We are pleased to present A Night on Earth in Scotland, a new limited edition whisky for the festive season.

Presented in a multi-layered gift box, this special single malt reflects the joy of celebrating special occasions with loved ones by telling the story of Scotland’s world-famous New Year’s Eve celebration, Hogmanay. This seasonal release has limited availability in our Online Boutique and can be found in specialist whisky retailers globally.

DISCOVER THE WHISKY

Together with acclaimed Japanese-French illustrator Erica Dorn, the single malt is presented in unique packaging to provide a special unboxing experience. Dorn’s playful abstract illustrations are inspired by the historic fire rituals dominant in New Year celebrations around the world.

Highland Park Cask Strength Batch No. 2

This second batch of Cask Strength is sourced from a combination of sherried European oak and American casks, with a few ex-bourbon casks, creating a robust and intense dram. Bottled at a hefty 63.9% abv, you can discover the taste and strength that suits your palate with this dram. Add nothing, add water, add ice – it’s up to you!

The second release of Highland Park’s Cask Strength single malt is upon us! Here at Loch Fyne, we are firm believers that our customers know best when it comes to how they like to enjoy their whisky. You may like your drams at full strength, you may wish to add a little water, at the end of the day it’s your whisky!

The clue with this one is in the name. This second batch of Cask Strength is bottled directly from the cask, without the addition of any mineral water. Sourced from a combination of sherried European oak and American casks, with a few ex-bourbon casks, this is a robust and intense dram. Bottled at a hefty 63.9% abv, you can discover the taste and strength that suits your palate with this dram.

If the release of this is anything like the first edition it should sail off the shelves quickly, so grab a bottle whilst you can!

£60.00
Buy Now

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 414: Crown 3 Year Old 2018 Belgian Single Grain Cask #136

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a new Belgian grain whisky. In September 2021 Mark was introduced to the Belgian bottler Crown Spirits from Bruges for the first time. He then tasted 4 of their previous releases and look: number 5 has just been launched. It is a Belgian single grain – distilled at Braeckman Distillers on 4 January 2018 – and matured on a first  fill oloroso hogshead. Bottled on 26 October 2021. ‘Aged  45  months’ is mentioned on the label, making it an almost-4-year old.

https://youtu.be/CDe-xprOTRo

Multi-million-pound investment set to reignite the spirit of the Cabrach

£3.5mn secured for distillery and heritage centre

Community, culture, and sustainability at heart of plan

Boost for skills development and employment

Ambitious plans to breathe new life into one of the UK’s most rural communities – famed for its role in the birth of malt whisky – have taken a significant step forward with the announcement of multi-million-pound funding to deliver The Cabrach Distillery and Heritage Centre; a project which will showcase the craft and alchemy of making Scotland’s national drink while telling the story of the historic region.

The Cabrach, a remote, upland area in the North East of Scotland, was a once thriving community of over 1,000 residents and a legendary haunt of rebellious Jacobites, illicit distillers and smugglers. However, the devastation wrought by the Great Wars began a spiral of depopulation and decline. Today fewer than 100 people call the Cabrach home.

Moves to regenerate the area as a sustainable community have been driven by The Cabrach Trust, who today confirmed it has secured the £3.5million needed to activate this eagerly anticipated project which will be delivered in harmony with the natural environment of the Cabrach.

Grant Gordon OBE, Founder and Chairman of The Cabrach Trust, said: “Our vision is to regenerate the Cabrach as a thriving, sustainable community. Having secured funding for this project represents a critical milestone for the Trust and we look forward to embarking on this exciting next chapter in the Cabrach’s story.”

A 19th-century steading at the Trust’s Inverharroch base will be restored to its former glory through a sympathetic restoration programme while sustainability will be at the heart of the transformation, incorporating an innovative renewable energy source.

This project represents the cornerstone of the Trust’s transformational regeneration masterplan for the Cabrach, which will not only bring about much-needed skilled, permanent employment to the area, but attract thousands of visitors every year, placing the natural beauty and unparalleled history of the area centre stage.

The Ethos Foundation, a principal funder of The Cabrach Trust, has pledged its support to the project, alongside capital grants from the William Grant Foundation and the Vattenfall Clashindarroch Wind Farm Community Fund. Forsyths, one of the world leaders in the supply of distillation equipment and based in nearby Rothes, are also contributing considerably. Of important note, the Bently Foundation awarded a significant grant to the project in 2021.

