Cask88 x Ralph Steadman "Whisky Correspondence Course" - Bruichladdich 31yo, Arran 24yo & Glenburgie 24yo [Tasted #674 - 676]

Whisky and art collaborations are nothing new - we've seen everything from Macallan's "Masters of Photography" series, to Glenfiiddich's "Arists in Residence" program, to Glenmorangie's more recent efforts with Azuma Makoto. My view of these has always been the same - they can be fun, sure, and when the collaboration "fits", even great, but fundamentally the underlying whisky has to be good. At the end of the day, you can't drink art!

Thankfully, Cask88's latest collaboration with Britain's legendary illustrator Ralph Steadman not only brings the fun & feels like it "fits", it also involves some fantastic whisky!

Dubbed the Cask 88 x Ralph Steadman Whisky Correspondence Course, the series is intended to take drinkers on a journey of Scotland's distilleries via illustrations from Ralph Steadman's 1994 memoir "Still life with Bottle: Whisky According to Ralph Steadman" adorning bottles of "exquisite, greatly aged, unique single malts from the finest distilleries in Scotland".

Starting (fittingly) with Part One, the series kicks things off with 3 single cask bottlings, available individually by the 700mL bottle or as a set of 3 x 50mL miniatures:

• Arran 24 Year Old (44.7%)
• Bruichladdich 31 Year Old (50.6%)
• Glenburgie 24 Year Old (55.2%)

The team at Cask88 were kind enough to send me a miniature set for review, and I've gotta say, this is one of the most impressively designed "sample sets" I've ever seen - right down to the ink pot sample bottles. Sure, it's all about the whisky inside, but opening this certainly brought a smile to my face.

Cask88 x Ralph Steadman "Whisky Correspondence Course" Bruichladdich 31yo (50.6% ABV, 31yo, Refill Hogshead #2258, Islay, Scotland, £565 / $5,650HKD)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colour: Light golden sunset.

Nose: Light and fruity - grape skins, pear & peach, followed by subtle vanilla hints.

Palate: Oh now we're talking - Tropic Thunder! Passionfruit, lots of pineapple, some guava and apple. Grapefruit, vanilla & pear notes too. It's a tropical fruit basket, with perfectly balanced sweetness.

Finish: Largely follows the palate - tropical right to the end, when a cooling subtle mint note kicks in.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Martin). Beautiful.

 

Cask88 x Ralph Steadman "Whisky Correspondence Course" Arran 24yo (44.7% ABV, 24yo, Oloroso Hogshead #1556, £565 / $4,250HKD)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colour: Rich amber gold.

Nose: Creamy strawberries & raspberries, with a spray of orange zest, and underlying chocolate hints.

Palate: In line with the nose, sweet strawberries and raspberries, then maple syrup, walnuts, peanut brittle, strawberries again (with cream this time), and more of that chocolate.

Finish: Long and full of dark chocolate and oranges, with a slightly bitter raspberry note.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100 (Martin). Arran around this age can be very good, and this is no exception.

Cask88 x Ralph Steadman "Whisky Correspondence Course" Glenburgie 24yo (55.2% ABV, 24yo, 1st Fill Sherry Butt #9316, £300 / $3,000HKD)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colour: Deep copper.

Nose: Funk, slight sulphur note, chocolate-coated cherries and sour gummies - something I only occasionally find on well-serried whiskies, but a note I really enjoy.

Palate: Rich, unctuous and funky. Oak, but balanced with savoury sherry notes, mature oranges, coffee beans, rooibos tea and ripe raspberries, with a slight bitterness after some air.

Finish: Long, warming coffee notes with some berries, and oak funk.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Martin). Lots going on here, and it all works well together. Really enjoyable.

 

I have to say, I was expecting one, maybe two of these casks to be standouts, but didn't expect all 3 to be so good. All very different (fruity, moderately sherried & very sherried), but all excellent.

The Cask 88 x Ralph Steadman Whisky Correspondence Course is available directly from Cask88 in the UK, or from Dram Good Stuff in Hong Kong (pricing and links above).

Cheers,

Martin.

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte range re-launch party in Singapore (Tasted #396 - 399)

Bruichladdich is a distillery I've liked for a long time, but it's also a distillery I've respected for a long time. That's not to say I don't respect other distilleries, but Bruichladdich's whisky has just always struck me as incredibly honest whisky. It doesn't hide behind caramel colouring, or chill-filtration. It's bottled at (at least) 50%. As a distillery, Bruichladdich are also incredibly transparent.

...and they make incredibly good and varied whisky - from the standard "Laddie" to the peated Port Charlotte, to the super-peated Octomore and the fun stuff like Black Art and Micro Provenance ranges.

All of which made it pretty easy to say yes when Rémy Cointreau contacted me recently, asking if I wanted to join them in Singapore for the (re)launch of the Port Charlotte range. Fast forward 6 weeks, and I find myself, on a surprisingly mild Singapore night, standing in the middle of an industrial space...

The invitation listed the venue as "Cargo39", which I assumed was some cool new bar in a popular part of Singapore, but no, it turns out "Cargo39" is an actual cargo dock / shipping yard (which frankly is so much cooler).

The #WeAreIslay balloon made it clear I was in the right area, and after a few minutes of mindlessly wandering around an empty loading dock, I found my way to the venue.

