Whisky Live Tokyo 2015 (Part 1): Whisky Live Tokyo Party

It was only a few months ago that the stars aligned and I ended up in London (on a short work trip) at the same time as Whisky Live London 2015. Fast forward to September, and I again found myself on a work trip that also conveniently coincided with another Whisky Live - Tokyo, this time. 

(This might not seem overly strange, if it wasn't for the fact that I don't work in the spirits or whisky industry at all - this blog is just a hobby through which I can indulge my passion...)

Unlike previous years, when it was part of the Tokyo Bar Show (which we also visited this year), Whisky Live Tokyo stood on its own for 2015. After some help from the friendly Stefan of Nonjatta, I finally learned that the event actually comprised two parts:

• A "Whisky Live Party" on Friday night, at the Park Hotel (home to "The Society" SMWS bar that we visited earlier this year); and
• "Modern Malt Market" - the more typical whisky show, with booths, talks, brand reps etc...

Tickets were hastily purchased, and the countdown began...

Whisky Live Party Tokyo 2015

Being a convenient 30 second walk from my hotel, I made my way over to the Park Hotel just before the show was due to begin, and did a lap to see what was on offer. The best way to describe the party would be like a smaller, more intimate whisky show. 200 people and 70 different whiskies, in a quieter, more refined setting.

After being handed a Brew Dog palate cleanser (side note: Japan seems to love Brew Dog!) and my sheet of 20 tokens, the first bottle I noticed was an Ichiro's Malt "Cards Series" Hanyu Colour Joker - a vatting of Hanyus from 1985-2000. Despite quite a few bottles (3,690 to be precise) being produced, these bottles are still highly collectible and fetch a pretty penny at auction. Fair to say this one wasn't going to last long...

A few other gems I spotted before the official opening were a 42yo WM Cadenhead indepedent bottling from The Glenlivet, a fair selection of SMWS bottles, the 2014 Yamazaki Mizunara, and plenty more. Soon enough it was time to start sampling.

Unsurprisingly about 8 minutes into the party, the Colour Joker (costing 7 of our 20 tokens) was empty. I'd tried it a few months earlier, but couldn't resist another dram so made sure I got in early. With big creamy orange notes on the nose and toasted oak, leather and red berry compote on the palate, it was as enjoyable as I'd remembered.

Next up was the 42yo The Glenlivet from WM Cadenhead, who were well represented at both the party and the show the next day. At 40.2% ABV, it's fair to say this one may not have seen it's 43rd birthday had it stayed in the barrel, but 42yo is still a mighty impressive feat nonetheless. With ripe peaches on the nose and an oaky, thin and smooth body, it was an enjoyable dram but nothing overly special - somewhat typical of the majority of well-aged (40yo +) independent bottlings we've come across.

By this point I'd run out of my 20 tokens, so quickly purchased another 10 (2000yen - approx $22AUD / $130HKD) which led me to the 2014 Sherry Cask release from Hakushu. I did find the number of tokens a little stingy (especially when considering the event didn't include a take-home glass, OR any included food), but I guess there were some pretty special drams on offer, and they had to ration them somehow.

Steph and I tried the Yamazaki 2014 Sherry Cask back in December last year (at the bargain price of about $3AUD / $17HKD for a dram - thanks Japan!) so I was keen to see how the earthier Hakushu spirit fared in similar maturation. Turns out - very well. Truly an excellent sherry bomb, with plenty of rich fruity Christmas cake notes whilst retaining that trademark earthy characteristic.

After a few more drams, and a chat with the legends from Melbourne's Whisky + Alement who were also in town, it was time to hear from our host for the night - whisky legend Dave Broom. Dave (donning a kilt, of course) gave a brief overview of what he's been up to, having not been to Japan in 2 years, then introduced the guests for the night - Akuto-san (Chichibu master distiller and industry legend), Fukuya-san (Suntory Chief Blender and the man responsible for Hibiki), Sakuma-san (Nikka chief blender), and Tanaka-san of Fuji Gotemba / Kirin.

Each briefly discussed the event, the Japanese whisky scene and their own whiskies, and engaged in a brief Q&A with Dave. When finished, we realised time was quickly running out to use our left over tokens (this was a 2 hour party after all, not an all-day show).

