Invergordon 18yo (65.6%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, G5.4, 247 bts., +/-2011)

“Sweet Treats” and a bottling for the UK hence the  £ in the price! Aged in new toasted oak hogshead, distilled May 20th, 1993. Scottish grain Whisky. On the nose it is some what ‘American’ and also at the same time very, very Canadian; bourbon notes, high sweetness with a rich syrupiness in the back ground. Hints of subtle grains and moments of strong grains, also coffee grounds all taken together and it’s a heady mixture and it’s really quite excellent. The taste is sweetness, the coffee and some really sensational rich notes with fruit and bourbon. With water it becomes very ‘dusty’ and the syrupiness increases but don’t drown it; too much only lessens the impact and this is best taken with as little water as possible. Having said that it holds together very well. The finish is intense, powerful and quite frankly also very good. It’s also long and filled with sherbet and cream soda.

Not an off note to be found and very well balanced.

£58

Score 90 points

Many thanks to Rich L. for the sample…

A shoveful of Islay Single Malt Scotch Whiskies including malts distilled at Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bowmore and Port Ellen.

Big Peat carries a big peaty (often called “phenolic”), beachy, oceanic, slightly ashy selection of Malts from the island of Islay. Ally these lusty and robust Malts selected for Big Peat with the fact that no chill filtration takes place – a more old fashioned traditional approach – and you will detect a massive amplification of the anticipated sea-fairing qualities on the nose, palate and finish. These are particularly appreciated when consumed leisurely in the same style these Malts have waited for you in the cold, dark and windswept warehouses of Islay.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW

Glen Garioch Tasting at TWE Vinopolis

We had a great tasting of the full delights of Glen Garioch at TWE Vinopolis the other week.  Iain McCallum, Morrison Bowmore’s Malt Master, regaled us with tales of traumatic hangover breakfasts, an unfortunate incident with a boiler, and how he … Continue reading >>

June 2012, Edinburgh: Olly Smith, one of the UK’s most popular and charismatic TV drinks experts, teamed up with Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Whisky at the Ideal Home Show Scotland 2012 in Glasgow earlier this month, to host a number of special tasting sessions across Glengoyne’s award-winning core range.

As Celebrity Drinks Ambassador for the Ideal Home Show, Olly joined the Glengoyne team in the Celebrity Chef Theatre to offer whisky aficionados, as well as complete novices, an entertaining Masterclass on the Glengoyne range and to learn something new about Scotland’s national spirit.

Olly also made a special visit to the Glengoyne Distillery to experience the home of the leading malt whisky for himself, meeting Distillery Manager Robbie Hughes and to get a taste for Glengoyne at its source. Glengoyne is one of Scotland’s most accessible distilleries, located just 30 minutes north of Glasgow in a beautiful wooded glen overlooking the breath-taking West Highland Way.

The mouth-watering journey started with the delicate sweet nose of fresh apples from the Glengoyne 10 Years Old, before the enjoying the more bourbon influences of Glengoyne 12 Years Old. A Single Malt which can’t help improving with age, the nutty, spicy flavours of the Glengoyne 17 Years Old were the perfect predecessor to the riot of toffee, spice and sherry that the Glengoyne 21 Years Old is famous for.

Distilled in the heart of The Trossachs for nearly 200 years, Glengoyne Highland Single Malt is one of the leading malt whiskies in the world. Using methods passed down for generations, Glengoyne is made with knowledge, passion and craftsmanship.

Commenting on his partnership with Glengoyne, Olly said: “The Glengoyne range has a vibrant fruity character across the board with delightful purity in every sip, whether it’s light and refreshing or deep and rich. The casks impart complexity and depth as the whiskies gently develop with age.

“I loved visiting the intimate Glengoyne Distillery and it was a great opportunity to share these brilliant drinks with visitors at The Ideal Home Show Scotland too.”

Olly hosts a variety of live events around the UK including the BBC Good Food Show, Tapas Fantasticas, and previously Masterchef Live, Love Cooking, Taste of London and the F-Word Live for Channel 4. Olly is also a Wine Editor for The Mail on Sunday’s Live Magazine, writes weekly for Waitrose Weekend, monthly for Waitrose Kitchen, as well as features for numerous other publications.

