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

Starward Tawny [Tasted #477]

Christmas in Australia has never been synonymous with cold, cosy, dark, sit by the fire kind of season. In fact, Santa is often seen surfing and basking in the hot Australian sun.

And just because the weather is getting warmer, it doesn't mean that it's time to stash away those whisky bottles. In fact, some whiskies are more fun and more festive in summer. Take this decadent Starward Tawny as an example. The sweet and tantalising nature of this new release from Starward means that you can feature it as part of a Christmas feast or a festive dinner with friends. You can mix it up with some ice and tonic to make a fun Christmas cocktail but it's also great to have on its own.

Starward Tawny is Starward's first Tawny cask release. Small 100L tawny fortified wine barrels from Yalumba were used to mature its whisky and to provide a full-bodied taste. Tawny ports have always been known for its rich, sweet, elegant and smooth complex flavours and Yalumba Tawny is no different. Yalumba Tawny is known for its aromas of rich caramels, sweet figs, chocolate, liquorice spices, wood-aged nuttiness and dried fruits and nuts. So what do you get when you marry Starward's single malt whisky with Yalumba's Tawny casks? A rich and complex marriage of the two.

Starward Tawny follows Starward's key signature of ageing its whisky in small wine barrels. The Tawny is no different with the use of tawny port wine barrels. 

Starward's Head Distiller and Tawny cask innovator, Sam Slaney notes, ".. with a palate of rich dried fruits, brown sugar and nutmeg, Starward Tawny can be enjoyed neat, with food such as blue cheeses like stilton and Roquefort, or rich desserts or as a digestif." 

There were certainly loads of Christmas flavours that you do get from the Tawny. Everything from Christmas fruit cake, raisins, glazed cherries to the myriad of cakes. Starward has always been fun on the palate and the Tawny is no different. These flavours have partially been derived from the tawny casks as well as Starward's signature fruity DNA.

The bottle may look familiar to some, the label shares a similar design to the label of Starward's other limited edition releases including the Ginger Beer cask release as well as the Bourbon cask release. I had fun featuring this bottle with all sorts of Christmas ornaments for this post.

Now, whilst Starward's previous limited-edition releases including their Bourbon Cask release sold out in minutes, Starward Tawny has strategically upped its outturn with around 4,000 unique bottlings out there in the market. It does present a good opportunity for those wanting a bottle of the Tawny ahead of Christmas or any time really.

Starward Tawny (48% ABV, NAS, Blend, Melbourne, Australia, A$119)
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Colour: Caramel

Nose: The nose is creamy. It is loaded with sweet cakes from sweet vanilla meringue, Christmas fruit cake with glazed cherries, cream, summer fruits, figs and some orange marmalade.

Palate: The palate is sweet with that slice of vanilla cake, some raisin, plums, stone fruits followed by dried spices; pepper and nutmeg and a hint of caramelised sugar.

Finish: The finish is long and dry, leaving a nice, sweet, tannic, spiced remnants which lingers for some time.

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

Thanks to Starward and Dialogue PR who kindly provided the Starward Tawny bottle for review.

Cheers
Hendy

Starward Red Manhattan, a modern Australian twist to an iconic whisky cocktail

We've written about the Starward exciting journey earlier this year with David Vitale's vision to make Starward the whisky of choice at every Australian's dinner table or at any occasion, just like wine or beer. This was one of the reasons why Starward released their first bottled cocktail, the Starward Old Fashioned twelve months ago. They had the vision to make it as easy as possible to liven up any occasion with bartender quality cocktails. The release was a success and resonated with many given the iconic stature of the Old Fashioned - a classic that has held its place as the perfect cocktail for over a century.

Building on the success of the first bottled cocktail release, Starward has now unveiled its second release of the bottled cocktail (series). The Starward Red Manhattan is a direct tribute to another iconic cocktail - the classic Manhattan cocktail. The creation of the second release is actually a result of a close partnership between Sacha La Forgia, Adelaide Hills Distiller and Sam Slaney, Starward’s Head Distiller. They have both spent quite a considerable amount of time since the start of the year trialling and experimenting with different recipes to re-create the Manhattan cocktail, albeit with an Australian twist.

The final recipe was very much a marriage of the original Starward whisky together with bespoke red wine vermouth and infused with native botanicals and Starward's own bitters. There is a red theme that permeates through this new creation – from the whisky maturing in red wine barrels to the red vermouth to the added cherry red garnish - and hence the "Red" Manhattan.

Sam Slaney, Starward’s Head Distiller, says, “It’s such an exciting time to be in the Australian craft spirits category – there is so much opportunity for creativity and to challenge tradition. Starward and Adelaide Hills Distillery are both innovative and award-winning local craft spirit producers that are passionate about creating distinctly Australian flavours. Starward whisky is uniquely matured in Australian red wine barrels and Adelaide Hills"

Adelaide Hills Distillery sources Australian native produce, from the roots, herbs, wormwood to the red wine from Adelaide Hills for its red vermouth. The Red Manhattan is very much a one-of-a-kind bottled cocktail that is bright, balanced and full of flavour.” Sacha La Forgia, Adelaide Hills Distillery founder, adds,

“At Adelaide Hills Distillery, we produce small. Like a white wine, the recommendation is to store Red Manhattan chilled in the fridge. Serve as a 70ml pour in a coupe glass and garnished with a cherry or red grape."

 

With the inherent stability or instability of vermouth once exposed to air, Sam mentioned that once opened, the Red Manhattan should ideally be consumed within a month. Though mixed with the higher ABV of Starward Grain at 40% ABV - the vermouth is then stabilised.

