1992 Glentauchers 28 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” Cask Strength Single Barrel Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $239.99 View

The Hart family have been licensed victuallers and publicans in Paisley on the outskirts of Glasgow since the 18th Century, but it was in 1964 that brothers Iain & Donald Hart incorporated the company as Wine & Spirit Wholesalers and Scotch Whisky Blenders. Alistair Hart, who still selects casks for this special line today, came on as Chief Blender in 1975. His charge at the time was to secure and select the finest casks of single malt that were not readily available to the market. Their commitment to excellence is second to none in the industry and they’ve built a reputation for acquiring high quality stocks and bottling exceptional single casks. The excellent barrel of Glentauchers was aged entirely in new oak for nearly 30 years. It’s the oldest Glentauchers we’ve ever sold and represents the oldest stocks on the market currently from this old distillery. The distillery is on the outskirts of Keith and was built during the whisky boom of the 1890s and is now part of the Chivas family. This key component of the Ballantine’s blend is typically on the lighter side of Spey, but this is not an aperitif; it’s pungent citrus and vanilla coupled with a vibrant mineral quality. The sometimes overpowering zestiness of Tauchers has been tamed here by time offering some waxy citrus and orchard fruit, fresh grass, and green fruits. Just 90 bottles will be available only to K&L customers.

1988 Ardmore 31 Year “Hunter Laing Old & Rare Heritage Platinum Selection” Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $349.99 View

Only 60 bottles will be available of this intriguing, old Highland peater. Distilled in April 1998 and bottled in 2019 at 50.2% ABV without dilution or chill filtration, the Platinum Selection represents the very best of what Hunter Laing has to offer. These casks are the bottler’s finest stocks and are selected not only for their exquisite rarity but also their unbelievable quality. Built in 1898 by William Teacher, the Ardmore Distillery is one of the Highlands’ best kept secrets, offering only an extremely limited selection bottled by the distillery, and the Ardmore malt remains a key component in the popular Teacher’s Highland Cream, which may be why they’ve neglected to market the wonderful peated Highlander beyond the current limited offerings. This very old barrel offers an incredible expression of old-school Highland malt with deep coal smoke, cured leather, wild honey, and tart red fruit. Just perfect at nearly 100 proof, it needs no water to open but could use some air to develop fully in the glass. Despite the high quality and limited availability, the price is extremely reasonable, and it should be given some serious consideration by any lover of old peated whisky.

1988 Tormore 31 Year “Hunter Laing Old & Rare Heritage Platinum Selection” Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $349.99 View

This lovely Oloroso Sherry butt from the Tormore Distillery was distilled in May of 1988 and bottled in 2019. A sister to the wonderful barrel we purchased last year, this time bottled in 700ml, it represents one of the best values in old, sherried malt available in Scotland today. The Tormore Distillery and its iconic copper roof is one of Speyside’s newer distillers. Built in 1958, great care was taken with the design of the exterior, unlike at other distilleries of the period. The distillery was expanded in 1984 and can produce upward of 3.7 million liters of alcohol per year. Nonetheless, it’s extremely rare to find Tormore of any age in the U.S. The relatively short and wide stills give a rich and textured spirit which lends itself nicely to sherry aging. Bottled at natural cask strength of 49.1% ABV and without chill filtration, only 60 bottles of this exceptional cask are available in the U.S. exclusively at K&L Wine Merchants. As described by the bottler, “This amber coloured whisky matured in an Oloroso sherry butt has lashings of hazelnuts, coffee, chocolate and tobacco on the nose. Spicy and nutty on the palate with a touch of toffee leading to a long, rich, peppery finish.”

TAKE THE SPICE ROUTE

The range of spices you can detect in a complex glass of SMWS single malt is seemingly never-ending. But how does each one of the Society’s 12 flavour profiles pair with a specific flavour note? SMWS executive head chef, James Freeman, has paired one of his signature dishes with a suitably spicy Society dram and with a selection of Flavour Profiles still available from the October Outturn, there’s nothing to stop you experimenting in the kitchen this month.

VIEW THE OUTTURN

SEE JAMES’ SPICE MATCHES

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

New From Bruichladdich!

A stunning selection of big hitting drams just in door from Bruichladdich distillery, Islay. Octomore 12 – we’re now able to offer the full range, with 12.2 being made available to retailers! 12.1, 12.2 & 12.3, now in stock & available for dispatch. We also see a new vintage Bere Barley, which is always a favourite of ours along with a heavily peated Port Charlotte, Islay Barley edition.

Slàinte

Abbey Whisky

The Macallan Double Cask 30 Years Old is the newest release in our Double Cask range. Matured for 30 years in a harmonious union of American and European oak sherry seasoned casks to create a unique taste and character.

Acclaimed photographer and artist Erik Madigan Heck was inspired by nature to imagine and symbolise the rich depth of flavour of this single malt. The whisky itself is a rich medley of flavour, and he used natural light to capture this depth of character in his still life.

