BARTON 1792 BOURBONS WIN FIVE GOLD MEDALS

AT 2021 INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS CHALLENGE

Ten Distillery Whiskeys Receive Medals

             BARDSTOWN, Ky (Aug. 31, 2021) – Judges awarded a total of 10 medals to whiskeys from Barton 1792 Distillery at the 2021 International Spirits Challenge (ISC), including five Gold medals for products in the Distillery’s growing bourbon lineup. Products were scored during 12 days of blind tastings where panels of experienced judges evaluated aroma, appearance, taste and finish. Five Silver medals were also awarded.

Gold Medals:

• 1792 Small Batch
• 1792 Single Barrel
• 1792 Bottled in Bond
• 1792 Full Proof
• Thomas S. Moore Chardonnay Finished

 Silver Medals:

• 1792 Aged 12 Years
• Thomas S. Moore Port Finished
• Thomas S. Moore Cabernet Sauvignon Finished
• Early Times Bottled in Bond
• Early Times Kentucky Whiskey

For a full list of results from the 2021 International Spirits Challenge, visit https://www.internationalspiritschallenge.com/live/en/page/isc-2021-winners.

About Barton 1792 Distillery

Barton 1792 Distillery is part of Barton Brands.  Barton Brands has facilities in Bardstown, Ky., Carson, Calif., and Baltimore, Md. Barton Brands is owned by the Sazerac Company, an American family-owned company based in New Orleans, La. Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” The Distillery is located on 196 acres and includes 28 warehouses, 22 other buildings, the Morton Spring and the Tom Moore Spring.  Distilling, aging and bottling fine Bourbon whiskey are hallmarks of the historic Barton 1792 Distillery. 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is produced at Barton 1792 Distillery, and is named for the year Kentucky became a state. The Distillery has garnered a number of prestigious awards for its whiskies, including its 1792 Full Proof, which was named the World Whiskey of the Year for 2020.  To learn more visit www.1792bourbon.com.

A. SMITH BOWMAN DISTILLERY RECEIVES TWO GOLD MEDALS AT 2021 INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS CHALLENGE 

FREDERICKSBURG, VA (Sep. 1, 2021) – Four spirits from A. Smith Bowman Distillery received medals at the 2021 International Spirits Challenge (ISC), including two Gold medals for top quality bourbons.

John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Bowman Brothers Small Batch Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey took home Gold medals from the competition, which took place in the United Kingdom. Both products also received Gold in the 2020 ISC.

Silver Medal winners included Isaac Bowman Port Finished Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Deep Run Small Batch Vodka.

“We were thrilled when we received the results,” said Master Distiller Brian Prewitt. “It’s great to know that our hard work has once again been recognized.”

Judging panels at the 2021 ISC were made up of industry professionals who evaluated products’ aroma, appearance, taste and finish during 12 days of blind tastings. For a full list of results from this year’s competition, visit https://www.internationalspiritschallenge.com/live/en/page/isc-2021-winners.

About A. Smith Bowman

A. Smith Bowman’s distilling roots date back to the years before Prohibition when the

Bowman family had a granary and dairy farm in Sunset Hills, Virginia. They used excess grain

from the family estate to distill spirits. In 1934, after the Repeal of Prohibition, Abram Smith Bowman and his sons continued the family tradition and built a more modern distillery in Fairfax County, Virginia called Sunset Hills Farm.  The Distillery was moved in 1988 and is now nestled in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.

As a small and privately owned company, A. Smith Bowman Distillery continues the time-honored traditions on which it was founded. Considered a micro-distillery by today’s standards, A. Smith Bowman produces an assortment of hand-crafted spirits distilled from only the finest natural ingredients and using the latest technology. This micro-distillery focuses on the production of premium spirits honoring the legacy of Virginia’s first settlers. As Virginia’s oldest and most award-winning distillery, its various brands have earned numerous prestigious awards over the years, including John J. Bowman Single Barrel, which was named America’s Best Non-Kentucky Single Barrel Bourbon at the 2020 American World Whiskies Awards. For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit www.asmithbowman.com.

