#Arran 25-Year-Old Single Malt

[goodspiritsnewsat]

GSN Review: Arran 25-Year-Old Single Malt

Isle of Arran Distillers announce the U.S. release of the oldest expression in its core range, the Arran 25-Year-Old Single Malt. From the Isle of Arran, off the Western coast of Scotland, and produced at the Lochranza Distillery, the Arran 25-Year-Old Single Malt has been maturing in ex-Sherry and Bourbon Casks that were first laid down in 1995, the same year Arran began production. A…

[thewhiskyphiles]

Whisky New Releases 2019 Issue 1 #WHISKY #WHISKEY #NEWRELEASES #NEW #SCOTCH #SINGLEMALT Whisky New Releases 2019 Issue 1 AMRUT Madeira Cask Finish £130 ARDBEG 22 Year Old - Twenty Something £440…

[greatdrams]

A Master Distiller’s guide to Burns Night

With Christmas a distant memory and spring a long way off, the end of January isn’t a traditionally cheerful time unless you follow Scottish tradition and throw a party to rival Hogmanay on the 25th. Burns Night is a celebration of the great Robert Burns, national hero and Scotland’s most beloved poet, and a great excuse to shake off the winter blues.

James McTaggart, Master Distiller at Isle of Arran Distillers who produce the world’s only official Robert Burns Malt, is well versed in how to throw a brilliant Burns Night celebration. Here he shares his top choice of whiskies to accompany the festivities.

“Burns Night wouldn’t be complete without whisky and no table is set without a good selection of drams.

“Burns Night is traditionally a very structured affair. There are set times for welcome addresses, toasts, food and entertainment. This gives hosts the opportunity to choose a different whisky to complement each part of the evening.

“I don’t doubt that there are distilleries across the world making great whisky, but I firmly believe that Scotch whisky is the best. And while I am incredibly proud of what we do here at Arran, I’m not too proud to recognise a good dram when I taste it! Whisky is very much a community within Scotland and there are a few distilleries that I am very fond of.”

A toast to the Bard

The traditional toast to friends, food and family, the Selkirk Grace is a cornerstone of Burns Night. The man himself was born just across the water from Arran, near Ayr on the West coast of Scotland so a dram from a Glasgow distillery, Scotland’s biggest west coast city would be most fitting. Why not Auchentoshan which lies on the outskirts of the city?

The Auchentoshan 3 Wood (£47.55) is matured initially in bourbon casks before being finished in Oloroso then Pedro Ximénez casks for an extra layer of rich, sweet fruitiness.  Notes of raisin, orange and blackberry will certainly whet the appetite.

Pipe in the Haggis

There’s no escaping haggis as the centre piece of a Burns Night Feast. Rich with spices and the warming flavours of onions, stock and meat, it takes a whisky with a bold palate to pair with a haggis.

I spent the first 30 years of my whisky career at Bowmore, so I can confidently suggest their 15 Year Old Single Malt (£58.55). Delicious dark chocolate, sun-dried fruits and a tell-tale wisp of Islay smoke give way to cedar wood and rich treacle toffee. With a robust and complex finish, it’s the perfect accompaniment for a Burns Night supper.

A Toast to the Lassies and Reply to the Toast to the Lassies

One of the most popular parts of the evening is probably the famous Toast to the Lassies and Reply to the Toast to the Lassies. Usually incorporating quotes from Burns, these are comical monologues, light hearted and positive (with the odd sharp observation).

Kilchoman Distillery’s Machir Bay (£45.95)is a vatting of whisky matured in first-fill bourbon casks for around six years, married and then finished in oloroso sherry butts before bottling. This Single Malt is full of character and will match well with the tone of this part of the evening!

And to finish…

No Burns Night is complete without a rousing rendition of Auld Land Syne in a final salute to the Bard. At Arran, we produce the only whisky endorsed by the World Robert Burns Federation –The Robert Burns Single Malt (£31.99) and it’s the perfect choice for raising a birthday toast to Scotland’s most beloved poet. This is a sweet and creamy malt with flavours of honey and toffee-glazed pecans. Easy to drink, full of fresh citrus notes, its mellow character makes it ideal for cocktails, enjoyed by itself over ice or with a drop of water.

