Islay Festival 2009 - Day One

"Your balls are bigger than mine"

Day 1- Well, this is it. Over 6 months of planning and many excited emails, the 22nd of May has arrived - our first day on the trek towards Islay and 2009's Feis Ile. This year’s reports are a collaborative effort between Caskstrength.net and The Whisky Exchange Blog, and will be published on both sites, so apologies to those of you who subscribe to both of our RSS feeds! No rivalry here. Our collective goal is to bring you interesting, irreverent and informative information on all things whisky!

This year, our 4-strong crack team is somewhat akin to the A-Team (in the same way that my local pub football team are in someway akin to Manchester United) - each with our own specialised skills:

Colonel Neil Hannibal, ‘I-love-it-when-a-plan-comes-together' Ridley:
The master of disguise. Special proficiency in facial hair, cravats and tweed.

Joel 'B.A. - I pity da fool' Harrison:
The muscle and gold jewellery. Has left his Snickers tank in the garage and swapped it for a metallic blue Ford Focus. Likes milk, dislikes flying. Enjoys snack treats.

Tim 'Howlin' Mad Murdock' Forbes:
Busted out by the crew from a maximum security desk at The Whisky Exchange. The lunatic fringe of whisky tasting. Specialist in off-the-wall aromas (detecting rather than emitting).

Darrell 'Faceman' Sheehan aka- 'The Voracious D'
Skills: Charm offensive, swordsmanship and good Karma. Peat enthusiast. Popular with the ladies.

An early start of 6am presented no problems for the intrepid whisky foxes and the liaison at Heathrow’s Terminal 1 started well enough, until a light snack was mentioned. A morally reprehensible sausage sandwich and the most ill-prepared Eggs Benedict ever (possibly made with a Curate’s Egg) were the rewards for our 40 minute wait at the Tin Goose restaurant in the departure lounge. Take note for the future, hungry travellers!

A rare and random sighting of Billy Davies, manager of Nottingham Forest, made us chuckle and reminisce about last year’s Feis Ile trip and our encounter with Liverpool legend Bruce Grobbelaar- perhaps an omen of good fortune for this year?? Even the 2 hour delay did little to dampen our spirits and before we knew it we were taking off and looking forward to our wonderful drive down the Kintyre peninsula – little did we know what the mischievous SatNav held in store for us.....

Now, following SatNav is often like taking advice from your girlfriend. Listen, nod, agree, but ultimately you should add in a dollop of common sense, some man-maths and go your own way. Ignoring all our own advice, we followed the SatNav to the letter which took us to a ferry port we’d never even been near in recent trips to Islay. Confused, we paid our toll and made our way across a Mull and onward for a beautiful drive towards our first stop, Loch Fyne Whiskies.

Fortuitously, what seemed like a navigational disaster turned out to be a blessing in disguise: when we docked in Dunoon we suddenly realised that by taking the ferry instead of the mountain drive we’d originally planned we now had a clear run up to Inverary, escaping the Bank Holiday weekend traffic out of Glasgow. Back of the net!

An Alan Partridge discussion ensued during the drive through the heart-stoppingly gorgeous countryside leading up to Loch Fyne. A profusion of bluebells lined the roadside and swept up into the rolling hills of Argyll, and at one point it seemed like every corner we took revealed another stunning vista. In between elucidating the finer points of Inner City Sumo, Youth-Hostelling with Chris Eubank and Monkey Tennis, the team agreed that we were indeed blessed to have such a drive on such an unexpectedly sunny day. The car resounded with cries of ‘Smell my cheese, you mother!’ and ‘Stop telling me what to do!’

The welcoming folk at Loch Fyne and their, as always, impressive array of bottlings started a slight itchy feeling in the wallet – one that Mr Ridley found too alluring to ignore. From the corner of his eye, he spied the ultimate in gentlemanly accoutrements since the advent of the mobile trouser press; the ‘Tippling Stick’, an antique looking walking cane with a covert liquid-centred heart (basically a long glass phial for filling with one’s favourite dram). Ideal for those long tube journeys back home in London!

