singlemalt

100 Proof Black Bull 30 Year Old Blended Whisky

Filed under: Spirits

Black Bull, a new blended whisky from Scotland, is a marriage of the finest single malt and the best single grain whiskies left to mature in sherry casks for a minimum of 30 years. The bull is an appropriate symbol for this powerful 100 proof spirit. Black Bull contains 50% malt whisky and 50% grain whisky and is non-chill filtered or colored – it remains completely natural. The color is a deep chestnut hue with a sweet nose of chocolate, Turkish delight, stewed rhubarb, and lime pickle. The flavor, full with rich sherry notes, has a surprising gentleness with accents of red fruits and a finish of a slight cinnamon note. The tube and bottle feature an original painting of a black bull by Scottish artist Angela Davidson. Black Bull, bottled and distributed by the award winning Duncan Taylor & Co, Huntly, Scotland, has an estimated retail of $199, and the first batch to arrived will be limited to 600 bottles.

Tags: Black Bull, BlackBull, Scotch, Scotland, single malt, SingleMalt, whisky

Yamazaki Whisky with Banshaku Ice Balls

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Yamazaki Single Malt, from Japanese whisky giant Suntory (which you may remember from Lost In Translation), is by far the best of world's can't-call-it-Scotches. So it's no wonder they've come up with a better way to drink it as well: with perfect spheres of ice 2" in diameter.

They don't melt as fast as our inferior American ice cubes, so they keep the drink at an optimum temperature longer without watering it down as much. An important Banshaku ("evening drink") ritual in Japan, apprentice bartenders in the high-end joints there must learn to carve them flawlessly from big blocks of ice.

They don't do that here unfortunately, but the MoMA store has a stock of imported plastic molds that do the trick quite well (right). You need a bottle of Yamazaki to get the full Land of the Rising Sun effect, though; their 12-year-old is $40 and 18-year-old is $100.

Tags: cocktails, Japan, Scotch, single malt, SingleMalt, Suntory, whisky, Yamazaki

$1,300 Springbank 40 Year Single Malt

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Among connoisseurs of single malt Scotch, whisky from the Springbank distillery in Cambeltown is highly prized. A new rare, limited edition bottling of Springbank 40 Year Old from Ian Macleod Distillers' Chieftain's Single Malt Whisky collection is sure to be snapped up quickly. Only 398 bottles of the exceptional natural strength, natural colour and unchill-filtered whisky, distilled in 1968, are being produced at a price of €800 or about $1,300 each. the bottle rests in a silver leather-lined, piano finished, solid oak box which has been stained black and lacquered 11 times to enhance the natural wood grain. Two silver plaques on the front of the box display all the individual bottle details, as does a certificate of authenticity scroll personally signed by Antony McCallum-Caron, Chieftain's Rare Malt Manager. A neck tag hung on a silver chain features detailed tasting notes.

Source

Tags: Ian Macleod, IanMacleod, Scotch, Scotland, single malt, SingleMalt, Springbank, whiskey, whisky

Balvenie Ltd. Edition Signature Batch Single Malt

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Famed Speyside distillery The Balvenie has just released the second batch of Signature, its celebratory single malt Scotch whisky, created by Balvenie Malt Master David Stewart in celebration of his 45th year in the whisky industry.

Available in in a very limited edition of 1000 cases, with a recommended retail price of $52 per bottle, the 12 year old single malt is a "skillful marriage" of three cask types - first fill bourbon barrels, refill casks and sherry butts - to create a completely unique nose and taste.

The bourbon barrels add subtle vanilla, oak and layers of honey and the refill casks impart delicate, sweet notes and smoothness, while the sherry butts bring rich fruit and spiciness, resulting in a perfect balance of all.

"It has given me great pleasure to create a signature whisky as part of The Balvenie range," says Stewart, whose signature is on every bottle. "Maturing and marrying the finest single malt Scotch whisky has been my passion for over 45 years and it's an honor to mark the moment with an addition to The Balvenie family."

