“Fae Dram tae Drum!”

Paul from MCLEANSCOTLAND sends a wee story;  Something really interesting, a good pal of mine has been working on this for years!

It is a snare drum, made from a Tullibardine whisky cask.  Basically, they can make snares from any distillery cask in a variety of ways, bespoke and standard, more of a very high class present, ornament rather than a working snare – though it does play like any snare drum! It is expensive, but – old adage; you get what you pay for.

Select a finish you want, clean and smooth, or dark and rustic, a variety of distillery casks and finishes. 

We have two on order already, these are totally exclusive; finished so the head of the snare comes off, revealing a cask shelf for a whisky bottle and two quaich vessels.

All have certificate of authentic cask stave used, from the distillery and the bespoke master drum maker.

Anyone interested, seriously, please drop me a line @ snare@mcleanscotland.com

http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/whiskysnare.asp

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Elijah Craig 12 year old K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #387 Bourbon 750ml (ships as a 1.5L) ($26.99)
  This cask contained twice as much whiskey as #8446 (20 cases) and as expected it couldn’t be more different. This is definitely going to be very familiar to some readers, but it’s totally outside the flavor range of the other casks. Here we’ve got incredible freshness with aromas of spiced apple, subtle nuttiness, red apple skin, dried herbs, and a hint of maple syrup. Texturally, this is surprisingly rich considering it was the largest cask, which logically means it’s less concentrated, but apparently not. On the palate it’s definitely the feistiest of the three casks in this lot, showing strong oak spice, which dry the maple syrup quality on the front palate nicely. This has the longest finish of the three and moves into the fresh tobacco flavors with a building spice (cinnamon, clove, etc.) character. Crazy contrast between the relatively restrained nose and the powerful attack in the mouth.

• Elijah Craig 12 year o ld K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #434 Bourbon 750ml (ships as a 1.5L) ($26.99)

• Elijah Craig 12 year old K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #446 Bourbon 750ml (ships as a 1.5L) ($26.99)

Ireland – Irish and Blended Scotch

• Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey 750ml ($19.99)

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Aberlour – A’Bunadh Cask Strength Single Malt 750ml ($64.99)

• Glenfiddich 15 year Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($39.99)

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com/
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

www.ralfy.com uncorks an auction-bought bottle with Whisky Review 448 – Glen Moray 30yo @ 43% (Auction Bottle)

Gartbreck Distillery, the Story Continues 

Ernie- Ernst J. Scheiner, The Gateway to Distilleries at www.whisky-distilleries.net 

Martine and Jean Donnay Gartbreck who are running the Glann ar Mor Distillery in Britanny will built another distillery at Saltpan Point on the site of an former derelict farm located on the shore of Loch Indaal south east of Bowmore, on the isle of Islay on the Western coast of Scotland. They aquired the site in May 2012. Gartbreck will be the ninth distillery on Islay since the Rockside Farm distillery Kilchoman was established in 2005 by Anthony Wills. 

“Gartbreck Distillery will be unique in reviving the traditional method of whisky making which had been abandoned for the benefit of cost efficiency. Its two pots stills which will be overlooking the sea through a large glass gable will be direct heated with a live flame, it will use worm tub condensers and fermentation of the wash will take place in Oregon Pine wooden washbacks,” says the European Distiller oft he year 2014. 

Jean Donnay’s belief is largely a result of his experience of having designed Glann ar Mor Distillery which the couple have operated since 2005. Their whiskies have earned wide recognition. 

Jean will retrace traditional methods: „Gartbreck’s bespoke equipment will include some technical evolution allowing in particular to significantly minimize the drawbacks usually associated with the direct heating of the stills. The distillery’s water will flow by gravity from Grunnd Loch which overlooks the distillery 900m away from it, and the floor malting and the kiln will allow to produce 20% of its needs in peated malt in using local barley from the isle.“ 

The hardworking couple will also distil some gin in limited batches which will be sold only at Gartbreck’s future visitor centre in order to stimulate cash-flow during the initial period when whisky will not be available. 

