On June 2nd 1953, Elizabeth II was crowed Queen of the United Kingdom (as well as a few other places that came along with the job role) and 20 million people tuned in to watch the ceremony, the first of it’s kind to be televised. The figures are quite staggering as that is 56% of the UK population at the time, with another 11 million tuning in to the radio. A celebration, assisted with a free tin of Cadbury’s chocolate for every schoolchild, that brought a nation to standstill. An so, 60 years on, with Her Majesty still happily and gloriously reigning over us, we turn to celebrate again this outstanding call of duty.
I must admit, I’m not much of a royalist in any shape or form so I’m not sure I will be reaching for a mini union flag to manically wave at the telly as Sir Cliff belts out some oldies, but I’d probably reach for The Macallan celebratory release if I had the opportunity.
The Macallan sent to me samples of their celebration dram and it was an interesting set up in the fact that there were two bottles. Each bottle has been created to represent the beginning and current era of the Queens reign. Not only does the liquid differ, but each bottle will have a different image of the Queen, the brainchild of art director David Holmes. The first, an American cask release, is adorned by a Cecil Beaton portrait from the time of her coronation. The second, a European oak release, has a Julian Caulder photograph taken in 2004. Both whiskies are said to perfectly represent the Queen at each moment. The vibrant and characterful first release and the mature, and perhaps somewhat mellowed, second release. Let’s hope the palate doesn’t come across tired and flabby or head will roll!
Presented in a suitably regal box and limited to just 1953 sets this is undoubtedly an instant sell out. This of course will mean that many a Macallan fan and collector will be hoping to keep hold of this rather longer than the tin of Cadbury coronation chocolates that were given out 1953. Although sadly I fear that unlike the chocolates, most of this whisky will never actually be tasted.
The Macallan Coronation Bottling
Cecil Beaton Edition
No age statement
58.1 % abv
35cl
Appearance: Warm golden corn
Nose: Vibrant fruit to start then interestingly drops the high notes and dives 
headlong into a sea of sweetness. Suddenly we have a very different dram in the glass. Marzipan, sweet bread dough, banana loaf and plump California raisins jostle for attention with an earthy note of glaziers putty underpinning the whole affair. A delicious big almond croissant sits amongst vanilla custard tart and a drift of marmalade of buttered rye bread.
Palate: Thick, sweet and almost perfumed to begin, the higher ABV certainly thumps through the creamy vanilla-laden start. Frangipani tart adds a delicate floral start along with creamed corn to help ground the overall experience. Bursts of cinnamon and vanilla pop through towards the end. Water helped to calm the perfumed element but aided the amplification of the sweet floral side.
Finish: Lingering sweet spices go on and on.
The Macallan Coronation Bottling
Julian Calder Edition
No age statement
55.7 % abv
35cl
Appearance: London brick red with burnt ochre.
Nose: If the colour of this whisky made you think deep thoughts, then the nose confirms it. Dusty fruits, plum, pear tatin and old leather bound books begin this journey with sweet pipe tobacco, cough mixture and kirsch making up the mid part. The rich, leathery sweetness calms to reveal game pie with cranberries and a handful of mixed nuts. Its a deeply intense whisky with bags of character and obvious age within something so complex yet immensely approachable.
Palate: A bold and big start with a slap on the tongue of spice and heat. This is at first challenging then gives way allowing the complex palate to roll out slowly. Red fruits, but almost rum soaked, of cranberry, plum and cherry. Tobacco again, this time less sweet, more of an astringent edge which helps bind the spices of mace and nutmeg to the fruit. Liquorice root dries out the sweet whist a hint of thyme cools down the spice leaving a perfectly balanced umami effect. This is as good as it gets, and I love it.
Finish: Where to begin? I’ll still be tasting this with my morning coffee.
Summary: There will undoubtedly be a plethora of releases for this special occasion and it will all come down to your thought process. If you are going to watch the celebrations, you will not go wrong settling down with these two splendid liquids and a giant bar of Cadbury’s. I found both exciting and rewarding certainly a triumph of Macallan to have created to very different whiskies with an underlying Macallan DNA.
