The Ardmore Legacy: A (slight) Return of the Unsung Smoky Hero

From Caskstrength.net

Everyone loves an underdog, don't they. Be it the minnows in the World Cup, or the most unlikely victors (recently Leicester City, known as the Foxes, beat the once mighty Manchester United 5-3, after coming from 3-1 behind) there's something to truly celebrate when a small time player comes from nowhere and trounces the competition.

Now, without patronising a clearly great distillery, The Ardmore, one of only a handful of malt distilleries on the mainland of Scotland to use peated barley in its production, never seems to be on anyone's radar when discussing the best smoky whiskies on the market.

Think Smoke - Think Laphroaig/Ardbeg/Caol Ila/Lagavulin/Bowmore etc and you begin to see a very clear picture of just how Islay has a major stranglehold on the world of peated Scotch whisky (not forgetting Skye's Talisker of course)

All this is fine and whisky makers, marketeers and everyone connected with promoting whisky likes to play on the obvious relevance of 'terroir' when it comes to peated whiskies.  The harsh island climates, the lonely peat bogs - in essence -  it's all encoded deep into the DNA of every Islay/Island whisky story.

But in all the swirls of mist, bottomless black lochs and 110 year-old peat cutters, we seem to have forgotten that great peated whisky can pretty much be made anywhere - not even just in Scotland- look at the mighty Hakushu in Japan and Connemara in Ireland for a global picture. 

Ardmore is one such distillery who has been making a whisky unlike any of their Highland neighbour’s wares. Ardmore Traditional Cask has long been on our list of undiscovered gems and a whisky that we often use to highlight the breadth of flavour when considering a 'peaty' whisky. It very much has its own style and as a result, counterpoints some of the more medicinal beasts from Islay.  

Recently, Ardmore Traditional Cask has been retired, in favour of a brand new whisky, The Ardmore Legacy, taking its place as the Highland challenger to the Islay-dominated smoky crown. 

Legacy continues on a fairly lightly peated trajectory, but don't let this put you off, if you are a fan of the bolder stuff. There's something unique about this whisky that allows it to sit comfortably next to its more medicinal Island brothers, highlighting a whole different world within the concept of peat.  What's more, it sits nicely at under £30 here in the UK....

The Ardmore -  Legacy -  40%

Nose: Fresh pine wood shavings, a hint of coal tar soap, some dry coal dust embers and then something altogether more floral: a sweet, incense note, candifloss and freshly laundered cotton sheets. It's fresh, youthful, but still full of complimentary aromas.  

Palate: A touch of dry oak, some creamy toffee, before the smoke delivers a fresh, almost fruity flavour -  think slightly smoked/charred citrus fruit and you're on the right way. There's a good helping of something a little dryer too, with a woody/bonfire note developing, but any overly dry notes are kept nicely in check here. Given time, some more floral, lavender notes develop, with a milky coffee note. Very well balanced indeed.

Finish: The slightly smoky/creamy coffee notes linger, with a hint of lemon zest returning as your palate dries.

Overall: A cracking introduction to peat if you are new to whisky, but with enough complexity going on to still put a smile on any peat head's face too. At under £30, it also represents a departure to where other whisky companies seem to be heading at the moment, so much so that we'd consider this a cabinet essential. 

The Guide to Home Smoking: Ardbeg Kildalton

Blimey, that was a swift three weeks!  Our recent inactivity over the aforementioned period was largely down to travelling, spiritual enlightenment and a mixture of other interferences, but we return to our desks a little more well travelled, a little more enlightened and a little more interfer.... whoops... that didn't work did it....

Anyway, with the current clutch of whisky releases (Highland Park Dark Origins, Tomatin Cu Bocan 1989 and Kininvie 23 year old - which will all be reviewed in due course) we turn ourselves to another tasty titbit, which follows on nicely from our previous Islay-based post.  

Mention the word Ardbeg in certain circles and you'll usually be confronted by a frothing mess of superlatives delivered by a dribbling, stammering whisky obsessive -  usually from Western Europe or Scandinavia. In short, we can think of very few distilleries that have some how managed to capture the hearts of such an obsessive and tight-knit clique. Since the Ardbeg Committee sprung up in the year 2000, quickly gaining over 3,000 international followers, the reputation of the brand for being one of Islay's real treasures has truly unfolded. Today there are over 50,000 members of the committee, making it one of the most popular brand affiliation programmes (to use the formal tongue of marketing speak) within the whisky business. 

