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.

"My take on Whisky" - by Steph

While Steph (my wife) has been a regular contributor to this blog in the form of support, joining me at the many, many tastings/events/tours, and allowing my growing Whisk(e)y collection to take over the living room, this is her first post. Hopefully the first of many!

If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be immersed in all things whisky at this point in my life, I would have given you an odd look and walked the other way. Whisky had the reputation, at least with me, of being an old man’s drink that even my father wasn’t interested in. When Martin, my boyfriend at the time (now husband) ordered  a dram at Marble bar a good few years ago I turned my head in revulsion and demanded to know why he would choose to drink something that smelt (and presumably tasted) like Iodine?! My taste buds have shifted since that day.

Whisky tastings are a great way to spend a weekday night, and a nice way to explore different varieties. I love it when the structure of tastings change and evolve because I am so sick of hearing how whisky is made!

I love whisky fairs now that we know so many of the people there. I love the energy, passion and humour of many brand ambassadors that we have been lucky enough to get to know. I particularly love when stands have high quality chocolate sitting alongside the bottles of whisky (HELLO Glenfiddich!) I am always frustrated when exhibitors discredit me and my interest in whisky and talk solely to my husband. Gender inequality much?

Coincidently, many whisky fairs often occur around the time of my husband’s birthday (October) which allows me the opportunity to observe what he enjoys before I make an excuse to use the ladies while I race around to the shop and buy him what he covets (I bought him 4 bottles in 2012). It makes birthday present shopping a breeze!

My favourite time to drink the stuff is on a rare Friday night that I happen to be home alone. I put on my pyjamas, cue up a girly rom-com, and explore our liquor collection. I'll either stick with my old favourite (Lagavulin 16), try something that I know I like (Laphroaig PX cask, Balvenie 15, Gentleman Jack) or explore something different (e.g. One of the Glenfiddich special editions, a Scotch MaltWhisky Society interestingly-labelled bottle - Pulled Pork with Chocolate Mousse - anyone?)

These days I still can’t handle the strength and bitterness of new make (please don’t tell me it’s smooth because how can something so strong that it burns my throat be ‘smooth’?) and I do add a few drops of water when the alcohol strength shocks my system. I prefer the aged whiskies, particularly when they are aged in a sherry, sauternes or port casks.  I appreciate a good Islay whisky as I have developed a taste for the smokiness.

I am thoroughly enjoying this journey into whisky and the great people that we are meeting along the way. I am proud of my husband for his dedication to his blog, which is opening up more opportunities for him to be further immersed into the whisky world, while taking me along for the ride.

- Steph.

The Glenlivet "The Guardians' Chapter" tasting and launch at Tetsuya's

When it comes tastings and product launches, it seems Pernod Ricard don't do things by halves...

A month or so ago I received an invite for The Glenlivet "The Guardian's Chapter", an event to be held at Tetsuya's in Sydney (once considered one of the World's Top 50 Restaurants, and still very much one of the best restaurants in Sydney). You don't say no to an invite like that...

The event was held this past Tuesday, and Steph and I showed up (arriving by Über, which Pernod Ricard had kindly supplied) not entirely knowing what to expect. Some canapés and a tasting perhaps? We did know that we were there to taste (and vote on) three new expressions, only one of which would become the next global limited release of The Glenlivet. We also discovered that this was the first public release of these expressions anywhere in the world!

Stepping into Tetsuya's private upstairs dining room, it was clear this was going to be a special, intimate sit-down dinner, with a chance to try not only the new expressions, but the core Glenlivet range with a menu designed by Tetsuya Wakuda himself, matched to the whiskies with the expert advice of The Glenlivet's Australian Brand Ambassador Laura Hay. And on the topic of not doing things by halves, this wasn't just any dinner menu, but a 9 course degustation.

