Karen Walker

Karen Walker, Marketing Director of Scottish Brands at International Beverage.

Crafty Angels of Whisky

The Angels' Share tale is captured in craft.

Dominic Roskrow on whisky, life and new directions

Dominic Roskrow talks about life, whisky and why he's excited about moving forward.

 

Karen Walker

May 17, 2013 in Whisky Women

“I feel proud every day working in an industry that is borne from my home country. It’s an industry that is pure, honest and endearing.” – Karen Walker

 

Karen Walker is the Marketing Director of Scottish Brands for International Beverage, which owns brands like Balblair, Old Pulteney and anCnoc.

She has been involved in the whisky industry for 21 years and in this Whisky Women interview she speaks about her various roles, how things have changed over the past two decades and what whiskies really take her fancy.

 

Tell me about your career in the world of whisky:

I graduated with a degree in Business Studies and Marketing in 1992. As it was during the Gulf War and a UK recession I took the first job that came along, which was in the marketing department of an engineering company. Two years later they closed the Edinburgh office and I was out looking for a job. I was lucky – a role came up as Marketing Executive for Invergordon Distillers and I have never looked back!

I was at Invergordon Distillers for five and a half years and I not only gained invaluable experience in the marketing of Scotch whisky, but a wide variety of other spirit categories – Irish whiskey, Canadian whisky, bourbon, vodka, gin. Then a role came up at Morrison Bowmore Distillers (MBD) as Brands Manager and again, I jumped at it.

The years at MBD were invaluable. I travelled extensively around Europe as Bowmore punched way above its weight in that region at that time (15 years ago now!). Bowmore grew by 100% in the time I was there. Don’t be misled, I was not the only Brands Manager – there were two of us. However to be part of a team that cheered at milestones, celebrated at distributor wins, and joined together to work as a team made me realise there was nowhere else other than the Scotch whisky industry that I wanted to be.

I started with Inver House Distillers as Marketing Manager in 2003 with two Brand Managers and a Marketing Executive, managing the portfolio globally. Inver House Distillers was integrated into InterBev Group, part of the Thai Bev group, and on returning from maternity leave in Oct 2009, having had twins, I became Marketing Director of the Scottish Brands portfolio.

We are now a team of 10 and I am immensely proud of the marketing team and could not be here without them supporting me every day.

What makes you most interested in this spirit?

I feel proud every day working in an industry that is borne from my home country. It’s an industry that is pure, honest and endearing. And of course I love working with people every day that have a true passion for what they do, from the stillmen to the accountants.

What was one of the first whiskies you tried that you really loved?

The Lowlands. At the time I was young and female, obviously, so they were easier for me to enjoy on the palate and not too challenging. I have grown to love anCnoc 16 year old and Old Pulteney 12 year old. And Old Pulteney 21 year old, well, it is quite simply outstanding. But a Balblair for me during the festive period is gorgeous: add together a roaring fire with a happy family around me, an after dinner Balblair in hand, and the world is a great place.

What does your role entail on a day to day basis?

No day in any year is ever the same. We work on an annual calendar so projects come around year by year. This is what keeps every day alive, buzzing, challenging and rewarding.

What is your favourite aspect of what you do?

I love seeing concepts come to shelf, seeing the consumer enjoying something I know came from an idea in our Airdrie office.

I also enjoy developing partnerships worldwide with distributors’ networks where we build the brands in markets that we could not get to without them.

Then there is educating consumers about the nuances of Scotch and how complicated, how simple, yet how enjoyable it can be.

Whisky is increasingly of interest to a younger consumer. As a marketer, are you excited by this potential?

Yes, of course we are all excited about this. However education is still essential. The emerging markets of China, India, Mexico and Brazil are indeed exciting, however we have to ensure we maintain the integrity of Scotch and market our brands responsibly to any younger demographic.

What is your opinion on minimum pricing?

In the industry we have to market our brands responsibly, and in the Scotch whisky industry we do. I do not believe that minimum pricing/regulation is the best way to achieve the common goal of minimising alcohol abuse.

Do you think more women could or should work in the whisky business?

Absolutely. When I started 21 years ago I was a minority, trying hard to carve my way in a company with traditional management structures in place. This was the case in many industries, not just the Scotch whisky industry.

Things have changed now and today eight of the 10 strong team I manage are women, and they are all strong minded, capable, reliable and loyal and I enjoy every day I work with them. We work with men and women across all departments of the organisation and the industry. It is great to see women getting opportunities in senior management roles.