(Turns out, Cargo39 is in Tanjong Pagar Distripark - a popular art / performance / venue / F&B space, utilising converted warehouse space. Not dissimilar to some of the warehouses around HK's Wong Chuk Hang.)

One look at the voucher provided on arrival suggested guests were in for a good night, filled with all the good things in life...

First though, I headed to the G&T Station (Bruichladdich make a great gin, y'see) where Citizen Farm had set up a botanical station and were talking guests through different mints, herbs and leaves to garnish their gin & tonics (the locally-grown Apple Mint suited the Botanist's 22 botanicals very well).

"Local" was to be a theme for the night - with stations set up around the room serving delicious goods from local providors - cheese (from The Cheese Ark), chocolate (from DemoChoco), burgers and oysters (from Jam & Co) and even a taste of home, with beer / boilermakers by Young Master Ales.

Of course, we were all there for whisky, and there was no disappointment on that front, with the "Rare Dram" bar front and centre serving all manner of Bruichladdichs from the standard Laddie right up to Octomore OBA, and the full "Rare Cask" series (not to mention a number of rare distillery-only releases).

Everyone was allowed one free Rare Dram (more if they were lucky...) and the prices for others were pretty reasonable - Bere Barley 2008 for $10SGD, Black Art 5.1 for $30SGD, with the rarest drams (Octomore OBA, Rare Cask series and Yellow Submarine) at $50SGD.

Before long a few familiar faces showed up - namely good whisky mates Andrew (@whiskyhobo) and Christopher (@kanpaikev) from Indonesia Whisky Research Society (soon to be hosting Indonesia's first Whisky Live), and Singapore's Loh Chin Hui aka @whisky uncle. After sharing a dram or two of the distillery-only "The Laddie" Valinch 32, it was time to start the official tasting.

Brand Ambassador Chloe Wood welcomed guests, explaining that we'd be tasting four Port Charlotte drams, with a guided tasting led by none other than Bruichladdich Head Distiller Adam Hannett, video conferenced in all the way from Islay. This was impressive for two reasons - 1) Islay Internet is said to be notoriously dodgy; and 2) Adam couldn't hear anything happening in Singapore, yet managed to almost time his interjection after each dram perfectly.

I managed to spend a good amount of time with each dram, appreciating both the similarities and differences between the range...

Port Charlotte 10 (50% ABV, 10 Years Old, Islay, Scotland, £50 (AU and HK pricing TBC))
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Containing only Scottish Barley, and peated to 40ppm. Matured in a combination of 1st fill ex-Bourbon, 2nd fill ex-Bourbon and 2nd fill ex-French wine casks.
Colour: Golden straw
Nose: Sweet vanilla smoke initially, over time, tangy BBQ sauce and vanilla cream pie. A strange combination...that works very well.
Palate: BBQ-charred lemon wedges, then some big berry notes coming through - strawberry and raspberries. Plenty of salt-air peat - balanced well with the fruitier notes.
Finish: Follows the palate - long sweet lemon citrus smoke.
Rating (on Martin's very non-scientific scale): 91/100. I sat on this for a while and it got better and better. An impressive dram, especially considering the price.


Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2011 (50% ABV,  6-7 Years Old, Islay, Scotland, £60 (AU and HK pricing TBC))
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Showcasing truly local barley. 15 years ago no-one was growing Barley on Islay, now there are 18 farms!
Colour: Yellow gold.
Nose: Lots of vanilla and some citrus, and then some peach. Some slightly plastic notes that aren't offputting, but do differentiate this from the PC10. Spirit is more noticeable.
Palate: Meatier, more spirity than the 10. Lots of lemon zest and orange peel. More spritely and youthful than the 10. It'd be very interesting to try this at 10 years old.
Finish: Longer and hotter than the 10, with residual lemon zest smoke.
Rating (on Martin's very non-scientific scale): 88/100.

Port Charlotte MRC:01 2010 (59.2% ABV,  7-8 Years Old, Islay, Scotland, Pricing TBC)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
75% ex-Bourbon, 25% ex-wine cask. Finished for 1 year in French red wine casks.
Colour: Golden orange
Nose: Well this is different! Vegemite. Rye bread. Some slight hints of matchheads. Big, meaty. Beefstock.
Palate: More match heads / sulphur notes (not offputting). A lot more fruit starts to show - red berries mostly.
Finish: Long, sweet smoke and oak tannins at the very end.
Rating (on Martin's very non-scientific scale): 87/100.


Port Charlotte MC:01 2009 (56.3% ABV,  8-9 Years Old, Islay, Scotland, Pricing TBC)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finished in ex-Marsala casks for 18 months. Not yet bottled at the time of tasting, but intended to replace the current Global Travel Retail Cognac-finished expression.
Colour: Bright orange gold.
Nose: Lovely. Dry rub, paprika, very malty. Some berry notes start to show afer time.
Palate: Huge, rich oily mouth feel. Cherry cream pie. First fruit, then a big whack of sweet smoke.
Finish: Long, slightly tannic but at the very end, sweet Crème brûlée.
Rating (on Martin's very non-scientific scale): 90/100.

With the tasting over (and Adam no doubt finally able to enjoy his lunch), a few of us wandered over to check out the games on offer, including "Speak like a Scot", "Ring Toss" and "Blind Tasting". With rare drams on offer for winners, and Bruichladdich keyrings on offer for everyone else, everyone was a winner really.

