This week Joe Ellis aka Whisky Wednesday reviews and explores his own personal whisky shelf!
GlenDronach launches Cask Strength Batch 4
GlenDronach has today (April 28, 2015) launched Batch 4 of its luscious Cask Strength Highland single malt.
Bottled at 54.7% and comprising 17,806 bottles, The GlenDronach Cask Strength is a delicious, creamy sherry bomb! The whisky sensationally explodes on the palate with dark fruit, ginger and oak flavours to the fore, and with gingerbread, barley, roasted coffee beans and a hint of walnut softening to a long, satisfying finish.
Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “The whisky for this fourth edition in our renowned series has been carefully selected from a combination of the finest Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks. Non chill filtered and of natural colour, the Cask Strength has been produced in the classic GlenDronach style.”
Master Blender Billy Walker’s tasting notes show how Batch 4 is destined to be a fantastic addition to this amazing series.
Colour
Dark rich amber with a glint of burnished copper.
Nose
Delicious molten toffee and wild honey poured over ripe figs and dates. Subtle hints of tangerine, coffee grounds and a dusting of cinnamon add a perfect balance to the nose.
Palate
Vibrant oak spices and warming stem ginger complement the rich sherry and dark fruit characteristics. Waves of sour plums and subtle gingerbread combine with stewed barley and roasted coffee beans, softened by a gentle hint of walnut.
Finish
A perfect harmony of the finest sherry casks and traditional Highland characteristics.
To celebrate the 105th day of the year on the 15th of April 2015, various international events were held as part of ‘Glenfarclas 105 day’ to promote Glenfarclas 105 cask strength whisky. Glenfarclas has become well known for this 60% A.B.V. whisky, it being the first distillery to commercially sell cask strength whisky.
The 105 promises real character, revealing a rich spiciness, combined with sherried fruit and dark toffee notes. Moreover this whisky has some interesting history behind it too. Its origins lie in a Grant family gathering in 1968 when George S. Grant, father of current chairman John Grant, bottled a cask at 105 degrees British Proof for Christmas. The whisky was presented to family and friends with its modest ‘105 proof’ label (now 60% in today’s A.B.V. measurement) and the evident appreciation of the dram meant that it was remembered long after the gathering – the 105 was born!
The 105th day of the year was therefore the perfect way to make a toast to this great whisky. In the UK a ‘105 day’ online campaign with master of malt spirits retailer was launched. This included winning a signed bottle of Glenfarclas 105 for any purchase every 105 minutes throughout the day. As if that wasn’t enough of a giveaway, a twitter and facebook campaign followed offering an exceptional 3 Litre Glenfarclas 105 bottle to the winner with the best reasons & photos of ‘why you deserve the 105 the most’.
Meanwhile George Grant created a similar buzz on the other side of the world where a ‘105 day’ was being held in both Taiwan and China. The Glenfarclas 105 cask strength whisky was, of course, the main attraction, with not only discounted bottles available during the course of the Taiwanese celebration, but also 105 whisky cocktails, and chances to win 105 miniature bottles. The event had a wedding style banquet theme, complete with fire displays and entertainment. In China another 105 event was held at Ocho Cocktail Bar in Shanghai where attendees who bought a Glenfarclas 105 also received a free 105 seasoned cigar. This is the second time George Grant presented the 105 day in Asia and its popularity looks like its set to become an annual celebration for the years to come.
Glenfarclas Email: info@glenfarclas.co.uk Website: www.glenfarclas.co.uk Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/glenfarclas/ Tel: +44 (0) 1807 500257 Fax: +44 (0) 1807 500234 Address: Glenfarclas Distillery, Ballindalloch, Banffshire AB37 9BD, UK © Glenfarclas
Shocked is how I would describe our faces as we finished our final sample. We were having a good old go on the entire range of Maltbarn whiskies that had just arrived from Germany. The thing with single cask bottlings is that because they are inherently unique they can also be highly variable, and this was the first time the entire staff were united behind the entire output of a single independent bottler. Unheard of…
Maltbarn are best summarised in their own words: “We don`t care about the latest hype, marketing tricks or fancy packaging. Instead we only sell whisky we love to drink ourselves!” You can’t say fairer than that, and that is also very much our approach. So it’s no wonder we were getting on so famously with their whiskies. Although I have to say we were more than a little smitten with their beautiful label designs which scream DRINK ME rather than “we don’t care about… fancy packaging”, but we won’t complain if you won’t! Don’t take our punch-drunk word for how great these whiskies are, their reviews speak for themselves, check out Whisky Fun one of our favourite reviewers.
Below you will find our current selection, and feel free to add ‘staff pick’ to every single one of these bad boys!