The committee release bottlings have historically been a way to gauge the progress of the development of the whisky released by Ardbeg: From Very Young For Discussion (the first taste of Ardbeg since it reopened) to the 'Oogling' (a work in progress version of Uigeadail) and latter day releases (Supernova, Rollercoaster, Alligator and Ardbeg Day etc) the committee members could get their mits on limited release bottles before anyone else.  

This however created a problem: Such exponential growth meant that, rather like concert tickets for a one-off Led Zeppelin (or One Direction, if you are that way inclined) concert you effectively had to be sitting at your computer at 8.59am, ready, logged in and poised to enter your Visa details before anyone else.  The releases went from 100's of bottles, to a few thousand to 10's of thousands, simply to cater for the mass disappointment felt when those not quick enough missed out.  

It's a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't.  

But with Ardbeg's newest release (ok not a Committee release, but a limited edition) the theme has changed somewhat.

Kildalton is an important name in the world of the Ileach - and the whisky connoisseur. Head to Islay and take the short drive down along the south shore road, past Laphroaig, Lagavulin and the Ardbeg distillery and eventually you will end up at a weather beaten, ruinous parish church. The Cross of Kildalton stands proudly on this hallowed spot and anyone who has visited will tell you that it is a very special place indeed. The cross itself is over 1,200 years old and acts as a symbol of of Hebridean life; it is a haven of tranquility and spiritual enlightenment.  

Ardbeg released an expression back in 2004 under the Kildalton banner. It was effectively a very lowly peated whisky at cask strength distilled in 1980, which was rated so positively by connoisseurs around the world, that any bottles still in existence are now becoming increasingly difficult to find.  A Kildalton from 1981 was also released as part of a special pack celebrating Ardbeg peat, which you can pick up at auction and is well worth hunting down. It also contains a miniature of the legendary Ardbeg 17 year old.

However, the name Kildalton has been resurrected once again -  and this time comes with a charitable connection.  

Sales of the new limited edition Ardbeg Kildalton bottling will generate funds for the North Highland Initiative, a charity that was set up by HRH Prince Charles to support fragile rural communities across the North Highlands. As part of this, the partnership will directly benefit charities and community organisations on Islay.   

So what of the whisky itself?  

Well the new Kildalton expression is bottled at 46%  and carries no age statement. Drawing on peated whiskies from both bourbon and sherry casks, it is quite different to the original Kildalton release, but is distinctly different from some of the more robust smoky expressions in the range.

Perhaps the most important part of the story is that until later this autumn, the whisky is only available to buy at the distillery itself, after such time it will be available online. The outturn remains unknown, but we suspect it will be enough to cater for the many thousands of die-hard Ardbeg fans out there. Worth taking a trip out to Islay especially?  Let's find out...

Ardbeg - Kildalton - 2014 Release - No Age Statement - 46%  - RRP £120 

Nose: Light and very creamy at first, with a mixture of soft toffee, dried flowers and a hint of floral style smoke, alongside some sweet Earl Grey tea. It is fairly gentle, with a graceful approach to smokiness, as opposed to kicking you in the nose with big bonfire or medicinal notes. Similarities to the original Kildalton?  Yes, for sure. Perhaps not quite as refined, but anyone finding the full blown notes from the distillery too overpowering will fall for this quite easily. 

Palate: Wow, there's the smoke. Incredibly dry, with a wood-influenced peatiness,  some coal tar soap, caramel and an earthiness all begin to develop. It's certainly a whisky of two minds, this one. Given time, the wood reveals a slight sweetness -  possibly a little sherry influence too, but it is well packaged and balanced all in all. 

Finish: A dry, lingering smoky residue is left on the tongue, with a touch of the medicinal side of smoke developing and some orchard fruit. 

Overall: Here we find Ardbeg in playful territory. It is smoky enough to give peat heads their fix (who wants the stupidly overly peated expressions these days?  Not us, that's for sure...) and has a delicious lingering freshness alongside. Yes it is expensive for a no age statement Ardbeg, but factor in the charitable connection and it's hard not to feel some affection for the new Kildalton.  

