Day 6 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 3rd Edition Day 6 Blog #139 – Ainneamh Highland 18 Year Old

Ainneamh (pronounced any-oov) means a rare thing in Gaelic and is an apt name for the independent bottling company owned by Brian Woods and Scott Watson. Releasing only a small number of bottling’s each year means that this whisky geek pair seek out only the most delicious drams. Today we visit the Highlands of Scotland and taste an undisclosed 18 Year Old Single Malt aged in a refill American Oak Hogshead.

I’ve been sworn to secrecy on the distillery but can give you a bit of a clue. It’s a difficult name to pronounce and so the house style of their Single Malt was called something completely unrelated to the name of the distillery.

I am a big fan of what most people think of as the “Highland” style of Single Malt. There is of course a lot of blurring of the lines these days but Honey and Heather have been two hallmarks of quintessential Highland Malt.

Ainneamh Highland 18 Year Old Single Malt – Aged in a refill American Hogshead barrel bottled at a natural cask strength of 57%

 Color:   Another light in color whisky after 18 years in a refill barrel.

Nose:   Lemon drop candies and ripe pear halves. A hint of salty sea air adds a layer to the otherwise fresh and crips nose.

Palate:   A teaspoon of malt powder stirred with some creamed honey. Oak influence is nicely subtle on this allowing even more fruit like ripe honeydew and Starfruit to appear.

Finish:   Long and zesty at 57% and the melon just keeps on coming. Like the ubiquitous side of honeydew and cantaloupe with your Eggs Benedict.

Lovely breakfast dram if ever there was one. I think I might have to put that to the test sometime soon.

Ainneamh does bottle whiskies with declared distilleries as well as undisclosed. Unfortunately this delicious dram was all snapped up to fill the calendar bottles and a few 700ml’s that were sold locally in Scotland. If you are looking for more of this then grabbing another 3rd edition will be your only chance.

Let’s check out what Whiskylassie has to say about today’s dram here.

In the 2nd edition on this day we visited the excellent Highland Distillery, Tullibardine (another coincidence that we had Highland today) from the eyes of The Malt Whisky Company. You can read or re-read it here.

It’s been really fun to be able to bring you some new small independent bottlers to add to the mix and offer up even more variety as we work to keep the 25 new whiskies in each edition interesting and unique.

Tomorrow we head back to Speyside for the first Samaroli in the 3rd edition. Any of you that have read some of my blogs know that I love the Samaroli style of bottling whisky so I can’t wait.

See you tomorrow

Slainte

Jonathan – Taster of Secrets

http://www.singlemalting.com/

Ralfy shares his seasonal bargain hunt with Whisky Review 610 – whisky bargains and stuff!

Day 5 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 3rd Edition Day 5 Blog #138 – A.D. Rattray Ledaig 9 Year Old

Welcome back a little fire breathing today as we finally give those that love a little smoke in their whisky their due. Sourced from the Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull today’s dram is labelled Ledaig by A.D. Rattray in deference to the brand used for their peated Single Malt.

We always try to have at least one or two island distilleries represented throughout the 25 days of dramming and it is fantastic to finally have a heavily peated Island expression in front of us.

Tobermory is the only distillery on the isle of Mull and was founded in 1798. One of the oldest commercial distilleries in Scotland, Tobermory has a rich history. It was closed for 41 years from the mid 30’s till the 1970’s and then still struggled with uncertain markets and difficult economic times and in the 1980’s some of the distillery warehousing was converted into flats (townhouses) and it looked like another closure was inevitable. Burns Stewart purchased it in 1993 and breathed a new lease of life into the distillery. With a unique spirits that captures the spirit of the Scottish Isles Tobermory is amongst only a few distilleries that boast two unique house styles.

Today we get to try Ledaig (pronounced Le chig) as seen from the eyes of the excellent team at A.D. Rattray. Ledaig Single Malt 9 Year Old aged in a refill Bourbon cask and bottled at the cask strength of 57.9%.

Colour:   Light as you would expect from only 9 years in a refill cask boasting a lovely polished Pinot Gris effect.

Nose:       Buttered Popcorn on the cusp of being over popped. Topped with bacon bits and sea salt.

Palate:     Lamp oil and colored pencil shavings, smoked cod and smoldering latex not necessarily in that order 🙂

Finish:     Long salty, earthy, rubbery and all with a backbone of a smoky sweetness.

This is a delicious Ledaig and I love the contrast here from what Islay brings to the table in terms of peated whisky. This is every bit as large and consuming but definitely has a much different feel. Younger peated whisky is something I find myself reaching for when I want some big smoke and peat flavors that are underpinned by youthful fruit. This Island variant fits the bill perfectly and absolutely warms all the way down. Even now I can still feel it’s magic all over my tongue and throat. Certainly the cask strength here just absolutely gives it wings.

