THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

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

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

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

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 ...

…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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 ....