News ... Glenfiddich 50 years old up for auction

Glenfiddich released their 50 years old single malt earlier this year to much publicity and now they have announced that a bottle is going up for auction next week. This is only the second time in the distillery's 123 year history that a 50 years old whisky has been released!

Glenfiddich is the most famous whisky distillery and single malt brand in the world. The distillery is located in the Glen Fiddich, a valley on the outskirts of the town of Dufftown in the heart of the Speyside whisky region of Scotland. The name means 'valley of the deer' in Gaelic and it was founded in 1886 by William Grant and his family. The Grant family maintain ownership today and the success of their whiskies have made Glenfiddich the biggest distillery in Scotland. The annual production is a massive 10 million litres with 29 stills and 45 maturation warehouses, its own cooperage and bottling plant (very few distilleries have all of these facilities remaining on the same site).

The charity auction of the Glenfiddich 50 years old will be conducted by Christie's, the famous auction house, on Monday 7 December. The charity in question is Friend's of Scotland, which was started by Sir Sean Connery and aids Scottish causes in the USA. Part of the deal is that he is going to write a personal letter of congratulation to the winning bidder. The event will take place in New York, with two other simultaneous events joining in from Los Angeles and Miami, and will be hosted by the USA Glenfiddich ambassadors. The whisky is presented in a hand blown, specially designed glass bottle and is individually numbered (the bottle for auction in number 3). It is presented in a hand stitched leather case. The whisky is a marriage of two casks that have been maturing in Glenfiddich's warehouses since 1959 and they were carefully selected and vatted by Scotland's oldest serving Master Blender, David Stewart.

As the Glenfiddich 50 years old is an extremely rare and prestigious whisky, (and it costs a whopping £10,000 a bottle!), we will have to use Glenfiddich's own tasting notes to convey the characteristics - "The nose is beautifully harmonious with an uplifting, vibrant and complex aroma. The taste is initially sweet with a zesty orange marmalade and vanilla toffee, which then cascades through a wonderful series of layers: aromatic herbs, floral and soft fruits, silky oak tannin and hints of gentle smoke. The finish is exceptionally long with a touch of dry oak and the merest trace of peat."

Have just tried ... Kavalan Single Malt

Kavalan whisky is a new venture by the King Car Corporation in Taiwan. King Car was set up in 1979 and has grown to be one of Taiwan's biggest beverage and food manufacturers. Taiwan's whisky drinking population has grown considerably over the last two decades and the chairman of King Car decided to build his own whisky distillery. This new facility is one of the most technically advanced in the world and is located in Yuanshan, a town in the north of Taiwan. Yuanshan lies to the south of the major cities of Taipei and Keelung and close to the Pacific coast. It has copper stills that were constructed in Scotland and the distillery has an annual capacity of approximately six million bottles.

King Car decided to name their whisky range 'Kavalan' after a group of indigenous people who lived in the Yi-Lan County where the distillery is based. The range of whisky is currently small and consists of a single malt, a blend and the Solist collection, which are three single cask single malts - this one from a bourbon cask, a sherry cask and a Madeira cask. The Kavalan whisky has been created, selected and blended by the legendary Dr. Jim Swan, the Master Distiller at Penderyn distillery in Wales. He is a worldwide authority in the field of alcoholic beverages and has consulted with numerous distilleries, breweries and wineries over many years.

This Kavalan Single Malt, from the core range, is bottled at 40% ABV and is matured in ex-bourbon casks. It is currently only available in Taiwan and major cities in China, with a bottle costing around £40. The whisky is only three years of age, but whisky ages much faster in Taiwan's warm and humid climate, losing around 10% of its volume each year to the angel's share (the angel's share is the name given to the evaporation of the spirit while maturing in the cask). In comparison, this figure is around 2% a year in Scotland. We would like to thank Ian Chang, the Head Distiller at Kavalan, for giving us this sample.

The colour of this Kavalan Single Malt is golden and the nose is full of fresh bourbon cask characteristics - vanilla, cereal grains, oak, coconut and honey. There is also a slight herbal grassy note that comes through (think of dried grasses especially). On the palate, this whisky is fresh, zingy and vibrant with the vanilla and fresh oak prominent. A lovely sweetness is present that evolves from the malted barley and is reminiscent of honey. The coconut element is joined by almonds, a zesty lemon note and that dried grassy note again. The finish is of medium length and remains fresh, simple and full of vanilla oak and cereal grains. This Kavalan Single Malt is an uncomplicated but very enjoyable and easy drinking whisky. The intense ex-bourbon cask characteristics and the extra sweetness and creaminess from these result in a whisky that is closer to a bourbon than a Scottish or Irish whisky. It can easily be sampled on its own or would suit a mixer well and is definitely worth a try if you ever get the chance to or are in that part of the world.

