Mon Sherried Whisky: The Balvenie SIngle Barrel 15 Year Old and The Glenlivet Nadurra Oloroso Edition

There is something quite glorious about a summer’s day. To be honest, here in London, it isn’t quite summer just yet, but we are at the start of a rather warm snap which will, fingers cross, will last across the weekend.

In the UK, this is the sign for women to raid their wardrobe for flowery Laura Ashley dresses and for men to bare their legs; but when it comes to whisky, our thoughts turn from heavily peated numbers, to lighter whiskies (grains and blends), served up in a highball glass with ice, topped up with soda water and a slice of something zesty.

And herein lies the exact reason why we all need a cabinet of drinks: there is no one ‘cure all’ spirit for that moment when you want to pour yourself a dram or mix yourself a cocktail.

Our advice for putting together a basic drinks selection is to build up your cabinet from the basics, making sure you have a good quality gin and vodka in your freezer, with plenty of ice and some glasses, too (if you don’t have a lot of room, then make sure you have four Martini glasses at the very least). If you can store highball glasses too, then a top tip is to put a small amount of water in the bottom of each glass, so you have a natural layer of ice in each one; brilliant for G&T’s.

Moving from the freezer to the fridge, ensure you have some cans of tonic and soda water, as well just some filtered water too.

Topping all this off, a good drinks cabinet should contain a nice brandy (go Armagnac for better value than Cognac), a good rum (two if you can afford it- one for sipping, one for mixing), some Tequila and cocktail bitters (Angostura at the very least). And then some whisky.

You’ll notice here that, save for the rum where you can reach out over several varieties and Tequila / Mezcal where you might want a sipping option as well as a mixer, whisky is where the greatest variation is to be found. If we were being honest, you probably could do with having the following in stock:

A Smoky Whisky: Preferably a single malt with a good level of peat smoke. Example: Lagavulin 16.

A Sipping Whisky: Not everyone likes peat, so have a non-peated offering, too. Could be a blend, single malt, a bourbon, Irish or Japanese whisky. Example: The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Years Old.

A Sunshine Whisky: A grain whisky or blend helps for those summer days when you want a long drink. Example: Cutty Sark Original.

So, in a basic cabinet we’d look at three different whisk(e)y offerings; quite a lot more than the others, but all playing different roles in the team.

In this blog we focus on all styles of whisky, trying to review them with their purpose in mind. As became evident in our look at flavoured whiskies recently, you can’t review something like J&B Urban Honey in the same way that you would a 40 Year Old Brora. Equally, as with Dave Broom’s new book The Manual, you shouldn’t be ashamed of mixing a ‘sipping single malt’, either.

When it comes to these single malt sippers, there are more and more appearing on the market all the time; some brand new offerings from indie distillers, others being released from major distillery names as range extensions.

One distillery who is undertaking a re-jig of their more niche offerings, is The Balvenie who have recently launched a couple of new single barrel expressions. It was a year ago when we reviewed their ‘new’ 12 Year Old First Fill American Oak Single Barrel, and the time has come again for another release from them, this time a 15 Year Old Oloroso Sherry cask.

The Balvenie – 15 Year Old Sherry Cask – Single Barrel – Cask Number 4440 – 47.8% avb – each batch has no more than 650 bottles – RRP £79.99

NOTE: These tasting notes are for one specific cask release, no. 4440. Other casks may differ.

Nose: Certainly a sherry cask whisky, this gives ginger and honey up front, some dusty oak and golden syrup, this isn’t hiding its roots. There is a slight Piri-Piri sauce element which develops over time. Returning to the nose after a while, the key elements have died a little and the spirit remains, giving a punchy youthfulness to the dram, but always with that Oloroso backbone of sweet spices.

Palate: Fresh apricots drizzled in honey sit atop cinnamon spices, some over ripe banana and rum and raisin milk chocolate. It is powerful with a hint of complexity, and some spiritus elements. Mouthfilling, the wood influence shines through towards the back of the palate giving plum chutney and more raisins.

