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Back to Blends: Ballantine’s Range

January 10, 2013 in Uncategorized

Over the past year, I have had many opportunities to experience a range of single malt whiskies, the chance for which I feel very privileged.

However, it has also been a year where blends have not featured as heavily in my tasting experiences as I may have originally planned.

While I love a good single malt, I have no major issues with blends. It’s true that poor quality blends can put off new whisky drinkers if they are too harsh, unbalanced or lacking in anything exciting. But it is equally true that – just like grain whiskies, which I often enjoy – blends can get a bad rap.

Companies like Compass Box are looking, well, outside of the box, and helping to make blends of interest again, focusing on the fact this style of whisky can be very well constructed and still take a hell of a lot of work.

Of course, many new whisky drinkers may not come across more boutique companies like Compass Box in the early stages of their whisky journey. This is why I think it’s important to sometimes go back to brands that one can easily find in supermarkets (along with whisky specialists, since some blends are as pricy as single malts) and give them a chance too.

I have recently had the opportunity to try much of the range from Ballantine’s – a blended Scotch that is extremely popular on the continent, if not as much here in the UK.

As background, George Ballantine was a grocer who set up his own shop in Edinburgh in 1827 at the tender age of 18. As his grocery store became more successful, he began to specialise in whisky, bringing in his own stock and amassing great quantities. In 1867, he set up two much larger stores in Edinburgh and Glasgow with son Archibald and, along with continuing to sell other whisky brands, began creating his own range. He died in 1892 but was posthumously awarded a Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria in 1895. The company was eventually acquired by Canadian company Hirim Walker Gooderham & Worts in 1936. It is now a part of the Pernod-Ricard portfolio.

I had not come across much Ballantine’s previous to this tasting so it was almost a complete mystery.

So what did I try?

I’ll start with the Ballantine’s 12-year old. Introduced to the range in 1960, this whisky comes in at 40% and is the colour of golden hay. The nose was sweet, with notes of banana skins, caramel and oak. The palate has an initial sweetness of ripe fruit, apples, vanilla fudge and a dry smoky, spicy note just at the end. The finish is slightly bitter (almost fungal or grassy) but with hardly any alcoholic bite. It was very pleasant and I would suggest a great entry level dram if you can find it, that is, as I’ve not found it to be heavily stocked here in the UK.

Next up I sampled Ballantine’s Finest, which has been on store shelves since 1910 and is the biggest seller in the range. At 40%, it is the colour of straw and has a more delicate nose than the 12-year old, with notes of peach, apricot and, rhubarb and custard sweets. There was also a hint of chalk. The palate was very light, with an apple, toasted grain and butter flavour. The finish was drying at first, before moving into a grassy bitterness and a final dash of apple sauce. It won the Scotch blend of the year in both 2011 and 2012 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible and is another stellar example of an entry level blend (price-point wise) since it can be found for less than £20 in most places.

Finally, I sampled the Ballantine’s 17-year old. This is a couple of steps up from the other two, in relation to price, normally coming in at somewhere around the £45 mark. It has been in the collection since 1930 and is a wee bit stronger at 43%. The colour of this whisky was a light golden honeycomb and the nose was sweet at first, with notes of Quality Street strawberries, caramel and honey-roasted peanuts before adding a dash of spice and smoke. I was expecting the palate to be similarly sugary but it hinted instead of sugared lemons, oranges, honey, toffee and peppery spice. The finish was similar to the 12 in that the grassy flavour reappeared for me, but this also had a citrus and spice hint too.

As always with whisky write-ups, this is just my opinion about the Ballantine’s range. I was pleased to get the chance to try them out and remember that blends should not be forgotten despite the sea of single malts that equally please.

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The Queen of Victoria’s festivals

January 7, 2013 in Uncategorized

For Iain Hooey – one of the founders of the Victoria Whisky Festival – the business of putting on a big whisky show could not have gone better over the past seven years.

The festival held at the Hotel Grand Pacific in British Columbia, Canada is about to celebrate its eighth anniversary but it began as a bit of a pipe dream.

According to Iain, he and fellow founder Lawrence Graham – who runs the Whisky Intelligence site and is a Malt Maniac - decided to head to next-door province, Alberta, for a whisky tasting at the Willow Park liquor store in Calgary.

“After a plethora of drams Lawrence asked, ‘Can we put one of these on in Victoria?’” explained Iain, a retired police officer, in a recent phone interview. “So, in that haze, we said that we could put one on but would do it differently.”

After 14 months of planning and with all their ducks coming comfortably together in a row, Iain and Lawrence were able to proceed with the festival, selling 475 tickets that first year – a huge increase on the anticipated 75 tickets they had a goal of shifting.

So what has made the festival stand out since 2006?

Jim Murray at the 2012 festival.

According to Iain, it comes down to four key things they decided to put in place from the start.

The first is that, with Canada’s very strict laws on alcohol consumption, the team chose to offer every guest a ride home after the festival. They managed to pull this off by getting a car hire firm and volunteer drivers on board to ensure the safety of attendees – even those living 30 or 40km away from the venue.

