Hug A Hoodie: Quick Fire Ramblings: Highland Park Dark Origins & Bowmore Tempest Batch 5

Well, it's bloody hot today. At this time of the year in the UK, it's clearly impossible to predict any kind of temperature in advance. A day ago, I was sheltering from the howling gale and rain under a tree (wearing a hooded top) beside a tennis court, thinking why did I decide to peruse such a stupid outdoor pastime.  In an hour, I shall be slipping into the comfort (!) of a woollen dinner suit and bow tie for an evening event. Why?? Damn You Mother Nature!

Anyway, with such complete contradictions afoot, it's probably a good time to review some arguably un-summery whiskies that we have sitting in our office, probably waiting for a cold snap to take hold.

Recently Highland Park launched a brand new expression called Dark Origins, supposedly to celebrate the unorthodox working methods of the distillery's founder, Magnus Eunson, who operated his shady business as an illicit distiller largely in the shadows, away from the prying eye of the exciseman.

Dark Origins comes complete with a hooded chap on the label (who, if we're honest, looks a little more 'urban' than the likes of a Hebridean distiller) and the whisky itself is comprised of twice as many first fill sherry casks than the classic formulation of the 12 year old, aiming for a richer, darker and altogether more muscular whisky.  Have they succeeded?

Highland Park - Dark Origins -  46.8% - NAS - RRP £65

Nose: Certainly an abundance of full bodied sherry notes on the first sniff: caramel, chopped nuts, a little mustiness, molasses, all balanced with a waft of smoke.  It is reminiscent of the 12 year old, but has more depth. So far so good.

Palate: Very tarry, sooty and oily. The peat gives this a charred, slightly bitter approach, taking it away from the classic floral, honeyed sweetness of the 12 year old. There is lingering wood, a slight creosote and a bold menthol undertone, but one can't help but be overpowered by sootiness. The most smoky HP to date?  Very probably, but it will certainly take some getting use to. Given time, a sweeter note develops, helping to balance out the proceedings. 

Finish: Lingering wood, a little pepper and charred meat notes round out a very dry finish.

Overall: A hard to understand beast, this one.  The nose reveals a lot of real complexity, alongside all the clearly intended darkness, but the palate is full-on beat-you-about-the-head-and-neck-with-a-fence-post stuff.  Put it this way, it's like walking through Croydon late on a Saturday night.  In the shadows lurk danger: Terrifying, but just a little bit exciting at the same time. They should start producing hoodies at the distillery shop... 

Next up and the latest instalment in Bowmore's well received Tempest series. Now five batches in, the series sees no sign of slowing down, nor changing direction, short of the subtle differences between the batches.  It is bottled at 55.9%  and rocks up around £50 as a price point. Not too shabby considering what else lies at this price point. In terms of maturation style, this should be a sharp contrast to the Highland Park above, as it is drawn from first fill bourbon casks, giving a lighter, brighter note. Less hoodie, more boating blazer?  We reviewed the last batch here - and if this turns out any where near as good, Bowmore will have done it again. 

Bowmore - Tempest -  Small Batch - Edition 5 - 10 Years Old - 55.9% RRP £50

Nose: A subtle floral/fruity peat emerges first, alongside fresh sponge cake, golden syrup a touch of almond oil and marzipan. Dig deeper and you'll find ripe banana, a touch of plasticine and a surprising mossy/leaf note.  

Palate: The peat is kept in check by a zesty lemon note, some soft brown sugar, fudge topped muffins and very creamy coffee.  In fact, this could be the most confectionery- influenced batch yet. Another sip reveals more marzipan and a touch of menthol tobacco, the floral peat returning right at the end.  

Finish: Slightly dry, but with bags of underlying, lingering floral smoke.

Overall: Another tick in the 'excellent' box from this batch. Again, it offers balance, character and accessibility, but is robust enough for those who are looking for a peaty whisky to ooze additional character.  

Northern Lights: Highland Park Freya 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

When I'm king, there will be certain things that I shall outlaw. Of the ever growing list, here are just four:

Separate hot and cold taps.

I can understand the idea of a tap solely for the use of cold water, but whoever wants tap to produce simply scalding water? Not me. Neither do I want to keep adjusting two taps when filling a bath or a basin with water. Nope, I want a mixer tap.

