New release - Jura Elixir

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Inbox > December 16, 2011

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

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!