Party Like It's 1985

An Orville Piñata, shortly before his celebratory new year thrashing 

Hello one and all. We're back from our relaxed Christmas breaks now, heading into all manner of excitement in the new year. 

We look back fondly on 2014. It was a year that bought some truly exceptional spirits, many many journeys and friendships:  From Baijiu in China, Cachaca in Brazil, Armagnac in France and some wondrous drinks in-between, both of us can definitely say it was an enlightening year.  

2014 also saw us bring out Distilled, our first book together which is shaping up really nicely for 2015. Expect to see us popping up in a few unusual locations next year, as we travel around, hopefully continuing our spirits exploration around the globe. 

However, there is a new year and a new dawn coming (keep your eyes peeled here folks...) so let’s kick off with our predictions for 2015: 

Joel:

The Continued Growth of Grain 

We already tipped grain as a new category in its own right back in 2012 and 2014 saw the launch of Haig Club, a single grain Scotch whisky developed in partnership with major drinks producer Diageo and megastar ex-footballer David Beckham. There aren’t many other single grain whiskies on the market, with just one other official global release, three expressions from the Girvan distillery in the Lowlands of Scotland. However, grain whisky has always been highly sought after by connoisseurs and experts, who know that the lightness of the spirit gives excellent flavours of vanilla and lemongrass, making it ideal for mixing or sipping with acouple of blocks of ice. With only Haig Club and Girvan available around the world at the moment, and the considerable weight that a celebrity such as David Beckham adds to this category, expect to see others jumping in and wanting to be part of the grain whisky party. 

High Value Brands Offering Experiences:

 
As we see more and more highly valued single malts and blends, such as The Macallan and Johnnie Walker pushing their prices up with rarer, older and more extravagantly packaged items, the focus will shift onto 'experiences'. They could be high-end, exclusive trips to the distilleries, more branded ‘houses’ (like The House of Johnnie Walker) or shops. Either way, we think the immersive experience of taking consumers on a literal journey will become more of a focus in 2015. Look out for more bespoke blends from big whisky companies too, for those who can afford it. 


My Top Tipple From 2014: The Glenlivet Nadurra Oloroso

We haven’t got around to reviewing this one, yet but the new Nadurra Oloroso offering from The Glenlivet at 60.7% is stunning and priced at a bonkers £45. Take Aberlour’s A'bunadh and soften it slightly and you’ve got this. It packs a punch and is worth every penny.  




Neil: 

Craft: This Party Is Getting A Little Crowded... 

The term ‘craft’ has taken over in the world of spirits, particularly in whisky. In the USA, ‘craft’ distilling is a huge movement with small producers making tiny amounts of their own rye, bourbon and single malt. As these distillers gain more sales, they’ll be able to afford to export their products and see them (if they are good) take hold in markets far from where they are made. 

But there won't be room for everyone. It feels like 'Craft' is a term that is thrown around without prejudice now, with some distillers -  be it big or small, exhibiting little or no craft. There are some genuinely brilliant well-crafted products out there: be it well-known Scotch blends (hey -  blending is the original craft, when you really start to think about it) or tiny distillers with equally small spirit batches. But when corporate boardroom decisions interfere with the distillation process (i'm looking at you, Balcones) you kind of get the feeling that the money-making-machine and the sound of the cash registers are the predominant sounds echoing around a few distilleries, whose reputations are now damaged as a result.  In 2015 and beyond, we think craft will become less about being handmade, more about using technology in new and innovative ways to create or 'craft' new products.  Think less wicker chair, more MacLaren F1.  

Other Spirits Stealing Whisky Drinkers:

The idea of ‘occasion’ is going to be focused on more and more in 2015. Why drink a fairly boring vodka, when you can enjoy a grain whisky before the party really kicks off?  Similarly, do you really need to be paying  through the nose for super premium aged single malts, when you could be getting the same after dinner experience with an extraordinary Armagnac, vintage Tequila or rum for a fraction of the price? Whisky still has an enormous cache internationally, but there are signs that other spirits -  particularly Armagnac and Mezcal are beginning to draw a few connoisseurs away from whisky.  

