BEAM Global Spirits & Wines

 BEAM Spirits Confidential – Toronto , June 26, 2013

By: Wendy Harker (representing Whisky Intelligence)

“Every time it rains, it rains Bourbon from Heaven”

(Dean Martin, When You’re Drinking ‘Bourbon from Heaven’)

On June 26, 2013, I had the great pleasure of attending Spirits Confidential – Toronto.  This was a Beam Global event that showcased the breadth of their spirited products held at the very hip and urban venue, Evergreen Brick Works.  It was an all-day event, split into an afternoon session for trade insiders and media and an evening session open to the public.  Beam Global’s portfolio is a palate seducing wish list that includes bourbons and other whiskies, rum, tequila, cognac, and vodka.  Spirits Confidential was also a special occasion to meet Master Distillers, Blenders and Brand Ambassadors.

Fred Noe

On this occasion, it was notably significant to have the opportunity to meet Fred Noe, Great-Grandson of Jim Beam and seventh generation Beam family distiller based in Clermont, Kentucky.  The Beam family name is synonymous with bourbon where their legacy of producing innovative and premium quality whiskey is still going strong. The Small Batch Bourbon Collection is a stellar foursome comprised of Booker’s, Baker’s 7, Knob Creek and Basil Hayden’s.  The Jim Beam brand carries a variety of bourbon whiskies like Devil’s Cut, Red Stag, and Jim Beam Black to name a few.  It is impossible to not share a deep appreciation for Mr. Noe’s family history and the baton of greatness that is being passed on from one generation to the next with bourbon expressions wearing the Beam name.

The afternoon event began with an exclusive invitation to an hour long Masters VIP Tasting of eight different spirits.   The principal spirits and presenters were:   Jim Beam & Small Batch, Devil’s Cut, Fred Noe, Master Distiller; Cruzan Rum, Cruzan Single Barrel, Don Nelthrop,  Assistant Master Distiller, Son of founder, Donald Nelthrop;  Marker’s Mark, Maker’s 46, Greg Davis, Master Distiller; Cooley’s Irish Whiskey, Kilbeggan 18 yo, John Cashman, Master Ambassador; Canadian Club, Canadian Club 20 yo, Dan Tullio, Master Ambassador; Courvoisier, L’Essence de Courvoiser Cognac, Patrice Pinet, Master Blender; Laphroaig, Cairdeas Port Wood Edition, Simon Brooking, Master Ambassador; and, Sauza Tequila, Sauza Tres Generacions Plata Tequila, Karina Sanchez, Master Ambassador.

At registration, I was given a chip with #5 on it which represented the table where I would begin the exclusive tasting circuit.   The eight site-tables were arranged in a circle comprised of ‘give or take’ groups of 10 guests moving from one table to the next with a bell announcing the end of each presentation.  To get the ball rolling, I was happy to discover that table #5 was Canadian Club and hosted by CC’s dynamic Brand Ambassador, Mr. Dan Tullio.  Without a second to waste, Dan launched into a brief historical synopsis of Hiram Walker, the Windsor Distillery and then introduced our palates to a sample of Canadian Club 20 year old, aged in sherry casks, 40% abv., $49.95.  The CC 20 awakened and warmed up my taste buds with its lingering notes of toffee and cloves.  I felt it was the perfect whisky to begin the afternoon journey of tasting premium Beam spirits.

Each presentation was educational and held something of particular value to me.   Of the 5 Bourbon/whiskies that were presented, the one that I hadn’t previously tasted was the Laphroaig Cairdeas Port Wood Edition, 51.3% abv, NCF.  I was thrilled when I saw it on the table.  This bottling is a limited port finish release created for the Islay whisky festival, Feis Ile 2013.  It has been double matured in bourbon and port wood casks.  This is a unique Laphroaig with its’ all natural pink hue colouring after being aged in port barrels. The Laphroaig was presented by the animated Simon Brooking, Brand Ambassador who gave an engaging and tactile session. I very much appreciated having the opportunity to sample this Islay whisky because it is not available at the LCBO; and, on the Laphroaig website, “sold out” marks the spot.  On my palate, I thought it was a balance of extracted sweet berry fruit that complimented Laphroaig’s signature back bone of brine and peat.   I was impressed that the port had such strong character to pop out like that.  My only regret was that I didn’t have more time to taste and think about it.

Before I knew it, the hour long Master VIP Tasting was over.  Fortunately, there was a fun filled afternoon to look forward to.   I headed over to a large open concept building where booths representing the Beam portfolio filled the venue.  As I stepped into the hall, it felt both daunting and amazing to think that one company owned such a distinctive stable of spirits.  I decided I would begin the next tasting chapter with another Canadian whisky named Alberta Premium Dark Horse, 45% abv, $29.95.  As I got my bearings, a dram with a lot of rye running through my veins felt like a good thing.   This portion of the event was relaxed, casual and filled with its fair share of pleasant surprises.  I welcomed the opportunity to talk with the Brand experts and to learn as much as I possibly could from them.

