‘New whisky from the Grand Lodge of Scotland’

    

Grand Lodge of Scotland

You’ll have to be in the United Kingdom to taste it, but the Grand Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland offers a new expression of its Grand Master Mason’s Choice Whisky.

A single malt, like the 2015 release, this one is aged ten years, whereas that previous offering had no age statement. Like the 2015, however, the packaging seems to misstate the strength; this one says 40 percent proof, but surely they mean 80 proof (i.e., 40 percent alcohol by volume). Maybe I’m mistaken and I do not understand their jargon because I can’t see how the same error could reoccur. (Some baffling government regulation?) Anyway, from the scant publicity:

Grand Master Mason’s

Choice Whisky

£50 (inc. VAT)

Speyburn is the only distillery to draw its water from the Granty Burn, a major tributary of the River Spey. Matured in American oak ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, the resulting whisky is mellow and well balanced with hints of fresh fruit, toffee and butterscotch, and a long smooth, sweet finish.

A 10 year old single malt

70cl

40 percent proof

Important Information: This whisky is available from the Grand Lodge shop within Freemasons’ Hall (after 10 a.m. due to Scottish licensing laws). The whisky also is available for sale from our online shop within the UK only. In Scotland it is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 years, per Section 110 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.

That 70 centiliters is two ounces short of the 750ml packaging we Americans see on the shelves. (And that’s a taste short of what we used to call “a fifth,” but that’s a whole other story.) Also available is a 5cl bottle, packaged in a box, at £8.50.

The Grand Lodge also would like it to be known that this product will not be for sale at this month’s Festival of St. Andrew.