My Top Tipple from 2014:  Chateau Laubade 1983 Vintage Armagnac

As I mentioned above, Armagnac is perhaps the most underrated and unexplored spirits category in the world at the moment, (aside to that of Cachaca and mezcal) with some exceptional expressions available for a fraction of their equivalent Scotch vintages. Having explored the Gers region in November during La Flamme De l'Armagnac (an amazing experience when all the distillers light their stills to mark the start of the distillation season) it reminded me of the Feis Ile experience on Islay, before it became a too overcrowded and commercialised. It was here at the Laubade estate where I discovered their 1983 bottling: a rich, resinous and spicy beast-of-an-Armagnac, full of tannic oak, liquorice and anise, alongside some sweeter vanilla notes and juicy citrus fruit.  All this complexity for around £75.  

We're very much looking forward to tackling 2015 and all the intriguing spirits on offer.  Expect to see a fair few changes here over the coming months-  we'll be focusing on a much broader scale of drinks, rather than just whisky, so here's to a cracking vintage year! 

Don't forget to follow us at @WorldOfSpirits on Twitter.

Neil & Joel

Indie, Indie, Indie Part 2: Master of Malt DARKNESS! Collection

In our second look at some indie releases from retailers, it is the chaps over at Master of Malt who yet again throw their creative brains into a cask, add in a bunch of spirit and leave it to infuse.

Having stepped up their game in terms of their own bottlings (crowing their releases with a 60 Year Old earlier this year), some of the most memorable ones being an 18 year old Ardbeg last year and a very floral Bowmore before that, they have now released a new mini-series of whiskies which have all been additionally finished in a small, first fill sherry cask (50 litres).

The series, known as Darkness!, features spirit from Ardbeg, Macallan and Clynelish distilleries as well as two from Benrinnes.

Benrinnes 15 Years Old, Pedro Ximenez Cask Finish, 53.3% abv: A nose of rich fruits and oak, linseed oil and fresh leather. The palate gives a firm oak note, followed by dark cherries, cinnamon and nutmeg. Fruity and spicy. The finish is oaky and fruity with lasting spices. A big tasting dram.

Benrinnes 15 Years Old, Oloroso Cask Finish, 52.9% abv: A more subtle dram with less big oak and more fresh pine (as you would expect from the different style cask), raspberry and white chocolate. The palate is again more subtle with cherry pie and apricot jam. The finish gives sandalwood and old leather.

Macallan 15 Years Old, Pedro Ximenez Cask Finish, 52.3% abv: Ginger and mint, this is the most closed of the five samples we have but over time opens up to reveal vanilla and cream soda. The Palate is sweet and rounded, the most easy drinking of the bunch and feels a lot older in flavour, with a hint of sulphur and red apple. Finish plays with spent matches and meaty pulled pork.

Clynelish 16 Years Old, Oloroso Cask Finish, 54.9% abv: Wood polish/wax, butter beer, some sweet cure bacon and ghee on the nose. The palate is hazelnut praline, walnuts and crunchie bar. The finish is chopped chilli and milk chocolate.

Ardbeg 21 Years Old, Pedro Ximenez Cask Finish, 40.1% abv: Well, this shows that no matter what cask Ardbeg spirit has been sitting in, you always ‘come home’ to Ardbeg when you stick your nose in a glass of it. Classic Ardbeg smoke, this isn’t a meaty dram it is quite delicate for a PX casked whisky and at 21 years old comes from their lighter production period (in terms of volume) of the early 1990’s.  Apple pie with cinnamon and warm custard on the nose, followed by a palate of very delicate smoke, apple sours, some sour cherry, vanilla and lemongrass.  

Of these initial samples, the two Benrinnes showed up the best. The biggest curveball was the Ardbeg which we thought might end up somewhere in Lagavulin 16 territory but actually retains a huge amount of vanilla and green apple; a surprisingly easy dram to drink but not a ‘sherry monster’ like the others.

This range is due to spin off battings from other Scotch distilleries, including single grains (which we are personally looking forward to the most) and already has a North British, Dailuaine, two Aberlours, an Aultmore, a Glen Moray and a Tomintoul (all carrying age statements) in their stable. Obviously, coming from such a small cask, they are in 50cl bottles (the new ‘en vogue’ bottle size these days, don’t ya know) and bottled at cask strength.

