New release - Balvenie Tun 1401 (Batch #5)

This whisky is the latest to be released in Balvenie's highly acclaimed Tun 1401 series.  The series has won prizes and many plaudits across the globe and Batch #5 was released at the end of June.  This follows Batch #1 from 2010, Batch #2 from mid-2011, Batch #3 from late-2011 which was an exclusive for the USA market and Batch #4 which was released recently as a travel retail exclusive.  Each batch has been created by the legendary  Balvenie Malt Master David Stewart.

The Balvenie distillery is located in the town of Dufftown, which is in the famous Speyside whisky region of Scotland.  It was founded in 1892 by William Grant and is the sister distillery to Glenfiddich, which it is built next to.  Balvenie remains owned by William Grant & Sons today and has a current annual production capacity of 5.6 million litres.  It is regarded as one of the most traditional distilleries in Scotland, as all stages of the whisky making process happen on site in one form or another - this includes growing barley, malting, mashing, fermentation, distillation, coopering and maturation.

The fifth batch of the Tun 1401 has been crafted from nine of the rarest casks that have been maturing at the distillery – four ex-sherry butts distilled in 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975 and five ex-American oak casks from 1966, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1991.  After selection, David Stewart then mixed these individual casks together in a vessel called a tun. This is a large barrel/cask, traditionally made of oak, where different whiskies are allowed to 'marry together' for some time. In this case, he chose to use the finest tun at Balvenie for this marrying process - Tun Number 1401 - and the marrying process took approximately three months.

As with the previous releases, the Tun 1401 Batch #5 has a limited number of bottles available (we were not able to find the total amount, but only 700 are being released for the UK market).   It has been bottled at the natural cask strength of 50.1% ABV and the recommended retail price is around the £160-165 mark.

Our tasting notes
The colour is a dark golden amber and the nose is instantly rich, fragrant and expressive.  The immediate aromas are of milk chocolate and spiced orange.  Other aromas include plenty of wood spices (imagine cedarwood, nutmeg and cinnamon bark), dark dried fruits (prunes, dates, figs and raisins), vanilla, butterscotch, honey, black coffee and a hint of peach/apricot and earthy ginger.  It is a great smelling whisky.

On the palate this is rich, fruity and packs a little bit of a surprising punch.  There are plenty of initial wood spice and warming citrus notes that penetrate the taste buds and grip hard - think of cinnamon bark, nutmeg and zesty, dried lemons and oranges.  It makes the mouth water and as the saliva mixes, the whisky becomes more velvety and softer.  The spices soften but the zesty orange is exaggerated and becomes almost marmalade-like.  These notes combine superbly with others to create a palate of extreme depth, complexity and enjoyment - imagine honey, butterscotch, dried fruits (raisins and prunes especially), bitter dark chocolate, burnt caramel, toasted caramelised nuts and hints of demerara sugar and coffee.

The finish is long and uplifting with the elements mentioned carry through impressively, particularly the orange, dried fruits, burnt caramel and spices.  The spices seem to come back with a vengeance right at the end and give a warming, slightly tannic dryness to the finish.

This whisky is well balanced as it is presented, but the strength makes you think to add water.  After a few drops the dried fruitiness of the nose is highlighted with the intense wood spices knocked back a little.  The palate still packs plenty of intensity in with the orange note still prominent, along with the burnt caramel and chocolate.  A hint of peach also comes through very well.  The result is equally as good as without water.

What's the verdict?
This is easy - this whisky is very impressive and an absolute cracker.  The balance, depth, complexity and intensity is superb and shows David Stewart's incredible knowledge of selecting and then marrying casks to compliment each other in this way.  The whisky is equally as expressive either with or without water and is truly outstanding. 

David Stewart is celebrating his 50th anniversary with William Grant & Sons this year and has chosen a great way to commemorate that acheivement - to release of a whisky of this sublime quality.

Inbox - August 3, 2012

Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Within Inbox we write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information.  Here is what has grabbed our attention this week ...

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Bowmore - Two new Vintages
The Bowmore distillery - the oldest on Islay - has announced the release of two new whiskies in its limited edition series of vintages. The two were distilled in 1964 and 1985, and both have been hand selected by Bowmore's Distillery Manager Eddie MacAffer.  Both expressions follow in the footsteps of similar award winning releases and are available globally from specialist whisky retailers.

