Whisky Flavour Profile: J&B Urban Honey, Ballantine's Brasil, Early Times Fire Eater

Life Imitating Art:

I’m Alan Partridge: A Room With An Alan. BBC TV, 1997.

Fictional radio DJ and TV presenter Alan Partridge meets the Head of BBC Programming, Tony Hayers to pitch ideas for some fourthcoming shows:

Alan Partridge:  ‘Shoestring’, ‘Taggart’, ‘Spender’, ‘Bergerac’, ‘Morse’. What does that say to you about regional detective series’?

Tony Hayers: There’s too many of them?

Alan: That’s one way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is, ‘people like them, let’s make some more of them’....

An alternative scene in a drinks company marketing department, c.2013:

Marketing Person 1: ‘Jim Beam Red Stag’, ‘Wild Turkey American Honey’, ‘Jack Daniel’s Honey’, ‘Dewar’s Honey’, ‘Evan Williams Honey’, ‘Bushmills Irish Honey’, ‘Fireball Cinnamon Canadian Whisky’, ‘Paddy Devil’s Apple’. What does that say to you about flavoured whiskies?

Marketing Person 2: There are too many of them?

Marketing Person 1: That’s one way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is 'people like them, let’s make some more of them’...

And so here we are today, with a glut of flavoured whisky from both sides of the Atlantic. But what are these beasts which seem to have been unleashed on us and what are they for?

Well, the first thing to point out is that they are not ‘whisky’, something which is made clear on their labels with the use of the phrase ‘Spirit Drink’ in large letters (although on the Scotch products, the term ‘Scotch whisky’ does appear, which could lead to some light confusion for the consumer).

The reason these products, specifically the ones from Scotland, are not ‘Scotch whiskies’ is twofold: firstly, because they (more often than not) are under 40% abv, and secondly because they have been flavoured.

So what is the point of these remixed editions? Well, it certainly is not about sipping and savouring. If you want to find that, buy a ‘proper’ whisky. These products are more about making spirit drinks more accessible, hopefully in a positive ‘David Beckham-esque’ manner, not a ‘make-it-sweeter-so-teenage-drinkers-can-woolf-it-down-in-the-graveyard-after-dark’ stylee.

The versatility of whisky (and we’re talking ‘whisky’ again here now, not ‘spirit drinks’) has been focused on in a new book by the always fantastic whisky writer Dave Broom. Whisky: The Manual takes the reader on a journey of discovery, looking at different whiskies and how they work with mixers; everything from your classic Jack & Coke combo through to Macallan’s and Yamazaki 18 with coconut water, cola and green tea.

Scrabbling around the office, we managed to find a couple of the whiskies included in Broom’s book and try out his little exercises to see what whisky works with what mixer.

First up, a classic: Cutty Sark Original and Soda Water. Broom scores this a 5* (the highest rating in the book) calling it an ‘an instant, appetizing, moreish, lightly herbal drink where the crispness of the mixer plays off the sweetness, revealing perfume notes’.

This drink is a favourite in both the Ridley and Harrison households, with many a summer sundowner created with a light whisky (which Cutty is famed for) and a good slug of soda and ice. Test in the office, which was little needed to be honest, mirrored Broom’s notes, creating a vibrant and delicious drink perfect for a warm spring afternoon.

Casting the net from the other side of the boat, Broom kicks the hornets’ nest that is single malt and mixers, taking some reverenced  expressions such as The Macallan 18, Highland Park 18, Yamazaki 18, Talikser 10 and The Balvenie 12 Year Old Doublewood and trying them out with different partners.

Not all scored well (for example, the Yamazaki and Macallan 18’s were both regarded as being perfect ‘naked’ or with a drizzle of water, but not much else), where as the Bowmore 12 Years Old scored well with coconut water and the one we decided to try, Lagavulin 16 with coke, both coming in with a 5/5 score.

