Arthur Motley 20 Years of RMW | 57.7% ABV

Whisky’s Predicament

Sorry to be that guy, but you know it, I know it, everyone knows it. Whisky sales are down, and won’t be going up anytime soon.

Waterford has closed, Glenglassaugh, amongst others, has been mothballed and will be running only as a seasonal operation. The industry is slashing production capacity, even the mighty Ardbeg are cutting back to a five-day week. Things are not looking good.

What are the reasons for this? The Glass Loch; whisky enthusiasts having too little shelf space or too little motivation to buy any more bottles? There might be some truth to that for sure, but I don’t think that is the real issue. Sure, a portion of us whisky botherers are buying less whisky, but many of us are carrying on as normal, to be honest. The fact that the market is drowned in continuous new releases isn’t helping; it can get a bit overwhelming, but neither do I think that the abundance of choice is the real problem.

As has been said, ad nauseam, we whisky nerds should remember we make for a very small portion of whisky sales. The vast, and I mean vast majority of people who buy whisky are either casual drinkers themselves, or they are buying gifts for other casual drinkers, or they are former casual drinkers realising they like peat and becoming whisky newbies. By that I mean people who drink a bit more of the stuff, but have not discovered ‘natural whisky’ and all the other endless deep-dive whisky distractions, and thus are perfectly happy with a modern Laphroaig 10yo or Bowmore 12yo, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

The thing is though, the price most of these people are willing to pay for a bottle of whisky is much less than what we as geeks are routinely parting with for 70cl of our beloved amber liquid. These people I’ve mentioned are far more comfortable in the £25-35 bracket. For sure, there are some good whiskies to be found in this range, such as Mclean’s Nose, or maybe a discounted Glencadam 10, but there is also a truckload of whiskies that can only be described as forgettable at best.

I think the real reason why sales are falling is, quite ironically, the price hike we’ve seen since 2020. There’s not enough good whisky sold at entry level prices to retain the attention of the casual whisky consumers and turn them into more interested or invested sippers capable of spending £50, £80 or even more than £100 on a single bottle. This, combined with the fact that people who are already invested botherers are buying less because the prices of their favourite drams have risen too much, means the entire whisky industry, down to retail, faces a dire situation.

If you’ve been following my tribulations on this website for a while, you’ll know that I work in wine and spirits retail. As such, I’ve personally witnessed our sales dropping and it’s the worst scenario our business has faced in quite a while. I’ve also started to notice previously impossible things happening on the distribution side.

One of France’s biggest spirits importers has been trying to boost sales by allowing retailers to purchase some bottles at sometimes more than 25% discount, even for high end, supposedly ‘collectible’ whiskies and rums. There have been deals where I was able to buy four bottles and get two for free. These types of deals never would have been possible even just two years ago. I was also able to grab bottles of 2023 Diageo Special Releases of Clynelish at basically half the price, because stocks are just not shifting.

More recently, I sent screen grabs to my fellow Dramfacers of another massive importer clearing stocks of certain brands that went to other portfolios; but also hard to shift bottles. Hold on to your seat: I’ve purchased single malt scotch whiskies for my shop, bottled naturally at cask strength, for 60% less than the regular price. That is just unheard of. As an example, I am now able to sell Tamdhu Batch strength or Tomatin Cask Strength at what is essentially half the original RRP. That’s nuts.

All of this serves the purpose of allowing us retailers to either make more margin or sell cheaper whiskies, but also serves to keep the cash flowing for these big importers. The fact that they are willing to destroy their own margins to do so speaks volumes of the situation they find themselves in.

We’ll continue to see massive discounts popping here and there on websites. They’re tempting. And, if you fancy, you should absolutely take advantage. But hear me out - please don’t desert your brick and mortar shops.

Independent whisky shops are the lifeblood of our community. They organise tastings, they’ll let you try some of the whiskies before you decide to buy them or not, and most of them are run and staffed by people who are deeply enamoured with the liquid. I do not know any whisky or wine retailers who are cynically in it just for the money, because, quite frankly, this is not a job you do if you want to become rich.

