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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 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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Glen Moray Peated Spirit

October 29, 2012 in Reviews

Every once in a while, you get to try a spirit which isn’t quite yet whisky but which is definitely on its way to becoming one.

I recently received this lovely shaped bottled from Glen Moray, which it calls, quite simply, Peated Spirit and which comes from Cask #141. The spirit cannot be called whisky yet as it’s not been aged for three years, but the team at the company thought it was so good they wanted to release a small batch of it in 200ml bottles, which have been selling for around £14.50+ at specialist whisky retailers.

But, despite the age, it was clear this was going to develop into something quite lovely. The Speyside based company has not experimented with peat before this, preferring to focus on more classic flavours, so it’s quite a jump from the standards.

This spirit definitely has a lot of, well, spirit. As soon as I poured it in my glass, my brain told me I was about to consume a spunky Islay whisky. On the nose, I picked up a bit of citrus, caramel covered peanuts, chlorine and a resounding smell of damp, sappy pine trees being burned in a fireplace. There was a great balance of sweet and smoke, making it appealing to me as I like a peated whisky (or, in this case, spirit) which balances between these two flavours.

On the palate, the 60.6% ABV came rushing through like a roaring river pushing through a dam. At full strength, it sets a slow fire burning across the tongue but I was still able to pick up an almost chalky texture, with notes of coal BBQs, hickory woodchips and that swimming pool chlorine again.

It definitely needed a wee dash of water to help calm it down a bit. With a few drops, it relaxed considerably, almost like I’d given a screaming child a soother. On the nose, there were more notes of buttery popcorn while on the palate, the coal smoke dissipated slightly and that chlorine hint faded to near non-existence. In its place was a creamier dram, featuring BBQ prawns, grass in a field after a fresh rainfall and creamy caramel cubes.

All in all, this was exciting. It’s great to see a distillery like Glen Moray experimenting and being bold enough to get out there and say, “We think our spirit rocks and we want you to try it.” If you decide to give it a go, The Whisky Exchange still has some bottles, last I checked, which you can find here.

 

 

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A warming whisky evening

October 19, 2012 in Uncategorized

On a chilly, rainy autumn night, can there be much that’s more appealing than good food and great drams?

This combination ranks highly for me at this time of the year. And on a recent dark and blustery evening, I found myself splashing through puddles in inappropriately high heels to get to my destination which had promised to serve up just that.

On the 28th floor of the Gherkin, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society had taken over the bright orange Glenmorangie Signet private dining room – a welcome space to find myself walking into after my soggy journey.

The view – while slightly obscured due to the fog and rain – was still breathtaking, with blue and orange lights blinking as far as I could see.

The dinner was hosted in honour of the recent TWE Whisky Show, so Billy Abbott (ie: @cowfish and whisky blogger extraordinaire) was on hand to tell the set of 11 guests all about the show, while Joe McGirr (London’s SMWS manager) and Helen Stewart (the UK SMWS brand manager) were there to present some incredible whiskies.

The food came in the form of six small courses, which included: ‘Cardigan bay’ smoked mussels with bread velouté and suckling belly; pork terrine with pistachios; roast halibut and hard shell clams; Iberian pork shoulder; artisan cheeses from Mons; and, a chocolate cremeaux with orange and honeycomb. In short – pretty darn dazzling.

The whiskies, meanwhile, included some real stunners from the latest selection of bottlings. There was 7.78 (French patisserie in a bluebell wood), 116.17 (Pin-ball wizard in a Japanese tea house), 76.88 (Complex and manly), 26.71 (The great outdoors), 3.195 (Cigar smoking dragon), and 127.27 (A viking sucking Blackpool rock).

Of the food, I had a few favourites. The smoked mussels were a great place to start and paired wonderfully with 26.71. They were cooked perfectly and the small bite of suckling belly, along with an odd but tasty white chocolate sauce was an intriguing assault on the tastebuds. Equally, the whisky stood up. The 25 year old Clynelish 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.

