Whisky Live London 2012
London has started to pick up two distinct drinks festival ‘seasons’ over the last few years. Autumn has become the home of London Cocktail Week and its bookends, our Whisky Show and Rumfest, and spring the land of the Whisky … Continue reading >>
Whisky Intelligence has added a new category called ‘Vignettes – Moments in Whisky’ which will feature whisky moments as experienced by the readership. If you have a whisky moment please feel free to submit your moment and we’ll do our best to publish it. Go on; you know you want to be famous…
Hi all,
Hope you are well and in fine fettle.
A very quick reminder to you all that we have our series of Irish Invasion tastings coming up and starting this Friday! We will be tasting six of the finest from the Emerald Isle, showing off what they can really achieve, rather than some of the more commercial items you might see on Supermarket shelves…
As always the tastings are fun, engaging and full of information and useful (and useless!) facts to arm you as you continue your path to whisky nirvana. Details can be found by clicking here.
A reminder of dates:
Irish Invasion Tastings, 2012 UK tour
Manchester Friday 16th March, The Britons Protection
Newcastle Saturday 17th March, Blackfriars
York Saturday 17th March, Whisky Lounge HQ (not a misprint, we are a team now and splitting up for Saturday!)
London Monday 19th March, Albannach, Trafalgar Sq.
London Tuesday 20th March, Red Lion, Crown Passage
Leeds Wednesday 21st March, Crosskeys, Water Lane
All of these are only £20 a ticket and I think most of you will agree that you definitely don’t get this much fun and enjoyment for that little anywhere else! All start at 7pm and go onto until 9(ish) and if you need more info – aside from the whiskey (that’s a surprise) – please do drop in on the website at http://www.thewhiskylounge.com/book-now/
Many of these are nearly sold out so please be quick to avoid disappointment!
We really hope you can make it to one near you and look forward to seeing you for a night of whisky and craic!
Cheers,
Eddie
Eddie Ludlow
Whisky Evangelist
thewhiskylounge
IWSC Spirit Panel Judge 2009-present
www.thewhiskylounge.com
eddie@thewhiskylounge.com
The Claymore Times
~ All The News That’s Fit To Drink ~
1994 Caperdonich 46% (LCBO# 262790)
This particular distillery (used to be called Glen Grant #2) went silent 1902 and remain closed for 60 years until it was reopened in 1965 under the name Caperdonich (secret well). Eventually sold to Pernod Ricard in 2001who promptly closed the distillery and remains silent to this day.
Although this distillery was one of the main ingredients of Chivas Regal and Queen Ann they never actually released any bottles of their own and that makes this quite rare but, at a very healthy price point of $99.95 Unfortunately the LCBO only purchased 96 bottles from me.
1994 Caperdonich tasting notes
Presentation.
Colour: Pale Gold
Body: Medium
Finish: Long and warming
Cask Type: Refill Sherry hogshead
Style: Soft, smooth and balanced
Tasting notes.
Aroma without water
Fresh toasted ,alt notes, with subtle floral influences emerging. Sweet and fruity – strawberry jam
Taste without water
Hint of black pepper, creamy and smooth. As subtle aniseed influence lingers
Aroma without water
Fresh with hints of well toasted malt. Some pleasant estery notes. Fruity- fresh pinapple.
Taste with water
Mouth warming, with a rounded hint of spice. A fresh and fruity edge comes to the fore, pineapple
Distillery notes with permission from Malt Maniac Ralfy at www.ralfy.com
Caperdonich distillery started its life in 1898 under the (relatively uninspiring) name ‘Glen Grant #2’. Caperdonich distillery was founded by J. & J. Grant, the people that also built the ‘original’ Glen Grant distillery in 1840. This brand new whisky distillery (which was built at the height of the whisky boom of the late 19th century) was conveniently located just accross the street from Glen Grant in Rothes. (Other neighbours include Glenrothes and Glen Spey.)
Both ‘sister’ distilleries are located at the northern end of Moraytown Village in Rothes, but only one of them operated continuously until the present day. Caperdonich closed its doors again in 1902, a mere four years after the distillery was opened. This ‘false start’ in the Scotch whisky world was caused by the after-effects of the Pattison Crisis that caused panic in Scotland around the turn of the century. In a way, it was not unlike the credit crisis of 2008…
Nevertheless, during the early years Caperdonich didn’t manage to become as popular as Glen Grant – hence the closure in 1902. Glen Grant Number Two remained inactive for six decades, but in the year 1965 it was rebuilt by Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd. who resumed production. The new owners also changed the name to Caperdonich (“Secret Well”)
In 1977 Seagram from Canada acquired Caperdonich distillery – before selling it on to Pernod Ricard in 2001. Pernod Ricard closed the distillery one year later in 2002, together with three of its sister distilleries; Alt A’ Bhainne, Braeval (Braes of Glenlivet) and Benriach. At the end of the decennium Caperdonich was the only distillery from this group that hadn’t been reopened yet. The longer a whisky distillery remains inactive, the higher the costs of making it operational again. This sad fact makes it ever more unlikely that the Caperdonich distillery will ever be reopened again.