For more information on Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Whisky visit www.glengoyne.com

Notes

Photocaption:

1. Olly Smith at the Glengoyne Distillery Shop

2. (L-R) Glengoyne Distillery Manager, Robbie Hughes; Business Development Manager, Ian MacLeod Distillers & Olly Smith at Glengoyne Distillery

3. Olly Smith at the Glengoyne Distillery

Glengoyne

The Glengoyne portfolio consists of the 10 Years Old, 12 Years Old Cask Strength, 12 Years Old at 43%, 17 Years Old, 21 Years Old as well as special limited edition bottlings released every year.

Glengoyne is available to purchase from the Glengoyne Distillery, online at www.glengoyne.com and from Selfridges, Milroys, Oddbins, Sainsbury’s Royal Mile Whiskies, and other leading Specialists.

Glengoyne Distillery Tours start from just £6.50, call 01360 550 254 or visit www.glengoyne.com for more details and to book.

Summer Sale 2012 Offerings – July 2012 

Cask No. 73.45 is President’s Choice 

Kissing a freshly perfumed woman 

Cask No. 73.45                     

Highlands, Speyside (Islay) 

The interesting nose had peardrops and polished wood, then cloves and iced cinnamon swirls, also marmalade, orange oil and chocolate oranges; finally Marsala and strawberry syrup. The unreduced palate seemed amazingly mature – orange liqueur, beeswax polish on expensive furniture, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, orange peel, red Chewits (or Campinos) and peach with traces of mint – surprisingly lively. The reduced nose discovered tobacco, scented wood, sherbet, coconut oil and eventually Kummel. The reduced palate, complex, rich and pleasing, had the woodiness of old bourbon and floral perfume – ‘like kissing a freshly perfumed woman’. This 1897 distillery is a ‘sister’ establishment to Craigellachie. 

Drinking tip: For a warm summer evening, with appropriate music and floral perfumes 

Colour: Orange honeycomb                               

Cask: Refill ex-Sherry butt                               

Age: 19 years                                        

Date distilled: March 1992

Alcohol: 56.1% 

$135 

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Lively and explosive

Cask No. 1.159                     

Highlands, Speyside 

An unusual and intriguing wee dram on the nose – hard peaches, wood sap, nutty notes, quince, juniper, flint, Evo-Stik and green ginger – quite clean but was it floral or soapy? The palate was fizzy, lively and tooth-stripping, with explosive ginger heat, granny smith apples, vanilla and mint humbugs. The nose seemed smoother and sweeter with water – cocoa butter, sherbet fountains (with liquorice), ginger beer and lime – quite summery in character. The reduced palate became well-rounded and easy-drinking with some of the deeper botanical ingredients of gin coming through – liquorice, aniseed, angelica and cassia. The distillery sits north of Ben Rinnes. 

Drinking tip: Could be a summery drink, maybe even with ginger ale 

Colour: Sparkling mica gold                             

Cask: First-fill barrel                                       

Age: 11 years                                        

Date distilled: May 2000

Alcohol: 56.2% 

$100

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Barbequed haggis 

Cask No. 10.75                     

Islay, North Shore 

The first impression is not too impressive: solvent, washing up liquid and Coal Tar soap; dried meat, smoked mackerel and charred fish skin, but a pleasant taste of boiled sweets and runny honey on burnt toast, with a trace of fennel and rosemary in the finish and ‘the burnt end of overdone roast beef’. With water the aroma is of dried out haggis, and some allspice: dry overall. The taste is still sweet, then burnt and slightly peppery. Still some haggis, with a thyme-like herbal note and charcoal in the finish. This distillery on the Sound of Islay usually makes un-peated malt. 