Finish: Lots of ginger, runny honey and spices, which develop into nutmeg and cardamom.

Overall: This is a very tasty dram, which packs in big flavours with a good ABV balace, too. My preference is with a splash of water, which opens up the dram to reveal red cherries and heather honey, giving a better example of the smooth Balvenie spirit for which it is famed.

Another giant of the Speyside distillery world, who is also expanding a diffusion range (if you will) with an Oloroso matured edition, is The Glenlivet who welcome the ‘Oloroso Matured’ batch to the already popular Nadurra line. This will be the first ever 100% sherry matured offering from the distillery, under their own label. At the moment this is only available in Global Travel Retail, is a No Age Statement and is bottled at 48% abv but, as with other Nadurra releases, will see a ‘full strength’ edition hit local markets in the future.

The Glenlivet – Nadurra Oloroso Matured (batch OLO314) – NAS - 48% abv RRP TBC

Nose: More tropical fruits than the Balveinie, which is focuses more on ginger and honey. This is a fresher dram (I’d wager a touch younger, but not by a lot) and gives peach melba, fruit cake, cardamom and mango on the nose. A hint more summery than the Balvenie.

Palate: Cinnamon and Cardamom come through with a sprinkling of nutmeg. Blood Orange and fresh mint are backed with cigar box and a distinctly meaty tone of well aged rare steak, slightly peppered. It sits well on the palate, with the pepper and sweet sherry partnering well together.

Finish: Bloody orange meets vanilla macaroons to give a hearty, sweet finish which is mouth watering with a back drop of gala melon.

Overall: Again, this really opens up with a drop of water, smoothing it out reflect the distillery character and would be my preference to serve with a splash of H2O. It is going to be interesting to see how this works at an even higher abv. Bring it on!

These two new expressions are both excellent and with a splash of water both reveal their true distillery characters, which is pleasing as it is easy to lose track of the true DNA of the base spirit once sherry casks are involved. Both are perfect examples of ‘sipping whiskies’ which make themselves available for team selection in your drinks cabinet. Now it is up to you to decide which you want to be part of your team...

  

I Like Big Brands And I Cannot Lie - Glenfiddich Cask Collection Single Malt Scotch Whisky

In the music business, there is almost an honour system of wanting to see artist before they become famous, in small, dark, damp venues dotted around the UK, Europe or America. This is not just the domain of the fabled A&R person (we should know, that’s exactly what we used to do), but also for the hard working radio plugger, journalist or artist manager.

And when it comes to fans, there are always people who will be looking to hear artists who no one else is listening to. These ‘early adopters’ are the social butterflies of the music world, moving on to the next hot act as soon as numbers swell beyond fifty at a gig. Be seen in a crowd? No chance.

It is very much a journey for an artist, who needs these early fans to be vocal in their support to climb their way up the ladder, in order to carve themselves out a niche in the music industry and, crucially, to make a living for themselves. You often find that it is the artists who aspire to use the system to become millionaires, who fail. However, those who just have a simple desire to make music tend to be the ones who, mixed in with a shovel-load of hard work, become successful recording artist and the money, fame and wealth are simply a by-product of their talent and work ethic.

Ronnie ‘Red Socks’ Cox, the brilliant brand ambassador for the Glenrothes single malt quipped to me recently that the best distilleries were the biggest, as their malt is so much in demand. Yet so often single malt fan(atic)s are drawn to discussing distilleries whose output is so limited, they’re a fly on the cake of that is the global whisky business, a raisin in the scone of Scotch.

Here at Caskstrength HQ, we get slightly riled by people who believe that smaller = better, craft is class or that artisanal is the answer. In reality, this party is an open house and you should leave your perceptions at the door. Just because a distillery produces over ten million litres of spirit a year, does not make it bad. In fact, as per Mr Red Socks, it probably makes it ‘better’. Whatever ‘better’ means.

But here on this blog, there is no ‘better’. There is different. There is unusual. There is overpriced. There is, occasionally, bad... and that is why we don’t score whisky. We give fairly agnostic tasting notes and some direction as to let you decide if this is the dram of your dreams, a hipflask standard or simply one you think you should avoid altogether.

