THE PERFECT WHISKY MATCH – THE DAVIN PROJECT INVITATION 

Hi and thank you for participating in this next grand adventure!  One of the things I love to do is promote good whisky and for those of you who don’t know me that well I also love to promote whiskies from Canada.  Why?  Well because I have been drinking it most of my adult life, I’m a proud Canadian and I truly feel there are several great Canadian Whiskies on the market that most of the world will never get to try.

Davin de Kergommeaux is a certified Malt Maniac, a writer for several large whisky magazines and as of last year published what I consider the “epitome” of what Canadian Whisky history is.  The book not only debunks many myths and common mistakes but truly enlightens the reader with why Canadian whisky is different and worth drinking. It is not surprising to me that his book has won Bronze for best Spirits Book of 2012 and is shortlisted again for a prestigious American award.  The idea to do a whisky book review/twitter tasting came to Davin and me in February and we quickly started working on accomplishing that goal.  To our surprise and delight, 32 people replied to the invite & I felt bad I had to turn away more than half.  The great part of this particular adventure is that this (we believe) has never been done before.  So thank you, again for taking the plunge and joining us!

For the month of April, please read the first 9 chapters.  Canadian whisky has a very distinct style, not only in the way we make it, but the way it smells and tastes.  You will find so much information in these chapters that will really help you once we start the tastings!  And as of this date, feel free to tweet about the upcoming event, take/post pictures (as some of you have and they’ve been great!)  Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, wherever you want!  All the hype we can create, the better.   The schedule will be as follows on Twitter (HASHTAG – #DavinTT):

Thursday May 2^nd at 5:00pm EST (contact me if you need to know what time this will be in your region) we will discuss chapter 10 – 13.  Feel free to ask Davin any questions, promote discussion amongst the participants, etc.   We will take 30 minutes (no more) to do that.  At 5:30pm, we will open mystery bottle “week 1”, nose/taste, discuss, share our thoughts.  At the end of the hour, we will reveal which of the four distilleries the sample came from and what the whisky was.

Thursday May 9^th at 5:00pm EST, we will discuss chapter 14 – 17.  Follow same format:  Q&A, discussion, etc.. until 5:30, then bottle “week 2”.  At the end of the hour, we will reveal etc.

Thursday May 16^th at 5:00pm EST, chapter 18 – 21.  Same format, and end with whisky “week 3”

Thursday May 23^rd at 5:00pm EST, chapter 22 – 25.  Same format, end with the last mystery sample.  And of course take a few minutes to thank Davin, etc…

For those of you who are bloggers, we encourage you to blog about the book, the experience, the whiskies and/or Davin.  If that’s at all possible before the end of May or first week of June, that would be awesome!   My blog will be up by May 31^st so if anyone has theirs done by then, I’d be happy to add it to mine, etc..   Just let me know.  Let the fun begin!   If you have any questions, feel free to get a hold of me.

CHEERS!

Johanne (@whiskylassie)

Iain Weir, Marketing Director for Ian Macleod Distillers, said: “Tamdhu was one of the first Speyside distilleries. It was built by a consortium of local entrepreneurs in 1897 on the banks of the River Spey and represents one of the most cutting edge distilleries of its time.

“The Distillery TAMDHU DISTILLERY LAUNCHES A DRAM FINE WHISKY FETE

Saturday 4 May: 12-4pm 

Making an exciting return to the world of Speyside whisky is Tamdhu Distillery, one of the pioneering Speyside distilleries. The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival will play host to the re-launch of this celebrated malt on Saturday 4 May 2013.

This landmark occasion will see the Distillery open its doors for one day only giving whisky enthusiasts a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore the sensational world of Tamdhu. Visitors will also enjoy the spectacular Whisky Fete, featuring an array of the best food and drink Scotland has to offer.

The distillery was mothballed in 2010 and reopened in January 2012 and we have been perfecting the malt since then. We look forward to welcoming festivalgoers to this unique event.”

In celebration of the Distillery’s Victorian roots, the Tamdhu Whisky Fete will guide visitors through the Tamdhu story from its early beginnings up to Tamdhu today. Informative tours and tastings will be led by the Distillery craftsmen throughout the day and visitors will be given a rare opportunity to experience one-off tastings of Single Cask samples.

The Event will also support the official global launch of the Tamdhu Core and Limited Edition Whisky, of which only 1000 bottles will be released in May. Tamdhu visitors will be among the first to taste and purchase these Tamdhu whiskies along-with other Tamdhu collectables.

