Behind the scenes at Hebridean Liqueur Company…

How it all started, what is wrong with the Mail order Business and how we do things here at Hebridean Liqueurs.

Hebridean Liqueur Company Behind-The-Scenes Story

A bit of history…

Roy Lewis set up Hebridean Liqueur Company in 1995. To start with one liqueur was created – The Original Lakeland Liqueur, which was sold initially in the Lake District of England. This first liqueur was a combination of Scotch Whisky, caramel and butterscotch. Most liqueurs available at that time were 40% Alcohol by Volume, were very sweet and made in large quantities.

Roy created a liqueur that was not too strong at 20 % Alcohol by Volume and not too sweet. In addition, it was produced in small batches so it was much easier for their customers to buy some what was freshly made which meant that the flavours were at their best.

How did all this come about in the first place? Roy had a Degree in Marine Biology and worked as a Computer Salesman for a large Multinational Computer Company for many years. A chance comment from a friend about the Scotch Whisky and Liqueur business and the existence of thousands of brands in Scotland that were ideal gifts, got Roy thinking. How was it that no-one had developed anything similar in England and more specifically, in The Lake District. This was one of the most visited tourist areas in the United Kingdom, yet there was no alcoholic gift that these tourists could buy to take home.

After about a year of background research into what drinks were made over the past 2-400 years in the Lake District, a prototype sample was made – it was delicious but looked a bit like black coffee. It took another 6 months for the recipe to be refined and made suitable for production on a commercial basis. In March 1995, The Original Lakeland Liqueur was first made. That same day, Roy and his business partner, drove to the Lake District and delivered the first orders to their new retail customers. The business was up and running. Later that year he took a trade stand at the Penrith Show and sold more Lakeland Liqueur in one day that most of the new retailers had sold in 6 months. With that success at the Penrith Show behind him, a network of Show Distributors was set up and continues to this day, serving customers at events throughout Britain.

Soon after the launch of Lakeland Liqueur, Hebridean Whisky Liqueur was also created, so that the Company had something to offer Scottish customers. This new liqueur was so popular that from that point on, customers referred to the company as Hebridean Liqueur Company. The name stuck.

High Peak Liqueur and William Shakespeare’s Whisky Liqueur followed on in the next few years and then in 2003, Roy created Lord Nelson’s Spiced Rum Liqueur. The original idea was to have a product to sell at The Festival of the Sea Bicentenary of The Battle of Trafalgar, in 2005.

In 2006, another liqueur brand was created, The Iron’ Duke’s No1 London Brandy Liqueur. This was made with a 10 year old French Brandy and has proved to be a steady seller over the years.

About this time, an Italian tourist bought some of our liqueurs at a Consumer show in Wales. It turned out that he worked for a company in Sorrento that also made liqueurs. Roy started to import these Italian liqueurs and now sells eight of these specialist and delicious liqueurs.

From time to time, customers have asked if the Roy had access to any special and rare Scotch Whiskies. Initially, some were sourced from a local supplier. Now the Hebridean Liqueur Company has it’s own ‘Limited Edition’ Speyside Malt Whisky specially selected and bottled, which changes every year when stocks sell out.

 

Want to make your own liqueur? Read on….this is on our website, for a bit of fun.

We are confident at the Hebridean Liqueur Company that you will be satisfied with our liqueurs and will want to come back for more, either for your own enjoyment or for lovely presents for birthdays, special occasions, Christmas or just as a treat. However, if you would like to create your own liqueur, this is what to do….

First, have an idea of what you want to make. I found the best way has been to pore through old recipe books from days gone by. Try and find a combination of flavours that no one else has thought of. This should not take longer that about 1 year.

Next, make up some liqueur using the spirit that you have in mind – make sure you write down the ingredients that you use and remember that when you make commercial quantities, it will not be possible to use the ingredients that you use at home – I found this out the first time I tried to buy these goods.

Once you are happy with the recipe, adjust it a so that the resulting liqueur is not too sweet or strong, and that almost everyone who tastes it likes it. Leave another year for this.

