Tasted #317: McHenry William First Release

At a recent Aussie Whisky masterclass at Sydney's Oak Barrel (OB), Scott Fitzsimons, OB's Whisky Specialist brought a special addition. Cloaked in a black cloth at the start of the night, it was later revealed as McHenry Whisky from the William McHenry Distillery, from Port Arthur, Tasmania. 

McHenry is the southernmost distillery in the world, contrasting with Highland Park in Orkney Scotland, being the most northernmost. On the bottle, McHenry also claims to have its own pure spring water source as basis for its distillation - though let's not get into a discussion on quality of water underpinning a good dram. Led by Master Distiller Bill McHenry, the distillery produces various gins, vodka and single malt whiskies.

This was the first time I had heard of the distillery and was simply excited to sample the first release edition. 

McHenry William First Release (55% ABV, NAS, Port Arthur, Australia, $280AUD)
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A single Malt Whisky release from another distillery in Tasmania. This first release is quite enjoyable, simple and not overly complex. It would definitely suit as an everyday dram though the steep price point may be a deterrent for many.

Colour: Amber gold.

Nose: The nose is laden with honey, peppery spices, gun powder and a hint of Chinese herbal medicine. There's also a great deal of oaky aroma on the nose.

Palate: The palate is fruity and sweet at first, with pineapple and citrus notes being the prevalent notes. The palate is slightly oaky, chalky and is consistent with the oak note from the nose. The chalkiness is similar to that found on a Clynelish.

Finish: The finish is malty and leaves your palate with quite a bit of tannin. Drying.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 89/100.

Cheers,
Hendy

This week in whisk(e)y #19 - Artbeg, Laphroaig 15, Oak Barrel's WhiskyFair 2015 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...



Artbeg comes to Islay
No, that's not a typo...

You'd think the good folks at Ardbeg would have their hands full around this time of year, what with Ardbeg Day just around the corner, but apparently they've found time in their busy schedules to unveil the first ever Artbeg exhibition, to be launched at the distillery and online today.

Artbeg comprises 20 complex, layered artworks, created by photographer Peter Heaton, that "evoke the intriguing heritage and unorthodox personality of Ardbeg and its homeland, the small Scottish island of Islay."

The Artbeg exhibition can be viewed on the walls of the Distillery and on www.ardbeg.com from today. To quote the press release:

"Heaton found inspiration for his unusual works on a visit to Islay in 2014. By layering photographs of the Distillery and surroundings with material from Ardbeg’s archives, his exhibits encourage the viewer to take a deeper look at the single malt’s heritage and island home

In one work a striking image of the 9th Century Kildalton Cross, which stands near the Distillery, is layered with a vintage map of Islay and a press clipping alluding to Ardbeg’s renaissance in 1997. In another, the buildings of Ardbeg appear to rise out of archived, handwritten letters sent to the Distillery, as the artist engages with the whisky’s past and present, while hinting at its future

The exhibition will be displayed on the outer wall of the Distillery’s West Maltings building and a selection of works will also feature on www.ardbeg.com. Distillery visitors will be able to share their impressions of the Distillery on the website by uploading their own photographs. Peter Heaton said: “I have always had a fascination with Islay and its single malts, particularly Ardbeg. The exhibition interprets the Distillery over time and I wanted to create layered, complex imagery which would encourage people to give the work some time and think about the theme of past, present and future.

Mickey Heads, award-winning Ardbeg Distillery Manager, said: “This exhibition provides an intriguing twist on the story of Ardbeg – and contains more than a few surprises. The complexity of these remarkable images makes you stop and think about the whisky’s heritage and its future”."

If these two previews are anything to go by, it's sure to be an impressive exhibit:

To attend Ardbeg Day events across Australia on Saturday 30th May, sign-up to the Ardbeg Committee at http://www.ardbeg.com. 

Oak Barrel's Whisky Fair Sydney returns for 2015
The Oak Barrel in Sydney (who we like so much on this blog they have their own tag), are bringing their excellent Whisky Fair back again in 2015, to be held Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd August.

Tickets are $80 / $90AUD (members / non-members) and, if the show is anything like it has been in previous years, that'll be money very well spent (especially seeing as, in previous years, there's been at least one special bottling bottled specifically for the show, not to mention a variety of drams you just don't see at other whisky shows in Australia).

Further details can be found here and here, and we recommend getting tickets ASAP as these do sell out.

Laphroaig 15 returns to Australia
Almost 180 drams ago, we tried the original Laphroaig 15yo (which at the time we'd managed to get for a very decent price). Fast forward almost 2 and a half years, and the 15yo is back, hitting Australian shelves for a limited time to celebrate Laphroaig's 200th anniversary.

"A long revered expression in the Laphroaig range, Laphroaig 15 Year Old was originally launched more than 30 years ago, with a lower level of peat and a higher bottling strength of 43% all combining to give the whisky a mellow, rounded taste, its briny orchard fruits adding bite and depth, the overall feel rich and smoky.

