In preparation for this Saturdays World Whisky Day event, I have managed to gather quite an interesting line up of whisky from further a field than Scotland and I thought a quick introduction of each might be helpful. I’ve already posted about the South African examples Bain’s and Three Ships, so now it is the turn of the very special Ichiro’s malt, The Floor Malted.
When people talk about whisky, they often ask me about Japanese examples and are rather surprised to hear that Japan has quite a long history of producing whisky. One of the people accredited with being most influential in the Japanese whisky movement was Masataka Taketsuru. Studying and working in Scotland at the beginning of the 20th century, he later created a distillery in Japan in 1934, know as Yochi, part of the Nikka distilling company. Luckily, the Japanese already had extensive knowledge of brewing sake which helped secure a small movement of whisky distilleries across the country. One of these, the Hanyu distillery is linked to the review today.
Hanyu distillery, situated in the town of Chichibu, was established in 1626 by Isouji Akuto and was a sake brewery. Akuto began distilling malt whisky with his son after purchasing a pair of stills from Scotland in the 1980′s but unfortunately at this time demand for single malt whisky was not where it is today and the Hanyu distillery was sold in 2000. Distillation of whisky was not continued by the new owner and the stills were dismantled, the stock sold on. Isouji’s grandson, Ichiro, managed to secure some casks of the old stock and established a new distillery in 2007 on a new site in Chichibu. ‘Ichiro’s Malt – The First’ was, as the name may suggest, the first whisky to be released by the distillery in 2011 (distilled 2008). The distilleries second release, ‘The Floor Malted’ was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2012.
This particular release has been made using traditional floor malted barley turned not just by hand, but by the hands of the team from the Chichibu distillery at the Crisp’s malting in Norfolk, England, before shipped back to Japan for the fermentation, distillation and eventual maturation process. Matured in American oak barrel and puncheon as well as Mizunara (Japanese) oak for 3 years and released at 50.5% abv, it is said to have ‘mild and soft’ character. Let’s find out.
Ichiro’s Malt – The Floor Malted
Chichibu distillery, Japan
50.5% abv
Bottle 6081/8800
Distilled 2009 Bottled 2012
RRP: £58 but good luck finding it!
Appearance: Pale straw, yellow gold
Nose: Soft and floral with a sweet note of honeysuckle. Deeper elements of vanilla fudge with soft fruits turning almost toward pineapple in the end. There is a good warm cedar structure overall.
Palate: Richer than expected from what the nose promised. Good full creamy texture with sweetish fruit and balanced spice of rolling tobacco and hints of cured leather which became more pronounced and nutty with the addition of water.
Finish: Lingering cedar wood/cigar box spices and nutty vanilla fudge.
Summary: Well worth trying if you can find a bottle as there are very few available. Its a delicate whisky, perhaps more suited to pre-dinner than post to fully appreciate the complex yet light character.
Tags: Akuto, American, Bain's, brewer, brewing, chichibu, company, crisps, Day, distilled, distillery, dram, drinks, england, fermantation, first, floor, hand, Hanyu, history, Ichiro, Japan, Japanese, malt, malting, Marcin, Masataka, mature, millar, Mizunara, Nikka, norfolk, notes, number, oak, Old, One, Puncheon, quercus, review, sake, Scotch, Ships, single, south africa, Suntory, Taketsuru, tasting, Three, tradition, turned, whiskey, whisky, world, Years, yochi
When I first heard that Balvenie were to release another version of the Single Barrel, this time a 12 year old, I got rather excited. Having always been a fan of the Single Barrel 15 year old, this newest expression was sure to get my lips smacking.
Single cask whiskies are a perfect time-shot of maturation, with each cask delivering a different and unique character to the whisky resting within and with no other casks married into batches, finding them is a rare treat. I say rare, because normally single cask expressions are limited in number. By their very nature, there is only as much as the cask can hold and once gone, never to be replicated. Normally it’s the selection of a malt master who will tend to discover a certain cask, resting and maturing at just the right pace which seems to be delivering a certain style, still in keeping with that of the distillery but a perfectly unique example. So when Balvenie decided to set aside casks to mature their whisky, releasing these after 15 years as single cask bottles it was a great opportunity for many more people that usual to sample some great drams. With each bottle being numbered and dated you could actually work out the age as not all seemed to be right for release at 15 years and if you do a little maths you can find examples of Balvenie Single Barrel 15 year old actually at 16 & 17 years and older.
