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Spirits,Brandy,Bourbon, Cognacs & Liqueurs > Scotch Whisky
 From the sixth century to the mid-nineteenth century, scotch whisky was largely unknown outside of Scotland and England. There was no whisky industry as such, and each laird probably had a still that supplied neighbours and a little outside trade. No doubt, the Scotch Whisky of those years was harsh and smoky, imbued with the taste of peat (a kind of pre-coal consisting of partially carbonized vegetable matter, largely heather, formed in bogs).
In 1853, Andrew Usher began to blend Scotch whisky for sale. Britannia then ruled the world, or at least much of it, and the demand for a taste of home far exceeded any supply the malt distilleries could provide. He mixed malt spirit with grain whisky and produced a lighter, less expensive, more consistent, and significantly larger supply of whisky. Usher also used a vastly more efficient continuous or patent still instead of the old fashioned pot still.
There are four regions of whisky production in Scotland....The Lowlands located in the south, just below Glasgow and Edinburgh. Although most Lowlands scotch whisky goes into blends, the single malts are light, delicate, fruity, and lack the smoke of peat and smack of sea that characterise their cousins to the north.... Campbeltown This region is located on a peninsula on the west coast. only two operating distilleries remain, but one , Springbank, is thought to be among Scotland's best. The sea exerts a strong influence on Campbeltown's Scotch Whisky...Islay this island just north of Campbeltown commands a view of Northern Ireland.
Eight distilleries make single malts here that are known for their heft and pungency, their strong flavours of peat, smoke, seaweed, and brine. The Scotch Whisky Laphroaig and Ardberg, can be unbelievable.....The Highlands being the largest district is home to the majority of distilleries. It includes cities such as Aberdeen and Perth and stretches north to the Orkney Islands. As a single malt producer, it deserves to be segmented more precisely, as a single malt producer they are full of flavours of peat, and on the coasts, the sea.
It is thought to be the finest area in Scotland - and thus the world - for creating Scotch Whisky. A web of rivers, including the Spey, Avon, Findhorn, Fiddich, and Livet, carrying pure waters from springs and lochs, crisscross the region. As noted each provenance also comes in a number of ages. Bladnoch (Lowlands), Bowmore (Islay), Clynelish (Northern Highlands), Cragannmore (Speyside), Dalwhinnie (Central Highlands), Deanston (Southern Highlands), Glenfarcas (Speyside), Glenlivet (Speyside), Glenmorangie (Northern Highlands), Highland Park (Orkney Island), Isle of Jura (Jura Island), Longmorn (Speyside), The Macallan (Speyside), Oban (Western Highlands), Springbank (Campbeltown), Talisker (Skye Island), and Tobermory (Mull Island). This is a small sampling offer of a broad range of style and regions, and do not forget the traditional Scot's toast is pronounced SHLAN-jer. Slainte!
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Glenfarclas Single Malt 15 Year Old Scotch Whisky 700ml
Glenfarclas in the heart of Speyside is operated by the founding distillers family who have cherished the skills and traditions of fine malt whisky making for over 165 years, handing them down through six generations. These finest of pure spring water, malted barley and yeast combined with the unique size and shape of the copper pot stills, traditional distillation methods, specially selected oak casks, and the style and location of the warehouses are all important factors in determining the final unique character of Glenfarclas.The finest malted barley, malted in the local area by specialist maltsters, is ground into ‘grist’ in the five-roll Buhler mill, to be mixed with hot water in the impressive 16.5 tonne stainless steel semi-Lauter mash tun. The hot water enables the starches present in the grist to be converted into sugars, by the enzymes released during the malting process.
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Glenfarclas Single Malt 25 Year Old Scotch Whisky 700ml
Glenfarclas is as natural and perfect as the day it leaves it's Highland home - the flavour captured and suspended in time until the delightful moment of truth when the cork is removed and that Autumn sun is released." The casks lie sleeping in the traditional dunnage warehouses, for many years, only sharing their secrets with the Angels themselves. Only the lightest and the best fractions of alcohol are collected and it has been said, it is the whisky they don't use that makes Glenfarclas great.The heather clad slopes of the 840 metre high Ben Rinnes mountain, purple in autumn and snow clad in winter, rise up majestically behind the distillery. The melting snows of winter seep down into the peat, deep into the granite below, rising up again as pure, crystal clear spring water, soft and slightly acidic, providing the purest water to transform into the "water of life".
