https://youtu.be/TsnUM31ZH4c

I’ve been guilty of ignoring a lot of world whiskies, not intentionally! It’s just that there’s so much to get through, and you want to make sure that you’re reviewing things that apply to yourself and your viewers.  But not reviewing whiskies from Paul John was a bad idea from me; this stuff is delicious! The Edited is a peated, natural colour, non chill filtered offering from the Goa based distillery. Established in 1992 and still going strong, Paul John is something that I’ll be paying much more attention to in the future! Full of tropical fruit and a smoke that is almost like scented chocolate, this is an impressive whisky for £40.

INAUGURAL CHARITY SCOTCH WHISKY AUCTION
– ORGANISED BY THE DISTILLER’S CHARITY IN COLLABORATION WITH SOTHEBY’S –
TOTALS £3.1 MILLION / $4.1 MILLION, TWO AND A HALF TIMES THE LOW ESTIMATE

Edinburgh, 3 December 2021 – Over 40 exceptional whiskies and experiences found new owners from all over the world on December 3rd, when the first in a series of auctions under the banner The Distillers One of One took place at Barnbougle Castle near Edinburgh, organised by The Distiller’s Charity, the philanthropic arm of The Worshipful Company of Distillers, in collaboration with Sotheby’s.

The auction was staged in the Banqueting Hall, during a lively lunch where the bidders regularly erupted into applause as records tumbled, new benchmarks were set, and funds were raised for the charitable causes. Collectors in the room, on the telephones and online competed for the 42 lots on offer, and by the time the sale drew to a close, the auction had reached a total of £3.1 million / $4.1 million, two and a half times the pre-sale low estimate. Participants from around the world were out in force with registrants from 24 countries.

Over £2 million will be divided between four charity partners of The Youth Action Fund, which has been created by The Distillers’ Charity to transform the life chances of 16 to 25-year-old people in Scotland, empowering them to create positive change in their lives and communities.

Jonathan Driver, Master of The Worshipful Company of Distillers, said: “We are truly overwhelmed by the amount that has been raised and are so grateful to all of the sponsors, brands and bidders who got involved, donated spectacular lots and showed us incredible support, for making this happen. To know that over £2.5 million will now be distributed to help young people across Scotland through our charity partners is really special. The success of our first auction is so exciting and we are thrilled that we can continue to support more people for at least the next six years, thanks to our ongoing partnership with Sotheby’s. This whole event wouldn’t have been possible had companies of all sizes from across the Scotch Whisky industry not come together in this amazing collective endeavour. It showcases just how extraordinary the people who work in the world of Scotch Whisky are and we are privileged to have been the catalyst for this landmark sale. We want to extend a huge thanks to everyone involved.”

Jamie Ritchie, Worldwide Head of Sotheby’s Wine, said: “Our global wine and spirits team were delighted to partner with The Worshipful Company of Distillers and their philanthropic arm, The Distillers’ Charity, to create a new series of charity auctions that showcase the best of the Scotch Whisky industry and provide important funds to benefit disadvantaged young people in Scotland. The phenomenal outcome of this auction follows the significant success of the recent Hospices de Beaune wine sale and we look forward to our first auction with the Napa Valley Vintners early in the year. We are committed to working together with these charitable organisations to unite collectors with special opportunities to acquire rare bottles, while benefiting the communities of each region.”

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Spirits Specialist, said: “Working with The Worshipful Company of Distillers to present the biggest charity auction project in the history of Scotch Whisky has been one of the most rewarding projects of my career. This was a truly unique collection of whiskies, for which we can thank the creativity and generosity of the distilleries who willingly came on board. Equally generous were the collectors who participated, driving the overall total beyond expectations. Record prices were achieved for Bowmore, Balvenie, Glenfiddich, Ladyburn, and Talisker, and more besides.”

