Scotch Malt Whisky Society 66.135
$131.24
WARM, AVUNCULAR MASCULINITY
This 12 year old from the Highlands comes in at 59.3% after maturing in a refill hogshead.
Flavour profile: Lightly peated.
Outturn: 320 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "The initial nose is quite light – polished wood, leather and socks drying on a wood-burning stove – but it grows darker with time –liquorice and dark chocolate sweetness, coal bunkers and nutty smoke. The neat palate has more of everything – sweeter, smokier and spicier – Victory V lozenges and aniseed, tar and tobacco, spiced nuts and earthy smoke – even some blackcurrant and pomegranate fruity intensity.
Water shifts the nose to somewhere between an old-fashioned apothecary and a leather elbow patch, pipe-smoking, warm, avuncular masculinity. The palate now turns sweet and savoury – roasted squash, sage, charred chili, peat smoke and tar – very tasty indeed."
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 123.28
$124.94
A FROLIC IN THE CLOVER
This 9 year old Highlander comes in at 61.7% after maturing in a 1st fill barrel.
Flavour profile: Sweet & spicy
Distilled on: 29 August 2008
Outturn: 206 bottles
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 73.114
$206.99
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF OLOROSO
This 17 year old Speysider spent 15 years in an ex-oloroso butt before being transferred to a 1st fill Pedro Ximenez butt for the remainder of its maturation, and comes in at 56%.
Flavour profile: Deep, rich and dried fruits.
Outturn: 496 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "The skies darkened as clouds of black cherries and grapes loomed over a hot bodega warehouse. Aromas of grape must and oxidized apples and pears merged with tart hazelnuts, almonds and smouldering twigs. As a sherry butt moved in front of the sun we found ourselves in the shadows amidst dark fruits, cinnamon and nutmeg whilst chocolate covered brazil nuts tumbled onto the dusty earth.
As water dripped into the glass flavours of dates, prunes and salted caramel became bound together with thick tar. Then the light oily character of fine Riesling wine rippled over porcini mushrooms as cocoa nibs and coconut joined hazelnut praline and liquorice on the silky finish. After spending 15 years in an ex-oloroso butt this was transferred to a 1st fill Pedro Ximenez butt for the remainder of its maturation."
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 96.24
$130.89
SWEET, WARM AND LIVELY
This 12 year old Highlander comes in at 57.9% after maturing in a refill barrel.
Flavour profile: Spicy & dry.
Outturn: 201 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "On the nose, initial candy sweetness (including apricot Danish, cherry fudge and bourbon biscuits) gives way to hay, dried flowers and basketry – eventually hints of tobacco. The neat palate has nutty sweetness (Cadbury’s Whole Nut, almond croissant) mouth-filling warmth (iced gingerbread, embers, chili) and a kind of popping candy fizz at the end.
The reduced nose finds Neapolitan ice-cream and Turkish Delight, but deepens and develops the tobacco, rye bread and aniseed notes. The palate is still sweet and warming – candied ginger, liquorice stick and dry leather with that lively finish turning to bitter lemon and classic champagne cocktail."
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 135.14
$157.99
TRIPPING THE LIGHT FANTASTIC
This 13 year old Highlander was matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead before being transferred to a 1st fill charred red wine barrique, and comes in at 55.4%.
Flavour profile: Lightly peated.
Outturn: 247 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "A rather bonkers aroma of strawberry toothpaste, smoked mint, lapsang souchong tea, salt baked fruits, rye spice, caraway, smoked beer, horseradish and smoked fish. With dilution there’s medical marijuana, nutmeg, smoked salmon, burlap, smoked mussels, brine and hot paprika. The madness continues on the palate with lime oil, cured meats, concentrated peat extracts, medical tinctures, oyster sauce, preserved lemons, raspberry trifle, sandalwood, newspaper ash and cough medicine.
With water there’s taramasalata, sardines in brine, olive oil, coal tar soap and salty kedgeree. A crazy yet hugely enjoyable dram that was matured for 13 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead before being transferred to a 1st fill charred red wine barrique."
Bruichladdich 2007 KWM Bourbon Cask 336
$134.99
SOLD OUT!
