Blended / Vatted Malt

• 2013 North Star Super Sonic Mach 2 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $120. 00

  Bottle

  $1440.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  Though slightly lighter in colour than Mach 3, Mach 2 promises another sherried bargain. Bottled at 50% with an outturn of 780 bottles. Non chill filtered.

  Notes from the bottlers... Nose – Coffee with some sort of vanilla sweetener, powdered with fancy cappuccino flakes. Palate – Stewed fruits and spices on a bed of burnt roses. That wee touch of rubber is always well received.  

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• 2013 North Star Super Sonic Mach 3 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $130. 00

  Bottle

  $1560.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 55%

  The Super Sonic series has quickly established a reputation for high quality 'contemporary' sherried styles, selling for song. Outturns are typically between 700 and 800 bottles. 2021 saw three new bottlings and they've arrived in Australia out of sequence. Mach 4 sold out many months ago. Mach 2 and 3 are now on offer. Distilled in 2013, Mach 3 is reported to have a particularly sherried character boasting chocolate and raisins, alongside hints of smoke (there's suggestions a whack of Islay made it into the mix too). We have tiny stocks from a yield of 777 bottles. 55% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

  Notes from the bottlers... Nose – Chocolate, auld Oloroso, jaggie nettles and coal. Palate – Sizzling raisins on a non-stick pan, some paraffin fumes from my Grans heater circa 1981. Finish – Sweetness off the scale, well-crafted blend of malts.

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• North Star Vega 20 Year Old Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $150. 00

  Bottle

  $1800.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 43.5%

  This is the seventh release of Vega blended malt. Once again, value for money is the strong point here, with the whisky composed of malts aged for at least 20 years. Matured in European and American oak, expect a sweet and spicy dram. And yes, it's cask strength at 43.5% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered. 600 bottles produced.

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• • 94

  North Star Sirius 31 Year Old Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $250. 00

  Bottle

  $3000.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 43.1%

  One of the finest blended malts going around.

  Tasting note: [20ml sample] Drawn from x Bourbon barrels without dilution, Sirius offers beautiful aromas of old books, wool, old parchment, balsa wood, oatmeal biscuits, beeswax and bircher muesli. Lightly honeyed flavours of muesli with mixed nuts, dried fruits and diced coconut are delivered with stunning freshness and purity. Some attractive toasty-biscuity-nougat notes to finish then rum balls and lamingtons through the aftertaste. Love it! Uniquely styled and a relative steal given the quality/price/age ratio. Non chill filtered. 43.1% Alc./Vol. 3582 bottles.

  Other reviews... A large small batch here, I’m really glad they manage to fork out this many bottles. Great work, no doubt, what’s more, the price is very fair. Colour: deep gold. Nose: fun stuff, full of fresh paint, bitter almonds, putty and Jamaican-rum-like esters. Then black olives, linoleum, and whiffs of rotting bananas. Funky rum-like indeed, looks like quite some bacterial fermentation has taken place here, somewhere, sometime… Having said that, the background remains classically malty and honeyed. Mouth: vive la difference! Indeed, this is totally unlike any other blend that I could try – while it’s not untrue that I’ve tried a few of them (don't let it go to your head, S.). Resins, varnishes, embrocations, coconut balls, barbecued marshmallows, Jäger, nori, Japanese caramel sauce for ramen… well, stuff like that. It is extremely unusual indeed, but that’s not this baby’s main asset. What’s sure is that the blender is a freethinker, and that he won’t ever work for Johnnie Walker. Finish: long, still a little varnishy, almondy, with a saltier aftertaste. Comments: you cannot not wonder if one of the casks wasn’t ‘something else’, perhaps something shipped by those fine distillers up there on Sirius. Seriously, this is not a blend for The House of Lords, but I doubt that was the goal in the first place. You have to be a little loco to be a fan – well, I’m very loco then.
  89 points - Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com

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• • 93

  North Star Vega 28 Year Old Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $220. 00

  Bottle

  $2640.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 46.7%

  Distilled in September 1990, the fourth limited edition Vega is a run of 800 bottles composed of 100% Speyside malts, and matured in both Spanish and American oak.

  Tasting note: [15ml sample] Another stellar value Vega, with a full, malty bouquet, this time showing some kumquat and fig paste through the oak and spice. In the mouth, it's a medium dry medley of dilute honey and dried fruit flavours followed by hints of Summer pudding, vanilla and liquorice in a finely tannic finish. Pure, perfectly balanced and still full of energy, it tastes like it could handle another half decade with ease. Non chill filtered. 46.7% Alc./Vol.

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• • 93

  North Star Campbeltown 4 Year Old Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Campbeltown, SCOTLAND

  $125. 00

  Bottle

  $1500.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 57%

  Quite a novel blend from one of our favourite whisky regions. Distilled in 2014 and matured in two Bourbon hogsheads before being bottled at natural strength, this is a limited run of 726 bottles. No doubt there's a fair measure of Springbank involved here...

  Tasting note: [from a 20ml sample] Pale straw gold. Very complex on the nose. Salted caramel chocolate, as well as some muesli / oatmeal / porridge to the opening whiffs. Later, peppery, youthful, slightly briney. Final pass finds attractive fresh, fruity notes and light menthol. Quite intense, with a mildly chewy, oily mouthfeel. Fairly primary with sweetish malt / shortbread and beeswax flavours. Very warming and brawny towards the finish. Ends medium long, briney, zesty, bittersweet. Finally sooty. Fascinating young malt. 57% Alc,.Vol. Non chill filtered.