Drinking tip: A Burn’s night Barbie on a beach 

Colour: Tarnished silver with pale green lights            

Cask: Refill hogshead                                       

Age: 13 years                                        

Date distilled: December 1997

Alcohol: 55.9% 

$110 

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Rich, sweet and comforting 

Cask No. G5.5                      

Grain 

A treat for the nose – buttered toast with honey and creamy custard to start. Then pencil shavings, airfix glue and marzipan got the mouth watering. The taste was very sweet (honey, vanilla and syrup) with some mild spiciness (pepper) which was warming and comforting. Adding water seemed to dull down the aromas but the sweetness returned with fudge, honey, cereals and then fruits – banana flavoured sweets, orange oil – and demerara sugar. Fresh oak, ginger, orange oil and boiled sweets were on the palate and rounded off a satisfying finish. This Highland grain distillery was built in 1959 to create employment in the local area. 

Drinking tip: For quiet contemplation, but be careful with the water 

Colour: Light copper with pink highlights                    

Cask: Virgin toasted oak hogshead                                

Age: 18 years                                        

Date distilled: May 1993

Alcohol: 65.4% 

$130

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*Members receive $10 off every Society bottle purchased in the month of July 2012.

Visit http://www.smwsa.com/ for more Society information.

Our Shop is Moving! (temporarily)

The summer is upon us and with it there is an unnamed sporting event happening in our capital. That, along with a chunk of serious building work, means that Vinopolis, the home of our shop these last 7 years, will … Continue reading >>

Recreating Grant’s Stand Fast

Hi all,

A year ago I wrote about a fascinating discovery our archivist, Paul Kendal, made in one of the Distillery Cottages, home to the Grant’s family archives.

He’d uncovered the company’s first blending book. Within it, a record of the exact whiskies our first Master Blender, William Grant himself, selected to create the original Grant’s Stand…(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,
Ludo

Carn Mor ‘Strictly Limited Edition’ Tasting Friday 13th July STATION HOTEL 7.30 for 7.45pm £13.50 per member

With guest speaker, Mr Peter Mackay of The Scottish Liqueur Centre Bruadar, Columba Cream, Heather Cream and Ginger Tams are only a few products that the Scottish Liqueur Centre are responsible for. Over the years they have gained the reputation for being a very important independent bottler of single malt whiskies. We will be lucky enough to try the following eight of their recent limited edition bottlings:

Arran 15yo refill sherry cask 46%
Mortlach 16yo hogshead 46%
Ben Nevis 15yo Sherry butt 46%
Speyside 15yo Sherry butt 46%
Clynelish 16yo hogshead 46%
Bunnahabhain 10yo sherry puncheon 46%
Highland Park 17yo hogshead 46%
Bowmore 16yo sherry butt 46%

Eight distilleries, eight whiskies, cheese & biscuits and an evening with friends.. it should be a good night once more!

Our Golden Dram at last year’s festival was won by the Scottish Liqueur Centre with their Beinn a’Cheo Macallan

For those who can’t make the tasting on the 13th, we are holding an ‘overflow’ tasting with the same whiskies on Friday 27th July at The Room, Troqueer Arms with Brian as the speaker.

info@tbwatson.co.uk  

T.B.Watson Ltd.
11/17 English Street
Dumfries, Scotland DG1 2BU
United Kingdom

3:50 AM. Whose bright idea was this? Ah, that would be yourself bucko. It had seemed like a good idea at the tasting last night (tonight?) in The Whisky Shop where they had kindly hosted the Malt Maniacs for a stupendous farewell tasting; a fitting finale for our 15^th Anniversary gathering in Scotland. Does it every really become fully dark in Edinburgh in the summer? No matter, stick to the plan. Only 3 more whisky related activities left on the schedule in this 24 hour period; how delightfully Maniacal. Put on the kettle for a quick cup of tea and then a phone call to Ho-cheng’s room; “Are you awake?” “Yes” he replied, “OK, see you in the lobby in 10 minutes”. Indeed a quick cup of tea and 10 minutes later Ho-cheng and I were in the lobby. And he’d shaved…..how the hell had he done that?? The front desk arranged for a taxi which arrived with impressive speed and we gave our destination “28 Victoria Street please” and we sat back for the short journey. “Wait one, this is Castle Hill and not Victoria Street” I thought …but, ah, the entrance to the stair case which leads down toVictoria Street. Some what dark and ominous but there is WHISKY at the destination so press forward!

