Whiskeria Summer 2018

Funny Story Behind the scenes with Jo Caulfield

The Whisky Shop Magazine

Summer 2018

New Jura / Speyside Cooperage / Summer Bourbon Cocktails / New Releases

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Please drink responsibly.

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Competition

As I see it…

Win! A Bottle of the brand new Jura Seven Wood

Taking Scotch to school

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“I am not suggesting – although the mind does boggle – that a Primary 7 class should conduct a vertical whisky tasting!”

Ian P. Bankier, Chairman of The Whisky Shop, campaigns to put whisky on the curriculum

signed by Distillery Manager, Graham Logan Jura Distillery has just launched a brand new collection of signature series whiskies, including the amazing Jura Seven Wood.

A fitting tribute to their Master Blender’s skill, this complex single malt is ingeniously crafted from seven different oak cask types for a multi-layered flavour.

To celebrate its release, we have secured not one but three collectable bottles of Jura Seven Wood, each signed by Distillery Manager Graham Logan.

To enter, simply tell us: What are the seven cask types this whisky has been matured in?(hint: visit our Customer Favourites!)

Answers should be emailed to: competition@whiskyshop.com Please include your full name and your answer.

Terms & Conditions The winners will be selected from all entries via the email address stated above by midnight on Friday 31st August 2018. The judge’s decision will be final. The competition is not open to employees of The Whisky Shop Ltd. All normal competition rules apply. UK entrants must be 18 years old or over to apply. International entrants must be of legal drinking age in their country of residence.

Discover the New Jura with Gavin Smith Distillery Visit ! In Scotland we welcome the seasonal influx of tourists this summer, as it looks like being another record year for visitor numbers. It’s amazing how many people across the world seek out this little northern country – not, it has to be said, for its long dry summers!

It’s also amazing how many things Scotland is renowned for across the globe – tartan, shortbread, golf, Braveheart, lochs, glens, bagpipes, haggis, and of course whisky. I often consider other European countries of equal size and try and come up with anything close to the list just cited. What about Belgium, for example? No disrespect intended, but after chocolate, what?

If you were to survey Scottish residents about their country I am confident that they would exude an overwhelming pride for what Scotland offers and they would express general delight about the number of visits the country receives. When it comes to whisky, however, I feel that the response is more complex. Scotch whisky is revered across the world, and rightly so, because it is an outstandingly good spirit drink. Against practically every other spirit,

Scotch wins out on its unique aroma, flavour and aftertaste.

Yet the Scottish masses, outside of the tourist trail, would seem to practically dis-own it and only a minority drink it. It’s a conundrum that so many Scottish residents don’t drink what is, after all, Scotland’s most famous product. And then there is further complexity, for most Scots are not short of a view on whisky; it is rarely a neutral subject.

Many will expound how much they don’t like it, referencing some ghastly experience of their youth, whilst others will cite facts that are usually inaccurate. It’s this last point that baffles me most of all. Why are the Scots almost institutionally ignorant on the subject of whisky?

As I see it, it’s because Scotch whisky is not adequately taught in schools. Scottish pupils learn about the Romans, they learn about the Scottish kings, they learn about the Forth Bridge, but they learn little or nothing about whisky. And that’s a shame. I am not suggesting – although the mind does boggle – that a Primary 7 class should conduct a

vertical whisky tasting! But a senior secondary module addressing the history, legislation, chemistry and economics of Scotch Whisky would not be out of place. It would also, to my mind, be an appropriate forum to teach responsible drinking.

Slàinte Ian P Bankier, Executive Chairman,

Find Father’s Day Inspiration The Whisky Shop

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➛ 18 –– produced by Ascot Publishing Limited PO Box 7415 Glasgow G51 9BR –– contact enquiries@whiskyshop.com

–– commissioning editor GlenKeir Whiskies Limited –– executive producer Claire Daisley claire@whiskyshop.com 0141 427 2919 –– executive chairman Ian P Bankier ipb@whiskyshop.com –– feature writers Brian Wilson Charles MacLean Gavin D Smith Claire Bell –– product photography Subliminal Creative 01236 734923

–– creative direction a visual agency emlyn@avisualagency.com –– feature photography Brian Sweeney Christina Kernohan –– photo assistants Cat Thomson Stuart Simpson –– drinks stylist Meredith Wilkie –– illustration Francesca Waddell Hrafnhildur Halldorsdottir Kate Timney

––

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Glenkeir Whiskies Limited trades as

Prices effective 31 January 2018.

THE WHISKY SHOP. Opinions expressed

All prices in this edition of Whiskeria

in WHISKERIA are not necessarily those of

are subject to change.

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.

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Summer 2018

Contributors

Claire Bell

Brian Wilson

Formerly an MP, held several Government Ministerial posts during his political career.

He lives on the Isle of Lewis, from where he pursues various business interests, notably in the energy sector. He also led the regeneration of the Harris Tweed industry and is currently Chairman of Harris Tweed Hebrides Ltd. His first love was writing and he continues to write books as well as opinion pieces for national newspapers.

A Time in History Skye

Claire Bell has wri!en on travel for Time Magazine, The Herald, The Times, The Guardian and Wanderlust. A confirmed nomad, Claire lives between Glasgow, France and her native South Africa where she co-runs the dialogue collective Consciousness Café. Global adventure or a stay on British soil, she is a dab hand at finding places you’ll want to visit.

Travel Lanzarote

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Gavin D Smith

Gavin is one of the world’s most prolific and respected whisky writers. He’s regularly published in a range of top magazines and has wri!en more than a dozen books on whisky, while co-authoring many more. He is also responsible for editing and releasing the latest version of Michael Jackson’s seminal whisky publication, The Malt Whisky Companion.

Distillery Visit Jura

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➛ 34 Charles MacLean

Charles has published fou!een 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 sho!-listed for Glenfiddich awards. He was also script advisor for Ken Loach’s 2012 film The Angels’ Share and subsequently played the pa! of the whisky expe! in the film (which he claims to be his biggest career highlight to date).

New Releases Summer 2018

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Expert Tasting Macallan / The Last Drop

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Contents

Whiskeria Summer 2018 13 34 38 42 50 54 60 69 92 96

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New Releases | Summer 2018 A Time in History | Skye Travel | Lanzarote My Craft | Speyside Cooperage Distillery Visit | Jura Mixing It Up | The American Dream My Whiskeria | Jo Caulfield The Whisky Shop Section Expert Tasting | Macallan / The Last Drop Dear Uncle Ether

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Short List

Summer Inspiration Fantastic for Father’s Day (or for yourself) – discover our hottest finds this season.

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Aspinal Classic 5oz Leather Hip Flask

Ovenbird Whisky Coffee Collection —

Deep Shine Amazon Brown Croc

—

from £15 | ovenbird.co.uk OR whiskyshop.com

£49 | aspinaloflondon.com

“Lord, give coffee to change the things I can, and whisky to accept the things I can’t.”

Whether an accessory for a follower of outdoor pursuits or a gi# for a whisky aficionado, an Aspinal of London leather hip flask is a refined and practical choice.

Immaculately cra#ed from stainless steel and hand bound in the finest vegetable-tanned amazon brown croc Italian calf leather, the classic 5oz kidney shaped silhoue!e with a secure screw-top lid will slip discreetly into a jacket pocket. Add a personal twist with our complementary engraving of initials to transform it into a cherished gi#.

The whisky cask coffee by ovenbird coffee roasters is aged in freshly emptied whisky barrels from Auchentoshan Distillery and Laphroaig Distillery, Islay. The beans are hand-rotated daily to ensure all the coffee comes into contact with the oak over the course of several weeks. A#er aging the green beans, Ovenbird ‘computer-free’ roast them to a medium roast (full city), which they feel produces the pe$ect balance of whisky and coffee flavour.

