Ralfy tells the tale of malt and stuff with Ralfy Review 648 – Edradour 15yo @ 46%vol Fairy Flag

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new website glenfarclas.com This marks a significant step forward in an era where information is sought after in a quick and innovative manner; something we hope to have achieved with our mobile and desktop friendly website.

This online platform will educate not just our current family of followers, but those new to Glenfarclas who want to know a little more about our brand and heritage.

The website has been broken into the fundamental characteristics that has made our independent distillery such a continued success since it was established in 1836; Whisky, Production and Family. Explore the flavours of the core range whiskies, the history of the Family Casks and reflect on which might be your next dram of choice.  Users can go back in time to find out how the last 150 years’ ownership of Glenfarclas has been challenged and evolved by six generations of the Grant family, and how each generation has implemented their unique mark on Glenfarclas for supporters to enjoy and be part of today.

Aside from the family traditions come the production tradition.  “You can change anything you like, but don’t change the spirit” – John L.S. Grant.  As the spirit continues to run, you can find out a little more about the staff and techniques that help turn our malted barley into the bottled Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky you see on shelves today. As interest in Glenfarclas has risen over the years, we are pleased to have also included a section dedicated to visiting the distillery, with up-to-date information on a selection of tours.

Finally, we endeavour to keep users up to date with news and accomplishments from J. & G. Grant; these are some of our proudest moments that we are pleased to share with those visiting the site.  Today with only a handful of independent family owned distillers left, J. & G. Grant has stood the test of time and is pleased to continue to do so by delivering this online platform.

Glenallachie 20 Year Old 1996 Signatory Highland #5260 & #5261

Glenallachie 20 Year Old 1996 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Matured in hogsheads #5260 & #5261 bottled January 2017 by Signatory Vintage for the Highland series. Glenallachie is a Speyside distillery sitting on the eastern edge of Ben Rinnes mountain where it is rather exposed to the elements and is often to be see sitting within the snowline. A modern building and its architect William Delmé-Evans created a distillery which is rather pleasing on the eye. Glenallachie was commissioned in 1967 with two stills which increased to four in 1989 in order to meet blenders ever increasing demand for Glenallachie malt whiskey. Whilst official releases are few independent releases are more numerous with those from Signatory Vintage and Cadenheads proving popular.

£45.34

Taking a donder around Belfast whisky scene with a pal.

This is a blog written by Paul McLean, who went around various locations with Mark Burgess. Flew myself over to Belfast, checked into the hotel, dumped bags and had a dram. A quick call to Mark to ensure we are ok for a dram or five next day, then it’s time to chill oot and soak in the Belfast atmosphere, Mark opened the East Belfast Whisky Club, and to be sure I had to drink to its health!

The Duke of York – Traditional Belfast bar crammed with original mirrors and memorabilia and the largest selection of Irish whiskeys in Ireland. Snow Patrol first played here in 1998! Hiding down the cobbled streets of Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, the Duke is home to a grand Whiskey selection and traditional Belfast craic, one of Belfast’s most famous whiskey bars. Tried a tasting of Powers Gold. I think there may be a gold rush pretty soon. In 1973, an IRA unit got caught in the narrow cobblestoned street that is home to the Duke. They ditched their car leaving the bomb in it and later brought the original building to the ground. In true Belfast fashion, owner Willie Jack, who bought the Duke after it was rebuilt, can only see the bright side. He points to the blue sky above, smiling broadly as he declares the now missing third storey means the street is flooded with sunlight. You have to admire him eh? The owner of The Duke of York and Harp Bar has opened the mini-museum and off-licence in Cathedral Quarter’s Hill Street A unique whiskey off-licence and museum has opened in Belfast. Willie Jack, the owner is an ex-director of the former Distillery Football Club, now, Lisburn Distillery FC, the head office of Bushmills whiskey was not always in the town which gave its name: but at 5/23 Hill Street. a few steps away from where the shop is. The Friend At Hand, it is also a mini-museum in Belfast. Named after his pal Bruce, who died suddenly last year. The off-licence has 500 different bottles of whiskey on the shelves but 300 will not be for sale as they are about celebrating the city’s distilling history – one bottle valued at £12,000!. Mr Jack is also producing a ‘Friend at Hand’ brand and there will be a series of 13. The first is already labelled ‘Reconciliation’, with hands clasped in friendship. I bought one, along with a few other bottles. Too many really! We also made a journey to Echlinville Distillery doon in the Ards peninsula, this was a great private tour and we thank them for that and the samples provided. They are the guys doin the Feckin whiskey, Three Crowns and a Dunville – amongst a gin or three and more, you can read a friends blog about Three Crowns here;

