World Whisky Bonanza

Something tells us that 2014 is going to be a special year for the world of whisky. 

And by that, we actually mean whisky producers around the world. From the gems coming out of Tasmania (in the shape of Overeem and Lark, who have recently joined forces) to a growing interest in French whisky and the rise in profile of South African whisky, the number of new places to visit on the whisky map is increasing almost weekly.  

Recently, we reported on what's happening here in the UK. With St George's steadily developing their sales base and Adnams delivering some very inspirational products, all eyes look towards the London Distillery Company to see if they can live up to the lofty expectations that are placed on them. Building a distillery is one thing - developing a top class whisky is another.  But there should be a fair wind behind the team at the distillery and a lot to learn from the work done at the likes of the aforementioned Tasmanian titans. 

So with that, here's a round up of some rather interesting world whiskies some of which we tip for greatness this year. To the traditionalists, they may present a radical challenge in the flavour department, but the opportunities to use them in other ways are, to us, what makes them exciting.  

First up and a rather curious whisky from New York. Well, technically it comes from France, but Brenne is the creation of New Yorker Allison Patel, an American importer/exporter and blogger. 

The bottle design is immediately very eye catching indeed- in fact, whisky bottlers of the world, unite and use more pizazz on your labels please - especially when you have to consider that whisky is now fast becoming a competitor to more accessible dark spirits.  

The interesting USP here is that the whisky (from an unnamed distillery near the River Charante) is produced from two types of barley, grown by the distiller, the spirit distilled then twice in alembic style stills, with water from the Charante used throughout the process.  The whisky is matured for a period of around 5-6 years in virgin French Limousin casks, but then refilled into Cognac casks for a further two years. Each batch is effectively taken from a single cask and reduced in strength to 40%.

What this gives is perhaps one of the most unusually sweet toffee notes we've experienced in a whisky. In fact, you would struggle to pick this out as a whisky initially. Let's dive in further:

Brenne - French Single Single Malt Whisky - 40%

Nose: Like I said above, incredibly sweet and toffee-influenced. Think strawberry sauce on top of  toffee ice cream scattered with foam banana sweets and you get the picture. But don't take this as a bad thing. Quite the opposite. Underneath is a fruity note, full of fresh apricots, some hints of toasted malt and a waft of Cognac, which would totally make sense. It's different, pleasantly wacky and certainly a very innovative way to present the aromas of a whisky. 

Palate: A big hit of creaminess first off, followed up by a gentle fruit sherbet note, a hint of tropical fruit and white chocolate. The wood has clearly given this a lot of very unusual influences and once again, traditionalists may scoff at the unusually sweet fruity flavours, but for those looking for something different, this might be it.  

Finish: A hint of oiliness, some more sweet patisserie cream and a touch of liquorice. 

Overall: A revelation. I really like this; not just for the fact that it is a small operation trying to do something different, but for the fact that from a flavour perspective, it offers so many possibilities to the non-whisky drinker. It would make a great spritzer, taken over ice, an Old Fashioned or be an unusual chilled shot- all aimed at dragging the harsh, unapproachable world of single malt whisky away from the bores and snobs and into the hands of new drinkers.  

A solid starting point then. Next up on our mini world tour is another stopover in France with the distillerie Grallet-Dupic (aka La Maison de la Mirabelle.) As the name suggests, the distillery is more accustomed to distilling a number of Eaux de Vies - mirabelle, pear and plum. They have also begun to distil a whisky and the Whisky of Lorraine (not a lady's name but a place) is bottled as G.Rozelieures, named after the tiny village the distillery is situated in. Could this be essentially a 'Faux de Vie' or something much more...

G.Rozelieures -  Rare Collection -  French Single Malt Whisky -  40%

Nose: Youthful balsa wood notes arrive first, with some grapey/white wine notes, a touch of woody spice and slightly spirity note.  It's fresh and very clean. Although this is 40%, it needs a little water to tame the spirity side. A few drops reveal a sweeter side, a touch of charred meat and icing sugar.  

Palate: The icing sugar continues onto the palate, with a fresh woody note (pine) resonating through, into some juniper, fresh green herbs and a little olive oil. Vanilla rounds out the proceedings. 

Finish: Short, with a clean, spirited note.

Overall: Not the most dynamic of world whiskies, but certainly unique. Given a little time in the glass, it develops a peppery, almost smoky note. A few more years in cask would probably do this a real favour and begin to develop some of the spice even further. 

Over to South Africa and the James Sedgwick Distillery, run by the affable gent who is Mr Andy Watts. We first encountered their Three Ships single malt back in 2011 (a limited edition 10 year old) and from there on in, the distillery has risen to take multiple plaudits in the World Whisky Awards, with further praise going to the Bains Cape Mountain Grain whisky (one of our whiskies of the year last year.)

Three Ships main sail (sorry for the pun) whisky is a bourbon cask finished blend, (both grain and malt whisky) which is matured for 3 years and then finished for a further 6 months in first fill bourbon casks.  It is now starting to reach these shores after demand has become greater, thanks in part to the distillery's award successes.  

Three Ships - Bourbon Cask Finished  Blended whisky - 43%

Nose: An initial mixture of honeycomb, some white flowers, a touch of vanilla and a clean, zesty grain note running right the way through. With a little water, the grain notes drift into the background and a malty richness develops.  

Palate: A surprisingly fatty/oily mouthfeel, with rich vanilla, whipped sweetened cream and mango slices all arriving first. A more zesty fruitiness comes second with a return of the honeycomb. Water brings out more of a floral side to the blend.

Finish: Hints of lemon zest, a little vanilla ice cream and puffed wheat linger on the palate.  

Overall: Another solid and well-rounded piece of whisky making from Andy and his team. I can picture a perfect drinking scene for this: looking out to sea from Camps Bay in Cape Town, as the sun descends for the evening.  It may be a chilly January here in London, but in my head, i'm already there.  

The Caped Crusader. Bains Cape Mountain Whisky

AGGGHHHH! My lower lumbar region!!

Ain't life a funny one. A little while back, I was lifting a rather heavy speaker cabinet up several flights of stairs, without paying any attention to the proper way to carry things, as sported here in this instructional video. Of course, I ended up buggering up my back, which took a few months to get better.  I was told by a back specialist that it would probably never be 100% again and only this week the swine decided to give way again. Alas, it meant that agonisingly, I had to cancel my attendance at the Spirit of Speyside festival this weekend, which was deeply upsetting.  

But despite not being able to move about without the use of a sturdy malacca cane, today I am smiling. Why? Not because of the codeine tablets (which I must wholeheartedly advise NEVER to mix with alcohol) but because here in London, it is the sunniest weather I have seen all year.  

Blissful azure blue skies are predicted all weekend and that can only mean one thing.  

Outdoor sunshine drinking.  

My usual exploits would be with an array of different gins, a highball made from Japanese whisky or perhaps even a few glasses of little light and floral Scapa/Rosebank with a barbecue.  But this year, such is our enthusiasm for world whiskies, I've plumped for what is turning out to be one of the standout spirits of the year round here: Bains Cape Mountain Whisky.  

Bains Cape is one of the many high flying masterpieces from South African distiller James Sedgwick.  Under the watchful eye of distillery master Andy Watts, James Sedgwick have crept up on the whisky world, tapped it on the shoulder and whilst it looks the other way, snuck past, poured a dram of something sensational and left everyone in absolute wonderment.  

For several years running their Three Ships brand has won aplenty at the World Whisky Awards (where Joel and I are judges) and recently, Bains Cape has picked up the coveted Best Grain Whisky in the World award.  

As we suggested back at the turn of the new year in our predictions, the rise of South African whisky is rather timely. Not only is the nation one of the largest and most hearty consumers of whisky in the world, but James Sedgwick is now ripe for export and their range of whiskies represents the changing ways in which the consumer enjoys the spirit.  

