Whisky Filtered – Dom Roskrow, UK

WHISKY FILTERED

It’s been a successful, not to mention award-winning, year for whisky in the UK. Let’s break down some of the recent highlights of the industry there

Dan Szor, Cotswolds Distillery Founder signing ‘Spirit Guide’ Dr Jim Swan

ENGLISH DISTILLER’S SWAN SONG

The founder and owner of the Cotswolds Distillery, Daniel Szor, has paid a moving tribute to whisky expert and consultant Dr Jim Swan, who died four years ago.

Despite the pandemic the English Distillery has had a productive few months, and is celebrating a clutch of awards as well as the launch of its first sherry cask whisky.

The quality of the distillery’s whisky, bottled at less than five years old, has astounded many. But Szor says that it is not climatic advantages in the South of England, but the influence of Dr Swan.

“Jim took the view that if you took care of your new make spirit and made it to the highest quality, then put it in to top quality wood then you could make whisky ready to drink at three years old.

“To get that fruitiness he encouraged distilleries to run shorter heads – ours is just five minutes – and to make the cut at 68% or 69% ABV. “And he knew where to find the best casks. If it hadn’t been for him I would have wasted a lot of time and money. There are people selling barrels that are just terrible. The French have an expression which means ‘barrel merchants’ and it is almost an insult. It might be years before you realise that the cask was doing nothing.

“When you’re new to distilling and all the flavour and aroma is already there in the spirit after six months, it’s a great comfort. Jim would find the most incredible casks.

“And he developed the Shave Toast and Rechar (STR) process for barrels. Because of the three separate processes there is so much going on inside the cask, so many different effects on the spirit.

“It makes for a very flavoursome whisky. And it’s the flavour business we’re in, not the alcohol business. A perfumier would never say he was in the alcohol business, but he uses alcohol to promote the scent of his creations. And so it should be with the flavour and aroma of whisky.” The legacy of Dr Swan can be found in a whole range of outstanding whiskies made by a diverse range of distilleries: Lindores Abbey, Kilchoman, Clydeside and Annandale in Scotland, The London Distillery, Cotswold and St George’s in England, Penderyn in Wales, Kavalan in Taiwan, Victoria Caledonian in Canada, Milk & Honey in Israel and Amrut in India.

Meanwhile the Cotswolds Distillery is looking forward to releasing a five year old whisky and Szor is clearly relishing playing a leading role in the growth of English whisky. A native New Yorker, he has spent most of his working life in finance in America. His journey from the frantic city trading floors to a rural idyll in England is recorded in a book he has written. Called Spirit Guide – In Search of an Authentic Life, it captures his enthusiasm.

“I love being part of the growth of English whisky,” he says. “We had a Zoom call recently where there were 14 distillers and everything was so positive. It wasn’t competitive and the atmosphere was cordial and friendly – a long way from my old life.”

Holyrood Distillery

DISTILLERS SET TO CAPITALISE

With its impressive castle, cobbled streets, annual festival and street pipers, Edinburgh all but epitomises Scotland. But there has been one thing missing – whisky. Apart from the Scotch Whisky Experience at the top of the Royall Mile, a few whisky shops, an industrial grain distillery and a distillery 15 miles from the city, Edinburgh hasn’t been a natural home for the country’s greatest export – at least not for a few decades.

That, though, is changing rapidly. And despite a year long hiatus, Edinburgh may have three working distilleries by the end of 2021.

It already has two, and they’re both bringing a fresh and innovative twist to the art of making Scotch whisky.

Holyrood Distillery was founded by Canadians Rob & Kelly Carpenter and Scot David Robertson. Robertson has a long and distinguished history in the whisky industry, having been master distiller at Macallan, launched a range of blended malt whisky under the name of Dave Mark & Robbo’s Easy Drinking Whisky Company, and acted as an analyst and consultant on the secondary whisky market for Rare 101, a company he co-founded.

Holyrood Distillery is producing peated and unpeated whisky on a site about 15 minutes walk from the Royal Mile. But the distillery’s unique selling point is its experimentation with different types of malt.

“We want to go as far up the malt river as its possible to go. A few years ago Dr Bill Lumsden made Glenmorangie Signet, which used chocolate malt. We want to try to make great flavoured whisky.” The second Edinburgh distillery is the Bonnington Distillery owned by Crabbie & Co, named after the man who is most famous for creating Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer, but was an established wine and whisky retailer in the early 19th century. The new distillery is not far from where Crabbie owned warehouses in the Port of Leith. It was from there that he traded in spices and other ingredients from India, China, Indonesia and Nigeria, among other places.

Crabbie & Co is now owned by Halewood International, and the company made the decision to re-enter the whisky market a few years ago.