Dunville’s – Three Crowns – Review

“Until recently the only place you could find a bottle of Three Crowns was at auction. Now, we’re reviving this great whiskey to bring its flavour to a new generation.” Bold words indeed, but these are the words that greet you on the Echlinville webpage dedicated to the upcoming re-launch of this once revered Dunville’s brand. Since 2013, when they received the first Northern Irish distillers licence in around 125 years, Echlinville Distillery has been going from strength to strength with their new distillery / visitors centre and the introduction of some fine whiskey and gin to local market. This has been further backed up with their PX finished 10 year old single malt being awarded “Best Irish Single Malt (12 years and under)” at the recent Irish Whiskey Awards. I think it could be something very special indeed. Slainte. http://whiskybelfast.blogspot.co.uk/ with thanks to Stuart Irvine.

THIS BLOG IS FROM BELFAST, STUART IRVINE IS A HELL OF A WHISKY BLOGGER, see the larger blog, and more on his website, many thanks Stuart.

Blog by Paul @ MCLEANSCOTLAND.COM  & WHISKYTOURS.SCOT

The Whisky Barrel – 2007 Vintage; 10 Years Old

As you may have noticed already 2017 is a big year for us here at The Whisky Barrel. We are now a 10 year old – a 2007 vintage online whisky specialist shop. Wow! We haven’t made too big a song and dance about this date but that’s about to change. Last month, April, officially marked the 10 year anniversary, so now is the time to celebrate. Having started with just a few bottles we have grown into one of the leading online specialist scotch whiskey shops with a catalogue of hundreds of whiskies available at any one time. Not least our range of exclusive Burns Malt® and Burns Grain® whisky. And that’s not all. In the past 2 years we have moved into new areas. The Whisky Barrel is now specialising in craft Scottish Gin from the likes of The Electric Spirit Co.’s superb Achroous and Dunnet Bay’s well loved Rock Rose. More recently we expanded into the world of single cask Rum. The fantastic Kill Devil range from Hunter Laing & Co. and the single cask releases from Cadenhead’s are our top tipples here. But not forgetting our own exclusive Rabbie’s Rum – cousins to the Burns Malt whiskies!

Thank You

We’re not talking politics here! We are immensely proud to be an independent, family-owned and family-run online whiskey shop. During these 10 years we have gone from strength to strength. We are now positioned as one of the leading online only whiskey shops with the key advantage of being based right here where our nation’s lovely Scotch Whiskey is produced – Scotland. And we have two messages of thanks to those who have supported us during our 10 year journey. First and foremost a thank you to our lovely, positively demanding and hugely knowledgeable customers all around the world. As the appetite for Scotch Whiskey continues to grow, we are happy to play our part of shipping one of Scotland’s most proud and recognisable products to your door…and your glass.

And More Thanks & Support – To and From the Independents

Secondly, we are hugely grateful to the wonderful array of independent Scottish whisky bottling companies. Hunter Laing & Co., Gordon and MacPhail, Signatory Vintage, Morrison and MacKay, to name but a few. Our affinity with these companies is a natural one. They hold the same independent and often family-centric approach and, most importantly, they bottle some of the finest scotch whiskey available. ‘Independent’ whiskies offer you the chance  to explore, experiment and indulge in Scotland’s most prominent as well as the lesser known distilleries, with a particular penchant for releasing superb whiskies from some of Scotland’s lost and silent distilleries. They form the core of The Whisky Barrel stock today and over the last 10 years.

Time to Celebrate…But With What?

This strong relationship with some of Scotland’s finest independent bottlers provides the platform from which we will celebrate our 10 year anniversary. And, obviously, the best way to celebrate is with a dram. Not any old dram though, whiskey exclusive to and only available to buy at The Whisky Barrel. We have a few exclusive whiskies lined up for release this year but we will be starting with a special exclusive whiskey that showcases what our indie bottling chums are all about – variety. But you will have to wait. Not too long though. All will be unveiled soon.

