Whisky.Auction reunites historic John Walker & Sons records with the Diageo Archive

The world-famous Diageo Archive is home to a new piece of Johnnie Walker history thanks to the work of auction house Whisky.Auction and willing donator Andrew Welford.

An historic ledger detailing the transfer of shares in the John Walker & Sons company during World War II was brought to the team at Whisky.Auction by Mr Welford who was looking for advice on the book’s significance and whether it was of value to anyone. Eagle-eyed auction director Isabel Graham-Yooll recognised the historic importance such a record and knew the value this could bring to the Diageo Archive.

She explains: “This is one of those artefacts that holds so much value to a company archive, but little value to an individual, and so it felt right to reunite the ledger with the company owners. We often see old documents and labels from private individuals coming up at auctions and sometimes they simply need to find the right home rather than make money.”

Diageo Archive Manager Christine McCafferty comments: “I was so pleased that this book has been reunited with our Archive collection for John Walker & Sons, which is our pride and joy. I cannot thank Andrew enough for his kind donation and Isabel for seeing the value of having items like this kept within the business which created them. It helps us to build a full picture of our story to date, and we certainly hope to find some interesting stories buried in the pages.”

The ledger was delivered to the Diageo Archive by Andrew Welford who, alongside Isabel Graham-Yooll, was given a tour of the archives and saw the book laid down in its new home.

Our 134th auction is now up and running with a veritable feast of special drams available.  To ease your scrolling burden we’ve taken the liberty of picking out a few highlights from this month’s offerings.

Ben Nevis 1926 63 Year Old 75cl

Described by the distillery as the “peak of their achievement” this Ben Nevis 1926 63 Year Old 75cl is a bona fide collector’s item and will be highly coveted.  After a whopping 63 years in cask the angels had greedily devoured most of the whisky by time it came to be bottled, leaving a miserly 96 bottles.  This, however, has only increased the exclusivity of this marvelous dram from the rarest of casks.

Macallan 52 Year Old 2018 Release 75cl

Highland Park 21 Year Old Single Cask ‘Best Spirit in the

An unusual one now, the Highland Park 21 Year Old Single Cask ‘Best Spirit in the World’ Celebration Bottling.  This one-off expression was bottled in celebration of Highland Park 18 Year old being awarded best spirit in the world in 2005 and given to Highland Park staff.  This particular bottle was originally gifted to ex-Highland Park Whisky Maker Max McFarlane himself, as evidenced by the accompanying hand-signed letter.  One for the Orkney afficionados amongst us.

SMWS 27.40 Springbank 1964 31 Year Old

Finally, a rare find from the vaults of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, the SMWS 27.40 Springbank 1964 31 Year Old.  A maiden showing at auction for us this one, and a mighty fine bottle it is too.  Distilled before the moon landing and bottled over 3 decades later this is a magnificent example of whisky-making from arguably Campbeltown’s biggest hitting distillery.We’re lucky to have some absolutely fantastic bottles in the auction this month, but don’t despair if you’re looking for something that won’t break the bank as there are plenty of bargains to be had too.  Happy bidding everyone and best of luck in the auction!

Samaroli for TWB

Caol Ila 9 Years 2013 Vintage ‘Lords of the Isles’

Caol Ila 9 Years

2013 vintage matured in a single hogshead cask. 490 smokey numbered bottles .

Buy Caol Ila £120 / $118* / €118*

World renowned Scotch whisky bottler Samaroli has selected a single hogshead cask bottled July 2022 to mark our 15th birthday. The label, in typical Samaroli fashion, depicts Islay’s Lords of the Isles and the Paps of Jura, synonymous with the view from Caol Ila’s famous Still Room.

Register Your Interest: The Macallan Reach

A spectacular 81-year-old expression from The Macallan – the oldest whisky released by the distillery to date. Distilled in 1940, this spirit aged through the hardships of the Second World War. The Whisky Shop has secured one of these amazing rare bottles; now on display in our flagship store in Piccadilly. Get in touch by clicking the link today to begin the conversation on how you may be able to secure this spectacular Macallan.

Register Your Interest→

The Macallan Reach

The single malt is presented in a beautiful decanter that is cradled by a bronze sculpture of three hands. The hands in the sculpture represent Kirsteen Campbell (The Macallan’s Master Whisky Maker), Allan Shiach (the former Chairman of The Macallan), and the distillery staff who tirelessly worked in 1940 to create this inspiring dram.