The Glenlivet Ginza was served on arrival, as guests mingled and we got to meet some of the friendly and passionate Pernod Ricard staff. After seats were taken, Laura and Tetsuya introduced the menu, explaining the process behind selecting the courses and matching The Glenlivet expressions. Steph and I had great company at our table, including Andrew and Laura from Pernod Ricard, and Simon Leong of Simon Food Favourites. Laura's stories of growing up in an around The Glenlivet distillery kept us well entertained throughout the night.

The next 3 or so hours involved working our way through the first 6 courses and matched whiskies, which included:

The Glenlivet 12 year old

Salad of the Sea

Notes: A match which brought out some real ginger and spice notes. 

The Glenlivet really added to the flavour of some of the Sashimi, especially the Kingfish.

The Glenlivet 18 year old

Foie Gras with Dried Fruits

Notes: I'm not usually a big fan of Foie Gras but this was fantastic. 

The dry fruits were completely amplified by the whisky - a great match.

The Glenlivet 15 year old French Oak Reserve

Ostrich with Dwarf Truffled Peach

Notes: Probably my favourite dish of the night. 

The Glenlivet & Truffles are clearly a perfect match. Strong sesame notes.

The Glenlivet 12 year old

Marinated Tasmanian Salmon with Miso, Orange, Garlic & Ginger

Notes: The best match of the night.

Interestingly, I got slight smoky notes, which complemented the sweet miso flavour brilliantly.

The Glenlivet 15 year old French Oak Reserve

Loin of Venison with Beetroot & Pomegranate

Notes: Again a match that brought out some real spicy notes.

The Glenlivet seemed to cut through the fruitiness of the pomegranate somewhat and the venison really lengthened the finish of the whisky.

The Glenlivet 18 year old

Cape Grim Beef Short Rib with Apple Eggplant & Fresh Green Peppercorns

Notes: I'm not usually a fan of peppercorns but they were muted here. 

Overall the dish matched the whisky quite well I thought.

At this point we could hardly believe 3 hours had already passed, but it had, and it was time to taste the whiskies we all came to taste. Tasting mats and whiskies were set up and voting cards handed out. Laura Hay got up to present the whiskies, and explained a bit more about concept, which involves three new expressions from The Glenlivet, selected by Master Distiller Alan Winchester and classified according to taste:

Revival - A regard and passion for past styles, reinterpreted with a contemporary twist.

Classic - The quality of timelessness and enduring excellence
Exotic - The quality of rich diversity and enigmatic depth

We learned the malts are being taken on a global tour, with votes to be tallied from a number of regions. The winning expression will be released as "The Guardians' Chapter", a non-chill filtered, NAS limited edition of only 2000 cases (globally), to be released in March 2014 (see the bottom of this article for details on how to get involved in a tasting session).

After being told this would be "the most important vote we make this week" (slightly tongue-in-cheek, given we have a Federal Election this Saturday), we put our voting caps on and got down to business. 

Revival (ex American and Sherry oak barrels, 48.5% ABV) - Light in colour, with a youthful and apricot nose. No youth on the palate though, with smooth, fruity and slightly sweet notes coming through. The finish is lengthy, with a real tropical fruit finish, and some almonds. A dash of water increased the tropical fruit notes on both the palate and finish. 91/100.

Classic (ex American and Sherry oak barrels, 48.5% ABV) - Darker than the Revival, and with much more complexity on the nose. Spice and Christmas Cake notes dominated the palate, with a hint of pineapple. I found a shorter finish on this one, even with a dash of water (which accentuated the palate). As the name suggests, this was the closest to the standard core range. 92/100.

Exotic (ex American and Sherry oak barrels, 48.5% ABV) - The darkest of the three (so fair to say it also has the most sherry cask influence). Incredible nose, with sweet dessert-like notes, but complex nutty and dried fruit notes too. Sherry notes on the palate, with shortbread, spongecake and vanilla macarons. A light, but complex and lengthy finishes rounds out what is an excellent whisky. The clear winner in my books. 93/100.


It seems I wasn't alone in my voting, as the Exotic won out (with 14 votes), from the Revival (12 votes) and Classic (13 votes). A close call, and it will be interesting to see how the rest of Australia (and the world) votes.


