Fair Light is a first-ever blend of premium unpeated single malt, with the distiller's selection of Waiheke's peated back catalogue. Fair Light is named for the first ever synthesizer. This speaks to the synthesis of the two hemispheres that went into this bottling. 

Colour Amber Light 

Nose Heather, honey, vanilla spices, gentle peat 

Palate There are hints of heather honey and vanilla, followed by subtle spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Gentle NZ peat smoke and chocolate. 

Finish Medium-long, dried fruit, chocolate.

A 2002 Pulteney single malt from independent bottler Hunter Laing that was matured in a single ex-bourbon barrel for 19 years, before being bottled in February 2022 as part of its Old Malt Cask series.

TASTING NOTES:

NOSE: Clean, Citrus, Slightly maritime.

PALATE: Honey sweetness, herbal, white pepper.

FINISH: Long with more sweet herbal.

Taiwanese heavyweight Kavalan, most recently ranked 24^th on the World’s Most Admired Whiskies List by Drinks International, is unveiling the global launch of an all new Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask single malt whisky

• Kavalan is launching a new Triple Sherry single malt bottling featuring a mix of whiskies matured in Oloroso, Pedro-Ximenez, and Moscatel Sherry barrels.
• The distillery describes the whisky as having “characteristics of cinnamon, smoked candied plums and citrus, berry, tropical fruit and longan scents, slightly honey, chocolate and toffee tickle the taste buds cheerfully, just like a supple flamenco dance."
• It will come with an all new packaging which visually expresses the profile of the whisky through intertwining patterns of white, gold and red, which were painted with acrylic, to symbolise the smooth taste of the three Sherry casks used.
• This will be a real balancing act for the Taiwanese distillery as it must avoid becoming overly-sherried, which can be sharp and too intense, whilst drawing out the mellow, honey sweetness from the PX and Moscatel barrels, and the dried fruits from the Oloroso barrels.

Flavour: Ripe, mature berries and dried fruits fill the nose, with fresh scents of grapes and citrus interlaced with chocolate brownie and toffee sweetness. Hints of cinnamon, clover and spiciness, blend into pleasant oakiness and fragrant rosemary.

Palate: Lingering flavours of sherry dried fruits. Warm and smooth with a mellow texture. A lively flamenco dance of candied fruit, caramel, and honey sweetness on the taste buds. Multi-layered and perfectly balanced, it's an unforgettable feast for the palate.

Tasting: Best paired with desserts, dark chocolates, nuts, seafood salads, smoky meats and mildly spicy cuisine.

Taiwanese whisky has been a 'thing' for a while now, since 2008 in fact, but the highly-regarded Kavalan whiskies are now finally available in NZ !!!

KAVALAN Solist Brandy Cask matures in selected first fill brandy casks, which give it its sweet and balanced taste. It is unchill-filtered with no added coloring and is bottled as a single cask at cask strength. Each bottling carries a serial number, cask type and the signature of the master blender.

Tasting Note 

Nose: Peaches and cream, strawberry jam, freshly cut passion fruit, creamy toffee, baking spices and warm honey.

Palate: Tinned peaches, oily with dark toffee, toasted nuts and tropical fruits.

Finish: A long finish of stewed peaches, lychee and cocoa.

The name Kavalan means ‘flatland people’ and is named after the local indigenous tribes who originally inhabited the area. The land on which the distillery sits is known for its cold spring water and salty ocean air and let’s not forget the subtropical heat which helps with accelerated maturation taking the whisky only two years to produce.

“We strive to produce quality and distinctive Taiwanese whisky and we are confident that it will please the whisky connoisseurs worldwide. Kavalan whisky is now available in most European countries and will be launched in the US and Russia very soon. Our goal is to make Kavalan available globally.”- Ian Cheng Kavalan Distillery Master Distiller

The top floors of this warehouse at the distillery can reach up to 108 degrees Fahrenheit, causing an angel’s share of no less than 15% annually. The distilleries most memorable awards coming from the Whisky Magazine’s most prestigious awards Icons of Whisky being named ‘Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year’ in 2011′, The Kavalan Fino being named Asian Whisky of the Year 2013, and The Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique being named 2015 World Whisky of the Year’

The second whisky in the Kavalan Concertmaster series is aged in the distillery’s own special reserve of refill casks, then finished in the Spanish ex Sherry casks. Bottled at 40% abv with no colouring.

Our Tasting Notes

Nose: Tropical fruits of mango and coconut, red fruits of raspberries and cranberries, milk chocolate and creamy vanilla toffee.

Palate: Ripe dark fruits of raisins and figs, toasted walnuts and almond flakes, creme brûlée and strawberry jam.

Finish: Dark chocolate, creamy toffee and red fruits.

Nose - There is a lot of typical Kavalan nuts, vanilla and honey but then comes this beautiful sweet smoky sea air with stewed apples, pears, pineapples and thick raspberry jam. It has the signature Kavalan tropical fruit notes, but they are hidden under a thick smoke and vanilla scent.