I remember reading once that the wonderfully talented artist Jack White was asked why he didn't choose to live in the UK, after marrying his English wife. His response: "why would I want to live in a country with separate hot and cold taps?".

Yup, good point.

The pretence of two single beds pushed together in a hotel, being sold as a 'double bed'.

No it isn't. It is two single beds pushed together, where you always end up sleeping on the uncomfortable ridge that develops between the two. #MiddleClassWoe

Middle Class Dreadlocks.

If I raise kids and they've got dreadlocks, I will consider myself a failed parent.

Centre Lights.

Hideous things, the centre light is the thug of the lighting world, illuminating a room in an overly aggressive way, creating a harsh and unforgiving atmosphere and using brightness to swear directly into your eyeballs. Not even the humble dimmer switch can save it.

Urgh. Give me 3 well-placed lamps over one bright centre light any day.

Mother Nature's interior design has the sun as her centre light. Being a Scando, I tend to melt in the searing midday heat and much prefer the mood lighting which she throws,  courtesy of the aurora borealis or the 'Northern Lights' as they are more commonly known.

Cast into the night sky as a result of “the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere” (thanks Wiki!), in the days of the Vikings the phenomenon was attributed, as most things were, to one of their gods. Or more accurately, goddesses, Freya.

Whisky is no stranger to flirting with one of Mother Nature’s most beautiful accidents (see The Dalmore ‘Aurora’) and here we find Highland Park linking their new limited edition bottling from their Valhalla series with the ethereal beauty of Freya.

Pioneering in their development of liquid to match personalities, this Highland Park series started with the muscle-man Thor (a big flavour of a whisky), moved on to shape-shifter and trickster Loki (a crazy beast different on the nose, palate and finish) before embracing the female side of Norse folklore, with Freya a whisky matured, unusally for HP, in first fill ex-bourbon American Oak casks.

Highland Park – Freya – 15 Years Old – Limited to 19,000 - 51.2% abv - £140.00 RRP

Nose: A delicate smoke lifts up lemon meringue pie, heather honey, a big whack of vanilla and some candy floss. On the back of the nose, custard cream biscuits and a touch of menthol.

Palate: A delicate smoke creates a bed of flavour that gives more of the lemon meringue pie, some critical, a hint of chamois leather and... a big hit of fresh pine and vanilla. With water, the vanilla develops more body and flavour, giving a sweeter palate all round.

Finish: The peat comes through big time on the finish. One of the more peated Highland Park I’ve ever had. If I was given this blind, I’d have begged it much more as an Islay than an Orkney. Maybe a young Caol Ila. With water, plenty more vanilla and some lemon drizzle cake along with water melon at the death.

Overall: Freya does indeed deliver all that she reflects in her recorded character: it is a light whisky which comes across as young for its age (I would have Freya down as having a little more guile, a little more wisdom, underpinning her beauty) but with a wisp of smoke to remind us that this isn't a Lowland whisky, but from an island. Big on the peat, this is more Islay than Orkney, but that’s a nice turn for Highland Park and shows they can play in a more peaty arena.

Certainly drinkable, Freya wouldn't be our first name on the team sheet when it comes to recent Highland Park Valhalla releases (Thor still stands out as the exceptional one), but it certainly won't disappoint those looking for a lighter HP with a bigger focus on smoke, a counterbalance to the richness of the 18yo+ releases and the higher end GTR releases.

The Rise Of English Whisky

Funny old business, whisky making. So steeped in tradition, proud values and time-honoured recipes and practices.  Yet on the other hand, so vibrant, challenging and bubbling with creativity. Well some of it. 

Recently we've seen a massive growth in craft distilling in the US, so much so that to a point, the whole 'craft' thing has somewhat 'Jumped the Shark', (look it up if you're not familiar with this phrase) with a new whisk(e)y seemingly being created every week by a micro distiller.  These 'whiskies' are seldom whisk(e)y but just spirit, rested in oak and fired out the door to try and nail down the spiralling costs that running a distillery presents.  

However some distillers, like the magnificent Balcones, Tuthilltown and Corsair have taken their time, experimented in the right way and diversified their businesses to offer genuinely different products that have captured the attention of a very crowded market place, now gaining international reputations and - importantly, distribution.     