Leading the sale was the spectacular four bottle set of Glenfiddich from the 1950s (1955, 1957, 1958 and 1959). An extended 30-minute bidding battle broke out as eight collectors competed against each other, driving the final sale price to £1,037,500 / $1,380,760 (est. £220,000-350,000). Provided by William Grant & Sons, this ultra-rare collector’s piece established a new auction record for Glenfiddich.

The second most valuable lot of the sale was the Talisker 1978 Cask of Distinction, which was competed for by several collectors in the room, online and on the telephones, selling to a private collector for a record price of £625,000 / $831,780 (est. £350,000-500,000). This 43 Year Old cask of still-maturing Talisker single malt Scotch whisky was offered with a cask-end that has been turned into an original work of art by acclaimed Scottish painter Callum Innes.

A new auction record was achieved when the Bowmore Onyx 51 Year Old 1970 – presented in a striking, hand-blown, 1.4l black glass vessel taking its inspiration from the terroir of its island home – surpassed its estimate, selling for £400,000 / $532,340 (est. £100,000-180,000).

A further auction record was achieved for ‘lost’ distillery, Ladyburn, when a bottle of 54-year-old whisky distilled in 1966, uniquely labelled with a highly sought-after, hand-signed photograph by David Bailey of John Lennon, made £81,250 / $108,132 (est. £15,000-30,000).

Other significant purchases on the day, from those looking to secure themselves a piece of liquid history, included The Glen Garioch Twin Casks in Cradle 1990 and 2021, which realised £112,500 / $149,720 (est. £100,000-150,000), and The Balvenie 56 Year Old 1964, which exceeded its estimate of £50,000-80,000 to sell for £175,000 / $232,900.

Several once-in-a-lifetime whisky experiences were included in the auction, including the Gordon & MacPhail One of One Selection Experience from the 1940s or 1950s – an unforgettable, immersive visit to Speyside with the opportunity for the lucky recipient to work alongside the team to create their very own whisky – which sold for £87,500 / $116,450 (est. £80,000-160,000).

As well as the incredible support that the auction received through lot donations, the Distillers One of One auction was delighted to have the involvement of five sponsors that made the event possible. Blyth & Blyth, engineering design consultants, Simpson’s Malt, makers of high quality malt, Glencairn Crystal Studio, inventors of the industry’s favourite glass, The Glencairn Glass, J.C. Ribeiro, makers of high-quality cork stoppers and McLaren Packaging, designers and manufacturers of premium packaging.

Notes

The hammer price total of the Auction will benefit The Distillers’ Charity with ninety percent going to its newly created Youth Action Fund which will be used to change the life chances of disadvantaged young people in Scotland. The remaining ten percent will be used by The Distillers’ Charity for its general charitable purposes.

For this year’s auction, the Youth Action Fund will work together with the following four charities on specific initiatives in Scotland:
• Aberdeen Foyer, a charitable organisation supporting people towards independent living, learning and work;
• ENABLE Scotland, which delivers a range of support services across Scotland, including the ENABLE Works service which provides employment and skills support, assisting people with disabilities or other challenges into employment;
• Street League, which uses the power of sport to support young people living in some of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities into work;
• The Alcohol Education Trust (AET), which will work across the UK to keep young people safe around alcohol

About Sotheby’s Wine

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access, connoisseurship and preservation of fine art and rare objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 50 categories, which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Interiors, among many others.

Sotheby’s Wine’s annual worldwide auction sales of wine and spirits totaled an outstanding $92 million in 2020, with over 15,000 lots sold across 41 sales – a nearly 50% increase in the number of auctions held in 2019. Over $60 million of wine and spirits were sold to online bidders in 2020 versus $28 million in 2019, with 85% of all lots offered finding online buyers. Demonstrating continued strength in Asia, Sotheby’s led the market in the region for the third consecutive year, with over 70% of the total bid amount in all Wine and Spirits sales attributed to collectors in Asia.