An array of Scottish seasonal food, drink and entertainment will be on offer including a hog roast, ice cream, Speyside Craft Brewery and live music from Scottish ceilidh band Stravaig and more. There will also be face painting to keep the children entertained.

Tickets are priced at £30.00 and children under the age of 14 go free. Tickets are limited so don’t delay.

To buy tickets visit http://www.spiritofspeyside.com/. More info can be found at tamdhu.com.

The Whisky Tasting School

The Victoria Highland Games Association is once again pleased to present “The Whisky Tasting School” on both May 18 and 19, 2013 at the 150th Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival at Topaz Park. There will be three sessions each day (noon, 1:45 pm and 3:30 pm) featuring different single malt whiskies presented by ambassadors representing a variety of Scotch single malt distilleries. Guests will sit down and enjoy a Scottish educational and cultural experience on the Victoria “Whisky Trail”. This year’s lineup promises to be the best “The Whisky Tasting School” of all!

The registration fee is $35 and includes a one-day field entry (value $15). Whisky School guests are also able to buy an engraved Victoria Highland Games Glencairn whisky nosing glass for $15 (one per guest per class). Guests must be aged 19 years or older to attend! 

Each session offered is limited to 44 guests. In previous years all sessions have sold out prior to the Games so don’t be late in registering! Download the registration form here. 

Details on the 6 sessions plus complimentary Heritage Tent presentation are as follows:  

1) Saturday May 18th 12-1:00 PM. The Whyte and Mackay Blending Seminar with J. Wheelock 

Want to impress your friends at parties? Want to improve your resume? How about… sampling some excellent Whiskies while trying your hand at being a Master Blender? The Whyte and Mackay Blending Seminar will be conducted by ambassador J. Wheelock and the lucky attendees will nose and sample 5 of the component Whiskies in the Whyte and Mackay Special and then actually blend them together. Participants will then go on to compare with their neighbours as to how well they did compared to the control sample of Whyte and Mackay Special Blend. Seats are limited, don’t miss your chance to have the best bragging rights in town. P.S. We’re just kidding about the resume thing. This only counts as FUN.”

(Note: the Saturday & Sunday seminars are identical in format).

2) SOLD OUT!! Saturday May 18th 1:45-2:45 PM. Scotch & Irish Whisk(e)y 101 with Graeme Macaloney PhD. SOLD OUT!!

Looking to understand how Scotch & Irish whiskies are made, where their flavours come from, and taste the final product? This Scotch & Irish Whisky 101 tasting session will encompass classic whiskies including blended Scotch, triple distilled Irish whisky, a Speyside single malt and Island Scotch single malts from Edrington and Beam Global. A Scotsman and university trained in fermentation, Graeme Macaloney will take you through an organoleptic tasting experience of these ‘old-country’ whiskies and how they are made.

3) Saturday May 18th 3:30-4:30 PM.  Around The World in Six Whiskies with Roberto Roberti 

Strap yourselves in for a round the world journey where ambassador Roberto Roberti will show case some exceptional award winning whiskies from a variety of countries. This class will be conducted so that the attendees will not know which whisky is which until revealed by Roberto. Test your skills and see if you can determine from where each whisky is from!

4) SOLD OUT Sunday May 19th 12-1:00 PM. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society with Colin Southcombe SOLD OUT

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is the largest private whisky club in the world and it has finally arrived in British Columbia! Society whiskies are by their very nature unique, extremely limited and quite deliciously varied. Colin Southcombe will be leading this class and the single malts being poured will be a revelation!

5) SOLD OUT! Sunday May 19th 1:45-2:45 PM. The Independents with Roberto Roberti SOLD OUT!

Ambassador Roberto Roberti has reached into his magnificent bag of whiskies to formulate the lineup for this class which will feature two of Scotland’s most famous independent bottlers including some award winning blends, some single cask limited editions and a two whiskies from a distillery whose name was only recent revealed.

6) Sunday May 19th 3:30-4:30 PM. The Whyte and Mackay Blending Seminar with J. Wheelock 

Want to impress your friends at parties? Want to improve your resume? How about… sampling some excellent Whiskies while trying your hand at being a Master Blender? The Whyte and Mackay Blending Seminar will be conducted by ambassador J. Wheelock and the lucky attendees will nose and sample 5 of the component Whiskies in the Whyte and Mackay Special and then actually blend them together. Participants will then go on to compare with their neighbours as to how well they did compared to the control sample of Whyte and Mackay Special Blend. Seats are limited, don’t miss your chance to have the best bragging rights in town. P.S. We’re just kidding about the resume thing. This only counts as FUN.”

