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The Balvenie Fete: celebrating craftspeople & craft whisky

May 24, 2013 in Events

Balvenie Masters of Craft

When I was a kid, my local community hall hosted something called “Stitch ‘n Bitch” for anyone who was keen on a bit of sewing and gossip. Each year, the group would create a big quilt to raffle off and raise funds for the community, with us kids helping to add our bit of style design when possible.

While it wasn’t monumental – things like this were hosted in many small Canadian towns and I’m sure, English ones too – the coming together of community to create something crafty was, in its small way, a chance to build community spirit and put in public the handiwork that many people would otherwise have kept behind closed doors in the home.

I have always appreciated people who are skilled at creating handmade items. My father had a workshop on our farm and created beautiful woodwork jewelry boxes, cabinets, and more; I use a chopping board in my kitchen that he made back in the early ’90s which is still going strong.

Equally, it’s hard to not admit that times are, of course, changing and have been for a while. We are seeing less and less craft-work as our consumer appetites are satiated with imported clothes, furnishings and electronics. I’m no exception of course. I happily gobble these things up as easily as the next person.

But, I am also very appreciative of well-made items that take individual skill and time due to my childhood exposure to this world. And that’s why I’m a big fan of The Balvenie Masters of Craft series. Through it, the whisky company – which prides itself on its own craftiness – honours craftspeople making everything from shoes to watches, textiles and ceramics. I wrote about last year’s awards here and you can get more information on them (and how to enter) here. The award winners will be announced by The Balvenie in October.

This year, the company is taking the lead-up to the awards one step further and hosting a massive fete in Tavistock Square Gardens from the 13-15 June. At the fete, visitors will have the chance to try the company’s whisky and also attend special talks with craftspeople each evening. These will include a discussion on the 13 June on bespoke suit making between brand partner Gieves & Hawkes and The Balvenie‘s global brand ambassador, Sam Simmons, among other events on the 14 and 15 June.

Warehouse 24 members will also be able to access daily private tastings with the legendary The Balvenie master blender David Stewart – who has worked at the distillery for more than 50 years – and the fabulous UK Brand Ambassador Dr Andrew Forrester.

I am also pleased to say that I will be hosting a special consumer tasting on the 15th at 3:30pm in which I will explore the world of whisky and discuss how it’s shedding its drafty, dusty old layers and becoming a drink of choice for a much wider demographic. Tickets will be available on the Masters of Craft website, here, very soon.

So, whether you already know the brand, or are keen to do so, I definitely recommend you come down to the fete, say hello and get a better idea of what both The Balvenie and some fantastic craftspeople are all about. The amount of skill they have is incredible and I am proud to share and support any proceedings that help individuals who are keeping craftsmanship alive. My childhood self would have wanted it this way.

For more information on the fete and ticket availability, head to: http://mastersofcraft.thebalvenie.com/craft-in-motion/

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Whisky Stramash: Strumming a second tune

May 22, 2013 in Events

Whisky Stramash tickets“Whisky connoisseurs will be interested to note that The Whisky Stramash is an event aimed at challenging stuffy perceptions of Scotch and other worldly whiskies and so they shouldn’t expect the same old ‘festival’ format.”

So says Scott Martin, co-founder of the Whisky Stramash whisky festival, which returns to Edinburgh for its second outing this Saturday and Sunday.

Last year during the inaugural event more than 2,000 people headed to Surgeons’ Hall in the city centre, to take in the slightly more unusual events, such as the Jura Murder Mystery which included the fabulous Peter Capaldi in its cast.

The idea behind the event is to attract both a younger audience and to “help make current whisky and modern spirits drinkers see, hear, understand and ultimately drink whisky in completely new and different ways.”

Organised by Martin and Darroch Ramsay, both long-time members of the whisky ambassadorial community, the festival is also keen to attract new people to the fold.

“We will have a load of very special Whisky Stramash ambassadors who will be there to help, answer questions and take you on a tour of whisky regardless if you have been drinking whisky for 25 minutes or 25 years. This is a great chance for those who don’t currently drink whisky to come along and learn about our national drink in a fun, interactive environment. It will simply be a great learning experience,” explained Martin.

