Luvians Bottleshop - St Andrews

13/01/2025

Drink of the Day 10 – Ledaig 18 Year Old (70cl & 46.3%)

Field trip!
The first rule of being a Luvianista-4-Life attendee of Calum Muir & Laura Miller’s wedding on the Isle of Iona: you visit one of Calum & Laura’s favourite distilleries, Tobermory, on Mull one island over.
The second rule: you talk about Tobermory on social media.
Tobermory (est. 1798) makes both unpeated and peated malts, and bottles of the latter are branded with the distillery’s original name, Ledaig (pronounced “Leh-chig”), and means “safe harbour”. The name Tobermory comes from the Scots Gaelic “Tobar Mhoire”, which translates to “Mary’s Well.”
To celebrate the Muir-Miller nuptials, we highlight a dram of the splendid Ledaig 18 Year Old. If you like Talisker 18, Caol Ila 18, Caperdonich 18 Peated, or Highland Park 18, this is your jam. Starts in bourbon, finished in sherry, and it’s a real Peaty-MacPeaterson. Ledaig 18 was in stock for £105 and we expect to get more in soon.

Nose – Seaweed smoke, caramel, sea salt, toffee, apple pie,

Palate – Umami, some notes of dried fruits, trail mix, apples. Finish: long, strong, and down to carry on.

Final thoughts: When in the Hebrides, get yourself to a classic Hebridean distillery! And when anywhere outside the Hebrides, get yourself something like Ledaig 18 to remind yourself that some things are only worth celebrating with a delicious, peaty dram.

11/01/2025

Drink of the day 8 – Mortlach 16 Year Old (70cl @ 43.4%)
Available in store for £110

A big & hearty congratulations to Mr Calum Muir & Mrs Laura Miller on their wedding nuptials today on the Isle of Iona! To celebrate this day, they’ve cracked a beautiful Mortlach “Beast of Dufftown” 16 Year Old, and we here at Luvians Bottle Shop in St Andrews have joined in to raise our glasses to them! Slainte!
Mortlach (est. 1895) began its life as a blending malt and was later heavily used as a key malt component of Bell’s. In time, it was released “unblended” as an early “Flora & Fauna” bottling, and was only later elevated to “core release” status once the distillery owner realized they needed a Speyside single malt answer to Macallan. You see the thing is, Mortlach takes Sherry cask influence very well, but carries its own signature “oomph” that puts it in a league of its own. Did we forget to mention that this 16 year old expression is also 100% Sherry cask matured?

Nose: Wood and apricot peel tantalize the olfactory senses with a sharp, cranberry jammy-ness poking through.

Palate: Delivers a robust fruitiness of strawberry, liquorice spice and an underlying bitterness. The finish is warming with lingering notes of honey and Sour Patch Kids. A touch of water lends to itself to invigorating herbaciousness, while bringing forward delicate notes of cinnamon and clove.

Final thoughts: Let’s all raise one to Calum and Laura! To their happily ever after.

10/01/2025

Drink of the Day 7 – Domaine Faiveley Mercurey “Vielles Vignes” 2021 (750ml @ 13% abv)

Available in store for £33.99

Background – The first red Burgundy featured in this series, today we are trying a Pinot Noir from the Côte Chalonnaise, situated in between the Cote D’Or to the north and the Maconnais to the south. Mercurey is the region’s largest appellation, featuring uniquely iron-rich soil and the highest number of Premier Cru vineyards.

Many Côte Chalonnaise wines are suitable for drinking young, and this one from Domaine Faiveley easily explains why. Made from grapes grown on old vines, this 2021 abounds with fresh fruits, but is already expressive of many tertiary flavours which often require longer bottle-aging.

Nose – Raspberries, strawberries on the stems, freshly tilled earth, violets, mushroom, wood. Medium intensity
Palate – Opens with a burst of red fruit – strawberry, raspberry, morello cherry. The wine’s savoury character becomes more apparent on the mid: a through-line of raspberry, but also cigar box, vanilla, milk chocolate, mushrooms, and a hint of iron. These notes become more delicate as the wine breathes. Long finish with lingering hints of (more) raspberry, minerality and forest floor. Good acidity, extremely well balanced and complex.

Final Thoughts – It’s no longer Christmas, but that doesn’t mean you should hold off on the Burgundy until next year. On a cold day like today, we can’t help but wistfully imagine how well this wine would suit a sunny spring picnic.

