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: age, American, AnCnoc, Ardbeg, ardmore, Balblair, Balcones, Balvenie, barrel, Berwick, bourbon, bow, Box, Bunnahabhain, buy, caol, Cask, chichibu, choose, colour, Compass, cost, dad, Day, doublw, English, european, Fathers, gift, Glenfarclas, Glenfiddich, Glengoyne, Glenrothes, help, Highland, how, Ichiro, ila, India, indian, Japan, japanes, John, lagavulin, Laphroaig, look, malt, market, master, mature, Monkey, much, Old, Park, paul, Pulteney, regions, review, Scapa, Scotch, shelf, Sherry, shop, Shoulder, single, Society, speyside. sherry, style, supermarket, take, taste, teach, texan, texas, Tweeddale, Wemyss, what, whiskey, whisky
Master of Malt have long been pals of Dramatic Whisky and I’d like to think it’s because our two companies have the same outlook on the world of whisky- keep it fun. I would say that we both bring a youthfulness to whisky, but my graying hair might be evidence that I’m simply hoping to be included in that category!
Something thing they do which I think is ace is ‘Drinks by the dram’ which allows anyone to purchase miniatures of just about anything they stock. Of course, you have to pay accordingly and a 3cl sample starts at under £4 up to the current £209 for 3cl of Glenfarclas 1953. Fortunately enough they sent me a sample of that last one. See, I told you we were pals. 
This is a huge help to those who wish to try a broader range of whisky without forking out to do so.
They also have a new range of their own bottling under the name ‘That Boutique-y Whisky Company’ and yes, the “y” is hyphenated. Under this label the guys bottle single malts, grains and blends from a variety of renowned distilleries, each limited release 50cl bottle is adorned with various sketches and comic book illustrations which will no doubt help the already growing cult status of these drams. The range already has quite a number of releases in the range and when they offered to send me some samples, the ‘Drinks by the Dram’ creation came in handy. I have 18 samples to get through! so I am doing this in parts, this being part one. Selecting the first five was no easy task, but sticking to things such as Bunnahabhain and Deanston which I recently reviewed and Clynelish as another favourite plus Springbank and Braes O’ Glenlivet to round out a fine line-up. And I thought I would start with the lighter styles so the choices of my first five samples (part 1) are as follows:
Clynelish- Batch 1
So what’s the label all about: Clynelish was built after Brora closed and whilst it is a superb whisky, it is seen by purist (or should that be purrists) in this case as never quite being up to ‘scratch’.
48.6% abv 
197 Bottles RRP: £54.95 50cl
Appearance: Pale straw with white gold
Nose: Rattan fruit basket filed with tangerines, melon and peaches. Not immediately typical of Clynelish, less waxy but still has a coastal “freshness” holding the fruit down. Light spice on the nose, earthy vanilla pod and a bit of waxed church candle towards the end.
Palate: More of the expected waxy, creamy mouth-feel with stem ginger and vanilla before a hint of cardamom and cinnamon spice dusted over red berries mid palate. Faint salty element licks around the mouth bringing the earthy notes back to the fore.
Finish: Lingering citrus peel with a waxed edge. Earthy tones dry out the very long finish.
Summary: At first, not immediately recognisable as a Clynelish, them it bursts through with jubilant energy. Very good dram indeed.
Springbank- Batch 1
So what’s the label all about: Those cheeky chaps (bet they hate that tag) from Cask Strength, Neil and Joel twisting and shouting, trying to squeeze every last particle from a grain mill.
54.6% abv
274 bottle release RRP: Sold Out
Appearance: Light Honey, rose gold
Nose: A sweet peat reek to begin, underlined with coal embers, brown paper, slices of start fruit and a hint of baby sick. Came back to this 20 minutes later and yup, still baby sick in there somewhere.
Palate: Light sweet peat smoke and a mineral iodine flare before charred cedar wood dries out the palate allowing the white fleshed fruits to emerge.
Finish: Turns slightly oily to the finish, with the white fruits flowing on for some time.
