Whiskeria Spring 2015

Spring 2015

£3.49 where sold

Style Special ––––

FO LK TA L ES ––––

MENSWEAR L abel founder cathal mcateer on a life in fashion

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New Releases

15 for 2015 : re vi ewed by Ch arles M aClean

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Highland Park GAVI N D SM IT H Takes th e Tour

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HELLO MADEIRA

Clai re Bell Vi si ts Madeira

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The benriach Single MalT ScoTch WhiSky Established in 1898 and located in the ‘Heart of Speyside’, the BenRiach Distillery became independent in 2004.

With access to an impressive inventory of maturing whiskies dating back as far as 1966, our range of expressions is varied both in terms of age and style, including ‘classic Speyside’, special ‘finishes’, heavily peated BenRiach and single cask vintage bottlings.

UNLOCK THE SECRETS

www.benriachdistillery.co.uk

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COMPETITION

Competition :

Win the Jameson Whiskey Experience for two...

CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME

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Chairman’s Welcome Ian P. Bankier

The Whisky Shop is delighted to offer readers of Whiskeria the chance to win a distillery visit for 2 people to the legendary Jameson Midleton Distillery in Cork, Ireland.

The Jameson Experience Midleton package includes: A TOUR OF THE OLD MIDLETON DISTILLERY A VISIT TO THE GARDEN STILL HOUSE AT THE WORKING DISTILLERY A PREMIUM WHISKY TASTING

Simply visit our facebook page for further information: www.facebook.com/thewhiskyshop

The winner will be drawn at random from all correct entries received by 30th April 2015.

The judges’ decision will be final. All normal competition rules apply. Entrants must be over 18 years old.

“At The Whisky Shop we specialise in the good, the very good and the absolutely brilliant!”

I am delighted as ever to welcome readers back to Whiskeria for the spring of 2015. In this issue we lean towards style and fashion, with interviews covering two highly individual fashion houses, both with a Scottish twist. We also take another look at collecting whisky and we bring you news and information about what’s in The Whisky Shop this season. With St Patrick’s day on the immediate horizon, we include a selection of Irish whiskeys, that we would encourage readers to sample at any time of the year.

Whisky collectors across the world continue to be very active.

Those, whose interest is financial, are drawn towards whisky because they are unimpressed by low returns on mainstream financial investments. There is also an investor migration to whisky from fine wines. Fine wine investment has taken a serious knock recently, as a consequence of a number of scandals involving counterfeiting and dubious valuations. Of course, there’s another reason to collect whisky, one which is arguably more wholesome than financial, and that is for pleasure. At The Whisky Shop we see many customers who are in it for fun rather than pure money. That is not to say that they are unaware of the financial merits of collecting, but the prime motivation is the sheer pleasure and interest of building a collection. Better still, in my opinion, these collectors are more than prepared to crack open a bottle and drink it. That seems to me to be more human than remorselessly tucking away vintages in dusty cellars, possibly never to see the light of day.

But returning to the subject of style, it is interesting to look across at industries other than whisky and identify the similarities. With each of our interviewees in this issue, the founding principles of what they do are individuality, attention to detail, provenance and integrity. With the men’s fashion brand Folk it’s about understated quality and fine detail and with the clothing label Slater Walker it’s about moving tweed in a contemporary direction, while maintaining traditional values.

These virtues all apply and are perfectly aligned with the principles of those who mastermind the individual whisky brands that grace our stores. Nothing is more individual than a limited edition Old Malt Cask from Hunter Laing. And it’s hard to match the integrity and provenance of a single malt from The Glenlivet distillery.

What this says is that consumers respond positively to these factors.

In a shopping environment so dominated by cut price wars, it’s easy to see how the virtues I describe can be eliminated by the force that makes everything cheaper, but not better. It is encouraging to witness pockets of the High Street where the customer values the integrity and the individuality of the product and is delighted to buy it. This is the customer who can discriminate the good from the bad and from the plain pot ugly. It goes without saying, but I shall say it anyway, at The Whisky Shop we specialise in the good, the very good and the absolutely brilliant!

Ian P Bankier Executive Chairman, The Whisky Shop

Listen to Ian's Playlist on Spotify PrettyGirls Don't Cry | Chris Isaak In Dreams | Roy Orbison Long Black Veil| Rosanne Cash The List Gina | Lu Colombo Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me | Elton John I'd Rather Go Blind | Etta James Comfortably Numb| Pink Floyd Rhiannon | Fleetwood Mac Ramblin Boy |Tom Paxton Sweet Dreams | Roy Buchanan

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CONTRIBUTORS

W H I S K Y S H O P. C O M

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Spring 2015 Contributors

Gavin D. Smith

Claire Bell

Victor Brierley

Charles MacLean

Gavin is one of the world’s most prolific and respected whisky writers, is 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 currently preparing a new version of The Malt Whisky Companion.

Claire Bell has written on travel for Time magazine, The Herald, The Times, The Guardian and Wanderlust. She lives in Glasgow where she runs The Old BarnBookery, a book charity that helps build libraries in disadvantaged schools in her native South Africa.

On her recent trip to Islay she fell in love with Laphroaig 18 Year Old, describing it as light and delicious compared to ‘the insanely smoky’ 10 Year Old.

The face of The Whisky Mavericks, whisky tastings, writer, exadvertising guy, lover of everything Scottish. Spent time visiting every Scotch whisky distillery but as a new one seems to open (or reopen) every few months, there are now others to catch up on.

Charles has published ten 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 script advisor for Ken Loach’s 2012 film The Angels Share and subsequently played the part of a whisky expert in the film. He says it’s his biggest career highlight to date.

–– Commissioning Editor: GlenKeir Whiskies Limited –– Managing Director: Andrew Torrance 0141 427 2919 –– Advertising Sales Executive: Catherine Service 0141 427 2919 –– Photography: Subliminal Creative 01236 734923

–– Creative Direction: Buro Design Thinking Partners 0141 552 1574 –– Design: Emlyn Firth and Alice Rooney –– Feature Writers: Charles MacLean; Gavin D Smith; Claire Bell –– Feature Photography: Christina Kernohan –– Illustration: Francesca Waddell

–– Produced by: Ascot Publishing Limited PO Box 7415 Glasgow G51 9BR –– Contact: enquiries@whiskyshop.com

–– 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 February 2015. All prices in this edition of Whiskeria are subject to change.

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CONTENTS

W H I S K Y S H O P. C O M

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Spring 2015 Contents 10 14 18 36

A T I M E I N HI S T O R Y MY CRAFT NEW RELEASES T h e knowle d g e

Prohibition Walker Slater Spring Reviews Whisky Collecting

42 M Y W HI S K E R I A

Cover Feature: Folk creative director Cathal McAteer 50 T R A V E L

Madeira

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57 T H E WHI SK Y SHOP: 58 The Whisky Shop News Round-up 60 Speyside Revisited 68 Off-piste drams 70 When Irish Eyes are Smiling!

74 Collecting for pleasure 78 Whisky Shop gifts 80 Customer Favourites 84 Directory

86 DI STILLER Y VI SIT Highland Park 90 EX P ERT TAST ING Midleton Barry Crockett

Legacy

Redbreast 12 Year Old

(Cask Strength) Green Spot 96 O N T HE OT HER HAND Dapper Drinking

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A TIME IN HISTORY

W H I S K Y S H O P. C O M

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A time in history:

Prohibition Mention the term ‘Prohibition’ and we automatically think of 1920s America: underground speakeasies where illicit spirit was sold, and shoot-outs on the streets of Chicago between mobsters like Al Capone and Eliot Ness and his squad of ‘Untouchables’, writes Gavin D. Smith

However, when national Prohibition was imposed across the USA in 1920 under the terms of the Volstead Act, it was really the continuation of a wartime embargo on alcoholic drinks, and it was not just the USA that went ‘dry.’ The growing influence of the temperance movement all over the world meant that Belgium, Norway, Russia and Sweden all experimented with periods of prohibition, while Canada also imposed a ban on the sale of alcohol from 1921 to 1924.

The onset of total US Prohibition in January 1920 appeared to be a serious blow to the Scotch whisky industry, which numbered North America among its most important export markets. Indeed, relatively light coloured and flavoured blends such as Cutty Sark and J&B were formulated specifically for the US market when the cocktail-drinking craze was at its height.

Overnight, the vast US market was legally out of bounds to Scotch distillers, but some of the less scrupulous members of the profession were determined to find ways of getting their whisky into the States. They knew it would be given a warm welcome by thirsty consumers, who were rapidly tiring of the unpalatable and occasionally lethal homemade spirits being produced illegally to flout Prohibition.

So it was that the business of ‘bootlegging’ was born. Many Scotch whisky companies established agencies in Canada, Cuba, The Bahamas, Bermuda and even the tiny French colonial islands of St Pierre and Miquelon, off Nova Scotia. These agencies legally imported vast amounts of Scotch whisky, which were then shipped close to the US coast. Provided the cargoes remained in international waters, that is more than 12 miles offshore, such action was not illegal.

‘Bootleggers’ then visited the ships in fast vessels and purchased cases of whisky which they ran ashore. The best-

known of these ‘bootleggers’ was one Captain William McCoy, who specialised in smuggling Cutty Sark blended whisky in his clipper The Arethusa. Unlike some of his counterparts, the whisky supplied by McCoy was always the genuine article, hence the expression ‘The Real McCoy.’ Not only did this dubious trade make money for the Scotch whisky companies concerned, but it kept their brands at the forefront of drinkers’ minds, which they hoped would stand them in good stead when Prohibition was ultimately repealed.

Although Prohibition was initially embraced by the US populist due to a hangover of patriotic fervour which had developed during the First World War, enthusiasm soon turned to disenchantment, and evasion became commonplace. Not only was Scotch quite easy to obtain – albeit at a price – but thousands of gallons of illicit liquor were produced and sold.

In 1921 some 96,000 illicit stills were located by the authorities, and by 1930 that figure had increased to 282,000, suggesting that Prohibition was doomed to failure. Accordingly, in 1933 President Roosevelt accepted the inevitable and repealed the Volstead Act. From 5th December the USA was no longer ‘dry.’

Due to the previously high reputation enjoyed by Scotch in the States, not to mention reminders of its quality courtesy of ‘bootlegging’, it did not take long for Scottish distillers to re-establish their position after repeal, particularly as American drinkers had been forced to swallow so much inferior alcohol during the previous 13 years.

The ability of Scotch sales to recover in the USA was aided by the decline in popularity of Irish whiskey, which had enjoyed great popularity pre-Prohibition. Indeed, some 400 brands of Irish whiskey were on sale in the States when the Volstead Act became law. During Prohibition, however, ‘bootleggers’ sold large

quantities of inferior spirit as ‘Irish whiskey’ and the genre’s image never recovered.

While Scotch whisky sales began to return to pre-1920 levels, one whisky-producing region that suffered irreparable damage was Campbeltown. Home to no fewer than 21 working distilleries during the late 19th century, the Argyllshire port on the Kintyre peninsula lost a significant amount of its trade during Prohibition, and, like Irish whiskey, its reputation suffered.

In the case of Campbeltown this was as a result of the activities of a small number of distillers, who sacrificed quality for quantity and exported some decidedly below-par whisky. Not for nothing did Campbeltown whisky gain the unwanted sobriquet ‘stinking fish’!

Of course, the 13 years of US Prohibition did not exist in a vacuum, and it is important to consider other world events that affected whisky-makers. The inter-war years of the 1920s and ’30s were a time of widespread economic recession, and in the USA, the ‘Wall Street Crash’ of 1929 saw a stock market collapse of spectacular proportions.

During the month of September, the market lost 47 per cent of its value, and the result was the failure of no fewer than 100,000 American companies, with subsequent spiralling unemployment and widespread personal hardship.

Because national economies do not operate in isolation, the effects of the ‘Wall Street Crash’ soon spread around the world

'Once during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.'

WC Fields and Britain was far from immune. The Great Depression lasted for much of the 1930s and was the longest, most widespread and deepest recession of the 20th century. Construction and heavy industry in Britain were particularly hard hit, and by the end of 930 unemployment had more than doubled from one million to 2.5 million, accounting for some 20 per cent of the insured workforce.

Exports fell in value by 50 cent during 1930.

In 1933 only six Scottish malt whisky distilleries were operational, compared to 128 just a decade earlier. The situation for distillers did improve slightly during the next few years, but ultimately it would take another world war and the revival of the US economy during the 1950s to stimulate export demand and real growth in the Scotch whisky industry.

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MY CRAFT

W H I S K Y S H O P. C O M

Paul Walker and his partner Frances Slater started their eponymous clothing label Walker Slater in Laggan, Speyside, in 1989, largely because they were inspired by and wanted to live in the Highlands. Originally conceived of as a wholesale brand, they sold through high-end local fashion boutiques such as Edinburgh’s Corniche as well as to a handful of international buyers.

The business model was transformed when they took the plunge into retail with the opening of their own store on Edinburgh’s Grassmarket in 1992.

How did you get into the garment business... did you train as a fashion designer?

No, actually I studied fine art and philosophy at university, but found the idea that one could develop a commercial product from clothing, as a medium, very attractive. Frances does have a background in printed textiles, having studied at Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee, and really we started the business as a way to channel this combined creative urge into something we could make a living from.

So how did you actually learn how to make clothes?

A lot of trial and error! Frances worked for some really good people early on - Steven Purvis in Glasgow and a couple of workshops in the south - but mainly we learned by getting hands-on with the fabric and working very closely with good manufacturers.

{My Craft} Tailor / Owner of Walker Slater

Paul Walker

How did the Walker Slater look evolve?

Interestingly, it started off rather loose and unstructured, but fairly soon we found ourselves working with this chap called Angus, from Piccadilly, who favoured a much more structured, traditional style: quite military and precise… “This is the way it should be worn”! He was with us for a few years, and I suppose the convergence of these two quite different approaches is where the Walker Slater look originated. Then Daniel Fearn came on board - tailor, designer, creative co-traveller - and he and I have been working together for 15 years, moving tweed in a contemporary direction, but at the same time maintaining traditional values. For us, the quality and look have to reflect something of value from the past without becoming a parody of itself… it has to live in the modern world.

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Was the look that you describe as ‘carelessly elegant’, informed by admiration for anyone in particular?

Yes and no… For a start, based up in the Highlands you’ve got all the local people - estate workers, ghillies, etc - who have been wearing the same thing for 30 years and look great. Then of course you’ve got influence from further afield - magazines like The Face… being in Paris for the shows and being exposed to new things but ultimately I think the fact that we were in the Old Town of Edinburgh opened us up to a lot of things. We were surrounded by a lot of antique shops, for instance, and though the brand wasn’t born from nostalgia we realised that there were a lot of things out there that hadn’t been given due credit. This coincided with the realisation that we didn’t want to be too ‘trendy’ - we wanted something that wouldn’t be too transient: something a little bit older, a little bit more robust. We believed that if the quality and design were right, the garments would really look after themselves: you wouldn’t really have to worry about it… you could just get on!

Was tailoring and made-to-measure always part of the business offering?

No, that only emerged once we moved into Victoria Street in 1996, and mainly because we had this feeling that if we didn’t have what you were looking for, we should make it for you… it just sprang from the attitude that we wanted to please the customer.

Although, I could never have afforded to have it done for myself, I had a pretty good idea of what the made-to-measure experience should be: great service backed with great quality. It’s a difficult one to pull off, because we couldn’t do the whole Savile Row thing where they measure, cut and sew in house, but we were able to offer made-to-measure by working with really good, specialist workshops to deliver particular garments to our specification, and this is the model we continue to use. Of course we have our own machines for prototyping and alterations, but we have always enjoyed working with people who are really good at their own thing.

You have also built up a presence in the world of corporate dressing.. tell us a little about that.

That’s been really interesting, and we are operating at a high level, developing bespoke tweed products for brands such as Gleneagles, Balmoral… we’ve just done something for Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

It’s a good challenge - as well as a lot of fun - and we are seeing a lot of interest right now from companies and organisations who perhaps haven’t refreshed their corporate look for a while.

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MY CRAFT

Where do new ideas come from?

We surround ourselves with interesting stuff: I’m very into my electro music, I’m excited about renaissance art… you’ve got to be aware of the things that stimulate you, and of course that includes inspirational people. The Tweed Profiles on our website are a manifestation of that idea: many of our customers are also inspirations for us. It’s a two way relationship, and ties back to our core values: real people and an interesting story. Costume design is another favourite inspiration. I was in a workshop the other week where they were making new outfits for the next Pirates of The Caribbean film and it’s just so fantastic to see that stuff: the detailing, the buttons and fabrics. I suppose that as creative director/editor of the brand, a lot of new ideas start with me: I travel a lot, and I’m a great one for the camera phone… inspiration is everywhere - you’ve just got to be able to capture it!

What next for Walker Slater?

