..Category Archives: Other Whisky News

The Whisky Shop Dufftown Speyside Spirit Cocktail Competition

This entry was posted in Blog, Other Whisky News, Whisky Tastings and Events News on by .

You cannot deny the growing trend for using single malt whisky in a cocktail.  This is really about cocktails coming of age.  Invented to use ingredients to hide the taste of poorly produced and bad tasting alcohol, cocktails are now focusing on the flavour that the base-line spirit gives to the drink.  So why not use single malts?  The best of all spirits.

We have been inspired by the Facebook posts from Tales of the Cocktail in NOLA so we at The Whisky Shop Dufftown have decided to jump on the cocktail band wagon and we are launching today a competition to find the best cocktail using a spirit from the Speyside whisky region. And what better time than when Tales of the Cocktail is on in NOLA.  You might get some inspiration from there!!!  You are just as likely to be inspired by Dufftown though.  Hurricanes and distilleries aside, Dufftown has so much in common with New Orleans.  A walk down Fife Street and you could be on Bourbon Street.  And the Stuart Arms, well it is difficult to say who copied whom but just think the Carousel Bar & Lounge in the Hotel Monteleone!

Carousel Bar

 

The winner will get a £250 voucher to spend in the shop.  The winning cocktail will be announced at The Whisky Shop Dufftown Autumn Festival.

To get you in the mood here is our Speyside cocktail - Forres Skyline.

  • 1 measure of Benromach 10 Years Old 100 Proof
  • 1 measure of Woodford Reserve Double Oak
  • 1 measure of dry Vermouth
  • 1 measure of sweet Vermouth
  • A couple of generous dashes of orange bitters
  • A twist of orange peel

Place the ingredients except the peel into a shaker.  Add a few cubes of ice and stir.  We do not want this too cold or with too much water. Strain the mixture into a martini glass and add the peel.

We have obviously been inspired by a classic Manhattan and we have meddled with it in the same way the skyline of Forres is just a twist on the Manhattan skyline.  Especially if you are looking at it from the roof of Benromach distillery while standing on your head blindfolded.

We think the balanced smoke of the Benromach gives an extra kick to this drink and the flavours of the Benromach and the Woodford interact nicely with the orange elements.  Smoky Manhattans have been around for a while but we think this is much more complex than any we have had before.

Here are the rules:

  1. The drink must be a cocktail i.e. a mixture of 3 or more liquids.
  2. The cocktail must contain at least one measure of a Speyside spirit.
  3. We need to be able to make it - I know some of you are just wanting to use meldon berries from the Serengeti picked at dawn on the summer equinox to flavour Dalmore Constellation 1964. But lets face it, if we cannot reasonably get the ingredients, and that means generally available at reasonable cost, we ain't gonna make it.
  4. It needs to be judged better than Forres Skyline by our panel of willing judges.
  5. It needs to have a great name as that is all part of the fun and come with a short piece about why it works for you.
  6. The entry must come with a detailed recipe and instructions plus a picture.

The rules have been deliberately worded.

Please get your entries in by 1 September 2015 by email to enquiries@whiskyshopdufftown.com.

 

Cocktail Competition Photo 1 v2

What is the Best Malt for a Bacon Roll?

This entry was posted in Blog, Other Whisky News, Whisky Tastings and Events News and tagged , , on by .

Here at The Whisky Shop Dufftown we have been continuing our "scientific" search for the best Single Malt to go with a Bacon Roll - unsmoked, no sauce.  That's the scientific bit.

At this year's Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival we took the 2 winning whiskies from our festivals last year, Benriach 20 Years Old and Singleton Sunray, and pitched them against 2 new whiskies selected by Mike Lord - Balvenie 14 Years Old Caribbean Cask and Glen Moray Elgin Classic Port Finish.

We held 4 tastings, 1 each day of the festival, and each one was a sell out with over 80 people taking part.  It was a tight race and each combination received a significant number of votes. This proved again that everyone's palate is different and there is a whisky for everyone and every whisky has someone.

The tastings were conducted blind - guests were not told which whiskies they were sampling until after submitting their vote for their favourite.  We were delighted again to watch people see how the food and whisky combination brought different flavours to the fore and even created new ones.  This is what it is all about for us.  Showing how well whisky pairs with food in a new and exciting way.