Whisky Stramash Darroch Ramsay and Scott Martin This year, there will be more than 200 whiskies to sample from distilleries such as Glen Moray, The Glenrothes, Wemyss Malts, the English Whisky Company, Kilchoman and many more. Deanston will host the Malt Whisky Time Machine – allowing guests to dress up in vintage distillery worker wear and check out photos from distilleries of the past – while Woodford Reserve will host a Prohibition era Speakeasy featuring classic cocktails and tales of illicit spirits.

Also this year, Harviestoun Brewery will debut Ola Dubh 30, a beer aged in first fill Highland Park ex-sherry casks, in honour of the brewery’s 30th anniversary. Only 145 pints of the beer has been made, making it rather rare.

Attendees get access for four hours to all the drams and events (the latter on a first-come, first-serve basis) along with a whisky glass for £26.

For more information on Whisky Stramash and the events, visit: www.thewhiskystramash.com. For tickets, head here.

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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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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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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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Whisky A, B, Cs: Caskstrength & Cutty Sark

April 20, 2013 in Reviews

The art of whisky blending, and trying the fruits of that labour, has been on my mind a lot this year. From Cutty Sark Prohibition, to Compass Box’s brands, learning from Diageo’s blending masters, and trying Ballatine’s, it’s been a year where blends have been on the brain.

The latest experience in this whisky segment came from an invite extended to me by the affable chaps at Caskstrength: Neil Ridley and Joel Harrison.

The two dapper gents, who are well known for their irreverent style and imprint on the whisky market, had released a new whisky as part of their independent bottling series, which is seeing them bottle a whisky for each letter of the alphabet.

In 2011, in honour of the 3rd birthday of Caskstrength.net, there was a bottling of Arran whisky, and in 2012, it was BenRiach. This year, they teamed up with Cutty Sark, which is celebrating its 90th birthday, having been released by London wine and spirits merchants Berry Bros & Rudd in March 1923. The result: their own blended whisky based on the attributes of the famous brand and bottled at 90 proof (51.4%).

They have put together a video of them revealing their latest whisky, which can be found here.

Circle Line? More like Cutty Line!

On the night of the reveal in person here in London, the two decided that – rather than doing a traditional whisky launch – they would take a group on a “tube crawl” to teach everyone about the brand’s development and their partnership.

Cutty Sark CaskStrength Launch

Joel Harrison, one of our captains

In a rather quirky twist, a group of us headed out on the “Cutty Line” where we learned about how much London’s tube stations have to do with whisky making (obviously that was a wee bit stretched in truth) from our two “captains” before heading to Casita cocktail bar, which is tucked away on a side street near Old Street tube.

There we gathered with Kirsteen Campbell, Cutty Sark’s master blender, who helped Neil and Joel put the blend together.

The inspiration behind doing a blend for the third release (outside of the brand happening to have a major anniversary and it starting with the third letter in the alphabet) was simple, Neil told us.

“We believe blending doesn’t get the recognition it should so we wanted to pay attention to and work with one of the most robust and quintessentially English blends,” he said.

The difficulty lay, said Kirsteen, in creating a blend in such small quantities (only 500 bottles have been released) and in working with the alcohol strength.

“The challenge was also to go higher in strength because it becomes more tricky on the palate – we had to tweak the recipe so it could be smooth at the higher strength,” she commented, adding the whisky has been made predominantly from a blend of The Glenrothes, North British grain whisky, The Macallan and Highland Park.

The result – like the other two bottlings – has been a success. In fact, I’ve been told by the team at Master Of Malt – who are distributing the release – that not many bottles are actually left. Given it’s priced at the very reasonable £34.95, it’s no wonder.

Cutty Sark Caskstrength Launch

Kirsteen Campbell, Neil Ridley and the man in the yellow hat - no monkey in sight though!

But what, you’re surely asking, does this more powerful Cutty Sark taste like?

Well, on the nose it is quite floral with a bit of a dusty, sherry note and a butter and caramel tinge. There’s a lot of alcohol bite to it at first, so it’s one to let stand in the glass for a few minutes and nose carefully. There is also a wee bit of lemony-citrus notes and a briney addition that hits the back of the nostrils. On the palate, the whisky is lovely and creamy, with a grassy hint that balances the flavour profile out. There’s a bit of caramel sweetness and a finish that reminds me of the smell of a tin of Quality Street. It’s a very pleasant dram and I have enjoyed sampling it thoroughly.

