The Whisky Grotto

This Aerstone 10 year old Land Cask Single Malt Whisky is produced by William Grant & Sons at the Ailsa Bay Distillery located on the Ayrshire coast of the Scottish Lowlands.

Unlike its whisky counterpart named Sea Cask, Land Cask is matured at a warehouse much further inland, and the use of Highland peat makes it a more sweet and smoky whisky.

Nose: Earthy peat smoke and vanilla pod, with a briney note, black pepper, smoked meats and burnt rubber, with just a touch of fresh fruity sweetness.

Palate: Balanced sweet and smoky notes, with aniseed, burnt brown sugar, charred oak and salted honeycomb. Then there's olive brine, barbecued citrus fruit and smoked meats.

Finish: Sweet and smoky battle it out on the finish, with vanilla fudge and peat smoke alongside dry, spicy oak.

Alc 40%

Back in the 1880s Alfred Barnard, author of The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom, enjoyed an 8 year old Lagavulin he described as "exceptionally fine". As part of their 200th anniversary celebrations, the distillery have therefore decided to recreate an 8 year old! It's bottled at an exciting 48% abv and was matured in refill European and American oak casks.

Nose: Salted popcorn, honey-roasted nuts, tarry ropes and light hints of freshly-chopped cedar. A touch of burnt sugar sweetness lingers.

Palate: Smokey peat appears first on the palate, followed by coriander seed, barley sugar, cumin powder, smoked kipper and marzipan.

Finish: Layers of apple crumble, toasted almond and ash. Another kick of cooking spices right at the end.

Founded in 1998 by WM. Teacher & Sons, The Ardmore distillery has continued to uphold traditionl distilling methods, using only the aromatic smoke from natural, Highland peat fires to dry its malted barley.  

This is the introductory release from The Balvenie Stories range! These releases all give light to events and people in Balvenie's past and present - this one, for example, takes inspiration from apprentice malt master Kelsey McKechnie and her idea to import virgin oak barrels from Kentucky and deeply toast them at the distillery's cooperage. They were then filled with Balvenie's ex-bourbon oak aged whisky for a finishing period, resulting in this fine dram.

Nose: Lusciously malty with some sweet fudge, followed by citrusy and oak vanilla aromas with layers of spicy oak notes of ginger and cinnamon.

Palate: Candied orange and lemon peel, vanilla toffee and butterscotch, layers of blossom honey, some melted brown sugar and oak spices at the end.

Finish: Rich and malty with gentle waves of oak vanilla and subtle spices.

Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year Old is Tom Bulleit’s selected reserve. Aged in charred American white oak, select Bulleit Bourbon barrels were set aside to age for 10 years. The result is a special expression of Bulleit that provides a rich, deep, incredibly smooth sipping experience.

Nose:  Intense and full blooded. Pot still richness: citrus oils, hot sealingwax, leather, tobacco, tea, maraschino, overripe fruits, marzipan.Exemplary.

Palate:  Ridiculously big. Oozes into the mouth and erupts. Spices galore to the finish. Oily and unctuous.

Finish:  Long, rich, oily.

Source Dave Broom

Glen Scotia Double Cask is a classic Campbeltown malt with a formidable pedigree of whisky making since 1832.  Our Master Blender hand picks every cask and finishes the precious whisky in first fill Bourbon barrels and then finishes this outstanding single malt whisky in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.  This provides the perfect balance of rich spicy fruits overlaid with the characteristic sea spray and vanilla oak finish of the house of Glen Scotia.

Sailor Jerry is a straight-up, no-nonsense rum. We craft the spirit from a selection of rums distilled in the Caribbean. Our master blenders "marry the rums to our exacting recipe, then infuse it with our one-of-kind mix of spices and other natural flavors, most notably vanilla and a touch of cinnamon. The result is high-quality, old-school spiced rum. An enduring classic, not a fly-by-night fancy. 