The 1964 (pictured, above) has been matured for nearly half a century in a combination of predominantly ex-bourbon American oak casks and finished in an ex-Fino sherry cask.  This stunning whisky is released at the natural cask strength of 42.9% ABV and is limited to just 72 bottles.  The recommended retail price is £8,000.  The bottle is a specially designed creation by renowned Scottish glass artists Brodie Nairn and Nichola Burns, each of which has been hand blown.  The finishing touches, including habd engraving and a bespoke silver neck collar and stopper, have been applied by leading Edinburgh jewellers Hamilton & Inches.

The 1985 has been created from a combination of ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks.  This has also been released at the natural cask strength of 52.3% ABV and is limited to 727 bottles, each of which has a recommended retail price of £300.  This release is presented in the regular Bowmore bottle but with an accompanying wooden casket which includes features such as a leather strap with a copper buckle and a certificate signed by Eddie MacAffer.

Dalmore - Investor buys set
The north Highland distillery of Dalmore released its premium  Constellation Collection - a series of 21single cask whiskies spanning four decades - to much fanfare earlier in the year.  Now the first full set, carrying a price tag of £158,000, has been sold to a USA based whisky investor.

Atlanta based property entrepreneur Mahesh Patel (pictured with his set, above) has purchased set number 13, as it is his lucky number.  Patel has an extensive private whisky collection totalling over 3,000 bottles and rumoured to carry a value of $2 million USD.  The set was purchased through The Whisky Shop, the UK's largest whisky retail chain and current exclusive retailer for The Constellation Collection.

Mahesh Patel comments, “The Dalmore is up there with the best when it comes to quality, rarity and investment – and of course taste. I’m a big fan and The Constellation will have pride of place in my collection.” Andrew Torrance, Managing Director for The Whisky Shop adds, “The creation and sale of this prestigious collection shows that whisky goes from strength to strength. We have seen sales increase in the last year, and premium bottlings like this have grown in our stores.”

Highland Park - Get in the picture
The award winning Highland Park is set to make its fans a permanent part of its distillery on the isle of Orkney through the creation of a new, innovative piece of artwork. The Highland Park ‘mosaic’ is a collection of faces crafted into an image capturing a striking views of the island. Highland Park is giving its Inner Circle members, the free to join members club of Highland Park, a unique chance to be immortalised on the walls of the distillery itself.

All that members have to do is upload a picture of themselves to the mosaic and in return they will become part of the distillery's rich history, by joining our living artwork. Photographs can be submitted in three ways - by downloading the Highland Park App from iTunes; on their Facebook page or via www.highlandpark.co.uk (you can also sign up as a member of the Inner Circle on this website).

Daryl Haldane, the Global Brand Advocate for Highland Park, says, “When this unique 'family portrait' is completed, it will adorn one of the walls in the distillery, meaning that no matter how far away you happen to live from our beloved home, you can always say that you've left a lasting impression.”

Monkey Shoulder - For One Night Only
The innovative Monkey Shoulder whisky brand have announced a series of one-off UK events for the late Summer/early Autumn.  The events will be held under the banner of For One Night Only and will involve transforming anumber of disused and derelict urban spaces around London.  Each event, which will be held once a week (mostly on Fridays) for three months, will be themed around classic cocktails for which Monkey Shoulder is being used as the star ingredient.

Each unique For One Night Only event will be part art installation, part bar and part adventure playground for whisky fans. The events will run throughout September, October and November, providing topical serves to celebrate everything from London Fashion Week to Halloween and Bonfire Night. The experience will take place every Friday night in two sessions - the first is from 6pm to 8pm with the second from 9pm to 11pm. Tickets cost £20 per person. To buy tickets and for further information about the theme of each night, then please pay a visit to - www.monkeyshoulder.com/foronenightonly.

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Don't miss out - Win a case of whisky in our current competition
The headline says it all - we are currently running a competition in conjunction with The Famous Grouse Experience, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.  The Experience, which is based at the Glenturret distillery in the Highlands, are offering a case (6x70cl bottles) of their signature single malt whisky - the Glenturret 10 years old.

We have set a simple question so for further details about how to enter, the terms & conditions and more information - click here to read our original post.  The closing time and date is 9pm BST on Sunday 5 August, so you don't have long to get your answer to us.  Good luck and we look forward to hearing from you ...

New Release - Johnnie Walker Blue Label 'The Casks Edition'

As we reported in our Inbox bulletin of 27th July, Johnnie Walker the famous blended whisky brand have launched a limited edition cask strength version of their Blue Label expression.  Named Blue Label 'The Casks Edition', this new whisky has been blended from a small selection of their finest casks that were hand picked by Johnnie Walker's Master Blender Jim Beveridge.

He comments, “Only one in ten thousand of our casks have sufficient character for Blue Label and in creating this special edition we really wanted to showcase the incredible flavours that come from the casks themselves”.

