Whisky Sponge Ardmore 1997 Ed.76
$469.99
This 1997 vintage Ardmore was matured 24 years in a Refill Bourbon Hogshead before bottling at 52.4%.
Producer Note
"Since the dawn of creation, conscious beings have been asking themselves one thing: why does Ardmore taste like the smelly matter you find in Scottish farmyard...? The answer to this question has eluded the greatest scientific minds in the cosmos. Mayans, Vulcans, Time Lords, Vogons and David Attenborough have all tried, and failed, to discover the pungent truth. All we can do is play Sponge scrabble and ruminate deeply and profoundly, on the sheer number of silly toilet-centric words you can invent in association with Ardmore and all its bum-scented glory. Please enjoy this extremely classical 25 year old Ardmore that has been matured full term in a withered old refill hogshead and bottled at natural cask strength, thus retaining its maximum dung-addled distillate potency."
Amrut Intermediate Sherry Cask Strength
$139.99
Finally, back at a bottling strength that suits this Indian flavour bomb! For the last couple years, we've only had access to the 46%er. That was still good whisky, of course, but this is next level. As soon as we saw it was back in the province, we had to jump.
This spirit starts its life in ex-Bourbon, before being re-racked into Sherry casks, then put back into ex-Bourbon to finish maturing. They like to refer to it as sandwich maturation. In this case...a spicy jam sandwich. Delish!
57.1% abv
Raasay NaSia Unpeated Ex-Rye Cask
$149.99
This cask was not merely selected by Canadian importer Gold Medal Marketing, but rather Andy bought it as a future, and patiently waited while it matured. This is unpeated Raasay, matured in an ex-Rye Whiskey cask from Woodford Reserve, the whisky has been bottled at 61.5%.
Producer Description
"These American ex-Rye Whiskey casks are from Woodford Reserve Distillery, KY where they use 53% Rye in their mash bill. The flavors emulate history's original Rye whiskies with strong, peppery, spicy flavors in a sea of fruit and butterscotch."
G&M Private Collection Glen Mhor 1982
$4,199.99
One of the lost Speyside triplets (alongside Glen Albyn and Millburn), Glen Mhor may be most recognized for being one of the component malts used to recreate the Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malt (you know... the Shackleton recreation from a few years back). It is a distillery that has never had the romantic draw that other lost gems like Brora, Port Ellen, or Rosebank have, but we are now 40 years past the last spirit run at Glen Mhor and the very little we ever see is now always extravantly priced and packaged. And a bottling such as this one is exactly the reason why. 93 points on Whiskyfun (one of only two or three sources we trust almost implicitly) should tell you all you need to know. With an endorsement like that, there should be a bloodbath for the few bottles we're getting. Refill Sherry Hogshead #72 yielded only 174 bottles.
Natural colour, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 50.8%
G&M Private Collection Benromach 1982
$2,519.99
This 39 year old Private Collection Benromach, bottled just shy of 40 years, was matured 19 years in a Sherry Cask before finishing for a further 20 years in a Burgundy Hogshead. At 60.2%, it has held its strength too. A sister cask to this bottling, also finished in Burgundy, is rocking 91pts on Whiskybase.
Independent bottlings of Benromach are extremely rare, there have been less than a dozen in the last 20 years, and a good chunk of them were by the distillery's owner Gordon & MacPhail. So why bottle a bunch of 39 year old Burgundy finished Benromachs (there appear to be at least 3) under Gordon & MacPhail? I suspect it is because these whiskies fall outside of the style the distillery is going for, and they didn't want to confuse these with the recent 40 year old releases, which have a more traditional style.
Nc'nean Organic Single Malt Scotch
$97.99
Nc'nean is one of the most fascinating distilleries going. Net zero carbon emission, entirely organic, socially aware, and now with legit 'of age' whisky. This core range single malt was matured in a mix of red wine, Oloroso sherry, and ex-American whiskey casks (we assume that means not ex-Bourbon, but don't quote us).
Natural colour, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 46% abv.
G&M CC Tomatin 1988
$1,149.99
This 1988 vintage Tomatin was bottled at 56.6% after maturing 32 years in a Refill American Oak Hogshead.
G&M Private Collection Glenburgie 1983
$2,349.99
At 38 years this is one of the oldest bottlings of Glenburgie we've ever seen. Distilled in 1983 and filled into a Refill American Oak Hogshead, the whisky has been bottled at 45.2%. I smell a future tasting coming!
Shinobu Newborn Japanese Single Malt
$119.99
This is bonafide, distilled in Japan, single malt... but is it whisky? Perhaps not yet... but it is getting closer. 50%
Producer Description
"Shinobu Single Malt Newborn Whisky" was born from the master distiller Ken Usami's artisanal beer-making skills and passion accumulated over 30 years. The whisky is made by manipulating Niigata's natural resources, known as the "three white treasures", consisting of snow, rice, and sake. It is also using the rare Japanese oak (mizunara) and malt. Aged for over a year in mizunara and first-fill bourbon barrels and blended by hand. It creates a unique purity and aroma, with a clear and robust body."