Van Winkle Bourbon Available Soon

Barrels yield less 15, 20 and 23 Year Old Bourbon than usual 

            FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Oct. 14, 2015) – The long anticipated annual release of the Van Winkle bourbons is nearly here, but unfortunately some of the angels were extra greedy over the past two decades, leaving us less bourbon than in previous years.

“When bourbon ages over 15 years, much is lost to the angel’s share.  Many of the 53 gallon oak barrels often yield less than 20 gallons,” said Kris Comstock, bourbon marketing director. “Unfortunately this year we experienced poor yields on the older Van Winkle whiskeys.  Furthermore, we have strict quality standards here at Buffalo Trace and several of the older Van Winkle barrels did not meet those standards. This makes a drastic difference in volume, considering we have very few barrels as it is. The result is less 15 year-old Pappy Van Winkle than usual, and far less 20 year-old and 23 year-old. Frankly, about half as much as last year.”

            Known for their smoother and sweeter flavor, Van Winkle bourbons are aged years longer than most others and garner an impeccable reputation among connoisseurs.  Although the bourbons have become increasingly popular worldwide in recent years, very little is sold overseas, so that most of these coveted bottles are available in the United States.

The Van Winkle collection consists of several whiskeys. Suggested retail prices are as follows:

• $49.99 – Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10 Year Old 107 proof
• $59.99 – Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12 Year Old
• $99.99 – Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye Whiskey 13 Year Old
• $79.99 – Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 15 Year Old
• $149.99 – Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 20 Year Old
• $249.99 – Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 23 Year Old

“Although a lot of retailers charge more than our suggested pricing, we are not asking them to do so,” said Julian Van Winkle, president, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery. “We have not raised prices and do not intend to do so drastically in the future. We are committed to our quality and our pricing.”

The Van Winkle line of whiskeys has won a multitude of awards through the years, including the 15-year-old being named “Excellent/highly recommended” in the 2014 Ultimate Spirits Challenge; the 20 year-old awarded “Extraordinary/ultimate recommendation” in the 2013 Ultimate Spirits Challenge; a double gold for the 20 year-old in the 2014 San Francisco World Spirits Competition; and the Chairman’s Trophy and “Extraordinary/Ultimate Recommendation” for the 20 year-old in the 2015 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

            The Van Winkle Whiskeys will be available starting in November, but please be mindful that supply is quite limited and bottles shall be hard to find in stores, bars and restaurants. They will be packed three bottles per case. 

About Van Winkle Bourbon

The Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery has a four generation history. The Van Winkle family’s involvement in the bourbon industry began in the late 1800s with Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle, Sr. He was a traveling salesman for the W.L. Weller and Sons wholesale house in Louisville. Pappy and a friend, Alex Farnsley, eventually bought the wholesale house and also partnered with Mr. A. Ph. Stitzel on the purchase of Mr. Sitzel’s distillery.  The three of them merged the two companies and became the Stitzel-Weller Distillery.

In May of 1935 at the age of 61, Pappy opened the newly completed Stitzel-Weller Distillery in South Louisville. Its prominent brands were W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell, and Cabin Still.  Pappy had a heavy influence on the operations there until his death at the age of 91. His son, Julian, Jr. took over operations until he was forced by stockholders to sell the distillery in 1972. The rights to all of their brands were sold to Norton Simon, Inc. Later, United Distillers, who eventually ended up with the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, sold off all of the original labels around 1999.              After selling the distillery, Julian Jr. resurrected a pre-Prohibition label, the only one to which the Van Winkles kept the rights, called Old Rip Van Winkle. He used whiskey stocks from the old distillery to supply his brand. Julian Jr.’s son, Julian, III took over in 1981 when Julian, Jr. passed away. Julian III has continued with the Van Winkle tradition of producing high-quality wheated bourbon. His son, Preston, joined the company in 2001 and the Van Winkles look to continue that tradition for generations to come.             In 2002 the Van Winkles entered into a joint venture with Buffalo Trace Distillery in Franklin County, Frankfort, Ky. All of the Van Winkle’s whiskey production now takes place at Buffalo Trace Distillery under the same strict guidelines the family has always followed. For more information on the Van Winkle family of bourbon please visit http://www.oldripvanwinkle.com/.

COMING EARLY 2016 

Whisky Hammer is an exciting new malt whisky auction website, specialising in rare and hard to find bottles, based in North East Scotland – where some may argue the best whisky in the world is produced. 