Laphroaig Distillery Manager John Campbell decided to re-release this product, one of his long-time favourites, in celebration of Laphroaig’s 200th anniversary. Beautifully made, Laphroaig 15 Year Old pays homage to the original edition, answering the call for its return by many a long term friend, while at the same time introducing new fans of Laphroaig to a whisky that they have yet to taste."


Laphroaig 15yo is bottled at the same 43% ABV as the previous release, and is available now, retailing for around $180AUD. We hope to be able to put up our own tasting notes soon for the peat-heads amongst you, and do a comparison with the earlier 15.



The Last Drop - 48yo blend and 1967 Glen Garioch
Over to Hong Kong now, where two very rare whiskies (one blend, one single malt) will soon be available, and a third, even rarer whisky (The Last Drop 50yo blend) is going under the hammer.

"Rare spirits hunters, The Last Drop Distillers Limited, are bringing an extraordinary treat to Hong Kong’s most discerning spirit enthusiasts and collectors by presenting a series of three rare and exceptional whiskies, including their award-winning fourth release – The Last Drop 48 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky. Awarded “Scotch Whisky of the Year 2015” in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, the 48 Year old was launched in the UK in April, with only 592 bottles in existence. Now available in Hong Kong, 22 bottles will be available to purchase exclusively through Crown Wine Cellars.

Alongside the 48 Year Old, The Last Drop Distillers will also present a remarkable 1967 Single Malt Whisky from Glen Garioch - one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. This release, planned to launch in August 2015, is The Last Drop’s first Single Malt and was awarded “Scotch Single Malt of 2015” (Jim Murray) with only 118 bottles available worldwide.

The third whisky presented will be The Last Drop 50 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky, released in 2014 and now all but sold-out worldwide. Awarded Best Blended Scotch Whisky of 2014 by both Jim Murray and The Whisky Advocate, Bottle No 1 will be auctioned at Sotheby’s on 23rd May, in celebration of Crown Worldwide Group’s 50th Anniversary, with all proceeds going to Hong Kong’s Sunshine Action Charity.

The Last Drop Distillers was founded in 2008 by three long standing friends and veterans of the spirits business, James Espey, Tom Jago and Peter Fleck, who together have over 120 years of experience. Between them, they have been responsible for the creation of some of the best known and best loved spirits brands including Chivas Regal 18 Year Old and The Classic Malts, as well as Malibu and Bailey’s Irish Cream, two of the most original and successful new drinks categories in the world.

Now the next generation has come on board with Beanie Espey (Sales & Marketing Director) and Rebecca Jago (Creative & Production Director), James and Tom’s daughters respectively, joining the team. Together with the founders, they are committed to continuing the quest to identify spirits worthy of The Last Drop bottle."

Available to purchase exclusively through Crown Wine Cellars, connoisseurs and collectors will be able to purchase The Last Drop 48 year old from May 2015, RRP HK$33,888.

The 1967 Glen Garioch will be on strict allocation, in advance of its release in August 2015. To pre-order a bottle, please contact the team at Crown Wine Cellars.

Sotheby’s will auction bottle No. 1 of The Last Drop 50 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky on 23rd May. The last remaining five bottles of The Last Drop 50 Year Old are likewise available to purchase from Crown Wine Cellars.

Cheers, 
Martin.

Tasted #175 to #180: GlenDronach 12, 15, Cask Strength Batch 3, 18yo Single Cask, 22yo Single Cask and 24yo 'Grandeur'

The first time we covered GlenDronach was back in February 2014, when Martin attended the inaugural launch of The Wild Rover's "Campbell Corner Whiskey Co-Operative" (CCWC). Roll forward one year later and here we are, re-united with the graceful GlenDronach once again. As many people would attest, GlenDronach is quite well known for its heavy sherry influence, often becoming people's 'sherry-bomb' favourite, along with the Macallans, Aberlour A'bunadh and the like.

Truthfully though, over the past year, I have grown fond of sherry cask matured whiskies - notably as I find the use of sherry casks tend to add a beautiful lightness and sweetness to the final expression - a treat for any occasion. Though this isn't necessarily true in all cases, as with the Glenmorangie Taghta, which was matured in an ex-Manzanilla sherry casks and exhibited a more salty, maritime profile to the expression.

So, after hearing about GlenDronach over the year and with my curiosity on the heavy sherry influence, I jumped at the opportunity [Martin: about time!] to sit in on the GlenDronach tasting when the masterclass was announced by The Oak Barrel.

Dave Withers of The Oak Barrel, now the Distillery Manager at Archie Rose Distilling Co in Sydney introduced the GlenDronach range, only after confessing to being a big GlenDronach fan himself. 

The GlenDronach line-up on the night included:

• GlenDronach 12 Year Old 43%
• GlenDronach 15 Year Old 46%
• GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 3 54.9%
• GlenDronach 1995 18 Year Old Cask #3025 51.1%
• GlenDronach 1991 22 Year Old Cask #1346 52.1%
• GlenDronach Grandeur 24 Year Old Batch 5 48.9%

GlenDronach 12 Year Old "Original" (43% ABV, 12yo, Highland, Scotland, $79AUD)

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A rich, sweet and creamy single malt expression that has been matured in ex-PX and Oloroso sherry casks.