Sotheby’s Wine’s has had the privilege of auctioning numerous record-breaking wines and spirits in recent years, with 2020 alone witnessing new world auction records for any bottle of Japanese whisky, any bottle of whisky produced by the Dalmore Distillery, as well as any bottle of Cognac. Sotheby’s Wine currently holds the world records for any whisky collection ever sold at auction, any private wine collection ever sold at auction, the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold at auction and the most expensive bottle of spirits ever sold at auction.

In addition to auction, Sotheby’s Wine launched a retail business in 2010. With a retail store located in Sotheby’s New York headquarters and e-commerce at www.sothebyswine.com, Sotheby’s Wine offers a carefully curated selection of wines from the world’s most prestigious producers and important regions. Expertly assembled by our experienced specialists, the selection is built upon lasting relationships with winemakers from across the globe, with bottles that are ready for immediate consumption, in addition to investment-worthy wines from highly sought-after vintages. A second retail location opened in Sotheby’s Hong Kong galleries in 2014.

* Estimates do not include buyer’s premium or overhead premium. Prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium and overhead premium and are net of any fees paid to the purchaser where the purchaser provided an irrevocable bid.

Stream live auctions and place bids in real time, discover the value of a work of art, browse sale catalogues, view original content and more at sothebys.com, and by downloading Sotheby’s app for iOS and Android.

THE OXFORD ARTISAN DISTILLERY LAUNCHES RED RED RYE

Oxford, 30^th November 2021 – The Oxford Artisan Distillery has unveiled its fifth batch of Oxford Rye Whisky, Red Red Rye, in time for the festive season.

This latest offering from the distillery, is a triple-matured rye whisky with a rich, wine influence. The reddest of ryes, it is the result of a love affair between heritage grains, virgin American oak casks, and three legendary sweet wine casks; a Pedro Ximenez butt and two Vintage Port barriques. A celebration of grains and grapes, this bottling is an exploration of the Oxford Rye Whisky’s house character, with a decadent fortified wine profile, perfect for the time of year.

As with all the products they produce, responsible farming is the first stage in the distillery’s whisky making process; taking time, regenerating the land and supporting biodiversity with every bottle. The grain used for this batch was made up of multiple ancient heritage rye strains, wheat strains and even a few oats and a few thistles grown together in healthy, diverse fields.

Working with Head of Grain & Sustainable Development, John Letts, all of the grains are grown regeneratively and sustainably, using absolutely no pesticides or chemical fertilisers – contributing to an abundance of wildflowers, insects and birds across the distillery’s farms.

Red Red Rye’s initial maturation was for one year in casks #12 and #13, both virgin American oak which gave the new make its classic house profile. For the second maturation, both casks were blended into cask #72, a Pedro Ximenez butt, for two years to give it the depth of aged sweet wine. For the final maturation cask #72 was split into two Vintage Port barriques, casks #268 & #269, for a year to brighten the liquid. The result is a highly luxurious whisky, full of the deep raisin character of sweet oxidised wine with tannic fruitiness, sweetness and body.

Master Distiller Francisco Rosa comments: “Some may say a Pedro Ximenez cask followed by a second maturation in Vintage Port is extravagant, or perhaps even excessive, but we argue it’s the perfect level of festive indulgence.”

Adding: “Using extremely good quality old wine and new wine casks we have preserved the balance and structure between our house character and the wine influence. It’s a rye whisky with a viticultural personality; think violets and berry jam alongside toffee apples in a pine forest. I’d recommend sipping it by the fire, or after dinner paired with cheese – it also makes an excellent Manhattan.”

Oxford Rye Whisky Batch #5, 46.4% ABV, consists of only 610 bottles, priced at £150 and is available to purchase from 25^th November directly from the distillery’s website or from specialist retailers including: Master of Malt, Hedonism, The Whisky Exchange and The Whisky Shop.

www.theoxfordartisandistillery.com

NOTES 

The Oxford Artisan Distillery:

The distillery opened for business at its purpose-built site in Oxford on 27th July 2017.

