MAHARAJA OF JODHPUR TOASTS DIAMOND JUBILEE YEAR AS THE 61^ST CAVALRY TEAM CLAIM VICTORY AT ROYAL SALUTE CUP 

The Royal Salute Maharaja of Jodhpur Golden Jubilee Cup came to an exciting close this New Year as the 61^st Cavalry team claimed victory after an exciting week of 10-goal polo. From 26 – 31 December, patrons and players alike enjoyed the annual tournament, raising a glass to commemorate His Highness Gajsingh II, The Maharaja of Jodhpur’s 60 year reign in the Blue City.

Festivities included the opulent Diamond Jubilee Ball at Umaid Bhawan Palace, where Royal Salute honoured the Maharaja’s celebratory year with a one-off Scotch whisky crafted especially by the Master Blender and presented in a personally engraved crystal decanter. One of the rarest and most bespoke blends ever created by Royal Salute, the expression includes whiskies taken from each decade of the Maharaja’s reign. This incredibly unique blend includes many whiskies from distilleries which are no longer in production – adding even further to its rarity. There is also a rich mix of top quality casks, butts, hogsheads and barrels.

His Highness, who was touched by the gesture, enjoys nothing more than sharing his passion and enthusiasm for the sport with the guests of Umaid Bhawan Palace who over the years have included, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Madonna and most recently Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Diana Ross for the 50th birthday of Russian billionaire Vladimir Doronin.

His Highness Gajsingh II, The Maharaja of Jodhpur commented: “I absolutely relish hosting the Royal Salute Maharaja of Jodhpur Golden Jubilee Cup and this year in particular, being a significant year for me and my family, the celebrations have been the perfect way to mark a momentous 60 years.”

Guests celebrated the close of the Royal Salute Cup with a spectacular procession led by the Maharaja, through the imposing Mehrangarh Fort, celebrating the New Year and concluding festivities.

Neil Macdonald, Global Brand Director for Royal Salute, commented: “We are delighted to again be sponsoring the Royal Salute Maharaja of Jodhpur Golden Jubilee Cup for a fourth consecutive time. Having celebrated a Diamond Jubilee earlier in the year, we are thrilled to be toasting the Diamond Jubilee year with His Highness Gajsingh II, The Maharaja of Jodhpur. We hope 2013 will be a prosperous year for all and really look forward to the next event.”

Royal Salute’s commitment to international polo is ever growing, with sponsorships of some of the world’s most prestigious polo events across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. Royal Salute World Polo programme continues with the Royal Salute Nation’s Cup in Dubai on 23-26 January 2012.

Notes: 

Royal Salute Maharaja of Jodhpur Diamond Jubilee Blend – Tasting Notes

Rich, fruity with sweet flavours, including pear and peach aromas, coming through in abundance and with a gentle vanilla sweet oakiness complementing in the background. The finish is incredibly long and smooth.

Royal Salute is the world’s leading luxury Scotch whisky, and begins where others end as only whiskies matured for at least 21 years are ever selected for Royal Salute blends. In 2012, Royal Salute became the first ever brand to be officially associated with the Royal Gun Salutes at the Tower of London, as part of a long term partnership with the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces. 

Royal Salute is a leading international supporter of polo, ‘the king of sports and the sport of kings’. Royal Salute World Polo is truly international with a presence in every major region globally:

• Argentina Campeonado Abierto de Polo, Palermo, Buenos Aires
• Australia Sydney Gold Cup, Sydney and Portsea Polo, Victoria
• Brazil Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup, São Paulo and Copa Ouro São José Polo,  São Paulo
• China Royal Salute China Open, Beijing
• India Royal Salute Maharaja of Jodhpur Golden Jubilee Cup, Jodphur
• Italy Polo Gold Cup, Cortina d’ Ampezzo
• South Korea Royal Salute Polo Cup, Jeju
• Spain Snow Polo, Baqueira, Lérida and Sotogrande, Cádiz
• UAE Royal Salute Nations Cup, Dubai
• USA Foundation Polo Challenge, Santa Barbara and Royal Salute Jubilee Cup, Greenwich, New York
• UK The Sentebale Polo Cup, Coworth Park,  Kent & Curwen Polo Club, London
• UK Beaufort Polo Cup, Tetbury

Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.

In July 2010 Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.

For further information visit http://www.chivasbrothers.com/

photo by Robert Hall

First Friday Scotch Sipping at Six at 7,600 Feet in Wyoming’s Wind River Range.

