STILL LIFE

A David Stirk Tasting Is No Laughing Matter

2010-10-08T15:37:00.000+01:00

One of the hits of last year, David Stirk returned to Glasgow’s Whisky Club with another Magnificent Seven whiskies. We like David; he’s from Southern Scotland (Yorkshire) and brings a real honesty to tasting nights. He also brings some of the worst jokes ever heard, with the groan factor rising as the end of the evening approaches.

Most of all, though, he brings some great drams, and Tuesday’s tasting at the Metropolitan was no exception.

First up was a Glentauchers 11, bottled at 45% and one of 381 bottles from the cask. Glentauchers is relatively unknown malt, since most of it goes into Ballantine’s. From a second fill American hogshead, it displayed that classic vanilla and oak, with a chalky dryness.

Another 11 year old, this time from Glen Ord, was our second sup. One of 295 bottles, this was finished in a European oak for nine months. The Euroak (sorry) acts much more quickly on the whisky, and therefore needs to be treated carefully.

David demonstrated the proper way to store and pour whiskies with the next dram - plastic containers and water jugs! The Glen Keith cask strength (54.1%) looked just like chip shop vinegar, but thankfully tasted of very fine whisky.

A 1980 Tamdhu was next, again cask strength at 52.8% from a refill ex-Bourbon hogshead, and each dram just seemed to be better than the one before (That often happens at tastings, though)>

Into David’s Exclusive range and a beguiling Linkwood 1991 18yo. Bottled at 50.8% and again finished in Euro oak, I got polish, leather armchairs, Airfix glue – all good in my view!
The nose is rich, crammed full of mixed fruits, sweet oak and vanilla and a hint of aniseed. The palate is also sweet and oaky with lots of different fruit flavours from orange-liqueur to tropical fruit. The finish is short but fruity with a long oaky aftertaste.

A pleasant interlude was the interruption of proceedings by John Darling, who arrived with a tray of sandwiches left over from a do he was at. John’s fast becoming the Food Meister of the Club; at the last Round the Barrel we had Arran whisky cake, baked by Vicky, his wife. The sandwiches worked well with one of the best drams of the evening for me, a peaty, smoky Ardmore 10, sitting at 54.6% and recasked in an ex-Clynelish cask for six weeks. Amazing.

The final dram was even better. A dram bottled in 1966, when it felt the end of the world was near, this Tomintoul from a first fill sherry cask was simply immense. We were only the second club to have tasted this masterpiece, so some gentle crowing about 1966 was a fair price to pay. The cask spent its entire life at Tomintoul and at around £175 a bottle, it found a number of fans in club members.

Treasurer Ian Black was again keen to flash the cash and his bargaining powers mean there will be a pleasant reprise of Mr Stirk’s whiskies at a future Round the Barrel evening.

The Calm Before The Storm

2010-09-29T12:25:00.003+01:00

A two-tone Round the Barrel to bring September to an end. A fairly sedate start with a change of plan. Our initial idea for a bourbon night - with real, live bourbons and a selection of bourbon cask malts, took a late hit when bourbon-meister Andrew Bell called off with an attack of Islay cold.

In their stead we sampled a 20 year old Bladnoch, a 10 year old Speyside specially bottled for the Bon Accord, and two Tullibardines from our recent trip - a 15 year old sherry and an 18 year old port.

Joining us for the second part was Curt Robinson from Calgary, Alberta, who runs a whisky blogging website http://www.allthingswhisky.com and has interviewed Ralfy and Mark for it, but also real people like Mickey Heads. He was coming to the end of a tour of Scotland, especially Islay, and chilled out with us before flying home the next day. Hope the head wasn't too bad Curt!

The second part of the evening was an altogether more rewarding affair. With the exception of Big Peat and the 26 year old Caol Ila, the remains of the previous week's Douglas Laing tasting were brought to the barrel. I raved about them last week, but the people who weren't there were equally as enthusiastic at the quality of the drams on offer.

Apart from Kurt, we had two other new faces - Elspeth who came with Eddie,(below) and Roddy,(above) who dispenses wisdom at Oddbins in Crow Road. Roddy joined on the night. We're not sure if we scared Elspeth off, but she seemed to enjoy the drams on the night.

The final star of the evening wasn't even a whisky. Your humble treasurer is spending the week basking in the glow of Channel Four's Come Dine With Me. This TV colossus was seen in action in his kitchen, destroying one batch of tatties, before getting caught making one dish stretch into two.

Last night he was mobbed by star-struck TV groupies (well, Adam actually) who couldn't believe he could get so close to the big man. Where's the Security when you need it?

Publish Post

Six Stunning Scotches - And Big Peat

2010-09-22T11:13:00.002+01:00

Busy few weeks whisky-wise, but now I’ve got a chance to catch up. First on the list is Ralfy’s departure from these shores for the Isle of Man and a wee bothy from where his acclaimed vlogs will henceforth emanate.

There was a great turn up Round the Barrel for his farewell, and it coincided with a ‘Tache Tribute to Richard Paterson, who is celebrating 40 years in the whisky business.

There were a few speeches, a few drams and a wee presentation to the Chanty Wrassler, who responded in good style, crediting Glasgow’s Whisky Club with untold power and influence.

The Richard Paterson tribute, where we all donned fake moustache for a group photie, so delighted the great man, that he donated a bottle of Whyte and Mackay 40 year old to a future RtB night.

Next up was a wee double-distillery trip that attracted 10 hardy souls. We headed across to the Kingdom of Fife and took a guided tour round the delightful Daftmill Distillery.

Headed by Francis Cuthbert, who began the venture with brother Ian, and set in the heart of Fife, they use their own barley, grown at Daftmill Farm, and sparkling water from their own artesian well.

They also run it as distilleries of yore did, waiting till the harvest is in (and the tatties are howked) before using spare barley for malting.

It’s a working farm, so tours are limited to the quieter periods of farm life (if there are any). Call ahead if you fancy going.

As a reward for the trek you can sometimes share a dram with Francis. The bourbon is full of classic American Cream Soda, Butterkist popcorn, while the sherry is simply immense, with a finish that goes on and on.

Francis insists he’ll bottle whisky “when it’s ready”. We reckoned it was ready on Saturday!

We then dashed across country to Tullibardine, where we undertook the Connoisseur’s Tour. Led by our genial guide, Gavin, we got to explore many bits and bobs of this distillery, before sampling, straight from the casks, a handful of decent drams

Last bit of business was the Douglas Laing tasting with Jan Beckers at Uisge Beatha. Some confusion over emails and dates resulted in a low turn out of 10 – 11 if you count Jan (which we do), but it was an utterly magical evening.

We sat round one long bench in the candlelight (which made even Mr Black strangely attractive) and sampled a Magnificent Seven whiskies, each one better than the one before.

Here’s the list

A Clan Denny 45 year old single grain from Girvan. An astonishing dram for such an old whisky, liquid Bounty Bar, Jan called it, sweet chocolate and coconut and still pretty big at 46.3?
A Provenance Benrinnes. A new one on me, and more shame for having previously overlooked it. Fresh, citrus, with a nose of autumn woodland, this 1997 whisky was 46%.
An Old Malt Cask Braes of Glenlivet 20. Another new one for me, this was bottled at 50% and was just scrumptious
A remarkable Highland Park, bottled at 11 years old. This had more depth of character than the official 12YO. Smokier and peatier than the OB, it comes in at 46%
An Old Malt Cask Ardmore 12. Again sitting at 50%, this came from a refill hoggie and opened my eyes to a spicy Highland/Speysider than I’m determined to taste again. It brought out the romantic in Peter – “a seductive siren” he called it!
The affable Big Peat. A soaraway success when it was introduced last year, the first batch of this 46 percenter sold out in eight to 10 days. We tasted batch 7 and although it has a PPM of 22 “and a bit” said Jan. it’s nowhere near as scary ass the label makes out.
And for me the absolute standout of an evening of absolute standouts – a 26-year-old Caol Ila that was sweet, gentle, far, far better than anything out of the OB warehouses.
A simply stunning evening. “It’s what I joined Glasgow’s Whisky Club for,” said Shawn, and there was no-one who would disagree.

I’ve asked Jan to host another evening early in the New Year when hopefully many more souls can experience a night of absolute bliss.

Tam's Drams : Open For Business

2010-09-17T15:25:00.000+01:00

Opening night at Tam's Drams brought out the crowds - a lot of them suspiciously like Glasgow's Whisky Club on tour. Tam Gardiner, who's been a club member for the past three years, has realised a long-held dream to run his own whisky shop. A keen collector, Tam's own haul of whisky provided a big talking point at the opening. His Collectors Corner is stuffed with old drams, rare drams, eye-wateringly expensive drams. One day I'll pluck up the courage.

Since most of the big boys in whisky don't want to know the smaller, independent outlets, Tam chose to be independent, and go independent. He's getting great support from Glasgow's own Douglas Laing, Duncan Taylor, Wemyss Malts and Springbank. Arran and Bruichladdich, newly moved into new HQ off Blythswood Square, are also generous suppliers.

Your humble chairman has been helping Tam out in the shop, photographing the stock for Tam's up and coming website - www.tamsdrams.com - and Tam has been doing nothing to reduce Toshie's waist line by introducing him to the wide variety of food shops dotted along this up and coming stretch of Finnieston.

Business was brisk on the opening night and a number of bargains were spotted. Tam was a generous host, doling out drams, sandwiches and funny wrap things. When things settle down, he's planning some tasting events. We should get him along to the club one night. I promise there will be no heckling!

When the drams flow smoothly

2010-09-02T10:59:00.001+01:00

By guest blog editor Alester Phillips

Nestled in the heart of Speyside is Josie’s Well, a source of mineral rich water, and a key component of The Glenlivet. I am sure you will all know by now that a name is not just a name when it comes to whisky. The name is meaning, it is history, and as Chivas Brothers International Brand Ambassador, Alex Robertson is keen to point out, provenance – that thing that defines the origins of a whisky. The Glenlivet is not just a name, “Livet” means “Smooth Flowing One” – and that is definitely not just a name when presented with a range to sample from The Glen of the Smooth Flowing One.

Alex and Chivas Brothers don’t mess about when they do a tasting - it’s all about presentation. In the upstairs dining room of Metropolitan in Glasgow’s Merchant City we have white table cloths, individual “The Glenlivet Signature” tasting books, and a projector with beautiful images of the distillery and its surroundings, oh and lumps of wood and a slice of a barrel.

Neatly laid out in front of us (for the first half of the tasting) were six glasses each containing the one of the core Glenlivet range – 12yo, 15yo French Oak, 16yo cask strength Nadurra, 18yo, 21yo and 25yo.

The 12 is a good place to start, easy, light, and the 15 French Oak is a hit-or-miss, some like the influence of the a couple of years in Limosin oak, some don’t. Next up was the Nadurra, 53.6% and full of flavour and I know that some people are of the opinion that whiskies should be bottles at full strength as standard. As we worked through the rest of the range, up to the 25 which was rich, smooth, so easy to drink - and what should be expected from a classic Speyside which has been maturing for all that time- it becomes clear that The Glenlivet signature range is not for everyone, some people love it, others are just unexcited by it.

Part two was the exciting (informal) bit, and even Alex seemed excited that we were about to get our eager paws on some cask samples that are not destined for general consumption.

Laid out at the top table from Alex’s magic bag were eight bottles to which members gravitated, like flies to… a fine Speyside Dram. So, there were Glenlivets – 5yo first fill sherry butt which some thought was a bit like Aberlour A’Bunadh, and should be bottled as standard, it was that tasty. Then there were first fill American casks aged 8, 14, 18 and 21 – the 21yo was seriously good.

There was even a drop of cask strength Miltonduff kicking about and the 17yo Alt A'Bhaine, bottled at 62.8% was really something, and a great dram to finish a grand night.

I'm sure most, if not all who attended will agree that the second half was the real treat, and there were things on the table that we could only wish would find their way into a bottle for a reasonable price!

Naturally, the conversation turned to caramel (as it inevitably does), but there was no drama, just a lot of good drams.

Nice to see Alex again, too. As a founder member of Glasgow's Whisky Club, he set us out on the path we're on now. I hope he's impressed by what he sees.

The One That Started It All

2010-08-09T15:57:00.001+01:00

Glenfiddich was the dram that started it all. The single malt revolution began in the fifties and sixties when William Grant & Sons expanded their production of the drink, and introduced advertising campaigns, a visitors' centre and from 1961 packaged the Scotch in distinctive triangular bottles. For many young men (and it was mostly men then) setting out on their lifelong whisky journey. Glenfiddich was the dram of choice. It was revolutionary.

At the Glenfiddich tasting held in Uisque Beatha brand development manager Andrew Torrance and Jamie Milne, the UK Brand Ambassador, took us through half a dozen of the range.

Andrew asked first for club members to describe Glenfiddich. Accessible, approachable, simple were among the terms used and reinforced members' views that, even if it is the best selling single malt in the world, it probably got there by the strength of marketing rather than any complexity of the malt.

We tried the 12, 18, 21, 15 and Rich Oak, in that order and finished with what many felt was the dram of the night - a cask strength seven year old which proved age isn't everything. At 59.4% this seemed to me to be the sort of stuff Glenfiddich should be producing.

The new run-finished 21-year-old met with a mixed response. Some liked it, others thought it was the least best(!) dram of the night. Club secretary Andy felt that the range was stronger than he remembered but there was nothing that struck him as fantastic or one that he would consider buying. He added: “The Rich Oak was a great dram and stood out from the range but again I doubt I’ll be buying a bottle. I am very interested in the future non-coloured and non chill-filtered releases as I feel that this is the way forward for the brand but they still have a lot of work to do.”

Jarkko mentioned the malt was revolutionary when it was introduced to the world and it seemed to me, at least, that perhaps Glenfiddich has been playing safe since then. The range is good, with the older the better, but perhaps we need more of the single casks.

Mark agrees. He said: “They are still too heavily into mass-market appeal and need to get more one-offs and experiments into the marketplace. But it sounds like they might be heading that way with the limited release coming out this year. They need to come out of their comfort zone without doing a Bruichladdich.”

Having said all that, of course, taste is highly subjective and the venerable Glenfiddich is still the top award-winning whisky across the globe in blind tastings. It pumps out excellent, straightforward whiskies, which are carefully made. And it remains the world’s favourite single malt Scotch whisky. So that’s us telt!

Taste the Difference

2010-07-28T12:28:00.002+01:00

Interesting day at Auchentoshan for Mark, Mr Black and myself on the day of July’s club night. We were there for a media visit and to hear about plans for Morrison Bowmore in the years to come.

After a whirlwind tour with Ian McCallum we had a briefing with Mike Keiler, who revealed plans are definitely afoot for a microbrewery on the Auchie site.

Last year’s Festival Ale was a huge success, but the amount of work it took has ruled it out for this year. Instead the distillery has outsourced it, having it made to its own recipe.

Things are progressing well for this year’s open day on August 28. Tickets from http://www.auchentoshan.co.uk/festival/ We tried this year’s Festival Bottling, a 1998 Fino cask, and it was delicious. The first 200 will be sold for £50 each on the open day.

Mike also revealed that in October Bowmore would be holding a dedicated Open Day, to be followed in Spring of next year by GlenGarioch.

Anyway, on to the club night, which again followed the more structured formula of last month’s.

We had a handful of Northern Highlands – Old Pulteney 12, Clynelish 14, Raymond’s Bladnoch bottling of a 20-year-old Balblair, an Ardmore 25 year old and a Bladnoch bottling of a 20-year-old Glen Ord.

We split the room into three and there was a highly interesting division of opinions, as there should for such a highly personal subject of taste.

Some loved the Ardmore, some put it at the bottom of the pile. Some hated the Glen Ord at first nosing, then came back to it as the evening progressed and it slowly released its secrets. One soul described the Glen Ord as “challenging” but said it was “a good debate whisky.”

Star of the night, by two groups to one, was the Balblair, with the Ardmore second. As I said, however, one group put the Ardmore at the bottom! That’s the beauty of whisky – different things for different folks and it makes for a lively debate.

Taking the Arran Waters

2010-07-05T16:30:00.001+01:00

There’s no finer sight than Glasgow’s Whisky Club on tour. Resplendent in GWC polo shirts, clutching Gregg’s pokes containing essential breakfast items, and hip flasks at the ready, the outriders heading for Arran’s 15th anniversary open day, gathered at the very crack of dawn at Central Station. The smart set – well, Mark – bought their tickets to include passage on the CalMac ferry, the rest of us - well, me and Bobby – had to queue at Ardrossan. The result was that bold Bobby and I had to wait in line, as our US friends say (more of them later) for the famed CalMac breakfast – a full fry up for £5.95, including toast.

At Brodick we were directed to one of two buses heading straight to the distillery, and we discovered Ayrton Senna was actually alive and well and driving a bus on Arran. The all day runabout ticket was offered as the cheapest fare option, but there was no way any of us were spending the day hurtling around Arran’s wee roads and big hills with Michael Schumacher’s older brother at the wheel.

Deposited more or less in one piece at the distillery, restorative drinks were needed, and Arran Ales came to the rescue with a good selection – but at a fiver a pop! The food was fantastic, venison burgers for the carnivores, oysters and mussels for the more adventurous. Big respect to Tam who lost his oyster virginity!

The sun shone, we had a wee smirr of rain, and there was plenty to keep people amused. There was a pipe band, a brass band, but neither was intrusive so if you just wanted to sit and natter, that was fine. There’s something special about sitting in the sunshine sipping drams with good friends, and Saturday had that in spades. We also met Blair and Mitch, two US students studying at Edinburgh University, who regaled us with tales of their whisky tastings and asked about ours. See whisky? See friendships throughout the world.

It was good to see our East Coast Representative, Lavinia Turnbull, and her daughter Sarah; it was great to meet up with the Springbank team, Angus Whisky On Line and Ewan from Morrison Bowmore, and it was really generous of Arran boss Euan Mitchell to deposit a bottle of the Anniversary Malt at the table. It was, and is, a superb dram and the whole of the Arran crew are right to be proud of it. We bought a bottle for the club and Euan has promised us a full-on Arran tasting in the future.

The part-timers left for the twenty to four boat while the stalwarts, joined by Adam, Juliet and Julie, hung on to the bitter end. Some of the pictures on Facebook indicate merr drink might have been taken on the high seas!

But it was a great day and proved, as Auchentoshan did last year, that the family-friendly open days make it possible for everybody to be happy. Now it’s on to Auchentoshan 2 in August. Polo shirts at the ready!

LEARN A LITTLE, LAUGH A LOT

2010-06-30T15:58:00.002+01:00

For some time the committee has felt we needed to introduce an educational aspect to club nights - it's good fun getting round the barrel and having a few drams, but some people, especially the younger members of the club, may not feel too confident about the whiskies they're tasting and how to describe them. And thus was born the Andrew Bell Masterclass. June's RTB was devoted to Islay, and some of the more obscure expressions that fabled land has to offer. As you can see from the pic the bold Andra had some competition for his attention in the Spain v Portugal World Cup tie, but undeterred, he took us through five drams, of varying degrees of greatness. First up was a Bruichladdich 17 year old, aged in an Italian Red Wine Cask. Now, no-one will bow to Andrew in his admiration for all things 'laddich, but it's a fact that is a dram that can divide a whisky club. One clubber described it as "Fur coat and nae knickers," another said it was "a good example of a bad whisky." The second met with more universal approval. A cask strength Laphroaig Feis Ile, loading at 57% was next. Bottled for this year's Islay festival, it was smooth but intense (?) with a great nose.
A cask strength Lagavulin, available only at the distillery, was our next offering. It had no age statement but seemed young, although it had lovely toffee on the nose and trademark ash/smoke on the palate.
The oldest dram was a 25 year old Caol Ila bottled by Raymond at Bladnoch, and one that was offered to Forum members. It scored among the highest marks of the evening, souls loving, as one put it "the gentle, but intense aroma of coal peat, lemon coriander and mild, mild curry." Eat your heart out Mr Murray!
Last one of the night was donated by one of our newest members, Jan Beckers from Douglas Laing. His Laphroaig 8 year old was elegant and complex and shows that young Islays have the power to impress.
A more traditional Round the Barrel night then ensued, but feedback appeared to show the experiment was a good one and we'll certainly be looking at more.
Thanks to Andy for his hosting and Julie for her tasting notes. And thanks to everyone who poured.

Our Colonial Cousins Join the Club

2010-05-27T14:28:00.003+01:00

Round the Barrel evenings give us all a chance for a natter over a dram and we were delighted to see old friends and new on Tuesday. Among the new friends was a tall, lanky Canadian called Herb. Herbert A LeRoy, Insp (Retd) to give him his full Sunday name. Herb is the Private Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, who's been touring Scotland with his wife Margy and his sister and brother in law. T
hey were invited by Treasurer Ian Black, who collects people as well as he collects our fivers. "It's a long story," he started to tell me, then the bottles were opened and we kind of missed the moment. Nonetheless Herb told Ian later he'd had a great evening with people who instantly treated him as a friend. He also met club member and fellow countryman Andrew and as the drinks flowed, the tales grew taller and taller.
Some good drams too, on the night, and thanks to Julie for doing the shopping at Oddbins - and to Mark and Matthew who suggested the supplies.
My personal favourite was the Benriach 15 year old PX - a truly stunning dram, full of sherry and sweetness. The Clynelish went down well too and Herb endeared himself to the club even more, by buying a bottle from the bar to stick on the barrel. Canadians - much nicer than the Yanks!
The pic above was taken with Herb's giant Nikon by Duncan, who struggled to even hold it. But not a bad piccy Dunc. Not bad at all.

Dribs and Dregs, but Never Drab

2010-04-05T10:45:00.001+01:00

By Global Internet Superstar, Ralfy

Glasgow's Whisky Club are not the sort of folk to waste good whisky, so last Tuesday the merry maltsters gathered at the Club cosyzone (called by the locals a "pub") to see what bottle-ends were sitting on the Barrel and available to sniff, sample, savour and speak about.

Isle of Arran Peacock, Rowan tree, an old Strathclyde Grain, Indi Bladnoch and many assorted other stuffs provided a good variety of offerings/options, and importantly, with most being half (or less) full bottles there was a need to finish off the contents prior to opening new Whiskies.