Finishing the night with a dram of 1984/32 from the Rare Cask Series, then an Octomore OBA and the latest 1991 Yellow Submarine was a pretty incredible way to cap off what was, in all honesty, one of the most fun and well-run whisky parties I'd attended in ages.

The new range continues everything I like about Bruichladdich, and shows they're not afraid to go a little bit left-field either (just look at the new bottle design). A humungous thanks must go to Rémy Cointreau and Bruichladdich, who not only invited me to the event, but provided flights and accommodation too.

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #330: SMWS 127.44 (Bruichladdich - Port Charlotte)

One of the highlights from the Australian branch of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society this year was the resurrection of the Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championship back in July, as well as the Fèis Ile Society festival bottling that was served up at the after-party - 127.44: Cantina Mexicana (which I thought was superb at the time). Lo and behold, three months following, this special Society release was made available through all the Society partner bars and also through last month's Australian Outturn.

This year is the second year that SMWS have released a Feis Ile festival bottling, following the success it had with the first release last year. This year's release takes its spirit from Bruichladdich (specifically, their peated Port Charlotte expression denoted by the Society code 127).

The Port Charlotte spirit in Cantina Mexicana was distilled in August 2003 and matured for 12 years in a second fill oloroso sherry butt before being bottled at an astounding 65.9% ABV - resulting in one remarkable Port Charlotte expression.

SMWS 127.44 "Cantina Mexicana" Bruichladdich: Port Charlotte (65.9% ABV, 12yo, One of 588 bottles from a second filled sherry butt, Islay, Scotland, $299AUD)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A rather special Port Charlotte that is laden with rich maritime and spice notes. This release was a stunner and a truly special Feis Ile bottling from the Society.

Colour: Dark gold with amber tinge

Nose: The nose is rich and earthy, pleasant and powerful. It's filled with light bonfire smoke, dry grass on a Summer day and hints of Charcuterie served with dry raisins.

Palate: The palate is drying, filled with briny salt, sweet cinnamon bun, pineapple pizza and then you are hit with loads of habanero pepper spices. Loads of briny salt and spices on the palate, so much that it left a tingling and drying sensation.

Finish: The finish is exquisite and elegantly long with plenty of pepper spice that remained.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100.

Cheers
Hendy

Islay Adventure (Tasted: #282 - 285)

When an offer to sample four different Islay bottlings was put up on Dram Full Sydney by Nicholas of whisknick, I jumped at the offer. In the line up were four bottles that Nick brought back from his Scotland trip, including:

1. Port Charlotte Valinch Heavily Peated - a DIY bottling that is available to visitors of the Bruichladdich distillery
2. Laphroaig 10 Original Cask Strength - this is the one expressions I've heard mentioned quite a few times, positively
3. Bowmore Hand-Filled - filled with 17yo Bowmore whisky aged in a Bordeaux wine cask; and
4. Ardbeg Perpetuum Distillery Reserve - having had the regular Perpetuum release on Ardbeg Day, it was good to compare the two. 

The night itself was unassuming, being hosted at Tokyo Bird, the local yakitory / whisky bar in downtown Sydney. It was a night about the four whiskies and the good company of other Dram Full Sydney members.

Port Charlotte Valinch Heavily Peated ex-Oloroso Sherry Cask (63.2% ABV, 10yo, bottle 348/680, Islay, Scotland, not commercially available)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One should get rather excited when presented with a bottle of Port Charlotte, or Octomore or Bruichladdich for that matter. Over the years, under the helm of recently retired Jim McEwan (who we met back in 2014), different expressions from the three Bruichladdich lines continued to impress drammers. This Port Charlotte 'Valinch' ex-Oloroso expression was no different - though being a DIY bottling range, sadly, one must return to Islay for a refill. So with the malt heavily peated, yes, complex and enjoyable, certainly.

Colour: Gold

Nose: The nose is filled with jamon, yes, Spanish Iberico jamon and caramel ice cream. The sherry and oak carries through on the whiff.

Palate: The palate is nice and complex and cask strength big. There's the big douse of peat, cherries, strawberries followed by a briny note and black pepper spices that come out at the end. 

Finish: Extremely long, peppery with a hint of brine. There's a slight oak in there too.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100.

Bowmore 'Hand-Filled' - Bordeaux Cask (57.3% ABV, 17yo, Islay, Scotland, no longer commercially available)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was excited to taste this special Bowmore and as with the Valinch, I knew that this might have been the only opportunity to taste this particular Bordeaux cask matured expression (unless of course, I make the trip to Islay). The use of a Bordeaux cask reflects the slightly different path this Bowmore takes when compared to its traditional lines. Similar to the recent release of the Mizunara Cask Finish last September (which Martin tasted here), it seems that Bowmore is in the midst of experimenting with different non-traditional casks over the past few years.

Colour: Almost cough syrupy; amber / red

Nose: The nose is sweet, vanilla, mascarpone and lemon cheesecake

Palate: The palate carries through the citrus 'tropical' note with plenty of lemon and lime on the first taste before becoming extremely peppery and mellowing out into a sweet cheesecake. I can't seem to pick up the light Bowmore peat, where has it disappeared to?! The age of this particular malt may shed some light on the whereabouts of the peat. The palate is exciting nevertheless.