   

Best In Glass Award 2012 : The Winning Whisky

The world of whisky is littered with awards, medals and trophies. As professionals in the drinks industry, we are honoured and privileged to be judges on a few of these excellent ventures. Indeed, as we type there is an ominously large box of samples waiting for us to ready our noses and palates for the judgement which awaits.

Scoring whisky is not something which we have every felt fully comfortable with. When we started this website, our ethos was (and indeed still is) about bringing you, our readers, entertaining and informative articles with tasting notes woven into the general fabric and architecture of the piece. These tasting notes provide guidance as to the flavour profile of the liquid, with some advice as to the quality of those elements. Thus helping you to make a decision if you'll like it or not. Ergo, not simply telling you if we like it. For example, you may love the light, youthful, peat smoke which is found in the Ardbeg Still Young. If so, then buy that whisky from the tasting notes we provide. If, however, you find that "young", "youthful", "spirit" turns you off and you like "heavy, rich, sherried, peat" then simply don't buy the whisky described.

Within these tasting notes, we'll add an overall section with our thoughts in it which is where we allow ourselves a little more freedom to place the liquid against others in the same category or price point. It's all pretty simple, really.

And keeping things simple really is our motto; we're all about keeping whisky inclusive, not making it exclusive, ring-fencing it for the geek and the wealthy.  If we were were a club, we  wouldn't have a dress code. You're as welcome here in a pair of Nike Air Stabs as you are in a pair of Church's Brogues.

The idea of inclusivity and simplicity was the driver for our yearly Best in Glass Award. Bored of the idea that a whisky, which sold out nine months ago could win a gold medal, or that a trophy was awarded to a whisky issued in a run of just 45 bottles, exclusively for the  ('Insert-typically-cryptic-but-predictably-gaelic-named') Whisky Club and something which the average man in the street will never even see, let alone have a chance to purchase, seemed totally ludicrous and alien to us. Worse still, it seems to enhance the alienation which can preclude so many new, young drinkers in to the category.

As a result, five years ago, we developed our own system. Paying homage the highly successful Mercury Music Prize in the UK, we chose our top ten drams from the year, got a bunch of like-minded drinks professionals together and chose one overall winner. 
The criteria for entry is simple:

-the whisky must be a new release in the calendar year

- the whisky must be commercially available to buy from a retailer (no festival bottlings, no one-off club bottles etc)

- the final ten whiskies are chosen by us at Caskstrength from reviews we've done and other whisky features we've penned, then judged by an independent panel. There is no entry fee as we chose the finalists from the whiskies we've had throughout the year. Often the liquid is provided free by the distilleries for the judging, but often we purchase many of the bottles used.

Once the ten nominations have been chosen by us, we sit in a room, have some lunch and then start the judging, with all the drams tried blind. Every year there is a mix of old and young whisky; peated and unpeated; single malts and blends; world whiskeys and Scotch. If we thought it hit our top ten and meets the criteria above, then it's in.

So this this year, our fifth awards ceremony rolled into town and it turned out to be the most surprising yet. Gathering at the London home of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, the 2012 panel was made up of the following:

Lucy Britner - Freelance Drinks Journalist

Ryan Chetiyawardana - Cocktail and Bar Consultant 

Ben Ellefsen - Director, Master of Malt

John Glaser - Compass Box Whisky Company

Alex Huskinson - Manager, The Whisky Exchange Shop, London

Alice Lascelles - Spirits Editor of Imbibe and The Sunday Times Drinks Columnist

Simone Sacco - Bar Manager, Hakkasan

Cat Spencer - Marketing Manager, Master of Malt

Marcin Miller - Number One Drinks Co.