Scotch Whisky Auctions are on the road again!

Please see below for our October 2021 schedule. To register your interest in a collection please complete the form which can be found here. Please note home collections are available to those customers sending 10+ bottles or bottles to the value of £1000 and above. Please get in touch if your area is not listed below but you would like a home collection. We will do our best to accommodate all requests.

Collections are limited and by appointment only. If you would like to attend please complete the form which can be found here. Please note dead lines apply for collection requests.

In a bid to adhere to social distancing guidelines it would be appreciated if bottles could be packed for uplift with the submission form and label completed.

A winner in our auction? We are now offering a delivery (to collection point) service to customers who are dropping bottles off for a future auction. This service is charged at £12 (inc VAT), optional loss and breakage cover is available.

Submission Form & Label

Kentucky Distillers’ Association Unveils New Brand to Celebrate Kentucky’s Legacy as the World’s Authority on Bourbon

FRANKFORT, Ky. — With all eyes on Kentucky during Bourbon Heritage Month, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association today unveiled a new brand that ensures the state’s unrivaled legacy in Bourbon only grows deeper.

The new “Kentucky Bourbon” brand and its official slogan, “The Proof Is Here®,” builds on the unparalleled, centuries-old reputation of the Commonwealth’s signature spirit and strengthens Kentucky’s position as the world’s official authority on all things Bourbon.

“Throughout time, there are certain brands that are inextricably linked with their homeplaces,” KDA President Eric Gregory said. “Georgia peaches. California raisins. Maine lobsters. Kentucky is the birthplace of Bourbon, synonymous with whiskey excellence and elegance, and that will never change.”

The “Kentucky Bourbon” identity offers a fresh take on the Commonwealth’s $8.6 billion homegrown industry that is hailed around the world for its time-honored traditions and incomparable craftsmanship. Features include a new logo, website and digital campaigns to reach both consumers and industry audiences.

The new kybourbon.com website invites enthusiasts to explore and celebrate Kentucky Bourbon, learn the basics, try recipes and food pairings, dive deep into its rich history and read stories about everything related to America’s only native spirit from a diverse perspective.

The blue in the flagship logo is based on the color of the Kentucky flag, Gregory said. The flag also features the state’s official motto – United We Stand, Divided We Fall – which was a founding principle when the KDA was created in 1880 by early distilling pioneers who championed unity and camaraderie.

Distillers, the media and other associated businesses benefit from the industry side of the site, which highlights economic impact, advocacy efforts, the growing KDA membership, responsibility and sustainability initiatives, the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® and more.

“People love Bourbon and their fascination is only getting deeper. Millions of visitors to the world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tour have shown us that,” said Pauline Rooney, Chairwoman of the KDA’s Board of Directors and Vice President of Distillation and Maturation for Diageo North America.

“But visiting Kentucky’s iconic distilleries is only the beginning. The experiences, culture and lifestyle of it all tell a story far greater than just what’s in your glass — and that’s what Kentucky Bourbon is all about.”

Chris Morris, the Hall of Fame Master Distiller for Brown-Forman and Secretary-Treasurer of the KDA Board, said, “While Bourbon can technically be made anywhere in the United States, any Bourbon lover will tell you it’s just not Bourbon unless it’s made in Kentucky.

“This brand will drive Kentucky’s stake in the global whiskey industry even deeper, reminding the world that there is only one true and authentic home of Bourbon,” he said. “It’s a tremendous milestone for our members, business partners, families and friends.”

Bourbon is a cherished economic and tourism engine in Kentucky, generating more than 20,100 jobs with $1 billion in payroll. The Commonwealth has more aging barrels of Bourbon and other spirits than any other state in the Union. Global exports have historically surpassed more than $500 million a year.

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® experiences hosted nearly six million tours over the past five years with total attendance in 2019 at nearly two million, the highest number since KDA founded the KBT™ tour in 1999.