09/01/2025

Great food, great guest speakers, great music and great drinks (if we do say so ourselves!) What more could you want from a Burns Supper?

Grab your ticket today https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/accommodat.../burns-night-2025/

Burns Night with Brian

We are delighted to announce that Brian Taylor will be joining our celebration of all things Burns on Saturday 25 January 2025.

As guest speaker for the evening Brian will deliver the ‘Immortal Memory’ which is guaranteed to be amusing as it is moving.

Brian a former BBC Political Editor for over 30 years is now a political commentator and columnist for The Herald. Both he and his wife Pam are graduates of the University of St Andrews.

For 50 years, Brian and his fellow St Andrews alumni have come together to honour Scotland’s Bard and look forward to continuing the tradition here in St Andrews.

Booking is now available for the dinner which is being held in Lower College Hall. The evening will begin with a welcome drink in the grand hall surroundings, where you will also enjoy a delicious four course Taste of Scotland themed dinner – including a haggis course (if we manage to catch one!).

Throughout the night there will be the opportunity to enjoy traditional Scottish entertainment, including an address to the haggis and reading of Burns’ poetry.

A winter night in Scotland can be cold, but we’ve got you covered! Raise a dram of warming whisky, supplied by Luvians Bottle Shops, as we say slàinte. To round off the meal, indulge yourself with tasty Scottish tablet supplied by Fisher and Donaldson.

After dinner concludes, the celebrations continue until late at Younger Hall. Make sure to put on your dancing shoes for a lively evening of traditional ceilidh dancing, accompanied by the incredible Red Bothy Ceilidh Band.

Individual tickets can be purchased for the full dinner and ceilidh package experience. or why not gather family and friends by booking a table for 10. If you prefer, there is also the opportunity to purchase tickets for the ceilidh evening only.

https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/accommodation-conferences-events/burns-night-2025/

09/01/2025

Drink of the Day 6 – Vault City Iron Blue Bubblegum Brew (375ml @ 6.3% abv)
Available in store for £5.25

Following last year’s epic Iron Brew series, our first new beer of 2025 sees Vault City doubling down, combing Scotland’s favourite drink along with a burst of bubblegum to create Iron Blue Bubblegum Brew.

Founded in 2018 by Steven Smith-Hay who started the company by brewing in his home kitchen but quickly moved into a bigger space in Portobello, Edinburgh, Vault city is known for their modern take on beers. They craft a huge variety of sour beers (and some top class stouts) with unique and powerful flavours and are the largest sour beer producer in Scotland.

Not content with merely writing some tasting notes Archie has fully embraced Iron Blue experience by nipping to Luvians Ice Cream Parlour in his baby blue jumper & hat to ask for some bubblegum ice cream to make the ultimate Iron Blue Bubblegum Brew ice cream float!

Nose – A freshly opened can of Irn Bru poured over a glass full of blue bubblegum. (Very much what inspired the float experiment). Lots of fruity flavours like strawberries and banana.

Palate – A nostalgic and sweet taste of bubblegum with a sour finish similar to a Swizzels lemon refresher.

Final Thoughts – If you like your beer super sweet, a little bit sour, tasting nothing like beer, but a lot like bubblegum and fancy turning your tongue blue as an adult, this is 💯 the beer for you!

07/01/2025

Drink of the Day 4 – Feragaia (70cl @ 0% abv)

Available in store for £20

Dry January can be a difficult challenge, but luckily, we’ve got the perfect drink of the day to help you power through. Feragaia is a delicious non-alcoholic spirit made in Fife, crafted from 14 land & sea botanicals that were carefully picked for their flavour profiles and natural properties from earth. The name Feragaia is a mixture of Latin and Greek with ‘fera’ meaning wild and ‘gaia’ meaning earth.
Feragaia is full of flavour and can be drunk over some ice with a slice of orange but with today being icy cold we be opted for a hot toddy made with Feragaia.

Nose – Lemon balm, orange flavoured hard candy, fresh lemon grass, some light notes of black cracked pepper.

Palate - Like the flavours on the nose, the taste of Feragaia offers a light citrusy taste with some spiced notes and is refreshingly dry on the palate.