Now you can focus on the packaging. Choose a bottle that you like and try and find out who makes it. This may take some time. Alternatively, attend a few Trade Shows in UK and Europe to see if you can find a reliable bottle supplier that can get the glass you want when you need it. You may have to order 2 years worth in one order and pay for it prior to delivery. The supplier may be able to supply corks-only the best Class ‘A’ cork will do, so it may take a while to find who can supply a cork to fit your bottle, and then to get them to make one for you.

While this is happening, you will have thought of a name for your liqueur. You will have checked with the Patent Office that the name is available – if not, think of another one. Apply for the Trademark – this takes at least 3 months – more if someone objects, then perhaps years if you have to keep adjusting the name and reapplying. Buy the Domain name too.

Labelling is important, so find a designer whose work you like – visiting some more, different Trade Shows, to see who use whom for what. Decide on the style you want and how the story of the brand will come across in your packaging. Now you will need to write the copy for the label, back label and neck tag, ensuring that everything meets with UK and EU packaging regulations.

Find a label supplier who can also make the neck tags. If you are using string for the necktags, find a curtain and embroidery accessory supplier who can supply what you want.

Once you have ordered your bottle, labels and necktags, now order the spirit and cases. You will of course have developed relationships with a number of companies who can provide what you want – you have to tell them what you are looking for and what style and taste you want bases on the samples they have sent you. You will need to order up enough spirit for your first batch. Cases are supplied by specialist case suppliers who will measure your chosen bottle and will make up a case that will fit – you will have to specify what thickness of cardboard you want.

All the above will be delivered to the manufacturer you have chosen. Most will want to run a batch of about 500 cases of 12 bottles so when you make your first batch, you need to be confident that have the recipe refined using the commercial ingredients that will now have ordered and paid for.

Make the batch – the final taste will be down to you. This is the scary bit!

Now you can start selling the liqueur, bearing in mind no one will have heard of it or have asked for it as it has not existed until now. Or drink it all yourself!

Alternatively, you can order one of our liqueurs and have it delivered to you, ready to drink, sure in the knowledge that you could make your own, but in the meantime, sit back, relax and enjoy your favourite.

What’s wrong with the Mail Order Industry?

Selecting and ordering goods via the Internet and catalogue should be a great way to buy goods. You don’t have to waste time and money by trawling through shops to find what you want, only to discover they only have that one in the window or don’t have it in stock. You can choose exactly what you want and have it delivered direct to you. In addition, sometimes special offers are available and you get a good price too.

However, all is not like that in the Mail order Industry. A recent survey of people who have experience ordering goods via Mail Order, detailed the following areas that are real concerns.

Trustworthy company

Knowing that the company is actually real and does exist it critical. How many times have you heard of friends and neighbours ordering something and then finding our later that the retailer has taken their money and does not exist? Not only do you lose out but also your bank accounts details could be in the hands of criminals.

Out of stock items still on website

Paying for goods that should not be on a company’s Website as they are not in stock. This is very common. They still take your money and then you have a battle to either get the goods sent on, sometimes having to pay two sets of delivery charges or you never get your order and then spend months trying to get a refund.

Hidden charges

Not only do you sometimes have to pay an unrealistically high Delivery Charge or Insurance Cover, but as you pay for the order, you are then charged for paying by card and then have an ‘order handling fee’ added on or a ‘fuel supplement fee’. At least when you buy an airline ticket, you are anticipating that they will dream up lots of extra charges to fleece you, but you don’t expect this when all you want is to order something straightforward. Of course, you aren’t told about all the extra charges until you have spent ages going through the website and entering all your details, on the phone placing an order or filling in a Mail Order form. If you had known about all the extra charges, you wouldn’t have even started the whole business. Why can’t they just tell you before you start what it will cost to delivery your order? That doesn’t sound too hard does it?

High carriage costs

You have chosen what you want to buy, place the order and then, right at the end of the checkout process, you see that a big delivery charge is added. If you live somewhere out of the way, an extra surcharge is added on too. The whole experience of buying your goods becomes a real let down and you feel as if you have been swindled. Why didn’t the company state right at the beginning of the ordering process that the delivery charges were. If you had known that you would not have gone ahead with the order.