Summary: Once you have a note stuck in your head, like a bad song, it’s tricky to get rid of it and butyric acid is a tough tune for any spirit to hum (of). I just could get the nose to match up to the tasty palate and it stopped the enjoyment right there.
Bunnahabhain- Batch 1
So what’s the label all about: A picture tells a thousand words- well almost. Here we see an elevated depiction of the Bunnahabhain distillery itself with everything from rally cars to shark infested waters.
46.1% abv
233 bottles released RRP: £51.95 50cl
Appearance: Pale yellow straw
Nose: Parma ham fat with white pepper over a piece of driftwood. Almost akin to reposado tequila, a definite vegetal nose with busts of coastal sea air. Samphire, turning to damp hay and deeper farmyard notes with a floral lift of violets at the end.
Palate: Creamy mouth-feel with liquorice root, milk bottle chews and vanilla before the salt washes through to leave chestnuts and buttery elements and peat water. Touches of ginger root and kippers keep the complex palate lively.
Finish: Dry spiced palate with tight tannin feel, lingering peat residue.
Summary: Being a fan of Bunnahabhain I was keen to get into this one and it didn’t disappoint. Complex, ever-changing and almost a challenge to the palate but in such an interesting way. Superb.
Deanston – Batch 1
So what’s the label all about: Deanston used to be a cotton mill before it was turned into a distillery in the mid 60′s, so it’s fairly ‘new” it whisky terms. According to MoM, hippies were around in the 60′s also although I doubt many made it to the banks of the river Teith.
50.8% abv
218 Bottle release RRP £46.95 50cl
Appearance: Bright gold
Nose: Sweet apple sauce with perfumed vanilla and fresh ginger shavings. The up front nose calms to reveal quince, grape and yellow sultanas with a good beechwood background.
Palate: Rich, creamy vanilla to the fore with lighter ginger spice close behind. Over-ripe banana with flaked almonds and a leafy element towards the end.
Finish: Dries with good malty grip and clean spice.
Summary: Quite close to the Deanston 12 in character, but seems to have the volume turned up a touch. Good example of this new kid on the block.
Braes o’ Glenlivet – Batch 1
So what’s the label all about: The inspiration for the label was the fact that it was Braes o’ Glenlivet that drew the Master of Malt trio Ben, Tom and Justin into the wonderful world of whisky in the first place.
47.2% abv
210 Bottle release RRP: £51.95 50cl
Appearance: Light straw, white gold.
Nose: Red berries mixed with poster paint, almond and lead pipe. Lets just say there is a lot going on in here. Varnished wood, bread and butter pudding, tinned pears and cherries.
Palate: Rich and buttery, again hints of bread and butter pudding spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon. Brazil nut and cherry bakewells.
Finish: Long and creamy, the bakewell lingers on.
Summary: A huge complex whisky, seemingly light at first but continues to develop and twist. A lot of fun and a great whisky.
So that is Part 1 done, as you will see the above limited releases are already selling out and I suspect this will always be the case. A great idea, executed with style and a good dollop of humour. Wish the rest of the industry could loosen up a bit like this.
Tags: 3cl, barley, Batch, ben, blend, Blended, blog, bottle, boutique, boutique-y, Box, braes, brand, brora, Bunnahabhain, by, Cask, cat, Clynelish, comic, company, cool, copper, cost, cotton, cute, dead, Deanston, design, dinky, distillery, dram, drinks, evian, expensive, fun, Glass, Glenfarclas, Glenlivet, handy, harrison, held, help, hippy, image, joel, label, limited, malt, master, mill, miniature, Neil, New, notes, of, Old, own, post, price, release, retro, review, Ridley, sample, samples, Scotch, Scotland, seal, select, sent, single, Springbank, still, strength, tasting, Teith, the, top, van, vintage, wax, whiskey, whisky
Take a glance around a supermarket spirit shelf in any good sized town and you will be faced with quite a selection of whisky including offerings from outside the UK. In fact, as Gin, tequila and other spirits have seen a massive rise in popularity and therfore shelf space which has fortunately been driven by the 
consumers “thirst for knowledge” we see a general increase across the categories. Go back just fifteen years and your choice of gin would be perhaps three in total with 100% agave tequila almost unheard of in anything other than top London destinations. Today you can buy some of the best tequila and boutique gins from distillers such as Sipsmith and Chase from your local supermarket whilst stocking up on dragon fruit and edemame. Consumers are understanding these categories more and seeking out the more unusual offerings, but only after careful research gleaned from every available source. Consumers have all the information they require to hand from the enthusiastic bloggers post reviewing the latest releases, lifestyle magazines that scratch the surface a little deeper to tell the reader not only what to drink- but where and how to order (and what to ware whilst ordering!) to experience events such as the hugely popular GandTeatime and Dont-shoot-tequila which offers educational tasting events across the categories all across the UK (just like us at Dramatic Whisky). Yet there is still a need for an element of trust when a bartender or shop assistant is recommending a product which is only gained if the right knowledge is shown.