Wendy Harker & Greg Davis

It was a real pleasure to catch-up to Maker’s Mark Master Distiller, Greg Davis.  The signature seal of the red wax bottles were on full display, with an oak plank stretched across the right corner of the table. This striking display told the story of what makes Maker’s 46 different from Maker’s Mark.  In the final 2-3 months of aging, seared French oak staves are inserted into barrels of Maker’s Mark whisky to draw out more flavour notes and to give this bottling its unique characteristics.  The chance to retaste Maker’s 46, 45% abv, reminded me of how much I really liked it.  So much so, in fact, I bought a bottle the next day!

My next stop was with John Cashman, Brand Ambassador of Cooley’s Irish Whiskey.  In January 2012 Cooley Distillery was purchased by Beam Global.  I am a fan of Irish whiskey and the brand produces a couple of my favourites like Tryconnell and Greenore; other well known whiskies under Cooley’s umbrella are Kilbeggan and Connemara.  I asked John what we had to look forward to from Cooley’s and what have been some of the changes it has experienced now under Beams wing.  He said that the distillery will now be able to hold onto their younger aged whiskies that would have otherwise been sold to other companies.  He added that this will also give the distillery the opportunity to produce older aged whiskies and develop new finishes.  This had me wondering if the increased volume of in-house whiskies would also increase limited releases.  I asked him about Cooley’s Poitin, a Single Pot Still New Make whiskey which is also currently being aged in barrels.   I asked if he thought the barrel aged whiskey would be released in 2014?   Shaking his head, John non-specifically predicted that it would be later than that.  He also talked about how they had been faced with the obstacle of marketing and distributing on a global scale. But with Beam Inc, they would now be able to reach a worldwide market. I was left with a good impression that we were going to see some exciting new releases from this distillery.  And, the quality, creativity and Brand heritage that Cooley’s is known for was very much intact.

Not all of the brands at this event were owned by Beam Global.  Grouped together at one end of the hall were three Scottish Whiskies: Highland Park, Macallan and Famous Grouse.  I wondered what their relationship was with Beam Global and asked one of the Brand Ambassadors.  The whiskies are owned by the Edrington Group with Beam Global being their Canadian distribution partner.

I approached the Macallan table and was equally delighted to find the knowledgeable and hospitable, Marc Laverdiere, Macallan Brand Ambassador, and The Macallan 1824 Series: Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby.   The bottled series uses a range of woods for flavour and colour and is without age statements.  As of the first week of July, the series is a new release at the LCBO with Canada being one of the worldwide markets to receive the entire collection.   I was grateful to have the opportunity to sample the four new expressions.  Of the four, Sienna was my favourite; the whisky has been aged in 100% American oak sherry casks and bottled at 43% abv. I tried to savour my sample with its lingering finish and flavours of plump fruit, honey and warming spicy tones.   It felt like a lovely treat.

With the afternoon coming to an end, it just seemed right to finish my day with a dram of Baker’s 7, one of the bourbons from the Small Batch Collection.  It was my personal way of toasting the namesake of the event and to ponder the past four hours that seemed to slip through my fingers.  I felt that I had been navigating myself through a series of complex whiskies and brand relationships.  One lasting thought was that while under the umbrella of the powerhouse of Beam Global, the cultural beginnings and the rich heritage of bourbon and other whisky brands that comprise its portfolio have remained preserved.  These gems of whisky symbolized a blend of ingenuity and traditional value while at the same time delighting and challenging my senses of taste and smell.  It is also important to recognize the hard working experts like the Master Distillers, Blenders and Brand Ambassadors that are so personable and willing to answer questions and share their knowledge.  The spirit of this event was one of generosity and fun.

Kensington (KWM) Calgary Spring Whisky Festival 13th June, 2013

The Kensington Spring Whisky Festival is so popular that it’s sold out months in advance and a second ’emergency’ mini Festival was scheduled the following week to deal with the extra demand. Whisky Intelligence was fortunate to be invited and flew to Calgary to attend the Thursday evening event.

KWM is not a physically large store but its foot print on the Canadian whisky scene is far out strips its diminutive size. The whisky team is led by their in house ‘scotch guy’ Andrew Ferguson who has a passion for whisky that is infectious.

KWM seeks out many varieties of whiskies and works relentlessly to expand their whisky selection, as an example their selection of Japanese whisky is showing rapid growth, many of which are exclusive to KWM. They also bottle around 6 to 8 single casks a year which are exclusive to the store and many customers are consulted in during the selection process which KWM describes as ‘whisky democracy’.

They are run an astonishing array of tastings throughout the year and these tastings are jam packed with all types of highly sought after whiskies. Customers are kept up to date by Andrew’s popular and detailed Malt Messenger (which is often published on Whisky Intelligence).

