Havin a chat aboot my favourite drink …

Half dozing off at the King James (Christies pub in Perth) these points came up when doing my best to get some whisky virgins to commence their long career with the water of life. When you drink whisky, why do you only fill up a little bit in a glass? why not fill it up?  Whisky is strong, some will burn your mouth and throat, this can ruin the experience and wreck and numb your taste buds to the point you don’t want any more whisky, ever. Grand whiskies, aged drams and expensive drams maybe best enjoyed by pouring 1 or 2 drops of water  to “open it up” – to cut the alcohol enough to let the drinker appreciate the excellence of the craft that is whisky making. Not distilling you hear, but making! Distilling is just one small step in the craft art of delivering a whisky. Like art, a whisky in a glass is in the eye (and mooth) of the beholder. Let the whole whisky experience blend, experiment what works for you. A cheap blend whisky might be great for adding ice and making cocktails, but an expensive dram doesn’t deserve to be treated like any old cocktail mixer. Give it respect. If you want to just get drunk, then donder down to the pub and have a few shots of crap liquid enjoyed by the mass of younger idiots every Friday and Saturday nights.

Is the Glencairn glass the best way to enjoy a whisky? How often have you heard “it must be in the right glass”? Personally, that is pish, I am happy extracting a dram from any container, a Glencairn or a mug for tea. By adding a few drops of water you can open up different flavours that you previously had not found. Specially true when enjoying cask strength that have higher alcohol levels (can be over 60% ABV although illegal in Norway). With cask strength whisky the alcohol and burning in your mouth can overpower even the flavours. By adding water, this dilutes the alcohol and reduces its effect, giving the flavours a chance to come oot. Ice is slightly different. Rather than bringing out flavours, the ice makes the temperature drop rapidly. The aromas and taste will only start to open up and reveal their characteristics once the whisky starts to warm up to room temperature. Do you have all night?

On a bottle of whisky and the label says “non-chill filtered.” What does that mean?  it means your whisky may turn cloudy  if served on ‘the’ rocks. Chill filtering is a step most distillers take to remove chemical compounds such as esters, proteins and acids produced during fermentation and maturation. Whisky bottled at a typical alcohol content of less than 46 per cent will become cloudy if subsequently chilled, either during transport or in the presence of ice. In chill filtering, whisky is cooled to between -10° and 4° Celsius and passed through a fine adsorption filter. This is done mostly for cosmetic reasons – to remove cloudiness – rather than to improve taste or consistency, and tell me if I am wrong here, mostly this affects to USA market and drinkers. Hey guys, there is nothing wrong with a cloudy whisky. Get over it, try a stone in the dram maybe, or just learn the art of dramming like in Scotland.

Breaking a cork –  you pull out the cap of a whisky to find a handful of wood or plastic topper, while the cork remains wedged in the neck of the bottle?  What do I do?  carefully use a corkscrew to remove the cork, just like with a bottle of wine, if the cork falls into the bottle get another empty bottle or jug, with a sieve pour the whisky out into the empty vessel, then clean your original container and pour the liquid back into the original bottle. One wee tip from myself; when you finish a bottle of whisky that has had a cork, keep the cork top just in case!

DRINKING WHISKY is a pleasure not to be missed. But – so often have folks said to me “it burned my mouth, it taste horrible”, well, all I can say is, either you are not drinking it correctly, or – you havnee found the right whisky for you yet. There are so many whisky snobs out there, my advice, take your time, sample as many as you can – not all on the same day – find the one that suits your taste. Me? To all my Scottish friends and contacts in the whisky industry, I am NOT sorry, my drink of choice at the bar is Bushmills Black Bush, easy to drink, doesnee burn and is light, no peat. Aye but that doesnee mean I don’t drink other drams by the way. I do tend to stay away from cheap shite blended rubbish, that’s only good for cocktails, mixing with coke and for Campbells.