The second decision that helped them stand out was when they decided they would make no profit on the event at all, instead, giving all proceeds to charity. When they were first planning the festival, Iain said they realised they could end up paying for much of the festival out of their own pockets. As it turned out, they still made enough for a charity donation. Last year, $27,000 (or, approximately £17,000) went to two nominated charities. To help run the festival, the charities provide volunteers to take tickets and ensure the smooth running of the show.

The third choice was to not charge drinks companies for tables, a decision which meant many major whisky brands – from BenRiach to Talisker and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society – decided to get involved from year one. Iain said he only asked them for four things: to show up, to have enough stock to cover the festival, to do an engaging masterclass and to stay at the hotel.

And the final option? They were going to stay involved through every process, including selling tickets by hand rather than through an online ticket distributor like Ticketmaster, with some being allocated to local whisky tasting groups.

“We knew whisky clubs would be supportive of the event and that following it, they would buy whisky. We also knew that their buzz would create more buzz and we could move forward with them working with us,” he added.

Sam Simmons, The Balvenie's Global Brand Ambassador.

What happened from there was a continual rise in interest from the local community, visitors from the US and overseas, media attention and support from global whisky brands.

It couldn’t have hurt that Jim Murray – who was a speaker from the first year onwards – also called it “the best organised whisky show in the world.”

“That was an accolade we weren’t looking for and weren’t expecting so we had smiles on for quite a while. We’re proud to say: ‘Look we’re not really big but we’re going to put on a good show,’” Iain added.

This year, there will be the third annual Canadian Whisky Awards – hosted by Davin de Kergommeaux – along with an evening dinner hosted by Cutty Sark and The Glenrothes, along with tastings from Glenmorangie, Springbank, Laphroaig, among many others. The consumer tasting – on Saturday, 19 January – runs in the evening.

The secret to the success, he said, has been bound up in the fact there is little desire to increase the number of attendees and make it an impersonal event. For the 2013 show – which runs from the 17-21 January – around 1,400 tickets have been sold for the consumer tasting on the Saturday night and all 34 masterclasses. This number of tickets is just right, he said, adding it is doable now because of the extensive help from others on the committee – such as Dr Jonathan Adams, who pulls off all the masterclasses in an orderly fashion within a six hour time window.

Canadian whisky on show at the 2012 festival.

But it also means that getting hands on tickets can be tricky – when they go on sale in November, people start lining up at the ticket sales point (local specialty drinks shop, The Strath) at 4am and all tickets are sold within two and a half hours of the shop opening. A growing number of those people buying tickets – or receiving them – are women, added Iain, who said there were only around 6-10 female attendees in the first year, with that number growing to around 20% today.

For Iain, the festival has gone from strength to strength and is something he likely couldn’t have imagined getting involved in  twenty years ago. Back then, he was only keen to collect rather than drink it because he had a feeling it would rise in value one day. This has meant his collection now includes rare gems from a 1962 Macallan to a 1964 Tomatin and a 1963 Longmorn. It took him ten years to really get a taste for whisky.

But after the fateful road trip with Lawrence, there is no looking back. The Victoria Whisky Festival is most certainly a proud bastion for whisky in Canada and I wish all of those going the best of enjoyment!

Photography courtesy of Jen Steele Photography. For more information on the Victoria Whisky Festival, visit: www.victoriawhiskyfestival.com

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Round the world in 6 whiskies

January 2, 2013 in Uncategorized

As many whisky lovers may know, the growth of drams from places other than Scotland, the USA and Ireland is ever increasing.

What does this mean?

Well, for me, it equates to an even greater pool of potentially great drams to pick from – no bad thing. It also means that even if I’ve attended a few tastings with world whiskies, there are always new options that I come across.

The most recent of these events was put on by whisky writer Ian Buxton at The Whisky Exchange near London Bridge.

I brought along one of my newest converts to whisky – Miss Andrea – to help me out in tasting drams from as far afield as Taiwan along with a group of other whisky lovers, such as Billy Abbott (ie: @cowfish).

We started the night on the English Whisky Company’s Chapter 6 release. This 46% whisky was the first official release from its St George’s distillery in Norfolk, and came onto store shelves in 2010. It is a light-straw coloured dram, with notes of marzipan, lemon, vanilla, pink peppercorns, paint and straw on the nose. The palate was slightly bolder, with spring, floral flavours to start and a peppery vanilla burst midway through the sip. Notes of strawberries dipped in caramel also came through.

Our taste buds next headed more than 4,200 miles westwards to Bardstown, Kentucky and the Heaven Hill distillery to try some Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey. Ian told us he enjoys this dram because of its value for money – coming in at around £22, it is a very cost-effective bottle. Now, I’m not a massive fan of rye – the bread or the drams made from it. But this was an intriguing whiskey regardless with loads of clove-like spice and a hint of sweet peach lingering in the background of the nose. The palate, meanwhile, was bursting with peppermint caramels. It was a refreshing dram but I think I would prefer it as a base of a cocktail, rather than just drinking it straight.

Ian Buxton takes us through the world whiskies.

