Dear Whisky Customers
I hope that you all had a good Christmas and new years celebrations and have drunk the whisky cupboard dry, as I have some interesting new bottlings with which to temp you.
NEW WHISKY LIST
Please find attached to this newsletter a copy of the newly updated list. This is the first real whole scale make over the list has had in several years and I think it was long overdue. You will notice that the layout has changed and I hope that it easier to use as a result. The main and exciting changes are that we've added whiskies from three new Independent bottling companies. You will also see that there have been additions to both the Gordon & MacPhail and Distillery bottlings list. But first the new guys!
THE SPEYSIDE DISTILLERY COMPANY - SCOTT'S SELECTION
The Speyside Distillery company are a small independent whisky producer, owning their own distillery, blending and bottling plants. They produce a pleasant 10 year old malt from their distillery near Kingussie, close to the site of a distillery of the same name which had been established in 1895 and has long been out of production.
The whiskies that really interested me are from their Scott's Selection list. In the 1970's Robert Scott was appointed Master Distiller at the Speyside distillery. Robert like many other respected distillers had begun plying his trade at the tender age of 16 when he left school. Prior to his retirement, he was given one final assignment, namely to create a personal selection of his favourite single malt whiskies. Thus Scott's Selection was born.
His criteria for this selection was that the whisky must be of the optimum level of age and top quality. They must be bottled in as natural a state as possible - no dilution by water or chill filtration. Over the past few years a number of new additions have been added to the portfolio while stocks of some others have inevitably been exhausted. The selection now reads like an encyclopaedia of great whiskies of Scotland.
From this list I have selected the following exceptional whiskies to add to our list.
SPEYSIDE
Glendulan Distilled 1981 52.6% ?49.95
Mannochmore Distilled 1978 60.3% ?54.95
HIGHLAND
Macduff (Glen Deveron) Distilled 1978 57.1% ?60.95
Macallan Distilled 1979 54.7% ?85.95
RARE MOTHBALLED/CLOSED DISTILLERIES
Milburn Distilled 1983 85% ?64.95
North British Grain Whisky Distilled 1974 53.1% ?59.95
HART BROTHERS
Hart Brothers is an independently owned family company, originally established in 1962 by the brothers Iain and Donald Hart as a wine and spirit wholesalers as well as whisky blenders.
In 1975 they were joined by Alistair Hart, the former chief blender and director of Whyte & Mackay Limited. It was his responsibility to buy new whisky from various distilleries in order to meet future sales of the Whyte & Mackay brands.
With his expertise, Hart brothers expanded into the bonded warehouse business where they blended and bottled whiskies for many U.K and overseas whisky marketing companies.
During this time they have been able to purchase stocks of aged malt whiskies, some from lesser-known distilleries and distilleries that are no longer in production or have been demolished. These casks were deemed far to good just to blended, and thus they created a list of these malt whiskies for the more discerning drinker.
I have chosen the following exceptional whiskies from their "Finest Collection", to compliment our list.
SPEYSIDE
Balmenach 18 year old 43% ?45.95
Benrinnes 18 year old 43% ?45.95
Benriach 30 year old 49.8% ?96.95
Glen Elgin 19 year old 43% ?49.95
Glenlivet 23 year old 43% ?55.95
Tamdhu 10 year old 43% ?25.95
HIGHLAND
Glen Albyn 19 year old 43% ?49.95
Glenglassaugh 22 year old 43% ?54.95
Teaninch 24 year old 43% ?58.95
Tomatin 37 year old 47.2% ?115.95
ORKNEY
Highland Park 25 year old 43% ?64.95
Highland Park 35 year old 43% ?97.95
RARE MOTHBALLED/CLOSED DISTILLERIES
Inchgower 26 year old 49.9% ?70.95
CHIEFTAINS CHOICE
Ian Macleod & Co was established in 1936 and now produces in the region of 15 million bottles of Scotch whisky per year. They hold stocks ranging from new distillates through to 50 year old single malts.
It soon became clear that they had some wonderful stock for single cask bottlings that would appeal to the specialist malt drinker, and so the Chieftains choice range was born.
As part of his daily routine Gorge Doctor, the chief blender samples hundreds of casks and is always on the look out for the most interesting casks to add to the range. Together with Antony McCallum, the Rare Malt manager they work together to produce a premium quality product.
We introduced the Chieftains Choice range during Christmas, and quite a few of you have hopefully enjoyed these whiskies over the festive period.
These are the currently available bottlings that I have added to our list.
