Staff Pick #6

Lois has chosen the Bruichladdich Organic, having an affinity to Laddie ever since being on the Bruichladdich Academy a few years ago

Organic

Crop rotation is key. Bruichladdich’s barley must take its turn in a seven year farm cycle that also produces organic cattle, sheep, oats, beans, grass, carrots, market gardening and a megawatt of green electricity.
Respecting the land, the soil and the climate nourishes a genuine and thorough understanding of terroir and the results are pure Bruichladdich.

A cracking choice from Lois, and brand new in from Bruichladdich.

View More >> £75

Welcome to this week’s episode of the show in which I’ll be taking a look at the new releases from Waterford in Ireland.

https://youtu.be/PAh5XMod5aE

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

Not just another whisky brand. 

The Art of the Blend, according to founder Todd Lawrence, is a platform for whisky makers to showcase their own unique expressions, one blend at a time.  There is a true art to whisky making seldom observed by the consumer.  The Art of the Blend brings these creative skills to the forefront by offering whisky makers a blank canvas to develop their most alluring blends.

The focus of The Art of the Blend is on premium blended malt.  Each release will be created by a different whisky maker without restrictions, skillfully selected and artistically blended to perfection.

Todd has aligned himself with some of the best in the industry, mostly through friendships and whisky consultants who have offered their expertise and guidance.  Overall he has seemed to accomplish the nearly impossible.  The first release will shoot for the moon with the collaboration of legendary whisky maker Max McFarlane. 

Max McFarlane has been in the whisky industry for over 46 years and is rightly so a Keeper of the Quaich.  He has put together by nose many single malts including Glengoyne, Tamdhu, Glenrothes, Bunnahabhain and Highland Park.  During his tenure at Edrington, the Highland Park 18 years old was awarded the best spirit in the world on two occasions.  An award winning career to say the least.  Max is a firm believer in natural coloring and non-chill filtering as well as cask selection being equally critical in the process of making quality whisky.   With absolute freedom he has carefully selected three first fill Sherry casks for The Art of the Blend’s first release.  The result of marrying these three spectacular single malts exudes exceptional depth and complexity. Brown sugar, dark chocolate, stone fruit compote and cinnamon spice will envelope the nose.  The palate is beautifully balanced with dry spicy notes, sherry trifle and chocolate brownies.  According to Max, “The finish will want to holiday on your palate”.  A finish that caresses lovely with raisiny sherry.

“The Art of the Blend is built on trusting the artistic skills of the whisky maker and giving them free rein to develop each release.”  – Todd

If you haven’t already heard of The Art of the Blend, you will soon hear their amazing story from all corners of the globe.  According to Todd, every whisky has a story and simply put, his story begins at the heart of whisky making.

Todd is new to the whisky industry and does not claim to be a whisky expert, instead he describes himself as a collector and  whisky enthusiast.  He has set the bar extremely high and has basically orchestrated a platform to produce a line of blended malts he himself would want to collect and enjoy.  In addition to his passion for whisky, Todd is also the designer and patent holder of the Whisky Vault, a handcrafted bulletproof whisky display he sells to collectors around the world.

“Always keep in mind what you are trying to communicate to the consumer.  People will question your path, your worth, your entire ideology.  Stay focused and trust your gut.”  – Todd

Not only has he built a very curious and eager following who have waited patiently for the first release, he has aligned himself with iconic whisky makers, many of whom are lining up voluntarily  to collaborate on future releases.

The second release in the series will be in collaboration with another whisky superstar.  Finance professional turned Whiskymaker, Dhavall Gandhi has over ten years of experience in the alcoholic beverage industry.  Gandhi was the whiskymaker for the luxury single malt The Macallan before joining The Lakes Distillery as Whisky Director.  Considered by many as a polymath whiskymaker and “Game Changer” in the whisky domain.  He is one of the thought leaders and experts in Sherry Cask maturation.  Gandhi judges at various prestigious whisky competitions, including the international Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) and World Whisky Awards.  Dhavall was also named as Master Distiller / Master Blender of the Year 2021 by Whisky Magazine.  In March 2022, his creation, The Lakes Whiskymaker’s Reserve No 4, was awarded as World’s Best Single Malt at World Whiskies Award in London.

And let’s not forget about the spectacular label and packaging design by none other than Stranger & Stranger.  An award winning design house taking label design to a whole new level and beyond with their creative artistry.   In their latest project with The Art of the Blend, they have effortlessly brought together the art of whisky making with brilliant visionary style that will undoubtedly help catapult this blended malt into the spotlight.

The Art of the Blend will launch in October 2022 at Whisky Live Taipei, Taiwan.  Why did the founder choose Taiwan?  Well, he has lived there for the past 27 years and knows the market well.  It’s possible to inquire through their website for sales outside of Taiwan.  Their concept is fully scalable and the potential for global expansion is possible with future releases, but they will do this organically.  The founder is a firm believer that perfection cannot be rushed, artistic creation takes time. 

“I’ve created The Art of the Blend for whisky makers and for whisky lovers.  Let’s let the liquid tell the story, one blend at a time.”  – Todd

And his thoughts on the many celebrity endorsed brands being launched over the past few years?

“There’s room for everyone, and of course celebrities are great for marketing.  The difference will be in the liquid.  The Art of the Blend is for those who want more from their whisky, an artistic approach.  Intrigue.  Excitement.  Each blended masterpiece unveiling a new story, creating history.  The whisky maker “is” our celebrity.”   – Todd

“To all the whisky makers around the world, imagine the freedom to create a masterpiece without restrictions.  The blending combinations are endless.” – Todd

Three carefully selected first fill sherry casks from three different Speyside distilleries under the artistic creation of Max McFarlane, married at 58.8% abv, non-chill filtered.  A finish so spectacular it will want to holiday on your palate.  US$350 / 700 ml.  Limited to one release of 1968 bottles. 

CASK STRENGTH – 2012

BATCH #1 – 10 YEAR OLD

70cl | 60.2% ABV

Benromach is a traditional Speyside distillery that makes Single Malt Whisky with a subtle smoky character. Benromach Cask Strength 10 Year Old is matured exclusively in first fill Sherry casks. This full bodied Single Malt packs a big punch of rich and spicy sherry aromas and flavours, with notes of vanilla, orange zest, black pepper, with a soft, smoky finish.

£59.95

Add To Basket

https://youtu.be/4QA8jElAR78

Words like ‘integrity’ and ‘pure’ are being thrown around alot these days when it comes to single malts, less so when it comes to blended whiskies. Compass Box have done alot in this landscape, but Black Bull have been nailing this down for years, without fancy marketing and very good, eye-catching labels.

A blended whisky of 50% malt, 50% grain, 50% ABV, and buckets of sherry to bring through a very rich, balanced and overall excellent product in the whisky world. A brand that also has an insane amount of history that accompanies the ‘integrity’ check list that comes with it. I bought this for less than £40 a bottle, outside of Glenallachie, who does this? Nobody.

This is something that you all have to seek out and assess for yourselves. A truly excellent example of great whisky – blend, single malt or other. Excellent.

CHIVAS BROTHERS DOUBLES DOWN ON THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE SCOTCH AS GLOBAL GROWTH CONTINUES WITH FY SALES +25%

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky business of Pernod Ricard, has today announced its FY22 (July 2021 – June 2022) full-year performance and confirmed its focus on sustainability, following the Pernod Ricard FY22 Full-Year Sales and Results.

The results reflect the significant increase in global demand for Scotch, its resilience as a category, and substantiate Chivas Brothers’ strategy for growth. With net sales up +25% derived from both mature markets (+16%) and emerging markets (+34%), Chivas Brothers is continuing to invest in portfolio innovation and the sustainable future of Scotch with a particular focus on technological advancements in production.

All four strategic international brands registered a record high growth in FY22, with Chivas, Ballantine’s, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet growing over 20% in domestic markets. In travel retail, Chivas and The Glenlivet recorded triple digit growth, demonstrating a steady recovery of the travel retail industry as restrictions lift.

Sales were particularly robust in emerging markets – Brazil (+56%), India (+43%) and Poland (+12%) with strong momentum in historically mature markets – Spain (+41%), South Korea (+35%) and Japan (+13%).

Performance across strategic brands

Chivas’ era of transformation, which includes a redesign of its iconic Chivas 12-year-old and a campaign to open up the Scotch category to a new, broader, contemporary audience, continues to expand the brand beyond traditional Scotch whisky audiences. The brand recorded global growth of +29% and a noteworthy result of +42% in emerging markets.

Ballantine’s reached historic heights with +27%, broad-based performance of Finest, acceleration of key innovations such as Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel (triple digit growth) and strong growth of the Prestige range across Asian markets.

Royal Salute recorded a performance of +38% with sustained performance in Taiwan, Korea and Travel retail and continued globalization of the brand with stellar growth in Brazil and India. Ongoing collaboration alongside iconic talents within the art & fashion landscape, such as Royal Salute Richard Quinn Edition & House of Quinn, contributed to this performance.

The Glenlivet momentum continues in mature markets, such as USA (+7%), Canada (+11%), and UK (+11%) combined with a growing consumer base in Asia (China +83%, Taiwan +17%, India +34%), through evolving product offerings such as The Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve and the new The Glenlivet 21YO and The Glenlivet 25YO cask finishes.

Doubling down on sustainable Scotch

Chivas Brothers’ strong results will help accelerate the company’s investment in ‘sustainable Scotch’ particularly in the area of carbon neutral distillation where the company has set an industry-leading target of carbon neutrality by 2026.

Following last year’s groundbreaking pilot study at its Glentauchers distillery which resulted in energy reductions of 90% on a single pot still, the company announced today plans to roll out Mechanical Vapour Recompression (MVR1) fan technology at Strathclyde, its largest distillery, with the potential to save almost 9,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide, and to install MVR technology at Allt A’Bhainne distillery in 2023. Additionally, two further MVRs are being installed at Glentauchers, making it the company’s lowest energy distillery, with MVR installations to be completed there by October 2022.

