Irish Whiskey

As you might imagine, I think about whiskey quite a lot. Matt and I write a blog on the stuff that we try to update with new content as regularly as we can. But that’s more of a product of our obsession rather than a driver. The idea behind Whisk(e)y Apostle was to help get the word out. “Proselytizing the way of malt.” When we started formulating the idea for the site a couple of years ago there really wasn’t too much out there on the subject. Most distilleries didn’t exactly have the greatest websites and in terms of blogs and related websites there was really only John Hansell, Sam over at Dr. Whisky, the ruminations of various Malt Maniacs, and one or two others.

Oh how times have changed. Every distillery seems to be revamping their websites multiple times a year and it seems like everyone and their brother is talking about whiskey. This isn’t a bad thing at all. The more we talk about it, the more people learn about it. The more they learn, the more they buy and ultimately the more stuff comes out on the market.

So with that in mind I decided to take a step back and think about what is still inhibiting people from drinking whiskey…aside from those poor misguided souls who still think that they just don’t like it. Here’s my top four.

Price
Whiskey isn’t exactly cheap once you move off the bottom two shelves and let’s face it, there’s a lot down there that might make you never want to try whiskey again. Bourbon and Irish are still relatively affordable up against the increasing prices of Scotch but their prices are soaring too. However, you can still value good values in all these categories if you know what to look for. Scotch has some great blends like Black Bottle and value single malts like Glenfiddich and Glenlivet shouldn’t be sneezed at. You can even move down the connoisseur route if you’re selective. Macallan may get all the love but Edrington’s Highland Park Distillery puts out great single malt at noticeably lower prices than Macallan in the same age ranges. Bourbon and Irish are rife with old labels at good prices offering solid value. Weller, Old Grand Dad, and Evan Williams are just some of the Bourbon names to look out for. Powers, Paddy’s, and a number of other Irish tipples are worth a shot. Also, Rye is still an under marketed value gem (but don’t tell anyone). Don’t let the prices scare you. Buy smarted, not harder.

It should also be noted that you might also look at price per drink. If you spend $20 on a bottle of wine you my only get four or five glasses out of it. That’s $4 or $5 per drink. If you assume a standard pour of around 30 ml or so then that gets you 25 drinks for the price of a $45 bottle of Scotch. That’s less than $2 a drink. I’m assuming you’re drinking the glass of wine and the glass of Scotch at about the same pace and not slamming back shooter like a frat boy. It’s just something else to think about.

Variety
It really is a great time to buy whiskey. There are so many choices that it seems like you could spend your whole life trying to taste them all. However, that same variety that makes me giddy when I walk in the liquor store may seem daunting to the uninitiated. Bourbon, Rye, Irish, Single Malt, Blends, Blended Malts, Japanese, Indian, Australian, American Craft, Welsh, English, Swedish….you see where I’m going with this. Don’t be afraid. Take it slow. It’s no different than beer or wine. Try a few at a local drinking establishment and then try others similar to what you liked. It’s as simple as that.

Tradition
Do you know how you’re supposed to drink whiskey? Neat? With a splash of water? On the rocks? With cola? Out of a tulip shaped glass? Out of a tumbler? The real answer is to drink it however the hell you want. Why would you let someone else tell you what to do with something you bought? You don’t have to drink every glass of single malt scotch neat out of a tulip shaped nosing glass while wearing a kilt in front of a roaring fire used to cook haggis. You can. You might try it sometime because you might like it but that doesn’t mean you have too. Don’t worry so much about what you’re supposed to do and spend more time doing what you enjoy.

Advice
This one is tricky. How do you talk about advice as a barrier for new drinkers without giving advice? You really can’t but I feel that I have to. If you ask questions about whiskey to bloggers, writers, aficionados, bartenders, shop owners, etc. you will get plenty of opinions. You just need to remember that at the bottom of the glass that’s all they are, opinions. It is all relayed with good intentions but the only way you will know what you like is to get out there and try stuff. Then you can decide for yourself. If over time you find the recommendations of one blogger or writer similar to what you like then you can give that person more weight than others but that’s up to you. We do reviews on Whisk(e)y Apostle because we enjoy doing them and some people might find them helpful. Personally, I think our event postings and editorial posts are a more important part of what Matt and I do. After all, we may think Redbreast walks on water but if you can’t stand Irish whiskey then you’re not going to agree. You have to make up your own mind.

That’s all I’ve got so say on the subject…for now (have blog, will pontificate). Matt’s take on the topic should be along soon.

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

As you might guess, I frequent a lot of discussions about whiskey both online and in person. One thing that always struck me as old is people who “bunker” large numbers of the same bottle. What is bunkering you ask? It’s when you buy more than one bottle of a given whiskey and store it instead of drinking it. People do this for many reasons.

I can understand that if you REALLY like this year’s 2000 vintage Evan Williams single barrel that you might buy another bottle because the whiskey is different every year. What I don’t get are people who go into their local store as soon as the truck delivers the year’s Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and buying every bottle they can carry. Again, people do this for many reasons. However, I find none of them acceptable. Let’s look at them in turn:

1. “I bought all six bottles of George T. Stagg that were allocated to my local store because I love it and it’s my favorite.”