It is the ideal complement to a chocolatey desse", or as a morning coffee, and tastes great with oat or soya milk.

Clan Brewing Company Whisky Cask Beers —

Spiorad Publishing The Art in Whisky —

Beautifully balanced and deliciously complex, the whisky cask-aged beers from the Clan Brewing Company showcase the very best of Scotland’s brewing and distilling excellence.

“‘The ultimate icon for lovers of a" and whisky.”

£6 each | whiskyshop.com

Master brewer Sco! Williams, of Williams Brothers Brewing Co, and whisky expe" and author Charlie MacLean collaborated with the Clan Brewing Company to develop these iconic cra# beers.

From the Islay-aged Spruce Ale to the Lowland-imbued Imperial Stout, these four beers have been designed to pe$ectly complement the Islay, Speyside, Highland and Lowland whisky casks. The result is a series of beers that are intense and aromatic, filled with flavour and character.

Not to be missed!

£1,250 | spioradpublishing.com

The A" In Whisky is a lavishly illustrated, luxury a" book, exploring the provenance of the world’s favourite spirit.

This stunning and unique photographic interpretation celebrates whisky as seen through the eyes of internationally acclaimed and award-winning photographer Jon Purcell.

The strictly limited, sumptuous, hand-numbered volumes feature stunning spreads, each an individual work of a".

The Copper Edition, limited to just 250 numbered copies worldwide, is handbound in the finest leather and burnished copper. Presented in a bespoke, handcra#ed, calfskin leather case, the sum is a visual and tactile feast.

Summer 2018

Reviewed by Charles MacLean 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 010 011 012 013 014 015 016 017 018 019 020

INTRODUCING THE NEW BENRIACH 21 YEAR OLD, 4 CASK MATURED, CLASSIC AND PEATED EXPRESSIONS. AVAILABLE IN MAY.

Choose to drink responsibly. © 2018 The BenRiach is a registered trademark, all rights reserved.

Glen Scotia 2006 Bourbon Cask The Whisky Shop Exclusive Glen Scotia 2008 Port Finish Limited Edition The GlenDronach 1993 Vintage Sherry Cask The Whisky Shop Exclusive The GlenDronach Grandeur Batch 9 The BenRiach 2005 Pedro Ximénez Cask The Whisky Shop Exclusive Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1989 Glenfiddich Winter Storm 21 Year Old Icewine Cask Finish The Glenlivet Code Ledaig 13 Year Old Amontillado Limited Edition Deanston 2008 Bordeaux Red Wine Cask Matured Jura12 Year Old Jura Seven Wood Jura18 Year Old Ardbeg Grooves The First Editions Laphroaig 2004 The Old Malt Cask Strathmill 21 Year Old The Old Malt Cask Glen Moray 22 Year Old The Sovereign Strathclyde 30 Year Old The Sovereign Invergordon 30 Year Old The Dalmore 45 Year Old

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Glen Scotia 2006 Bourbon Cask The Whisky Shop Exclusive Single Cask Campbeltown Single Malt

70CL

Age: 12 Year Old

£85

Vol: 55.6%

Drawn from a first-fill ex-bourbon barrel, the colour is deep gold and the beading excellent. Light nose prickle, but generally mellow, and a ‘succulent’ aroma, full of juicy fruits (pears and plums), with a trace of vanilla sponge on a faintly maritime base. A smooth texture and a sweet and salty taste, with some spice and oak-wood in the warming finish. Well balanced.

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A smooth texture and a sweet and salty taste with some spice and oak-wood

! Until recently, Glen Scotia Distillery was a sleeping beauty. The kiss that woke her up in 2014 came from the current owner in the form of substantial investment.

Campbeltown was once known as ‘the distilling capital of Scotland’ – when Alfred Barnard visited in the 1880s there were 21 operating distilleries there – but, by 1930, only three remained, Springbank, Scotia and Rieclachan (the last closed in 1935).

The two survivors were joined by Glengyle in 2004.

During its long life – Scotia was established in 1832 and became ‘Glen’ Scotia in 1934/35 – the distillery passed through many owners, one of whom drowned himself in Campbeltown Loch in December 1930, despairing of the Great Depression.

Duncan MacCallum was the leading Campbeltown distiller of his day and aged 83; in his book The Distilleries of Campbeltown, David Stirk describes the sad event as marking “the nadir of Campbeltown distilling”. MacCallum’s ghost was once reputed to haunt his distillery.

Production at Glen Scotia was sporadic during the post-war decades, with periods of closure and part-time operation, but in March 2014 the distillery was bought by a team of experienced distillers, backed by a leading private equity company, trading as the Loch Lomond Group Ltd. The distillery has now been thoroughly upgraded and brought back into full production.

The old buildings have also been tastefully restored and a charming visitor centre installed, all under the guidance of Iain McAllister – a ‘Toony’, as citizens of Campbeltown are known – who has managed the distillery for the past ten years and who deserves credit more than any other single individual for Glen Scotia’s renaissance. If you like, he is the Prince Charming who woke the sleeping beauty!

The Glen Scotia 2006 is a single cask, bottled at natural strength exclusively for The Whisky Shop, while the Glen Scotia 2008 is a peated expression, finished for six months in ruby port pipes and bottled for the Campbeltown Whisky Festival in May.

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Glen Scotia 2008 Ruby Port Finish Limited Edition

Campbeltown Single Malt

70CL

Age: 10 Year Old

£53

Vol: 57.8%

Rose gold in colour, with moderate beading. Only slight nose prickle, despite its strength; the top notes are salty and maritime, the base notes are berry fruits (redcurrants, brambles), faintly bosky (especially at reduced strength). At natural strength the taste is sweet, with some salt and a distinctly smoky and spicy finish.

Water reduces the sweetness, and increases the saltiness.

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…the taste is sweet, with some salt and a distinctly smoky and spicy finish

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The GlenDronach 1993 Vintage Sherry Cask The Whisky Shop Exclusive Single Cask Speyside Single Malt

70CL

Age: 25 Year Old

£210

Vol: 51%

The colour of Oloroso sherry, with magenta lights; excellent beading. A profoundly rich aroma of moist Xmas cake (complete with waxed paper wrapper and wax candles), liberally doused with sherry; mellow and inviting. A voluptuous texture and a rich, tannic taste with dried fruits and dark chocolate.

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…a voluptuous texture and a rich, tannic taste with dried fruits and dark chocolate.

Whiskeria

! The GlenDronach began to release a series of long-aged malts from specially selected ex-sherry casks in January 2014. Each edition is limited, and the bottles numbered by hand. They are all very highly regarded by connoisseurs and have consistently performed well at auction.

Until 2016 the casks were selected by the distillery’s owner, Billy Walker – one of the most experienced and highly regarded men in the whisky trade. He then sold The GlenDronach, together with The BenRiach and Glenglassaugh Distilleries, to the Brown-Forman Corporation of America (owner of Jack Daniel's), and they appointed Rachel Barrie, who had previously worked for Glenmorangie and Morrison Bowmore, as their Master Blender.

For this, the 9th Edition of The GlenDronach Grandeur (the brand has a capital D, for some reason) Rachel has selected sherry butts from 1990, 1992 and 1993, so the whisky has been aged for at least 24 years – although it was released in February this year, it was married and bottled last year. Only 1,487 bottles have been filled, each sealed with wax and numbered by hand. She says of her creation: “Grandeur Batch 9 is a single malt of finesse, powerful complexity and persistent, reaching heights of maturity and depth of character that approach single malt perfection… the pinnacle of the signature style of GlenDronach, representing rich layers of Highland heritage and terroir.”

Hear, hear! It is a profoundly gorgeous whisky.

