Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 482: Nc’nean Batch RA08

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries another Nc’nean. While the ‘normal’ batches continue unabated (at the time of filming Batch 18 was already a fact), Nc’nean launched two completely new batches in 2022 with a new system of numbering. In addition to this Batch RA08, there is also a Batch BU06. This first one (which is now also in my glass) was composed with 43% STR red wine casks, 55% former American whiskey barrels (the vast majority of which are first fill bourbon) and 2% oloroso sherry casks. Oh, yes, another small detail: the bottle is now not transparent green or opaque dark blue, but simply transparent – albeit with the same beautiful print.

https://youtu.be/9hCFep0KJac

Gordon & MacPhail encourages people to consider manufacturing apprenticeships

Gordon & MacPhail is encouraging people to consider a career in manufacturing as they celebrate the success of their first Modern Apprenticeship scheme in Operations.

Pictured are some of G&M’s Modern Apprentices Left to right Stewart Toner, Jackie Shiels, Eldon Geddes

Six apprentices signed up back in January 2022 to complete the training development programme while working in a variety of posts in the bottling and warehousing parts of the business.

And the first group have now successfully completed their apprenticeships and achieved qualifications recognised throughout the industry.

Now the company is encouraging others to consider a modern apprenticeship in manufacturing.

Becky Pearce, Head of Human Resources at Gordon & MacPhail, commented: “Working in the whisky sector is fascinating and it offers a whole range of opportunities. And a Modern Apprenticeship isn’t just for those starting out in their career. Some of our recent Modern Apprenticeship Graduates had been working with us for ten years and this was an opportunity to learn new skills and progress within the company.

“Like many other businesses we are facing a shortage of staff and there are fewer people entering the industry, yet the food and drink sector is an exciting one that includes many different roles from visitor experiences to marketing and finance. There are great opportunities here and a real chance to progress in your career.”

In order to deliver the Operations Modern Apprenticeships, the company had to create a bespoke training framework which ensures the combination of on the job training and specially tailored programmes would lead to an industry recognised qualification.

Modern Apprenticeships offer opportunities for people of all ages and skills to develop their career.

Martin Forsyth originally joined the business in 2016 as a Bottling Line Operator, moving to working in our Warehouse Team where he focussed his MA on distribution skills. He’s now delighted to have secured a new secondment, saying “The Modern Apprenticeship has helped me improve my skills and made it possible for me to progress within the team. The others in the team have been great and really helped me complete the MA.”

For others, the move into the whisky sector is much more recent and offered a chance to start a whole new career. Eldon Geddes joined after a career in the RAF and offshore and he explained his reason for completing the MA: “It’s helped me gain the knowledge I need to progress within the whisky industry and I now have my sights set on completing the next level qualification.”

For Jackie Shiels, her graduation as a modern apprentice has coincided with her 10-year anniversary with Gordon & MacPhail. She’s worked in a variety of roles within the company and has most recently been working on the bottling line as a process technician, or a “fixer” as she likes to describe it: “Gordon & MacPhail is a great company to work for and I’ve had the chance to take on all sorts of different roles so was happy to have the chance to gain even more knowledge and skills.”

Becky Pearce added: “Martin’s achievements showcase the opportunities available to people within the manufacturing industry and Jackie shows there is always the chance to try new things and develop your career within the industry.

“One of our main objectives is to create jobs which offer career progression at a manageable pace. Our modern apprenticeship scheme is designed to help create a high calibre workforce and continue to build Gordon & MacPhail’s reputation as a desirable place to work.”

Gordon & MacPhail has more than 70 different roles in different functions from Retail, Visitor Experiences, Marketing, Finance, IT to procurement, Warehousing and Distillation.

Working with Polaris Training, colleagues followed three different pathways: Spirit Operations Level 3, Level 2 Food & Drink Operation: Production & Processing Skills & Level 2 Food & Drink Operation: Distribution Skills.

Pictured Martin Forsyth of G&M’s Modern Apprentices

Notes

Gordon & MacPhail is a family-owned premium spirits company based in Elgin, Scotland. Owner of Scotch whisky distilleries, Benromach and The Cairn, Gordon & MacPhail is also a Scotch whisky maturation expert, the owner of Scottish Gin brand, Red Door and the operator of a wholesale business in the United Kingdom selling premium Scotch whiskies and spirits, along with a high-quality retail outlet.

The company owns Benromach Distillery located in Forres in Moray.  Benromach Single Malt Scotch Whisky is handcrafted using traditional methods by a small team of distillers using the finest Scottish barley and the purest spring water from the nearby Romach Hills. The multi award-winning portfolio of single malts is enjoyed by whisky drinkers worldwide.

The company launched Red Door in the summer of 2018. Created at Benromach Distillery, this award winning, small batch Scottish gin now forms a strategic part of the company’s product portfolio.

The Cairn, the company’s second distillery, overlooks the River Spey towards the Cairngorms.  It is the first new distillery built in the Cairngorm National Park for more than a hundred years. It adds further distillation capacity and brand ownership to the company’s asset base and is a key part of the plans to continue building a long-term sustainable business.  The high-quality visitor experience offering tours and tastings will attract visitors from around the world.

Since the founding of the business in 1895, Gordon & MacPhail has sent casks to Scotch whisky distilleries throughout Scotland to be filled with new-make spirit, before being left to mature for many years either at the distillery or in their bonded warehouses in Elgin.  The Gordon & MacPhail portfolio offers some of the world’s rarest and most sought-after Single Malt Scotch Whiskies to discerning whisky drinkers globally.

The company’s wholesale business serves customers throughout the United Kingdom selling Benromach Single Malt, Red Door gin and Gordon & MacPhail whiskies into the on and off trade. The business also exclusively represents a number of ‘distributor’ brands and stocks premium whiskies and spirits.

The premises at South Street in Elgin remain the ‘spiritual home’ of the business, 127 years after it was first established in 1895.  These premises have temporarily closed to enable a multimillion pound transformation which will see it become a whisky experience including displays, tasting rooms and a liquid library with some of the company’s rarest single malts.

Gordon & MacPhail plan to open a temporary retail shop in Spring on Elgin High Street. This shop will stock an extensive selection of wines, craft beers, spirits and Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.

Our February auction is now LIVE!

Place your bids from Friday 17th February until Sunday 26th February 2023.

www.whiskyhammer.com

Every month, we present an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits to our members right across the globe. You will find everything here from limited edition releases and vintage bottles to whole casks of rare whisky. There is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest or enjoy!

Whistlepig – 12 Year Old (The Boss Hog) 1^st Edition (75cl)

Karuizawa – 1969 (Single Cask #8183)

Balvenie – 16 Year Old (Rose) 1^st Edition

Yamazaki – 2014 + 2015 + 2016 (Limited Edition) 3 x 70cl

Selling whisky? Why not arrange the pick-up of your bottles using our global courier service? If you’re based in Scotland, you might want to arrange the personal collection of your bottles. Wherever you’re based in the world, we will make getting your bottles into our monthly auction as simple as possible. Get in touch with the Whisky Hammer team now by dropping them a message at sales@whiskyhammer.com.

The Art of the Blend – first release by Max McFarlane.

The Art of the Blend launched its first release in the series at Whisky Live Taipei last October with spectacular feedback from collectors and whisky enthusiasts. We are humbled by the wonderful tasting review featured in Whisky Magazine’s January edition, shown below.

Our First Release was created by legendary whisky maker Max McFarlane, with over 46 years in the Scotch whisky industry.  He has carefully selected and married three first fill Oloroso sherry casks from Craigellachie, Aultmore and Glenrothes, creating an absolute masterpiece limited to 1968 consecutively numbered bottles, never to be released again.  Our second release in the series will be created by another top whisky maker who will have complete freedom to choose barrels from any of the whisky regions in Scotland.

www.theartoftheblend.com

news@theartoftheblend.com

AUCTION ENDS SOON!

ENDS SUNDAY 19^TH FEBRUARY FROM 8PM

Make it Macallan

We have several bottles of Macallan in our third auction, including Folio 5. The Macallan Folio series is inspired by original, vintage adverts that were run between the 1970’s – 1990’s. Each Folio release is presented with an illustrated hardback book.

Which Bond era is your favourite? Decade II represents the 1970’s when Roger Moore was at the helm of one of the most popular franchises in movie history. Or maybe you are more of a Millennial? Decade V enters the 2000’s, when Daniel Craig took over as 007.

We love an old school bottling, like these classic examples from Gordon & MacPhail. The Pride of Orkney 12 year old contains whisky from the Highlands and Orkney, whilst the Old Elgin is a 15 year old single malt. Dallas Dhu 1970 is 17 years old, part of the popular Connoisseurs Choice range.

Register now at www.clickwhiskyauctions.com to bid on these wonderful bottlings and many more besides.

Oban “Distillers Edition” Montilla Fino Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $149.99 View

 This vintage edition of Oban was distilled in 1999 and finished in montilla fino sherry casks, which lend a greater richness and complexity to the Oban house style without detracting from its essential characteristics. It was bottled in 2014. The nose is fragrant, with musky pineapple, and salted caramel. Silky on the palate, with Seville oranges, ginger nuts, and cloves, plus a faint suggestion of brine. Persistent orange and dry spice notes in the oaky, medium-length finish. (GS, Summer 2015) 

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 481: Old Rhosdhu 29 Year Old 1993 for The Roots

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries a 29-year-old malt! Belgian bottler The Roots selected a hogshead from the Loch Lomond distillery that was filled in 1993 with a spirit type that they produced between 1966 and 2000. The malt was given the name Old Rhosdhu. The hogshead, on which this malt lay dormant for almost three decades, yielded 222 bottles at cask strength. The malt was neither colored nor chill filtered.

https://youtu.be/HhT7VF3zMv8

Loch Lomond Group launches new whisky brand Noble Rebel

Innovative blended malt is available in three diverse flavour expressions

Loch Lomond Group has launched Noble Rebel; an innovative and bold new blended malt Scotch whisky brand that creatively pushes boundaries in the pursuit of flavour creation, combining the nobility of single malt whisky with the rigour of craftsmanship.

Drawing on centuries of know-how and deep bonds with like-minded distilleries, Noble Rebel blended malt whiskies are forged on the innovative spirit of Loch Lomond Distillery, the exquisite dram of Glen Scotia, and riveting liquids from trusted partners.

Available in three distinct expressions – Orchard Outburst, Smoke Symphony and Hazelnut Harmony – the flavours of Noble Rebel are brought to life through a series of vivid illustrations that detail the intricate stories, layers and tasting notes of each expression.

Each bold illustration is complemented by Noble Rebel’s premium embellished bottle, designed to replicate the heavy, intricate base of an old-fashioned rocks glass in tribute to the characterful flavours found within. Finished with the words ‘Noble’ and ‘Rebel’ embossed on opposite sides of the bottle lip, this intricate touch demonstrates the two faces of the brand; to visually showcase the nobility of single malts combined with Noble Rebel’s rebellious nature and ethos of pushing the boundaries of creativity in whisky blending.

Matured in ex-bourbon casks, Orchard Outburst balances crisp, ripe orchard fruits with surprising flavours of crashing salty ocean waves, resulting in an explosion of zest with hints of zingy lemon and lime. This intriguing malt contains whisky distilled with Chardonnay wine yeast, an unusual ingredient in whisky distillation which helps to intensify fruit and citrus flavours in the finished blend.

Smoke Symphony weaves threads of peat and smoke with hits of chilli. Lightning bolts of rich red body married with subtle berry tartness create a truly intriguing dram. Finished in Rioja wine casks, Smoke Symphony conveys notes of smoke, spice and dark berries.

Hazelnut Harmony mingles nuts with a hint of sweet honeycomb, with subtle pear undertones meeting imprints of warm oak. Completing the trio of expressions, Hazelnut Harmony is finished in toasted American oak casks, which adds a sweet flavour of honey, vanilla and hazelnut to the whisky.

Each expertly blended, no-age-statement blended malt whisky is non-chill filtered, natural in colour and bottled at 46% ABV.

All three Noble Rebel expressions are sealed with an emblem containing a droplet to represent the distillation process, a barrel to symbolise the maturation process, and a nosing glass in tribute to Loch Lomond Group’s blending prowess.

Each Noble Rebel expression is distilled, matured and blended under the expert eye of Master Blender, Michael Henry, at Loch Lomond Distillery. Using a combination of traditional swan-neck, and its signature high and low-cut straight-neck pot stills, Loch Lomond Distillery has a whisky-making capability like no other. The straight-neck stills, which are entirely unique to the distillery, provide Michael with greater control over the distillation process, allowing him to carefully manipulate the flavour profile of each whisky. In crafting Noble Rebel, Michael is both the artist and curator, combining the noble art of whisky distillation and blending with a knack for rebellion.

Michael Henry, Master Blender at Loch Lomond Group, said:

“Noble Rebel is an exciting new addition to the growing Loch Lomond Group portfolio. At the heart of each expression is our shared passion for blending finely curated malts into a product of beauty. Bringing new ideas to old ways and deeply-rooted traditions, our drams are modern masterpieces that welcome newcomers with open arms, and delight old friends alike.”