Louisville Tourism President and CEO Cleo Battle attested to the impact Bourbon tourism has had on establishing Kentucky as a brand destination.

“Since Louisville leaned into its Bourbon heritage over a decade ago, the city has enjoyed explosive growth in distillery experiences, international brand recognition and a record number of visitation in 2019,” he said. “I applaud the effort to keep the world spotlight on our shared treasured asset of Kentucky Bourbon.”

Amir Peay, owner of James E. Pepper Distillery in Lexington, said when people hear the word Bourbon, it is not a coincidence that they automatically think of Kentucky.

“Kentucky is not only the birthplace of Bourbon, but for hundreds of years the art of making fine Bourbon has been perfected in Kentucky and that wisdom, craft and pride has been ingrained in the people and culture who make it there every day,” Peay said.

“This brand will reinforce for the world the quality, provenance, history and authenticity of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and the depth of meaning that lies within those four words.”

To create and develop the brand, the KDA engaged an entirely Kentucky-based, multi-disciplinary team that integrated their various expertise with decades of industry knowledge to ensure that the story of Kentucky Bourbon would be told in the most authentic way.

The team included marketing agency Balance Creative, branding and design house Onefold Creative, marketing and copywriting company Squiggl, digital identity outfit Mediocre Creative, digital marketing firm McBrayer Digital and social media consultant Brand Vixen.

David Caldwell, Principal Partner of Balance Creative — and project manager for the new brand — drew on nearly 15 years of work with the KDA as the team collaborated to certify Kentucky’s amber nectar as the world’s preferred Bourbon.

“It’s been astounding to see what the KDA and its members have accomplished,” Caldwell said.

“Kentucky Bourbon has an extraordinary legacy of quality products, storied tradition, venerable lore and colorful characters. The exciting part is the world has only heard a small part of that success, and we are thrilled to be part of the team welcoming all to Kentucky Bourbon and sharing that story.”

KDA President Gregory said the six-figure campaign will bring the Kentucky Bourbon brand to life by building a global community of ambassadors and advocates through social media and digital platforms, along with the broad reach of its member brands.

“Above all, Kentucky Bourbon is about bringing people together and sharing in the celebration,” he said. “The culture, lifestyle and community that’s been built is truly remarkable — and we can’t wait to share it with the world.”

To find out why The Proof is Here® visit kybourbon.com.

Follow Kentucky Bourbon on Facebook and Instagram.

Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is the legendary voice for Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. Its diverse and growing membership produces the overwhelming majority of the world’s Bourbon, from historic, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are fostering the next generation of the Commonwealth’s landmark economic engine and its thriving, timeless craft. Member benefits include media relations, international trade development, private sampling events, technical assistance, economic development support, networking, legal defense, marketing strategies, governmental and regulatory advocacy and innovative tourism experiences through the KDA’s world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® adventures. A 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, the KDA maintains an open membership policy, champions a strong commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage drinking and drunk driving. Learn more at www.kybourbon.com and www.kybourbontrail.com 

KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL CRAFT TOUR®, KENTUCKY BOURBON AFFAIR™, KBT®, BOURBON TRAIL™ and KENTUCKY BOURBON HALL OF FAME® are trademarks/service marks of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. Make It Memorable – Enjoy Responsibly

NEW ZEALAND 1988 SINGLE CASK

A rare single-cask release from closed New Zealand distillery Willowbank – the world’s southernmost distillery until its destruction in the late 1990s. Distilled in 1988 and bottled in 2017 exclusively for The Whisky Exchange, this is a rich, well-aged dram with all the fruity intricacy and deep-rooted wood influence one might expect from a whisky on the brink of its third decade. A fine, one-off bottling that won’t be around for long.

An exceptionally rare single malt from the long lost Willowbank distillery. For many years, the site on New Zealand’s South Island was the southernmost distillery in the world. It was mothballed in 1997 and its stills were shipped to Fiji where they embarked on a new life making rum. This single cask shows perfectly what Willowbank was all about – intense tropical fruit and an old-school waxiness on the palate.