Another stand out of the evening for me, food wise, was the roast halibut. It was served with clams, sea vegetables, olive oil caviar and yuzu (one of my newest choice sauces which is made of a citrus fruit from Japan). Each bit of olive oil caviar popped in the mouth, while the halibut was flaky soft with a hint of crunchy skin and the yuzu added a fruity, citric kick.

 


And of course, a final choice bit of the meal was the selection of cheeses. I’m a massive fan of pairing whisky and cheese together. The selection was put with my favourite whisky of the night: number 127.27, an eight year old Port Charlotte. On the nose it was all rubbery tires and Camembert to me, but while others found it very smoky, I thought it held quite a sweet, creamy smokiness. On the palate, I got chilli chocolate, cream, rubber, burnt sugar and lemongrass. It was a punchy dram with a hell of a spirit.

Of the other drams, my choice would have been number 7.78 – French patisserie in a bluebell wood. This 20 year old Longmorn from a refill cask was, to me, like smelling a bag of fudge or akin to the smell of walking into a fudge shop. On the palate it was an instant caramel bomb that exploded into sweet fragments. With it, I was transported to the Christmas markets I would attend when I was a kid – every year I’d get to choose some fudge and I remember cherishing the bag and finding a corner to sit down in and eat it afterwards. It was a bit too sweet to be a regular dram for me, but in place of pudding or after a meal I think it would be lovely.

By the end of the evening, I was buzzing with the warmth of good hospitality, fantastic food and desirable drams that helped keep me cosy during my splashy, freezing walk back to the tube. It was just what I needed on the first really chill autumn evening.

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TWE Show 2012

October 15, 2012 in Uncategorized

Ah, The Whisky Exchange show…how I love thee, how do I count the ways? For weeks leading up to the show I was tweeting my excitement about it – sad, I know, but given it was bringing together folks from across the industry in a giant room featuring hundreds of whiskies in my home town, how could I not be jumpily eager for its arrival?

Last year’s show was the first big whisky event I had ever attended, so I was especially keen to go along again after this great year of whisky tasting and see what new whiskies I could learn about. My goal for the day was to try only whiskies that I hadn’t had before, a plan I stuck to bar when I retried the Glenfarclas 105 20-year old and The Balvenie Caribbean Cask.

The show took place at The Whisky Exchange’s shop headquarters – Vinopolis – near London Bridge. It occurred over a whole weekend but I went along to the trade and press day on the Monday with high hopes there would still be some whisky left.

On arrival, I sauntered over to say my hellos to Tim (of The Whisky Exchange) who poured me a lovely dram specially bottled for the show – the name of which, I DIDN’T WRITE DOWN! Not a good way to start, although I do recall the dram being delicious. Unfortunately, I found myself too busy chatting to first Tim, and then to Pierre and Jean-Luc of Connosr and Simon of Simply Whisky to get my pen and paper out. I did not make this mistake again however.

My first full-on flight tasting came at the Tomatin stand, where I sampled the Highlands-based company’s 12, 15, 18, 21, 30 and 40 year old drams. I will fully review these soon in a separate post, but my favourite was definitely the Tomatin 30 – it was a delightfully fresh dram for one of this age, filled with a crescendo of tropical fruit flavours, from pineapple to mango. It really stood out on the day for me.

Next I headed over to the Compass Box stand to catch up with Chris Maybin and Celine Tetu, the two effervescently friendly ambassadors for the London based blended whisky company. There I tried out the company’s latest release – the fourth edition of Flaming Heart – which is made from a blend of Clynelish and Islay malts. This is a beautifully balanced dram that pulls your tastebuds between the sweeter, highland malt and the power-house Islays. According to John Glaser – the company’s founder and whisky maker – this “…is a whisky born of fire, yet one with a big heart.” Big, bold and well worth trying if you see it around.

I continued my peaty journey by heading over to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society‘s stand where I met with the company’s newly appointed Global Brand Ambassador – Georgie Bell – and picked up a 20-year old Laphroaig, also known as bottle 29.124, Pregnancy Tea Mix. This was a peaty party in the mouth, balanced out beautifully by a hint of sweeter almond and cherry goodness to stop it from overwhelming.