Worth taking a trip for?  It's Islay we're talking about here. Of course it bloody well is.  

Everybody's Changing: Laphroaig Select Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Before becoming professional whisky writers, Neil and I both worked in the music industry at different major record labels, doing A&R.

A&R is the department within a record company that is responsible for discovering new music, signing artists, making records and managing the artist as a product, through the record company system.

In my time as an A&R Manager at Island Records, I worked with some very inspiring people, from incredibly talented artists, songwriters, record producers, photographers and other creatives. But also people who taught me a lot about the industry of fashion, of tastes, and how to market creativity and artistry, to turn it from an etherial ideal into a tradable commodity, and to build brands which emotionally engage with consumers and take people on a journey.

Occasionally, very occasionally, this involved trying to hoodwink the general public with some artist or another whose talent maybe didn't match the size of the marketing budget allocated to them, and the phrase 'you can't shine a $hite' was a mantra for avoiding those types of deals. But mostly, it was the job of a record company to take the acorn of talent and help grow the oak tree of success from it; to be a magnifying glass over the artists' works.

I remember well a discussion with a very experienced Senior A&R Executive, Ferdy Unger-Hamilton, about the debut album from Keane. The record had been a huge success off the back of three fantastic singles, Everybody's Changing, This Is The Last Time and Somewhere Only We Know and a fourth single was due to be released, with the obvious choice being the Keane-sounding Bend and Break. 

By this time, the band were enormous, with a huge amount of radio play, sell out shows and a record which had sold well into the multiple of millions and Unger-Hamilton's choice for single release number four was the slightly left-field 'Bedshaped'. I remember well his reasoning:

"Millions of people know what Keane sound like, so we should put out something from the album that is a little different; it might attract a new fan to the band." 

And it did, with the album going on to be awarded 9x Platinum status in the UK.

There has been a lot of digital noise in the last few weeks about the new Laphroaig Select, the latest release from the iconic Islay distillery. The noise has not been all positive, it has to be said. Partly due to the copy attributed to this release (spelling Oloroso, 'Olorosso', Hogshead 'Hogs Head' and describing first fill as 'First Filled') and partly due to the liquid, with Serge over at the consistently excellent whiskyfun.com describing the liquid as "...totally un-Laphroaig I’m afraid, the coastal/medicinal/smoky side is there but it’s just whispering".

But here's the thing: maybe that's the point. Maybe, if you like Laphroaig 10, you've already got a bottle of Laphroaig in your cabinet. Or, like us, more than one expression of this peated beast.

Laphroaig - Select - NAS - 40% abv - RRP £34.99

Nose: Lemon grass, citracal, white peaches, pear drops, icing and a hit of cherry drops. The smoke sits behind all of these, and doesn't give the classic Laphroaig TCP that we are used to, but a more subtle smoky tone which you'd expect to find somewhere in the North of the Island. The whole lot is wrapped in sweet vanilla.

Palate: This is a sweet and subtle dram (not something you'd often say about a Laphroaig), with very light smoke on the palate, gooseberry fool, green tea, dream toppig and fresh lemon juice. Think about eating a lemon and sugar pancake with the dying embers of a summer bonfire in distance. 

Finish: A slight bitterness and more of that lemon juice and delicate smoke. Chamois leather.

Overall: Indeed, this is not a 'Laphroaig' as we know it. If it has a distant relative, perhaps Caol Ila Moch (which is almost £10 more expensive) would be the closest thing to it. In its price bracket sits the No Age Statement offering Laphroaig Quarter Cask (a touch more expensive) and the big and bold famous brother, the 10 Years Old (almost exactly the same price), both of which appeal to a certain type of palate; the classic Laphroaig drinker. But this offers up something very different to either of those, something more akin to a Bunnahabhain, Highland Park 12 yo or, moving away from Scotland, the Hakushu Distiller's Reserve giving a different side of smoky whisky making which might appeal to those whose nose and palate don't agree with so much medicinal peat smoke.

