Whats so special about Glen Spey??

As an independent bottler when you come across a cask of 1988 from any distillery it is exciting!  But this Glen Spey really is something special!

Even though the distillery located in Rothes. Arbour which is in the heart of Speyside produces just under 1.5 million litres a year, most goes into the J and B blends, making aged single malts quite a rarity.  The distillery which started life as a oatmeal mill and was later converted, draws its water from the famous Donnie burn, and the distillery process of using purifiers produces a very light spirit.

Highland Laird Glen Spey 1988 Aged 26 Years

As with all our bottlings here this single bourbon hogshead was bottled at cask strength (45.6%) and is natural colour.

It has been described as a classic bourbon speysider.  The age however adds a great depth of character.

Whisky Discovery was lucky enough to sample this gem –  READ THEIR TASTING NOTES HERE. (You can view their full blog with a whole load of other interesting whisky tastings here – Whisky Discovery BlogSpot)

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for another review from Whisky Matt, check out his page Whisky Matt Reviews

Follow us on facebook and twitter for latest bottlings and the occasional special offer!

Get in touch with the team anytime, we would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading

The Bartels Team

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Hand labelling! How hard can it be???

The chaos which we are often in!

Good question right!!!  All the Highland Laird and His Excellency whisky we bottle is hand bottled and hand labelled in accordance with traditional practices.  This means we have to literally mark and measure each bottle, place the front and rear labels on each bottle and ensure consistency the best way the human hand and eye can do.  Not too bad if your doing one or two but 500-600 would test the patience of even the strongest character.

A recent delivery of labels

The small family run team here at Bartels Whisky have all tried their hand at this practice with mixed success.  I think the MD purposely put a few on wonky so he wasn’t allowed to do it anymore:) However Becki and Georgina have proved themselves to be masters of their craft when it comes to consistency and quality with this practice.  So keep an eye out for the next bottle you see and if your lucky enough to find one of the wonky labels it may well be a collectors item in years to come.

If you would like to see the labels in their finished state and ready to purchase along with a fine bottle of whisky see here – http://www.bartelswhisky.com/highlandlaird

Thanks for reading

The Bartels Team

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A peaty treasure from the Isle of Mull

Ledaig 2005

You would be forgiven for thinking that a 2005 is a very young malt for us here at Malts Of Scotland UK to decide to bottle, and you would be right!!!! Generally speaking we don’t bottle anything less than 12 years but this is no accident. The second we received the cask sample of this Ledaig we knew it was ready and perfect to sell under our Highland Laird label.

The Ledaig/Tobermory distillery produces some of the finest peated malts in all of Scotland. This 8 year old bottled under our highland laird brand really typifies the qualities of the region.

The pale straw colour is reflected in the nose giving earthy and straw/hay qualities initially, there is also hints of sugar coated almonds. The palate again reflects earthy and farmy textures, smooth but with some oils and gentle wood tones, with just a hint of barley sugars. The medium finish ends with  bitter sweet oak.

Bottled at a cask strength of 53.7%vol this malt is not adverse to drop of water (if that suits your palate). A whisky  to heartily warm on these cold winter nights.

Available now exclusively from http://www.Maltsofscotlanduk.com and from any of our listed specialist outlets around the UK.

Thanks for reading

The MOS Team

As good as it gets?

I tasted a lot of drams in 2014 and this 20 year old Highland Laird Macallan is really going to take some beating.  This 1993 sherry cask aged beauty from the world renowned Macallan distillery is exquisite in both colour and flavour and in my humble opinion is aged to perfection.  Its initial slick, sweet smoothness is matched only by its long,and satisfying spicy finish.

With the 1962 recently appearing in the new bond movie and Charlie sheen being photographed sipping an dram of the 57, Macallan really is the choice whisky of the high flyer!! and its easy to see why!!  This Speyside distillery has set itself apart with its meticulous attention to detail and six pillars (see http://www.themacallan.com) approach which gives a truly indulgent whisky experience.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Raisins and christmas pudding with citrus notes. Chocolate orange.
Palate: Raisins and sultanas with some orange and ground ginger for spice.
Finish: Long and satisfying with notes of dried fruits and spice.

