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

Wednesday, April 16th, 2014

Scotch Tasting
Tuesday April 22nd.
4:30 P.M. or 6:00 P.M.
Benriach & Glendronach
with Alistair Walker

I was told once by an industry-insider that Billy Walker has one of the best noses and palates in the Business. Billy has been doing great work in the whisky industry for many years but the last ten years have been very special. In 2004 he and a group of investors purchased the Benriach Distillery. Although it has been open for more than 100 years, distillation was not actually taking place for more than half of that time. Because of their on-site malting facilities, they spent many years malting barley for other operations but not actively distilling it themselves.

The group then purchased Glendronach in 2008 and I remember the day well — I looked up to the heavens and said “Thank You” because the U.S. never saw very much of their wonderful sherried single-malts. Then in 2013 the group acquired Glenglassaugh Distillery. Glenglassuagh is another distillery with a checkered past, but now it will get the love and attention it deserves, and flourish as it should.

We will focus on Benriach & Glendronach Distilleries in the tasting this coming Tuesday. Both have a great standard line-up that this time around we will skip but they’re ranges that we will show and work more with in the future. Billy’s talent for cask-selection shows when you taste any of his products, but especially in the limited single-casks we’ll be tasting next Tuesday. Quantities are limited and we are taking orders starting immediately for bottles that can be signed by Billy’s son, Alistair. This batch of casks from both Benriach and Glendronach are some of the best whisky that has come this way, and the depth and intricacy that they show are splendid. These are single malts that you (and those lucky few for whom you pour them) will remember for years after they are gone. In obtaining these Limited Releases I made a few people crazy — this state can be very hard to say the least. The sale price today reflect the pricing from last year but I believe that more increases are coming. There is not a bad apple in the bunch and they are they are all just precious.

Benriach Heart of Speyside
Colour; Amber/ gold.
Nose; Fresh heather, fruit, honey, nuts and oak wood.
Palate: This expression cleverly captures fruit, honey, heather and spice notes, against a back drop of
mellow oak wood in a fresh and lively combination.
Regular: $41.99 Sale: $37.99

Benriach 2000 12 Y.O. 58.1% Oloroso Sherry Finish (34 days short of a 13 Y.O.)
Nose; Fresh oak spices roll over sweet golden sultanas and hints of ripe cantaloupe melon.
Palate; Creme caramel and rum-soaked sultanas balanced with cracked black pepper and sweet ripped mint.
Regular: $104.99 Sale: $92.99

Benriach 1994 19 Y.O. 53.2% Peated / Oloroso Sherry Butt Finish
Color; Antique Gold
Nose; Mellow citrus smoke drapes over green apple and apricots.
Palate: Orange- zested roasted apples are engulfed by sweet, spicy oak smoke and spice.
Regular: $164.99 Sale: $149.99

Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 2
Color; Rich golden amber with a crimson heart.
Nose: Wonderful rich aromas of honey drenched raisins and sultanas. Candied ginger and orange peel are spiced with a beautifully delicate back note of oak.
Palate: A perfectly balanced traditional sherried character. An explosion of chocolate coated raisins and zest of orange, mellowed with sweet warm oak spices, hints of soft toffee and gentle sugared almonds.
Finish; A uniquely balanced classic finish.
Regular: $139.99 Sale: $110.00

Glendronach 1996 – 17 Y.O. 53.2% Single Cask Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon
Color: Rich Burnt Amber
Nose: Toffee and fudge hold the rich dark fruits and oak spices
Palate: Chocolate and treacle combine with vanilla – laced prune syrup and figs; robust oak spices balance the sweet flavor explosion.
Regular: $154.99 Sale: $139.99

Glendronach 1992 – 21 Y.O. 59.3% Oloroso Sherry Butt
Color; Dark mahogany with rich ruby.
Nose; Crisp fresh- cut herbs and orange zest mingle with dark rum soaked raisins and currants.
Palate; Herbal stewed plums and orange bitters rolling to ground almonds and soft clove in a rich, traditional sherried finish.
Regular: $209.99 Sale: $189.99

Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits
________________________________________
Email: joe@federalwine.com
Phone: (617) 367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/

THE MACALLAN UNVEILS MASTERS OF TASTE COLLABORATION WITH THE WORLD’S BEST RESTAURANT, EL CELLER DE CAN ROCA 

The Macallan today unveils its latest exciting collaboration – The Macallan Masters of Taste – bringing together the supreme craft and innovation of two of the world’s leading masters to create the ultimate taste experience. 

Sitting at the very top of the World’s Best 50 restaurants*, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain has come together with The Macallan, the world’s ultimate luxury single malt Scotch whisky, to collaborate and innovate in the field of taste and cuisine. 

The Roca Brothers – Joan, Josep and Jordi – have combined their collective vision and diverse skills to extraordinary effect that saw them secure the world number one position in April 2013. A Catalan family restaurant at heart, El Celler de Can Roca’s philosophy is grounded in an evolutionary and modern approach. 

The Macallan continues to sit at the pinnacle of single malt whisky, by combining an unwavering commitment to the highest quality with a passion and desire to innovate and challenge the traditions of whisky making. 

Together these partners share the core values of craft, mastery, skill and innovation and have collaboratively crafted a new vision of bringing the worlds of whisky making and craft cuisine together to create something totally unique. 

The Masters of Taste will see The Macallan and the Roca Brothers unite their creativity and thinking to create an ultimate experience in taste. 

Ken Grier, Director of The Macallan, said, “We are truly excited and honoured to be collaborating with the Roca Brothers to launch this major new initiative. Joan, Josep and Jordi are not only inspirational; they are world-class innovators whose commitment to their craft is exceptional”. 

Whisky and cuisine have a long-standing connection but never have any two partners come together to really explore what this could, and should mean. Our collaboration is set to break down classic perceptions of food pairing and enter into a whole new, awe-inspiring world of taste and flavour experience.” 

Commenting on the collaboration, Josep Roca of El Celler de Can Roca said, “It is both a pleasure and an exciting challenge to work with The Macallan team. We combine knowledge, effort and hard work to improve in areas that individually we could have never imagined we could achieve, and all that with a strong commitment to innovation.” 

The most immediate outcome of this exciting new collaboration will be “The Ultimate Dinner with The Macallan and Roca”, six prestigious charity dinners held at El Celler de Can Roca during June and July 2014. 

The dinners are open to a very limited number of people globally at a cost of $10,000 per head. With a key focus on charitable giving, the net proceeds from the dinners, together with a further contribution from The Macallan will go to charity. The restaurant will open exclusively for these dinners on the six dates in June and July 2014**. 

“The Ultimate Dinner with The Macallan and Roca” will involve the most exquisite combination of gastronomy and whisky making. From exclusively designed dishes, inspired by the flavour and character of The Macallan, to an outstanding range of The Macallan whiskies from unreleased single cask malts through to M, the world’s most expensive whisky, The Macallan in Lalique 62 year old and the oldest single malt ever released by The Macallan distillery. The combination of this menu and the collection of fine whiskies served are being exclusively created for these charity dinners and will not be served anywhere in the world aside from on these six occasions. 

This exciting partnership is underpinned by Spain and the significance it plays in how both partners have evolved and are shaped today. For The Macallan its inherent connection with Spain is extremely strong through its commitment to Spanish oak sherry seasoned casks. This factor is the most influential in the final flavour and character of this single malt. For El Celler de Can Roca, their Spanish heritage has heavily shaped their ethos and enabled them to establish themselves as the leading force in Spanish cuisine. 

For more information on booking “The Ultimate Dinner with The Macallan and Roca” please visit: www.themacallan.com, email themacallan@rocadinners.com, or call +34 93 222 33 44 (from 9:00 – 18:00 GMT+1 time). 

* Organised by Restaurant magazine, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is an annual snapshot of the opinions and experiences of over 900 international restaurant industry experts. What constitutes “best” is left to the judgement of these trusted and well-travelled gourmets. www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners/el-cellerde- can-roca/ 

** There are only six available dates: June: Sunday 29th and Monday 30th. July: Sunday 6th, Monday 7th, Sunday 20th and Monday 21st. The restaurant will be exclusively opened on these dates

for these charity dinners only as it is usually closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Follow us on Twitter: @The_Macallan, @CanRocaCeller, #macallanmasters 

Notes

About The Macallan
Founded in 1824, The Macallan is one of the worlds most admired and awarded single malt whiskies. The reputation of The Macallan is based on a product of outstanding quality and distinctive character, founded upon a set of guiding principles, the Six Pillars. An obsession with quality has been the hallmark of The Macallan since its founding by Alexander Reid on a plateau above the river Spey in north-east Scotland. The distillery is surrounded by a 150 hectare estate, with Easter Elchies House, a Highland manor built in 1700, at its heart. Traditionally known for maturation in Spanish

oak, sherry seasoned casks, The Macallan’s range of outstanding single malts includes: Sherry Oak, matured in Spanish oak casks seasoned with sherry; Fine Oak, matured both in sherry casks of Spanish and American oak and in American oak casks seasoned with bourbon; the 1824 range, exclusive to Global Travel Retail. In addition, The Macallan is well known for its great range of vintage whiskies, dating back to 1926, and is considered the most sought after of all single malts among collectors and connoisseurs at auction.

www.themacallan.com 

About El Celler de Can Roca

Founded in 1986, El Celler de Can Roca became the best restaurant in the world in 2013. El Celler de Can Roca is a freestyle restaurant, committed to the avant-garde but still faithful to the memory of the family’s ancestors who were dedicated to feeding people. The brothers Joan and Josep Roca founded it in August 1986, in Girona. Joan in the kitchen and Josep in the dining room. The final addition was the youngest brother, Jordi, who joined the kitchen of El Celler de Can Roca in 1998. El Celler de Can Roca’s commitment to cuisine and its link to academia, has led it to champion the dialogue between the countryside and science. All the leading restaurant guides and gastronomy critics have acknowledged El Celler de Can Roca achievements over its first twenty-five years. The first Michelin star was awarded in 1995; the second in 2002 and the third on November 25, 2009. In 2014, it still holds three Michelin stars.

www.cellercanroca.com

Supergroup ‘TIRED PONY’ added to Bushmills Live™ line-up

Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol), Peter Buck (REM), Richard Colburn (Belle and Sebastian) and multi-instrumentalist, writer and producer, Iain Archer to perform at festival of handcrafted whiskey and music 

Bushmills Village: April, 2014 

Tired Pony, the critically-acclaimed supergroup created by Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, were today confirmed to appear at the intimate ‘Bushmills Live’ festival on Ireland’s north coast on June 12, 2014. It will be the band’s first ever performance in Ireland. 

Lightbody’s appreciation of country music led to him calling on his friends within the music industry to help him make an album and TIRED PONY is the result. The band features Lightbody; REM’s Peter Buck; Belle & Sebastian’s Richard Colburn; and fellow artists Iain Archer; Jacknife Lee; Scott McCaughey and Troy Stewart. 

‘Bushmills Live 2014’ will be headlined by breakthrough British act ‘The 1975’ with more acts still to be announced. Whiskey and music fans will be invited to the Old Bushmills Distillery on June 11-12 for the world’s only festival of handcrafted whiskey and music in an Irish whiskey distillery. 700 festival-goers will witness emerging and iconic artists sharing the stage for a series of intimate gigs in age-old buildings, where the art of making whiskey has been perfected over centuries. 

The ‘money-can’t-buy’ festival tickets are not on general release. Instead, whiskey and music fans can win the chance of enjoying the unique Bushmills Live experience, to include flights and accommodation, by entering a draw at facebook.com/bushmills.  The draw closes on April 28 (April 18 in Russia). 

Bushmills Irish Whiskey Master Distiller Colum Egan said: “I’m delighted that Gary is coming back to the distillery along with Tired Pony.  Tired Pony have had special guests perform with them in the past. Who knows who will turn up in June? 

“This year’s festival is shaping up to be the best yet. The combination of excellent whiskey, appreciated responsibly, among friends and great music can’t be beaten. It’s why we started Bushmills Live in the first place.” 

Notes

Bushmills Live is an annual music festival which hosts both iconic and emerging artists for a series of intimate gigs in age-old buildings at the historic Old Bushmills Distillery, where the art of distilling has been perfected over generations. 

Competition:

The Facebook competition is open to people in:

Portugal, Germany, Russia, USA, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland.

From each country, one winner will win a pair of tickets to ‘Bushmills Live’.

Keep up with Bushmills Irish Whiskey at: Facebook: facebook.com/bushmills
Twitter: @BushmillsGlobal

About ‘TIRED PONY’ 

TIRED PONY are Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol), Peter Buck (REM), Iain Archer, Richard Colburn (Belle and Sebastian), Scott McCaughey, Troy Stewart and producer/multi-instrumentalist Garret “Jacknife” Lee. They have released two albums: 2010’s The Place We Ran From and last year’s The Ghost of the Mountain. 

About ‘The 1975’

‘The 1975’ are an English alternative rock/indie band based in Manchester. The group consists of Matthew Healy (vocals/guitar), Adam Hann (guitar), George Daniel (drums) and Ross MacDonald (bass). Their self-titled debut album was released on 2 September 2013 and debuted at No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart. 