A personal blether from Paul McLean. www.whiskytours.scot

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY BREAKS ANOTHER

RECORD FOR VISITATION

More than 230,000 Guests Visited Historic Distillery in 2018 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Jan. 22, 2019) – Buffalo Trace Distillery continues to see exceptional tourism growth, setting new records for visitation year over year. The Distillery ended 2018 having welcomed a record-breaking 231,523 visitors during the calendar year. This is a 15 percent increase in visitation over the previous year, and a 345 percent increase since 2010.

            This rapid increase in tourism is on trend with growing bourbon sales and is why the National Historic Landmark distillery is in the midst of a $1.2 billion investment to expand its distilling and aging capabilities, and again expand its visitor center to accommodate an increasing number of guests.

            “It’s exciting to be growing in all aspects, we are thrilled that so many people took their time to come and see our team at work” Meredith Moody, director of Homeplace development said. “Our growth in visitation has allowed us to expand our tour offerings to six different complimentary tours, and offer our guests a unique look at the Distillery with each visit. Having just completed an expansion of our Visitor Center in 2015, we are looking forward to again expanding our tour capabilities to accommodate even more guests as we continue to grow.”

            Planning is underway now for the second expansion of the Visitor Center. The Distillery anticipates construction to begin by this fall.

Also part of its Distillery expansion, Buffalo Trace just finished replacing its 1951 boiler, and will soon begin adding 12 additional fermenters and replacing the mash cookers. In order to make room, the existing bottling hall is in the process of moving to another area on site where the bottling lines will be modernized to allow for more efficiency and better capacity.

The Distillery is also building 22 new barrel warehouses on the farm it owns adjacent to the Distillery at a rate of one new warehouse every four months. Each warehouse will hold 58,800 barrels.

This is all part of the first large scale structural expansion at Buffalo Trace Distillery’s campus since the 1950s.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 21 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon was named World Whiskey of the Year by “Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2018.”  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 500 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.

Celebrating our brand home

The Macallan Genesis Limited Edition is a complex and masterful whisky that reflects each painstaking step in The Macallan whisky making process and celebrates the creation of our iconic Distillery and Visitor Experience, with renowned architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. This release tells the unique story of the principal architect, Graham Stirk’s vision for the aesthetic of The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience. The Macallan Genesis Limited Edition is presented in a beautiful gift box featuring a lithographic print of the Distillery signed by Graham Stirk.

We are pleased to inform you that The Macallan Genesis Limited Edition will be available to purchase through an online ballot, opening for registrations in February 2019.

explore the whisky

The Macallan Genesis Limited Edition is priced at £495.00 (70cl) excluding delivery and the final price will be subject to local taxes and duties related to the delivery destination.

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Delivery of whisky products from The Macallan Online Shop is currently available to 27 countries.
• If your country of residence is not listed you are still eligible to enter the ballot and if successful you can choose to arrange delivery to one of the countries fulfilled by The Macallan Online Shop.
• We will inform you when the ballot opens for entries.
• Entries to the ballot will be open for one week.
• By entering the ballot you are not making a purchase and there is no obligation to buy, even if you are successful in the ballot.
• We aim to notify all successful entrants by email by the end of March 2019.

A Pair of 30 Year Old Single Grain Whiskies

Our spirits department keeps on finding one treasure after another! Fans of aged whisky won’t want to miss the 30 Year Olds from North British and Strathclyde. Exclusive to K&L, these single grains are both wonderfully complex and impossible to resist. While most 30 Year Olds cost a small fortune these days, this pair is very affordably priced and will make welcome additions to any Scotch collection.

1988 North British 30 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (750ml) $119.99 View

A co-op of sorts, the North British distillery was founded in Edinburgh in 1885 by a group of gentlemen looking to break into the grain whisky business. At the time there was a virtual monopoly on grain production controlled by a company called DCL. North British found great success and has grown its production over the years due to the tremendous quality and quantity of their primarily maize or wheat distillate. The knock on effects of this enormous production are incredibly inexpensive, yet quite well aged stocks of premium grain whisky on the blending and independent bottling market. Something of a wheel house for K&L, we are always excited to bring great old grain into California whenever we can. Even if you don’t believe you’ve tasted North British before, you almost certainly have. It’s sweet grain whisky finds its way into such notable blends as Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark, Chivas Regal, and J&B. In a great irony, these blends (and the North British distillery itself) are all owned by Edrington and Diageo, the direct outrgrowth and descendents of DCL; the company that North British was founded to compete with in the first place. No matter! The whisky is good, it’s inexpensive, it’s available, and it’s ready to drink!