With remaining tokens in hands, it was off to the Nikka table to try a limited 21yo Port Wood Taketsuru blend released for the 80th Anniversary in 2014. With a sweet madeira nose (with hints of sweet pastries and icing), a big smoky palate with caramel and strawberry notes, and a long smoky finish with lingering demerara sugar hints, this was a surprising and enjoyable blend.

Time was almost up, but I managed to sneak a few final drams including a unique (to me) triple-distilled BenRiach 16yo sherry cask from 1989 (with lots of walnuts and glacé cherries on the nose, and a lemon peel zestiness with tapioca on the palate) and two single cask Nikkas (one a Miyagikyo, one a Yoichi) - both also from 1989.

When all was said and done, it was a great night and a nice change from the regular format of whisky shows. Even though some aspects could be improved (food could have been provided, a souvenir glass would have been nice, as would a few more tokens) considering the quality and rarity of the drams on offer, and the ticket price (5000yen - $56AUD / $320HKD) I'd still say the show was good value, and would happily return.

Keep an eye out for Part 2 which will cover Modern Malt Whisky Market Tokyo 2015 - the larger show on the following day.

Cheers,
Martin.

The Dalmore dinner with Richard Paterson (Hong Kong)

We've had the pleasure of meeting some absolute whisky legends over the past few months, and last night that trend continued with perhaps one of the most well-known figures of all - Richard Paterson of Whyte & Mackay, The Dalmore and Jura - aka "The Nose".

Richard, who recently celebrated 45 years with Whyte & Mackay (and an incredible 49.5 years in the industry) was in Hong Kong to promote The Dalmore, and in conjunction with Telford Hong Kong (responsible for The Dalmore in HK) and Emperador Distillers (owners of Whyte & Mackay and The Dalmore), hosted an intimate dinner at Hullett House's St George restaurant in TST.

The stunning Hullett House in TST (please excuse the inescapable lens-fogging humidity!)

Arriving a little early at Hullet House's bar (Whisky @ Stables), I found Richard and a few others and was quickly handed a dram (King Alexander III) and invited to join in the conversation. I'd seen a lot of Richard's showmanship on YouTube (exhibit A) but wondered what he was like in person, one-on-one. Turns out - a truly, genuinely delightful bloke. Friendly, welcoming, and genuinely interested in others. We chatted for a while (about the Hong Kong and Australian whisky scenes, small bars, Japan, whisky auctions, travel and fake whisky) before the crowd started to grow and the cocktails arrived.

While the King Alexander III was a great way to start the night, with the weather still hot and humid outside, and showing no signs of letting up, the cocktail (a tall drink with The Dalmore 12, Aperol, apricot liqueur topped with ginger ale) was most welcome and hit the spot perfectly (side note: It's almost mid-October...shouldn't the humidity be dropping soon!?)

Not long after it was time to move over to St George for the main event - a 5 course meal paired with a selection of The Dalmore whiskies, held in the colonial-themed "JP Hennessy" room - complete with dining tables made from original timber dating back to Hullett House's colonial days.

Richard opened proceedings by explaining his role as Master Distiller at The Dalmore, commenting that he's been through "10 takeovers and 19 different bosses" in those years. Richard got quickly into his trademark showmanship, talking through the history of The Dalmore (and his own family's 3 generations of whisky involvement) with the use of props, photo boards, drams and even a bottle of Gonzalez Byass Matusalem 30 year old Oloroso sherry - former casks of which significantly shape a number of The Dalmore expressions.

After a run through of Richard's infamous "Hello", "How are you", "Quite well, thank you very much" approach to nosing, it was time for the first courses - Crab and Cucumber Roll and 52 Degree Salmon, matched with The Dalmore 15yo.

The strong flavours of the King crab in the first dish paired well with the spicy notes of the 15yo, and the 15yo added an interesting sweetness, almost sherbert-like, to the salmon. Whisky pairings can be tough to execute, but it seems like we were off to a great start.

After both courses, Richard was up again to talk through The Dalmore 18, which sees 14 years in American white oak, and a further 4 years in the aforementioned Gonzalez Byass Matusalem Oloroso casks. The 18 was paired with Foie Gras Ravioli, with Pancetta chips and black truffle bouillon cappuccino.

Though I'm not typically a foie gras fan, this was an absolutely stunning dish, with the 18yo's coffee / mocha notes playing particularly nicely with the truffle.

