Just Landed: Seven Seals Whisky

‘Time doesn’t matter, Taste matters’- prepare for a whisky experience that challenges your preconceptions. 

Pushing the boundaries in the innovation of whisky making, the team at Seven Seals whisky in Stans, Switzerland, have taken the craft of whisky finishing to the next level, and developed a new technique to accelerate maturation.  

Led by chemical engineer and entrepreneur Dr Dolf Stockhausen, the team at Seven Seals analysed the chemical interactions that take place during the maturation process. Following extensive experimentation they then developed a new process, which reduces the time required for maturation. Patents for their new technique are currently pending with the Swiss Federal Patent Office, and thus the full details must remain confidential. 

The new formula allows Seven Seals to produce Single Malts in record time, and in an environmentally friendly and efficient manner, without sacrificing quality, aroma or character, an approach summed up in their strap line ‘Time doesn’t matter, Taste matters’.

For their inaugural releases Seven Seals have finished spirit produced by other Swiss whisky distillers. The Seven Seals collection of Swiss Single Malts features the Port Wood Finish, a dynamic whisky with hints of honey, dried fruit and gingerbread, the Peated Port Wood Finish, which delivers peat with spice, and the Sherry Finish, a sweet whisky with all the flavours of a Christmas market. All are bottled at natural colour, at 46%, and are also offered at Cask Proof. 

Whisky distilling is a craft that has evolved over time. With increased production and reduced availability of the best casks, innovation is required to continue to improve quality. The team at Seven Seals believe they have found that elusive formula for the future of whisky.  They have already been recognized for their efforts, winning the Innovation Award in the Swiss Whisky Awards. 

Looking to the future Seven Seals are planning to build their own distillery at Luzern, Switzerland, and are aiming to start distillation in 2020. 

For a chance to taste, Seven Seals Whisky is launching in the UK at The Whisky Show in London on the 28^th and 29^th September.  Amongst others Seven Seals Whisky will be available from Master of Malt, Shop4Whisky and The Whisky Exchange. For more do visit 7sealswhisky.com, and check out their ad here. 

Seven Seals Whisky

Introducing our new Angels' Nectar Islay Edition

We are excited to announce the release of our new Islay Edition. 

Bottled at 47% the Angels’ Nectar Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Islay Edition is dominated by a gentle island peat smoke, which on the taste is a touch more medicinal than the Rich Peat Edition. Exploring further reveals a biscuity sweetness and a hint of beeswax. This whisky has been matured for five years in former bourbon barrels. 

Our intention with Angels’ Nectar is to release a series of small batch releases which showcase different styles of Scotch Whisky, something which takes time. Having more or less sold out of the Rich Peat Edition, as its successor we have selected a parcel of Islay single malt casks to bottle as our new peat smoke expression. Celebrating inconsistency we have bottled the Islay Edition as a single malt (as opposed to Blended Malt), at a higher strength, and in a new improved bottle.  

Whilst there have been Angels’ Nectar single cask releases in Germany and the Netherlands, this is the first Angels’ Nectar single malt release in the UK. Following the lead of the Angels, as with previous releases, the Islay Edition has been bottled at natural colour and is non chill filtered. 

For a chance to taste, Angels’ Nectar will be exhibiting at The Whisky Show in London on the 28th and 29th September, and at the Alhambra Whisky Festival, Stirling, on the 5th of October. Stockists of the new Angels’ Nectar Islay Edition, which has a RRP of £49.50, include Balliefurth, Drambusters and Shop4whisky. Export orders are also already en-route to L'Explorateur du Goût in France, Haromex in Germany and Whisky Tartan in Netherlands. 

Angels' Nectar Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Islay Edition

Just Landed: Smögen 8 Years Old and Kinghaven Rum

Three new releases from our Swedish friends at Smögen, their first ever eight years old single malt whisky, and two rums from their foray into the world of independent rum bottling. 

Smögen Swedish Single Malt Whisky - Aged 8 Years 57.8% Vol. 

From first fill Sauternes Barriques, filled in March 2011, bottled in April 2019, at cask strength of 57.8% Vol. A limited edition of 1628 bottles. Whilst the spirit was Smögen's traditional heavy peat, this has been softened by the maturation in sauternes casks. Serge has scored this bottling 90 points, so do look up his review on Whiskyfun. Amongst others try Hedonism Wines, Shop4Whisky and the Whisky Exchange. 

Kinghaven Premium Single Cask Rum

Single cask rums, finished in Swedish oak and independently bottled by Smögen Whisky.  As you would expect these are bottled at natural colour, unsweetened, cask strength and non-chill filtered.  