The Johnnie Walker brand is owned by drinks giant Diageo, and is named after Johnnie Walker, a man who owned a small grocery shop in the Ayrshire town of Kilmarnock in Scotland in the 1820s. Back then, nearly all whisky sold commercially was a blend. Having first learnt to blend different teas together, Johnnie Walker used his skills to create a commercially successful whisky blend and the rest is history, as they say.

In the early days his whisky was made with local clients in mind and was sold in small quantities. The success of the brand really took off during Victorian times when it was exported around the British Empire. As the Empire expanded, more people enjoyed the range and brand has never looked back. This is shown in the fact that Johnnie Walker whiskies were already exported to 120 countries before Coca Cola had left America in the 1920s.

First launched in 1991, no age is stated on the Blue Label but the youngest whisky included is rumoured to be around the 28 years old mark, with some of the whisky coming from rare or closed distilleries such as Brora. The blend contains over 20 rare single malts and superior grain whiskies.

Our tasting notes
The colour is a deep coppery gold. On the nose vanilla, butterscotch, light brown sugar and deep citrus notes (making me think of candied oranges). There is plenty of oak too and a little smoke in the background. The overall impression is intense yet mellow.

All the aromas can be found on the palate, which displays the power and delivery of a cask strength whisky (55.8% ABV in this case). In addition to vanilla, butterscotch and orange citrus there is a biscuity flavour carrying with it a trace of something savoury, slightly earthy.

The oak spices and grains make a marked early impression, staying the course and carrying a fine grained quality. The texture of this whisky also makes it pleasant to hold in the mouth, as you feel the oak spices develop and bittersweet orange flavours combine on the finish.

What's the verdict?
It is a rare treat to enjoy such an iconic whisky as Blue Label at its natural bottled strength. The whisky is quite mouth cleansing and if you find it a little too astringent then our recommendation is to try a measure with a dash of water. We found this calms the oak and spices whilst still leaving plenty of ‘grip’ to the whisky. Overall it makes for a rounder and slightly sweeter drinking experience.

With a recommended retail price of $300 USD for a one litre bottle this also looks to be good value when compared to the standard Blue Label release which is bottled at 40% ABV and retails for approximately $180-190 USD/£140-150.

Competition Time - Win a case of Glenturret 10 years old Single Malt Whisky

We are delighted to bring you our latest competition in conjunction with The Famous Grouse Experience, the pioneering whisky visitor centre, which is located at The Glenturret distillery. Glenturret was established in 1775 and is the oldest working distillery in Scotland.  The Experience is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and in the decade since opening it has been visited by almost one million whisky fans.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary, a number of special events and competitions have been launched at The Famous Grouse Experience. These include an exclusive scratch card competition which offers visitors to the Experience the chance to win a cask of The Glenturret Single Malt whisky worth £7,000, that will then be laid down for 10 years to mature.  For further details – visit www.thefamousgrouse.com.

Our competition extends the celebrations to those who may not be able to get to The Famous Grouse Experience this year. They are offering one lucky reader of Whisky For Everyone the opportunity to win a case of The Glenturret 10 years old Single Malt Whisky. 

Our question is simple …

What is your best whisky related experience during the last 10 years? 

Your answer could be about a tour you’ve taken around The Famous Grouse Experience or another distillery, the moment that got you interested in whisky, a person in the industry that you may have met or anything relating to your enjoyment of whisky. Your answer should be emailed to us at whiskyforeveryone@gmail.com and the closing date for entries is 9pm BST on Sunday 5 August 2012. 

Good luck and we look forward to reading your replies.

Terms & conditions 

• You must be aged 18 years or above to take part. 
• You must be resident in the UK. 
• Only one entry per email address will be accepted in to the prize draw. 
• The closing date for the survey is 21:00 BST on Sunday 5 August 2012.  Any entries after this time will not be considered. 
• The winners will be drawn and notified shortly after the closing time.  At this point, the winner will be required to give a postal address for delivery of the whisky.  If the winner is not above 18 years of age or not a UK resident, then an alternative winner will be drawn. 
• The decision will be made between Whisky For Everyone and a representative for The Famous Grouse Experience.  The decision is final, once drawn. 
• The winner will receive a case (6x70cl bottles) of Glenturret 10 years old Single Malt Whisky. 
• No cash alternative will be offered as a prize. 
• By entering, you are allowing Whisky For Everyone to publish your winning answer. 
• Any personal information supplied is for the sole purpose of the prize draw.

Inbox - July 27, 2012

Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Within Inbox we write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information.  Here is what has grabbed our attention this week ...