DISCOVER

DISCOVER THE JOURNEY

To create the Double Cask range, we bring new oak from America across thousands of miles to Spain, where casks are crafted and sherry seasoned before travelling to the Distillery on Speyside to mature.

The Macallan Distillery Experience, The Macallan Distillers Ltd, 

Easter Elchies,  Craigellachie, Moray AB38 9RX, Scotland, +44 (0)1340 318 000

‘As We Get It’

Loved by whisky fans and back at TWB. ‘As We Get It’ Highland at 66.8% and Islay at 60.8%.  Old fashioned whisky at its best. As We Get It Highland single malt Scotch whisky bottled by Ian Macleod Distillers. As We Get It is bottled straight from the cask from a mystery distillery in the traditional manner. As We Get It Islay single malt Scotch whisky bottled by Ian Macleod Distillers. As We Get It is bottled straight from the cask from a mystery distillery in the traditional manner.

Shop ‘As We Get It’ >>

Mystery single malt that don’t want to reveal their true identity. Rummage around and with a bit of investigation you are sure to find a rare unspecified bottling from independent bottler.

ralfy review 897 – Budget supermarket malt review, and how to make it better.

(Part 2 will publish tomorrow morning).

Whiskey Del Bac Celebrates its 10-year Anniversary With
Community-Focused Events in Phoenix and Tucson

Tucson, AZ (September 28, 2021) – Arizona-based Whiskey Del Bac is celebrating its tenth anniversary this fall with two events in Tucson and Phoenix. Arizona Wilderness Brewing will co-host the Phoenix event on Saturday, October 23 from 1:00pm – 7:00pm and the Tucson event will be co-hosted by Westbound in the Mercado San Agustin Annex on Saturday November 13 from 4:30pm – 10:00pm.

“We’re proud to be an Arizona-based company and these events not only celebrate ten years in business but also our incredible partners, Whiskey Del Bac consumers, and everyone who has helped establish the notion of Desert Terroir in whiskey. Award-winning whiskey can come out of the desert and we love pioneering this tradition,” said Amanda Paul, Co-founder of Whiskey Del Bac.

Festivities on both evenings will include farmers markets with local companies: Monsoon Chocolate, Barrio Bread, E & R Pork, and Exo Coffee Roasters in Tucson, and Desert Provisions, Blue Clover Bitters, Iconic Cocktail Co. and Agritopia Farm in Phoenix. Cocktail workshops and whiskey seminars will be offered, as well as live music and Whiskey Del Bac cocktails. Both events are free to attend. The seminars and workshops do have a cost to attend and seating is limited. Reservations and tickets for those can be made in advance online at www.whiskeydelbac.com

A special limited Tenth Anniversary Calvados cask release will be bottled and distributed at both events and the Distillery (2106 Forbes Boulevard, #106, Tucson, AZ 85745).

“We couldn’t be more grateful for the enthusiasm that Tucson and the rest of Arizona have shown for these Sonoran Desert single malts. You never know where an idea will take you, and the opportunity to make a single-malt whiskey with the true character of the place I’ve lived has been so rewarding. I hope we’ve been a part of many memorable moments for folks, and we look forward to being a part of cherished new experiences to come,” said Stephen Paul, Co-founder of Whiskey Del Bac.

As Whiskey Del Bac looks to the next ten years, the organization is focused on increasing its production and will be expanding the current distillery over the next year. To help lead the focus on expansion, Mark A. Vierthaler recently joined the Whiskey Del Bac team as Head Distiller. Mark has over five years of head distiller experience and has developed more than two dozen international award-winning spirits across multiple brands. Since interest for Whiskey Del Bac has increased, the team launched a website within the last year that offers the ability for consumers to order whiskey and merchandise directly from the distillery for delivery or pickup — if they live within Arizona.

About Whiskey Del Bac

Father and daughter co-founders Stephen and Amanda Paul purchased a small 40 gallon still in 2011 and took their whiskey to the local Tucson marketplace with positive feedback. Captivated by his wife Elaine’s idea of drying malt over a mesquite fire instead of a peat fire, Stephen had experimented since 2007 on a tiny 5 gallon still to produce a regional single malt whiskey with the flavor of the Desert Southwest. In 2011, Amanda suggested he make it official and they launched Whiskey Del Bac. Del Bac is an ancient term meaning “from the place where the river reappears in the sand.” It was inspired by Tucson’s Mission San Xavier Del Bac, which was named for its proximity to the Santa Cruz River where groundwater surfaced and gave the desert life.

That “mesquited” —not peated— single malt became The Dorado, and has garnered much attention nationally, including two Double Gold Medals at the largest competition in the U.S., the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Its sister whiskey in the Whiskey Del Bac line-up, The Classic, recently received a rating of 93 from Wine Enthusiast. Their Distiller’s Cut special releases are getting rave reviews as well, including a recent 91 rating in Whiskey Advocate.

Expanding to a 500 gallon still in 2014, and implementing a 5,000 lb capacity malt house, Whiskey Del Bac is one of only a handful of distilleries in the country to malt its own barley – only malting for The Dorado in order to give the distillery that unique ability to include the mesquited flavor profile.

