single malt

Bowmore Announces the Exclusive Tempest Single Malt

Filed under: Spirits

Arguably more so than any other region in Scotland, Islay has long since established itself as a favorite among scotch whisky drinkers. The windswept isle is home to an inordinate number of distilleries, but Bowmore wants us to remember that it was there first. And to that end they've released an exclusive new small-batch bottling called Tempest.

Named after the beating waves of Loch Indaal that have slapped against the Bowmore distillery since its establishment in 1779, Tempest has been aged for ten years, embracing the peaty and smokey flavor while balancing it intricately. It's the second small batch bottling released recently by Bowmore, but the first being made available in North America. Arriving on shelves in December – right on time for the holiday season to the potential delight of the scotch connoisseur among your loved ones – the Bowmore Tempest carries a suggested retail price of $100.

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Tags: bowmore, bowmore tempest, islay, scotch, scotch whisky, single malt, small batch, tempest, whisky

Jura Celebrates 200th Anniversary with Special 21-Year Old Single Malt

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The only distillery on the Hebridean island that serves as a stepping-stone between Islay and mainland Scotland. Jura always stands out from other single malts. But this year stands out more than others, as the distillery celebrates its 200th anniversary.

To commemorate the bicentennial, Jura has released a special-edition 21-year old bottling, which joins its core range of 10, 16, Superstition and Prophecy single malts. It will be offered only in strictly limited quantities, direct from the distillery and from select retailers worldwide.

Sweetening the deal even further, buyers lucky enough to get their hands on the 200th anniversary bottling are also invited to visit the distillery and taste some of their even rarer malts on site.

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Tags: 200th anniversary, 21, bicentennial, isle of jura, jura, jura 21, jura 21-year old, scotch, single malt, single malt scotch, whisky

Bunnahabhain Launches 30-Year Old 1980 Vintage

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Single malts from Islay – like Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin or Bowmore – are known for their heavily peated, smokey flavor. Bunnahabhain stands apart with a gentler taste, and now the island distillery has launched an exclusive new edition.

The Bunnahabhain 1980 Vintage has been aged at the distillery's seaside warehouses on the North East side of Islay for the past three decades, imparting it with a creamy, silky taste. It's been bottled after 30 years at a cask strength of 45.4%, non-chill-filtered, with no color added (many distilleries add caramel) and otherwise completely unadulturated.

Only 357 individually-numbered bottles have been filled. Each comes with unique gold-foil labeling in an un-dyed leather case that promises to age with time, accompanied by a branded quaich (a traditional Scottish serving dish) and special parchment in a glass tube.

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Tags: bunnahabhain, Bunnahabhain 1980 Vintage, Bunnahabhain 30, islay, scotch, single malt, whiskey, whisky

The Dalmore Trinitas Sells for Record £100,000

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Ten thousand seemed like an awful lot for a bottle of whisky back last December, when we tasted The Dalmore's 58-year old Sirius malt. But the truth of the matter is that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg for one of Scotland's most exclusive distilleries. As our own Jonathon Ramsey pointed out in sampling the Mackenzie malt, The Dalmore has sold some bottles that have absolutely eclipsed every other when it comes to the prices they fetch. In 2003 they sold a bottle of 62-year old Dalmore sold at auction for over £25k, setting a world record. Three years later another bottle of the same went for £32k. But even those astronomical prices pale in comparison to Dalmore's latest.

For the first time in history, a bottle of whisky has sold for over six figures. And guess who sold it. The kicker? Dalmore didn't just sell one of them. They sold two: one in the United States and one in the United Kingdom. The bottle in question contains 64-year old whisky from the distillery's unsurpassed old stock. It's called Trinitas, and is so named because only three bottles were produced. That's right: there's another out there, and it'll be going up for sale at London' Whisky Show later this month. So if you've got an extra hundred grand in pounds sterling lying around and want to get the most expensive scotch on the market, there's your chance. (Follow the jump for video footage documenting the historic occasion.)

Tags: dalmore, dalmore trinitas, scotch, single malt, single malt scotch, the dalmore, the dalmore trinitas, whisky

Continue reading “The Dalmore Trinitas Sells for Record £100,000”

Amrut Launches the Limited-Edition Kadhambam Malt

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Indian whisky distiller Amrut has been making a name for itself with its creative experimentation with different wood finishes. Just a couple of weeks ago we reported on their Intermediate Sherry finish, now the Bangalore-based distillery has announced the launch of its limited-edition Kadhambam malt.

Taking its name from the Tamil word for "mixture" (Tamil being one of the languages spoken on the subcontinent), Kadhambam is first aged in Oloroso sherry butts and then Blue Brandy and rum casks from the distillery's own stock for an intriguingly complex flavor.

Only 234 bottles of the malt will be offered, launched at the Potstill Festival in Amersfoort, Netherlands, and distributed exclusively by Dutch tobacconist and spirits distributor Van Wees Holland.