They are also the retail home of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Alberta and they host the very popular 1st Friday Outtrun Tastings which have expanded to two events on the 1st Friday and then a third on the Saturday evenings, such is the demand for Society whiskies.

The Festival is supported by local agents and their tables are arranged throughout the store and amongst the racks of wine and spirits. Most tables feature between 6 and 8 different whiskies from all over the world although the malts from Scotland predominate. The Festival lasts for 2 hours however WI was able to gain access 30 minutes prior to the opening; time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted! A count of the whiskies on offer topped out at 110 which is pretty amazing selection.

W.I. sampled Glenglassaugh 26yo, Dalwhinnie 25yo, W&M Port Ellen 30yo, Hammer Head Czech whisky, two single 2005 casks exclusive to KWM which are due to arrive in a month or so, the new Macallan Ruby, SMWS Laphroaig 20yo 29.124, the very recently released Ardbog, Laphroaig 18 (a dram or two it must be confessed), Arran 16yo (again, a dram or two – a point not lost on the hyper observant lady behind the table), Tomatin 25, Tomatin 30yo, G&M 1979 Dallas Dhu and a 1980’s vintage G&M Glen Albyn. The W&M North British 50yo was also on offer however the pours were microscopic so it was impossible to achieve any sense of the whisky however the pours were adequate if one merely wanted to say they had tried a 50yo whisky; as a sales tool such a small pour was a failure.

Naturally a purchase or two was made; a SMWS Laphroaig 29.124, a 16yo Isle of Arran (see, those extra pours did the trick), Ardbog and a Wilson & Morgan Port Ellen 30 Year (Exclusive to KWM, only 12 bottles of this whisky have been made available to Canada. From sherry butt 2031, distilled in 1982 and bottled in 2012 at 57.7%. This is one of just 420 bottles.)

Enough is good as a feast as they say and soon time was up, the pourers were packed away and it was time to call it an evening for the following evening was the Ultimate Ardbeg Event…details to follow.

If you plan on attending one of Kensington’s Whisky Festivals (held in the spring and the fall) then sign up for the Malt Messenger via their website (www.kensingtonwinemarket.com) and purchase your tickets early!

Caution: dragons!

Whisky Intelligence was fortunate to attend the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (of Canada) First Friday Tasting of the Society’s June Outturn in Victoria, British Columbia this past June 7^th.

Due to the antediluvian flavour of the liquor laws in the province distribution of Society whiskies is handled by two retail shops; Edgemont Fine Wines in North Vancouver and the Strath Ale Wine Spirit Merchants  in Victoria.

The lucky attendees arrived at the Strath starting from about 20 minutes before the scheduled commencement and after chatting together for a while at 6:30 there was a spontaneous move towards the firmly sealed door of the tasting room, like a herd of otters drawn to the smell of salmon wafting through the air. This obstacle presented by the door was soon breached by some enthusiastic good natured banging on the door until entry was granted by Rick, the assistant manager of the Strath.

Once seated the attendees were greeted by 8 samples, lots of water, some nice light snacks, biscuits etcetera plus a copy of the June Outturn, of course with the image of the dragon on the front cover there was immediate speculation that there would be a Penderyn lurking somewhere among the 8 samples. (Please see the image in the accompanying SMWS article).  The Outturn had the salient details redacted so there was no way to determine the distilleries; thus it was down to skill set of the individuals to determine what was in the glass. The exception was the last sample which was clearly identified as a single cask rum (!) but again, the distillery of origin, dates of distillation and ABV were absent.

The entire group was seated at one long table and of course such a layout only encourages conversation with neighbours and this only adds towards making the whole experience richer; a second maturation in sherry wood if you will (Oh my WI is attempting whisky humour – how very whisky geekish!!).

Many of the attendees were veterans of past First Friday Tastings so Colin, the Manager of the Strath and the lion tamer for the evening, ably assisted by Rick, made quick work of the preamble and the tasting was soon under way. They led the room through the samples which included two ‘revisit’ bottles from previous Outturns (Casks 30.70 and 35.65). The addition of these ‘revisit’ bottles was appreciated by the group as it offered an additional look at them with ‘fresh eyes’ so to speak.

Nearly half the group comprised of women and their veteran whisky experience was blindingly obvious; their confident observation of what was in the glass contributed significantly to the evening.

As the evening progressed the distilleries were revealed, one by one and Colin and Rick have obviously learned from previous tastings as the names of the distilleries were prominently displayed on 8.5×11 sheets of paper so there were no cries of ‘how do you spell that?” from the group.

Once the samples had been revealed there was an opportunity to resample any of the evening’s whiskies and many used this as a final confirmation before purchasing a bottle (or two). Colin and Rick were also quick to offer a ‘revisit’ to any other available samples from previous Outturns.