Goods not turning up

You place an order and the goods simply never turn up. You contact the company and nobody seems to know anything about it. You do – you paid for the order, they have your money and they won’t give it back. You chances of getting this sorted out in your favour are low and you know it.

Slow delivery

You place you order and then wait. And wait. Gone are the ’28 days until delivery’. You expect that you should be getting delivery in a few days. What with the variety of excellent Couriers available, what’s the problem? Is there something else that they haven’t told you? Are they out of stock? Do they use a tracking system to work out where your order is? What are they going to do about it? Help!

Goods not as described or wrong items set

How annoying is this? You carefully select what you want and then either the wrong items are sent or they goods don’t look like the ones on the Website or catalogue. To add insult to injury, you then have to battle with the supplier to sort it out. What a nightmare! Not only do you have to prove what you say, but also if you send the goods back for a refund, you have to pay for the carriage and organise it all yourself. Then you have to wait weeks to get the refund and if you’re lucky.

Difficulty replacing goods damaged in transit.

The order arrives and something is broken. You call the company and then you start the whole process of having to prove that the goods are broken. Taking pictures, sending them in or sending the broken goods back, at your cost. The supplier just doesn’t believe you.

Having to pay for lost parcels

You place you order and it just never arrives. When you contact the Supplier, it turns out they do not have a parcel tracking system so they have no idea what has happened to your order. All they say is, ‘we sent it’. That’s it. They can’t help you and certainly will not send a replacement order to you. Not only have you paid for goods that have not arrived, but you then have to fight to either get a refund or a replacement with a company that is so disorganised that they don’t even know what they have sent to whom. You have paid for the goods, they have not arrived and no one will do anything about it. You wish you had never ordered anything in the first place.

Goods not actually owned by supplier so take weeks to arrive, if ever

After placing the order, it takes weeks to arrive. After a bit of research, it turns out that the supplier doesn’t even have the goods you ordered in stock as they don’t even own them and they have then placed an order with another company that may or may not send the goods to you. It would be so much easier if the supplier guaranteed that they owned and had all the goods on offer, in stock and available to ship now.

Goods just left in rain and getting ruined

Now this is very common. Not only do the delivery company not get a signature but also they just leave the parcel outside in the rain. This means the goods may be ruined and you know that you expected to have the goods signed for. Why didn’t they do that? You paid for a service that you did not receive. Both you and the company you ordered goods from have both been ripped off!

No process to arrange for order to be delivered to another address

If you are working during the week, it might not be possible to be at home to receive your order. You might want to buy something via Mail Order and have it delivered to a friend or relative as a present. When you get through the ordering process, you discover right at the end that you can only have the goods delivered to your home address and that as you are not there, you either have to cancel the order or stay at home for days on end waiting for the parcel to arrive. All you wanted to do was to arrange an alternative delivery address such as your work address, a neighbour or the address of the gift recipient. That’s not too much to ask is it?

Payment card and bank security compromised

You have paid for your order with a card or via bank transfer. You then discover that another company has charged you for something you did not order. The original supplier has sold your card details and now you have to contact your card issuer and cancel the card. Because you willingly gave your card details to the supplier, you might not even get refunded with the fraudulent charge. How do you know that the ordering process is secure and that this Supplier will not sell on your card details? Are they in business for the long-term? If so, they would never do this. How do you know?

Personal information shared with other companies

The order arrives! Brilliant. Then you start to receive emails and letters from all sorts of companies that you have never heard of. What has happened is that the Supplier has sold on your personal details without your consent. You contact the Supplier and they deny everything. It is now impossible to stem the tide of junk mail and spam messages. Just getting this sorted out and stopped now takes weeks if not months of painstaking detailed effort on your part. Does the Supplier help? No.

In Summary…

Well that’s a pretty exhaustive list of what can go wrong when you use the Mail Order Industry.

Let’s consider now what should happen.

 

So you want to order something Online or via a Mail Order Catalogue?

Well this sounds easy. But is it? Lots of companies appear to have nice looking Websites and catalogues.

Where do you start and what should you be looking for in the mail order service offered by the Supplier?

With all Mail Order businesses, the whole process has a start and an end. You should receive the right goods at the right price at the right address and in the right condition for you to enjoy them.

