MYSTE RY MAN Investigating the world of Ian Rankin
The Whisky Shop Magazine
Autumn 2017 BenRiach, The GlenDronach & Glenglassaugh India Bryant & Mack New Releases
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As I see it… The Spice of Life Ian P Bankier —
Illustration: Francesca Waddell
J In this column I have frequently
commented on our fast emerging appetite for variety. No longer do we stick to the one brand or the same drink. On social occasions, the traditional template of an apéritif, wines and a digestif is quaintly old fashioned. The pattern, if there is one, is to chop and change from one drink to another as the particular evening or celebration gathers pace. Food and drink enthusiasts exemplify this trend as they pursue the trail of tasting experiences and discovery. The pursuit of these things becomes the whole or a major part of their social life. The current popularity of craft gins demonstrates how a previously dull proposition can become enlivened by plugging into this consumer movement. It seems that there can never be too many new gins, for each one is greeted with enthusiasm and sampled by the eager community of followers. The same is true of craft beers, a movement that predates gin and, arguably, established the ‘craft’ proposition. And so, what of whisky? Well, the same applies. Whilst I worry a little about how the gin craze can sustain itself, when the comparative taste profiles are so slight and the gin itself is drowned with tonic, I have no such fears for whisky. If a novice is given a taste of a sweet and luscious Speyside, followed by a big peaty Islay, he/she will scarcely believe that
both are whiskies, such is the difference in taste profiles. Across the whole spectrum of whisky there are now so many ages, varieties, nationalities and expressions that the supply chain of different experiences is endless. To cover them all and profess expertise is a herculean task bordering on the impossible. Thus, there is a growing demand amongst consumers to be able to sample as many as possible. At The Whisky Shop we have responded to this demand by up-scaling our tasting activity in all our stores. With an infrastructure of 20 stores across the whole of the UK, The Whisky Shop is uniquely placed to deliver this courtesy to our customers. They can sample GlenKeir Treasures, Loch Fyne Whiskies, Hunter Laing expressions and customer favourites in every store. Our staff are delighted to offer advice and information on each sample. Then we go further with our offer of W Club membership; the core value of The W Club is to give its members tangible benefits and a real sense of belonging. The W Club members are invited to attend exclusive monthly tastings at our stores, and they are also able to take advantage of our newly launched subscription service. The W Club subscription service allows members to sign up for a monthly delivery of small samples of whisky. The beauty of the service is that customers can enjoy sampling
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“Subscribing for samples allows an enthusiast to gain an appreciation of a wide range of whiskies over a relatively short time.”
at home, at their convenience. Some of the samples are big enough to share with friends and so a subscriber is able to arrange a monthly gathering to enjoy the latest delivery from The W Club. The current range includes our Dram-a-Month, which is a 5cl dram available at two levels – introductory or ‘Deluxe’ – and our Explorer Safari, being two larger 10cl samples. The uptake for these subscriptions has been instant, telling us that we are in the right place with our customers As I see it, this is the future. That said, small tasting samples are not going to replace purchases of full bottles, just as chef’s tasting menus have not replaced the normal a la carte, but the demand for variety is permanent. Subscribing for samples allows an enthusiast to gain an appreciation of a wide range of whiskies over a relatively short time. Receiving these whiskies can represent a fun event or a personal treat each month, or, indeed, a neat way to build a little collection. And, importantly, it will educate and inform and allow the enthusiast to invest in full bottles with confidence. What’s not to like! Slàinte Ian P Bankier, Executive Chairman,
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Competition —
Whiskeria Exclusive
Win! A Trakke Finnieston Tote or Fingal Backpack
This Autumn, we’re giving one lucky reader the chance to bag a fantastic prize from our My Craft featured brand, Trakke.
To enter, simply tell us: Which of these fantastic bags would you love to own and why?
You can win either the Finnieston Tote or Fingal Backpack — all you need to do to enter is tell us which of these fantastic bags you’d love to own, and why. Whether you think a Trakke bag would make the perfect companion to your next adventure, or you’ve got a tale of bad-bag woe, we want to hear it.
Answers should be emailed to: competition@whiskyshop.com Please include your full name and answer.
We’ll pick the best answer from all entries and send our lucky winner the bag of their choosing. Terms & Conditions The winner will be selected from all entries received via the email address stated above by midnight on 15th November 2017. The judge’s decision will be final. This competition is not open to employees of THE WHISKY SHOP Ltd. All normal competition rules apply. UK entrants must be 18 years old or over to apply. International entrants must be of legal drinking age in their country of residence.
–– produced by Ascot Publishing Limited PO Box 7415 Glasgow G51 9BR –– contact enquiries@whiskyshop.com
–– commissioning editor GlenKeir Whiskies Limited –– executive producer Claire Daisley claire@whiskyshop.com 0141 427 2919 –– executive chairman Ian P Bankier ipb@whiskyshop.com –– product photography Subliminal Creative 01236 734923
DISCOUNT CODE: Can’t face the uncertainty, and want your very own Trakke bag right away? Enter code ADVENTUROUSSPIRIT at the checkout on www.trakke.co.uk to get 15% off any order!* *Discount code expires 1st November 2017
–– creative direction a visual agency emlyn@avisualagency.com –– feature writers Brian Wilson; Charles MacLean; Gavin D Smith; Claire Bell; Alan Anderson –– feature photography Brian Sweeney Christina Kernohan –– illustration Francesca Waddell
–– Glenkeir Whiskies Limited trades as THE WHISKY SHOP. Opinions expressed in WHISKERIA are not necessarily those of Glenkeir Whiskies Limited. Statements made and opinions expressed are done so in good faith, but shall not be relied upon by the reader. This publication is the copyright of the publisher, ASCOT PUBLISHING LIMITED, and no part of it may be reproduced without their prior consent in writing. No responsibility is taken for the advertising material contained herein. © ASCOT PUBLISHING LIMITED.
–– Prices effective 4 August 2017. All prices in this edition of Whiskeria are subject to change.
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Whiskeria
Contributors Autumn 2017 —
Illustration: Francesca Waddell
Brian Wilson
Claire Bell
Charles MacLean Gavin D Smith
Brian Wilson, formerly an MP, held several Government Ministerial posts during his political career. He lives on the Isle of Lewis, from where he pursues various business interests, notably in the energy sector. He also led the regeneration of the Harris Tweed industry and is currently Chairman of Harris Tweed Hebrides Ltd. His first love was writing and he continues to write books as well as opinion pieces for national newspapers.
Claire Bell has written on travel for Time magazine, The Herald, The Times, The Guardian and Wanderlust. A confirmed nomad, Claire lives between Glasgow, France and her native South Africa where she co-runs the dialogue collective Consciousness Café. Global adventure or a stay on Scottish soil, she is a dab hand at finding places you'll want to visit.
Charles has published fourteen Scotch whisky books to date, including the standard work on whisky brands, Scotch Whisky, and the leading book on its subject, Malt Whisky, both of which were short-listed for Glenfiddich awards. He was also script advisor for Ken Loach’s 2012 film The Angels’ Share and subsequently played the part of the whisky expert in the film (which he claims to be his biggest career highlight to date).
Gavin is one of the world’s most prolific and respected whisky writers. He’s regularly published in a range of top magazines and has written more than a dozen books on whisky, while co-authoring many more. He is also responsible for editing and releasing the latest version of Michael Jackson’s seminal whisky publication, The Malt Whisky Companion.
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Contents Autumn 2017 — 11 31 34 46 53 76 84 88 92 96
New Releases Autumn 2017 Distillery Visit BenRiach, The GlenDronach, Glenglassaugh My Whiskeria Ian Rankin My Craft Trakke The Whisky Shop Section Mixing it Up Bryant & Mack Private Detectives Travel India A Time in History Educating Scotland Expert Tasting Littlemill 2017 Private Celaar Edition & The Last Drop Hors d’Age Cognac Whisky Comedian Edinburgh Fringe Tasting Flight
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New Releases: Autumn 2017
New Releases Autumn 2017 Reviewed by Charles MacLean
Available in select stores from September 1st 2017, while stocks last.
jurawhisky.com
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Bunnahabhain 1980 Canasta Cask Finish Highland Park Full Volume Glen Scotia 18 Year Old Suntory The Chita The Loch Fyne Glentauchers 8 Year Old The Loch Fyne Aultmore10 Year Old Ardbeg Kelpie Bulleit Bourbon10 Year Old Jura Tastival 2017 Balblair 1997 The Whisky Shop Exclusive The Sovereign Invergordon 1995 The First Editions Glenrothes 2005 The First Editions Craigellachie 2005 The First Editions Caol Ila 2010 The Old Malt Cask Highland Park 19 Year Old The Old Malt Cask Aberlour 21 Year Old BenRiach Single Casks Batch 14: 2005 /2007 /2008
Whiskeria
New Releases: Autumn 2017
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Bunnahabhain 1980 Canasta Cask Finish Islay Single Malt Age: 36 Year Old
Vol: 49.5%
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New Releases: Autumn 2017
Highland Park Full Volume
70CL
Island Single Malt
£TBA
Age: –
A magnificent colour: polished rosewood. Considerable nose prickle to start, then opens to reveal rich dried fruits – dates, dried figs, Maraschino cherries - macerated in liquor, with a dod of clotted cream. A mouthfeel and taste which are both sweet and dry, with a hint of matchbox striker and a very long finish. Treacle toffee in the development. An outstanding dram!
J Although Bunnahabhain has been releasing occasional heavily peated expressions since 2004, the distillery’s traditional spirit is only very lightly peated, since its original owners, William Robertson of Robertson & Baxter (brokers and blenders in Glasgow) and Greenlees Brothers of Campbeltown, built it (in 1880/81) to supply malt for blending. Indeed, Greenlees owned Lorne, which dominated the London market at the time, as well as Old Parr and Claymore, both of which brands are still available. The owners merged with Glen RothesGlenlivet in 1887 to become Highland Distilleries (now part of the Edrington Group) and retained ownership until 2003 when Bunnahabhain was sold to Burn Stewart Distillers, to the surprise of many in the whisky industry. Bunnahabhain single malt was first released by its owner in 1979. It is more subtle than the big smoky Islays, easy to drink but still full of character. Sweet and fruity, with maritime notes and a hint of smoke. I have often heard it described as ‘reliably well-made’ by tasting panels. Bunnahabhain 1980 Canasta Cask Finish is a 36-year-old malt matured in second-fill Oloroso sherry butts and finished in extremely active Canasta Sherry casks for three months [Canasta is a long-aged cream sherry from Williams & Humbert]. It has been described by Master Blender Dr. Kirstie McCallum, as embodying the “biggest, deepest flavour seen in Bunnahabhain”, and I agree with her wholeheartedly. It is a sensational dram.
Whiskeria
70CL Vol: 47.2%
£TBA
Deep gold in hue, the nose-feel is mellow. The first impression on the nose is fruity – a suggestion of lemon, pineapple and cherry – on a subtle oak and vanilla base. A big, creamy texture, with a sweet taste overall, drying slightly, with white pepper and a suggestion of peat-smoke in the finish. Harmonious!
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…a suggestion of lemon, pineapple and cherry – on a subtle oak and vanilla base.
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…opens to reveal rich dried fruits – dates, dried figs, Maraschino cherries…
J This new and comparatively limited expression of Highland Park, to be released in late September, departs from the distillery’s new packaging, which stresses the brand’s Viking bloodline. Its name, Full Volume, makes a connection between sound engineering and blending, and, if you think about it, the task of the sound engineer is similar to that of a master blender. It’s all to do with achieving and retaining balance. Jason Craig, Highland Park’s Brand Director, explained the thinking to me: “The sound engineer must ensure that his recording remains balanced even at high volume. Pushing up the volume can result in distortion, loss of subtlety, even a cacophony of discordant sounds. To do this he must have a profound understanding of sound waves and frequencies. “By the same token, the master whisky maker – must have a deep knowledge of the raw material he is working with – whisky – and the subtle differences between one cask and the next in order to balance nuances of flavour harmoniously.” Highland Park’s Master Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion, has not just ‘pumped up the volume’ in this creation, he has achieved a subtle balance of flavours, while retaining the malt’s basic DNA. For this expression he has selected 481 first-fill American oak casks (100% ex-bourbon – meaning this whisky actually has kosher status on that basis). The precise mix is explained on Full Volume’s carton, which is, appropriately, in the form of an old-fashioned amplifier. Illustrated knobs at the side even supply the measures of peat, bourbon, vanilla and fruit flavours. The final, volume, knob is turned to maximum!
Whiskeria
New Releases: Autumn 2017
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Glen Scotia 18 Year Old
Campbeltown Single Malt Age: 18 Year Old
70CL Vol: 46%
£89
Deep gold in colour, with a mellow nose-feel and a distinctly maritime top-note. Beneath this is a fresh, floral scent on a base of vanilla toffee. The mouthfeel is oily; the taste sweet and fruity with some salt and spice and a long, dry, warming finish.
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Deep gold in colour, with a mellow nose-feel and a distinctly maritime top-note.
J On their website Glen Scotia’s owners state: “Patience isn’t just a virtue, it’s an ingredient, time honoured”. For me this raises two thoughts: the 18 years age statement and the nature of Glen Scotia Distillery. It is sometimes said that ‘time is the fifth ingredient in malt whisky’ [malted barley, water, yeast, oakwood and… time] and many would say that 18 is the perfect age at which to bottle single malt, assuming that the casks are not too ‘active’ – in which case there is a possibility that the flavours bestowed by the wood may dominate the inherent distillery character. The website goes some way to answering this when it states: “…matured in specially selected casks that deliver the true character of an 18 year old Glen Scotia malt whisky. The whisky has been gently matured in our finest American oak barrels before each cask is hand selected and married in first fill bourbon for a period of 12 months before bottling.” In other words, they seek a balance of mature character and distillery character – “The signature nose has hints of vanilla oak, interwoven with the subtle notes of seaspray and spicy aromatic fruits.” Campbeltown has long had its own designation as a whisky region – in 1835 there were 29 distilleries in ‘The Toon’ – and although there are only three today (Springbank, Glengyle and Glen Scotia), the whiskies they produce have their own distinct character: old fashioned, maritime, grubby – delicious! ‘Scotia Distillery’, as it was originally named, opened in 1832. Several of the present distillery buildings, including its stillroom and dunnage warehouse, date from then and have recently been restored by the distillery’s new owners – the Loch Lomond Group, successors to Loch Lomond Distillers Ltd. – who have also created a visitor centre, shop and tasting room in another part of the original building. They are to be congratulated.
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New Releases: Autumn 2017
Suntory The Chita
Japanese Single Grain Age: –
70CL Vol: 43%
£58
Pale bright gold in colour. A delicate nose, faintly sweet and floral (acacia honey? dried rose petals?), with a base of chalk dust and Timothy hay. Sweet to taste, smooth and mild, with a cooling mouthfeel (a trace of mint?) and a trace of oak in the bittersweet finish, and an aftertaste of clotted cream.
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Sweet to taste, smooth and mild, with a cooling mouthfeel...
J Like Scotch, the success of Japanese whisky is based on blended whiskies. These make up the bulk of sales and drive the huge range of styles available from the country’s malt distilleries. Now we have a single grain whisky from Suntory’s Chita Distillery, on the Chita Peninsula on the south coast of Honshu, Japan’s large southern island. It was opened in 1972, its design much influenced by Suntory’s Master Blender, Keizo Saji (1919-1999), son of Shinjiro Torii, Suntory’s founder. As with other grain distilleries it employs column stills and a continuous process, but unlike others, it was designed to produce three distinct styles of spirit from maize (corn): heavy (distilled through two columns), medium (distilled in three columns) and light (distilled in four columns), in order to provide a diversity of spirit styles for blending purposes. Indeed, the grain whiskies from Chita play a key role in enhancing the ‘harmony’ of Suntory’s blends. The company’s fourth Chief Blender, Shinjiro Fukuyo, has now increased the range of flavours made at Chita Distillery by expanding the range of cask types used to mature the spirits. The distillery had long used American white oak barrels, puncheons and hogsheads; now he has introduced some Spanish oak butts and ex-wine barriques. The result is a mixture of complexity and simplicity. Fukuyo San himself says: “There is a quiet confidence and tenderness in our grain whiskies. These qualities allow them to be their own heroes, whether in a blend or featured as a single grain whisky”. What he is looking for might be summed up as ‘serenity’: “a balance of complexity, subtlety and refinement… Like the misty calm seas of the Chita Peninsula on a day of elegant stillness, this airy whisky has a presence that is remarkably serene”. This is so very Japanese, as is Fukuyo San’s modesty and humility. In his World Atlas of Whisky, Dave Broom quotes him: “We all strive to become artisans, but you cannot lightly call yourself one. Artists aim to create something new, they are creators. We artisans are responsible for creation but also responsible for sustaining the quality of our products. We have a promise to keep.”
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New Releases: Autumn 2017
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The Loch Fyne Glentauchers 8 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Age: 8 Year Old
Vol: 46%
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The Loch Fyne Aultmore 10 Year Old
50CL
Speyside Single Malt
£55
Age: 10 Year Old
Polished chestnut in colour – indicating maturation in European oak. This is confirmed by the nose: fruit loaf, dates, dried figs, allspice. A drop of water increases the bread note and introduces a whiff of honey. A sweet taste, with light spice in the finish. Unusually mellow and complex for its age.
