A sherry cask is a cask that has been used to mature sherry first, and then used to mature whisky? After all that is the case for bourbon and wine casks.

While this might seem logical this is not the case and the term “sherry cask” is arguably one of the most misleading terms in Scottish whisky.

So if sherry casks have never been used to mature sherry then how do we get the sherry profile on whisky?

In this video Mark Littler explains the history of sherry casks from their first use in the 19th century through to their current use in the industry.

www.marklittler.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYzrmO_vPvY&t=190s

Don’t Miss a Rare Chance at a Glorious Highland Treasure

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)
“This exceptional cask is easily one of the most exciting we’ve come across in ages … it offers depth matched by only the choicest casks we’ve ever purchased.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

This is the kind of K&L Exclusive Cask that keeps our spirits team so diligently on the hunt. The folks at Gordon & MacPhail have done it once again, this time with a collectible masterpiece that should have single-malt aficionados tripping over each other to snag a bottle. The Strathisla distillery in the Highlands is highly coveted and seldom seen bottled on its own in the independent market, as most of the stock gets blended into Chivas. But when collectors get the chance, they know to jump in with both feet. At 24 years old, this refill hogshead is bursting with kaleidoscopic complexity and full of expression. Mature examples like this are as rare as hen’s teeth and show just why they’re so adored. A dizzying and enchanting overall profile makes for “one of the finest malts on the planet” according to Andrew Whiteley, while David Othenin-Girard describes it as “a seamless and simply incomparable experience.” This barrel epitomizes the excellence and rarity that define our Exclusive Cask program, and Scotch fans everywhere should take full advantage of the opportunity to own one of the world’s great whiskies at what amounts to a relative steal.

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)

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: March 04, 2022

Strathisla comes into its full glory when it’s allowed to stretch its legs and reach full maturity. Unfortunately for lovers of single malt, the vast majority of the picturesque distillery’s spirit finds its way into Chivas long before it develops into one of the finest malts on the planet. Gordon & MacPhail, thanks to their deep roots in the independent bottling world, has the best selection of this magical little distillery’s whisky in their warehouses, destined for single malt glory. Here we have a cask as picture-perfect as a postcard. Bottled at 24 years old and an ABV of 57.3%, this refill American hogshead is laden with developed fruit and candied cereals. The nose is zesty and sweet like an apple pie and a lemon meringue combined into one hedonistic dessert. Faint whiffs of tropical fruits are interspersed between the fresh malt and candy-coated barley aromas. The palate is a bit piquant at full throttle, but a few drops of water and the beast really shows its beauty. It stretches into a soft and harmonious palate ranging from baking spice, flaky pastry crust, and ripe stone fruits on down the line to almond kernel, vanilla, butterscotch, and hot caramel. If you’ve ever had the fortune to experience Strathisla on its own, you’ll know how compelling the malt can be. If you haven’t had it before, you might as well start here at the top.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: March 10, 2022

This exceptional cask is easily one of the most exciting we’ve come across in ages. Yes it’s expensive, but it represents a style that is basically completely unavailable in the modern Scotch market. Strathisla is an exceptional distillery, and it’s no surprise that we’ve never yet imported a cask from any of our suppliers. The owners simply won’t let go of this prized juice, but our friends at G&M have the hook up. Aged for nearly two and a half decades in top-quality wood, and it’s very easy to see why it’s so coveted. No, it’s not some sort of sherry bomb or super-intense peater, but it offers depth matched by only the choicest casks we’ve ever purchased. With only 177 bottles in existence, there’s no question that the real malt lovers will fall in love with this product and snatch it up before we know it. Let’s have a taste. The color is a distinctive, deep gold. The nose offers a precise and robust attack of raw manuka honey, freshly snipped heather, sweet candied lemon peel, and wild herbs. On the palate, it’s creamy and waxy—a slight resemblance to the fabulous Clynelish—with sweet citrus and wild tropical fruits (guava, mango, lychee) that linger for many minutes during the finish. With water, an incredible mineral character emerges, adding to the citrus tones. Like the finest GG Riesling in the glass and now more chocolate on the palate as well. A seamless and simply incomparable experience that will be so familiar and inviting to many of the long-time malt drinkers, but likely a totally new experience for many others. There’s simply not a lot of malt out there like this one any longer. Invigorating in every sense of the word.

CELEBRATING DISTILLERY 150:
IRISH WEEK FRI 11–THU 17 MARCH

HAPPY 150TH

March has arrived and with it, the promise of spring and longer days. The first shoots and flowers provide much needed comfort after the long darkness.