 

Here’s the ideal situation.

You decide to order something. If you call the company, you should expect to be listened to in a polite and helpful manner. The details of your order should be taken down correctly. In addition, the company should make you aware of any special deals or offers so that you get the best price available.

If you order either online or via a catalogue, the ordering and payment process should be easy to follow. There should be no surprises at the end of the ordering process. There should be no payment charges no matter what method you use. Most credit and debit cards should be accepted. Cheques, electronic payment via a bank and PayPal too should be fine for payment.

You should have the confidence that the company will not share your payment or personal details with any other company. The payment process should be secure.

When it comes to paying for the order, there should be no extra delivery or insurance charges – in fact there should be no extra charge for anything. The price quoted to you should be the price you pay.

When you order goods, if the goods are out of stock you should be told or you should be able to see this in front of you if you are using a website. You should not be able to order goods that are out of stock.

Once you have ordered and paid, you should then be given a delivery date estimate. If you are not likely to be available to receive the goods, then you should be able to nominate an alternative delivery address.

When the order arrives, the goods should arrive in good condition and they should have been packed properly. If there is anything broken or missing or the goods were not what you were expecting, the Supplier should sort everything out for you at no cost to you. They will do all the work, not you.

 

Hebridean Liqueur Company

Driven by a passion for getting things right

Over the years, lots of new ways have developed for our customers to order liqueurs. What we try to do is to make ordering from us EASY and geared to suit the way you would like to do it. This means that we are happy to hear from you:

In person

By post

Telephone call

Via email

Online through our Website

 

It makes no difference which way you order – our special prices and offers are available to all our customers via all methods. This seems fair to me and I hope it seems fair to you too.

Trustworthy company

Customers have been ordering liqueurs from us for 15 years. This means that we have experience running a Mail Order business. Our contact details are on all our correspondence with you and our address and telephone number is on every page of our Website. If you want to come and meet us in Helensburgh, you are welcome to come and do so. You might even be offered a free sample of our liqueurs!

We are in this business for the long haul. The owner, Roy Lewis is always looking for ways to improve the offers for customers and to make their experience with the company and their liqueurs a memorable one. Customer comments are encouraged – each order placed has a Customer Survey included so that the service can be further improved for your benefit. We care.

Out of stock items still on website

Our stock levels are checked frequently so that it is very unusual to have an item listed that is not available. If this does happen, the customer who has ordered the item is contacted straight away and either a refund offered or arrangements made to send the goods on when they are in stock. There is no extra cost to the customer. The mistake is ours so we take responsibility to sort it out.

Free delivery – everywhere in UK

There are no delivery charges with us, no matter where you live in Great Britain. Even if you live on an island or in a remote area, there is no extra charge.

You only pay for the goods you want at the price you see either online or in our printed price list.

No Hidden Charges

When you order on our Web site or by telephone or mail, there are no Credit Card charges and no handling fees. With us, what you see is what you pay. No sneaky charges to catch you out. Just one price that you pay and that is it.

Guaranteed. No hidden charges.

Goods not turning up

This can happen. All you need to do is call us. A Courier, which uses a Parcel Tracking system, is used so that at all times, we know where an order is. We can tell if your order has been delivered, when it was delivered, who signed for it and we can print out a copy of the signature. This means that if something does not arrive, we can do something about it right away. We can either find where the parcel is and get it to you or arrange for a replacement order to be delivered.

For most deliveries, we use a specialist Courier Company that is used to dealing with handling glass. If you want your order delivered to somewhere remote places and islands, we use Royal Mail and Parcelforce – we have found that both are excellent.

Slow delivery

When you place an order with us, we arrange to have your order delivered within 2 days. This means that even if you order late in the afternoon or in the evening, your order should be with you within about 36 hours of contacting us. If the order does not arrive in this time-frame, we need to know and we will find out what has happened and chase it up for you. No’28 days for delivery’ with us!

Ordering before Christmas may mean that delivery may be a little later than planed. This is due to the weight of orders that we and other suppliers are handling.

Over the past 15 years, over 98% of all orders have been delivered within 2 days of the order being place and most arrive the next day.