Onward we drove, finally reaching our destination for the day, the Hunting Lodge Hotel. No real need to say much about this place as we stayed there last year. Pretty much the same, with fantastic food and a good night’s sleep. Between dinner and bed, we were able to raid their selection of whiskies at the bar, indulging in:

Imperial: 1991 15yo 43% (G & M bottling) – Ripe melons grain present themselves on the nose followed by some sooty smoked bananas. A little Sulphured on the palate, leading to a sharp, woody and sherried finish.

Craigellachie Provenance: 1991 12 year old 46% - light swimming pool like peat with some cream and summer fruits on the nose, leading to some lovely cream soda and cereal notes and floral flavours on the finish.

Glen Grant-Glenlivet: 1989 13yo 62.4% (Cadenhead’s) – A nose of vanilla cream and green apples with coffee and tobacco moved to an oily mouthfeel reminiscent of rhubarb & custard boiled sweets. A strong fruity finish of red jam and dessert wine.

Ardmore: 1990 G+M 55% - Medium-bodied with cereal and strong smoky notes. Good length, mostly on turf and coal, with a hot, spicy finish.
Longmorn 15yo – Pretty much as remembered, although the bottle seemed to have been open for a while. Restrained sherry, treacle tart, raisins and a hint of smoke.

Longrow 100 proof – Medium-bodied , quite hot with white pepper and hot cinnamon apple. Long, peaty finish and packed a weighty punch. Darrell was a big fan of this.

Royal Lochnagar 1985 18yo 43% (Provenance) – Rich tea biscuits, banana and biscotti on the nose. Bran flakes on the palate, with freshly baked bread and copper tones, before a deep rich finish of cooking apples and cinnamon.

With a 6.30am alarm call we retired for a quick dram of SMWS Rosebank on the sea view balcony of one of our rooms and then it was off to sleep...

Is this, or is this ain't an Islay?

It's all very exciting! I've received an email from our airline, confirming that it is less than five days until we fly out to Islay. Well, sort of. First off we must fly to Glasgow, where we pick up a hire car and drive north, then west, then south and finally settle for the evening in a small hotel just south of Kennacraig, ready to recharge our batteries for the morning ferry ride over to the isle. So what way to heighten the expectation of another 10 day trip to Scotland than with a wee dram of something from Islay. Newly purchased, I hastily cracked open a bottle of...


Caol Ila - Distillers Edition (Finished in Moscatel Cask) - 1995 - 43% - 70cl

Nose: Ginger, butter, hints of sea weed and some honeysuckle. Not at all like an islay!

Palate: This is where it gets very strange indeed. If you didn't put Caol Ila on the bottle, you'd be hard pressed to pin-point the region, let alone the distillery that this comes from. The Muscat takes the driving seat providing a sweetness you'd more commonly find in a sherry finish Spey. Not at all overpowering, there are limes, ginger ale, hints of peat smoke and salt. A very different experience for any Caol Ila fan.

Finish: Subtle red chillies, a touch of peat. The sweetness from the start hits the back of the mouth after a while. Fairly long for something so subtle.

Overall: It's like ginger beer mixed with salt and seaweed, which oddly throws up a combo which won't be to everyones taste but I found very drinkable. Roll on Islay!

Some Splendid Suntory Specials...

Phew! what a busy week in the spirits world!

The start of the week saw some of the cream of the worlds tipples packed into the vast halls of Londons ExCel centre. Then Thursday, it was the flavours of the Orient that got Caskstrength's tastebuds in a twist with the release of Suntory's newest blended masterpiece- Hibiki 12 years old.

At a suitably oriental venue (the Nobu restaurant in the London Metropolitan Hotel) we were lucky enough to meet some of the men behind the sensational dynasty of Hibiki blends and got to taste some seriously interesting cask samples, which perfectly demonstrated how Japan continues to innovate and produce some of the world's finest whisky.