We have currently got a wholesale offer in Switzerland, Germany and France, and that is something we are keen to build on… the idea of commanding a whole wall in someone else’s store, and supplying a seasonal collection – it’s a different ballgame and a good challenge for us.

Whisky and tweed… do you make a connection between these 2 great Scottish products?

Yes, I do. Craftsmanship, tradition, quality are shared attributes, and we have done a lot of work with whisky companies, such as Glenmorangie, Ardbeg and, most recently, a collection with Diageo for the 2014 Ryder Cup. I reckon we might have a whisky offer in our new made-to-measure fitting room in the Victoria St store - it would certainly add to the experience.

Listen to Paul's Playlist on Spotify The Way You Look Tonight | Fred Astaire Night and Day | Frank Sinatra Wild is the Wind | David Bowie Like a Hurricane | Neil Young Tumbling Dice | Rolling Stones Jokerman | Bob Dylan Mind Games | John Lennon More Than This |Roxy Music Wish You Were Here |Pink Floyd

W H I S K Y S H O P. C O M

K N O W L E DG E B A R : P a u l ' S D E S IG N I N S P I R AT I O N "We have dressed quite a few ‘celebrities’, from Johnny Rotten to Jeremy Paxman, but we have never been keen on that side of self-promotion! I am conscious that we don’t lean heavily on it, but naturally there are people whose style I admire, even if their influence isn’t visible in the collection.

If we talk about ‘tradition’, I’d say Sinatra, but that’s really as much about the attitude: that period in time, a civil way of doing things… maybe Fred Astaire?! Bowie’s up there of course, but also Dylan and Neil Young, I definitely go more for the softer than the sharp side!"

Walker Slater’s retail presence now includes not only the flagship store on Victoria Street - offering a range of menswear from unstructured tailoring in tweeds and linen to rugged knitwear through to more formal tailoring, including a made to measure service - but also a dedicated ladies’ tweed shop just a few doors down. They also have two stores in London, one in Fulham and the latest in Covent Garden. www.walkerslater.com

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NEW RELEASES

W H I S K Y S H O P. C O M

New releases –Spring 2015 »

Charles MacLean runs the rule over the latest products to hit The Whisky Shop shelves.

42 » Ledaig Years Old – S i n g l e I S L A n d M a lt 4 6. 3%Vo l | £3,5 0 0 Tasting Note Liquid treacle, with magenta lights – an astonishing colour! The first scent is of coal sacks in a wooden shed painted with faded creosote – I agree with Ian MacMillan: the smokiest whisky of its age I have even encountered.

But the taste is more complex: sweeter than expected, with traces of sherry and dried fruits before the smoke kicks in, leaving a salty aftertaste.

Extraordinary!

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Tobermory is a model village. It was planned by the British Fisheries Society in 1788 – an august body of mainly Scottish aristocrats living in London, supported by Parliament, whose brief was to create new fishing communities in remote parts of North Britain. The B.F.S. had been founded two years previously, with the Duke of Argyll as its first Governor and the Marquess of Breadalbane as its Deputy Governor. The foundation of Tobermory and Ullapool were its earliest projects; later it would found ‘the largest herring port in the world’ at Pultneytown, Wick.

Although Tobermory Bay was a magnificent anchorage, it was too far from the fishing grounds so never took off as a fishing station. The town quickly became the principal trading port on Mull, however, greatly assisted by the enormous increase in the kelp trade from the Hebrides, and by the opening of the Crinan Canal in 1801. [The ash from burnt kelp, called soda ash [i.e.

Sodium carbonate), was a key ingredient in glass-making.]

Among those whose fortunes were founded on kelp was one John Sinclair, who had arrived at Tobermory in the early 1790s from Glen Kinglass, Loch Etive, and set up as a ‘merchant’. The Marquess of Breadalbane cited him as a fine example of the kind of entrepreneurial settlers attracted by the place: “(He) came there as a young man with a very few hundred pounds and is now possessed of a well-stored warehouse supplied by three or four vessels of his own which trade to Greenock and Port Glasgow and he is said to be worth from £5,000 to £6,000”.

In April 1797 Sinclair applied to the Directors of the Society for the lease of 57 acres at Ledaig, to the south of the harbour front, on which he wished to build houses and a distillery.

Directors at first refused permission, urging Sinclair to undertake a brewery instead. He managed to persuade them, and built his distillery the following year, as well as a pier, known as ‘Sinclair’s Quay’ and a substantial four-storey rubble warehouse which was used to mature whisky until the 1980s, when it was sold and converted into flats.

The subsequent history of Ledaig Distillery is patchy, with several owners and even more years of closure. It did not really stabilise until the current owners, Burn Stewart Distillers, bought it in 1993. They have opened an attractive small visitor centre and have rationalised the branding, which had become confused – an earlier owner had bottled ‘Tobermory’ as both a blended whisky and a blended malt, and ‘Ledaig’ (in very small amounts) as a single malt. Now both are single malts: Tobermory made from unpeated malt, and Ledaig, heavily peated.

This unique example of the make was distilled in 1972 and filled into various types of cask. In 2001, Ian MacMillan, Burn Stewart’s Master Blender, transferred what liquid was left into high-quality Gonzales Byass oloroso sherry casks to add a further layer of flavour. After five years of close supervision, the casks were transferred back to Tobermory Distillery.

He tells me it is the smokiest whisky of this age he has ever encountered, but this is balanced by a rich sweetness.

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NEW RELEASES

Tasting Note A benchmark malt since it was introduced; the colour is rich amber, the nosefeel mild and rounded and the aroma packed with Xmas cake mix, dried fruits, nuts and crystalised orange peel, which comes over as a citric top-note. The taste is both sweet and tannicdry, with Seville marmalade and chocolate in the finish.

W H I S K Y S H O P. C O M

Tasting Note This is my favourite of Macallan’s Fine Oak series. The nose would suggest an older whisky – scented hand-cream, sandalwood, pears in liquor: sophisticated. The taste is sweet, lightly spicy and drying elegantly. A little water introduces an initial spicy note to the aroma and a slight acidity to the taste.

The Macallan The Macallan 18 Years Old 21 Years Old (Sherry Oak) (Fine Oak) – S i n g l e S p e y s i d e M a lt 43%Vol | £150

– S i n g l e S p e y s i d e M a lt 43%Vol | £245

Macallan was one of the earliest distilleries on what we now call ‘Speyside’ to be licensed, in 1824. In these days the region was generically known as ‘Glenlivet’ - indeed, until the 1980s the distillery was referred to as ‘Macallan-Glenlivet’.

It is highly likely that there was a farm distillery here long before, since it stood on a drove road at one of the few places where the Spey could be forded, and drovers are thirsty folk.

The founder of the (licensed) distillery was Alexander Reid, but by mid-century the licensee was James Stuart, in partnership with a banker and an accountant. When Alfred Barnard visited in the 1880s, he described it simply as “an old fashioned establishment”, with an output of 40,000 gallons per annum [slightly more than 100,000 litres – i.e. only as much as the smallest of today’s malt whisky distilleries], most of which “finds its way to the English market”.

In 1892 Reid sold Macallan to Roderick Kemp, a master distiller and part owner of Talisker Distillery on the Isle of Skye.

He rebuilt and modernised the place, and it is from Kemp’s time that the whisky won its high reputation among blenders. After his death in 1909 Macallan was owned and managed first by his trustees then by his descendants until it was bought by Highland Distillers/Edrington, its current owner, in 1996.

The distillery was doubled in size (from six to twelve stills) in 1965, and the following year Macallan-Glenlivet went public.

The money thus raised combined with the additional capacity to allow the company to lay down stock for bottling as single malt,

but this only happened in 1978 - in which year the company’s entire promotional budget was £50!

In 1996 Highland Distilleries acquired a 26% stake in Macallan from Remy Cointreau, then having pooled their stake with the 25% owned by Suntory, mounted a hostile take-over bid, which was successful and The Macallan Distillery is now owned by its successor, the Edrington Group.

It is astonishing to reflect that, although it was highly regarded by blenders (and ranked Top Class), Macallan was hardly known as a single malt until the early 1980s. Today, of course, it is a global brand, ranked number three globally (commanding nearly 10% of the malt whisky market) and supported by an eye-watering advertising budget!

Its launch in 1980 was an immediate success, in Italy, the U.S.A. and France as well as the home market. In four years, sales increased by 120% and the brand was ranked number three in Scotland and number five in the world, winning Queen’s Awards for Export Achievement in 1983 and 1988.

Macallan has also led the way at auction. In 1986 a bottle of 50YO sold for £900, and next year a bottle of 60YO set a world record of £5,500. In January last year a six-litre bottle – one of only four, made by Lalique – was sold by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong for £381,620…

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NEW RELEASES

Tasting Note Green-gold in colour. Immediately phenolic (Coal Tar Soap, antiseptic) and maritime – fresh seaweed, ozone, iodine. Sweet and very smoky to taste, with hemp ropes and old canvas in the aftertaste. Drinks so well straight (and the sample was so small!) that I did not add water. An outstanding example of the make.

Laphroaig 1991 – S i n g l e i s l a y M a lt 52.6%Vol | £275 Like many others, Laphroaig started as a nest of smugglers – illicit distillers in a remote place. The first licence was taken out by Donald and Alexander Johnston, tenant farmers, in 1815. Their laird was Walter Frederick Campbell, an enlightened improver (he founded both Port Ellen, named after his wife, and Port Charlotte, named for his mother) was most supportive. Walter Frederick’s grandfather, Daniel Campbell of Shawfield, had bought Islay and part of Jura for £12,000 in 1725 with money he had received in compensation from the government, after having his Glasgow mansion damaged by the mob on account of his support for the unpopular Malt Tax. Bottles of Laphroaig still bear the attribution ‘D. Johnston & Co’ - his brother emigrated to Australia in the 1880s – and the distillery remained in the Johnston family until the 1960s.

Perhaps the most remarkable scion of the family was Ian Hunter, great-grandson of Donald, who became manager of Laphroaig in 1908 and sole owner of the business twenty years later.

One of his first tasks was to change the distillery’s agents, Mackie & Co of Glasgow. Unusually, Laphroaig was being sold as a single malt even in those days. Peter Mackie (later Sir Peter), creator of the popular White Horse blend, was furious; Mackie’s had, after all, ‘built the brand’. Described as “one third genius, one third megalomaniac, one third eccentric”, he resolved to make his own ‘Laphroaig’ at Lagavulin Distillery, next door, which he owned, installing a small distillery there, which he named Malt Mill. Needless to say, the whisky was not the same…

In the 1920s, he set about selling his whisky in the United States, possibly the first single malt whisky to be promoted there.

Prohibition was still in place, but a loop-hole in the law allowed whisky to be sold ‘for medicinal purposes’, and Laphroaig’s smoky/medicinal character made it perfect for such. While he was abroad, the distillery was managed by his secretary, Bessie Williamson, and when he died in 1954 he bequeathed Laphroaig to her.

By this time the distillery was badly in need of repair. In order to raise the funds to do this, Bessie sold a third of her shares to an American distiller, the Schenley Corporation, and by 1970 Schenley had complete ownership. The days of privately owned distilleries were over – today only a handful are in private ownership. Like many other distilleries, Laphroaig became an item on a multi-national corporation’s balance-sheet: Long John International, Whitbread, Allied Lyons, Allied Domecq, and Beam Inc. (owner of the well known Jim Beam bourbon). In early 2015 the Japanese distiller, Suntory, owner of Bowmore Distillery, bought Beam Inc. for $16 million, including Laphroaig.

Beam appointed John Campbell as manager in 2005. He is Islay born and bred, and I have no doubt that the blood of his ancestor, ‘Great’ Daniel Campbell of Shawfield, runs in his veins.

It is to be hoped that the new owners continue to be proud of the distillery’s heritage, and do not interfere with the way John and his team runs the distillery – as has happened in the past.

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Tasting Note Mid-gold with amber lights. Nose drying, with a light cereal note to start (dry rice?) and a hint of vanilla, developing leather and warm linen, then dried fruits. Sweet and surprisingly spicy to taste, straight, with a trace of smoke in the aftertaste. With a drop of water it becomes more maritime (brine, seaweed), with an oaky note and a thread of smoke. The taste is now sweeter, slightly salty and still peppery.

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Tasting Note Bright amber. Light nose prickle, but not enough to mask the ‘sherry-wood’ character – dried fruits, crème brulée, even a hint of sherry itself. Water tends to simplify these, and bring out peaty notes.

Deep, complex and ever-changing. Mouthfilling and dry, after a sweetish start, with a trace of salt, some light pepper and a hint of peat in the finish. Water reduces all these but does not alter them.

Highland Park Highland Park 18 Years Old 21 Years Old – S i n g l e O r k n e y M a lt 43%Vol | £130

– S i n g l e O r k n e y M a lt 4 7. 5 %V o l | £ 1 6 5

A couple of years ago I was presenting a Highland Park tasting in Copenhagen. After it a woman introduced herself. She had been raised in the Faeroe Islands, but had emigrated to Denmark thirty years ago. With dewy eyes she told me that the smell and taste of the whisky had raised vivid images of her home and had brought to mind walking to school along the beach, past the boat yard, with the scent of peat smoke mingling with briny smell of the ocean…

Highland Park is like that. Evocative. Natural. Unique and highly distinguished. The late Michael Jackson (whisky writer, not pop star!) described it as “the greatest all-rounder in the world of malt whiskies”. It enjoys a special relationship with Scandinavia – after all Orkney, where the malt comes from, is closer to Norway than England - and on one occasion in September 1883 it was enjoyed by a most distinguished company in Copenhagen, including the King of Denmark and the Tsar of Russia, who “pronounced it to be the finest whisky they had ever tasted”.

This occasion was the maiden voyage of the Pembroke Castle, a passenger liner. A couple of days previously the ship had docked at Kirkwall, Orkney, and the town’s leading councillor, Baillie Peace was entertained aboard. "[He] produced his well-known big bottle of Old Highland Park whisky. No sooner had this famous brand been tasted than they one and all agreed they had never met with any whisky like it before, than what was called Scotch whisky in England was as different from this as chalk from cheese and that if they could be supplied direct from the distillery they should like to send in orders."

Twelve gallons of Highland Park were taken aboard to keep them going for the rest of the cruise!

A key factor in the flavour of Highland Park is the distillery's malting policy. It is one of only eight distilleries which malts a proportion of its own barley in old-fashioned, labour intensive, floor maltings, drying the green malt over locally cut Orkney peat. The heavily peated malt is then mixed with unpeated malt imported from the mainland to create the exact level of smoky character required by the distillery.

It is a long, slow process, but it is essential to the character of Highland Park malt whisky. Experiments, some years ago, with having all the malt made on mainland Scotland in a commercial maltings were not a success, even though the peating level was tightly specified. The local peat makes all the difference.

Indeed, the nature of the peat and the smoke it creates has always been something of an obsession at Highland Park Distillery. Alfred Barnard remarked in 1886: "The celebrated Orkney peat is the only fuel used in drying, with the exception of a little heather...We noticed a peculiarly shaped timber building, which our guide informed us is called the 'Heather House'. Here heather is stored, which has been gathered in the month of July, when the blossom is fully set. It is carefully cut off near the root, and tied into small bundles of about a dozen branches. One or two of these faggots are used with the peat in drying the malt, and imparts a delicate flavour of its own to the malt, rendering Highland Park Whisky unlike any other made in the Kingdom."

Although heather is no longer burned in the kiln, Highland Park is still unlike any other malt whisky!

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The post-war boom in demand for Scotch, combined with grain rationing – the industry was not completely deregulated until 1958 - and an acute shortage of aged whiskies, meant that the larger companies (notably the DCL) limited the amount of both malt and grain whisky available to smaller producers.

During the early 1960s several companies built new grainwhisky distilleries to meet their needs – Invergordon (Invergordon Distillers Ltd, 1959), Strathmore (North of Scotland Distilling Co, 1960), Moffat/Garnheath (Inver House Distillers, 1965). Some also installed malt whisky distilleries within their grain distilling sites – Inverleven (within Dumbarton Distillery), Kinclaith (within Strathclyde Distillery), Killyloch and Glen Flagler (within Moffat Distillery).

William Grant & Sons, owners of Glenfiddich and Balvenie Distilleries, and of the successful blend Standfast, built Girvan in 1963/64. Within a year they had added a malt whisky distillery to the site, named Ladyburn.

The moving force behind this decision to build was Charles Gordon (1927-2013), great-grandson of the eponymous founder and managing director of the family business at the time, in response to a threat from the mighty (and, it has to be said, arrogant) Distillers Company Limited threatening to cut off Grant’s supply of grain whisky, on account of a proposal from the latter to run a TV advertising campaign for their popular Standfast blend on the nascent commercial TV channel in the UK.

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This was in 1962; work began on the Girvan site the following year. Charlie Gordon lived in a caravan adjacent to the site, which he patrolled by bicycle, promising free whisky to the construction workers to encourage them to complete the job by Christmas.