(Note: the Saturday & Sunday seminars are identical in format).

7) Sunday May 19^th 1:00-1:40 PM. Whisky 101:  An illustrated talk on the History, Manufacture & Flavour Origins of Whisky, with Graeme Macaloney PhD. No charge, no whisky tasting, no registrations required – simply go to the Heritage Tent.

This is a general interest talk and illustrated PowerPoint presentation (no whisky tasting / no charge attendance) located in the near-by Heritage Tent on the history of whisky, the process by which it is made, and how this affects flavour. This interactive presentation will include samples of important ingredients including peat, malted barley and peated malt for touching and tasting. Any unanswered questions you may have on how whisky is made will be welcomed. This talk has been carefully timed to allow Whisky School participants to attend both the Whisky Tasting School and this nearby Heritage Tent presentation.

NOTE: Condition of Entry to The Whisky Tasting School is that guests DO NOT DRINK and DRIVE.

Hudson Whiskey is a young, yet rapidly growing brand of fine artisanal spirits. The awards, accolades and global recognition they receive are increasing at a breakneck pace. Each of the whiskeys in Hudson’s 5-member family start with good grains – the soft, balanced richness of corn, the sharp, peppery notes of rye, the smooth subtlety of wheat and the sweetness of malted barley.

Discounted Items

 Hudson New York Corn Whiskey *375 (Half Bottle) $39.99 $37.99

Hudson Single Malt Whiskey *375 (Half Bottle) $42.99 $37.99

Hudson Manhattan Rye Whiskey *375(Half Bottle) $44.99 $37.99

Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey *375 (Half Bottle) $44.99 $37.99

Hudson Four Grain Bourbon Whiskey *375 (Half Bottle) $41.99 $37.99

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

I hoped you had a wonderful Easter/Passover, and if you indulged in Easter eggs, that you’ve come down from the sugar high. What a day, it almost hit 20 degrees Celcius in Calgary, and yet there is a possibility of snow tonight… welcome to Spring in the Foothills of Alberta! We’re back to work today and our Spring Tasting Schedule is now active online. We have some great tastings planned for the next three months, including: Tequila, Rum, American Whisk(e)y, Irish Whiskey, Japanese Whisky and more than one Single Malt Scotch tasting. We’ve even planned a cocktail course with a certified bartender. The highlights for me are without doubt the Really Raucous Rums tasting on April 12^th and the Ultimate Ardbeg Experience Featuring Double Barrel. There are only a few spots left for the former, which is the most spectacular rum tasting we’ve ever put on. It will include a sampling of the new Appleton 50 Year Jamaican Independence, which retails for $4,302.99 bottle. The latter of the two is a very exciting Ardbeg tasting, featuring the Double Barrel, a set of two different 1974 vintage Ardbegs which retails for $15,210.49. The event will be hosted at the Pioneer Club, and will feature a range of 7-8 different Ardbegs.

There is something for everyone in our fall tasting schedule and many of these tastings, like our Spring Single Malt Festival will sell quickly, so don’t delay. Our 2013 Spring Single Malt Festival is planned for the day before the Ultimate Ardbeg Experience to give some of our out of town friends an enticing reason to make a trip out here. I have attached a description of all of the spirits tastings below, they can also be found at: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php , where you can also register online. Luddites, kidding of course, can also register in-store or by phone: 403-283-8000.

There are also a couple of new whiskies I’d like to plug, in advance of our next full Malt Messenger. There is the Glendronach Cask Strength Batch I, which is a steal at $83.99. Only about 250 bottles of this whisky have found their way to Alberta, and at this price they won’t last long. There is also the very limited Balvenie 17 Year Peated Cask, $142.99, which we may see as few as a dozen bottles of. Finally there is the Compass Box Hedonism, $95.99, which made a cheeky return to the market last week as a KWM exclusive. This Blended Grain Scotch whisky was a huge hit at our International Whisky Day celebrations, and sold out it store; but don’t fret we’ll see more next week. For more info on these tantalizing whiskies scroll down, I’ve provided a short write-up on each.

I hope this Malt Messenger Bulletin finds you well, and that we’ll see you at one of our many interesting tastings this spring.

Slainté!

Andrew Ferguson

PS- Don’t forget you can follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/scotch_guy and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/scotch.guy.1 .