J “Sometimes I marvel at the supreme self-confidence that upheld me – a young man without capital and practically no knowledge of the business I was embarking in: a stranger too, amongst strangers in this great City of London”. So wrote James Buchanan, who had gone to London in 1879, aged thirty, as the agent for Charles Mackinlay and Company, and who “resolved to start business on my own account” in 1884. He borrowed the start-up money from William Phaup Lowrie, broker and blender in Glasgow, who also supplied him with whisky. The result was The Buchanan Blend; as early as 1885 he was appointed ‘Sole Supplier to the House of Commons’. In 1894, Buchanan proposed to W.P. Lowrie that they build a distillery at Tauchers on Speyside, three miles outside Keith. The foundation stone was laid in May 1897 and production commenced twelve months later; by 1906, Buchanan was in a position to buy out Lowrie. James Buchanan and Company was now numbered among ‘The Big Three’, along with Walkers and Dewars, and in 1925 all three amalgamated with the Distillers Company Limited. Glentauchers was expanded from two to six stills in 1966, but was mothballed in 1985 and sold to Allied Distillers in 1989. Its current owner is Chivas Bros./Pernod Ricard which bought most of Allied’s Scotch whisky interests in 2005. Examples of Glentauchers single malt are uncommon. This 8YO is from a single cask selected and bottled for Loch Fyne Whiskies.
Whiskeria
50CL Vol: 46%
£65
Deep amber in hue, with a deep, mellow nose, offering notes of baked apple, with a suggestion of fresh rolling tobacco, on a base of tablet – all understated. Water freshens the aroma slightly, and dries out the nose-feel. The taste is sweet and centre palate, with chocolate and coconut in the aftertaste. An excellent example of the make.
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…fruit loaf, dates, dried figs, allspice…
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...a deep, mellow nose, offering notes of baked apple...
J Aultmore Distillery stands on the edge of a remote district known as the Foggie Moss, popular with illicit distillers during the 19th century. Even today, the Moss exudes an air of mystery: often shrouded in thick mist, with ruckles of stone marking former croft houses, gaunt dead trees, and rank pasture yielding to heather-covered moor. Although the excellence of the water played a part in the choice of the site for Aultmore Distillery, the main reason was its proximity to the Great North of Scotland Railway, to which it was connected by a spur to the Keith-Buckie line. The founder was the remarkable Alexander Edward of Forres, [see my Craigellachie, review] who had been the shooting tenant over the site for some years, renting from its owner, the Duke of Fife, and in 1896 purchased the land outright, together with a couple of farms, then sold it immediately to the Aultmore Distillery Company. Work began on the site the same year, under the direction of Charles Doig of Elgin, who had designed Craigellachie Distillery six years earlier. It went into production in 1897 and was such a success that capacity was doubled (to 200,000 gallons per annum) within a year. Blenders ranked the make ‘Top Class’, and as a result it was very difficult to find as a single malt, although it was popular with the locals and the Buckie fisherman, only savoured by those who knew to ask at the local inn for 'a nip of the Buckie Road'! This single cask was selected and bottled exclusively for Loch Fyne Whiskies.
Whiskeria
Ardbeg Kelpie
New Releases: Autumn 2017
Islay Single Malt Age: –
19
70CL Vol: 46%
£96
Pale gold in colour, with pale green lights. A complex, maritime nose, with seaweed, dried and smoked fish, acrid smoke, salt and iodine. The taste is sweeter than expected (treacle toffee), salty, with a peppery and smoky finish, leaving an aftertaste of dark chocolate. A drop of water introduces oil, smoky bacon crisps and charred toast to the nose and tarry rope to the taste.
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...salty, with a peppery and smoky finish, leaving an aftertaste of dark chocolate.
J The kelpie or ‘water horse’ (each-uisge in Gaelic) is the most common water spirit in Scots folklore – a malevolent demon which inhabits rivers and lochs throughout Scotland, and, according to the distinguished folklorist John Francis Campbell of Islay (1821-1885), the sea which laps the Western Isles. Hence its adoption by the owners of Ardbeg Distillery for this recent limited edition expression of their ‘demonic’ single malt. Kelpie myths are many and various, and of considerable antiquity. It has been claimed that they are depicted on Pictish stones dating from between the 6th and the 9th centuries. The most modern – and now best known – representation are the 98ft high steel sculptures at Falkirk on the Forth and Clyde Canal by Andy Scott, completed in 2013. They usually appeared as powerful horses which lured their victims into the water, devoured them and scattered their entrails at the water’s edge. Children were common victims, and this gives rise to the thought that the kelpie myths “served the practical purpose of keeping children away from perilous areas of water”. Several tales claim that water hoses could adopt human shape, male or female, plain or handsome which a Victorian folklorist maintained “warned adolescent women to be wary of strangers”… Kelpies sometimes betrayed themselves by having water-weeds in their hair or by forgetting to transform their hooves into human form! This may be a reference to Auld Nick, the Devil, or to the Greek God Pan. Robert Burns refers to this in his Address to the Deil (1786):
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New Releases: Autumn 2017
Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Age: 10 Year Old
Vol: 45.6%
£49
Polished mahogany, with copper lights. Nose drying and spicy, with an oaky top-note, a fragrant middle (macasser oil, barbers’ shop) and a fruity base (bruised apple). A smooth texture and a sweet taste, finishing spicy. Water increases the fragrant notes, softens the mouthfeel and brings up the oak in the taste.
When thowes dissolve the snawy hoord [thaws, snowy hoard] An' float the jinglin icy boord Then, water-kelpies haunt the foord [ford] By your direction An' nighted trav'llers are allur'd To their destruction. And what of the whisky? For Ardbeg Kelpie, Dr. Bill Lumsden, Director of Distilling and Flavour Creation, has sourced virgin oak casks from the Adyghe Republic on the Black Sea, which are said to impart ‘incredibly deep flavours’ to the whisky, which is then married with traditional Ardbeg, aged in ex-bourbon barrels. The expression was launched on ‘Ardbeg Day’ (3rd June) at the distillery during the Fèis Ìle and in Ardbeg ‘embassies’ (select global bars and retailers) for two weeks, before being rolled out to specialist whisky retailers, such as The Whisky Shop.
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Nose drying and spicy, with an oaky top-note, a fragrant middle and a fruity base...
J In 1987 Tom Bulleit abandoned a successful career as a lawyer in Lexington, Kentucky, to revive a bourbon recipe invented by his great-great grandfather, Augustus, around 1830. The original recipe had a high proportion of rye in its mash bill – so high that it was technically a rye whiskey – and while Tom Bulleit reduced the proportion of rye to 28% (with 68% corn [maize] and 4% barley malt), this is still unusually high for a straight bourbon and differentiates the whiskey from other bourbons. The standard expression is also aged for six years, rather than the more common three years – only a handful of straight bourbons make an age statement – which makes Bulleit Bourbon 10YO very special. It is Tom Bulleit’s select reserve, with individual barrels identified and set aside for extra maturation. Until last year there was no Bulleit Distillery. Tom commissioned his whiskey from other distilleries – after 1997 (when the brand was bought by the giant Canadian distiller, Seagram) from Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg. Ownership passed to Diageo when that company bought the majority of Seagram’s alcohol-related assets in 2001, but they continued to distil at Four Roses, which was now owned by the Japanese brewer, Kirin. Sales of Bulleit have risen dramatically under Diageo’s ownership – from 35,000 nine litre cases in 2007 to 600,000 cases in 2014 – so it was logical for the company to announce, that year, plans to build a distillery in which to make its flagship bourbon. Following an investment of $115 million, the new distillery in Shelby County, Kentucky, opened last year. Bulleit Bourbon 10YO won gold medals at the San Fancisco World Whiskies Championship in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and was voted Best-Selling American Whiskey by bartenders in the World’s Best Bars in 2016.
Whiskeria
New Releases: Autumn 2017
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Jura Tastival 2017 Island Single Malt Age: –
70CL Vol: 51%
£85
Deep amber in colour. A complex aroma of buttered gingerbread, dried raisins and sultanas, and Brazil nuts. Water raises a toffee note. The taste is a combination of sweet (port, cassis) and sour (bitter lemon), with a creamy texture to begin with, then dry, and a spicy kick in the finish, which is long and warming.
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A complex aroma of buttered gingerbread, dried raisins and sultanas, and Brazil nuts.
J This limited edition bottling was created for the ‘Jura Tastival 2017’ which took place on 1st June to coincide with the famous Fèis Ìle, the Islay Whisky Festival. It is the first limited edition release to be overseen by Jura’s Distillery Manager, Graham Logan, who took over from Willie Cochrane in September 2016. He commented: “Tastival is all about welcoming people to Jura with open arms – not only to our island festival, but to our whisky – whether you’re a single malt expert or are trying it for the first time. The creativity that goes into our Tastival event programme is well reflected in this limited edition expression, meaning everyone can enjoy a taste of our Festival – whether they can make it to the island or not.” Shortly before he retired, I had an interesting conversation with Willie Cochrane. I told him I thought the overall quality of Jura had improved beyond recognition in recent years, and he explained: “Around 95% of the casks we use today are first-fill American oak ex-bourbon barrels from Jim Beam and Heaven Hill Distilleries in Kentucky. The remainder are a combination of Limousin oak barriques and Spanish oak ex-sherry butts. We began to use first-fill barrels about 10 years ago – especially for single malt bottlings. Previously we were using mainly refill hogsheads, and since then we have been re-racking these older casks into the first-fill barrels – currently at the rate of 150-175 per week. This has made a huge difference to the quality of our single malt.” Having been matured in refill hogsheads, the components of Tastival 2017 were then split, half being finished in Graham’s port pipes from the Duoro Valley and half in first-fill exbourbon barrels.
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New Releases: Autumn 2017
Balblair 1997 The Whisky Shop Exclusive Higland Single Malt Age: –
70CL Vol: 51.4%
£140
The colour of aged Alsace wine, excellent beading. A prickly nose-feel with a fruity top note (tropical fruit salad), pink bubblegum in the middle, on a faintly earthy base note. Sweet and spicy to taste, with scented sweets and fresh coconut. Water calms both aroma and taste; the former becomes more dusty, the latter softer and sweeter.
J Founded in 1790, Balblair is one of our oldest malt distilleries, although the current buildings date from 1872. It is also one of the prettiest and featured in Ken Loach’s award-winning film The Angels’ Share (2012), as the location for the auction of a cask of extremely rare whisky. The present writer had a cameo role in the film, as a whisky expert! Alfred Barnard, remarked in 1887: “In former days the whole neighbourhood abounded in smuggling bothies, and was the scene of many a struggle between the revenue officers and the smugglers”. It stands in ‘the Parish of Peats’, Edderton, six miles from Tain in Ross-shire – a district reputed to have the cleanest air in Scotland – the current site is some distance from the original, chosen to take advantage of the newly laid railway line between Inverness and Wick. The founder was one John Ross. Members of his family held the license and managed the distillery for over a century, and still today nearly half the staff here are Rosses: a common name in Ross-shire. Like many malts, Balblair was little known outside the parish until relatively recently. It was first bottled by its owner, Inver House Distillers, in the late 1990s, and began to be promoted in 2007. This single cask was selected and bottled exclusively for The Whisky Shop.
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...fruity top note (tropical fruit salad), pink bubblegum in the middle, on a faintly earthy base note.
Whiskeria
New Releases: Autumn 2017
The Sovereign Invergordon 1995 Highland Single Grain Whisky
70CL
Age: 21 Year Old
£130
Vol: 49%
Pale gold. Light, etheric nose prickle. A clean and mild aroma – whispers of vanilla ice cream, oak dust, sugar syrup and acetone. A little water sweetens the nose but thins the aroma. Surprisingly mellow to taste at natural strength, though with a numbing mouthfeel. A lightly sweet taste. Very easy to drink.
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A clean and mild aroma – whispers of vanilla ice cream, oak dust, sugar syrup and acetone.
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J The deep-water port of Invergordon, on the north shore of the Cromarty Firth was an important naval base during the two World Wars. Under the Defence of the Realm Act 1916, all the licensed premises in the town were taken over by the State, and in 1931 Invergordon was the scene of a mutiny – a rare event in British naval history. During the 1950s several attempts were made to bring industry to the Highlands north of Inverness: Invergordon Distillery was one. It was vigorously promoted by James Grigor, Provost of Inverness, with good reason: communications by sea and road were excellent, the port was on the edge of a notable barley-growing district and the water was first rate. Invergordon Distillers Ltd. was incorporated in 1959 and the distillery commenced production in July 1961 with one Coffey still producing 10,000 gallons of pure alcohol a week. Two further Coffey stills were installed in 1963, and a fourth in 1978, with an extra column to produce industrial alcohol. Current capacity is 38 million litres of pure alcohol per annum. Since 1993, the distillery has been owned by Whyte & Mackay; in May 2014 Whyte & Mackay was bought by the Philippines-based brandy distiller, Emperador, producer of the world’s best-selling brandy – close to 31 million cases a year. The best-selling Scotch, Johnnie Walker, sells just over 19 million cases. This bottling of Invergordon 21 years old comes from Hunter Laing’s ‘Sovereign’ range of single cask grain whiskies, started around ten years ago, and now with spanking new packaging.
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The First Editions Glenrothes 2005 Speyside Single Malt Age: –
70CL Vol: 46%
£97
Bright amber in colour, but probably American oak. A mellow nose, rich with buttery vanilla sponge, soft fudge and a suggestion of tinned pears. An oily texture and a sweet taste overall, with a hint of ginger in the back and a warming finish. A drop of water increases the buttery note and introduces a trace of cigarette box. Smooth texture; sweet, now with light spice in the finish.
W J Spirits first ran from the stills of Glenrothes on 28th December 1879 – a wild and stormy night, with winds gusting to 80 m.p.h. Unknown to the operators, that same gale brought down the railway bridge over the River Tay – designed to be ‘indestructible’ by the leading engineer, Sir Thomas Bouch, and completed only nineteen months previously – pitching the night train from Edinburgh into the foaming Tay Estuary with a loss of all seventy-five souls, including the train driver, fireman and ticket inspector. Soon after it went into production, the spirit was in demand from blenders, who ranked it ‘Top Class’. Among others, it is a key filling for Cutty Sark and The Famous Grouse – and as a result the distillery was expanded to four stills in 1896, to plans drawn up by the leading distillery architect, Charles Doig of Elgin. While work was proceeding, a fire devastated part of the site, and in spite of installing Doig’s patented appliance for preventing explosions in the new mill-room – an ever-present risk in distilleries, owing to the presence of fine flour, easily ignited by a spark if there are any stones in the malt – this failed to avert another fire six years later! The distillery was further enlarged in 1963 (to six stills) and 1983 (to eight stills), then the still-house was completely rebuilt in 1989, with ten stills. Glenrothes was first released as a single malt in 1987. This bottling comes from Hunter Laing’s First Editions series.
A mellow nose, rich with buttery vanilla sponge, soft fudge and a suggestion of tinned pears.
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The First Editions Craigellachie 2005 Speyside Single Malt Age: –
Vol: 46%
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The First Editions Caol Ila 2010
70CL
Islay Single Malt
£72
Age: –
Pale straw in colour – Auslese German wine. The nose is distinctly, though lightly, smoky (a feature of this make), with a hint of candlewax on a fruity/fondant base. Full-bodied to taste – mouthfilling; sweet overall, with fresh acidity and a suggesting of smoke in the aftertaste. An excellent example of the make.
New Releases: Autumn 2017
70CL Vol: 46%
Tarnished silver, with pale green lights. The nose is of charred steaks on a barbeque, with a promise of barbeque sauce, with a briny, maritime middle, on a base note of coal dust. Surprisingly sweet to taste, with a long smoky finish. Best enjoyed straight.
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W J Craigellachie Distillery was the brain-child of a remarkable young man, Alexander Edward, in partnership of ‘Restless’ Peter Mackie, the owner of Lagavulin Distillery. The son of a local farmer and distiller, Alexander was twenty-five when he embarked upon the project in 1890. The partners employed Charles Doig of Elgin, the leading distillery designer of the day, and Craigellachie went into production a year later. The site was chosen on account of its proximity to the Strathspey Railway line, connecting Craigellachie – a hamlet at the time – to Elgin in the north and Aviemore in the south, while a branch line led to Dufftown. The railway opened up the whole district to sporting visitors and made it possible for commercial distilleries to be built along its path. On the death of his father in 1894, Alexander inherited and transformed Benrinnes Distillery; the same year he took over and expanded a brickworks in Craigellachie and began to build ‘commodious villas’ in the village which could be let to visitors during the summer months. Next year he embarked on an even more ambitious project: the building of a substantial hotel which would transform the village from a railway hub into a tourist destination. [see my Aultmore review] The Banffshire Herald reported on 31st January 1896: “Mr Edward’s success in having amassed an independent fortune before he was barely entered in his 30s is regarded as a perfect marvel. He is not contented to make his pile by the thousand, but by his potent tact and skill can accomplish this by tens of thousands”.
£87
…smoky (a feature of this make), with a hint of candlewax on a fruity/ fondant base.
J The indie bottler Hunter Laing deserves congratulations for the level of disclosure on the labels of their First Editions range of single cask bottlings. As well as the information required by the Scotch Whisky Regulations – distillery name, bottle size, alcoholic strength, etc. – they supply date distilled, date bottled, cask type and number and a brief tasting note. All useful details, too often omitted by proprietary bottlings. Stewart Laing joined his father’s whisky broking and blending business, Douglas Laing & Co., in 1964 and established Hunter Laing with his two sons, Andrew and Scott, in 2013, together with a substantial stock of casks –15,000 in their main warehouse in South Lanarkshire – and three Douglas Laing brands: The Old Malt Cask, Old & Rare, and First Editions. The last was introduced by Andrew Laing in 2010, who remains responsible for cask selection, and whose signature appears on each bottle. Caol Ila is the largest distillery on Islay, with a capacity of 6.5 million litres of pure alcohol per annum, much of which goes into Diageo’s blends, including Johnnie Walker. The heavily peated malt (30-35 parts per million phenols) comes from Port Ellen Maltings and is the same as that supplied to Caol Ila’s sister distillery, Lagavulin, which makes for a very interesting comparative tasting – the two whiskies are very different.
