So on June 1st, it’s once again Ardbeg Day known as “Ardbog Day” this year, when the world prepares itself for some shooglin and dramming (that’s dancing and drinking) with “Embassies” across the world springing up to host the Ardbog Day release. Last years offering was reviewed by me here, this year it’s called Ardbog and I’ve already dug it.
Ardbog Day is best experienced at the distillery itself where they really throw quite a party (as well as some peat). There are numerous additional tastings and tours to join but for the more active among you, why not try one of the many other shenanigans on offer- such as The Peat and Spade Race, The Ardbeg Wheelbarrow Race, The Peat Sack Race, Boggy Welly Tossing, Dribbling Ardbog style, Bog of WarNot to name just a few. If Islay is just a bit too far from home, check out where your nearest Embassy is and join them for a dram or two. If you are in London, then sign up for the Ardbog Day March and get your hands dirty with whatever they have planned. I’ve heard sheep walking over a Thames bridge, but my source is unreliable at best.
Anyway, enough about the party, what about the whisky?
Ardbog is a 10 year old single malt which is a combination of spirit matured in both Ex-Bourbon American oak and Ex-Manzanilla Sherry butt.
Dr Bill Lumsden, Director of Distillation and Whisky Creation said about Ardbog “At its heart our hallmark smoky yet fruity and floral spirit has been matured in Spanish ex-Manzanilla sherry casks for ten years, which has then been wrapped with traditional Ardbeg of the same age that is matured in American ex-bourbon oak casks. The Manzanilla maturation weaves salty flavours through the whisky which is then balanced with the maple syrup creaminess of the first-fill ex-bourbon casks.”
Ardbeg Ardbog Single Malt Whisky
10 year old
52.1% ABV
Non-Chill Filtered
Release date: 1 June 2013
RRP £79.99
Appearance: Rose gold with polished bronze
Nose: An inviting nose, rich and complex with both soft floral and deep earthy notes. Honeycomb with dark chocolate deepens to liquorice root dipped in caramel. Freshly dug peat combines with gentle smoke and a hint of carbolic soap creating an earthy tone with a savory edge like pata negra ham. To the end, and with a splash of water, its cider apples rolled in ash.
Palate: Creamy and full, the rich palate delivers much of the notes from the nose, swirling and drifting between sweet flowers into earthy herbaceous tones. Mid palate is hit with a salty, brine like twist wrapped in gentle peat smoke and prickly spice. Cinder toffee, clove, salted almonds and a side of grilled artichoke in peppered olive oil. Quite a mouthful!
Finish: An oily finish, lingering peat smoke and a constant sweet/savory battle in the mouth
Summary: I was quite taken aback by this one, softer than expected and a fabulous mixture of twisting sensations. Nothing really takes over, everything seems to harmonize so well. This is nothing like the standard 10 year old Ardbeg, it’s much more refined, rounded and complex.
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.
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
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.
When was the last time you heard someone say “Oh, I stay away from peated whisky as I’m not a fan”. I hear it in a regular basis as guests at Dramatic Whisky events come to grips with the various styles of drams on offer. But more often than not that statement is followed by “especially Islay“. Now, it’s this last part that sends me into a mini meltdown and it is truly the fault of the whisky industry from the past. Regions were to a point, a quick way of introducing people to various styles of whisky, but this lingering categorisation only serves to restrict the consumers choices rather than aid them. I wrote a bit about them here which goes into a bit more detail but basically, if you choose your whisky only by region, you’ll miss out on some gems in the whisky world which brings me neatly onto Bunnahabhain.
Bunnahabain, pronounced “Boona-haa-ven” and meaning ‘stream foot” or ‘mouth of the river’ with its location at the end of the Margadale river from where the distillery draws its water from, is located on the north-east part of the island rather isolated in comparison to the other distilleries on Islay. Since 1881 the distillery has been producing whisky and whilst it was true that at that point the whisky would have been peated, today it is one of only two distilleries on Isaly that does not have peated whisky as its “core release” the other being Bruichladdich. With its own floor maltings ceasing in 1963 its safe to say the change probably came some time around then.
So what of the whisky today? The most easily accessible are the 12, 18 and 25 year old whiskies with Toiteach as the limited edition “peated” style all at the higher abv of 46.3% and non chill-filtered, a move in recent times across the board from current owners Burn Stewart Distillers and welcomed by Bunnahabhain fans. I also had the good fortune to review the recent 40 year old release which was a stunning dram indeed. Bunnahabhain has always been a whisky I would opt for if I saw it on a back bar somewhere as its coastal style and soft character is just what I look for in my malts.