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• • 92

  North Star Vega 22 Year Old Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $190. 00

  Bottle

  $2280.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 43.9%

  A lovely 'armchair' whisky - and relatively inexpensive given the age statement.

  Tasting note: [20ml sample]. These Vega's are always value for money. The sixth edition was matured in both Spanish and American oak. A busy nose which needs time to settle. Gains definition with hints of raisin bread, prunes, Armagnac and sponge cake with a subtle piney-juniper freshness. Understated and easy drinking, it reminds you of a medium bodied, very old-fashioned sherried style. No bomb, rather light on its feet despite the age, then dry to finish, slightly nutty with suggestions of juicy dried fruits, rolling tobacco and powdery tannins. The aftertaste is elegant and medium long. 43.9% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered. 1205 bottles.

  Other reviews... Colour: deep gold. Nose: starts with brown toasts and some pretty earthy black tea, as well as some bitter chocolate and some kind of old mint cordial from and old bottle from an old European country. Mushrooms and autumn leaves tend to win it after a few minutes, while the whole would get even more mentholy. Sauna oils. Finnish malt? No, looks like this is rather Scottish… Mouth: very good! Many pine-y elements, needles, sap, some black raisins and some prunes, certainly some heavy pipe tobacco, marzipan-filled dates, chestnut honey, some thicker herbal liqueurs (ever tried Unicum?), all that with a solid body and a perfect, slightly oily mouth feel. Drops of caraway liqueur, perhaps. Try the Alsatians’! Finish: pretty long and balanced, not something that’s that common. Dried figs and a wee touch of curry in the aftertaste. Comments: I’ve heard they’ll have a bottle of this in the glove compartment of James Bond’s next Aston Martin. No, really. Anyway, whether this is a proper blend or a single malt in disguise (the industry is losing us these days, isn’t it?) this middle-aged Vega is very, very good.
  88 points – Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com

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• North Star Vega 41 Year Old Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $399. 00

  Bottle

  $4788.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 46.1%

  The third Vega release from indie bottler, North Star is also the oldest to date, distilled way back in 1976. Just 400 bottles weighed in at 46.1% (yes, that's cask strength) with the end result being non chill filtered. These bottlings have garnered quite a following, and are already sold out in the UK. On allocation in Australia so be quick!

  Other reviews... I just read the label notes for this one more carefully and it is in fact a blend of malts from Speyside and Islay, matured in Spanish and American oak. Oh well, so much for any remnant shreds of logic to this session. But we’ve committed now so may well follow through... Colour: amber. Nose: there is indeed an unequivocal Bunnahabhain-esque fruitiness about this one. Big initial notes of ripe bananas, guava, melon, papaya and some baked apples in custard. There’s also something akin to a mix of aged sweet wines, like Marsala, Sauternes and some old vendange tardive Muscat all sloshed together. Further develops with notes of warm banana bread studded with chopped walnuts and sultanas stewed in old cognac. Pretty awesome juice to be honest, very old whisky that held onto an abundance of freshness and vibrancy all the way from nose to finish. Mouth: wonderfully syrupy in texture. Glistening stewed fruits, more baked apples, mint jelly, lemon peel, dried tarragon and some indeterminate aged herbal liqueurs. Finish: Long, lemony, herbal, jasmine, various aromatic teas and a touch of liquorice and nibbling wood spice. Comments: I find this just totally great and hugely pleasurable old malt whisky that manages to show aspects of old unpeated Islay characteristics next to more typical Speysideyness in perfect and wonderfully entertaining balance. Great work/selection by Mr Croucher and co at North Star spirits, they are doing some terrific stuff there I think. And, not that we score prices, but the price of this was extremely fair if you ask me. Although, checking now it appears to be sold out. Naturally.
  92 points - Serge Valentin, whisky-fun.com

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• • 94

  North Star Campbeltown 5 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Campbeltown, SCOTLAND

  $129. 99

  Bottle

  $1559.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 49.1%

  A completely unexpected Campbeltowner that's a genuine delight.

  Tasting note: [20ml sample] From a refill Bourbon hogshead but the colour has turned a deep brass gold from a finishing in a Pedro Ximenez barrel. There's something special captured on the nose; a deft balance between PX, fresh bourbon and fresh coastal malt with a later emphasis on the bourbon sugars. Creamy on entry. Understated, young, sweet sherry and fresh American oak are lifted by whisps of cocoa and dried coconut at the finish (think Bounty Bar). Great balance for all the chocolate box flavours. Some distant peat too? One out of the hat for this region. 49.1% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered. 378 bottles.

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• North Star Vega 40 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $350. 00

  Bottle

  $4200.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 43.1%

  Indie bottlers have been delivering some massive age statements of late, while keeping the prices very, very reasonable. Here's one that's reported to be an "absolute belter". It's the second release in North Star Spirits' Vega series, and it's a Sherry bomb. Only 400 bottles produced. Distilled in October 1977, matured in both Spanish and American oak for a minimum of four decades before bottling in 2018 at 43.1% Alc./Vol. Needless to say, we have less than a handful to sell.