    The post A Master Distiller’s guide to Burns Night appeared first on GreatDrams.

from GreatDrams http://ift.tt/2DktANq Greg

[whiskyconsidered]

Collecting Whisky

About six months ago, I hosted a whisky tasting among a handful of friends, all of them intermittent readers of my writings on whisky. One of them suggested that I write a piece about collecting whisky—how should one make a start toward building a whisky collection? That’s something I’ve wanted to address for a while, and now seemed like a good time!

First, a little bit my own collecting. I’ve been a single malt Scotch drinker since shortly before my 19th birthday. I started buying the occasional bottle here or there when I was about 20, and I started trying to keep more than one bottle in my personal bar when I was about 24. I started collecting in earnest when I was around 27 or 28 and had just started grad school. A little less than 10 years on, I have around 200 different varieties of single malt Scotch spanning most of the extant distilleries—and even a few of the closed distilleries—in Scotland. My long-time girlfriend has been a huge help—she’s a very generous person, and she’s been especially generous in indulging my fondness for whisky. I can pretty well count on her to make some pretty significant additions to my collection every time my birthday or Christmas rolls around. But I’ve also done a lot of the work myself which, given that I’ve had anywhere from a meager to a modest salary so far has meant forgoing some other material goods that people often like to get their hands on. I’ve also been able to amass lots of bottles by not drinking any of them terribly fast—I don’t dip into my Scotch every day, or even every week, and even when I am drinking Scotch, I don’t usually drink vast quantities of it. The point here is that if you really fancy a sizable Scotch collection of your own, you don’t necessarily have to be rich; but, if you’re not rich and you really want to collect Scotch, you may need to forgo the latest iPhone or car payments on a Mercedes.

So, assuming that you fancy building a substantial Scotch collection, where should you begin? The answer largely depends on you—how much money are you willing to spend, how much space do you have, what do you like, and what do you want to prioritize? I’ll assume that a collection is, at minimum, 5 different bottles (which works well, since there are 5 traditional distilling regions in Scotland—the Lowlands, the Highlands, Speyside, Campbeltown, and Islay) so we’ll start by considering different ways you could build a basic collection out of 5 bottles.

The Bargain Basement Collection (~$125)

Suppose you just want to lay hands on the 5 cheapest bottles of single malt Scotch that you can get, aiming for some regional variation while you’re at it. There are several ranges of sourced whisky (i.e. you don’t know exactly which distillery it comes from even though the region is probably specified) that have a selection for at least four out of the five legally defined whisky regions (Lowlands, Highlands, Speyside, and Islay) for about $25 a pop including McClelland’s, Grangestone, and Hamilton’s. You can round things out with an inexpensive brand name Speysider like a Speyburn 10 ($20-25), Glenfiddich 12 ($25-30), Glenlivet 12 ($30), or spring instead for Bowmore Legend ($25-30, from Islay) or Glenmorangie Original ($30-35, Highlands).

The Bargain Brand Collection (~$140)

Suppose you don’t want to break the bank, but do want to make sure you at least know which distillery your whisky is coming from. Go with Speyburn 10 ($20-25, Speyside), Glenfiddich 12 ($25-30, Speyside), Glenlivet 12 ($30, Speyside), Bowmore Legend ($25-30, from Islay) or substitute Glenmorangie Original ($30-35, Highlands) or Aberfeldy 12 ($30-35, Highlands).

The Bargain Region Collection ($200-260)

You can either cover most of the regions with sourced bottlings (discussed above) and then add in a Springbank 10 ($65-70) to cover Campbeltown, or you can go with some reasonably priced brands to round out your regions: Auchentoshan Select ($30-35, Lowlands), Glenmorangie Original or Aberfeldy 12 (both $30-35, both from the Highlands), Glenfiddich 12 ($25-30, Speyside), and Bowmore Legend ($25-30, Islay). If you want, you can even throw in a sixth bottle to cover the unofficial Island region, perhaps a Highland Park 12 ($40-55).