KENSINGTON WINE MARKET SPRING 2013 SPIRIT TASTINGS 

1. The  Irish Strike Back – Irish Whiskey is going through a renaissance; new distilleries, new whiskies and a general fresh air of excitement. We’ll  sample some incredible new Irish whiskies like the Teeling Hybrid, Adelphi      Limerick Slaney 1988, Midleton Very Rare 2011, Jameson 18 and Bushmills 21 year, to name a few! – Tuesday April 16^th – $50
2. Classic  Single Malts – Our fun and friendly introduction to the world of single malt whisky. We’ll teach you how to taste and appreciate the world’s finest spirit. – Tuesday April 23^rd – $35
3. Whisky Tour of Islay – You’ll sample 7 of Islay’s finest whiskies-including 2 Port Ellens-while  virtually touring the island and soaking in its sights. Whisky will range from light and unpeated to very smoky. –  Tuesday April 30^th – $50
4. Rare Malts – Only the rarest whiskies, more than 20 years of age and from closed distilleries, are considered for this very special tasting. –  Tuesday May 7^th – $80
5. Whisky, Women & Chocolate – Gather the gals and head on down to the Wine Market for a pairing of everyone’s two favorite food groups, whisky and chocolate! – Friday May 10^th – $50
6. Whisk(e)y  Americano – Bourbon may hog all the attention, but there’s much more to American whisk(e)y in the lower 48 States than the products of Kentucky. – Tuesday June 4^th – $50
7. Spring Single Malt Festival – Our famous biannual whisky festival may be limited to just 100 participants, but there will be just as many whiskies to sample in this festival style tasting. Warning! Tickets sell out very quickly. – Thursday June 13^th – $60
8. The Utlimate Ardbeg Experience Featuring Ardbeg Double Barrel– 1974 is the most sought after of all Ardbeg vintages, and we’ll be sampling two 1974 single casks from the very rare Ardbeg Double Barrel ($15,210.49) set. In  addition, participants will sample a selection of other Ardbegs including: 10 Year, 17 Year, Corryvreckan, Uigeadail, Galileo, Ardbog Day and possibly another rare vintage! The event will feature some tasty morsels, and will be held at the Southern Alberta Pioneers Hall, 3625 4th Street S.W., Friday June 14^th at 7:00PM. – Friday June 14^th –  $300
9. The Last Samurai – While the whisky of the closed Karuizawa distillery is slipping ever closer to oblivion, Ichiro’s malt at Chichibu Distillery is on the rise. We’ll taste a range of very special rare whiskies from these two lesser known Japanese distilleries, while enjoying some photos from Andrew’s recent whisky tour of Japan! – Tuesday June 18^th -$100
10. Master Malt – Only the most rare and special whiskies are showcased at this  tasting which always highlights some of the most exciting whiskies in the world! – Tuesday June 25^th – $95

To register visit: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php , pop by the store, or give us a ring at 403-283-8000. 

GLENDRONACH CASK STRENGTH BATCH I – $83.99

Glendronach has been on the rise since it was bought by BenRiach Distillery Co. in 2008. The distillery, famous for its heavily sherried whiskies has gone from relative obscurity to one of our bestselling malts, and a contender for the King of sherry cask whisky. To date we’ve bottled 2 different casks from Glendronach, a 1995 and an epic 1972 (cask 711). We also have access to small amounts of the vintage single cask Glendronachs released biannually in batches of 5. The two most recent batches (6 and 7) both largely sold out before hitting the floor. The Glendronach Cask Strength is the latest in the distillery’s core range which consists of 12, 15 and 18 year olds. It will be released in batches, and thus vary from one to another, with this current batch being the first release. Bottled at 54.8% without an age statement, it matured in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. As few as 250 bottles have found their way to Alberta. 

Tasting note by Serge Valentin of www.whiskyfun.org : “This is a brand new one and a vatting of oloroso and PX casks. I know Glendronach isn’t officially a Speysider but I think it does behave like a Speysider. Ahem. Colour: amber. Nose: … and yet a very similar profile, I wouldn’t say that the PX brought much more roundness and sweetness – so far. So a lot of dried fruits again, Corinthian raisins, rich tobacco, chocolate, bacon, mint… and quite some fresh walnuts as well (skins). With water: more leather, game and tobacco (cigar humidor) as well as whiffs of black truffles. Mouth (neat): now it’s sweeter, and quite unusual too. Oh, and rather brilliant. Starts quite nervous, on pink grapefruits and ginger tonic, before some beautiful notes of tangerine liqueur and gingerbread join in the dancing. Absolutely lovely. With water: more bitter oranges and more ‘greenness’ (herbs, chlorophyll) that go very well with this profile. Finish: long, creamy, not cloying at all. Great balance. More black raisins, cocoa powder and cardamom in the aftertaste. Comments: well, it seems that they did it again. Big yet impressively balanced. Not too sure about the price but it’ll probably be a bargain. SGP:562 – 91 points“

* Available in store next week! Order here!