Nose: If ever a whisky had an aroma of its origins, this is it. Fresh sea air on a Scottish pebble beach. Samphire over driftwood and lifts of fresh ginger.
Palate: Chewy and rich with fresh ginger creams, malty mid palate and salted caramel. Warming yet still fresh notes of the sea.
Finish: Ginger and vanilla spice linger with a hint of earthy mocha.
Nose:The DNA of the seaside emerges first, salty air, tarry ropes wrapped in leather with bold sherry character. Date and fig loaf sprinkled with nutmeg and an espresso on the side.
Palate: Big on the sherry influence, spiced with mace, leather and hints of pipe tobacco and roasted brazil nut. There is still the core message of salted sweetness blended through this bold palate.
Finish: Waves of salty almonds washed down with sherry and a bundle of earthy spices behind.
Nose: Sweet leather and cherry wood polished with linseed oil. Rich spices, old velvet, driftwood and tarry rope - the nose twists and turns around the central elements.
Palate: Bursting with rich deep sherry soaked dark fruits, mixed spice and Demerara sugar. It seems spiky at first, but is instantly calmed by a creamy vanilla element, smooths out and relaxes leaving behind a trail of deliciousness.
Finish: Incredibly long, old leather, slight tannin grip and a hint of over roasted chestnut almost charred.
Nose: Immediate peat smoke but with an unmistakable coastal character. Sweet salty air and drifts of dry citrus peel (tangerine) in the background. Old fish and chips wrapper with a bit of honey, vanilla and samphire all in there.
Palate: A sweet smoke, rich and playful on the palate, parma ham and smoked figs with a slightly medicinal citrus edge somewhere between menthol and lime.
Finish: unsurprisingley it’s the sweeter side of the peat smoke that lingers, turning slightly salty at the end.
Summary: A fine line-up indeed with just about everythign you could ask for. The style is eveident throughout the range despite the change of cask, that coastal element shines and helps maintain the Bunnahabhain message.
Last summer I spent a rather pleasant couple of days in the village of Old Meldrum, not far from Aberdeen airpoirt where the Glen Garioch distillery is situated. In fact, if you read that review you will discover that Old Meldum IS the ditillery, such is the design of the village. And it was at this visit that I was fortunate enough to sample some of the last vintages to be made using the original floor maltings before closing them down (and the distillery itself for a short while) at the end of 1995. When the distillery did eventually re-open, sadly the decision had been made to not used the malting floor again and hence a change in style was born. The vintages made available to me whislt on my visit were the 1994, 1991 and 1986 and all wondeful indeed. I knew there was one last release to come though, the final bottling of whisky which had been malted at the distillery, the 1995 vintage and it was this weekend past,at Londons Whisky Live , that I had the chance to sample this little bit of history having missed out on the press release samples last year for some reason.
Glen Garioch 1995 vintage Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Nose: Vanilla sugar, varm wine gums and a malt backbone. some good wood structure hidden in there also. With water, a warm cereal note emerges with aple blossom and a hint of carbolic soap under sliced fresh pear.
Palate: Chunky vanilla laden malt with cooked apple and a hint of peat smoke in the background which calms to allow a slightly menthol note.
Finish: Clean and fresh, a good amount of grip and spice with lingering soft peat smoke barley detectable and sweet fruity barley.
Summary: A very different style of Glen Garioch and if you are familair with the more redily available 12 year old and Founders Reserve, this may come as a shock. Gone are the rich red apple skins so prevenlant in those two expmples and in comes some well structured oak and light fruit. I’d struggle to identify this as a Garioch in a blind tasting, but then thats whats great about these releases, they are just different enough to warrant taking the time to seek them out and taste a little bit of the old style of distillery.
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.
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.
There have been a few whiskies recently that have been revived in one way or another, Mackinlay’s Shackleton recovered from the ice of Antarctica or something slightly closer to home like The Tweedale for example, each with its own unique journey back towards our glasses once again. Bygone or lost distilleries are often very much sought after by the whisky fraternity but I think its just nice to hear that people go to the trouble to recreate something forgotten, bringing it back to new audiences and breathing a bit of life back into a brand such is the case with the latest sample to arrive at the desks of Dramatic Whisky HQ.
Stronachie distillery, Perthshire, was founded in the 1890s and remained in operation until 1928 when a shortgage of barley forced the then owners, St James Export Company Ltd, to close with the buildings eventually being demolished in the 1950′s. During its operation, the Stronachie brand was represented by Dewar Rattray and it was that company, known today as A.D. Rattray, that has brought Stronachie single malt back to life. After purchasing an early bottling of Stronachie at auction in the mid 1990′s, probably the last know example on the market, they set about recreating the malt from a small sample with guidance from Tim Morrison, formally of Morrison Bowmore and now owner of A.D.Rattray. It seemed that the character of the original sample most closely resembled current malt stock from the Benrinnes distillery helping move this project forward to its first re-release in 2001. The range currently available is formed of a 12 and 18 year old expression of which I have the 12 year old set out below. This particularr whisky is produced in small batches from a combination of two ex-sherry butts and four ex-bourbon casks.
