When I first heard that Balvenie were to release another version of the Single Barrel, this time a 12 year old, I got rather excited. Having always been a fan of the Single Barrel 15 year old, this newest expression was sure to get my lips smacking.
Single cask whiskies are a perfect time-shot of maturation, with each cask delivering a different and unique character to the whisky resting within and with no other casks married into batches, finding them is a rare treat. I say rare, because normally single cask expressions are limited in number. By their very nature, there is only as much as the cask can hold and once gone, never to be replicated. Normally it’s the selection of a malt master who will tend to discover a certain cask, resting and maturing at just the right pace which seems to be delivering a certain style, still in keeping with that of the distillery but a perfectly unique example. So when Balvenie decided to set aside casks to mature their whisky, releasing these after 15 years as single cask bottles it was a great opportunity for many more people that usual to sample some great drams. With each bottle being numbered and dated you could actually work out the age as not all seemed to be right for release at 15 years and if you do a little maths you can find examples of Balvenie Single Barrel 15 year old actually at 16 & 17 years and older.
This new 12 year old has been rested in First Fill casks of ex-bourbon. That may sound a little strange, calling a cask first fill if it’s actually second hand, but in the scotch industry we refer to cask use when it is used here. So an ex-bourbon cask is “first filled” with scotch, use it again and it becomes a refill cask. If the whisky was matured in a brand new cask, with no previous contents then it is know as “virgin cask” such as used by Deanston but few distillers use these as the powerful notes can sometimes be overpowering.
The Balvenie Single Barrel 12yr
Bottle number: Unknown (trade sample)
47.8% abv Non Chill Filtered
Ex-Bourbon Cask
300 bottles max per cask
Appearance: Warm rose gold
Nose: As you would expect from Balvenie, the signature notes of honey, dried citrus peels and light spice are immediate. But there is a hit of sliced pear and vanilla ice cream which seems to dry out the nose somewhat, which isn’t surprising considering the 47.8% abv. Apple blossom emerges to give a floral element and ties everything up in a well structured bouquet.
Palate: Rich and honey sweet with perfect grip of cinnamon spice. The fruity notes of dried peel and a hint of pineapple roll through the palate with a pear tarte tatin sweetness. A malty backbone with deep woody vanilla holds it all together.
Finish: Sweet spicy honey all the way with a dry oak tail.
Summary: Although bold at this level of ABV, I didn’t think the addition of water was required and that shows how well integrated the spirit and cask has become. Big, it certainly is but what impressed me is the integration of flavour as they raised and dipped around a thick mouth-feel. There is a lot going on, but thankfully all in the same direction rather than challenging the palate too much. Well worth seeking this one out and with an RRP of just under £50 I think Balvenie will need to lay a few more casks down.
For other Balvenie Reviews click the links: 17 Double Wood, Tun 1401 batch 5, Dream Dram, 40 year old.
Tags: 1401, 15, 17, Balvenie, barrel, bottle, bourbon, built, Cask, character, cooper, craft, Deanston, distiller, dram, ex, family, fill, fine, first, floor, found, Glenfiddich, grant, hand, held, help, honey, last, malt, maltying, master, mature, New, notes, number, Old, owned, past, rare, refill, release, rest, review, sample, Scotch, Scotland, select, selection, Sherry, single, tasting, tun, unique, whiskey, whisky, william, year
It’s been a busy time for Dramatic Whisky and aside from all the tasting events and filing, the samples and invitations to new launches have been flowing through. Most notable is the fact that we have been really spoiled by the quality. Grants 25, Bunnahabhain 40, Balvenie Liberated Casks, Wemyss Single Cask Aultmore to name just a few and the most recent, the Balblair 1969 vintage. I have had the pleasure of visiting Balblair distillery and sampling the core expressions if the 2002, 1975 and a sneak preview of the 1969 vintage here. There was also a recent travel retail release of the ’96. But it was the official release of the 1969 bottle (our sample at the distillery was from a single cask!) that found me at the Soho Whisky Club earlier this week and is some rather fine company.
The distillery manager, John MacDonald was there to guide us through the tasting, and hanging on his every word were whisky writers, bloggers and retailers such as Neil and Joel from Cask Strength, Billy from The Whisky Exchange, Becky from The Spirits Business, Laura from Imbibe Magazine, Ian who wrote 101 whiskies to try before you die, Olly from Just Drinks and the list goes on.
As I said we began with the fresh and lively 2002, moving to the richer 97 then to the 89 which all revealed an incredible change in character, before the 1975 vintage which was a heady combination of all elements found in the previous vintages and beautifully balanced. Finally, the 1969 vintage.
Balblair vintage 1969 single malt scotch whisky
Distilled 1969 bottled 2012 (43 years old)
A marriage of only 6 casks 41.4% abv
Non chill filtered, natural colour
2nd fill American oak hogshead cask
RRP: £2,500
Appearance: Honey gold with warm amber
Nose: Orange blossom honey, wax candle and denta-stix. Warm brioche with baked apple, soft toffee sauce over tropical fruits of banana and pineapple with hints of cider, leather and mint.
Palate: Big rounded warm spices take hold, calmed with a touch of menthol (eucalyptus oil) struck match, red berry compote and liquorice root. Ample vanilla to round out the oak, not allowing it to overpower but compliment instead. Toffee apples dusted with cinnamon and caramel wafers complete the palate.
Finish: Complex, generous and lingering. The balanced honey/spice keeps delivering more and more.
Summary: An outstanding whisky which shows just how well this brand lasts. It is unusual to find a brand how simple relies on the age of its whiskies to make up its core expressions rather than playing around with various types of wood maturation and marriages. As a consumer, Blablair is a great choice. Get stuck into the current vinategs and start your journey towards the superb 1969. Best of all, you have a bit of time as the Balblair 1969 will be launched in the USA this year at $3500, then released in 2013 in other focus markets including the UK, France, Russia and South East Asia. Enough time to save up also!
Tags: 101, 1969, 1975, 2002, 40, alcohol, America, American, Aultmore, Balblair, Balvenie, before, blog, bottled, Bunnahabhain, Business, buxton, Cask, Club, die, distilled, distillery, dram, drinks, exchange, first, fresh, fruit, Grants, hand, imbibe, journalist, just, London, looy, luanch, magazine, malt, members, notes, oak, release, retail, review, Scotch, Scotland, Scottish, select, selected, single, Soho, spirits, strength, tasting, travel, tropical, try, vintage, warehouse, Wemyss, whiskies, whisky, wkiskey, Years
Last night I was privileged to be part of a very select group that had gathered to witness the launch in the UK market of Grant’s 25 year old blended whisky. The venue was the wine and spirits shop in Selfridges department store London. The store are to have the whisky exclusively until the end of the year.