We had the opportunity to compare both, a Red Manhattan that we skilfully created from scratch against the Starward Red Manhattan. For those at home, you can mix up your Starward-inspired Red Manhattan using:

• 2 parts (~60ml) Starward Two Fold
• 20ml vermouth
• 2 Dashes Angostura bitters.
• Garnish with a maraschino cherry

Comparing the two, the bottled Red Manhattan exhibited a lot more vermouth than the one I made. It could be that I mixed in a bit too much Two Fold into the mix though serve chilled - both are very delicious cocktails. Looking at the colour, you can simply guess which one was made by me and which one was poured from the Red Manhattan bottle.

Yes, the right cocktail was my amateur creation of the Red Manhattan.

The Starward Red Manhattan is now available from the Starward Website for $49. Serving the bottled cocktail simply required the bottle to be chilled and serve with either cherry or red grape.

With this second bottled cocktail release, David's vision is ever becoming a true reality to shape what and how we drink at the dinner table and for any occasion.

Cheers
Hendy

Thanks to Adrienne of Dialogue PR and Starward for having us at the launch event.

The Starward Journey (Tasted #447)

The Australian whisky industry has rapidly grown over the past couple of years and has established a formidable reputation globally. There is a deep interest in the category as David Vitale, Starward  Founder found during his time in Los Angeles last year, presenting his Starward story, the Australian whisky profile as well as introducing people to the notion of wine cask whisky maturation – a slightly foreign concept in the Bourbon-saturated market.

With over 200 distilleries in Australia (many producing whisky), the opportunity is ripe to build up the profile of Australian whisky abroad and Starward, together with a few other Australian distilleries are at the helm.

David mentioned during the Two Fold launch last year that it wasn't that long ago that there were only a handful of craft whisky distilleries in Australia, and that:

"We ought to owe it to Bill Lark for the booming craft whisky distillery industry that we now see. Bill questioned the 1901 Distillation Act and lobbied the government for the Act to be amended so as to allow acquiring of the distillation licence with no archaic requirement for large volume distillation. Lark then became the first distillery to open in Tasmania since 1839."

The story of Starward, on the other hand, began after David worked in a prominent Tasmanian distillery in 2007. David had set out to create a whisky that can bring together his love of food, craft beer, family and one that can reflect his hometown of Melbourne and that of Australia - from its culture to Melbourne's famed ‘four seasons in a day'.

When we sat down with David back in early 2013, and toured the distillery in late 2013, Starward Whisky was then known as the New World Whisky Distillery (NWWD, and before that, Victoria Valley Distillery). The whole operation stemmed from an idea in 2004 with NWWD beginning its operations in 2007 and filling their first barrel at the beginning of 2010. At the time, David and his team had the vision to create a whisky that was "just like the country it is made in - youthful, rich and bright".

Although distilling whisky in Melbourne (initially near Essendon Airport and now at Port Melbourne) actually dates back to 1862, as a country we're not well-known for having a long history of whisky, a fact which has given NWWD the perfect opportunity to create something unique.

This notion of whisky maturation is different here in Australia, as compared to Scotland or the United States. David believes that the difference is even more prominent in Melbourne with its weather complex and temperature differentials that can help mature whisky quickly and yet still produce a complex, flavourful and rich whisky.

The same can be said for many craft distilleries dotted across Australia. Unbounded by any maturation rules, the Australian weather has been a blessing (sometimes a curse) in the influencing of whisky maturation here in Australia. The final whisky can vary in profile though regardless, it is both exciting and different.

David's creation, dubbed 'Starward,' - a brand that is now synonymous with Australian whisky - is a whisky matured in Australian wine barrels for 3 “Melbourne Years” and was first launched in 2013. Following the launch, Starward was instantly recognised for its bold spirit and flavour, leading to it to become what is now the fastest growing Australian whisky brand, and one of the few Australian distilleries that can distil at scale. In developing Starward, David had to bring together brewers, ex-winemakers and fresh talents and the effort has seen Starward consistently commended for its quality and expressions.

Fast forward to 2019 with the recent launch of Starward’s two new bottlings; Starward Two Fold and The Seafarer.

The former, Two Fold was a significant milestone for Starward as it is the first blended grain whisky to be launched in Australia and at the same time, priced at a point that makes it quite accessible. David is keen to drive the strategy to make Starward the whisky of choice at every Australian's dining table. He is also a believer that there is a place in the world for Australian craft whiskies - which have given him focus to grow Starward abroad, in particular most recently within the United States. Since launched, Two Fold has garnered quite a reputation and was recently awarded whisky of the year by the Oak Barrel (Sydney).

The latter, the Sea Farer was launched in February 2019 and was borne out of a 225-litre French oak wine barrel filled with Starward and matured on the Queen Elizabeth’s ship deck for almost a year. The barrel experienced temperatures as cold as zero as it visited Helsinki, St Petersburg, Lisbon, Venice, Hong Kong, Penang and Cape Town. Temperature can be as balmy as 32 centigrade, as the barrel snaked its way across the globe over exactly 347 days.

The journey for Starward and Australian whiskies has just begun (in the grand scheme of things) and distillers across Australia are now banding together to raise the profile of the industry and the uniqueness within and personally, I'm excited about what the future brings.

Starward Two Fold Double Grain Australian Whisky 700mL (40% ABV, NAS, Blend, Scotland, $69.99)
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Simple, clean and still tasty. A very different Starward release to their single malt bottling Nova. Whilst unmistakably blended, it is still enjoyable with lots of Starward classic flavours of vanilla, banana and berries.