  Other reviews... There was a 23 yo Vega last year and it was just excellent (WF 87). Colour: amber. Nose: doesn’t feel very ‘blended’, and does feel very classically sherried, without excesses, with a perfect chocolate-iness, some cigars, a touch of hessian, some blackcurrants, some old oloroso, a little earth, whiffs of clean old wine barrel, and a handful of wild mushrooms. Proper raw chocolate beans, torrefaction, roasted coffee… Everything’s just impeccable. Mouth: it’s the freshness that’s pretty impressive, the fruits (freshly squeezed orange juice with cloves), and the light chocolate/coffee/clove combo. Gets then more oloroso-y, darker, with more bitter chocolate and ‘crunching coffee beans’. Mexican mole sauce. Body and strength are just perfect. Finish: medium, on oranges and chocolate. Jaffa cake, orangette, Demerara sugar. A touch of beef bouillon and black tobacco (Gauloise) in the aftertaste, plus mushrooms, penny buns, shitake… Comments: did you notice that we haven’t used the word ‘oak’? Not even once?
  90 points - Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com

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• • 92

  North Star Vega 23 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $150. 00

  Bottle

  $1800.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 51.1%

  Tasting note: Matured in both American and European Oak. Brilliant amber gold. Beams from the glass. A Speyside-like nose developing gorgeous notes of poached pear, sweet spice and hints of gobstopper. Dryish-yet-fruity delivery offering pear and spiced apple flavours and a tongue tingling spirit. Sweetness re-emerges at the finish. Concludes crisp, fresh, with orchard fruits and spice. Medium long. 51.1% Alc./Vol. Non chill-filtered. 400 bottles.

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• • 94

  • Nick's Import

  Old St. Andrews Twilight 10 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  $99. 99

  Bottle

  $1199.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 40%

  Now discontinued, this charmingly packaged blended malt will be a feature on any home bar (some will remember earlier Old St Andrews presentations, usually in the form of golf balls). Jim Murray absolutely raves about this lost gem (review below). The whisky itself was matured in American oak casks and has been described as having a delicate floral nose with refreshing hints of citrus, orchard fruits and ginger. Named 'twilight' for being the perfect salute to the end of a hard day's golfing, it's likely the last time you'll find it on Australian shores. Very limited stocks.

  Other reviews... "fills the heart with hope and joy. Lipsmacking Scotch malt whisky as it should be."
  94.5 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2012

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• • 91

  • Nick's Import
  • Reduced

  Selkie Batch No.003 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (500ml)

  SCOTLAND

  Reduced from $99.99

  $82. 99

  Bottle

  $995.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 50%

  The myth of the Selkie originates from the Scottish Northern Isles. Therianthropes who can shape shift from seal to human by shedding their seal pelt, the bottlers felt the Selkie imagery with its 'blend' of man and animal fit the bill well for a blended malt brand. This batch contains a combination of peated Highland malts, predominantly from ex-bourbon casks. The peat is salient enough to conclude that Ardmore must be a key component, however that gives ground to a nutty/fruity Speyside character. At 50% it's one of the heftier examples going around with no shortage of flavour, creamy enough to enjoy straight, although the peppery spices don't give up, and you have to be partial to a bit of wood smoke. The finish unfolds with cocoa and gingerbread, ending on an attractively saline / coastal note. Non chill filtered.

  Notes from the bottlers... blond in colour with some smoke, vanilla & marzipan on the nose. Understated peat with good body and a long satisfying and sweet finish.

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• Sheep Dip 8 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Highlands, SCOTLAND

  $79. 99

  Bottle

  $959.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 40%

  Jim Murray describes Sheep Dip in his 2006 Whisky Bible as 'Young and sprightly like a new-born lamb, this enjoys a fresh, mouthwatering grassy style with a touch of spice. Maligned by some but to me a clever accomplished vatting of alluring complexity'.
  Rating: 84

  Richard Paterson, Scotland's renowned and only third generation master blender created the Sheep Dip vatting by marrying together several single malt whiskies. The whiskies are aged between eight and twelve years in quality 'first fill wood,' each adding unique characteristics to produce an exceptional product. The name came about because British farmers have long referred to whisky as Sheep Dip. There was a time when farmers distilled their own 'home-made' whisky and in order to avoid paying taxes to the revenue man hid the whisky in barrels marked 'Sheep Dip'. Farmers' merchants continued this tradition by entering cases of whisky as Sheep dip on farmers' bills and so 'pulling the wool' over the farmers' wive's eyes.

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• • 90

  Spencer Collings Founders Reserve 10 Year Old Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $165. 00

  Bottle

  $1980.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 54.8%

  A beautifully packaged whisky from a superstar marketer, who working for DCL/UDV in the 1980's, was responsible for the creation and launch of UDV's Classic Malt range and then went on to initiate other bar standards, like Johnnie Blue Label. This vatting includes undisclosed Speyside and Islay single malt whiskies matured in refill sherry butts of approx 105 Imperial gallons. A Northern Highland component was matured in a second fill American oak Bourbon barrel of 50 US gallons. The Speyside & Islay whiskies were later transferred to first fill Madeira barriques for finishing, so essentially this is a three wood whisky: Madeira / Bourbon / Oloroso sherry.

