Diageo Special Releases 2020

The Diageo Special Releases 2020 have now arrived in Australia.

This year's series is made up of eight whiskies including Cardhu 11yo, Cragganmore 20yo, Dalwhinnie 30yo, Lagavulin 12yo, Mortlach 21yo, The Singleton of Dufftown 17yo, a Caribbean Rum cask finished Talisker 8yo and another release from the ghost distillery Pittyvaich 30yo.

The annual collection once again explores different age points, experimental maturation techniques and introduces the first-ever release finished in pot-still Caribbean rum casks. This was an interesting one. The theme of 'Rare by Nature' alludes to the relationship between nature that surrounds each distillery and also in the illustrations used on the bottles.

Dr Craig Wilson, Diageo Master Blender, says, “I’ve created this year’s Special Releases Collection, from some of my favourite distilleries across Scotland, with whisky enthusiasts in mind.  For those who enjoy spicy flavours, my recommendation would be to try our Cardhu, and for those who favour rich, intense and smooth flavours my choice would be Mortlach 21 year old. If you are curious about discovering something very rare, the Pittyvaich - the single ghost distillery in our Special Releases Collection this year is an unforgettable dram.”

For those curious to discover the very last drops from unique casks or get a little taste of history, the collection includes: Pittyvaich, from the Speyside ghost distillery, finished in first-fill ex-bourbon casks, a rare Highland expression of Dalwhinnie matured in refill hogshead casks filled in 1989, the best of Isle of Skye, Talisker, finished in pot-still Caribbean rum casks, and the stalwart Lagavulin, a perfect expression of this Islay distillery’s character.

I was lucky enough to have had the pleasure to sit down through the eight releases. I've noted my notes on the different releases below but I'll do a write up on each one over the next few weeks:

Dalwhinnie 30 Year Old (51.9% ABV, 30yo, Highlands, Scotland, A$970.00) Clean and elegant, matured in refill hogsheads filled in 1989. The nose smells of leather, floral, sweet honey and peaches. The palate is peppery-spicy and warm on the tongue with a good mixture of oak and citrus and an elegant and smooth (yet short) finish.

The Singleton of Dufftown 17 Year Old (55.1% ABV, 17yo, Speyside, Scotland, A$209.99) Mellow and mild. A first-ever release matured only in refill American oak hogshead instead of the usual combo of European oak/ex-sherry cask and American oak/ex-bourbon cask. The taste intense and sweet overall with honey, marshmallow, I'm in a candy shop with lots of creamy candy. The palate is also quite viscous and soft with some citrus and ginger snap. The finish is both drying and slightly coating.

Cardhu 11 Year Old (56% ABV, 11yo, Speyside, Scotland, A$159.99) A small-batch distilled in 2008 and combined from three distinct casks refill, new and ex-bourbon American oak. The nose is floral and sweet, with a hint of apples and stone fruits. On the palate, it's sweet, juicy, creamy with a delicious vanilla slice within. The finish is long and peppery.

Cragganmore 20 Year Old (55.8% ABV, 20yo, Speyside, Scotland, A$239.99) An age never before released from the distillery, matured in refill and new fresh-charred casks. The texture is creamy-smooth, while the taste is ladened with citrus, sour warhead notes; it's both rich and sweet. The finish is mellow with charred notes, ginger spice and some lingering apple note.

Pittyvaich 30 Year Old (50.8% ABV, 30yo, Speyside, Scotland, A$690.00) A 1989 ghost, the first release ever to be finished in first fill ex-bourbon casks. The taste is rich, oily and creamy vanilla-sweet. There are also some dry notes from non-ripe banana. Overall, there's a balance between the sweetness, lemon/citrus notes, orange peel to some peppercorns. The finish is clean and drying with a gentle spice at the end.

Mortlach 21 Year Old (56.9% ABV, 21yo, Speyside, Scotland, A$1,100) Rich and smooth, breakfast on the nose with dried fruit, warm croissants and mild, malty rich golden syrup. The intensity comes from a small batch finished in Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso-seasoned casks. The palate is both savoury and fruity, there are melons, lemon and some resinous leather. The finish is nice and long and warming.

Talisker 8 Year Old (57.9% ABV, 8yo, Islay, Scotland, A$169.99) A big taste, the first-ever release of Talisker finished in pot-still Caribbean rum casks. A soft, smooth texture and a big taste; salty and lightly sweet, before the full-on Talisker pepperiness takes over.