Colour: Caramel

Nose: The nose is sweet and appealing. There is a mix of vanilla, banana,  berries combined with a hint of citrus, malted cereals and a subtle hint of peat smoke.

Palate: The palate is laden with honey, peaches, malt, white pepper, berries before becoming a bit tannic.

Finish:  The finish continues with a tannic, drying, medium long length.

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 92/100

Cheers,
Hendy.

Thanks to Starward and Dialogue PR for inviting Time for Whisky to the Starward Two Fold launch.

Diageo Special Releases 2018/2019 (Tasted #440 - #445)

The Diageo Special Releases 2018/2019 have finally cleared customs and have arrived on Australian shores. Notably missing from the series this year is the Port Ellen and Brora combo, which will now receive their own separate annual releases. Having sampled some of the releases at the launch event this week - I don't believe the absence of Port Ellen and Brora have detracted from the appeal.

This year's series is made up of ten "impeccable, meticulously crafted, limited edition" whiskies including Inchgower 27yo, Caol Ila 35yo, The Singleton of Glen Ord 14yo, Carsebridge 48yo, Talisker 8yo, Oban 21yo, Lagavulin 12yo, Caol Ila Unpeated 15yo as well as the bottle from the ghost distillery Pittyvaich 28yo and the final release, The Cladach (a blend).

The launch, held at Hotel Centennial in Woolahra, Sydney saw three rooms transformed into the respective Diageo Special Releases categories including (in order) Highlands & Speyside, Ghost Distilleries, Coastal and Islay. The Diageo team led by Simon McGoram previewed the releases in the individual rooms.

In the same order as above, we first tasted The Singleton of Glen Ord, followed by Inchgower at the Highland & Speyside station that was led by Simon.

This was followed by the tasting of Pittyvaich, a rarely seen and a distillery famous for cask age that is older than its years of distillery operation (between 1975 and 1993). The Carsebridge 48yo (the oldest Carsebridge thus far) was not available though the Pittyvaich did garner lots of interest from the crowd.

The wrap up was the most interesting in terms of line ups and flavour profile. The "coastal" journey started with the Oban 21yo followed by Cladach, a 'coastal' blended malt that marries whiskies from Caol Ila, Clyenish, Inchgower, Lagavulin, Oban and Talisker and carries a name that means shoreline in Gaelic. The Cladach was certainly unique and surprised many with its flavour profile.

The last set focused on Islay with the Caol Ila 35yo on pour. The staple Caol Ila Unpeated (15yo), the moderately aged Lagavulin 12yo and Talisker 8yo were not available for tasting though the 35yo certainly did make up for their absence.

Here are my notes on some of the releases which were available for tasting on the night (in no particular order).

Highland & Speyside

The Singleton Glen Ord 700mL (57.6% ABV, 14yo, Highlands, Scotland, A$179.99)
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A classic The Singleton Glen Ord matured in Refill American Oak Hogsheads and Ex-Bodega European Oak butts followed by a unique maturation and marrying process. The maturation process is slightly unique though did lead to a fine tasting whisky.

Colour: Champagne
Nose: Fruity with lots of apples, baked apple pie, vanilla, a tinge of peppercorn
Palate: The palate is mouth coating, subtly tannic, nutty, orange zest is thrown in for fun, peanut brittles, creamy, transforms into peppermint spice, cloves, honey, caramel
Finish:  The finish is long, warming tannic dry and leaves spices remnants

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 93/100

Inchgower 700mL (55.3% ABV, 27yo, Speyside, Scotland, A$499.99)
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Full yellow gold, a complex and surprising malt from a little known yet historic distillery that has retained the distillery character well; nutty and spicy, it is vivacious for its twenty-seven years. Cask: Refill American Oak. 8,544 bottles available worldwide.

Nose: Big spices and furniture varnish hit you quite hard then fizzles out to a light, floral note mixed with peppercorn, nutty cereal
Palate: The peppermint or is it fruit excites the palate. The mouthfeel is buttery, there is a hint of cucumber, fresh gentle vanilla, a bit of oak, more tasting like nutmeg spice
Finish:  The finish is spiced, that nutmeg continues and then some more peppermint, lingering mint

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 92/100

Ghost Distilleries

Pittyvaich 700mL (52.1% ABV, 28yo, Speyside, Scotland, A$499.99)
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It takes time to appreciate the full impact of this appetisingly pithy, charred, occasionally sweet Pittyvaich, which is at one and the same time straightforward, yet also full- flavoured and forceful, with a long finish and a late, drying, bracing quality. Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads. 4,680 bottles.

Colour: Light gold
Nose: Fruity and floral with  a hint of buttery creme brulle,  peanut brittles
Palate: More peanut brittles before the light fruits come out followed by spices yet in the background the wax is growing before leaving the palate with a waxy and tannic note.
Finish:  The finish is medium, extremely tannic though remains fruity and salty (sweet and salty?!)

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 93/100


Coastal

Oban 21yo 700mL (57.9% ABV, 21yo, Highlands, Scotland, A$824.99)
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My pick from the series with its dramatic, brooding and compressed, the nose spans a whole range of senses as it shows malt, fruit, oak, peat and sea- air. The taste is intense and sweet, with some saltiness. Cask: Refill European Oak Butts.