BALVENIE PEATED CASK 17 YEAR – $142.99

An unusual Balvenie, this limited edition 17 year old was matured in “traditional” casks before being transferred for a period into casks which had previously contained heavily peated whisky. The peated whisky had been produced at Balvenie, avoiding concerns around an earlier Balvenie, the “Islay Cask”, about whether it was still a single malt, having absorbed peated spirit from the cask which had been distilled at another distillery. The peated batch was distilled in 2001, emptied, and 17 year old Balvenie was filled into its casks for a short finishing period. This is the result: 

Balvenie 17 Year Peated Cask – 43% – Distillery’s Tasting Note: “NOSE: Gentle floral aroma with hints of violet and lavender. Delicate smoke beautifully balanced with honeyed vanilla and spicy oakiness. TASTE: Prominent smoke softens to reveal oaky honey and vanilla. Cinnamon and nutmeg develop with time. FINISH: Sweet and spicy with a hint of smoke.” – $142.99 

* Available in store next week! 

COMPASS BOX HEDONISM – $95.99 

Hedonism is unique in the Scotch whisky world, one of very few, if not the only Blended Grain whisky. Single malt may hog all the attention, but grain whisky does much of the work in Scotch whisky. Most blends consist of more grain whisky than malt, the former being the base or body with the latter used to add layers and complexity. Most grain whisky is fairly uniform, one dimensional and bland, but there are some exception single casks out there as members of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and others can attest. Compass Box, famous for its Blended Malts, has taken a similar approach in the creation of Hedonism, a Blended Grain. The components of Hedonism have been matured in 100% First Fill American Oak barrels and rejuvenated American Oak Hogshead casks. After blending they are married for 2 years before bottling at 43% without colouring or chill filtering. Compass Box Hedonism is currently exclusive to KWM! 

Compass Box Hedonism – 43% – Blended Grain Scotch Whisky – American Oak – Andrew’s Tasting Note: “Nose: soft and floral, loads of gentle honey, delicate grainy oils, buttered popcorn, toasty oak and crème brule; there are some fruits too, fresh sliced apples and green grapes; Palate: soft and creamy, very toasty and sugary with Demerara sugars and more crème brule; sweetly decadent with coconut cream icing, buttered corn on the cob and more white fruits and grapes with a tinge of peppery spice; Finish: moderate length, coating and creamy, with more toasty oak, a floral grassiness and fresh Taber corn. – $95.99

* Temporarily sold out, more available in store next week!

If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store. Feel free to forward me any whisky news you feel should be included in a future issue of The Malt Messenger; it might just get included.

All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change, don’t include GST. In the case of discrepancies in pricing, the price in our in store point of sale will be taken as correct.

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson

Manager & Scotchguy

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

Owner & Opperator

Ferguson’s Whisky Tours

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=fh5lvqmab.0.nkqtknmab.68sk67iab.4863&ts=S0896&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fergusonwhiskytours.com

scotchguide@fergusonwhiskytours.com

Tasting Notes: Talisker Storm

“These go to eleven… well, it’s one louder, isn’t it?” Facts: Diageo have released a No-Age-Statement (NAS) edition of their Talisker single malt. This new iteration is called Storm and is purportedly ‘more intense and smoky, with enhanced and vibrant … Continue reading >>

Caperdonich Stills Bubble Again At Belgian Owl Distillery 

Ernie – Ernst J Scheiner, The Gateway to Distilleries at www.whisky-distilleries.net

The famous coppersmiths of Rothes Forsyths bought the site of the well-known Speyside distillery Caperdonich in 2010. As they did not intend to distil whisky but needed some more space for their manufacturing business Glen Grant’s twin sister distillery was bulldozed one year later.

However, the renowned manufacturer of distillation equipment saved the mash tun, the washbacks and the four pot stills. They were moved to their scrap yard.