Lagavulin 12 Year Old (56.4% ABV, 12yo, Islay, Scotland) Soaring and intense, lots of tar and iodine/medicinal notes. The Lagavulin 12 is a small batch of single vintage Lagavulin matured in refill American oak casks. A clean, fresh Lagavulin that is very lightly drying mid-palate. The finish is relatively long, coated with the char and spices from the palate.

Cheers

Hendy

Game of Thrones Single Malt Scotch Collection Australia Launch

The wait is over, this goes for both the return of the much-anticipated return of the Game of Thrones TV series as well as the Game of Thrones Single Malt Scotch Whisky Collection from Diageo. Firstly, I have to admit that I am a closet fan of the series having followed the series from day dot so the excitement of seeing two things I love come together - is rather exciting. There may be references below that you may not appreciate if you have never watched the series though you will most likely be familiar with the whiskies on offer.

The gathering of all the houses and characters in the last season of the series very much provides a good backdrop for the release of the eight Game of Thrones-themed whiskies from Diageo. Partnering with HBO, Diageo has released eight different whiskies from eight different distilleries in Diageo’s portfolio. Each of the eight distillers represents the Great Houses of Westeros as well as the band of army that have sworn an oath to protect the northern Wall.

Locally, in Australia, we will see only seven out of the eight whiskies with House Tyrell (Clyenish) being noticeably absent from the local release due to a rumoured potential trademark issue that Diageo wanted to avoid, notable with Tyrrell Wines. Nevertheless, the House Tyrell release is widely available outside Australia. As with the others, they are all now available from major liquor retailers nationwide including some Costco outlets though quantity is diminishing rather quickly.

The relationship between the different distilleries to the House they represent has been based on characteristics and similarities. There is no real science behind the relationship other than from similarities between where the different Houses are located in Westeros as compared to where the distillery's geographical location is, in the real world together with notable known characteristics. I have included details on the relationship between the houses and the whiskies below.

For example, The Game of Thrones House Targaryen - Cardhu Gold Reserve is fuelled by the fiery spirit of the fierce female leadership of Daenerys Targaryen, celebrating legendary women and their unwavering perseverance. This was inspired by Helen Cumming and her daughter in law, Elizabeth who have pioneered The Cardhu Distillery during the 1800s, a time when the whisky industry was almost entirely male-dominated.

 

Similarly, the royal lineage drives the iconic pairing for the Game of Thrones House Baratheon - Royal Lochnagar 12yo. Similar to Robert Baratheon ruling the seven kingdoms upon the iron throne, Royal Lochnagar was deemed a whisky worthy of a royal family as it was granted a Royal Warrant after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited the distillery in 1848.

Now a bit more on the whiskies themselves, six of the releases are actually new bottlings, released for the series with the residual two, being Cardhu and Royal Lochnagar, a rebadge of Cardhu Gold Reserve and Royal Lochnagar 12yo respectively.

I attended the local launch of the Diageo Game of Thrones Single Malt Whisky Collection launch at Mjølner earlier this month. The launch was as exciting as seeing the Stark kids finally getting back together again and if you've been to Mjølner, you can appreciate the selection of the venue for the launch with its nomadic feel.

The launch saw different Houses represented across different stations with each of the Game of Thrones whisky matched up with excellent canapes, as prepared by Mjølner. Personally, the highlights from the night were the pairing between the House of Lannister - Lagavulin 9yo and the Mini Bone Marrow Brulee Chocolate as well as the pairing between the Night's Watch - Oban and the chicken parfait. Yes, you read right, Mjølner has outdone itself by transforming one of their signature dish, bone marrow into an extravagant, decadent and super-rich dessert. A fine pairing it was. As with the latter, I'm always a sucker for a good parfait and the briny, coastal and oilyness of the Oban release worked a treat with the parfait.

 

Other pairings on the night include House of Baratheon - Royal Lachnagar with Venison, House of Targaryen - Cardhu with Duck Ham, Horseradish and Seeded Pear, House Tully - The Singleton with Cured Ocean Trout, Salmon Skin and Creme Fraiche and House of Greyjoy - Talisker with Garnished Rock Oysters.