Whisky Hammer will offer an unbeatable auctioneer service, giving whisky enthusiasts the opportunity to value, buy and/or sell. 

Our website is currently under development and will go live in early 2016. 

Register your interest at… www.whiskyhammer.co.uk 

Facebook: Facebook.com/whiskyhammer

Twitter: @whiskyhammer

Instagram: Instagram.com/whiskyhammer

Glencraig

1975 Rare Old Whisky

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Glencraig 38 Year Old 1976 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whiskey. Lot #R0/12/02 Matured in Refill American Hogshead, bottled by 2012 Gordon & MacPahil for the Rare Old series.

Glencraig Scotch was distilled using the Lomond stills at Glenburgie distillery between 1958 & 1981.

Nose: Sweet and fruity with tropical fruit and sweet vanilla notes. A Spicy edge with charred oak and orange peel aromas.

Taste: Dry and earthy initially on the palate, with a subtle spiciness, hints of dark chocolate and orange zest.

Glenburgie

Glenburgie Distillery was established near Forres in Scotland’s Speyside whisky region by John Paul in 1829. Equipped with two pot stills until 1958 when two Lomond stills were installed and two malt whiskies were produced, Glenburgie from the pot stills and Glencraig from the Lomond stills. The Lomond stills were removed in 1981 and replaced with two pot stills. Glenburgie Distillery is now producing malt whisky from pot six stills.

Buy – $790.86

Yes, we know, it’s hard to believe: an actual seventeen year old Bourbon that you can actually get from an actual Kentucky whiskey distillery.

Not just any distillery either—Wild Turkey, the famous Kickin’ Chicken still under the watchful eye of legendary distiller Jimmy Russell. A release like this in the whiskey industry is a pretty big deal, so obviously we wanted to know more about how the product came to be. Seeing that my colleague and I happened to be searching for casks in Kentucky all last week, we decided to stop by the Wild Turkey distillery to see if we could get a sneak preview of the new release. Jimmy greeted us as we walked in and was more than happy to oblige.

In the current American whiskey environment, finding an age statement older than ten years is becoming an anomaly. The first question we had for Jimmy before tasting was straight-forward: where did Wild Turkey find these barrels? Were they purposely being held back for a future release? “Back in the late 90s we were having storage issues on site and we needed to offload some of our inventory,” he told us. “We needed somewhere to put some of our whiskey.” This isn’t an uncommon practice in the whiskey industry—distilleries borrowing or renting warehouse space from other companies. “The Master’s Keep is made from a batch of barrels we had been storing off-site,” he told us. We nodded in understanding. Then we took a sip.
“This is incredibly soft!” I reacted in surprise. “It’s very rich, but at the same time it’s incredibly mellow. Was there a reason you guys proofed it down to 43%?” I asked. Then came the shocker: “That’s actually right about at cask strength for these barrels,” Jimmy answered. “You see at one point we had to transfer the whiskey over to the Old Taylor distillery. Are you guys familiar with that place?”

“Do you mean the haunted old site down the road from here?” I asked.

“That’s the one,” Jimmy said. “The warehouses at Old Taylor are made from brick, which isn’t the standard material for a Bourbon warehouse these days. You don’t get the same fluctuation of temperature like you do in a wooden rickhouse, so the whiskey tends to lower in proof over time. These casks spent a lot of time in those old brick warehouses, so they were aged more like Scotch.” We took another sip.

“It doesn’t taste watered down. It’s loaded with candy corn and vanilla and toasted oak, but I can’t get over how silky it is,” I said. “When you noticed that the casks were lowering in proof did you eventually pull them back over to the Wild Turkey site?”

“Yes,” Jimmy answered. “If you look a the label you’ll see it says ‘1. Wood, 2. Stone, 3. Wood’ and that’s to indicate the three types of warehouses in which the whiskey was aged. This is the oldest whiskey we’ve ever released. My son Eddy did the blending and we’re very proud of it.”

Not only is the new Master’s Keep stunningly smooth and delicious, it also comes in one of the most beautiful whiskey bottles we’ve seen, adorned with a handsome gift box. It’s one of the most impressive releases from Wild Turkey ever—period. A seventeen year old Bourbon from Jimmy Russell, made from a batch of barrels aged at the ghostly Old Taylor distillery? How could we temper our excitement?!