  Tasting note: The nose is a little disjointed wavering between the sugars and a mildly sulphury, spirity lift. Five minutes finds more integration and depth, hinting at ginger bread, tea biscuits and flashes of orange zest. Light and bittersweet on entry but better at the midpalate stage; there's broad sweet malt flavours, vanilla and ginger biscuit carrying the finish. Ends tingly, warming, bittersweet, medium long, a tad sulphury in the fade; interesting but awkward at the same time. Not the happiest marriage. 54.5% Alc./Vol.

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• • 93

  • Nick's Import
  • Reduced

  St Bridget's Kirk Cask #3 10 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  SCOTLAND

  Reduced from $150.00

  $110. 00

  Bottle

  $1320.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 48.5%

  At the time of writing, Lady of the Glen is ten years old. Throughout that period Gregor Hannah has acquired hundreds of casks, some of which have been less than full. On other occasions, re-racking from 250 litre hogsheads into 180 litre barriques has left him with leftover spirit. Either scenario suggested material for blending, which is where St Bridget’s Kirk comes in. These vatted malts are always just one cask worth, at most a butt – so about 500 bottles – although recent releases have been smaller still. A tiny volume of Batch #3 has landed and it's a great job on a multi-regional malt. Exactly what's included isn't stated, even though Hannah's philosophy is to present as much information on the label as possible: "Unfortunately there are limits and sometimes you buy casks and you don’t know where the contents were distilled, so you can’t always write them down... or if I’m not allowed, as is the case with certain distillery brands."

  The blends in this series have been very good indeed. Compared to previous batches, #3 loses a bit of its age as there's a younger Islay component, but all of the various elements (sherried Speyside, Highlands and Islay) are well-integrated, the lightly peppered delivery tuned for drinkability and the sherry injecting richness through the middle. There are suggestions of rosewater and Turkish Delight, but in general the focus is sherry and peat reek, the latter peaking at the finish where an Ardmore-like quality enters, only with a maritime-menthol end-note for good measure. It's tasty stuff. As for the title - St Bridget’s Kirk is the name of a local landmark in Dalgety Bay where Lady of the Glen's bottling hall is based. It's from here that all their releases are hand finished by a five-person team. 48.5% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

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• • Nick's Import

  St Bridget's Kirk Cask #2 20 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $150. 00

  Bottle

  $1800.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 45.1%

  Whisky Magazine's Independent Bottler of the Year for 2022

  Sherry-heads and bargain hunters will be interested in this second small batch release from Lady of the Glen - a three component un-peated mix of well-aged single malts from undisclosed distilleries located from the Highland, Speyside and Islay regions. Married together many years ago in an oloroso sherry butt and eventually bottled at 20 years old, the final yield was 281 bottles at 45.1% with zero chill filtration.

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• That Boutique-y Whisky Company Westport 21 Year Old Batch 1 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (500ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $299. 00

  Bottle

  $3588.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 49.7%

  When is a single malt not quite a single malt? When it's a 'tea spooned' malt - which means the whisky is almost entirely from one distillery, however there's been a tiny fraction from another distillery added to it. Consequently, according to strict Scotch Whisky regulations, this then has to be classified as a blended malt, rather than a single malt. Word has it that 'Westport' is most often a whisky from the Glenmorangie Distillery that's been teaspooned with a whisky from Glen Moray. This one is rather well-matured, and bottled at high strength. The label features a host of familiar faces for That Boutique-y Whisky Company fans, and they're all ready to see what looks to be a heck of a show from one particularly talented Boutique-y chap. Batch 1 consists of 330 bottles. 49.7% Alc./Vol.

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• That Boutique-y Whisky Company 24 Year Old Blend #6 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (500ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $250. 00

  Bottle

  $3000.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 48.8%

  This bottling has been produced using a “teaspoon” of another expression from a distillery that cannot be named, only guessed at. The label features an interesting piece of artwork "to throw you off course". There’s a queue building along the high street of Souptown. Heading for the The Bonny, Bonny Bank, the crowd pass Glen Coacher Taxis and Highlander Blooms Florist. The town also seems to host a major runway, with two US bombers inbound. There are some rumours going around the web that this is a teaspooned Campelltowner, but it's impossible to be sure... perhaps, until you taste it. From an outturn of 695 bottles at 47.8% Alc./Vol.

  Notes from the bottlers... Nose: Rich, smooth, cocoa, black cherries, hazelnut, subtle spice. Palate: Spiced honeydew melon, grapes, freshness. Finish: Complex, hazelnut, smooth sweetness to sharp citrus, raisins, plums.

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• • Discontinued

  The Famous Grouse 18 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $299. 00

  Bottle

  $3588.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 43%

  Note: Product has come from a private collection and as such has some minor scuffing/scratches/handling marks. Actual product pictured.
  
  Several decades ago, The Famous Grouse was recognised as one of the best blends on the market. It spawned a following that encouraged more mature, full flavoured versions, like this well-aged blended malt, now reported to be discontinued. Word has it that the key components are Highland park 18 and Macallan 18, hence the style here is sherried, fruity and faintly smokey, summed up by one reviewer as "Better than its 15 year old brother. Better than even Walker Green, I’d say. Hell, this beats a lot single malts in its price range. Grab it if you can." 43% Alc./Vol.