Colour: Dark copper

Nose: Vanilla at first, building up to some maltesers and toasted oats.
Palate: You can taste the sherry influence immediately, creamy, hints of orange rind, dried spices and cherry ripe.
Finish: The finish is reasonable, dry with a lingering toffee sweetness.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. A nice and balanced expression, one that you could perhaps drink on any night of the week.

GlenDronach 15 Year Old "Revival" (43% ABV, 15yo, Highland, Scotland, $105AUD)

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A deep, sweet and leathery single malt expression matured in Oloroso sherry casks.

Colour: Dark 'burnt' caramel

Nose: Loads of raisins.
Palate: The palate is rich of sultana and raisins, hint of orange peels and dried spices.
Finish: The finish is dry.

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

GlenDronach Cask Strength - Batch 3 (54.9% ABV, NAS, Highland, Scotland, $160AUD)

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A lovely No Age Statement expression, both on the nose and on the palate derived from the mixing of malt aged in Oloroso and PX casks.

Colour: Rich, dark caramel

Nose: Raisins and rich dark chocolate.
Palate: The palate is full of sultanas and raisins with a hint of citrus, perhaps orange peels and a note of that chocolate from the nose.
Finish: The finish is long, extremely long and dry with dried spice remnants that linger with you for a while and more. Stunning.

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

GlenDronach 1995 18 Year Old Cask #3025 (51.1% ABV, 18yo, Highland, Scotland, not available in Australia)

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A truly remarkable single cask expression with a concoction of sweet cocoa, spices and PX sherry. My favourite expression of the night and one for any occasion.

Colour: Dark caramel.

Nose: The nose opens to cinnamon, cloves, a hint of tobacco and after a while, there's smoked ham in there also.
Palate: There is loads of sherry on the palate, which is creamy, rich, with a coating of dried spices. The palate gradually develops to notes of raisins and sweet cocoa.
Finish: Similar to Batch 3, the finish is extremely long with lingering spices and cocoa.

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

GlenDronach 1991 22 Year Old Cask #1346 (52.1% ABV, 22yo, Highland, Scotland, not available in Australia)

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Loads and loads of sherry, all derived from the PX cask in which this whisky was gracefully aged.

Colour: Amber, almost with a red hue.

Nose: The nose is filled with honey notes that develop into Christmas cake, icing sugar and sweet caramel.
Palate: Loads of sherry on the palate, then there's that hint of tobacco, black peppercorn and some sweet cocoa.
Finish: The finish is dry and long leaving a nice malt on the palate and some peanut butter?!

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100

GlenDronach 'Grandeur' 24 Year Old - Batch 5 (48.9% ABV, 24yo, Highland, Scotland, no longer available in Australia)

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An old and wise GlenDronach, one of 600 bottles of this supple, soft-sherry laden expression.

Colour: Amber hue

Nose: The noes smells of cocoa, dried fruits and some tobacco.
Palate: Soft and complex that starts with dark orange chocolate, then the honey notes begin to reveal itself before leaving sweet hazelnut chocolate notes on the finish.
Finish: The finish is long and sweet, nutty with an overlay of dried spices.

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

- Hendy.

This week in whisk(e)y #12

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 other interesting whisk(e)y news Steph & I think you might enjoy). So on with it then...


Cutter joins the anCnoc Peaty Collection
Back in April we mentioned the new AnCnoc "Peaty Collection", and it seems the trio now have a fourth joining their ranks - "Cutter".

"On the 1st of September a new expression has been added to the acclaimed Peaty Collection. Cutter is the fourth in the series and the peatiest one so far. While Rutter, Flaughter and Tushkar had phenol contents ranging from 11 to 15 parts per million (ppm), their new sibling boasts a very high phenol content of 20.5 ppm, putting it in line with some of the most intensely smoky whiskies on the market. It is worth noting that the level of peating is measured on the finished whisky rather than the malt or the new make spirit, giving a more reliable description of the actual perceived level of peatiness. What's more, the phenol content is highlighted on the packaging to help whisky lovers make more informed decisions. 

Cutter is matured in ex-bourbon casks made from American oak. It is bottled at 46% ABV and non chill-filtered. Like all Peaty Collection expressions it is presented at its natural colour, a light shade reminiscent of lemon juice. The aroma is unmistakably peaty with oily smoke followed by a sharper, more medicinal note and a piercing ray of fruit and spice. On the palate it gains even more smoky intensity with ashy overtones, a slight apple-core bitterness and a spicy vanilla heart. This is a richly phenolic whisky for the seasoned peat-lovers or those looking to shine light on their dark side of flavour and experience the full force of a truly peaty dram. 

Cutter will be available from the 1st September in key international markets, such as the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany and France to name but a few."

Cutter will sell for an RRP of $85AUD in Australia. No word yet on its release in Hong Kong.