About Bushmills Irish Whiskey


Bushmills Irish Whiskey is hand crafted in small batches for a smooth taste at Ireland’s oldest working distillery, in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. The Old Bushmills Distillery’s portfolio includes seven award-winning variants: Bushmills, Bushmills Black Bush™, Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt, Bushmills 16 Year Old Single Malt, Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt, our anniversary edition, Bushmills 1608 and Bushmills Irish Honey Spirit Drink. 

About Diageo


Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan’s, Windsor and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people and its brands, visit www.diageo.com. For Diageo’s global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit www.DRINKiQ.com.

Spring is here, and the time is right for the next Gauntley’s Whisky Tasting evening!

After the success of our first event back in February we have been inundated with requests to have another Whisky tasting evening. Bowing to public pressure, and the wish to try some stunning whiskies, we have decided that the next evening will be on:)

Wednesday 23^rd April 2014. Start time will be 7pm and the tasting will be held at the Gauntleys Of Nottingham shop.

Tickets for this event are priced at £40.00 per person. We will be tasting 6 wonderful, and in some cases, unusual whiskies. As per last time, there will be a range of styles of whisky to taste so there will be something to suit everyone. Snacks will be available as will plenty of water!

Tickets are limited and are bound to go fast, so please call 01159 110555 to purchase your ticket.

We look forward to seeing you on the evening.

Chris and Eann

Gauntleys Of Nottingham

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

Tomatin Releases Cù Bòcan 1989 Vintage Limited Edition

NEW PRODUCT RELEASE

Following on from the launch of our standard batch release Cù Bòcan Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky at the end of last year, we are delighted to announce the release of our first limited edition expression for the range.

Casks 37470, 37471 and 37472 have been lurking quietly in Warehouse 9 at Tomatin Distillery since a rare and unintentional production of peated whisky at the distillery on 7th June 1989.

Now the beast has been unleashed in this sweet and smoky rare edition of Cù Bòcan. 

VITALS

Available: 1080 bottles available worldwide except USA from 14th April 2014

Price: RRP £199.99 per 70cl bottle

Cask Type: Matured in a Bourbon casks

Strength: Cask strength; 53.2% 

TASTING NOTES

This limited edition has been released at cask strength, non chill filtered and natural colour. The smoke is more prominent than in the standard edition but retains the instantly recognisable sweetness.

NOSE:

The initial smoke is light, like distant burning kindling and has a heathery character which quickly gives way for fresh fruits – pear accompanied by citric lime zestand sweet pineapple. After time in the glass it becomes much sweeter with honey, vanilla, coconut and custard. Herbaceous notes of basil and rocket.

AROMA: The smoke and the floral heather notes are more prominent on the palate. Sweet abundance of fresh fruits;  orange and grapefruit followed by blackberry and blueberry. Some ginger and clove spice is also hidden in the background.

FINISH: Very smooth with a long lasting earthy, yet sweet smoke.

MAKE MINE A DOUBLE! 

CONTAGIOUS SCOOPS TWO PRESTIGIOUS WHISKY AWARDS

Brand Agency Contagious has more than proved its creative prowess in the premium drinks market with wins in both the World Whiskies Design Awards 2014 and Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky Scotland 2014.

Launched in 2012, the World Whiskies Design Awards are the annual awards which recognise excellence in bottle, label and pack design. Contagious’s work for Karuizawa 1960 scooped the Best Design award with judges commenting on a creative execution that was “…superbly crafted, tactile and full of layered intrigue…” and noting that “…with Japanese whisky making so much noise in the market, this is a great, beautifully crafted package that shouts quality.”

Karuizawa 1960 represents 41 bottles of the oldest and rarest Japanese whisky in the world. Contagious was tasked by the owner – Number One Drinks Company (onedrinks.com) – with packaging this unique spirit with a respect, authenticity and individuality to befit its remarkable character and quality. From handcrafted presentation cases (modelled on Japanese puzzle boxes) to the exquisite handmade washi paper with deckle edging for the labels; and from unique fine art calligraphy to hot metal branding, each bottle is brought brilliantly to life through layers of Eastern and Western artistry, and adorned with its own netsuke, sourced and selected from a specialist London dealer. Each bottle retailed at £12,500. All were sold in advance.

The Edinburgh-based agency’s brand home design for the Friends’ Lounge, shop and museum areas at the Laphroaig Distillery, Islay, was recognised by Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky Scotland 2014, winning the Attraction of the Year award.

Background:

www.contagious.co.uk

Contagious is a creative brand agency working with clients around the world who have amazing brands. Our team of hugely talented, extraordinarily diverse, multi-disciplinary people specialise in brand communication, digital, environments and experiential design.

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