This new 12 year old has been rested in First Fill casks of ex-bourbon. That may sound a little strange, calling a cask first fill if it’s actually second hand, but in the scotch industry we refer to cask use when it is used here. So an ex-bourbon cask is “first filled” with scotch, use it again and it becomes a refill cask. If the whisky was matured in a brand new cask, with no previous contents then it is know as “virgin cask” such as used by Deanston but few distillers use these as the powerful notes can sometimes be overpowering.
The Balvenie Single Barrel 12yr
Bottle number: Unknown (trade sample)
47.8% abv Non Chill Filtered
Ex-Bourbon Cask
300 bottles max per cask
Appearance: Warm rose gold
Nose: As you would expect from Balvenie, the signature notes of honey, dried citrus peels and light spice are immediate. But there is a hit of sliced pear and vanilla ice cream which seems to dry out the nose somewhat, which isn’t surprising considering the 47.8% abv. Apple blossom emerges to give a floral element and ties everything up in a well structured bouquet.
Palate: Rich and honey sweet with perfect grip of cinnamon spice. The fruity notes of dried peel and a hint of pineapple roll through the palate with a pear tarte tatin sweetness. A malty backbone with deep woody vanilla holds it all together.
Finish: Sweet spicy honey all the way with a dry oak tail.
Summary: Although bold at this level of ABV, I didn’t think the addition of water was required and that shows how well integrated the spirit and cask has become. Big, it certainly is but what impressed me is the integration of flavour as they raised and dipped around a thick mouth-feel. There is a lot going on, but thankfully all in the same direction rather than challenging the palate too much. Well worth seeking this one out and with an RRP of just under £50 I think Balvenie will need to lay a few more casks down.
For other Balvenie Reviews click the links: 17 Double Wood, Tun 1401 batch 5, Dream Dram, 40 year old.
Tags: 1401, 15, 17, Balvenie, barrel, bottle, bourbon, built, Cask, character, cooper, craft, Deanston, distiller, dram, ex, family, fill, fine, first, floor, found, Glenfiddich, grant, hand, held, help, honey, last, malt, maltying, master, mature, New, notes, number, Old, owned, past, rare, refill, release, rest, review, sample, Scotch, Scotland, select, selection, Sherry, single, tasting, tun, unique, whiskey, whisky, william, year
It’s been a busy time for Dramatic Whisky and aside from all the tasting events and filing, the samples and invitations to new launches have been flowing through. Most notable is the fact that we have been really spoiled by the quality. Grants 25, Bunnahabhain 40, Balvenie Liberated Casks, Wemyss Single Cask Aultmore to name just a few and the most recent, the Balblair 1969 vintage. I have had the pleasure of visiting Balblair distillery and sampling the core expressions if the 2002, 1975 and a sneak preview of the 1969 vintage here. There was also a recent travel retail release of the ’96. But it was the official release of the 1969 bottle (our sample at the distillery was from a single cask!) that found me at the Soho Whisky Club earlier this week and is some rather fine company.
The distillery manager, John MacDonald was there to guide us through the tasting, and hanging on his every word were whisky writers, bloggers and retailers such as Neil and Joel from Cask Strength, Billy from The Whisky Exchange, Becky from The Spirits Business, Laura from Imbibe Magazine, Ian who wrote 101 whiskies to try before you die, Olly from Just Drinks and the list goes on.
As I said we began with the fresh and lively 2002, moving to the richer 97 then to the 89 which all revealed an incredible change in character, before the 1975 vintage which was a heady combination of all elements found in the previous vintages and beautifully balanced. Finally, the 1969 vintage.
Balblair vintage 1969 single malt scotch whisky
Distilled 1969 bottled 2012 (43 years old)
A marriage of only 6 casks 41.4% abv
Non chill filtered, natural colour
2nd fill American oak hogshead cask
RRP: £2,500
Appearance: Honey gold with warm amber
Nose: Orange blossom honey, wax candle and denta-stix. Warm brioche with baked apple, soft toffee sauce over tropical fruits of banana and pineapple with hints of cider, leather and mint.
Palate: Big rounded warm spices take hold, calmed with a touch of menthol (eucalyptus oil) struck match, red berry compote and liquorice root. Ample vanilla to round out the oak, not allowing it to overpower but compliment instead. Toffee apples dusted with cinnamon and caramel wafers complete the palate.
Finish: Complex, generous and lingering. The balanced honey/spice keeps delivering more and more.