The Original Classic Malts Collection ($385-490)

Diageo owns so many distilleries that they can easily provide a collection that spans every region (except Campbeltown), and in fact, even before they became Diageo, they did just that with the six whiskies that made up the original Classic Malts range: from the Lowlands, Glenkinchie 12 (it used to be a 10 year old) for $60-70; from the Highlands, Dalwhinnie 15 ($65-75) and Oban 14 ($70-80); from Speyside, Cragganmore 12 ($55-65); from the Islands, Talisker 10 ($65-75); and from Islay, the magnificent Lagavulin 16 ($70-110). It’s starting to get pretty dear, but it’s also a pretty great selection.

The Expanded Classic Malts Collection ($905-1,135)

If you really want to get ambitious, you can dig into Diageo’s expanded range of offerings, which has alternately been billed as including “hidden malts” or as an extended Classic Malts range. This collection includes the entire “original” Classic Malts along with the exceptional Clynelish 14 ($50-65) and Royal Lochnagar 12 ($45-50) from the Highlands, Cardhu 12 ($40-50), Glen Elgin 12 ($40-50), Knockando 12 ($35-45) from Speyside, and Caol Ila 12 ($60-65) from Islay. If you’re really feeling ambitious, you can throw in an entry level bottling from each whisky in The Singleton sub-range (from Dufftown and Glendullan on Speyside, and Glen Ord in the Highlands) for around $40 a piece, and a bottle of Mortlach Rare Old (a whopping $130-200).

The “Light and Fresh” Collection ($270-350)

Suppose you prefer your whisky on the lighter side and want a handful of bottles that provide subtle variations on the lighter side of Scotland’s spirit. Go with a Glenkinchie 12 ($60-70) from the Lowlands, an Arran 10 or 14 ($45-80), from the eponymous island, a Tobermory 10 ($50-60) from Mull, a Bruichladdich 10 ($50-60) from Islay, along with a Glenfiddich 12 ($25-30) and a Tomintoul 10 ($40-50) from Speyside.

The “Fruity and Sweet” Collection ($235-340)

Suppose you prefer a dram with a little more sweetness or some noticeable fruit notes of some kind. Try a honeyed Balvenie (anything from the younger end of the range will do; depending on exactly what you pick it will set you back between $50 and $80), a Glenlivet 12 ($25-30, all apples and pears), a Glen Elgin 12 ($40-50) a Tomintoul 16 ($50-70) and a Glencadam 10 ($40-50), or maybe a Glenmorangie Original ($30-35) or a younger Balblair (the most recent vintage usually fetches $40-60).

The “Rich and Sherried” Collection ($400-615)

If you like your dram with some heft to it, and perhaps a healthy dose of sherry, grab a Glenfarclas 17 ($85-100), a Macallan 18 ($160-190), a Glendronach 12 ($45-55), an Aberlour a’bunadh ($60-70); if you can find it, round things out with sherry matured Mortlach such as the old Flora and Fauna bottling ($150-200, nowadays) or the Gordon and Macphail Mortlach 15 ($55-80). If you can’t find a suitable Mortlach, go with a Glengoyne 21 ($120-150) or a Bunnahabhain 18 ($120-140) or even a Ben Nevis 10 ($50).

The “Smoky and Peaty” Collection ($295-485)

If you’re a peat head, it’s a great time to be a Scotch drinker, since distillers are tripping over themselves trying to see who can pack the heaviest peat attack. You can find peated whisky from almost anywhere in Scotland, nowadays, but if you want to explore different variations on the theme, try the following: Lagavulin 16 ($70-110), Laphroaig 10 ($40-50), Talisker 10 ($65-75), Highland Park 18 ($85-120) and just to mix things up, something from the mainland like Ardmore Legacy ($35-45) or one of BenRiach’s peated expressions, preferably one with a wood finish (in the $45-130 range, depending on the expression), or maybe a younger Benromach like the 10 or the “Traditional” ($45-65).

The “Complex” Collection ($415-535)

Although many good whiskies (including some of those mentioned above) could be described as “complex”, some are certainly more so than others. If you want to emphasize whiskies that bring a barrage of different flavors to the fore, here are a handful you might especially appreciate: Lagavulin 16 ($70-110), Highland Park 18 ($85-120), Clynelish 14 ($50-65), Glenfiddich 18 ($75-90), Ben Nevis 10 ($50) or Glenfarclas 17 ($85-100).