Finish: Just like the PC Valinch, the finish on this is extremely long.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100.


Laphroaig 10 'Original Cask Strength' (56.3% ABV, 10yo, Batch 007, Islay, Scotland, $1,880HKD)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One of the favourites from Laphroaig's core range - a cask strength play of its highest selling, ever-classic, Laphroaig 10. This was my pick of the four expressions on the night.

Colour: Copper

Nose: There are loads of Laphroaig peat notes on the nose, just like its classic brethren, this Laphroaig stands out as a Laphroaig. The salty, maritime, damp forest woody notes are heavily present on the nose. Though what I also found on the nose were a subtle layer of sweet strawberry and tropical fruits.

Palate: The higher ABV hits you quite strongly, followed by the strong maritime notes from the nose that are mixed with the peppery spices. The heavy Laphroaig peat note comes at the end, as combined with a hint of malty vanilla.

Finish: Extremely long and the peat smoke, along with the residual spices linger for some time and more.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 94/100.

Ardbeg Perpeetum - Distillery Reserve (49.2% ABV, NAS, Islay, Scotland, no longer commercially available)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Distillery Reserve of the Ardbeg Day release which saw a combination of bourbon and sherry cask-matured Ardbeg whiskies bottled at a slightly higher ABV of 49.2% (as opposed to the standard release ABV of 47.4%). As Martin confirmed with Dr Bill himself last year, the whisky in both bottlings is the same, with the exception of the higher ABV in the distillery reserve. 

Personally, between the two releases, I found the Distillery Reserve offers slightly more on the nose and on the palate. The longer finish also makes the Distillery Reserve that tad more enjoyable than the standard release.

Colour: Light brass

Nose: The nose is familiar to the standard release, with the added peanut brittle followed by hints of wet moss with hints of iodine, sea brine and oh, peat that comes through quite gently. I also noted a touch of wine gum as the peat settles.

Palate: The palate on the Distillery Reserve carries a slight sweeter overtone, I get cherries and berries. The touch of vanilla, blends with the sweet notes before opening up to the dark chocolate, brine and the light peat smoke. In comparison with the standard release, I quite like the Distillery Reserve release given the slightly altered and sweeter palate.

Finish: The finish is long, I feel that the finish continues on for some time (it might be due to the slightly higher ABV). Similar to the standard release, the finish is mouth-coating and sweet with light spices.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100.

The night took all of us on a journey through Islay and with all the unique bottles, it was certainly one hell of a night. Thanks to Nicholas for organising.

Cheers
Hendy (Sydney)

This week in whisk(e)y #22 - New Japanese Whisky, Bunnahabhain's new "boat whisky", Fred Noe in Australia, Tiki whiskey cocktails, Whisky Mooncakes and more!

As you might know if you read this blog regularly, we get a fair few interesting press releases and news articles here at TimeforWhisky, and usually try to feature them with our own spin, experiences or comments. Sometimes though, they come thick and fast, and we just don't have time to do them all justice.

So we've decided to take a leaf out of some other excellent whisky blogs, and feature a "PR roundup" every now and then - basically a wrap-up of relevant press releases we've received in the previous week or so (including other interesting whisk(e)y news Steph, Hendy & or I think you might enjoy). So on with it then...

New Japanese whisky - 10 year old Single Malt Fujikai from Monde Shuzo Distillery
All the way from French distributor Les Whiskies du Monde (@whiskiesdumonde) comes news of a "new" Japanese Single Malt. We say "new" because it's not like this whisky was created yesterday (it is 10 years old after all), but is from a distillery that previously very few would have heard of - Monde Shuzo Distillery, at the foot of Mount Fuji.

Fujikai is considered a "Ji-Whisky" or "craft whisky", which given the current popularity of Japanese whisky, we'll be very surprised if we don't hear a lot more of in the coming years (we've already heard of another Japanese craft whisky distillery in the last month, though unlike that one, Monde Shuzo has been distilling since 1952).

We'll be receiving a sample in the next few weeks, but until then, here are a few more details:

• Bottled at 43% ABV
• Matured for years in ex-Bourbon barrels
• Limited to 8808 bottles (bottles are 500mL)
• Available for £49.45 from Master of Malt

Bunnahabhain announces Hogshead 733 - whisky finished in casks made from a former fishing boat
We're certainly seeing some interesting takes on whisky maturation of late. From Ardbeg (and more recently Suntory) ageing whisky in space, to whiskies aged with music, to Jefferson's Bourbon aged at sea - these whiskies add a different element to the category, and bring a fresh, interesting new take.

Adding to the mix now is Bunnahabhain (aka "Bunna") who have just announced "Hogshead 733", a whisky to be finished in casks made from a fishing boat currently embarking on a 733 mile journey.

Such an experiment could really only be undertaken by an Islay distillery, and we think it's quite fitting that Bunnahabhain, with their typically unpeated style (allowing the influence of the sea-soaked cask to shine through, we hope), be the ones to do it. We're very interested to try the resulting whisky, whenever it becomes available.

Quoting the press release:

"Bunnahabhain Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky announces Hogshead 733 – a collaboration with contemporary artists Maxime Berthou and Mark Požlep to produce the first ever whisky finished in casks made from a former fishing boat.

The two men have embarked on an epic 733 mile sailing quest which will see them battle the high seas from Trebeurden in Brittany, France, all the way to Bunnahabhain Distillery in Islay. Inspired by adventure, craftsmanship and love of whisky, Maxime and Mark have spent the last two years painstakingly restoring a wooden, Brittany fishing vessel from 1941 back to its former glory.    

Bunnahabhain is steeped in seafaring history, with the whisky’s iconic Helmsman and his maritime stories having inspired the brand for generations.

Set to arrive in Islay at the end of September, the journey will not stop there. Soaked with adventures and the salty sea water, the oak boat will be dismantled and carefully crafted into handmade whisky casks. The casks will be filled with Bunnahabhain and the precious spirit will then be finished in the casks before being bottled and sold.

Maxime Berthou said: "The inspiration for this project stems from the human longing for new discoveries and nostalgia for traditional, handmade craftsmanship, something we've moved away from in today's modern society.

“For Mark and me, this is a journey about transformation, adventure, passion, labour and whisky. It has taken us two years to get to this stage and we are excited to finally be on our way to Bunnahabhain."

Follow Mark and Maxime’s journey on Bunnahabhain’s Twitter (@bunnahabhain) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/Bunnahabhain).”

The Singleton Discovery Series - A World Class Music Program
Music and whisky has always been a great match, and MHDHK have embraced hat with a series of 3 upcoming concerns in Hong Kong.

Quoting the press release:

"The Singleton Single Malt Whisky is proud to announce the launch of The Singleton Discovery Series, a program of world class live music, showcasing some of the world’s most extraordinary artists. Curated and produced in conjunction with House of Mercury, the Discovery Series will shine a spotlight on musical greatness - acclaimed, and in the making. Hosted in the uniquely intimate setting of OVOLO Southside’s G.I.G. space (update: Now Loft 22 in California Tower, LKF), the inaugural autumn program showcases an eclectic cross section of Grammy-nominated neo soul, alternative rock, electronic indie and Mississippi blues, courtesy of award-winning international talent from across the globe.

“The program we have curated is unlike any we have seen in Hong Kong,” said Jake Gould, Director House of Mercury. “We are committed to presenting true talent. This is not about acts at the top of Spotify playlists. It’s a showcase of artists truly worthy of discovery, whether you are familiar with their work, or not.”

“Our whisky is a true pleasure to discover,” said Drew Mills, Marketing Director of The Singleton in Hong Kong. ”By presenting this unique music program, we are offering a marvelous opportunity for Hong Kong to savour our world class single malt whisky, alongside truly incredible music. Each show in the series is set to be an extraordinary holistic evening of discovery. 

• 23 September 2015 – Hiatus Kaiyote - hiatuskaiyote.ticketflap.com

• 24 October 2015 – Harts - harts.ticketflap.com

• 14 November 2015 – Mr. Sipp  “The Mississippi Blues Child” - mrsipp.ticketflap.com

Jim Beam Gives Back to Fans by Supporting Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
Fans of Bourbon and Jim Beam may be interested to know that Fred Noe is visiting Australian shores very soon. While there are a bunch of media and trade events planned (some of which we'll be covering for the site), there's one way for Western Sydney Bourbon fans to meet the 7th Generation Jim Beam Master Distiller, this coming Saturday 5th September, and support a worthy charity at the same time:

"Jim Beam Bourbon is making history by bringing all three of these passions together in Penrith this September with its very own Big Aussie Barbie. Jim Beam’s seventh generation Master Distiller, Fred Noe, known for crafting the world’s number one bourbon, is coming to Australia and will cook up a mean barbecue in support of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) at Penrith Panthers’ Pepper Stadium on Saturday, 5 September.

Ben Andrews, Marketing Manager at Jim Beam says the company is excited to be partnering with PCFA to raise awareness of prostate cancer in Australia. “Our intention by supporting PCFA is to help take the Big Aussie Barbie initiative to new levels this year and encourage more men and women to be aware of the effects and incidence of prostate cancer. As well as driving awareness through our on-pack promotion, we will be supporting all PCFA events nationally and hosting our own Big Aussie Barbie,” said Andrews.

PCFA’s Big Aussie Barbie campaign encourages Australians to turn their everyday barbecues into fundraising events in support of the organisation’s work. In addition to supporting the PCFA events and hosting its own Barbie, through the GIVE BACK WITH JIM BEAM BLACK initiative, Jim Beam will donate one dollar for every PCFA co-branded Jim Beam Black 700ml bottle and 10-pack sold throughout Australia, aiming to contribute $125,000 to the cause.

Fred Noe is looking forward to meeting some Penrith locals after the Panthers game, and to spread awareness. “What better way to bring people together for a good cause than by serving Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Kentucky-style barbecue after a rugby match,” said Noe. “If this Big Aussie Barbie in Penrith helps men talk about prostate cancer, then I’m all for it. I’m looking forward to enjoying a cold Jim Beam with the Penrith community and raising some money for a great cause.”

Australia and the United States are the two biggest bourbon markets in the world and them coming together over a barbie to raise money for Prostate Cancer is an initiative worth celebrating. In a recent consumer study, more than two thirds of Jim Beam Black drinkers believe “helping others is an important part of who I am” so Jim Beam found it to be a natural partnership.