If you are one of those whisky drinkers who bought a bottle of Laphroaig 10 five years ago and still haven't got past the first sip, yet you are on your fourth bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label already this year, then this might just be the Laphroaig for you... it might just be the bottle that widens the appeal of Laphroaig to a different drinker. And that can only be a good thing, so welcome to the (lightly) peated party.

However, if you're looking for the classic Laphroaig DNA, you might want to look elsewhere.

Indie Indie Indie Part 1: The Whisky Exchange Exclusive Cask Selection

We love a good indie whisky release here at Caskstrength.net.  In fact, so keen are we on one-off interesting little gems, that they actually make up a rather large portion of our own cabinets. The issue with independent bottles is that unless you try it, you can’t quite be sure of what it is you’re gonna get. That’s the gamble.

The whole point of a proprietary bottling is consistency. When you buy a Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, you know you should be getting something very similar to the last bottle you bought. And the next bottle you buy.

Indie bottles are different, however. As the mavericks of the business, they can be totally leftfield from the norm. The Syd Barrett of bottlings: sometimes genius. Sometimes, erm, questionable.

But amid all the inconsistency that indie bottles can deliver, more often than not they uncover some real gems, as we saw recently with the liquid coming out from Cadenheads.

And it is retailers who seem to be taking a lead in either bottling their own expressions or working with other likeminded souls to release exclusive bottles of indie offerings.

A few weeks ago, The WhiskyExchange released eight new bottles; all independent bottlings, all exclusive to them. Of the eight, four are smoky, four are not. Let’s have a quick look at the latter four first:

Balmenach 1988 (25 years old), Hogshead #1132, Signatory Vintage, 55.6% abv: I think this is the first Balmenach we’ve ever reviewed on Caskstrength.net. A rich and creamy nose gives great flavours of watermelon and mint. The palate is oily and thick and gives oak spices, vanilla and tea tree oil. Takes water well to give a finish of strawberry coulis and cream.

Clynelish 1995 (17 years old), Refill Sherry Cask #12794, Signatory Vintage, 56.2% abv: The classic Clynelish nose of wax candles burning in the middle of a table where a steak dinner has just been served. This gives way to light summer fruits. On the palate, more meaty and waxy notes which are really quite delicious and provide a bold but rewarding flavour experience of plums and blackcurrants. The finish carries on in the fruity nature of the palate. Very tasty indeed.

Edradour 2006. Bottled 2013. Oloroso Cask #240. Bottled for The Whisky Exchange. 59.2% abv: A very oaky and woody nose, this is giving little more than ‘oak’ until the addition of water brings out the Oloroso notes, raspberry jam and cigar casing. The palate delivers more oak, dunnage warehouse flooring and some sulphur tones which linger into the finish, too.

Glentauchers 1997. Sherry Cask #5580, Gordon & Macphail for The Whisky Exchange. 54.3% abv: BBQ brisket, Mars Bar, chopped hazelnuts on the nose. The palate his a HUGE hit of sherry; so powerful yet with some grace and balance. But pretty much just sherry, backed with a hint of the BBQ brisket again. On the finish, coffee, coffee and more coffee. A big dram!

Of these four whiskies, the latter two were forward on the sherry front with the best of the bunch being the Clynelish which carried a great balance of flavours. A really quite fantastic dram.

On to the smoky offerings:

Ledaig 1997, Sherry Cask #465, Bottled by Gordon & Macpahil for The Whisky Exchange. 56.8% abv: Ahhh, we love a Ledaig here at Caskstrength.net and this is a great example of why. A rich nose of mince pie and smoke, sweet yet earthy. The palate gives smoked cream soda rapped with parma ham and figs and the finish... smoked brown sugar. A little dry, but aside from that a winning dram. Really very good indeed.

Kilchoman 2008. Bottled 2013. Bourbon Cask. Bottled for The Whisky Exchange. 61% abv: a whopping ABV here, I was expecting more smoke on the nose, but again this is classic Kilchoman, with smoked cheese, fresh vanilla pods and lilies on the nose, a hint of coal dust but more vanilla on the palate and more smoke an vanilla on the finish. 61%? You’d never guess it. Another brilliant, but disturbingly easy-to-drink, dram.