After a good jaunt around the bottom floor – where I also ran into Darren Rook of London Distillery Company, Mark Thomson of Dramatic Whisky, and Joe Clark of The Whisky Lounge and Pritesh Moody of LoveFoodLoveDrink who were manning the stand for the new Paul John whisky from India (a review of which will be going up this week on Miss Whisky) – I headed upstairs where loads of other companies were handing out mouthwatering drams. There I bumped into Andrew Forrester of The Balvenie, Dave Craig of Spirit of the Spey, Cat Spencer of Master of Malt, Kirsty Chant of Chant Comms and an exhausted looking Billy Abbot of The Whisky Exchange, and had a wee sip of The Balvenie Caribbean Cask, a pineappley, mangoey dram of goodness.

After much chatting, it was time to move on and I headed to the food pairing room next door, where I finally sampled the whiskies from Sweden’s Mackmyra distillery and met with master distiller Angela D’Orazio. A separate review of these whiskies and pairings will go live soon.

Next I sampled some quirky offerings from Monkey Shoulder, which was pairing fig and maple cooked bacon, and marshmallows, with its blended whisky. The bacon combo was lovely and robust, jumping and fizzing flavours on the palate. After a quick chat with Whisky Discovery’s Dave Worthington and his daughter Kat, I moved a few tables along and stopped for some of The Whisky Exchange’s Port Askaig, matched with a blue vein cheddar. The dram was gently smoky, with a hint of sea air and lemon on the nose, and a fruity, peachy smokines on the palate. Paired with the cheese, it brought out a creamy indulgence in the whisky that could make it drinkable for hours.

Heading back to the main room on the top floor, I popped by the Irish Distillers stand, where I met the lovely Meghan Kenny, a Jameson brand ambassador and yet another young woman making her mark in whisky. I also ran into Deirdre McBeth, Jameson’s brand assistant who spoke at the women’s only whisky panel I held with The Whisky Lounge earlier this year. Meghan took me through Yellow Spot to start – a big excitement for me as I already love Green Spot but hadn’t had the chance to try its newly released single pot still sibling. Made from a mix of Malaga sherry casks and bourbon barrels, this whiskey was like butter in the mouth – it was super creamy, with hints of almonds and grains. “Like a yummy breakfast meusli,” I wrote. Next I sampled the Redbreast 12 year old cask strength. Red Breast is already a big favourite of mine, but this new release pumps up the volume just that bit more. It was all about the almonds and citrus for me on the mouth. With water, it “softens to a pillowy state,” according to my notes, which were starting to get ardently poetic as I tried increasingly more samples. Both of these Irish Whiskeys are knock outs and I can only recommend that you give them a chance if you find them around.

Realising I had only an hour left of the show, I wobbled my way downstairs to the Number One Drinks stand so I could sample a range of Japanese whiskies. There I met the company’s team including Marcin Miller and Ed Bates, and fellow whisky bloggers Oliver Klimek of dramming.com and Jon Bryant of Living Room Whisky (who kindly provided many of the beautiful pics seen on this post). This was a very exciting stand for me. My favourite whisky of last year was the Chichibu the First, which I tried at the show. This year, I was determined to sample as many of the company’s whiskies as possible, and Jon and I did it justice! A separate post will follow shortly on all the amazing drams I tried, but in between chats with Eddie of The Whisky Lounge and Dominic Roskrow, I managed to try the Chichibu Floor Maltings, Karuizawa 48% and 55% whiskies, the Karuizawa 1982 and 1984, and the Karuizawa Noh. I was like a child at Christmas with these amazing drams – but more on that to come in a later post.