The clear winner was Balvenie 14 Years Old Caribbean cask which pipped Benriach 20 Years Old.  That makes the Balvenie the best out of 21 different malts we have tried in this competition.  Thank you to all our guests that took part.  I hope you had fun!

Balvenie 14

WSD Image Bacon 01WSD Image Bacon 02

Whisky Magazine World Whiskies Awards 2015, Icons of Whisky Global 2015 & Hall of Fame 2015

This entry was posted in Blog, Other Whisky News on by .

Press release from Whisky Magazine

Whisky Magazine Title

Ian Chang of Kavalan, The BenRiach Distillery Company and Bill Lark among the winners of the top Whisky Magazine Awards

The finest products and individuals were celebrated at Whisky Magazines most prestigious awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton Hotel in London on Thursday 19th March. The Managing Editor of Whisky Magazine, Mr Rupert Wheeler, hosted a dinner for the industry and guests made the journey from as far as Japan, Taiwan, Australia and America to join the celebrations. During the evening, three of the magazines top awards were announced and presented including Icons of Whisky Global 2015, the World Whiskies Awards 2015 and the Hall of Fame 2015.

Mr Wheeler says:I was delighted to welcome all our guests to the ceremony last night. The evening was a huge success and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our international panel of judges and all of our sponsors.

THE RESULTS

World Whiskies Awards 2015, Chairman - Mr Neil Ridley

 

Single Malt Sponsored by Rankin Cork

Worlds Best Single Malt and Best Asian Single Malt   Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Cask Strength

Best Islay Single Malt   Ardbeg Kildalton

Best Islands Single Malt   Ledaig 10 Years Old

Best Speyside Single Malt   The BenRiach 16 Years Old

Best Highland Single Malt   Glenmorangie Extremely Rare 18 Years Old

Best Campbeltown Single Malt   Longrow 11 Years Old

Best Lowland Single Malt   Highland Harvest Organic Single Malt Sauternes Wood

Best Japanese Single Malt   Suntory Single Malt Whisky Yamazaki 18 Years Old

Best European Single Malt   Mackmyra Iskristall

Best Australian Single Malt   Sullivans Cove French Oak Cask Matured

Best Irish Single Malt   Teeling Whiskey Single Malt

Best American Single Malt   Balcones Texas Single Malt

Best African Single Malt   Three Ships Single Malt 10 Years Old

 Worlds Best Design   Haig Club, Diageo

Worlds Best Design Agency   Stranger & Stranger

 

Blended Sponsored by McLaren Packaging

Worlds Best Blended and Best Scotch Blended   That Boutique-y Whiskey Company Blended Whisky #1 Batch 1

Best Japanese Blended   Suntory Hibiki 21 Years Old

Best Irish Blended   Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix

Best European Blended   Black Mountain Whisky Sélection BM No1

Best African Blended   Three Ships Bourbon Cask Finish

 

Blended Malt Sponsored by G. F. Smith

Worlds Best Blended Malt and Best Japanese Blended Malt   Nikka Whisky Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 Years Old

Best Scotch Blended    Wemyss Malts Velvet Fig

 

American Whiskey

Worlds Best American and Best American Rye   Thomas H. Handy Sazerac

 

Canadian Whisky

Worlds Best Canadian Whisky and Best Canadian Blended   Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve

 

Pot Still

Worlds Best Pot Still   Redbreast Single Pot Still 15 Years Old

 

Grain Whisky

Worlds Best Grain and Best European Grain   Darkness! North British 18 Years Old Oloroso Cask Finish

Best Japanese Grain   Kirin, The Fuji Gotemba Distillery Blenders Choice Single Grain Whisky

 

Flavoured Whisky

Worlds Best Flavoured and Best European Flavoured   Master of Malt 40 Years Old Speyside Whisky Liqueur

Best American Flavoured   Sons of Liberty Seasonals Hop Flavored Whiskey

 

For the complete list of results including all Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards, visit http://www.worldwhiskiesawards.com/

 

Icons of Whisky Global 2015, Chairman - Mr Rupert Wheeler

Whisky Distiller of the Year in association with Glencairn Crystal   The BenRiach Distillery Company

Whisky Brand Innovator of the Year in association with Multi Packaging Solutions   Buffalo Trace Distillery

Craft Whisky Producer of the Year   St. George Spirits

Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year in association with Christies   Suntory Yamazaki Distillery

