Fundraiser for Covid-19 Relief
with Paul John Distillery
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
We are very excited to have Mr. Paul John himself, Chairman of India's John Distilleries, for an evening of world-class single malt whisky and brandy tasting led by Koray Kaan Özdemir, Paul John cocktails by Abhi (Jungli) + Rhino Williams (Lost Property), and contemporary Indian appetizers prepared by Jungli.
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Profits from this event will go to support the World Central Kitchen to provide fresh meals to frontline medical staff in India fighting COVID-19 infections. WCK has provided more than 50 million fresh, nourishing meals for communities around the world, and your donation today will be used to support our emergency response in India.
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There will be other prizes and a silent auction to win special items kindly donated by generous partners. Those participating in the whisky flight will receive a gift bag.
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schedule of events
intimate tasting with Paul P. John | Q&A with the owner himself
curated flight of special expressions 6:45pm — 7:30pm
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Paul P. John tasting lineup
1. Oloroso Select Cask
2. PX Select Cask
3. Christmas Edition 2019
4. Christmas Edition 2020
5. Mithuna
6. Paul John XO Brandy
about World Central Kitchen
Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. WCK has created a new model for disaster response through its work helping devastated communities recover and establish resilient food systems. WCK has served more than 50 million fresh meals to people impacted by natural disasters and other crises around the world in countries including The Bahamas, Indonesia, Lebanon, Mozambique, Venezuela, and the United States. WCK’s Resilience Programs in the Caribbean and Central America have trained hundreds of chefs and school cooks, advanced clean cooking practices, and awarded grants to farms, fisheries and small food businesses while also providing training and networking opportunities. Learn more at wck.org. [donate]
World Central Kitchen is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. To claim a donation as a deduction on your U.S. taxes, please keep your email donation receipt as your official record. EIN number: 27-3521132.
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Big thanks to Whisky Monster + Rhino Williams to make this possible.
Geeky Spirits Masterclass
presented by PM Spirits Founder Nicolas Palazzi + Meryl Cocuzza
Sunday, July 11, 2021
Virtual Tasting via Zoom
PM SPIRITS GIVES A F*CK ABOUT ARTISANAL SPIRITS AND DO IT EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. This is an event that I am very excited to share with you; Meryl Cocuzza and I have spent a considerable amount of time to deliver a masterclass with an absolutely stellar lineup. PM Spirits is an über small operation importing and distributing high-quality spirits that are disrupting the market. Founder, Nicolas Palazzi, will be joining us via Zoom from France to get geeky on French brandy with his off-the-cuff presentation style + aesthetics. It’s a perfect fit for what we aim to achieve as a club and supporting mavericks that provide badass booze.
We will start the tasting with a very special cognac aged in a handmade single cask created by the father and son duo Yves and Jean-Noel Pelletan. The brandies that went into it are a blend of vintages ranging from 1925 – 1965 exclusively making this undoubtedly one of the rarest bottlings you could hope to get your hands on. From there it’s a crazy lineup of stellar marks that are unique w/ Nicolas to answer all your WTF questions and why they do this. We will be teaming up with retail partner K&L Wines for a discount on the products we will be tasting.