It was then time to finish the menu, with:

Lychee Granita with Strawberries & Coconut

The Glenlivet 18 year old

Chocolate Cake

My second favourite match of the night.
The whisky added complexity to an already very complex, rich and nutty dessert. Heaven.

Petit Fors

By this stage it was past midnight, but most attendees were able to stick around for a tasting of the 25 year old The Glenlivet XXV (the sacrifices we make right?) - or for those waiting for our Über rides, perhaps two (tasting notes to follow).

Overall an incredible night - one which would have required a lot of planning and passion to set up. A huge thanks to the Pernod Ricard Australia and Cav Con teams for the invite, and for the take-home gifts (The Glenlivet 18, Riedel whisky tumblers) which were icing on an already amazing cake.

Cheers,

Martin.

For anyone wanting to try these whiskies, Australian tastings will be run in conjunction with Vintage Cellars, and are being held on the following dates:

• 20th and 21st September - Sir Stamford Hotel, Sydney
• 22nd and 23rd September - The Woolshed, Melbourne
• 25th September - Port Office Hotel, Brisbane
• 26th September - Sosta Argentinian Kitchen, Adelaide
• 27th September- Grosvenor Hotel, Perth
• 1st October- Char Restaurant, Darwin 

The iconic Tetsuya's in Sydney's CBD

Tasted #36: Balvenie TUN 1401 Batch 5 (#101drams)

It's been about two weeks since my last post, but the good news is I've tasted some pretty fantastic whiskies in that time, and have some even more fantastic events coming up, so September should be a month of interesting posts.

To kick start the month - a #101drams whisky I've been eagerly awaiting - Balvenie TUN 1401. For those unfamiliar with the TUN 1401, the story goes: David Stewart (Balvenie's Malt Master) selects a number of exceptional (often very old) casks, marries them together in TUN 1401 for a certain timeframe (3 months in the case of this Batch 5), bottles them at cask strength, and the result is a fantastic whisky.

$250-$300AUD (give or take) may seem like a lot for a NAS (No Age Statement) whisky, but given the excellent reviews each and every TUN 1401 has received, and the age range of the casks (oldest: 46 years, youngest: 21 years), I was pretty confident it would be a great dram. Also, given I tried this at the excellent Whisky + Alement in Melbourne, my "price of entry" was only $24 or so. Not much for what I was pretty sure would be one of the better #101drams whiskies!

Not every batch makes it to every region, which makes this Batch 5 interesting in that it was never officially released in Australia (I believe it was mainly released in the US). Batch 8 (the latest release) has been officially released in Australia, but in very limited quantities.

Balvenie TUN 1401 Batch 5 (NAS, 50.1%, Speyside Scotland)
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Nose: Lots going on here. I don't always pick up as many notes as some of my friends and colleagues when nosing whiskies, but on this I got fresh cream, bananas (but not in a youthful whisky way), and...flint? Hints of smoke, but definitely muted. Complex, brilliant.

Palate: Rich, big mouthfeel - reminiscent of the 15yo cask strength (one of my all-time favourite whiskies), but more subdued than 15yo. The bananas continue, with a sweet, sharp caramel flavour at the forefront. 

Finish: Long (as you'd expect given half of these whiskies are 40+ years old, and one is 46 years old!) Caramel sweetness lingers, with a small amount of smoke evident at the back of the throat.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 94/100. Did not disappoint in the slightest. Unfortunately now, I'm going to be on a mission to taste the rest of the range...and one day I'll probably buy a bottle in a duty-free shop somewhere in a moment of weakness. This could get expensive!

Cheers,
- Martin.

Bill Samuels Jr Australian visit (& Makers Mark 46 Australian launch)

"Yummy, complex and with a long finish" - the three (paraphrased) goals for Makers Mark set when developing Makers Mark 46...but more on that later.