Although not quite so intense, the 1993 Vintage Sherry Cask – bottled exclusively for The Whisky Shop – is a worthy companion and stands up well by comparison, as I hope my tasting notes indicate. Both are superlative examples of socalled ‘sherry-wood’ maturation, displaying all the benefits of Spanish oak and none of its sulphury drawbacks. Many now consider The GlenDronach to be the benchmark malt in this style and these two expressions amply demonstrate why. Top class!

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The GlenDronach Grandeur Batch 9 Speyside Single Malt Age: 24 Year Old

70CL Vol: 48.7%

£595

Incredibly dark umber, with magenta lights: polished rosewood. A deep, mellow aroma with dark fruity top-notes (dates, macerated sultanas, Maraschino cherries, crystallised angelica root) on a base of musky Friar’s Balsam, soft leather gloves, roast chestnuts and sandalwood, with a suggestion of espresso coffee. A big, mouth-filling texture, and a rich, sweet (raw sugar, crystallised orange peel) taste, drying across the palate with oriental spice and dark chocolate in the finish and aftertaste. An astonishing whisky.

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A deep, mellow aroma with dark fruity top-notes.

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The BenRiach 2005 Pedro Ximénez Cask The Whisky Shop Exclusive Single Cask Speyside Single Malt

70CL

Age: 12 Year Old

£85

Vol: 56.4%

Deep gold in colour, suggesting American oak, with good beading. A mild nose-feel, and a relatively closed nose to start. With application, a hint of muscovado sugar is detectable and a deep fruitiness (pears in syrup) and a suggestion of white chocolate after a while. The latter comes through in the taste, which is sweet overall and mouth-drying, a creamy texture (enhanced by dilution) and a spicy finish.

2

…a hint of muscovado sugar is detectable and a deep fruitiness

! Benriach Distillery was commissioned by John Duff and designed by the leading distillery architect of the day, Charles Doig of Elgin, in 1897.

Duff had already built Longmorn Distillery close by in 1893, connected to Benriach by a railway line, and Glenlossie Distillery a quarter of a mile away in 1876. He emigrated to South Africa in 1888, opened a distillery there (which failed), then moved on to the USA where he founded yet another unsuccessful distillery.

Alas, his bad luck dogged him. A year after Benriach was commissioned (1898) he was again in financial difficulties, owing to the collapse of the major blending house, Pattisons of Leith, and sold the distillery to his partners at Longmorn, who mothballed it, except for its maltings. It remained closed until 1965, at which time it was owned by The Glenlivet Distillers Ltd. The latter was acquired by Seagram of Canada in 1977 and Seagram’s whisky interests passed to Pernod Ricard/Chivas Brothers in 2001. They closed Benriach again, then sold it, in 2004, to a small consortium of three entrepreneurs, led by Billy Walker – an extremely able and experienced distiller who has built a considerable reputation for the brand.

He went on to acquire Glendronach and Glenglassaugh Distilleries, then sold all three to the American distiller, Brown-Forman, owner of Jack Daniel's, for £285 million and bought Glenallachie Distillery a month later, in July 2017.

This BenRiach Pedro Ximénez 2005 is a single cask bottled exclusively for The Whisky Shop.

As the name implies, it has been matured in a puncheon which previously held Pedro Ximénez wine – an intensely sweet, dark, dessert-sherry style, made from grapes of the same name, which is usually blended with Oloroso sherry to create the ‘cream sherries’ so popular in the UK.

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Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1989 Highland Single Malt Age: 27 Year Old

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70CL Vol: 43%

£550

Deep amber in colour, with burnished copper lights. The nose is mellow, profound and complex; the taste starts sweet, drying elegantly, with fruity top-notes (candied greengages, maraschino cherries, dried banana), light vanilla/caramel and dessicated coconut in the middle on a base of dry almond marzipan. A luscious texture and a sweet taste, some spice across the tongue and in the long finish and rum-toft plums in the aftertaste.

! Late in 2016, Glenmorangie introduced Grand Vintage Malt 1990, the first in what is planned to be an annual release in ‘The Bond House No.1 Collection’. This has now been followed by Grand Vintage Malt 1989, released in January 2018. These releases replace Glenmorangie 25YO Quarter Century as the company’s flagship malts.

The range takes its name from Glenmorangie’s largest maturation warehouse. Built in the 1800s, this is a three-storey building which was converted into the distillery’s still house in 1990, when capacity was doubled (to eight stills; there are now twelve). The former still house, which had been in operation since 1887 when the distillery was largely rebuilt, became the visitor centre’s museum.

This significant move cleverly preserved the architectural integrity of the site, while enabling the company to meet anticipated demand for its whisky – a demand which required further expansion in 2004, with the addition of four more stills to what the owners now refer to as their ‘Highland Cathedral’, on account of the two rows of immensely tall stills being reminiscent of a church nave. Four new washbacks and an additional mash tun were also required, all incorporated in a new building, tastefully integrated into the existing structures.

The 1989 barley harvest was poor and problematic, but it produced a remarkably fine spirit. As Dr. Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s distinguished Director of Whisky Creation writes: “Even today, few can explain how a spirit so delicious could emerge from a barley crop with such challenges”.

Grand Vintage Malt 1989 is composed of selected parcels of this distinctive spirit, the last made in the old still-house, finished in casks which formerly held Côte-Rôtie wines. The edition is limited to 6,178 bottles worldwide.

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…light vanilla/ caramel and dessicated coconut in the middle on a base of dry almond marzipan.

Summer 2018

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Glenfiddich Winter Storm 21 Year Old Icewine Cask Finish Speyside Single Malt Age: 21 Year Old

70CL

Vol: 43%

£TBC

Full gold in colour, with amber lights. The aroma is modest to start, gradually opening to reveal tropical fruits (lychees, pineapple), with a suggestion of almonds and a hint of candlewax. The taste is sweet yet crisp – lychees (again), candied tangerine, Turkish Delight (rosewater) – drying gently in the short finish. A drop of water reduces the sweetness, softens the texture and enhances the rosewater.

2

…lychees, candied tangerine, Turkish Delight (rosewater)

! This is the second batch of the third edition in Glenfiddich’s Experimental Series, begun in September 2016 with IPA and Project XX. The series is the brain-child of the distillery’s talented Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, and attempts to “push the boundaries of Scotch whisky through exploring various factors which affect flavour” within the constraints set by the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009. This is a bold challenge in a time when several whisky companies are claiming that the tight definition of Scotch whisky – the most heavily regulated spirit in the world – should be expanded to allow for innovation. But the series demonstrates that it can be done.

The inspiration for Winter Storm was a visit Brian made to the Peller Estate winery in Niagara, Canada, during January 2016, where he was struck by the opulent sweetness of their late-harvested icewine, made from grapes picked when they were frozen on the vine, thus concentrating their sugar content. He went on to experiment with finishing mature Glenfiddich at various ages in ex-icewine French oak casks for up to six months.

The result, he writes, was that “only the rarer whiskies, those aged for 21 years, could cope with the extra icewine intensity. Having more tannins, extracted from years in oak, these malts brought out a uniquely fresh lychee note instead of being swamped by sweetness.”

The vice-president of Winemaking at Peller Estate, Craig Macdonald, commented: “We go to extreme lengths to produce our intensely sweet icewines and are always looking for ways to push the boundaries of taste, so I was intrigued to see how it could be used to create a new unexpected whisky”.

“The resulting liquid is a unique combination of the warming soul of whisky and the frozen cold of ice wine.”

The recommended ‘perfect serve’ for Glenfiddich Winter Storm is as follows: Use a glass which has been chilled in the freezer (it helps if you dip it in water first). Add your preferred measure of Winter Storm. Add a couple of frozen grapes and leave them to thaw gently in the whisky. When you’ve finished the drink, eat the grapes to enjoy a satisfying sweet crunch of crisp fruit, steeped in the flavours of Glenfiddich. Try this as an accompaniment to dessert. It works brilliantly!