We are pleased to offer in limited quantities this 1993 Macallan to you. To see more and purchase a bottle visit http://www.maltsofscotlanduk.com/macallan

Aged to perfection

Malt blog followers,

So what happened in 1980??  Well aside from my birth, Ronald Reagan became president of the United states,  we got our first glimpse of the legendary Tom Selleck Moustache in magnum P.I. and ‘call me’ by Blondie was the number one song of the year.  I think we can all agree this was a pretty good year for some. 1980 was also the year our fantastic Tullibardine single malt was placed in its sherry hogshead for the very first time, and there it remained sharing only a little with the angels until June this year when it was bottled for Malts of Scotland.

With its distinctive ruby sherry colour and its complex yet rewarding palate this limited edition of 146 bottles really is ‘A drop of pure Highland Gold.’

Nose: Soft leather, citrus fruits and fresh linen

Palate: Soft and creamy. A well balanced oak base with the sweetest hints of peardrops. A complex yet rewarding palate indeed.

Finish: Medium finish, soft with sugared almonds and end notes of grapefruit.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to purchase a real collectors bottle of this uniquely aged single malt.

Available exclusively now from us here at http://www.maltsofscotlanduk.com

Thanks for reading

The MOS Team

 

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Tullibardine 1980

A warming dram on a wintry day

Leicester Food & Craft Fair

Malt blog followers,

Sunday 16th November saw us presenting at the Leicester winter food and drink festival.  The open air market atmosphere and fantastic range of food and drink on display was a real treat for all.  The whole team was proud to be part of it and great day was had by all.

Despite the rain and cold the crowds kept on coming and the popularity of the event was a real testament to the event organisers and the good people of Leicester.  The interest generally in our range of single malts and the knowledge  of the people we met always encourages us here to keep doing these shows and events so keep following for the next event.

We took the opportunity to present some of our favourite malts as well as some of our new releases for the festive period.  The ever popular Arran 1996 and Bunnhabain 1987 (see previous blogs for information) were big sellers on the tasters side while the sherry cask aged Glengoyne 2000 was the biggest seller on the bottle front.

We introduced the Chateau Lacaze Bas Armagnac  1982 at this event with a fantastic response.  This 31 year old Armagnac from the now closed Chateau Lacaze is not only rare but also bottled at high strength retaining all its natural flavours.  A smooth Armagnac with plenty of fruit and vanilla notes it was a real hit with festival goers.

Why not check out the Chateau Lacaze Bas Armagnac in all its wooden box presentation glory alongside all our single malts at http://www.maltsofscotlanduk.com.

Thanks for reading

The MOS Team

George Hill Festival of Wine 2014

Malt Lovers all,

What can I say, We exhibited at the prestigious George Hill festival of wine on 28th October at Loughborough town hall and what a night was had by all.  The conversation and whisky flowed from start to finish and the opportunity to meet some of our existing and future customers was relished by all.

We took the opportunity to display a selection of both our Highland Laird and Malts of Scotland single malt scotch whiskies including the incredibly popular Ledaig 2001 and the super premium Bunnhabain 1987, both of which were staggering popular on the evening.  Why not check them out at http://www.maltsofscotlanduk.com and check out our Christmas special offer!!

Our location in the spirits room also gave us the opportunity to chat to a couple of like minded businesses including the superb Burleighs gin and Melton’s finest Sloeberry Spirits.  Both had very different but equally interesting stands.

The event really showed the level and quality of local business in the Loughborough area and all of the team would like to say a personal thanks to http://www.georgehill.co.uk for hosting this great event.

So with Christmas around the corner now why not check out our great gift selection at http://www.maltsofscotlanduk.com.

Thanks all

The MOS Team.

A dram from the foot of a giant!

Ben Nevis 1996 50.8% Highland Laird

 

The Ben Nevis distillery sits proudly at the foot of its mountain namesake.  Standing at 4406 feet above sea level, Britains highest mountain provides a stunning backdrop for one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries.  The 178 year old working distillery drawing it’s exceptionally pure water from the Allt A’Muilinn river is a real picture postcard for the distilling craft.