Fine, I get that you like it…alot. But what about all the other great whiskeys out there that you may be missing out on while you drink nothing but Stagg for the next year?

2. “I bought all six bottles of George T. Stagg that were allocated to my local store because they are collectible and will increase in value.”

I know some whiskey collectors. Personally, I’m not a fan of the practice because whiskey is intended to DRINK. It’s not intended to store away from the light of day hoping to cash in five to ten years down the road.

3. “I bought all six bottles of George T. Stagg that were allocated to my local store because I plan to trade them for other super spiffy whiskeys.”

Let’s say that in a perfect world such activities would be completely legal where you live (for the sake of argument) then why not save your cash and seek out those other bottles on your own? You could even put the money into some type of income earning vehicle and be better off when you got ready to make the purchase you really wanted.

4. “I bought all the bottles of the old bottling of Eagle Rare or Weller I could find because it isn’t made anymore.”

See my responses to 1, 2, and 3.

I’m sure there are a whole host of other reasons people bunker whiskey that I haven’t mentioned. However, what really steams my jeans about the whole process is that you’re keeping every bottle you can and you’re preventing others from discovering these great whiskeys. And you’re usually proud of it.

We here at Whisk(e)y Apostle are all about proselytizing the way of the malt. It says so at the top of the page. It’s kind of hard to tell somebody about a great whiskey they should try when you’ve bought all the damn bottles in the tri-county area. I think it’s selfish and kind of a dick move to be honest. Maybe I’m too handholdly-kumbaya about the whole thing. Yes, it’s a free market and you can buy whatever you want in whatever quantities you want but I just don’t think it’s right when it comes to whiskey. You don’t have to change your dastardly ways all at once. Go slow. Maybe this fall just buy five of those six bottles of Stagg and leave one for somebody else. You may not feel any different but the next guy who actually gets to try Stagg this year might have a really good week. Think about it.

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

It’s been a while since I did a “Did You Know” piece and it’s long over due. So here’s today’s question..

Did you know that the age statement on your bottle indicates the youngest whiskey in the bottle?

Go ahead, run over to the liquor cabinet and look. Is there an age statement on the bottle? What did you think that number meant? According to Chivas, the vast majority of whiskey drinkers have no idea. Their research has shown that while many people think that number is important, few really understand what it means. For those that aren’t sure, the age statement on a bottle of bourbon, scotch, irish, japanese, etc whisk(e)y reflects the age of the youngest spirit in the bottle. That goes for single malts, blends, small batch, single barrel, etc. That means that in a bottle of 12 year old Macallan there could be a number of whiskies that are much older. Distilleries use older stocks to round out the flavor and consistency of younger bottlings. Maybe the 1997 Macallan vintage didn’t taste quite like the 1996 so they added a little 14 year old to the mix for consistency. Apparently, we human creatures like consistency in what we consume. It’s comforting I guess.

Why am I bringing this up today? Well, Chivas is sending around a notice of a new campaign they are launching to bring awareness to the popular misconceptions about age statements and what they mean. We Whisk(e)y Apostles are always in favor of more consumer education. Here’s a copy of the press release.

THE AGE MATTERS
Chivas Brothers launches global consumer campaign
on the importance of Scotch whisky age statements

The world’s leading producer of luxury Scotch whisky, Chivas Brothers, is launching a global campaign to advocate the importance and value of the age statements to consumers.

According to new research commissioned by Chivas Brothers, 94% of consumers believe the age statement serves as an indicator of quality, 93% believe that older whiskies are better quality and 89% actively look for an age statement when making a decision to purchase.

However, there is a global lack of knowledge about what the age statement actually means: only 10% understand that it refers to the youngest whisky in the bottle, nearly half (48%) believe an age statement refers to the average age and 35% believe it signifies the oldest whisky present. The Scotch Whisky Regulations (2009) make clear what an age statement means – the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle.

Chivas Brothers, Distiller of the Year 2009, is responding with a campaign called The Age Matters, which will manifest itself through stand-alone activity as well as through integration across the company’s aged whisky portfolio, which includes the Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, The Glenlivet, and Royal Salute brands.

The aim of the campaign is to enable consumers to understand fully the age statement and to appreciate the value of the premium product they are purchasing.

One of the greatest influences on the flavour of whisky comes from maturation. Much of the complexity of Scotch whisky comes mainly from its time in oak casks in Scotland; with outstanding spirit and excellent wood management, it follows that the longer the maturation period, the more complex the whisky.

From 1 July 2010, consumers will be encouraged to look for age statements on Scotch whisky, via point-of-sale materials, advertising and public relations. A logo using the language Guaranteed Age Whisky has been created for usage in retail, and will be visible in the environment of Chivas Brothers brands that carry an age statement.

Christian Porta, Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers Limited, says: “The revelation that so many existing whisky drinkers do not understand that the age statement refers to youngest age of the whisky, shows that there is an opportunity for us to inform them.

“In an age when consumers of luxury goods increasingly demand transparency and authenticity from brands, it is vital that we empower consumers with knowledge, so that they fully understand the value of what they are buying.”

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard