Airport shopping is often a dangerous thing, in that you’re away from home, (and probably any responsible adults) a little bit gung ho and will most likely have some crisp notes/newly liberated Visa card(s) plumping up your wallet, which are strictly there to be converted into a foreign currency.Then you pass Sunglasses Hut see a pair of Red Rayban’s that really only look good on Jensen Button.The gland controlling hormone secretions to your sensibility momentarily shuts down and before you know it, you’re heading to the gate thinking you look like a racing driver, whilst actually looking like Louis Spence.
Folks, we’ve all been there, I’m a pathologically bad airport shopper and I vowed recently that I have to get things under control, before I begin to get mistaken for any more camp contemporary dance icons.Tricky thing is that most of the major UK airports also have a tremendously alluring branch of World Of Whiskies, which is usually conveniently placed next to Messrs. Lunettes de Soleil & Co.
Travel retail exclusives have become all the rage for most distilleries.Highland Park have capitalised well on airport wallet liberation and we’ve documented some of the best bottlings to go for a few times on Caskstrength.Glenrothes also offer a very sturdy Robur Reserve as a reasonably priced travel retail exclusive.
Glenfiddich are the latest distillery to enter the frame with their brand new release -Age Of Discovery. Aptly named for the international traveller, this exclusive 19yo Madeira cask finish bottling was available from World Of Whiskies from last week and seeing as we were passing through Gatwick we had an opportunity to give it a go. As packages go, the Discovery looks wonderful- a mixture of Gulliver's Travels, ancient cartography and a definite sense of 'adventure'. But will the liquid itself inspire wild voyages to the promised land, or head off the map, where be monsters lie?
Glenfiddich - Age Of Discovery - Travel Retail Exclusive- 19yo- Madeira Cask Finish - 40%
Nose: Floral soap, soft brown sugar, sultanas, diced green apple and fudge. with a touch of water a pleasant honey comb note develops.
Palate: A little soapy initially, leading into heather honey, menthol notes, java coffee, roasted malt and a hint of cocoa. Water gives a touch of damsons on the back palate.
Finish: lingering notes of malt extract and a touch of dried figs.
Overall: An interesting take on a vintage Glenfiddich. It wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped it to be, but fits neatly in where the 18yo and the 15yo sit within the Glenfiddich family.
Hot on the heels of our recent trip to the Lowlands where we visited Cameron Bridge and Glen Kinchie, we find ourselves in Glasgow for a tasting of Auchentoshan, including a sneak preview of their soon to be released 1975 vintage bottling. As some of you will remember 1975 happens to be my birth year and it always seems to take on an additional resonance to drink something produced in the year you just so happened to pop out.
Our tasting began with an introduction to the core range of malts from the distillery's Senior Blender, Jeremy Stephens. What we find intriguing about Auchentoshan is the relationship between the range of expressions 12 Year Old and Three Wood. At their hearts are a series of very prominent key characteristics, despite the type of maturation or age. Tonight's tasting also highlighted just how much of a forward thinking company Auchentoshan have become; in a few short years the brand have considerably increased their output and now sell around 60,000 cases worldwide per year. This might not sound like a lot, but they seem to be appealing to a new, previously untapped group of whisky drinkers - by way of example, Mrs Ridley recently proclaimed Auchentoshan Three Wood as her pathway into enjoying whisky...a big bold statement... and something I have been hoping would happen for nigh on a decade now!!
You can view Mrs Ridley's tasting notes on the Three Wood here.
Auchentoshan - 12yo - 40% - 70cl
Nose: Very distinct aromas of dried coconut, unblanched almonds and cherry drops all greet the nostrils on the first sniff- it is light, but not in the same way perhaps Glenkinchie or Bladnoch is (not remotely zesty, or floral) and definitely has plenty of individual character.
Palate: A slightly off kilter coal/oil like note first hits you, not what I was expecting, but not unpleasant- this subsides into ripe pears, more almond notes and perhaps the deftest hint of sherry wood.
Finish: Lingering fruit notes with a hint of woody oak creeping in on the death.
Overall: A very solid starting point from the distillery's key malt. It perhaps lacks the character demonstrated so eloquently in the brilliant Three Wood, but nonetheless a easy and enjoyable single malt.