Luxco rebrands Indiana home of its branded spirits to Ross & Squibb Distillery

Facility’s new name, like its branded spirits, celebrates Indiana’s distilling history 

LAWRENCEBURG, IN (Sept. 29, 2021) – Luxco will rename the 174-year-old, Lawrenceburg, Indiana, distiller of its branded spirits Ross & Squibb Distillery™ as it joins the Luxco family of brands. Effective immediately, the distiller of George Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey will go by its new name.

Like the brands it produces, Ross & Squibb Distillery pays tribute to Indiana’s distilling history and the pioneers who transformed Lawrenceburg, Indiana, into “Whiskey City USA” and helped make Indiana the rye capital of the world. The Ross & Squibb name is a celebration of two such stories:

“Ross” is inspired by the legacy of George Ross, who in 1847 founded the Rossville Distillery, located on what is now the Ross & Squibb Distillery campus. Considered one of Lawrenceburg’s original distilleries and one of America’s last Prohibition-era distilleries, Rossville Distillery produced some of the finest rye whiskeys in the world and was the inspiration for the Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey brand.

“Squibb” calls back to the historic Squibb Distillery, founded in 1869 in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and later purchased in 1921 by George Remus, King of the Bootleggers^® and inspiration for the George Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey brand.

“In rebranding our Lawrenceburg distillery, we sought to celebrate Indiana’s rich and important distilling history, particularly as it involves the inspiration behind our branded spirits,” said David Bratcher, COO and president of branded spirits for MGP. “All Ross & Squibb brands find their inspiration in Indiana distilling history, so it is fitting the distillery itself now does as well.”

MGP will continue to produce bourbon, rye, whiskey, gin and grain-neutral spirits from this facility under its current name:  MGPI of Indiana, LLC, in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, for its customers.

About Luxco

Founded in St. Louis in 1958 by the Lux Family, Luxco is a leading producer, supplier, importer and bottler of beverage alcohol products. Our mission is to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of consumers, associates and business partners. Merged with MGP Ingredients, Inc. in 2021 (Nasdaq: MGPI), Luxco operates as MGP’s Brands Division and manages all MGP/Luxco brands. This extensive and award-winning spirits portfolio includes well-known brands from five distilleries: Bardstown, Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers, home of Ezra Brooks, Rebel, Blood Oath, David Nicholson and Daviess County; Lebanon, Kentucky-based Limestone Branch Distillery, maker of Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey and Bowling & Burch Gin; Jalisco, Mexico-based Destiladora González Lux, producer of 100% agave tequilas, El Mayor, Exotico and Dos Primos; Ross & Squibb Distillery, where George Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey are produced; and the Washington, D.C.-based Green Hat Distillery, producer of the Green Hat family of gins. The innovative and high-quality brand portfolio also includes Everclear Grain Alcohol, Pearl Vodka, Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream, The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey and other well-recognized brands. For more information about the company and its brands, visit luxco.com.

Macallan “Edition No. 6” Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $179.99 View

Macallan’s annual Edition releases serve as a study in cask influence. Edition No. 6 is the final release in this series, a fitting culmination to an innovative yet traditional whisky project. Distiller’s notes: “The sixth and final release in the The Macallan Edition series, Edition No. 6 takes its inspiration from the natural wonders of the legendary River Spey and The Macallan Estate, where each and every cask of The Macallan is matured before being hand-selected for use by our expert whisky makers. All of the five distinct casks types used to create Edition No. 6 have been hand-picked by The Macallan Whisky Maker Steven Bremner. He drew inspiration from unique stories related to the river and surrounding landscape. The American and European oak casks have been selected to create a flavour profile that will deliver a multifaceted experience; from the appealing rich brass natural colour, to the layers of aroma, followed by the deep and rewarding flavour.”

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

Dalmore 13 Year Old
2008 Single Cask

Connoisseur’s Choice

One of the big names in whisky, Dalmore is not often seen in single cask form. Matured in a refill bourbon barrel with 267 bottles at cask strength 57.2%. A vibrant, citrussy and zesty whisky with tropical fruits, white pepper and chocolate.

Shop Now – £94.68 / €92* / $107* / c$135*

Aroma: Lemond zest and orange peel accompany white chocolate. Darl honey notes lead to elderflower and green apple.

Taste: Sweet citrus and tropical fruit flavours are balanced by white pepper. Soft chilli spce develops alongside freshly cut grass.

Finish: A medium finish with lingering sweetness.

Alexander Mathieson established Dalmore Distillery in 1839 on the northern shore of the Cromarty Firth near Alness in Scotland’s Highland whisky region. When Alfred Barnard visited in 1886 Dalmore was operating with four stills then in 1966 this was doubled to eight. The stills at Dalmore are unique, the wash stills have flat tops and water jackets encircle the necks of the four spirit stills. In addition to the official distillery range that includes the Dalmore 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old,and 18 Year Old, this whisky is also released by independent bottlers as single casks.