Sitting only one seat away from Richard afforded a great opportunity to chat, and those of us nearby made the most of it asking about his famous nose insurance (no longer in place after the premiums became too exorbitant) and the rush of new distilleries in Scotland (some of which he feels won't survive, and the remainder of which he feels will really need to differentiate themselves and ensure they can get a constant supply of casks). 

We also discussed the topic of whisky finishing and various oak types, which led us nicely onto the next whisky, The Dalmore King Alexander III.

The Dalmore King Alexander III, as Richard explained, is finished in a whopping 6 different casks (Port, Madeira, Marsala, Cabernet Sauvignon, Small Batch Bourbon and Matuselm Oloroso) and is designed to give rich plummy characteristics. Despite not carrying an age statement, King Alexander III is typically 20 years old, and this particular bottle was 22-23 years old, with all component whiskies having been distilled in 1992. At 40% "because that's how I wanted it" (Richard's words), it's an approachable, elegant dram, which was matched with USDA Beef striploin, with potato gratin, onion confit and balsamic vinegar beef jus.

Another fantastic pairing, the King Alexander III brought out some incredible smokey maple syrup notes in the dish, with hints of citrus and some rich toffee notes towards the end.

The last whisky on the menu was listed as "Richard's Surprise" and speculation was rife as to what it might have been. Richard eventually ended the debate and introduced it as The Dalmore 25yo, bottled at 42% ABV and in limited quantities of 3,000 bottles per year. Richard said this pairing (with Chocolate mousse, berry belly and raspberry sorbet) was particularly good, and made us promise to appreciate the pairing first.

May have dived into this one a little too eagerly before remembering to take a photo...

...which we did, and wow, it was stunning. The rich cocoa and berry notes of the 25yo paired brilliantly with the same flavours in the dish, to create what was easily the pairing of the night.

A fitting end, you might think, but no, Richard had one more dram up his sleeve - The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve, bottled at 44% ABV and containing a mixture of 70% sherry-matured whisky, 20% American white-oak matured whisky and 10% cab sauv barrique-matured whisky. It had been years since I'd tried this dram, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time - probably more, considering I was sitting next to the man responsible for it!

Having tried the entirety of The Dalmore's "The Principal Collection", along with some truly stunning food, it was time to bid Richard farewell and head home, a fantastic night had by all in attendance.

Cheers,

Martin.

TimeforWhisky would like to thank Telford Hong Kong, Emperador Distillers, Hullett House and of course Richard Paterson for what was a truly enjoyable and memorable evening.

Tasted #220: Connemara 12 Year Old

Following a recent masterclass at The Wild Rover (home to the CCWC) I took the chance to try and further my whisky passport, a great ploy by the folks at The Wild Rover to get you to try all sorts of whiskies from all over the world.

Having spoken to one of the guys from Dram Full at a recent Irish whisky masterclass, the Connemara came up in the conversation and was described as a peated Irish whiskey that certainly does not fare like a conventional Irish whiskey, nor a conventional peated whiskey. Connemara whiskies, from the Cooley distillery, it was said, have a mild, balanced peated character that subtly presents the peat along with the all the exciting notes that are inherent with the malt.

From the whisky slab, four Connemara whiskies were listed; the Connemara Single Malt, Connemara Cask Strength, Connemara 12yo and Connemara Turf Mor (the Octomore of Connemara -- the 'high peat' expression). Unfortunately, only the Connemara 12yo was available that night with all the other expressions on backorder, so it was off then to try the Connemara 12yo.

Connemara 12 Year Old (40% ABV, 12yo, Kilbeggan, Ireland, $140AUD)
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A great tasting peated Irish whiskey that balances the gentle smoke with creamy, citrus, tropical fruit and spice notes. Not a bad dram to have on any spring night.

Colour: Light gold with a tinge of amber hue

Nose: Deliciously fragrant on the nose with notes of banana, cherry, strawberry, pineapple - loads of tropical fruits

Palate: The palate is clean, creamy with a subtle strawberry note that then develops into a more punchy peppery palate and then the gentle peat finally rolls in.

Finish: Medium to long, dry finish with a lingering Taiwanese pineapple cake note.

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

Cheers,
Hendy

Russell's Reserve Small Batch Launch with Jimmy and Eddie Russell (Tasted #218-219)

Wild Turkey Master Distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell visited Australia in August to unveil the new Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Small Batch. The visit by the Russells also coincided with Eddie's recent promotion to the role of Wild Turkey's Master Distiller, where he will work closely with Jimmy on the production and to influence upcoming whiskies, especially in the Russell's Reserve line-up. It is amazing to see Eddie follow in Jimmy's footsteps, having worked his way to the top - from being a Relief Operator then spending many years as Wild Turkey's Associate Master Distiller.

This local launch was quite exciting as we saw the new Single Barrel Small Batch release join the existing Russell's Reserve 10 Year Old bourbon, and also the soon to be released Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Rye expression that was hinted by Eddie during the event. Though a US release only at the moment, we hope it is only a matter of time before we see the rye single barrel expression locally.

The event, held at Sydney's Four Seasons Hotel's Grain Bar, saw Jimmy and Eddie Russell mingle with bourbon lovers and whiskey advocates alike. Jimmy and Eddie were quite ecstatic being in Australia, noting that Australia is an important market to them, being the second biggest market for Wild Turkey outside US. It is always pleasing to hear the importance of the local market from Master Distillers as it can tend to influence future releases locally and also provide insight into the maturity of the local whisk(e)y market. Jimmy also spoke of the interesting change in the consumption of Wild Turkey (and other bourbon) since he started working at the Wild Turkey distillery in 1954 - back then bourbon being much more of a gentleman's drink.

The Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve Single Barrel expression has been curated from around 150 to 200 barrels that have been selected for each small batch. The inherent spice notes that come with all Wild Turkey and Russell's Reserve expressions are present with the Single Barrel and are complemented with creamy vanilla and subtle cherry sweetness notes.

Jimmy and Eddie Russell gathered all of us together halfway through the night to join in on the tasting of the Single Barrel Small Batch and also, a treat of the rather limited Wild Turkey 17 Year Old Master's Keep Bourbon expression, supposedly Jimmy's choice of dram before heading out.

Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Small Batch (55% ABV, NAS, OB, Kentucky, USA, $69.99AUD)

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The Single Barrel Small Batch expression is big, rich and bold and prominently showcases the spice notes along with the sweetness of creamy vanilla and butterscotch. The 55% ABV also provides a nice warming sensation to the overall finish.

Colour: Deep copper (with an amber hue).

Nose: A whiff of peppermint that is followed by rich sweet notes, layers of honey, creamy vanilla, butterscotch and then some cinnamon and clove spices come through.

Palate: The palate is big and spicy, clove spice notes are initially present then followed by the rich sweetness from the nose, the creamy vanilla, caramel and some cherry notes.

Finish: The finish is long and warm, most likely from the high ABV and the big spicy note fizzles out into a lingering sweetness. Big, rich and bold.

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


.. and then the onto the Wild Turkey 17 Year Old Master's Keep Bourbon.


Wild Turkey 17 Year Old Master's Keep Bourbon (43.4% ABV, 17yo, OB, Kentucky, USA, $199.99AUD)

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Colour: Gold

Nose: The nose is less sweet than the Single Barrel Small Batch. There is cinnamon roll in the glass with a hint of butterscotch and then some peppermint. Star anise spice notes follow.

Palate: The palate presents sweet nougat notes and it is almost chalky - with a slight grainy texture that transforms into black peppery spice.

Finish: Medium finish with a lingering sweetness.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 88/100.

Overall, the Single Barrel Small Batch is a great expression, even compared to the 17 Year Old Master's Keep expression. Then again, personally, I do love a rich, big and bold expression. The one thing I am looking forward to is the single barrel rye release here locally. Perhaps then we can line up the single barrel rye against the six year old rye and also with the conventional 10 year old bourbon.

Cheers,
Hendy

TimeforWhisky.com would like to thank Trish Nicol Agency for the invitation to the launch event with Jimmy and Eddie Russell.

PR #29: Master of Malt Whisky Advent Calendars

Hands up who loved the lead up to Christmas as a kid, excitedly opening up their little advent calendar windows, one each day (or more, if you were impatient like me) to get at the chocolate inside?

More than a few of you, no doubt.

You might be grown up now (and if you aren't, you shouldn't be reading this blog!) but that doesn't mean you have to give up the 25 days of joy that an advent calendar brings. Enter - Drinks by the Dram's Christmas Advent Calendars.