The distillery manager is Marc Watson, a graduate of the Heriot Watt Brewing and Distilling course and former head of product at Eden Mill. The distillery is small but highly innovative with unique twin linked receivers which allow the distillers the ability to create two spirit types from the same distillation.

The third distillery is currently a building site but will be a vertical distillery in the very heart of Leith, close to The Royal Yacht Britannia.

At the core of the building will be a vertical production process, with grain milling and mashing at the top, leading down through fermentation to distillation at the bottom. The owners are also creating a unique experience for visitors, allowing them to get as close to the process as possible. All of this will be encased in a bold and modern building sitting on Leith’s waterfront - a beacon for cruise ships entering the port and an iconic new structure for Edinburgh.

At the top of the building will be a bar, and the distillery will have a shop and will offer tours and events.

Royal Yacht Britannia Bell Royal Yacht Britannia, Leith

AWARDED

As 2020 staggered to a ragged conclusion, the whisky industry did what it likes doing best – patted itself on the back.

The end of the year saw a flurry of Awards. Here are the best of them.

GLASGOW DISTILLERY WIN SCOTTISH WHISKY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR

Glasgow Distillery has won Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year in the prestigious Scottish Whisky Awards,

The team behind Glasgow Distillery was praised by the judging panel for great progress in product development, marketing, and securing a range of new international deals. “We really are over the moon to have won Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year and two gold medals in the taste categories,” said Liam Hughes, CEO & co-founder of the distillery. ”The quality of talent, not just from the winners, but from those who were nominated as finalists, clearly demonstrates the strength of the Scotch Whisky industry today, and we are so proud to play our part in something that is so loved and respected around the globe, not just here in Scotland.

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Jameson Distillery Bow St. has been named the World’s Leading Distillery Tour at the World Travel Awards (WTA) for the third year in a row.

The awards acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence in global travel and tourism. The win further strengthens Bow St.’s position as a leader in tourism, globally.

Having been awarded Europe’s Leading Distillery Tour, Jameson Distillery Bow St. competed against an impressive finalist list from around the world that included Macallan, Hennessy, Jack Daniels and Jose Cuervo.

Over the years, Jameson Distillery Bow St. has established itself as an important attraction on the itineraries of international visitors to Dublin,” said Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland.

“We look forward to continuing to work closely with the team there, in 2021 and beyond, to welcome many more overseas visitors when the time is right, coming to experience all that Jameson Distillery Bow St. and our great city of Dublin have to offer.”

The doors of Jameson Distillery Bow St. have been open for over two centuries, with millions of people crossing the threshold over the years. While in-person distillery tours are closed in line with Government recommendations, Bow St continues to welcome Jameson fans in new and unique ways. Bow Street

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN

Port Charlotte 10 has triumphed in leading London whisky retailer The Whisky Exchange’s annual tasting, taking the top spot in the only official blind whisky judging undertaken by members of the public.

Islay distillery Bruichladdich won the tightly fought battle in the annual Whisky of the Year blind tasting by specialist spirits retailer The Whisky Exchange.

Six whiskies went head to head after they were nominated by global customers of The Whisky Exchange, with more than 2000 putting forward their favourites.

All whiskies in the tasting were under $120 AUD retail price, and all ongoing, commercially available releases. In addition to Port Charlotte 10, the shortlist included: Runner Up: Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 Year Old

Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Year Old

Nikka Coffey Malt

Kilkerran 12 Year Old

Lagavulin 16 Year Old

“Port Charlotte whisky is a joy to create,” said Adam Hannett, head distiller of Bruichladdich Distillery. “The spirit is versatile and approachable, offering an alternative to the traditional Islay style; it’s a softer, heathery style of smoke. “

Sukhinder Singh, co-founder and owner of The Whisky Exchange, added: “The aim of the Whisky of the Year competition is to make excellent affordable whiskies known to all spirit-lovers around the world. Port Charlotte is an exceptional rich and smoky whisky with a maritime tang – a worthy winner of the title.”

UP TO THE CHALLENGE

The renowned industry body, the International Spirits Challenge (ISC), has awarded The Dalmore 35 Years Old the accolade of Supreme Champion 2020.

The International Spirits Competition is widely regarded as one of the most authoritative and influential spirits competitions in the world due to its rigorous judging process conducted by a panel of independent expert judges.

Alongside the accolade, The Dalmore‘s master distiller and blender, Richard Paterson, was also awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication of over 50 years to the industry.

“The ISC is now in its 25th year and it is firmly established as the premier event for celebrating outstanding spirits from across the globe,” said Justin Smith, International Spirits Challenge director. “Congratulations to all our medal winners, trophy winners and the Supreme Champion, Dalmore 35 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky. They impressed respected panels of industry experts in a rigorous blind tasting process, and they deserve to celebrate their achievements. We look forward to the ISC returning bigger and better than ever in 2021.”