Water:   Just a couple of drops here adds even more sweetness and just takes that living large edge away. Some marzipan kicks in at the death stealing the limelight. I think for most occassions I would go big or go home on this one personally but I did really like the slightly softer and sweeter version that mutated with a little water.

Tomorrow we head to the Highlands to welcome a brand new independent bottler to the calendar.

On this day in the 2nd edition we had the delicious A.D. Rattray Caol Ila I didn’t actually mean for this to be so spot on with the order from the 2nd edition but I do know that keeping the peat lovers away from their favorite flavors for too long is a dangerous thing so there will always be something to sooth the aching need at least once a week.

For those looking for this delicious Ledaig alas there was none to be had after we took our stash for the 3rd edition. Whatever you have in your glass or still in your bottle is all there is.

Johanne has her take on this A.D. Rattray Ledaig here.

Until tomorrow have a fabulous night

Slainte

Jonathan – taster of secrets

http://www.singlemalting.com/

Blog Post for McLean Scotland

“What is your favourite whisky?” is a question I am asked all the time. It is an interesting question but it is also a silly question to ask anyone who loves whisky (and I really love whisky). It is like asking me which is my favourite child, and I have three wonderful kids.

There is such a wide variation in styles and flavours of Scotch whisky that I think it is impossible to have a favourite, and if I did it would be changing all the time. There are styles that I prefer, but not to the extent that I would say I do not like the other styles. For example I am a ‘bourbon head’ rather than a ‘sherry head’, preferring whisky that has been matured in an ex-bourbon cask over an ex-sherry cask, however only last night I thoroughly enjoyed a Talisker Distillers Edition (finished off in an Amoroso sherry cask). I also prefer peated whisky from Talisker and Islay rather than other regions, but this does not put me off enjoying a Benromach 10 year old now and again. If it were winter and cold outside my favourite would be a big and bold Lagavulin or Caol Ila, if it is summer and warm I would rather have a gentle yet complex Glenmorangie Original.

When my son is home or we have something to celebrate my Talisker 25 year old becomes my favourite, but if it is just a wee dram before bed I could just about anything. Different seasons, different times, different company all alter my favourite whisky. For a long time my I would have answered the original question as, “Caol Ila 18 year old”. This is a wonderful whisky, with the added benefit that I got it cheap as a Diageo employee. At that time I also really stuck with Diageo products, being a loyal employee wanting to see the share price continually rise.

Since leaving Diageo and starting my own business I have had the joy of nosing and tasting numerous other Scotch whiskies, increasing the range of flavours and aromas perceived and thus increasing my enjoyment. I first experienced the delights of whisky from a virgin American oak cask when tasting the Glenrothes Alba. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted before and became in instant ‘favourite’. Then along came the Glen Moray Chardonnay 10 year old, also unlike anything I had ever tasted, also becoming an instant ‘favourite’. Oh, and how about Glenfiddich 14 year old Rich Oak, finished in both new American and Spanish oak cask, also an instant and now my current ‘favourite’.

I was once asked if Japanese whisky was as good as Scotch whisky, I said no. I was then asked if I had tried Japanese whisky, again my answer was no. There is too much Scotch out there to be bothering with anything else I told the reporter. This is not actually true as I am starting to discover the delights of some Japanese expressions and some bourbons, but Scotch is still my first love and the product I will keep returning to again and again.

I intend to find lots more ‘favourites’ as I carry on in this journey of exploration, do you have any suggestions for me?

Vic Cameron

Discerning of Spirits 

Note; Vic is a great pal of ours and has taken many special tastings for us and whisky schools, he will continue to do so.

“What is my favourite whisky?  The one you are about to buy me!”   Paul McLean

www.mcleanscotland.com/   http://www.whiskytours.scot/

Day 4 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 3rd Edition Day 4 Blog #137 – Lost Distillery Company Jericho

It’s a perfect Sunday afternoon here in Calgary to take some time out for today’s dram. I must add a big welcome to The Lost Distillery company on their debut with their take on Jericho. A unique and enthralling story unravels as we delve into the ghostly past of a long dead distillery.

Jericho began production as a distillery in 1822 and was renamed Benachie in 1884. Unfortunately even with a certain degree of success the distillery was closed in 1913. Brian Woods and Scott Watson founded The Lost Distillery company as a means to turn their passion for the history of closed distilleries into a rebirth of forgotten drams.