For dram number three, we headed back east across the Atlantic to Ireland to sample some Writers Tears whiskey, which is made from a vatting of single pot still and malt whiskies and comes from the Midleton distillery near Cork. The nose was warming and welcoming – it reminded me of two (nearly unexplainable) things: firstly, the smell of warm haystacks and a cat’s furr (cat owners who’ve ever picked up their furry friend when they’ve been sat in the sunshine might understand what I mean); and, secondly, there was a dash of caramel apple pops, which are a North American sweet. The palate was sticky and sweet, with loads of apple flavours and a heavy oiliness that coated the mouth. It finished on honey and hay notes. It was mine and Miss Andrea’s second favourite of the night.

Miss Andrea enjoys a dram.

Whisky number four took us over St George’s Channel into Wales to the Penderyn distillery near the Brecon Beacons. The Penderyn Madeira was most definitely the most divisive whisky of the night, with one outspoken observer declaring it the worst whisky he’d ever tried. I was not so angered by it. In fact, I didn’t mind it – it just wasn’t quite up there with the others. The nose was full of bananas and pineapple and the palate was sweet and spicy, with notes of peach and cinnamon and a bitter finish.

The most anticipated whisky of the night for me was Kavalan Single Malt, part of the collection from the first Taiwanese distillery, Kavalan, which produces nine million bottles a year. The distillery has been in operation since 2005 and has won numerous awards in its short lifetime. It is also a hugely popular visitor destination, garnering upwards of (a whopping) 7,000 visitors a day. The Single Malt is a gentle, well-balanced dram with notes of apples, pineapple and vanilla, while the palate reminded me of more of an Irish style, with light notes of lemons, honey and almonds. It was very pleasant but not outstanding. I’m keen to try the others in the range as I’ve heard they’re more exciting.

The final dram of the night was the powerhouse cask strength Ardbeg Uigeadail, a popular malt for good reason. The nose bursts with brine, and sweeter BBQ prawns, plus a wafting fresh smoky air scent. The palate has a great chewiness, with a real caramel sweetness that shines through the smoke. It’s joined by brown sugar and lemon pie notes, before being topped off with a grassy finish. Both Miss Andrea and I swooned over this dram – a definite favourite of the night.

And although we loved the last dram from more traditional Scotland, it was a fantastic look into a set of whiskies from across the globe. It excites me every time I am able to try such a range from other countries and seems to be yet another bit of proof that whisky is taking over the world!

 

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Drams of 2012: Part 2

December 30, 2012 in Uncategorized

In my last piece – Drams of 2012: Part 1 - I revealed the first of my top drams for the year 2012.

They were chosen not only because of the fact that I loved them when I first tried them, but also because they stuck out in my brain and had flavours and characteristics that I could easily recall months later. While there have been many an amazing dram I’ve sampled this year, those first four stood out for those reasons.

But, those were not the only drams that really struck a chord with me. As mentioned in Part 1, I am choosing my Top 7 drams of the year. As such, there are three others still to go.

As per the last post, I would love for you to get in touch on Twitter (@themisswhisky), in the Comment section below or on email at info@misswhisky.com – and let me know what drams really rocked your 2012.

Here are my final three top drams (plus a “Special Mention”) for the year 2012, in order of when I first tried them:

Dram #5 – Tomatin 30: 46%:

I had not come across Tomatin before this year’s Whisky Exchange show in October. But, I arrived this year with the goal of tasting only whiskies I’d not had before. Spotting the Tomatin stand, I headed there first of all and asked UK Sales Manager, Alastair, to take me through the whole collection.

To say I was quickly won over is an understatement. I loved most of what was on the stand. But my stand-out dram of the company’s releases was definitely the Tomatin 30.

After the show, I wrote the following: “Only 1,500 bottles of the 30 year old are released annually. It is bottled at 46%. It was, as it turns out, one of my favourite of the whiskies I tried that day. On the nose it was full of banana peels, mango, pineapple and vanilla. On the palate, there was a crescendo of tropical fruits: pineapple, cherry syrup, mango and a light spiciness. It was beautiful and so sprightly for a 30-year old. Very impressive indeed. It’s £122 so not one to run out and grab, but if you’ve got a Christmas wishlist I recommend.”

As Christmas is now over, I’d recommend adding it to your birthday list. Or your “I’m saving up for a whisky” list. At the listed price, it’s an exceptional price for a 30-year old whisky. And well worth trying or buying, I’m certain.

Dram #6 – Kariuzawa 1984: 64.5%:

I sometimes love whiskies that really puzzle me on first trying them. This Kariuzawa – from the now closed distillery – definitely fit the category of – “I’m puzzled but in a good way that means I love this whisky.”

I sampled this dram also at The Whisky Exchange’s show in October. In keeping with the theme of “trying only drams I’d not had before” I stepped up to The Number One Drinks stand (the chaps who distribute this whisky) and asked to try everything. Edward Bates – a company ambassador – was up for the challenge and took me through the lot.