Whisky Distillery Manager of the Year in association with Broxburn   Ian Chang, Kavalan Distillery

Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year in association with Boisdale   Jack Teeling, Teeling Whisky Company

Whisky Visitor Attraction Manager of the Year   Julie Gorham, Four Roses Distillery

Whisky Retailer of the Year - Multiple Outlets   Cadenheads Whisky Shop

Whisky Retailer of the Year - Single Outlet   Berry Bros. & Rudd

Whisky Retailer of the Year - Online   Royal Mile Whiskies www.royalmilewhiskies.com

Whisky Distributor of the Year   Southern Wine & Spirits

Whisky Importer of the Year   Whisk-e Ltd

 

For the complete list of results including the shortlist, visit http://iconsofwhisky.com/

 

Hall of Fame, Sponsored by Amorim, Chairman - Mr Rupert Wheeler

Inductee 25   Steve Beal, Diageo

Inductee 26   Al Young, Four Roses

Inductee 27   Bill Samuels Jr., Makers Mark Distillery

Inductee 28   Bill Lark, Lark Distillery

Inductee 29   Seiichi Koshimizu, Suntory Yamazaki Distillery

Inductee 30   Jim Beveridge, Diageo

 

For the complete list of inductees, visit http://halloffame.whiskymag.com/

END

For more information on all Whisky Magazine Awards, please contact Rebecca Sterritt by email rebecca@whiskymag.com or by telephone on +44 (0) 1603 633 808.

Letting Search Engines See "Out of Stock" Products

This entry was posted in Blog, Other Whisky News on by .

I have been buying whisky on the web probably for as long as you have been able to.  Not so much these days obviously.  I have always been annoyed when you are searching for a whisky and you enter its name into the Google search box and it comes back with 5 results that when you click on each one you go to a page which says the whisky is Sold Out.  My time has been wasted.  Actually this really annoys me.

The Whisky Shop Dufftown is now on its third website (actually we are working on 3.2) and each time I developed one I have paid extra to have an automatic routine that runs each night and hides our out of stock products from search engines.  I think this is being fair to my customers.  I don not want to waste their time but am I being an idiot?

Why do other companies allow their out of stock products to be indexed by search engines?  The most practical reason is you have to pay extra development costs to have this done.  I have not come across any e-commerce shop where there is a global switch to hide out of stock products.  In reality the cost of doing this is minuscule to what we have to pay for our websites so there must be another reason.

From developers and the owners / runners of other websites I have been told some other reasons.  Firstly, if you click through to an Out of Stock product you might just stay on the website and buy something else.  I am told that if only 1 person in a 100 does this it's worthwhile doing.  Secondly, just having the click through helps with your Google ranking etc.  But is all of that worth wasting the time for the other 99 customers or am I missing out on that 1 sale?WSD SOLD OUT

Over night another issue with my strategy has come to light.  A customer thought that as he could not find a fast selling / rare product on my website that I had not stocked it and therefore he assumed that I actually do not ever stock rare or fast selling whiskies.  If this is a general view created by my strategy then this could be a real problem.

This practice of continuing to list out of stock products is almost universal now so is it now the expectation of customers that they have to click through multiple search hits to actually find a site where the whisky they want is still listed? Are you as a whisky buyer now numb to this time wasting?

I am generally interested in what you think and I will be posting this article on Facebook and ask for comments.  You can always email me at enquires@whiskyshopdufftown.com.

And before anyone mentions there are ways to see out of stock products on my website but they should not be indexed by the search engines.

The Whisky Shop Dufftown Whisky Inspired Cupcake or Muffin

This entry was posted in Blog, Other Whisky News on by .

The Whisky Shop Dufftown is running a competition to find the best Speyside whisky inspired Muffin or Cupcake. The final judging will take place during Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2015 at a tasting open to the public.

WSD Great Speyside Bake Off 02 SofSWF

Here is our example of a whisky inspired cupcake or muffin.  It's to help inspire you to something better and to help you understand what we want.