Final Thoughts – Fergaia is the perfect drink to ease the transition from Christmas drinking to dry January. It has a refreshingly light taste with lots of fresh citrus and spicy notes. We thoroughly enjoyed Feragaia in our hot toddy today made with ginger beer, lemon juice and a slice of orange.

06/01/2025

Drink of the Day 3 – Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop IPA (355ml @ 6.8%)

Available in store for £4.15

A Bit of Background – The fact that Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is now the third-largest independent brewery in the USA is testament to the eminent drinkability of its beers, but also belies its truly microbrewing origins. Started as a passion project by two homebrewers in 1979, Sierra Nevada only sold one beer when it began commercial distribution – its acclaimed Pale Ale, which has gone on to become a national bestseller. Its second ever release, the Celebration, has become a beloved seasonal tradition for the brewery, and we thought it would be the perfect inaugural beer for our new 2025 Drink of the Day series. It’s not just spirits anymore! And that’s because there are beers out there as complex and delicious as this one.

Nose – Caramel, blood orange, a hint of bramble and grassy funk

Palate – Prominent notes of orange zest, dried apricots, fresh white peach, subtle mango and nearly-charred toast. Develops into grapefruit and tart red berries, underpinned by a pleasant hop bitterness. Long finish highlighting slightly sweeter, aromatic maltiness.

Final Thoughts – In the dark days of January, every day is a good day for a (fresh hop) Celebration!

#2025

04/01/2025

Drink of the Day 2 – Alma Gemela Carignan 2019 (70cl @ 14%)

Available in store for £17.99

A Bit Of Background – We take a slightly different approach to January at Luvians, rather than going dry we like to focus on the trying new things and giving a little love to some less familiar drinks in our selection.
The Alma Gemeni Carignan from Mendoza in Argentina is far from the ubiquitous Malbec normally associated with the region. This wine comes from Lavelle in the north of the region, an arid, semi-desert region (average rainfall 177mm per annum); the naturally heat resistant Carignan accounts for a tiny fraction of the vines planted in Argentina but is well suited to this climate. The Mariana Onofri and Adán Giangiulio are committed to sustainable farming, starting with vines adapted to the their location, using no pesticides or herbicides, making their own organic compost from the sheep used to manage weeds. Micro fermentations and use of old barrels preserve the natural character of the wine.

Nose – Plums, Dark cherry, black pepper, garrigue, violet

Palate – Medium-light body, immediately soft but with bright fruit- red plums, redcurrant – and refreshing but mellow acidity. We are drinking the 2019 and with a few years of bottle age the dark fruit present on the nose may have softened in intensity but has developed some lovely floral notes and integrated beautifully. With a few hours further breathing it develops a delicious velvetiness.

Final Thoughts – This wine would be a great pairing with slow and low BBQ pork and ribs – the acidity would cut through the richness and bright fruit complement the sweetness of the meat. The same would apply to duck or other rich game, spiced lamb, cured meats and aged hard cheeses.
Argentinian Carignan is not a wine we get asked for every day, and maybe not one you would instantly reach for, but it is bursting with aroma and flavour. A perfect example of why this January you should be exploring new and interesting wines.

04/01/2025

** SATURDAY SAMPLE**

Pop into the shop today to try:
Alma Gemela Carignan

GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Carignan

PRICE: £17.99

03/01/2025

Drink of the Day 1 – Tasted, Loved, Chosen by Luvians – Highly Peculiar 19yo Orkney Single Malt (70cl @ 52.4%)

Available in store and online for £100
https://www.luvians.com/shop/whisky/hp-orkney-19-year-old-single-malt/

A Bit of Background – Happy New Year from all the Luvanistas! It’s our first day back and inspired by last year’s wildly successful series, we are expanding our horizons in 2025 with – every day we are open in this year our daily drop could not just be a dram but a beer, wine or anything else we are inspired by on our shelves. Having said that, we are starting the year with our very own bottling of 19-year-old Orkney Single Malt. Why? Because we need something a bit special to start the year and we are incredibly proud of this one! For legal reasons we couldn’t possibly tell you which distillery the cask came from; what we can tell you is that it spent its 19 years ageing in a refill Sherry Butt, is bottled at natural cask strength (non-chill filtered and natural colour), is one of 150 bottles to be released and is delicious!

Nose – Red fruits, shortbread, orange zest, cocoa, gentle smoke

Palate – Creamy barley, dark chocolate, grilled orange, oak spice, wafts of delicate smoke.

