Scotch whisky

Dalmore Releases the £10,000 Siruis Single Malt

Filed under: Spirits

How much would you be willing to spend on a bottle of whisky? A couple hundred? A couple of thousand, if you had the cash on hand? How about £10,000? That's the headline selling price for the latest release from The Dalmore distillery in Scotland.

The Sirius Vintage has been maturing since 1951, making it one of the rarest, oldest and finest malts available. But availability is a relative concept: Dalmore will only be producing 12 bottles of this most exclusive single malt scotch, available from a small selection of airport duty free concessionaires around the world.

With a cask strength of 45%, master distiller Richard Paterson describes the taste as "distinguished and elegant" with notes of "intense citrus and honeyed chocolate" followed by hints of "roasted coffee, crushed walnuts and liquorice spice". Sounds delightful, but at those prices and quantities, we'd better not get too attached.

Tags: dalmore, Dalmore 1951 Sirius Vintage, Dalmore1951SiriusVintage, scotch, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, single malt, single malt scotch whisky, SingleMalt, SingleMaltScotchWhisky, sirius, the dalmore, TheDalmore, whisky

Whisky Bottles Given as Gifts by the Queen Classified as a Matter of National Security

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Celebrity Shopping

Every year, Queen Elizabeth II awards miniature bottles of whisky to the guards at her estate in Sandringham. And we'd be telling you more about them – what kind, how much they're worth, how many she hands out annually – if not for a blanket classification issued on the subject by local police. That's right, the bottles of scotch handed out by the Queen are considered a matter of national security.

According to Norfolk police, if they divulged how many bottles were distributed, it would give away how many guards are stationed there. And if Al-Qaeda found out, it would make it easier for them to kidnap members of the royal family. That might seem like an extreme measure of paranoia, but not in the context of break-ins at royal residences in recent history. Aside from terrorism, one man infiltrated Buckingham Palace in 1982, the Queen awaking to find him sitting on her bed. Ten ears later a man was arrested on the premises twice, while another intruder broke into St. James Palace and had himself a scotch. Two years later, a drunken man knocked on Princess Anne's door to ask for directions to the railway station. The embarrassing intrusions have left local police on high alert to prevent further incidents, hence the refusal to disclose details of the whisky distribution. And there you have it.

[Source: The Daily Mail]

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Tags: buckingham palace, BuckinghamPalace, queen, queen elizabeth, queen elizabeth ii, QueenElizabeth, QueenElizabethIi, royal gift, RoyalGift, sandringham, scotch, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, whiskey, whisky

Johnnie Walker's Descendant Calls on Diageo to Keep Plant Open

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The last surviving descendant of Johnnie Walker is facing off with the international beverage consortium that owns the brand today over the closure of the eponymous whisky brand's historic distillery in Scotland. Diageo, which owns the Johnnie Walker brand, recently announced the closure of the facility at Kilmarnock, Scotland, as part of a comprehensive restructuring plan to help the company weather the economic storm. The closure of the Kilmarnock facility is expected to cost some 700 workers their jobs. But Betty Heath, 77, the great grand-daughter of the Johnnie Walker himself, has vowed to do all she can to help save those jobs.

"As I am the only surviving direct ancestor," pledged Heath, "I will fight in his name to do all I can to keep Johnnie Walker in Kilmarnock and to help save those workers' livelihoods." She called for a meeting with Diageo executives to discuss the matter, and while she may hold no control over her ancestor's namesake company, her involvement could prove enough of a public relations disaster for the beverage concern to pressure them to reconsider.

[Source: Scottish Daily Record]

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Tags: betty heath, BettyHeath, diageo, johnnie walker, JohnnieWalker, scotch, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, scotland, whisky

Whisky Meets Wine in Longrow's Gaja Barolo Bottling

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

We admit we've never been troubled by the dilemma of choosing between Scotch and wine - we just have both. Usually not in the same glass, however; until a bottle of Longrow Gaja Barolo showed up. The 7-year-old single malt from Springbank, one of Scotland's most renowned distilling dynasties, is matured in bourbon casks for five years then finished for a year-and-a-half in Barolo wine casks from Angelo Gaja's famed vineyard in Piemonte, founded in 1859.

Trying this experiment with a heavily peated Campbeltown malt like Longrow might seem counterintuitive, but in fact the smokiness keeps the spirit from being overpowered by the grape. The confluence of flavors is nothing short of symphonic, plus at 111.6-proof it packs all the authentic muscle of a cask strength bottling. Definitely one the very best single malts we've tasted since the last time we were actually in Scotland.