Whisky has always help a fair proportion of the shelf space- mostly due to the range of blended whisky that has always been available, but the current success of more premium spirits has undoubtedly lent a helping hand for whisky and in particular single malt. Blends have always outshone single malt, contributing to about 90% of all global whisky consumed, and not only the standards blends but as we see premium blends such as Black Grouse and Johnnie Walker Gold Reserve start to jump over the sales targets set- although some premium blends are beginning to tag themselves with prices around that of a 10 or 15 year old single malt, the choice for the consumer is at an all time high. There is without doubt, an opportunity to up-sell in a recession stuck country such as our- people may be going out less and certainly watching what they are spending their money on, but when they do venture out its value for money and an experience they seek no matter what their status or budget, And as staying at home becomes more common place, people are choosing more premium products to recreate a “better than normal” experience at home. Unfortunately, far too often the UK hospitality sector and the high street retailer are seriously lacking the skills to deliver the right service or information, failing to capitalise altogether.
A few years back, when I managed The Lobby Bar at One Aldwych, London hit a tough time for tourism as 9/11 was a recent happening. Most of the five start establishments had slashed room prices as occupancy dropped to an all time low with some of the grandest of London’s establishments only reaching 20%. One Aldwych stuck to her guns, kept rates as standard but didn’t lay off a single member of staff. I witnessed this risky approach in action one evening as the then time C.E.O. of a certain orange budget airline, who was a regular, asked the owner directly why he was paying the rate he was when he could pop over the road to another five star and stay there for a third of the price. My boss’s response will stick with we forever- “Would you like me to arrange for our luggage porter to take your bags over because they have had to let theirs go”. Basically, if you can still offer value for money and deliver the perfect guest experience every time, you can maintain your price when all around you are loosing theirs.
Emerging markets outside the UK such as India, Russia and China have certainly helped boost the numbers in terms of whisky exports and sales over the last coupe of years and no doubt will continue to do so for some time, but surely we need to support the foundations in the UK to ensue we are not left behind- and here is where the problem lies.
To most people, a bottle of single malt is a pricey investment when buying at the supermarket as many still choose by age and with age, rightly so in many cases, comes a hefty price-tag. The consumer is left with a bewildering choice with little guidance other than the marketing departments best attempt to stand out from the crowd with a well crafted introduction to the whisky on the label- few though, actually tell the customer what the whisky actually tastes like. I’ve tried to ask members of staff for help, and even in large high street retailers, unfortunately the response is rather laughable.
Pubs in the UK don’t fare much better in my view. Most stock whisky, a blend at least, or have a carefully selected range which unfortunately is selected for them by the brand manager and therefore the bar staff think the job is done. They don’t need to actually learn about the range, it has “something to cover all palates” as the rep told them. Now of course this is not always the case- there are venues out there who do take care and consideration over the stock they invest in and support the choices with good staff training ensuring they can sell through the range and keep customer satisfaction at a peak. After all, with whisky on such a rise, there is great profits to be made on a large dram of liquid gold.
But the above is a minority, too few and far between a dram to bother seeking out. Even in my home country of Scotland I am shocked to find such a lack of knowledge and enthusiasm for our national drink which you would think would be the first place to start. Yet sadly, it is venues such as these, which are filled on a daily basis with customers who are interested in trying something different, moving up from a blend to a premium blend or a single malt, who would gladly spend that little bit extra if only the bar staff had the training and knowledge to deliver trust to the customer that they knew what they were offering and could recommend well.