To quote Scott Watson, co-founder of Crucial Drinks and The Lost Distillery Company “We’re obsessive about craft and uncompromising when it comes to whisky quality. Each resurrected brand is the subject of an in-depth research project to establish the original character of the long lost distilleries”.

They have an absolutely amazing in depth history of the distillery that you can read here.

As a secret bonus that we did not include on the label today’s dram is actually the Christmas Pudding edition of Jericho that was a limited release in 2015. Thanks guys for allowing us to take the last of it.

Lost Distilleries Company Jericho Christmas Pudding Blended Malt – Sherry Finish 46% ABV no chill filtration and natural color.

Color:   Not overly dark for a sherry finished whisky but certainly some tinges of red among the amber hues.

Nose: Does certainly take me in a Christmas direction with cinnamon and rich glazed sultanas and orange peel.

Palate: Much richer on the palate than the nose implies with a lovely Christmas Cake (the dark fruit laden kind) edge including the ever present marzipan icing. Rolls into some dark blackberry notes like an accompanying berry coulis. Softly sweet throughout over a base of heavier almost savory notes that only come through in sporadic bursts.

Finish: Mouth watering with some drying citrus that immediately asks for more. I could happily drink this pre or post Christmas dinner or anytime for that matter.

The wonderful world of whisky is so much fun and to delve so deeply into the past and recreate as closely as possible the style of long departed distilleries is awesome. Thanks for all your attention to detail guys The Lost Distillery Company is a really cool edition to our Scotch Whisky Calendar landscape.

For those of you looking for your own bottle of Jericho please email me at jonathan@secretspirits.com and I’ll point you in the right direction.

Please head on over to Whisky Lassie for her take on today’s dram here.

Blended malts as anyone that has read my past blogs knows are the decidedly delicious and mostly ignored category of Scotch that offers up so much for more often much less than you would pay for an equivalent Single Malt. Remember that Blended malts are made up of a combination of Single Malts the very same ingredient that is seen as the pinnacle of Scotch Whisky.

Tomorrow we head to the Highlands for an a-typical Highland dram that will make a lot of you very happy.

Slainte

Jonathan – Taster of Secrets

http://www.singlemalting.com/

 WINTER WARMER SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

12pm-1pm Bitters Demo Kip McCharen of McCharen’s Bitters Our new ‘Virginia Signature Bitters’, designed by Kip to complement our whisky, will be available for the first time!

1pm-2pm Slow Cooker Demo by Kendra Bailey Morris (Author of The Southern Slow Cooker) Kendra will be teaching us how to make Bacon Wrapped Dates with a Maple Whisky Glaze (featuring our Virginia Highland Malt, of course).

2:30-5pm- Music by Jason Burke

Help us support the Nelson County Pantry this holiday season. Make a donation while you’re here and receive a special gift!

BOOK A TOUR ONLINE

VISITORS CENTER HOLIDAY HOURS

Planning a holiday outing?  We are open for whisky tours and tastings 7 days a week during the month of December (Monday-Saturday 11am-6pm and Sunday 12pm-6pm) except for these holiday adjustments:

Saturday, December 17th- Closing at 5pm Christmas Eve- Open 11am – 2pm CLOSED Christmas Day Open regular hours on December 26th New Years Eve- Open 11am – 2pm CLOSED New Years Day CLOSED on January 2nd

GIFTS FOR YOUR FAVORITE WHISKY LOVER

New this year at our Visitors Center- gift baskets for the holiday season!  Choose your basket (small or large) and then add your choice of whisky. We also have a variety of other gifts for your favorite whisky lover including our Virginia Highland Malt Whisky and a small amount of our limited release Cider-Finish Virginia Highland Malt Whisky. Apparel, Hats, Barware & Gifts are also available in our new online store.

SHOP ONLINE

INTRODUCING… THE CASK SOCIETY

This Holiday season, give the gift of whisky – a full barrel that is – with a membership in our Cask Society. This four year program comes with a variety of fun perks as we wait for the whisky to age. Be one of the first to reserve a cask for your most loved one – or perhaps yourself! Email casksociety@vadistillery.com for more information.

PRIVATE EVENTS 

Planning a wedding, party or corporate event?  Our Whisky Loft offers a unique option for smaller events while the Visitors Center offers flexible space, including our beautiful stone patio, for up to 75 guests. Please e-mail events@vadistillery.com for more information.