Tags: Balvenie, Scotch, Scotland, single malt, SingleMalt, The Balvenie, TheBalvenie, whiskey, whisky

Classic Malts for Father's Day

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Earlier we discussed the joys of Johnnie Walker as a prelude to Father's Day. Of course, some people prefer single malt Scotch to blends. The Classic Malts Selection, the world's finest portfolio of Scotch representing all of the major whisky flavor profiles, commissioned a survey to assess the drinking man's preferences both as Father's Day gift givers and receivers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, one third of respondents said they would prefer a bottle of high-end spirits to any other gift, and one in three indicated interest in gifting dad with a bottle of single malt. While men typically like to give dad a brand they know he's already fond of, one third said they would try something new if it had a similar taste and style.

Classic Malts has a new tool called the Flavor Map to help find whiskies that fit various taste profiles. You can check out www.Malts.com to view the Flavor Map and find matches. Meanwhile Classic Malts has some tantalizing suggestions. Pictured above are Glenkinchie 12-year-old ($49.99), a Lowland malt with flavors of late-summer fruits and harvest fields, young wood, malted barley and dry, sweet spice; The Singleton of Glendullan ($35.99) from Speyside, robust and sweet with notes of toasted grain, toffee, orange marmalade and brown spices; and Talisker 10-year-old ($49.99) from the Isle of Skye which with notes of dried fruit, peat smoke, barley malt and pepper.

Tags: Fathers Day, FathersDay, Scotch, Scotland, single malt, SingleMalt, Talisker, whisky

$5,000 Glengoyne 40 Year Old Single Malt

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

How much do you love your dad? Enough to buy him a $5,000 bottle of Scotch for Father's Day? You know he'll appreciate it, right? Scotland's storied Glengoyne Distillery founded in 1833 has just announced its oldest, most valuable Highland single malt ever, the Glengoyne 40 Year Old (above). The rare whiskey is bottled in a hand-blown Glencairn Crystal decanter with an individual number engraved in the base, decorated by an engraved sheaf of golden wheat on the stopper. The decanter is housed in a lacquered, piano-finished, solid oak wood presentation box, complete with gold plates on the front and hand-stitched cream leather interior. Only 250 bottles will be available worldwide, priced at about $5,000 apiece.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: crystal, Fathers Day, FathersDay, Scotch, single malt, SingleMalt, whiskey

Michael Collins Irish Whiskey Wins Double Gold in SF

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Michael Collins, which is distilled at Ireland's last independently owned distillery, Cooley, just won a Double Gold Medal in the Single Malt Irish Whiskey category at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Michael Collins Irish Whiskeys are double distilled to retain the flavor characteristics of their premium ingredients. Aged in small bourbon seasoned casks, they are refined, flavorful and well-balanced. The brand is named after the Irish national hero.

Michael Collins handcrafted Single Malt is bold with a distinctive and unexpected lightly peated style. Aged for a minimum of 8 - 12 years, it has aromas of chocolate malt with light citrus and honeysuckle notes.

Well-rounded and complex with rich maltiness, it finishes long with a hint of chocolate and smoke that lingers on the palate, and comes in a distinctive tall bottle. Michael Collins blend also won honors in SF, bringing home a silver in the Blended Irish Whiskey Category.

Tags: Ireland, Irish whiskey, IrishWhiskey, Michael Collins, MichaelCollins, san francisco world spirits competition, SanFranciscoWorldSpiritsCompetition, single malt, SingleMalt, whiskey, whisky

Laphroaig 25 and Ardmore 30 Single Malts Arrive Stateside

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Beam Global Spirits & Wine is offering whisky aficionados and investors two new limited-edition single malt bottlings for their spirits portfolios – Laphroaig 25 Year Old and Ardmore 30 Year Old. The Laphroaig (above, right) reveals the remarkable result of 25 years of aging in the finest Oloroso Sherry and American Oak casks. The whisky is a rare combination of bold peat flavor spiced with sweet sherry notes and rich oaky undertones. Creamy, smooth, full of character and complexity, it's bottled at cask strength and priced at $499.99 per bottle.

