A Glenfiddich Gathering
A recent gathering with Glenfiddich made Miss Whisky proud to be a part of the whisky community.
Glenfiddich’s New Releases
Last week I tried a set of three whiskies from Glenfiddich at an event in London to showcase some of their new releases. I had only tried the more general, run-of-the-mill varieties before so it was a great privilege to have the chance to sip some special ones, especially the 1974 Vatted Vintage Release, of which only 50 bottles will be available in the UK.
As always, these are only my views on them and I’m sure you will read differing opinions elsewhere, but here are my thoughts based on how all three whiskies tasted on the day I tried them:
Glenfiddich Gran Reserva, Rum Cask Finish, 21-year-old:
This bottling has recently been re-housed in a new bit of rather eye-catching packaging so is being released as the same whisky but with a style makeover.
The whisky is matured 21 years in American oak before finishing in Caribbean rum casks.
On the nose I got hints of vanilla, baked sugar (like the smell you get when you fire a crème brûlée top) and banana.
Despite these sweet scents, it was still fairly crisp on the tongue and not overly tacky, like you sometimes get with toffee flavours. It was very light and had little aftertaste.
Adding a bit of water brought out the fruitiness more, making it blossom.
Glenfiddich Age of Discovery, Madeira Cask Finish, 19-year-old:
This Glenfiddich celebrates the Portuguese explorers of the 15th century and comes in a stunningly designed box with intricate maps showing the explorers’ journeys.
Master Distiller Brian Kinsman told us they were trying to find a way to honour people that step out in life and take risks, akin to the explorers of the past, and it’s a good way of tying together the Madeira casks from Portugal [...]
The Woman Celebrating Islay’s Magic
Rachel MacNeill is big on Islay & on getting women to explore its delightful dram offerings!
Whisky & Monkey Business
Monkey Shoulder recently showed what quirky stuff it's made of at a launch event at Callooh Callay.
Whiskies for Beginners (in time for Burns Night)
If you've not tried whisky before, what better time than tomorrow, in honour of Robbie Burns!
The Balvenie’s New Debut
The Balvenie's new release debuted at the Boisdale of Belgravia recently and will only be available to Warehouse 24 members.
Sláinte to the new year!
No matter how many new years I see come into being, I still cannot help but get a wee bit misty-eyed whenever it happens. Like a good single malt, it melts my heart…
And so, I begin this new year with a whole lot of excited butterflies flitting around in my belly about the new whiskies I hope to try and events I hope to cover, and a heart of thanks to all those who have helped me get this site started and supported me these past months.
You see, the whisky industry is made up of one of the most welcoming groups of people I have come across in a long time. Maybe, in fact, ever. Since I started muttering back in March at a women’s only whisky tasting at the Albannach Bar & Restaurant to people like Cat Spencer (from the Albannach) and Penderyn’s Gillian Macdonald about my plans to start this site, to when I headed out to meet people trying to do something different (such as the chaps from Connsr who organised the Pure Festival and Mark Thomson who heads up the Dramatic Whisky tastings or restaurants such as Benares which are trying to show the scope of whisky’s food and drink matching possibilities), to when I tried some incredible drams at this year’s TWE Whisky Fest, I have only met incredibly inviting and kind people who have helped me on my way. You’ve shared contacts, put me on the right track to finding great profile subjects, taught me a load more about whisky I didn’t yet know and read my work.
So, to all of you I say a big thank you. I cannot wait to keep learning about this ever-changing, ever-exciting [...]
Tweeddale Blend Batch 2
Back at the end of August, I had the opportunity to meet a rather charming and enthusiastic chap named Alasdair Day at the Pure Festival in London, which I wrote about here.
I was very intrigued to meet Alasdair because he has a rather lovely story about rediscovering his great grandfather’s exploits in whisky making from over 70 years ago.
As the story goes, from about 1895 Richard Day worked at a licensed grocers owned by J & A Davidson in Coldstream (near the Scottish/English borders) which made the Tweeddale Blend (as many grocers did at the time). He took it over and continued to blend the whisky up until the start of the Second World War, when production ceased.
However, this was not to be the finale after all. Alasdair inherited Richard’s “Cellar Book” which contained the accounts for the old store and the original recipe for the blend. So, rather than allow this chapter to close on the Tweeddale Blend, he decided instead to recreate it: seven decades after it disappeared. In 2009, he formed Stonedean Ltd which is the company that produces the spirit.
Recently, Alasdair very kindly sent me a sample of the Tweeddale Blend, Batch 2 – a 12-year-old, 46% non-chill filtered, half grain, half malt whisky. The single grain half is 15-years-old and originates from a sherry butt, while the malts come from eight different casks and range from 12 to 21 years of age.
As this was released in June, many of you may have given it a go. But if you have not had the chance yet, here are my thoughts on the latest addition to this great little company steeped in history.
On first nosing, I get hit with an overwhelming [...]
Balvenie at The Athenaeum
The Whisky Social at the Athenaeum was a chance to try some great whisky in a relaxed environment!
Discovering Laphroaig
Laphroaig? Lovely? Turns out Miss Whisky likes it after all...