We are all a motley assortment of individuals of varying gender, ages, disposition and character, so conversations and malt-discussions are rarely dull, and fortunately, not too serious or heavy-duty! and it is always a great opportunity to discuss with like minded people the findings and fine points of smell and flavour.

A young peated Arran proved a talking point, particularly as the Distillery are charging £50 for a four year old Malt, was it worth it? Should we encourage Distillers to ask high prices by paying for what we think might be good Whisky or not ?

With such good natured interaction, it is worth noting that sometimes it is not the actual whiskies that make an event successful, but the quality of company and relaxed atmosphere which allow folk to relax and just enjoy ..... the Malty stuff.

A + B = a (comparatively) quiet night!

2010-03-24T12:44:00.002Z

A rather more sedate tasting with David Keir at Sloan’s. Proper pourers and a limit on the number of drams meant the gathering had an enjoyable evening, if not quite so riotous as previous occasions!

David is one of the club’s favourite hosts – he brings good whiskies, but more importantly he has a refreshing honesty when he talks about the industry and the problems it faces. The fact that he’s a committed club member is a bonus.

David handles Arran and Bruichladdich for Blavod, the drinks distributor, and he spoke of the year ahead for the two distilleries – new bottlings, a reduction by Bruichladdich of its wide variety of finishes, and the upcoming 15^th anniversary celebration by Arran.

We were eagerly anticipating the unveiling of Arran’s latest in its Icons series – the Rowan Tree. Not quite as immediately WOW! as the Peacock revealed last year at Whisky Fringe, nonetheless it is an important drink, and we were privileged to be the first club in Scotland to get a taste. A limited edition of 6000 bottles globally, 600 are destined for the UK market; so if you want one, grab it quickly.

The 1997 Rowan Tree comes from 100% sherry butts, a departure for Arran, which normally mixes with bourbon and had cherry brandy, cherry cola cubes and a spicy note. Left for an hour, it had improved tremendously in the glass. It’s a grower I think. I rather liked it.

First up, however, was the Arran 10, with more sherry influence than before, followed by Rowan Tree.

A new ‘laddie, the Classic, was next. A NAS, it had a lot of old Whyte and Mackay distillation in it, as well as more recent work by Jim McEwan. It was 100% from bourbon with a peating level of 3ppm.

Number four was the Bruichladdich Sherry infusion. It reminded me of Sunday in the Kirk – Everton mints on the palate! A multi-vintage ‘laddie Peated (at 35ppm) again 100 from, bourbon casks was next, delicious, and the star of the night for me.

Final dram was an Arran peated, cask strength at 59.8% and a beautiful big dram, full of sherbet dip! Only four years old, but full of life.

Many thanks again to David for the evening. He’s keen to come back to visit. We only ask that it’s not during an election year!

Win a trip to Bushmills to make your own blend

2010-03-19T15:48:00.002Z

The oldest licensed distillery in the world celebrated St Patrick's Day by launching a competition offering a dream job to one lucky whiskey lover.

The Bushmills Whiskey distillery in Northern Ireland is scouring the planet for someone to work with master distiller Colum Egan and his team for a month to create his or her own blend of Irish whiskey.

The winner will spend a month on Northern Ireland's north Antrim coast, near the Giant's Causeway, where Bushmills has distilled whiskey since James I authorised it to do so in 1608.

To win the job, prospective whiskey makers ought to make sure they know the difference between Irish whiskey and its Scottish rival, beyond the fact that one is spelt with an "e" and the other is not, when they apply online at the Bushmills Facebook page.

Mr Egan said: "If someone can prove to us that they have what it takes, then we'd be delighted to let them be the first person outside of the distillery to work alongside me to create their own special blend of Bushmills Irish whiskey."

Don't mention the vomiting dog

2010-03-18T15:32:00.001Z

Aye it’s a varied life, this whisky game. Fresh from drinking 70 year old Mortlach at Edinburgh Castle last week, your humble chairman found himself, and it seemed, about half of Glasgow’s Whisky Club and forum members from whiskywhiskywhisky.com at McSorley’s for the opening of a cask of Abhainn Dearg.

The McSorley boys took it upon themselves to take a 600-mile trip to pick up a wee cask from the Red River Distillery on Lewis, where McSorley’s manager Mike Donald hails from.

Various adventures unfolded which you can see here http://www.vimeo.com/9977614

Don’t mention the vomiting dog!

The pub was packed, the nibbles were great and there was a fabulous exhibition of the ancient art of cooperage when the Fishers Cooperage boys came along and built a cask before our very eyes.

Start of the show was Marko Tayburn who flew in on the last plane from Stornoway to officially open the cask. The usual speeches were made, including some incoherent bumbling from your chairman, then Marko cracked the cask. In the ensuing melee, I was able to get a hold of a dram (see above for proof) and for a new make eight weeks old, it was remarkable. Already it had colour, a light pink bluish, and had pear drops, peaches, bags of fruit and was very very fresh.

It’s on sale at the end of McSorley’s Bar until it runs out, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

70 years old - but still with plenty of life

2010-03-12T10:34:00.002Z

As Chairman of Glasgow’s Whisky Club, I’ve been privy to some special moments in the whisky world – but none more so than the unveiling of the world’s oldest bottled single malt at Edinburgh Castle.
Released under Gordon & MacPhail's 'Generations' brand, Mortlach 70 Years Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky was tasted by guests at the launch in the setting of Castle's Queen Anne Room.
The new-make spirit from Speyside's Mortlach Distillery was filled into the cask on 15 October 1938 on the order of John Urquhart, the grandfather of Gordon & MacPhail joint managing directors David and Michael Urquhart.
Exactly 70 years later, the decision was made to empty the cask and bottle the contents.
Founded in 1895, Gordon & MacPhail is known the world over as the custodian of some of the oldest and rarest single malts available.
Members of the third and fourth generations of the Urquhart family now own and manage the business.
David and Michael Urquhart said: "This is a very special day for us, one we've literally been anticipating for generations. Our family has been in the whisky business for a long time, with each generation building and handing on a lifetime's expertise to the next.
"We believe Mortlach 70 Years Old is a malt without comparison. If the reaction of those lucky enough to enjoy a dram today is anything to go by, whisky fans and people wishing to own a unique piece of Scotland's liquid history will be very excited about it."
Charles MacLean, whisky writer and connoisseur who was allowed a sneak preview of the single malt, described it as "a delicate, fresh, vital, fruity whisky, with unusual attributes of waxiness and smokiness."
Each bottle will be presented in a tear-shaped hand-blown crystal decanter with an elegant silver stopper. The decanter nestles in a stylish silver base and is framed in a handmade Brazilian Rosewood box, created using wood from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified sources.
Mortlach 70 Years Old was matured in a Spanish oak, ex-bodega sherry hogshead cask, which yielded 54 full-size and 162 small decanters bottled at cask strength (46.1% ABV).
The recommended retail price in the UK is £10,000 per 70cl decanter and £2,500 for the 20cl version.
This is the first in a series of extremely rare malt whiskies to be released by Gordon & MacPhail under its 'Generations' brand.
Your humble chairman was blown away by the life that was still evident in the dram. No sign of it having been overwhelmed by the oak and the nose from the empty Glencairn glass lingered well into the afternoon. A truly memorable dram, but at £10,000 per 70cl bottle, a bit rich for most of us. Perhaps the Club could buy one for a special Round the Barrel night.

The Joy of Six

2010-03-02T10:40:00.000Z

February 23rd was the first Round the Barrel night of the year for Glasgow’s Whisky Club – and it looks like we need a bigger one! Apart from the two club bottlings, it seems everyone who turned up brought something. In fact we had so much we’ve plonked a couple away. Thanks to Gary Dawson, a new member, for his generous donation. In fact thanks to EVERYONE who brought along goodies.
Our very own Chanty Wrassler, internet superstar Ralfy, brought along a couple of bottles, generously donated by the victims … sorry, SUBJECTS of his global reaching You Tube series of whisky films.
They were an eight-year-old Ballantine’s pure malt and an 18 year old Chivalry blend from the guys who bring you Glencairn glasses.
Chatting with our estimable club secretary the following day, when the effects of such a full barrel were evident, we suggested limiting the number of bottles to six, the same as for a tutored tasting. That way we can savour the drams and still function the next morning!

That Was The Week That Was

2010-02-01T13:07:00.003Z

I’m told I should start every blog with Scotch, single malt, Glasgow’s, Whisky, Club to make sure the search engines pick up Still Life. It’s known as Search Engine Optimization and makes for a very dull intro. Still, for last week we could have Burns Supper, good food, good whiskies, good friends. We could have followed that up with Spirit of Speyside, and breakfast drams with Glenmorangie. That Was The Week That Was.
Tuesday was our second annual Burns Supper, held again in the Bon Accord, and again it was a superb evening, enlivened by the addition of a raffle. We had some old faces and some new faces and within a few round the barrel evenings, I’m sure we’ll all get to know each other’s names. Having three Gordons doesn’t really help, though! Good job treasurer Mr Black has worked out a mnemonic to help. Shame there were too many great drams floating around for me to remember it.
Wednesday was fairly quietish for those who tarried a bit overlong at the barrel, but Thursday saw your chairman and treasurer at the Scottish Parly as guests of the Spirit of Speyside festival. We’d been asked to act as judges – a dream job you may think, but you try “tasting” 56 drams without swallowing one. Half way through I was gasping for a pint!
Friday brought our first breakfast meeting – courtesy of those good folk at Glenmorangie. The Pot Still at 11am is a quite, peaceful place. It stayed that way until the flight of five fantastic Glenmos was finished. By the way, can someone, anyone, tell me why it’s called a flight of whiskies?
We had been invited by Corey, Martin and Annabel to taste the range, including for the first time, the new Sonnalta, described by Annabel as the missing link in the Glenmorangie family.
First up was the breakfast dram – the Original, full of dark coconut, vanilla, perfect for pouring over your porridge.
The La Santa was next, big on sherry having spent two years in a sherry cask after 10 in bourbon. It was juicy, nutty, spicy, with dry fruit and orange marmalade. The 18 shows the progression there is in every Glenmorangie expression. It is its own dram, but identifiably comes from the Glenmorangie house. It had a tropical backdrop, and was also refreshing and amazingly fruity.
Number four was the new Sonnalta and I urge you to get your mitts on this if you possibly can. Retailing at £65 or so, it’s an astonishing dram, sublime, superb and stellar. It has spent 10 years in bourbon with a further two in a Pedro Ximenez sherry. Sonnalta means generous in Gaelic (apparently) and this is a dram that just keeps on giving. It’s smooth, sweet, scrumptious and a very, very dangerous dram. One is not enough!
Last up was the Signet. A bit of an experiment, the barley used for this was highly roasted chocolate barley, fired at 250 degrees centigrade (whatever that means) and contained some very old whiskies from 1974.
The Glenmo Three generously left a handful of extras as they made their way onto another tasting, leaving five souls from the club to blink their way home.
*That Was The Week That Was will be remembered by some of our older members as a satirical TV programme from 1962 and 63.

A Touch of the DTs Around the Barrel

2009-11-27T12:39:00.003Z

The last club night of the year, and the end of five years of Glasgow’s Whisky Club. We’ve come a long way since Alex Robertson and a few friends had an Isle of Jura tasting in the mezzanine floor of the Pot Still. Membership has grown, as has our experience of some very fine single malt, single grain and blended whiskies.
Tuesday night round the barrel was no exception and the DTs – in the shape of Jacq Sutherland and her Duncan Taylor offering, allowed the club to go out on a high note, and facing our sixth year with some confidence.
Again, we used club funds to purchase some extremely fine drams and club secretary Andrew Bell worked hard on the selection. On this occasion we sampled the 70th Anniversary Malt, to celebrate … err 75 years of Duncan Taylor. A mixture of 41-year-old Glenfarclas and a similarly aged Highland Park, ours was bottle number 327 from 375. It came in at 46.3% and was considered dram of the evening by a few members.
We also tasted the quite magnificent Black Bull 12 year old at 50%. At £32.50 or thereabouts, it’s a stunning dram at the price and a definite stocking filler for Chez Toshie.
A sublime 39-year-old Caperdonich cask at 46.8% caught the taste buds and vied for dram of the night with another 39 year old, a Glenlivet cask at 48.6%. Quite hard to separate these two. Caperdonich is a personal favourite but the Glenlivet was something special. A peated Bunnahabhain 12-year-old from the NC2 range was the final offering. Clear as new make spirit, my nose was telling me baby sick (!), my taste buds were swamped by a fabulous flavour.
Our favourite DT person had driven the goodies down from Huntly because of some ordering mix-up, so many thanks to Jacq for the sacrifice – and the even greater sacrifice of not drinking her wares since she had to drive back home again.
We welcomed a couple of new faces who are trying us out before deciding on membership next year. They seemed to enjoy themselves, so perhaps we'll meet Martin and Gordon again.
Ken Seaton and Maggie are over from France during the festive season, so we’ll try to arrange a wee club get together. There are other developments likely to be on the agenda for next year, so watch this space.

Stirk Crazy After All This Time

2009-11-11T16:25:00.009Z

Some whisky evenings have a heavy weight of anticipation upon them, and almost invite disappointment, others explode into action from the first sip of a superb single malt whisky. The eagerly-awaited night with David Stirk exceeded all expectations.
Eight magnificent drams from David’s Exclusive Range were tasted in the Private Dining Room at Sloan’s new whisky bar in the heart of the city. David’s frankness and honesty about all aspects of the whisky business were refreshing and he told us the two golden rules about whisky:’ Do you like it?’ And ‘Will you buy it?’ There were plenty of yesses to the first question and quite a few affirmatives to the second, when David produced supplies of his stock for sale afterwards.
The tasting took place as Sloan’s launched themselves as a whisky bar, and it’s fair to say there are a few edges to iron out, although their hearts are in the right place.

After a quick talk by your humble chairman to invited guests of the bar – about nosing and tasting, using Black Bottle as the illustrator, it was down to business in the PDR. First up was an Aberfeldy 10, part of David’s attempt to break into the UK market. NCF and non coloured, it was distilled on June 7 1997, one of 419 bottles at a strength of 45% - David’s preferred ABV. Retailing at £27.99, it came from an American oak hogshead and was fresh with a lemony citrus note. Quite delicious.
There followed, in quick succession, a magnificent seven further whiskies, plus a handful of what David liked to call ‘jokes’.
A spicey and peppery Glen Ord was next, again from 1997. David praised Diageo (don’t hear that too often these days) for withdrawing Glen Ord from the UK market, giving him a chance to buy the stock. The maltiest of the drams, it spent three months finishing in a virgin European oak cask.
A Craigellachie 12 was next. It was winey and woody to me, but the Cragganmore 10 that followed it was quite magnificent IMHO. It spent six weeks finishing in a Gaja Barolo wine cask, which gave it a sweet toffee and vanilla taste. It was so good, I bought a bottle (along with the Aberfeldy which drew one of THOSE looks from Mrs Toshie). A rum-finished Glen Scotia was my least favourite of the evening, then came a 32 YO Glencadam, again finished for a short while in the Gaja Barolo cask. I would like to have tried it unfinished, but David assured me the wine was an improvement.
The penultimate dram was a big beefy Bowmore 14 and then the surpise dram of the evening which we all had a go at guessing. The answer was a Laphroaig 1996 in a Port wood finish.
It took us a long time to get David for a tasting – thanks to Alan Hall for finally transporting him to us – and hopefully we’ll be seeing him again in the new year.

No Ice, So Nobody Died

2009-10-16T11:19:00.003+01:00

The man was in top form, a barrage of names, dates and stories, a scattergun of facts and figures, and the revelation that Yoko Ono now follows him on Twitter. Just another night in the inner sanctum of Richard Paterson. His blending room at Dalmore House in Glasgow was the scene for a celebration of his award-winning 30-year-old Whyte and Mackay, along with a tasting of his other W&Ms, from the standard blend to a sublime 40 year old.
Along the way we had chocolate digestives, hobnobs and dark, dark chocolates. Bobby B, Erik, Mark, the newly shorn Shawn and your humble chairman turned out for the celebration - Bobby and Toshie resplendant in the club's new polo shirts - along with a dozen or so bloggers, Twitterers, Facebookers and whisky fans from across Scotland. One chap even came from Elgin for the chance to meet Richard and drink his whiskies.
We started with a dram of the standard W&M aged between four and six years, then moved into the great man’s blending room. Every bottle in the glass cases on both sides of the room had a story to tell, and Richard wasn’t shy about telling them. We progressed to the 13, Richard’s favourite everyday dram, then the 19, which had more weight and an abundance of spice, marmalade, Christmas cake. It’s a definite winner, with 22 – 27 single malts in it. Next up was the 22, soft yet weighty with a lot of Old Pulteney and Clynelish in it, giving it a nice coastal feel. The award winner, the 30 was next, and it’s easy to see why this is such a great whisky, and testimony to the blender’s art. There’s a very high malt content and notes of Old English marmalade, cherries, orange peel, treacle and ginger. Simply sublime and perfect for an after dinner dram.
At this point it should be noted that Richard’s Facebook and Twitter guru, Craig McGill, was being more than generous in his pours, which helped the evening go smoothly and raised Mr P’s eyebrows when he saw the size of the measures the 30 came in – three bottles worth!
A slightly more … normal ... measure for the last dram of the night – the 40 year old. With 70% single malt content, this had nice woody notes, with floral and spicy Parma violets coming through along with liquorice and crushed almonds.
The thing that came shining through, apart from the quality of the whiskies, was the undoubted enthusiasm Richard has for the blender’s art. He’s well known for the theatrical nature of his presentation – ice and whisky thrown on the floor, the nosing, the mm-mm, mm-mm, mm-mm as he chews the dram, but the man is a worthy ambassador for Scotch across the world, and his blended whiskies deserve to be appreciated for the quality they undoubtedly are.

BEEN THERE, SEEN IT, GOT THE SHIRT

2009-10-02T14:05:00.010+01:00

After many false starts, rows over apostrophes, and questions of style (satin, silk) size (super XL, or uber-fatty) the club is a step nearer to its own identity, in the shape of a rather fetching black polo shirt. Unveiled quietly at the Arran Bruichladdich night (the only thing done quietly that night – see below) it was given its first proper airing at the Round the Barrel Night at the Bon Accord in September’s meeting.
Modelled here by the unassuming, and almost painfully shy Treasurer, it's thanks to Bobby B, the man behind the design, the Armani of Ardbeg you might say. Full details of how to order, along with pricings, will be revealed shortly.
The night itself was based on the Manzanilla theme. Two beasts were brought to the barrel - a 1996 Springbank at 55.6% and a 16 year old Bunnahabain at 53.2%. Of the two, I preferred the Springbank. The Bunny left an odd taste in my mouth that only repeated washes with Duncan Taylor’s NC2 Glen Elgin could force away.
Also on the barrel were a DT Glen Moray – much under-rated distillery – an Adelphi Running Man, and assorted hand ins from club members, including a G&M 21 year old Highland Fusilier,The MacPhails Collection single Campbeltown 1990 from the Glen Scotia Distillery, and a surprise from our new rock and roll crew – an absolutely fabulous Aberlour A’bunadh Batch 12 from ‘a wee shop up the road’!
Despite the football dividing our attention, it was another great night and proof that we are at our best as a club when we just get together for a dram and a natter, as good friends should.

A + B = Night of Chaos

2009-10-02T13:49:00.004+01:00

There are tasting nights which are calm, studious, serious … and then there’s the ones we have. Our last tasting at Oran Mor was no exception.
The A was Arran, the B was Bruichladdich, and H for Host was David Keir, club member of such generous spirit, he raided his own cupboard to bring along the goodies.
We were also joined by Nick Brown, who many of us will know from the various whisky forums (fora?) and who we usually meet at Whisky Fringe. A welcome, too, to new member Andrew (in top picture sitting in front of David)who came from deepest darkest Paisly to be with us. If he was a bit bemused at the end of the proceedings, he hid it well! Nick is pictured below with Andrew, the Chanty Wrastler and Dr Iain.

We began with an Arran 10, but a new vatting, which oozed sherry and was a far better dram than previous incarnations. That was followed by a Bruichladdich 16, originally from a bourbon cask, but finished in a Bordeaux First Growth. I’m no longer a fan of wine finishes (if I ever was one) and preferred the original bourbon finish which I tasted, loved and bought at the Spirit of the West festival. Arran Peacock was next. The surprise hit of Whisky Fringe where it was unveiled, this 13 year old came from a split of bourbon and sherry casks and was my favourite of the night.
David stressed his attendance was as a member of the whisky club and he was generous with the pours, as the rising decibel levels testified to.
He introduced a mystery malt with a prize for the one who gussed it was an old bottling of Sheep Dip, a vatting with 16 different malts.
The rest of the evening was given over the the ‘Laddies – an Infinity at 50%, 3rd edition’ a PC6 at 61.6% and a mighty PC8. The last pour of the evening was James McEwan’s rocket fuel, or X4+3 as it’s known on the tin.
I said earlier it was our last night at Oran Mor unless someone else is paying for it. At £200 a pop, it’s an expensive way to do business. There is an alternative in the city centre, which we’ll be exploring.

Glasgow’s whisky gets its own festival

2009-09-03T14:55:00.010+01:00

Picture gallery, from top:
Jealousy abounds as Bobby B and Mark join with Douglas Laing's Jan Beckers to remonstrate with Toshie as he headed to the Archive Tasting. No mention of the fact he sneaked them half a dozen of the best ever drams to shut them up!
Heading TOWARDS the beer ten - the deadly duo.
Bobby. Andrew, Mark and Arran Distillers' Celine Tetu.
John D and pal sneak in a quicky at Bowmore.
Tam's wife Mrs Tam, batters out the bung to get at the Manager's Dram, a 19 year old bourbon. Shame she rammed it so far in it took a number of hardy men to get it out!