Fred and the Jim Beam team will be at the Pepper Stadium, Western Bar from 4.30pm to 6.30pm following the Penrith Panthers’ final home game on Saturday, 5 September. Then, after a few snags, they will move on to Panthers Leagues Club where the party will continue with drinks specials on Jim Beam Black, and Fred will host a Jim Beam Raffle with all proceeds going to PCFA.

For more information about Jim Beam, visit www.jimbeam.com.au.”

Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Dalmore and Bruichladdich pop-up bar at RBHK
Restaurant and Bar Show HK (with whom we're Media Partners) is coming up, and to whet your whisky thirst, Telford have announced a pop-up whisky bar with a series of master-classes and tastings.

Hall 5E, EE01: Daily @ 3:30pm-4:15pm (standup tasting)

• 8 September:    Glenfiddich – David Ding, Portfolio manager - China

• 9 September:    BRUICHLADDICH – Murray Campbell, Brand Ambassador – Asia Pacific

• 10 September:  The Dalmore – Kenny Wang, Sales Director – Greater China

Hall 5E, Artisanal Drinks Live: 9 Sep @ 4:00pm-4:40pm (sit down tasting)

• 9 September:    The Balvenie – David Ding, Portfolio manager - China

Telford will also have daily Jack Daniels cocktails on offer, so drop by on any day and say hi.



Honi Honi launch new menu, with Tiki whiskey cocktails
Honi Honi, Hong Kong's most famous Tiki bar might serve primarily rum-based drinks (it is a Tiki bar, after all), but who's to say you can't make a Tiki cocktail with whiskey?

As part of their new 50-strong 2015 drinks menu, Honi Honi have created 3 whiskey cocktails perfectly befitting the island vibe (and catering to both summer and winter tastes):

• Tokerao is a mix of Michter's Rye Whiskey, Green Chartreuse, Cartron Caramel Liqueur, Cartron Poire Williams Liqueur, Pear Pureé, Apple Juice, Lemon Juice and Star Anise.
• Spiced Bourbon Punch mixes Michter's Bourbon, Cartron Caramel Liqueur, Milk, Vanilla Syrup, Apple Juice, Gingerbread Syrup and Cinnamon (perhaps one for the cooler months); and
• Bounty Hunder sees Michter's Bourbon mixed with Baileys, Coconut Milk, Aztec Chocolate Bitters and Coconut Syrup.

Whisky Mooncakes from Intercontinental Grand Stanford, Hong Kong
Mid-Autum Festival is almost upon us, and that means...Mooncake time (for those unfamiliar with these bakery items, see here).

Intercontinental Grand Stanford (home to the excellent Tiffany's New York Bar, one of the city's better whisky bars) have announced their 2015 Mooncakes, and they include these 3 mouth-watering options:

• Caol Ila 12 year old Hazelnut and Almond Truffle
• Benromach 10 year old Double Chocolate
• Glenfarclas 105 Butter Cookie Praline

See link for more details and order forms: http://www.hongkong.intercontinental.com/en/promotions-and-offers/mooncake-2015/


There's a 20% discount if you order by today, which we're going to go and do now!


Thats all for this week. Until next time...

Cheers, 
Martin.

Tasted #197: Octomore Orpheus 2.2 (#101drams)

When I wrote my list of #101drams whiskies in very early 2013, I kind of shot myself in the foot with a few of them. They were relatively available at the time, but after procrastinating (or rather, getting through others on the list), some of them became very, very difficult to track down.

#24 Ardbeg Alligator, for example. I tried it soon after compiling the list, but didn't take very comprehensive notes, figuring I'd find it again relatively easily - ha! Luckily I did manage to find it at a bar in Tokyo this year (and finished the bottle!) so notes will be up soon.

#41 Balvenie TUN1401 (any release) also became significantly more expensive and hard to come by than when I wrote the list, but luckily I did manage to track down a dram at Melbourne's Whisky + Alement.

#7 though, Octomore Orpheus, was looking increasingly difficult to track down. With bottles going for $500AUD+, and any bar that previously stocked it long since sold out, I wondered if I'd ever get to try this one...

...and then, just a few months ago, came a very kind offer from @gr8whisky, who offered to send me a dram, noticing that it was still outstanding on my list. This was the second time something like this happened, and was a perfect example of #whiskyfabric in action in my opinion. Cheers Grant!

With the dram safely back in HK, I whipped out a Glencairn and got to tasting....


Bruichladdich Octomore "Orpheus" 2.2 (61% ABV, 5yo, Islay, Scotland, good luck finding a bottle these days)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colour: Dirty, coppery brown.

Nose: At first, a big whack of peat, but then HUGE BBQ notes. It transported me straight into my fridge, where a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's was sitting. I don't usually get this specific with my tasting notes, but it was actually smack bang on the Sweet Vidalia Onion sauce, which I'd tried a few weeks earlier. With water it became a different whisky, and a lot more typical Islay notes - fishnets and iodine.

Palate: Lemon zest and more BBQ. Some cherries, smoked ribs with dry-rub. Drying and mouth-puckering. Water again amped up the peat and iodine, making it more of a typical Islay peat-monster (which it is, at 140ppm).

Finish: Long and smooth, with a fire at the very back of the throat.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 89/100. Unique, that's for sure. Not sure I loved it, but it was certainly different, and while it did have some of the characteristics I typically get from red wine-finished whiskies (drying, tannic), it had plenty that I don't typically get, too!

Cheers,
Martin.