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The Glenlivet Code Speyside Single Malt Age: –

70CL Vol: 48%

£100

18CT gold: mainly American ex-bourbon refills.

Considerable nose prickle to start, then soft; a complex aroma which presents French apple tart and seared pineapple as a top note, with almond paste (marzipan?

Almond oil?) and sphagnum moss (natural, light medicinal). Soft and slightly nose drying over all. An oily texture at natural strength; sweet and spicy, with milk chocolate in the short finish. A drop of water introduces solvent notes. I wonder how I’ve scored?

2

…a complex aroma which presents French apple tart and seared pineapple as a top note…

! First there was The Glenlivet Alpha (May 2013), then The Glenlivet Cipher (2017), now we have The Glenlivet Code (March 2018). Each of these expressions challenges consumers to describe the liquid’s flavour profile, without any clues on the bottle or carton as to colour (the bottles themselves are pitch black opaque glass), age, taste or cask type.

Alpha and Cipher were supported by teaser campaigns in social media to help consumers develop their own tasting notes and encourage them to post on The Glenlivet’s website, then after two months ‘all was revealed’ by Alan Winchester, The Glenlivet’s Master Distiller.

Code takes the game a stage further. Wouldbe code breakers are invited to scan a code on the carton using the Shazam app. This pulls up a virtual tasting room, hosted by an avatar of Mr. Winchester, and nudges players to select four aromas and four tastes from thousands of different combinations. After choosing their flavour descriptors, tasters will be given a score to see how they match up to The Master. Full tasting notes will be posted later this year.

Behind the fun, and the chat this is likely to generate on social media among those lucky enough to get a bottle (all three expressions are limited editions), the project sends out a valuable message: “Make up your own mind about flavour. Don’t be swayed by other people’s opinions”, including my notes above!

In the brand’s press release Alan writes: “With The Glenlivet Code, we had a unique opportunity to create a whisky that has never been crafted before, using new casks and techniques to push the boundaries of what people expect from The Glenlivet… This year’s limited edition is a labyrinth of flavours that will test the senses of even the most discerning whisky drinker and we’re excited to invite consumers worldwide to take on the ultimate challenge by unlocking its mystery taste. The interactive experience will allow whisky enthusiasts at all levels to build their knowledge of the category while also developing a deeper understanding of The Glenlivet.”

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Ledaig 13 Year Old Amontillado Finish Limited Edition Island Single Malt Age: 13 Year Old

70CL Vol: 59.2%

£TBC

Amber in colour, bestowed by Spanish oak finishing casks; the beading is light. The aroma is a mix of barbequed sirloin steaks (smoked and roasted, well peppered and fatty), seaweed and smoky bacon crisps.

A deliciously oily texture and a sweet, slightly salty and faintly sulphurous taste, and a peppery, smoky finish.

Delectable with or without water.

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The aroma is a mix of barbequed sirloin steaks, sea-weed and smoky bacon crisps

Whiskeria

! Tobermory Distillery was built beside the Ledaig Burn, and the latter name has come to be used for the distillery’s peated expressions.

Pronounced ‘led-chick’, ledaig is apparently a ‘safe haven’ in Gaelic (which well describes Tobermory Bay) and the distillery itself was originally named Ledaig. It was founded in 1798 by John Sinclair who had arrived at the recently built ‘model village’ in the early 1790s with little money and successfully established himself as a merchant and ship owner.

Tobermory was designed by Thomas Telford (the Father of Civil Engineering) for the British Fisheries Society, and it was to the Society’s directors that Sinclair applied to lease 57 acres at Ledaig, to the south of the village, beside the fast-flowing Tobermory Burn. At first the directors refused permission to build a distillery and suggested a brewery, but within a year Sinclair had their approval. As well as the distillery, he built a pier known as ‘Sinclair’s Quay’ and a substantial four-storey rubble warehouse, used for maturing whisky until 1982, when the then owner converted it into flats – a move much regretted by the current owner.

The subsequent history of Ledaig/Tobermory Distillery is patchy, with several owners and even more years of closure. It did not really stabilise until the current owner, Burn Stewart Distillers, bought it in 1993. They have opened a small visitor centre (which is currently being substantially refurbished) 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. The distillery closed a year ago to allow the stills to be replaced, although the visitor centre remains open.

This 13 year old expression has been finished in amontillado sherry butts which have bestowed attractive sweet-and-savoury notes to the smoky, maritime whisky we know and love. It is an exceptionally good example, in my view.

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Deanston 2008 Bordeaux Red Wine Cask Matured Highland Single Malt Age: 9 Year Old

! Deanston Distillery is housed in a massive, tall, austere stone building on the bank of the River Teith near Doune, Perthshire. Formerly a cotton mill, designed by Sir Richard Arkwright – one of the Fathers of the Industrial Revolution – it was built in 1785 and operated until 1965.

Inspired by David Dale’s mill community at New Lanark, in 1811 the owners built a comfortable model village close by to house the mill workers, complete with a school, post office, communal wash house, grocery shop and savings bank.

It was also the first village in Scotland to have electric lighting, in 1813 – 45 years before its neighbour, Doune, and even some months before Westminster Bridge in London. By the 1840s Deanston Village had 4,000 inhabitants, over a quarter of whom worked in the mill.

Much of the village is now listed as being of special architectural and historic interest.

For Brodie Hepburn, whisky brokers in Glasgow and owners of Tullibardine and Macduff Distilleries, conversion of the mill into a distillery was a no-brainer. It already had a water turbine in place, driven by water from the river and there was plenty of excellent space for maturing casks.

All that required to be done was to remove four solid floors to make way for two pairs of stills. In partnership with the mill owner, James Findlay & Company, the distillery commenced production in 1969, employing many of the local community.

Brodie Hepburn was bought by Invergordon Distillers in 1971 and Deanston’s first single malt was released three years later. The distillery was silent from 1982-1990, when it was sold to Burn Stewart Distillers. The latter company was bought

by Trinidad-based CL World Brands in 2002, and became part of the South African Distell Group in 2013.

This expression of Deanston has been wholly matured in casks which have formerly held Bordeaux wines from unspecified chateaux. I do not detect any wine notes in the flavour (a good thing!), but it has a remarkable texture.

70CL Vol: 58.7%

£55

A gorgeous deep amber hue, with a rubious tint in certain lights and very good beading. Light nose prickle and a thick and mellow aroma, but shy and dry overall.

In time, cherry liqueur chocolates might be detected.

A sensationally creamy texture, palate-coating, and a sweet overall taste, with crystallised rose petals and a suggestion of matchbox striker in the aftertaste.

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A sensationally creamy texture, palate-coating, and a sweet overall taste

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Jura 12 Year Old

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Island Single Malt Age: 12 Year Old

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70CL Vol: 40%

£45

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Matured in ex-bourbon barrels, finished in Oloroso sherry casks. Amber with gold lights. The immediate impression is of milk chocolate covered biscuits, with a faintly maritime middle and a fragile thread of smoke as a base-note. The taste is sweet and subtle, with a whiff of smoke in the finish. Easy drinking.

Jura Seven Wood Island Single Malt Age: —

70CL Vol: 42%

£59

013

Matured in seven French oak and first-fill Americann oak ex-bourbon casks, finished in red wine casks. The colour is brassy with amber lights. The nose presents dusty sandalwood initially, then Highland toffee with raisins.

The fruitiness comes through in the taste, which is sweet and citric – candied orange? – with some cooking spice in the finish and aftertaste.

Jura 18 Year Old Island Single Malt Age: 18 Year Old

70CL Vol: 44%

£75

Matured in American oak barrels, finished in red wine casks. Deep amber with rosewood lights. Nose drying, with an initial scent of seaweed giving way to warm wood shavings, raw crystalline sugar and lint bandages, with just a suggestion of smoke. A smooth texture and a lightly sweet, fruity-toffee taste, with some spice in the finish and cherry liqueur chocolate in the aftertaste.