In almost each and every whisky shop, you’ll find individuals who are there because they’re as geeky as us, and whose first and foremost goal is to make sure the person they’re talking to is going to exit the shop with the right whisky for their needs - not the most expensive one.

I know some of you rely solely on internet purchasing to buy your whisky because you may live in a whisky desert. Some, like our beloved Ogilvie, live in a state or country that has a monopoly on alcohol purchasing and sales, thus not necessarily having the choice some others have. But if you have a specialist whisky shop nearby, just pop in from time to time, when your significant other isn’t looking, maybe just to have a chat with the staff. If you see a bottle in a shop you fancy, buy it there, even if it’s a few pounds/euros/dollars more than on the internet; provided you can spare that extra cash of course.

These small actions help those businesses survive the difficult times. And it’s not nearly as much fun shopping for whisky in front of a computer screen.

Review 1/2 - Ainsley

Caol Ila 10yo, 2014, Adelphi, Bottled for Arthur Motley’s 20 years at RMW, ex-bourbon single cask, 326023, 57.7% ABV
£80 paid, now sold out.

There are countless quality whisky shops in Scotland. I love the Good Spirits Co. in Glasgow, but there’s also the Cadenhead shops in Edinburgh and Campbeltown, The Wee Whisky Shop in Linlithgow, Callander drinks Co. in uhm…Callander, Aberdeen Whisky Shop, Inverurie Whisky Shop, Tyndrum, Luvians, Loch Fyne, Dunkeld Whisky Box… I’m sure I’m forgetting countless others.

One I particularly enjoy is Royal Mile Whiskies in Edinburgh. Sure, it could be considered one of the giants in the Scottish landscape, but you can’t miss it when visiting Edinburgh, the selection is always on point, and I’ve always felt welcomed there, by very competent staff. They do have a commercial website, but I prefer spending time looking at the shelves in situ.

Arthur Motley was for many years RMW’s whisky buyer, and later managing director. He also regularly writes for Whisky Magazine and runs the very interesting -and recently revived - YouTube channel The Liquid Antiquarian with Dave Broom. In 2024, to celebrate his 20th year working with RMW, he selected this cask of Caol Ila from Adelphi stocks.

Here’s his reasoning behind that:

"This year marks my 20th anniversary at Royal Mile Whiskies, a milestone I’m proud of and grateful for. To celebrate, we’ve bottled something that’s close to my heart. I’ve chosen a cask from my favourite distillery, Caol Ila, with the help of our good friends at Adelphi. Together, we’ve brought you a 10 year old single malt that represents everything I’ve loved about this distillery throughout my career: exceptional flavour, classic Islay character, and a spirit that’s as reliable as an old friend.

Why Caol Ila? Four reasons: flavour, distillery character, affordability, and availability. It’s always been the drammer’s distillery. One you can enjoy without hesitation.

Why Adelphi? Our relationship goes back almost as far as my time at RMW. I have great admiration for them as an independent bottler. If I hadn't already found my dream job at Royal Mile Whiskies, I'd most likely be pestering them for work! Alex Bruce and his team know how to find a great cask, and this refill bourbon hogshead is no exception"

Arthur moved on from Royal Mile Whiskies to pursue individual pursuits in springtime of this year, but he leaves a legacy of building and promotion of independent retail that’s to be celebrated. Let’s taste this baby, to celebrate all independent whisky shops.

Score: 7/10

**Very Good Indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*Classic Caol Ila; Medicinal and a possible cure for whisky pessimism*

Nose

Not massively smoky. I mean, it is, but not as much as some other Caol Ilas. Rather, there’s typical seaweeds and sea spray. A hint of TCP. The smoke is clean and dry, for lack of a better word. A distant glass of cloudy apple juice. Whiff of chlorine and aspirin tablets.

With water we find a bit more smoke and some toast with briny feta cheese.

Palate

Lean, mineral and smoky, with a pleasant gentle earthy bitterness on the finish. Not lacking power mind you, but like any good Caol Ila, it is taut, pure and precise. Peat is definitely present but feels integrated into this mineral, coastal spirit.