[via Men.Style]

Gallery: Longrow & Gaja

Tags: Barolo, Campbeltown, Gaja, Italy, Scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, Scotland, Single malt, SingleMalt, Wine

Laphroaig to Unveil New Whiskies at Online Tasting

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

On June 18, Laphroaig Single Malt will host a live online tasting featuring the global unveiling of two yet-to-be-released whiskies. The 45-minute webcast, beginning at 3:00 p.m. EST, will be conducted by Distillery Manager John Campbell and Master Blender Robert Hicks from inside Warehouse 1 at the historic Laphroaig Distillery on Islay. As we reported earlier this month, longtime Laphroaig fan Prince Charles recently visited there (see above). The online tasting and educational seminar will include smoky classics Laphroaig 10 Year Old, Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Laphroaig Cáirdeas, and two unreleased whiskies: Laphroaig 30 Year Old Cáirdeas and the yet-to-be-bottled Laphroaig Triple Wood. Participants of legal purchase age can download tasting notes and guides and submit their questions in advance at Laphroaig.com. For more information visit www.Laphroaig.com/live.

Gallery: Laphroaig Scotch Tasting

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Tags: Islay, laphroaig, Prince Charles, PrinceCharles, Scotch, Scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, Scotland, Single Malt, SingleMalt

Prince Charles Visits Laphroaig, Confirms Royal Warrant

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Events, Charity

Yesterday Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, paid a visit to the home of his favorite Scotch whisky, the Laphroaig distillery on Islay. Laphroaig, established in 1815, is one of the richest, smokiest single malts and one of the very best Scotches ever produced. It holds a Royal Warrant from the Prince of Wales, which he confirmed while there, and bears his heraldic three-feather badge on its label. The kilt-clad Charles and Camilla - who are known as by their local title, the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, while traveling in Scotland - toured the distillery, learned about (and leant a hand in) its production and nosed whiskies of different ages. The Prince also signed two barrels of maturing spirit and an ultra-rare 40-year-old bottle of Laphroaig, one of only a handful left in the world, all to be auctioned off for charity. The 40-year-old was worth about $5,000 before he applied the royal signature. The proceeds from the auctions will go to the charities of Charles' choice.

Gallery: Prince Charles & Laphroaig

Tags: Islay, Laphroaig, Prince Charles, PrinceCharles, Royal Warrant, RoyalWarrant, Scotch, Scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, Scotland, Single malt Scotch, SingleMaltScotch

The Singleton - New Single Malt Scotch

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

A deliciously smooth 12-year-old single malt Scotch from the heart of Speyside in Dufftown, aka The Malt Whisky Capital of Scotland, will be available here nationwide for the first time this fall.

The Singleton of Glendullan is produced on the site of the original distillery, in a wooded valley along the banks of the rivers Dullan and Fiddich, which was built in 1897. Water from both rivers is used along with locally grown malted barley to create the Singleton, with its notes of toffee, spice and roasted nuts.

While we usually opt for smokier single malts like Lagavulin, that also tends to confine our consumption to the cooler months as they complement each other so well. We're quite taken with this smoother spirit however, which not only suits the milder weather perfectly, but isn't too heavy for a pre-prandial dram.

Gallery: Glendullan, Speyside and Dufftown

Tags: Glendullan, Scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, Single malt Scotch, SingleMaltScotch, Singleton, Speyside

Johnnie Walker King George V Blue Label Whisky

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Lovers of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label have a new way to satisfy their love of the top shelf whisky. The Johnnie Walker King George V Edition comes in a crystal decanter with an individually numbered certificate of authenticity. The whisky is made with the same techniques during the reign of King George V and features only whiskies from distilleries operating during that era. The blend includes the Port Ellen Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky from a distillery which no longer exists and whose preserved stock is expensive due to its scarcity . The crystal decanter comes in a silk-lined presentation box with a display holder for showing the bottle in whisky cabinets. The whisky sells for $400.

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Tags: alcohol, blue label, johnnie walker, JohnnieWalker, liquor, scotch whisky, spirits

Rare 1937 Glenfiddich To Hit The Auction Block

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

A bottle of the world's oldest whisky, Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937, will be auctioned off on April 4 in Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal. The auction is part of New York's Tartan Week celebration. A single cask of whisky produced 61 bottles of the whisky and due to import laws, this bottle is the only 750ml bottle of the 1937 ever produced. The spirit was aged in cask for 64 years and bottled in 2001. The profits from the auction will benefit City Harvest, which seeks to end hunger in New York. The whisky is said to have a nose of toffee, cinnamon and cloves and a sweet, cedar palette. Recently in an article on one of the bottles in South Africa, the prices was listed as being around $29,000 but since this is a one-off bottle the price might go even higher.

