The Master Blender

 

What’s the best whisky to go with Easter eggs?

Admit it, since you opened up those Easter eggs today you’ve been thinking “hmm, chocolate is nice, but what’s the best whisky to be having with them?”

And now I’m here to give you the answer…

As with all things involving whisky and chocolate, it really is a matter of preference – only an idiot would say there’s one definitive answer that covers every person, so get all your whisky bottles and Easter eggs out to mix and match and then when you find the right combination, just sip and savour away.

Having said that, the basic rule to consider is this: the darker the chocolate the older and more complex the whisky should be, so something like Whyte & Mackay 13 year old or Dalmore 15 year old whiskies for the standard milk chocolate Easter egg. If it’s darker perhaps something along the lines of the Dalmore King Alexander III, Dalmore Mackenzie or the Whyte & Mackay 30 year old (though I think that last one goes quite well with milk chocolate too).

How to taste it

Don’t just throw it all in your mouth and go “mmffm mmmmff mmfffm” and swallow – that’s the equivalent of just knocking back the whisky. (and for God’s sake don’t speak with your mouth full.)

If you’ve got coffee involved as well (because that can really add to the flavours), start with the coffee, feel the flavour rising through your mouth, warming it for what’s to come. Then take the whisky and – holding it in your mouth at least one second for every year the whisky is aged – move it over and under your tounge, letting the complexities of the dram come out. Finally, add the chocolate and the coffee and whisky will bring out the flavours embedded there, but again treat it with respect, enjoy it in your mouth, not just “chomp chomp chomp”.

And compare and contrast, try the coffee, chocolate and whisky without combining them to see what the pairings bring out in each of them.

But most of all, enjoy and have a fantastic Easter. (This arrived a little late but is sound advice none the less)

Visit Whyte & Mackay at http://www.whyteandmackay.co.uk

AUCHENTOSHAN LAUNCHES AN EXCLUSIVE LIMITED EDITON WHISKY – Bourbon Matured 1975 THE ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S ITEM FOR THE SINGLE MALT ENTHUSIAST

This May, Auchentoshan will release a rare limited edition, aged for 35 long years in fine North American Oak casks – The Auchentoshan Bourbon Matured 1975. With only 500 bottles in existence, collectors will be able to savour this fine expression at its optimum; cask strength and non-chill filtered.

Presented in a premium black double fronted box, both the carton and the bottle deliberately retain a subtlety and understated luxury best reserved for higher aged vintage releases.  The packaging reflecting the character of the copper gold liquid.   The name and label are slimmer revealing the liquid as the true hero, as is the neck, which exposes the natural cork.

Hannah Fisher, Brand Manager for Auchentoshan commented, “ This is a truly exceptional release; hand picked by our Distillery Manager from our older casks which sit within Warehouse Number 3,beneath the Kilpatrick Hills. With only 500 bottles in existence, this sweet yet spicy malt speaks for itself.”

The Bourbon Matured 1975 becomes part of a series of superb vintage releases from the late 1970s including last year’s 1977 Sherry matured and the 1978 Bourbon cask.  As Scotland’s only triple distilled whisky, dating back to 1823, Auchentoshan is a lowland Single Malt renowned for its smooth and gentle flavour. Its modern font, label and taste make it approachable to a wide audience from the younger emerging whisky drinkers to the single malt evangelists.

Tasting notes:

On the nose, is sweet butterscotch with a rum and raison toffee aroma.

On the palate hints of wood spice cutting through the sweetness, leaving a gentle lingering barley malt finish.

The Auchentoshan 1975 (RRP £350) 46.9% ABV, will be available from specialist whisky suppliers from May 2011.

For more information visit and www.auchentoshan.com

Slàinte!

Mark Dermul
A Toshan Man
(www.markdermul.be/toshanman)

WHISKI Rooms

Address: 4, 6 & 7 North Bank Street, Edinburgh
Located on the Mound with fabulous open views over Edinburgh, just around the corner from Edinburgh Castle.

General Information

The WHISKI Rooms is due to open in early summer 2011 (planned for June) and will be a completely new concept in whisky retailing. Comprising of three separate units, (formerly two gift shops and a branch of the Bank of Scotland ) knocked through into three interlinked spaces, it will comprise a whisky shop with a dedicated tasting room, a bar and a bistro where customers can walk from one to the other.

The principle for the venture has came from customers repeatedly asking where they can buy the whiskies they tried and enjoyed in the original WHISKI bar. Hence the “try before you buy” concept has evolved where customers can try a whisky at the bar and if they like it, go into the whisky shop and buy it there and then or alternatively order it online and we will ship it to their home. With an all day fresh Scottish food offering, extensive drinks list including 100’s of whiskies, daily whisky tastings and educational videos being shown in the tasting room – we feel that the WHISKI Rooms will be a unique venue to promote and showcase Scotland’s national drink, whisky and Scottish produce in general.