Tags: 1953, age, American, barrel, beaton, Box, cadbury, Cask, caulder, cecil, chocolate, collector, coronation, dram, european, example, factor, jubilee, julian, limited, Macallan, malt, nose, notes, Old, prize, queen, release, review, sample, Scotch, set, single, statement, taste, tasting, whiskey, whisky, wineer, x
I was never very aware of a Fathers Day celebration when I was younger, despite the fact it was around. Beginning in America in 1910 it never really took off, certainly not in the UK until the mid 70′s. This left me faced with the problem of getting my dad a gift twice a year- birthdays and Christmas. Not much of a problem really, as the default was inevitably chocolates (giant Toblerone to be exact) socks and a tie. He wasn’t much of a drinker, so it tended to stop there.
In general I think buying a gift for a man is pretty straight forward as gadgets, books on gadgets or DVDs are all pretty safe bets, but one particular category most seem to find tricky is when it comes to buying whisky.
If you are a non-whisky drinker, the thought of standing faced with row upon row of golden to dark brown liquids with unpronounceable names or frankly unfathomable descriptions of the contents can be a daunting one. Now if you happen to be trying to make your choice in one of any number of supermarkets rather than a specialist store, good luck finding someone who can advise you on the right choice. In fact, good luck finding someone who even drinks it.
A little preparation is the key to creating a smile on the face of your chosen recipient.
What do they normally drink?
This is the easiest one. Open up the drinks cabinet, take a peak and if there is a selection inside then note them down. Stick to the single malts as most whisky drinkers will have a couple of blends in there to have as an “every day drop” but will treasure a single malt more although, some premium blends such as Wemyss or Compass Box are amongst the exceptions to that rule. Most brands will have a selection of expressions or limited releases to choose from, so once you know the brand it’s quite easy to find a special version that dad might like that wont cost an arm and a leg. Keep an eye out for words on the label such as “Distillery or Managers release”.
Style over region
Whisky regions in Scotland are nothing short of misleading and confusing and so are not always the best indicator of what kind of whisky you will find inside the bottle. Don’t think that just because it says Islay on the label it will be pleated (smokey) and not all Speyside whiskies are light and fruity. Bunnahabhain, is an Islay distillery which isn’t a smokey malt. Similarly Smokey whisky like Ardmore can be found in the highlands. Best then to go for a style of whisky rather than a region.
Colour me bad
Ok, it’s not a hard and fast rule, but if most of your dad’s cabinet is stocked with gold coloured whisky, there is a chance he likes those which have been matured in American ex-bourbon cask (white oak) in which about 70% of whisky is matured. These whiskies typically have white fleshed fruit (think apple, pear, quince) aromas and flavour rather than those liquids matured in ex-sherry cask (European oak) which tends to give a deep amber colour and a spicy profile to the resting spirit. You can find some bourbon cask examples in my recommendations at the end of this article. Good sherry cask examples come from Glengoyne and Glenfarclass or Glenrothes.
Passport Control
If you are sure you understand what they like then why not try a similar style to their normal tipple from outside Scotland. Chichibu distillery from Japan is wonderfully light and fruity whilst Paul John from India gives rich spicy smoothness from its fast maturation in the Goan heat. Balcones Texan Whisky is big and bold but has all the finesse of a well made scotch with age or the English Whisky Company which might be young, but its creative use of varied casks has given birth to some outstanding examples which many whisky experts have lauded so its bound to excite even the most experienced of dram lovers.
Ageist
Older ain’t always best! There is normally a different type of maturation (ageing process) in a range of Scotch from the same company which means an 18 year old isn’t just six years older than a 12 year old. They could have very different flavour profiles and may not suit the palate of the intended.
I’m a big fan of Glenfiddich 15 year old and would choose it most times over the 18 year old.
Something special
It’s great if you have the budget to get something very rare and limited. Online is the best place to search with retailers such as Master of Malt or The Whisky Exchange and they don’t always cost the earth but make sure the recipient know it’s for drinking! Collectible whiskies are not always the ideal gift for someone as they tend to have a theme to their collection so it’s best best leave it to them.
It’s got your name on
Companies like Master of Malt will customise a bottle label on it to include your fathers name. It’s a great value for money service but you still have to know which bottle you want to use. See above!