Our tasting mat contained cask samples from an array of differing styles of Suntory whisky- from an intensely sherried Yamazaki 14 year old (which I would dearly love to get a bottle of!!) A Hakushu distilled in 1994 and matured in a white oak Puncheon followed, which had a superb creaminess, mixed with fragrant lavender, and then- 'Malt X'- which turned out to be a another 14 year old Yamazaki, matured intensely for 2 years in a cask containing plum liqueur- one of the many whiskies which make up the Hibiki 12 year old.

General Manager and Senior Blender Shinji Fukuyo and his team have expertly married together grain and malt whiskies of up to 30 years old and then matured for a time in 'Umeshu ' - Japanese plum liqueur casks. But their innovation doesn't end there, for as Seiichi Koshimizu, Suntory's chief blender points out; 'our goal was to create a uniquely Japanese whisky that is mellower and smoother than any other premium 12 year old whisky in the world'
The secret to Hibiki 12's purity is filtration through bamboo charcoal- which is very much evident from the first sip. This is actually the 2nd time we've tried Hibiki 12 (firstly in our recent round up of Whisky Live) but there was no stopping us diving back in for a second taste!

Hibiki 12 year old blended whisky - 43% vol - 70cl

Nose: Hugely fruity and, dare I say it- plummy (no surprise there) with slight wafts of fragrant licorice, rice wine, honeysuckle and when you dig deeper, some wonderful buttery/creamy notes. Given a bit of time in the glass, an array of other sweet notes come through, such as honey, lots of vanilla pod and country fudge notes. Sensational stuff.

Palate: Well, this is really where the whisky comes into its own- the delicate, yet rich texture in the mouth is about as smooth as i've ever tasted. Not a trace of alcohol burn in the slightest, just layers of smooth malt and grain, with more of that licorice coming back, leaving your mouth with a clean, fresh taste. That may sound like a tooth paste, but mark my words, try this and you'll be really amazed at the clarity it has.

Finish: The finish has some lengthy, spiced notes and this is where the first element of dryness comes through- nothing too oaked, just well balanced and throughly enjoyable.

Overall: We loved the small sample we tried at whisky Live and if anything, to try it for a second time only highlights just what a quality whisky this really is. Contender for our Best In Glass awards this year?..... oh yes...

Many thanks to Hiro Miyamori, Takeshi Tsuruoka and Shinji Fukuyo from Suntory for this insightful tasting and long may they continue to make great whisky!

DISTIL Diary - Day one

Before we get calls from C&E - no, we haven't started an illicit pot still in the shed at the bottom of Caskstength towers (although it was considered...!) The next couple of day posts concern the DISTIL conference over at the ExCeL Centre in the London Docklands. Caskstrengh were invited down to sample a few wares and put a few faces to names of the many jolly and hard working folk in the drinks trade.

The event, isn't centered on any particular spirit- and on arriving at the vast conference halls, you'd have to look twice to notice the whisky exhibitors among the more noticeable brands were Welsh marvels Penderyn who had a small stand, as did the new owners of Glen Moray - La Martiniquaise and independent blenders and bottlers, Angus Dundee Distillers (who make the fine Mackillop's Choice bottlings)

First presentation of the day was with the totally unstoppable freight-train-of-whisky knowledge that is Mr Richard Paterson. If you have seen Richard in action before, you'll know that there should be a health warning attached to his presentation. As well as the ludicrous amount of knowledge he throws out to his audience, handfuls of barley, jugs of water, ice buckets and confetti all feature in Richard's arsenal- and by the end of his mesmerising blending class not one person left questioning his passion for the spirit.

Caskstrength were lucky enough to try one of Richard's landmark blending achievements- the Whyte & Mackay 40 year old- which did not disappoint:

Whyte & Mackay - 40 year old blend - 45% vol - 70cl

Nose: Really intense orange zest, dark chocolate and bonfire toffee, followed by lots of spicy cedar cigar box woodiness. Make no mistake, this is serious stuff.

Palate: More oranges (of the blood variety) tobacco notes, black java coffee, and a mouthful of very oaky sherry lambaste your senses, but quickly reassure you that you're in safe hands- and in for a very long and enjoyable ride.