Nose: Intense vanilla, dry buttery toffee and subtle cinnamon notes

Taste: Warm spices of cinnamon & nutmeg with rich vanilla.  A long dry finish balanced with a subdued sweetness and a hint of burnt toffee Adding spices to rum is an old sailor's tradition.  Those first rums were crude and harsh, so seamen would blend and mix in any spices they had on hand to improve the rum's flavor.  Today the harshness is no more, but the art of spicing rum is alive and well.

Source - sailorjerry.com

Elijah CRaig has a history dating back to 1789 and  is often cited as the father of Bourbon.
This gem is from bourbon barrels selected by the master distiller from a choice middle-of-the-rickhouse location and is aged for 12 years.

Silver Medal at the International Spirits Challenge 2001
Two double gold medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
"Best of Best" distinction among premium Bourbons in Whiskey Magazine's "Best of Best" tastings.

"The aromas have a light touch, offering honey and caramel and cocoa in a straightforward, confident balance. The flavours follow on the palate, with a full, spicy finish that explodes with simple pleasures. Smooth, warm and comfortable, this a sweet sipping Whiskey that's best in a snifter-without ice or water".

Full-bodied indulgence with a charming, long finish.

Beautifully matured in American oak and Spanish oak casks for 18 years, this outstanding Single Malt not only brings to life the natural vibrancy of Speyside but embodies a distillery?s devotion to its craft.

Long fermentation times and slow distillation are the word at Aberfeldy and the resultant malt has a honeyed and almost waxy quality. This beauty has been finished in Madeira casks adding fresh citrus and delicate tones of baked fruits, rich spices and cinnamon.

Completely unpeated (unusual in the highlands), this Glengoyne is soft, fruity and very quaffable. A fine single malt!

Nose: Toffee apples, a little acacia honey, nectarine in syrup and spice, supported by toasted barley in the background.

Palate: Over-ripe grapes, honeyed with hints of vanilla, coconut milk and oak spice. Light touches of chocolate ice-cream.

Finish: Long, oily finish with lingering coffee notes.

Distilled with 47 botanicals, from places as diverse as India, Central America, and the Black Forest of Baden-W?rttemberg. We've managed to track down 32 of those botanicals. Oh - it might be pricey, but they only make 2,500 bottles a year. I'd probably drink this in a martini or negroni rather than a gin and tonic. For the record - this is what we could track down, if you know the remaining 15 botanicals let us know.Acacia ? ??Acorus ? ??Calamus ? ??Almond ? ??Angelica ? ??Bitter Orange ? ??Blackberry Cardamom ? ? ?Cassia ? ? ?Chamomile ? ? ?Cinnamon ? ? ?Citron ? ? ?Verbena ? ? ?Cloves ? ? ?Coriander ? ? ?Cranberries ? ? ?Cubeb ? ? ?Dog Rose ? ? ?Elderflower ? ? ?Ginger ? ? ?Grains Of Paradise ? ? ?Hawthorne Berries ? ? ?Hibiscus Abelmoshus ? ? ?Honeysuckle ? ? ?Jasmine ? ? ?Juniper ? ? ?Kaffir Lime ? ? ?Lavender ? ? ?Lemon ? ? ?Lemongrass ? ? ?Licorice ? ? ?Lingonberries ? ? ?Mondara ? ? ?Didyma ? ? ?Nutmeg ? ?Orris ? ? ?Pimento ? ? ?Pomelo ? ? ?Rose Hip ? ? ?Sage ? ? ?Sloe ? ? ?Spruce

This 12yo is a mix of ex-bourbon and sherry casks, and like the other distillery bottlings since the revamp, has been bottled at a feisty 48%. A real charmer.

48% ABV l 700mL

Casg Annamh means 'rare cask' in Gaelic.  This expression is significantly influenced by the finest quality, hand-selected Oloroso Sherry casks.  The liquid is matured in three types of casks; European oak Sherry casks and two different types of American oak casks resulting in a rich and intense whisky.