Celebrate Jack Daniel’s birthday with “The Bar that Jack Built”
If you've been around the whisk(e)y scene for a few years (heck, if you've ever stepped foot into a bar pub that sells Jack in September), you'll probably have heard of "Jacktember", the month-long celebration of Jack Daniel's birthday.

Jacktember this year involves an ambitious new project in “The Bar That Jack Built” – the world’s first crowd-sourced bar built entirely "from the love of Jack Daniel’s", by fans.

"The campaign is being run through social media and kicks off with a recruitment shout-out to all Jack Daniel’s Facebook friends in NSW where the bar will be installed. They are being asked to donate materials, time, expertise and ideas in reward for Jack Daniel’s product and merchandise.  The more they give, the more they get with the biggest contributors getting tickets to the big birthday bash on the 27th of September.   

From the carpenters, electricians and designers who put the bar together, to the artists and musicians who perform on the night, every person’s involvement will come from a love of Jack Daniel’s.  Especially since everyone that participates will be rewarded with Jack Daniel’s product. 

Nora-Kate O’Connell, Brand Manager, Jack Daniel’s added, “We are asking friends of Jack to participate in the creation of a very special moment in Jack Daniel’s illustrious history. We are looking for people who can help us bring the bar to life and celebrate the inspiration that Jack has given people across Australia over the years. Here’s to raising a Jack to Jack this September.”

Having attended many a Jack Daniel's party previously, as well as one of their previous pop-up bars, I can assure you this will be one hell of a party and bar. Find out more information from this video on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=832815786753077  


Oak Barrel Michter’s Masterclass with Matt Magliocco
Funny timing this one. Since the move into Asia, we've been slowly re-building the basics we had at home, but sadly had to leave behind (thankfully in safe hands). Steph and I used up our measly 1L/person duty free allowance on a few Aussie whiskies, and so the basics like Rye, Bourbon, Gin etc... we needed to re-buy over here.

When looking at Ryes, I stumbled across Michter's, which I'd seen a lot of from reading various US mags, but never tried. As I couldn't find my beloved Bulleit 95, I took a punt and picked up a bottle of the single barrel rye. Tasty stuff.

Then just a week later, I hear that Michter's is officially launching in Australia, with a masterclass held at (where else?) Oak Barrel, led by Matt Magliocco from the distillery, walking guests through a lineup of:

• Michter’s American whisky
• Michter's Single Barrel rye
• Michter’s Small batch Bourbon
• Michter’s Sour Mash Whiskey
• Michter’s 10 Year Old Bourbon
• Michter’s 10 year Old Rye

...for $10? Get outta here.

I'd love to try the 10yo and Small Batch Bourbon, but alas I can't, so you should all go and enjoy a dram (or 6 in fact) for me...



Palazzo Versace to host Chivas Regal Dinner
We've attended our fair share of whisk(e)y dinners over the past few years, and without fail they've always been a whole lot of fun. Sometimes the whisky matches brilliantly, sometimes not so much, but they're always fun-filled events, full of great food, great whiskies and plenty of banter.

So we have no doubt that the upcoming Chivas Regal Tasting Dinner at Palazzo Versace on October 20th will be the same. Hosted by Ben Davidson, National Spirits Ambassador for Chivas Regal (who's a fun fixture at most Chivas events in Australia), the night involves a four course dinner matched to:

• Chivas 12yo
• Chivas 18yo
• Chivas 25yo
• Chivas Extra

...for $99.

$99 for a four course meal in Palazzo Versace's Vie Bar, with four whiskies (one of which you'd probably pay close to $50 for a nip in some bars), hosted by one of Pernod's most knowledgeable whisky folk.... sounds like a great night to us.

Details:
Date: Monday 20th October 2014
Price: $99 per person a four course dinner with Chivas Regal
Time: From 6.00pm
Venue: Vie Bar + Restaurant, Palazzo Versace - Sea World Drive, Main Beach, QLD Australia
http://www.palazzoversace.com.au/event-22

To book, complete the booking form, or emailrsvp@palazzoversace.com.au or call Nicole Blunt on (07) 5509 8000

http://www.oakbarrel.com.au/michters-launch-matt-magliocco/


Cheers, 

- Martin.

This Week in Whisk(e)y #10

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. Sometimes we also hear of newsworthy items that don't necessarily come via a press release, but that we think you'll want to know regardless...

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 other interesting whisk(e)y news Steph & I think you might enjoy). So on with it then...

Oak Barrel Whisky Fair 2014 - tickets running out
In our opinion, this is the best whisky show in Australia. Held on 13th September, The Oak Barrel are again throwing open their doors to offer an afternoon of drams, many of which you'll likely never see at another Australian whisky show. So what's on offer? As well as many of the usual suspects, you can expect:

• An exclusive single cask bottling of Glenfarclas, hand selected by George Grant
• An exclusive  Sullivans Cove, finished in a 20L port cask
• Ground breaking International and Australian micro distilleries including Koval, Belgrove, Mount Uncle and William McHenry
• Fantastic array of Independent bottlings including Adelphi, Gordon & MacPhail and Berry Brothers & Rudd

Tickets (now limited to members only due to overwhelming demand) can be found here:
http://www.whiskyfair.com.au/


Old Pulteney Clipper Comemorative Bottling
We've tasted (and enjoyed) a few Old Pulteneys on the site before, and also referred to the Clipper Race in which Old Pulteney play a large part.