What is one of your most cherished memories involving whisky drinking?

There are many moments and happy memories to recall. Friendships I have made, and stories I have shared while enjoying a dram. Too many to tell in this interview!

 

 

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Crafty Angels of Whisky

May 15, 2013 in Reviews

The Angels' ShareFor those of you that drink whisky regularly, you will likely have come across the story of the Angels’ Share. But for more casual whisky drinkers, let me explain.

Each and every year, every cask in every warehouse from Scotland to Ireland and India loses a certain portion of whisky from evaporation. In Scotland, where the temperature is cooler, it’s around 2-3%. In India, where it’s hot, hot, hot, about 11-12% disappears annually.

This chunk of missing whisky is affectionately referred to as The Angels’ Share because it is the angels that get the benefits of this natural process. This is also the title of a fantastic Ken Loach film from last year, which I highly recommend you check out and which I reviewed here.

Recently on Twitter, I noticed a company called @Angelshareglass. Curious, I followed them and I soon received an email from the affable founder Karen Somerville about what they were doing.

Her father, Tom Young, is a master glassblower, with more than 50 years of experience in the field. The pair decided to start a business called Angels’ Share Glass to honour one of the Scottish whisky industry’s most fabled tales by designing hand-blown glass angels, whisky droppers and stirrers, among other things, based on the idea.

In a recent interview, Karen explained to me their reasoning for doing so.

“We checked that no one else had ever done it before and thought this is as well known a Scottish fable, as say, the Loch Ness monster, so why hasn’t anyone captured it? That’s when we thought we better get this idea protected and registered the design. All distillers talk about The Angels’ Share on their tours,” she told me.

I received one recently and was really enamoured with it. In a special process that Tom knows, the glass blown angel is filled with a few drops of whisky and then sealed up afterwards. She’s delicate, classy and a proper example of craft-work to watch over my whisky collection.

Tom Young and Karen Somerville

The way the pieces are made, Karen said, is different than normal glassware.

“Kiln glassblowers or crystal makers use very soft and molten liquid like glass. We use a very strong and tough glass usually found in laboratory glass (Pyrex). It takes a very sharp hot flame to melt it but at the same time you can hold the rest of the glass cold. As the business grows we hope to train new glassmakers and keep this dying skill very much alive,” she said.

And the angels even have a celebrity tie-in, with many of the people behind The Angels’ Share film having one in their possession now too, including its famed director.

“Paul Laverty, The Angels’ Share co-writer’s sister in-law has a daughter at my sons’ primary school & one of my school friends is cousins with star Paul Brannigan. We wanted to send them one and we couldn’t have sent one to them without Ken getting one too. He sent a really lovely postcard back to us saying how much he loved it,” she added.

For more information on Angels’ Share Glass and Tom Young’s work, visit: www.angelsshareglass.co.uk

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Dominic Roskrow on whisky, life and new directions

May 13, 2013 in Interviews

Dominic RoskrowIn this day and age of fast-paced living, where we rarely tune out, where mobile phones mean mobile work stations and computers seldom get set to sleep, it’s easy to get caught up in everything and forget to stop and admit things have become too hectic.

For whisky writer Dominic Roskrow, this has been very much the state of play for the past two years.

Roskrow is a well-known figure in the whisky world for good or bad. From writing World Whisky Review and posts for The W Club and Whisky Advocate, to editing Whiskeria, running True Spirit, penning numerous books and starting the Craft Distillers’ Alliance (CDA), it seems he barely ever sits still.

In fact, during a recent interview to discuss life, whisky, taking breaks, new directions, mental states and his rather big decision to give up most of his freelance writing work, he almost never paused for breath. A whirlwind, if there ever was one.

But despite the energy, there is an alternate downside. For those of you that follow Roskrow on Twitter, you may have seen his comments about hypomania, for which he has recently been diagnosed. He is fully open in talking about it, however, and it was a theme that came up many times during our recent discussion. His reasoning? The more he talks about it, the more other people in the industry who may have suffered from similar issues will feel comfortable finding help themselves.

