WHISKEY WITH THE WHISKY RABBI

WHISKY RABBI‘S Autumn Drams By: Amir Ellituv

1BLADNOCH VINAYA Location: Sandyhills beach, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland 2

GLENALLACHIE

Location: Monsal Head, Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, England.

As the autumn settles in and winter approaches, we want to try the kind of extra warming dram that we would enjoy while relaxing by a cozy, crackling fire, while outside falling leaves are rustled by the howling winds.

Having spent the summer in southern Scotland, I am going to start with a Lowland dram. The Lowlands are the southern part of Scotland, and as a whisky region, produce sweet, fruity, and soft whisky, slightly similar to the Irish style.

I visited a little-known distillery called Bladnoch, at the foot of Dumfries and Galloway. Although not a household name, some of their whiskies are real belters, including the Vinaya and the 19 year PX-cask finish.

The 19 year old whisky is a real cracker — so smooth, yet so fruity, with sweetness, spiciness, and at the same time, a long dry finish and a mouth feel coated with oily vanilla bun. At $250 a bottle, however, it is quite the splurge.

For a more affordable option, try the brilliant 1Vinaya Bladnoch ($70), with a combination of sherry and bourbon casks. The nose includes toffee notes, cinnamon roll, and bananas. The taste combines the nosing notes, but with an extra subtle spiciness. It is complex for a Lowland malt and well-balanced, with a sweet milk chocolate taste and a burnt brown sugar tinge. This is a malt which is easy to drink but also sweet and warming.

Moving onto Speyside, the area in the northeast of Scotland with the world famous River Spey flowing through the region, which draws people from all over the world to come and fish for salmon. With over 50 distilleries in the region, it has the largest concentration of whisky distilleries in Scotland. They include Glenfiddich, Macallan, Glenlivet, Glenrothes, Cragganmore, and Aberlour.

Some of the best sherry cask whiskies come from the Speyside region, made

3ANCNOC PEATHEART Location: Sandyhills beach in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland 4

PORT CHARLOTTE

Location: Grey Mare’s Tail, Moffat Hills, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland

by master distiller Billy Walker. Billy is in his eighties and still travels for over two hours several times a week to be one of the first in the distillery. His excitement in producing whisky is legendary, and he has revolutionized different distilleries, including Glendronach and currently Glenallachie. He knows how to source the perfect sherry cask, sometimes spending over $2,000 just for an empty cask!

The 15 year old 2Glenallachie is a brilliant whisky, with a nose of caramel and toffee and tastes of dark chocolate, rich, deep, sticky toffee pudding, bringing an explosion of sweetness with great tastes coming across the palate. The finish is long and flavorful, with waves of sweetness still coming in like residual flavors of melted caramel toffees, despite the fact that you have finished your dram. What better way to spend your autumn evening?

Twenty minutes away from Glenallachie is Ancnoc (pronounced “Anock”). While it is a lesser-known distillery and technically out of Speyside, it has a special place in my heart. In 2015, before heading on vacation near Speyside, I phoned different distilleries to make sure they would allow my kids to enter. When I spoke to Ancnoc, they said, “Don’t worry, we won’t just allow them to come in, we’ll put them to work!”

Upon arrival, they greeted us with the warmest welcome. The manager spent nearly 3 hours with us, and each of us signed our own cask. I got to try some amazing whiskies, and to this day, we still keep in touch. What makes whisky special is the personalities of the distilleries — the people who work there and the human touch that creates the marvelous spirit. They make soft whiskies but also have a peated range, so let’s take a minute to delve into peaty whisky.

Peated whiskies are smoky, oily, briny, salty, very earthy, and they can be an acquired taste. Some say true scotch is really peated whisky! Peated whisky means the barley is malted and then dried in the kiln. Peat logs are used to give the barley an extra smoky flavor prior to being soaked in the soft Scottish water. Famous peated whiskies include Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg, and are mainly located in the magical island of Islay.

3Ancnoc Peatheart is a heavily peated

whisky, but without the briny, salty flavors that you get with some of the Islay whiskies. It is crispier, friendlier to the newcomer, more welcoming, and gives you that wonderful whisky hug.

The nose has a nice smokiness to it, slightly citrusy with soft caramels. The taste is a light whisky with some smokiness to it, and notes of strawberries, spiciness, and smoky panna cotta. It’s not a too heavily peated whisky — it has a lovely balance and well-integrated flavors. It is a whisky jigsaw which fits in perfectly. You will love it or hate it, but you have to try it.

Whilst we are in the peated range, I want to take a step further to delve into the 4Port Charlotte heavily peated 10 year old. Port Charlotte is produced by Bruichladdich, with notes of pepper and smoke in the nose, while the taste has the subtly iodine, briny coastal flavors. Imagine having a barbecue on a windswept rugged coastline with the smell of meat and coals wafting up! Brilliant in its complexity, the waves of peat come splashing down on your senses again and again.

I hope these drams make your autumn warmer and cozier.

M

Amir Ellituv is a contributor for Mochers Magazine. Follow his brand @whiskyrabbi