Whisky For Everyone

Inbox - February 3, 2012

2012-02-03T07:32:00.000Z

Dalmore - The one and only Zenith
The north Highland distillery of Dalmore, who are well known for their very old, rare and limited premium releases, have announced the launch of a single bottle whisky. Named the Dalmore Zenith, it has been crafted from three very old whiskies distilled in 1964, 1951 and 1926. These were brought together and married for a period of time in an ex-Oloroso sherry cask. The Zenith is presented in a bespoke crystal decanter and a cabinet made from English oak and rosewood.

The sale of the Zenith is also unique as it is being auctioned exclusively through The Whisky Shop - the UK's largest specialist whisky chain. The reserve price is £50,000 and sealed bids are currently being invited, with a closing date of 31 March 2012, and 10% of the final price will go to a nominated charity. The decanter is currently traveling around The Whisky Shop's 18 UK stores on a national tour and you can follow its progress on the new Twitter feed - @dalmorezenith. If the full bottle is out of your league, then the chain are running a competition to win a 5cl sample bottle of the Zenith. For further information on the Zenith or to enter the 5cl competition - click here.

Glenfiddich - Rare 55 year old whisky for sale
Another auction of a rare old whisky is taking place next week on Friday 10 February. The whisky is a bottle of the Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve, a 55 year old single malt that has been released to celebrate the life of Janet Sheed Roberts. She is the grand daughter of Glenfiddich's pioneering founder William Grant and last August she celebrated her 110th birthday, making her the oldest person in Scotland.

There are only 11 bottles available of this whisky, one to signify each decade of Janet's life, and they are being sold individually at auction. This will be the second bottle to go under the hammer, with the first one going for £46,850 late last year. All proceeds will go to the charity Walking With The Wounded. The exceptionally rare whisky is presented in a bespoke hand blown bottle in a silk lined leather presentation case. It is hoped that the final price will be greater than that of Bottle No.1 when the auction takes place at The Honourable Artillery Company, London. For further information and tasting notes of the Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve - click here.

Glenmorangie - Scores a hole in one
The famous north Highland distillery of Glenmorangie have announced a three year partnership with The British Open golf tournament, starting with this year's event at Royal Lytham St. Anne's between 15-22 July. The iconic event pulls in crowds of over 200,000 and is watched by an estimated worldwide audience of 450 million. Glenmorangie will be 'the official whisky of the championships'. Both the distillery and the tournament have proud histories dating back over 150 years and the pairing is being billed as 'the perfect partnership of two icons'.

Paul Skipworth, the President of The Glenmorangie Company, says, “Glenmorangie is proud to become a part of this amazing Championship, which will see our whisky showcased at each Open. Like The Open itself we believe in going the extra mile in the pursuit of perfection.”

The Whisky Round Table - Jan/Feb
The latest edition of The Whisky Round Table is now out. The WRT is a group of whisky bloggers from around the world, of which we are delighted to be part. Each month one of the bloggers plays host and asks a whisky related question to which the others reply.

This month's meeting is hosted by Keith Wood, who writes the excellent, informative and incredibly in-depth website Whisky Emporium in both English and German. Keith asked us for our thoughts on whisky festivals, which ones we plan to visit and what we look to get out of them. To read the full question, plus our reply and those of our fellow Round Tablers - click here. As from next month the Whisky Round Table will have a new format, but more news of that will follow on that shortly.

Tweet of the week
@TheBalvenieUK - A few videos featuring our very own @BalvenieNP talking to Patricia Richards about how to make scotch & The Balvenie. Watch - click here.

New releases - Glen Garioch 1986 Vintage

2012-02-01T18:53:00.000Z

This new whisky was released just before Christmas and is the fifth expression in Glen Garioch's Vintage range to date. It joins the other four Vintages, which were distilled in 1978, 1990, 1991 and 1994. Each Vintage is made from premium casks which are specially selected. This new release was distilled in 1986 and bottled in mid-2011 at 25 years of age. There are just 3,000 bottles available and these are currently in specialist whisky and liquor retailers in certain markets around the world - Canada, France, Holland, the UK and the USA. The 1986 Vintage has been bottled at the natural cask strength of 54.6% ABV and has a recommended price of £125.

Glen Garioch (pronounced glen-geery) was founded in 1797 by Thomas Simpson, making it one of Scotland's oldest whisky distilleries that is still in operation. The original name was Glengarioch (the 'garioch' is a fertile strip of local farmland that has historically produced top quality barley) before changing to Glen Garioch in the 1930s. It is located in Oldmeldrum, a small town in the east Highlands, which is close to Aberdeen. The distillery is Scotland's most easterly and has an annual production capacity of one million litres. Glen Garioch is currently owned by Morrison Bowmore, which is a subsidiary of the Japanese drinks company Suntory. They took control in 1994, temporarily closing the distillery one year later, before reopening it in 1997. Previous to the closure, the distillery had produced a mildly peaty whisky but this practice was stopped upon it re-opening.

Our tasting notes
The colour is a bright golden yellow and the nose is expressive, fragrant and fresh. The combination of strongly scented aromas is lovely. There are initial notes of fudge, vanilla, white chocolate, peach and malted cereals. Underneath, some honey starts to come through, as does some cinnamon spice and a whiff of peat smoke. There is also a distinct aroma of palma violet sweets.

On the palate, the vibrancy continues and this is helped by the high ABV level. Initial sweet honey and vanilla notes give way to some brown sugar, fudge, white chocolate on the sweeter side. This is tempered by some robust wood spice (think of oak, cinnamon and nutmeg), bittersweet malty barley, toasted nuts and some background earthy smoke, which is reminiscent of tobacco leaves. The fresh palma violet sweets and a twist of lemon zest finish things off. The depth, complexity and freshness of this whisky is very interesting.

A little dash of water cools things down - it becomes more creamy, grainy and soft, with the wood spice and zestiness getting a little lost. It is still very pleasant though. The finish is a little feisty with plenty of dryness from the wood spices balancing the sweetness of the vanilla, honey and increasingly prominent smoke.

What's the verdict?
This is a very interesting and slightly unusual whisky and one which we have not tasted the likes of for a while. It is packed with delicious aromas and flavours that combine wonderfully. The element of the palma violet sweets is the most unusual of its characteristics, and this combining with the sugary sweet notes creates a diverse palate. This will lead it to possibly being a little challenging for beginners. However, some connoisseurs will also find it challenging. With only 3,000 bottles and at a decent price, it is worth a stab if you want something a little different or with a twist of creativity ...

Guest blog post - A Distillery Tour With A Difference

2012-01-31T19:02:00.000Z

We are lucky. From our position at the fringe of the whisky industry, we get to meet some fantastic people who all have a passion for the stuff. These may be fellow bloggers or journalists, consumers, PR/marketing folk, or brand ambassadors and distillery workers. One of our favourites to date is James Saxon. We first met James on a whisky bloggers trip to the north Highlands about 18 months ago and Matt again met up with him on a pre-Xmas trip to the Balblair distillery.

James' story is a fascinating one and he is one of the most interesting people that you could wish to talk with. For six weeks in the spring of 2010, he decided to try an visit as many whisky distilleries in Scotland as he could. Nothing particularly new about that, until you consider that he cycled the whole way. He wrote a whisky blog with a difference as he and his bike made that epic journey.

We are delighted that James has agreed to write a guest blog post for us about his journey, which can be found below. To read the full story of the trip and to read what he has been up to since, please visit his excellent and informative Scotch Odyssey blog. We are returning the favour and saying a big thank you by writing him a guest post, so feel free to check that out on Scotch Odyssey in a couple of days time. We hope that you enjoy the abridged version of James' travels.

- Karen & Matt

___________

A Distillery Tour With A Difference

by James Saxon

At Bladnoch distillery, Dumfries & Galloway

Like all good ideas, the ambition to cycle around Scotland, dropping in on as many distilleries with ‘Welcome’ doormats as possible, has no definite genesis. Rather, it was a mish-mash of motives and fantasies, synthesised and cultivated within the confines of my more unusual states of mind. Once established, however, the scheme refused to budge. While my schoolmates would be trekking through South-East Asia or taking the fruits of the English education system to Africa, I would be pedalling through a Scottish spring, keeping an eye peeled for pagoda roofs.

I have always been prone to compulsive absorption in a new hobby, and single malt whisky has proved to be no exception. My procycling magazine subscription became Whisky Magazine and the Cairngorms and coastal regions were of greater interest than the Pyrenees and Alps. However, as a means of transport and experiencing the world, the bicycle remained central to my mission. How else could I remain alive to the sights, sounds and smells of Scotland and her terroir without being so fully exposed and self-reliant?

The road near Carbost and Talisker distillery, Isle of Skye

Day 12 of the Scotch Odyssey to Glen Garioch pointed out some of the flaws in this philosophy. Drenched by the rain and standing water on the A96, demonised by cars and trucks and demoralised by both, the tour had stopped being a gentle spin between glowing stills, reflecting on what implications the proximity of heather and barley might be, and had become a survival operation. For ten fraught and filthy miles I squeaked along the hard-shoulder, praying that the next enormous flat-bed lorry would nudge over towards the centre of the carriageway and not jerk me after it with itsslipstream.

Things hardly improved in deepest, driechest Aberdeenshire as the rain continued to dribble out of the sky. Forty miles into the day, I finally squelched into the Glen Garioch visitor centre, and the lady behind the desk must have thought that the creature from the black lagoon wanted on the next tour.

"Have you any radiators I could use, please?" I mumbled, expecting my clothes to inflict a dampdeath if I put them on again following my tour and they had not had any chance to dry.

"Go over to the stillhouse," she said. "Tell them that Jane sent you to dry some things."

Stripping off in the Glen Garioch stillhouse and hanging my sodden clobber on a rack behind the spirit still is an experience I will never forget, and nor will the tour party who shuffled in just as I extricated myself from my shorts. I had a one-to-one tour with Fiona, and a long chat with both she and Jane in the visitor centre afterwards about my journey. Theirs was a kindly kick up the backside for me, but one which was pivotal to completing the 20 miles back to Huntly, and played a major part in galvanising me for the remaining four weeks.

From the Lowlands, Highlands and Speyside, it was up the northern coastline to Orkney, across to Skye and the remainder of the West Coast. I began to relish the mileage, the scenery and the new flavours that were creeping into the production process as I walked past more and more mashtuns. Islay was a case-in-point, an insistent smokiness pervading each of the incredibly busy distilleries. A word of warning, though: don’t do all eight tours in two and a half days. And not in the week before the Feis Ile festival.

The trusty bike outside Kilchoman distillery, Islay

After weeks of island-hopping, returning to a major centre of population shocked and thrilled me. Pedalling over the Clyde – and nearly joining the M8 – confirmed that I had reached Glasgow and bar a serious bike breakdown which was either impeccably well-timed or laughably unlikely with only a day to go, I loved the city. Glengoyne was my hottest tour and the journey there and back one of the most exhilarating.

The final day through Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway was memorable for many reasons: the nutter on the train, the extraordinary cuteness of the landscape, but most of all the sheer charming oddity of Bladnoch. After a tour that included a sample of oak-aged gin and seemingly every corner of the distillery, I was in danger of missing my train from Barrhill back home.

Martin Armstrong, son of distillery owner Raymond who had kindly opened the place up for me on the Saturday when he ought to have been revising for his university finals, offered a lift as far as Newton Stewart. The bike and panniers were thrown into the back of the Bladnoch Transit van, and we bombed along the country lanes at speeds I had rarely experienced over the previous six weeks while Martin supplied a potted history of the landmarks that passed in a blur. After a quick handshake, it was a fifteen mile time trial back to the station in baking heat. I made it, hairier, sweatier and happier than I have ever been.

I will admit that a car cannot really be beaten for practicality while distillery touring. If nothing else, there is space in the boot for all those distillery-exclusives. However, my solo cycle gave me a first-class, first-hand encounter with Scotland, her whiskies and above all her people – a distinctive, unchillfiltered race whose humour and hospitality materialised when I least expected but most needed it. Thanks to them, every dram I pour enthrals me with a vivid presence and emotive allusiveness more than malt, water and yeast could ever have managed on their own.

All images included in this article are © James Saxon.

Inbox - January 27, 2012

2012-01-27T18:22:00.000Z

Cutty Sark - Tam o' Shanter bottling
The famous blended whisky brand has announced a new limited edition version of their 25 years old expression, so as to coincide with this year's Burns Night celebrations. The liquid is an enhanced version of the current 25 years old within the core range, and is the first creation of Cutty Sark's new Master Blender Kirsteen Campbell. The new expression is named Tam o' Shanter after Robert Burns' famous poem.

The link between the brand and Burns is interesting - the famous ship was named after the scanty clothing of the sexy witch in his Tam o' Shanter poem. A newly designed bottle, based on an antique version of the Cutty Sark bottle, is packaged in a wooden box and a book illustrated by figurative artist Alexander Goudie. All show scenes from the famous poem. The Cutty Sark Tam o' Shanter is limited to just 5,000 bottles and will be available shortly for a recommended price of £199.

Highland Park - Thor arrives
The distillery from the Orkney islands have announced a new range of single malt whiskies, and the first release within that range. The award-winning brand will release four whiskies in The Valhalla Collection, all of which will be named after and inspired by Norse legends and gods. The Orkney islands have a rich Norse heritage dating back to ancient times and Highland Park consistently use this as a thread through their limited edition whisky ranges.

The first release in The Valhalla Collection is the Highland Park Thor, named after the most famous of the Norse gods. His hammer is depicted on the bottle and the release is a limited edition (if you can call 20,000 bottles limited ...). It has been bottled at 16 years of age and at the natural cask strength of 52.1% ABV. It is presented in an extraordinary wooden box, which represents the head piece on a Nordic long boat. The retail price will be around the £120 mark. Thor will be available to UK consumers from Monday 30 January via Highland Park's shop, and then elsewhere in the UK and around the world from early February. For further information on the Thor release and The Valhalla Collection - visit the special website www.whiskyofthegods.com.

Tweet of the Week
@WhiskyParty - What are US micro distillers up to lately? Chuck Cowdery has the lowdown - http://bit.ly/xwhK2q

Wemyss Malts Week - Part 4

2012-01-26T19:12:00.000Z

Caribbean Fruits - Highland
The colour is golden yellow and the nose has the 'fruit' from the name immediately leaping out of the glass. There are aromas of peach, apricot, pear and a tiny hint of pineapple, which are complimented by some lovely honey, vanilla and sweet malted barley notes. There are also background hint of cinnamon bark and wet tea leaves. The palate begins with plenty of bittersweet malted cereals and drying oak spice. It takes time for the sweeter and the fruity notes to kick in and when they do, they are not as expressive or vibrant as on the nose. The vanilla and honey notes are joined by some golden syrup, while there are again notes of peach, pineapple and pear (this is the only note from the nose which seems stronger now). Then the drying oak spices fight back and take you into a sparse finish that hints at the vibrant fruits from the nose but little else. There is a little barley sugar-like sweetness in the background. A little hard work from the drinker needed for this one.

Distilled - 1990, bottled - 2011, cask : ex-bourbon hogshead, no. bottles - 320, price £72, distillery named as - Glencadam

Lemon Grove - Speyside
The colour is pale gold and the nose is fresh and full of vibrancy. A number of uplifting aromas contribute to a wonderfully scented nose - lemon zest, honey, vanilla, fresh green fruits (think of pear and apple), malted barley, something floral (maybe honeysuckle?) and a hint of creamy yeast , which reminds us of pastry. On the palate, this has an immediate tangy and zesty quality that does have the 'lemon' as suggested in the name. The fresh feeling in accentuated by a note of crisp green fruit and before it gets to much, some sweetness (vanilla, honey and a little toffee) and drier notes arrive (bittersweet cereals, wood spices and a hint of dried grass). Again the combination is lovely. As we move in to the finish, the lemon notes soften and become more like lemon curd than the zest. The finish begins sweetly and gets drier with the wood/baking spices coming through well. This is a very good cask that has maintained some youthful vibrancy despite its age.

Distilled - 1989, bottled - 2011, cask : ex-bourbon hogshead, no. bottles - 371, price £69, distillery named as - Cragganmore

Whispering Smoke - Islay
The colour is golden yellow with a slight brown hue. As with the previous two whiskies, this has a nose with a vibrancy and freshness that defies its age. The peat smoke is obvious and has a distinct whiff of hot tar, but as the name suggests it wafts around your nostrils allowing you to capture the other aromas - green fruit (pear and apple), oatcake biscuits, woody pencil shavings, dried apricot, brown sugar, vanilla, honey and some minty menthol and liquorice. On the palate, this feels delicate with many subtle notes combining with the soft, smouldering peat smoke (this still has the tar-like feeling). The mix is complex and includes elements of malty barley, vanilla custard, honey, peach, apricot, toffee, toasted oats and an abundance of wood/baking spices - think of cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice. The delicate yet complex nature carries on in to the finish, which balances some lovely fresh sweetness with increasing drying spices and slightly acrid tar-like smoke. A very good dram indeed.

Distilled - 1981, bottled - 2011, cask : ex-bourbon hogshead, no. bottles - 228, price £150, rumoured to be - Caol Ila

What's the verdict?
Where do we start? This has begun to feel like an epic journey as the week has progressed ... 4 days + 12 whiskies tasted = sensory overload. However, by reviewing the whiskies back-to-back in this way has allowed us to establish a number of key signature characteristics about the Wemyss Malts range. 1 - the quality of casks selected for the single cask range is very high, across all of the regions and styles. 2 - the quality and balance of the blended malt range is equally as high. 3 - because of this, both ranges offer exceptionally good value for money.

The overall range maybe concise but the quality is above that of some of Wemyss' independent bottling contemporaries, in comparison to whiskies that we have tasted to date. The selection of fine casks is clearly key to this and we like the idea of de-emphasising the distillery of origin in favour of flavour characteristics - this removes any preconceptions about the distillery, negative or positive. They are deserving of your attention and that of a wider audience.

Our personal favourites were difficult to pick given the quality whisky on offer, but if we had to stump for two they would be the Peat Chimney eight years old from the blended malt range and the Lemon Grove from the single cask range. All bottlings are available for sale from wemyssmalt.com and from selected specialist whisky retailers.

Post Burns Night blues?

2012-01-26T06:52:00.000Z

Yesterday was Burns Night and if you attended some sort of celebration event, then you may be waking up with a slight hangover due to 'one too many' drams of whisky or have a slightly bloated feeling from eating too much haggis and clootie dumpling. There is also a distinct possibility that once the whiskies began flowing later in the evening that the significance and origins of Scotland's unofficial national day can be forgotten.

A couple of years ago, we wrote a blog post explaining about the history, customs and facts about Burns Night and why it is heavily linked to the world of whisky. Please click here to find out or re-aquaint yourself with the background behind this famous annual event. However, if that hangover is hanging around and inhibiting your reading skills, then we have an alternative option ...

Yesterday, Matt met up with Clark McGinn, a good friend and supporter of Whisky For Everyone since we first met him two years ago. Clark is a world authority and eminent speaker on Robert Burns, his poetry and his language - he has a website called seriousburns.com, has hosted hundreds of Burns Night suppers around the world and has a couple of books about the subject under his belt, including The Ultimate Burns Supper Book.

Clark kindly agreed to record a short video clip for us, in the midst of his busy schedule, that explains briefly about the origin and customs of Burns Night, plus what it has to do with whisky. Watch below as he also recites part of the famous Burns poem Address To A Haggis, which is traditionally read at Burns Night suppers. Enjoy ...

Wemyss Malts Week - Part 3

2012-01-25T19:20:00.000Z

Well Mannered Mint - Islay
The colour is a pale lemon yellow and the nose is light in body but powerful in aroma. It is feisty, bracing and very smoky. The smokiness has a distinct vegetal quality to it and is reminiscent of heavy bonfire smoke mixed with surgical bandage. Other aromas are difficult to get, but with a bit of work you can battle through the peat smoke and find lemon zest, oatcakes, vanilla, fresh green fruits (think of pears and apples) and brine. On the palate, the acrid smoke has that bonfire/bandage feel again, with plenty of chilli heat and spice. The smoke becomes distinctly ashy and dies away slowly to reveal other notes - vanilla, sweet honey, malted barley, tangy lemon, crisp green apples and a good pinch of salt. The finish is long, drying and very smoky and salty with some lovely vegetal earthy notes underneath. No mint really anywhere, just a hint of menthol maybe. Good stuff but one for the serious peat lovers only.

Distilled 1999, bottled 2011, cask : ex-bourbon hogshead, no. bottles - 307, price £45, rumoured to be - Laphroaig

Vanilla Summer - Highlands
The colour is golden yellow and the nose seems delicate, but highly scented with initial notes of honey and vanilla. Underneath are lovely aromas of sweet malty barley, ripe peaches and honeysuckle. With time, some further aromas of green apple and the faintest whiff of gentle peat smoke are detected. It is very promising. On the palate, this is instantly more smoky than the nose suggested. The peat smoke is soft and gentle, and quickly mingles with plenty of vanilla, honey and wood spice notes (think of oak, cinnamon and nutmeg). It feels a little waxy and creamy in the mouth and a distinct creamed coconut element develops with time. A zesty lemon tang rounds things off. The finish is on the short side and continues with the honey and wood spice theme, with the green apple note returning. This is clearly from a cask of excellent quality. A delicious dram.

Distilled 1997, bottled 2011, cask : ex-bourbon hogshead, no. bottles - 363, price £61, rumoured to be - Clynelish

Honey Spice - Islay
The colour is dark amber and the nose is immediate and very expressive. There are the classic ex-sherry cask aromas present - imagine caramel, dark dried fruits (especially raisins), cinnamon and some candied orange peel. However, there is much more than just these classic aromas going on. There is some brown sugar, burnt butter, rich malted barley, leather and a lick of tobacco smoke. The combination is lovely. On the palate, this feels silky but with a slight spicy, peppery twist. There are again plenty of notes fighting for attention once this pepper begins to fade - raisins, spiced orange, caramel, burnt brown sugar and dark chocolate, plus a savoury leathery element that combines well with some integrated soft peat smoke. The finish is long and rich with the caramel and spiced orange particularly prominent, along with the tobacco-like smokiness which takes ages to fade. Another excellent and very enjoyable whisky.

Distilled 1991, bottled 2011, cask : ex-sherry butt, no. bottles - 743, price £69, distillery named as - Bunnahabhain

Join us tomorrow for the final part of Wemyss Malts Week, where we sample and review three of the older single casks bottlings from their range.

Wemyss Malts Week - Part 2

2012-01-24T19:15:00.000Z

The Hive - 12 years old
The colour is a vibrant golden yellow and the majority of the single malts used here are from the Speyside region of Scotland. The nose is packed with honey aromas (we guess the clue was in the name, right?), along with plenty of vanilla and malty cereal grains. There are other aromas of golden syrup, stewed apple and a pinch of baking spice. On the palate, this feels a little tangy with some unexpected orange zest up front. It then settles down an plenty of sweet honey notes are present, along with vanilla, toasted nuts, burnt sugar, some wood/baking spice (especially nutmeg) and some malted barley which gives a pleasant bittersweet edge and stops it from being too sweet. This maltiness seems to increase in to the finish and gives the whisky a good grip in the mouth. The finish is short-ish but with another good dollop of honey towards the end, plus a hint of faint tobacco leaf.

The Spice King - 12 years old
The colour is golden amber and the signature malt here is from one of the islands of Scotland. The nose is rich and full of harmonious aromas - honey, vanilla, candied citrus peel, sultana, stewed apple, baking spice (especially cinnamon), plus hints of custard and soft, gentle peat smoke. On the palate, this feels soft and velvety before a hit of peat smoke and spice kicks in to add some vibrancy. The dominant notes are sweet - think of honey, cereals and dried fruits in particular - with plenty of candied and spiced orange coming later. There is a pudding-like apple crumble type note also. The underlying spices and peat become softer and mellower with time. The balance is very good with the spice/peat combination stopping it from being too sweet and sugary. The finish is of decent length with a highly enjoyable combination of brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, soft peat and tangy orange peel. The eight years old version was good but this raises the bar to a new level.

The Peat Chimney - 12 years old
The colour is golden yellow and this is a complex blend of 16 single malts, with the emphasis on the smoky Islay whiskies. The nose is packed full of punchy peat smoke aromas and these have a fresh, bracing quality. The peat is sweet and fragrant. The other aromas are also sweet with notes of honey, brown sugar, vanilla and malty cereals all present. Underneath is a whiff of salty brine and something vegetal and a bit mossy. On the palate, this is obviously sweet and a little sugary (think of icing sugar) but then ... boom, the spicy and peppery hot peat smoke kicks in. The feeling creates a mouth watering freshness. Once the heat and smoke settle, an underlying malted barley note is joined by other more delicate flavours - vanilla, honey, fresh green pear, lemon zest, oatcake biscuit and a pinch of cinnamon and ginger spice. There is also some of the salty tang from the nose detected. The finish is long with the strength of the peat smoke combining delightfully with the sweet honeyed notes. Very good, especially for the price point of £35.

Join us tomorrow for Part 3, where we move on to sample and review some single cask offerings from the Wemyss Malts range.

Wemyss Malts Week - Part 1

2012-01-23T19:10:00.000Z

Over the last few months we have received a series of packages containing whisky samples from Wemyss Malts. As a result of various circumstances, we have not been able to review and taste them ... until now. We have decided to put all of these samples together and review them in one week - our very own Wemyss Malts Week. This will be a four-part series which showcases some whiskies from the companies ever expanding range.

Wemyss Malts is a Scottish based company which specialises in hand crafted whiskies. It forms part of the larger Wemyss brand, which includes Darnley's View gin and two wine brands - Fonty's Pool from Western Australia and Rimauresq from Provence, France. All are owned by the Wemyss family (pronounced weems), whose base is Wemyss Castle in Fife. The castle overlooks the famous Firth of Forth estuary and has been the family home since 1421 when it was constructed by Sir John Wemyss.

The Wemyss family have traditional ties to the whisky industry and these remain, as barley grown on their estate is still used by leading distillery companies. The ties date back to the beginning of the 18th century when the family allowed a tenant called John Haig to build his first distillery on some of their land. His whisky, called Haig's, proved to be very popular and remains a best seller today.

The range of Wemyss Malts are all hand crafted and designed to make things easier and more accessible for the consumer. The are split in to two categories - blended malts and single cask malts - and each release is given a name relating to its flavour profile, rather than the distillery of origin. This is to help with the consumer recognising what the whisky will taste like and selecting one through their personal preferences.

The whiskies are all from casks which are hand selected by the family under the guidance of whisky legend Charles Maclean. The blended malt range are all bottled at 40% ABV and appear at age points of five, eight and 12 years. The single cask malts are of a variety of ages, are all taken from premium single casks within the Wemyss collection and bottled at 46% ABV. For further information about Wemyss Malts, their range and to purchase - visit www.wemyssmalts.com.

We kick off our Wemyss Malts Week with three offerings from the eight years old blended malts range (pictured, above). Each of these contains just single malts whiskies, with up to 16 blended together in some cases, and each has a definitive flavour style which lends its name to each blend. The minimum age of any whisky included is eight years old. Once selected and blended, each of the new whisky combinations are left to marry together for a number of months to give the most integrated flavour profile possible. All are £29 for a bottle.

The Smooth Gentleman - 8 years old
The colour is golden yellow and the majority of the malts in this are from the Speyside region. The nose has a decent and sweet scent that includes aromas of caramel, dried fruits (think of raisins and sultanas), malty cereals and a hint of spiced orange. It seems youthful with some vibrant spirit showing through. Underneath are some aromas of honey and cinnamon bark. On the palate, this has initial notes of malted barley and bitter orange. The sweeter honey, caramel and dried fruit notes fight through once the youthful spirit settles down and this leads to a pleasant and refreshing end to the palate and finish. There is also a hint of faint tobacco-like smoke present. The finish is initially sweet with plenty of caramel present. It becomes drier towards the end, with some good wood spice notes finish things off. Slightly disappointing and not particularly 'smooth' to our palates.

The Spice King - 8 years old
The colour is golden yellow with a hint of amber and most of the malts included are from the Highlands and islands of Scotland. The nose is vibrant and the 'spice' in the name is present in the form of an interesting peppery note. There are also aromas of golden syrup, light earthy peat smoke, caramel, fresh orange zest and sultanas. On the palate, the peat smoke is more evident and is the first element to hit the taste buds. Then comes the spicy peppery note followed by some sweetness which adds balance, depth and complexity. The sweet notes include honey, brown sugar, caramel and dried fruits. A twist of bittersweet orange zest creates further interest. The finish is quite long and enjoyable with the damp earthy peat smoke and some bittersweet cereals lingering for ages. This is a lovely whisky that offers plenty on all levels, although it seems more smoky than 'spicy'. Delicious and a very well constructed whisky.

The Peat Chimney - 8 years old
The colour is golden yellow and the majority of the whiskies present are from the famous whisky island of Islay. The nose is vibrant and a little feisty with plenty of peppery, almost chilli-like peat smoke. Underneath are aromas of sweet honey, vanilla, green fruit (maybe some apple?) wet moss, heavy malted cereal grains and some dried grass. Considering the strength of characterful aromas, this comes across as being quite light and heady. It's all very promising. On the palate, there is a lovely initial mix of sugary (almost icing sugar-like) sweetness and burning damp peat smoke. Some honey, vanilla and oatcake notes add depth and the combination works very well. The sweet honey continues to build with time. Towards the end, a pinch of drying wood spice appears and the sweet smoky element in heightened by this. The finish is full of malty sweet cereals and smouldering bonfire-like smoke, and hangs around for ever. A very impressive dram, especially for the price of £29, and our favourite of the three whiskies tasted today.

Join us tomorrow for Wemyss Malts Week - Part 2, where we sample and review some more of their blended malts range.

The Canadian Whisky Awards

2012-01-22T18:13:00.000Z

The second annual Canadian Whisky Awards have just taken place in Victoria, British Columbia as part of the Victoria Whisky Festival. The gala ceremony was held to celebrate some of the best and most innovative whiskies produced in Canada during 2011 and the contribution of pioneers from within the industry.

Now, we choose to not normally comment or report on the numerous whisky awards ceremonies around the world - it is hard to keep up with the exploding number of such awards and this makes it difficult to select which awards hold more gravitas and importance. However, we openly admit that we know very little about Canadian whiskies and the industry in that country. This is something that we are currently working on given the growth in popularity of Canadian whisky and a recent email that we received kindly telling us, "how can you call yourselves Whisky For Everyone, if you never mention Canadian whiskies ...?" Watch this space.

The Canadian Whisky Awards are the brainchild of Davin de Kergommeaux - the world authority on Canadian whisky and writer of the must-read website canadianwhisky.org. His goal is to raise awareness about the fine whiskies coming out of the country and bring further information to a wider audience. Davin was head of the seven man judging panel, which included some of Canada's best known whisky writers, bloggers and broadcasters. The whisky producers were asked to submit their best whiskies and each was sampled and scored in a blind tasting by the judges.

Gold Medals were awarded to just five exceptional whiskies - Forty Creek John's Private Cask No.1, Gibson's Finest Rare 18 years old, Masterson's Rye, Wiser's Legacy and Wiser's Small Batch. A further 12 whiskies were awarded Silver Medals and eight were awarded Bronze Medals. The most prestigious prize of Canadian Whisky of the Year 2011 went to the Forty Creek John's Private Cask No.1 (pictured, above), which is produced by Kittling Ridge Estate Wines & Spirits. Numerous other awards were presented, including the Canadian Whisky Innovations category which saw the White Owl whisky - a filtered, clear rye whisky made by Highwood Distillers in Alberta which has taken the cocktail world by storm (pictured, below) - take the first prize.

As we say, we have not tried very many Canadian whiskies to date but hopefully the increased popularity and exposure that they are receiving will result in more becoming available in the UK. We hope to track down, taste and review the two winners named above. In the mean time if you have tried either of them, please leave a comment below and let us know how they taste, what they are like and any other notes that you may want to add. We look forward to reading the results.

For more information about the awards and prize winners, and Canadian whisky in general - visit www.canadianwhisky.org.

Inbox - January 20, 2012

2012-01-20T18:32:00.000Z

Benriach - Sweet seventeen
The innovative Speyside distillery of Benriach have announced the launch of a new single malt in to their core range. The Septendecim is a peated, smoky whisky which joins the Curiositas and Authenticus in the award-winning smoky section of the range. The new release sits in between the two in terms of age at 17 years old. Septendecim is the Latin word for seventeen. The Septendecim is bottled at 46% ABV and will be available worldwide shortly.

The Sales Director of Benriach, Alistair Walker says, “Septendecim is a real robust heavyweight, full-bodied and beautifully balanced with enormous impact. It’s another fine example of our distillery going back to its nineteenth-century roots - a time when, unlike today, the majority of Speyside distilleries were producing peated whiskies.”

Dalmore - The Cigar Malt returns
The Highland distillery of Dalmore has announced the re-birth of a classic whisky from their collection. The previous incarnation of the Cigar Malt was retired in 2007. This new version is named the Cigar Malt Reserve and has been matured in a combination of ex-Oloroso sherry, ex-American oak bourbon and ex-Cabernet Sauvignon red wine casks. The CMR is aimed at whisky connoisseurs and cigar aficionados and is bottled at a strength of 44% ABV. It will be available from February in specialist whisky retailers and in the travel retail sector, costing £70 a bottle.

Dalmore's Master Blender Richard Paterson says, “Many fans were disappointed when the old Cigar Malt left the range, so we set about creating an even better whisky that would allow those fans to experience a great single malt that has been specifically crafted with cigar pairings in mind. It’s a great match to a number of cigars but I would highly recommend enjoying it with a Partagas No.2 cigar as the flavours work in perfect harmony together."

Tweet of the week
@PenderynWhisky - Complete the sentence: If I were a whisky, I'd be... (and tell us why!) - click here to tell us.

Have just tried - The Tweeddale Blend (Batch No.2)

2012-01-19T07:30:00.000Z

The Tweeddale Blend is a whisky created by Stonedean Limited. The company was established by Alasdair Day, who is currently the director, in January 2009 and his aim was to resurrect an old blended whisky recipe that was last produced over 70 years ago. This was named The Tweeddale Blend and was originally produced by Alasdair's great grandfather Richard Day, a licensed grocer from Edinburgh in the 1920s. The recipe for the blend dates back even further to the 1820s when previous owners of the shop, J&A Davidson, started producing their own range of blended whiskies as many such businesses were doing at the time.

Production continued until the outbreak of World War II but was not to be created again until Alasdair gained possession of a family heirloom - a book containing the recipe for The Tweeddale Blend. This included an itinerary the names of the single malts and grain whiskies involved, the type of casks that they were matured in and the quantities of each. Inspired by this, Alasdair set about recreating The Tweeddale Blend as closely as possible to how his great grandfather had produced it. The first batch, released in 2010, gained widespread acclaim within the whisky world (including from us), so we were excited to try the second batch at a whisky festival back in the Autumn.

The second batch again follows the same traditional blend recipe of Alasdair's great grandfather. The exact recipe remains a secret but it is known that the Tweeddale has a single malt content of 50%, with the other 50% being grain whisky. This single malt percentage is high than many blends, which will generally contain anything between 10-40% as single malt. The minimum age of whiskies included has increased from 10 to 12 years of age and just nine single casks of whisky have been used - one single grain and eight single malts. The single grain whisky is the same as that used in Batch No.1, but is now older at 15 years old. The single malts range from 12 to 21 years of age.

The Tweeddale Blend is bottled at 46% ABV and can be purchased from selected specialist retailers - a list of these can be found on Stonedean's website www.stonedean.co.uk.

Our tasting notes
The colour is golden yellow and the nose has a lovely mix of pleasant, clean aromas. Initially there is a hit of cereal grains and these are quickly joined by sweeter notes of toffee, honey and vanilla. Then comes some fruitiness, which combines stewed fruits (especially apple and pear) with dried fruits, such as sultanas. With time some prominent wood spice aromas (imagine white oak, coconut and nutmeg) appear and take hold, as does a faint hint of peat smoke. On the palate, this is distinctly malty and packed with cereals grain characteristics to begin with. These grip on to your taste buds and then begin to combine with some developing sweeter elements. This sweetness has a lovely mix of soft brown sugar, dried fruits (think of sultanas and raisins), honey, toffee and vanilla notes. With time, the wood spices from the nose appear (add cinnamon bark to them) and these add further depth, complexity and dryness to this very good blend. A hint of earthy peat smoke adds a final savoury twist. The finish is decently long and complex beginning with the sweet honey, sultana and toffee notes, before becoming much drier with spice, a whiff of smoke and bittersweet cereals coming through and hanging around.

What's the verdict?
The Tweeddale Blend is very pleasant and positively gripping in flavour, while being soft and easy drinking. It avoids the youthful harsh notes that can affect some blended whiskies and this is due to the increased age of all the whiskies included. The qualities of these whiskies show through in the final dram and create excellent depth, complexity and character. Batch No.2 should enhance Alasdair's and Tweeddale's reputation even further and we think he has done his great grandfather proud yet again. To read our thoughts on Batch No.1 - click here.

New release - Glenmorangie Artein

2012-01-17T19:54:00.000Z

The famous Highland distillery of Glenmorangie has announced the third release in its Private Editions range. Named Artein, which is the Gaelic word for stone, the new single malt joins the popular Sonnalta and Finealta in the range. The name refers to the influence the local limestone has on the water used in Glenmorangie's whisky production. Glenmorangie Artein is crafted from American white oak ex-bourbon casks of 15 year old and 21 year old whiskies (in the ratio of 2:1), which were hand selected by Head of Distilling & Whisky Creation Dr. Bill Lumsden. These subsequently underwent an extra maturation period in Super Tuscan Sassacaia wine casks. Artein has been bottled at 46% ABV and will retail at £70 a bottle.

The name of Glenmorangie is one of the most famous in the world of whisky and their innovative single malts continue to add to hefty list of major awards. The distillery is located in the Highland town of Tain and is approximately 40 miles (65km) north of Inverness. The distillery was founded in 1843 by William Matheson and is now one of Scotland’s largest whisky distilleries with a recently increased annual production capacity of six million litres. The stills at Glenmorangie are also the tallest in Scotland at 5 metres (16.5 feet) high and makes the still house resemble a cathedral. They are all exact replicas of the original stills that were purchased from a gin distillery in London in 1843. The current owners of Glenmorangie are LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey), who took control in 2004.

Our tasting notes
The colour is amber with a distinct reddish/russet hue. The nose is highly perfumed and combines strong fruitiness and sweetness. The fruitiness is that of rich, dried fruits (think of raisins, sultanas, cherries and cranberries) and the sweetness has a brown sugar and honey-like feel to it. Under these are more subtle aromas of orange zest, vanilla, malty grains and wood spice (imagine cinnamon and nutmeg). The nose gets better and better with time and is very promising - it makes you want to taste the whisky.

On the palate, there is again the mixture of fruitiness and sweetness, but with more prominent wood spice now (plenty of tannic oak and warming cinnamon bark notes). There is plenty of red fruit (think of plums, cherries, fruit jam) mixed with some softer dried fruits (raisins especially). The effect is quite wine-like and increasingly savoury, especially when the brown sugar and honey notes fade and the drying wood spices and tannins start to kick in towards the end of the palate and on the finish. The delicacy of the light, vibrant Glenmorangie spirit is somewhat lost, with the more subtle notes struggling to get through. The finish is long, savoury and quite dry with a pleasant dash of jam-like sweetness and a hint of burnt orange peel. A woody, tannic dryness takes an age to fade from your mouth.

What's the verdict?
Glenmorangie have created a very interesting and expressive whisky here. However, it will not have universal appeal - if you are a fan of Glenmorangie's light style of single malt, then you may struggle with this. Artein is full of luscious and warming flavours but it offers a good challenge, especially on the palate. The influence of the wine cask is in danger of hijacking the whisky.

In something like Glenmorangie's Quinta Ruban, which has been part-matured in ex-Port casks, the sweetness compensates for the richness that the wine cask brings. In the Artein the influence of the red wine cask gives a much more savoury feel. This creates a very drier, spicier and more tannic flavour profile. As we said, it is very interesting stuff and worth searching out, especially if you have never tasted a whisky that has been matured in ex-red wine casks before.

Have just tried - Sazerac Rye

2012-01-16T22:41:00.000Z

Sazerac Rye is an American whiskey that is made at the Buffalo Trace distillery. The distillery is located in the town of Frankfort, which is in the famous American whiskey making state of Kentucky. The whiskey was originally made in the early 1800s in New Orleans by The Sazerac Company, which was owned by entrepreneur Thomas H. Handy. It was designed to be the house whiskey in his business The Sazerac Coffee House, which is the birthplace of the popular Sazerac cocktail. The Sazerac Company was purchased by Buffalo Trace in 1992 and they have produced the whiskey at their distillery ever since.

The striking award winning bottle was created by the US design agency SPAR. They used the influence of antique bottles found in The Getz Bourbon Museum in Bardstown, Kentucky to design a stunning bottle with a mid-1800s period feel. Sazerac Rye is matured for approximately six years and is bottled at a strength of 45% ABV (90° Proof). It is still relatively difficult to find in the UK but can be found within a small selection of specialist liquor retailers. It should cost around the £30-35 mark for a 75cl bottle.

In America whiskey is made using a mixture of grain types, most commonly wheat, corn/maize, barley and rye. These are mixed in different proportions and percentages with each other to create the unique recipes for each whiskey. In Sazerac Rye, as with all rye whiskies, the percentage of rye grain in the mash mixture has to legally be greater than 51%. Other laws stipulate that rye whiskey must be distilled at an alcohol level less than 80% ABV and that it must be matured for a minimum of two years in new American oak casks.

Our tasting notes
The colour is golden yellow and the nose has a real 'wow factor' - it is vibrant with a lovely, promising scent. There are initial aromas of sweet vanilla, fresh coconut, tangy orange zest, sweet honey and robust bittersweet cereals. The vibrancy is highlighted by plenty of woody and spicy notes that grip your nostrils - cinnamon bark, nutmeg, sandalwood, cedarwood, toasted almonds. On the palate, this spiciness continues unabated with an initial wave of drying woodiness. It replicates the aromas from the nose very closely and much like on the nose, these notes grip the palate. The fragrance that comes from it in the mouth is almost overwhelming. Then comes another wave of sweet orange, coconut, something floral and plenty of honey, all of which balance the prominent spice notes. The combination is challenging and intense but delicious. The finish is dry, spicy and bittersweet. Plenty of the rye grains are present here, along with the wood spices, which leaves your mouth watering.

What's the verdict?
Sazerac Rye is a deliciously vibrant and expressive whiskey which sets you a challenge from the first moment that you encounter it. It is intense and has a lovely combination between the dry, spicy, sweet and bittersweet elements, which are all battling for your attention. Having not tried many rye whiskies, we cannot really say if these are typical notes for the genre but it has made us want to sample others. To be fair, the whiskey is a little hard work on its own and seems perfectly suited for mixing in such cocktails as the Sazerac or Old Fashioned.

Inbox - January 13, 2012

2012-01-13T07:39:00.000Z

Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Within Inbox we write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. This week also includes a new feature - Tweet of the week. This is our favourite piece of news or information that we have seen on Twitter recently.

Things are slowly getting back up to speed in the whisky world following the festive period - here is what has caught our attention this week ...

Glenrothes - Last chance to create a Vintage
Back in October, we reported on the launch of the Glenrothes Vintage Maker 2012 competition. With the entry deadline fast approaching, the Speyside distillery have released the short video below to help with some inspiration. In it, Glenrothes' Brand Ambassador Ronnie Cox talks about the Vintages and the competition. There will be three separate competitions resulting in four winners each from the UK, the USA and from the rest of the world. The winners will be recruited to work as The Glenrothes Vintage Makers to create the Glenrothes Vintage 2012.

This will involve learning the art of making The Glenrothes and spending time working at each stage of the production process - this includes testing the purity of the water source, milling the malt, mashing, adding yeast to the washbacks and overseeing fermentation, distilling new make spirit in copper pot stills and making casks at the cooperage. The winners will also nose single malt from maturing casks and will stay in Rothes House, a private home belonging to the family that owns The Glenrothes. For further information and to enter, go to www.theglenrothes.com/vintagemaker.

Morrison Bowmore Distillers - Announce new Master Blender
The company which owns the three Scottish distilleries of Auchentoshan, Bowmore and Glen Garioch have announced the appointment of Rachel Barrie to the newly created position of Master Blender for their single malt whiskies. She will also head Morrison Bowmore Distillers' laboratory and Spirit Quality Control units.

Rachel Barrie is best known for her recent work in the positions of Product Development Manager and Master Blender at The Glenmorangie Company, where she was responsible for the creation of such award winning master pieces as the Glenmorangie Signet and Ardbeg Corryvreckan. She will report to Andrew Rankin, the Operation Director and Chief Blender for Morrison Bowmore Distillers. He comments, "We have a very strong blending team within the company and this appointment will massively strengthen and reinforce our commitment to producing the ultimate in quality single malt Scotch whiskies.”

Tweet of the week
@TheBenRiach -Update from the malt floor: we're starting to malt our own barley in March/April. Earlier than expected. Good times ;)

New releases - Highland Park 1971 & 1976 Orcadian Vintages

2012-01-12T18:45:00.000Z

Just prior to Christmas, Highland Park - the single malt from the Orkney islands - added two further limited edition Vintages to their esteemed range of premium whiskies. The first was distilled in 1971 and the second was distilled in 1976. The pair will be appearing in specialist whisky retailers shortly and join three other whiskies that are currently available in the Highland Park Orcadian Vintage range - the 1964, 1968 & 1970. All are bottled in the same bespoke black glass bottles, which feature an embossed amulet of the Highland Park logo and are presented in a wooden casket.

Highland Park is the most northern whisky distillery in Scotland. In fact, it is one of the most northern distilleries of any kind in the world, beating others in Canada and Russia. As mentioned, Highland Park is located on the Orkney islands, which lie just off the north coast of the Scottish mainland. It is found close to the capital of Kirkwall and is one of only two distilleries on the main island (Scapa being the other). Highland Park has one of the best selling and most highly awarded single malt whisky ranges in the world. It is currently owned by the Edrington Group and has an annual production capacity of 2.5 million litres.

Highland Park is one of the oldest whisky distilleries in Scotland and was established in 1798 by the legendary Magnus Eunson. He was known as the 'whisky priest' - he was a priest by day and an illegal whisky distiller by night! The story goes that he used to store the whisky in the crypt under Kirkwall cathedral so that it would be safe from the nosy Customs & Excise men!

Here, we will be sampling and reviewing the two new releases, along with the 1970 Vintage, which we were delighted to also get the opportunity to taste at a recent event. Let's kick off with that ...

Our tasting notes - 1970
Strength - 48% ABV/ Casks - mix of ex-bourbon & ex-sherry/ Bottles - 1,800/ Price - £2,300
The colour is a dark golden amber and the nose is rich, complex and enticing. There is so much going on here that it is difficult to pin down specific aromas. There are prominent aromas of butterscotch and dark dried fruits, plus some exotic fruits such as peach and apricot. The fruit jumps out, but other aromas include muscovado sugar, honey, vanilla and stewed apple, plus background tobacco smoke and baking spice. On the palate, this hits the spot - its warm, soft and very rich. A creamy coffee notes hits first, then comes a delicious barrage of the dried and stewed fruits from the nose. Then come notes of peach, oak spice and soft, delicate peat which add further depth. The finish is wonderfully sweet and long with a lovely balance of oak spice and distant earthy peat smoke. A magnificent whisky.

Our tasting notes - 1971
Strength - 46.9% ABV/ Casks - ex-sherry Spanish oak/ Bottles - 657/ Price - £2,300
The colour is a bright golden amber and the nose is fragrant but with a surprising delicacy. There are plenty of burnt brown sugar, toasted nuts, earthy peat smoke and waxy furniture polish aromas and these mix beautifully. Underneath are hints of baking spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, all-spice), some dried fruit (especially citrus peel) and a leafy, herbal note. On the palate, this is rich and powerful but velvety with a number of delicious, mouth watering notes combining expertly - crumbly brown sugar, drying and soft earthy peat, roasted/toasted nuts plus hints of dried tropical fruits, coffee beans, cocoa powder and baking spice. The leafy, herbal note is also there again and is reminiscent of dried tobacco. The initially sweet finish lingers for ages and becomes drier towards the end, with the smokiness outlasting everything.

Our tasting notes - 1976
Strength - 49.1% ABV/ Casks - ex-bourbon American oak/ Bottles - 893/ Price - £2,000
The colour is a golden honey yellow and the nose is vibrant, fresh and promising. There is prominent initial peat smoke and the earthy aromas fade to reveal some vanilla, honey, dried grass and sweet butterscotch and zesty lemon. The dried grass herbal notes carry on through to the palate. There is plenty going on and the smokiness is again prominent and earthy. Other notes include oatcakes, honey, vanilla, coconut and cocoa powder. It feels creamy with a slight minerality and switches from sweet to savoury very well. Some tangy lemon zest again adds even further depth. The finish is long and drying with the peat smoke fading after significant time.

What's the verdict?
These are an excellent selection of whiskies. We don't often get to sample such expensive single malts and the few sips that we had of these were a privilege. Which one is our favourite? That is difficult to answer - it would be like if we had three children and asking which of those are your favourites. You love them all but each for a different character and reason. The only problem is that the price puts them out of most people's reach, including ours. Commonly, people think that older whiskies are better - this is not always true but in this case, Highland Park have hit the mark and given us three exceptional whiskies.

New release - Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or 15 years old

2012-01-11T07:04:00.000Z

The famous Highland distillery of Glenmorangie has increased the age of its popular Nectar D'Or single malt whisky. The decision sees the whisky still matured in ex-bourbon American oak casks for 10 years before being moved to ex-Sauternes dessert wine barriques for five years - an addition of three years to the previous 12 years old release. The new version is non-chill filtered, bottled at 46% ABV and should retail in the £45-50 price band - it will be available in specialist whisky retailers and larger supermarkets.

Dr. Bill Lumsden of Glenmorangie is the whisky's creator, and he comments, “The result of extra-maturing for an additional three years has improved an already outstandingly voluptuous whisky; Nectar D’Òr 15 Years Old is characterised by rich flavours of luscious desserts and spicy oak tannins".

The name of Glenmorangie is one of the most famous in the world of whisky and their innovative single malts continue to add to hefty list of major awards. The distillery is located in the Highland town of Tain and is approximately 40 miles (65km) north of Inverness. The distillery was founded in 1843 by William Matheson and is now one of Scotland’s largest whisky distilleries with a recently increased annual production capacity of six million litres. The stills at Glenmorangie are also the tallest in Scotland at 5 metres (16.5 feet) high and makes the still house resemble a cathedral. They are all exact replicas of the original stills that were purchased from a gin distillery in London in 1843. The current owners of Glenmorangie are LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey), who took control in 2004.

Our tasting notes
The colour is a wonderful bright golden yellow and the nose is vibrant, fresh and sweet. There are some delicious initial aromas that hit the nostrils - vanilla, sweet golden syrup, lemon zest and fresh almonds. With time, further aromas start to reveal themselves and the combination with those initial ones is very good and makes you want to taste the whisky. The further aromas include sultanas, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, coconut and some crumbly brown sugar. On the palate, this grips the taste buds and holds on. It feels rich and has plenty of initial wood spice to balance, but never feels too heavy or syrupy. This spiciness manifests itself as notes of oak, cinnamon and nutmeg. There is fresh sweetness that is driven by notes of honey and vanilla, and these are counteracted by some fresh vibrant citrus characteristics - think of zesty lemon and tangy bittersweet grapefruit. The palate has continuing depth, warmth and complexity to it. The finish is again warming with plenty of zesty citrus and wood spice being complimented by sweet sultana and honey notes. It fades elegantly and becomes a little dry right at the end.

What's the verdict?
This is a high quality and indulgent whisky. It manages to combine softness and sweetness with spice and intensity of flavour very well. It is only natural to compare with the previous 12 years old version, which from memory was a little more delicate and floral. Glenmorangie are one of the leading pioneers in the field of 'finishing' and the use of un-orthodox casks. The nature of their continued innovation and the rarity of anything matured or part-matured in ex-Sauternes casks, in addition to the quality of Nectar D'Or, makes you wonder why more distilleries do not do the same.

For further information on the Glenmorangie distillery - click on the distillery profile page on our website. If you would like to compare this review of the new version with that of the previous 12 years old version of Nectar D'Or - click here.

New release - Jura Elixir

2012-01-10T07:14:00.000Z

Just before Christmas we reported on the release of a new single malt expression in to the popular island distillery of Jura's core range. Named Jura Elixir, the whisky received a 'soft' pre-Xmas release, seeing it bottled in the half-bottle 35cl size. The new whisky has been produced to be 'fruity and spicy' and is produced from a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry cask maturations. It takes its name from the fresh local water, which the islanders call the 'elixir of life' and was believed to have been blessed by St. Columba in 560AD. It is this water that is used to make whisky at the distillery. The Elixir 35cl costs £16.49 and is currently exclusive to Sainsbury's, the major UK supermarket chain. Plans for a full 70cl bottle are planned to follow.

The Jura distillery is located on the isle of Jura, which lies off the west coast of Scotland next to the famous whisky island of Islay. The distillery was founded in 1810 by Archibald Campbell and was originally called the Small Isles distillery - named after the numerous small islands located in Craighouse Bay, which the distillery overlooks. It was closed for a long period between 1901 and 1960, at which point it was rebuilt and re-named as Jura by Charles Mackinlay & Co. Production restarted in 1963.

The name of Jura translates as 'deer island' from the ancient Nordic language, and deer still outnumber people by a ratio of 20:1 on the island. To put that amount in to context, there are only 220 who live on the island according to the last UK Census in 2011. The distillery has an annual production capacity of two million litres and is currently owned by Whyte & Mackay, a subsidiary of Indian company United Spirits. The addition of Elixir to the core range is planned to cement Jura's position as one of the fastest growing single malt brands in the category.

Our tasting notes
The colour is golden amber and the nose is initially very sweet. There are huge obvious aromas of caramel, sultanas and toffee. It feels soft and sugary and with time, other aromas penetrate the intense sweetness. There is something buttery, malty cereal grains, warm cooked biscuits, a decent pinch of baking/wood spice (think of cinnamon, nutmeg and all-spice) and a hint of wet, earthy peat. On the palate, this feels a little thinner than expected given the richness and sweetness of the nose. The sweetness is still there in the form of the caramel/toffee but there is a slight edge to it, reminiscent of burnt brown sugar. The juicy dried fruits (imagine sultanas and raisins) temper this note, as does a pleasant spiced orange peel characteristic. Underneath are notes of oat biscuit, vanilla, wet earth, honey and another decent pinch of those woody baking spices. An increasing element of damp, slightly acrid peat smoke seems to rise from the wet earth note as the whisky sits on the palate for increasing time. The finish is again initially sweet with plenty of honey, caramel and dried fruit. These notes then give way to some drier notes, which give much needed balance. These notes include some bittersweet malty cereals, nutmeg and a hint of dried grass.

What's the verdict?
This is an interesting whisky ... but you will need to enjoy an unrestrained level of sweetness to fully appreciate it. To this end, it would be a perfect choice for a whisky beginner who has a sweet tooth. The sweetness is tempered by a refreshing lightness (normally extrovert sweetness brings heaviness and richness) and the background smokiness. The combination works quite well. A good, solid offering and maybe worth a try for £16.49.

Have just tried - Glenfarclas 17 years old

2012-01-09T18:51:00.000Z

Glenfarclas distillery is located in the Speyside region of Scotland, close to the small town of Ballindalloch. It is owned by J&G Grant and is the second oldest family owned distillery in Scotland. Glenfarclas translates as ‘the valley of green grass’ from Gaelic. The distillery has an annual production capacity of three million litres and boasts the largest stills in Speyside. They are reknowned for their use of quality ex-sherry European oak casks for maturation and release a comprehensive core range of single malt whiskies.

George Hay founded a distillery on the current Glenfarclas site in 1836, although records show that an illegal farm distillery had been operating there since 1797. He named the distillery Rechlerich (pronounced reck-leh-rick). In 1865, it was sold to neighbour John Grant and here started the second longest continuous line of family ownership in Scottish whisky history. Only the Mitchell family, who own Springbank in Campbeltown, have owned the same distillery for longer. In 1896, the distillery was completely rebuilt by John’s son, George, and with that came increased production and success, plus the name change to Glenfarclas. The distillery continues to be owned by the sixth generation of the Grant family to this day.

This 17 years old release is slightly more limited than its siblings in the core Glenfarclas range. It is bottled at a strength of 43% ABV and should retail for between £65-70 a bottle.

Our tasting notes
The colour is a golden amber and the nose has a number of lovely scents vying for your attention - imagine golden syrup, dark dried fruits (especially sultanas), candied orange peel and a pinch of baking spice, reminiscent of cinnamon and nutmeg. With time, some further more subtle notes appear and combine well with the initial aromas. These include some dried apple, brown sugar and a hint of fresh peach. On the palate, this whisky is warming, velvety and soft with plenty of initial flavours coming through. There is plenty of freshness, which can be lacking in whiskies with a heavy ex-sherry cask influence. Initially there is a pleasant cereal note that mixes with sweet honey, some heavily spiced orange and sultanas. These continue throughout and are joined by further notes which add depth and complexity - soft brown sugar, cinnamon bark, dried pear and apple, some drying oak and just the merest hint of distant earthy peat. The finish is just as rich. It begins sweetly, with plenty of honey and dried fruit, before turning drier and spicier. The malty cereals and wood spices are particularly prominent here, as is the zesty spiced orange.

What's the verdict?
This is a lovely expression of Glenfarclas and one which is not quite as rich, sweet and heavy as some of the others in the core range. It manages to combine a good level of sweetness and fruitiness with a balance of wood spices and dryness. The element of prominent zesty orange is very pleasant and this, along with the hint of peat, gives a wonderful depth of character. This is one of our favourite Glenfarclas single malts to date and a great addition to an already excellent range of whiskies.

Inbox - January 6, 2012

2012-01-06T07:11:00.000Z

Inbox returns following a brief festive break with the first edition of 2012. Both of us would firstly like to wish everyone a slightly belated Happy New Year. For those of you who may have discovered us recently ... welcome to Whisky For Everyone.

Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information.

The Christmas and New Year period is traditionally a quiet time in terms of marketing and PR. However, things will soon start to warm up again. A few articles of interest have landed in the last couple of weeks, so here goes ...

Balblair - Oldest Vintage get a revamp
The Balblair distillery in the north Highlands have revealed stylish new packaging for their prestigious Vintage - the 1965. This is the oldest Vintage in their current range and has been re-launched in a deluxe gift box made from black satin wood and lined with cream leather. It also features a draw which contains a certificate of authenticity signed by Distillery Manager John MacDonald and a booklet containing tasting notes. The whisky has been taken from a single ex-bourbon cask and this has yielded just 350 bottles. It has an strength of 52.3% ABV and is available now from high-end specialist retailers at a cost of £1,200 each.

Benriach - New Solstice released
The award winning independent Speyside distillery of Benriach have bottled a second version of their popular Solstice single malt. It was released on 21 December - the day of the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The first bottling was released on the same day in 2010 and was highly regarded with Jim Murray describing it in the latest version of his Whisky Bible as 'spellbinding'. This release, like the first edition, is heavily peated and has been matured in ex-bourbon casks, before finishing in ex-tawny Port casks. It is older at 17 years of age and has a strength of 50% ABV. Sales Director for Benriach, Alistair Walker said: “Our new malt is a superb marriage of peat and fruit, a worthy successor to our 15 year old Solstice ... and just as spellbinding".

Benriach - 10,000 casks and counting
More news from Benriach, this time in the form of a milestone. Just before Christmas, the independently owned distillery filled its 10,000th cask with new make spirit since the new ownership re-started Benriach in 2004. The cask in question was a second fill ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon, which holds approximately 500 litres. Benriach's Distillery Manager and friend of Whisky For Everyone, Stuart Buchanan (pictured in the slightly fuzzy photo to the left) commented, "There is no doubt in terms of blood, sweat and tears, this has been the busiest year we have had at the distillery since it became independent. As we entered December, we had a wee suspicion that we might hit the magic 10,000 cask number and we eventually filled cask it on Wednesday December 14th.”

Glenmorangie - Artein hits the market
The famous Highland distillery has announced the third release in its Private Editions range. Named Artein, which is the Gaelic word for stone, the new single malt joins the popular Sonnalta and Finealta in the range. The name refers to the influence the local limestone has on the water used in Glenmorangie's whisky production. Glenmorangie Artein is crafted from American white oak ex-bourbon casks of 15 year old and 21 year old whiskies (in the ratio of 2:1), which were hand selected by Head of Distilling & Whisky Creation Dr. Bill Lumsden. These subsequently underwent an extra maturation period in Super Tuscan Sassacaia wine casks. Artein has been bottled at 46% ABV and will retail at £70 a bottle.

Mackmyra - Open new distillery
Just before Christmas, the Swedish distillery in the town of Gävle has opened its new distillery. The move was driven by the ever growing popularity of Mackmyra's single malt whiskies, which continues to win plaudits around the world. The facility, known as the Mackmyra Whisky Village, was designed by architect Thomas Eriksson and features a set of underground maturation warehouses. It also features an innovative system that uses gravity to aid whisky production, with the milling and mashing processes starting things off at the top of its 37 storey high building. The MWV has an annual capacity of 1.2 million litres, which quadruples the output of the original distillery built in 1999. Full production and visitor tours will commence in the Spring. In the meantime, check out the short video below which shows the opening event on 17 December 2011. You will have to brush up on your Swedish though ...

Tullamore Dew - UK release for Special Reserve
The popular Irish whiskey brand has released its award winning 12 year old Special Reserve expression on to the UK market. New owners William Grant & Sons have seen this expression sell exceptionally well in the USA. It is a unique blend of three different types of triple distilled Irish whiskey - Irish pot still, malt and grain - all of which have been aged between 12 and 15 years. The whiskey has been matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks to create a blend of great depth and complexity. The whiskey is available now in good supermarkets and specialist retailers with prices starting at around £30.

Our Top 10 whiskies of 2011 - Numbers 1 to 5

2012-01-05T18:59:00.000Z

Welcome to our Top 10 whiskies of 2011. Some people like Top 10s, some don't. They are always subjective and therefore contentious as a result - everyone has differing opinions at the end of the day. We have tried to select our Top 10 on a ratio of quality, value for money and availability to the public. To this end, there are not really any single cask or independent bottlings included, despite some excellent ones being sampled throughout the year. However, some are limited edition bottlings that are still available to purchase.

We have split our choices in to two parts. In this second part we cover our Top 5, including our 'Whisky of the Year', plus a short list of some excellent whiskies that didn't quite make the final cut for one reason or another. The first part covering numbers six to ten was published yesterday - to read this click here. Please feel free to leave any comments about our selections at the bottom of either post.

So without further delay, let's get down to business and announce our 'Whisky of the Year' and the Top 5. Drum roll please ...

Whisky For Everyone's Whisky of the Year 2011

Great King Street

When boutique whisky blending company Compass Box released this blend back in the Summer, they cannot have imagined what a stir it would cause. Nicknamed 'The Artist's Blend', it has received a plethora of rave reviews and laughs in the face of those that think that blends are an inferior product to single malts.

Great King Street (named after the street where the company's Edinburgh HQ is located) re-affirms the high standards of excellence that Compass Box have set themselves in the last decade and will surely go on to win a heap of awards around the world.

Not only is it our favourite whisky of the year in terms of quality, flavour and character but it is also highly affordable at just £25 a bottle. It ticks every box for us and is a fantastic product.
Reviewed on 9/8/11 - click here for original notes.

2 - Auchentoshan Valinch
This whisky was also released back in the Summer and the Lowland distillery came up trumps. To release Auchentoshan's soft triple distilled spirit with a powerful alcohol strength of 57.7% ABV could have been a tricky marriage, but it worked a treat. Sympathetic casking and the skill of the Master Blender are evident here. It can take plenty of water also, and holds up very well. The Valinch is planned to become a regular annual feature for Auchentoshan and if each batch is this good, then we can't wait for this year's version. Another bargain at around £40-45 a bottle.
Reviewed on 25/7/11 - click here for original notes.

3 - Benriach Solstice 15 years old
The first 'wow' moment of 2011 was provided by this whisky from one of our favourite Speyside distilleries. Standing at the Whisky Live show in London the Solstice announced itself with a splendid mix of intensity, smoke, fruit, wood spice and warm biscuit notes. It is unusual for a Speyside single malt in that it is heavily peated and has been part matured in ex-Port casks. The combination works superbly and makes you think that more distilleries should try it. A new 17 year old version has just been released in a similar vein, so we cannot wait to try that and hope it is as good as this beauty.
Reviewed on 9/3/11 - click here for original notes.

4 - Greenore 18 years old
Hailing from the Irish distillery of Cooley, this is the first single grain whiskey to appear on one of our Top 10 lists. To put it simply - this is the best single grain whiskey that we have tried to date and the only one to which we have returned on numerous occasions. If you have never tried a single grain whiskey before, then this Greenore would be a good introduction to the genre. It offers wonderful bittersweet cereals, creamy vanilla and coconut, spiced orange and plenty of wood spice characteristics. All are perfectly balanced and the result is delicious and rich.
Reviewed on 6/2/11 - click here for original notes.

5 - Shackleton Highland Malt
Another blend in the Top 5 - what is going on? This is a whisky with a difference - it has a unique story (synopsis - someone finds old bottle under Antarctic ice after 100 years, someone else brings bottle back to Scotland and recreates replica as near to the original as possible), but also a unique flavour profile. The original was from an era where single malts did not exist as a product and this was produced in the old Highland style with some richness and smokiness. The back story is great but for us the most important thing is that the whisky in the bottle stands up on its own.
Reviewed on 26/4/11 - click here for original notes.

As mentioned, the selections for numbers 6-10 in our Top 10 were revealed in the first part- click here to read if you missed it.

We found it tricky to select our Top 10, as we have sampled so many good new whiskies throughout the year. Naturally, some excellent products did not make the cut for one reason or another. Below is a list of some others that we felt deserved a mention. We have also attached the links to the original reviews, if you wish to take a look at them.

Balvenie Tun 1401 (Batch No.2) - Reviewed on 28/9/11
Bowmore 1982 Vintage - Reviewed on 14/6/11
Brora 32 years old - Reviewed on 24/10/11
Jura 1976 Feith A' Chaorainn - Reviewed on 22/11/11
Kilbeggan 18 years old - Reviewed on 27/4/11
Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy - Reviewed on 28/9/11
Port Ellen 32 years old - Reviewed on 24/10/11

Our Top 10 whiskies of 2011 - Numbers 6 to 10

2012-01-04T07:03:00.000Z

The last year has been a bumper one for new whisky releases. As the category continues to grow in both sales and consumption across the globe, many companies are developing and releasing more and more products to meet or drive consumer demand. This has led to even greater diversity within the world of whisky. It is impossible to sample every single new release, but we have been extremely lucky to try some of them through our serious hobby that is this blog.

As always happens at this time of year, it is natural to review and reflect on what has happened during the previous year. We have written nearly 100 whisky reviews with tasting notes in the last year, many of which are of the newest releases. 2011 saw our readership for both the website and blog increase dramatically, as did our number of followers on Twitter. It was also the year that Whisky For Everyone featured in the UK national press for the first time, firstly contributing to The Sun's Father's Day pullout and most recently in an article on The Guardian's award winning Word of Mouth food and drink blog.

After much deliberation, we have selected our Top 10 whiskies of 2011. Some people like Top 10s, some don't. They are always subjective and therefore contentious as a result - everyone has differing opinions at the end of the day. We have tried to select our Top 10 on a ratio of quality, value for money and availability to the public. To this end, there are not really any single cask or independent bottlings included, despite some excellent ones being sampled throughout the year. However, some are limited edition bottlings that are still available to purchase.

We have decided to split our choices in to two parts. The Top 5 will appear shortly, along with a short list of some excellent whiskies that didn't quite make the final cut for one reason or another. Please feel free to leave any comments about our selections at the bottom of the post.

6 - Chichibu 'The First'
This highly anticipated first ever official single malt from Japan's newest distillery had plenty of hype to live up to. As, it turns out, it did not disappoint. 'The First' is a marvellous opening shot from Chichibu and has won many friends across the whisky world already. OK - it is youthful but it had us and the people we shared it with saying, "how can this be only three years old?" It shows such development, balance and complexity of aroma and flavour, that it makes you wonder how good some of the next and older releases from Chichibu are going to be.
Reviewed on 1/11/11 - click here for original notes.

7 - Rosebank 21 years old
Every Autumn the drinks giant Diageo treat the world to a new set of whiskies as part of their Special Releases programme. This year's highlight was this gem from the closed Rosebank distillery. It is a subtle whisky which is full of depth and delicate complexity - a balance that is hard to achieve. A gorgeous zesty lemon note on the palate was a particularly memorable highlight. When you consider that remaining stocks of Rosebank single malt are dwindling to a critical level and that it is highly desirable to collectors, then this represents a good bargain too.
Reviewed on 24/10/11 - click here for original notes.

8 - Balvenie Signature 12 years old (Batch No.4)
The fourth batch of the popular Signature was released to much fanfare in early Summer. Balvenie has always been a Whisky For Everyone favourite since it got us hooked on whisky, and this release kept up their usual high quality. It is rich, reassuring and very easy to drink, combining lovely sweet elements with drier and spicier ones. The balance is fantastic. This is also the most readily available of all the whiskies in our Top 10 - this combined with the great richness and balance make it a good choice as an introduction to whisky for a beginner.
Reviewed on 9/6/11 - click here for original notes.

9 - Balblair 2001 Vintage
This single malt had the tricky job of replacing the popular 2000 Vintage, which made our Top 10 for 2010 amongst many other plaudits. The 2001 is a landmark whisky for the distillery and its owners - the packaging had a revamp, it was released at a higher strength (46% ABV) with no added colouring and as non-chill filtered. The result was a wonderfully delicate, subtle and sympathetic single malt that is full of green orchard fruit and honey notes. It is a great example of a whisky in the lighter and fresher style and one that leaves you wanting another sip.
Reviewed on 9/11/11 - click here for original notes.

10 - Bowmore Tempest 10 years old (Batch No.3)
Batch No.3 of the Tempest series was released in early Autumn and immediately it had plenty to live up to. We (and many others) were huge fans of the first two batches and we presented Batch No.1 with our Whisky of the Year for 2010. This is a different and feistier whisky to the other two. It is refreshing, bracing and packs a smoky punch that combines with more delicate lemon zest, honey and vanilla notes. Adding water makes it creamier and softer but we preferred the intensity of it in the neat form. A lovely example of a single malt in the smoky, peaty style.
Reviewed on 30/11/11 - click here for original notes.

New releases > Aberlour 1993 'Dimensions' from Duncan Taylor

2011-12-29T19:37:00.000Z

Earlier this month the award winning independent bottler Duncan Taylor announced the launch of The Dimensions Collection. This is a range of single malt and single grain Scotch whiskies that showcase some of the best casks in their stock. The collection demonstrates the multi dimensional levels of character and flavour available from individual distilleries and casks. The Dimensions Collection consists of two versions of bottling - single cask, cask strength releases and exclusively numbered small batches at 46% ABV. The initial bottlings, listed below, are now available in specialist whisky retailers.

The Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Ltd. were set up in Glasgow in 1938 with the plan to bottle and blend whisky for export to America following the Prohibition period there. Originally based in Glasgow, they are now based in the town of Huntly close to the Speyside whisky region of Scotland. Duncan Taylor are reported to have one of the largest privately held collections of rare whisky casks in the world and bottle approximately 200 different whiskies a year. Their range is extensive and has numerous branches to it, of which The Dimensions Collection is the latest facet.

We were recently delighted to receive a small sample of the Aberlour 1993, which forms part of the initial release. This also includes a Bunnhabhain 1988, Cameronbridge 1978, Clynelish 1995, Glenlivet 1981, Glen Moray 1988, Glenrothes 1992, Macduff 1997, Mortlach 1989 and Royal Brackla 1997. For further information on The Dimensions Collection and the full range of Duncan Taylor whiskies, visit www.duncantaylor.com.

Aberlour 1993 > Our tasting notes
This whisky is bottled at 18 years of age and a strength of 54.3% ABV. It has been matured in an ex-bourbon cask (cask no. 7371 to be exact) following its distillation at the Speyside distillery of Aberlour in 1993. There are just 277 bottles and it is retailing around the £65-70 mark.

The colour is a pale golden yellow and the nose is fresh, vibrant and full of the classic bourbon cask characteristics - vanilla, oak, honey and coconut. There are also numerous other aromas that come through with time to create a delicious and very promising scent - toffee, stewed pears and apples, lemon zest, bittersweet cereals and hints of peach and custard powder. On the palate, the vibrancy of the nose continues. An initial mouth watering hit of vanilla, wood spice (think of nutmeg and cinnamon) and lemon zest, is closely followed by notes of honey, creamy toffee and the cereals and stewed fruits from the nose. A late fruity note of peaches and dried mango add to the incredible depth and complexity. The finish is decently long, with the initial honey and cereal sweetness turning more oaky and spicy towards the end. The cinnamon and nutmeg from earlier are particularly prominent and create a good balance and dryness.

What's the verdict?
Duncan Taylor are multi award winning and have a great reputation within the whisky industry and with whisky drinkers. It is easy to see why when you sample this delightful single malt. It combines freshness and vibrancy with depth and compexity of flavour and aroma. The addition of a few drops of water makes the palate more creamy with the vanilla and honey aromas and notes increasing, while the wood spices and zest are reduced.

This is a lovely and delicate expression of Aberlour, which normally undergoes ex-sherry cask maturation in the distillery releases and are therefore much richer and sweeter. If only all single cask whiskies or independent bottlings were of this exceptional quality ...

New releases > Dalmore 1995 Vintage

2011-12-28T19:03:00.000Z

The north Highland distillery of Dalmore have launched a new single malt whisky in the UK. The whisky has been specially selected by Dalmore's Distillery Manager Ian Mackay and will be sold exclusively through The Whisky Shop - the UK's largest specialist whisky retail chain. The Dalmore 1995 Vintage has been matured in combination of ex-Matusalem sherry casks and ex-bourbon American oak casks and is limited to just 1,800 bottles. It is bottled at 40% ABV and can be purchased at any of the chain's 18 stores or via www.whiskyshop.com, costing £84.99 a bottle.

Speaking about the release, Ian Mackay comments, "I was delighted to be able to choose a whisky that would represent my favourite style of single malt for The Whisky Shop. I’ve selected a whisky that has been matured in two of my favourite casks, and I just hope everyone else enjoys it as much as I do!".

Andrew Torrance, the Managing Director of The Whisky Shop chain adds, "Ian has over 30 years experience working in the whisky industry, and his choice of casks for us certainly didn’t disappoint. The brand of Dalmore has gone from strength to strength over the last few years both in liquid supremacy and packaging excellence, so having our own exclusive chosen by the Distillery Manager will be a real asset".

The Dalmore distillery is located in the northern Highland town of Alness in Scotland and overlooks the imposing Cromarty Firth. It was founded in 1839 by Alexander Matheson and has had an interesting history, including being used in the First World War by the Royal Navy to manufacture explosives! The current capacity of the distillery is four million litres per year. Dalmore is currently owned by the famous whisky name of Whyte & Mackay, which is now a subsidiary of the Indian company United Spirits - they own the famous Whyte & Mackay blended whisky brand, plus the distilleries of Fettercairn, Jura and Tamnavulin. United Spirits took over in 2007 and have since re-branded most of their whisky ranges and packaging.

Our tasting notes
The colour is golden amber and the nose is rich and expressive. There are plenty of initial aromas of caramel/toffee, brown sugar and dark dried fruits (think of raisins, prunes and figs especially). With time in the glass, further aromas join in - spiced orange, cinnamon, coconut and hints of creamy milk chocolate and a whiff of burnt matchstick (this element in particular seems to increase with water). On the palate this whisky is soft, gentle and warming with a slightly oily mouth feel. A distinct note of tangy spiced orange kicks things off, followed by the caramel, honey, further wood spices (cinnamon and nutmeg especially), vanilla and dried fruits. Something darker begins to appear underneath, with notes of milk chocolate and espresso coming through. More drying woody spices are present in the background, which increase with time and balance the sweetness.The finish is lengthy, rich and warming. There is again plenty of caramel/toffee-like sweetness tempered by drier wood spice and a lovely hit of that tangy orange zest. Delicious.

What's the verdict?
This is a good whisky and one that is a slight departure from the regular Dalmore range, which exhibit heavy ex-sherry cask maturation characteristics. This is a little lighter and shows good elegance, depth and complexity of aromas and flavour. It will appeal to those who like popular single malt whiskies such as the Balvenie Doublewood or Macallan Fine Oak range, both of which mix ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks in a similar way. Reports are that this new release has sold heavily up to Xmas. If you wish to buy one, then don't hang around as it may not be around for much longer.

New releases > Ballantine's Christmas Reserve 2011

2011-12-21T19:01:00.000Z

This is a new limited edition to the range of Ballantine's, the popular blended Scotch whisky. The Ballantine's Christmas Reserve has been created by Ballantine's Master Blender Sandy Hyslop and has been designed to have a 'seasonal and festive profile'. It can be purchased up to and over the Christmas period in limited quantities and in limited markets including France, Spain, Taiwan and the UK. The bottling appears with an alcohol strength of 40% ABV and should cost around £30.

Ballantine's is a famous whisky brand that boasts a multi award winning range of blended whiskies. The core range consists of the best selling Finest, plus 12, 17, 21 and 30 years old versions. The range is amongst the best selling whiskies in the world and is currently in second place for total volume sales, behind only Johnnie Walker, selling 70 million bottles a year. Ballantine's whisky was first produced in 1869 by a Edinburgh grocer named George Ballantine. He had expanded his grocery business in to the area of wines and spirits, before deciding to start blending his own whiskies. In 2005, the Ballantine's brand became part of the large multi-national drinks company Pernod Ricard, who remain the current owners.

Our tasting notes
The colour is a deep golden amber and the nose is sumptuous and packed with Christmas-like aromas - soft dried fruits (raisins, sultanas and dates), candied orange peel, crumbly brown sugar, caramel, toasted almonds and plenty of warming festive spices (cinnamon bark, nutmeg and star anise especially). In addition to these, there are lovely aromas of fresh red apple, baked pear and a hint of milk chocolate. The scent is delicious and is like smelling Christmas cake in a glass. This feeling carries on when you taste the whisky - it is soft, velvety, lovely and makes you think of Christmas with every sniff. There is initial creamy vanilla and a blob of honey, before the notes from the nose come to the party. Especially prominent are caramel, deep sweet spiced oranges, toasted caramelised almonds, soft dried fruits (think of mincemeat in mince pies) and baked apples and pears. The soft spices build with time and are reminiscent of those used when mulling wine or cider - cinnamon stick, nutmeg, star anise, cloves and a pinch of powdered ginger. The finish is long and begins with the dried and baked fruit notes, before becoming drier, woodier and spicier towards the end.

What's the verdict?
This whisky is delicious and very easy to drink. It would offer a great introduction to whisky for someone who hadn't tried it before or thought they didn't like the stuff. It offers richness, compexity, depth of flavour and aroma and, most importantly, great value for money. If this special blend were released at any other time of the year, then it would still be lovely. However, the fact that it is being released at Christmas and the flavour profile matches perfectly with what is expected for this festive time makes it even better. Our advice is to sit down with your friends or family over the coming holiday period and enjoy this wonderful dram. We certainly will be!

To support the the 2011 launch, Ballantine’s Brand Ambassador Fredrik Olsson has created a series of seasonal cocktails using the Christmas Reserve - the Golden Saffron Martini, the Spiced Hot Chocolate and Hot Christmas Punch - we had a go at making the Spiced Hot Chocolate (see our attempt, left) which was made by combining the Christmas Reserve with hot milk, drinking chocolate, marshmallows and a spoonful of chocolate sauce ... it was delicious.

Check out the video clip below, in which Sandy Hyslop explains the ideas behind the Christmas Reserve and how he selected the whiskies to be included in the blend. Enjoy.

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Inbox > December 16, 2011

2011-12-16T07:31:00.000Z

Welcome to Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we will write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information if you want to.

PLEASE NOTE > Inbox will return on Friday 6 January 2012, following a short festive hibernation. We would like to wish all regular readers of Inbox a Merry Christmas and hope that the New Year is good to you. Karen & Matt

Glenrothes > Editor's Casks released

The award winning Speyside distillery at Glenrothes have announced the release of two special single casks. Named The Editor's Casks, these whiskies were selected by four whisky and spirits editors from around the world - Martine Nouet, Christian H. Rosenberg, Noah Rothbaum & Ho-Cheng Yao - under the watchful eye of Gordon Motion, the Malt Master at the Glenrothes distillery.

The two casks are Cask #3828 (distilled in 1979, matured in a re-fill ex-sherry butt & bottled at 52.1% ABV) and Cask #9973 (distilled in 1996, matured in a Spanish oak hogshead cask & bottled at 57% ABV). Editor's Cask #3828 has yielded just 300 bottles, which will be available in Europe only and will retail for £600/€700. Editor's Cask #9973 has just 264 bottles, which will be available only in Taiwan and the USA and will retail for NT$7,000/$375. For further information, visit www.theglenrothes.com.

Highland Park > Two new Vintages

The Orcadian single malt has added two further limited edition Vintages to their esteemed range of premium whiskies. The first of these Highland Park Vintages was distilled in 1971 and matured in Spanish oak ex-sherry casks to give rich, dark fruity notes. The second was distilled in 1976 and matured in American oak ex-bourbon casks to give light vanilla and aromatic fruit notes. The pair will be available from specialist whisky retailers shortly.

The pair join the three other Vintages that are currently available in the Highland Park Vintage range - the 1964, 1968 & 1970 - and are bottled in the same bespoke black glass bottles, which feature an embossed amulet of their logo and are presented in a wooden casket. The 1971 Vintage is bottled at 46.9% ABV and will be priced around £2,300. It is limited to just 657 bottles. The 1976 Vintage is bottled at 49.1% ABV and will be priced around £2,000. It is limited to just 893 bottles.

Isle of Mull > Christmas cocktails

Our new found friends at the Isle of Mull whisky company have created a special festive cocktail that uses their blended whisky. The Isle of Mull blend was founded in August 2010 by childhood friends Neil Morrison and Calum Maclean. For more details and info about the whisky, visit www.isleofmullwhisky.com. The ingredients and instructions for the cocktail are below - why not give it a go?

Ingredients - 25ml Isle of Mull Whisky, 25ml Chambord raspberry liqueur, 12.5ml Frangelico hazelnut liqueur, 100ml milk, fresh raspberries, chocolate powder, ice. Tools - Boston shaker and glass, highball glass. Method - Mix Isle of Mull Whisky, Frangelico and milk together and pour into an ice-filled highball glass. Pour the Chambord on top of the floating ice and dust with chocolate powder. To garnish, add two fresh raspberries. Then enjoy!

Have just tried > Glayva

2011-12-14T19:02:00.000Z

Glayva is a popular whisky based liqueur. The recipe for the liqueur was first created by the Edinburgh based whisky merchant Ronald Morrison in 1947. The exact details of the recipe remain a closely guarded secret but it is a combination of single malt whisky, tangerines, honey, cinnamon and exotic spices. The name is derived from the Gaelic phrase 'Glè Mhath', which translates as 'very good'. The brand is currently owned by whisky giant Whyte & Mackay and is a multi award winner.

Glayva is widely available and can be found in most supermarkets, liqueur stores and specialist whisky retailers. It is bottled at 35% ABV and in 35cl and 70cl bottles, selling for £10-12 and £18-20 respectively. For the coming festive period, the brand has teamed up with The Whisky Shop - the UK's largest whisky retail chain - to produce a special limited edition label. The Glayva 'You're the Best' range (pictured, above) is exclusive to the chain and only 150 bottles have been produced. These carry one of three messages - 'You're the Best in the World', 'Best Mum' or 'Best Dad'. This special bottling can be purchased for £19.99 at any of The Whisky Shop's 18 stores around the UK or via www.whiskyshop.com.

Our tasting notes
The colour is a dark orange amber and the nose is sweet and spicy. There are initial aromas of honey, orange zest, peppermint and plenty of spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon and star anise. After a short time in the glass these aromas are joined by those of moist ginger cake, golden syrup, cloves and some earthy ginseng. On the palate, this is rich, thick and syrupy. It coats the inside of your mouth with a mix of over-the-top sweetness and gripping, earthy spice which adds balance. The sweetness is driven by the honey from the nose, plus some toffee and marshmallow, and these are contrasted by plenty of zesty bitter orange peel notes. The depth and complexity of the variety of spices and herbal notes is what adds the real interest here though. There is much going on - cinnamon, liquorice, nutmeg, cloves (this provides a hint of antiseptic feeling), mint, ginger and cardamon. It has to be said that not much whisky can be detected with so many other powerful notes involved. The finish is long, with the spices and bitter orange pleasantly hanging around.

What's the verdict?
Glayva is very pleasant but it is fair to say that it's a little tricky to handle when taken neat. However, this is true for most whisky based liqueurs and they are not really designed to be drunk in this way. The first, and most obvious, thing to try was to add some ice - this chills the liqueur perfectly and it feels velvety in the mouth with a delicious combination of the zesty orange and earthy spice notes that was particularly pleasing.

In addition, we experimented with a number of different mixers and found that some work very well. Our particular favourite was when mixed with tonic water - the addition of a couple of ice cubes produced a perfect aperitif style drink and one that would be great on a hot Summer's afternoon. Other combinations that worked well and complimented the Glayva were when it was mixed with either ginger beer (this was especially good at enhancing the spices) or cranberry juice (this one sounded odd to us, but it was on the Glayva website so we thought we would try it ... and it works). A warm alternative is to use it to make a hot toddy by adding boiling water, honey and a slice of lemon - we made this one up and it tasted good and festive!

Have just tried > Glenfiddich 15 years old

2011-12-12T20:11:00.000Z

The Glenfiddich 15 years old forms part of the core single malt range of the iconic Glenfiddich distillery. It is different to other expressions in this range as it has a higher ex-sherry cask percentage. The single malts destined for this release are initially matured in a combination of ex-sherry, ex-bourbon and new oak casks, before undergoing a unique process for the Scotch whisky industry. It is then put in to a solera vat - a large wooden tun or vessel normally used in the Spanish sherry industry. The solera vat marries the whiskies together and it is then taken, cut with water and bottled at 40% ABV. The Glenfiddich 15 years old can be found in most supermarkets, liquor stores and specialist whisky retailers and should cost between £35-40.

Glenfiddich is the most famous whisky distillery and single malt brand in the world. It sells the most Scotch single malt of anyone, and by a mile. The distillery is located on the outskirts of the town of Dufftown in the Speyside region of Scotland. The name is taken from the Glen Fiddich, the valley in which it lies and translates as 'valley of the deer' from Gaelic. The distillery is massive and has a capacity of 10 million litres per year, making it Scotland's largest distillery.

Glenfiddich is almost unique as it is still a family owned business. The distillery is owned by the same family that established it - William Grant began construction of Glenfiddich distillery in 1886 and William Grant & Sons was formed in 1903. Today, they own the neighbouring Balvenie and Kininvie single malt distilleries, as well as the Girvan grain distillery and new Ailsa Bay single malt distillery in Ayrshire.For further information on the Glenfiddich distillery and its history, then visit the distillery profile page on our website whiskyforeveryone.com.

Normally, we now write our tasting notes and thoughts on the featured whisky but have decided to do something different with this one. Last week, we took part in a tasting of the Glenfiddich range on Twitter which was organised by Steve Rush of The Whisky Wire blog. Steve had collected together a number of whisky fans and bloggers, plus the major coup of Glenfiddich's UK Brand Ambassador Jamie Milne. To see the chain of tweets for the tasting, go to Twitter and type #FiddichTT in to the 'search' box. Below are some of our fellow participants tweets from the tasting of this Glenfiddich 15 years old.

On the nose

@S_Rob - orange preserve, coffee and choc up front. A little mint, liquorice and mentholated notes
@distiller - apples and cinnamon...dutch apple pie...ginger spice...again vanilla fudge... slight dessicated coconut
@FrazerJ - marmalade tones, reminds me of breakfast at Grans. :-)
@jonmbryant - Boom! Raisins, thick sherry, blackcurrant lozenges
@mnshanbhag - nose oranges, cherries, honey
@TheWhiskyWire - Wedge of spiced apple strudle and a Christmas cake that’s had its sumptuous fruits soaking in a orange liqueur
@DurhamFanDan - Cherry pie filling, blackcurrant lockets, spice (cinnamon)
@whisky4everyone - malty cereals, dried pear & apple, raisins, sultanas, hints of fig & treacle, candied orange zest

On the palate
@mnshanbhag - palate ginger, mint, raisins, sherry
@S_Rob - minty freshness a good description ? but not in a toothpaste way !! Spiced orange preserve with cloves & ginger at the fore. Eucalyptus & star anise/fennel. Baked apple & coffee in the background
@chocophilenyc - Still the ginger and cloven spice/dark suger
@TheWhiskyWire -Spiced toffee apples, sherry soaked dried fruits, clove studied clementine’s and an implosion of honey & wood spice
@distiller - my wife says it smells like xmas pudding...soaked raisins...now almonds and marzipan...@GlenfiddichJM - My wife (bless her) thinks it smells like whisky. She just knows she likes it
@TIA568B - really getting the vanilla from that American new oak, a bit of butterscotch and some xmas pudding
@DurhanFanDan - Palate is very complex. Lots of sweet honeyed (or golden syruped) fruit. Finding blackcurrents, but not the "locket" element. Baked apples, marzipan, aniseed, Cointreau!!!
@whisky4everyone - v soft, velvety, almonds, brown crumbly sugar, over ripe pears, raisin, fig, slight earthy note, nutmeg

On the finish

@S_Rob - A long finish for me, mellow and rounded with the spice/aniseed alongside a gentle dryness
@DurhamFanDan - Goes fruity at first and then gets very dry, lots of spice at the end
@TIA568B - Great fruity finish with the 15 YO
@whisky4everyone - deliciously sweet and sumptuous finish, lots of dried fruit then drying oak spice

What's our verdict?
This is a lovely dram and our favourite of the core range tasted. All are decent drams but this 15 years old has an extra depth and complexity. It is a high quality whisky, especially considering the price. Some people turn their noses up at Glenfiddich "because it's popular", but it must be remembered that most popular brands have strived to get where they are in the market (and to consistently remain there) and are in that position for a reason. The reason is that the quality of product is very good and appeals to a wide audience - this is true in any facet of business or life. This is a whisky that has to be tried and one that will not break the bank.

Inbox > December 9, 2011

2011-12-09T06:57:00.000Z

Welcome to Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we will write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information if you want to. Here are this week's nuggets of news ...

Amrut > New Portonova released

The innovative Indian distillery of Amrut have announced the release of their latest limited edition single malt whisky. The Amrut Portonova was first matured in new American oak and ex-Bourbon barrels and then transferred to Port casks from one of the most famous (although un-named) Port houses in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal for a further one year maturation period. It was then back to ex-Bourbon barrels for finishing, Each stage of the maturation took place at the distillery warehouses in Bangalore. The Portonova has been bottled at a natural cask strength of 61.2% ABV and this limited edition consists of just 1250 bottles worldwide. These have been split roughly in to thirds and will be sold in specialist retailers in the European, UK and USA markets for around €85, £75 or $115 respectively.

Duncan Taylor > Enters new Dimensions

The award winning independent bottler Duncan Taylor have announced the launch of The Dimensions Collection - an range of single malt and single grain Scotch whiskies that showcase some of their best casks. The collection showcases the multi dimensional levels of character and flavour available from individual distilleries and casks. The Dimensions collection consists of two versions of bottling - single cask, cask strength releases and exclusively numbered small batches at 46% ABV. The Dimensions Collection is now available in specialist whisky retailers.

The initial release includes an Aberlour 1993, Bunnhabhain 1988, Cameronbridge 1978, Clynelish 1995, Glenlivet 1981, Glen Moray 1988, Glenrothes 1992, Macduff 1997, Mortlach 1989 and Royal Brackla 1997. For further information on The Dimensions Collection and the full range of Duncan Taylor whiskies, visit www.duncantaylor.com.

Spirit of Unity > Raises cash for Japan

Earlier in the year, we reported on a unique whisky that was created by a group of seven independent Scottish distilleries. Each of the seven – Arran, Benriach, Bladnoch, Glendronach, Glengyle, Kilchoman and Springbank – donated a single cask of single malt, which were blended together to create a limited edition whisky named Spirit of Unity. The project was created to raise vital funds for relief efforts following the devastating natural disaster in Japan in March. The 2,000 bottles have now been sold and have raised a staggering £95,000 for various charities. Just a few remain, which are to be presented in limited box sets containing bottles signed by each of the seven Master Distillers. These will be auctioned in early 2012 to raise further funds.

Talisker > New packaging launched

The iconic single malt from the isle of Skye has revealed a full revamp of its packaging which will be released to all markets in early 2012. The new packaging will be rolled out over the entire range. The outer cartons feature powerful maritime photography and coastal scenes, taken by photographers Cailean Maclean (a Skye resident) and Angus Bremner, and a more prominent map of the island and distillery location. The bottle label features a bolder Talisker font and more prominence is placed on the Established 1830 message.

Talisker's Distillery Manager Mark Lochhead is enthusiastic about the new designs, saying “Talisker is made by the sea in every sense of the word. To have this captured in these new designs is exciting for everyone here. At the same time it both speaks to our own roots and helps consumers understand what kind of place Skye is".

The Whisky Round Table > December 2011

2011-12-08T07:30:00.000Z

We at Whisky For Everyone are this month's hosts of The Whisky Round Table and we have decided to set our fellow members a challenge. It’s that celebration time of the year again and be it through one holiday or another, religious or otherwise, we expect that all the Knights will be catching up with their families. Presuming that, like us, they will all be asked questions such as “what have you been up to this year?” and “so, how’s the world of whisky?”, our challenge is about engaging those ‘non-whisky’ family members. Here goes …

Pick two or three members of your family and select a whisky drink (this can be straight dram, with a mixer or elaborate cocktail) or whisky & food pairing that you think they will like. Try to mix it up – pick an auntie who ‘hates whisky following a bad experience’, your brother who always asks “what’s the best thing you’ve tried this week?” or your dad who you are just trying to impress. You get the idea … hopefully! Make them begin to understand about the fantastic spirit that is whisky and why we all love it so much.

Gal - Whisky Israel

This is really an interesting question ...As it happens most of my family do not drink whisky, or do not drink any alcoholic beverage. I've chosen to enlighten my wife, and my father in law.

My wife doesn't care for whisky at all. She's good at sniffing it, but she does not like drinking alcohol if it's stronger than wine. Anything above 14% is out of the question. But, she loves chocolate. and chocolate and whisky is a wonderful combination, as we all know. She's a sucker for chocolate fondants or chocolate soufflés, and adding a bit of whisky into that, will most likely improve it, right? What I'm thinking of is a chocolate fondant with an addition of some sherry bomb whisky. Either the 'Farclas 105, or Aberlour A'bunadh. Currently I have batch #25, so that will have to do.

My father in law loves alcohol, be it cocktails, wine, gin, etc, but he's not too fond of Scotch, He prefers bourbons, as he likes his drinks a bit sweeter, and less dry. What I have in mind for him is a lovely "Smokin' rusty nail". It's a lovely twist on the well known rusty nail, but this time instead of just plain old blended whisky, I am going to add some Laphraoig Quarter Cask, to provide the smoke, tar and peat which will make this one much more interesting. Sweet, and smoky. What a combination.

Joshua - Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society

What a great opportunity/excuse for me to do a little whisky tasting; not just for one or two people but for everyone at my family's Thanksgiving Day dinner. Every year my wife and two kids go over my uncle Mike and aunt Gloria's house for the dinner/celebrations. Mike and Gloria are on my Step-Dad's side of the family - a very large Sicilian/Italian family.This year we had about 20 people at our dinner and 15 of us joined in on the whisky tasting fun. Being an Italian family, as you might imagine, there is a lot of wine & lemoncello poured but sadly, little (read: none, zero, zilch) whisky.

Well the times, they are becoming different. I brought with me a bottle of Glenmorangie Lasanta (12yo sherry finished whisky bottled at 46%ABV) and a few bars of 70% cocoa dark chocolate. The idea? Give people a quick (and I mean quick! Most had already had a good deal of booze in them already) idea of how whisky is made/matured, get them to taste the whisky straight (as a dram) and taste it the proper way (not shooting it but smelling and sipping/chewing the whisky), eat some chocolate then smell and taste the whisky again.

The end result? My uncle, who's had nothing but wine in his adult-drinks glass tried whisky for the first time in 33 years! Even my wife, who would much prefer to throw herself on one of Vlad the Impaler's spears than to taste whisky, got in on the game! I got people calling out tasting notes and one of my cousins compared the Lasanta to "drinking velvet". While I'm not sure I converted anybody, it was great to get people out of their comfort zone and appreciate something that they would never have touched/bought/drank before. Additionally, I've started a new family tradition (you know we Jews love tradition)!

Chris - Nonjatta

The toughest nut to crack would be my mother in law, who hardly drinks a drop. I might try some Baileys with her, because that is always a great one for the non-drinker. Last year I made some home-made Japanese "Baileys" with cheap Japanese blended whisky and it was actually quite delicious. For my father in law, who likes his whisky mixed, I would mix a highball made with Suntory Kakubin blend. I would indulge my wife with Yamazaki 1984, a superb single malt with a distinctive Japaneseness about it and a very hefty price tag.

Peter - The Casks

I picked up two sisters in 2011, and no, by that I don't mean I salaciously solicited two nuns on the corner of 16th & Capp. What I mean is that I started 2011 with no sisters and ended the year with two sisters-in-law...a pretty sweet deal for me, (less so for them). So I thought, in that spirit, I'd make these two fantastic women a couple of whisky-based cocktails for the holidays. They're both aware of whisky's finer points, neither harboring any deep-seeded resentment against our favorite booze, but I'm not sure either of them really know just how essential and vital the stuff is.

My wife's sister has spent a fair amount of time in Wisconsin and likes brandy old-fashioneds. Actually, if you know anything about Wisconsin, you know that people there like brandy...a lot...to the extent that nearly 90% of the brandy consumed in the US is consumed in Wisconsin. No, I'm not kidding. Of course, Brandy can be a fine, exquisite spirit in its own right, but I know that most of what's poured down the hatch in the Badger State is not what you'd call premium, top-shelf stuff.

So, for my first sister-in-law of 2011, I'd like to make an Old Fashioned the old fashioned way, not with the rail brandy to which she may be accustomed, but with Canadian Club Classic 12yo Whiskey. Old Fashioneds were probably originally made with a rye whiskey, but I don't want to transition too far, too quickly from the sweeter, fruitier Brandy she's used to, so Canadian Club Classic's 12yo's balanced attack of matured sweetness and measured rye spice would be at once familiar, yet more complex and interesting.

Sister-in-Law #2 likes wine out of a box. She readily admits to this guilty pleasure and has no shame or regret in the matter. More power to her. She of course likes good wine, but, you know, sometimes, at the end of a long, hot Mid-western summer workday that a pint glass full of Franzia Sunset Blush straight from the fridge just hits the spot. As far as I know, there's no whisky (thankfully) available in a box yet, so I need to think outside the box a bit here and be a bit more metaphorical than literal.

In keeping with the cool, refreshing, end-of-the-day, pick-me-up idea, I'd pour her a nice tumbler of Compass Box's Great King Street Blended Scotch on the rocks. This latest offering from boutique Scotch blenders Compass Box is a throwback whisky, a delicious blend, built not to be sipped neat and over analyzed by quasi-knowledgeable bloggers, but poured over ice and/or with some soda water. On the porch with a cute dog and a strangely endearing husband, she'll find this is not an overpowering whisky that's intent on showing off it's love-it-or-hate-it flavor profile, it's well-rounded, refreshing, tasty, tasty stuff, perfect for seducing an unwary wine box snob.

Ruben - Whisky Notes

Sorry for not answering your question in the way it was meant to be answered. I guess I’m not much of a family guy but I do like the idea of persuading people and getting them interested in whisky, so let me tell you two of my tricks that have worked pretty well so far.

The first one is a mint julep. It’s one of my favourite cocktails and most people who don’t like whisky still seem to like this refreshing combination of mint, bourbon and sugar (I also like to add some lime juice or ginger for a change). It’s rounded, sweet and seems to filter out all the alcoholic sharpness that most people associate with whisky. Personally I think Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace work best for cocktails.

The second trick up my sleeve is Irish whiskey, let’s say Redbreast or even the single grain Greenore. They’re slightly lighter, sweeter and smoother than most young Scotches. The main problem is that most inexperienced people drink a supermarket blend, don’t like it and then say they don’t like whisky altogether. Irish whiskey usually offers higher quality and complexity if you’re on a budget, so they might be surprised.

Once you can convince people with a smooth whisky that lacks all the industrial nastiness, they’ll be more open to older drams and other profiles as well. Whatever you do, don’t pour your best Brora or powerful Lagavulin thinking anyone will love it right away – it takes time.

Joel - Cask Strength

First person would be my Dad, Stuart. He doesn't drink spirits but is a big fan of strong flavours. I'd mix him up a whiskey sour using Four Roses Small Batch and for the creamy froth, I'd use a duck egg for extra texture. You can also get three cocktails from one duck egg, they're so large... that'd introduce him to a different way of drinking bourbon.

My Mum, Sissel, makes home-made pickles and chutney and one she has lying around is a plum and damson affair. I'd serve her Hibiki 12 with some cheese (a light blue cheese and a soft goats cheese) and her own plum and damson chutney. The plummy nature of the Hibiki 12 will go really well with the sweetness of the chutney and the grain whisky elements to the blend will work well with the cheese.

Finally, for my brother Ben. He is a big beer drinker, but doesn't go near brown spirits. I'd serve him a dram of Dalwhinnie 15, which has been in the freezer (or left outside in the snow, if last years weather is repeated), along side his traditional Christmas ale. The rich wood tones in the Dalwhinnie match that of an ale well, and chilling it down make it slightly more palatable to those not so used to high strength alcohol in the beverage...

Jason - Guid Scotch Drink

My four year old isn't much of a whisky drinker but he is very interested in what I'm up to with all these bottles of brown liquid that I have lying around the house. Given our remit from Matt & Karen I decided that now was a perfect time to give him a peek behind the whisky curtain.

I poured a 16 Year Old Lagavulin and showed him how to nose it properly. He swirled the Glencairn as best he could, trying his utmost to maintain control of the glass and the spirit inside; a few spills up and over the edges were to be expected. He brought the glass in from his right side and took a dainty wee sniff. I'd implored him to take care of his nose and not burn the living daylights out of it. He's a quick study! Almost immediately he looked up at me and said it smelled like his Uncle Karl's camp fire. Well done, young sir!

I lauded his sense of smell and congratulated him on his ability to turn olfactory sensory data into approximate mouth utterances. He was pleased as punch with himself and loved the attention. I asked him if he was getting anything else. After thinking it through for a second or two he offered up "toast." Very nice! Anything else? "Hmm, table?" Ok, I could see where he was going with that, perhaps a little woodiness from the cask, I was willing to cut him some slack (he is only four!). Anything else? At this point he started looking around the room, it was obvious he'd exhausted his list but he wanted one last congratulatory pat on the back... "wall?"

Ok, what about a wee taste? Any interest? Thankfully, he didn't have too much interest in taking a sip but he was still curious so I dipped my finger in the liquid and dabbed that on his tongue. "FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!" was his instant reaction and he ran out of the room. "But what about the finish?" I shouted after him, but to no avail.

Finally, it comes to the turn of us at Whisky For Everyone. Who would we pick and what would we do?

Matt

My choice would have to be my dad. About five years ago, me and Karen paid our first ever visit to Scotland. This was before we knew or cared about anything to do with whisky. Anyway, on our week-long trip from Inverness to Thurso and back again, we decided that we had to 'do a distillery visit'. We ended up in Muir of Ord (not the nicest town, if I'm honest) and our distillery of choice was Glen Ord. We purchased my dad a bottle of the Glen Ord 12 years old from the distillery shop. This bottle is still in his drinks cabinet ... it nestles between a bottle of Cinzano and a half-curdled bottle of Advocaat.

This is my mission - to get him to drink and appreciate the damn stuff. He has a polite sip every time we pay a visit but we know that he doesn't really 'get' whisky. I plan to try the following approach over the festive period - firstly, I will show him how to nose, taste and describe the whisky so as to get the most out of it and begin to understand the aromas and flavours that he is experiencing. If this fails, I plan to try it with some basic mixers to find something that he enjoys, probably tonic or soda water with some ice and lemon. This always goes down well with the non-whisky drinkers when doing tastings in my day job. If this fails, then I'm struggling ...

Karen
Rather than pick one person I am choosing to attempt to give my whole family a brief glimpse into what it is that attracts me to whisky. I confess that my family is the other side of the world and so I am being fantastical in my idea. Dreaming that I am there in the sunshine with them and not in grey old London.

If I was with them at this time of year we would undoubtedly be visiting one or two or ten of the fabulous wineries that surround Adelaide in Australia. I will presume you have heard of Barossa Valley or McLaren Vale at some time. In any of these wineries we would taste our way through the various grapes, blends and vintages of wines on offer. We will then all bicker about which was the best which can lead to some quite heated arguments.

This vision sparked the idea of a whisky tasting for them. I decided that I would pick one distillery and get them to taste the different ages and cask finishes on offer. I have deliberated over which distillery and I could choose any of a number, but my decision as to which distillery came down to a winner based on their diverse range and ease of availability. The distillery – Glenmorangie.

I would be pouring four drams for each of them. The first would have to be the Original to get them in the mood and see what influence a Bourbon cask has on the whisky. The second would be the 18 years old to show them what age can do along with a moderate use of Sherry casks. The third would be the Quinta Ruben so they can see the impact of the rich and full-on influence of Port wood. Last of all would the Finealta to get them to see what a bit of smoke can do.

I would expect after that selection the arguments should be quite enjoyably heated to say the least. If I get them talking and comparing then my work is done.
________

* Please note that Keith from Whisky Emporium was due to take part in this month's discussion but understandably chose not to due to a recent family bereavement. Our thoughts and condolences are with Keith at this time.

- Karen & Matt

Top Tips - Buying whisky as a Christmas gift

2011-12-06T19:33:00.000Z

Cyber Monday, the busiest online shopping day of the year, has been and gone for another year and we are now in to the peak festive retailing period. The decorations have gone up and while many people have already purchased their gift for friends and family, many others are just starting to consider (or panic!) about what they are going to buy.

Whisky is a traditionally popular choice and is now even more so given the increased interest and sales of it around the world. Christmas is a time when people buy whisky either to enjoy themselves over the festive period or to give as a gift. For many shoppers or consumers, it may be the only time in the year that they purchase a bottle of whisky and it can be a daunting experience. The ultimate question is - which one of the vast array of bottles on the shelves is the right one to go for?

We are here to try and help with a few tips and things to think about when purchasing whisky as a present. Naturally, the points can be used at any time of the year and not just at Christmas!

1 - Think of what the recipient likes

It is a common misconception that you as a shopper need to know lots about whisky in order to buy something other than the big popular brands. This is not true. How much you know about whisky is actually not important at all - what has to be considered is what you think you the gift's recipient would like or prefer. If you are not sure, then think what other things and flavours that the person receiving the gift usually enjoys. This can be other spirits, wine, food etc - do they enjoy strong, rich flavours or something lighter and fresher? Do they drink white spirits like gin and vodka or sweeter, heavier ones like dark rum or Cognac? This will give you some clues. Also have in your mind that whisky falls in to three general categories - light & fresh, rich & sweet and smoky & peaty.

2 - Go for something unusual

This is a good tip when buying for the 'whisky connoisseur' in your life. It may be that you know a whisky that they like and you can ask for help in selecting something similar, especially in specialist retailers (see below). You can also think about if you want a famous brand/distillery or something a bit less well known. The lesser known options are not as hard to find as you think and offer some excellent whiskies that are 'hidden gems' or 'off the radar'. It will also demonstrate that you have not just gone to the supermarket and picked a brand off the shelf, plus showing that you may have 'done some research' and really thought about what the person likes.

3 - Set a budget

Your budget is an important consideration. Set an upper limit - any salesman worth their salt will try and get you to spend more but stick to it! Single malt whiskies start around £25 for a 70cl bottle and most will be under or around £50. Blended whiskies can start for as little as £10. There are whiskies that can fit any budget, from the cheap and cheerful to those costing hundreds and even thousands of pounds. Many will be discounted in the supermarkets over the festive period and some good bargains can be snaffled.

If you only have a small budget or are buying a 'Secret Santa' gift, then you could go for a half sized bottle or a pack of miniatures - many of the companies release special gift packs at Christmas time. You can even buy a single miniature if you just need a stocking filler.

4 - Where to buy
There are a few options where you can purchase your whisky gift and each have their pros and cons.

Specialist retailers - offer a wider range of whiskies and have knowledgeable staff that can explain the differences and advise you to make the correct decision. These shops can be daunting but if you go in having considered the three points above, then they will be able to recommend you some great choices. They will also generally have some bottles of whisky open that you can sample and this can help you make a better decision.

Supermarkets - are different in that they sell the products but staff may not know a great deal about them, especially as many have cut back on specialist wine and spirit staff in the last couple of years. The distilleries marketing departments help you here, as many of them now print basic tasting notes on their packaging and this will give you an idea if you like the sound of it or not. The range will be tighter, although many chains will expand their ranges as whisky grows in popularity.

Liquor stores - can vary from the very knowledgeable to those that stock whisky but don't know much about it. Knowledgeable stores can be up there with the specialist retailers but the others can still offer some real hidden gems and great bargains, as they may not know what they have (ie - a rare whisky marked at low prices). The trick is to pop in for cheaper beer or wine and have a nose around, then do a little research on the bottles you have spied.

The internet - thas many places to buy whisky these days - some are online specialists, while others are websites of the specialist whisky retailers or supermarkets - and many of these print helpful tasting notes on each page, with some giving more information, customer reviews and distillery facts to help you make your choice. Don't forget that every site will have a deadline date that guarantees pre-Xmas delivery, so check this and don't get caught out!

5 - Don't fall for fancy packaging

This tip is especially good if you are buying for someone who 'knows their whiskies'. This category of person is notoriously difficult and intimidating to buy for, especially if you yourself know little or nothing about whisky. The easy option is to go for something in a wonderfully designed bottle or box, and there are some fine examples out there. Importantly, some of the brands and distilleries have woken from the slumber of years of 'traditional' packaging, moving away from the stereotyped tartan or water colour paintings of stags/Scottish landscapes.

Some packaging, even at the entry level price points, has a 'wow factor' that will impress most that receive it and the whiskies will generally also impress. However, the 'know their whiskies' category will probably be more interested in what is physically in the bottle rather than how it or the box looks. This is when a little research about the liquid or seeking help from a specialist retailer will help.

A guest blog post ... A sensual evaluation of whisky

2011-12-02T20:10:00.000Z

We were lucky enough to share a dram the other week with the incredibly talented artist and writer, Jessica Hagy. She is best known for her Webby award-winning blog, Indexed (www.thisisindexed.com) in which she sketches out random thoughts and insightful observations on conveniently file-able index cards.

Given that we love hearing about the impressions whisky leaves on new-comers we had to grab the opportunity to get Jessica to put together a guest post for us. The dram in question was the Glenfiddich 15 year old Distillery Only Bottling Batch No. 11 Cask Strength 54.8% ABV. This rare and fiesty dram was sent to Whisky for Everyone to celebrate the launch of the Glenfiddich Explorers Club. See www.glenfiddichexplorers.co.uk for more info.

Be inspired and check out more of Jessica's work at jessicahagy.info.

Inbox > December 2, 2011

2011-12-02T19:11:00.000Z

Welcome to Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we will write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information if you want to. There's a bit to get through this week, so let's get going ...

Bowmore > Islay Taste Map goes live

A few weeks ago, we told you about the new Islay Taste Map which had been launched by Bowmore, the oldest distillery on the famous whisky island. Well, an interactive version of the map is now available online and can be accessed via www.islaytastemap.com. The map is a bold move to support the Islay category as a whole, and is the ideal guide to the complex and varied characters of Islay’s eight distilleries. It has been launched as an educational tool for both the on-trade and off-trade. Check it out and have a go.

Cooley > New range of Poitín launched

The award winning independent distillery of Cooley has launched their version of a historical Irish classic spirit - poitín (pronounced po-cheen). This legendary clear spirit, famous for its high alcohol strength and potency, was first produced in Ireland over 1,000 years ago, way before the whiskey industry took over. This Cooley version is made using malted and un-malted barley and is distilled in a traditional copper pot still. It is then bottled straight from the still, with no maturation, at a strength of 65% ABV.

The poitín is recommended to be used in the same way as any other quality white spirit - neat, with water or ice, or with mixers or as part of a cocktail. The Cooley Poitín will initially consist of just 1,800 bottles which will be available within Ireland at The Celtic Whiskey Shop and in Dublin Airport and then in selected specialist alcohol retailers elsewhere.

Dalmore > Exclusive 1995 Vintage released

The popular whisky liqueur brand has launched a new global advertising campaign in time for the Christmas festive period. A Taste of the Extraordinary sees Drambuie, which was first produced 260 years ago, is targeting the '25-44 year old professional worker'. The campaign pulls on artistic influences such as Dali and Escher, using stark, surreal black and white imagery to compliment the rich, golden colour of the Drambuie bottle. The images are by renowned photographer John Ross, who has created numerous well known album covers.

It will be seen in the UK, Chile and Greece before Christmas and then rolled out elsewhere around the globe during 2012. We have already seen the strikingly graphic posters on the London Underground and have even seen one of the famous London black cabs decked out in the zig zag design!

Glendronach > New batch of single casks

The independently owned distillery of Glendronach have announced the latest batch in their single cask release programme. This is the fifth such batch and it includes five limited edition bottlings - a 1972 ex-Oloroso sherry butt (421 bottles), a 1978 ex-Oloroso sherry puncheon (417 bottles), a 1989 ex-Pedro Ximinez sherry puncheon (489 bottles), a 1991 ex-Oloroso sherry butt (530 bottles) & a 1993 ex-Oloroso sherry butt (507 bottles). They have all been bottled in the last few weeks and were released yesterday. They will be available from specialist whisky retailers shortly.

Master of Malt > World's oldest whisky liqueur released

Master of Malt, the innovative online spirits retailer, have announced the release of the world's oldest whisky liqueur. It has been made using a 55 year old ex-sherry cask matured single malt from 'one of Scotland's finest distilleries' and the aromas and flavours have then been accentuated by adding natural sugars and spices. It has been bottled at 41% ABV and is on sale for the wallet-busting price of £999.95. Alternatively, if you don't want to spend a grand on a whisky liqueur then you can take advantage of Master of Malt's excellent Drinks by the Dram offer. With this your can buy a 3cl sample bottle for £52.85. Interested? Order from the Master of Malt website.

Whisky Wood - Exclusive reader offer

2011-12-02T11:02:00.000Z

We are delighted to have paired up with the new and innovative WhiskyWood company to offer you an exclusive reader offer. WhiskyWood produce key rings from the staves of old whisky casks and have produced two products for this promotion, which helps to celebrate their launch -the Reaction Diffusion key ring (pictured, above) and the Pictish Fish key ring (pictured, below). To purchase, please click on the links attached. The offer is for an excellent 40% discount, the details of which are below.

WhiskyWood is the brainchild of Grant Wilson and Chris Watkin. We love to support such innovative small businesses, especially as we know first hand the significance of such support in the early days of such a venture. Below, Grant explains about the company and its ethos ...

"We are based in the small town of Doune in Scotland. WhiskyWood is a micro business started by Chris and myself in order to use the wood from old whisky barrels to make objects that mean something. We are fascinated by design, patterns, symbols, computer generated art and typography, and the way that inanimate objects can take on a special significance and a life of their own. Every piece of oak has had a truly long and fascinating journey before we craft them into objects that can continue on their path through life.

In an age of mass production - we also like the fact that each keyring is utterly unique - as no two are exactly the same. Above all we hope people enjoy the keyrings as much as we enjoy creating them. We are delighted to offer our first ever key rings on amazon.co.uk to the readership of Whisky For Everyone with a 40% discount".

To get this great 40% discount, simply enter the discount code WFEAMAZO when prompted in the 'shopping cart' payment section. It is limited to one redemption per Amazon customer and is only valid on the Reaction Diffusion and Pictish Fish key rings - it is not applicable to their Gambia Solar Project key rings (they are trying to raise as much money as they can for this charity), although feel free to buy one anyway and help this good cause! A single keyring normally costs £4.85, so will therefore be £2.91 and is available for free delivery from Amazon (to applicable areas).

You will have to hurry though - there are only 18 x Reaction Diffusion and 17 x Pictish Fish designs for this promotion. They will be sold on a first come first served basis and the WFEAMAZO discount code runs until next Wednesday 7 December at 11.59pm, if they haven't sold out before then. Please feel free to give any feedback via the channels below, leave a comment here or on the product pages on Amazon.

For further information and news about new WhiskyWood products, go to www.whiskywood.com or follow Chris & Grant on Twitter @whiskywood.

New releases > Bowmore Tempest Batch No.3

2011-11-30T19:05:00.000Z

This whisky is a new limited edition single malt release from the Islay distillery of Bowmore. The Tempest batches are released at cask strength and are matured for 10 years in ex-bourbon casks - 55.6% ABV and first filled casks respectively in the case of this Batch No.3. The two previous batches, hauled in the prizes at various prestigious whisky awards and have built up a cult following of fans.There are 11,000 bottles and they are available worldwide with a suggested price of £50.

Bowmore's Brand Manager Cara Laing comments, “We’ve released a small batch of Bowmore Tempest annually to great response. Every batch is slightly different but always reflects Bowmore’s raw spirit – it’s like tasting a dram straight out of a first fill bourbon cask in our famous No.1 Vaults."

The Bowmore distillery is located on the famous whisky island of Islay, which lies off the west coast of Scotland. Islay is well known for producing the smoky, peaty style of whisky. Bowmore was founded in 1779 by John Simpson, making it the oldest of the eight distilleries currently operating on Islay and one of the oldest in all of Scotland. The distillery is located on the shores of Loch Indaal and the name of Bowmore translates as 'sea rock' from Gaelic. The distillery in currently owned by Morrison Bowmore, a subsidiary of the Japanese company Suntory, and has an annual production capacity of two million litres. It is one of the biggest selling single malt whisky brands in the smoky, peaty style.

Our tasting notes
The colour of Tempest Batch No.3 is a pale gold, almost lemon yellow. However, any thoughts or assumptions that such a pale colour will lead this to be a light, subtle whisky are instantly dispelled by the nose. The initial aromas are a feisty, 'in your face' combination of lemon zest, spicy chilli and ashy coal smoke. With time in the glass (and a little persistence) there are softer notes of sweet vanilla, oat cake biscuits, honey, butterscotch and gentle sweet damp earthy moss. There is also a slightly savoury, almost meaty barbeque note. On the palate, a similar thing happens - it is initially assertive and powerful with plenty of alcohol and notes of hot chilli spice, lemon zest and medicinal smoke hitting the taste buds, before softening to reveal a lovely combination of flavours. These show the classiness of the whisky and add excellent depth and complexity. Sweetness comes from notes of honey, toffee, vanilla and that damp, earthy moss from the nose, while some bittersweet cereals, oat cake biscuits and lemon sherbet add balance and a pleasant tang. The finish is long, lingering and a little hot (think of the chillis again), with the prominent peat smoke fading and leaving distinct notes of burnt biscuit, honey and a hint of dried grass.

What's the verdict?
This is a lovely whisky and a good example of the smoky, peaty style. It is initially powerful but this gives way to be a well balanced and complex dram. The high ABV suggests adding water and this will certainly bring it within more consumers taste boundaries - it softens the initial 'blow' and makes the palate creamier with the honey and toffee notes knocking the smokiness and zestiness back a bit. However, we like the refreshing zesty/sherbet kick and the way that the softer notes develop.

It is only natural to want to compare this to the previous two batches but they were richer and some of our favourite ever whiskies, so it is a little unfair. This is good but in a different way and with different characteristics - click the links to read our previous reviews of Batch No.1 and Batch No.2.

The Last Vatted Malt by Compass Box

2011-11-29T19:36:00.000Z

The time is one minute to midnight on Tuesday the 22nd of November and we were standing on Westminster Bridge watching two men filling a bottle with whisky in the cold. Were we mad? No. Were we slightly tipsy? Maybe a little. Were we witnessing history? Yes.

The reason that we were there is to see the last bottle of whisky that can legally be called a 'vatted malt' being bottled. The new name of 'blended malt' would legally have to be used on the same product if it were bottled just over one minute later thanks to a UK Government law change. The two men were John Glaser and Chris Maybin of artisan whisky company Compass Box and their business is based on creating 'vatted malts'.

The term 'vatted malt' has been legally used since the 19th century and refers to a Scotch whisky that is created using a combination of two or more single malts. These single malts can be from different distilleries, be of differing ages and of differing styles. They are created in the industry by highly skilled whisky makers - they use the characteristics of the differing single malts to produce a final whisky with aromas and flavour profiles that a single malt could not produce on its own. This is the style of whisky in which Compass Box specialise and also what has gained them many awards around the globe.

Compass Box was founded in 2000 by John Glaser and is based in west London. They also now have offices in Edinburgh. Their ethos is to buy whisky from a small number of distilleries and then craft them together into their own unique products. All are produced and released in small batches, often using only two or three whiskies to create a unique product with a catchy name. By doing their own blending and vatting, Compass Box have less restrictions than traditional independent bottlers and is a former winner of the prestigious Whisky Magazine's Innovator of the Year.

Compass Box believe that the new naming regulations will create ambiguity with consumers, who may confuse the new 'blended malts' with regular 'blended whiskies' (these contain single malts plus whisky made from other grains). Therefore, they are on a massive education drive to inform the public of the new changes and legal definitions. The five new definitions fall under The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, which came in to force on 23 November. They are ...

Blended Scotch Whisky
A blend of one or more single malt Scotch whiskies with one or more single grainScotch whiskies.
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
A blend of two or more single malt Scotch whiskies that have been distilled atmore than one distillery. (previously known as Vatted Malt or Pure Malt Scotch Whisky).
Blended Grain Scotch Whisky
A blend of two or more single grain Scotch whiskies that have been distilledat more than one distillery. (previously known as Vatted Grain Scotch Whisky).
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
A Scotch whisky that has been distilled in pot stills in one or more batches at asingle distillery from water and malted barley, without the addition of any other cereals.
Single Grain Scotch Whisky
A Scotch whisky that has been distilled at a single distillery except 'Single MaltScotch Whisky' or a 'Blended Scotch Whisky'.

To mark the passing of the new law, Compass Box have released a special whisky entitled The Last Vatted Malt (pictured, below). This was the whisky which we witnessed being filled on Westminster Bridge as Big Ben struck midnight.

The whisky is made up of just two un-named single malts - a 36 year old distilled in 1974 and from Speyside which has been matured in first-fill ex-sherry casks, and a 26 year old distilled in 1984 from Islay which have been matured in ex-bourbon American oak casks. It is being released at the natural cask strength of 53.7% ABV and there are just 1,323 bottles, retailing at £175 each. We will be reviewing this shortly, so watch out for our tasting notes.

This is joined by The Last Vatted Grain, which is even more limited in number (only 297 bottles). This is constructed from four different grain whiskies - Cameronbridge 1997, Carsebridge 1979, Invergordon 1965 & Port Dundas 1991 - all of which have been maturing in first-fill ex-bourbon casks. This is bottled at 46% ABV and retails at £130 (rumours are that it has already sold out!).

So after a few hours warming up in the über cool basement bar of DuckSoup in Soho (by 'warming up' we mean supping on well made cocktails, especially the Last Vatted Punch - a mix of Compass Box Spice Tree whisky, tea and herbs - created in honour of the occasion), the group moved down to Westminster Bridge for the final act. Under the view of Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament, where the law was made, we witnessed the last vatted malt being bottled. We were felt privileged to be part of a selected group of people that were invited to be there. We also recorded the short clip below to capture the moment, we hope that you enjoy watching ...

Inbox > November 25, 2011

2011-11-25T07:30:00.000Z

Welcome to Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we will write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information if you want to. So here we go with this week's news ...

Aldi > 40 year old single malt for £50

The discount supermarket chain Aldi have announced two UK exclusive additions to their single malt whisky range. And they are sure to raise a few eyebrows! The first is a 40 year old single malt and makes Aldi the first supermarket to offer such an 'own brand' product. Named GlenBridge 40, the whisky is from a "famous Speyside distillery" according to the Aldi PR team and has been aged in European oak ex-sherry casks. There are 3,000 bottles which will go on sale in Aldi's 450 UK stores on 8 December for the staggeringly low price of £49.99. In addition, there is the Glen Marnoch 24 years old which will sell for just £24.99. Details of this are a little sketchy but our friends over at CaskStrength have reviewed both, with tasting notes - click here to read.

Bowmore > Team up with Savile Row tailor

The iconic Islay single malt of Bowmore has joined forces with a leading Savile Row tailor to offer 'the ultimate Christmas gift for the whisky loving gentleman'. Leading establishment Malcolm Plews and Bowmore have created the premium gift - a bespoke tailoring session including fitting of a made-to-measure Bowmore Tweed jacket followed by a one to one whisky tasting with a Bowmore expert. The package also includes first class travel to London from anywhere in the UK, a night’s stay for two at the Malmaison hotel in Clerkenwell, and lunch for two at the Sartoria restaurant in Savile Row. A bottle of Bowmore 15 year old single malt plus whisky glasses complete the package. The Bowmore Tweed Savile Row Experience can be purchased for £3,000 from the website www.singlemaltwhiskyshop.com.

Cutty Sark > New book released

The famous Cutty Sark blended whisky was first launched in 1923 and a new book has just been released that charts its rise to become one of the best selling brands of whisky in the world. The book, titled The Making Of A Whisky Brand, has been edited by whisky writer Ian Buxton and he has assembled a number of leading whisky experts, each of whom have written a chapter. Ian was granted exclusive access to the historical archives and met with some of the former Master Blenders of Cutty Sark when researching the book. Each chapter explores the brand, its influence on society and popular culture around the world and what has made it so successful. The book also includes both classic and newly invented cocktails using Cutty Sark. It can be purchased from specialist book and on-line retailers now.

Glengoyne > Free entry for St. Andrew's Day

The Glengoyne distillery, which is located just 30 minutes drive north of Glasgow, is opening its doors for free over this coming weekend. This is to celebrate St. Andrew's Day, which is Scotland's national day and is on 30 November. Entry will be free on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th and the distillery is open from 10am-5pm (the last tour is at 4pm). The tour (usual price £6.75) includes a short film about the history of the distillery and Glengoyne brand, a guided visit around the distillery and a dram of their 10 year old single malt at the end. For directions to Glengoyne and for further details of the event, please visit www.glengoyne.com.

Master Of Malt > Blend your own whisky

Innovative online retailer Master Of Malt have created an interactive new product which allows you to make your own whisky. The Home Blending Kit comes with a selection of 3cl sample miniatures, which contain a variety of grain and single malt whiskies, and some measuring equipment.

The idea is that you can then construct your own blended whisky to your own personal taste. The process is similar to The Blogger's Blend that we took part in earlier this year (the final product for this will be released shortly). For a full list of the samples and equipment and to order your own kit (priced £49.95) - click here. There is then another page where you fill in the quantities of each sample in your 'final blend' and the cost is calculated - that can be viewed by clicking here. Good luck, it's plenty of fun.

New releases > Jura 1976 'Feith A' Chaorainn'

2011-11-22T19:35:00.000Z

The 1976 ‘Feith A’ Chaorainn’ vintage is the latest vintage single malt whisky to be released by the island distillery of Jura. Previous such vintages from Jura have proved popular amongst whisky connoisseurs. The name of 'Feith A' Chaorainn' translates as 'the land around the rowan' and refers to a rowan tree on Jura which is believed to bring good luck to islanders. They place twigs from this tree on their homes and farm buildings to protect themselves and their livestock from bad luck, storms and ill health.

The whisky has been constructed from just three first-fill ex-bourbon hogshead casks and was distilled in 1976. The three casks have been 'married' together and bottled recently at an age of 35 years. There are only 500 bottles in the release and to reflect this the recommended retail price is £500 each. It is available now in specialist whisky retailers around the world. The strength is 46% ABV.

The isle of Jura lies off the west coast of Scotland. The distillery was founded in 1810 by Archibald Campbell and was originally called Small Isles distillery - named after the numerous small islands located in Craighouse Bay, which it overlooks. It was closed for a long period between 1901 and 1960, when it was rebuilt and re-named as Jura by Charles Mackinlay & Co. Production restarted in 1963. The distillery has an annual production capacity of two million litres, which is large when considering its remoteness and the small population of the island (only 220 people at the last count).

Jura was given its name by invading Nordic warriors and it translates as 'deer island', because of the large number of the animals that inhabit the island - they outnumber people by a ratio of 20:1. The current owners of the distillery are Whyte & Mackay, who are owned by the Indian drinks company United Spirits. They use Jura’s whisky in their popular range of Whyte & Mackay blends. However, they are putting more in to promoting Jura as a single malt whisky and sales have improved greatly.

Our tasting notes
The colour is a rich coppery gold and the nose is very promising, if not a little understated. There are heavy aromas of rich wood spice (especially cinnamon) and plenty of oak, complimented by a good dose of spiced/cloved orange zest. Then come more subtle notes of vanilla, toffee and honey, backed up by a hints of peat smoke and coal tar soap. On the palate, this is surprisingly fresh for something of this age and this manifests itself with a lovely tropical exotic fruit note (think of dried mango and pineapple in particular) and a hint of 'maritime' saltiness. The freshness settles down to give a pleasant creamy feel that shows elements of sultana, vanilla, honey, oat biscuit, faint drying smokiness and a good hit of wood spice (imagine cinnamon, oak, sandalwood). The classiness of this whisky is confirmed with lovely notes of milky coffee, chocolate and tangy orange zest, which add great depth and complexity. With time in the glass (5+ minutes), a fantastic hazelnut praline note appears. The finish is delicious but slightly short and a little dry, although the chocolate note reappears to rectify this.

What's the verdict?
This is a very classy whisky that has plenty of depth, freshness and complexity. These elements combine to give a stunning final result. It shows what can be achieved with the use of quality casks over a sustained period of maturation. The younger Jura whiskies in their range are good for what they are, but this shows that the spirit can benefit wonderfully from prolonged ageing. The 1976 Feith A' Chaorainn is expensive, but it is limited in numbers and a fine single malt. Delicious.

Have just tried > Glenfarclas 'Movember 2011'

2011-11-21T20:46:00.000Z

It’s getting towards the end of November and you may have seen increasing numbers of people sporting dodgy facial hair around your town or city - we certainly have in London! So far, we have seen a decent variety of moustaches - our personal favourites to date include 'The Porn Star', 'The Charlie Chaplin', 'The Squadron Leader' and 'The YMCA Village People Special'. Some look better than others, but what is it all about? What has caused this spate of boycotting the razor?

The reason is a charity group called Movember, which was started in Australia a number of years ago. Movember aims to raise awareness and money for a series of male health issues, primarily The Prostate Cancer Charity and testicular cancer charities, and raises money during November through people growing moustaches (or a 'mo' - get it?) for the whole month. For further details or to donate to Movember, then check out www.movember.com.

Part of this large charity organisation is a UK division named Whisky For Movember. The group is made up of people from across the whisky industry - writers, bloggers, retailers and drinkers and they grow a variety of facial hair for the cause. For more details, updates on this year's moustaches or to donate, please visit the official website or follow them on Twitter. We are sure that the participant's girlfriends, wives, kids and pets will all be relieved when the 1st of December arrives and these fashion abominations get shaved off, but it is all for a great cause.

Each year there is a special whisky bottled for Whisky For Movember. This year's offering sees the Speyside distillery of Glenfarclas team up with online retailer Master of Malt. The single malt was distilled in September 2002 and has been bottled at nine years of age. It has been made from just two ex-Oloroso sherry casks and has been bottled at the cask strength of 53% ABV. Each bottle will cost £39.95 and can be purchased from the Master of Malt website. £10 from each sale will be donated to Movember.

Glenfarclas is a distillery located in the Speyside region, close to the small town of Ballindalloch. It is owned by J&G Grant and is the second oldest family owned distillery in Scotland - the Grant’s have owned it since 1865 and are currently on their 7th generation of whisky makers. The distillery was founded in 1836 and was originally named Rechlerich. The name was changed to Glenfarclas when the distillery was completely rebuilt by the Grant family in 1896. Glenfarclas translates as ‘the valley of green grass’ from Gaelic. The distillery has an annual production capacity of three million litres and boasts the largest stills in Speyside.

Our tasting notes
The colour of this special Movember 2011 bottling is dark amber, almost brown. The nose is clean and rich, sweet and deliciously heavy. There are obvious initial aromas of caramel, spiced orange and crumbly brown sugar. Underneath, other aromas begin to come through - think of milk chocolate, espresso coffee, baking spices (cinnamon and nutmeg), almonds, treacle and vanilla. On the palate, this is again rich and sweet and feels very velvety, almost treacly. It sticks to your taste buds and has a sumptuous warming spiciness. The obvious caramel and spiced orange notes are joined by raisins, dried apple, toasted almonds and hints of chocolate and coffee. Some drying wood spices develop with time (think of cinnamon and nutmeg again, plus oak) and these carry through to the finish. There is also a bit of heat from the cask strength ABV and this manifests itself as a white peppery note. The finish is again intense and becomes increasing dry and tannic, gripping to your taste buds and not wanting to let go. Plenty of barley comes through with delicious treacly caramel notes adding balance and sweetness.

What's the verdict?
This is a delicious whisky but one that packs a punch. The 53% ABV gives great intensity which can be lacking in the regular core range of Glenfarclas - it reminds us a little more of the 105 bottling, which is the cask strength offering from this range. It is also good with the addition of water, which bring out the brown sugar and orange zesty elements in particular. This whisky offers great value for money at £39.95, especially when considering that £10 goes to the Movember charity. You still have time to purchase a bottle if you wish but they don't have many bottles left, so hurry!

Inbox > November 18, 2011

2011-11-18T20:40:00.000Z

Welcome to Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we will write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information if you want to. So here we go with this week's offerings - you may notice that there is a bit of a Christmas theme ...

Glayva > Give 'The Best' gift

The popular and award-winning Scottish whisky liqueur brand has teamed up with The Whisky Shop - the UK's largest whisky retail chain - to produce a special limited edition label for the Christmas market. The Glayva 'You're the Best' range is exclusive to The Whisky Shop and and only 150 bottles have been produced. These carry one of three messages - 'You're the Best in the World', 'Best Mum' or 'Best Dad'. Glayva has won more major awards than any of its competitors and is made from a combination of whisky, citrus fruits, heather honey and cloves. A 50cl bottle will cost £19.99 and they are available in one of the chain's 17 stores or online at www.whiskyshop.com.

Glenlivet > New Cellar Collection bottling

The famous Speyside distillery of Glenlivet has announced the latest whisky in their Cellar Collection series of bottlings. The series highlights exceptionally rare or old casks within Glenlivet's warehouses. The first single malt in this special series was released in 2000 and this is the ninth such bottling. This expression was distilled and filled to casks in 1980 and has been constructed from just three specially selected ex-bourbon casks from the legendary Cellar No.1 at the distillery. These were hand picked by Distillery Manager Alan Winchester. It was bottled in August at the natural cask strength of 43.3% ABV and there are just 500 bottles, each of which will cost £1000. The 1980 Cellar Collection will be available in the travel retail/Duty Free market, plus south east Asia and Portugal.

Jameson > Christmas packaging announced

Jameson, the world's favourite Irish whiskey, has launched a festive gift box for the Christmas period. The regular Jameson blended whiskey is being backed up by a 'Perfect For Christmas' campaign. The new modern presentation packaging has green front and rear faces, with the side faces and top in white. It is available in major supermarkets, specialist retailers and off licenses with a starting price point of £19.99. Brand Ambassador and mixologist Ed McAvoy has also created a number of mixers and cocktails using Jameson whiskey, which can be found on their Facebook page. For further information on Jameson, or to become a 'fan' on Facebook and see what Jameson has planned over the coming months, go to www.facebook.com/jamesonwhiskey.

Jura > Drink the Elixir

This week has seen the release of a new single malt expression in to the popular island distillery of Jura's core range. Named Jura Elixir, the whisky is getting a 'soft' pre-Xmas release - this sees it being bottled in the half-bottle 35cl size. The new whisky has been produced to be 'fruity and spicy' and takes its name from the fresh local water, which the islanders call the 'elixir of life' and was believed to have been blessed by St. Columba in 560AD. It is this water that is used to make whisky at the distillery. Jura's Distillery Manager comments, “There’s something special about how whisky compliments the bracing cold of winter, and the Elixir’s fruitiness and spicy tones make it an ideal companion for the festive period". The Elixir will cost £16.49 and will be exclusively sold in stores of Sainsbury's, the major UK supermarket chain, from today.

Balblair Brand Home Opening

2011-11-17T20:02:00.000Z

Thursday 3 November 2011 was "a significant date in the history of the Balblair distillery" to quote John MacDonald, the Distillery Manager. That is saying something when you consider that Balblair is one of the oldest distilleries still in operation in Scotland, having been founded by John Ross in 1790. The date saw not only the launch of a new whisky in to the Balblair core range - the 2001 Vintage - but the 'significant' opening of the new Brand Home was the main event. The guest list included some very senior people from Inver House Distillers and Thai Beverage (the distillery's owners), and a selection of influential alcohol/whisky journalists and bloggers. Somehow I got on the trip.

The trip began the day before with an evening meeting at Euston station in London, where the assembled guests joined the overnight sleeper train to Inverness. Twelve hours and a few bottles of complimentary Balblair single malt later, we awoke in the capital of the Highlands. There was no hangover, just a nagging dull pain behind the eyes from disturbed sleep in a confined, moving space. This wasn't helped by the minibus driver who collected us and drove us to the distillery, while trying to break the land speed record and choosing an unorthodox 'cross country' route. However, it was helped by a welcoming black coffee and bacon sandwich combo upon arrival at Balblair, plus a good lungful of fresh Highland air.

The burn at Balblair

The Balblair distillery is located in the picturesque village of Edderton, near to the town of Tain. It lies close to the shores of the Dornoch Firth, one of Scotland’s largest estuaries, with the Highlands rising up behind, the Inverness-Thurso railway track running next to it on one side, a burn (that's a stream to me and you) to the other and a 2,000 year old Pictish standing stone just a few hundred metres away. The current buildings were all constructed in 1893, when the distillery was moved a few hundred yards to utilise the new railway line. It is a glorious location and one I was pleased to re-visit.

The day began with a tour of the distillery, which was taken by John MacDonald. He has been the Distillery Manager at Balblair since 2006 and this follows 17 years service down the road at Glenmorangie, where he worked his way up through the ranks to the position of Assistant Manager. He puts his current success at Balblair down to the fact that he has done every job within a distillery – warehouseman, mill-man, mash-man, still-man and then senior management. John's passion for the place is immediately evident and he leads us around the distillery and explains what makes it tick. Check out the video below for more information and also the notes from our Distillery Visit last year.

The Brand Home shop

Next was a look at the new Balblair Brand Home. When we visited in November last year, this project was being conceived as an idea. The facility was much different now to the cold malting floor that we had previously stood in. Upon entering, there is a compact shop and relaxation area selling the range of Balblair whiskies and a few items of branded clothing. I learn later that most of this was decorated and built by John and the staff at Balblair.

Bottle #11

This area also houses a specially selected cask of whisky which visitors will be able to bottle themselves. It is an ex-bourbon cask from 1992 and will cost £80 a bottle. Each guest was asked to fill their own commemorative bottling to mark the opening - John had the honour of filling Bottle #1, mine was Bottle #11. These were the first bottles of whisky to ever be filled on the site of Balblair, as all other releases are bottled at other Inver House facilities. Tasting notes of this bottle/cask will follow once we open the bottle! Watch the video below to see John filling his ceremonial bottle and firstly, explaining about the history of Balblair and facts about the distillery.

Balblair workers on film

Through a doorway is an area that is designed to host corporate events and formal tastings. This is much larger and is housed what used to be the old malting floor. Thankfully, this area has been sympathetically restored and many of the original features remain. It consists of a small bar area on one side, a gallery space featuring photos of distillery workers on the other and a glass sided tasting/meeting room in the centre. The subdued lighting adds to the ambiance and you can feel the history in the place.

What is refreshing is Balblair's stance towards the new facility. By naming it as Balblair's Brand Home, rather than as a visitor's centre, they are making a statement. When talking to John MacDonald and other members of the Inver House team at the opening event, they made it clear that they wanted to attract discerning single malt fans and whisky connoisseurs, rather than the bus loads of tourists which the larger distilleries cater for. This philosophy seems to fit in well with Balblair's image, ethos, location and size and should be applauded. It is hoped to be used more as an educational tool about the brand and its vintages, rather than selling high margin goods such as whisky fudge, shortbread and tartan in the gift shop.

The next stage in what was becoming an action packed day was a tasting of the range led by John MacDonald and Andy Hannah, the UK Brand Manager for Inver House. Here, we were led through a series of the Balblair Vintages, after starting with a sample of the new make spirit which had been produced the previous day. The samples were accompanied by some snazzy videos showing things that happened in each of the years of each Vintage. We tried two cask strength samples from 1990 (one peaty cask and one non-peaty), the 1989 and 1978 releases, followed by the stunning 1965 Vintage. This is the oldest Balblair released to date and costs around £1,500 a bottle - it was a phenomenally good dram!

This led on to a wonderful lunch which was cooked and served for us by the Good Highland Food company. A starter of smoked trout terrine was followed by a lovely fillet of Caithness beef and finished off with an extremely chocolatey torte which was infused with Balblair whisky. The lunch was accompanied by a cask strength version of the newly launched Balblair 2001 Vintage, which John described as "my favourite of the younger Vintages released to date".

The Balblair 2001 Vintage is a landmark whisky for the distillery and Inver House. It is the first of their single malts to be released with a combination of being non-chill filtered, at a higher strength of 46% ABV and with no artificial colouring. It also features more stream-lined packaging. Going forwards, all Balblair releases are being planned to have all of these factors. This whisky has been matured in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 10 years of age. It is available from specialist whisky retailers and on-line retailers and has a recommended price of £32.99. To read our full review and tasting notes - click here.

Then we were ushered back in to the minibus, after vigorous handshaking all round, and whisked back to Inverness by the same driver and at the same speed that we had arrived. I saw some seals basking (if you can do such a thing in Scotland in November) on the shores of the Cromarty Firth and before we knew it, we were at Inverness airport. Whilst checking in we saw movie actress Tilda Swinton, and then had a quick look in the airport's much improved Duty Free shop. A flight and a train later, I arrive back home in north London exactly 24 hours after I had left it. It had been a long but very enjoyable day and one that I was grateful to be part of.

- Matt

Have just tried > Bowmore 18 years old

2011-11-12T12:41:00.001Z

The Bowmore 18 years old is a premium single malt whisky in the core range of the well known Islay distillery. It was first released in 2007, when it replaced the popular 17 years old version. The whisky is bottled at an alcoholic strength of 43% ABV and uses a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for the maturation. It can be purchased in specialist whisky retailers, Duty Free/travel retail and the occasional larger supermarket for around £75 a bottle.

As mentioned, the Bowmore distillery is located on the famous whisky island of Islay, which lies off the west coast of Scotland. Islay is well known for producing the smoky, peaty style of whisky. Bowmore was founded in 1779 by John Simpson, making it the oldest of the eight distilleries currently operating on Islay and one of the oldest in all of Scotland. The distillery is located on the shores of inland sea loch Loch Indaal and the name of Bowmore translates as 'sea rock' from Gaelic. The distillery in currently owned by Morrison Bowmore, a subsidiary of the Japanese company Suntory, who also own the two other Scottish distilleries at Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch. Bowmore has an annual production capacity of two million litres and is one of the biggest selling single malt whisky brands in the smoky, peaty style.

Our tasting notes
The colour is a dark gold with a hint of amber. The nose is pleasantly scented and full of perfumed aromas. There are lovely sweet notes of honey, brown sugar and dark dried fruits, especially raisin. The softness continues with aromas of vanilla, oatcake biscuits and sweet earthy peat smoke. This sweetness is balanced by some pleasant, more bitter notes - there is a gentle whiff of ashy bonfire, something slightly acrid which is reminiscent of coal tar soap, a hint of sea salt and a lovely note of spiced orange zest.

On the palate this whisky is again soft and sweet at the beginning. A delicious combination of notes - sweet fudge, caramel, dark dried fruits (raisins again, plus sultanas) and a good dollop of honey – make this appear warming and very classy. Depth and balance is again added by delicate, soft and sweet peat smoke, which has a slight yet pleasant acidity to it towards the finish. This occurs as the smokiness becomes more ashy, rather than peaty/earthy, with time. The fantastic note of spiced orange zest is also there (think of thick cut marmalade), as is a subtle hint of parma violet sweets – a signature note that gives away older Bowmore whiskies.

The finish is long with the sweeter characteristics fading in to a gentle, drying ashy smokiness that lingers for ages. The bittersweet orange note is not as prominent but adds tang and bite.

What's the verdict?
This is an excellent whisky and one that is a great all-rounder. It has a lovely and almost perfect combination of richness, smokiness and complexity, without going too far in any direction. The Bowmore 18 years old has won numerous awards since its release to back this up. If you like the smoky style of whisky, then you should try this. If you don't, then you should still try it as it demonstrates how peat/smoke can be incorporated and balanced with other elements. It is soft, velvety and classy and well worth splashing out the extra cash for.

Inbox > November 11, 2011

2011-11-11T18:39:00.000Z

Welcome to Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we will write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information if you want to. It's 11/11/11, so here we go ...

Glenfiddich > Announces new Vintage Reserve selection

The famous and multi-award winning Glenfiddich distillery has announced the release of its annual Vintage Reserve bottling. The new single malt was chosen by a select panel of 16 people, which included Glenfiddich's Malt Master Brian Kinsman, 14 of their Brand Ambassadors from around the globe and Hans-Henrik Hansen, who owns the largest collection of Glenfiddich in the world. In a change from previous years, the panel did not select a Vintage from a single cask. Instead they were presented with three vattings of premium casks - one from 1973, 1974 and 1975. The 1974 was selected after rigorous analysis and will be available through specialist whisky retailers shorlty. There will be just 1,000 bottles.

Jura > Win one of 42 special samples

The island distillery of Jura is offering the members of its fan club the unique opportunity to taste a new whisky before it is released. Jura are inviting members of The Duirach's (this is the name for an inhabitant of Jura) to tell them their secrets to a long and prosperous life in the 'comments' section of the Ambassador's blog. The best 42 answers will receive a free sample of a new whisky which is to be released in early 2012. In return, Jura is asking each recipient to review the whisky (which is as yet un-named) on The Duirach's Facebook or Twitter page. Why 42? Apparently, someone at the distillery really likes The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. To become a Duirach and to enter the competition, visit the www.isleofjura.com.

Shackleton > Whyte & Mackay challenge 'City Explorers'

Following the airing of a new documentary about the Shackleton whisky adventure in the USA, the whisky's creators Whyte & Mackay are challenging 'City Explorers' to find and win 10 bottles of this unique whisky. These bottles will be positioned in major UK cities throughout November and December. One bottle will be located in each of the 10 cities involved. To find each bottle, you will have to download the Repudo app on your iPhone, Blackberry or Android (it's free from the App Store). For full instructions on the competition and how to track down the bottles, go to the Whyte & Mackay blog. A great idea but if you get stuck or start wondering what the hell is going on (like I did - Matt) then go to this useful 'Help' page on the Repudo website.

Teacher's > New Christmas packaging

The popular blended whisky has announced that it will be packaged in a presentation box for the forthcoming Christmas period. The 70cl bottle will be sold in a carton for the first time since the 1980s. Teacher's, which was first produced in 1830 and has one of the highest single malt contents of any regular blend, is in the Top 5 for sales of blended whiskies in the UK and the move is to strengthen its position in the market. Peter Sandstrom, the Marketing Director of Maxxium UK, the brand's distributors, comments, “Teacher’s is one of the only blends to be in a gift carton this Christmas, which will provide an enhanced on shelf presence, and appeal to consumers looking for a premium and authentic blend this festive season".

New releases > Balblair 2001 Vintage

2011-11-09T19:04:00.000Z

The 2001 version of Balblair is the latest in a line of Vintages released by the Highland distillery - a range of single malt whiskies which are specially selected on the basis that, "our whisky tells us when it's ready, not the other way round" according to Distillery Manager John MacDonald. This policy started in 2007 and differs from the philosophy of most distilleries who release their whisky at various, well established age points such as 12, 18 and 25 years old.

Balblair is located in the picturesque village of Edderton, near to the town of Tain. It lies close to the shores of the Dornoch Firth, one of Scotland’s largest estuaries, with the the Highlands rising up behind and the Inverness-Thurso railway track running next to it. The distillery is one of Scotland's oldest (it was founded by John Ross in 1790), although the current buildings were constructed in 1893. Balblair is currently owned by Inver House Distillers, which is a subsidiary of the larger Thai Beverages group, and they have owned it since 1996. Balblair is currently running at full capacity, which gives an annual production of 1.8 million litres.

The Balblair 2001 Vintage is a landmark whisky for the distillery and Inver House. It is the first of their single malts to be released with a combination of being non-chill filtered, at a higher strength of 46% ABV and with no artificial colouring. Going forwards, all Balblair releases are being planned as such. This whisky has been matured in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 10 years of age. Balblair 2001 was launched last week at the distillery and we were delighted to be invited to be part of the festivities. It will be available from specialist whisky retailers and on-line retailers very shortly and has a recommended price of £32.99.

Our tasting notes
The colour of the new Vintage is pale lemon yellow and the nose is delicate and fresh with initial aromas of green orchard fruits (especially pears and apples), honey and vanilla. Underneath are a series of subtle aromas that are interwoven with the more obvious ones. These include malty cereals, coconut, something floral (think of honeysuckle), orange zest and hints of almond and nutmeg. A lovely and highly distinctive note of marzipan develops with significant time (15+ minutes) in the glass. On the palate, a delicious zesty tangy kicks things off (imagine lime and lemon) and it feels like this whisky has been dipped in honey. This is followed by a pleasant combination of sweet malty barley, juicy and crisp green fruit (think of the pear and apple again), vanilla and a pinch of drying baking spices, especially cinnamon and nutmeg. The finish again offers immediate and sustained freshness in the form of citrus zest, dry wood spices and the green fruits, although these are more reminiscent of dried pear and apple by this stage and this gives a good level of sweetness.

What's the verdict?
This Balblair 2001 Vintage is a fine example of a whisky in the lighter and fresher style. It shows excellent delicacy, subtlety and what can be achieved with the sympathetic use of quality casks during maturation. If you like your whiskies richer or smoky, then you may come away disappointed but this is a great whisky to sip on during warm weather or as an aperitif. While talking with John MacDonald at the launch, he commented that "this is my favourite of the younger Vintages" - it's hard to disagree with him.

Inbox > November 4, 2011

2011-11-04T19:25:00.000Z

Welcome to Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we will write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information if you want to. Here we go with this week's whisky news ...

Bespoke Post > Launches with a whisky theme

Bespoke Post is a new venture hat has just been launched in New York. The company is aimed at the discerning gentleman who want to learn about some of the finer things in life and discover about innovative products. You can sign up to be part of this and for a small fee will receive a monthly 'Box of Awesome' - a specially selected box of awesome products that relate to the monthly theme. The theme will change each month and the first theme is whisky. We have teamed up with Bespoke Post to write a 'Whisky 101' beginners guide to go in this month's package, which includes two hand blown whisky glasses, a set of whisky stones (these are chilled in the freezer and replace ice in your drink) and a couple of other cool surprises.

In return, Bespoke Post have offered our readers a special discount code if you sign up for the first three months of boxes. The whisky 'Box of Awesome' retails at $45, as do the other two, and our discount code gets you $10 off each one. Go to the Bespoke Post website, click on 'Join Now' and enter your details. When you get prompted for the discount code enter WHISKYFOREVERYONE and you will automatically save $30. Simple.

Glenmorangie > New Nectar D'Or released

Going for gold

The famous Highland distillery of Glenmorangie has announced that its popular Nectar D'Or single malt has been increased in age. The decision sees the whisky still matured in ex-bourbon American oak casks for 10 years before being moved to ex-Sauternes dessert wine barriques for five years - an addition of three years to the previous 12 years old release. The new version is non-chill filtered, bottled at 46% ABV and should cost around £45 - it will be available in specialist whisky retailers and larger supermarkets. According to Dr Bill Lumsden, the whisky's creator, “The result of extra-maturing for an additional three years has improved an already outstandingly voluptuous whisky; Nectar D’Òr 15 Years Old is characterised by rich flavours of luscious desserts and spicy oak tannins".

Jameson > Special bottling for the USA

Black is back

The best selling Irish whiskey in the world has announced the launch of a new exclusive bottling for the USA. The new whiskey is part of the Jameson Select Reserve series and is named Black Barrel. The new expression is made from specially selected grain whiskies which have been produced in small batches - this happens only once a year at the Midleton distillery (where Jameson is made) and then only for a very short time. The name Black Barrel refers to the fact that these special whiskies have then been matured solely in heavily flame charred ex-bourbon oak casks, before being blended in to the final product. This creates a rich and luxurious taste experience. The product was launched in Brooklyn last weekend.

Talisker > Sponsor the the world's 'most difficult' race

The famous single malt from the Isle of Skye on Scotland's west coast has continued its recent nautical theme but announcing a sponsorship deal for what is regarded as the 'world's most difficult' race. The Woodvale Atlantic Challenge is a biennial event and the sponsorship covers this years race, which starts on 4 December, and the one in 2013. The race begins in the Canary Islands and finishes in Barbados, following the mid-Atlantic route taken by Christopher Columbus. The route is 2,933 miles (4,720 km) long and is expected to take around six weeks to complete. Teams from Canada, Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the USA are entered for this year's race, named The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.

Whisky 4 Movember > Glenfarclas & Master of Malt join in

It’s November, so that means it's time for Whisky For Movember - the official and fun UK charity that raises money during November through people growing moustaches (or a 'mo' - get it?) for the whole month. The group is made up of people from across the whisky industry - writers, bloggers and drinkers. For more details or to donate can be found at the official website or on Twitter.

Whisky For Movember is part of the larger Movember charity group, which was started in Australia. Movember aims to raise awareness and money for a series of male health issues, primarily The Prostate Cancer Charity and testicular cancer charities. For further details or to donate to Movember, then check out www.movember.com.

Each year there is a special whisky bottled for the cause. This year's offering sees the Speyside distillery of Glenfarclas team up with online retailer Master of Malt. The single malt was distilled in Spetember 2002 and has been bottled at nine years of age. It has been made from just two ex-Oloroso sherry casks and has been bottled at the cask strength of 53% ABV. Each bottle will cost £39.95 and can be purchased from the Master of Malt website. £10 from each sale will be donated to Movember.

The Whisky Round Table > November 2011

2011-11-02T20:06:00.000Z

The latest edition of The Whisky Round Table is now available for all to read. For those of you that may have just discovered us, The Whisky Round Table is the brainchild of Jason Johnston-Yellin - the author of the 'must read' whisky blog Guid Scotch Drink. His idea was to gather together 12 whisky bloggers from around the world and get them to discuss a whisky topic once a month. The hosting of The Round Table is passed around the 12 members, with each host setting the question for each month - the subjects have been wide and varied to date. Links to the previous editions of Whisky Round Table articles can be found by clicking here.

This month's host was scheduled to be Mark and his excellent Glasgow Whisky (& Ale) blog. However, he has had to leave his seat on the Round Table due to other (and numerous) commitments, which include running a whisky shop, forum and festival! Therefore, Jason has stepped in as 'emergency host' and has set a lovely, simple question about festive gifts. Click here to read the answers from the remaining Knights. We hope that you enjoy the answers and please feel free to add a comment at the bottom of Jason's posting. What would your choices be?

The Whisky Round Table can also be followed on Twitter. Come and join us @WhiskyKnights for updates and news from the Round Table and its members.

New releases > Chichibu 'The First'

2011-11-01T19:48:00.000Z

The youngest distillery in Japan has released its first single malt, named The First. Chichibu (pronounced chich-e-boo) started production in 2008 and was the first new distillery to be built in Japan since the 1970s. The distillery was the brainchild of Ichiro Akuto, a legendary figure in the Japanese whisky industry. It is located in the town of Chichibu, which is around 80km to the north west of Tokyo. The distillery has a number of interesting features, including rare washback tanks made from Japanese oak.

This three years old single malt is the first official whisky from Chichibu and follows on from two releases of new make spirit (one very young heavily peated version and one older non-peated version) . The First is constructed from just 31 specially selected ex-bourbon casks, which have yielded 7,400 bottles at a cask strength of 61.8% ABV. These will be sold through selected specialist whisky retailers in Japan, the UK and France for £90/€115 per bottle. The product was launched at Whisky Live in Paris at the end of September and in Japan on 10 October.

Our tasting notes
The colour of The First is a bright golden yellow and the nose is fresh and full of immediate vanilla and honey aromas. Then comes some spicy oak notes, which are reminiscent of pencil shavings mixed with a pinch of nutmeg and ginger. The nose is obviously sweet and has other delicious aromas which develop with time - think of vanilla custard, green apples and a hint of lemon zest. On the palate, this replicates the gorgeous concentration of notes from the nose - especially the vanilla, honey and wood spices. It feels creamy and a little oily with a pleasant softness that belies its high alcoholic strength. The only hint of the 61.8% ABV is a bit of peppery heat burn in the background. Lovely notes of coconut and dried mango come through also. The overall feeling is surprisingly delicate. The finish begins sweetly with the honey note prominent, before becoming drier with plenty of woody oak spice. The addition of water accentuates the vanilla and makes the palate even creamier, without any of the peppery burn.

What's the verdict?
The friend that we were tasting this with commented almost immediately, "how can this only be three years old?" We have to agree - this is so gorgeously delicious, complex, developed and balanced (even at 61.8% ABV) that it deserves to be sampled by all whisky lovers. If the results are this amazing at this point in time, you have to ask the question - how good are the next and older releases of this single malt going to be? There is a new whisky on the block - it's name is Chichibu and it has arrived with a bang.

Inbox > October 28, 2011

2011-10-28T06:55:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we will write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information if you want to. Here we go with the whisky news ... there's quite a bit this week!

Auchentoshan > Switch contest reaches finale

Martin stirs it up

A few weeks ago, we wrote in Inbox about an initiative being run by the Scottish Lowland distillery of Auchentoshan. The Switch is a contest that sees a bartender from either side of the Atlantic swap countries to work in a top bar for one week. We attended the UK final which was held in London earlier this week, which saw 18 top mixologists go head-to-head for the chance to work in the famous Apotheke bar in New York. The winner was Martin Ball from Corridor in Manchester, who created the Tight Corner Fizz using Auchentoshan Three Wood whisky and then had to present an Auchentoshan Master Class in the final. The US winner was Charles Joly from The Drawing Room in Chicago. He will work at the legendary 69 Colebrooke Row in London for a week.

Ballantine's > Christmas Reserve 2011 launched

Christmas comes early

The popular blended Scotch whisky has announced the release a new product for Christmas. The Ballantine's Christmas Reserve has been created by Ballantine's Master Blender Sandy Hyslop and has been designed to have a seasonal profile of dried fruits, cinnamon, spiced orange, pears and apples. It will appear between now and Christmas in limited quantities and in limited markets including France, Spain, Taiwan and the UK. To support the the 2011 launch, Ballantine’s Brand Ambassador Fredrik Olsson has created a series of seasonal cocktails using the Christmas Reserve - the Golden Saffron Martini, the Spiced Hot Chocolate and Hot Christmas Punch - which we hope to have a go at making! Check out www.chivasbrothers.com for more info.

Bowmore > Tempest Batch No.3 released

A stormy dram?

The famous Islay distillery of Bowmore, which is the oldest on the island (founded 1779), has released Batch No.3 of its popular Tempest bottling. The Tempest batches are released at cask strength and are matured for 10 years in ex-bourbon casks - 55.6% ABV and first filled casks respectively in this case. Batch No.3 follows the two previous batches, which hauled in the prizes at various prestigious whisky awards and built up a cult following of fans.

Bowmore's Brand Manager Cara Laing comments, “We’ve released a small batch of Bowmore Tempest annually to great response. Every batch is slightly different but always reflects Bowmore’s raw spirit – it’s like tasting a dram straight out of a first fill bourbon cask in our famous No.1 Vaults." There are 11,000 bottles and they are available now worldwide with a suggested price of £50.

Buffalo Trace > Antique Collection 2011

The famous five

The popular Buffalo Trace distillery from Kentucky has announced that this year's Antique Collection will get a limited release in the UK, following the full release in the USA back in September. The distillery makes numerous brands and they have been releasing some special editions of these on an annual basis since 2000. This year's highly anticipated bottlings are - Eagle Rare 17 years old, George T. Stagg 71.3% ABV, Sazerac 18 years old Rye, Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye and W. L. Weller Wheated Rye. Previous bottlings have been highly awarded at various shows and also in past editions of Jim Murray's Whisky Bible. The bourbons will be distributed in the UK by Hi-Spirits. For further info, check out this article on the must read www.bourbonblog.com.

Chivas > Employ Oscar winning director for project

The Chivas Regal blended Scotch has teamed up with Oscar winning director Joachim Back to produce two films about friendship. The films, entitled Big Bear and Twinkle, centre around a group of four friends and follows them through the trials and tribulations of life. The films form part of Chivas Regal’s ongoing Live with Chivalry campaign which launched in 2008 and encourages men to aspire to not just to have more, but to be more. Film and Chivas Regal lovers can raise a glass to Big Bear or Twinkle and discover the full story online at www.chivas.com from 31 October 2011. In the meantime, below is a short trailer ...

Drinkaware > New interactive video

The UK Drinkaware initiative, of which we are proud to be part, have released a new interactive video to help parents explain to their children about the effects of alcohol on their bodies and behaviour. Drinkaware are an independent charity that aims to change the UK's drinking habits for the better by promoting responsible drinking of alcohol. They do this by spreading knowledge and setting up initiatives to change the nation's drinking culture and help to reduce alcohol misuse. This new video, which you can take part with below, tackles the tricky subject of how to communicate with children and break down some of the 'myths' about alcohol by talking with them. Have a go and see where your conversation leads ... it's good fun and cleverly done, but with a serious message.

Bowmore Great Outdoors whisky tasting & photography workshop

2011-10-27T21:10:00.002+01:00

We were recently invited to a special evening at the London branch of The Whisky Shop to celebrate an event held by Bowmore single malt whisky to celebrate the launch of the National Geographic UK 2011 International Photography Contest. The competition asks budding photographers to enter their favourite photograph for the chance to be featured in a future issue of UK National Geographic magazine and to win a trip to the isle of Islay, the home of Bowmore.

The evening was hosted by Colin Prior, renowned landscape and travel photographer. The event was an inspiring mix of photography workshop and informal whisky tasting. Throughout the evening we tasted Bowmore 12 years old, 15 years old 'Darkest' and the 18 years old.

We were handed a glass of each expression of Bowmore single malt whisky which Colin tasted with us in a refreshingly informal manner. He then got serious and ran us through a number of collections of his work while the crowd supped on their drams. All throughout the presentation Colin was imparting valuable tips and tricks to make any novice photographer get that bit more out of any holiday photos. Colin provided us with an insight into his choice of subjects, a few tales of his adventures while trying to get the 'perfect shot' and more than our fair share of helpful photography tips. we thought the best way we could pass on the experience was to pass on a few of his easy but intelligent photography tips and tricks.

Colin's Tips and Tricks
- Consider the background of any image. A simple plain background will work best for many posed images, however when the location is the key to the image ensure that you include a few key carefully positioned items in the background. Never make the background too cluttered.
- When the subject of the image is a person, make sure that their eyes are sharply in focus, as you will always look at the sharpest part of the image.
- Morning and dusk are ideal times of the day to take landscapes as the soft warm light helps bring out depth in the image making the composition feel more three dimensional.
- Use points of reference for scale. An object of know size can help give a larger object real scale and drama.
- Understand your camera's ISO. This feature is on almost all cameras and can really help you exploit the light available to you. A low ISO will suit bright sunlight and avoid images being 'washed out' while a high ISO will stop low light images being 'murky' and dull.

Have a look at some of Colin's inspiring images at www.colinprior.co.uk.
To enter the competition visit the National Geographic website. Don't dawdle. Closing date Monday 31st October 2011.

Have just tried > Old Pulteney 21 years old

2011-10-26T22:10:00.001+01:00

The news story of this week has seen Old Pulteney gain a major accolade for its 21 years old expression. It was named as World Whisky of the Year in the latest edition of the Jim Murray Whisky Bible. The 2012 edition is the 9th version of the book, in which whisky expert Jim Murray samples a staggering 1,500 new whiskies in an intense four month period each year. The 21 years old topped this years list with a record equaling 97.5 out of 100. Jim Murray has a strict set of criteria that he follows with each whisky he samples and whiskies have to be exceptional to get marks in the high 80s or early 90s. In the nine years of the book, Old Pulteney is only the second Scottish distillery to land this prestigious accolade.

The Old Pulteney distillery, or simply Pulteney as the locals call it, is the most northerly mainland distillery in Scotland. Located in the Highland fishing town of Wick, it lies just 15 miles south of the UK's most northerly point of John O'Groats. Old Pulteney is currently owned by Inver House Distillers, which is part of the larger Thai group InBev, and has a production capacity of three million litres a year. The distillery was founded in 1826 by James Henderson and was named after Sir William Johnstone Pulteney, the herring industry's leading light of the day. It is one of the few distilleries to be named after a person.

Last year we were lucky enough to pay a visit to the distillery and for more information about Pulteney - click here to read our report. Their core range consists of a 12, 17, 21 and 30 years old. The brand has grown massively in the last three years and this has seen Old Pulteney climb into the top 20 for world sales of single malts.This 21 years old is bottled at 46% ABV and has the highest percentage of sherry cask maturation of any whisky in their core range - 30% has been matured in ex-fino sherry casks, with the other 70% matured in re-fill ex-bourbon casks. The recent new re-branded packaging is pictured above.

Our tasting notes
The award seems the perfect time to re-visit a sample that we have at home and construct some more detailed tasting notes than we have offered before. So, here goes ...

The colour is golden amber and the nose is packed with lovely aromas - something nutty (think of almonds), vanilla, oatcakes, crisp red apples, dried fruits and caramel (the combination of the last two is reminiscent of toffee apples). Other aromas are less prominent and appear with increased time in the glass, especially hints of ripe banana and malty cereals. On the palate, this is drier than expected and is packed with oak, cinnamon and nutmeg notes initially. It feels buttery and creamy in the mouth with pleasant toffee-like sweetness complimenting the wood spices of earlier. The dried fruitiness from the nose is also present, with notes of sultana particularly evident, along with further elements of almonds, vanilla, burnt sugar and a hint of saltiness that cuts through the richness to give balance. The finish is again dry and delicious, if not slightly short, and becomes saltier as the flavours disappear.

What's the verdict?
This is a lovely whisky and one that deserves to be in the spotlight, although only the individual whisky drinker can judge whether it is the World Whisky of the Year for them. Naturally to come to this conclusion, the whisky has to be to your taste and style. What this exposure will do is bring not just the 21 years old, but the distillery and its single malt range to a far wider audience. This can only be a good thing and it is deserved as Pulteney has long been an under-rated or overlooked distillery. If you get the chance to try it, then we highly recommend that you do.

We would like to take this opportunity to send our congratulations to Malcolm Waring, the Distillery Manager at Pulteney, and those people that we know at Inver House on this great award. We raise a glass to you all.

New releases > St. George's Chapter 11

2011-10-25T19:51:00.000+01:00

St. George's is the first whisky distillery to be built and produce whisky in England for almost 200 years. The distillery is located in the heart of East Anglia, close to the town of Roudham in Norfolk (about 2 hours north east of London). The distillery is operated by The English Whisky Company, which was founded in 2005 by Andrew and James Nelstrop.

The construction of the new facilities began shortly afterwards and the first spirit came off the stills in November 2006. The St. George's spirit is made from locally grown Norfolk barley and is matured predominantly in ex-bourbon casks. The distillery has already won many plaudits for its innovation and quality of spirit and whisky produced to date, which are released as a series of Chapters.

Each Chapter signifies a different style of whisky or spirit. Initially, the first releases were new make or part aged spirit, but now the range is expanding more as the whisky comes of age and reaches the three year minimum mark. The amount of Chapters is only going to increase, especially given the experimentation with different casks that is happening at the distillery. We have listed a definition of what each Chapter is on a previous blog post - to read this click here.

These two whiskies are the first bottled as Chapter 11, which is made using heavily peated malted barley. The regular version is bottled at an alcoholic strength of 46% ABV and costs £45, while the Cask Strength version is bottled at 59.7% ABV and costs £65. Both are un-chillfiltered and were released in July of this year. They can be purchased from The English Whisky Co. website or selected specialist whisky retailers.

Chapter 11 Heavily Peated - 46% ABV

The colour of this regular bottling is a pale lemon yellow and the nose is youthful and fresh, but full of interesting aromas. There is initial vanilla and oat cake notes, with plenty of pungent peat which mixes grassy, earthy and mossy notes with iodine. Other aromas develop with time - zesty lemon, red chilli and warm buttery toast (this last one is particularly pleasant).

On the palate, this feels creamy and a bit soapy to begin with. Fresh, tangy and acidic elements soon join in and these include notes of crisp green apple, lemon zest and vibrant chilli-like heat from the youthful spirit. Underneath are vital, yet subtle, notes of vanilla, honey and oat biscuit. These are all underpinned by robust mossy peat smoke. The finish is of decent length and combines sweet honey and vegetal, leafy smokiness well. This is a very interesting whisky and one that changes dramatically with time in the glass - it was almost unrecognisable after 15 minutes. It grows on you, increasing with intensity and enjoyment.

Chapter 11 Heavily Peated - 59.7% ABV

This Cask Strength version has a pale lemon yellow colour and the nose is surprisingly light for a whisky of this strength. However, it is vibrant, clean and fresh with plenty going on. There is an initial whiff of surgical spirit which evolves in to a lovely vegetal peaty smokiness (think of wet leaves and moss). There are also aromas of vanilla, lemon zest and olive oil.

The lightness of the nose lulls you in to a false sense of security, as the palate is feisty with plenty of initial hot spice (imagine red chillis and cracked pepper). It quickly settles down with the saliva in the mouth and a sweetness hits the tip of your tongue with a blast of gorgeous honey and oak. Then come further vanilla, creamy coconut, tangy lemon and drying wood spices, reminiscent of cinnamon. All of the time a warm dense peaty smoke burns away. The finish is gloriously long with the smokiness, some dry wood spices and a hint of salt all combining well. The taste of peat smoke can still be detected at least 10 minutes later.

What's the verdict?
Both of these whiskies are good but in different ways. The regular 46% bottling develops dramatically in to a lovely dram given time and patience in the glass. It combines creamy and tangy well and has numerous enjoyable characteristics. The Cask Strength 59.7% bottling is more immediate, impactful and 'in your face' with plenty of feisty elements that settle down and mingle with time.

Both whiskies are clearly youthful and some may shy away from them because of that. However, these whiskies (as with most of the St. George's range) show what can be achieved in a relatively short time with quality workmanship and casking. Long may it continue and we can't wait to see what the next Chapter will be ...

New releases > Diageo Special Releases 2011

2011-10-24T20:51:00.000+01:00

Each Autumn sees the highly anticipated release of a selection of single malt whiskies from the portfolio of drinks giant Diageo, which owns 28 whisky distilleries in Scotland. For the Special Releases programme they have traditionally mixed limited edition expressions from some of their flagship distilleries with very rare and older whiskies from some of the lesser known parts of their estate. Some of these include whiskies from closed distilleries whose stocks have dwindled to almost critical levels. This year's selection of eight whiskies are mostly bottled at the natural cask strength and are non chill filtered.

We attended the launch of these products in London recently. Below is a round-up and details of each of the whiskies for the Special Releases 2011, with our tasting notes from the launch evening.

Brora 32 years old

Single malts from this coastal north Highland distillery, which closed in 1983, are now very rare. This bottling consists of just 1,500 bottles and rumour has it that this may be one of the last ever releases that Diageo can bottle. It is their oldest ever bottling of Brora and this had been matured in a combination of re-fill ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. The alcohol strength is 54.7% ABV and it will have a recommended retail price (RRP) of £300.

The colour is dark gold and the nose is initially reserved, but reveals more with time - there are aromas of honeycomb, vanilla, cereals, icing sugar, dried grasses, bonfire-like ash and a hint of mint. On the palate, this whisky is oily, soft and mellow. The honeycomb and vanilla sweetness from the nose is there but is joined by more fruit, especially dried fruit like raisins and candied lemon peel. These are backed up by soft cereal notes and hints of sea salt and mint. All the time a bonfire-like ashiness is burning away in the background. The finish becomes drier than expected, with more smokiness prominent. The addition of water releases a previously undetected floral note, which is reminiscent of honeysuckle, and makes it feel even creamier and softer than before.

Caol Ila 12 years old Unpeated

This Islay distillery is well known and regarded for it soft peaty single malts, but once a year they produce a small batch of unpeated whisky. Most of this is used within Diageo's range of popular blends but some of the best casks are kept for release. This is the sixth such release and has been matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks, which has yielded just under 6,000 bottles. It has been bottled at an eye-watering 64% ABV and will have an RRP of £55.

The colour is a delicate lemon yellow and the nose is unexpectedly restrained for a whisky of such high ABV. There are subtle notes of vanilla, honey, green apples and floral blossoms, with a hint of surgical spirit. However, it lulls you in to a false sense of security - it wakes up on your palate and the high ABV hits it with a BANG. The whisky feels light and tangy with plenty fighting for your attention. There are notes of feisty cracked pepper, lemon zest, vanilla, burnt icing sugar, buttery oat cakes and surgical spirit. The finish is clean, fresh and dry. This whisky benefits from the addition of water, and can take quite a lot. This takes away the surgical spirit aspect, giving a lovely creaminess and more delicacy.

Glenury Royal 40 years old
Whisky from this east Highland distillery are extremely rare and highly sought after. Glenury Royal closed in 1983 and has since been demolished. Recent releases have been scarce and this is one of the oldest ever expressions that Diageo have bottled from the remaining stocks. There are just 1,404 bottles, each of which is individually numbered, and it has been maturing in the same re-fill ex-bourbon casks since 1970. It has an RRP of £525.

This Glenury Royal was unfortunately not available for tasting at the launch event, due to the highly rare nature of the whisky. This was a shame, as we have never tasted anything from this closed distillery and we plan to update these notes if we ever get the chance to try it.

Knockando 25 years old

The 12 years old bottling from the small Speyside distillery of Knockando is one of Diageo's best sellers, but older expressions such as this one are much harder to come by. This has been maturing in first fill ex-sherry casks since 1985 and has been bottled at a slightly reduced strength of 43% ABV. There are fewer than 4,500 bottles in this limited release and each one carries an RRP of £135.

The colour is a dark amber and the nose is rich and intense. There are aromas of butterscotch, toffee and raisins immediately, after which some further understated oak spices (especially cinnamon and nutmeg) come through. There is something savoury in the background also, which is difficult to pinpoint. The palate is rich and oily, with that savoury note becoming more immediately prominent - maybe there is a whiff of peat smoke? There are sugary fudge notes, which are supported by plenty of dark dried fruits such as raisins, figs and dates. In addition, there are further background notes of cocoa, coffee grounds and baking spice. The long, warm finish begins sweetly before becoming pleasantly drier and almost like an Armagnac.

Lagavulin 12 years old

This Islay distillery is one of Diageo's flagship single malts and the popular 16 years old forms part of their iconic Classic Malts series. It is well loved for its peaty, smoky style of whisky and this one will be no different. This expression is bottled at the natural cask strength of 57.5% ABV and has become a regular feature in recent Special Releases programmes. It has been matured in re-fill ex-bourbon casks and will have an RRP of £63.

This whisky is pale gold in colour and the nose is fiery, intense and complex. There is initial chilli spice and heavy peat, which is interlaced with iodine and damp moss aromas. Underneath is further aromas of coal tar soap and some much needed sweetness in the form of vanilla and honey. The palate is lightly oily and pleasantly salty with some initial chilli heat. This subsides as the whisky mingles with the saliva in the mouth to give some creamy, buttery vanilla, honey and cereal notes. The peatiness is always present but is now a combination of being sweet and earthy and a little bonfire-like and ashy. There are also hints of mint and liquorice. The finish is powerful, smoky and bittersweet.

Port Dundas 20 years old

Port Dundas is a grain distillery in Glasgow which closed a couple of years ago. Whiskies from this distillery are very rare, as most are used to produce Diageo's range of blends. This is a 100% single grain whisky and is the first ever such release to appear in the Special Releases. It has been bottled at 57.4% ABV and there are 1,920 bottles. The bottling has been made from just three casks - one new American oak, one new European oak and one re-fill ex-bourbon cask - and has an RRP of £135.

The colour is a deep amber brown and the nose is expressive and tempting. First comes some aromas of bitter orange (this is reminiscent of marmalade), dark chocolate and old furniture polish. These are joined by aromas of bitter sweet cereal grains, distinct wood spices (think of cinnamon bark and nutmeg) and burnt brown sugar. On the palate this feels viscous, oily and a bit heavy, with plenty of robust notes present - vanilla, molasses, dark chocolate, coffee, burnt orange, bitter sweet cereals and drying wood spices. The impact is impressive. The finish is long and complex with the orange and spices most evident. The addition of water softens the whisky and brings out further creamy oak and the coffee note in particular. Very interesting to try this.

Port Ellen 32 years old

This is the 11th release in the series from this fabled Islay distillery, which closed in 1983. Port Ellen stocks are said to be running very low and this release contains just 2,988 individually numbered bottles. This is Diageo's oldest release of Port Ellen to date and has been maturing in re-fill ex-bourbon casks since 1978. It has been bottled at 53.9% ABV and has an RRP of £300. Previous releases in this series have seriously increased in value, some by over 150%, so this is one to watch.

Everyone, as ever, was excited by this Port Ellen. The colour is golden yellow and the nose is very subtle, almost understated. There are delicate aromas of honey, freshly baked bread, vanilla, lemon zest, bonfire ash and a hint of surgical bandages. With time, some leafy green vegetation aromas come through also. On the palate, this feels oily and there is a very good mix of sweet and savoury notes. Sweet - hints of tropical dried fruit, vanilla, honey and toffee. Savoury - oat cake biscuits, bonfire ash, fresh green vegetation, hints of menthol, tangy lemon and sea salt. The finish is long and very warming with a nutty feel that develops, along with the distinct honey, lemon zest and increasingly dry ashiness. The addition of water softens everything with the green vegetal smokiness being allowed to come to the fore finally.

Rosebank 21 years old

This whisky is from another closed distillery, this time from the Lowlands of Scotland between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Rosebank was founded in 1798 and would be one of Scotland's oldest distilleries if it were still in operation. However, it closed in 1993 and despite almost constant rumours of it re-opening, it never has. This expression has been matured in a combination of re-fill ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, and there are 5,886. Remaining stocks are low, so the RRP of £160 seems like a bit of bargain.

The colour of this is a pale gold yellow and the nose is full of delicious, yet subtle aromas. There are notes of honey, oaty cereals, candied lemon, golden syrup, green apple, soft flowers (like honeysuckle) and sherbet sweets. The light palate is initially full of tangy lemon citrus notes (similar to "lemon cheesecake" - © Colin Dunn), before these give way to softer and more delicate ones - honey, vanilla, a pinch of baking spice, coconut, bittersweet cereal grains, soft oak and a hint of cocoa powder. The finish is dry and delicate, with everything in glorious balance and no one element dominating or overpowering another. It is exceptional as it is, but with water it is also very good - plenty of white oak, creamy coconut and floral notes come out.

What's the verdict?
Well, the verdict is that all of the whiskies in this year's Special Releases are good! The diversity of distilleries is thought provoking, mixing well known ones with much rarer or closed ones, as is the inclusion of a single grain whisky. So, which was our favourite of the night? This is a tough question as the quality was so high ...

Let's start with the younger whiskies - the Lagavulin was delicious and feisty, while the Caol Ila unpeated is an interesting experiment but one that we have never really enjoyed or been as good as expected. The single grain Port Dundas was also interesting to try and was full of dark characteristics, as was the rare Knockando. The Port Ellen won many plaudits (and quite rightly so) amongst those in attendance at the tasting, but our two favourites were the Brora and the Rosebank. Both were exceptional whiskies and were the two that we went back for a sneaky second helping of before we left (thanks Tom and Colin!).

Inbox > October 21, 2011

2011-10-21T18:51:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we will write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information if you want to. Here we go with this week's whisky news ...

Bowmore > Islay Taste Map launched

This Autumn, Bowmore - Islay's oldest single malt whisky dating back to 1779 - has collaborated with whisky writer Martine Nouet to create the Islay Taste Map. In a bold move to support the Islay category as a whole, the map is the ideal guide to the complex and varied characters of Islay’s eight distilleries - Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin & Laphroaig. It has been launched as an educational tool for both the on-trade and off-trade, and will be available for consumers to access online from November. The map brings to life the elements Earth, Air, Fire and Water using colour-coordinated taste profiles to illustrate how each of the elements is reflected in the whiskies from each distillery. The map also explains the character profile and whisky tasting notes for expressions from each distillery. In development for over a year, the map has been created with Martine Nouet, an Islay resident.

Glen Garioch > New 25 years old vintage launched

The Aberdeenshire distillery has announced its latest small batch vintage expression, the Glen Garioch 1986 - the fifth special addition to the Glen Garioch single malt range. Just 3,000 bottles are to be released in Canada, France, Netherlands, the UK and the US. To celebrate the release Glen Garioch has linked up with Mellis Cheesemongers to partner the dram with a specially selected cheese which complements and enhances the flavour - Criffel, voted Best Scottish Cheese at the 2011 Cheese Awards. The Glen Garioch 1986 will retail at £125 from selected specialist retailers. John Mullen, the Glen Garioch Brand Manager says, “Our small batch casks are handpicked at the peak of their perfection and are selected to display the quality of liquid produced by our artisan Highland distillery. The 1986 adds new flavour and depth to our limited edition range. With a cask strength 54.6% ABV and non-chill filtration, it’s firmly aimed at the whisky connoisseur.”

Glengoyne > New visitor centre opens

The Glengoyne distillery, located near Loch Lomond in Scotland, is celebrating the launch of a brand new shop and visitor centre. Over £300,000 has been invested in the visitor facilities, with further renovations planned in 2012. This comes in addition to £200,00 spent on renovating the Manager’s House in 2007 and £2.5 million spent on operational upgrades to the distillery such as new warehousing and stills. The features inside the new shop include a tasting area and a ‘Pour Your Own Dram’ facility, where guests can fill and label their own bottles direct from an exclusive single cask, before declaring it in the Customs book. The cask currently available is an American oak first fill ex-bourbon hogshead from June 2000, cask number 1016, which is priced at £75.00. Further info can found on www.glengoyne.com.

Glenrothes > Vintage Maker 2012 competition

Following the success of this year’s Whisky Maker competition, which attracted close to 10,000 entries, the Glenrothes has announced the launch of Vintage Maker 2012. There will be three separate competitions resulting in four winners each from the UK, the USA and from the rest of the world. The winners will be recruited to work as The Glenrothes Vintage Makers to create the Glenrothes Vintage 2012.

This will involve learning the art of making The Glenrothes and spending time working at each stage of the production process - this includes testing the purity of the water source, milling the malt, mashing, adding yeast to the washbacks and overseeing fermentation, distilling new make spirit in copper pot stills and making casks at the cooperage. The winners will also nose single malt from maturing casks to assess whether the contents are of the quality and maturity expected and will stay in Rothes House, a private home belonging to the family that owns The Glenrothes. The competition will run until 31 January 2012. For further information and to enter, go to www.theglenrothes.com/vintagemaker.

The Whisky Lounge, Manchester - October 2011

2011-10-19T20:27:00.000+01:00

The Whisky Lounge is a company that brings the world of whisky to the masses. The company is founder by former Glenmorangie UK Brand Ambassador Eddie Ludlow and is multi faceted. Eddie operates both corporate and consumer whisky tasting events, plus offers a consultation and training service for bars, companies and whisky brands. Perhaps the most well known facet of the company to the wider audience are The Whisky Lounge Whisky Festivals - a series of shows that travel around the UK and that are aimed at attracting a new crowd to the genre of single malts and blended whiskies.

As Eddie puts it, "The Whisky Lounge is dedicated to the evangelism and enjoyment of whisky. Our aim is to preach the whisky word as far and wide as possible; making new friends, whilst giving people who are already converted a place to feel at home".

It was one of these shows that Eddie invited us to last weekend. The 2011 version of The Whisky Lounge's UK tour has taken in places such as Newcastle, Brighton, Liverpool and York to date, and last weekend was the turn of Manchester. The event was held in the central location at the Lowry Hotel, which overlooks one of city's old canals. Having only ever been to whisky shows in London, we were interested to see how the experience was going to be different, if at all. The show was split in to two sections (11am-3pm and then 4pm-8pm) and after an early morning train journey from London, some retail therapy for Karen and some essential lunch, we headed for the show.

The line up of the festival mixed big whisky names such as Glenfiddich and Glenlivet with small, independent distilleries like Kilchoman and Arran, plus the independent bottling companies of Berry Bothers & Rudd and Gordon & MacPhail. It also ran a series of 'master classes' throughout the day and these covered a variety of subjects, with the emphasis on the whisky beginner.

The show gave us a chance to chat with some of our best 'whisky friends' that we have met in the three years that we have been writing Whisky For Everyone - Eddie himself, Lukasz Dynowiak of the Edinburgh Whisky blog who was working on the Inver House stand, Ronnie Routledge from the Glenglassaugh distillery, Colin Dunn of Diageo, Chris Maybin of Compass Box and Michael Morris from Cooley. We thank them all for their time, their continued support for what we are trying to do and for the drams given on the day!

However, the highlight had to be meeting up with Ian Chang, the Master Distiller at the Taiwanese distillery of Kavalan (pictured, left). Ian has always been very supportive of us and of Whisky For Everyone since our first meeting with him about two years ago. This includes allowing us to become the first whisky bloggers in the world to write about his products and sending us samples of his ground breaking new whiskies as they are released.

We cannot thank him enough for this and were delighted when he extended a personal invite to us to attend his Kavalan 'master class' at the show. Within the 'master class' the group sampled four expressions of Kavalan and were taken through the production processes, casking strategy and key differences between his whisky and Scotch. Ian's presentation, which was designed to introduce the brand to beginners, was also filled with numerous interesting facts. Our favourite one was that Kavalan gets one million visitors a year - this is 10 times as many as the most popular Scottish distillery (Glenfiddich)!

Kavalan whiskies have won many plaudits in its short life time and is currently only available in China, Taiwan and selected south east Asian cities. But plans are afoot to distribute the brand in the UK and selected European markets, hence this first ever appearance at a European whisky festival. We were also delighted to meet and speak at length to Ian's assistant Joanie Tseng and Dr. Jim Swan, the consultant who has helped Kavalan with their whisky production and selection of casks.

Overall, the show was very well organised and we enjoyed our time very much. Nearly 1,000 people came through the doors - the first 11am-3pm session seemed especially chilled out and the opportunity to speak at length with those on the stands was better than during the second session, which seemed much busier but still maintained a more relaxed feel than most London whisky shows. Our hats go off to Eddie and his team who pulled off a successful event and must have introduced many new whisky brands to the festival goers. Everyone we saw or spoke had enjoyed it greatly.

Have just tried > Balblair 1978 Vintage

2011-10-18T21:36:00.000+01:00

This old single malt whisky is from the Balblair distillery in the north Highlands of Scotland. It was added to their core range of Vintage whiskies in late 2009, when it replaced the award winning 1975 Vintage, and was released as a 3,000 bottle limited edition. The Balblair core range is released as vintages, rather than the more common age statement in numbers of years. Distillery Manager John MacDonald explains, "our whisky tells us when it's ready, not the other way round. Each vintage is hand picked from a selection of our finest casks, once its optimum maturation point is reached". The core range normally includes four Vintages, with a couple of others released exclusively for the Duty Free/travel retail market.

Balblair is located in the picturesque village of Edderton, near to the town of Tain. It lies close to the shores of the Dornoch Firth, one of Scotland’s largest estuaries, with the mountains of the Highlands rising behind it and the North Highland Inverness-Thurso railway track running next to it. The distillery is one of Scotland's oldest, having been founded by John Ross in 1790, although the current buildings were constructed in 1893. One cool story is that direct descendants of John Ross are currently working at the distillery and they feel this provides an important heritage link to its past. Balblair is currently owned by Inver House Distillers, which is a subsidiary of the larger Thai Beverages group, and they have owned it since 1996. The current annual production capacity is 1.3 million litres.

Our tasting notes
The colour is golden yellow with an amber tint. The nose is an interesting combination of rich, deep aromas - there are dried fruits (raisins, sultanas and dates), toffee and spicy cinnamon bark - and lighter fresher ones - imagine green apples, cereal grains, fresh grass and a hint of gooseberry. The overall mix gives a very pleasant scent. On the palate, a similar thing happens - it is rich but with lighter elements coming through, which makes the whisky very complex. It also has a slightly oily texture in the mouth. The key notes detected are vanilla, coconut, honey, fresh green apples and pears, almonds, plenty of delicate drying oak spices, plus hints of pepper and tropical fruits (especially mango, banana and pineapple). The dry wood spices (especially some cinnamon) seem to increase with time and carry through to a decently long finish - this begins sweetly with pleasant vanilla and tropical fruit before distinct cereal grains come through.

What's the verdict?
This Balblair 1978 Vintage is a delightful whisky, although one which is hard to define. It seems to begin with plenty of richness on both the nose and palate, but then reveals numerous light, delicate and subtle characteristics. This demonstrates sympathetic and balanced casking during maturation. The other pleasant surprise is the freshness of this whisky given its age of 30 years. It combines this freshness (which is so often missing in old whiskies) with a depth and complexity which makes this a dram to savour. A bottle should cost around £150 from specialist whisky retailers.

Inbox > October 14, 2011

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Welcome to Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we will write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information if you want to. Here we go with this week's whisky news ...

Benriach & Glendronach > Announce two exclusives

Vote for Pedro

The independent Benriach Distillery Company, who own both the Benriach and Glendronach distilleries, have announced two UK exclusive bottlings. Both are from a single Pedro Ximinez sherry cask, with one from each distillery, and both were distilled in 1995, before being bottled in August of this year. The Benriach version was distilled in May 1995 and the cask has given 695 bottles (all hand numbered) at a natural cask strength of 58.3% ABV. The Glendronach was distilled in November 1995 and there are 725 bottles at the natural cask strength of 56.2% ABV. Both bottlings are available now from selected UK specialist whisky retailers and should both cost around the £60 mark.

Dalmore > Partnered with Lutwyche shoes

A nose of leather, autumnal leaves & gravel

The luxury tailor Lutwyche has teamed up with the Highland single malt of Dalmore to produce a gift pack with a difference. They have produced their first pair of shoes under the Lutwyche name and are packaging it with a bottle of Dalmore whisky. The shoes are hand made in the traditional way from deerskin and feature the Dalmore stag logo, plus will be personalised with each customers name. They are presented with a bottle of Dalmore's King Alexander III, which is worth £150 on its own. Each package will cost £550 each and will be available at Lutwyche's store in Clifford Street, London from the 27 October. The offer will only be available for one month. Further info can be found at www.lutwyche.co.uk.

Glenmorangie > Visitor Centre re-opens

Inside the new visitor centre

The famous Glenmorangie distillery in the north Highlands is re-opening its revamped Visitor Centre this weekend (15 & 16 October). To celebrate they are holding special 'family friendly' activities over the two days. The new centre includes a new exhibition space which plots the history of the distillery (pictured, left) and a 'dramming room' where visitors can sample whiskies from the Glenmorangie range. It is hoped that the revamp will help add to the current 25,000 people a year that visit. The Distillery Manager at Glenmorangie, Andy MacDonald, says "The completion of our new visitor centre is very exciting for us. It provides visitors with a unique insight into the Glenmorangie whisky making process and makes the distillery at Tain a must-see attraction."

New releases > Arran 12 years old Cask Strength

2011-10-14T07:01:00.000+01:00

This whisky is the newest single malt release from the award winning Arran distillery. The 12 years old Cask Strength is planned to be released in batches at regular intervals and this will compliment the regular core range from the distillery. This is the first batch and it was released at the end of September. The first batch consists of 12,000 bottles and is released at a strength of 54.1% ABV. The whisky has been made using first-fill and second-fill ex-sherry casks, each of which was specially selected by Arran's Master Distiller James MacTaggart. It can be found in specialist whisky retailers and should cost £45-50 a bottle.

Arran is one of the youngest single malt whisky distilleries in Scotland. It was founded by an independent group called the Isle of Arran Distillers Limited in 1993 and production began in 1995, using as many traditional techniques as possible. The first single malt whisky released in 1998. The distillery is located on the isle of Arran, which lies between the Campbeltown peninsula and the west Lowland coast, near to the village of Lochranza. It became the first legal distillery on the island since the 1840s. Arran is also one of Scotland's smaller distilleries, producing approximately 750,000 litres per year. The visitor centre is one of Scotland's most visited, despite its relatively remote location, due to the island being served by frequent ferries from the west coast and being within relatively easy reach of Glasgow.

Our tasting notes
The colour of this 12 years old Cask Strength is golden amber and the nose is lovely, with many promising aromas combining well. These include an initial sumptuous mix of malted barley, vanilla, golden syrup and juicy sultanas. They are accompanied by a whiff of alcohol vapour which catches in your nostrils. This is not unpleasant and subsides as your senses become used to the strength. Underneath are more subtle aromas of green apple, brown sugar and baking spice. On the palate, this is initially big, intense and hot with the high alcohol prominent. However, like the nose, this settles with time to reveal a decent mixture of characteristics. There are plenty of the golden syrup and juicy sultanas, plus some very green pears (think of pear drop sweets), oat-like cereals, some tangy orange zest and a pinch of cinnamon. When it has mixed with the saliva in your mouth, this whisky feels quite oily and creamy. The finish is bittersweet with notes of burnt brown sugar and dry woody spices prominent.

The high alcohol strength and 'feel' of this whisky suggests the addition of some water. A few drops sees the alcohol less evident on the nose, with more cereals and green apple aromas coming through. The palate is softer with plenty of honey and vanilla backed up by dried fruit and some spiced orange zest. Water definitely helps this whisky, but we recommend trying it without first and making your own mind up.

What's the verdict?
The nose of this whisky is very good and promises much on the palate. The palate is good, but both ourselves and the person we tasted this with agreed that it was not quite as good as the fantastic nose suggested. It is still a good whisky and one which benefits from a few drops of water. Arran are continuing to release some very interesting single malt whiskies and to push boundaries - we look forward to whatever is next on the horizon.