So ask yourself this question: when it comes to single malts, when was the last time you had a Glenfiddich? Or a dram of The Glenlivet? Or a measure Glenmorangie? And I’m not talking indie bottlings here, either. I’m talking the proper, core range releases.

These brands have sat comfortably for decades on backbars and supermarkets shelves, which makes them easy to walk past, simple to ignore.

But don’t! For there is a reason that these brands have such staying power, a reason for their ubiquity: because they’re bloody good.

And it doesn’t cost a lot to try these whiskies. You don’t have to go to the Highlands to experience them, nor do you need a full bottle. A mini of any of the above, at 10 or 12 years old, will set you back about £3. Less than a single on the tube or a pint of beer, or similar to the price of a big marker pen...

Beyond the core range, there are wild and crazy expressions which draw on the DNA of these big distilleries. Each have their own limited edition ranges and, as we have discussed before on here, play with creative liquid in the travel retail realm.

Glenfiddich are the latest to launch a set of new expressions in this arena, with three new bottles hitting the shelves of your local airport in the not too distant future.

Glenfiddich Select Cask, matured in hand-selected aged Bourbon, European oak and red wine casks, Reserve Cask, matured in distinctive Spanish sherry casks and Vintage Cask, matured in European oak and American Bourbon (a smoky, peaty version of ‘fiddich) are all married in their own Solera tuns, tadtionally used on Glenfiddich’s 15 year old edition.

Glenfiddich - Reserve Cask – Travel Retail Exclusive – 40% abv

Nose: A big hit of allspice backed with vanilla and mossy oak give way to some bergamot and dried orange peel give almost a mince pie aroma to this dram.

Taste: Sweet builders tea, this has a relaxing and easy going palate giving more vanilla, hints of roasted chestnuts and some more fruitcake.

Finish: A hint of spice with sweet undertones.

Overall: A very drinkable whisky which shows exactly why big brands have big love with consumers.

Weighing in at with an ABV of 40% each the Select Cask and Reserve Cask will be available from the 1st September with Vintage Cask hitting early 2014.

Due to the competitive nature of travel retail, you’re less likely to find small, craft distilleries on the shelves, so it is a good opportunity to reacquaint yourselves with the big brands. Go over, apologise for not calling and strike up the relationship once more. You won’t regret it.

The Path to Gold: Johnnie Walker Explorers' Club Gold Route

Like that regular visit to the doctor, every year, Scotch whisky gets a bit of a health check from the folks at the SWA: assessing its international performance, growth, uncharacteristic hotspots and areas of concern.

And like a thoroughbred race horse, (but not 'Seabass', judging by my crumpled betting slip from Saturday's Grand National) Scotch appears to be in an even ruder health than it was this time last year.  Exports are up once again with the 2012 figures showing the the Scotch whisky business worth a staggering £4.3 billion, an increase of 87% over the last decade.  New markets such as South America have seen increases as much as 14% since last year's figures and the USA sits at the top of the whisky fountain with imports breaking through the £700 million mark for the first time.

Despite this, the volume of Scotch whisky exports actually declined by 5%, demonstrating that consumers are looking more towards higher end, luxury and premium products amongst their blends and single malts.

Hot off the back of such positivity comes the news from Diageo, that they are investing substantially in building a brand new (as yet un-named) distillery in Teaninich with the capacity to produce up to 13 million litres of spirit, alongside expansion of the existing Teaninich and Mortlach distilleries to practically double capacity. Heady days indeed. This is a clear indication that we are living in an era where Scotch (TM) is as industrious and as bankable a commodity as one is likely to find.

Of course, some people have a hard time with the fact that whisky has been taken out of the hands of the privileged few and pushed outwards to the masses, which is of course an absurd sentiment.  Yes, we're no longer going to find 1970's single cask Ardbegs for the price of KFC Bargain Bucket, but travel virtually anywhere around the globe and you'll find a decent whisky behind the bar.  To be a continued global success, whisky needs to keep looking forward, not reminiscing about the 'good old days', with wizened hands clawing onto a single cask Port Ellen, bottle number 1 of 12.  