Now, it’s up to the boys to get brainstorming for whisky release number four…but what will “D” be?

For more information on the release and to buy a bottle head here.

 

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Whisky Sense and Sensorium

April 12, 2013 in Events, Interviews

Singleton Sensorium sign

I close my eyes against the sharp, almost buzzing green light that bounces off of every wall in my line of sight. The sound of a lawnmower hums in the background while birds tweet at random intervals. The air smells of late April when the sun’s finding its first dashes of warmth and the countryside is aflutter with activity. I find it soothing, find it tapping into a time of year that was a favourite of my childhood. In my hand, a glass of whisky drifts its perfumes up to my senses. And what do I smell?

According to Oxford University’s Professor Charles Spence, the grassy notes of the whisky should be enhanced in that moment. You see, the room’s setting was all a part of a recent experiment in London called the Singleton Sensorium conducted between Professor Spence, the folks behind Condiment Junkie and The Singleton whisky to find out if different colours, smells and noises can affect how we perceive whisky. Visitors to the Sensorium were asked to rate how much they enjoyed the same whisky in three different rooms as part of a study the team are putting together to be published in September called: ‘Tasting notes: Assessing the effect of multi sensory atmosphere and ambiance on people’s perception of whisky’

Professor Charles Spence Condiment Junkie

Professor Charles Spence (middle) with the team from Condiment Junkie

Professor Spence specialises in the arena of the senses in his role as head of the Crossmodal Research Laboratory in Oxford University’s department of experimental psychology. He examines how various elements in our surroundings that affect the senses can be changed to create a different individual experience. In this case, how a room filled with green, beige or red light, and related sounds, sights or smells can influence what people draw from their whisky.

While others have researched this area, Professor Spence told me the experiments for this study done in the lab and at the Singleton Sensorium event pushed things forward a notch.

“People are playing with a smell or just the lighting in a winery, but no one is really putting all of those things together and that’s really our interest, the multi-sensory aspect, how the senses combine and how hopefully if you get elements telling you the same message in a congruent manner you might get a much bigger impact than if you would if you just change one element,” he explained when I spoke to him recently.

During my tour around the Sensorium I found I agreed with many of the expected results. In the green room, the whisky smelled almost clean and crisp rather than having The Singleton’s normal more chocolate and woody notes, while in the red room (which was filled with oozing red light, round bulbous jars filled with plump berries and round furniture all of which makes the brain think of sweetness) the grassiness of the whisky dissipated and the sweetness was enhanced – I rated grassy as ’4′ and sweetness as ’7′ in the red room on the ratings card each person was handed out.

In the initial study results – which took the ratings results from more than 400 visitors to the Sensorium – people’s experiences were said to have been enhanced by up to 20% towards the expected outcome in certain rooms.

Singleton Sensorium

Red lights in the red room meant to enhance the taste of sweetness.

My only quandary was around the fact that I found if I stayed in each room long enough, my senses managed to become accustomed to their surroundings and the whisky began to taste more ‘normal’ so I questioned whether this would work on a long-term basis. I also was confused by the fact that some people had ice in their whisky and others didn’t, which I – and others – was sure would alter people’s experience of the whisky.

Professor Spence said that he would have liked to have more precision practices within the space but recognised that as it was also a consumer event it couldn’t be so tightly controlled.

“I would have given people a new glass in each room so you really didn’t know what was in the glass and I would have had it that people went to rooms in a different order each day but we recognised we needed to preserve the story-telling order,” he explained.

Singleton Sensorium

Clocks in the wood room meant to bring out the woody notes in the whisky.

To combat any flaws which could skew the final results, Professor Spence and his team are also doing extensive tests in the controlled lab at Oxford University to compare with those at the Sensorium. Thus far, he said he is seeing similar feedback from each environment.

And while the drink may have been subdued with ice, he added the main focus is on seeing how much people’s reactions changed towards the whisky when going from one room to another.

Going forward, Professor Spence said he is keen to continue experiments of this nature with whisky.

“Whisky is complex like wine in terms of what’s going on in the nose and in the mouth texturally but it’s also a consistent product and I’m thinking now there are a whole world of experiments you could do on spirits modeled around what has been done with wines. There are so many customs and beliefs around whisky that are ripe for investigation and there has been virtually nothing published on it so everything’s wide open,” he concluded.