A bright and sunny day on Saturday for the inaugural Auchentoshan Whisky Festival, held at the corner of the field under the shadow of the Erskine Bridge. A good turnout of Glasgow’s Whisky Club members – even the treasurer popped along briefly before supervising the installation of his new 42” plasma telly. (I sometimes wonder where the club funds go 8-]])
The main thoroughfares were lined with stalls selling food, food, stuff and food. Great burgers, brilliant rolls’n’salmon, and a host of other goodies to keep the hunger at bay. There were things for the kids, bouncy castle, clown etc., stuff for non-whisky drinkers (chainsaw sculptures) and plenty of music. But the drams were the reason most of us were there – and they didn’t disappoint. Glen Garioch and Bowmore, as part of Morrison Bowmore Distillers’ portfolio, had tented stalls where drams were on offer. The 18 Bowmore was for a select few. Naturally GWC members were in the know. Surprise package was the new Glen Garioch, a NAS whisky at 48%. My initial impression wasn’t favourable, but on subsequent attempts, I got to like it!
There was also an exclusive first tasting of the new Auchentoshan Real Ale, brewed in house by Jeremy Stephens - Head Distiller for Auchentoshan.
Jeremy created two unique Real Ales for the festival ... Summer Gold, a light hoppy ale, is ideal for the warm weather and Triple Conditioned, a unique expression of Ale, is heavier with a fuller body.
While the likes of Andrew, Mark, Bobby B. John D and others had to content themselves with the, shall we say, more MUNDANE offerings from Auchie, your humble scrivener was smuggled into the back of a £100 a head archive tasting hosted by Auchentoshan distillery manager Iain McCallum. We kicked off with the Festival bottling, a five year old from a 100% bourbon cask. Fresh and fruity, it was an ideal introduction to the rest. At £70 or so a dram, the 32 year old Auchentoshan probably won’t be your daily dram, but you could dream! A bittersweet whisky, with a palate redolent of raisins. That was followed by the first-ever bottling of a 50-year-old Lowland – from cask 480 and sitting at 49.1%, this was an astonishing dram. Seriously special and not a hint of wood dominance, there were only 171 bottles prised from the cask. At £3500 a bottle, it’s a bargain.
Then a complete surprise – a 46-year-old Glen Garioch. Lip smacking vanilla and dry pineapple; this was a real eye opener. Smokey bacon and plums came to mind when sipping the 21-year-old Port finished Bowmore, then it was on to the stars of the show.
Laid down in 1964 in legendary vault no 1 on Islay, the Black Bowmore, matured in walnut sherry casks, came out at 40.1% (phew) and delivered an alcoholic Tropicana experience of mango, guavas, lychees. Simply stunning. But the White Bowmore laid down at the same time in bourbon casks, stole it for me. Apples, pink grapefruit, along with the traditional Bowmore signature. A brilliant session, and in the words of Glasgow’s Whisky Club’s traditional toast: Not the worst drams we’ve ever tasted!

No, NOT the one in Fife

2009-09-03T14:20:00.005+01:00

A number of club members were invited to a select tasting of Glenrothes malts the night after Ralfy’s Rumba. In fact out of an audience of 18, 14 had the right to wear gwc T-shirts (if we ever get round to getting them).
Our charming host for the evening was Ronnie Cox, the urbane Ambassador of The Glenrothes, who regaled us with tales of tastings from near and afar.
We sampled some new make to a backdrop of a PowerPoint presentation, learned the still house is known as The Cathedral, and moved on to The Select Reserve, which lays out the distillery’s house style - juicy citrus, ripe fruits, creamy vanilla and hints of complex spice.
Next up was the ’94, soft, fruity, and again with that citrus bite, then the ’91 – a ‘conversation dram’ perfect for that post-prandial period. A rich and creamy 85 was next – a great pudding whisky. The last dram of the evening brought simultaneous cheers and boos - a 1966 vintage, which was (unusually) NOT claimed by the England World Cup winning team (I pale just at the typing of those words). The whisky was bottled in 2003 and the cask gave up 700-odd bottles. Retailing at around £1300, the single cask first fill sherry had a strong treacle nose and was woody yet lively with lots of ripe red fruits.

It was a pretty good tasting and one or two members admitted Glenrothes was a quiet favourite. We can all shout about it now.

A RUM DO AT THE WHISKY CLUB

2009-09-03T14:00:00.004+01:00

Well, we were completely out of our comfort zone at Rabelaisian Ralfy’s rumbustious rum night… but it turned out to be a wonderful evening. The Chanty Rastler, resplendent in a brightly-coloured Hawaiian shirt, took us through a handful of rums from across the warmer parts of the globe.
Our first was a Havana Club Blanco from Cuba, a spicy rum reminiscent of Kola cubes and raisins. Next came an Angostura 1919 from Trinidad, followed by a Clement VSOP (Martinique) and a Mount Gay X'old from Barbados. The first two may have puzzled a few club members, but the latter pair were marvellous. And it got better. A Guyanan El Dorado 12yo was sublime, as was an Appleton Extra from Jamaica. A brace of rums courtesy of our pals at the BIG Partnership, who work for Edrington, was next on the tasting list, thanks to our esteemed treasurer, who‘d been asked by BIG to bring them along. The Brugal Ron Anejo and the Extra Viejo from the Dominican Republic were great drams (if you can have drams of rum). The evening ended with a mystery 1960’s cask rum (possible Jamaican Hampden donated by Gordon, and Ralfy’s famed Rumsky – a marriage of single malt and rum that Ralf’s been experimenting with. Mixed view on this one, but my taste buds were shot by then anyway. The top three of the evening were:
3rd - Mount Gay Extra Old 86/100
2nd - El Dorado 12yo 87/100
1st - Appleton Extra12 90/100

A second twist came when Peter of Inverarity One to One in Bath Street brought along a selection of fine cigars, explaining the difference between the products of the various countries that produce them. Those of us who thought Cuba was the only place to make cigars were soundly disabused of that notion!
A great night. An unusual night. And an accomplished host.

An Evening of Complete Tosh

2009-07-15T14:19:00.002+01:00

It was like the old days. Gerry Tosh, a selection of great drams, and Glasgow’s Whisky Club. It’s been a while since we had a Highland Park tasting, but Gerry certainly didn’t disappoint at the June tasting at the Bon Accord.
It was also the night we got to taste our special bottle of the 1977 Bicentenary, bought by the club – one of only 694 bottles, which were rescued from a Japanese warehouse. They were discovered after Highland Park changed distributors, brought back to Scotland and repackaged. Retail price was £250 and there are a few left.
Gerry brought us up to date with the latest news from Orkney before turning to our tasting. We started with the 12 year old, a standard dram that would be hard to beat at any distillery.
We followed that with a 1997 duty free bottling which had a bigger proportion of American oak through it.

On to the absolute classic 18 year old, twice hailed as the best spirit in the world, then on to our Bicentenary bottling. A bit smokier than normal offerings, it made a lasting impression.
As did the last bottle of the evening – the legendary 40 year old, retailing at a cool grand a bottle. It was everything you’d expect, a smooth classic from the HP stable.
Gerry hung around after the tasting and was quizzed by members on wood policy, the use of caramel, some interesting ‘experiments’ in cask management and many other topics.
As usual Gerry was unfailingly polite, engaging and showed his tru passion for his whiskies.

How Do You Take Yours?

2009-07-10T16:30:00.005+01:00

Our good friend Richard Paterson of Whyte and Mackay and Colin Field, the head barman at The Ritz in Paris are having a get together on the Isle of Jura to try and answer that age old question: How Do You Take Yours? It promises to be great fun. Here's a wee You Tube clip

On the day itself there'll be a competition to name a cocktail. The winner will be taken to the Paris Ritz to drink a few.

Keep an eye out here for more details

Doubles at the Doublet

2009-05-27T11:10:00.004+01:00

Change of venue for the club night, and the Doublet more than measured up. We got the venue free but the pub must have been happy judging by the numbers who turned up, especially the non-members who wondered what on earth was going on. Nice to see Juliet back on her feet. In a rash moment she (kind of) offered a tasting at her house to get rid of some of the drams she's got lying around. I'll organise the bus!

Some good drams on offer too. Your humble chairman brought along a Tormore and Miltonduff, the last bottlings from Allied Distillers in Dumbarton in 2002. The Miltonduff was by far the better dram, IMHO. Ralf brought a Bladnoch 15 cask strength - the blackfaced sheep bottling - courtesy of Raymond Armstrong at the distillery, and it was a fine dram. Raymond would appreciate an email with your tasting notes (www.bladnoch.co.uk). We should think of an outing there. A long haul, but worth it.

Star of the night for me was the Fascadale from Adelphi, a secret bottling from a distillery not 20 miles from Talisker!

Next up is our Highland Park night, confirmed for the Bon Accord on June 30. The list is now closed and a stand-by is in operation. See you there.

A Dram's A Dram For A' That

2009-05-26T15:38:00.007+01:00

Many of us have long thought Robbie's annual whisky fest was among the best in the calendar - good master classes, a good selection of exhibitors and a fine venue at Ayr Town Hall. Saturday's event had all that - and more. Crowds, crowd, crowds. It was VERY busy, VERY hot and I suppose an indication of the growing success of the gathering.
A good turn out of club members as usual, half heading for the Ardbeg master class, half to George Grant’s Glenfarclas tasting. Your humble scrivener headed for Speyside. Six drams were on offer from the Grants’ Family Casks – 1979, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1992 and 1993 – ranging in price from £225 to a mere £125 a bottle. Fergus and I thought the 1989 was the absolute standout, big, sherried Speysider with fruit cake, toffee and vanilla. Just stunning.

The Islayphiles raved about the Supernova, a BIG BIG BIG smokey joe of a dram. Did it waste them for the rest of the day? Didn’t seem to! You’ll know club member David Keir asked for some help at busy times at his Arran and Bruichladdich/Tullibardine stalls, and it seemed Ralf and Mark were constant companions, dispensing drams and words of wisdom. Your slightly deafer chairman dispensed drams and grunted affably at every question, going for the lightly baffled approach.

Couldn’t help noticing, though, that a great many of the ‘connoisseurs’ at the tasting tables were merely table-hopping up and paying little attention to the quality or otherwise of the drams. Still, they paid their money like everyone else, I suppose.

A Fyne Time Was Had By All

2009-05-19T13:03:00.006+01:00

I don't think anyone would argue if I said Spirit of the West was one of the best days we've ever had as a club. The weather was kinder than we expected, the food was good, the drams absolutely first class.
Seventeen road warriors took the long and winding road to sample some of the finest whiskies the 16 distilleries who make up the Whisky Coast had to offer. There were top people from the industry as well, a sure sign they are fully supportive of this fledgling festival.
There were six themed marquees for the event including Whisky, Hospitality, Food & Drink, Music & Fashion, History & Heritage & a Crafts Village. Open air activities including golf and Walking Theatre historical trails were also lined up for the big weekend.
The organisers believe the event was a success although they were a little disappointed with the numbers who turned up. There were very few signs on the road from Glasgow that a festival was on and advertising elsewhere was a bit sparse. Next year the event will be switched, possible to June, in a bit to capture more tourists.
But the day suited us just fine. There was plenty of room at the tasting table in the Dram Room and the people pouring the drams had plenty of time to stand and natter.
Top drams of the day, voted by the travelling band, were the Talisker 30 and 25, with Jim McEwan's nitroglycerine concoction, the BLx4 also attracting support.
For some strange reason, the journey back seemed much quicker than the outward journey. Funny that!

And the natives were friendly

2009-04-30T16:55:00.002+01:00

To Edinburgh and the lair of the beast – the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Queen Street – for a tasting for bloggers. This is the home of the whisky snobs, the elitist, too-posh-to-pish people who won’t even tell you what whisky you’re drinking.
Except that they’re not like that at all. They’re as passionate and committed to good drams as we are, they’re very friendly and generous and their tasting notes have a nice, informal, dry touch of humour.
Our host was Olaf, the German-born ambassador who came to whisky 25 years ago – the same year the SMWE began. He remembers that dram, a 21 year old Springbank, and has retained a fondness for that distillery ever since.
A handful of bloggers were there, including Lucas and Chris from the Edinburgh Whisky Blog, one we should certainly be taking a look at.
A handful of drams were there, resplendent in their distillery/cask numbering system, although Olaf made it easy for us by spilling the bean and supplying tasting notes.
First up was a 19-year-old Rosebank, triple distilled at 59.7% in which the asemblees found roses and meadows, banana, varnished pine. With water, it became gingery spicy, with a dusty, cutgrass nose and a long flavour.
Number two was a Benrinnes from what was said to be a first fill sherry butt. 15 years old and sitting at 57.9% it was a chocolate goo pudding, which segued into a chesterfield sofa. The dark and mysterious Hazelburn was next, a comparative youngster at 11 years old, but with such oomph it could have been much older. Described as having the colour of flat Coke, it was creosote in a glass and had a nose reminiscent of a garden shed on a sunny afternoon. Cask strength of 56.7% but it needed very little water and in fact one our band preferred it uncut.
A honey-sweet Springbank 12 was the penultimate dram and it had all the characteristics you’d expect from Campbeltown – liquorice, seaweed, oil and smoke. The star of the night for me was the lightly-peaqted Ardbeg, the youngest at a mere seven years old. What a show stopper. On the nose nothing like an Ardbeg, in the mouth, unmistakeably so. We got smokey bacon, gun oil, chimney soot. A brilliant dram and only £47 from the SMWS.
It was such a good evening I was almost tempted to join!

DRAMS THAT DARE NOT SPEAK THEIR NAMES

2009-04-04T10:44:00.005+01:00

Last night of the month and a cracking way to bring down the curtains on March, with a celebration of An Cnoc. Presented by Nicola Ball, the evening at Oran Mor’s private dining room, was a mixture of the familiar, the surprising and the secretive.
The familiar were two of the drams, the 12 and 16 year old. Not so familiar was the 1994, un-chill-filtered at 46% from a mixture of sherry and bourbon casks. Floral and fragrant, it had rum and raisins, leather and, with water, chocolate.
The surprising was the 30 year old - an intense dram with huge sherry influence, bottled at 50%. Keir Sword of Royal Mile Whiskies (which sells it for under £100) found Roses lime marmalade and a hint of butterscotch. He thought it had a soft oily texture with caramac and a gooseberry finish. I got candles and beeswax and thought it showed EXACTLY the progression from the previous drams. An undoubted hit and a fantastic find.
Then came the secret trio of drams that could be described as a work in progress. We’re sworn to secrecy and we really appreciated getting the chance to taste this trio, but suffice to say the third of the drams was, to my mind, the standout and one that I’d happily pay money for.
The chairman forgot to thank Nicola during his closing remarks and he’s happy to put that right now. He would have mentioned it’s a measure of how far the club has come that we’re being used as a focus group. We have a perfect blend of experienced and not so experienced whisky drinkers and a healthy respect for what good whisky can taste like, and it appears others agree.

Bruich is the Laddie

2009-02-25T12:50:00.002Z

First tasting of the new year and it turned into a belter. Some 18 souls braved the back part of the Cask and Still for an evening with David Keir, who brought along some Arran, Tullibardine and a brace of Bruichladdichs, one of which the club dug deep into its inexhaustible coffers to purchase.
First up was the Arran 10, a light, citrusy dram, served at 46%. It improved after being left in the glass for a while. The 1993 Tullibardine was next, finished in a Muscatel cask, but its older brother, the 1988 bourbon cask, was an absolute smasher. Sweet, peppery with a decent finish.
The Arran single cask, also from a bourbon, had sweet toffee and was a big improvement on the standard 10. Retailing at £45-£48 a bottle, it would be worth spending some redundancy money on.
Next was the club's own purchase, the Bruichladdich Golder Still. Limited release of 4866 bottles, and retailing for around £120, it matured in 'squat' bourbon casks, which apparently gives the spirit more contact with the wood. More sweet toffee and well worth acquiring as a collectible, if you've also got the cash to get the partners - The Blacker Still and Redder Still.
Final dram was from the 2001 Resurrection series, a seven year old with a 10ppm peat level. Some £37 for one of 24,000 bottles. Also worth a collecting punt.
Many thanks once again to David, club member, Sales Manager with distributor Malcolm Cowen, and all round good guy.
Someone buy his flat please. He needs the dosh to buy more whisky!

FRIENDSHIP AND WHISKY GANG THEGITHER

2009-02-05T19:31:00.009Z

February, the Bon Accord, and yet another great night in the travels of our wee club. The Burns Supper hit all the notes - good food, good drams, good friends. We had our ups and down - secretary Andy Bell at last proposing to make an honest woman of Gillian, who, much to the astonishment of the assembled cast, accepted. Apart from his boyish good looks and almost unfettered access to premium drams,what DOES she see in him? The downside was the early departure of our Tartan Army treasurer, who had a dose of what my mum used to call 'The Bile',and wandered off into the night clutching his sporran full of banknotes. The next day he was feeling slightly better, unlike Gillian,who was still engaged to Andy.
To the night itself. A few brief words from the chairman, almost totally drowned out by the boorish behaviour of club members who seemed to prefer chatting among themselves than listening to his wise words, then a fine Selkirk Grace from the Chanty Wrassler. Undoubted highlight was the Ode to a Haggis, animatedly perormed by Ken Seaton who stepped in as the aforementioned treasurer was sprinting to the loo for an unscheduled upchuck. Three courses - lentil soup, haggis neeps and tatties and a delicious steak pie - were accompanied by the Bon Accord's own Bruichladdich, a 1993 cask strength, then an Auchentoshan 12 and finally, a magnificent Adelphi secret bottling which may, or may not, have from over the sea FROM Skye.
Many thanks to Paul McDonagh and his son young Paul (also known as Thomas) and ALL the staff at Bon Accord. It's a fine venue and one we'll be returning to on a regular basis, I'm sure.

WHISKY COAST

2008-11-13T13:40:00.004Z

Tickets have gone on sale and a website has launched for an inaugural whisky culture event that is welcoming the world home to the west coast of Scotland next May. Celebrity chef Nick Nairn, Scottish band Ceilidh Minogue, Food from Argyll, along with all 16 distilleries on the west coast, are already confirmed for Spirit of the West. The event will showcase Scotland’s west coast culture and is set to be the flagship Homecoming Scotland 2009 event for the region.

6000 people are expected at the event on Saturday 16th & Sunday 17th May at Inveraray Castle, which is held during Homecoming Scotland 2009’s Whisky Month. The audience will be packed with culture vultures, whisky lovers, foodies, family tree explorers, tartan fashion followers and Scottish music fans – or those who simply love Scotland.

The Whisky Coast, the team behind Spirit of the West, have planned to entertain the masses with six themed marquees for the event including Whisky, Hospitality, Food & Drink, Music & Fashion, History & Heritage & a Crafts Village. Open air activities including golf and Walking Theatre historical trails are also lined up for the big weekend.

A grand Whisky Coast Ceilidh, from 7pm till midnight on the Saturday night, will celebrate the Spirit of the West with a Rabbie Burns Supper, charity auction, after dinner music from Ceilidh Minogue and, of course, lots of traditional ceilidh dancing! Additional ceilidh tickets cost £65 per person, for over 18s only, with a percentage of the proceeds going to a chosen charity.

The star attraction, The Whisky Coast Marquee, is hosting the over 18s Whisky Theatre where 10 whisky masterclasses with key industry figures and nosings & tastings of peaty and smoky golds will take place. The marquee will include 16 world famous whisky distillers, from Arran in the south all the way up to Talisker on the Isle of Skye. On the other side of the marquee, The Dram Room will be open to all ages, with competitions, quizzes, storytelling, demonstrations and an oyster bar.

A diverse selection of art, fashion and music, in association with The Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop, Geoffrey Tailor Kiltmakers and The Walking Theatre Company, will be staged in the Spirit of Dram(a) marquee. Traditional and contemporary Scottish bands, both local and national and highland dancers will perform for the crowds while models in tartan attire, currently a major fashion trend, will take to the catwalk to represent west coast clan tartans.

Joined by celebrity Nick Nairn on Sunday 17th May, The Taste of the West marquee plans to cook up a treat, bringing food & drink from up and down the west coast of Scotland to mouth watering pallets. Meats, seafood, confectionery, bakery, wines and beers from high quality, local & fresh suppliers will be available over the weekend.

Spirit of the West tickets are now available to buy via www.seetickets.com/spiritofthewest or www.homecomingscotland2009.com. Standard adult ticket prices are £14 per day or £22 for the weekend. Senior Citizens & Concessions: £12 per day, £20 for weekend Whisky masterclasses cost an extra £10 per class. Ceilidh tickets cost £65 per person. Both must be booked in advance.

For more information on ticket prices and regular event announcements, please visit the event’s brand new website www.spiritofthewest.co.uk.

Biggest whisky collection comes home

2008-10-08T17:51:00.004+01:00

Susan Morrison, general manager of the Scotch Whisky Experience, and Claive Vidiz celebrate the arrival of the collection

The world’s largest collection of whiskies arrived safely in Scotland this week, brought home from Brazil by leading whisky manufacturer, Diageo.

Featuring 3384 bottles, the record-breaking collection was built up over 35 years by Brazilian whisky enthusiast, Claive Vidiz, who has scoured the world for whiskies to create the magnificent collection.

A unique treasure trove charged with memories, the bottles are currently being stored in a high security location in Scotland, after being shipped 6,500 miles from Sao Paulo on board container ship, the Monte Rosa.

A specially designed vault is being created at the Scotch Whisky Experience to display the Diageo Claive Vidiz Scotch Whisky Collection. The vault is part of a £2million investment at the five-star tourist attraction on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

While the details of the terms of its sale to Diageo will remain under wraps, the unique collection is described by whisky experts as “invaluable” and ranges from the most popular whiskies to some of the rarest.

“To split up a collection which I have devoted more than 35 years of my life to would have broken my heart so I am truly thrilled Diageo has purchased it in its entirety. It is now in the hands of a company which is at the heart of the Scotch industry and I am certain they will cherish and develop the collection,” said Mr Vidiz.

“It is also wonderful to see it safely back in Scotland. We have an expression in Brazil - ‘the good son returns home’ - and in my view the collection is back with its family now,” he added.

Among the many rare bottles is a Strathmill single malt produced to celebrate the Speyside distillery’s 100th anniversary. One of only 100 bottles ever produced, this limited edition centenary malt was offered to a very select few – including various heads of state and, fortunately for the collection, Claive Vidiz!

A personal favourite of Mr Vidiz is Dimple Pinch, one of the first special editions of a Scotch Whisky ever produced. Bought in 1969 for US $1000, it was the most expensive limited edition bottle of Scotch Whisky on the market at the time.