A K&L-Exclusive, Sherry-Aged Best Seller is Back in Stock
Michel Couvreur “Peaty Overaged” K&L Exclusive Malt Whisky (750ml) ($79.99)
“Whatever is going on in that cave in Bouze, it’s working like a charm, because this batch tastes better than ever.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

In their constant search for the world’s most unique and compelling spirits, our buying team routinely discovers truly stupendous offerings exclusive to K&L. Back in stock is one of our best-selling K&L favorites over the years, the Michel Couvreur “Peaty Overaged” K&L Exclusive Malt Whisky. What’s truly remarkable is where this inimitable dram comes from—a deep, dark cellar in the heart of Burgundy. The late Michel Couvreur arrived here in the 1960s and set about acquiring impressive stocks of new-make, single-malt Scotch and cultivating one of the most well-sourced sherry-cask regimens in the whisky world. Now produced by his long-time apprentice, this peated K&L Exclusive is, as spirits buyer David Othenin-Girard declares, “one of the most authentic and absolutely delicious malts on the market.” For any lover of incredibly expressive sherry-cask whisky, this is a must-try bottling that will leave you stunned, thrilled, and totally addicted to the Couvreur style.

Michel Couvreur “Peaty Overaged” K&L Exclusive Malt Whisky (750ml) ($79.99)

K&L Notes: The chance to work with Michel Couvreur on a special K&L whisky project was something that we had been dreaming of for years. We had heard the stories. This innovative Belgian had moved to Burgundy in the ’60s, carved out a wine cellar inside a mountain, only to fill it with Scottish single malt whisky instead of Pinot Noir. He set up camp in Beaune, ordered new-make spirit to be delivered by tanker, and drove down to Jerez himself, selecting his own sherry butts to ensure the finest quality casks for his contracted spirit. Unfortunately, Michel Couvreur passed away in 2013 from pancreatic cancer, thus ending the career of one of the industry’s most courageous pioneers. Luckily for us, however, apprentice Jean-Arnaud has carried on after studying under Michel for more than a decade. When we visited the underground cave, we were all in total awe. The tunnels of dripping stone go on forever, and the amount of whisky stored in this secret lair is jaw-dropping. We put our trust completely in Jean-Arnaud and are happy we did. Our peated version of the incredible sherry expression is a seamless creation that drinks like the best version of Johnnie Black ever, mixed with the most supple and soft expressions of Macallan. It’s a lush, unfiltered, creamy, caramel-laden dream of a whisky composed only of malts 12 years and older. There’s a bit of peat on the finish, but the soft sherry is the star. (NOTE: DO NOT cut the hard wax seal—use a wine opener to go through it.)

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: July 28, 2022

A new batch is upon us, and while the last exhibited more wild Islay character, this one offers more dense sherry influence. The peated element is less forward and acts as a subtle ballast to the powerful, nutty dried fruit and tense spice complements. While most whisky companies count on consistency, Couvreur’s ethos brings the artist’s touch to table. Whatever is going on in that cave in Bouze, it’s working like a charm, because this batch tastes better than ever. The magnificence that is Michel Couvreur has always been clear, but it wasn’t until we stepped into the special cave, carved out of the rock, in Bouze-lès-Beaune that you can fully appreciate the incredible endeavors taking place at this fine producer. While this is by definition not scotch, because it is aged outside of the country, the old-school practices utilized here are unusual back in Scotland. The fact that these guys literally drive to Jerez to pick out fresh sherry casks (from Equipos Navazos no less) is totally unique in modern times. In fact, no producer of malt whisky is getting access to fresher barrels, and the modern industry rarely fills barrels of this quality. Despite not being able to use the famous category designation, this is undoubtedly one of the most authentic and absolutely delicious malts on the market. Stupendous depth and complexity even at 86 proof, and while the sherry is toned down from the standard version, a subtle fino/amontillado quality exists in the background. This is pointed by a fabulous, smoky sweetness, which hints at the source whisky. Maybe an island somewhere, maybe a drop of Islay. Wldly high-quality whisky with a French sensibility and a truly unique gem.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Elements of Islay & SMOS Lunch Release 2022
This event is a special release event from Single Malts Of Scotland (SMOS) And Elements of Islay. 

Single Malts of Scotland have been bottling and distributing a superb range of single malts dating way back to 2005. Elements of Islay was established in 2008, releasing some rich and iconic single malts from the Isle of Islay, with each release happening one to two times per year this is going to be a product showcase event. The Tasting will give our customers a sneak peak at some new Speyside, Highland, Islands, with some rather impressive elements of Islay expressions to dive into. The event will have single malts with a taste range to suit all palates, from classic bourbon casks to a rather interesting sherry cask.