Birth year
This is a tricky one. Assuming your over 18 there is a good chance your father was born a few years ago making it tricky to find a bottle from the year he was born. You can find bottles which were distilled in a certain year, and bottled shortly after. Therefore, the contents of the bottle may only be 10-12 years old but from 1960 say. Trust me when I say this might be still an expensive purchase, but a lot cheaper than trying to source a 53 year old dram!
Among friends
If the budget allows, why not think about the Scotch Malt Whisky Society membership? The SMWS allows access to single cask, cask strength bottles from all the distilleries in Scotland (and many more further afield).
My choices and recommendations
Highland park 18- Produced on Orkney, this island malt has won numerous awards including Worlds Best Single Malt. Although its American white oak, the oak has been seasoned with sherry so that it’s pale colour belies it’s spicy nature. It’s delicate with peat smoke, bags of marmalade type fruits but without the typical TCP or medicinal smokey nose often associated with west coast Islay whisky. If they like BBQ’s, try this. RRP £60
Bunnahabhain 12 - American cask. An Islay whisky with a difference, peat free malt makes for a light, seaside dram with an almost refreshing salty caramel character. One of our personal favourites and always in the cabinet it’s along a similar style to Balblair or Scapa. RRP £33
Glenfiddich 15 – With its unique ‘Solera’ maturation system and the use of three casks, giving spice from the sherry, white fruits from the refill bourbon cask and vanilla and coconut from the brand new American oak cask. This expression stands out from the other Glenfiddich offerings This is a great whisky with a dryer spice than the rest of the family. On the light side but still fruity and hints of honey. RRP £32
Ardbeg Ugeadail – A marriage of bourbon and sherry casks this is a powerful smokey whisky at a higher ABV delivers a rounded palate which is well integrated. If they like peat, and in particular Islay peat than grab this as it is worth every penny. Similar to Laphoaig, Lagavulin and Caol Ila. RRP £50
Old Pultney 17 – Predominantly American cask. The 21 year old may have won best in the world, but the 17 is my go-to dram. Warm and rounded with a slightly salty coastal edge it satisfies most palates and is a perfect accompaniment to those chocolates salted caramels you bought dad. RRP £52
AnCnoc 12 – Approx 70% American cask with 30% sherry cask. Sweet and honeyed, this rather lesser known single malt has a great character and it’s an easy drinker making it a real crowd pleaser. Will suit most people and as its not so well know it will make you look like you know a bit about whisky. Similar to Balvenie doublewood. RRP £31
Glengoyne 15 – For a full on ex-sherry cask matured blast of spicy rich leather and deep dark fruits you wont go far wrong with this example. With lots of lovely spices and warming notes, its the perfect dram to sit back and relax with once all the socks and ties have been unwrapped. RRP £45
Monkey Shoulder – A blended malt with bags of character, offers incredible value for money and if you find out where it got its name from, it makes an interesting tale to tell when you hand it over. RRP £27
Tweedale – A real unknown and well worth seeking out for that special gift. A historic (found in an original journal) blend of single cask whiskies it is big and bold with ooodles of pleasure. Reborn and already making waves, this is a great dram to savour. RRP £37
Balvenie 12 Single Barrel – The 12 Double Wood is perhaps far better known, but this lighter expression drawn from a single American wood barrel is a unique snapshot from this craft distillery. Without any sherry cask influence, it’s a lighter, dryer style than its siblings with bags of vanilla and lingering fruit. RRP £44
Good Luck!