We have already reviewed another Kavalan whisky - the Solist, a single cask release - which we preferred as it was more complex and rounded. The future looks promising for this new distillery and it will be interesting to see how the range of Kavalan grows and what other products will be released.

Have just tried ... Spice Tree from Compass Box

Spice Tree is a new release from Compass Box, a independent bottling company with a difference. A version of Spice Tree was originally released in 2005 but was discontinued shortly afterwards due a legal wrangle with the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). This first Spice Tree gained good reviews from the trade and consumers but the problem lay in the maturation method. In Scotland, casks must have been previously used and nothing must be added to alter the flavour. Compass Box introduced new oak staves that they placed in to the casks and these created a greater surface area between the wood and the whisky, therefore increasing the flavours artificially. This method is similar to the one commonly used in the wine industry.

In this new version of Spice Tree, Compass Box have got around this 'technicality' by replacing just the ends of the casks with new oak that is heavily toasted and it is these new ends that create a similar flavour profile to the original oak staved Spice Tree. The whisky has been mostly matured in regular ex-bourbon casks before being transferred to the bespoke toasted end casks for the last two years. This new Spice Tree is 100% single malt from the Clynelish distillery in the north east Highlands, is bottled at 46% ABV and forms part of Compass Box's current core range. A bottle can be purchased from specialist whisky retailers and the Compass Box website for between £35-40.

Compass Box was founded in 2000 by John Glaser. The company has offices in West London and Edinburgh and buy whisky from a small number of distilleries and then craft them into their own unique whiskies. The range includes single grain whiskies, vatted malts, blended whiskies and occasional other releases, such as the recently re-released 'Orangerie', a whisky infused with orange. All are released in small batches, often using only two single malts to create a unique product with a catchy name. By doing their own blending and vatting, Compass Box have less restrictions than other traditional independent bottlers and is a former winner of The Whisky Magazine's 'Innovator of the Year'.

The colour of the new Spice Tree is golden amber and the nose is big, sweet and full of oaky vanilla and malted barley cereals. There is also a ginger-like spiciness and some soft woody spice notes that are reminiscent of cinnamon and nutmeg. It tempts you to want to taste it. On the palate, this feels full bodied, thick and creamy in your mouth. The whisky is packed with gorgeous vanilla and sweet malty grains. Beyond these are more delicate elements coming through - some honey, woody spices (think of cinnamon and nutmeg again), ginger, some lemon zest, just a hint of salt and a whiff of background smokiness. The finish is long, sweet and rich with a gorgeous nutty note joining the others (imagine toasted almonds and coconut, maybe?). The vanilla and maltiness fades slowly to give a lovely, sumptuous finish to the whisky.

This is a very good whisky that would be great as an after dinner sipping dram. We tried Spice Tree with some robust mature Cheddar and hard goats cheeses (as recommended in Compass Box's press release) and it went extremely well with both of them. Excellent stuff and very enjoyable.

Have just tried ... Big Peat

Big Peat is a new vatted malt whisky created by the independent bottling company Douglas Laing & Co. They are based in Glasgow and the company was founded by Frederick Douglas Laing in 1948. It is currently run by Frederick’s two sons, Stewart and Fred Jnr, and Douglas Laing & Co are one of Scotland’s largest independent bottlers of whisky. They bottle whiskies from all over Scotland and their ranges include over 200 different single malts at any one time, with the majority being from single casks. In addition to the single malts, they also blend and vat their own ranges of whisky and these currently include this Big Peat and the Double Barrel series.

A vatted whisky is a mixture of single malt whiskies. They can be from different distilleries and be of differing ages. In the case of Big Peat, there are four distilleries from the western island of Islay included – Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila and Port Ellen. The first three are currently operating but Port Ellen closed in 1983 and whiskies from there are becoming rare and expensive (therefore, the whisky included here has to be at least 26 years old). To produce Big Peat, Douglas Laing & Co vatted these four whiskies together in small batches and then reduce the alcohol strength to 46% ABV for bottling. A bottle should cost £35-40 from specialist whisky retailers.