So, it’s hardly surprising that Seagram’s used the malt whisky that was produced at Caperdonich distillery mainly for their blended whiskies like Passport, Chivas Regal, Something Special and Queen Anne. As a result, there are no official bottlings of Caperdonich. Well, at least not that I know of; there is one Caperdonich 16yo 1988/2005 (55.8%, OB, Chivas Brothers) on the MMMonitor.
There have been a handful of independent releases by independent bottlers like Douglas Laing , Duncan Taylor and Gordon & MacPhail, but those are fairly hard to find. Sometimes bottlings can be quite unique though, like a Caperdonich 10yo 1998/2008 by Alambic Classique, which apparently was made from a very rare peated batch. That’s the story of the Caperdonich in a nutshell…
Reproduced by permission of Malt Maniac Ralfy http://www.maltmaniacs.org/
What’s going on in the area:
21st March at The DAM pub in Thornbury (Stephanie 519-599-2110) with Glenlivet Ambassadour Frank Biskupek and sample the Glenlivet 12yo, 15yo 18yo and the Glenlivet Nadurra Cask Strength special 4 flight vertical tasting & food pairing ~ $35
21st March for the Kitchener companions: (Trish MacNeil 519 749-1166) Rum Runner Pub 1 King Street West, Kitchener, Cost: $50 for members
22nd March Downtown Companions (Ed at president@thequaich.com) Three-course dinner and three superb Single Malts. THE ALBANY CLUB
3rd April Niagara on the Lake Companions (Neil Middleton at 905-468-0802) The Old Winery Restaurant.
4th April the York Companions (Robert Head at 905-898-8344) three-course dinner and three superb single malts. RedCrest Golf Club.
20th April Kincardine’s Companions (Dave Dechene 519 396-3692) Best Western Governor’s Inn. Member Price $55.00 ~ Guest Price $65.00
7th May Hamilton Companions (Ed at president@thequaich.com). Three superb Single Malts plus a delicious three-course dinner. Scottish Rite Club, King & Queen Sts. Member Price $50.00 ~ Guest Price $60.00
12th May Spirit of Toronto (Roy Thomson Hall at 416 593 4828)
The Claymore Team (I’m the sexy looking one says Bill Somerville – far left)
A spectacular, once-a-year evening that features a dazzling array of 100 plus single malts and premium spirits, tutored tastings, live jazz and bossa nova, a gourmet table d’hotel from Daniel et Daniel, classic cocktails, and a poolside cigar bar
In my opinion this is Toronto’s best event and we’ll be attending this year again, along with Michael Urquhart who will host a master’s class.
Last year Michael shared a 70yo bottle of Glenlivet with the class (valued at $35,000) and I’m quite keen to learn what he’s going to bring this year, I’ve even tried to bribe some of the folks back in Elgin, but alas, I fear it will remain a secret until the master class starts.
Last year after the Spirit of Toronto finished up we all retired back to the Royal York Hotel for a nightcap, the bar was empty and we still had about 5oz left of the 70yo Glenlivet, the barman promptly produced some clean wine glasses and we finished off the bottle, all the time Michael kept us entertained with stories of his years / decades in the whisky industry. John Urquhart (Michael’s grandfather) learned from James Gordon, and George Urquhart (father) learned from his father – by the end of his life George was universally recognised as one of the most knowledgeable people in the entire Scotch whisky trade. He passed on his skills and experience in selecting and evaluating whiskies to his sons and daughter – Michael is said to have whisky in his blood!
One of these impromptu evenings, unforgettable and another reason why I love my job so much.
And what you may have missed
Tasting with legend Jim McEwan. What a wonderful night and we were able to sample some fabulous Bruichladdich whiskies, my favourite being the 16yo Bourbon cask.
Jim McEwan with Ed Patrick in the background
The event was hosted by Chris Cayley of the Companions of the Quaich in the town of Oakville and Jim McEwan took us through the history of Bruichladdich with his unique sense of humour, “you understand”. Jim had us dancing on the tables which I’m sure brought a frown to the members of the Oakville Yacht Club.
While there, we sampled the Bruichladdich Organic, the Classic, the 15 yo 2nd edition, the16yo Bourbon cask and the Port Charlotte An Turas Mor., A very well organized evening and super fun was had by all.