Atlantic City, Wyo., – Miner’s Delight Inn Bed and Breakfast hosted its 54th consecutive Second Saturday Scotch Sipping at Six in December 2012. The Saturday tastings have become so popular with Wyoming and out-of-state residents that Barbara and Bob Townsend will add another monthly event beginning the First Friday of Feburary 2013. “Many folks have told us their schedules don’t allow them to attend our Saturday tastings so we’ll add the First Friday event in an attempt to meet folks’ desire to explore single malt Scotch whisky,” Bob said.

A Wyoming Liquor Division official confirmed in December 2012 that the Townsends’ Two-bit Cowboy Saloon offers the most extensive selection of single malt Scotch whisky in the state. Their current stock includes 85 single malts from more than 50 different Scottish distilleries. About 70 percent are limited edition whiskies, and 16 expressions come from single casks, where each individual cask only produced between 186 and 576 bottles of whisky for the world market, according to Townsend.

Single malt Scotch whisky is the product of one distillery in Scotland. By Scottish law the spirit must mature for three years in oak casks to be called Scotch Whisky. Scotland’s distilleries suggest Scotch should be shared among friends so grab your friends and plan to attend First Friday and Second Saturday single malt Scotch tastings at Miner’s Delight Inn Bed & Breakfast.

Whether you’re a single malt connoisseur or a novice, here’s the chance for your palate to explore the myriad flavors found in the vast array of malted Scotch whiskies: spices, floral notes, nuttiness, dark dried fruit, fresh orchard fruit, salty sea air, pungent peat smoke. “Some folks think all Scotch whisky reeks of smoke, but that’s not so,” Townsend said. “Many of our whiskies offer light, delicate, non-smoky flavors that surprise even well-initiated single malt drinkers.”

You will get five wee drams (one half ounce each) of single malt Scotch and light, palate-cleansing hors d’oeuvres at the tastings. Maps, books, pamphlets, and distillery information will be on hand. You’ll get a “tasting notes” card to record your impressions. Your hosts, both ab initio single malt Scotch connoisseurs, will lead you on epic trips to taste uisage beatha (OOSH-ki baah), Scots Gaelic for the “water of life.”

The Townsends will also schedule tastings for your private party, company event, or fund raiser. They will provide the service in the inn or at a Wyoming venue of your choice. To contact Barbara and Bob to plan your single malt Scotch tasting visit the inn’s Web site, http://www.minersdelightinn.com.

www.ralfy.com kicks off 2013 with Whisky Review 330 – GlenDronach 1993 19yo Single Cask

Sherry-moment warning malt-mates.

CHIVAS 18 LAUNCHES EXCLUSIVE LIMITED EDITIONS WITH TOP DESIGNER PININFARINA 

Chivas 18, the world’s No. 1 ultra-premium Scotch whisky, is highlighting its luxury credentials with the launch of Chivas 18 by Pininfarina, a series of exclusive limited editions created in collaboration with the prestigious Italian design company.

With a strong shared heritage in luxury and craftsmanship, Chivas 18 has collaborated with Pininfarina, for its ability to encapsulate the brand’s modern and luxurious character.

Each limited edition features a bottle of Chivas 18 and captures Pininfarina’s design cues on the metallised crest, while its logo is emblazoned on the capsule and neck wrap.

The first design is based on a streamlined drop, giving a sense of movement that is inherent to Pininfarina’s designs. The design has a rich blue, metallic finish outer case, reminiscent of the metal work for which the Italian company is best known and a wood veneer that represents the oak casks used in the ageing of Chivas 18. Units are expected to retail at £90*.

The second expression of the partnership features the same design cues of the first but taken to a further level by featuring a solid wood inlay and a more aerodynamic shape. It presents the limited edition bottle and includes two glasses which echo the drop design. Each unit created is individually numbered to highlight its exclusivity and will retail at £360*. 

Chivas 18 Mascherone by Pininfarina

Inspired by the Mascherone (the original wooden frame that was used to refine new automobile shapes) the Chivas 18 Mascherone by Pininfarina marks the pinnacle of the partnership. Hand assembled in Cambiano by Pininfarina, it features an oak internal structure, clad in aluminium. Mirroring the elegant precision of Pininfarina’s celebrated automotive innovations, only five of this collector’s piece will be on display globally and individual pieces will be made to order on request. A light, found at the base, brings this artistic piece to life. Price on application.