! In early March this year, Whyte & Mackay announced that they were re-blending and re-packaging the core range of Jura single malts, to replace the existing Origin, Superstition, Diurachs’ Own 16 Year Old and Prophecy expressions, with a view to “combining Highland and Island styles, balancing smoke and sweetness”. They describe the move as “the biggest launch in [the brand’s] history”.

The range of five whiskies has been named the Signature Series and was rolled out in April, following a pre-release of the 12 Year Old, 18 Year Old and Seven Wood via The Whisky Shop in March this year. Jura traditionally uses un-peated malt, but has been making occasional batches of heavily peated spirit for many years, and now the overall flavour profile has been adjusted to be subtly more smoky, with sweetness enhanced by maturation is American oak ex-bourbon barrels and finishing in ex-Oloroso sherry and French wine casks.

Richard Paterson, Whyte & Mackay’s legendary Master Blender, who celebrated fifty years in the whisky industry last year, was responsible for making these flavour adjustments. Many years ago he took the radical step of re-racking the entire Jura stock earmarked for single malt bottling into more active casks. This greatly improved the malt’s texture, flavour and reputation, manifested by the success of the previous core range since it was released in 2006.

Certainly, Kirsteen Beeston, Jura’s ‘Global Head of Brand’, is excited by the new brand development. “Jura is on the brink of

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A smooth texture and a lightly sweet, fruity-toffee taste

something quite remarkable and we’ve taken the opportunity to build this into our thinking across every facet of the brand and product. The new style of whisky was the first step on this journey and one which we feel is a huge step forward in terms of flavour and product consistency… A range of whiskies with strong consumer appeal.”

I think this might be summed up as ‘premiumisation’.

The new series retains the classically curvaceous Jura bottle but the labels have been redesigned “for a more refined, premium and stylish presentation”, and in addition to the domestic launch, a further new range of exclusive malts has been created for sale in Travel Retail.

Read more about the ‘New Jura’ in Gavin Smith’s Distillery Visit.

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…sweet and citric – candied orange? – with some cooking spice

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The immediate impression is of milk chocolate covered biscuits, with a faintly maritime middle and a fragile thread of smoke as a base-note

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Ardbeg Grooves Islay Single Malt Age: –

! Last March, the famous ‘Ardbeg Committee’ selected a limited version of Ardbeg Grooves bottled at 51.6% Vol, available only to members of the Committee; demand was so great the website crashed and the launch had to be delayed!

Now an expression at standard bottling strength is being released more generally, in time for the Feis Ile whisky festival, when it will be the distillery’s special bottling at its Open Day on 2nd June. In my view, it is much more flavourful than the original!

The odd name was inspired by the fact that the casks used (a combination of American oak refills and re-toasted French oak ex-red wine barriques) have been deeply scored/grooved and heavily charred in order to intensify the flavours coming from the wood. Dr Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg’s Director of Whisky Creation, describes these as “smoked spices, distant bonfires and chilli-seasoned meats.”

A secondary reason for choosing the odd name is to connect the whisky to the heady days of the late-1960s, not least to the ‘Summer of Love’ in 1968. As the distillery’s website explains: “Here at Ardbeg, we’ve always been passionate about the benefits of an alternative lifestyle. We dig peat.

But we also dig crofting, crocheting, Celtic crosses and campfires… So this year for Ardbeg Day, we ask that you dig out your platform shoes and flower-power flares as we roll back the years to an Islay time gone by…”

So as well as launching Ardbeg Grooves, 2nd June will mark the launch of the malt’s Summer of Peat & Love campaign, with a 1960s-style van touring festivals, bars and ‘Ardbeg Embassies’ across the UK. Mickey Heads, Ardbeg’s long-serving manager, who I am sure will have happy childhood memories of the Summer of Love on Islay, went so far as to remark: “The Ardbeg Village of the 1960s was a very different place – a groovy wee community, with its own post office, billiards hall, two choirs and even a football team… These days the Ardbeg community is a worldwide one, and Ardbeg Day is the best way for us all to come together and raise a dram to the ultimate Islay single malt.”

70CL Vol: 46%

£TBC

The colour of Golden Syrup, with surprisingly good beading for its strength. The aroma is powerfully phenolic – carbolic, Coal Tar soap and distant barbeque (with charred pork ribs, and dried meat after a while).

Surprisingly sweet, centre-palate and mineralic to taste, with a smoky-spicy finish and a smoky-chocolate aftertaste. A really excellent example of Ardbeg.

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…the aroma is powerfully phenolic – carbolic, Coal Tar soap and distant barbeque

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The First Editions Laphroaig 2004 Single Cask Islay Single Malt

70CL

Age: 12 Year Old

£115

Vol: 46%

Pale amber in colour. Nose-drying, with top notes of carbolic, chlorine and coal tar, supported by barbequed venison, marinated in white wine vinegar. The taste is milder than one would expect; surprisingly sweet, salty and ashy (an extinguished bonfire), with a key-note smoky finish. Best enjoyed straight.

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…surprisingly sweet, salty and ashy, with a key-note smoky finish

! This whisky has been bottled by Hunter Laing & Company in their First Editions series of single casks, bottled at natural strength without chill-filtration, about which Export Director Andrew Laing writes: “As the name may suggest, each cask is carefully selected to evoke the qualities of a rare literary volume – those of character and collectability. Colour-coding on the labels denotes the particular regions the whiskies themselves are from and each bottle is individually numbered and presented in a gift tube. A First Editions bottling without doubt makes a valuable addition to anyone’s whisky library.”

Laphroaig Distillery, which celebrated its bi-centenary in 2015, is one of only nine distilleries with its own traditional floor maltings, using local peat which contributes mightily to the character of its make – described by its owner (Beam Suntory since 2014) as “the world’s most richly flavoured Scotch whisky”.

As readers of Whiskeria will be aware, Laphroaig is a highly phenolic malt – smoky and medicinal – much enjoyed by its many devotees around the world. What may be less well-known is that these pungent characteristics tend to dissipate over time, so if you like the full impact of Islay, buy young. Bottled at cask strength and without colour adjustment or chill-filtration, this expression is a splendid example.

Laphroaig has long been available as a single malt. Even during Prohibition (1920–1933) it was being promoted in the USA by the distillery’s owner, Ian Hunter, using a loop-hole in the law that allowed whisky to be sold “for medicinal purposes”.

While he was abroad, the distillery was managed by his secretary, Bessie Williamson, and when he died in 1954 he bequeathed Laphroaig to her along with the founding family’s closely guarded ‘distilling secrets’. These were considered so valuable that the company had tried to block the publication of a memoir by a former cooper at the distillery lest he divulge too much!

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The Old Malt Cask Strathmill 21 Year Old Single Cask Speyside Single Malt

70CL

Age: 21 Year Old

£135

Vol: 50%

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Pale gold in hue – white wine; excellent beading. A mild nose-feel, with an aroma of purified olive oil, with a trace of walnuts and tinned lychees. The texture is smooth and the taste very sweet, without being cloying. A mediumlength finish and a faintly fruity aftertaste. Pleasantly refreshing.

The Old Malt Cask Glen Moray 22 Year Old Single Cask Speyside Single Malt

70CL

Age: 22 Year Old

£135

Vol: 45.7%

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! Both these whiskies have been bottled

by Hunter Laing & Company in their Old Malt Cask series.

Regular readers of Whiskeria will know that Hunter Laing is a family company, based in Glasgow and incorporated in 2013, following the break up of the long-established firm, Douglas Laing & Co (founded 1948), and owned by Stewart Laing and his sons, Scott and Andrew. Stewart’s long experience and extensive stock of old whiskies makes it possible for the company to release a number of collections, including The Old Malt Cask, introduced in 1998 and described as being a range of “rare and old malts, bottled at around 50%Vol without chill-filtration or colour adjustment.”