Colour: Light gold
Nose: Sweet sticky pudding that is pleasant to smell, that sweetness hits you, with some fruits. There's also the notable caramel, briny
Palate: The palate is interesting, it is coastal, briny, creamy, floral with stone fruits before the spices develop
Finish:  The finish is rather beautiful, sweet, brine water remains for a long time

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 95/100

The Cladach 700mL (57.1% ABV, NAS, Highlands, Scotland, A$249.99)
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Full gold, with a series of coastal aromas that a dash of water brings together superbly; the palate and finish are equally flawless. A whisky that is the very essence of a coastal malt. Cask: First Fill American Oak ex-Bourbon casks, Refill American Oak Hogsheads, Refill European Oak Butts, Ex Bodega European Oak Butts. A beautiful blend kudos to Keith Law, Diageo's veteran member of the blending team.

Nose: Then nose is creamy and briny, there's an orange citrus note with a vanilla undertone
Palate: The peat and smoke have arrived loud and clear at the start though there's the bonfire continuing before the palate becomes creamy, fruity yet with a lingering brine
Finish:  The finish is long with fizzling smoke

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 94/100

Islay

Caol Ila 35yo 700mL (58.1% ABV, 35yo, Islay, Scotland, A$1249.99)
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The oldest Caol Ila yet with its antique gold colour, floral and fruity notes with a fresh-clean, smoky base. Cooling and fluid, with a smooth texture. Starts sweetly and soon dries, with a rising peaty pungency and a spicy-sweet finish. Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads & Refill European Oak Butts. 3,276 bottles.

Colour: Old unpolished gold
Nose: The nose is rich and buttery, the iodine and smoke are still highly active even after all these years. Overall it is clean, crisp, with a subtle hint of bonfire. The smoke is very delicate.
Palate: Spiced with some chilli and ginger, delicate peat bonfire, there's that smoke by the beach. Spice increases towards the end with plenty of red chilli, cloves, ginger bread (?).
Finish:  The finish is long and warming before becoming sweet, fruity, tannic and drying. There is the lingering smoke.

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 94/100

Thanks to Diageo, Lea Nguyen and Coco Stephens of We Are Example and Sweet and Chili Drinks Agency for having us at the Special Release Launch.

Cheers
Hendy.

Tasted #433: John Walker & Sons "Private Collection" Midnight Blend

The fifth and final release of the Johnnie (or rather, John) Walker & Sons "Private Collection", the prestige series from Johnnie Walker was released in Sydney last week.

The final release, named "Midnight Blend" is set to represent all the different profiles that were explored in the previous four releases - A Unique Smoky Blend (2014), Rare Fruit Character (2015), Fine Honeyed Notes (2016) and Mastery of Oak (2017). Each of the previous "Private Collection" releases explored different aspects of a Johnnie Walker blend, be it maritime and smoke (Unique Smoky), rich, exotic fruits (Rare Fruit Character), honey and vanilla (Fine Honeyed Notes) as well as the various characters that are typically derived from the different oak types that are used in the maturation process (Mastery of Oak).

It was a rather exciting release, as Simon McGoram, Diageo National Whisky Ambassador noted - a "Luxuriously smooth and complex whisky". The four previous releases are completely different liquid and are there to paint a picture of the final release, the Midnight Blend - a whisky that McGoram summed up as one that's greater than sum of its parts.

As part of the launch, Simon was fortunate enough to have secured all the previous bottlings from the Private Collection series so as to give all of us an opportunity to review the entire series before finishing up with the Midnight Blend.

To celebrate the release of the Midnight Blend, a pairing menu was created by Black Bar & Grill Head Chef, Dany Karam in consultation with Simon containing menu items that have been paired against the five individual Private Edition releases.

The results were excellent as we saw the combination of spanner crab with the sweet Fine Honeyed Notes (2016), savoury duck breast with Mastery of Oak (2017), Striploin Angus Beef complemented by A Unique Smoky Blend (2014), a Chocolate & Hazelnut with Rare Fruit Character (2015).

Having first tasted the entire series for the first time - I have to say the 2014 private edition release, the Unique Smoky Blend is unlike any other John/Johnnie Walker blend I have had in the past. It was certainly very unique and I would guess, considered to be one of the smokiest whiskies from the Walker portfolio. I did note whilst trawling through our old posts that Charles Maclean, renowned whisky writer described the 2014 edition as "flawless"

The John Walker "Private Collection" series is considered rare in the grand scheme of the Johnnie Walker universe given the limited bottling that is made available with each release. The first three releases were limited to 8,888 bottles, the Mastery of Oak limited to 5,588 bottles and the last and final release, the Midnight Blend, limited to 3,888 bottles. Do note the prominent use of the number 8 in the total number of available bottles. The number 8, in Chinese culture is the luckiest number as the number carries similar sounds to "wealth" and "prosperous". Multiples of eight are even better with a double 8 meaning double happiness, 888, triple happiness and as you may have guessed, 8,888 means quadruple happiness. Whether or not this is coincidental with the numbering of available bottles or the fact that this week is the Lunar New Year week - the interpretation is for each of us to determine.

One aspect that is different in this final release (as well as with others in the portfolio) is the inclusion of an age statement - 28 years. The Midnight Blend is said to contain rare whiskies aged for a minimum of 28 years.

Whilst there's limited information on the whisky that makes up the blend, Simon McGoram mentioned that this final release contains a large amount of Clynelish, Cambus and Strathmill whiskies. The prominent characters that come through the nose and palate are representative of those distilleries with waxiness that you typically get from Cynelish, toffee and butterscotch from Cambus grain and the sweet fruits and spices that you often get from Strathmill.

What's in a name? The name "Midnight Blend" has been chosen to represent the fact that the flavours lend themselves to be enjoyed after-dinner, or approaching the 'midnight' hour I'd say it's enjoyable any time of the day though given the rarity and price point - though perhaps it's more sensible to enjoy it after dinner or on special occasions.