James Slack, Chivas Regal’s Brand Director, comments: “The Chivas 18 by Pininfarina Limited Editions are distinctive designs that will speak to our customers – modern gentlemen who seek style and substance in the brands they connect with. Pininfarina is an excellent fit with Chivas 18 and we are confident that these exclusive limited editions will continue our line of successes with previous Chivas 18 partnerships.”

Chivas 18 by Pininfarina will be available globally, including USA, UK, Russia, China and Travel Retail from January 2013. 

www.chivas.com

*Prices based on RRP on Global Duty Free or their equivalent in local currencies. 

Notes: 

Chivas Regal is the world’s first luxury Scotch whisky and a truly global. Chivas Regal is the flagship brand within brand owner Chivas Brothers’ award-winning portfolio of Scotch whisky and is sold in more than 150 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas.

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits.  Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.

In July 2010 Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.

Pininfarina Extra: With a history dating back to 1930, Pininfarina is based on values of creativity, experience and innovation without forgetting tradition. It combines avant-garde style and technical solutions aimed at functionality.

If Pininfarina is known worldwide for car design, Pininfarina Extra (a Company specialized in product and interior design, architecture, nautics and aeronautics) expresses its design philosophy in all areas of life where beauty combines with elegance, essentiality and comfort. Founded in 1986 and led by Paolo Pininfarina, President and MD, Pininfarina Extra is located in Cambiano (Turin).

Its partners include leading Companies such as Acer, AleniaAeronautica, Coca-Cola, Jacuzzi, Juventus, Lavazza, Snaidero and Unilever. Its most recent projects include: the Keating Hotel by Pininfarina in San Diego, the interiors of the SukhoiSuperjet 100 (AleniaAeronautica), the Coca-Cola Freestyle drinks machine, the interiors of the Juventus Stadium, the Snaidero Ola 20 kitchen, the LED TV Acer AT58, and the Primatist B62’ yacht.

www.pininfarina.com

For further information visit http://www.chivasbrothers.com/

1979 Glenfarclas K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($299.99)
Glenfarclas is well-renowned for its heavily sherried character, a mainstay of the Highland distilleries in its region. Located just down the way from Aberlour and other famous Speyside institutions, the dried raisins and fruit cake flavors of sweet sherry casks are ubiquitous in the region and in Glenfarclas whisky expressions. For that reason, the single cask of 1979 vintage malt we tasted from a fourth-fill sherry cask really caught us off guard. Because the barrel has already been used three times to mature other whiskies, the sherry residue left on the wood is quite faint, therefore having less of an impact on the eventual color and flavor of the spirit aging inside of it. After more than 30 years, the result is absolutely incredible and very unlike most other Glenfarclas whiskies (exactly why we wanted it!). Instead of rich sherry, the whisky opens with oily resinous notes, sweet barley, and supple texture that can only come from three decades of wooded slumber. The finish turns somewhat smoky, filling in the gaps with more oil and a wave of vanilla. The whisky is simply delicious, loaded with character, and unlike anything from Glenfarclas or any other distillery offering currently on the market. David and I are always on the lookout for the delicious oddball and we definitely found one deep in the plentiful warehouses of Glenfarclas. Easily one of the top five whiskies from our trip.

Jim Boyce | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: December 31, 2012
Clean, pure, incredible. I believe every other adjective has been used to describe this bottle by my colleagues but it really is that delicious! Any scotch lover can appreciate this for the depth and complexity offered while not treading into the extremely sherried or peated side that can really turn a whiskey lover off!

