elcome to the fourth print edition of the Spiritual Guide - a guide for spiritual enlightenment by the pious team at Glengarry. Our team have returned from their pilgrimages with news and knowledge they are bursting to share. Here we have created a snapshot in print of the online digital edition where you can read more and explore everything spirit related - www.glengarrywines.co.nz/spiritualguide. Our congregation meets monthly as we heighten our senses and understanding of the spirits surrounding us. We hope you’ll continue to join.
The search for a distillery to partner with led them to Olmeca, which is situated in Arandas the unofficial capital of Los Altos. The brand was introduced in 1967, so has a long history in the region. They had the right land, and also still used many traditional production methods. Besant and Masso knew they wanted a 100% Agave Tequila (unlike most cheap ‘mixto’ tequilas that are only 51% distilled from the plant), so they collaborated with Olmeca Maestro Tequilero Jesús Hernandez, who manages every part of the production from harvesting to aging.
TEQUILA TIME WITH
OLMECA ALTOS
For Olmeca Altos, the agave piñas are first slow cooked for three days in a traditional Hornos (brick oven). 50% of these are then manually crushed by the 500 year old method of tahona rolling (two tonne volcanic stone wheel). This is very expensive and time consuming thus rarely done nowadays. This method draws out the sweet juice and syrup from the fibres, ensuring a rich plush texture. The other 50% is shredded by the more modern roller mill. This hybrid process is the key to a top shelf tequila that is cheap enough to be used for mixing, but good enough for sipping. Unusually for the industry, the
As a huge tequila fan who has visited the region, I was very excited to see Olmeca Altos finally arrive in New Zealand. We’re a long way from Mexico, and quality tequila is still a little difficult to find, and usually fairly pricey. Olmeca Altos changes that, with two excellent variants that are as good as many significantly more expensive tequilas. Altos came from a collaboration who between two famous English bartenders. The late Henry Besant, is the only person to win back to back UK Bar of the year awards, and Dre Masso, who was UK Bartender of the year three times running. They first partnered together to run ‘Green & Red’ in London, a pub that focused on agave instead of ales. It was so hard at the time to find really quality tequila at the price point they required, so the next step was to look at producing their own. They travelled to Jalisco state on and off over three years to study the terroir of the different sub regions; the soil, climate, water and terrain that produce great agave plants. Unlike a grape or wheat crop, good agave takes 7-8 years to properly mature. That means the soil and growing conditions have more impact on the final product than any other spirit. The highlands area of Los Altos, at over 2100m, was where they settled. The red clay volcanic soil and elevation produces tequila that is more feminine, softer and rounder, with more fruit and citrusy characters than the dark and earthy lowlands styles.
mash is fermented with cultivated yeasts for 36 hours, with all the pulp and fibres from the crushed plants included, resulting in a pure and bright cooked agave flavour that is sought after by connoisseurs. It is then double distilled in small batch 100% copper pot stills. The PLATA is totally unaged, bottled straight after distillation. A blanco tequila is always a true test of a brands quality as nothing can be hidden or added, this is a stunning example for the price. The REPOSADO (Rested) is aged in 200 litre former bourbon barrels for 6-8 months, adding caramel, vanilla and oak characters to the mix. Now I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Añejo…
F O R M O R E G O T O - W W W. G L E N G A R R Y W I N E S . C O . N Z / S P I R I T U A L G U I D E
- R.M
THE RETURN OF
GLENDRONACH’S REVIVAL MAKING THE
BOYSENBERRIES BLUSH
The delectable Blush Rhubarb Gin was a crowd favourite throughout last year, especially as the temperature ramped up across our seemingly everlasting summer, providing a refreshingly crisp and fruity gin that matched well with a wide variety of quality tonic waters. The third release from the team at Blush sees a world first, a gin infused with fresh boysenberries from Nelson! Fresh, vibrant and a brighter tone of pink!
The GlenDronach Distillery has long held fast to its traditions, producing predominantly a classic style of Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky aged exclusively in ex-Sherry casks, resulting in a rich, round and bold house style of robust fruits balanced with drying oak and spice . Established in 1826, in a valley with the Dronach River flowing right through the centre of the distillery’s grounds, by James Allardice and a partnership of local farms, the brand was quick to make itself a name through the ‘ladies of the night’ on Edinburgh’s Cannongate. The night workers were given free drams, and in exchange spread word of its quality and flavour amongst their clientele. The core expressions of The GlenDronach Distillery’s range features ‘The Original’ 12-Year-Old, ‘Revival’ 15-Year-Old, the ‘Allardice’ 18-Year-Old and ‘Parliament’ 21-Year-Old. However, the 6 years of closure between 1996 and 2002 lea to a period during which the spirits aged 15 years in casks simply weren’t available. At first, the ‘Revival’ 15-Year-Old continued in production simply by receiving whiskies aged beyond 15 years of age, fast becoming a cult whisky fabled for its extended maturation as the minimum age became 16 years, 17 years and beyond without lifting its price at the shelf before eventually this expression was discontinued, to the dismay of an ever growing legion of fans. Once the supply dried up, the Revival saw a real ramp up in its value on the secondary market as more and more ardent scotch aficionados learned of its higher than labelled age. Now, we have finally had this whisky re-introduced to our shelves, a sherry-laden, malt aged in a combination of Pedro Ximenez and Olorosso Sherry casks before being bottled at 46.5% ABV. This may be considered a somewhat unusual bottling strength but continues the GlenDronach penchant for finding the ABV suited to each individual expression, resulting in varying strengths across the range.