Brand Ambassador Ludo Ducrocq, a Frenchman with a great passion for whisky and a curious Scottish accent, told us how William Grant began creating his own blend of whisky back in 1887, Christmas day in fact and in 1909 his son-in-law Charles Gordon spent 12 month travelling the world ensuring Grant’s whisky would be a recognised brand in over 30 countries by 1914. no mean feet of logistics in itself at the time. Today, over 54 million cases of Grant’s whisky is sold in over 180 countries and what is equally amazing is that the company is in the hands of the 5th generation of Grant’s family.
In 2009, the 25 year old blend was launched in travel retail to commemorate 100 years since Charles Gordon set out on hie epic sales journey. Brian Kinsman, Master Distiller at William Grant & Sons drew whiskies for 25 selected cask all of which were over 25 years old. In fact, Ludo informed us that Grant’s had only ever blended single malt until 1963, when the Girvan grain distillery was built, with some of the first spirit to run from those stills used in Batch No.1 of which we were about to sample. Batch 2 is currently under production. The unusual thing with blends of this age is that less grain whisky needs to be used as the single malts mellow with time, so does the grain and in Batch 1 there is actually a higher proportion of single malts than grain, eighteen malts to seven grains to be precise.
Now, knowing that there are rare whiskies in a blend is one thing, but picking them out whilst sipping the whisky is a touch harder. Ludo had made life a bit easier for us and had arranged all 25 individual parts of the blend for us to nose and try. This was quite an incredible experience as we moved from one glass to the next, understanding the building blocks, each chosen by Brian for their unique characteristics to carefully construct this fine whisky. The grain, which was approaching 45 years old and had no sign of giving up! Billy Abbot, a fellow whisky reviewer and I were in our own little bit of geek heaven, especially when we found the Clynelish that we both tagged as have been part of the blend. We couldn’t however identify the Ladyburn which was there, a distillery which closed in 1975 and who’s whiskies are extremely rare and sought after but thats probably because I havent actually tried enough Ladyburn to recognise it so easily, and it’s doubtful I ever will. These dearly departed distilleries have left behind only tiny remainders of the gold that once flowed from them. Sadly most remain in the hands of collectors firmly sealed, never to be drunk again.
So, onto the review itself-
Grant’s 25 year old Blended Scotch Whisky
43% abv
Ex-Bourbon/Ex-Sherry Cask
RRP £200 (although Selfridges sell it at a whopping £320!)
Appearance: Burnt Ochre / dark honey
Nose: Vanilla fudge, manuka honey, ripe banana and fruity scented wax candle are first to come alive with deeper notes of toffee sauce, new-buck leather and candied orange peel behind. There is good spice, but it is light such as white pepper and a dusting of cinnamon with a hint of burnt Dundee cake.
Palate: Lightly spicy with creamy toffee sauce again before orange blossom honey and tropical fruit flow in mid palate. Hints of balsa wood and cinnamon with a slightly nutty edge of macadamia. The palate falls a touch short in comparison to the nose.
Finish: LIghtly drying with pepper grip and smooth earthy elements. Lingering tropical fruit.
Summary: Its only when you see the individual elements of a blend as we did this evening that you understand the complex operation that the blenders such as Brian undertake. Some of the samples we tried were not at all something you would enjoy in its own right, yet you can see how certain elements have aided in the construction of the final whisky. Grant’s 25 is an enjoyable and smooth whisky with plenty to sit back and enjoy and certainly makes a welcome addition to the premium blend market and the Grant’s portfolio.
You can read more about Ludo and Grant’s Whisky on his blog.
Tags: 25, Abbot, American, Balvenie, Batch, best, Billy, blend, Blended, Brian, Cask, Clynelish, department, distillery, dram, Ducrocq, european, exclusive, flavour, french, Girvan, glnfiddich, Grain, grant, Grants, Kinsman, Ladyburn, Ludo, malt, notes, Old, premium, quality, retail, review, Scotch, Scotland, Scottish, Selfridges, Sherry, shop, single, son, spirit, store, tasting, travel, whiskey, whisky, william, year
When I was a kid, a friend of mine tried to be all clever and tell me that when you fly in a plane, the reason it seems like you are not going very fast is that our brains have not developed quickly enough to deal with flying, and as the outside world whizzes past the window, our brain has to slow it down to help us take it in. I think he ended up working on the shop floor for Tesco?
Clearly, he was and idiot. However, us humans do tend to have a bit of a problem trying to deal with vast amounts of time and even something not so vast, like a 50 year career and all it has brought. The world was a very different place just 50 years ago and it seems technology has flourished in the last few decades alone and bringing to us some of the greatest inventions such as television, the computer, air travel, space travel and double cask maturation. Ok, that last one might not actually make it into the top 10 greatest inventions of the 20th Century, but its up there in my book.
David Stewart, Master Distiler at The Balvenie was the pioneering distiller who, only in the 1980′s brought the whisky world “Double Maturation” a process of allowing whiskies to mature in one oak cask then transferred to another to complete the whiskies final characteristic. It began with The Balvenie Classic which later in 1993 became the 12 year old Double Wood that is known and loved around the world today. Using American ex-Bourbon cask to deliver creamy vanilla and smooth fruit notes and an ex-sherry cask which delivers richness and spice together creating the characteristic heather honey aroma and taste that The Balvenie is famed for. As ever, those guys at The Balvenie are tight lipped about the exact amount of time the whisky spends in each cask, but from my experience with sherry finish whisky, it doesn’t actually take too long (less than a year) to draw those wonderful spicy notes out of the cask.
David celebrated his 50th year with the company making him the longest serving distiller in the whisky world in September and to mark this momentous occasion David chose to release a rather special 50 yr old Balvenie- sadly, at £20,000 a bottle this review is not about that particular dram! (I think my sample got lost in the post guys)
However, it is about the newest kid on the Balvenie block namely The Balvenie 17 year old Double Wood. It is nice to see that within the range of The Balvenie there is now a linear whisky, and by that I mean an opportunity for the consumer to taste how a whisky develops over time. Far too often whisky ranges are peppered with separate expressions and it can be a little confusing for the consumer. Even The Balvenie has a similar set up with 12 year Double Wood which as mentioned is Ex-bourbon/ex-sherry, 12 year Signature which is both refill and first fill bourbon and then ex-sherry and then the 15 Single Barrel which, as the name may suggest, is just ex-bourbon. Of course, The Balvenie also have many limited releases such as the Tun 1401 and Liberated Casks and 40 year old. With this in mind, this new release has me very excited indeed.