Girvan went into production in 1964, and Ladyburn in 1966.

It was originally proposed to build at Cairnryan on the Ayrshire coast to facilitate the delivery of maize by sea, but when the local authority offered a site above the port of Girvan which had been used as a munitions factory by ICI during World War II, with a water supply from Penwhapple Loch charged at one penny a thousand gallons for thirty years via a private pipe-line, Grants were easily persuaded to change their plans.

Ladyburn was the first ever fully automated distillery. Its make went into Standfast and was traded to other companies as a blending whisky. It was never intended to be released as a single, indeed until recently, I know of only two (limited) releases from its proprietors and a couple of single casks from independent bottlers, some under the name ‘Ayrshire’. They were very highly sought after by collectors and even in the 1990s the indie bottlings fetched over £1,000.

Ladyburn 4o Years Old – S i n g l e lo w l a n d m a lt 48.6%Vol | £2,50 0

Tasting Note Deep gold in colour, with tawny lights and good beading. A profoundly fruity top note (fruit compote, baked apples, crystallised orange peel, a hint of maraschino cherries), backed by a faintly ashy aroma which gradually becomes more perfumed (scented hand cream). A creamy texture, lightly sweet then drying in the long finish, with a lingering, bitter-orange aftertaste.

Unusual and exceptional.

Tùsail is the sixth release in Glenmorangie’s Private Edition series. The name is the Scots Gaelic for ‘original’ (literally ‘originary’) and derives from the fact that the malt has been made from the rare Maris Otter winter barley, which I had thought long extinct.

Along with ‘Proctor’, Maris Otter was the leading barley variety in the decade following the end of the Second World War. It was originally bred in England, near Cambridge, at a site on Maris Lane, the street after which the barley was named.

Its depth of flavour meant that it soon became the cornerstone of the English craft-brewing industry, but it did not thrive in the harsh Scottish climate so had to be imported from England, and also from Australia, the United States, Canada and Denmark.

Supplies arrived by rail and the same trains took whisky back down south.

As is the way with all barleys, by the 1970s Maris Otter had been surpassed by another variety which yielded more alcohol per tonne of malt. This was the famous Golden Promise, which was enthusiastically embraced by brewers and distillers, especially since it could also be grown in Scotland.

By the late 1980s, uncertified seed and cross-pollination had put Maris Otter at risk of extinction. This greatly alarmed some in the brewing industry, who still depended on its unique flavour to produce their cask conditioned ales. Reacting to these concerns, two English seed merchants formed a partnership to rejuvenate the variety, and in 1992, began a programme to build the stocks back to an acceptable standard, re-establishing the grain’s purity and saving the variety from extinction. Their noble efforts attracted the attention of Glenmorangie’s legendary Director of Distilling & Whisky Creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden, who told me: “I arranged for a batch of this rare barley to be traditionally floor-malted for use solely in Glenmorangie Tūsail. I knew its deep flavour profile would provide an interesting contrast to Glenmorangie’s more delicate house style. The result pays homage to the Maris Otter variety, with rich, rustic flavours of nut toffee, sweet barley malt, ginger cinnamon, molasses and dates, complementing the more familiar notes of peaches, oranges and smoked pears”.

The Glenmorangie Private Edition series, which was begun in 2010, provides an annual opportunity for whisky connoisseurs and aficionados to experience a rare and intriguing single malt created and designed by Bill Lumsden and his Whisky Creation team. Glenmorangie Tùsail marks the sixth annual release in this range. The first five expressions were Sonnalta, Finealta, Artein, Ealanta and Companta. The whiskies are bottled at 46%Vol, at natural colour and without chill-filtration. Several of them have won awards, and all are now sought after and difficult to find.

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Glenmorangie Tùsail – S I N G L E H I G H L A N D M A LT 46%Vol | £78 Tasting Note Pale gold in colour, with a faint peachbloom, the whisky has clearly come from American oak casks. The top-notes are of mandarin-flavoured boiled sweets and orange-flavoured Edinburgh rock, with a trace of rhubarb chews and white chocolate in the background. A drop of water introduces a floral note. At full strength, the taste is sweet, salty (unusual in Glenmorangie) and lightly spicy across the tongue; the effect gently mouth-drying and the finish warming. Water reduces all these, with the floral note emerging at the end.

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Tasting Note Full gold in colour, the nose is mellow and sophisticated - fruity overall (pineapple, ripe pear), backed by sweet biscuit notes (shortbread), with a remote and elusive fragrance, becoming more floral at reduced strength. The taste is sweet, with suggestions of fruity bubble-gum and light cereal in the finish.

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Tasting Note Deep amber/polished mahogany in colour.

A powerfully prickly nose-feel (as might be expected) makes it difficult to analyse at natural strength. With water, the aroma is deep and complex, with dried fruits and Xmas cake mix. A creamy texture and a sweet taste, drying towards the finish, with peppery spice and a hint of chocolate.

The Glenlivet Founder’s The Glenlivet Reserve ‘Nadurra’ – S i n g l e S p e y s i d e M a lt 4 0%Vol | £36

– S i n g l e S p e y s i d e M a lt 6 0.7%Vol | £67

Glenlivet was allegedly the very first distillery on what we now call ‘Speyside’ to take out a licence. Rapidly, its whisky became so famous that many other distilleries adopted the name – Macallan-Glenlivet, Glendullan-Glenlivet, Aberlour-Glenlivet, etc. - twenty-seven in all, some of them over twenty miles from the glen itself, giving rise to Glenlivet being referred to as ‘the longest glen in Scotland’! In 1885, the son of the founder took the matter to the High Court, Chancery Division in London and it was agreed that only one was ‘The Glenlivet’, while the others could use the word as a suffix.

The founder, after whom one of these whiskies is named, was George Smith. He had formerly been a smuggler – remote Glenlivet was said to have over 200 illicit stills in 1815 – and was urged by landlord, the Duke of Gordon, who had earlier recommended to the Government to reduce excise duty and encourage illicit distillers to ‘go legal’. His pleading led to the setting up of a Royal Commission, whose recommendations were enshrined in the Excise Act 1823, which laid the foundations of the modern whisky industry.

Mr. Smith’s former smuggling colleagues were not at all happy about this and threatened to burn down his new distillery, “and him at the heart of it”, and for years he had to go about armed.

But the days of rampant smuggling were numbered. Production quadrupled between 1823 and 1828, and the number of licensed distilleries doubled – although not all of them survived, since the demand for whisky did not keep up with the supply.

George Smith appointed Andrew Usher & Company in Edinburgh as his agents and they went on to create what is generally acknowledged to be the first blended Scotch whisky as we understand the term today (i.e. made to a recipe, and therefore

consistent from batch to batch) which they named Usher’s Old Vatted Glenlivet (known simply as OVG, the first branded Scotch whisky). This was in 1853 and was originally a vatted malt; after 1860 it became a mix of malt and grain whiskies: Smith’s Glenlivet (3/24ths), Royal Brackla (1/24ths), Edinburgh (4/24ths) and Caledonian (grain whisky; 16/24ths).

Soon after Prohibition was repealed in the United States, Captain Bill Smith Grant, George Smith’s great-great grandson and now the owner of the distillery, began to promote his whisky in the eastern states – one of the first single malts to be promoted anywhere, albeit the volumes were small. Time Magazine reported in 1952: "For the delight of a few well-heeled connoisseurs, Glenlivet bottles about 3,000 cases of pure malt liquor a year, ships 90% of it to the U.S., where it sells for $10.39 a bottle, including taxes and duties". When he was asked by the same magazine “What makes Glenlivet special?’, The ‘Captain’ replied: “There’s nothing secret about it. It just comes out like that… I think it’s 99% the water, and a certain fiddle-faddle in the manufacture”!

So it is with good reason that The Glenlivet today can claim to be ‘the malt that started it all’!

The Glenlivet Nadurra – the name means ‘Natural’ in Gaelic – is a small batch release, matured in first-fill ex-oloroso sherry casks, without chill-filtration and at natural/cask strength.

The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve, named after George Smith, complements The Glenlivet house style with flavours coming from first-fill oloroso casks – the kind of casks that would have been used in the past.

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Cambus 50 Years Old Sovereign – Single Grain 49. 2%%Vol | £420 This is a very unusual whisky. The distillery closed in 1983 and to the best of my knowledge it has only been bottled by its owners on three occasions, the last time in the early 1990s. It is interesting to see the current rise in interest in Scotch grain whiskies – what with the much publicised Haig Club from Diageo and William Grant’s Girvan releases. This release is from the independent bottler, Hunter Laing.

Cambus Distillery stood in Alloa, on the north bank of the River Forth – a town which has been a centre of brewing and distilling, glass-making and textiles for over 200 years, making good use of the water from the Ochil Hills which rise dramatically behind. The distillery was built in 1806 by John Moubray, on the banks of the River Devon, close to where it joins the Forth. The name comes from the Gaelic camas, a creek or small bay, and the site had formerly been a flour mill.

John was succeeded by his son and grandson; pot stills were abandoned in favour of continuous Stein stills in 1826 – Cambus was one of the first distilleries to adopt the new apparatus replaced by Coffey’s Patent stills in 1851. John’s grandson, Robert Moubray, took Cambus into the Distillers Company on its foundation in 1877, and expanded the distillery in 1882 by the acquisition of the Cambus Old Brewery.

In 1905 an English court ruled that ‘whisky’, whether malt, grain or blended, must be made in a pot still. At appeal the next year, the court was equally divided. On the day this result was announced, 25th June 1906, the DCL cheekily launched an

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Tasting Note The colour of polished mahogany, with surprisingly good beading for its age and strength. The nose is mellow, gradually becoming slightly peppery, with oaky topnotes (planed oak, varnished oak) backed by coconut, almond oil, white pepper and dried tropical fruits (mango, banana); fresh overall. An oily texture and a sweet, centre palate, oaky taste sprinkled with spice, leaving an aftertaste of thick cream. Lively.

advertising campaign for ‘Cambus: A Brand of Pure Patent Still Whisky. Not a headache in a gallon’! In order to resolve the ‘What is Whisky?’ question, a Royal Commission was appointed in 1908, which found that patent still spirit (and therefore blended Scotch as well) could also be called whisky, not only the product of pot stills.

Most of the distillery buildings were destroyed by fire in September 1914, and for the next 24 years Cambus functioned only as a bonded warehouse, and as a maltings for Carsebridge Distillery, nearby. The ruins of the original structure were demolished, except for a small part of the still-house, which was incorporated within a new building in 1937.

Cambus Distillery was closed and decommissioned in 1993, but in 2011 Diageo’s four cooperages (Carsebridge, Dundas Hill, Blythswood and Leven) were consolidated at Cambus in a state-of-the-art, semi-automated new cooperage. The innovative designs for the automated part had never before been used in coopering and were inspired by the automotive industry to move casks around mechanically and lighten the job of the coopers.

Five hundred casks are repaired/renovated or raised per shift (5,000 casks a week); there are eighteen coopers on each shift, plus four apprentices (who work in the traditional part of the site for three years before spending a year on the automated side). The cooperage produces 8 million casks per annum – necessary, since Diageo fills 40,000 casks a week!

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Port Dundas 25 Years Old Sovereign – Single Grain 58.5%Vol | £120

Tasting Note Deep gold in colour with amber lights; light beading. Prickle on the nose at natural strength makes it difficult to identify aromatic characteristics; even with a decent splash of water it remains relatively closed – faintly leathery, lightly nose-drying, buttered toast spread with chilli jam, masculine. The texture is smooth, the taste a fondant surprise, with Turkish Delight, the finish short with lingering warmth.

Port Dundas Distillery, at the Glasgow end of the Forth and Clyde Canal, was established as part of the canal project (completed in 1790) and took its name from Sir Lawrence Dundas of Kerse, President of the Canal Company. It was built on the north bank of the canal and made good use of both it and the nearby railway line to carry coal and grains in and whisky out. The canal closed in the 1960s, although stretches of it have been reopened for recreation.

There have actually been three distilleries on the site. The first was founded in 1811, the second in 1813 and the third in 1838.

The last only operated for two years; the first two amalgamated in 1845, when Coffey stills were installed in parallel with the existing pot stills – Port Dundas continued to make grain whisky in pot stills until the late 1880s, the last distillery to follow this practice, which was universal before the invention of the continuous still.

The owner in 1877, M. Macfarlane & Co, successor to Daniel Macfarlane, the founder of one of the Port Dundas distilleries, joined the Distillers Company Limited on its foundation, at which time Port Dundas had three Coffey and five pot stills – one of them the largest in the entire Scotch whisky industry.

At the time of the visit of Alfred Barnard (author of the monumental The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom (1887)) ten years later, it was the largest distillery in the British Isles, producing 12 million litres of pure alcohol per annum on a nine acre site. He was especially impressed by the piggery at Port Dundas, where 400 pigs were accommodated. Alas, swine fever wiped them out around 1900, and they were not replaced.

The distillery was badly damaged by fire in 1903; was rebuiltby 1914, with a new drum maltings, situated within one of the first reinforced concrete buildings in Europe (closed and gutted in 1983), and was again badly damaged in 1916 when No. 6 warehouse went up in flames, along with 12,000 hogsheads of whisky.

After 1966 it was managed by Scottish Grain Distillers, who extensively modernised it during the 1970s, doubling output at a cost of £10 million. With the site increasing to 25 acres, following the acquisition of a neighbouring maltings and fertilizer plant, a super-efficient dark-grains plant replaced the original in 1977 and a CO2 recovery plant was also installed (this is a by-product of fermentation). At this time Port Dundas was the Distillers Company flagship.

Notwithstanding its former eminence, Port Dundas Distillery was closed in 2009 and the site cleared. To my knowledge it was only once ever bottled by its owners as a single - in the early 1990s, without an age statement - so this 25YO from indie bottlers, Hunter Laing, is something of an event.

The spirit from Port Dundas was famously full-bodied: the distillery used both wheat and maize (the latter introduced in 1955) and one of its three Coffey stills was made from stainless steel rather than copper, which is a purifier, making for a lighter spirit.

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Glendullan 14 Years Old Douglas of Drumlanrig – S i n g l e S p e y s i d e M a lt 46%Vol | £8 0 Glendullan was built in 1897 in a wooded glen beside the River Fiddich, close to the confluence of the Fiddich and the Dullan Water. It was the seventh distillery in Dufftown, giving rise to the rhyme: Rome was built on seven hills, But Dufftown stands on seven stills.

It was built by William Williams & Sons, blenders in Aberdeen, and has always been a blending whisky – although apparently a small amount was supplied to the Royal Household of King Edward VII (himself a champagne drinker) in 1902, and when she was elected Speaker of the House of Commons in 1992, Betty Boothroyd chose the malt as her ‘Speaker’s Choice’. Other than that, small amounts - all at 23 Years Old - were released in Diageo’s Rare Malts range, a 12 Years Old in their Flora & Fauna range and a Centenary bottling in 1998.

Then, in 2007, The Singleton of Glendullan was launched in North America, in parallel with The Singleton of Dufftown (for Europe) and The Singleton of Glen Ord (for Asia). The expression we are considering here comes from independent bottler, Hunter Laing, under their ‘Douglas of Drumlanrig’ label.

The trade journal, Harper’s Weekly, eulogised the site chosen for the distillery:

“…in a beautiful valley…hemmed in by high hills wooded to the summit, while the effect is greatly enhanced by the Fiddich, which flows gently past in front of the distillery”. In truth, the site was chosen not for its beauty, but for practical reasons.

Tasting Note Pale gold in colour: Sauvignon Blanc.

The nose immediately reminded me of camomile tea: delicate and scented.

Slightly nose-drying in its effect, in time it reveals acid drops (boiled sweets), and this is echoed by the taste (sweet, fresh and acidic). A little water flattens the aroma but makes for very easy drinking.

The Fiddich supplied water to a large overshot water-wheel (14 feet in diameter and four feet wide) which drove all the machinery – “a great saving, compared to distilleries which have to use steam engines”, wrote Harpers. It also shared a railway siding with its neighbour, Mortlach Distillery.

As an aside, a decade before Glendullan was built, William Williams & Sons placed an order with William Grant’s new Glenfiddich Distillery for 400 gallons of spirit a week – the distillery’s entire output, which must have pleased the Grant family!

In common with others, Glendullan Distillery was closed during the Second World War and only resumed production in 1947. In 1962 it was completely re-built, then in 1971-72 a new distillery with six stills was built adjacent to the original to run in parallel with it. The DCL’s historian, Brian Spiller, writes: “The two units share the same water supply, use the same techniques and produce identical makes”.