Caol Ila 1984 (29 Years Old), Refill Sherry Cask #2758. Signatory Vintage. 54.7% abv: Oooh, on the nose this is another corker. Rich balsamic notes mingle with air dried speck ham, cigar smoke and real ale. The palate gives real aged spirit, delicate oak balanced with smoke and cherry jam. The finish is a perfect mix of smoke and red berries. Delicious.

Laphroaig 1998 (15 Years Old), Refill Sherry Cask #700393. Signatory Vintage. 60.8% abv: Hummm... a very sweet nose, which works well with the smoke to give a Lapsang-Souchong-with-a-spoonful-of-sugar effect. The palate once again hides this massive abv with oak, varnish, antique shop, cinnamon spices and smoke. A finish of red fruits and more spice finish of this wonder.

So, that’s four fantastic peaty offerings from the good people at The Whisky Exchange. If I had to pick one... well, I’d go for the Kilchoman I think. No, the Laphroaig. No, wait... the Caol Ila! It is a very hard choice.

A nice step-change from your usual distillery bottlings, these showcase a different side of the distilleries on offer, in only a way that indie bottlers can do. Great stuff.

** A quick Amendment: The guys at TWE have informed us that the Edradour and Kilchoman bottlings are partnership releases with the distilleries, not indie releases. **

Hide and Seek: Laphroaig Highgrove Single Malt Whisky

Whisky seems to be popping up in the most weird and wonderful of places at the moment. From the odd, unusual bottle in the local corner shop, to pubs now hosting vast arrays of bottles for you to choose from when out drinking, this is always a good indication of the growth in awareness of a product.

It has always been the domain of the malt drinker to seek out bottles which are interesting and unique. I was recently in a liquor shop in a particular part of North London which is home to a large Jewish community. The shop is a treasure trove of unusual whisky, a large portion of it kosher, making the whisky accessible for the local community. This included brands I have never seen before as well as certain expressions of existing bottles, tweaked to meet the needs of the consumer, such as the Glenrothes Alba Reserve.

It is the fleet-of-foot ability of some whisky brands to produce bottles for specific markets or specific customers such as this, which can give them not only an additional competitive advantage, but also a whole new support base of drinkers who will become advocates of the brand.

But finding some of these exotic expressions can be a real chore. Stumbling across things in a shop miles from where you live, is one way, magazines, auction sites and the internet is another way. It’s a little like finding new music you love. I have a list of people who I trust to supply me with top tips. Being an ex-A&R guy, this list includes top music managers and executives, artists themselves, music journalists, close friends and the radio.

Just this morning, I found myself engaged in some spring cleaning around my house and needed a soundtrack to turn to. I wasn’t keen on music I already knew, so Spotify was closed and I threw on, at random, the Don Lett’s show on BBC Radio 6 Music.

For our international readership out there, BBC 6 Music is the station you ‘retire to’ when you no longer want to listen to the latest chart hits by Lady Z or Jay Gaga (or is it Jay Z and Lady Gaga?) and when you’re not quite ready for talk radio about politics. In my house, BBC 6 Music is often known as BBC Smiths Music, due to the frequency of Morrisey-related songs on their playlist.

However, the advantage of the shows such as Letts and that of Craig Charles’ Funk & Soul Show is the fantastic mix of old music you’ve maybe never heard before and new tunes which aren’t quite of the sugary nature to make mainstream pop-radio.

Today alone, I discovered fantastic old tunes from acts such as Unit 4+2 and The Beat and brand new tracks from Austrailian band Last Dinosaurs and the absolutely awesome and brilliantly named Thao & The Get Down StayDown. If it hadn’t been for a bit of random website searching and radio listening, I wouldn’t have come across such a wonderfully aural experience. You can check it out for yourself right here:

One whisky which I can genuinely pinpoint as a real accidental discovery is the single cask Laphroaig which is produced exclusively for Highgrove House, the country estate of Prince Charles.

Basically, it seems, single cask versions of the Quarter Cask, these bottles come not only in the most amazing presentation boxes but, for something which is an official release of only around 250 bottles a time, it carries a price tag which is quite frankly madness: £59.95 (or an extra tenner for the massive presentation box).

A minimum age of 12 years old, this whisky doesn’t just provide exceptional value for the fact it is an official single cask bottling presented in a regal manner, but also for the fact that the whisky is bloody good. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that this is the best value official limited edition Laphroig on the market. And you can even pick them up at auction for only around £70 - £110. Even more madness.