Whistle Pig “Boss Hog” 14 Year Old Straight Rye Canadian Whisky

(750ml – 1 bottle limit, ships as 1.5L) 

90 points Whisky Advocate

More Canadian core rye from WhistlePig, this time at full-bore. It’s strong with rye, sweet with melon and dark chocolate notes, but with a wood character like the unfinished inside of an antique oak wardrobe. The antique wood is strong in the mouth, an oddly elegant note, but afterward comes the melon and chocolate, and oily, coiling rye. Interestingly complicated; a bit hard to make friends, but worth the time and effort. (LB, Spring 2015) $299.99

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 149: Linkwood 2008 Signatory

Mark Dermul, Belgian Whisky blogger, tries a young Speysider. The Linkwood distillery was founded in 1821 in Elgin, not too far from the BenRiach en Longmorn distilleries. In 1840 it was run by James Walker, today it is owned by Diageo. Not many official releases can be found, so Mark turns to the independent bottlers. He tried a very young single cask Linkwood by Signatory, bottled for a Belgian whisky restaurant.

https://youtu.be/OOhKo4ySKKo

Day 3 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 

Singlemalting Whisky Blog # 136 – 3rd edition Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar Day 3 – Shetland Reel Blended Malt

Today’s outing sees us heading up to Unst and the site of what soon will be the most Northern whisky distillery in Scotland. I have not yet had the pleasure of getting up there but it is in the works sometime over the next few years. It is a very, very long way from Scottish civilization. So while you are installing your whisky still and distilling gin from your small gin still what else can you do to get the distillery name out there?

Stuart Nickerson is never backward in coming forward and his fast track rebranding of Glenglassaugh is proof. Stuart came up with the fun idea of moving barrels from the mainland all the way up to Unst, aging them there and bottling them as Shetland Reel blended malt. I am a true believer in Stuarts abilities and pedigree when it comes to whisky and so I was not surprised even one bit that this blended malt is really delicious.

Blended Malts are as I’ve mentioned many times before the most maligned and misunderstood Scotch whiskies to ever be bottled. If you are a Single Malt lover then you will also love Blended Malts end of story. A blended malt is simply made up of a number of Single Malts from different distilleries. It’s the word blend that catches most people out and has a lot of consumers dismissing it before even reading the rest of the label.

So we will always showcase a number of outstanding blended malts in each edition and I know that a lot of calendar customers have already become blended malt converts over the past few years.

Shetland Reel – Blended Malt from various regions and distilleries bottled at 47% ABV. No chill filtration or colouring added.

Colour:     Nice polished gold hue with a touch of something deeper when you tilt the bottle.

Nose:     Char and spice like leaning over an old tandoori clay oven and smelling the years of delicious dishes that have been prepared along with a smoky edge that infuses everything.

Palate:     Like what the inside of my pencil case would have tasted like if I decided to eat it instead of what mum packed inside my lunch box when I was a kid at school. Rubber and pencil shavings with a mouth coating waxy character (crayola). Dried mandarin peel and turmeric.

Finish:     lovely warming length that carries a long way past the palate. Dates and sweetly burning incense.

The combination of single malts for this whisky are a closely guarded secret that Stuart keeps to himself. It is really delicious and has a lot going on. The combination of some obvious Islay is really nicely balanced with some heavy speyside influence. 47% is really a good ABV carrying a ton of weight but not overpowering and still allowing for us to play if we wish.

Good job again Stuart I cant wait to see what the Shetland Island Distillery has to offer in the future along with the release of their first in house distilled whiskies down the road.

Last year on Day 3 we had ironically enough a blended malt from Samaroli, albeit all of the Single Malts contained in that whisky came from Speyside. You can read about it here…

As we do every year we like to give people a heads up as to where they can find these whiskies in full bottles. As stated earlier we normally have a list but unfortunately it is against the laws of the land for us to do so publically on a web site. Please just email me about any whisky and I will forward a list of retail options for you.

Tomorrow we head back down South and welcome a brand new independent bottler to the party. The guys at the Lost Distillery Company have a fascinating tale to tell and we are going to find out all about it.

Get ready for something to get us all in the holiday mood.

Slainte

Jonathan – Taster of Secrets

http://www.singlemalting.com/

Available from our website www.milroys.co.uk/

Buy Now

Our Milroys Gift Box with all 4 of our exclusive whiskies in 20cl bottles and 2 Glencairn glasses This Wooden Gift Box is perfect for a gift. When you can’t decide which one of our exclusive 3 single malts and blend to get, why not get all 4 in this excellently presented Gift Box. Limited run so get them while you can. It includes our 28 year old Blair Athol, 2008 Glentachers, 2010 Ardmore and our own 8 year old Blend that we designed. All of the Single Malts are Cask Strength, Single Cask Limited number of bottlings.

This has been an excellent first quartet from the new-look Milroy’s.

Hie thee to Greek Street! – David Broom http://www.scotchwhisky.com/