Goods not as described or wrong items set

This does happen from time to time. All you need to do is call us and we will replace the missing or wrong item. You don’t need to prove what you say has happened. We believe you. Our customers are nice people – we like them and we know they will not try anything untoward.

If you want to return any goods, for any reason, just let us know, pack them in a box and we will arrange to collect them – all at no cost to you. In addition, you will receive 100% refund for the returned goods, so long as they are resalable and have not been consumed.

Difficulty replacing goods damaged in transit.

Just call us and let us know. Replacements will be sent to you straight away. You don’t need to take pictures of the broken goods. We believe you and it is up to us to sort this out for you at our expense.

Our Courier notifies us of any damaged goods.

Having to pay for lost parcels

As we use a Tracked Parcel Service, it is very unusual for parcels to get lost. If they do, they usually end up coming back to us. In the meantime, a replacement order will be sent to you, at no cost to you. You will never end up paying for a lost parcel.

Goods not actually owned by supplier so take ages to arrive, if ever

This is not going to happen with us, as all the liqueurs, whiskies and Italian liqueurs are either made by us or purchased by us. We do not have to wait for someone else to get the stock in – we either have it in stock or we don’t. If we don’t, we will tell you and then you can either have it sent along later at no extra cost to you, or you can have a 100% refund.

Goods just left in rain and getting ruined

The delivery companies we use require a signature and a person to deliver the goods to. In special circumstances and only when authorised by the customer and ourselves, will goods be left in a safe place as requested by you. Being left in the rain is not an option and should never happen.

No process to arrange for order to be delivered to another address.

This is something that is becoming more common, so we always ask if there is another address you would like your order delivered to. We often requested to deliver to another address where the order is for a gift. Otherwise, it is a case of having the order either delivered to a neighbour that is in most of the day or to a work address.

Payment card and bank security compromised

Making A Purchase via our Website could not be easier. Just browse our Catalogue, and click on any items that you wish to buy and put them into the shopping cart. After you have finished your selection, click on “Order” and you will be asked for a few details that we need to be able to satisfy the order. We accept most credit cards. All credit card transactions are handled through a secure payment system on this site. You may also order by telephone, fax or by mail and you can pay by Sterling cheque if you wish.

Privacy Policy The Hebridean Liqueur Company does not disclose buyer’s information to third parties. Cookies are used on this shopping site, but only to keep track of the contents of your shopping cart once you have selected an item.

Credit Card Security We know of no documented cases of credit card fraud using our shopping system over the Internet. All credit card numbers are encrypted in the software when the order is placed using 128-bit encryption. They are only decrypted after they reach our computer. They are not held in clear text on any web site.

Personal information shared with other companies

We do not do this and never have. Your personal details are safe with us and no other company can get access to them.

Extra Benefits of buying from Hebridean Liqueur Company

What if you change your mind after you have your order delivered.

If you change your mind after ordering any of our brands, up to 1 year from the original purchase, all you have to do is to send the bottles back to us unopened and we will give you your money back.

What this means is that you have peace of mind that you will never be left with a whole box of liqueurs that you have paid for but do not want.

What if you buy a liqueur and you don’t like it?

Let’s face it this can happen too. The range of liqueurs and whiskies that we make and sell are made for different tastes. Whisky drinkers usually like the whisky liqueurs, rum drinkers usually like the Lord Nelson’s Spiced Rum Liqueur and so on. If you order a liqueur from us and after you have tried it, you decide you don’t like it, just contact us and we will either send you an alternative, free of charge or arrange a refund – the choice is up to you.

Tips for choosing the right liqueur for you.