Tags: Scotch, whisky, whiskey, malt, single, Glenfiddich, Pulteney, Balvenie, Glenrothes, Highland, Park, Society, Tweeddale, chichibu, barrel, Cask, Ardbeg, Old, Glengoyne, Scapa, master, Monkey, Shoulder, Wemyss, American, bourbon, regions, Sherry, English, Box, Glenfarclas, Day, Laphroaig, review, shop, mature, ardmore, style, Bunnahabhain, Balblair, AnCnoc, John, taste, age, Compass, european, supermarket, India, teach, doublw, help, Balcones, texas, Berwick, cost, buy, choose, colour, Japan, Ichiro, paul, indian, market, Fathers, take, gift, dad, texan, japanes, lagavulin, caol, ila, speyside. sherry, how, what, look, bow, shelf, much
It was on a typical spring day, the rain in Central London doing it’s best to keep our hopes of summer at bay, that a select few gathered in the basement bar of Central & Co. to taste, for the first time outside the distillery, two whiskies released by the John Distilleries, India. Paul John single malt whisky is produced in Goa and aims to be quite a revelation when coming to the competitive world whisky market. Interestingly, the company have devised a marketing objective which focuses on foreign markets first, to build a brand, then return to India where the domestic market will be eagerly awaiting its arrival. As Pritesh Mody of LFLD Amplified, who is tasked with creating the buzz around the launch into the UK, said “In the 80′s with the boom in city wealth, British people wanted German Cars, French wine and Italian clothes, it’s the same in the Indian market who want the luxurious foreign items rather than home produced.” With India being amongst the largest consumers of whisky in the world, it’s not surprising to find a company aiming for a share.
Pass the erm…whisky?
John Distilleries was established in 1992 and is one of the largest spirit producers in India. Most of the “Indian whisky” produced is actually from molasses rather than grain and is not allowed to be exported as whisky (it is actually rum, blended with a small amount of whisky). However, with many of the brands within their portfolio selling in excess of 1 million cases per month, I doubt John Distilleries are too worried about exports. Paul John single malt is very different.
As master distiller Michael John (no relation) explained, they have used Indian 6-row barley to create the mash for the “Brilliance” and “Edited” releases as well as the previous single cask releases. Double distilled in copper pot still after a 60 hr fermentation period, 20,000 litres at a time before being matured in ex bourbon cask. All very normal then. Michael went further to explain that in 30 degree heat they loose a massive 12% per annum of liquid and alcohol evaporation know as the angels share. Scotland, in contrast, looses on average just 1% and we moan enough about that! With this high heat and rapid maturation, Michael said they will not be able to produce a whisky older than 8 years old (minimum requirement for whisky is 40% abv) but this heat does help increase the flavour development, so there is little need to age anything for that length of time.
Paul John “Brilliance” single malt Indian whisky
Ex bourbon cask
46% abv non chill filtered
Non age statement (was told 4-5yrs)
RRP £38.49
Appearance: Pale rose gold
Nose: Fresh with an immediate coastal familiarity. The youthful nose has structured malt and honey which mingles with a floral overtone all seemingly pinned down by a cork-wood wrapped in banana leaf with a light drizzling of vanilla infused caramel.
Palate: At first quite creamy then quickly develops some good spice of mace and nutmeg mixed in with the honey found in the aroma. There is a tropical fruitiness mid palate which never becomes too prominent, instead being overruled by well structured vanilla and oak.
Finish: Lots of delicious vanilla and a final hint of sea salt caramels.
Paul John “Edited” peated single malt Indian whisky
46% ABV non chill filtered
Ex Bourbon cask
Non age statement (4-5years old)
RRP £42.49
Appearance: Warm rose gold
Nose: For a peated whisky, this is very light indeed. Soft distant peat smoke wrap around the nose of malted barley, pebble beach, quince, cedar and apple blossom. There is a general sweetness with spice turning to liquorice chews all wonderfully enveloped in the smoke from a dying beach bonfire.
Palate: The peat smoke shows itself far more now, but still restrained with a honey type sweetness behind it. Ash and cinnamon emerge in equal amounts which in turn create a salted nut element before returning to the smoke rich palate which we began with.
Finish: Lingering peat smoke with light ash and a sea salt edge.
Summary: If either of these superb examples were placed in front of me at a blind tasting, I would struggle (as I am sure many of my friends in the industry would) to know their origin let alone age. Both are superb examples of well crafted whisky, released with optimum flavour and character. The 46% abv allows you to release a little more softness but I prefer to keep them undiluted. I am sure both of these will be not just a talking point, but an active part in most whisky drinkers cabinets in the not too distant future.
I can see it’s going to be an Indian summer.