Each edition of Noble Rebel blended malt whisky is available from 16 February on the Noble Rebel website, RRSP £40 per 70cl bottle. Noble Rebel will also be available from 1 March 2023 at The Whisky Exchange.

Noble Rebel is part of the Loch Lomond Group, which also includes Glen Scotia, Littlemill and Loch Lomond Whiskies.

To discover more, visit: https://noblerebelmalts.com.

Join the conversation on social media:

https://www.instagram.com/noblerebelmalts

https://twitter.com/noblerebelmalts

https://www.facebook.com/noblerebelmalts

About Noble Rebel

Shaped by expertise and expressivity, Noble Rebel is a blended malt Scotch whisky unlike any other.

Skilfully curating the finest malts, each with a history of their own, and artfully blending them into striking whisky masterpieces, Noble Rebel pushes the boundaries of flavour with courage, craftsmanship and creativity. Respectful of tradition and inquisitive about the future, Noble Rebel heralds a new dawn of whisky mastery.

About Loch Lomond Group 

Loch Lomond Group is an independent distiller based in Alexandria and is home to several award-winning brands that are sold in more than 125 countries worldwide.

Loch Lomond Distillery has been producing the finest single malt whiskies since 1814. Images and interviews with key staff from the Group are available upon request.

For further details, please visit www.lochlomondgroup.com.

Three year sponsorship deal confirmed for The Glencairn Glass and

the Bloody Scotland Scottish International Crime Writing Awards 

Award winning Scottish family business Glencairn Crystal has announced that it will continue its sponsorship of the McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year and the Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year with its famous Glencairn Glass for the next three years.

Glencairn Crystal had produced the trophy for the winner of The McIlvanney Prize over many years and in 2020 it was a natural progression for the company to come on board with its iconic Glencairn Glass as an official sponsor of both the prizes. The new three-year deal agreed will secure the company’s commitment and sponsorship until the end of 2025.

Both of the prestigious literary prizes are awarded as part of the annual Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival which takes place each September in Stirling. This year it will take place from the 15th to the 17th of September. The festival has brought hundreds of new and established crime writers to the stage with exciting events covering criminal topics such as fictional forensics, police procedurals, psychological thrillers and serial killers, along with enthusiastic festival attendees since 2012.

The McIlvanney Prize, in memory of William McIlvanney (the crime-writing ‘Godfather of Tartan Noir’), is Bloody Scotland’s annual prize awarded to the best Scottish crime book of the year.  Last year it received over 80 entries and was won by Alan Parks with ‘May God Forgive’. In 2019 Bloody Scotland also introduced a new prize to recognise new talent emerging within crime writing – the Bloody Scotland Scottish Crime Debut of the Year – and in 2022 it was awarded to Tariq Ashkanani with ‘Welcome to Cooper’.

The Glencairn Glass’s involvement with the Bloody Scotland literary awards is the perfect fit for the Scottish family owned company. Scottish crime writing, like The Glencairn Glass, is uniquely Scottish with an international following and the company is proud to continue the partnership and to celebrate and reward the rich and talented tradition of Scottish crime fiction.

Kirsty Nicholson, Glencairn’s Design and Marketing Manager, said: “We are delighted to extend our sponsorship of such prestigious writing prizes. Like Scottish crime writing, the Glencairn Glass is a truly global phenomenon and we look forward to working with Bloody Scotland in celebrating great crime novels.”

Bob McDevitt, Director of The Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival said: “We are so pleased that The Glencairn Glass has extended its sponsorship of our prizes, helping us to celebrate new and established voices in Scottish crime writing.”

Both the McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year and the Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year will be awarded on 15th September at the Bloody Scotland Festival. The McIlvanney Prize includes a £1000 prize, a giant Glencairn Glass trophy and nationwide promotion in Waterstones. The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize winner will receive £500 and a Glencairn Star trophy.

In 2021, as well as sponsoring the Bloody Scotland literary prizes, The Glencairn Glass also launched its first ever crime short story competition – in partnership with the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival and Scottish Field Magazine – attracting entries from both novice and experienced crime writers around the world. The competition was launched again for the second time last year and the winners will be announced in March 2023.

The Glencairn Glass is the world’s favourite whisky glass with over 5 million glasses now being sold each year across the globe.

For further information visit:

www.bloodyscotland.com, www.glencairn.co.uk and www.whiskyglass.com