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.

   

The Secret Life of the Pensioner: Master Of Malt 60 Year Old

Old age is a funny thing.

In life, we look at old age as something to be fearful of. Things stop working the way they should. We slow down, most likely become more intolerant of the things that irritate us and reminisce about the 'good old days'. In fact, the archetypal pensioner in the UK comes in for a lot of stick really.

In whisky however, people seem to think that older is definitely better. Whilst it is fine to applaud complexity and wisdom, championing the well-seasoned and the mature, simply using age as the be-all- and-end-all indicator of quality seems absurd.

But as we all know, both life and whisky are full of surprises.

What. A. Legend. 

When Fauja Singh first ran the London Marathon back in 2000, he was one year shy of his 90th birthday and clocked a time of six hours and 54 minutes. Impressive stuff. By the time he had completed his 5th London Marathon he had shaved nearly an hour off that time and became the world record holder for his age range - aged 93. Now aged 102, his achievements keep getting all the more remarkable -  he can still run 10k in an hour and a half.

We couldn't find a suitable
picture of an rubbish old whisky,
so here's Flavio Briatore in a thong. 

Conversely, there are some truly terrible old whiskies. Bitter, brittle and well past their best, they coast ungracefully into an oaky retirement home of obscurity, still thinking they're as vibrant as they were 20 years their junior.

Likewise, there are some excellent age-defying whiskies that continually challenge the logic of older is better.  Consider the recent Brora 40 year old we reviewed a few weeks ago. Stuffed full of complexity, yet still as vibrant as a Hoxton hipster's moustache. In the same post, we referenced Overeem's magnificent sherry cask bottling which is likely to have only just seen its 5th birthday, yet has a startlingly broad array of complex flavours. Go figure...

We continue this theme with the launch of yet another old-aged head turner. (Thankfully not wearing a thong)

Master Of Malt continue to surprise and delight with their diverse portfolio of releases: from the brilliantly constructed barrel aged cockails, gins and other maverick gems, through to some serious single cask releases.  Their latest is no exception, this time weighing in at 60 years old.

Carrying the banner of the Secret Bottlings Series, this ancient Speysider (no real clues to which distillery it comes from, although we have a couple of ideas) allows the chaps to bring in some very old stock for a very decent price. £999 is what this will set you back  - yes, still a lot, but clearly a fraction of what this would have cost if the distillery name was included on the label.

With anything this age, one has to leave any preconceptions aside:  If whisky were measured in dog years, this would weigh in at 420. Lucky it isn't, but our impressions of the majority of whiskies the wrong side of 50 have left a lot to be desired - save for Highland Park's initial batch of 50 year old and the absolutely stellar Bowmore 50 year old which was released at the end of last year.  How will this fare?...

Master Of Malt  -  60 Year Old - Secret Bottling Series -  42.2% - £999

Nose: White grapes, some apple sour sweets, quite distinct herbal notes and then a nice waft of polished oak furniture. The age is present in a dusty, hot landscape-style aroma, but is still surprisingly restrained. Given a little time in the glass, toffee apple and sweet tea notes begin to come to the fore, giving this a very complex aroma.

Palate: Milk chocolate and rich sticky flapjack coat the mouth with a swathe of leather bound books and some dark cherry notes. Given a little more time to open up we find Black Forest gateau with a large dollop of vanilla sweetened cream, which makes for a palate both spicy and sweet - with a good vibrancy for its age. The oak is there, but again mercifully, not cladding the walls of the glass, like a Highland Castle drawing room.  

Finish: The cherry notes leave their mark, this time backed with nutmeg and cinnamon spice alongside some sweeter vanilla notes. 

Overall: An OAP whisky who has wisdom, wit and can probably run a marathon quicker than most middle aged posers in their expensive sportswear. Keep an eye on it too...it'll probably have charmed the pants of your missus within five minutes of being introduced. A truly surprising elderly gent with the physique and personality of a whisky 30 years its Jr. If it were a real person it would clearly be this person...

It's Gin O'Clock People... Caskstrength Gin Tasting Class at the SouthBank Centre

After all the peated shenanigans of our recent visit to Islay, coupled with three solid days judging whisky this week at the IWSC Awards (we lost count at around 150 or so) our palates and tiny minds are a little shot.  So we thought the only way to counteract any ill-effects of whisky exposure was to dive headlong into white spirits instead... the Obi Wan to whisky's Vadar if you will.  