Finally, I grabbed a quick taste of the Ardmore 1982 (which tasted like “Hobnobs dipped in tea”) and ran upstairs to see Diageo’s Colin Dunn and sample two of this year’s Special Releases – the Brora 35 year old and the Port Ellen 32 year old. The former – made from a combination of whiskies from 1976 and 1977 aged in refill American oak casks – smelled of Australian soft licorice, nutmeg and sweet petrol (in a good way) and tasted gloriously creamy and soft until late in the sip when it went spicy on the palate. The latter, meanwhile, was incredibly drinkable even at 52.5%, which would be dangerous given it costs £600. It was citric but sweet, with notes of honey, oak and a tinge of smoke – a perfect dram to finish the day off on.

After saying goodbyes and having a quick chat with the lovely Amanda of The Whisky Lounge and catch up with The Whisky Exchange owner, Sukhinder Singh, on how he felt the day went, it was finally off home.

I was in awe of many of the whiskies tried that day. The standouts for me were the Tomatin 30-year old, Yellow Spot and Karuizawa 48%. And now I can only wait in anticipation for next year’s show!

A big thank you to Living Room Whisky’s Jon Bryant for providing photos for this post since I couldn’t manage to take notes, try whiskies, tweet and snap photos all at the same time!

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A taste of greatness: Whisky Show dinner

September 14, 2012 in Uncategorized

“We think it’s going to be great. And if you don’t, I’m sure you will after four or five whiskies.”

So said Michelin star chef Sriram Aylur at Bombay Brasserie to a room full of whisky lovers, and so began The Whisky Exchange’s Whisky Show dinner.

The evening’s dramlaxing commenced on an eastern note with the launch of a new Indian single malt whisky from Paul John, a very large producer in India but one unknown to the UK shores before now. It was delightfully rich for a three-year old dram, with hints of honey, vanilla and caramel.

After finding our seats in the cream and brown accented room, we lucky guests were presented with an outstanding cocktail from award winning mixologist, Ryan Chetiyawardana. The man behind London’s headlining cocktail bars Purl and The Whistling Shop, whipped up a rich and spicy drink made from Cocci vermouth, a tumeric bitter, Eagle Rare bourbon, lemon and basil. It was mouthwatering, with just the right balance between sweet and bitter.

But the evening – which acted as a prequel to The Whisky Exchange’s upcoming show on the 6-7 October – was all about food and whisky pairings. Sriram worked to concoct a menu that would move from starters through to dessert with a whisky match for each dish. A hard task for any set of foods but equally harder with robust, Indian fare, I thought. To make the evening more interesting, all of the whiskies were served blind, thereby forgoing any potential bias we might have towards the drams before we’d tried them with the food.

We began with deep fried spinach and sweet mango – a very nutty dish that reminded me of freshly baked pumpkin seeds. It was paired (I later learned) with the new Balvenie 14 year old Caribbean Cask. The whisky – with its flavours of lychee and tinned pears, cream and cedar – matched very nicely with the sweet mango addition to the starter. I’m not sure it would have paired as well without some element of sweetness in the main dish but it was a pleasant way to begin.

The next dish was the stand out one of the night for me – but not because of the pairing. The tongue-tingling spiciness of the pan fried tilapia and batter fried spiced prawns were delectable. It was served with the biggest surprise whisky wise: Johnnie Walker Blue Label. While all my table-mates and I discussed which Speyside dram it might be, we were all shocked to learn this best seller was the match. I enjoyed the whisky (the first time I’ve tried that one) and the food was gorgeous, but I found the butter caramel and pineapple notes of the dram to be too sweet for the food – its spiciness totally clobbered the dram into in-distinction.

And so it followed that my favourite dram of the night followed my favourite dish. We were all perplexed by mystery dram number three. At first, I got lemon cookies, almonds, Christmas trees and panettone on the nose and the mouth was all “mango, mango, mango” as I wrote. But it was when Tim (resident blogger of The Whisky Exchange) said he was confident it was an Irish dram that it suddenly clicked for me and memories of one of my favourite drams from the company’s Irish tasting back in March came flooding to my mind – Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy! This was paired with an assortment of delicious Indian dishes, such as lamb Roganjosh, dal tadka and, my favourite, aloo Katilyan (potatoes cooked with cumin, garlic, ginger and spices). But, again, I preferred the whisky on its own. I think my palate might have been overwhelmed by that point. Regardless, both were delicious – I’m just not sure I’d put them together in future.