1987 Strathclyde 30 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (750ml) $119.99 View

Personalised Whisky

Give the perfect gift with a personalised bottle of whisky. Each of our own Loch Fyne whiskies and liqueurs and a select few other bottles can be engraved with a personal message to add that special touch to your gift. Whatever the occasion, say it with whisky!

Buy Now

Hi folks, that’s us live with the 94th auction! Happy bidding!

Happy Bidding!

J&B Rare Re-launch

Author: Chadwick Delaney, Managing Director, Justerini & Brooks

1. Where was J&B Rare distributed before it was taken back?

From 1997 until April 2018, J&B Rare was distributed initially by Diageo Great Britain, and then subsequently through a third party. The decision was made to return distribution back to Justerini & Brooks as of 1st May 2018. A move that made perfect sense, given the heritage and association of the brand: Justerini & Brooks being the original creators of J&B Rare back in the 1930s.

2. Was it available in the UK during this time? If so, where?

Between 1997 and April 2018, it was available principally in Grocery and Convenience stores. Bringing the whisky back into the Justerini & Brooks wine and spirits portfolio made perfect sense: we maintain strong ties with both premium on and off trade clients, with the J&B Rare serves now being listed across Drake & Morgan and Darwin & Wallace groups.

3. Why now for its return?

As the creators of one of the world’s most distinctive whisky brands, Justerini & Brooks was delighted to welcome J&B Rare back to the family and introduce the blend to a new generation of whisky drinkers. We believe the timing is perfect: consumers are more and more concerned with provenance, heritage and brand stories. Originally enjoyed by maverick men and women and brought to eminence by the Hollywood rat-pack, J&B Rare has amassed a rich heritage, alongside delivering a quality blend that is enjoyed neat as a cocktail. J&B Rare’s return to Justerini & Brooks marks a pivotal moment in the company’s longstanding association with its house brand and are excited to introduce J&B Rare to a new whisky audience throughout Great Britain in 2018 and beyond.

4. Why Waitrose?

Waitrose and Partners is a company that we are delighted to be working very closely with: they provide the perfect platform to introduce new customers to J&B Rare. We were delighted to be part of the wonderful Waitrose Drinks Festival this year and invite their customers to sample J&B Rare. We had fantastic feedback on the quality of the liquid, especially its versatility and mixability.

5. Any plans to build further off-trade distribution?

Yes! We are very excited about the many, varied opportunities we have in 2019 and beyond to further elevate distribution of the brand in the GB on and off-trade.

J&B RARE SCOTCH WHISKY FACTSHEET

J&B Rare Scotch whisky is a blend of 42 malt and grain whiskies. It is one of the most popular blends in the world, known for its subtle, smooth and complex flavour. Created in the 1930s, its lighter style suited the palates of post-Prohibition America, rising to prominence from its public association with the Hollywood Rat Pack in the ‘50s and ‘60s.

Since early 2018, Justerini & Brooks took back the exclusive distribution in Great Britain after 21 years.

Prior to this, J&B was distributed by Diageo via a 3rd party, and only available in the UK market from a small number of grocer and cash & carry’s. The whisky now sits alongside Justerini & Brooks’ existing portfolio of fine wines and rare malts.

Tasting notes:

Fruity and aromatic on the nose with notes of soft apple and pear. Naturally pale in colour with layers of rich vanilla, well balanced with a smooth finish. Matured in oak casks for a minimum of three years, the finer heart malts are aged for longer to add fullness and depth of flavour, creating the unique taste of J&B Rare. Lively and light, New Grain creates a subtle canvas for the blend. New Malts add body and aromatic notes of spice and fresh fruit. These are perfectly balanced by American oak and just a hint of smoke.

