Discover Its Ultra Rare, Single Cask Scotch Whisky Bottlings

Impartial bottlers of Scotch whisky have turn into an integral a part of the Scotch whisky trade. Finally rely, there have been over 300 completely different unbiased bottlers of Scotch whisky. Many are primarily based within the UK, though they’re changing into significantly prevalent in Europe and Asia.

US primarily based unbiased bottlers of Scotch whisky have additionally been a quickly rising sector, albeit from a small base of corporations. Some of the distinguished is San Francisco primarily based ImpEx. The corporate is an importer that represents a number of distinguished UK primarily based unbiased bottlers, in addition to particular person distillers, whereas additionally being an unbiased bottler in its personal proper.

Lately I sat down with Sam Filmus, cofounder and President of ImpEx, to speak concerning the import and distribution enterprise in addition to their not too long ago launched line of unbiased Scotch whisky bottlings.

JM: You might be an importer and a distributor and now additionally a specialty bottler of Scotch whisky. Which got here first and what was the rationale for increasing the scope of your exercise?

SF: We really began out in 1997 after we based JVS Imports. JVS later grew to become our California Distribution firm and in 2008, ImpEx grew to become the importation arm of the enterprise. We nonetheless run each as sister corporations to today. JVS is the California distributor for the entire ImpEx manufacturers and in addition distributes different beer, wine, and international spirits.

Whereas we had been representing manufacturers in CA that had been imported by others, we felt opening our personal import operation would open the boundaries and develop the manufacturers nationwide. This additionally paved the best way for the vertical integration of leveraging JVS right here in CA.

JM: ImpEx has a detailed working relationship with Elixir Distillers, previously a division of The Whisky Change. How did that affiliation come about? Do you symbolize all of the Elixir ranges within the US? What different Scotch whisky producers are you importing?

SF: With Elixir we symbolize fairly just a few of their manufacturers together with Port Askaig and Single Malts of Scotland, each of that are unbiased bottling (IB) operations in addition to Black Tot Rum. There are just a few extra within the pipeline.

On the Scotch aspect we import Kilchoman, GlenAllachie and MacNair’s, Ardnamurchan and Adelphi (an IB), then the Scotch choices from each Single Cask Nation and The ImpEx Assortment as Impartial Bottlers.

JM: You’ve not too long ago begun bottling your personal proprietary Scotch whisky vary. There are a whole lot of unbiased bottlers of Scotch whisky all over the world and competitors for the very best casks is kind of intense. Why do you assume you will be aggressive on this space?

SF: We’re lucky sufficient to have cast some nice relationships over time on this trade. Together with these comes entry to some beautiful casks. We name the choices in The ImpEx Assortment “gems” as a result of we try to seek out one thing particular and distinctive to supply in our vary of bottlings.

The ImpEx Assortment is not only restricted to Scotch. We additionally provide Rums and different World Whisky with plans to combine some Mezcal this yr. Having a big choice of spirits to entice shoppers provides us the flexibility to be very nicely rounded and nicely acquired. My profession within the Scotch trade began with representing IBs so there has all the time been a particular place in my coronary heart for this and it drove the beginning of The ImpEx Assortment.

The ImpEx Assortment launched a particular expression (the primary from Japan), Secret Japan 17 YO Single Grain Whisky, over the Vacation season. That is accessible at specialty retailers throughout the US and has a suggest retail value of $300. These casks had been chosen by Chris Uhde, ImpEx Drinks’ Vice President, as a result of they symbolize each the traditional magnificence of whisky in addition to the way forward for what whisky will turn into.

We’re within the means of starting to bottle Version Two of The ImpEx Assortment which we plan to launch in Q3 of this yr. We hope to incorporate some Mezcal Expressions with this Version along with the Scotch, World Whisky, and Rums you noticed in Version One.

JM: M & H, an Israeli single malt whisky firm, can be being dealt with by ImpEx. Israel isn’t usually related to malt whisky. How did that relationship come about? Past its native land, is there something distinctive about Israeli whisky?

SF: We had been watching the event of this distillery for the reason that early levels. It was the celebrities aligning that introduced their crew to fulfill ours in Edinburgh the place the choice was made on the spot that our objectives and philosophies had been the identical and we’d be a superb match. Working with the oldsters at M&H is actually a pleasure.

I might say the factor that makes Israeli whisky so distinctive is the new local weather maturation which permits whisky to be prepared in shorter durations of time with out sacrificing style or high quality. Seeing the reception of this model together with a number of awards and accolades proves the whole lot you learn above. It is all the time nice to see the response from shoppers once they style this for the primary time.

JM: Kosher malt whisky has been a small however quickly rising product area of interest. What makes a whisky kosher and the way is it completely different from standard whisky?

SF: We’re lucky to have the ability to provide Kosher licensed expressions from each M&H and from Penderyn. The method and the casks need to be examined and authorized by the rabbinate to ensure that merchandise to be thought of Kosher. Whereas each corporations attempt to supply wonderful Single Malts, having these Kosher certifications permits them to department into an extra group of followers and widen the response.