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• • 93

  The Famous Grouse 12 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Perth, SCOTLAND

  $64. 99

  Bottle

  $779.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 40%

  Tasting note: Malts from the Highland Park & Macallan Distilleries make up this vatting - a bargain given the pedigree. Stunning colour. Brilliant deep burnished gold with a pale straw hue. Alluring aromas offer a harmonious mélange of fruit, malt, smoke and spice: Orange rind, dried coconut, potpourri, hay and manuka honey are seamlessly interwoven with the softest whiff of smoke. Firm, spicy, powerful entry yields off dry flavours of dried fruits, sweet cereals and honey with a delicate smokiness. A drying, woody, spicy attack then kicks in delivering terrific palate length and perfectly counterpointing the sweeter notes. Excellent balance. Spicy, warming mouthfeel. Very long aftertaste of dried apricot, spice and cereals turning dry sherry-like with a nutty fade. A triumphant union of two of Scotland’s brightest whisky stars. 40% Alc./Vol.

  Other Reviews...Lovely balance on the nose and palate. Soft and gently textured, too. The sweetness of the whisky (honey, fruit gum drops, and malty vanilla), dovetail nicely with light, bright citrus and teasing dried spices. Heather/floral notes enhance the whisky’s complexity. Clean, delicately polished oak finish. A very versatile, inexpensive, easy-drinking whisky. 86 points - maltadvocate.com
  
  ...The aroma includes scents of toffee and raisin/cinnamon bread; baked apple crisp, toasted cereal, roasted almonds, and nougat. The palate entry is full of raisiny and orange rind-like tastes; the midpalate is filled with tastes of spice, sweet cereal. (4/1/2006)  - 90-95  points. Superb/Highly Recommended - wineenthusiast.com

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• • 94
  • 85

  • Nick's Import
  • Reduced

  The Lost Distillery Company Gerston Archivist's Selection Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Kilmarnock, SCOTLAND

  Reduced from $150.00

  $120. 00

  Bottle

  $1440.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 46%

  The Lost Distillery Company Blended malts employ a variety of whiskies in order to recreate the imagined flavour profiles of some of Scotland's long closed distilleries.

  The story of Gerston whisky is a tale of two distilleries, known as Gerston One and Gerston Two. Gerston One was a family-owned farm- house scale operation, with a typically small output, making high quality spirit that was in demand both at home and further afield. It was enjoyed by the great and good of London society and had customers as far apart as Brazil and India. It existed for over eighty years, and remained in the Swanson family for nearly all of that time.

  Gerston Two was an industrial scale distillery with a capacity of 80,000 gallons of spirit per year. The owners hoped to emulate the success of the whisky from Gerston One by building a new distillery, which had a capacity almost ten times the size of Gerston One. When it was opened in 1886 it was arguably the most innovative and modern distillery in Scotland, and certainly the largest distillery in Caithness. Its design utilised a natural fall in the land, which allowed gravity to govern the process and the movement of liquids. Production at Gerston Two lasted for little over two decades – they were unable to replicate the success and, importantly, quality of spirit previously associated with the Gerston name.

  Tasted from a 15 ml sample, the nose builds to deep scents of lanolin / woolshed, combining oatmeal biscuit and hints of cocoa. The delivery unfolds slowly, intensifying as layers of sweet peat cascade towards the back of the tongue. The balance and length are superb; the lanolin notes continue into the finish with hints of salty oatmeal biscuit, banana cake and sweet peat lingering long. It's a delicious malt, brilliantly executed. 46% Alc./Vol.

  Other reviews... What's cool is that the company have put a lot of data about the old distilleries on their website. That's good content. Colour: gold. Nose: this one is peatier, smokier and tarrier, and I can well imagine some old malts being similar to this. A lot of soot, coal smoke, fumes... It's all quite dry and noses as fat as pitch. How did they do that? Also cider apples, old leather, Barbour grease... Mouth: oh this is clever... Frankly, I used to think this venture was very fishy, but now that I'm trying the malts, all I could add is 'well done'. Perfect acridness, dry nuts, antiseptic, liquorice sticks, cough medicine, lime, green tea, ashes... Finish: very long, ashy and on full 'green' peat smoke. When acridness's an asset... Comments: a huge surprise again. What strikes me even more is that it does taste like a single malt, in a way, and not at all like a wishy-washy blend. Impressed. 89 points - whiskyfun.com

  ...A pale primrose of a dram. Waxed lemon, salted butter pats, white peach, honey, and the wood smoke from green stems. A sip brings Highland toffee, honey, chocolate fudge, rich tart fruits, with dried apple, raisin, mixed peel, and a late appearance of malt, pepper, and smoke. It wraps up with a glossy, clingy finish, but it’s short. Experimenting with water nudges peanut brittle, pralines, and fudge to the surface. Overall, a very decent drop. 85 points - whiskyadvocate.com, reviewed by: Jonny McCormick 2015

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• • 94

  • Nick's Import
  • Reduced

  The Lost Distillery Company Auchnagie Archivist's Selection Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Kilmarnock, SCOTLAND

  Reduced from $150.00

  $99. 99

  Bottle

  $1199.88 Dozen

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  ABV: 46%

  The Lost Distillery Co. is managed by a group of self styled "Whisky Archivists" and Whisky Makers, the brainchild of Scott Watson and Brian Woods, both of whom previously worked at Diageo and became intrigued by the near 100 distilleries that have disappeared in the last century. Using all the available historical evidence, together with a panel of 'noses', they attempt to bring to life whiskies lost to the ravages of time and fate. It's a project that's had precedents, such as Macallan's "Replica" bottlings that were on the market in the 1990s (only in that instance they actually had preserved samples to work from). The Lost Distillery Company takes a more imaginative approach. In order to recreate their historical interpretations, they compose a blend using different single malts, tweaking the composition to sit easily with both the evidence of the archivist and the interpretation of the whisky makers. This process takes considerable time and experience but only when everyone is comfortable with the result does the whisky receive the company's seal of approval. It's a great story, but the quality of the whiskies they produce are what matters in the end - happily, what we've tasted so far is first rate.