But the same thing hasn't really kicked off here in the UK -  yet. 

Last week saw the very first spirit run from London's newest craft distillery, The London Distillery Company in Battersea, which has been producing a gin for the past year to supplement the business plan of actually creating a new spirit from scratch. Finally, after months of wrangling, HMRC granted LDC a license to distil the first malt spirit in the capital -  the first in over a century, since the Lea Valley Distillery closed in 1910.  

What does this all mean? Well, the precedent has now been set for other would-be distillers to follow suite and similarly create something from scratch. Rather than the dusty, leather-bound rule book being ripped up, it has just been re-published in a handy, wipe clean paperback size, which seems to be a good thing.  

In a little under three years and a day now, we'll be able to clearly see whether the LDC has achieved its objectives and made a single malt whisky as brilliant as that produced by, let's say, Kilchoman on Islay, or more appropriately, St George's in Norfolk especially after such a short time. Until then, let's applaud someone for moving things forward and boldly opening the doors on so many distilling possibilities. 

Of course, an English whisky is nothing new.  As mentioned above, St George's in Norfolk have been distilling successfully since 2006.  Then in 2010 came the Adnams Brewery, who only last week released their very first 'whisky'- two in fact.  

Adnams have taken a great position in the new emerging sphere of English whisky, by applying their brewing prowess (which spans some 140 years) and coupling it with brand new distilling technology. With stills that look like they have been lifted from the pages of a Jules Verne novel, Jonathan Adnams, Head Distiller John McCarthy and his team have already successfully built a formidable distilling reputation with several very creative recipes: Oak aged vodka matured in French oak, Spirit Of Broadside, using the classic Broadside ale and now a brace of 'actual' whiskies:  a traditional single malt matured in French oak and a triple grain, using East Anglian barley, wheat and oats, which is then matured in American oak.

Only 20 casks have been produced in this first batch (dating back to a fill date of November 2010), but the results are impressive indeed -  at least when it comes to the triple grain, which we have been lucky enough to sample.

Adnams -  Triple Grain Whisky  - Three Years Old - 43%

Nose: An initial spirit note gives way after a few seconds in the glass revealing some slightly sweet boiled vegetable notes, vanilla, golden syrup, porridge oats, gingerbread and rich dark chocolate.  It's slightly unusual at first, then the true picture of the recipe comes to life.  

Palate: The malty notes from the nose develop into malted chocolate milkshake, creamy oak, a hint of white pepper and caramelised peaches. The influence of the oats is very noticeable here and the lingering sweet cereal really shifts this up a gear. 

Finish: The malt notes deliver a slightly spicy note as the palate dries, with a return of the oak and the vanilla.  

Overall: Undeniably youthful, but cleverly delivered. This triple grain has balance, emerging complexity and a personality all of its own and we can't wait to see where it develops with more time in cask. If the single malt (which we haven't tried) can replicate this potential, then the category of 'English whisky' is very much alive, full of vitality and growing in stature by the day. The gauntlet has been thrown down to all.  Who will pick it up next? 

Look out next week for a review of The One, the UK's first 'British Whisky'... Intrigued? So are we. 

What's In A Name: Port Askaig 12 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The music business is littered with acts which have changed their name at some stage, to avoid confusion with other, likeminded creatives. Be it a simple hyphen added (in the case of UK indie band Long-View), a location specific addendum (in the case of The London Suede) or a total surname change (take a stand Cheryl Cole), the act you see on stage on hear on record will be the same talented* artist as they were before.

Because as consumers, we’re easily confused. Or so the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) would have you believe. Recently they changed their labelling regulations to make sure that each and every bottle of whisky you buy is clearly identifiable as to where it was made. Sort of.

For years now, bottlers have been buying single malts (or blending whiskies) and selling them under names akin to mythical distilleries; the sort of bottle you’d see on the shelf of your local supermarket maybe, with a watercolour of an anonymous country estate in the background.

It was deemed by the SWA that this could be confusing to consumers who might think they’re getting a single malt from an actual, real life distillery (which they are, if it says ‘single malt’ on the label) but when trying to visit Glen Narnia, might find that the place name on the label of their favourite bottle doesn’t really exist.

