Annandale Distillery - A Spirit reborn

One the same weekend I attended Malt Masters HK, TimeforWhisky was also invited to a presentation of the Annandale Distillery project, organised by Eddie Nara, Co-founder and Chairman of Malt and Grain Whisk(e)y Society Hong Kong. Martin sure picked a busy (whisky) weekend to be away!

The presentation was led by Professor David Thomson, Founder and chairman of the Annandale distillery project. David’s lovely wife, Teresa Church who has worked closely with him in each step of the project greeted all guests and appeared genuinely interested in learning about the backgrounds of all attendees. The event was the first time Annandale’s new make ‘Rascally Liquor’ had been launched in Hong Kong.

David’s whisky passion developed and grew over time as his wife gifted him with bottles of whiskies for birthday and Christmas celebrations. He read about Annandale in the book ‘Scotch Missed’ by Brian Townsend and went on to purchase, renovate, and re-build the Annandale brand. Hailing from marketing, market research and brand development background, David and Teresa purchased the building in 2007, commenced restoration in 2011 and started production in late 2011. Conveniently located on the England-Scotland border, Annandale was one of the oldest legal distilleries in Scotland and was previously owned by 3 families, one of which was John Walker and Sons (1895-1918).

David took the group on a photo journey of the grounds and production process, and detailed the creation of the branding of the ‘Rascally Liquor New Make’ (63.5%) which comes in both peated and unpeated varieties. The peated new make aims to be smoky and complex and the spirit is currently being matured in second fill bourbon and sherry casks. The unpeated new make aims to be fiery and fruity, and uses different yeast to what is used in the peated process. Each will be sold as new makes to give consumers a taste of what is to come [Martin: and to no doubt provide some income until such time the distillery starts offering "whisky"].

 

The names and branding of each single malt (which will be ready for purchase and consumption in 3 years time) reflect both the rich maritime history of Annandale, as well as prominent local individuals including King Robert Bruce, the 7th Earl of Annandale who was also a warrior and liberator of Scotland; and Robert Burns, Poet, song writer and Baird of Scotland (and excise man of Annandale). The Man O’Swords (peated single malt) and the Man O’Words (unpeated single malt) will be sold at 46% alcohol by volume.

Despite not typically sharing Martin's enthusiasm for new make, I found myself enjoying these - especially the peated version. It will be interesting to see how these turn out as "whiskies" when they are released as such in 3 years time!

- Steph

Tasted #173: Glenfarclas 1979 34yo Family Cask for Shinanoya Tokyo

During our recent visit to Campbelltoun Loch, Tokyo (part of our JapanTour14), we were keen to try as many good drams as (sensibly) possible, but especially those which were either unique to Japan, or very difficult to find elsewhere. One that placed a big tick in that first box was this 34yo Glenfarclas Family Cask release, bottled specifically for Shinanoya (a bottle shop in Japan) on 31st July 2013 and distilled in 1979.

Glenfarclas 1979 34yo Family Cask bottled for Shinanoya (52.1% ABV, 34yo, one of 209 bottles from cask 8800, Speyside, Scotland, no longer available)
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Colour: Light gold

Nose: Steph and I walked past a lolly (sweet / confectionary) shop earlier in the day, and this smelled exactly like that - big sugary confectionary notes - boiled lollies most predominantly.

Palate: Easily one of the most unique whiskies I've ever tried. The notes on the nose carry right through, giving big notes of sour warheads and sour gummy worms (Steph got green frogs). There were some honey notes, but they took a big back seat to the sour lollies.

Finish: Medium to long, and sour to the very end. Certainly not what I was expecting.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100. Really good. But REALLY odd. But really good.

Cheers,
Martin (and Steph).

Bushmills Tasting at PJ's Irish Whiskey Bar with Simon McGoram (Tasted #168-172)

Having tasted the Jameson series just before St Pat's day a few weeks back at the CCWC, I was looking forward to embarking on another Irish whiskey journey through the Bushmills whiskey dinner at PJ's Irish Whiskey Bar in Sydney. Given the rising (and continuing) success of Scottish single malt whiskies globally, it will be interesting to see if the Irish distillers follow the path and push through innovative expressions, such as what we have seen recently from Teeling Whiskey Company.

