SINGH BROTHERS PLAN EXTENSIVE SINGLE MALTS RELEASE
ELIXIR Distiller's Profile:
Elixir Distillers was established as Speciality Drinks
in 1999 by brothers Sukhinder and Raj Singh, who also launched the Whisky
Exchange retail website the same year. The Whisky Exchange offers more than
9,000 products, including 4,000 global whiskies, of which 3,000 are single malt Scotch whiskies. The other categories include 400 Champagnes, 800 Cognacs and Armagnacs; 700 rums; 600 gins; 300 aperitifs; 400 Tequilas and mezcal and it is today the internet’s leading specialist retailers of fine spirits and liqueurs. The Whisky Exchange was sold to Pernod
Ricard in 2021 for US$500 million.
Speciality Drinks first began to release whiskies under
The Single Malts of Scotland banner in 2005. The following year saw the launch
of the Elements of Islay range, while Port Askaig was introduced later in 2009.
The company changed its name to Elixir Distillers in 2017. They set about
creating a new distillery on Islay, procuring the land in 2015. After rumours
went around that this would be named Farkin distillery, the brothers revealed
just ahead of Feis Ile 2022 that the new distillery would carry the name
Fortintruan.
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| ARTIST'S IMPRESSION OF ELIXIR'S FORTINUAN DISTILLERY |
London-based Elixir Distillers is an independent bottler specialising in whisky, predominantly Scotch but also Japanese, Irish and American whiskies. Elixir Distillers serves as the home for the creation, blending, bottling and international sales of all spirits created by the company. The company’s three core whisky brands are Elements of Islay, Port Askaig and The Single Malts of Scotland, while it also bottles navy rum under the Black Tot brand.
The Single Malts of Scotland range provides independent
bottlings of vintage single malt Scotch from many distilleries and at a variety
of ages. The number of Single Casks sold is amazing.
The Elements of Islay are a collection of Islay malt
whiskies, the inspiration for which is rooted in traditional medical laboratory
labels and packaging. The range is bottled from small batches of casks, with
each label depicting the distillery’s ‘Element’ symbol alongside a batch
number, for example, Lp1 for Laphroaig. In 2016, a small batch blended malt was
introduced called Peat, bottled at 45% ABV and cask strength.
Port Askaig – the name of a port on the island’s east
coast, and not a distillery – comprises the no-age-statement Cask Strength
expression, along with an eight-year-old. Each year limited edition aged
expressions are added to the range.
Elixir Distillers is a prolific cask-strength distillery with multiple casks in the market. It currently exports its products to
over 20 international sites.
Glen Elgin 2009 11 YO, Single Malts of Scotland 70cl 58.4% ABV Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Glen Elgin was Founded by William Simpson and James Carle in 1898, right before the whisky boom bubble burst. Production at Glen Elgin officially started on May 1, 1900. The architect Charles Doig (designer of many a distillery and invented of the ‘Doig ventilator’ or pagoda roof seen atop most malt distilleries) predicted that no other distillery would be built in Speyside for at least 50 years. He was right (the next distillery to be built was Tormore, in 1958).
A 2009 Glen Elgin single malt from independent bottler Elixir Distillers that was matured in a single hogshead for 11 years, before being bottled in July 2021 as part of its Single Malts of Scotland series. Aromas of vanilla sponge, custard-filled pastries with pink icing, nectarine, mandarin, kiwi, red grapes and honeysuckle fill the nose, complemented by notes of custard, peach chutney, fruit pastilles, heather honey and vanilla ice cream throughout the palate.Released On 27th May 2022
Teaninich 2007-09 11 YO Reserve Cask Parcel #5 70cl 48%
ABV Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Teaninich is a Highland distillery used as a workhorse by Diageo to produce malt for its blends - principally Johnnie Walker, but also Vat 69 and Haig.
Built in 1817, Teaninich has been owned by Distiller's Company Ltd (DCL, later to become part of Diageo) since the 1930s. Teaninich was expanded in 1970 with the addition of a building housing six new stills, referred to thereafter as the 'A-side'. The original four stills then became known as the 'B side', which continued to run until 1984, when it was mothballed.
In 1985 the A-side was also mothballed but recommenced production in 1991 after a gap of six years. The B side comprising four original stills and the 19th-century distillery buildings never resumed production and was dismantled and demolished in 1999.
Teaninich is unique in that, instead of a mash tun, it uses a filter press (typically used in beer brewing) to extract the sugars from the malt. This process uses a different kind of mill, as it is essential there are no husks in the ground malt, and it is more efficient than the mash tun system, permitting faster extraction of the sugars. The distillery has a large output of four million litres/year.