And with this in mind, we bring you news of a rather exciting gin tasting workshop we're hosting at the Southbank Centre in London on Wednesday 10th July. 

Caskstrength, In Association with The Southbank Centre Presents:

A Journey Into the refreshingly exciting world of premium gin!

Join us for an internationally flavoured journey into London's quintessential and best loved spirit, gin.

Experience how gin is made, discover the myriad botanicals that go into giving gin its unique flavour, try six outstanding premium gins from around the world as well as learn the secrets of making the best gin and tonic and perhaps the most iconic cocktail of all time, the classic gin Martini.

The evening promises a real experience into how gin took control of the City of London back in the 18th Century and how the thirst for gin has developed internationally over the past decade, including everywhere from the Philippines to Spain.

We'll also be joined by a Very Special Guest Gin Expert on the evening too, so it promises to be a botanical packed bonanza!

The event starts at 6.30pm and tickets are available to non members of the Southbank Centre, priced at £40 or £70 for two.  Numbers are limited, so get your skates on!

Let us know if you'd like to come along and we'll hook you up with the Southbank Centre or alternatively, feel free to Book Tickets Here:

TTFN!

Competition Time: Win A Pair Of Tickets to Jam & Dram 19th May

With a wonderful weekend of relaxing in the garden under our belts (with lashings of Bains Cape Mountain Whisky and ice) the weather shows no sign of abating today either, so whilst we're in a good mood, we've decided to give away TWO pairs of tickets (that's two lucky winners, innit) for the splendid whisky event Jam & Dram on Sunday 19th May run by our friends at The Whisky Lounge. Caskstrength will be compering the day, alongside hosting a series of blending workshops.  

On top of this, you'll also get chance to see Neil's brand new band, Prince Adewale & The Endeavours rockin' the Casbah with their debut gig, The Whisky Lounge Blues Band (featuring none other than The Whisky Lounge's Eddie Ludlow) and an unmissable, all-star performance from a beat combo, The Copper Dogs featuring our good friends and whisky cohorts: Sam Simmons (aka Dr Whisky), Cat Spencer from Master Of Malt, Whisky Magazine's Editor, Rob Allanson and Simon Roser from Simply Whisky. What's not to like about that!

To win a pair of tickets worth £50, all you need to do is email us at info@Caskstrength.net with your name, location, contact details and age. Entry for the competition closes at 12pm on the 13th May.  Please note that you'll need to make your own way to the event at London's Village Underground in Shoreditch, so if you're planning to enter from overseas, don't expect a pair of complimentary airline tickets too... ;-)

We'll be choosing the winning two entries at random on the 15th May.  

Good luck!

Neil & Joel x

18 Under 30 Part 17: Compass Box Asyla

Will someone turn the (Christmas) lights off when they leave?  

It seems that now all of us have survived the so-called Mayan Apocalypse, festive relief has truly set in across the globe and most of us decided to skip off work today, in search of a few last Christmas bargains they can get their hands on before settling back into a week of pure indulgence.

That is certainly the case for the Caskstrength office anyway -  Harrison, decided to clock off last Friday (Bah, Humbug indeed)  and headed for Scotland (alright for some, eh) whilst I ably manned the phones and the company Visa card -  keenly perusing the internet for whisky porn bargains.

And as part of our ongoing 18 Under £30 series, I've sought out another cracker, this time from our pals at Compass Box.

John Glaser and his team have, for over a decade, been putting together some excellent blended whiskies, including sublime grains and essential malt-based bottlings - all under the maxim, 'Above All, Share & Enjoy', which is a sentiment we wholeheartedly second.




So if you fancy something a little bit different over Christmas, remember the versatility of a quality blend: straight up, over ice, with sparkling water or as part of a cocktail, bottlings like Great King Street (£23.99) and the richer, more complex Spice Tree (£37.32) will serve you very well indeed.  However, our 18 Under 30 wouldn't be complete without this little offer: Compass Box Asyla for under £30!

Compass Box - Asyla - Blended Scotch Whisky - 40% 70cl

Nose: Some seriously fruity notes of fresh orchard fruit (red apples, plums) wrestle with some distinct melon freshness, a blast of sweet grain and a waft of subtle smoke.  