As Oliver Klimek recently wrote on his excellent Dramming blog, the whisky business does not exist simply to provide whisky geeks with single cask bottlings. To be frank, without the likes of internationally renowned blends, it would simply cease to exist at all.  

So onto one of those blends.  Johnnie Walker is perhaps the most ubiquitous whisky, if not brand name in the world.  The recent activity in the Walker camp - from the introduction of Platinum, to the extra smoky Double Black, alongside the Director's Blends have demonstrated that the brand continues to walk at a particularly spritely pace.  Now more recently, the Striding Man has decided to take a sojourn abroad with the release of the Explorers' Club Collection; a trio of bottlings launched exclusively into Global Travel Retail, now a lucrative market all of its own right.  We reviewed the inaugural bottling, Spice Road, at Christmas and at a shade under £30 were hugely impressed by its balance of spice, seasoned oak, dried fruit and classic Walker smoke.   So when the next bottling, Gold Route hit the shelves we were intrigued.  Would the thread of Walker excellence remain? The price is approximately twice that of the Spice Route at around £60 or $95, so expectations are high, all things considered. 

Johnnie Walker - Gold Route - 40% - 1 Litre

Nose: Soft fudge, freshly sliced ginger, a lighter sooty note coupled with a touch of medicinal peat,  vanilla sponge cake and fondant icing.  With a little water, a more creamy coconut note emerges, alongside a welcoming gentle woodsmoke and some very subtle orchard fruit notes, tinned pineapple and condensed milk. Very good indeed. 

Palate:  Sooty and a little grainy at first, with some tingling liquorice notes, a malted cereal sweetness a vanilla fudge creaminess, some mint humbugs and zesty lemons.  In fact, the mouthfeel is quite sharp and zesty, the further in you travel.  Some lingering smoke on the death rounds out a feisty palate indeed. With water, the fruitiness starts to come to the fore, with icing sugar-dusted red apple, a touch of  Juicy Fruit chewing gum and an aniseed ball, thrown in for good measure.  

Finish: Lemon zest, a touch of anise and a lingering mintiness nestle alongside something slightly grainy. 

Overall:  Whilst this isn't lacking in stature, in my opinion it perhaps lacks some the more direct notes offered by the Spice Road.  It has some subtle spice of its own, which sits alongside the creaminess and definitely benefits from a few drops of water to really coax the beast of complexity from its cave.   The question is, would one buy a bottle of this, over two bottles of Spice Road?   I'm not sold yet, but one suspects that like life's more challenging constitutionals, there is more to this walk than first meets the eye...

18 Under 30 Part 10: Johnnie Walker Spice Road

Ok then... continuing our odyssey into the reasonably priced tipples you should consider trying this Christmas, we bring you a new little ditty from the world of Travel Retail.  As more people head homewards this weekend for family festivities, the number of folks passing through our airports escalates - meaning that there's usually plenty of offers on and interesting drams to try at the friendly neighbourhood 'duty free' whisky retailers the other side of the security gates.

As we fly fairly regularly from either Gatwick or Heathrow airport, we're no strangers to the World Of Whiskies shop. In fact, as whisky retailers go, they're fairly hard to resist.  Last month we bought you news and tasting notes of a brand new peated Glenfiddich, which was released as a World Of Whiskies exclusive.  Next up, as part of our 18 Under 30, it seems that Johnnie Walker have entered the fray of Travel Retail exclusives with the launch of their new Spice Road blend.



Part one (The Explorers' Club Collection) of three different blends, Spice Road, has (unsurprisingly) aimed to draw together an altogether spicier blend, paying homage to the Walker family's travels across the globe, including the Spice Road of Europe and Asia, the Royal Route between Europe and Persia and the Gold Route of the Americas and the Caribbean.   Expect the latter two 'routes' to be released later next year, with varying price points. But for now, Spice Road is available here for £29.99 

Johnnie Walker - Spice Road - Blended Whisky - 40%  - 1 Litre

Nose: Classic Walker notes of waxy floral aromas, some furniture polish, swathes of smoke, but something altogether spicier. Dried mixed citrus peel, a hint of anise, a some cinnamon and a rich dark demerara sugar.  Inviting, rich and very seasonal. 