With water: Slightly rounder mouthfeel, and the bitterness on the finish fades into the background a little.

The Dregs

When I was last in Edinburgh, I naturally made the pilgrimage to RMW. I was greeted by a very helpful Eastern European sounding lad. I browsed the shelves for a solid twenty minutes, before spotting this Caol Ila. I asked the gentleman behind the counter if he had tasted it, and he just replied: “this is a solid, classic Caol Ila”.

There were dozens of other whiskies which grabbed my attention, but somehow the appeal of a clean, classic Coal Ila felt right. I’m glad I didn’t second guess myself too much after that, this whisky is exactly as advertised. The Arthur Motley seal of approval only fortified my belief that this was the right choice. And I was already in the shop for twenty minutes, so it was about time I handed over some cash and stopped bothering them.

Everyone needs a good Caol Ila, and everyone needs a good whisky specialist. Take care of yours, as Fletch said a few days ago, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Now, for the accompanying soundtrack, let’s listen to a Beach Boys song, A Young Man Is Gone, in honour of the late Brian Wilson.

Score: 7/10

Review 2/2 - Ramsay

Caol Ila 10yo, 2014, Adelphi, Bottled for Arthur Motley’s 20 years at RMW, ex-bourbon single cask, 326023, 57.7% ABV
£80 paid, now sold out.

I first saw this when it was first released just before Christmas last year and I immediately wanted a bottle. I’m a big Caol Ila fan and it competes with Glengyle (Kilkerran) and Loch Lomond in the top three most abundant bottles from a single distillery on my shelves. Being bottled to celebrate Arthur Motley’s twenty years at Royal Mile Whiskies - and being his favourite distillery - I was confident it would be a decent example of Caol Ila. Adelphi being involved and the whisky having spent ten years in a refill ex-bourbon cask meant it ticked all the boxes for me. At £80 for a single cask, and at cask strength, the price was just about right too.

Unfortunately, with Christmas being an expensive time of the year and the bank balance needing to be spent on presents for others - that they probably didn’t want - I had to leave it. Thankfully, and I suppose a silver lining to the slow down we’re in, it was still available to buy in the new year and I was able to pick one up after pay day. Although since then it appears to have sold out.

Score: 8/10

**Something special.**
***TL;DR***
*A beautifully raw example of an industrial, smoky and medicinal Caol Ila*

Nose

Well used engine oil, warm tarmac and coal dust, with zesty lemon, salty sea breeze, barbecued mackerel on a pebble beach, first aid kits, hay bales and the seaweed from the Chinese takeaway - which I believe isn’t actually seaweed but another form of fried greens - either way, it’s delicious.

Palate

Quite sweet on the palate with fizzy lemonade, warming ginger in syrup and peppery spice. Then things take a darker turn flavour wise, with powerful ashen smoke, charcoal, soot, tobacco and chocolate limes, with herbal notes of dried sage and oregano, followed by creamy vanilla and medicinal iodine notes. Vanilla, iodine, liquorice, lemon, dark chocolate and ashen smoke continue into the long finish where the charcoal smoke asserts itself towards the end.

The Dregs

A wonderful, powerful and flavourful example of Caol Ila. As Ainsley mentions, it isn’t as smoky as you would expect on the nose, but the industrial notes of engine oils, coal and tarmac which attracts me to this particular Islay spirit jump out. The strong ashen smoke is very much present on the palate, and I love that journey from sweet fizzy lemon, through to the more savoury notes of charcoal, dried herbs, tobacco and iodine - whilst still retaining a fruitiness and creaminess. As Caol Ila’s of this age go it’s pretty much perfect to me. Everything I would want is there.

Of course, as Ainsley mentioned Arthur has now moved on from his role at Royal Mile Whiskies, but if you like your whisky history, I’ll second the recommendation for the YouTube channel. He is well worth catching alongside Dave Broom on The Liquid Antiquarian.

Score: 8/10 RT

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. AF

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