Whisky Intelligence has reproduced (with permission) The Gauntleys Whisky Newsletter for April 2006; a small sample of scotch whisky archeology. The author, Chris Goodrum, has some excellent insights of whisky, which makes for excellent reading on a Sunday. Enjoy!
Dear Whisky Customers
Firstly I would like to apologies for the poor use of grammar in my last newsletter. The reason for this was that I hurried the writing of the newsletter because I wanted to get it out before I went away on holiday. Therefore it only received a cursory spell check. Anyway, to the reason for this amendment – It’s nice to know that one’s newsletters are read, as I have been asked to expand upon my opinions with regard to why I believe that the briny sea air can affect the flavour of a whisky.
Firstly and most significantly the wood which makes up a cask is porous, thus it allows the air outside the cask to diffuse inwards through the pores in the wood, which as we know in wine maturation this promotes slow oxidation, which allows polymerisation (joining together of the molecules) of the polyphenols, principally the harsh tannin constituents of the wine. As these tannins polymerises they become insoluble and fall to the bottom of the barrel. Thus it can be safe to assume that the same diffusion of air must take place in a whisky cask.
I am not the only person to believe this. In a dissertation by Jim McEwan of Bruichladdich he made the following statement with regard to maturation. “….. there is the last piece of the Jigsaw – the question of where the cask matures. Is it by the sea, or in remote highland glens? In huge warehouses in central Scotland where the casks are staked on their heads on pallets that rise 40 feet into the air, like chickens on a battery farm, or where they breathe the air of their birthplace? To me it is very important that the spirit is matured at least for its formative years at the distillery, in traditional warehouses on Islay. The influence of the sea air is crucial in the development of the flavour of the spirit – bringing a lemon zest freshness together with ozone and seasalt, which gives freshness to the malts”
When a cask is filled, it is not filled to the brim, thus there is a ‘headspace’ i.e.) a gap between the head of the barrel and the whisky inside. I believe that the cask ‘breathes’ through expansion and contraction of this headspace depending on the changes in temperature and atmospheric pressure. As the temperature and the pressure outside the cask rises the liquid within the cask expands forcing the headspace to expand, as it cannot expand into the liquid it is forced out of the cask through its pores. So a fall in temperature and pressure will see the liquid and the headspace contract drawing air in from outside the cask.
So as you can see air can not only enter through the pores of the staves, but also through the headspace. Now if that air is liberally laced with sea salt, I think it is fair to say that some of this sea air will leave an imprint in the whisky. Now I know that this is not the only way for a touch of salt to appear in the flavour, because it can be found in coastal peat. Peat as you know is decayed vegetation, decomposed over 1000s of years by water. The vegetation which makes up peat can vary from place to place, but it usually contains mosses, heather, sedges, rushes, seaweed and bog myrtle. As this vegetable matter decomposes it builds up in layers, with the pressure at the lowest level encouraging carbonisation. In fact I discovered that there are three levels of peat, on Islay they are called; ‘top’ – the peat’s which are closet to the surface, these are crumbly, rooty and smoky. On Islay these are the only peat’s used for malting; the next layer is called the second’, with the final dark, hard and black, almost coal-like are called the ‘thirds’.
So as the malt is dried over a peat fire, these compounds or phenols coat the grains and subsequently leave a peat, or smoke, or seaweed character in the malt, thus by default if there is some salt in the peat this must also find its way into the whisky.
The final part of the salt in whisky puzzle may well be down to the individuals perception of salt. For example I have a fairly low salt diet, which I believe makes my taste buds more attuned to detecting salt in products, in fact I was having a drop of Bladnoch last night and I swear that there was a touch of salt on the finish.
So there you have it – This whole idea of the environment affecting the flavour of whisky is probably the most hotly debated of topics, with may like Jim McEwan and the whisky writer Ian Wisniewski firmly in my camp and others such as Charles MacLean and David Stirk, the creator of the Creative Whisky Company, (who happened to drop into the shop the other week, to buy a bottle of old Madeira, not talk whisky, but you know how these things happen!) in the other camp. If you have any comments, maybe your support my theory or not, you can contact me in the usual way.
NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!
I need your feedback. I have been canvassed by quite a few people in the industry to put on tastings, but as I have yet to dip my toe into those waters I feel rather hesitant at the moment. So I would like to know if you would be interested in coming to Nottingham for a tutored tasting evening with a whisky luminary such as Jim McEwan or John McDougall. I would be interested to know your thoughts and comments and more importantly if you would be prepared to come to one. If I feel that there would be sufficient support for an evening I will too arrange one.
And finally, this wouldn’t be a newsletter if I didn’t tell you about some new and exciting bottlings which from Blackadder.