Strathmill Distillery began as a meal mill, driven by water from the River Isla in Keith. Built in 1892, it was originally named Glenisla-Glenlivet, but its name was changed three years later when it was acquired by the London gin distiller W&A Gilbey.

When Gilbeys merged with Justerini & Brooks in 1962, Strathmill became a key filling for J&B Rare and as a result is very uncommon as a single malt – the only proprietary expression is a 12 Years Old in Diageo’s Flora & Fauna range, first released in 2001.

Glen Moray’s story is not dissimilar. The distillery was formerly a brewery on the western outskirts of Elgin, converted in 1897. The site had once contained the Royal Burgh’s gallows, situated beside the main road to the West and a grim reminder to unruly Highlanders to behave themselves. It was bought by Macdonald & Muir, owner of Glenmorangie Distillery, in 1920, its make going into that company’s blends. It was first bottled as a single malt in 1976, but only promoted after 1980.

In 2004 both distilleries were sold to Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, and in 2008 LVMH sold Glen Moray to the French spirits company La Martiniquaise, since when the malt has become very popular in France, named Glen Turner. It is also a key filling for the company’s successful blend, Label 5.

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…a smooth texture and a sweet taste, with a pinch of white pepper at natural strength.

Pale straw in colour; no beading, as one would expect at this strength, and no nose prickle. The nose is faintly musty (maturation warehouse, malt barn), with a suggestion of a dod of strawberry jam on creamy rice pudding. A smooth texture and a sweet taste, with a pinch of white pepper at natural strength.

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…an aroma of purified olive oil, with a trace of walnuts and tinned lychees.

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The Sovereign Strathclyde 30 Year Old

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The Sovereign Invergordon 30 Year Old

Single Cask Single Grain

70CL

Single Cask Single Grain

70CL

Age: 30 Year Old

£159

Age: 30 Year Old

£160

Vol: 50.5%

9CT gold in colour: refill ex-bourbon cask. A light aroma, with considerable prickle. Fresh solvent scents and warm vinyl (new car interior), with fruity (pears) and earthy (moss) notes beneath. A creamy texture and a light, sweet taste (boiled sweets – acid drops), a short finish, and some creamy coconut in the aftertaste.

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Vol: 48.8%

Pale straw in colour with thin legs (indicating light spirit). The nose is an interesting combination of bruised apples and sweet silage; autumnal and rural. The taste is very sweet, with butterscotch in mid-palate and a short finish, leaving an aftertaste of freshly planed oak. Water introduces the latter to the aroma and vanilla ice cream to the aftertaste. Easy drinking.

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The taste is very sweet, with butterscotch in mid-palate and a short finish

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… fresh solvent scents and warm vinyl (new car interior), with fruity (pears) and earthy (moss) notes

! Scotch grain whisky has long been regarded as malt whisky’s poor relation. This is unfair.

Certainly it is lighter in style, but the spirits from each of our seven operating grain distilleries are all subtly different. All have their own character, a clean, sweet, lightly fruity flavour, much influenced by the casks it has been matured in, usually first-fill ex-bourbon barrels and hogsheads.

Grain whisky is made by cooking unmalted cereal grains – usually wheat, but maize is sometimes used – and then adding a small amount of malted barley to kick-start the fermentation.

Distillation is done in patent stills which operate continuously – as opposed to malt whisky, which is distilled in batches, in pot stills – which makes for a purer, lighter, higher strength spirit.

Both these venerable expressions are single casks from Hunter Laing, limited editions bottled at natural strength as part of their Sovereign range of grain whiskies.

Strathclyde Distillery stands on the south bank of the River Clyde in the Gorbals district of Glasgow. It was built by the long-established, London-based distiller and blender, Seager Evans in 1927, originally to produce spirit for rectification into gin and later, when they acquired the wellknown brand, Long John, for whisky blending.

In 1956 ownership passed to the American distiller, Schenley Industries, then to Whitbread, the brewers, in 1976. Whitbread’s spirits interests were bought by Allied-Lyons in 1990, and the new owner spent a lot of money further expanding Strathclyde’s capacity. When this company was broken up in 2005, the distillery was sold to Chivas Bros., Pernod Ricard’s Scotch whisky division.

During the 1950s several attempts were made to bring industry to the Highlands north of Inverness: Invergordon Distillery was one. It was vigorously promoted by James Grigor, Provost of Inverness, with good reason: communications by sea and road were excellent, the port was on the edge of a notable grain-growing district and the water was first rate.

Invergordon Distillers Ltd. was incorporated in 1959 and the distillery commenced production in July 1961 with one Coffey still producing 10,000 gallons of pure alcohol a week. Two further Coffey stills were installed in 1963, and a fourth in 1978, with an extra column to produce industrial alcohol.

Current capacity is 38 million litres of pure alcohol per annum.

Since 1993, the distillery has been owned by Whyte & Mackay; in May 2014 Whyte & Mackay was bought by the Philippines-based distiller, Emperador, producer of the world’s best-selling brandy.

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The Dalmore 45 Year Old Highland Single Malt Age: 45 Year Old

70CL Vol: 40%

£10,000

The colour of rosewood, with roseate lights; light beading in spite of its low strength. The nose is incredibly complex: sticky toffee pudding, liquorice, dates, dark chocolate, cigar leaf, boiled sweets, Xmas cake. The texture is unctuous and the taste sweet but surprisingly fresh (candied orange peel in the cooling finish) and an aftertaste of dark chocolate. Remarkable!

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…sticky toffee pudding, liquorice, dates, dark chocolate, cigar leaf, boiled sweets…

! The Dalmore’s highly distinguished Master Blender, Richard Paterson (who celebrated fifty years in the industry last year) has been at it again: a 45YO expression, limited to 500 bottles (of which only 75 have been allocated to the UK market), presented in a Baccarat decanter embellished with the distillery’s royal stag emblem, created by the Royal Warrant Holders, Hamilton & Inches of Edinburgh.

Again, Richard has demonstrated his deep knowledge of wood-finishing. The whiskies that comprise this expression have been matured initially in refill American oak ex-bourbon casks, then re-racked into two different Graham Vintage Port Colheita pipes dating from 1961 and 1963 and finally married in first-fill American white oak casks.

With his usual exuberance, Richard writes of his creation: “By personally selecting the very finest American white oak ex-bourbon casks and Colheita port pipes from 1961 and 1963, I have been able to create a truly unique expression which is indulgent and smooth with a vibrant and lively flavour profile. It takes time, dedication and passion to create an expression like The Dalmore 45 and age has gracefully matured this distinguished spirit to make it one of The Dalmore’s greatest aged spirits.

This is a very special whisky, which I would describe as flawless perfection.”

His tasting notes mention “…exquisite flavours of red berries, soft liquorice, crushed hazelnuts, bitter chocolate and Manuka honey. This is followed by the sweet flavours of sticky toffee pudding, Bramley apples and juicy dates to finish. On the nose, it boasts a tantalising selection of aromas including Molasses, toffee, treacle cake, Sanguinello blood oranges, almond and Java [sic] cake.”

It is a truly magnificent whisky – a worthy companion to The Master’s other super-deluxe creations, all of which are now fetching eyewatering prices at auction – not least The Paterson Collection of 12 ancient bottles, carefully chosen by Richard, which was displayed in Harrods for a year then moved to Dalmore Distillery, where it sold for £1 million last summer.