Glendullan was not alone in having this dramatic makeover. The 1960s and 70s were a boom era for (blended) Scotch whisky and new distilleries of the same design were also built alongside existing sites at Clynelish (in 1968), Linkwood (1970) and Mannochmore (1972, beside Glenlossie Distillery). A further seven distilleries were re-modelled in the same way: they can be identified by their large still-room windows, making for a pleasant working environment. The design became known as the ‘Waterloo Street’ style, developed by Scottish Malt Distillers’ chief engineer, Dr. Charlie Potts, and named after the location of the company’s HQ in Glasgow.

Longmorn 11 Years Old Douglas of Drumlanrig

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Tasting Note Pale gold in colour, with pale green lights. Some nose prickle, even at 46%, hiding an faint fruity aroma (ripe pear, baked apple), with a suggestion of white wine and shortbread. Easy to drink, straight; sweet and centre palate. Water reduces the aroma and introduces some spice to the taste.

– S i n g l e s p e y s i d e M a lt 46%Vol | £62 Longmorn has been described as ‘the Master Blenders’ choice’, and I know of several blenders who would name it as their favourite malt – and they don’t all work for Chivas Brothers, the distillery’s owner! It is ranked ‘Top Class’ in every blenders’ list I have seen.

When the distillery opened in 1893, a local newspaper began its report: “Still another distillery! Evidently the latest one announced for Longmorn is not the last that this district will see… Where is all this going to end?” Four years later, a trade newspaper, The National Guardian, reported that the make from Longmorn “jumped into favour with buyers from the earliest day on which it was offered”.

‘The district’ referred to was Elgin: Longmorn stands two and a half miles south of the Royal Burgh. ‘Longmorn’ is Brythonic (‘British’ or Welsh) – an indication of how the early peoples mingled in the ancient Pictish Kingdom of Moray. Some say the name comes from Lhanmorgund, ‘the Place of the Holy Man’; some from the 7th Century British saint, Eran or Earnain, to whom Longmorn church is dedicated. Supporters of the latter say the name was originally Lann M’earnain, ‘the enclosure of beloved [St] Earnain’.

So the water – so important to distillers, although in days gone by it was the almost mystic quality of the water that appealed, while today it is the reliable quantity and purity was of undoubted reliability. More prosaically, but of equal

importance, the site was situated close to the railway line between Elgin and Aberdeen (and thence to southern markets).

Longmorn Station and its platform still exist in good order, although the track has gone. There are currently plans to clear it as a cycle path, linking with the Speyside Way at Craigellachie, and from there to Aviemore and the National Cycle Network.

The founder was John Duff, in partnership with two other local worthies. He had been manager at Glendronach Distillery and had been the driving force behind the building of Glenlossie Distillery in 1876 and went on to build BenRiach Distillery, next door to Longmorn and connected to it by a railway line, in 1897. The two distilleries amalgamated as Longmorn-Glenlivet Distilleries Co. Ltd in 1898, by which time John Duff appears to have run out of money (he would later emigrate to Australia).

In 1901 the directors of the company included a number of very well known whisky men: John Alexander Dewar (of John Dewar & Sons), Arthur Sanderson (owner of VAT 69), James Anderson (of J.G. Thompson, whose offices were in The Vaults, Leith, now the home of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society) and John Duff, ‘distiller’.

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I once worked as a free-lance commercial copywriter, and it was in this connection that I began to write about whisky, in 1981.

My business partner, Simon Scott, went on to become the leading advertising copywriter in Scotland. One of his earliest accounts was Bunnahabhain, then owned by Highland Distilleries, for whom he came up with a neat series of small ads under the head-line ‘Great Unpronounceables of Our Time’!

Readers of Whiskeria will know that the name is pronounced ‘Bunna-haven’, but now the owners of the distillery, Burn Stewart Distillers, have come up with another tester: Ceòbanach. My Gaelic dictionary tells me this is pronounced ‘Kyaw-bin-ack’; it means ‘misty’ or ‘drizzly’ in Gaelic – the bottle’s carton says ‘smoky mist’, which perfectly describes the flavour of the new malt. The carton also bears a health warning: ‘INTENSELY PEATED'!

Bunnahabhain distillery was commissioned in 1883 to make non-smoky whisky for blending. Traditional Bunnahabhain is very lightly peated (2-3 parts per million phenols, for those of you who like such details), but trials with heavily peated malt (3545ppm phenols) from Port Ellen Maltings were conducted in 1997 and under Burn Stewart’s ownership – they bought the distillery in 2003 – batches of smoky Bunna have been made each year.

The first bottling of this smoky expression was released at 6 years old for the Islay Whisky Festival in 2004, named Bunnahabhain Moine (Gaelic for ‘peat’) and, in 2010, Bunnahabhain Cruach Mhona (Gaelic for ‘peat stack’).

During my research for this article, I was interested to discover that, at the start of Bunna’s life, “nothing but peat [was] used in the kilns [for drying the malt]”, so the original Bunnahabhain will have been peated - in spite of the distillery going to some lengths to use only ‘thoroughly mature peat’, on the basis that “well-seasoned peat is free from the sulphurous matter which it contains when newly dug”.

Burn Stewart’s Master Blender and Master Distiller is the renowned Ian MacMillan, who is also a considerable expert on the history of Scotch whisky. Ceòbanach was inspired by the thought of what the atmosphere of Islay – and Bunnahabhain in particular - might have been like in the late 19th century, when the distillery was founded. “The whole community was dependent on peat for warmth, fuel and trade… Smoke from the open fires would have mingled with the salty sea air to create a ‘smoky mist’ you might almost taste”.

Although Bunnahabhain Ceòbanach does not make an age statement, I am told it is over ten years old. Both the colour and the sweet overall flavour indicate that it has been drawn from refill ex-bourbon casks – an attractive balance of oak and smoke.

It is bottled without the addition of any spirit caramel – i.e. natural colour – and un-chillfiltered, which allows the full flavour to be appreciated. It is a ‘limited edition’, and I notice that the tin marks it ‘Batch No.1’, so there are likely to be more to come, making for interesting comparisons.

Tasting Note Chardonnay gold in colour, the nose is intensely smoky/peaty, with roast meat/barbeque notes on a malty base, and traces of seaweed. The taste (unreduced) is sweet, lightly salty and powerfully smoky in the finish. It drinks well, straight. A drop of water reduces the smoky impact in favour of the maritime notes (iodine, sea-salt), with vanilla; the taste is now even sweeter and saltier.

Bunnahabhain Ceòbanach – S i n g l e Is l a y M a l t 46.3%Vol | £6 0

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Whisky Collecting — Gavin D. Smith discusses some key aspects of collecting with the independent specialists at Rare Whisky (RW) 101 and with The Whisky Shop’s own Neil Jamieson and Darren Leitch.

When it comes to collecting whisky there are essentially two different motives at work. Some people collect as an investment -a perfectly understandable reason in an economic climate where it is difficult to make money earn its keep by traditional investment methods – and others collect for the sheer pleasure of doing so.

There is, of course, also a potential crossover, as many who collect for pleasure quietly hope that over time their collection will increase in value.

In terms of ‘investment whisky’ it is clear that there is currently a great deal of activity, though as RW101 points out, “It is hard to ascertain what is an investment purchase rather than a collector purchase or a connoisseur/drinker purchase. However, what we can state is that the UK rare whisky market - as defined by the secondary market for all UK auctions on and off line - has grown dramatically to 33,998 bottles in 2014. This represents a 68.1 per cent growth over 2013. This increase in supply is a result of more people choosing to sell/buy at auction and more auctions taking place with greater frequency. The total value spent in 2014 on the UK secondary market for rare whisky was around £7.5 million.”

In terms of people with serious money to spend, RW101 considers that “There seems to have been a marked shift towards ‘classic’ bottles. Polarisation continues to be seen in the market where the ‘best of the best’ bottles continue to become ever more attractive and highly sought after, driving up values. Conversely, bottles from less attractive distilleries and brands continue to fall in value.

“The big buyers (for consumption, collection or investment) continue to favour the iconic distilleries. Indeed, if you look at

the RW101 Collectors Index (which purely tracks market share at auction for each distillery) you will see the big brands doing well, with The Macallan, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Glenfiddich, Highland Park, Glenmorangie, Springbank, Port Ellen and Balvenie securing the top 10 places.”

The two biggest ‘movers’ in the Collectors Index are Bruichladdich - up five places on 2013, and Port Ellen - down four places. As RW101 explains, “We expect Port Ellen, and indeed all silent distilleries, to keep slipping down this index as stocks dry up. There has been a huge increase in the ‘Laddie’ coming to market, which is great for collecting and consuming, though not for investing if you are looking for value appreciation. ‘Laddie’ values have softened significantly over recent months. Both Arran and GlenDronach have made significant progress in taking an increased share of the wallet at auction. Both distilleries are becoming more collected, with GlenDronach in particular starting to gain momentum.”

It may seem that with so much activity being focused on collecting whisky for investment, stocks of high quality spirit must be diminishing, but the team at RW101 points out that “There’s enough to satisfy demand if you know where to go, who to speak to and when to make an offer!”

Inevitably, when any commodity becomes valuable, unscrupulous individuals will produce counterfeit versions, and just as some high-profile fake fine wines have appeared on the market, so counterfeit whiskies are spotted from time to time.

According to RW101, “We have certainly seen an increase in fakes, and whenever we see them we try and publish them on our blog

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(www.thecuttingspirit.com) and Facebook (The Whisky Investor). “If you are prepared to wait five to ten years, then I would be We want everyone to be able to spot these fakes, and we want including older vintages from these distilleries while the prices any auction house that knowingly or unknowingly accepts a bottle remain as they are. However, you don’t need to dig that deep into for sale to be made aware. The vast majority of auction houses your pockets for all of your purchases – the recent release of the are experienced with fakes, but some lack knowledge of even the Bowmore Devil’s Cask would only have set you back £60 and simplest forgeries, so they do slip through the net”. that is looking like a very strong investment, even now just a few Both Founding Directors of RW101 (David Robertson and Andy months after its release.”

Simpson) buy bottles at auction and both say they have passed up The Whisky Shop is ideally placed to aid collectors, and Neil on many bottles with questionable provenance. When it comes Jamieson explains that “Firstly, there is the local expert advice to recognising a counterfeit bottle, RW101 offers the succinct available at any of our 22 outlets throughout the UK or over the comment that “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is! phone at Head Office, and secondly, with The W Club you not Check fill-levels. Are they higher than expected for an old bottle only get to know about releases first, but, currently, you have the with an imperfect seal? Check labels. Do they look too perfect, too 10 per cent discount available to W Club members on all whisky clean, and too white?” products.”

And the million dollar question – can it all go wrong? “Yes. If He adds that “People often ask me what the most important values go up then they can come back down. You need to be smart thing is to consider when collecting whisky. For me the answer is about what you are buying and why. Caveat emptor!” ‘be in the know.’ With some of the most exciting collectable whisky releases only lasting a few hours before all the bottles are sold, it is vital that you know when the bottles will be released and how you “We are fans of collecting ‘silent stills’ - both can buy them.”

Considering what is in vogue this year for collectors, The original distillery and independent bottlings.

Whisky Shop’s National Retail Manager Darren Leitch declares There are three reasons for this. Firstly, they that “I think more unique presentations will be the way forward. are rare, secondly, they are highly sought Decanters and wooden boxes, for instance, help to sell the whisky. after - and not just the icons of Port Ellen, That said I think and hope interest in the quality of the liquid and the rarity of the liquid will become more and more important.

Brora and Rosebank, and thirdly, they are Bottles connected to certain events or occasions are on the up. fascinating to open and taste - something Expect some anniversaries to be celebrated during 2015. New truly special.” distilleries will also be making headway amongst the curios.”

When asked what not to miss out on, he points out that “This So much for investment collecting, but what about collecting year sees the bicentenaries of Ardbeg and Laphroaig distilleries, for the pure enjoyment of owning interesting bottles of whisky? and both will be celebrating this milestone with limited editions, The Whisky Shop’s Neil Jamieson declares that “There are many and the team at Glenfarclas will also be celebrating an anniversary things that can constitute a rare and collectable whisky, such as the with some interesting whisky. And finally, if your budget allows, distillery, the number of bottles in a release, whether the release picking up some whiskies from closed distilleries can be fun, is available in any other markets outside of the UK and one of the interesting and historical.” most important factors – the quality of the whisky.”

In terms of limited releases, Jamieson notes that “It is true to say that collectors get really excited when there is a release of something special that is limited to less than 300 bottles, However, there are exceptions to this school of thought.

Scan QR to download Rare Whisky 101’s “There are many examples of whisky releases which consisted Annual Whisky Investment Report. of over 1,000 bottles – in some of these cases the whisky quality has been so high that the demand for it to be consumed outweighed the supply of the product. The result, of course, is the price goes up in the secondary market - in some cases drastically so. The quality of the whisky should never be underestimated by collectors, even if they have no intention of drinking the bottle.”

If the size of a specific release is an important consideration for collectors, then so too is age. “In my opinion demand for aged whisky is still incredibly high,” says Jamieson. “If this trend continues then now could be a good time to purchase older stock from key distilleries such as The Macallan, Balvenie and Glenfiddich. The important thing to consider when collecting is how long do you want to hold on to your whisky.

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Top Picks for 2015

»

K N O W L E DG E B A R :

Platinum Port Ellen 31 Year Old

Glenfiddich 1992 Rare Colection

The Last Drop 50 Year Old

Ladyburn 1974 40 Year Old

GlenDronach Single Cask Batch 11

£1,420

£1,200

£3,000

£2,500

£100 - £1,000

Ladyburn whisky is really rare, the Ladyburn distillery only operated for nine years and closed in 1975. Not much whisky was produced there, making this some of the rarest liquid available to purchase by the bottle.

Nine individual limited edition whiskies, ranging in price from around £100 to around £1,000.

In my view, GlenDronach is definitely the distillery to keep an eye on.

–

–

–

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–

Darren ' s T op 5 t i ps F or b e g i nners

–

TIP 1 Port Ellen is one of the most sought after single malt whiskies for two main reasons.

Firstly, it's a whisky from Islay, and secondly the distillery was closed 32 years ago.

This particular bottle is one of just 29 in existence, and only a very small number remain.

There have been several limited edition Glenfiddichs over the years, (doing well in the secondary market), but not many single cask expressions.

This is one of only 200 bottles, and very rare indeed.

To have such a rare blend of 82 whiskies over 50 years of age is very significant. It's not bad tasting either, having been voted Best Blended Whisky in the World by writer Jim Murray.

»To begin with, keep your focus on a few ideas, for example a particular distillery, region or vintage. Buy interesting releases and buy whisky from a particular birth year: buying for the birth year of a child can be rewarding and is becoming very popular.

TIP 2 »Think about your budget. Not every collectable will be very expensive, so stick to a budget and decide how much you want to spend on further bottles.

TIP 3 »The look of a bottle. This can be important if you want to showcase your collection for all to see, but not so important if your collection will stay hidden from view in the loft or in a cupboard. Either way, some collectables will look more attractive than others, so think about whether that matters to you.

TIP 4 » Get as much information on bottles as you possibly can, but put your trust in someone who has proved informative to you. I would like to think The Whisky Shop staff will strive to keep you on the right tracks.

TIP 5 » Enjoy a dram. I firmly believe you will have more interest in and respect for your collection of whiskies if you take time to experience and appreciate the flavours of our treasured spirits. Never feel guilty opening a bottle. Enjoying and sharing its flavours could be the best investment of all.

Folk Tales Having cut his teeth working for Nicole Farhi and YMC in London, Cathal McAteer took the plunge and launched his own label in 2001. 14 years later, with global distribution through 100 international outlets, the founder of insiders' favourite brand Folk talks exclusively to Calum Gordon for Whiskeria's style issue.

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Folk is a stylish London based men’s fashion label that was founded by Scots born Cathal McAteer. It is a truism of British fashion that nearly all talent will eventually drift towards the seductive beckoning of London. Folk’s founder Cathal McAteer was no exception.

Although Cathal first honed his skills in Ichi Ni San, Glasgow’s seminal retail space, somewhat inevitably there was not enough in Glasgow to hold his interest. In 2001, he summoned all that he had learned and ploughed it into forming a brand of his own. In contrast to the norm of heavily branded men’s fashion, the style of this brand is quiet and understated with a strong emphasis on finishing.

The Folk aesthetic has changed little over the years; it is the attention to minute detail that sets Folk apart from its competitors. According to McAteer, their approach to each garment is encapsulated

by Charles Eames when he said, ‘the details are not the details, they make the design.’

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You were born in Cumbernauld, just outside Glasgow, perhaps not the most creatively inspiring place in Scotland – what was it that first sparked your interest in clothes?

For the most part, it seems that kids of my era had only two routes that got them into designer brands – music or football.

Football was my real passion … I loved playing football, occasionally getting in trouble and always wanted to hang about with the cool guys – who were older and generally wanted to smoke and drink; I still love football, though for me it showed no direct route to fashion. I was really into dressing up and looking different, but it was only when I walked into Ichi Ni San, aged 15, and Stephen, one of the owners, asked me to model for them that I really got seduced by it all. Shortly after that they kindly asked me to work Saturdays and from there I experimented heavily with all the wares.