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Tags: amrut, Amrut Kadhambam, Kadhambam, single malt, single malt whisky, whisky

Hammer Head keeps Malt Whisky in Czech

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Think of single malt whisky and Scotland usually comes to mind. Maybe Ireland, Japan if you're really with the times. But the Czech Republic?

That's where Hammer Head Malt Whisky hails from, made at the Pradlo Distillery that was built in what was then western Czechoslovakia in 1928. A thoroughly Czech product, Hammer Head – so named for the noisy iron mill used in its production – is made using Czech barely, Czech spring water and aged in Czech oak barrels.

A limited number of barrels were laid down in 1989, just before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Soviet dominion over Eastern Europe. 20 years of aging later, the Bohemian whisky is now available from World of Whiskies, the extensive British travel retail chain, for £34.99.

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Tags: czech, Czech Republic, czechoslovakia, hammer head, pradlo, pradlo distillery, single malt, single malt whisky, whisky

Highland Park Announces the World's Oldest Island Single Malt

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Just what we needed: another reason to love Highland Park, and another way to spend our children's college funds on the much-lauded Orcadian single malt. This time Scotland's most northerly distillery has released what is being billed as the oldest island single malt ever produced. And at 50 years old, we have no reason to doubt it.

Distilled in 1960, Highland Park 50 is vatted from five refill oak casks and bottled at 44.8% ABV. The result is a rich mahogany color, with a tobacco nose and a rich and spicy flavor. The distillery contracted Scottish jeweler Maeve Gillies to design the bottle, which features an Orkney sandstone amulet set into the intricate sterling silver laid out in a design evocative of the famous rose window of the St Magnus Cathedral.

Sadly only 275 bottles will be produced, available initially exclusively at Harrods department store in London, after which it will be offered through other retailers. But don't go looking for a bottle at your local retailer, as the £10,000 MSRP is sure to keep out the riff-raff.

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Tags: harrods, highland park, highland park 50, maeve gillies, scotch, single malt, whisky

World's Most Expensive Whisky to be Auctioned in November

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Auctions, Charity

The world's most expensive bottle of whisky, a one-of-a-kind crystal Lalique decanter holding the oldest and rarest Macallan single malt ever (above), will be auctioned off by Sotheby's in New York on November 15 for an estimated $150,000 or more. The Macallan in Lalique Cire Perdue, which we previewed back in April, is filled with 64 years and older Macallan single malt Scotch, vatted together from three sherry seasoned Spanish oak casks. The famed Speyside distillery commissioned the legendary crystal artisan to create the decanter using the ancient "cire perdue" or "lost wax" method. Painstakingly hand crafted by Lalique exclusively for The Macallan, and inspired by the beauty of The Macallan's 150 hectare estate in north-eastern Scotland, it's based upon a ship's decanter of the 1820s. Proceeds from the historic sale will be donated to charity: water, a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: auction, charity, charity: water, crystal, decanter, Lalique, Macallan, Scotch, Scotland, single malt, Sothebys, The Macallan, whisky, worlds most expensive

Glenmorangie Opens New Bottling Facility

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

What does it matter where a single malt scotch is bottled? Unless it's being bottled at cask strength, it matters a whole lot. Because a central bottling line removed from the distillery site means that the water being added, in all likelihood, isn't coming from the same source as that which was used in the malt's production. Add a touch of water to your dram, as many connoisseurs do to "open up" the flavor, and suddenly you've got three different types of water in your scotch.

Only a handful of distilleries have their own bottling line, and one of them is Glenmorangie. Now the top-shelf distillery has opened a new bottling facility in Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland. The new plant replaces the old one at Broxburn, but is located nearby, enabling better access to transportation routes while retaining its proximity to the distillery itself as well as the same skilled workforce.

The move follows the company's headquarter relocation to central Edinburgh, from which the premier drinks concern controls both its namesake distillery as well as that of Ardbeg on the famously peaty island of Islay.

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Tags: ardbeg, bottling, bottling facility, bottling line, bottling plant, edinburgh, glenmorangie, scotch, scotland, single malt, whisky

Bowmore 40-Year Old and 1981 Vintage Released

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Scottish Islay distillery Bowmore has launched two outstanding limited edition whisky expressions - Bowmore 40 Years Old and the Bowmore 1981.

Bowmore distillery is located on the western Scottish Island of Islay. It was founded in 1779 by John Simpson, making it the oldest of the eight distilleries on the island and one of the oldest in Scotland.

The new 1981 has been bottled at 49.6% ABV and will retail at approximately £270 each. There are only 402 bottles and it has been maturing in ex-bourbon casks for 29 years. The color of the Bowmore 1981 is light for its age, with a golden color bordering on yellow. Strong vanilla, honey and floral notes here, with a hint of the iodine common among Islay malts.