Could this be the first ever internet whisky tasting? Here’s a report from Trish MacNeil
(Who apparently likes to drink whisky in her underwear?) read on
A group of folks from the Bruichladdich LinkedIn group got together online recently via Skype’s group video chat to share a selection of Bruichladdich single malts. Linda from England, Curt in Ohio from livefirewhisky.com, William “The Scotch Guy” from Missouri, Trish – a convenor with Companions of the Quaich from Ontario and Bill from Claymore Times also in Ontario joined in, with Scott from New York joining in by text from SOBEWWF in Florida. The idea was that each pick a Bruichladdich (or three) and present it to the group, sharing some info about your choice and then taking it through the nosing and tasting process and adding any comments.
It took a bit of planning to find a date and time that worked across all time zones but finally settled on a Sunday at 2pm. By the time that was sorted, Linda had consumed all of her Bruichladdich so chose a Caol Ila instead. Curt brought us the Laddie 10 while occasionally taking a break to check on his burnt offerings on the smoker and leaving the group wishing Skype had a scent plug-in. William had an exquisite line-up for us – Bruichladdich 15 Year Old / Links VIII-Torrey Pines, Infinity #1 & Golder Still, causing the group to ask William to adopt us (he declined). Scott was pouring Laddie 10 and Botanist Dry Gin at SOBE. Bill chose a Bruichladdich 16 yo. Bourbon Cask that he clearly enjoyed and Trish rounded out with a Port Charlotte An Turas Mor that she paired with a good cigar (kidding on the cigar). We were able to see the colour of the whiskies quite well, enjoyed the chatter and discussion about all things Bruichladdich and whisky and consensus was that the experience definitely deserves a repeat. Things learned from the first attempt at an online tasting via Skype – turn off the updates on your computer before getting started, it’s a great deal of fun to compare notes and talk about Whisky with other enthusiasts and that the experience should definitely be repeated and finally, if you’re in your underwear while you’re drinking whisky with others, nobody will know.
Gordon & MacPhail http://www.gordonandmacphail.com releases a 60yo Glen Grant to celebrate the Queens jubilee
King George VI’s health was deteriorating, forcing him to abandon his proposed trip to Australia and New Zealand. Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip were scheduled to take his place. They visited Africa on their journey to the southern hemisphere.
On 6th February 1952, whilst staying in a remote part of Kenya, Princess Elizabeth received news of her father’s death and of her own accession to the throne. Her tour was abandoned and she flew back to London, where she was greeted by Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
After lying in state at Westminster Hall, King George VI was buried on 15th February 1952.
Over a year later, on 2nd June 1953, Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation was held at Westminster Abbey.
Places of interest
Benromach Distillery http://www.benromach.com/benromach.html
Christine http://hotanddirtyinthekitchen.ca
Curt’s blog http://livefirewhisky.com
Gordon & MacPhail http://www.gordonandmacphail.com/
Malt Maniacs http://www.maltmaniacs.org/index.html
PUB Magazine http://www.pubmagazine.ca/upcoming_issue.php
Ralfy whisky blog www.ralfy.com
Whisky Intelligence https://www.whiskyintelligence.com/
The Scotch Guy http://web.me.com/scotchguy/ScotchGuy/Welcome.html
Other Whiskies Arriving Soon in Ontario
Aultmore
1997 Dailuaine
1958 Glen Grant
30yo Benromach
Benromach Traditional
WAS £23.99 NOW £18.99
SAVE £5.00
A fresh, rounded Single Malt, with a balanced mix of flavours. Matured in first fill Bourbon and Sherry casks, the palate reveals smoky cereal and malt flavours which dry up with spicy, peppery notes followed by a delicate floral edge.
Single Malts Limited | 36 Gordon Street | Huntly | Aberdeenshire | AB54 8EQ
This class will be a wonderful view into the fastest-growing new whiskey segment in American. Irish whiskey has always been traditionally lighter and more flavorful but most people are unaware of new Irish whiskeys that have come into the market. Your instructor Curtis McMillan is looking to take you on a journey of five very remarkable new Irish whiskeys.
www.ralfy.com presents a Vlog called Whisky Review 256 – Invergordon Grain Scotch (Bladnoch Forum) which sheds some amber light on the unfashionable Grain whisky genre!
Well, not quite yet. Whisky Intelligence has decided to publish the annual Whisky Intelligence 2011 ‘Tasting Notes/Whisky Reviews’ Score Compilation a little later than last year and thus the compilation will be published on Friday, March 16th, 2012.
Check back on Friday and see which whiskies topped the list…
Hello Fellow WhiskeyLovers –
I have three exciting bits to share with you this week.