The Balvenie 17 year old Double Wood
Ex-Bourbon cask, Ex-Sherry Cask
43% abv
RRP: £75 from 1st November 2012
Appearance: Burnished copper and warm gold
Nose: Immediately rich and fruity with a heady mix of honey, golden syrup and vanilla cream through candied orange peel and brazil nut. There are ripe conference pears dipped in caramel and well as a warming oak note helping to pin down the abundant fruits. Blueberry muffin with ice caramel latte on the side.
Palate: Rounded, rich and juicy. Classic Balvenie honey element which is dried out, quicker than you find in the 12 year old, by nutmeg and a hints of cocoa nib. Spices prevail mid palate with deliciously delicate clove, mace and cinnamon all seemingly mixed in cloudy cider. Complex it certainly is and very rewarding it certainly has more of a mature statement to make over its younger sibling.
Finish: Loads of spice going on here- wave after wave of earthy rich notes yet still able to wrap a trace of honey through there. Strangely I picked up merest hint of chilli oil which seemed to linger on the palate for quite some time in a very welcoming way.
Summary: Certain to be as big a hit as the 12 year old this clever expression has retained all that is good and great about The Balvenie and addd an extra element in the way of maturint. However, don’t be fooled into thinking this has become just another smoothed out whisky with less of a character in its own right, far from it, the 17 year old seems to have developed a kick of spice and heat which really makes you take notice.
Tags: 12, 1401, 15, 17 years, 30, 40, 50, airflight, American, Balvenie, barrel, blog, bourbon, Cask, character, computer, David, doublewood, doublw, dram, ex, expensive, experiment, happy, help, honey, invented, inventions, liberated, malt, maturation, mature, oak, Old, Peated, pefect, plane, region, review, Scotch, Scotland, scots, Sherry, single, sold, Speyside, Stewart, style, tasting, television, tesco, trail, tun, tv, whiskey, whisky, wood, year
Recently The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show took place at Vinopolis and as usual, many fine drams were on display. If you have never been, The Whisky Show is Britain’s, if not the worlds, best event on the whisky calendar and gives consumers and the trade the opportunity to meet with some of the big stars and fledgling drams as well as try food matching and whisky cocktails.
As an exhibitor, one of the “rules” is that you have to have on offer a bottle of whisky known as a “Dream Dram” which guests can try in exchange for tokens that are given as part of the ticket price. Some dream drams will see you part with quite a few of your tokens so choosing the right one is key.
There were some stunning examples available-but one for me stood out for more than a few reasons- The Balvenie Dream Dram. There is no actual official name for the whisky as it had been created just for the show but it had “Liberated Casks” penned on the side and it followed a similar make up to the famed Balvenie tun 1401 which I reviewed here recently.
Made from 6 selected casks, what I particularly liked about it was the use of more ex-bourbon cask rather than sherry butt.
The casks were a staggering collection of numbers indeed with the youngest over 37 years old!
Two 1975 ex bourbon cask
1974 Hogshead
1972 Hogshead
1970 ex-sherry butt
1963 ex sherry butt……
wait, lets just tally that up- 1963, that’s a 49 year old! The combined age of the whisky in this bottle was in fact 243 years old. Opportunity like this does not come along very often and it was a pleasure to taste.
The Balvenie “Liberated Cask” Whisky Show special.
ABV unknown
Appearance: Golden syrup with rose gold.
Nose: Buttered sweetcorn , almond paste, orange oil, toasted vanilla, creamy malt, light orange blossom honey, well fired morning rolls. There is very light spice of mace with peanut shells and marzipan.
Palate- More pronounced earthy spice with warm candied orange peel and honey. Bountiful drying fruit, toasted wood and light dusting of cinnamon compliment the nose.
Finish: Lingering and very complex. The lightest of sherry cask spice holding on to the end with hints of coffee through honey.
Summary: Possibly the outstanding whisky for me at he show and bang on in terms of style for my palate. The tun 1401 is a little heavier on the sherry weight which I think is too much of a departure from the classic style of Balvenie- where as this is a bulls-eye with the volume turned up.
Tags: 1401, 1974, 2012, 45, 50, 55, 60, American, Balvenie, barrel, best, biggest, bourbon, butt, casks, chips, dram, dream, exceptional, exchange, exhibithion, find, found, gold, hard, hogshead, liberated, liquid, London, malt, notes, october, Old, oldest, poker, rare, review, Scotch, Scotland, Sherry, show, single, special, tasting, token, tun, vinopolis, whiskey, whisky
Before I ever begin a tasting session, I can probably write down the five questions I will surely be asked. 1. What is your favourite whisky? 2. Do very expensive whiskies taste good? 3. Is it ok to add ice/water? 4. What is Bourbon and 5. How many whisky regions are there. It is this last question that normally launches me off into a ramble lasting longer than it probably should.
The thing is, you can approach whisky in a number of ways, from the very detailed study of the science involved- it’s germination, fermentation, methanols, ethanols, phenols, fatty acids, and esters bumping into copper, catalysing and oxidising, esterifying to create the flavours and aromas we expect, to the far simpler approach of knowing what style you like and just enjoying it with friends. Of course, there is a huge chasm of information between one approach and the other and I for one tend to choose a path somehwere between the two in order to understand the science without it distracting me from the joy on the whisky itself.
But what of those just starting out on the journey of whisky discovery? What should they look out for? Where should the journey begin? Well, understanding what you like yourself is a huge help. Like spicy food? Probably going to like a spicy whisky. Like salty food, then it might be a coastal distillery you aim for. So how about these whisky regions we hear of? Surely those make it simple I hear you say. Well no actually, they only confuse in my opinion.
There are six whisky “regions” in Scotland. Highland, Speyside, Lowland, Island, Campbelltown and Islay. Supposedly, these areas each have their own distinct style and therefore give an indication of the whisky inside the bottle when the region it hails from is printed on the label. That, quite frankly, is the type of out-dated approach to whisky that won’t do it any good as the world of whisky (non-scotch) builds in quality and confidence causing us to cling to our tartan hems as the waters of progress start lapping at them. To understand why regions play little or no part in modern whisky, we have to understand how they came about in the first place. In the early 16th century, the whisky produced would have been distilled from a variety of grains, including barley, and these grain recipes would no doubt have differed from farm to village as any surplus of harvested grain was set aside for distillation. Whisky was in a healthy, if somewhat unregulated, state of production all across Scotland, but it wasn’t until the union of the English and Scottish parliaments in 1707 that we start seeing a big shift in attitude and production. A malt tax was introduced (as had already been the case in England) which upset Scottish producers and consumers no end and it’s continued increase saw riots in the streets and general bloody unrest know as the Malt Tax Riots. As taxation increase once more illicit distilling was just around the corner, forced out of the farms and homes and starting to spread (home-made spirit was exempt from tax).