Some quick background:

"Old Pulteney – The Maritime Malt – celebrates the completion of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2014 by the crew of brave men and women on board a yacht named after the iconic Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The race started eleven months ago and saw the Old Pulteney rose of winds carried proudly to France, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, China, United States of America, Panama, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, The Netherlands and back to the starting point in London, UK."

So that's the race, but what of the whisky?

"To mark the occasion Old Pulteney will release a special commemorative bottling of its whisky. Old Pulteney Clipper will be made available in July 2014 at select retailers world-wide. The limited release will feature a Clipper Round the World Yacht Race -themed packaging and the whisky itself will be a classic expression of Old Pulteney, matured in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. The whisky will be presented at its natural colour, non chill-filtered and at a premium strength of 46% ABV. Only 2,700 cases of this rare bottling will ever be released and the recommended retail price in the UK is £50. 

The appearance of the whisky is that of polished gold. On the nose the sweetness of dried fruits and crispiness of green apples is accompanied by notes of fresh vanilla and white chocolate. On the palate waves of honey and orange zest, a rounded oaky structure and an unmistakable coastal note set this fresh and elegant Old Pulteney apart. The finish is smooth and long-lasting."

No word on Australia releases or pricing, but a NCF, 46% ABV limited release for 50gbp isn't value at all (and it looks pretty impressive too). One to look out for perhaps if travelling through the UK.

island2island whiskies perform at Scotch Whisky Masters

On the topic of Old Pulteney, island2island, who distribute Old Pulteney (and other) brands in Australia have had an impressive run at the 2014 Scotch Whisky Masters, winning 6 awards across 5 categories, including "Master" award for Deanston Highland Single Malt 12yo and "Gold" for Ledaig Single Malt 10yo (which, from personal experience is a great drop) and Bunnahabhain 25yo (which whilst I haven't yet had the pleasure, I'm sure is also a great drop!)


Sullivans Cove Whisky Dinner in Sydney
No doubt still riding high from their amazing success of late, Tasmania's Tasmania Distillery are holding a special whisky dinner at Hilton Sydney's Glass Brasserie on Tuesday the 5th of August. Starting at 6:30pm, a 5-course degustation dinner will be served, hosted by Bert Cason, who will be flying up from the distillery in Tasmania especially for the event:

"The dinner features 5 courses, matched with Sullivans Cove's whiskies and single malt liqueurs, including the world's best single malt, Sullivans Cove French Oak. Tickets are 140pp. Please contact Therese Grasa therese.grasa@hilton.com"

Cheers, 
- Martin.

This Week in Whisk(e)y #7

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 other interesting whisk(e)y news Steph & I think you might enjoy). So on with it then...


Sullivans Cove wins "world's best whisky" at the WWA 2014
I'm sure everyone has heard about this now, but Tasmania Distillery's Sullivans Cove French Oak recently won the "world's best single malt whisky" at the 2014 World Whisky Awards (it certainly seems the eBay community has, with Sullivans Cove French Oak bottles going for $400+ at the moment, even those not from the winning cask HH525).

While the winning whisky was from a single French Oak cask (HH525), which produced only 516 bottles, it seems the world has gone mad, snapping up any and all French Oak Sullivans Cove whiskies available.

Sullivans Cove isn't my personal favourite Tassie whisky (that would go to Overeem on the OB front, and Heartwood on the IB front), but it has to be said - this is a huge achievement, and one which has really put Aussie whiskies on the world map. Credit where credit's due too - Tasmania Distillery have put in a huge effort over many years to spread the word about their whisky (it's still the most commonly-sighted Aussie whisky in my International travels), so it's great to see their hard work pay off. Well done.


Ardbeg announces "Auriverdes" and Ardbeg Day 2014
Ah, Ardbeg Day. The reason whisky fans the world over look forward to 31st May each year with great anticipation. While full details haven't yet been released about the celebrations, LVMH owned Ardbeg have announced the theme (Soccer World Cup), and a few details about the bottling, namely:

• Aged in casks with toasted lids
• 49.9% ABV
• Said to have "creamy vanilla sweetness" with a "dark mocha coffee side"
• £79.99 (so likely similar pricing in Australia as last year - $160 or so, while it's available)

The name comes from the Golden (Auri) whisky and the Green (verde) bottle, which also ties in nicely with the Soccer theme, given this year's World Cup is set in Brazil.

We can't wait to see what Ardbeg have in store for us on the 31st, although I imagine there may be a few soccer balls (and a sea of Ardbeg) involved!

anCnoc releases the "Peaty Collection"

Staying on the peat train, the Highland distillery of Knockdu has just announced a the release of a trio of (pretty stunning looking) bottles as part of their new "Peaty Collection".