Joe McGirr - Manager, SMWS London

Richard Woodard - Freelance Drinks Journalist and former Editor of The Spirits Business

The ten whiskies which made our finals this year were the following:

Balcones Texas Single Malt

The Balvenie Doublewood 17 Year Old Single Malt 

Cutty Sark Tam 'o Shanter Blended Whisky

Glenmorangie Artein Single Malt 

Johnnie Walker Platinum 18 Year Old Blended Whisky

Kilchoman Machir Bay Single Malt 

The Macallan Gold Single Malt

 

Nikka Coffey Grain Japanese Whisky

Springbank Rundlets & Kilderkins Single Malt

 

Teelings Hybrid Blended Irish / Scotch Whiskey

After much discussion, the panel whittled down the shortlist to three. From these those, an overall Best in Glass winner was chosen.

The two 'Highly Commended' whiskies were:

• Teelings Hybrid Blended Irish / Scotch Whiskey

• Cutty Sark Tam 'o Shanter Blended Whisky

So without further ado, it gives us great pleasure to announce that the overall winner - and this year's Best in Glass goes to:

Balcones Texas Single Malt - 53% - 75cl

Nose: Light orchard fruit notes, with apricot, stewed pears, plums and vanilla and a touch of dessert wine.  With water, the aromas start to really intensify, with more floral notes coming to the fore with a deliciously sweet red apple and hint of anise.  

Palate: Sweet and light, with vanilla, more dried apricot, chopped green apples, a hint of lightly toasted oak and milk chocolate.  The small casks used to mature this (mostly yard seasoned 20 litre American oak casks) have had a huge, but appealing influence to the palate. 

Finish: Short, with lighter fruit notes and a touch of liquorice. 

Overall: A mighty whisky and a triumph for independent distilling.  One thing's for sure, we very much look forward to trying the next few batches of this unique single malt in the years to come. 

So congratulations to the good people at Balcones for their excellent liquid, which the panel agreed stood up very well against some seriously stiff opposition. The panel were surprised and delighted by the Balcones bold flavour profile and balance of maturity.

Join us this time next year for the 6th annual Best in Glass award... who knows what will take the top prize...!

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Barley & Water & Yeast & Time.

Just an additional note to mention that our new sister site, WhiskyMerch.com, is now up selling our own designs of whisky-related t-shirts, bags and... baby grows. Yes, that's right, Daddy's Wee Dram can enjoy whisky too! With international shipping, these items are all woven from high quality cotton with the chosen design in deep flock print.

The most popular tee so far has been our Barley & Water & Yeast & Time edition (as seen above), echoing the three ingredients which go into single malt whisky and the magical final piece of the jigsaw: time. 

Check it out here: http://www.whiskymerch.com

Boutiquiful

Everybody loves small packages, wrapped up with string, with a cherry on top and the warm glow of a handmade feel about it.  In the whisky world, the single cask bottling has traditionally typified this approach - a 'when-it's-gone-it's-gone' approach always gets the whisky writer hot under the collar and our cupboards our full of the damn things from all over the world.  Hell, I once spent what seemed like 30 minutes in the Yamazaki distillery shop waiting for a special bottling to be lovingly wrapped up in layers of tissue paper, wax seals and silk.

Closer to home, our friends at Master Of Malt are pretty adept at putting these little beauties together; consider the beautifully packaged Drinks By The Dram sets -  wax dipped, with Japanese-style paper labels, each concealing a mouthful of happiness.  Recently, they've upscaled the boutique feel to create a new series bottled under the banner of That Boutique-y Whisky Company -  and nailed a small but perfectly formed collection in the process.

These 50cl bottlings are all very unique specimens of some classic distilleries -  The Macallan, Caperdonich, Ardbeg and Port Ellen each with minuscule outturns. However, the most remarkable thing here is their labels.  Each one creates an elaborate cartoon scene - the Port Ellen and Ardbeg perfectly representing the cultish following both distilleries have.  The Macallan and Caperdonich play on both distilleries' unique characteristics; The Macallan's 'curiously small stills' and the label of the now long-since closed Caperdonich depicting the legendary 'whisky pipe' that ran from the distillery to neighbouring (and sister distillery) Glen Grant.