Palate - It comes in warm and thick a true Cask Strength single malt, with that raspberry jam and thick vanilla from the nose really showing their way through along with some coconut and smoky fruit flavour. This has a medium to long finish that is all present on the palate and coating of your mouth. When swallowed it seems to disappear as if it never went down at all but your mouth is left with a ton of smoky spices and fruity flavours that stay for a long time.

A smooth and balanced spirit - a fine blend of golden grain and full flavoured malted barley.  Triple-distilled and aged a minimum of three years in bourbon barrels.  Proper No. Twelve offers hints of vanilla, honey-like sweetness and toasted wood.  A proper salute to all.

This 'Fife Blend' is a collaboration with a farm distillery in Fife and consists of a  25yo Cameronbridge finished in Marsala casks blended with 15yo whisky from an unnamed Fife distillery (very possibly Daftmill) and bottled at 56.3%.

Nose
Light and remarkably effervescent, with fresh grapes, peach, cherry and mango, alongside subtle richer notes of maple syrup and banana.

Taste
Ripe nectarine, mango and apricot merge with candied ginger stem, syrup and milk chocolate. A dash of water brings out big notes of tropical fruits.

Finish
Strawberries, dry champagne and passionfruit.

This Aberlour has been finished in a first fill oloroso butt and bottled by independent bottler James Eadie.

Nose
Fresh and aromatic roasted coffee, cloves and pepper mingle with strawberries and raspberry jam.

Taste
Soft, rounded fresh strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and redcurrants.

Finish
Thick strawberry jam and clotted cream.

Commercial description

We took our juicy, signature Single Malt whisky and finished it for a further 18 months in the deliciously peated Scotch barrels from world renowned, Lagavulin Distillery.

With a passionate following of whisky enthusiasts worldwide, Lagavulin is known for their iconic peated Single Malt Scotch whisky. We admire their meticulous approach to crafting their world-famous smoky flavor.

Discovering Islay

Nestled on the rugged coast of Scotland, Islay is surrounded by salty seas and big coastal winds. Lagavulin's distinctive Islay malt is influenced by the surrounding climate, reaffirming that the very best whiskies reflect the place they're made.

Aged in Melbourne

Like the climate of Scotland, the Melbourne climate influences the maturation of our whiskies. Melbourne’s notorious four seasons in a day makes our barrels contract and expand, allowing our whisky to dynamically extract all the delicious flavor of the Lagavulin barrels.

Teaninich 13yo Refill Marsala Hogshead Cask Finish #358025
Nose
Plums, strawberry jam, damsons, raspberries, currants and icing sugar.
Taste
Waxy, well-rounded and fruity, with nectarines, peaches, plums and stone fruits, alongside a hint of cinnamon.
Finish
Full and long-lasting, ending on sweet, syrupy stewed plums.

Tomatin 8yo First Fill Bourbon & Re-charred Hogsheads - ‘The Beehive’

Nose
Fruity, fresh and honeyed, with fresh apple juice, beeswax, vanilla custard and buttered toast.

Taste
Like the nose, fresh and fruity rhubarb, blackberry and malt loaf, with mouth-coating waxy, blueberry jam undertones.

Finish
White and milk chocolate, gooseberries and cream.

Glen Elgin 12yo Refill Oloroso Sherry Hogshead Cask Finish #361161

Nose
Rich and indulgent, with treacle, toffee, golden syrup, raisins, candied almonds and orange peel.

Taste
Thick, syrupy notes of banana, sultanas and malt loaf dunked in black tea, with a pleasing hint of blacked pepper.

Finish
Chai masala, cardamon and brown sugar.

SAMAROLI BLEND
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
BOTTLED IN SCOTLAND IN 2023

That tune, that song... often the emotions that find us out are too strong, the nostalgia sneaks up on us too quickly. You used to listen to that song with your folks… and now you aren’t with them, or they are simply not around anymore. Your memory feeds back sensations and feelings that the encaged present cannot capture; it is incapable of rationalising. But they occur, and they are the ones who will take your place, and in your honour that same melody, that same music, becomes a masterpiece of man’s ingenuity, capable of transcending the future and moving closer to those indescribable moments of infinity and eternity.
In the same way this blend was born with the precise intent of enabling those who are getting to know us what past we have been capable of bringing about and at the same time to remind those who know us well who we are now and that this is what we wish to be. 

Listen: the backing track of an iconic Speyside distillery marries up perfectly with a great grain, arranging an aromatic bouquet worthy of a solo in the spotlight. A slow ouverture, but now bursts of ripe fruit, hay, lawn and petrichor. In the mouth majestic, warm and harmonious: we are back among the flavours of grandma’s kitchen: her sweet baking, her slightly, perfectly burnt mostaccioli biscuits.

A.W.B.
BLEND COMPOSITION:

1 cask of Glenburgie 1995 - Hogshead - Refill Bourbon
1 cask of North British 1992 (Grain whisky) - Barrel - Refill Bourbon
BOTTLES PRODUCED: 236
ABV: 48%