The Tomatin Distillery Co Ltd has announced a change to the line-up of its core range of single malts. A 14 year old Port Wood Finish and a batch release 1988 vintage are being introduced, while the 15 year old and 30 Year Old expressions will be removed.
Category Archives: News
Breaking News: Bladnoch distillery calls in liquidators
Breaking News
Bladnoch distillery is no longer in the hands of the Armstrong brothers. A liquidator has been called in to take control of the company. It’s important to note that the company was not bankrupt, there are no financial difficulties. The four directors/shareholders simply could not agree on a way forward, two wanted to sell, two did not. Unfortunately there were no buyers wishing to acquire a 50% shareholding and as the value of the distillery as a whole has increased considerably it was not possible to reach an amicable agreement.
Sad news from a great independent distillery.
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News & Review: Three new vintages from Balblair (’83, ’90 & ’03)
Tonight we’ve taken a look at three new vintages from Balblair: 2003 1st Release, 1990 2nd Release & 1983 1st Release.
Here’s the blurb… The latest vintages from Balblair are being launched in the brand’s new premium front-opening gift boxes. Balblair recently changed its 2003 Vintage packaging to a premium front opening box, replacing the regular top opening carton. All bottles (70cl) of Balblair whisky are now available in this style.
The new range of Balblair vintage Highland single malt whiskies (46%abv natural colour non chill-filtered) comprises: Balblair 1990 second release RRP £84.99; Balblair 2003 first release RRP £40.99; and Balblair 1983 first release RRP £200.
All three of the new vintages have been matured in American Bourbon oak casks, with the 1990 also spending some time in Spanish oak ex-Sherry butts.
On to a quick review of the three…
News & Review: The Glenlivet Guardians Chapter
The Glenlivet is calling on its “Guardians” (i.e. members of its online club thing) to help create a new release by asking them to select its next limited edition, The Glenlivet Guardians’ Chapter. Read on for the rest of the PR and my review…
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News and Review: Glenfiddich – The Cask Collection
(Scroll on down for my review…)
Glenfiddich has launched The Cask Collection, three new whiskies comprising of Glenfiddich Select Cask, Glenfiddich Reserve Cask and Glenfiddich Vintage Cask. These are Glenfiddich’s first no-age-statement range of single malts and have been released into the global travel retail market; a range the company is calling its “most innovative launch of the year”.
The trio will become the core range representing Glenfiddich in travel retail, and will replace 12yo, 15yo Solera and Rich Oak on travel retail shelves.
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Review: ‘The One’ – British Blended Whisky
Following on from my recent review of the new Black Bottle, today I’m reviewing “The One”, a British Blended Whisky from The Lakes Distillery, a new distillery about to take shape in Cumbria.
Official blurb reads as such: The One is a unique blend of exceptional whiskies from the British Isles, each has its own distinctive characteristics, resulting in a whisky of intriguing complexity.
There are now distilleries producing whisky across the British Isles, and this has led us to create an entirely new concept in blended whiskies – a British Isles Blend.
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New Release and Review: Arran The Millennium Casks
The Isle of Arran Distillers has unveiled a special charity whisky produced on 31st December 1999, the Millennium Casks edition which captures a landmark moment in time. Made from a mix of 35 bourbon barrels and 10 Sherry Hogsheads, the new release reached shelves in the UK on 28th October with just 7,800 bottles available worldwide.
Retailing at £64.99, a donation from every bottle sold will go to the Arran Trust, a conservation charity which funds projects that look after the beautiful landscapes and environment of Arran. One such project is the footpaths on the island which lead to Loch na Davie – the water source for Arran Single Malt.
On to the review… some of the official notes read as such…
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News & Review: Glenglassaugh 30yo launched by new owners The BenRiach Distilling Co
I’ve been lucky enough to try Glenglassaugh’s new 30yo release. See below for my tasting notes, but first, here’s the PR blurb about the release which is worth a read as it’s nice to see Glenglassaugh in good hands! …
The BenRiach Distillery Company, which bought the Portsoy-based Glenglassaugh distillery in March, has released its first Glenglassaugh expression – a superb 30YO single malt.
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News & Review: Tomatin Distillery launches a new peated expression: Cù Bòcan
Tomatin Distillery has launched a new peated whisky expression called:
Cù Bòcan
It comes with a spooky backstory as such:
Cù Bòcan has stalked residents of the remote Highland village of Tomatin for centuries, his legend embellished by the hellhound’s increasingly fractious behaviour.
Sightings are rare, once in a generation, always terrifying. A distillery worker, out walking late, was once relentlessly pursued by an imposing black beast, steam spiralling from flared nostrils, teeth bared.
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Review: Auchentoshan Virgin Oak
This brand new, limited edition expression is Auchentoshan’s first ever single malt to be solely matured in virgin North American oak casks. Please see below for my review notes, but first, here’s some PR blurb…
This complex, non-chill filtered dram is Auchentoshan’s first ever single malt to be matured solely in virgin North American oak casks, wood that is previously untouched by any spirit.
Intuition and industry knowledge led the team at Auchentoshan to believe they could challenge the firmly entrenched belief that Scotch whisky must be matured in ex-bourbon or sherry casks. Since the millennium, Auchentoshan has placed small batches of the unique, triple distilled spirit in virgin North American oak whose charred surfaces have held neither bourbon nor sherry.
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