The releases made us think just how  boring whisky labels have become. So come on bottlers -  let's see you start having a bit of fun here and there -  how hard can it be?? (As I type this, the phone starts ringing... Ah.  The Fun Police, sorry SWA are breathing heavily down the receiver... )

Anyway -  the bad news is that 3/4 of these bottlings are already sold out now, with only The Macallan remaining.  As with every whisky, the label is clearly only skin (or paper) deep and what's inside is really all that counts, so will this boutique Macallan measure up when it's naked and in a glass?

Master Of Malt -  That Boutique-y Whisky Company -  The Macallan - 40.9% NAS

Nose: A firm backbone of sherry wood (as expected) with spicy Oloroso notes, cocoa powder, oat cakes, juicy raisins and brandy butter. Dig a little deeper and some fruity notes of the softer variety (strawberries and raspberries) start to develop.  Lovely and very well rounded. 

Palate: The spice from the nose continues into the palate, with dried ginger, slightly bitter cocoa, dried apple slices, some winey notes (think big Italian Barolo) and bonfire toffee.  It's dry, but conceals some lovely notes, reminiscent of classic Macallan.

Finish:  Lingering sherry wood notes, with a little hint of sweetness (golden syrup) and espresso coffee diving in at the very last minute. 

Overall:  Some youthful notes, backdropped with some very nice cask ageing.  If you like your Macallan hugely sherried, this isn't the best example, but if like us, you like balance, spice, fruit and depth, then look no further.  

And as for the labels... to paraphrase The Simpsons' Comic Book Guy... 

One Likes Water With One's Whisky

Banksy's contribution to the Jubilee Celebrations

London, Tues 5th June 2012. The Jubilee is officially over and it's pouring with rain. I mean POURING with rain. So much so, I have my welly-boots on. In June.

It's now been just over a week since Neil and I took the long and winding road down to Campbeltown and then over to Islay for our trip to this year’s Feis Ile and we were blessed with great weather as the sun streamed down on our bonces for nearly the entire time. I even returned from the fair isle with sunburn, such was the strength of the sun’s rays.

As usual, our journey was filled with renewed acquaintances and old friends; both in the physical sense and liquid one, too. From old faithfuls such as the Lagavulin 16 and the Ardbeg 10, to new friends like the Kilchoman Machir Bay and the Caol Ila Feis Ile 2012, it has been a real journey in every sense of the word.

On the road back, Neil and I were discussing our top 3 drams of the trip. Such was the level of debate (13 hours is a long time to fill when driving back) that we had to keep expanding it, from a top 3 to top 4, then top 5... needless to say, the Lagavulin 30 topped both our lists. We were divided on their new 21 year old expression but united on the excellence of the Caol Ila Flora & Fauna bottling. So on and on the debate raged before ending somewhere around Watford Gap.

This oddly named service station, not really near Watford and not, so far as I can see, a gap, is oft lorded as the divide between North & South. As we stopped for petrol and pasties, a quick check of the travel situation in London was required. It hadn't fully hit home with all the driving but, due to the Jubilee, most of Central London was closed, along with a host of bridges across the Thames. Not what you need at 11pm after nearly 12 hours of travelling and, crucially, not what you need when you’re trying to get home to.... South London.

With the route adjusted, home was in our sites (well, in our satnav at the very least) and, after dropping off Neil and his host of bottles to the expecting Mrs Ridley, I headed home to get some much needed kip.

The next day I awoke to London in full Jubilee swing. Totally under prepared, I hadn’t a single item adorned with a Union Jack in the house, save for some pillows which I was damned would be taken out in the downpour. There was only one thing for it: retreat and head for a countryside garden party. As I made my way out to the railway station, passing people dress up like John Bull, I decided to swing by our office just to check it was still there. But the one thing you can be sure about when you spend a week away: there will be plenty of post for you on your return.

Now, we all know what it’s like coming home after a week or so away; the doormat tends to be littered with bills, as if the postman was a tree in autumn, shedding his leaves through your letterbox. And of course, in the office there were plenty of unwelcome pieces of correspondence awaiting my letter-knife. But in the middle of it all was something rather exciting... a bulging package clearly housing a wee sample.

Ignoring the bills and opting to see what the sample contained, I opened the package to be faced by something quite timely indeed, The Macallan Diamond Jubilee whisky. For someone who had not yet found their Jubilee spirit, it was most useful that some had been delivered to my door, a brief encouragement to join in with the festivities.