As Londoners lay drunk in the streets on gin, parliament drew up the Gin Act to try and stem the “flow” of gin consumption and limit production and sale by imposing costly licenses and high duty for producers and retailers. Scotland was exempt (for now) of this act and as such, production of mixed grain spirit increased which would eventually make its way across the border to be made into gin. Although, it was probably a ban on distilling in the mid and late 1700′s (crop failure) that helped drive the illegal sale of whisky in Scotland, as the home distiller, still under the radar of the excise man and exempt from the legislation imposed on its commercial neighbours, started to supply the ever increasing demand for whisky.
The Highland Line (the first of the regions) divided Scotland in two, for the purpose of differing duty and regulations about spirit production. The tax was lowered for those above the line, but they were banned from exporting the spirit out of the region (yup, not even within their own country) but this did see a certain amount of quality control as Highland distillers could use a smaller still than their Lowland counterparts and could take their time in the production of the spirit. Those below the line however, were forced to produce a harsher spirit from still which could be worked quickly in order to increase outrun. This of course all fell nicely into the hands of the smugglers and illegal distillers who cashed in on trade opportunities around the UK. It wasn’t until the early 1800′s and the introduction of the small stills act that the Highland Line was abolished, the duty was reduced and smaller stills were permitted. This saw a fast growth in legal distilleries and an equilibrium of quality between the two now defunct regions. So, a historic line drawn for tax purposes which THEN changed how those above and below distilled their spirits still demands we choose our whisky style based on location. Glengoyne distillery, which happens to straddle the imaginary line distills in the Highlands, yet its warehouse lies on the opposite side of the road effectively in the Lowlands…a case of split personality?
For the purpose of this blog, I have only just scratched the surface. For more in-depth information about the history of whisky and how many of the traditions evolved I suggest picking up a copy of Charlie Maclean’s book – Malt Whisky, The Complete Guide in which Charlie really gets to grips with the historical side of whisky.
Speyside has one of the highest concentration of distilleries now in operation in Scotland. The land surrounding the river Spey is fertile and produces excellent quality barley from its deep alluvial soil from the banks of the Moray firth, good peat moorland, plenty of springs from the snow capped Cairgorms which also provided great hiding places for the number of illegal distillers of the time. Speyside has a vast array of styles but due to the fame of The Glenlivet distillery, many tried to emulate its light fruity flavour and smooth finish. Yet, just in the next glen we can find heavy full on rich style (Aberlour) and even a smokey whisky (Ardmore). The diversity of these distilleries simple means you can’t guarantee the style of the whisky in the bottle if it says “Speyside” on the label.
Campbelltown, a town on the Kintyre peninsula which hangs down off the west of Scotland, did at one point have over 25 distilleries, with many more in the surrounding countryside- and like Speyside benefitted from good peat, barley, spring water and troublesome geographical location. By all acounts, there didnt seem to be a particular “style” produced here, something between the Islay distileries and Highland. Today only three distilleries making 5 different whiskies remain Springbank (Hazelburn, Longrow), Glen Scotia and Kilkerran. There is something you can guarantee from this droop of land as a friend of mine who worked for the BBC told me the angle the peninsula lies off the coast is the maximum angle the naked male appendage can be if ever viewed on the BBC with the island of Arran adding somewhat of an additional piece of imagery for this purpose.
So what are we left with? The “islands” and “Islay“. Well, considering the islands are lumped together as all islands of Scotland (with the exception of Islay) no matter if they are tucked up in sheltered firths such as Arran, Lewis in the outer Hebridean or Highland Park on Orkney- far too vast an area to have a singular “style”. There are heavily peated styles, light and floral, rich and fruity….good luck.
Isaly, I am almost tempted to say is actually they only one you can be sure of style. Typically peated, fresh and maritime notes with the distinct nose of iodine from the heavily peated barley. But would that put you off Bunnahabhain? Seeing the words Islay on its label, if you didnt like smokey whisky might just do that. But Bunnahabhain, on the north east of the island, does not peat its barley and therefore is not a smokey whisky (although they now have Toitech).
So, these regions we seem to so dearly to maintain are nothing more than marketing provenance to a by-gone era. They do little to help us understand what is in the bottle and can simply confuse a reader in most cases. Thankfully, brands are beginning to realise that it is better to put better tasting notes and a bit more info to help out, yet its normally on the back label with a region proudly displayed on the front. Further to this, distilleries like Balvenie are constantly pushing the development of their style- with the likes of Single Cask, Peated Cask and full sherry cask all joining the list from the distillery normal releases and none of that trio are anything like the expected taste and smell of Balvenie, a risk perhaps which could upset the regular Balvenie drinker- but distilleries like Bavenie realise that the whisky drinker is changing, becoming younger, coming from new countries and from very different backgrounds. These individuals are key to the future growth of whisky and are choosing their tipple on flavour, not historic political or geographical boundaries.
Tags: Aberlour, act, alcohol, ardmore, arran, Balvenie, barley, bourbon, Bunnahabhain, campbelltown, Cask, distill, distillation, england, esters, ethanol, fermentation, firth, flavour, Gin, Glen, Glen Scotia, Glengoyne, Glenlivet, Grain, Hebridean, Hebrides, Highland, historic, history, illicit, islands, islay, Kilkerran, kintyre, lane, Lewis, lowland, malt, mature, moray, Orkney, Park, Peated, regions, riots, science, Scotland, Scottish, Sherry, single, smokey, Speyside, spirit, Springbank, style, tax, toitech, type, union, well, whiskey, whisky
There are things in life you purchase or do and you just know you made the right choice. You might have deliberated for quite some time before making the steps to create it or purchase it, but at the completion, you know it was worth it.
On a recent trip to Edinburgh, A friend of mine took me through the entire production history of Church’s shoes, an item I have long promised myself. They are not just shoes, they are the best shoes made in the world and the last remaining brand to be fully made in the UK. Although they are owned by Prada, the production remains in Northampton and none of the process is outsourced, unlike many of the other UK luxury shoe brands- even my beloved Grensons have part of the build take place in other countries.