Now let’s just hope we’ve secured enough to satiate demand! I’d order now while it’s still here. -David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer

Wild Turkey 17 Year Old Master’s Keep Kentucky Bourbon 750ml ($129.99)

Finding an age statement in today’s Bourbon market is like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Finding one that’s above ten years of age is like finding a needle in a haystack. Because of the current state of affairs, the prices for American whiskey are going bananas. So how is it that Wild Turkey can come in and drop a 17 year old gem of a Bourbon for the same price as some non-age statement MGP-bottled mystery? We weren’t sure, so we headed on down to the distillery recently to try ourselves a pour. Soft, round, and rich on the palate, this is a velvet textured whiskey for those looking for “smooth”. It’s loaded with candy corn, toasted oak, and even a touch of maple syrup on the finish. We visited with Jimmy Russell soon after and it turns out the reduced proof and softness of the spirit came due to the brick warehouses at the Old Taylor site where these casks were kept. It reduced the ABV, rather than increased it because brick does a better job of keeping out the heat, so the low proof is a natural phenomenon of the environment. And it tastes like 17 year old Bourbon with extra weight on the palate and concentration of oak you just don’t find in 10 year old whiskies. I doubt we’ll see anything this good in this quantity any time again soon. For those of you who need that special Bourbon Christmas gift this year, I’d start shopping right now.(David Driscoll).

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

Strathisla 1965 – Rare Vintage

Much of Strathisla’s production is used for blending, in brands such as Chivas Regal. When released as a single malt it’s usually exceptional and this rare bottling is no exception. Distilled in 1965 and aged in a first fill sherry butt until 2013, bottled by Gordon & MacPhail under their Rare Vintage series.

Awarded a ‘Liquid Gold’ Award in Jim Murray’s 2014 Whisky Bible.

£529.80

Strathisla 1969 – Rare Vintage

A beautiful 1969 vintage Strathisla bottled by Gordon & MacPhail under their very impressive, Rare Vintage series. Founded in 1786, Strathisla was originally known as Milton Distillery, with the whisky itself being called Strathisla!

£419.40

Strathisla 1970 – Rare Vintage

Gordon & MacPhail hold some very impressive stock within their warehouses. This Strathisla whisky from 1970 was matured in a first fill sherry butt before being bottled in 2014 at 43% vol under their Rare Vintage series. A big, robust & very moreish Speyside single malt Scotch whisky.

£398.40

BROWN-FORMAN BREAKS GROUND ON

NEW $50 MILLION SLANE DISTILLERY

US Ambassador joins Conyngham and Brown families for historic occasion

Distillery and Visitor Centre to be completed late 2016

The US Ambassador to Ireland, Kevin F. O’Malley, was guest of honour today at the official ground breaking ceremony for the $50 million (approximately €44 million) Slane Distillery on the historic Slane Castle Estate in Co. Meath, home of Henry Conyngham, the eighth Marquess Conyngham, and his son Alex Conyngham, Earl of Mount Charles.

The distillery, which will also include a Visitor Centre, is being built by leading US Drinks firm Brown-Forman Corporation, the owners of Jack Daniel’s, Southern Comfort and Woodford Reserve which bought all shares of Slane Irish Whiskey Company from the Conyngham family earlier this year.  The Conynghams remain centrally involved in the development of the new distillery and the new whiskey brands which will be introduced in early 2017.

This is the first new distillery Brown-Forman has built outside of the US and represents its entry into distilling Irish whiskey, one of the fastest growing spirits categories over the last few years.  When completed by the end of 2016, Slane Distillery will create nearly 25 new full-time jobs while the construction process will support approximately 80 jobs.  The Slane Distillery and Visitor Centre will be a welcome new attraction to the Boyne Valley tourism trail.

The US Ambassador signed the first cask that will be filled with whiskey from the distillery and commented on the significance of the occasion, “There are so many links between Ireland and the great state of Kentucky – people, music, horses and a great tradition of making the finest whiskies.  This is a truly modern linkage – combining the best in creativity and expertise to bring new products to the world at a time of huge opportunity for Irish whiskey.  I am very pleased to welcome this latest wonderful partnership between our two countries”, said Kevin F. O’Malley.

“This is a great coming together of two historic families – the Browns of Kentucky and the Conynghams of Slane.  We are very proud to join forces to bring exciting new Irish whiskeys to the world. The commencement of work on the distillery is just a first step in developing a new Irish whiskey brand and welcoming guests to the new distillery”, said Henry Conyngham.