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Bunnahabhain Aonadh

A marriage made in heaven between port finished and sherry matured Bunna whisky. Each of these are brought together after their respective slumbers and form this one-of-a-kind dram. Limited to 14,088 bottles, this was filled into casks on the 7th of February 2011, and matured at Bunnahabhain’s coastal warehouses for a decade. All the creamy, spicy sweetness you’d expect from Bunnahabhain!

Introducing: ‘Aonadh’! This 10-year-old single malt from Bunnahabhain is a marriage made in heaven between port finished and sherry matured Bunnahabhain whisky. Each of these are brought together after their respective slumbers and form this one-of-a-kind dram. Limited to 14,088 bottles, this was filled into casks on the 7th of February 2011, and matured in full at Bunnahabhain’s coastal warehouses.

Our top tip: expect to hear whispers of the sea from this auburn-coloured expression.

HAMISH SAYS

£120
Buy Now → 

North Star Spirits

Cask Series 015 & 016 has arrived from North Star Spirits and once again we’ve been treated to some stellar drams. We’ve listed a few below and as ever stock is limited and selling quick, so if you’re looking to pick up a bottle or two, head over to the site for more info.

If you have any questions, queries or just fancy a chat, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via enquiries@abbeywhisky.com

Slàinte

Abbey Whisky

ralfy review 896 Extras – Vote for your choices at the OSWA’s

Diageo Special Releases 2021 – Legends Untold

While the past year has been a strange one, there are some things that have rolled on barely affected. One of those is the yearly Diageo Special Releases. They popped up on time in 2020 and now they’re here again. While the make-up of this year’s eight-bottle range has been known since early in the year, we can now finally reveal more about the whiskies, the range and what it’s all about. Presenting the Diageo Special Releases 2021 – Legends Untold.

The Story of the Special Releases

For those of you haven’t encountered this yearly release of limited–edition drams, you can find out all about them in my What are the Diageo Special Releases article. In short, it’s a collection of whiskies that has appeared each year since 2002 (after a smaller release in 2001), and which has slowly evolved into a showcase of lesser-known distilleries in Diageo’s portfolio – they own more distilleries in Scotland than any other whisky maker – as well as new takes on more familiar names.

The past few years have seen some major changes in both the make-up of the collection and its intention, The Prima and Ultima range has taken on the role of super-high-end-whisky showcase, leaving the Special Releases as a more accessible way to get your hands on some very special drams from Scotland’s biggest whisky maker.

Legends Untold

After the slightly less focused releases of the past couple of years, 2021’s Special Releases are much more unified in purpose – they are there to tell stories. Alongside the whiskies themselves, which we’ll get on to in a minute, they have also created a multimedia experience to accompany each dram. Scan the QR code on the back of each box or tube with your phone, and you’ll be confronted with an augmented-reality experience that invites you to pop your dram on the table and listen to stories, as read by Scottish actors Lorne MacFadyen and SIobhan Redmond, and accompanied by imagery from acclaimed digital artist Ken Taylor:

The Whisky

The overall line-up is very much a continuation on from the past couple of years. The Port Ellen and Brora of earlier releases are still gone – very much now part of the new Prima and Ultima Collection – and the unpeated Caol Ila that used to be a cornerstone of the Special Releases has not returned.

We do have the Talisker 8 Year Old that has become a new fixture, as well as the most stalwart of SR entries: Lagavulin 12 Year Old. Along with those we have six whiskies which look at two specific aspects of Diageo’s whiskies: what if you strip cask-forward whiskies back to their raw components, and what if you add layers of cask character on top of things that are usually a little more naked?

Royal Lochnagar 16 Year Old, 57.5% ABV, £199

I decided to kick off with the Royal Lochnagar for a couple of reasons. Not only is it a favourite distillery of mine, but it’s also not been that common to see it as part of the Special Releases. On top of that, it was the most standard of all the maturations in this year’s range – refill European and American oak, the classic mix of sherry and bourbon casks. This is definitely a whisky where they’re not trying anything weird and wonderful and are just showing what the distillery does best.

