101 whiskies to try before you die

101WhiskiestoTryBeforeYouDie

IanBuxton

TherightofIanBuxtontobeidentifiedastheAuthoroftheWorkhasbeenassertedbyhiminaccordancewiththeCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988.

ApartfromanyusepermittedunderUKcopyrightlaw,thispublicationmayonlybereproduced,stored,ortransmitted,inanyform,orbyanymeans,withpriorpermissioninwritingofthepublishersor,inthecaseofreprographicproduction,inaccordancewiththetermsoflicencesissuedbytheCopyrightLicensingAgency.

FirstpublishedasanEbookbyHeadlinePublishingGroupin2010

Allcharactersinthispublicationarefictitiousandanyresemblancetorealpersons,livingordead,ispurelycoincidental.

CataloguinginPublicationDataisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary

eISBN:9780755360833

HACHETTESCOTLANDAnHachetteUKCompany

338EustonRoad

LondonNW13BHwww.headline.co.ukwww.hachette.co.uk

Contents

Introduction

101whiskies

Howtotastewhiskyandusethisbook

Acknowledgements

Furtherresources

Wheretobuy

Picturecredits

Introduction

101WhiskiestoTryBeforeYouDieisawhiskylistwithadifference.Accessiblewhiskyforrealpeople.

Itisnotanawardslist.

Itisnotalistofthe101‘best’whiskiesintheworld.

Itissimply,asitsaysinthetitle,aguideto101whiskiesthatenthusiastsreallyshouldseekoutandtry–lovethemorhatethem–tocompletetheirwhiskyeducation.What’smore,it’spracticalandrealistic.

101WhiskiestoTryBeforeYouDiedoesnotcontainobscuresingle-caskbottlingsthatsoldoutweeksbeforepublicationanditdoesn’tcontainhugelyexpensivewhiskiesthatvirtuallynoonecanaffordtobuyanyway(eveniftheycouldfindthem).

Afterall,what’sthepoint?Imightlookterrificallysmartrecommending,say,theGlenglassaugh40YearsOldthatrecentlywontheInternationalWine&SpiritCompetition’sspecialtrophyfor40YearsOldScotchWhisky.Byonetokenatleast,thatmakesittheverybestsinglemaltScotchyoucanbuy.Apanelofreallywell-informedandexpertjudges(notjustonepersonandnotme)pickeditfromitspeers.Thoughlittleknown,itisvery,verygoodandIcouldbeseentobedoingyouafavourbypointingyouitsway.Butit’s£1,500abottle.Orperhaps,Glenfiddich’s50YearsOld,asnipat£10,000.Areyoureallygoingtonipoutandbuyabottle?Idon’tthinkso.SoIsetmyselfsomeruleswhenIstartedwritingthisbook.

Essentially,theycanbesummedupas:everywhiskylistedheremustbea)generallyavailable(althoughyoumighthavetolookalittlebit,everyoneofthesewhiskiesshouldbeavailablefromadecentwhiskyspecialistorthroughanonlineretailer)andb)affordable(readontoseewhatthatmeans).And,thoughitgoeswithoutsaying,theremustbeareasonfortheirinclusion.Mostlyit’sbecausethey’revery,verygoodexamplesoftheirkind,butsometimestheydeserveyoursupportforotherreasons.Sometimesitwillbebecausetheyare

madebysmalldistillersswimmingagainstatideofcorporateubiquitybutitmightjustbebecauseaparticularwhiskyissimplysounusualthatyoujusthavetotryit.Thatmightmeanremindingyouofsomethingfamiliarthatyouknewaboutbuthad,sortof,forgotten;hopefully,moreoften,itwillpointyoutosomethingnew,unexpectedandsurprising.

Aboveall,thisbookisaboutwhiskiestodrink,notcollect.

SoI’veexcludedone-offbottlingsorsingle-caskreleases,becausethere’ssimplynotenoughtogoaround.AndI’vesimplyignoredwhiskiesthatseemtometobedesignedprimarilyforcollectors.Perhapsmoreimportantly,I’vetakenaveryhard-headedlookatretailprices.I’vebeenhighlyselectiveonceawhiskyrisesabove£100inatypicalBritishwhiskyshop;verycriticalindeedifitcosts£500ormore,andflatlyignoreditoncethepricebreaksthe£1,000barrier.So,sorryTheMacallan57YearOldFinestCutinyourLaliquecrystaldecanter;goodbyeDalmore62YearOldandfarewelltoArdbeg’sritzyDoubleBarrel.Tastythoughyoumaybe,yourfantasypricetagsruleyouout.Let’sgetreal:thisbookisforwhiskydrinkers,notRussianplutocrats.

What’smore,becauseIdon’tbelieveinthesimplisticandreductionistnotionofthe‘world’sbestwhisky’,everything’sinalphabeticalorder.

Andevenmoreunusually,nothinghasa‘score’.Again,Isimplydon’tacceptthatyoushouldfollowoneperson’sindividualpreferencesandmoreorlessidiosyncraticscoringsystem(andthat’sallthatmosttastingbooksare).ThereareseveralreasonswhyIbelieve100-pointscoringsystemsdon’twork,notleasttheideathatanyoneindividualcanconsistentlyandreliablydifferentiatebetweenawhiskyscoring92andonescoring93.Itseemstomepalpablyabsurd,sowe’renotgoingthere.

Better,infact,totakesomeadvicefromAeneasMacDonald,theoriginalsageofwhisky,whoin1930suggestedthatthediscerningdrinkerlearntojudgewhiskywith‘hismother-wit,hisnoseandhispalatetoguidehim’.Soundwords.

But,somanywhiskiessolittletime.Withtheworldofwhiskyexpandingalmostdaily,anexperiencedguidemaybeofsomevalue,ifonlytopointyouinnewdirectionsandsuggestsomeunexploredandrewardingbywaysthatyoumaynothaveconsidered.Scotch,American,Irish,JapaneseandCanadianwhiskiesareallinhere.AsaresomefromSwedenandotherunexpectedproducingnations.

SoIhavestrenuouslyattemptedtobewide-ranginginmyapproachand,sofarasIamable,toincludesomewhiskiesthatIpersonallydon’tparticularlycareforbutwhichareregardedasexemplarsoftheirkind.

Sohow,youmayask,didIassemblethislist?

Thereisnooneanswer.

First,Iusedmyownknowledgeandjudgement.Ihaveworkedinthewhiskyindustryformorethan20years;consultedforanumberofdistillers;beenMarketingDirectorforoneofScotland’sleadingsinglemaltwhiskies;createdandruntheWorldWhiskiesConference;writtenwidelyaboutwhisky;andsatonanumberofcompetitionjudgingpanels.So,thoughI’mstilllearningaboutwhiskyandthere’ssomethingnewtodiscoveralmostdaily,I’mprivilegedtohavetriedalotofdifferentwhiskiesandreckontoknowsomethingaboutthemandthepeoplewhomadethem.

Secondly,Ilookedatwhatmypeersthink.MainlyI’velookedatthemajorawardwinnersatimportantinternationalcompetitionssuchastheInternationalWine&SpiritCompetition(IWSC);theSanFranciscoWorldSpiritsCompetition;WhiskyMagazine’sWorldWhiskiesAwards(fromtimetotimeI’monthejudgingpanelforthatone);andmoreinformalawardssuchasthatfromtheMaltManiacs.TastingnotesbysuchluminariesasF.PaulPacultandthoseappearinginthevariousinternationalwhiskymagazineshaveallservedtodrawdifferentwhiskiestomyattention.

Andfinally,Iaskedsomeofmywhiskyfriendsandcolleaguestonominatetheirfavourites–inthecaseofpractisingdistillerstheyhadtonominateatleastoneoftheircompetitors’whiskiesforeveryoneoftheirown,andthesamerulesoncostandavailabilitywereapplied.Thosewhohelpedarelistedintheacknowledgementspage–manythankstothem.ButIshouldexplainthatIusedmywhiskyfriendsratherliketheancientGreeksusedtheOracles–I’velistenedtotheadvice,butthefinalchoicesweremine.Soblamemeifyoudon’tagreewiththelist.

AsIwritethisthereare,entirelycoincidentally,101whiskydistilleriesoperatingintheUKwhereIlive(yes,thereareatleasttwooutsideScotland),butsuchistheconstantlychangingnatureofthisindustrythatthenumberwillbewrongbythetimeyoureadthis.Aroundtheworldthereare–oh,Idon’tknow,perhaps

twohundredorso.Probablymore.

Andtheykeepopening.Oneoftheexcitingthingsaboutthewhiskyindustryinthelasttenyearshasbeentheproliferationofnewdistilleriesacrosstheworld,especiallyboutiquecraftdistilleriesin‘new’whisky-producingcountries.Manyhaveexcellentandinformativevisitorcentres–butopeninghoursandseasonsvary.Becauseofthat,Ihaven’tgivenspecificdetailsbutsuggestyoucheckonlineorphoneinadvancetoconfirmwhentheyareopen.

WecannowgetwhiskyfromScotland,Ireland,Canada,theUSA,Japan,India,Sweden,Belgium,Switzerland,Australia,France,Austria,theCzechRepublic,England,Wales,Finland,Germany,Holland,Russia,NewZealand,Pakistan,Turkey,SouthKoreaandSouthAfrica.Apparently,thereareevenwhiskydistilleriesinBrazil,Nepal,UruguayandVenezuela.Inevitably,morethanhalfthewhiskiesinthisbookaresinglemaltsfromScotland,withScottishblendsandgrainstakingthetotalfrommyhomecountrytoanimpressive72whiskies.But,reflectingthegrowingpopularity,influenceandqualityof‘worldwhiskies’,morethanaquarterofthoseIhaveselectedarefromtheUSA,Japanandothercountries–andIcanassureyouthatyou’llbeimpressed.

So,whenyouconsiderthatallofthesecountriescanproduceanynumberof‘singlemalt’expressionsdifferentiatedbyage,casktype,finishandsoforth,andmostofthemdo,andthenaddblendedwhiskiesandindigenousnon-Scotchstyles,suchasbourbon,ryeandsoon,tothepotentialuniverse,youcanseethattastingthemrepresentsalifetimeofunremittingtoil.

Oneofthelessonsofthisbookisthatyoudon’thavetospendalotofmoneytofindreallygreatorinterestingwhiskies.Infact,Ididn’treallylookatpriceuntilaftercompletingthefirstdraftofthelist.ThepricerangesindicatedinthetextarebasedonthetypicalUKretailpricefromaspecialistindependentwhiskyshop,andwerecorrectaswewenttopress.Aroundhalfareunder£40.Infact,ifyouboughtabottleofeverythinghereitwouldcostaround£7,100,ifyouwereintheUK(butyou’dprobablybeabletonegotiateadiscount).Ifyoudroppedthethreemostexpensivetherestwouldaveragejustover£56abottle–gocomparethatwiththeworld’sbest-knownwines.Whiskycanbeaseriousbargain!

Here’sthekeytothe1to5scale:Under£25 £25–40 £40–69 £70–150 Over£150

Ofcourse,priceschangeallthetime.Inparticular,taxanddutyrateschange,productsareputonpromotionor,generallylessfavourablyfortheconsumer,‘repositioned’asthemarketingfolkswouldhaveit.Priceswillalsovaryifyouarereadingthisthousandsofmilesawayfrommeinaplacewherecostsmaybehigherforlong-distanceimports,butlessforlocalbottles.

HighratesoftaxationintheUKcomeasaconstantsurprisetovisitorsfrommanycountries,however,whoregularlyask‘whyiswhiskymoreexpensivehereinScotlandthaninmyhome?’Fortheanswer,applytotheGovernmentwho,atthetimeofwriting,takearoundthree-quartersoftheretailpriceofabottleofstandardScotchwhiskyinexcisedutyandVAT.

Thereareseveralthousandwhiskiesoutthere–perhapsevententhousand.Noonereallyknows.So,astheoldjokewouldhaveit,it’stoughworkbutsomeonehastodoit.I’vepicked101foryoutoenjoy,savingyouhoursofjoylesslabour.Youdon’thavetothankme;buyingthebookwilldojustfine.

Eachonehasanentrydescribingthewhiskyandtheproducer,withsomebackgroundinformationthatIhopeyou’llfindusefulandinteresting.Thentherearebrieftastingnotes.Thesearenotintendedtobethebe-all-and-end-all,moreajumping-offpointforyourownexplorationandtohelpexplainwhyeachwhiskymadethecut.You’llalsofindaspacetorecordyourownpurchases,personalfavouritesandtastingnotes.

WithinthesepagesIhopeyou’llfindafewsurprises,perhapsafewoldfavouritesandalsosomebargains.Ihopeyou’llbeinspiredtotrysomethingnewandsharewhatyoulearnwithafewfriends.Thisisn’tbyanystretchofimaginationthecompletelydefinitivewhiskylist.Despitewhatothersmaysay,Idoubtthatsuchathingcanexist.Butitwilltakeyouonawonderfuljourneyofdiscoveryandexplorationand,ifyoumanagetotryall101whiskies,thenyoucandiehappy.

I’dbeinterestedtohearwhatyouthinkofthelistandwhatwhiskiesyou’dsuggestforinclusioninafutureedition.Emailmeatfeedback@101whiskies.com

Meanwhile,sláinte!

1 ProducerDistilleryVisitorCentreAvailability

JohnDewar&SonsLtdAberfeldy,PerthshireYesWidespreadinternationalavailability

www.dewars.com

Aberfeldy

21YearsOld

It’sagreatshamethisisn’tmorewidelyknownbecauseI’mwillingtoguessthatpeoplewho‘don’tlikewhisky’wouldlikethisandpeoplewhoknowandlikewhiskywouldlikeitalot.

TheDewar’sdistilleryatAberfeldywasbuiltfrom1896–98bytherestless,innovativeandentrepreneurialDewarbrothers,TommyandJohn,whohiredCharlesCreeDoig,thefinestdistilleryarchitectwhoeverlived,todesignitforthem.But,foryears,undertheownershipoftheoldDistillersCompanyLtd,alloftheoutputwentforblendingandthesinglemaltboompassedAberfeldyby.

However,inoneoftheperiodicconvulsivereorganisationsthattheScotchwhiskyindustryindulgesintokeepbankersandlawyersinexpensiveGermanmotorcars,inMarch1998ownershipwastransferredtoBacardiwho,upuntilthen,hadonlyhadaminorinterestinwhisky.Theresultwasawaveofinvestment,includingwhathasbeendescribedbyWhiskyMagazineas‘theultimateScotchwhiskyvisitorcentre’andanumberofexcitingnewproducts.

Thebestoftheseisthis21YearsOldsinglemalt.Aberfeldyisnotedforagentle,heather-honeysweetnessandthiswhiskyisjustdelightful:well-mannered,delicateandsurprisinglycomplex.It’sashameabouttherathersquatanduglybottlebutdon’tletthatputyouoff.

Itmaybeeasiertofindthe12YearOldversion–that’sgood,butthisisalotbetterandwellworththeadditionalmoney.Theextraagereallyroundsoutanddeepensthiswhisky,thesubtletyofwhichwouldtragicallygetlostinablendingvat.ColourWarmgoldandamber.Nose Acreamy,honeyednosewithdriedfruits,heatherflowersandhintsof

coconut.Taste Intensebutnotcloyingsweetness,darkorangemarmalade,vanillaand

oakwood.Mouthcoatingandcreamy.Finish Thisislong,quitespicyandhashintsoflemon.Restrainedandelegant.

ChivasBrothersLtdAberlour,SpeysideYesSpecialists,bettersupermarketsanddutyfree

www.aberlour.com

Aberlour

a’bunadh

Acaskstrengthwhiskyhasquietlybeenmakinganameforitselfoverthepastfewyearsandhasnowattractedquiteacrowdofenthusiasticdevoteeswhopraisethebig,richflavoursofthisSpeysidemalt.

Aberlourdistillerywasestablishedin1879andthenremodelledbytheleadingdistilleryarchitectCharlesDoigsometwentyyearslaterafteradisastrousfire.Itreallycameintoitsownafter1975whenitwasacquiredbytheFrenchgroupPernodRicardandbecametheirleadsinglemaltbrandinthedaysbeforetheirpurchaseoftheSeagramdistilleries(TheGlenlivetinparticular).Todaythedistilleryoffersanexcellent‘AberlourDistilleryExperience’tourwhichiswellworthmakingtheefforttotake(bookingisessential).

Thereareseveraleasilyaccessibleexpressions,andthepossibilityofbottlingyourowndirectfromasinglecaskatthedistillery,buttheonetogoforisthestrangelynameda’bunadh(it’spronounceda-boon-ahandmeans‘theorigin’inGaelic).Itisnon-chillfilteredandatfull-caskstrength,theideabehindtheproductbeingtoreplicatea19th-century-stylewhiskymaturedexclusivelyinSpanishoakolorososherrybutts.So,ifyouliketraditionalMacallanorGlenfarclas,you’regoingtolovethis.

Notethatthisisreleasedinbatches,someofwhichhavebeencriticisedastastingslightlysulphured(aneffectofcasktreatment),soifyoufindabatchthatyouparticularlylike,itmightbeanideatosnapupseveralbottlesbeforeitrunsout.Equally,it’sfuntokeepexperimentingand,perhaps,tasteonebatchagainstanother.Andthisshouldn’tbeaproblem,because,forwhiskyofthisqualityandstrength(it’susuallyaroundthe60%abvmark),it’squiteabargain.Expecttopayabout£35.Colour Richanddark.Nose Amarkedsherrycharacter,possiblyhoneyanddarkfruits.Taste Can be drunk at full strength but develops with water. Big, mouth

filling,Christmascake,driedfruits,possiblysomecitrusandchocolate

notes.Finish Expectadrawn-outfinish,perhapswithevolvingspices,oakandsome

smokynotes.

3 ProducerDistilleryVisitorCentreAvailabilityPrice

AmrutDistilleriesLtdAmrut,Bangalore,IndiaNoSpecialists

www.amrutwhisky.com

Fusion

Indianwhisky?Somemistake,surely?Well,no.Indiaisahugewhiskymarketandagiantproducerbut,unfortunately,thevastmajorityofIndianwhiskyismadefrommolasses–andsofarastheEUisconcernedthatmeansit’srumandcan’tbesoldas‘whisky’.

Thisiscurrentlythebasisofamajorandlong-runningtradedispute,withtheScotchwhiskyindustryclaimingthatIndianimportdutiesareanillegalrestraintoftrade,andtheIndianproducerscryingfoulandpointingoutthatmuchoftheirdistillingindustrywassetupbytheBritishinthefirstplace.Today,theIndianindustryisdominatedbyVijayMallya’sUnitedSpirits,producersofsuchfinebrandsasBagpiperandMcDowells.Toaddtotheconfusion,theyalsoownGlasgow’sWhyte&Mackay.ButtheIndianwhiskythathasmadeitintothislistisactuallydistilledbytheirsmallerindependentrival,AmrutDistilleriesLtd,establishedin1948.AccordingtoIndianmythology,whentheGodsandtheRakshasas(demons)churnedtheoceansusingthemountainMeru,agoldenpotcalledthe‘Amrut’sprangoutcontainingtheElixirofLife.

Amrutisrealsinglemaltwhisky;thatistosay,itismadesimplywithmaltedbarley,waterandyeastsoitcanbesoldhere.Andthat’sourgoodfortune,becauseit’sreallyverygood(youdidn’tthinkitwasherejustoutofcuriosity,didyou?).

Fusionisanunusualproduct,uniqueinthatitcombinesIndianbarleyfromtheHimalayaswithpeatedmaltfromScotlandandisbottledatahealthy50%abv.Anddespitethat(anddespitehavingcomehalfwayroundtheworld),it’sprettygoodvalueatatypical£35abottle.Justtrynottothinkofthecarbonfootprintifyou’redrinkingitinTannochbrae!Colour Bright gold. Indianwhiskymatures faster than Scotch so spends less

timeinthecask.Nose Apronouncedwoodimpact,butalsopeat,vanillaandfruit.Taste Surprisingly complex and engaging, the peat mixes with oak, fruit,

chocolateandcaramelshortcake.Finish Yes,youwillfinishthisandwanttofindanotherbottle.Fadestoadry

spiciness.

4 ProducerDistillery

VisitorCentreAvailabilityPrice

InverHouseDistillersLtdKnockdhu,Knock,nrKeith,SpeysideNone–visitsbyappointmentSpecialistsandonline

www.ancnoc.com

anCnoc

16YearsOld

YoureallyhavetothinkthatInverHousehavemadelifeunnecessarilyhardforthemselvesbyrebrandingKnockdhuasthestrangeandunpronounceableanCnoc,aGaelicwordmeaning‘thehill’.Thisbestoweduponthewhiskytheunenviabledistinctionofnolongerbeingnamedafterthedistillerythatproducesit,butitwasapparentlydonetoavoidconfusionwithKnockando.

Itseemsashame,becausethereismuchtocommendtheSpeysidesinglemaltsfromthislittle-knowndistillerybetweenKeithandBanff;inparticular,itsresolutelytraditionalstyleofoperation(somethingofasignaturewithInverHouse).Anold-fashioned,cast-ironmashtunisstillused,whilewoodenwashbacksmadefromDouglasfirarefavouredovermodernstainlesssteel.Moreimportantly,traditionisalsoproudlymaintainedbythecontinueduseofawormtub,oneofjustthirteenstillinoperationacrossallofScotland,helpingtogiveanCnocitsdepth,bodyandcharacteristicrich,meatyaroma.

AmildcuriosityaboutthedistilleryisthatithousedtroopsfromtheIndianarmyduringWorldWar2,alongwiththeirmulesandhorses.Apparently,thelocalresidentswouldturnouttowatchcavalrypractice–whattheridersthoughtofthisisnotrecorded!

The16YearsOldisarelativelyrecentrelease,andawelcomeone.Unusuallyitisexclusivelymaturedinex-bourboncasks,resultinginitsdeceptivelypalecolour.Theageisapparentonboththenoseandpalate,however,andthisisacomplexandsatisfyingwhisky,morerobustthantheappearancewouldleadyoutoexpect.InverHousearetobecommendedforreleasingthisat46%abvandnotchillfilteringthewhisky.Hopefullyitwillachievewiderdistributionandgreaterfame.ColourQuitepaleandstraw-like.Nose Slightlymedicinal;lemonzest;vanillatakesover.Taste Vanilla,liquoriceandspicenotes;toffeeandmarmalade.Finish Driftsgentlytoadryconclusion.Holdstogetherwell.

GlenmorangieplcArdbeg,IslayYesWidespreadinternationalavailability

www.ardbeg.com

Ardbeg

10YearsOld

Ican’treallymakemymindupaboutArdbeg.Ilovetheplace,admirewhat’sbeendonethereandacknowledgethelegionsofpassionatefanswhohavesupportedthisiconicIslaydistillerysinceitreopenedin1997.ItalsohasthebestfoodofanydistilleryvisitorcentreIcancalltomind.

ButIalsofeelit’soverlypleasedwithitself.Personally,Ifindthefaux‘homespun’toneofmuchoftheirpromotiongrateswithme,especiallyasitseemstomethatitimpliesthatthisissometinyindependentstrugglingforsurvivalagainstruthlesscorporategiants,wheninfactit’sownedbyoneofthebiggestluxurygoodscompaniesontheplanet(LouisVuittonMoetHennessy).Anddon’tgetmestartedontheludicrous‘luxury’nonsensewhichisArdbeg’s£10,000DoubleBarrel.It’ssimplyabsurd.

However,there’snodenyingthatthecurrentteamhavedoneanexcellentjobandArdbegdoesproducesomedeeplylovedwhiskies,aslongasyoulikethempeaty.For,thisisarguablythebenchmarkIslaywhisky,againstwhichallothersmustbejudgedand,forthat,we’llforgiveitalot.

Thestandardisthe‘entry-level’TenYearsOldexpressionwhichcriticshaveravedabout.ThestillsatArdbegdifferfromothersonIslay,beingtallerandhavingacuriouspurifieronthespiritstill,thecombinationofwhichcontributestothefinesseanddelicacyofwhatisaveryhighlypeatedspirit.Certainlythisistrulycomplexwhiskyand,loveitorhateit,youjusthavetoexploreitsfiner,non-chillednuancesatleastonce.ColourApale, straw-colouredwhisky, setoffby theelegant, tall,greenglass

bottle.Nose Monstrouslypeaty,ofcourse,butwithattractivecitrusnotes;cinnamon

andpears.Taste The initial attack of the peat slowly gives way to cereal and barley

notes;tobacco,coffee,liquoriceandchocolate.Finish Smokyandslightlysweet;hintsofbarleylingerandyoumayfindsome

vanillanotes.

GlenmorangieplcArdbeg,IslayYesInternationalspecialistoutlets

www.ardbeg.com

Ardbeg

Uigeadail

HavingexpressedmypersonalreservationsaboutArdbeginthepreviousentry,Ireallyshould,inallfairness,addthatatleastonehighlyregardedcommentatorconsidersthisoneoftheverybestwhiskiesintheworldand,yearafteryear,poursalmostunlimitedpraiseonit.

Well,fairenoughifyoulikestrong,peatywhiskies.Theimpossible-to-pronounceUigeadail(it’snamedafterthelochfromwhichthedistillerydrawswater)isbothpeatyandverystrong(54.2%abv).Certainly,it’sbeenamassivesuccessandhasgonedownverywellwithArdbeg’sgrowinginternationalfanclub,solet’sacknowledgeitsappeal.

However,bewarned–thisisamonster.Fullofpeatsmoke,earthinessandlayersofoak,oil,morepeat(constantlyevolving),itisliabletodominateanythingelseyoudrinkthatday.Sosavethisforthelastdramortwooftheeveningandsavouratrulymightywhisky.Itisdefinitelyonetoexplore.

But,beingoldenoughtorememberwhenthisstyleofwhiskycouldhardlybegivenaway,Idohaveawiderconcern.ArdbegandPortEllenweren’tclosed,andotherIslaydistilleriesputonreducedworking,onawhim–blendersfoundthatalittlegoesalongwayandthosesinglemaltdrinkersthatwerearoundatthetimefeltmuchthesame.Thereisanelementoffashioninthecurrentwaveofenthusiasmforveryhighlypeatedwhiskiesand,iftheenthusiastswhoarebuyingthiswereevertomoveon,thentherecouldbeembarrassingquantitiesofnext-to-unsaleablewhiskylyinginScotland’swarehouses.

Youprobablydon’tagree.Justthinkaboutit,isallIask.Meanwhile,enjoythisandsavourallitsgloriousextremity.ColourQuitepaleandstrawcoloured.Nose Hintsoffinosherry,peatandslightlydampleather.Taste Multi-layeredandintense,creamy/oily,peatsmokeandlingeringfires;

earthyyetsweet.Driedfruits.

Finish Verydominant;intriguing,layeredfinishwithspicehints;sweetnessbutultimatelydrying.

CompassBoxWhiskyCompanyn/a–thisisablendinghousen/aMainlyUK,USAandFrance–butcheckonline

www.compassboxwhisky.com

I’dreallyliketorecommendalloftheCompassBoxwhiskies,butthatwouldbecheating,soI’vepickedthreetypicaloftheirstyleandapproach.Asylaisthefirst.Ifthatseemstofavourdisproportionatelywhatisstillaboutiqueoperation,evenasitentersitsseconddecade,youneedtounderstandthatthisisaratherdifferentwhiskycompany–aspecialistblendinghouseratherthanadistiller–drivenbythemessianicJohnGlaser,ananglophileAmericanwhostartedhiswhiskycareerwithDiageobutopenedhisown‘house’in2000,literallyblendinghisfirstofferingsinhisownhome.

Itispossibletotireoftheconsciouslyfunkynames.Personallyspeaking,IfindthestyleofCompassBox’swebsiteoverlyself-congratulatoryandtheinsistenceontheirrenegadestyleandfearlessoutsiderstancecansometimesgrate(Glaser’sbusinesscardoncecarriedthetitle‘WhiskyZealot’;ashiscountrymenwouldsay,‘Oh,puh-lease…’).Butthatmissesthepoint.

Asastackofawardswilltestify,CompassBoxisreveredbywhisky’schatteringclassesandispreciousclosetobecomingpartofthewhiskyestablishment(theymightdenythis)andthey’vegottherebymakingvery,verygoodwhiskyindeed.Buttheydon’t,infact,makeanything–whattheydoisblendsuperbsmallbatchwhiskiesfromvery,verycarefullyselectedcasks(mostofthem,ironically,fromGlaser’sformeremployer).

Toaddtoyourpleasuretheyaresuperblypackaged,witheleganttypographyonwittyanddistinctivelabels.Notcheapbutimmenselysatisfying,anyCompassBoxwhiskywillmarkyououtasadrinkeroftasteanddiscernment.Asylausesjustfourwhiskiesintheblend(singlemaltsfromLinkwood,GlenElginandTeaninich,andgrainwhiskyfromCameronBridge),butmarriesthemforupto12monthstocreateasweet,delicateaperitifwhiskythathasrightlywonhugeplaudits.ColourApalegoldenwhisky,setoffbytheelegant,tall,clearglassbottle.Nose Apple,vanillaandsomecerealnotes.Grassy.Taste This is sweet but not cloying; delicate and very subtle with great

complexity.LikeallCompassBoxwhiskiesitisexceptionallysmooth.

Finish Slightlydrying.Somehintsofsmokemaybedetected.

VisitorCentreAvailability

MorrisonBowmoreDistillersAuchentoshan,Dalmuir,nrGlasgowYesWidespreadinternationalavailability

www.auchentoshan.co.uk

Auchentoshan

Classic

Itseemsonlyrighttoincludeoneexampleofdistillinginthetrue,traditionalLowlandstyle–thatistosay,tripledistilled,likeIrishwhiskey.Auchentoshanisalsoashowpiecedistillery,beautifullymaintainedbyitsownersMorrisonBowmore(asubsidiaryoftheJapanesegroupSuntory)andthusalwaysapleasuretovisit.

Thedistillerywasestablishedround1817inopencountryside,sincewhichtimeresidentialdevelopmenthassurroundedtheplantanditnowappearsacuriousanachronisminanapparentlyurbansettingclosetothedramaticErskineBridgeovertheRiverClyde.Theownershavecapitalisedonthislocationbyopeningnotjustavisitorcentrebutalsoprovidingconferencefacilitiesforthebusinessmarket.

Therangeofwhiskieshasbeengreatlyincreasedinrecentyearsandanumberofdifferentexpressions,rightupto50yearsold,areoffered.Itislightanddelicateinstylebut,surprisingly,standsupwelltocaskfinishingwhenthisishandledwithduesensitivity–theThreeWoodisafineexampleofwhatcanbedoneandAuchentoshanseemstoagequitegracefully.PresumablythisreflectsshrewdcaskselectionbythepreviousownersandcontinuedinvestmentbySuntory.

TheresultofAuchentoshan’stripledistillingprocessisasmoothandverycleanspiritthatfinisheslifeatover80%abv,unusuallyhighfortheoutputofapotstill.Thereisanadmirablyclearanimateddiagramillustratingthisontheexcellentwebsite–itselfamodelofclarityandunfussyoperation.

Ifyoudon’tknowthiswhisky,thenIsuggestyoustartwiththesignatureClassic.It’snon-agedandthesoft,creamystylewillwinfriendseasily.Ifyoudon’tcareforit,orfindthatyouwantmorebody,don’tdespair–itsgentlestylemakesanexcellentbaseforwhiskycocktails,providinggripwithoutdominatingthedesiredflavour.Colour Pale and delicate – bottled quite young and matured in refill ex-

bourbon,thishasn’tpickedupmuchcolour.

Nose Loadsofvanilla;freshandgrassy.Taste Malty, plenty of marzipan sweetness cut with lemon zest and green

apples.Finish Freshandfloral,butdoesn’tlinger.

InverHouseDistillersLtdBalblair,Edderton,Ross-shireNoneSpecialists

www.balblair.com

Balblair

Vintage1989

Balblairisjustalongtheroadfromitsmuchbetter-knownneighbourGlenmorangie(seeseparateentry)butmaintainsanaltogetherlowerprofile,perhapsrathergrudgingly.ThedistilleryisoneofaclutchownedandresurrectedbytheAirdrie-basedInverHouseDistillers,themselvesasubsidiaryoftheThaiconglomerateInterBev,whoseemtospecialiseintakingothercompanies’unlovedorphanchildrenandmakingsomethingofthem.

ItisoneoftheoldestdistilleriesstillinexistenceinScotland,datingbackto1790,thoughtherearerecordsofdistillingonthesiteasfarbackas1749.Itwasrebuiltinthe1870sbytheowners,theRossfamily(fouroutofthenineBalblairdistilleryworkersstillhavethesurnameRoss),andappearstohavechangedrelativelylittlesincethen,althoughitwasshutfrom1915to1947.InverHousearen’teasilypersuadedofthemeritsofchangeandtendtoadheretotraditionalmethodswheretheycan.Goodforthem.

Whatisnotparticularlytraditionalisthedecisiontoreleaseaseriesofvintageexpressions,ratherthanthemorenormalagedvariants.However,vintageshaveworkedverywellforTheGlenrothesandthereissomemeritintheargumentthatspiritcharacterdoesvaryfromyeartoyear.Italladdsvarietytoourshelvesandhasdefinitelyworkedinsalesterms.

TheBalblair1989vintagewasaGoldMedalwinnerinthe2007InternationalWine&SpiritsCompetition(IWSC)andjudged‘bestinclass’,andwasabigfavouriteofthecrowdatthe2008EdinburghWhiskyFringe(greatevent,trytogetaticket).Forme,itrepresentsanoptimumcompromisebetweenavailability,priceandquality:itshowsoffthedistillerystylewell,yetremainsaffordableandimmenselyquaffable.Colour Paleamber,mainlyfromex-bourboncasks.Nose Aromasofraisin,greenappleandhintsofbananaandcoconut.Taste Initially slightly harsh but rapidly evolves and warms, with spice,

lemon,raisinandsuggestionsofnuttyoak.

Finish Some dried fruit, but finishes quite quickly. Hints of smoke and amarinenote.

ChivasBrothersLtdn/a–thisisablendn/aSpecialists

www.ballantines.com

Ballantine’s

17YearsOld

Thisisawhiskywithaconsiderableanddistinguishedpedigree,largelyunappreciatedinitshomemarket.This,forabrandthatmarketsitselfwiththeslogan‘leaveanimpression’,ismorethanslightlyironic.It’sbecausethisisapremiumblendwhich,byandlarge,isastylethattheUKmarketdoesn’t‘get’.Notthatowners,ChivasBrothers,willbeespeciallybotheredbecauseBallantine’sishugeintheFarEastandintaxfree(airports,toyouandme).

Thenameisanhonouredone.TheoriginalGeorgeBallantinewasoneofthegiantsofVictorianwhiskyblending,startingfrommodestpremisesinEdinburghin1827but,lessthan60yearslater,exportingaroundtheworldwithastringofroyalwarrantstohisname.However,asisthewayofthespiritsindustry,thebrandchangedhandsseveraltimesbeforeChivasBrothersacquireditinJuly2005.

BetweentheirastutemarketingandtheskillsoftheirrenownedMasterBlender,SandyHyslop,Ballantine’shascomeroaringback.Fortunately,Hyslophasaveryfinerangeofbothgrainandsinglemaltwhiskiesfromwhichtopick,andtheexperienceandjudgementtoknowhowtoputthemtogether.

Probablythepickofthebunchisthe17YearsOld.Itispleasant,smooth,warmingandmellow.There’splentyofdepththere,butthisdoesnotassertitselfforcefully;ratheritslowlycharmsyouuntilyourealisewhataveryspecialdramitis.Talentedbutself-effacingandmodestwithit:thearchetypalupper-middle-classEdinburghprofessional,then.Itdoesleaveanimpression,afterall.Colour Brightgold.Nose Rounded, balanced and appetising. Some sweet notes and a hint of

smoke.Taste Mellowvanillatones,withmaturityshowinginbalancedwood,smoke

and cream. Surprisingly full bodied for 43% abv and after chillfiltration.

Finish Lingersagreeablyat thebackof thepalate,holding togetherwell andleavinghintsofmarinecharacter.

BeamGlobalSpirits&Wine,Inc.JimBeam,ClermontDistillery,KentuckyYesSpecialistsandonline

www.smallbatch.com

BasilHayden’s

It’sclaimedthattheHaydenfamilycanbetracedbacktotheyearsfollowingtheNormanConquestof1066.Oneancestor,SimondeHeydon,wasknightedbyRichardtheLionheartintheHolyLandduringtheThirdCrusadeinthe1190sandhisson,ThomasdeHeydon,madeJusticeItinerantofNorfolkbyHenryIII.Later,anotherancestorwasgrantedalargeestateinHertfordshire,inreturnforthefamily’smilitaryservice.Eventually,however,theyemigratedtotheVirginiaColonyinthe1660sinsearchofreligiousfreedom.

Itisfurtherclaimedthat,by1796,oneBasilHaydenwasamasterdistiller,bornandraisedinMaryland,wherehelearnedtomakewhiskeyfromrye.MovingtoKentucky,Haydenbeganmakingwhiskeyfromabaseofcorn,butaddedahigherpercentageofryethanotherdistillers,resultinginsmooth,mildbourbon.Well,that’sthestoryanyway.

OneoftheBeamSmallBatchbourbons,BasilHayden’sisuniqueinthatitutilisestwiceasmuchrye(30%)asothersmallbatchreleases(thoughBeamadoptasimilarapproachtothedistillationoftheirOldGrand-Dad).Unusuallyforpremiumbourbon,itisbottledat40%abv,typicallyataroundeightyearsofage,andisthelightestinstyleinthecollection.

Italwaysseemssomewhatover-packagedformytastewithatallandratherfemininebottlestrangelybisectedbyacopperband,butifyoulikeadryandmoredelicatetasteinyourbourbonthenthiswillappeal.It’salsoanexcellentcocktailbase.

LikealltheSmallBatchrange,thiscomesfromthelargeandratherutilitarianClermontdistillery,somewhattheantithesisofthesmallbatchphilosophy,butwhereyoucanatleastvisittheT.JeremiahBeamHomeandtheJimBeamAmericanOutpostandtryarangeofproducts.Colour Palegold.Nose Somecitrusnoteswithmintandspice.Taste Lighttomediumbody,delicateandaromatic.Honey,pepperandfading

spice.

Finish Quiteshortbutholdstogether.

12 ProducerDistilleryVisitorCentre

AvailabilityPrice

TheBenRiachDistilleryCompanyLtdBenRiach,Elgin,MorayshireNone–tryphoningforanappointmentSpecialists

www.benriachdistillery.co.uk

BenRiach

CuriositasPeated

BoredofwhiskieswithstrangeGaelicnames?WhynottryonewithsomeLatinpartofarangethatincludesHeredotusFumosusandImportanticusFumosus?Youjusthavetobecuriousabout‘Curiositas’.(It’sanexperimental,heavilypeatedSpeysider.)Thenamesmayseemabitcontrived,buthereisasmallindependentdistillergettingonwithlife,experimentingwithunusualwhiskiesandmanagingtodosowithoutdevelopingapersecutioncomplex.

BenRiach(Ihavenoideawhytheystickacapitalletterinthemiddle)waslyingmothballedfromaround1900untilitwasrebuiltandreopenedsixty-fiveyearslater.It’samiracleitsurvived,butitonlycarriedonuntilAugust2002whenitwasmothballedagain.

However,atthatpointitsluckchanged.Havingbeenownedbyaseriesoflargecorporations,BenRiachwasluckytobeacquiredbyindustryveteranBillyWalker,backedbytwoSouthAfricaninvestors.Theyhaveinvestedheavilyinthedistilleryand,inAugust2008,boughtGlendronachaswell,sothingsareobviouslygoingswimmingly.

Sadly,there’snovisitorcentre(thereisanexcellentoneatGlendronach)butitwouldbeworthaskingnicelyforapeek,especiallyastheymaintainashowpiecefloormalting(sadlyit’snotcurrentlyinuse).

Thereareanumberofreleases,somequitelimited,andexcitingplans.Thedistillerythemselvessaythattheirvisionis‘notonlytomaintainthegreattraditionsofthedistillerybuttobreaknewgroundwith“new”whiskyexpressionsand,borrowingfromthewiderworldofthenobleartofdistilling,to“craft”specialwhiskies,andintriguingexpressions’.Itsoundsexciting.Itisexciting.And,hopingthatthecorporategiantsdon’tswampthem,mytoasttoBenRiachis,‘nilcarborundumillegitimi!’Colour Palegold.Nose Peatonthisone,butnotasaggressiveasoftenfoundonIslay.Heather

flowersinbackground.

Taste Medium weight, lots of peat attack, wood follows on with a spicyfruitiness.

Finish Plentyofthatpeatsmokebutlotsmoregoingontoteaseyouacapiteadcalcem*.

Gordon&MacPhailBenromach,Forres,MorayshireYesSpecialists

www.benromach.com

Benromach

Organic

Thereareanumberof‘organic’whiskiesoutthere–DaMhile(firstmadeatSpringbankbutnowLochLomond);HighlandHarvestblendedandBruichladdichwillsoonlaunchthefirstIslayOrganicwhisky,distilledinDecember2003andnowapproachingfullmaturity.

Personally,Ican’tseethatitmattersallthatmuchinadistilledspiritbut,ifyoucareaboutthesethings,youwillbeinterestedinthisofferingfromBenromach,Gordon&MacPhail’stinydistilleryontheoutskirtsofForres.SofarasIcansee,it’sthefirstandsofartheonlywhiskywherethewholeprocess–rawingredients,distillation,maturation,bottling–iscertifiedtotheSoilAssociation’srigorousorganicstandards.

Thisdoes,however,addsomethingofinteresttothewhiskyenthusiast.ForonethingthebarleyusedformaltingcomesfromaScottishfarm(notallbarleyusedtomakeScotchisScottish,whichmaycomeassomethingofasurprise)andthebarrelsarefromvirginoak.Thisisunusual–it’sgenerallyheldthatbrandnewoakbarrelsexerttooassertiveaninfluenceontheflavourofScotchwhisky,hencethealmostuniversalpresenceofbarrelsthathavebeenseasonedbyprevioususe.However,Benromachappeartohavecarriedthisoffand,whileclearlyevident,thewooddoesnotdominate.

Thedistillersclaimthatthecasksare‘handselected’–anice-soundingbut,asfarasIcansee,essentiallymeaninglessclaimsincesofarasIamaware,noonehasyetinventedamachinetoselectcasks–andmadefromnatural,wild-growingforest.Thetreesarenotsprayedwithpesticidesoranyotherformofchemicalpriortofelling(butthentheywouldn’t,being‘wild’)orindeedafter.

Quitehowyousquareyourgreenconcernswiththefellingofnaturalwildforestisamatterforyourownconscience,ofcourse.You’llprobablydrinkthiswhilereadingtheGuardian.Colour Rich,deepgold.Nose Lotsofwoodimpact,ofcourse,butfruitsandvanillapods.

Taste Woodwetakeforgrantedhere,butfruitcompoteandsomesweetnessalsoevident.

Finish Aglowofliberal,green-tintedvirtue.

HeavenHillDistilleries,Inc.Bernheim,Louisville,KentuckyYesSpecialists

www.bernheimwheatwhiskey.comseealsowww.heaven-hill.com

Bernheim

OriginalWheatWhiskey

‘Unique’and‘original’aregrosslyover-usedterms,thoughIthinkprobablyjustifiedhere.ThisAmericanwhiskeyismadewithwinterwheatasitsprincipalingredient(aminimumof51%)alongwiththemoreconventionalrye,barleyandcorn.Assuch,itisthefirstreallynewAmericanwhiskeysinceProhibitionandisarguablyrevivingadistillingstylefromthe1700s.Naturally,astheworld’sonlystraightwheatwhiskey,ithasattractedalotofattentionfromenthusiastsanxiousforanewtastesensation.Atthetimeofwritingitistheonlyexampleofthisstyle,thoughpresumably,ifitssuccesscontinues,we’llseeotherdistillersofferingsomethingsimilarinthenearfuture.

Thedistilleryitselfhashadaninterestinghistory.ItwasbuiltonthesiteoftheoldAstorandBelmontdistilleries,whichweredemolishedbyUnitedDistillers,theforerunnerofDiageo,beforethebrandnewBernheimplantwasconstructedin1992.UnderDiageobourbonwasnotregardedasapriorityand,in1999,theHeavenHillCompanyacquiredthefacility,whichtodaymakesitthelastprivatelyowneddistilleryinKentucky.Amongotherbrands,HeavenHillBourbonandRittenhouseRyeisdistilledhere,allofwhichcanbeseeninthefinenewBourbonHeritageCentre,WhiskyMagazine’s2009VisitorAttractionoftheYear(thereisa$50‘behindthescenes’tour).BernheimOriginalisdistilledherebutagedforaminimumoftwoyearsinnewcharredwhiteoakbarrelsinRickhouseYatHeavenHill’ssiteatBardstown,NelsonCounty.

Launchedin2005BernheimOriginalWheatWhiskeyhasbenefitedfrominterestinsmallbatchproductionandcraftdistillation.Asaninnovativesalutetotraditionitisinterestingbutthewhiskeyitselfholdsupwell.Colour Pale,especiallybycomparisontobourbon.Nose Adelicatenoseoffersbutteredtoast,spicesandsomefruits.Cleanand

refreshinglemonzest.Taste Fruitandnut.Mediumbodied;sweetbutnotcloying.Finish Crispandspicy.Hintsofnuts.

BurnStewartDistillersLtdn/a–thisisablendn/aWidespreadinternationalavailability

www.blackbottle.com

BlackBottle

IwasreallyhopingtowriteaboutBlackBottle’s10-year-oldbrother.Thiswaslaunchedin1998but,sadly,hasbeenwithdrawn,lastingasabrandonlyslightlylongerthanthewhiskyinthebottle.However,ifyou’rereallyquickyoumightfindtheoddbottleonadustyshelfsomewhere.Ifso,grabitwithouthesitation,especiallyifyoulikethepeatystuff.

Thestandardstyleismorethanrespectable,however.It’soneofthoseclassicVictorianblendsthatstartedlifeinagrocer’sshop,inthiscaseinAberdeen,andwentontochangethefortunesofthefamilyfirm,GordonGraham&Co.And,asisthewayofthesestories,eventuallythefamilyhadtosellupandthebrandwentthroughaseriesofchanges,somelessthansuccessful.

EventuallyitendedupownedbyBurnStewartDistillerswho,withoutlavishingmoneyonit,havegivenitatleastsomeofthetenderlovingcareitcriedoutfor.Theyhavetreateditwithappropriaterespectandimprovedthequality(actually,that’sarecurringcommentonanumberoftheirwhiskiesgenerally–seeDeanstonandTobermory,inparticular).

Apparently,initsearliestdays,eachbottlewaswrappedintissuepaperwhichcarriedthisverse,generallyattributedtoWalterLandor:

IfuponmythemeIrightlythink,TherearefivereasonswhyIdrink:Goodwine.Afriend.BecauseI’mdry.BecauseImightbebyeandbye.Oranyotherreasonwhy!

WhyyoumightwanttodrinkBlackBottleistoenjoyabig,smoky,Islay-dominatedblend(there’sabitofDeanstonintherealso,butit’sratherswampedbythepeat)thatisrathermorerefreshingandeasiertodrinkthanmanyotherpeat-dominateddrams.It’snotexpensiveeither,makingitagoodeverydaystandby.Colour Pale,brightgold.

Nose Surprisinglylight,freshandfruitywithpeatinthebackground.Taste Well balancedwith a delightful sweetness acting as a kind of smoke

extractor!Finish Thepeatnotesstarttocomethroughattheendasthewhiskydiesaway;

moreembersthansmoke.

Availability

HighlandDistillersn/a–thisisablendTheFamousGrouseExperienceatGlenturret,nearCrieffWidespreadinternationalavailability

www.thefamousgrouse.comseealsowww.black-grouse.com

BlackGrouse

ThereseemspreciouslittlepointintellinganyoneaboutTheFamousGrouse,asithaslongbeenestablishedasScotland’sbest-sellingblendedScotch,supportedbythosevaguelyannoyingbutactuallymildlyamusingTVcommercialswiththeear-wormofatune–soIwon’t.Ifdesperate,youcanlearnmoreattheirwebsite(Ifinditrathertiresomeandcontrived;mightjustbeme)orevenvisitTheFamousGrouseExperienceatGlenturretdistillerynearCrieff,essentiallyanover-blownvisitorcentre,shopandseveralrestaurants,andtrytofindthetinydistillerysomewhereinthemiddleofitall.

Butsomethinghasbeenstirringinthenestinrecentyearsandthegrousehasbroughtforthaclutchofinterestingnewfledglingswithsomediscreettestmarketinggoingonastheytrytostretchthebrand.Twothathavesuccessfullyflownthenest(sorry,that’sthelasttediouspun)aretheSnowGrouse,aharshlychill-filteredblendedgrain,aboutwhichthelesssaidthebetter,andtheBlackGrouse.

It’scuriousthatitshouldfollowimmediatelyonfromBlackBottle,becausethisisanotherIslay-influenced,peatyblend.Ironic,then,youmaythink,thatHighlandDistillerssoldtheironlyIslaydistillery(Bunnahabhain)in2003(notthatitwasparticularlynotedforpeatedwhiskiesatthattimeanyway).

Anyway,notingthefashionforsmokywhiskies,theblendershavefashionedthissmoothandaromaticdrop,whichseemstobefindingfavouramongpeatfreaks,notleastforitscompetitivepricing.TheFamousGrousepack(orcovey)appearstonumbernineandcountingnow,thoughIdaresaymorewillhavehatchedbythetimethisgetsintoprint(sorry,Ididn’teventrytoresistit).ColourAmature,rich,copperygold.Nose Smokyandspicybutnotassertiveorharsh.Taste Pleasantly well-balanced, smooth and mouth coating; some signature

GrousesweetnessbutdevelopsspiceandfruitcharacterasSpeysideandIslaymerge.

Finish Cocoaandspicesbutwithafadingsmokecharacter.

Co-ordinatedDevelopmentServicesLtdBladnoch,Wigtown,KirkcudbrightshireYesSpecialists

www.bladnoch.co.uk

Bladnoch

8YearsOld

Isthisthebestwhiskyinthisbook?Probablynot,butyoushouldstillbuyabottle–andhere’swhy.

Bladnoch,oneoftheverylastLowlanddistilleriesandScotland’smostsoutherlydistillery,wasclosedinJune1993byUDV(nowDiageo).AnIrishbuilderandpropertydeveloper,RaymondArmstrong,boughtthesite.

Unlikelyasitnowseems,heplannedtoredevelopthebuildingsforhousing.Butthewhiskygodswerenottobesoeasilydistractedand,aftersometime,Armstrongbegantounderstandwhatthedistillerymeanttothelocalcommunity.Sohedeterminedtostartdistillingagain.

Thatwasn’tquiteaseasyasitsoundsandUDV,whohadsoldonthestrictunderstandingthatBladnochwastobetakenoutofproduction,tooksomepersuadingtopermitevenlimiteddistilling.But,attheriskofracialstereotyping,Armstronghastheblarneyandisbothpersistentandcharming.Eventuallyhegotthemtorelentand,inDecember2000,Bladnochwentbackintoproduction.

Forthisheattainedtherankofwhiskyheroandisreveredamongaficionados.Heisalsoathoroughlyamenableandagreeablefellow,happytopassthetimeofdaywithyouifyoudropin,andanall-roundgoodegg.Today,thesiteispleasantlybusy,hasacharminghomespunvisitorcentreandtheyrunanopen-spiritedandgenerousdiscussionforumontheirwebsite.

ThefirstwhiskydistilledunderArmstrong’sbenevolentandaffableownershipwasreleasedinOctober2009attheWigtownBookFestival.Buyabottleandhelpkeepadreamalive:it’sanobleandworthycause.Everybottlesoldhelps.Colour Palestraw.Nose Lemonzest,oakandvanilla.Slightlyspiritybutwithnuttysuggestions.Taste Lighttomediumbody,butmouthcoating.Loadsofvanillaandcrème

brûléeflavours.

Finish Not the longest finish ever, light with some spice notes. Just buy itanyway.

AvailabilityPrice

BerryBros&Ruddn/a–thisisablendNo–butvisittheirLondonshopSpecialists

www.bbr.com

BlueHanger

Toppeople’swinemerchantsBerryBros&Rudd,withtheirelegantpremisesinLondon’sStJames’sStreet,isnotthefirstplaceyou’dgotofindabargain.Butthereisonelurkingthere.Remember,whileyoumightassociatethemwithclassedgrowthclaret,thesearethefolkswhocreatedCuttySarksotheydoknowtheirwhisky.

Thislittlecrackeriswhat’sknownasablendedmalt;thatistosay,ablend(ormixture)ofseveralsinglemaltswithnograinwhiskyatallallowedtotheparty.Berry’swhiskyguyisthehighlyregardedDougMclvor.YouknowallyouneedtoknowaboutDougwhenItellyouthatofalltheblendersintheScotchwhiskyindustryhewastheoneentrustedwiththesamplesfromthelateMichaelJackson’s*whiskylibrarytocreateamemorialblend.

Forthisfourthrelease,DoughascombinedthreeSpeysidemalts:GlenElgin,GlenlivetandMortlach,rangingfrom16to34yearsold.Hehimselfdescribesthewhiskyashaving‘astronginfluencefromSherrycasksbutItrytoreinthisintoofferbalanceandcomplexityfromtheothercasks’.That’salittlemodest:thepreviousreleaseofBlueHangerwasacomfortablewinnerintheblendedmaltclassinthe2008WorldWhiskiesAwardsandit’sgenerallyagreedthatwiththisfourthreleasehehassurpassedeventhathighstandard.What’smoreagreeableisthatit’sbottledat45.6%andyouwillpayaround£60forabottle.Justpraytheydon’tdecidetoputitinsomelavishpackaging.

TheunusualnamecomesfromWilliamHanger,3rdLordColeraine,aloyalcustomerofBerry’sduringthe18thcentury.Hewasrenownedforwearingstrikingblueclothes,andgainedthesobriquet‘BlueHanger’.Youdon’thavetodressuptoshopthere,butItoldyoutheywereposh.ColourDark–ageandsherrycasksshowinghere.Nose Richandpromising;stewedfruitsandsomesuggestionofcitrus.Taste Leather, vanilla and stewedpear hints developing to cream fudge and

richorange.Fullbodied.Finish Dry,withhintsofsmokeandnuts.

Glenmorangieplcn/a–thisisablendn/aSpecialists

BailieNicolJarvie

What’sthisdoinghere?Youmaywellask,sinceitseemstomethattheownersclearlydon’tcare.BailieNicolJarvie(‘BNJ’toitscoterieofdedicatedfans)appearstobetheunlovedand,itwouldseem,unwantedruntofthelitterintheGlenmorangiestable.Buttheyhaven’tkilleditoffwithneglectanddisinterest,norhavetheymanagedtosellittosomeonewhowouldlavishonitthetenderlovingcarethatitsoevidentlydeserves(though,aswegotoprint,thereareunconfirmedrumoursthatit’sbeingofferedforsale,soitmaybeinnewhandsbythetimeyoureadthis).

Theblendhasbeenaroundforyears(Ihaveseenaverylovelypre-wardecanterinaHighlandshootinglodge–reallythiswhisky’snaturalhabitat)andisreputedtocontainanuncommonlyhighpercentageofsinglemaltwhisky,mostprobablyGlenmorangieandGlenMoray.Theresultisasubtleandcomplex,thoughrelativelylight-bodied,blendthathasquietlyattractedadmirersamonginformeddrinkers.

It’sentirelyirrelevantbutitalsohasagreatlabel.JustthoughtI’dmentionit,asitmarksyououtasadrinkeroftasteanddiscernment,capableoflookingbeyondritzypackagingtotimelesselegance.Moreimportantly,itisfantasticvalue.

Thatmightexplaintheowners’reluctancetopushsales:withthismuchtop-qualitysinglemaltintheblendthepriceissimplytoolowifitbecomesasuccess,especiallygiventhecostofbuildingabrand.Sogetinfast.Fillyerboots.Thiscan’tlastandyouneedtogetsomewhileyoustillcan.Colour Paleandinteresting.Nose Fresh and floral, with theGlenmorangie influence evident. Pears and

grassynotes–veryelegant.Taste A very well-balanced, well-mannered whisky. Just a hint of smoke

coveringdelicateperfumednotes;freshfruitandhazelnuts.Finish Subtleanddelicate.Arapierofawhiskybutwithakilleredgeofspice,

chocolateandtoffee.

MorrisonBowmoreDistillersBowmore,IslayYesSpecialists

www.bowmore.co.uk

Bowmore

Tempest

Islay’soldestdistillery(foundedin1779,orpossiblyevenearlier)retainsafloormaltingwhichproducesaroundonethirdofthemaltedbarleyrequiredbytheoperation.Youcantakeatourwhichincludesthemaltingfloorandyoumaybepermittedtolookintothekilnwithitshairclothfloor(theperforatedmetalsheetontowhichthegrainisspreadtobedried).Evenwithnofireunderneath,thewholeplaceretainstherichlyaromatic,almostpungent,smellofpeatsmoke.

Andthat,ofcourse,iswhatIslayisreallyallaboutandwhatmakesthewhiskiessospecial.Formymoney,Bowmoreisoneofthebetterbalanceddramsproducedhereandthepeatcontent(measuredinpartspermillionofphenols)isalittlelowerthansomeofitsmoreassertiveneighbours.Notthatthisshouldmakeyoumakethemistakeofthinkinganylessofit.Thisisveryfinewhiskyandishighlysoughtafter–rareandoldexpressionsofBowmoreareoneofthemostvaluableofwhiskycollectablesandfeatureregularlyinwhiskyauctions.Indeed,an1850bottlingsoldinSeptember2007forathenworld-recordpriceof£29,400,thoughnotwithoutattractingsomecontroversyandspeculationastoitsauthenticity.Presumablythebuyerwashappy.

However,youcanpickupabottleoftheirTempest–atasty,caskstrength,non-chillfiltered,10-year-oldBowmoreforaround£40,whichmakesitsomethingofabargain.It’llneverbeworth£29,000butthat’snotthepoint.Thisisonetodrinkandsavour,andisprobablymycurrentfavouritefromanextensiveandimpressiverangethathasenjoyeddeservedsuccessinrecentyears.

Try,ifyoucan,togettothedistillery.ThetouriswellmanagedandthebaratthevisitorcentreoffersastunningviewoverLochIndaal,whichiscapableofsoothingthesoulofeventhemoststressed-outurbansophisticate.Colour Brightgold.Nose Peatsmokeandsalt,hintsoforangecrèmebrûléeandhoney.Taste ThesignaturesubtleBowmorepeatsmoke to the fore,withsaltanda

playfulcitrusnote.

Finish Amaritimefarewell,peatsmokeoverastormysea,butcleanandfresh.

BruichladdichDistilleryCompanyBruichladdich,IslayYesSpecialistsandsomesupermarkets

www.bruichladdich.com

Bruichladdich

12YearsOldSecondEdition

IspentalongtimeponderingoverwhetherornottoincludeBruichladdichandeventuallydecidedthat,despitewhatyou’reabouttoread,Ilovethemreally.Trytokeepthatinmind!

Mindyou,theydomakeithard.Ifit’snotthepreposterousclaimsontheirwebsite(‘pre-industrialdistillingtechniques’indeed?Fromadistillerybuiltin1881…),orwhatseemstothiscommentatoratleastapersistentlychippyattitudeandobsessivebeliefthateveryoneisouttodothemdown,thenitmustbethetediouslyself-aggrandisingclaims(apparently,theyare‘TheMaltCrusaders:fiercelyindependent,non-conformist,innovative–theenfantterribleoftheindustry’).Infact,they’reindangerofbecomingtheMillwallfansofwhisky(‘noonelikesus,wedon’tcare’).

Actually,despitethewavesofsycophanticpublicity–atleastoneratherobsequiousbook,regularTVappearancesandadocumentaryhasbeenbroadcastaboutthem(publicitythattheaveragemarketingmanagerwouldkillfor)–thetruthisthatnoone’sthatbotheredbytheirantics.Ifonlytheywouldconcentrateonmakingwhiskysincetheydoitsovery,verywell.

Butthedifficultyhereisfindingonetopick.Bruichladdichare(in)famousforanever-endingseriesofreleasesandfinishes(exceptinBruichladdich-speakthey’renot‘finishes’,sonowI’llbeinevenmoretrouble)thatrolloffIslaywithmind-numbingfrequency.Thereisasortofstrangelogic,butitreliesonhavingaveryBruichladdich-centricworldviewtoappreciateit.

Anyway,justtobeclear:thedistilleryisawonderfultimecapsule;thepeoplearepassionate;theymakewonderfulwhiskyandaren’tafraidtotrynewthings;andtheyhavebroughtalotofheat(andsomelight)totheScotchwhiskyscene.Sostartoffwiththe12YearsOld,whichisasnearasyouwillgettoastandardexpression.Expensivebycomparisonwithothermaltsofasimilarage,butwhatdoyouexpectfromrenegades?Colour Brightgold.

Nose Lotsgoingon:refined,floral,fruityandsubtle.Taste Fairlylightbodiedbutnotwithoutinterest.Startssweet,fruitdevelops,

thenvanillaandoak.Finish Fadesgentlyawaywiththefruitnotesdryingasitends.

TheSazeracCompanyBuffaloTrace,FranklinCounty,KentuckyYesSpecialists

www.buffalotrace.comseealsowww.bourbonwhiskey.com

BuffaloTrace

Anoutstandingandhighly-awardeddistillerofKentuckyStraightBourbon,theBuffaloTracedistillerywasfoundedin1857,thoughtherewasdistillingonthesitesomeseventyyearsearlier.BuffaloTracehasthedistinctionofbeingthefirstproducerofsinglebarrelbourbonwiththe1984releaseofBlanton’s.

AnumberofbrandsareproducedhereaswellasBuffaloTrace:EagleRare,Blanton’s,RockHillFarms,Hancock’s,ElmerT.Lee,SazeracRyeandW.L.Weller,amongothers.Butitisthedistillery’sownlabelthatwe’reconcernedwith,firstintroducedin1999.Itfoundrapidacceptanceandacclaim.Todaytheycanboastontheirwebsitethat‘thedistilleryhaswonmoreinternationalawardssince1990thananyotherNorthAmericandistillery,earningmorethan140distinctionsinnationalandinternationalcompetitions’.

AttheheartofitisthisfineexampleofKentuckyStraightBourbon.Thedistillersbelievethatcertainfloorsofsomeoftheirwarehouses(romantically,theyarenamedaswarehousesC,IandK)producethebestspirit,andsmallbatchesofthebestcasksareselectedforBuffaloTrace.Thesegothroughafurtherselectionbyatastepanelandasfewas25barrelsarethenmarriedandbottled.

Interestingly,thethreewarehousessharesimilarconstruction:theyarerickwarehousesconstructedfromlargewoodbeamsandsurroundedbyabrickshell.Eachhasanearthfloor(likeadunnagewarehouseinScotland)and,duringthewinter,steamispumpedthroughoutthewarehousestocompensateforthedramaticdropintemperature.Thishastheeffectofforcingthewhiskeytomaturefaster–whichisjustgreatbecauseitgetstousthatlittlebitquicker!

BuffaloTraceiswelldistributedingoodspecialistsintheUK.I’dsayitwastheperfectintroductiontobourbon,afterwhichotherbrandsatthispricepointwilldisappoint.Colour Lightbronze.Noaddedcolour.Nose Vanilla,mint,spiceandsomecitrushints.Taste Sweetwithvanilla,cinnamon,brownsugarandoakwood.

Finish Quitelonganddrying.

AvailabilityPrice

BurnStewartDistillersLtdBunnahabhain,IslayYes–modestfacilitiesatthedistillerySpecialists

www.bunnahabhain.com

Bunnahabhain

18YearsOld

IaminordinatelyfondofBunnahabhain.Ioncespentawonderfulholidaythere(youcanrentoneoftheformerdistillerycottages)anditisoneofthequietestandmostrelaxingplacesthatyou’lleverfind.

Thedistilleryitselfismorefunctionalthanpicturesquebutitliesattheheartofaprettybay,withexceptionalviewsovertheSoundofJura.SinceIspenttimethere,BunnahabhainhasbeensoldtoBurnStewart,asmallScotchwhiskydistillingcompanyultimatelyownedinTrinidad,andthishasbeenathoroughlygoodthing.

Previously,itwasratherdwarfedbyitsglamorousstablemates,TheMacallanandHighlandPark.Nowitmaybeinasmallerpond,butit’sabiggerfishandallthemorecomfortableforthat.TheestablisheddistillingteamlargelystayedintactbutaninjectionofTLCfollowedthetransferofownershipandsomeinterestingwhiskieswerequicklyprisedoutofthewarehouses.

Whereoncetherewasonlyasomewhatanodyne12-year-oldversion,todaythereareseveralagedexpressionsandoccasional–andusuallyinterestingandrewarding–specialeditions.Recommendedhereforitsblendofqualityandvalueisthe18-year-oldstyle.Thisisnotheavilypeated,thoughthedistilleryisexperimentingwiththisstyle.Ifyoulikepeat,lookoutforwhattheycalltheirMòineorToiteachstyles(hardtofind,though).

IfyouevergettoIslayit’seasytoforgetaboutBunnahabhain,whichliessomewhatoutoftheway.Thatwouldbeamistake:it’swellworthavisit.Colour Bright,richgold.Nose Hintsofhoneyandnuts;soft,elegant,withmildaromasofsherry.Taste Caramel toffee,old leatherandoak.Asalt influencemaybedetected,

withmintandsweetspice.Finish Well balanced, drying, with sherry and spice notes. Slight hints of

fadingsmoke.

DiageoBushmills,Co.Antrim,NorthernIrelandYesSpecialists

www.bushmills.com

Bushmills

16YearsOld

Doesitactuallymatterwhenadistillerywasfounded?Imean,ifyouthoughtthatBushmillsdatedfrom,say,1784ratherthan,say,1608wouldyoubuyanyless?Thedistillerymakesgreatplayoftheearlierdate,emphasisingitontheirbottlesandlabels,whilebeingrathercoyaboutthefactthatthisrelatestoagenericlicencetodistilintheirgeneralareaandthattheBushmillstrademarkdoesn’tfirstappearuntil176yearslater.Well,what’sacenturyortwoamongfriends?Afterall,theircompetitorshavealldisappearedand1784wasaverylongtimeago(itmarkedtheformalendoftheAmericanWarofIndependence,foronething).Tobefair,thewebsitedoesclearupthe1608thing,sowe’llletthemoff.

Bushmills,nowpartoftheDiageostable,isNorthernIreland’slastsurvivingdistillery–andalargeandsuccessfuloneitisatthat.Havingsurvivedahugefire,Prohibition,avigoroustemperancemovementandcompetitionfromScotchwhisky,Bushmillshasentereditsfifth(orpossiblythird,dependingontheabove)centuryingreatshape.

ThestandardBushmillsandtheslightlypremiumBlackBusharebothblends(curiously,thegrainwhiskycomesfromtheRepublicwhereit’smadeatMidleton,bytheirgreatcompetitor)butthedistilleryoffersthree100%maltedbarleysinglemalts,at10,16and21yearsofage.

Thereisanexcellentvisitorcentreatthedistilleryand,bytakingthetour,youcanseetripledistillationinaction.FromtheBushmillsrange,I’veselectedthe16YearsOldsinglemalt.Theextraageanduptoayear’sfinishinginportwoodaddcolouranddepthofflavourtowhatisalreadyveryfinespirit.The21YearsOldismuchhardertofindandsignificantlymoreexpensive.Colour Theattractiverubyredtintisaclearsignalofportfinishing.Nose Waves of fruit on the nose, immediately appealing sweet notes and

somewoodgetsthrough.Taste Morefruit,butalsomaltycarameltoffeeandsomechocolate.Medium

tofullbodied.

Finish Sinuous waves of complexity – a reminder of all the flavours in theglass–fadingdelightfullyslowly.

DiageoCameronBridge,FifeNoneSpecialists

CameronBrig

Thisisgrainwhisky–Scotland’sequivalentofthemadauntintheatticwhonoonetalksabout.ButtheScotchwhiskyindustryabsolutelydependsonitbecauseitisatthebasisofblending.IftherewasnograinwhiskytherewouldbenoJohnnieWalker,noFamousGrouse,noBallantine’sandsoon–andfarfewersinglemalts,too,asalmostallsinglemaltdistilleriesrelyonblendedwhiskiestotakethemajorityoftheiroutput.

Sowhysocoy?Well,grainwhiskyisproducedonanindustrialscalebyasomewhatdifferentprocessthansinglemalt,usingcheaperingredients.Generallyspeaking,graindistilleriesaren’tprettyandtheydon’tconformtotheimagethattheindustrylikestosellus.What’smore,mostgrainwhiskyisusedwithinafewmonthsofitsmaturationandisvaluedmoreforitsrelativelyblandflavourthananydistinctivequalities(thereareexceptions,ofcourse,butthisisbroadlytrue).

However,afewgrainwhiskiesaremarketedintheirownrightandit’sworthtryingoneortwojusttoexpandyourwhiskyeducation.CompassBox’sexcellentHedonismisone(seeseparateentry)butit’shardtofindandunusualinthatitisblendedgrain.Foralotlessmoney,trackdownabottleofCameronBrig.Itwon’tbeeasybutit’sworththetrouble.

Ifyoudon’tcareforityoucanalwaystryyourhandatmakingyourownblend.Takeanemptybottle,fillitjustoverhalffullwiththeCameronBrigandaddafewofyourfavouritesinglemalts.Shakewell,saythemagicwordsand,heypresto,you’reablender!ColourWarmgold.Nose Cleanandgrassy.Unpeated,solightandrefreshing.Taste Honeyandspice.Warmingandsmooth(non-agedbutpresumablyeight

totenyearsold).Finish Subtleandsurprisinglycomplex.

DiageoCaolIla,IslayYesSpecialists

www.malts.com

CaolIla

12YearsOld

It’sgreattobeabletorecommendwhiskieslikethis–virtuallyunknownlittlesecretsthat,oncetasted,areneverforgotten.CaolIla(pronounced‘cowleela’–Gaelicspeakerslookawayplease)mustbeoneofthemostdramaticallylocatedofallofScotland’sdistilleries.It’sattheendofaprecipitousroadjustoutsidePortAskaigonIslay,rightonthesea,oppositetheislandofJura.FromtheManager’sofficewindowyoucanseeseals,ottersandallkindsofinterestingseabirds,nottomentiontheamazingtopographyofJuraandthefamousPaps(stopsniggering,they’regreatbighills).

Butthat’swhatnotmakesitsogreat.ThisisprobablytheunsungheroofIslay’srenownedwhiskies,largelybecausevirtuallyalloftheannualproductionisrequiredforblendingandtheowners,Diageo,hardlypromotethesinglemalt.Theydo,however,grudginglyreleasesomeexpressions–butthesearegenerallyquitepricyifyoudon’tknowyoulikethemandareoftenrestrictedinavailabilityanyway.

Sowhynotstartwiththestandard12YearsOld?It’sprobablythebestbalancedoftheCaolIlaexpressionsandaclassicofitskind.IncommonwithmostIslaysinglemaltsit’sforloversofsmokywhisky.Likeitsbetter-knownneighboursatLagavulin,LaphroaigandArdbeg,it’saforceful,peat-soakedmonster,butsomedrinkersfinditalittlesweeterthanthese.

Therearesomeotherversions,includinganunpeatedversion(whybother?),butthisistheoneyou’relookingfor.Ifyoulikethisyoucanmoveontoitsbigbrotherat18YearsOldandthentryoneofthemanymerchantbottlingsthatareoutthere.Butthisistheplacetostart.ColourAlightcolouredwhisky.Nose The sweetmalt hits one initially, followed by peat, treacle toffee and

gentlelemon/citrus.Taste Medicinal, but not aggressively so; wet grass, linseed oil and smoky

wood. Add water to release sweet biscuits and more smoky, meatynotes.

Finish Peatsmokeandlemonpuddingbattleitouttotheend!

ChivasBrothersLtdn/an/aSpecialistsanddutyfree

www.chivas.com

ChivasRegal

25YearsOld

Yougetwhatyoupayfor,orsothesayinggoes.Hereyoupayratheralot–typicallyaround£180intheUK,tobeprecise–around4to5timesthepriceofitsjuniorpartner,the18-year-oldstyle.Sowhatdoyouget?Apartfromaverynicebottle,anextraheavyweightstopperandnicepackaging,thatis?

UsingmainlySpeysidesinglemalts,withStrathislaatitsheart,ChivasRegal25isthecreationofChivasMasterBlenderColinScottwhodescribesitas‘theverypinnacleoftheblend’.Accordingtothecompany,theblendincludesaproportionofvattedmalts,whichhavebeenmarryinginwoodforwhatisdescribedas‘averylongperiodoftime’.Scott,widelyrespectedintheindustry,hasbeendoingthisforaverylongperiodoftimehimselfandhasexcelledhimselfherewiththepickoftheenviableChivasmaltwarehouses.

Along-standingfavouriteluxuryblendat12yearsold,ChivasRegalwasinitiallylaunchedbytheoriginalownersasa25-year-oldbackin1909andwasarguablytheworld’sfirstsuper-premiumwhisky.Untilthisrelease,however,ithadonlyrecentlybeenavailableat12and18yearsold.The25YearsOldissmooth,sumptuousandveryrich,withfruitandnutnotes,hintsofrichchocolateorangeandasubtlysmokyfinish.

Withaworldwidereleaseofwhatisnecessarilyalimitedquantityofwhisky,initialstocksweretargetedatmarketssuchastheUSAandtheFarEastbutyoucanfindthisingoodspecialists.Withitshandsomepresentation,itmakesawonderfulandgenerousgift–ifyoucanbeartopartwithit!ColourArich,darkgoldentone.Nose Orangeandripepeach;Christmascakeandnuts.Taste Rich and very full, the age showing clearly but with great vitality.

Everythingfromthenosebutmore.Andmorebesides.Finish Hints of smoke linger on in a well-balanced and well-mannered

conclusion.

DiageoClynelish,Brora,SutherlandYesSpecialistsanddutyfree

www.malts.com

Clynelish

14YearsOld

TwodistinguishedjudgesofwhiskyestablishedClynelish’sreputationasasinglewhiskymorethan80yearsago:bothProfessorGeorgeSaintsbury(inNotesonaCellar-Book)andhisstudentAeneasMacDonald(Whisky)drewattentiontoitsexceptionalquality.Except,ofcourse,thatitwasnottheClynelishthatwedrinknowthattheyenjoyed,fortheoriginaldistillerywasactuallyclosedin1983.Tosampleanythingresemblingthespiritthattheypraisesohighlyyou’llneedtofindseveralhundredpoundsforabottleof30-year-oldBrora.

Whentheownersdecidedtoclosetheoriginal1819distillery,theytransferedthenametothenewplant.Buttheolddistillerywasthenreopenedin1967,mainlytoproduceheavilypeatedmaltforblending,andbothproducedClynelishuntiltheBroranamewasgiventotheoriginaldistilleryin1975.Itwasneverintendedthateithershouldbesoldasasinglemaltbutthegrowingdemandforsinglemaltsandthedistillery’shistoricreputationpersuadedtheowners(bythenDiageo)toreleasesomelimitedexpressions,whichhavebeenenthusiasticallyreceived.

Confused?Ifindoubt,checkthepricetag–you’relookingforthemorereadilyavailableandaffordableClynelishat14yearsold,whichshouldcostlessthan£35abottle.Ifit’sgotathree-figurepricetag,putitback–carefully.

ThisiswhatDiageorefertoasa‘HiddenMalt’.Notthattheydon’twantyoutofinditatall,itjustfeelssometimesasifthey’redeterminedtomakeitdifficultforyou.Actually,theyprobablycan’tsparethatmuchbecauseit’sakeycomponentintheJohnnieWalkerblends.It’sbetter,though,totrytherealthing:charmingHighlandmaltwithamaritimenotefromitsseasidelocation.ColourAbrightmid-gold.Nose Spicyandperfumed,withthesignature‘candlewax’notelovedbyfans.Taste At most medium bodied, but with a creamy/waxy mouth-coating

impact.Floral,exoticfruitandspices,hintsofsmokeandhoney.Finish Asalty,drying,slightlybitterfinish.

DiageoGimli,Manitoba,CanadaYesSpecialistsanddutyfree

www.crownroyal.com

CrownRoyal

ThereareonlytwoCanadianwhiskiesinthisbook;notbecausetheyaren’tinterestingbutbecause,ingeneral,theyarehardtofindintheUKand–let’sbehonest–werathertendtolookdownonthem.This,asweshallsee,isourmistake.

CrownRoyalisthenumberoneCanadianwhiskyintheworld,andtheeighthlargestspiritsbrandintheUS–apositionithasn’treachedentirelyaccidentally.ItisalsofoundinFrance,JapanandKoreawherethesomewhatluridpurplepackagingofthevelvetbagthatitcomesinandtheregalassociationsarestronglyassociatedwithquality.

Notthattheroyallinkisentirelyamarketingcreation.Thisdatesto1939whentheoriginalblendwascreatedtomarkavisittoCanadabyKingGeorgeVIandQueenElizabeth(laterknowntobookmakersthelengthandbreadthofthelandastheQueenMother).ThiswasinthedayswhenSeagramownedthebrand.TodayitisinthehandsofDiageoandhasbeenproducedsince1968atthegiantGimlidistillery,ontheedgeofLakeWinnipeg,builtassomethingofahighwatermarkfortheultimatelydoomedSeagramCompany.It’sactuallyworthreadingtheirhistoryasagreatexampleofmistimeddecisionsandcorporateover-enthusiasm.

ThereareseveralexpressionsintheCrownRoyalrangeincludingaReserve,CaskNo.16andtheultra-premiumXR(youmightjustfindtheseindutyfreeshopsinNorthAmerica).Thestandardexpressionhasanenthusiasticfollowingandit’sagreatambassadorforCanada.What’smore,it’softenfoundintheUKin1litrebottles,whichoffergreatvalue.

Itmustbeadmittedthatthebagisabitofaproblem,especiallyifyouliketodisplayyourbottles.Don’tletitputyouoff.SomeoneoneBaymightwantit.Somewhereadoll’shouseneedsnewcurtains.ColourMidgold.Nose Sweetinitialimpact;honey,spicesandredberries.Oakandvanilla.Taste Mediumtofullbodied,fruitywithspicehints.Sweetandcreamy.

Finish Vaguelypleasantandsweet,driftsslowlytoaconclusion.

TheEdringtonGroupn/a–thisisablendn/aMainlyUSA,SpainandGreece–butfightingbackintheUK

www.cuty-sark.com

CuttySark

Original

Forawhilethiswasthebest-sellingblendedwhiskyintheUSA,perhapsonthebackofitsavailabilityduringProhibition.ThiswaslargelyduetotheeffortsofnotedbootleggerCaptainWilliamMcCoywhosestrenuouseffortstorunonlythebestqualitysuppliesashoretohisthirstycustomersgaverisetothephrase‘therealMcCoy’.Curiously,itwasknownoriginallyas‘Scots’whisky.

But,unlikeitsrathervibrantyellowlabel,ithasfadedsomewhatinrecentyears,whichisashame.Itsextremelypalecolourisoutoffashionbutthereisstillplentytoenjoyaboutthispleasant,light-bodiedblend.Foronething,thoughforyearsit’sbeenmarketedbysmartLondonwinemerchantsBerryBros&Rudd,thewhiskyisactuallyblendedbyHighlandDistillersandcontainsahealthymeasureofgreatmaltssuchasGlenrothes,TheMacallanandHighlandPark.Infact,HighlandParkwasactuallyboughtbytheblendersbackin1937toensuresuppliesforCuttySark,thoughithasgoneontogreatsuccessinitsownright(seeseparateentries).Earlierin2010,Highland’sparent,TheEdringtonGroup,boughtthebrandfromBerryBroswhohadjustrelauncheditintheUK,sofansofthislightandrefreshingwhiskycanhavehighhopesforitsfuture.

Untilnow,themainefforthasbeenonthestandardproduct,recommendedhere,butthereisalsoarangeofolderstylesavailable.You’llfindCuttymainlyinLondon’ssmarterstylebarsandcocktailestablishmentsandthisisahintabouthowtoenjoythiswhisky.Undemandingyetofexcellentquality,CuttySarkistheperfectpre-dinnerdramanditalsomixeswell.Don’tbefooledbythepalecolour–there’smoreherethanmeetstheeye.ColourAverypalegoldenwhisky,setoffbytheelegant,tall,clearglassbottle

andstrikingyellowlabel.Nose Vanillaandsomecerealnotes.Taste Delicateandverysubtle–agreataperitifwhisky.Finish Crispandclean.

TheEdringtonGroupn/a–thisisablendn/aMainlyUSA,SpainandGreece–butfightingbackintheUK

www.cutty-sark.com

CuttySark

25YearsOld

BlendingwasoncedefinedbyDavidMacDonaldas‘Theartofcombiningmeticulouslyselected,mature,highqualitywhiskies,eachwithitsownflavourandothercharacteristics,withsuchskillthatthewholeisbetterthanthesumofitsparts,sothateachmakesitscontributiontothefinishedblendwithoutanyonepredominating.’

Itisanidealisticview,ignoringasitdoestheeconomicpressuresbehindmanyofthecheaperblendsthatweseeonourshelves.Yet,atitsbest,thisiswhatgreatblendingisaboutandisastandardtowhichalldistillersaspire,atleastintheirpremiumexpressions.Onceinawhile,onecomesacrossawhiskythatbringsthatdefinitionalive:thisissuchawhisky.

Savouritcarefully:CuttySark25YearsOldisavirtuosodisplayofblendingexcellence;exactlywhatblendingisallabout.Idoubtyouwouldevertireofdrinkingthiswhisky.Itissosmooth,sobalanced,sorefined,soperfectlytunedthateventhemostdemandingcriticwouldsurelybesatisfiedandcryformore.

ItcomesasasurprisethatitcarriestheCuttySarklabel,beingasfarremovedfromthestandardblendasonemightimagine.Wherethatisdeliberatelypale,thisisdark;wherethatiscleanandcrisp,thisisdeepandrich.Itcarriesitsageverywell,yetlikegreatStiltonisclearlymature.Drinkingit,IkeptthinkingofavintageBentley–progressingswiftly,purposefullyandquietly,yetwithastatelydignityandgracethatonlythisrarecombinationoffinesseandpowercanconvey.

Letusnameandhonourthemanbehindthisexceptionalcreation:JohnRamsay,MasterBlenderatEdrington.Sir,wesaluteyou!Ashehasrecentlyretired,blendingwillfalltohissuccessor,GordonMotion.Ihopehe’skeptsomenotes.ColourDeep,darkanddignified.Nose Marmalade,oldoakanddarkhoney.Taste Outstanding balance of power and subtlety. Rich fruit cake, Seville

orangesandtoffee.

Finish Along,richandwarmfinishwithsomespiceandfaintsmoketraces.

DiageoDalwhinnie,Dalwhinnie,Inverness-shireYesWidespreadinternationalavailability

www.malts.com

Dalwhinnie

15YearsOld

DalwhinniedistilleryliesjustoffthemainA9,thearterialroutefromEdinburghtoInvernessanditsshinypagodasareclearlyvisiblefromtheroad.Buttrynottolook,becausethisisoneofthemoredangeroussectionsofadangerousroad.Instead,turnoffamileorsotothesouthandspendanhourtouringthedistilleryandlookingatthesmalldisplays.

Theowners,Diageo,laymuchstressonthefactthatthedistilleryisoneofthehighestinScotland,thoughtheprecisesignificanceofthisescapesme.Itisnotasifloweratmosphericpressurewillinfluencethewhiskybutitseemstohavesomeromanticvalueinmarketing.Infact,thereasonfortheremotelocationisrathermoreprosaic:theoriginaldistillery,thenknownasStrathspey,wasputheretotakeadvantageoftherailway,ahugelysignificantinfluenceonVictoriandistilleryconstruction,evenifthespinmeisterswouldrathertalkaboutwater!

Thedistillersthemselvesclaimthat,‘Dalwhinnieissituatedbetweenthegentle,grassystyleoftheLowlandsandtheaustere,firmbodyofSpeyside,whichbeginssome25milestothenorth.ThestyleisthatoftheHighlands;aresilientmarriageofgentlenessandspirit.’Thatperhapsundersellsthemeritsofthissilky,mouth-coatingspirit.

Interestingly,thedistilleryusedtoemploycopperwormtubstocondensethenewmake.Theywerereplacedin1986buttheimpactonspiritcharacterwassuchthatthechangewasreversedin1995.So,fifteenyearson,it’samootpointastotheeffectonthecurrentbottlingbut,suchisthedemandforthesinglemaltexpressioninDiageo’sClassicMaltCollection,supplieswillprobablyhaverevertedtowormtubcondensedspiritbythetimeyoureadthis.ColourYellowgold.Nose Immediatelyappealing;gentlesmokewithhoney,ripefruitsandgrassy

heather.Taste Often said to appeal to thosewho ‘don’t likewhisky’, this is actually

morecomplex than it firstappearsandoffershiddendepthsofvanillawithsubtleorangesuggestions.

Finish Somesmokesurprises,thengiveswaytoasweeterfinish.Perhapsdarkchocolatealso.

BurnStewartDistillersLtdDeanston,Doune,PerthshireNo–toursbyappointmentSpecialists

www.burnstewartdistillers.com

Deanston

12YearsOld

It’snotoftenrecalledthatPerthshirewasonceamajordistillingcentre,withover100distilleriesrecorded.Todaytherearestillsixinoperation–Deanstonistheoneeveryonebutthemosthard-coreenthusiastwillforget.

ItmakesitintothislistasoneofthemostimprovedwhiskiesIcancalltomind,comingfromadistilleryasinterestingasitisobscure.Butignoreanyreferencesto1785.Thisiswhentheoriginalbuildingwaserectedbutitwasacottonmill,designedbyRichardArkwrightandpoweredbythefast-flowingRiverNeith.TodayArkwright’scellars,whicharelisted,provideidealconditionsforthematurationofwhiskyandthedistilleryisstillpoweredbyturbinesdrivenbytheNeith.Infact,thedistillerygeneratesmorepowerthanitneeds–enoughelectricitytorun400housesissoldtotheNationalGrid.

Themillwasconvertedtoafullworkingdistilleryin1966andthefirstspiritranin1969fromtwopairsoflargebulbouspotstills,capableofdistillingthreemillionlitresofalcoholayear.Thelargeboilingballsonthestillsencourageahighdegreeofreflux,leadingtoalightandfruityspiritcharacter.Theoriginalintentionwastousethisinlaunchingamajornewblend,butthisneverhappened.

Deanstonwasfirstreleasedassinglemaltin1974and,bystages,wasdevelopedtoa12YearsOldproduct.But,tobeblunt,itwasn’tterriblygood.Notbad;neitherinterestingnormemorable.

Withthenewlyreleasedversion,however,thingsarelookingup.Thestrengthhasbeenincreasedto46.3%abv,it’snotchillfilteredanylonger,it’smarriedinnewoakforsomeweekspriortobottlingandthere’snoaddedcolour.It’salotbetterandworthatry.Stillquitelightanddelicate,butthenyoudon’twantsomeroaringpeat-soakedmonsterorhugesherrycharactereveryday.ColourYellowgold.Nose Freshandfruity,withmalt,hintsofhoneyandnuts.Fragrantandquite

floral.

Taste Anidealaperitif.Gingerbread,spicesandliquorice.Finish Long,quitedryandpleasantlyherbal,withnewwoodnotesattheback.

Availability

JohnDewar&SonsLtdn/a–thisisablendDewar’sWorldofWhisky,Aberfeldy,PerthshireStrongintheUSA,dutyfreeandGreece.IncreasinglyavailableintheUK

www.dewars.com

Dewar’s

12YearsOld

TheDewar’scompanywasboughtbyBacardiin1988andtherangeofproductsgreatlyincreased.NotthattherewasanythingseriouslywrongwiththeoldWhiteLabelbutthenewblendshavereachedhigherstandards.Onefeltthecompanyneededsometenderlovingcareandthathasbeengiveninrecentyears.

ComparedtoJohnnieWalker,theDewarhousestyletendstobeasofterblendwiththesweeterheatherhoneynotesofAberfeldysinglemaltatitsheart.Thisisveryapproachable,easytodrinkwhiskythatcantakeiceandamixer,whilealsobeingenjoyableonitsownorwithalittlewater.

Dewar’smakegreatplayof‘marrying’theirwhiskiespriortofinalbottling–aprocessdevelopedbytheirfirstMasterBlenderA.J.Cameronbackintheearlytwentiethcentury.Todayitinvolvesmakinguptheblendandplacingitforuptosixmonthsinspecialmarryingcaskssothattheflavoursarefullyandharmoniouslyintegrated.Thecompanyinsistthatwhiletheirinstrumentscan’tdetectanydifferenceinflavourtheirhumantastingpanelcanandsotheystickwiththistime-consumingandexpensiveextrastage.They’renottheonlypeopledoingthis,butitisunusualandappearstomakearealdifference.

YoucanlearnmoreaboutallofthisontheirwebsiteorbyvisitingtheirverysmartvisitorcentreattheAberfeldydistillery.IcanadmitherethatIwasinvolvedinitscreation(andveryproudofitIam,too)butthatwasquitesomewhileago,soIfeelcompletelyfreetopraisethiswhiskywholeheartedlyandwithoutanyembarrassment.ColourArichgoldenwhisky,andstylishpackaging.Nose Full and fruity; raisins, orange peel, toffee/butter fudge and heathery

hints.Taste A rich, fruity sweetness; good length andweight; hints of oak, citrus

notes,honeyandcaramel.Finish Fullflavoured,longandlingering,withliquoricenotes.

Availability

JohnDewar&SonsLtdn/a–thisisablendDewar’sWorldofWhisky,Aberfeldy,PerthshireGoodintheUSA,dutyfreeandspecialistsintheUK

www.dewars.com

Dewar’s

Signature

Ihavedeliberatelynotrecommendedmanyexpensivewhiskieshere,believingthatthereisplentytoexplorebelow£100abottleandthat,onceyougetwellintothreefigures,adisproportionateamountofthecostgoesintolavishpackaging(onwhicheveryoneinthedistributionchaintakesamargin).Moreover,thereisadangerthatyoucanpayasignificantpremiumsimplyforrarityorage,withoutnecessarilyseeingacommensurateimprovementinthewhisky.

Signature(it’stheoriginalJohnDewar’s,bytheway,thoughIfancyhisflamboyantsonTommywouldhavelikedthestyleofthis)doeshaveratheralavishwoodenboxandfancystopper,anditwilltypicallycostyouaround£200intheUK(tryandfinditattheairportinstead).But,forthosespecialoccasionsandifyoulikethisstyleofwhisky,it’sworthit.

LikeJohnnieWalkerBlueLabel(itsclosestcompetitor)thisisnon-aged:thatistosaythatwhiletheblendhassomeveryoldwhiskies,mainlyAberfeldy,italsohassomeyoungeronesandtheblendersthinkyouprobablywouldn’tpaythepriceiftheyputtheageonthebottle.Andeveniftheydon’tthinkthat,themarketingpeoplecertainlydo.

Onceagain,thewhiskiesinSignaturearemarried(seeDewar’s12YearsOldforanexplanation)andthis,togetherwiththehighpercentageofsinglemalt,accountsforthesmooth,richtaste.It’sonetosipandsavourafteracelebrationdinner.

Keeptheposhwoodenbox,bytheway;itmakesahandycoffinforapethamsterorgerbil.ColourDeepgoldenamber.Nose Sweet,balanced,richandfruity,fudge,coffeecrèmebrûléeandvanilla

ice cream drizzledwithwarm toffee sauce. The aromas developwithnougat,toastedmacadamianut,marzipanandlashingsofhoney.

Taste Rich, sweetand longwithavelvety,creamymouth feel.Butter toffeeand honey with warm winter fruits and mellow tones of sultanas,raisins,applesandcoconut.Fullbodiedandvelvety.

Finish Alongandcomplexfinish.Smoothandwarming.

www.buffalotrace.comseealsowww.bourbonwhiskey.com

EagleRare

17YearsOld

Americanwhiskeybrandscanbeconfusingtotheoutsider:firstseenin1975,EagleRarewasoriginallya101-proof10-year-oldKentuckystraightbourbonwhiskey(notsingle-barrel)fromSeagramandthusamongthelastnewbourbonbrandsintroducedpriortothecurrenteraofso-called‘smallbatch’releases.Subsequently,EagleRarehasbeendistilled,bottledand/ormarketedbyanumberofcompanies,includingtheOldPrenticeDistilleryofFrankfort,Kentucky.

TheSazeracCompany,aNewOrleans-basedproducerandimporterandtheparentcompanyoffivedistilleries,acquiredEagleRarefromSeagraminMarch1989.Atthattime,Sazerac’sKentuckydistillerywasknownastheGeorgeT.StaggDistillerybuttodaycarriesthenameBuffaloTrace(seeseparateentry).

Therearetwoversions:a10YearsOldandthisolder,moreexpensivebigbrother,partofBuffaloTrace’sAntiqueCollection.ItwillcomeasnosurprisetowhiskyenthusiaststhatthisbookkeepsreferringbacktoBuffaloTraceasthesourceforsomeoutstandingwhiskiesbutitisperhapsnotaswellknown(yet)tothegeneralconsumerasitshouldbe,andtheplethoraofbrandnamesandidentitiesdon’thelp.

Bethatasitmay,17-year-oldbourbonisarareandpreciousthing.Mostbourbonmaturesmuchfasterthanthis,duetotheKentuckyclimate,soagealoneattractsafairlystiffpremium,though,infairnesstothedistiller,itmustberememberedthatevaporationlossesarehigherherethaninScotland.At17yearsthisisprobablyreachingitspeakand,forsheersmoothness,hasfewequals.

Inevitablythereisvariationfrombatchtobatch,asthisisproducedinsmallquantities,buttheoverallstandardisexceptionallyhighandloversofgreat,full-flavouredbourbonlookingforwell-balancedmaturityareunlikelytofeeldisappointed.ColourDeep,rich,coppergold.Nose Honey,caramelandmarzipan.

Taste Lotsofweightandbody;sweetnessthenorangeandvanillafudge.Finish Extendedfinish,surprisinglydryingtotheend.

HeavenHillBernheim,Louisville,KentuckyYesSpecialists

www.heaven-hill.comseealsowww.bardstownwhiskeysociety.com

ElijahCraig

12YearsOld

At12yearsoldand94proof,ElijahCraigisbottledexclusivelyfromadumpingof70barrelsorless,alldrawnfromthemiddletoupperfloorsofHeavenHill’straditionalmetal-cladrickhouses.Thedistilleryproudlyclaimsthatthisistheoriginalsmallbatchbourbon,havingbeencreatedbeforethetermwasinvented.ElijahCraigwasrecentlyawardedDoubleGoldattheSanFranciscoWorldSpiritsCompetitionandhasbeenawinnerinWhiskyMagazine’sBestoftheBesttastingcompetition.

There’saninterestingstorybehindthename.TheReverendElijahCraigwasborninOrangeCounty,Virginia,sometimearound1740(accountsvary,asifyoucared).HewasordainedaBaptistpreacherin1771andmusthavebeenalivelycharacterbecausehewasapparentlyimprisonedbrieflyinSouthCarolinaafterbeingchargedwithdisturbingthepeaceduringhissermons!

LaterheledacongregationtoScottCounty,Kentucky,andplannedthesettlementthatwouldeventuallybeknownasGeorgetown.Quitetheproto-typicalsocialentrepreneur,oldElijahfoundedanumberofbusinessesincludingasmalldistillerythatconvertedbulkygrainintowhiskey–highervalueandeasiertotransportandtrade.AmonghisventureswastheRoyalSpringMilland,sothestorygoes,afirethereledtobarrelsbeingcharred.Ratherthandiscardthem,theparsimoniousclericemployedthemtoagehiswhiskey.(Quitewhythebarrelsburntfromtheinsideisamystery:we’llattributeittodivineintervention.)Anyway,inhonourofhiscontributiontowhiskey,Craigisconsidereda‘FatherofBourbon’andHeavenHillnamedthispremiumexpressionafterhim.That’sall.It’saprettyfairmemorial,however,sinceit’srightlyveryhighlyratedandagreat-valuebottle.ColourArich,warminggoldenbrown.Nose Lotsgoingonhere,withcaramelandhoneytothefore.Sweetbutnot

cloyinglyso.Taste Agreeably complex, lots of oak notes, spiced fruits and jam. Very

smoothandmouthcoating.Finish Vanilla sweetness; lingering pleasantly and holding together well.

Yummy!

GlenoraDistilleryGlenoraInn&Distillery,Glenville,CapeBreton,NovaScotia,CanadaYesSpecialists

www.glenoradistillery.com

GlenBreton

Oops!Ourveryfirst‘glen’andit’snotfromScotland.

But,behonest,doyouthinkabottlereading‘Canada’sOnlySingleMaltWhisky’andbearingalargeredmapleleafonthefront,togetherwiththewords‘Canadian/Canadien’couldbemistakenforScotch?Wouldyoupickupabottle,getithomeandthenthink‘D’oh’?TheScotchWhiskyAssociation(SWA)certainlythoughtsoandfoughtalongandexpensivecourtbattletohavetheword‘glen’removedfromthisproduct,thusprotectingyoufromtheconsequencesofyourownfoolishness.

Alittleharsh,youmayfeel,sincethiscomesfromGlenvilleinNovaScotiaandthedistillery’spresidentisoneLauchieMacLean–there’slittledoubtwhosettledthispartofCanada,anditwasn’ttheFrench.AndGlenOracanonlymake250,000litresofspiritannuallyand,fortheirGlenBreton,theyusecopperpotstillsandbarley,yeastandwatertomaketheirsinglemaltwhiskywhichisnotablydifferentfrommostCanadianwhisky.

Eventuallythecasewaslost,thoughitdidgoallthewaytotheCanadianSupremeCourtandtheSWAseemedtomelessthanmagnanimousindefeat.Anyway,nowyoucanbuyCanadianSingleMaltWhiskyinScotland.Fewoff-licencesreportedqueuesofexcitedwould-beMountiesandlumberjacks,however,andtheScotchwhiskyindustryseemstohavesurvivedthislessthanconvulsiveshock.

AccordingtoGlenOraspokesmanBobScott,thecompanywillnow‘demonstratethespecialabilityoftheGaelicScotsofCapeBretontocraftanexceptionalsinglemaltwhisky,whichisuniquelyCanadian’.

WeawaitthisDavid-and-Goliath-typestrugglewithinterest.ColourGoldenAmber.Nose Butterscotch,heather,honeyandgroundginger.Taste Creamywithagoodflowoftoastywood,almondandcaramel.

Finish Rounded,lingering,faintlysweet,themerestwhisperofpeat.

G&JGrantGlenfarclas,Ballindalloch,BanffshireYesSpecialists

www.glenfarclas.co.uk

Glenfarclas

21YearsOld

Scottishreadersmaynowrelax–this‘glen’isfraeBonnieScotland,asintheglensofhome.NorelationtotheGrantsofGlenfiddichfamebut,liketheirnamesakes,theGrantsofGlenfarclasareanexampleofadyingbreed:theindependent,family-owneddistiller.

Notthatthereseemsanydangerofthatchanginginthenearfuture,asthenextgenerationofthefamilyisalreadyinthebusinessandwillpresumablyinheritthereinsinduecourse.CurrentChairmanJohnL.S.Grantisthefifthmemberofthefamilytoownandmanagethedistillery,andhissonGeorgeS.Grantisworkingasthecompany’sBrandAmbassador(greatjob,bytheway–youtravelroundtheworlddrinkingwhiskywithpeople,thoughpresumablythere’smoretoitthanthat).

Thekeypointaboutthisfamilyownershipiscontinuity,bothindistillingstyleandinmanagement.Withfreedomfromshort-termshareholderpressure,companieslikethis(andtheGlenfiddichGrants)canbuildstocksandtakealong-termviewoftheirbusiness.

WithGlenfarclasthishaspaidoffwiththereleaseoftheirFamilyCasksseries–individualcaskbottlingsrepresentingeveryyearcontinuouslyfrom1952tothepresentday.Someoftheolderwhiskiesareexcellentandexcellentvalue,eveniftheybreachmyself-imposed£1,000perbottlemark.ButI’mnotgoingtorecommendoneofthose,temptedthoughIamtodoso.AsanintroductiontotheGlenfarclasstyleofsherry-agedSpeysidewhisky,trythesublime21YearsOld.Atlessthan£60it’sasteal,thoughI’dpersonallyliketoseeitofferedatahigherstrengththan43%abv.That’snit-picking,though:ifyoulikefull-flavoured,richbutnotaggressivewhiskiesthatjustoozeclass(andwhywouldn’tyou?)thisoneisdefinitelyforyou.ColourNoticeablydark;thesherrycaskshavebeenatworkhere.Nose Sherrynose,fruitcake,orangesandsweetness.Notahintofoverageor

rubber.Taste Very full and rounded; old leather, dried fruits and dark marmalade.

Layered.Finish Arich,rollingfinish.

G&JGrantGlenfarclas,Ballindalloch,BanffshireYesSpecialists

www.glenfarclas.co.uk

Glenfarclas

Ihaven’tlistedtoomanycaskstrengthwhiskies,becausethey’reoftenquitehardtofind,butthisisclearlyonetotryandrepresentsgreatvalueformoney,too.Theappealofthe‘caskstrength’bottleisthatyouareabletotrywhiskyjustasyouwouldifyousneakedintothewarehouseandgotadramstraightfromthebarrel.Ithasn’tbeenfiltered,whichinevitablyremovessomeofthenaturalbodyfromthewhisky,andself-evidentlyithasn’tbeendiluted.

Strictlyspeaking,Glenfarclas105isn’tcaskstrengthbecauseitisbottledat60%abv,butthatisnearenoughand,asthisisn’tasingle-caskbottling,theystandardisethestrengthforconsistency.It’sprobablyoneoftheeasiestoftheveryhigh-strengthwhiskiestofindandwasoneoftheveryfirsttoofferthisstyle,soitgetsmarksjustforthat.

Sothisisstrongstuff.Butthepointisnottoindulgeinmachoposturinganddrinkitatthisstrength(thoughyou’vegottotryaweesip).Ratheryoushoulddiluteittoyourtasteandstillpickupalltheoilyrichnessthatiswhisky’snaturalcondition.And,whileyou’redoingit,helpsupportthatrarestofbeasts:anindependent,family-owned,ScottishScotchwhiskycompany.Hurrah!

Glenfarclasaregreatadvocatesofsherrycasksandthisisaminorclassicfromafamilycompanyjustifiablyproudoftheirindependence.Theyjealously,andrightly,guardtheirreputationforqualityandyouwon’teverseeanythingsecond-ratewiththeirlabel.

Thedistilleryiswellworthamorningofyourtimeifyou’reeverinthearea.ColourDeepgoldrevealingmaturationintopqualityex-sherrycasks.Nose Clearlyabigwhisky,fruitywithwinenotes,caramelandchocolate.Taste Sherrywoodclearlybuthoneyinthebackground;sweetchocolateand

driedfruits.Finish Somesmokyhints,lingeringwinenotesandhoneyshowsthrough.

WilliamGrant&SonsDistillersLtdGlenfiddich,Dufftown,BanffshireYesWorldwide

www.glenfiddich.com

Glenfiddich

18YearsOld

Glenfiddichisthebest-sellingsinglemaltwhiskyintheworld,thankstoafar-sighteddecisionbythisstaunchlyindependent,family-ownedcompanytostartpromotingsinglemaltwhiskywellbeforetheindustrygiants.It’sgenerallysaidthatseriouseffortstosellGlenfiddichstartedinthe1960sbutIhaveseenapromotionalbottlepourerfrombeforeWorldWar2,suggestingthatatleastsomeluckydrinkerswereconvertedtotheappealofthissplendiddraminanageofubiquitousblends.

Bethatasitmay,Glenfiddich’sall-pervadingpresenceactuallyservestoputoffsomemaltfans,whoarguethatsomethingsopopularcan’treallybethatgood.BecauseGlenfiddichisseeneverywhere(anditreallyis)itlosesitssnobappeal.

Butanywhiskyanoraktakingthisapproachismissingsomeraretreats.Asafamily-ownedcompany,WilliamGrant&Sonshavebeenabletotakealong-termapproachtothestewardshipoftheirwhisky,withoutthepressureofhalf-yearearningsreportstoagreedyandoftenshort-sightedCity.TheresultisthatthecompanyhaveextensivestocksofolderGlenfiddichs,whicharearguablyunder-appreciatedbysomedrinkersandthusrepresentsomethingofabargain.

Ifyourwalletwillstretch,the30YearsOldvariantissimplyoutstanding(infact,readon).But,foraffordableeverydaydrinkingthatgivesrealpleasure,looknofurtherthanthis18YearsOld.It’sSpeysideatitsbest;agreatexampleofaclassicwhiskyfromadistillertowhomallwhiskyfanstheworldoveroweasincereandextendedvoteofthanks.Colour Rich,warmgold.Nose AclassicSpeyside–fruity,fragrantandwithaverycleannose.Taste Lots to find here: apples, sharp citrus notes but plenty of depth also,

withdarkfruitandoak.Finish Elegantandwelldefined.

WilliamGrant&SonsDistillersLtdGlenfiddich,Dufftown,BanffshireYesWorldwide

www.glenfiddich.com

Glenfiddich

30YearsOld

Iknow,anotherGlenfiddich.Howboring.

Wrong!Wrong!Wrong!

Forgetyourprejudices.Ataround£200inmostUKoutlets(lessindutyfree)thisisgoodvalue,ifnotquitetheseriousbargainitwasjustafewyearsago.Itdoesn’tcomeinafancyboxwithanumberedbottlebutthiswasaworthyanddecisiveoverallwinnerofthe2007ScottishFieldMerchant’sChallenge.

Aswe’velearned,Glenfiddichisstillafamily-ownedcompanyandisstaunchlyindependent.Theyhaveextensivestocksandasingle-mindedwayofdoingthings.Manyoftheirpeoplehavebeenwiththemfordecades(somehaveevenhadseveralgenerationsofthesamefamilyworkingforthecompany)andthismeansthereisararecontinuityinthinking,customandpractice.

Idon’twanttosuggestthey’re‘stickinthemud’orresistanttoprogress,butthereisasenseinwhichtheirveryimmunitytofadsandfashionmakesthemfashionable.Mindyou,thedistilleryhostsanannualcontemporaryartsprogramme,whichcanleadtosomeunusualsights,suchasfirebucketshanginghalfwayupthestillhousewallandastackofcarsheldtogetherbybindingtape,sothey’requitepreparedtotakesomeriskswiththeirimage.Anyway,backtothewhisky.

Thisstuffoozesflavour.ThelateMichaelJackson,reveredinwhiskycircles,describeditas‘luxurious,butinarestrained,understatedway’,whichsortofdescribesthecompanyaswell.Glenfiddichdo40and50YearsOldversionsaswell:theyareagreatdealmoreexpensiveand,forbangforyourbuck,you’ddowelltostoprighthere.ColourDarkandenticing.Nose Beguilinglyfreshandfruity;spicywithsherrynotes.Taste Mediumbodybutmouthcoating; tropicalfruit,honey,spiceandfresh

fruits,followedbysomedarkernotes

Finish Allof theabove;hintsofoakanda touchofsmoke in there forgoodmeasure.

VisitorCentre

AvailabilityPrice

GlenglassaughDistilleryCo.LtdGlenglassaugh,Portsoy,AberdeenshireNoneattimeofwriting,butplansareinhand.ToursavailableSpecialists

www.glenglassaugh.com

Glenglassaugh

TheSpiritDrinkThatDareNotSpeakItsName

Glenglassaughwasmothballedin1986but,togeneralsurprise,reopenedattheendof2008undernewownershipandafterahealthyinvestmenttogettheoldplacegoing.

Andnow,here’saconfession.Well,twoactually.

Iworkedontheplanninganddevelopmentofthisproductsoifyoufeelthatdisbarsmefromcommentstopreadingnow.Andit’snotactuallywhisky,soagainyoumightwanttolookaway.

Thisiswhatusedtobeknownindistilleriesas‘clearic’–newmakespiritstraightoffthestill.Itwillbecomewhiskybutitcan’tbecalledwhiskyuntilithasspentaminimumofthreeyears(andnotadayless)inoakbarrelsinawarehouseinScotland.Upuntil1915,whentheageingregulationsbecamelaw,alotof‘whisky’wouldhavebeendrunklikethisand,untiltheadventofmoreresponsiblehealthandsafetyatworkpracticesinthe1970s,alotwasdrunkindistilleriesintheinfamouspracticeof‘dramming’.Quitealotprobablystillis,ifyouknowwheretolook,whotoaskandcankeepyourmouthshut.(Notwhileyou’redrinking,obviously.)So,ifyouwanttoknowhowwhiskystartslife,youhavetotrythis.Oneortwodistilleriesselltheirnewmakebut,inmyopinion(andnotjustbecauseIwasinvolved),thisisthebest.It’sfruity,verycleanandaromatic,andsurprisinglycomplex,soshouldagewell.Bottledat50%abvit’snotatallharshorspirityanddilutesnicely.Thereisalsoaversionbottledafter6monthsageinginredwinecasksthathasapleasantroséblushcolour.

Asyoutryityoucanponderthethoughtthatthisiswhatgreat-grandadprobablydrank.Colour Colourless,slightcloudingonadditionofwater.Lookforwell-defined

viscimetricwhorls.Nose Creamybutterscotchandcustardcreamsgiveway todelicatenotesof

sweet hay and freshly cut grass.Withwater, this spirit becomes veryfloralandfruity.

Taste Powerfulatfirstwithawaveofchilliandblackpepper,thentoffeeandliquorice.

Finish Freshandfruityonthenose;spicyyetsweetonthepalate.

VisitorCentre

AvailabilityPrice

GlenglassaughDistilleryCo.LtdGlenglassaugh,Portsoy,AberdeenshireNoneattimeofwriting,butplansareinhand.ToursavailableSpecialists

www.glenglassaugh.com

Glenglassaugh

26YearsOld

Yes,IknowI’vementionedthistinydistilleryalreadyandIknowthiswhiskyisbothexpensiveandhardtofind–butit’sworthit.Thisisoneofmypersonalall-timefavouritesand,whileIwouldprobablyneverhavediscovereditifIhadn’tdonesomeworkforthedistillery(thisisthedisclaimerclause)thisdoesn’tdisqualifyme.

Whatyouwillexperiencehereisthesubtleandcharmingeffectoflongageingingoodwoodonafragrantanddelicatenewspirit.Backwhenthiswasdistilled,sometimepriorto1986,virtuallyallofGlenglassaugh’soutputwasgoingforblending,mainlyinCuttySark.Thisisn’tastronglyflavouredorparticularlyhighlycolouredwhisky,sotheblendersweren’tlookingforpronouncedflavourfromtheblendcomponents,morenuancesandsomecomplexity.

Sotheytendedtouse‘refill’casks;thatistosay,barrelsthatmightoncehaveheldeithersherryorbourbonbuthadbeenusedatleastonce(andpossiblymoreoften)forScotchwhisky.Then,ashappensfromtimetotime,notalltheGlenglassaughwasusedandaquantitywasleftquietlyageing.

Inthisparticularcase,andthisdoesn’talwayshappen,itjustgotbetterandbetterwithage.So,whenthenewownerstookover,theybottledtheremainingcasksandreleased,firsta21YearsOldandthenthis26YearsOldversion.Whenit’sgoneitwillbegoneandtheworldwillbeapoorerplace.Eitherisworthtrackingdown.

Infact,grabsomenowwhileyoustillcan.It’sacreamy,complex,slightlysweetwhiskythatIfindquitebewitching,especiallyasalate-nightrewardafteraparticularlytryingday.Thedistillerycharacterisclearlyevident,butsomemoresherrycaskshavegotintothisbatch,addingrichnessanddepth.ColourWarmstraw.Darkerthanthe21YearsOld.Nose Very delicate; dried fruits and noses younger than the age would

suggest.Taste Complex and multi-layered, spice notes dancing with rich fruits and

caramel;superbbalance.Finish Vanillanotescarrythefreshnessthroughintoalongandslightlyspicy

finishthatisinfluencedbutneverdominatedbythesherrycasks.

IanMacleodDistillersLtdGlengoyne,Dumgoyne,nrKilearn,GlasgowYesSpecialists

www.glengoyne.com

Glengoyne

21YearsOld

IhaveagreatfondnessforGlengoynefornobetterreasonthanitwasthefirstdistilleryIevervisited.Itwasonmyhoneymoon,asithappened,whichshouldhavealarmedmywife,thoughwhiskydidn’tstarttoplayabigpartinmylifeuntilsomeyearslater.Shedoesmentionitfromtimetotime,however.

Allthiswasrathermorethan21yearsago,sowepresumablygotsomethingright.ThedistilleryitselfhastakenonanewleaseoflifesinceitwassoldbytheEdringtonGrouptothecurrentowners,whohaveinvestedheavilyintheexcellentvisitorfacilities,increasedproductionandnewproducts.

Theymakemuchofthefactthatallthemalttheyuseistotallyunpeated.Untilrecently,theyalsohighlightedtheiruseofGoldenPromisebarley,traditionallyhighlyratedformakingwhisky,butlowyieldingandpronetodisease.Infact,formanyyearsTheMacallanalsoemphasisedacommitmenttoGoldenPromisebut,asproductionexpanded,boththeyandGlengoynehavediscreetlydroppedit.Sothinkofthisasafarewelltothisold-fashionedvariety.

Non-peatedmalt,saysthedistillery,meansyouget‘therealtasteofmalt’.

Whateverthetruthofthat,thisisaveryattractivewhiskythatdeservestobebetterknown.It’savailableatvariousagesbutreallycomesintoitsownwiththis21YearsOldstyle.Ifyoureallywanttosplashoutthereisalsoa40YearsOld,inarathernicedecanter,butthepriceofthatoneisn’tprintablehere.Forthesamemoneyyoucangetnearly50bottlesofthislittlebeautyandIknowwhatIwouldratherhave.ColourGloriousoldgold.Thejudicioususeof100%sherryoakgivesrichness

anddepth.Nose Sweetandhoneyed;sherry,ripeapplesandmaybebakedapplepie.Taste Toffee,vanillaandrichsherrynotesinitially,givingwaytosomespice

and a very pleasant warming glow. ‘Stewed pears and custard’ havebeenreported.

Finish Quiteextended,smoothandwarming,withgentlespicehintsasitfades.

LVMHGlenmorangie,Tain,Ross-shireYesDifferentexpressionswidelyavailable

www.glenmorangie.com

Glenmorangie

QuintaRuban

Glenmorangie’slong-termowners(mainlytheMacDonaldfamily)soldouttotheFrenchluxurymarketinghouseLouisVuittonMoetHennessy(LVMH)inOctober2004for£300m,apricewhichexcitedsomecomment.

Previously,thecompanyhadsomethingofaschizophrenicpersonality:tryingtomaintainGlenmorangieand,toalesserextentArdbeg,aspremiumwhiskiesbutalsoattemptingtocompetewithcheaperblendsandfulfillingsubstantialsupermarketbusiness.However,LVMHaremoresingle-mindedlyaluxurybrandoperation;thedifferencebetween‘premium’and‘luxury’beingawideoneculturallyandintermsofbothpriceandtargetconsumer.

Asaresult,theyhavereducedeffortonblends,soldtheGlenMoraydistilleryandbrand,andreformulated,repackagedandrelaunchedtheGlenmorangierangeinanattempttoseducemoreinternationalbuyerslookingforaluxuryspirit.

AccordingtoresearchanalystsIWSR,Glenmorangiesteadilylostmarketsharefrom2000to2008,underperformingtheglobalgrowthinsinglemaltwhiskyretailsalesvalue,andtheslippageappearstohavecontinuedwhilethebrandwasbeingrepositioned.That’shardlysurprising,giventhetimethesethingstake,butitremainstobeseenifthenewstrategywillwork–certainlymaltfansweredividedonthemeritsofthenewlook.However,therealdecisionwillbetakenbytheelusiveanddangerouslyfickleluxuryconsumersoftheFarEastandthevolatileBRICmarkets.

Ofthewhiskies,theQuintaRubanisperhapsthemostinteresting.GlenmorangiepioneeredthenowwildlyfashionablepracticeoffinishingwhiskiesinalternativecaskswiththeirfirstPortWoodfinishbackin1990.Thatwasgood;thisisanimprovement–ifnolongertheoriginal,it’sstillthebest.ColourArich,warmreddishgold.Nose ArchetypalGlenmorangiedelicacyandcomplexitywithanewdepth.

Taste Great balance; complexity and richness; fruit notes, chocolate and anunderlying,delicatesweetness.

Finish Alingeringandenigmaticfinishthatintrigues;chocolateorangerushattheend.

AvailabilityPrice

Gordon&MacPhailn/aRetailShop,SouthStreet,Elgin,MorayshireSpecialists

www.gordonandmacphail.com

Gordon&MacPhail

GlenGrant25YearsOld

Theobservantreaderwill,bynow,haveobservedthatalltheentriesinthisbookareforofficialproprietarybottlingsandnotthoseofso-called‘thirdparty’merchants.Thereareseveralreasonsforthis,notleastavailabilityandthegreaterdangerofvariabilityinindependentbottlings.ButImustmakeoneexception,fortheworld’sgreatestmerchantbottler:Gordon&MacPhailofElgin.

JamesGordonandJohnAlexanderMacPhailannouncedtheopeningoftheir‘centricalandcommodiouspremises’onSouthStreet,ElgininMay1895,promisingtheircustomers‘theutmostsatisfaction’andguaranteeing‘asuperiorarticleatapopularprice’.Here’sthething:it’sstilltrue.Buyanythingwiththeirlabelonitandyou’llbehappy.Promise.

Today,astheyhavedoneformorethanahundredyears,G&Mbuyfillings–thatistosay,theyprovideorspecifythecasksintowhichisracked‘newmake’boughtdirectfromthedistillers.ItisthenstoredeitherbythedistillerconcernedorinG&M’sownextensivewarehousesandbottledasandwhenG&Mconsiderittobeready.Becausethishasbeentheirpolicysincetheearliestyears,theyhaveextensivestocksofrareandveryoldwhisky.Infacttheyclaimtocarrypossiblythelargestrangeofwhiskiesintheworld,acomprehensiveselectionofwhichmaybeseenattheElginshop.Thisisaveritablecathedralofwhisky:grownmenhavebeenknowntobreakdownintearshereandhavetoberemovedgentlytoaplaceofsafety.

Sadly,Icanonlypickoneoftheirwhiskies,soI’mgoingfortheirbottlingofa25YearsOldGlenGrant.It’scrackingvalueanddemonstrateshowgreatthisdistillerycanbewhenthewhiskyisproperlyaged.Itseemschurlishtopickfaultwiththis,butifthey’donlybottleditat46%,thiswouldbeoutstanding.Don’tletthatstopyou,though.ColourWarmandrich.Nose Darkfruits,cakeandchocolate.

Taste Full-bodiedbutneveroverwhelming,thisiscomplex,richandslightlysweet.

Finish Veryconsistent; a long, rolling finishwithcitrushintsand jammyredfruit.

AvailabilityPrice

IrishDistillersGroupforMitchell&SonMidleton,Cork,IrelandRetailshopattheCHQBuilding,DublinRare

www.mitchellson.com

GreenSpot

ThisisalegendaryIrishwhiskey,spokenofinhushedandreverenttones.Despitethefactthatitishardtofind(only6,000bottlesaremadeeachyear),Ihavetorecommendthis.ThoughI’mbreakingoneofmyownrules,thisissospecialthatanexceptionhastobemade.

Thinkofthecoelacanth.Alivingfossilthatwassupposedtohavediedoutmillionsofyearsagoyetturnedupinafishingnetandastoundedscientists.Well,thisisthecoelacanthofwhisky–adoggedsurvivorofavirtuallyextinctraceofgiants.

ForthisisIrishpotstillwhiskeyand,byrights,itshouldn’texist.A‘potstill’whiskeyisonemadeinIrishcopperstills(generallylargerthanthosefoundinScotland)usingmaltedandunmaltedbarley(unlikeScotch,whichispurelymaltedbarley).ThisgivesIrishpotstillwhiskeysasmoothandoilycharacter,withapuritycausedbytripledistillation.

Traditionally,Irishretailerssoldtheirownlabelofwhiskeyfromalocaldistiller.ButastheIrishdistillingindustrydiedoutandwasrationalisedonebyone,theseidiosyncraticone-offsweresnuffedout.EventuallyonlyMitchell’sofDublinkeptgoing(although,atonetimetheywereabletoofferBlue,YellowandRedSpot,aswell).TodayGreenSpotismadeexclusivelyforMitchell’sandentirelyfromseven-andeight-year-oldMidletonpotstillwhiskey,with25%ofthespirithavingmaturedinsherrycasks.

ForawhileitwasthesolesurvivorofthisstyleofwhiskeybuttodayithasbeenjoinedbyexpressionsfromRedbreastandMidleton.Thebottleisn’tmuchtolookat,butthenacoelacanthisprettyugly.Getinsidethebottle,though,andyou’llquicklychangeyourmind.Colour Palegold.Nose Greengagejam;clean.Taste Quite unique! Waxy, lively and full of honey and minty notes; very

clean.

Finish Disappears quite quickly, but the sweetness lingers with, curiously,somesmoke.

SuntoryHakushu,JapanYesSpecialists

www.suntory.com

Hakushu

18YearsOld

Suntory’sseconddistillerywasbuiltin1973inHakushuatthefootofMtKaikomagatakeintheSouthernJapanAlps,surroundedbypineforestsandclosetofast-flowingmountainstreams(hakushumeans‘whitesandbanks’andwhiteisJapan’smostsacredcolour).HakushuHigashi(West)wasaddedin1981andthesinglemaltproducedhereisheldinhighregard,thoughtheoriginalplantwasmothballedin2006.Forabriefperiod,thiswassaidtobethelargestsinglemaltdistilleryintheworld.

TwelvepotstillsoperateatHakushuWestand,intheJapanesemanner,theirvarieddesignallowsthedistillerytoproducespiritwitharemarkablywidevarietyofflavours.MaltispreparedoffsiteatYamazaki,fromgrainbroughtfromScotland,butthereareextensivevisitorfacilitiesatHakushuwithaninterpretationcentre,giftshop,restaurantandamuseum,housedinadramaticformermaltingnotedforitsdistinctiveandunusualdoublepagodaroofwithlinkingbridge.

Weseeboththe12-and18-year-oldexpressionsintheUKwith,veryoccasionally,sightingsofthe25YearsOldandsomelimitedbottlingsinspecialists.AnyofthesewouldbeafineintroductiontoJapanesewhiskybuttrytofindthe18-year-oldversionifpossible,becausetheadditionalmaturationhasreallyaddedsomeextradimensionstothisfinewhisky.

IthaspickedupsignificantawardsfromtheInternationalWine&SpiritsCompetition(IWSC)andInternationalSpiritsChallengeandisveryhighlyratedbymostcommentators.Thestyleisquitedelicate,attributedbysomecommentatorstotheimpactonbothdistillationandmaturationofthedistillery’sheightabovesealevel(700metres).BeingneitheraphysicistnorameteorologistIdon’tfeelcompetenttocommentontheaccuracyofthisintriguingobservation.Colour Palegold.Nose Sharpgreenapples;delicateandrefined.Taste Deceptivelylightbodiedbutwithfruitandcerealingreatbalance.Peat

mergeswithoak.Finish Spicyandlingering.SometastersremarkonaresemblancetoIrishpot

stillmake.

www.buffalotrace.comseealsowww.kentuckybourbon.com

ThomasHHandy

SazeracRye

You’regoingtofindthisbothtrickytogetandexpensive,butbearwithme.

IntheUnitedStates,‘ryewhiskey’is,bylaw,madefromamashofatleast51%rye.(Theotheringredientsofthemashareusuallycornandmaltedbarley.)Itisdistilledtonomorethan160(U.S.)proof(i.e.80%abv)andagedincharred,newoakbarrels.Thewhiskeymustbeputintosuchbarrelsatnotmorethan125(U.S.)proofandspiritthathasbeenagedlikethisforatleasttwoyearsmaybefurtherdesignatedas‘straight’,asin‘straightryewhiskey’.Sofar,sogood.

ButinterestinryewhiskeydeclinedafterProhibitionandneverreallyrecovered.Untilveryrecently,thatis,whenitacquiredasortofcultstatus,helpedbypraisefromafewcritics.Asaresult,pricesofoldryewhiskeyarerisingaboutasfastasstocksaregoingdownand,consequently,itishardtofind.ThereisaSazerac18YearsOld,oflegendaryrepute,butitsellsoutassoonasbottlesareputontheshelf.

Foradifferent,butstillremarkable,experience,trytogetholdofthisversion.It’salimitedannualreleaseofsix-year-oldstock,non-chillfilteredandbottledatveryhighstrength.Inevitably,thewhiskeywillvaryslightlyfromyeartoyear.Bythetimeyoureadthisthe2010bottlingshouldbeavailable.

Theseareveryforceful,charismaticandbig,high-impactwhiskiesfromBuffaloTrace,notjustduetothehighstrengthbuttothehugerangeofintenseflavoursthatmaytakesomewhiletoadaptto,especiallyifyouareexpectingbourbon.

It’shardtocommentonthetasteofthisasthe2010releaseisn’tavailablebutitishighlyunlikelytobeadisappointmentandisverydefinitelyawhiskeywithwhichtoamazeyourfriends.Addagoodquantityofwaterandexpectablastofdifferentaromasandflavourswithalong,longfinish.ColourDarkgold.Nose Maplesyrupandmolasses;vanillaanddriedfruit.Taste Oily,mouthcoating,hintsofliquoriceandthenripefruit.

Finish Peppery;dryingandoakhints.

CompassBoxWhiskyCompanyn/a–thisisablendinghousen/aMainlyUK,USAandFrance–butcheckonline

Hedonism

ThisismysecondpickfromCompassBox–self-proclaimed‘artisanwhiskymakers’.Well,theyarecertainlygreatatblendingandshrewdurbanmarketers,soisitmean-spiritedtosuggestthattheyarenotquitethehorny-handedsonsoftoilthatthatdescriptionwouldimply?Youdecide.

Hedonismisoneoftheir‘LimitedRelease’range,whichmeansI’msailingclosetooneofmyownrules,butyoushouldn’thavetoomuchtroubletrackingitdowningoodspecialistwhiskyshops,ontheweborfromCompassBox’sownwebsite.What’sunusualaboutitisthatitis100%blendedgrainwhiskyand,morethanthat,it’saround20yearsoldandtakenfromfirst-fillex-bourboncasks.

EachreleaseismadeupasalimitedbatchwithwhiskiesselectedfromCameronBridge(seeseparateentry)andCambusdistilleries,butavailabilityisverymuchdeterminedbyCompassBox’sabilitytofindcasksandtheowner’swillingnesstosharethem.Dependingonyourpointofview,grainwhiskyiseitherScotland’sdirtylittlesecretor,inCompassBox’swords,a‘little-knowntreasure’.

Thisprovesjusthowgooditcanbe.Ifyoureallylikeit,thenthereisanevenhardertofindandmuchmoreexpensive‘reserve’versioncalledHedonismMaximus.Thishassimilarcharacterbuttheflavoursaremuchdeeper,evensweeterandmuchmoreintensegiventhe42-and29-year-oldwhiskies.

Aswehavecometoexpectfromthisinnovativecompany,thepackagingisaselegantandstylishasthestuffinthebottle.Likealllimitedreleasewhiskiesexpectsomebatchvariation.ColourMidgold.Nose Vanillaandcoconut.Taste Sweet,velvetysmoothwithdiaphanouswavesof liquorice,Callard&

Bowser toffee(remember those?),hintsoforangeandloadedwithex-bourbonvanillaandmarzipanflavours.

Finish Thearomasofchocolate,spiceandcoconutlingersatisfyinglyandholdtogetherwell.

AvailabilityPrice

Suntoryn/a–thisisablendTherearecentresatSuntory’sYamazakiandHakushudistilleriesRare

www.suntory.com

Hibiki

17YearsOld

Beforemovingontothe30-year-oldversionofthisproduct(seenextentry),whichisexpensiveandveryhardtofind,youmightliketotryitsyoungerbrother,whichisaltogethermoreaffordable.YoumightalsorememberitfromitsappearanceintheexcellentOscar-winning2003movieLostinTranslation(abreakthroughroleforScarlettJohansson,asifyoucared).

Manywhotrythisforthefirsttimewilladmittobeingseducedbythepackaging,whichisfairenough,asitisbothveryattractiveandsufficientlydifferenttodrawattentiontoitselfwithoutbeingoutréorundulyoutrageous.Whichprobablydoesn’tsoundthatbigadealuntilyouconsiderhowmanywhiskiesthereareontheshelves,withoutevenbeginningtocountotherdistilledspirits,letalonewine–yougetthepicture?

SowelldonetoSuntory’sresourcefulmarketingdepartment,butallthey’vereallydoneisgiventhisstand-outwhiskyabottletomatch.Hibikimeans‘harmony’,apparently,andthedistillerythemselvesdescribethisas‘amasterblendofcarefullyselectedfull-bodiedmaltandgrainwhiskies.Thismulti-award-winningblendcreatesaprofoundaromawithanelegantandmellowwoodyrichness,accompaniedbysweet,long-lastingcitrusflavour.’

Foronce,thehypeisfullyjustified.InJapan,apparently,Hibiki17commandsapremiumabovesimilarlyagedsinglemaltsandIcanwellbelievethatthisisso.Itisreallyaverycompletewhisky,exceptionallyeasytodrinkwhileatthesametimeremainingcomplexandsomewhatalluring–thereisanelusivequalitytothetasteandfinishthatishardtopindown.TryandserveitblindtoyourfriendsandtheywilllikelybeamazedatthequalityandwillbeforcedtorethinktheirprejudicesandpreconceptionsaboutJapanesewhisky.Thisisworld-classstuff–sotrytoimaginehowgoodthe30YearsOldisgoingtobe!Colour Palegold.Nose Citrushints,vanilla,oakandfloral.Lightbutnotinsubstantial.Taste Quite complex and slow to evolve,with pine resin sweetness, vanilla

andtoffee.Somesaltyhintsasitopens.Developswithwaterorice.

Finish Appearstofinishquitequickly,thenreappearstodelightandperplex.

AvailabilityPrice

Suntoryn/a–thisisablendTherearecentresatSuntory’sYamazakiandHakushudistilleriesRare

www.suntory.com

Hibiki

30YearsOld

What’sthebestblendedwhiskyintheworld?It’saScotch,naturally.Well,notintheopinionofthejudgesattheWorldWhiskiesAwardsin2007and2008whoawardedthattitletothispremiumwhiskyfromSuntory.Mindyou,itshouldn’thavebeenacompletesurprise:Hibiki30alsocollectedthehighestlevelofawardattheInternationalSpiritsCompetitionin2004andthenagainin2006,2007and2008.In2007theyalsopickedupaBestinClass.Theseawardsarejudgedblind,bytheway,withanumberofexperiencedjudgessoit’sworthnotingwhiskiesthatwinregularly.

JapaneseblendsareratherdifferentfromthoseproducedinScotland.Apartfromthefactthatthewhiskytastesdifferent,thesmallerJapaneseindustrydoesnotexchangeortradewhiskiesfromdifferentdistilleriesinthewaythatisthenorminScotland.Socompaniesrelyontheirownresources.

FortunatelyforSuntory,theirYamazakidistilleryhasanunusualvarietyofstills,twelveinallinsixdifferentshapesandsizes,producingawiderangeofflavours.TothistheyaddtheproduceofHakushu,Hibiki’shomedistillery,whereagainthereareanumberofdifferentstills.Andthentheyincreasetheiroptionsevenmorebyusingmanydifferenttypesofcasktomaturethespirit,includingJapaneseMizunaraoak.Asaresulttheblenderhasaremarkablywidevarietyofwhiskiestochoosefrom–infact,morethan30differentwhiskiesareblendedtocreateHibiki,usinggrainwhiskyfromSuntory’sChitadistillery.

Asyouwouldexpect,thisisanexpensiveproduct(expecttopay£500–600abottle)anditwilltakealittlebitofefforttotrackitdownbutitis,officially,thebestblendedwhiskyintheworld.Whatelsedoyoureallyneedtoknow?ColourDeepbeatencopper.Nose Raisin,figsanddateswithahintofBrazilnutandsweetdarkcocoa.Taste Darksweetnessandapleasantlingeringwoodiness.Finish Long,darkandveryrich.

HighlandDistillersHighlandPark,Kirkwall,OrkneyYesPrettywidelyavailable

www.highlandpark.co.uk

HighlandPark

18YearsOld

ThisisthefirstoffourwhiskiesbyHighlandParklistedinthisbook.Four.Fromonedistillery?HaveIgonemad?

Idon’tthinkso.Youcouldmakeacasethatthisisthebestwhiskyintheworld.Certainlyit’swonmoreawardsthanIcanbebotheredtocountandatleastoneauthority(PaulPacult)thinksthatHighlandParkmake‘thebestspiritintheworld’.

Whatismore,whenIaskedmy‘oracles’HighlandParkwastheirrunawaywinner,gatheringnearlytwicethenominationsofanyotherbrand.Quiteafewofthepeoplewhovotedforitarecompetitorssothatisaprettyimpressiveendorsement.

ButlackingPaul’sebullienceandconfidentcertainty,I’llcontentmyselfwithsayingit’sprettydamnfine.You’regoingtohavetolookfarandwidetobeatthisstuff.Thereareseveralreasonswhy.Thedistillerysomewhatpretentiouslyrefertotheseastheir‘fivekeystones’sowedescenddangerouslyclosetomarketingspeakhere,butbearwithme.Theytalkabouttraditionalfloormalting,aromaticpeat,coolmaturation,sherryoakcasksandcarefulcaskrotation.

Thingis,it’snotjustmarketingfroth.I’velookedbackinhistoryandtheyweredoingmostofthisstuffasearlyas1924andprobablywellbeforethat,it’sjustthattheydidn’tbangonaboutit.So,withHighlandParkyougetaverytraditionalstyleofwhiskyfromaprivatelyownedScottishcompanyinafunky,modernbottlethatkeepsgettingbetterthemoretimeyouspendwithit(thewhisky,notthebottle).

ReadonforthreemorewhiskiesfromHighlandParkandpreparetobeamazed.Oh,andtryandgettothedistilleryatleastonceinyourlife.ColourMediumbrightgold.Nose Asweet,‘comehither’nose;sherryandmarzipan.

Taste Fruity,rich,sweetandagreeablycomplex.Greatdepth.Finish Smokyhintsfadegentlyintothebackground.

HighlandDistillersHighlandPark,Kirkwall,OrkneyYesExclusivetodutyfreeshops,soyou’llhavetoflytobuyit(sorry)

HighlandPark

21YearsOld

I’mnotsupposedtohavefavouritesbut,asyou’verealisedbynow,HighlandParkisdefinitelyone.Orkneyisaspecialanduniqueplace,withastringofislandslinkedbycauseways,ferriesandplanes;ancientmonumentsscatteredeverywhere;athrivingandcreativecraftcommunity;incrediblelight;unexpectedpanoramasateveryturn;abandonedgunemplacements;amazingwildlifeandtwoincredibledistilleries.

NottoslightthenearbyScapaDistilleryinanyway(it’sprettygood)butHighlandParkisworld-class.Anditdoesn’tgetanybetter,atleastnotwithintheboundsofmostbudgets,thantheirsignature21YearsOldexpression.

Thiswasaworthywinnerofthe2009WorldWhiskiesAwardfortheWorld’sBestSingleMaltWhisky.Isatonthepanelanditdeservedeverymarkitgot.HighlandParkisnotedforincrediblebalance,longdevelopmentandasubtlepeatsmokethatcontinuestoengageandtantaliseandrewardyourtastebudsthemoretimeyouspendwithit.It’snottheforcefulpeatofIslaybutamorecomplexandrefinedflavourthattheobsessivesatHighlandParkmaintainisonlypossiblebyburningthreedifferenttypesofpeatfromtheirownpeatbog.

Butwatchout!Afterthesuccessofthiswhisky,demandincreasedgreatlyandthebottlingstrengthwasreducedfrom47.5%abvtoastandard40%soyoumaynotbedrinkingthewhiskythatgarneredallthepraise.There’snothingwrongwiththelatestbottlings,butsomeoldstockmightbeavailable–ifyouseeit,snapitup.

STOPPRESS:ThelatestnewsfromOrkneyisthatthey’llshortlyberevertingtothehigherstrengthsocheckthesmallprintonthelabelandgetthereallygoodstuff.ColourNaturalcolour;thedistillerssay‘reddishgoldOrkneysunset’butthat’s

abitfanciful!Nose Butterscotch,darkchocolateandorange.Taste Lush,fullflavourandgreatbalancewithcandiedorangepeelandspicy

darkchocolate,leadingtoarichsmokysensationwithhintsofroastednuts.Ahoneyedsweetness.

Finish Rich,complexandsweetsmokysensationthensoft,medium-dryfinish.

HighlandDistillersHighlandPark,Kirkwall,OrkneyYesPrettywidelyavailableinspecialistretailers

HighlandPark

30YearsOld

HeregoeswhiskynumberthreefromHighlandParkandwearemovingintotherealmsofthetrulysublime–and,whatismore,trulysublimevalue.Yes,abottleofthiswillcostcloseto£200buttheequivalentinchateaubottledclaretwouldbeseveraltimesthatandthere’severybitasmuchtradition,craftsmanshipandqualityinthisbottle.And,ifyou’relookingforvalue,thisbottlewilllastratherlongerthantheclaret,especiallyasitcomesatahealthy48.1%abv.

Fortunately,thedistilleryhasprettygoodstocksoftheseolderwhiskiesandthisletsustasteamoretraditionalstyleofwhiskymaking.Forawhile,HighlandParkflirtedwithreducedpeatinglevels,asmostofthespiritwasdestinedforblendinglighterstylessuchasCuttySark,butthatisn’tthecasehere.

AgehastemperedthedistinctiveHighlandParksmokebutit’sstillclearlyevident,justmoresubtle.AndIlikethat.OnepersonaldifficultythatIhavewithsomeofthemoreaggressivelypeatedstylesisjustthat–aggressivepeating,whichformecanoftenbeoverlydominant,maskinginherentspiritcharacter.It’slikeagiantsteamrolleronthepalate.

Nodangerofthathere.Thereissomebroodingsmokiness,butitisbalancedbysweetnessandgreatvitalityandfreshnessforawhiskyofthisage.Theextrastrengthmeansit’sattractivelyfullinflavourand,unusuallyforanolderwhisky,canstandthecarefuladditionofwatertobringoutthemorearomaticnotes.Someskilleddistillinghasbeencomplementedbygoodwoodselectionandcarefulwarehousing,andtheresultisastellarwhiskythatiswortheverypenny.ColourDark.Nose Warmingandround;honeyandsmoke.Taste Beautifully balanced and full bodied; honey, vanilla, oak and smoke

dancingthroughthepalatebutneverdominating.Finish Alloftheabovegracefullycombine,fadingoutwithspiceandwhiffsof

gentlesmoke.

HighlandDistillersHighlandPark,Kirkwall,OrkneyYesSurprisinglyeasytofindinspecialists,giventheageandprice!

HighlandPark

40YearsOld

Takeaseat:thisisthemostexpensivewhiskyinthisbook.Expecttopayaround£800forabottle.Forthatyougetahandsomebox,leatherboundbookletanda48.3%abvspiritthatdeservedlywonthe2009WorldWhiskiesAwardforWorld’sBestNewRelease.

TherulehereisthatIwon’trecommendanythingover£1,000andanythinginthreefiguresneedscarefulthought.Butyoudon’tneedtohesitate.Buythiswithconfidence–inmyview(andthisissharedbyagoodpartofthewhiskycommunity)thisissimplyasgoodasitgets.Withthechangefromthe£1,000youcanbuysomeprettyfinedramsbutthis40YearsOldwantstobesetasideforveryspecialoccasionsandveryspecialfriends.Havingsaidthat,you’llmakeaspecialfriendoutofanyoneyouservethisto(providedtheyhaveanykindofcriticaljudgement)andyoushoulddrinkit–don’tjustsetitonashelfandgazewonderinglyuponit.Appreciate,don’tvenerateisthemottohere.

Thisisanexceptionallycomplexandrefinedwhiskywithmultiplelayersofflavourthatwillopenupinthemouthandonthefinishasyoucarefullysipandsavouryourdram.And,thenexttimeyougobacktoit,you’llfindsomethingmoreandsomethingdifferent.HighlandPark40justkeepsongrowinganddevelopingandrewardscarefulstudy.

ButIdon’twantyoutothinkofthisashardwork.Aboveall,thisisawhiskytoenjoy.Noteveryday,ofcourse,butitreallyisawhiskytotrybeforeyoudie.Andthenputthatoff,atleastuntilyoufinishthebottle.ColourMidgold.Usingrefillcasks,timehasaddedcolourveryslowly.Nose Surprisinglydelicateandrefined;stillfreshanddistinctively‘Highland

Park’withhoney,chocolateandsoftsmoke.Taste Ifawhiskycanpossess‘theXfactor’thishasgotit–justsensationally

complexandalluring.Superbbalanceandwaveafterwaveofflavour,withnooneelementdominant.

Finish After showingmore heather honey sweetness and hints of citrus, thesmokefloatsbackforalasthurrah.

AvailabilityPrice

Whyte&MackayLtdIsleofJura,Craighouse,JuraYes–andaluxurious(forwhichread‘expensive’)holidayapartmentSpecialists

www.isleofjura.com

IsleofJura

Superstition

AttheriskofoffendingthegoodfolksatWhyte&Mackay,I’dsaythat,ingeneral,theIsleofJurasinglemaltsarenothingtogettooexcitedabout.They’repleasantenoughbutprettybland,which,sincethisdistillerywasbuiltinthe1960stocreateemploymentonthislonelybutbeautifulislandandservetheblendingindustrywithaSpeyside-stylespirit,isnorealsurprise.

Inrecentyears,though,theyhavemadesomeeffortstoraisetheirprofileandthestandard10YearsOldisprettywidelyseen.Don’tbotherwiththat,though.Whatyouwant,ifyouwantanything,isSuperstition.

ThisisamixtureofheavilypeatedwhiskyintheIslaystyle(notoriginallywhatJurawasbuilttoproduce)andsomeoldercasksthataddwarmthandsubtlety.Accordingly,itdoesn’tcarryanagestatement,butdon’tletthatorthenameputyouoff.It’spleasantlydifferentfromthewhiskiesonnearbyIslay.

Juraitselfisnotableforbeinghometolessthan200peopleandaround5,000reddeer.Theywanderabouteverywhere–mainly,itseemstome,ontheisland’sonemainroadwheretheycanbesomethingofahazard.JurawasalsoGeorgeOrwell’srefugewhenheescapedfromLondontowrite1984andthesiteoftheinfamousKFoundationBurnaMillionQuidartevent.Yes,rockmusiciansturnedartistsBillDrummondandJimmyCautyquietlytravelledtoJuraandburnt£1min£50notes.Asyouwould.Obviously.

Withtheirfondnessforspecialeditions,IsleofJurareallyoughttocommemoratethis:averysmokydramat£50abottlewouldseemappropriate!ColourDeepbronze.Nose Wood smoke, bacon and freshly cut peat. Phenolic notes start to

dominate.Taste Spice,honey,pineandpeatflavoursminglewithnutsandgrassy/floral

notes.Finish Smokefadesinagainattheend.

AvailabilityPrice

IrishDistillersGroupMidleton,Cork,IrelandTwo!OneinDublinandoneatMidletonDistillery,CorkSpecialists

www.jamesonwhiskey.com

Jameson

18YearsOldLimitedReserve

Jameson’sisthebest-sellingbrandofIrishwhiskeyand,undertheownershipofcorporategiantsPernodRicard,hasbeenexpandingrapidly.Thewhiskiescompriseablendofpotstillandgrainspirit,allproducedatthehugeMidletonDistillerynearCork.Withabewilderingrangeofstills,theplantiscapableofproducingaconsiderablevarietyofdifferentstyles,makingtheroleoftheMasterBlenderparticularlysignificant,especiallywhenanumberofdifferentcaskscomeintoplay.

Thoughit’shardlycheap–abottleofthe18YearOldwillsetyouback£70–Ijusthavetoletthisonethrough.IhadthegreatprivilegeoftastingareleaseofthiswithIrishDistillers’BarryCrockett,whowasbroughtupinacottageinthedistillery’sgroundsandtodayisMasterDistilleratMidleton.ThatwaswelloverayearagobutIbelieveIcanstillrecallthetaste,sodistinctiveaproductisit.

Thefactthatitimmediatelypickedupaclutchofsignificantawardsprovesthatthiswasnoflashinthepan.Acombinationofex-bourbonandsherrybarrelsareused,andthentheyareagedaccordingtothelabelfor‘atleast’18years.Icanbelieveit:thisissplendidlymature,withoutinanywayexhibitinganysignsofbeingoverlywoodyortired.

Thisisoneofalargerrange–thereisaSpecialReserve(12yearsold),aGoldReserve(non-agedbut13–14yearsoldonaverage),SignatureReserve(fordutyfreeonly),thisLimitedReserveandfinally,ifyourpursecanstretchevenfurther,abrilliantbutconfusinglynamedRarestVintageReserve,whichdoesn’tactuallycarryeitheranageoravintagedate,thoughitdoes(notveryhelpfully)carrythebottlingdate,currently2007.You’vegottoloveIrishmarketing!ColourDeepbronze.Nose AromaticChristmascake,honey,vanillaandtoffee.Taste Cloves,nutsandnuttyfudge,awonderfulbalance;andthebourbonand

oloroso sherry casks are beautifully integrated into a smooth andharmoniouswhole.Mediumbodybutcomplex.

Finish Holdstogetherwell,asalltheflavourslingernicely.

VisitorCentre

Availability

Diageon/a–thisisablend,but‘brandhome’isCardhuCardhuDistillery,Speyside(it’sjustalongtheroadfromTheMacallan)Everywhere–ifyoucan’tfindthisyou’renottryingveryhard

www.johnniewalker.com

JohnnieWalker

BlackLabel

Intruth,thisisn’toneofmypersonalfavourites.IfindthisJohnnieWalkerexpressionanditslittlebrotherRedLabelalittletooharshandsmokyformytaste.

Butyoucan’targuewithsuccessandthisisoneofthebest-sellingpremiumblendsintheworld.Moretothepoint,ifyouaskaroundthewhiskyindustryBlackLabelkeepscomingupasafavouriteorawhiskywhichotherdistillersandblendersadmire.So,ifyoulikebigflavoursthenthisisonyourlist.

TodayJohnnieWalkerispartofDiageowho,in2009,controversiallyshutthedooroncloseto200yearsofwhiskyhistorywhentheyclosedtheirKilmarnockbottlingplant,thetraditionalWalkerhome.CueoutragefromthelocalsandScottishpoliticiansbutitdoesn’tappeartohavemadetheslightestbitofdifferencetotheworldwidelegionoffanswhoprobablyneitherknownorcarewhereKilmarnockis.Sorry,Kilmarnock.

TheBlackLabelblendcanbetracedbackto1867whenAlexanderWalkerlaunchedhis‘OldHighlandWhisky’inadistinctivesquarebottleandslantingblackandgoldlabel.Thesquarebottleprovedagreatboontothebrandindevelopingexportsales–becauseoftheshapemorebottlescouldbesqueezedintoanygivenspaceandshippingcostsreduced.Ofsuchsimplethingsarelegendsmade.

Butthereisalotmoretothisthanjustcleverpackaging.BlackLabelsucceedsnotsimplyasasymbolofaffluenceandstatusinmanymarketsbutbecauseformanyit’sthebenchmarkforapremiumblend.Thisisatraditionalwhiskythat’snottobeunder-estimated.Personally,Iwouldn’ttakeittomydesertisland,butalotofexpertjudgeswould.ColourAmediumbrightgold.Nose Maplesweetnesswithhintsofsmoke.Maltandcitrus.Taste Robust and forceful, thepeaty smoke to the forebut alsodried fruits,

sherryandvanilla;neverunbalanced–powerwithdiscretion.Finish Mellow,spicyandagreatlate-nightdram.

VisitorCentre

Availability

Diageon/a–thisisablend,but‘brandhome’isCardhuCardhuDistillery,Speyside(it’sjustalongtheroadfromTheMacallan)Global,especiallyhigh-end,tax-freeoutlets

www.johnniewalker.com

JohnnieWalker

BlueLabelKingGeorgeVEdition

Sometimesonlyluxurywilldo.Unadulterated,in-your-face,loadsamoney,show-offluxury.

Imagineyou’vegotaRussianoligarchtoimpress,orakeybusinesscontactintheFarEastneedsagift–thatistheKingGeorgeVEditionmoment.Becausethisfeelstomelikeanunashamedlyflamboyantwhiskyforthenouveauriche.Fromtheelaboratepresentationpackagingwiththetwinmonogrammedstudsyouneedtoremovetoopenthehugebox,tothedeliberatelytheatricalritualofopeningitshiddendoubledoors,thesilk-linedinteriorwiththeparchmentcertificate,thecrystaldecanteronitsmatchingplinth,andthemeticulouslydetailedandvery,veryheavycorkstopper,it’sallabouttheglamorouspackaging.

Except,d’oh,thisisalsoverygoodwhisky.Didyouimaginethatthebest-sellingScotchwhiskyintheworldwasgoingtoputitsnameonanyoldgutrot,justbecausetheboxlooksgood(spectacular,tobehonest)?

Youcanpayupto£1,000forasingleglass(yes,glass)ofsomeJohnnieWalkerstylesbutImaintainthat’sjustshowingoff–flagshipprojectsdesignedmainlyforPRimpact.So,formostofus,thismustremaintheultimateJohnnieWalker.Andveryfineitis,too,aswellitmightbeatapproaching£400abottle.

Sotreatyourselfatleastonceinyourlifeand,asyousip,askyourself,‘Whatarethepoorpeopledoingtonight?’ColourDeep and dark, suggestive of great age and some sherry casks in the

blend.Nose Initiallysweet,thenmorethanahintofsmokeandlotsofbody.Thisis

goingtobeBIG!Taste Averybig, forcefulwhisky, surprisinglyhoneyedandwellmannered,

with the smoky Port Ellen coming through late. Still vibrant andcomplex,despitetheageofsomeoftheblendconstituents.

Finish A languorous, unhurried finish; very rounded, with the sweeterSpeysiderscomplementingthelastfadingnotesofpeatsmoke.

KilchomanDistilleryCo.LtdKilchoman,IslayYesSpecialistsandonline

www.kilchomandistillery.com

Kilchoman

I’mprobablystretchingmyownruleshere,becauseyou’regoingtohavetolookreallyhardtofindthis,butthephilosophybehindthisbookistoencourageentrepreneursandinnovatorsandtopersuadeyoutolookalittlebitfurtherforunusualanddeservingspirits,sobearwithme.

Ifweruleouttheillicitmanufactureofmoonshine,thisisprobablyascloseasyoucangetto‘traditional’distilling,atleastfromthepointofviewofscale.KilchomanisthefirstfarmhousedistillerytobebuiltinScotlandforaverylongwhile,andthefirstonIslayfor124years.Therearenowseveralsimilarprojectsinseveraldifferentcountriesinvariousstagesofcompletion,butKilchomanwassomethingofapioneeranddeservesrespectandsupportforthis,ifnothingelse.

ThevisionofenthusiastAnthonyWills,Kilchomanbegandistillingin2005andreleaseditsfirstwhiskyin2009(itsoldnewmakespiritpriortothat).Allthebarleyusedisgrownontheneighbouringfarm;thereisafloormalting;noneofthebarrelsleavetheislandduringmaturation;andthematuredspiritisbottledonIslay.However,theycanonlymakearound90,000litresofspiriteachyearandsosuppliesarerestricted:infact,theInauguralReleaseofjust8,300bottlessoldoutwithindays.Thealreadyhighpricespromptlydoubledonthesecondarymarketascollectorsviedforabottle.

However,theinitialwaveofenthusiasmhavingpassed,bottlesofsubsequentreleasesshouldbemoreaccessible,ifnotwidelyfound,butcertainlynotanycheaper.Trytotrackonedown,impressyourfriendsandsupportsomerealwhiskypeople.

NB:TheflavourofKilchomanwilldevelopoverthevariousreleasesasthespiritmatures,sothenotesbelowareaguide,basedontheInauguralReleaseedition.ColourAgedmainlyinex-bourbonbarrels,sopalestraw.Futurereleasesmay

bedarker.Nose Surprisingly fruity, plenty of peat smoke but delicate citrus notes

surprise.

Taste Creamyandmouthcoating;driedfruits,smokeandtoffee.Finish Clean,refreshing,lingeringsmokehintsdriftonforsometime.

BeamGlobalSpirits&Wine,Inc.JimBeam,ClermontDistillery,KentuckyYesSpecialistsandonline

www.knobcreek.comseealsowww.smallbatch.com

KnobCreek

KnobCreekisanothersmallbatchbourbon,distilledatthelargeJimBeamdistilleryatClermont,Kentucky.Itgetsitsname,mildlytitillatingforUKdrinkersinavaguelysmuttysortofaway,fromacreek(stream)about20milesfromthedistillerythatranpastAbrahamLincoln’sboyhoodhome.Apparently,Lincoln’sfatherworkedinanothernearbydistilleryandLincolnhimselfwasrescuedfromdrowninginsaidstream.ItseemsthatnooneinthemarketingdepartmentconsideredthealternativeassociationsofthenameoutsideoftheUSA.

Anyway,withthatoutofthewaywecanmoveontothewhiskey.Thishasachievedasortofcultstatus,partlyduetotheastutemanagementofrecentshortagesofstockcreatingadditionalpent-updemand.Youcanevenbuyat-shirt,itselfalimitededition,tocommemoratethe‘drought’.

KnobCreekwascreatedbythelegendarydistillerBookerNoeinanattempttocreateapre-Prohibitionstyleofbourbonandalso,thoughthedistillerstendtoglossoverthisbit,tocomeupwithanAmericanofferingthatwouldmakebourbonfashionableagainandcompetewithsinglemaltScotch.

Inthat,smallbatchbourbonhasbeenagreatsuccess,withthis9-year-old,50%abvproductbeingoneofthecategoryleaders.

OthersfromBeamGlobalincludeBooker’s,BasilHayden’sandBaker’s.Naturally,theircompetitorshaveenteredthemarketwiththeirversionsalso.Asthesmallbatchhandlesuggests,suppliesofthesewhiskiescanbevariableandtheremaybeslightvariationsinstylefrombatchtobatch.It’sallpartofthecharmandthey’reunlikelytobelessthanverygood.ColourMidgold.Nose Nutty,darkcitrusandoak.Taste Rich,full-bodiedandcomplex.Somespicenotes.Finish Along,consistentfinishwithalingeringaftertaste.

DiageoLagavulin,IslayYesSpecialistsandonline

www.malts.com

Lagavulin

16YearsOld

AeneasMacDonaldwritesofamanwho‘waskeptawakeforhoursinthenightbytheprolongedrhapsodiesoftwoHighlanders,menwhohadnothingelseincommonintheworldbuttheiraffectionforandpraiseofLagavulin’.Ithas,hesays,‘analmostlegendaryfame’.Thatwasin1930and,ifanything,itsfamehasgrown.Forfansoftherichlyphenolic,peaty,saltywhiskiesofIslaythisisprimusinterpares,thoughitmustbeallowedthatArdbegrunscloseinthepassionofitsdevotees.

UsingbarleymaltedatthenearbyPortEllenmaltings(alsoDiageo),Lagavulinisdistilledunusuallyslowly–aprocessthatthemakersclaimgives‘thecharacteristicroundnessandsoftmellowedges’tothespirit.Theycertainlytaketheirtimeovermaturation,withthestandardClassicMaltsbottlingbeingreleasedat16yearsold.RumourhasitthatJohnnyDepp,theteetotalactor,willhappilyorderaglassjusttonoseit,sostrikingisLagavulin’saroma(it’snotclearwhogetstopolishitofflater).MichaelJacksonfamouslydescribedthenoseas‘LapsangSouchongandfruitysherry’.Soundsgood,doesn’tit?

ThoughthereisamoreexpensiveDistiller’sEditionfinishedinPedroXimenezcasksandayounger,high-strengthversioncuriously,andunjustifiably,evenmoreexpensivestill,thisistheoneyouwant.Marvelatitsrichtextures,preparetobestunnedbythewavesofintenseflavourandsitdownbeforeyoutakeyourfirstsip–thisispotentstuff.

ReadonforanotherstunningwhiskyfromLagavulin’snext-doorneighbour.ColourDeepgold.Nose Intensepeatrush,followedbysweetorangesandtoffee.Taste Ahuge,mouth-fillingwhisky.Dry, thensomesherriedsweetnesswith

toffeeandasaltyhint.Finish Massivepeatsmokeandsaltyclimax.

FortuneBrandsInc.Laphroaig,IslayYesSpecialistsandonline

www.laphroaig.com

Laphroaig

QuarterCask

LaphroaigisthefirstofthreedistilleriesyoucometofollowingthecoastroadroundIslayoutofPortEllenanditpresentsasplendidsight.Thereisstillafloormaltingsonsiteandexcellentvisitorfacilities(thoughyoureallywanttoeatintheKilnCafeatArdbegjustalongtheroad).

TheQuarterCaskbottlingisasplendidattempttore-createastyleofwhiskythatwouldhavebeenmorecommonahundredormoreyearsagowhensmallercaskswereusedtomaturespirit.Thismayhavebeenbecausethefirkincask(holdingninegallons,oraround41litres)wasrelativelyfreelyavailable,duetoitsuseinthebrewingindustry,orbecausethesmallercaskwasmorepopularforprivatesalesor,asthedistillerythemselvesliketosuggest–ratherromantically–becausetheywereeasierforsmugglerstotransport!Possibly,allthreeplayedtheirpart.

Thekeypoint,however,isthatwhiskymaturesfasterinasmallercaskandthewoodhasagreaterinfluence(30%moreaccordingtothedistillers).Whatismore,intheirpursuitoftraditionLaphroaigdon’tchillfilterthiswhiskyandtheybottleitatahealthy48%abv.Goodonthem.

It’saclassicIslaymalt–salty,peaty,phenolicandveryfullflavoured.Hugelyimpressive.

Theresult,inmyopinionatleast,isahugeimprovementonthestandard10YearsOld(40%abv)–it’srounder,morevibrant,fullerandsweeter.EverythingyoulookforinLaphroaig,infact,andmore,provingonthisoccasion,atleast,thattheoldwaysreallywerebest.ColourQuitepale,likebeatenbronze.Nose Tons of peat smoke, sweetness, coconut cream and some chocolate

notes.Taste Bold and assertive, full bodied and mouth coating (higher strength

alcohol and non-chill filtering coming into play here) but gentle and

sweetcomparedtothe10YearsOld.Finish Amazingly extended finish, with the peat smoke and some coal fires

comingintoplay.Spicenotesandthedistillerysay‘zestyorange’.Beatsme.

J&AMitchell&Co.LtdSpringbank,Campbeltown,ArgyllandButeYesSpecialistsandonline

www.springbankwhisky.com

Longrow

TheoriginalLongrowwasanearlycasualtyinCampbeltown’slongandsorrydecline,butthenameatleastwasrestoredin1973whensomeheavilypeatedmaltwasdistilledatSpringbanktoprovethatIslayneednothaveamonopolyonthisstyle.EventuallytheideacaughtonandLongrowisnowdistilledregularly,thoughnotingreatvolume.

SoyoucouldsaythatLongrowispeatedSpringbank–exceptthatitisn’t.Thefactthatthemaltispeatedisclearlythekeydifferencebut,unlikeSpringbank,thisundergoesaconventionaldoubledistillation.Amixofsherryandbourboncasksareusedformaturationtocontributesweetnessandspicebeforethepeattakesover.

Longrowisn’texactlyeasytofindbutthenon-agedCVexpressionshouldturnupinspecialistsanditcanbepurchasedonlinefromthedistillery’swebsite.Likeallofthecompany’s‘standard’output,it’sbottledat46%abvandnon-chillfiltered–policiesthatIcanonlycommend.Theresultisgreatermouthfeelinthewhiskyandapleasingoilinessthatspeaksofthegenuinearticle:wouldthatmoredistillerswouldfollowthislead.Notetoconsumers–it’sworththeextracost!

Thisisnotthemostsubtlewhiskyyou’lleverencounterbut,despiteitsstrength,manytastersfinditgoeswellwithoutaddingwater.Ifyoulikebig,bold,assertiveflavoursandyou’ve‘done’Islaythenthisiswhereyougonext.Ifitappeals,thereisaLongrow100Proofversion,severalagedexpressionsandthestrangeGajaBarolofinish.ColourMidgold.Nose Supremebalancebetweenpeatsmoke,vanillaandcardamom.Taste Boldandassertive;robust.Vanillacomestothefore,thencitrus(lemon

marmalade?)andwavesofspiceandsmoke.Finish Surprisingly gentle and balanced, with the vanilla toffee coming

throughasthesmokeclears.

MackmyraSvenskWhiskyABMackmyra,Valbo,SwedenPhonetochecktouravailabilitySpecialistsandonline

www.mackmyra.com

Mackmyra

Oneofthereallyexcitingthingsabouttheworldofwhiskyinthelastdecadehasbeentheexplosionofnewproducers,allstrivingtooffertheirowndistinctiveslantonasimplemixtureofwater,barleyandyeast.Someoftheofferingshavesomewaytogoyet,whilesomearefascinating,buteventheverybestofthempresentaproblemforthisbook:availability.Thevastmajorityoftheseproducersaretiny,boutiqueoperationsproducingverylimitedquantitiesofwhiskythattendstoselloutveryquickly.

MackmyraisnottheonlywhiskydistilleryinSweden,thoughitwasthefirst,butbecauseit’sbeenaroundsince1999thereisachancethatyou’llbeabletotracksomeofitdown.Realistically,you’llhavetotakewhatyoucanget(thefirstreleaseinMarch2006soldoutinlessthananhour)butthat’snohardship.

Thisismorethanacuriosity.Thereareanumberofspecialeditionsandlimitedreleasesbutwhatyou’llprobablystumbleoverisaversionoftheirPreludium(theinitialreleasesfromthedistillery),butpossiblytheFirstEditionmightalsobeseen.Allareworthtrying:Mackmyrakeepexperimentingwithdifferentcasksandfinishes,andtheyevenmaturetheirwhisky50metresundergroundinanoldmine!

Youcanbuyyourowncaskfromthedistilleryandgoandvisitit.Beaware,however,thatMackmyraisnotinexpensive.PresumablyduetohighlabourcostsinSwedenandthefactthatallproductsarebottledataround46%abv,abottletypicallycostsaround£50–60(moreforPreludium,whichisalsoinasmaller-than-normalhalf-litrebottle).Worthit,though.Colour Palegold.Nose Fruitywithcitrus,pear,apple,honey,lightoakandcerealnotes.Taste Citrus,caramelandhoney.Alightsuggestionofoakmaybenoted.Finish Hintsofdarkchocolate.

FortuneBrands,Inc.Maker’sMark,Loretto,KentuckyYesSomesupermarketsandspecialists

www.makersmark.com

Maker’sMark

ThisKentuckybourbonwasforsometimesomethingofacultamongdrinkersonbothsidesoftheAtlantic,drivenbythepersonalityoftheebullientBillSamuelsJr,adirectdescendantofthefounder.Imethimsomeyearsagoanditwasn’tlongbeforehehandedmeaguntolookat–anantiqueasithappenedbut,forasimplechaplikeme,itwasasomewhatunnervingmoment.

Itissomeyears,however,sincethedistillerywasprivatelyowned.Thoughitsmarketinglikestogivetheimpressionofindependence,thecompanyhasinfactpassedthroughseveralcorporatehandssince1981andistodaypartofFortuneBrands,whoalsoownJimBeam,LaphroaigandCanadianClubwhiskies,amongotherfamousnames.

Itstillappearsidiosyncratic,however–uniquelyamongstUSwhiskiesstylingitself‘whisky’intheScottishmanner;increasingproductionin2002bybuildingaseconddistilleryalongsidethefirst,insteadofsimplyexpandingtheexistingplant;androtatingtheirbarrelswithinthewarehouselevelstoachievemoreevenageing.

Itsappearanceisalsohighlydistinctive:asquarebottleiscappedbyredwax,whichdripsontothebottle.Moreimportantly,themashbillrecipedoesnotincludeanyrye,butrathercontainsexclusivelyyellowcorn,redwinterwheatandmaltedbarley.Distillationstartsinacolumnstillandisfinishedinacopperpotstill,allofwhichcontributetothefinalflavour.

Itisparticularlyappreciatedforitscomparativelygentleandsubtletaste,moremellowthanmanybourbons.Today,thoughmorewidelydistributedthanwhenthebrandwasbuilt,ithasmaintainedsomethingofareputationasadrinker’sdrink:oneforthose‘intheknow’.Nowthatincludesyou.ColourAmber.Nose Vanillaandspice,tropicalfruitsandsomesweetoakwood.Taste At45%abv,thisismediumtofullbodied,withspices(ginger),caramel

andamouth-coatingoiliness.

Finish Somesmoke,delicatelycombiningwithhoneyedfruits.

HeavenHillDistilleries,Inc.Bernheim,Louisville,KentuckyYesSpecialists

www.heaven-hill.com

MellowCorn

Here’ssomethingunusualanduniquelyAmerican–thenearestthingyou’llgettomoonshinethat’slegal(theScotchequivalentis‘newmake’–seetheentryforGlenglassaugh’sSpiritDrink).It’sfarfromthenicestwhiskyyou’lldrink,atleastcomparedtotheotherslistedhere,butit’scheap,funandworthtrying(ifonlytounderstandthebeneficialinfluencesofmaltedbarleyandageing).

Butfirst,awordofexplanation.Beforetherewasbourbon,therewasstraightcornwhiskey.Today,cornwhiskeyismadewithaminimumof80%ofcorninthemashbillandmustbematured,ifitismaturedatall,inuncharrednewwhiteoakbarrelsorrefillbourbonbarrels.Theassociationiswithbootlegging,moonshineandgenerallydeprivingtheGovernmentoftheirshare,soitrepresentsadeeplyrootedAmericantradition,alsoexpressedinpopularculturethroughNASCARracingandTVshowssuchasTheDukesofHazzard.

Theproductionofmoonshinestillthrives,orsoonewoulddeducefromthenumberofhome-madestillsandassociatedequipmenttobeseenonvariousinternetauctionsitesbut,foralongtime,theonlymainstreamlegalproducerkeepingthetraditionalivewasHeavenHill–andgoodonthem,Isay.Somesmallercraftproducershavenowjoinedinthefun.

HeavenHillactuallymakesarange,includingDixieDewandJWCorn,whichseemstobetheupmarketone!GeorgiaMooncomesinthekindofjaryourgrannyusedtomakejamorpreservesandisevencheaper(andrawer)thanMellowCorn;thelabelonthisboaststhatit’s‘agedlessthan30days’whichatleastishonest.

Unlessyouwanttosaveacoupleofpounds,MellowCornistheonetotry.Itbenefitsfromtwoyears’ageingandcomesatauseful50%abv.Definitelyonetoserveblindtothewhiskysnobinyourlife.Colour Palegold.Nose Waxy(itshouldbe),withlighterfloralnotesandvanilla.Taste Surprisingly complex, with mouth-coating oiliness; some fruit and

toffee.

Finish Quitelively;thefruit,woodandcaramelnoteshangoninthere.

Availability

WilliamGrant&SonsDistillersLtdn/a–thisisablendNone–butbothGlenfiddichandTheBalveniehavetoursSomesupermarketsandspecialists

www.monkeyshoulder.com

MonkeyShoulder

Thisisn’treallywhatyou’dexpectfromWilliamGrants,makersofGlenfiddichandTheBalvenie.Thedeliberatelyfunkyname(which,asweshallsee,hassomewhiskyheritage–butreally!);thepainfullyhipwebsiteandtheemphasisoncocktailsandtrendystylebarsallsmackofanachinglyself-consciousmarketingstrategy.

Thethingis,it’sprettydecentwhiskyanditappearstohaveworkedso,astheyoungpeopleapparentlysay,‘respect’.Sowhatisit?Technically,it’sblendedmalt–thatistosay,amixtureofseveralsinglemaltsbutnograinwhisky(thatwouldmakeitanordinaryblend).Beinginthefortunatepositionofowningseveraldistilleries,GrantsblendedsomeGlenfiddich,someBalvenieandsomeKininvie(athirddistilleryontheirDufftownsitetheytendtokeepquietabout)tocreateawhiskydesignedforeasydrinkinganduseincocktails.

ItwascreatedbytheirMasterBlenderDavidStewart,astraditionalawhiskymanasyou’llfind,andispreparedinsmallbatchesofcarefullyselectedcasksthatthenundergofurthermaturationbeforebottling.

Rathertongue-in-cheekilyIfeel,Grantsrefertoitintheirpromotionalliteratureas‘triplemaltScotchwhisky’.Theyoughttoknowbetter,butwe’llletthatpass.Ithasbeenenthusiasticallypickedupbyanumberofrathermorecutting-edgebarsinthosemarketswhereit’sbeenreleasedsofarandhascollectedafewawards.

It’salsocompetitivelypriced,withfunpackagingfeaturingthreemonkeysclimbinguptheneckofthebottle.Andthename?Itreferstoaconditionwhichapparentlyaffectedtheworkersonthemaltingfloorafterturningmaltbyhand.Not,asyoumightexpect,somekindofmonkeybusiness.

Findsomeonewhodoesn’tlikewhiskyandtrythisonthem,perhapsinoneofthevariouscocktailssuggestedonthebrand’swebsite.Infact,goape!Colour Brightgold,withcoppertints.Nose Vanilla,lemonzestandfreshfruit.

Taste You’llprobablymixitbutbananas(no,really),somespiceandhintsofcitrus.

Finish Relaxedandfairlyshortfinish,butholdstogetherwell.

DiageoMortlach,Dufftown,BanffshireNoneSpecialists

Mortlach

16YearsOld

Forreasonswhicharen’tentirelyclear,MortlachnevermadeitintoDiageo’sClassicMaltsselection,probablybecausethemajorityofoutputfromtheclassicSpeysidedistillery–Dufftown’sfirst–isrequiredforblending,whereitisamajorcomponentinJohnnieWalker.

It’sashamebecausethereisalotheretoengagewhiskyfans.Wehavethedistillery’shistoricalsignificance:builtoriginallyin1823,itwasbrieflyabreweryandevenachurch,andWilliamGrantwasManagerherebeforestartingGlenfiddich.Thedistillerywasentirelyremodelledinthe1960sbutretainedtheunorthodoxarrangementofthestills.AtMortlachtherearethreewashstillsandthreespiritstills.Conventionalenoughyoumightthink,butallaredifferentsizesandthedistillationprocess,sometimesreferredtoas‘partialtripledistillation’,isunique.

Inaddition,Mortlachhasretaineditsexternalwormtubcondensersandtheresult,afterlengthymaturation,isabig,meaty,full-flavouredwhiskythatiswelllikedbythosefortunateenoughtogetabottle.Sadly,visitingthedistilleryisdifficultasthereisnovisitorcentreandpublicaccessisrestricted.

Thereareanumberofindependentthird-partybottlingsavailableand,overtheyears,Diageohavereleasedsomespecialeditions,mostrecentlytheManager’sChoiceexpression(just240bottlesat£250fora12-year-oldwhisky–littlewonderthatthisexercisewasgreetedwithsomescepticisminafewwhiskybloggingcircles).

Butit’shardlynecessarytosplashouttothisextent.Thestandard16YearsOldbottlingwillappealtoloversofsubstantial,robustwhiskiescapableofcomplexityandsurprisingsubtlety(butjustimagineifitwereofferednon-chillfilteredat46%abv).ThelateMichaelJacksondescribedMortlachas‘statuesque’and‘elegant’,oncewritingthat,‘IfindnewaromasandflavourseverytimeIraisetheglass.’Iwouldnotpresumetodisagree.ColourDarkandrich,thecaskinfluenceisevident.

Nose Immediate sherrycask impact, rich fruit cakearomas,but floralnotesalsodevelop.

Taste Rich, meaty and solid; dried fruit and some burnt notes (notunpleasant).

Finish Spiceandwoodcomethroughwithhintsofsmoke.

NikkaYoichiandMiyagikyoDistilleries,JapanYesatbothsitesSpecialists

www.nikka.com

AllMalt

Payattention:thisisvery,veryinterestingandpossiblyunique.Thisisanon-aged,blendedmaltwhiskyusingpotstillmaltwhiskyfromNikka’sYoichiandMiyagikyodistilleriesandsomewhiskydistilledinacontinuous(Coffey)stillatMiyagikyo,fromamashcomprising100%maltedbarley.

SoifsuchathingwasevermadeinScotlandthewords‘maltwhisky’couldn’tappearastheScotchWhiskyAssociation(SWA)havedeterminedthatmaltwhiskycannotbemadeinacolumnstill,evenifthestillisentirelymadeofcopperandthemashis100%maltedbarley.Thishasledtosomecontroversywithdistillers,suchasLochLomond(curiously,notmembersoftheSWA)pointingouttheillogicalityofthispositionandsomecommentatorssuggestingthatthisisbothabartoinnovationandthatitsuppressesmovestowardsagreener,moreenergy-efficientindustry.

IamnotaloneinarguingthatthisishorriblyreminiscentoftheattitudeoftheBritishmanufacturingindustryinthe1950sand1960swhenwestillmadecars,TVs,shipsandsoonuntilhideboundmanagement,intransigenttradeunionsandcomplacentpoliticiansallowedimports(oftenfromJapan,asithappens)totakeoverourmarkets.Thisisnottoadoptaxenophobic‘littleBritain’mentality,butsimplytoobservethatallthingschange;thatinnovationisthelifebloodofconsumermarketingandthathangingontosomeself-servingvisionofauthenticity,traditionalpracticeandheritage(thatowesmoretomarketingspinthanhistoricalfacts)maywellprovesomethingofablindalley.

ButthecumulativewisdomoftheScotchwhiskyindustrydisagreeswithmeand,aswasobservedasearlyas1930,thatcomprisesabodyofmenwell‘assuredoftheircommercialacumen’.Well,weshallsee–Ishallbehappytobeprovedwrong.

Anyway,theyarenotsohideboundinJapanandsowecantryandjudgeforourselves.Thisissomethingofabargainanddeliciousinagentle,self-effacingsortofaway.

Colour Richgold.Nose Clean,delicatewithhintsofcereal.Taste Mouth coating, toffee and vanilla; malty with pear fruit and vanilla

development.Finish Lightbutconsistentandholdstogetherwell.

DiageoOban,ArgyllandButeYesSpecialistsandpossiblysomebettersupermarkets

www.malts.com

14YearsOld

ThisisoneoftheDiageoClassicMaltsrange,soithardlyneedspromotinghere.Yetitalwaysseemstomethatthiswhiskylacksthefameandglamourofsomeofitsstablemates.Perhapstheownersdon’tpromoteitasheavily,asproductionisrestrictedbyOban’slimitedscaleandstockswouldrapidlyrunoutifeveryoneknewjusthowgoodthiswas.

ThedistilleryliesattheheartofthisrathercharmingWestHighlandtown,whichhasgrownuproundit,somuchsothatit’simpossibletoseehowitcouldnowbeexpanded.Butperhapsthat’sagoodthing,asthecharactercan’tbechangedbygrowthandthingswillgoonprettymuchastheyhaveinlivingmemory.

Therearetwo‘standard’expressions–at14YearsOldandtheso-calledDistiller’sEdition,whichisfinishedinsherrycasks.TherearealsooccasionalspecialreleasessuchastheManager’sChoice.Frankly,theseseemtomerathercynicallydesignedforthecollectors’marketandthereisagrowingbodyofopinionthattheymightjustbeatadover-priced.

Butwedon’tneedtoworrybecauseitleavesmoreofthedelicious14-year-oldstyleforus.Thisislovelystuff!Bagsofcomplexity,saltandsmokebutneverunbalancedorover-bearingindelivery;theinitialimpressionisthenovertakenbydriedfruitsandacitricsweetnessthatfadesgentlywithmoresmokeandmaltynotes.Greatvalueatunder£40.IfyoufindsomeoftheIslaymaltsjusttoomuch,thenyoumayfindthisexactlytoyourtaste.Personally,Iloveit.ColourMidgold.Nose Freshandcleanwithasaltytang;somefruitandwhiffsofsmoke.Taste Medium body, soft and mouth coating; initially sweet but develops

greater complexity with spice, orange, drifting smoke and dries as itevolves.

Finish Is the salty tang imagined by association? Only another glass cananswerthisconundrum!

InverHouseDistillersLtdOldPulteney,Wick,CaithnessYesSpecialistsandpossiblysomebettersupermarkets

www.oldpulteney.com

OldPulteney

17YearsOld

‘WhenIgotofanagetounderstandOldPulteney,Icouldadmireitsqualitywhenwellmatured,recognisinginitsomeofthestrongcharacteristicsofthenortherntemperament.’SoobservedoneofScotland’sfinestwritersandwhisky’smostardentchampions,NeilM.Gunn,inhis1935classicWhisky&Scotland(tryandreaditoneday).

Well,OldPulteneyisstillpossessedofasingularcharacterandnowhereisthisexpressedmoreremarkablyandforcefullythaninthis17YearOldexpression.ThisdistilleryislocatedonthecoastatWickandmakesmuchplayofitscoastallocationandthecuriousflat-toppedstills.Ithaschangedhandsonanumberofoccasionsduringitslonglifebut,today,seemstobereallyvaluedbyitsownersInverHouse.Theyhaveworkedhardtopromotethebrandandhavereleasedanumberofinterestingexpressions,includingavenerable30YearsOld.

But,foritscombinationofexceptionaltasteandrealvalue,I’dhavetopicktheir17YearsOld(thereisa21-year-oldversion,butitseemstomejustatrifleoveraged).Totellthetruth,ifthisteenagerwasonIslay,whiskyfanswouldbefightingtogetit,savouringthepiquant,saltytasteandthelong,lingeringfinish.Sometasterspickuppineappleandcoconutnotes,whileotherspraisethesweet/saltbalance.Personally,Ilovethesaltinesswhichthengiveswaytovanillaandadeliciouslycreamy,mouth-filling(it’sbottledat46%abv),slightlysweetorange,beforefadingawaygently.

Thishaswonanumberofsignificantawardsinthelastfewyears–thejudgescertainlyknewwhattheyweredoing.NeilGunnwouldloveitandhewasafinejudgeofwhisky.ColourVerypalefortheage,butpredominantlymaturedinex-bourbonwood.Nose Sweetandyetsalty;loadsofhoney,vanillaandlemon.Taste Remarkably complex and justifies taking time over it; malted barley

notesrolloverintosomeliquoriceandchocolateflavours,withasteadydrumbeatofsalteverpresent.

Finish Goesonandon,dryingandfadingsteadilyandconsistently.

IrishDistillersMidleton,Cork,IrelandYesSpecialistsandpossiblysomebettersupermarkets

www.irishdistillers.ie

Redbreast

Let’sassumethatyoucouldn’tfindanyGreenSpot(noparticularsurprise).Thisiswhatyouneedtoget–notthatthisisinanywaysecondbestand,at12yearsofage,ithassomeadditionalmaturitytoshowoff.Again,thisisanIrishpotstillwhiskeyandthussomethingofararity,thoughyouwillfindRedbreastalittleeasiertotrackdownthantheelusiveGreenSpot.

IrishDistillersistodaypartofthegiantPernodRicardgroupandtheytaketheirdistillingveryseriously.YoucanvisitthedistillerynearCork,thoughwhatyouseeisactuallyamuseumandvisitorcentre,albeitaverygoodone,intheolddistillerywhichnolongerproduces.Therealworkgoesonjustoutofsightatamodernplantwitharemarkablerangeofstills,producingallkindsofspirit(includingginandvodka).Needlesstosay,youdon’tgettoseethat.

Redbreastwasoriginallyproducedin1939forGilbey’sbytheoriginalJamesondistillery.Butafterthatclosed,stocksofmaturingwhiskeyranoutandthebrandwaswithdrawn.ObservingtherefusalofGreenSpottodieandtheupsurgeinsinglemaltScotch,IrishDistillersbroughtitbackasa12-year-oldfromMidleton,togeneralacclaim.Amixofbothsherryandbourboncasksgointotheblendandthefull-onstyleisaclassicofitstype.

Thisisamajorawardwinnerandalwaysscoreshighlyinindependenttastings.Greatvalueatunder£30.ColourAsubtlebronzedgold.Nose Tonsofbodyonthenose,promisingexcitementwithin!Taste Amassivewhiskey,butwithplentygoingonand layersof flavour to

explore.Sweet,withlotsofripefruitandspicenotes.Honeyedbrioche.Veryfullandoilyfora40%abv.

Finish Stickwithitforwavesofvanilla,honey,oakandspice.

ChivasBrothersLtdScapa,OrkneyNoSpecialistsandpossibledutyfree

www.chivasbrothers.comseealsowww.scapamalt.com

14/16YearsOld

DramaticallylocatedonOrkney’sfamousScapaFlow,thelittleScapadistilleryhassufferedfromturbulenthistory,inconsistentmarketingandthedominantshadowofitsmorefamousneighbourHighlandPark.It’sstillworthpayingattentiontothislittlegem,however.Youhavetobecarefulwhatyoubuy,though,andtoappreciatethatyouhavetounderstandsomeofthehistory.

By2004Scapapresentedadolefulappearance;muchoftheroofwasmissing,andtheelectricalsystemoutofactionanditwasgenerallyassumedthatitwasdoomed.However,togeneralsurprise,over£2mwasthenspentonacompleterefurbishment–thoughitremainsfirmlyclosedtothepublic.ThefollowingyearPernodRicard’sChivasBrothersacquiredthedistilleryand,again,therewererumoursofclosureorpossiblydisposal.

Hope,though,sprangupamongloversofthisuglyduckling–perhapsaswanwouldemergeafterall.Forsomeyears,a14-year-oldexpressionhadbeenmarketedinadesultoryfashion,butitwasappreciatedbyconnoisseurswantingtoexplorealighter,unpeatedislandstylethatwasquiteunique.However,Chivasrelaunchedthebrandanda16-year-oldexpressionwasreleased–sadly,notinmyviewagreattriumph.

Thepriceshotupandforthatyougetarathermoreelegantbottleandboxbutthewhiskyissomethingofananticlimax.Becausetherewasinsufficientstocktogoroundalltheirworldmarkets,thedecisionwastakentobottleat40%abv.Mistake.It’sratherthin(chillfilteredtoboot)andlacksrealdistinction,thoughit’sperfectlypleasant,withsomehoneyflavoursandasaltybite.What’smore,Ithinkyoucanignoreallthemarketing-speakonthewebsiteabouttheLomondwashstill:inmyviewitisn’t.It’sbeenheavilymodifiedand,withitsinternalplatesremoved,it’ssimplyapotstillwitharatherunusualheadandneck.Sothere!

SonotastingnotesherebecauseIdon’tknowwhichwhiskyyou’regoingtofind.Whatyoureallyneedtodoisfindamerchantbottlingandcrossyourfingersit’sagoodone–theGordon&MacPhailandProvenanceversionshave

attractedsomepraise.

Isuppose,feelingcharitable,youcouldbuytheofficialversionifonlytoencouragethem.Theyhavetried,afterall,todotherightthingandit’sabigimprovementonthelastlot’sfeebleefforts.

TheSpencerfieldSpiritsCompanyn/a– this isablendofvariousmaltsproducedbyWhyte&Mackayn/aSpecialistsandpossiblysomebettersupermarkets

www.spencerfieldspirit.com

SheepDip

Godlovesatrier,orsotheysay.Well,SpencerfieldSpiritsarecertainlytrying.

ThecompanywasformedwhenAlexNicol,thenatWhyte&Mackaybutwithalongindustrycareer,felloutwithhisbossesandleft.Nothingunusualtherebut,inplaceoftheusualseverancepackage,hetookwithhimtherightstotheunlovedSheepDipbrand,whichwasthenlanguishinginthecorporatecellars,andsignedasupplyagreementforwhisky.

ThenheconvincedW&M’sMasterBlender,theebullientRichardPaterson,toworkwithhimandtogethertheycreatedanewblendedmaltforSheepDip.Backintheday,SheepDiphadbeenacultsuccess,butitreliedonindependentownershiptogivethebrandanditscustomersthenecessarytimeandattention.Incorporatehandsitjustwasn’tapriorityanditslowlyfadedaway.

AlexandhiswifeJanehavechangedallthat.Havinggotthewhiskyrighttheyinvestedinsomedramaticnewpackagingandanoldhorsebox,whichtheydriveroundvariouscountryfairssamplingtheproductandsellingbottles.Slowlybutsurely,it’sgatheringanewfollowingandoncepeopletryabottletheywantmore.AndsoSheepDipisslowlyandpainfully,bottlebybottle,gettingbackonitsfeet.

Iwouldn’ttellyouallthisifitwasn’talsoverygoodwhisky.It’sagreatstoryandagreatwhiskyfromsomegreatpeople(Alex:willthatdo?).Oh,andtheyhaveagreatwebsite,aswell,whichtellsyouallthisinsomuchmorelovingdetail.Colour Rich,warminggold.Nose Quitefloralwithhoney,maltandfreshfruits.Taste Dominated by solid Highland and Speyside malts, this has plenty of

weightwithoutlackingsubtletyorbalance.Finish LotstolookforastheIslaycomponentfinallykicksin,addingsmoke;

somespicelingersalso.

IanMacleodDistillersLtdn/an/aSpecialists

www.smokehead.co.uk

Smokehead

ExtraBlack

Aargh!Thisisoneofthose‘Ronseal’whiskies:itdoesexactlywhatitsaysonthechunkytin.Idon’treallylikeitbut,ifyourtasterunstobig,peaty,smokymonstersthenyouneedtotryit.Frankly,Ifinditallabittoomuch,butIcan’tdenyit’saroller-coasterofadram.Actually,it’smoreofaweaponofmassdestruction–tomytastebudsatleast.Ineededagoodnight’ssleepbeforethepalatewasclearandtheworkoftastingcouldcontinue.

Forthatreason,bewarned–thistakesnoprisoners.It’san18-year-oldIslaysinglemalt(unspecified,butoneoftheextremeones)bottledbytheexcellentIanMacleodDistillerstotakeadvantageofthecurrentvogueforpeatywhisky.Ican’timaginewhatelsethey’dusethisfor:thetiniestdropinablendingvatandthetastewoulddominatethefinishedproduct.

Thereisalittlebrother,theregularSmokehead.Butifyoulikethiskindofthing,whybotherwiththemonkey,whenyoucanhavetheorgangrinder?IsawExtraBlackcomparedtotheamplifierthatgoesallthewayupto11inSpinalTap.Thisisjustasrockandrollasthat.Andaspointless,really,unless11iswhereyouwanttogo.

I’llleaveituptoyou.Youhavebeenwarned.Andit’snotparticularlycheapeither.Butthat’srockandrollforyou.Colour Curiously pale. I don’t think this has ever seen the inside of a sherry

cask.Nose Peat,smoke,moresmoke,morepeat.Salt.Thenpeat.Taste Explosionsof spice,pepper and,yes,peat smoke. Justhugewavesof

peat.Andsalt.Finish Excuseme,Ihavetoleavenowandgetaglassofwater.

InverHouseDistillersLtdSpeyburn,Rothes,BanffshireNoSpecialists

www.speyburn.com

Speyburn

Solera25YearsOld

Alittle-knownbuttraditionalandveryattractiveSpeysidedistillery,Speyburndeserveswiderfame.The10-year-oldstyleenjoyssomesuccessintheUSA,asmuchbecauseofaggressivepricingasanythingelse,butyouhardlyseeitintheUK,whichisagreatshame.Andnovisitorcentreeither,alsoashame.

AnotherclassicCharlesDoigdesign,thedistillerywasbuiltin1897attheendofthegreatVictorianwhiskyboom,andforyearswaspartoftheDCL.Theyfirstmothballeditinresponsetotheover-productionofthe1980s(theso-called‘whiskyloch’)butthankfullysoldittoAirdrie-basedInverHouseDistillersin1991.

Mostofthespiritgoesforblendingbutthedistilleryofferthespectacular25-year-oldSoleraexpressionwhichis,asthesayinggoes,‘todiefor’.Itisquiteremarkablygood.Infact,Idon’treallythinktheyknowhowgooditis,becauseyoucanfindabottleinUKspecialistsataround£70,whichisjustsilly.

Butdon’ttellthem–justsnapupabottleorthreeandenjoyarich,luscious,classicSpeysideratatasty46%abvwhich,withabetter-knownnameandsomesexydesignerpackaging,wouldhavewhiskyfansqueuingroundtheblocktogivethreefiguresforabottleofit.Infact,ifyoupouredthisintoabottleof—We’dbetternotexplorethatthoughtanyfurther!

Sufficeittosaythisisaverywell-keptsecret.Youcan’tvisitthedistillery(shame)andbottlesarehardtofindbutIpromiseyou’llbeimpressed.Getsomebeforeanyonetellstheowners.Colour Curiouslypalefortheage,butanattractivelightgold.Nose Softoakandvanilla.Honey,fruitcakeandsomelightsmoke.Taste Mouthcoating,richandwarm;butteredhoneysweetness,burntorange

anddelicateoaknotes.Finish Smooth,well-balancedandconsistent.Maybeahintofdarkorange,just

attheend.

J&AMitchell&Co.LtdSpringbank,Campbeltown,ArgyllandButeYesSpecialists

www.springbankwhisky.com

Springbank

10YearsOld

OnceuponatimethetownofCampbeltownwasoneofthemostimportantandrespecteddistillingcentresinScotland.But,overtheyearsandforavarietyofreasons,itdeclineduntilonlyonereallyactivedistillerywasleft–Springbank.

Itstruggledonduringthe1970sand1980sassomethingofananachronism,ahistoricalcuriosity,quirky,stubbornlyindependentandalmostwilfullyresistanttochange.In1987thelateMichaelJacksonrecordedthatits‘verytraditionalplanthasnotproducedforsomeyears’.

However,therewerealwaysafewdie-hardenthusiastsandkeepersofthetrueflameandtheownersresolutelysoldieredon,obliviousto‘progress’.Inthosedaysyoucouldbuyyourowncaskbut,sadly,theywon’tletyoudothatanymore.Asthesinglemaltboomgatheredpaceintheearly1990s,Springbankbegantoacquireacult,almostmythic,statusgreatlyenhancedbyitsremotelocation(evenbyScottishstandardsCampbeltownisawkwardtoreach)andthedistillery’shermit-likereluctancetoembracepublicity.

Theplantisstilltraditional–infact,walkingroundthedistilleryislikesteppingintoaVictoriandistillingtextbook–andSpringbankadherestoanunusual2?timesdistillationprocess(thereisaverygoodexplanationontheirwebsite,soI’mnotevengoingtotry).Thisandthefloormalting,lackofchillfiltrationorcolouringandlabour-intensiveproductionmeanthatSpringbankisarguablythemosttraditionalofScotchwhisky.

Inrecentyearsithasflourishedandtheownershaveevenbeensoboldastoopenanewdistillery,Kilkerran.AvarietyofstylesareproducedatSpringbankandtheyvarydramatically(seeentryforLongrow)butthisisthestandardandmostwidelyavailable.A‘musthave’whiskyifthereeverwasone.Colour Thishasbeenknowntovaryaccordingtothecaskstheyusefrompale

goldtoadarkershade.Don’tworry–it’sjustpartoftheidiosyncraticfun.

Nose Expectleather,somepeatsmokehints,spicesandasaltynote.

Taste More saltiness, nutmeg and cinnamon, orange peel and, bizarrely,vinegar.Butnice.

Finish Slightly perfumed with a sweet/salt tussle going on. Hints of smokelingerattheend.