Project Manager Stephanie Bridge commented on the prospect of the anCnoc
Peaty Collection being a window to the world of smoky whisky for drinkers who previously chose to drink unpeated malts:

“Rutter and our other new Limited Edition peated single malts will form an exciting collection to sit alongside our  core anCnoc expressions, offering drinkers a new and perhaps a first experience of peated whisky. These malts have all the exceptional qualities of anCnoc but with a depth and smokiness that will be appealing both to peat aficionados and to drinkers of lighter malts with an interest in finding a peated malt whisky that they understand and enjoy. We’re on a mission to bring our very modern take on the world of peated whisky to our drinkers all over the world and to entice customers to experience this new side of anCnoc.”

Far from being peat monsters, the whiskies are peated to between 11-15ppm, and were described as follows by whisky writer Charles Maclean:

“The difference between these three malts is subtle, but apparent. Their overall flavour – i.e. aroma and taste –is nicely balanced,  fresh and breezy; their smokiness subtle and understated, while their cheerful simplicity makes them very ‘more-ish’ and easy to drink.”

Further information on the range can be found here. No word yet on Australian availability or pricing.

New World Whisky Distillery launches inaugural single cask releases

Back in December, I was lucky enough to tour the New World Whisky Distillery (purveyors of Starward Whisky) and especially lucky to taste a few single cask samples. At the time, there was only one Starward release (this one), however after no doubt realising they were onto a good thing, the distillery invited representatives from four Australian whisky establishments (Whisky+Alement, Oak Barrel, Baranows Lounge and Nicks/Vintage Direct) to select a cask, to be bottled and sold only through those venues.

While those in Melbourne have been lucky to taste the whisky already, those of us in Sydney will have to wait a few more weeks. The bottlings (officially released on 7th May) will sell for $100 (RRP), a bargain for such a rare, cask-strength bottling, and will no doubt sell out quickly. 

Until next time...sláinte.

Cheers,

 - Martin.

The Oak Barrel - Kilchoman masterclass with Anthony Wills

It hadn't even been a month since The Oak Barrel Sydney hosted Douglas Cook from Glendronach, when us keen members found ourselves back in The Oak Barrel's tasting room, ready to hear from another Scotman (adopted this time*) about another Scottish distillery. 

(Side note: It was good to see that whilst the whiskies and regions differed, the tartan pants remained a consistent theme!)

This time, that distillery was Scotland's youngest whisky producing distillery, and the (adopted) Scotsman was the Founder, Managing Director and Master Distiller of said distillery.

I'm talking of course about Kilchoman - founded in 2005, and the first distillery to be built on Islay for 125 years. Anthony was in Australia to present his range of whiskies (past, present and future) and tell us a little bit more about the distillery, which has been selling "whisky" (as opposed to spirit) since 2009. On tasting was the impressive lineup of:

• Kilchoman Summer 2010 (46% ABV)
• 
Kilchoman 100% Islay (50% ABV)
• Kilchoman Machir Bay 2012 (46% ABV)
• 
Kilchoman Loch Gorm (46% ABV)
• Kilchoman Small Batch (58.2% ABV)

Having only tasted the odd Kilchoman (both OBs and SMWS releases), I was keen to taste the majority of their regular OB lineup.

Anthony, an Englishman who previously worked as an independent bottler, saw a growing interest in Scotch Whisky in the early 2000s, and (seeing the impact this could have on the independent bottling business) decided to mitigate any future supply issues by starting his own distillery (makes sense, right? Nice if we could all do it.) As a fan of the classic, peated Islay taste, Islay seemed a natural home for the new distillery.

Despite difficulties, Anthony managed to secure the necessary investment and commenced production, engaging Dr Jim Swan (who we met during last year's The Whisky Show) to craft a whisky with a profile that would be conducive to reasonably quick maturation, despite Islay's cold climate. Anthony explained that while Jim originally estimated a 5-6 year maturation timeframe before the product would be of sufficient quality, upon tasting the first new make spirit to run off the stills, he revised this to 3 years (the minimum timeframe for such a spirit to be called "whisky" in Scotland).

Kilchoman have  a strong focus on wood, with first fill barrels used heavily and a steady supply of ex-Bourbon barrels from Kentucky's Buffalo Trace. Starting with a cask filling rate of 12 casks per week in 2005, the distillery now fills 28 per week, and is on target to produce 150,000L of spirit this year. A small amount in comparison to many of the established players, no doubt, but consider that number against the global penetration Kilchoman have managed to achieve in a relatively short space of time, and you have an impressive feat.

I'll leave the tasting notes for another post to follow soon after this one, but suffice to say that despite my initial hesitation given the youth (and given what I'd heard from some other whisky writers I respect), I enjoyed every single expression.

Cheers,
  - Martin.

* He's English

Tasted #65, #66, #67 and #68 (phew) - Glendronach 12, 15, 18 and 31yo "Grandeur"

The other week I attended The Wild Rover's "Campbell Corner Whiskey Co-Operative" (CCWC) launch, which saw us taste the Glendronach 12, 15 and 18yo with Douglas Cook of the distillery. Two days later, I was again sitting before Mr Cook (this time at the Oak Barrel) tasting the same line-up, but with one noteable addition - the 31yo Grandeur (Batch 1).

