Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year Batch 6
$389.99
Batch 6 of the Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year is rumoured to be the second last in the series. It was matured in ex-Bourbon and Sherry casks before bottling at 46.2%. 88pts Whisky Base
Producer Description
"Like its award-winning predecessors, Batch 6 is aged in bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks. However, with more refill bourbon casks in its recipe, this bottling invites more of Ardbeg’s bold spirit character to surge forth. Traigh Bhan’s trademark delicate balance meets ripples of olive oil and newly mown lawn grass, with classic Ardbeggian waves of tarry rope, peppermint, dark chocolate, soot and fennel."
Jura Seven Wood
$121.99
Not content with double wood or triple wood, Jura has gone right to SEVEN WOOD with this bottling. Not just a made up golf club, the Jura Seven Wood Single Malt Scotch comes from the Jura distillery on - get this - the Isle of Jura. The Jura Seven Wood is composed mostly of unpeated Jura Single Malt plus a small portion of peated Jura as well. It is aged in a combination of American Oak ex-Bourbon barrels and SIX different French Oak Barrels. Bottled at 42% ABV
Producer Description
"The ability of Jura’s tiny island community to reimagine and reinvent has allowed our distillery to thrive. Such vision has brought to life this complex single malt - a fitting tribute to our Master Blender’s skill. Thanks to the forestry commission, sawmill and cooperage in France, we use the finest virgin French oak casks to enhance our whisky. Layers of complexity and flavour emerge from a maturation journey that begins in American White Oak ex bourbon casks before a portion of the whisky is split between six different virgin oak casks sourced from across various regions of France. The result is a fruity and spicy whisky with flavours of crème caramel, baked peach and sweet liquorice."
Signatory 30th Annv Craigduff 1973
$2,849.99
Distilled in 1973 and filled in to a Refill Sherry Butt, the cask, No. 2518, was bottled after 45 years at 45.4%. Supposedly peated Glen Keith, no one is really 100% sure where it came from as Strathisla has also been suggested. Regardless, this is a peated malt, but an old one. 91pts Whisky Fun (See Tasting Note Below)!
A Very Curious Whisky
It is also one of the most unusual, controversial and hard to find Scotch whiskies. Independent bottler Signatory, the only company to have ever bottled Craigduff as a single, claims it is a curious double peated Glen Keith. But Chivas Brothers, who own both Glen Keith and Strathisla, have always insisted it is actually from the latter. Regardless of its origin, Craigduff was said to be double peated on account that both lightly peated malt was used, as well as “concentrated peated water” which was added to the charge in the wash still. Curious and controversial stuff it would seem!
Macduff 12 YO PX 63.5% -Middle Cut
$224.99
Compass Box Spice Tree
$90.99
The original version of this whisky was so clever and innovative that the SWA (Read: Scotch Whisky Association [Read: Lords of Mediocrity]) banned it. So John Glaser of Compass Box came back to the table with a whisky that seems to dance through the hoops the SWA has placed before him. Whisky from 1st and 2nd fill bourbon casks have a secondary maturation in custom casks with heavily toasted new French oak heads. 46% NCF.
From the Producer
"A long time ago, we created a rich, bold Scotch whisky called The Spice Tree. Unfortunately, due to its avant garde method of oak-aging, we were compelled by the powers that be to discontinue production. Undeterred, we worked with our cooper friends in both France and Scotland to develop a new, hybrid oak cask that would allow us to achieve similar results, but in a way that would be acceptable to even the most conservative of observers. Et voila, THE SPICE TREE was resurrected – matured using a custom-made cask with French oak for the heads and American oak for the bodies. THE SPICE TREE is a rich, intense malt whisky redolent of baking spices and layered with toasty oak accents that complement the underlying distillery character."
G&M Discovery Ledaig 12 Year
$89.99
This 12 year old Ledaig (peated Tobermory) was bottled at 43% after 12 years in sherry casks (our best guess based on the colour and tasting note!).
Tobermory 12 Year
$81.99
The Tobermory 12-year-old replaces the old flagship 10-year old, which is now out of production. The 12-year-old was aged primarily in ex-Bourbon and other American Oak casks and is bottled at 46.3% ABV.
The quirky ABV is a standard throughout owner Distell's Scottish Whisky brands, which also include Deanston and Bunnahabhain Distillery.
Tobermory Distillery resides on the Isle of Mull which lies west of mainland Scotland. The distillery focuses on creating unpeated whisky for its aptly named Tobermory whisky line as well as a heavily peated style known as Ledaig.
Game of Thrones Mortlach 15 Year 46%
$224.99
The first 18 bottles have sold. More coming Tuesday December 24!
The final and "most sought after" bottle in the Game of Thrones Series is the Mortlach 15 Year Six Kingdoms. Matured in first-fill Sherry seasoned casks and finished in ex-Bourbon before bottlings at 46%.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: bright, honeyed and fruity; dried fruits, melons and sliced oranges; delicate spices, French vanilla and soft musty oak.
Palate: round, rich and nutty; building spices, leather, chocolate, caramel and a touch of tobacco; more musty dunnage notes, nutty tones, dried dark fruits and bright sliced orange; a touch of Christmas cake and liquid honey; a touch of that meaty character Mortlach is known for.
Finish: medium in length, nutty, spicy and leathery with chocolate and honey.
Comment: I had probably unfairly low expectations, after all the price is high for a 15 year old, but it is a good Mortlach, true to the style and very drinkable; am also happy they saw the light and bottled it at 46%; would like to see more of that!
Balvenie 14 Year The Week of Peat
$254.99
The second release in the Balvenie Stories is the Week of Peat, a 14 year old single malt made from a run of heavily peated barley. Almost certainly matured in American oak, though that is not specified. 48.3%.
Producer Description
"Eager to experiment with The Balvenie profile using what he had learnt from a recent trip to Islay, distillery manager Ian Millar ordered a batch of Speyside peat for the kiln. For a week a year, The Balvenie distills a batch of peated malt, resulting in a whisky rich in honey, vanilla and citrus notes with an extra layer of delicate smokiness."