Alba refers to Quercus Alba, the type of American White Oak that are used to mature A’Bunadh Alba. Coincidently, Alba is also the Scots Gaelic name for Scotland.

The English name refers to the light colour of the bark of some species. American Oak trees grow much faster than most European Oak species and can live for hundreds of years. Mainly found in Eastern North America, American white oak’s durability as well as its ability to hold water and oxygenate it make it favorable for bourbon barrels. American oak is denser and harder than French oak, making barrels less prone leakage.

Using only 1st fill American Oak barrels that previously held Bourbon whiskey to preserve the intense sweet flavours. Further concentrating the flavours in every single drop, this is as close as you can get to experiencing whisky straight form the cask. Using a small number of carefully selected casks highlights the hand-crafted spirit and the willingness to produce a single malt of the highest quality.

Nose: Sweet orchard fruit aromas of fresh green apple and juicy sweet pears complemented with delicate lavender honey, smooth vanilla cream and zesty sherbet lemon.

Taste: An initial burst of citrus lemon zest and tangy grapefruit revealing rich all-butter shortbread and soft baked apples, followed by a hint of sweet sugared almonds.

Finish: Smooth and sweet with a hint of toasted almonds.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 430: Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old 2009 Klubb23 for Buds & Barrels

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries an independently bottled Bunnahabhain. Mark says: ‘Bunna 2009 on sherry? I have good memories of that. There’s good reason for having bottled such a cask with Mark & Manny’s malts. But our friends from Klubb23 also could get their hands on such a cask and bottled it for the shop Buds & Barrels, run by our good friend Tom Haseldonckx.’ It’s the first of a series of four single casks in the series ‘L’Histoire  d’Alixe’, so we have something to look forward to. Nice label, by the way, by the hand of Annie Mation (see what she did there?).

https://youtu.be/Js5ENOJvO_8

meetNKY Celebrates John G. Carlisle with Bottled-in-Bond Blind, Whiskey Tasting Event and Competition 

The Kentucky’s Edge event includes a four-course tasting menu from Smoke Justis and guided tasting 

COVINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 17, 2022) – Whiskey fans from across the Tri-State are invited to attend the John G. Carlisle Bottled-in-Bond (BIB) Competition and Celebration from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 3 at Smoke Justis in Covington. The inaugural event escorts guests through a four-course tasting menu from Smoke Justis and blind-pour guided tasting of four of the best BIB whiskey varietals in the country. Attendees will also crown the best BIB and award it with the John G. Carlisle Award.

The date celebrates both the 125th anniversary of the passage of the BIB Act and the influence Covingtonian John G. Carlisle had on pushing the act through Congress. Prior to the passing of the Act in 1897, much of the whiskey being produced nationwide often included harmful additives like iodine, tobacco and even paint thinner. The Act established stringent standards and an authentication process to uphold the quality of whiskey-making in America.

Participating BIB distillers are required to put their products into federally bonded warehouses for at least four years and bottle at 100 proof (50% alcohol by volume). Additionally, owners must stipulate on the labels of their bottles where the whiskey is distilled and where it was bottled, if not at the same location of where it’s distilled.

“We’re excited to launch this competition and celebration to commemorate one of Kentucky’s signature industries, bourbon and whiskey,” said Julie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO, meetNKY. “Bottled-in-Bond has been synonymous with quality for 125 years and distillers who agree to these standards make a clear commitment to quality. Because Northern Kentucky is the birthplace of these standards, it only seemed fitting to host this inaugural event here to honor the benchmark for quality that was set for the entire nation right here in the Commonwealth.”

The evening kicks off with a welcome drink, short education on BIB and John G. Carlisle and then moves into the four-course tasting menu paired with a guided BIB tasting. The tasting menu will feature a smoked onion and cheddar flatbread, peanut mole carnitas taco with cilantro lime slaw, Sriracha honey smoked chicken lettuce wrap with blue cheese and crispy sweet potato straws and concludes with a dark chocolate panna cotta with smoked pecan caramel. Tickets cost $40 per person and are limited in quantity.

In 2019, meetNKY partnered with the NKY Chamber of Commerce to create events focused on highlighting elements of Kentucky that gives the state and region an “edge.” The Kentucky’s Edge events continue to evolve and grow after the pandemic. The launch of this inaugural event celebrates the best of Kentucky whiskey and the “edge” we have in that industry globally.

“I’m enthusiastic about the growth and opportunities that I know will come out of the Kentucky’s Edge events,” said Brent Cooper, president and CEO, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. “We know we have a big edge in NKY with our fantastic quality of life and unparalleled growth. The BIB event is a great addition, and a super celebration of the impact John G. Carlisle continues to have on the spirit industry.”

The event takes place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 3 at Smoke Justis, 302 Court St., Covington, KY 41011. Those interested in learning more about the event and purchasing tickets can visit meetNKY’s website here and purchase them from Eventbrite here.

About meetNKY: 

meetNKY drives quality of life and economic growth for Northern Kentucky through tourism marketing and destination development. Learn more at www.meetNKY.com.