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Bruichladdich - Vive la distillerie
The worst kept secret in recent whisky history has finally been confirmed this week - the independent Bruichladdich distillery on Islay is being taken over by French drinks giant Rémy Cointreau.  Rumours had been rife around the whisky blogosphere, Twitter, Facebook etc ...

It marks the group's first steps in to the Scotch whisky market, and adds single malt whisky to a large portfolio that includes Champagne, Cognac, rum and other local spirit brands.  The transaction value amounts to £58 million, a total which assumes the entire share capital of The Bruichladdich Distillery Co and its associated debts.  We look forward to reading further news and plans for the distillery and its whisky range as the takeover progresses.

Jean-Marie Laborde, the Chief Executive Officer of Rémy Cointreau says, “The acquisition of Bruichladdich, a renowned Islay single malt with a rich and exciting heritage, is a great opportunity to enrich our high-end portfolio of brands and to confirm our strategy in the spirits luxury segment. We expect Bruichladdich to sit proudly alongside our other brands and we look forward to working closely with Bruichladdich’s experienced and passionate team”.

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Johnnie Walker - Blue Casks Edition
The famous blended brand has launched a limited edition cask strength version of its iconic Blue Label expression.  Named Blue Label - The Casks Edition, this expression has been blended from a small selection of premium rare casks which were hand picked by Johnnie Walker's Master Blender Jim Beveridge.  It has been bottled at 55.8% ABV and has a retail price of $300 USD for a one litre bottle.

The Blue Label - The Casks Edition is now available through selected travel retail markets including Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris in Europe, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia in Asia, plus the USA, Dubai and selected central and South American countries such as Columbia, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Panama.

Jim Beveridge comments, “This limited edition is a chance to enjoy the remarkable experience of Johnnie Walker Blue Label in a new way. Only one in ten thousand of our casks have sufficient character for Blue Label and in creating this special edition we really wanted to showcase the incredible flavours that come from the casks themselves. The flavours drawn from these carefully selected casks have intensified to produce a robust and powerfully flavoured blended Scotch whisky."

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Old Pulteney - Go full Spectrum
The north Highland distillery of Pulteney has announced the release of its latest travel retail exclusive single malt - the WK217 Spectrum.  The whisky is the third and final expression in their 'boats of Wick' series, which celebrates some of the vessels that have served the famous fishing town where Pulteney is located.  It follows the previous releases WK499 Isabella Fortuna and WK209 Good Hope.

The Spectrum was built in 1920 and had an illustrious career, including helping with harbour duties around Wick during World War II.  The whisky has been matured in a combination of ex-bourbon American oak casks and ex-sherry Spanish oak casks, is non chill filtered and is bottled at 46% ABV.  The WK219 Spectrum is already available in major UK airport retailers and will be appearing in selected European and Middle Eastern airports shortly.  The retail price is £39.99.

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Whisky Luxe - Edinburgh show details announced
Details of the most exclusive premium whisky event to be held in Scotland to date have been announced.  The Whisky Luxe event is to be held on Friday 7 September at The Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh.  The show will showcase some of the world's rarest and most expensive whiskies, and offer whisky fans the opportunity to sample them.  Only 350 tickets are available for the event, which will cost either £125 or £150.

For £125 you will receive a set of coins/tokens that will obtain samples from the show stands.  For £150, you will receive the tokens plus a private tutored masterclass with renowned whisky experts Charlie Maclean and Jonny McCormick.  Additional coins/tokens can be purchased with all proceeds being donated to charity.  Tickets for Whisky Luxe can be purchased via www.whiskyluxe.com, which will also feature updated news on the event and the exhibitors.

New release - The Sirius Collection

The Sirius Collection is a new range of premium and old single cask whiskies.  The range is the brainchild of passionate whisky collector and investor Mahesh Patel, a man who has over 3,000 bottles of rare whisky in his private collection.  He has also launched and hosted the Universal Whisky Experience, one of the world's biggest super premium whisky shows, in Las Vegas earlier in the year.  Now Mahesh has launched his own whisky range, with which he aims to bring his passion for whisky to the luxury market.

There are four whiskies in the first release of The Sirius Collection - two single malts and two single grain whiskies.  All are over forty years of age, are from single casks and bottled at the natural cask strength.  Each has been hand selected by Mahesh and a small group of associates, from over 100 samples of rare whisky, with the focus on supreme quality.  Further bottlings are planned along similar lines, but these will only be released as and when the casks are ready.

The range is named Sirius after the brightest star in the night sky.  The name comes from the ancient Greek language and means 'glowing'.  It is often known as 'the dog star' and has been used as a navigation point of reference throughout human history.  Now, Mahesh is using the Sirius reference to plot his own journey through the world of whisky.  The four whiskies in the initial release of The Sirius Collection represents the best discoveries of his journey to date.