Anyway, one of the excellent independent bottles who chose to adjust its name to come in to line with the recent change in regulations, is Port Askaig (or Port Askaig Harbour as it became known). Thankfully back to its original moniker, the name was chosen to mirror a rough estimation of where the liquid in these releases apparently comes from (I’ll save you looking it up: Caol Ila), taking it's name after Islay's lesser known, much more northerly, port. However, with a cryptic, non-distillery specific name, it by no means ties this bottler down to only using liquid from that one distillery.

Proudly Islay-poduced, Port Askaig has a short but excellent history of previous releases (I’m still rueing not picking up a bottle of the very first batch of 17 years old which they release: pure nectar). In fact, I recently purchased a bottle of their now-gone 25 year old as a gift for a friend, such is my faith in the product.

Thus my excitement was tickled when, late last year a 12 year old version was added to the ranks at the decidedly perfect strength of 45.8%. Now where have we seen that ABV before...?

Port Askaig Harbour – 12 Years Old – Islay Single Malt – 45.8% abv – 70cl - £43.95 here

Nose: Vanilla and peat smoke give a bracing, coastal quality to this warming yet invigorating aroma. Elements of coal dust and dried seaweed give way to wet soil and heavy petrichor notes.

Palate: A good balance of salty sea spray, peat smoke and milk chocolate. This sits well and with a drop of water opens up the lighter vanilla and citrus tones to become a very easy drinking Islay malt (not in a low PPM way- this still packs a punch).

Finish: Chamois leather, grapefruit pith and peat smoke.

Overall: A very drinkable Islay malt. As other peaty whiskies move towards no age statements at this price point, if you want something that does carry an age and also packs a peaty punch, this could be for you. Much more Radiohead than On A Friday.

*hummm... debatable.

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!

18 Under 30 Part 15: Highland Park 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Oh! And our mailing list)

Oi! You! At the back! Can you still hear me? Good. We're nearing the end of our series of 18 great booze related products for under £30 and we finish our final four on three bottles of whisky and the obligatory Christmas book.

However, for a moment let me draw your attention to something that is totally, 100% free. And that is our mailout. All you need to do is stick your email address in the box to the right

and whenever we write a tasty little morsel of a post, it'll be emailed to you at 7pm (GMT) each day, fresh for you to read at your leisure; be that with a dram at home or on the way to / from work the following day.

But back to the whisky. The next three days will see us recommend our last three whiskies for under £30 and as we close in on Christmas we bring you two classics in quick succession.

The first is a must have if you're putting together a whisky cabinet for the first time. The Highland Park 12 is your introduction to island whiskies: once you're involved, it'll have you pushing for more and more expensive expressions of HP (the 18 Year Old is sublime and, personally, I have just added a third whisky to my Christmas collection of drinkers, the 21 Year Old at 40% ABV) as well opening you up to the delights of peated whisky. Not as heavy going as some of the booze from Islay, this is the delicate introduction to that world.

Highland Park - 12 Year Old- 40% vol - 70cl

Nose: Immediate wafts of brown sugar, lavender, parma violets, some waxy, cloudy honey and pencil shavings. Depth beyond its relatively young 12 years.

Palate: Something earthy and very woody- definite influence of sherry casks with a slight charcoal note coming through. Next, hints of sweet malty cereal make themselves apparent, and a richer creamy note similar to malted milk biscuits. Something quite moreish about this flavour, that's for sure.

Finish: Back to the wood and some dark lingering bitter coffee notes on the death. quite lengthy, with a hint of dryness.

Overall: The 12 year old represents a fine standard as the entry level HP on the block. It has enough refinement to stand up to some of it's older contemporaries and demonstrates just where the range is heading. Superb.

For a whisky under £30, this bottle is a must. As for the second, well, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what that is...

Under £30 here and here

One Likes Water With One's Whisky

Banksy's contribution to the Jubilee Celebrations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Singleton of Dufftown 18 Year Old Single Malt Whisky

We are surrounded  in life by things which are hugely successful but lack any real personality, managing to court the mainstream by being utterly bland and providing absolutely no challenge to the consumer whatsoever: 

Emma Bridgewater, Cath Kidston, Coldplay, Dan Brown, Nick Clegg, Pizza Express, The Hunger Games, the entire nation of Switzerland, every Nissan car ever made, Arsenal Football Club, Roger Federer, Kelloggs Cornflakes, Wednesdays, Starbucks, Dell computers, Fanta, the game of golf, the internet...