Founded by the owner of the neighbouring Glen Grant Distillery, James Grant, in 1897-98, the newly built distillery was closed just after three years of production due to negative impact of the infamous Pattison Crash. In 1965 „Glen Grant No. 2“ was reopened under the name of CAPERDONICH. Two more pot stills were installed by the Glenlivet Distillers Ltd. However, production life had been short again when „The Secret Well“ was made silent by its new owners Pernod Ricard in 2002.

From silent distillery back to life in Belgium 

Richard Forsyth sold one pair of the four Caperdonich pot stills to the Belgian Owl Distillery which is situated near the vibrant economic and cultural centre of Liège in Wallonia, Belgium. They were copmpletely refurbished and technically updated for their new purpose to distil malt whiskies far away from their original site  in Belgium. They were moved to the new production site at a former monastery, now a rural farm near Fexhe-le-Haut-Clocher west of Liège where the Belgian Owl Whisky has been maturing already. The stills have changed somehow and received flange couplings to join the boil pot, the neck and the lyne arm together. They went slightly modern and lost somehow their former Victorian appearance.

Master Distiller Étienne Bouillon’s huge success with his much acclaimed whisky made solely of Belgian spring barley brought instantly the micro distillery to a bottleneck after the first Owl Whisky was released in 2007. „The demand has been overwhelming since then. It was much higher than our production capacity of 20.000 bottles per year.“ 95% of their whiskies are consumed in Belgium.

The Owl Distillery’s two vintage Swiss alambic pot stills which date back to 1890 just could not meet the steady rising demand. Their small size and their age made further production increases impossible. „We considered their renovation, dropped this idea, and planned a new set of pot stills. While planning we still looked out for old used pot stills,“ the distiller recalls their difficult situation.

The founding team around Etienne with Christian Polis and farmer Pierre Roberti was absolutely lucky when Jim McEwan of Bruichladdich Distillery gave them a vital hint. Talks and discussions began. In the end Richard Forsyth sold one pair of the four Caperdonich pot stills which were originally built by his forefathers in 1898.

New Production will start in May

Étienne Bouillon was more than happy, his dream came true and above all resulted in the aquisition of Victorian pot stills. By May 2013 the 11,000 litre wash still and the 8,000 litre spirit still will be distilling a Belgian type of „Caperdonich new make spirit.“ A new set of stainless mash tun and washbacks were installed by the men of Forsyths. Pipes where laid and the new distillery technology was set up by them.

The hard and pure production water is drawn from a bore hole 40m just below the new distillery site. The spring barley will be exclusively from their own fields surrounding the latest farm distillery. The barley has been malted in the region by malsters. Non-peated malt will be mashed in a 10.200 litre stainless steel mash tun with a steel dome, the cooled wort will be pumped into two stainless steel washbacks, each holding 24.000 litres. The distillers will use compressed distillers M1 yeast. The wash still capacity is still 11.000 litres, the wash will be heated by steam coils just like the 8.000 litre spirit still. The alcohol vapours will be condensed by indoor shell and tube condensers.

The Caperdonich-Belgian Owl new make will be reduced with water from the nearby bore hole to around 63,5% abv. Étienne’s whisky will be maturing in dunnage warehouses on site which are damp and humid. The premium first-fill Bourbon casks came from Heaven Hill Distillery in Kentucky, U.S. The first whisky will be available in 2016.

“We will also have a visitor centre in the heart of Hesbaye to teach tourists different ways of whisky production,” explains Katia Guidolin, the Assistant Manager, “we want people to appreciate our Belgian quality product amidst the fertile barley fields.”

“We are very, very lucky,” says Christian Polis, who is in charge of finance, “our new distillery project will be co-financed by the influential MEUSINVEST GROUP, which supports various business enterprises in the Province of Liège.”

The new Belgian Owl distilling business has started. “We offer the first 200 casks of the Private Angel Range to the whisky enthusiasts around the world,” tells Étienne Boullion, “and you may place your order from now on.” Prices are on request.

Contact:

The Owl Distillery sa

Rue Sainte-Anne 94

B-4460 Grâce-Hollogne

Mail: katia.guidolin@belgianwhisky.com

Web: www.belgianwhisky.com

You may visit the new Owl Distillery by a virtual tour from your desktop at http://www.whisky-distillery.net/www.whisky-distilleries.net/European_Continent/Seiten/Belgian_Owl_New.html

Photos are copyright by Belgian Owl, Text is copyright by Ernie –Ernst Scheiner, all rights reserved.