Palate: Sweet at first, with plum jam, some sliced apple, sweetened breakfast cereal, vanilla notes and again just a wisp of smoke.  Balanced, yet bold enough to punch through in a long drink or cocktail.

Finish: Lingering notes of vanilla and a little liquorice/anise spice, alongside some malty bread.

Overall:  One of the core Compass Box range and easy to see why - Asyla is well blended, stupidly easy to drink and as we mentioned above, extremely versatile.   Blending at its best. 

Compass Box Asyla is available for under £30 here and here.

18 Under 30 Part 14: Make It A Very Cocchi Christmas

Wow, 14 products in now and after the dreadful experience of the 'whisky wee bag' we reviewed on Monday, we needed something stupendous to take away both the bad taste and the feeling of pouring good money down the drain.  When faced with this situation, we've found that the only thing to do is to simply shrug it off and make a cocktail.

So that is just what we did and in keeping with our festive good cheer, we've decided to leaf through some unusual, but absolutely delightful vermouths, that deserve a place in any discerning drinker's cocktail cabinet.

Christmas is a chance to show one's siblings and parents that hanging out in bars isn't really such a bad career choice.  On the contrary, if you can whip them up something superb in a chilled, zested coupe glass, then they've fallen headlong into your trap and soon, even your granny will want a tour of the Shoreditch or Edinburgh speakeasies, eager to track down the best cask-aged Martinez known to man.
With all this in mind, there's a wheely case steadily being prepared in the Caskstrength office, doubling as a portable bar, which includes many of the great bottlings we've reviewed over the past 2 weeks -  and its newest addition is three different fortified wines from the wonderfully named Cocchi.

Giulio Cocchi founded his wine and spirits business in the late 19th century in Florence, famously exporting Asti Spumante sparkling wine across the globe and establishing a flourishing number of cafe-bars.  Alongside his passion for the fizzy stuff, Cocchi produced some wonderfully aromatic fortified wines, including his Barolo Chinato, Vermouth di Torino and Cocchi Americano, the latter two purportedly having recipes dating back to around 1891. These vermouths became immensely popular as aperitif drinks, but later as key ingredients in cocktails and fortunately, after a lengthy absence, Cocchi vermouths are now back on the menus in some of the world's most prestigious bars... and fortunately for us, to take home too.

Cocchi Barolo Chinato has been relaunched, using a recipe that brings together some of the best wines from the Nebbiolo grape variety, alongside Chinese Calissaja bark, gentian, cardamom seeds and rhubarb root to create a very uniquely flavoured fortified wine indeed.  On its own as an aperitif or poured over ice, it gives off a hugely complex aroma of dark chocolate, bitter cinnamon bark and and citrus notes, alongside a bold, plummy and fruit laden palate. In fact, it's possibly the most essential Christmas flavour that you never knew you needed! Couple this with a bar of wonderfully rich chocolate covered Niederegger Marzipan (the finest available IMHO) and your in festive heaven.

Cocchi Barolo Chinato is available for £29.95 here

Being that we like a cocktail or two, we found time to 'Cocchify' three of our favourites:  The whisk(e)y based Manhattan and the gin-based Martinez and Vesper. Here, Cocchi's vermouths come into their own, the rich notes in the Vermouth di Torino coming from a recipe harking back to the its original introduction back in 1891, rereleased to coincide with the 120 birthday of the House of Cocchi.

In a Manhattan, using 50ml Pikesville rye whiskey as the base, 25ml Cocchi VdT and a dash of Bitter Truth's Jerry Thomas Bitters, the Cocchi highlights the more robust, peppery notes found in the rye and the smooth well-rounded fruitiness gives the drink a real sumptuousness.  In fact, it might just have pipped our previously favourite vermouth, Antica Formula, to the punch.






Our Martinez, used the rather intriguing creation of Master Of Malt's Cream Gin, made in conjunction with our great friend and colleague, Ryan Chetiyawardana, for a really authentic, late 19th Century feel. Using 60ml of Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, 30ml of Cream Gin, a bar spoon of Maraschino liqueur and 2 dashes of Bokers bitters.