You began working in Ichi Ni San which stocked brands such as Dries Van Noten. How did working there affect your ideals and affinity for quality products?

Dries is still one of my favourite brands, one that still inspires me personally and Folk. The shop and its brands brought the fashion world to life. Before walking in there I hadn’t even thought about fashion as something I could venture into. My job there afforded me time to soak up design styles and quality, to see for myself how brands evolved: some got better, some stagnated, some faded away. Working at Ichi Ni San, some of the stuff was obscenely priced and I thought, ‘if I did it for myself, I’d do stuff that was affordable and had great value thereafter.’

After a brief stint in Brussels, you found yourself in London working for Nicole Farhi and YMC before you founded your own brand. What was the catalyst for starting the brand?

While working to learn and earn I was assisting my then girlfriend Zakee Shariff, a really talented designer/print maker/ artist. We travelled to Japan together and on one such trip the hosts asked ‘when will you do menswear?’ This hadn’t been a plan: I wasn’t ready, but always wanting to please (myself usually first), at their request I started to make my first pieces. Using the south island of Japan as a place to experiment with the Folk style, it was not until two years later that would I bring it to London for the first time.

Your ethos of minimalist branding and great detailing was very definitely swimming against the flow of the time. Is that correct?

The landscape of independent men’s fashion was markedly different in 2001, with a tendency for heavily branded garments and superfluous design. This was before the wave of Scandinavian minimalism swept across the world’s creative industries, affecting everything from fashion to furniture design.

We were quite ahead of the curve, it was kind of sportswear meets casual wear, with elements of beautiful tailoring, like you’d find in a Dries collection. Not that I could make it to that standard at that point, but a big influence was beautiful, casually worn garments.

Have you always been quite contrarian in your work?

Yes, both in work and privately. It’s very hard to separate this, as it’s not about my nature being contrary, but about seeing things differently and doing things differently. For example, I am in the process of renovating my house, and we come to the part when we are ordering standard stuff...it all looks standard. Bland. The builder wants to put the skirting boards on, but it’s all ugly. So, last weekend I made a box mould to make my own stone skirting tiles. I’ve never seen these but it’s this type of thinking that everyone at Folk embraces and champions. We do hit brick walls with it sometimes but that’s part of the pain that comes with this process.

And were the early days challenging?

It was very labour intensive. You couldn’t get a factory to do that level of detailing. So when it came back from the factory, there was still stuff you had to do with it. However, there was so much positivity about it, it just felt great to do, even though you weren’t earning much from it. All the clothes were a direct reflection of my personality – the way I want clothes to look. So, it wasn’t ever too difficult, it was just like, ‘thank goodness I’m getting to do this now.

“When people ask what I do, I say ‘I make clothes.’ We are designers, but we also get stuff made well, on time and at the right price –so it’s a full package.”

Is it hard to convey Folk’s unique detailing and special fabrics in a world where a large percentage of purchases are online?

It is, and we try to find better ways of presenting ourselves online but we don’t lose sleep over it. Folk is a design company that prides itself on the great product it makes. If we keep with this attitude we won’t compromise the heart of what we are.

Where do you draw your inspiration from and is it hard to stay inspired?

Honestly, it’s not hard to stay inspired as we love what we do and there is so much more we can do. There is also an inner confidence that we have gained through roughing out some tough times and through 10 years of Folk.

The design team takes influence from all over. Art is a strong influence, especially in London. Most recently we looked at the lauded architect Oscar Niemeyer, juxtaposing the massive sprawl of favelas and the pattern and colour they showcase.

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You currently have four men’s shops, three in London and one in Amsterdam. Would it be accurate to say that even with retail locations, Folk seems to avoid the obvious, or stereotypical?

We don’t go out of our way to be different, but don’t feel the need to follow the pack. For example, our home is Lamb’s Conduit Street in Bloomsbury, London. It is not prime fashion, but many have followed us and it is now becoming a bit of a destination. Shepherd Street is also off the beaten track, but it works for us. It’s got character and charm and I don’t know of any other store like it. We go with what we feel rather than what is dictated. Amsterdam was down to doing well and the shop owner asking us to do it with him. It was an easy one to say yes to. There was also a store in Munich, now closed. It was an idea we could act out, but I think an amount of naivety and courage did not make a recipe for success.

What do you have in store for the future?

I hope the future brings growth in our women’s business, as well as the expansion of the tailoring we have been selling, which looks strong. Perhaps more stores and more categories.

Procreating should always be on the agenda, we have a young-ish group so we expect many little ones to arrive over the coming years…no pressure.

Oh, and having fun while working is a must. We are not exactly Yvon Chouinard, but we should all take a little from the fine example he sets.

Elbe Lealman, the head designer at Folk, is maturing into one of the very best around. I think she has a lot more in the tank.

What else might you branch out into?

Ceramics for December this year. And lights… We recently lit the artists’ bar at the Hay-on-Wye literary festival. With furniture, too, there is something there but it’s in the development stage.

Like in our clothing, buttons, fabrics, etc., we don’t go to the furniture shop to buy a bench, we design our own and have it made.

Away from clothing and design work, what interests you?

Having fun with my family and friends ….I am happy to be a daddy to my three children, it allows me to unwind.

Contemporary Menswear by Steven Vogel, Nick Schonberger and Calum Gordon is published by Thames & Hudson and priced at £19.95

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Whenever he has been asked to describe the design style of Folk, McAteer has always referenced the Charles Eames’ quote, “the details are not the details, they make the design.”

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Don't mention the

Cake

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While the chateaux of France have long welcomed wine tourists, enoturismo has only recently come of age in Spain’s Rioja valley. But what a vintage – the winemakers have hired some of the world’s top architects to create full-bodied bodegas to impress.

Claire Bell reports.

High in the mountains of Madeira, they serve whisky with a punch. At Abrigo do Pastor, a country pub where rusty old farming equipment dangles from the ceiling and a mounted goats head glares at a stuffed buck from across the room, barman Eusabio Andrade hands over a balloon glass of bright orange liquid.

“This is poncha. The favourite drink of Madeirans. Try it,” he says with a smile.

While the traditional poncha is a mix of honey, freshly squeezed lemon juice and rum, in recent years barmen on this Atlantic island have been experimenting with new concoctions.

Andrade serves his with Grants whisky – a kind of cold toddy.

“A good poncha must be made and drunk within the hour,” he advises, dismissing the sealed bottles for sale in tourist shops. “And never use a single malt. That would be a waste.”

Madeirans take gastronomy seriously. Over the past four centuries, the inhabitants of this mountainous island, 500 miles off the coast of north Africa, have transformed the shards of an extinct volcano into terraced farmland that cultivates produce with flavours unlike anywhere else on earth.

From the most humble of dishes – açorda, a Madeiran mountain soup made of white bread, olive oil, thyme, garlic and eggs – to richer dishes like espetada, large chunks of fatty beef rubbed in salt and garlic, skewered onto a vine branch and cooked over hot coals, or espada, the black scabbard fish native to Madeira’s wild cold seas, often cooked with small, sweet local bananas, every meal is an intense flavour experience. And the local wine is no exception.

Fortified wine has been made on Madeira since the 17th century.

“The land, the weather and the acidity of the wine make it completely different to a port or a sherry,” says Luis Pereira d’Oliveira, a fifth generation winemaker.

Today with his brother Anibal, they continue to run D’Oliveiras wines from a 17th century warehouse in the middle of Funchal, the island’s capital. What makes D’Oliveiras even more remarkable is their vast stock of vintage wines. Looking for a wine to commemorate the building of the Eiffel Tower (1890)? Or perhaps a wine to commiserate the sinking of the Titanic (1912)? Or how about a wine from 1850, the year D’Oliveiras was founded?

“For my father, it was much more important to see wine in the vat than to have money,” says Luis. “Money is much easier to spend and the stock of old wines has more value.”

To this day, the D’Oliveiras warehouses still possess vintage vats of wines that have never been bottled. For the first time in April 2015 they will bottle a 1901 Malvazia – a sweet wine – as well as adding a 1977 Sercal, a 1982 Boal and a 1988 Verdelho to their selection of 56 vintage wines.

And although they do export – Luis finally convinced his father to begin exporting in the 1980s – they only do so in limited quantities.

“We prefer to sell slowly, then the prices go up,” he says.

Sitting at a table made from wine barrels, we begin our tasting with a 3-year-old, the colour of white wine. This is the youngest Madeira on offer, because like Scotch whisky, Madeira wine must spend three years in a barrel before it can earn its title. Another similarity to Scotch is that Madeira wine is matured in French and American oak barrels, and never new wood – they constantly reuse old barrels to hold onto decades of flavour.

The older the wine, the deeper the colour. The ten-year-old reminds of a tawny whisky, a 1989 is the colour of cognac, while a 1971 Sercal – a dry fortified wine – has a smoky taste with the colour of port.

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“They are never easy wines or ones that immediately win the empathy of the taster,” comments Rui Falcao, a respected Portugese wine writer, “but they are genuine and grandiose, capable of lifting us up and taking our breath away.”

An appropriate description, considering where the grapes are grown. Up in the peaks to the west of Funchal is the main wine-growing region. Small-scale farmers train the vines to grow up steep slopes and these near-vertical vineyards are irrigated by levadas, a network of high-altitude irrigation channels that filter the water from the rainy northwest of the island to the sunny, dry south. There are over 1400km of levadas criss-crossing the island, and the fact that they are level make them popular hiking trails with tourists and locals alike.

“It’s a small island and I’ve lived here all my life, but there are still places on the island that I don’t recognise,” says barman Andade, who began hiking the levadas five years ago, and loves how they transport you away from the humdrum of daily life.

Just outside the town of Estreito de Camara de Lobos – home to Restaurant Es Vides, which claims to have invented espetada – you can pick up the Levada do Norte. Within seconds of entering the levada you are walking in an archway of vines, a man-made pergola connecting the balconies of colourful homes with their terraced farmland. For much of the time the sound of Madeira is your car engine straining in first gear as it tackles yet another precipitous road, but once you step onto the levadas, the island’s true sounds reveal themselves: goats bleating, birds chirping, dogs barking and the distant sounds of Portuguese soap operas drifting up from the valley below.

There is something very peaceful and satisfying about walking the levadas – waterways that connect villages, homes and livelihoods, a poetic reminder of how interconnected all of human life is. No man is an island, especially not on an island.

An excellent bus network means you can follow the levadas for as long as you feel, and then pop out at a village to make your way back. We pop out at the village of Nogueira where a small café with a terrace overlooking the distant sea serves up beers,

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coffees and Cardhu single malt. Curiously, it turns out that nearly every tiny bar next to a bus stop across the island has this single malt on offer.

“Why Cardhu?” I ask over and over again to barmen around the island.

Again and again they shrug.

“It’s a good one,” says Andade.

For over a century Madeira has been a popular tourist destination – especially during the winter when the island basks in daily temperatures of 22C. Today the island receives one million visitors annually – four times the local population. It was Winston Churchill who first put the island on the British tourist map. Churchill loved coming to the small fishing village of Camara do Lobos to paint the landscape and it was in the five-star Reid’s Palace Hotel – created by Scotsman William Reid – where he later wrote his war memoirs.

Today Reid’s is still there, though with its chandeliers and formal air it feels less like a palace of the present, and more like a dream preserved in aspic, hanging on to the shirt-tails of the past.

Fortunately there are many more relaxed five-star boltholes, including Jardin do Largo, the former home of General Beresford, Commander of the British forces during the Napolenoic wars, set in 2.5 hectares of botanical gardens. The gardens are home to over 500 different species of plants, a 47-year-old giant tortoise called Colombo, and a heated pool, where you can easily idle away entire winter days occasionally glancing up to note the orchids, camellias and bougainvillea in bloom.

A more active way to explore the island’s colours is to walk the Levada dos Tornos that connects the Palheiro botanical gardens, owned by the Blandys, another legendary Madeiran winemaking family, with Funchal’s main botanical gardens.

This is a gentle walk, passing through eucalyptus groves, pine and mimosa woods, with the option for a stop at the Jasmine Tea Rooms, an English owned café high in the hills serving up home-baking and views over the Atlantic Ocean.

If your appetite is for more drama, head north to the Pico do Ariaiero, the third highest point on the island at 1810 metres, accessible by road, where you can gaze down into what some believe was once the volcano’s crater, a scoured, tormented vista of jagged teeth towering up from the belly of the earth. From here, those with a head for heights, can walk on to Pico Ruivo, the island’s highest peak.

A tamer way to enjoy the drama of the island’s scenery is onthe terrace at Quinta do Furao, a hotel-restaurant perched on theedge of a cliff between the northerly towns of Santana and Sao Jorge. Here, where forested cliffs and waterfalls plunge into a turquoise and deep indigo sea, the chef (formerly of Reids) serves up sea bass served with saffron risotto and champagne sauce, trout fished from the nearby cold waters of Ribeira Frio, served in a local honey sauce, and ice-cream made from Madeira wine.

For those seeking out a quiet, epicurean paradise, while the rest of northern Europe cowers from wind and snow, this is it.

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The Whisky Shop/ Spring 2015 The Whisky Shop News Round-up / 58 Speyside Revisited /BenRiach / 60 Speyside Revisited /The Glenlivet / 62 Other Speysides to Sample/ Abourlour and Longmorn / 64 Speyside Revisited / Unlikely relations / 66 Off-piste drams / 68 When Irish Eyes Are Smiling /Jameson / 70 When Irish Eyes Are Smiling /Tullamore / 72 Collecting for Pleasure / 74 Whisky Shop Gifts / 78 Customer Favourites / 80 The Directory / 84

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The Whisky Shop News Round-Up Take Whiskeria with you for free...

We are always looking for ways to feed your curiosity about whisky. The Whisky Shop’s new App is an edition of Whiskeria designed from the ground up to suit the tablet format. All the usual content is there but the layout is more appropriate for the medium. We hope you agree it’s still a great read. Initially just for IOS users, we are testing right now but will be live during March 2015. Android version will be in place shortly after. We hope the experience of using the App version of Whiskeria compliments the print version but also lets you have the option to dip into content when on the move. It’s another way we keep you informed and entertained. We look forward to hearing your thoughts about this version or what you would like to see more of. In the future the Whiskeria App will be enhanced by multimedia.

The prime objective of The Whisky Shop in establishing this new App is to provide world leading standards of communication to all of our customers and friends across the world.

Enjoy the magazine and enjoy your whisky!

The Whisky Shop’s new App has been designed by our creative directors at Whiskeria, Buro Design Thinking.

Click & Collect: whiskyshop.com

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Speyside Revisited / BenRiach As we move into another spring our thoughts go to the region of Scotland where more than half of Scotland’s single malt whiskies are distilled. That would be Speyside, located in the north east of the Highlands. There, you find an abundance of hills, mountains, sparkling cold rivers, copper stills and water of life! Speyside whiskies are renowned for their sweetness and lightness and their popularity around the world has established some of the most famous brands in Scotch whisky. In this issue, we focus on distillers at opposite ends of the spectrum.

The first is the small independent distiller, BenRiach; the second is none other than The Glenlivet, one of the most famous marques of single malt Scotch whiskies in the world. We also put Aberlour and Longmorn into the mix.

BenRiach At The Whisky Shop we have long been fans of BenRiach and everything they do. More importantly, however, our customers have consistently given this distiller their vote of confidence. BenRiach Distillery is located in the 'Heart of Speyside', 3 miles south of the town of Elgin. Built by John Duff in 1898, BenRiach is one of the few distilleries with its own on-site maltings. It draws its water from the Burnside Springs.

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BenRiach Heart of Speyside

BenRiach 12 Year Old

BenRiach 16 Year Old

BenRiach 20 Year Old

BenRiach Curiositas 10 Year Old

BenRiach Authenticus 25 Year Old

£40

£42

£53

£88

£45

£189

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What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

BenRiach’s introductory single malt in its range. Don’t be put off by the lack of an age statement. This is a testament to how good this single malt can be.

BenRiach’s classic single malt aged for 12 years in ex bourbon casks.

BenRiach’s classic single malt aged for 16 years in ex bourbon casks.

BenRiach’s classic single malt aged for 20 years in ex bourbon casks.

What’s it like?

What’s it like?

What’s it like?

A peated malt – unusual for Speyside. BenRiach Curiositas achieves a peat richness through the use of malted barley dried in the traditional way over peat infused kilns.

The BenRiach 25 year old Authenticus is the oldest Benriach peated expression.

This malt is non chill filtered and of natural colour.

On the nose it is floral and fruity and on the palate there is the classic flavour of honey and vanilla with hints of cream, spice and chocolate. All in all a well- balanced and delicious malt.