JM: You additionally deal with Ohishi, a Japanese rice whisky. How is the aroma and style profile of rice whisky completely different from malt whisky or whiskies primarily based on mash payments of various cereals?

SF: Rice whisky is certainly completely different in style and profile. We’re lucky that the manufacturers from Japan we symbolize provide the buyer one thing that they’ve been craving however not discovering over the previous few years, an age assertion and ranging wooden remedies.

My enterprise accomplice, Chris Uhde, has actually executed an incredible job on increasing and creating one thing particular with these choices.

On the whole, rice whisky produces a a lot softer fashion of distillate/whisky and the interplay with the wooden is way completely different. Rice whisky solely requires one distillation the place malt often requires a number of distillations. Rice whisky additionally provides you extra of the Umami really feel that I have not been capable of finding in every other grain or malt whisky.

JM: Rum is one other class that ImpEx has centered on. What rum manufacturers do you import and what alternatives do you see within the rum sector?

SF: We symbolize Black Tot Rum, Rum and Cane Retailers, and a few choices from each The ImpEx Assortment and Single Cask Nation. We’ve been very strategic in relation to the rums now we have chosen, with a deal with discovering rums which might be interesting to whisky drinkers in addition to subtle rum drinkers however are positively not simply your common rum.

We need to convey experiences to shoppers and the tales behind each the manufacturers and the juice are all the time vital to us after we are deciding on manufacturers to symbolize. We nonetheless see rum as a big and rising class and are exploring other ways to convey rum to the American shopper.

The parents at Elixir have executed an important job in providing completely different restricted expressions for Black Tot together with the core Best Caribbean Rum. Rum and Cane Retailers has its three core regional expressions (all the time a wedding of solely two casks) and now we have added some Single Casks from them.

Single Cask Nation introduced in a Brazilian Rum of their Launch 8 line-up. The ImpEx Assortment introduced in casks of Tropically Aged Rum from Jamaica (Lengthy Pond and Clarendon) which we bottled right here in California for Version One and we will probably be bottling two extra with Version Two. The choices for The ImpEx Assortment expressions are all the time from one Single Cask and the age statements symbolize the period of time the Rum has spent there

Beneath are tasting notes on a choice of the unbiased Scotch whisky bottlings from ImpEx.

The ImpEx Assortment, Springbank 1993, 25 YO, 47.5% ABV, 750 ml

Springbank is a Campbeltown favourite whose honeyed, peated fashion is a throwback to the traditional single malts of the nineteenth century. The whisky presents up distinctive honey notes, with earthy barely smoky peaty notes within the background. There are pronounced notes of tropical fruit together with licorice and anise flavors. A wealthy complicated dram with an extended end that ends on a barely bitter be aware.

The ImpEx Assortment, Orkney, 1999, 21 YO, 50.8% ABV, 750 ml

There are solely two distilleries within the Orkneys: Scapa and Highland Park. References to Orkney are usually indicative of a whisky sourced from Highland Park. The whisky options the fragile floral potpourri aromas of dried flowers, particularly dried heather, a profile typical of Highland Park whiskies.

There are further notes of orange zest, a little bit of smoke, a persistent cooked cereal sweetness, in addition to spice notes of cinnamon and a savory marine be aware aroma. The end is lengthy, candy, with a lingering cooked cereal be aware.

The ImpEx Assortment, Caol Ila, 2008, 12 YO, 58.4% ABV, 750 ml

Caol Ila is a traditional Islay malt. Its peating ranges can fluctuate from very slight to pronounced, though its peaty character leans towards earthiness and smoke greater than the medicinal notes typical of its Islay neighbors.

The whisky is pungent with pronounced, briny, earthy peat and distinctive smoked fish aromas. There are candy notes, together with candied citrus zest, cooked cereal and digestive notes. There are further flavors of pink and black berries, together with expresso espresso and chocolate notes. For a younger whisky, it presents up an astonishing diploma of layered complexity with an extended and satisfying end.

The ImpEx Assortment, Cameronbridge, 28 YO, 51.8% ABV, 750 ml

Extremely-aged grain whiskies have turn into more and more standard in recent times, that is very true of grain whiskies which have been matured in Sherry casks. The ImpEx Cameronbridge grain whisky was matured for 28 years in an Oloroso Sherry butt. Cameronbridge, owned by Beverage large Diageo, is the biggest grain distillery in Europe.

The whisky presents up notes of recent apple, butterscotch, vanilla sugar with a touch of maple syrup, together with orange zest, hints of smoke and spice notes of cinnamon, cardamon and nutmeg.

The end is medium size, candy and nutty with a slight bitter be aware.

These are excellent whiskies. They provide up a layered, nuanced complexity with a wealthy satisfying end. They’re all single barrel choices, which implies their availability is restricted to their preliminary bottlings. As soon as they’re gone, they’re gone ceaselessly. All of the extra purpose to seize a bottle for those who discover one that you just like.

A second set of choices is within the works. These are slated for launch later within the yr.

Sláinte