In reality the local pub actually has it quite easy as they should know the clients well and therefore have the opportunity to sell a single measure of a new whisky, allowing them to try something without investing in an entire bottle from the supermarket. So why does this not happen more often? It seems to me that venue owners are as much to blame being fearful to invest in whisky. Yet the numbers are clear, whisky is on the rise. From the entry level blend through its premium big brother on onto the guidy heights of superstar single malt. You don’t have to be brave to bath in its glory- just clever and understand that with a little investment in training staff or even further – inviting the customer to partake in tasting events such as Dramatic Whisky, then whisky sales across the bar will increase. What I fear is that venue owners, upon hearing the good news about the growth in the category will simply grab an extra couple of “on offer” brands when next at the wholesaler and hope they chose well enough. Its not as if the tools are not out there on offer either. Every whisky brand manager will happily spend an afternoon at your venue training staff on the virtues of their brand. Or you can bring us in.
Try my little technique to work out if a bar knows its whisky- scan the back bar of whisky, find something you know well then think of an alternative but similar brand. Tell the bartender you want a whisky and normally drink the brand you are thinking of, then ask for a recommendation of something similar. Hopefully the bartender will offer you the brand you picked out but trust me on this- it works maybe 2-3 times out of 10. In fact, I have said at times I normally drink Glenlivet 12 in the hope they will offer me the Glenfiddich 12 but I have in the past been offered Laphroaig as a substitute because “Its really popular”. Eh, HELLO? Great news for the brand manager of Laphroaig, but I’m one unhappy customer if I don’t like Islay whisky and I’m afraid that all important confidence i was hoping to attain as a customer has just left the building.
Recently I was asked to consult at the bar for a two michelin star restaurant- a very well respected establishment with a great reputation. Apparently the whisky shelf was a little tired and they had asked that I come in to help revive things a little. I visited the venue and yes, it was clear not much love had been placed there with Jack Daniel’s the only American choice on offer and the usual suspects making up the numbers. However, being a French restaurant the Armagnac and Cognac range was outstanding but on closer inspection it turned out that they didn’t actually sell much of any of it. My plane was set out in three parts:
Train the staff on the current stock of whisky- highlighting “duplicate” styles and training them on how to push the up sell to these to clear the shelf of them.
Introduce replacement stock, again with another training session to ensue the staff had the correct tools to not only continue to sell the existing range but also the new additions
Return to the venue in 3 months for a refresher training course and to analyse how the sales have been.
Two page proposal, all aimed towards increasing whisky sales and maintaining a healthy GP, fee set low as it would be a fun project with a great bit of kudos attached. Result was a “Thanks but no thanks, we will leave it as it is”. I checked the proposal again and I hadn’t put too much in there for them to carry the project through themselves, the fee was below market value considering the gains from the end result and yet no, even a restaurant with a per head spend in excess of £100 could not see the value in whisky.
What ever happen to the “Auld Alliance“? Somethings will never change.
Tags: 9/11, Aldwych, Alliance, Armagnac, Auld, back, bad, Bar, bartender, best, Black, blend, Blended, blue, bourbon, Box, Cask, China, cognac, Daniels, diageo, distillery, dram, dramatic, easyjet, educate, education, France, french, gain, Gin, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, gold, GP, Grouse, hospitality, India, islay, Jack, Johnnie, label, Laphroaig, learn, lifestyle, Lobby, London, magazine, malt, maxxium, Michelin, One, premium, pub, rant, Reserve, respond, restaurant, revenue, Russia, sales, Savoy, school, Scotland, shoot, single, Sipsmith, staff, star, supermarket, superstar, Tea, teach, tequila, training, venue, waitrose, Walker, whiskey, whisky, world
Over time, with progress and all things scientific and natural willing, things change, and often for this we have to thank some those that came before – the groundbreakers and the pioneers who blazed a trail where others dared not tread. Visionaries ensure that progress continues – but even the future, which should be unencumbered by current thinking, is maintained within the confines of human acceptance. Get too far ahead and people find it too unbelievable so you have to rein in the creative juices before you get too far fetched. Or, in the case of Compass Box and its pioneering use of oak, perhaps bend the rules slightly. But it is with these adventurers of the future that they help shape the current. Try this exapmple-The Batmobile.