Martine Donnay: “The highest attention has been paid by the local architects and designers to respect the exceptional location, the distillery’s building keeping a sleek silhouette for a smooth integration in the landscape.” 

Once Gartbreck will be operating at nominal capacity the ninth Islay distillery will be producing 55.000 LPA per year. 

Ernie: What sort of heating system will you install, gas, oil or wood/peat?

Jean: Stills will be both direct heated with a live flame from gas burners. 

Ernie: What kind of mash tun will you have?

Jean: Semi-lauter tun. 

Ernie: What kind of washbacks will you install?

Jean: Well, wooden washbacks made from Oregon pine. 

Ernie: The pot stills shape and size have they been defined?

Jean: Wash still will be charged at 2500 l and spirit still will be charged in proportion for running both stills “in balance”, i.e.. charged at about 1700/1800 l depending on the actual cut. Shape of the two still have been defined, more about this at a later stage. 

Ernie: What kind of spirit will be produced?

Jean: One type of Single Malt will be produced, offering a highly peaty character for which Islay whiskies are so famous.

Planning Permission has been granted by the Argyll and Bute Council recently and the couple hopes that fundings of the 2.5M£ investment will be completed in time to start work during the third quarter of 2014. It is their aim to start operation by autumn this year. 

NOTES

Glan Ar Mor Distillery www.glannarmor.com

Gartbrecks‘ people: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ileach/3995999675/

The Gateway to Distilleries www.whisky-distilleries.net 

Contact : Martine or Jean Donnay @ info@gartbreck.com

Gartbreck Distillery Moss Road Bowmore PA43 7JG Isle of Islay SCOTLAND 

Photos Courtesy of Gartbreck Distillery 2014 and Alex Reid 2013. 

About the Author: Ernie – Ernst J. Scheiner M.A. offers courses on whisky distilling, writes for newspapers, magazines and blogs such as www.whiskyexperts.at. He is the editor of The Gateway to Distilleries at www.whisky-distilleries.net which gives an excellent photographic and educational insight into the whisky industry of Scotland, Ireland, Europe and Asia.

Please see also: http://www.whisky-distilleries.net

The Whisky Shop’s Finest Five Father’s Day Whiskies  

Looking for the perfect way to say ‘I Love You Dad’ this Father’s Day?  

A thoughtfully selected dram can be the ideal present to share with your dad on Sunday 15^th June and luxury drinks retailer The Whisky Shop presents the Finest Five whiskies for Father’s Day. 

The Glenlivet Gallow Hill Single Cask – £235.00, The Whisky Shop 

An enchanting Speysider, The Glenlivet Gallow Hill is a Single Cask malt whisky, bottled at natural strength.  The exclusive bottling is a new release and will make a lasting impression this Father’s Day.  

Tasting Note: Concentrated fruit – clementine, pear, a note of pineapple – with toasted almonds and moist gingerbread behind.  Mouth-coating and sweet overall – milk chocolate, treacle toffee – enlivened by sweet orange.  A long refreshing finish. 

Aberfeldy 16 Years Old – Single Cask – £150.00, The Whisky Shop    

From the Highland distillery, Aberfeldy 16 Years Old Single Cask is a new release exclusive to The Whisky Shop and is a delectable dram for any whisky aficionado this Father’s Day.

Selected by Dewar’s Master Blender Stephanie Macleod, the single cask chosen for individual bottling was a refill American oak ex-sherry hogshead.  The cask was chosen as it reflects the key characteristics of Aberfeldy with its heather honey taste, but also contains unique and interesting flavours. 

Tasting Note: Dull gold.  Light nose-prickle.  A mellow nose with  integrated aromas, at natural strength, opening up with water to reveal a dry, dusty, herbal note and a trace of orange peel.  A smooth texture and a sweet taste, with light acidity and beeswax, and a long warming finish. 

Woodford Reserve Classic Malt – £120.00 – The Whisky Shop 

From the smallest distillery in Kentucky, this American Malt Whiskey is a champion choice for Father’s Day.

