A very big end of year hello to each and everyone one of you out there in Whiskyland and as always all of us here hope that this finds you and all of yours safe and well. If ever there has been a year that all of us will be happy to see the back of its this one and with breakthroughs seeming to be on the horizon with vaccines we can only hope and pray that 2021 will be somewhat kinder to us, at least eventually. It’s been a long road for all of us and although we are being told there’s light at the end of the tunnel I have a feeling that it’s going to be a long tunnel so don’t unbuckle just yet. Stay tucked up safe at home with a dram and pass a little time with what we’ve been up to over the past month.

What’s a newsletter without some news, so that’s where we will start.

By now, we had hoped that the shelves of our favourite boutique stores would be being emptied of our third releases, which comprise of three casks that we’ve been saving for Christmas.

Sadly due to some major Covid related issues at the bottling plant these drams are yet to hit the bottle but we are hoping after indications from our bottler that there may be much better news by the end of this week so fingers crossed everyone that heading your way will be an 8 year old PX finished Balblair, a 10 year old beautifully sherried Linkwood and a young but stunning 5 year old 1st fill Oloroso Tullibardine that’s just so good that we had no choice but to bottle it.

Everything about these drams says Christmas time with your feet up by the fire and your favourite old movie on. Better still spread the love and share with your nearest and dearest (only if your allowed depending on restrictions of course).

We can also let you know that the warehouse is now completely empty with all that remains of our second release and all that’s left is now sitting with our distributor around the world.

We’re delight to welcome three new countries to the ever growing nations where you can find Dràm Mòr single cask bottling on the shelves with these being Denmark, Israel and Ukraine.

Velkommen, ברוך הבא  and ласкаво просимo one and all.

Once our new distributors in these new territories for us start to weave their magic and bring new outlets to the Dràm Mòr family you can be sure we will let you know.

One more bit of important news is to bring to your attention There is a very interesting little project coming soon from Mr. David Rogiers of Holy Beer House in Lokeren, Belgium. This wonderful Belgium beer brewer has brought together his mercurial brewing skills with our humble whisky casks to bring to us all a Dràm Mòr cask Belgian beer! I know! Amazing. (Are you listening Mr Shilton Almeida ) I haven’t yet had the chance to try this yet but you need to believe I’m incredibly excited about this release. Special thanks to Claudine and Geert Ros for putting us together with David. One always needs a guardian angel and we’ve got a couple in Belgium.

As always more info will get to you as soon as I have any.

Over the last wee while we have been called upon more and more with demand for on line tastings. Those of you who were on the MEUG tasting session which brought a multitude of Independent bottlers together will vouch for the fact that I’m not at my best when it comes to technology, but somehow I get there in the end although my attempts with my good friends from The Highland Circle in Nuremberg we’re well, slightly more challenging. Thank goodness for FaceTime 

I have to be honest, at first the whole Zoom thing really wasn’t doing it for me but as you get more used to things like this you find your comfort zone and I think (even if I do say so myself) that I’m getting to grips with the virtual world of distance tastings.

On Wednesday, we had a wonderful session with our new friends like HongFu in Singapore, which I really enjoyed (nothing to do with six drams at 12:30! Thanks time difference), so thanks to all who gave up their time to listen to my ramblings. In fact, when I look at the diary, I have an event every weekend night through to Christmas week fully booked now with tastings, so I hope to see some of you on screen pretty soon.

Speaking of on screen I’ve received many messages in the last month asking about an appearance in a movie being screened lately, “Get Duked”.

Yes, the handsome young man in green waterproof dungarees is indeed yours truly (it’s a bold look let me tell you:))) Autographs on request only, ok! 

Back to the more important business of whisky and we have been humbled by some of the reviews that have come in on line over the last month. Many thanks to some familiar reviewers and some new friends alike and we cannot thank you enough for taking time to critic our whiskies and for the kind words and recommendations we have received. So thanks go out to The Whisky Manual and Whisky Art for their review of our Glenrothes 9 Muscatel finish and Tomintoul 15 Sauternes finish. The Tomintoul also went down incredibly well with the very man who makes this whisky Mr. Iain Forteath, Master Blender at Angus Dundee, who said that on the palate this expression is “Sweet and tangy. Stone fruits, mandarin peels, peach blossom, lemon peel and lime leaves with clove, vanilla and coffee grounds.”
The next two reviewers came to us from Norway with great critical notes from Whisky Saga and Freedom and Whisky. Many thanks to them both and some great points mentioned in both reviews that allow us to benchmark ourselves and check if we are on the right track.

We have also had some lovely shares and mentions on social media this month with special thanks to Sieberts Whiskywelt, München, Mr Nick Gascoyne who we welcome to the clan and who kindly shared his first Dràm Mòr Glen Garioch with us (thanks Nick) and as always a wee mention to my good friend Thomas Talarczyk for spreading the word on our Glenrothes sister casks.

Thanks to all of you.

Well, Lads and Lassies, that brings us to the end of another whisky update and, more importantly, to the end of the first full year of Dràm Mòr Group’s single cask whiskies. To every single one of you who has put their hand in their pocket and spent hard earned cash on our whisky, please, believe me, when I tell you that there are no words to express how much we appreciate what you have done for us. We may yet be small and still the new kid on the block, but the belief you’ve shown in us as well as the financial backing spurns us upward and onward to bigger and better things and we would love to keep you right along side us as we grow.

All that remains is for me to wish all of you on behalf of Viktorija, Ruaraidh and myself the very best of Christmases even though we may have some restrictions on us and let’s hope we can all look forward to a New Year, which will see us able to share, hug, laugh and dram together again.

Until 2021……

Slàinte!

Kenny