Here’s what I wrote about it at the time: “In telling us about this whisky, Ed said it was full of: “Really linear, bang, bang, bang flavours.” I have an even stranger note, taken after my first sip: “It’s like a rainbow; my tongue’s on fire.” I remember very clearly wanting to write that down to try and explain the whisky, although I’m not sure that will make any sense to anyone reading this.

To give you a (potentially) clearer picture, this 64.5% whisky is a friendly punch to the nose – it explodes with orange, nutmeg, sherry and citrus notes. On the palate, without water it was quite woody, and I found that citrus note pulling through once more, featuring a yuzu flavour (which is a Japanese citrus fruit often made into a delectable sauce). With water, it was much gentler and easier to grab a hold of. “It’s just beautiful,” I added in my notes. A favourite of the day for me.”

Dram #7 – Smokehead Extra Black 18-year old: 46%:

The more I drink whisky, the more I come to enjoy smokier flavours. Five years ago, you wouldn’t have seen me dare go near one; even two years ago I approached only with caution. Now, I’m really coming to find ones I love.

For me this year the one that fit the bill was the Smokehead Extra Black 18-year old, which I sampled during a whisky tasting at The Caledonian hotel in Edinburgh.

Here’s what I thought: “This whisky was launched in 2009 and follows up from the 2006 release of the first Smokehead. There are 6,000 bottles released annually. It comes in a black bottle with contemporary silver writing, making it stand out in comparison to the other bottles on any whisky shelf. It is bottled by Ian McLeod distillers but the origins of the whisky are not revealed. I’ve heard talk it is an Ardbeg, and others have said it might be a Caol Ila.

Regardless of its origins, it is definitely one to try. On the nose, there is a huge waft of peat that is balanced out by lemon peel, passion fruit and rosemary notes. Then, in the mouth, it really explodes – it’s deliciously creamy (hinting almost at butter), with a hefty smoke that is tempered by a sticky fruit and vanilla pod sweetness that bursts mid-sip. It’s got a great, oily finish that clings to the roof of the mouth and the flavour goes on and on long after you swallow. Best of all for me, my other half – who is normally adverse to smoky whisky – really took to this one, likely because it’s not all smoke, all the time.”

This was a great example of an all-rounder smoky whisky that could just appeal to those who are easing their way into this style of dram, but which will equally be of interest to people who already enjoy it.

 

Special Mention Dram(s):

This year, I was also introduced to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, which I hadn’t come across in my whisky journey before 2012. I tried dozens of drams from this fantastic single malt, single cask outfit and so I couldn’t choose just one – especially as they all come from different distilleries. Instead, I have decided to give them a special mention for providing me with some incredible drams this year, my favourites of which include the following:

  • 26.71: The Great Outdoors: a 25-year old Clynelish that “was like a warm day at the beach on the nose, with hints of butter, pineapple, almonds and starfruit, while the palate was initially spicy but then sweet. With water the dram took on chocolatey and caramalised banana notes, like a tropical beach with flambéed bananas, a salty sea breeze and sizzling BBQ prawns. It had quite a spicy, herbal aftertaste, with flavours of cumin and rosemary.”
  • 71.36: Two Seasons in a Dram: a 27-year old Glenburgie that knocks my socks off every time I drink it. Starts on the nose with apples and marzipan, with a hint of citrus and a warmth reminding me of autumn before having a palate of vanilla, banana and pineapple at the start and a slight smokiness and grassy freshness and warm floral note to finish.

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Drams of 2012: Part 1

December 27, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

It frightens me to write this post. It really does. How – I wonder – is 2012 almost nearing its end?

The year has gone so quickly and the drams have kept on coming. As such, I thought I’d look back at this year of whisky greatness to choose my favourite drams of the past 12 months.

While most lists put together the top 5 or top 10, I’m going somewhere in between and choosing my top 7 drams.

But the question is, do you agree?

I want to know if you’ve tried these drams (or if you’re keen to) and – if the former – what you thought of them. Did you taste others that beat these ones? Get in touch on Twitter (@themisswhisky), in the Comment section below or on email at info@misswhisky.com – and let me know what drams really rocked your 2012.

Without further adieu, here are my first four favourite drams (in order of when this year I sampled them):

Dram #1. – Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy: 46%:

I managed the chance to try this whiskey twice this year – once at an Irish tasting with The Whisky Exchange back in March, and the second time at a dinner (again with The Whisky Exchange) in September. It really stands out in my mind as a perfect all-rounder and a showcase as to why whisky (or, in this case, whiskey) doesn’t only have to come from Scotland to be dram good.

The first time I sampled it, I said the following:

“This was an exceptionally interesting dram to me, especially because it was near the end of the tasting when I find my nose and tastebuds numbing slightly. Notes of citrus fruit, black pepper, lime, crunchy Granny Smith apples, melon and vanilla all managed to communicate themselves from my scent to my brain. The palate was slightly astringent, with notes of pear, apple and pineapple. There was a giant bite at the front of my palate, followed by a long lasting finish with lingering notes of mandarin oranges and brandy at the back of my tongue.”

And the second time I got: “Lemon cookies, almonds, Christmas trees and panettone on the nose and the mouth was all “mango, mango, mango”.