For the 40-year old, which sells for £6500, each bottle (there are just 53) is individual and made of hand blown crystal glass adorned with images of rocks from Islay and sitting on a thick plinth of Islay slate. The whisky has been aged in a single carefully selected ex-bourbon cask and has been bottled at 44.8% ABV. The color of the 40 is dark amber, and the dominant taste notes are butterscotch, raisins, dates and prunes and a trace of banana. There is hint of peat.

Tags: Bowmore, Bowmore 1981, Bowmore 40-year old, Islay malt, single malt, whisky

Highland Park Saint Magnus Single Malt

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Whisky connoisseurs know Highland Park for its virtually unsurpassed richness and complexity of flavor, consistently rated among the best single malts to come from Scotland. Last year Hebridean distillery released the Earl Magnus, a particularly strong expression celebrating the legendary Earl of Orkney – the 11th century ruler of the archipelago which Highland Park calls home.

Now Highland Park is following up with the much-anticipated second release in the Magnus collection – itself a homage to the distillery's founder Magnus Eunson. Called Saint Magnus, this latest expression is named after one of the six canonized Norsemen during Orkney's Norwegian rule in the 11th and 12th centuries. More than 20 churches bear his name, and now the second in a series of three special Highland Park expressions bares his name.

The Highland Park Saint Magnus is bottled at an exceptionally strong 55% abv, matured in Spanish oak casks for over twelve years. Only 11,994 bottles will be produced, and offered to the public at £85 per bottle.

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Tags: highland park, highland park saint magnus, saint magnus, scotch, 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

Glenmorangie's New Finealta To Help Open London's Savoy

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Glenmorangie has launched a new whisky in its Private Edition line: The Glenmorangie Finealta, pronounced "Finalta." The word translates as "elegant" from the Scottish Gaelic. It is a recipe with historic significance as it is a recreation of a Glenmorangie recipe dating back to 1903.

The century-old recipe was uncovered in the distillery's archives. Dr Bill Lumsden, head of distilling and whisky creation, said: "Glenmorangie decided to recreate this recipe so that we, and whisky connoisseurs, could have a taste of this historic Glenmorangie expression. We followed the recipe meticulously, which included marrying whiskies of different ages and from different cask types. The final result is a whisky of such depth and distinction that we selected it as the second release in Glenmorangie's exclusive Private Edition."

Archives show that this Glenmorangie expression was served in the American Bar of The Savoy, London, during La Belle Époque and at the height of Art Nouveau, the first modern art movement of the 20th century. The packaging design for Glenmorangie Finealta, not surprisingly, is inspired by Art Nouveau, which had a style for incorporating elements from nature such as floral and plant motifs into artwork. And, unusual for Glenmorangie, the taste profile involves a bit of peat.

The release of the whisky coincides nicely with the The Savoy's reopening on October 10, 2010. Bottled at a strength of 46% ABV, and non chill-filtered, Glenmorangie Finealta will be made available to global travel retail from early September, and in fine whisky shops in North America in early 2011. Price $85.00.

Tags: Bill Lumsden, Finealta, Glenmorangie, Savoy Hotel, scotch, scotch whisky, single malt, Single-malt whisky, whiskey, whisky

Highland Park Releases 1970 Orcandian Vintage Single Malt

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Scotland plays host to dozens upon dozens of whisky distilleries, but only one on the isle of Orkney: Highland Park, which currently stands as the northernmost distillery in Scotland. Highland Park is rated as one of the top whiskies in the world, but even at the pinnacle there is room for distinction.

Last Fall, Highland Park launched The Orcadian Vintage Series, and following the releases of the 1968 and 1964 vintages has now announced the third in the series: the 1970 Vintage. To emphasize the whisky's natural intricacies, Highland Park opted to use refill casks to age the vintage, releasing just 1,800 jet-black bottles at cask strength. Each sells for £2,250.

Tags: highland park, highland park 1970, orcadian vintage series, scotch, scotch whisky, single malt, the orcadian vintage series, whisky

English Whisky Co. Offering Full Casks to the Public

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

There may be no shortage of whiskies coming from the British Isles, but most hail from Scotland and Ireland. The English Whisky Company is serious about proving England as a whisky-producing country as well, and has already been winning hearts and palettes with its St George's single malt. Now the English distillery is offering a rare opportunity for connoisseurs and enthusiasts to get their hands not just on a bottle or two, but an entire cask!

The barrels are being offered in 30-liter (£1200) and 50-liter (£1800) sizes, and sold at a first come, first served basis. Buyers can choose from peated or unpeated malts; all contents have been aged for 3 years and are delivered non-chill-filtered and at a cask strength of 46% ABV.

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Tags: english whisky company, single malt, st george, st georges, st georges distillery, whiskey, whisky

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