{"product_id":"mossburn-the-ephemera-collection-the-great-michael-57-8","title":"Mossburn 'The Ephemera Collection' The Great Michael 57.8%","description":"\u003cp\u003eA stunning Whisky not only rare but tastes fantastic...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn memory of Scotland's finest Great Ship and flagship of the Royal Scottish Navy, the Great Michael was known as the Black Ship. Imagined by King James IV to be the most illustrious European Battleship of the 16th century, it was too big to be built at any existing Scottish dockyard, so the Black Ship was laid down at the specially built Newhaven Dock in Fife, Scotland. She took five years to build and when launched, was indeed the largest warship in Europe, twice the size of any of her English and Spanish contemporaries.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJames hoped she would be feared by all that sailed against her, and to this point the mighty Black Ship carried a formidable and unrivalled armoury that included 56 cannons, of which, Mons Meg, the largest calibre gun in history, fired 200kg cannon balls from her foredeck.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnfortunately, a warship of this size was too costly to maintain for Scotland, and after James IV and many of the nobility of Scotland were killed at the Battle of Flodden in September 1513, Michael was sold to Louis XII of France on 2 April 1514 for the bargain price of 40,000 livres. In March 1514 Michael was reported to be docked at Honfleur because she was too big for the harbour at Dieppe, and after this, the French allowed her to rot at Brest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis exceptionally rare 21-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky includes select malts from Campbeltown, finished in second-fill bourbon barrels that previously held heavily peated whisky. Only 150 bottles are available in the UK, making this a truly scarce addition to any collection.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNose: Discernibly aged but still fruity and fresh, with candied fruit, apples, and a distant note of old dunnage warehouses, straw, and malty digestive biscuits.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePalate: Fresh tobacco and sweet smoke, more candied fruit, and a wonderful balance between the fruit and smoke. Diesel smoke, a touch of milk chocolate, and a hint of candy floss sweetness.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mossburn","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55647151260024,"sku":null,"price":109.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.harrogatefinewinecompany.com\/products\/mossburn-the-ephemera-collection-the-great-michael-57-8","provider":"Harrogate Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}