Want to try a pared down version of the Singleton Sensorium at home? Then grab a glass of the Singleton and head here: http://condimentjunkie.co.uk/singleton.html

 

 

 

 

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Bushmills Irish Whiskey Tasting

April 10, 2013 in Reviews

In honour of St Patrick’s Day this year, the folks at The Whisky Exchange teamed up to put on an event with Bushmills Distillery.

I managed to get along to the company’s Irish whiskey tasting last year, which featured Midleton’s brands, so was keen to attend when the invite came through for this one, especially as I do not have a vast amount of experience with Bushmills.

Down for the tasting from the Northern Irish distiller was brand home supervisor Robert Galbraith, who took the very full room through a whopping seven whiskeys – which are already a part of the brand line-up – along with a sample of the new make and two others straight from the cask.

Unfortunately, due to a bit of a delay on the tube I missed the first 15 minutes of the event. But, I managed to catch up enough to sample all of the drams and learn a bit about the company’s history.

As background, Bushmills distillery has been located in County Antrim in Northern Ireland since the late 18th century. The bottle carries the year ’1608′ on it, however, because King James I actually granted a licence to distill in the area in that year. The Old Bushmills distillery was up and running in 1784 and stayed in the same spot until a major fire in 1885 destroyed it entirely. It was rebuilt and continued running with only a few breaks through mergers and acquisitions, Prohibition and the two world wars. It is now owned by Diageo.

According to Robert, the distillery has had a huge impact on the town where all 1,300 residents are related through “blood, marriage or drink.” In his family, his grandfather was a mashman.

The evening’s line-up was full-on and included the new make spirit, Bushmills Original and Black Bush blended whiskey, Bushmills 10, Bushmills 1608, the Distillery Reserve (available only at the distillery), the 16-year old Three Wood and the 21-year old.

As I’d arrived late, I didn’t get to try the new make right at the start, but went back to it mid-way through the tasting. I was worried that it would seem very harsh compared to the whiskeys I’d sampled by that point so was surprised to discover that on the nose it had wonderful notes of pears and fresh flowers and was surprisingly gentle. On the palate, there was a sweet freshness to it, with honey and malt notes. It was well-rounded and I noted overhearing many people speaking about their enjoyment of it on the night.

Of the array of whiskeys, my top two favourites were the Bushmills 1608 and the 16 year old three wood.

The Bushmills 1608 was first released in honour of the 400th anniversary of when whiskey was permitted to be distilled in the area. Made from single malt, grain and a special crystal malt (which comes from barley that has been toasted and where the sugars are crystallised in the malt before kilning to create an end sweeter wash) it is comprised of a mix of first fill bourbon and ex-sherry cask matured whiskey ranging from eight to 10 years of age. With an ABV of 46% this non-chill filtered expression won the world’s best no-age statement Irish whiskey at the World Whiskies awards in 2008 and 2012.

On the nose it was an easy-going dram, with notes of pears, cedar boxes and stoned fruit (possibly plums?) that together reminded me of “Christmas”. There was a wee, teeny hint of sulphur too for me. On the palate, it was very sweet but had a great, rich depth that hinted at cinnamon sticks, brown sugar, chewy wood and oranges, plus a little something vegetal at the back. The finish was of candied fruits and it was a whiskey I really enjoyed, showing that, yet again, blends can be complex and intriguing.

My next favourite was the Bushmills 16 year old Three Wood. This is made by taking batches of whiskeys that have matured for 16 years in ex-bourbon casks and batches that have matured for 16 years in ex-sherry casks and marrying them together in port casks where they further age for six to nine months.

Coming in at 46% ABV the whiskey was a beautiful rich amber in colour. On the nose there was a gummy note of black wine gums, and a hint of wood and blackcurrent jam. It was almost sticky in its character – all very attractive. The palate was wonderfully balanced, with a bit of that blackcurrent sweetness emerging at first, before reduced red wine and finally tropical fruits came through.

With such a long history, Bushmills is one to explore if you’ve not yet had the chance. I have also reviewed the Black Bush whiskey on this post, so feel free to check that out for more thoughts on the brand.

And thank you to The Whisky Exchange for arranging yet another fabulous whiskey tasting celebrating all things Irish!

 

 

 

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