The nose is of charred steaks on a barbeque, with a promise of barbeque sauce…
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The Old Malt Cask Highland Park 19 Year Old Island Single Malt Age: 19 Year Old
Vol: 50%
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The Old Malt Cask Aberlour 21 Year Old
70CL
Speyside Single Malt
£299
Age: 21 Year Old
Bright gold – American oak refill cask; good beading. Fresh as sea breeze, with waxy apples in the middle and Highland Park’s keynote whiff of peat in the base. A drop of water replaces apple with vinyl. Slight nose-prickle to start with, but open and welcoming. The taste is sweet and salty, with a tang of peat in the finish.
J Orkney’s most famous distillery is becoming more conspicuous by the day, with many special bottlings for Scandinavian whisky clubs, a very active ‘friends’ group and now a re-packaging of the core range – for the first time in ten years – in ways which stress the brand’s Viking bloodline and its new slogan: “The Malt With Viking Soul” [see my notes on the new Full Volume]. Early in July, Highland Park released a new Rebus30 bottling celebrating three decades since Ian Rankin’s iconic Edinburgh detective first appeared in print (see his interview!). A previous single cask Rebus bottling was released ten years ago to mark Inspector Rebus’ first appearance in Knots and Crosses. I attended both launches in Edinburgh – the recent one hosted by H-P’s own ‘Man With Viking Soul’, senior brand ambassador Martin Markvardsen. This 19YO is an independent single cask bottling from Hunter Laing, in their distinguished Old Malt Cask series, and makes for interesting comparison with the proprietor’s bottlings. Hunter Laing was formed in 2013, following the break up of the long-established firm, Douglas Laing & Co. (founded 1948), and is owned by Stewart Laing and his sons, Scott and Andrew. Stewart’s long experience and extensive stock of old whiskies makes it possible for the company to release a number of collections, including The Old Malt Cask (old single cask malts, bottled at 50%VOL without chill-filtration or colour adjustment, introduced in 1998). This Highland Park 19YO has been matured in a refill American oak hogshead, which has yielded a mere 210 bottles. It is a good example of the distillery’s distinctive style: maritime, sweet and slightly smoky.
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70CL Vol: 50%
£130
Polished brass in colour; American oak refill cask. A delicate, floral, perfumed aroma (lily-of-the-valley?) develops towards orange juice, lightly acidic. Water raises suggestions of vanilla toffee. The taste is sweet and lightly acidic, drying elegantly and leaving an aftertaste of fondant. Water introduces spice to the finish.
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Fresh as sea breeze, with waxy apples in the middle and [a] keynote whiff of peat in the base
J Until relatively recently it was believed that the water used to make whisky dictated its flavour; as a result, the water source took on almost mystical significance. Aberlour can boast having a sacred well on site, dedicated to St. Drostan, a follower of St. Columba who visited Speyside around 600AD and later founded Deer Abbey in Aberdeenshire, where the famous 10th century Book of Deer was later written. St. Drostan reputedly used the well for baptising wild Highlanders; so far as I’m aware it was never used by him for making whisky, but who knows… The first distillery was established by the laird of Aberlour, James Gordon – who lived in Aberlour House nearby – in 1825. Its process water comes from springs and cooling water from the Lour Burn. Lour itself means ‘chattering’, so Aber-lour means ‘the mouth of the chattering burn’. Until the 1890s the distillery was entirely powered by water from the burn, which had previously supplied a meal mill and a sawmill. Aberlour Distillery today dates from about 1880, when it was rebuilt by a local businessman, James Fleming, using granite from the same quarry as provided stone for Thomas Telford’s famous bridge at Craigellachie. In 1898 it was largely destroyed by fire and again rebuilt. The distillery’s recent history began in 1945 when it was acquired by the small Ayrshire blending house, S. Campbell & Son, who expanded it to four stills, then sold both the company and the distillery to Pernod Ricard, in 1974. Pernod Ricard began to promote Aberlour as a single malt, particularly in France, where it is the market leader. Today, it is the sixth best-selling single malt in the world. This independent bottling comes from Hunter Laing.
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A delicate, floral, perfumed aroma... develops towards orange juice, lightly acidic.
BenRiach 2005 Cask No: 2565 First fill Oloroso sherry butt Age: –
£TBA
Amber, Amontillado sherry. Moderate beading. Light noseprickle and nose drying. Dried fruits, led by prunes backed by dates supported by crystalline sugar – the last increased at reduced strength. A sweet and tannic taste; warming, with spice and ginger lingering in the aftertaste.
J In 1983 Benriach Distillery began to produce small amounts of lightly peated malt each year from its own floor maltings, which allowed it to become the first Speyside distillery since World War II to release a peated malt whisky as part of its core range in 2004. A glance at the casks Rachel Barrie, the company’s Whisky Maker, has selected for BenRiach Batch 14 reflects the breadth of choice she has in her inventory. Not only peated and non-peated spirit, but maturation in virgin American oak, ex-Oloroso sherry European oak, ex-port pipes, and an ex-Marsala hogshead. Each cask has been selected for the unique taste experience it offers, and gives an opportunity to explore the contribution made to the flavour of the mature whisky by these several different cask types. The whiskies are non chill-filtered, of natural colour and filled into hand-numbered bottles with gift tubes. Each is necessarily a limited edition, and since they will be made available throughout the world, allocations will be small. The seven casks of both unpeated and peated malt reflect the distillery’s experimental approach to distilling and maturation. Rachel Barrie describes the release this summer as “an exciting and bold choice of casks”, and adds: “The single malt whiskies selected in this most recent BenRiach cask bottling reflect the innovative and pioneering philosophy of The BenRiach Distillery when it comes to making exceptional Scotch whisky.”
BenRiach 2007 Cask No: 101
BenRiach 2006 Cask No: 7360
First fill port pipe; peated spirit
70CL
First fill Oloroso sherry butt; peated spirit
70CL
First fill virgin oak cask
Age: –
£TBA
Age: –
£TBA
Age: –
Vol: 53.1%
Vol: 61.9%
70CL Vol: 58.9%
£TBA
Bright amber, scarlet lights; good beading. Light nose prickle; slightly nose drying. The top note is of grape must – fresh to start, then dusty and earthy, like dry peat. The taste is sweet and salty, with traces of wine and a spicy finish. I could find no smoke.
Deep amber, polished conker. Moderate beading. A mellow nosefeel, dry with a rich overall aroma, led by dried fruits (candied peel, mincemeat macerated in Oloroso sherry, slightly burnt Xmas cake, with a waxed wrapping). Water increased the burnt note and introduces a hint of clove. A smooth texture and a sweet, salty taste, finishing faintly smoky.
Bright amber; moderate beading. Mellow nose; dry overall. Dried fruits macerated in high-strength liquor, burlap bung cloth, pencil box and oak shavings. A smooth texture, with a sweet then bitter taste and spice in the finish. Water tames it somewhat, raises further oak notes and a suggestion of coconut.
BenRiach 2007 Cask No: 105
BenRiach 2008 Cask No: 2047
BenRiach 2008 Cask No: 7880
70CL Vol: 58.8%
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BenRiach 2005 Cask No: 2679
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First fill Oloroso sherry butt; peated spirit
70CL
Port pipe; peated spirit
Age: –
£TBA
Age: –
Vol: 62.2%
Deep amber, with orange lights. Light beading. A mellow nose-feel, dry overall. Dried fruits with waxy orange peel – resinous and juicy, with a trace of oak. A creamy texture, mouth-cooling, then tannic. Sweet overall, with light salt and spice in the finish.
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Vol: 63.2%
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70CL
First fill Marsala hogshead; peated spirit
70CL
£TBA
Age: –
£TBA
The colour of (rich) rosé wine. Light beading. Some nose prickle; the top note is of fruit loaf with sultanas, the base note is winey, with a thread of smoke. The taste is sweet and tannic, with a suggestion of almonds in the aftertaste. Water increases the wine and peat notes and reduces the tannins.
Vol: 59.6%
Polished copper, rubious lights; light beading. Some nose prickle; nose drying. A dusty and faintly woody top note, with faded (red) boiled sweets in the middle, on a faintly smoky base. The taste starts sweet, then salty, then tart, with a short, lightly smoky, spicy finish.
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Rachel Barrie & The Three Distilleries BenRiach, The GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh’s newly appointed Whisky Maker gives Gavin Smith a glimpse into the future.
Distillery Visit BenRiach Built by John Duff in 1898 Waters drawn from the underground Burnside springs Mothballed from 1900 to 1965 Production of peated Speyside malt whisky begins in 1972 Purchased by Seagram's in 1978 The BenRiach is first released as a single malt brand in 1994 Pernod Ricard take over in 2001, mothballing the distillery a year later BenRiach becomes independent in 2004 under the new ownership of Billy Walker, Wayne Kieswetter and Geoff Bell The group sell to the Bacardi Brown-Forman company in 2016
Distillery Visit The GlenDronach James Allardice builds The GlenDronach— one of Scotland’s first licensed distilleries —on the site of Boynsmill in 1826 Walter Scott of Teaninich buys over the distillery in 1830 by the 1960s GlenDronach was the largest duty paying distillery in the Highlands Captain Charles Grant, son of the Glenfiddich Distillery founder, buys over the distillery in 1920 The GlenDronach passes hands to William Teacher & Sons in 1960, and is later mothballed in 1996 under the new Allied Distillers group 2002 sees the distillery reopen, and in 2005 Chivas Brothers take over In 2008, The BenRiach Distillery Company adds The GlenDronach to its portfolio The distillery is passed to Bacardi Brown-Forman in 2016
Since 2016, the trio of BenRiach, The GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh Scottish distilleries have been owned by the Kentuckybased Brown-Forman Corporation, best known around the world for its Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Woodford Reserve Bourbon brands. Brown-Forman is relatively new to the world of Scotch, but earlier this year it recruited the highly experienced Whisky Maker Rachel Barrie, formerly of the Glenmorangie Company and Morrison Bowmore Distillers. Rachel has been in the Scotch whisky industry for 26 years and, given her down-toearth background in an Aberdeenshire farming family, she has decided to avoid the sort of pretentious job titles favoured by some of her competitors. “I started work with BenRiach on 1st March” she says, “and I’m the Whisky Maker”. She explains that, “I’m involved in everything from spirit quality to distillery production planning. I work on the wood policy for new-make spirit, and re-racking of existing spirit into other casks where necessary. “A big part of my job concerns the recipes of our single malts, and I work very closely with our Commercial Director, styling and shaping the portfolio. I also have to be very analytical, and do lots of number-crunching. For me, it’s about unlocking the true character of each distillery, looking at everything from geology and atmosphere, to how it’s come to be what it is today.” benriach distillery is located some four miles south of Elgin in the Speyside region and was built by John Duff & Company during 1898, though it only operated for three distilling seasons before falling victim to the downturn in whisky production that occurred at the turn of the century. Remarkably, Benriach (its original spelling) remained silent until 1965, when it was substantially rebuilt by The Glenivet Distillers Ltd. A second pair of stills was added in 1985, but the distillery was mothballed in 2002. Its floor maltings had been used until just two years previously, and were subsequently reinstated in 2012. In 2004, a consortium of businessmen, led by ex-Burn Stewart Distillers director Billy
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Whisky Maker, Rachel Barrie, concentrates on creating whiskies that showcase the three distillery's distinctive styles
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Walker, bought the distillery and established the BenRiach Distillery Company Ltd., soon recommencing production. Under their regime, BenRiach – as it was now called – issued a plethora of expressions, both permanent and limited, and the single malt brand was soon firmly established. Both peated and unpeated variants were released at a wide variety of ages, from the NAS Heart of Speyside, to a 35 Year Old, until the company’s sale to Brown-Forman in 2016. “BenRiach is not a conventional Speyside distillery” declares Rachel Barrie. “We have lots of experimentation and diversity within the distillery. For example, we make unpeated, peated and tripledistilled spirit, we seasonally use the floor maltings, and we use lots of different cask types. I’m building on the incredible work done by Billy Walker and his team”. BenRiach is believed to be the first peated Speyside malt to have been distilled since the Second World War. “The distillery is right in the middle between the mountains and the sea—in the ‘sweet spot,’ if you like. Remarkably, BenRiach only has the same rainfall as Barcelona. How unexpected is that! There are lots of underground wells and springs, and the water is very pure, coming from a deep underground reservoir”. Rachel considers BenRiach to be “a very accessible malt, which is balanced, fresh and grapefruity, grassy, and malty. It’s accessible to new whisky drinkers; the NAS and 10 Year Old, in particular, are very versatile and can be mixed well in cocktails. The whisky takes on the character of wood quicker than that from some distilleries. Also, the strength tends to stay higher in the cask. Phonetically, I think the word ‘BenRiach’ is bold and reactive”. There is currently a new batch of single cask bottlings available – Batch 14 – and they include whisky matured in an eclectic range of casks, including virgin oak and port. “Virgin oak casks work incredibly well with BenRiach spirit” says Rachel, “as do Marsala and Madeira, while sherry wood brings out the honey and cream in it”. Peated spirit is made for around one month per year, with an additional week given over to the production of triple-distilled spirit. Since 2012, there have also been short campaigns of whisky-making exclusively using malt produced in the distillery’s floor maltings, and there is
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clearly potential for a release of that in the future. Rachel Barrie points out that, “We can play tunes with BenRiach, as we have old stock of tripledistilled from the 1990s, and peated going back to the 1970s. Peated BenRiach has more of an ‘inland’ smoked character—reminiscent of a camp fire in a Speyside pine forest. Malts distilled from Islay peat smell of the sea—brine, seaweed and fish oil. The green apple note is dialled up in the triple-distilled version. BenRiach 10 Year Old is our flagship, and I want it to be the best it can be. I want people to be wowed by the flavours in it”. the glendronach distillery is to be found in the valley of the River Forgue, some ten miles from the Aberdeenshire market town of Huntly. It was established in 1826 by a consortium of farmers and local business figures, headed by James Allardice. Walter Scott– formerly manager of Teaninich, north of Inverness – acquired Glendronach in 1830, and he went on to rebuild the distillery during his period of ownership. In 1920 Captain Charles Grant, fifth son of William Grant, founder of Glenfiddich, paid £9,000 for the distillery. Then, in 1960, The Glendronach was acquired by the Teacher’s family, and it subsequently became part of Allied Breweries Ltd. in 1976, along with the rest of Teacher’s assets. Ultimately, it was then in the ownership of large-scale drinks companies for some 30 years, as Allied Breweries morphed into Allied Domecq, which in turn was taken over by Pernod Ricard subsidiary Chivas Brothers in 2005. The Glendronach was silent from 1996 to 2002, and the distillery is notable for being the last in Scotland to operate coal-fired stills, though ‘health & safety’ issues precipitated conversion to steam in 2005. Three years later Chivas sold the distillery to the BenRiach Distillery Company Ltd, and one of BenRiach’s first acts was to apply its ‘signature’ spelling regime, re-branding ‘Glendronach’ as The GlenDronach. The new owners then set out to restore the reputation of The GlenDronach as one of Scotland’s leading sherry cask-matured single
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malts, dedicating £3 million to a five-year programme of purchasing ex-sherry casks, and re-racking around 50 per cent of the existing stock into former Oloroso casks. Today, under Brown-Forman ownership, the core portfolio ranges from the 8-year-old ‘The Hielan’ to the 25-year-old Grandeur, and a peated variant is also available, along with regular releases of single cask bottlings. According to Rachel Barrie, “The GlenDronach is rich and deep, a real connoisseurs’ whisky which begs to be sipped and savoured in contemplation. The sheer depth of it stands out for me. Phonetically, The GlenDronach sounds mellow, yet deep at the same time. The same as the people of Aberdeenshire!” “The climate is wetter than BenRiach. There are more temperature variations, too. It’s ideal for sherry cask maturation. In summer, the new-make spirit is brambly and ripe, almost vinous in spring, but earthier, with rolling tobacco in winter”. In terms of recent releases from The GlenDronach, Batch 15 of single casks has now hit the shelves. Rachel says that “these are six whiskies aged between 21 and 27 years and each one is quite different. They give people the opportunity to taste the whisky’s unique character. The next batch will be out in the not-too-distant future.” Rachel adds: “I’m also working on some expressions that will be older than our current Grandeur 25 Year Old. I’m dedicated to getting the 12 Year Old as perfect as it can be, as it’s the shop window for people to discover The GlenDronach. I spend a lot of time on wood management with The GlenDronach – trying to ramp up the sherry maturation even further. I want it to be the most richly-sherried single malt on the planet!” J glenglassaugh stands by Sandend bay on the Moray Firth coast, close to the village of Portsoy. It was built between 1873 and 1875 by Colonel James Moir and the Glenglassaugh Distillery Company at a cost of £10,000, and in 1892 the distillery was sold to Glasgow blenders Robertson & Baxter Ltd. They paid £10,000 For Glenglassaugh – the same as it had cost to construct – and passed it on to their ‘sister’ company Highland Distilleries Ltd, now part of The Edrington Group, for £15,000. The subsequent history of the distillery, until
recent years, was more about silence than activity, being closed from 1908 until 1957, apart from a few years of whisky-making during the 1930s. The present distillery structures date from a reconstruction programme undertaken between 1957 and 1960. Glenglassaugh then worked until 1986, when it was mothballed once more. Its future prospects seemed less than bright until a number of private investors, operating as The Scaent Group, acquired it from The Edrington Group for £5 million during 2008, and set about bringing it back into commission.Bottles of new-make spirit were offered for sale to provide a revenue stream, along with a number of highly-regarded variants aged from 21 to 40. The three-yearold ‘Revival’ was launched in 2012, when a visitor centre also opened. The Scaent Group sold Glenglassaugh to The BenRiach Distillery Company Ltd. in 2013, having decided that the venture required more capital to carry it forward. Under the BenRiach regime, ‘Evolution’ and the peated ‘Torfa’ appeared, along with a variety of single cask bottlings and more veteran expressions. As part of Brown-Forman’s Scotch whisky portfolio, Glenglassaugh brings something different to the party when compared to BenRiach and The GlenDronach. “Glenglassaugh is ripe, almost like Saki in a way,” says Rachel Barrie. “It’s almost over-ripe. It’s rich, with tropical and stewed fruits, and the influence of the sea air. I always say it’s ‘shaped by the sea.’ The name ‘Glenglassaugh’ somehow even sounds like the sea to me. No matter what wood it’s matured in, the character of the sea in it can’t be surmounted. “The water we use at Glenglassaugh has the highest mineral content of that at any distillery in Scotland. This affects the fermentation, because the yeast produces more esters, more pear-drop characteristics, leading to sweet confectionary flavours. The new-make spirit is the sweetest I’ve ever tasted. You get tropical and candied fruits straight off the still. It appeals to a different palate to The GlenDronach, and global opportunities for the brand are huge. The first ever Glenglassaugh wood finishes will be released in October.” One advantage of Brown-Forman’s ownership of the trio of Scottish distilleries is that the company has its own cooperage in
Built by Colonel James Moir in 1875 Sold to Robertson & Baxter in 1892, who immediately pass Glenglassauh on to Highland Distilleries Company Mothballed in 1907 Highland Distilleries construct a new production building on the site in 1959, and reopen Glenglasaugh the following year Mothballed again in 1986 due to the complex nature of blending the whisky made there In 2007 a group of investors purchase Glenglassaugh, getting the keys in February 2008 In November 2008, the Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, starts the malt mill at Glenglassaugh for the first time in 22 years Various aged and spirit products are released over the course of 2009 and 2010—the first whisky produced at the reborn distillery, Revival, is released in 2012 The BenRiach company take over in 2013, eventually selling Glenglassaugh to Bacardi Brown-Forman in 2016 along with their other assets
Louisville, Kentucky. “This means, in effect, that we can ‘design’ the casks we want for our Scotch whiskies,” notes Rachel. “We can work with different seasonings and really play tunes with the wood. This gives us great opportunities – especially with BenRiach.” She explains that “Brown-Forman wants the business to grow, and they have distribution access to around 170 countries, which is obviously great for consumer reach. They have a strong desire to increase sales of the three brands globally.” In conclusion, Rachel says: “What we have are three very diverse distilleries and single malts in a relatively small geographical area of north-east Scotland. That’s one of the things that’s really stood out for me since I joined the company. It’s a great collaborative culture here. Strong team-working is one of the strengths of Brown-Forman, I think. I’ve got a voice which is being heard, and it’s all very inclusive. I’m loving it!”