Church’s was founded in 1873 by Thomas Church and his three sons Alfred, William and Thomas Jr., who could count on family experience in the production of handmade men’s shoes dating back to 1675. They were pioneers in shoemaking, actually creating the first pair of “left” and “right” shaped shoes and “in six widths in every conceivable style and material”
It takes over 8 weeks to create a pair of mens shoes, with over 250 manual operations taking place before it leaves the factory. A craft approach to the shoes which delivers exceptional quality and ever changing innovation.
I had to try a few pairs on to “experience” the history- and of course the pair I instantly took a liking to were the most expensive! The Shannon, in burgundy, made with horse leather….if it wasn’t for the £545 price tag, I would be wearing them now as I type this. All good things come to those who wait (and my friend does offer an amazing discount!).
If those shoes were in my possession now, I would have also worn them to the Savoy hotel today to taste the latest batch of the tun 1401 release from Balvenie.
The ‘tun’ is a marrying tank into which selected casks are emptied and held for a short period to integrate before being bottled, this being the 5th release. The first batch was released just at the distillery, the second made it on to the UK domestic market whilst Batch 3 hopped over to the USA and number 4 was only available in Travel Retail (Duty Free). The tun holds around 2000 litres so each release is quite limited and of course, each differs. This latest was from just 9 selected casks, 4 ex sherry butts and 5 ex bourbon. Each cask is hand pumped into the tun, using an original cast hand pump which is reputed to have been used by William Grant himself. It really doesn’t get much more authentic than this- the innovative ideas of the master distiller David Stewart connecting with the tradition and history of the distillery.
David, who is approaching his 50th year at Balvenie, and is the longest serving distiller at any Scottish (or the world) distillery, was making a rare appearance to discuss his selection process and final marrying of the 9 casks, the oldest of which was from 1966 with the rest from around the 70′s. Within this latest batch were whiskies between 21 to 46 years old. David is a pioneer of whisky and was in fact the individual who started to use sequential maturation in different wood (shifting whisky from one cask to the next to enhance flavour). A common practice these day is every distillery in the world, but before David had brought this innovation, it was unheard of – like left and right shoes!
Its all about hand crafting, personal selecting, careful nurturing and holding the whole process in house to ensure consistency and quality control. Fortunately, this bottle of skilfully crafted whisky will retail for £161, thats nearly three and a half bottles per pair of Church’s…bargain! If only I didn’t want both.
Balvenie tun 1401 Batch No.5
50.1% Non chill filtered
Appearance: Golden Copper with light virgin olive oil greenness.
Nose: Big honey, clove spice and trails of coca powder at first with the richness of the sherry butt coming through later. Lots of lively sappy wood and fresh fruits underpinned with rich citrus, cherry and molasses. Rolling around is an unusual (for Balvenie) waxy/carbolic notes with a floral element.
Palate: Huge chunks of spicy honey, rich cooked fruits and then a chocolate/coffee bitterness calms the sweetness to reveal those malty notes and a hint of smoke (some of the casks are old enough to show this historic character). Chewy wood notes of sweet maple and cedar.
Finish:Lingering sweetness of fruit perfectly balanced with bitter cocoa nibs and woody elements.
There are plenty of other similar ties with Church’s and whisky- like the use of oak to build the sole of the shoes, the continued innovation in technique, but above all its the craftsmanship and care that is put into producing each one. Something that will hopefully remain for a very long time. Or at least until I can afford them!
Tags: 1401, American, Balvenie, barrel, bourbon, Cask, Church's, craft, David, distiller, distillery, double, edinburgh, grant, hand pump, handmade, horse leather, Hotel, London, luxury, malt, marry, master, mens, Northampton, oak, oldest, quality, retail, Savoy, Scotch, Scottish, select, shannon, Sherry, shoes, shop, single, Stewart, tasting, travel, tun, UK, USA, wax, whiskey, whisky, william, wood
On Tuesday of this week, I gathered a few friends, old and new, around to have a tasting. The assembled guests were varied and came from all walks of life. Rebecca Heptinstall whose blog, foodie foodie nom is always a good read. John Mccheyne from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Niamh from the ever popular Eat Like a Girl blog, the very tallented chef Maria Elia, photographer Simon Hanna, scribe Paul Antonio, Simon Ewins from Pomp Magazine, a fab crowd from The Caxton Grill, and the “fresher” from Barchick. In total about 24 people took to their seats in Liberty Lounge for a 90 min tasting and the usual jokes.
There was quite a line-up of whisky to discuss as well, starting off with the Weymss Malt “The Hive”, then onto the Chapter 6 from The English Whisky company, Balvenie 15 single cask, Bowmore Darkest 15, Glenfiddich 18 year old and a Scotch Malt Whisky bottling to finish with (a 27yr old Clynelish but you didn’t hear that from me ). Not a single whisky was turned down, and whilst many in the room were able to pick a favourite upon the conclusion of the tasting, it was fairly equal across the board for each had its own personality and drew fans to it for different reasons such as The Hive fooling most into “bee”lieving it was a single malt and the Balvenie Single Cask converted a previously adamant whisky hater to the joys of a dram! It turned into an interesting night with the guests eventually highjacking the sound-system and dancing into the wee hours.
Yes sir, I can boogie…
Twitter was buzzing with little comments back and forward as each bottle came up for review, but it was one tweet from the American ambassador for Laphroaig, Simon Brooking that spurred this blog into action. He said, after seeing the picture I had tweeted before the event “Perhaps something with a bit more sea-sprayed peat would treat you right?
And so, upon returning to DW HQ, I had a look over the bottles in the warehouse (cupboard) and picked out something with a bit more sea-spray to review.
Laphroaig 18 yr old, 48% abv
Aged in “first-fill” bourbon cask
Non-chill filtered
Originally launched in 2009, the 18 yr old is now the replacement of the 15 yr old.
Each year sees it released in limited quantities (7,500 cases).
Appearance: Deep straw with yellow gold.
Nose: (uncut) Softer than expected, warm salted butter with pine sap and malt loaf. Good oak backbone and faint examples of old moist driftwood. Rope from a quayside and brown wrapping paper mingle with the classic, if somewhat subdued medicinal and coal tar notes. Soft jammy plum and dark red fruit finish the ensemble.
Palate: (uncut) Tar and spice of tobacco and liquorice. Salt comes bounding through with the sea-spray and smoke drifts not far behind it. Nutty at the same time as fruity, but very well integrated.
Finish: Lingering fresh salt and light honey suckle delight the palate long after the liquid leaves the party.