THE GATHERING OF THE DRAMS

EXPLORE THE

FINEST SINGLE CASK

/HUNTERLAINGWHISKY

WHISKIES FROM ALL ACROSS SCOTLAND

@HLAINGWHISKY

HUNTERLAING.COM

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Time in History

Time in History

Skye Highs Drink in the spirit of Scotland’s northern star with Brian Wilson Knowledge Bar Isle of Skye Capital: Po!ree Location: 57.54ºN, 6.23ºW Largest of the Inner Hebrides Sco"ish Gaelic: An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or Eilean a’ Cheò

ISLE OF SKYE

Talisker SCOTLAND

Glasgow

Edinburgh

ENGLAND

Newcastle

The New Statistical Account of Scotland, published in 1841, recorded a dim view of developments in the Parish of Bracadale on the Isle of Skye. Generally, contributions to these invaluable records of the times were written by a clergyman, in this case, Rev. Roderick MacLeod, Presbyterian minister of Bracadale.

While the construction of a ‘Parliamentary road’ earned his approval, the conversion of small farms into large units for sheep grazing had the result of “dispossessing and setting adrift the small tenants” – a process which, in due course, would become known as the Highland Clearances.

There was even worse news to follow. The glen of Talisker – “its formation being particularly romantic and its soil particularly fertile” – had seen “the erection and establishment of a whisky distillery” a decade earlier. Rev. Mr MacLeod regarded this as “one of the greatest curses which, in the ordinary course of Providence, could befall it or any other place”.

It may be assumed that this negative view of Talisker’s origins was not universally shared by the minister’s flock since he also noted that there were “five whisky houses” within the parish, “to the manifest injury of the temporal interests of the

people, and the progressive and sure destruction of their morals”. At least nobody could accuse him of sitting on the fence.

Fast forward and Skye, in all its scenic magnificence, is the second most popular tourist destination in Scotland, behind only Edinburgh, and the infrastructure is struggling to cope.

The opening of a bridge between the mainland and Kyleakin, in the south of the island, in 1995 removed the last barrier to accessibility.

Now a plethora of tourism businesses vie for attention from the procession of bus tours and camper vans.

Given Skye’s power as a tourist magnet, it is surprising it has taken so long for a second distillery to appear on the island. Called Torabhaig, it is located on the Sleat peninsula close to the ferry terminal which still allows traffic from Mallaig to come “over the sea to Skye” without the aid of a bridge.

Torabhaig, owned by the Dutch company Marussia Beverages, is located within a restored 200 year old farmstead. It was originally the vision of Sir Iain Noble, a merchant banker who became local landowner in the early 1970s but

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proved to be very different from the norm. Iain was deeply committed to the Gaelic language while never losing his entrepreneurial instincts.

In 1976, he founded a company to market blended whiskies with Gaelic names and identities, but never quite got round to producing them on Skye. In 2002, Iain Noble gained planning approval to convert the Torabhaig building into a distillery but died before advancing the scheme. Restoration has been achieved to the standards he would undoubtedly have set, and Torabhaig is now open for business and pulling in the tourists.

Additionally, a small distillery has been created on the Isle of Raasay which lies to the east of Skye. Raasay is larger than Manhattan but is home to just 140 people. The distillery, which has been operational since last year with the first Isle of Raasay single malt due in 2020, should give a welcome boost to the local economy. It looks across to the Cuillins and claims “arguably the best view from any distillery in Scotland” – a hotly disputed accolade!

Meanwhile, after nearly 190 years, Talisker distillery, on the shores of Loch Harport in the north-west of Skye, has defied all spiritual and temporal challenges to achieve its current exalted status. Mind you, the ‘Parliamentary road’ which last year carried 75,000 tourists and tasters to its visitor centre has scarcely kept pace with the march of progress!

I had not visited Talisker for about 20 years and, even as late as that, it scarcely bothered to cater for tourists as opposed to concentrating on the meticulous and extremely private business of producing fine whisky. Now it treats the two functions with equal seriousness.

Gender stereotyping is a risky business these days but I suppose most of us would still think of a distillery manager as a man well into middle-age and quite possibly with a military background. So

it came as a surprise – and a very pleasant one, I hastily add – to find that the current Talisker site manager ticks none of these outdated boxes.

Diane Farrell entered Diageo’s Supply Graduate Scheme in 2012 after completing a Chemical Engineering Masters degree at the University of Strathclyde. After working her way through various aspects of the industry, she became manager of Teaninich Distillery, in Easter Ross, before moving to Talisker, one the jewels in the Diageo crown, last year.

“My management team at Talisker are all female,” says Diane, “and I am very proud of them as strong, inspiring, dedicated women. I’m also very proud to work at Talisker – it’s such an incredible brand”.

The distillery is operating at full capacity, carrying out 20 mashes a week using water drawn from underground springs.

Curiously enough, the brand name ‘Isle of Skye’ is not available to island distillers – which must be a little irritating since brand identities do not come much stronger than that. Since 1933, a blended whisky has been sold under that name. Its connection with the island lay with the original owner and blender, Ian MacLeod, who sold his company in 1963 to the Russell group, based near Edinburgh. The Isle of Skye continues to be marketed successfully – not least on the Isle of Skye!

Ian was the younger brother of Duncan MacLeod, an extraordinary figure in the whisky industry during the first few decades of the 20th century, whose name is still well known on Skye today. His most successful brand was called Clan MacLeod – and latterly he returned to Skye as an extremely wealthy philanthropist and promoter of agricultural improvements.

His grandson, Ruaraidh Hilleary, recalls: “He went to Liverpool with nothing and landed a job selling lemonade in New York. However, he soon discovered that whisky was a much better bet. I think

the Commercial Bank of Scotland lent him £1 million at a very early age to buy Bulloch Lade (one of the big Glasgow whisky houses which was taken over

by Distillers Company in 1920).

“His early trading was during Prohibition. I believe he lost his first fortune then made it again. As a child, I remember him as a most exciting grandpa! My earliest memories from the 1930s are of him coming to Skye in a yacht called Trident and you never knew who was going to be there – Lords and Ladies, celebrities, all sorts mixing together. I do remember the atmosphere of hospitality and laughter”.

The days of buccaneering whisky entrepreneurs may be over but there is no shortage of new entrants to the field. There are plans for a Whisky Trail and visitors will be able to follow in the footsteps of Dr Samuel Johnson and James Boswell who included Sleat, Raasay and Talisker in their late 18th century perambulations, which led to the celebrated Journal of a Tour of the Hebrides. The trail will also take in the much-praised Isle of Harris Distillery, a 90 minute ferry crossing from the north end of Skye.

“A man of the Hebrides”, noted Johnson when he was in Skye, “as soon as he appears in the morning swallows a glass of whisky; yet they are not a drunken race, at least I was never present at much intemperance; but no man is so abstemious as to refuse the morning dram, which they call a skalk”.

Rev. Roderick MacLeod of Bracadale might have dissented from that view.

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

The gateway to flavour Since 1897, the Speyside region of Scotland has fuelled our imagination, ensuring that outstanding taste and flavour are always at the heart of every single drop of Glen Moray. Distilled and matured by skilled craftsmen inspired by more than 120 years of expertise. Whisky made with care.

Whisky made for sharing.

My Whiskeria

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Travel

Travel

César Manrique’s Lanzarote Lanzarote might have a reputation for package tourism, but there is much more to this desert island, as Claire Bell discovers…

Knowledge Bar Lanzarote Coordinates: 29.035°N 13.633°W Archipelago: Canary Islands Administration: Spain Population: 142,132 (2011) Largest se!lement: Arrecife (pop. 55,203)

SPAIN

Lanzarote

MOROCCO

ALGERIA Canary Isles

WESTERN SAHARA

MAURITANIA MALI

In the north-east corner of Lanzarote is a lair that would impress James Bond. Spiral down a wooden staircase into the bowels of the earth, just metres from the crashing Atlantic Ocean, and you find yourself in a natural subterranean amphitheatre, complete with a shimmering mercury-like lake alongside which you can sup cocktails at an underground bar, tuck into Canarian cuisine, and listen to live music in an otherworldly performance space. The Jameos del Agua is a joint creation between nature and the artist and architect, César Manrique, one of the island’s sons, who lived there until the early nineties, and whose vision left a lasting impact on the island.

