Scottish Whisky

Tullibardine At The Brandy Library

/ / Matt's Blog, Scottish Whisky

Last night, I hopped the E train down to Tribeca for some whisky and conversation (way better than tea and sympathy btw).  The Brandy Library and Adam Jacobs of Total Beverage Solution was hosting a tasting of four Tullibardine single malts.

Despite being located on the side of Scotland’s oldest brewery (circa 12th century), Tullibardine is a Highland distillery that you don’t hear about much here in the States.  This is due in part to being mothballed from 1995-2003.  Luckily, the distillery was in pretty good shape and there were a lot of casks just waiting to be bottled.

Tullibardine Vintage 1993
(15 years in 1st fill bourbon casks, no caramel coloring, chill-filtered, 43% ABV)
This is Tullibardine’s “benchmark” expression and arguably the most unique in the range.  I get a lot of citrus from both the nose and the palate.  Specifically, it’s like the pith of a pink grapefruit; slightly tart, slightly sweet, and crisp.  The cereal notes are also very prominent.  When you add in the floral and vanilla notes, it’s like a hearty country breakfast.

Tullibardine Vintage 1993 Oloroso Sherry Finish
(15 years old, about 15 months in sherry butts, non chill-filtered, no caramel coloring, 46% ABV)
Despite the higher proof, this whisky is not “hot” by any means.  The elements that make Tullibardine unique are still present, but with added elements of toffee, dark fruits and spice.  If you threw some haroset* into your country breakfast, this is what you’d get.

Tullibardine Vintage 1992
(16 years old, a marriage of mostly 1st fill bourbon casks with some sherry hogsheads, non chill-filtered, no caramel coloring, 46% ABV)
Here is where we lose some of the unique Tullibardine-ness.  Don’t get me wrong; this is a really nice whisky.  However, it’s very generic.  Vintage 1992 could easily have come from a number of other Highland distilleries.  The cereal notes are still there, there is a lot more sherry influence, but the citrus is muted almost to extinction.

Tullibardine Vintage 1988
(20 years old, a 50/50 marriage of 1st fill bourbon casks and sherry hogsheads, non chill-filtered, no caramel coloring, 46% ABV)
The extra age and slightly different blend resuscitates the citrus (and the whisky).  Vintage 1988 is rich and smooth, like a bolder version of the ’93 Oloroso Finish, but retains the vibrancy of the standard ’93 vintage.

I really enjoyed the uniqueness of Tullibardine, but there’s a catch.  All of the whiskies in this line-up where distilled under the previous ownership.  What’s to say that the new Tullibardine whiskies will be anything like these?  Will there still be that grapefruit vibrancy or will the taste profile become more generic like so many other malts that fall within a somewhat narrow range of deviation?  Only time will tell.  Thanks to Adam from Total Beverage Solution and Ethan Kelly at Brandy Library for playing host.

*Haroset (or charoset) is a blend of fruits, nuts, and spices that people of the Jewish faith eat during Passover to symbolize the mortar used during the years of slavery in Egypt.  I’m specifically referring to the Middle Eastern style that uses figs, dates, raisins and walnuts mixed with cinnamon and sweet wine.

-Matt

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New U.S. Releases – March ‘10

/ / Bourbon, Other Whisk(e)ys, Scottish Whisky

Wow…here we are almost half way through April and I haven’t posted the March new release roundup. Many apologies for this oversight. I’m a new dad which is a constant source of distraction and on top of that there was a death in my family last week. Regardless, there were a number of intriguing March announcements in the whiskey world. Here’s what we heard about.

Amrut Indian Whisky
Timeframe: April 2010
There are a host of Amurt whiskies coming stateside in April. They should be in New York and New Jersey first and then trickle into Chicago, Kentucky, and Massachusetts by mid-April. Of all the ones we tried at WFNYC 2009 the Fusion was our favorite.

Amrut Single Malt Whisky
Amrut Peated Single Malt Whisky
Amrut Single Malt Cask Strength Whisky
Amrut Peated Single Malt Cask Strength Whisky
Amrut Fusion Whisky

Crown Royal Black
Timeframe: April
ABV: 45%
Price: $30
This is supposed to be a higher proof and more robust Crown with deeper bourbon notes. I’m not a huge CR fan but they’ve peaked my interest. I guess I’m going to have to start buying Canadian too.