Background

WHISKI launched in May 2007 on Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile with the intention to create an upmarket whisky bar offering fresh Scottish food and a great Scottish experience in Edinburgh. Within two years the bar had received many awards and gathered a worldwide following, appearing in many TV shows and magazine articles across the globe. 

Owners Background

Owned by husband and wife team, Gary & Anne Still. After very successful corporate careers, they decided it was time to take the plunge and move into hospitality – a industry they had passion for and had talked about doing for years. They eventually bought Clever Dicks in the Royal Mile and took over in Dec 2006, launching WHISKI in May 2007. 

Main Contact : Anne Still

Web:       www.whiskibar.co.uk
Email:     info@whiskibar.co.uk
Twitter:   www.twitter.com/whiskibar

GLENLIVET SEMINAR

Friday, April 29, 6:30-8:30pm

Glenlivet Brand Ambassador Winston Evans will lead this seminar and sample some of the finest Glenlivet whiskies available. This seminar will include 12 year, 15 year French Oak, 18 year, 21 year Archive and more. $10 W/Binny’s Card / $15 non-members. Seating is extremely limited and paid reservations are required.

Call 847-831-5400 or email highlandpark@binnys.com for reservations.

Highland Park Store
153 Skokie Valley Highway | Highland Park | 847-831-5400

Charles Maclean is one of the world’s top whisky writers, and is marking 30 years of writing about the water of life this year. We’ll hear from this Master of the Quaich about how he developed his love for whisky and his nosing skills, along with what he likes and doesn’t like about whisky these days. In the news, Graham Eunson leaves Glenglassaugh to become distillery manager at Tomatin, Diageo’s Scotch distilleries show an increase in visitor traffic, and the UK prepares to mix whisky with politics…in one polling place.

Visit WhiskyCast at www.whiskycast.com

From www.edradour.co.uk  Edradour is the smallest whisky distillery in Scotland; possibly the smallest legal distillery of any kind in the World. John Reid and his two assistants hand-craft Edradour without automation, using skills handed down through generations. Edradour produces just twelve casks of whisky a week during production times. This is then laid down to mature for at least 10 years until the whisky reaches the peak quality. (Whisky Intelligence does find it a little odd that there is so little mention of their actual whisky on the website “The place, the story, the craft, enjoy.” But no mention of the whisky… an opportunity wasted one is forced to conclude. Perhaps they feel their whisky speaks for it self.) 

Edradour 10yo (40%, OB, +/-2010)

The nose is pleasant and pleasantly zesty with loads of fruit notes (cherries, lemon, apricots) along with some good oak spice in the back ground. Some slight hints of fragrance (heather and roses or even pot-pourri) but this is just in the back ground and not very evident. All good so far. The taste is of cereals and tinned fruit cocktail with the heather, roses and pot-pourri making a stronger showing. Much like 24 hours after having your mouth washed out with soap. Much like but not like if you take the meaning. Still is has lots of happy moments. The finish shows some really good malt which makes a strong showing and some really solid moments and it’s actually quite long.

A decent malt that shows some promise.

78 points

$77

Edradour “Straight from the Cask” Portwood Finish 11yo (55.8%, OB, +/-2010)

The nose is well, strong with shades of Hessian, lashings of port and lots of other aromas from the ‘oak’ side of the house like nutmeg, furniture polish and lumber yard.  Also hints of Marmite, card board and straw. Things settle down with some time in the glass. The taste is quite pleasant at first and then becomes maple sweet quite quickly which is all very good. Later moments of extreme dryness and hugely vibrant. Hints of the pot-pourri, heather and roses which become more than hints after a while but the high alcohol and the port do a credible job of masking this. The finish is slightly different with some of the cardboard and Hessian returning, all very active and complex, a varied amount of activity. It’s long and decent, not a bad finish. Late malt arrival which is welcome.

Mildly confused but still a decent dram, the cask strength aids the whole picture.

Score 80 points

$89

Edradour Ballechin #2 Madeira Matured (46%, OB, +/-2010)

Oh my, this is VERY peated on the nose and it’s all very nice. The peat smoke is quite dominant, not much else is daring to show a face. Still this should not be construed as a complaint. There’s some traces of vanilla and old musical instruments but they are faint murmurs. Sort of an 8yo Signatory Unchillfiltered (UCF) Laphroaig. The taste is both peated and malty with some really good moments of Islay in the mix and it presents like a cask strength, all very nice. The PPM on this must be quite high. The Edradour character has been some what obliterated by the cluster bomb of peat smoke. Again no complaints since it’s really nice whisky. The finish is malty and again the peat smoke is very dominate. Talking this into consideration the finish is unsurprisingly very long and contains lashing so f peat smoke.

Whoa! What a great dram, could be from Islay. High praise indeed.