  1. Taste – we all have different ideas of what food and drinks taste like. Your ‘taste’ or palate has been developed over the years, which means that you can tell even the tiniest changes in the amount of flavour in your favourite food and drinks. Our liqueurs are made so that they all taste as fresh as possible – all the batches are small so that the liqueurs do not have to stand about for months before being purchased. Find a taste you like and keep buying it to remember the first experience.
  1. Packaging – if you are buying something for a gift, it is important that it looks good too. Imagine just giving someone you love a gift they would like but wrapped up in newspaper? Not the best idea. You would be more likely to choose a gift that looks good and then wrap it in nice paper too to complete the present. I make all our own liqueurs and sometimes spend years looking for the right bottle to fit in with the liqueur or spirit I have in mind. Exceptional care is taken in choosing the nicest looking bottles for our liqueurs and the best quality linen paper and printing for the labels and neck-tags. The idea is that our liqueurs appear more expensive than they are – this means that our liqueurs look fantastic at affordable prices.
  1. Not too strong – lots of alcoholic drinks and liqueurs are bottles at 40% Alcohol By Volume (ABV). What this means is that for lots of them, you really having to add a soft drink or water to them to make them drinkable – all you are really doing is watering them down a bit. Our liqueurs are all bottled at 20% ABV, which means that you can drink them without having to add water. When I create a Liqueur, I take great care in ensuring the new liqueurs tastes lovely poured directly from the bottle – not too sweet and not too strong.

Call us for a chat – we’re always happy to hear from you.

If you have a question about delivery, one of our liqueurs or about what Scotch whisky someone you know would like, just call us. We are happy to hear from you and even if you call about something we do not make or stock, we will see how we can help you find it.

Everyone in our Mail Order Team is helpful and friendly – we have lots of mail order customer that have been buying from us for years and it is always nice to hear from them and new customers too.

Last words – what our customers say

About our liqueurs

I really can’t believe it. Ordered yesterday – received today!
My sister, Pam, is delighted and so am I. Thanks yet again for your excellent service – not forgetting the excellent product. It’s the only alcoholic beverage Pam will drink!!! You must admit that the Original Lakeland Liqueur tastes better than a bunch of flowers!!
Craig Moffett, Aberdeen, Scotland

Most whisky liqueur drinks are too sweet for my taste and I have found yours to be just right.
J.A. Broughton, Hampshire

This was the best whisky liqueur I’ve ever tasted. Our friends brought it back from Scotland.
Judy Hein, California, USA

The Lord Nelson’s Spiced Rum Liqueur was greatly appreciated at the Banquet and I hope the forthcoming maritime year will give many similar opportunities for it to be enjoyed by all.
The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor, Alderman Michael Savary

I would like to congratulate you on the taste of your Hebridean Whisky Liqueur. My wife was in London and purchased quite a few bottles for German friends and colleagues who have all been delighted with the taste. I too, normally a non-drinker, have taken an instant like to your product. Once again, congratulations on a fine product.
Kenny Roberts, Munich, Germany

Just received the two bottles of Lord Nelson’s Spiced Rum Liqueur I ordered. Couldn’t wait to sample. Boy what a great blend! I poured a small glass and, like in the cartoons, a light bulb lit up over my head! I’ll definitely be having more. Thanks again for a dynamite product.
Peter Fender, Kent

Last Christmas I was given a bottle of your wonderful Hebridean Whisky Liqueur. It is one of the most beautiful after dinner liqueurs I have given to guests.
Brian M Jones, Surrey

About our service

I could not believe how quickly my order arrived! I gave it to you yesterday morning about 10 and this morning it arrived while we were still having breakfast. I shall certainly tell my friends about you.
Elizabeth Douglas, Surrey

Thank you so much for our order. If all our suppliers were as efficient as you, I wouldn’t have to work on Saturdays.
Rachel van Eyk, Mosaic Software

Thank you very much for sending the liqueurs so promptly. They will surely complete our Nelson celebrations and we will certainly take every opportunity to highlight how delightful it was to do business with you.
Annabel Meli, Malta High Commission, London

I just had to ring you to say how impressed I was with your service. I only called with my order yesterday lunchtime and it was delivered at 11.30 this morning. It is so rare to receive efficient and courteous service these days, I just wanted you to know how delighted I was.
Audrey Urion, Cornwall

 

Our Liqueur Ranges

We have two Liqueur ranges – our own one that we have created and make, plus another Range of Italian Liqueurs. Details of all the brands in each Range are as follows:

The Original Lakeland Liqueur

I was the Dreamer, they
were the Dream…

Each bottle of The Original Lakeland Liqueur is filled by hand, a specially made cork inserted with care. The neck tag explaining the story behind the Liqueur is then added. Because it is hand made,each 20cl or 50cl bottle is different and unique just for you and your friends.