Nose: Sliced green apple which has become slightly sweet with oxidisation, damp oak shavings, honey suckle and jasmine flowers (tea). Ground roasted hazelnuts which becomes a light charred note.
Palate: Rounded sweetness with a full malty note. Light spice of mace, cinnamon and white pepper before turning nutty (ground almond) with vanilla cream and freshly charred oak.
Finish: Lingering sweetness mixed with spice and a peppery grip.
Summary: It is of course a very difficult thing to try to recreate a malt, and it is difficult to know how closely this example matches the original product, so the only thing I can do is to sample the offering and review it as a stand alone which I am pleased to say is rather delightful. It certainly falls into my style of malt with a good balance of sweet and spice without too much overpowering vanilla and oak.
On a recent trip back to Scotland I managed to squeeze a quick visit to Glengoyne into my crazy schedule and as always it was a pleasure, but I was also keen to go somewhere I had never been. Luckily for me Deanston was not too far from where I was based for the week and despite the fact I have probably driven past the end of the road thousands of times before, this would be my first “official” visit. The visitor center only opened last year though so I can be forgiven. I wrote before about the distillery from my research and reviewed the 12 Year old here but this time I wanted to have a look around and get hold of some of the distillery releases.
The distillery might not be in the running for “prettiest” in Scotland, but just like a bottle of whisky, it’s whats inside that counts and not only is the story of Deanston interesting, but the welcome is well worth seeking out. The visitor center is recently opened and it is clear to see that everyone involved is very proud indeed. Being met by Peter Semple, visitors and facilities manager we avoided the normal tour and headed straight for the heart of the distillery, stopping off prior to get an insight into the social history of the once cotton mill turned whisky distillery.
There were two particular whiskies that I had heard were available from the distillery which are not seen that often and I was keen to sit down with Peter and run through them. The first being a Spanish Oak release and the second, a 1974 bottling which, as it is the year of my birth is always of interest to me. Sadly, Peters hospitality did not stretch as far as to donate a bottle to my birthday fund, but at £800 a bottle, you cant blame him.
The first to review was the Spanish Oak- a 19 year old whisky matured first in ex American Bourbon cask for 11 years before spending a further 8 year in Spanish cask, namely Gonzalez Byass Lapanto brandy cask. This solera matured brandy is of 15 years or older and is the only brandy produced in Jerez.
Nose: Dark skinned fruit and light linseed oil start the proceedings with a drying note of struck match in the background. Brandy butter over red apple core with warming spices of mace, clove and cinnamon. Rich honey becomes toffee like but remains in check with a base of forest fruit compote.
Palate: Grippy at first, a teardrop of water helped to calm the assertive spice and phosphorous elements which became plummy and sweet like stewed fruits of prune, blackcurrant and cherry pie. An earthy spice with sweetness such as liquorice root maintained balance.
Finish: Earthy spice of sweet liquorice root takes hold with blackcurrants on dry toast to the end.
Nose: Chicory, coffee essence and toffee begin this rich, aromatic nose before baked apple with molasses drizzle come in. The fruity element remains but becomes deeper and turns to blackcurrant, cassis, cherry and honey. Towards the end or the lingering scent, a lifting waft of tea-tree honey helps balance the richness.
Palate: A bold start with gripping spices and edgy mineral notes before turning sweet with baked apple. It takes a little time to calm and allow the honey and toffee element to speak for a short while before the spices run riot again. Oily, tingling and spiking throughout the fruity mid palate this could be seen as a challenging whisky perhaps, but in a great way. Fruit, nut, honey and spice- its all in there.
Finish: Turning nutty with a slightly tarry note with coffee bitter edge. The lingering palate never seems to fade. Outstanding.
Summary: If the friendliness of this particularly “new” distillery wasn’t enough to make you stop and say hello- then both these drams waiting for you at the end will surely clinch it. Both offering up something totally different between them and a far cry from the standard Deanston 12 year old and the house style we might expect. I certainly loved both of them and hope Peter remembers my birthday on July 30th
It’s pronounced “Bal-cone-ys” for those who don’t know, a fault line running east to west through Texas and in particular very close to Waco where in 2008 Chip Tate decided he would build a whisky distillery. Being the first in Texas since prohibition, Chip pretty much had a clean sheet to start from and set about gathering information, along with some plant and material, in what was to be a very hands on approach in the creation of the Balcones Distillery. With guidance from Jim McEwan of Bruichladdich in the form of a summers intense training, Chip set about literally building the distillery himself, even turning his hand to the creation of the copper pots stills that his spirit would eventually flow from. Hardly new to the alchemy of alcohol, Chip had a diploma in brewing and had consulted in the craft brewing revival that had taken place around America but it was whisky that caught his attention and taking this amount of time and effort with every aspect was sure to pay off.