Brown-Forman executive vice president and chief brands & strategy officer Lawson Whiting said Irish whiskey was one of the most exciting spirits categories in the world and Slane provided the perfect opportunity to begin distilling Irish whiskey.  “Brown-Forman brands are founded on heritage, quality and authenticity and there is nowhere as real as this beautiful and historic part of Ireland.  We will leverage our wood and whiskey making prowess to create world class whiskey at Slane”.

The distillery and visitor centre, which is in the historic stables complex adjacent to the castle, will see the 18^th Century buildings restored and converted to house both the production operations and the consumer experience.  The first Slane Irish whiskeys will be launched to market in early 2017 – initially using high quality whiskey purchased from other Irish distilleries and finished to Slane’s exacting recipes and specifications while the first whiskey from the distillery is laid down to mature.  Upon completion it will have a potential output of more than 600,000 cases.

Alex Conyngham said the partnership with Brown-Forman provided a unique range of possibilities for a new Irish whiskey brand.  “Whiskey by its nature requires a long-term approach and we look forward to bringing people on a journey of discovery with us.  We will offer a range of blended, pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys in the premium and super premium segments.  Visitors will be able to come here and literally see where the grain is growing and how we are producing it with care”.

For more information about Slane Distillery and Slane Irish Whiskey, please visit http://www.slaneirishwhiskey.com/. Follow the progress of Slane Distillery at www.facebook.com/slanewhiskey, via Twitter @SlaneWhiskey and via Instagram @SlaneWhiskey.

For more than 140 years, Brown-Forman Corporation has enriched the experience of life by responsibly building fine quality beverage alcohol brands, including Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Southern Comfort, Finlandia, Jack Daniel’s & Cola, Canadian Mist, Korbel, Gentleman Jack, el Jimador, Herradura, Sonoma-Cutrer, Chambord, New Mix, Tuaca, and Woodford Reserve. Brown-Forman’s brands are supported by nearly 4,200 employees and sold in approximately 160 countries worldwide. For more information about the company, please visit http://www.brown-forman.com/.

Hi folks. The 55th auction is now live. Enjoy – and happy bidding!

Kind regards from Glasgow

THE 55th AUCTION

Brora 1977 37 year old

Quite possibly one of the most collectable whiskies available anywhere in world, Brora has developed a cult following over the years and this is the oldest Brora ever released in the Diageo special release series.

Limited to only 2976 bottles and bottled at 50.4% volume.

If a chocolatier made a malt it would surely taste like this, with cocoa-rich shells and centres of caramel, cherry fruit and marzipan offset by a perfectly judged sea-salt piquancy.

£1300 Buy Now

Port Ellen 1983 32 year old

The magic year for any Port Ellen fan and the very last year of production for this Islay distillery. Limited to only 2964 bottles which have been individually numbered. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 53.9%

Like some memory of a fiery event, this sweet, intense, enigmatic and uncompromising Port Ellen displays a complex tour de force of aromas and flavours; it has a profound smokiness, more easily approached with water: deeply complex and carrying its years elegantly, this is an outstandingly dark expression, exceptional both as a Port Ellen and by any standards.

£2400 Buy Now

Pittyvaich 1989 25 year old

Incredibly this bottling has lived longer than the distillery did. Established in 1975 and closed in 1993 Just 5922 individually numbered bottles available world-wide.

This Pittyvaich is easy to drink at natural strength yet is also a complex, attractive and slender whisky, ideal for after dinner contemplation: well balanced, with a sweet, malty nose and palate, and also a refined oiliness and subtle pungency, with a smooth, aromatic and drying conclusion.

£250 Buy Now

The Cally 1974 40 year old

Dailuaine 1980 34 year old

Clynelish Select Reserve

The Dalwhinnie 25 year old

The Caol Ila 17 year old

Lagavulin 12 year old

ROBERT ANDERSON INDUCTED AS KEEPER OF THE QUAICH 

Tomatin Distillery’s CEO recognised for his contributions to the Scotch Whisky industry

Robert Anderson, CEO of the Tomatin Distillery Co Ltd. was invited to enter the esteemed Keepers of the Quaich society and inducted at the bi-annual ceremony at Blair Castle on Monday 5^th October.

The Keepers of the Quaich is a Scotch Whisky society with membership by invitation only, founded to acknowledge those who have contributed to the Scotch Whisky industry. This prestigious honour was given to Robert Anderson in recognition of just under 27 years of outstanding contributions to the industry. Robert joined Tomatin in 1988 as Company Accountant and has since served as Company Secretary, Finance Director, Managing Director, and finally as CEO since 2010.

