The 128th auction, going live on February 4th, is already shaping up to be a memorable one.  Here’s a sneak peak at a few interesting bottles that’ll soon be going under the hammer.

Harry E. Wilken 1917 Amercian Medicinal Spirits Company Prohibition Era Bourbon One Pint

History and whisky are inextricably linked, and nothing evokes the past more than a Prohibition era bourbon.  This Harry E. Wilken was distilled way back in 1917, aged for 15 years (unusually long for this time period) and bottled under the guise of its medicinal qualities.  A great bottle, and a relic from an important era in American history.

Shizuoka Contact S

From something old to something new, this is the Shizuoka Contact S.  Built in 2016 Shizuoka Distillery has 2 stills, ‘K’, refurbished from the legendary but now silent Karuizawa, and ‘W’ a wood-fired still built by renowned Scottish craftsmen Forsyth’s of Rothes.  Contact S is the first release to blend the output of both stills, with pedigree like this expect big things from them in years to come.

Springbank 1965 35 Year Old McCoy’s Millennium Malt 75cl

Finally we love an unusual bottle at SWA and this Springbank 1965 35 Year Old McCoy’s Millennium Malt is certainly that.  There aren’t many Springbanks this old and certainly no others bottled for Dr David ‘The Scotch Doc’ McCoy, a man once described by Playboy magazine as a “world authority” on Scotch malt whisky.  That’s some endorsement and given the quality of the cask he chose to bring in the millennium; we tend to agree.

We’ll have thousands more bottles to whet your appetite once the auction starts so stay tuned for more updates, and remember we’ve recently revised our schedule and fee structure to ensure our auction is always the best it can be, check out our new timetable here and fee structure here.

Glenfarclas 30 Years

1990 vintage S21 cask #9256. Single sherry butt bottled June 2021 yielding 558 bottles. Glenfarclas 30 Year Old 1990 vintage Family Casks Release Summer 2021 Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Single sherry butt #9256 bottled June 2021. 615 bottles.

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Glenfarclas 29 Years

1991 vintage S21 cask #5676. Single sherry butt bottled June 2021 yielding 615 bottles. Glenfarclas 29 Year Old 1991 vintage Family Casks Release Summer 2021 Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Single sherry butt #5676 bottled June 2021. 558 bottles.

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Glenfarclas Distillery was established in Speyside in 1836 by Robert Hay and following his death it was bought by John Grant in 1865 and has remained in the ownership of the Grant family ever since. The interior of the visitor centre is stunning, the walls are lined with the original oak panels salvaged from a lounge on the liner SS Empress of Australia when she was scrapped 1952. Ace sherry casks underpin the ethos of Glenfarclas single malt whisky, exemplified in the Family Cask range, and way back in 1968 released its first cask strength single malt. The range includes Glenfarclas 15 Year Old, Glenfarclas 105 and Glenfarclas 21 Year Old alongside the Family Casks series.

February Malts of the Month

“Utterly Dependable”

The perfect introduction to their portfolio, the Discovery range provides single malt whiskies from some of Scotland’s most admired distilleries.  Each expression sits within the bold flavour profiles of either ‘Sherry’, ‘Smoky’, or ‘Bourbon’.

Ideal choice for the whisky-lover who enjoys exploration through flavour and character.

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Glenfiddich

Gran Reserva – 2022 Chinese New Year Edition

21 Year Old | 70cl | 40% ABV

Presented in a stunning box designed for Chinese New Year 2022, this Glenfiddich has been created using casks that once contained premium Caribbean rum. It then spends a further four months finishing in Gran Reserva barrels which are hand selected by Malt Master Brian Kinsman, adding to its distinctive and complex flavour and thus giving this expression its name.

£164.95

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Johnnie Walker

Blue Label – Year Of The Tiger Edition

70cl | 40% ABV

To the one who never walks alone, to the one whose steps inspire yours – celebrate prosperity and good fortune this Lunar New Year with the new limited edition 2022 design for Johnnie Walker Blue Label. The intricate design marks the Year of the Tiger and is illustrated by Chinese artist Shan Jiang.