Kinghaven Diamond distillery 8 years old, Port Mourant wooden stills, Guyana, 61% Vol. 

Intriguingly distilled in wooden stills, this has been finished for nearly eight months in Swedish Oak Barriques, which has mellowed the Rum. 

Tasting notes by Kinghaven proprietor Pär Caldenby ‘Nose – crystallised raw sugar, fresh greenhouse aromas, baked mushrooms, sunwarm skin, slight diesel, nutmeg, clove; dense and powerful. Palate – immediate big and sweet arrival with notes of molasses, liquorice, basil leaves, milk chocolate, lemon zest and a long development that tilts over towards… Finish - …a drier and spicier, though still on sugar/molasses notes, finish with nutmeg, Garam Masala and on the death, warm polished oak. Overall – a big character with great balance and development, firmly based on the raw molasses notes that envelops the whole experience; best taken quite strong, though in small sips, to maximise the flavour sensations.'

Kinghaven Foursquare 13 years old, Pot & Column stills, Barbados, 63.4% Vol. 

Briefly finished in new Swedish oak. 'Swims extremely well' according to Serge in his review on Whiskyfun, in which the Kinghaven Foursquare 13 Years Old scored 89 point. For Kinghaven Rum try Master of Malt and Nickolls and Perks. 

All three have also been reviewed on the Good Dram Show by Chris from Gauntleys of Nottingham. 

Cheers!

Smögen Aged 8 Years, Kinghaven Diamond 8 Years Old and Kinghaven Foursquare 13 Years Old

Be an Angel this Father's day!

With Father's Day in a couple of weeks, may we suggest spoiling your Dad with Angels' Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky? 

Inspired by the Angels' share (that's the colourful name given to the whisky lost to evaporation during maturation), our whiskies are vibrant and fresh, and bottled at natural colour. 

Angels' Nectar - Original (formerly the First Edition), has been carefully created from a selection of Speyside and Highland malt whiskies and bottled at 40% Vol.. It is smooth and sweet with hints of apple pie on the nose, followed by heather honey and lemon on the taste.  

Our Rich Peat Edition of Angels' Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky has been bottled at the higher strength of 46%, and as the name suggests is heavily peated. Composed of two highland malts, the Rich Peat oozes a welcoming smoke like the chimney of an old Highland farm house, which is followed by a subtle sweetness akin to toffee apples and dark chocolate. The Rich Peat Edition was awarded two stars in the 2018 Great Taste awards, the criteria for which is 'above and beyond delicious'. 

Amongst others Angels' Nectar is available from Amazon, Master of Malt, Nickolls & Perks and Whiskishop.

All being well, Dad will 'share' his bottle of Angels' Nectar with you!

Angels' Nectar Original

It's a wrap: Angels' Nectar Whisky Caching

The sweep team have been out and returned all the Angels' Nectar Whisky Caches to Angels HQ. We had a record 192 register for Angels' Nectar Whisky Caching this year, with guests from Austria, Denmark, Germany and Shetland amongst others. With challenging weather (who'd have thought snow shovels might be useful!), a big congratulations to all who found our Angels' Nectar Whisky Caches. This years champions however are the Coopers, the only group to visit all four Angels' Nectar Whisky Caches.

This event simply would not be possible without the support of the land owners, community groups  and other local businesses that make it possible. They really are our Angels. Thus our thanks are due to: Elephants in the Pantry, Fishing Maps, Friends of Ben Rinnes, Friends of Craigellachie Bridge, Glen Rinnes Estate, Strathspey Estate, Spirit of Speyside, and last but not least the Speyside Heather Centre, who painted their pagoda in advance of your visit.

Slainte!

Dram time for the Angels

Angels' Nectar Whisky Caching - Grantown Spoilers

Here are your spoilers for the Grantown Angels' Nectar Whisky Caches:

Grantown Gildedorb (Old Bridge) - is located next to the old Spey bridge, on the Grantown downstream bank:

Grantown Icetool (Clootie) - is located at the Speyside Heather Centre, in a 'pagoda' adjacent to their car park:

Angels' Nectar Whisky Caching - Glenrinnes Spoiler

The Glenrinnes Angels' Nectar Whisky Cache is located just off the Ben Rinnes path. Take the path from the car park on the Edinvillie to Glen Rinnes road. After the zig zags, the skyline opens up with a view of the summits in the distance. There are some distinctive boulders (fish like?). The cache is hidden behind them at approx grid reference 281358.

Angels' Nectar Whisky Caching - Craigellachie Spoiler

Hopefully the clues were sufficient to find the Craigellachie Angels' Nectar Whisky Cache, but just in case it is at Craigellachie Bridge on the west (or north) bank, upstream side of the bridge, grid reference: 285452.