At its launch, it was the most space-aged looking crime fighting vehicle to roam the streets of Gotham- no one drove a car anything like this beauty, however, on closer inspection there are elements that helped people, living in America at the time, find something to feel familiar about such as the tail fins which were pretty standard design on a 1950′s automobile. Then look how it developed over the years! and now- Bruce Waynes joyrides is actually quite acceptable as it has roots in current military vehicles we might expect to see on the news, with a futuristic edge..although version 1.2 was pretty cool also.
Compass Box Whisky began setting the whisky world alight in 2000 as John Glaser, company director, set about blending whisky that would get people talking, and talk they did. The portfolio now boast an impressive line up that constantly pushes the envelope of tradition with the current 4th release of Flaming Heart no different.
Let John take you through his idea of whisky here.
Flaming Heart is released in limited quantity only when the appropriate stock of aged whisky is available, and the stock in this one is rather special indeed. A selection from Highland, Speyside, Islands and Islay this release is a touch heavier on the smoke helped in this by Laphroaig (shh!) along with Clynelish (shh!) making up the perfect waxy balance and for the fist time in the Flaming Heart generations, there are some ex-shery cask whiskies in there adding a spicy depth.
Compass Box “Flaming Heart” 4th edition
Circa 9,000 bottles. Bottled in August 2012.
Refill ex-Bourbon, new French oak (heavily toasted) and ex-sherry casks.
Bottled at 48.9%. Not chill filtered. Natural colour.
Appearance:Pale yellow with warm gold.
Nose: Massive fruity nose of sweet almond, apricot and light orange zest. Lovely wax candle (expensive ones like Cire Trudon) combined with milk and dark chocolate covered oat biscuit. Balsa wood, coconut and light spice and citrus lift.
Palate: Surprisingly different from the nose, rounded salt smoke with rich vanilla custard, pastry with samphire. Nutty almond oil with cocoa. Very delicate peated element, well integrated and balanced throughout.
Finish: Its only now that the smokey element makes itself known, and even then it’s in a refined and welcomed way. Slightly drying after the waxy/fruity palate.
Summary: As expected, this is exceptionally well balanced and integrated but more than this – it’s interesting. 12 years on since John pulled those first samples together in his kitchen and Compass Box shows no sign whatsoever of being forgotten as a trail-blazer. I wonder if version 5 will be as awesome as Batmobile V1.5 !
And Holy Drams! its still available here!
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So, quite often, I find myself thinking about new things to write and more often than not I start something, read it over, decided it’s rubbish and bin it. And of course, I always try to find a new angle to write about, otherwise it bores me. So, during a conversation this morning on twitter with the very talented Katie Antoniou who had posted her list of most admired women after the controversial FHM award to Tulisa Contostavlos for being the hottest woman in the world with which, by the way, neither of us agreed. We swiftly set about putting the wrongs to right. It seems we have quite similar taste in beauty and despite the Megan Foxes of the world and the Giselles, it was pretty straight forward. We think its intelligence and talent that makes “hot”. Just to make it a bit more interesting, I though I would add a whisky to salute the selected few…so here goes in no particular order:
Liv Tyler – A dazzling woman and smart to boot. It would have been easy to start listing connections to The Lord of the Rings or Stealing Beauty but I thought the fact that she is the daughter of legendary rock king Steve Tyler, who no doubt has seen his fair share of bourbon during his career would be better. So, to Liv I raise a glass of Hudson “Baby” bourbon from the small distillery at Tutthilltown, new, exciting and cutting edge it is a perfect accompaniment to Livs otherworldly beauty. A rich and spicy bourbon, first since prohibition to be made in New York. If you need more info, I reviewed it here
Penelope Cruz - Well what can you say about this Spanish firecracker. Never one to keep her Mediteranian passion at bay, this hot and spicy, full on woman surely makes you sit up and take notice. Like a charging bull at a matador, every inch of her is Carne Trémula. So, what to choose? what matches the fire of Penelope? the full on personality and Spanish richness? Well, I choose the Aberlour A’Bunadh.