Next up and a real coup- a sneaky dram of the brand spanking new Auchentoshan 1975 vintage. We reviewed the distillery's last 2 vintage bottlings (the 1977 and 1998) back in December, with the older whisky showing off a different side to intense sherry cask maturation.
The 1975 is a different beast altogether. It's not clear exactly what type of casks this has come from (we suspect refill Bourbon, rather than 1st fill) ) but with only 500 bottles in the outturn and around 30 for the domestic market, it probably isn't going to be around for long. Looking at the label and packaging- simplicity a great thing indeed... Rest assured, there will be no Lalique decanter here...
Auchentoshan 1975 - 46.9% - 500 bottles- 70cl
Nose: Quite remarkable. Although this is quite the middle-aged gentleman, it exhibits elements of the dried coconut and unblanched almonds found in the 12yo. But then it really starts to come alive. Wow- stewed rhubarb, marshmallows, melted brandy butter and gingersnap biscuits are all there in abundance. Balanced, rich, moreish, wonderful.
Palate: A huge hit of tropical fruit takes you by surprise - very unexpected indeed. It's mango and passion fruit, but then a little smoked pork begins to take over and we're off in a different direction, with white pepper, hints of aged tobacco and then back to some sweetened tinned peaches and cream. Utterly brilliant.
Finish: The fruit lingers nicely, with the peaches being the overriding force.
Overall: An absolute delight of a whisky. Make no mistake, I am probably harder on whiskies from this year than any other, but this one is totally spot on. The birthday collection I have been slowly building when I can afford to is developing nicely but now it has an Auchentoshan shaped hole in it. Damn it...
When you sit on the tarmac at any given airport, you see small vehicles scurrying around the runway the size and shape which never enter real life. Never seen on the motorway or A roads, these tugs are akin to the deep sea blob-fish that are projected in green limelight on TV nature shows; odd shapes and sizes, they scurry around demanding attention, like 1970’s punks.
Flying is a funny old game, especially when you’re going from one part of an island to another. That’s why I’ve chosen to make a trip up to Scotland via train. Nothing new there, we’ve done that plenty of times before. This time however, I’m going further than ever before (Aberdeen, from London) and I’m taking the sleeper train...
As you can see from the video, the trip was pretty good, despite the small cabin, with the added bonus of waking up in the Highlands of Scotland just a stone’s throw from Speyside, my ultimate destination.
The first stop on today’s journey is a quick nip in to the town of Huntly where independent bottlers Duncan Taylor are based. A whistle –stop tour of their small (but well formed) bottling plant just off the main street was a real education. Plenty of interesting stock, including some maturing cask of very old, very rare Speyside malts shows the company in rude health and if their recent Black Bull 40 Year Old is anything to go by, they’ll be churning out quality offerings for a while to come yet.
One nice innovation they are developing is to additionally mature some casks in smaller quarter casks and octaves. This way, bottles can be released in smaller batches with enhanced finishes over a number of different days.
I was treated to some small samples of a Single Cask Cameron Bridge from 1979 (tinned pineapple and huge, gluey grain notes, sweet and syrupy) and a 1972 Caperdonich which left me wanting to discover more about this lost distillery. Look out for them in the near future.
Onward from Huntly to Dufftown, the heartland of whisky making and the real reason for taking the sleeper up from London: a visit to The Balvenie Distillery.
Last year The Balvenie released a very limited edition bottling developed by Malt Master David Stewart Tun 1401, especially for visitors taking the tour of their facilities, one of the only places in Scotland where you can experience whisky making from cooperage, through to malting and the whisky making process itself. A tour well worth taking, if you can get on one (8 people, twice a day, 4 times a week is a pretty limited offer). This bottling was preceded by two other successful distillery only bottlings, Rose Batch 1 and Rose Batch 2, but more on them later...
For the original Tun 1401, Stewart took 6 casks (4 American Oak and 2 Sherry Butts) and married the contents together in a large tun. Just 336 bottles were released at 48.1% ABV and such was the reception for this bottling that Stewart and his team have decided to create a second batch. Using a new selection of barrels, the new Tun 1401 Batch 2 will yield an increased number of bottles with a worldwide release in late May 2011.
