The cellar master, Alexander Gabriel, has the the great pleasure to open for the very first time his private collection of exceptional cognacs. Premier Cru single cask 100% Grande Champagne, unique in the world! These preciously guarded treasures rest under the vaults of the Chais Paradis, in the underground passages of Mademoiselle's 19th-centuary manor. These forever inimitable vintages, from the oldest to the most recent, are made from Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, and Colombard grapes. Although it is impossible to reproduce them, they all have one thing in common: each of them bears witness to the extraordinary character of Grande Champagne and to the savoir-faire of the Cognac region perfected over the centuries. These extraordinary cognacs are not blended and are bottled at their natural alcohol content right out of the barrel, without filtration.
You’ll taste the intense burst of vibrant summer fruits on the palate and enjoy the rewardingly long finish it delivers. Bottled at 46% volume, natural colour and un-chillfiltered.
It is characterized by a perfect balance between the fruitiness of the apple and the aromas brought by over 9 years of ageing in century-old oak barrels. The double distillation confers aromatic complexity and an exceptional palate length.
This release captures Daftmill’s signature style, with green fruits, herbal nuances, and toasted almonds on the nose, followed by comforting notes of croissants and marzipan. Add a splash of water, and you’ll uncover fennel and butterscotch. The palate is beautifully balanced, starting with sweet fruits and Scottish tablet, then transitioning into drier, herbal tones. The finish is medium in length, with an elegant, floral touch.
One-shot distillation ensures every drop contacts the Portuguese alembic copper still. The result is a soft and thoroughly drinkable gin.
Light juniper with fresh apple and a delicate citrus flavour, balanced perfectly by a subtle sweetness and distinctive creamy notes.
The V.S.O.P. differentiates itself by a selection of apple ciders exclusively harvested in the Pays d’Auge region, a delimited terroir representing only 6% of the Normandy region. The typicity that the soil confers to the apple coupled with a double distillation in pot stills give the V.S.O.P. a rich and long palate.
FINE V.S. is a fresh and fruity Calvados. Unlike others, it is made from single continuous distillation in copper stills to concentrate the apple aromas. These are then accentuated by blending the fruitiest cuvées and ageing them in barrels made of century-old oak.
This heavily-peated whisky from Torabhaig distillery was bottled at cask-strength and offers further insight into its distillery style. Aromas of smoked heather, blossom honey, barley sugars and salty sea air fill the nose, complemented by notes of vanilla ice cream, bonfire smoke, hot tar, oily brine and sweet spices throughout the palate.
There are so many complex layers of flavour, and it will be different for everyone. But, our blender Shona Macleod gets a gentle peat smoke on the first sip which reminds her of island home fires burning when she was growing up. It comes along with a toasted maltiness. She can also taste homemade apple sauce and smell machair flowers, particularly white clover which springs up on our west coast every summer. Mixed spices appear, and an old-fashioned sweetness from things like candied ginger, vanilla, and honeycomb. Finally, there’s a long, clotted-cream note, mixed with a lasting sense of new leather.
It will be a lightly peated dram, at around 12-15ppm
Made with 100% Blue Weber agave in Atotonilco El Alto, Jalisco, by fourth generation tequileros The Vazquez Family, Cazcabel Añejo tequila has a rich flavour profile and super premium quality at a premium price.
Unique union of the single and double distillation, Mémoire X.O. is made from calvados of at least 15 years. After being aged separately, the selected eaux-de-vie have acquired a common memory in oak barrels for long years. The cellar master has put his mastery in creating a delicate and distinguished composition with powerful notes of apple and candied fruits.
Continuing the Series 16 odyssey, this elegant single malt explores the influence of barley grown in Church Field on Octomore Farm, Islay. A symphony of honeyed malt, toasted grain and a distinctive earthiness meet delicate threads of smoke and salinity.
Tomatin's boundary pushing Cu Bocan Creation series takes another step into the unknown with Creation #8, intriguingly matured in a combination of Canadian Icewine and Spanish Verdejo white wine casks, which must be a world-first. The unusual cask combination marries beautifully with the lightly peated Cu Bocan spirit, producing flavours of fruit salad, lime zest, earthy smoke and soft oak spice.
Distilled, matured, married and bottled on the Isle of Harris, The Hearach Oloroso Cask Matured is bottled at 46% ABV, no colour added, and non-chill filtered with the spirit lightly peated at 12-15ppm matured in casks hand-picked for quality from the respected Bodega José y Miguel Martín in the beautiful Andalusia region in southern Spain.
Harrison Wood, blender at the Isle of Harris Distillery, describes his tasting notes of The Hearach Oloroso Cask Matured as “Initial winter aromas of cinnamon, orange peel, and cloves which remind me of Christmas at home. There are green notes of herbs and the nostalgic creaminess of white chocolate from childhood days. When sipped, I can taste walnuts and fireside wood smoke. The dram develops with a hint of thyme from my kitchen, closely followed by dried oranges. Spices then come through, like vanilla pods and a subtle sense of cloves, before a long leather and liquorice finish."