Nose: Crisp apples and crunchy pears, with a surrounding blanket of green grass and meadow flowers. Gentle mint cream notes are joined by white grapes, sweet sultanas and touches of beeswax polished oak. White melon, fragrant oak, candy bracelets and stewed apple notes develop.

Palate: Thick and buttery pie filling to start – sharp apples with mint springs. Oak and lemon peel are followed by sultanas and sponge cake. Sharp apple is balanced by candied almonds, and buttery frangipane. Floral notes build as it sits: honeysuckle and violet.

Finish: Green leaves, mint creams, butter mints and damp grass.

Comment: The sherry casks are dialled back, giving a touch of sticky fruit, while the bourbon casks allow the grassy and fruity Royal Lochnagar spirit to shine.

Preorder Royal Lochnagar 16yo >

Singleton of Glendullan 19 Year Old, 54.6% ABV, £135

Moving on, we hit the first of the stunt casks – while this Glendullan has started off in refill American oak, it has been finished in Cognac casks. This is not a particularly common choice of cask in Scotland and even less common in Diageo’s warehouses – they might have every sort of cask under the sun hiding away, but they rarely let Cognac casks out.

Glendullan is still not that often seen outside of the USA, but its normal fragrant and floral character is very well suited to refill casks, and a Cognac finish shouldn’t overwhelm it.

Nose: Candied fruit, sharp apples and buttered pastry – a part-baked pie with a dusting of sugar. Fruity jelly – orange and lemon – is joined by spiced pear, lemon drizzle cake, sultanas and muscat grapes. Lemon madeleines, trail-mix fruit vanilla cream, and oatmeal and raisin cookies follow.

Palate: Sweet, butter-rich caramel sauce leads to sultana-studded fruit sponge cake, polished oak and soft baking spice. Mint cream builds, followed by fruit: fresh, baked and puréed apple, a touch of brown banana and poached pear. Brown-butter toffee-studded cookies and green leaves sneak in at the end.

Comment: The sponge cake notes I often find overpowering in Cognac finishes are very well controlled here, adding a sweet and candied dimension to the fruity Glendullan spirit.

Preorder Glendullan 19yo >

Oban 12 Year Old, 56.2% ABV, £105

While it’s massive in the USA, other than its regular 14-year-old and Distillers Edition, we don’t see a lot of Oban. It’s been an occasional part of the Special Releases, but other than that, it’s rare to see a new expression, especially as it almost never appears as an independent bottling – Diageo guard their stocks very carefully.

I originally popped this into my tasting line-up a bit later, but on rereading the casks used I realised that ‘freshly charred American oak’ didn’t mean new casks, but instead rejuvenated casks – old casks that have been stripped of their inside layer and recharred to give them new life. They don’t have the oomph of virgin oak, and I moved it back a bit, hoping for something that showcases the Oban character more than a new cask might.

Nose: Butterscotch, browning leaves, orange zest and touches of treacle to begin. Butter toffees and stewed apple are followed by incense touches. The butter notes sit at the heart while balanced citrus pith and peel, and a grind of black pepper fill in the around the edges.

Palate: An immediate hit of sweet orange and lemon is drenched in toffee sauce. Salt and pepper touches sit alongside sharp apple and buttered fruit loaf. Spice builds – black pepper and a tingle of cinnamon. Fruity jelly – apple and pear – is hit with a squeeze of lime, a touch of cask char and a drizzle of salted caramel.

Finish: Butter toffee and salted caramel linger, fading to reveal candied lemons.

Comment: A dive into the heart of what makes Oban tick – orange-forward citrus notes, a hint of smoky char and lots of sea spray. Generally the brininess is more restrained, but here it’s amplified and perfectly balanced by the sweet and fruit notes.

Preorder Oban 12yo >

Mortlach 13 Year Old, 55.9% ABV, £135

Within Diageo’s portfolio, Mortlach has one major aspect that separates it from the rest: it’s all about sherry casks. The 12-year-old has a bit of American oak in its make up, but the other bottles in the distillery’s range are focused around rich sherry-matured flavours, which pair up well with Mortlach’s meaty spirit.