Lagavulin 16 with cola was a real surprise. Measured out in equal parts, the smoke kicks through the bold cola flavours and delivers something not too far off a smoky Dr. Pepper. I’d be interested to see where a cola syrup would take this (or even a cola cube in an Old Fashioned: ‘Smoke and Coke’, which sounds like a like a night out in 1980’s New York, anyone?) and how far this partnership could be pushed. Well worth a try at home.

Broom’s book is another step towards the idea of whisky (in ALL forms) as a mixer. Not to remove the halo that, say single malt Scotch has and force on a crown of thorns, whisky is just a drink and should be enjoyed. If enjoying it means mixing it, then by all means do so.

And this brings us back around to flavoured whisky: if used properly, they can provide a great entry point for the consumer into the world of whisky and a wonderful mixer to a cocktail. At their very bet, these ‘pop’ editions of whisky might even encourage their fans to seek out the real flavours behind the booze. But only if they’re good.

Of the new releases we have seen recently, few have taken well to our palate. Not for their over-sweetened ideal of what a cocktail ingredient should taste like, but their closeness to reality: how real do they taste.

One good example has been Jim Beam Red Stag, something we used a few years ago in a coffee cocktail, and it was excellent.

But recently there have been some new release, in the shape of J&B Urban Honey and Ballantine’s Brasil from Scotland and Early Times Fire Eater from the States.

Ballantine’s Brasil is bottled t 35% abv and is a Spirit Drink made from ‘Scotch whisky selectively cask steeped with Brazilian lime peel’. The result is a rather odd affair of sweetness and bitterness, delivering some oak-tones and a smoothness on the palate with a hint of lime coming through. Too much of a liqueur note about this for us, used as a mixer it added an additional layer of sweetness to most of the cocktails we tried it with. However, with soda and a lime wedge with wasn’t half bad.

Urban Honey sounds like a new album from Beyonce, but is actually the new expression from the age-old blended Scotch house J&B. The thing about this release is... it is actually really, really nice. On the nose, there is nothing but honey and whisky; no saccharine sweet notes. It doesn’t smell like a freshly cleaned diabetes ward, which a lot of these products can. The biggest surprise here is the taste, which is a brilliant balance of honey and whisky. Enough earthy tones from the oak matured spirit, this certainly has a ‘real’ feel to it. Again, this has been developed at 35% abv.

Early Times Fire Eater: this is a ‘hot cinnamon liqueur’ and is ‘a blend of fine spirits, Early Times whisky and cinnamon flavours’. Also at 35% abv, this is very sweet and full of cinnamon (as you would expect). I’m not quite sure what the point of this is or where one would best use it. Aside from the extreme sweetness, the flavour is good and it tastes real. I think this could work well with Ginger Beer... something for the backburner (if you excuse the pun), the results of which I’ll let you know about at some stage.

So there you have it, as the doors of ‘Club Whisky’ swing wider by the day, with grain whisky, flavoured offerings and books like Whisky: The Manual, opening the appeal of our beloved spirit to an even wider audience, we are seeing the dusty old members’ club become more of a drinking democracy. In the words of Woolf Smith: Power To The People.

Long Live The Whisky Popular Front.

The Twelve Drams Of Christmas - Part Nine

Our ninth day of suggestions is upon us and so far, we hope you'll agree, a tremendous list of whiskies to savour over the holiday period. But what if your relatives aren't as fanatical about whisky as your good selves?? Well the simple answer is you make 'em a bevy of bloody great cocktails!

We've extolled the virtues of Ballantine's Christmas Reserve since it was first released last Christmas- a brilliantly blended whisky from the Sandy Hyslop stable, with all the hallmarks of Christmas thrown in for good measure: Notes of clove, cinnamon, orange peel and rich sherry. It's warming, rich and definitely as festive as hell.

We love to throw flavours and ideas around in the lab (or the 'kitchen' as it is known in most houses) and this Christmas has been no exception. Inspired by possibly the best Mint Julep we've ever had during the Caskstrength Christmas lunch at the JW Steakhouse on Park Lane, we set about concocting a Christmas Cake-inspired julep of our own...