Shipping the fragile cargo across the Atlantic took months of preparation, and each bottle was individually packaged by fine art specialists.

“We are delighted to have worked with Claive to bring this wonderful collection safely back to Scotland and to play a part in preserving its legacy and historic significance,” said Bryan Donaghey, Managing Director of Diageo Scotland.

“We are loaning the collection to the Scotch Whisky Experience where annually 200,000 visitors will be able to view the collection in its atmospheric vault.”

VisitScotland's Chief Executive, Philip Riddle said: "The return of such an important and interesting collection of Scotch Whisky to Scotland is fantastic news, particularly as we look forward to Homecoming Scotland 2009.

“The year long programme of events will give us all a chance to celebrate some of our greatest contributions to the world, including whisky. This collection is sure to be a great draw for visitors and locals alike, who will be able to enjoy viewing it at one of our premier five star visitor attractions."

The Scotch Whisky Experience team are delighted Diageo has chosen to display the collection at the centre where it will be a major highlight of the new-look tour. Visitors to the Experience will have the opportunity to view this unique and intriguing collection up close, 364 days of the year, from spring 2009.

The Auchentoshan Night That Never Was

2008-08-22T16:24:00.007+01:00

The venue: Bon Accord. The host: Andrew Torrance of Morrison Bowmore, distiller of Auchentoshan and Bowmore. The red face: your humble chairman who told everyone it was an Auchentoshan tasting only to face half a dozen bottles of Bowmore. The result: A great night with superb whiskies, a real find in the Bon Accord and a promise of a return trip to sample the 'toshans.
Our tasting got off to a great start with a warm welcome from mine host Paul McDonagh, who laid on sandwiches and provided fast, friendly service. He seemed genuinely pleased to see club members and has asked us back for further tastings. He runs a monthly malts tasting with a meal and is more than happy if club members want to sign up. Contact him on ale@thebonaccord.com
Back to the Bowmore, and after the initial confusion, club members settled into an evening of some really fine drams. First up was the beginning of the core range, the Bowmore 12. Its warm amber colour held the promise of what was to come - subtle lemon and honey with the distinctive Bowmore smokiness. On the palate we found dark chocolate and peat smoke.
Next up was the 15, a magnificent dram with a smoother outline from the 12, but still with that unmistakable smokey chocolate and raisin. Treacle toffee on the palate with cedar wood.
Third in line was, for this correspondent, a simply superb whisky - the 18 with its deep mahogany colour and a creamy smooth caramel nose.
The new kid on the block is the single cask,. At eight years old this is a fresh, invigorating dram with a fizz on the tongue. Perhaps it might have been better sampling this before the 18, which was still dominating when I got to the single cask. I'd certainly like to revisit it.
Last dram, of the schedule (a second bottle of 18 was generously donated by Andrew for the tables to enjoy at our leisure) was the fabled Black Bowmore of 1964
Sukinder Singh of the Whisky Exchange described it like this: Black Bowmore 1964 / 42 Year old / Sherry Cask / Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky
"Well, here it is - just over twelve years after the previous release, a legend is reborn: Black Bowmore is back! Selected from the same batch of Oloroso casks as the previous bottlings, this is a must-have for wealthy Islayphiles."
And John Hansell, Malt Advocate described it in his tasting notes this way: "...this is one of the most fascinating whiskies I have ever tasted! It’s better than the original Black Bowmore trio.
...What I think impresses me most is how the whisky evolves. On the nose and palate, this is a thick, viscous, whisky, with notes of sticky toffee, earthy oak, fig cake, roasted nuts, fallen fruit, pancake batter, black cherry, ripe peach, dark chocolate covered espresso bean, polished leather, tobacco, a hint of wild game and lingering, leafy damp kiln smoke. Flavors continue on the palate long after swallowing. This is what we all hope for (and dream of) in an older whisky!
"I have now tasted this whisky twice: last night before dinner with Iain McCallum, Bowmore’s whisky “nose”, and this morning, in my hotel room before posting this. My opinion is the same. My rating for this whisky, which will be published in the next issue of Malt Advocate magazine, is: 97. (That’s the highest rating I have ever given a whisky.)
He was right to rave about it. I snaffled the (sadly empty) bottle and took it home. The following morning I nosed it deeply and was astonished the power an empty bottle can have.
At the end of the evening there was a further pleasant surprise. The Bowmore nosing glasses we'd been using were donated to the club by Andrew. A very generous gesture indeed, although Mrs Chairman wasn't too keen about the prospect of washing them all!

Herald Whisky Supplement August 2008

2008-08-14T13:29:00.006+01:00

The club's co-operation with the Herald continues this month with a selection of six drams which were tasted blind.
We're obliged to members of the tasting panel for their notes, which were effortlessly turned into prose by Andy Clark.

Littlemill 1990 Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling - cask no. 97.11 @ 56%
From a lost distillery on the Clyde comes a dram fit for the new world.
It’s like New England in the fall … heavy with freshly cut oak and bourbon-vanilla. There’s grass and fresh herbs growing beneath your feet, and a hint of salt from the far-off ocean blowing on the wind.
As you explore you’ll be met with the tang of citrus and apple peel and the richness of butter and fudge.
There’s even a touch of coconut and passion fruit to show that this old master from times gone by is still very much alive.
Who said history was boring?

Mammochmore 1992 SMWS bottling 64.15 @ 57/1%
Want the recipe for something special from Speyside? Well, go get a pencil and pay attention.
Take fruit … lots of it … and throw it into a large glass. Add a handful of nuts and rolled oats, some honey and a touch of spice.
Next, toffee (fudge if you’d prefer) and maple syrup.
Now pour in fresh rain water and stir the whole thing up with a stick of charcoal.
And what do you get?
Rich, dark cake with marzipan fresh from the oven, covered in a generous dusting of sherbet.
Fruity. Fizzy. Tasty.
Definitely for sharing with friends … that’s if it makes it out of the kitchen!

Dalwhinnie double matured. Diageo. Bottled 1990 @ 43%
When it comes to quality, why make life complicated?
From the maker of one of finest 15-year-olds on the planet comes a malt that is simple, and special - an elegant, fur-coated lady of a dram.
There are no airs or graces … she’s soft and approachable, even though she’s seriously rich and a bit fruity.
You can even smell the sherry on her breath.
She’s quite a catch … and if you take her home and put your feet up, you’re sure to have the time of your life.
It’s as simple as that.

Cragganmore 14 Distillers Edition. Diageo. Bottled 1993 @ 40%
Fancy a day out just like the good old days?
A picnic, perhaps … sitting among the long grass at the back of the dunes?
We could have sweets, dried fruit, and coffee and walnut cake covered in treacle.
And for drinks, how about a flask of milky coffee and some nice expensive brandy?
We could even stop on the way home for rum and raisin ice cream, just to round things off.
So let’s pack the car, jump aboard and explore. We’re sure to have an adventure we’ll never forget.

Talisker Double Matured. Diageo. Bottled 1993 @45.8%
Skye. It’s a seriously daunting prospect.
Much like its famous Cuillin Ridge, it’s rugged, at times inhospitable and just a little bit scary. Definitely not a place for the faint-hearted.
But what if someone gave the less committed among us a helping hand, just to ease the way?
That’s what’s so special about Talisker Double Matured.
It’s still serious, it’s still a major challenge, just like the usual Talisker.
But now there’s a bus to the start of the climb.
You’ll get a leg-up just at the point you’re losing your nerve.
The true spirit of Skye, but with a dab of antiseptic cream to protect your knees from the roughness of the rock.
A trip to treasure, and no mistake … surely that’s not a ladder up the Inaccessible Pinnacle?

Black Grouse. No Age Statement. 40%
Ever thought of abandoning the path of righteousness and turning to the dark side?
Well, here’s the perfect excuse.
Black Grouse - which has just been awarded a Gold medal at this year’s International Spirits Challenge (ISC) - is so nice it’s naughty.
Initially it’s quite overpowering … a high spirit burn.
But give it time and it reminds you of hot sun on a lawnmower … oily, warm and comforting.
It’s fruity and sweet with malt, oak and sherry.
Perfect on its own, great with ice. Exciting as a base for a cocktail.
This is a drink that will definitely bring out the devil in you.
A true piece of Black magic.

Many thanks to those who supplied the samples.

ON THE FRINGE OF GREATNESS (OR SOMETHING)

2008-08-11T20:05:00.005+01:00

A capital weekend in the capital for a handful of club members. Whisky Fringe was a 500 a day sell out and has become a much better bet than Whisky Live, in your scrivener's humble opinion. The exhibitors are top class, and the £10 voucher for use in the Royal Mile Whiskies shop made it a complete bargain. I was there on Sunday and met Maggie (on her own - husband Ken having decided - bizarrely - that motor bikes are more interesting than drams) Bobby, Laura, Erik, Mark, Ralf and we had a blether and a dram, as you do. The interesting thing from my point of view was the number of exhibitors who recognised us, knew us from tastings and were quick to offer interesting samples from below the radar.We also met some new folk, including Ian Logan, The Glenlivet International Brand Ambassador, who works with Alex Robertson. His 21 year old called Eclipse, err ... eclipsed everything I tasted on the day. Ralf thought differently, as befits a Chanty Rassler. His selection, along with mine and Mr Banford's, are below. If you've got a top five from the Fringe, let me know at the whiskyclub address.

Ralf's Chosen Few:

5 - Aberlour a'bunadh (Batch 23) 90 points
4 - Springbank '97 (Batch 2) 90 points
3 - Compass Box Hedonism Maximus 92 points
2 - Adelphi Mortlach 1990 16 y.o 92 points
1 - Signatory cask North British 45 y.o. 94 points

Toshie's Tops:

1. Glenlivet 21 51.9% single cask "Eclipse"
2. Adelphi 1990 Mortlach
3. Compass Box Hedonism Maximus
4. Glenkinchie 20
5 Glenfarclas Family Cask

Bobby's Choice:
1st:- Dewar Rattray - 1989 Linkwood - beautiful sherry/floral a cracking Speysider. Who needs peat when whisky tastes like this?
2nd:- Adelphi - 1990 Mortlach - fantastic dark chocolate / Xmas cake lingering taste
3rd:- Signatory - 1977 Inverleven - soft/dry/spicey fantastic
4th:- Tomintoul 27 yr old - smooth as silk and only £55.00 bargain!
5th:- Dewar Rattery:- 1991 Mortlach - as Adelphi but slightly softer.

BIGGEST disapointment :- Glenmorangie Astar, after all the hype far to sweet for me.
'Fur coat and no knickers' as they say

EVERY LITTLE HELPS

2008-07-11T11:21:00.002+01:00

TWO SUPERMARKETS' own label single malts have beaten several branded whiskies to take an international title.

Tesco's 12-year-old Highland Single Malt, which sells for £15.58, beat names such as Laphroaig, Glenmorangie and Glenkinchie at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) awards.

The Tesco win came in the Anglo Overseas Trophy for the best single malt whisky up to 15 years old in the blind tasting. Sainsbury's also won a Gold (best in class) for its own-label 10-year-old Islay Malt.

The competition is run each year and all wines, spirits and liqueurs that are entered are tasted in groups.

Tesco senior buyer Simon Dunn said: "This award will come as a real shock to the centuries-old whisky industry which is not noted for its keen appreciation of supermarket varieties. To beat world renowned whiskies such as Laphroaig and Glenmorangie is some achievement and will hopefully help encourage all malt lovers to try it. " Judges at the IWSC rated the Tesco whisky for its "very attractive nose, ripe fruit notes and vanilla and sweet spice following".

Detailed analysis is carried out by the IWSC on all award- winning drinks to ensure they have the same high quality when they reach the consumer as when judging panels originally tasted them.

A spokesman for IWSC added: "Leading Scottish whiskies including Talisker, Highland Park, Lagavulin, Bunnahabhain, Laphroaig and the Glenlivet all performed well, picking up gold medals across their ranges "
Originally published by Newsquest Media Group.

(c) 2008 Herald, The; Glasgow (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Perhaps it's time the club had a blind tasting of supermarket drams?

OFFICIAL: IT'S A HOOR OF A DRAM

2008-06-30T15:22:00.002+01:00

A huge thanks to everyone who came to the Duncan Taylor night at Oran Mor. It was one of our best tasting of 2007 and this new one looks like giving the others as good a run for their money in 2008. Again Jacque Sutherland was our hostess, but as she’s moving to an international role, she brought along the man who will do future tests, Iain Fraser. As at the last tasting, the drams were old, rare, a combination of both, or surprisingly young. All were magnificent and Andy Bell is compiling a top of the pops to see which one emerges victorious. The runners and riders were a Battlehill Miltonduff, a sprightly eight year old for a very affordable £22. Next up was the Glen Moray 1991 at £34, followed by the 91 Glen Elgin. To bring a bit of balance a 1973 Strathclyde single grain was next – an interesting experience. The Lonach Caperdonich from 1970 was the penultimate dram and, at £84, was as good as it should be. For many the star of the night was the last dram, the 1981 Glenesk, a mere £99 for what the club’s official chanty rassler memorably described as ‘a hoor of a dram’! Not many would argue. Even at 56.9 this venerable beast was smooth and silk and well worth a second dram. A word of thanks to Oran Mor who gave us the Private Dining Room for free after a bookings mix up on our Glenfarclas night.

The New Auchentoshans

2008-06-30T13:53:00.003+01:00

To 29 at the beginning of June for the launch of the new Auchentoshan range. Accompanied by Andy Clark, we ran into Big Willie, who’d been at the Ayr whisky bash, lives in Edinburgh, but is keen to join the club. When we arrived all the new drams had been poured, which I’m not sure is that GOOD an idea. In fact the three of us thought the whiskies had lost all power and would not do themselves justice among a discerning bunch of drammers. I think the organisers took the point, because fresh pours released all that’s good about Auchentoshan. The range now starts with the Classic, triple distilled as are all ‘toshies and matured only in American bourbon casks, it was subtle with vanilla and coconut on the nose. Up to the 12, with toasted almonds and caramelised toffee – a much better dram than I was expecting. The Three Wood is full of colour, as you would expect from a whisky finished in Spanish Oloroso and Pedro Ximinez sherry casks. It was rich and fruity with thick butterscotch and roasted hazelnuts (it says here, and who am I to argue?) The new kid on the block was the 18 that Glasgow’s Whisky Club members were privileged to taste last year on our tour of the distillery. It was as I remembered it then – a very decent dram, again matured in bourbon oak, and with notes of ripe citrus and toasted almonds. The tastemaster found green tea, but that eluded me. Top of the tree in age terms was the 21 “ripe with gooseberries, sweet creamy vanilla, a hint of oak and warm honey.” Yeah, all that and more. Club members will get a chance to taste them all on August 14 when we hold a tasting at the Bon Accord. Names to Andy Bell please, at the hotmail address.

AYR AN' A' THAT WHISKY

2008-05-19T12:50:00.004+01:00

Well what a day we had. Well over a dozen souls had an away day at Robbie's Drams' Whisky Festival held at Ayr Town Hall. It was good to see so many club members there. It was also a good opportunity to float around the stalls, not only sampling drams, but also setting up tastings. We've got Duncan Taylor in June and hopefully a Murray McDavid at the end of this month. That's still to be confirmed so I'll let you know. If that comes off it will take the place of the usual club night in the Cask and Still. It will also be a full-on tasting as David Kier wants our feedback on some new stuff.
I was going through my notes to see what I'd sampled on Saturday ... and it appears I had 10!!!
In no particular order: The new Ardbeg Renaissance; Auchentoshan 18 that we'd sampled last year on our visit; Caol Ila 1995; Clynelish 1991; Glenkinchie amontillado; Talisker 25 (all from Diageo's very generous stall thanks to James!) Glenfarclas 1994 Family Cask; Longrow CV; Old Malt Cask Mortlach 15 and the Tullibardine 1988. If memory serves me right, they were all good, with the Talisker 25, Mortlach , Tullibardine and Glenfarclas among the top. Actually the only one I DIDN'T enjoy was the Auchentoshan after water had been added. It was much better straight, in my opinion.
But a good day nontheless and we all had a bundle of laughs.

GLENGOYNE CHRISTMAS DINNER

2007-12-17T09:46:00.001Z

THE GOOD STUFF IS ALWAYS WORTH WAITING FOR

2007-10-22T14:43:00.002+01:00

It took 15 months of phone calls, e-mails and chance meetings, but finally we got our man. Robert Ransom from Glenfarclas presided over one of the best tastings this club has had, in terms of the range and quality of the malts on offer. Ably assisted by Peter Donnelly from Pol Roger, we sampled our way through a fabulous handful of Glenfarclas single malts, from the standard 10 to an astonishing 1991 from the new Family Cask range – limited bottlings from casks drawn from every year since 1952. Few of us at the night would have remembered 1952 … but you know who you are!

There was an encouraging turn out as well, and the new venue, Abode at the Arthouse Hotel, treated us very well. First up was the 10 at 43%, used liberally by blenders. The 15 at 46% was next and the big jump in quality because of age and the ABV- 46.5% - was very noticeable. An eye-searingly new make at 68% proved too much for some, even with a liberal dash of water. Malt Maniacs’ Best Bang for your Buck in 2004 came next, the Glenfarclas 105 at 60%. It was voted Best in Class by the IWSC in 2005 and at £35 it was a fine dram. Some genuine top quality came next and was a testimony to the proper use of wood. The 21 was simply brilliant, in this humble scribe’s view, and is the Glenfarclas I have in the cupboard at home. It was followed by the 30, from 100% sherry casks and very dark and rich at 43%.The star of the show was undoubtedly the 1991 cask strength, one of only 613 bottles and running to 57.9% The entire Family Cask range comes in at £15,000 for the set, but by the end of the tasting, I thought I saw a few club members checking their credit card limit!

Incidentally this was the first tasting with the new team of myself as chairman and Andy Bell as secretary in charge. I shamefully neglected to pay tribute to the work of our first chairman and founder, Alex Robertson. He saw the desire for a whisky club and got it up and running. I’m glad he’s staying on as a committee member, not least because our next tasting is at the BBC’s new HQ at Pacific Quay, thanks to him.

Compass Box (getting our bearings)

2007-08-28T16:18:00.000+01:00

On the evening of Thursday the 16th July at Oddbins, Crow Road, several club members joined customers and whisky-keen punters for an introduction and explanation of Compass Box's range of whiskies. Greg Glass, active alchemist with the 'boutique' company (as Compass Box like to refer to themselves) was both eloquent and articulate in giving a most informative tasting experience along with details of Compass Box’s ideals and ambitions. We enjoyed seven excellent whiskies free of charge … I’ll just repeat that… free of charge!!! as the experience was principally designed for education rather than just mere enjoyment - although we all 20 of us appeared to enjoy it a lot.

So pausing only to grab our compasses and ensuring allowances for magnetic to true north, (to ensure accurate readings), Greg steered us due south with ASYLA the standard blend, and by 'standard' I mean significantly-higher-than-normal-blends’ 'standard'. ASYLA is a tutti-frutti fusion of Cameron Bridge grain along with Cragganmore and Glen Elgin malts resulting in a top class blended whisky, which kicks its caramelised and filtered cousins into second best/all-the-rest.

Second on the menu after negotiating a compass bearing of east by south-east, we arrived at OAK CROSS, a vat o' malts rendered all the more interesting by the addition of fine 'Sessille' oak barrel ends which added wood/spice complexity to an existing subtle malt gathering. Altogether quiet, complex and a quality-engagement.

Heading north-by-north-west, we approached our third offering with some trepidation as it existed by the name of PEAT MONSTER, but we really needn't have worried, our Peaty Monster was a powerful but gently complex beast of Caol Ila and Ardmore, which became quickly evident as a natural and energetic combination with the Ardmore subduing the stormy Caol Ila and the Caol Ila embracing the savory Ardmore.

Fourth, heading west, was HEDONISM the first ever-vatted grain whisky on the market. Who said Grain was inferior to malt/ … it’s not …it's just different, and this Cambus and Cameron Bridge double-dunt was superb, and an education to everyone present. A prolonged soft brulee dry confection with hints of wood-spice and smoke.

Now we were heading due north again towards unchartered territory in the form of FLAMING HEART, a truly brave and courageous blend of Islay and Speyside malts. This whisky is a damn good attempt to create what 'peated-Speyside' malt distillers are desperate to achieve – the best of Speyside sweetness and rounded fruitiness, balanced with the briny intense peat personality of Islay. With this vatted-malt the growing experience and sound judgment of Compass Box is evident.

With an about turn on our compass bearings we then ventured south into the Maderia-infused maltiness of MAGIC CASK, a bottling for Canadian customers (by their own request) which hit the mark with us all due to the ongoing quality of the individual malts of Linkwood and Clynelish that were present.

Finally our trembling compasses took us westerly towards stormy waters where turbulence was in evidence with the existence of our final sample of SPICE TREE. Why the turbulence? Well, ask the Scotch Whisky Association, who forbade Compass Box the further use of 'inner-staves' (i.e. secondary/inner barrel staves designed to impart wood flavours to maturing spirit). There was only one (inner-staved) release of spicy, wood-suffused, gentle, fruity SPICE TREE and bottles are now a sought-after collectors item. We were lucky to get to try it, and everyone enjoyed the whisky enormously. No one present had any problems with the integrity of inner-stave use - we were all just grateful to explore a whisky tasting event free of caramel (E150), and in a non-chill-filtered format with a combination of whiskies above the usual delivery of 10 to 12 years old. The overall quality of the whisky was self evident, even to the non-whisky drinkers who had just come along to 'try something else'.

We look forward to Compass Box's CANTO project. It will be very interesting indeed.

Thank you Compass Box for helping us get our bearings.