SPEYSIDE
Glen Lossie Distilled 1992 43% ?23.95
Tormore Distilled 1990 Port Wood Finish 53% ?35.95
HIGHLAND
Glenturret Distilled 1991 43% ?24.95
ISLAY
Caol Ila Distilled 1993 Rum Wood Finish 43% ?26.95
RARE MOTHBALLED/CLOSED DISTILLERIES
Banff Distilled 1979 46% ?55.95
Brora 20 year old Sherry Wood 46% ?48.95
Dallas Dhu Distilled 1980 63.6% ?64.95
Scapa Distilled 1979 Sherry Wood 55.6% ?61.95
If you would like to order any of these bottlings, please send us an email or give us a call on 0115 911 0555.
FINALLY..............SPRINGBANK
No whisky newsletter would be complete without a mention of Springbank. There are three releases planned for this year. These are:
Springbank Distiled 1991 Bourbon Wood 46% (March 2004) ?47.95
Springbank 15 year old 46% (Available May 2004) ?54.95
Springbank 14 year old 46% Port Wood (Oct 2004) ?48.95
As you will appreciate demand for these bottlings will be extremely high, thus if you would like to reserve one, please let me know by the 14th February.
AND FINALLY.............HERE'S SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!
Over Christmas we introduced another product to our ever expanding range - Cafe Origin, Single Estate Brazilian Coffee, which I know some of you have been enjoying.
Cafe Origin believes that the enjoyment of real coffee is enhanced by an understanding of its source. Thus they have built up a relationship with all the growers they work with, through numerous visits, much like Gauntley's does with its wine producers.
Furthermore all their coffee's carry a "Quality Certification" from the Speciality Coffee Association of the respective source country. This states that cultivation practices are environmentally friendly and sustainable. Furthermore, the work force receives above average collective wage contracts, social security and access to education.
We are stocking two of their coffee's. The Fazenda Lagoa is a lovely, slightly fruity and tangy medium dark roasted coffee and the Fazenda Monte Alegre is a superb, rich, nutty and chocolatey medium roasted coffee. Both retail for ?3.50 and are delightful.
If you would like to try these coffee's please drop us a line and we would be more than happy to mail them to you.
Sincerely
Chris Goodrum
I hope that you all had a good Christmas and new years celebrations and have drunk the whisky cupboard dry, as I have some interesting new bottlings with which to temp you.
NEW WHISKY LIST
Please find attached to this newsletter a copy of the newly updated list. This is the first real whole scale make over the list has had in several years and I think it was long overdue. You will notice that the layout has changed and I hope that it easier to use as a result. The main and exciting changes are that we've added whiskies from three new Independent bottling companies. You will also see that there have been additions to both the Gordon & MacPhail and Distillery bottlings list. But first the new guys!
THE SPEYSIDE DISTILLERY COMPANY - SCOTT'S SELECTION
The Speyside Distillery company are a small independent whisky producer, owning their own distillery, blending and bottling plants. They produce a pleasant 10 year old malt from their distillery near Kingussie, close to the site of a distillery of the same name which had been established in 1895 and has long been out of production.
The whiskies that really interested me are from their Scott's Selection list. In the 1970's Robert Scott was appointed Master Distiller at the Speyside distillery. Robert like many other respected distillers had begun plying his trade at the tender age of 16 when he left school. Prior to his retirement, he was given one final assignment, namely to create a personal selection of his favourite single malt whiskies. Thus Scott's Selection was born.
His criteria for this selection was that the whisky must be of the optimum level of age and top quality. They must be bottled in as natural a state as possible - no dilution by water or chill filtration. Over the past few years a number of new additions have been added to the portfolio while stocks of some others have inevitably been exhausted. The selection now reads like an encyclopaedia of great whiskies of Scotland.
From this list I have selected the following exceptional whiskies to add to our list.
SPEYSIDE
Glendulan Distilled 1981 52.6% ?49.95
Mannochmore Distilled 1978 60.3% ?54.95
HIGHLAND
Macduff (Glen Deveron) Distilled 1978 57.1% ?60.95
Macallan Distilled 1979 54.7% ?85.95
RARE MOTHBALLED/CLOSED DISTILLERIES
Milburn Distilled 1983 85% ?64.95
North British Grain Whisky Distilled 1974 53.1% ?59.95
HART BROTHERS
Hart Brothers is an independently owned family company, originally established in 1962 by the brothers Iain and Donald Hart as a wine and spirit wholesalers as well as whisky blenders.