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Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky 700ml
Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky won the prestigious International Wine & Spirit competition, Glenfiddich scooped Gold Medal for the Glenfiddich 12 Year Old. The Glenfiddich 12 Year Old is the world’s favourite Single Malt whisky, enjoyed and loved in over 180 countries around the world. It is aged for 12 years in traditional oak barrels and is the only Highland single malt to be distilled, matured and bottled at its own distillery. A fresh and fragrant nose with a touch of pear, it offers a distinctive, well-balanced taste with rich fruit flavours, subtle pine and a hint of peatness. The Glenfiddich 12 Year Old shows a long and lingering, round aftertaste.Glenfiddich single malt Scotch whiskies achieved a record 10 medals at this year’s International Wine & Spirit Competition, the industry’s leading awards event. The leading single malt’s medal haul was part of an overall record scoop for family owned distiller, William Grant & Sons which took home a total of 36 medals across its portfolio of Scotch whiskies. “.. hugely rewarding for everyone involved in their creation. It was the dream of William Grant, the company’s founder, to make the best dram in the valley and we have proven to be amongst the best drams in the world.” -Malt Master David Stewart
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Glenfiddich Scotch Whisky 18 Year Old Ancient 700ml
Glenfiddich Ancient Reserve 18 Year Old scooped Trophy plus Best in Class Gold Medal at this year’s International Wine & Spirit Competition. A rare Single Malt Scotch created for the connoisseur, the Ancient Reserve is a handsomely flavoured Malt and a testament to the true enjoyment of fine whisky. Its complex character and sublime mellowness come from long years of maturation in the finest Oloroso sherry and traditional bourbon casks, carefully selected by Glenfiddich's Malt Master. A remarkable sweetness from the sherry wood is seamlessly complemented by oakiness from the traditional casks.Not much has changed at the Glenfiddich Distillery since the first spirit ran from the stills on Christmas Day 1887. It is still independently owned and run by the fifth generation of the same family. Glenfiddich's modern day Malt masters maintain the refinement of this superior brand through a single-minded dedication to craftsmanship and quality throughout every stage of production. The Glenfiddich craftsmen have created a complex, mellow Single Malt Scotch whisky from years of patient maturation in casks which have previously held Sherry and Bourbon. It is secreted away in the distillery's traditional warehouse, where the cool, thick stone walls and low ceilings mature the whisky to perfection. From the source of the Robbie Dhu springs, the water is piped directly to the distillery and not even cattle or sheep are allowed in the vicinity. Glenfiddich Ancient Reserve 18 Year Old shows an elegant nose, faintly sweet, with scents of apple and wood. It is robust and full-bodied, but remarkably mellow. A slightly sweet palate, perfectly balanced by subtle oak and a delicate maltiness leads to a soft whisky finish, calm and long lasting.
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Glenfiddich Solera Reserve 15 Year Old Scotch Whisky 700ml
Glenfiddich Solera Reserve is the only Highland Scotch whisky to be distilled, matured and bottled at its own distillery. Glenfiddich Solera Reserve 15 Year Old is a disinguished and exceptionally crafted Single Malt, matured to perfection in three different types of oak casks. Aged sherry casks, traditional bourbon whisky casks, as well as new oak casks coopered from American timber, are carefully selected by the Glenfiddich Malt Master for painstaking maturation, thereby ensuring the smoothness and depth of flavour that are the characteristic hallmarks of the Glenfiddich Solera Reserve. To create what is widely considered one of the best single malt Scotch whiskies in the world, Glenfiddich use the finest malted barley, a single source of soft and crystal clear water - the Robbie Dhu springs - and exactly the same process that the distillery's ancestors used more than 100 years ago. Even the modern day copper stills have been crafted as faithfully as possible to the original, every original bump and dent faithfully reproduced lest the flavour should be affected. Glenfiddich Solera Reserve 15 Year Old has a full and fruity nose, with delicate honey and vanilla notes. It is wonderfully smooth, with a great depth of flavour, combining fruit, gentle spice and a touch of oakiness. A mix of dried fruits and milk chocolate on the nose. Touch of fruit and some walnut/orange sherry notes. Crisp, with a finish of fresh raspberries, chocolate and cream. The finish is long and satisfying.