Robert is delighted with the accolade: “I am honoured to have been invited to be part of this prestigious Society as recognition for my years dedicated to the industry and in particular being tasked with improving the fortunes of the company over the last five years. Through the magnificent efforts of the whole team in bringing the Tomatin brand to the attention of the wider market place, we are supporting the broader aims of the Society itself and ultimately the continuing success of the industry as a whole.”

The dignified ceremony welcomed Robert and 42 other new members from 19 countries as Keepers of the Quaich at Blair Castle, the ancient and historic home of the Earls and Dukes of Atholl, taking the total to 2,457 Keepers of the Quaich worldwide.

The society takes its name from the two handed drinking bowl which is described in the ancient Gaelic language of Scotland as a ‘cuach’; a vessel long associated with friendship and the drinking of Scotch whisky.

Notes

1. For further information on the Society please contact Annabel Meikle +44 (0)1314454045
2. The Tomatin Distillery Co Ltd is a producer and blender of Scotch whisky, boasting a strong core range of single malt whiskies along with a range of popular blends.

Website: http://www.tomatin.com/

The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show 2015 – Three Legends of Whisky

‘This is a moment in history. This will never be repeated.’ A dramatic introduction from our host Dave Broom, but fully warranted. The final Masterclass of the 2015 Whisky Exchange Whisky Show featured more than 150 years’ experience in the whisky industry, nine unforgettable whiskies, and three legends of whisky – a trio of the biggest names in the business. Each one presented three whiskies: one they were involved in making; a whisky they consider legendary; and a whisky brought specially for the masterclass.

From left: Jim McEwan, Richard Paterson, David Stewart, Dave Broom (Photo: © Simon J Hanna)

THE LEGENDS

Jim McEwan – master distiller, Bruichladdich (recently retired) Richard Paterson – master blender, Whyte & Mackay David Stewart – malt master, The Balvenie

THE HOST

Dave Broom – whisky writer

THE LEGENDS’ FIRST EXPERIENCE OF WHISKY

Richard Paterson: ‘My father took me to some whisky warehouses in Stockwell Lane [in Glasgow] and from then, I got something that stirred inside me. We all share this one love: Scotch whisky.’

Richard’s first whisky for the masterclass was Shackleton’s Discovery, a recreation of the whisky discovered under explorer Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctica hut in 2007. Richard took three of the bottles back to Scotland – stored in a case that was handcuffed to his wrist throughout the journey – and the whisky was analysed. Richard created his take on this historic whisky by blending more than 25 single malts from Speyside.

David Stewart: ‘My first memory of whisky was in 1962, when I was 17. I’d never drunk whisky before; I drank rum and Coke, because it was the 1960s…’

NAS whisky was alive and well in the 1980s…

David’s first dram for the tasting was a special no-age-statement bottling, The Balvenie Classic, a mixture of eight- to 12-year-old malts, matured in American oak then finished in European oak. ‘The term “finish” wasn’t really around in the 1980s,’ said David. ‘We didn’t come up with the word – that was Glenmorangie.’ Dave Broom quickly interrupted, commenting on this ‘typical understatement from the man who invented finishing’. The whisky itself was a thing of beauty, loaded with ginger, cinnamon, stewed fruit and candied orange peel.

Jim McEwan: ‘I was born and raised in Bowmore and like every lad on Islay, it’s your ambition to work in a distillery; that was the holy land. I was 15 years old, working at Bowmore, and I became very good at stealing whisky. I used to use Heinz salad cream bottles attached to a piece of string – they must have designed them to fit through any cask bunghole. We didn’t steal the cheap stuff, either – we stole Black Bowmore!’

Jim’s first dram was a 1984 Bruichladdich: ‘This is elegance; this is sophistication; this is rock and roll! A key note of this whisky is the citrus, the lemon. Why? Because it matures near the ocean. I totally fell in love with this whisky. The distillery closed six times, but this little gem survived.’

THE LEGENDS’ LEGENDARY WHISKIES

David’s second dram was a 25-year-old Balvenie which had that typical elegance and fruit and spice you expect from this distillery. Easy drinking, with a soft mouthfeel, it was classy stuff. Distilled in 1974 and bottled in 2000, the whisky was aged in American oak.