I remember a few years ago when these advent calendars were first released - there was only one (or maybe two), and while I really wanted one, I never got around to getting one (I have since sampled many a whisky through Master of Malt's 'Drinks by the Dram' samples however, which form the basis of these calendars).

Fast forward a few years and now there's a whole bunch of calendars - from the basic "Whisky Advent Calendar" (£149.95) to the "Premium Whisky Advent Calendar" (£249.95) and right through to the "Old and Rare Whisky Advent Calendar" (£999.95), which includes goodies such as the 60 year old Speysider (see our tasting notes here), an OB Port Ellen, an OB Macallan 25, an old Glenfarclas Family Cask, a single cask Ardbeg, Brora 35 and more. What a way to spend the leadup to Christmas....

There are even now "Ginvent", Rum and Cognac calendars, and even a "chilli vodka" calendar (the latter we think might be taking it a bit far...). You can see the full line-up of drams in each calendar if you really want to know, or keep it as a surprise.

Calendars are available for pre-order now, with shipping expected by the end of October. The full list of available calendars can be found here.

Cheers,
Martin.

This week in whisk(e)y #23 - Laphroaig Live returns home, Ardbeg in Space, New Bunnahabhain / Deanston / Ledaigs, New Johnnie Walker campaign, New Wemyss limited edition whisky, 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...

Laphroaig Live 2015 - Live Stream Friday 25th September
Laphroaig Live, that live annual celebration of all things Laphroaig, returns home to Islay this year, for the 200th Anniversary Celebration. Fear not though if you're not one of the 100 lucky folks to attend live though, there'll be a live webstream available and if it's anything like last year's (where over 60,000 people attended) it'll be a blast.

The action happens on Friday 25th September (this Friday!) in HK and Australia - 3am HKT / 5am AEST time (Thursday 24th September 8pm UK time). Of particular interest this year is the lineup to be tasted, which includes not a single bottle that was available this time last year! 2015 FoL Cairdeas, Laphroaig 15yo (2015 release), Laphroaig 21yo FoL release and Laphroaig 32yo will all be featured, introduced and tasted by a panel including Distillery Manager John Campbell (who Hendy met recently in Sydney) along with noted whisky writers and TV celebrities.

See http://www.laphroaig.com/live for all the action, where you can even download your own tasting mat to join in the fun.


Ardbeg in space - white paper released
From one Islay distillery story to another...

When we had lunch with Dr Bill Lumsden the other day, we learnt that his in-depth white paper on the "Ardbeg in Space" experimentation was due for imminent release.

According to the site, The key aims of the experiment were:

(i) To determine if conditions of micro-gravity would have an impact on the range of naturally occurring terpene compounds and on the extraction
of key flavour-active compounds in oak wood by Scotch malt distillate.

(ii) To assess the impact of maturation in conditions of micro-gravity on the flavour profile of oak matured distillate.

(iii) To investigate the presence of novel compounds and flavours in model maturation systems for Scotch malt distillate, as a result of conditions of micro-gravity.

The white paper now been released, and can be found here. You'll have to read on to find out the specific differences Dr Bill noted (suffice to say, there were many), but it makes for some interesting reading, especially if you like to geek out of the chemical side of whisky.




"Joy will take you further" - new Johnnie Walker campaign
Focusing on those who have found success through having a "joyful outlook on life", this new global Johnnie Walker campaign is set to be one of the largest the brand has ever launched.

The video (see below) represents a more energetic, "fun" angle than previous campaigns in our opinion - and there's nothing wrong with that.

"Launching globally on 16th September 2015 and set to go live in Hong Kong 17th September 2015, the pioneering campaign delves into the unique science behind whether happiness can help you succeed. For the study the brand is partnering with US-based psychologist and scientist Dr Matt Killingsworth, who has reviewed decades of scientific research in his study of the topic.

As an expert on the science, Killingsworth suggests that people need to re-think the conventional approach. “People sometimes think of happiness as a far-off, distant prize only to be won by their years of hard work or when they achieve conventional markers of success, like a higher income or a bigger house. But there is a growing body of evidence to say that enjoying happiness along the journey makes success more likely,” he commented. “While we can’t necessarily be happy all the time, the broad range of benefits happiness offers, gives us a new reason to pursue happiness at work and in life.”

