First Edition Blair Athol 2011 11 Year
$174.99
This 2011 First Editions Blair Athol was bottled at 59.6% after 11 years in a Sherry Butt.
Tomintoul PX Sherry Cask Finish
$73.99
Speyburn 15 Year
$109.99
Matured 15 years in Spanish and American oak before bottling at 46% without added colouring or chill-filtering.
About Speyburn Distillery
Speyburn describes itself as a light, classic Speyside style single malt. Founded in 1897 at the height of a whisky boom the distillery is fairly large given the fact it is not that well known, producing 4.5 million litres with most of that going towards Blended Scotch Whisky production. Poorly known though it may be, Speyburn has outsold each of its sister distilleries (Old Pulteney, Balblair and anCnoc aka Knockdhu) every year since 2005. The distillery underwent a major expansion in 2015 and rebranded over the course of 2017/18. Those new whiskies have now landed in Alberta!
One interesting fact, Speyburn was the first distillery in Scotland to move away from floor maltings. In 1898 they installed a drum maltings which was used until the late 1960s. The equipment is still available to be seen, protected by Historic Scotland.
Speyburn 18 Year
$154.99
Matured 18 long years in American & European oak before bottling at 46% without colouring or chill filtering.
About Speyburn Distillery
Speyburn describes itself as a light, classic Speyside style single malt. Founded in 1897 at the height of a whisky boom the distillery is fairly large given the fact it is not that well known, producing 4.5 million litres with most of that going towards Blended Scotch Whisky production. Poorly known though it may be, Speyburn has outsold each of its sister distilleries (Old Pulteney, Balblair and anCnoc aka Knockdhu) every year since 2005. The distillery underwent a major expansion in 2015 and rebranded over the course of 2017/18. Those new whiskies have now landed in Alberta!
One interesting fact, Speyburn was the first distillery in Scotland to move away from floor maltings. In 1898 they installed a drum maltings which was used until the late 1960s. The equipment is still available to be seen, protected by Historic Scotland.
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."
A.D. Rattray Cask Islay
$61.99
While it is rumoured this single malt was distilled at Laphroaig, and the palate has some Laphroagian characteristics, this Islay single malt's origins are not explicitly known. Bottled at 46% without colouring or chill-filtering it is dark, earthy and medicinal.
Laphroaig 30 Yr Ian Hunter Story Book 2
$2,299.99
Book 2 in the Ian Hunter Story Series from Laphroaig. This 30 year old Laphroaig was matured in Spanish Oloroso Sherry casks and has been bottled at 48.2%. It is a tribute to Ian Hunter, the last member of the Johnston family to own Laphroaig, his tenure between 1908 and 1944. The bottle is nestled in a "beautifully crafted book that will document a part of Ian’s rich legacy." Whisky Base Score: 91.18
Producer Description
“The second release in our Ian Hunter Story pays tribute to the Icon that Ian Hunter built more than 100 years ago and honours his understanding that no one thing is more important to the creation of Laphroaig than the place it comes from – Islay and the ‘hollow by the bay’ where Laphroaig® first came into being.
Aged for 30 years in Spanish Oak Oloroso Sherry oaks, this non-chill filtered whisky is underscored with Laphroaig’s signature characteristic peatiness, making this second book a unique peated single malt whisky journey through history."