MASTER OF MALT announce limited edition bottling by BenRiach and Caskstrength.net

MASTER OF MALT announce limited edition bottling by BenRiach and Caskstrength.net

Drinks writers Neil Ridley and Joel Harrison of Caskstrength.net have teamed up with BenRiach whisky distillery to produce a single cask, Single Malt Scotch Whisky. This limited edition bottling is available only through Master of Malt.

Online retailers Master of Malt are proud to announce the exclusive release of a limited edition bottling of 16 year old BenRiach Single Malt Scotch Whisky selected by renowned whisky journalists Neil Ridley and Joel Harrison of Caskstrength.net.  Working directly with BenRiach, Mr. Ridley and Mr. Harrison hand selected a single cask to release this limited edition run of 296 bottles.

The whisky was distilled in 1996, aged for 16 years including 4 years in a Pedro Ximenez sherry cask, and bottled in July of 2012. The whisky is a single cask whisky (cask #5614) and was bottled at cask strength at 55.2% abv.

This bottling represents the second in a series of ‘A-Z’ bottlings to be released by Caskstrength.net. Their first release was an Arran Single Malt Scotch Whisky and sold out in a matter of days on Master of Malt. The Arran release has since become a collectors’ item and has tripled in price in the past year. Caskstrength.net has yet to reveal what their next release will be.

Each 70cl bottle is labelled with the ‘Cask Strength and Carry On’ logo, is individually numbered, and is hand signed by both Mr. Ridley and Mr. Harrison. The first 50 bottles will be sold with a limited edition ‘Cask Strength and Carry On’ cotton carrier bag.

Tasting notes:

Nose: Toffee sweetness and Werther’s Originals spring out of the gate. The PX finishing is extremely apparent with brown sugar and Christmastime notes with  a hint of salted caramel and just a whisper of granny’s old baking-and-spice cabinet.

Palate: Rich, dark, and dried fruits roll down like an avalanche and lead into a river of caramel and toffee. Some soft potpourri and candied lemon peel pops up its head but doesn’t overpower. Begins elegantly and reveals a more powerful flavour with time.

Finish: Long and lingering, it carries the salted caramel through to the back of the throat for a pleasantly drying finish thanks to the Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.

Master of Malt Seeks Online Editor

Master of Malt Seeks Online Editor

Online spirits retailer Master of Malt seeks a new Online Editor for an exciting, challenging role in the spirits and drinks industry, with a competitive salary and incredible job perks including a monthly whisky allowance!

As Online Editor, you will be responsible for Master of Malt’s online presence. This includes writing, maintaining and updating all the content on the website, as well as creating press releases; writing blog posts; coming up with products and content for email newsletters; writing detailed information and tasting notes for new products; and creating and updating information on brands, distilleries, regions, spirits and their styles.

The successful candidate will also be the voice of Master of Malt, crafting its PR message and ensuring its delivery. This requires a thorough understanding of social media such as Twitter, Facebook and other networks, and the ability to manage Master of Malt’s presence on them. An extension of this involves representing the company at various industry events, tastings and trips.

The successful applicant will have an absolutely impeccable grasp of the English Language; faultless Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation are essential. You’ll need a high level of competence in all Microsoft Office products (especially Excel), a good knowledge of HTML & CSS, and very good skills in all products in the Adobe Creative Suite.

A keen knowledge of whisky and other spirits is a must-have, as is a decent working knowledge of Wine and Champagne. Training will be provided, but a solid foundation is a necessity.

Perks of the job:

-              A monthly “Dramming Allowance” of whisky to improve your tasting knowledge.
-              The chance to work within the exciting, ever-changing spirits industry
-              Frequent tastings, seminars and trips to distilleries!
-              The opportunity to work in a face-paced, creative working environment
-              Competitive salary

The hours are Monday-Friday 09:00 – 17:30, working in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

If you feel this role is for you then please send a CV and a covering letter to Ben Ellefsen, Sales Director (ben@masterofmalt.com). All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

master of malt Movember Charity

Master of Malt teams up with Glenfarclas for Movember 2011

Online retailer and independent bottler Master of Malt has teamed up with the legendary Scotch whisky distillery, Glenfarclas, to release a very special Charity bottling to raise funds for Movember UK – a charity dedicated to raising money and awareness for men’s health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer.

Master of Malt release a special Movember whisky every year (last year, Master of Malt raised over £2,000!) and this year should see even more raised as £10 from every single bottle sold will be donated directly to Movember UK. Of course, all the chaps at Master of Malt will also be growing moustaches throughout the month! (In the accompanying images here; you’ll see photos of the men at Master of Malt, before Movember, and after “shavedown”.)

The whisky itself was drawn from two Oloroso sherry hogshead casks and is 9 years old. Even at this young age there is a huge amount of flavour and complexity, and the single malt can be perfectly described as an ‘aperitif whisky’ – nutty and intensely savoury.

You can help raise money for Movember UK by buying a bottle of Glenfarclas – Movember 2011 from Master of Malt for £39.95.

Visit Movember UK to read more about the men’s health charity.

You can also support Master of Malt and Movember by joining their MoSpace team here.

The Label

The front labels of the bottles bear a photograph of the Glenfarclas distillery workforce, taken in 1891. Many of the gentlemen in the photo are wearing impressive moustaches, so in true Movember spirit, the chaps at Master of Malt recreated the photo exactly, taking up the same poses, facial hair and dress as the men from 1891. The 2011 recreation can be seen adorning the back labels of the bottles.

Tasting Notes

Nose: A whiff of salted almonds is overtaken by sherry – somewhere between Manzanilla and Fino – surprising, since this was matured solely in Oloroso. With warmth applied, the caramel-rich Oloroso starts to come through, with a hint of Brazil nut shell.

Palate: Starts off big with just a smidge of sweetness before the savoury Fino takes over. An almost saline note creeps through before moving into blue agave tequila, with a hint of lime zest bitterness.

Finish: Dries out, with freshly-shaved oak, Christmas spices, and a touch of pine. Very moreish.

Overall: A seriously grown-up whisky, miles away from a standard Glenfarclas - further even than the refill Bourbon matured Family Casks. Glenfarclas, usually an after-dinner treat, is firmly in the aperitif camp here. Superb with smoked almonds or sharp cheeses.