Makers Mark 46, the first real new whiskey from Makers Mark since 1958, is finally being launched in Australia following its 2010 release in the US. I've been a fan of Makers since discovering it at the age of 18 on a schoolies cruise (yeah yeah), and ever since trying 46 a few years ago on a US trip, I've been patiently waiting for its release in Australia. Finally that day has come.

Bill Samuels Jr (son of Founder, former President and current Chairman Emeritus of Makers Mark) is currently in Australia to celebrate the launch, and is hosting a series of events around Sydney and Melbourne. I was lucky enough to be invited to an intimate session at Luke Reddington's popular Hello Sailor with about 20 other attendees, for an introduction to Makers Mark 46 (and some of Hello Sailor's excellent Mint Juleps).

Bill briefly explained how 46 differs from the regular Makers Mark (additional months spent in the same barrel, but with seared French oak staves added), how it got its name (the cooperage that produces the staves has produced 45 different staves previously for the wine industry), and why he created it (basically as his legacy, and so that his name could never be removed from the bottle, because "it's etched right there into the glass!")

More interesting though were Bill's stories, including his time as a former engineer working on the Polaris missile (until a disastrous launch which may or may not have been Bill's fault) and his family's missed opportunity to become "truly loaded" (involving the earliest days of Coca Cola).

Bill ran a brief tasting of Makers Mark 46, evidencing how well they'd hit the three aforementioned goals. Sweet and rich on the nose, with amplified vanilla characteristics, the palate is big and bold (no doubt partially due to its 47% ABV, compared with the 40% of regular Makers in Australia) with rich toffee and spice notes. The finish is definitely a long one, with smooth, spicy notes lingering long after the last sip. It's Makers amplified, and all the better for it.

A genuinely funny and friendly guy, Bill stuck around to chat to the crowd and sign autographs. Copies of his book ("My Autobiography") were given out, along with Makers Mark ice ball moulds.

Bill is doing a few public signings whilst in Australia too. Anyone interested should get along to:

• Dan Murphy’s Alexandria (4.30pm – 5.30pm. 17th Aug)
• Costco Docklands (4.30pm – 5.30pm, 19th Aug)

A big thanks to the CCA folks for the invite.

Cheers,

 - Martin.

Tasted #35: Seagram Blender's Pride Reserve Collction (#101drams)

In my job I work closely with a team in India - really just as an extension of our local team in Australia. We talk daily, catch up socially (via e-mail / phone) and celebrate milestones and birthdays. On my birthday last year, the team sent me a Happy Birthday e-mail saying they'd pour a "Blender's Pride" for me over in India. I hadn't heard of it before (being only familiar with the excellent Amrut when it comes to Indian whisky), but shortly after when I pulled together my #101drams list, I knew it had to feature.

Luckily on a recent trip, one of my team members was kind enough to bring a bottle over - of the "Reserve Collection", which is the premium version of Blender's Pride. Distributed by Pernod Ricard in India, Seagram Blender's Pride is a blend of "imported Scotch malts" and "select Indian grain spirits". No word on which Scottish malts are included.

I was warned that I "may not like it" and "it's not as good as Amrut" (which I fully expected, ha), but regardless, I was keen to give it a go.

Seagram Blender's Pride Reserve Collection (42.8% ABV, NAS blend, India)
------------------------
Nose: Light, but with strong esthers. Very fruity - peaches, cherries. Not overly smooth.

Palate: Nothing like the nose at all. Quite smooth, and none of the fruit that the nose gave off. The grain influence is there, and it's clearly young. Shortbread, rice cakes, but overall very light on the palate. It's not bad, there's just not a whole lot going on.

Finish: Extremely short - mostly gone after a few seconds. A grain-influenced finish with hints of rice cakes at the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 80/100. Look, I didn't expect this to be a knockout, but I'll be honest and say it is better than I expected. As far as cheaper blends go (it sells for around $15AUD/bottle), it's very drinkable and I'd say would give JW Red a run for its money. Then again, Steph tried it without knowing what it was, and her only comment was "There's no pride in that!!" 