£189.95

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John Walker & Sons

King George V – 2022 Lunar New Year Edition

70cl | 43% ABV

The stunning design marks the beginning of a new year and is inspired by the Oriental myth of the Bai Ze, a mythical creature that symbolises virtuousness, nobility and protection from evil. Drawn from extremely rare, precious casks, including irreplaceable whiskies from the now silent distillery of Port Ellen. This elegantly rich and creamy Whisky has rarity reflected in every drop.

£549.95

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Add a unique, one-off dram to your whisky collection…

Our exclusives range contains some very special whiskies, selected by us and bottled by the distillery exclusively for our customers. They are usually single casks, but are always limited. Spot a distillery or region you enjoy below, and experience the uniqueness of that one-off dram you won’t find anywhere else!

View all exclusives →

https://youtu.be/ahpzkoPPa4o

I never thought I would be this flabbergasted by any whisky. When you’ve been tasting spirits for this long you don’t really think that anything can shock you in a new way anymore. How wrong I was, and it took this exquisite bottle of Bushmills to prove me wrong.

Spending the first thirteen years of it’s life in ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso casks, it was then transferred to maderia casks for sixteen years! Bit of a stretch of the word ‘finish’, but it works, nonetheless.

A huge amount of this whisky, for me, is the nose. The melding of toffee, coffee, tobacco and this wonderfully sweet and mouth watering minty aroma is jaw dropping. Other whiskies have had this this? Yes, they have. But none have delivered it quite the way this one has.

Nostlagia in the tobacco note is a key thing for me, so many smells of childhood captured in a liquid.

This is the best Irish whisky I’ve ever tried, it even surpasses the greats of Redbreast 15 and 21YO, but it is a single cask. As a result, numbers are low and it has to be treated as the exception that it is. With that said it is still on a different level of extraordinary.

BRUICHLADDICH DISTILLERY LAUNCH ONLINE EXCLUSVE – OCTOMORE TEN AGED YEARS

“At that age, with the quality of those casks, this Octomore is absolutely singing.”

Adam Hannett, Head Distiller at Bruichladdich Distillery

ISLAY, SCOTLAND – Bruichladdich Distillery have today announced the concluding chapter in their Octomore 12s series – a 10 year old, sold exclusively on the distillery website and in the Laddie Shop on the island of Islay.

The 12^th series of the world’s most heavily peated single malt was launched in October 2021, and introduced all three .1, .2, and .3 globally to domestic markets for the first time ever. Challenging conventional whisky wisdom, this Octomore trio was malted to 80+ PPM, matured to five aged years, and were bottled above 55% ABV. The series explores the influence of barley provenance and cask exploration combined with super heavily peated malt – including a stripped back ex-American oak maturation in the 12.1, Sauternes cask maturation in the 12.2 and Pedro Ximenez sherry cask matured Islay barley spirit in the 12.3. In a closing statement to the series, this new Octomore Ten Aged Years brings a heightened texture and depth to its youthful counterparts.

Distilled from the 2009 harvest of Scottish grown Optic barley, this 2010 vintage was then malted to 90.3PPM. It would spend its first five years maturing in first fill ex-American oak casks, before being recasked into wine barriques for its final five years. Hailing from a bodega in northern Spain, this Ribera del Duero wine is known for its intense flavour and complexity, owing to its altitude (~900m), exposure to wind and organic production methods. The resulting Octomore single malt is viscous, sweet and structured, with a touch of dryness from the tannic European oak.

Bottled at 56.3% ABV and limited to 3,500 bottles, the Octomore Ten Aged Years is available online at www.octomore.com from the 1^st of February 2022. As with all Bruichladdich Distillery malts, it is conceived, distilled, matured and bottled on Islay.

The International Wine & Food Society

Yes, now ‘s the time for blended Scotch to shine. A brand new publication, singing the praises of #blendedScotch, has been released by The International Wine & Food Society (IWFS) – ‘Exploring Blended Scotch’.