 

There were also three cocktails on offer on the night and something you can try to spin up at home as you devour each episode. The three cocktails on offer were:

• Wrong Cider The Wall; Dalwhinnie mixed up with spiced mulled house cider with mead, apple, pear & spices. This was served warm and will prove delicious as we approach the colder months.
• The Drowned God; Talisker mixed with manzanilla sherry, white pepper and salted syrup. Served over a block of ice. This was a personal favourite and embodied a briny and coastal profile, most likely from the Talisker base.
• Lion of Lannister; Lagavulin 9yo, mixed with amontillado sherry, caramelised banana and cacao nib syrup and finished with some chocolate bitters.

Now I didn't actually sat down with all the whiskies and tasted them side by side with notes as there were far too many of them and it was also difficult on the night with the setup though I've included the official description for each of the seven whiskies that are available locally below. Personally, of the seven, the highlights were the Lagavulin (Lannister), Oban (Night's Watch) and I'm always a big fan of Dalwhinnie (Stark).

• Game of Thrones House Lannister – Lagavulin 9yo 700mL (46% ABV, 9yo, Islay, Scotland, A$130)
  
  Lagavulin is one of the most legendary single malt brands and has been crafted on the shores of Islay for more than 200 years - mirroring the meticulous calculation and tenacity employed by the Lannister's in their rise to conquer the Iron Throne. This single malt whisky is a roaring single malt that recalls the Lannister's riches.

• Game of Thrones House Greyjoy – Talisker Select Reserve 700mL (45.8% ABV, NAS, Islay, Scotland, A$99.99)
  
  House Greyjoy rules the Iron Islands and worships the Drowned God. Talisker was a natural pair for House Greyjoy as this single malt is distilled on the shores of the Isle of Skye, one of the most remote and rugged areas of Scotland. The layered flavours and signature maritime character of Talisker Select Reserve are the results of its wave-battered shores. This liquid is an intense smoky single malt Scotch with spicy, powerful and sweet elements combined with maritime flavours.
  
• Game of Thrones House Tully – The Singleton of Glendullan Select 700mL (40% ABV, NAS, Highlands, Scotland, A$99.99)
  
  House Tully, located at River run, rules as the lord of The River lands. The power of water flows through both HOuse Tully and The Singleton Glendullan Select as it is made on the banks of the River Fiddich in the wooded hills of Dufftown. Here they harnessed the water that flowed through the land, utilising a water wheel to power the entire distillery.
  
• Game of Thrones House Stark – Dalwhinnie Winter's Frost 700mL (43% ABV, NAS, Highlands, Scotland, A$99.99)
  
  House Stark's resiliency, strength and ability to thrive under the most intense situations are greatly shaped by Winterfell's frigid temperatures. Dalwhinnie, known for being the highest distillery in all of Scotland is cold and remote much like the North where House Stark calls home, making the two an iconic pairing. Extreme conditions are responsible for shaping the signature Dalwhinnie Winter's Frost flavour.

• Game of Thrones House Targaryen – Cardhu Gold Reserve 700mL (40% ABV, NAS, Speyside, Scotland, A$99.99)
  
  As noted above, fuelled by the fiery spirit of the fierce female leadership of Daenerys Targaryen, celebrating legendary women and their unwavering perseverance. This was inspired by Helen Cumming and her daughter in law, Elizabeth who have pioneered The Cardhu Distillery during the 1800s, a time when the whisky industry was almost entirely male-dominated.
  
• Game of Thrones House Targaryen – House Baratheon – Royal Lochnagar 12yo 700mL (40% ABV, 12yo, Highlands, Scotland, A$130)
  
  The royal lineage drives the iconic pairing between the House Baratheon and Royal Lochnagar. Balanced with delicate fruits and spices, this taste of royalty is best served neat.
  
• Game of Thrones The Night’s Watch – Oban Bay Reserve 700mL (43% ABV, NAS, Highlands, Scotland, A$130)
  
  The Oban distillery sits beneath the steep cliff that overlooks the bay in the frontier between the West Highlands and the Islands of Scotland, separating land and sea, just as Castle Black, home of the Night's Watch, sits between Westeros and the lands beyond The Wall. The liquid's richness is balanced with a woody, spicy dryness that The Night's Watch could enjoy even on the coldest of nights.

All seven whiskies are now available to purchase (assuming quantity is still there) from liquor stores nationwide. For more information on The Game of Thrones Collection Single Malt Scotch Whisky Collection, visit www.malts.com and join the conversation using #GOTSingleMalts.

Thanks to Joanna and Sarah of Leo Burnett and Diageo for having us at the launch event and for providing us with the opportunity to preview all the whiskies.

