Proselytizing the way of the malt
Need a reason to raise a dram? Well today is National Scotch Day. If that’s not enough reason to pull out the Peat Monster, Highland Park, or Chivas then I don’t know what is.
If you’re in the Atlanta area, Mac McGee’s Pub in Decatur is having scotch related pairing, specials, and activities this evening from 5PM on. Check it out!
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
I’m trying to be a little more timely with these release summaries as I’ve been slacking off lately. I only heard about five new tipples this month but they all are very interesting.
Iowa Bourbon Whiskey
Timeframe: July 1st
ABV: ?
Price:?
Iowa Bourbon! Five years ago would you have ever thought of such a thing? This is coming to us from the Cedar Ridge Vineyards Winery & Distillery. It was distilled back in 2008 and the first 1,500 cases are being released this year. What’s even cooler is that they are going to use their own used barrels and make a scotch-style single malt to be called Cedar Ridge Single Malt Whiskey in 2011.
George Washington Rye Whiskey
Timeframe: July 1st
ABV: ?
Price: $85/375ml
This was some of the first whiskey made at the reconstructed distillery in Mount Vernon. It was recreated from President Washington’s original recipe found in the archives at Mount Vernon. It was distilled in 2009 and ready for sale next month but only at the distillery.
The Arran Malt, Anniversary Bottling
Timeframe: June 29th release, no word on when it will show up on our shores
ABV: ?
Price: Around $80
This is some of the original malt distilled back in 1999 that was finished for the last two years in Amontillado Sherry Casks. It is being released to mark the 15th anniversary of the distillery.
Glen Breton 15 Year Old “Battle of the Glen” Canadian Single Malt Whisky
Timeframe: ?
ABV: 43%
Price: ?
You have got to love the sense of humor of these guys. They are releasing this special bottling to celebrate their victory in the Canadian Supreme Court against the SWA’s draconian naming laws. For those that don’t know the SWA tried to force the distillery not to use the name because they thought if it said “Glen Breton Canadian” everyone would automatically assume it’s scotch. Congratulations on the victory guys and I can’t wait to try the celebration dram.
The Kilbeggan Reserve Malt
Timeframe:?
ABV: 40%
Price: ?
This is a truely special dram. Just for the simple fact that it is the first whiskey distilled at Kilbeggan in 53 years. It’s a three year old matured in quarter casks by Cooley at the recommissioned Kilbeggan distillery. That gives Cooley two working distilleries now. Kudos for their hand in the resurgence of Irish Whiskey!
Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey
It’s not new. It’s the same Knappogue but they are doing away with their vintage releases in favor of a standard 12 Year Old.
That’s it for June. Please let me know if I missed anything that you may have heard of.
By the way, I just wanted to remind folks that these release summaries are for U.S. releases. There are plenty of things that are coming out for travel retail or overseas only that don’t make it on the list. I don’t include them deliberately because it used to frustrate the hell out of me to hear about great new whiskey and then find out that I can’t get it.
And as a reminder…Maker’s 46 should be in your local liquor stores around the middle of July!
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
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned to my buddy Sam that there was going to be a Macallan dinner at New York Prime in Atlanta. I read him the menu, whisky pairings, and cigars included in this event. His response to me was that it “sounded like sin” and he was game if I was. This little event also coincided with Father’s Day and I just happen to be the relatively new father of a beautiful 10 month old little girl. So we decided to go and Sam’s lovely wife Sandra was even kind enough to drive us as she was having dinner out with friends last night too. This is one of those moments where the stars all kind of aligned.
Neither Sam or I had ever been to New York Prime before. I do love and appreciate good steak and I’ve killed a cow or two at most of the steakhouses in Atlanta but for some reason I’d never been to New York Prime. I’ll be honest and say that when we arrived I was not expecting too much. There was a line out the door and it was not moving very fast. There was no direction about what to do if you were there for the event or just dinner. We arrived promptly at 7:00PM and didn’t get up to the front of the line until almost 7:30 PM. By then I was already seeing salads coming out and thought that we might have missed the the first two courses. I was also a little taken aback that they were just sitting people around the restaurant and bar instead of a separate room. However, when we were guided to our seats everything changed for the better.
Despite everyone sitting down at different times your “clock” didn’t start until you sat down. That meant that even though others were getting their steak already Sam and I were greeted by our outstanding server and brought two perfectly cut Ashton cigars and a nice measure of Macallan Fine Oak 15 (a personal favorite). She told us to just let her know when we wanted to move on to salad and that would tell them when to start our steaks. The event was very crowded and (in my opinion) overbooked but our server was great every step of the way. One great scotch and food course led to another one. All the scotches were great but I’d peg the Macallan 18 as my favorite of the bunch and Sam concurred.
From the cigars and scotch to the 22 ounce rib steak and biggest effing piece of cheesecake I’ve ever seen this night was all about decadence and indulgence. This is a “manly” event in the old sense of the word. There were women there but it was mostly men eating big steaks with big scotch in a room full of cigar smoking. This is dinner Sinatra style. This was living!
Out of curiousity, Sam and I did a rough estimate of what the food, scotch, and cigars would run you retail and it was well over $150. That made the $59.99 price tag almost criminally low. Kudos to New York Prime for these great events. That said, there were a few things off putting. I think they really needed make the event smaller. Given the space constraints it was way too crowded. Going hand-in-hand with that they need to work check in and seating better. This is also not a led tasting of scotches. The atmosphere and cigar smoke make that very difficult. It’s more a great dinner event with scotch. There is a brand ambassador there who comes around but given the size of the event it was difficult to really spend much time talking to him. There were also a number of very pretty young ladies in very tight and very very short black dresses talking to everyone. I’m not sure if they were employeed by the restaurant or Macallan but they didn’t seem to serve any purpose other than eye candy. They weren’t even Pour Bunnies.
I’ll also say that New York Prime is not a quiet dinner for two kind of place. It’s loud, boistrous, and very heavy on cigar smoke. Basically, the ultimate place for a serious guys night out. All in all, we had a terrific time and I’ll be anxiously awaiting their next dinner. I started the day with a wonderful Father’s Day gift of two great bottles of whisk(e)y and finished with this great evening. I must be living right. I hope to see some of you at the next one.
Drink wisely my friends,
Richard