WE GOT DODGE RAMMED

DAY 12 UPDATE!

I hope this finds you well, warm, and rested from the Family Day weekend… if Family is restful for you!

The last dozen days have been, to say the least, challenging. By now I’m sure you are aware that we were the victim of a very destructive break and enter on the morning of Friday, February 11. A brand-new pickup, stolen from a dealership lot, was used to break into the shop, completely destroying our front entrance in the process. We were, quite literally, Dodge Rammed… but we haven’t lost our sense of humour!

Over the last twelve days, we have picked up most of the pieces, counted our losses, and tried to keep things in perspective. The good news outweighs the bad: no one was injured, we are insured, a suspect has been apprehended, and we have been bolstered by the love and support from our friends, neighbours, customers, suppliers, and even our competitors.

Restoration has been slow going, due to supply shortages and bottlenecks. A week in, we received some much-needed good news, confirmation the building suffered no structural damage. While impatiently waiting for our temporary entrance to be finished, which finally happened on Sunday (Day 9), the team was busy getting the store ready to finally welcome customers in-store again while working around construction.

The storefront may not look quite as charming as you are used to, at the moment there is unpainted plywood where once we had windows. And unfortunately, due to supply constraints and bottlenecks, it will be 4-5 months until the entrance is restored to its former glory. In the meantime, we’ll pretty it up when the weather permits, and in time it will be repaired. Until then, as the sign hanging above our temporary entrance says: “I assure you, we’re open!“

At some point in the months ahead there might be a “Door Crasher” or “Truckload Sale,” but the wound is a little too fresh right now. In the grand scheme of things, and in the fullness of time, this will be just another chapter in KWM’s long and colourful history. Our business remains strong, our team’s spirits are high, and we have a 30th Anniversary to celebrate in May… It will take a lot more than a little broken glass to spoil that!

On a more positive note, just before the “Dodge Ram incident,” we made a donation for $3000 to the MS Society of Canada, as a part of our pledge to donate $25/bottle from every bottle sold of our Kilchoman 14 Year MS Society Cask. Andy Dunn of Gold Medal Marketing, Kilchoman’s Alberta importer, has topped this up with a further donation of $2100.

Kensington Wine Market has been the organizer of the MS Calgary Whisky Festival since it started in 2011. 2021 would have been the 10th annual Calgary Whisky Festival, but due to Covid, we have had to cancel it for the last two years. Working with Andy Dunn and Anthony Wills from the Kilchoman Distillery, we selected a cask to help raise funds for the MS Society. At 14 years of age, it is one of the oldest Kilchomans ever bottled.

And we’re not done yet. We still have about 90 bottles of the cask to sell, and we will continue to honour our pledge to donate $25/bottle until every last bottle is sold!

Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts, your messages of support, and your continued patronage over the last couple of weeks. We look forward to seeing you in-store!

Sincerely,

Andrew Ferguson, and the Team at KWM
403-283-8000 / 888-283-9004
Kensington Wine Market

K&L Exclusives from Gordon & MacPhail

Our collector’s gems are never limited to just wine, as our long-time spirits fanatics well know. Our K&L Exclusive Cask program is quite simply the best in the business at sourcing singular, one-of-a-kind rarities produced by the world’s most dedicated distillers. Among the world-class independent bottlers that have become invaluable partners of ours over the years, Gordon & MacPhail stands out for their ability to bring us some of our most incredible single-malt Scotch offerings at prices that can’t be topped for what’s in the bottle. Case in point are the three stunning renditions listed below, each one a fabulously compelling expression of its distiller, region, and aging vessel. As always, you won’t find better bang for your buck in collectible Scotch whisky that with the utterly unique examples in the K&L Exclusive Cask portfolio.

2003 Ardmore 17 Year Old “Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur’s Choice” K&L Exclusive Cask #598 Single Refill Sherry Hogshead Nonchillfiltered Cask Strength Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) 139.99 View

2000 Glen Scotia 18 Year Old “Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur’s Choice” K&L Exclusive Cask #326 Single Refill American Oak Hogshead Nonchillfiltered Cask Strength Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $199.99 View

1997 Strathisla 24 Year Old “Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur’s Choice” K&L Exclusive Cask #47793 Single Refill Hogshead Nonchillfiltered Cask Strength Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 750ml) $300.00 View

On sale now

Glenlivet Masterclass

Sunday 20 March 2022 – 4pm GMT – £175

Glenlivet Bot.1950s 80º Proof UK
Glenlivet 25 Year Old Silver Jubilee
Glenlivet 20 Year Old Baretto Bot.1960s
Glenlivet 1956 Bot.1968 for Knapkin Syndicate 80º Proof UK
Glenlivet 15 Year Old Bot.1950s Gordon & MacPhail
Glenlivet 15 Year Old Bot.1980s Gordon & MacPhail

with Sukhinder Singh, Angus MacRaild and Billy Abbott

The first licensed distillery in Speyside. The distillery that gave the heart of Speyside its name for more than a century. One of the biggest selling single malt whiskies in the world. We are, of course, talking about The Glenlivet – not just any-old Glenlivet. In its almost 200 years of history, the distillery has moved with the times, creating whiskies of the moment as well as laying down stocks ready to help create the trends of the future. In this class we dig back through the archives to see how The Glenlivet has changes over the decades.