The colour of Big Peat is dark and golden and the nose blows your nostrils away. It is VERY smoky (no surprise really as the clue is in the name!) with a mix of tar, burning rubber and petrol. There is also a slight saltiness and an interesting herbal aniseed note, reminiscent of fennel. Little else gets the chance to battle through the powerful smokiness. On the palate, there is a similar story. It is full bodied and packed with overwhelming and explosive smoke. The smokiness again exhibits a tarry and burnt rubber note (think of screeching tyres) and there is a distinct hot spiciness (imagine black peppercorns and red chillis). The smokiness becomes more ashy (like the embers of a log fire) with time. Other elements struggle and almost give up trying to get through the smoke but some vanilla and cereal grains are detectable. The finish is potent and long with the tarry smoke burning away for ever, before turning more ashy later on. The finish is also very dry, leaving your mouth parched and wanting some water. The addition of water to the whisky dilutes the smokiness but only slightly. Some grainy cereal sweetness and grassy herbal notes come through easier.

Big Peat makes no apologies for what it is, after all the clue is in the name. It is very smoky and overpowering but if you like dramatic peaty whisky, this is definitely one to try. It is a brash and attention seeking whisky with the four big peaty whiskies fight for your attention, with no clear winner emerging. This is not one for the beginner (it would probably scare them off whisky forever) or the faint hearted but peaty whisky fans may well be in heaven. This dram offers an truly unforgettable experience, whether it suits your taste or not.

Have just tried ... Ardmore 1990 from Gordon & MacPhail

Ardmore is a distillery that is located in the village of Kennethmont, close to Aberdeen in the east Highlands of Scotland. The name comes from the Gaelic 'ard moi', meaning 'big slope'. The distillery was founded in 1898 by Adam Teacher, who was the son of the famous blender William Teacher. Their company, William Teacher & Sons, decided to build their own distillery so as to have more control over the quality of whisky that was required for their blends and to have a constant supply. The distillery is currently owned by Beam Global and a large percentage of the 5.2 million litres that are produced at Ardmore annually still goes to the Teacher's blended whisky range.

As a result of this, Ardmore single malts are hard to find. The distillery's profile was raised in 2007 when they released their first whisky for a while. This was named the 'Traditional Cask' and sales continue to grow. The only other option is through the independent bottling companies, such as this expression released by Gordon & MacPhail. Unusually for a Highland whisky, Ardmore is made using peated malt. The level is 14ppm (phenols parts per million - the scale for measuring the peatiness in barley and whisky), making it peatier than most other Highland whiskies but not as smoky as Islay or island whiskies (which generally range from 25-55ppm). Ardmore is the only Highland distillery to permanently produce smoky whisky, although others in the nearby Speyside region practice this occassionally (namely Benriach, Benromach and Tomintoul).

This Ardmore was distilled in 1990 and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail in 2006 at 16 years of age. The colour is straw-like with a golden tint and the nose is pungent and smoky. There is a hit of aggressive peat (think of burnt acrid peat with a distinct bitter edge) but this mellows with time. Coming through after this are some lovely elements such as sweet vanilla, malty cereal grains and something floral (imagine heather). On the palate, the peatiness is less pronounced and combines well with the other characteristics. The smokiness feels savoury in its nature (think of meaty barbeque smoke) and this compliments some lovely sweet vanilla, toffee, cereals and oaky wood. The finish is long with an interesting toasted nuttiness appearing (imagine toasted almonds). The smokiness is still there and remains quite meaty and savoury but with an bitter edge that combines both iodine and menthol.

This is a lovely whisky that offers an alternative to some of the more well known whiskies in the smoky style. A bottle should cost around £30 and is available from specialist whisky retailers and Gordon & MacPhail's website.

Have just tried ... Glenlivet 12 years old

Glenlivet is one of the most famous whisky names and brands in the world. The distillery is located in the Speyside region, close to the town of Ballindalloch in the scenic Livet Glen, and is one of Scotland's largest with an annual production of nearly 6 million litres. Glenlivet is currently owned by drinks giant Pernod Ricard and their influence, since taking over in 2001, has seen Glenlivet become one of the best selling single malts in the world. It is second for overall world sales (behind Glenfiddich), third in the UK (behind Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie) and the best selling single malt in the USA. The sales continue to grow, especially in expanding markets such as south east Asia.