We have chosen Glenmorangie 10 Years Old.  Yes, we know it's not a Speyside whisky.  That is one reason why we chose it.  We didn't want to use a whisky in our example that you might want to use.  Also, when Mike first did this pairing back in 2007 he created a cupcake / muffin that featured banana and toffee to complement his tasting note for Glenmorangie at the time.  Now, we get orange, milk chocolate and spices. So to our basic recipe we have had added orange essence and to get that more complex orange spice notes we have added orange bitters - our secret ingredient.  And of course milk chocolate.  Dark chocolate is too strong, we think, for Glenmorangie but we need to add the bitterness that dark chocolate would give and the spices.  That's the reason we have added the orange bitters.  The topping is a combination of cream, milk chocolate and Glenmorangie itself.  We like to use the whisky in our recipe and in this case we have used it in the topping.  This presents the flavour more directly and for us that is important for a lighter whisky like Glenmorangie.  Baking might cook out all of the flavours and this way the alcohol is still present which we like!

If you are eating one of these in Scotland you should not drive afterwards!

The orange bitters gives a real depth of flavour so you may not want more than 1 or 2 but you can have as much Glenmorangie as required.

Here is our finished product.  Not the most attractive of baking but you don't drink the packaging or in this case the presentation is not the taste.

IMG_2602

You can do better!!!!!  And above all have fun.

You can watch Mike speaking about our example here.  We understand he had not taken all of his tablets on the day the video was made.

Full details of the competition are here.

Recipe

Makes just over a dozen

For the batter:  225g unsalted butter, 225g caster sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 4 eggs, 1 tsp orange essence, 1 tbsp orange bitters, 100g milk chocolate chips.

For the glaze: 100g milk chocolate, 75ml whipping cream, 1 tbs Glenmorangie.

Preheat the oven to 175 C.  Place 15 or so paper baking cases into muffin tins.  Combine all the batter ingredients except the chocolate chips in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until smooth and pale.  Takes 2 to 3 mins.  You can use a wooden spoon to combine.  This makes a heavier batter no matter how hard and long you beat but it also works well.

BowlSugar

FlourBitters & Essence

EggsMix

Chocolate ChipsBatter

Spoon the batter into the cases and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool for around 5 minutes.  Then remove them and cool on a rack.

IMG_2599

For the glaze, melt the chocolate in a medium bowl over a pan of simmering water until completely melted. Add the cream and stir until combined.  Then add the Glenmorangie and stir again.  Cool slightly and then pour over the cupcakes.  Refrigerate until set.

IMG_2600IMG_2602

 

Bloggers Pledge

We have received no payment, free stock, inducement or remuneration of any kind in relation to this post.  Our opinions are our own and have not been influenced in any way.  We believe that's obvious.  The Whisky Shop Dufftown - truly independent!

 

The Whisky Shop Dufftown Great Speyside Bake Off

This entry was posted in Blog, Other Whisky News, Whisky Tastings and Events News on by .

2015 is The Year of Food and Drink in Scotland and to celebrate pairing whisky and food The Whisky Shop Dufftown is running a competition to find the best Speyside whisky inspired Muffin or Cupcake.  The final judging will take place during Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2015 at a tasting open to the public.

The many different Speyside whiskies have a tremendous range of flavours and pairing them with food is a true delight.  It can emphasise flavours in the food or in the whisky.  It can even bring out entirely new flavours as well.  Home baking is again a focus for people so what better way to celebrate Scotland’s finest whiskies by letting them inspire you?  The Muffin or Cupcake can either be created to pair with a specific Speyside dram, contain the whisky in the recipe or be inspired by Speyside’s finest in some other way.  The whisky chosen should be readily available in the UK.

The best recipes selected by local whisky and food experts will be featured at a whisky tasting during Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2015 hosted by The Whisky Shop Dufftown where visitors to the festival will be able to choose the best combination.  The creator of that combination will win 2 nights accommodation at the fabulous Dowans hotel in Aberlour, a special distillery tour and a voucher for The Oakwood Cookery School in Elgin.

WSD Great Speyside Bake Off 02 SofSWF

Can you rise to the challenge?  We don’t want any half-baked ideas. Be inspired!

To enter please supply a detailed recipe, a picture of your finished baking and a short piece on how you have been inspired (no more than 300 words).  We would also love to see a video of you making your Muffin or Cupcake that we can use on Social Media.   You do not have to be coming to Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2015 to enter

Entries to be received by no later than 31st March 2015 and should be sent by email to enquiries@whiskyshopdufftown.com.