The extra age in this BenRiach delivers richness to its aromas of fruit, honey and vanilla.

These translate on the palate to a delightful full bodied flavour with a long finish that includes spices, toffee and apples.

This is just magnificent. On the nose the aromas are layered with spice, nuts, honey and fruits and on the palate it is beautifully rounded and rich.

The finish is long and complex and simply delightful.

What’s it like?

This is a smooth and drinkable dram. Unpretentious in every way, its delivers an honest Speyside experience of fresh heather, fruit, honey and nuts.

Not at all bad for a starter!

What’s it like?

What’s it like?

On the nose it is undoubtedly peaty, but there are fragrant hints of honey. On the palate, the expected smoke and peat flavour is followed by a complex mix of fruit, heather, nuts, oak wood and spices.

Authenticus captures a fantastic fusion of rich peat and fresh herbs with a rush of honey providing a sweet contrast. This is a most unusual dram and not to be missed.

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Speyside Revisited / The Glenlivet “The single malt that started it all”, Glenlivet is the oldest legal distillery in the parish of Glenlivet, Following the Excise Act of 1823, which legalised the distilling of whisky, the distillery was founded in 1824 and has operated almost continuously since. The Glenlivet distillery remained open throughout the Great Depression and its only closure came during the second world war.

This is the dram that put the ‘classic’ into classic Speyside Malt. It exudes all the wonderful qualities of malt whisky from this region and is every bit as good today as it has always been. Having been financially successful for so long, the distillery has amassed a rich array of maturing casks of the highest quality and diversity. These are actively employed today in producing an incredible selection of expressions.

Here are just a few.

The Glenlivet 15 year old

The Glenlivet 18 year old

£44

£62

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The Glenlivet Nàdurra 16 year old –

£67

The Glenlivet 21 year old

The Glenlivet 25 year old

The Glenlivet Gallow Hill

£124

£300

£240

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What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

The Glenlivet 15 year old’s distinctive character is the result of selective maturation; a proportion of the spirit is matured in French Oak casks for a limited period.

The Glenlivet was one of the first distilleries to use French Oak in the whisky making process, a technique that has since been imitated by many others. The French Oak increases the intensity of the whisky, resulting in a richer and creamier finish.

Master distiller, Alan Winchester uses a combination of several different cask types to create this complex expression, with first and second fill American and European Oak featuring in the line up. European Oak imparts spiciness and firstfill American Oak adds soft tropical fruitiness.

The Gaelic word for 'natural', Nadurra is the purest expression of The Glenlivet.

It is batch-produced at cask strength using traditional methods. Avoiding chillfiltration gives the mouth-feel more body and a richer texture, and stays true to the style of whisky enjoyed in the 19th century. The Glenlivet Nadurra represents both simplicity and innovation.

The 21 Year Old is produced in small, bespoke batches with each cask being nosed and approved, making every batch unique. A sizable inventory of whisky of this age is extremely rare and only the best casks are selected for this expression.

The Glenlivet 25 year old is a very special whisky. The original character of the new spirit, fruity and floral, has been faithfully retained during years of careful maturation.

The final finish in rare, hand selected ex-sherry butts, adds a layer of polish and complexity, yielding a sublime whisky of silky power and elegant character.

The Glenlivet Gallow Hill is exclusive to The Whisky Shop and is a limited edition 16 year old malt from The Glenlivet distillery. Matured in a hogshead cask and one of approx. 250 bottles, the name is taken from the hill above the The Glenlivet distillery where the local gallows used to be.

What’s it like?

It is very fruity – clementine, pear, a note of pineapple – with toasted almonds and moist gingerbread behind. A long, refreshing finish.

What’s it like?

On the nose it is rich with buttery notes and on the palate it is creamy and sweet with nutty flavours. The finish is long and lingering with a trace of sweet almonds and hints of spice.

What’s it like?

On the nose there are rich fruit aromas and toffee notes and on the palate it is beautifully balanced, with bursts of sweet oranges. The finish is long with spice and moist raisin notes.

What’s it like?

Maturation in first fill Amercian Oak casks imparts distinctive vanilla notes and delivers rich and rewarding flavours. This is an intriguing malt for the enthusiast.

What’s it like?

On the nose the aroma is of dried fruit with a sherry influence. On the palate one can detect cinnamon and ginger and the finish is lasting and warm with a hint of toasted hazelnuts.

The Oloroso-soaked oak imparts a nutty spiciness and enriches the flavour of the expression. Each cask is individually monitored in the finishing process to ensure only the subtlest sherry tones are added to this intense, silky and elegant whisky.

What’s it like?

The Glenlivet Guardian Chapter –

£59

What is it?

This winning expression is created using a subtle mixture of casks including Hogsheads and American oak barrels with the addition of a proportion of whisky from Spanish ex-sherry butts to provide a rich, exotic twist. Selected exclusively

by The Guardians of The Glenlivet.

What’s it like?

Click & Collect: whiskyshop.com

On the nose it is rich and indulgent with hints of fruitcake and sweet, candied apple. On the palate it is nicely balance, having an undertone of dark chocolate orange with the subtle warmth of spice permeating through. The finish is long and slightly dry.

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Other Speysides to sample / Abourlour and Longmorn Aberlour Distillery is at the centre of all the action in Speyside and is one of the jewels of the industry that specialises in sherry wood ageing. Speyside single malts react particularly well to ex sherry casks. Being light and flowery in the first place, they take on the flavours and aromas of Spanish sherry wine with considerable aplomb. Longmorn Distillery was founded in 1894 by John Duff and two associates at a time when the whisky industry was booming. The malt produced here has long been a favourite of blenders who rate it very highly.

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Aberlour 12 year old Non chill filtered –

£48

Aberlour 16 year old

Aberlour 18 year old

Aberlour A’bunadh

Longmorn 16 year old

£67

£100

£62

£75

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What is it?

What is it?

This award winning, non chill filtered, Aberlour expression offers a generous whisky that has been expertly crafted.

Every ex-sherry cask is nosed even before being filled with spirit and then, before being passed for bottling, every cask of mature whisky used is personally nosed by a member of the whisky making team.

Aberlour 16 year old is matured in a combination of ex bourbon casks and the finest ex sherry butts. This maturation ensures the depth of character as well as the distinctive fruitiness and spiciness of Aberlour.

What’s it like?

Aromas of juicy fruits, lemons and grapefruit before it sweetens. On the palate there are initial flavours of orange dipped in chocolate leading to spices, clove and ginger, before a finish which is both herbal and earthy.

What’s it like?

Creamy with sweet raisin aromas and a spicy nuttiness on the nose with a smooth blend of floral and spicy taste, paired with a sweet plum fruitiness and gentle oakiness.

Finishing gloriously long, with a warm, honeyed spiciness.

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What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

The Aberlour distillery produces a new make spirit of exceptional quality with striking depth and a clean, crisp and fruity flavour.

Greater age adds body and a rich raisin character to Aberlour’s characteristic depth and spiciness. Matured in the highest quality casks, where it develops deep Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry flavours, this is the richest and most indulgent Aberlour expression. Perfect in structure and memorably eloquent.

Aberlour A'bunadh, Gaelic for 'of the origin', is matured exclusively in ex-Oloroso sherry butts. It is a natural caskstrength malt whisky produced without the use of chill-filtering methods or the addition of water. A 19th Century-style whisky - dark, luxurious and powerful - this is an award winning whisky and a superb after-dinner malt.

The distillery's name derives from the church of St Marnoch near the Elgin to Rothes road, in turn named for a 7th century missionary who brought Christianity to the Picts of Moray. Longmorn 16 year old is in great demand not only as a single malt but as the 'top dressing' in many of Scotland's finest blended whiskies.

What’s it like?

On the nose it is rich and complex, with notes of toffee and butterscotch combining with ripe fruits. On the palate it is superbly structured, with initial notes of soft apricot and cream, offset by developing flavours of old leather and oak, with a touch of honey. The finish is very long progressing from crème brulée to a gentle oak flourish.

What’s it like?

What’s it like?

Terrific aromas of allspice, praline and spiced orange hit the nose and on the palate there is orange, black cherries, dried fruit and ginger, spiked with dark bitter chocolate.

Superlatively full bodied and creamy. The finish is robust and long lasting.

Longmorn uses fat, plain stills which are said to create complexity. The product is described as sweet, fruity, with depth as well as breadth, while being fragrant yet powerful.

It is gentle and honeyed in American oak barrels, richer and more spicily expansive in good quality hogsheads, darkly rich and powerful in ex-sherry butts.

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Speyside Revisited / Two unlikely relations...

It may surprise many readers to know that all Speyside distilleries were founded for the principal purpose of making malt whisky for blending. When combined with the soft, neutral tones of grain whiskies, Speyside malts sing and the end result is an excellent blend.

Smokey Islay malts would be added in very small doses only to give the blend some edge.

So on the subject of blends here are some mighty offerings.

Royal Salute 21 year old –

£110

Chivas Regal Extra –

£40

What is it?

What is it?

Initially produced in 1953 for the Queen's Coronation and drawing from the exceptionally aged range of casks laid down over the years by Chivas Brothers, Charles Julien, Master Blender, skilfully married the powerful flavours of whiskies aged no less than 21 years to craft a blend fit for royalty. It was named Royal Salute 21 Years Old, in reference to the long tradition of firing cannons as a sign of respect or welcome to sovereigns and dignitaries: the 21-Gun Royal Salute.

Over the years, this special blend has stayed true to its roots. The porcelain flagon, crafted by the world-famous artisans at Wade, is sculpted in Cornish clay from the Jurassic-era, then naturally air-dried and finished by hand with a double layer of glazing to protect its precious contents.

The three different colours of glaze used to dress the flagons - Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald - symbolize the precious gems on the Imperial State Crown.

As the newest member to the Chivas family, Chivas Regal Extra will satisfy the desires of the discerning whisky drinker with something exceptional - deep in aroma, rich in fruitiness and generous in sweetness. It is created with an exceptional blend of rare whiskies combined with Malt Whiskies aged in sherry casks from the Oloroso sherry bodegas in Spain.

What’s it like?

Its distinctive taste is the result of masterful blending and perfect ageing. The deep gold colour of the whisky reflects the power and richness of the flavours, with soft fruity aromas balanced with a delicate floral fragrance and mellow, honeyed sweetness.

What’s it like?

The nose is fruity and sweet with notes of ripe pears, creamy toffee and a hint of ginger. The ripe pears continue on the palate, with sweet tropical flavours of melons and soft notes of vanilla and caramel, blending with spicy notes of cinnamon and hints of almonds, leading to a long and fulfilling finish.

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Off-piste drams

In each issue of Whiskeria we like to include drams that are just a little off the beaten track.

This time we start in Japan, a productive hunting ground for something different, and we have another look at Scotch single grain whiskies. Although Japan and Scotland are thousands of miles apart, Japanese whiskies and Scotch grains broadly share the same taste profile.

W H I S K Y S H O P. C O M

Yamazaki 12 year old

Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve

Hakushu 12 year old

Hakushu Bourbon Barrel

Girvan Patent Still Number 4 Apps

Girvan Grain 25 Year Old

£62

£45

£73

£99

£47

£285

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What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

This is Japan’s premiere single malt and has a delicate and elegant taste that makes it a superbly drinkable whisky with layers of complex aromas. It continues to capture the hearts of whisky lovers the world over.

This Yamazaki includes traditional Yamazaki malts stored in Japanese oak (Mizunara) casks and revolutionary malts stored in wine casks.

From Suntory’s mountain distillery, nestled deep in the forests of Mt. Kaikomagatake.

Hakushu aged entirely in first fill bourbon barrels.

A single grain whisky from Wm Grants’ Girvan distillery.

This one is bottled at 42% vol. and contains no age statement..

The term ‘Apps’ is distillery speak for ‘Apparatus’ referring to the still that has been producing vacuum distilled spirit since 1992 – a method pioneered by Wm Grants. This results in a very pure clean tasting spirit that balances perfectly with the American oak used for maturation.

A grain whisky from Wm Gtants’ Girvan distillery that has aged in ex Bourbon Oak casks for 25 years.

What’s it like?

What’s it like?

Sweet vanilla and fruity notes derived from white oak casks are accented with fine aromas of spirits aged in sherry and Japanese oak casks.

The strawberry like fragrance hidden in the soft aroma is brought about by the malt whisky aged in wine casks. The sweet sparkling smooth feeling comes from the malt whisky aged in the Mizunara casks.

What’s it like?

What’s it like?

Hakushu is a herbal and gently smoky single malt. There is a sweet pear and kiwi fruit flavour with a subtle smoke finish hinting at green tea.

It has been praised by lovers of gastronomy as an ideal accompaniment for Japanese food.

The resulting malt is creamy and fruity with an overall sweetness that is extremely pleasing.

What’s it like?

The whisky is light and fruity with notes of candied fruit and cream with a lovely balance of oak.

What’s it like?

Velvety smooth with an incredibly sweet flavour, like crème brulee, with an intriguing citrus note.

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When Irish Eyes Are Smiling!

Although at The Whisky Shop a great deal of what we sell is Scotch, Irish Whiskey has a strong following and for very good reason.

It’s good to drink. Famously smooth on the palate, Irish Whiskey pleases a great many people. Here we sample a few just in time for St Patrick’s Day – 17th March.

Jameson Irish Whiskey

Jameson Gold Reserve

Jameson 18 year old

Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve

£30

£89

£119

£425

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What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

K N O W L E DG E B A R :

Continuing John Jameson's legacy of triple distillation while staying true to the pot still character he established in 1780, Jameson is remarkably smooth and perfectly balanced.

Following long maturation in oak casks, unpeated pure pot still and grain whiskies are blended to create the unique Jameson taste, a process overseen from 'grain to glass' at the Midleton Single Distillery in Cork.

Jameson Gold Reserve has been the toast of whiskey critics for many years now.

This is a complex blend of two different pot still whiskeys and one grain whiskey, matured in a combination of bourbon barrels, sherry casks and virgin oak. The interaction between the different whisky styles and types of wood delivers a smooth and complex taste.

With age comes beauty, and the Jameson 18 Year Old Limited Reserve is no exception. Three beautifully matched whiskeys are matured for at least 18 years in hand selected American bourbon barrels and European oak casks, then finished in first fill bourbon barrels delivering subtle traces of vanilla on the palate. Since its debut, the reserve has been limited, so any opportunity to enjoy this whiskey should be savoured.

A triumph of the collaboration between the Jameson Masters, the hand crafted Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve is a true masterpiece.The advanced aged whiskeys in this magnificent reserve are brought together with pot still whiskey that has been matured in hand-picked second fill bourbon casks to create a mellow sweetness in specially commissioned port pipes.

s c ot c h or i r i s h ?

What’s it like?

Maturing in virgin oak barrels delivers a smooth complex taste profile. When the spirit is aged in bourbon barrels and sherry casks, the whiskey's honey toasted sweetness blossoms with notes of spice.

What’s it like?

What’s it like?

Jameson has a warm, golden honey colour. This appetising appearance delivers through to the smooth and quality taste of the whiskey.

What’s it like?

The exceptionally balanced blend is mellow, complex with a lingering finale of wood, spice and toffee.

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Gloriously rich fruit character with an unmistakable barley finish.

Here are t h e fa c ts »Scotch is invariably spelled ‘whisky’ and Irish ‘whiskey’. Both names are Anglicisations of the phrase uisge beatha meaning ‘water of life’. » Scotland sustains approximately 105 distilleries, Ireland has only seven in current operation.

» Irish whiskey was one of the earliest distilled drinks in Europe, arising around the 12th century It was later recorded in Scotland in 1494. In both cases, it was the clever and industrious monks that introduced the practice. » Most Irish pot still whiskey is distilled three times, whereas most Scotch malt whisky is distilled twice. A notable exception is Auchentoschan.

Taking the distilled spirit through the process a third time is reckoned to enhance the smoothness of the whisky once matured. » Despite Ireland being awash with peat bogs, peat is rarely used in the malting process of Irish whiskey. This must come down to a matter of taste, as there is plenty of the raw material available. » In the 17th and 18th centuries, Ireland railed against the imposition of English rule and the 20th century brought about independence for the country. This contributed to the decline of the Irish whiskey industry, as exports to Britain and the Empire were denied. On the other hand Scotch prospered following the Act of Union in 1707. » Today, Scotch out-exports Irish whiskey by a factor of approximately 4 to 1.

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When Irish Eyes Are Smiling!

Tullamore D.E.W. is named after one of the leading lights in its history, Daniel E. Williams who, as well as driving the distillery forward, brought electricity to the town of Tullamore and installed the first telephone in the town at the distillery. With the distillery in Tullamore having been closed since 1953, the brand was made by blending whiskies from Midleton. However, in September 2014, the brand new Tullamore Distillery was opened in the town, and a new chapter was begun.

