QC Relish and Whisky publishes their seventh issue just in time to celebrate St Patrick’s day with the best Irish drinks, including a new, old twist on the Irish coffee. An exclusive interview with Spencer Gooderham unveils the highly regarded Four Grain Whisky by Gooderham & Worts. In every issue, find recipes featuring Green and Black’s quality chocolate, information about the time honoured tradition of whisky-making by Johanne McInnis and what’s latest and greatest in the world of whisky by notable whisky expert, Davin de Kergommeaux.

QC Relish and Whisky Spring 2017

To celebrate the launch of London Beer Week 2017, Jane takes a look at the boilermaker, a classic pairing that is now a sophisticated serve in the capital’s best bars.

Existing in dive bars as a shot and a beer for generations, a boilermaker used to be the all-American male choice of beverage, gaining its name from industrial metalworkers who were quite possibly in need of a boilermaker after a hard day’s work.

The boilermaker – the perfect serve of whiskey and beer

Today, the boilermaker has evolved beyond its typical confines to become a drink that encompasses craft lagers, ales and stouts and all types of refined spirits and liqueurs. With each sip (beer in one hand, whiskey in the other) the flavour combinations get better and better – a boilermaker with the added finesse of a bartender’s touch.

In fact, as The New York Times put it, a shot and a beer has entered ‘today’s hushed temples of the craft cocktail, where complexity and creativity are often prized over a belt and a brew’.

As the boilermaker has grown up, so has its flavours and varieties, thanks in part to the craft-beer movement and finesse in spirit making. From the many possibilities just within the whisky world – Scotch, Irish whiskey, bourbon, Japanese whisky, rye whiskey, grain whiskey, peated whisky and moonshine – to pairing beer with bracing amaros, liqueurs, gin, Tequila and rum, the humble boilermaker has truly outgrown its origins.

This year at The Beer Edit, the highlight event of London Beer Week, you’ve got the chance to try some truly unique and tasty combinations of boilermaker. At the craft beer bar in the Beer Edit, you can order your choice of beer (and even mead, cider, and ginger brew) and spirit and sample this age-old serve. Here are six spirits to sip with your beer:

1. The Classic: Old Forester

Bourbon is the traditional spirit to sip alongside beer, and this silky American bourbon pairs well with just about anything you drink it with. Sharp at first, Old Forester softens quickly, with hints of oak, sweet corn, soft vanilla and light orange notes.

2. A SpicY Twist: Bulleit Rye Whiskey

Bringing astringent spice into play, rye whiskey boosts hoppy flavours, making them burst forth on the palate. This particular rye, Bulleit, is russet in colour, with rich oaky aromas and combines hints of vanilla, honey, and spice.

3. The Single Malt Scotch: Auchentoshan

Known for being more challenging and less sweet, Scotch brings a whole new side to boilermakers. Auchentoshan is great whisky which serves as a benchmark for Lowland single malts and has a smooth palate with hints of tangerine and lime, finished with a gingery and slightly drying pleasant lingering nuttiness.

4. A Beer Experiment: Glenfiddich IPA and Jameson Caskmates

Some whiskies are born to sip alongside beer, designed right from the moment of their conception to work in the beer world. Glenfiddich IPA is a Scotch whisky aged in barrels that have previously been home to an overly-hopped IPA, giving the barrel bold and zesty notes. Jameson Caskmates, on the other hand, has been aged in barrels that have been finished with a stout from Cork’s Franciscan Well brewery. This has added notes of cocoa, coffee and butterscotch to this classic Irish whiskey.

Ralfy explains the complex side of single malts with Ralfy Review 634 – Clynelish 14yo @ 46%vol (2017)

Glenlivet 12 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $37) $29.99 View 

Glenlivet 18 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $89.99 View

Aberlour 12 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $39.99 View

Aberlour 16 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $59.99 View

Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)

Email: wine@klwines.com

K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA

San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

WORLD’S LARGEST COLLECTION OF RARE JAPANESE WHISKY UP FOR AUCTION

The world’s largest known collection of rare and collectable Karuizawa whisky from Japan will go under the hammer in an online auction held by Whisky Auctioneer (www.whiskyauctioneer.com/).

The collection of 290 bottles, which had been built up over the last 10 years by a European collector, has an estimated value of more than £500,000.

Karuizawa whisky has become one of the world’s most coveted whiskies since the distillery stopped production in 2000.The collection being auctioned by Perth (Scotland) based Whisky Auctioneer covers almost every expression created by the renowned Japanese distillery. It is the first time such an extensive collection has been made available for auction anywhere in the world.

Amongst the lots on offer will be a bottle of Karuizawa 1960 which last sold at auction in Hong Kong for £96,000 in 2015 setting a new record for a Japanese whisky. Over 230 of the bottles are single casks and include some exceptionally rare bottlings such as the 1963 50 Year Old and the 1964 48 Year Old bottled for Wealth Solutions, Poland.