This new title investigates a topic which the authors believe has not been given the coverage it deserves – the sheer delights of blended Scotch whisky – uncovering many of the hidden treasures of what is the ‘foundation of the Scotch whisky industry’. The IWFS agreed that blended Scotch is a style of whisky that is worthy of further investigation and have published this almost pocket-sized booklet for its members and beyond. Chapters covered include its fascinating history, blending, appreciation, leading blends, old blends, cocktails, pairing whisky with food and finishing with some delicious recipes.

“Exploring Blended Scotch” is the product of a collaboration between two writers from both sides of the Atlantic. It has been co-authored by Charles MacLean MBE (Scotland), one of Scotland’s leading experts in writing, tasting and lecturing about whisky and Stuart Leaf (USA) who is a knowledgeable, passionate collector and taster of old blends (and IWFS member). They first met, over a glass of Scotch back in Edinburgh, three years ago. Stuart says “Although conducting joint tastings was challenging across the Atlantic, writing this monograph was a truly fun and engaging distraction during the depths of Covid. Needless to say, most discussions were dutifully enhanced with an appropriate dram!”

“Exploring Blended Scotch” aims to be an insight into an exciting array of different blends, both old and new, which Scotch lovers are encouraged to try. It may also be just the introduction that newcomers, to the delights of whisky, are looking for.

For now, please put your feet up with a glass of #blendedScotch, with or without water (bottled soft water is best!), and get ready to explore the many interesting and tasty elements of blended Scotch whisky.

As well as being distributed to the 6,000-strong international membership of the IWFS, which has branches from Toronto to Tokyo and Honolulu to Helsinki, this title is also available to both public and trade.

This title can be purchased from the IWFS website via the following link: https://www.iwfs.org/secretariat/purchase. The cover price is £9.99 (US$13.99 approx). A Japanese translation will be published in February. An e-book will also be available via various platforms in due course.

The IWFS is an independent non-profit making organisation, run by volunteers, it is also one of the largest wine and food societies in the world. When members enroll they receive a quarterly food and wine magazine and wherever they travel are welcomed by branches worldwide. Branch events encompass all aspects of food and wine appreciation and learning, visits to food and wine producers plus international and regional festivals.

We are proud to offer a whole host of drams from the lost distilleries of Scotland. These are whiskies from distilleries that have reached near-legendary status, such as Brora, Rosebank and Lochside. More and more of these hard-to-find gems are added to our old & rare range every week.

If you’re after something special, take a look at our recommendations below, including a 1970-vintage Brora bottled by Douglas Laing as part of their Platinum Selection series, a special bottling from Dallas Dhu, a 1975 vintage from Linlithgow and much more.

EXPLORE LOST DISTILLERIES

Macallan Afternoon Tea

The British tradition of afternoon tea, has been elevated over the years from a simple ‘cuppa’ and a biscuit to an elegant affair. Here at The Dram House we have taken it a step further and created a high tea experience with our friends at Macallan.

Our Macallan High Tea is a bookable experience we are now offering (minimum 2 people per experience), marrying one of the world’s leading whisky brands, with our preeminent chef to curate a selection of whiskies and snacks to wile away an afternoon.

The experience consists of the new (and hard to find!) Macallan Harmony Rich Cacao, paired with our Haggis & Guinness Bon Bons. Next is the classic Macallan 12 Sherry Oak, paired with our Quail Scotch Eggs, and to finish is the Macallan Rare Cask 2021 Release, paired with our Manchego Stuffed Gordal Olives. No high tea would be complete without Scones (with clotted cream & raspberry jam) and a portion of our world renowned Three Cheese Croquettes!

Our Macallan High Tea is £120pp and is a 1.5 hours long.

See below for information on how to book!

Each of our Macallan High Tea tickets (£120pp + 12.5% optional service) includes:

1 dram (25ml) of each of the Macallan expressions

1 serving of our: Haggis & Guinness Bon Bons, Quail Scotch Eggs, Manchego Stuffed Gordal Olives, Three Cheese Croquettes & Scones (with clotted cream & raspberry jam).

Our Macallan High Tea runs Tuesday to Saturday (4pm – 9pm)

48 hours notice needed for all bookings, cancellation policy applies

If you would be interested in booking one of these experiences please get in touch:

tastings@milroys.co.uk

We look forward to seeing you all soon!