Final Thoughts – Here’s to 2025! We look forward to seeing you in the shop; we will always have our liquid library of whisky available for sampling, a wine or beer open for customer sampling every Thursday and Saturday, regular instore tastings with many of the awesome companies we work with, lots of fabulous events throughout the year and of course our incredibly popular private masterclasses so pop by any time to find our own perfect Drink of the Day!
Sláinte!
Jamie

03/01/2025

AND WE’RE BACK!

Parting was such sweet sorry, but after a couple of days away (on one of which they met up to walk their dogs together!) Jamie & Archie are back in store to help you beat the January blues as only they know how.

We are open 10-8pm Mon-Sat throughout January, Christmas offers run until next Friday (while stocks last) and for those doing dry January, we have a cracking range of low & no alcohol beers, cider, wine & even a few spirit alternatives.

31/12/2024

AND WE ARE CLOSED FOR 2024! AS A PARTING GIFT, WE GIVE YOU…

Dram of the Day 359 – Luvians Grad Dram 2018 1st Release (70cl @ 46%)
No Longer Available In Store, but More Recent Vintages from £65

Bit of background: It is our final of 2024 so we wanted to do something a bit special, so Archie has dug something special out of his cupboard, our very first Grad Dram bottling from 2017, an absolutely lush sherry cask Edradour that also commemorated our 21st Anniversary as a shop.

Nose: Singed Christmas pudding, Luvians rum and raisin ice cream, Lindt dark chocolate with orange. Hints of dunnage warehouse funk!

Palate: Citrus and vanilla - Crepe Suzette & Crème brulee with plenty of well torched sugar. Dried apricots and dark chocolate on a long and persistent finish!


Final thoughts: A phenomenal trip down memory lane from the original whisky itself, to the names on the bottle and the original opening of the shop back in ’96. Very sad we have no more to sell, but grab your own piece of Luvians history with some of our more modern releases. We’ve had an amazing time in 2024 taking your through 359 drams of the day! We know we have learned a lot as we researched & tasted and we hope you have too. Thank you so much to everyone who has stopped in to ask to try a dram from our liquid library having seen it posted here, we hope you enjoyed and we know many of you bought a bottle. What started as an idle thought on the 6th of January has lasted lots longer than we ever thought. We have big plans to expand the format to let us explore more of the shop next year so watch this space for in 2025…

SEE YOU AT 10AM, FRIDAY 3RD JANUARY.

30/12/2024

Dram of the Day 358 – Pilgrims Original Gin (70cl and 5cl @40%)
Available in store for £35.99 and £5.99

Bit of background:
Getting close to the end of the year, we decided to go back to our roots and have a dram made in the one and only, St. Andrews.
The name of the company (Pilgrims) comes from the history of St Andrews being one of the main pilgrimage destinations in Medieval Europe. Rich and poor gathered near the bones of St. Andrew, one of the 12 disciples. They followed their faith, in search for cures, miracles forgiveness and adventure.
The ancient spring found on Balmungo Estate (the home of Pilgrim’s Gin) was used by new comers arriving at St.Andrews during these times. To continue this welcome act of liquid refreshment in the modern world, Pilgrim’s gin was created!

Nose: Hot berry crumble, strawberries tarts, raspberry slushies, berry flavoured hard sweets… just lots and lots of berry flavour in different variations!

Palate: Deliciously sweet notes of BERRIES. Some earthy notes of liquorice finished with the tanginess of fresh grapefruit.

Final thoughts: Pilgrim's original gin is a delicious, easy drinking gin full of flavour. You can drink it as a sipping gin or if you wanted to spruce things up, you could grab a fancy glass and make a Pilgrim’s gin cocktail!

29/12/2024

Dram of the Day 357 – Stroh 80 (50cl & 2cl @ 80%)

Available in store for £29.99/£2.99

Caught the dreaded lurgi after all those festivities with family and friends? Calum and Jamie have. Many in their position might turn to a hot toddy to find some relief, but for those who are a fan of rum, why not try a Jagertee? A favourite après-ski drink in the Alps during the winter season, Jagertee is made from Inländer-Rum, black tea and spices – though many recipes call for additional measures of red wine and cognac and who are we to judge! Founded in 1832, Stroh is Austria’s most famous rum brand. Whilst the 80% version we sell is most often used in baking, when used in moderation, its perfect for making a Jagertee to offer a bit of warmth during the festive season and to sooth that plague you are suffering from.