We look forward to continuing to bring you the finest whisky, whiskey, gin and rum that we can source. Here’s to 10 more years!

Thank you and Slàinte- The Whisky Barrel Family

Highland Park Valkyrie

The first in the Viking Legends series from the Orkney distillery, this Island single malt dials up the Orkney peat to give a richer honeyed sweetness than the 12 year old. Matured in a combination of first-fill American sherry oak, bourbon and Spanish sherry oak casks as well as a selection of refill casks, the packaging has been created by Danish designer, Jim Lyngvild, who is of Viking lineage himself.

£55 Buy Now

The Macallan Masters of Photography: Steven Klein Edition

The 6th in Macallan’s Masters of Photography series, this limited edition honours the work of Steven Klein and comes in a stunning presetnation case with a signed Klein print and a range of cocktail glassware designed by the artist himself. Charlie MacLean says “The whisky itself is superb! Bob Dalgarno, Macallan’s ‘Master Whisky Maker’ has excelled himself. My first – and probably, only! – 9 out of 10 this year… 10/10 is available only in Heaven!”

£2,750 Buy Now

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 162: North British 2000 Malts of Scotland

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a sherry matured single grain. The combination of single grain whisky and a sherry cask is not often found, but the German independent bottler Malts of Scotland released a North British 2000 that matured for almost 15 years on a sherry butt and it makes for a heavenly whisky indeed. Check it out in this Rambling that was shot at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

https://youtu.be/EfnWU1_tl1g

Invergordon 50 Year Old The Sovereign

This 50 year old single cask single grain whisky from Invergordon distillery is part of the Sovereign range from family-run independent bottlers, Hunter Laing & Co. Matured in a single refill hogshead and bottled without artificial colouring or chill-filtration.

The nose is sweet and mellow with notes of vanilla, sherbet and butter shortbread. The palate is fruity and effervescent with dark chocolate and vanilla aspects, before a long and dry finish with sweet fruits and a hint of oak.

£595 Buy Now Was £845 Save £250

When the folks from Kilchoman approached us about doing a new private barrel selection for K&L, we were interested. There were two caveats, however. First off, we wanted the price to be at or less than $100 per bottle. With single casks of Kilchoman hovering between $120-$150 globally, our cask had to be a value in comparison. Secondly, we wanted something we had never tasted before; a whisky that stood outside the standard selections from Kilchoman and truly offered a new and unique profile. We’ve done seven private Kilchoman casks over the years, but in order to justify doing another there had to be a very good reason. Buying new whisky for the sake of it at this point is passe and unnecessary given the expansion of the market.

While we were skeptical that Islay’s boutique farm distillery could deliver on those demands, they dug deep into their warehouse of odd balls and found us one of the most spectacular Kilchoman whiskies we’ve ever tasted. Aged full term in a red Bordeaux wine barrel, the resulting single malt drinks like a drier version of a Port-finished whisky, buffered by soft fruit on the entry but with a balance anchored in the spirit’s smoky, peaty, briny Islay character. From front to back, this 60.3% cask strength specimen is a dynamo. The nose reveals dessert-like flavors of butterscotch and sweet pudding with subtle smoke, but the first sip dials up the peat and classic Islay intensity. There’s a playful sweetness right off the bat, but it quickly melts into the peat fire. At no point does the whisky’s profile ever allude to its potent power; the richness from the wine influence plays like half-sherry/half-port, tempering the 120.6 proof and mellowing out the middle. The result is one of the most interesting and delicious Kilchoman whiskies we’ve yet tasted, which is exactly what we asked for.

This is honestly the first red wine barrel aged single malt that doesn’t taste like a gimmick or simply an excuse for marketing, which is exactly why I jumped all over it. Because the whisky spent its entire life in that Bordeaux cask, the red fruit is integrated entirely into the malty flavor. This isn’t a finish, where the cask influence acts like icing on a cake; this is a rich and classically-styled Kilchoman with just an entirely different profile than I’ve ever experienced. It’s traditional, yet exotic. It’s big, but surprisingly subdued. Every single time I’ve tasted it I’ve sensed something different that I didn’t notice previously. What I do notice each time around, however, is how much I like it and how delicious it is.