The impetus for our interview was for him to announce to me changes he is making to his work that – at first – seemed to indicate would mean he was cutting back. For instance, he will no longer run True Spirit or write World Whisky Review (the last issue will go out 10 June). While he will continue to edit Whiskeria for The Whisky Shop, he is cutting back on contributing to focus on being its editor. But he will keep the hat of director of the CDA and is launching a craft gin competition to go alongside the annual Wizards of Whisky (which honours world whiskies). Oh, and he’s continuing to write for Whisky Advocate and starting a music and whisky festival called Tribe, the first installment of which will be on the 9 November in Leicester and feature the Toy Hearts.

Whisky Opus Dominic RoskrowWhen I pointed out that none of this indicates a desire to slow down, Roskrow paused for a few short seconds, then explained his mindset.

“I want to focus on the things that are exciting going forward. I need to do things because I have quite a manic personality. But I made the mistake of self-medicating with alcohol and I hurt people, and I feel really bad about that. I will never slow down, but I can use that energy in a more positive way,” he said.

To bring everything together, he is launching worldwhisky.co.uk, a new site which will have umbrella branches of the various projects in one place.

When I questioned whether putting everything in one place indicates a desire for more control over work, he countered it by saying the intention of the site is to bring in more people to create further discussion about the world of whisky.

“I want to delegate more. I want to share things and involve people. I want to talk to people who are worth talking to. I have realised that everything is moving forward, that I can’t be blogging, I can’t be keeping up with everyone in London, but I want to still celebrate all the characters of the industry and the positives of Scotch,” he added.

By the end of our conversation it was clear that Roskrow wants to focus on the positive going forward and to show he is aware of the need to change things after his diagnosis.

“It’s been a tough two years. It’s cost me a lot and I was almost dead. I am proud of all of the world whisky stuff but I have realised I have not done justice to the people who have supported me and been there for me. This is about me saying, ‘I get it, I’m listening.’ I feel like I’ve been given a second chance and I’m very excited about everything going forward,” he concluded.

The CDA‘s Craft Gin competition will take place on the 24 June and entries are now being accepted. The first Tribe event takes place in Leicester on the 9 November at the Musician pub; details to follow soon.

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Finding Speyside’s Spirit

May 10, 2013 in Events, Reviews

Spirit of Speyside images

It was when I was in the village hall in Aberlour that I really grasped the true meaning of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

Inside the traditional wood-floored, stained glass windowed hall, dozens of people of all ages gathered together for a ceilidh. White haired ladies and dapper elderly gentleman sat chatting to tourists from Brazil, Canada and America, while a wedding party – dressed up in their finest – created a buzz of happiness felt by all.

At my table, James Walker – the humble and inviting head of the Walker Shortbread family – spoke to me about his memories coming to the hall as a child to watch films with his fellow local school children, while beside me festival organiser Mary Hemsworth spoke to everyone about the success of the many days of events.

As the ceilidh band struck up a tune and the newlyweds (who’d decided to celebrate their wedding evening with the local community) stood to take their first dance, I marveled in the wonderful welcoming nature, the simplicity and friendliness, the true heart of a community that one doesn’t find just anywhere anymore.

This is Scotland to me. And this is Speyside.

Stills MortlachWhile the whisky we love gets its fair dues, it is the people, the beating heartbeat of the Speyside region that make the wonderful product. And it is at the festival of the same name that I had a moment to slow down and see just what makes it such an important spot.

By the time I took a second’s breather to realise all of this, it was already the final night of the festival for me. I’d been in Speyside for four days to take in the yearly event which sees hundreds of distillery tours, parties, ceilidhs and concerts take place in the heart of Scotland’s whisky making world. I’d attended the opening dinner of the festival at The Glenlivet; witnessed the re-opening of Tamdhu distillery and seen well-known TV and newspaper commentator Olly Smith talk about its new 10-year old whisky release; visited The Macallan, Aberlour and Mortlach; danced to the Treacherous Orchestra at Glenfiddich; eaten my way through plates of smoked salmon; and, tried more drams than I can remember.

Glenlivet QuaichBut on that final night, I saw why people keep coming back year after year to the region – it’s because it has a heart and soul that far surpasses just the whisky but which is instilled in each bottle.

Over the coming weeks, I will write about the distilleries and drams I visited and tried, the positives and negatives and the various characters that keep Speyside alive.

On the opening night, I was awarded the honour of International Whisky Ambassador of the Year for the festival in tandem with fellow blogger Keith Savage. I was completely blown away with shock by this honour. I don’t remember entirely what I said in thanks that evening but I know it went down the lines of being so proud to be able to talk about such a wonderful area not just because of the whisky but because of the people, because the region embodies a similar spirit to that which I grew up in Canada with.