The Flavor Variety Collection ($340-490)

You might want to get whiskies that hit as many different flavors as you can find. I’d go for something on the far light side of Speyside like a Tomintoul 10 ($35-45), something with some sherry influence like a Glenfarclas 17 or 21 ($85-160, depending) or a Glendronach 12 or 15 ($45-80), something fruity and sweet like a Balvenie 12 or 15 ($45-80) or a Glenmorangie Original ($30-35), something light with more of a tart orchard fruit profile like Glenfiddich 12 ($25-30) or Glenlivet 12 ($25-30), something peaty like Lagavulin 16 ($70-110) or Laphroaig 10 ($40-50) or Ardbeg 10 or Uigeadail ($45-70), and finally something complex like Clynelish 14 ($50-65).

Ten Essential Whiskies ($540-700)

Ask ten different whisky enthusiasts to name ten essential whiskies on which to build a collection and you might well get ten completely different answers. My personal take would be to buy ten excellent whiskies that you can find quite easily and that won’t put you too deeply in debt and that represent a pretty broad variety of different flavors. To that end, I’d avoid anything that you couldn’t hope to find in the US or anything that costs much north of $150 for a bottle, and I’d try not to pack on too much in the same general flavor profile. My picks would be: Arran 14 ($65-85), Glenfarclas 12 ($50-60), Clynelish 14 ($50-65), Old Pulteney 12 ($35-50), Lagavulin 16 ($70-110), Glenfiddich 12 ($25-30), Springbank 10 ($55-75), Bunnahabhain 18 ($120-140), Laphroaig 10 ($40-50) and Glenmorangie Original ($30-35). This gets you representatives from 10 different distilleries, a taste of every major flavor profile, and representation from every distilling region save the Lowlands, which have been a little quiet lately. Ask me another day and my recommendations might vary slightly, but core elements would always be on there.

The “Different Flavors, Different Regions” Collection (>$1,000)

This will be the most ambitious collection I’ll outline in detail. You could try to get a bottle for each different twist on regional style. To really dig into this approach, you’ll need noticeably deeper pockets than any of the above collections demanded, and you’ll need the patience and desire to search online whisky retailers and auctions. Starting in the Lowlands, pick up the woody and fruity Auchentoshan Three Wood ($55-75) and the light but complex Bladnoch 10 from the Flora and Fauna range ($90-150). Moving into the Highlands, get a Glengoyne (any one will do; personally, I’m partial to the now-defunct 17 or the 21, and depending on what you pick it will be anywhere from $40-160); then pick up a nutty Edradour 10 ($50-60), a wonderfully complex Clynelish 14 ($50-60) and the maritime Old Pulteney 12 ($35-50). Go to the Isle of Islay and pick up a wonderfully smoky Lagavulin 16 ($70-110), a more aggressively peaty Laphroaig 10 ($40-50) or Ardbeg 10 ($40-55), and pick between Islay’s unpeated representatives--the light Bruichladdich 10 ($50-60) or the richer Bunnahabhain 12 ($50-65). Swing through the other islands for the wonderfully light, breezy and citric Arran 14 ($65-85), the brooding Talisker 10 ($65-75) and the balanced Highland Park 18 ($85-120), and consider throwing on a Scapa 14 ($100-150), if you can find it. Go back to the mainland at Campbeltown and add a Springbank 10 ($55-75). Finally, head back to Scotland’s distilling heartland in Speyside. Since neither is especially expensive, pick up bottles of Glenfiddich 12 and Glenlivet 12 ($25-30 each) for the lighter, orchard-fruit side of Speyside. Grab a Tomintoul 10 ($35-45) or a Glenrothes Select Reserve ($40) or perhaps a young Allt-a-bhainne or Tamnavulin to taste Speyside in its driest, maltiest guise. Pick up a Glenfarclas 12 ($50-60), an Aberlour 12 ($45-55), or a Macallan 12 ($45, if you can still find it) for the richer, middle weight sherry style. For the full on sherry assault go for an older Glenfarclas, or Benrinnes 15 in the Flora and Fauna range ($60-70), or Macallan 18 ($160-190), or if you can find it, the old Mortlach 16 from the Flora and Fauna range ($150 or more). Finally, for a Speysider with a dash of peat, go for a peated BenRiach ($35-85, depending on which one you spring for), Benromach Traditional or 10 ($55-65), or Tomintoul with a Peaty Tang ($35-45).  