Cognac lineup:
1. PM Spirits Project. Hommage, blend of vintages from 1925 – 1965, 43.8% ABV
2. Navarre, Premier Cru de Cognac, Souvenir Impérial, 40% ABV
Armagnac lineup:
3. Cobrafire Eau de Vie de Raisin (Baco & Folle Blanche), 51.9% ABV
4. Chateau de Léberon, 27 Year, Distilled 1994, Brut de Fût, 46% ABV
5. Domaine d’Aurensan, 15 Year, Distilled 2006, 42.8% ABV
6. L’Encantada XO 3.0, Blend of 5 Single Vintage Casks, 44.9% ABV
Calvados Pays D’Auge lineup:
7. Roger Groult 8 Year, Calvados Pays D’Auge, 41% ABV
8. Roger Groult 18 Year, 41% ABV
9. Roger Groult Edition Limitée, 12 Year, Cask #172, 61.7% ABV
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about the PM Spirits:
Provider of Geeky Spirits | Nicolas Palazzi was raised surrounded by his family’s vineyards in Bordeaux and introduced to spirits, Cognac and Cognac cellars through a dear friend of Nicolas’ grandfather. This gentleman will be referred to as “Mr. X”. Established somewhere in the Cognac region of France, Mr. X’s family started distilling at over a century ago. Recognizing in Nicolas a fledgling passion for Cognac, this mysterious man shared his knowledge and connections within the small and commonly impenetrable world of artisan Cognac. This gave rise to PM Spirits, as Nicolas began sourcing, collecting, aging and blending these rare casks and subsequently releasing limited series bottling in the USA. PM Spirit’s passion for artisan spirits has slowly broadened its focus over the years to include within its portfolio other small-scale hand-crafted distillates such as Sicilian Grappas, French Eau-de-vies & Liqueurs, Rum, Tequilas, Mezcals etc. [link]
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Big thanks to Meryl Cocuzza + Bozzy for making this happen!
HarrisFest 2021
BEAM SUNTORY AMERICAN WHISKEY
presented by Adam Harris, Senior Ambassador, American Whiskey
Friday, July 16, 2021
Virtual Tasting via Zoom
Southern California Whiskey Club is very happy to present Adam Harris, Senior Ambassador, American Whiskey as he leads us through a tasting of some rare bottles that he has pulled from his own personal stash. He will be joining us from Houston, Texas for a special flight of Beam Suntory products via Zoom.
Adam developed his love of Bourbon and a good cocktail while working in New York City bars. During his time in New York, the cocktails he created were published in several prominent publications, including the Wall Street Journal and the San Francisco Chronicle. He took his first job with Beam Suntory in 2006 and since then he’s been sharing stories and promoting Beam Suntory’s American Whiskey portfolio in the U.S. as well as around the globe. In 2018, he won Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky, “American Whiskey Ambassador of the Year - Global”. [link]
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lineup:​
1. Jim Beam Repeal Batch, Non-Chill Filtered, 43% ABV
2. Jim Beam Black, Aged 8 Years, (early 2000s release), 43% ABV
3. Jim Beam Devil’s Cut, 45% ABV
4. Maker's Mark Private Select Bourbon “Mary's Bath Water”, 55.05% ABV
5. Knob Creek Single Barrel "Speed Rack" Straight Rye Whiskey, 57.5% ABV
6. Booker’s Little Book “Chapter 4”, Blended Straight Whiskey, 61.4% ABV
7. Booker's “Teresa’s Batch” 2019-01, 62.95% ABV
8. Booker's Limited Edition 30th Anniversary Straight Bourbon Whisky, 62.90% ABV​
Cocktails with Bladnoch Distillery
Collab with The Minty + Laura Ann's jams, featuring Bladnoch Scotch
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Virtual Tasting via Zoom
Join us for a two cocktail demo with The Minty + Laura Ann's Jams, featuring Bladnoch Scotch with Will Pitchforth, Head of Commercial for Bladnoch Distillery joining us. Bladnoch Distillery is a 203 year old premium Single Malt Scotch Whisky producer in south west Scotland. It is one of the six remaining Lowland distilleries. The distillery is situated on the banks of the River Bladnoch, and is the most southerly whisky distillery in Scotland. The event will feature artisanal jam and kumquats to make the Pure Scot cocktails. Recipes + ingredients to buy before the event are listed here [Old Fashioned] + [Tropical Chiller].