I hope when you open your next bottle of Speyside whisky or if you get the chance to head up to the region to meet the people behind the spirit, you too get the chance to witness the conviviality of it all. I may be a Canadian, living in England, but there will always be a little part of me that feels Scottish. The festival simply cemented that for me.

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Nikka Whisky Pop-Up Bar Competition

May 8, 2013 in Competitions

Nikka Whisky Logo

Thank you to those who entered yesterday’s competition to win tickets to Smiths of Smithfield‘s first floor bar which will be hosting a Nikka whisky pop-up from the 23-31 May.

The competition has now closed and winners will be informed imminently.

If you would like to visit the whisky pop-up separately, it will run from 5-11pm each day and provide the opportunity to try 17 of the single malt and blended whiskies from the brand’s collection.

 

 

 

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A bit of BBQWhiskyBeer

May 7, 2013 in Reviews

 

Wargrave Arms Marylebone

Twitter can be an amazing, polarising thing. Sometimes it’s filled with drivel but other times it introduces you to the most interesting of things, right around the corner.

Recently as I was trawling through the tweets going out I came across one that was retweeted from one of the people I follow and which originally came from a user called “BBQWhiskyBeer”. Intrigued, I followed them and after doing some research got in touch.

Wargrave Arms BBQWhiskyBeerThe team behind the account, it turns out, run a rather fabulous pub in Marylebone called The Wargrave Arms that I’d never happened to wander past in my nearly six years in London – it is a rather big city after all. And, the team’s latest initiative is something called “BBQWhiskyBeer” – three things that sit dear to my heart. The project started out as a pop-up at a separate pub that manager Sam ran in Shepherd’s Bush but proved so popular he made it into a permanent installation in this pub.

I met Sam at the ivy-covered pub on a rare sunny spring afternoon of late to discuss the project further with him. Inside, I was immediately awed – row upon row of whisky bottles sit in cases above the bar, while on one long wall, long lists of drams are carefully chalked on a board. A spirit safe from Glenburgie sits in one corner while on weigh scales near the panorama glass frontage are signs advertising whisky flights. With the sun filtering in and flicking off the dark brown wooden accents, it was like a little bit of heaven.

During our chat, Sam told me that his old boss actually grew up at Glenburgie as his father was its master distiller so the pub has a long history of associations with whisky. But, the whisky didn’t get its fair dues.

“The whisky was always here but it never got a work out. Not much had been done about it and it used to be more of an inconvenience because staff had to get up on a ladder to get them,” he explained.


When Sam took over a year and a half ago, he decided he wanted to change that. Having run pubs and restaurants in London and Bristol, and having whisky pub The Britannia (near London Bridge) as a sister venue, he began planning how to make it work.

“Lee (who runs The Britannia) and I both love whisky. We wanted to make it more accessible and create a place where you could get a good whisky or a bottle of beer and still get change from £10,” he explained.

For those of you living outside of the capital, this probably seems completely doable, but not so in London where sometimes even your standard whisky line-up will cost you near that much for 50ml. And while there are many whiskies that will be above that price on the list (ones from closed distilleries or more limited editions) there are a good number which are in the more reasonable price category.


Although Sam respects great whisky bars like The Albannach or Boisdale at Canary Wharf (he’s known Hannah Lanfear, who runs the latter’s whisky bar, for years) he told me he wanted to open up the whisky category to a wider audience.

“It’s about saying that this is what we do at the bar and saying it’s not a drink for special occasions only,” he explained.

Whisky Menu Wargrave ArmsPart of making the whisky more accessible has been about clearly displaying the prices, names and ages.

“There can be a problem with whisky that people are concerned about the price. I wanted to put it out there. I think it’s really pretentious to say to a customer, ‘Oh, there’s no menu needed, I know the prices in my head’,” he said, adding he experienced that at Christmas during a nice dinner in Kensington when he ended up paying £18 for a glass of Auchentoshan Three Wood because the server kept insisting there was no menu.

Having a policy to openly show the prices and to not charge an arm and a leg for drams will be key to changing consumers’ attitudes about whisky being inaccessible.

“If bars and restaurants don’t seem intent on making an 85% profit on each bottle then it would be easier for everyone,” he said.

The pub will now host monthly whisky tastings and run something called the Whisky Flight Club, with bronze, silver and gold tasting flights.