The Woodford Reserve Classic Malt joins the range of limited releases.  As the name implies, Classic Malt is distilled wholly from malted barley and so it is not a Bourbon.  

Tasting Note: 9CT gold in colour.  The first aroma is of green malt, hay and bread dough, soon becoming Thai prawn crackers, then sweetening to vanilla infused cake mix.  The taste is fresh and sweet, with fresh cereal notes – ears of barley, oats – but with a pleasantly spicy kick in the medium length finish. 

Glenturret Triple Wood – £46.00 – The Whisky Shop    

A Highland whisky from the Glenturret Distillery which is well-known for its status as a visitor destination.  Glenturret Triple Wood is a new release single malt exclusive to The Whisky Shop.  Combining a mix of woods, the influence of Spanish oak is particularly apparent in the colour and aroma. 

Tasting Note: Deep gold, with amber lights.  The first impression is of rice pudding; husky porridge with double cream.  After a while a faint note of strawberry jam.  The taste is sweet and lightly meaty, with some spice and gentle acidity towards the end and a warming finish.  

 Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve – £42.00 – The Whisky Shop

 An intriguing single malt whisky from Japan’s first distillery, the Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve new release is sure to hit the right note with your Dad this Father’s Day. 

 The Japanese whisky differs from its Scottish cousins as it is a vatting of different styles of whisky as well as different cask types in comparison to Scotch malt which is predominantly from distilleries specialising in one style of whisky.

Tasting Note: Full gold.  A gentle, elegant fragrance topped by soft fruit – strawberry, white peach, cherry – and backed by sweet tobacco leaf.  A smooth texture and a sweet taste, with a crisp acidity, traces of coconut and a medium-length, warming finish, leaving a hint of planed oak.  

Andrew Torrance, Managing Director of The Whisky Shop, said: “Whisky is the perfect gift for Father’s Day and The Whisky Shop has an unrivalled collection of malts and blends to suit all tastes and budgets.

“Whether you join your dad in sharing a dram, or leave him to enjoy his whisky experience in peace, we have something to suit every palate.”

The Whisky Shop is the UK’s largest whisky only specialist retailer with a full range available online at www.whiskyshop.com and at 22 stores nationwide, including premium flagships in London’s Piccadilly and on Manchester’s Exchange Street. 