Oh my...  The aromatic botanical notes in the gin really start to come alive with the bitterness of the vermouth, but the cocktail has a rich sweetness too, dark chocolate, cinnamon and anise all jumping out.  As Martinez cocktails go, this one is our favourite recipes by a long way.

Cocchi Vermouth di Torino is available for £17.75 here

Our final cocktail uses Cocchi's Americano Aperitivo.  It has a very citrus'y feel, with grapefruit juice, orange zests and an intense bitterness (from the cinchona bark, which is where quinine comes from)

With a Vesper, to be frank, you know you're drinking a  f**king powerful cocktail: the classic recipe, as created by the master of espionage himself, Ian Fleming, calls for three measures of Gordon's gin, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet (a sweet, aromatic, gold-coloured vermouth) and a lemon peel as a garnish.  Here, we decided to plump for the superlative experience of Berry's No.3 gin,  Ketel One vodka and a, shall we say, gentleman's pour of the Cocchi Americano in place of the Lillet.


The result is a fabulously clean, sophisticated drink, with a wonderful citrus balance and dry/aromatic botanical hit, which lingers for ages on the palate. An outstanding drink in every stretch of the imagination.

Cocchi Americano Aperitivo is available for £15.75 here

18 Under 30 Part 13: Drinks By The Dram (Not Optimum Spirits Blended Whisky)

In this series of our top picks for items under £30, we have looked at some excellent offerings which give you fantastic 'bang for your buck'. However, it can be a total minefield out there, and you have to be very careful when treading the boards at the lower end of the marketplace.

Okay, this is also true at the top end of the whisky world, too. But it seems to be a truism that at the higher end, you're much more likely to get a bottle of excellent booze than you are the bottom end of the scale. It's just that at the very high end, the big question tends to be around 'value for money', because if something has an extreme price tag attached, the key element is 'just how good is the hooch'?

Hopefully this selection of short posts will acts as some sort of a guide when it comes to the cheaper bottles around; your pillars of fire in the night and cloud in the day, to guide you to the best purchases in town. But on this one occasion, we're not just going to give you some advice on what to spend your 'hard earned' on, but also something to studiously avoid...

So our first DON'T EVEN GO THERE EVEN FOR UNDER £30 comes in the form of this hideous monstrosity:

"Optimum Spirits Blended Whisky"

Sitting comfortably on the shelf of my local Tesco store, in the Scotch Malt Whisky section, (you naughty, nautghy people, Tesco, you) the label doesn't mention the word 'Scotch' at all. In fact, one quick glance at the rear of this 'eco refill pack' shows it's actually from a Dutch distillery, the Toorank Distillery (I guess with a name like this, at least there's a modicum of honesty...) to be precise... which most certainly makes this NOT a Scotch whisky.

It's not often that we sing the praises of the Scotch Whisky Association (who can be seen to tie the creative hands of the whisky-making community in Scotland a little). However, it is situations such as this where you'd hope they'd flex some of the muscle of which they so often talk and at least have a word with Tesco to make sure this item is not simply stuck in the middle of the 'Scotch' bottles on the shelf. 

How about some sort of stickering to make the average consumer aware of the authenticity of the 'whisky' inside this pouch? And I've not even begun to describe the giant '14' on the front label. 14 Years Old? Nope, '14 servings of whisky inside'... I think Michael Caine put it perfectly, here, when it comes to this product.

In the interests of good journalism, I decided to purchase a packet for the princely sum of £8. Yes, that's £8 Shall we see what we get for our money:

Optimum Spirits Blended Whisky – 14 Servings – 30% abv - 35cl - £8

Nose: There are the typical notes of heavy grain whisky, with a huge amount of spirit and acetone. This whisky is YOUNG! As a result, some tinned peaches in syrup and a hint of fresh pine are about all you're going to get.

Palate: Ugh, this is simply one of the worst whiskies I've ever tasted. It's like a bad Frankie Boyle joke: bitter, horrible and leaves an awful taste in your mouth. It's like someone has tried to glue my mouth shut using a fixer made not from the whole of a horse, but just from the genitalia.

Finish: If I'm being polite: very young, spirit tones and a hint of bright banana. If I'm being honest: salty and synthetic... utterly awful.

Overview: “Dear Tesco: what the f- do you think you're playing at?! Seriously. With this stuff, I might have to get all Malcolm Tucker on your ass...”