Ralf

BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE

2007-08-13T09:52:00.001+01:00

It felt like we'd moved into the stack 'em high, sell 'em cheap world of supermarkets at the last tasting - featuring a BOGOF promotion. Oran-Mor was host again and the Private Dining Room provided a suitable ambiance to sip and savour some of the finest malts around. But first intrepid souls had to overcome the obstacle course that was a Glenfiddich tasting, held in the Whisky Bar. Ian Miller from William Grant & Sons was host for both the Glenfiddich and, later, our Balvenie tasting, and in terms of the scrum that surrounded the Glenfiddich table, club members were certainly not found wanting. But in the more sedate surroundings of the dining room, we were able to take our time and really get to know the samples that were on offer. Ian was a genial and generous host who made his views on the importance of choosing good wood crystal clear. Some 65% of the taste of whisky is directly influenced by the wood in which it slowly matures. "It's the key to success," he said. We sampled the standard 10-year-old, which contrary to rumour, is not being phased out - at least not in the UK market,and the Double Wood, which slept for 12 years in US and European oak before being decanted into Oloroso sherry casks for six months. The Rum Wood was next at 47.1%. Having spent 14 years in predominantly US oak, it switched for four years to a rum cask. Next up was the Single Barrel - 15 years and 47.8% and a simply delicious whisky. The stanedard fare ended with the 21-year-old Port Wood, a faviourite of gWc and a highly-recommended dram in the tasting notes we prepare for the Herald. Star of the night, though, was the 1993 bottling in a very heavy sherry cask. Half was bottled for the market, the rest was recasked in 1999. It was snaffled by Mr Miller who labelled it Ian Miller's - Hands Off. Fortunately he let us get our hands on it, and two bottles were passed round and sampled with delight. Even more generously, Ian donated what was left - about £600 worth if it found its way into the shops - for Alex Robertson's SoS Children's charity. Full details in Short Measures

FROM GLEN TO GLEN

2007-07-30T11:11:00.000+01:00

This month sees Glengoyne filling Australian Shiraz casks, adding yet another unique finish to its range of award-winning single malts.

The casks, previously used for a Gold award winning Shiraz from Australia’s Hunter Valley, have come courtesy of Glenguin Winery. The owner of the winery, Robin Tedder, is in fact the third Baron of Glenguin – which was until 1908 the name of the whisky distillery that is now known as Glengoyne.

It is nearly 100 years ago since Glenguin Distillery became Glengoyne Distillery and so to celebrate, 20 empty Shiraz casks have been filled with 16-Year-Old Glengoyne. These casks will be monitored on a weekly basis and, if the spirit merits it, will be released later this year as Glengoyne - Glenguin Shiraz Cask Finish (Limited Edition).

One of only a few “Aussies” with a Master of Wine, Robin Tedder is hugely knowledgeable and is seen as a world authority on the Shiraz (Syrah) grape. Robin is expected to visit the Glengoyne distillery this autumn when he will be in the UK promoting his wines. During his visit Robin will use his expert palate to help decide on the timing for the final bottling of this exclusive malt.

FIZZY WILLY AND THE 18-YEAR-OLD

2007-07-14T14:47:00.000+01:00

THE first-ever 18 year old from Bruichladdich is released on August 15th - the newest addition to the core range, sporting a smart new livery.

The unique bottling, designed by Master Distiller Jim McEwan, is an unusual alliance of Scotland, America, France… and Austria, to produce a well rounded, compelling dram.

Matured for 18 years in American oak casks, the whisky was selected for an additional cask evolution (ACE) for several months in premium quality French oak.

Mark Reynier, CEO says: “The casks chosen come from Austrian maverick Willi Opitz, the engaging, ever so slightly mad, wine producer. It took four years to persuade him.”

“Opitz’s irreverence – he produces a sparkling wine called Fizzy Willy – appeals to me, as does his huge vitality and enthusiasm - obsession even – to challenge the norm.”

“Aficionados hooked on Sherry casks will be blown away – there are similar traits but more complexity, finesse and fruit thanks to the finer oak and totally unique ‘straw wine’.

“It’s turbo-charged golden honey, dark raisin/toffee richness, pomegranate, cooked pear/plum fruit; with hints of cinnamon: viscous mouth feel and long, smooth finish” Stocks should last around two years.

UNDILUTED TOSH

2007-06-30T13:32:00.000+01:00

A tasting with a difference this month where our old friend Gerry Tosh used the club as a testing bed for some new ideas. Instead of just talking about whisky and how it’s made, we actually got the chance to make something approaching the legendary 18 Year Old.

The venue was a departure as well – the Whisky Bar at Oran Mor – and although it got a wee bit noisy as the evening wore on, we had PA if needed. It’s a nice venue and the bar is keen on the club going back there for tastings, but for the Glenfarclas night in September, we might be better booking the Private Dining Room. The committee will have a think about it.

The night began with four samples – the new make, 12, 15 and 18 – and Gerry took us through the characteristics of a typical Highland Park dram.

But he also brought cask samples that he and his master blender would sample and marry to produce the distinctive HP taste. Using two from casks laid down in 1989 along with two from 1981, the club’s guinea pigs added a 1974 to the mix to produce something not dissimilar to the fabled 18. Youngest whisky 18 years old, oldest 33, compared with the 34 that’s the veteran of the official product.

It was an interesting and worthwhile exercise and Gerry is working on ways to take this type of tasting to a wider audience.

In an evening of good fun and good laughs, we also had a special moment when Ian Black brought along a magnificent wooden case which he’d been given by Highland Park during its rebranding.

Containing miniatures of the entire range and a magnificent book of striking Orkney images, it also had the stuff of life that makes up Orkney and Highland Park – the barley for the malt, a lump of peat, a stave from a barrel. A quite magnificent and rare beast, it was one of only 50 produced, and Ian was happy to auction it.

His chosen charity, given his football provenance, was the Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal, which raises cash for orphans in Georgia. Gerry held a blind auction and our very own made of wood Ralf, topped the lot with a very generous £127.

Many thanks, also, to Laura Burgess, whose haggling skills got the club 60 Glencairn glasses for a bargain price.

RARE & PRESTIGE

2007-06-30T13:11:00.000+01:00

You’ll remember your humble secretary was the recipient of some of the world’s most expensive whisky when he glugged 62-year-old Dalmore at a Whyte & Mackay tasting. Since then his tastes have been a wee bit less rich … until the launch of W&M’s rare and Prestige range.

It would have been churlish to turn down lunch at 29 in Royal Exchange Square, especially as it came with the Whyte & Mackay 40-Year-Old at £549 a pop. Only 1000 bottles are being released, and they’re probably not going to Tesco.

Next up was the Isle of Jura 40. Made in 1966 by master blender Robert Paterson, only 98 bottles will be on sale, for an-I’m-sure-you’ll-agree-very -reasonable £1249.

Big hit of the day was The Dalmore 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon Wood Release. Again 1000 bottles, and cheap as chips at £399.

Finally we sampled the Dalmore 40.Orange marmalade and Christmas pudding, with a toffee and chocolate orange taste. Yours for £1350.

I asked Richard if he would host a tasting for the club, but because the reception was getting a bit noisy, I’m not quite sure of his answer. I recognised a few of the words, but am unable to repeat them in polite society.

THE PERILS OF STRONG DRINK

2007-06-30T12:51:00.000+01:00

TWO perfectly responsible members of the club - oh, all right: Andy Bell and Bobby Banford - discovered to their cost the menace of the malt when they travelled to Islay for the annual Feis.
As our pictures show, they got on perfectly well when it was just the two of them, and even when Gillian joined them, but for the life of him Bobby says he has NO idea who the two others in the pic are. If the lady is his wife,he’s in trouble; if it’s not, he’s in trouble.

Cnoc Cnoc

2007-06-24T16:44:00.000+01:00

Busy wee time recently folks, what with holidays and other bits and bobs, so apologies for not updating Still Life for a while.

A couple of weeks ago Ken Seaton and I inveigled our way into an AnCnoc tasting being given by Jim Murray of Bible fame. The setting was the Lismore in Partick and, frankly, it’s not ideal. The tasting would have taken place in direct line with access to the toilets, with the attendant inconveniences (sorry, couldn’t help it). A bouncer made people walk out the pub and sneak in the side door, thus saving the guests from seeing Mr Murray cancel the tasting.

The drams were AnCnoc new make, a six year old bottling brought specifically at Jim’s request, the standard 12, the new 16 and a bottle from the dim and distant past, a 1975 Knockdhu. He told the audience, Daily Express competition winners, that he takes the AnCnoc to every tasting across the world, as it it’s one most people haven’t heard of, and it scores very highly for consistency of quality.

At the end of a short, but enjoyable tasting, punters got the chance to vote their favourite dram and using a calculation that made the Holyrood election papers a doddle, the standard 12 came out ahead, followed by the Knockdhu and the 16.

Jim told some tall tales, such as being stalked through Inverness in his first ever visit to Scotland. Both stalkers male, incidentally.

And he has an interesting technique, insisting the whisky should be warmed in one hand while the glass is covered by the other at the top.

I got pelters for admitting I have the occasional whisky with ice, but told him the club’s motto was drink it your way, and Ken drew his ire by suggesting whisky worked good with food.

Pish and Tosh was his reaction. Well he got it half right!

HONEST MEN AND BONNIE WHISKIES

2007-05-27T18:19:00.000+01:00

FOUR souls took the search for a perfect dram to the town of honest men and bonnie lasses on Saturday – and enjoyed a selection of very fine whiskies in the company of old friends and new pals. Ken and Maggie met up with Mike and me at Robbie’s Drams before heading to the Carnegie Library where the event was taking place. Some of the library’s shelves had been cleared to house the whisky that was on sale after a tasting and it did seem to be a slightly better use of the space. Event organiser Robin Russell, pictured here with Provost Winifred Sloan, dedicated the festival to his father-in-law, a keen whisky drinker, who died very recently

Friends included Matt Edwards from Isle of Arran Distillery, who poured a generous dram of the Robert Burns Malt. Next up was Kate from Springbank where we tasted the Longbow 10, the Springbank 15 and the Springbank done in the Marsala cask. This nine year old, at 58%, was delicious, and the beginning of some bery fine whiskies throughout the afternoon.

We could hardly ignore our friends and sponsors at Inver House, and master distiller Stuart Harvey was very generous with the new Balblair vintages – the 97, 89, and 79. We tasted these for a Herald supplement a few weeks ago and they were as delicious on Saturday as they had been then.

It would have been churlish to ignore the Glenfarclas stand next to Stuart and we got talking to the man pouring the drams who turned out to be Robert Ransom. Ken and I have both been in touch with him regarding a future tasting and it was a perfect opportunity to try some of them before recommending them to club members. We tried the 10, 21 and 30 – the one Robert recommended for the day after your daughter’s wedding, when a contemplative dram was rich reward for seeing her set out on a new direction. At £110 a bottle, I’d need to have more than one daughter to justify it, but after a few sips, I saw his point.

Your humble scribe, Maggie and Mike drifted away and heading for Douglas Laing’s Old Malt Cask stall where a simply intoxicating Port Ellen was generously offered. The Old Malt Cask series is the mid-range of this independent bottler’s offering, sitting above the Provenance bottlings but beneath the Platinum of which the brothers Laing are justifiably proud.

A big thank you to Robin Russell of Robbie‘s Drams who made us feel very welcome. He is a keen and enthusiastic ambassador of whisky and next year plans to take over the Town Hall for an even bigger event.

Shame so few of the Club could make it to this year's.

THE 'CURSE' OF ARDBEG

2007-05-20T11:06:00.000+01:00

There is something about Ardbeg and Glasgow’s Whisky Club… Last year we had a legendary evening with Stuart Thomson after our original tasting host, Dr Bill Lumsden of Glenmorangie, had to pull out at the last minute. Stuart came along in his stead and provided one of the highlights of the Club’s year.This year our host was supposed to be Michael Heads, the new distillery manager, but he was stranded on Islay when the fog came down and stopped his flight from taking off.
This year, as last year, the stand-in was superb. Simon Hibbitt from parent company LVMH proved to be a willing pourer with a steady hand and Annabel Meikle – not Emily, as I had been told – was a charming very knowledgeable hostess. Part of the evening’s success was the lack of any formality – the very ethos on which the club was founded. Not lectures, just an informative talk and taste of a handful of Ardbeg’s finest – the Almost There, the Ten, the 1990 Airigh Nam Beist and the legendary Lord of the Isles.
As Annabel and Simon joined us at our tables, it seemed only fair we reciprocate their generosity and share a bottle of one of our sponsor’s drams – the Old Pulteney 12. I think it's fair to say it held its own against the peatier Islays, although obviously it is a different animal.
Sincere thanks to Andy Bell of Oddbins, who arranged the evening, brought the glasses and got Annabel's name wrong!
A very warm welcome, incidentally, to three new members who joined us for the evening - John Macintyre and Duncan and Sheila McLaren. A pleasure to see you all.

AYR WE GO, AYR WE GO, AYR WE GO

2007-05-12T12:45:00.000+01:00

Tickets are selling fast for the Whisky An A’ That festival on Saturday, May 26, so if you’re keen to go, please order them now. The event is being organised by Robin Russell of Robbie’s Drams – a thoroughly nice man with a passion for whisky and a shop that’s got some very interesting stock to match. If you go to his website http://www.robbiesdrams.com you can order tickets there. Alternatively call the shop on 01292 284279 and Robbie or Derek will take your order. I’ve managed to get 12 reserved for club members, so if you’re calling, please mention you’re with Glasgow’s Whisky Club and they’ll take your ticket from that allocation.

This year is bigger than ever and Robbie has taken it out of the shop and into Ayr's Carnegie Reference Library. It’s at 12 Main Street and you can find it here http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/libraries/branches/carnegie_map.htm

There will be food and drinks from a mix of exhibitors, with celebrity guests and speakers. Tickets are £12 but you'll get a nosing glass and a mini, plus a catalogue and five vouchers thrown in.

It’s running from 12 to 6 and rather than hire a bus, I thought those who want to go should let me know so I can gauge numbers. We could meet in the Pot Still in time for a beer or a dram and get the train. They run every half hour and take less than an hour. So the 1pm would get us there for 2, give us four hours to eat and drink, and wander wearily back up the road.

SHINY YELLOW PEOPLE

2007-04-28T13:09:00.000+01:00

Picture whisky-making and the imagination leads you to a white-washed building half way up a glen, with the traditional pagoda roof and a horny-toed son of the soil rolling a barrel across a cobbled courtyard to a damp and dark warehouse.

Not like that on Thursday when nine souls toured the Diageo bottling plant at Shieldhall, courtesy of James Thomson. This is whisky making on an industrial scale – 23 million cases of Johnnie Walker Red and Black, J&B, Bells and Vat 69 rolled off an assembly line last year.

You may well have passed in on your way to the airport. It sits beside IKEA and opposite Braehead and it’s basically a factory dedicated to pumping out high-quality whisky.

From the moment the cigar-shaped spirit tanker drops its pre-blended spirit off, to the time when pallets of whisky are loaded on to artics, a mere six hours elapse.

We spent four of those hours having a wander round with James, dressed in the shiny yellow vests that lollipop men and women wear. As you can see from the pic, the camera doesn't really like them!

We climbed to the top of the vast storage vats where Ralf had a close encounter with buckets of caramel and lived to tell the tale, and down to the bottling hall, where a Disney World theme park of bottles and boxes amused several grown men for several minutes at a time.

Back to the admin offices for a wee spiel and a couple of glasses of Red and Black, then we went shopping. Suffice to say the Diageo shop ain’t like something you’ll find on Buchanan Street, but for some reason, no-one was in too much of a hurry to leave. The shop assistants coped well with the demands of clubsters, including at least two proposals of marriage!

Many thanks to James and all at Diageo for a really interesting day.

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

2007-04-21T12:11:00.000+01:00

The Club's tasting panel got together in The Pot Still this week for a magnificent seven drams for the Herald's Whisky Galore supplement. Thanks to Ralf, Raymond, James,Ken, Andy and Frank for tasting and talking. The Designated Driver - me! -who humped the whisky across town deserves nothing but the highest praise for selfless devotion to the cause. Apart from the tasting notes, we also got space to puff the club, so all in all, it was a good night's work. My spare room is now awash with whisky, so we'll need to meet up soon for another club night.

There’s a wee sweetie shop in Troon that sells traditional confectionery – granny sookers, pineapple chunks Kola Cubes and Sherbet Lemons.There’s a wee distillery in Edderton, near Tain, in Rosshire that sells whisky that would
be completely at home in a wee sweetie shop.The new Balblair range has been out for a month or so; new packaging, new drams, new pricing.Gone are the age statements and in are vintages to reflect the best the distillery has to offer, married with the skill of the master blender in picking just the right cask at just the right time.The house style is rich spices; fruits and a pleasant leathery note. These are drams worth getting to know.The youngest kid on the block is the Balblair 97 , a soft, rich spicy and very attractive whisky, with a nose reminiscent of polished furniture, pear drops and vanilla fudge with a wee hint of pepper at the tip of the tongue. When tasted neat, it’s like chewing marshmallows. With a touch of water it becomes dangerously easy to drink. Its big brother is Balblair 89. The colour of green straw, there’s a touch of olives and a fruity, floral nose. With water, the Highland toffee and fudge comes to the fore and unravels to reveal a balanced yet complex malt building to a strong finish. Old but gold, the Balblair 79 asserts itself with an effervescent burst on the tongue, followed by long citrus flavours and a tiny, tiny touch of salt. It’s honey, toffee and vanilla. Then it’s deep into the sweetie jar for oranges, bananas, pineapples and pears and a final dusting of American Cream Soda.Magnificently well groomed, you could take this to tea at the Ritz.

Here are other drams we tasted:

Auchentoshan Three Wood: a feinty, eucalyptus nose leads you in to worn warm leather. Think Honor Blackman after a day filming the Avengers! There’s liquorice, rum, burnt sugar, and it’s got a complexity that keeps it interesting.

With added water, molasses come to the fore. It’s creamy, malty and you could see yourself swapping a cup of hot cocoa for this last thing at night. A real ‘put your arms around me’ dram.

Old Pulteney 17: An immediate feelgood factor with a soft mouth a gundog would kill for. A favourite of Glasgow’s Whisky Club’s tasting panel, we consider this to be an example of how good malt whisky can be.

Think Co-op Greengrocer’s of the 60s and that fresh, ripe, just-picked fruit. Fresh, with the tang of limes and lemon-drizzled butterfly cakes. It does sweet; it does salty. It does warm sea breeze to perfection.

A sequence of fabulous flavours that massages the palate. When water is added, there are oranges and a faint whiff of peat. We like it!

Not every whisky needs to be a single malt. Some of the finest drams are the result of the blender’s craft and Johnnie Walker Blue Label is a prime example. From first glance to final taste it’s got the lot. A perfect whisky colour, it just glows in the glass. Superbly crafted, it’s a whisky to lounge around with. Try it on a big comfy sofa with something not too threatening on the telly.

It’s the dram Dean Martin would be drinking just before recording Volare, and no wonder Dino was flying if this was his dram of choice. Sparkles like a diamond.

There are big drams; there are beefy drams. And there are drams you ‘d want beside you when Saturday night’s all right for fighting. Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength is your best pal when the chips are down. Understanding if you’re a wee bit feart of approaching it without water, it repays your trust tenfold. Ready Brek for grown ups, it wraps you in a warm Doctor Who scarf dipped in shoe polish, treacle and a touch of smoke. A real gentle giant.

A BARREL OF FUN

2007-04-15T11:37:00.000+01:00

Fancy your own cask? Glengoyne is offering club members a chance to own one (Or two. Or three). A limited number will be available and we can specify the size and age of the cask as well as its previous occupant – sherry, bourbon etc. We get certificate, a bottle of single cask to keep us going, jacket, free VIP annual visit and other goodies. We get to taste it at various stages while it’s being stored for at least 10 years. We can choose the design of the label and the strength of the whisky inside - cask (around 60%) or 43%. Cost starts at £1200. At cask strength, and including all bottling and labelling charges, Duty and VAT it would come to £3459 at today’s rates. We would get 220 bottles so it works out at approx £18.51 per bottle. If we drop to 43%, we’d get 306 bottles and the cost would be approx £13.96 a bottle. If anyone is interested, let me know. You can also follow the link for the PDF

Cask brochure+inserts LR.pdf(1MB)

Other bits and bobs around this week include:

The Co-op is about to launch the lightest bottle on the market. The upside is it is made with less glass to help save the planet; the downside is you have to drink the Co-op’s own label scotch!!

A man named after a single malt has made a 4000 mile pilgrimage to his ‘spiritual home’. Nicholas Glenfiddich Lahren, is a 26-year-old technician from Philadelphia, who visited Glenfiddich Distillery to pick up a crystal decanter promised to him on his 18^th birthday. His dad named him after his favourite tipple, but the family moved to America, and this was Nick’s first chance to get back. I see this as a trend that might well catch on. So, introducing Ralf Laphroaig Mitchell, Iain Ben Nevis Black,, and Francis Bunnahabhain Murphy.

Inver House has posted a dip in sales and profits, hard on the heels of its relaunch of Balblair. The firm, bought last October by InterBev, the international arm of Thai Beverages, saw profits slip to just under £2.6million, down from £2.9m the last time.
William Grant & Sons is investing tons of dosh in a new malt distillery in Girvan, Ayrshire, next to its existing grain distillery. The move was forced on the firm because of overwhelming demand from emerging markets such as China. China is also behind the launch next month by Ian MacLeod Distillers (parent body of Glengoyne) of a series of single malts and blends. They’ll include 12- and 15-year-old blends as well as 17- and 21-year-old single malts.

Finally, you'll notice a wee advert at the top of the page. This is a feature supplied by Google, and we make a wee bit of cash every time someone clicks on it from this page. I'm hoping to get some more targeted ads in the future.

APRIL SHOWER

2007-04-07T17:51:00.000+01:00

The Club got back to doing what it does best this week – meeting, greeting and talking drams. The club night benefited from a raft of half full bottles (or half empty if you’re a natural-born pessimist) left over from the Tasting Panel’s exertions at the end of the year. This was supplemented by some samples The Disciplined Disciple had managed to wheedle out of exhibitors at the Edinburgh Whisky Festival earlier in the spring, plus a bottle of the Glenrothes 92 Ray Urie kindly donated and a very interesting rum-finished Caol Isla 19 from Bobby Banford which won it by a nose. Early birds also sampled Ian Black’s Ben Nevis 13, which is just about to go into bottling and is so new it doesn’t even have a name (How about Ian Black’s Ben Nevis 13?) Or Andy Clark's I can't get my nose far enough in 13?)

