No, we've not lost our marbles!

No, we've not lost our marbles!

Although we're often told that we've lost our marbles by the tone of some of our Boutique-y labels, our latest addition to the collection, announcing our first ever batch from Speyside's Glen Elgin Distillery, paints a rather traditional Scottish country scene.

It is said that the former manager of Glenfarclas, William Simpson, along with Banker James Carle, found Glen Elgin in 1898. While this indeed was a lucky find (it wouldn't happen these days) their luck ran out just five months after starting production in May 1900, when it had to close, and it was lost again. It wasn't until 1906 that it was found once more and production recommenced.

It's no secret that Glen Elgin has been one of the signature malts of some legendary blends, but our first release from this Speyside distillery is an elegant 25 Year Old SIngle Malt. With notes of rich honey, pineapple cubes, and a hint of tangerine, we've bottled it at it's natural strength at 48.1% abv and there'll be just 315 numbered bottles. I'd find one quickly if I were you!

This elegant Glen Elgin will be available from fine retailers soon. Off-trade/on-trade enquiries should be directed to our UK distributor, Maverick Drinks.

It's been a busy February...

It's been a busy February...

Just when you thought it was safe to look at our blog without being tempted to add more delicious whiskies to your collection, we unleash 11 more new bottlings!

We continue to be very busy bees indeed. Did you think it was impressive that we released 11 new bottlings in the shortest month of the year? Well guess what? We're going to double that number - yes, we've got 11 more bottlings to unveil!

Liquid History with three Long Gone Glorious Grains!

That's right, we've bottled three single grains from closed distilleries. Our second batch from Edinburgh's long closed grain distillery, affectionately know as 'The Cally' is a 29 Year Old. The Caledonian distillery closed in 1988, and this cracking example of their single grain has notes of fresh fruit and vanilla pod. There are just 310 bottles at 47.7% abv

The Garnheath Distillery was a short-lived distillery in Airdrie. When opened in 1965, it had both continuous stills and pot stills for malt whisky production.  Production of their malt whisky stopped in 1985 and grain whisky the following year. Our first batch is a 42 Year Old, it has notes of buttery vanilla and apricots. We've filled just 120 bottles at 44.3% abv, but what's going on on this label?

Our second batch from the Carsebridge distillery is another 52 Year Old. Tristan Stephenson and Thomas Aske have been joined at the Black Rock's tree trunk table by Black Rock Operations Manager Arnaud Chevalier and Black Rock Manager Thomas Solberg! 285 bottles were produced, bottled at 41.7% abv.

A Campbeltown Malt, a Lowland Malt, and an American Rye walk into a bar...

There's no punchline to that joke. All we've got it tasty drinks for talented distillers - much better than some pithy quip, we're sure you'll agree. First up is our third batch of single malt from Campletown's very own Springbank distillery! This one is a 21 year old whisky, and it tastes as good as it looks... 415 bottles were produced, and were bottled at 48.2% abv.

We'd also like to introduce you to our first batch of Bladnoch single malt! It was aged for 26 years, and we have bottled 165 bottles at 47.8% abv. The label takes a closer look yeast cells, and a very broad look at the Andromeda galaxy.

Another first - it's our first rye from California's craft distilling whizz-kids, St George Spirits! This is a 2 year old rye, and the features what we think should have been Time Magazine's Machine of the Year 1982 - Jörg Rupf's still. 400 bottles were produced at 55% abv.

A Pair of Islay Malts...

We've set our sights off the west coast of Scotland for the next two new releases - it's two whiskies from the Isle of Islay! Say hello to our third batch of Lagavulin single malt, aged for 10 years. Those pirates do look mightily familiar though... There are just 365 bottles of this, so grab yourself one for your Captain's Quarters before they're all gone.

Our third batch of Bruichladdich is ready to ship out, too! There's no prizes for figuring out all the references to classic Bruichladdich bottlings on the label, apart from the feeling of being very smart indeed. Batch 3 is a release of 275 bottles, with an abv of 52.4%.

And a Pair of Speysiders too!

From Islay, we head back to the mainland and over to Speyside for two more tasty bottlings! This one is Batch 4 from The Glenrothes Distillery, a 23 Year Old with notes of blackcurrants, blackberries and dried apricots - there are three of your five-a-day already (we are not doctors). 430 bottles at 48.6% abv have been filled, corked and sealed.