As the scores below probably indicate - these were all fantastic whiskies.

Glendronach 12yo "Original" (43% ABV, 12yo, Higlands, Scotland, $78AUD)

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Colour: Burnt, coppery orange.
Nose: Sherried, but not in a "smack you in the face" sherrybomb manner. Sweet, youthful, strawberries, candied fruits and the oft-mentioned "Christmas cake".
Palate: Nutty, dry (PX?), big sherry influence.
Finish: Dry, long, with a hint of citrus tang on the sides of the toungue.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. Definitely value for money as a quality, everyday drinking sherried dram.


Glendronach 15yo "Revival" (46% ABV, 15yo, Higlands, Scotland, $110AUD)
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Colour: Burnt orange but with more of a red hue than the 12yo.
Nose: Spice, caramel, cinnamon and orange peel.
Palate: Even more spice (this wasn't present on the 12yo at all), ginger, berries. Big tannins, big mouthfeel.
Finish: Sweet, medium to long, berries right to the end, with a hint of orange rind at the very end.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100. Fantastic.

Glendronach 18yo "Allardice" (46% ABV, 18yo, Higlands, Scotland, $145AUD)
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Colour: Deep, deep copper. Almost burgundy.
Nose: Massive sherry hit. No surprise as to what type of cask this was aged in. Definitely has some older hints (leather, oak) but also sweet honey notes, which were unexpected. Maple syrup? Blueberries too. Complex. Could definitely nose this all night - preferably by a fireplace in the middle of winter.
Palate: Huge mouthfeel. Silky, soft and delicate but bursting with notes of blueberries, spice (though not as pronounced as the 15yo) and oak.
Finish: Sweet, big tannins, drying, extremely long, and still with those berries.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 94/100. A truly great whisky.

Glendronach 31yo "Grandeur" Batch 1 (45.8% ABV, 31yo, Higlands, Scotland, $890AUD)
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Colour: Dark copper / burnt dark orange.
Nose: Rich, with notes of port, sherbet, and berries (though this is no sherry monster). Age has definitely softened it.
Palate: Soft and subtle - no dominant characteristics here. Fruity, almost floral. Again, the age seems to have softened it.
Finish: Very, very long, berries, stonefruits.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100. A great opportunity to try a very, very rare dram, but I'd choose the 18yo (especially if I was paying!)

Cheers,
 - Martin.

Tasted #40: Glenfarclas 40yo (#101drams)

Glenfarclas 40yo has been on my list for a while now, mainly because there aren't too many 40yo whiskies in this price bracket (so I'd at least have a chance of trying it somewhere), and because I'd enjoyed the Glenfarclas' I'd tried previously. Also, why not give myself an excuse to seek out a 40yo whisky?

At The Whisky Fair Sydney recently, Glenfarclas were generously tasting their standard range, right up to and including the 30 and 40yo. I thought it would be fitting that whisky #40 from my #101drams list was a 40yo...

Glenfarclas 40yo (46% ABV, 40yo, OB, Speyside Scotland)
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Nose: Flint and spice. Flint? Yes, odd. Not quite the leather and oak I was expected from a dram of this age, but nonetheless, a nice nose.

Palate: More flint? Smoke too - that was unexpected. I was pleased to see this wasn't an overpowering sherry monster (given that most Glenfarclas whiskies are heavily sherried), but was well balanced, also showing some sweeter citrus notes.

Finish: Very lengthy (I think that was going to be a given), and still with that smoke! Not overpowering peat smoke or anything of that nature, just a subtle undertone of smoke, let's call it campfire smoke. Some of the aged leather and rich nutty notes started to come through towards the end too.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. An enjoyable whisky - no question, but if I'm honest, not quite what I'd expected. I actually preferred the 30yo.

Cheers,

 - Martin.

The Whisky Fair Sydney 2013 review (#101drams)

In Sydney each year we have three main whisky shows - The Whisky Show (July), Whisky Live (August), and The Whisky Fair (September). In 2012 Steph and I attended the first two, but for some reason missed out on The Whisky Fair (perhaps we thought two was enough? Crazy talk...) This year we righted that wrong.

Whereas Whisky Live is mainly about readily-available whiskies, aimed not necessarily at the whisky enthusiast, and The Whisky Show is a mix of enthusiast drams and readily available whiskies, The Whisky Fair is very much aimed at real whisky enthusiasts, with plenty of drams you won't see anywhere else. While the show does include plenty of well-known distilleries, the drams they offer are typically from the upper end of the portfolio - e.g. William Grant & Sons were offering The Balvenie 17yo Double Wood, Glenfarclas were tasting the 40yo, Pernod Ricard had a wide selection from their portfolio, including Longmorn and the excellent The Glenlivet Nadurra, and Think Spirits were offering The Dalmore King Alexander III.