Joining the campaign are some of the world’s most successful people, who are among a growing number of those advocating a new approach to life, fuelled by the belief that joy is a major key to progress. Names include McLaren Honda driver Jenson Button, Oscar-nominated actor Jude Law and Chinese actor Zhao Wei, who believe that happiness actually helps people achieve more.

Actor Jude Law said: “Keeping positive and finding joy every day in the job that I do is part of my philosophy and I think that’s one of the things that has helped me keep moving forward in my career.”

Guy Escolme, Johnnie Walker® Global Brand Director added: “As a brand Johnnie Walker® has always stood for progress – it’s been the story of our whisky since our founder John Walker started it all nearly 200 years ago. What two centuries of experience have taught us is that progress doesn’t have to be an endless uphill journey – we can enjoy the steps we take and the more happiness we find in them the more likely we are to achieve our goal. Evidence is confirming a conviction that sits at the heart of our brand: Joy Will Take You Further.””

Burn Stewart Distillers to launch second batch of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies
Burn Stewart Distillers is shortly about to release the second batch of three award-winning expressions from its single malt portfolio: Bunnahabhain Ceòbanach, Deanston 18YO and Ledaig 18YO. The new batch of Bunnahabhain Ceòbanach will be introduced at the end of October 2015, while the 18YOs will be released at the end of November 2015.

Quoting the press release:

"Each of the three expressions embody the craftsmanship and innovation for which Burn Stewart is known, and are amongst the last created by Master Distiller Ian MacMillan before he departs the company next month.

Bunnahabhain Ceòbanach has an unusually rich, complex character, marrying ex bourbon cask sweetness with intense Islay malt peatiness and subtle hints of the sea. Deanston 18YO displays the whisky’s signature profile of sweet, honeyed fruit, and is distinguished by its aromatic and balanced notes of American oak and hints of tobacco and nutmeg. While Ledaig 18YO is a wonderfully smoky island single malt which balances sweet and floral aromas with the richness and warmth of sea salt and smoke.

All three expressions are un-chill filtered, meaning that nothing is added or taken away, leaving the spirit exactly as nature intended. The new bottles will be  distributed across key international markets including: UK, North America, Europe, Asia and Australia."

Wemyss Malts launches limited edition "Kiln Embers" whisky
We've been fans of Wemyss whiskies for a while now, having tried a few cracking ones at Whisky Live London 2015. Recently announced is a new limited edition to complement the current line-up of blends - 'Kiln Embers', a smoky addition blended with double the amount of smoky Islay malt whisky than its sister whisky, Peat Chimney.

"Following its popular 2014 limited release, Velvet Fig, Wemyss Malts has created this no-age statement expression to offer an additional peaty dimension to its blended malt range. Kiln Embers is also non-chill-filtered and bottled at 46% abv. With a limited release of just 12,000 bottles globally, it is presented in a gift carton and will be available in specialist spirits stores at around £42 [No word on HK or AU pricing yet]

Like the rest of the Wemyss Malts blended malts selection, Kiln Embers is named after the whisky's natural flavours and aromas. The whisky's name and gift carton are inspired by the barley malting process where peat is added to a kiln to develop the smoky flavours found in this whisky. On the nose, snuffed smoke mingles with salted lemons and sweet cure bacon; while oats and orange peel toast over embers and heathery peat on the palate; resulting in a sweet smoke finish.

William Wemyss, Managing Director of Wemyss Malts, commented: "When I started this business in 2005, I never envisaged the amazing breadth of flavours to be found in whiskies. Our new "Kiln Embers" is even smokier than our existing smoky favourite Peat Chimney and is a fitting celebration of our ten years in the industry. "

Glenfiddich announces winner of Artists in Residence competition
Glenfiddich recently announced the winner of their inaugural "Artists in Residence" Australian competition - a competition which first began in Scotland in 2002 and has seen over 100 artists mentored and tutored during 3 month "in-residence" experiences at the Glenfiddich distillery.

"Glenfiddich is proud to announce dual Blackheath and Bondi resident Joan Ross as the winner of the inaugural Australian Glenfiddich Artists in Residence Competition.

Opened to Australian residents for the first time, the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence Competition invited artists to enter their work, using any array of mediums which include, but are not limited to print, photography, animation, performance and installation.