  Auchnagie (1812-1911) existed for almost 100 years near the hamlet of Tulliemet, approximately six miles south east of Pitlochry in Perthshire. Starting work as a remote farmhouse distillery, it ended its days as, arguably, the jewel in the crown of a global whisky empire. It had at least seven different owners and was silent for large parts of its life. This was not unusual for small-scale 19th century distilleries, as their precarious existence was often at the mercy of lack of water, lack of money, changes to duty laws and local demand for the product. Tasted from a 15ml sample, this offers soft, seductive aromas of poached orchard fruits, vanillan malt and light cereals. Astonishingly delicate and supple in the mouth; a slow motion surge of spices unfolds with terrific length; juicy / fruity flavours merge seamlessly with a subtle smokey undercurrent. It's deftly blended and a real pussycat that's impossible not to like. 46% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

  Other reviews... A present day interpretation' of the long gone Auchnagie malt whisky (distillery was closed in 1911). I'm sorry but I'm not able to refute any of that as I've never tasted Auchnagie. Have you? Colour: straw. Nose: what's striking is the 'old' style indeed, this baby's not unlike some long forgotten grains and apples in an old cellar, near an old coal pile and quite some rusty old tools. Behind all that, some fudge, ale and caramel. Nice nose. Mouth: well made, this is citrusy at first sips, becoming then rather fatter but there's always this zesty side. A little vanilla to coat all this, a few salty touches, rocks and gravel, a very mild peatiness and a few mirabelle plums. Very well composed, I have to say. Finish: good length, on vanilla, zesty fruits and a little clay. Comments: whether this tastes like Auchnagie, I couldn't tell you, but indeed the style is 'old', partly because of the mild peatiness. A very smart blend, I think. 86 points - whiskyfun.com

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• • 93

  The Scalasaig "Island Hopper" Maiden Voyage Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  SCOTLAND

  $130. 00

  Bottle

  $1560.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 43%

  A limited edition blended malt bottled by Colonsay Drinks' owned 'Scalasaig' as part of the Island Hopper series. The group is based on the tiny port village of Scalasaig on Colonsay island, 16 kilometres North-West of Islay. The presentation portrays a voyage around the Hebridean islands off of Scotland's West, sailing coast to coast procuring exquisite single malts along the way (certainly, at least the latter half is true!) The inaugural release 'Maiden Voyage' is a vatting of ten casks sourced from coastal and island distilleries spanning the distance from Orkney to Islay, re-racked into first-fill European oak. From a 30ml sample, peat is evident on the nose and palate, but it also feels like some decent sherry casks have been involved, the malt influenced by dried fruits on the nose; the palate is full and nuanced, with fig and walnut cake, cocoa and a nutty, pith / peel character with a tangy, lingering finish. A very tasty and characterful assemblage. 3000 bottles available. 43% Alc.Vol.

  Other reviews... A new blended malt from the folk behind the Whisky Illuminati bottlings, designed to showcase west coast and island style malts. Married together in first fill Spanish oak sherry casks. Colour: amber. Nose: the sherry strikes first with these rather nice notes of mixed nuts, leather and chocolate. Rather christmassy in fact; ideal for January. This quickly shifts towards more vigorous salty and slightly peaty tones though. Typically meaty, leafy and sooty in this modern sherried fashion. Mouth: gun flints, damp leaves, cellar earth, café latte and a rather herbal and earthy peat, which does indeed allude to some more traditional Orcadian flavours I think. Gets nicely chocolatey with salted caramel and a rather chewy texture. Quite figgy as well. Finish: medium and still on lots of chocolate, roasted nuts, earth and very light sooty peat. Comments: A good surprise this. The sherry isn’t always totally integrated, but it’s fresh and makes space for the more peaty and coastal aspects in a rather pleasing way. One for healthy sized tumblers on winter nights. And I think the 43% actually works well here. 85 points - whiskyfun.com

  Notes from the bottlers... Nose: Smoked sweet teriyaki cured meats with a hint of spice and dried cake fruits. Palate: Rich and robust. Warming hints of exotic spice, dried fruits and dark liquorice. Enveloping it all is the bold burning embers of a peat fire. Finish: Salty sea breeze, sweet and warming with waves of maritime smoke.

   

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  1999 The Whisky Cellar Private Cellars Selection Westport 21 Year Old Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Highlands, SCOTLAND

  Reduced from $240.00

  $209. 99

  Bottle

  $2519.88 Dozen

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  ABV: 43.8%

  When is a single malt not quite a single malt? When it's a 'tea spooned' malt - which means the whisky is almost entirely from one distillery, however there's been a tiny fraction from another distillery added to it. Consequently, according to strict Scotch Whisky regulations, this then has to be classified as a single cask blended malt, rather than a single malt. Word has it that 'Westport' is most often a whisky from the Glenmorangie Distillery that's been teaspooned with a whisky from Glen Moray. Distilled in March 1999 and bottled August 2020, cask #800075 yielded 164 bottles at 43.8% Alc./Vol. Expect notes of citrus peel, vanilla, buttered pecans and ripe stone fruit. Non chill filtered.
  Extremely limited stocks.