So, what do you buy for your £8 which might be better than this total liquid let down, this purgatory in a pouch? 

Well, not a lot to be honest. 

Yesterday's £10-ish 20cl of Lagavulin 16 doesn't so much as play both Emperor and King over this Jester of an offering, but also plays God to something which tastes like Satan's house whisky from the bowels of hell.

But if £8 is your limit, your absolute maximum for a purchase, then head over to Master of Malt, who do their wonderful 'Drinks By The Dram' selection. Here, you may only get 10% of the size of the pouch above, but you won't feel like you've had Dutch squatters in your mouth, using your tongue for a mattress and your molars as toilets.

Rev O'lution: Master Of Malt 30 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Turning thirty is both an exciting and daunting time in anyone’s life. As I speed towards my 33^rd birthday, in the middle of this coming week, I can hardly believe how fast life moves. And it doesn’t seem to get any slower.

But late November is a difficult time of the year to have a birthday. Too tempting is it for people to fob you off with a ‘joint-birthday and Christmas present’, not an issue friends of mine with their life anniversary in June or July seem to have a problem with. There are two points of celebration: birthday and Christmas. So I’ll have two presents please, unless specified otherwise...

This year, there are many things on the birthday list, from cocktail accessories to the yearly Oxford United shirt with ‘HARRISON’ emblazoned on the reverse, but, despite working in the business, whisky usually makes an appearance of some sort.

Each year we host an annual award, the Best In Glass (BIG)where Neil and I choose the top ten drams from the year with a very simple criteria: the product must be commercially available (no special releases or single cask festival bottling, etc) and first released in the year of the judging (so, 2012 for this years batch). With the judging just around the corner, our selections have been made. Pleasingly, nine of the ten of this year’s finalist are under £100 with the tenth being under £200.

As the judging is done blind, it would be wrong of me to publish a pre-birthday wish-list of whiskies released this year (but feel free to send vintage bottles!) but one thing that is always welcome is whisky from the year of my birth, 1979.

As per my 30^th birthday, I’m currently building up a selection from that vintage which I will roll out in seven years time at an uber-40^th birthday bash. Last year was my brother, the Rev Oliver Harrison’s 40^th. As well as being a man of the cloth, a keen fisherman, motorcycle enthusiast, a collector of vintage shaving equipment and , ergo, the shaving correspondent for The Chap magazine, he is also a burgeoning whisky drinker.

With so many hobbies, it was a difficult decision for what to get the old lad for his big four-o last year, but after some hard searching, I settle on a bottle of the Master of Malt 40 Year old Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Having delivered it at his birthday bash in early November 2011, I was reliably informed by his wife that it was ‘pretty much gone’ by the time midnight mass on Christmas Eve rolled around. 

I hope he wasn’t using it for the communion... Humm, 40 year old Scotch and an oak cake. That’d have your Parish attendance up. Never mind current debates, the Church of England will be ordaining all sorts in the role of Bishop if that was the regular Clerical juice.

The series of ‘statement age’ (as opposed to ‘age statement’) whiskies from Master of Malt have seemed to go down very well, to the point where a new batch of releases has been issues, at 30, 40 and a whopping 50 Years Old.

Master Of Malt – 30 Year Old Speyside – 5^th Edition – 43% ABV - £129.95

Nose: The first aromas to make themselves known as the rich butterscotch tones, backed with some apricot jam. There is a good balance between sweetness (honey) and savoury (freshly picked Chantereles) and over time the oak appears. These elements are pinned to a foundation of dusty warehouse. This shows off its age in a subtle way.

Palate: The first impression is vanilla, packed with those apricots and peach melba. Lots of tinned fruit and some spices (cardamom and fennel) burst through. There are hints of fresh mint tea with a spoonful of brown sugar and finally the savoury tones from the nose provide a depth of lasting flavour. With water, the spices become much more prominent.

Finish:  The old oak notes stay harnessed to the back of the palate and finally give way to some vanilla and malty milk chocolate flavours.

Overall: You’ll get nailed when looking for a good value bottle of thirty year old whisky if it comes in a proprietary bottling, so indie bottlers are a good place to turn if you want to make sure there is some money left if your wallet when gifting at certain vintages such as thirty or forty and this edition from Master of Malt fills that role nicely. Esp at less than £130.