Cheers

Hendy

Diageo "Classic Malts" Hong Kong launch dinner (Tasted #361-366)

Recently Steph and I had the pleasure of attending a dinner to celebrate the official launch of sixteen new Diageo Single Malts in Hong Kong, including six classic Malts like Lagavulin 16, Caol Ila 12 and Oban 14, along with ten 2016 special releases (many of which we enjoyed in Singapore last year, and again in Sydney earlier this year). We can get caught up in tasting some crazy, old, rare and vintage whiskies on this blog from time to time (see our Instagram for regular updates of what we're drinking), so it was nice to take a step back and revisit some of the whiskies that got me into whisky in the first place (Dalwhinnie 15yo for example was the first single malt I ever bought, and Oban was the first distillery I ever visited).

..hold on, you might be thinking. A launch for whiskies like the Lagavlun 16 and Caol Ila 12?! Haven't they been in HK for years? Well yes, but until now - not officially!

Held at Ah Yat Harbour View restaurant in Causeway Bay, the dinner was hosted by the affable Donald Colville, a man who carries the enviable title of Diageo's "Global Malts Ambassador". With six Classic Malts and two Special Releases, paired with an 8 course meal all presented by Donald, we were expecting an enjoyable night, and we certainly weren't disappointed. 

Opening with Glenkinchie 12yo (paired with Lo Shui goose liver with pork belly), Donald explained we would be traversing Scotland throughout the course of the dinner - starting in the Lowlands. To be honest, I've never been a huge fan of Lowland whiskies, but I did enjoy the 24yo Glenkinchie Special Release a few months earlier) so I was happy to try the 12yo again.


Glenkinchie 12 (43% ABV, 12yo, Lowlands, Scotland, $798HKD / £31.19 ex-VAT)
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Colour: Yellow amber.

Nose: Light, floral and citrusy - lemon mostly.
Palate: Light and fruity. Pears, lemon, and some honey. Youthful but by no means harsh.
Finish: Short length, with a slight citrus acidity.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 86/100. 

A nice enough dram (especially on a summers' day), and a great match with the pork belly (each lifting the flavours in the other), but not a whisky I'd choose over others if drinking neat.

After the introductory course, Donald gave us a little background into his path to whisky, which seemed to have been written from birth, given his family owned two Campbelltown distilleries, and his Great Grandfather actually traded whisky with Alexander Walker (son of "the" Johnnie Walker)! When you hear of someone having a family history like that, coupled with their obvious love of Scotch whisky, it's hard to think of a better person to hold the title "Global Malts Ambassador".

Next was Dalwhinnie 15yo, paired with Baked stuffed crab shell. Describing the new make Dalwhinnie spirit as "sulphury and sharp", Donald explained how time in oak tamed these notes whilst leaving a big, bold and flavoursome whisky.


Dalwhinnie 15 (43% ABV, 15 yo, Highlands, Scotland, $780HKD / £31.19 ex-VAT)
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Colour: Golden yellow.

Nose: Big rich fruity sherry. Apple, pear, nectarine, and rich fruitcake.
Palate: Bold, rich and viscous. Nutty, sweet, cherries and toffee.
Finish: Long, caramel/toffee, malty.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. 

I was very pleased to see that even though this was the first single malt I ever bought, back in 2007 or so, I found it even more enjoyable that I did all those years ago. It was also a great match for the crab - each had big bold flavours and they bounced off each other brilliantly.

Next on the menu was the first of the Special Releases for the night - Mannochmore 25. I won't repeat the tasting notes as I tasted it in Singapore last year, but this as my highlight dram of the night. Paired with Braised whole abalone with Goose web and Chinese lettuce, it can't have been an easy match, but it held up well. Given how enjoyable this dram was on its own though, I found myself saving it for after the course.

We moved over to Speyside next, for the Cragganmore 12, paired with Deep fried yellow croaker. Donald explained how Cragganmore's still design (with its flat lyne arm) introduces complexity as the spirit hits the top of the arm, falling back down during distillation, and that complexity was certainly evident in both Cragganmores we tasted.

Cragganmore 12 (40% ABV, 12 yo, Speyside, Scotland, $480HKD / £30.28 ex-VAT)
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Colour: Yellow gold.

Nose: Light, floral, with hints of toffee and stone fruits.
Palate: Youthful, but with definite complexity. A mixture of walnuts, cherries, honey and toffee.
Finish: Medium length, meaty but also sweet.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 88/100. 