lineup:
1. Pure Scot, Blended Scotch Whisky, 40%
2. Pure Scot, Virgin Oak, 43%
3. Bladnoch 10 Year Old, Bourbon Barrel, 46.7%
4. Bladnoch "Samsara", CA Red Wine Cask + Bourbon Casks, 46.7%
5. Bladnoch "Adela" 15 Year Old, Oloroso Cask, 46.7%
6. Bladnoch 17 Year Old, California Red Wine Cask Finish, 46.7%
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about the presenter:
Will Pitchforth, Head of Commercial for Bladnoch Distillery, joined the company as Global Head of Sales in late 2017. He is an internationally experienced Sales and Marketing leader with 15 years experience in the Spirits and Wine industry having worked on both the client and supplier side. He worked at Pernod Ricard’s headquarters in Paris where he led the on-premise strategy for a number of developing markets and launched new brands in established markets, including working closely with the Scotch Whisky division at Chivas Brothers. Prior to this role, Will served as Australian Key Account Manager for Pernod Ricard where he set records for sales growth and customer acquisition. Before his time in the spirits industry, Will worked in hospitality, managing cocktail bars and clubs.
about the distillery:
The fact that Bladnoch has made it past 200 years is quite extraordinary. Since it was established in 1817, the distillery has changed hands numerous times and ceased production intermittently. Fortunately, in 2015, it was purchased and renovated by Australian entrepreneur David Prior, who is the first Aussie to own a Scotch whisky distillery and the oldest working one at that. With the help of master distiller Nick Savage, formerly of The Macallan, Prior revived the distillery and commenced production again in 2017. Since then, Bladnoch has been releasing limited editions using previously distilled inventory to reclaim its place in the whisky world. [link]
about Laura Ann's Jams:
Born when a rock-n-roll drummer (with culinary roots in Chicago) moved to Los Angeles and became enamored with a new world of exotic fruits, herbs and other local ingredients. Propelled by the West Coast's noted spirit of openness to experimentation and fearless entrepreneurialism, Laura Ann Masura built a business with inventive flavor combinations, exacting quality, and a riotous word-of-mouth growth in popularity. Laura Ann’s Jams have been featured on OWN, Jeopardy, the LA Times, Wall Street Journal, Martha Stewart and voted Best Local Jam by Los Angeles Magazine. [link]
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about The Minty:
The Minty is a Los Angeles lifestyle blog focusing on the city’s dining, dating, arts and culture scenes. The Minty is best known for her food and bar crawls with such themes as Hot Bartenders, Gays & Dolls and Craft Beer. She has judged foodie contests from cupcakes to cocktails to chocolate as well as written for The Tasting Panel Magazine, BlackboardEats and DealPop. Her photography has been featured in LA Weekly, KCET, LAist, Thrillist, Gayot, Details Magazine, LA Taco and more. [link]​​
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A big thank you to Natalia Garcia Bourke for making this happen!
Single Cask Nation US Retail Release #7
presented by Elijah Ammon, Sales Manager to the Americas
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date: Sunday August 8, 2021
Backyard @ private residence near La Cienega + Pico
Collaboration event with the Malt Nuts + Southern California Whiskey Club for a special night to celebrate Elijah Ammon for his inaugural California tasting for Single Cask Nation featuring US Retail Release #7.
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US Retail Release #7 line-up:
1. Dumbarton 2000, 20 Year Old, refill bourbon hogshead, 56.7%
2. Westport (Glenmorangie) 2005, 16 Year Old, 2nd fill oloroso butt, 50.6%
3. Inchgower 2007, 13 Year Old, tawny port finish, 52.8%
4. Linkwood 2009, 12 Year Old, refill oloroso sherry butt, 55.5%
5. Blair Athol 2011, 10 Year Old, 2nd fill PX sherry butt, 55.3%
6. Milk & Honey 2017, 3 Year Old, 1st fill bourbon, 59.3%
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US Retail Release #6.5 bonus:
7. Teaninich 2009, 11 Year Old, 61%
and #SecretStash​​​
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Big thanks to Seth + Elijah for making this happen!