To go along with the whisky it is also, of course, promoting BBQ and beer.

“We’re all hooked on the street food craze. My assistant was from Chicago and we talked about BBQ. I became obsessed with BBQ sauce. And we smoke all our own food. The three things also compliment each other and we wanted it to all tie in together,” he explained.

BBQ at Wargrave Arms

The day of my visit I tried a sumptuous pulled pork burger filled with layers of gooey, sticky meat and coleslaw that I knew I’d need to come back for again.

In conclusion, Sam said it’s all about creating a good atmosphere for the customer.

“Having a few good drams, a beer and sharing a bowl of babybacks with friends? That to me is about as good of an evening as you’re going to get,” he concluded.

Amen to that, I say. Amen to that.

For more information on BBQWhiskyBeer head to the team’s Facebook page here or visit the pub at 42 Brendon Street, Marylebone, W1H 5HE.

 

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Alice Lascelles

May 3, 2013 in Whisky Women

 ”There are so many wonderful stories to tell about whisk(e)y – and yet it still remains so very misunderstood. I’m excited by the challenge of trying to change this.” – Alice Lascelles

 

 Alice Lascelles is the new Sunday Times and Times Columnist on spirits and a founding editor of highly regarded industry magazine Imbibe.

As a whisky lover since a visit to Jura distillery early on in her journalism career, Alice is setting the pace for getting more coverage of the water of life in mainstream media.

In this Whisky Women interview, she speaks about her most memorable dram, what inspires her about whisky and why she agrees with Caitlin Moran that it would be nice to be considered just one of ‘the guys’.

 

What made you want to write about whisky?

When I began in the drinks world ten years ago I wasn’t immediately drawn to whisk(e)y. Like many people, I thought it was intimidating, cliquey, old fashioned, geeky. But gradually I discovered a different side to it. I learned that it can be artistic and exciting and pretty rock and roll too. It’s a subject that takes you on fascinating journeys all over the world, and has made me all kinds of new friends. It teaches you about science and geography and history and politics. It ignites your imagination and expands your vocabulary. There are so many wonderful stories to tell about whisk(e)y – and yet it still remains so very misunderstood. I’m excited by the challenge of trying to change this.

Do you remember when you first came to like whisky? Was there a dram that hooked you in?

The very first distillery trip I went on as a cub reporter on Wine & Spirit International was to Jura. We crossed by boat – there were seals, whirlpools, George Orwell’s house. I sat by the fireside that evening at Jura House, dram in hand, and thought – yep, this is the life for me. I was completely blown away by the romance of it. My most memorable dram however, was my first taste of Talisker 10, which I had at the 175th Anniversary celebrations on Skye. It was with an oyster straight out of the sea – the combination of flavours was dazzling, and it remains among my all-time favourite drams to this day.

What do you find most inspiring about whisky?

I think a really under-appreciated side of it is the incredible artistry that goes into making whisky – I think most people still think you just punch some numbers into a computer and then pull a lever. The myriad different factors that shape a whisky’s flavour, and the skill of those people whose task it is to manage them is awe-inspiring. I love the fact that no machine has yet been invented which can improve on the human nose. And I find wood in particular absolutely fascinating.

What do you enjoy most about the drinks industry?

It’s populated by people who are really passionate about what they do, and who also enjoy living well. If you’re interested in what they do, they’ll throw open their doors for you.

What frustrates you about how whisky is perceived/spoken about?

Despite the excellent efforts of certain people, I think the industry is still guilty of being very cliquey and jargon-ridden. I’d go so far as to say that some whisky professionals deliberately cultivate that air of impenetrability simply to feed their egos. Whisky is many amazing things, but at the end of the day it’s still just a drink.

I’m reluctant to mention the ‘s’ word – but I’m afraid it’s also still disappointingly sexist. If you happen to be blonde, people always presume you’re the PR person. Only the other day I was sitting next to the CEO of one of the world’s biggest whisky producers at an industry lunch. I’ve been writing about whisky for nearly ten years, am the founding spirits editor of the leading drinks magazine for the UK on-trade and write two weekly columns for the Times Whisky Club and yet he still turned to me and said: ‘So, do you actually like whisky then? I mean, really?’ You’d be amazed how often I get asked that – I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be the same if I was a man.

What would you like to impart on readers of your column?

Don’t be scared. Have fun. Don’t get so hung up on age statements.