The judging panel lead by Glenfiddich Artists in Residence Curator Andy Fairgrieve and including the Sydney Contemporary International Art Fair Advisory Council, made up by Australian actress Rachel Griffiths, former Lord Mayor Lucy Turnbull AO, Sue Kato, Mark Hughes, Nick Tobias, Dr Gene Sherman and Evan Williams.

The judges were so impressed by the calibre of the entries they selected seven finalists instead of the originally planned five. The final seven included Joan Ross, Cameron Robbins, Marc Standing, Luke Storrier, Liam Benson, Deb Mansfield and Troy Emery.

Joan was chosen as the winner as her body of work not only demonstrates her technique and skill as an artist through her hand painted prints and digital animations, but each of her works tells a unique story about Australian colonisation. Her use of Hi Vis Fluro is a feature throughout her work which is something she noticed an influx of after 9/11, and it is according to Joan “alien to the landscape and a metaphor for colonisation.”

“Given the incredible standard and quality of the seven finalists, it was never going to be an easy task to choose just one to join our residency program next summer at distillery, however I feel we have an outstanding artist and personality with Joan,” said Glenfiddich Artists in Residence Curator Andy Fairgrieve.

The residency will take place in 2016 where Joan will have the opportunity to live and work for three months at the Glenfiddich distillery in Dufftown, Scotland alongside artists from Scotland, India, China Taiwan, Canada and Korea.

For more information visit http://www.glenfiddich.com/ or http://www.williamgrant.com/. For further information on Joan’s work visit Michael Reid Gallery or http://www.joanross.com.au/"

Thats all for this week. Until next time...

Cheers, 
Martin.

Distillery Tour #6: Amrut Distilleries (Bangalore, India) (Tasted #217)

If you were to say our Distillery Tour posts had a theme, it would surely have to be "Not Scottish" (don't worry, those tours have happened, they were awesome, and the posts will be up soon). So far we've covered distillery visits in Melbourne, Sydney, Japan (twice), and Taiwan, and now it's India's  turn.

This tour was originally planned for 2013, but after having to cancel a work trip to Bangalore for personal reasons, it wasn't until 2015 that another chance came up. I needed to make a quick Mon-Fri trip to Bangalore for work, and took the opportunity to ask Amrut Distilleries if I'd be able to take a look around the distillery on the Saturday. Thankfully they were more than happy to have me, and so the plan was set.

Saturday rolls around, and we (myself and a colleague) make the journey out to South West Bangalore (25km, a little over an hour) in a hotel car. We weren't quite sure what to expect, but we did learn that our tour would be conducted by Master Distiller Surrinder Kumar, who had kindly come in on his day off to show us around!

Surrinder, with a whopping 29 years of experience under his belt, started by talking us through the fascinating story of how Amrut Single Malt came to be, and how even though it makes up an incredibly small percentage of their total output (details further on), it's put them on the global map.

To most whisky drinkers, Amrut was unheard-of until their single malt started gaining a global following in the late 2000's. The company however has been actually been making spirit since 1948 (initially "IMFL", or "Indian-made Foreign Liquor" distilled from molasses), and was producing Indian "whisky" a long time before the single malt came along. In fact, an excess of malt whisky (previously used for blending popular local Indian blended "whiskies"), which the distillery noted was of significantly higher quality than most other Indian whiskies, was one of the catalysts for the launch of Amrut Single Malt.

3rd generation owner and son of current Chairman, Rakshit Jagdale (studying his MBA at the time in England) was asked to investigate launching a single malt product outside India, starting with the UK. The product was already there - they just needed to get it into the public's conscious. Research showed that the public perceived it to be similar in style to a 15-18yr old Speysider, and so a plan was drawn up to launch it in the UK - initially in Indian restaurants, taking the same approach as Indian beers like Kingfisher and Cobra.

After some time, volumes weren't picking up and the company considered ending the project, but (taking a renewed spirit of perseverance from the Gahdhi statue in London), Rakshit forged on, seeking importers for each country and...well the rest is history, with Amrut currently available in 22 countries (although still very limited in India).

I mentioned Amrut Single Malt being an "incredibly small percentage" of Amrut's total production. How small? Well, there are approximately 14,000 x 4.5L cases of Amrut Single Malt produced each year (a total of 63,000L), compared to 200,000 x 9L cases produced of all other products.....per month! In other words - 21,600,000L, making the single malt about 0.2% of total production. A very successful 0.2%, you'd have to say!