During the eighteenth century, sugar cane was imported to Westmoreland in the Lake District of Northwest England. The sugar cane was caramelised and mixed with whisky distilled in the farms throughout the Lakeland Mountains to produce a smooth and warming drink.

Today blending caramel, butterscotch and whisky produces the unique Lakeland taste. The Liqueur has a 20% alcohol content making it easy to drink.

Hebridean Whisky Liqueur

The Spirit of the Hebrides!

Each bottle of Hebridean Liqueur is filled by hand, the special tapered cork inserted with care, then
black sealing wax slowly dripped onto the top of the cork, just at the right temperature so that the
Hebridean Whisky Liqueur seal can then be pressed into the wax. Because it is a hand made product,
each one is slightly different. The Liqueur has an alcohol content of 20%.

The history of making Scotch whisky shows that in the past it was made at home in stills all over
Scotland and to make this rather raw spirit drinkable, it was mixed with either orange juice or
burnt sugar-caramel. It is this caramel flavour that is used for the basis of the special Hebridean
Whisky Liqueur taste, along with some spices to give the drink that extra something.

Hebridean Whisky Liqueur was inspired by frequent visits to the Outer Hebrides, the unique recipe was found in a cookery book describing traditional Hebridean recipes.

The Outer Hebrides are one of the wildest frontiers of Europe, rugged and rich in wildlife. No other region in the world attracts so many different seabirds in such vast numbers.

William Shakespeare’s Whisky Liqueur

Experience the timelessness of a bygone age…

The recipe used harks back to Shakespeare’s day when whisky was mixed with oranges and caramel. This gave the whisky a unique tangy flavour while retaining the smooth, silky taste of caramel.

The Liqueur is packaged in an antique type bottle similar to those used the sixteenth century. A copyof William Shakespeare’s Last Will & Testament bearing his signature is wrapped around the bottleneck. On the reverse of the Will is an except from Macbeth . This, together with the authentic orange and whisky flavour of 20% alcohol by volume, provides a unique experience by capturing the spirit of Shakespeare’s world.

William Shakespeare, when writing plays such as Macbeth, King Lear and Cymbeline, referred to historical texts, many of which detailed the usage of whisky and the effects that this potent drink can have. In Macbeth, known by Thespians as ‘The Scottish Play,’ the porter talks of the drink being the provoker of three things. Capturing the spirit of Shakespeare’s world, this exquisite combination of whisky and orange and its stylish packaging is a new production receiving huge applause.

Lord Nelson’s Spiced Rum Liqueur

The Spirit of Britain’s finest Captain.

Lord Nelson’s Spiced Rum Liqueur (20% alcohol) is a tribute to this great naval hero. Demerara rum from the Caribbean, where Nelson spent many years of service, is combined with caramel and spices to produce a luxuriously smooth flavour. Savour after dinner or enjoy splashed over ice for a refreshing aperitif.

Even during his own lifetime HORATIO NELSON gained an unassailable reputation as the finest sea officer of his age. He was a hero in every sense of the word. The quality of his leadership and his
outstanding bravery were never more in evidence than during the Battle of Trafalgar, when eighteen
enemy ships were destroyed or captured and the British fleet lost none. When news of the victory at
Trafalgar and Nelson’s untimely death reached England, men turned pale as if they had learned of
the death of a close friend. It is typical of the man that his last words were: “Thank God I have done my duty”.

The Iron Duke’s No.1 London Brandy Liqueur

A sumptuous liqueur, The Iron Duke’s No 1 London Brandy Liqueur combines Premium French XO brandy, carefully aged for 10 years in oak casks where it acquires a deep natural colour, with caramel and spices. The result: a mahogany nectar with a smooth luxurious taste that lingers long after it has been sipped.

Enjoy as a relaxing after-dinner drink it’s perfect for sharing. It’s delicious splashed over ice-creamand pancakes and you can liven up a host of other desserts, such as caramelised peaches and home-made bread and butter pudding.

