Watch as we present two more episodes from our Allotment Dram series of whisky chat and reviews. Join Matt as he talks about two exciting new releases, one from a new distillery and one from an old favourite. First he tastes the youthful Triple Distilled Release No.1, which is the third release in to the 1770 Signature Range from the Glasgow Distillery Co.
Then, on a very warm afternoon, he discusses the Glen Moray Madeira Cask Project. This is the third release in to the Speyside distillery's limited edition Curiosity Series and is a whisky that has undergine a rare full maturation in ex-Madeira casks. We hope that you enjoy both videos.
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We catch up with Matt as he visits the allotment and samples the recently released Label 5 Bourbon Barrel, a single grain whisky from the well known blended Scotch brand. Watch as he talks about the brand, the distillery where it is produced and the award that it has already won. Then he gives his thoughts and tasting notes.
On his next visit, Matt chooses a pioneering Speyside single malt - the Benriach Curiositas 10 years old. Watch to find out why it is so pioneering and what the differences are between the Highland peat that they use at Benriach compared to the more well known Islay style of peat, before giving his thoughts and tasting notes.
Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we aim to 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 whisky is a new single cask release that has been bottled for The Whisky World. The London based whisky retailer has two stores in north London, a successful online site and also host one of London's best whisky festivals. The selected single cask is an ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry hogshead barrel (Cask #6248). This was originally distilled on 19 April 2000 and filled to a re-fill ex-bourbon ASB (American Standard Barrel). It was then transferred for a 30-month finishing period in to the sherry hogshead, before bottling at 19 years and 11 months of age in March. The Glenallachie 2000 Single Cask has been bottled at the natural cask strength of 52.5% ABV and is non chill-filtered and of natural colour.
Chill filtration is the process where some naturally occuring substances in a whisky are removed before bottling. The main reason to chill filter a whisky is cosmetic. A non chill-filtered whisky that is 46% ABV or lower in alcohol strength will go cloudy and hazy when diluted with water or cooled. This is seen as undesirable by some consumers or that there is something wrong with the whisky. The whisky companies react by removing the offending particles from their products so that this does not occur.
This whisky is the third and final expression for The Glasgow Distillery Co's 1770 Signature Range of single malts, which is named after the Dundashill distillery. This was Glasgow's first whisky distillery and was founded in 1770. This Triple Distilled expression joins the 1770 Original and 1770 Peated in the range. As the name suggests, this spirit has undergone a third distillation - this was the traditional method of spirit production practiced in a number of Lowland distilleries and is more commonly associated with Irish whiskey these days. The Glasgow Distillery Co. only switches to triple distillation for about a month each year. For this release the spirit has then been matured exclusively in virgin oak casks.
Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we aim to 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.
In this episode, which was broadcast on Instagram Live, we speak with bartending royalty in the form of Alessandro Palazzi from the famous Dukes Bar in London. Watch as we talk about how Alessandro got in to the bar world in the 1970s, the high and lows of his career, a bit of history about Dukes and some tips for new bartenders.
We also talk about his love of whisky and Islay, classic whisky cocktails and then attempt to make one of his favourite cocktails together - the Manhattan - using what we have to hand at home. Technology let us down a bit here, but hopefully you can still enjoy and follow.
Matt goes super premium for his latest allotment dram by selected the multi-award winning blend of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Watch as he talks about the brand history of this famous whisky and gives his thoughts and tasting notes on the iconic Blue Label, the top bottle in the Johnnie Walker core range.
There are five categories of Scotch whisky as defined by the SWA (Scotch Whisky Association) in 2009. These were drawn up to protect the laws and reputation of Scotch whisky and to make things easier for consumers to understand.
All products must adher to the following laws, otherwise they cannot be labelled as Scotch whisky.
Distilled, matured and bottled in Scotland.
Made using just three ingredients - water, cereal and yeast.
Matured in oak barrels no larger than 700 litres for a minimum of three years.
Bottled at a minimum alcohol strength of 40% ABV.
No additives (with the exception of water or E150 colouring)
So, what are the five categories? Matt explains these in the above video, but here are the definitions in a nutshell.
Single Malt
These are distilled at a single distillery and made from 100% malted barley, without the addition of any other cereals. They are distilled in a batch process using copper pot stills.
Single Grain
These are distilled at a single distillery and made from whole grains or other malted and unmalted cereals (most commonly wheat). They are distilled through a continuous column still.
Blended Scotch
These are a blend of one or more single malts with one or more single grain whiskies, with the single grain used as a foundation. This is the largest category of products.
Blended Malt
These are a blend of two or more single malts that have been distilled at more than one distillery.
Blended Grain
These are a blend of two or more single grains that have been distilled at more than one distillery.
Matt talks with Iain Allan, the Global Brand Ambassador and Visitor Centre Manager for the Glen Moray distillery in Speyside. Watch as they chat about Iain's whisky journey and career, his role with Glen Moray, what has been going on at the distillery during Covid-19 lockdown and finally tasting the newly released limited edition single malt - the Glen Moray Madeira Cask Project 13 years old. Oh, and the joys of 'lockdown hair' ...
Last weekend saw World Gin Day celebrated, so we decided to create one of our favourite gin-based cocktails at the allotment - the Negroni. Watch as Matt takes you through how to make this simple cocktail, which can easily be recreated at home.
The Negroni is now regarded as a classic cocktail but its origin remain unclear. Numerous stories float around regarding this but the most common and plausible report of the first creation happens in Florence, Italy and involves Count Camillo Negroni. This dates from 1920 when the Count visited Cafe Casoni in the city, which was a regular haunt of his.
The story goes that he fancied something stronger than his regular Americano cocktail and asked the bartender to replace the Americano's soda water with gin, while retaining the Campari and red vermouth. The bartender, Fosco Scarselli, took a sip and decides to replace the Americano's lemon garnish with orange to balance the flavours better. Other customers started asking for what the Count was drinking and it quickly became known as The Negroni.
Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we aim to 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.
American Eagle is a bourbon whiskey brand that is distilled at an un-named distillery in Tennessee. It is bottled at four years of age, which is twice the legal minimum of two years for maturing bourbon in American oak barrels. It is rare to see a young age statement displayed on a bourbon and this shows the youngest whiskey included. Bourbon is traditionally made from a mixture of corn, rye, malted barley and wheat with a legal requirement to have a minimum of 51% corn. American Eagle uses 84% corn in the mash bill with just 16% then made up of the other grain mix. The brand is owned by Halewood International and the core range also includes age statements at 8 and 12 years of age.
Matt has gone Japanese with his latest allotment dram with the Toki, a blended whisky from the House of Suntory. Watch as he talks about the recent growth in popularity of Japanese whisky and as he gives his thoughts and tasting notes. We hope you enjoy.
Remember - our YouTube channel has over 50 short videos for you to watch and enjoy including tasting notes, distillery visits and plenty of other whisky related things. Subscribe now to keep up to date.
The Ardbeg Wee Beastie is the newest addition to the core range of single malts from the Islay-based distillery and has been released as scheduled, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, so as 'to give people a little good news'. The whisky is just 5 years of age and is the youngest and feistiest Ardbeg to be made available in recent times. Wee Beastie is the latest Ardbeg whisky to be named after one of Islay's many historical legends that range from mystical sea creatures to elusive and reclusive hill dwelling half-beings. The Wee Beastie has been a secret project led by Dr. Bill Lumsden, the Director of Whisky Creation at Ardbeg, and uses both ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks for maturation.
Matt returns to talk about an allotment dram with a difference - our very own Whisky For Everyone cask from the east Highland distillery of Glenglassaugh, which sits on the North Sea coast of Aberdeenshire. Watch to find out about how we got the ex-Oloroso sherry octave cask and followed its journey for six years until bottling. Then he gives his thoughts and tasting notes on this very special single malt. Enjoy.
Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we aim to 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 whisky is the third addition to the Elgin Curiosity Range of single malts from the Speyside distillery of Glen Moray. The Glen Moray Madeira Cask Project is bottled at 13 years and 10 months of age and features seven rare ex-Madeira sweet wine hogshead casks that were hand selected by Kirstie McCallum, the Head of Whisky Creation at Glen Moray. These were filled on 26 May 2006 and were then fully matured in Warehouse No.1 at the distillery, where many experimental casks are kept. Madeira casks are uncommon in the Scotch whisky industry and are often used for a short finishing period rather than full maturation. This third edition follows the Cider Cask and Rhum Agricole Cask Projects.
Matt has chosen the recently released limited edition Ardbeg Blaaack for his latest allotment dram. This is the Ardbeg Day Edition, which follows the cask strength Committee Release from earlier in the year. Watch as he talks about the new Islay single malt, which is available now on a worldwide release to selected specialist retailers, and gives his thoughts and some basic tasting notes. Enjoy ...
This whisky is a limited edition single malt from the Speyside distillery of Tomintoul. The Seiridh, which translates as 'sherry' from Scottish Gaelic and is pronounced 'sheh-ree', is a no age statement whisky that has seen initial maturation in American oak ex-bourbon casks from Kentucky, USA before being transferred to first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry butts for a finishing period. These ex-sherry casks were hand selected for the release by Robert Fleming, the Master Distiller for Tomintoul, from a family-owned bodega in Jerez, Spain. In this first batch there are just 6,000 bottles and each is individually numbered. The Tomintoul Seiridh is bottled at 40% ABV and is available in selected specialist retailers. A bottle should cost arounf the £32-35 mark.
Matt is back at the allotment as America celebrated National Mint Julep Day last weekend. Watch as he attempts to make the classic cocktail using mint picked and items found at the allotment and other ingredients brought from home. His whiskey of choice for this is the American Eagle 4 years old bourbon.
The Mint Julep was first referenced in the early 1800s in Kentucky and often used whiskey, brandy or rum as the spirit ingredient. It was not until a century later in the early 1900s that whiskey exclusively became the main ingredient. This could have been bourbon or rye. The Mint Julep is now most famously associated with the Kentucky Derby, one of the biggest and richest horse races in the world, and has been officially served at the event every year since 1938.