But maybe this crown has now been stolen? Recently Laphroaig and Highgrove extended their relationship beyond the single cask, limited editions, to a more standard release. Bottled at 48% abv, this ‘ongoing’ release is just £35 a pop. What possible reason could I have not to order one and try it out? So I did...

Laphroaig – Highgrove Single Malt Scotch Whisky – NAS - 48% abv

Nose:  The classic Laphroaig nose of peat smoke, lemons and chamois leather. There is more than a close lineage with some of these good, youngish Laphroaigs and some of the better end of the Port Ellen release, I think. This release has some spiced red apple in it as well as a big hit of vanilla custard and a hint of poached pear.

Palate:  The palate does not disappoint from the nose, giving a full flavour of peat smoke, green apple this time but with the spices and vanillas as prominent as they are on the nose. Giving it some time, the peat really burns strongly across the mouth, but the wood influence gives some green veg depth which balances very nicely with the earlier sweet vanillas.

Finish: Well, more smoke, which isn’t a surprise at all. Behind it is hidden some more juice, freshly steamed veg and some Chinese herbs and spices. Strong green tea.

Overall: A delicious whisky, especially for the money. This is will make a fantastic gift for someone, but doesn’t quite hit the heights of the single cask editions from the same source.

Both of these releases from Laphroaig, and the above mentioned release from Glenrothes, go to show how strange, small releases from established distilleries and bottlers can be a real joy to discover (and a real bargain, too) if you look hard enough. The trouble is, finding them. Best of luck on your own personal search!

Teeling's Hybrid Theory

Earlier this year, all eyes were Ireland bound for the biggest news surrounding Irish whiskey in decades.  The Cooley Whiskey Company had reached an incredible $95 Million agreement to sell the company to American whiskey giants, Beam Global, owners of Jim Beam, alongside Islay powerhouse, Laphroaig.  With such a war chest to play with, one wondered what the Teelings, Jack and John - former owners of Cooley, would do next... retire to the Bahamas? Yachts?? Party???

Well, they decided to do what they clearly know best and start a brand new whiskey company.  

In April they announced the birth of The Teeling Whiskey Company, initially deciding to focus on some stocks of aged whiskeys they had acquired.  However, their most recent release, Hybrid, has now firmly put the new company on the map, with the same spirit of independence the Teelings approached Cooley with.    

Hybrid claims to create a brand new category of whisk(e)y - effectively bringing together Irish whiskey and Scotch whisky in the same bottle.  Whilst it's not the first time this novel idea has being employed by the Teelings - Cooleys & similarly progressive distillers Bruichladdich partnered up to previously release Celtic Nations (a blend of single malts from Bruichladdich and Cooley, whose use of the phrase 'Celtic Malt' got the SWA totally rattled, subsequently banishing it to the naughty cupboard)  Hybrid is the first release for the Teeling Whiskey Company and is comprised of a marriage of ten year old Cooley with Bruichladdich single malt, which have been aged together for a further eight years. 

1,400 bottles of Hybrid No.1 Edition will be released this month, retailing for £30.  

Now type the word 'Hybrid' into google and you're immediately presented with a load of pretty boring looking cars (save for the wonderfully curvy Porsche 918 Hybrid)  So is this idea of a hybrid whisk(e)y a legitimate one, or is there a reason why this hasn't been explored successfully before?  

Let's find out what all the fuss is about... and more's the point, let's hope this Hybrid is more like the Porsche, rather than the Toyota Prius...

Teeling Whiskey Company -  Hybrid - No.1 Edition - 44.7%  

Nose: Initial soft fruit notes, some dusty books, white pepper, buttered brown toast and a slight waft of old lobster pots/sea air/iodine. With a little time, some vegetive notes develop (mashed potato and green beans.)  Direct and very appealing. 

Palate: Very thick and rich on the palate, tongue coating and silky.  The peat smoke combines with a sweetness to great effect -  think a smoky version of golden syrup and you're somewhere nearby.  Further notes of green apple skin and liquorice can be found with the addition of  water, which really opens the Hybrid up. It is moreish, easy to drink and quite frankly, an ideal session whisk(e)y, based on its easy-going palate.