Johnnie Walker Master Blender Jim Beveridge commented:

“Whiskies aged for 28 years are rare, and very special. In our search to find the flavours and characteristics necessary for a rich, indulgent Scotch like Midnight Blend, we were very lucky to have access to some of the most mature reserves drawn from the four corners of Scotland. Each individual malt and grain used in the final whisky adds layers of flavour to the 28 Year Old Midnight Blend, leaving hints of fruit, sweet and spice and making it a wonderful final addition to the Private Collection.”

John Walker & Sons Private Collection Midnight Blend 700mL (42.8% ABV, 28yo, Blend, Scotland, $1000AUD)
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A very fine and luxurious release to cap off the Private Collection series. The combination of the different facets explored through previous editions is evident in this final edition. There is a balance of sweet and spice, depth and warmth.

Colour: Gold

Nose: The nose is sweet and appealing. There is a mix of vanilla, berries combined with a hint of citrus, malted cereals and a subtle hint of peat smoke.

Palate: The palate is juicy, refreshing. It is round, balanced and lightly spiced with a bit of wax (Clyenish?). Loads of sweet fruit and citrus notes, from creamy vanilla and mango pudding, candied orange, strawberries followed by light spices, cloves, all-spice tannic spice. The malt from the nose also grows more fondly along with creamy syrup and rich toffee.

Finish: The finish is extremely long and warming. The finish is sweet, mixed with candied orange and leaves a lightly wax, subtle peat that slowly fades.

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 95/100

Thanks to Leo Burnett Sydney for having us at the launch.

Cheers
Hendy

Launch of Yamazaki 18 Mizunara 2017 Edition (Tasted #380)

Last week we joined Suntory Whisky Global Ambassador Mike Miyamoto to launch the new Yamazaki Mizunara 2017 Edition in Sydney - the first commercial 18 year old Mizunara expression released by the distillery. It was certainly a truly remarkable and unique experience as the Simmer on the Bay precinct at Walsh Bay was decadently converted into the "House of Suntory".

The release of the Yamazaki 18yo Mizunara 2017 is particularly exciting given the upswing in Japanese whisky popularity over the past few years, the use of the rare Japanese Mizunara oak, and the fact that the launch was hosted by Mike Miyamoto, a veteran in the whisky industry (see here for our first event with Miyamoto-san back in 2014). With over 40 years working in the whisky industry including some time managing production at Bowmore and also at one point, managing Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries, Mike is a well-respected figure in the industry.

Mike welcomed us into the House of Suntory before describing the Suntory journey over the past three-generations and the true devotion of their Master Blenders in pursuing a truly unique and exquisite Japanese whisky. Part of such devotion included the craftsmanship in working with Mizunara, a delicate and rare Japanese oak - and the highlight of this new release.

The use of the Mizunara is what makes this new release special. Whilst there have been Yamazaki Mizunara expressions released before, they were NAS, whereas this carries an 18yo age statement. That's no small feat, as Mizunara, as a wood, takes almost double the time to grow as compared to the more widely used American oak or European oak (Mizunara only reaches a sizeable diameter in width after a whole century), and is notoriously difficult to work with, due to its porous nature.

Due to the demanding nature of Mizunara, it had taken Suntory's coopers many years to perfect the cask-making techniques. The wood is only found in a few regions in Japan and is branchy, inter-twined and permeable in nature - all characteristics that make the wood hard to shape and join with precision. As a result, Mizunara casks can often leak and it is only through perseverance and years of trial and error that Suntory coopers have mastered the art of Mizunara cask making.

As a result, comparatively, the difficulty that comes with Mizunara cask making puts the cask at a premium over other cask types including quality sherry casks that already command a relatively high premium.

On the night, a Mizunara tree was showcased through a digital projection, and described by Mike with a short animation to illustrate the tree's journey over the four seasons.

Suntory’s Chief Blender, Shinji Fukuyo stated “I wanted to reveal the whisky’s soul; that is, the art of Mizunara – a heightened sense and awakened palate engaged through aromas and flavours never known before. Encountering it should be a moment of epiphany”.

To showcase how Mizunara affects the overall taste profile, Mike led a tasting of three distinct Mizunara cask samples; a 5-year-old Mizunara (distilled in 2013), a 15-year-old Mizunara and an old Mizunara that had been distilled in 1969. The youngest Mizunara was pulled into the mix to showcase that Mizunara provides little to no influence in the first few years. Contrasting that with the oldest Mizunara, one that was distilled in 1969 which was described by Mike as rather oaky and with notes of nail polish, varnish and bitterness. Finally, of the three, the 15 year old was the one that had the best balance, with creamy, elegant, fruity and incense notes.

The three samples were chosen to illustrate the fact that Mizunara not only is a difficult wood to work with, but is also quite delicate and the cask can take years to successfully influence the whisky, to achieve a result that is not too soft nor overly oaked.

The new Yamazaki 18 Mizunara 2017 edition has been released to celebrate such craftsmanship as well as the essence of the noble Mizunara. At 48% ABV, the new release is a blend of single malts that have been aged entirely in Mizunara casks for at least 18 years (and in some cases, apparently, up to 50 years) The result of the Mizunara maturation gives the resulting whisky uniquely Japanese characters; distinct spices, incense like aromas and sandalwood notes.