I tried a splash of water with it, cutting it back to around 43%. To be honest, apart from the increased creamy texture expected from un-chill filtered whisky, it wasn’t for me as the softness of the uncut dram is subtle enough to tempt even first time Laphroaig tipplers who perhaps had heard the rumours about this peaty monster.
Tags: Ambassador, America, American, Balvenie, barchick, blog, blogger, Bowmore, Caxtom, Chapter 6, chef, El Buli, English, foodie, foor, Glenfiddich, Laphroaig, malt, Noma, pomp, Scotch, single, Society, USA, Wemyss, whiskey, whisky, writer
With January being, for most at least, a time to start fresh and maybe even venture into something new, I though about returning to some level of competitive fitness. The tasting sessions planned for the month had obviously been hit with a viral case of “resolutions” as classes were half filled here and there. Abstinence is not a word I normally carry in my vocabulary, but found myself repeating it more and more during the first month of the year. Would it really make that much difference? 4 weeks in 52 ?
Since I was 14 (not that long ago) I have used January to kick-start my season of cycle racing as the long miles and cold feet early in the year would ensure a good “base fitness” to be built on later with speed and power work. It means long, usually cold and very often damp hours in the saddle, strengthening legs and heart before the racing started proper in April. It was also a good time to catch up with all the friends who’s racing calendar had flung them all over the country for the past 10 months and swap tales of bravery, triumph and of course failure.
Unfortunately, being at the head of a growing whisky empire has seen a few things take a back seat, or saddle. Since my last competitive event in July last year (Tour of Wales) the good bike has been hung up - apart from the crash in September (see Crash, Bang Whisky for details) which then saw a 3.5K carbon race bike be resigned to a bin.
Anyone who stays fit in any way will know that if you take a few weeks off, then you start to notice a very rapid change in your fitness. I am now way beyond that and it was time to redress the balance.
Time to get back in the saddle!
The choices were:
RUNNING- Cheap, simple, easily accessed and does not take up to much time. Despite running marathons in the past, I HATE running.
CYCLING- My natural choice, but costly, time-consuming and I would just get my ass whipped training with “the boys” who will delight in seeing me out of condition. Plus its cold.
GYM- Do me a favour! why do things inside that can be done outside? see above (cold)
YOGA- WTF? really? but isn’t it for people who eat rabbit food, wear hand-made or second-hand clothes and talk is riddles about inner spirits?
I actually got talked into yoga eventually, joining some cycling friends who were using it to compliment the off-season schedule. Hold on, compliment…there you go, too close to complimentary therapy… I hear chimes and smell incense again!
And then the bombshell. This was Bikram yoga. The hot stuff.
I was told to meet at the class with two towels, a pair of shorts and enough water to float the Arc. The basement location was at first cramped and brought to life my fears – I was an outsider here. They could smell I wasn’t one of them. I dressed differently. I wasn’t wearing bright colours and not enough natural fabrics dyed form crushed flowers. BUT, I do have a beard and tattoos, so it confused them long enough to let me slip in.
The main room was, unsurprisingly, hot. Like, sauna hot. And even although it was the size of an average school gym, they had managed to get it to feel like a coffin in a kettle. This was going to hurt.
My idea of a sweaty afternoon.
I didn’t mind it actually. Fifteen minutes into the class, which was to last ninety!, I felt ok. Dripping with sweat but so was everyone else. The guy to my right was obviously a pro, bending his limbs into all kinds of knots and balancing like he was being held by a string from the tip of his head. But what was most incredible, was how he was breathing. Calm as a Hindu cow. deep and slow, relaxed and controlled.
I on the other hand was having a mini-panic attack as my brain tried to communicate to my lungs that we were all going to die very shortly.
The cruel reality of Bikram
My limbs, far from being elegantly manipulated, were more akin to a string puppet one might find at the bottom of a toy box. Neglected for many years and with each movement of the surrounding toys, becoming more entangled in its own body. My heart was jumping out of my chest, beating a rhythm I hadn’t heard before, but i am sure Death dances to it. My throat was gasping for air, but with every gasp it simply drew in more heat. Pins and needles had started to for in my fingers and toes and my skin was so soaked with sweat that I could even grip my hands together.
Surely this was NOT good for you?
Then I got a respite. a break in the torture and a glug of water. It was about now that I looked around the room at the 50 or so others enjoying the torture. All walks of life, all body shapes and sizes, although a disproportionately large number of females did seem to be choosing very small bikinis - it must be the current yoga fashion! I am so out of touch but made a mental note to perhaps do some more research for a future blog. I also realised at this point that I had taken on an injury. Well, an old one actually, sustained one winter whilst out training on the bike. I had taken a corner too fast and black ice had decided it was about time I sat down and slammed my side to the tarmac. My left shoulder took the worst of it, pinching a nerve and straining a tendon. It has never really bothered me since, but now, ironically enough, in a class where I am supposed to be getting fit staying off the bike, a cycling injury pops up.
I managed to finish the class and I am actually going to return. After all, that future blog won’t write itself!
On the way back to normality, I had to gather my thoughts regarding the event that I was to attend that evening, The Monkey Shoulder Fresh Start at Callooh Callay, both the whisky and the bar are know for a rather more quirky take on things and this was to be no exception. Monkey Shoulder gets its name from a repetitive
See, here, drink now.
strain injury often picked up by maltmen as they managed the barley on the malting floor with sheils, those long-necked shovels used to turn the barley. Because of the action required whilst turning, a kind of back and forth rocking, the term is known as a Monkey Shoulder. I felt their pain right now! There are three “monkeys” on the shoulder of the bottle, each one representative of one of the three single malts that make up the vatting (sorry, blended malt). Balvenie, Glenfiddich and Kininvie.
I have no idea where the name Callooh Callay comes from!
I have had my ups-and-downs with Monkey Shoulder as when it first launched, I though brilliant, a brand not scared to step out of the traditional scotch mould, but then saw the packaging and felt robbed. It does look to me like bourbon more than anything else and I have tested this theory at my tastings. Some even though it was a liqueur, but I suppose it is hard to keep everyone happy these days. However, the product inside set it all back to where is should be, a good dram with an approachable character, easy drinking and also a profile that stands well in a cocktail.
Cocktails were that main theme of the event. With Dean ‘the monkey” Callan, brand ambassador for Monkey Shoulder and general all round nice guy, at the helm and his magical case, we were in for a treat. Now, travelling barmen are well known for bringing with them a bar-bag of tools. Normally this bag will contain a favourite boston tin and glass, a preferred bar spoon, the first bar blade they ever owned and a few medicinal shaped bottles containing their own home-brew! few contain a miniature spirit still! but Deans does.
and for my next trick...
