Big Peat 33 Year Cognac & Sherry Ed.
$499.99
This limited edition Big Peat was created from a parcel of stock distilled in 1985 and bottled in 2019 at 33 years of age and 47.2%. It was finished in Cognac and Sherry cask.
Producer Description
“This 33 Years Old Limited Edition is Big Peat's oldest expression to be released to date. Intended to showcase “his" the more mature side, the expression carries a sweet smokiness and a charred meaty, Malted character at its heart. Only 1,500 bottles exist of this marriage of Single Cask Single Malts from Islay, finished in a unique combination of French Cognac and Spanish Sherry casks.”
Producer Tasting Note
“On the nose, detect sweet smokiness alongside ripe plums, brown sugar and juicy peaches. The palate bursts with phenols, red apples, smoky bacon and a meaty, Malted character. The finish is long with toasted almonds, spices and orange marmalade on burnt buttered toast.”
Compass Box Peat Monster Arcana
$124.99
This limited edition bottling of Peat Monster is an exploration of peat and French oak. One of Compass Box's 20th Anniversary Releases, the whisky is composed of Talisker, Ardbeg and Miltonduff. Bottled at 46%.
Producer Tasting Note: “Chocolate, cinnamon and boat tar appear on the nose while the palate is fruity and compellingly waxy. A dry smoky presence steadily builds.”
Producer Description
“What is the Arcana of whiskymaking? We use the term to refer to the secrets and mysteries of cask maturation, as new questions regarding oak and the ageing process continually arise. 'Arcana' can imply information withheld but we don't believe in keeping secrets about the whiskies we make. Peat Monster Arcana investigates how smoky whisky interacts with French oak. We began with a cask strength version of The Peat Monster – our blend of smoky malt whiskies – which we then filled into three once-used casks fitted with heavily toasted French oak heads. Following extended ageing, we discovered that two of the casks imparted extra creaminess and toasty spice, while the contents of the third became fruitier and chocolatey. To build upon the curious influences of these refilled custom casks, we have used malt whiskies never seen in The Peat Monster before. The recipe comprises waxy and delicately smoky malt whisky from the Talisker Distillery, while malt whisky from the Ardbeg and Miltonduff Distilleries lend flavours of tarry peat and a charming fruitiness, respectively. Peat Monster Arcana has a more oaky frame than The Peat Monster, with a subtler smokiness. And though it may be inspired by the arcane, like all of our whiskies its intended purpose is perfectly straightforward: above all, share and enjoy.”
Scotch Malt Whisky Society Battle Axe
$129.99
BATTLE AXE
Another in the Society's heresy series of blended malts, this is a blend of heavily peated whiskies from Islay, all from refill hogsheads; the youngest whisky in the batch is 8 years old and was bottled at 50%.
Flavour profile: Peated.
Outturn: 1957 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "This blended malt is a celebration of those heavily peated whiskies produced on the island of Islay. It is unapologetic in its intensity and spans across the earthy, floral, coastal and medicinal elements that can be found in this style.
The blacksmith clinked and clanked industriously at the anvil, bending black metal to his will. Axes, spears and lucky horseshoes were forged in stifling temperatures in preparation for battle. We travelled from our settlement at the bay, beyond the tar pit to the battleground, where peat bog goblins pelted us mercilessly with pears poached in petrol and flaming lemons studded with liquorice root. By the time the battle was won the sky was filled with purple plumes of heather fuelled smoke, the earth scorched, the surrounding flora ablaze.
Back home we found comfort around campfires and celebrated with oysters and mead. Retiring to bed, our stone huts exuded heavy aromas of damp earth and our peat fires were at their smouldering end as we drifted off into slumber. Someone stoked the flames with camphor, eucalyptus and dried heather. By morning our PPM levels were significant."
Elements of Islay Peat & Sherry KWM Cask
$74.99
One of our most exciting new exclusive bottlings is a peated and heavily sherried Blended Islay Malt Scotch whisky from the Elements of Islay. The whisky was blended at birth and matured 9 years in a single Sherry Hogsghead cask before bottling at 55.4%. 88pts Whiskybase
Scotch Malt Whisky Society Douro Cruise
$129.99
DOURO CRUISE
This 10 year old SINGLE MALT whisky is comprised of Speyside single malt from bourbon barrels and some additionally matured in ex-Ruby Port pipes for no less than two years, and comes in at 50% abv.