PJ's Irish Whiskey Bar is a whisky bar housed in the upper George Street Irish branded venue, Jacksons on George (as owned by the Gallagher Hotels). The bar itself features your classic Irish whiskies - from Jameson, Tullamore D.E.W, New Middleton, Powers to a range of Bushmills (as featured on the menu for the night). The bar also showcases other whisky expressions from Scotland, America, Japan and Australia.

The Bushmills whiskey dinner was hosted by avid whisky enthusiast Simon McGoram, former Porteño Bar Manager and Co-Owner of the Neighbourhood Bar / Restaurant in Bondi. Upon arriving, we caught up with Simon and checked out the Bushmills line-up for the night:

• Bushmills Original
• Bushmills Black Bush
• Bushmills 10yo
• Bushmills 16yo
• Bushmills 21yo

The Old Bushmills distillery is renowned as the oldest distillery in Ireland, and in the world -- out-aging even the oldest distilleries in Scotland - Glenturret and Bowmore. Founded in 1608 in County Antrim, Ireland, the Old Bushmills distillery has had its fair share of success and chaos. The distillery survived the introduction of the malt tax in the 1800s, destruction of by fire, the tumultuous prohibition era, and world wars. The distillery had recently been featured on Irish banknotes to mark its 400 years anniversary.

The inherent flavour profile of the Bushmills expressions is said to be rather sweet and honey-laden. Like most of its Irish whiskey brethren, Bushmill is triple-distilled in pot stills from unpeated barley. A number of expressions, including the original Bushmills have grain whiskey blended together with the malt whiskey.

 

The Bushmills whiskey dinner paired the Bushmills range with a set of delectable whiskey inspired dishes from light smoked salmon / creme fraiche to match the light Bushmills Original to a reuben, as complemented by the Black Bush and a simple bread and butter pudding finished with a whiskey custard -- taking the flavour profile from the 16yo. The sweet and decadent 21yo was nicely paired with a traditional oatmeal cookie, topped with an Irish Cashel Blue cheese, honey and muscatel raisins. The five course menu was designed by Executive Chef Ronny Ghantous.

So then, onto the series of Bushmills whiskies...

Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey (40% ABV, NAS, Antrim, Ireland, $40AUD)
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A standard, light blended Irish whiskey expression. Much like a number of the light Jameson expressions tasted at CCWC a couple of weeks back.

Colour: Pale amber

Nose: The nose begins with some honey with a citrus peel edge and then some vanilla
Palate: A light, sweet vanilla begins to build on the palate which is then followed by a hint of citrus and toffee and a touch of honey
Finish: Not as long running, rather it was a short finish

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 87/100. It's light, sweet, easy on the palate though fairly un-interesting.

Bushmills Black Bush Irish Whiskey (40% ABV, NAS, Antrim, Ireland, $48AUD)
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A richer NAS blended whiskey with higher malt than grain in the blend and aged in a higher percentage of American oak Oloroso sherry casks.

Colour: Dark caramel

Nose: The Black Bush smells of sherry coupled with crumbs of banana bread, a hint of vanilla of some spices
Palate: The palate is light, though smooth and creamy and exhibits that sherry profile with a hint of vanilla, honey and cinnamon
Finish: Medium finish with heat from the dried spices and lingers with some sherry

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. It's light, smooth, creamy and carries a nice sherry profile -- might be a good candidate for a breakfast Irish whiskey

Bushmills 10 Year Old Irish Whiskey (40% ABV, 10yo, Antrim, Ireland, $60AUD)
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A light and creamy single malt Irish whiskey matured in two woods, bourbon and sherry casks

Colour: Light gold

Nose: The nose smells of pears, vanilla and is that chocolate eclair in there
Palate: Similar to the Black Bush, the palate is light, creamy, vanilla sweet and honey laden. There palate is also slightly nutty towards the end
Finish: A smooth and creamy medium finish and hint of black pepper that lingers on

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 89/100. It's a nice light, creamy and sweet expression; quite a simple expression

Bushmills 16 Year Old Irish Whiskey (40% ABV, 16yo, Antrim, Ireland, $110AUD)
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A rich and creamy single malt expression aged in olorosso sherry and bourbon casks and finished in port wine casks.