Cheers,
 - Martin.

Glen Moray whisky & cheese matching (and launch of 25 Year Old in Australia)

About 6 weeks ago I received an out of the blue (but very welcome) invite to an upcoming Glen Moray tasting at Since I Left You, a small bar in Sydney's CBD. Having only ever tasted Glen Moray in cask-strength SMWS guise (and having enjoyed it) I was keen to try some of their original bottlings. This wasn't just any tasting either - it was a whisky and cheese matched tasting, included Glen Moray's newly released in Australia 25 year old Portwood finish, and was led by distillery manager Graham Coull, who had flown out from Scotland for this event (and Whisky Live). How could I say no?

Arriving at Since I Left You was like walking into a community of bloggers (a gaggle of bloggers? Herd? Flock?) with our good friends and fellow Whisky bloggers D.T.W.C, renowned food and drink blogger Gourmantic and Sydney/Melbourne expert Carrie from Daily Addict all present (as well as a number of other food bloggers). We were greeted with a Highland Fizz cocktail on arrival (a standard but tasty mix of Glen Moray and ginger beer) and had a short while to catch up before the tasting started.

First whisky was the Glen Moray Classic (40% ABV), aged for between 5-9 years. A youthful and lively whisky, with a citrus nose, fruity floral palate and a short finish. The matched cheese was a creamy goats cheese, which drove up the citrus notes in the whisky. Overall a pleasant whisky, and certainly not bad value at its $37 price point. I gave it 87/100.

Graham then took some time to tell us a bit about the distillery (owned by French company La Martiniquaise) and his history with Glen Moray, where he's been manager for the past 8 years. Demand has been big in recent years, with an additional 2 stills soon to be installed. Interestingly, we Aussies are Glen Moray's second biggest market!

The second whisky was the Glen Moray 10yo Chardonnay Cask (40%), which was particularly interesting as it isn't just finished in Chardonnay casks (which themselves are very unique in the Scotch whisky industry), but wholly matured in Chardonnay casks. Whilst I wouldn't go so far to say I noted Chardonnay notes, I definitely noticed tropical pineapple and citrus notes, a smooth, citrusy and slightly oily palate with a slight tang, and a spicy finish. Blue cheese was the match here, which increased the spice and cut through the oily mouthfeel. For a $43 I was hugely impressed. 92/100.

Next was the Glen Moray 12yo (40%), finished in more traditional ex-Bourbon barrels and known as the Glen Moray "house style". There was more complexity on the nose than the Classic here, with stronger oak notes but also toffee. Lemon zest was the dominant characteristic on the palate with a slight nuttiness, and a medium-length finish. The matched parmesan increased the spiciness and nuttiness, and I thought introduced a little bit of cajun spice! A great match. 90/100.

Second last was the Glen Moray 16yo (40%), which showed a nutty nose, rich creamy palate (with hints of fruit) and a medium finish. The matched aged cheddar I thought overtook the whisky - not a bad match, but not spot on like the previous pairing. 91/100

Last up was the one we were all waiting for (see if you can pick it from the 5 whiskies to the right...) - the Glen Moray 25yo Portwood Finish (43%). Laid down in 1986, aged for 23yo in ex-Bourbon barrels, the spirit was then transferred into Portuguese Port barrels for the remaining years. With a dark and rich copper colour, it was clear this was going to be a complex whisky. The nose was sweet - almost with notes of a light sauternes or bortytis. The palate followed this up with a massive hit of sweetness on the tip of the tongue, followed by vanilla (that'll be the 23yo in bourbon then) and sweet madeira notes. The finish went on and on, with continuous waves of delicious sweet notes coming back. Matched with a 36 month aged gruyere, this was an incredible end to the tasting. 94/100.

The 25yo Portwood Finish is limited to 3,482 bottles and retails for $249.99AUD.

