Dec 26
Staff Picks - December 2013
Posted on 26th December 2013 by Pierre
The festive season is upon us. Here are a few selections from our Christmas whisky cabinet - a premium blended scotch, a pair of fantastic independently bottled single malts and an Indian whisky from Goa. Enjoy the holidays!
Dec 17
Diageo Special Releases: Convalmore & Lagavulin
Posted on 17th December 2013 by Tim
Today I'm taking a look at two expressions from the latest group of Diageo Special Releases, one is something of a perennial distillery for this range and the other is altogether rarer.
The 36 year old Convalmore was one of the most interesting of this year’s Special Releases. Convalmore distillery was closed in the 1985 and during its lifetime almost the entirety of its stock was reserved for blending – at one time it was a key malt in the make-up of the Black & White blend. Remarkably, this is only the third official bottling of Convalmore in the modern era, following a Rare Malts bottling in 2004 and a previous Special Release edition (also from the 1977 vintage) which appeared in 2005 and was referred to recently by Dave Broom as “One of my favourite whiskies ever”. High praise indeed, giving this follow-up from the same vintage a lot to live up to.
Dec 05
Box Whisky - Toasting Masterclass
Posted on 5th December 2013 by Pierre
Here at Whisky Marketplace there’s nothing we like more than an educational whisky product because, let’s face it, whisky appreciation is a voyage of discovery. Every whisky we taste teaches us a little more about the magic of the cask, or the still, or the mash, or the type of oak... you get the picture. Unsurprisingly this new release from Box, one of Sweden’s newest distilleries and a very stylish looking player on the world whisky scene, caught our eye.
Dec 03
Noah’s Mill
Posted on 3rd December 2013 by Tim
Part of producer Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD) range of Small Batch bourbons, Noah’s Mill is bottled at 100 UK proof (57.15%) and is probably the most critically acclaimed of the company’s range, with regularly huge scores from the likes of Jim Murray and Paul Pacult.
KBD is a family company that has owned and operated the Willet distillery since 1935, but has been established as the US’s most important independent bottler since the 1980s. As a result, it’s impossible to say exactly where Noah’s Mill originates from – but while it tastes this good it’s probably better not to ask too many questions.
Dec 02
Chivas Regal 25 Year Old
Posted on 2nd December 2013 by Tim
Originally produced for the US market in 1909, Chivas Regal 25 year old was fairly revolutionary at a time when long-aged whisky was relatively unknown, but the brand disappeared in the aftermath of the Great War and Prohibition and was never reintroduced after Repeal, as it was felt that the Great Depression was not conducive to the successful marketing of a luxury product. Relaunched a few years ago as a limited edition to critical acclaim, happily Chivas Regal 25yo has now been rolled into the ongoing range of one of the world’s favourite blends. I don’t normally like to talk about presentation generally, but it also looks great.