The Singleton of Dufftown - 18 Years Old  - 40% abv - 70cl 

Nose: Butterscotch, some runny honey, toasted rye bread, Manzanilla sherry

Palate: Pretty much the same as the nose with the addition of some nutty tones.

Finish: Pretty much the same as the palate with the nutty tones developing in to toasted brown bread with melting, unsalted butter.

Overall:

Shock and Oar: The Glenrothes 'Titanic' Whisky

Whisky is often used to commemorate great achievements, memorable dates and times of celebration. Take, for instance, The Macallan Royal Wedding bottling from last year. Or the John Walker & Sons £100,000 offering to celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee (of which I'm sure there will be other bottlings). Even the most mundane of occasions, Queen Of The South FC's 75th Anniversary for example, got its own bottling.

But what do all these events have in common? What is the theme, the thread that holds them all together? Well, all of the events are times of joyous celebration. A time when people gather together to hold street parties, hang bunting and turn their traditional half-and-half from a beer and a dram of Black Label to a glass of champers and single malt. Except for those celebrating QOTS's 75th Anniversary; I hear a deep fried Mars bar and an bottle of Buckfast did the job in Dumfries, that day...

Today is the 100th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the Titanic. I'm sure this fact hasn't escaped any of you, what with the insane amount of TV programmes made about it, as well as the over-hyped, over-advertised new 3D release of Titanic The Movie.

You'd think that the sinking of a ship only four days in to its maiden voyage killing 1,517 and leaving 710 survivors wouldn't be a reason to celebrate. And you'd be correct. However, as with every tragic event such as this, heart-warming stories of courage and bravery spring up like wild flowers in a forgotten weed-ridden garden.

One such story is that of the Countess of Rothes. A passenger on the ship when it stuck the fateful iceberg, she was one of the lucky few to make it into a lifeboat. However, the seamen who were charged with rowing the occupants to safety were weak and unskilled, so the Countess took charge over the vessel, rowing herself and organising the team of women onboard into shifts to keep the boat moving.

A contemporary account at the time from a Dr. Leader says: "The Countess is an expert oarswoman. She practically took command of our boat when it was found that the seamen who had been placed at the oars could not row skilfully. Several of the women took their place with the Countess at the oars and rowed in turns while the weak and unskilled stewards sat quietly in one end of the boat." This action earned the Countess the nickname "Plucky Little Countess".

A grand old lady of the sea, the Titanic was fitted out like a luxury hotel of the time and part of the high standards of this ship would have been the food, wine and spirits served onboard, but part of the ship's job was to transport goods to New York, the final destination for the passengers, crew and cargo. As London's premier supplier of high-end wines and spirits, Berry Bros & Rudd had several cases of wine and whisky purchased from them by wealthy New Yorkers, all of which was lost in the terrible tragedy.

As a result, the owners of the Titanic, White Star Lines, sent a letter to Berry Bros & Rudd detailing the loss of 69 cases of their wines and whiskies (Berry's Best, Berry Bros & Rudd Vatted Malt and Berry Bros & Rudd All Malt were the titles of the whiskies being carried) for insurance purposes which were aboard the liner. The letter, dated April 16th 1912 was sent just 2 days after the disaster.

Since then, something quite remarkable has happened. Due to a series of acquisitions, Berry Bros & Rudd today owns the rights to the single malt whisky Glenrothes, produced in the small Speyside town from where 'The Plucky Little Countess' hailed.

As a tribute to the memory of those onboard the Titanic on that fatefull evening and to remember the heroic efforts by the Countess in Lifeboat No. 8, Berry Bros & Rudd have a released a single cask Glenrothes, limited to 100 bottles only.

Berry's Own Selection / The Glenrothes - Single Cask No. 015190 - 13 Years Old (1998) - 45% abv

"Well matured In Sherry Wood" - this has been in 1st fill Oloroso sherry barrels

Nose: The first thing that comes to the nose is dark chocolate coco powder, followed by leather, apricots and stem ginger. Some toasted oak notes is backed up by freshly Bergamot peel, figs and runny honey.