Released On 27th May 2022
Linkwood 2006 14 YO Single Malts of Scotland 70cl 57.4% ABV Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Linkwood is another of the light Speyside camp. The new make has the aroma of a spring meadow – mixing cut grass, apple and peach blossom. This is a 2006 Linkwood single malt from indie bottler Elixir
Distillers that was matured for 14 years in a single hogshead, before being
bottled in April 2021 as part of its Single Malts of Scotland series. Aromas of
mint tea, freshly-cut flowers, tarte tatin and freshly-baked pastries fill the
nose, complemented by notes of honey cake, elderflower and lemon drizzle cake,
warm croissants and pain au raisin throughout the palate.
Located on the outskirts of Elgin, Linkwood was established in 1821, but only started production in 1824 after the 1823 Excise Act. It was completely rebuilt in 1874 and existed as an independent distiller, run by an Elgin-based whisky broker, until 1932 when it joined the DCL stable. In 1972, a new distillery was built opposite the old buildings. Both plants ran until 1985 when the original ceased production, although it was still used as an experimental site – it was here that a lot of Diageo’s research into copper, reflux and the effect of worm tubs took place. In the late 1990s it was on the shortlist to become the Speyside representative in The Classic Malts range.
In 2012, the old building was demolished as part of yet another upgrade. This time six new washbacks were installed in a new distillery along with two new stills. Capacity is now in excess of 5.5m litres per annum. A number of independent bottling are seen, mainly from Gordon & MacPhail of Elgin – often from ex-Sherry casks. Elixir has also used typical Speyside new make for its 2021 bottling and later release.
Only 282 bottles were produced and can be purchased online.
Elixir Distillers and Impex Beverages will be bringing the first batch from the Single Malts of Scotland to America, and that batch of 10 independent bottlings will be available exclusively in the United States. Malts in this line come from a variety of Scottish distilleries, such as Caol Ila, Imperial, Glenrothes, and Ben Nevis. The releases are each limited runs in either small batch or single cask format, with casks yielding between 92 and 607 bottles, and will be exclusive to the U.S. market. The intention is to launch two runs of releases per year.
Released On 27th May 2022
Caol Ila 2009 11 YO
Single Malts of Scotland 70cl 59.8% ABV Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
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| ARTIST'S RENDITION OF THE REVAMPED CAOL ILA DISTILLERY |
Caol Ila, pronounced 'Cull-Eela', is a distillery situated on the North-Eastern shores of Islay with magnificent views across the Sound of Islay to the spectacular Paps of Jura. Re-opened on 25th August as Caol Ila, it serves as the Islay Home of Johnnie Walker. Most Caol Ila bottled as a single malt lies on the milder end of the peat spectrum (as opposed to heavy-hitters like Ardbeg and Laphroaig), but it's definitely a fully peated single malt (35ppm), and uses the same malted barley (from the maltings at Port Ellen) as the 35ppm peated malt used by Lagavulin.
Distillers at Caol Ila continue with traditional methods of malt whisky production to ensure the distinctive quality of its malt whisky. The barley used today uses pure spring water rising from limestone in the adjacent Loch Nam Burn, then falling to the sea at Caol Ila. The owners of the Islay distillery have been granted permission to extend its off-sales area and make changes to its layout ahead of its public reopening, which was on schedule for and met, 25 August 2022. It is the largest distillery on Islay with an output of 6.3 million litres and is used widely across most blended Scotch and Malt brands.
This is a 2009 Caol Ila single malt from indie bottler Elixir Distillers, matured in a single hogshead for 11 years, before being bottled in March 2021 as part of its Single Malts of Scotland series. Aromas of peat smoke, coal soot, sea breeze, grapefruit, vanilla sponge and blackcurrant juice fill the nose, complemented by notes of grapefruit, salted cashew nuts, lemon drizzle cake and smoked ham throughout the palate.
Released On 21st March 2021Elixir Distillers also use this single malt with its much-vaunted balanced smoke, phenol and consistently high quality for bottlers abroad. Another Single Malts of Scotland Caol Ila 11 YO 2009 is an Islay single malt from the prolific distillery bottled especially for a few Dutch specialist whisky retailers and was distilled on the 16th of October 2009 and matured in a bourbon hogshead, number 319089. It was bottled on the 20th of June 2021 at 50% ABV, non chill-filtered and with no added colour, as a limited single cask of 339 bottles.
Nose: Aromas of pickled capers, tangy tomatoes, barbecue sauce, sea breeze, peat smoke, maritime tang and citrusy, likely lemon peel
Palate: Honey-smoked ham, barbecued pineapple, elderflower, fresh citrus, minerals, green tea, seawater and delicate peat smoke
Finish: drier, peat, salt and grapefruit with some ashy notes
Released on 22 July 2021
Benrinnes 2006 15 YO Single Malts of Scotland 70cl 55.3%
ABV Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Benrinnes distillery ‘The Ben’, located on the lower slopes of Speyside’s sentinel mountain, is another of those intriguing distilleries which produces a highly individual make but which – due to its demand by blenders – has never become a front-line single malt.