Just Landed: Smögen Single Cask 56/2011 - Rum Finish

We have just received a small allocation from Smögen Single Cask 56/2011, their Single Cask Edition No.6.. Initially matured in a first fill Bourbon barrel, this whisky was then finished in Port Mourant (Guyana) Rum cask for four and a half months. Distiller/Proprietor Pär Caldenby describes this cask thus:

Nose: Despite the strength of 62.4%, it comes on as welcoming, through intense; very gristy malt notes, soft peaty tones and Demerara sugar. 

Palate: Intense but not biting; creamy chocolate, orange rinds, shortbread, all dipped in leathery, tarry peat oils. 

Finish: Going more vegetal and drier, but still on (now more husky) malty notes, fruity sugar and increasingly tarry peat notes, developing into salty liquorice. Very long! 

Comments: This dram really likes water, though it can be sipped neat (goes very well with dark chocolate). The rum cask makes its presences felt, but with a good balance, as the rum in the cask was as heavy as our whisky is, so a good match, for a dram with a big impact. 

Slightly confusingly whilst the Systembolaget have released Single Cask 57/2011 Single Cask Edition No.7 (which sadly did not yield enough bottles for the UK), they are going to wait until April to release Single Cask 56/2011, Single Cask Edition No.6, so for once we have a Smögen release on sale in the UK, before it appears in Sweden. Amongst others try Hedonism Wines and Shop4Whisky. Cheers!

Smögen Single Cask 56/2011 Edition No.6

Langatun triumphs in the Wizards of World Whisky Awards

Langatun has picked up three Gold Medals and been named Alpine Distiller of the Year in the Wizards of World Whisky Awards. The Gold Medals were awarded to the Langatun Jacob’s Dram, Old Bear Cask Strength and Old Woodpecker editions, with the Old Bear Cask Strength also being named Alpine Whisky of the Year.

Commenting on the success, Christoph Nyfeler, Joint Owner, said 'I'm always very honoured to receive such acknowledgement as a small Swiss Whisky producer. Specially when it comes from the motherland of whisky and when we are compared to the best producers around the globe.' 

The Wizards of World Whisky, now in their sixth year, are organised by whisky author and commentator Dominic Roskrow, who noted that the Alpine region is ‘now producing some of the most exciting whiskies in the world’. 

Whilst the Langatun Old Woodpecker is not yet available in the UK, a selection of Langatun bottlings, including 'Alpine Whisky of the Year' Langatun Old Bear Cask Strength are available from Gauntleys of Nottingham, Master of Malt,  Nickolls and Perks, Shop4Whisky and The Whisky Exchange, amongst others. 

Three Golds for Langatun in the Wizards of World Whisky Awards

Angels' Nectar Whisky Caching returns

Angels’ Nectar Whisky Caching returns for the 20th Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.
Similar to geo-caching, but with whisky,  we will hide a trail of  Angels’ Nectar Whisky Caches across Speyside for the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. Guests will be able to find the whisky filled caches via a series of clues after registering for the event via the Spirit of Speyside web site. The first to find each Angels’ Nectar Whisky Cache will be rewarded with one of our 200ml bottles of Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, perfect for sharing.
Whilst there is no charge to take part, whisky cachers are asked to leave a whisky miniature (or better!) in place of the dram they find. Thus everyone who finds an Angels’ Nectar Whisky Cache will be a winner. 
Geo-caching is a worldwide treasure-hunting phenomenon, which started in 2000 and has grown to encompass more than three million caches across 190 countries. Our Angels’ Nectar version does not require GPS, but as the search for the caches will involve some light walking, outdoor clothing and footwear are recommended. The caches will also contain a logbook for participants to record their visit, and guests are invited to share their experience and tasting notes of the dram they find on social media, with #angelsnectarwhiskycache
We hope Angels’ Nectar Whisky Caching will encourage festival goers to explore Speyside’s beautiful countryside and discover new drams. Whilst there is no need to have been geo-caching before, for the whisky loving geo-cacher, what could be better than a trail of Angel’s share inspired whisky filled caches.

Angels’ Nectar Whisky Caching is one of more than 650 events due to take place across Speyside as part of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, which this year runs from the 1^stto the 6^thof May. In addition we will be offering the opportunity to try Angels' Nectar at Elephants in the Pantry, Grantown-on-Spey, on the 4^th of May and at Brodie Countryfare, Forres, on the 5^th of May.
For more, and to register for the event, please follow this link to the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival website.  

Angels' Nectar - liquid treasure