What achievement are you most proud of in your drinks career?

The other day a reader of my Times columns said to me: ‘Your column has made us realise that we are interested in something we didn’t know we were interested in.’ As a journalist, that is the highest praise I can imagine.

Do you feel more women should or could be involved in the whisky industry?

I think not enough is made in the mainstream media and marketing about how many female whisky makers there are – I think people would be very surprised. However I’m absolutely opposed to any special measures designed to include more women in the industry – as Caitlin Moran would say, can’t we just all be ‘the guys’.

How do you think the industry has developed/changed since you’ve been involved?

As a journalist, I’d say the really big change that’s just happened in the last year or two is the increase in spirits coverage in the mainstream consumer media. It’s still criminally small compared to wine, but it’s getting there. I’m very excited to be part of that.

Why would you encourage someone to try whisky?

It’s the start of a fascinating journey of discovery that will last your whole life, which can take you to extraordinary places, introduce you to all kinds of people, and which, perhaps most importantly, you can share with your friends. That conviviality is one of things I love most about whisky. Oh, and it’s bloody delicious.

What is your favourite memory of whisky drinking?

So many – but the best usually happen outside.

 

To read more from Alice Lascelles, check out her twice-weekly blogs on the Times Whisky Club website: http://www.timeswhiskyclub.com/blog/

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Valiant Dalmore

May 1, 2013 in Reviews

Dalmore ValourFor many whisky companies, travel retail (or duty free for consumers) has become the place to release interesting and deliberately different bottlings.

In the past couple of months, there’s been the Highland Park Warriors and The Balvenie Triple Cask selections, to name just two.

Now, The Dalmore has launched its Valour in travel retail, following up from last year’s first editions of the Constellation Collection which was originally debuted exclusively at Heathrow Terminal 5.

This release has been named after the valiant efforts of one of the members of the Mackenzie clan (later, the owners of The Dalmore) who saved King Alexander III from a runaway stag. The family was granted a Royal 12-point stag for their coat of arms by the rather happy king, and that stag is what you’ll find on each bottle of The Dalmore.

Made from a blend of three cask finishes (namely: first fill ex-bourbon casks and 30 year old Matusalem oloroso sherry butts married together and finished in port pipes) the new whisky comes in at 40% ABV and costs £50.

I was sent a wee sample (found in that rather pretty box, above) and have had a chance to try it. Here’s what I thought:

Dalmore Valour sample The Dalmore Valour: 40% ABV: £50:

(C): Mahogany

(N): Buttery brown sugar, sticky cooked apples, cooked golden raisins and sticky toffee pudding to start – rich all around. There’s also something musty (in a good way) that makes me think of a fur coat, stored with oranges. With water, more of a nutmeg and orange blossom note emerge – it’s still rich but with a bit more lift.

(P): Starts out rounded and fruity (cooked fruits) then moves to a lovely burnt brioche note – it’s slightly smoky but with a bready sweetness. With water, it didn’t hold up too well for me. Some of those lovely rich notes and layers dissipated too much for my liking.

(F): Orangey cardboard.

In summary, this is a rich, gooey and wintery dram that goes through a great set of layers when tasted neat. I’d not, personally, dilute it again as  I enjoyed it much more without water. A valiant bit of drammage indeed.

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Mischievous Loki Tells a Tale

April 29, 2013 in Reviews

Highland Park ShieldI love a good story, a deep dark tale of good versus evil, of fighting factions wrapped up in Hamlet-esque dramas that pull one in and enrapture one’s mind.

Long the provenance of the stage, film and novels, I’m noticing more and more whisky companies playing on this angle.

My favourite of late? Highland Park’s Loki, the second release from its Valhalla collection and the follow-up to last year’s Thor.

The tale started when I received an undiscerning package in the post with a origami puzzle inside that I had to decode. When I unfolded the flat black hexagon, it read the following: “All is not as it seems.” Further rearrangement of the puzzle also revealed this: “A serpent stirs in the smoky shadows.” All photo evidence of this puzzle has disappeared from my phone. I can only imagine that gremlins related to this serpent came and ate it.

What it all meant, I was unsure. But, the intriguing part of the tale had begun.

Highland Park Loki WhiskyA couple of weeks later, I received the answer in the form of an origami creature, who wrapped his wicked self around a sample bottle of the new Loki whisky.

While the puzzle was solved, there was still much to learn from the tale.