Finish: I timed my journey around the arena after finishing this dram- 18 minutes and 33 seconds - and I was still tasting a wonderfully tangy, oaky finish, laced with licorice for minutes after that. Sensational.

Overall: Not a lot more can be said about this dram, other than that it defies the ageing process and is as effusive and vibrant as Mr Paterson's presentation!!

Next up, and a more botanical theme in the shape of a gin nosing masterclass led by Beefeater's Master distiller- Desmond Payne. Although this blog predominantly features fine whisky (and the occasional ale, when we feel like it) be sure to look out for our first forays into light spirits with a special 'gin week' coming soon!

Onto the flavour of the Caribbean- and the Demerara rums of El Dorado. Highlights included the 15 year old and the wonderfully rich and reduced 21 year old, which had all the woody, spicy elements of a wonderfully aged single malt.

El Dorado rum -21 year old - 40 % vol - 70cl

Nose: Rich, silky and unctuous – with big mahogany aromas, wax and dried vine fruits. Almost hints of Cognac. This is undoubtedly one of the highlights that highly aged rum brings to the senses.

Palate: An immediate sweetness hits the palate with a definitive ‘liqueur’ like mouth feel. Gentle flavours of marzipan and golden toffee give way to an unexpected freshness. This has all the hallmarks of a well-reduced sauce.

Finish: More lingering sweetness, leading into drier, oaky notes.

Overall: A tremendously luxurious sipping rum, for those warm, summer evenings spent in the company of a fine Macanudo, or Hoyo De Monterray cigar, whilst the sun gently sets.

Soon enough, it was 4pm and time for a refreshing pink gin, in the company of the lovely folks from The Spirits Business magazine, Patience & Daisy.

More to follow tomorrow...!

The Royal Choice

As part of one of my various day jobs (Jack of all trades, master of none) I was asked to write a piece on 'Drinks with Royal Patronage'. Great- where do I start, I wondered? Clearly the Royal family have always liked their booze (Princess Anne and the indefatigable Queen Mum were HUGE fans of a rather potent cocktail- Dubonnet and gin)
But look back further and the Royal Warrant has been a life blood for many of our most resilient and well known drinks brands. It was a seal of quality, respected the world over and usually reflected Britain at its very best.

Today there are over 800 Royal Warrants (look closely and you'll notice the various 'crests' adorning plenty of household names) and over 30 specifically supporting alcoholic drinks from gins, wines, ports, sherry and... of course... whisky.

Laphroaig has been supported by the Prince Of Wales since 1994, when he visited Islay, nearly crashed his plane on the blustery runway and stayed a little longer than expected. Some would say it was fate...He fell in love with the 15 year old and never looked back. Examine any bottle of Laphroaig and you'll see the classic '3 feathers' logo of the Prince.

Which brings me nicely onto their newest bottling- the 18 year old.

I must confess that I did not share the Prince's affection with the now discontinued 15 year old, which seemed to confuse as to its real identity- it was neither peaty, nor subtle enough to get me excited, in the same way perhaps as the Quarter Cask. Will this new expression be the new pretender to the peated throne, or lose its head in the Tower?? One shalt now find out....

Laphroaig 18 year old - 48% - 70cl

Nose: A lovely waft of soft peat, which, if you read our previous posts, is something we're mad keen for. But there is something else- red apple, chocolate covered fudge and dig deeper, a heady waft of Carbolic soap. Definitely more characterful than the 15 year old at this point.

Palate: Lots of coal/oil and more than a passing resemblance to our new favourite Islay malt- Caol Ila. Quite salty and coastal notes are noticeable at first but then a sweet fizzy sherbet note comes through, with more of that chocolate fudge. There's very little of the more medicinal notes you find with the younger expressions of Laphroaig.

Finish: More Carbolic notes lead into a long and pronounced salty finish.

Overall: A dram which doesn't wear its medicinal heart on its sleeve, but certainly has more than enough to make this a real contender in the older peated malts market. We have recently put this up against the Talisker 18 and our beloved Lagavulin 16 and it faired superbly well.

I wonder what the Prince will make of it? well, 'One thinks that it will show splendidly, what what....!'