Summary: An outstanding whisky which shows just how well this brand lasts. It is unusual to find a brand how simple relies on the age of its whiskies to make up its core expressions rather than playing around with various types of wood maturation and marriages. As a consumer, Blablair is a great choice. Get stuck into the current vinategs and start your journey towards the superb 1969. Best of all, you have a bit of time as the Balblair 1969 will be launched in the USA this year at $3500, then released in 2013 in other focus markets including the UK, France, Russia and South East Asia. Enough time to save up also!
Tags: 101, 1969, 1975, 2002, 40, alcohol, America, American, Aultmore, Balblair, Balvenie, before, blog, bottled, Bunnahabhain, Business, buxton, Cask, Club, die, distilled, distillery, dram, drinks, exchange, first, fresh, fruit, Grants, hand, imbibe, journalist, just, London, looy, luanch, magazine, malt, members, notes, oak, release, retail, review, Scotch, Scotland, Scottish, select, selected, single, Soho, spirits, strength, tasting, travel, tropical, try, vintage, warehouse, Wemyss, whiskies, whisky, wkiskey, Years
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
Whisky has always been a drink that brings people together, of that there is no doubt, and especially a drink to inspire conversation. We often imagine people gathered round a fire at the end of an evening, “chewing the fat” after a meal, recounting tales and anecdotes amongst friends. But what of more romantic encounters? As whisky becomes young again and catches the imagination of a whole new demographic, it seems to be found in more unusual circumstances.
Last week, I travelled to Edinburgh to host some tastings in the city – it certainly seemed strange flying back over the border with a suitcase full of whisky, but it gave me the chance to catch up with old friends and of course make new ones along the way. I met the boyfriend of a friend who was recalling (over a whisky) how they met. They were in fact both members of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, although they had actually met in the pub, they chose their first “date” to be at the society’s venue in Leith called The Vaults. Now, for those who do not know how the society operates, let me explain.
The SMWS purchase single casks from distilleries all over Scotland (and further afield) to bottle non-chill filtered and at cask strength in limited run to members. The bottles are not overly expensive and the society rooms in Edinburgh, of which there are two- the Vaults and Queens street, as well as in Farringdon in London, allow members to bring in up to three guests, enjoy a lunch perhaps or simply kick back with the papers in the relaxed surroundings and partake in a dram or two. There are also great meeting rooms to use and always something going on arranged by the society. I like it because it’s not stuffy, the bar staff are young and knowledgeable and for those of you who don’t like whisky (eh?) there is a fine wine list and fab beer selection too.
First timers may be a little confused as on glancing at the back bar it seems they only have one whisky on offer? But upon closer inspection, the society’s best asset comes into play. 
Every bottle is the same shape, green glass, tall with a slimmed waist and handsomely broad shoulders. The white label across the front has only a set of numbers, 17.23 for example, the first being the distillery the bottling came from and the second refers to the number of the cask the society has procured. Below this, is the title of the whisky, names such as “Light blue touch-paper and retire” or ” Seaweed, sushi and Arbroath smokies” start to conjure up certain images that hopefully give an indication of the whisky’s character. Then below this, a large (and sometimes rambling) set of tasting notes describe, not only all the aromas and notes to expect, but in most cases will help build a picture in the mind of the whisky’s personality- a bit like a lonely hearts column. M 40, kind-hearted and generous with GSOH WLTM similar becomes “Starting off in a cottage in the morning clearing out the peat fire and end up in a rugby club with camphor muscle oil, hot and smokey – Russian caramel” (3.187 by the way!) The green glass restricting the sight of the whisky’s colour, the uniformity of the bottles and the hidden distillery names all combine to mean you have to be tempted by what the whisky tastes like. Drop all your preconceived ideas and forget trying to recall all your own tasting notes - just be drawn in by the liquid and nothing else. Genius if you ask me because I have often held “blind” tastings where many people have remarked on the quality and taste of a whisky which upon revealing what it is, they are shocked to find it is something they would normally dismiss. The SMWS helps reintroduce whisky to even the most experienced of drinkers in a fun way. It breathes life into forgotten distilleries and with new outturn showcased in its monthly magazine, there is always something to tempt you. Interested? Memberships can be purchased here.
Anyway, where were we? Ah yes – take this above ethos and apply it to dating as my friend did. By arranging the first date at The Vaults, she was being very clever indeed. Obviously they both liked whisky, so that was a bonus, but the clever thing here was, as they perused the menu of drams, they could get an indication of the others likes and dislikes without having to question – in fact, as she blushingly recalled, there are even certain tasting tips that will help warm up the conversation. She pointed one out in particular from the list “Slip on the velvet robe, dig out your finest slippers and pay this dram a visit” . now, if you say that in a deep Cockney male voice, it might not have the same seductive properties of a softly spoken Edinburgh girl…but you get the idea. Reading through the collection of whisky titles, such as the two above will quickly let you get to grips with your date - don’t like sushi? mental note – next date is not Japanese…never been to Arbroath – who has?