RRP: £22.50 (Currently available at £18.50, Waitrose & Partners nationwide until 1 January 2019)
Strength/size: 70cl, 40% vol
Distributer: Justerini & Brooks

Macallan Crabbie 25 Year Old – Limited Release

Spoiler alert! – If it tastes like Macallan, and it looks like Macallan then it must be Macallan!

An absolutely sensational release, 25 year single malt from a ‘mystery’ unnamed Speyside distillery.  An official bottling comes in around £1500 more so there you go! 

The nose is rich and smooth.  Rounded with warm dark fruits and toasty oak.  The palate is unsurprisingly rich and complex with toffee apple, honey, spice, raisins and sweet spice.  The finish is long lasting, fruity and a slight wisp of smoke (wood char).

This is a sublime whisky and an incredibly rare opportunity to own a bottling of this age for this price!

This is Hard To Find Whisky’s investment tip for 2019 – get it while you can

£299.95

The beautiful and flexible Haggis 

THE FANTASTIC HAGGIS NEEPS & TATTIES a true Scottish extravaganza on a plate. I am an expert, having eaten maybe a half ton in my life (guessing here), with more to follow. One of my favourites is Simon Howie haggis  made from traditional recipe by award winning chefs and butchers. Their original 454g Haggis is the UKs best-selling haggis for the second year in a row. (Source: Nielsen Scantrack 52w/e 06/05/17, Volume Sales)  As well as being Scotland’s national dish eaten to celebrate Burns night in January, haggis is hugely versatile and can be enjoyed all year round. Howie is a Perth company.

Health Benefits Of Haggis  Haggis is Scottish and although people are put off by its’ description, if you’ve ever tried it, you’ll know just how amazing it tastes. Haggis is made with sheep heart, lungs, and liver, all minced together with onions, suet, salt, spices, oatmeal, top quality meat and vegetable stocks, as well as a touch of whisky. The ingredients are then packed into the stomach of the animal and are gently boiled. Now, when you read it like that, it may not sound all that pleasant, but when you taste haggis, you instantly understand why it is so popular, as it tastes divine, if you are vegan or vegetarian, you can now buy vegan haggis which replaces the offal with fresh vegetables so anyone can enjoy the taste of haggis – meat or not!  But what makes it healthy? Rich in Vitamins. Haggis contains top quality offal, including heart and liver. Both of which are full of vitamins that do the body a world of good. In particular, haggis is rich in vitamins A, C, B6, B12, Niacin, and vitamin D. These vitamins strengthen the immune system, promote energy production, promote healthy vision, and assist with nutrient uptake from other sources. Rich in Minerals. It is the mineral content that makes haggis so healthy. Offal is notoriously rich in minerals, and the ingredients in this dish do not disappoint. Thanks to the heart, lungs, and liver, haggis is packed full of iron, magnesium, selenium, calcium, zinc, and copper. These minerals contribute towards healthy immunity, they strengthen the bones, they regulate hormone levels, they promote healthy circulation and oxygen transportation, and they can even help lower blood pressure. Great Source of Protein.  Liver and heart, in particular, are both packed full of proteins and amino acids, which promote cellular health and function and assist with the growth and repair of muscle tissue.