Back in late August 2020 we were presented with 5 Paul John unpeated, bourbon cask samples for a club barrel pick with Koray. As a group, we really wanted an expression that exemplified the distillery character, but has a bit of unique character to it. The choice was nearly unanimous and as soon as the Zoom ended we started the process thinking we’d have the bottles by the end of the year. Little did we know that Covid-19 would postpone the packaging, the boat would be delayed due to the blockage of the Suez Canal, and the bottles would get shipped across the USA twice. Now, a year later, it has finally make its way home to Los Angeles to share it with all the Paul John fans out there. Fun fact; this is the first Paul John distillery released single cask available in USA. Cheers everyone!
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specs:
Country: India - Goa
Distillery: John Distilleries
type: single malt, unpeated
age: 5 years
cask: 2940 | cask type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 59.7% | proof: 119.4 | no. of Bottles: 186
Epic Kilchoman Cask Strength
with Elijah Ammon + Chris Uhde​
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
lineup:
1. 2012 8 Year Madeira Finish (Liquor Warehouse Exclusive) 55.2%
2. 2007 11 Year Oloroso Matured (Distillery Exclusive) 54%
3. 2006 14 Year ImpEx Special Edition (32nd cask to ever be filled at Kilchoman) 53%
4. 2012 8 Year Slightly Peated 555/2012 Sherry Cask (Jack Rose Dining Saloon Exclusive) 56.2%
5. 2011 8 Year Slightly Peated 491/2011 Bourbon Cask (Jack Rose Dining Exclusive) 56.5%
6. 2008 4 Year Bourbon Single Cask (Islay Pipe Band Exclusive) 60.4%
7. 2013 7 Year Old Mezcal Finish Impex Cask Evolution 55.3%
8. 2012 8 Year SCWC Single Cask Ruby Port Cask 55.8%
+ #SecretStash
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Kilchoman 2021 Sanaig 46%
Kilchoman 2021 Machir Bay 46%​​
American Single Malt Whiskey
with Copperworks Distilling
presented by Jeff Kanof and Jason Parker
+ cocktail collab with The Minty
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
Join us for a flight of special releases of American Single Malt Whiskies from Copperworks Distilling Co. Co-owners Jason Parker and Jeff Kanof will take us on a virtual tour of the distillery and share their insights about the emerging category of American single malt whiskey. The event will start with a cocktail demo with The Minty, featuring Copperworks gin. Recipes + ingredients to buy before the event are available here [Copperworks Distilling Gin Fizz].
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lineup:
1. Northwest Small Batch Gin, 47%ABV
Malted Barley Gin, made with 10 Botanicals
Recipe: Pale Malt, ​Batch No. 032
2. Release 035, 50.5%ABV
Recipe: Baronesse and Pale Malt
New American Oak, Small Batch
3. Release 038, 50%ABV
Recipe: Baronesse and Pale Malt
New American Oak + Manzanilla Sherry
4. Release 033, 50%ABV
Sherry Cask Special Release
Recipe: Pale Malt
Fino Sherry
5. Release 020, 50%ABV
2015 Harvest, Single Variety Malt
Recipe: Knutzen Farms Alba (Skagit Valley Malting)
New American Oak
6. Release 027, 57.6%ABV
Recipe: Five Malt
Single Cask No. 205
New American Oak
7. Release 034, 52%ABV
Washington Peated Special Release
Recipe: WA Peated Malt (Skagit Valley Malting)
New American Oak ​
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about the distillery:
Copperworks Distilling Company is a craft distillery, tasting room, and gift shop located by the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. They produce small-batch American Single Malt Whiskey, a series of gins, and vodka, all from malted barley. The spirits are distilled in traditional copper stills that were specifically created in Scotland for Copperworks and for the distillation of each individual spirit. The company has won numerous local, national and international awards. [link]
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about The Minty:
The Minty is a Los Angeles lifestyle blog focusing on the city’s dining, dating, arts and culture scenes. The Minty is best known for her food and bar crawls with such themes as Hot Bartenders, Gays & Dolls and Craft Beer. She has judged foodie contests from cupcakes to cocktails to chocolate as well as written for The Tasting Panel Magazine, BlackboardEats and DealPop. Her photography has been featured in LA Weekly, KCET, LAist, Thrillist, Gayot, Details Magazine, LA Taco and more. [link]
The Dingle Whiskey Distillery
Ireland’s original artisan distillery making world class whiskey, award-winning gin, & vodka
presented by Dave Cummins, Irish Brand Ambassador for Dingle Distillery
Thursday, October 7, 2021
Following our American Single Malt Whiskey tasting, we are now going to the explore the category of Single Malt Irish Whiskey. This is a very special tasting that Dave Cummins has curated for Southern California Whiskey Club with cask samples and new make, straight off the still, to make this a unique experience. Dingle is one of the first of the new wave of Irish distilleries making their own whiskey, but they don’t make a lot of whiskey on the whole – just two casks a day. Since their founding in 2012, they haven’t sourced their whiskey; it’s theirs and it’s developing nicely — that’s a rarity in Ireland, and it’s to be commended.