Four Roses 100th Anniversary 17 Year Old
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: 55%
Price: $75
My growing adoration for Four Roses is nearing Buffalo Trace level fervor. Mr. Rutledge is making great Kentucky bourbon with Japanese ingenuity. This is on my short list.

Glen Garioch
Timeframe: Spring 2010
Glen Garioch had revamped their range and a new Founder’s Reserve and 12 Year Old should be coming soon to a market near you. I tried them both at the SMSW Extravaganza last month and was pleased with what I tasted.

The Dalmore Mackenze
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: 46%
Price: TBD
This was launched on March 17th and we posted Dalmore’s release at the time but I’m still waiting on U.S. information on distribution and pricing. There are only 3,000 bottles worldwide so it will be limited.

Seagram’s Dark Honey
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 35.5%
Price: $16.99
Seagram’s is throwing their hat into the continuing flood of new whiskey-type releases following Wilde Turkey American Honey and Jim Beam Red Stagg.

That’s what I heard about last month. If you heard anything that I missed then please shoot me an email. On a positive note, the Apostles will be together in Atlanta this weekend. We might even get some site-related work done between drams. Stay tuned for new reviews!

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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Extravaganza in Atlanta – 2010

/ / Irish Whiskey, Other Whisk(e)ys, Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky

Last night was the Single Malt and Scotch Whisky Extravaganza held in Atlanta. Was there Apostle representation? Whisky…in Atlanta…of course I was there. Here’s my take on the event….

Location
The event was again held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Buckhead. It is a great location that is easily accessable from Peachtree Street, major interstates, and MARTA. It’s an Intercontinental Hotel so the facilities are very nice, as you would expect. There’s not too much more for me to say on that.

What Was Poured
There were a good number of scotches on offer as well as single malt Japanese and Irish offerings. I didn’t specifically count the exact number but it was a lot. A quick summary includes Dalmore, Laphroaig, Ardmore, Glenlivet, Chivas, Glenrothes, Yamazaki, Glen Garioch, Bowmore, Macallan, Highland Park, Longmorn, Famous Grouse, Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Talisker, Glenkinchie, Dalwhinnie, Lagavulin, Oban, Cragganmore, Michael Collins, Bushmills, and several others that escape me at the moment.

I didn’t try everything on offer. With that much variety you have to be selective or you will be on the floor in no time. I started with Dalmore because I felt like I didn’t give the new range a fair shake at WhiskyFest NY 2009, possibly due to palate fatigue. I limited myself to the 12 Year Old and the Gran Reserva because I felt they had changed the most from their prior incarnations. I was informed that the change was mostly an increase in sherry aged casks in both bottlings. I found the 12 meatier than the older version and the Gran Reserva to be dryer than the old Cigar Malt. Both were better than I remembered from WF. More exploration is required.

From there I went over to the Bowmore/Glen Garioch booth. I hit the 12 Year old and 15 Year old Bowmore expressions first. The 12 seems to get better every time I try it. (mental note: we need to do a review soon) The 15, not as much. Formal tasting is difficult in a large setting like this but there was something offputting that I can’t place. From there I scooted over to try the Founder’s Reserve and 12 Year Old Glen Garioch. These are both newly released expressions that are just making it to Atlanta. The Founder’s Reserve was more vegetal on the nose but both were very nice and had a good balance of sweet and spicy on the palate.

My next stop was to try the new 15 Year Old Single Barrel Balvenie. Very nice! I hit the 21 Year Old Portwood again while I was over there and that was very good too. After that I did a trio of 25 Year Olds going from Glenlivet (thanks Randy!) to Highland Park to Laphroaig. The cheeky bastards at Laphroaig had it hiding in a boot and you had to know to ask for it. They did the best overall talk on process and whisky in general of all the booths so I can’t give them too hard a time.

I rounded the evening out with a few selective stops by Macallan and others. All things I was familiar with but just wanted a taste of. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get dates on when Hibiki and Glen Grant would be coming to Atlanta and thus they weren’t poured last night. That’s kind of the paradox of the way the Society does their events. They don’t allow the pouring of anything that isn’t available in the city where the event is held. On the upside, it’s nice to know that you can buy locally everything you taste. On the downside, there’s a lot of great stuff that doesn’t get poured depending on where you are.