Presented in a wooden box crafted from recycled Suntory casks, the new Yamazaki Mizunara 2017 will be available to purchase from select retailers for $1,400AUD. The allocation for Australia is less than 200 bottles (of the 5000 bottles available globally), including many for on-premise, and sadly has been fully allocated.

Thanks to Liquid Ideas and Beam Suntory for having us at the launch. 

Unfortunately, due to battling a cold and a reduced sense of smell / taste on the night, my tasting notes didn't quite do the whisky justice. Luckily Martin also recently tried it, and has included his thoughts below...

Yamazaki Mizunara 18yo 2017 Edition (48% ABV, 18yo, Japan, ~$1,400AUD but good luck finding one for that price now, sadly)
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Colour: Burnished copper-gold.

Nose: Sandalwood at first then hints of (sweet, dessicated) coconut - the mark of a good Mizunara-aged whisky in my opinion. Then some cherry-chocolate - Cherry Bounty Bars! As the minutes go on, the coconut increases, and after 10 or so monutes, there's some noticeable spice - cinnamon and paprika.

Palate: Creamy at first, quickly followed by an oaky fruitiness - slightly tropical, with lots of coconut, perfume, but still lots of oak spice, which at times can almost overpower the other notes. There's some mango and peach, and after letting the glass sit (covered) for 30minutes, there's noticeable sweet coconut milk chocolate, and a seemingly more mellow overall mouthfeel.

Finish: Medium to long in length, with sandalwood spice, pencil shavings and a little tannin.

Rating (on Martin's very non-scientific scale): 92/100. Look, I love a good Mizunara-aged whisky, and this definitely falls into that category. The nose is outstanding. Beautiful, complex, changing...one of the best noses I've found on a whisky in a while. The palate, whilst certainly not a let-down, just doesn't live up to the nose unfortunately, with a little too much spice and oak. Overall though, a very very good whisky, but not the best Yamazaki we've tried (that honour would go here), nor the best Mizunara-matured Yamazaki. Interestingly, the "amazing nose, palate not as great" assessment is similar to what I said about last year's massively popular Yamazaki release - the 2016 Sherry Cask.

Cheers,

Hendy & Martin.

Ardbeg Day (Night) Sydney 2017 (Tasted #367 - #368)

Ardbeg Day which became a global event in 2012 is now one of the most anticipated whisky events of the year, held as part of Feis Ile; the Islay Festival of Malt and Music that has attracted significant fanfares globally.

Ardbeggians around the world have joined the Ardbeg Committee in huge numbers (currently estimated to be 100,000+) to not only access early exclusive Committee Releases of the annual Ardbeg Day special bottlings, but also to take part in Ardbeg Day (or shall we say Ardbeg Night) gatherings and celebrations around the world.

As is tradition, with Ardbeg Day also comes the annual Ardbeg Day release and it was back in August 2015 when we were the first blog globally to break the news that Ardbeg were playing around with Russian Oak, and suggested that this would likely be a future Ardbeg Day release. Fast forward to 2017 and the Ardbeg Kelpie was unveiled. A limited-edition bottling that saw Ardbeg's malt matured in virgin oak casks sourced from the Adyghe Republic, on the coast of the Black Sea region and married with traditional ex-bourbon Ardbeg malt. In our view, Kelpie was a particularly exciting and unique release.

Black Sea oak is renowned for imparting deep flavour notes and only a handful of whiskies have ever been matured in these casks - hence the excitement. Sweet, powerful, herbal and maritime notes describe the Kelpie. See below for our tasting notes on both the Kelpie Committee Release and Kelpie Retail Release.

So...what's a Kelpie anyway (other than this whisky)? The story goes that kelpie is the name of a mysterious beast that have been said to live beneath the waves. Being a Scottish shape-shifting water spirit, the Kelpie was rumoured to take the form of a horse or a bull and prey on unwitting travellers.

In fact, legend has it that long ago, a farmer walking near Ardbeg's shoreline was almost dragged out to sea by a water bull. Managing to overcome and rope the creature, he locked it in a barn where it cried for mercy. At dusk, the farmer's daughter was chased by a water horse seeking revenge for its kin. The terrified girl ran to the barn and released the water bull, whereupon the malevolent beasts took flight back to the sea.

Interesting folklore to complement an interesting release. In Sydney, the Ardbeg Day celebrations were equally interesting, with the main celebration taking place at Sydney Aquarium and others throughout Ardbeg embassies across town. Ardbeggians were able to score tickets in the weeks leading up to the day through the purchase of Ardbeg cocktails across a selected number of bars around Sydney CBD.



We joined the celebration at Sydney Aquarium where the Kelpie theme was well and truly alive with guests being presented cocktails amongst all the slithering sea creatures that swam around them. It was undoubtedly a unique and once in a lifetime experience to be able to walk the shark tanks at night with an Ardbeg cocktail in hand surrounded by dugong, sharks and all kind of sea creatures swimming about. Kudos to the creativity, ingenuity and passion of the Moet Hennessy team for putting this together for this year's Ardbeg Day.

Guests joined in, with props that breathed life into the Kelpie and maritime theme. Everything from dressing up as seaweed to strewing sea lanterns and fishnets around. Even Shortie joined in hanging out by the tanks with his favourite companion - Ardbeg Ten.

The main event was held at the Great Barrier Reef room with a couple of divers entertaining the guests and crashing a few selfies throughout the night. The unveiling of the Kelpie involved divers stretching out the Ardbeg flag and showcasing the 4.5L Kelpie to the guests before Garth Foster of Moet Hennessy welcomed the guests and spoke about the release.

Nothing like celebrating and sharing a dram with your mates and also a couple of hundred maritime creatures!