The packaging design has also been overseen by Mahesh and features striking tall bottles, cylindrical lacquered display boxes and velvet carrying bags.  The single malts are sold in black and the single grains are in white.  The Sirius Collection is exclusively for sale through The Whisky Shop, the UK's largest whisky retail chain. Details of the four whiskies can be found by visiting any of the chain's 21 stores or via the website www.whiskyshop.com.

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Carsebridge 1965

(41% ABV/ 63 bottles/ price £1,000)

The Carsebridge distillery was founded in the town of Alloa in 1799 and was initially built to produce single malt.  However in 1851 it was converted by the owners to a grain whisky distillery in order to help meet the demand for the booming blended whisky markets.  It remained in production until 1992.  It was then dismantled and whiskies from Carsebridge are now very rare. 

It is a rare treat to try a single grain whisky of this age and this one did not disappoint.  The ex-bourbon cask has given a rich golden yellow colour which is backed up with a wonderfully perfumed nose of coconut, vanilla, peaches, orange zest and plenty of woody spices (think of nutmeg, vanilla and cedarwood).  On the palate, this whisky is surprisingly fresh and uplifting.  The vanilla, spices and orange from the nose are present, and are complimented by notes of honey, caramel and hints of coffee and chocolate.  The finish is long and increasingly dry with the wood spices coming to the fore.

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Dalmore 1967
(64.3% ABV/ 89 bottles/ £3,500)
The Dalmore distillery is located in the north Highland town of Alness and was founded in 1839.  The current owners are Whyte & Mackay and they have pressed on with a significant promotional drive that has seen Dalmore become established as one of the world's premium Scotch single malts.  Old casks are extremely rare and notoriously carry a high retail price.

This single malt has spent the entirety of its life maturing in an ex-rum cask and this has given the whisky a dramatic dark amber, almost black, colour.  The nose is equally as expressive and full of dark aromas - think of molasses, treacle, dark chocolate, espresso coffee and a hint of menthol.  On the palate the richness continues as the sweet treacle-like notes mix with others such as tropical fruit, toasted nuts, bitter oranges, brown sugar and over ripe banana.  It remains surprisingly fresh somehow, which stops it from being too heavy and cloying.  The finish is long and sumptuous and full of the chocolate and coffee notes.

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Fettercairn 1966
(52.6% ABV/ 39 bottles/ £1,750)
Fettercairn was established in 1824 and is located in the east Highland town of Laurencekirk, which lies half way between Dundee and Aberdeen.  Like Dalmore, the distillery is currently owned by Whyte & Mackay.  The reputation of Fettercairn's single malts is growing, but most of the whisky maturing at the distillery remains destined for Whyte & Mackay's range of blends.

The rarest of The Sirius Collection bottlings has been matured in an ex-bourbon cask and this has given a dark golden amber hue.  The nose has a mix of fruity aromas (think of peach, mango and figs) and exotic spices (imagine cinnamon, nutmeg and all-spice).  On the palate the rich fruitiness continues with plenty of dark dried fruits - figs, prunes, dates and raisins especially.  There are also notes of roasted nuts, salted caramel and a hint of mint.  The exotic spices also continue and add a delicious drying quality to the lengthy and rich finish.  The sum of the parts is reminiscent of Christmas pudding or fruit cake.

North British 1962
(44.5% ABV/ 138 bottles/ £1,200)
North British is a single grain distillery which is the last remaining distillery within the Edinburgh city boundaries.  It was established in 1887 and remains in production today.  Its grain whisky is highly sought after by the blending companies and is a key ingredient in such famous brands as Chivas Regal, Cutty Sark, Famous Grouse and J&B Rare.  The distillery is joint owned by drinks giant Diageo and the Edrington Group.

The colour is a golden yellow and the nose is surprisingly light and refreshing, especially when considering that this is bottled at 50 years of age.  There are pleasant sweet aromas - think of butterscotch, vanilla and caramel - that compete with delicate wood spices (imagine cinnamon, nutmeg and clove).  On the palate this is again fresh but grips your taste buds hard and packs plenty of notes in.  The prominent ones are the butterscotch, vanilla and spice from the nose, plus dried green fruits (pear and apple especially) and spiced bitter orange.  The finish is long - the delicate sweetness combines with the wood spices to provide a wonderful dryness.