No speeches spoiled the flow of the evening, or the drams. We enjoyed Jura –
Superstition (modelled here by the handsome Fergus) and a fine 16YO – Glenfiddich Toasted Oak, Highland Park 12, Auchentoshan 10, Glengoyne 17 (about the most popular of the night) Bruichladdich Flirtation and Old Pulteney 12. In addition there was a Yamazaki 18 from Nicki at Morrison Bowmore. Most thought this was like a Lexus; just about perfect to drive, but strangely, with nothing terribly memorable at the end of the journey. Does that sound like a contradiction? Well it was getting on and the drams were flowing.

There’s another Whisky Supplement coming up for the Herald, so I’ll let the tasting panel know the dates, and sometime in May we can do the free club night all over again.

Incidentally, Ken at the Pot Still was happy to have us on the Tuesday evening. Our presence gave the pub a real buzz and didn’t do his takings much harm either! He was telling me the other day he’ll be getting in some Duncan Taylor bottlings, which club members can buy at their 10% discount.

TREBLES ALL ROUND

2007-04-01T10:46:00.000+01:00

We had three good reasons to celebrate our visit to Auchentoshan Distillery on the last day of March:

1. It was our first outing of the year;

2. We were joined on the second day of their honeymoon by newly wed members Erik and Laura Burgess; and

3. We were the first people to sample Auchentoshan’s new 18 and 19-year-old malts due for the market early NEXT year.

Our sojourn into the Kilpatrick countryside got off to a pleasant start at The Pot Still. On a quiet Saturday lunchtime we were the only customers, giving the premises the feel of our own private club. The short drive to the distillery found us in a neat cluster of whitewashed buildings in bright sunshine. Lunch was a bowl of warming soup and platefuls of man-sized sandwiches, but strangely, club members missed the tray of 10-year-old Auchentoshan sitting on a bureau. We were soon to make up for that omission.

Distillery manager Ronnie Learmond was to be our guide and talked us through the visitor centre and training room, which was also the venue for Ceilidh nights. First stop was the mash room where Ronnie explained the process, which heralds the start of the Auchentoshan journey. We enjoyed a glass of the 12 year old as we listened. Then it was through to the tun room where the four wooden wash backs have pride of place.

Our second dram overlooking the three stills was the Three Wood, triple distilled, as are all Auchentoshan malts, but gaining character from its immersion first in bourbon, then Oloroso sherry and finally Pedro Ximinez casks.

Next up was the 21-year-old hogshead, a bright copper coloured dram with a palate of mint and chocolate and a long smooth finish chocolate. Sipped in the cool of the warehouse, this was a warming and satisfying dram.

The best was held to the last, though, as we gathered in one of Ronnie’s offices, a small room lined with some of the older products from the range, with a small bar area. Ronnie produced samples from two casks that had been drawn that week and invited the club to become the first outsiders to try the brand new products to be released for sale next year. Both at cask strength for our tasting, the 18 and 19 will be reduced to 43% before being sold. Both were magnificent, with the 18 perhaps edging it in the favourite stakes, while the 19 had been finished with a brief flirtation in port pipes.

Our final dram with Ronnie was an 18-year-old Limited Edition. Only 4800 bottles, but every one a winner.

Time for a last dram in the shop and the purchase of a few mementos before rounding off the day back the Pot Still where we tried to persuade Erik and Laura that 10 days in Mallaig would be more fun that their intended destination -Mauritius!

Thanks to all at Auchentoshan for a great day, and to Nicki from Fior Brands, who helped with the arrangements.

IF YOU LIKE A LOT OF WHISKY ...

2007-03-24T17:50:00.000Z

…On your biscuit, join our club.

It was a slow day in certain licensed premises in the Hope Street, Glasgow, area. Two lonely barkeeps (let’s call them … err … Frank and Aiden) are discussing whisky and food. Frank, an acknowledged Whiz at Whisky, and also the Biz with Biscuits, and his sidekick (who passed his licensee’s exam last week and is now … ehm … licensed) were pondering pairings. Which dram with which biscuit? Raiding the tips drawer Frank hurried next door and returned with a Crunchie bar and a packet of Jaffa Cakes. Slicing off the top and bottom of the Crunchy, a handy bradawl pierced a neat hole through the honeycomb core. Steeped into a dram, the Crunchy was used as a straw to sook up the spirit. Verdict? Not the best success, although some time later the chocolate had taken on a distinctly whisky hue.

The Jaffa Cakes were a whole different kettle of fish (?) Inverted so the chocolate provided a non-porous base, the dram of choice, a Dalmore 12, was drizzled slowly over three Jaffas. What a marriage! The orange in the Jaffa perfectly complemented the orangey marmalade in the whisky.

The next day ginger nuts and Talisker were the chosen combo, but battled each other. Rye whiskey seemed a likelier fit, but Crown Royal, Canadian Club and Old Portrero were swiftly sampled and discarded. Then came the Eureka! Moment and our old friend Mr Daniels was pressed into service. Jack and Ginger? They were destined to go together like fish and chips, Laurel and Hardy, Balblair and Buckfast.

Next week it’s shortbread, Caramel Wafers and Blue Ribands. If you've got a cunning combo, drop me a line.

By the by, our old friend Richard Paterson, Master Blender from Whyte and Mackay invites you to 'Meet the Whyte and Mackay Family' at Oran Mor, Glasgow at 6.45p.m. on Wednesday 28th March 2007. Richard will conduct a presentation and tasting session. There will also be a free draw to win the family, a bottle each of Whyte and Mackay 13, 19 and 22 years old.

SHORT MEASURES - MARCH

2007-03-10T15:55:00.000Z

Bits and bobs hanging around this month include a three in a row triumph for The Pot Still which was named Whisky Bar of the Year in Whisky Magazine;s Icons of Whisky competition.

Regulars and staff at the aforementioned howff were stunned when hard man turned blues player Steven Seagal ambled in on Thursday night. The bold Ken swiftly arranged an impromptu tasting session for Seagal, who was playing Renfrew Ferry.

Chivas has produced a 16YO expression of its much understated Longmorn as it seeks to reposition it as a 'super-premium malt'. It will cost £50.

March 21 is the date for a challenge hosted by Andy Bell at Oddbins in the Retail Park at the bottom of Crow Road. Andy's pitting a selection of Balvenie drams against a number of expressions from Bruichladdich. Contact the branch for tickets.

The bus is booked for the Auchentoshan visit on Saturday, March 31. Only 12 clubsters will be able to go on the day. We have nine names so get your names in if you want to be the last three. The bus will pick us up at The Pot Still in time for soup and sandwich lunch at Auchentoshan at 1pm. The Master Blender tour kicks off 45 minutes later. There will be an opportunity to try some very old Toshans as well as a visit to the shop, so bring your credit cards. Price of the tour is £40, but the club is getting it for £25. Bus is £130, divided by the number of souls on it.

Robin Russell of Robbie's Drams in Ayr is planning a follow up to his 2006 Whisky An' A' That event with an even biggest whisky fest in May - and he's keen for club members to join him. This year's event is on Saturday, May 26, from 12 to 6 in Ayr's Carnegie Reference Library.There will be food and hunners of drinks from a mix of exhibitors, including marketeers, producers and distillers, with celebrity guests and speakers. Tickets are around £12 but you'll get more than a few drams for that. If you fancy it, let me know. It's a while since we've had an away day.

Right, that's the weeding done (not by me obviously!!) so I'm off to supervise the car getting washed. 8-))

BALBLAIR RELAUNCH

2007-03-10T15:34:00.000Z

AN intrepid duo from the club defied the rail strikes to attend the Edinburgh relaunch of Balblair as a premium single malt. As you know, Balblair comes from the company that also produces Old Pulteney, one of the club's supporters this year, although they are very different beasts. Held in The Dome, a former banking hall, the great and the good gathered with Toshie and the Blackster to sniff, sip and swallow a trio of malts released as vintage expressions. The 1979, 1989 and 1997 came from three casks out of 1062 sampled by distillery manager John Macdonald and blends manager Stuart Harvey. A new bottle and packaging inspired by the distillery’s Pictish links will help the malt stand out on the shelves.

The three expressions are:

Balblair 1979 - amber in appearance with radiant golden honey highlights. Warm aromas of honey, toffee and vanilla that come from the long years of maturation in American oak barrels. Cloves, oranges, bananas and pears can also be detected. Sweet, honey vanilla flavours combine with cloves and spices leading to a rich, full-bodied, long-lasting, finish. Retails at £84.99.

Balblair 1989 - mid-amber in appearance with honey-gold highlights. A full-bodied malt with aromas of raisin, green apple and hints of banana and lemon. The American oak barrels lend a warm toffee, vanilla fragrance. On the palate there are raisins and fruits with a rich spiciness leading to a long, complex and ultimately smooth finish. Price £39.95

Balblair 1997 - subtly amber in appearance with rose-golden highlights. Full-bodied and fused with the aromas of pineapple, apricot and lemon to create a long-lasting sweet finish. On the nose, the American oak barrels produce an inviting, spicy fragrance. Hints of oak, spice and raisin combine with the sweetness of vanilla to create a long-lingering, creamy smooth finish on the palate. Yours for £27.99.

BIBLE THUMPING ARRAN

2007-03-03T11:50:00.000Z

Writing in the 2007 edition of his “Whisky Bible”, Jim Murray has awarded Arran Distillery some of the highest marks ever for a range of its products – even higher than many long established names in the whisky industry.

Awarding the first-ever Arran 10 year old a score of 93, he said: “It won’t be long before the world’s malt connoisseurs add Arran to their list of must haves. Because if it’s character and quality you want, it’s here by the malt shed load.”

The new Arran 100^o Proof Single Malt has a rating of 91 and is described as “sheer class”, while a number of the special bottlings in the company’s Cask Strength Programme are given scores of 92, 93 and 94. The Sherry Cask rated 92 is described as “A glorious advert for a distillery just coming of age.” The Trebbiano D’Abruzzo Wine Cask Finish rated 93 is described as “A jazzed up fruity, spicy number but astonishingly clean.”

Murray’s best rating, however, is reserved for a special sherry cask he tasted with Gordon Mitchell, our Distillery Manager, (above) at the company’s 10^th anniversary celebrations in 2005. Awarding a score of 94 Mr. Murray commented “Total drinksmanship and brilliance. There is not a whisky even close to this in character. A stunning one off.”
Commenting on these ratings, Arran’s managing director, Douglas Davidson, said: “We have always known that we produce single malt whisky of the very highest quality here on Arran. It is nice to know that the world’s top whisky writer agrees with us, however! These ratings – across a variety of different Arran single malt products – show just how far Arran has come in the last three or four years. The baby distillery has grown up. We are here to stay and intend to become an even greater force to be reckoned with in world whisky markets for the future.”

VIRGIN TERRITORY

2007-02-25T16:59:00.000Z

THE first tasting of the year was unusual in many respects. First time we had tried such old and rare whiskies, first time we had used Oran Mor and the first time Duncan Taylor’s UK representative, had hosted a tasting. It could have ended in tears and it did - tears of laughter as we sipped and swallowed our way through half a dozen great drams. Perhaps the self-pouring helped; while some of us stuck rigidly to a 25ml sample, others had a more liberal arm. It was noticeable that the noise levels were highest at the ‘free pour’ end of the table.

And what a table. Last used by the SFA high heid-yins at Park Circus, it now dominated the private dining room at Oran Mor, an oak-panelled suite with plush leather chairs and sofas, and its own bar. It’s an expensive option, but we felt it worthwhile for the first tasting of the year. Other nights will be in less exclusive surroundings until the Gerry Tosh Highland Park night in June, which will again be at Oran Mor.

We were walked through six whiskies by Jacque Sutherland, left, from Duncan Taylor:
1. NC2, a 1993 Mortlach at 46%.
2. 19YO Macallan at 52.4%. Bottle 05/1306 from oloroso sherry cask 9793, distilled 12/1987
3. The Lonach Caperdonich at 41.9% aged 33 years
4. Rarest of the Rare Glenlochy at 53.2%. Bottle no 3 out of 294 from cask 2452. Distilled 08/1980
5. Invergordon grain at 50.3%. Bottle 05/238 from cask 15514. Distilled 12/1965
6. Auld Reekie 12YO Islay malt at 46%, and mainly Caol Ila, with a drop of something ‘unspecified’.

There were as many favourites as there were drams. Your humble scribe was taken by the Lonach Caperdonich, a vatting of three casks, one or two of which had dropped below the 40% mark. It was fresh, with green apples, grass and, I kid you not, an initial nose of fish oil (!) with pear drops. At around £60 retail, not a bank buster either. The 26-year-old Glenlochy, which closed in 1983, was also a star, but at £90, perhaps one for a special occasion.

Finally, just a word about attendance. Eleven souls out of a club membership of 40 turned up. Perhaps the cost was high, although more members would have reduced the price of admission. Perhaps the choice of whiskies wasn’t appealing to everyone; although I would have thought the chance to taste whiskies aged 40, 33 and 26 would have been adraw in itself.

Still the team that turned out did them proud.

WOOD YOU BELIEVE IT

2006-09-28T09:00:00.000+01:00

September’s tasting was a hastily-cobbled-together affair – and as often happens, it turned into a cracking night. A dozen hardy souls braved the lashing rain and made their way to Oddbins in Crow Road Retail Park, where mine host Andy laid on a spread of beer and drams.

But first, the intrepid Ralf, fresh from his battles at Whisky Live (did us proud Ralf – ils ne passeront pas) talked about the Compass Box experiment with wood staves to influence the taste and colour of whiskies. Using a standard Balblair 16, itself a very acceptable dram, Ralf dropped in a tiny oak stave for a week. The result was a darker colour and an entirely different taste. Flushed with his success, Ralf then unveiled a vatting he’d carried out with another Balblair that produced a not completely successful result. That’s what you get when you chuck Buckfast into a perfectly good malt!

The main business of the evening was the sampling of a handful of drams. A 20-year-old Bruichladdich from a bourbon cask was then finished for up to 20 weeks in a red wine barrel (mourvedre, if you really want to know), to produce what the distillery named Flirtation, a pink tinged whisky to appeal to women and – apparently – the gay community.

The Glenfarclas 21 followed, courtesy of Ian Black. A smooth, sherried whisky, it won universal acclaim apart from the top right hand corner of the room, where Islayphiles cast longing glances at the last two items. First, though, an Old Pulteney 12YO, smooth, sweet with the tang of the seas on the palate.

Finally a Bruichladdich Cask Strength followed by Ardbeg Very Young – the gift of former Ardbeg distillery manager Stuart Thomson, and this one barely got round the table before the aforementioned top right hand corner of the room took it into custody for further questioning.

In the discussions during the tasting, there was a feeling that a midweek night might not be the best for a club of working people. Your committee is anxious to take soundings about a possible alternative – Friday night was mentioned, although we can keep costs down at present by invading premises that are quieter at the beginning of the week. Please let us know your views.

THE EVOLUTION OF PORT CHARLOTTE

2006-09-03T12:33:00.000+01:00

The first entirely new Islay whisky has been launched - the re-awakening of the long-lost soul of an extinct distillery. ‘PC5 Evolution’ is the first ever release of Port Charlotte single malt whisky, the heavily-peated whisky that is distilled, matured and bottled at Bruichladdich on the Isle of Islay.

It is the first single malt to be released that was distilled by the new owners of Bruichladdich, following the 2001 renovation of the once-closed distillery. Master Distiller Jim McEwan said: “From records we know that Bruichladdich spirit was influenced by peat - to some degree at least - before 1961. And at the same time this is paying homage, a doffing of the cap, to the old Port Charlotte distillery two miles down the road that closed owing to Prohibition in 1929.”

PC5 Evolution is bottled at an unusually high cask strength of 63.5% as the initial filling strength five years ago was 71% - more than the standard industry strength. Only a thousand cases are being produced, which means the price will be eye-wateringly high.

At 85 years old, islander Ruraidh McLeod, then a distillery mashman, is the last man alive to have tasted the original Port Charlotte whisky: “I remember it well; we were called together to try it. It was a special event that called for a rare bottle. Sure enough it was very, very peaty; but it was as smooth as velvet.”

The Port Charlotte single malt of today was distilled with barley peated to 40 PPM (parts per million of phenols) making it one of the peatiest whiskies on the island. “It was the result of an incredibly slow ‘trickle distillation’” a specialty of Jim McEwan “to achieve maximum purity, flavour and texture.

And how does PC5 Evolution compare with the old? Ruaridh McLeod notes: “It has the same peatiness right enough, right enough. Och, its just as smooth as cow’s milk…

Professor Walter Schoburt, the first author and whisky expert to taste the new whisky, said: “What a whisky. First you get the peat, the wonderful, beloved aroma; then you feel that this is a whisky without edges. Incredible.”

HOT AUGUST NIGHTS

2006-08-20T18:12:00.000+01:00

Some of you will have seen the Herald’s whisky supplement on August 17, which Alex has called a full page advertisement for the club and marks a major step forward in our fortunes. For those of you who didn’t see them, here they are. Thanks to Andy Clark for taking all the notes and painting such a vivid picture of each dram.

GLENGOYNE 10-YEAR-OLD

Lowland? Highland? Who cares? This smooth, silky and, dare I say sumptuous, little star from the meeting point of the mountains and the meadows is a fine starter for 10 in anybody’s whisky challenge. Try and taste the Edinburgh rock as you scale the heights of this sweet little number.
Great value. Great fun.

THE FAMOUS GROUSE 10-YEAR-OLD MALT

Just a fat bird with a posh coat on? Not a bit of it. There’s so much going on that it leaves you in a spin. Dryness, sweetness, creaminess, newly hewn forests, pine resin on your fingers … even the odd fisherman’s sweater. It’s all there.Sit back, take a sip and marvel.
This is as good as blended malt gets.

GLENGOYNE 21-YEAR-OLD

First there was mono, then there was stereo. Now we have whisky in digital surround sound. Listen for the earthy, smoky backing track that sneaks up from behind as the flavour sub-woofers smack you in the face with smoke, spice, sherry and toffee-sweetness all at the same time. Pity about the over-processed Caramac finish that added a bum note right at the end.
Ah well, there’s always a price to pay for near-perfection.

JOHN, MARK AND ROBBO’S FRESH FRUITY ONE

100% grain. 100% fun. Add this to a summer barbie and your pals will be impressed. A masterful concoction of spice and smoothness. It does exactly what it says on the bottle. But be careful with the water. Dilute it too much and it’s like sending the sun behind a cloud just as you put the burgers in the buns.

TALISKER 10-YEAR-OLD

There’s no need to be afraid of this big, bad wolf … but watch, it still bites.
Skye’s scariest export is more mouth than trousers if you’re prepared to take it on. Smoky, seaweedy, smells like a summer campfire, but still wonderfully soft and nutty. This is a good old-fashioned man’s dram. A true heavyweight with a heart of gold.
Oh, and did I mentioned he’s called Peat?

GLENGOYNE 12-YEAR-OLD CASK STRENGTH

Yeeouch! Take it straight and there’s nothing subtle or simple about this two-faced heavyweight. A cold cure in a glass. Menthol-lyptus mixed with rocket fuel. Scary and serious. Add a wad of water and you’ll see why first impressions shouldn’t last. Now there’s complexity. It’s sweet yet smoky, fluffy yet flavourful, with a long, peppery finish.
Strong and far from silent.

BALVENIE 21 PORT WOOD

They say a picture paints a thousand words, so picture the scene…
Trees heaving with ripe oranges, honey dripping from a hive high up in the branches, a bowl of sherry-flavour ice cream sitting on the mossy ground, still soaking after a shower of rain. Do you see it? This is pure class in a glass.
Inspiration for the mind as well as the mouth.

SOMEONE'S GOTTA DO IT

2006-07-21T18:09:00.000+01:00

As you know, your committee works tirelessly on your behalf, searching out the best tastings and trips for your enjoyment, and all without fear or favour, or thought of reward.

Thus it was that on the hottest day on record, Ken and Toshie found themselves in air-conditioned splendour in Strata, Queen Street, sipping Highland Bellinis and chatting to Diageo’s brands ambassador. Highland Bellinis? Pear puree, lemon, champagne and a generous measure of Longmorn malt.

The event was to showcase Diageo’s malt whiskies and how they can be teamed with a four-course dinner. Starter was Scottish oak smoked salmon with Talisker 10, poured over a glass where water had been previously froze. You could either drink it before it cooled down, or waited for some melt to calm down the spicy Talisker.

Next came venison with vegetable ratatouille and basil crouton (normal Wednesday night fare for club members, I know) with Clynelish 14.

Pud was honey and orange cheesecake served with frozen Dalwhinnie 15 in a narrow, tulip shaped glass. It was simply delicious.

Finally came the Roquefort cheese and Arran oatcakes matched with Lagavulin 16. A perfect complement.

A final toast with Johnny Walker Blue Label, a blend of 14 malts, up to 60 years old, and your intrepid duo wandered off into the balmy night, safe in the knowledge that they had once again put club before self.

What a coupla swells!!

ST MAGNUS FESTIVAL

2006-07-17T17:29:00.000+01:00

The St Magnus Festival was founded in 1977 by Orkney’s distinguished resident composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

The Festival brings a feast of music and other arts to locations throughout the Orkney Islands.

The 30th St Magnus Festival celebrated the life and work of Orkney’s great poet and storyteller George Mackay Brown, whose presence and writing graced the Festival from its inception until his death in 1966.

To mark this Highland Park released a limited edition 12 year old bottling with a unique label.

It produced only 500 for the festival and the original plan was to sell them exclusively through the distillery – but word of this release spread quickly and HP has been inundated with phone calls and e-mails asking if they can be bought online.

The bottles are £32.99 plus delivery and with fewer than 100 left they will be snapped up very quickly.

Go to www.highlandpark.co.uk.

‘And the whisky what is it but the earth’s rich essence, a symbol of all fruit and corn and cheerfulness and kindling… ?

George Mackay Brown Under Brinkie’s Brae 11/1/79

THIS BOTTLE'S GOT YOUR NAME ON IT

2006-07-14T08:25:00.000+01:00

Win a personalised bottle of Glenfiddich Solera Reserve 15 Year Old. Our friends at Wm Grant and Artisan PR are offering Glasgow's Whisky Club members an exclusive chance to win this fantastic prize. Details of the competition will be posted here and on the website in the next few days. Keep those eyes peeled!