The Dalmore has previously announced the release of one bottle of an exceptionally rare expression: The Dalmore 60 Years Old. The bottle was set to be sold at auction this December at Harrods of London.

Richard Paterson

Dr Rachel Barrie

BENRIACH GOES BACK FOR ITS FUTURE

Speyside distillery Benriach is shaping up for the future by launching a new range of single malt whiskies which pay tribute to its past.

Under former co-owner Billy Walker, the distillery built a formidable reputation for a diverse and eclectic range of whiskies, covering everything from classic fruity Speyside whiskies, to heavily peated malts, and an almost limitless supply of single casks covering a myriad of finishes and including triple distilled whisky.

Under the new ownership, the distillery now has the highly respected Dr Rachel Barrie at its helm.

“The new range perfectly marries tradition and innovation that is central to Benriach’s story,” she says. “Inspired by the 1994 bottling of the Original Ten, with its fruitladen complexity and smooth, rounded taste, the new range re-imagines the 1898 origins of Benriach, brought to life in the 21st century through fusing distilling styles with extraordinary casks.

“The Twelve balances richly sherried malt with added layers of fruit complexity, reaching a pinnacle at twelve years old. The new Smoky Ten and Smoky Twelve explore the sweet smokiness of Benriach, enriched through innovative combinations of rum, virgin oak and marsala casks interwoven with more traditional bourbon and sherry. “The new Benriach range is for those open to new possibilities, building on a wealth of experience and tradition. I invite the drinker to join me on this creative journey, as we explore the rich rewards of Single Malt whisky.”

“In addition to Benriach The Original Ten, the core range will feature a new recipe for Benriach’s richly sherried twelve year old whisky, Smoky Ten and Smoky Twelve Year Old expressions. A premium selection of Twenty One, Twenty Five and Thirty Year Old Single Malts.

“As one of just two distilleries in Speyside still to practice traditional floor malting on site, a new small batch and limited edition ‘Malting Season’ expression will celebrate this time-honoured practice. Benriach’s seasonal peated spirit production will also be captured in a new ‘Smoke Season’ bottling, which explores the full intensity of Benriach’s fruit-forward smoky spirit, amplified through bespoke cask selection.

“Benriach will also continue its legacy of capturing unique moments in time through its Cask Edition Programme, and will continue to offer a travel retail collection featuring the Triple Distilled aged 10 years, as well as Quarter Cask and Smoky Quarter Cask expressions.”

Over 120 years since it was established, Benriach is also expected to unveil its first official visitor centre to the public later this year, allowing visitors from around the world to explore this Speyside whisky gem.

BEGINNING OF THE END FOR RARE JAPANESE WHISKY

Specialist Japanese whisky retailer Dekanta has launched a new set of extremely rare Karuizawa whiskies, taken from some of the last casks left of the iconic whisky.

The Japanese distillery has been closed since 2000 and as global interest in Japanese whisky has grown in recent years, demand for stock from it has increased dramatically, along with the price of the remaining bottles, which have reached prices in the tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars on the secondary market.

The new private label bottling of rare Karuizawa single malt features handpainted street art inspired by Japanese modern martial arts.

Each of the bottles includes art from one of three Japanese street artists, individually hand-painted by the original artists, and inspired by one of three modern Japanese martial arts: Kendo, Karate and Sumo.

Called The Bud Collection, the set consists of three bottles of Karuizawa 35 Year Old (1981 – 2017) Single Cask Whisky bottled at 51.00% ABV.

Bud is a Japanese term to describe martial arts, and translates literally to ‘The Martial Way’. The name was chosen to celebrate the dedication to craft which is shared by martial arts practitioners, street artists and master distillers alike.

GLEN MORAY UNEARTHS A WAREHOUSE GEM

Glen Moray has launched its inaugural release from the distillery’s new ‘Warehouse 1 Collection’:

Glen Moray Sauternes Cask Matured expression is at cask strength and was matured in Warehouse 1 for 14 years, exclusively in five sweet Sauternes wine casks.

Sauternes Cask Matured will be the first in a new collection of eclectic, small batch releases from Glen Moray, named in honour of Warehouse 1: the Elgin distillery’s bluefronted dunnage warehouse where an adventurous assortment of interesting and innovative casks are tucked away.

“There are a good few warehouses at our Elgin site, but Warehouse 1 is special,” said Glen Moray brand ambassador Iain Allan.

“Over the years, this is where our distillery teams have quietly stored the results of their experiments and cask adventures. As a result we have pockets of casks holding the most interesting and incredible tasting whiskies scattered throughout the warehouse, which we are now uncovering, tasting and making plans to release.”

Sauternes is one of France’s most famous wines, made in the dessert wine producing region just south of Bordeaux and renowned for its intense sweetness and notes of zest and spice.