Colour: Rusted nail

Nose: The nose hints of chocolate and honey, quite sweet
Palate: Creamy and leathery. There is that hint of sherry, citrus with sweetness from chocolate and custard. The palate then develops into a more nutty toffee profile.
Finish: Quite a long finish that opens up for more

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. The three wood aging process adds to the complexity of the expression though the expression is rich

Bushmills 21 Year Old Irish Whiskey (40% ABV, 21yo, Antrim, Ireland, $230AUD)

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Only 900 cases of this expression are produced annually. An intense, smooth and creamy single malt expression that is aged for 19 years in ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry casks and finished for two years in madeira casks.

Colour: Dark caramel

Nose: Vanilla, chocolate with a hint of citrus and banana
Palate: At first tasting, you can taste the creaminess of the expression with some orange rind, raisins and salted caramel. The palate then proceeds to those malty flavours; toffee, cinnamon, cloves, raisins and a hint of sherry. There is also a touch of licorice towards the end.
Finish: The finish is sweet and dry and lingers on for a bit though not too long.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. A rich, old Irish whiskey that you can have by the fireplace or to complement a rich after-dinner dessert.

When compared to the Jameson expressions, the Bushmills expressions exhibit a more interesting taste profile, with a richer, sweeter note. As the oldest Irish distillery, Bushmills are well-placed to showcase what great expressions Irish distilleries can offer.

- Hendy

TimeforWhisky.com would like to thank Red Agency for the invitation to what was an enjoyable and insightful night at the PJ's Irish Whiskey Bar, Jackson's on George.

Malt Masters Hong Kong 2015 & Charlie Maclean Masterclass

With Martin away in India (visiting Amrut Distilleries - detailed tour write-up soon), it was up to me to pick up the Glencairn and cover two back to back Hong Kong Whisky events. First up - Malt Masters Hong Kong 2015.

Hong Kong whisky enthusiasts (and those new to the whisky world) gathered at PMQ’s "the Qube" on Saturday 14th March to taste, explore and learn about all things whisky. Exhibitors present included many large and well-known brands such as Macallan, Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, Glenrothes, Balvenie, Singleton, Arran, Old Pulteney and Jura. There were also a small number of independent bottlers (Berry’s from Berry Bros & Rudd, Hepburn, The First) and at least one new to the whisky world (Annandale - who aren't yet producing a "whisky", per se).  Although it was great to see so many Scotch whiskies, it would have been nice to see more world whiskies, particularly from other parts of Asia.

The food provided was plentiful with various tasty canapés to line stomachs, and it was great to see a few food exhibitors including Dutch Cheese, whisky ice-cream (!) and deli meats; however this attendee was there for the whisky!

The Charlie MacLean masterclass (pre-purchased as an add-on to the entry price) was informative for whisky beginners through to connoisseurs. Three drams were discussed and tasted (Singleton of Glenord 12 and 18 [created for the Asian market], alongside Talisker 10) and Charlie was eager to answer any simple or tricky questions from the group. Charlie discussed the colour and flavour development of whisky, the fermentation and maturation process and the purpose of different elements in the production-  copper and charcoal being purifiers at different stages of the process, the importance of water quality both during production and when tasting, and the importance of balancing distillery characteristics of whisky with the maturity characteristics. A few gems of knowledge were also thrown into the mix, such as why waxy new make became waxy in the Clynelish distillery (“gunk” in the receiving tank); Glem Ord has the longest fermentation time of all distilleries known to Charlie (more than 80 hours compared to the usual 60-ish hours, resulting in increased flavour complexity); and Diageo own 7 of the 14 distilleries that use wormtubs, which make for a lighter style of whisky.

Overall, the Malt Masters made for a great (and leisurely) afternoon for anyone interested in tasting and learning more about whisky. Great timing with the PMQ night markets held just downstairs for a quick snack on the way home too! There were a few kinks that need to be ironed out for future events (the ticketing process with long lines to enter, the lack of drinking water, and master classes starting and running late), but I am confident that this event will only get bigger and better in future years!