After playing around with different ingredients, we came up with the following recipe, involving a specially made Christmas sugar syrup made thus:



Christmas Sugar Syrup: 2 parts boiling water to 1 part demerara sugar. I made around one litre of this. Stir and once the sugar is dissolved, throw in a few hand fulls of mixed dried fruit (my bag cost around 60p from Morrisons), a cinnamon stick, a shake of nutmeg and a dash of almond flavouring. Leave to cool overnight and strain in to a jug or bottle. This gloopy, dark syrup should taste (and smell) of liquid Christmas cake.

The Caskstrength Mint Julep:

Take a julep cup from the freezer and fill with crushed ice. Add two parts Christmas sugar syrup, one part Ballantines Christmas Reserve, a cap of Monin Pain d'Epices Gingerbread Syrup and stir five times. Top with a dash of angostura bitters, a dusting of cinnamon and some orange zest, or if you're feeling particularly fruity, some orange slices. The perfect Christmas cooler.

And if that's not enough festive flavour, we invited London bar owner Fredrik Olsson of Kosmopol around to the Caskstrength bar to show us a few of his festive cocktail creations, using Ballantine's Christmas Reserve. take a gander at the video below for some rocking' (around the Christmas tree) creations.

Now you may have noticed that such was the power of the Christmas goodness contained in the cocktails, that Joel and I were practically reduced to speaking in Christmas songs.

So as additional bonus - if you can correctly identify three of the classic Christmas songs we mentioned in the piece, we'll send you a bottle of Ballantine's Christmas Reserve! We have three bottles up for grabs.

Send in your answers to: jinglebells@caskstrength.net

Usual rules apply: include your name, age and most importantly, your address and location in the email. Comp is only open to those over the legal drinking age in your country... Sorry, but them's the rules!

The competition closes at midday on the 28th December, so get counting and we'll select the lucky winners.

Christmas Comes Early...

We're barely out of the golden glow of summer (time to pack away those Lowland drams, folks) and already, a tranche of whiskies, aimed at the Christmas markets has begun to flow into our awaiting Glencairns.

Usually, I find the build-up to Christmas totally absurd. Walk into Sainsbury's and there's a festive chocolates isle at the end of August- why are retailers so keen to see the back of the warmer months?

Having said all that, last week was bloody cold in London. The berries and summer fruits have begun to disappear from the trees (mostly into my freezer) and endeavours to find a new winter coat have begun...please email us which one of these you think looks best!!

I was even thinking about switching on the archaic heating at Caskstrength Towers, as I shuffled uncomfortably from wing to wing, trying my best to keep warm. A hilarious scene from 'Withnail and I' sprang to mind.

Then, a knock at the door. Was it the case of Deep Heat I had ordered online?

Not quite, but an altogether more tasty winter warmer.

Ballantine's have always impressed us with their very well put together blends- the sublime 17yo (a cabinet staple) works in a multitude of ways, from cocktails to sipping straight or on the rocks. This Christmas will feel very special indeed for fans of Ballantine's- for a new limited edition Christmas Reserve has arrived...and it's heavy on all the elements you associate with the festive season. Created by Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, Ballantine's Christmas Reserve is a non-aged expression, aiming to play on all the familiar seasonal notes, those flavours and aromas which tend to amplify goodwill and indeed, good cheer.

With a bleak October grey sky bruising outside, I slipped on my luxurious padded silk dressing gown, New & Lingwood slippers and placed another log on the fire. I poured a large dram and settled back to the strains of Phil Spector's legendary Christmas album. Then the sun came out and wrecked the whole damn experience. Bah Humbug!!

Ballantine's - Christmas Reserve - Limited Edition Blended Whisky - 40%

Nose: Cinnamon, cooking apples, rich chocolate covered fudge notes, brazil nuts and a large slice of christmas cake. There's even a slightly musky incense. So far, spot on. With a touch of water, hazelnuts make their presence known. The whole experience is like peeling the cellophane off a classic Christmas Fruit & Nut Selection Box.