Further information can be obtained by contacting The Whisky Shop Dufftown (enquiries@whiskyshopdufftown.com, 01340 821 097).  Tickets for the tasting will go on sale on www.spiritofspeyside.com at 12 noon on 3 February 2015.

WSD Great Speyside Bake Off 01 SofSWF

 

The WSD @ SofSWF 2015

January 2015 15% Off Sale

This entry was posted in Blog, Other Whisky News on by .

Someone said to me that it's been a long time since The Whisky Shop Dufftown had a January sale.  Having done our stocktake we can change that and we certainly need the room.  There's just nowhere else we can put another shelf.  So we have decided to put over 100 different products on sale with at least 15% off to mark the start of 2015.  The full list is below.   We have also kept some of our festive offers on for January.  All our sale items are listed on the SPECIAL OFFERS page.

These are all limited stock so do not delay if you are interested.

WSD SlideShow 2015 15 Percent

Description Original Price Sale Price
Adelphi Aultmore 1982 28 Years Old  *** SOLD OUT *** £115.00 £97.00
Adelphi Aultmore 1982 29 Years Old £115.00 £97.00
Adelphi Benriach 1990 23 Years Old £99.50 £84.00
Adelphi Bladnoch 1990 24 Years Old £96.95 £82.00
Adelphi Bunnahabhain 1989 24 Years Old £118.95 £100.00
Adelphi Fascadale 12 Years Old Batch 6 Clynelish £48.95 £41.00
Adelphi Glen Grant 1992 21 Years Old £82.95 £70.00
Adelphi Glenrothes 1991 21 Years Old  *** SOLD OUT *** £83.95 £71.00
Adelphi Glenrothes 1991 22 Years Old £89.95 £76.00
Adelphi Glenturret 1988 25 Years Old  *** SOLD OUT *** £127.95 £108.00
Adelphi Highland Park 1997 13 Years Old  *** SOLD OUT *** £70.95 £60.00
Adelphi Linkwood 1990 24 Years Old £94.95 £80.00
Adelphi Longmorn 1985 28 Years Old  *** SOLD OUT *** £110.00 £93.00
Adelphi Longmorn 1992 22 Years Old £88.95 £75.00
Adelphi Miltonduff 1981 32 Years Old £138.95 £118.00
Adelphi Royal Brackla 1997 16 Years Old £79.95 £67.00
Adelphi Strathmill 1986 24 Years Old £95.95 £81.00
ADR Glencadam 1991 21 Years Old  *** SOLD OUT *** £55.95 £47.00
Ancient Mariner Navy Rum £39.95 £33.00
Auchroisk 30 Years Old (2012 Release) £233.00 £198.00
Benromach 1976 £408.95 £345.00
Berry Bro's & Rudd Aultmore 1997 £60.95 £51.00
Berry Bro's & Rudd Clynelish 1997 £64.95 £55.00
Berry Bro's & Rudd Cragganmore 1989 21 Years Old John Milroy £76.95 £65.00
Berry Bro's & Rudd Dufftown 1982 £116.95 £99.00
Berry Bro's & Rudd Glen Keith 1993 £78.95 £67.00
Berry Bro's & Rudd Linkwood 1987 £130.00 £110.00
Berry Bro's & Rudd Longmorn 1988 £92.50 £78.00
Berry's Glenlossie 1992 20 Years Old  *** SOLD OUT *** £65.95 £56.00
Berrys Own Selection Auchroisk 1991 21 Years Old £89.95 £76.00
Berry's Own Selection Ben Nevis 1998 £65.95 £56.00
Berrys Own Selection Braes of Glenlivet 1994 18 Years Old (WSD) £83.95 £70.00
Berrys Own Selection Bunnahabhain 2006 6 Years Old £42.95 £36.00
Berry's Own Selection Caperdonich 1995 £77.95 £66.00
Berry's Own Selection Girvan 1989 22 Years Old  *** SOLD OUT *** £53.95 £45.00
Berry's Own Selection Glencadam 1991 £89.95 £76.00
Berrys Own Selection Inchgower 2000 12 Years Old £47.95 £40.00
Berry's Own Selection Linkwood 1999 £52.95 £45.00
Beinn A'Cheo Dailuaine 1997 16 Years Old £62.95 £53.00
Big Peat @ Christmas (2014) £46.95 £39.00
Brandon's Gin £26.95 £22.00
Bruichladdich 1990 23 Years Old Black Art Edition 04.1 £186.95 £155.00
Cadenhead Small Batch Caol Ila 10 Years Old  ***SOLD OUT *** £39.95 £33.00
Cadenhead Small Batch Tamdhu 1992 22 Years Old £79.95 £67.00
Cadenhead Small Batch Tamnavulin 22 Years Old £78.95 £67.00
Campbeltown Loch 21 £74.25 £63.00
Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask Girvan 1989 23 Years Old £91.95 £78.00
Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask Tamdhu 1989 23 Years Old £83.95 £70.00
Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask Tomatin 1987 27 Years Old £126.95 £107.00
Carn Mor Strictly Limited Arran 1997 16 Years Old £53.95 £45.00
Carn Mor Strictly Limited Ben Nevis 1997 16 Years Old £53.95 £45.00
Carn Mor Strictly Limited Glenallachie 1995 18 Years Old £55.95 £47.00
Carn Mor Strictly Limited Ledaig 1997 16 Years Old £58.50 £49.00
Carn Mor Strictly Limited Speyside 1996 18 Years Old £59.95 £50.00
Celebration of the Cask Aberlour 1994 £86.50 £73.00
Celebration of the Cask Auchentoshan 1989 £120.95 £100.00
Celebration of the Cask Braes of Glenlivet 1994 £86.50 £73.00
Celebration of the Cask Glen Grant 1992 £84.95 £72.00
Celebration of the Cask Glenrothes 1989 £245.00 £208.00
Connoisseurs Choice Glenallachie 1999 £35.95 £30.00
Cooper's Choice Auchentoshan 2001  *** SOLD OUT *** £38.95 £33.00
Cooper's Choice Clynelish 1997 15 Years Old  *** SOLD OUT *** £51.95 £44.00
Darnley's View Gin £25.95 £22.00
Glendronach 1995 19 Years Old Cask #3250  *** SOLD OUT *** £89.95 £76.00
Glendronach 1995 19 Years Old Cask #4887 £89.95 £76.00
Glendronach 1995 19 Years Old Cask #3326 £89.95 £76.00
Glenfarclas 25 Years Old Quarter Cask £275.00 £230.00
Glenfarclas 31 Years Old Port Cask £305.00 £259.00
Glenfarclas Family Cask 1991 Exclusive to The Whisky Shop Dufftown £199.95 £169.00
Glengoyne 12 Years Old (43%) £37.95 £32.00
Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or £56.95 £48.00
Gordon & MacPhail Cask Glen Scotia 1992 £82.95 £70.00
Gordon & MacPhail Exclusive Caol Ila 2004 9 Years Old £47.95 £40.00
Great King Street Experiment 1 Smoke £28.95 £24.00
Great King Street Experiment 2 Sherry £28.95 £24.00
Isle of Jura Superstition £31.95 £27.00
MacPhails Collection Bunnahabhain 8 Years Old £27.95 £23.00
Old Malt Cask Allt'a'Bhainne 1995 17 Years Old £72.95 £62.00
Old Malt Cask Benrinnes 1992 19 Years Old  *** SOLD OUT *** £68.95 £58.00
Old Malt Cask Bowmore 2000 11 Years Old £61.95 £52.00
Old Malt Cask Glen Grant 1993 18 Years Old £66.95 £56.00
Old Malt Cask Glenburgie 1997 16 Years Old £65.95 £56.00
Old Malt Cask Glendullan 1999 14 Years Old £59.95 £50.00
Old Malt Cask Laphroaig 1996 17 Years Old £79.95 £67.00
Old Malt Cask Linkwood 1996 16 Years Old £65.95 £56.00
Old Malt Cask MacDuff 1991 21 Years Old £73.95 £62.00
Old Malt Cask Tamdhu 1988 25 Years Old £130.00 £110.00
Old Particular Benrinnes 1999 15 Years Old £61.95 £52.00
Old Particular Bowmore 1987 25 Years Old £253.95 £215.00
Old Particular Bowmore 1996 18 Years Old £99.95 £84.00
Old Particular Glenrothes 1997 16 Years Old £75.50 £64.00
Provenance Auchroisk 2002 10 Years Old £35.95 £30.00
Provenance Dailuaine 1997 15 Years Old £46.95 £39.00
Provenance Glenburgie 1999 12 Years Old £36.95 £31.00
Provenance Glendullan 1999 12 Years Old £38.95 £33.00
Provenance Laiphroaig 2000 12 Years Old £63.95 £54.00
Provenance Laphroaig 2005 8 Years Old £59.95 £50.00
Provenance Mortlach 2004 10 Years Old £42.95 £36.00
Provenance Aultmore 2008 5 Years Old £56.95 £48.00
Provenance Glenrothes 2004 9 Years Old £62.95 £53.00
Singleton of Dufftown 28 Years Old Special Release 2013 £233.00 £198.00
Sloane's Premium Dry Gin £25.75 £21.00
Small Batch Girvan 33 Years Old  £122.50 £104.00
Springbank 18 (2013 Release)  *** SOLD OUT *** £73.50 £62.00
Springbank 18 (2014 Release)  *** SOLD OUT *** £80.95 £68.00
Springbank 21 Years Old (2014 Release) *** SOLD OUT *** £216.00 £183.00
Strictly Limited Ledaig 2005 7 Years Old £35.95 £30.00
Strictly Limited Royal Brackla 13 £46.95 £39.00
Tormore 12 Years Old (1 litre) £34.95 £29.00
Wemyss Bunnahabhain 1997 "The Malt Barn"   *** SOLD OUT *** £57.95 £49.00
Wemyss Bunnahabhain 1991 "Oysters with Lemon Pearls"    ***  SOLD OUT *** £90.95 £77.00
Wemyss Teaninich 1982 "Winter Sprice" ***SOLD OUT*** £105.95 £90.00