Graham (who by the way, was incredibly friendly, jovial and knowledgeable throughout the tasting) then took questions, and told us about a few interesting whiskies we might expect from Glen Moray in the coming years (including their "Peated Spirit"which is now at "legal age" of 3yo), and some more interesting wine-matured whiskies including Chenin Blanc and Burgundy finishes, which are 6-8 years old at the moment (so still have some time to go). Having tasted a few cask strength varieties at Whisky Live Sydney the following night, I really hope Glen Moray decide to release a few of these at their natural strength.

With the formal part of the tasting over, the crowd mingled over additional cocktails and drams of their favourites (for me, the 25yo and Chardonnay Cask). On our way out, everyone was given a take-home bag, including a full bottle of the Chardonnay Cask - my favourite of the night next to the 25yo!

A huge thanks to Glen Moray and DecPR who hosted the event and invited Time for Whisky as a guest.

Cheers, 

 - Martin.

Shirt Bar Scotch Club: Glenfiddich 15yo deconstructed (July 2013)

A change in direction in July for Scotch Club - and a welcome one at that. Shirt Bar, along with William Grant & Sons presented a single Whisky (Glenfiddich 15yo Solera), deconstructed into its individual parts.

Led by The Whisky Ambassador (aka James Buntin, who hosts the most entertaining tastings I've ever attended), the night involved trying a variety of "money can't buy" Glenfiddich cask finishes, then "vat strength" Solera, followed by the original bottling 15yo Solera. To make things even more interesting, we were given the opportunity to blend our own Glenfiddich 15yo, and see how close we could get to the original (in my case - not very...)

The full lineup was:

• Glenfiddich New Make (65.6% ABV): Chewy, with a big warm mouthfeel and bubblegum notes. Add some water and you get notes of sugarcane. Smooth throughout with absoutely no "burn". 80/100.
• American Oak - used (59.2%): Light colour and light on the palate. Vanilla, apricot. 90/100.
• American Oak - new (3-6 months) (58.8): This one had spent some additional time in new American oak, and was all the better for it. I have no hesitation in saying this was one of the best Glenfiddichs I've ever tried. I just wish they'd bottle it! Rich and dark in colour, with an amazing sweet nose and creamy sweet palate. Reminds me a little of the Yamazaki Bourbon Barrel, one of my favourite whiskies. Fantastic. 94/100.
• Spanish Oak - used (59.2%): Dark, spicy with an intense sherry sweetness. Huge mouthfeel with the peppery spice lingering to the end. 92/100.
• Solera vat cask strength (59.6%): I'd been lucky enough to try this one once back in 2009  (albeit slightly more "fresh" as it was direct the vat on the Glenfiddich tour). That was a great experience and whilst drinking it from a bottle wasn't quite the same, the whisky itself was just as good. James explained that the final vatting contains about 65-70% of used American oak-aged Glenfiddich, with the new American oak and Spanish oak making up the remainder. The bourbon notes were definitely there, but slightly muted. Sherry was evident on the palate, but the finish showed more bourbon influence. 91/100.
• My own blend: Sherried, and extremely dry. Spicy too - obviously too much Spanish oak in the mix!
• My own blend (attempt #2): Still dry, though with a sweeter more vanilla finish. Not a bad effort if I do say so myself. 90/100.
• Glenfiddich 15yo Solera (original bottling, 40%): The one we can all buy. To be honest, whilst it's a great whisky, after trying all the components (and my own blends) as cask-strength varieties, the OB at 40% felt a bit lacking. The same notes as the cask strength Solera vatting were there, perhaps with a bit more fruit, but it all felt a bit watered down. A great dram, but not one to drink after a night of cask strength whiskies!

James finished the night with a great trick I've seen him do once before - carefully pouring whisky into a glass of water through a tea towel. Why? Because if you do it right, you get this effect to the left!

..and on that note it was time to close out another Scotch Club (not before the usual generous and delicious cold cuts platter). We like this new direction for Scotch Club, and hope to see more like this in the future.

Cheers, 

 - Steph & Martin.