Flavour profile: Deep, rich & dried fruits
Distillation date: 10 February 2011
Outturn: 1900 bottles
Big Peat Christmas 2020
$107.99
The 2020 Christma Edition of the Big Peat is late, but better late than never! Bottled at a cask strength of 53.1% without colouring or chil-filtering.
Producer Description
"Meet Big Peat's Christmas 2020 Limited Edition! Packing a potently peaty punch, anticipate an ashy avalanche of peat smoke coupled with sea air, cracked black pepper and damp earth wrapped up and sent all the way from Big Peat's island home of Islay. Proudly offered at natural cask strength and without colouring or chill-filtration."
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: A burst of charcoal meets crashing waves and burnt citrus.
Palate: An ashy avalanche of peat smoke coupled with sea air, black pepper and damp earth.
Finish: Satisfyingly long with lingering smoke and a hint of sweetness.
Scallywag Winter Edition 2020
$107.99
Scallywag is the Speyside Blended Malt in Douglas Laing's Remarkable Regional Malts range. Bottled at a cask strength of 52.6%, this is their 2020 Winter Edition.
Producer Description
"Meet Scallywag Winter Edition; a cask strength limited edition of just 3000 bottles globallly. Matured exclusively in Spanish Sherry butts, this festive release is bursting with dark fruits, rich cocoa, subtle tobacco and warming winter spices, and finished with a fantastically festive woollen scarf."
Compass Box Magic Cask
$239.99
The whisky is built around a parcel of whisky matured in First-Fill ex-Bourbon Casks from the closed Imperial Distillery (92%), with the balance of the malt (8%) coming "magic casks." The magic whisky is rumoured to be a young single malt from an undiscloed Speyside distillery which is "famous for the robust character of its whiskies." This robust young malt was re-racked into first fill Oloroso-seasoned butts, which had proven rather promissing in an experiment.
From the Producer
"When we began a maturation trial in 2016, we hadn’t expected the whiskies to develop such deliciousness in so short a period of time. One-year-old malt spirit, made at a Speyside distillery famous for the robust character of its whiskies, was re-racked into first fill Oloroso-seasoned butts. Sampling them three years later, one particular cask - #2 – proved so compelling that we began to experiment. A parcel of first fill Bourbon barrels containing whisky from the now closed Imperial Distillery had sat in our sample library for some years. Though delicious in its own right, as whiskymakers we couldn’t hit on the ideal match. The much younger malt whisky from the Oloroso-seasoned cask proved the ideal means to deepen the fruity and creamy profile of this rare parcel. Magic Cask is perfect for those who appreciate lush fruitiness and fullness of body in their malt whiskies. Pour Magic Cask after dinner and savour its medley of autumn fruits and dark chocolate. The ten Oloroso butts from which the “magic cask” emerged were sourced from Bodega José y Miguel Martín (J&MM). We requested a grade of American oak that would deliver moderate tannin and – for this parcel – a gentle seasoning process with Oloroso wine. Masters of their art, J&MM could dial up just the right levels of sweetness, tartness and spiciness, ensuring that cask #2 in particular delivered everything we desired from a Sherry cask."
Scotch Malt Whisky Society Big Swirl
$127.99
BIG SWIRL
The latest iteration in the Society's heresy experimental range is this 10 year old blended malt from a variety of sherry and bourbon casks, and bottled at 50%.
Flavour profile: Deep, rich & dried fruits.
Outturn: 1895 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "This experimental expression draws from a combination of whiskies matured full term in 1st fill Spanish oak sherry casks, as well as those matured in bourbon wood before over two years of marrying in 1st fill American oak sherry casks.
A classical sherry profile that bursts initially with red berry compote, wine gums, freshly brewed coffee, polished hardwoods, exotic spice mix, toasted nuts, brown toast spread with treacle and walnut wine. A splash of water brings wet leaves, strawberry tobacco, muscovado sugar, rhum agricole, sesame oil, black cumin seeds, lemon peel, toasted wood, rye bread and bitter chocolate.
In the mouth it’s a big swirl of dried dark fruits, menthol tobacco, strawberry wine, red liquorice, damp earth, roasted chestnuts, milk chocolate and fig rolls. Some reduction unleashes old herbal liqueurs, mulled plum wine, coffee and walnut cake, cola, cherry syrup and the lingering warmth of fruity red chili."