About the Author: Ernie – Ernst J. Scheiner M.A. was a director in an adult education centre. Ernie offers courses on whisky distilling, writes for newspapers and magazines in Germany. He is the editor of The Gateway to Distilleries at www.whisky-distilleries.net which gives an excellent photographic and educational insight into the whisky industry of Scotland, Ireland, Europe and Asia.

Please see also: http://www.whisky-distillery.net

Paul on tour in March 2013; MCLEANSCOTLAND WHISKY TOURS

Paul took 4 guests from California on tour in March 2013.  Guests on tour; Mark and Patricia De Collibus, Scott and Ellen Marchael.

Pre tour he spent the night in Glasgow, meeting up with pal Don, a chat and a dram or two about the whisky industry and two pals catching up! Overnight Glasgow.

The guys arrive from London into Glasgow, via the overnight sleeper train, och 7am pick up! From the station to the van, a quick tour of Glasgow before heading south, doon to Dumfries, Mark’s grandpa came from here, so a look around the town, before heading along to Sweetheart Abbey, superb ruin, seen in the snow it was haunting. Then along the coast to the cottage of John Paul Jones, founder of the US Navy, aye, born here in Scotland! It was now back of 1 o’clock so we headed to the castle accommodation pre-booked, upon arrival Paul saw their  “eyes wide open and mouth falling open”!!! The guests stayed the night at this superb 15^th century castle (complete with ghost), they loved it. Meanwhile Paul stayed in the village pub up the road, met some locals and watched the Wales England rugby on big screen tv, guess who won? Whooppee; Wales slaughtered them 30 to 3! Oh happy day!

Next day a long drive ahead, but good fun. It was snowing, after an hour a bottle of whisky and glasses appeared in the van; Aberlour a’bunadh. Actually, batch 31, bottled at 60.5%. A non chilled single malt of epic taste! Cask strength, A’bunadh (a-boon-ach) means “the origin” in Gaelic. Only best Sherry Butts – casks previously held Oloroso sherry, selected by Douglas Cruickshank, Distillery Director. Driving north, over the bridge at Erskine and onto Loch Lomond, where more drams from this bottle “disappeared”! From here through the Argyll forest to Inveraray and on to Oban, by the time they reached Oban the bottle was 2/3 gone! Check in, explore and dive into the seafood restaurant EE USK, more drams followed in Auley’s bar. Guess what? It was St Paddy’s day, so into O’Donnells pub they disappeared.

Surfacing next day, a ferry sail to the Isle of Mull, doon to Tobermory for a distillery tour, tasting the standard 10 year old Tob, the peaty Ledaig and the excellent 15 year old Tob. Whilst the guests enjoyed the distillery, one of Scotland’s most rugged west coast islands. The Distillery was built in 1798. Tobermory comes from the Gaelic word meaning ‘well of Mary’.  Paul enjoyed a venison stew at Neil’s pub; MacGochans. A scenic drive to Dervaig, then through the glens to Craignure and up a wee track to Paul’s castle; Duart. Hell, was it a cold biting breeze that day! So nothing else for it; the picnic basket came out, stuffed with whisky, cheese and Maclean Bakery oatcakes. Whisky sampled; some more of the a’bunadh, Tyrconnel from Ireland, Cragganmore, Bruichladdie Waves, Springbank 15 yo, Smokehead, BenRiach sherry, Cutty Sark Storm, finished with Mull blue cheese and salmon nibbles, all devoured in the van. A brief interlude at the Craignure inn for more drams before the ferry back to Oban. Aye Paul was left home alone whilst the guests went pub crawling with Sean from O’Donnells. By the way, Paul went “home” to Connel, staying with Mrs Maclean there. A few drams and a pint and great food at the Oyster Bar before beddie time.

Off to Appin this morning, a wee stop at castle Stalker, then to Glencoe, through Fort William and a stop at Spean Bridge woollen mill for lunch. Also a dram or two on offer here as always (complimentary). Onwards through the glen, stopping at the well of the 7 heads, then Urquhart castle and finally arriving into Inverness for overnight. A good day with a dram or two once again!