The Ardmore 30 (above, left) is crafted at the only Highland distillery that has consistently peated its barley since its inception. The whisky "weaves bold smoky flavor notes historically associated only with Islay malts into the rich Highland malt experience." Aged in former bourbon barrels and handmade quarter casks, it reveals a distinctive finish and rich, complex flavor. Only 1,428 bottles of the rare and exclusive Scotch, each individually numbered, are available at a suggested retail price of $449.99 as well.

Tags: Ardmore, Laphroaig, Scotch, Scotland, single malt, SingleMalt, whiskey, whisky

Bruichladdich Brews World's Peatiest Whisky

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The folks at the beloved Bruichladdich Scotch distillery on Islay, who produced the strongest single malt ever made at 180-proof, have now bottled the world's peatiest whisky.

Octomore (right) is distilled from barley peated to 131 ppm, three times more peaty than any other whisky ever produced. Like all Bruichladdich whiskies it was made in distillery's tall, narrow-necked stills designed to make the purest spirit possible.

Young, powerful and brash, Octomore is described as "an iron fist in a velvet glove." Only 6,000 numbered bottles were produced at natural cask strength of 63.5% ABV, or 127-proof. For something that strong and smoky, a special matte black bottle was in order.

Tags: Bruichladdich, Scotch, Scotland, single malt, SingleMalt, whisky

Tullibardine Whisky Casks for Burns Night

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

In addition to the special offerings for Burns Night on Jan. 25 which my colleague Deidre Woollard has already written about comes this tantalizing one from Highland single malt distillery Tullibardine, which will guarantee stylish Burns Night celebrations in the years to come.

The distillery is offering limited edition personalized casks in either a sherry or bourbon barrel, stenciled with the owner's name, the Aberdeen Press and Journal reports. The whisky will be stored at the distillery for 10 years to mature, during which time visits are welcomed in order for a taster dram or two to be experienced. Once matured to perfection, the cask's contents will be bottled with personalized labels.

Prices start at about $1,500 per cask. A photograph of the cask, along with a certificate of authentication, will be sent out in time for Burns night. Tullibardine single malt (right) is a bit on the light side, exhibiting a fresh and floral taste with hints of vanilla and chocolate orange lacing the palate.

Tags: Burns Night, BurnsNight, Scotch, Scotland, Single malt, SingleMalt, Tullibardine, Whisky

Macallan Fine & Rare Vintage 1947

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The latest release from legendary single malt The Macallan is a Fine & Rare Vintage 1947 edition (right), of which only five bottles will be available in the entire United States.

The price has not been announced, but it's estimated at around $7,000 a bottle, judging by the last time any Macallan of this vintage appeared on the market.

The 15-year-old whisky, originally bottled in 1963, was purchased from a noted Scotch collector by Macallan, founded in 1824, to present this special offering.

The Macallan Fine & Rare 1947 was aged in Spanish Oak sherry casks and features notes of citrus fruit, chocolate and vanilla, woody spice, peat and smoke.

In November, my colleague Deidre Woollard wrote about the Macallan's Rankin Edition, a collaboration with the famed Scottish photographer of that name.

Tags: Macallan, Scotch, Scotland, Single Malt, SingleMalt, Whisky

The Classicist: A Killer Collection of Classic Malts

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, The Classicist

The Classic Malts Selection, the prestigious portfolio of single malts from Scotland's six distilling regions, has just introduced a stunning new collection of seven special offerings and rare aged whiskies. The highlight of the special releases is the Oban 18-Year-Old (right), hailing from the Scottish Highlands.

Produced at one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland - whisky has been made there for over 200 years - the Oban is rich, smooth and balanced with a sweet smokiness. Only 7,716 bottles of this special whisky will be available at $149.99 apiece.

The Oban is not the rarest of the releases, however. That honor falls to the Port Ellen 29-Year-Old. From an Islay "ghost distillery," i.e. long closed, it is peaty, mellow and robust. A total of 600 individually numbered bottles are available at $399.99 apiece.

Next in terms of rarity is the Talisker 30-Year-Old. Produced on the Isle of Skye, Talisker is the only distillery in the region. Smoky and rich, the 30 Year is Talisker's oldest and rarest expression to date. Less than 3,000 individually numbered bottles are available at $399.99 apiece.