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• • 92

  Wemyss Peat Chimney 12 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Edinburgh, SCOTLAND

  $99. 99

  Bottle

  $1199.88 Dozen

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  ABV: 40%

  A vatting of 16 different whiskies with the inclusion of a 12 year old Islay malt for weight and "Peat Factor".

   

  Tasting note: Pale brass / amber. Lifted scents of Fisherman's Friend along side creamy vanilla laced with soft, sooty peat and a slightly kippery accent after further aeration. Lovely rounded delivery shows good depth and balance. Peaty but not aggressively so, with liquorice bullets in the aftertaste and hints of smokey bacon in the fade. Easy drinking. 40% Alc./Vol.

   

  Other reviews... Beautifully made malt with an outstanding understanding between the light but silky oils... Gorgeous. Does what it says on the tin. 90.5 points- Jim Murrays Whisky Bible 2014

   

  2011 International Wine and Spirits Competition, Silver and Best in Class.

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  Wemyss Spice King 8 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Edinburgh, SCOTLAND

  Reduced from $84.99

  $54. 99

  Bottle

  $659.88 Dozen

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  ABV: 40%

  Other reviews... The initial bouquet features pleasing smells of caramel corn, honey, new leather and baking spices; following aeration the bouquet turns foresty, spicy and a bit minerally. Palate entry is chalky, sooty and slightly metallic; midpalate adds tastes of barley, dried nectarine, white raisins and orange rind. Finish is sweet with touches of oil and peat. 40% Alc./Vol. 89 points- www.wineenthusiast.com

   

  ...Initially spicy aromas, ginger, pepper and nutmeg, with a gently smoky background and a whiff of soy sauce. Approachable on the palate, with angelica, Sherry, a tang of Islay and cough syrup. The finish is drying and nutty, with mild peat and oak. 3 Stars40.0% - www.whisky-pages.com

   

  ...Bright amber color. Mild aromas of buttercream, dried fruits, delicate spice, praline, and peat with a silky dry-yet-fruity medium body and a warming, nicely integrated finish with notes of honeyed cereal in cream, nuts, pepper, and peaty moss. A charming blend that grows on you.
  International Review of Spirits Award: Silver Medal
  RATING: 88 points (Highly Recommended) - www.tastings.com

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  Wemyss The Peat Chimney 8 Year Old Blended Malt Whisky (700ml)

  Edinburgh, SCOTLAND

  Reduced from $84.99

  $69. 99

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  $839.88 Dozen

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  ABV: 40%

  Other reviews... Smoky, slightly herbal and medicinal, with fresh, citrus fruits. Peat smoke and fruit on the palate, with background barley sugar and malt notes. The finish is long and drying, with hazelnuts and black pepper. Becoming ashy, with orange wine gums at the end. 40.0% - www.whisky-pages.com

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  Wemyss The Hive 8 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Edinburgh, SCOTLAND

  Reduced from $84.99

  $54. 99

  Bottle

  $659.88 Dozen

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  ABV: 40%

  Other reviews... Following the success of its 12-year-old blended malt under The Hive name, Wemyss Malts has now introduced an 8-year-old variant. The component malts are from the Speyside region, and there is an emphasis on the use of fresh sherry casks. Initially, farmyard straw on the nose, then honey, ginger snaps, vanilla and a hint of oak. The palate majors in honey, malt and caramel, with accompanying nutmeg and drier oak notes. Lingering honey and ginger in the mildly oaky finish. 40.0% ABV,3 Stars - www.whisky-pages.com

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• • 90

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  Wemyss Malts Spice King 12 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Edinburgh, SCOTLAND

  Reduced from $99.99

  $69. 99

  Bottle

  $839.88 Dozen

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  ABV: 40%

  The Wemyss family have had a longstanding passion for malt whisky and their connections with the industry date back to the turn of the 19th century when John Haig (founder of Haig's) built his first distillery on Wemyss land. Even today barley from the Wemyss Estate is prized by many of the leading distillers, and Cameron Bridge distillery is located just a few miles from the castle itself.

  With this passion came the gradual realisation that, even for the knowledgeable consumer, much of the malt whisky terminology can be confusing. Thus, the company uses the taste and aromas of the individual whiskies to identify each bottling, rather than the distillery, so the consumer can more easily understand the style being purchased. All are bottled at 40% and the range has five to twelve year old age expressions. Where possible, the different whiskies are 'married' together for a period of months, allowing the fullest integration of the different malts, prior to bottling. Up to sixteen different single malt whiskies are expertly blended together before introducing the “signature” malts to create three distinct taste profiles under Charles Maclean’s guidance.

  Tasting note: Bright gold. Longmorn-like with lovely honey and cereal opening sniffs and underlying toasted marshmallow. Vanilla and cardamom are added in the second pass. Light entry leads into a medium-dry, grainy, woody profile with a spicy mid palate surge that delivers what the label promises: a warm flurry of light cinnamon, clove and a touch of cardamom to finish, all underpinned by a whisper of peat and carried with solid length. 40% Alc./Vol.