Grabbing a glass from the cupboard and the sample, I continued my journey to the railway station, running between bus stops to avoid the rain until I found myself sat on a train trundling out towards (God’s own county of) Oxfordshire for a Harrison Family gathering.

As I took my seat on the train, I pulled the sample from my pocket, popped the cork and poured a dram into my glass. Lifting it to my nose, I swear at that exact moment the rain stopped. Call it fate (or fete in today’s case), it probably had a lot to do with being beyond Slough, it was as if the Jubilee spirit was rising from the glass like a genie from bottle, to clear the skies and make way for the days festivities...

The Macallan – Diamond Jubilee Bottling – NAS – 2012 bottles only - 52% abv - £350  available here

Note: the bottle features an image of the Queen by the artist Arnold Machin, famed for his image of the Queen used on Royal Mail stamps. This version is the first (and only) time a Machin image has been used on a product outside of the Royal Mail. Quite a coup for The Macallan. The liquid has been chosen from casks from 6^th February, the Queen’s ascension, and the first week in June, traditionally when the Jubilees are celebrated. 52% abv reflects the year, 1952, when the Queen took the throne.

Nose: Orange zest (marmalade), polished oak floors, mandarin, cookie dough with chocolate chips and some fresh oak tones on the back. Hint of autumnal forest floor. With water the vanilla comes through much more.

Palate: A powerful palate at first quickly dies down to reveal classic Macallan notes of dried fruits, Christmas cake, peach melba and toasted almonds. With water, this opens up to be a real flavoursome dram with all of the previous enhanced but a much more rounded and less aggressive. Without water, this is Prince Phillip. With Water, the Queen.

Finish: The finish is long and lingering with a warmth of real liquorish. With water, much more Moorish and juicy with the mandarin orange tones lasting through to the death.

Overall: A super dram of juicy oranges and vanilla. Needs water to bring it to life, by golly it gets get when you do. If I have a criticism, it isn't about the liquid, but the fact this is a NAS. With lots of information on the packaging and the dates the casks were filled, it is a shame there is no information on the years the casks are from. Ney bother, as it still tastes damn fine.

As I sat on the train homeward bound to London from the Cotswolds, having indulged in the good old British pastime of flag waving, cheering, drinking and eating, I arrived home to city where the bridges had reopened, the bunting still remained hung and, despite the wet weather, there seemed to be just that little bit more joy in the air. It seems like a perfectly good reason to bottle a whisky, to me.

Spey As You Go - Part 4

Our trip to the Speyside Cooperage was a true eye-opener and a real education in to the thought, effort and sheer craftsmanship that goes into creating the perfect cask. One note made in my tasting book was to amend my will on my return back home: I have to have some money set aside when I finally croak it to have the chaps at Speyside Cooperage make me a coffin! I’m thinking one stave from a barrel of each of my favourite distilleries. I guess this rules out cremation, as the threat to our national airspace from the ash and flames would be just as bad as from an Icelandic volcano....

Having been refreshed with a cup of coffee at the Cooperage and with the sun beating down on our heads, we decided to go for a short walk North towards Craigellachie to find a bus stop to take us back towards Dufftown. After 10 mins or so walking, we came across exactly what we needed, a bus stop and time table. With one issue: no buses for at least 50 mins. Negative. Now we needed two positives. You know, one to cancel out the negative and another, well, just so we can have a positive... and we were in luck! This bus stop was different from any other bus stop we’d seen in the past as it came with its own whisky bar...

Actually, to tell you the truth, this is a slight lie. But the bus stop was directly outside The Craigellachie Hotel, who have one of the best stocked “whisky libraries” in Scotland. How could we resist?!?! The very next moment we found ourselves nestled into two big leather Chesterfield armchairs, flicking through the bar list and salivating wildly. This was the whisky equivalent of dropping Any Winehouse in Columbia for the week, no questions asked... Several drams later and a hearty meal to boot, we made our way back to the cottage ready for our final day in Dufftown.