Another "ghost distillery" offering comes from Brora, a 25-Year-Old. Very rare at this age, the whisky strikes a balance between the smooth Highland malts and peaty Island spirits. Only 456 bottles are available at $349.99 apiece.

Gallery: Killer Classic Malts

In addition to those four rare offerings, three 2008 The Distillers Edition whiskies have been introduced as well, all finished in sherry casks. These include:

* Oban The Distillers Edition – This whisky was double-matured in Montilla Fino Sherry Wood for a delicate yet rich, fruity sweetness with a touch of smoke. $99.99.

* Lagavulin The Distillers Edition - Very smoky Islay spirit. Also double-matured, and further aged in Pedro Ximenez Sherry Wood casks, giving it a smoky, fruit finish. $109.99

* Talisker The Distillers Edition - Double-matured in Amoroso Sherry casks, which keeps back Talisker's usual pepper, replacing it with luscious sweetness - ripe, juicy fruit and vanilla. $79.99.

"We are incredibly proud to welcome these new expressions into The Classic Malts Selection portfolio," says Rob Mason, Senior Brand Manager for Diageo's Classic Malts Selection. "Demand for rare and special malt whiskies continues to grow each year, and of course some of these now released malts are drawn from a finite and dwindling stock, as their distilleries were closed over 20 years ago, so we feel fortunate to have them available in the US."

Tags: Brora, Classic Malts, ClassicMalts, Lagavulin, Oban, Port Ellen, PortEllen, Scotch, Scotland, Single malt, SingleMalt, Talisker

Bruichladdich Releases First Distillation

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The folks at the beloved Bruichladdich Scotch distillery on Islay have released a bottling of their first single malt from the year the famed distillery was resurrected in 2001. Founded in 1881, Bruichladdich was closed in 1994 before being brought back to life 7 years later. Conceived as an homage to the Harvey Brothers, the original owners of 1881, the bottle design is nonetheless extremely modern, done completely in light blue. The whisky, of which only 24,000 bottles are being produced in a limited, numbered edition, is described as a lightly peated, refined, floral and fruity spirit.

Tags: Bruichladdich, Scotch, Scotland, Single Malt, SingleMalt, Whisky

Racecar Runs on Strongest Single Malt Ever Made

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Green

The folks at the beloved Bruichladdich Scotch distillery on Islay just powered a racecar from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds on a tank full of of its X4 Scotch, billed as the most alcoholic single malt ever made. The car, a British-made Radical SR4 (above), was driven by Top Gear's James May and wine expert Oz Clarke for a segment on their upcoming BBC series Oz and James' Great British Adventure. The clear 180-proof quadruple-distilled spirit, which required no engine modification, produced 200 bhp, only 5 less than ordinary gasoline - but at about $200 a gallon it's a pretty pricey biofuel. A lower proof version of the X4 will go on sale (for drinking, not driving) in the fall. You can see a video of the run here.

[via Men.Style]

Tags: BBC, biofuel, bruichladdich, Islay, Oz Clarke, OzClarke, Radical Sports Cars, RadicalSportsCars, Scotch, Scotland, single malt, SingleMalt

Bruichladdich's New Multi-Vintage Trilogy

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Bruichladdich, the brawny Islay single malt that won top honors on Men.Style.com's Scotch hotlist for its classic 15 Year, is coming out with a new Multi-Vintage Trilogy showcasing the whisky's full range of flavors.

The three new bottlings - Rocks, Waves and Peat - range from light to heavy smokiness and feature aggressively modern packaging that's a real departure from the vintage feel of the distillery's signature labels.

Rocks takes its name from the Rhinns of Islay, the "oldest rocks in the whisky world" through which the water used in Bruichladdich is filtered, while Waves reflects the Atlantic ocean buffeting the Hebridean isle and Peat is, well, pretty self-explanatory.

Rocks is available now and the others will be by the end of summer. See the gallery for more.

Gallery: Bruichladdich Trilogy