This year, I hope that Santa comes early to drop me a wee bottle of something and wish me Bonne Anniversaire. With my big day falling on a Wed and being in transit in Scotland that day, I might have to wait until the weekend to lounge around my house drinking whatever arrives in the only thing suitable: my birthday suit.

The Most Adventurous Advent...

I. Love. Christmas. 

In the run up to Christmas, every company seems to roll out 'ideal' whisky related gift ideas:  whisky books, that haven't sold very well throughout the year are now re-badged as the 'perfect gift for dad', in addition to repackaged or newly released whiskies - some actually reflecting the festive flavours and aromas we associate with Christmas.     Recently, we reviewed a rather wonderful Mature your Own Whisky kit from the Copper Fox Distillery, which, in our opinion is about as perfect a Christmas present as we can think of, assuming that boredom and the brooding cabin fever of staying with the in- laws doesn't lead to just drinking the immature newmake spirit after a couple of days.

But all these pail into comparison next to the latest work of genius from Master Of Malt.  Not only have they solved the tricky problem of counting down the days to Christmas, but they've also come up with the gift-that-keeps-on-giving for every big kid on the planet.  Move over chocolate-filled advent calendars... here's the whisky-filled advent calendar.

The premise is so deliciously simple.  24 doors, each one with a different 3cl individual wax sealed Drinks By The Dram style miniature.  And behind one of the doors (maybe the 24th?) is a measure of 50 year old whisky.

Yes, this is perhaps the most expensive advent calendar in the world (£149) (ed... actually not, as it would seem Harrods once released this gratuitously opulent monstrosity) but it's a total no-brainer, for the sheer brilliance of a dram a day in the run up to Christmas...imagine the anticipation of just what's behind each of those malt-filled doors of joy...

And for those who aren't keen on whisky (why are you reading this blog??!) MOM have put together a gin-based advent calendar too.  

Gents, we salute you.  Festive idea of the year, hands down...

For more information on the whisky advent calendar, visit Master Of Malt.  But get your (ice) skates on... there's only 19 says left till 'door one'... ;-)

Now That's What I Call Maturation... Volume One!

Here at Caskstrength, we love new whisky related-stuff.  The moment we saw a fully operational three litre copper pot still for sale by the side of the road in rural Portugal, we knew we had to have it.  As you may recall, we had a crack at using it (well someone resembling us anyway) and the results were really rather impressive...well, to us anyway.  The point we're trying to make here is that whether or not the spirit which ran from our little gem is deemed to be any good, we had a fantastic time understanding the principles of distillation (albeit on a micro scale) and it only served to highlight how hard the art of the commercial distiller is.

Recently we took the opportunity to explore another key aspect of the whisky making process, from a micro scale - this time in the shape of a brilliantly novel kit, retailed by a US craft distiller.  The Copper Fox distillery, neatly situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia (hang on, this is the opening line of a wonderful song, is it not?) have, under the tenacious eye of owner Rick Wasmund, been bottling some really interesting expressions - from a spanking single malt, the barley smoked using apple and cherry wood, through to a rye whiskey, with a wonderfully malty spicy character.    One of their latest endeavours is to bring the art of maturation straight out of their Virginia warehouses and into the homes of every would-be distiller/whisky enthusiast interested in the effects of wood on a new make spirit.  The bottom line here isn't to achieve perfection, but to have a bit of fun, play around and experiment.

Wasmund's Mature Your Own Whisky Kit (WMYOW) is now available in Europe for the first time (retailing at £120 from The Whisky Exchange and at its heart comes a miniature two litre charred American oak cask and two 75cl bottles of either the single malt new make spirit or, if you're so inclined, the same quantity of the rye new make.  Both new makes roll in at 62% and the cask is, according to Wasmund, 'of a medium char style'.

Well, we couldn't resist, so now the Caskstrength office has now become a little test haven for maturation.  Speyside dunnage-style it certainly isn't, that's for sure - and i'm pretty sure the view from our windows in Exmouth Market is of the local Post Office sorting office, not the Blue Ridge Mountains.