Neither review was exactly the same but, as always with drams, it depends what you’ve eaten and drunk before – all of which will have an effect. The point though? This is a fantastic whiskey and well worth venturing outside the Scottish borders to try.

Dram #2 – The Balvenie, Golden Cask Rum Finish, 14yo: 47.5%:

Continuing the theme of more tropical fruit influenced flavours was this dram I tried at Whisky Live London back in March.

Originally bottled only for travel retail, it came onto market in the UK for general purchase. I’ve tried it a couple of times this year, but this was my original review:

“Aroma: Sunshine in a bottle! If that’s possible. It was warm and inviting, slightly spicy with hints of crème brûlée.

Palate: Loads of tropical fruits flourished: pineapple, banana, mango. Add in flavours of vanilla ice cream and flambeed bananas soaked in caramel and honey and you have dessert in a bottle!”

Dram #3 - Bowmore small batch reserve: 40%:

I tried this dram back in May at (potentially) the perfect moment – when I was hellishly stressed and in need of something delicious to give me a quiet moment of calm.

And it was the ideal antidote to the grumpy feelings I was having – I went from compressed stress ball to smiling, Play-doh putty in moments – whether it’s a good sign that I can become this relaxed from a whisky is something I will debate wholeheartedly at a later date.

But back to the dram…

This whisky was matured in first- and second-fill ex-bourbon casks and was a distinct departure from Bowmore’s other, peatier and sometimes more sherried influences. And, at a mere £32.99 a bottle, it was a steal of a whisky for sure.

This was my review at the time: “The characteristic Bowmore peatiness was there but in an oh so gentle way. There were hints of fudge, vanilla and oak that one would expect from an ex-bourbon cask, but it wasn’t overpowering. It just said, “Hello, you’re feeling stressed aren’t you? Well, why don’t I use my relaxing flavours to eek away your blues!”

For those that like a heavier, sherried Bowmore (like the Darkest) this might seem a bit too gentle. It’s not yelling at you but just presenting itself for enjoyment. The nose is welcoming with grassy, soft sugary notes that would appeal to a beginner, but I think the palate is complex enough with its creamy smoke, hints of lemongrass and saltiness to encourage a longer-term single malt sipper to still enjoy it.

It’s the kind of whisky that, if I had a whole bottle, I’d probably sit down with friends new to whisky and spend the night drinking it all. It was just what I needed to take the edge off!”

Dram #4 – Balblair 1969:

As I wrote at the time, sometimes a dram actually makes time stand still. This was the case with the Balblair 1969 – and it still makes it (possibly) the top of my top drams of the year.

This is what I had to say after trying it at the Balblair Distillery back in July: “This subtle beauty is an absolute stunner. So much so, I actually managed to stop talking for a full 15 minutes. Anything that can make me do that has to be pretty powerful.

This whisky filled my nose with rich, creamy mangoes and papayas, sweet white almond bark (a North American chocolate concoction), apricots and a teeny hint of smoke.

On the palate, everything got even more intense. As I sat with this dram, I was transported to a dreamy, warm meadow in mid-summer. My mouth filled with toasted wheat, honey syrup sticks (another North American confection), the rich flavours that filter from a bakery onto a Parisian street (croissants, pain aux apricots) and the twang of orange bitters. It finished, for me, on a note of nori (edible seaweed) and the sweet hint of smoked salmon.

It was glorious. End of.”

And so ends part one of my “Drams of 2012″ – find out on Monday which other three make the list!

 

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Holiday Whisky Cheer!

December 21, 2012 in Uncategorized

With just a few days before Christmas, it’s hard not to feel at least a bit festive. For many, trees are decorated, presents nearing wrapped and whisky lined up, ready to be drunk.

I’ve been helped along in my festive cheer with some whisky from Ballantine’s and Jack Daniel’s both specially released for the season.

The first – the Jack Daniel’s Holiday Select - was brought out at the end of November and has been selling in London through the Whisky Exchange, which also has a pop-up stand beside the Jack Daniel’s Christmas barrel tree in Covent Garden, and Harvey Nichols.

The second – the Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve 2012 – has been released in 15 markets such as Germany, France, Poland and China but not, I might add, in the UK.

So, how did the whisky stack up?

Let’s start with Tennessee dram, Jack Daniel’s.

There were 3,000 bottles of this released to the UK. It has an ABV of 45.2% making it a fair bit stronger than normal Jack No 7, which comes in at 40%. It was matured in what the distillery terms the “Angels’ Roost”, which refers to the top floors of the warehouse that are hotter; this means the Angels’ Share is around 30% for this, rather than the 16% the distillery normally expects.

The first thing to note about this bottling is its packaging – this is the real show-off part of this whiskey. Encased in a heavy black box with red trim, the top lifts out by an attached ribbon to reveal a slide-out interior encasement in which the whiskey sits. The festive looking bottle is heavy and stout with gold curlicue decoration etched on the front. It’s an impressive bottle for the shelf.


The whiskey is a burnt caramel colour and, on first pour, smells intensely of vanilla, apple and spice. The palate has a slight chocolate and hazelnut note to it that finishes on fresh-cooked, thick caramel and – a little while later – an intense aftertaste of banana bread and stewed pears.