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lineup:
1. Single Malt New Make, 65%
2. Single Malt Bourbon cask sample, 46.3%
3. Single Malt Pedro Ximenez cask sample, 46.3%
4. Single Malt core release, 46.3%
5. Single Pot Still Shiraz Finish, 62.5%
6. Single Malt Whiskey Batch No. 3 “The Port Baby”, 46%
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about the distillery:
To achieve the flavours they want to in the whiskey, they use three distinctive, hand-crafted copper pot stills incorporating a boil ball to encourage reflux. The Dingle Whiskey Distillery is an independent family-owned business, thanks, in part, to their Founding Fathers program. They are an artisan distillery making Single Malt Irish Whiskey in a converted sawmill in Milltown on the outskirts of Dingle in a Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking region) in the southwest of Ireland. In 2017, Dingle Distillery became the first independent Irish distillery to release a single pot still whiskey in several decades. [link] ​​
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Big thanks to John Endman for making this happen!
Milk & Honey Distillery
with Yehonatan "Jonny” Gonen - Wood + production management @ M&H Distillery
Sunday, October 10, 2021
The event will start with a Negroni cocktail prepared by the Minty using M&H Levantine Gin and we will have bagels & lox and other accoutrements at the completion of the tasting.
lineup:
1. M&H Classic Single Malt 46% abv
2. M&H Elements Red Wine Cask Single Malt 46% abv
3. M&H Elements Sherry Cask Single Malt 46% abv
4. M&H Elements Peated Single Malt 46% abv
5. M&H Limited Series #1 Dad Bourbon Cask 55% abv
6. M&H Apex Series Fortified Red Wine Cask 60.4% abv
7. M&H The ImpEx Collection PX Finish 58.9% abv
+ #SecretStash
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about the distillery:
Milk & Honey (חלב ודבש) is Israel's first single malt whisky distillery. While not the most likely of places to start a whisky distillery, a group of whisky enthusiasts decided to chase their dream in Tel Aviv. Construction began on the distillery in June 2014 and within a year the first spirit flowed from its pot stills. Since its establishment, the distillery’s operations were accompanied by the late Dr. James Swan, world-renowned whisky expert. All of the whiskies are Kosher Single Malts distilled and matured in Israel. [link]
about Yehonatan "Jonny” Gonen:
Calling the M&H Distillery home since May 2017, Jonny operates the entire whisky making process, grain to glass. After learning hands-on the equipment inside and out he is currently managing the team on floor and it's production tasks. Studying for the distiller certificate at the IBD, Jonny takes active part in the blending process and explores the fields of wood management and product development. Along with being a forklift certified he is known as a big beer lover (almost a BJCP judge) and cycling enthusiast, juggling between 100 Km rides, group beer evaluations and whisky clubs tasting nights. ​​
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Big thanks to Chris Uhde for making this happen!