Colin and Rick have created a delightful evening that is free from pretense or bias, they present the whiskies in a neutral manner and let what’s in the glass ‘walk the walk’ and it’s a refreshing presentation style which many in the industry could adopt to their benefit.

The line-up for the very entertaining and illuminating evening was as follows;

Cask No. 71.35 (Glenburgie) Rose petal baths in the Glasgow School of Art. 27 years old; refill hogshead; 57.2%abv

Cask No. 30.70 (Glenrothes) Venus n furs 23 years old refill hogshead, ex bourbon; 52% ABV

Cask No. 125.65 (Glenmorangie) Patisseries & ice-cream parlours. 7 years old; first fill barrel; 61.5%abv

Cask No. (Glen Moray) 35.65 Cornish clotted cream ice-cream 10 years old; Refill chardonnay hogshead; 60.3%

Cask No. 76.91 (Mortlach) Caballero in an orange grove. 22 years old; refill sherry butt; 57.9%abv

Cask No. 3.195 (Bowmore) Cigar smoking dragon 14 years old; 2nd fill sherry butt; 58.5%abv

Cask No. 33.122 (Ardbeg) Big, brooding, masculine & intense. 7 years old; first fill barrel; 59.7%abv

Cask No. R3.4 (Something from Barbados) Makes you strong like a lion. 10 years old; refill sherry butt; 75.3%abv

Whisky Intelligence came away with a bottle of the Glenburgie which was a delight and was the group favourite of the evening (judging by the numerous requests for a second sample). The very last bottle of Isle of Arran Cask No. 121.50 9yo 61.3% refill sherry butt “XMAS CAKE & AFGHAN COATS” leaped into the bag with the Glenburgie; quality likes to travel together it seems.

The next SMWS First Friday Outturn Tasting is scheduled for July 5^th. If you would like to try before you join prospective Society members are most welcome and the cost is a mere $10 extra ($45 versus $35) per person; bring a friend!  Contact Colin or Rick at (250) 370-9463 to reserve or obtain details on how to join the Society.

Visit www.smws.ca for full tasting notes from the June and previous Outturns.

Alasdair and Wendy

On Thursday May 30^th, I had the pleasure of meeting the affable Mr. Alasdair Day who was in town to promote Tweeddale Whisky, Batch Three at the Toronto Kingsway LCBO.  Mr. Day was well into a jam packed week of promoting this LCBO new release to fellow Ontarians.  I bought two bottlings which he happily autographed, and while savouring a complimentary sample of Batch Three, we enjoyed a chat about Tweeddale, the May 25 LCBO debut and this being his first trip to Canada.

I really like the story behind Tweeddale.  It is a piece of history that resonates on a deeper level.  It embraces the entrepreneurial spirit of breathing life back into a family legacy while jumping in with both feet.  How great is that?  Alasdair’s great-grandfather, Richard Day, was a Scottish whisky blender who kept meticulous blending notes in his “cellar book.” However, after World War II, he closed the doors to his blending company J & A Davidson and sold off his remaining casks.  Eventually, the cellar book fell into the right hands when Alasdair inherited his great-grandfather’s notes; perhaps this is the case of destiny at its best.   In 2009, Alasdair took the leap and founded Stonedean Ltd with the exclusive intention to recreate the Tweeddale Blend.  In 2010, after a 70 year hiatus, the first Batch was created.   On the heels of the success of Batch 1 and 2, Mr. Day and company are now celebrating their first North American whisky debut on the LCBO shelves and into the palate of the Ontario whisky enthusiast.  Tweeddale Batch Three is a 12 year old blended whisky, bottled at 46% abv, non chill-filtered, and retailing at $69.95.  The blend is a composition of nine single cask whiskies; eight malty whiskies and one single grain.  It is a handsome bottling that is decorated with an etching of Richard Day.  My only critique is that nowhere on the label is it identified which Batch number the bottling is.  For me, that is an important detail to note.  To nose and taste, this is a smooth, all around very enjoyable and welcoming dram with a lovely balance of sweet vanilla, nutty and spicy warm notes with a hint-o-smoke.  Well done to the Day family!

As a whisky enthusiast, it felt meaningful to welcome Alasdair and his great-grandfather’s Richard Day’s legacy to this side of the pond. But more importantly, Batch Three is very tasty.

Wendy Harker, Toronto

Finland whisky fest; News for whisky lovers

This report sent in by Angels whisky club member; Mika Jansson.

The third annual UISGE whisky festival in not so freezing Helsinki on 31^st of January – 1^st of February (Thu – Fri)

Held at the old students house (Vanha Ylioppilastalo). Expectations were high, with more whisky importers than ever before presented more than 230 different kinds of whiskies from all over the world. UISGE 2013 also hosted a number of whisky world’s movers and shakers as guest speakers, and during the two festival days some 20 guided tastings and presentations took place at the meeting rooms of the venue.

A total of 2,000 visitors, the biggest-ever crowd in the history of the festival, enjoyed thoroughly the event , which started on Thrusday afternoon with the Helsinki Pipes & Drums band proudly playing the bagpipes on the stage. Despite of a record-breaking success, the festival’s atmosphere was as peaceful and friendly as ever. This was duly noted by the international guest speakers, many of whom praised the overall arrangements, and the crowd’s level of enthusiasm and knowledge of whisky in general, as well as the good behaviour of all. One international guest speaker noted that ‘UISGE is right now one of the nicest whisky events in all of Europe to come to’ much to the pride of the organizers.

UISGE whisky festival is the brainchild of two local Finnish whisky enthusiasts, Mika Jansson and Ilkka Ruponen. Back in 2010 these gentlemen from the Malt Whisky Association of Finland started planning a major whisky festival in Finland, despite of local legal and other limitations (anything to with spirits above 22% vol. isn’t allowed to be advertised in the country in any way). It took much convincing and planning, but what seemed like just a dream has now become an annual event, once a year gathering all Finnish whisky hobbyists and importers together for two days each January – February.

UISGE whisky festival also arranges a whisky competition, in which a panel of judges select the best whiskies according to geographical groupings (Scottish Highlands, Lowlands etc). Finally all group winners compete for the title of ‘Best of the Best’ – Whisky of the year. The 40 member panel of judges consists of enthusiasts and bar professionals alike.

In the ‘Best of the Best’ – Whisky of the year competition, the winner was Auchentoshan’s Three Wood, with Highland Park 21yo coming in second, and Bunnahabhain 18yo placing third. From the judge’s comments it was evident that the robust, sherried flavour profile of Auchentoshan Three Wood attracted many, and made the whisky stand out from the rest.

Many thanks to Mika for the story and photographs!

www.angelswhiskyclub.com

Paul Mclean to the LEFT!

Paul had an away day (overnight) trip to Ed-Dram-Burgh,

Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 December 2012. 

Here is his report; I took the train from Perth to Edramburgh, och it was full of screamin kids, an hour of purgatory later, we arrived at Waverly, whereby I set oot for some breakfast – it was still early! A favourite place of mine is Whiski on High Street (Royal Mile), apart from being a good bar, they have lots of whisky and great food. I settled down with an Irn Bru and ordered an Eggs Benedict, it was on my plate nae more than 5 minutes, grand stuff! Followed by a Dalmore – medical reasons you understand. After a wee bit of shopping, well I need get something for Liz, I headed up to the whisky experience near the castle (www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk).

They were really busy, I mentioned what I was after and immediately was sent to level 3 to the whisky fair, even at 1pm it was busy. I wandered in, many excellent bottlings to sample, so I did. Dondered over to Ben Nevis (www.bennevisdistillery.com), old pals o mine, whereby a dram was placed in front of me. Ben Nevis Distillery is one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland, nestled at the foot of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, 4’406 feet above sea level. This imposing mountain provides an impressive background to a traditional Scottish craft. I enjoyed the craft with a 10 year old single malt, introduced to the market back in 1996 using whisky produced in 1986, the last year that Long John International produced whisky at Ben Nevis distillery. They were awarded a grand gold medal by Monde Selection in 1999 and again in 2000. It also won a gold medal in 2001 and a trophy for three consecutive years of being awarded gold and grand gold medals. Quickly followed by McDonald’s Traditional Ben Nevis Highland Single Malt Whisky, Distillery Bottling. A special edition whisky from Ben Nevis in celebration of their 185th year. It is an attempt at recreating the McDonald’s Traditional Ben Nevis which was a popular dram in the 1880s. The Clan MacDonald are no far from we Maclean’s, it was superb!

After promising to go back (which I did) Dewar’s followed (www.dewars.com), it was calling me, well, Big Ross and George were! After “hello’s” – hadnee seen the lads for ages – I settled into a dram or three; DEWAR’S Signature – a superb blend, as usual, I enjoyed it more being a sample (free). “Anything new for me?” I enquired; as it happened, aye, Bits of Strange, 16 year old, man! What a smooth dram that is – dinnae believe me? see the photo. After more chat and more samples, I bade them farewell (for now), heading over to Inver House (www.inverhouse.com). I started with the Balblair 1975; fantastic dram, iconic bottle shape with a liquid inside to charm a snake handler! Spicy, raisins, sherry, honey and green apple, a long smooth finish that stayed with me ages! So much so, I had to get over to the cheese table to cleanse my mush. There was a line waiting to be served, myself included. Then, my eyes flew wide open, closely followed by my mouth, other people around me the same, what could this be? Some big troll of a woman was after cheese … “cheeeze” she slobbered as she pushed through, dear me, she had a face like a vandalised Scotch egg and a slash of a mouth, red eyes and the size of an Ork (is that right spelling? Lord of the Rings). I tell you, people (myself included) got out of the way fast! Cheese can do later I told myself. Jeeze, that could scare dogs!