Clockwise from top: A cask of Glenglassaugh, The GlenDronach stills, The GlenDronach distillery, floor maltings at BenRiach, casks in The GlenDronach courtyard
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In for Questioning:
Ian Rankin
Few authors are so intrinsically linked to one location as celebrated Scottish crime fiction writer, Ian Rankin. We caught up with him in the aftermath of RebusFest to talk inspiration and intoxication in his beloved Edinburgh… — Photography: Brian Sweeney Assistant: Fábio Rebelo Paiva Styling: Stewart Christie / Lynne McCrossan
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W “…with crime writers, when you meet them in real life, they’re quite balanced people, because we get all that dark stuff out on the page.”
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My Whiskeria Interview Ian Rankin Timeline Born in 1960 and raised in the small coal mining town of Cardenden, Fife Graduates from the University of Edinburgh in 1982 and begins a PHD on Muriel Spark Marries Miranda in 1986, with whom he has two sons, Jack and Kit. His first-released novel, The Flood, is published the same year In 1987 the first Rebus novel, Knots & Crosses, is published 1991–Present: Ian is honoured with multiple awards for his novels and short stories Gains a string of honorary doctorates from the University of Abertay, Dundee; University of St Andrews, University of Edinburgh and University of Hull between 1999 and 2006 Rebus first airs on ITV in 2000 starring John Hannah, later to be replaced by Ken Stott Ian receives an OBE for Services to Literature in 2002; Ian Rankin’s Evil Thoughts airs on Channel 4 the same year Ian Rankin’s Hidden Edinburgh and Ian Rankin Investigates Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde air on BBC Four in 2007, the same year Rebus retires in Exit Music 2009: Ian’s graphic novel Dark Entries is published In 2013 Dark Road, a play written in collaboration with Mark Thompson, premiers at Edinburgh’s Lyceum Theatre
How and why has Edinburgh become the setting for your storytelling? I grew up in Cardenden, a tiny coal-mining village in Fife, was the first member of my family to go to uni, arrived in Edinburgh and didn’t really know it – I’d been for a few gigs, or record shopping on a Saturday, that was about it. So I did what I’d always done as a teenager, and that was to start writing about the place as a way of exploring it. I was writing poems and song lyrics, and eventually short stories and novels, about Edinburgh, to try and make sense of it. To try and find out what makes it tick, to try and get to the heart of it. And that process is ongoing, because Edinburgh is a TARDIS – it’s a tiny city you could explore your whole life and still not quite get to the end of the story. Did Rebus already exist in your mind, or did Edinburgh inspire you to create him? I was doing a PhD on Muriel Spark’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which shows one facet of Edinburgh. The fictional character Miss Jean Brodie is descended from William Brodie, who was a real person: gentleman by day, and burglar by night. He was eventually hanged for breaking into people’s houses and stealing stuff. He was a craftsman, a Deacon of Rights, a carpenter, and one of the things he made was a wardrobe which was in Robert Louis Stevenson’s childhood home. Did that give him the idea for Jekyll and Hyde? I see a fairly direct line from Deacon William Brodie, a real person, through Jekyll and Hyde, to Miss Jean Brodie, and that gave me the idea of this darker side of Edinburgh. Every city’s got a dark side, but in Edinburgh it’s there structurally. You’ve got the light and dark; the New Town and the Old Town. The Old Town: chaotic and not planned; the New Town: rational, scientific, designed. So, the New Town represents the enlightenment, and the Old Town represents pre-enlightenment. That’s your Jekyll and your Hyde right there, in the actual shape of the city. And I thought, that makes it the perfect place to set crime fiction.
Why Rebus, in particular? Being a detective meant he had access not only to the top and the bottom of society, the rich and the poor, but also to every area of the city. I can take him from the New Town to the Old Town, I can take him to the projects – the very rough parts on the outskirts – I can take him to the very heart of the establishment. I can do all of that with one character. Most people come to Edinburgh for the castle, the museums, the bagpipes and the traditional stuff they’ve been told about. But even when I was first living here as a student, I could see there was another Edinburgh with a much darker side to it, but nobody was saying that, because of the way it’s structured – all the social problems are pushed to the outskirts. I thought a cop, a detective, was a pretty good way of looking at different aspects of Edinburgh from top to bottom. There’s a lot of darkness in your books, with light provided by the resolution of stories, but does the good guy ever really win or is it just a veneer for the bad guys inevitably getting their own way? One of the reasons crime fiction is popular is because you do get a sense of justice at the end. Usually the bad person is caught, or at least we know who did it and why, so there’s closure at the end of a crime novel that isn’t always necessarily the case in real life. In real life we know that bad people get away with it all the time. What I like to get across in my books is that, although Rebus might catch the bad guys, he knows he’s a bit like King Canute trying to push back the waves – there’s always more crime. He’s basically fighting a losing battle, but all you can do is fight.
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Have you always had a fascination with crime and the darker side of existence? The first poem I ever wrote, which was at high school for a poetry competition, was called ‘Euthanasia’– the mercy killing of the elderly. That was at the age of 17. And even before that, the kind of book that I enjoyed reading, the books that I liked to read, were all pretty dark, and I was a big fan of horror films. So, do you consider yourself to be an early trendsetting goth? Yes and no! When punk and post-punk came along, I was very much of the Joy Division, Bauhaus end of punk. I did like it kind of dark, and with lots of dark imagery. A lot of the poems I was writing at that time, and the short stories I eventually wrote, were all pretty dark… The thing is, with crime writers, when you meet them in real life, they’re quite balanced people, because we get all that dark stuff out on the page. The people you’ve got to watch out for are the people who write romantic fiction! Evil people. You’re well known for your love of music – how is that reflected in your stories? I listen to jazz, and in the early books Rebus listens to jazz too, but then there was another crime writer, John Harvey, and his detective also listened to jazz, so I thought I needed to get a lot of clear blue water between me and him, and decided that Rebus would listen to rock. That’s mostly what I listen to at night. Jazz, electronica, and ambient music are very good for writing to. Anything that’s got lyrics, I’ll be too busy listening to the lyrics. Normally when I’m writing, it’s got to be instrumental music.
Do you feel that your characters reflect different elements of your personality? Definitely – everybody expects me to be like Rebus, and I’m really not. I don’t know where he came from. He’s a tiny part of my personality, but by no means the majority. I think if you put him and the other characters all in a blender, you’d get something approaching my personality, because all these characters come from inside my head. It’s like Pete Townshend said, “I’m not schizophrenic, I’m bloody quadrophenic”. Writers have got lots of different voices and characters all milling around, wanting attention. All of us, when we were kids, had imaginary friends, and we played roleplaying games, and we had toys that we would bring to life in our imaginations. We’d have this incredibly creative, fertile inner life, and our family circumstances could be quite boring, quite genteel, quite safe, but in our heads we were having these huge adventures. Writers are just kids who refuse to grow up. We’re still having these adventures with our imaginary friends. You once worked at the National Folktale Centre in London – have folklore and fairytale influenced how you develop your narratives? They don’t directly influence me, but the crime novel is basically a logical, organic extension of folktale and fairytale. Folktales were telling you stories of watching out for wolves, because your granny might turn out to be a wolf. Someone you think you know, you don’t really know. All these stories are things that crime fiction is still saying – your best friend might actually be your worst enemy. Right now, there’s a type of crime novel that is basically saying that it’s not serial killers you have to watch out for, it’s your best friend or your spouse. They’re hiding something from you. There’s a paranoia that the crime novel is dealing with that I think must reflect what’s happening in society.
Do real world events and collective paranoia influence your writing? Well the stories always, always, always begin with a true story: something I’ve been told by a cop, or an ex-cop in a pub; a story I’ve read in a newspaper, heard on the radio, or on TV; something from history, something that actually happened. It just gets the cogs of my brain turning, and I say, “What does that say about us as a society? What if that had happened in Edinburgh? Or what if that had happened in Scotland, or if that was happening in the present day?”. Is writing your way of finding closure to the mysteries you encounter? Yes. A friend of mine told me a story about her brother who used work on the oil rigs. He came back to Edinburgh one weekend, got chatting to these two guys he’d never met before, and they said to come back to a party. They ended up in this derelict flat on the outskirts of town with a chair in the middle of an empty room. They tied him to the chair, tied a plastic bag over his head, taped it shut, and walked away. He managed to get free, ran to the nearest police station and they went back with him to the flat – there was the chair and the tape and everything, they hadn’t taken his cash or his credit card or anything. He’d never met these guys before, couldn’t give a good description of them, and the MO was completely unknown to the police. She told me that story and said, “That’s the end”, and I went, “No, that’s the beginning!”. So I did a fictional equivalent. What I didn’t tell her brother when I wrote it, was that in my version he wouldn’t make it. That was the opening scene of my book Black & Blue. Do you like killing people off? I love killing people off! You must never make enemies with a crime writer, because they’ll just go home and bump you off in some horrible way.
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Do you ever base a character on somebody you know? Another friend of mine got dumped by her boyfriend, and she knew a lot of crime writers, so she asked us all to put him in our next books. She collected all the books together, in which he was grotesquely murdered over and over and over again, and sent them to him. It’s a beautiful form of revenge. And revenge is a dish best served cold… I’ve also put real people in my books for charity. One of the prizes at a charity auction or dinner will be ‘Immortality by being in Ian Rankin’s next book!’, which is a lot of fun. How is that side of being an author – the fame and the fans? It’s weird because being a writer, especially these days, is a real Jekyll and Hyde existence. Writers don’t become writers because they are gregarious, outgoing people who enjoy talking. Writers are the shy kids at school, the geeky kids. And then suddenly you become a writer, and when a book’s published you’ve got to go out and talk to complete strangers, and smile for photos, and just be outgoing. That isn’t me. So, you’ve got to split your personalities up, because that sociable person isn’t going to be able to sit in a room for six months in solitary confinement and write a book. Is your public persona almost another character that you’ve created? Yep. I don’t know which me is the real me now. We’re back to quadrophenia again. What about your readers – are there lots of questionable characters amongst crime fiction fans? No, thank God! If you ask booksellers, they’ll tell you that the nutters are the ones who go to the true crime section and look at all the photographs of the serial killers and their victims. People who read crime fiction are very well-balanced. In June we had the RebusFest in Edinburgh, celebrating 30 years of Rebus, and people came from all over the world for that one weekend. And it’s just nice people, and I go, “Why do you like Rebus? Why do you like hanging out with
this curmudgeonly, dark, twisted, almost corrupt cop?”. They don’t know. He’s just an attractive character. We do like our mavericks.
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What type of books do you read? I read a lot of crime fiction. I try and keep up with what’s happening – what my competitors are up to, what the new writers on the block are up to, who’s doing best in things. And I read a lot of books about music, but mostly fiction. I very seldom get time to read. That’s why I like going on holidays or long plane and train journeys – four or five hours, stick your headphones on, and just read. It’s the best way. Do you have some top authors for our readers to look out for? There’s a really good Irish crime writer called Adrian McKinty who lives in Australia. I went on tour in Australia in May and met him for the first time. He sets his books in 1970s/80s Northern Ireland, at the height of the Troubles, and he’s got a Catholic cop who is this proper maverick, a proper anti-hero; does drugs, drinks too much, doesn’t obey the rules. When you put that against the historical context, it makes for a really interesting book. Speaking of drinking, you and Rebus are famous for visiting The Oxford Bar – what’s your drink of choice? I usually drink IPA [at The Oxford Bar], but it depends what mood I’m in. Whisky normally, for me, is an after-dinner thing: sit in your living room late at night – which is where I keep all my whisky with my huge ridiculous hi-fi system – listening to records, and sipping whisky. The Islays are some of the best ones because my taste buds are going a little bit! I like Highland Park and, in fact, they did a special whisky tasting for us at RebusFest, and did a special 10 year old whisky called ‘Rebus 30’ for 30 years of Rebus, which was lovely.
2/ The Blue Blazer spittal street, edinburgh 3/ The Oxford Bar young street, edinburgh 4/ The Anderson union street, inverness 5/ The Cromarty Arms church street, cromarty 6/ Chez Lucien murray street, ottowa
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What about Rebus – does he share your taste in whisky? To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Rebus a bunch of us went up to Highland Park and they did a little tasting of 20 year old malts, all from different barrels. I said I liked the one in the middle – the one that’s not too bland and not too strong. And they said, “Well, which one would Rebus drink?”, and I said, “Oh, the one at the end. The headbanger”. And they said, “Well that’s what you’re getting then!”. So they bottled that and we auctioned it off a bottle at a time for charity, and made thousands. And the second-last bottle I had, I just auctioned off at RebusFest for £5 a ticket, and we raised £2800 for charity, and some lucky person got a bottle for £5! If you ever get to go up to their distillery, ask them to see the ‘Ian Rankin Cask’ they got me to sign.
Charlie MacLean tells us you are friends too? I’ve known Charlie for years, he’s hilarious! I met him once at a do at Buckingham Palace to celebrate British publishing – by chance, he and I walked in at the same time, and right then there was this little guy with a bottle of whisky, and Charlie said: “Oh, my good man, two whiskies over by the grand piano”, and this guy just kept bringing us whisky after whisky! It was a hoot hanging out with Charlie. He’s got a golden nose, and golden taste buds. He’s like a magician.
You mentioned auctioning off the Rebus whiskies for charity – which charities do you support? I support quite a few – The Royal Blind and any for children with special needs, mostly, because my son, who is 23 now, has always had Have you always been a whisky drinker? special needs. I also do stuff for literacy; I used When I was at university an American friend to go into prisons and talk about reading and writing because a lot of prisoners are unable of mine came to visit me and we borrowed my auntie’s car, drove up the Highlands, and went to read and write, and if they come out of jail unable to read and write they’re probably going to as many distilleries as we could visit in two weeks. We slept in the car at the distillery gates to go back to what they know best: the crime – the one I remember was Glen Grant – and as that got them put in prison in the first place. they un-padlocked the gates and pushed them open in the morning, we drove in and said, You’ve also taught students at the “Look, we know how you make the stuff, just take us University of East Anglia – what was through to the tasting room”. Because we’d been that like? to like 15 distilleries, and it’s usually a different Last year I was visiting professor of Creative story but much the same process! That was Writing, and that was quite fun. I said, “Look, I terrific. can’t teach you to write. I can’t turn you into writers. That gave me my love of whisky, and I used If you’ve got talent we can maybe discuss what you to hang out a lot with Iain Banks, God bless his should do with it”. But the one thing I did say to soul; he wrote Raw Spirit, which is a book about them, the golden rule, is to try and have some travelling around the distilleries, looking for the fun. Do not treat it as an academic exercise. best whisky in the world. Try and get back into the mind of that child, that kid you were who wanted to play with their imaginary friends. It’s hard work, but it should be fun as well. Ian’s latest novel, Rather Be The Devil, revives Inspector Rebus and is available to buy now. Find out more about it and Ian’s other works at www.ianrankin.net
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My Craft
Handmade in Glasgow using Britishsourced materials, Trakke bags are a triumph of form and function. We caught up with founder Alec Farmer to find out what goes into his award-winning bags… —
Photography: Brian Sweeney Assistant: Fábio Rebelo Paiva
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My Craft Interview Trakke Timeline 2010
Alec Farmer begins making bags using recycled materials Alec starts selling his bags at The Barras Market, Glasgow
2012
Production moves to a dedicated workshop Trakke relaunches, replacing recycled materials with waxed cotton
2015
Alec and his team move to a new studio in Finnieston, Glasgow
What’s the starting point for designing and making a Trakke bag? It can vary. Sometimes we’ll be doing a trip and don’t have a bag to suit, so we just come up with one. Other times we have a specific customer in mind. With our upcoming collection, it was about making something inspired by the era of design that we like – ’60s or ’70s mountaineering design, and a bit of military influence – then making it relevant to business travel, or people who are commuting in the city, but who are also maybe taking stuff out to slightly more wild climates. Did you start out designing with a particular person in mind? It was me, for a long time. Initially I was cycling around the city on my bike, finding materials from skips – maybe an old leather sofa, suitcases, or advertising banners – and just making whatever I could. And I probably made 200 bags just on my sewing machine at home, and every single one was completely different. We’ve just brought out a bag called the ‘Storr’, and that’s a hand luggage sized backpack. It’s something we’d been thinking about doing for a long time, but I was going on holiday last month, so a few months before I thought “I’d quite like to have that”. Has it always been important for you to source unconventional, ethical or local materials? I started with recycled fabrics because I was a student, and I didn’t have any money – finding stuff on the street was the cheapest way to get off the ground. Then, for a while, we made stuff with a fabric called Cordura, which is a new, synthetic fabric. But the more stuff we made with that, the more I realised it didn’t have any soul. So, when I graduated I said, “If I’m going to do it, let’s do it properly”. We wanted to make in the UK, so it made sense to buy the materials in the UK.