Whisky Live Sydney 2013 review (#101drams)

As mentioned earlier this week, this Friday-Saturday was Sydney's turn to host Whisky Live 2013, held at Paddington Town Hall in Sydney's East.

Whisky Live was supported by Dan Murphys (who ran part of the show's retail shop and who recently released a surprisingly good Whisky Guide - see here for our good friends at D.T.W.C's thoughts on it), where certain whiskies could be purchased on site at quite competitive prices (which, given Dan's regular pricing, made for some very nicely priced whiskies).

The show had over 100 whiskies on tasting - from regular favourites like Balvenie and Jack Daniels to not often seen whiskies like Blantons and Glengoyne, right through to Penderyn, Finlaggan and some interesting rare small-batch bourbons.

There were a few notable omissions (Ardbeg, Glenmorangie, Lark, NZ Whisky Co to name a few), but overall the range was varied and enough to fill a few hours. Specific favourites included:

• Laphroaig Càirdeas (2012)
• Glengoyne Cask Strength (which I preferred over the 21yo)
• Balvenie 15yo (I have a bottle at home but can't say no to a free dram - lovely whisky)
• Blantons Original Private Reserve (single barrel - I've seen this a hundred times at Dan's but have always glossed over it. It's very good, and as it turns out, was the brainchild of Elmer T Lee (RIP)).
• Glenlivet Nadurra; and
• Starward (the latest batch just bottled earlier this week is even more impressive than our original tasting).

As well as the above, I was able to tick off a massive 5 #101drams whiskies, namely:

• Finlaggan Old Reserve - Medicinal but not to the extent of a Laphroaig 10yo, with an ashy palate that carries right through to the finish. I still think it could be Caol Ila (91/100). I also tried the cask strength but preferred the regular.
• Penderyn Madeira cask - I wasn't a huge fan. I got some peat smoke and plenty of seawater, but also hints of youthfulness and styrene. Not terrible but not one I'd rush out and buy (82/100).
• Amrut Single Malt - Reminded me  of a light Speysider, or even a Lowland/Campbelltown whisky at first. Fruity and light, and reasonably youngish, but with a spiciness on the palate and a big spicy finish (90/100).
• Laphroaig Càirdeas (2012) - Minimal peat on nose the nose, but a big ashy hit on the palate, with less medicinal notes than expected from a 'phroaig. Fruity notes on the palate and finish too (92/100).
• Grants Ale Cask - Interesting this one. Very smooth for the price ($38AUD), and very light. Would make a good beginner's whisky. Not much in the way of complexity, but you can't expect much for $38. Some light floral notes and a short to medium finish (88/100).
 

One of the hallmarks of Whisky Live is the food provided - always hearty and filling. Whilst last year's selection was reasonably good, I thought this year stepped it up an notch, with takeaway boxes of butter chicken, beef bourguignon, ravioli, as well as pies, quiches and other assorted canapés. Nant Distilling Company also ran a cocktail bar for those who wanted a break from straight whisk(e)y. The oyster stand was another unique and enjoyable addition - with oysters being served in a splash of your choice of whisky (the Bowmore Legend was a great match)


There were plenty of familiar faces around, including brand ambassadors and sales managers for Brown Forman, Think Spirits and William Grant & Sons (and special mention should go to Glen Moray's master distiller Graham Coull, who's recent exclusive Sydney tasting we'll post up shortly). A lot of the stalls however were staffed by Dan Murphy's staff, and while most knew a reasonable amount about whisky, it was clear that a few had only just learned about the products they were offering, and couldn't really discuss any details beyond what was on the label, which was slightly disappointing.

Overall the show was enjoyable, offered a good selection of whiskies and very competitive bottle prices. The only question in my opinion is the price - with Sydney's other whisky shows being $28-$60 per ticket (albeit without the comprehensive food offerings at Whisky Live), is Whisky Live worth $95 per ticket? I guess it really depends on how much you like whisky, and if the range includes ones you're really keen to try.

Cheers,
 - Martin.

Time for Whisky attended as guests of Whisky Live.