Not content with the flavours most off the shelf spirits will give him, Dean has decided to create his own, using the mini still and munchkin sized 7ltr barrels to age various concoctions in (he is not actually distilling spirit, so you Duty and Excise boys can get back in your prams!). It’s quite a lot of stuff to lug around, but the results were fabulous. Even for me, with a palate hardened to marble due to drinking straight scotch and a few too many Partagas, found all his creations interesting and fun yet still managing to bring together the profile of the scotch with other flavours.
I managed to get notes on the drinks Dean created and more info can be found on the Facebook page of Monkey Shoulder.
Monkey Diablo Brule
Ingredients: Half a bottle of Monkey Shoulder infused with vanilla and cinnamon (approx 80ml per person)
Looks like a wizards hat, which is apt.
1 orange peeled in a horseneck garnish and studded with cloves
1 pot of freshly brewed coffee
Sugar to taste
Method: Warm the serving dish with a glass of boiling water then discard, add monkey shoulder, vanilla and cinnamon. Set the coffee up next to the
dish, then set the orange peel into the centre of the dish fixed at the
top to a set of tongs or a bar spoon. Light the whisky on fire, now
using a ladle pour the whisky down the peel again and again until the
clove and orange flavour has infused with the whisky. Once the desired
effect is achieved extinguish flame and pour in coffee. Taste the
mixture and sugar to taste.
The original Monkey Boy
Malt Jockey
Ingredients
40ml Monkey shoulder
30ml sweet vermouth
7-10ml maraschino liqueur
2 dashes chocolate bitters
Method: Stir and strain
Garnish: Orange Peel
Artist’s Special
Ingredients
40ml Monkey Shoulder
30ml amontillado sherry
30ml fresh lemon juice
25ml Redcurrant syrup
Method: Shake and strain
Garnish: Redcurrants and a soft twist of orange (discard orange)
The last thing I wanted to mention was that I was late for this event, sorry Dean and the gang (or should that be
'yes we can'
troop?) because I was hosting a tasting of my own at Liberty Lounge and heard something I wont ever forget. I know us Scots can be a bit awkward with our special words and difficult pronounciations but we had to invent something to stop the English realise what we were saying about them! We can let the odd thing slip, like Glenmorangie – pronounced GLEN-M- Orangey as in the fruit. But it was a lady who rasied to may attention of of her favourite whiskies, to which she referred to, quite seriously, as No Can Do. She thought this was a great way to market a whisky and a fun play on words….I didn’t have the heart to tell her, but no dear, the whisky is called Knockando, and is Gaelic for “Little Black Hill”. Still, that one will remain for me for a while and maybe she has a point anyway?
Tags: Albannach, Balvenie, bartender, bikini, Bikram, Blended, brand, Callan, Callay, Callooh, Cocktail, cycling, Dean, dramatic, fat., fitness, fresh, Glenfiddich, injury, Kininvie, knockando, Liberty, London, Lounge, malt, marathon, Monkey, packaging, resolutions, running, sauna, Shoulder, single, start, vatted, whiskey, whisky, wizard, Yoga
So, this whisky thing we all love….seems at times to have multiple personality disorder. I mean, lets look at it from the side lines. Its been with us since early 1400 (us being the Scots) and we have enjoyed our party juice in many different ways. It never saw an oak barrel before the glass (unaged), it was supped still clutching big levels of alcohol (straight off the still) and flavoured no doubt with a plethora of ingredients (heather, spices and probable sheep wool!), yet it remained a drink of conversation. A dram amongst friends and loved ones- sometimes who turn out to be not so loved by the end of the evening perhaps?
Branding...what branding?
After 400 years, heavy taxation, the discovery of the wonders oak aging can bring and improvements in distillation techniques, we arrived at a whisky that would be recognized today and luckily even after all this time, it remained a drink to have with friends. Not a collectable luxury item as we see in many cases today.
It puzzles me that as the luxury market increases, and popularity of whisky does the same, the drink is starting to become a dividing factor. I have worked with brands who seem hell bent on raising their whisky to almost iconic status, to sit shoulder by shoulder with couture fashion, car marques and dare I say, champagne up high in the rarefied atmosphere only a handful of us mere mortal folk get a chance to breath in (usually on an expense account!).
Do you like my bubbles?
This troubles me because this is not what whisky should be, not what it started out as. Ok, neither did clothes, cars or champagne, but to choose to only be seen in this light I think is brand suicide. In particular, and of course I am not about to name names here, but one whisky that springs to mind is actually taking the bold step to remove its entry level whisky from the market altogether ensuring that when one does purchase a bottle, it will have to be a 15 year old or more. This paints a picture in my mind of having a ladder to the stars, but starting the rungs so high that only a few can climb it. Pathetic if you ask me…oh, you didn’t? well I am telling you!
So that’s one way to encourage new drinkers right? Grab enough headlines about the price of your dram, make sure it is seen in a Hollywood star’s hand at a premier, make sure all your ambassadors dress like an extra from a Bond movie and you set the mood for future growth within your chosen demographic.
Somewhere "safe" for the rarest of drams?
But that is only a tiny, albeit important sector of the whisky consumer market – actually, look closer and you may find such an individual hoarding rare bottles of divine liquid not too far from wherever you are sitting reading this. The challenge is to ask then to describe to you, in glorious detail, the nuances of the bottles’ contents. The emotion attached to drinking such a rare whisky, the memories evoked from its smell and taste as each sip is savored, one second for each year it has been alive. The conversation struck up amongst the fellow drinkers they have gathered around to enjoy it with them. I’d say it will be a challenge- because 9 out of 10 individuals I have asked just that question to reply with the same stock answer- “Drink it? Oh God no, I’m too scared to open it”.
If you want to show off wealth, and lets face it- that’s what it boils down to because it can’t be taste!- then buy art. Not only will you adorn your wall with an individual creation that you will gain pleasure from on a daily basis as you pass it by, and perhaps notice it in a different light, but you will also be able to enjoy it with friends as they gaze at it and derive the same pleasure you do. It also says a lot about you as an individual, such as your viewpoint on life depending on if it happens to be a Degas from his racehorse era, or a Frank Auerbach from one of his less detailed periods. You cannot do that with a bottle of whisky in a glass cabinet.