Kilchoman “K&L Exclusive” Single Red Wine Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($99.99)

David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: May 02, 2017

Tasting this as a barrel sample, I had to call the distillery and tell them I needed the whisky at cask strength! They told me: “David, it’s at full proof: 60.3%.” I couldn’t believe it. I’ve tasted sherry barrels where the sweetness from the Oloroso wine masked the power of the alcohol, but never have I seen that happen with a red wine barrel. Simply put, this is one of the most delicious and dangerously drinkable Kilchoman’s I’ve had the pleasure to taste. Islay’s smallest distillery has long been releasing beautifully concentrated and polished single malt expressions, but few have had the richness and the balance exhibited by this single barrel release. The red fruits from the wine barrel never taste like a gimmick or some odd attempt at creating something new. Everything about this whisky is integrated, just in a way I can’t say I’ve ever experienced. Simply put, you should buy this whisky because it’s absolutely delicious. But if you’re an explorer and an experimenter of Scotch whisky, this is also one of the most unique offerings I’ve tasted in some time.

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: May 04, 2017

This is an experiment in using an alternative cask for aging rather than the usual used Bourbon or Sherry barrels and it really turns out to be an absolute success. In the nose it is what one would expect with smoke and sea notes. In the mouth it is complex with layers of smoke , sea and a round soft richness with hints of spice and fruit. This is both interesting and a delicious variation of an Islay Single Malt.

Andrew Stevens | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: May 04, 2017

Earlier this year we had an offering from Hepburn’s Choice that was a young Coal Ila finished in wine casks. I really enjoyed that whisky, but I always told people it was a bit of a geeks whisky, good but more fun than finesse. I suppose I had that in mind when I went to taste the new offering from Kilchoman just for us, I was so very wrong, and I am so very happy to have been wrong. Where the Caol Ila had some funky red fruit notes this has seamless integration of whisky and flavoring from the Bordeaux cask. Big rich smoke and spice immediately in the nose are followed up and incredibly complex mix of spiced citrus, BBQ coals, salty caramel and smoke. The finish, OMG the finish, super long and good and all of the words. So yeah I bought a bottle, because I was not about to not buy a bottle after that.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: May 02, 2017

I’ve found myself going back to this bottle multiple times over the last two days. It’s extraordinarily balanced and integrated and seems to demand you take another taste. The briny, salty, smoky nose is alluring. It’s got caramel and butterscotch, but also citrus and spice. Remarkably, the red fruits I expected to find sitting on top of the whisky like so many red wine finished bottles are difficult to pick out. This is the beauty of the full term in the Bordeaux barrel. It’s folded into the whisky so well. Bottled near the 120 proof mark you might also expect this to be a hot bruiser, but even without water, it’s very drinkable. If you’re on the fence, ask yourself the following questions: Do you love Islay whisky? Do you love unique and well crafted whisky that shows artistry and grace? Do you love the flexibility cask strength whisky gives you, the drinker? And last, do you love an outrageously good deal? For under $100 bucks, this is a steal. If you answered yes to these questions. Don’t hesitate, we just have the one cask.

Blended Whisky – everyone’s doing it

John Glaser, founder and whiskymaker at Compass Box, makes his case for why blending is essential in the world of Scotch whisky.

John Glaser, Compass Box founder and whiskymaker

Everyone blends. This is not well known nor well understood, but in Scotland everyone blends – even single malt producers. Through blending, Scotland’s greatest whiskies are made, whether the whisky is classified as a single malt Scotch whisky, single grain Scotch whisky, or one of the three types of Scotch whisky blends (I’m not including single-cask bottlings, which represent a miniscule amount).

When a whisky drinker truly understands what blending is to Scotch whisky, this knowledge unlocks whole new worlds of whisky enjoyment. Here’s the reason why everyone blends: it provides the whiskymaker with a platform for creativity. It always has, going back to the Victorian roots of the industry.

Blending is how the flavour profile of your favourite whisky is brought to life. It is how that whisky is produced consistently year after year. Blending is also what makes Scotch whisky dynamic in an ever-changing spirits market, because blending is fundamental to how new products are fashioned.