First, if you’re in the San Fran area later this month, you can be part of one of the must-attend Whiskey events of the year: the Whiskies of the World Expo 2012 on the SF Belle, Hornblower Yacht at Pier 3 on Saturday March 31st.
Those who have attended a WoW Expo in the past know this is one of the year’s prime whisky appreciation and learning events, and this year promises to be the best ever. I’ve been told by event MC Doug Smith he is ready to pour over 200 phenomenal whiskies to the lucky WhiskeyLovers in attendance.
FWL will be there, sharing a booth with blokes from Lark Distilleries. And to help you get there, we have a $10 discount on your ticket in, by simply entering the code “FWL10D” in the coupon/promo code field when you’re checking out.
And be sure to come by the FWL booth, and share a dram of Lark with me.
Next, my last email coyly left you with the parting shot “Coming soon: The return of The Drammies…!”. For those of you not familiar with the Drammies, it was “the peoples choice” whisky awards started by FWL contributing editor Kevin Erskine, in his prior role as the unofficial voice of the whiskey consumer, via his industry-first blog TheScotchBlog. Launched in 2007, the Drammies became arguably the most respected whiskey awards competition, and certainly most terrifying for those making a living in the industry.
In 2011 Kevin moved on to new challenges, and joined FWL last summer. So…guess where the Drammies are now (coy riddle #2). Next week, the answer.
Finally last months launch of ForWhiskeyLovers.com has not gone without its glitches and bumps. But yesterday I was reminded why we did it, when I hosted a Bourbon-addicted buddy coming to visit his old college friend for an afternoon. Knowing of our relaunch, he excitedly handed me a stunning bottle with angels wings emblazoned on the bottle, and implored me to locate two whiskey glasses as fast as humanly possible.
Lickety-split I urgently located two glass vessels, and liberated two unreasonably large rations of the beautiful amber liquid from within the bottle. Like highly trained athletes, the muscle memory in our respective arms reflexively responded with precision, lifting the glasses to our noses, then lips…and within seconds a large swig of the whisky was swirling its way over tongues and taste buds, down our gullets…followed immediately by a synchronized-as-if-rehearsed “wow that’s good whiskey“…and I mean really really good whiskey….and a swift replenishing of the glasses.
Which brings me to this weeks Whiskey Wednesday featured whisky: Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey…a single-malt whisky drinkers’ bourbon, and Lincoln Henderson’s’ baby.
Having spent almost forty years as Master Distiller and Research Fellow for the Brown-Forman Corporation, Mr. Henderson is the Master Distiller behind Angel’s Envy. During his B-F tenure, he planned, developed and produced nearly every type of distilled spirit.
And Angel’s Envy is truly his Masterpiece.
Depending on where you live, and because its a limited production/ small batch bourbon, Angels Envy can be impossible to find. But as always, one call to Nicky The Neck, and we find ourselves n the fortunate position to offer you the opportunity to purchase Angle’s Envy Bourbon at the great price of $45.95/ bottle.
So this week, get your WoW tickets, ponder your “favorites/least fave’s” for Drammie nominations, and spend some time with and Angel.
And until next week…have fun!
Doug Stone
Founder
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ANGEL’S ENVY KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY
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HOW THEY MAKE IT
Crafting fine bourbon is a marriage of science and art, and like the best of marriages, is rooted in love. Angel’s Envy begins with Kentucky. They use only mineral-rich Kentucky lime stone water and locally sourced grains.
After distilling, Angel’s Envy is placed in hand-selected American white oak barrels for a minimum of four years. Once the bourbon is tasted by Mr. Henderson and deemed ready, it’s placed in Port wine barrels he personally selects from Portugal. The barrels are then hand-situated throughout the distillery to age at the perfect temperature. This final process takes between three to six months.
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TASTING NOTES – JOHN HANSEL – The Whisky Advocate
Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey finished in a port pipe. This is veteran master distiller Lincoln Henderson’s newest creation, and it’s a beauty. Richly textured, silky, and well-rounded, with ripe berried fruits, candied tangerine, light toffee, maple syrup, and creamy vanilla, sprinkled with spice (cinnamon, hint of mint). Smooth, silky finish, and dangerously drinkable! The port pipe notes dovetail perfectly. Lovely just the way it is, but it’s begging for a cigar. My only gripe: why not 45 or 50% ABV? But I’m splitting hairs. I really enjoy this stuff!
Grant’s in Australia
G’day,
The first recorded sale of Grant’s in Australia dates back to April, 1910. A century later, Grant’s is the second-favourite Scotch whisky in the country and this week, I had the privilege of visiting Melbourne and Sydney for the local launch of Grant’s 12 Years Old.
Media interviews, presentations and two main launch events were on the…(please click on the link to read the remainder of the article)…
Ludo