So as this world of whisky evolves, especially Scotch as other whiskies from distilleries in all corners of the world start to compete, where does the distiller take his vision. A distillery can keep churning out age statement whiskies time after time. Sticking to what it knows best and hoping that new youthful whisky lovers will be born and hopefully, eventually stumble upon their creation and be a fan for life. A short-sighted approach I think and thankfully the Scotch whisky industry has few distilleries which fall fowl of this. Take for example Glenglassaugh, originally built in 1875 and mothballed in 1986 it was re-opened on the 29th February 2008. Clearly, the resting casks were a bit too old and expensive to make your first reborn release, it’s wonderful to be a phoenix, but if your feathers are all gold, you wont fly very far. The last thing they wanted to do was set out to be one of those dream drams (although they have since and it is wonderful!) they chose to sell the you “new make” spirit to create a revenue stream- smart right? It allowed people to try something different at a young age that expressed the distilleries style and future without a hefty price tag. I was a big fan of this move, I was not so much a fan of the name “The spirit that blushes to say it’s name” was the first title of new make rested for a short time in red wine barrel making it rose´in appearance. Brave, but it worked.
But what of more established brands? How do they look forward, if at all. Well, this week I was fortunate enough to be invited to try, along with 1000 others around the UK, a new release from The Balvenie, The Craftsman Reserve No 1. The Cooper.
It was to be unveiled during a “live tasting” linked via the distillery online to anyone who chose to join in. If you so wished, you could register at Warehouse 24 and they would send you out a rather impressive sample bottle and two etched tasting glasses. I must admit, it was difficult to keep my paws off it until the evening of the release! The live tastings are an indication of the forward thinking of this brand- using technology available to most and giving them an opportunity to be part of something fun- not just for the privileged few, journalists or whisky geeks.
Keep yer mitts off!
In saying that, a select few (limited by the room size) gathered at Boisdale of Belgravia restaurant to join in the tasting and discussion. Neil and Joel from Cask Strength were present, as was Billy Abbot of The Whisky Exchange, Ben Ellefsen from Master of Malt, Olly Wahring of Just Drinks and Alwynne Gwilt who is Miss Whisky. Always nice to catch up with people from the industry who have become friends, joined by a dram. Again, the congregation is testimony to Balvenie and how important getting the message out through all avenues of electronic and social media is today. Andrew Forrester hosted the event in his typically informative and relaxed manner and in describing the provenance behind Master Distiller David Stewart’s creation, managed to create a real interest in this special release.
The Balvenie is the only family owned distillery which today grows its own barley, malts in a traditional (floor malting) way, has copper-smiths on site to maintain the stills and even its own cooperage- to which this, the first of no doubt many releases, is in celebration. Ian McDonald joined the Balvenie distillery in 1959 at just 15 years old. He signed up for the 5 year apprenticeship in the cooperage and is now the Head Cooper for Balvenie. Just to confirm how important Balvenie think it is to have a cooperage on sight, not more than 2 miles down the road from the distillery is a commercial cooperage which supplies most of the Speyside distillers. But not The Balvenie.
Those of you familiar with The Balvenie will be aware of its house style – heather honey on the nose, light warming spice to the palate. In general, with the exception of the Single Barrel 15 yr old, the core range displays this, cleverly combining the use of both European sherry cask and American ex-bourbon cask in perfect balance delivering that delicious style. But here we have a change of direction and within the room on the evening talk was quickening regarding the style of this 100% sherry cask. Only 515 bottle were created from the two casks chosen and just 315 of those will be exclusively available in the UK to members of Warehouse 24 and at the very reasonable retail price of £65. Its free to join the warehouse, so don’t think you are being shut out- but do hurry!
Let me just pause for a second and repeat that: it is £65 a bottle. Not £650, not £6,500. This is an exceptionally rare and exclusive bottling, a step aside from the house style, created by a man with 50 years experience and only 515 bottles grace this rock we call home. Now, some reading this may still baulk at that figure- but listen, I will say this only once- this bottle could easily state a £650 price tag and every last drop of it would be purchased by the end of the summer. But would it be in the right hands, or more importantly the right glasses?
To me, this release shows foresight. It shows an understanding of the modern world of spirit and as we see new world whiskies creating more and more fine examples the Scotch industry needs more people like David Stewart. Unafraid to experiment, unimpressed with stardom and “Haute Dramture” (I might trademark that). To the Balvenie fans out there, they will get it. To those who approach the Balvenie for the first time, they will be impressed by the range and obvious craftsmanship employed here. Despite the various conversations in the room that evening, all agreed the whisky in the glass was excellent and look what happened, we enjoyed it amongst friends and we carried on talking about this and many more important things in life like good shoes (Neil) first loves and car accidents (Joel), isn’t that what it is all about?
The Balvenie No.1 The Coopers Reserve
100% sherry butt from just two casks (10142, 17949)
Grab it whilst you can!
Age: 15 years
Distilled: 1996
Strength: 59.4%
limited release 515 bottles (315 in the UK)
RRP: £65
Available via Warehouse 24
Appearance: Light copper with rose gold shimmer and core
Nose: Complex mix immediately of rich sherry and deep malt. Brittle toffee follows turning into polished mahogany and leather. Lighter wafts of sweet popcorn, honey and spice of mace play a part before a circling note of fresh ground coffee.
Palate: Honey smooth with character to follow. Spiced nuts of Brazil and dark chocolate drizzled over dried apricot and fig before turning more citrus towards the end almost marmalade like.
Finish: Long and lingering with an abundance of syrupy spice which turns bitter coffee (in a delicious way!)
Nigella: try her with a dram of The Balvenie
The last question of the night was directed towards me, seemingly my continuous use of foodstuffs of various kinds at my tasting sessions as I try and drag whisky from the after dinner shelf into the pre-dinner selection has earned a reputation for pairing a dram or two. So, which foods would I pair with this creation. After a quick run through in my mind of the profile of the dram, it has to be Nigella Lawson’s ham joint roasted in coca-cola (other flavored fizzy drinks work equally as well). Alwynne ran with the ham theme and suggested one of my all time favorite breakfasts- this will knock the socks off a pile of warm pancakes buttered with salty butter, layered with maple cured streaky bacon and all drowned in good maple syrup. What better way to start the day? nice one Miss Whisky. More whisky and food pairing ideas here.
Tags: 24, Andrew, auerbach, Balvenie, belgravia, blushes, boisdale, bond, Cask, champagne, coca cola. David, cooper, cowfish, degas, distillery, Dr, dram, Dramture, drinks, food, Forrester, frank, Glenglassaugh, Haute, Ian, james, just, lawson, live, malt, master, matching, McDonald, Miss, nigella, pairing, pancakes, Reserve, Sam, Scotch, Simmons, spirit, Stewart, strength, tasting, warehouse, whiskey, whisky