Basing itself on the Norse legends as Highland Park tends to (see this piece on their recent duty free releases, the Warriors) the company had decided to further use this dark history of the Norse Gods to make for an inviting whisky launch.

Legend goes that Loki was a shape shifting, tricky god of fire, full of mischievousness and dark ways. According to Highland Park, Loki has raised his head out of the gloom to take on his adopted brother Thor, who took all the glory with his own whisky launch last year.

Okay, so it’s a bit of a stretch of the imagination, but it’s great fun too isn’t it?

Loki will be released as a very limited edition and packaged in the same wooden frame based on a Viking ship that Thor was presented in last year. The 15-year old sits at a high ABV of 48.7% so it definitely packs a punch. It is retailing for around £120 but a quick look on The Whisky Exchange’s website says it is no longer available, so you may have to search it out in good whisky bars if you want to try it.

I was sent a wee sample of it and here’s what I thought:

(C): Golden mustard

(N): Briney, salty and lemony with a smoky twist at first. A tiny hint of salted toffee also comes through along with a touch of mineral water dryness. With water, more of a spun sugar note comes out to combine with the saltiness.

(P): On the palate, this really lives up to its “shape-shifter” persona. There is a wonderful, unexpected sweetness on the palate that belies the saltiness of the nose for me. Tropical fruit also emerges (pineapple, guava and a bit of banana) alongside the rich smoke to make a smoky fruit shake. Surprisingly for a dram of this strength, I didn’t find it to be as rich with water, preferring it neat.

(F):  Smoky pineapples.

In short, this has loads of flavour and layers, which definitely change sip after sip and after it’s been in the glass a while. I preferred it neat but it was very pleasant all around, which goes against the slightly darker character of Loki himself.

 

 

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The Balvenie: Single Barrel 12 year old

April 27, 2013 in Reviews

Balvenie Single Barrel 12I’ve been a big fan of The Balvenie since early on in my whisky tasting journey. It started, as I’ve now learned it does for many people, with the DoubleWood 12 and one of my favourite whiskies of 2012 was the Golden Cask Rum Finish 14 year old. I’m a sucker for whiskies that have a tropical fruit, honey and spice backbone and this company seems to almost always tick the boxes (at least on its more bourbon-influenced releases).

But I have decided that the latest release has now plumped for top position in my book.

The Single Barrel first fill 12 year old is the new kid on the block for The Balvenie. Last year, the company introduced the Caribbean Cask 14 year old and the DoubleWood 17 into its standard line-up.

The company already has a single cask bottling in the form of the Single Barrel 15 year old but that isn’t restricted in terms of the type of cask used. It is also being slowly phased out, so this 12-year old will likely be the star of the single barrel show in the near future.

The new 12 year old bottlings will come from first fill American oak ex-bourbon barrels, meaning each release should take on the heavier vanilla and sweeter notes one tends to get from a first fill cask (ie: casks filled with Scotch for the first time after holding a bourbon or sherry). It’s being bottled at a relatively high strength for The Balvenie – 47.8% – and is non chill filtered. No more than 300 bottles of each release will hit shelves so at a cost of around £43-£45 it’s quite a steal.

Because it is a single cask, the release I am reviewing will of course be unique, though I’m sure the malt master extraordinaire that is David Stewart – who’s been with the company for more than 50 years now – will be choosing ones of a similarly pleasing nature.

And so, to the review. Here’s what I thought:

(C): Runny golden honey

(N): Very floral with notes of honey and marzipan, and a touch of lemony eucalyptus, which surprised. As it airs, malty notes and freshly sawed pine wood come into play too. With water, those wonderful sappy pine forest notes come out more for me along with Christmas marzipan or sticky stollen.

(P): On the palate, this has a delightfully oily mouthfeel, due to that non-chill filtering aspect. It’s rich and sticky, and slightly sharp without water because of the high ABV. There are lemony notes, the taste of envelope glue, gummy honey and honeysuckle. With water, this hold up very well – a teeny hint of something almost smoke like emerges before a burst of strawberry foams dipped in honey.

(F): Without water, it’s subtle with fresher honeyed pine notes. With water, for some reason I kept thinking of watermelon bubblegum.

In conclusion, this new release shows it has gusto with its big powerful flavour and the richness that comes from both a high ABV and the non-chill filtering. It makes me want to try every Balvenie in this form to see how the other releases would be if given the same treatment. One to drink in a summer garden.

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