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With a long history of creating some of the world’s finest spirits, French whiskies were always destined to impress. The nation now comprises a huge number of new whisky producers bottling everything from single malts and blend to terroir-driven spirits made with organically grown cereals. Explore our selection today and taste the evolution of this vibrant scene.
If there was ever a month for adventure, August is it. It’s a time to embrace sun-drenched long weekends and further flung getaways to soak up the last of the season. Summer holidays already complete? Seize the small moments. A long weekend walk, a lazy brunch with highballs, or a dram under the stars at the end of a night all offer their own delights. The labels on our whiskies tell the stories of their liquid adventures – each label a map to find your way. How you choose your adventure is up to you.
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
The second batch of Booker’s Bourbon – the ‘By The Pond Batch’
This batch is special to Fred, as it’s named after his father’s beloved backyard pond, a special place where he liked to spend sunny afternoons.
This batch is unique, as it was selected during a very wet spring with some record rainfall in Kentucky. The color of this batch reminded Fred of some of the beautiful horses you’d see competing in the Derby. The nose is very inviting with vanilla and oaky notes that spoke to him.
According to Fred Noe, 7th Generation Master Distiller, “The first taste I put into my mouth was very nice and had a sweetness I enjoyed, so I took a second. The second taste was nice, and the finish complemented and completed the experience so well. I feel sure my dad would have enjoyed sipping the “By the Pond” batch sitting by his pond feeding his fish, waiting for them to grow so he could enjoy eating them with some great Booker’s Bourbon”.
“By the Pond Batch” is made up of barrels from seven production dates that were aged in eight different warehouses. This batch is aged to 7 years, 1 month, and 20 days. The proof of the batch is 126.5, the breakdown is as follows:
Proof: 126.5 | SRP: $99.99
“By The Pond” Background: We didn’t always have a pond in the backyard. But then Dad decided he wanted one to raise catfish and bluegill, so we’d always have fresh fish for supper. And that was that. Next thing I knew, Dad put me and some buddies to work: digging the pond, filling it up, making it homey enough for those fish. After a few days, the pond Dad had dreamed up was right behind our house.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. At first, the pond leaked, so we put in a liner held down with big stones. Then, after realizing the city water was no good for fish, Dad rigged a system to bring in fresh rainwater. And finally, we had to figure out what to do about the fifty-foot maple tree looming above it. When its leaves fell, they covered the whole pond. Dad set up a net to catch them on the water’s surface, but all he ended up catching was the fish underneath, finding dozens of them tangled up in it each morning. Eventually he put a roof over the pond, and it became something more: a place to reflect. It was where he sat with Freddie as a boy for hours on end, and where he enjoyed plenty of those warm Kentucky days. I think it’s one of the places he felt most at peace. I hope you savor this batch in a place where you find your own bit of happiness, wherever that may be. So go off, and enjoy.
— Fred Noe, Beam Family 7th Generation Master Distiller
NORTH HIGHLAND BLENDED MALT OVER 8 YEARS OLD
Thompson Bros North Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky is a carefully crafted blend from the North Highland region, featuring whiskies from Glen Ord and Clynelish distilleries. With an ABV of 44.9% and aged over 8 years, this whisky offers a unique sensory experience.
This batch follows the principles of previous releases, with meticulous dilution over 47 days, reducing the ABV from 56.8% to 44.9% within the cask. Additionally, 3% heavily peated whisky has been subtly incorporated, enhancing its complexity.
£36.99
Inspired by the blooming orchards that herald the arrival of spring, Cask No. 72.125: Blossom reverie is a tribute to the fragrant blossoms that adorn the Speyside landscape. Falling into the Light & Delicate flavour profile, this dram evokes the daydreams of spring, where the air is filled with the promise of new beginnings and the joy of rediscovery. Coming in at a natural cask strength of 49.6% abv, this bottling is another addition to the Society’s range of USBs and was vatted at 28 years before being matured in a refill bourbon hogshead for a further year.
Discover more about this collection here.
A heavenly mix of golden syrup, honeycomb, and milk chocolate biscuits arrived aside a juicy procession of apricot jam, apple sauce and chargrilled pineapples. Tangy marmalade on brioche followed behind, encouraging the inclusion of dried apricots coated with yoghurt, peaches and just a hint of tobacco. Wildflowers and blossom emerged with water, blending with fragrant honey and lemon curd on toast. A sprinkle of brown sugar tantalised the tongue, with a squeeze of lime and chamomile petals in milk. So, what is the mystery? This beautiful cask of whisky arrived with us as an enigma. We knew little of its history other than the whisky had been removed from the cask before being filled back into the original wood. A riddle in a glass.
ABV49.1% | Age 29 years | DISTILLED DATE 08/02/1995 | CASK TYPE refill ex-bourbon hogshead | PROFILE Light & Delicate | REGION Speyside
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
The story behind selecting this North British single cask release perfectly showcases the vital role independent bottlers have in bringing the best casks of whisky to the public.