Full Spanish sherry cask and at cask strength, I reckon it has it all.
Scarlett Johansson- It’s the husky voice, plump lips and classy, sassy attitude that makes Scarlet stand out. You can imagine her out till the small hours, a speakeasy somewhere. Obvious whisky choice was Suntory to follow her Lost in Translation role, but decided to go for something a bit different from the norm, as she definately is. Balvenie 15yr old single cask, , delivering a surprise every time, just like Scarlet.
Kate Winslet -Now, I’ve met Kate, and I can tell you, she can command a room with her looks and personality. A strong woman with a funny, tender side she is quite the complete package. Again, there is an obvious link with the movies, and since its not been too long since the centenary of the Titanic sinking, it simply has to be a glass of single cask, Glenrothes Titanic limited edition. no ice of course!
I recently reviewed this dram and would like to think Kate would find a lot to enjoy in it.
Selma Blair- Associated with a sort of preppy geeky ness in most movies, and shooting to fame with “that kiss” in Cruel Intensions, Selma has only gone and grown up! her last role, in HellBoy II sees her smouldering with sexiness and brimming with confidence. Yet, you still cant help feel that she would be the perfect girl to take home to your parents and get approval. Still an American sweetheart. That’s why I chose the Glenlivet 18 to toast Selma, an all rounder and definitely the whisky which everyone can nod with approval for.
Eva Green- Well HELLO! Here comes trouble. Eva doesn’t smoulder, she is a full on inferno. Careful of those Medusa like eyes for they will turn you to jelly with a single look. Such a chameleon of character, but never quite able to shake off the sense of forbidding and danger, thank goodness! With her goddess like figure and dark sorceress image I can imagine conjuring imagine her sipping a Bowmore Tempest.
Stormy, dark, and mysterious. We salute you Eva.
Maggie Gyllenhaal- Oh Maggie, with those doe eyes and full lips beneath plump cheekbones, you are really spoiling us. It’s the voice also, could lull a tiger to sleep. Yet it’s not all about looks, this girl is razor sharp too, educated, cerebral and non-conformist she was renowned for picking out independent classy films to work in (ok, forget Batman).
So, which dram? Well, got to be independent, little known and as with Maggies surname, tricky to pronounce- BenRiach 18 it is then.
Kelly Brook – Ah Kelly, the English rose. Always smiling, always bubbly and thankfully not ended up part of the stick thin brigade…Kelly has curves like a woman should. She reminds me of a pin-up from the 50′s, when girls didn’t need to get naked to be sexy. OK, so she did playboy,page 3 and topped FHMs hot list, but we can forgive her right?
It also goes without saying that one English rose deserves another so we raise our glass of The English Whisky Chapter 6.
Juliette Lewis – Can you see a pattern forming here? Sultry dark eyed hell raisers? Juliette first caught our attention in Cape Fear, but it is her career since that seems to have suited her style best-Natural Born Killers, Kalifornia for example? plus her rock band Juliette and the Licks isn’t known for love ballads. Could have gone down the bourbon route again, maybe a spicy rye heavy version, but no.
This one was easy. For Juliette, it’s Compass Box Headonism.
Eva Mendes – really? I mean you really need an
explanation! Despite her casting and looks, she was born in Miami to Cuban parents. Safe to say her early acting career wasn’t a trail blazer (mostly B movies) but she has become a household name after roles in Training Day and Once upon a time in Mexico.
Staying firmly on the Cuban theme, we opted for the Dalmore Cigar Malt and a fine Partagas no.4 cigar.
So there it is, the Dramatic Whisky list of our top ten women. It’s not complete, and will no doubt change again in a year or two, but at least we now know which bottle to reach for if ever they come round to the DW offices!
Oh, and Sienna, if your reading this, we still love you.
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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.