Mike Barber | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: December 27, 2012
One of the best glenfarclas I have ever tasted- this is a fantastic bottle for any lover of real highland whiskey. There is a lot of oak on the nose and flavor (hey, it’s been in wood for 33 years), but I’m amazed at how much all the floral and fruit notes have held up and even developed in this very bright and delicious older single malt. Rich and malty with an incredibly long finish- this is beautiful whiskey.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: December 27, 2012
Tasting this whisky again brings me right back to the foot of Ben Rinnes, where we found this astounding cask among several of it’s siblings of the same vintage. Many of the other ’79s showed promise, as we were looking for something special the showcased the GlenFarclas spirit without the characteristic sherry character. This is truly one of the most elegant malts I’ve ever come across. After 32 years and at the surprisingly low 41.7%, this whisky has SO much life it’s incredible. It starts malty, with an ever so slight earthiness. It truly reminds me of standing in the gorgeous GlenFarclas warehouses where this spent the last 32 years. With a bit of air, GlenFarclas’ true character comes out. Typical of the famous distillery, herbs and mint, tons of fresh fruit. White peach skins, mango ripe and uncut, subtle tropical flavors that just make you want to guzzle this stuff. On the palate, you get cake frosting and more of that fruit. There is absolutely NO HEAT at all. The first sip finishes slowly, but lingers on the mid-palate, this malty fruitiness that you want to last forever. It obliges nicely. It’s not over the top whisky, it’s not in your face or 75% ABV. It is absolutely a pleasure to drink, potentially dangerously so. We may never see another quite like this one, so get on it!

David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: December 26, 2012
Simply amazing whisky. This cask dipped down to 41% naturally and is now softer than silk. This is serious aged whisky that fulfills all your expectation for mellow and mature malt. $700 for Macallan 25? Or $300 for 32 year old, single barrel, natural cask strength Glenfarclas? Easy choice in my book. There’s no one who wouldn’t like this. Utterly drinkable and dangerously delicious. The most accessible whisky I’ve tasted all year.

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Burns Night 25th January

Greetings!

With the Festivites of Christmas all over and the cold month of January upon us, the next social gathering to look forward to is Burns Night. What better excuse than to gather round your closest friends and family and the toast the great Baird himself with a glass of the Amber nectar.

Check out our great Burns Night offers below.

Single Malts Direct

Delightful Burn’s Night Drams

Why not toast the Baird with a glass of Arran’s Robert Burns Single Malt. A single malt from the Isle of Arran distillery, celebrating the famed Scottish poet, Robert Burns. This bottling is officially endorsed by the World Burns Federation, it is said that Burns held whisky in great regard. Only £30.00 a bottle.

Or why not design your very own Burn’s inspired label. Choose from a selection of whiskies and make your very own tartan label. Go to www.singlemaltsdirect.com and look for the label desinger. Or contact Teresa at teresa@singlemaltsdirect.com.

Ducks at Kilspindie partners with The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Ducks at Kilspindie is thrilled to announce that it has been welcomed a partner bar of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society – the world’s foremost malt whisky club. Ducks is now an official ‘home from home’ for Society members and whisky lovers alike where they can enjoy an extensive range of the Society’s exclusive cask whiskies in the comfortable and relaxed atmosphere of Ducks’ new whisky snug.

Open to everyone, guests at Ducks will have the unique opportunity, initially, to sample sixteen of the Society’s distinctive single casks which are usually only available to members and their guests, making it the premier destination for any true malt whisky lover. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has worked closely with bar staff at Ducks to ensure that they can share the Society’s vast knowledge with their customers, providing an authentic Scotch Malt Whisky Society experience.

Ducks will also be hosting exclusive Society tasting dinners, where meals will be served based on their ability to compliment each whisky, they are also happy to arrange private whisky tastings for groups of two to eighty people.

Commenting on the venture, Mark Van Der Vijver from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society said:
“Ducks is synonymous with superb food, drink and service in the heart of East Lothian and with their hand-selected range of SMWS single cask whiskies, they have a rare and exclusive string in their bow. Malcolm and the team are now able to offer local malt enthusiasts and Society members an ever-changing variety of SMWS whiskies across their bar, award-winning restaurant and private events.”

Malcolm Duck added:
“This is massively exciting for us at Ducks. Members of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society can now use Ducks as their own wee bar, whilst non members will also be able to sample these one off single barrel bottlings. We will be starting out with sixteen different bottles, including one from Japan.”

Notes:
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society allows members to discover the very best single cask, single malt whisky anywhere in the world. Only ever bottled from a single cask, selected from a range of over 120 whisky distilleries, every Society whisky bottling is exceptional. To join the Scotch Malt Whisky Society visit www.smws.co.uk/memberships.
www.smws.co.uk

Located in the picturesque village of Aberlady, Duck’s at Kilspindie House is a relaxed, family run restaurant with rooms which offers guests two separate dining experiences; from two AA Rosette fine dining in Ducks Restaurant, to excellent bistro cuisine in Donald’s Bar Bistro. Ducks also offers twenty-three extremely comfortable en-suite bedrooms.
www.ducks.co.uk