In November 2024 Finn Thomson got a message from the master blender of a highly respected whisky company who had discovered a selection of North British casks that were ‘too good’ to be lost in the blend he was creating. These were heavily sherried casks that would have altered the consistency of their house blend which required an ex-bourbon cask profile.
After attending one of Finn Thomson’s tasting where he was singing the praises of North British Distillery, he invited Finn Thomson in to taste 8 cask samples of these sherried beauties. After nosing and sipping each one carefully, he selected 4 for adding to their family cask portfolio.
At 29 years old, this particular cask was the oldest of the bunch. A sherry butt, its slow maturation over the decades has created a whisky bursting with milk chocolate, caramel and dried fruits and is now at the sweet spot for bottling. Once destined to be in a blend, Finn Thomson is delighted to be able to release this cask as an example of how good well aged, sherried single grain whiskies can be.
TyndrumWhisky.com
The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom
Talisker 10 Year Old Isle of Skye Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $64.99 View
90 Points Whisky Advocate
Another that should need no introduction. The thing to look for in Talisker, as with all smoky whiskies, is sweetness that gives the requisite balance to the drying effect of smoke. Underneath Talisker’s smoke, which ain’t as all-pervading as Lagavulin, is a sweet pear-like quality. When young there are notes of the land: heather, moor, sweet seaweed, and a finish that has a distinctive cracked black pepper hit. (DB, Summer 2012)
Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA
SMWS Canada August 2025 Outturn
Join Adam as he once again introduces us to another epic set of SMWS releases at The Strath. Check out the SMWS page on The Strath’s webstore, where you can buy bottles and tickets to upcoming events – http://strathliquor.com/smws
“Frankfort Rising” Available August 14, Goal of Raising $10K
FRANKFORT, KY (Aug 2025) – In early April of this year, the lower Ohio Valley experienced multiple rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms, resulting in widespread flash flooding in Central Kentucky. In Frankfort, Kentucky’s state capital, the Kentucky River crested at near-record levels, impacting nearly everyone in the community. Fortunately, J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery was spared any flood damage, but its owners and team members remain deeply affected nonetheless.
In an effort to help local Franklin County residents in the flood recovery process, J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery has created a limited-edition bourbon called “Frankfort Rising,” with $30 from the sale of each bottle going towards the Franklin County Community Fund to assist families affected by the April floods.
“Seeing the devastation of the floodwaters here in our new hometown was just heartbreaking, and we wanted to do something to help,” said Susanna Westerfield, director of consumer experience. “Through our partnership with the Franklin County Community Fund, we hope to raise at least $10,000 to help our local friends and neighbors recover from their horrific losses.”
Frankfort Rising Bourbon is a five-year-old, 112 proof bourbon finished with oak staves which will be released to the public at an event at the Distillery on Aug. 14. Like all J. Mattingly 1845 whiskies, this bourbon has undergone its trademarked double-staved process, adding additional charred oak staves to each barrel at just the right moment in its aging cycle to coax out extra flavor. Tasting notes describe this bourbon as having a graham cracker note on the palate, joined by toasted oak and a gentle spice from the rye. It has a medium to long finish with lingering baking spices, vanilla, and a nutty warmth, leaving a satisfying impression.
Frankfort Rising Bourbon will be available on-site at the Distillery in Frankfort starting at 4 p.m. on August. 14. The public is invited to attend the event, which will run from 4-6 p.m. Complimentary snacks and tastings of Frankfort Rising will be available to those aged 21 years and over. The suggested retail price of Frankfort Rising is $120 per 750 mL, with $30 from each sale donated to the Franklin County Community Fund.
About J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery
The Mattingly family has been synonymous with distilling in Kentucky for more than two centuries, having a hand in the development of at least nine separate distilleries in the Commonwealth, and with connections to some of the most illustrious names in the distilling industry, including George Garvin Brown, the Willetts and the Samuels.
It all started in 1845, with John Graves Mattingly’s first distillery in Marion County, Kentucky, Registered Distillery #2. Many historians today believe his distillery was the first registered distillery in Kentucky.
In 2010, Jeff Mattingly took up the family mantle and started his own craft bourbon business. Today, Jeff’s son Cameron continues the legacy into the latest generation for J. Mattingly Distillery 1845 in Frankfort, Kentucky, serving as Vice President of Production. J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery continues to innovate, with their proprietary double-staving process and custom bourbon blending experience unparalleled in the spirits industry, available on-site in Frankfort or online at https://jmattingly1845.com/build-a-bottle/
For more information about J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery visit www.JMattingly1845.com.
Infrequent Flyers is a range of Single Cask whiskies produced by the Alistair Walker Whisky Company. Carefully selected Single Malt and Single Grain whiskies are patiently matured, and bottled at cask strength, without chill filtration or added colour. Each single cask is unique – they are one-offs, and by their very nature only generate a limited number of bottles. Once they’re gone, they’re gone…