We plumped for the rye option and set to work ensuring the cask was going to be watertight, by first filling it with room temperature water, then spraying the outer surfaces regularly.  After a day, our little wooden beast was ready to go and we marked 'M Day' as Saturday 20st October.   We'll be monitoring the spirit regularly over the next few months, but by way of a first update one week after filling, the news is interesting.  

Wasmund's rye new make is very fruity, with some spiced notes, a hint of smoke (freshly cut green apples) and some fine citrus notes. As a control, we kept a small sample back to reference throughout the maturation experiment.  After a week in the warehouse with an occasional gentle rolling of the cask when we could remember, the spirit has already begun to evolve.  Gone is the initial fruity apple note, replaced with a lightly peppered meat, lots of charcoal and freshly sawn oak.  It is still youthful, immature and vibrant, but as expected, creeping in are the beginnings of what we were hoping to see.  The cask is clearly going to give this a lot of character in a short space of time, including colour, as you can see, taking on an initial light gold note.

One week, eh... If this was Scotland, that wouldn't even register on the maturation map yet.  In actual fact, it bodes well for our plans to re-use this cask for future experiments.  Because of its obvious dominance, putting something in as easily overpowered as a Scotch single malt would perhaps be foolish, without seasoning it prior to filling and this has thrown up all manner of possibilities - sherry, port, wine, peated whisky, rum, vermouth, cola?? who knows, but in any rate, the next few months will be a hugely fun-filled experience.

We'll be putting up regular updates on the rye on our Facebook page, including interim pics to show you the colour and tasting notes.  It's also been suggested that we could have some fun 'manipulating' the spirit to get more from the cask. Hmmm. Next week, Caskstrength are taking a jaunt across the Pyrenees in a very tasty Maserati GranTurismo, so perhaps I should sling the cask in the boot, for a little 'alpine agitation'? Or should we take a leaf from the Tuthilltown distillery and blast bass-heavy music through the cask? The sky's the limit here.

Hello... here comes the ultimate Maturation Playlist -  or if you like... Now That's What I call Maturation -  Volume One!! Watch this space...

Hot on the heels of this superb kit comes another equally interesting version from our chums at Master Of Malt.  The MOM MYOW kit (£99) includes a one litre kit and new make spirit made from malted barley. We'd love to see whether the results are similar to the rye kit we have.  If you decide to get either of these, please feel free to share the results with us -  we're pretty sure that no two whiskies will turn out the same.

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... 

Behind The Green Door

What a week... Only a few days ago, we released our second whisky and we're pleased to say that it is selling like the proverbial hot cakes... Only a few are available now, so if you fancy one, get skippin' along to Master Of Malt and grab one whilst they're still warm!

Also, I decided that Caskstrength Towers needed a bit of a facelift, given that several of the neighbouring residences all had their fastidious owners out painting, re-landscaping and making their home-from-homes more attractive.

Where to start?  Well, one of the windows at the back looked a bit jaded, so I stripped it all back and began to repaint it in a rather lovely green smoke shade. Then I noticed the front windowsills looked a little tired, so I bought new masonry paint ('sandstone'), which adheres to the regulations governing the house (CS Towers is actually a listed building!!)

Then I realised it looked ridiculous.  The shade of sandstone made by Farrow & Ball is clearly different to the one the place is already painted in.


So, with a grimace,  I began to paint the WHOLE DAMN HOUSE.

Housework on this scale is a little like becoming obsessed with high-end HiFi.  Once you start meddling, you start to change everything. Then once you've changed everything, you start all over again with the thing you first changed. Why did I have to start meddling...

So after two days, the facade of the house, the windows, the front garden and even the original victorian boot scraper have been tarted up.  Everything -  except the front door.

The existing door (in 'winter emerald green'- although it looks black in the picture above) looks nice enough -  but now it doesn't match the cocking windows.   Now i'm not sure if any of you have successfully painted a front door, but it seems bloody hard. Last time I did this, the pristine smooth finish bubbled and looked like the surface of the moon.  Epic fail.  So tomorrow, I will set out again to get it right, using overpriced Farrow & Ball oil paint, that will no doubt get everywhere, except smoothly across the panels on the door.

But beforehand, rather than thinking nightmarish thoughts about emerald paint, i'm going to enjoy some drams from the emerald isle... (see what I've done there...)

Recently, Joel and I were asked to chair the panel for the Irish Whiskey Masters, an industry awards run by Spirits Business magazine, which once again highlighted what we're all thinking: that Irish whiskey has never had it so good.