This builds on Chivas Brothers’ further MVR installations as part of an £88 million expansion at two of the company’s strategic malt distilleries, Aberlour and Miltonduff. This investment is going into upgrading sustainable distillation technologies along with significant production capacity enlargements which will grow Chivas Brothers’ total production by 14 million litres of alcohol per annum.

The company also shared progress on its commitment to achieve 100% recyclable, reusable, compostable packaging by 2025, in line with Pernod Ricard’s Sustainability & Responsibility roadmap ‘Good Times from a Good Place’. Whilst 690 tonnes of secondary packaging was removed last year, Chivas Brothers announced today plans to work closely with suppliers to remove a further 2,000 tonnes of cardboard in the next fiscal year, equivalent of 780 tonnes of CO2 emissions, beginning with the phase out of Chivas 12 cartons from autumn 2022.

Chivas Brothers Chairman and CEO, Jean-Etienne Gourgues, commented:

“These positive results demonstrate that our strategy for growth, with investment across innovation and sustainability, is on track. We are well set up to continue this trajectory in FY23 to shape the future of Scotch by opening up the category to new audiences across the globe.”

Invergordon 1991 30 Year Old, XOP Black TyndrumWhisky Exclusive

A stunning bottling of Invergordon, bottled exclusively for TyndrumWhisky.com. Coming in the XOP Black range by Douglas Laing.

A huge thanks to Douglas Laing for making this happen, one of the first, if not THE first retailer to get the XOP BLACK . . . Our logo makes it taste even better!

This Invergordon is a Vintage 1991, and aged for 30 years before being bottled in April 2022.

£195.00

Official Tasting Notes:
Nose: Polished oak floors give way to a sweet -shop style with a wonderful medley of raspberries and milk chocolate.
Palate: Pear drops / candied apples develop to a warming spiciness (baking spice and brown sugar) alongside vanilla cream.
Finish: Lingers with a tangy character – orange rind and lemon drops – balanced by creamy cereal and allspice.

One of only 134 bottles available.
A Bottling from one single Refill Hogshead.
Cask No: 15559
Natural colour and non chill filtered.

Distilled at Invergordon Distillery, and bottled at Natural Cask Strength by Douglas Laing.

Order Now >>

Glendronach 15 Year Old “Revival” Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $79.99 View

95 points Wine Enthusiast

 The nose on this copper-hued single malt shows caramel and a hint of smoke. The expansive, rounded flavors seem to gain intensity with every sip—dark toffee, espresso, cocoa and oak meld with peat smoke, leading into a warming, cinnamon-accented finish. *Top 100 Spirits of 2019* (KN)  (12/2019)

92 points Whisky Advocate

 GlenDronach 15 year old Revival went on hiatus three years ago due to a shortage. In 2018 it re-emerged with a new recipe, tweaked by master distiller Rachel Barrie. As before, a mixture of Pedro Ximénez and oloroso sherry casks has taken care of the aging process, and the result is one of the very best sherried single malts of its age on the market. The distillery’s characteristic spice, fruit, and chocolate notes are here in abundance, merging seamlessly and with satisfying complexity to create a great after-dinner dram. *No. 8 Top 20 of 2018* (GS, Winter 2018) 

K&L Notes

The 15 year is finally back! After ceasing production in 2015, the Revival has returned. Aged in PX and Olorosso casks, the malt is classic, rich, and unctuous. It’s full of honeyed tones, chocolate, and dried fruits. I was nervous for the return, but it’s every bit as good as the last bottles in 2015, possibly even better. *Nonchillfiltered does not appear on the label*

Westward K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #277 Cask Strength Single Barrel American Single Malt Whiskey (750ml) (Previously $100) 

Westward has long been producing some of the finest American single malts available due to a few very intentional choices and Scottish-like climate. We’ve selected one of their oldest available casks and it’s a classic. Westward only uses Pacific Northwest grown barley and it’s all malted just 10 miles from the distillery at Great Western Maltings. This two-row barley is malted to spec—high color pale malt—which would be something akin to a medium or medium + coffee roast. This brings out an array of beautiful toasted flavors ranging from filberts, almonds, and coffee to chocolate nibs and cereals. Perhaps the biggest flavor differentiator is in the yeast choice. The vast majority of distillers use an highly efficient distiller’s yeast, not so here. Westward employs the Chico Strain ale yeast—the very same yeast that accounts for Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale’s famous flavor. Combine that with a low and slow 5-day ferment and the tropical fruit esters in the whiskey are off the charts. Sweet mash leads to a little extra variation from barrel to barrel making the selection that much more special. Our barrel was aged in brand new #2 char 100% American oak for over 5 years in Clackamas, OR. The predominantly cool and wet climate with a short hot summer isn’t all that different from Scotland allowing for that ester development combined with barrel extraction that makes great single malt so special. Distilled 4-21-16. Bottled 6-10-21.