It’s a thick, sweet dram but it appealed to me more than normal Jack Daniel’s which I find even more saccharine. This had less oak spice, but more layers of flavour and I enjoyed the heightened ABV.

Next up: the Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve. This whisky is lighter in strength than the Jack Daniel’s, at a standard 40%.

Housed in a white box with sparkling silver snowflakes, this is an attractive bit of packaging as well but without quite the same “oomph” as the Jack Daniel’s one. Inside, a black bottle with gold writing and silver snowflakes makes it stand out as a Christmas special release.

The colour of this whisky is akin to melting brown sugar. The first nosing was an instant caramel hit: a mix between fudge and the smell of a freshly bitten Twix bar. There were also orange notes and a perfume astringency.

The palate was very welcoming – a sweet spice that likened itself to cinnamon and nutmeg appeared first. There was a toast and butter element to it too, along with that returning caramel edge. It’s one I’d like to sit by a roaring fire and Christmas tree with. The whisky finished on a fruity whisper – the flavour didn’t stick around long but was pleasant when it did.

I’m at a bit of a toss up as to which of these Christmas drams I prefer. The first time I tried the Jack Daniel’s I found it too sweet and I edged towards the Ballantine’s. But, on retrying them for this post, I enjoyed the Jack Daniel’s. I suppose it is best to have a bottle of each (if you live in a country where both are available). If neither is, I invite you to raise a glass of whatever dram is nearest and give a Christmas cheer all around!

 

 

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Revisiting Glenfiddich

December 19, 2012 in Uncategorized

Glenfiddich is one of those whiskies that you see everywhere but which can be easy to skip past for thinking it’s a major market brand that sloshes out millions of litres without thinking of what’s going into the bottles.

You would, of course, be right in thinking it sells millions of litres (11 to be exact) but you’d be wrong to think there wasn’t a definite passion and focus on creating great spirit also lingering behind those sales figures.

One of the most enthusiastic people I (and likely many other whisky lovers) have met is Jamie Milne, the Glenfiddich brand ambassador. Now, he is employed to be enthusiastic but (cynicism aside folks) talking with him about whisky has never felt forced or “PR’d” – he just really loves what Glenfiddich produces.

I recently attended a tasting with him at the Soho Whisky Club (along with other whisky folks – the Caskstrength chaps, Living Room Whisky‘s Jon, Kirsty Chant, Master of Malt‘s Ben Ellefsen and Cat Spencer, Ian Buxton and Mark (Dramatic Whisky) Thomson).

One of his first statements is that people do often forget what Glenfiddich is about. And then he finds they’ll re-taste it and be reminded it is actually a “darn good whisky”.

I’ll definitely hold my hands up and say I’m guilty. I do not own a single bottle of Glenfiddich but that’s not because I don’t like it. I wrote about some of its new releases here a while back and very much enjoyed some. But I do fall into the category of sometimes overlooking it for want of smaller batch whiskies.

So, it was with interest I sat down to do a deconstruction of the Glenfiddich 15-year-old Solera that night. We were to try the various whiskies that make up the Solera (well, nearly, as one was missing and was substituted by the 15 year old Distillery Edition) and get to know each whisky involved in its make up.

As background, the Solera is a unique whisky in that it is made of three separate whiskies that are marrried in a 37,000 litre vat which is never fully emptied. This means that each time a bottling is done, some stays behind in the vat to be included in the next run.

As Jamie explained: “Some of the whisky being bottled today as “Glenfiddich 15 Solera” was 15-years-old in 1998 and has been in the vat ever since, mixed with subsequent casks of 15-year-old.”

We started with the 15-year-old Distillery Edition, a 51% whisky made from a mix of American and European oak casks, including Oloroso sherry casks. While it doesn’t officially help make up the Solera – as that is normally done with the 15-year-old refill cask whisky – Jamie said it was a very close representation of the whisky normally in place.

On the nose, I found it started with a slight citrus, apple and peach note, before moving into scents of hay, oak, a dash of marzipan, buttery baked pineapple and warming spice. On the palate, I picked up pineapple, cream, caramel, popcorn and butter. There was a slight gentle burn at the front of palate and a warm, grassy finish.

We then moved onto a 15-year-old, that had been transferred into virgin American oak casks to be aged for four-six months.


The nose was a lovely bouquet – very sweet, like fresh baking batter: vanilla, brown sugar and eggs. There was a hint of cinnamon spice and a touch of paint thinner lingering below. I loved the palate on this one, which reminded me of just-made cinnamon buns with lots of thick and sweet brown sugar and icing filling.

The final element of the Solera was the Glenfiddich 15-year-old sherry butt matured cask. On the nose it was a proper sherry bomb (to Cat’s delight), with tannin, wood, sherry, chocolate and raisin elements. On the palate, there was a lot of spice, a hint of red pepper corns, and a dry, tannic finish with a dash of sulphur lingering about.