Palate: Warming dry spices, mincemeat, dark chocolate, rum steeped raisins and a drizzle of Oloroso sherry. Put your ear to the glass too and I swear you can hear the clipped tones of a posh woman in her mid 80's, and, yes, there it is again.... a muffled bark of a Corgi in the background. As Christmas speeches go, this one is positive, eloquent, full of fruity fun, with no unpleasant bitterness.

Finish: The drying spices leave a lasting impression, with a touch of menthol developing further in. As a post-prandial Christmas dram, this will last way into the obligatory Bond film that you always begin to watch, but end up falling asleep half way through.

Overall: Without a single doubt, I have no hesitation in saying this is a perfect festive whisky. It's like drinking in 'It's A Wonderful Life' in liquid form, after having the classic family Christmas row, over nothing in particular. Absolutely spot on with its balance of spice, dried fruit and all-round drinkability. My only problem, is that we've just entered October and there is no way the contents of this bottle will be left intact for the big day.

Annus Horribilis? Hell no. This is most certainly an Annus Mirabilis!

Cheers!

FOUR! (blends)

Luckily, here at Caskstrength.net towers we have some good friends. One such person is our mate Andy. A Northern Irish fella who now lives in London, Andy is a massive golf and whisky fan and sends this report down from the Barclay's Scottish Open at Loch Lomond this weekend. Lucky git... Finally you get a break from our inane ramblings to hear those of another misguided fool:

Hello! Here I am, in Scotland again for what feels like the third time in as many weeks (mainly because it IS the third time in as many weeks). It’s a perfect July day, grey, cold, and windy, with the type of rain that Vietnam would be proud of in the monsoon season. I also have 3 text messages from friends in London informing me it’s 31 degrees and sunny. (Note to self, don’t rub people’s noses in it when heading to Scotland.) Added to that, a 3 hour delay at Gatwick the night before had led to a missed dinner and an intimate knowledge of just how uncomfortable the seats are at gate 45.

However, you’d be VERY much mistaken if you think my damp exterior would lead to low spirits… I had the prospect of seeing some of the best golfers in the world play The Scottish Open along with a tasting of the Ballantine’s prestige range around lunchtime!

Off I set on the 30 minute cab ride to the course. Jim the very friendly driver, pointed out the Ballantine’s bottling plant at Kilmalid on the way and, in what felt like no time at all I had arrived at the course, grabbed a coffee and a bacon roll and nestled under an umbrella by the 8^th green in front of the club house to watch a few groups of players come through.

Golf and whisky are regular bedfellows and go hand-in-hand like Russell Brand and Katy Perry, though perhaps with a little more class. I never set foot on a course without making sure my hipflask is topped off and in the side pocket of my bag. If you don’t play golf, and I know many of you won’t (oh what infuriating joy you’re missing out on!) it may not quite translate, but the tasting of a wonderful dram while walking through beautiful countryside with good friends is an experience that simply cannot be bettered. The fact you have to stop occasionally to hit a ball (and then usually look for it in the trees) very often does come second (insert joke here about Tiger Woods coming second…).

I digress, back to the present. After standing still for an hour or so, I was thankful to see a group with Graeme McDowell coming through as not only did he win the US Open 3 weeks ago, he’s a fellow Ulsterman and as I discovered, a fellow lover of whisky. He’s is also a Ballantine’s brand ambassador and gets personally involved in special golf commemorative blends. What a man. After following them for a few holes my heart began to sink as I slowly came to the realisation that “no, I would never be good enough to be a professional golfer” and “yes, these guys really are that good”.