The newer batch is made up of 10 barrels ranging from 1969 to 1989, with the majority of the spirit made in the early 1970’s. Let’s have a look at 9 of these constituent parts:
1967, Hogshead:
N. Pineapple chunks
P. More tinned pineapple with Vanilla Ice Cream and Soda Water
F. Lime Cordial
1970, Sherry Butt:
N. Garibaldi Biscuits, Wheat.
P. Copper, Raisin, Digestive Biscuits
F. Sweet Tea
1971, Sherry Butt:
N. Dusty Furniture Polish.
P. Boiled sweets, wood polish.
F. Oaky and dry
1971, ex-Bourbon:
N. Fresh pineapple, cream, white grape juice.
P. Fresh lemon, cloudy apple juice.
F. Oak and dry sherry
1972, Hogshead:
N. Pear soap.
P. Lime juice.
F. Lime peel
1973, sherry butt:
N. rich red fruits
P. Wonderful depth, freshly sliced red apple.
F. Deep and rounded summer fruits
1974, Hogshead:
N. Cream Soda.
P. Cream soda again but mixed with fresh pineapple and green apple slices
There was one final cask, a bourbon barrel from 1989 but I didn’t get a chance to have a nose / taste of that sample, sadly.
My biggest impression from each of these casks (sampled with water) was that they would all make a good single cask bottlings, with a couple being exceptional single casks (1967 and 1978 as my personal picks). So how will these individual whiskies come together to create one Single Malt? Well, let’s hear from David Stewart about the process in this short video:
The Balvenie – Tun 1401 – Batch 2 - ~3000 bottles – Sample strength at 52.2% ABV
Nose: Wow, this is a whisky with a big personality and the nose jumps out the glass at you; citrus fruit juices come through first, followed by a dumbing down of the energy thanks to some runny honey tones and finally oak and wood spices add some last min left turns to the aroma.
Palate: A huge hit of spiced pineapple, as if used in a mild curry with some lime chutney and Seville orange marmalade.
Finish: Very rich with toffee and coffee giving way to soft brown sugar and spices.
Overall: Dave Broom taught me not to confuse power with complexity when judging a whisky, but this is both powerful and complex but equally well balanced. For me, The Balvenie produces very drinkable whisky (the Double Wood was the whisky that got me in to whisky) but occasionally can lack bite and personality. The Tun 1401 makes up for that in bucket loads, with a huge personality that still plays to all the key strengths of what makes The Balvenie such an easy whisky to drink. Fingers crossed this gets bottled as near to this sample strength as possible...
The Tun 1401 Batch 1 which we reviewed here, replaces The Balvenie Rose (two batches, both around 400 bottles per batch, finished in Port Pipes) as the Distillery Only bottling. As well as picking up my very own bottle of the Tun 1401 Batch 1 to sink at home, there were a few bottles of the Rose Batch 2 left on the shelf at the distillery shop. What to do? Ignore the last credit card bill, dive in to purchase a bottle and have a taste. Let's see how it compares to the Tun 1401...
The Balvenie- 16 Years Old - Rose – Batch 2 – Distillery Only Bottling - 50.3% ABV
Nose: Copper notes, rich summer fruits, rose petals, runny honey and sweet cure bacon.
Palate: malty and sweet, poached pears in syrup, tinned apricots. Soft.
Finish: Very sweet, crème brulee topping, sugared tea and some wood spices to round it off.
Overall: A solid Balvenie with the Port Wood giving loads of character to the classic tones of honey and sweet sugar. A good dram, but the Tun 1401 Batch 1 wins this battle for me. A note for the presentation of this, which is stunning, with the bottling coming in a velvet-lined box. Very fancy indeed!
All-in-all, a cracking day at The Balvenie. A huge ‘thank you’ must go out to Malt Master David Stewart for his time, as well as to David Mair, The Balvenie Distillery Ambassador, for making the day possible, for so much information and drams.
We will get back to you with a firm date for the release of Tun 1401 and any further details should they be available.