A new day. One of the whisky highlights today; a drive including Culloden Battlefield, Clava Cairns and through scenic backroads to Craigellachie, here the “fun” started, Glenfiddich was no in production, ah… guests ate lunch while Paul and Joan (distillery) rang around, plan b, c, d, e and f produced a distillery open and production flowing; Glendronach near Huntly. Karen took the tour, she gave a grand tour and they had several drams at the end; Managers special (a bottle bought), other excellent drams including the 1972 (another bottle purchased). Then 20 minutes drive back to Huntly and calling in to see Duncan, at Duncan Taylor. More drams and tastings, also a chat about a special whisky bottling for Mark’s daughter’s wedding in Germany. Paul arranged this for Mark, a few bottles purchased and off to Dufftown. A friend of Paul’s own a couple of wee shops there, in we went, studied the antiques, silver etc over a cup of tea. Then next door for the guys to get into kilts, a total surprise for the boys, but they looked good and had a grand laf!  Away to the Highlander Inn where more whisky followed, food and a good nights sleep.

Almost over – a visit next morning (in the snow) to the Speyside Cooperage, Ronnie gave a grand tour and chat, all enjoyed this, followed by a dram of Heather Cream, the girls liked this so much, they bought a bottle for the hotel that night. Heather Cream was first produced in 1980. Created from two of Scotland’s finest natural products, fresh double cream and Scotch whisky. Not just any old whisky – a single malt from Balblair. A taste of chocolate, coconut and single malt. It’s “ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!” Driving through the snow of Speyside to Pitlochry, a good traditional pub lunch and real ale and whisky! Driving to St Andrews (cold? Never felt cold like it, went right through you!) and Scotstarvit, where we found the castle of one of the group; Scott, a tower house castle owned by Clan Scott in 15^th century! End of the day; Edinburgh New Town, Paul checked them all in and bade farewell! A long driving trip. Arriving home knackered, he just had to have a dram or three to calm doon!

Paul McLean was driver and guide for the wee group, on tour March 2013, Scotland.

Paul owns www.mcleanscotland.com and www.angelswhiskyclub.com

Now this week’s Whiskey feature: Tobermory Whisky.

Tobermory is the only distillery located on the Hebridean island of Mull, in the town of Tobermory. The distillery, which was formerly known as Ledaig, was founded in 1798 and is the oldest commercial distillery in Scotland.

Like many distilleries in Scotland, it has changed hands several times, having undergone a number of periods of closure. Its main product, Tobermory single malt, is used in the blends “Scottish Leader” and “Black Bottle”. The distillery also produces a smaller amount of peated whisky, which remains known under the former name, Ledaig.

The Tobermory Single Malt is distilled from unpeated malted barley and matured in oak casks for at least ten years.

The Tobermory 10YO is an exquisitely handcrafted single malt that is not chill filtered and is bottled at a strength of 46.3% abv, an ideal strength to dilute to your own taste. You may expect a wonderful cloudy haze when adding water. The specially selected glass proudly embraces the past; paying homage to the distinctive old green bottle and referencing some of the qualities of the historic Tobermory packaging.

The Tobermory 15YO is also not chill filtered and is aged using a dual-location-maturation process; first transferring the spirit into Gonzalez Byass Oloroso Sherry casks and then moving each cask from the mainland, where the whisky develops, back to the island for its final undisturbed year.

Next Week: The 2013 Drammie Award Winners.

Until next week, I wish you the finest of spirits!

Doug Stone
Founder
ForWhiskeyLovers.com

TOBERMORY 10YO & 15YO WHISKIES

DISTILLER’S TASTING NOTES

Tobermory 15 Year Old Whisky

Color: A tantalising natural colour of golden chestnuts

Nose: A lovely sherried nose with notes of fig, orange marmalade, hints of leather and a touch of smoke

Palate: Medium to full bodied. Rich sherry fruit cake, milk chocolate, creamy toffee, light oak, a hint of white pepper creating a lovely spicy tang

Finish: Softly spicy, tingling with a nutty note, a hint of salt, lingering then gently fades

Tobermory 10 Year Old Whisky

Color: Bright lemony gold

Nose: Rich island character with tantalising hints of grass, malt, gingerbread, stewed fruit syrup and finely polished oak.

Palate: Smooth, velvety with fruity tangs and exquisitely spiced gingerbread and aniseed for a medium sweetness to treasure.

Finish: Ginger and spicy oak, matched with bitter chocolate and almond that gently fades with a tail of sweet salty seas

Hello fellow whisky enthusiast.

I have recently compiled and web-published some data regarding the cult declared Japanese whisky series ‘The Playing Cards’.

The pages resides at http://www.buxrud.se/webb/index.htm

I hope you may find the information interesting and useful, especially the Trivia and Mixology pages.

Feedback regarding critique – negative or positive, spotted errors and improvement suggestions or information to add is appreciated.

And, please, share the link with likeminded within your circle of whisky friends.

Kind regards

Ulf