May 2010

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to yeast and barley lately (mainly because I’ve been reading a lot about brewing and distilling).  Particularly, I’ve been thinking about how barley and yeast have developed over the years and how regional variations can greatly affect the flavor of whisky.  When the ancestral distillers of malted barley first put flame to kettle, there was not much choice in ingredients.  There was a local barley crop (malting on-site), a local water source, and wild yeast captured from the environment.

I like the idea of wild yeast; riding air currents looking for the right slurry of fruits or grains, gorging themselves on the precious sugars until their wanton gluttony causes them to choke on their own excrement (alcohol).  I think there is a metaphor for the American financial system somewhere in that.

It seems so simple:  barley, yeast, water.  However, since the invention of refrigeration, distillers have been able to store and cultivate yeast strains.*  This alone represented a huge step toward consistency of product and innovation.  Not only could distillers be sure the same yeast was used each year, but they could tinker with a strain to get more of the qualities they found desirable (higher/lower alcohol content, more floral notes, less/more acidity, etc.).  Any home brewer will tell you, the right yeast can have massive effects on your final product.  Modern distillers go as far as patenting their yeast strains so no one can duplicate their product.

And what of barley you say?  Well, barley has changed too.  Distillers are no longer required to source barley from down the road.  Modern transportation methods make shipping barley quite simple.  Most Scottish distilleries use Scottish barley, but it’s sourced mostly from large-scale facilities that service multiple distilleries and offer several varieties of grain.  However, several things are happening right now.  There are a handful of distilleries experimenting with barley traditionally used for brewing beer (The Glenlivet Nadurra Triumph, for one).  There are experiments in malting (some of the malt in Glenmorangie’s The Signet is roasted in a tumbler like coffee beans).  Additionally, barley can be tinkered with in the same way as yeast.  Scientists can build it stronger, heartier, sweeter.  We have the technology.

When we are talking about whisky, we can’t leave wood or water completely out of the equation.  However, I think we sometimes forget the importance of barley and yeast.  I’m willing to bet that if you gave ten distilleries all the same water and a first fill bourbon barrel (all from the same distillery), you would still get ten distinct products.  Somebody contact the SWA.  I think we have a contest on our hands.

Of course, I’m leaving out the size and shape of the still and the unique environmental conditions of the warehouses, but you get the idea.

This was supposed to segue into a discussion about a tasting I recently lead, but I’ve somehow gone off track.  Oh well, such is life.  I think I’m going back to my books for now.  Or maybe I’ll hit the streets with a tub of grain slurry and hope for the best.  Do you need a butterfly net to catch wild yeast?

-Matt

*Note:  It was possible to preserve yeast strains before this, but the process was tricky at best, relying mainly on spent yeast to create starter cultures for the next product.  Of course, the term “starter culture” is an anachronism as it was not until the 1860s that Louis Pastuer discovered that yeast is indeed a living organism.

“I hate people when they’re not polite” as the song goes.  Whisky writers and enthusiasts have long been accused of elitism.  Even those of us who seek to lift the veil on whiskey’s mysteries, can fall prey to what some see as arrogance and snobbery.  Whisky festivals often seem to enforce this theme.  The vast majority of attendees are white men over forty with very comfortable lifestyles.  Clubs, guilds, or societies often host the events.  There is often a dress code.  One expects a certain amount of decorum.

Where am I going with this?  Well I’m about to rant in a way that suggests my own elitism (though that is hardly the point).  This week the Single Malt Whisky Society hosted the Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza.  The event itself was very great.  However, some the attendees did not comport themselves a way befitting their standing.  There are always a few assholes at events like this.  There are the guys that pre-game and show up drunk.  There are the guys that don’t understand the point of the spit/pour buckets and are hammered after the first table.  My chief complaint this time?  The guys that do not respect the “talent.”

Unless you are at Whisky Fest, most of the folks behind the tables are brand ambassadors (as opposed to Master Distillers).  Brand Ambassadors range from dudes in kilts with a brogue to well educated non-kilt wearers to actors, actresses and models.  These folks are the “talent.”  Back in the day, the actors/actresses/models rarely knew anything about whisky in general and sometimes not much about their own brand.  I’m happy to say that (apart from a handful of brands) this is becoming a thing of the past.  They still hire pretty girls (they know their market), but the brands are doing a better job with education.

While talking to the Heather at the Glenfiddich table (a real class act who knows her stuff), I heard someone behind me mutter, “it doesn’t matter how many questions you ask, she is not going to sleep with you”.  This is unacceptable.  First of all, don’t disrespect a guy who is genuinely seeking knowledge.  That is the act of a barbarian.  Secondly, do not disrespect the ladies at these events (or ever for that matter).

If that was the only incident, I would still be outraged but I would allow that it was just one jerk-ass showing off for his friends.  However, throughout the night, there were many instances of this kind of behavior.  Now, I’m no prude.  I like a well shaped form as much as the next guy, but real men leave that kind of talk in the locker room or in the company of other men.  You’re momma raised you better.

If you’ve stuck with me this long, I guess I should talk about the event itself.  It was a good time.  The food was pretty good.  The layout in the tasting room caused some traffic flow problems.  The tasting tables were laid out in a “U” shape with table seating in the middle of the room.  There were times that navigating between the tasting tables and the seating became difficult.  Without prodding people to keep moving, I’m not sure there was anything to be done though.

There were over 100 whiskies on pour.  I tried a small amount of quite a few, but really took my time with a few others.  At events like these, I try to focus on things I wouldn’t normally try.  That night, the SMWS bottlings were high on my list.  They are all worth trying, but my favorites were the Cask No. 76.68-15yo from Dufftown (Mortlach distillery) and the Cask No 53.136-17yo from Islay (Caol Ila).  The Mortlach surprised me, because it was very sweet with some great berry notes.  Previous independent bottlings I’ve tried tasted like Robitussin.  The Caol Ila?  Well, that’s a distillery that continues to grow on me.  Perhaps my palate is getting more sophisticated.  Finally, I see what all the hype is about.  I get a lot of those fizzy, lemony notes I found in the unpeated Caol Ila with some great peaty bite.  This is a whisky you can chew.

I got my chance at the Ardbeg Rollercoaster.  Rollercoaster is very enjoyable, but I think the Corryvreckan was better.

Like Richard, I decided the give the Dalmore another try.  I’m still not enthralled.  For some reason, I’ve always wanted to like the Dalmore.  Maybe it’s Master Distiller Richard Patterson’s charm or the beautiful package design.  I’m never satisfied with the whisky though.

Usquaebach was there.  If you’ve never had this blend, I encourage you to give it a try.  The high-end version comes in a nice ceramic jug (it’s an NAS vatted malt).  That’s the only one I’ve seen on shelves.  They have two other versions. (a 12yo with some grain content and 15yo vatted malt).  For my money, I think the 12yo and the NAS are the way to go.  I wasn’t all that impressed with the 15yo.  The 12yo is a great little blend at a good price point.  I put it on the same level as Old Parr (maybe even better).

Overall, the Extravaganza was great.  I highly recommend the event.

Remember, if I see you disrespecting the ladies at one of these events, I’ll come at you like Richard Patterson going at someone putting water in a glass of Jura (seriously, he’ll slap you).

fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa

-Matt