For further information please visit www.whiskyshop.com

TOP PICKS

• Glenfiddich 18 year, Ancient Reserve Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($79.99)
  96 points Wine Enthusiast: ” *Top 50 Spirits 2013* Luxe and easy-sipping. Look for enticing notes of butterscotch, baked pear, cinnamon and clove on the nose and palate, swathed in just the right amount of smokiness. ” (12/2013) K&L Notes: Special Order Only! Special order items are not in stock and are dependent upon quantity available from distribution. All special orders are final and non-refundable. Will take 3-7 business days to receive this product before it can be shipped. Silver medal 2007 International Wine & Spirit Competition. The Glenfiddich 18 year old has a delightfully rich aroma reminisce of ripe orchard fruit, spiced apples and robust oakiness. The palate is luxurious and warming, with dried fruit, candied zest and dates buoyed by subtle Spanish Oloroso wood notes.
• Macallan “Fine Oak” 17 Year Old Single Malt 750ml ($149.99)
  96-100 points Wine Enthusiast: “The luscious Speyside bouquet offers layers of aromas that include smoke, wood, touches of palm oil, browned butter, vanilla bean and pork rind. The palate entry is rich, bittersweet, caramel-like and creamy; at the wonderful midpalate the taste turns sweeter, nuttier and more fudge-like. Finishes elegantly, yet very focused, and integrated. Delicious. ” (04/2008) 94 points Whisky Advocate: “Another of the Fine Oak series (aged in both bourbon and sherry casks), which will debut in the U.S. in March. Of the five Fine Oak expressions that will be in the U.S. (10, 15, 17, 21, and 30 year old), this is my favorite, slightly besting the 15 year old. Lovely sweet notes (creamy vanilla, light toffee, marshmallow, shortbread, and a kiss of honey) are accompanied by bright fruit (multi-layered citrus) and potpourri of dried spices, along with a hint of nut and wisp of smoke. A very refined and sophisticated whisky. (Vol. 15, #1)” Wine Spectator: “This deep, riveting whisky eschews the delicate qualities for straight-ahead sugar and spice. The nose expresses nougat, graham cracker and butterscotch, while it’s all spice and hard candy in the mouth, with a preponderance of licorice. Finishes long, with more candy notes. Bourbon, American oak and Sherry casks.” (02/2011) K&L Notes: The Macallan has extended its Fine Oak range of single malt Highland Scotch whiskies with the introduction of a 17 year old expression. The whisky continues the success of The Macallan Fine Oak 10, 15 and 21 Years Old, which the distillery introduced in November 2004 and Fine Oak 30 Years Old, just launched in June 2005. Since its introduction, The Macallan Fine Oak, a lighter expression of the traditional Macallan, has expanded the brand’s audience in the U.S. and has received numerous industry accolades. Daniel Goodwin, senior brand manager, said that the 17 Years Old would broaden the appeal of the fine oak range. He added: “The lighter, more modern flavour expressions of the Fine Oak range resonates with whisky connoisseurs and novices alike. Fine Oak 17 expands upon a completely unique line of super-premium single malt Scotches.” 94 points, The Malt Advocate
• Elijah Craig 12 year old K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #387 Bourbon 750ml (ships as a 1.5L) ($26.99)
  This cask contained twice as much whiskey as #8446 (20 cases) and as expected it couldn’t be more different. This is definitely going to be very familiar to some readers, but it’s totally outside the flavor range of the other casks. Here we’ve got incredible freshness with aromas of spiced apple, subtle nuttiness, red apple skin, dried herbs, and a hint of maple syrup. Texturally, this is surprisingly rich considering it was the largest cask, which logically means it’s less concentrated, but apparently not. On the palate it’s definitely the feistiest of the three casks in this lot, showing strong oak spice, which dry the maple syrup quality on the front palate nicely. This has the longest finish of the three and moves into the fresh tobacco flavors with a building spice (cinnamon, clove, etc.) character. Crazy contrast between the relatively restrained nose and the powerful attack in the mouth.
• Lost Spirits Distillery Leviathan III Single Malt Whiskey 750ml ($54.99)
  Can you believe we’re already on batch three of the Leviathan series? Made from 100% California barley and peated with 100% Canadian peat, the Leviathan whiskies from Bryan Davis represent his most mainstream work to date. Heaps of smoke and vegetal earth power this bold and brash Pacific Coast single malt. The peat dominates the nose, but the green-planted goodness overwhelms the finish with hints of salt and phenolic action. I think I taste fresh-picked carrots after a few minutes of letting the flavors develop. WARNING: the Lost Spirits whiskies are not for the unadventurous. These are wildly savage single malts with assertive and challenging profiles!

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com/
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

New! Port Charlotte 2004 Coopers Choice

Single cask hogshead of the peated Bruichladdich bottled 2014 for the The Coopers Choice.

Port Charlotte 2004 $78.52

This week Joe Ellis reviews the Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey! 

http://youtu.be/BN2fP32NXqE 

http://Facebook.com/whiskytube 

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

Whisky: The Manual, by Dave Broom

This time last year I was busy sorting out classes for the 2013 Whisky Show, and in my search for interesting ideas, a slightly fuzzy-haired, glazed-eyed version of Tim Forbes (formerly of this parish) told me about a weekend of whisky experimentation with Dave Broom. Apart from the obvious outcome of Tim being a little on the unsteady side, the vast amount of research being done for the new book Dave was writing sounded fascinating. With this in mind I asked Dave if he would be happy introduce some of the attendees of the Whisky Show to the world of mixing whisky.