A mixture of peated and unpeated distillate, as well as both bourbon and sherry casks, this ten year old displays Ardnamurchan's signature West Highland style at its very best. Rugged yet approachable, with brine, earth and smoke giving way to oat biscuits, strawberry laces and mint.
A celebration of ten years of distilling at the Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery, this special release of only 2016 bottles contains whisky from the very first cask ever laid down at the distillery. A mixture of ex-Bourbon and ex-Madeira casks, which imbue the fruit forward distillate with notes of exotic spice, caramelised biscuit, honey and vanilla.
Nose – Vibrant notes of juicy raisins and sweet malt. Aromas of shortbread and strawberry jam.
Palate – Espresso, chocolate cherries and oak infused honey. A subtle spin on our signature waxy character.
Finish – Candied fruit with a shake of cinnamon and chocolate creaminess.
Using the same batch of Scottish barley malted to the same 101.4ppm, the 16.2 has been housed in a fine selection of Oloroso and Bordeaux casks before being finished in Madeira and Portuguese Moscatel for a rich and complex flavour. Caramelised sugar, roasted nuts, and dried fruits abound, enveloped in sweet campfire smoke.
Matured at least 12 years in oak barrels. Single distillation. Colour : Deep golden brown. Scent : Fresh hazelnut, banana and spices aromas, a perfect balance between wood and matured apple aromas. Palate : Fine and silky. Use : A smooth harmony with dessert, chocolate cream, nougat or ice-cream.
A well-aged, very limited release from Glengoyne which has, remarkably, been finished in virgin Scottish oak casks for two years. These casks are made with wood sourced from Killearn, just five miles from the distillery, and lend the spirit a drier, more savoury character. Notes of malted milk biscuit, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and toasted hazelnut.
To create the top expression White Heather 21 Years, Walker sourced single malt whisky from Speyside (23%, GlenAllachie I presume), the Highlands (20%) and Islay (4%). This was combined with 53% grain whisky.
The spirit spent 18 years in a combination of first-fill American barrels, sherry butts and second fill casks. The married composition was then given an additional three years in PX and Oloroso puncheons alongside Appalachian virgin oak casks.
A quality blend. It’s harmonious, reasonably complex and it manages to hide the grain component. The resulting whisky, which is presented at 48% ABV with no added colouring or chill-filtration, perfectly balances gentle peat from the Islay contribution, archetypal Speyside fruity notes, the heather honeyed sweetness of the Highlands, and a rich and rounded foundation from the grain components.
A grain whisky that’s only a pot still away from being a single malt
A grain whisky made only from malt? That’s also smoky?
The majority of Experimental Grain Whisky is comprised of grains from the Cameronbridge and North British distilleries. They bring notes of fudge, vanilla and set honey. On top of this the younger whisky from Loch Lomond layers impressions of pine forests and patchouli oil.
This 100% proof bourbon uses a mixture of 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley in the mash and is aged in a federal warehouse for 4 years to create this well crafted liquid.
Rich dark and seductive. Remarkable flavours of stewed fruits and all-spice marry together with classical aged Oloroso and toasted walnut bread and chocolate orange.
A mellow, aromatic dry gin from Booth's that has been aged in casks that previously held Pedro Ximenez sherry. The palate offers notes of rosemary, grapefruit, camphor, lemon, chamomile and soft oak spice that linger in the finish.
Booth's was originally established in 1740 by the eponymous family who founded the first distillery in London. Their distinctively golden gin - instantly recognisable thanks to the octagonal bottles it was presented in - was discontinued in the 1970s, an event much lamented by gin connoisseurs.
Proof: 94 proof - 47% Alc/Vol
Color: Roasted pecans
Nose: Lots of toasted oak with rich caramel
Taste: Big, rich and complex. Delightful spice and pepper
notes fade to milk chocolate with just a hint of smoke
Finish: Complexity continues. Nicely warming, with lingering
chocolate and baking spices
From Delord's extensive range of single-vintage Armagnac releases comes a 1975 expression - a perfect gift for any Armagnac aficionado, though perhaps a significant one for those born in 1975.
A viscous mouthfeel bursts forth to introduce a sparkling array of salty, sweet, and savoury flavours. Peat smoke, eucalyptus oil, minty chocolate and toffee mingle with smoked pecans, creosote, and tar. Subtle sweet pear crumble and fudge lurk in the background.
A lucky find with a stunning complexity of flavour: butterscotch, cocoa, walnuts and baked apple peel with mandarins and damsons on the tail. This is a rich and beautifully balanced cognac.
This lovely, mature old single vintage Lagavulin, our first 26 year-old Special Release, perfectly expresses the rich first-fill Pedro Ximenez/Oloroso cask style and is quite delicious, sure in the knowledge that its balance and smooth tastes have been shaped and respected by the decades. 7,542 numbered bottles.