Palate:  The smoke is very pronounced and up front, with a burnt bonfire note mixing smoothly with a dry, oaky mouthfeel.  The anise, liquorice and cinnamon all present themselves alongside some tart green apple peel.   An extremely bold palate and perhaps one of the darkest, woodiest Walker blends we've tried.  

Finish:  Lingering sherry steeped oak, malt extract, charcoal/soot and dry cassia bark coat the palate.  Very lengthy indeed.

Overall: For a premium blend coming in under £30, this is almost certainly extremely good value, considering you get a litre for your money.  The balance is drier and richer than other Walker blends and as a result we can see this being ideally suited for sinking over ice next to a roaring open fire. And if it happens to snow wherever your are, even better...

The (Smo)King Of Dufftown...Glenfiddich Release Something A Bit Different.

Funny how whiskies have a habit of creeping up on you, when you least expect it.

Here we are, heading up to Glasgow and a quick cursory glance as we walk past Gatwick Airport's World Of Whiskies revealed something very interesting indeed.  Travel retail is clearly a HUGE market for whisky companies and, as we've often mentioned in the past, a proving ground for potentially new products.  Admittedly, some of them are destined never to make it past the security scanners into the specialist whisky shops, but occasionally some bottlings (such as Laphroaig's Triple Wood) seem to make a peaty bid for freedom, much to the delight of consumers across the globe.

So it was perhaps rather timely that Glenfiddich decided to do something a little different, in a bid to spring a surprise on the whisky buying traveller.

Glenfiddich are no strangers to the travel retail game.  The success of the Age Of Discovery series (see our previous review for more details) has clearly given the Dufftown giants a taste for further exclusive bottlings.  And with that in mind, they've drawn on the rich heritage of the distillery.  Their brand new travel retail release (which has apparently, according to World Of Whiskies, just hit the shelves this week) harks back to a time when most distilleries were swathed in a rich, pungent peat smoke.

The Glenfiddich 125th Anniversary Edition is a distinct departure to any Glenfiddich expression we've tried before.  Bottled with no age statement, the liquid will surprise and delight in equal measure... let's find out why...

Glenfiddich - 125th Anniversary Edition  -  Travel Retail Exclusive -  N.A.S. - 43% - £70

Nose: Hang on... this isn't right, is it?  Alongside the familiar notes of rich dried fruit and citrus oranges is a weighty smokiness, mixed with a touch of Islay'esque carbolic soap.  That's right -  it's truly a smoky devil.   In a blind tasting we'd be fairly confident that not a single person sampling it  (perhaps excluding the whisky's creator, Brian Kinsman and Glenfiddich's indefatigable ambassador Jamie Milne) would pick this out as a 'Fiddich.  The smoke is wonderfully balanced, refined and sweet, partnering the orange zest perfectly.  Think a nice big thick slice of buttered toast, slathered liberally in dark, rich, thick cut marmalade, which has been enhanced with a little bit of your favourite peated whisky and you're on the right lines. 

Palate:  Bang -  there it is again, but in greater intensity.  The peat smoke partners with rich orange marmalade, dark chocolate, malt extract and notes of dried apricots.  The whisky is viscous and sweet on the tongue initially, leading to a drier oaky note further in.  Lovely stuff.

Finish:  The smoky notes linger, alongside a tart orange zest and a hint of creamy (more familiar) 'Fiddich maltiness.  

Overall:  Did not expect this, at all.  Let us quantify that statement.  There's no doubting that this is a well put together whisky, but the additional smokiness really raises the stakes to become an absolute  'must try' dram.  For those of you who have wondered what Glenfiddich would be like with a fairly weighty waft of smoke at its heart -  this is the moment you've been waiting for.  You will of course have to get yourself on a flight somewhere, but leave enough time to drop by W.O.W.   Running to gate 55 as the final call for BA2958 to Glasow is announced, with a mouthful of peated whisky isn't advised -  as enjoyable as it may seem!