Checking my watch I realised it was time for lunch followed by a much anticipated tasting. I walked up the impressive steps of Rossdhu House and was shown through to a fantastic old dining room which couldn’t have been purpose built any better for a whisky tasting. With the setting so perfect, the whiskies laid out and the golf on a telly in the corner, I wondered if life gets any better? (Just to reiterate, it was 31 Deg down here in London! – Ed)

Ken Lindsay, Ballantine’s Global Brand Ambassador took us through some of the background of the blend and had some bottles of the two key Single Malts that go in to the range (Glenburgie and Miltonduff), along with a sample of the blended grain that forms the base of the range too. A wonderful opportunity to taste the ingredients in their virgin states! While it’s fair to assume that the bulk of the grain spirit does come from the Pernod Ricard group distilleries Dumbarton and Strathclyde, not even he knows the exact blend with grain from all 7 major distilleries being used. In fact, anywhere between 35 and 40 different whiskies actually go in to each different blend from all corners of Scotland.

At this stage I must hold my hands up and say that I’m not a huge drinker of blends. That’s certainly not to say I’m a Malt snob, or that I don’t enjoy them; it’s simply the case that in the course of my drinking life I haven’t had the opportunity to sample as many blends as I have Single Malts. Added to that the general “down the nose” look that most whisky drinkers give to grain whisky, I must admit that I was very pleasantly surprised by the depth and complexity in the drams I sampled.

Ballantine’s - 17yr – 43%

Nose: A soft buttery vanilla nose with hints of summer spice and heather.

Palate: Over-riding sweet vanilla and fruit with undertones of creamy fudge. Balanced with a touch of citrus. Overall very smooth and balanced.

Finish: A fairly short sweet fruit finish which is worryingly moreish.

Ballantine’s - 21yr – 43%

Nose: A very floral nose, hints of cadbury’s crunchie, and sweet spice.

Palate: Sweet rich mouth with hints of smoke, honey, and citrus.

Finish: Very balanced sweet spicy finish that lingers.

Ballantine’s Limited – Release No A00553 – 43%

A special limited release with no age statement. A “representative” blend from the master blender Sandy Hyslop.

Nose: Rich fruit, brown toast, Devon fudge.

Palate: Honey, hints of coal, rich sultana type fruits. Very soft creamy mouth feel.

Finish: Sweet, sherry hints, spicy, and enough body to be very pleasing.

Ballantine’s - 30yr – 43%

Nose: Rich vanilla, honey, oak.

Palate: Hints of smoke, toffee apple, winter cake, heather.

Finish: A finish that stays for a LONG time. Full and rich, hints of liquorice, with sweetness from caramel tones.

I’m sure you’ll have noticed from the above notes, similar hints are common throughout the range and to be honest that’s what I was actually most impressed with. To be able to have a consistent thread through all of the blends to maintain a “Ballantines-ie” identity, despite huge age differences really surprised me. Obviously each has it’s own nuances and the age difference gives the older blends considerably more oak and richness, but the key flavours were still common to all. For me, the 17 YO, (for its simple drinkable enjoyment) and the 30yr for its remarkable finish were the two standouts on the day. Now I’m not one to parrot corporate identities around, but Ballantine’s use the banner for their brand of “soft, sweet, complex, elegant” and I’ve got to hold my hands up and say that it’s probably a fair commentary on their blends!

In the hour and a half I’d spent in the clubhouse, the weather had decided to brighten up considerably (people were sunbathing!) so with a warm glow from the tasting and a spring in my step, having checked to find out that Darren Clarke (another fellow Ulsterman!) was still leading, I headed back to the course and managed to catch his group heading down the 12^th.

For the rest of the afternoon I wandered happily around the course immersed in my new found love of, well, pretty much all things around me really. The course looked magnificent in the sun, the players were bombing their drives 320 yards+, and hitting it stiff to the pins (You what? – Ed). I also had a lovely warm glow in my chest which lasted me right up until I got back to my hotel and tucked in to their considerable back bar. I began with a Yamazaki 12….. and well, the evening just carried on from there.

Extra Notes……

Glenburgie 17yr – A floral fruity nose which leads to smooth honey and fruit palate with slight citrus hints. Not a long finish, but very pleasing and sweet.