So whisky “matching’ is not all about cheese, chocolate and canapes -( we do those here ) apparently it can pair people together as well.
Next month, Dramatic whisky are hosting a first - a Singles Night in association with Mutual Attraction, the
select members dating site to see if this fire water can ignite some passion. Mutual Attraction was set up due to demand from city professionals and executives who were finding dating in London tough. The thought of having a photo online horrified them as did the notion they may have to spend their precious time hanging out at bars everynight. Mutual Attraction was born and the first thing they promised? Confidentiality and no photos on the web!
The event is open to non-members also so if you are in the mood for falling in love - even if it might just be with whisky, then book in here to join us.
Tags: advert, Arbroath, attraction, blind, bottle, character, cheese, chocolates, cockney, conversation, dasting, date, dram, edinburgh, encounters, farringdon, first, food, friends, Green, GSOH, hearts, Japanese, Leith, London, lonely, malt, membership, mutual, notes, numbers, pairing, Scotch, Scottish, singles, Society, sushi, tasting, Vaults, whiskies, whisky, whiskyey
The Balvenie Signautre – a word thief.
I have just deleted 800 words of a blog i was half way through typing. because, it was going nowhere and i was boring myself! so why would anyone else read it?
So where to now?
Well, the jist of the now trashed piece was having Dr Sam Simmons at my tasting last night. The global brand ambassador for The Balvenie single malt. nothing really unusual in this, I get a lot of industry professionals pop their head round the door from time to time, but this was a wee bit different as I had two Balvenie expressions in the line up! The signature and the 17yr old peated cask.
Mid way through my “script” I turned to begin on the Balvenie Signature 12 yr old, and it is a dram I know well but I found myself glancing over the label of the bottle to remind be of the maturation and wood names!
WHAT!?! i can recite those in my bloody sleep!
But a feeling hit me that I had not felt since school the slight stumbling of answers in an exam- of course you know the answer, of course it’s buried deep in that head of yours, but try as you might, all that you can find is a muddy puddle to wade through until that shiny coin of hope which has until now only glinted at you from the hazy depths fully reveals itself to you in all its glory.
However, it was probably not even noticed by anyone, and to be honest by the time they had taken their first sip- all was forgiven. Turns out the feedback from the room and Sam himself was all positive.
Thanks Sam 
I said I chose two expressions of the Balvenie, and for what it’s worth here are my notes on the both.
The Balvenie Signature 12 year old
Matured in Oloroso sherry butts, first-fill bourbon barrel and refill bourbon cask.
An appearance of rose gold and light amber.
The nose is instantly pleasing with delicate spices of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, all gently pulled through a honey centre. In the distance, you can detect a slight wood smoke that may be mistaken for warm rubber- but in a really good way!
In the mouth, those honey sweet elements take hold, complimented once again by rounded, nutty spice. Some dried citrus cuts in before being whiskies away by that clever smokey element, disguised all this time before being let loose.
A delightfully rewarding dram, complex, smooth and interesting. elements of each wood making its mark. 
and now, ladies and gentlemen, the close of tonight’s show:
The Balvenie 17yr Old Peated cask 43%
aged Balvenie – Introduced to heavily peated casks for a final maturation and then married with The Balvenie finished in new American oak. – Whats not to like?
In the glass, there is a brighter orange note that is not so typical of The Balvenie with some rose gold flecks in the background.
The nose is divine, with rich orange scented candle, cured meat and the most delicate of whiff of butter all combining to create an overall sweet note with gentle snuffed candle smoke in the background.
And then comes the palate initially rounded and creamy with honey and toffee, it quickly sucker punches you into submission with a belt of smokey sweet cured meat. Spices then take over the party with cinnamon first to arrive, white pepper not far behind then fashionably late, a touch of nutmeg and clove.
The long lingering finish swirls with peated smoke, chewy spices and that “give me another” feeling all good whisky should have.
Tags: 12, 17, Ambassador, Balvenie, barley, barrel, bourbon, brand, Cask, Cocktail, deconstruction, Dr, dram, ex, fill, finish, first, global, islay, Liberty, London, Lounge, malt scotch, malted, mature, olorosso, peat, Peated, professional, refill, regions, Sam, Scotland, script, Sherry, signature, Simmons, single, smoke, tasting, UK, week, whiskey, whisky