Made to the same exacting standards as the Rhubarb Gin and Vodka they’ve built a reputation for, number 3 is triple distilled in small hand-crafted batches with the botanicals hot steeped in the kettle before cold maceration of the boysenberries. The fruit is pressed in an old-style wine press to force the gin out before a light filtration and bottling. Featuring the common botanicals of juniper, liquorice, coriander, cassia bark, angelica root, nutmeg, lemon peel, orris root, cardamom and orange peel alongside tangerine and of course the boysenberries. This fastidious approach delivers a subtle style of gin with delicate botanicals but bursting with vibrant fruit. It matches well with the mellow bitterness of Fever Tree’s Mediterranean Tonic Water, but I prefer a generous pour over rich vanilla bean ice-cream…. decadent. In the words of the Blush team themselves. “Drink Local. Be Social.”
- A.S
The GlenDronach ‘Revival’ 15-Year-Old A deep caramel hued malt, the nose is filled with ripe fruits, dark muscovado sugar and oak. On the palate this is a rich, round and bold number with the expected sherried characters that all GlenDronach whiskies are known for, in the shape of raisins, roasted nuts and chocolate glazed dried apricot. This carries through to notes of fresh baked gingerbread with a side of grilled peaches and a dusting of toasted coconut. Whilst some may say it doesn’t quite hold the depth and complexity of the late bottlings of Revival before its stoppage, it definitely retains the overall style, delivering an expressive character. At least this time there is no chance of them stopping production any time soon.
F O R M O R E G O T O - W W W. G L E N G A R R Y W I N E S . C O . N Z / S P I R I T U A L G U I D E
- T.J
UR
WE’VE GOT YO
N E W, L I M I T E D E D I T I O N A N D E S S E N T I A L S
OLMECA ALTOS
REPOSADO TEQUILA 700ML 94656
$39.99
$69.99
LAPHROAIG
ABSOLUT
10 YEAR OLD ISLAY SINGLE MALT 700ML 93652
VODKA 1L 92703
99 . 4 $8 $39 .99
R
$59.99
ALL FO
JOHNNIE WALKER
MAKER’S MARK
LIMITED EDITION WHITE WALKER WHISKY / RED LABEL WHISKY 700ML/ 1L 93312 / 93095
$47.99
TANQUERAY GIN 1L 92679
BOURBON WHISKEY 1L + COCA-COL A 4-PACK 330ML 89819
$44.99
$49.99
LEWIS ROAD CREAMERY
TITO’S
CHOCOLATE CREAM LIQUEUR 700ML 94104
WWW.GLENGARRY.CO.NZ/SPIRITDEALS
HANDMADE VODKA 750ML 90986
|
P: 0800 733 505
$69.99
SUNTORY WHISKY TOKI 700ML
93350
9 9 . 6 $3 $44.99
LARIOS
LONDON DRY GIN/ 12 GIN 1L 92706 / 92707
$84.99
KRAKEN
BL ACK SPICED RUM 700ML 92554
| E: SALES@GLENGARRY.CO.NZ
P R I C ES VA L I D U NT I L 0 5 / 0 5 / 2 0 1 9 O R W HI L E S T O C K S L A S T.
$59.99
UR
WE’VE GOT YO
BUNDLE DEALS | BUNDLE DEALS | BUNDLE DEALS
2$159
ALL FOR
FOR
$39
89817
89818
SUNTORY WHISKY TOKI MARS WHISKY IWAI
STOLICHNAYA VODKA 700ML +GOOD COCKTAIL CO.
700ML
COSMOPOLITAN MIXER 500ML
2$70
2$64 LARIOS
FOR
88340
92706
LONDON DRY GIN 1L
2$74
FOR
FOR
92721
FINLANDIA
CHAMART
VODKA 1L
FRENCH BRANDY 1L
MAMAS BREW SHOP HAPPY HOUR KOMBUCHA CAN 4-PACK | 250ML
$19.99
94745-4
LONG WHITE
TRIPLE DISTILLED VODKA APPLE & PEAR 10-PACK | 320ML
TENNESSEE WHISKEY & DRY CAN 4-PACK | 375ML
$24.99
$14.99
94865-10
WWW.GLENGARRY.CO.NZ/SPIRITDEALS
JACK DANIEL’S
|
92336-4
P: 0800 733 505
PIMM’S
NO 1 CUP LEMONADE & GINGER ALE 4-PACK | 330ML
$13.99
| E: SALES@GLENGARRY.CO.NZ
94816-4
P R I C ES VA L I D U NT I L 0 5 / 0 5 / 2 0 1 9 O R W HI L E S T O C K S L A S T.
READY TO DRINK SPIRITS | READY TO DRINK SPIRITS | READY TO DRINK SPIRITS