Our 2nd KWM Exclusive single cask of Bruichladdich is a 12 year old from a Fresh Bourbon Cask, #336. It was distilled from unpeated optic barley on March 16 2007, and bottled November 14, 2019 at 58.6%. Only 240 bottles, and we don't expect them to last long... it is over 2/3 sold in 3 days!
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: creamy, honeyed and malty with loads of fruit and a gentle salty maritime flourish; juicy and toasty with soft decadent oak spices; Starburst fruit candies and French vanilla icecream; the barley lends the nose a soft minerality.
Palate: silky to start with loads of honey, more French vanilla and then a bold surge of juicy fruits and crisp barley; the salty maritime tones arrive later with decadent spices; thick and oily; more Starburst fruit candies, honeydew melon, bitter orange and singed lemon peel; candied ginger, cinnamon sticks and licorice root; later allspice; toasty and nutty; once again the barley shines through.
Finish: long, fresh, coating and creamy; decadent vanilla, juicy fruits and crisp spice.
Comment: thick, creamy and toasty with loads of fruit, barley and a touch of crisp Islay air; young and Fresh without a rough edges and a complexity beyond what you expect for just a dozen years in the cask; this is a naked Laddie, clean and elegant!
Balblair 1991
$179.99
SOLD OUT
We are thrilled to get this back, 27-year-old 1991 vintage Balblair. Matured in Ex-Bourbon & 1st Fill Sherry Butts, before bottling at 46%. 90pts Whisky Fun / 89pts Whisky Base.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: dried fruits: raisins, cranberries and figs; Christmas cake and Fruit Source bars and dark chocolate brownies with peanuts; new Italian leather gloves, tobacco leaf and dark milk chocolate shavings; all overtop a silky base of vanilla and honey.
Palate: round, rich and fruity; Christmas cake and figs in honey; more dried fruits; Pedro Ximenez Sherry and barrel aged maple syrup; quince jelly, raspberry puree and apricot jam; old school sherry; exotic tropical fruits and Fruit n Nut bars; again the sherry is layered on top of a base of clotted cream and vanilla bean ice cream.
Finish: creamy, coating and fruity; more leather, chocolate, chocolate and tobacco; toasty and spicy ending in tropical fruits.
Comment: this is spectacular stuff; moderately old school sherried; for its age, 27 years old, layered with rich and tropical fruits; for its quality, its age and price this is almost impossible to beat; superb.
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: The nose is expansive and complex with rich citrus fruits and vanilla notes, toffee and chocolate. The American oak ex-bourbon barrels and Spanish oak butts used in the maturation impart notes of honey, winter spices and apricot with just a hint of liquorice in the background.
Palate: On the palate Balblair’s signature style of citrus orchard is followed with rich creamy chocolate and layers of stewed apples and pears, Christmas pudding and hot vanilla sauce.
Finish: The finish descends slowly into brighter tonality, sparkling orange and toasted coconut overtones, accentuating the full-bodied sweetness of vanilla and caramel. A rich and celebratory dram.
90pts Whisky Fun
"They never tell you much on the bottles, but I’ve heard there was a higher proportion of sherry casks in this one (there was less in last year’s 1990). Colour: gold. Nose: a few oak spices at first, ginger and nutmeg, then this soft, and very Balblairy kind of fruitiness. Well, put whole apples, bananas, peaches, and pears into a mixer, mix, then nose, that’ll give an idea. There is a little bread too, a wee bit of pumpernickel perhaps… Then green tea, the smallest Jerusalem artichoke, even aubergines… Indeed! Mouth: how good is this? Everything’s just perfect, and indeed there’s something Spanish, but rather some kind of whisky paella than straight Jerez. That’s a little hard to explain, and I’m sure this unusual profile comes from the wood mix they have been using (involving some rather active wood for sure), but let me mention aniseed, caraway, saffron, pepper… Finish: medium, complex, spicy and fruity. Comments: some exceptional Balblair, perhaps a little more challenging than others at times, but that’s the game! SGP:651 - 90 points."
Whisky Agency Secret Speyside 1995 KWM
$269.99
Wrong sku!
The Whisky Agency H&T Jura 1998 Fusion
$314.99
Wrong Sku!