Score 85 points

$106

Edradour 12yo Caledonia (46%, OB, +/-2010)

The nose is creamy along with some crème brulèe, a very, very nice nose at first blush and a departure from some of the other Edradour and with time in the glass it only improves. The taste is once again different from the previous expressions and quite nice, verging on very nice. A solid highland dram with lots of solid flavours and gone are the floral notes of other Edradour samples (well, not entirely, but now they add to the whole picture). Some moments of leather and tobacco swirled in with the crème brulèe along with some sweet malt. All in a really good solid dram. The finish is malty, creamy and vibrant, Very long and at the tail end the leather and tobacco reappear.

Edradour have done it, a sensational dram. Must buy a bottle NOW!

Score 88 points.

$94

Edradour 13yo 1997 (56.4%, OB, C#185, +/- 2010)

On the nose there’s a strong presence of alcohol (not a shock after all!) and lashings of fruit and wet cotton, the fruit in the form of rich Christmas fruit cake, warm marmalade and raisins. A extremely nice collection of aromas that compliment each other very well. Perhaps some good fry cocoa powder in the mix also. The taste is strong and very fruity however there is a good showing of some raw unlit tobacco along with the afore mentioned fruit and cake as well as some oak spice and loads of the cocoa powder. A tinge of the Edradour floral notes but not so much as to cause alarm and demand a quick shut down to the whole show. Very dry in the mouth. The finish is a 90 degree turn to malt along with the cocoa powder (unsweetened) and then the oak spice dryness takes over for the remainder of the trip.

What an excellent Edradour! Many thanks to Andrew Freguson at Kensington Wine Mart in Calgary for the sample.

Score 89 points

$130

Edradour 24yo (50.7%, OB, PX Sherry, C#09/151, +/-2010)

Floral (or perhaps some green malt) and sherry on the nose, tinned fruit cocktail, banana along with hints of black currents and some bees wax in the back ground perhaps, slight restrained and some definite stabs at elegance. With time in the glass some great moments of brown sugar arrive which ties everything together quite nicely. The taste is very gentle (much like a 40%) but still delivers the flavour profile and is pretty much a mirror image of the now however with some added dramatic oak spice and vibrancy to jolly things along. Late arrival of some chocolate (however like those fancy ‘boutique’ chocolates made with Elder flower or such but still chocolate despite the pretence). Things have worked out rather well in the taste department. The finish is very sherried, a quick flash of the floral and then into some really great moments of dryness along with the dark unsweetened chocolate. Raisins, very nice…

Once again what an excellent Edradour! It would be a real treat of it were peated! Many thanks to Andrew Freguson at Kensington Wine Mart in Calgary for the sample.

Score 89 points

$200

Tweeddale Whisky – What to do for Batch two?

Well the 1st Batch of Tweeddale whisky for 70 years is nearing an end. There are now only 120 bottles of Batch one of The Tweeddale Blend (10 year old) left in bond. Oh aye and case 1 containing the 1st 6 bottles from the 1st batch that are not for sale.

So what to do about batch two? Well it is back to my Great Grandfather’s cellar book and every batch of The Tweeddale blend he produced was slightly different as like me he had to work with the whisky that was available to him. Seven of the nine whiskies in batch two will be the same, from the same casks as batch one but two will be from two new casks. As we know every cask is different. Aye the perils of working with single cask whiskies to produce a wee batch of blend. Also I am planning to go for a slightly older grain whisky this time, my Great Grandfather was not limited by age statements (there was none on the original blend) but it is looking like batch two may well be a 12 year old so no more 10 year old Tweeddale Blend!

Don’t worry though batch one is still available from Loch Fyne Whiskies; The Whisky Exchange; Gordon & MacPhails; Masters of Malt; Vino Wines; Wood & Winters; Clyde Whiskies; Robbies Drams; Abbey Wines; Penicuik Wines and Royal Mile Whiskies currently have a promotional offer on batch one. Also the Good Spirit Company will have batch one of The Tweeddale Blend when they open next month.

There will also be Tweeddale Whisky tastings at The Scotch Whisky Experience shop this Easter Saturday 23rd April; at Whisky An’ A’ That VIII – Whisky Festival in Ayr on 4th June.

For more details see our website The Tweeddale Blend

Regards,
Alasdair.

Discover the lost blend……..
Coming soon Batch 2 (hopefully June 2011)
THE TWEEDDALE BLEND.

http://www.stonedean.co.uk
http://twitter.com/@tweeddaleblend
http://www.facebook.com/Tweeddale-Blend/

Whisky Show Tickets Now On Sale!!

Hi Folks, Just a quick heads-up that tickets for The Whisky Exchange  Whisky Show are now on sale from ticketsource.co.uk! Click here to get yours: http://www.whisky-show.com/whisky-show-2011-tickets  Don’t hang around, as advance interest has been very high for these.  The TWE Whisky Show is the UK’s No.1 premium whisky tasting event and is being held at Vinopolis near London Bridge on 7th-8th October 2011.  For more details on the show, including a list of all our exhibitors and a breakdown of just what you’re getting for your cash, please visit www.whisky-show.com.

Happy Bank Holidays,

Tim F (at the Whisky Exchange)