This whisky, however, is the exact opposite, stripped back and focused on virgin oak and refill casks. It could be a bit of a shock for traditional Mortlach fans, but as my favourite whisky from the distillery is the now-discontinued  (and probably sold out – there wasn’t much of it) 100% bourbon-cask Mortlach 25 Year Old, I am intrigued.

Nose: Brown-sugar-dusted oatmeal cookies, gingery spice and fruity boiled sweets. Nutty notes develop, along with toffee, caramel sauce and a wisp of wood smoke. Floral notes float around, accompanied by digestive biscuits.

Palate: Nut brittle, candied lemons and vanilla cream, all accompanied by chocolate sauce and hints of raisin jam. Spice builds along with some darker oak notes, brown sugar and custard. Baked apples and pears bring up the rear.

Finish: Vanilla cream and apple sauce is followed by building and lingering spice.

Comment: Even with the sherry stripped out, Mortlach is a still a bit of beast. Meaty spirit with loads of weight and some well-balanced creamy cask character.

Preorder Mortlach 13yo >

Cardhu 14 Year Old, 55.5% ABV, £115

Cardhu gets a lot of stick in the whisky geek community. While some of that is from the ‘Pure Malt’ debacle of more than a decade (have a Google if you are interested in the wonders of categorisation and consumer confusion) it is also a soft and easy-drinking drinking whisky, something that is the opposite of what many more geeky drinkers are looking for. However, it continues to go from strength to strength, and has now broken out of its Mediterranean heartlands of popularity and turned its eyes to the rest of the world.

Despite that, it is still a very safe whisky – mixtures of bourbon- and sherry-matured spirit combined to create stereotypically sweet and spicy Speyside drams. This release, however, adds in something that is rare in the Diageo line-up: a red-wine finish. I am famously not the biggest fan of red-wine-matured whiskies, and have enjoyed the more recent distillate-focused Cardhu Special Releases, but series curator Craig Wilson is usually thankfully restrained when using finishes…

Nose: Pear, Danish butter cookies and warm baking spice to start. Buttery notes build – a classic of wine casks for me – joined by berry fruit, cream and even more spice. White fruit notes develop – melon and grape – as well as soft floral notes and candied-peel-studded fruit loaf.

Palate: Sweet white grape and vanilla cream lead, with contrasting warming cinnamon spice. Black-pepper notes develop along with ripe pear, gentle char and stewed apple. Grape and raisin-jam notes build, with a bucket of spiced apple and toffee sauce on the side.

Finish: Apples and pear with a touch of char. Lingering cinnamon spice.

Comment: Craig Wilson has used his wine casks well – this is definitely Cardhu, but its classic Speyside sweet-and-spiciness has had a surprisingly elegant blanket of fruit and spice draped over it. A rare red-wine cask that I can appreciate.

Preorder Cardhu 14yo >

Talisker 8 Year Old, 59.7% ABV, £89.95

While we can lament the loss of the yearly Caol Ila Highland bottling in the Special Releases, its replacement by eight-year-old Talisker is something that we can’t complain about. This the third release as part of the Special Releases and they’ve all shown different aspects of the Skye distillery’s salt-and-pepper, smoky, maritime style.

The maturation is described very simply here as ‘heavily peated refill casks’. I’m very pleased I had a chat with ambassador Ewan Gunn before diving into writing up the range, as this is not a whisky matured in casks that once held heavily peated whisky, as that suggests. Instead, Craig Wilson and the blending team took a parcel of Talisker casks and tested the phenol levels in the matured spirit, choosing only those with the highest readings – the smokiest casks – for this release. Talisker with dialled up smokiness? Count me in.

Nose: Rich and briny smoke bursts out of the glass: beach bonfires and buttery biscuits. Austere mineral and gravel notes are contrasted by puréed orchard fruit; fresh salt-and-pepper sea breezes are set against rich and earthy peat smoke. Barley sugar and fruit jelly notes develop, joined by damp green ferns.