Health benefits of tatties Mashed tatties are simply mashed potatoes and they are very healthy. Some primary health benefits include: Great source of energy As potatoes are rich in carbohydrates, they have a very low glycemic index, so insulin levels will not spike following consumption. What will happen, however, is that your muscle glycogen levels will be replenished. Rich in Potassium is another mineral required by the body, that not only helps to reduce lactic acid build ups and muscular fatigue, but it also helps regulate blood pressure. A potato actually provides almost twice as much potassium as a banana. Health benefits of neeps or turnips are a staple food served alongside tatties and haggis. Some of their key health benefits include: rich in antioxidants Turnips are packed full of phytonutrients and antioxidants, including glucosinolate, which inhibits tumour growths, helps rid the body of toxins, strengthens the immune system, and fight the harmful effects of toxins and carcinogens. Great for the heart  – rurnips are rich in folate, a B vitamin which has been found to lower harmful LDL cholesterol levels and promote cardiovascular health in the body. Great for the bones  – turnips are rich in calcium, which is a mineral that is vital for optimal bone health. By combining turnips with haggis, your bones will absorb much more of the calcium from these root vegetables, helping to keep them strong and healthy.

Haggis & whisky crisps (chips to my American family) Mackie’s Crisps are the creation of an award winning family business – Mackie’s at Taypack Ltd. – which was founded in 2009 as a joint venture between Perthshire potato farmers, the Taylor family, and Mackie’s of Scotland, renowned for their luxury ice cream. The Taylor family have been growing potatoes in Perthshire for generations. The Mackie’s have over 20 years’ experience in ice cream from their farm in Aberdeenshire. All crisps are made in Perthshire, a few miles from the Taylor’s family farm, ‘Moncur’. Ingredients – potatoes, high oleic sunflower oil, whisky & haggis seasoning (7%) (sugar, yeast extract powder, spice, yeast powder, barley malt extract, rusk (wheat), natural flavourings, sea salt, onion powder, acid: citric acid, oatmeal powder, natural clove flavouring. Makie’s is a Perth company.

Of course you must use a whisky sauce or better still a few drams of whisky in a glass to down with the above. Whisky sauce is a sauce in Scottish cooking, has become popular globally. It is created by pouring an amount of whisky into a saucepan. It is then set alight, in order to make sure that the sauce is not too bitter. Double cream is added whilst stirring. The heat is then reduced so that the sauce can thicken and finally seasoning such as salt and pepper is added, the documentation of whisky in savoury cooking goes back to at least Victorian times, where its use in meals is documented in Isabella Beeton’s famous cookery book Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management. Due to the Scottish nature of the sauce, recipes including whisky sauce have been popularised as dishes to be eaten on Burns supper along with the traditional main course of Haggis – or any time of year.

Scotland’s national chef Gary Maclean and Simon Howie delicious haggis recipes with a twist. TV’s Masterchef: The Professionals winner Gary Maclean’s show-stopping haggis dish took him to the show’s finals, and he’s got a few more tricks up his sleeve for our national dish. Working with Howie, the duo have come up with three exciting recipes to re-invent the Scottish staple, including crispy fried haggis, haggis burgers and haggis Yorkshire puddings. Maclean’s Crispy Fried Haggis, first seen on MasterChef: The Professionals, turns the classic texture of haggis on its head, shallow frying Simon Howie haggis wrapped in a light filo pastry and combining it with a red onion chutney, mashed potatoes and roasted turnip. http://www.thescottishbutcher.com/recipes/haggis-recipes/gary-macleans-crispy-fried-haggis    GARY; Born in Glasgow, this multi-award winning chef has been hailed as a major talent, a gentleman of the kitchen, a world class educator and one who could step into a three Michelin-star kitchen and feel at home. Gary Maclean, husband, father and chef – is one of a kind. He of course is a Maclean, say no more.

PAUL MCLEAN Michelin (tyres) awarded whisky drinker. If you come on any of our Scottish tours, you are likely to come up against the age old problem “do I try haggis or not?” Honestly, the amount of people who tried have agreed it is delicious, similar to a stuffing maybe you put in a turkey. Like whisky and golf, you cannee go far in Scotland without coming in touch with the wee haggis, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, deep fried or with chips. It does NOT have a consistent taste as each chef will use his/her own recipe. My advice, try a nibble at breakfast, if you like it, get a larger portion later that day – with a dram.

A personal blether from Paul McLean. www.whiskytours.scot

ralfy.com discovers that a malt from Orkney is also called Highland Park.

https://youtu.be/c7t8vWPHlRQ