Back to the whisky – quick. Tried another favourite; Glenfarclas 40 year old (www.glenfarclas.co.uk). But hey, hold on a smidge here, it was one of the smallest measures I had ever seen! My neighbour standing next to me said the same, come on guys, superb whiskies but dram sizes? If that was what they were doin, I was away. So went for a good smack of a dram to Tomatin (www.tomatin.com), where a 40 year old had my name on it. Had this before, no disappointed again either, great stuff. I was slowing down by now, peeping through people to find the troll, scary, she was nowhere to be seen so I dondered to the cheese again. “What the hell was that?” I asked, the poor lass and big fella there were still in shock, a nice bit of applewood cheese cleansed my pallet before heading back into the fray. I ventured into a Drambuie (www.drambuie.com ). After the Battle of Culloden, 1746, Prince Charles Edward Stuart fled to the island of Skye. There, he was given sanctuary by Captain John MacKinnon of Clan MacKinnon. According to family legend, after staying with the captain, the prince rewarded him with this prized drink recipe. This version of events is disputed by historians who believe it to be a story concocted to boost sales of the drink.The legend holds that the recipe was then given in the late 19th century by Clan MacKinnon to James Ross. Ross died young, and to pay for their children’s education, his widow was obliged to sell the recipe, by coincidence to a different MacKinnon family, in the early 20th century. The latter MacKinnon family has been producing the drink since. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Drambuie being bottled in Edinburgh, the makers launched a new style of bottle and embarked on a television and print advertising campaign. I had for bypass Diageo as I ran out of time (and the will to live after the troll from hell). I said farewell’s to pals and headed into the sanctuary of the bar, had a quick Ben Riach 25 year old to settle me nerves, before heading out into the glorious summer warmth and sunshine of Edinburgh (I wish). I stumbled into the Bow Bar, great selection of real ales and even better whisky selection, I ordered a triple wood Balvenie and a haggis pie (dinnae tell Liz), ate up and chatted to a couple of Australian’s here for the whisky (sitting next to me), a good long chat, gave a few helpful (I hope) tips and moved on, a wee bit more shopping, before taking a taxi to my hotel.

Kirsty welcomed me in again and I was shown to my den. Quick shower, change and brush up, before heading out to the Dome – my favourite Edinburgh haunt. A whisky/champagne cocktail and I was happy, the place was looking fantastic, it was heaving full, I squeezed up at the bar to a few lassies waiting to be served, “might I be cheecky and ask you to include my next drink with your order?” sure enough, nae bother, the blond girl even paid for it! Great I thought, until it was my turn to get a drink, there were four of them, one of me! Oh well, stumbled back to my hotel over the road and dropped on the bed. I did have a nice bottle of Merlot to keep me company, so dropped me clothes (as you do) fell on the bed and looked at Match of the day (football) on telly. It was then the nightmare started again!!!

Outside the window a frighteningly haggard face was looking at me, I was terrified – the troll! And I was 7 floors up! As I panicked and tried to get under the bed, no mean feat for a stodger like myself, the face went higher, it was a bloody halloween balloon!!! Breathing heavy (nae, dinnae go there!) I carried on with a glass of wine watching the footy, eventually falling into a heavy daze and waking up 8 ish on Sunday, thinking about breakfast.

I arrived home to Perth, settled down, checking every room for the troll, before sittin doon with a glass of wine. An eventful couple of days, but they always are eh? Was it worth it? Aye. Dram of the fair? It has to be the Dewar’s Bits of Strange, I will be chatting to Ross again about this one, it’s only available at the distillery, thankfully that’s 40 minutes away, even better, Ross lives in Perth! Until my next outing, slainte!

Paul is owner of www.mcleanscotland.com and www.angelswhiskyclub.com along with Liz, who is away in India, missing all the fun.

PALS WITH DRAMS

Pre Christmas whisky tasting at home in Perth, Scotland. 19 December 2012.

by Paul Mclean

My friend of many years came round for a chat, grub and drams recently, well, today actually. Now, Adeline is well used to whisky, having worked for a while with Edrington, so I thought it time she tried some other wee gems. Some shopping preceded this session (she is a girl after all!), a visit to the hair dresser (for Ad not me) knowing full well she would be on camera, we also dondered over to Sante, a nice restaurant in Perth for a late lunch. Mussels, pigs cheek, hake, tatties and ribs, plus a wine and a champagne. All wee starters of course! Back home, the whisky made an appearance; being Paul’s hoose, we started with what else? An Irish;

BUSHMILLS 1608 ANNIVERSARY EDITION. Aye it’s a blend, but very little grain in this. We both agreed, ginger snaps, marzipan with some citrus, lovely dram to start us off. Am on my 3^rd bottle of this.

CLERACH JURA VIN CASK. Surprisingly sweet, more like an after dinner frozen grape wine to me (Paul). I had some left over from a tasting the other night with Tim, Liz and friends in a restaurant in Perth, we did cause raised eyebrows when we asked for 6 glasses, “hey, you cannee do that here!” was the comment from the waiter, after a chat with the manager, we were ok, after all, Tim had travelled from Moscow! Here is Michel Couvreur’s description of this fascinating and unique drink: “The barley was distilled on the 09th July 2001 in Scotland and the “clerach” was delivered to our cellar on the 24th July 2001. On the 29th July 2003, day of the “percée” of Vin Jaune, the cask was filled with the Scotch clerach so causing through the oak wood a slow mutual penetration of the grassy lightness of the barley and the VIN JAUNE extraordinary finesse. The original 228 bulk litres at 68,20% alc.vol., decreased at 61,20% alc.vol. two years later, were reduced to 43% alc .vol., because a high alcoholic content would have hidden the elegant lightness unique to Vin Jaune.”

JAPANESE WHITE OAK. Recently been on a tour to the Perthshire Highlands with me, see; http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/athollwinter.asp What did Adeline think? Nice, could be Scotch! Paul liked it also.

GLENMORANGIE SIGNET is distilled from malt with a good portion of chocolate malt too. Chocolate malt is heavily roasted malted barley. Chocolate raisins, cocoa, cinnamon, oranges, malt, fruity. Superb! This was the winner by a long stretch, she loved it so much, took a sample in a hip flask home.

Here endeth the tasting, a breather with some smoked salmon followed, just to cleanse the pallet you understand. Like Liz, Ad will soon be away to India – what is it with India? Ad has her own events company here in Perth and meets up with Paul often, many times over a glass of wine. So, we hear you ask, how did she get home? Why a taxi of course!

See all here; http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/prexmas.asp

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Whisky from Japan has an outing in Highland Perthshire on a snowy day.

December 13th I took a wee trip north into Highland Perthshire, I took a pal with me – this bottle. It was pretty grim weather but one has to do these things (isnee that what someone famous said?).

White Oak is from a Japanese distillery near Kobe. They’ve named Akashi after the town the distillery is in. White Oak: a blended whisky at 40%, smooth with apple, sugar and fruits, there’s a hint of yeast. A simple whisky blend – short finish.

White Oak Distillery now runs at a capacity of 60,000 litres per year. The distillery is owned by Shuzo Co. Ltd (Eigashima Shuzo Co. Ltd), which dates back to 1888, is located in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture, Honshu Island.

On my trip I stopped off at Blair Atholl Distillery, well, it was on the way! Just to take pix mind, I was still driving. Taking things easy as I left Pitlochry on the back roads through Atholl, I stopped now and then to take some images and admire the views (as I always do, even living here I still like to donder around). I arrived at the hotel (checking it out for a group stay next year) dropped in a heap on the bed, sorted a few things out and headed doon to the bothy bar. A bite to eat and a pint of Braveheart later, I felt better. Climbed back upstairs and settled down in front of the telly, eventually opening the bottle.

Did I like it? well, enjoyed it a great deal, then tried it with some cheese, even better I thought. Aye as you have to – I dribbled a wee dram over the cheese and let it soak in, delicious. A few drams later (large) I drifted into a glorious sleep, dreamt of going to Japan – woke up with a start as the snow blew in the open window! Give me another dram to settle me down, what a grand excuse!

Paul and friend took the trip;

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

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The Big Whisky Interview – can it get any bigger?

Angels whisky club INTERVIEW Charlie Maclean –  Hi again Charlie, nice of you to spare me some time for this chat , I thought it well in order and about time we interviewed you, being our Patron. Are you sitting comfortably? Let’s begin…

What first got you interested in whisky? One of my best friends at school was Charlie Grant, whose father owned The Glenlivet Distillery. They were direct descendants of the founder, George Smith. I was first introduced to single malt whisky up at Glenlivet, in the late 1960s. I was brought up on the Isle of Arran, and in the pub of an evening with the locals the custom was to start with beer, then switch to Scotch. Whether you liked it or not! There was no choice. I began writing about whisky in 1981 and then more and more, including booklets for Macallan, Glenmorangie, Allied and United Distillers (as was then).

Next question comes easy (to me); what part of a distillery do you get most satisfaction from? I would say the still house and the warehouse.

Do you have any thoughts about finishing? Port, Sherry etc. More and more finishes are now on offer. In fact, do you have a favourite finish (mine is sherry)? I’m not a great fan of finishing, although it is perfectly justified and produces whiskies which are smooth and easy to drink I admit. I prefer unfinished, or Oloroso finished, if pushed.