Palate: A burst of sweetness pulls back to reveal intense smoke, liquorice and anise. Chocolate, spice and damp earth build, with the chocolate notes becoming creamy as salted caramel and green, leafy notes also develop.

Finish: Sea breezes and beach bonfires, just as at the start of the nose – full circle. Sweet apple sauce and a touch of crashing wave lingers.

Comment: This does exactly what it says on the tin – lashings of smoke and all the seaside Talisker character you could want. A stepping stone to the Islay distilleries’ bigger smoke, but well integrated with the salt-and-pepper spiciness of Talisker’s spirit.

Preorder Talisker 8yo >

Lagavulin 12 Year Old 56.5% ABV, £128

This cornerstone of the Special Releases, appearing in every line-up since the first full release in 2002. The annual release originally shocked by showing Lagavulin 16 Year Old’s rich and dark smoke wasn’t the limit of the distillery’s powers, instead pushing a fresher, sea-drenched style. While we now have the punchy ongoing 8-year-old to keep us going between Special Releases, it’s still a must-have for Lagavulin fans.

It’s all very simply put together: 12-year-old, cask-strength Lagavulin from refill American oak casks. Do we need anything more complicated?

Nose: Singed lemon zest, lemon biscuits and lemon drizzle cake – lots of lemons. Sea breezes build along with medicinal peat and a touch of barbecued meat – smoky beef brisket with a sweet glaze. The medicinal notes build, and the smoke splits, sweetening on one hand and getting quite green on the other – burning leaves by the barbecue pit.

Palate: The candied lemons from the nose are joined by liquorice and a big burst of brine. Peppery spice pushes through the middle mellowed by a touch of butteriness. Chocolate limes, leather satchels, spiced orange studded with cloves and barrel char notes follow.

Finish: Earthly smoke, sweet mint and chocolate touches.

Comment: I thought it might be just me, but Ewan Gunn agreed – this is the most Caol Ila-y Lagavulin we’ve both tried in a while. The chocolate-lime notes are classic Caol Ila for me, but it’s backed up by the Lagavulin meatiness and crashing waves. A well selected Lagavulin that ticks even more Islay-spirit boxes than usual.

Preorder Lagavulin 12yo >

Lagavulin 26 Year Old, 44.2% ABV, £1,650

It wouldn’t be a Special Releases line-up without at least one big hitter – a 26-year-old Lagavulin you say? Matured solely in first-fill oloroso and PX sherry casks? Well, okay then.

There aren’t that many spirits which can hold up to two-and-a-half decades of big sherry maturation without losing their identity, but I have lots of hope for Lagavulin – it works well with sherry and is good at turning casks to its will rather than the other way around.

Nose: Sweet peat, tarry ropes and bung cloth. Singed apples and pineapples hide under the smokiness, with a touch of fresh and zingy mint and menthol. Then it’s time to dive into sherry-cask fruit, with sultanas leading to stewed plums and surprisingly gentle notes of dark fruitcake. Layers of spice build: nutmeg, cinnamon and clove.

Palate: Soft and fruity barbecued apples and grilled pineapple, all backed up by soft cinnamon spice, mint and bubble tar. Sweet pink shrimp sweets and liquorice are followed by black pepper spiciness, a touch of bitter barrel char and lashings of sweet baked apples.

Finish: Smoky barbecued fruit, hints of tar and lingering spice.

Comment: You can call this as a Lagavulin even before your nose gets to the glass. The casks have added their dark and fruity character, but other than allowing the distillery’s punchiness to soften, they have in no way masked the classic Lagavulin feistiness. Evidence that first-fill sherry casks don’t have to create sherry monsters, even with 26 years in wood.

Preorder Lagavulin 26yo >

How do I get hold of them?

We expect the whiskies to land in mid-to-late October and they are available to pre-order now – just head to our Diageo Special Releases 2021 page, click through and order away.

