, Edinburgh EH2 1JX

The Vaults, 87 Giles St, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6BZ

SMWS GLASGOW

40 Bath St, Glasgow G2 1HG

SMWS LONDON

19 Greville St, London EC1N 8SQ

Global winner of the Icons of Whisky Independent Bottler of the year award

Lady of the Glen was named the Icons of Whisky Independent Bottler of the year at the 2022 Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky awards held at the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC)
City Road, London.

Returning to London as an in-person event, the global awards ceremony saw the announcement of the World Whiskies Awards and the Icons of Whisky global winners.

Following the team winning the Icons of Whisky Independent Bottler of the year Scotland category we were submitted into the Global category which took place in London. The winner was selected by blind tasting review of stock and an application so we were over the moon to win based on our spirit quality!

Paul, Gavin, Alex and I would like to thank all of our customers over the years for buying our bottles and supporting our business. We would especially like to thank Scotland’s distillers and the cooperages around the world that create the capacity for us to create our spirit!

Thank you ~ Gregor

125th ANNIVERSARY EDITION

12 YEAR OLD WHISKY

70cl | 43% ABV

In 2022 on the 8th of June, Tomaton will be celebrating their 125th anniversary. To mark this special occasion, the distillery are releasing this limited edition version of their 12 year old Single Malt.

Tomatin have commissioned Emily Hogarth, an Edinburgh based papercut illustrator, who has visited the distillery and created a unique illustration to commemorate the anniversary.

You will see that included within the artwork throughout are key components which capture the distillery’s history; each representing different stages in the making of the whisky and the stories behind it.

£39.95

Add To Basket

The Grand Whisky Auction Ends Soon!

(Auction Ends April 11th, 2022)

www.thegrandwhiskyauction.com/live-auction

2000+ lots to browse and bid on!

Interested in selling whisky in our next auction?

T. +44 (0)1463 210 427

E.  sales@thegrandwhiskyauction.com