But while those are all excellent whiskies, it was the rarer, more "boutique" drams I was really excited to try - and the The Oak Barrel didn't disappoint, with their cavernous CBD store occupied by the likes of the Balcones (will the popularity of this Texan distillery ever stop growing?), FEW Spirits, masters of experiment Koval, Belgrove (making its aged Rye debut), and Australian independent bottler Heartwood, with their incredible 72.5% "The Convict Redemption". Not to mention an Overeem bottled especially for the fair, thrown in for good measure.


With so many drams on offer it was hard to know where to start, so first order of business was to get around and say hi (over a dram or two) to all the friends Time for Whisky has made over the past year.

Whilst there genuinely wasn't a bad dram in sight, it's pretty hard to list every one we tried, so in no particular order, these were the more unique, interesting, quirky, or downright fantastic drams we enjoyed:

• Belgrove - I'd read a bit about Belgrove and was genuinely keen to try it. Peter Bignell (distiller and owner) talked us through his Tasmanian Rye - made via a real self-contained production process, with the ryecorn home-grown on his farm, the pot still built from scratch, heating from home-made biodiesel and cooling from his own dam! Both unaged and (minimum) 2 year barrel aged varieties were on tasting, and both were very impressive. One to watch.
• Balcones - I'd tried the Baby Blue Corn Whisky earlier and was keen to try the rest of the range. Luckily H&R Craft Beverages were at the show, with not only the Texas Single Malt (a #101drams whisky) and Baby Blue, but also the True Blue 100 proof and Brimstone. A quick taste of each confirmed what I'd suspected - that the Baby Blue wasn't just a fluke - all Balcones' whiskies are fantastic.
• Heartwood, along with Belgrove, was the other Tassie entrant I was particularly keen to visit. (To my knowledge) the only Australian independent bottler of Australian whisky, Heartwood bottle a range of Aussie whiskies, at cask strength, and sell them in 500mL format with names such as "Vat out of Hell", "Release the Beast" and "Velvet Hammer". But it was their 72.5% "The Convict Redemption" that stole the show. Tim (owner and Lark Distillery board member) was passing around drams to comments such as "wow", "full bodied" and "flavoursome" - presumably mostly from people who didn't realise they'd just tried a 72.5% ABV whisky. That's how smooth this whisky really is. Steph tried it, and (no stranger to cask strength whiskies, having recently gotten into SMWS bottlings) guessed it to be around 55-60%. A stunner.
• Limeburners Single Malt West Australian-whisky (another #101drams whisky)
• Overeem - a Tassie favourite of mine, with 200mL bottlings of their Oak Barrel exclusive cask for only $44. We're big fans of the Port cask Overeem (and also the Sherry), and can't wait for their next release.
• Brown Forman were again on hand, this time with the most impressive stand they've had in a long time. Sure Woodford Reserve and Jack (Unaged Rye) were there, but so were some of the rarer Woodford Master's Collection (including the Four Wood). As if the stand wasn't packed enough, brand ambassador Stuart had also managed to whip up a batch of barrel aged Old Fashioneds!

  

...hold up - 6 distilleries/whiskies mentioned, and not one of them Scottish? Such is the quality of world whisky I guess! But on the topic of Scotland, half-way through the show a bagpipe procession formed, and James Buntin of William Grant & Sons (a.k.a The Whisky Ambassador) prepared the highlight of the show - fresh haggis, served with neeps and tatties, and a Glenfiddich 14yo Rich Oak.

After a quick haggis break, it was onto all things Scottish:

• While I'd tried The Balvenie 17yo Double Wood before, I'd never tried it injected into a chocolate truffle. An amazing match.
• Innis & Gunn beer. Beer? Well all whisky is basically beer at some stage in its life, right? This Edinburgh-based brewery had a few varieties on tasting, but it was their 6.6% ABV "Original" that really impressed me. Aged for 77 days in American Oak, it was honied, smooth and perfectly balanced. Couldn't leave without buying a few bottles!
• Dalmore King Alexander III - a brilliant (#101drams) dram, complete with impressive artwork (below). Who knew the Think Spirits guys had so much talent?
• Macallan - the full 1824 Series was on tasting, ahead of its November release in Australia. The Sienna was Steph and my pick of the bunch.
• Scotch Malt Whisky Society - it wouldn't be an enthusiasts' whisky show without SMWS! Andrew (NSW Ambassador, Director and Australian Cellarmaster) and Murray (Australian tasting panel member and super friendly bloke) were busily handing out drams and converting people to the joys of single cask, cask strength whisky. On taste were a number of gems, including the incredibly light but flavoursome 21.27 (39yo Glenglassaugh), a sublime lightly-peated Ardmore (which was recommended to me by one of the other stalls) and a Craigellachie which I sadly missed (of particular note as they don't even bottle this as an OB Single Malt!).

 

It was hard to believe 4 hours had passed so quickly, but sadly it had, and on that note we said our farewells and walked out into the unusually hot Sydney September. If we can only attend one whisky show next year, this will be it without a doubt. Congrats to Dave and the guys from The Oak Barrel for putting on such a fantastic show.

Cheers,
Martin.

Time for Whisky attended as guests of The Oak Barrel.