If you want to see what’s happened in previous years, we’ve got details and tasting notes for all the releases since 2008 here on the blog: 2008 pt1/2008 pt2, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

To learn more about the series’s history, head over to our Diageo Special Releases – what are they? post.

We still have a few bottles from previous year’s releases – you can find them on our Diageo Special Releases page.

SPRINGBANK DISTILLERY ANNOUNCES IT’S ADAPTING TO HELP PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.

In an industry-leading move, Springbank Distillery has announced with immediate effect plans to adapt its product packaging and review some of its working processes in order to minimise the effect it has on the environment and the global climate emergency.

From this week, the distillery’s core range single malts – Springbank 10, 12 and 15, Longrow Peated and Hazelburn 10yo – along with the Kilkerran Single Malts from the company’s second distillery, Glengyle, will be shipped and begin to appear on shelves without any unnecessary external packaging such as a cardboard box or tube.

The company had previously announced plans to repackage its entire range in cardboard tubes but, in the wake of discussions around climate change, the environment and the COP26 event in Glasgow this year, it has decided to take a different approach.

Ranald Watson, Director of Sales and Marketing of Springbank’s parent company J&A Mitchell & Co Ltd said: “It is our intention to reduce the amount of packaging we use across our group of companies, from Springbank and Kilkerran to William Cadenhead Ltd, and that any we do use is produced and procured as sustainably as possible.

“Springbank 10, Kilkerran 12 and our other core whiskies will now appear ‘naked’, which we believe makes us amongst the first, if not the very first, distilleries to present our products in that way. We will also be reviewing our more rare and exclusive whiskies to make sure that any exterior packaging for those is sourced as locally as possible and is either from sustainable, reused, recycled or reusable materials. Due to the nature of the supply chain, we can’t make all the changes we want to immediately but we hope to implement them as soon as materials can be found and produced.

“Springbank distillery has been a fixture in Campbeltown for almost 200 years and if it is to be here for 200 more and beyond, there has to be an environment and a planet to host it. We are confident that the changes will not have a negative effect amongst Springbank drinkers – I’m sure they’ll agree that it’s what’s inside the bottle that counts rather than what the bottle comes in.”

It is not only the packaging that is changing at the distillery. The company is also reviewing its operations from an eco-perspective.

Director of Production Findlay Ross explained: “Whilst there are certain aspects of our production we regard as sacrosanct in order to preserve the character and quality of our whiskies, we are also aware that this distillery operates in the modern world and that we must ensure that we consider the social and environmental aspects of how we do things as well. The distillery was built when water and energy were cheap and readily available, and there was little regard for the wider impact of distilling operations. That is to say that the place was never designed with efficiency and environmental impact in mind, and so trying to ‘reverse engineer’ that into the site is very challenging.

“We are looking at tackling areas that will have no direct impact on the spirit itself, the most prominent of these being our impending switch from using red diesel as our primary fuel source to the more efficient and less polluting LPG. We have also recently undertaken a water mapping study, and are in the process of looking at where we can reduce our water consumption for areas that aren’t directly involved in our final product.

“We know there is a long road ahead and a number of opportunities are still to be fully mapped out, but we aim to make sure that we play our part in a sustainable future for the distillery, Campbeltown and the wider world. Springbank drinkers can rest assured that the drams they love will remain as they always have, but we’ll aim to ensure to leave as delicate a footprint as possible in the process.”

The move was announced at the opening of the distillery’s new Washback Bar, which will provide an opportunity for distillery visitors to fully explore the company’s range of whiskies. It was also announced at the event that the company, through its local marketing vehicle Explore Campbeltown, will be donating £1,000 each to the town’s three schools to help them develop and expand on existing eco-friendly projects.

For more information, contact Ranald Watson (ranald@springbank.scot) and Findlay Ross (findlay@jandamitchell.scot)

SPRINGBANK DISTILLERS LTD

9 Bolgam Street
Campbeltown
Scotland
PA28 6HZ
www.springbank.scot