SPEYSIDE
Glendullan Raw Sherry Cask 1994 (11 year old) 58.7% £49.95
Incredibly oily aromas hit you light a speeding train with waves of raw, young sherry fruit which has a slightly creamy edge and a touch of white chocolate and sweet spices. Rich and succulent on the palate with the raw sherry, well roaring at you. Quite spirity with sweet spices and coffee. This is the epitome of raw without a drop of water. On the nose it tames and emphasises the white chocolate, dusty spices and oily vanilla note. On the palate it brings out a chocolaty/ mocha/ coffee note, taking the edge of the spirit and allowing a delightful toasted caramel flavour to appear along with gin like botanicals and a touch of seaweed on the finish. If you love your sherry cask young, unfettered and wildly exuberant, then this is your baby!
HIGHLAND
Glenrothes Raw Cask 1989 (14 year old) 56.6% £47.95
Clean, elegant, fresh and grassy on the nose with soil, flax/ straw and a slightly nutty touch of buttery oak. Apricot and a touch of tangerine waft from the glass. I have only tasted sherry cask bottlings of Glenrothes before and this Bourbon cask is rather delightful with a delicate, playful sort of lowland character. On the palate it is oily, fruity with apricot and citrus followed by cerealy-malt, nuts and a delicate intensity of creamy oak and soft, sweet spices. A drop of water emphasises the grassy, citrus fruit on the nose, while on the palate it brings out lemon and lengths it as taken neat, the alcohol cuts it a bit short.
Glenturret Raw Cask 1978 (27 year old) 50.1% £82.95
Undoubtedly the star of the show! It has a remarkably youthful nose, crisp, clean and tangy, quite high toned with lemon curd, pure vanilla and citrus fruits along with a slight floral top note and a delightful creaminess. Soft and fruity on the palate, which opens up with vanilla laced citrus fruits followed by the oak and crisp granite malt. Lovely depth and purity, a superb length which tails off with custard creams, minerals and a touch of salt and sweet spices. There is no need for water as it displays its maturity with a silky soft nature.
Lochnagar Raw Sherry Cask (13 year old) 60.2% £48.95
Amazingly deep aromas, like falling into a vat of sweet toffee laced with creamy orange fruit. Lovely purity of sherry spices, dried fruits along with aromas of coffee and dusty spices. Luscious and oily in the mouth, full of coffee laced fruit, wood tannins, sherry spice and oodles of nutty stewed dried fruits, slight winey with an incredible spicy middle, it’s an intense alcoholic fruit rush! Lovely length with the coffee flavours returning. A touch of water mellows the nose and emphasises (if that’s possible!) the sweet toffee and lush honeyed fruits, this is lovely, underneath lurks some cereal malt but it is really playing second fiddle to the wood. On the palate it makes it velvety smooth and brings out a lovely interplay between the sweet and bitter flavours, it also emphasises the length and even dares to bring out the cereal-malt. Superb!
Now I know what you are going to say, didn’t you criticise other malts such as the 3rd Edition Bruichladdich 20 year old for burying their spirit under a ton of cask ‘enhancement’, and you would be right, but (and I’m sure I’m about to offend some people), when you have a spirit that’s frankly as dull as Lochnagar the best thing to do with it is ‘enhance it’, but when it is something a majestic as old Bruichladdich – never!
ORKNEY
Highland park 1992 (12 year old) 62.3% £46.95
A lovely Bourbon oak nose of lemon/ citrus fruit. Rich, oily apricot and tangerine along with waxy citrus peel and light peat smoke. It has a nice sweetness with fauna and heather notes. There is no coastal character (mainland matured I think!). Quite oily on the palate with heather and floral apricot fruit, then whoosh, in comes the rather gentle smoke and medicinal peat along side tangy malt and cereal. Very long with a surprising grassy sauvignon-esque note in the after taste. A touch of water emphasises the citrus fruits on the nose and does the same to the palate, although it mutes the peat/ smoke character. Thus for the full effect I suggest drinking neat!
GRAIN
Girvin Raw Cask 1990 (14 year old) 59.4% £40.95
A heavily oily, estery nose. Quite a gin like quality with dried salted apricots, creamy vanilla oak, light beeswax and floor polish, along with a slight earthy, floral, botanical note. Clean, crisp and earthy on the palate. Quite oily and slightly floral. It bursts with loads of lovely delicately spiced dried fruit on the middle and a long , tangy grain finish with a touch of botanicals on the after taste. Water emphasises its oily character and brings out a delicate sweet spice note. On the palate it brings out a lovely, sweet, frankly yummy cereal flavour along with a nutty, dried fruitiness.
Have a happy Easter
Sincerely
Chris Goodrum
Visit Gauntleys at www.gauntley-wine.co.uk