Finish: Fresh, with smoky overtones and a hint of drying oak.

Overall:  Well... that works.  Congratulations to the Teelings -  despite the fact that this is such a simple idea, combining two distinctly different styles of whisk(e)y together and re-maturing them again is a cracker. £30 a pop makes this pretty much a no-brainer if you're getting a few friends round for a bit of a session too.    

 Hybrid...high marks indeed.  

Advance To Bowmore

After the recent announcement of the sale of Bruichladdich distillery by the independent owners to French company Remi for somewhere in the region of £58 million, it seemed only apt that this was the same week in which my edition of the newly launched board game Monopoly: The Islay Edition arrived in the post. 

Someone call Remy Cointreau chief executive Jean-Marie Labord, as he could have saved a few quid and bought the site for M220 ('M' being the unit of currency used in this game, which is sure to outlast the Euro...) had he rolled the required number on the enclosed dice.

Monopoly is a difficult and challenging game; the temptation is to buy everything you land on, but they real key is to build up your portfolio, expand your property empire and bankrupt the other players: true capitalism played out in the comfort of your own home.

Along the way, you must avoid pitfalls such as the 'Chance' cards, which can be rewarding or damaging. Such realistic aspects as 'Your Whisky Cask Matures. Collect M150.' and 'Caught Speeding On The Low Road. Fined M15' feature in this edition. Sadly, there is no card which reads 'Sold Distillery To The French: Collect M58m'...

If you were to look at the prime property portfolios on this board, you'd be quickly drawn towards the top end of the square, for this is where you will find the three 'Kildalton Distilleries' of Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig as well as Bowmore town and Bridgend, occupying the spaces more commonly know to me as Mayfair and Park Lane.

However, getting there with money in the bank will be difficult; try not buying Bruichladdich, Caol Ila or Kilchoman if you land on them, or even hovering up the four lighthouses which adorn each side of the board... but if you do make it there with cash to spare, you'll be rewarded with a property of your very own. But not just any property: a distillery. On Islay. And at current market prices, I'd get ready to retire. Especially if you can build a hotel there as well... just think of the rent. This calls for a special bottling. Someone get Bruichladdich on the 'phone...

But it seems that this last week has been all about Islay. Not only the news of the sale of 'laddie and the arrival of my Islay Monopoly set, but Bowmore have added another vintage release to their current crop.

Last month we reviewed their newly released 1964 Fino Cask, of which just 72 bottles have been produced, which really was (and bloody well should be at the price) an utterly fantastic whisky. However, if £8,000 is a little bit out of your price range, then the new 1985 offering may tickle your fancy at £300. Only 747 bottles have been produced, being drawn from both sherry and bourbon casks, and it has been bottled at the natural strength of 52.3% abv

Bowmore - 1985 Vintage - 747 bottles only - 52.3% abv

Nose: Quite a lot of sea-salt and smoke, this reminds me more of a Talisker than a Bowmore. But as it beings to settle in the glass, the smoke and salt dissipate to give way to freshly cut pine, orange peel and some hints of mango. This is more robust than other Bowmore's I've had of this age.

Palate: Delicious and oily, the smoke, spices and mango hit the palate hard, exploding with flavour. Backed up with some great rich tea biscuit and big elements of malt. Some brandy butter tones too. With water, minty elements come more into the mix with the pine flavours being pushed into the finish.

Finish: Without water, this Bowmore has a long and slightly 'sandy' finish to it.  With water, the mint and pine linger on the palate.

Overall: A really sold release from Bowmore which does a good job showcasing the peaty, salty elements but doesn't give enough room for the classic tropical fruits to come to life. Recent releases such as the Fino (obvs, for £8k) and the Tempest (yes, please for £40) showcase this unique side of Bowmore very well indeed. Save up for the fino (!), or buy a case of Tempest, would be my advice.

Playing monopoly as a child gave me a very basic understanding of London as a City, but having now lived here, in a central location, for more than 12 years, it feels like home, even if we are 'renting it out' to Coca Cola and Co at the moment to stage the Greatest Advert In The World.