What's the verdict?
The Sirius Collection is a set of high quality whiskies.  As you can see, they come at an equally high price - if you want a set then the cost works out at £7,500, although The Whisky Shop are doing an initial price for the full set of £6,500.  The whiskies are all surprisingly fresh, especially when considering the considerable age of each one. 

We rarely sample whiskies of this age and when we have, we have been left disappointed on occasions as the whiskies have been obliterated by the influence from the maturation cask.  This leaves you feeling whether they are worth the significant cost.  The Sirius Collection allows the whiskies to shine through and each has obviously been the subject of sympathetic casking for its maturation.  What was our favourite?  The two single grains were the stars of the show for us and are superb whiskies.  Well done to Mahesh.

Note - Everytime we review an expensive whisky or set of expensive whiskies, we get comments from people saying something along the lines of "this is ridiculous, how can you call yourselves Whisky For 'Everyone'? These whiskies are so rare and expensive that no-one will ever try or be able to buy them".  Our reply is simple - we review all brands and price brackets of whisky, and the 'Everyone' tag should include the whisky connoisseurs, collectors and those with plenty of cash to splash.

Inbox - July 20, 2012

Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Within Inbox we write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information.  Here is what has grabbed our attention this week ...

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Balblair - Gather around ...
The up and coming north Highland distillery of Balblair have announced the launch of a new members section on the brand's website, named The Gathering Place.  The move comes as a number of distilleries and brands launch similar clubs.

Benefits of being a member include receiving news about the distillery and our Vintages, the ability to purchase exclusive single casks and watch expert tasting videos, be the first to read exclusive guest blogs, build up your very own online 'Vintage Cabinet' and share/discuss tasting notes with like-minded connoisseurs. There is also a competition to win a limited edition Balblair silk tie. Signing up is simple - visit www.balblair.com and enter your details.

Ballantine's - Life begins at 40
The popular blended whisky brand of Ballantine's has announced the release of its oldest and most limited premium expression to date - the Ballantine's 40 years old.  The new release will initially be put in to the Asian Duty Free/travel retail market, which is a stronghold for the Ballantine's brand.  The whisky has been constructed by Ballantine's Master Blender Sandy Hyslop using some of Chivas Brothers' (the brand's owners) finest old casks from their stocks.

The 40 years old is bottled at 43% ABV and is presented in a bespoke handmade wooden casket which features the individual bottle number, an engraved signature of Ballantine's Master Blender Sandy Hyslop and silver work by renowned silversmith Richard Fox. Only 100 bottles will be released globally each year with each bottle costing a minimum of $US 7,000.

Ballantine’s Global Brand Director Peter Moore says, “Ballantine’s 40 year old epitomises everything the Ballantine’s brand has stood for since the days of George Ballantine. The culmination of a unique heritage of producing high aged whiskies, Ballantine’s 40 year old will appeal to those who appreciate the experience of tasting such an exceptional whisky which is a unique part of Ballantine’s history.”

Glendronach - Latest single casks released

The latest batch of single cask bottlings from the GlenDronach distillery in Aberdeenshire has been announced. This is the sixth such batch to be released and this batch consists of five casks, which were bottled in June, with vintages ranging from 1971 to 1993. All five were hand selected by The BenRiach Distillery Company’s Managing Director Billy Walker. The cask details are listed below,

• 1971 cask #1247 / 41 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 47.9% vol. / 529 bottles / £579.99
• 1978 cask #1068 / 33 years old / Oloroso Sherry Puncheon / 52.9% vol. / 318 bottles / £279.99
• 1989 cask #4885 / 23 years old / Moscatel Barrel / 53.9%vol. / 286 bottles / £119.99
• 1990 cask #2966 / 22 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 55.1% vol. / 539 bottles / £109.99
• 1993 cask #536 / 19 years old / Oloroso Sherry Butt / 59.4% vol. / 596 bottles / £89.99

Have just tried - Drambuie 15 years old

At Whisky For Everyone we do not often dip in to the world of whisky liqueurs.  As with many consumers, we enjoy the occasional sip around Christmas time but that's about it.  We recently had the opportunity to try a new(ish) product from one of the leading brands in the category.  Whisky liqueurs seem to have a poor reputation and are regarded as being sugary and super sweet. However, despite the category shrinking dramatically in recent years there are still some lovely examples on offer.

