'Excellently-made malt' - Jim Murray on our Rich Peat

We are loving Jim Murray's review of our Rich Peat Edition in his 2017 Whisky Bible so thought we would share it here: 

(90.5) n22.5 peat and coal dust; t23 soft smoke on delivery followed through with ulmo honey and a twist of lemon. The sugars are profound; f22.5 slight vanilla, but the peat is more assured now; b22.5 excellently-made malt: sticks unerringly to the script. 46%

Thank you Jim!

Strane Gin matures

We are excited to release the new Limited edition Strane Oaked Gin.

Based on Strane London Dry Navy Strength Gin, Strane Oaked Gin has then been matured for eighteen months in a former Sherry butt, which has also previously matured heavily peated Smögen Whisky, and then bottled at 55% vol.. The sherry cask has added flavour and structure, and the result is a wonderfully fragrant sipping gin. Or for a long serve, Pär Caldenby, Distiller/Proprietor at the Smögen distillery, suggests replacing the whisky in your Whisky & Soda with Strane Oaked.

Strane Oaked Gin offers an astonishing crossover between Gin, Whisky and Sherry, which we are sure will delight fans of craft spirits.

Amongst others Strane Oaked Gin is now available from Hedonism Wines, Nickolls & Perks, Master of Malt, Robertsons of Pitlochry and Shop4whisky. 

Strane Oaked Gin

Angels' Nectar toasts shortlist success again

The Rich Peat Edition of Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, from Grantown-on-Spey based Highfern Ltd, has been shortlisted in the 2016 Highland and Islands Food and Drink Awards, for the Best Drink Award.

The Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards are now in their 12^th year and celebrate the best of food and drink from across the Highlands and Islands and the Cairngorms National Park.

Speaking as he received the good news about their shortlist success, Highfern founder Robert Ransom said: “To be shortlisted for the second year running is a fantastic endorsement from the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards for our fledgling whisky business. Indicative of the interest in our new Rich Peat Edition of Angels’ Nectar, amongst others we have shipped export orders to the Netherlands, Germany, South Korea and Sweden.’

Inspired by the Angels' share, the traditional name given to the whisky lost to evaporation during the maturation of Scotch Whisky, the Rich Peat Edition of Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky has been created from a selection of Highland malt whiskies, and oozes a welcoming peat smoke, with hints of toffee apple and dark chocolate. With its innovative ‘Angels within Angel’ graphic design (which won the 2015 Scottish Creative Award for Illustration), Angels’ Nectar presents a much-loved story from whisky folklore in a contemporary fashion. 

Judging for the awards took place at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness with a panel of judges examining and tasting the entries. The judges included representatives from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scotland Food & Drink, and the current Ambassadors of the Year, Jill and Callum Clark of Connage Highland Dairy.

The winners will be announced on Friday 21st of October at a glittering awards ceremony at the Kingsmills Hotel, hosted by comedian and broadcaster, Fred MacAulay. 

'Whisky for the Gods' arrives in the UK

Langatun Single Malt Whisky, from Switzerland, of which the Old Bear Cask Proof expression has been described by Jim Murray in his renowned guide The Whisky Bible, as ‘Whisky for the gods…’, is now available in the UK for the first time.

With a history dating back to the 1860s, Hans Baumberger, grandson of the original founder Jakob Baumberger, reopened the Langatun Distillery in 2007.  Initially we are offering four triple distilled single malt bottlings from Langatun.  

Old Deer is the distillery’s classic single malt, distilled from un-peated barley, fermented with an English stout yeast, and matured in sherry and chardonnay casks. Bottled after six years maturation, Old Deer is offered at sipping strength of 40% and cask proof of ~62% Vol.

Old Bear, named as a tribute to the family’s former brewery, which had a bear as its emblem, is the distillery’s smoky offering. Distilled from peated malted barley and intriguingly matured in former Chateauneuf-du-Pape casks, again for six years. Like Old Deer, Old Bear is offered at 40%, and cask proof of ~62.5% Vol.

For a chance to taste Langatun (and Angels' Nectar Rich Peat), join Robert Ransom, at The Whisky Exchange’s Covent Garden store on the afternoon of Friday the 13^th of May, for a drop in tasting. Langatun is also available from Drinkfinder, Hedonism Wines, Lincoln Whisky Shop, Master of Malt, and Shop4Whisky. For more on Langatun, please also visit www.langatun.ch.

Join us for a Dram - Whisky Festivals and tastings

Do come and join us for a dram!

Friday 8th July 2016
Sampling at The Storehouse, Foulis Ferry, Dingwall, from Noon to 4pm. Alongside Angels' Nectar we will also be sampling Strane London Dry Gin.
www.thestorehouseathome.com

Saturday 9th July 2016
Sampling at DeliMair, Aviemore, from Noon to 4pm. On taste will be the First Edition and Rich Peat Editions of Angels' Nectar.
www.delimairaviemore.co.uk

Join us for a Dram - Whisky Festivals and tastings

Do come and join us for a dram!