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Trakke Awards Wee Lug Mk1 Best Active Messenger Carry Awards, Carryology, 2013 Online Accessory Retailer of the Year The Herald, 2016 Wee Lug Mk2 Best Work Messenger Bag Carry Awards, Carryology, 2017 Assynt 17 Work Backpack: Highly Commended Carry Awards, Carryology, 2017
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Do you have a textiles background? No, I have a graphic design background. I was really learning with every bag that I made; I’d try something out – if that feature worked, or it didn’t – and would refine the design over time. After a couple of years, I managed to get the team together, who are all significantly better at sewing than I am! And now they do it… Did you know how to sew anything else before you started on the bags? I kind of knew how to sew already, but by no means at a professional seamster level. I have made some of my own clothes at times – the evidence has all been burned… There were some smocks, there were some onesies at one point. I really rocked them. How did you get from graphic designer to bag maker? I studied Visual Communication at Glasgow School of Art. I probably took that course as it was the most vague, because I like lots of different elements of design. For me, this is a great job, because I get to do a bit of everything. I started the business when I was in third year at The Art School. I had another year of school to go, and then worked full time at ISO Design (Glasgow). After a while I quit and started working part time at a café to pay the bills, and did this the rest of the time.
Cutting, stitching and collaboration at Trakke's Glasgow design studio
Did you sell the bags made from recycled materials? Initially I wasn’t really intending to sell – I was just doing it for fun. Then I had more bags than I knew what to do with, so I got a stall at The Barras Market (Glasgow). I sold loads of stuff for really cheap down there! It was cool because people started bringing me fabric that they’d found and asking me to make stuff with it. We got the cycling community when fixed gears were quite cool, and they all started coming down and hanging out, and I suppose we built quite a local following then. As we grew, that really helped to propagate things.
Do you think the way the business has evolved has added character to what you do? Absolutely. It’s given us a story, for one. We’re very transparent about the fact that none of us have got a huge wealth of real world experience; we’re finding our own purpose and way of doing it. How did you go from being a sole trader to growing the Trakke team? Initially I had a guy that used to be a sailmaker, and he used to make everything for me at his own workshop. And then, conveniently, he was thinking about getting rid of his workshop because he didn’t really need his own space, and at the same time I was thinking about setting up my own workshop, so I said, “Come and work for me” and we made a good mutual agreement. After a while he had a baby and left, and then I started finding people. Is it hard to find people who have the relevant skills to manufacture bags like these? It’s quite difficult, because most people who apply for jobs like this – particularly the machining jobs – are nearing retirement. Ask young people if they want to work in a factory and they’ll say ‘no’. Our space is designed to be part design studio, part factory, with a view that we want young people to work here. And that’s a benefit of it being in the city, as well. Does everyone in the team have a say in the design of new bags? Definitely. Normally, it begins with me doing the sketches – sometimes, I’ll make an initial prototype too – before I hand it over to the guys. They’ll do a round of prototypes, then we’ll all get back together and they’ll say, “This is great, but if you did it this way it’d be better for us”. And I’ll say, “I’d like this feature – how can you do that?”. It’s like an architect and a structural engineer, that kind of relationship. You work back and forth. We start off with seconds fabric, because it’s a quick and dirty way of getting the initial prototypes out. That allows us to work out whether our patterning is right, just to make
Founder Alec Farmer talks through the latest prototype
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sure everything fits nicely, works nicely, and is comfortable to wear. Do you choose the fabric to work with the design, or do you have a fabric in mind first? Our core collection is made with waxed cotton, but our newest bags will be made from a fabric that’s a little bit special. It’s based on the fabric the Swiss military used during the war, and it’s now been recreated in the UK using stinging nettles. It’s really beautiful, and quite expensive. Because we knew what fabric we’d use straight away, it was a case of building the collection around the fabric and the heritage of that fabric.
and people have sent you photos from Morocco or from South America, or wherever, that’s incredible. It’s so cool to see the bags being used for what we designed them for. Why the name Trakke? I suppose the idea was that it was an outdoor lifestyle brand, and it was about getting a bunch of people who were all thinking along similar lines, thinking about the same ideas. When you get a bunch of people moving in the same direction you make a track! The web domain name for track, spelled properly, had been sold, so I did a bit of Google translate, and played around with the lettering…
a lot of our range was quite adventure heavy, and quite outdoorsy, and we knew that a lot of people who lived in the city wanted something a bit different. It was a little bit tangential for us, to do something more urban.
How did the adventure blogs on your website come about? A lot of outdoor companies that you see now will hire agencies that specialise in delivering that type of adventure content. We try and do it all ourselves. Pretty much all our content is Where do you source your materials from? exclusive to us – it’s all of our own trips, done Pretty much all – probably 95% – of our in a very lo-fi way. So it’s quite honest. It’s real materials are British-made. There are a few people doing real stuff. things, like zips, that no one makes in the UK We also have about eight ambassadors, and anymore, so we can’t buy them here. we call them the Trakke Pack – they’re generally How do you go about naming your All the fabric is from Dundee. The webbing people who we think represent our values, and different bag designs? we use is made in Derbyshire – it’s about 150 do some cool trips. We do have a bit of a naming convention, years old. Then the stainless steel hardware is although there are a few things that fall out-with We’ve got a scientist and photographer made in Wales, and that’s about 70% recycled. called Alex who does a lot of research The D-rings are made up in the north of England. it. They’re all sort of Scottish – most of them expeditions – most recently he was doing are Scottish place names, although some of We work with quite a small selection of mills, stuff in the Arctic Circle. There’s also a couple them are colloquialisms. We have a bag called but we have a great relationship with them, so called Mads and Cass, and they just cycled ‘The Bairn’ which is a small bag, like the word we get some really interesting stuff. for baby (in Scottish). We’ve got the ‘Wee Lug’, across the Sahara, and got engaged halfway across, all pretty much with our bags on! which doesn’t really mean anything but it was It must be fantastic to have all of that one of the first bags we created way back, and heritage built into your bags… the name just stuck. Then we’ve got the ‘Assynt’, Find out how you can win your very own Trakke We’re a young brand, and we don’t have bag via our competition on page 5. named after a mountain range, the ‘Finnieston a huge amount of heritage to build from, but Tote’ named after Finnieston (were the studio we’re all about building stuff that lasts a long is located), and the ‘Cuillin’ after a mountain time. So, by working with these amazing on Skye. suppliers, we can tell their story as well, and paint the bigger picture of manufacturing. You mentioned that some bags are created with a specific destination or purpose How does it feel, coming from a market in mind – does that inspire the naming stall at The Barras, to going global with process, and do the bags end up visiting a collection that’s handmade in Scotland their namesake location? using almost entirely British materials? No, not always, but sometimes it works It’s really cool, I find it amazing! out that way! About 40% of what we sell goes overseas. The ‘Finnieston Tote’ came about because It’s one thing to wander through Finnieston [where Trakke is based in Glasgow] and see your bag on someone’s back – that’s really exciting – but when you come in on a Monday
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âž› Autumn 2017
54 The Whisky Shop Exclusives 55 Glenglassaugh 56 BenRiach 57 The GlenDronach 58 Hunter Laing 60 The Lost Distillery Company 62 GlenKeir Treasures 63 FEW Spirits 64 Highland Park 66 The House of Suntory 68 Customer Favourites
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The Whisky Shop Exclusives ➛ We’re proud to stock a selection of whiskies exclusive to The Whisky Shop. From limited edition bottlings to old and rare whiskies, single malts to singularly superb blends, these whiskies are for our customers only.
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Balblair 1997 Single Cask
Loch Lomond 2001 Single Cask
– 70CL | 51.5% VOL | £140
– 70CL | 56.5% VOL | £89
What is it? Single cask no.913 was distilled at the Highland Balblair distillery in 1997 and bottled this year, exclusively for The Whisky Shop customers to enjoy. We’ve chosen to present this whisky at a cask strength of 51.5%VOL, as we believe it showcases the fantastic natural character of the whisky which initially caught our attention.
What is it? Limited edition single cask no. 16/329-2 from Loch Lomond Distillery, hand selected by The Whisky Shop team for its outstanding flavour. Distilled in February 2001 and bottled in April 2017, this whisky has been matured in Limousin oak and is presented non chill-filtered at a cask strength of 56.5% VOL.
What’s it like? The aroma is very fresh and fruity with orange and lemon jelly sweets, tropical fruit punch and old fashioned pineapple cube sweeties. Rich butterscotch, custard cream and golden syrup showcase bourbon cask maturation to perfection. Rich in flavour with a waxy texture, the palate boasts a nice mix of sweet and spice, where soft toffee and tutti-frutti ice cream are balanced by a touch of white pepper, leading to a long and spicy finish with some toasted coconut and marshmallow.
What’s it like? Gentle peat smoke and toasted oak from the French Limousin cask is followed by succulent poached pear and fresh vanilla flavours. A burst of warming ginger and cinnamon nod to Loch Lomond Distillery’s versatility in producing wonderfully complex whiskies, marrying subtle peat, spice and fruit.
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Glenglassaugh ➛ Glenglassaugh was founded in
1875, and is located in Portsoy, Banffshire, in the middle ground between the Speyside and Highland regions. The distillery changed hands multiple times within its first 20 years, and was silenced and reopened several times over the subsequent eight decades. It was bought in 2008 by The Scaent Group, who completely modernised the distillery and revitalized the brand, before selling to the BenRiach Distillery Company in 2013. It is now under the ownership of Bacardi BrownForman, along with the BenRiach and The GlenDronach distilleries.
Glenglassaugh Evolution
Glengassaugh Torfa
Glengassaugh Revival
– 70CL | 50% VOL | £55
– 70CL | 50% VOL | £53
– 70CL | 46% VOL | £45
What is it? A whisky created using a unique combination of the finest hand-picked Tennessee first-fill whiskey barrels. Displaying great depth of character and finesse, this expression is a harmonious combination of whisky and oak. Bottled at 50%VOL, natural colour and non chill-filtered.
What is it? Part of the distillery’s very limited quantity of whisky made using richly peated malted barley. Drying the malted barley in the traditional way, over peat infused kilns, gives this whisky its unique smoky flavour. Torfa’s peaty, phenolic nature is a unique expression, and a departure from usual Highland malts.
What is it? A stunning coastal Highland malt, this is the first expression from Glenglassaugh distillery after it was mothballed for over 20 years. Matured in a balanced mix of exred wine and fresh bourbon casks, vatted and re-racked for double maturation in rich sherry casks, it is presented at 46%VOL, non chillfiltered and with its natural colour.
What’s it like? Vivid and sweet on the nose with sooty campfire smoke and sea air infused with lime, apricot jam and ripe soft fruits plus gently warming ginger and black pepper. The palate is eloquent; coastal peat smoke engulfs candied peel and melon, pineapple and roasted apples. Oat biscuits, hints of heather honey and a gentle cigar box scent balance the smoky character, while the finish delivers an elegant harmony of coastal peat and spiced fruit.
What’s it like? Copper coloured, with sweet caramel, toffee and notes of nutty sherry, milk chocolate and honey on the nose. The palate is typical Highland: sweet, rounded and creamy with oranges, plums, cherry and walnuts, chocolate, honey-mead, sherry and soft, spiced oak. The finish is medium with warming mulled-wine spices, sherry and caramel.
What’s it like? Lucious and syrupy on the nose with sweet barley, delicate pineapple and soft buttery vanilla, later developing to deeper oak spice and caramelised pear. The palate is robust; white peppery oak floods through crisp green apple and freshly cracked barley. Gentle salted caramel emerges alongside ripe banana and fruit salad syrup. The finish is a vibrant combination of classic oak spice and delicate soft fruit with fragrant vanilla.
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BenRiach
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The BenRiach 10 Year Old – 70CL | 43% VOL | £42
➛ Situated in the heart of Speyside, The BenRiach Distillery was built by John Duff in 1898. In 2004, it was bought by three entrepreneurs, led by Scotch whisky titan, Billy Walker. The BenRiach sticks to traditional production methods, and since the takeover numerous expressions have been released, including some using peated malt and some finished in ex-wine casks. Billy went on to acquire and revitalise The GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh Distilleries under the BenRiach group umbrella, and these were sold to Bacardi Brown-Forman in 2016.
The BenRiach Cask Strength Batch 1
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The GlenDronach
The GlenDronach 12 Year Old
The GlenDronach 18 Year Old Allardice
The GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 6 What is it? In the spirit of The GlenDronach’s founding father, James Allardice, this cask strength expression has been matured in a combination of the finest Spanish Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks. This superb whisky is bottled at a cask strength of 56.1%VOL, non chillfiltered and at natural colour.
– 70CL | 56% VOL | £66
– 70CL | 43% VOL | £46
What is it? This whisky marks a significant milestone for The BenRiach Distillery as the very first core range expression created predominantly from whiskies distilled there since Billy Walker took charge in 2004. A must-have for BenRiach fans, it is a fine example of the Speyside distillery’s soft, sherried style.
What is it? The first ever cask strength batch released by The BenRiach, following the extremely popular precedent set by sister distillery The GlenDronach. The whisky chosen for ‘batch 1’ is classic BenRiach in style: voluptuously sweet honey, soft fruits and gentle spices – but at a heady cask strength of 57.2%VOL.
What’s it like? Natural tawny colour from a combination of European and American oak casks. A fruity top-note (fresh apple plus a hint of powdered ginger) sits atop a vanilla sponge base. The aromas translate to the palate, which is sweet overall with light acidity referencing peaches and lemon zest. The texture is creamy, the finish long and warming.
What’s it like? Official tasting notes from Charles MacLean describe “The colour of autumn sunlight, with moderate beading, this has come from firstfill American oak casks. The nose is more mellow than one would expect, with fruity top-notes (apple, melon and green banana), on a light pastry base; more perfumed when qualified with water. The taste is sweet, fresh and acidic.”
What is it? This superb richly sherried single malt is matured for at least 12 years in a combination of the finest Spanish Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks. Awarded Gold in the 2016 International Wine & Spirits Competition in the 10-12 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky category, it is a must-try for fans of bold, sherrydriven malts.
What is it? The GlenDronach 18 Year Old Allardice is named in honour of the distillery’s famed founder, James Allardice, whose enterprising sales techniques ensured his ‘guid Glendronach’s’ enduring popularity. Matured in the finest Oloroso sherry casks, it is a tremendously complex and long single malt, and is non chill-filtered with no additional colouring.
What’s it like? The nose offers aromas of stewed fruits, rhubarb and bramble jam with some crushed hazelnut and brown sugar and a faint charcoal smokiness as it opens over time. Richly flavoured with sherry fruitiness to the fore, some Turkish Delight and aniseed add to its complexity. The finish is clean and balanced, but rich and spicy – a classic warming dram.
What’s it like? The nose is sweet and complex with aromatic fudge and Muscavado, fruit compote and glacier cherries. Rich and dark on the palate, this expression has a remarkable taste of stewed fruits and allspice, married together with classical aged Oloroso flavours.
➛ Established in 1826 by James Allardice, the Highland GlenDronach Distillery is named after the source of its water, the Dronac burn. Within a decade of opening it was destroyed by fire, but soon rebuilt thanks to key industry figures including Walter Scott and ‘Captain’ Charles Grant. Sold to William Teacher & Sons in 1976 and mothballed in 1996, it was re-opened in 2002, before being purchased by The BenRiach Distillery Company in 2008. The latter created what they accurately describe as a ‘renaissance’, all the while maintaining the heritage of the distillery, before selling The GlenDronach to Bacardi Brown-Forman in 2016.
– 70CL | 46% VOL | £95
– 70CL | 56.1% VOL | £63
What’s it like? Golden mahogany in colour, the nose is warming with peppery oak, perfectly combined with orange chocolate, sugar-coated almonds and ripe figs. On the palate, golden sultanas and yellow plums balance a rich barley character. Intriguing hints of dark chocolate appear alongside a classic back note of dry cedar wood, adding great complexity to the long finish.
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Hunter Laing ➛ Three generations of the Laing family have honed their skills in sourcing the very finest whiskies from Scotland, and the international reputation they’ve gained is richly deserved. Among others, we stock their First Editions range of accessible single cask malts, the now famous Old Malt Cask range, and The Sovereign range of rare and highly desirable single cask grain whiskies.
The Old Malt Cask Highland Park 19 Year Old
The Old Malt Cask Aberlour 21 Year Old
The First Editions Caol Ila 2010
The First Editions Craigellachie 2005
The First Editions Glenrothes 2005
The Sovereign Invergordon 1995
What is it? An island malt from Orkney’s Highland Park distillery, distilled in September 1997. Matured in a single refill hogshead for 19 years, only 210 bottles have been produced at a preferred strength of 50%VOL under Hunter Laing’s Old Malt Cask range of single cask expressions.