These small craft distillers are seeing a rise in popularity, just like the craft beers before them, and it is no surprise that we see the likes of Balcones and Hudson to name just two, start to make there way across the Atlantic to our shores. But are they any good? Well, I have reviewed Hudson before here and below are my thoughts on four out of the seven available releases from Balcones. And before anyone points it out, Chip does not use the American “e” in naming his whisky most probably because it’s not quite what you might expect and as a result wants to keep it away from an instant association with Bourbons and American Whiskey. Chip is also using small bespoke built casks, and not all are brand new as bourbon production requires, playing with a few different sizes and varieties of cask to enhance and support the whisky he is creating. The results overall is a youthful spirit with a mature flavour and plenty of character. Certainly the quality of production is transparent in every sip, but somehow Chip has also managed to negate any discussion of age which is a bold move into a marketplace seemingly transfixed on age V’s quality with many unable to understand that young (not immature) can be great.
So first, whats it made of? Most American whiskies will be made up of a mixture of grains, know as the mash bill, and in particular a higher proportion of yellow corn with the remainder of the mash consisting of varying amounts of rye, wheat and barley.
Balcones “Baby Blue” for instance, is produced from 100% blue corn. Blue corn is not something I was terribly familiar with and have to say is something I don’t think I have ever tried in its natural form, but it is apparently an old varient of the yellow corn we know here in the UK. Popular in Mexico and the southern areas of the U.S., it has around 20% more protein and a lower glycemic index than the rest of the corn family which in turn tends to produce a sweeter, nuttier flavour when processed into food stuffs. So just how well will it transfer into a whisky?
Balcones Baby Blue Whisky
100% corn
2 years average age
46% ABV Non Chill Filtered
RRP – £54
Nose: Rich notes of honeycomb dusted with cocoa, light clove and cinnamon then earthy notes of jute fibre and ginger with caramel/butter.
Palate: With all the finding from the nose transferring to the palate with a slight amplification to the spicy elements.
Finish: Prickly yet sweet. A good balanced finish of spice and toffee.
Balcones True Blue 100
100% Blue Corn
Heavy char cask
ABV – 61.5% Non Chill Filtered
RRP – £67.95
Nose: Fresh pressed apple juice, hard toffee covered with milk chocolate, heavy waves of cinnamon, cedar wood and “Crunchie Bar” (honeycomb in chocolate) warming spices of clove/mace.
Palate: Rich earthy spices and “chewy” wood, thick creamy chocolate and deep red fruits of cherry/kirsch, cranberry. Cutting with water rounds out the fire and balances the spices and fruit.
Finish: A lingering spicy finish with a dry end akin to cider. Balcones No 1 Texas Single Malt
100% Malted Barley (Golden Promise-Berwick)
European Oak
ABV- 52.7% Non Chill Filtered
RRP – £74.95
Nose: Banana bread, frangipani, cherry clafoutis, linseed oil over plums and apricots with a malt undertone.
Palate: Initial fruit bread with a slightly tropical edge, good youthful grip and warm vanilla spic. Cocoa nibs and malt towards the mid palate.
Finish: Chewy malt with chocolate and nutty spice. Balcones Brimstone
100% Blue Corn (smoked with Texas bush oak scrub)
ABV – 53% Non Chill Filtered
RRP – £64.95
Nose: Prune fruit, flint and hickory smoke. Liquorice root with a slight iodine edge and faint rubber/laytex glove. Notes of clove and amber with a deep aromatic character.
Palate: Arbrouath smokies, chewy herbal elements of light clove and “Oddfellows”. Vegetal smoke with vanilla and touches of dry oak after liquorice.
Finish: Fabulously integrated and lingering. Each element found in the nose and palate makes itself know time and time again.
Young it may be, American whiskey it certainly isn’t and following rules it never will – but it has the quality within and like all craft distillers, there is a noted difference in the delivery. I’m glad to see this brand make it over here, although the PPR’s are a little above budget for most who might wish to explore something different, at least there is nothing to fault with the product itself.
All four whiskies tasted will be available from The Whisky Exchangefrom the first week of November. For more information, contact Emily Harris at May Fox Communications.
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!
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.