Having tasted the Committee Release few months ago, it was interesting to compare it to the Retail release on Ardbeg Day....thoughts below.

Ardbeg "Kelpie" Committee Release (57.1% ABV, NAS, Islay, Scotland, no longer available)
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Colour: Sauvignon Blanc

Nose: Sea breeze with whiff of cured seafood. The nose is pungent - though nice and salty, maritime. There's also an interesting mixture of milk chocolate, smoked / grilled fish, mediterranean spice. I love the nose of this particular release.

Palate: A mixture of chilli spice, beach bonfire, more of the smoked fish and maritime notes come through followed by some sweetness; milk chocolate, perhaps chilli chocolate. Lots of spices; pepper and nutmeg follows.

Finish: The finish is exquisitely long, oily, full of spices from the palate, briny and reeks of dying amber smoke

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 93/10


Ardbeg "Kelpie" Retail Release (46% ABV, NAS, Islay, Scotland, A$169.99)
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Colour: Sauvignon Blanc

Nose: Just like the Committee Release, the smoke is there and there's almost a layer of umami; nori / seaweed with also hints of chocolate. Less smoked fish and maritime than its Committee Release counterpart and bringing it closer to your typical Ardbeg Ten.

Palate: The lower ABV has calmed this expression though there's still plenty of bonfire ash smoke, salted pork. The palate is also oily, maritime, sweet and citrusy and filled with spices. Not as varied as the Committee Release though more balanced and again draws you closer to that typical Ardbeg Ten.

Finish: Lingering smoke and salt with a touch of citrus

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 91/100.

Of the two releases, I personally enjoyed the committee release more where the nose and the palate were both more eccentric and perhaps played to what the black sea casks offer. The retail release is definitely well balanced and brings out more of the typical Ardbeg smoke and characteristics. Nevertheless, I would still have both as my everyday dram - especially in these cold and dark Sydney winter nights. Both releases are interesting in their own right and the use of the black oak casks introduced some maritime and briny characters which were both exciting and surprising.

Until next time Ardbeggians!!

Cheers,
Hendy

Tasted #353: Bunnahabhain Rubha a' Mhail (Feis Ile 2015)

I had the opportunity to sample this special limited edition Bunnahabhain Rubha a'Mhail as part of a recent Bunnahabhain tasting hosted by whisknick.

The name 'Rubha a'Mhail' is taken from a local Islay tale of a ship that crashed into the rocks at Rubha A' Mhail with the skipper spending 11 days trying to free the ship (which still remains at the same place to this very day). The name and the story certainly make for a good dram.

The Bunnahabhain Rubha a'Mhail malt has been aged for 11 years in Spanish Manzanilla sherry butts and bottled for the Fèis íle 2015 Islay festival. I do have to say that this is another stellar Fèis íle bottling, just like the Port Charlotte SMWS 127.44 bottling I had reviewed earlier. The Manzanilla sherry butts have positively influenced the rich flavours of Bunnahabhain with its light Manzanilla salty and briny notes.

Bunnahabhain Rubha a' Mhail (57.4% ABV, 11yo, Islay, Scotland, One of 1200 bottles, £149.95 or directly at the distillery)
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A lovely, rich and creamy bunny that is packed with flavours and a dram I would have to celebrate a momentous occasion.

Colour: Gold with amber tinge

Nose: The nose is rusty and nutty and mixed with burnt caramel, toasted banana bread. There are hints of stone fruits including plums and figs.

Palate: The palate is creamy, rich, filled with sweet and maritime notes with a mixture of rich caramel and brine (salted caramel). This is then followed by cinnamon spice with hints of stone fruits.

Finish: The finish is long, woody and creamy - delicious.

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

Cheers
Hendy

Ardbeg Night Sydney 2016 (Tasted #298 - 299)

Inspired by the colour of the new Ardbeg release, this year's annual Ardbeg Day was flipped into a more fitting celebration - Ardbeg Night. The notion of Ardbeg Night, other than to resemble the dark impression of the new Ardbeg "Dark Cove" release, was also to symbolise the gruelling tales from the 19th century when Ardbeg's Islay homeland was used by whisky smugglers as a notorious hideout. Prior to the founding of the Ardbeg Distillery by John McDougall, illicit whisky trade took place within caves and beaches around the site, hidden away from the island's excise officer.

With the increasing popularity of Ardbeg Day over the years (last year Ardbeg Day saw over 15,000 people attend 135 events globally), this year, few lucky Ardbeggians who purchased the Ardbeg Dark Cove Committee Release between March and April 2016 were awarded with tickets to the Ardbeg Night celebrations (our friend Matt Wooler of Distant Thunder Whisky Club (DTWC) was even one of those lucky Ardbeggians). To complement the Committee Release, a regular "Dark Cove" release was also launched. The regular expression is cut at 46.5% ABV whilst its committee brethren is cut at a  higher 55% ABV. See below for tasting notes on both, and here for Martin's earlier tasting notes on the Committee Release.

The 2016 Ardbeg Night Sydney was held on 28 May 2016, coinciding with the final day of Feis Ile 2016.

As Martin covered in the last post, the inaugural Hong Kong Ardbeg Night was held the night before at a venue known as "The Warehouse." Although there was no mention of the new Ardbeg "Dark Cove" release, the night appeared to be a success. 

In Sydney, no details were provided ahead of the day, other than for us Ardbeggians to congregate at Millers Point wharf at a set time. Boarding the chartered ferry at Millers Point, none of us were told where we were headed. It wasn't until I opened Google Maps upon docking that I realised we'd all been taken to an island not far from Millers Point; Goat Island. The warehouse on Goat Island was lit with a giant Ardbeg display and the setup even gave Vivid Sydney a run for its money.