Tags: 4, 5, American, Amplified, barley, barrel, beach, best, blind, bourbon, brilliance, central, chill, climate, coast, distillery, dramatic, edited, filtered, Goa, hot, indian, John, light, limited, malt, mature, Mody, New, non, note, oak, paul, peat, Peated, Pritesh, rapid, release, rested, review, sample, Scotch, single, smoke, still, taste, temeperature, traditional, whiskey, whisky, world, Years
It seems that Talisker fans are really being spoiled at the moment after the recent release of Talisker Storm hot on its heels (or should that be stern) we have Talisker Port Ruighe.
Finding new names for new whisky releases must be a constant battle for the industry but at least there is always Gaelic to fall back on. Port Ruighe is named after the main port on the Isle of Skye, Portree. The town was originally know as Kiltragleann (The Church at the Foot of the Glen) but it is thought than in 1540, after a visit by King James V of Scotland to show his power over the Scottish lairds, it was renamed Portree which in the Gaelic tongue “Portrigh” means “The Kings Port“. This is often contested as some believe that the town’s name is derived from the Gaelic, “Port Ruighe” meaning “slope harbour“. Whatever the originals of the name, we do know for sure that this release has been created “as a tribute to the great Scottish trading-houses such as the Cockburns, Grahams and Symingtons who were instrumental in the creation and global growth of the port wine trade” because the press release told me so. So thats the name, what about the whisky?
Port Ruighe has been created by drawing from stock matured in American oak and European oak refill casks before being “finished” (transferred all together into another cask for a short time to draw final character) in ex-port casks called “pipes”. These final resting casks impart light fruity notes usually of strawberry or cherry to a spirit along with a faint pink hue to the colour. Like Talisker Storm, Port Ruighe has been release without an age statement and at the standard Talisker strength of 45.8% alcohol by volume.
Talisker Port Ruighe Single Malt Scotch Whisky
No Age Statement
45.8% ABV
Port Pipe Finish
RRP TBC (but circa £60)
Appearance: Rose gold with deep orange.
Nose: Deep charred cedar, spent match to the fore with rich sweet plum sponge, spiced orange marmalade, apple blossom honey backing it up to deliver a rounded, full nose of well integrated bold aromas. A creamy edge like milk bottle chews/play-do seems to linger overall whilst the peated element is kept low rather than the main focus.
Palate: Smooth and rich to begin. The complex sweet fruity notes found on the nose immediate apparent in the mouth with orchard fruits of quince, pippin apple, cherry mix before cranberry dryness. Additional sweetness is delivered in the form of honey and earthy spices with a touch of nutty chocolate. Mid palate is brought alive with a tingling mixture of cooling salt and pepper followed with coal tar soap, samphire and charred cinnamon which incredibly manages to deliver classic Talisker flavours even after all that has gone before.
Finish: It’s all about the peat now. Lingering oily seaside smoke delightfully delivered with elegance and panache. Salty, peppery and very much Talisker.
Summary: What is most interesting here is that normally port finished whisky is more about the character the port will deliver as I mentioned at the beginning. More soft red fruit is expected. But here we have a great example of using the development to integrate with a classic whisky without destroying the base “DNA”, far from it. The resulting flavours have, for me created a Talisker expression which is different enough for a fan to seek out on a regular basis without being too “out of the ordinary”. Sweeter, yes, but now overpowering so. Great stuff.
Tags: age, American, april, barley, barrel, bay, bottle, Cask, charr, Classic, diageo, different, dram, european, finish, fruit, image, Isle, king, malt, marketing, name, New, newset, notes, peat, Peated, pipes, Port, portree, price, release, review, ruighe, Scotch, Scotland, Sherry, ship, shipping, single, skye, smoke, statement, storm, strength, strwaberry, Talisker, tasting, V, whisky
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
Having just returned from the recent “Warrior Release” of Highland Park, I wasn’t quite expecting another release to follow so soon, nor was I prepared for the intriguing manner in which this latest HP expression has made its way out into the world. 