The marriage of all of these elements was then tested out on its own through a sample of the finished product: the 15-year-old Solera. On this nose I found the cakey marzipan notes from the Distillery Edition and Virgin oak finished whisky returned, but there was a definite rich spice imparted from the sherry casks, along with lemon pie, cherries and oak. The palate had more oak influence, along with a caramel note, some cinnamon spice and a fleshy fruit I pegged down to remind me of peaches.

Jamie's father regales us with tales of his time in the whisky world.

We finished on a completely different note: the 125th anniversary edition, a duty free exclusive which is not being released in the UK. This was hugely varied from the normal Glenfiddich in that it was peated. According to Jamie, the distillery does a run of highly peated malt for two weeks at the end of each year and master distiller Brian Kinsman decided to recreate a Glenfiddich similar to what would have been found in distillery releases in the late 1800s, by doing a vat of half peated and half unpeated malt.

Unfortunately, I didn’t make notes on this one (tut-tut) as I was too distracted by the fantastic tales of life in the whisky industry being told to us by Jamie’s father, who worked in the industry for decades. But, I can say it was a richly peated whisky that still had some Speyside sweetness to it from the unpeated malt.

All in all, it was a great reminder of just what goes into Glenfiddich. And a tasting the made me want to go out and discover more of this company’s releases. It may be massive, but it’s still got soul.

 

 

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An Emporium of Whisky Delights

December 17, 2012 in Uncategorized

Colin Dunn looking spooky as a monk.

It was a perfectly normal Monday night in Shoreditch. A small group of people gathered in a cosy back room and listened to monastic tunes while wisps of dry smoke wafted past our nostrils and Colin Dunn (Diageo brand ambassador) told dark tales of whisky history while dressed as a monk.

Like, I said, perfectly normal.

Or, not, if you aren’t used to strange antics of the cocktail bars that haunt this part of London.

This particular evening was arranged by the Worship Street Whistling Shop – a basement bar with gin-palace style and trendy-oddity based on a darkened, office-filled street near Old Street. It was a part of the bar’s new “Whisky Emporium” designed in partnership with Colin.

I was there as a part of a test group to see how the Emporium’s new whisky installation would work. It is the latest in a series of emporiums for the fantastic little bar – following on from a rum and cocktail one done previously. With me were whisky aficionados Karen and Matt from WhiskyForEveryone and Sunday Times drinks columnist and Imbibe editor, Alice Lascelles.

The Emporium is meant to give patrons a fully sensory experience to learn about the history of one particular spirit – in this case, whisky. The evening is divided into six parts, during which scents are pumped in to match the particular theme of the act, and drinks, food, music and video are added in to hit all of your brain’s intake buttons.

As it was a test night, there were more changes and interruptions than would normally be the case but, regardless, it was bizarre and fantastic. Besides, as Colin put it, “This evening is the acoustic version; we’ll be going electric in January.”

We started with Colin dressed spookily as a monk discussing the origins of whisky, and tried a whisky based punch that used ingredients that would have been around hundreds of years ago – such as mead and hay (that’s right, hay). The nutty, cream, apple and honey drink was paired delightfully with dried vegetable crisps.

In act two, to the background of some Miles Davis and John Lee Hooker jazz, Colin ran us through the history of blending. We were then asked to work together as a group to create our own blend. We were allowed to smell each but not know what whisky it was, instead having to rely on our senses to mix them together. Each whisky was given a name of a Scottish celebrity it reminded the team at Worship Street of. One of my favourites was, “Frankie Boyle: Well-oiled fishing net on fire.” We added some cherry-pie Lorraine Kelly and a bit of Billy Connolly spice, creating a fruity, sweet whisky with a bit of warm pie spices.

By act three, we were all really getting into things. So, when Colin came in as “Cooper Dunn” we listened with glee. My favourite cocktail of the night – a bonkers  twist on a blood and sand made from Cragganmore Portwood, grapefruit and pickle brine, that was part sour, part sweet and part briney salt – was served out of individual flasks and combined with the savory prosciutto and bread, to represent a cooper’s lunch. As we nibbled and drank, Cooper Dunn gave us a rundown of the influence of wood, while a subtle woodsmoke blew through the room to further enhance the impact.


Act four covered regions, with whisky jellies placed in teeny glasses and served on a whisky map, while act five looked at the importance of age and included a succulent oyster topped with a lavender foam and a Talisker 57 North-based cocktail. The final stage saw us through to the future – with a backdrop of images of a bustling, bright city at night and uplifting dance music. Here we were served the most innovative cocktail of the night – in the bottom of a tall glass, a coca-cola flavoured Berocca sat, ready to have a Caol Ila whisky and soda poured on top.

The whole night was slightly Alice in Wonderland – but I wouldn’t expect much less from the team that also runs Purl in Marylebone. While there were some niggles to be worked out (for instance, the need for stronger scents to be pumped through to up that sensory experience) it will inevitably be a sell-out event for the whisky-curious. And a worthwhile one at that. You may never see Monday night in the same way again…!