Inside the warehouse, the atmosphere was "electrical". Old lanterns were scattered across the warehouse, giving it an eerie, dark and mysterious feel. The main bar was located at the centre of the warehouse and along the warehouse perimeter were activity stations where Ardbeggians could compete in everything from quoits to tug of war. The best part, (almost) everyone won. Some of the giveaways included Ardbeg umbrellas, Ardbeg beanies and a plush Shorties. Sadly, I only walked away with a beanie.



Upon arrival, Ardbeggians were spoiled with three different Ardbeg 10yo based cocktails:

• Ardbeg Lunar Eclipse; concoction of Ardbeg 10yo, apple juice, yuzu and sugar syrup 
• Peat'v Green; Ardbeg 10yo, elderflower, fennel syrup, cucumber juice
• Fashionable Smuggler; Ardbeg 10yo, Montenegro Amaro, coconut fat wash, pineapple syrup, chocolate bitters

All three cocktails were created by The Whisky Room and made good use of the classic Ardbeg 10yo as a base. The Lunar Eclipse was certainly refreshing. The others, sadly, I didn't get my hands on them though rumour has it that the favourite amongst the crowd was the Fashionable Smuggler.

As with last year's Ardbeg Day, Andrew Derbidge of Whisky and Wisdom (and Cellarmaster of the SMWS) was the honorary guest that had been bestowed with the responsibility of unveiling the new Dark Cove.

"Dark Cove" was described by Andrew as rich, filled with dark chocolate and cured ham. The general release of the expression was the one that had been previewed on the night with the Committee Release MIA. The expression saw maturation in both ex-bourbon and ex-dark sherry barrels. The darker appearance is what gives Dark Cove its name. 

Garth, the Ardbeg Ambassador was busy pouring out refills of the Dark Cove release (from a 4.5L Jeroboam) all night long.

 

Before delving into my personal notes on the general release, I compared my committee release notes against those from Martin's (below) from the time when Dark Cove was first released to the Ardbeg Committee back in March 2016. For comparison, here are my notes:

Ardbeg "Dark Cove" Committee Release (55% ABV, NAS, Islay, Scotland, no longer available)
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The Dark Cove release, to me, is one bold Ardbeg, punching the Ardbeg smoke yet showcasing other pleasant, fresh and crisp notes. This is an Ardbeg that you can love any day of the week.

Colour: Deep, orange copper (tinge of amber)

Nose: Rich, creamy, loads of raisins. The maritime note are subtle, so is the peat. The whiff is crisp and clean like fresh winter morning. 

Palate: Creamy and rich on the palate with summer berries, toffee, chocolate (chocolate berry tart?) coming through at first, followed by the Ardbeg campfire smoke; the peat. As the palate develops, it is then balanced with sweet peanut brittles and spices closely resembling nutmeg and cloves. 

Finish: Very long and smoky, ashy with fading maritime and spice notes. This fella sticks with you for a while.

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 92/100 (not vastly different and the sherry influence does make this Dark Cove that extra bit special).

--

Martin's "Dark Cove" Notes - originally posted in March

Colour: The darkest Ardbeg ever? Darker than the current regular line-up, for sure, but not quite El Diablo territory, and not as dark as some recent SMWS bottlings. Deep amber.

Nose: Rich, creamy peat....loads of peat. Coastal peat though - more maritime and less "campfire" than you may expect. Banana lollies and an overall freshness. At a guess I'd say there's a fair amount of youngish Ardbeg in here.

Palate: Big, rich and chewy. Peaty caramels (now there's an idea)! There's definite sherry influence, with red berries and a hint of mocha, but also a younger, fresher, sweeter character - licorice allsorts, musk sticks. Loads of coastal peat throughout.

Finish: Long and coastal-smoky. Fish nets, oysters, brine. With water comes a slightly earthier smoke. A hint of tannins at the end.

Rating (on Martin's very non-scientific scale): 91/100. Another very enjoyable Ardbeg, one with a younger, stronger peat influence than some of the previous Ardbeg Day bottlings.

Ardbeg "Dark Cove" Regular Release (46.5% ABV, NAS, Islay, Scotland, A$186)

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In comparison with the Committee Release, the General Release was equally as good though it did not punch as much sherry notes into you in the same way the Committee Release did. Nevertheless, in my view, the general release is equally a very nice and bold Ardbeg. Though given the choice and my preference for cask strength whiskies, I'd choose the Committee Release.

Colour: Deep, orange copper (tinge of amber) - I couldn't see any difference

Nose: Rich, creamy, fresh crisp morning maritime air. There is toffee, peppermint and raisins (though constrained). 

Palate: Similar to the Committee Release, the palate is creamy and rich, filled with child dark chocolate (the Lindt kind), jamón and sea salt. The Ardbeg campfire smoke; the peat is there and not over powering. As the palate develops, the grassy and peppery spices become more prominent. 

Finish: Long and smoky, the finish is dry (almost like dry wood chip smoke) and leaves quite a bit of tannin.

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 92/100

With the excise men about to knock down our door, we'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ardbeg and the folks at EVH PR for their hospitality. Another year, another success. The Ardbeg Night theme was different, eccentric, yet brilliantly thought out. Most importantly the night brought all Australian Ardbeggians together to celebrate this ecciting new release.

Until the next Ardbeg pour, Happy Ardbeg Day Night 2016!

Cheers

Hendy