Click & Collect: whiskyshop.com

Tullamore D.E.W Original

Tullamore D.E.W 12 Year Old

Magners with Irish Whiskey

£30

£58

£3.75

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What is it?

What is it?

Tullamore Dew is the original blended Irish whiskey, known the world over for its smooth and gentle complexity. For one, it is triple distilled and patiently aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and sherry casks, developing its distinctive smoothness. Secondly, being a blend of all three types of Irish whiskey, it has a gentle complexity.

Like Tullamore D.E.W. Original, the 12 year old Special Reserve is a triple distilled blend of all three types of Irish whiskey but with a high proportion of pot still and malt whiskeys, matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, for 12 to 15 years.

A very fine aged whiskey with great complexity.

What’s it like?

What’s it like?

The early floral yet biscuit flavour reflects the grain whiskey, while the soft spicy notes can be attributed to the pot still whiskey in the blend. The citrus flavour is contributed by the malt.

Finally notice the nutty or even marzipan note combined with distinctive vanilla in the finish – imparted by the sherry and bourbon casks used in maturation.

A deep robust taste with spice and linseed oil giving a creamy body and powerful flavour.

Sherry notes are evident with a real depth of cinnamon and vanilla. The finish is long and rich with a creamy sherry, dark chocolate and almond taste lingering.

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What is it?

An innovative new spirit cider that combines premium apple cider with a hint of smooth Irish whiskey.

What’s it like?

Containing 25ml of real Irish whiskey in each 500ml bottle of cider and with an abv of 5.5%, it has a unique flavour for both Whiskey and cider lovers alike.

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Collecting for pleasure

Any place you care to start on the collecting journey is a good one. Whilst there are those who take seriously the financial considerations of whisky collecting there are many more who simply collect for pleasure. With mainly pleasure at heart, but investment in mind, here are some choices to consider this spring.

We have taken a selection from our Speyside visit and we have plundered the stocks of our favourite independent bottler, Hunter Laing.

The Glenlivet Winchester Collection 50 year old –

£18,000

BenRiach 1996 cask 7176 18 Year Old

GlenDronach Grandeur – batch 6 24 Year Old

£460

£99

£300

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What is it?

What are they?

What is it?

The Glenlivet have launched the first series of 50 year old single malt Scotch whiskies, The Winchester Collection, with this inaugural release, the Vintage 1964. A stunning introduction to what promises to be one of the most soughtafter collections ever produced, with only 100 bottles of this 1964 edition being released.

The Vintage 1964 was filled into an ex-bourbon American oak barrel half a century ago by the Master Distiller at that time, Captain Bill Smith-Grant, the last distilling descendant of The Glenlivet founder, George Smith. The series has been named in honour of the current Master Distiller, Alan Winchester.

Each year Billy Walker and his team selects a small number of special casks that display outstanding distinction of taste as a result of the many factors at play during the long maturation process. These rare whiskies are exceptional and very limited.

We have selected a couple of these.

The 'Grandeur' whisky from Glendronach is specially selected by the Distiller from some of the distillery's oldest and most unique Oloroso casks. This expression is bottled at 48.9% abv, and is a perfect example of Glendronach's full bodied and incredibly smooth style.

Individually numbered by hand and one of only 1180 bottles.

Bottled in decanters designed

by Scottish glass artists Glasstorm. The decanters are sealed with a stopper inset with Cairngorm stone, created by silversmith Richard Fox and housed in a luxurious cabinet crafted by furniture maker, John Galvin.

Click & Collect: whiskyshop.com

BenRiach 1976 cask 5463 37 Year Old

What's it like?

On the nose, the perfect marriage of spirit and cask releases a rich aroma of fruity pear and peach nectar, which is complemented by juicy, sweet raisins, dark chocolate and orange. The taste bursts with luscious fruit flavours of ripe pears and oranges and smooth creamy toffee, imparting a fantastically velvety texture. The finish is exceptionally smooth and luxurious.

1976 cask 5463, 37 years old , Bourbon Barrel , Peated, Sherry Cask Matured, Bourbon Finish

1996 cask 7176, 18 years old, Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon, Pedro Ximenez Sherry Finish

What's it like?

What’s it like?

Aromas - Rich chocolate holds touches of sweet dates, balanced perfectly with a sharp citrus kick and hot pepper spice.

Aromas - Delicious soft chocolate, dates and vanilla merge gently with warm oak spices.

Taste - A lively black pepper heat infuses through dark fruitcake followed by delicate waves of soft peaches dusted with cocoa.

Taste- Luxurious chocolate and roasted coffee beans hold hints of cherry and ground almond, surrounded by contrasting hot spiced oak.

What’s it like?

A fabulously full-bodied, vibrant palate captures a multitude of classic sherry cask characteristics.

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Collecting for pleasure (cont.)

Click & Collect: whiskyshop.com

Old Malt Cask Glen Garioch 21 Year Old

Old Malt Cask Braeval 25 Year Old

Old Malt Cask Tobermory 18 Year Old

£130

£155

£120

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What is it?

What is it?

A stunning Glen Garioch!

Distilled in September 1992; matured in a Bourbon Barrel; 1 of only 202 bottles; 47%vol

Distilled in May 1989; matured in a refill Hogshead; 1 of only 283 bottles; 50%vol

What’s it like?

A leafy and oaky aroma to start followed by pineapple, passion fruit, banana and some spicy ginger. It's richly flavoured with a creamy vanilla sweetness, bursting with fresh fruits and balanced perfectly with a good solid oak leading to a very pleasant finish which is fruity with a touch of dry ash and charcoal.

The aromas in this Glen Garioch defy its 21 years of maturation with plenty of mature oak reminiscent of Autumn woodland walks with a soft heathery character alongside. The flavours start with rich honeyed tones offset also with soft and sweet heather then butterscotch and stewed fruits. The finish has a peachy fruitiness before mature oak is evident once again.

What’s it like?

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What is it?

Distilled in November 1995; Matured in a refill Sherry Butt; 1 of only 272 bottles; 50%vol What’s it like?

Very rich scented aromas offering plums, prunes, treacle, liquorice and some coastal, tarry notes entwined.

Sherry flavours greet the pallet, bramble and raspberry fruity notes, dark chocolate with a touch of chilli followed by a salty tang, an earthy and lightly peaty finish trails off with sweet tobacco...

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Whisky Shop Gifts Can there be such a thing as the perfect gift? At The Whisky Shop we like to think so. In our book it would be the beautiful bottle of malt whisky, carefully selected with our advice and assistance and lovingly given. But sometimes we think we can go further than that and come up with something that is just… different!

Whisky School Gift pack –

£24.95

What is it?

Whisky enthusiasts, novices and experts alike will be delighted to receive this remarkable and beautifully presented gift. Disover more about the fascinating world of whisky with this fun and informative online training package.

A contemporary twist on a traditional tale, Whisky School offers a wonderful blend of fascinating information, innovative interactions, games and videos which, on completion, will lead to the award of an exclusive endorsed certificate in An Appreciation of Scotch Whisky.

Take a journey through the whisky regions of Scotland from the wilds of the Highlands to the gentle waters of the Lowlands, enjoy a 3D distillery tour and learn how to taste, serve and savour liquid gold.

Whisky School has been enthusiastically endorsed by Charles MacLean, leading author, whisky expert and one of our contributors! Charlie says: “This is a splendid introduction to whisky; very informative and useful, great fun as well!”

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Customer Favourites

Shopping for the ideal gift? Look no further. In this section there is something for everyone. These are the brands that our customers like the best.

W H I S K Y S H O P. C O M

Aberfeldy 12 Year Old – £44

The Perthshire distillery of Aberfeldy produces elegant yet robust single malts which deserve to be much more widely celebrated, though the bulk of Aberfeldy’s output goes into the best-selling Dewar’s White Label blend. The 12-yearold has an attractive honeyed nose and on the palate it is full bodied, quite sweet, with malty notes. Overall it is very nicely balanced. The finish is long and complex, becoming progressively more spicy and drying.

Bowmore Laimrig 15 Year Old – £70

This Whisky Shop exclusive bottling of Bowmore takes its name from the Gaelic for ‘pier,’ referring to the ancient stone pier that once served the distillery. It is presented at cask strength after sherry cask finishing and with the addition of a little water it opens up beautifully. The nose offers an instant aroma of coal tar soap, but the rich Oloroso sherry notes deliver an attractive counterbalance. On the palate it is full bodied, with a luxurious raisin and sherry taste, complemented by wood smoke. The finish is long and spicy and smoky .

Balvenie 17 Year Old

Glenlivet Founders Reserve

Glenfiddich 18 Year Old

Craigellachie 13 Year Old

£93

£36

£80

£52

–

Like the popular 12-yearold Balvenie DoubleWood, this 17-year-old version was matured initially in ex-bourbon casks before a final few months of European Sherry cask ageing. The result is a quintessential Balvenie, with honey, malt, vanilla, and green apples on the nose. Smooth and extremely easy to drink, the palate majors in dried fruits, vanilla and spices. The finish is medium to long, with more honey and vanilla, plus aniseed and warming oak.

This is an excellent example of why it pays to trade up from a 12 year old single malt.

–

This well balanced and smooth single malt is Glenlivet’s newest expression and pays tribute to their pioneering founder George Smith, capturing the smooth fruity taste that he first envisioned in 1824. Full gold in colour, the nose is mellow and sophisticated - fruity overall backed by sweet biscuit notes with a remote and elusive fragrance that becomes more floral at reduced strength. The taste is sweet with a creamy finish.

–

This expression of the world’s best-selling single malt has been matured in a mix of ex-sherry casks and former bourbon barrels, which gives it greater complexity than its younger siblings. The nose offers raisins, sultanas, vanilla and a dusting of cinnamon over apple. Full-bodied and creamy in the mouth, with sherry, dried fruits and brittle toffee. The finish is lengthy, with toffee and ginger. This is a cracking dram!

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–

The colour of Pinot Grigio white wine, from refill American oak casks. A youthful nose, with creamy rice pudding as a top note, acidic tropical fruitiness in the middle (lychees, mangosteins, even a fugitive trace of pineapple), and the most subtle hint of smoke at the back. The taste follows this: sweet, acidic, slightly smoky.

More estery with water (warm vinyl), with a gentle mouthfeel and a sweetly acidic taste.

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Customer Favourites (cont.)

W H I S K Y S H O P. C O M

Glendronach 12 Year Old

Dalmore 12 Year Old

Benriach 12 Year Old

Aberlour 12 Year Old

Glenfarclas 10 Year Old

Isle of Jura Superstition

£45

£48

£42

£46

£45

£42

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GlenDronach is famous for producing richly sherried single malt whiskies of inimitable and individual character. This superb richly sherried single malt is matured for at least 12 years in a combination of the finest Spanish Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks. The nose offers aromas of stewed fruits, rhubarb and bramble jam with some crushed hazel nut and brown sugar and a faint charcoal smokiness as it opens over time. Richly flavoured with rich 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.

–

Stylistically, The Dalmore is a muscular Highland single malt with plenty of evidence of sherry wood maturation in most expressions. The attractively perfumed nose of the 12-year-old offers sweet malt, thick cut orange marmalade, sherry and a hint of leather. It’s a brilliant drink, full-bodied, with sweetening sherry in the mouth, along with spice and balancing, delicate, citrus notes. The finish is as long as your arm, with spice, ginger, lingering Seville oranges and even a suggestion of vanilla. A Whisky Shop malt of the year.

–

This is a rich and rounded single malt that appears more mature than its 12 years suggests. With aromas of toffee apple, vanilla and delicate spices and, over time, soft oak and heathery notes, its flavours are of a lighter and delicate style but with plenty of character, initially creamy caramel and coconut with a touch of almonds but with fruity notes to follow.

–

Aberlour uses a mix of ex-bourbon and former sherry casks for most of its maturation, with sherry usually playing a prominent part. The 12 year old is ‘double cask matured’ in this manner and Oloroso sherry is prominent on the sweet nose, along with honey, almonds and wood.

Christmas spices, sherry, stewed apple, honey and almonds appear on the palate, while ginger features in the lengthy, drying finish, along with nutmeg.

–

This fabled Speysider comes in a wide range of ages, right up to 60, but the 10-year-old is a perennially popular example of the brand and its style.

It exhibits a nose of rich Christmas cake, featuring sherry, raisins, nuts and spices. A background hint of smoke is also present.

The palate is defined by quite dry sherry, with a developing and gradually sweetening full body. The finish is long, nutty, and comparatively dry.

A family classic.

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–

Jura’s iconic distillery does not traditionally produce peated whiskies. Superstition, however, comprises 13 per cent of heavily peated malt and this ingredient delivers a lightly peated result. Furthermore, components of the peated element have been aged for up to 21 years, the significance of that being that age will have softened the overall peat impact. The nose yields gentle peat aromas, a hint of sherry, toffee and honey, while on the smooth palate smoke, toffee and barley merge. The finish is medium in length, with a hint of salt and smoke. A a very individual and attractive dram.

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DISTILLERY VISIT

W H I S K Y S H O P. C O M

Highland Park Tour Gavin D Smith explores Highland Park…

The figure of Magnus Eunson looms large in the heritage of Highland Park distillery. Eunson was a legendary Orcadian illicit whisky-maker, whose bothy occupied the site of the present distillery, located on the outskirts of the Orkney capital of Kirkwall.

The best-known story regarding Eunson, a butcher and church beadle, is retold by Alfred Barnard in his 1887 book Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom. Apparently, Eunson stored illicit whisky beneath a church pulpit, on one occasion moving it to his house when he feared a raid by excise officers.

When the excisemen ultimately arrived at the house they found Eunson and his family solemnly gathered around what looked like a bier, but was actually the offending kegs of whisky, covered with a cloth. Eunson told the officers that there had been a death, and when one of the company was heard to mutter the word ‘smallpox,’ the excisemen rapidly took their leave!

Magnus Eunson was also the inspiration for the latest addition to the Highland Park core range of single malts, but more of that later.

The distillery – Scotland’s northernmost - was constructed by David Robertson during the last decade of the 18th century, though the precise date of establishment has proved difficult to establish.

Most authorities give it as 1798.

From 1826, various members of the Borthwick family ran Highland Park, and in 1895 James Grant, owner of the famed Glenlivet, purchased the distillery. Three years later he doubled capacity by adding a second pair of stills. In 1937 Highland Distilleries acquired Highland Park, and in 1979 the first ‘official’ bottling of the brand took place, with the company investing heavily to promote it. Highland Distilleries was subsequently renamed Highland Distillers, and in 1999 became part of the Edrington Group.

Edrington has continued the policy of major investment in the brand, and has extended the principal range significantly, also adding vintages, limited editions and travel retail-exclusive bottlings. In 2005 US drinks writer Paul Pacult declared Highland Park 18-year-old to be ‘The best spirit in the world,’ which did the whisky no harm at all in terms of prestige and additional sales. The same year, a new bottle design, based on an up-scaled sample bottle from around the 1860s, was introduced, along with refreshed packaging to match, and a positive decade of business has followed.

According to Global Marketing Manager Gerry Tosh, “Highland Park is performing very well at the moment. We can sell everything we’ve got, and as with many other distillers, shortage of stock is a bugbear. We’ve been doing well across the board. The US is strong, as is the UK and Nordic countries, we are seeing green shoots in Asia, and travel retail is a great market for us.”

Highland Park distillery is currently making around 2.1 million litres of spirit per year, and is equipped with a semi-lauter mash tun, a dozen traditional Oregon pine washbacks, and two pairs of stills, but this apparently standard equipment produces a malt whisky truly unique in style and substance.

The Edrington Group prides itself on the highly distinctive character of Highland Park, and points to a number of factors that contribute to its unique character. The distillery continues to operate traditional malting floors, which provide some 20 per cent of its requirements. This malt is relatively highly peated – to 3040ppm - while the remainder is virtually unpeated and is imported from the mainland. The two are blended together prior to mashing.

The peat burnt in the Highland Park kilns is notably aromatic, being derived from heather, dried grass and plants, rather than from trees, as the windswept Orkney Islands have always been relatively treeless. The distillery owns some 2,000 acres of peat

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DISTILLERY VISIT

land on Hobbister Moor, annually cutting around 200 tonnes to fuel the distillery furnace.

When it comes to maturation, former sherry casks are favoured, and as a distillery spokesperson explains, “At Highland Park, Bourbon barrels are not routinely filled. Traditional oak casks are used; butts, puncheons or hogsheads – no barrels – all seasoned with dry Oloroso sherry, which contribute to the distinctive richness in the resulting whisky.

“Spanish oak casks seasoned with sherry give colour, spice and dried fruit character, whereas American oak sherry seasoned casks give lighter, sweeter vanilla and butterscotch flavours. Sherry oak casks are far more expensive but the view at Highland Park is that they are worth it for the rich character and natural colour they provide to the maturing spirit.”