Who Was There
The Extravaganza events seem to have more distributor representatives rather than whisky makers. I don’t think any Master Distiller’s were there last night. The crowd ranges from the young and hip to the well seasoned and everything in between. It was a good mix. I always find the Pour Bunnies rather amusing. I’m not really sure what the term is for the ladies that work the booths for show but I call them Pour Bunnies. Their knowledge varied greatly depending on the booth. Even between the girls at the same booth. Somebody has to pour the drinks, right?

Other Offerings
The food was good again this year. Carving stations for roasted meats, pastas, risottos, salads, deserts, coffee and various other things. Everything I tried was very good. They were again giving out cigars to attendees again this year which I find a nice touch. My one real gripe about the event as a whole was the food service. It would be nice if they had two separate stations so that everyone didn’t have to wait in line forever in a big circle that never went anywhere.

Summary Thoughts
In summary I thought the event was great. In the spirit of full disclosure I will note that I was a guest of The Society this year and that courtesy is greatly appreciated. There are very few whisk(e)y events that come to Atlanta each year. This is definitely one not to be missed.

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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Glen & Morty

/ / Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky

Last night my buddy Sam and I were fortunate enough to attend a tasting of The Glenlivet hosted by Morton’s in Downtown Atlanta and Brand Ambassador Randy Adams, otherwise known as “The Glenlivet Guy”. This was the Atlanta stop of The Glenlivet’s tour of Morton’s restaurants across the county.

They were pouring the first four bottles in The Glenlivet range:
The Glenlivet 12 Year Old
The Glenlivet 15 Year Old French Oak
The Glenlivet 16 Year Old Nadurra
The Glenlivet 18 Year Old

Paired with each dram was a lovely appetizer including smoked salmon, beef, scallops and other tasty bits. In general I think the appetizers paired well with the different drams. My favorite combination was actually the first one. They paired a smoked salmon pinwheel with The Glenlivet 12 year old.

This was definitely one of the more informal tastings I’ve been to that were lead by a company representative. Randy is a very friendly, outgoing, and likeable guy. (as ambassadors should be) Sam and I chatted him a good bit and even got an invite to share a dram with him should we make it to Scotland one summer when he’s there with his wife’s family. Randy was informative without being overbearing and knowledgeable in all things Glenlivet and most things whisk(e)y. I look forward to seeing him at the Single Malt and Scotch Whisky Extravaganza on Thursday.

So what about the whisky you ask? Well, The Glenlivet range is all very approachable. Going into the evening the 15 Year Old French Oak was my favorite and the Nadurra had always caught Sam’s eye. We both enjoyed everything poured and I still held fast to the 15 as a favorite and Sam said he’d probably be picking up a bottle of that too.

All in all it was a good event with a fair share of humorous moments. One gentleman snatched the 18 year off the bar and then secretly poured himself a very impressive measure of about three fingers before promptly filling the rest of the glass with ice cubes and sneaking off. I really hope that we start seeing more events like this in the Atlanta area (take note producers, distributors, and retailers!). If so, I know I’ll be there and hopefully so will you.

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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The Dalmore Mackenzie

/ / Scottish Whisky

Dalmore sent me this press release this week for a new Dalmore release. I was unfortunately a little slow in posting it, as the official unveiling was yesterday.

Illuminating a new partnership between The Dalmore distillery and the Mackenzie Clan

On the 17h March 2010 a unique gathering of Clan supporters and whisky aficionados’ is happening at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Underneath the shadow of the famous Scottish painting; ‘Fury of the Stag’, the first few bottles of a new edition of The Dalmore Mackenzie will be unveiled and enjoyed.

Only 3,000 limited edition bottles of the legendary highland single malt are being released to mark a new era in the distillery’s long affiliation with The Mackenzie Clan, and to help raise much needed funds for this famous Scots family.

The Mackenzie family, owners of The Dalmore distillery for almost a century, provides the inspiration for The Dalmore’s iconic stag head logo and its motto “I Shine, Not Burn” which is also the clan motto.

