Boutique-y 18 Year Highland Single Malt
$125.99
This whisky was featured on Day 16 of our 2024 KWM Not An Advent Calendar Tastings! You can read more about the whisky here.
Don't anCnoc it till you've tried it! This 18 year old mystery peated Highland single malt Scotch is part of the Boutique-y Core Range, bottled at 45.8%. From a mix of ex-Bourbon, Oloroso, & PX Sherry casks. Rumour has it this is peated Knockdhu... very cool, and really well priced!
Producer Description
Elevate your senses with the remarkable complexity of our 18 Year Old Highland single malt, a masterful fusion of highland peat and sherry cask maturation that embodies the best of two worlds. From a marriage of ex-Bourbon, Oloroso, and Pedro Ximenez casks, savour the exquisite balance of smoke and sweetness that define its character. A small batch release of circa 1,000 litres each time Non chill-filtered, and natural cask matured colour.
About the Label
"Our label design settled for just the one deer, starting with a young buck, getting older, and more dignified, as the whiskies aged, finishing with the dominant stag who has been through some scapes in his life; older, wiser, and looks a little pissed with everything! Our Highland deer is a little more grown up once again, and has gained a few ‘pints’ on his antlers, and is now an Imperial Stage with 14 points…
"We love the expression on his face. he’s looking a even more serious this time.This is a now a very distinguished stag. Boutique-y Whisky artist, Emily Chappell, has captured our brief so perfectly, and has injected her magic into it, as usual. The colours of the labels reflect the colour palette of the Aurora Borealis, while the ‘wave pattern’ across all of the labels symbolises the way the Aurora Borealis is always moving in the sky, if you’ve been lucky enough to see it."
Boutique-y 12 Year Speyside Single Malt
$73.79
This 12 year old mystery Speyside single malt Scotch is part of the Boutique-y Core Range, bottled at 45.8%. From a mix of fresh Oloroso Sherry casks.
Producer Description
"Indulge in the refined elegance of our 12-year-old Speyside single malt, a harmonious symphony of flavours that pays homage to the lush landscapes and tranquil beauty of the Speyside region. From a marriage of all new Oloroso casks, this expression unveils a captivating bouquet of caramelised nuts, orchard fruits, flamed orange peel, and smoky oak that greet the senses with a gentle embrace."
About the Label
"Our label design settled for just the one deer, starting with a young buck, getting older, and more dignified, as the whiskies aged, finishing with the dominant stag who has been through some scapes in his life; older, wiser, and looks a little pissed with everything! Our Speyside deer is a little more grown up this time around, and has gained a few ‘pints’ on his antlers.
"We love the expression on his face. he’s looking a little more serious this time, but mot quite a ‘Royal Stag’ yet. Boutique-y Whisky artist, Emily Chappell, has captured our brief so perfectly, and has injected her magic into it, as usual.
"The colours of the labels reflect the colour palette of the Aurora Borealis, while the ‘wave pattern’ across all of the labels symbolises the way the Aurora Borealis is always moving in the sky, if you’ve been lucky enough to see it."
Boutique-y 8 Year Islay Single Malt
$63.89
Part of the new Boutique-y Core Range, bottled at 45.8% in a 700ml bottle too!
Producer Description
"Embark on a smoky and captivating journey with our young buck, on the 8 Year Old Islay single malt. This expression encapsulates the island's untamed spirit (I know). With every sip, wisps of peat smoke envelop the senses, reminiscent of bonfires on a cool coastal evening. From a marriage of refill casks, both ex-Bourbon hogsheads and ex-Sherry octaves. A small batch release of circa 1,000 litres each time Non chill-filtered, and natural cask matured colour."
About the Label
"Our label design settled for just the one deer, starting with a young buck, getting older, and more dignified, as the whiskies aged, finishing with the dominant stag who has been through some scapes in his life; older, wiser, and looks a little pissed with everything! Our Islay 8 Year Old starts the deer’s journey through life, with a young,fresh faced, innocent, buck, eager to please.
"We love the expressions onhis face. Boutique-y Whisky artist, Emily Chappell, has captured our brief so perfectly, and has injected her magic into it, as usual. The colours of the labels reflect the colour palette of the Aurora Borealis, while the ‘wave pattern’ across all of the labels symbolises the way the Aurora Borealis is always moving in the sky, if you’ve been lucky enough to see it."
Ardbeg Anthology 15 Year
$177.29
This 15 year old Ardbeg, the third and final release in the Anthology Series, is "The Beithir's Tale". It was matured in custom char American oak ex-Bourbon Barrels before bottling at 46%.
Producer Description
"The final chapter in the Ardbeg Anthology Collection has reared its smoky head. Introducing The Beithir’s Tale, a rare and elusive dram inspired by one of the most fearsome creatures ever said to stalk the Distillery’s shores.
"Aged for 15 years in special designer charred bourbon casks, these barrels have been air-seasoned, heavily toasted, and then lightly charred.
"This whisky is inspired by the tale of the Beithir* – a fearsome serpent that slithered into the Distillery (or so the story goes). Spotted among the barrels, it had three prized casks lodged in its belly. Charmed away by an enchanting melody piped from a chanter, the hypnotised beast fled into the Atlantic, leaving the barrels bobbing on the waves."
Hitachino Nest NipponiA
$6.11
Kiuchi Brewery (木内酒造) is a brewery in Naka, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 1823 by village headman Kiuchi Gihei as a sake and shochu producer.[1]
Craft beer production began in 1996 after a change in Japanese law governing micro brewing. A number of Kiuchi's products seek to combine European beer-making technology with traditional Japanese brewing techniques; for example, its XH Hitachino Nest Beer is matured in shochu casks.