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Glenlivet French Oak Finish Scotch Whisky 700ml
Glenlivet French Oak Finish the very first whiffs pick up scents of fresh pineapple, cedar, and paraffin; later sniffings detect subtle notes of baked pear and sweet oak Palate entry features a firm, moderately oily, and velvety texture, by midpalate, integrated flavors of ripe peach, pear drops and bran delight the taste buds Finish is extended, semisweet and coconut-like
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Glenlivet Malt 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky BIS 700ml
Glenlivet Malt 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky is perfectly balanced which display fruity and floral flavours Oak is present but in the distance A warm experience of the fresh and fragrant air around Speyside This is one of Speyside’s definitive malts Deceptively complex, The Glenlivet 12 is one of the classiest, most sophisticated malts Kindred Spirits A first-class malt One of the most popular malts in the world deservedly so Original Malt Almanac and a sensuous touch of exotic fruit candied pineapple White lilac. Honeyed blossom acacia It opens in time on creamier and richer notes stewed greengages, ripe apricots, vanilla crème anglaise, a hint of marshmallow Oak tenderly enhances that enticing bouquet with more vanilla notes and nutty hints An echo of toasted oats Soft spices Green cardamom, touch of caraway seeds The single malt to choose for a relaxing moment, enjoyed on its own or with a fruit pudding plum or apricot pie, Belgian waffle with stewed apples, marzipan biscuits
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Glenlivet Malt 18 Year Old Scotch Whisky 700ml
Glenlivet Malt 18 Year Old Scotch Whisky was represented and has won a number of awards at Gold & Silver International Wine & Spirit Competition, Gold & Trophy International Spirits Challenge, Gold & Double-Gold & Silver San Francisco World Spirits Competition A bitter sweet score with a beautifully controlled balance and an unfailing elegance Oak is the conductor, handing over to fruity or floral aromas in turn A discreet sherry influence strikes sweet chords in a full tempo The perfect dram to sip by the fireplace A superb, complex dram 5 Stars Handbook of Whisky, A very fine, fruity malt Scotch Whisky Directory Scotland’s loneliest glen has more than its share of folklore. Glenlivet’s cast list of mythical inhabitants makes exciting reading Fairies not the benign species at the bottom of the garden, but malevolent baby snatchers, bogles, large, ugly spirits with an aggressive temperament, kelpies, a kind of water horse that haunts rivers and pools and makes a habit of drowning unwitting travellers,tales of all shapes and sizes, and witches and warlocks with one foot in the real world and the other across the great divide As any Glenlivet inhabitant knows, the fairies and kelpies who command the centre ground can only be appeased by a wee dram of the finest local malt Old gold, with ripe apricot hues Fragrant, elegant, complex Sweet oakiness A touch of damp cellar and moss, antique shop, beeswax, polished oak floor multi-layered. Oak leads way to heady floral fragrances Freesia, peony Gets toffeeish in time Butterscotch Mint chocolate Summer fruit redcurrants and raspberries pie Then wood takes control back Fresh sawdust A touch of burning log Powdered ginger With water it gets creamier Crème brûlée, warm apple pie And more flowery Smooth and velvety palate with a firm underlining Gentle maltiness with a touch of passion fruit That sweetness is immediately followed by a tantalizing burst of spices,Distant smoke, Lasting finish, oaky and gingery
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Glenmorangie Astar Scotch Whisky 700ml
Glenmorangie Astar Scotch Whisky is quintessential from the Glenmorangie Distillery which remains one of the smallest in the Highlands, employing just sixteen craftsmen The Sixteen Men of Tain The earliest reference to distillation at the Glenmorangie Distillery was in 1703, in the Tain and Balnagown Documents The traditional distilling methods, preserved through the generations, are still employed today Glenmorangie's unique and delicate taste makes it one of the most palatable of all Highland Single Malts, it culminates in a gentle dryness of cocoa and grapes, must and almonds A leading Parisian perfumer has identified no less than 26 individual aromas in Glenmorangie, from apricot and bergamot to cinnamon and quince With water, the aromatics can be reminiscent of festive puddings, a burst of intense ripe fruits with plums, raspberries, figs and banana softened by sponge and cream; a dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg, covered by flakes of sugared almonds A taste that is rich, fruity and sweet with an intriguing range of mouth-watering and tingly flavours A gorgeous, luscious dram Overal Glenmorangie Astar Scotch Whisky is a lovely sunny dram, far more complex than expected Pure and straight A beautiful first bourbon style
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Glenmorangie The Nectar D'or Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700ml
Glenmorangie The Nectar D'or Single Malt Scotch Whisky uses the Wood Finish Range, the Glenmorangie Extra Matured Range is a selection of three single malt whiskies that, following an initial maturation of at least ten years in ex-bourbon casks, have been matured for an extra period (bringing the total time in cask to at least twelve years) in specially selected, extremely high quality, casks that previously held Port, Sherry or Sauternes wine. All are bottled at 46% ABV and non chill-filtered to enhance taste, mouthfeel and/or texture. With a tremendous ‘gourmand’ appeal, The Nectar D’Òr is Glenmorangie’s delicious, complex base spirit that, after a minimum of 10 years in ex-bourbon casks, is then extra matured in specially hand selected Sauternes wine barriques. This makes it rich and sumptuous with a heady, luscious, beguiling spectrum of aromatic patisserie desserts that helps create a memorable occasion whenever it is enjoyed. The tasting note of Glenmorangie The Nectar D'or Single Malt Scotch Whisky is as follows Nose: delicate cinnamon on toast and a drizzle of greengage and sultana; Taste: equally refreshing and dense on the palate ...excellent weight and body. Finish: remains clean and precise, allowing some custard on the apple strudel finale. Great to see French casks that actually complement a whisky - so rare!...46% Alc./Vol.
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