Fundraiser for World Central Kitchen
presented by The Macallan
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Lost Property Bar
We are honored to have Kieron Elliott and Martin Cole for an evening of world-class single malt whisky. The Macallan has been very gracious to join us in supporting World Central Kitchen with profits from this event going directly to provide fresh meals to humanitarian needs and medical staff fighting COVID-19 infections around the world. ​
intimate tasting with The Macallan
curated flight and Q&A with Kieron Elliott
7:00pm — 8:00pm
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lineup:
The Macallan Double Cask 12
The Macallan Double Cask 15
The Macallan Double Cask 18
The Macallan Estate
The Macallan Rare Cask 2021
The Macallan Edition No.
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about World Central Kitchen
Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. WCK has created a new model for disaster response through its work helping devastated communities recover and establish resilient food systems. WCK is working across America to safely distribute individually packaged, fresh meals in communities that need support – for children and families to pick up and take home, as well as delivery to seniors who cannot venture outside. To date, WCK has provided over 36 million meals in more than 400 cities. Learn more at wck.org.
about The Macallan
Located on a 390-acre estate in the Scottish Highlands and by the River Spey, Macallan is a Speyside whisky: a single malt Scotch distilled in Strathspey. Distillation takes place in 25 copper stills—the smallest to be found in Speyside, holding 3,900 litres each. This reduced size allows the maximum surface contact between the alcohol and the copper, lending the drink a distinct richness and body. At Macallan, the emphasis is firmly on the casks in ensuring and delivering the quality and style of their single malt. [link].
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Big thanks to Martin Cole + Rhino Williams to make this possible.
SCWC + Compass Box single cask
presented by Scott Ellis, Western Region Manager for Compass Box
Friday, November 19, 2021
As an incentive for the first 50 members who purchase 2 bottles of the Compass Box/SCWC single casks, we have a very special tasting planned. In this Zoom tasting, we will discuss the process of the selection and what makes this single cask so unique. This will be a fun night to explore our very own Compass Box single cask along with four special samples with our good friend Scott Ellis as a thank you for supporting this endeavor.
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Compass Box/SCWC exclusive specs
• Cask #90
• ABV: 49%
• Marrying Cask Type: American Oak Barrel from Cameronbridge distillery
• Age of Youngest Spirit: 2/12/2015
• Marrying Cask Filling Date: 4/27/2020
• 234 bottles
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This expression is the Compass Box equivalent of a single barrel, but more complex. How does Compass Box, a blending house, produce a single barrel but still impart their magic while also offering a unique product? The marrying cask of course! After the peaty, high malt content, Glasgow Blend is put together, the whisky gets redistributed into its original cask for months of marrying to highlight the notes originally contributed by that cask. In our case we selected an American Oak Barrel that held Cameronbridge Lowland grain whisky for a long time. Part of this decision was that while everyone else was going for the sherry cask, we chose the opposite in search of a robust profile with the oak + sweetness of the grain balancing the smoke + peat — a whisky more conversational and a perfect cocktail base.
All that rich salty peat (nearly 20% of Glasgow Blend is Laphroaig) is amplified by the toffee and dry oak letting that earthy smoke and maritime influence shine. The marrying cask is then bottled at a much higher proof than the typical Glasgow blend, and it remains unchillfiltered and not colored. The youngest spirit in this bottling was distilled February 2015, the marrying cask was filled April 2020, and it married for 15 months before being bottled for Southern California Whiskey Club.
Compass Box Zoom event lineup:
1. Orchard House
2. No Name 3
3. Glasgow Blend standard release
4. Glasgow Blend K&L Exclusive Craigellachie Aged Oloroso Marrying Cask #1 [link]
+ your purchased bottles of the SCWC + Compass Box single cask
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about Compass Box:
Founded by US entrepreneur John Glaser from his kitchen in 2000 as a blending house for the modern era, constantly innovating a range of innovative blended Scotch, blended malt, and blended grain whiskies. John is also always pushing for more transparency with the blends, and happily gives you the recipe to all his blends (something that is actually not allowed according to Scotch Whisky Association rules). [website] ​
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Big thanks to David OG and Scott Ellis for making this happen!