The launch will celebrate the single act of courage that an ancestor of Clan Mackenzie made when saving King Alexander III in 1263 from being gored by a stag, a scene that is depicted in the painting.

The star of the show will be this iconic piece of art, quite literally, as not only will the largest painting in the gallery (5.4m x 3.3m) take pride of place at this event, it will also be projected on to the National Gallery itself for one night only, so that the whole of Edinburgh can appreciate its brilliance in an entirely new way.

The partnership aims to raise funds to help refurbish and maintain Castle Leod and to support a range of activities organised by The Clan Mackenzie Society of Scotland & The UK.

According to The Dalmore’s master distiller Richard Paterson this is the first step of a long-term commitment, and the brand is hoping to raise a seven figure sum in the next 10 years to help protect this important piece of Scottish history.

He added: “Whether you are a Mackenzie or not, with only 3,000 bottles available globally, this is your chance to own a little piece of Scottish history.

“I have been nurturing casks at The Dalmore and monitoring their progress for some four decades. The challenge to craft a whisky fit for the Earl and all Mackenzies was an inspiration. I am proud to be able to help the clan by creating a whisky with a regal heritage and one which is truly fit for a king…….as well as a Clan Chief!”

Each limited edition bottle will be individually numbered and is adorned with the Clan and the brand’s iconic Royal stag formed in molten metal. All purchasers are entitled to claim a limited edition print of the famous painting personally signed by the head of the Clan himself who continues to reside at Castle Leod.

The Earl of Cromartie and chief of the clan, John Mackenzie, says; “As the head of the Clan I speak for all Mackenzie’s to say that we are really excited to be part of this special event which brings to life this iconic painting in more ways than one, celebrating a piece of history that forms the foundation of our joint heritage, as well as the dawn of a new era in our continued partnership with the distillery.

“I am delighted that The Dalmore are supporting the preservation of Castle Leod for not only me, but for the Clan, and for Mackenzies around the world and of course for Scotland”

Richard Paterson concluded: “This is the first step in a longer journey with the Clan Mackenzie as we work together for mutual benefit. The Dalmore and the Clan are inextricably linked. There are not many brands in the world that have these true royal connections, and we hope to announce more projects like this over the next couple of years. Watch this space.”

For further press information or any images please contact Emma Jarman or Anna Jones at LUCHFORD APM: emma.jarman@luchfordapm.com or anna.jones@luchfordapm.com or 020 7631 1000.

Notes to editors:

About The Mackenzie Dalmore

This limited release bottle can be purchased from all good independent whisky specialists for £100 (RSP) including the The Whisky Exchange, Royal Mile Whiskies, The Whisky Shop chain, Selfridges, Harrods, all good bars and of course at the Dalmore Distillery Visitor Centre (www.thedalmore.com). It will also be available in good stockists in USA, France, Germany, New Zealand and in Global Travel Retail.

Tasting Notes

The first spirit used was distilled in 1992 and held in American white oak casks for some 11 years. The Dalmore then finessed the whisky by re-filling to fresh port pipes from the douro. The natural soft amber red hue – drawn from the port pipes – links the colour of the whisky to the blood of the injured stag. Bottled at 46% abv, the Mackenzie bottling is a commanding, intense and courageous fit for all aristocracy and proffers hints of vanilla, red fruits, spices and the brand’s classic signature citrus orange

About ‘Fury of the Stag’

In 1786 Benjamin West, historical artist to King George III, commemorated Mackenzie’s encounter with the stag in a vast painting, commissioned by Francis Humberston Mackenzie. The painting remained in the Mackenzie family seat of Castle Leod until 1952, and now hangs in the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh (www.nationalgalleries.org ). A commanding and impressive sight, the painting is huge at 5.4m * 3.3 m in size and is situated in the very first viewing room in the gallery.

The Clan Mackenzie Society of Scotland & The UK

Castle Leod in Strathpeffer (near Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland) is the Home of the Chief of the Clan Mackenzie and Seat of the Clan Mackenzie. The Society (www.clan-mackenzie.org.uk ) organises and attends a variety of events each year including the Strathpeffer Highland Games in August. They are always looking for new members in the UK and from overseas from not only Mackenzies but also any Septs of the Clan, which are listed on their website.

This should be coming to select retailers in U.S. and I’ll let you know where when I know.

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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