We awoke the next day to yet another glorious morning, but this time our destination was too far to walk. A quick breakfast and taxi ride later and we found ourselves at The Macallan. Now, Macallan is not a whisky we’ve reviewed much here at Caskstrenght.net. Being totally upfront about it, we both kinda find their whisky, well, a little bit lacking in personality. I once had a cracking bottle, from their Travel Series. I think it was the 1940’s or 1950’s bottling but can’t remember. And their Speaker Martins release was nice. But everything else has just passed us by. What better way to put us straight than to jump onto a tour and end with a round of drams, really discovering the range for the first time.

The Distillery tour was excellent. Our guide was Jennie and she was fantastic. Macallan have invested a lot in their tour and visitors centre, building around their new Mash House and Still Room. There are lots of pipes with coloured liquid in, flip charts and microscopic pictures; it was like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory meets The Science Museum. A touch over-heavy on the facts at times, but entertaining none-the-less. The main highlight being the “sensory tunnel” of different smells. The surrounding grounds and Easter Elchies house are beautiful, especially in the spring sunshine. It’s very much worth a visit. But be warned: it’s quite high up so can get a wee bit windy!

At the end of the tour we got to sample the New Make and four whiskies from their range (plus a wee bonus one!), the 12 Year Old Sherry Oak, 15 Year Old Fine Oak, 18 Year Old and the 30 Year Old Fine Oak. As a bonus we also had the 10 Year Old Cask Strength Release. Would this flight of drams change our perception of Macallan? You can find out next week...

...actually, we can’t be bothered to wait until next week! So here’s the answer: not really. First off we encountered a problem: There were 6 of us on the tour and when we arrived back to the tasting room, only 5 sets of whiskies had been poured. I opted to share with Neil but the excellent staff at the visitors centre had someone pour me my own set. However, it quickly became apparent from the nosing of Neil’s set vs. my newly poured whiskies that there was a problem. Whoever had the duty of setting up for the arriving tour party had either just washed their hands using a very fragrant soap or had been over generous with their perfume, as all Neil’s whisky smelt the same... and it was completely different from my batch where you could easily nose the unique aromas in each glass. In the end, Neil and I did end up sharing, but it was my newly poured set that took centre stage. The best of the drams we tried were the 15 Year Old Fine Oak, the 18 Year Old and the 10 Year Old Cask Strength:

Macallan – 15 Year Old - Fine Oak – 43% Vol

Nose: White Grapes, Wood (oak), Bread (brown, wholemeal) and an overall dryness to the nose.

Palate: Zesty notes of lemons, limes and grapefruit. Slight orange bitters and green tea. Vanilla right at the back.

Finish: Almost like a dry white wine, with hints of dark chocolate powder.

Overall: I’m guessing this isn’t as heavily sherried as other Macallans as vanilla notes come through along with slight hints of the European Oak, which seem to leave themselves until the final parts of the Palate and Finish.

Macallan – 18 Year Old – 1991 – 43%

Nose: Red apples, dried fruit and muesli (Alpan). Red apples, spices and cinnamon.

Palate: Lovely woody notes of Strawberry Jam and a hint of woodsmoke. This is how I’d imagine smoked strawberries to be.

Finish: Warming, gingers and clove-like spices.

Overall: Very well rounded and constructed. Not over-aged but with enough youthfulness to drive it’s powerful flavours through.

Macallan – 10 Year Old – Cask Strength – 2010 Edition – 58.6%

Nose: Really rich aromas of dark cherry and cigars

Palate: Honey nut cornflakes with apricots and syrup.

Finish: Long with lovely plumy notes

Overall: This is a cracking release but sadly only available Duty Free or at the distillery. It should have a wider release.

We left Macallan happy that we’d been, but not enthused with a fire for their drams. The people there were really lovely, the shop was excellent (I bought myself a Macallan travel bag) and the setting is just spectacular. But the whisky... we just can’t get excited about it. It’s all a little too safe, a little too bland. But this is their strength in their key markets, so who am I to judge! They sell well and have a very hardcore following, so onwards and upwards for Macallan.

It was time for us to head back to London. Unfortunately, our travel plans were scuppered by a certain Icelandic Volcano. What was supposed to be a 90 min flight down the UK from Aberdeen to London became an 11 hour train journey from Keith to Kings Cross... still at least we got home that week.