Space is very limited for this event world exclusive preview tasting event.

Buy Now

the spirit of glengoyne

We are delighted to announce the launch of Glengoyne Distillery’s NEW and most in-depth distillery tour to date: The Spirit of Glengoyne.  The half day tour allows you to delve deeper into Glengoyne’s unique whisky making process like never before. Relish the magic of our traditional dunnage warehouses, draw samples straight from European oak and American oak sherry casks in our No.1 Warehouse, and enjoy a tutored tasting of the samples taken and Glengoyne 12 Year old, 18 Year Old and 25 Year old.

THE SPIRIT OF GLENGOYNE

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 454: Kavalan Distillery Reserve Rum Cask

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a distillery cask from Taiwan. When Mark visited Taiwan in January 2019, he brought two Distillery Reserve releases from the Kavalan Distillery: a Peaty Cask and a Rum Cask. The Peaty Cask stayed in Belgium, the Rum Cask went to Holland. But when Mark’s buddy Manny saw his tasting notes online, he decided to bring his bottle with him on his next visit to Belgium to open it up together. That’s what friends are for.

https://youtu.be/3cpwIW26UII

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.’s Chief Design Officer commended by President of Portugal as the world’s #1 luxury designer in recognition of his service to design and Portugal as part of Day of Portugal celebrations

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.’s Chief of Design, Tiago Russo, is personally commended by the President of Portugal, his Excellency Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, at a special reception held at the Portuguese Embassy, London, as part of celebrations of the Day of Portugal on 10 June 2022.

Following on from recent historic wins at the A’Design Awards that cemented his reputation as the world’s #1 luxury designer,  Russo was personally invited by the President of Portugal to a special reception  celebrating the cultural community, with the best Portuguese artists, musicians, actors and creatives with Tiago chosen to represent design.

During his visit, the President met with the most successful Portuguese citizens abroad, to congratulate them on their achievements. Tiago spoke with the President, Portuguese ambassadors and top ranked state representatives about his work and achievements at The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. The President praised Tiago’s successes, awards and recognition, as well as the recent opening of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.’s design department in Lisbon, which has brought jobs and opportunities to the country. He also praised Tiago’s return to Portugal, bringing a skill set obtained abroad and passing that knowledge to Portugal’s young designers.

Tiago’s personal invitation from the President of Portugal came after his recent wins at the prestigious A’Design Awards; a perfect score to win Platinum for The Emerald Isle, a Gold for The Taoscán – only the second single malt to win Gold, the first being The Devil’s Keep – and a rare Limited Edition award for The Aodh. These unprecedented wins made Tiago Russo the world’s number one designer.

Commenting on the meeting, Tiago Russo said “It was an absolute honour and a privilege to be invited by his Excellency Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa himself, and to be able to speak to him and some of the highest Portuguese representatives about my career so far; design, awards, whiskey and the added value of using my skill set and know-how to bring it back to Portugal and further develop the design field in my native country. This truly represented a unique moment in my years as a designer, and one of the highlights of my career, to see my own work highly recognised by my country.”

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. is on a mission to reinvent Irish whiskey, elevating its potential as a luxury product and restoring Ireland’s reputation for crafting the finest whiskeys in the world.

Formed in 2018 by Irish entrepreneur Jay Bradley, The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. was born from a desire to return Irish whiskey to the heights it once enjoyed. To achieve such a goal has taken a complete reimagining of the craft; honouring centuries of tradition but questioning convention and adding scientific understanding to reinvent the maturation of the whiskey. No expense is spared, no corners are cut.

In 2021, The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. became the most highly awarded new company of the year amassing a total of seventeen awards across both Taste and Design for four of its ultra-rare whiskey releases. In 2022, the company continued this award-winning streak, adding the world’s Best Irish Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards for The Devil’s Keep, and a perfect score to achieve Platinum at the A’Design Awards for The Emerald Isle.

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. is the exclusive Michelin Plaque Distribution Partner for The Michelin Guide Star Revelation Great Britain and Ireland 2022.

For more information visit www.craftirishwhiskey.com

Visit The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. to see Tiago’s award-winning designs, including the world’s #1 luxury design of 2022, The Emerald Isle.

Monday 8th August 2022

Selected exclusively for The Whisky Barrel 15th Anniversary.

On-Sale from: 4-AM EDT / 9-AM BST / 10-AM CET / 4-PM HKT