Glenlivet was founded in 1824 by George Smith, whose signature still appears on the labels and packaging. A small percentage of whisky produced at Glenlivet is used in Pernod Ricard's popular Chivas Regal range of blended whiskies but most is reserved for release as single malt. The range of single malt whisky is extensive, including this12, 15, 18, 21 and 25 years old plus older releases and different cask finishes. They also release exclusive bottlings for the duty free travel retail sector.

The Glenlivet 12 years old is light and golden in colour and has a lovely fragrant nose. There are obvious notes of vanilla and sweet cereal grains but these are joined by more subtle aromas of fresh green fruit (especially apples and pears) and a hint of something floral, reminiscent of honeysuckle. On the palate, this whisky has a medium body and feels slightly creamy. The sweet vanilla, malty cereals and fresh green fruit are prominent again, although the vanilla note has more of a marzipan feel to it. The slightly floral honeysuckle note comes through again, as does an interesting warm spicy note (think of ginger and a touch of nutmeg). The finish is soft and smooth. It begins sweetly with the vanilla and grains evident before turning drier and woodier, allowing the nutmeg style spiciness to end.

This Glenlivet 12 years old is not the most complicated of single malts but it is of great quality and offers good value for money (a bottle should cost around £25-30 from supermarkets and specialist stores alike). For this reason, this pleasant and easy drinking whisky would be an excellent choice to introduce a beginner to the world of single malts, while still having enough character to keep the connoisseurs interested. A classic Speyside dram.

News - The Famous Grouse Christmas TV advert

Whisky For Everyone has just received a sneak preview of the new Christmas TV advert for the Famous Grouse blended whisky. We thought we would share it! The advert can be viewed below and mocks the world of the Z-list celebrities that are currently littering all forms of the media, with the tag line being that Famous Grouse is 'Famous For A Reason'. It will be screened for the first time on UK television on Monday 23 November.

The Famous Grouse is the UK's biggest selling whisky. It is a blend that is made up of single malts from the Glenrothes, Glenturret, Highland Park and Macallan distilleries and some grain whisky. The four distilleries are all owned by the Edrington Group and the success of the blend can be traced back to the 1960s, when whisky sales were booming. In 1980, The Famous Grouse finally overtook Bell's, its long term rival, to gain first place for UK sales and has never looked back. It has maintained first place ever since although the rivalry means that figures are always close. The Famous Grouse accounts for 15% of all blended whisky sales in the UK, which is its primary market. The Famous Grouse was created by a company called Matthew Gloag & Son. The company was set up in 1800 by Matthew Gloag in the town of Perth in the southern Highlands of Scotland.

The 'mystery dram' revealed

Thank you to everyone who read and left comments for our recent ‘mystery dram’ challenge. We can now reveal that the ‘mystery dram’ in question this time was the classic Speyside whisky Glenlivet 12 years old. The full review of the Glenlivet 12 years old will be posted shortly with some further distillery information and facts about the whisky.

We are trying to make the 'mystery dram' as challenging as possible and this time we had three regular readers who guessed the correct identity of the whisky. Well done to Jeff from the Scotch Hobbyist blog, Jason from the WHISKYhost blog (although he managed to talk himself out of the correct answer!) and Lisa Huang. A couple of others were very close but not quite correct. Thank you again to everyone who contributed and look out for a new 'mystery dram' coming soon.

Have just tried ... Fettercairn 1824 12 years old

Fettercairn is a distillery located in the eastern Highland region of Scotland, between the cities of Aberdeen and Dundee. It was founded in 1824 by Sir Alexander Ramsey and is currently owned by Whyte & Mackay, who in turn are part of the larger United Spirits group. The original name of the distillery and its whisky was Old Fettercairn and this only changed to Fettercairn in 2002, when Whyte & Mackay revamped the brand and its packaging.

Fettercairn contributes greatly to Whyte & Mackay’s popular blended whisky range. The distillery’s annual production capacity is 2.3 million litres and as a result, only one single malt is regularly released – this Fettercairn 1824 at 12 years of age (so named due to the distillery’s founding date). Other older limited edition versions occasionally appear, as do some independent bottlings. Both are rare however. The 1824 can be found in specialist whisky retailers and should cost £25-30 a bottle.