Unsurprisingly, Amrut can't keep up with worldwide demand for that 63,000L, and are currently increasing warehousing from their current 6 warehouses. They're also experimenting with temperature-controlled warehouses, like some Bourbon distilleries in the US, but for now it remains an experimentation only.

Just before Surrinder took us out to tour the operations, he mentioned that a new product was on the horizon - "Greedy Angel's Chairman's Reserve", at an incredible 10 years old ("incredible" considering the distillery experiences 10-12% Angels' share each year). That product has since been released (and likely sold out) - and comes with a 50mL cask-strength sample of the whisky at 71% ABV.

By this stage we'd spent a good 90 minutes with the clearly passionate Surrinder, and our tour was no less comprehensive, taking another 90 minutes and showing us into all facets of the operation, which employs hundreds of staff from Bangalore.

Production of all products occurs via two 7.5hr shifts each day, with the single malt being distilled on a Monday. Temperature controlled fermentation takes 1 week (kept under 30degC), and whilst we didn't get to taste the wash (at 6.5-7% ABV), we did taste the new make (73% ABV off the still, 63% ABV into the cask), which was fruity, oily, rich, subtly peaty (on the palate, not the nose) and incredibly smooth.

We got to talking about distillery visits, and Surrinder mentioned a visit to a popular Lowland distillery (he didn't mention it by name, but we figured out it was Auchentoshan) where he noted some tips for triple distillation. Despite only having two stills (that's them above), Surrinder experimented with triple-distilled Amrut about 3 years ago, and mentioned that it was currently ageing away in the underground "cellar" - possibly a year or two away from release...

...which of course, was my queue to try my luck, and ask if I could taste it. Before I knew it, Surrinder was asking one of the production managers to fetch a sample from the "cellar", and a few minutes later, this vibrant orange sample appeared:

Triple Distilled Amrut (name not yet known) (64% ABV, ~3yo, Karnataka, India, not yet available)
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Colour: Intensely vibrant orange.
Nose: Light, citrusy. Lemon oil. Some esthers and some caramel chews.
Palate: Light, zesty. Lemon cheese cake. Young and hot, but very drinkable. In another 12-18 months I imagine it will be incredible.
Finish: Very long, lots of caramel chews.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. Can't wait to see how this turns out.

Exciting stuff. After a look at the malt mill, the delivery setup (which receives 16-17 trucks per day) and the fermentation tanks, it was time to venture into one of the warehouses.

Maturation Warehouse 1 (just next to the still room) is home to casks racked 5 high, including a few weird and wonderful whiskies which have featured in recent and soon-to-be-released (we hope) whiskies. Chief amongst these was this cask of Amrut "Naarangi", which saw Amrut age sherry infused with orange peels in the cask for 3 years, before emptying it, then ageing an already 3 year old sherry-matured Amrut for another 3 years in said cask. The resulting whisky is said to have some subtle, but noticeable orange notes, without being considered a "flavoured" whisky.

Next, it was off to the bottling and packaging floors, where I saw whiskies the likes of which I'd never seen before. How so? Take a look for yourself...

That's right - Tetra-pak "whisky"! This is an example of the local blended "whisky" Amrut produces for the local market, and sells for mere cents. The packaging line for these products runs 24 hours a day - such is the popularity of these throughout India.

Having seen the production, ageing and packaging facilities, it was time to visit Surrinder's "lab", with a variety of International and local whiskies, and several single cask samples (Amrut do a great private cask program, which was taken up by Dram Full with the recent Dram Full Amrut bottling - now sold out).

Amrut aren't allowed to sell any bottles from the distillery, but we were kindly gifted a 50mL mini each - continuing my tradition of collecting miniatures from distilleries I've visited.

..and with that, it was time to draw the tour to a close, and head back to the city, then the airport, then back to HK. An extremely informative and enjoyable day, and a tour I'm very glad I (finally) got to take.

A huge thanks must go to Surrinder, Ashok and Pramod for making this tour happen - especially Surrinder for spending so much time with us on his day off. If you ever find yourself in Bangalore and have some spare time, I can highly recommend booking a tour of this fascinating distillery.

Cheers,
Martin.