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Tags: liquor, rare spirits, rare whisky, scotch, scotch whisky, spirits, whisky

A Personal Taste Of Compass Box: Asyla

by Gustad Mody (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Next up of the Compass Box line I had this weekend is Asyla. Not refined as the earlier mentioned Peat Monster, but still very pleasant on the tongue. Grainy, with dry fruit tastes and the finish reminds me of the pepperness of a strong black coffee. Pretty drinkable. Asyla is a 50/50 blend of grain and malt whiskies mostly from Cragganmore, Linkwood, Glen Elgin, Cabus, and Cameron Bridge.

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Tags: scotch, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, single malt, SingleMalt, spirit, whiskey, whisky

A Personal Taste Of Compass Box: The Peat Monster

by Gustad Mody (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

I finally got to try The Peat Monster by Compass Box this weekend and was quite impressed considering that your everyday urbane whisky drinkers are not too familiar with this brand. I have a personal infatuation for peaty whiskies and this truly hits the spot. The smokiness was so dynamic that it reminded me of a char cooked porterhouse on an open campfire. It coats the tongue quite copiously like a fine oil. Malty, sweet, and almost smokes off the tongue. It went well with the Spanish blue cheese I was having at the time. The Peat Monster is comprised of vatted 100% single malt whisky mainly made of Caol Ila and Ardmore, all aged between 10 and 15 years old.

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Tags: peat, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, spirits, whiskey, whiskies, whisky

Quarter Century Macallan in Lalique

by Gustad Mody (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The Macallan decided to go all out, where an ordinary glass container would not be adequate to hold their special 50 year single malt. Lalique will be hand blowing an exclusive 470 decanters made to resemble the Spanish sherry barrels in which the Scotch rested for five decades. Only 20 will be for sale in the UK, which makes me feel pretty special here in the US where we will get 100 at about $6,000 each. The whisky is presented in a leather and silk box, with a crystal stopper and a leather-bound collectors guide with The Macallan’s Easter Elchies House Stamp of approval. The burnish gold-colored malt is rich with flavors of cardamom, black cherries, and chocolate.

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Tags: Craigellachie, Edrington Group, EdringtonGroup, macallan 18, macallan 25, macallan scotch, Macallan18, Macallan25, MacallanScotch, malt of the people, MaltOfThePeople, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, single malt scotch, SingleMaltScotch, speyside, the macallan, TheMacallan

Glenlivet Cellar Collection 1972

by Gustad Mody (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

With a strong reputation for very special expressions, every year a selection of exceptional whisky is brought to the market from The Glenlivet Cellar Collection. A vatting of 10 casks from a single day’s distillation of August 24, 1972 will be this year’s selection. After the filling on that Thursday, the parcel of casks were placed into Warehouse 5 at the distillery and stored in the lower tier of stows 87 and 89. The richness and fruitiness found in this creation could only be obtained by the choice climate, cask wood, and generous age. Bottled at natural cask strength without cill-filtration, the 1972 collection is a definitive Speyside single malt whisky. Only 800 bottles have been released to the US which will run about $700 each.

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Tags: glenlivet scotch, glenlivet whisky, GlenlivetScotch, GlenlivetWhisky, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, single malt, SingleMalt, spirits, whisky peats, whisky petes, WhiskyPeats, WhiskyPetes

Glenrothes Select Reserve

by Gustad Mody (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

As a non-vintage specific selection, Glenrothes Select Reserve is a vatting of casks from various years representing the heart and essence of Glenrothes. These batches from unspecified years are chosen by John Ramsay, the malt master, with emphasis on quality and consistency and will be available as an on-going basis rather than the typical ‘out and done’ release of vintages. The idea here overcomes the shortage of single malts we have come to get used to and makes The Glenrothes more widely available. The ripe fruits, citrus, vanilla and hint of spice notes are characteristically complex with a creamy texture on the tongue. The barrel shaped bottle is about $45.

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Tags: scotch, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, single malt, single malt scotch, SingleMalt, SingleMaltScotch, vatted malt, VattedMalt, whiskey, whisky

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