Other things you can do with whisky collections

All of the above suggested collections are just starting points, and there are many directions you can go from there. Here are some other general suggestions:

For a long time, I had a goal of at least trying a whisky from every active distillery in Scotland, and that meant that I ended up with at least one bottle from almost all of Scotland’s distilleries. You can try doing that. There are somewhere in the ballpark of 100 active distilleries in Scotland, with probably another 20 or 30 expected to have mature stock within the next 10 years. Getting a bottle from every one is a somewhat daunting task, but it is doable (I’m not far off that myself).

You can collect whiskies from a specific region. Maybe you love the romantic seaishness of Islay and its famously smoky, maritime whiskies. Or maybe you love the tremendous variety and quality of Speyside. Whatever your preference, you can build a collection around a particular region you love.

Now that most distilleries have a range of expressions, you can try to collect all the available expressions from a given distillery. Size and expense will depend a lot on which distillery you chose. Lagavulin’s core range is rather small, with only the standard 16 year old, a distiller’s edition, and a vintage 12 year old that is usually released annually; beyond that, there are multiple special bottlings, most of them quite limited and quite expensive. Macallan used to have two separate ranges that were unbelievably expensive in anything over 18, as well as lots of more limited expressions. BenRiach has a regular range, and wood finish range, a peated range (some of which also have wood finishes), and a vintage range, almost all of them quite reasonably priced (for example, the 35 year old runs around $500, which is about half the price of a 25 year old Macallan).  

If you have rather deep pockets, you can collect whisky from distilleries that have closed. Distilleries that have been defunct for upwards of 50 years generally don’t have extant bottlings, but the raft of distilleries that closed during the lean years of the early 1980s (Port Ellen, Convalmore and Glenury, among them) still have fairly abundant bottlings that you can find at Whisky Exchange, Master of Malt, or the various auctions. In most cases, a taste of whisky history is going to put a sizable dent in your finances (good luck digging up any Port Ellen for less than $450 per bottle), but if you can afford it, it’s fun to get a taste of a lost whisky.

You can collect nice looking bottles. Increasingly, the marketing departments at big drinks firms are finding exciting new ways to present whisky in visually appealing ways. You can find colorful bottles, elegant bottles, clever bottles, charmingly old timey bottles, and even ostentatiously “fine” bottles.

You can branch out into different kinds of whisky/whiskey or even other spirits. Brown spirits are booming. American classics like bourbon and rye have seen a tremendous renaissance over the last decade or so, and American craft distilling is on the rise, as well. Japan makes superior whisky that is well worth trying. Ireland is expanding its distilling industry as well. Countries from Sweden to Taiwan to India to Australia now produce quality whiskies. If casting a wider net, geographically, is your thing, there has never been a better time to collect.

You can even collect as an investment. Right now, at least, whisky prices are booming and whisky auction houses trading in rare bottles are a growing business. If you’re willing to buy your whisky and let it molder away on your shelf unopened, you might be able to make a handsome return on it, down the road. I emphasize the *might* part of the equation, since the market for rare bottles (like the market for whisky, overall) is not completely predictable. In fact, even with the industry booming overall, there are funny quirks. For example, if you had the foresight to buy an official bottling of 10 year old whisky from the now-defunct Lochside distillery, you could sell it at auction for over $100, probably several times what it originally cost. If you had the perspicacity to acquire one of the earlier special releases of Port Ellen, you could probably now make a profit of $1,000 or more off your purchase. But not everything catches on with equal zest. Last year, I got an older bottling of Tamnavulin 12 year old at auction for about $30, which is probably about what it cost originally, perhaps a little less. Point being: if you can afford to pick up the odd spare bottle here or there to set aside, you might have something that collectors are itching to get their hands on years from now, or you might have more Tamnavulin than you ever knew you wanted.