Photo compliments of Malt Madness

The Tall Tale of Ben Nevis Distillery

Ben Nevis is not lacking in the colourful history category. With a foundation date of 1825 the story starts just after sweeping changes to the stifling regulations and taxes governing whisky production led to a boom in distilling. ‘Long’ John MacDonald (b. 1796- he was 6 foot 4: not at birth you understand), from Wester Ross farming stock, with a partner was just twenty-seven years old when some Lochaber lairds chose him to head up their distilling project. Siting the distillery at the strategically located garrison town of Fort William at the foot of Ben Nevis using water from Scotland’s highest spring Buchan’s well (alt. over 1200 metres), it wasn’t long before his brand ’Dew of Ben Nevis’ became well respected. Its highest profile visitor was no less than Queen Victoria in 1848, she was gifted a cask for the future king George’s 21^st birthday celebrations. Originally a single the brand later switched to a blend late in the nineteenth century.

Despite suffering a sequestration two years before the death of Long John in 1856, which saw a shut down common at the time for rural distilleries, the distillery soon blossomed thanks to his son Donald Peter’s enthusiastic rebuilding of 1863-65 at a time of general economic recovery and subsequent demand for stocks from blenders. Like his father Peter was youthful, twenty years old , when he took charge. Peter’s biggest contribution was the construction in 1878 of a new bigger distillery ‘Nevis’ (also referred to as ‘Lochaber’ and ‘Glen Nevis‘- the latter shouldn’t be confused with a Campbeltown distillery of the same name). Located close to the mouth of the river Ness the distilleries were very close to one another allowing the sharing of certain facilities like a pier for the company‘s own steamers which was constructed in 1887 during a further extension to the works. At this time the famed cataloguer extraordinaire Alfred Barnard reported ten thousand casks stored on site were all owned by customers, further evidence of the confidence brokers blenders and bottlers had in the distilleries’ quality. Thanks also to Barnard’s visit we can see a sketch of the Nevis still room which shows purifiers were employed on the wash still arms while he states one of the wash stills to have a considerable 16 000 litre capacity. Ten years after his father’s death Peter had increased the company’s output from 200 gallons a week to an impressive 3000 gallons. By 1889 the distilleries’ output was nearly twice that of their nearest rival at around quarter of a million proof gallons and boasted the largest maltings in the industry at the time. Around 200 people worked at Nevis giving some insight into the significance of the operation. A further boost to the well being of the area came in 1894 when the West Highland Railway reached the town providing many benefits such as a cheap route for coal deliveries via the distillery‘s own siding. Peter passed away in 1891 handing the company on to the third generation of the family. In 1908 the two distilleries were integrated with the maltings at Nevis trading as Lochaber Maltings while the storage facilities was under the title Lochaber Warehouses.

In 1921 the brand ‘Long John’ and the distilleries parted company when the London wine and spirit company W. H. Chaplin acquired the name. From this point Ben Nevis traded under the name ‘D. P. MacDonald‘. Come 1936 Chaplin were taken over by the long established (1805) English gin distillers and wine and spirit merchants Seager Evans. In 1927 Seager Evans built Strathclyde grain distillery in Glasgow, which was briefly home to the Kinclaith malt facility. They also bought Glenugie distillery in Peterhead (later parts from this distillery were to be recycled when used at Ben Nevis after Glenugie shut) as well as commissioning Tormore distillery in Speyside. In 1956 the American firm Schenley Industries acquired Seager Evans before passing S. E. on to Rapid America in 1969. The English brewer Whitbread purchased the subsidiary Long John International (as Rapid America was then known) in 1975.

