EDITOR’S LETTER

BEING BORN UNDER THE SURNAME OF MCDONALD, THE LORDS OF THE ISLES, CERTAINLY HELPS WHEN INTERACTING WITH WHISKY FOLKS FROM SCOTLAND! THERE’S A WEIRD KINSHIP AND RECOGNITION OF SHARING A HERITAGE STRETCHING BACK CENTURIES. THE FACT THAT I HAVE GROWN TO LOVE WHISKY IN ITS MANY SHAPES AND FLAVOURS OVER THE YEARS IS SIMPLY A BONUS.

DATE WITH A DRAM

Much like my wine writing career, my love affair with whisky started accidentally. As a relatively young news journalist I was at some or other media event. And if memory serves me correct it was held at the Durban Light Infantry Drill Hall – which is located smack-dab in the middle of Greyville Racecourse. There was no horseflesh on display or thundering hooves and sweaty beasts flashing by because it was in the days before night racing began. One of my colleagues had volunteered to do a bar run to freshen up everyone’s drinks. His name was Greg but his penchant for “bellying up to the bar” had him tagged with the nickname Grog – and he even got a weekly column to go and review dive bars and drinking holes around the city for it! It was his dream assignment…

His powers of concentration were a little suspect by this stage of the evening so instead of returning with a brandy and ginger ale for me, he handed over a whisky and ginger ale. In the finest female tradition of not making a fuss (something I stopped doing when I turned 40: now I MAKE a fuss…) I quietly took the drink. And to my surprise really enjoyed it!

Over the course of a few months the ginger ale gave way to water – and that was when the love affair really began. Without sweetness and a light ginger tinge clouding things, I was able to pick up the subtle nuances of flavour that make whisky such a lovely drink. I’m partial to a touch of peat – but not too much. An Ardbeg is fine occasionally but I’m more likely to enjoy a Lagavulin or Bruichladdich ahead of it.

Aah! But the Speyside is where my heart truly lies – and not just because that’s where my forebear, the cattle drover Donald McDonald of Invernesshire hailed from. No, it’s because of the gentle nature of the distilled spirit, it’s biscuit, heather and lightly grassy overtones along with a light nutty note often imparted by maturation in sherry casks.

Yet it has to be said that blended whiskies hit the spot too – as do the Irish whiskeys, regardless of whether you believe they introduced whisky distillation to the Scots or not. I just love whisky and am really excited that it’s a spirit that is constantly evolving with its makers finding new expressions. To me, the issue of whisky finishes is like the icing on a cupcake. But when you can have a cupcake with a whisky-tinged icing, such as that made by Teresa Ulyate in this issue – well, that’s just heavenly!

Long may my love affair with the water of life continue. Cheers, Fiona

FIONA MCDONALD CHEERS EDITOR

cheers team

TOPS at SPAR Jess Nicholson Group Promotions & Advertising Manager – Liquor

Publisher Shayne Dowling shayne@integratedmedia.co.za Editor Fiona McDonald fiona@integratedmedia.co.za Art Director Annalie Boshoff annalie@integratedmedia.co.za Advertising Eloise Meyer eloise@integratedmedia.co.za Photography Thinkstock.com Contributors Clifford Roberts, Gerrit Rautenbach, Teresa Ulyate, David Bowman, Tinus van Niekerk, Emile Joubert, David Bristow, Gareth George Head Office Cape Town Tel: 021 685 0285 Address Suite WB03 Tannery Park 23 Belmont Road, Rondebosch, 7700 Postal Address PO Box 259, Rondebosch, 7701 Printing Paarl Media Cape, a division of Novus Holdings Published by Integrated Media for TOPS at SPAR

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