   

  Other reviews... The least assertive of the Wemyss 12 year old range, and the most flighty. There's nothing wrong here, and the whisky's well-made and won't disappoint, but when you compare the spice hit here with what's on offer with other malts, this isn't shouting loudly enough. 80 points www.maltadvocate.com (Vol. 20, #4) Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrowsize>

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  Wemyss Malts Smooth Gentleman 5 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Edinburgh, SCOTLAND

  Reduced from $79.99

  $64. 99

  Bottle

  $779.88 Dozen

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  ABV: 40%

  The Wemyss family have had a longstanding passion for malt whisky and their connections with the industry date back to the turn of the 19th century when John Haig (founder of Haig's) built his first distillery on Wemyss land.

  Even today barley from the Wemyss Estate is prized by many of the leading distillers, and Cameron Bridge distillery is located just a few miles from the castle itself. With this passion came the gradual realisation that, even for the knowledgeable consumer, much of the malt whisky terminology can be confusing. Thus, the company uses the taste and aromas of the individual whiskies to identify each bottling, rather than the distillery, so the consumer can more easily understand the style being purchased. All are bottled at 40% and the range has five to twelve year old age expressions. Where possible, the different whiskies are 'married' together for a period of months, allowing the fullest integration of the different malts, prior to bottling. Up to sixteen different single malt whiskies are expertly blended together before introducing the “signature” malts to create three distinct taste profiles under Charles Maclean’s guidance.

  Other reviews... 90-95 pts: Superb/Highly Recommended" Spirit Journal, January 2010.size>

  As the name suggests, this whisky is smooth indeed. Honeyed, light peat, and faint clove aromas, and flavors of burnt orange peel, dark honey and a wisp of smoke on the finish. The fruity notes suggest this would play well with vermouth in a Bobby Burns or Manhattan-style cocktail. 90 points www.wineenthusiast.comsize>

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• • 90

  • Reduced

  Wemyss Malts The Hive 12 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Edinburgh, SCOTLAND

  Reduced from $99.99

  $69. 99

  Bottle

  $839.88 Dozen

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  ABV: 40%

  The Wemyss family have had a longstanding passion for malt whisky and their connections with the industry date back to the turn of the 19th century when John Haig (founder of Haig's) built his first distillery on Wemyss land. Even today barley from the Wemyss Estate is prized by many of the leading distillers, and Cameron Bridge distillery is located just a few miles from the castle itself.

  With this passion came the gradual realisation that, even for the knowledgeable consumer, much of the malt whisky terminology can be confusing. Thus, the company uses the taste and aromas of the individual whiskies to identify each bottling, rather than the distillery, so the consumer can more easily understand the style being purchased. All are bottled at 40% and the range has five to twelve year old age expressions. Where possible, the different whiskies are 'married' together for a period of months, allowing the fullest integration of the different malts, prior to bottling. Up to sixteen different single malt whiskies are expertly blended together before introducing the “signature” malts to create three distinct taste profiles under Charles Maclean’s guidance.

  Tasting notes: Bright gold. A lovely honeyed edge to the soft vanilla malt with subtle Indian spices adding interest. Malt and honey again feature in a medium dry, juicy delivery with spicy manuka honey and toasty oak to finish nicely balanced, dry and moreish. Definitely honeyed while avoiding the too sweet trap. Nicely blended.40% Alc./Vol.

   

  Other reviews... Wemyss has picked up where The Easy Drinking Whisky Company left off a few years back and are selling their mix of malt whiskies under a descriptive flavor name. This is the best the company has done so far. It is a delightfully soft, fruity, and dessert-like whisky with, yes, lashings of honeyed malt to make it a soft, succulent treat of a whisky. Wemyss comes of age. 86 points - www.maltadvocate.com (Vol. 20, #4) Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow

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• William Grant & Sons Rare Cask Reserves Ghosted Reserve Ladyburn/Inverleven 26 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Banffshire, SCOTLAND

  $699. 00

  Bottle

  $8388.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 42%

  William Grant & Sons is Scotland's third largest producer of Scotch whisky with market share around 10% after Diageo (34.4%), and Pernod Ricard. Apart from the familiar blended whisky that's marketed globally and easily identified in its three sided bottle, the company also owns big name brands like Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Hendricks gin.

  They're now offering whisky lovers the opportunity to taste some of their most prized whisky stocks as part of its new Rare Cask Reserves program. Described as a “concept, rather than a brand”, the collection showcases old malt and grain whiskies from existing and closed distilleries (not necessarily owned by the company) that have become a part of Grant’s private collection over time.

  In addition to these, Grant's are releasing a series of “ghosted vattings”, in this case using malt whisky sourced from distilleries no longer operational.
  The first release is a 26-year-old, 42% abv vatting of malt whisky from Ladyburn, a distillery on the site of Girvan that closed in 1974, and Inverleven, which operated from 1938-1991. Just 6,000 bottles are on offer. William Grant estimates it has “four to six years’ worth of stock” for the ghosted vattings range, which it acquired from “struggling” distilleries in the 1980s, so keep an eye out for some genuine collectables here.

  No tasting notes available.

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• 2013 North Star Super Sonic Mach 4 Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  $150. 00

  Bottle

  $1800.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 60%

  Super sonic and super limited: Drawn from a pair of sherry butts and bottled at 60% ABV, this is described as a particularly rich and bold expression. Just 716 bottles were made available and sold out fast in the UK. 100% sherry maturation. Definitely a must-try for sherry heads!

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