Team Sheet: The New Glenfiddich Whisky Collection

The moment Fabio Cappello was sacked as England manager the country took a sharp intake of breath. All across the land, work colleagues were leaning over booths, engaging their co-workers in conversation. Barmen in pubs from Norwich to Newcastle were hosting the same conversations in their hostelries. And taxi drivers in London, Birmingham and Manchester were no longer asked: “What time are you on ‘til, mate?”, in favour of the one question fuelling all these discussions.

Who will take over as England manager?

This question is still being discussed, at great length on some 24 hour news channels, grateful for the content in these times of mass media. But to whom did The FA turn so close to a major tournament? Well, in the interim at least, a chap called Stuart Pearce was put in charge. Nicknamed ‘Psycho’ from his ‘take-no-prisoners’ playing style, Pearce has been promoted from his role as manager of the England Under 21’s team (as well as being at the helm of Team GB’s attempt to win a gold at the London 2012 Olympics) to take full charge of the England First XI.

Moving a manager up from what is effectively the England youth team in to the first team shows the same journey that a lot of the players have been on, rising up through the ranks to break in to the main squad. This coming summer will see an international breakthrough for players such as Manchester United’s Danny Welbeck and Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge, both of whom have graduated from the U-21’s to play with the ‘big boys’ on the world stage. If you want to see who will probably be playing for England tomorrow, go and watch the Under 21’s today.

It seems that increasingly, a similar testing ground for quality and acceptability is being applied to whisky, via the world of Travel Retail (nee, Duty Free). Take Johnnie Walker Double Black, for instance. Initially only available in Bangkok, Dubai, Beirut, New York JFK, Singapore and Sydney airports, such was the reception of this new product that the distribution was widened and you can now pick up a bottle in your local Sainsbury's.

I can’t decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I know a lot of whiskies are and will remain Travel Retail exclusives; a good thing in my book. If you’re gonna risk life and limb getting on a giant metal bird (there is a reason why, when you arrive at an airport, the first word you see is TERMINAL...) then you deserve to be able to buy something unique, something special, something no one else has. I also don’t want to feel like my purchase was ‘market research’ which I’ve had the privilege to pay for. However, on the flip side I like Johnnie Walker Double Black; it’s a bloody good blend and I don’t want to have to fly in and out of Beirut airport to buy a bottle, thank you very much. Sainsbury’s Nine Elms is a hell of a lot closer to where I live.

All of this brings me to a new set of releases from Glenfiddich; two new introductions to their first team and one wearing a brand new, shiny kit.

The first is a graduate from the ‘youth team’ that is Travel Retail, with the launch of the Glenfiddich 19 Year Old Age Of Discovery Madeira Cask Finish in to the UK. Previously only available in Travel Retail, we reviewed this whisky here and after trying it again, we weren’t so enamoured with it, finding it a little thin in both body and flavour. It almost reminded me of an alcoholic version of the orange squash from Sunday School, but if they’d have served this instead, then I wouldn’t have minded going each week...

Moving on to the next member of their squad, the newly packaged 21 Year Old: now we’re talking. This is a whisky and it has been given the packaging overhaul it deserved. Housed in what can only be described as a beauty of a bottle, the additional ‘sub-branding’ of Gran Reserva has been added to the moniker. You also get a bigger box, a booklet and something described as ‘an intricately designed filigree pattern’ on the label. Erm, okay.

The liquid itself is matured in American oak casks and then additionally matured for four months in Caribbean rum casks.

Glenfiddich – 21 Years Old – 40% abv - £99 rrp but cheaper here and here

Nose: Baked apple and cinnamon, toffee and tablet, black bananas and baked pear all come through on the nose, with a lovely rich sweetness underpinning the aromas. Some leather tones, but new leather, not vintage.