12 Days to the 25th 25% Off Christmas Sale on 12 Stunning Whiskies

This entry was posted in Blog, Newsletters, Other Whisky News on by .

We are counting down to Christmas with a very unique sale starting today.  With 12 (ish) days to go to 25th December we have selected 12 stunning whiskies and discounted them by 25%.

Get it? 12 days.  12 whiskies. 25th.  25%.

These whiskies are in very short supply so don't delay!

 

Day Whisky Price Sale Price
1 Glenfarclas 1963 Family Cask Rifle and Shot Gun Cleaning kit  £ 7,500.00  £ 5,625.00
2 Benriach 1966 46 Years Old Vestige  £ 3,995.00  £ 2,996.00
3 Glendronach 1968 Recherche  £ 2,750.00  £ 2,062.00
4 Private Collection Glenlivet 1954  £ 1,825.00  £ 1,368.00
5 Highland Park 40 Years Old (Out of Stock)  £ 1,686.00  £ 1,264.00
6 Glen Garioch 1958 46 Years Old  £ 1,500.00  £ 1,125.00
7 Old Pulteney 40 Years Old  £ 1,490.00  £ 1,117.00
8 Director's Cut Port Ellen 35 Years Old (Out of stock)  £    840.00  £    630.00
9 Dalmore 25 Years Old  £    600.00  £    450.00
10 Isle of Jura 1976 (Out of Stock)  £    500.00  £    375.00
11 Director's Cut Ardbeg 1991 23 Years Old  £    485.00  £    363.00
12 Old Malt Cask Macallan 1988 25 Years Old  £    455.00  £    341.00

We have loads more offers in our festive sale.  Check out all of our sale here.

The legal bit:  Prices are quoted inclusive of VAT which applies to all UK and European Union sales.  Shipping charges will apply but we are offering free delivery in the UK on all purchases made up until December 31st.  No further discounts can be applies to any of our Special Offers.

Benriach 1966 46 Vestige infrontGlendronach 1968 44 RechercheGM Private Collection Glenlivet 1954
Highland Park 40Old Pulteney 40 copyDirectors Cut Port Ellen 35Jura 1976 copyDirectors Cut Ardbeg 23OMC Macallan 1988Dalmore 25

 

Glenfarclas 1963

Spirit of Speyside Awards - The Judging

This entry was posted in Blog, Other Whisky News on by .

Here are  a few images taken by the Northern Scot at the recent judging for the whisky awards.  I was benched this year.  I am unsure whether it is because I am now considered too old or just not good looking enough.

Here are all the judges.  Still standing (just).

The JudgesAnd here is our very own Vicky getting her nose stuck in:

Vicky 02I understand Blair was a perfect gentleman all day and charmed our Retail Manager (a lot).