My postie is a very nice lady but she does have a habit of arriving at an ungodly hour and on this occasion remarked with her usual cheerfulness “Oh you are dressed!” which nicely set the discombobulated tone of the day as I struggled to wake up and remember if I had been inadvertently naked when I last saw her! The mystery continued when I opened the delivery to find an intriguing unmarked black box and the black envelope within holding a disc of paper on which were printed strange symbols and letters. It took a while for me to work out that it was actually a flexagon which when refolded in certain ways would deliver different messages. Three in fact. The crossed legged man wrapped in a serpent, and the lines “All is not what it seems” and ” A serpent stirs in the smoky shadows”. Had I upset someone so much they had sent some kind of death threat to me? Friends in the industry were also sent the same package and as we “tweeted” our thoughts, we tried to work out who it was from and what it was all about. The image did seem familiar and after a little more searching we found out it was to do with the second in The Valhalla Series from Highland Park- “Loki”
Got to love Google.
So this morning, a second parcel arrived. Similar black box, similarly plain looking package and yes I was dressed. Inside was a tube, with an origami serpent guarding a small bottle. Fortunately this time, the mystery was solved – the bottle had a label on it.
So who is Loki? From Norse mythology, he was a helper to the gods, but also a shape shifter and trickster seemingly causing them more problems than helping. I always thought, taking the word of the great Stan Lee, that he was the brother of Thor and the son of Odin , but apparently not and his name is set deep into ancient writings far beyond the modern portrayal of him. Anyway, with glass in hand it was easy to see why this slithery character was chosen as this whiskies name sake as the nose, palate and finish seems to shift and change at every approach. stirring stuff indeed.
Gerry Tosh, Global Marketing Manager says, “Thor was the first of its kind, a true quality malt built around an individual’s personality. This proved massively successful and it sold out globally. Loki will continue to take Highland Park and The Valhalla Collection into new territory.
While everyone will recognize the definite ‘Highland Park-ness’ of this 15 Years Old Single Malt, it will be the unexpected and surprisingly smoky dynamics that will really get palates excited and mouths talking. This is unlike any expression that has come before and will beguile and fascinate with its complexity and trickery. Remember, all is not as it seems.”
Highland Park “Loki” 15year old
The Valhalla Series
47.8% ABV
European cask and peated cask.
Limited to 21,000 bottles
RRP £170
Appearance: Rose gold with like honey.
Nose: Artist oil paint, fresh squeezed orange juice, hessian cloth, fresh hay, linseed oil, warm honey blossom, rich malt, licorice root and a note of perished vulcanized rubber. Smoke never really appears, taking the form of the rubber note instead. Well developed but very complex.
Palate: A syrupy and rich beginning with burnt butter, walnut oil, busts of peat smoke and charred meat making up the start of the palate. Vanilla sauce over dried tropical peels of grapefruit and papaya, woody birch sap honey follows with ginger spice and ends with molasses licorice and lime preserve coated with peat smoke.
Finish: Dried peel, chunks of charred wood and earthy spices all fight for palate possession as the smokey finish grips in.
Summary: From first nosing this whisky, to the initial taste, then going back to it after a few minutes it had become three very different drams. Unmistakably Highland Park, yet at the same time layered with citrus and a level of peat smoke far greater than normally expected. But give it a minute and it switches round, the smoke dies, the warm spices emerge and the citrus calms. Then try again. Nothing is as it seems.
Tags: 15, aroma, barrel, Cask, character, distill, distiller, distillery, dram, european, fact, favourite, fiction, film, flavour, Gerry, global, god, heavy, Highalnd, holywood, Lee, light, limited, Loki, malt, marketing, mystery, New, Norse, nose, notes, nothing, oak, Old, Orcadian, origami, Orkney, Park, peat, Peated, release, review, Scotch, Scotland, Scottish, seems, seprent, series, Serpent, Sherry, single, smoke, smokey, smoky, Stan, taste, tasting, Thor, Tosh, truth, unknown, Valhella, whiskey, whisky, year
Highland Park has always been a favourite of mine although I am rather spoiled having tasted the 50 Year old last year- but I do really get to grips with its house style and character. So when I was invited last month to the launch of their new “Warrior Series” I was very much looking forward to it.
The six new expressions will be available through Travel Retail and have been created to showcase flavour through different maturation and specifically the increased use of European sherry cask as you move up through the range. Following on from previous travel retail releases, such as Leif Eriksson and Drakkar, comes this new range of six single malts.
