highland

Balblair 2000 Millenium Malt

Filed under: Spirits

It's been a while since we heard any hoopla about the millennium. But the scotch whisky industry works at a different pace and on a slower timeline.

Whereas most distilleries commonly label their whiskies by their age at the time of bottling, Balblair Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky names theirs after the year in which they were distilled. The range already includes the 1979, 1989 and 1997 vintages, and are now joined by the limited-edition 2000 Millennium malt.

Available in limited quantities, the Balblair 2000 is already on sale in the UK at £31.50 per 70cl bottle (pricier than the 1997 but less dear than the '89 and '79 vintages), and is now being rolled out in markets around the globe.

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Tags: 2000, balblair, balblair 2000, balblair 2000 millennium, highland, millennium, scotch whisky, single malt, whisky

BenRiach Releases Ten New Single Cask Expressions

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Even amidst the constantly changing scene of Scotch whisky distillers, BenRiach has had a bumpy ride. Since its establishment in 1892, it has changed hands from an independent to a Glenlivet subsidiary, then purchased by Canadian consortium Seagrams, which in turn sold it to drinks giant Pernod Ricard. For the last six years BenRiach has been in private hands once again, releasing a core range of 12, 16 and 20 year-old single malts.

BenRiach has now added a new batch of special editions, each matured in a different type of barrel and hailing from a different year. The ten individual expressions in the Batch 7 collection, which is just now coming to market, includes vintages from 1976 through 1993, representing 17 to 33 years of aging.

The distillery's unique expertise in cask aging has been applied to include Pedro Ximinez sherry casks from Spain, peated Tawny Port hogsheads, Tokaji hogsheads from Japan and virgin oak barrels from America, to name just a few. Each is bottled at cask strength and non-chill-filtered for the connoisseur's enjoyment.

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Tags: ben riach, cask strength, highland, single cask, single malt, speyside, whisky

Aberlour Gets a Make-Over

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

They told us when we were kids not to judge a book by its cover. But when buying a bottle of scotch, many customers don't have much else to go by than its packaging.

Aberlour, for example, has had a rather staid label and packaging. But in a bid to make their quality product stand out amidst an ever-growing selection on liquor-store and duty-free shelves, parent company Chivas Brothers has given the brand a new look.

The new design updates on the old one with a more contemporary look. As it stands Aberlour claims the mantle as the top selling single malt in France, the largest market for scotch in the world. Who knows how much of the worldwide market it can capture with its fresh duds.

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Tags: aberlour, chivas, chivas brothers, highland, pernod ricard, scotch, single malt, speyside, whisky

The Classicist: Highland Living at Scotland's Storied Cawdor Castle

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits, Sports, Books, The Classicist

Cawdor Castle, one of Scotland's greatest estates which dates back to 1380, is the centerpiece of a beautiful new book focusing on the very best of Scottish style. Highland Living: Landscape, Style, and Traditions of Scotland (Flammarion, $39.95) by Stéphane Bern and Franck Ferrand with photographs by Guillaume de Laubier opens with a foreword by the castle's formidable mistress, Angelika, the Dowager Countess Cawdor (above). Born in Bohemia and raised in Africa, the exotic beauty was a fashion editor at Vogue and directed a marketing company in Paris before marrying the late Hugh, 6th Earl Cawdor and 24th Thane, and falling in love with the Scottish Highlands. In 30 years at Cawdor she has given new life to the legendary estate while preserving its historic heritage and way of Highland living.

At the heart of Scotland lies the legendary Cawdor Castle, best known for its literary connection to William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, the title character of which was made Thane of Cawdor. With its rich history, vibrant grounds and deep lochs, ancient, stony ruins, stewardship of revered traditions, and completely sustainable existence, the Cawdor estate, occupying over 49,000 acres, exemplifies the essence of the Highlands. Its magnificent interiors are filled with glorious antiques and handcrafted furniture, tartan accessories, hunting trophies and painted landscapes. Kilts and bagpipes, salmon and fly fishing, grouse shooting, hunting dogs, Land Rovers, shotguns and Barbour jackets, the shady realm of the Big Wood, thematic gardens, windswept moors, haggis and Scotch whisky are all part of life at the storied Castle.

Gallery: Highland Living at Cawdor

Tags: aristocrat, castle, Cawdor, Cawdor Castle, CawdorCastle, fishing, Highland, Hunting, Macbeth, Scotch, Scotland, Scottish castles, ScottishCastles, Shakespeare, sporting, tartan, UK, whisky

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Getting Sirius: Luxist Samples The Dalmore's 58-Year-Old Scotch

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

There are some opportunities that only come up once in a lifetime – if you're lucky. You may not know them before they present themselves, but you sure will when they have. Experiences like driving a Ferrari around Italy. Dining on the top floor of the World Trade Center. Shaking hands with the President. Or drinking a whisky that's old enough to have been your father.

The good folks at The Dalmore distillery in the Scottish Highlands were kind enough to oblige us on that last one a few weeks ago. And we've spent at least a few minutes every day since trying to figure out how we'd describe the experience to you, our loyal readers. Follow the jump to read how we found it.

Gallery: The Dalmore 1951 Sirius Vintage