Here’s one to test your mind; what would happen if, for example, a distillery used beech or larch in place of oak casks? I believe chestnut has been used, but oak is the best by far. Oak is watertight but not airtight, which allows the whisky to breathe, and chemicals in the oakwood leech into the liquid, adding colour and desirable flavours like vanilla, coconut, dried fruits, etc., depending on whether the oak is American or European.

What do you look for in a new whisky? Maturity, but still traces of the individual distillery character; an intriguing aroma and a taste which develops the aroma. Complexity. Fruitiness. Not too grainy or malty. And, yes peat-smoke – but not all the time!

Apart from our membership (of course) is there anyone in the whisky world you still wish to meet? Past or present. That’s a hard one! There are so many people I’d like to meet. (After a wee while…) Robert Burns!

Weird question time; if Aliens came and took ALL our whisky in the world, what would you then do with your time? Ha, ha! Never been asked that before! Commit suicide? Seriously, I would just have to start writing about something else! Or do nothing!

Weird question part 2; apart from being immersed in distilleries and the trade, what are your outside interests? I like to shoot, fish, cook (and eat), sail; I collect whisky books, and I read a lot – particularly Scottish history (same as Paul then!).

Finally; a winter night in Scotland, it’s snowing and cold enough to scare monkey’s, it’s 9pm and you are sitting in front of the fire, what dram do you have? I pour my first dram of the evening at 6.00 pm, while I’m ‘tidying up my desk’. You may be surprised to hear that what I reach for is a blend. Most of my work is with malt, so when I just want to relax, a blend’s ‘your only man’. If I could afford it, I would reach for Johnnie Walker Black Label.

Many thanks for being honest and putting up with all of this mush, do you have a parting shot? Aye, a happy Christmas and Hogmanay to all of you! Charlie

Charlie was interviewed by Paul McLean, 4pm, 6 December 2012, Edinburgh.

www.angelswhiskyclub.com

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

ANGELS WHISKY CLUB – AWARDS 2012

We gathered once again at the usual watering hole; Christies pub, Perth, Scotland. All the usual suspects were invited; Paul, Lizzie, Ming, Boab, Diageo Man, Ron, apologies from Kevin, still out on the rigs of the North Sea, Offaly man was in Ireland.  Now please bear in mind, we are no professional nose/tasters, we are a herd of whisky lovin people who enjoy a dram, why choose these drams?  Over the year we have “had a go” at these and many others, these were some real favourites.

We all brought at least one dram to try, Billy & Helen threw one in also. Beers started the event, as everyone dondered in, we perched at the usual end of the (newly refurbished) bar and brought oot the first award contender. At this stage let me introduce the contenders; Cutty Sark Storm, Isle of Mull blend, Ben Riach 1995 single cask, Springbank 15 yo 1997, Tyrconnell Single Malt.

We started with the easy to drink drams, Mull first, we all liked it. A wee dram of Irish next as we downed the Tyrconnell, we all liked that as well! Next was the Storm, strangely – we all liked that too! That left us two to try (again), well what can I say? They were both excellent drams, but the Springbank slightly edged it.  According to the panel, our whisky of the year is the Springbank 15 yo 1997.  Nose: Oaky, citrus, caramel, brown sugar and sweeties. Taste: spicy, citrus. Result: we all agreed, a really nice dram. A long finish.

So after an almost 100% decision we had to test again just to be sure (but we changed the order a wee bit). Cutty Sark Storm;  The creation of Cutty Sark Master Blender Kirsteen Campbell. She has used many of the whiskies used to create other expressions of the Cutty Sark range, including grain whisky from North British and single malts from Highland Park and Macallan. The differences are the single malts used in Storm, these single malts are older. A bright golden yellow with niff’s of brown sugar, raisins and sultanas, syrup. The finish is long and grabs your taste buds, easy drinking (too easy, eh slow down Boab).  Isle of Mull blend;   A blend of Highland Malt and Grain Whiskies. Sweet and fruity with a hint of shortbread. http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/isleofmull.asp   Tyrconnell Single Malt; This whiskey is elegant, sweet taste, fresh, malty, fruity bouquet, smooth sweet taste and delicate dry finish. A wee gem from the Cooley stable, always a favourite in the pub. Springbank 15 yo 1997; Nose: soy sauce. Water brings chocolate?  orange, sherry, touch of smoke. Fruitier with water, which we tried of course. Just a wee wetting. And so to the Ben Riach 1995 single cask; From cask 7164 distilled in May 1995, this 16-year-old bottled at 58.3% vol. On the nose, bananas, citrus and oregano, melons and lychee. 695 bottles, each bottle is hand-numbered – we had 693. We all agreed bananas, we ended up all do the “monkey!” hoppin aboot and hands under the armpit, what a right bunch we looked.

The second outcome? Same as before but only by a nose from the Ben Riach a very close second.

Awards took place at Christies Bar in Perth, Scotland. November 2012.

www.angelswhiskyclub.com is free or everyone to join. Patron; Charlie Maclean.