Speyside, thank you! It was a wonderful trip and we hope to be back sometime soon!

Joel & Neil

In The Loop

I recently spent a wonderful evening at the Electric Cinema in London’s famous Portabello Road, where I took in a showing of In The Loop. Scripted by a man who would take up a seat at my fantasy dinner party, Armando Iannucci, the film is a fantastically witty comedy about the way bumbling MP’s are cajoled by aggressive (Scottish!) spin doctors to tow the party line. In this case, avoiding committing, or otherwise, the UK to a war in the Middle East. Set between Westminster and Washington DC it gives a fascinating insight into the way the world is run; for one Cabinet Minister, balancing the needs of his constituency in Middle England with that of an impending war, to be voted on at the UN in New York.

I came away from the film thinking how difficult it must be to balance the life of a jet-set Cabinet Minister against that of a run-of-mill Member of Parliament, dealing with bad local schools, farmers and walls. Whenever they get a chance, they must sink into their sofa’s in the 2nd home, stick on some pay-per-view and pour themselves a nice big Scotch! All the tax payers expenses, you understand...!

So which Scotch would be the choice for our busy MP’s? Well, there are currently two bottlings available to buy at the House Of Commons and two in the House Of Lords. The Commons bottlings, as with the Lords, come in two forms: Single Malt and Blended.

Blended:

House Of Commons Blended Scotch Whisky – Bottled By Gordon & Macphail – 70cl – 40%

Nose- This has a very delicate and quite wonderful nose to it. Lots of floral notes (Heather, honeysuckle, Rosehip and Vanilla) and a hint, just a hint of golden syrup.

Palate - Again, very delicate on the palate and not overly complex: honey with vanilla fudge.

Finish - Toffee apple followed by lots of liquorice and a wave of vanilla cream. A very delicate hint of smoke right at the finish.
Overall- this does what any good, cheap blend should do; provide a quality dram that isn’t over expensive nor too complex for the palate. It doesn’t just “taste like whisky” either. They honed in on what they want to achieve with an overall flavour profile, and gone for it. And it works. Lovely packaging too. This would make a nice gift for someone.

Single Malt:

Now, this is a real treat and a super rarity. Unlike the House Of Lords, where the single malt is unnamed, the House of Commons have gone for it big time! If the selection of bottles available in the corridors of power are this, plus two blends and an unnamed Chivas single malt (answer on a postcard for that one, please!) then this one is the icing on the cake. The Robinho in the Manchester City squad...

The Macallan - Speaker Martin’s Highland Single Malt Whisky - 10 Years Old – 40% vol - 70cl

Let’s kick off with the information on the elaborate, but beautifully presented box:

“Michael Martin was elected Speaker of the House Of Commons on 23rd October 2000. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1979 and has represented the Glasgow Springburn constituency since then. He is and avid player of the Highland bagpipe, ‘the noble instrument of Scotland’, and was keen for it to be featured on this malt.

On 26th February 2001, a tasting of some of the finest malt whiskies took place in the Speaker’s House, House Of Commons. The Speaker together with a number of Parliamentary colleagues specially selected this rich 10 years old Macallan.”

As mentioned above, the box and bottle both show the bagpipes and has the musical notation for the traditional Scottish song “Mhairi Bhan Og” or “Fair Young Mary” on it.

N- Freshly cut green apples, Toffee, fresh mint. Lots of malt and sherry. Like the soaked biscuits at the bottom of a trifle.

P- Slightly weak at first (to the seasoned Scotch drinker most things at 40% need more punch), but then you get figs, raisins, cloves and freshly cooked wholemeal brown bread.
F- A touch of delicate wood smoke with some mince pie spices. The perfect length.
O- A sumptuous dram, worthy of a place in my Cabinet! This really is a lovely, lovely pour. The right balance of sherry, oak, fruits and spices. Hear, hear!

NOTE: Speaker Martin must have an amazing nose, or an amazing set of friends as he is a teetotaller! He doesn’t touch a drop. Much is the shame, as he’s really missing out with his own bottling here!