Created using the Glenfiddich Solera system, unique among Scotch whisky distillers, fifteen-year-old Glenfiddich single malt Scotch whisky matured in three different types of casks (traditional American bourbon, Portuguese sherry and new oak) is married together in a large Solera vat, made of Oregon pine.

The result is an exceptional single malt with a deep flavour that reveals fruit, gentle spice, a touch of oak and a long and satisfying finish. To add to the enjoyment of this single malt, Glenfiddich will personalise the bottle’s label to carry a message of your choice.

Glenfiddich Solera Reserve 15 Year Old is available in most supermarkets and whisky specialists priced around £28.99. To add a complimentary personalised label, order direct from The Glenfiddich Distillery online at www.glenfiddich.co.uk or call the Glenfiddich Distillery Shop on 01340 822 066. gwc members need do nothing but keep checking here for details of how to win.

THE JOY OF SIX

2006-07-08T10:25:00.000+01:00

Picture by John Paul Photography

The drinks industry has been left shaken and stirred by results at this year’s ISC competition. In a feat similar to Mark Spitz’s 1972 Munich Olympic heroics, The Balvenie^® Single Malt Scotch Whisky has dominated the event by winning six gold medals for its range of products, more than any other spirit brand. It is also the biggest gold medal haul for any brand in any one year since the competition began.

Produced by independent, family-owned William Grant & Sons Ltd, The Balvenie won gold medals for its Founder’s Reserve 10 Year Old, DoubleWood 12 Year Old, NewWood 17 Year Old, PortWood 21 Year Old, Thirty and PortWood 1991 variants. The Company also won four other golds for its Grant’s Premium 12 Year Old, Grant’s Deluxe 15 Year Old, Grant’s 25 Year Old and The Gordon Highlander whiskies and follows on from Glenfiddich’s 2005 success when it won more gold medals than any other single malt at IWSC.

With the win, The Balvenie Distillery in Dufftown is the toast of Speyside. It is the only distillery still to grow its own barley, still malt on its traditional floor maltings, still have its own coopers to tend the casks and still have its own coppersmith to maintain the stills, so the employees are thrilled that their craftsmanship and time-honoured skills have been so highly rewarded.

Commenting on the amazing medal haul, David Stewart, The Balvenie Malt Master, said: “We have always believed that The Balvenie is one of the best drops of malt whisky around, but dominating such a large competition as the ISC and winning six gold medals is beyond our wildest dreams. All of the employees are delighted that the distillery has been given such a massive seal of approval. They thoroughly deserve the credit for all the hard work they have put in to creating a great dram and a new drinks industry record.”

It was only recently that The Balvenie opened its doors for visitors to see for themselves the ancient, original art of whisky making.

Tours can be booked online at www.thebalvenie.com.

THE SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT

2006-06-27T08:17:00.000+01:00

A disappointing turn out for Sunday’s tasting, but I suppose since it was an experiment; it was a sunny day and there was World Cup football on the box, 10 like-minded souls was as good as we could expect. Those who couldn’t make it missed a lovely afternoon.

There is something special about having a pub all to ourselves and many thanks to Ken Storrie for his efforts.
Thanks too, go to Andy the Landy Forrester, who is the & in Jon Mark & Robbo, and who, as an Englishman, was assiduous in ignoring the televised antics of his team against Ecuador, to bring us a tasting that was, as promised, different, irreverent and totally without bullshit.

What there was were half a dozen cracking drams. We started with the new bottle – the Fresh Fruity One that did exactly what it said on the tin. Asked to guess the malts that made up this delicious drink, your tippling ten struggled though all corners of the whisky map. We were 100% wrong – there’s no malt in it, just 100% grain from all of Scotland’s grain distilleries. Try this in a tall glass over tons of ice on a summer’s evening.

The Smooth Sweet One – also known as the Breakfast Whisky – also known as the MickMack is unique. It’s the first malt to combine Irish and Scottish malts … 70% Cooley, 30% Bunnahabhain.

The Rich Spicy One is sherried with Macallan Gran Reserve, Tamdhu, Glenrothes, Bunnahabhain and Highland Park. It’s just as tasty as it sounds and was a firm favourite. The Smokey Peaty One is a complete revelation. It’s made up of Highland Park, Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain, Laphroaig, Bowmore and Ledaig and had all the qualities of those quality drams. As part of the innovation that JMR preaches, Andy made up a special The Pot Still One, a stunning concoction made up with Elijah Craig Kentucky bourbon and the Smokey Peaty One. That one would walk off the shelves if it were ever bottled.

So, a good afternoon’s work, even if the attendance was low. It was encouraging, however, to see new faces. Andy Bell, our latest soul, was a welcome addition, as was Ralf Mitchell, who arrived, sampled, and joined on the day. Ralf, above left, and Andy, are pictured taking part in the Snozzle Challenge. Don't ask.....

Yacht to see where Sara's going

2006-06-22T18:06:00.000+01:00

Glengoyne marketing manager, Sarah Bottomley is spirited off to New York next week to host a whisky blending at the prestigious New York Yacht Club.

The event, which has been organised by the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, is part of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and is helping to promote Glasgow: Scotland with Style campaign. More than 150 guests are expected to attend.

The New York Yacht Club, whose members include the “movers and shakers” of Manhattan Society, are likely to get a pleasant surprise when they meet 26-year-old Sarah, as typically most whisky experts are middle-aged men!

She will talk the guests through the nosing of a range of different whiskies and will then help them to make up their own blend.

Every guest will have their masterpiece bottled in a 100ml personalised sample bottle for them to take home. A winning blend will be selected on the night with the winner receiving a Glengoyne Master Blender certificate and bottle of 29-Year -Old Glengoyne family reserve Single Highland Malt whisky.

Sarah said: “I am so excited that Glengoyne has been invited to take part in this event. Having worked for Glengoyne for the last eight years, I think I know all there is to know about the dram and can’t wait to share some of this knowledge with the residents of New York.”

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race takes 10 identical 68ft racing yachts, all backed by international cities, islands and countries, on the world's longest circumnavigation race. The Yachts will visit 12 international ports along the way including Singapore, Qingdao in China, Victoria in Canada as well as New York.

The Glasgow:Scotland with Style Clipper set off in September from Albert Dock in Liverpool and is due to return in July 2006 after sailing over 35,000 miles.

For further information on Glengoyne visit www.glengoyne.com

For further information on the Clipper yacht race visit www.clipper-ventures.co.uk

IT'LL BE ALL WHYTE ON THE NIGHT

2006-06-18T12:36:00.000+01:00

It’s £32,000 a bottle, there were only 12 made, and Toshie has tasted it. The Dalmore 62 year old, the most expensive dram in the world, was the jewel in the crown when Glasgow’s Whisky Club organised a tasting night for Holyrood Magazine, the influential political publication that circulates among the good and the great in Scotland’s political village.

Richard Paterson, whisky legend and master blender for Whyte and Mackay, kindly agreed to host it at his brand new sample room in Glasgow. Apart from Glasgow’s Whisky Club members Alex, Toshie Andy and Ken, there were journalists from the magazine, other media representatives, local council politicians, press officers and public relations exectuives and even a Professor of Economics.

After a comprehensive history lesson, Richard showed us into his new sample room where the alchemy that is whisky blending is carried out.

On offer for tasting was the new range of Whyte and Mackay in its new packaging for a major brand re-launch. In addition to the well-respected standard bottling, now renamed Special, there were bottles of 13, 19 and 22. The magnificent 30YO capped the line up. The distillers’ single malts were also on show, including the Tamnavulin, Dalmore and Jura, which club members have already enjoyed under the expert tutelage of Willie Tait.

Richard’s talk was both all-encompassing and illuminating, but his fun side came to the fore when he invited Toshie to sample an unknown malt. This turned out to be the 62YO derived from 1868, 1878, 1926 and 1939 casks. Over the years it has been racked several times and finally finished in an Oloroso "Mathusalem" Sherry butt from Gonzalez Byass, Spain. Distilled and matured by The Dalmore Distillery, at Alness. It is bottled at natural cask strength of 40.5% volume.

It was a deep, deep colour, with a rich honey nose and Terry’s chocolate orange in the centre. The taste was sensational. Held in the mouth, it laid an oily coat over the tongue and when swallowed there was more chocolate orange with spices and a warm nutty aftertaste. Accompanied by a giant party popper, it ensured the night went with a bang

Sadly Toshie’s palate may never recover, rendering as mortal every other dram he ever sips. He’s prepared to battle through this disappointment, however.

Simply stunning.

A DRAM FOR YOUR DAD

2006-05-31T18:50:00.000+01:00

Whyte & Mackay are in the process of rebranding, taking the well-loved whisky slightly upmarket. Whether it is its ‘Special’ blend or the luxurious 30 years old, each bottle is prepared using a double marriage maturation process.

This unique process not only guarantees a smooth, mellow and distinctive character but more importantly it guarantees consistency.

New to the range is ‘The Thirteen’. Matured for 13 years, instead of the standard 12, ensures that the whisky has extra time to mould and marry into perfect harmony, creating a truly velvety smoothness.

If your Dad prefers something more mature, why not give him a bottle of the award winning 30 years old. With its classic refined flavour brought about in its many years in wood, it must be drunk with respect - savouring each mouthful. If you wish to make the present even more special, why not team it up with a Don Ramos cigar, as the pairing were recently named the ultimate whisky and cigar combination at the World Whisky and Cigar Challenge.

Having just changed the design livery, the new packaging is luxurious and proud. The superb design, added to the great Scotch inside, would make a fantastic gift this Father’s day.

Hope my daughter's listening ....

WINNING BLEND IS NO TEA PARTY

2006-05-31T18:06:00.000+01:00

In a whisky industry first, top tea and coffee tasters Tim Clifton, Michael Bunston and Angus Kerr have put their palates to the test to select The Balvenie’s latest Vintage single malt. The whisky, distilled in 1972, will retail for £300 and just 744 bottles are available. Its maker, family-owned William Grant & Sons, is confident the whisky will attract interest from collectors and follow in the award winning footsteps of last year’s 1971 Vintage which received a gold medal at the International Wine & Spirit Competition.

To uphold the award-winning reputation of The Balvenie Vintage Cask, Malt Master, David Stewart, sought expert help from highly regarded selectors and blenders, but not from the Scotch whisky industry. Instead, the Malt Master has enlisted representatives from the tea and coffee industries to put their extensive nosing and tasting experience to an alternative use.

Michael Bunston and Tim Clifton, Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively, of the International Tea Committee and Angus Kerr, Chairman of the UK Coffee Trade Federation, swapped tea leaves and coffee beans for malt whisky casks to grind through the tough single malt tasting session held at The Balvenie Distillery in Dufftown. Tea and coffee blenders are renowned for their vigorous selection processes, so they were well prepared for the job.

Commenting on his honorary role, Tim Clifton said: “More than two centuries ago, both tea and Scotch, with their colonial reputations, were regarded as evil drinks. I hope that The Balvenie’s loyal drinkers agree that the two industries, together with our coffee-loving friends, have combined to produce a truly wicked drink in this 1972 vintage.”

In January, five casks, which were filled in late November 1972, were chosen. They yielded 744 bottles, with the ABV reduced to 47.3% prior to bottling, and are non-chill filtered. The Balvenie Vintage Cask 1972 RRP is £300 for a 70cl bottle, complete with oak presentation box, and is available from June 2006.

According to David Stewart “Our three guest tasters provided very apt descriptions on the nose and taste of each cask we examined, so agreeing on the final selections wasn’t too difficult. It just shows that although we are assessing very different drinks on a daily basis, we have great deal in common."

He added: “The trademark honeyed characteristics of the whisky are very prevalent, combined with a gentle nutty nose and creamy butterscotch flavour with a hint of spice. The finish is long, lingering and sweet, just what you’d expect from one of our vintage casks.”

The Balvenie Distillery, which is owned by independent family-owned distillers William Grant & Sons Ltd, is hoping the tea and coffee experts prove as successful as last year’s excisemen in selecting a winning dram. Their taste buds earned the Distillery a Best in Class Gold Medal at the 2005 International Wine & Spirit Competition for The Balvenie Vintage Cask 1971.

The Balvenie range of single malt Scotch whiskies includes The Balvenie DoubleWood^® 12 Year Old, The Balvenie PortWood^® 1991, The Balvenie Single Barrel^® 15 Year Old, The Balvenie PortWood 21 Year Old, which was voted the world’s best single malt aged 12 years or older at the 2004 International Wines & Spirit Competition, and The Balvenie Thirty – a gold medal winner at the same competition in 2005.

Tasting Notes: Rich and golden in colour, The Balvenie Vintage Cask 1972 is beautifully rich with citrus fruitiness. Gentle nuttiness and spicy wood notes, silky smooth on the palate, it has creamy butterscotch flavours mingled with honeyed orange and delicate spiciness and a beautiful lingering sweet finish.

www.williamgrant.com

The Mayor of Islay - Feis Ile 2006

2006-05-23T09:03:00.000+01:00

Bruichladdich Distillery’s open day, Sunday 28^th May, will once again be an action packed day for islanders, whisky enthusiasts and visitors from as far away as Peru.

The day will be opened by the inaugural appearance of The Bruichladdich Dram-
busters acrobatic aerial display team and the Royal Navy bomb disposal team.

Chairman Sir John Mactaggart will officially open the private company’s new £350,000 bottling line required to meet increased sales growth

The high tech Italian-made machinery, part financed by AIE, is capable of bottling, labelling and packing 2000 bottles an hour. The original 2003 line has been retained.

Bruichladdich is the only whisky bottled on Islay. It benefits from the island’s legendary spring water that exploits a fissure in 1800 million year old Rhinns Gneiss.

Guest of honour will be Miguel Roman Valdivia, the Mayor of Islay. Not Argyll and Bute, but from the Pacific Coast of Peru - 7300 miles away.

Scot Professor Ian Dalziel of the University of Texas had already established a shared origin between the exotic rocks of Islay’s Rhinns peninsular and the Pacific Coast of Peru dating back 750 million years.

“Everyone thought it an April fool,” says Production Director Jim McEwan, pictured. “It seemed way too far-fetched: the same geological origin as Peru? And it’s called Islay? And they distil alcohol? Give me a break!”

“The Islay Peruvians were as astounded as I was. It feels rather like pulling a rabbit out of a bag, but the Mayor of Islay is as interested to learn about us as we are about him. He has after all travelled for 24 hours just to be here”

The Islay Community Council is exploring the possibility of formalising an association that will benefit the children of both Islays.

Both communities share surprising similarities. As well as their ocean locations, both economies are based on fishing, farming, distilling and tourism. Equally they are ignored by central government and hampered by poor transport infrastructure.

A special “valinch” bottling has been created to celebrate the Mayor of Islay’s visit, which will be available on the day to distillery visitors only.

BLACK BOTTLE BOOGIE

2006-05-12T08:07:00.000+01:00

Black Bottle, named “Best Standard Blended Scotch Whisky” in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible for 2005 and 2006 and described as “a blend that has to be tasted to be believed”, has received new-look packaging.

Since its creation in 1879, the brand presentation has been refined many times, sometimes with subtlety and on occasion substantially. Now Black Bottle has a new livery.

The new front label has been slimmed down. The Gordon Graham crest and signature have been redesigned. The label also features detailed tasting notes, providing more in-depth information about the whisky itself.

Commenting on the new packaging, Fraser Thornton, Marketing Director for Burn Stewart Distillers said: "The new look has been created based on substantial market research and is designed to reflect both the contemporary and hand crafted aspects of the brand. It represents the first step of a significant marketing investment."

Black Bottle uses only the finest grain and malt whiskies, including all of the single malts from Islay. It retails at £12.49.

GLENCAIRN AWARD

2006-04-22T10:31:00.000+01:00

The Scottish company which introduced to the world a glass specially designed for whisky – the one given to Glasgow’s Whisky Club members as part of their welcoming pack – is to receive a Queen's Award for Enterprise, regarded as Britain's most coveted commercial award.

East Kilbride-based Glencairn Crystal has won the Award for Innovation, recognising the design and successful marketing of the Glencairn Glass, which is now used by all Scottish and Irish distilleries and many more worldwide.

The Glencairn Glass has a unique and stylish design, tapered for better 'nosing'. Crafted to be comfortable in the hand, the glass is designed to enhance the whisky drinking experience when being enjoyed neat or with water.

The family business, which employs 20 people, launched the glass four years ago, following collaboration between Glencairn Crystal and Scotland's Master Distillers, and the company now supplies more than one million units a year to a global market.

Managing Director Paul Davidson said: “There are specialist glass designs for champagne and brandy, but there had never been one for whisky.

“In a relatively short space of time, the glass has become established world-wide as the definitive whisky glass, by the industry and increasingly by consumers, and we are now looking at expanding further through a network of agents.”

LORD OF THE SMILES

2006-04-20T08:13:00.000+01:00

There are some tastings that afterwards you think: Mmm, that was a good night. And there are some tastings that afterwards you think: Man that was a GREAT night!

Ardbeg Distillery manager Stuart Thomson provided one of the best tastings we’ve had - helped along by some of the finest drams we’ve experienced. There are some who can’t take the smoky Islay offerings, and there are others who consider their lives would be incomplete without a regular dram from that island’s great distilleries. I think club members who count themselves among the former would have been pleasantly surprised last night.

Stuart’s involvement came about because our advertised guide, Glenmorangie’s Master Distiller Bill Lumsden, had to call off at short notice. He sent along the Glenmorangie Artisan Cask to showcase the distillery’s wood management policy. The Artisan was matured in Ozark Mountain oak and designed to capture the young, female, market. It was a soft, fruity and floral dram and enjoyed last night by women and men.

Next up came the Ardbeg selection: the 10 year old, the Uigeadail, and the breathtaking 25-year-old Lord of the Isles – a dram of such beauty that even the £135 retail price tag didn’t appear to be outrageous! (Try telling that to the spouses though).

Stuart proved an immensely likable guide, taking us from his second day at Glenmorangie and confronted by a jet of 39-year-old malt, which had sprung from its cask and was arcing its way over neighbouring casks. Old Tommy showed remarkable presence of mind by stooping, mouth open, to capture the stream before it could go to waste.

He talked movingly of seeing the wreck of Ardbeg for the first time after Glenmorangie saved it from total closure and how he persuaded his wife Jackie that there was, actually, little needed to restore it to its former glory.

And if you ever get the chance to have a natter with him, ask Stuart about the time his two-year-old son Harry noticed there was no Ardbeg on the gantry of a VERY posh country house.

It'll be a long, long time, before the Thomson family can show their faces there again!

CLEAN SWEEP FOR THE SMOKY DRAM

2006-04-15T16:31:00.000+01:00

Last year, Laphroaig cask strength was voted 'The Best Single Malt in the World'. No you might think that would be a tough act to follow, but at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition the distillery went one better … and then some.

The San Fran contest is considered by many to be the toughest and most prestigious of awards. The panel of judges ‘blind’ taste all the whiskies so that there is no bias.

Distillery manager John Campbell said: “We entered all our 5 main expressions: 30 year, 15 year, 10 year Cask Strength, 10 year and, of course, Quarter Cask. To give it away a little, there is a special award above the usual Bronze, Silver and Gold, known as Double Gold. This is reserved for when a whisky not only wins gold in its class, but also is voted first by the whole panel of experts.

Now the results:
30 Year old - Double Gold and winner of the of 'The Best Single Malt in the whole show'!
15 Year old - Double Gold!
10 Year old - Cask Strength - Double Gold!
10 Year old - Double Gold!
Quarter Cask - Double Gold!
And to cap it all Laphroaig was voted "Distiller of the Year" - one of the highest honours that can be bestowed.

$20,000 DRAM

2006-04-08T11:11:00.000+01:00

The world's oldest single malt whisky has been sold at auction for more than £11,000. A 750ml bottle of Glenfiddich, distilled nearly 70 years ago in 1937, fetched $20,000, during the sale in New York. It was bottled in 2001 after the distiller found it had the requisite amount of alcohol - 40% abv - needed for a single malt and had an "extraordinary" taste.

Glenfiddich said it was very unusual for a malt to retain enough alcohol for so long. The tasting notes describe it as being full of complex and subtle flavours, including a "wonderful toffee caramel and cinnamon nose, chocolate and treacle flavours and unique rich walnut colour."

One of a batch of 62 bottles, the rest of which were distributed around the world, the auctioned bottle was bought by New Jersey-based collector Dan Weiss at New York's Grand Central Station and was timed to coincide with the city's Tartan Week celebrations.

Glenfiddich said the proceeds would be donated to New York charity "City Harvest", which provides food and shelter for homeless people.

Glenfiddich director Peter Gordon, who is the great-great-grandson of distillery founder William Grant, said: "As this is the oldest single malt in the world I was delighted to see it safely in the hands of its new owner. It was a real responsibility to bring it from Scotland although we had it well packaged just in case of any mishaps.

“I am very fortunate to have been able to taste a tiny sample of the Glenfiddich 1937 before it was bottled and can report that it has a wonderful toffee caramel and cinnamon nose, chocolate and treacle flavours and unique rich walnut colour. It really is an extraordinary Scotch whisky, full of complexity and subtlety.

“Although, whether or not its new owner will ever discover this I'm not sure. Having paid $20,000 for it I imagine it will take a very special occasion for this single malt to be cracked open - but I'd love to be there if it is."

Mr Weiss, who has more than 250 bottles of single malt in his collection described the Glenfiddich 1937 as his "crown jewels" and confirmed that it would have to be a "heck of a special occasion" before his new purchase was opened and drunk.

SPIRIT OF SPEYSIDE WHISKY FESTIVAL

2006-03-28T17:43:00.000+01:00

The 2006 Spirit of Speyside Festival kicks off with a packed calendar full of whisky, music, food and fun in malt whisky country. The event runs from April 27 to May 1.

Situated in the heart of Speyside, Glenfarclas – ‘The Spirit of Independence’ - has a feast of events planned to entertain guests.