The Iron Duke’s No 1 London Brandy Liqueur makes a wonderful gift. The elegant heavy based bottle comes with a stunning label and presentation carton, depicting our nineteenth century hero, Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington and a gold embossed image of “No 1 London”, his home – perhaps better known now as Apsley House at Hyde Park Corner. The neck-tag provides an insight into The Iron Duke’s military accomplishments and his spectacular residence.

Russo Liqueurs from Italy

Limoncello Liqueur is an ever-so-tangy lemon liqueur made with the very best
lemons from the Amalfi coast (32% ABV).

Crema di Limone (Lemon Cream Liqueur) has a smooth and gentle citrus taste, like lemon meringue in a glass! (20% ABV).

Mandarino Liqueur, again made from the very best Southern Italian fruit, has an intensely mandarin orange flavour, which will really make you zing! (32% ABV).

Wild Strawberry Liqueur an exquisite wild strawberry liqueur, sumptuous deep red with tiny wild strawberries floating in the bottle (32% ABV).

Crema di Melone (Melon Cream Liqueur) is a lightly melon cream liqueur 50cl.
Melon and cream in a glass! (20% ABV).

Nocino Liqueur is made from wild walnuts – 50cl. Drink as an aperitif for a delicious
and nutty treat!

Liquiz Liquorice Liqueur, made from liquorice roots from Calabria infused in liqueur alcohol 50cl. If you like liquorice, you will love this intensely flavoured liqueur.

 

Rare and Special Scotch Whiskies

Benrinnes Malt Whisky

12 Year Old Pure Malt Scotch Whisky.

Speyside malt matured in Sherry casks. This is a limited edition – when the stock is used there is nomore!

The tasting notes are as follows:-

Colour: Autumnal reddish-brown
Nose: Medium, sherried with a floral note
Body: Good body with a firm character
Palate: Rounded and assertive
Finish: Faintly sweet, with a satisfying and soothing finish

Calvay Mist

Not just a fine whisky…but a legend

Calvay Mist replicates the look and style of the whisky which was the cargo on the S.S. Politician. This is the famous ‘Whisky Galore’ ship that ran aground on the Outer Hebrides during the Second World War. This is an opportunity to savour a 1940’s whisky at a reasonable cost.

Not just a fine whisky…..but a legend

On the 3rd February 1941 the freighter SS Politician sailed from Liverpool, England for Jamaica via New Orleans. Along with fur coats, Jamaican currency and material from the British War Office, 21,000 cases of Scotch Whisky nestled in her cargo hold.
Her route took her north to Scotland and there, two days out of Liverpool, her voyage ended. As she sailed into the Sound of Eriskay among the remote islands of the Outer Hebrides, the ‘Polly’ ran aground on Calvay Island. When the inhabitants of the neighbouring small islands of Barra, Eriskay and South Uist discovered the Politician’s cargo included whisky, they didn’t miss their opportunity.

The islanders proceeded to ‘rescue’ over 9,000 Cases of whisky under the very noses of His Majesty’s Customs and Excise officials.

Sir Compton McKenzie, the writer, spent the War years on Barra. After the War he immortalized the events surrounding the shipwreck in his novel “Whisky Galore”. A Subsequent film of the same title secured a place in Scottish folklore for the “Whisky Galore” story. Not all the whisky was recovered in 1941 and some stayed under the waters for 50 years. The Scottish company SS Politician PLC was formed to salvage the remaining bottles.

The Dragon Single Malt Scotch Whisky

In 1961 Highland Distillers laid down this exceptional single malt Scotch whisky at their
distillery in the Orkney Islands.

The maturing liquid at the Highland Park Distillery continued to rest in its cask for thirty-six years until it was deemed perfect in 1997 for bottling as The Dragon Whisky.

This is a rare and limited opportunity to acquire a cask strength whisky which possesses a distinctive butterscotch and tablet aroma. It is sweet on the nose, elegant and complex.

Specifications:
Distilled in 1961 – Laid down in Oloroso Sherry
Cask No.4493

Bottled in March 1997

Age- 36 years; strength – 48.1%; 70cl bottle

Beautifully presented in a mahogany lacquered linden wood box.