A widely regarded creamy and smooth dram the whisky produced here is an exceptional choice for the fans of the ‘all occasions’ whisky.

We have been fortunate enough to bottle both a 1996 and 1998 single malt and both are exceptional in their own right.

 

Tasting Notes – Ben Nevis 1996 Aged 17 Years
The citrus notes on the nose are strong in grapefruit and gooseberry tones with hints of the characteristic buttermilk and tea.
The palate again shows the characteristic creaminess, smooth with undertones of unripened fruit.
The long and smooth finish again with hints of the green fruits has an unusual hint of spice.

Tasting Notes – Ben Nevis 1998 Aged 15 Years
Fresh hay on the first nose followed by some spicy notes. A small amount of vanilla and some slight smokiness are present.
A lovely spice firstly takes over the palate, mainly oranges and cloves. The underlying creaminess is ever present. Some floral notes develop and there is a hint of green leaves.
A tangy, long and enjoyable finish.

 

We will soon be stocking a ben Nevis 1970 which is extremely rare as it is one of the last ever blends produced at Ben Nevis Distillery.  Is it fantastic to be able to supply such an exclusive whisky which marks the end of an era at this distillery.  Look out for this 44 year old blend coming soon.

Ben Nevis 1998 51.3%vol Highland Laird

Both are available to purchase now direct from us at http://www.maltsofscotlanduk.com priced at £57.60 for the 1998 and £58.75 for the 1996.

 

Thanks for reading

The MOS Team.

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Springbank 1992

Hi malt fans,

What can I say about this super premium single malt from the world renowned Spingbank Distillery.  I personally recently described this as liquid gold!  The distillery has been producing its characteristic whisky since 1828 and using its unique two and a half times distillation process of lightly peated barley has become a real connoisseur favourite and a must have whisky for any serious malt collector.

Springbank 1992 with certificate and engraved wooden box

Our super rare 21 year old bourbon hogshead distilled bottles are the centre piece of our current premium range.  To reflect the rarity and quality of this product all bottles come complete with an authenticity certificate signed by Andrew R Wilson our sterling based malt master and a hand crafted 100 year old wooden presentation box making it both an exceptional gift or real stand out centre piece in any collection.

Tasting Notes

On the nose your hit by real fresh earthy notes, fresh cut grass with coastal elements.
A powerful palate of oily and spicy notes then gives way a more cereal taste with elements of pine and ginger. The whole palate has undertones of sweet honey.
The finish really reveals the coastal location of the distillery (Kintyre peninsula). The long and powerful salty finish has hints of fruit.

The only place you can purchase this stunning bottling in its full presentation glory is from http://www.maltsofscotlanduk.com

Thanks for reading

The MOS Team

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Images of Islay (Finlaggan) Scotch Whisky

Hi Scotch lovers,

Following its success at our recent http://www.gcrailway.co.uk tasting event I thought we would feature this incredible Islay whisky this week.

The images of Islay Finlaggan is something of a mystery single malt, each bottle is produced from a single barrel but the individual distillery is not mentioned on the label as most of the barrels were originally intended for blending.  However as recent tastings have proved the quality of the whisky produced easily stands up on its own.  Those with a keen eye though will also notice the images on each bottle which give a big clue and enable those knowledgeable scotch professionals to narrow down the distillery possibilities.

 

Tasting Notes

This heavily peated Islay malt is incredibly light in colour which really makes it stand out from the crowd in any display or collection.  Initially on the nose you are treated to wonderful earthy start with stand out smoked ham and hint of apple and lime.  The palate is a real treat, a smoky taste which is unusually both creamy and sharp, there is a slightly herbal edge with an ever present peat with slight hints of apple and vanilla.  The lingering sweet smoke finish really leaves you wanting another dram.  All in all once tasted it’s easy to see why this is such a customer favourite.

To get your hands on a bottle the only place to purchase this Finlaggan online in the UK is our website – http://www.maltsofscotlanduk.com/mos

Thanks for reading

The MOS Team.