Vicky 01Whisky from Speyside.  Glasses by Glencairn.  Ring by Nikki Bond and designed by Mike Lord - yes, I design jewelry too!!   Beat that Blair!!!!

Oh yes.  I remember why I wasn't there.  At the time this photo was taken I was in a beach bar in Key West (Southern Most Beach Cafe) drinking Macallan 12 - a measure the size of a bucket and only $9 - as the temperature climbed into the high 20's.  Very relaxed.  And very much James Bond.

Here's a picture of me in the beach bar:

skyfall-bond-enjoying-death-in-exile-L-YM6PoT

Oh no.  My mistake.  That's Danny Craig.  Easy mistake though.  Me and him.  Like two peas in a pod!  Although I do have a better taste in shirts!!  And I had a pint on the side!!!

Thanks again to the Northern Scot for these great photos (not the last one) and to Forsyths for their sponsorship.

By Mike Lord

 

 

 

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Awards 2014

This entry was posted in Newsletters, Other Whisky News on by .

Here is the festival's press release on the Whisky Awards 2014

Shortlist Announced for Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Whisky Awards

A mouthwatering competition has been set up in the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Whisky Awards, with eight of the region’s finest malts set to battle it out for honours in the eagerly anticipated annual contest.

A judging panel comprising industry leaders, acclaimed writers and specialist retailers whittled down 46 entries at a blind tasting event at the Knockomie Hotel in Forres this week before finally settling on their finalists in four categories.

And now that the experts have shortlisted the final drams, the power of determining the overall winners will be handed over to visitors to the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. A series of roving judging sessions at which festival-goers will get to blind taste all of the shortlisted entries is being staged during the Festival, which takes place from May 1 to 5.

Ben Riach 12-year-old and Knockando12-year-old will go head to head in the 12-year-old and under category, while the Balvenie 15-year-old and the Singleton 18-year-old will compete in the section for malts aged 13 to 20 years.

In the 21-year-old and over category, the finalists are Glenfarclas 30-year-old and Cardhu 21-year-old, while in the section for distillery special editions Tamdhu 10-year-old will go up against the Glenfarclas 25-year-old.

The awards are sponsored by coppersmiths Forsyths of Rothes – the company responsible for building many of the pot stills in which the shortlisted single malts were distilled.

James Campbell, chairman of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, says, “In some ways it must be a dream job for our expert panel to spend a day nosing and judging such high quality Scotch malt whiskies, but on the other hand they face an immensely difficult challenge. The whisky produced on Speyside is among the best in the world – deciding which entries are worthy of making the final is an almost impossible task.”

Whisky writer Penny Ellis, a director of the Festival who also organises the awards, adds, “This is the only whisky awards in the world where the power to decide the overall winners is handed over to members of the public. However, the Festival is all about people: the people with the passion that drives production of our malt whisky, and the people who are passionate supporters of our national drink.

“The roving judging sessions are a great opportunity for our visitors to also take the blind taste test, and for them to sample some of the best whiskies that Speyside has to offer. Visitors may have their own favourite malt, but tasting it blind means that they cannot be influenced by presentation or brand loyalty – all they have to go on is smell and taste.”

 The roving judging sessions take place at Ugie House Hotel, Keith on April 25; Glenfiddich Distillery, Dufftown on April 30; The Drouthy Cobbler, Elgin on May 1; Aberlour Hotel, Aberlour, Richmond Memorial Hall, Tomintoul and Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort on May 2; Stuart Arms, Dufftown and Rothes Social Club on May 3; and Forsyths Coppersmiths, Rothes on May 4.

The final judging session and awards prize-giving will take place – along with a ceilidh – at Glen Grant Distillery in Rothes on May 4.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, which is now in its 15th year, takes place at venues across the region, which is widely regarded as the spiritual home of the Scotch whisky industry. A signature event for Homecoming 2014, it will start Whisky Month – a four week national celebration of Scotland’s world class food and drink.

It will also launch a brand new event this year – The Spirit of Speyside Sessions – which aims to put to spotlight on the area’s traditional music heritage with concerts and ceilidhs being staged in venues closely linked to the whisky industry.

Tickets for all events in the 2014 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival programme, including the roving judging sessions, can be bought via the website – www.spiritofspeyside.com The Festival is also active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter.