Our Top 10 whiskies of 2014

This year has been another productive year for the whisky industry. Many companies are developing and releasing more products than ever to meet or drive consumer demand, as the category continues to grow in both sales and consumption across the globe. It is impossible to sample every new release, but we have been lucky to try some of them through this blog. A huge thank you to all of the brands and PR agencies that continue to send us samples, support us and invite us to events.

New release - Hakushu Distiller's Reserve

The Distiller's Reserve is a new single malt from the Japanese distillery of Hakushu.  The whisky has been constructed to showcase the qualities and characteristics of Hakushu's young lightly peated single malts.  These have been accentuated by blending with older heavily peated malt and aged (all of which are 18+ years old) American oak matured whisky.  All the casks used have been hand selected by Shinji Fukuyo, who is only the fourth Chief Blender in owner Suntory's 90 year history.

Inbox - September 20, 2013

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, 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 received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Distillery Visit - Yamazaki

When it was suggested ages ago that my girlfriend Harriet and I might go on holiday to Japan for a couple of weeks it didn’t take me long (instantaneously in fact) to start thinking about what distilleries we could visit while we were over there. Luckily Harry is quite understanding in these matters so when we flew off to Japan in September, I’d managed to arrange for us to pay a visit to Suntory’s Yamazaki distillery and have a little look around.

Have just tried - Yamazaki Bourbon Barrel

Using the government’s alcohol duty rise as a pathetic excuse to buy some more whisky (I persuaded myself I’d be saving money in the long run if I bought a few bottles before the rise!) I decided to purchase a whisky I’d had my eye on for a while. The Yamazaki Bourbon Barrel represents the latest in a number of limited whiskies Suntory release every now and then that, to date, have included heavily peated and sherry puncheon matured expressions.

Located at the foot of a mountain in a bamboo forest just outside Japan’s ancient capital Kyoto, Yamazaki distillery was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. It was his ambition to make a Japanese whisky along the same lines as the Scottish whiskies that were very popular at the time. To this end he despatched his able assistant Masataka Taketsuru to Scotland to learn everything there is to know about making Scotch whisky.

Taketsuru’s time in Scotland makes for an amazing story. In 1918 he turned up alone in Scotland, determined to learn the art of brewing and distilling. A very brave thing to do at a time when people travelled such shorter distances than they do now. Britain must have seemed like a completely different world to him. He enrolled at Glasgow University and at one point travelled up to Elgin in the hope for learning first hand the skills needed for Suntory to start distilling whisky. It was at Longmorn distillery that he found someone willing to take him on and show him the ropes. His course at Glasgow also enabled him to work at Hazelburn distillery in Campbeltown. During all this he also found time to fall in love and get hitched to his landlady's daughter.

Job done, on returning to Japan with his new wife, Taketsuru’s newfound skills and knowledge were instrumental in founding Yamazaki - Japans first single malt distillery. Soon afterwards, he left Suntory to start Japan’s other major whisky company, Nikka.

This Yamazaki was released in 2011 along side a Bourbon Barrel matured expression from its sister distillery Hakushu and is bottled at a generous 48.5% from first fill bourbon barrels.

Our tasting notes
On first nosing there are lots of cereal notes - shredded wheat, malting floors, Japanese tea, mashed potatoes, Rusks. Along side all this there’s also a nice sweet citrus fruit aroma lending a nice balance, a bit like lime cordial and chocolate limes. After a while it gets fruitier and sweeter with a little breathing with aromas of apples, pears, bananas, cherries, refresher sweets, custard powder and milk chocolate.

On the palate, there’s some lovely big first fill bourbon barrel flavours. Starting with some sweet and fruity flavours - Banoffee pie, white chocolate, bubblegum, Belgian tripel beer. The palate gradually gets a little more bitter, oaky and hot with pepper and cloves. The finish is long and tannic with a nice bittersweet blackberry note. Excellently balanced. Lots of estery flavours of fruits and sweet things balanced by an equally large dollop of drying austerity from the oak.

What’s the verdict?
Well, I wasn’t disappointed with my purchase. It’s nearest to the 12-Year-old expression out of the three standard releases but much more complex and intense. An excellently balanced whisky full of character and flavour. As far as I know it is just available in Europe and Japan. It is limited to just 3000 bottles throughout Europe, 1000 of which are for the U.K. You can get if for around £65.

Whisky Live 2010, London - New whiskies & show exclusives

Whisky Live is an event that showcases the diverse world of whisky to the general public. The phenomena has spread around the globe and annual shows are now held in locations such as North America, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and across mainland Europe. Whisky Live has two events in the UK - one in London and the other in Glasgow. They are the biggest whisky shows in the UK and this year's London show was held over last weekend.

The venue was the Hurlingham Club, a prestigious members only club on the leafy banks of the River Thames (it's very posh and remains the only place that we have ever seen anyone playing croquet!) and this year's event marked the 10th anniversary of Whisky Live in London. We were both in attendance for both days of the show - Matt doing his 'day job' selling whisky to people and Karen doing her 'favourite hobby' ... drinking whisky! Between us, we sampled plenty of whisky and decided to split the reviews in to two parts. Many exhibitors use Whisky Live as a platform to showcase forthcoming releases so in this first part, we are concentrating on these new releases and other special Whisky Live bottlings that were on offer. A second part that reviews the other whiskies sampled will follow shortly.

Compass Box DecadenceCompass Box is a boutique whisky producer who buy casks and then blend them to create their own unique range of whiskies. Decadence is a very limited release that was created especially for Whisky Live and to celebrate Compass Box's 10th anniversary (Decade-nce ... do you get it?). Only 15 litres was produced (a lot of which was consumed the night before at a gala dinner, by the sounds of it!) and it was only available to sample. No bottles will be released. It has a high grain whisky content (around 60%) and this comes through on a rich nose that is packed with cereals and sweet vanilla. This carries through to the palate which has sweet caramel, dried fruits (think of sultanas and peel), a herbal grassy note (imagine dried grasses) and spicy cinnamon. The finish is long, rich and slightly peppery. Lovely stuff.

Evan Williams 10 years old Whisky Live Special
A special Whisky Live edition of just 162 bottles. Evan Williams is an American bourbon that is currently made at the Heaven Hill distillery in Kentucky. It is produced using one of the oldest bourbon recipes in existence and was started by Welsh settler Evan Williams in 1783. This show release costs £45, is bottled from a single cask and is cask strength (a whopping 63.9% ABV!). The nose is powerful and full of rich vanilla, coconut and oranges. On the palate, this is rounded and very big - there is plenty of those elements from the nose and these are joined by some bitter cereal notes and woody spice (think of cinnamon especially). The finish is long, drying and aromatic. Adding water softens things and makes it easier to drink, with the sweetness becoming more caramel-like and the orange becoming more prominent (imagine marmalade). Lovely, rich and spicy whisky.

Glen Moray Port Wood 
This whisky is a new limited release from the much under rated Speyside distillery of Glen Moray (OK, it was released just before Christmas but who is counting?). It is bottled at 56.7% ABV and has been matured for 13 years in ex-bourbon casks before having a year in a Port cask. Only 725 bottles are available and they cost £50 each. The nose is rich and sumptuous with a lovely mix of caramel, stewed fruits (imagine plums and apples) and woody spice (nutmeg and cinnamon bark). On the palate, the whisky is well balanced and easy drinking considering the cask strength ABV. The caramel, stewed fruits and spices are still there but it feels more sugary with a peppery edge. Some nuts (think of hazelnuts) come through on the long, rich finish. An excellent dram. Well worth a try if you can get your hands on some.

Hakushu Heavily Peated
This Japanese whisky is not being released until June, so it was a real treat to get to sample it. Hakushu means 'forest distillery' in Japanese and it is located on a forest plateau directly west of Tokyo. This limited edition is the peatiest Hakushu to date (the regular 12 years old has a hint of peatiness to it). The colour is light and the nose is fragrant and potent - there is obvious earthy peat smoke backed up by some lovely caramel, fresh green fruits (think of pears and apples), dried grass and a whiff of citrus (lemon zest especially). The palate is firstly hit with tangy peat smoke (imagine damp moss and twigs) and then the caramel, fruit, grass and citrus from the nose. There is also subtle cereals and some spice (think of peppercorns and nutmeg). The finish is long with the slightly bitter smoke building up and lingering for ages.

Highland Park 10 years old Whisky Live Special
Another exclusive bottling and it was released to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the London Whisky Live show. This offering from the Highland Park distillery on the Orkney islands consisted of just 600 bottles, is 59.3% ABV cask strength and was specially selected by eminent whisky writer Dave Broom. This whisky has a deep amber colour and a lovely fragrant nose that is packed with dried fruit (think of raisins and sultanas), caramel and soft sweet peat smoke. On the palate, this is impressive with soft, slightly bitter smoke mixing with the sweeter dried fruit and caramel elements. There is also some candied orange peel, brown sugar, peppery spice and heather present. The finish is long and enjoyable. Adding water, softened the spices and made it more buttery and toffee-like. A fantastic dram worthy of an anniversary.

Springbank 12 years old Claret WoodThis whisky was making its first ever appearance to the general public, as it is not to be released for another month or so. Springbank bottled some especially for Whisky Live. Springbank is a distillery located on the Campbeltown peninsula in western Scotland and has a cult following around the world. This release will consist of 9360 bottles, is bottled at 54.4% ABV and has matured for 9 years in ex-bourbon casks before transferring to French Claret wine casks for 3 years. The colour is amber with a reddish hue and the nose is rich and fruity. The palate is fresh, smooth and sweet with plenty of juicy red fruit (think of red berries and plums) underpinned by vanilla, caramel and wood spice notes (imagine cinnamon and nutmeg). The finish is drier, spicier (more nutmeg) and very enjoyable. A staff favourite among those on The Whisky Shop stand.

Tomatin 21 years oldTomatin is a little known but well regarded distillery that lies in the foot hills of the Grampian mountains to the south of Inverness. The brand has undergone a major revamp over the last year and this limited edition will briefly join its new look range. This 21 years old has yet to be released, is bottled at 52% ABV and is restricted to 2500 bottles. The nose has an interesting combination of aromas - vanilla, cereal grains, dried grass and a whiff of earthy ginger. On the palate, this feels creamy and velvety with vanilla and cereals mixing well with a distinct nutty note (think of a creamy nut like almond or hazelnut). Then comes dried grass and some nutmeg spice with just a hint of that ginger again. The finish is lovely and soft with the the nutty note prominent and reminiscent of hazelnut praline. A top quality and well made dram.

Tomatin 25 years old Another new addition to the Tomatin range that replaces the old 25 years old. It has new packaging and a slightly different combination of casking. The nose is vibrant and stunning with a great combination of vanilla, cereals and prominent tropical fruits (think of coconut, peach and mango). On the palate, this is creamy and fresh ( a hard thing to achieve in older whiskies) with the almost exaggerated aromas of the nose becoming more subtle and understated. All the 'nose' elements are there - vanilla, cereals, coconut, peach, mango - and these combine beautifully with some ginger and nutmeg spice. The finish is lovely but slightly short. This dram is enjoyable and very, very good.

Yamazaki Puncheon Cask
Another Japanese whisky from the Suntory company (Hakushu is owned by them as well) and this is also due for a limited release in June - only 3000 bottles, according to the chap on the stand. Yamazaki is Japan's oldest distillery, having opened in 1923 and continues to win accolades for their innovative approach and whiskies. This has been matured in huge Puncheon bourbon casks and the nose is aromatic but delicate. There is a wonderful mix of cereal grains, vanilla, coconut and a hint of cocoa. The palate is just as delicate but vibrant and fresh, with the creamy vanilla and coconut prominent. To this, add some more cereals, a citric tang (think of lemon zest), sweet crumbly brown sugar and that hint of cocoa again. The finish is fresh and tangy, becoming dry towards the end. An excellent whisky and a real star of the show!

New releases ... Hibiki 12 years old

The Hibiki are a series of blended whiskies from the Japanese company Suntory. They rose to prominence in 2008 when the 30 years old version won the 'Best Blended Whisky' category at the World Whisky Awards - the first time that a Japanese whisky had won such a prestigious prize. Suntory own two whisky distilleries in Japan - Yamazaki (Japan's oldest founded in 1923) and Hakushu, which was founded during the 1970s. The Hibiki are blends of single malts and grain whisky from these two distilleries and are released with minimum ages of 17 and 30 years. The 12 years old is a new addition to the range and has just been released in Europe, with London staged the official launch. Hibiki means 'harmony' in Japanese.

The first thing to note with the Hibiki series is the extraordinary bottle. It is a great mix of a whisky decanter and 1970s retro design. The 17 and 30 years old in the series are multi award winning whiskies so the 12 years old has a lot to live up to! Both are dark with sherry cask influence, but this is much lighter and fresher. The colour is a golden amber and the nose is very promising. It is fragrant with a fruitiness that is fresh rather than dried fruit (think of stone fruits like cherries and plums). There is vanilla and sweetness (think of honey) prominent also, with a hint of a peppery spiciness (imagine ground white pepper). The palate is refreshing, cleansing and mellow with lots of those fresh juicy fruit notes present (especially the plums) and these are underpinned by a soft barley sweetness. It has a crisp, short finish with that peppery spice coming through. It makes your mouth water and makes you want to drink some more!

The Hibiki 12 years old is a promising and very smooth whisky that we later discovered was partly matured in a Japanese plum liqueur cask (the liqueur is called Umeshu). This explains that fresh plumy fruitiness that is present. It would be a great one to introduce someone to whisky as it is light, refreshing and has interesting, almost unique, characteristics. This is available in specialist whisky retailers and some Japanese supermarkets and should cost £45-50 for bottle.

Have just tried ... Hakushu 12 years old

Hakushu is a Japanese whisky and the distillery was opened in 1973. It is located in a nature reserve on the slopes of Mount Kaikomagatake, which lies to the northwest of Tokyo. The location is reflected in the name as Hakushu means 'forest distillery' in Japanese. A second distillery was built next to the original in 1981, making Hakushu one of the largest malt whisky distilleries in the world with an incredible 24 pot stills. The new distillery was named Hakushu East and the older was renamed Hakushu West. Both were run side by side for a number of years before the owners, Suntory, decided to close Hakushu West. All whisky is now produced at Hakushu East, which has a capacity of 3 million litres per year. The whisky is matured mostly in bourbon casks but some spends time in sherry and Japanese oak casks. Hakushu also filter their whisky after maturation through bamboo charcoal, creating a unique character within the spirit. They are the only Japanese distillery to practice this technique.

The colour is light and lemony with an interesting nose. It is light and fresh with some crisp green fruit (think of pears and apples), some gorgeous vanilla, something floral (reminding me of honey suckle) and just a whiff of smokiness (imagine wood ash). This feels thicker on the palate than the nose suggests and is quite creamy with all elements from the nose combining well. There is also something herbal and grassy, as well as a warm spicy note (ginger, I think). The finish is quite dry, crisp and light with the warm spice, that hint of smoke and a nutty (think of almonds) quality coming through. A bottle of this should cost between £45-50 and it is well worth it. This whisky has lots to offer with a decent nose being followed up with a sumptuous crisp palate that combines all the elements very well. This is high quality malt and a great example of Japanese whisky.