THE SELECTION
Dailuaine 18 Year Old, 48.7%
This is one of those estery malts on the nose: kiwi, pear drops and granny smith apples. Spearmint and white pepper on the palate with a soupcon of sweetness. The long finish is minty with poached pears stealing through.
159 bottles produced from a single ex-Bourbon barrel.
£94.95
Glen Keith 22 Year Old, 49.4%
Butter icing, toffee and Victorian sweet shop aromas, leading to toasted oak and caramel on the palate. The finish takes its time with butterscotch and sweet spice notes. Genuinely stunning stuff from an often overlooked lost distillery.
179 bottles produced from a single ex-Bourbon barrel.
£129.95
Caol Ila 19 Year Old, 52.8%
This is Caol Ila at its very best; a salty driftwood bonfire burning on the beach under the setting summer sun. The palate is firm with that classic maritime peat with Kaffir lime leaf lending heady top notes. The finish lingers with notes of charcoal and roasted peach. 226 bottles produced from a single ex-Bourbon barrel.
£129.95
Inchgower, 38 Year Old, 47.3%
The aroma is reminiscent of a cobblestone path through a forest glade. This 38 year old has a distinct minerality, almost mezcal like. Then there is butterscotch, fruit compote, stewed tropical fruit, melon and a hint of aniseed. A finish who’s length complements the malt’s age!
54 bottles produced from a single ex-Bourbon barrel.
£249.95
Glen Elgin 29 Year Old, 45.6%
Delicious rancio aromas and flavours from that long time hanging around in an oak cask. Then there is a youthful hit of active oak, toffee, baked Bramley apples and a touch of a musty old bookshelf (in a good way!).
122 bottles produced from a single ex-Bourbon barrel.
£159.95
Burnside 25 Year Old, 50.9%
Teaspooned Balvenie anyone? This is Balvenie with a tiny amount (literally a teaspoon) of Glenfiddich added so Maltbarn can’t legally call this stuff Balvenie. Waxy at first with a slight hint of burning embers. This is chased by confectionary notes (jelly babies perhaps?). Then there is [Balvenie] honey, burnt raisin, cinnamon and a sprinkling of struck match stick. 167 bottles produced from a single ex-Bourbon barrel.
£125.95
Bunnahabhain 26 Year Old, 49.9%
A quiet West Coast harbour with seaweed drifting on the water. Then there is manuka honey, cloves, cardamom and Maldon sea salt. This whisky couldn’t be more Bunnahabhain if it tried!
121 bottles produced from a single ex-sherry butt.
£129.95
Ledaig 9 Year Old, 48.1%
A younger offering from Maltbarn. Earthy and peaty with a wonderful refreshing quality. The finish is surprisingly delicate considering the youthful nature of this intrepid malt.
141 bottles produced from a single ex-Bourbon barrel.
£69.95
Ben Nevis 16 Year Old, 53.2%
Leafy, minerally notes at first, chased with aromas of a spring meadow. The palate takes on mineral notes of slate, blackberry and a smattering of sea salt. The finish lingers with a herbacious catelogue of oregano and basil.
91 bottles produced from a single ex-Bourbon barrel.
£84.95
Milroy’s of Soho · 3 Greek Street · London, England W1D 4NX · United Kingdom
www.ralfy.com gets a terrible shock whilst creating a vlog with Whisky Review 534 – Isle of Arran 10yo single malt and a big fright!
BENRIACH LAUNCHES DUNDER, A STUNNING PEATED 18 YEAR OLD DARK RUM FINISH
Global Whisky Distiller of the Year BenRiach today (30 April 2015) launches “Dunder”, an extraordinary Peated 18 Years Old Dark Rum finish from its Elgin distillery.
The BenRiach Dunder is a one-off bottling with only 1888 bottles available worldwide.
This intriguing new Speyside expression, from the same range as the BenRiach Albariza, takes its unusual name from the residue of cane juice left in a still after distilling a batch of rum.
Traditionally used as a yeast source in the fermentation process of Jamaican rum, it gives the rum a unique aroma and flavour.
Dunder, at 46% vol, is distilled from peated malted barley and is initially matured in American oak casks and then finished in dark rum barrels.
It combines the distinct and contrasting aromas and flavours associated with richly peated malt whisky and the elegant style of wood selected for final maturation.
The tasting notes show this is set to be an interesting addition to the BenRiach portfolio.
Colour
Summer harvest straw.
Nose
Crisp candied peel holds waves of soft peach and ripe banana dusted with Demerara sugar. Delicate rounded peat smoke combines with gentle sweet oak spices.
Taste
Dramatic peat smoke and barley complement crisp citrus zest, white pepper and fresh ginger. Caramelised orchard fruits and dried apricots develop to a rich grassy wood smoke finish.
Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “Our limited edition Dunder is the latest addition to our new heavily peated range which has been warmly welcomed worldwide.
“Thanks to the sharpness of the campfire peat taste you might initially think this is an Islay malt but it is definitely a Speyside! As the aromatic sweetness of the peach and banana kicks in, it mellows to a distinctive and flavourful peated dram that will linger long in your memory.”
MAY OUTTURN: HAND PICKED
May’s Outturn sings of summer with 18 hand picked single casks bursting with juicy fruits and berries. There are also sweet summer re-unions as we say ‘hello’ to some long lost friends. Packed full of blackberries, brambles and dewberries, and making our mouths water, is the long awaited 128.5 As purple as Prince. And with its early summer promises taking us back to our youth, 70.10 Teenage Shenanigans makes a most welcomed return too. Fill your basket before we get picked clean…
Young & spritely
70.10 Teenage Shenanigans £44.00
Sweet, fruity & mellow
128.5 As purple as Prince! Low availability** £66.00
Spicy & sweet
77.38 Why? Why not? £48.10
64.59 Gymkhanas and gym class £45.00
73.30 Frivolously fresh, with playful spices £49.200
Spicy & dry
36.85 Vitality balanced by maturity £87.20
Deep, rich & dried fruits
42.15 Oscillations of light and shade £73.30
35.108 A Feast of Flavours £43.80
Old & dignified
G7.8 Sweet seduction in a car-wash – Grain Whisky £103.70
Light & delicate
26.110 Breakfast reverie £50.40
Juicy, oak & vanilla
46.31 Sniffing a bee’s knees £82.20
48.55 Tree-felling, box-ticking dram £43.80
Oily & coastal
4.207 Fulsome sweetness – quietly brooding peat £54.10
93.63 Unapologetic non-conformist £54.10
Lightly peated
10.83 Incredibly awesome! Low availability** £63.40
Peated
29.162 Surreal meal deal (on Islay) Low availability** £76.00
Heavily peated
127.43 Kissing a smoker Low availability** £60.80
66.64 A blacksmith at a barbeque
Exclusive to May Offers
Browse New Outturn >
Browse All Bottlings >
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information
This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!
Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video
New Website, New Whisky! We thought it only fitting, that we follow up the launch of our rather nifty, new website with a new ‘Rare Casks’ bottling. It’s long overdue (ok, we admit we’re picky) but we believe we’ve bagged ourselves a wee beauty…
A whisky so good, its identity’s a secret…
Abbey Whisky – The Rare Casks…
A mysterious dram…
Anonymous…
ANON.
ANON. BATCH 1 – THE RARE CASKS
The French whiskies have arrived in British Columbia and are available at private liquor stores in Vancouver area and Victoria Island. To get a list of stores and more details about the whiskies, please contact:
Yannick Treffot [e] yantre@cru-terroir.com • [ph] 778-870-4649.
Currently available:
G.Rozelieures (Lorraine region)
Pro$hibition (Jura region)
Michel Couvreur (Burgundy region)
Guillon (Champagne region)
The award winning distillery from Brittany Glann Ar Mor (Glann Ar Mor and Kornog whiskies) will be added to the portfolio in the next couple of months. Please note that the portfolio will be available in Alberta by the end of this year. Established since 1870 in the Lorraine region, the Grallet Dupic family is locally renowned for their mirabelle plum and pear eaux de vie. Christophe Dupic decided to batch the first-of-its kind Whisky de Lorraine in 2000. The eaux de vie distillation savoir-faire has definitely shaped the identities of their whiskies that are characterized by fruitiness, delicateness, smoothness all along with a touch of masculinity through the use of peat.
40% abv • +600429
Single malt, double distilled and aged for 6 years in Cognac & Sherry casks. Lightly peated (6 ppm).
40% abv • +838938
Single malt, double distilled and aged for 8 years in Sauternes.
Lightly peated (6 ppm).
46% abv • +392670
Double distilled single malt aged 8 years in Fino casks.
Medium peated (20ppm).
pRO$HIBITION
Made in Jura, France
Nestled in the foothills of the rocky spur of the village of Château Châlon, the Tissot family has a long established history of wine makers and roving distillers (Bouilleurs de Cru in French).
Pascal Tissot (11th generation) uses a very unique distillation method of three French 1934 Blavier stills, originally designed and built to distil lavender for the perfume industry. Local ‘Feuillettes’ barrels, which hold 114 litres – half the size of a Burgundian wine barrel, are then filled with the new spirit and matured for a period of three to four years in the rustic Jurassians cellars. The batches are then independently bottled cask by cask. Only 1,000 bottles of each version are produced every year.