Palate: Banana dipped in dark chocolate fondue, some wood tones of dry oak, liquorice (salted?) all come together to give a bold palate full of tasty flavours. Well balanced and rich.

Finish: Spice and cinnamon on the death with a sweet, vanilla ending.

Overall: A really excellent whisky. I’m a huge fan of the rich oak 14 and their excellent 18 Years Old offering, but this really does turn up the flavours up a notch and shows such a great lineage across their sub-£100 range.

To finish off the additions to their new squad is a late comer to the game; the Ian Wright (or Matty Elliott for Oxford fans...). Not making its way up through the youth team ranks, but landing with a bump and a hefty transfer fee is the 1974 Vintage.

This is Glenfiddich’s first ever Vatted Vintage Reserve and was constructed, much like the excellent Snow Phoenix, by combining whiskies of different strengths, ages and finishes (although all from 1974, one would wager). A panel of their Global Brand Ambassadors, headed up by the talented Malt Master Brian Kinsman, were give vintages from 1973, 1974 and 1975 to choose from. After much debate this whisky, the 1974, was chosen and bottled. Only 1,000 bottles have been made with just 50 being released in the UK at a fantastic price of £499. If you can find it!

Glenfiddich – 1974 Vintage – Released 2011 – 1000 bottles only - 46.8% abv - £499

Nose: Blackcurrant leaf, toasted brown bread with butter develops into cinnamon toast topped with vanilla sugar. Some of the pear notes from the 21 come through providing a balance to the spicy cinnamon tones. Very well balanced and well constructed nose.

Palate: A huge hit of sweet tea and blackcurrant lozenges is underpinned with a note of freshly baked sourdough bread and a freshly opened packet of dried mixed fruits. The addition of water softens the palate in more of a fruit cake direction, but the vanilla is still present enough to give this an extra dimension.

Finish: Long and spicy with some drying tones of wood.

Overall: A very well put together whisky at what is these days, a good price for a rare bottling. Great job all round.

So there we have it. Two new additions to the Glenfiddich First Team and a new kit for one player. Sadly for me, at the age of 32, I think my international football career may be over. I’m off to email Stuart Pearce my retirement notice, before he tells me the sad news that I’ve not been selected for Euro 2012 anyway...

Off The Map...

Airport shopping is often a dangerous thing, in that you’re away from home, (and probably any responsible adults) a little bit gung ho and will most likely have some crisp notes/newly liberated Visa card(s) plumping up your wallet, which are strictly there to be converted into a foreign currency. Then you pass Sunglasses Hut see a pair of Red Rayban’s that really only look good on Jensen Button. The gland controlling hormone secretions to your sensibility momentarily shuts down and before you know it, you’re heading to the gate thinking you look like a racing driver, whilst actually looking like Louis Spence.

Folks, we’ve all been there, I’m a pathologically bad airport shopper and I vowed recently that I have to get things under control, before I begin to get mistaken for any more camp contemporary dance icons. Tricky thing is that most of the major UK airports also have a tremendously alluring branch of World Of Whiskies, which is usually conveniently placed next to Messrs. Lunettes de Soleil & Co.

Travel retail exclusives have become all the rage for most distilleries. Highland Park have capitalised well on airport wallet liberation and we’ve documented some of the best bottlings to go for a few times on Caskstrength. Glenrothes also offer a very sturdy Robur Reserve as a reasonably priced travel retail exclusive.

Glenfiddich are the latest distillery to enter the frame with their brand new release -Age Of Discovery. Aptly named for the international traveller, this exclusive 19yo Madeira cask finish bottling was available from World Of Whiskies from last week and seeing as we were passing through Gatwick we had an opportunity to give it a go. As packages go, the Discovery looks wonderful- a mixture of Gulliver's Travels, ancient cartography and a definite sense of 'adventure'. But will the liquid itself inspire wild voyages to the promised land, or head off the map, where be monsters lie?

Glenfiddich - Age Of Discovery - Travel Retail Exclusive- 19yo- Madeira Cask Finish - 40%

Nose: Floral soap, soft brown sugar, sultanas, diced green apple and fudge. with a touch of water a pleasant honey comb note develops.