That ‘maturing spirit’ is housed in 23 on-site warehouses, 19 of which are of the old-fashioned ‘dunnage’ variety, allowing for a relatively even and cool maturation, with Orkney enjoying a notably temperate climate, with few extremes of cold or heat.

Every batch of Highland Park single malt is the product of a vatting of a combination of cask types, and after vatting the whisky is returned to casks for a ‘marrying’ period of some six months, though this period may be longer for some of the older expressions.

Regarding the issue of age, Highland Park offers a comprehensive range of whiskies, from the best-selling 12-yearold right up to a venerable 50-year-old expression, with 15, 18, 25, 30 and 40-year-olds along the way. However, 2014 saw the introduction of the first ‘core’ Highland Park bottling not to carry an age statement, namely Dark Origins.

According to Gerry Tosh, “Dark Origins isn’t a no-agestatement malt due to lack of stock, but in order to get the flavour

profile we wanted. We were trying to produce a whisky that might be similar to that distilled by Magnus Eunson, and we reckon it would have been quite dark and sweet. We needed flexibility with age to achieve that. We use twice as many first-fill sherry casks for it than we do for our 12-year-old. For the core range we don’t usually stray from age statements, but for Dark Origins we did, and it’s been doing extremely well. People get what it’s about.

Sales have blown all our expectations out of the water.”

The latest release from Highland Park is the eagerlyawaited fourth bottling in the Valhalla Collection: cask strength expressions which commemorate Norse Gods - reflecting the character and qualities of the Gods in the whisky itself. Orkney is rich in Norse heritage and influences, being closer to the Arctic Circle than to London, while the islands actually belonged to Norway until 1472. The first Valhalla expression, Thor, was released in 2012, followed annually by Loki and Freya, while Odin appeared this February.

According to Daryl Haldane Global Brand Advocate for Highland Park. “Like the King of Asgard himself, Odin is an intense, powerful and complex whisky. Strength and power are expertly balanced with the distillery’s signature Orcadian style.

Odin is the strongest of all the expressions within The Valhalla Collection at 55.8%abv. The whisky possesses a fierce spice, with pulsating explosions of smoke that uncovers dense oaky notes with rich charred walnuts with subtle sweetness throughout.”

When he visited Highland Park distillery during the 1880s, Alfred Barnard described the whisky distilled there as “…unlike any other made in the kingdom.” While the team behind the brand continue to turn out single malts like Dark Origins and Odin that statement will continue to resonate with drinkers the world over.

Highland Park 12 year old

Highland Park Dark Origins

Tasting Note The nose is fragrant and floral, with hints of heather and some spice.

Smooth and honeyed on the palate, with citric fruits, malt and distinctive tones of wood smoke in the warm, lengthy, slightly peaty finish.

Tasting Note Caramel, malt and ripe bananas on the nose, with a suggestion of coal.

The palate is smooth, with sherry, red berries, and a spicy, dark chocolate. The finish is long and smoky, with black pepper and more plain chocolate.

– S i n g l e M a lt 4 0%Vol | £42

– S i n g l e M a lt 46.8%Vol | £72

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e x p e rt tast i n g

W H I S K Y S H O P. C O M

{ Charles MacLean } Expert Tasting – Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength Green Spot

To understand Irish Distillers huge distillery at Midleton, home to over thirty different expressions of Irish whiskey, including leading brands like Jameson, Powers and Paddy, it is necessary to know something about the whiskey trade in Ireland during the late-19th and 20th centuries.

It may seem surprising to readers of Whiskeria, but Irish whiskey was even more popular than Scotch in the United Kingdom until the late 1880s. On average, spirits merchants sold three times as much of the former as of the latter: in 1875, for example, the London gin distiller, wine & spirits merchant, W. & A. Gilbey, sold 83,000 dozen bottles of Irish to 38,000 dozen bottles of Scotch. Several pot-still distilleries in the Scottish Lowlands produced Irish-style spirit to meet the demand, and in 1867, the Caledonian Distillery in Edinburgh, installed a pair of large pot stills for this purpose.

Irish was perceived as more consistent than Scotch. W.H. Ross, Managing Director of the Distillers Company Limited wrote that the popularity of Irish was “chiefly on account of its uniformity of style, as compared with Scotch pot still whisky, which varied enormously in flavour”. Ironically it was the invention of blended Scotch, using the Irishman Aeneas Coffey’s patent grain spirit, that enabled the Scotch distillers to achieve consistency and defeat the Irish.

Whisky making in Ireland was at its peak in 1900, with thirty distilleries producing over 40 million gallons of proof spirit.

Decline began about the same time, since the world now wanted blended whisky, not the traditional Irish ‘pure pot still whiskey’.

Let me pause here and say a little about ‘pure pot still’ (which Irish distillers now call ‘single pot still’), the ‘original’ style of Irish whiskey, now only made at Midleton Distillery – although with the current boom in Irish distilling, this may change!

As the name implies, it was made only in pot stills, like Scotch malt whisky, but unlike Scotch malt the mash bill was made up of both malted and unmalted barley and other cereals, usually

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wheat. Also, it was traditionally triple distilled. Although triple distillation lightened the spirit, the Irish pot still product was considerably heavier than Scotch grain whisky from continuous Coffey stills, which the Irish distillers did not embrace until the 1960s.

Another difference between Irish and Scotch was that, while the bulk of the latter was sold to blenders (either direct of through brokers), the former was largely bought by ‘bonders’, either as new-make spirit or as mature whiskey, who branded and bottled it themselves. As we will see, this was the case for both Redbreast and Green Spot.

When the Irish Free State came into being in 1921, the new Republic had an ambiguous attitude to whiskey. The first Finance Minister labelled distillers “the dregs of landlordism” (he was referring to Sir John Power and Senator Andrew Jameson); distilling was perceived as a Unionist activity, and tainted with Protestantism. On the other hand, the new government acknowledged that the industry was “a source of very substantial revenue”. The struggle that had concluded with partition and independence also led to a trade war, and British and Imperial markets were closed to Irish distillers.

To make matters worse, the year before independence, the United States had imposed Prohibition, which closed the other key market for Irish whiskey: unlike the Scottish distillers, the Irish government did not turn a blind eye on exporting to ports adjacent to the U.S., from which whisky could be run in. When Joe Kennedy (father of John F.) approached Jameson’s and Power’s with a speculative ‘post-Prohibition’ order for whiskey, both declined since acceptance would be “conniving to break the law”.

The situation was exacerbated by the ‘Economic War’ with London over land duties in 1932, which led to further duties and tariffs on Irish goods exported to England, and by the time Prohibition was repealed the following year, the Irish distillers were in no position to resume supplying that market.

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e x p e rt tast i n g

W H I S K Y S H O P. C O M

Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy – S i n g l e P o t S ti l l I rish W hiske y 46%Vol | £230

Protectionism was the buzz-word of the day, and during World War II Eamon de Valera, the Irish President, sealed their fate by capping whiskey exports, initially by half, and then by half again, “because of the enormous revenue which is derived from whiskey consumed on the home market”. This was precisely the opposite of the British government’s approach, which encouraged overseas sales and cut allocations of Scotch for home consumption by three-quarters.

The restrictions on Irish exports remained until 1953, by which time the conquest of America had been completed by Scotch whisky. To make matters worse, the Irish government hiked domestic duty hugely, and the last remaining distilleries began to close.

By 1963 all that was left in the Republic were John Jameson & Son and John Power & Son in Dublin, and Cork Distilleries’ plant at Midleton, County Cork. The only way ahead was for the three companies to merge, and this happened on 8th March 1966, when United Distillers of Ireland (UDI) was born, soon changing its name to Irish Distillers Limited (IDL). Two years later it was agreed that the new entity must close its existing distilleries in Dublin and replace them with a single modern unit. This was operational by 1975, built beside the old Midleton Distillery at a cost of £9 million.

The company also re-invented Irish whiskey. From now on it would create blended whiskeys, and it would abandon the age-old tradition of selling through whiskey merchants, and start selling direct to the public. Old brand-names were revived, but the whiskeys they contained were very different to the original ‘pure pot-still’ varieties.

The subsequent history of IDL is messy. In 1988, the English distiller W. & A. Gilbey (part of Grand Metropolitan) formed an alliance with Cantrell & Cochrane (jointly owned by Allied-Lyons and Guinness, which had acquired the massive Distillers Company Limited two years before) to mount a hostile take-over bid.

Richard Burrows, Managing Director of Irish Distillers at the time, was not happy with the offer price of £3.15 a share, nor with GC&C’s plan to break up the monopoly – it was planned that Gilbey’s would take Jameson, Paddy and Cork Dry Gin, while C&C would own Tullamore Dew, Bushmills and Powers. Secretly he was in negotiations with Pernod Ricard, the French distilling giant, which had originally expressed an interest in taking a share of the company, while IDL fought off GC&C’s bid with the slogan ‘Keep the Spirit Irish’!

As it happened, the European Parliament declared that the bid was potentially in breach of European competition law. Now Grand Metropolitan/Gilbey’s decided to go it alone and made a ‘final offer’ of £4 per share; two weeks later Pernod Ricard agreed to pay £4.50 a share. The battle deteriorated into open warfare in the press and the courts, but eventually the Department of Industry and Commerce gave the French company the go-ahead.

Until recently, only three pure pot still whiskeys survived: Redbreast, Green Spot and Yellow Spot. Thankfully, Irish Distillers are now increasing the range.

Barry Crockett, Midleton’s Master Distiller, who retired in 2013 to become ‘Master Distiller Emeritus’, was born on site and succeeded his father in the role in 1981. In 1984 the first Midleton Very Rare expression was released; Legacy honours Barry, and continues the Very Rare tradition, with casks selected by both Barry himself and by his successor, Brian Nation.

The Redbreast brand was owned by the Gilbey family, related to the famous Gilbey gin distillers in London. It was made at Jameson’s Dublin distillery and was introduced around 1900.

When Irish Distillers came into being, brand ownership passed to them.

Similarly, Green Spot was owned the Mitchell family, who still control distribution of the brand in Ireland, although brand ownership is also now with Irish Distillers. The name comes from the way the Mitchells marked their casks.

Tasting Note Amber in colour, the nose is thick and sweet with buttery vanilla and toasted oak (the casks are 1st fill ex-bourbon, with one part virgin oak), on a fruity base, with a fresh citric note, becoming slightly mineralic after a while. The texture is oily; the taste sweet, citric (fresh lime, passion-fruit, black currant) and spicy (cinnamon?), with an oaky finish and an aftertaste of thick cream.

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength

– S i n g l e P o t S ti l l I rish W hiske y 58.6%Vol | £86

Tasting Note Pale amber in colour, the nose is surprisingly mellow and accessible for its strength. The top note is of vanilla sponge, backed by a fruit complex which only becomes describable once water has been added, opening into baked apple, ripe banana and dried fruits. The texture is thick and creamy (rice pudding), the taste sweet, finishing dry, long and warming.

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Green Spot – S i n g l e P o t S ti l l I rish W hiske y 4 0%Vol | £62

Tasting Note Russet-amber in colour, with fresh oak and pine on the nose initially. As it settles, the aroma becomes more oily, with the wood notes being joined by fresh fruits and a lime peel note behind. Water introduces a trace of fennel. Unreduced, the taste is dry overall, with considerable peppery spice, toasted almonds and coconut; with water it becomes sweeter and not so tannic/dry.

96

ON THE OTHER HAND

Dapper Drinking {On the other hand} Victor Brierley

When I was an office boy in Edinburgh, trying to eke out my 25 quid a week paycheck, to keep me looking stylish in the advertising world I worked in, I turned to 'Vintage'.

Except it wasn't called 'Vintage', it was called 'From a Charity Shop'. And because, in the 1980s, nobody was really properly collecting or curating fashion from a bygone era, you had to wade through a morass of worn, sweat stained, wrong sized and 'ancient' (but not in a good way) to unearth any gem. There was the odd (usually very odd) Second Hand Store, scattered around some of the more Bohemian parts of the city and these inevitably were in a dusky/dank/dimly lit basement, usually staffed or owned by a very eccentric individual. In fact, it's common knowledge that 'Mrs Doubtfire' the cross dressing piece of magnificence, brought to life by the late, great Robin Williams, in the film of the same name, 'she' was based on a real person, in Edinburgh, who ran an Emporium exactly like this.

Still, if you were persistent (£25 a week helped you focus here) and you rummaged and you were prepared to be imaginative and wade through large boxes of dead people's clothing, you could unearth some gems. Sometimes, you'd feel like Howard Carter, as he cracked open the Tomb of Tutankhamun. Hidden gems, and riches, but of the sartorial kind. Hand made suits, unused and in a mothproof suit bag, Liberty silk ties for 10 pence (still got those), Hermes cravat and handkerchiefs sets, hand-made silk shirts, crocodile-skin belts, cashmere-lined kidskin gloves...

W H I S K Y S H O P. C O M

Victor’s pretentious tasting notes “Wet leaves and hints of a damp, plastered cellar. Nice enough though.”

Yum! Happy memories of boarding school?

“Quite some nutty notes (walnut husks) as well as hay and a little shoe polish.”

Animal feed again! But I draw the line at shoe polish.

“Three seasons in a pine forest in a glass” Definitely one for Stephen Hawking.

“Like walking into a French pâtisserie in a small rural Gascony village.”

Of course, how stupid of me not to get that first time. That’s why you are a whisky expert and I am a diddy!

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Listen to Victor's Playlist on Spotify New Shoes | Paolo Nutini Looks Looks Looks | Sparks Dedicated Follower of Fashion|Kinks Putting on the Style | Lonnie Donegan Vogue |Madonna Putting on the Ritz |Fred Astaire Coat of Many Colours | Dolly Parton You've got the look| Sheena Easton and Prince Hip to be square | Huey Lewis and the News Three Button Hand Me Down | The Faces

“A big ploughing workhorse. Not a show jumper prancing about…………”

More mind games!

“Should the pink tangerine blush of this whisky hint at Bacchus? He may have glanced at the cask, but I can't find him in the glass.”

And ancient classical mind games to boot!

This is where my love of clothes was formed and so it really began to interest me, when I started to work in 'drinks' to see a lot of younger, formerly rather scruffy individuals, start to blossom, like fashion flowers, and start to take a - some would say unnatural - interest in their appearance. The 'hipster' of the bar world was being born.

Originally, these guys and girls would wear 'vintage' tweed or outrageous pattern. Almost in a caricature-ish, ironic fashion, rather 'Chappish' in style. Very 'period'. Large moustaches, shined to a point with Trumper moustache wax. The waistcoat, cufflinks, bow ties and even the cravat, were emerging in the Whisky world.

Of course, these Dapper Drinks Deliverers were eking out their wages, in the same way I had, except in the 21st Century, 'second hand' had metamorphosed into 'vintage'. The downside of this was that it was a heck of a lot more expensive than my first fumblings into, quite literally, the fashion wardrobes of the past. Not quite as easy to secure 100, still in the tissue, silk bowties for 50p each (as I once did). The upside was that these new 'hipster' Vintage shops were filtering the best from the bogging, so, although you were now paying a pretty penny, you were not contending with mothholes, mire and the results of deodorant-free decades. You could look fresh, fitted, filtered and yes, fun. Unique.

Because Dramming was decadent again and people out drinking were becoming Single Malt Sartorial. This has moved on even further, as the hipsters bar teams got older, richer and erm.. some of them, even famous.

I knew things had changed when a formerly rather casual, hirsute, verging on the scruffy, but now, top-level cocktail king who was working for us, couldn't make a planning meeting because he

was "meeting his tailor, for a fitting". After deciding that we were definitely paying our people too much, we also realised the Hipster had got happy in suits. And when you get happy in ANYTHING, you want better. Your first Glendronach, it makes your want to climb to the summits of Forgue fantasy, to seek new, expensive drams, as your budget allows. Any old geezer or geezer-ette jumping into the car of their dreams is always transported back to their first jalopy, which gave them the driving bug. We always want better, some of us, we want luxury.

So, with the reinvention of Harris Tweed, comes the reinvention of 'dressing-up drinking'. It's now become cool to wear an immaculate, three piece suit again, even if you're just meeting your mates up town for a few drams. This obviously has excited the hordes of new emporiums who can furnish Single Malt Sartorials with new threads, but it's also come at a price, for those of us who have always dressed rather erm...eccentrically.

"It's much better to be looked-over, than overlooked", Oscar Wilde once wrote and whilst I obviously agree wholeheartedly with these sentiments, my heart sinks when I realise that in a room or an event of Single Malt Sartorials, I'm not even in the top ten of the most 'interestingly-dressed' dramming dudes and dudettes in the hotel...

It's probably best to end with the words of perhaps the first-ever Hipster. Morrissey once, during his post-Smithsonian period, penned the bittersweet lyrics: "We hate it when our friends become successful" for his 'Your Arsenal' musical outing.

I'd concur but add when they become better DRESSED than you, it's even harder to take.