Dalmore King Alexander III is matured in six types of cask

Richard’s next whisky was at the other extreme: Dalmore King Alexander III, which spends time in no fewer than six types of cask: French wine, Madeira, sherry, Marsala, port and bourbon. ‘You must find the cask that will suit and enhance the spirit,’ he said. ‘The Dalmore stills are big, fat and bulbous; this is the DNA of Dalmore.’

Jim described his second whisky as ‘a one-man protest’ against whisky marketing. ‘I decided to make a whisky and not tell anyone about it. Just drink it.’ The whisky in question is Black Art and we were given a tasting of its latest prototype, Black Art 5, which was matured in casks containing some/none/all of some of the world’s greatest wines, including Château d’Yquem, Sassicaia and Château Lafite but Jim was keeping quiet. ‘This is a fruit bomb. It’s a mystery of history. I hope you enjoy it but I can’t tell you anything about it.’

THE LEGENDS’ SPECIAL BOTTLINGS

A very personal selection for David’s special bottling – a vatting of Balvenie from the three birth years of his children: 1980, 1982 and 1986. The 1980 was a refill bourbon barrel; the 1982 a refill hogshead; and the 1986 a refill sherry butt. Again, this showed beautiful balance, and bundles of fruit – apples, pears and mangos – along with Demerara sugar, honey and cinnamon. Dave Broom’s verdict? ‘A sumptuously beautiful whisky.’

‘Hello. How are you? Quite well. Thank you very much.’ (Photo: © Simon J Hanna)

The eighth whisky of the masterclass was a staggering lesson in blending from Richard. It contained:

• 50% Invergordon 50th Anniversary Special Selection 1961 • 13% Dalmore 52 Year Old (distilled 1926) • 11% Dalmore 1964 • 10% Glen Scotia 1972 • 10% ‘rare blended malt’ (distilled 1 July 1957) • 5% ‘blended malt’ (Scapa and Fettercairn, distilled 15 August 1957) • 1% Dalmore 62 Year Old (a vatting of 1868, 1878 and 1926)

‘This is an assemblage of many types of wood, and an assemblage of very rare whiskies,’ said Richard, who couldn’t resist a pop at Jim’s Black Art bottling: ‘You can take your Château Lafite and Yquem and shove them up your backside; this is what Scotch whisky is all about!’

Jim McEwan, ‘the oldest hipster in town’ (Photo © Simon J Hanna)

Unruffled, Jim took to the stage for the final dram of the day: a never-seen-before whisky from the first-ever cask of Octomore, the most heavily peated whisky of all time. ‘People said “you can’t go higher than Laphroaig or Ardbeg”. Well, I just did,’ said Jim. ‘People also said to me that Bruichladdich isn’t a real Islay whisky because it’s unpeated. Octomore answered the critics.’ The whisky was distilled in 2002, matured in first-fill oloroso sherry casks, and described by Jim as ‘like dancing with Tina Turner on speed. The smoke combined with the sherry is unbelievable.’

When our masterclasses were announced, this is the one that I got most excited about, and it didn’t disappoint. As expected, Richard and Jim jostled and fought like two battle-hardened knights, while David quietly let them get on with it. The whiskies were fantastic; the atmosphere electric; and there were a lot of happy people gathered in one room.

Beatlemania comes to @TWEWhiskyShow! #legends #TWEshow pic.twitter.com/JGfCWdCthP

— The Whisky Exchange (@WhiskyExchange) October 4, 2015

I tweeted the above photo once the Masterclass finished, likening it to Beatlemania. That was a touch over the top, but I have never attended a tasting where everyone in the room rushed forward with a camera, desperate for a selfie with their whisky heroes. Oh, and there were plenty of one-liners that were unrepeatable in this blog, including the one involving Richard, a condom and an aroma test, but we’ll save that one for another day…

BEST WHISKY

A very difficult decision, but for me The Balvenie Classic was the highlight. It didn’t shout the loudest; it wasn’t a sherry or peat monster; it was just an excellent whisky.

BEST LINE

Jim, having been introduced by Dave as ‘the oldest hipster in town’, replied: ‘I’m a hipster because I have two articificial hips, not because I’m cool.’

SECOND-BEST LINE

Jim berating the ‘sub-standard’ casks at Bruichladdich before he took over. Yes, the same Bruichladdich that used to be owned by Whyte & Mackay. Yes, the same Whyte & Mackay that a certain R Paterson worked for at the time…