The Bite Magazine - Issue 11

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For a truly exclusive limited edition this Christmas, the
2014 release Bowmore Laimrig 15 year old finished
in the finest Spanish sherry butts is available at TheWhisky
Shop. This cask strength, non-chill filtered Bowmore has
a rich, dark character and colour with notes of fig, cocoa
and raisins wrapped around the customary oily smokiness
of Bowmore. The name ‘Laimrig’, Scottish Gaelic for
‘pier’ celebrates Bowmore’s ancient stone pier where
the distillery’s barley would have once been unloaded
and from where this renowned single malt would have
first set sail for the four corners of the world. It takes
16 years to initially mature the cask strength BenRiach
1995 17 year old in ex-bourdon barrels and then an
additional year to complete the ‘finishing’ period in virgin
American Oak barrels. This double maturation method
creates intense vanilla and coconut notes layered on
top of flavours such as barley sugars, honey, apricots and
toffee apples with a crisp, dry finish. The limited edition
single malt Scotch whisky is crafted from hand-selected
casks which combined to produce this exclusive bottling
for TheWhisky Shop.
Straight from the Highland distillery, Aberfeldy 16
Years Old Single Cask is a mellow whisky with herbal
notes and a trace of orange peel that was distilled in 1996.
It is then selected for individual bottling from a single refill
American oak ex-sherry hogshead cask in 2013 at natural
cask strength. With a smooth texture and sweet taste,
light acidity and beeswax, and a long warming finishing, this
whisky is sure to make a lasting impression this Christmas.It
is surprisingly easy to drink even at cask strength,but adding
some water creates a creamier texture and releases more
fruit and fudge notes.The enchanting Glenlivet Gallow
Hill 16 Year Old is a whisky bottled at natural cask
strength. Its burst of concentrated fruit flavours includes
sweet clementine, pear and pineapple along with toasted
almonds and moist gingerbread. It coats the mouth with
orange-chocolate and a hint of treacle toffee, leaving a
long and refreshing finish.The story behind the bottle
derives from a ban on private distilling in 1781, but
the area was rife with illicit stills for many years.
To dissuade transgressors, a public gibbet was
erected on the hillside above the site where the
Glenlivet Distillery now sits and the hillside has
become forever known as ‘Gallow Hill’.
With 22 stores nationwide and an online
store,TheWhisky Shop is the largest specialist
whisky retailer in the UK. Their premium
London Piccadilly flagship opened in 2012 and
the following year, they won the 2013 National
Association of Shopfitters (NAS) Design
Partnership Award for Retail. This year, The
Whisky Shop was crowned the Best Specialist
Drinks Retailer of theYear at the 2014 Harpers
Awards.
bite drinks
Images courtesy of The Big Partnership