Next was the only NAS of the night...and also the most expensive bottling tasted. The Cragganmore Limited Release (Special Release 2016) was clearly popular, as (by the time I got my hands on it a second time for the photo below) it was all gone. NAS it may be, but we were reliably informed it contained whisky from 8-9 years, right up to "older than Donald". Unfortunately I couldn't tell you how old that actually is...but judging by the complexity in the whisky, a decent age! Tasting notes can be found in my Sydney tasting post.

Over to Oban next, for the classic Oban 14, paired with Stewed oxtail w/homemade sauce and red wine. Like Dalwhinnie, Oban also holds a special place in my whisky history, as the first distillery I ever visited (I also remember having some fantastic fish and chips near the distillery)!

Oban 14 (43% ABV, 14yo, Highlands, Scotland, $760HKD / £39.86 ex-VAT)
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Colour: Orange gold.

Nose: Sea spray soaked oranges.
Palate: Fried scallops, sea air, salted fish and chips. One of those drams that transports you somewhere instantly - for me, to that little fish and chip stall right near the distillery. 
Finish: Medium to long in length, with some salt-cured meat and slight oak tannins
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. Even better than I remember.

This was seriously delicious

Nearing the end of the meal, it was time to take a trip down to peat town - firstly with Talisker 10. An old favourite that I hadn't revisited for a while, I'd heard some people claim the "new stuff" wasn't as good as the "old stuff". Thankfully, for me, with this bottle at least, that wasn't the case, and it was just as good as I'd remembered. Paired with Ah Yat Signature Fried Rice, the saltiness in both the rice and the whisky complimented each other well. 



Talisker 10 (45.8% ABV, 10 yo, Isle of Skye, Scotland, $508HKD / £31.19 ex-VAT)
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Colour: Golden

Nose: Salty seasalt-laden oak, slight smoke, cherries. Seaweed,
Palate: More sea air, some caramel, a meatiness, and a noticeable amount of peat smoke which wasn't as evident on the nose.
Finish: Long, salty and malty.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. 



The last dram of the night, paired with an incredible Baked sago pudding with black truffle and lotus seed cream was (both predictably and delightfully) Lagavulin 16. A perennial favourite, I'll admit I was surprised to learn that it had never been officially imported into HK (especially considering it's available in my local supermarket). Regardless, it's good to know it is know officially available, and if that means we'll see more of it - that can only be a good thing.

Lagavulin 16 (43% ABV, 16yo, Islay, Scotland, $980HKD / £39.96 ex-VAT)
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Colour: Copper brown.

Nose: Earthy smoke with tinges of sherry sweetness. Iodine notes abound, in a wonderful way.
Palate: Big BBQ meaty notes, lots of seaweed, fishnets, and seaside smoke. Plenty of sherry notes underneath all that peatsmoke too.
Finish: Long, spicy and peaty, with a touch of vanilla.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. Fantastic to see this is still an excellent dram after all those years, and it has to be said - a really, really good match with the sago pudding (although I think it matched best with the black truffle inside the pudding).

One thing this dinner highlighted for me was not only how versatile the Classic Malts range is (evidenced by the incredibly wide range of dishes they were paired with), but also how enjoyable they are on their own. The Dalwhinnie 15yo especially brought back memories (and was even better than I remembered), and Lagavulin 16 continues to be an absolutely world-class dram.

Gone!

A huge thanks to Moët Hennessy Diageo HK for a fantastic dinner, and a great trip down memory lane. The Diageo Classic Malts range is now available from all good whisky retailers in HK, whilst the Special Releases range is available from Moët Hennessy Diageo HK directly.

Cheers,

Martin.

Tasted #95: Dalwhinnie 1995 Distillers Edition Oloroso Finish (#101drams)

Dalwhinnie 15 (regular edition) was one of the first single malts I ever purchased, so I thought it fitting to include the Oloroso-finished Distillers Edition as part of my #101drams challenge...


Dalwhinnie 1995 Distiller's Edition Oloroso Finish (43% ABV, 15yo, Highlands, Scotland, $95AUD)
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Colour: Orange gold.
Nose: Malty, flinty, orange peel.
Palate: Light, not a whole lot of sherry influence (the Oloroso finishing could have been in fairly old casks possibly). Drying, earthy.
Finish: Short to medium, with some toffee, and a hint of bananas (which I usually only get on much younger whiskies, or new makes!)
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 88/100. Not bad but not one I'd rush out to buy.

Cheers,
 - Martin.