This month also brings celebration, as the Society presents its landmark 150^th distillery bottling to members – and the whiskey is exceptional. More details to follow next week, in the meantime we’ve selected some lucky green bottlings from two contrasting flavour profiles to kickstart our Irish Week. Enjoy three new casks from Juicy, Oak & Vanilla, our flavour profile of the month, alongside our selection of Spicy & Dry whiskies for an aromatic alternative.

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

ralfy review 918 – Bowmore 15yo @ 43%vol (2022)

Crabbie launch 22 Years Old Orkney Single Cask Expression with Palo Cortado finish

Historic Edinburgh whisky producers John Crabbie & Co have today (7^th March) unveiled a new single cask bottling of 22 Years Old Orkney Single Malt Whisky, finished for extraordinary flavour in a rare Palo Cortado sherry cask.

Just 253 bottles of this special new dram are being released under the signature of renowned master blender Dr Kirstie McCallum, who took charge of the Crabbie’s whisky portfolio last year.

After spending 21 years in ex-bourbon casks, this peated Orkney single malt was transferred to a highly coveted Palo Cortado sherry cask, hand selected by Dr Kirstie, before being left to rest for a final six months at Crabbie’s warehouse in Edinburgh’s port of Leith area.

Tasting notes

Colour: bright gold.

Nose: hints of raisins, dried fruit, vanilla fudge and berries, balanced with peppery smoke.

Taste: layers of sweet berries and cream, with soft coffee caramel toffee. Dried fruit develops to a sweet, balanced peppered smokiness, with hints of dark chocolate and coffee.

Finish: long, lingering and smoky.

Bottled at 47.5%, the influence of this unusual sherry – described as Amontillado on the nose and Oloroso on the mouth – gives a wonderfully complex and rounded quality to the spicey smokiness of the finished whisky.

A nose of dried fruit, vanilla fudge, forest berries and a hint of peppery smoke lead to flavours of sweet berries and cream, caramel toffee, dried fruit and hints of dark chocolate and coffee, followed by a long, smoky finish.

This exclusive new bottling continues Crabbie’s legacy of whisky innovation and excellence, with the new expression being hailed as a rare treat for whisky fans. Dr Kirstie commented: ‘This beautiful, single cask Orkney single malt is a very special whisky, an unusual coming together of the wonderfully smoky flavours of the original bourbon-matured dram with so much depth and richness from one of the world’s rarest and most coveted sherries. And with only a few hundred bottles going on sale, I’m sure it will delight for drinkers looking for something special to enjoy.’

‘It gives me enormous pride to be continuing the founder’s legacy: of producing unique, unexpected and great quality whiskies for everyone to enjoy.’

With over 200 years of whisky expertise behind them, the modern day Crabbie team continue founder John Crabbie’s quest to seek out the finest, most interesting and eclectic Scotch whiskies to finish and bottle under his mark. Investment by parent company Halewood International in Crabbie’s new Bonnington Distillery has given fresh impetus to this pioneering Scottish brand, as they prepare to add their own whiskies to the range – distilled, matured and bottled in Leith, and set to launch this year.

Crabbie 22 Years Old Orkney Single Malt is bottled at 47.5% and is non-chill filtered with natural colour. It is available from Whisky Exchange and whisky-online with an RRP of £175.

crabbiewhisky.com

Instagram @john_crabbie_co

Twitter @crabbieswhisky

About Halewood Artisanal Spirits (www.halewood-int.com)

For all the latest news and launches:

Instagram:  @halewood_artisanal_spirits

Twitter: @HalewoodIntern1

Facebook: @HalewoodArtisanalSpirits

LinkedIn: Halewood Artisanal Spirits

Halewood Artisanal Spirits is an award-winning UK-based craft distiller. Its premium gin brands include Whitley Neill Gin, City of London Gin, Marylebone Gin and Liverpool Gin.  Halewood also has a strong portfolio of other high growth premium sprits, including Dead Man’s Fingers spiced rum, J. J. Whitley Russian Vodka, Samuel Gelston’s Irish Whiskey and Crabbie Whisky.

The business operates 10 artisanal distilleries across the UK, Russia and South Africa including:  The City of London Distillery (the home of Whitley Neill Gin), The Liverpool Gin Distillery, Crabbie Distillery in Edinburgh, Aber Falls Distillery in North Wales, Bankhall Distillery in Blackpool, The Bristol & Bath Rum Distillery, Belgravia Distillery in South Africa and JJ Whitley in Russia. The company also operates the Hawkshead Brewery in Cumbria.