What is it? Distilled in May 1996 at Aberlour Distillery, this Speyside single malt has been matured in a refill hogshead for 21 years. It was bottled under The Old Malt Cask range in 2017 at 50%VOL, with only 243 bottles created from this single cask.
What is it? Hailing from Islay’s Caol Ila Distillery, this single cask expression was distilled in 2010 and matured for 6 years in a refill hogshead before bottling in 2017. Only 428 bottles have been produced from this single cask; presented at 46%VOL, free from chill filtration and artificial colouring.
What is it? A single cask expression sourced from Speyside’s Craigellachie Distillery. Matured in a sole sherry butt for 11 years before bottling in 2017, only 366 non chill-filtered bottles have been produced, at a strength of 46%VOL.
What is it? Distilled in 2005 and bottled in 2017, this sumptuously sherried Speyside single malt hails from Glenrothes Distillery, which lies at the foot of the Mannoch Hills beside the Rothes burn. Matured in a single Oloroso sherry cask, it is presented at 46%VOL.
What is it? Distilled in May 1995 at the Invergordon Distillery, which is located on the Cromarty Firth just north of Inverness, and whose grain whiskies are renowned for their exceptional quality. Bottled at 21 years in April 2017, this single cask expression is one of only 158 and presented at 49%VOL.
– 70CL | 50% VOL | £299
What’s it like? The nose offers orange, butterscotch and vanilla. Milk chocolate and heather are present on the palate, before a finish that layers a satisfying smokiness over delicious brown sugar and chocolate aspects.
– 70CL | 50% VOL | £130
What’s it like? The nose has peaches, custard and milk chocolate notes. The palate is creamy with apricots and icing sugar, leading to a long dry finish with an abundantly sweet, fruity aftertaste.
– 70CL | 46% VOL | £87
What’s it like? The nose is powerful – sweet vanilla and honey, seaweed and iodine appearing late. A beautifully smooth palate with creamy stewed fruits and butterscotch precedes a long, lingering, peaty finish.
– 70CL | 46% VOL | £72
What’s it like? There’s caramel, orange and even a touch of fresh grain and citrus on the nose. Sweet tangerines, vanilla cookies and other zingy citrus vie for attention on the palate, before a sweet and fruity finish with triumphant tangerine notes.
– 70CL | 46% VOL | £97
What’s it like? Aromas are classic Oloroso: very clean with some spiced dried fruit, developing to sticky figs, warm plum jam and dark chocolate once allowed to breathe. The flavour is warming with a tongue prickle at full strength; honeyed with pepper and emerging sweet desert wine notes. The finish welcomes back the fruits and the spice detected on the nose, and goes on and on and on…
– 70CL | 49% VOL | £130
What’s it like? Lavishly creamy vanilla fudge, buttery shortbread and abundant orchard fruits including apples and pears on the nose. The palate is rich yet very silky-smooth, offering honey, toffee and a touch of banana. It has a long lasting, though drying finish, with cereals and almonds plus a touch of smoky mezcal.
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The The Lost Lost Distillery Distillery Company Company ➛ The Lost Distillery Co. is a boutique Scotch whisky producer aiming to revive the spirit of Scotland’s many ‘lost’ distilleries. They do not copy the past, but rather create what they feel those distilleries would make today. A special archiving team defines the 10 key components which influenced the character of the original whisky, and this research is interpreted by the whisky makers. Finally, ‘The Debate’ is used to bring each expression to life, and resurrect the distillery’s spirit.
The Lost Distillery Co. The Lost Distillery Co. The Lost Distillery Co. Auchnagie Lossit Jericho
The Lost Distillery Co. Gerston
– 70CL | 43% VOL | £50
– 70CL | 43% VOL | £50
– 70CL | 43% VOL | £50
– 70CL | 43% VOL | £50
What is it? A marriage of 100% aged single malt Scotch whiskies, recreating the signature malt of the now lost Auchnagie Highland Distillery. Auchnagie was one of several family distilleries in the Ballinluig area of Perthshire during the 19th century. Founded in 1812, it had a varied existence until it was acquired by John Dewar & Son to form the heart of Dewar’s Blend.
What is it? Winner of first place in the Best Blended Malt Scotch category at the 2017 International Whisky Competition! This marriage of 100% single malt Scotch aims to replicate the whisky of Islay’s now lost Lossit Distillery. Operational from 1817–1867, Lossit was a farm distillery that became the biggest producer of whisky on the island during the industry’s formative years.
What is it? A blended malt Scotch whisky which seeks to reinterpret the liquid created at Aberdeenshire’s lost Jericho Distillery. Operating from 1822-1913, this Highland distillery changed name from Jericho to Benachie in its latter years, and was a pioneer of sherry cask maturation.
What is it? A recreation of the whisky once produced at the now lost Gerston Distillery, which was situated in the village of Halkirk, Caithness. A working distillery between the years of 1796 and 1882, Gerston was renowned amongst famous figures including the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel, as well as being exported to meet demand in Calcutta and Buenos Aires.
What’s it like? The nose is floral with honey and cereal notes. The palate is rich in dried fruit, with peppery aspects developing to a citrus influence in the pleasantly sweet finish.
What’s it like? The nose boasts characteristic Islay peat, along with pear and almond milk. The palate is elegant, with a peat and pepper balance, before smoke flows through the long, satisfying finish.
What’s it like? The nose offers fruitcake, tangerine and marzipan. On the palate notes of freshly ground coffee are joined by soft, woody spice, leading to a finish similarly rich in sweet spices.
What’s it like? The nose presents sweet toffee, layered over delicious ripe fruits. The palate continues with soft caramel and a slightly salty note, before a whiff of smoke and lingering salt in the finish.
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GlenKeir Treasures ➛ Our unique GlenKeir Treasures range is now in its twelfth year of widespread approval by customers. We pick the best casks we can find and offer a selection of bottle sizes to suit. Our 20cl quarter bottle size is compact, robust and a favourite with travellers.
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GlenKeir Treasures Mortlach 8 Year Old
GlenKeir Treasures Craigellachie 9 Year Old Sherry Cask
GlenKeir Treasures Fettercairn 8 Year Old
What is it? Established in 1823, Mortlach was the first legal distillery in Dufftown, which lies in the very heart of the revered Speyside region. It enjoys a fantastic global reputation, with whisky expert Dave Broom dubbing Mortlach whiskies ‘The Best of Dufftown’ – this liquid was distilled there on 15th April 2009.
What is it? Craigellachie is a self-declared ‘old fashioned’ distillery, and its whiskies have long been known for their challengingly sulphuric, meaty character. This sets them aside from typical Speyside single malts, and is complemented perfectly by sherry wood maturation in this relatively youthful expression
What is it? Fettercairn Distillery is nestled in the shadow of the Grampian foothills, lending it its name, which loosely translates to ‘the foot of the mountain’. This whisky, distilled in June 2009 at the Highland distillery is bottled at 40%VOL.
What’s it like? Sweet and fruity aromas of pineapple and pears are joined by creamy vanilla sweetness and some comforting banoffee pie, with almond and malty notes evolving over time alongside hints of heather and dried flowers. The flavour is of pear drops and sweet rice pudding, white chocolate and soft caramel, giving way to a spiced finish with cayenne pepper and subtle soft oak.
What’s it like? Honey-coated peaches and mangoes on the nose; also, honeyed cereal bars, toasted poppy seeds, and a touch of liquorice. A little a water releases dried fruits with crispy biscuit (think Garibaldi’s or fig rolls). The palate is rich and waxy with lots of honeyed notes, the bite of blood orange and a touch of white pepper. It mellows to a creamy candied note and sherbet sweets (Refresher chews, Wham Bars). The finish has some classic Craigellachie earthy notes, with a slight oily and charcoal finale.
– 70CL | 40% VOL | £45
– 70CL | 40% VOL | £50
Whiskeria
FEW Spirits
– 70CL | 40% VOL | £40
What’s it like? The aroma is sweet with vanilla and buttery shortbread, almond, marzipan and creamy caramel. The palate continues the creamy sweetness, with suggestions of rice pudding, white chocolate and fresh coconut, with a lovely balance against a malty backdrop. The finish is oaky and dry with some chocolatey notes.
➛ Birthed from America’s Temperance movement, FEW Spirits brazenly take its name from the initials of Frances Elizabeth Willard: once-prevalent prohibitionist in the distillery’s hometown of Evanston, Illinois. Founded by Paul Hletko, the FEW Spirits Distillery was the city’s first post-prohibition distiller of grain spirits, and prides itself on producing a range of truly handcrafted, artisan whiskeys and gins, created and bottled under one roof.
FEW Bourbon Whiskey
FEW Rye Whiskey
– 70CL | 46.5% VOL | £60
– 70CL | 46.5% VOL | £70
What is it? An award-winning, hand-crafted, small batch American whiskey, triple-distilled using timeless techniques. FEW use a three-grain recipe that “infuses generations of Southern tradition with the spiciness of northern rye and a touch of malt for smoothness” before ageing their artisan spirit in charred oak barrels.
What is it? Craft Whiskey of the Year 2013 at the Whisky Advocate Awards, this is a genteel interpretation of a classic American whiskey style. The generous rye content is balanced beautifully by sweet corn, before the spirit is patiently aged in air-dried oak barrels, resulting in an exceptional quality, easy-drinking, spicy rye.
What’s it like? Rich and spicy thanks to the rye, with classic bourbon aromas of vanilla and caramel. The palate follows suit with oodles of toffee-caramel sweetness, complemented by cardamom and cloves. The finish is lingering with plenty of background warmth and a spicy tingle.
What’s it like? Surprisingly fruity on the nose with orchard fruits layered over spice. The flavour is also fruity: think apples and pears accompanied by green bananas and candied orange, the latter of which turns juicy on the long finish alongside tart apples and sumptuous spice.
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The Lost Distillery Highland ParkCompany ➛ Located on Orkney, Highland Park is one of the most remote whisky distilleries in the world. Claiming to have been in existence since 1798 – which would also make it one of the world’s oldest distilleries – it wasn’t officially licensed until 1826. Either way, Highland Park continues to use the same traditional processes established almost 200 years ago to create exceptional and distinctive island whisky ‘with Viking soul’, often considered to be some of the best in the world.
Highland Park 12 Year Old Viking Honour
Highland Park 18 Year Old Viking Pride
Highland Park 30 Year Old
Highland Park 40 Year Old
Highland Park Dark Origins
– 70CL | 43% VOL | £130
– 70CL | 45.7% VOL | £649
– 70CL | 48.3% VOL | £2750
– 70CL | 46.8% VOL | £72
What is it? Introduced in 1979, Highland Park 12 Year Old is the whisky which kick-started the distillery’s enduring popularity amongst Scotch fans! It lies at the very heart of the Highland Park range, and was dubbed “the greatest all-rounder in the world of malt whisky” by legendary whisky writer, Michael Jackson.
What is it? One of the most awarded whiskies of all time, Highland Park 18 Year Old lives up to its newly appointed title ‘Viking Pride’. It is created using slow-burning, aromatic peat from Hobbister Moor, hand turned floor maltings, sherry seasoned European oak casks, cool maturation in the temperate island climate, and a long and unhurried harmonisation process.
What is it? Just over 30 years ago, Highland Park's master distiller laid down some robust and oily new make spirit in refill sherry-seasoned casks (preventing the oak flavours from dominating the maturation). Aged on the windswept isle of Orkney over the extended period of time, that liquid was to become the heart of this incredible spirit.
What is it? First released in April 2008, Highland Park 40 Year Old is an evolution of the 30 Year Old expression and the oldest permanent edition in the range. Batched in small quantities, it represents the culmination of many years’ whisky-making knowledge and experience at the historic island distillery.
What’s it like? Characteristic Highland Park fudgy sweetness is combined with complex aromatic spice, dark chocolate orange and floral peat notes. This full-on flavour is followed by a dry finish, replete with more aromatic smoke and a tang of salty sea spray.
What’s it like? Immediate smoky aromatic notes full of nutmeg and spice are followed by reminisces of dark chocolate and rich dark fruits on the nose. The palate is complex and incredibly well-balanced with lots of heather peat smoke, toffee and dark chocolate leading to a long and moreish finish.
What is it? Highland Park Dark Origins is an ode to Magnus Eunson – founder of Highland Park – and his journey from cunning smuggler working under cover of darkness, to maker of one of the world’s greatest spirits. It has been created using double the amount of first-fill sherry oak casks used for Highland Park 12 year old, allowing for a far richer taste.
– 70CL | 40% VOL | £37
What’s it like? Rich, well-balanced malty tones exist in perfect harmony with aromatic smoky peat, sweet heather honey and rich fruit cake. The palate is creamy with some citrus, ripe peaches, sticky-sweet honey and subtle spice.
What’s it like? A perfect expression of harmony, complexity and refinement, the intense balance of flavours in Highlad Park 18 Year Old include honeyed sweetness, golden syrup and just a hint of peat smoke and salty sea air.
What’s it like? Rich mahogany in colour, there are aromas of sherried spice and ripe bananas combined with toasted hazelnuts and baked apple. Wellbalanced on the palate, dry peat mellows to Maraschino cherries and warm dark chocolate, before an enduring sweet-smoke finish.
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The The Lost HouseDistillery of Suntory Company ➛ Representing a perfect distillation of the national mentality, Japanese whiskies are a triumph of attention to detail, hard work and patience, and have been enjoying increasing popularity over recent years. The House of Suntory encapsulates multiple distilleries – including the country’s pioneering Yamazaki Distillery, opened in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii – and releases a variety of single malt, grain and blended whiskies under the Suntory, Yamazaki, Chita, Hibiki and Hakushu brands.
Yamazaki 12 Year Old
Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve
The Chita
Hibiki Japanese Harmony
Hibiki 21 Year Old
– 70CL | 43% VOL | £110
– 70CL | 43% VOL | £79
– 70CL | 43% VOL | £58
– 70CL | 43% VOL | £73
– 70CL | 43% VOL | £499
What is it? Suntory’s flagship single malt; the surprising, delicate-yet-profound experience of a Japanese single malt was born at Yamazaki. Spiritual and deep, its signature multi-layered taste is highly praised by whisky connoisseurs all over the world. Today, Yamazaki is not only the No.1 single malt whisky in Japan, but is enjoyed in more than thirty-five countries.
What is it? Released in spring 2014, this no age-statement whisky is a blend of single malts matured in a combination of American oak, Japanese Mizunara oak, sherry oak, and French oak Bordeaux wine casks, with a little peated single malt also added to the mix.
What is it? This single grain whisky from Suntory is the result of 40 years of excellence in distilling via continuous research and innovation. Traditionally used as the ‘dashi’ or broth that enhances Suntory blends, Chita has finally achieved a level of complexity and sophistication that allows the grain to take centre stage.
What is it? The first Hibiki blended whisky was released in 1989 to commemorate Suntory’s 90th anniversary. This expression, released in 2016, brings the harmony of Japanese nature and craftsmanship to life in a delicate, well-balanced expression that’s both subtle and complex. It incorporates more than 10 malt and grain whiskies from Suntory’s Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries.
What is it? Hibiki means resonance in Japanese; it speaks to the most discerning whisky lover on an emotional level. The legendary Hibiki represents true harmony, the ideal of perfection, the paragon of 'The Art of Japanese Whisky' and its artisans. This 21 Year Old expression combines numerous pure single malt whiskies aged in a variety of cask types, including Mizunara, to create a symphony of flavours.
What’s it like? Pure gold in colour, this 12 Year Old expression is succulent and multi-layered on the nose with pineapple, peach, grapefruit, candied orange, vanilla and unique Mizunara (Japanese oak) aromas. The palate develops with coconut and cranberry over buttery richness, and leads to sweetginger and cinnamon on the long finish.
What’s it like? Mild with fresh fruit – strawberries and cherries – and the distinctive aroma of Mizunara Japanese oak. The palate boasts juicy raspberries, white peach and a hint of coconut. The finish is sweet but clean, with vanilla and a touch of subtle cinnamon.
What’s it like? Notes of crème brûlée, cardamom, acacia honey and rose blossoms on the nose. The palate is mild and smooth with hints of mint amidst a deep honey character, leading to a finish that is clean and clear with spiced oak and a subtle bittersweet note.
What’s it like? Notes from Charles MacLean declare: “Pale amber in colour. A delicate scent of polished copper and light vanilla to start with, developing complex floral, green, mossy then fresh oaky notes, changing all the time. A surprisingly dry mouthfeel, and a lightly sweet, then chilli-pepper taste, at full strength, mellowing with a little water, leaving a charred, oaky aftertaste.” We recommend enjoying Hibiki Harmony the Japanese way, called mizuwari, i.e. ‘cut with water’.
What’s it like? A graceful whisky, bronze-amber in colour, with cooked fruit, blackberries, ripe banana and caramel on the nose. The palate is complex with sandalwood, honeycomb, dried apricot and rare Mizunara oak. The finish is long, with an incense aroma.
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Customer Favourites ➛ The whiskies our customers love provide a happy hunting ground for shoppers. From the smoky Islays to sumptuously sherried drams and everything in-between, there is something here for everyone.
The BenRiach 10 Year Old Curiositas
The BenRiach 20 Year Old
The GlenDronach 12 Year Old
– 70CL | 40% VOL | £47
– 70CL | 43% VOL | £95
– 70CL | 43% VOL | £46
What is it? A Speyside peated malt may seem curious, but this BenRiach actually represents a return to original 19th century Speyside form. Peat richness is accomplished by using malted barley dried in the traditional way over peat infused kilns, achieving the optimum balance of peatbittersweet and oak infusion after 10 years’ maturation. The undoubtedly peaty nose also promises fragrant honey, while the palate boasts peat smoke followed by a complex mix of heather, nuts, oak wood and spice.
What is it? A classic single malt from BenRiach, aged for 20 years in ex-bourbon casks for a gloriously elegant, smooth finish. Full-bodied, it boasts a multifaceted aroma layering spice, nuts, honey, floral and fruity notes. The palate is beautifully round and rich with everything from sweet honey and vanilla, to herbal complexity, woody spice and freshness from mint and green apple. The finish is just as complex and lingering.