Excluding the highly rare bottle of 1960, the average price paid for each bottle within the collection is expected to top £2,000, although some of these bottles are likely to sell for considerably more.

Whisky Auctioneer will open bidding for the 290 lots at 11.00am (GMT+1) on Wednesday 5th April and close the auction from 7pm on Monday 17th April.

The sale is a coup for Perthshire firm Whisky Auctioneer which specialises in auctioning fine, old, rare and collectable whisky. In recent years, collectors have flocked towards Japanese distilleries, whose reputations and values have rocketed in the booming secondary market. According to rare whisky experts and analysts Rare Whisky 101, the RWK (Rare Whisky Karuizawa) Index, which tracks the performance of a select collection of bottles from this silent Japanese distillery, shows an increase in value of more than 300% since July 2013.

Karuizawa is not the only Japanese distillery to benefit from such a rise in stock. Last year, the most expensive bottle of whisky to sell at an auction in the UK was a bottle of Yamazaki 50-year-old which sold for £62,600.

Iain McClune, founder and owner of Whisky Auctioneer, collected the bottles personally and transported them back to Scotland.

Iain McClune, founder and owner of Whisky Auctioneer said: “A collection of this size from one of the world’s most collectable distilleries has never previously been seen at auction, so we’re absolutely thrilled to have fought off some stiff competition to lead the sale.

“While we’ve seen a lot of our business come from within the UK and Europe, this particular collection is likely to have global appeal. We expect to see some significant interest from rare whisky collector hotspots such as the US, Taiwan and of course, Karuizawa’s homeland of Japan.” www.whiskyauctioneer.com/

Iain McLune ~ Whisky Auctioneer Owner

Rare whisky expert Andy Simpson from Rare Whisky 101 said: “Over the past few years, we’ve seen the availability of Japanese whisky at auction continue to increase led by the highly sought-after Karuizawa. These low volume but high value bottles impact the market significantly with many bottles fetching in excess of £2,000, most frequently coming to market as individual bottles or small collections. However, in this case, with such a large collection up for grabs at the same time, it’s going to be fascinating to see exactly how much demand is out there for one of the world’s most coveted rare whiskies!” www.rarewhisky101.com

Ralfy swaps Irish tat for Irish culture with Ralfy Review 635 – Redbreast 21yo pot still for St Patrick’s Day 2017

Win a bottle of Springbank Local Barley

#whiskyromance

If you missed out on purchasing a bottle of the recent Local Barley release from

Springbank, don’t worry, here’s another chance to grab a bottle!

Head across to our blog for more details…

WIN A BOTTLE OF SPRINBANK LOCAL BARLEY

Springbank 21 year old single cask

Looking for your new favourite whisky? This might just be it, introducing a single cask Springbank expression distilled on 18th December 1992 at Campbeltown’s most famous distillery. Aged for 21 years in cask no. 326 before bottling in March 2014 at a natural cask strength of 51.6% abv!

Notes from Hamish: Rich sweetness with notes of cinnamon, soft fruits, banana with a slight hint of smoke.

£220 Click to buy

Jameson Irish Whiskey – $26.99 (750ml) Every St. Patrick’s Day, Jameson commemorates their Irish heritage by collaborating with some of the finest artists and illustrators Ireland has to offer on the St. Patrick’s Day Limited Edition Bottle. This year’s bottle was designed by local Dublin artist Steve McCarthy, who merged historical and contemporary Dublin with his own unique style.

Tullamore Dew Crock – $32.99 (750ml) This specially created ceramic jug with a porcelain stopper is modeled on an original design that harks back to the brand’s early days in the 1820s. Filled with Tullamore Dew’s original Irish whiskey blend, the traditionally shaped refillable jug is made by the renowned Wade Ceramics factory.

Old Tom Horan – $24.98  (750ml) Old Tom Horan Irish Whiskey has a satiny, bright and fruity medium-to-full body and a warming, delightful, honeyed grain and peppercorn finish.

Jameson Caskmates  – $8.99 (200ml) What happens when Jameson Original is aged in oak casks that have been seasoned with craft Irish stout? The answer lies in this limited release Jameson Caskmates. As expected, there is the initial sweet mouth coating typical of the Irish Pot Still Whiskey inclusion. Then the effect of the Beer Cask finish becomes apparent with the subtle touch of Hops and Cocoa Beans. Some Marzipan and Charred Oak add to the complexity. The finish is long and sweet with Milk Chocolate and Butterscotch.

thepartysource.com

95 Riviera Drive, Bellevue, KY 41073  

(859) 291-4007

Ralfy introduces a sweeter speyside malt with Ralfy Review 633 – Cragganmore single malt 12yo @40%vol