Evan Williams American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund Opens 2022 Grant Applications

Bardstown, Ky. – The Evan Williams American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund application period for the 2022 Veteran Community Action grants is now open. Eligible nonprofits that serve the veteran community can apply now through April 1, 2022 for the one-time grants.

As an American-made and American-owned Bourbon, Evan Williams is proud to support U.S. military veterans through the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund. First established in 2020, the fund continues the brand’s support of veteran communities since launching the Evan Williams American-Made Heroes program and limited-edition label in 2015. To date, Evan Williams has recognized 42 veteran heroes on its American Hero Edition bottles and donated $450,000 to nonprofits. For the third consecutive year through the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund, Evan Williams will be donating up to $75,000 to veteran causes with each grant totaling between $4,000 to $6,000.

The purpose of the foundation is to provide a platform for sharing inspiring veteran stories, raising public awareness for causes impacting the veteran community, and supporting nonprofit organizations that help veterans and their families through a specialized grant program. To learn more about the organizations eligible for support, or to apply for a Veteran Community Action grant, visit https://american-madeheroes.com/grant.php.

ABOUT EVAN WILLIAMS: The flagship Bourbon of Heaven Hill Distillery, Evan Williams is among the leaders in the rapidly growing American Whiskey segment as the world’s second largest-selling Bourbon. Evan Williams is a proud sponsor of Major League Baseball and the World Series, first forming a partnership with the national pastime in 2016. As an American-made and American-owned brand, Evan Williams has recognized true American heroes through their exceptional stories of honor and bravery on special edition American-Made Hero labels for the past seven years, now supported by the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund. The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience (www.EvanWilliamsBourbonExperience.com) celebrates the legacy of Evan Williams through an immersive visitor’s center experience which brings to life the history and tradition of Kentucky’s native spirit as an official stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

The monthly auction is now live over at Whisky.Auction, with more than 1200 lots, and it’s a bit of a Johnnie Walker bonanza including six Directors Blends never available at retail. Read on to find out more.

The auction is currently live, ending from 7.30pm on Tuesday 15^th March 2022.

Lots for Johnnie Walker fans…

Starting with the awesome Johnnie Walker Excelsior. This is one of JW’s rarest releases and only appears at auction once in a blue moon. It was made with whiskies distilled in 1947 and matured for around 50 years before it was bottled in 1997

Twelve years later Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Old Centenary Edition was released in 2009 to commemorate 100 years of Black Label, first created in 1909.

Six Johnnie Walker Directors Blends from 2009 through to 2013 are all in good condition and with impeccable provenance. This is a rare chance to snap up all of these beautiful blends which were never available at retail, instead being given only to esteemed friends of Johnnie Walker.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare is a one of eight limited editions in a series that explored the flavour and characteristics from closed, or ‘ghost’, distilleries. This special variation includes malt from Port Ellen and grain from Carsebridge and Caledonian, all lost ghost distilleries.

One for the uber collector, there’s a Johnnie Walker Premier which was released for the Asian market and also includes whiskies from closed distilleries in the blend. This one is in excellent condition and comes with a numbered certificate

We do love a blend…

We love great Old Blends at Whisky.Auction, even when usually the focus is on single malts, so here are four superb examples all dating from the 1950s to 1960s:

• The iconic Buchanan’s Black & White, sealed with a spring cap
• Dewar’s Ancestor, bottled in the 1960s
• Ainslie’s King’s Legend, from the owners of Clynelish/Brora, bottled in the 1950s to 1960s
• Finally the ubiquitous Dimple, a great dram which can be picked up for a snip at auction

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 433: Nc’nean Quiet Rebels Annabel

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries another Nc’nean. I think you can safely say that Mark is a fan of Nc’nean. He’s tasted the first ten batches and it’s become a bit of a daily sipper for him. So accessible and pleasantly priced that he can drink it daily without any problems. But they recently launched the so-called Quiet Rebels series – an ode to the distillery’s employees, each time vatting something special – and start with the distillery’s leading lady: Annabel Thomas. In addition to the classic bourbon and STR casks, she now also chose  Tokaji and sherry casks. Tokaji is the oldest type of wine made in Hungary. Mark was very excited to try this.

https://youtu.be/svOsCOCJK5U