After satiating myself on so many courses, I felt sure I couldn’t handle a dessert but when the reduced milk pudding with berries and Malai kulfi came out I couldn’t resist. Many people were taken aback at the bold pairing: an Ardbeg Uigeadail. But after a few tastes and sips, I could see some of the logic – after all the savoury food, the Ardbeg took on distinctly sweet notes which paired pleasantly with the kulfi. An experiment with the other whiskies on the table, however, showed us the previous whisky – the Barry Crockett – actually worked better with the milk pudding. But, I commend the chef on his bold choices.

The meal finished on a dark, Madagascar chocolate and the exciting new Glenfarclas 105 20 year old. I, unfortunately, didn’t take notes on this one, but allowed myself to sit back in satisfaction that I was trying a new dram from one of my favoured distilleries.

By the time I waddled out, happily filled to the brim with spices, rich flavours and fabulous whiskies, I could only think that if The Whisky Exchange’s whisky show prequel dinner was anything to go by, the festival in October will be outstanding.

For more information on The Whisky Exchange’s upcoming weekend whisky show, visit: http://www.whisky-show.com/

 

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Under an Irish spell

March 28, 2012 in Uncategorized

“It is fraudulent and nefarious!”

So exclaimed Irish distillers when speaking of the Coffey Still when it was first passed by them as a potential way of decreasing costs in the production of the spirit in the early 19th century.

And so came a fateful decision that would help to diminish the strength of the Irish Whiskey industry over the next decades. By rejecting the new type of still, Coffey (an Irish man) took his invention to the Scots who were only too keen to snap up the new technology for use in their blended whiskies, leaving the Irish behind in their dust.

The rise and fall of the Irish Whiskey distilling industry is something I have written about before on Miss Whisky (see my post on the Whisky Squad’s Irish tasting here).

But recently, I was treated to an even more in-depth historical lesson (including the aforementioned quote) and tasting by the industry legend and Midleton Master Distiller Barry Crockett at the Whisky Exchange’s headquarters near London Bridge. I review the whiskies we tried, here.

For instance, I finally found out why there is an “e” in Irish whiskey and no “e” in Scottish – when, in 1909 a commission in Ireland decided whisky made from the Coffey still could, in fact, be considered whisky (something that had been disputed by the Irish) producers there decided to differentiate themselves from the Scots and uphold their product as something different by including the “e”.

But, this was not enough to revive the fading industry. By this point, more than three million Irishmen and women had taken the pledge to be teetotal, while in the USA (a huge market for Irish Whiskey exports) Prohibition was just taking off. Irish product was further beaten down by the fact the demand was still high for their whiskey (due to the sheer number of Irish blooded settlers in the USA), which led to much illegal production and mixing of neat Irish Whiskey with rotgut spirit which made people ill. Finally, in 1932 a trade war with England, known as the Economic War, saw Irish product banned from being sold anywhere in the British empire, which was nearly 25% of the world at that point. No small legality.

However, like most things in this world, some things go down in popularity before coming back up the wheel of favourable fate. Now, eighty years later, Irish whiskey is beginning to really pull itself back on top. At the recent Whisky Icons awards (put on by Whisky Magazine) Irish Distillers – the company that makes single pot still whiskies like Redbreast, Green Spot and Powers John’s Lane – won the big awards on the night, including Distiller of the Year and Brand Innovator of the Year.

Now, if you’ve not sampled Irish Whiskies before, this might mean you have a lot more access to them in the future. But, if you’re happy with Scotch, what would make you want to try its easterly cousin?

Well, at the moment, it feels like there is a revival within this industry and the products that are coming out are rather delicious indeed. Plus, the single pot still whiskies – such as the Redbreasts or Green Spots – are slightly different in what they provide the tastebuds. This is because there is a higher proportion of barley in the original grain compounds that make up the whiskey. In pot still whiskey, there is often 60-70%, which is important for both taste and aroma, creating softer notes of apple, pear and peach. The grains are also normally heated at a lower temperature over a longer period of time at the malting stage, which increases those sweet flavours. In addtion, most Irish whiskies are triple distilled, which means the new make spirit has a much higher alcohol content (80-85%) when it goes to the cask. This allows those lighter, fruity notes to be captured from the start.

Barry – who has 40 years of experience in the Irish Whiskey industry – is convinced this Renaissance is not going to be any short-lived thing. Speaking on the night, he told the gathered group: “I believe single pot still whiskey will effectively do to the restoration of the image of Irish Whiskey what single malt has done for Scotland.”

And with awards and big investment happening in Ireland, one can only hope this will come to pass. A bit more competition for Scotch can only keep their practices and “water of life” ever better, while the greater variety of flavours for the consumer will inevitably garner more lovers of whiskies.

Many thanks to The Whisky Exchange for inviting me along to the tasting and to Billy, who provided the post’s photos after I forgot my camera!

 

 

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Belated Burns Night Thanks

February 3, 2012 in Uncategorized

Burns Night. That phenomenal night on the whisky calendar when people from all corners of the globe get together to eat sheep’s intestines, listen to strange Scottish warblings and dance the night away!

This year I attended my very first (aww) PROPER Burns Night. But, due to being rather swamped off my whisky-loving feet of late, I’ve had hardly any time to send out the massive thank-yous that should be given to those who made sure I was no-longer a Burns Night virgin.

So, before it gets far too belated, I must thank the chaps at The Whisky Exchange for putting on a darn good show over at Vinopolis – 200 people filled the cavernous stone hall and reveled in the fantastic musical accompaniment from License to Ceilidh, chatty banter of Simon & Franchi from Simply Whisky and whisky sponsored by the fabulous folks over at Chivas Brothers. Thanks also goes to photographer Simon Hanna for capturing it all!

The evening began with a bit of particularly good piping and a feisty cocktail of apple, cinnamon and Chivas Regal 12 to get us warmed up. Once settled in the opulent halls, we sat back and listened to (or tried to – I’m still not British enough to fully comprehend thick Scottish accents) Simon & Franchi’s energetic poem reading and speech making in honour of Mr Robbie Burns.

Then came the food and whisky! We started with a lovely Cock-a-Leekie soup, partnered with the delicious Scapa 16. I had not tried either and was delighted with the whisky. Its saltiness and citrussy hints married well with the creamy soup and was a perfect way to begin.

During more incomprehensible (though I’m sure very funny) toasts from the hosts, we moved onto the pièce de résistance…the haggis! The last time I tried this beautiful stuff had been three years ago at an event at Stirling Castle (certainly something to see). My other half (we’ll call him Mr Whisky) had never tried it (despite having loads of Scottish roots) so it was a treat all around.

The haggis was partnered with the Isle of Jura 16 – not my favourite in the Jura roster, but a nice match nonetheless with the slight smokiness and refreshing bite working well with the heavy main.

Finally, we moved on to the dessert – though by this time I was too full to take in much more. I do remember it was a suet pudding but I only managed a couple of bites, opting instead for more whisky! The Glenfiddich Rich Oak 14 year old that came with the dessert was tasty though also not my favourite Glenfiddich. The super oak whisky was a bit too sweet for my liking as well after all that heavy food.

We finished with the Talisker Distiller’s Edition – it was meant to be drunk with coffee but I didn’t want to be buzzing all night, so I stuck, instead, just to the whisky. Not that I could complain. Extra whisky? Me? Never! It was a nice, spicy coastal dram and my choice of the evening.

Then as some crazy people decided to take to the floor to dance, I sat back and enjoyed the rest of the evening watching people fling each other around to the incredible tunes of Licence to Ceilidh. I was far too full and sleepy to join in but it was a great spectacle all around!

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