A truly memorable evening with Jim McEwan

The start of October marked a special moment in the whisky world here in Australia as we were graced by the presence of the respected, legendary, Jim McEwan. The Master Distiller of Bruichladdich toured Australia to share the story of Bruichladdich and his wonderful journey with the distillery. It was not that long ago that we adventured through the exciting Bruichladdich series at the Eastern Hotel and so Jim's visit was particularly exciting and timely.

We attended the evening with Jim McEwan as part of the Single Malt Whisky Society event at the grand Royal Automobile Club in Sydney. The ever-knowledgeable Andrew Derbidge of SMWS co-hosted with Jim and facilitated the session.

The night began with an unconventional (for a whisky tasting) 'The Botanist' gin and tonic ('The Botanist' being the herbacious Islay gin crafted by Bruichladdich). As Jim put it, at the time, the gin had been crafted when the distillery was going through tougher financial times and could not afford to produce whisky. The remark was not true of course, rather a sign of the wave of light humour that was to come from Jim that night.

The story of Bruichladdich is a labour of love. Built in 1881 by the Harvey brothers, the Islay distillery continued to evolve over the century, making use of equipment which has stood the test of time. The distillery progressed further over the years, currently producing approximately 1.5 million litres of liquid gold per annum, yet still continuing to strongly support local Islay farmers and the good folks of the Islay community. A short testimonial video was shown to the room featuring testimonies from local barley farmers and a number of passionate distillery workers alike, one of which had been ear-marked by Jim as his protege.

Jim's own story was equally full of passion and love. Having worked in the whisky industry for over 50 years, Jim worked his way through the ranks. Starting as an apprentice Cooper for Bowmore in 1963, Jim continued his journey through warehousing, mashing and malting before becoming a master blender at one point, and eventually becoming the Ambassador for Bowmore. Jim only returned to the production realm when he joined Bruichladdich in 2000 and has since shaped the Bruichladdich we now all know and love.

Throughout the night, Jim shared various stories from his journey as a Master Distiller, stories from the distillery and a few tips for appreciating a good dram including a few experimentations with the fingers. Even through the countless stories though, Jim still kept a single story close to his chest - the story of how the Black Art came about. Few have attempted to unravel the mystery of the Black Art from Jim (and failed).

The tasting menu for the night consisted of seven quality Islay drams, all hailing from Bruichladdich (though one a SMWS curation which was, as the name suggests...salty):

1. The Classic Laddie
2. Islay Barley 2006
3. Black Art
4. Port Charlotte Scottish Barley
5. Port Charlotte 10yo
6. SMWS 127.39 'intensely salty' 12yo
7. Octomore 06.1

Oh, let's not forget, the eighth dram. Never had the dram been previewed or tasted anywhere globally before. The inaugural preview of the mysterious, almost six year old, 2008 Octomore (matured in a French virgin oak cask) was something special. The dram was astounding, loads of toffee and smoked ham (with peating levels at 175ppm) and quite a remarkable contrast to the Octomore 06.1 previously tasted.

Following the last wonderful mystery dram, Jim then extended an invite for us all to join him in a Highland toast. Having skipped the Port Charlotte Scottish Barley from earlier that night, this was the dram we toasted with. With one foot on the table and our hand raised, we chanted, we sang and we capped off the night and saluted with the aromatic, sweet and lightly toasted dram.

Memories from the night will linger on. Jim was simply remarkable, inspirational and legendary. His passion, charm, wisdom and love for distillation truly define him and all his beautiful creations. If you ever do get the chance to see or meet Jim, perhaps around Islay, take it up as it will undoubtedly be the most memorable moment you will have in your whisky journey.

A special heartfelt thanks to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and Southtrade International for co-hosting such a wonderful and memorable event, and Southtrade for the invitation.

- Hendy.

Smoked Meats and Whisk(e)y at the Eastern Hotel (Sydney) (Tasted #117 - 124)

Please join me in welcoming Hendy to his first official post for the blog.  -Martin.

When I first heard of this event, I got curious as I'd never paired or even thought about pairing whisk(e)y with meat. Though when you think about it, it does make sense to pair a smokey charred meat dish with, perhaps a peaty, smokey whisky (and they don't come a whole lot more peaty than some of Bruichladdich's offerings).

The event was a collaboration between the South Trade and Eastern Hotel teams, and was a rather interesting night, as it introduced what is, in my view, the contrasting nature of different whiskies; low parts per million (ppm) to crazy phenol-laden mega-ppm, Islay to Kentucky, barley to grain, whisky to whiskey.

There were a total of eight whiskies from two distilleries being showcased on the night;

Four Scotch whiskies from the Bruichladdich distillery in the Islay region of Scotland:

• Bruichladdich Laddie Classic
• Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Scottish Barley
• Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10yo
• Bruichladdich Black Art 3

.. and four bourbon whiskies from the Buffalo Trace distillery in Kentucky, USA:

• Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Eagle Rare 10yo
• Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel
• William Larue Weller Bourbon

The line up was great, though the ever famous Octomore was absent from the Bruichladdich range, having its peaty self represented on the night by its slightly less peaty brethren; the Port Charlotte Scottish Barley.

The night began quite nicely with the original Buffalo Trace bourbon, also once known as George Stagg. This original feature bourbon from the Buffalo Trace distillery was rather enjoyable, exhibiting sweet flavour notes including toffee and caramel - a good start to the night.