One such example is the Drambuie 15 years old - the aforementioned new(ish) product.  Drambuie is a classic old brand which dates back to the 1870s, when it was produced by hotel owner John Ross for patrons in the bar of The Broadford Hotel on the isle of Skye.  Legend has it that Ross had received the secret recipe for the liqueur from an ancestor of John MacKinnon, who in turn is said to have received it from Bonnie Prince Charlie as a thank you for helping him escape to Skye after the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

The name of Drambuie is said to have come from one of the hotel bar patrons, who described the liqueur in Gaelic as "an dram buidheach", or "the drink that satisfies" when translated to English.  The name stuck and Drambuie was first manufactured commercially in 1909 by MacBeth & Sons.  This company later became The Drambuie Liqueur Company, who still produce it today.  The brand is now one of the world's biggest selling products in the whisky liqueur category and is the main ingredient in a Rusty Nail, the popular cocktail.

The Drambuie 15 years old is a relatively recent addition to the range, appearing in Autumn 2011.  It is bottled at 43% ABV, which is quite high for a liqueur, and has a high percentage of 15 years old Speyside single malt (non specified distillery/distilleries) as the base in the recipe.  Along with the whisky, there are also honey, herbs and spices included.  A bottle should cost around the £35 mark from specialist liquor retailers and some high end supermarkets.

Our tasting notes
The colour is golden yellow with a hint of amber, and the nose is immediately aromatic with sweet, rich and zesty (think of orange especially) notes.  The sweetness is driven by aromas of honey, toffee, vanilla and dried fruits, particularly sultanas and raisins.  This is tempered by some notes of bittersweet cereals, burnt caramel and plenty of wood spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.  Very pleasant.

On the palate this liqueur is rich, sweet and mouth coating.  There is plenty of initial sweetness, which again comes in the form of golden honey, toffee (or perhaps butterscotch?) and the dried fruit from the nose.  A distinct and tangy orange note is never far away and adds a lovely zesty, slightly juicy edge in the mouth.  This tends towards spiced orange as the immediate tangy feeling begins to fade.  This spiciness (think of cinnamon bark, aniseed and cloves) becomes more prominent with time and gives a nice depth and complexity, as do further notes of malty cereals and dried grass.

The finish is sweet and tangy again, and grips the taste buds.  The ABV strength aids this and adds intensity.  The spiciness is again there and it is these notes which come to the fore as the sweeter ones fade.  A lovely drying and lengthy dose of cinnamon and nutmeg are evident, along with further hints of liquorice and clove.

What's the verdict?
The Drambuie 15 years old is one of the nicest whisky based liqueurs that we have tried to date.  As mentioned, the alcohol strength helps to exaggerate the aromas and flavour and give the liqueur a good, gripping mouth feel.  In inclusion of a decent percentage of well aged single malt is helping also and adds the depth, complexity and drying spiciness that other similar products seem to lack.  An excellent effort we think.

Inbox - July 13, 2012

Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Within Inbox we write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information.  Here is what has grabbed our attention this week ...

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Glen Garioch - New Vintage released
The east Highland distillery of Glen Garioch has unveiled the latest in its small batch release programme - Glen Garioch 1995 Vintage. The sixth special addition to the Glen Garioch range was laid down just months before the distillery was mothballed for two years in October 1995. There are just 6000 bottles available globally and just 100 in the UK.

The 1995 Vintage used some of the last ever barley which was malted and peated on site at the Glen Garioch (pronounced glen-geery) distillery. Following a two year period of silence, production resumed in 1997 but without the use of the old malting barns which had been operation for nearly 200 years. It has been bottled at 55.3% ABV and is available now from specialist wine and spirit retailers, with a recommended price of £55.

Kirsteen Beeston, Head of Brands Marketing for Morrison Bowmore (Glen Garioch's owners) says, “The aim with all our limited edition expressions is to showcase the distillery’s special quality of liquid, and the 1995 is certainly no exception. This vintage is the last to capture the old Glen Garioch peaty notes and has been matured entirely in first fill bourbon barrels for over 16 years. Glen Garioch may be a small artisan distillery but our enduring spirit, honed over the last 200 years, means that we’re well versed at turning out distinctive single of exceptional quality.” 

SMWS - New iPad app launched 
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (or SMWS for short) has unveiled a fully interactive iPad version of its award-winning members' magazine Unfiltered - the first whisky related magazine of its kind on Apple's global NewsStand app platform.

The app offers previously unseen content for the Society's 26,000 members, but also opens the magazine up to non-members, with videos, interviews and features, 360-degree photography, interactive maps and hidden extras. The SMWS teamed up with Connect Communications to develop the cutting edge publication, designed to take full advantage of the iPad's capabilities. The result showcases the creative photography and industry-leading writing that have become Unfiltered's signature.

Commenting on the launch, Unfiltered editor Kai Ivalo said, “Our vision for Unfiltered on the iPad was to reflect the excitement, adventure and curiosity which comes with a love of great whisky. Like a good dram, it impresses from the first nosing, but also has hidden depths for those prepared to explore.”