History lesson

Aenas MacDonald, in his book Whisky from the 1930s, comments on the consistency which blending brought to the modern whiskymaker:

‘Blending made it possible to make a whisky which would suit different climates and different classes of patrons’

Blending whiskies from different distilleries became a creative solution for combining heavier malt whiskies, which at the time did not suit the tastes of most people, with lighter grain whiskies. This combination of malt whisky and grain whisky we now call blended Scotch whisky, and today this represents approximately 90% of Scotch whisky production.

Scotch whisky is considered complicated by many people. There are five legally defined categories, but I think it is more telling to expand on these definitions in a non-traditional way:

• Blended Scotch Whisky: a combination of casks of both single malt whiskies and single grain whiskies
• Blended Malt Scotch Whisky: a combination of casks of only single malt whiskies from different distilleries
• Blended Grain Scotch Whisky: a combination of casks of only single grain whiskies from different distilleries
• Single Grain Scotch Whisky: a grain whisky from a single distillery, usually a combination of casks
• Single Malt Scotch Whisky: a malt whisky from a single distillery, usually a combination of casks

Almost all Scotch whiskies, including single malts, are combinations of casks. For every single malt or single grain whisky produced, there is someone responsible for blending the casks for each bottling to ensure consistency. Scotch whisky distilleries use a variety of casks, each flavouring the whisky in their own way. To manage consistency, a recipe is maintained by a person in charge of blending the ingredients in a particular product: the amounts of component whiskies from different cask types, as well as those of different ages. If it is a blended whisky, part of the recipe includes the amounts of whiskies from different distilleries. If it is a single malt or single grain whisky, all the components come from just one distillery.

myriad of styles

The creative potential of blending in Scotch is almost limitless. There is more breadth of style in Scotch whisky than any other spirit in the world. Across the 100+ Scotch whisky distilleries today, you have grain whiskies which range in flavour from clean and light to richly vanilla; and malt whiskies that run a vast spectrum from light, grassy and floral to hugely peaty. Overlay this with the difference age has on a whisky – we appreciate younger whiskies for their vibrancy and distillery character, and older whiskies for their complexity and depth. It’s this tremendous breadth of style that makes Scotch whisky so compelling.

What the five categories do not give you is an indication of the flavour to expect in the bottle. There can be a huge variation in flavour between two single malt releases from the same distillery and while the distillery character may form the backbone of the whisky, further maturation lends another complex component to the overall flavour.  Also consider the difference between Compass Box Asyla and Compass Box The Circus: both fall under the category of Blended Scotch Whisky, but one is delicate, appropriate for an aperitif, while the other is deep and complex, better suited as a late-evening drink.  Through blending, we are able to create a vast universe of styles in any category.

To create a whisky, we begin with an idea for a style and possibly a drinking occasion. We look to our inventory of whiskies and pick out casks we believe might contribute to the style of whisky we have in mind. If you work for a single malt distillery, you look into your warehouse for whiskies of various ages, aged in different types of cask; if you work for a blending house that sources whiskies from multiple distilleries, you look across your inventory of casks. In either case, you draw samples, and over many weeks or months you blend small quantities of recipe prototypes, one iteration after another, to try to achieve the style you have in mind. You blend. You create.

Blending components allows you to layer flavours, to balance heavy flavours with light to create complexity. It’s just as in the world of wine. A red wine from Bordeaux is typically a combination of several grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, for its depth of flavour and tannic structure; Merlot for its fruit character; and small amounts of Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc for their fragrance.

The next time someone says ‘that’s just a blend’, teach them that blending is a platform for creativity. The image of blending has been tarnished by the boring character of so many cheap blended Scotch whisky brands and own-label supermarket products. This is unfortunate, but remember there are some really boring single malt whiskies, too!

I came from the wine industry to the world of Scotch whisky. Blending attracted me because the creative possibilities fired my imagination. When I started my own company, I started a Scotch whisky blending house because I wanted the freedom to create from a vast array of possibilities. I wanted to show the world the creative possibilities of blending. I wanted to use blending to make whiskies with balance, complexity and extraordinary character. And I wanted to create something that no single distillery can create.

This is what blending is all about.