What is it? A signature single malt from the distillery famous for its richly sherried offering, and an awardwinning expression at that; no wonder the GlenDronach 12 Year Old retains its status as a favourite amongst our customers! Matured in both Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks, it is imbued with an indulgent portfolio of flavours – read more on the GlenDronach product page.
The GlenDronach 18 Year Old Allardice
anCnoc 12 Year Old
– 70CL | 46% VOL | £95
– 70CL | 40% VOL | £44
What is it? Created using waters from the Dronac Burn, this a superbly complex single malt made in the characteristic big sherry style. An ode to James Allardice, who founded the distillery and produced the very first drops of ‘guid Glendronach’, this expression has been matured in the finest Oloroso sherry casks. Rich and dark, it promises remarkable depth of flavour with stewed fruits and allspice. Read more on the GlenDronach product page.
What is it? A whisky whose name isn’t taken directly from its home distillery, anCnoc comes from the Highland Knockdhu Distillery. Established in 1894 as the perfect embodiment of a modern distillery, Knockdhu lies on the border of Speyside and produces light, intriguing, forward-thinking whisky. Matured in a combination of ex-bourbon, sherry and secondfill American oak casks, this expression is delicate yet complex, smooth yet challenging, and universally loved for it!
Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley – 70CL | 50% VOL | £52
What is it? Still made to distilling legend Jim McEwan’s original 100% Scottish barley recipe: trickle distilled, matured on the shores of Loch Indaal and crafted from a selection of casks. Described as being “smooth as pebbles in a pool”, expect barley sugar with subtle mint developing to a freshly cut meadow on the nose. Brilliantly clean on the palate, barley and oak are followed by a gust of ripe green fruit, sweet malt, brown sugar and a warm finish.
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Customer Favourites ➛ The whiskies our customers love provide a happy hunting ground for shoppers. From the smoky Islays to sumptuously sherried drams and everything in-between, there is something here for everyone.
Glenfarclas 10 Year Old
Glenfarclas 15 Year Old
The Dalmore 12 Year Old
The Dalmore 15 Year Old
Balblair 1999
Balblair 2005
– 70CL | 40% VOL | £45
– 70CL | 46% VOL | £60
– 70CL | 40% VOL | £50
– 70CL | 40% VOL | £70
– 70CL | 46% VOL | £77
– 70CL | 46% VOL | £56
What is it? One of Speyside’s most famous whisky producers also happens to be one of the last remaining familyowned distilleries in Scotland. Boasting a huge range of muchloved whiskies, Glenfarclas is somewhat fabled amongst Scotch drinkers, and this 10 year old is a perennial favourite. The nose is rich with Christmas cake, sherry, raisins, nuts and spice plus a hint of smoke. The palate is surprisingly dry, before sweetening to a full body. The finish is long, nutty and also dry – a real classic.
What is it? Awarded 95/100 in Jim Murray’s 2007 Whisky Bible, this 46% VOL Speyside whisky certainly leaves a lasting impression, and remains a family favourite amongst the Grant clan. The nose is complex – rich sherried notes and delicious peat balance out with light butterscotch and dried fruit. The palate is fullbodied with big sherry character, malt and peat, leading to a sweet and gently smoky finish.
What is it? It’s not surprising that our former Whisky of The Year retains its status as a firm favourite amongst The Whisky Shop customers. To recap for those who haven’t yet dipped a toe into The Dalmore portfolio: this single malt is a Highland triumph displaying signs of sherry wood maturation: full-bodied, thick, sweet and ‘muscular’. Leathery notes and a long spicy finish add finesse and make this popular dram an absolute must-try.
What is it? Matured for 15 years in a trio of ex-sherry casks, as well as exbourbon barrels, The Dalmore’s 15 Year Old is another core range whisky for your bucket list. A stylistic evolution from The Dalmore’s famous 12 Year Old and just as popular, you can expect a similarly varied profile of chocolate orange sweetness, gentle spice and rich warmth. It’s a true testament to the distillery’s creative and ambitious approach.
What is it? A full-bodied Highland single malt created at one of Scotland’s oldest and prettiest distilleries. Truly representative of the Balblair house style, the initial aromas are of brown bread and butter that later develop to light vanilla and ground almonds. The palate also takes a journey from sweet to spicy thanks to time in Spanish oak ex-sherry butts. Salty flavours are present at full strength, and water enhances the maritime character with a faint oiliness, creating a softer dram overall.
What is it? The first release of the 2005 expression from Balblair – who mark themselves out by bottling by year, rather than age. Matured in ex-Bourbon casks, there’s definite honey and vanilla present in this predominantly sweet dram. The nose is all oaky vanilla and citrus with a suggestion of fragrant cut flowers. The palate is reminiscent of citrus and orchard fruits that lift the intense sweetness and lead to a delectably long, spicy finish.
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Customer Favourites ➛ The whiskies our customers love provide a happy hunting ground for shoppers. From the smoky Islays to sumptuously sherried drams and everything in-between, there is something here for everyone.
Jura ‘Diurachs’ Own’ 16 Year Old
Jura Prophecy
Glen Scotia 15 Year Old
Glen Scotia Double Cask
Glenrothes Sherry Cask Reserve
Talisker Port Ruighe
– 70CL | 40% VOL | £59
– 70CL | 46% VOL | £68
– 70CL | 46% VOL | £63
– 70CL | 46% VOL | £45
– 70CL | 40% VOL | £57
– 70CL | 45.8% VOL | £55
What is it? Named for the people of Jura, this whisky gives you a true taste of the unique Hebridean isle, as defined by those who know it best! Jura’s dram of the people has been treated to double wood maturation in American white oak ex-bourbon and ex-Amoroso Oloroso sherry casks; combined, they’ve lent the whisky a curiously bold character. You’ll detect flavours of Christmas cake, dark chocolate and dried fruit from nose to toasty finish.
What is it? A heavily peated expression from Jura Distillery, with a drier and smokier flavour than the ‘standard’ peated Jura Superstition. Released in small batches, it is complex and briny with strong spicy sea spray at the fore. Many taste peat smoke laced with fresh cinnamon in this intensely aromatic whisky with a long-lasting flavour.
What is it? This confident Campbeltown single malt originates from a distillery that’s been going strong since 1832. Non chill-filtered and aged in American oak, it’s a triumph of flavour with everything from citrus to oak, ginger snaps to apricots and a hint of caramel, perfectly representing a region that many Scotch drinkers have overlooked in recent decades, but is finally experiencing something of a resurgence in popularity!
What is it? Another cracking Campbeltown dram with plenty of ‘oomph’! This double cask-matured whisky balances vanilla-infused oak with salty sea-air tones in an ode to the distillery’s coastal location and its time in first-fill bourbon barrels as well as Pedro Ximénez casks. The latter have lent bold fruit and spice to the mix, creating a whisky of wonderful depth and character.
What is it? Maturation in custom-made sherry casks from Jerez, southern Spain (despite costing around five times as much as American ex-bourbon equivalents), gives this whisky a unique, dried fruit and resinous character that underpins the sherry top notes. Expect orange peel, fruit cake, vanilla, ginger bread, black cherries and pear drops on the nose, ginger, spice and oaky notes with an explosion of crème brûlée on the palate.
What is it? The whisky gurus at Talisker Distillery have taken their seminal Isle of Skye malt and finished it in ruby port casks to create the fantastically rich and fruity Port Ruighe. The nose moves from sea-spray to waxy aromas with a little sweetness. This is mirrored on the palate, with Talisker’s classic maritime character being rounded off and dramatically sweetened by the Port finish. The finish includes cocoa and oak, with even a hint of citrus.
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Mixing It Up
This autumn, we made an appointment with Bryant & Mack Private Detectives at their HQ on an unassuming Edinburgh back-street, to discover the latest developments in the case of whisky cocktails‌ — Photography: Christina Kernohan
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Mixing It Up
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Mixing It Up
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Day Trip to Rothes
— 40ml Glenrothes Sherry Cask Reserve 10ml Amer Picon 10ml Homemade beetroot & rosemary caramel 2 dash Black pepper bitters — Method: Stir over ice. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with toasted rosemary. —
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Black Tea Fleming
— 50ml Lapsang tea infused Monkey Shoulder 25ml Homemade honey & ginger syrup 25ml Lemon juice Spritz Talisker 10 Year Old mist – Shake over ice and double strain into tumbler over ice. –
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Mixing It Up
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Boulevardier
— 25ml Balvenie Doublewood 12 Year Old 25ml Campari 25ml Gancia Rosso — Method: Stir with ice and strain into a tumbler over ice. —
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No Yolk Sour
— 50ml Buffalo Trace 1 Malbec infused egg white 25ml Lemon juice 12.5ml Sugar syrup — Method: Dry shake (without ice) to emulsify the egg white, then shake again over ice and double strain into a coupe. —
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Nettle & Lemongrass Gimlet
— 50ml Pickering’s Gin 25ml Nettle & lemongrass cordial 1 dash Grapefruit bitters – Method: Stir over ice. Strain into a long-stemmed glass. –
ATL A N TIC SE A SA LT Part one of a four part limited release that celebrates the iconic flavour profiles of the legendary No.1 VAULTS, the World’s oldest Scotch maturation warehouse.
BOWMORE.COM
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Travel
Passage to India
Claire Bell travels to India to discover the newest and oldest distilleries on the sub-continent. —
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Knowledge Bar Goa India Grid Ref: 15.3º North 74.1º East Population: 1.8 Million Former Portuguese colony Official language: Konkani India’s smallest state by area Coastline meets the Arabian Sea Divided into two districts: North & South Goa
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Goa →
Goa seduces swiftly. Within moments of arrival your body is wooed by the sweet air, tilting palm trees and winding roads lined with pink, purple and turquoise villas. A soft smile spreads across your face and your mind has little option but to succumb. Susegad – easygoing – is the word Goans use to describe themselves and their coastal corner of India. For over 400 years Goa was a Portuguese colony and the word is thought to be derived from ‘soccegado’, the Portuguese word for quiet. It was this culture of ease that lured hippies in the 1960s, and Goa’s long stretches of sands backed by palm-fringed beach bars and cafés continue to be a magnet for Indian and foreign holidaymakers. Today, the resorts to the north are more of an Indian Ibiza, but head south for a more laid-back vibe – and a fine dram. Just inland from the beaches of Cavelossim is Paul John Distillery. It draws its waters from Sal River, which rises inland and flows for 35 kilometres parallel to the coast before opening into the sea at Betul, where blue, white and red wooden fishing boats bob in the harbour. “To make whisky, you need water, and the water here is sweet and plentiful,” says Michael D’Souza, the 40-year-old master distiller, who won the 2017 Icons of Whisky Master Distiller of the Year award. It’s a young distillery with a big vision. It started producing in 2009 using Indian-only barley, and when Whiskeria visited, D’Souza was overseeing its transformation from a backwater factory into a grand Indo-Portuguese visitor centre. The plans include tasting rooms, a sensory room, and a café, due to open October 2017. Dressed in chinos, a golf shirt and trainers, D’Souza might be part of the new generation of distillers, but his love of whisky is as old-fashioned as ever. D’Souza grew up in the hill station of Coorg – where the most popular dram is ‘country liquor’ made from rice – and became fascinated with the flavours in alcohol from a young age. “My grandfather always used to brew beer in his home. I think I may have his genes.” He first trained in brandy and wine-making under Mr Chowdari in Bangalore, and travelled
extensively, investigating how the best single malts are made, before firing up his stills. “For me, whisky is all about environment. Every region has its own character. A lot of whisky today is about fashion not passion. We realised that if we wanted to make something special, we had to start from scratch. Everything here is different.” The temperature and the humidity are the most obvious differences. D’Souza describes Goa as having three seasons: “hot, hotter and hottest.” “Our whiskies don’t mature faster, but they mature differently. We lose more alcohol and less water. There is more mineral character, it is saltier, the humidity gives it more chocolate character and the climate also enhances the vanilla, almond and tropical fruit notes.” Touring the distillery with D’Souza, as workmen bang away in the early summer heat trying to make headway before the monsoon rains, it is clear how much he is enjoying pioneering this tropical uisge beatha. He points out how he has altered the design of the pot stills several times, removing copper from the gooseneck, and changing the angle of the limb arm from a steep descent to a steep ascent to get lighter worts and more elegant vapours. To date, his flagship creations are ‘Brilliance’ (an unpeated blended whisky), ‘Edited’ (a single malt with a hint of peat) and ‘Bold’ (fully peated malt), but he is just getting started. “In Scotland they take 12 years to study a barrel. We have only been doing this for 8 years. We are on a learning curve. We don’t have any idea what will happen tomorrow,” he says with a glimmer in his eyes. That is not to say he doesn’t have an idea of what he hopes to achieve. “India is massively diverse, in its people, its cuisine, its languages. I wanted to bring that same vibrancy into the bottle. I wanted to create a whisky that was robust, but at the same time elegant.” The immense contrasts of India reveal themselves a few days later, as we swap the tropics for the foothills of the Himalayas, and take the single-gauge train up from the plains through God’s own window to reach Kasauli, a hill station built during the time of the Raj as a
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military installation and a place to retreat from the Delhi heat. Up here, pine trees replace palms, saris are swapped for salwar kameez, and all around are enormous terraced mountains, dotted with temples, villages and walking paths, all shrouded in a soft heat haze, which makes the world seem slightly out of focus – and that is before you’ve tried the local whisky. In the 1820s an Englishman called Edward Dyer was inspired by the climate and the fresh spring water that bubbled up from within the Karol mountain “to produce a malt whisky as fine as Scotch whisky”. He imported brewing and distillation equipment, got oxen to tow it up the towering peaks, and began to create his Indian ‘Scotch’. Nearly 200 years later, with a few changes of ownership, Solan No. 1 is still in production, and up until the 1980s was the most popular whisky in India. You would think it would be easy to get invited to visit the world’s highest whisky distillery, which also happens to be the oldest in Asia, and one of the oldest in continuous operation anywhere in the world. This is not the case. After independence in 1947, the distillery was bought by the Mohan family, a Brahmin family from the Punjab, who famously shy away from marketing and publicity. What’s more, Indian law requires the distillery to get permission from Customs and Excise for any visitors to enter the premises, and when emails go astray, Whiskeria is told that insufficient time has been given to arrange a visit. Fortunately, this is India where everything is possible, and we stumble upon Pinekonez (lapinekonezkasauli.com), a charming homestay in Kasauli, whose owner knows the distillery director’s cousin. Four degrees of separation and a few days later, and we are in. Perched on the side of a hill, the distillery is housed in a series of white-washed buildings edged with jolly red and green trim that wouldn’t look out of place in Mary Poppins. Just inside the gates is a mini combustion locomotive, manufactured in Lincoln, that used to act as the boiler for the stills. A cooper, in the middle of repairing a barrel, points us to the office of the distillery director, Colonel Rathore.
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Rathore joined the distillery after retiring from the army. His office is lined with black and white pictures of important men in turbans, and certificates of excellence for Mohan Meakin’s other creations, Old Monk Rum and Golden Eagle Lager. Solan No. 1 is not a single malt whisky, but rather a malted whisky matured for 3-5 years with flavours, essences and caramels added at the time of bottling. A hundred thousand cases are produced annually and, in 2017, it was voted Craft Producer of the Year at the Icons of Whisky awards. Recently they have been experimenting with a single malt – Solan Gold – which is currently only for sale in the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, and I am intrigued to know whether they gearing up to compete in the growing market of new world whiskies. Colonel Rathore clasps his hands and shakes his head. “We are not in the race. We go at a snail’s pace. We are like the tortoise. As long as our expenses are covered and salaries are paid, that is enough.” He offers us a tour of the distillery and we are introduced to four pot stills – two coneshaped, and two with the girth of fat-bottomed ladies of a certain age. The fermentation tubs are made of teak (sagwan in Hindi) and have been in situ, and in use, for 160 years. Everywhere you turn, the pipes, vats and stills are locked with heavy padlocks, with signs instructing that they may only be opened by Customs and Excise. No free samples then. We taste Solan No. 1 that evening, sitting on the balcony of Pinekonez, our cheeks still warm from dancing to Bollywood tunes at a local Indian wedding to which we were invited as special guests. As the night fills with bird song and the distant thump of beats, we take some time to savour and contemplate the oldest whisky in India. It may not have the complexity or fullness of flavour that a well-used whisky palate expects, but sipped at twilight, bare feet up, in the foothills of the Himalayas, I note that Michael D’Souza is right: whisky really does have a special bond with its environment, and how it tastes is as much about where you are, who you are with, and what memories you are making that night.
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Knowledge Bar Paul John The first bottled ‘Paul John Single Cask 161 Whisky’ was launched in October 2012 John Distilleries is based in Bangalore— with the single malt distillery based in Goa Goa has a tropical monsoon climate Paul John uses Indian malted barley, water from the Sal River and, occasionally, imported Scottish peat
Scenes from the Paul John and Solan Distilleries
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A Time in History
Educating Scotland
Brian Wilson learns the secrets to success from the nation’s most enterprising exporters.
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A Time in History
Knowledge Bar Johnstons of Elgin Est. 1797 by Alexander Johnston Scotland’s second oldest family business Owned by only two families, the Johnstons and the Harrisons (since 1920) Cashmere introduced to the business in the 1850s Cashmere Heritage Centre & Mill: Elgin, Moray, Scotland Cashmere Visitor Centre & Knitting: Hawick, Roxburghshire, Scotland Fibres sourced from Mongolia, Afghanistan, Peru and China.