Each whisky has been named after a Viking warrior, aligning its strength and intrigue with these heroes of a past time. Orkney has strong ties to Norse and Viking culture with a colourful history and the range is set to tell the story of each of its namesake.
Speaking at the launch, Global Marketing Manager Gerry Tosh said:
“The Warrior Series is a natural progression for Highland Park, both in brand terms and in global travel retail. By continuing the celebration of our rich and distinctive Norse heritage we are able to tell stories which bring the brand and its products to life. To further this evolution, the whisky maker has crafted six individual whiskies which collectively offer drinkers a new style of taste journey, still classically Highland Park from start to finish, but giving them a different and holistic experience.”
The range is to be released in two part, with the latter three expressions due for release in the summer.
Svein- The ultimate Viking chieftain whose exploits lie at the heart of the Orkneyinga Saga and his appetite for adventure and merriment are legendary.
Highland Park Single Malt Whisky- Svein
40% abv No age statement
RRP €40 1 litre Bottle
90% American Oak, 10% European Oak
Appearance: Pale straw with light yellows.
Nose: Fruity and floral, the light character of this whisky is immediate. Redcurrants, woody spices and a light nut oil layer through the nose with some richer smoked citrus elements in the background.
Palate: Charred cedar wood with warm vanilla. Linseed and light spices turning towards dry apricots, orange pith mixed with malt.
Finish: A lingering oil notes helps cling onto the citrus element with light wood/malt.
Einar- Was the Earl of Orkney from 1014. A hard and successful Viking, often venturing on many long voyages, he was relentless in this rule and clearly identifiable by his mighty axe.
Highland Park Single Malt Whisky – Einar
40% abv
No Age Statement
RRP €53 1 Litre Bottle
75% American Oak, 25% European Oak
Appearance: White gold with ripe straw.
Nose: Chestnuts in honey with drifts of light smoke never amounting to more than a rubber note. Tropical peel with pepper and malt.
Palate: Pronounce, grippy dry smoke with creamy oil and ginger. Soft floral notes wrap around the woody vanilla to contain it and balance out the spices.
Finish: The smokey barley hangs around with sweet floral notes drifting through.
Harald- Was an incredible character in the founding of the Orkney earldom, as well as having a major role in the development of Viking history. King of Norway, Harald Fairhair was famed for his army, which was revered across the world at the time.
Highland Park Single Malt Whisky – Harald
40% abv
No Age Statement
RRP €75
50% American Oak, 50% European Oak
Appearance: Warm gold with light yellows.
Nose: A rich nose of integrated smoke with ginger, cedar, chestnuts and red fruit compote. An earthy rubber note lingers in the background, a mix of spice and smoke. Deeper citrus and tropical notes are hard to find but are in there.
Palate: Creamy vanilla, tingling ginger and cinnamon with oily notes and a hint of cocoa. Smoke is more subdues here, covered by the spicier notes derived from the increase in European oak lending more a raised platform for the other flavours to lay over rather than be the dominant force.
Finish: Oily citrus with soft peat smoke and earthy spices.
Summary: It is very interesting to see the change in character through these three whiskies as they change the wood programme and I certainly was most taken by the balanced deeper notes found in the Harald bottle. Highland Park fans certainly wont be disappointed in these three, although perhaps the first two are a little on the lighter side. I also had the opportunity to sample the next three, yet unreleased expressions which increase the European oak further and was very happy with the results, but will keep those notes to myself until the summer.
Tags: 50, age, alcohol, American, army, barrel, Cask, dram, duty, edition, european, expression, flavour, free, Gerry, Highland, launch, limited, malt, mature, notes, Orcadian, Orkney, Orkneyinga, Park, price, rare, rested, retail, review, saga, sample, Scotch, Scotland, series, Sherry, single, taste, tastings, Toash, travel, Viking, warrior, whiskey, whisky, wood
I was first introduced to Stuart Nickerson and Ronnie Routledge from Glenglassaugh back in 2008 whilst working at CLASS magazine and learned about how this old distillery, mothballed in 1986, had been brought back to glory by a new team of investors. With the first new spirit in 22 years flowing from the stills in December 2008, the team had a little bit of an issue which they dealt with in a rather unique way. “The spirit that blushes to say its name” was not quite what people expected to be amongst the first releases, but it did help with the growth of the distillery’s name in the market.