Glen Moray Sauternes Cask Matured is bottled at cask strength – 59.6% ABV - at its natural colour, and non-chill-filtered.

WEIRD OR WONDERFUL? WEMYSS STRIKES A POSE

Sticking to the old adage that the only bad publicity is no publicity, Scottish independent bottler and whisky producer Wemyss has decided it wants to get more noticed.

The company marked the end of its 15th year in business by giving its core range of malt whisky what it describes as a ‘bold and colourful new look to match its vibrant taste and vivid personality.’

The new-look blended malt whiskies – ‘The Hive’, ‘Spice King’ and ‘Peat Chimney’ – are bottled at 46% abv and non-chill-filtered to preserve their flavourful character. The new packaging includes a bespoke decanter bottle and ornately illustrated labels and gift cartons. “We believe that our journey through the wonderful world of whisky should be led by bold and unique flavours,” says the company. “This is the perfect time to focus on our original values as independent, family whisky makers that encourage the exploration into adventurous f`lavours.

“With whisky becoming more and more a lifestyle drink, popular among regular consumers, cocktail aficionados and spirit experts, Wemyss Malts can match the personality of the drinker with one of its’ core range whiskies.

“Each bottle of small batch, hand-crafted whisky captures the true spirit of the brand with the bespoke artistic blend of colours reflecting the exciting blend of flavour.”

Cairngorns National Park

ANGELS’ DELIGHT

Scottish whisky retailer Highfern has teamed up with the Cairngorns National Park to support environmental and community projects there.

Bottled in partnership with the Cairngorms Trust Angels’ Nectar Cairngorms 2nd Edition is an 11 Years Old Speyside Single Cask from a distillery within the Cairngorms National Park.

Recent projects the Cairngorms Trust include improving habitat to encourage breeding ospreys and mountain footpath restoration. The Cairngorms National Park is by area the United Kingdom’s largest National Park (bigger than Luxembourg),is the location of four of the UK’s five highest mountains, and is home to the headwaters of the River Spey. Endangered wildlife residents in the park include capercaillie, Scottish wildcats, golden eagles, and black grouse. Just 18000 people live within the park, but 1.92 million people visit per (normal) year.

Highfern also has plans for a new Angels’ Nectar Islay Edition in 2021.

SWISS ON A ROLL

Swiss distillery Langatun kicks off 2021 by rolling out its new release.

Its 10 Years Old 2nd Edition will be launched in the United Kingdom , and is en route to other markets.

The release marks a significant point in the distillery’s history.

“This Langatun Whisky has been matured for 10 years in a former Pinot Noir cask and is considered a masterpiece of the distiller’s craft,” says the company’s Robert Ransom. “It has a beautiful colour of bright amber, and has been bottled at 49.12% vol., which allows the aromas to flow generously.”

The release is a limited edition of just 555 bottles.

Highfern provided the following tasting notes:

COLOUR: Amber

NOSE: Chocolate-banana, sandlewood, dried figs

PALATE: Demerara sugar, pepper, dark chocolate and red wine

SCOTTISH RYE ON THE RISE

Scottish family distiller Arbikie is celebrating its 200 year heritage with 1794, the third edition of its unique Highland rye whisky.

Following the successful launch of limited editions of Highland Rye in 2018 and 2019, the distillery, on Scotland’s East coast, is now launching a five-year-old rye that combines the unique use of rye with charred American oak.

Unlike the previous limited editions, 1794 has not been finished in a further cask, but matured in lively, virgin oak casks creating a whisky with a nose of fresh cloves, nutmeg, Christmas cake spices, creamy butterscotch, a taste of cinnamon and a spicy burst tempered by sweet muscovado sugar and fresh honey.

When Arbikie launched its first, limitededition Highland Rye in 2018, it saw the revival of rye whisky in Scotland, the first rye scotch for nearly 200 years. Other distilleries, such as Bruichladdich and InchDairnie, are expected to launch their rye whiskies soon, resulting in the emergence of a new rye whisky category.

Ardbikie was launched by Iain, John, Sandy and David Stirling in 2014 with the aims of becoming one of the world’s most sustainable distilleries. The Stirling family has been farming for over 400 years and brothers, Iain, John, Sandy and David carry on the Stirling tradition of being custodians of their lands.

“Arbikie has capitalised on the rising demand for terroir, provenance-focused luxury spirits by using both the existing crops on our farm and by growing new crops to create unrivalled traceability,” says Arbikie export director, Iain Stirling. “It’s a very exciting time at Arbikie as we look for further expansion in the Middle East and Asia.”

Highland Rye recently agreed a new distribution deal in Canada with Southern Glazer and is now stocked in British Columbia at BC Liquor Stores, the prestigious state drinks monopoly.

Stirling Brothers