It is Oxford’s first ever distillery and produces a range of spirits, including gin, absinthe, vodka and whisky, all with total provenance from grain to glass. The Oxford Artisan Distillery is rare amongst UK distilleries in producing its own organic spirit, rather than purchasing Grain Neutral Spirit (GNS) from other sources.

The distillery has a licence to produce spirits for the University of Oxford and has a notable partnership with the University of Oxford’s Botanic Garden.

About Organic Heritage Grain:

Certified Organic in April 2020, The Oxford Artisan Distillery is the only distiller to use genetically diverse populations of ancient heritage organic grains – revived from historical sources by a leading archaeo-botanist and grown sustainably on over 350 acres, known as land races, both close to Oxford and on prestigious estates such as Highgrove and Sandringham. The distillery’s grain contributes to biodiversity and soil health in the English countryside. The grains are the result of John Lett’s lifelong research on ancient grains: John has spent a large part of his life sourcing and growing ancient grains together, as polycultures. John takes 30-100 varieties of grain, mixes them up, and grows them together in the same field, at the same time. These sustainable fields are similar to what you would have seen in medieval times – the grains are grown specifically for the distillery, making The Oxford Artisan Distillery the only distillery in the world with a license to use John’s grains, grown exclusively for flavour and not yield.

Shelter Point’s newest release

“Ripple Rock Batch 2”

Ripple Rock Batch #2
An Explosion Of Flavour

 Embrace an explosion of flavour with Batch 2 of Shelter Point’s virgin oak influenced whisky. Campbell River’s epic 1958 Ripple Rock explosion provides the inspiration for our most charged and flavourful limited release single malt whisky. With a combination of 3 ex-Bourbon casks and 3 alligator charred virgin oak casks, Shelter Point Ripple Rock detonates with intense flavors of chocolate, spices and vanilla! This release is 46.5% ABV.

This much anticipated whisky is a limited run and is guaranteed to sell out extremely quickly, so be sure to order yours online before it’s too late! *Please note that due to a shortage of staff and irregular hours due to our ongoing public closure, that curbside pickup orders cannot be fulfilled until Tuesday December 7th at the earliest. You may also experience some longer than usual delays in shipping times for this release, as demand will be high*

Ripple Rock 2 is available in a 750ml ($85) and 375ml ($45) and can only be purchased online at https://shelterpoint.ca/single-malt-whisky/

For all the latest news and information visit our website at https://shelterpoint.ca/

Unbeatable QPR in a Standout K&L Exclusive Sherry Cask
2010 Dailuaine 10 Year Old “Sovereign” K&L Exclusive Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky
(750ml) ($54.99)
“I’m totally in love with this Dailuaine … Deal of the year and an absolutely crushable single cask.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

Our first Scotch container of 2021 brought some unbridled thoroughbreds, but perhaps none more so than this absolutely jaw-dropping 10-year-old sherry butt from our good friends at Sovereign. Dailuaine is a workhouse in the Diageo portfolio, and we rarely see it on the market under its own name, but when we do, it delivers the goods without a doubt. This impeccable cask displays uncommon complexity for its age statement and more than stands up to the sherry influence from the cask. Spirits buyer David Othenin-Girard was simply blown away when he exclaimed, “it has so much gorgeous character I just can’t put it down.” We’ve seen some truly spectacular buys from Sovereign and Dailuaine over the past several years, but it’s safe to say this one takes the cake in terms of the unbeatable quality on offer for a mere $54.99. That incredible QPR combined with the miniscule yield that this cask brought in makes this a certain sell-out in lightning quick fashion, so any fan of sherry-aged Scotch shouldn’t hesitate a moment to add this to their repertoire.

2010 Dailuaine 10 Year Old “Sovereign” K&L Exclusive Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($54.99)

K&L Notes: This first Scotch container of 2021 sees a trio of exceptional, 10- to 12-year-old, sherry-aged malts. Sherried Dailuaine has been a fan-favorite at K&L for years, and we’ve sold 16 different bottlings over the last decade. Given the long-standing relationship many of our customers have with these bottlings, we don’t foresee this being around long. A classic Diageo distillery, Dailuaine has a sizable capacity upwards of 5 million liters per year yet is rarely seen as an official release. Stylistically, it sits somewhere between Clynelish and Blair Athol and shows both a waxy character associated with the former and an inherent sherriness associated with the later. This makes it a perfect candidate to stand up to a big ol’ sherry butt in just a matter of ten years. The quality-to-price ratio makes it one of the best deals of the year.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 26, 2021

I’m totally in love with this Dailuaine. It doesn’t have the oomph of the other two Sovereign sherry bombs, but it has so much gorgeous character I just can’t put it down. The color is old gold. The nose explodes with salted caramel, baked apple, figs, fresh walnuts, exotic honey and hints of golden raisins. It doesn’t feel like the sherry was Oloroso, but maybe instead a lighter, fresher style—maybe even an Amontillado or something of that nature, although it doesn’t have any of the funk you get from a Fino cask. On the palate, the malt stands up nicely, offering a bit of dark, roasted fruit, figgy pudding, and fresh, zesty spice. This guy is surprisingly balanced at the high proof, and while the water softens it up, I don’t think it really needs it. Deal of the year and an absolutely crushable single cask.

Neal Fischer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 24, 2021

This isn’t a particularly popular distillery, and many people might balk at the young age statement here, but it would be a mistake to overlook this cask of Scotch. The nose pours forth with ginger brightness, caramel-covered apricots, new leather, and melon. Pleasantly light on the tongue, more notes of leather and orchard fruit come out along with tobacco and tingly spices flowing into a long finish of honey. I recommend adding a few drops of water to this one to bring out flavors of pineapple and peaches & cream.

CRAGGANMORE DISTILLERY

25 Year Old 1995 Old & Rare

1995 vintage single sherry cask bottled 2021. 298 bottles.

Shop Cragganmore 25yo »

Cragganmore 25 Year Old 1995 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Single sherry butt bottled April 2021 by Hunter Laing & Co. for the Old & Rare series. 298 bottles. This burnished gold coloured whisky has a deep, rich, sweet nose of treacle, dried fruits and butterscotch. On the palate it is full bodied with a slight tongue prickle alongside stewed prunes and sultanas, all leading to a long, satisfying finish with a fruity aftertaste.

Cragganmore Distillery in 1869 in the heart of Scotland’s Speyside whisky region. This is a malt whisky distillery equipped with four very short stills and is one of the few Scottish malt whisky distilleries that continues to cool its new spirit in traditional worm tubs. The few distillery bottlings including Cragganmore 12 Year Old and Distillers Edition are well enhanced by those of independent bottlers.

Welcome to this weeks episode of the show in which I’ll be taking a look at a selection of Aberfeldy bottling and talking batch variation!

https://youtu.be/1PDifA5OzGA

Glen Moray unveils the 2008 Manzanilla Finish, Warehouse 1’s final expression for 2021

Glen Moray has today (29^th November) released another Warehouse 1 treasure just in time for Christmas, the 2008 Manzanilla Finish. A stunning example of Warehouse 1’s innovation and experimentation, this very special dram is strictly limited to only 1240 cask-strength bottles.

The Manzanilla Finish celebrates the distilling team’s creativity with a fresh, evocative and luxurious dram. It’s a partnership of river and sea, bringing together the soft Spey water of Glen Moray’s spirit with the slightly sea-salt tang of Manzanilla sherry, which is famously only ever produced along the sea estuary of the Guadalquivir river.

This beautiful whisky opens with sweet ripe pears, green apples and freshly cut grass; perfect for enjoying by the fire right now, but also an ideal companion for the longer, lighter spring nights to come.

Created in the evocative bodegas of Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Cádiz, Manzanilla is the driest of all sherries. Afficionados swear it tastes of the sea, because the unique coastal conditions have a dramatic effect on the flor, as Glen Moray Brand Ambassador Iain Allan notes: ‘As distillers, this notion of ‘place’ is endlessly fascinating, particularly as our home of Speyside is so much a part of the Glen Moray story.

We started to wonder what would happen if we brought Glen Moray spirit and Manzanilla casks together? If Speyside met Cádiz in the barrel, what would the results be? Soft with salt? Citrus with herbaceous? Questions like these can get the team quite animated, to say the least, but only time can ever answer their restless curiosity – and these results have been worth waiting for. This is an exceptional whisky which represents the best of two very different worlds in one unique malt.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Pale gold

Nose: initially very soft, evoking sweet ripe pears, green apples and fresh cut grass. Lively and vibrant, with background hints of camomile tea.

Taste: clean fruit gives way to drier oak spice. A luxurious mouthfeel leads back around to the herbal characteristics first introduced on the nose.

Finish: long, lingering and savoury, with characteristic Manzanilla salt accents.

I’m thrilled that it’s closing out an exceptional year for the relaunched Warehouse 1. But of course, innovation doesn’t take time off for Christmas – we’re already well ahead in planning our 2022 expressions. We can’t wait to share some very special whisky in the year ahead.” 

Glen Moray Warehouse 1 2008 Manzanilla Finish is bottled at cask strength (54.6% ABV), non-chill filtered and with natural colour. It is a UK exclusive, available in 70cl packs in specialist whisky shops, RRP £74.95

www.glenmoray.com

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www.instagram.com/glen_moray_whisky

www.twitter.com/glenmoraydist  

ABOUT GLEN MORAY

Glen Moray is one of Scotland’s best loved single malt whiskies. It has been crafted since 1897 in the ancient town of Elgin, the capital of the Speyside whisky region, on what was once the Elgin West Brewery site on the banks of the River Lossie. Pure waters from the river, locally malted barley, distillation in traditional copper stills and maturation in American ex-bourbon casks combine to give the whisky its smooth, well-balanced, classic Speyside character. Glen Moray has always been a place where curiosity about flavour and cask maturation has been encouraged. Records dating back to the early days show new make spirit maturing in a wide variety of different casks – a highly unusual practice at this time.

A passion for experimentation and a deep knowledge of wood have been passed down through generations of Glen Moray distillers. The result is today’s exceptional and extensive range of whiskies, offering a flavour and style to suit all tastes. Glen Moray is the 5th biggest malt whisky brand by volume in the UK and is growing in international markets.

ABOUT LA MARTINIQUAISE-BARDINET

Founded by Jean Cayard in 1934, La Martiniquaise is an independent French spirits group with a large portfolio of international brands. Headquartered near Paris, the group operates in over 100 countries with 38 subsidiaries and production sites. The Group’s four pillars are Scotch whiskies, ports, brandies, wines, rums and craft spirits from France.  www.la-martiniquaise.com

Winners Announced in 3rd Annual
Scottish Whisky Awards

The winners in the national awards programme for Scotch whisky have been announced following a St Andrews day dinner and celebration held in Glasgow last night.

The 3rd annual Scottish Whisky Awards revealed the winners from its comprehensive competition that included the blind tasting of 200 Scotch whiskies and the assessment of 58 distilleries and whisky producers.

The ultimate award of the night, Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year, sponsored by Bruce Stephenson Insurance Brokers, was presented to Glen Scotia Distillery in Campbeltown.  Part of the Loch Lomond Group, the distillery won praise for its commitment to the community, excellent product development and high-quality standards achieved in a challenging year.  They also collected a Gold Medal and a Silver Medal in two taste categories…

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View Winners

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PEATED RUM CASK
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51.4% ABV

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£75
52.6% ABV

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