Yesterday saw a low-key celebration of a very small area of this great city: Leather Lane, a road which runs through Hatton Gardens, the 'jewellery district' of London and is home to some fantastic producers of artisanal food and drink who put on an event for the public to experience their wares.

Taking part were top coffee experts Coffee Smiths Collective who run the excellent Department Of Coffee And Social Affairs, doing coffee tastings and the chaps from the Craft Beer Company hosting a small beer tasting. Food was provided by Pieminister, the masters of pies and a whisky element by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, who themselves were showcasing a newly released Bowmore:

SMWS - 3.187 'Camphor Muscle Oil and Russian Caramel' - 14 Years Old - Ex-Sherry Butt refill - Distilled 25th Sept 1997 - 608 bottles only - 57.2% abv

Nose: Well, the name gives away the nose on this! Rich caramel and salt fly from the glass with over-ripe red fruits and some mango, but mango chutney this time. A hint of apple juice at the death.

Palate: Without water this gives of a big rich tone of lapsang souchong tea, salt and dark cocoa. With water, the whole thing settles right down to reveal the syrup notes from tinned pineapple, as well as some oak spice and black tea. It can take quite a lot of water and still give excellent flavours.

Finish: Long and warming, this is packed with flavour; exactly how I like my whisky. Complex but balanced.

Overall: I liked it so much, I bought a bottle. Winner.

As the evenings begin to draw in, it seem only right to be re-stocking the cabinet with some  excellent, warming Islay whiskies. Last week I added both a Laphroaig 18 and Caol Ila 18 to my stash and this week, the SMWS Bowmore above.

There now must be only one thing for it: order in some more Witney blankets, nip down JJ Fox to rejuvenate the humidor and then invite a load of people over for a game of Islay monopoly.


Everyone needs to bring a bottle from Islay so we can charge rents as drams... there might even be a sneaky adjustment to the Chance Cards  ('You Have One Won First Place In The Feis Ile Nosing Competition. Reward: A Dram Of Your Choice From Around The Table') to keep everyone busy... 

A Blast From The Past... For A Star Of The Future

Howdy.  As Harrison swans off on his holidays for a week to a Spanish Castle (to no doubt enjoy the hospitality of the local señoritas and their flagons of Rioja) Ridley here is left holding the baby.

And this time, I mean literally holding the baby.  On the 4th July, at three minutes past two in the afternoon, Miss Lois Emmeline Bullus-Ridley was born at the Princess Royal University Hospital in Kent.  

My impending fatherhood had previously got me thinking about some of life's decisions... the following might have been at the tail end of the list.

Will fatherhood mean i'll have to exchange my Teutonic Torpedo (aka a late 80's Mercedes 230e) for a sensible (but ultimately tedious) 'People Carrier'?



I've since grown fearful every time I see a Vauxhall Meriva and literally start screaming at the sound of nearby Fiat Multipla coughing into life.

Will fatherhood mean that one's wardrobe suddenly becomes 'infused' with all manner of bodily fluids?

But perhaps even more pertinently, which whisky should I reach for, from the newly constructed walk-in, baby proof cabinet, to celebrate our wonderful and perfectly formed arrival?

The last poser really got me floundering.  For a little while i've been picking up some nice bits and bobs where ever I happened to find them. A recently acquired bottle of Port Ellen 6th Release was earmarked for 'special occasions', but the bottle i'd really been itching to uncork was an ancient Laphroaig.

Originally released in 2000, Laphroaig  30 year old has no doubt become the stuff of legend amongst peaty purists.  A 75cl bottle was released for the American market with a regular 70cl bottling (at 43%) released into Europe.  Whilst on a shopping trip down to Canary Wharf about 18 months ago, I chanced upon a bottle of this rarity in a local Waitrose -  for the incredible price of £110!  Surely one of the bargains of the century.  I eagerly ran to the tills with sweaty hands and vowed to open this in celebration of a significant milestone.

So on the evening of the 4th July, the date that the Higgs boson particle was discovered - arguably the most important scientific breakthrough of the 21st century, I duly celebrated the most significant and profound event in my life to date.

Does a great whisky taste even greater when it has a purpose, a destination and more importantly, a reason to be opened and shared with friends?

Undoubtedly.

Slainte, Lois.  As Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, an aim in life is the only fortune worth finding.