This Fettercairn 1824 12 years old is dark golden amber in colour and the nose shows a clear influence of sherry cask maturation. There is a pleasant mix of dried fruits (think of raisins, candied peel and prunes), nuts (imagine almonds) and toffee. It seems sweet but there are some other slightly more bitter notes in there as well – cereal husks, dark woody oak and dried grasses (think of hay). The nose gives the impression that the whisky will be rich but it proves not to be the case on the palate. It feels light and quite thin in the mouth but still has an interesting combination of characteristics – the dried fruit, nuts, toffee, cereals, wood and grassiness from the nose plus a touch of spicy pepperiness (imagine white pepper) and just a whiff of bonfire smoke (this is slightly sulphuric and reminiscent of burning logs). The finish is dry with the nuttiness and a distinct spiciness prominent (this is now more like a woody spice, such as cinnamon or nutmeg, rather than pepper). It turns quite woody and bitter at the very end.

Have just tried ... Bruichladdich Octomore 2

Bruichladdich (pronounced brook-laddie) is located on the western peninsula of the famous whisky island of Islay, sitting on the shores overlooking Loch Indaal. Islay is the traditional home of the world's smoky whiskies but the Bruichladdich distillery style is in contrast to these, being lighter, fresher and generally with little or no peatiness. The distillery was originally founded in 1881 and was built using stones from the local beach. It was also one of the first buildings in the UK to be built using concrete! It is a small distillery with an annual production capacity of just 700,000 litres. Bruichladdich translates as 'the brae (hillside) by the shore' from Gaelic.

Bruichladdich is one of Scotland's most innovative distilleries and one of very few that remain independently owned. It was taken over by a group of four entrepreneurs in 2000 and they have made Bruichladdich very experimental with its whisky production and release programme. They are reknowned for maturing their whisky in non traditional wine and dessert wine casks. Their innovative range is extensive and they are always updating it with new releases. In contrast to this, the new owners renovated the distillery to its former glory and decided to maintain the traditional whisky making machinery and techniques. There are no computers used for production and it is one of the most traditional and historical distilleries in Scotland.

The Octomore series is part of this innovation. The whisky bucks the trend at Bruichladdich by being hailed as 'the smokiest whisky ever produced'. It has a peating level of a whopping 140ppm (phenols per million - the scale used to measure the amount of peat absorbed by the malted barley). To put this in to context, its nearest rival is the Ardbeg Supernova - a limited release that was just over 100ppm - and regular bottlings such as Laphroaig 10 years old and Ardbeg 10 years old are around 50ppm. Octomore has been distilled by Bruichladdich once a year since 2003 and this is the second release at five years of age. The first release was in 2008 and had the slightly lower peat level of 133ppm. It is named after another former Islay distillery that ran between 1816 and 1852 and the ruins of this can still be seen today, close to the Port Charlotte malting house. Only 15,000 bottles of Octomore 2 are available worldwide.

The colour of the Octomore 2 is pale yellow and straw-like. Prepare for your senses to be thrashed - the nose is powerful and you can almost smell it before you open the bottle! The potent, almost eye watering, amount of peat smoke takes your breath away. The smokiness is earthy with some bitter iodine and has a distinct acrid note that is reminiscent of burning rubber or tyres. Behind this are other elements, but they take some significant time to be allowed through (at least five minutes). There is sweet vanilla and cereal grains, some fresh green fruit (think of apples) and a whiff of eucalyptus/menthol. On the palate, a similar thing happens. The aggressive and punchy peatiness is spicy (imagine red chillies and black peppercorns), damp and earthy with that burning tyre acrid note prominent. Finally, the vanilla, cereals, fruit and menthol come through to try and add some balance. The finish lasts forever and burns away like embers in a fire. There is a bitter iodine, almost antiseptic note that is evident.

Bruichladdich Octomore 2 is bottled at 62.5% ABV, so we tried it with some water. Even with water, it is very peaty but it does allow the sweeter elements to come through a little better - vanilla, cereal grains, damp moss,dried grasses and green fruits. This is a very interesting whisky that is worth trying but it does assault your senses and require a bit of patience. It is not for the faint hearted and lacks any subtly and balance at the moment, although this has potential and will come with further ageing. If you love peat, then you will love this. A bottle should be around £80-85 and be available from specialist whisky retailers.