With an award-winning design team appointed, led by Collective Architecture, funding secured, and planning approval in place, enabling works on site are expected to get underway in February 2022, with the aim of being operational by Spring 2023.

Jonathan Christie, Chief Executive of The Cabrach Trust, commented: “With the build commencing early in the New Year, we look forward to sharing progress as our one-of-a-kind social enterprise unfolds, whilst launching several other exciting projects all poised to go live in 2022.

“We are humbled by the support provided by the Ethos Foundation, Bently Foundation and our other core funders. It is a privilege to work with and alongside such an array of incredible peer, community, and funding partners. The Cabrach Distillery and Heritage Centre is central to our regeneration plans and the long-term sustainability of this important community.”

Additional Comments

Richard Lochhead MSP: “The Cabrach is a unique community with an incredibly rich heritage. The Trust’s ambitious regeneration plans promise to open a new chapter in its story. It is widely believed that the Cabrach is the birthplace of Scotch whisky and plans for a new distillery and heritage centre are not only fitting but also hugely exciting. This project will undoubtedly put the Cabrach on the map and I’m delighted this funding has been secured.”

Douglas Ross MP: “This is fantastic news for the area. As well as adding to the local economy, and hopefully attracting further investment, this project will create much needed job opportunities and support more young people to live and work in the area. The Trust’s vision to regenerate this rural community is very welcome, supporting a sustainable future for the Cabrach. I am very much looking forward to watching these plans progress and offer my support for this great project.”

Nick Addington, Chief Executive of the William Grant Foundation: “The William Grant Foundation is delighted to be supporting The Cabrach Trust’s innovative and entrepreneurial redevelopment of Inverharroch as a social enterprise Distillery and Heritage Centre. The new community-owned facility will celebrate and showcase the contribution of this special place and the people who lived there, to Speyside and Scotland’s whisky heritage, and contribute to its sustainable future.”

The Cabrach Trust

The Cabrach Trust was formed in 2011 and is a registered charity (Charity No. SCO43771). The Trust’s vision is to regenerate the Cabrach as a thriving, sustainable community with its history, heritage and place in Scottish history celebrated and shared by all. It was set up in response to the need to preserve the cultural heritage of The Cabrach and safeguard its remote community.

In 2013, through its generous donors, the Trust acquired the historic Inverharroch Farm and its 170 acres of land and through community asset transfer acquired the Old School and Hall and the Acorn Community Centre. The Trust has developed a community-led regeneration masterplan that will see the development of projects such as a Historic Distillery and a new Heritage Centre on the Trust’s land.

Following a meticulous programme of restoration, The Cabrach Distillery and Heritage Centre will be housed within the Inverharroch Farm steadings. The distillery and traditional dunnage warehouse will occupy two wings of the steading, with the additional two wings allocated for the heritage centre, community bistro, tasting room, and visitor reception. Operated as a social enterprise, our distillery will have at its roots historic methods which reflect the manufacture and production of Malt Whisky from the 1800s when “real Cabrach whisky” was widely acclaimed. Following ageing and maturation, the bottled product will eventually be available for sale, generating profits as part of the Trust’s long-term sustainability plan.

The Trust aims to provide economic and social development opportunities for the Cabrach, creating jobs and attracting new visitors to the area to celebrate and protect the cultural heritage, beautiful landscape, and history of the Cabrach.

The Trust is steered by a committed Board of Trustees working alongside a small, dedicated, and knowledgeable staff team.

Funders

The Ethos Foundation was established in 2016 (registered charity no. 1166697) and is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The Foundation’s giving is informed by a multi-generational family commitment to philanthropy, centred on a mission to support local communities and UK society in general.

Founded and supported by San Francisco Bay Area entrepreneur Christopher Bently with founding Director Camille Bently, Bently Foundation strives to support organizations worldwide in the areas of the environment, the arts and animal welfare. For more information please visit: www.bentlyfoundation.org

Forsyths Ltd is the fabrication arm of the Forsyth Group based in the North East of Scotland. Their work in the alcoholic beverage industry varies from the supply of distillation equipment only to turnkey distillery design and build, plant upgrade or expansion projects.