One interesting fact with this bourbon and the distillery from which it came - the name of the bourbon and the distillery have both been adapted from the group of buffaloes that would migrate through the Kentucky river close to the distillery, leaving their marking 'trace' or trail. 

The striking aqua Bruichladdich "Laddie Classic" followed the Buffalo Trace bourbon. Welcoming itself into the night as the first Scotch, this minimally peated whisky was quite balanced. A touch of iodine presented itself on the palate, and it was sweet on the nose and long on the finish. Johannes from South Trade explained the story behind the striking blue colour adorning this 'laddie. Supposedly, the aqua was based on the colour of Loch Indaal, a loch by the distillery. Jim McEwan (Master Distiller) would see the colour each time he gazed out the Bruichladdich distillery window. One does wonder whether the creation of the darker bottled Black Art or the Octomore were done, perhaps, late at night...

Throughout the night, different meat dishes were served including cold meat platters to begin, smokey and sweet BBQ NZ Greenstone Creek short ribs, slow cooked (read:18 hour) shredded Berkshire pork shoulder, and buffalo chicken wings (Ed: I'm getting hungry...). All the dishes were there to get our palates excited, whilst also being designed to complement the drams being served (the focus of the night was clearly on the whisky).

Johannes from South Trade  touched on some details of the Bruichladdich peating process that underpins Bruichladdich's famous super heavily peated Octomore, the less heavily peated Port Charlotte Scottish Barley and other peated range involves (for those unfamiliar with peated malts) the burning and layering of the aromatic peat compounds below the racks of barleys during the barley drying process. By placing below the layers of barleys the barley absorbs as much aromatic smoke from the peat compounds as possible, creating the peated whiskies we all know and love.

It was towards the end of the night, when the decadent slice of chocolate cake was served that I encountered my two favourites - the Elmer T Lee bourbon from Buffalo Trace and the Bruichladdich Black Art (3). Both of these whiskies are wonderfully creamy, rich and complex. The Elmer T Lee was able to carry the sweetness from the oak from the nose through to the palate and beyond. I did wonder whether I was devouring an ice cream from the glass - quite wonderful. 

The Black Art carried similar sweet notes. Being unpeated, the Black Art smelt not of peat, but of rum and raisin and honey. It was quite leathery on the palate, though this might relate to the older age of the (22yo) whisky - nevertheless beautiful. The finish, similar to the Elmer T Lee, excellent. The Black Art and the Elmer T Lee lasted well beyond the palate.

As with all good things, they must come to an end. The end of the night was capped off with a slice of a sweet decadent chocolate cake along with a dram of William Larue Weller bourbon. Both, I have to say, were intensely rich. The bourbon, big and long on the palate and the cake intensely rich and sweet.

So, after all the pairing, was I sold on the pairing between whisky and meat? Yes and no. I still prefer my dram nice and neat, perhaps a pairing with a cigar? Though the line up tonight was indeed very sweet, quite literally for a number of the drams.

Full tasting notes below...

Bruichladdich Laddie Classic (46% ABV, NAS, Islay, Scotland, $87.90AUD)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nose: Sweet honey, vanilla, slightly salty
Palate: The vanilla flows from the nose, then peppery spicy, salty, seaweed?
Finish: Vanilla cake, graciously long sweet vanilla finish
Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 89/100.

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon (40% ABV, NAS, Kentucky, USA, $48.90AUD)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nose: Toffee, caramel, very sweet
Palate: Very rich, smooth, caramel, toffee, there's a bit of toasty char in there
Finish: Peppery, long and smooth
Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 92/100.

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Scottish Barley (50% ABV, NAS, Islay, Scotland, $95.99AUD)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nose: Good dose of the aromatic peat, iodinish, medicinal, taint
Palate: Whack of peat, full bodied, peppery and spicy
Finish: Medium to long finish, spicy, and the peaty char lingers
Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 90/100.

Eagle Rare 10yo (45% ABV, 10yo, Kentucky, USA, $69.99AUD)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nose: Caramel, honey, sweet dessert wine
Palate: Peppery, vanilla, fruity, you can taste the maple wood
Finish: Quite a long and dry finish
Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 90/100.

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10yo (50% ABV, 10yo, Islay, Scotland, ~$77.57AUD)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nose: Sweet vanilla mixed with char from the peat
Palate: Caramel, chocolate and peat smoke (surprisingly good balance of sweet and peat)
Finish: Smooth, medium finish, peppery note lingers
Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 89/100.

Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel (45% ABV, NAS, Kentucky, USA, $92.90AUD)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nose: Vanilla
Palate: Sweet, honey, vanilla, almost like eating ice cream
Finish: Long, dry and sweet
Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 93/100.

Bruichladdich Black Art 3 (48.7% 22yo, Islay, Scotland, $279.99AUD)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nose: Rum, raisin, perhaps honey
Palate: Vanilla, gun powder? quite leathery (might be from the age)
Finish: Very long and exquisite sweet, creamy finish, yum
Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 93/100.

William Larue Weller Bourbon (67.5% ABV, 12yo, Kentucky, USA, $345AUD)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nose: Very rich, vanilla, sweet
Palate: Very big hit of peppery spices with a bit of char (almost need that dash of water)
Finish: Very, very long and sweet and rich finish
Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 91/100.

-Hendy.