FIND YOUR SULTRY SPIRIT

Dive into an explosion of flavour with these rare and romantic drams that are sure to set your heart aglow. Go bold and try something different…now is the time to bring out your adventurous side. We’ve selected six sultry casks to get you in the mood.

SEE NEW WHISKIES

Discover more whiskies to compare and contrast, or get adventurous and find your next favourite bottle on our online shop.

VIEW ALL WHISKIES

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

Dingle Small Batch No.6, 46.5%

https://youtu.be/5U5YNRb5uDQ

Not really a man who enjoys port matured whiskies…there have been some big exceptions, but this is a little mind blowing!

Dingle have only been distilling since 2012, approaching that decade marker at some point this year. But after having released their first standard single malt in late 2021, this small batch release genuinely stopped me in my tracks after it smacked me in the face with beautifully contrasting bitter and sweet flavours.

I haven’t tried releases one through five, but if they’re anywhere near as good as this then we all need to sit up and pay attention to what’s going on in County Kerry.

Killowen Distillery USA Launch

Killowen Distillery has just launched its small batch products in the USA (online only).  Thanks to our importer partners Highroad Spirits we are entering many states and are available online via Folsom Wine & Spirits.

If you have a good liquerstore, you can have them order it within NYC, New Jersey, Boston, Chicago and Kentucky, thanks to suppliers such as Skurnik and The Wine Company so get speaking with your local quality premises soon before they hit the stores at the start of March.

What’s going to be available?

All cask strength Whiskey’s of course.

5-year-Old Single Malt Rum & Raisin small-batch core for a start and of-course say goodbye to 6 of the hugely successful & discontinued small batch 10-year-Old bonded experimental series, only 348 bottles of each cask: Jamacian Dark Rum, Mexican tequila, Virgin Hungaran Oak, Pinot Noir – Burgundy, Txakolina – Acacia heads & Peated Cask. These being among most unique exciting blends to come out of Ireland in the past three years.

Once these bottles go, the Bonded Experimental Series is retired to the history books, so get opening and enjoy those unique flavors while you can.

In the true sense of Killowen, absolute consistency is never our aim, thankfully any future Rum & Raisin single malt batches will be slightly different, which will include the influence of all three components 1. single malt 2. PX Sherry Casks & 3. Killowen Rum Casks. It’s always fun to revisit and see if we can improve upon perfection.

Killowen are also releasing their small-batch Flame-fed poitín to the states.

Poitín, the mother of all whiskeys has survived centuries of oppression from colonialism and later powerful whiskey lobbies at home. Poitín’s day will come, but until then, it is enjoying a huge upsurge in popularity throughout Ireland and internationally among those in the know.

At its best, poitín is made in small batches, using flame-fed distillation, worm tub condensation and creative mash bills.

Killowen has already dubbed 2022 as ‘The Year of The Poitín’

TD0245 & TD0086
Two American Oak Single Cask Whiskies

Tomorrow we are releasing two exceptional single cask, American oak whiskies: American Oak ex-Bourbon TD0245, and American Oak Second Fill TD0086. While different in style, both highlight everything we love about our American oak releases: orchard fruits, biscuity malt and the vanilla flavours for which American oak is renown.

American Oak Second Fill TD0086

Our second fill releases are quickly becoming a favourite at the cellar door, as well as receiving critical acclaim, winning three medals at this year’s World Whisky Awards. Matured for 15 years and 6 months in a 300L American oak cask previously used to mature our whisky, TD0086 is an excellent example of what makes this style so sought after. A softer oak presence allows our fruit-forward spirit to shine, resulting in a whisky that is a delicious balance of orchard fruits and biscuity malt

American Oak ex-Bourbon TD0245

Matured for over 13 years in a 200L American oak cask previously used to age Bourbon, TD0245 is a classic example of our most awarded style.

“This is one smooth and gentle entry. Fruit bowl with lots of pear! The sweet earth of the nose is here, too, with vanilla, geranium, grapefruit skin and some berries… Dusty blackberries and boysenberries. Buttered, warm corn bread. Wonderfully silky texture.”

Heather Tillott, Distillery Manager.

Read the full tasting notes here

These whiskies will be released via ballot. The ballots will open for 24 hours from 10am Hobart time on Wednesday 23rd of February. Further details will be sent prior to the ballots opening.

A note on our ballot system. 

Our policy is one entry per person, per household, per ballot. Our fraud detection algorithm detects multiple entries and removes them to ensure our whisky lands in the hands of our genuine supporters, so to ensure your entry counts, please enter each ballot once only. If you have any questions around our ballot process, you can email us at info@sullivanscove.com Successful entries will be notified shortly after the ballots close.