The William Grant Foundation is a non-profit association established to support charitable causes, principally in Scotland. It has been set up by William Grant & Sons Ltd to manage and direct the company’s charitable giving. Visit their webpage at www.williamgrantfoundation.org.uk from where you can download their latest annual review.

For more information about Vattenfall Clashindaroch Wind Farm Community Fund, visit HERE:

For further information, interviews and images, please contact Alex Schweitzer-Thompson at alex@thisistailormade.com

The Grand Tour

Viking 1 & 2
Mars Explorer Program

We return to our tour of the solar system and beyond with the third and fourth releases of our The Grand Tour series of single cask whiskies.

The two Viking space probes launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in 1975 setting off to explore, photograph and communicate from the Red Planet’s surface. Successfully touching down in July and September 1976 where they remained operating until their batteries shut down in 1982.

Girvan is a Lowland grain whisky distillery situated on the Ayrshire West coast of Scotland. Matured in a 1st fill Palo Cortado sherry cask. Distilled 1990 and bottled at 53.6%. 162 numbered bottles.

North British was established on farmland to the west of Edinburgh in 1885. Matured in a 1st fill Palo Cortado sherry cask. Distilled 1990 and bottled at 47.6%. 159 numbered bottles.

Compare and contract two old grain whiskies matured in cosmic sherry wood.

Buy – Girvan Viking 1 – £150 / €147* / $165* / c$213*

Buy – North British Viking 2 – £150 / €147* / $165* / c$213*

A Tale Of Winter

Limited Edition 

13 Year Old | 70cl | 46% ABV

The experience begins with light flurries of fruit and honey, building to torrents of cocoa dust, flakes of red pepper and chunks of brazil nut toffee. It culminates in a feels-like-forever finish that swirls with cinnamon, ginger and clove. Like the cosy comfort of a colourful winter jumper, this Whisky’s bursts of bright, vivid flavour will delight your senses.

£72.95

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A few days left to get in your last orders!

We have put together some highlights for any gifting inspiration needed in the run up to Christmas Day this week! For guaranteed delivery before the 25th: Standard Delivery on any orders before midday Wednesday 22nd, and Next Day Delivery on any orders before midday on Thursday 23rd.

View Christmas & Gifts →

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

With access to award-winning whisky, a colourful network of Members’ Rooms and partner bars and a wealth of online whisky education and content, membership to the Society is the gift that keeps on giving all year round. Head to the website and purchase a Society membership for the whisky lover in your life. It’s the perfect last-minute gift.

BUY GIFT MEMBERSHIP

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

2007 George Dickel 13 Year Old “2021 Release” Bottled In Bond Tennessee Whiskey (750ml)

SKU #155806992 points Whisky Advocate

$44.99 View

 Dickel’s now-annual return to bottled in bond, this one following the release of an 11 year old last year and a 13 year old in 2019, which became our Whisky of the Year. Roasted peanuts, marzipan, sweet corn, and bakery shop, with water unlocking cherries, jelly donut, raspberry jam, blueberry pie, fresh grains, and melted caramel. Mouth-coating overall, with a delicate finish that ends with a savory back note of wild herbs. (DF, Fall 2021) 

K&L Notes

The famous Dickel 13 Year Old Bottled in Bond is back! Distilled in Spring 2007, the 2021 Release is the follow up to the multi-award-winning previous releases of Dickel Bottled in Bond. This special distillery remained in relative obscurity until the previous 13-year-old release of Bottled In Bond received the Whisky Advocate’s coveted “#1 Whisky of the Year” award. Now the new version is back up to that old age statement, and excitement for the product has not diminished whatsoever. That’s because these new Bottled Bonds are a direct result of one of the industry’s most exciting new palates, Nicole Austin. The young chemical engineer graduate started her career at the wonderful King’s County Distillery in New York before being appointed General Manager and Distiller at the historic Dickel plant in Cascade Hollow. She’s handpicked the special barrels that go into each Bottled In Bond release and re-established the brand as one of the country’s leading producers in terms of quality for your dollar. Few modern American whiskies are able to match the Dickel BIB for age and value. Expect classic flavors of old Tennessee whisky—rich vanilla, burnt sugar, maple syrup, and caramel balanced by heady wood spice and subtle herbaceous backend. We’ve secured a significant allocation on this always sought-after product, but don’t expect it to last long. So, don’t wait for Whisky Advocate to publish this year’s list to snag a bottle.