Although the distillery had closed, its warehouses had remained in operation for some time after, using the maturing whisky for sale to blenders as was the case with most distilleries of the day, but this caused a slight problem for the new team at Glenglassaugh. It would be a foolish move to bottle this rather old stock and release it- not only because most people had forgotten who Glenglassaugh were but because this old stock would have to be released at such a premium price it would do little to encourage fans and stock would be limited. The incredible part about Glenglassaugh was that its original operating plant such as the mash tun, wash backs and most important of all, the stills, were still in fine shape which meant the team could get straight down to production and get a revived Glenglassaugh to the market. “The Spirit that blushed to same its name” was released to a few curious looks, a new make spirit matured for a very short time in ex-red wine cask (Californian Zinfadel if my memory serves me right). A clever move actual, drawing revenue into a fledgling business and certainly making people take notice. It was actual very nice indeed and a welcome change at a whisky show. I never did like that long winded name so I was pleased to see it shortened to “Blushes” a few years later. in fact, it was such a success that to this day the company continues to release a range of spirit drinks of different style.
Fast forward a few years and we see the distillery picking up award after award in many spirit competitions, sales in over 20 countries around the globe. Older releases from the original stock were released to much acclaim and the portfolio grew with more new spirit releases as well as younger stock.
At the whisky show in London recently, the guys were proud to show off the latest release- “Evolution” which is only the second single malt whisky to be released , the first being “Revival“. Evolution is a limited release of 6,000 units which has been matured in ex-bourbon casks from the Tennessee distillery George Dickle.
Glenglassaugh Evolution
3 years old
First fill Ex-Bourbon cask
ABV 57.2% abv
Non chill filtered
Release date: November 1st 2012
RRP: £50
Appearance: Light honey gold with pale straw
Nose: Light orchard fruits of russet apple skin and fresh pear. Rich malt note followed by vanilla and oak sap. Butterscotch just manages to raise its head in the lively and youthful nose.
Palate: Rich vanilla and buttery oak with soft cinnamon spice. Banana fritter (thats another Scottish delight) with baked apple and sugared almonds on the mid palate.
Finish: Lingering malty grip with vanilla fudge and light woody spice.
Summary: Don’t be fooled into thinking that because of its youth, this whisky wont deliver. Far from it and I applaud Glanglassaugh for not only making the brave move of taking on a distillery after so many years of closure, but the fact that they have forged ahead with releases those hardened (geeky) whisky fans would turn their noses up at. Quality begins from the very first step and whilst I appreciate that age will develop a more refined character in a spirit, you can always tell, even when young, that it has been carefully crafted and will continue to deliver over time. I cant wait to see what comes out of this distillery next!
Tags: 3 years, aged, American, barley, barrel, best, bottle, bottled, bourbon, build, Californian, Cask, challenge, clever, closed, distillery, evolution, expensive, first, Glenglassaugh, hand, held, light, limited, make, malt, marketing, New, oak, Old, premium, rare, red, release, reopened, review, reviewed, reviews, revival, risk, Scotch, single, spare, spirit, Stock, Tennessee, vintage, warehouse, whiskey, whisky, wine, young
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
headlong into a sea of sweetness. Suddenly we have a very different dram in the glass. Marzipan, sweet bread dough, banana loaf and plump California raisins jostle for attention with an earthy note of glaziers putty underpinning the whole affair. A delicious big almond croissant sits amongst vanilla custard tart and a drift of marmalade of buttered rye bread.
Nose: If the colour of this whisky made you think deep thoughts, then the nose confirms it. Dusty fruits, plum, pear tatin and old leather bound books begin this journey with sweet pipe tobacco, cough mixture and kirsch making up the mid part. The rich, leathery sweetness calms to reveal game pie with cranberries and a handful of mixed nuts. Its a deeply intense whisky with bags of character and obvious age within something so complex yet immensely approachable.