Vin Jaune, made from Savagnin grapes, is aged for a minimum of 6 years and3 months in oak barrels that have been filled nearly to the top. The wine gradually evaporates, and as it does a thin layer of yeast called voile forms on its surface, allowing complex, nutty flavors to develop. It is very similar to a dry fino Sherry.
41% abv • +453605
Double distilled single malt matured between three to four years in Vin de Paille (straw wine) feuillette size barrels. Vin de Paille is made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice (the result is similar to the ice wine process.)
41% abv • +70664
Double distilled single malt matured between three to four years in Macvin feuillette size barrels. Macvin is a late harvested grape must that is aged in oak barrels for a minimum of 12 months without prior alcoholic fermentation in tanks. Marc du Jura, pomace-based brandie, is then added at a ratio of 1 litre for every 2 of must. Fermentation stops, leaving behind residual sugar and a sweet complex dessert wine.
Hand-crafted boutique whisky company that sources its raw whiskies from various distilleries in Scotland, then ages them in their Burgundian underground cellars. Yearly production is about 50,000 allocated bottles. Of Belgium origin, Burgundian wine merchant, Michel Couvreur, arrived in Scotland in 1964. He got involved in the Scotch business and became known for selecting the most ancient strains of cereals andusing extremely rare Sherry casks for aging. In the 70’s, Michel Couvreur returned to Burgundy where he now matures his Scotches in rare Pedro Ximenez and/or Palomino casks to craft exceptional whiskies.
Founded in 1997 in the Champagne region of France, Guillon offers a range of single malt whiskies matured in various cask types selected from famous French vineyards. The barley is sourced locally from a Champagne cooperative. During the fermentation process, Guillon uses champagne yeast (saccharomyces bayanus), which give a more regional character to their products. Double distilled, all the whiskies are then aged for a minimum of five years in white Burgundy wine barrels before being finished in various wine barrels for various length of time. Guillon is the official supplier of L’Élysée (the Residence of the President of France).
Wee Tipple at The Grand Hotel, Nanaimo, BC
April 17th, 2015
Whisky Intelligence received a surprise phone call from Susie Sirri at the Grand Hotel in Nanaimo, British Columbia inviting your humble correspondent to attend their Wee Tipple fund raising event. Proceeds from the evening go to support Crimson Coast Dance Society and along with a desire to attend this event after missing it for a number of years it didn’t take long to say ‘yes’!
The Whisky Selection
On the 17th after a pleasant drive north we arrived in Nanaimo and quickly found the hotel and were checked into a very comfortable room on the 4th floor. Soon after we were in the hotel restaurant having a very late lunch/very early dinner a short while before the event commenced with a few of the presenters catching up on their whisky news. The hotel sports a very, very good whisky selection with over 140 different whiskies and a Yamazaki 12yo was the dram of choice to set up the palate for the task ahead.
The Festival was scheduled to run from 7PM to 10PM and as the time approached the volunteers quickly processed the enthusiastic ticket holders and promptly at 7PM the doors opened and in everybody trooped, glasses at the ready.
The Festival was a ‘mixed’ event in that there were offerings other than whisky which can be a good thing if your spouse is not a whisky enthusiast.
Whisky Intelligence naturally maintained strict discipline and stayed true to form with the whiskies on offer.
Although it was a small Festival (which is a good thing) with only 150 tickets available there was a very good selection of whiskies from Amrut, Ardbeg & Glenmorangie, The Glenlivet, Tullamore Dew, Gibson’s Canadian, Blackadder, Kilchoman, Benromach, NIKKA, Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Glenfarclas, Old Pulteney, Kavalan, Tullibardine, Glenfiddich, and Balvenie. There were also a couple of samples available from the newer growing category of flavoured whiskies Spice Box and Tap 357.
For those in the know there were also some very nice ‘under the table drams’ and those were a welcome addition to the evenings other samplings.
There was also an outstanding selection of food that was available all night and there was lots of it. Whisky Intelligence may have had a little too much to eat… the smoked mussels were simply out of this world. Compliments to the Chef for such an excellent selection.
Generally music at Festivals can be over whelming but at this event the band managed to keep the volume at a level that didn’t make conversation an issue.
After a few hours it was time for a break. Happily an invitation had been received to the after party and shortly after 10PM it was in full swing in the Marrakesh Room. The Hotel decorated the room with Persian carpets, loads of pillows and themed wall coverings to make a relaxed space with everybody sitting comfortably on the floor. A variety of drams came out and the party went until at least 1AM when Whisky Intelligence called it a night.
If you have a chance to attend the 2016 Wee Tipple, do so and stay in the Grand Hotel, it’s a really nice hotel with friendly staff and a very good whisky selection.