Miltonduff 17yr – A vanilla floral nose, with hints of candle wax leading to a rich fruity palate and quite long sticky toffee finish with hints of floral spice.

Grain Vat (used for the Ballantine’s 17yr) – Light honey nose with hints of candy floss and toffee popcorn. A vanilla/ floral palate with narrower fruit tones, leading to a sharper finish, which is sweetened by the caramel hints that stay through it. One of the nicer Grains I’ve tried to be honest.

A big "thank you" to Andy for his guest blog post. It must have been tough...

Down by the Loch's with my Friend Ballantine...

Well, the sun is still with us and it seems to make total sense to continue our recent foray into a few tasty and interesting blends. As well as experimenting with chilling a few things in the freezer (the sample of Johnnie Walker Gold was really nice, sipped from a chilled vodka 'flute') we've been going through a few decent blends that we should have reviewed earlier.

First up - something predominantly from the west coast. I first bought a bottle of this last year, on the splendid advice of Mr Swinfen at the Whisky Exchange (cheers Matt!) and have never looked back.

Campbeltown Loch 21 year old blended whisky, made by the folks at Springbank, actually has some seriously old whiskies thrown in- as rumour would have it- around 60%- and boy can you tell!

Campbeltown Loch - aged 21 years - 40% abv - 70 cl

Nose: Lots of plump, dried vine fruits and a wonderful waft of a Clynelish-like waxiness hit you straight away- and we're in...some perfumed notes, slightly wet wool (the Springbank making itself known) and fudge sundae's all coming to the fore. The grain is there, but doesn't dare overstep the mark, leaving you with plenty of expectation for the first sip....

Palate:...Which certainly continues where we left off! Lots of smooth, creamy fudge, but a fair amount of lavender like floralness, comb honey and the faintest hint of Fisherman's friend. Again, it's clear that the old Springbank/Longrow is there in droves really supporting the excellent balance this blend has.
Finish: Slightly rose like floral elements, and freshly cut apple slices combine to make a superb refreshing length, with a little post-palate ginger thrown in to inflame the mouth.

Overall: I'm onto my 2nd bottle of this and I often find that my whisky loving friends seem to gravitate towards it if they want something lighter than a single malt. Campbeltown Loch is a perfect choice if you want to get something truly decent in as a really solid, all-round blend.

Onto something now that I must confess, was one of the first whiskies I rather foolishly 'mistreated' at a friends wedding and ended up paying for it the day after.... hopefully it won't evoke the same nauseating memories this time around!

Ballantine's Very Old Scotch Whisky 17 year old - 43% abv - 70cl

I love the old fashioned feel of this bottle- its screw cap and crinkle cut label, remind me of just how timeless and enduring certain designs of whisky bottles have become. Anyway...

Nose: Much more closed than the Campbeltown Loch, you really have to work hard on the Ballantine's to unlock its contents. But when you do.... subtle ginger spices, pastry, a strange but appealing slightly floral 'powdery' note comes through, which takes me back to when you used to paint with those classic powder paints at school!!! Now there's an aroma I haven't nosed for a long time!! given a little time and some cloves become evident and some very lightweight cereal and hazelnuts.

Palate: A burst of rich honey, then toffee is the first noticeable flavour, but then we're into zesty orange, more sliced apple with a hint of chili and then milky chocolate. It's a really subtle blend, unlike some, which muscle in on the tastebuds for supremacy, this one allowing you time to contemplate just what's in there.

Finish: Milky coffee notes and a very warming, but dry note, like the taste of a good cigar, half way through smoking remain in the mouth for a very long time.

Overall: A radically different blend to the Campbeltown Loch- one feels bouncy and light, rather like taking a Spaniel for a woodland walk, the Ballantine's, those slightly laid back and refined moments of contemplation that one looks for after a hard day spent pottering around the antique shops in Windsor in your classic MGB. (certainly in my head anyway!!!)
Both these whiskies are a treat to the senses and we'd urge you to seek one or both out if your blended collection needs a new soul mate...