Returning to the first half of the twentieth century we see the MacDonald family ownership of Ben Nevis come to an end in 1941. Enter a most intriguing individual- Joseph Hobbs. Hobbs went to Canada in 1904 and served in the navy during World War I. During his time in Canada he acted as an agent for Peter Dawson the Scottish distillers, he also ran Scotch into the US during prohibition, was involved in both the shipping and distilling businesses before moving to Scotland in the 1930s. Through the Glasgow based subsidiary of Associated Distillers of America, Train & MacIntyre, Hobbs oversaw the acquisition of Glenury-Royal, Bruichladdich, Glen Kinchie and North Esk (A.K.A. ‘Glen Esk’ and ‘Hillside‘, later converted to grain production under the name ‘Montrose’ and back again as well as being the home to a large maltings) in 1936-38. Also under the banner of Associated Scottish Distillers he purchased Strathdee (in Aberdeen), Fettercairn, Glen Lochy (including the Lochaber warehouses and maltings) as well as Ben Romach. Most of these stills were to pass on to DCL in 1954. An indication of Hobb’s business mind is given when shortly after the outbreak of World War II he bought a fire extinguisher company, not to mention acquiring the Norwegian patent for sub-sea welding equipment. By 1952 he had been elected chairman of an alternative ‘independent’ version of the Scotch Whisky Association representing 34 member companies rallying against what some felt was monopolistic influences within the industry. Selling his stake in Associated Scottish Distillers in 1955 allowed Hobbs to buy Ben Nevis distillery (from this point operated as ‘Ben Nevis Distillery (Fort William) Ltd.’) and Glen Lochy castle with 50 000 acres which he turned into a high class hotel. Legend has it that the very day he originally procured the distillery he sold the old Nevis warehousing for the same sum – £20K while moving the Nevis gates to Ben Nevis (they are now not big enough to meet when closed). At this stage he also set up the Great Glen cattle ranch. His whisky innovations include installing a patent still (the first post-war example) an addition repeated at his other distillery Lochside (opened 1957 in Montrose which he converted from a brewery). Also he introduced concrete mash tuns, ‘blending at birth’ (where malt and grain new spirit is mixed at the cask filling stage) and maturation in beer barrels. On a more local Edinburgh note it is thought a floating restaurant in Leith once belonged to Hobbs and took him across the Atlantic. Joseph Hobbs died in 1964.

The company stayed in the Hobbs family until his son sold out in 1981, three years after production ceased, to Long John International the spirits division of Whitbread plc, hence reuniting the distillery with the Long John brand which Whitbread possessed. The Coffey still was removed at this time, the new owners not immediately concerned with restarting distilling but most interested in the maturation facilities. After brief operations starting 18.04.1984 under current manager Colin Ross following a £2M refit when the curious concrete wash backs were replaced by more traditional wooden examples and a new mash tun replaced the old cast iron example production stopped in 1986. Ross spent a period at Laphroaig before returning in 1989 and is expected to retire in the near future. Ownership changed once again when it became the second Scottish distillery to be owned by a Japanese company, Nikka, currently owned by Asahi brewers, in 1989. The Japanese intervention came ten years after the passing of Nikka’s founder Masataka Taketsuru who was hugely influential in the Japanese whisky industry and who had studied distilling in Campbeltown not so far from Ben Nevis. Presumably the thought of his legacy leading to the ownership of such a prestigious Scottish distillery and the brand being the 7^th best selling malt in Japan (in 2010) would have seemed quite fantastic to the young scholar.

Production has been constant since 1990. It appears an ancient 63 year old expression of 90 bottles was released in spring of that year but details are vague, a more accessible 10yo at a generous 46% has been available since 1996.

From a more technical view point the distillery now uses water from Allt a’ Mhuillinn (Mill Burn) and uses peated barley from Ord maltings, the Lauter mash tun feeds 8 large (42,000 litre) wash backs which in turn fill 2 wash stills with a 21,000 litre charge followed by two spirit stills fills of 12,500 litres. All stills are indirectly heated and their design dates from the 1865 refit and were installed in 1955. The substantial size of the stills, their wide and short necks followed by sloping lyne arms all contribute to a robust spirit suited to maturation in sherry and red wine casks. Although the use of shell and tube condensers presumably contribute a lightening effect of the spirit character, the worm tubs, removed in 1978, would surely created an even weightier style. A substantial spirit receiver of 50.000 litres is capable of filling around 200 hogsheads from it 50,000 litre capacity all of which are stored on site within the seven warehouses which are a mixture of old and new. Full capacity is in the region of 2 million litres but production is typically about half this. The distillery is popular with visitors, more than 30,000 take the tour annually.

Mark Davidson…

Of a distinguished Banff 1968 vintage Mark Davidson has a short but full body and so marries well (& subsequently producing two limited editions), frequently seen at whisky fairs in Scotland yet curiously difficult to find outside his domestic market it is hoped his inaugural launch on the Canadian scene will be well received. He is at home in independant bottling circles being most commonly found in the William Cadenhead livery where he has enjoyed a 13 year finishing period, however as a stand alone single expression under the Jolly Toper brand he can come into his own while being a fine mixer.