It has six stills which are run in two pairs of three. For years a form of partial triple distillation was utilised to help promote a meaty/sulphury new make character. The low wines from the first distillation were split into strong and weak feints. The lower-strength portion was redistilled in the middle still and split into two again, with the stronger part [strong feints] being carried forward, the weaker being retained for the next charge. The strong feints were then mixed with the highest strength distillate from the wash still and redistilled in the spirit still.
Everything is run through worm tubs which are kept very cold, adding weight and meatiness to the spirit. In recent years, this complex distillation has been simplified.
Occasionally seen as an independent bottling, the clearest manifestation of its meaty quality (which puts it in a similar stylistic camp as Dailuaine, Mortlach and Cragganmore) is exploited by Elixir.
A 2006 Benrinnes single malt from independent bottler
Elixir Distillers that was matured in a single hogshead for 15 years, before
being bottled in July 2021 as part of its Single Malts of Scotland series.
Aromas of waffles and maple syrup, cinnamon, apples and pecans fill the nose,
complemented by notes of chewy toffee, lemon drops, caramel, desiccated
coconut, garden herbs and warm spice throughout the palate.
Released On 27th May 2022
Glentauchers 1997 23 YO Single Malts of Scotland 70cl 53.2%
ABV Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Glentauchers’ new make has always gone into blends which lie on the lighter side of the flavour spectrum, initially Buchanan’s and Black & White, and these days Ballantine’s. Accordingly, the set up – long ferments, slow distillation – has always been one where flowers have been preferred to earthy weight.
Glentauchers’ new make has always gone into blends which lie on the lighter side of the flavour spectrum, initially Buchanan’s and Black & White, and these days Ballantine’s. Accordingly, the set up – long ferments, slow distillation – has always been one where flowers have been preferred to earthy weight.
Another member of the ‘1890s gang’, Glentauchers was established in 1898 by James Buchanan & Co. to provide fillings for its Buchanan’s and Black & White blends. Experiments in ‘continuous pot still distillation’ were tested here (and at Convalmore) at the start of the 20th century. This involved running a 100% barley mash through an adapted pot still. Production was upped considerably in 1966 when the number of stills increased from the original pair to half a dozen.
Glentauchers was one of the many distilleries which fell foul of the slump in demand in the early 1980s and was mothballed in 1985. It was, somewhat surprisingly at the time, snapped up by one of Diageo’s rivals, Allied Distillers, in 1989 [the Allied estate became part of Chivas Brothers in 2005] when it became a named component of Ballantine’s, although the firm didn’t restart production until 1992.
It is not commonly seen as a single malt other than as a bottling from Independent Bottlers. However, in July 2017 Glentauchers was released as a 15-year-old single malt (alongside expressions from Glenburgie and Miltonduff) under the Ballantine’s brand.
A 1997 Glentauchers single malt from independent
bottler Elixir Distillers matured in a single barrel for 23 years,
before being bottled in July 2021 as part of its Single Malts of Scotland
series. Aromas of beeswax, Tonka bean, almond paste, raspberry lemonade,
candied orange peel and meadow flowers fill the nose, complemented by notes of
warm cherry pie, pineapple jelly, ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon pastries and
dried lemon throughout the palate.
Released On 20th May 2022
A small list is placed infra for an insight into the type and volume of business Elixir Distillers are involved in.
- Caol Ila 35 yo (50.9%, Single Malts of Scotland ‘Director’s Special’ 2020)
- Croftengea 15 yo 2006 (53,2%, Elixir Distillers ‘The Whisky Trail Silhouettes’ 2021, hogshead #342, 269 btl.)
- Ben Nevis 6 yo 2015 (58,4%, Elixir Distillers ‘The Whisky Trail Silhouettes’ 2021, barrel #319, 256 btl.)
- Caol Ila 8 yo 2013 (60,6%, Elixir Distillers ‘The Whisky Trail Silhouettes’ 2021, hogshead #304580, 291 btl.)
- Carsebridge 48 yo 1973 (56,3%, Elixir Distillers ‘The Whisky Trail Silhouettes’ 2021, ex-sherry butt #111864, 462 btl.)
- Port Askaig 10 yo ‘10th Anniversary Edition’ (55,85%, Elixir Distillers 2019, 10.000 btl.
- Port Askaig 18 Years (USA exclusive)
- Port Askaig 25 Year Old (USA)
- Port Askaig 25 yo (45,8%, Elixir Distillers 2019, 3000 btl.)
- Ardmore 1998 (Single Malts of Scotland)
- Clynelish 2010 (Single Malts of Scotland)
- Bruichladdich 1992 (Single Malts of Scotland)
- Highland Park 1995 (Single Malts of Scotland)
More details are available at this link and this second link.
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