So, happy collecting to you, whatever sort of collection you decide to build. At some point, I’ll try to add further tips on collecting in shorter posts.

[bostonfly]

I drank #16, and it was really good.  24 to go...

THE WHISKY

Ardmore 12 year old Port Wood Finish - USA: not for sale; Europe: $65-$75 Just finished my bottle. Watch this space!

Arran 10 year old - USA: $45-$55; Europe: $45-60 The 10-to-15 year range is my favorite spot for Arran whiskies. They haven't messed with their 10yo since it arrived.

Arran 14 year old - USA: $60-$80; Europe: $55-70 Old label, new label. Whichever. Great stuff.

Ben Nevis 10 year old - USA: >crazy; Europe: $65-$75 Ben Nevis has arrived, and now this thing has become scarce. It's very good.

Benromach 10 year old - USA: $45-$60; Europe: $45-60 This distillery is run by, like, one grandma, one sentient rubber band and two schnauzers (per the marketing material), yet the whisky is excellent. Not enough love for this particular 10yo.

Benromach 10 year old 100 Proof / Imperial Proof - USA: $70 and up; Europe $65-$75 It's as good as the two-year-old hype. Possibly better.

Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley - USA: $45-$60; Europe: $55-$75 This was such a surprise to me because I'm not a fan of Bruichladdich's unpeated whisky. WARNING: Serious batch variation.

Bunnahabhain 12 year old - USA: $45-$65; Europe: $55-$65 This has become an excellent whisky. I had it at two blind tastings in 2018 and LOVED it both times. Review of the current edition to post this year.

Caol Ila 12 year old - USA: $55-$75; Europe: $55-$65 One of those whiskies I hate to like because it's factory-made. But then again, so are all the great Midleton pot still whiskies and MGP ryes.

Clynelish 14 year old - USA: $50-$70; Europe: $50-$65 It still works, and is "better" than most of the indie Clynelishes I've had.

Craigellachie 13 year old - USA: $40-$65; Europe: $50-$70 Probably not a popular choice. It's a difficult whisky, but I've grown to enjoy it,

Glenfiddich 15 year old Distillery Edition - USA: not for sale; Europe: $55-$70 The most muscular thing Glenfiddich makes. And the best.

Glen Garioch 12 year old - USA: $55-$70; Europe: $50-$65 As I mentioned in my recent review, this is as good as I'd remembered. I just bought another bottle.

Glen Scotia 15 year old - USA: $60-$70; Europe: $65-$80 The best thing the new regime has bottled. And I think it can get better.

Hazelburn 10 year old - USA: $60-$70; Europe: $55-$65 Another shocker. I wasn't a fan of the previous regular Hazelburns, but the Springbank folks found the right recipe this time.

Highland Park 12 year old - USA: $40-$60; Europe: $45-$65 Old reliable. WARNING: I haven't tried the new Leif Erikson's Boat's Starboard Dog's Wet Arsehole edition.

Lagavulin 16 year old - USA: $65 and up; Europe: $60 and up Old Faithful still rumbles.

Laphroaig 10 year old - USA: $35-$55; Europe: $45-$65 Speaking of which.

Laphroaig 10 year old Cask Strength - USA: $60-$80; Europe: scarce After a couple of lame batches the behemoth has returned.

Longrow Peated - USA: $55-$70; Europe: $55-$70 Springbank is a good distillery.

Kilkerran 12 year old - USA: $60-$80; Europe: $50-$65 Not as superlative as some of the WIPs, but still very good. It's much more fun/complex/drinkable than the first batch of 8yo cask strength stuff.

Port Charlotte 10 year old, new edition - USA: $60-$70; Europe: $65-$80 Watch this space!

Port Charlotte Islay Barley, previous edition - USA: $60-$80; Europe: $75 and up I haven't tried the new one in the mortar-shaped bottle, but I adore the older one in the classic Bruchladdich bottle. Hope to post a review of it this year.

Springbank 10 year old - USA: $55-$75; Europe: $55-$70 Probably the Best whisky on this list, whatever "Best" means.

Tobermory 10 year old - USA: $50-$65; Europe: $50-$70 Another one that's probably not the most popular choice. Oh well. It's on the list.