The Whisky Emporium will run nightly for three months, for groups of at least four at a cost £90 per person. For more information, visit: www.whistlingshop.co.uk

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Auchentoshan Whisky: 1979 & Valinch

December 14, 2012 in Reviews, Uncategorized

I love getting packages in the post – and even more so, I love when they have a certain Alice in Wonderland characteristic to them.

The latest example of this intriguing display was when I opened up a packet to find this inside:

Being very keen to follow the “Eat Me” and “Drink Me” tags thoroughly I got to work tasting the two Auchentoshan samples included – the 1979 Oloroso matured cask and the Valinch 2012 – and sampling the fruitcake hidden beneath the purple tissue paper.

I started with the Valinch. This style was launched last year for the first time and they’ve brought out a new edition this year. There are 2,000 cases sold globally – not a teeny release but not massive either.

It is a non chill filtered whisky aged in first-fill North American ex-bourbon oak casks. It has no age statement.

On the nose, it is very gentle and delightfully well balanced – nothing overwhelms but it smelled delicious. Hints of lemon detergent, vanilla, orange and oak drifted through for me. It was very appealing if you like a gentler dram that smells as if it’s going to have some body behind it.

The palate had an overwhelming sweet citrus note to start, something like candied oranges that have been baked in the oven. This was followed by toasted oak, baked cinnamon, and Haribo sweets. It had a lot of body and finished on a salty note.

When combined with the fruitcake, more spiciness emerged on the palate from this one.

All in all, tasty and appealing – it’s not a peat monster or a sherry bomb, but has more character than some straight oak casked whiskies that can flatline a bit at the finish line.

It’s priced at a very reasonable £36 (or so) so could make a good Christmas present for someone who likes this type of whisky.

Then I moved onto the quite different 1979 Oloroso release, a 32-year old whisky that spent its entire life in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts. This one is a wee bit more pricy – okay, a lot more at £350 as only 1,000 bottles of it will be released globally.

On the nose, I found this to be very appealing as I’m not a massive fan of the sherry bomb. While it’s got the rich, plummy notes of a sherried whisky, it’s not overly intense. There was a real chocolate note and something slightly herbal (a sweet, woody herb like thyme or rosemary), along with butter and brandied raisins.

Moving onto the palate, my first thought was cologne with an undertone of black cherry. This was followed by soft Australian licorice, wood and nutmeg (lots of nutmeg) to finish.

With the fruitcake, the whisky was more full-bodied and intense – a great pairing and a great whisky.

 

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Getting funky with the Monkey

December 12, 2012 in Uncategorized

When I was a kid, people thought I was psychic. No, really, they did.

And at my community hall, we used to play bingo. Because of my incredible, psychic abilities people would sit beside me to have better luck. I had an ability to guess which number would come up before it was called. I have no video evidence of this,  but I assure you, as a nine-year-old, I definitely rocked in the psychic stakes.

This has not continued on into my later years. But, regardless, I still have a soft spot for a bit of bingo.

During a recent wacky, Monkey Shoulder Social Club event, I discovered an even greater excitement for Rebel Bingo – an all out, crazy, music-blaring, swear-word calling, bingo extravaganza. I barely predicted any numbers but I blame that on the whisky.

Instead, I just dotted out my numbers, listened with glee and enjoyed the chaos and quirkiness that was another eccentric Monkey Shoulder event.

This year, the Monkey has been responsible for some all-out, bonkers nights, such as the time their creative team tried to re-build New York inside a warehouse as part of its For One Night Only series, created an adults-only Easter egg hunt in Soho, and helped get me back in the whisky-drinking game post Christmas for their January Retox.

But this latest event took the top stakes in this year’s crazy Monkey competition.

On the night, my friend Miss Lucy (a recent convert to whisky) and I hustled through the freezing Dalston streets and down a back alley to be greeted by hot-toddy distributing, brown bathrobe wearing Monkey Shoulder crewmates.

Inside the giant warehouse, music was blaring and hoards of terribly trendy Dalstonites (/Brixtonites/Hoxtonites) milled about with cocktails and swagger.

There were two bars – one serving more complicated mixes in smaller doses (think: a Monkey Jam Sour and Malt Jockey) while the other gave away simpler cocktails quicker than a monkey can find itself out of its cage and wandering about a Canadian Ikea.

Miss Lucy and I grabbed a couple of ginger brewskies (Monkey Shoulder, ginger, lemon and Innis & Gunn beer) and a hot pulled pork sandwich and headed upstairs to watch some of the Big Lebowski, which was screening in a brick-walled, couch laden room with bags of popcorn strewn on the table.

Many more cocktails followed and by the time Rebel Bingo got going, we were in the mood to dance funky like a crazy monkey. This may have been why I didn’t win – I was too focused on the chaos around me.

After a few games of retro Pacman, an arm wrestling fight with a arm-wrestling machine (who knew these existed?) and far too many cocktails, we stumbled back out into the freezing December air feeling fully Monkey-fied.

I can’t wait to see what they come up with next year!

For more information on the Monkey Shoulder Social Club, visit: www.facebook.com/monkeyshoulder and follow the team on Twitter @MnkyShldrUK.

Photo Credit: Monkey Shoulder

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