A year on and the book – entitled Whisky: The Manual – has now arrived. I have snaffled it and am currently working my way through the recipes. As I owe Billy many blog posts on the many tastings I have attended over the years, I have written up the book instead [the debt is not yet paid – Billy]. The book itself is, as you’d expect, very well written and shows again that Dave has forged a path as the most approachable of spirits writers.

The introduction is light hearted and pokes fun at some of the outdated marketing lines regarding whisky drinking.  Dave points out: ‘Every stripe of whisky is enjoying unparalleled success around the world – and guess what? The way that most of the new converts to its charms prefer to take it is mixed.’ He uses the introduction to debunk the myths surrounding whisky consumption and boils it down to one overriding principle that we should all follow: ’The only rule now is: enjoy!’ Having gone through many stages of whisky snobbery myself, and now having my ability to pay my rent so completely tied to people consuming more whisky, I wholeheartedly agree.

The history section of the book concentrates on the creation of whisky and its various derivatives. Essentially, it is the story of the search for something that tastes good as well as making you feel warm and happy inside. Topics covered include the earliest records of the distillation of beer, the development of mixing in herbs in Scotland, the export of distillation culture to North America and the marketing drive of the 20^th century.

As with Dave’s earlier book, The World Atlas of Whisky, the section on production is thorough without being overly complicated. For me, it is pitched at the perfect level for those starting to learn about this side of the industry. However, it is more in depth than the Atlas when discussing the flavours produced from each part of the whisky production process, which ties in nicely with the book’s focus.

Dave finishes the first half of the book by looking at the different mixers used with whisky across the world, before launching into the meat of the work – how to use them with whisky. This book has been produced, like a good recipe book, to be used rather than left to gather dust – my copy already has a watermark on the cover and a distinct aroma of coconut water. This is reflected in the mixers that Dave has chosen. Although not a basic range, they are all available in supermarkets and do not cost the world to buy (apart from the coconut water which I had to trade my left lung for in Tesco).

An entirely unposed photograph

In regards to the whiskies, again this is about using ingredients that are accessible – there are no £100,000 bottles here. A lot of the whiskies could be found in your local off-licence, and all of them can be found at TWE, but this does not mean that it is just the standard blends that have been tested. There are whiskies from around the world of differing styles, as well as varying prices.

Before the book’s release we were looking for a simple serve for Lagavulin 16 Year Old for our Islay Jazz comes to London event, and Dave suggested pairing 16 Year Old with Coke – with equal measures in the glass. The idea seemed so wrong that we immediately put it to the test. The combination works very well: the big meaty notes of Lagavulin combining with the sweetness and undercurrent of liquorice in the Coke.

My favourite discovery, however, has to be Compass Box Great King Street with soda, which was refreshing but packed with flavour, and which has become my drink of choice with food. On the other end of the scale, I tried Ardbeg 10 Year Old with coconut water and found that the combination subdued all the flavours I like in Ardbeg while dulling any sweetness from the mixer. After trying coconut water with a few things, I believe it is the water and not the whisky that I have an issue with.

My house cocktail – the Blood and Sand

The final section of the book covers whisky cocktails – both the classics and some well-thought-out new twists. As most bottles in my house contain whisky, it’s always nice to find new recipes to mess around with. Most are easy to make and the list of ingredients is relatively short – for me, the most important aspect of any cocktail recipe.

I have only tried a few of the recipes in the book and while I feel not every combination worked, some were very tasty indeed. The Manual is a fantastic way of introducing more people to whisky, but also a great book for existing fans to encourage them to try something new. It is far too easy to become a whisky snob and lose sight of why you got into the subject in the first place. The book took me right back to the first two things I liked about whisky: the variety of flavours and how enjoyable it is to drink.

The last thing I will say is this: don’t buy this book to read; buy it to use. It is a manual, after all.

Whisky: The Manual is now available from The Whisky Exchange, priced at £14.99

www.ralfy.com has been buying a few of yesterdays whiskies with Whisky Review 447 – Whiskies I bought at auctions.