I’m off back to the train station but this time not for the sleeper train to London, but a much shorter hop to Glasgow. Who knows what we might find down in the Lowlands...
Hello all, we're sure that like us, you were shocked and deeply saddened to see the devastation in Japan in the wake of the earthquake and resulting Tsunami. There are a number of really worthwhile charity organisations that you can donate to- including the Spirit Of Unity bottling, released in conjunction with some of Scotland's leading independent craft distillers and spearheaded by the Arran distillery. If you can grab a bottle of this, we urge you to do so- £59.99 + p&p and available from Royal Mile Whiskies and Loch Fyne Whiskies.
Caskstrength have teamed up with The Japan Society for a very special tasting of Japanese whisky at one of London's most luxurious private member's club, Home House on Monday 18th April.
Joel & myself will be showcasing 5 sensational whiskies- Ichiro's Malt -Mizunara Oak Cask, Yamazaki 12yo (with a twist!) Hakushu Heavily Peated, Hakushu 12yo and Hibiki 17yo. In addition, there will be authentic Japanese cuisine provided, courtesy of Tsuru, musical accompaniment in a 50's style from crooner sensation Gary Driscoll, plus a raffle, containing some other cracking Japanese malts and assorted goodies.
Tickets are £25 (with all the proceeds going to charity) and spaces strictly limited to 40 places. They can be purchased directly from the Japan Society's website, or by emailing
Looking through our posts these last few months and it appears that we've covered more Irish whiskies than any other style. There are 2 main factors to this:
Firstly, there seems to be an abundance of quality Irish whiskies out there, which we feel are helping revitalise the category. Statistically, Irish Whiskey is the fastest growing dark spirit in the world.
Secondly- we absolutely love it. Our recent outing from Dublin confirmed there are some real crackers out there, including the Connemara Single Cask bottlings and current Red Breast 15yo.
The sublime Kilbeggan 15yo.
Today we bring you news of a new addition to the Kilbeggan family. One of the very first whiskies to really blow our emerald socks off was the 15 year old, tried many moons ago, before the blog was barely a twinkle in our eyes. It's been a house staple for a while and when news broke last year that there was going to be an 18 year old- we were filled with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Will they phase out the superb 15yo in favour of the new older sibling, like Laphroaig did a couple of years back? More's the point, how has the blend developed, with whiskey aged for 3 extra years now available to master blender Noel Sweeney? We recently reviewed the Greenore 18yo single grain, which we presume is at the heart of this and it came off very favourably indeed, so our hope altimeter is set to 'extra high'.
The new release is at present a small batch release of 4,000 and, according to Cooley's press release 'destined to become a collector's item'. Hmmm. Nice idea, but for us, Irish whiskey above all others is for drinking rather than collecting! So without further ado, let's crack into the fabulously shaped square bottle and pour a large one.
Nose: How much bourbon vanilla is in here!! I swear, given a prevailing headwind, you'd easily mistake this for a small batch bottling of Kentucky's finest on the first nosing. Delving further in, some white pepper notes develop, followed by a hint of earthy, mossy leaves, some strawberries topped in sweet Carnation Milk and a very clean cereal note. So far, so good. It is different to the 15yo, in that some of the creamier notes have taken a back seat, but this all works very nicely indeed.
Palate: Rich, oily and thick on the mouthfeel, velvety soft in fact. The bourbon vanilla has now transferred itself to the palate and wave upon wave hits you, followed by the sweet creamy cereal and a touch of drying oak. The grain gives this a slightly spirity back palate, but it's a minor gripe really, as the initial mouthfeel is so pleasing.
Dolores, dressed as a furry Cranberry.
Finish: And, like The Cranberries' Dolores O'Riordan sang so poetically- 'did you have to let it linger?' Well... yes they did actually, for rather a long time, it seems. I suspect the grain balance here is considerably higher than the malt whiskies, as the finish is light and fruity- classic aged grain in fact, but very nice nonetheless...
Overall: A thoroughly enjoyable dram with a nose and initial mouthfeel, which are highly commendable. Would it take over from the 15yo in Caskstrength Towers? Probably not, but this takes Irish whiskey blending on a step further. Good work chaps.