TheEnglishWhiskyCo.StGeorge’sDistillery,Roudham,NorfolkYesSpecialists

www.englishwhisky.co.uk

StGeorge’s

I’mtakingasmallgamblehereandassumingthatbythetimethisgetsintobookshopstheinitialhypeandexcitementsurroundingEnglishwhiskywillhavewornoffandproductswillbeavailableonceagain.For,atthetimeofwriting,StGeorge’shavebeensoswampedbyordersthattheyhavesoldoutoftheirfirstwhiskyandhavesuspendedtheironlineshop.

ThedistillerywasfoundedbyJamesandAndrewNelstrop,Norfolkfarmers,andbegandistillinginNovember2006withthelegendarylainHenderson(fromIslay)incharge.Unlikesomeotherpeople’smorespeculativeprojects,theNelstropswereabletofinancethedevelopmentfromtheirownresourcesand,asaresult,progressonthedistillerywasrapid.

Theyhavetakentheadmirablestepofnotpre-sellingwhiskyuntiltheywereactuallyinproduction,asopposedtosomeotherwould-bedistillerypromoters.Indeed,AndrewNelstroptakesastronglineonthis,commentingthat:‘floggingcasksbeforeyou’vebuiltthedistilleryisacrime,’ashetoldthe2009WorldWhiskiesConference.I,forone,thinkhe’sright.Ifyou’retemptedto‘invest’insuchaschemegoandliedownforawhileuntilthemoodpasses!

Englishwhiskyisnotactuallynew.TherewerewhiskydistilleriesinEnglandinthe1800sbuttheyallclosedbytheturnofthecentury.Withexcellentqualitybarleyonhand,first-rateequipmentandaverypositiveattitudethereisnoreasonwhyStGeorge’scan’tflourishand,indeed,becomethefirstofmanyEnglishwhiskydistilleries.

ThereisanexcellentvisitorcentreatRoudham(somepeopleactuallyplantogetmarriedthere)andyoucantourthedistilleryandtastearangeofproducts,fromnewmakespiritto,bythetimeyoureadthis,four-year-oldwhisky.It’sdefinitelyaventuretosupport–innovative,hand-craftedandhighlyindividual,thisisthekindofthingthatbringsmuch-neededvariety,excitementandinteresttothewhiskyscene.

Initialimpressionsofthenewmakeandthefirstreleaseofathree-year-oldwhiskyinDecember2009wereverypositivesoitseemssafetosuggestyoucan

buywithconfidence.

DiageoTalisker,SkyeYesSpecialistsandpossiblysomebettersupermarkets

www.malts.com

Talisker

10YearsOld

AnotheroftheClassicMaltsrangefromDiageo,Taliskerhaslongbeenpraisedforitsbrazen,up-front,uncompromisingflavours.Likeanumberoftherecommendationshere,it’saveryforcefulproductindeed.

Personally,they’renotmyfavouritesbutit’shardtodenythatlotsofpeoplelikethemand,oncetheytrythisstyle,absolutelyfallinlovewithit–allthemoreso,inthiscase,ifyouvisitthedistillery(andyoushouldtryto).

OutofthevariousdifferentreleasesI’drecommendthe‘standard’10YearsOldasanintroductiontoTalisker,andthenyoucanmoveontothe18YearsOld(seenextentry).

Taliskerhaslonghaditsfans:in1880RobertLouisStevensonlisteditasoneofthethree‘kingo’drinks’andinhisseminalandhighlyinfluentialbookWhisky(1930)AeneasMacDonaldhadTaliskerwrestlingwithClynelishforinclusioninhislistofthetwelvemostdistinguishedofHighlandwhiskies.

Todaythedistilleryrunsalongquitetraditionallines.Itstilluseswoodenwormtubsand,uniquely,thelynearmsonthewashstillsaredesignedtotrapvapoursfromthefirstdistillationbeforetheyreachtheoutsidewormtubs,whileasmallsecondarycopperpipecarriesthetrappedvapoursbacktothewashstillsforaseconddistillation.Alsotraditionally,andcommendably,Taliskerisbottledathigherstrength(here45.8%abv)justtoaddtothefun.

Ifthedistillationsoundscomplicated,it’sbecauseitis,butallthishasahuge,ifnotfullyunderstood,influenceonflavour:theresulthastobeexperiencedtobecompletelyappreciated.Oncetastedneverforgotten.Colour Brightgold.Nose Assertivemarinecharacterwithwavesofsmoke.Taste Surprises with some sweetness, then fruits, smoke and seaweed take

over.Somecommentators recommend trying itwithseafood–oystersorgoodsmokedsalmonseemtowork.

Finish Lots to give here with the sweetness coming back and a distinctivesharppepperbite.

DiageoTalisker,SkyeYesSpecialistsandpossiblysomebettersupermarkets

www.malts.com

Talisker

18YearsOld

AsIhavesaid,Ipersonallyfindthisstyleofwhiskyratheroverwhelming.Greatforafterdinner,perhaps,ordrunkoutofdoors,butjusttoomuchlikehardworktodrinkonitsownorwhena‘quietdram’iscalledfor.Ihaveapersonaltheorythatthere’salargeelementoffashionatworkhere–butI’vebeatenthatdrumelsewhereand,tostretchthatmetaphor,there’snodoubtI’moutofstepandmarchingtoadifferenttune.

So,anotherTalisker,becauseIdon’tforamomentdenyitsgreatness.Movingupfromthe‘standard’10YearsOldweencounterthisbeastie.It’sbeenwidelypraisedbyenthusiastsandwaschosenas‘BestWhiskyintheWorld2007’intheWorldWhiskiesAwards.Idon’tholdwithsuchhyperbole(itwouldn’tbemypersonalbest,inanyevent)butitdoesindicatetheesteeminwhichthisdramisheld.

Mindyou,onawell-knownmerchant’ssiteIsawaconsumercontributeatastingnotewhichread‘tasteslikecombingyourhair’.Thismaywellbeafirst.Iamstillstrugglingtoworkoutwhatwasmeant.

DiageohasworkedhardwithTalisker,exploitingitsdistinctivetasteanditsuniquepositionasSkye’sonlydistillery(therearetentativeplansforafarmhousecompetitorbut,whilethat’sawonderfulidea,ifyouaskme,itwillneverhappen).Aswellasthe10-and18-year-oldstylessuggestedhere,thereareanumberofmoreexpensivespecialeditions,limitedreleasesandoccasionaldistilleryexclusivebottlings,whichmakethejourneyovertheseatoSkyeallthemorepleasurable.

And,ifyoureselloneBaytothecollectors,itcanbeprofitable.NotthatIwouldrecommendthatforamoment,youunderstand,notevenforaprince’sransom.ColourDeeperthanitsyoungerbrother.Nose Everythingyouwantedbutmore!Moresmoke!Morepeat!Morefruits!

Justmore!Taste Toffee, peat and wood, of course, but well balanced with the citrus

fruitinessandlingeringsweetnotes.Baconandorangemarmalade.Finish WavesofflavourgivewaytothetrademarkTaliskerpepperkick.

Availability

WilliamGrant&SonsDistillersLtdBalvenie,Dufftown,BanffshireYes–butbookinginadvanceisnecessarySpecialistsandpossiblysomebettersupermarkets

www.thebalvenie.com

TheBalvenie

PortWood21YearsOld

TheBalvenieisthelittlebrothertoGlenfiddichand,forsomeyears,hasbeenratherunfairlyovershadowedbyitsstablemate(almostliterally,asithappens,asthedistilleryliesjustbelowtheGlenfiddichsite).

Morerecently,however,GrantshaveunderstoodthequalityofferedbyTheBalvenieandpromoteditmoreactivelywithagrowingrangeofreleases.Thedistilleryischaracterisedbymaintainingafloormalting,oneofthelastinScotland,andmaybeacquittedofthechargeofkeepingthisonsolelyforitstouristvaluebythefactthat,untilevenmorerecently,itwasclosedtothepublic.

However,youcannowtakeanexcellenttourwhich,thoughsuperficiallyexpensive,infactoffersgreatinsightintoproductionatTheBalvenieandculminateswithanextensivetastingofolderwhiskies,makingitverygoodvalue.Numbersarelimitedsoitisessentialtobookinadvance.Concentratingonthewhisky,theusualclichédaudio-visualpresentationisabsent(whichonlyenhancesthepleasure).

Therearearangeofexpressionsandstylesbutmyfavouriteisthe21-year-oldPortWoodfinish.Someofthesefinishescanbeoverdoneandthewhiskyspoiledbyanunsubtleuseofthesecondwood,butthiswascreatedbythehandofamaster.Delicateportwineflavoursdanceroundtheinherentspiritqualityinamesmerisingandquitebeguilingfashion.

DavidStewart,Grants’MasterBlender,hasspentlongerthanheprobablycarestoadmitintheindustryandiswidelyrespectedbyhispeers.Forme,thisisastellarachievement,fullyjustifyinghishighreputation.ColourWarmhighlightsinrichgold.Nose Raisins andnuts; continues todevelopawell-rounded sweetnessover

time.Taste Silky and full bodied, the port casks seduce but never swamp the

underlyingspiritcharacter.Finish Lingers very nicely and continues to offer a well-mannered, nutty

memory.

Availability

WilliamGrant&SonsDistillersLtdBalvenie,Dufftown,BanffshireYes–butbookinginadvanceisnecessarySpecialistsandpossiblysomebettersupermarkets

www.thebalvenie.com

TheBalvenie

30YearsOld

Ifyoulikeolderwhisky,prefertheSpeysidestyleanddon’trequirelavishpackaging,thenthismightwellbeagoodchoice.

Thespiritherewouldhavebeendistilledinthelate1970sjustastheinfamous‘whiskyloch’wasfillingup.Forthoseofahistoricalturnofmind,thiswasaperiodofdisastrousover-productionatatimeoffallingsales,whichresultedindraconiandistilleryclosuresandtheensuinglossofsomefamousnames,suchasPortEllenandStMagdaleneinLinlithgow.ThisepisodeisregrettedtothisdayandhasleftenduringscarsontheScotchwhiskyindustry.

However,whilehardlyimmunefrombroadereconomicconditions,prudentlymanaged,privatelyownedcompaniesarenotasdrivenbytheshort-termdiktatsofthestockmarketastheirpubliclyquotedbrethren,nordotheyliveinconstantfearofbeingswallowedupbyalargerrival.Asaresult,theycanquietlycarryonlayingdownstock(solongastheycanpayforit)intheknowledgethatwhiskyhasalonghistoryofboomandbustandthat,eventually,thecarefullyhusbandedcaskswillacquirethestatusofliquidgold.

Thereiscurrentlyatrendforsomecompaniestoreleasebeautifullypackagedbutexpensivenon-agedwhiskies,arguingthatthebenefitsofageingareover-statedandthatqualityofblendingisall–youngerwhiskiesaddvibrancy,andallthat.Whilethereissometruthinthis,it’salsoafactthattheindustrycutproductionsodrasticallyintheearlytomid1980sthatmanyfirmssimplydon’thaveanyoldwhiskytosell–callmecynicalifyouwill,butthismaypartlyexplaintheiralmostmiraculousconversiontothe‘non-aged’camp!

Fortunately,thecautiousGrantfamilykeptsteadilyonandtodaywecanenjoythissplendidlymatureBalvenieatacracking47.3%abv.Expecttopaymorethan£300forabottlebutit’sworthit.Drinkto‘independence’asyousipadram.Colour Rich,darkgold.Nose Initiallypowdery,butdevelopsarichcomplexitywithhoneynotes.

Taste Driedfruits,orangepeel,vanillaandChristmascakespices.Finish Rollsontofinishwithagentleburstofhoney.

Whyte&MackayLtdDalmore,Alness,Ross-shireYesWidespreadinternationalavailability

www.thedalmore.com

TheDalmore

12YearsOld

IfindmyselfquiteconflictedaboutTheDalmoreanditssomewhatvulgarandostentatiousclaimtobethemostexpensivemaltwhiskyintheworld(abottleoftheir62YearsOldsoldoncefor£32,000).Theyhavequiteafewhigh-pricedandritzyexpressions,thoughhigh-pricedwhiskyain’tnecessarilygreatwhisky.However,thereareenoughbuyersouttherewhoconfusepricewithqualitytoensurethatthewhiskyindustrywillkeepproducingthese‘luxury’offerings.Afterall,theonlyreasonthatwenowhavewhiskiesat£10,000abottleisthattherearepeoplereadyandwillingtopay£10,000forabottle.But,let’sbeclear:thesearetrophies,notwhiskiesasmostofusunderstandtheterm.

Dalmorehassomehowmanagedtomuscleinonthisverytop-endmarket,previouslytheexclusivepreserveofbrandslikeTheMacallan,evenclaimingthatsomeoftheirproductshave‘aninvestmentvalue’.ThisseemstometobeplayingwithfireandwhenIseetheDalmorewebsiteusinglanguagesuchas‘alchemisticartistry’and‘dynamicdistillation’todescribetheirproductionprocessmyscepticismgrows.Thistypeofmarketingriskslosingtouchwithreality,letaloneaninformedaudiencewhoactuallycareaboutwhisky.

However,thoughthemarketingboysandgirlsatDalmoremayhavebeendrinkingtheirownbathwateryoudon’thaveto:therearestillsomedecentwhiskiesunderneathalltheirbreathlessincantationsandmumbo-jumbo.Putallthehypetoonesideandlooknofurtherthantheentry-levelofferingat12yearsold.A50/50blendofsherryandbourboncasks,thisisatextbookexampleofbalance,weightandcomplexitythatoffersgreatvalueformoney.

Youcouldalwayspouritintoacrystaldecanterforwhenthebosscomesround.ColourAlovelywarmgold.Nose Sweet,appetisingandcallingtoyou.Taste Well-balanced sherry and vanilla; dark oranges, spices and dark fruit

cake.Finish Gentlyfadeswithahintofnutsandcaramel.

ChivasBrothersLtdGlenlivet,Ballindalloch,BanffshireYesDifferentexpressionswidelyavailable

www.glenlivet.com

TheGlenlivet

21YearsOldArchive

Glenlivetmakemuchplayintheirmarketingoftheclaim‘thesinglemaltthatstarteditall’.Likemostmarketingclaims,there’ssometruthinthere,butperhapssomewhatembellished.Thisstatementreferstotheassertionthatthedistillery’sfounderGeorgeSmithwasthefirstlicenseddistillerunderanimportant1823ActofParliament.Well,sowhatexactly?Sincethenthedistilleryhasbeenexpandedbeyondrecognitionandproductionmethodshaveevolvedmorethanalittle.

Smith’sGlenlivetwasalwaysaby-wordforquality,though,andnotfornothingisthisparticularwhiskyallowedtostyleitself‘The’Glenlivet.SoIthinkhe’dprobablystillbeproudofthewhiskyproducedunderhisname,thoughwhathe’dmakeofitsFrenchownershipitmightbekindernottospeculate.

TheGlenlivetstyleischaracterisedbywhatisgenerallyidentifiedasa‘pineapple’noteandthathasbeenhighlyprizedbyblendersanddrinkersformorethanahundredyears.Withtheolderstyles,thatfruitnotecanstillbedetectedbutthewhiskyhasgreaterrichnessandsubtlety.Theimpactofextraageingandwoodqualitycanbeseenindeeperflavoursofchocolate,fruitcake,driedfruitsandthensomeengagingandcomplexspicenotes,which,forme,areahallmarkofolderGlenlivetsandarealstampofqualityanddrinkingsatisfaction.

IcouldeasilyhaveincludedmorethanoneGlenlivetinthislist,buttheyarewidelyavailable(especiallyintheUSA)andsoIwilldonomorethanremindyouthatthisisaverygreatwhisky,nottobedisregardedonaccountofitsrelativeubiquity,thusleavingspaceforequallyfinebutmoreobscuredrams.Colour Palecopper.Nose Panacotta,ripeplums,darkorangeandChristmascake.Taste Prunes, subtle coconut; rich and full-bodied with fruity tones. Add

waterslowly.Finish Long,rollingflavoursholdingtogetherwellforanextendedfinish.

TheEdringtonGroupGlenrothes,Rothes,SpeysideNoSpecialistsandpossiblysomebettersupermarkets

www.theglenrothes.com

TheGlenrothes

SelectReserve

Don’tmakethemistakeofconfusingthissplendidSpeysidesinglemaltwiththeratherdrabandutilitariannewtownofthesamenameinFife:thisisanythingbut!Infact,it’stuckedawayoffthemainstreetofRothesinSpeysideontheedgeoftheRothesburnbut,sincetheydon’thaveanypublicvisitorfacilities,thelocationisfairlyacademic.ThedistilleryisownedbyTheEdringtonGroupbutthebrandbelongstoBerryBros&Rudd,ofStJames’inLondon.

Foryears,thiswasastraightforwardproductionunitmakingawell-respectedwhiskythatwashighlydemandedforblending:CuttySarkandTheFamousGrouse,amongothers,relyonTheGlenrothes.Infact,despiteexpandingthedistillerytwice,demandwassogreatthattherewaslittleornostockleftforsaleasasinglemalt.However,in1987thefirsttentativestepsweretakenandsevenyearslaterBerryBros&Ruddhitontheideaofreleasingvintages(perhapsnotanundulyradicalstepforawinemerchant).

Sincethen,TheGlenrotheshasgoneontoconsiderablesuccessandsomeofthevintagebottlesfetchfancyprices.But,asastartingpoint,youcandoalotworsethantheSelectReserve,anon-vintagebottlingofTheGlenrotheswhichtypifiesthedistilleryhousecharacter–ripefruits,citrus,vanillaandhintsofspice–andisafinerepresentativeoftheclassicSpeysidestyle.It’snon-agedbutthepointhereisthedeliveryofconsistentcharacter.

TheGlenrothesistheantithesisoftheclassicIslaystyle,soifyouwantsmoky,peatywhiskythisisn’tforyou.However,foragentle,subtleandintriguingdramthatkeepsongiving,looknofurther.Greatwhiskyatagreatprice.Colour Palegold.Nose Lashings of vanilla and oak; plums and ripe mango; hints of spice.

Sweet.Taste Well-roundedon thepalate,withgreatbalanceandstyle.Dried fruits,

citrusnotesandslightlyfloral.Finish Acreamyfinishwithsubtlespicenotestowardtheend.

VisitorCentre

Availability

HighlandDistillersLtdMacallan,Craigellacchie,SpeysideYes–bookinginadvanceisnecessaryforthebettertoursSpecialistsandpossiblysomebettersupermarkets

www.themacallan.com

TheMacallan

SherryOak10YearsOld

TheMacallanwasanearlypioneerinsinglemalt,earningitselfthesobriquet‘theRolls-Royceofsinglemalts’,onwhichdescriptionithasbeendiningouteversince.Andnotwithoutgoodreasonfor,ifyoulikethisstyle,itisvery,verygood.

Butholdon,youcry–whatstyleisthat?Yourconfusionisunderstandable.Foryears,TheMacallanmadegreatplayoftheirexclusiveuseofsherrybarrelsforageingtheirwhisky,theninNovember2004theylaunchedtheirFineOakrange,whichdidn’t.Initially,puristswereoutragedbutTheMacallanhashadthelastlaughastheirsaleshavebeenhighlyimpressiveeversince–infact,thisisconsistentlyoneofthefastest-growingsinglemaltsthereis,sopresumablythey’redoingsomethingright.Recently,becausetheyweredoingsowell,theyreopenedamothballedstillhousewithsomeratherattractivedisplaysforyoutostudy.

This,then,isthe‘standard’expression(atleastintheUK;internationallythe12YearsOldisthenorm)andabenchmarkforthesherry-agedstyle.TheMacallangotogreatpainstoselectandcontrolthewoodfortheirbarrelsanditshows:thisisrich,darkandfull-bodiedbutneveroppressive.

It’sworthmakingthetriptothedistillerytoseetheimpressiveexhibitiononwood,whichdetailstheforestry,cooperageandwarehousingpracticethatgoesintoTheMacallan.Todaythereareabewilderingnumberofexpressionsandanynumberoflimitedreleases(some,Isuspect,justforthecollector)butthisistheflagshipandagreatplacetostartexploringthisgrandoldmaltthathasdonesomuchtobuildunderstandingandappreciationoffinewhisky.ColourDeep,naturalcolourfromsherrycaskageing.Nose Immediatesweetness,maltandtoffee.Taste Full bodied but graceful and well-balanced; this is a classic sherry

finish.Finish Thesweetnesscomesthroughwithcitrusnotes,hintsofsmokeandoak.

VisitorCentre

Availability

HighlandDistillersLtdMacallan,Craigellacchie,SpeysideYes–bookinginadvanceisnecessaryforthebettertoursSpecialistsandpossiblysomebettersupermarkets

www.themacallan.com

TheMacallan

SherryOak18YearsOld

Asaquickglancearoundtheshelvesofanydecentspecialistretailerwillconfirm,therearequiteafewdifferentMacallansanditcangetconfusing.ThefirstthingtogetcleariswhetheryoupreferthetraditionalsherrystyleorthenewerFineOak–bothareverygoodbutverydifferent.Onceyougetthissortedoutyoucanbecomethesortofwhiskyborewhosendspeopletosleepatparties.

ThisisintheoriginalMacallanstyle–withlashingsofsherryonthenoseandpalateduetothehugeimpactofthesherrycasks.YoucanreadallaboutthisontheMacallanwebsiteorevenmakeapilgrimagetothedistillerywheretheyhaveanexhibitiononthesubject.AfewyearsagoitwouldhavebeenfairtosaythatthequalityoftheseolderMacallanswasvariable(Irememberwithashuddersamplingaparticularlyrubbery25yearold)–underthepreviousownerstherewasn’tquitethecareandattentionlavishedonwoodselectionasthereistoday.

Now,virtuallyallMacallanexpressionsareeagerlyconsumedbytheirworldwidelegionoffans.ThemarketingincreasinglytriestopositionMacallanasaluxuryicon’,whateverthatmaybe,butformethisisjustaveryfinewhiskyfordrinkingwithlike-mindedfriendsafterabigdinner.Ifthey’renotfriendstostartwith,theyshouldbeafteryou’veservedthis.

However,readon–therearemoreMacallanstotryandtobuy,thoughwe’regoingtosteerclearofthesuper-premium‘editions’andthemorelavishlypackagedone-offspecials.They’relargelyforcollectorsandPremierLeaguefootballers.We’renearlyattheendbutdon’tforget–thisisabookforwhiskylovers.ColourDramaticdarkmahogany–richanddeep.Nose Approachwithcare–thisisveryfull-onwithdramaticnotesofwood

andleather.Taste Powerfulsherryimpact,winenotes,somesmoke,chewyvanillafudge

withspicylayersofferingupOldeEnglishmarmaladeanddriedfruits.

Finish Veryroundandconsistent.Somesmokehintsandclassiccakenotes.

VisitorCentre

AvailabilityPrice

HighlandDistillersLtdMacallan,Craigellacchie,SpeysideYes–bookinginadvanceisnecessaryforthebettertoursSpecialists

www.themacallan.com

TheMacallan

FineOak30YearsOld

Thisisasfaraswe’regoingwithTheMacallananditistheonerepresentativefromtheFineOakrangethatI’vepicked.Itmightbemoreeconomicallyprudenttostartwithits10YearsOldlittlebrother(it’sabout1/10ofthepriceforonething),orthestunning15YearsOld,butyouwon’tregretsplashingoutonabottleofthisbeauty.

Foronething,itwearsitsageverylightlyandisalmosteffervescentonthepalate,allthemoresowithasplashofwater.Thatmayseemstrange(itis,infact,strangesoItriedasecondsampleonanotherdaywiththesameresult)butIratherlikeit.WhatitshowsveryclearlyisthebasicintegrityandunderlyingqualityofTheMacallanspiritwithouttheusualsherryeffect.

There’salotofbodyherewithcomplextoffeeandvanillaandlayersofwoodandspice.Itdoesdemandsomeconcentrationandeffortonyourpart,buttheeffortwillberewardedwithamemorabletourthroughaveritableforestofoak.Butitneverdominatesoroverwhelmsandthatisthiswhisky’sgreatcharm.Thedistillersdescribedthisashaving‘arich,exotic,headyandaromaticnose–reminiscentofanorangegrove’but,whilethereissomesweetnessthere,Iassociatethecitricnotemorewiththe21YearsOldortheconsiderablymoreexpensive1824.

Whatever.Justbecarefulwhenyougetthisoutandwhoyouofferitto.It’salltooeasytodrinkandforgetthepricetag(it’llsetyoubackjustover£300intheUK).

Ican’trecommendtoomanywhiskiesatthislevelbutthisisveryhardtoresist.ColourMarkedlypalerthanitscounterparts;anattractiveyellowgold.Nose Toffee,vanilla,oakandsomesmokehints.Taste Exceptionally complex, rich and mouth coating; black cherry. Lively

withwater.Finish Quitecreamy,softandlingering.Layeredandsophisticated.

TheWineSocietyn/a–thisisablendn/aTheWineSociety–Members’Listandwebsite

www.thewinesociety.com

TheWineSociety

SpecialHighlandBlend

Payattention–thisisaserious,under-ratedandlittle-knownbargain.FirstyouhavetojoinTheWineSociety.Onceuponatimethiswasasortofupper-classriteofpassage,likeputtingyourchildrendownforEton,gettingelectedtotheMCCororderingyour12-borefromPurdeys.Nolonger–they’vedemocratisedtheSocietyandyoucanjoinonline(thoughtheirlabelstilllooksprettygoodinanunderstatedsortofawayatsmartdinnerparties).

Obviously,theymainlysellwine(andgreatvalueitis)buthiddenawayontheirlististhislittlebeauty.TheSocietyhashadtheirownblendforyears,layingdownnewfillingsintheirownsherrycasksandwaitingaremarkable14yearsuntilit’sready.Untilrecently,Edrington’sJohnRamsaywasinchargeoftheblendand,prudently,considerablestockshavebeenlaiddownfollowinghisrecentretirementsothequalityisassuredforsomeyearsahead.Onlyaprivatemembers’organisationcoulddothis.

Theblendisaround40%singlemalt,withthedelicious,meaty,full-bodiedSpeysiderMortlachatitsheart.ThoughthisisnotanEdringtondistilleryithas,infact,featuredinTheSociety’sSpecialHighlandBlendformanyyears.ThefastidiousSocietyinsistthatnocaramelisusedtocolourthewhiskybut,despitetheHighlandname,IdetectsomeIslaycontentintheblend–orperhapsthemightyTaliskerfindsitswayinthere.Afterall,thelabelfeaturesahandsomeillustrationofDunveganCastleonSkye,inhonouroftheSociety’sfirstChairman,thesplendidlynamedTheMacleodofMacleod.

Whatevertheexactblendrecipe,you’llgoalongwaybeforeyoubeatthisdiscreetlychic,understatedandmellowdram.Excellentvalue,andtheirotherprivatelabelwhiskiesarealsowellworthexploring.ColourMidgold.Nose Sherryimpactevidentandsuggestionsofage.Somesmokebehind.Taste Very full bodied; a robust and ‘solid’whisky,meaty and oily even at

40%abv.

Finish Alingeringsweetnessremainsandplayswithfaintsmoketraces.

CompassBoxWhiskyCompanyn/a–thisisablendinghousen/aSpecialists

TheSpiceTree

Thisisasomewhatcontroversialwhisky.ThefirstreleaseofTheSpiceTreeinsertedbrandnewoakstavesinthecasksusedtomaturethewhisky.Forreasonstooarcaneandlengthytogointohere,thisattractedthewrathoftheScotchWhiskyAssociation(SWA)whothreatenedCompassBoxwithlegalactioniftheydidn’tstop.TheensuingpublicitymeantthatthewhiskysoldoutinrecordtimebutCompassBoxfelttheycouldn’triskanyfurtherbatchesmadeinthisway.

However,theywerenotdeterredandspentthenextthreeyearstryingtofindamaturationmethodthatwaswithintherulesbutgavethesameeffect.Thisistheresult.Insteadofinsertingstavesintothecask,thecaskendsthemselveshavebeenheavilytoastedandthewhiskymaturedforafurthertwoyears.(ThereisadetailedandveryclearexplanationofthisontheCompassBoxwebsite.)It’snotimmediatelyevidentwhattheSWAobjectedtoexactly,otherthanmaintainingthattheprocesswasnot‘traditional’.Thisopensupawiderdebate,withanumberofcommentators(includingme)suggestingthattheSWAhasasomewhatelasticdefinitionoftraditionandthat,asaresult,itseemsthatmuchneededinnovationrisksbeingstifled.ProducersasdiverseasLochLomond,BruichladdichandCompassBoxhavealltakenissuewiththeSWA’sinterpretationoftheScotchWhiskyregulations,sofartoabsolutelynoavail.

However,thiswhiskyseemstobeacceptabletothegrandpanjandrumsandwecanallenjoyitwithaclearconscience.It’sblendedmalt,primarilyfromClynelish,andbottledat46%,hasanaturalcolourandisnon-chillfiltered.ByCompassBox’sstandardsit’snotparticularlyexpensiveand,asthisisasippingwhiskythatyou’lllingerover,abottlemaywelllastlongerthanyouthink.ColourAmber.Nose Quitefloralandthenspicy.Raisins,nutsandasuggestionofrosewater.Taste Brown bread, dark orange marmalade and brown sugar. Pronounced

spice and wood notes; a bold and assertive whisky for sipping.Marzipan.

Finish Complex and layered, this slips away slowlywith the spice and full-

bodiedsweetvanillahangingonforsomethingofacrescendo!

CooleyDistilleryPLCCooley,Riverstown,Dundalk,IrelandYes–toursbyappointmentonlySpecialists

www.tyrconnellwhiskey.com

TheTyrconnell

TheresolutelyindependentCooleyDistillerywasrewardedforitspioneeringeffortswiththeawardofWorldDistilleroftheYearin2008andastaggeringtengoldmedalsfromtheInternationalWine&SpiritsCompetition(IWSC)in2009(followingninethepreviousyear).

Allthemoresurprisingthentolearnthatthedistilleryis,infact,aconvertedpotatoalcoholplantboughtin1987bytheenterprisingJohnTeelingandbackedbysome300shareholders.Twoyearsofhardworkfollowed,afterwhichCooleyDistillerywereabletofilltheirfirstcaskin1989.

However,TheTyrconnellhasamuchlongerhistoryandwasonceoneofIreland’sbest-knownwhiskeys.Thecompanyclaimthat,beforeProhibition,itwasamongthebest-sellingIrishwhiskeyintheUSA,pointingtoadvertisinghoardingsintheYankeestadiuminNewYorkasevidence.Thename,improbablyenough,comesfromthe100-1winneroftheIrishClassichorseraceTheNationalProduceStakeswhichin1876waswonbyTheTyrconnellracehorse,ownedbytheWattsfamilyofdistillers.Delightedwiththissuccessacommemorativewhiskeywaslaunched,whichcharmingstoryexplainsthesplendidlabelwithitsdelightfulperiodfeel,evenifthe1762dateonthepackagingisalittlehardertojustify.

ThewhiskeyitselfhasbeenamainstayforCooleyandtodaytherangehasbeenexpandedtoencompassextra-agedversions,variousfinishesandsomesingle-caskofferings,thebestofwhicharetrulysuperb.Butthesearegenerallyonlyinlimiteddistributionandthushardtofind.Whatismoreaccessibleisthestandardnon-agedSingleMalt.I’mtemptedtobeawhiskyknow-allandsuggestthatthiswouldbebetterbumpedupto46%abvandnon-chillfiltered,butthisisafinerepresentativeofthebestofIrishdistillingandagreatadvertisementforindependentownership.Colour Pale–bourbonmaturationatworkhere.Nose Citrusandspice.Cleanandappealing.Taste Somehoney,agreeablyoilyin thebody,citrus tangappealsandspice.

Mediumbody.

Finish Evolvesagreeablywiththeprincipalcharacteristicsshowingwell.

BurnStewartDistillersLtdTobermory,MullYes–toursbyappointmentSpecialists

www.tobermorymalt.com

Tobermory

15YearsOld

ThereissomethingundeniablyromanticabouttheideaofTobermorydistillery.Foronething,it’sonanisland.And,foranother,it’ssmallandhasbattledforsurvivalagainstalltheodds–thedistillerywasfoundedin1798(Barnardsays1823)butwas‘silent’forlongperiodsinthemid1800sand1930s,twicerevivedduringthe1970s,thenunderthreatofpropertydevelopmentuntilitcameintotheownershipofBurnStewartin1993.Soitwouldbeniceifitcouldsucceed.

Butthekindestthingthatonecouldsayaboutmuchofthewhisky,marketedalternatelyasTobermoryandLedaig,isthatthequalitywasvariable.Frankly,toadaptthewordsofthepoem,whenitwasgooditwasjustaboutOK,butwhenitwasbaditwashorrid.Ihavehadsomeshockersfromthisdistillery.However,atlast,there’ssomegoodnews.

Thewhiskycomingthroughnowhasbeendistilledbydeeplycommittedlong-termownersandundertheguidanceofthetraditionallymindedIanMcMillan,BurnStewart’sMasterBlenderandsomethingofazealot,thequalityofTobermoryismuchimproved.

Nowhereisthisseenmoreclearlythaninthis15-year-oldexpression(it’snocoincidencethatthedistillerychangedhands16yearsago),whichisverymuchlan’screation.ThecasksarestoredmainlyatBunnahabhainwhereeachyearheselectsaparcelofthebest.Thesearere-rackedinGonzalezByasssherrybuttsandsentbacktoMullforayear’sfurthermaturation(thereisverylimitedwarehousingthere)beforeitisbottled,non-chillfilterednaturally,at46.3%abvforloadsofcreamymouthfeel.

McMillan’smarketingcolleagueshavealsoraisedtheirgame,withanicebottle,handsomeboxandaninterestingwebsite.So,thereyouare–agoodnewsstory.Nowtrysome!Colour Richdeepgold.Nose Plentyofsherryimpact,darkorangemarmaladeandsomesuggestionof

smoke.

Taste Amedium body. Fruit cake, chocolate, vanilla toffees, light oak andsomespicenotes.

Finish Nuts,spiceandsalt.

VisitorCentre

AvailabilityPrice

TheSazeracCompanyforJPVanWinkle&SonBuffaloTrace,FranklinCounty,KentuckyYes–butbearinmindthisis theBuffaloTracedistilleryandtoursaredesignedwiththatinmindYou’llhavetoseekitout

www.oldripvanwinkle.com

VanWinkle

FamilyReserveRye

Rye?Why?Youmightbegivingthisentrysomewrylooks.YoumighteventhinkthatVanWinkleisadaftnamemadeupbysomemarketingagency.

Wrong,wrong,wrong.Ryeiswhiskey’ssecret–thestylethatrefusedtodie.AstheInternationalHeraldTribuneputit:‘Ryewhiskeyistheworld’sgreatforgottenspirit,distinctive,complexanddelicious.Itoffersatactilepleasureunlikeanyotherwhiskeyintheworld.’

AndtheVanWinklecompanycantracethemselvesbacktothelate1800s(whichmakesthemAmericanwhiskeyaristocracy)whenJulianP.‘Pappy’VanWinkle,Sr.wasatravellingsalesmanfortheW.L.WellerandSonswholesalehouseinLouisville,haulinghissamplesroundthestatebyhorseandbuggy.

Afteracomplicatedhistory(lookitupifyou’reinterested,there’snospacehere)thecompanycontinuesinthehandsofJulianVanWinkleIIIandhisson,disappointinglynamedPreston.Likesomanyothergoodthings,theirwhiskies,mainlysoft,smooth,wheatedbourbons,aremadeattheBuffaloTraceDistillerynearLouisville.

Butthis13-year-oldryewhiskeystandsout.Ryeisn’tnormallyagedthatlongandtheresultisadelightfullycomplexandrewardingspiritthathasseducedmanyexperiencedtasters.PaulPacultgaveit5starsandscoresdon’tgohigherthanthat.GrababottleandtasteAmerica’soriginalwhiskey.

RyeisprobablywhatGeorgeWashingtonmade.It’scertainlywhattheWhiskeyRebellionof1794wasabout–and,ifwhiskeywasworthfightingover,youcancertainlygotothetroubleoftrackingdownabottle.Colour Richandwarming,withcopperhintsandhighlights.Nose Caramelandspice.Herbalnoseofsnuff.Taste Initially sweet,with toffeeand leather.Rancio.Developsdrying spice

andpeppernotes.

Finish Driedfruitsemphasisethecomplexityasthisrichandpowerfulwhiskeyfadesdelightfullyaway.

Austin,NicholsDistillingCo.(CampariGroup)WildTurkey,Lawrenceburg,KentuckyYesSpecialists

www.wildturkeybourbon.com

WildTurkey

RareBreed

ThereareanumberofWildTurkeyvariants–astandardversionat8yearsold;anumberofagedversions;arye;Russell’sReserve,namedafterlegendaryMasterDistillerJimmyRussell;andevenaHoneyLiqueur(withitsownrathertacky‘AmericanHoney’calendar,fromacreativeteamthatapparentlyeatsregularlyinHootersandnodoubtbelievesthistheepitomeofupscalefinedining).Allaregood(withthepossibleexceptionofthecalendar)butIsuggestyouseekoutsomeWildTurkeyRareBreed.It’sasmallbatchKentuckyStraightBourbonWhiskey,blendedfrombarrelsatbetween6and12yearsofageandbottledatbarrelstrength(54.1%abv).

Thedistilleryhasbeenthroughseveralhands:mostrecentlyitwassoldbyPernodRicardtoraisecashtopayfortheirAbsolutvodkapurchase.ItnowbelongstotheItalianCampariGroup(theyalsoownGlenGrantinScotland).Atthetimeofwritingtheirplansforthebrandareunclearbutitwouldseemunlikelythattheywillintroducefundamentalchangetoawell-lovedbourbonicon,referencestowhichappearregularlyinpopularculture.Toursareavailableatthedistillery.

Thishigherstrengthspiritcantaketheadditionofsomewatertoopenupthemoredelicatearomas,butgocarefully.Itdoesnotrequiresignificantdilutionandmaybebestenjoyedasasippingwhiskey,forthoselongeveningsofcontemplation–unless,ofcourse,raucousrevelryismoretoyourtaste.Ifyoudotakeamomenttocontemplate,readthesmallbookletthatcomeswiththebottleandconsiderjoiningtheRareBreedSociety.

It’samarketingtooltohelpgatheryourcontactinformationbut,forabriefmoment,it’sfuntopretendthatyouareamemberofaprivilegedelite‘whoshareJimmyRussell’sdeepinterestinbourbonmakingandtasting’.Yeehah!ColourWarmredtoamber.Nose Highstrengthevidentinitially,thenberriesandvanillaandtoffee.Taste Caramel,corn,liquorice,somecitrusnotesandfreshredapples.

Finish Highlycomplexandlayered,withafinalkick.

Brown-FormanCorporationWoodfordReserve,Versailles,KentuckyYesGoodinspecialistsandsomesupermarkets

www.woodreserve.com

WoodfordReserve

Don’tmakethemistakeofaskingdirectionstoVersaillesinaEuropeanaccent(asIoncedid).Allyougetfromthelocalsareblanklooks–it’s‘Versales’!Butwhenyougettheresomethingsatleastwillseemfamiliar–especiallythestillroom.

Andthat’sbecausethedistinctivepotstillsinwhichWoodfordReserveisdistilledweremanufacturedinRothes,Scotland,andshippedtoKentuckywhereadistillerfromScotlandtaughtthelocalshowtousethem.

Singlebatchbourbonwas,inessence,theUS’sanswertothephenomenonofsinglemaltScotchandanattempttomakebourbon,whichhadacquiredablue-collarimage,chiconceagain.Well,it’sworkedandWoodfordReservewasoneofthefirsttoshowthatitcouldbedone.

Theparentcompany,Brown-FormanCorporation(whoalsoownJackDaniel’s),investedaround$14minrestoringtheoldLabrot&Grahamdistillerywhichtheyhadownedfor30yearsfrom1941.Theysolditin1971,boughtitbackin1994,turneditintoashowpiece,andrebrandeditasWoodfordReserve.

AtfirsttheproductcloselyresembledanotherB-Fbrand,OldForester,buttodayit’savattingofsomecolumnstillwhiskeywiththeoutputoftheL&Gpotstills,madeinsmallbatches.

Thedistillery,whichisonanunusualboutiquescalefortheUSA,hasafinevisitorcentre.Greatstressislaidonthelimestonespringwater,cypressfermentationvessels,smallpotstillsandstonewarehouses.TheresultisaKentuckyclassic,withmanyfans.ColourDarkhoney.Nose Vanillasweetness,honey,freshfruitsandhintsofchocolate.Taste Rich and warming, with layers of mint, tobacco, leather and fruit.

Smoothandfullbodied.WillseemsweettotheEuropeanpalate.

Finish Smoothandwarming;veryconsistentandbalanced.

VisitorCentre

Availability

SuntoryYamazaki,nearOsaka,HonshuIsland,JapanYes–ratedasoneofthebestintheworldanditalsohasanexcellentwhiskymuseumGoodinspecialists,somesupermarketscarryyoungerages

www.theyamazaki.jp

Yamazaki

12YearsOld

LookoutScotland!Wakeup!

ThereusedtobeanarroganceinScotlandaboutJapanesewhisky,bestsummedupinaScotchWhiskyAssociationpublicationof1951:‘TheJapscametothiscountryyearsago,copiedourplantandevenemployedsomeofourSpeysidepersonnel.TheyproducedanimitationofSpeysideWhiskywhichwasnotgoodalthoughdrinkable.’

Suchpatronisingattitudesdiehardandmaybeobservedtothisday.TothosewhoholdthemIsay,‘LookattheBritishcarindustry–thenbeafraid,beveryafraid.’

ThefactisthatthebestJapanesewhiskyisvery,verygoodandvery,veryJapanese.Yes,theirrestlesslyinnovative,quality-obsessedproducerscopiedthebestofScottishpractice,butthentheyadaptedandimproveditforJapaneseconditions.Asaresult,Japanesewhiskyiscollectingprizes,winningmedalsandgrowingfast.Inthefouryearsto2007,Yamazaki’sEuropeansalesgrew23times.Fromasmallbase,admittedly,butitcan’tbeignored.Infact,whiskieslikethisshouldbecelebrated.

TheoriginalJapanesemaltdistillery,Yamazakiwasfoundedin1923atthesiteofafamouswatersourcewherethreeriversconverge.Thedistilleryisoftenshroudedinmistandthewarehousessitshelteredbyabambooforest.Japanesedistillersdon’tswap‘fillings’fortheirblendswithrivalssothestillsatYamazakiarealldifferentinsizeandshape,permittingabewilderingrangeofstylestobeproduced.

Tryanyyoucanfind.ThereareotherJapanesewhiskieslistedherebutthisoneisafavouriteandagreat,good-valueintroductiontoawholeotherworldofwhisky.ColourGold.Nose Vanilla,clovesandpanettone.

Taste Medium bodied. Sweet, then spicy. Honey and lemon. Dried fruits.Wood.

Finish Dryandspicy.

VisitorCentre

Availability

SuntoryYamazaki,nearOsaka,HonshuIsland,JapanYes–ratedasoneofthebestintheworldanditalsohasanexcellentwhiskymuseumGoodinspecialists,somesupermarketscarryyoungerages

www.theyamazaki.jp

Yamazaki

18YearsOld

In1923,ShinjiroTorii,thefounderofSuntoryandapioneerofJapanesewhisky,builtJapan’sfirstmaltwhiskydistilleryintheValeofYamazaki.Usingcopperpotstills,theYamazakidistillerywasthefirstofitskindoutsideofScotland.Thedistillery’slocationontheoutskirtsofJapan’sancientcapitalofKyotoofferedpurewaters,diversityofclimateandhighhumidity–theidealenvironmentforthematurationofgoodwhisky.

Today,Suntory’sYamazakiisthemostpopularsinglemaltwhiskyinJapanandisenjoyedbywhiskyconnoisseursinmorethan25countries.ThevisitorcentreatYamazakiisalsoverypopularattractingaround100,000visitorsannuallyforthefree,90-minuteguidedtour.

ThisolderversionofYamazakiisrelativelyeasytofindintheUK.However,ifyoufindthatyoulikeit,therearealsoanumberoflimitedreleasesandspecialfinishes–though,thesearegenerallymoreexpensiveand/orhardertofind.Theextraagehaschangedthiswhiskyquitemarkedly,addingdepthanddistinctiontotheflavour.Wherethe12-year-oldispleasantlylight,thishasextrabodyandadditionalcomplexity,withoutinanywayfeelingoveraged.Byanystandard,it’sanimpressiveandenjoyablewhisky.

IntheUKSuntoryownMorrisonBowmoreandthereforehaveachievedquitewidespreaddistributioninlargersupermarkets,specialistsandwhiskybars.Theyhavebeenactiveinenteringcompetitivetastingsandthis18YearsOldexpressionhaswonmajorawardsfromtheInternationalWine&SpiritsCompetition,SanFranciscoWorldSpiritsCompetitionandtheBeverageTastingInstitute.Colour Coppergold.Nose Black cherry seems to be a Yamazaki signature, also some oakiness,

sherry,andtheageisevident.Taste Fullerthanthe12Years.Toffee.Earthy,dusty,rooty–it’swood,Jock,

butnotasweknowit.Driedfruits,mossandbark(butnobite).Finish Quite satisfyingly long and consistent. Some commentators get

pomegranate.Idon’t.

NikkaYoichi,Hokkaido,JapanYesSpecialists

www.nikka.com

Yoichi

10YearsOld

Thisisoneofthereallygreatwhiskystories–afittingendtothisexplorationof101whiskiestotrybeforeyoudie.

ThecompanythattodayweknowasNikkawasfoundedinJuly1934whenMasatakaTaketsuruboughtalargeparcelofreclaimedlandbytheYoichiRiver,asiteherecognisedasbeingidealforproducingwhiskyinaScottishstyle.ThishadbeenhisdreamsincestudyingdistillinginScotlandfrom1918–20(duringwhichtimehealsomarriedScotsgirlRitaCowan).HereturnedtoJapanin1920andhelpedestablishtheYamazakidistillery.

Buthewantedtobuild,ownandoperatehisown‘Scottish’distilleryinJapanand,assuch,heiswidelyhonouredasthe‘father’ofJapanesewhisky.TodayYoichiisownedbyAsahiBreweriesbutcontinuestooperateinahighlytraditionalmanner,withdirect-firingofthespiritstillsandwormtubsforcondensingthespirit.AselsewhereinJapan,thedistillerycanadaptquicklytodifferingstylesofwhisky,asaresultofwhichnospiritfromoutsidethecompanyisrequiredforblending.

TaketsurumanagedthecompanythroughWorldWar2,itsmergerwithAsahiandthedevelopmentofthecompany’sSendaidistilleryin1969.Heeventuallydiedin1979,aged85.In1989NikkaacquiredtheBenNevisdistilleryinFortWilliam,Scotland,andrestartedproductionthere,thuscompletingakindofacircleinthisremarkableman’scontributiontothehistoryanddevelopmentofwhiskyinbothJapanandScotland.

ThereareseveralexpressionsavailablebutthemostaccessibleintheUKisthis10-year-oldstyle.Various‘Nikka’brandedmaltsarealsoseen,someofwhichcontainwhiskyfromYoichi(e.g.NikkaBlackandNikkaTaketsurupuremalts).Drinkanyoftheseandraiseyourglasstoatruevisionaryandpioneer,whoreallytriedbeforehedied.ColourDeepbronze.Nose Boldanddirect,withpeatevident.Lightcitrusnotes.

Taste Minty chocolate and orange oil.Creamymouth feel and delicate peatsmoke.

Finish Sweetness,peatandsomeantisepticnotesinalternatewaves.

Howtotastewhiskyandusethisbook

Tastingwhisky–anywhisky–isstraightforward.Followthesesimplerulestogetthemostfromyourdram.

Usetherightglass.Atumblerishopeless.WhatyouneedistheGlencairnCrystalwhiskyglass(buyonlinefromwww.glencairn.co.uk).Ifyoucan’tfindthose,getasherrycopitaorbrandysniftertoconcentratevolatilearomasandhelpyou‘nose’thewhisky.

Fixthearomaandtastewithassociations–thesmellofnew-mowngrass,forexample,avanilla-flavouredtoffeeortherichtasteoffruitcake.

Addalittlewater.Itopensupthespiritandpreventsyourtastebudsfrombecomingnumbedbyalcohol.

Rollthewhiskyrightroundyourmouthand‘chew’it.Givetheflavourstimetodevelop:thewhiskyhasbeenageingforyears–giveitasleastasmanysecondsandtherewardswillbehuge.

Finally,thinkaboutthe‘finish’,orthelingeringtastethatremains.Howconsistentisit?Whatnewflavoursemerge?

Relax,keeppractisingandyou’llverysoondiscoverwhisky’suniquerichness.

Imagineyouwereabouttomakeatriptoaforeignland.Usethisbookasasortoftraveller’sguidetothenewcountry:itpointsyoutosomesightsthatyoudidn’tknowwerethereormightotherwisehaveignoredonyourjourney.Idon’tclaimtohavealltheanswers;Idon’tknowwhatwhiskyyoulikeandthere’snoreasonatalltoassumethatyou’lllikethesamewhiskiesasme.That’swhytherearenoscoreshere.Butyoucanbeassuredthateverywhiskyhereishereforareasonandthattheyaregood,oftengreat,whiskiesoftheirkind.

Sotrythematleastonce.Beforeyoudie.

Acknowledgements

Mywife,Lindsay,hasbeenenormouslypatientandputupwithmygrumpymoodsandmentalabsenceswhilewritingthisbook.Presumablyshe’susedtoitbynow.Worryingly,sheclaimsthatshedidn’tnoticeanydifference.Eitherway,thebiggestthanksgotoher.

Myagent,JudyMoir,believedinthebookfromthestartandwaspositive,helpfulandencouraging.Herhusband,Neville,helpedaswell:heknowswhathedid!ThankstobothofthemandtoBobMcDevittatHachetteforhisenthusiasmandsupport.JoRoberts-Millerdidagreatjobeditingthebookindouble-quicktime.

Iruthlesslyexploitedmostofmycontactsinthewonderfulworldofwhiskybyaskingthemtonominatetheirthree‘DesertIslandDrams’,withoutrevealingthepurposeoftheenquiry.Thisgroupincludesdistillers,blenders,whiskywriters,retailers,companydirectorsandvisitorcentreguides–anyone,infact,whoseemstometotalksenseaboutwhiskyandwasableandwillingtooffersomeinsights.Therealreason,ofcourse,wastoensurethatIdidn’tmissanythingout.Theircumulativewisdomdrewmyattentiontomanygems.

Inalphabeticalordermy‘oracles’were:

RussellAnderson,RaymondArmstrong,HelenArthur,DaveBroom,JonathanBrown,ChrisBunting,FrankColeman,YvesCosentino,RonnieCox,JasonCraig,KatherineCrisp,JimCryle,KathleenDiBenedetto,DrClemensDillmann,DuncanElphick,KevinErskine,JamesEspey,GrahamEunson,MichaelFraser-Milne,JohnGlaser,PeterGordon,LawrenceGraham,AlanGray,KenGrier,TeimeiHoriuchi,ProfessorPaulHughes,DavidHume,BarrieJackson,RichardJoynson,NaofumiKamiguchi,MikeKeiller,IainKennedy,DavidKing,JohnLamond,BillLark,JimLong,MhairiMacDonald,NeilMacDonald,IanMacIlwain,CharlieMacLean,IanMacMillan,NialMackinlay,AnabelMeikle,MarcinMiller,TatsuyaMinagawa,PhilipMorrice,PeterMuller,PeterMulryan,DavidNathan-Maister,StuartNickerson,AlexNicol,MartineNouet,BeckyOffringa,HansOffringa,BillOwens,RichardPaterson,BrettPontoni,VijayRekhi,KenRobertson,IngvarRonde,DominicRoskrow,FranzScheurer,ColinScott,JacquiSeargeant,SukhinderSingh,GavinDSmith,StuartSmith,DavidStewart,StevenSturgeon,JackTeeling,LukeTegner,JeffreyTopping,MisakoUdo,KerryWalshSkerry,IainWeir,NeilWilson,AlanWinchester,DavidWishart,IanWisniewskiandGrahamWright.

Mythankstoallofthem.

Furtherresources

BooksTherearemany,manybooksandwebsitesaboutwhisky;somewouldsaytoomany.However,Ihavesuggestedjustafewhereforfurtherreading,theideabeing(likethelistofwhiskies)topointyouinvariousdirectionsinthepursuitofknowledge.

ThefirstmodernbookwrittenaboutwhiskywasAeneasMacDonald’sWhisky,reissuedinfacsimilein2006.Despiteitsage(itfirstappearedin1930)itiswellworthreadingasapoeticgeneralintroductiontoScotchwhiskythatisstillsurprisinglyrelevant.

ForthehistoryoftheScotchwhiskyindustryMichaelMossandJohnHume’sTheMakingofScotchWhiskyisvaluable,thoughdryandnowsomewhatdated.ScotchWhisky–ALiquidHistorybyCharlesMacleanisrathereasiergoing.AnytitlebyCharlieisworthreading.

GavinD.SmithisverystrongonthepeopleandpersonalitiesinScotch.LookoutforTheWhiskyMen.FortasteevaluationofScotchwhiskiestryWhiskyClassifiedbyDavidWishart.

ThereisverylittleinEnglishonJapanesewhisky.PerhapsthemostauthoritativeisJapaneseWhisky:Facts,FiguresandTastebyUlfBuxrud.Itdoeswhatitsaysinthetitle.IfthereisareallygoodbookonAmericanwhiskiesithaspassedmebyandanup-to-dateaccountofIrishwhiskeyisbadlyneeded.

Formorecomprehensivecoverageofallworldwhiskiesandabasicintroduction,lookforWorldWhiskyeditedbyCharlesMacLean.Iwasoneofanumberofcontributors.TheneweditionofthelateMichaelJackson’sMaltWhiskyCompanionhasbeencompiledbyDominicRoskrowandGavinD.Smithandisexhaustive.SomepeoplefindJimMurray’sannualWhiskyBibleuseful.Hetastesalmosteverything!

TheMaltWhiskyYearbookisissuedannuallyandcoversmorethanjustsingle

malt.Itisaninvaluableguide;accurate,regularlyupdatedandamineofinterestinginformation,especiallyonnewdistilleries.

AtinylittlecompanycalledClassicExpressions,whichIrunwithacolleague,reprintsrarecollectableclassicsofwhiskywritinginnumberedlimitededitions–www.classicexpressions.co.uk.

Therearevariousmagazines.Perhapsthebest(inEnglish)areWhiskyMagazine(UK)anditsAmericancounterpartTheMaltAdvocate.

WebsitesThereareliterallyhundreds,perhapsthousands,ofwebsitesonwhisky,rangingfromtheexhaustivetothescanty,theauthoritativeandreliabletothefranklyeccentric.Bloggerscomeandgoandmaintaintheirsiteswithdifferentlevelsofenthusiasmandaccuracy.Virtuallyeverybrandofnotemaintainsitsownsite:ifyoureadbetweenthePRlinestheremaybesomeusefulinformation.

Giventhatthewebevolvesandchangesbothrapidlyandconstantly,thefollowingrecommendationsmaybeoflimitedvalue.However,forwhatitisworth,Idolookatthesesitesfairlyregularly.ApologiestothosethatIhavemissedorforgottenabout.Afewhours‘googling’willturnupmorewhiskysitesthanyouthoughtpossible.Goodluck!

www.irelandwhiskeytrail.com(exactlywhatyou’dexpectwiththatname)

www.maltmadness.com(setasideagoodchunkoftimeifyouventurehere)

www.maltmaniacs.org(Ican’timaginehowtheyfindthetimetokeepthisup!)

www.nonjatta.blogspot.com(reportsinEnglishfromJapan)

www.ralfy.com(thisisgreatfun)

www.whiskycast.com(authoritativewhiskypodcasts)

www.whiskyfun.com(‘it’saboutsinglemalts,music,enjoyinglifeingeneral’)

www.whiskyintelligence.com(newsupdatesandpressreleases)

www.whisky-pages.com(GavinD.Smith’stastingnotesandreviews)

Wheretobuy

Therearenowagreatnumberofoff-licences(liquorstores)allroundtheworldthattradeaswhiskyspecialists,andmanyofthemareexcellent,withknowledgeableandenthusiasticstaff.IcanthinkofexamplesasfarawayasSwitzerland,Singapore,NewZealandand,ofcourse,theUSA.Newonesarespringingupallthetimeaswhiskygrowsinpopularityandthechoicetheyoffercanbedeliciouslybewildering.Intheinterestsofmysanitythough,thissectionisrestrictedtotheUK,wherefortunatelyforuswearespoiltforchoicewithexcellentspecialistwhiskyretailers.Thefollowinghaveparticularlygoodonlineshoppingfacilities:RoyalMileWhiskies,Edinburghwww.royalmilewhiskies.com

TheWhiskyExchange,Londonwww.thewhiskyexchange.com

LochFyneWhiskies,Inveraraywww.lochfynewhiskies.co.uk

Butideallyyoushouldbrowseandtalktosomeenthusiasticandwell-informedstaff.Therearemanymoregoodshops,notablyTheWhiskyShop(UKwide),TheWeeDram(Bakewell,Derbyshire),LincolnWhiskyShop,TheWhiskyShop(Dufftown),TheWhiskyCastle(Tomintoul),Arkwrights(Highworth,Wiltshire),ParkersofBanff,RobertGrahams(Glasgow),WhiskiesofScotland(Huntly),Nickolls&Perks(Stourbridge)andLuvians(StAndrews).

Aboveall,Gordon&MacPhail’sshopinElginisashrineandwellworthavisit.Seetheirentryinthe101.

InLondonyouwillfindTheWhiskyExchange,RoyalMileWhiskies,BerryBros&Rudd,Milroy’sofSohoandTheVintageHouse.Nationally,thebetterOddbinsstoreshaveagoodselectionofwhiskyandtheyhaveagoodwebsite,too.

Picturecredits

Theauthorandpublisherwouldliketothankthefollowingforsupplyingthephotographsinthebook.Everyefforthasbeenmadetofulfilrequirementswithregardtoreproducingcopyrightmaterial.Theauthorandpublisherwillbegladtorectifyanyomissionsattheearliestopportunity.

IncidentalimageryPage6 TheSpencerfieldSpiritsCompanyPage12 HighlandPark

WhiskyimageryAberfeldy21 BacardiGlobalBrandLtdAberloura'bunadh ChivasBrothersAmrutFusion AmrutDistilleriesLtdanCnoc16 BurtGreenerCommunicationsArdbeg10 TheGlenmorangieCompanyArdbegUigeadail TheGlenmorangieCompanyAsyla CompassBoxWhiskyAuchentoshanClassic MorrisonBowmoreDistillersBalblair’89 BurtGreenerCommunicationsBallantines17 ChivasBrothersBasilHayden's BeamGlobalSpirits&WineBenRiach TheBenRiachDistilleryBenromachOrganic BenromachSpeysideSingleMalt

ScotchWhiskyBernheimOriginalWheat HeavenHillDistilleries,Inc.BlackBottle AlanStewartPhotographyBlackGrouse TheBlackGrouse

Bladnoch8 BladnochDistilleryBlueHanger BerryBros.&RuddSpiritsBNJBailieNicolJarvie TheGlenmorangieCompanyBowmoreTempest MorrisonBowmoreDistillersBruichladdich12 BruichladdichDistilleryBuffaloTrace BuffaloTraceDistilleryBunnahabhain18 C&HCreativeBushmills16 DiageoplcCameronBrig TheWhiskyExchangeCaolIla12 DiageoplcChivasRegal25 ChivasBrothersClynelish14 DiageoplcCrownRoyal DiageoplcCuttySark BerryBros.&RuddSpiritsCuttySark25 BerryBros.&RuddSpiritsDalmore12 White&MacKayDalwhinnie15 DiageoplcDeanston12 SalkeldPhotographyDewar’s12 BacardiGlobalBrandLtdDewar’sSignature BacardiGlobalBrandLtdEagleRare BuffaloTraceDistilleryElijahCraig12 HeavenHillDistilleries,Inc.GlenBreton GlenoraDistilleriesGlenfarclas105 J&GGrantGlenfarclas21 J&GGrantGlenfiddich18 WilliamGrant&SonsDistillersGlenfiddich30 WilliamGrant&SonsDistillersGlenglassaugh26 AnneSmithGlenglassaughSpiritDrink AnneSmithGlengoyne21 IanMacLeodDistillersGlenlivet21 ChivasBrothersGlenmorangie-QuintaRuban TheGlenmorangieCompany

Gordon&MacPhail-GlenGrant25 Gordon&MacPhailGreenSpot Mitchell&SonHakushu18 SuntoryLiquorLtdPage216 TheBenRiachDistilleryPage218 HighlandParkHedonism CompassBoxWhiskyHibiki17 SuntoryLiquorLtdHibiki30 SuntoryLiquorLtdHighlandPark18 HighlandParkHighlandPark21 HighlandParkHighlandPark30 HighlandParkHighlandPark40 HighlandParkIsleofJuraSuperstition White&MacKayJameson-LimitedReserve18 IrsihDistillersPernodRicardJohnnieWalkerBlack DiageoplcJohnnieWalkerBlueKGV DiageoplcKilchoman KichomanDistilleryKnobCreek BeamGlobalSpirits&WineLagavulin16 DiageoplcLaphroaigQuarterCask LimePRLongrowCV SpringbankDistilleriesLtdMackmyra JohanOlssonMaker'sMark TheWhiskyExchangeMellowCorn HeavenHillDistilleries,Inc.MonkeyShoulder WilliamGrant&SonsDistillersMortlach16 DiageoplcNikkaAllMalt AsahiBreweries,LtdOban14 DiageoplcOldPulteney17 BurtGreenerCommunications

Redbreast12 IrsihDistillersPernodRicard

Scapa ChivasBrothersSmokeheadExtraBlack IanMacLeodDistillersSpeyburnSolera25 BurtGreenerCommunicationsSpringbank10 SpringbankDistilleriesLtdTalisker10 DiageoplcTalisker18 DiageoplcTheBalvenie21 WilliamGrant&SonsDistillersTheBalvenie30 WilliamGrant&SonsDistillersTheGlenrothes-SelectReserve TheGlenrothesTheMacallan10 TheMacallanDistilleryLtdTheMacallan18 TheMacallanDistilleryLtdTheMacallan30 TheMacallanDistilleryLtdTheSociety'sSpecial-HighlandBlend BrendanMacNeillTheSpiceTree CompassBoxWhiskyThomasHHandy-SazeracStraightRye BuffaloTraceDistilleryTobermory15 GoodCreativeTyrconnell CooleyDistilleryVanWinkleFamily-ReserveRye BuffaloTraceDistilleryWildTurkey TheWhiskyExchangeWoodfordReserve WoodfordReserveDistilleryYamazaki12 SuntoryLiquorLtdYamazaki18 SuntoryLiquorLtdYoichi10 AsahiBreweries,Ltd

*‘Fromheadtoheel’,sinceyouhadtoask.WereyouasleepinDoubleLatin?

*No,nottheAmericansinger.Tryandkeepup–thisisawhiskybook!

TableofContentsIntroduction101whiskiesHowtotastewhiskyandusethisbookAcknowledgementsFurtherresourcesWheretobuyPicturecredits

101 whiskies to try before you die

Documents

the search for beauty “some things to try before you...

great whiskies

11 breathtaking festivals to try before you die

cognac, whiskies and other spirits - sfw08

whiskies · 2015-02-06 · 3 tout au long de ces pages,...

44 classic french meals you need to try before you die

j.c.richÀrds the eve · haveon handgibeon'·xx,xxx,xxxx...

folie 1 - taysad · 2017-08-03 · progresive & small size...

extraordinary - jumeirah...m sits at the pinnacle of the...

japanese whiskies - sexy fish · pdf filewe serve all our...

die bÖsen die guten und die ahnungslosen

sfw14 - an evening with great whiskies and rums

gold - vintagewineestates.com€¦ · spirits awards silver...

ian buxton 101 whiskies du monde entier à découvrir...ian...

ten techniques to try when greens nearly die

try ming try intel windows2000/xp 512mbja-e 65,536Ë x cd...

interkulturelle und transkulturelle kommunikation · gie,...

world of whiskies

chapter 11 production of scotch and irish whiskies: their...

whiskies & alcools - noël 2013 - nouméa