Bains Cape Mountain Whisky (named after Andrew Geddes Bain, who pioneered the awe-inspiring Bainskloof Pass) is a grain whisky with all the zest-filled glory you would expect it to be. Column distilled, then matured in first fill American Oak, the whisky is ultimately bottled at five years old.  It's young, vibrant and fresh, leading me to seek out its very own serve. 

With something as robust in flavour as a Yamazaki or Nikka From The Barrel perfectly suiting a highball, I wanted to find a serve that flatters the sweet grain note in Bains Cape and extenuates the delicate vanilla custard note.   

A white wine glass full of ice is my first port of call.  Next up, 40ml of Bains Cape and then a thin slice of expressed lemon zest.  Look for the most chubby lemon you can find (ok, I did splash out here on a nice Amalfi one from foodie mecca, Borough Market) give the whole thing a stir and you have quite frankly THE drink of the summer.  As the Bains Cape dilutes, it sweetens, mixing effortlessly with the zest.  It's simple, but gloriously refreshing.  There's still enough of a bite to give you a thrill along the way and anyone who enjoys a gin and tonic will be falling over themselves to thank you for introducing this to them.  Couple this with one of Theo Randall's Amalfi lemon tarts and you have a perfect appetiser for an impending sun-drenched weekend.  

Bains Cape Mountain Whisky -  43% - 75cl

Nose: Classic grain freshness, with an explosion of citrus zest, vanilla pods, burnt caramel and marzipan/sugar coated almonds. With water, it becomes sweeter, with some white flower notes and a touch of fresh nectarine. Stunningly sunny. 

Palate: A hint of bite and then we're into a mouth coating wash of sweet vanilla, coconut milk, candied fruit and lemon zest.  It's surprisingly rich and has a huge bourbon influence. 

Finish: Short, with sweetened tea notes, vanilla shortbread and marzipan. 

Overall: I'm going to stake a big claim on this one... This could well prove to be the whisky of the year in our eyes, at least the summer. That much is a given.  

A First Class (Ship)ment

Since our birthday shenanigans, we've been investigating a few international whiskies that a few of you may not have had a chance to try yet. Our first hails all the way from the James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington, South Africa. The recent World Whisky Awards highlighted just how revered this distillery has become, with their Three Ships Bourbon Cask Finish winning the category of Best Rest Of World Blended Whisky.

The distillery is to be found in the foothills of the Bains Kloof Pass on the banks of the Berg River in Wellington and their current expressions include a 5yo blend and the Bourbon cask finish. Recently, James Sedgwick distilled South Africa's first single grain whisky too, so hopefully we'll be seeing that heading to our shores soon.

I recently popped into Milroy's in Soho and the Three Ships 10yo single malt caught my eye, so I grabbed a bottle. Apparently this bottling is a limited edition, so probably worth seeing if your local retailer can locate it for you.

Three Ships - 10yo single malt whisky - 43% - 75cl

Nose: A very alluring soft and aged peat gently wafts in first, almost reminiscent of a lightly peated Ardbeg. Behind that, is a stewed rhubarb note, a hint of sweet candifloss and a wave of dry oakiness.

Palate: The initial sip is sweet and fragrant, rather like a sweetened Earl Grey tea, creamy cereal, soft red summer fruits and chocolate covered hazelnuts. The peat is again gentle, this time similar to my old favourite - Talisker 18yo, which is high praise indeed. It doesn't have as much depth as this Syke heavyweight, but it is a very passable and drinkable.

Finish: Sweetness lingers and the cereal notes coat the tongue along with the soft peat for a pleasingly lengthy finish.

Overall: What a little corker. Cost wise, this comes in at a fairly weighty £45, which for a 10yo is fairly expensive. But nonetheless a very easy drinking and approachable whisky from South Africa's finest. Think Spring Bok as opposed to Springbank!!