SCWC + Amrut single cask
presented by Raj Sabharwal of Glass Revolution Imports
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
As an incentive for the first 50 members who purchase the Amrut/SCWC single cask bottle, we have a very special tasting on Wednesday, November 17 @ 6:00 PST. In this Zoom tasting, we will discuss the process of the selection and what makes this single cask so unique. This will be a fun night to explore our very own Amrut single cask along with four special samples with our good friend Raj Sabharwal as a thank you for supporting this endeavor.
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David Othenin-Girard at K&L Wine Merchants has arranged a club exclusive where SCWC members will receive a $30 discount until November 14, 2021 [members price = $170 + tax].
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Amrut/SCWC exclusive specs:
• 8 years old @ 60% ABV
• ex-port pipe cask #4627
• unpeated Indian single malt barley
• filled April 2013, bottled June 2021
• 396 bottles available
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Amrut lineup:
1) Amrut 6 Year Old "K&L Exclusive" Ex-Oloroso Sherry Butt #3890
2) Amrut Kadhambam
3) Amrut Aatma Cask 6212 fino cask
4) Amrut Greedy Angels 10 Year old peated rum cask finish
+ your purchased bottle of the SCWC port pipe single cask
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about the distillery:
Amrut (अमृत) is a Sanskrit word which can be translated as "Elixir of Life". Amrut single malt whisky is the first single malt whisky to be made in India. The whisky is made from select Indian malted barley grown in Punjab and Rajasthan, the northwest frontier states of India. The cold winters and fiery summers create a unique quality of grain and barrel maturation. Malting takes place at maltsters in Jaipur and Delhi according to the standards laid down by ADL. The malted barley is then transported to the south of India where it is carefully mashed and distilled in small batches. The whisky undergoes maturation in imported oak barrels for over three years in a unique tropical condition in Bangalore. This unique natural geographical location allows intense maturation by losing a considerable amount of whisky as the “angel's share.” To maintain the natural character of the product, the whisky is not chill-filtered. The company decided against using computers and automation in their distillery in favour of providing more jobs to people. [website]
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Big thanks to David OG and Raj for making this happen!
TASTING NOTES:
appearance: very dark with a reddish-purple hue
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nose: cigar wrapper, blackberry jam, and varnish. Deep oak, brown sugar, and Tahitian vanilla. Excellent.
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taste: rich + warming spice bomb with jammy fruit. Ginger and nutmeg appear in the middle with the oak asserting itself over the sweetness to become very savory and complex. Overall this is a rich and decadent whisky with an oily texture that ticks all the boxes and develops as you sip for a well-balanced expression.
note: no hint of any port funk. This would make an excellent gift for someone special for the holidays.
Final Showdown
A Blind Tasting of Bourbon & Rye
Part 4, The Final, Final Chapter
Saturday, December 4, 2021
In the past year and a half, we completed three, 20 expression tastings of bourbon and rye in varying levels of comparison. Now for the fourth and final, final of the series we are doing a split where the assignment is to pick rye or bourbon and then rank on a scale of 1-5. We will have everyone tally the style of whiskey and grade them on Zoom poll questions, and after all 20 have been tallied, we will reveal the bottles.
A scorecard will be included in each kit. We strongly suggest tasting + grading the whiskeys (notes, ratings scored, and choose rye vs bourbon) over several days BEFORE the Zoom. Also suggested is to save about a 1/3 to re-taste during the live event. This is a chance to try whiskies of varying degrees of quality and price, blindly, next to each other —and then see how it all nets out. This will be a small meeting of about 25 members just like the previous.
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10/10, A Blind Tasting of Bourbon & Rye
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note:
mark and score the 20 samples BEFORE the Zoom event
Zoom information is on the placemat + SCWC website page
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Big thanks to Josh Peters for organizing this event!