- Steph

Distillery Tour #3: Kavalan Distillery (Taiwan) - Makers of the 2015 World's Best Single Malt Whisky

Third in our Distillery Tour series (don't worry we haven't forgotten about Yamazaki - it's due soon) is the Kavalan Distillery in Taiwan. Or should we say, the distillery responsible for the World's Best Single Malt Whisky 2015, as crowned by the World Whiskies Awards in London last week.

Just a few weeks before the Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength picked up the coveted title, Steph and I were lucky enough to be treated to a private tour of the distillery (which was very lucky, considering the regular tours are in Mandarin, which neither of us speak).

Located in Yuanshan, a rural township in Yilan County (about 1hr 20m away from Taipei city), the Kavalan Distillery really is a sight to behold. Much like its parent, the King Car group, the distillery is absolutely massive, with everything done on a grand scale - the grounds, the warehouses, even the tasting room.

..but what really fascinated us, before all that, was Yilan County itself. Kilometer upon kilometer upon kilometer of flat, water-filled plots, some with shacks and run-down houses, some with modern mansions. Truly unlike anything we'd ever seen before (the photos below don't do it justice - but believe us when we say the landscape was like this for a good 30-40 minutes before we got to the distillery). Simply amazing.

Unfortunately Ian Chang (Master Distiller, who we met at The Whisky Show 2014 in Sydney) wasn't on site, but nevertheless we were given a very enjoyable tour by an enthusiastic tour guide who showed us the ins and outs of the distillery.

Kavalan obtain their barley already malted from the UK, Sweden and Finland, and don't do any in-house malting (though if they wanted to, they'd certainly have enough room!) Producing 3 million bottles a year, with the average cask aged for 3-4 years, means you need some serious storage facilities. In addition to the incredible 5 story warehouse they currently have, at the time of our visit, the distillery were constructing another. Unsurprising really, given the popularity in recent years. Due to frequent earthquakes in the region, the casks are bound 4 at a time, to reduce the risk of them toppling over - particularly those racked towards the top.

As with many distilleries, casks are a mix of port pipes, sherry butts and bourbon barrels, with the type of cask identifiable by a unique code on the front (and of course, the shape / size). The 3 casks below, first filled in 2006, were the first Kavalan casks to be filled (when you think about it, to win the World's Best Single Malt is a pretty incredible achievement for a distillery that's only been producing for 9 years!

Interestingly, in addition to the regular spirit/wash stills producing the single malt that has made Kavalan famous, the distillery has recently installed a number of other, very different German stills, which are intended to produce gin and brandy. Watch this space.

The tour itself (which I should point out, is completely free) is, in a similar fashion to the Suntory Hakushu Distillery we tourd back in December, somewhat of a "standard" tour. You see the mashing, you see the fermentation, you see the distillation, you see the barrel houses, and then you go into the tasting room. It's enjoyable, and you do get to see a few close-ups (such as some sample grains, open casks, new make spirit / whisky at various stages of aging in different casks), but you're not going to try a single cask whisky straight from the barrel, or taste a new make with your hands. From the looks of it, the distillery simply gets too many visitors each year to offer any specialist tours. It's certainly a popular tourist destination.

Unlike the aforementioned Hakushu Distillery tour, the tasting at the end of the tour is of one whisky only - the Kavalan Classic Single Malt 40% (4yo). There are nosing bottles on each table to allow tasters to nose each Kavalan expression (including the award winning Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength), but they aren't for tasting.

What the distillery shop offers, however, is 50mL sample bottles of every expression, along with a limited distillery-only peated 7yo expression (housed in a stunning presentation box, and available for a very reasonable ~$350HKD / $57AUD). If there are two things I really like to see in a distillery shop, it's a distillery-only expression that doesn't cost the earth, and a large range of samples. Tick, tick. Well done, Kavalan.

Was the tour worth doing? Yes, absolutely. While it might not be the most interactive of distillery tours you'll go on, you'll get to see whisky distillation / aging on a simply massive scale, in a country that just a few short years ago no-one would have thought could produce a decent whisky, let alone a world-beater.

A few tips if you do plan to visit:

• As mentioned, the distillery is a decent drive from Taipei (it took us about 1h 20m in a taxi), and if you're not driving yourself, your options are pretty limited. Our hotel (the excellent W Taipei) arranged a taxi for us, who waited at the distillery and drove us back. If you're not driving, I'd suggest doing something similar.
• If you are driving though, there's plenty of parking (of course it goes without saying - don't drink and drive, but this isn't like some Scottish distilleries where you'll be tasting 4-5 whiskies at the end).
• Book ahead, and if you don't speak Mandarin, see if you can arrange an English tour.

With Ian Chang (Kavalan Master Distiller) the day after his 
"Best Single Malt 2015" win, in London.

Cheers,

Steph & Martin.

Tasted #167: Glenfiddich Age of Discovery "Dawin Edition" Red Wine cask 19yo

Considering this whisky is the first in my #101drams list, and I actually purchased this bottle around two years ago (and took these notes about 9 months ago), it's taken me way too long to get this post up (2 years and 2 months after tasting the Age of Discovery Bourbon Cask, in fact).

Oh well, better late than never...


Glenfiddich Age of Discovery "Dawin Edition" Red Wine cask (40% ABV, 19yo, Speyside, Scotland, $158AUD)

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Colour: Dark gold
Nose: Instantly recognisable as a 'fiddich. Pears (stewed this time), but slightly dusty and more earthy than other 'fiddichs. Sweet too - would have guessed there'd be some bourbon-matured stock in it if I'd nosed it blind.

Palate: Big, sweet, citrus zest. Fills the mouth well for 40% ABV. Quickly changes to a drying, berry flavour, with mouth-puckering tannins

Finish: Dry! Relatively short. Tannic but smooth to the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100. I really enjoyed this. It starts off like a regular Glenfiddich, then takes a massive detour, while remaining just as enjoyable.

Cheers,

Martin.

Tasted #166: Elements of Islay AR 4 Ardbeg (#101drams)

First tasting notes from our visit to Campbelltoun Loch are thanks to the Elements of Islay series - specifically Ardbeg Release #4.

Having tried a few of Elements' full strength, NAS, small batch releases (sometimes from single casks, sometimes not), I was keen to try one of their Ardbeg expressions - so much so, that I put one on my #101drams challenge. So here we go...


Elements of Islay AR4 (58.1% ABV, NAS Islay, Scotland, no longer available)
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Colour: Vibrant coppery gold.
Nose: Subtle peat smoke and some raspberry notes. Fruity sweetness, but not overpowering.
Palate: Still subtle smoke. Campfire smoke mostly - mossy, earthy, grassy smoke. Some sweet shortbread notes towards the end.
Finish: Long, smooth and campfire-smoky.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 89/100. A nice dram but there are no real standout characteristics.

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #165: Johnnie Walker "The Royal Route" (#101drams)

The third, final, and most expensive release in Johnnie Walker's at-times controversial "Explorers' Club Collection" - "The Royal Route"* released after "Spice Road" and "The Gold Route", was unleashed on travel retail markets around the world in October 2013.

In my #101drams - a charitable challenge, I mentioned that I hoped to tick this one off after a May 2013 trip. Well, it took a little longer than that, but after countless trips I finally saw it for tasting at a duty-free shop in Japan's Narita Airport, in January 2015...


Johnnie Walker Explorer's Club Collection "The Royal Route" (40% ABV, NAS, Scotland, $159USD)
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Colour: Light gold.

Nose: Butterscotch and caramel. Some pineapple.

Palate: Grainy at first, with more pineapple (pineapple cakes more than fresh pineapple). Sweet toffee and caramel.

Finish: Short, sweet and smooth.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 88/100. A fine and fitting end to the collection, though unlikely to challenge a die-hard Single Malt fan.

Cheers,
Martin.

* Could have sworn I saw this called the "Royal Silk Route" prior to its release, so perhaps it had a name before being released. Either way, it's officially called "The Royal Route".

Tasted #164: Teeling Whiskey Single Grain Irish Whiskey

Way back over 100 tastes ago, we discussed Teeling's Small Batch Irish Whiskey, and really enjoyed the value for money it provided, as well as its points of difference (46% ABV, non chill-filtered, Rum cask-aged, Irish) in a market increasingly filled with 40% ABV chill-filtered Scotch whiskies.

Fast forward to 2015 and the chaps at Teeling Whiskey Company (who are rapidly increasing their presence in Australia) kindly sent me a sample of the newly Australian-released Teeling Whiskey Single Grain Irish Whiskey (as well as a spiffy Teeling tweed cap, and another sample which I'll keep hush hush for now, but will be hitting Australian shelves later this year...).

Continuing with the unique cask aging, Teeling have completely aged this whiskey in Californian Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks. Having tried many a wine cask aged whisk(e)y before, and generally enjoyed their unique nature, I was very keen to try this, especially since hearing it won the "World's Best Grain" at the World Whiskies Awards last year.

The whole Teeling range is only available at Dan Murphy's in Australia (no word on Hong Kong availability yet), and this particular bottle sells for a very reasonable $59.95.

Teeling Whiskey Single Grain Irish Whiskey (46% ABV, NAS, Dublin Ireland, $59.95)
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Colour: Vibrant coppery gold.

Nose: Rich, with citrus and blueberry notes up front, and some confectionary sweetness following. Very enjoyable - one of those whiskies you hope doesn't then let you down with a thin, anaemic palate...

Palate: ....and it doesn't! Big and rich at first, with lots of spice and some berry notes carrying through. It quickly becomes very drying (a feature we've found with almost all red wine cask-aged whiskies we've tried), with some residual sweetness at the end. More-ish.

Finish: Drying and tannic, and enjoyable, with subtle hints of spice, but far too short.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. Another winner from Teeling. Grain whisky may not yet be in the mainstream (though David Beckham is doing his best to change that), but I think this Teeling Single Grain will have a good chance of putting it there (and I'd happily drink it over Haig Club!)

Bar Review #14: Campbelltoun Loch (Tokyo, Japan)

A few weeks ago we posted up the first bar review from our recent Japan trip, namely Zoetrope in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and talked about their incredible and well-priced range of Japanese whisky.

Well, what Zoetrope is to Japanese whisky, Campbelltoun Loch is to Scottish whisky.

Also located in Tokyo, Campbelltoun Loch re-defined my image of a "small bar". We all know Sydney has some great "small" bars, but they're palaces, mansions even, compared to Campbelltoun Loch. I'd almost bet there are a lot of Sydney bars with stockrooms larger Campbelltoun Loch. 

See for yourself (my back was against the front door taking this picture):

But size is hardly an indicator of a quality bar, and Campbelltoun Loch have done their best to fill every single inch of the bar with quality whisky - the overwhelming majority of it Scottish, with a good mixture of both Original and Independent bottlings.

While there may only be room for 8 patrons, the staff (that'd be Nakamura Nobuyuki, the sole guy behind the bar in the photo above), clearly passionate about Scotch whisky, makes sure everyone feels welcome, regardless of which of their 300+ open bottles they choose to dram from.

The atmosphere was jovial but refined, with subtle jazz tunes filling the room and a mostly older (but very friendly) crowd. A brief look at the shelf confirms that whilst Nakamura may have been running Campbelltoun Loch for "only" 16 years, his collection of whisky goes well beyond that...

As with a lot of the Japanese whisky bars we visited, there's no menu and with such a variety (and my not terribly good eyesight), it was hard to see everything that was on offer. Prices were reasonable, with a dram of Balvenie 15yo Single Barrel (the new Sherry one) selling for about $90HKD/$15AUD, and as with almost all the bars we visited, half-drams were available (have I made it clear yet that Japan really is whisky lovers heaven? Because It is...)

There's a reasonable amount of world whiskies, including a single Sullivans Cove (from Australia) and Teeling 21 (from Ireland), but Scotch is clearly the focus.

Campbelltoun Loch can be a little tricky to find (though the address details and photo below should help), but it's absolutely worth the trouble. Whisky fans could do worse than a few drams at the Park Hotel's SMWS Society bar (review up soon), followed by a few nightcaps here. Or vice versa.

Campbelltoun Loch, Tokyo
Address: 1-6-8 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku
Nearest station: Yurakucho or Hibiya (exit A4)

Cheers.

Martin.