Sullivans Cove - Take on the States
The award winning Australian single malt whisky from Tasmania, is sending its first shipment to the USA this month. This is to build on the brand's current and ever growing popularity, which sees it currently exporting to ten countries across Europe, plus Singapore and Canada.  The USA is the next step. Sullivans Cove is one of the most highly awarded Tasmanian whiskies, consistently winning Gold at the world’s most prestigious blind tasting competitions since the distillery was founded in 1994.  These include Jim Murray’s Liquid Gold Awards, The Spirits Business’s Spirits Masters and the World Whisky Awards.

Patrick Maguire, Master Distiller of Sullivans Cove said, “Tasmanian whisky is really taking off across the world, mainly because of the hard work that the guys have been putting in here at home. We are starting to see a cult following for our whiskies and I am proud that Sullivans Cove is at the forefront of that movement. This is great news considering that the whisky category, and single malts in particular, continues to be the fastest growing spirits category globally.”

New release - Laphroaig Cáirdeas 2012

When the recent news came through that the famous Islay distillery of Laphroaig (pronounced la-froyg) had made a limited amount of their annual Cáirdeas whisky (an annual bottling for the Islay Festival) available for purchase to Friends of Laphroaig members, then we had to act quickly and order one having missed out in previous years.  This year's Cáirdeas release celebrates the 18th anniversary of the Friends of Laphroaig - a members club for fans of the Islay malt (you can sign up for free at www.laphroaig.com).

Laphroaig is one of the most famous whisky brands in the world. The name is derived from the Gaelic for 'beautiful hollow by the broad bay' and the distillery is located on the island of Islay, which lies off the western coast of Scotland. Both Laphroaig and Islay are renowned for producing very smoky, peaty flavoured whisky. The distillery was founded in 1810 by two brothers, Alexander and Donald Johnson, and is currently owned by drinks company Beam Global. It has an annual production capacity of 2.9 million litres and the Laphroaig 10 years old is also the best selling smoky whisky in the world.

Cáirdeas is the Gaelic word for 'friendship' and is pronounced in a variety of ways, the most common being caar-diss. The 2012 version is created from a mix of different styles of Laphroaig - 50% is made up of whisky aged between 13 and 21 years of age, and the other 50% is whisky which has been specially maturing in quarter casks for seven years.  It has been bottled at 51.2% ABV and was available for £45 a bottle + postage. That sounded like a bargain to us and it has now sold out, so lots of people agreed with our assessment!  Our bottle survived the UK postal system and has just arrived, so here is what we think about it ...

Our tasting notes
The colour is a pale golden yellow and the nose is instantly packed with powerful and feisty aromas.  A tar-like acrid smoke is the most obvious characteristic and this feels like it initially overpowers everything else, but with time there are some distinct notes of sweetness in the form of honey and golden syrup.  Underneath these are more subtle aromas of malty cereals, vanilla and hints of brine and damp earth.

On the palate, the whisky feels slightly oily and a little fiery and hot.  The flavour profile follows a similar direction to that of the nose and kicks off with a large hit of peaty, acrid smokiness.  This smoke has elements of coal tar soap, oily rags and damp moss to it and is very expressive.  As the smokiness begins to fade, other elements are revealed and these create a delicious balance.  The first of these elements is a distinct high sweet note of icing sugar,  - think of oat cake biscuits, bittersweet cereal grains, honey, vanilla, a pinch of salt and hints of aniseed, nutmeg and red chili.

The finish is very long with the powerful smokiness lingering for a significant time.  Initially there is some of the cereal and honey-like sweetness as seen on the nose and palate, but once this fades then the finish becomes dry and mouth watering.  The prominent peat smoke exaggerates this.

As this whisky is bottled, we added a few drops of water.  This didn't have any impact on the power and flavour of the peat smoke, but took the edge of the heat and spiciness of the alcohol.  The whisky became creamier and softer with the vanilla, honey and cereal notes seeming more prominent.  Which ever way that you choose to drink it, this whisky remains delicious and won't disappoint.

What's the verdict?
This year's version of the Laphroaig Cáirdeas is a wonderfully charismatic whisky.  It packs a powerful peaty punch and is a great example of the smoky style of whisky.  As a result, it will not be everyone's cup of tea - the extremely smoky whiskies are widely regarded as an acquired taste after all. 

Laphroaig are one of the best exponents of this style and we feel lucky (and glad) that we have finally secured one of these special releases, after previous failures.  For those of you that have been equally as successful - well done and enjoy your reward.  For those of you not so fortunate - there's always next year, as we kept telling ourselves ...