Nose: Vanilla, molasses, fondant icing, strawberry bonbons, cinnamon, and to***co boxes.

Palette: We really wouldn’t recommend you try this neat, but of course, we did, for science. From the small sip we had we found plenty of butterscotch and strawberry laces, which when diluted with spiced tea and orange juice, makes for a rather delicious combo!

-Rum

28/12/2024

Dram of the Day 356 – Glenturret Triple Wood 2023 Release (70cl @ 43%)

Available in store for £54.99

Bit of Background – Given that it traces its roots back to 1763 and proudly states that it is Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery on every bottle (though, lets be honest, like all claims dating back the illicit distilling days of the 18th century, there is a lot of cloak & dagger in that date), there is a some what more that a ‘bit’ of background at Glenturret. Even a rapid retelling would take us well over the word count, so please find the full history in the comments below. As for the whisky, well lets have a taste shall we…

Nose: The combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry US & European oak is a bit of a masterclass here. Everything is perfectly balanced. There is vanilla fudge, ripe citrus, ginger in syrup and some macaroon bar all laid on a base of ripe apple.

Palate: Maybe it is the immediate post-Christmas vibes, but definitely getting Christmas pudding with lots of cream. Raisins, ginger & citrus peel are all there, but none are overpowering. Honey, vanilla & a chewy dried apple slices emerge with a bit of water.

Final thoughts: The history might be a bit sketchy, but the whisky definitely isn’t. Smooth, rounded, well balanced and in the kind of snazzy decanter you would expect from the world’s most famous glass company, this a great dram to enjoy this Hogmanay – easy going enough to work for whisky newbies, but with enough complexity to please more dedicated fans. Their hoodies are pretty smart looking too and on a personal level, we are delighted that Archie is finally done cutting about in Christmas jumpers for another 11 months!

27/12/2024

355) Dram of the day – Ardnamurchan AD/Sherry Cask 2024 Release (70cl @ 50%)

Available in store for £62.50.

Ava has very generously brought in her bottle of Ardnamurchan Sherry Cask for us to sample for Dram of the Day today. Thanks to the near unparalleled levels of transparency which Ardnamurchan Distillery achieves through the QR code on the back of every bottle, we can tell you that this batch is composed of thirteen Spanish oak Oloroso sherry butts containing peated spirit, six containing unpeated spirit, and two unpeated Spanish oak Pedro Ximenez butts. The end result is a whisky which is smoky and intensely rich, but which still retains the citrus and maritime character which has gained this west coast distillery so much acclaim.

Nose: Orange peel, devils on horseback, candied ginger, smoked and salted almonds, smouldering cedar and polished leather.

Palate: A wonderful balance of sweet juicy citrus, salinity, and robust earthy smoke, which conjures memories of sticky barbequed meats.

Final thoughts: Final thoughts: Sadly this is one of those occasions where we can't offer you a sample of today's Dram of the Day, however, if you are looking for something sherried, smoky, and with the depth of flavour and mouthfeel that comes with higher proof whisky, take it from us, you need look no further than Ardnamurchan Sherry Cask 2024 release!

27/12/2024

Just a wee reminder folks, we're open between noon and 6pm today and, from tomorrow, we return to our regular operating hours until Hogmanay. We hope to see you soon!

24/12/2024

Dram of the Day 354 (Christmas Eve Edition)
Vault City Caramel Wafer Imperial Stout (330cl @ 12% ABV)

Available in store for £8.00

Bit of Background: The only person busier than we were in the shop today might be Santa Claus so we want to suggest the a particularly Scottish treat for him. Vault City’s latest imperial stout is modelled after Scotland’s favourite chocolate caramel wafer biscuit (more than 7,000,000 made and sold every week) it is no less than Tunnock’s in liquid form, just add a favourite dram & an original chocolate treat for the ultimate Christmas Eve treat for your hard working stocking filler.

Nose: Milk chocolate, caramel, honey, a note of coffee

Palette: Very well integrated chocolate and caramel with malty notes, without being overly sweet. Just like the real thing!

Final thoughts: From all the Luvianistas, we wish you the merriest Christmas & happiest of holidays (forgive the champagne, a can of stout only goes so far for photos). We’ll be back noon on the 27th with dram of the day 355!