Sales across the board are hitting exceptional heights and with the news that both William Grant and Pernod Ricard are investing heavily in the category, the future looks glowing for the Emerald Isle.

So what of the current lot?  Well, you can take a look at the full list of award winners here in the Spirits Business.  In addition to these, last week we were sent a bevy of bottlings from a more obscure Irish whiskey brand.

The Wild Geese is not a name we're used to seeing in the pantheon of great Irish whiskeys.  In fact, taking away the historical puff that fills their website, there is very little to suggest who is actually behind the brand, where it is made and what the strategy is with the brand - (we've since discovered that it is produced by Cooley)  But the recent string of awards they've received gives a clear indication of what to expect.  The collection encompasses a standard blend, a single malt, a limited edition (which I think is a blend but the information available is unclear) and 'rare' (whatever that means)...and pretty decent they are too...

The Wild Geese -  'Untamed' - Classic Blend - Irish Whiskey - 40% 

Nose: Classic Irish whiskey fresh fruit and vanilla immediately burst through, alongside a little spiritiness, some pencil shavings and a light acacia honey.  Very delicate and top heavy. 

Palate: Very sweet and spirity with pear drops, sugar syrup, a little liquorice and a touch of citrus and green tea, sweetened with honey.  

Finish: Short, with a touch of green apple and a subtle maltiness as the palate dries.

Overall:  Lightweight and without a huge amount of character, this blend is inoffensive and certainly will appeal to those drinkers who have yet to really explore the Irish whiskey category. However for those who are already tuned in to the spirit, this blend (as pleasant as it is) is probably a little too light weight in the complexity dept to get your palate dancing a jig. 

Next up Wild Geese single malt:

The Wild Geese - Single Malt - NAS - 43%

Nose: Oily and rich, with liquorice, a touch of clove, unripe banana, fizzy lemon sherbet sweets and fresh nectarine notes.   

Palate: Not what I expected at all.  Slightly biscuity, with a touch of turned earth, a little leatheriness, icing sugar and a touch of medicinal lozenges. 

Finish: Some of the fruity notes (banana and nectarine) begin to make a return to the palate as it dries, with a lingering note of something fresh and green - unripe green apple. 

Overall:  With a nice oily backdrop in the fragrance dept, this will surprise with its more buttery, malty palate.  A very solid Irish single malt -  perhaps lacking the outer edges to make it a real stand out but decent nonetheless. 

The Wild Geese - Limited Edition Forth Centennial - 43% 

Nose: Immediate notes of tropical fruit, golden syrup, vanilla, demerera sugar and fresh cream. very nice indeed. Dig deeper and meringue notes begin to develop, drizzled in fresh raspberries and marzipan.  

Palate: The marzipan continues onto the palate, with a touch of lemon zest, a little nuttiness, some milk chocolate and more red berry fruit.   Given a dash of water, some warming spice (liquorice and clove) develop, alongside a creaminess.  

Finish: All too fleeting unfortunately, with remnants of the cream and fruit dashing from the palate swiftly, leaving a lingering note of vanilla.

Overall:  A very approachable whiskey, with a fine balance of fruitiness and sweetness. 

Finally -  Wild Geese Rare.  As we've mentioned on here before, a bugbear of ours is when companies use unquantifiable terms like 'small batch' and 'rare'.  If this is rare -  tell us why it's rare!! grrr. 

The Wild Geese - Rare - 43%

Nose: Stewed apple, some cinnamon spice, candle wax, a little fresh gooseberry and a more floral note than the others - powder puffs and lavender draw liners perhaps? Quite why I know such aromas is another matter, not for discussion on here... ;-) 

Palate: Creamy, with a toffee note, followed up by vanilla notes, some light citrus zest (lemons) and a little crumbled digestive biscuit.  A dash of water reveals a more spicy side with some liquorice notes developing nicely. 

Finish:  A little thin, but with lingering notes of chocolate malt, lemon zest and green apple.

Overall: Well, I'm still not sure quite why this is deemed to be 'rare' but it is certainly an enjoyable and easy drinking Irish whiskey.  It probably hasn't got the dancing legs of the Forth Centennial release, but is well worth seeking out in its own right.