Tomatin Cu Bocan Signature
$86.39
The new core expression from Cu Bocan, heavily peated Tomatin, has been bottled at 46% after maturing in ex-Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry, and Virgin North American Oak casks.
Producer Description
"In the whisky that made our name, light smoke intertwines with rich citrus and exotic spices. Subtly smoky, surprisingly sweet, it opens up the world of lightly peated whisky."
Becker Kalkgetein Pinot Blanc
$37.49
From Becker: As was typical of the southern Palatinate region, our family has run a mixed-use farm for many generations, with vineyards, some animals, a still and apple, pear, plum, cherry and Mirabelle trees. In the middle of the 20th century, it became apparent that our soils and slopes at the edge of the Palatinate Forest offered excellent growing conditions for outstanding wines. Ever since then, wine-making has been our profession as well as our passion. In 1973, Friedrich Becker Sr. filled the first bottles with the fox on the label, which became, in a very short time, our trademark. For old friends of our wines, and now for many wine connoisseurs around the world, this label stands for unique wines with uncompromisingly high quality. Over the years, many of our wines, especially our Pinot Noirs, have been consistently recognized as among the best in the Palatinate region and all of Germany. Our company is a member of the VDP and rated one of Germany's top wineries by Gault Millau (four out of five grape bunches). From KWM: We sourced these wines a year ago after reading the rave reviews from numerous publications, in Germany and beyond. The Pinot Noirs are prized and will give Burgundy fans a solid alternative.
Becker Guillaume Red Wine
$27.19
Guillaume is the French translation of Wilhelm. The name Wilhelm in turn means the conqueror.
With a mouthful of a label name like Familie Friedrich Becker Guillaume Rotwein, you must be wondering: is this wine German or French? This Cuvee takes its queues from both wine-making countries, typically being made with a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Dornfelder. It also sometimes features Pinot Meunier and Blauer Portugieser (a red grape variety planted mostly in Germany, Austria and also in Portugal, under the name “Português Azul”). The exact recipe for this Cuvee changes from vintage to vintage.
Thanks to the growing region, the grapes are grown on two different soil types. Some vines are planted on deep loam and clay soils while others are rooted in limestone soils. The age of the vines is between 19 and 35 years. The grapes are hand-picked, destemmed and allowed to naturally ferment. After two to three weeks of fermentation in open oak vats and vats, they were gently pressed. Further maturation took place for 25 months in large and small oak barrels. The wine was bottled in December 2022 without filtration or fining.
--
The Becker family owns more than 30 hectares and produces over 12,000 cases annually. Positioned on the very border with France in the town of Schweigen, the Beckers have witnessed that border shifting throughout history. Today, they have vineyards on both the French and German sides, at the edge of the Palatinate (Pfalz) forest—with 50 percent of their land situated on the French side in Alsace.
The soils in the area are composed of deep layers of shell limestone, with various topsoils, which in combination with the region’s mild climate, provide the ideal growing conditions for Spätburgunder. Hence, the logical focus is on the variety. As one of the pioneers, Fritz Becker Sr. was also one of the first winemakers in the region to mature his Spätburgunder in barriques.
Their most prestigious vineyard is Kammerberg, a steep single vineyard on deep marl and limestone near Wissembourg, recovered by Fritz Sr. in 1967. The old vines are mostly German clones and some French and grow on deep marl lime soils that produce powerful but also refined, mineral-driven Pinot Noirs (it is all about the dirt here!); St. Paul cultivated here in the 14th century by the Cistercians of Wissembourg, which had since become overgrown but the Beckers uprooted trees and bushes in early 2000 and planted Spätburgunder; and Sonnenberg, with poor limestone soils ideal for growing Riesling.
From KWM: We sourced these wines a year ago after reading the rave reviews from numerous publications, in Germany and beyond. The Pinot Noirs are prized and will give Burgundy fans a solid alternative.
Becker Herrenwingert Pinot Noir
$88.39
The Becker family owns more than 30 hectares and produces over 12,000 cases annually. Positioned on the very border with France in the town of Schweigen, the Beckers have witnessed that border shifting throughout history. Today, they have vineyards on both the French and German sides, at the edge of the Palatinate (Pfalz) forest—with 50 percent of their land situated on the French side in Alsace.
The soils in the area are composed of deep layers of shell limestone, with various topsoils, which in combination with the region’s mild climate, provide the ideal growing conditions for Spätburgunder. Hence, the logical focus is on the variety. As one of the pioneers, Fritz Becker Sr. was also one of the first winemakers in the region to mature his Spätburgunder in barriques.
Their most prestigious vineyard is Kammerberg, a steep single vineyard on deep marl and limestone near Wissembourg, recovered by Fritz Sr. in 1967. The old vines are mostly German clones and some French and grow on deep marl lime soils that produce powerful but also refined, mineral-driven Pinot Noirs (it is all about the dirt here!); St. Paul cultivated here in the 14th century by the Cistercians of Wissembourg, which had since become overgrown but the Beckers uprooted trees and bushes in early 2000 and planted Spätburgunder; and Sonnenberg, with poor limestone soils ideal for growing Riesling.
From KWM: We sourced these wines a year ago after reading the rave reviews from numerous publications, in Germany and beyond. The Pinot Noirs are prized and will give Burgundy fans a solid alternative.