A minute later we pushed open the door of The Whisky Shop to reveal numerous bright eyed people bustling about setting up for the Compass Box world record attempt with John Glaser. John was attempting to hold a tasting in eight Whisky Shop locations in the UK in a 24 hour period and it involved a route from Inverness to Brighton. Shortly after our arrival Tim Puett from the Ardbeg Project glided into the shop (he’d shaved too). Interestingly for the future of whisky present at the tasting  were a number of young women who appeared to simply be there for the whisky; just like us. Surprise, surprise in walked Carsten Hering Nielsen whom I had first met a few years ago; small world!

After much fretting by staff the set up was complete and with a few minutes until the start time we were presented with little confetti devices along with final instructions for when John popped his head in the door. Bang on time in came John and who was suitably covered in streamers and confetti along with a warm welcome. John had shaved. Seemingly only your Honourable correspondent had failed to shave, I managed to consol myself with the knowledge that drams would soon be served.

John took a minute or two to say hello to everybody individually and then he started the tasting with a short talk about the world record attempt and the philosophy behind Compass Box whisky. We started off with a whisky cocktail made with Great King Street blended whisky, a ‘naked’ sample of Great King Street, followed by the Spice Tree and the story of how it came about and then finally the Peat Monster which went down very easily considering the time of the morning. Surprisingly quickly the allotted time was up and John and his team were off to their next stop, two down, six to go. 

As we walked back to the hotel we realized it was so early not even the Edinburgh tram line was running…but then will it ever? Only an hour and a half until breakfast so finally I’d have a chance to shave!

Noon Only two more events to go; now it was time for lunch at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society Queen Street; Tim had arranged for a lunch with some of the team from Glenmorangie Plc and we (Peter, Krishna and I) were going to meet Tim for a dram prior to his going off to lunch. After all it had been six and half hours since our last dram and we felt that we really needed to keep up our strength! Drams were duly selected from the monthly list and then suddenly the Glenmorangie team had arrived; Dr. Bill Lumsden – Head of Distilling & Whisky Creation, Iain Russell  Brands Heritage Manager, Hamish Torrie Head of Communications and Mark Harvey Business Development Director – USA and they very kindly invited us all to lunch downstairs in the main dining room which was very brave of them to take on 4  Malt Maniacs at once but they accomplished this by distracting us with drams of SMWS Glenmorangie and a stupendous meal (Scallops followed by lamb shank, both with appropriate wines). Thank you gentlemen. 

After lunch it was time for some shopping for souvenirs and gifts and perhaps a quick dash into one or two of the many whisky shops on the Royal Mile including the Scotch Whisky Experience near the castle. As always it was a very busy place and Amber restaurant was busy busy (one step above busy you understand). After shopping a quick diversion to the hotel to unload the purchases, check email, check-in online for tomorrow’s flights and then off to the Vaults for the grand finale of the day. 

6PM Tim, Peter and I had agreed to meet with Mark (WM Cadenhead Ltd) and Willie (WhiskyWhiskyWhisky forum) at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s Vaults at 87 Giles Street for a bite to eat and a ‘few’ drams. Tim and Peter being stout fellows seemingly had gone straight from post lunch drams at Queen Street to the Vaults and were happily ensconced sampling more (many) of the Society’s whiskies. 

Dinner, as usual at the Vaults was excellent (mixed green salad, grilled sausages and mash, gravy) and the drams were a malt lovers cornucopia including many bottlings which were the very first from various distilleries hidden far to the left hand side of the bar. Those bottlings have not been available for many, many years and all sported the Society’s original label (and bottle shape). Also a number of Society older Glen Moray went down range and soon enough it was time as both Tim and I had very early flights. 

The SMWS Vaults was a fitting venue for the 4th whisky event in 24 hours. As Tim and I left Peter, Mark and Willie were hard at it…

L to R below; Ho-cheng, Carsten, Lawrence, John & Tim