[goodspiritsnewsat]

GSN Alert: New Spirits Releases 9.20.23

ARRAN 25 YEAR Arran Single Malt Whiskies are made at Lochranza Distillery located on the north side of the island of Arran. This 25 year-old whisky is the brand’s oldest expression in its core range to date and it’s aged in ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks. Just 3,000 bottles are produced annually and the US is getting its first allocation of 240 bottles beginning June 2023. (SRP $789.99) BARRELL…

[goodspiritsnewsat]

GSN Alert: New Spirits Releases 6.23.23

ARRAN 25 YEARArran Single Malt Whiskies are made at Lochranza Distillery located on the north side of the island of Arran. This 25 year-old whisky is the brand’s oldest expression in its core range to date and it’s aged in ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks. Just 3,000 bottles are produced annually and the US is getting its first allocation of 240 bottles beginning June 2023. (SRP $789.99) BLUE NOTE…

[thewhiskyphiles]

Whisky New Releases 2019 Issue 7

Whisky New Releases 2019 Issue 7 #whisky #whiskey #bourbon #singlemalt #scotch #newreleases

Whisky New Releases 2019 Issue 7 New whisky in stores 4th March 2019

  ARRAN 1996 22 Year Old TWE Exclusive £150

Auchroisk 1996 (bottled 2018) (cask 18018) – Malts of Scotland £130.95

Aultmore 28 Year Old (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) £179.95

BALLECHIN 2008 10 Year Old Bourbon Cask £70.95

BENRIACH 2008 10 Year Old Old Particular £53.95

BENRIACH HEAVILY PEATED 8 YEAR OLD Hidden Spirits £82.95

B…

[thewhiskyphiles]

Arran 6 Years Old Oloroso Rum Octave Finish - The Octave Project (57.3%, A.D. Rattray, 2018)

#Whisky Review: Arran 6 Years Old Oloroso Rum Octave Finish - The Octave Project from @ADRattrayWhisky #theoctaveproject

Whisky Review: Arran 6 Years Old Oloroso Rum Octave Finish – The Octave Project

Category: Island single malt scotch whisky

Origin: Arran distillery

Bottling: A. D. Rattray, The Octave Project

ABV: 57.3%

Cost: £25 for 5 x 3cl

What they say

For this experiment we chose a single Bourbon Barrel from Arran Distillery and divided the matured whisky from inside it between four different Octave casks,…

[thewhiskyphiles]

Whisky New Releases 2017 Week 42

#Whisky New Releases 2017 Week 42 top picks from @WemyssMalts @DLaingWhisky @ArranWhisky

Whisky New Releases 2017 Week 42

Welcome to The Whiskyphiles New Releases, our weekly report on the best of both the official and independently bottled whisky recently released.

Our top picks this weeks are:

Trawlerman’s Satchel 2006 (bottled 2017) – Wemyss Malts (Croftengea)it has been a while since Wemyss Malts featured in our top 3 but here is a Croftengea expression from Loch Lomond – not…

[thewhiskyphiles]

Hampden Park, Glasgow, Saturday 11th November 2017

The 9th Glasgow’s Whisky Festival, and it’s third year at current venue of Hampden Park, took place on Saturday 11th November 2017. Run as two sessions from 12-4 and 5-9 making it a long and busy day for many exhibitors. Attending the evening session where ambassadors voices were starting to show the strain of answering questions to the enthusiastic crowd keen to hear about their whiskies. It has been a few years since we last attended and a venue change too, as we were last at the 4th and 5th festivals held at The Arches. Glasgow’s Whisky Festival has always impressed as it is probably the largest in Scotland in terms of the variety and number of different companies with whisky to offer.

It was clear this year that it isn’t just about Scotch whisky either, with US Bourbon from Heaven Hill, Japanese whisky from Nikka, Mackmyra from Sweden and Shilton Almeida pouring Paul John Indian single malt in his own inimitable style, plus rums and gins galore too. The Festival continues with its usual format of equipping you with a Glencairn glass and list/map of vendors as you enter and giving you 4 hours to enjoy and entertain yourself as you see fit. No distraction of tokens or pay per dram, the ticket price of £40 is all inclusive. Glasgow’s Whisky Festival was the first ever festival we attended here at The Whisyphiles and remains our favourite to this day.