Elgin
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Whisper it, but Scotland does not perform terribly well as an exporter, by comparison even with other parts of the UK. Scotch Whisky leads the way but not enough others follow, in spite of regular exhortation to do so. According to HMRC, only five per cent of the UK’s ‘active exporters’ are in Scotland. We need to do better! Follow the course of the River Spey through the granite rock of the Cairngorms, however, and you will find a corner of Scotland that flies in the face of these statistics, bristling with great companies which have had the courage and products to take on the world. The spirit of Speyside has more than one meaning. For starters, of course, there is whisky. The Speyside ‘appellation’ of Scotch whisky is by far the largest, with 48 distilleries currently active. Single malt brands include the world’s biggest sellers such as Glenfiddich, The Glenlivet and Glen Grant. The distinctiveness and quality of Speyside malts started with the exceptional softness and low mineral content of the water. That supply has also been crucial to the emergence and success of other local products which are now celebrated around the world, not just in the food and drink industry, but also textiles. The hugely impressive company, Johnstons of Elgin, has been importing cashmere wool for more than a century and a half—currently from Mongolia, Afghanistan and China. When spun, woven and finished using local water in the process, it creates the gentlest fabric known to woman! What are the other characteristics that link Speyside’s producers of luxury goods? Chris Gaffney, managing director of Johnstons’ Elgin site, says: “There’s a spirit of getting out there and doing things. In the past, this area was so far away from everywhere, even within the UK, that they had to travel and work hard to tell their story. That attitude has never gone away”. While most of the distilleries are now owned by big players in the industry, there is also a continuing trait of family firms which have retained their independence. Gordon & MacPhail started life in 1895 as an importer of food products from around the world before realising the potential of the product on its doorstep. Its warehouse bond in Elgin offers an astonishing Aladdin’s cave of whisky dating back to the 1940s. They do not buy mature spirit from the distillers, only ‘new-make’ spirit which they then mature,
helped by a century of experience in the mysteries of sherry and port casks. I was shown round by Stephen Rankin whose grandfather, George Urquhart, is credited with leading the ‘single malt’ revolution, which only got underway in the 1960s. Until then, virtually all Scotch whisky production went into blends, but Urquhart realised the potential for maturing single malts, with all their intrinsic subtleties and endless variations based on the conditions in which the whisky matured. When George died in 2001, the distinguished whisky writer Michael Jackson opined: “I believe that single malt whisky would simply not be available today were it not for the work of George Urquhart. He had the vision and foresight to lay down casks and was thought eccentric for doing so”. Another, and perhaps greater, example of steadfast independence in the face of global corporate expansion is the Glenfarclas Distillery. It was founded in 1865 by a cattle breeder, John Grant, who felt that the location of the distillery was an ideal half-way point between his cattle farm in Glenlivet, and the cattle market in Elgin. Today, Glenfarclas is in the safe hands of the fifth and sixth generations of the Grant family. John Grant and his son George make wonderful single malt whisky in the traditional Speyside way; their brand is internationally renowned and ranks amongst the very best single malt whiskies in the world. The same sense of continuity can be found along the road at Johnstons of Elgin. The first time I saw their wonderful complex of Victorian mill buildings, it was from the air in July 1998. I had just become the Scottish Industry Minister when Speyside was hit by terrible flooding, and Johnstons was among the main victims. The floods cost their insurers £25 million, and a repetition would have threatened the future of the company. Fortunately, flood relief schemes removed that prospect and the business has gone from strength to strength, now employing 700 people in Elgin, with a superb visitor centre which is itself a major tourist attraction. Johnstons’ products are marketed world-wide both under their own label—they have recently opened a shop in London’s New Bond Street – and through the top-tier retailers they supply. Their archive library is a place of beauty with vast tomes which record transactions – like that first acquisition of cashmere through a London agent in 1851 – in meticulous detail. ‘New’ customers from
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A Time in History
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The spirit of Speyside has more than one meaning. Knowledge Bar Walkers Shortbread Joseph Walker founds his village bakery in 1898 with the ambition to make ‘The World’s Finest Shortbread’
the high end of the fashion market are sometimes surprised on visiting Elgin to be shown the patterns which Johnstons created for their predecessors 100 By the 1970s Walkers is being exported to years ago! Once again, the feeling of trusteeship for over 60 countries around the world a fabulous business, rather than purely commercial priorities, is unmistakable. The company moved from their (extended) bakery to a custom built My next stop is 15 miles away in Aberlour with factory in 1975 a company which I have long regarded as the holy grail of Scottish exporting – Walkers Shortbread. All new products are still tested in Aberlour’s village shop Travelling the world in my time as Trade Minister, it never ceased to astonish me that Walkers managed to get their tartan-packaged products into the most obscure and unlikely places. I even recall being in Atlanta airport which was featuring a display of delicacies from the Southern States – and there in the middle of it was Walkers Shortbread! The managing director, Jim Walker, has Left to right: Royal warrant at Walker's Shortbread, Jim Walker presided over the astonishing expansion of a family Bottom: Johnstons of Elgin's first cashmere order; cask rolling business. His grandfather was an Aberdeenshire farmer who moved to Aberlour in 1898 and took over a baker’s shop. Jim and his siblings grew up above the shop in the village’s main street. It was only in the 1960s that it began to spread its wings, building on a reputation for making the finest shortbread in Scotland. Jim’s brother, Joseph, is the master baker, while their sister, Marjorie, looked after the commercial side of the business. Today they employ more than 1600 people in Aberlour and Elgin – a huge contribution to any local, rural economy. Every new product continues to be market-tested in the Aberlour village shop before hitting the world! Jim Walker’s watchwords could apply equally to the other great Speyside businesses: “It’s down to integrity and doing a simple thing well. It’s all based on quality”. Proud of his brand’s distinctive packaging, he also warns “You can’t just slap a bit of tartan on it The company introduces cakes, confections and a delivery van in 1936
and expect it to sell, as some people think. It’s the quality of what’s inside that matters”. While bigger bakery companies produce shortbread as part of a huge product range, says Jim, “we think about shortbread seven days a week”. And I believe him. Walkers Shortbread contains only four ingredients – flour, butter, salt and sugar. That formula, without additives, is part of its appeal – though of course, the magic lies in how the four ingredients are put together. The key to Walkers’ exporting success, says Jim, is finding a good distributor, usually on an exclusive basis, in each territory, and they now sell in more than 100 countries. Another characteristic of Speysides’s successful exporters is, not surprisingly, the willingness to travel. Jim Walker still regularly attends trade shows around the world and says he has “not missed a day” at the big ISM food event in Cologne since 1978. Since it’s held in January, the whisky and Johnstons scarf may also come in handy! Speyside is a beautiful, highly distinctive part of Scotland with a distillery, it sometimes seems, around every corner. It is also a model of entrepreneurism, local loyalty, and belief in quality as the cornerstone of commercial success. It’s a reputation won by hard work over generations and without doubt, the success of each company is encouraged by the inspiration from others. The message to Scotland’s latent exporters is clear – let’s all learn from Speyside!
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Expert Tasting
Charles MacLean gives us his expert opinion on the Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition and The Last Drop Hors d’Age Cognac 1947. —
Illustration: Francesca Waddell
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Expert Tasting
Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition Lowland Single Malt Age: 27 Year Old
70CL Vol: 51.3%
£2250
Dull gold in colour, with moderate beading. Light nose-prickle and an ‘old fashioned’ overall aroma: etheric, with dry straw, walnuts, brown apples and Fino sherry. A light texture and a curious sweet and sour taste, with a short, spicy finish. Water adds vinyl to the nose and salt to the taste.
J littlemill distillery at Bowling, on the River Clyde, was dismantled in 1997 and largely destroyed by fire in 2004. Yet it was able make a sound claim to be the oldest malt distillery in Scotland, having been licensed by 1772 (when a house was built for the resident Excise officer) and possibly operating in the 1750s (when it is mentioned as part of Auchentorlie Estate). Its situation was eminently practical, since the Forth and Clyde Canal, connecting the east and west coasts (completed 1790), joins the Clyde at Bowling, and it was here in 1802 that the first practical steamship, the Charlotte Dundas, had its sea trials. Hillariously, Alfred Barnard, the original distillery-bagger who visited in the mid-1880s, describes its situation as “abounding in charming landscapes not unlike Richmond on the River Thames. The quiet beauty of the hill slopes and wooded plantations, the hedges covered with summer roses, and the numerous mountain rills, has made this place a favourite resort of artists…”. How times have changed: the area is now an extensive housing estate. The distillery passed through no fewer than sixteen licensees or owners between 1772 and 1984 —most of whom seem to have gone bankrupt—one of whom rebuilt it in 1875. Until the 1930s the spirit was triple distilled. In 1931 Littlemill was bought by an American, Duncan Thomson, who introduced several radical innovations, including adding rectifying columns to the distillery’s pot stills (anticipating Hiram Walker’s Lomond stills by twenty years) in order to make different styles of spirit: Littlemill was light and Dunglas full-bodied. He also made a third style, Dumbuck, which was heavily peated. The last two were discontinued in 1972. Mr. Thomson went on to found Loch Lomond Distillery. The latter, along with Glen Scotia Distillery, Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse Company and the remaining stock from Littlemill Distillery, were bought by a group of experienced whisky distillers in 2014. They have invested heavily and are doing a great job. What a shame they didn’t arrive on the scene before Littlemill was destroyed.
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Expert Tasting
The Last Drop Hors d’Age Cognac 1947 Single Estate Cognac Age: 70 Year Old
– Vol: 41.1%
£3200
Leonine in colour, with ginger lights. In spite of its low strength, it still has prickle. The first impression is floral (rose-water, scented hand-cream), faintly waxy (aromatherapy oil), and after a while a suggestion of orange zest. The taste is sweet and perfumed, with traces of peach; drying with some spice in the long finish, and a lingering aftertaste of peach and expensive scent. Highly sophisticated: the Audrey Hepburn of spirits!
This remarkable survivor from the first grape harvest after the conclusion of World War II comes from a family-owned estate in the Charante department at the heart of the Cognac region in South-West France, where the family has been growing grapes and making cognac since 1727. Traditionally fermented by wild yeasts, twice-distilled in small alembics (direct fired with wood and charcoal) and matured in Limousin oak, it offers an astonishing link with the past, as well as being “rich in characteristics that distinguish the great from the good”. Hors d’Age means ‘Beyond Age’, and if you bear in mind that the next grade down, XO or ‘Extra Old’ only requires to be matured for six years, this seventy year old raises the bar beyond belief! Yet in spite of its great age, complexity and depth of character, it still has vitality. In his tasting notes, Tom Jago, Chairman of The Last Drop Distillers, wrote of “a waft of old roses, but with a touch of citrus; rich, preserved fruits in the mouth, then a floral burst, then the bite of ancient eau de vie”. The leading cognac expert Nicholas Faith noted that the glass itself retained “fiery, floral and fruity notes” long after it had been emptied, and awarded it 96.5 points out of 100. The Last Drop Distillers was founded in 2008 by three leading figures in the spirits industry, each with a long and distinguished record. They had been friends and colleagues for years and after retiring from full-time employment, decided to pool their knowledge of fine spirits and contacts in the spirits industry to seek out extremely rare casks of whisky and cognac. In 2015 the founders were joined by two of their daughters, Beanie Espey and Rebecca Jago, and by Andrew Rankin, former Director of Production at Morrison Bowmore, Mike Keillor, formerly CEO of Morrison Bowmore, and Ben Hawkins, a member of the Royal Household Wine Committee with over forty years experience in the wine trade. A formidable team which justifies the soubriquet, ‘The World’s Most Exclusive Spirits Company’! So far they have sought out rare Scotch malts and blends, although they did release a Cognac from 1950. This Cognac is the oldest spirit they have released so far, and the cask has yielded only 186 bottles, each of which is presented in a lavish leather case, accompanied by a miniature 5cl bottle – itself a collectors’ item! – certificate of authenticity and a leather-bound tasting book.
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Whisky Comedian
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Edinburgh Fringe: Tasting Flight
This Autumn, Alan Anderson, a.k.a. The Whisky Comedian, gives us his flavours of the month from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017… Around the world the landmarks of Edinburgh are iconic: the Castle, the Forth Bridges, the view along Princess Street from Calton Hill, and of course the most famous view of all, St Ninian’s Row—where? That funny wee alley way where Renton runs into a car at the start of Trainspotting. In the world of comedy Edinburgh isn’t a place, it’s a time. For comedians Edinburgh is August. Each year builds towards a brand new hour-long show for Edinburgh. It’s 26 nights where you sleep in the same bed. 26 nights without once driving home on a motorway at 3am. 26 hangovers. 26 nights that you get to perform, test and hone the same show, with the same jokes, in the same room, at the same time, to 26 very different audiences. If your gig starts between 9 and 10pm you get to know exactly which punchline will be rudely punctuated by fireworks from the Military Tattoo above you on Castle Esplanade. And every night you attempt to make it appear like the funniest one-off thing that has ever happened… Every comedian has had their best gig and their worst gig in Edinburgh. Sometimes it is the same gig. Audiences new to the Fringe love the big venue, big name, sold out, Saturday night shows in the purple cow, a Speigletent, or one of Edinburgh University’s many, many massive lecture theatres. However, for comedians it is the small intimate gigs that we remember. The boisterous sold-out weekend gigs all seem to blend into each other as we churn out
our tried and tested jokes for the audiences who have travelled the farthest—that 48-minute train ride from Glasgow. However midweek, typically on week three, in a small room of a dozen battle-hardened Fringe goers—that is when the Fringe beauty happens. When you’ve been through the highs and the lows, you’ve told the same joke 20, 40, 100 different ways, you’ve tweaked and polished it, you think you know your stuff, then you get thrown a curve ball from an audience that doesn’t laugh when you expect, but goes wild for the most innocuous thing you have apparently overlooked. Each night we dip our valinch into the same cask knowing that it will have matured and changed flavour. Maybe a tiny little bit, maybe massively. Increase the alcohol content and it’s either hilarious or unpalatable. Edinburgh is comedy’s blending room where the comics experiment with jokes, styles and ideas. No two comics are the same and, just like barrels of new-make in a warehouse, no two performances by the same comic are the same. Here’s my tasting flight from the EdFringe 2017 line up:
Whiskeria
Whisky Comedian
A big southern Islay mouthful of fire & brimstone
—————————————————— J Race Off: Brendon Burns & Craig Quartermaine
Venue: Gilded Ballon Teviot 18:45 — Take a loud-mouthed, multi-award winning (but lost his mojo) white Australian, team him up with a quietly spoken Aboriginal and watch them tear each other (and Global events) apart. Over the past two years in Australia I have watched this show develop into one of the funniest, most brutal and most sensitive shows I have ever seen. — https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/brendon-burnsand-craig-quartermaine-in-race-off
Sherried and full of peat —————————————————— J Josh Pugh: A Boy Named Pugh
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard 19:15 — He’s the reigning English Comedian of the Year. He’s hilarious. Silly puns, silly stories, silly songs. He’s young, he’s fresh, he’s going to be famous. Touring UK in autumn. — http://joshpughcomedy.com/ https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/josh-pugh-a-boynamed-pugh
Something cask strength —————————————————— J Gary Little: Club Classics
Venue: Beehive Inn: Grassmarket 18:30 — Two-time Scottish Comedy Award winner, Glaswegian Gary is the best raconteur in the country. Don’t go expecting high brow clever stuff, go for the patter. Go for the laughs. Touring Scotland in autumn. — http://www.biggarylittle.co.uk/ https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/gary-little-clubclassics
A delicate palate cleanser —————————————————— J Balloonatics
Venue: Gilded Balloon Teviot 12:30 — It’s a kids’ comedy show about balloons that adults love. Grab your bairns, your nieces or nephews and go see Glaswegian Chris Henry’s crazy hour of fun. Currently touring around the world. — http://www.chris-henry.com/balloonatics/ https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/balloonatics
Something light and floral, but with a twist
—————————————————— J Demi Lardner: Look What You Made Me Do
Venue: Underbelly, Cowgate 21:20 — By far the funniest show I saw earlier this year at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. It’s silly, it’s clever, but most importantly it’s not stand up. It’s funny. Touring UK in autumn. — http://www.demilardner.com/ https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/ demi-lardner-look-what-you-made-me-do
®
In 1920, renowned connoisseur,
He wrote: “You thus establish what is called, in
Professor George Saintsbury,
drinking a mix of whiskies from
the case of sherry, a ‘solera’ in which the constantly changing character of the old constituents doctors the new accessions, and in which these in turn, freshen and strengthen the old”
a
Professor George Saintsbury
published described cask
Notes on a Cellar. In it he an
that
old is
method
of
constantly
topped up and never emptied.
IN THE BEGINNING… Carefully selecting a used bourbon cask
NOTES ON A CELLAR, 1920
RESPECTING OUR INVERARAY ROOTS,
we christened it ®
with tight staves and a good heritage, we created a marriage of what we considered to be the ‘the best’ Islay single malts. And so, THE
LIVING CASK®
was born, with that
combination of Islay malts at its heart
174 5 in a nod to the year the town was founded by THE DUKE OF ARGYLL.
forever more.
AN EVOLUTION… Inspired by our award-winning THE LIVING CASK®1745, we created a second cask of equal quality. To begin, we part filled it with our 1745, which we’ve since topped up with different ‘batches’ of carefully chosen malts. We began with an array of brilliant Highland malts, and have progressed through a selection of delicious Speyside single malts, amazing sherry cask single malts, and some of the finest Bourbon cask single malts with each successive batch.
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You can buy and enjoy THE LIVING CASK® 1745 today. It’s a very fine dram, and its excellent Islay credentials can be tasted in every drop – no wonder it won a Liquid Gold award in Jim Murray’s 2016 Whisky Bible. “One of the best whiskies ever created at quarter to six in the evening... and one quite impossible not to love.”
And so the process will go on. THE LIVING CASK® will never die and will always be an evolution of its Islay origins. Every batch we craft is different, meaning each intriguing expression is a limited edition release, and part of an ongoing series which is as collectable as it is delicious Because of how they are made, THE LIVING CASK® batched releases are always limited, and always sell out. Currently only THE LIVING CASK® Batch 4 is available – with Batch 5 soon to be released – so we suggest buying your bottle soon, before it’s too late.
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