To kick-start activities on Friday 28 April, Brand Ambassador George Grant, the sixth generation of the Grant family, who own and manage the Glenfarclas Distillery, invites visitors to join him as he shares some secrets of the distillery’s 170-year history. This event will include: -

Masterclass featuring a selection of Glenfarclas’ oldest Highland Single Malts
Personal tour of the distillery from George Grant
Whisky Tasters’ lunch
Fun 40-question quiz on the distillery and its famous malts
The chance to win a rare bottle of 40 Years Old Glenfarclas worth £1500

The event lasts from 11:30am until 3:15pm and costs £40 per person.

Glenfarclas will be offering special tours around the distillery, during which guests can see the largest stills on Speyside before enjoying a complimentary dram of multi-award winning Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky.

The Distillery visitor centre, which is open all year Monday to Friday, will also open on Saturday and Sunday during the Festival. Tours run from 10am – 3.30pm (11am - 3:30pm on Sunday), adult tickets are priced at £3.50 per person and under-18s can visit free.

Transport to and from Glenfarclas is available so there is no need to worry about having that last dram! Special extended transport has been arranged for the duration of the Spirit of Speyside Festival – a £5 day pass buys complete flexibility on the specially provided buses. Bus timetables are available on www.spiritofspeyside.com.

FREE DRAM AND A GOOD READ

2006-03-28T17:32:00.000+01:00

Glenfiddich is hosting two events in Glasgow as part of its ‘Glenfiddich in Conversation with…’ author tour.

The tour is a series of free events that feature some of the country’s most talented new authors reading excerpts from their books and having a chat. All those who go along will also be invited to savour the banter over a complimentary taster of Glenfiddich Special Reserve 12 Year Old single malt.

The Glasgow events will take place in the Oran Mor on Great Western Road, on April 18 featuring author Alan Bissett, who will read excerpts from his latest book The Incredible Adam Spark, and in the Blue Dog, George Street, on April 24 with Michael Smith, who will read from his debut novel The Giro Playboy. Both events start at 8 o’clock and entrance is free

GOING FOR GOLD

2006-03-21T08:25:00.000Z

Whyte & Mackay Master Blender Richard Paterson sets off on a trip that will see him go around the world to Melbourne, to pledge the distiller’s support for Glasgow’s 2014 Commonwealth Games bid.

The award-winning whisky expert is flying into Melbourne for a whistle-stop two days to conduct exclusive whisky sessions with dignitaries from the 71 Commonwealth nations voting panels.

Whyte & Mackay has already shown its support to the bid by producing 800 specially commissioned bottles for the Scottish Commonwealth Games Bid Team to distribute to key delegates from the Commonwealth Games nations in Melbourne.

However spokesman Richard, who will not only act as a representative of Whyte & Mackay, but for Glasgow and Scotland as a whole, is using his particular charm to reinforce the bid.

Working alongside Louise Martin, Chairwoman of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland, and Lynne McPhee of Glasgow City Council, Richard’s presentation will focus on the friendly and welcoming nature of Scotland and demonstrate the Scots’ pride in their heritage and their country.

He said: "I am very much looking forward to making a personal contribution to Glasgow & Scotland’s bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. We take great pride in Glasgow’s achievements from our sporting traditions to the arts, shipbuilding to Whyte & Mackay scotch whisky"

He added: "I am confident that were the games to be held in Glasgow, visitors would leave with lifelong friends and cherished memories. At Whyte & Mackay we are proud of who we are, where we come from and the kinship we offer; values we share with both the city of Glasgow and the Commonwealth Games."

Richard’s first port-of-call on the tour saw him depart from Glasgow Prestwick Airport to attend a whisky festival in Belgium, where he displayed the bid flag to the thousands of festival attendees. He will then fly to Melbourne to conduct his official Commonwealth duties, then onto the USA before heading back home to Glasgow on April 1 after a whirlwind 16-day trip.

I WANT TO BE FRANK ...

2006-03-21T08:02:00.000Z

Let's face it, when you've won Whisky Pub of the Year as often as The Pot Still has, there comes a time when you want to do more than just pile the the trophies up behind the bar and let the customers gaze in admiration. Ken Storrie's plan for the latest award, from Whisky Magazine, was to fill it with water and make it a feature of it with the addition of a goldfish called Frank.
Shock horror from the staff forced a rapid change of plan, but with Frank swimming serenely in his wee plastic bag, a Whyte and Mackay ice bucket was pressed into service. The piscine seems quite happy, as are the staff.
We asked Ken why he called the fish Frank and were told something about fish having the same attention span as a certain member of staff, but we weren't sure just who he was talking about!

THE FAMOUS GROUSE 10-YEAR-OLD

2006-03-09T17:52:00.000Z

FRANK HADDEN WITH THE CALCUTTA CUP

The Famous Grouse has a special offer for rugby fans this weekend. At TFG Experience at Crieff there’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see, touch and be photographed with the Calcutta Cup.

There will be various competitions over the weekend between 10am and 4pm each day – and the chance to try the new-ish 10-year-old blended malt.

The company’s tasting notes are as follows:

Appearance: golden, clear and bright
Aroma: soft, mellow with a ripe orange hint
Taste: soft, mellow oak with chocolate orange
Finish: long, rich and medium sweet

There’s a special offer on at the moment – order a bottle from the distillery at £19.99 plus p&p and get a free tasting glass for every bottle. Just call The Famous Grouse Experience on 01764 657025 or go online to www.thefamousgrouse.com

BARLEY'S DEATH SPELLS END OF AN ERA

2006-03-09T17:15:00.000Z

Two centuries of tradition at Highland Park on Orkney have been broken with the death of Barley, the distillery cat, as it has been decided by bosses not to find a replacement.

However, staff at the distillery, established in 1896, are already making arrangements so that the last moggie will be able to keep a
watching eye over the Kirkwall site.

Barley, a 15-year-old ginger tom, was a fond favourite with locals and tourists and received a sackful of Christmas presents and cards. He passed away following a road accident this week.

Assistant brand heritage manager Patricia Retson said: "Barley was a real character and there are many tales surrounding his time at the distillery. He was very friendly to tourists, but this warmth did not extend to dogs - he was renowned for terrorising the former distillery manager's hound, which once had to be carried from the distillery, as he was too frightened to move.

"His favourite spot was on top of the money till in the Highland Park shop, and many tourists thought he was a toy, so they got quite a shock when they touched him on the back."

Always a great companion, in particular to the production operators on night shift, Barley was the last in a line of generations of distillery cats at Highland Park - his predecessor was Malt and before that the resident cat was Peat.

All of the cats were named by workers to reflect key ingredients that go into making "the best spirit in the world."

"As a mark of respect to three of the most recent cats at Highland Park, we have plans to commission a local artist to make a statue which will be displayed in the courtyard, as they will always be part of the distillery's heritage," added Patricia.

"But we have decided not to replace Barley due to health and safety regulations, though we are sure such a 'feline friend' will be sadly missed by visitors. The decision was not taken lightly as it is two hundred years of tradition that will be broken."

DISTILLER OF THE YEAR

2006-03-06T17:04:00.000Z

Glenfarclas has been named Distiller of the Year at the whisky industry’s Icons of Whisky dinner.

The award, now in its fourth year, was organised by Whisky Magazine and announced at an industry dinner held on the eve of Whisky Live in London. The prestigious award was presented to the company that has shown the most commitment to the development of whisky at all levels.

The magazine selected a shortlist, which included nominations from across the world. The list included Chivas Brothers, Diageo, Glenrothes, Inver House and Nikka, as well as Glenfarclas.

Key personnel from within the industry were invited to vote for the company they thought most deserved the award. Glenfarclas scooped it 'for being consistently good and staying true to its core values'.

Commenting on the win George Grant, Brand Ambassador for Glenfarclas said: “I am delighted. Having produced our whisky for over 170 years, we are not a new kid on the block and it is fantastic that those within the industry recognise that we have continued to produce consistently good quality whisky.”

www.glenfarclas.co.uk

THE PEAT CUTTER THE UNEXPLODED BOMB AND THE SEA-SICK BARLEY

2006-03-05T17:39:00.000Z

It was a night that will be spoken about as long as like-minded souls gather for a dram. Glasgow’s Whisky Club’s first tasting of 2006 was a memorable event. From tall tales to ice cream toddies, it was an evening that crackled with surprises, laughs and of course, some of the finest drams we’ve yet tasted.

Ably led by Gerry Tosh, HP’s Brands Ambassador, club members were taken on a tour of arguably Orkney’s finest export, taking in along the way, a history lesson, a geography lesson, a chemistry lesson and a social commentary on the Orcadians and their unique way of life.

We heard of Cyril, the distillery peat cutter since he was seven, banging the hell out of a heavy metal object on the peat field at Hobbister Hill … only to discover it was an unexploded bomb! And we were left wondering if Gerry Tosh was a spinner of yarns when he told the story of the malted barley, which gets such rough treatment on the ferries bringing it across the storm-tossed Pentland Firth, that it needs to lie down quietly for three weeks before it has settled enough to be used!

Those who were there will need little reminding of the quality of the drams tasted, but for those who couldn’t make it, the offerings were the 12YO, 15, 18, 25, and 30, with a single cask laid down in 1991 and destined for the Swiss market. Only 494 bottles were produced. It was drawn from the cask last week and was dark with hints of brine and chocolate. ABV was 56%.

For many the highlight of the night – and the feature that reflects the fun and informal nature of our whisky tastings – was the incomparable pairing of 25-year-old Highland Park and a loving spoonful of Mackie’s finest Scottish ice cream. A few purists raised their eyebrows when this concoction was produced, but changed their minds when the ice cream wrapped itself around the malt in a delivery system that perfectly married the vanilla ice cream with the soft and sweet taste of the malt. Chust sublime, as Dougie would say!

And as Gerry and the rest of us said at the end of the evening: Skol!!!

Stop Press: On Friday, March 3, at Whisky Live! in London. Ken Storrie and his team learned the Pot Still had been named Whisky Magazine's Whisky Bar of the Year. Yet another accolade, and yet again, well deserved.

toshie

http://www.highlandpark.co.uk

HIGHLAND PARK TASTING

2006-02-28T17:38:00.000Z

A full report of the proceedings will appear in Still Life as soon as work and hangovers permit. In the meantime, one of my colleagues at work has a selection of whiskies he's selling off. No prices as he's not sure what they're worth, but if anyone's interested, let me know and I'll pass on your details.

Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18YO
Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21YO
Dunhill Hyperion (De Luxe blend)
Black Bottle 15YO
The Famous Grouse 'Bill McLaren' Rugby Special Edition RRP £85
Glengoyne 21YO RRP £49.99
Dimple 43%
Glenrothes 12YO Vintage
Lancelot 12YO (50cl)
Cutty Sark 25YO RRP £105

slainte mhath
toshie

MARKS OUT OF TEN PLEASE

2006-02-20T17:29:00.000Z

THERE'S a bit of excitement across the water on Arran where the young distillery’s 10-year-old single malt will be in the shops in the next few weeks. Managing Director Douglas Davidson said: "They say that the best things in life come to those who wait. If that is true, then we are indeed fortunate." He said there’d been a ‘hugely positive response’ to the new baby from European distributors, with encouraging forward orders from Canada and the USA. Price has still to be settled but Royal Mile Whiskies are offering a 10^th Anniversary Decanter for £80.95. The whisky is non-chill filtered, bottled at 46%, and the decanter is limited to 1200 bottles.

Arran is keen to get involved with Glasgow's Whisky Club and has offered to host a tasting for us in Glasgow.Usually this involves something from the Robert Burns collection, the Arran 7 and now the 10, along with two cash strength expressions, often one from a sherry cask, and the new cask finished in a red wine barrel, in this case the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.
One or two like-minded souls are keen to make a day of it and head over to Arran for a tour round the distillery and a tasting there. It would be an all-day outing, but absolutely do-able. Your committee will take some soundings and keep you in touch.

Meanwhile, Ian Macleod Distillers, parent group of our principal sponsor Glengoyne, has just launched a whisky aimed, it says, at the modern drinker. Smokehead is an unashamed in-your-face dram, which the company describes as ‘a cannonball’!

“Unlike some contemporary whisky brands that have appeared recently on the market, Smokehead is not a subtle flavour,” said Iain Weir, Head of Marketing. “It is a heavily peated Islay single malt scotch whisky of the highest quality.”

It’s described as an explosive rollercoaster of peat, smoke and spice with some delicate sweetness. The single malt flavour is said to be fresh, fruity and immense, with notes of sherry, iodine, toffee, smoke and sea salt. The taste hits the palate at once with cocoa, peat and some honey sweetness, before exploding with peppery spice and more earthy peat.

The launch is being supported by a full sales and marketing programme which will include its own website at http://www.smokehead.co.uk/

It's available at a shade under £20

Elsewhere, if you’re a fan of Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch, you can now purchase them online. The company’s new shop has just opened, within it you will find a full range of malts as well as a wide selection of gifts and merchandise, all at competitive prices.

New site features in the future will include on-line booking and reservations for the company’s new Bowmore Distillery Holiday Cottages (check out the distillery cottage link on the Bowmore website), Bowmore and Glen Garioch films, image download library, and special promotions for Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch.

AND FINALY ... Just over a week to go before the Highland Park tasting and as you know from Alex, it’s a sell-out. We’ve managed to squeeze in an extra couple of souls, but we may have to give consideration to other, slightly larger venues for future ‘signature tastings’.

Slainte Mhath
toshie

I LOVE A LADDIE

2006-02-08T08:33:00.000Z

A new Islay company has produced the first ever soap to be made from both whisky and its oak cask.

Ailsa Hayes of The Spirited Soap Company, a pharmaceutical research chemist, uses alcohol to make clear soap for the single malt fan who simply cannot get enough.

She said: “Since alcohol comes from distilleries - and there are 7½ malt whisky distilleries on Islay - it made sense to use whisky instead of industrial alcohol.”

“Girly perfumes are all very well but I wanted one that captured the very essence of whisky-making. And that’s where the cask came in.”

Commissioned by the Bruichladdich distillery, The Malt Bar is scented by whisky-drenched, oak shavings taken from the inside of a Bruichladdich cask.

Ailsa added: “Oak staves that have been marinated in whisky for decades smell awesome - but unless you’re a cooper or distiller you will never have experienced it.”

“It’s a sweet, toasted-oak smell; like a cross between a cigar box, carpenter’s workshop, hayloft and coal-tar all at once. You won’t sell like an alcoholic.”

During the barrel-making process casks are charred on the inside. These shavings give the soap an unusual translucent, black colour.

“It looks butch, smells manly and is very metro-sexual, said Ailsa.

Pass the soap!!

The Spirited Soap Company:

http://www.spiritedsoaps.co.uk

http://www.bruichladdich.com

STILL THE SAME

2006-02-04T15:32:00.000Z

Picture: Martin Shields. Courtesy of Evening Times, Glasgow

Glengoyne has just invested £100,000 on two brand-new stills.

After 20 years in production, the trusty copper stills had lost their seven millimetres thick coatings as the whisky-making process gradually stripped them of their density.

To ensure the new stills produce a genuine Glengoyne dram, the bashes and bruises of the old ones have been painstakingly recreated.

The distillery was closed at the beginning of the year to allow the stills to be shoehorned into the building.

Made by Abercrombie in Stirlingshire, they stand over ten feet.

Incidentally, Glengoyne could soon be the picturesque setting for BBC Scotland's comedy, Still Game. The producers have approached the distillery to shoot an episode at the Dumgoyne plant, featuring Jack and Victor .

GLENGOYNE GETS A MAKEOVER

2006-02-02T17:02:00.000Z

The Whisky Wall at Glengoyne Distillery

Glengoyne is embarking a complete makeover for the distillery that should make it one of the most varied and comprehensive distillery experience ever.

The work, which is expected to be completed by May, will see the existing manager’s house transformed into a brand new venue offering a state-of-the-art sampling room, impressive Club Room and fully-equipped meeting room.

The Sample Room will be spectacular in its design. Each wall will be lined with an array of sample bottles containing whiskies at different stages of maturation from Glengoyne’s many thousands of casks. There will also be the opportunity for visitors to create their own unique blend of whisky, under the watchful eye of the sample room blender.

The Club Room, which will be decorated using hand-printed furnishings from designers Timorous Beasties, will offer a place for tour visitors to relax, drink in their surroundings and learn more about the award-winning malt.

The Meeting Room will offer facilities for up to 24 people and will be aimed at companies (or clubs!!) looking for an unusual venue for meetings or presentations.

It is likely that as part of the distillery developments a new menu of tours will also be launched later in the year. These are expected to include a cask-tasting tour and, says the distillery, 'the most hands on and in-depth distillery tour in the history of the industry'.

Glengoyne is also to increase its output by 130,000 to 840,000 litres. This means that output has doubled since Ian Macleod acquired the distillery in April 2003.

We should perhaps pencil in June or thereabouts for a club outing!

For further information contact Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd on tel: 01506 852205 or www.glengoyne.com

A TOAST: GLASGOW'S WHISKY CLUB

2006-01-26T12:41:00.000Z

Well, we made it. Almost two years after a small gathering of like-minded souls had the idea for Glasgow’s first – and only – whisky club, last night we formally launched Glasgow’s Whisky Club. The venue was the Pot Still, spiritual home for many of us, and the site of a number of fascinating tastings in the year ahead.
A score of folk turned out for one of the best-attended meetings in our short life. Alex Robertson, the man behind the club, said he was heartened by the response and welcomed well-kent faces as well as new blood.
He added: “When we started in 2004 with a handful of people, our intention was to dispel the mystery surrounding whisky and remove the stuffiness of formal tastings. We wanted an informal club and we’ve come a long way towards that goal.”
Alex paid tribute to our sponsors and supporters – Glengoyne who supplied the 10-year-old in our welcome packs – and the Edrington Group for its Highland Park 18 miniature. He also thanked Ken Storrie at the Pot Still for his encouragement. On club nights Ken has offered a discount on everything from the gantry and taps on production of membership cards.
As part of our ongoing association with Glengoyne, the distillery is offering generous discounts on its products when ordered through the club. We’ll work out the details about taking orders in the very near future.
Edrington is offering good deals on distillery visits, and again we’ll sit down and work out the details.
Alex will send out e-mails and/or letters to members who may want to get involved in our committee. At the moment we have four people doing the organising – Alex, Bill Mackintosh, Ken Seaton and Andy Clark. All four are happy to continue, but if others want to join in, please let Alex or Bill know.
We are currently talking with one of the Glasgow-based newspapers about running a monthly tasting column, and we’ll need a tasting panel to meet on a fairly regular basis to get that up and running. More details will follow.
Our first tasting is booked for March 1, when Gerry Tosh, Highland Park Brand Ambassador, will take us through a selection of expressions. Numbers will be limited, so please book your place as soon as possible.
Subsequent tastings include Bill Lumsden, Master Distiller at Glenmorangie, and Andy Forrester of Jon Mark and Robbo’s Easy Drinking Whisky Company. Expect ‘an off-the-wall’ evening for that one!
We’re keen to get out and about and there is a provisional Islay trip early in May. That’s still being finalised, but the price looks attractive. More details as and when…
Arran has also been mentioned as a possibility and that probably would be do-able on a day trip.
Our website is currently under construction at www.glasgowswhiskyclub.com, but our online newsletter www.glasgowswhiskyclub.blogspot.com will be updated regularly.
Please flood us with ideas, requests, demands: it’s YOUR whisky club and we want us all to enjoy the year ahead.
Slainte Mhath!
Bill Mackintosh

MAKE A DATE

2006-01-11T09:33:00.000Z

The 2nd Festival of Whisky takes place in the city between January 23 and 28.

For the first time it will include four ‘Speed Tasting’ events, which will take place at various bars in town. In a complete break with tradition, the Festival will capitalise on the popularity of the speed-dating craze to introduce whisky to new Scottish consumers who may never have thought of trying it before.

Organiser Susan Young of Media World Ltd said: “We did a similar event in Edinburgh in November, and it proved a huge success. People got to try out new whiskies and also got to meet new friends too.

“The idea is to encourage people to try a whisky they might not otherwise have done, with a brief five-minute commentary from whisky experts, before moving onto the next whisky. It’s strictly controlled, being more of a tasting session than a drinking session.”

The festival also includes whisky tutored tastings and sampling events. Says Young: “The whole ethos behind the festival is to get people to try whisky. And allow them to find out more about particular brands they like.”

Brands taking part include Auchentoshan, Aberfeldy 1988, Benromach, Bowmore, Caol Ila, Dalmore, Glen Garioch, the Glenrothes, Highland Park, Isle of Jura, Johnny Walker, Talisker and Whyte and Mackay. Events are free and open to members of the public over 18.

For those who are smitten and want to take things a little further there will also be a number of organised follow up first ‘dates’ - where things will move a little slower and consumers can get to know their whisky of choice better through a tutored tasting.

These will take place after the speed dates in bars including the Bon Accord, Lismore, the Doublet, Ben Nevis, Uisge Beatha, Pot Still, Campus and Metropolitan.

VENUE EVENT TIME

Monday 23rd January Repertoire: Whisky Speed Dating (all brands) 5.30 7pm
Bon Accord: Johnnie Walker, Caol Illa, Talisker TT 8.15pm
the Lismore: Highland Park SE 8.15pm

Tuesday 24th January Bastille Taverne: Whisky Speed Dating (all brands) 5.30 7pm
The Doublet Isle of Jura TT 8.15pm
The Butterfly & the Pig: Bowmore SE 8.15pm

Wednesday 25th January Moskito: Whisky Speed Dating (all brands) 5.30 7pm
The Ben Nevis: Highland Park TT 8.15pm
Uisge Beatha: Benromach, Aberfeldy 1988, Glenrothes TT 8.15pm
The Lismore: Johnnie Walker, Caol Illa, Talisker SE 8.15pm

Thursday 26th January The Butterfly & the Pig Whisky Speed Dating (all brands) 5.30 7pm
The Pot Still: Bowmore TT 8.15pm
Campus: Isle of Jura SE 8.15pm

Saturday 28th January
Oran Mor: Whisky Speed Dating (all brands) 3.00 5pm
Repertoire: Highland Park TT 6pm
The Metropolitan: Benromach, Aberfeldy 1988, Glenrothes SE 8.15pm

TT = tutored tasting
SE = sampling exercise