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Organised by Julie Hamilton of Glasgow’s Whisky Club, Mark Connelly founder and owner of Swally Shirts and Paul McDonagh owner of the fantastic Bon Accord Whisky Bar and Ale House. Bottle sales were supported by The Good Spirits Co. and two redeemable £5 vouchers were included with the standard ticket. This year Glasgow’s Whisky Festival were also supporting Drumchapel Foodbank with a raffle available to those who brought along donations to the foodbank for a pair of tickets to next years festival. The collection was hailed as a huge success with hundreds of items donated!

This years vendors included; Adelphi, Auchentoshan, BenRiach, Benromach, Berry Bros & Rudd, Bladnoch, Compass Box, Creative Whisky Co. Dalmore, Douglas Laing, Duncan Taylor, GlenDronach, Glenfarclas, Glenfiddich, Glenglassaugh, Glengoyne, Glenrothes, Glen Scotia, Gordon & MacPhail, Isle of Arran, Isle of Jura, Kilchoman, Loch Lomond, Maxxium, Morrison & Mackay, Murray McDavid, North Star Spirits, Old Pulteney, R&B Distillers, Speciality Brands, Speyburn, Speyside Distillers, Springbank, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, The Islay Boys, Tullibardine, Vintage Malt Whisky Company, Wemyss Malts, Heaven Hill, Mackmyra, Nikka & Paul John.

Our highlights this year included:

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Independent Bottlers

Catching up with Tom, Dave and also Lora at That Boutique-y Whisky Co., and trying some of their wonderful new bottlings from Glentauchers, Port Dundas and SLYRS!

Sampling some wonderful Aultmore 35yo 1982 at Adelphi, proclaimed as the best whisky in show in the morning session by none other than Charles Mclean himself.

Catching up with Fred and sampling a beautiful 21yo North British grain bottled under the Douglas Laing Old Particular range as his recommendation of a grain whisky true to style.

Trying a delicious 25 year old Longmorn cask 7.130 bottled by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society whilst catching up with Nicola of The Whisky Boys.

No surprises as usually an Adelphi or SMWS bottling strikes me as being one of the really stand out drams during a session which can include quite a number of really high quality whiskies!

New Distillers!

Catching up with Chris Hoban and hearing about how nearly 100 casks have already been filled at Raasay Distillery  (there 100th cask being filled just a few days after on 15th November) and also getting a little insight into the quality of their new make spirit.

Sampling a wonderful 6 year old Glenburgie bottled under the Strictly Limited range whilst hearing about Aberargie Distillery, the new home of Morrison & Mackay. I suspect a visit there is in order in the near future!

Sampling some of the 2 year old spirit drink from Kingsbarns Distillery – somewhere we still haven’t managed to visit, but really should and soon!

Blenders

Catching up with the Whisky Kiwi, Erik and also gaining a pour of Compass Box’s Phenomenology and No Name expressions, almost impossible to get hold of as these limited editions sell out as soon as they hit the shelves!

Official Bottlings

Sampling Speyburns new 15 year old expression , the Inchmoan Vintage 1992 Reserve from Loch Lomond, Benromachs new Triple Distilled and Peated expression from Paul John.

It is difficult to think of so much whisky and whisky knowledge concentrated into a single place for just a few hours. With thousands of attendee’s the atmosphere remains relaxed and the enthusiasm of the whisky makers comes across, as with almost every pour there is a story or anecdote behind the great liquid in your glass. As usual there wasn’t enough time to get around and see everyone, and sample something from everyone, however that means I just have to wait in anticipation of next years festival!

Thanks to Mark and the team at Glasgow’s Whisky Festival

Glasgow’s Whisky Festival returns to Hampden Park on Saturday 10th November

Tickets will be on sale on Saturday 31st of March 2018 from 11am.

Our report from Glasgow's Whisky Festival 2017 @GlasWhiskyFest #Whisky Hampden Park, Glasgow, Saturday 11th November 2017 The 9th Glasgow’s Whisky Festival, and it’s third year at current venue of Hampden Park, took place on Saturday 11th November 2017.