Palate: A lovely soft sherry influence, with more of the Bergamot, some unsalted, hand churned butter on toasted hot cross buns (mixed dried fruits, baked white bread dough). Burnt sugar and figs (again). Orange creams and Pontefract cake.

Finish: Candied orange rolled in white sugar, some spices, gee and toasted pine nuts.

Overall: A really lovely whisky and a very good example of a Glenrothes. The sherry is not too dominant, leaving enough room for good distillery character to come through.

A fitting tribute to all those who lost their lives on the Titanic, yet a great way to celebrate the small, heroic moments which saved so many lives. This story shows that the Countess of Rothes really was one of the Premier Cru aboard the Titanic.

Is that a Linkwood in your pocket...?

New Year resolutions: they can be both frustrating and fascinating at the same time. They can provide an opportunity for a clean slate, a fresh start, a new dawn.

Maybe you have the desire to lose weight. You’ve adjusted your diet accordingly and the fridge is full of fresh veg, salad and lean meats. After some online research, you’ve joined a local gym. Two hours in the Nike store and you’ve walked out with a pair of trainers seemingly made from a kitchen sponge for the sole with an upper consisting of less made-made material than you’d see Jody Marsh wear on a night out. And you’ve paid a ton for the pleasure of running on some ‘air’, a substance which is traditionally free.

Six months later and the shoes are being worn to do the gardening, the gym silently steals fifty quid a month from your bank account by direct debit and your waistline has grown by exactly the same percentage as inflation, an irony not lost on you when looking into a new pair of jeans which actually the fit the ‘new you’.

A friend of mine has a good rule. She doesn’t make New Year resolutions, but gives each year a title, a la Chinese New Year. For example, this year could be your 'Year Of The Fish', in which you vow to eat more seafood. Or 'Year Of The Plane', where you make it an aim to travel more. This year is going to be my ‘Year Of Discovery’.

The aim for 2012 is for me to try new flavours and experiences which previously have passed me by. This could be as simple as going around The National Portrait Gallery (somewhere I walk past on an almost daily basis but, criminally, have never been in) through to trying new foods that I have never had before (‘white pudding’, anyone?). One area that this allows for in whisky is, of course, the ongoing journey of tasting whiskies from new distilleries, be they Scottish, Irish, American, Japanese or New World.

The first of this year’s palate-expanders is Linkwood, a dram I am not familiar with at all. Owned by Diageo, Linkwood gets a brief outing (as do all 28 Diageo malts) as a 12 Years Old Flora & Fauna bottling (around £40 here) and then a smattering of unusual releases such as a slot in the Managers’ Choice releases with a 1996 offering, some Rare Malts bottlings and some nifty little 50cl offering in 2008 finished in rum, red wine and port casks. All very interesting, but it seems the easiest way to track down some Linkwood is through independent bottlers, and where else should one turn than to the SMWS:

39.82 (Linkwood) – Suede Shoes Walking Through Clover – 13 Years Old – 60.0%

Nose: A sweet nose which gives wisps of hot buttered crumpets, pancakes dusted with sugar and lemon juice, honey and heather. With water, the heather becomes much more pronounced, as do white flowers and a touch of Champaign.

Palate: Delicate with plenty of floral notes, copper and vanilla custard, however it is a little too ‘hot’ without water. With water: The sweetness is balanced out with a pleasant salty undertone. Vanilla cream filled buns dusted with cinnamon and enhanced copper tones shine through.

Finish: Copper tones and more heather and honey without water. With water: the salt comes to the fore in the finish, disappearing in to lemon cheesecake with a tart, sweet lemon sauce.

Overall: A very nice dram which demands more than a drop of water to open it up. Not quite enough to muscle its way in to my top ten distilleries yet, but certainly worth the introduction. Maybe we’ll go on a few more ‘dates’ and see if we really click. Either way, I think I’ve made a new friend with whom I look forward to spending more time.

A good start to the whisky end of my 'Year Of Discovery'. The question is, how brave will I be when it comes to food, roller-coasters and clothes... eek.