Our fourth batch from The Mortlach Distillery is a 22 Year Old, and there are just 200 bottles of this release. It’s another beast from Dufftown, bottled at 52.6% abv, with peaches, fresh pencil shavings, polished wood and a meaty honeyed glaze.

Another Secret Distillery?

Have you noticed we like a secret once in a distillery? We do. Very much so. In fact, we love them so much that we're not even going to tell you about our second batch of Secret Distillery #1. We're going to keep this incredibly well-Sherried 9 year old single malt from a fantastic Speyside distillery a secret from everyone. Not a word about this rich, chocolatey whisky will leave our lips. We won't even tell you that 1,220 bottles were produced, or that it was bottled at 51.7% abv.

These delicious delights will be available from fine retailers soon. Off-trade/on-trade enquiries should be directed to our UK distributor, Maverick Drinks.

Our Boutique-y Bottling plant is cranked up to 11! (Part 2)

Our Boutique-y Bottling plant is cranked up to 11! (Part 2)

As we promised yesterday, here are the rest of our new releases after January’s bottling frenzy. Today we have two new ‘firsts’ and a handful of third batches to tempt to you.

Two new names for you

First up is our Peatside, a peated blended malt Scotch whisky made to a secret recipe that is strictly kept under lock and key. Our first batch of this peaty blended malt has been bottled at 5 years old and has fragrant notes of magnolia and green tea alongside the smoky peat you’d be expecting. Batch 1 is a release of just 331 bottles at 55% abv

Next, is our first ever batch under the Williamson label, a nod to someone special from a famous Islay distillery. You may recognise those LivingRoom Whisky chaps on the label of this heavily peated single malt, we can’t get rid of them, they keep coming back to the future. We’ve bottled this 6 Year Old at 50.2% abv, and alongside that peaty iodine tang there are some fruity BBQ sauce notes too. We’ve filled just 595 bottles.

A whole bunch of Batch 3’s too

We’ve got five new Batch 3’s to shout about today, we’re in that sort of mood. There's a Single Grain alongside four Scottish Single Malts, two hailing from Speyside, and two from the Highland region. (which is a very large region indeed) In fact we could say we’re announcing four Highland Malts as all Speyside Malts are indeed Highland Malts...yawn...we’re such pedants!

The Glenrothes Distillery has long been favoured by blenders, and it wasn’t until 1994 that they decided to start bottling their own single malt. There’s said to be a ghost at the distillery that had been telling them to release their own single malt for so many years. Perhaps that’s why he’s looking so pleased with himself on our label. Our third batch is a 25 Year Old, it’s creamy and rather luxurious with notes of coconut cookies and tinned peaches. It has been bottled at 49.7% abv and we’ve squeezed just 139 bottles of this long aged malt

Our second Speysider hails from the Mortlach Distillery, a favourite of many whisky enthusiasts and affectionately known as the ‘Beast of Dufftown’ due to the ‘meatiness’ this malt often exhibits. Our third batch is an 18 Year Old that reveals its meaty notes alongside layers of vanilla pod sweetness. There are just 363 bottles at 48.9% abv.

Our third batch of Ledaig, the peated expression from the Isle of Mull’s Tobermory Distillery, is an 18 Year Old, and is of course yummy, with notes of steak crisps, cooked apple and crushed pepper. We’ve managed to fill 921 bottles at 51.7% abv

We’ve also bottled a third batch from that adaptable Loch Lomond Distillery too. We managed to sneak this 19 Year Old sumptuous single grain out from under the noses of the wizards. Big waves of vanilla ice cream and coffee liqueur and a hint of chocolate on the nose, mmmm, tempted? There are just 267 bottles at 49.7% abv. of this release.

Our final announcement for this two-part post is an 18 Year Old from the Macduff Distillery, perhaps we should have led with this batch? (lead on Macduff!) This third batch is a limited release of just 372 bottles at 48.6% abv and is packed with vanilla and malt; sweet and cakey and subtly herbal.

These Boutique-y belters will be available from fine retailers real soon. Off-trade/on-trade enquiries should be directed to our UK distributor, Maverick Drinks.