Palate: A little soapy initially, leading into heather honey, menthol notes, java coffee, roasted malt and a hint of cocoa. Water gives a touch of damsons on the back palate.

Finish: lingering notes of malt extract and a touch of dried figs.

Overall: An interesting take on a vintage Glenfiddich. It wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped it to be, but fits neatly in where the 18yo and the 15yo sit within the Glenfiddich family.

A little Vintage Therapy

Hot on the heels of their excellent Leif Eriksson bottling, Highland Park bring you the latest in their travel retail portfolio, this time harking back to the late 1970's.

They've bottled a 1978 vintage, which purportedly takes its design inspiration from 5 unusual Norse carvings unearthed in Norway in 1904. The most striking of these, a snarling beast will be featured on the box for the 1978 release.

Highland Park's press release makes reference to the 'fearsome beast, with great bared teeth, a square snout and big eyes.' Sounds suspiciously like one of Joel's previous female acquaintances, but that's another story...

Highland Park - 1978 - Travel retail vintage bottling - 47.8%

Nose: Lovely soft waxy notes, combine with a hint of fragrant summer fruit, deft notes of cedarwood, dried coconut, a light oaky dryness and some classic Highland Park honey. We've often commented just how much of a rich aromatic seam runs through all the HP bottlings and this one is no exception.

Palate: Rich and oily, the first thing that hits is menthol throat lozenges, further hints of wax then heather honey, some dried ginger and a touch of smoky earthiness. We'd hasten to say the peating level was a little higher on this batch than other HPs but here it's a restrained, soft smoke taste.

Finish: Superbly detailed and resonant, the finish fades gently, with spicy ginger and white pepper tingling away on the back palate.

Overall: These travel retail bottlings really do set hugely high standards for their rivals and, without doubt, this one is up there yet again with the best of them. We'd still maintain that the 1990 vintage is the undisputed king of their releases, but like the recent Leif Eriksson, the cask selection here is impeccable and yet another monster HP is unleashed on the unsuspecting public...

Highland Lark... part 2

A couple of months ago, we ran a piece on 4 new Highland Park bottlings, which were going to be released exclusively to travel retail.  You can read the main post here, but we were shy of tasting notes for the oldest and most anticipated of the 4- the 1973 Vintage...until now that is. 

Whereas the younger vintages were all bottled at 40% abv, the 1973 vintage takes on a higher 50.6% abv, which serves to remind just how characterful Highland Park can be.  Taking its inspiration from the Norse influences, which Orkney is renowned for (including the Oseberg ship, a ninth century sailing vessel) this dram completes the well thought out quartet of bottlings. 

We made the assumption that if the other 3 were like travelling by luxury class flights, this one must be like owning your own private jet. Let's find out...

Highland Park - 1973 Vintage - 50.6% - Exclusively bottled for travel retail-

Nose: Immediate notes of cedar and citrus give this a very youthful bouquet, which is most surprising.  Dig deeper and some lovely perfumed elements start to show through, lavender, rose scented talc and a slightly earthy, woody tone.  With the addition of water, a minute hint of wood smoke enters the fray. A great balance indeed.

Palate:  Unmistakable Highland park in the mouth- with sweet milky coffee, some white chocolate covered raisins, vanilla ice cream and lemon/orange sherbets thrown in for good measure.  The added water brings out a little pronounced pepper, but does little to dent the overall sweetness of this excellent dram.

Finish: The fruity notes remain the most prominent, with a touch of drying wood creeping in as the palate dries.  Lovely, lengthy and highly drinkable.

Overall:  Highland Park have such an inimitable style and this vintage sits comfortably amongst the most enjoyable ones.  Of the 4 new retail vintages, I would plump for the 1990, which I think edges this one into 2nd place by virtue of the wonderfully blackcurrant notes on the nose, but should you find yourself on a long flight from Terminal 5, you could do a lot worse than seek out a bottle of any of these.