In 1975 they were joined by Alistair Hart, the former chief blender and director of Whyte & Mackay Limited. It was his responsibility to buy new whisky from various distilleries in order to meet future sales of the Whyte & Mackay brands.
With his expertise, Hart brothers expanded into the bonded warehouse business where they blended and bottled whiskies for many U.K and overseas whisky marketing companies.
During this time they have been able to purchase stocks of aged malt whiskies, some from lesser-known distilleries and distilleries that are no longer in production or have been demolished. These casks were deemed far to good just to blended, and thus they created a list of these malt whiskies for the more discerning drinker.
I have chosen the following exceptional whiskies from their "Finest Collection", to compliment our list.
SPEYSIDE
Balmenach 18 year old 43% ?45.95
Benrinnes 18 year old 43% ?45.95
Benriach 30 year old 49.8% ?96.95
Glen Elgin 19 year old 43% ?49.95
Glenlivet 23 year old 43% ?55.95
Tamdhu 10 year old 43% ?25.95
HIGHLAND
Glen Albyn 19 year old 43% ?49.95
Glenglassaugh 22 year old 43% ?54.95
Teaninch 24 year old 43% ?58.95
Tomatin 37 year old 47.2% ?115.95
ORKNEY
Highland Park 25 year old 43% ?64.95
Highland Park 35 year old 43% ?97.95
RARE MOTHBALLED/CLOSED DISTILLERIES
Inchgower 26 year old 49.9% ?70.95
CHIEFTAINS CHOICE
Ian Macleod & Co was established in 1936 and now produces in the region of 15 million bottles of Scotch whisky per year. They hold stocks ranging from new distillates through to 50 year old single malts.
It soon became clear that they had some wonderful stock for single cask bottlings that would appeal to the specialist malt drinker, and so the Chieftains choice range was born.
As part of his daily routine Gorge Doctor, the chief blender samples hundreds of casks and is always on the look out for the most interesting casks to add to the range. Together with Antony McCallum, the Rare Malt manager they work together to produce a premium quality product.
We introduced the Chieftains Choice range during Christmas, and quite a few of you have hopefully enjoyed these whiskies over the festive period.
These are the currently available bottlings that I have added to our list.
SPEYSIDE
Glen Lossie Distilled 1992 43% ?23.95
Tormore Distilled 1990 Port Wood Finish 53% ?35.95
HIGHLAND
Glenturret Distilled 1991 43% ?24.95
ISLAY
Caol Ila Distilled 1993 Rum Wood Finish 43% ?26.95
RARE MOTHBALLED/CLOSED DISTILLERIES
Banff Distilled 1979 46% ?55.95
Brora 20 year old Sherry Wood 46% ?48.95
Dallas Dhu Distilled 1980 63.6% ?64.95
Scapa Distilled 1979 Sherry Wood 55.6% ?61.95
If you would like to order any of these bottlings, please send us an email or give us a call on 0115 911 0555.
FINALLY..............SPRINGBANK
No whisky newsletter would be complete without a mention of Springbank. There are three releases planned for this year. These are:
Springbank Distiled 1991 Bourbon Wood 46% (March 2004) ?47.95
Springbank 15 year old 46% (Available May 2004) ?54.95
Springbank 14 year old 46% Port Wood (Oct 2004) ?48.95
As you will appreciate demand for these bottlings will be extremely high, thus if you would like to reserve one, please let me know by the 14th February.
AND FINALLY.............HERE'S SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!
Over Christmas we introduced another product to our ever expanding range - Cafe Origin, Single Estate Brazilian Coffee, which I know some of you have been enjoying.
Cafe Origin believes that the enjoyment of real coffee is enhanced by an understanding of its source. Thus they have built up a relationship with all the growers they work with, through numerous visits, much like Gauntley's does with its wine producers.
Furthermore all their coffee's carry a "Quality Certification" from the Speciality Coffee Association of the respective source country. This states that cultivation practices are environmentally friendly and sustainable. Furthermore, the work force receives above average collective wage contracts, social security and access to education.
We are stocking two of their coffee's. The Fazenda Lagoa is a lovely, slightly fruity and tangy medium dark roasted coffee and the Fazenda Monte Alegre is a superb, rich, nutty and chocolatey medium roasted coffee. Both retail for ?3.50 and are delightful.
If you would like to try these coffee's please drop us a line and we would be more than happy to mail them to you.
Sincerely
Chris Goodrum