Friday 8th July 2016
Sampling at The Storehouse, Foulis Ferry, Dingwall, from Noon to 4pm. Alongside Angels' Nectar we will also be sampling Strane London Dry Gin.
www.thestorehouseathome.com

Saturday 9th July 2016
Sampling at DeliMair, Aviemore, from Noon to 4pm. On taste will be the First Edition and Rich Peat Editions of Angels' Nectar.
www.delimairaviemore.co.uk

Join us for a Dram - Whisky Festivals and tastings

Do come and join us for a dram!

Friday 8th July 2016
Sampling at The Storehouse, Foulis Ferry, Dingwall, from Noon to 4pm. Alongside Angels' Nectar we will also be sampling Strane London Dry Gin.
www.thestorehouseathome.com

Saturday 9th July 2016
Sampling at DeliMair, Aviemore, from Noon to 4pm. On taste will be the First Edition and Rich Peat Editions of Angels' Nectar.
www.delimairaviemore.co.uk

Introducing our new Rich Peat Edition of Angels' Nectar

We would like to introduce you to our new Rich Peat Edition of Angels’ Nectar. As the name suggests our Rich Peat Edition of Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky oozes peat smoke, like the welcoming smoke from the chimney of an old bothy, after a long day on the hill. The smoke is followed by a subtle fruity sweetness akin to toffee apples and dark chocolate.

Created from a selection of Highland malts, we have bottled the Rich Peat Edition at 46% vol., so it is also stronger and more robust than the First Edition of Angels’ Nectar. Like the First Edition, the Rich Peat Edition bottle features our Angels within Angel design, but this time the Angel is pewter in colour and is larger. We don’t want anyone getting the First Edition and Rich Peat mixed up!

So far we have shipped the Rich Peat to the Netherlands, Germany and South Korea, but closer to home the Rich Peat is available on line from Nickolls and Perks and Master of Malt. We hope you enjoy it. 

  
PS. Click here to read Dave Broom’s review of the Rich Peat Edition on Scotchwhisky.com

Angels' Nectar Rich Peat

A visit to Smögen Whisky

After many years of eager anticipation, last week I had the opportunity to visit the Smögen distillery. I first met Pär Caldenby ten years or so ago, and I have followed his progress with interest.  We have been importing Smögen whisky to the UK since it first came of age, so it was a privilege to spend the day with Pär at his distillery.

Pär more or less designed the Smögen distillery himself and runs it single handedly. This makes for long days, and requires an ability to multi-task like a solo yachtsman. The mashtun and wash backs have been adapted from former dairy tanks. The whisky stills and spirit safe were built to order by Forsyths of Rothes, whilst the gin still and its copper worm tub came from Portugal. The compact layout relies on gravity; why bother with less reliable pumps?

The scale can at times seem small, at one point Pär explained that the next job was to clean the heat exchanger. I pictured something the size of a washing machine, but the heat exchanger in question was more toaster size. That said, the compact size of Smögen is for me part of the charm. Many have dreamed of building their own distillery, and here Pär has proved it can be done, in a way which means he has managed to keep control of every aspect. This is distilling solo, with a single minded determination to produce spirit the way you want to do it. So far Pär, as the distiller proprietor, has distilled every single drop of Smögen and Strane personally. Not many distillery owners can say that!

Robert Ransom

Named after a nearby island, Smögen Whisky AB, is located on a small farm on the outskirts of Hunnebostrand, a couple of hours north of Gothenburg.  The main building houses, from the camera, tasting room, malt store and mill room, still house, bottling hall and maturation warehouse, all under one excise bond. 

Golden Promise malted barley, waiting to be milled. 

The mill, with peated barley. 

Mash tun, in the attic, so the wash backs and wash still can be fed by gravity. 

Cleaning the mash tun. The orange draff shoot is actually a plastic apex for a roof, purchased from the local builders merchant. 

Where the magic happens, wash still back left, spirit still back right, with the Strane gin still and copper worm tub in the foreground. See how the spirit receiver tank is directly below the spirit safe, and the cask filling area directly below the receiver tank. Gravity is more reliable than pumps.  

Filling the morning's production, 106 litres of Smögen råsprit, or new make spirit, into a quarter cask made by the Swedish cooper from former bourbon barrels. 

Rolling the results of the mornings labours to the warehouse. 

Smögen Whisky staff photo - Pär Caldenby and Dante the distillery hound. 

Smögen's warehouse.

The weeks production. 

Sherry casks

Smögen Jubilee, distilled from 50ppm optic barley, matured in sherry quarter casks, and long since sold out!