Whereas much of the Canary Islands may have a reputation for rack ’em and stack ’em mass tourism, Lanzarote’s story is very different. Manrique believed that the key to successful tourism – and living – was to use nature as your starting point, creating buildings and attractions that accentuate and pay homage to the landscape, culture and climate, rather than imposing people and concrete on it.

His vision perhaps evolved as a reaction to his time living and working in New York, from where he returned in 1966, describing the American metropolis as “too destructive to man because it is too tremendous”.

“Manrique had a Zen-like vision,” says Rachel Hidalgo Martin – owner of the eco and yoga retreat, Casa Morro, in the south of the island close to the small village of Uga – whose mother was a close friend of Manrique, and who grew up amid their wild 1970s parties where nudity and marijuana were de rigeur.

“He had a strong personality, an almost magnetic aura. He was a hippy and a free thinker, but he was also authoritarian in his view of aesthetics. He saw the nature of the island and worked around it. The essence of Lanzarote is creativity, it’s a ball of fire and wind, a very powerful island.”

Set 400 miles off the west coast of Morocco, Lanzarote is an island apart. The climate is influenced by the nearby Sahara – there is no natural water supply, all water comes from desalination – while the land is shaped by volcanic eruptions cooled by the seas of the ocean. The result is a windswept castaway land that sometimes feels like paradise, and sometimes, when the skies darken and the wind rages without relent, like a tormented sculpture park.

Manrique’s vision can be seen all over the island starting in the south, amid the Montañas del Fuego, the ‘mountains of fire’. It was here, in 1730, that Lanzarote’s longest and most lifechanging volcanic eruption began, spewing out

molten lava up to temperatures of 800ºC, and starting fires that lasted for almost 100 years.

The eruption destroyed every last vestige of life and sent the human population fleeing to Costa Teguise in the north of the island, never to return. Today this scarred orange, brown and blackened landscape is the protected Timafaya National Park, which visitors can explore on a coach that blasts out a Star Wars soundtrack as it winds through the lava fields and Valley of Tranquillity, informing you of the history of this Mars-like land where 800 species of plants and animals are finally beginning to claw their way back. Manrique’s response was to create a 360º glass and stone panoramic restaurant on top of one of the charred mountain, which leaves you feeling like you are dining in a scene from Total Recall.

The experience is made even more memorable by the presence of natural vents billowing up to 250ºC heat from the core of the earth, on which the chefs grill skewers of meat.

And even the dessert acknowledges its unusual surroundings: the white chocolate mousse is served with popping space candy, so each bite feels like a mini eruption in your mouth.

In the centre of Lanzarote, Manrique’s outlook is perhaps best understood in the first home he built for himself on the island, just

outside the village of Tahiche, today a museum which houses Manrique’s art collection and personal work, and documents the media coverage his ideas received over the course of his life.

Built on the site of a lava flow, the house is both above and below ground, weaving together five large volcanic bubbles, or caves. The upper floor is modelled after traditional whitewashed Lanzarote architecture while the subterranean bubbles are private party rooms, furnished with 70s’ futurism objects, similar to those in the film A Clockwork Orange.

“I am a contemporary of the future”, Manrique once said about himself.

Spend time contemplating his art and architecture, and you begin to wonder what kind of world we would inhabit if mankind dared to have more imagination and stopped imposing ourselves on the earth, instead building lives and structures that responded to, and connected us with, our natural environments.

Manrique experimented with this idea once again just outside the village of Guatiza, where he created the Jardin de Cactus. Lanzarote often suffers from unrelenting winds, but Manrique created respite within a walled garden planted with cacti from nearly every

country that boasts these resilient sculptural plants. A stroll within this cactus forest feels like a meander through Jurassic Park – without the dinosaurs – and the air is thick with the sweet song and chitter chatter of birds who too seem to love this Manrique creation. Above the garden is a terrace where you can while away an afternoon, chatting, reading and enjoying lunch of Canarian tapas, or for the true tourist seeking a memory to never forget: a luminous pink cactus burger, made from prickly pears, potatoes, onions and corn.

It is possible to spend every day of a weeklong holiday, being inspired by Manrique’s creations. Another unforgettable structure is the Mirador del Rio, a restaurant and look-out point to the castaway island of La Graciosa at the northern-most point of the island, that resembles a co-creation between Hobbits and Scandinavian minimalists. And there are other, more recent builds, created by those who have taken up Manrique’s call to action.

In the middle of the island is Casa Tomaren, a rural hotel consisting of nine impeccably furnished villas, built around another ‘jameos’ – a volcanic hole – in which the owners have sunk a swimming pool, surrounded by palm trees.

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“I am a contemporary of the future,” Manrique once said about himself.

“People come here to connect with nature and to disconnect with the fast-paced lifestyle of the cities”, says Stefano, who runs this casa rural.

In fact, it was here that the former British Prime Minister David Cameron stayed with his family when he flew with Ryanair to Lanzarote a few years back.

Equally breathtaking is Lagomar, a home built into the caves behind the village of Nazaret that actor, Omar Sharif, famously bought and then lost in a poker match.

Each room is a sculpted whitewashed nook which connects to the next through curved passageways, tunnels, winding staircases and in one section, stepping-stones suspended above water. The sound of running water can be heard from wherever you sit, making it feel like the ultimate oasis in this desert climate. The house is now partly a museum and restaurant, and partly a holiday home which can be rented out.

It’s tempting to spend every day exploring Lanzarote. This is a relaxing, undemanding

place to be. The driving is easy, the distances are short, and there are soothing views of sky and sea in nearly every direction. The heart of the island is also home to wine-growing estates, where each vine is surrounded by a low wall, built of black volcanic rock, to protect it from the island’s winds, and it’s easy to pass half a day enjoying the fermented fruits of the soil.

That said, it is equally worthwhile earmarking a few days for doing absolutely nothing at all, and an ideal spot for total respite is Papagayo Beach tucked away from the winds, in the far south of the island, at the end of a bumpy dirt road.

Cliff-top restaurants overlook this cut-away corner, and a day spent here is a sure-fire way to recharge the batteries.

Another place of unremitting calm is the tiny gastronomic village of El Golfo, situated just beyond the lava fields in the southwest of the island – fields that resembled ploughedup fields of giants. Here, black cliffs appear to abound with crocodiles, gargoyles and

giant human skulls forged of scorched black rock, and there is something about these raw, powerful forces that seem to shape not only the land, but the visitors who come here. As you sit on the edge of the sea, tucking into seafood and fine Lanzarote wine, while the Atlantic Ocean crashes onto the shore, you begin to feel languid, almost drugged. The pulse of urban life ebbs entirely away, and you feel like a guest in the belly of nature, passively accepting as Mother Nature bestows on you an older, slower, more healing energy.

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My Craft

My Craft

Cask Masters This summer we hit the road north to Speyside Cooperage, where foreman Darren Morrison oversees a team of highly-skilled coopers who repair and refurbish casks for customers across the globe…

Knowledge Bar Speyside Cooperage Location: Craigellachie, Banffshire Five Star Award winning exhibition will take you on a journey ‘from Acorn to Cask’.

Visitor centre opening times: Monday - Friday 9.00am - 17.00pm Choose from the Classic or VIP tours. speysidecooperage.co.uk Craigellachie

What inspired you to become a cooper?

When I was at school, my favourite subject was Craft and Design, which is making stuff.

So, this was right up my street, to be honest.

It was hands on – an office job wouldn’t have suited me.

How long have you worked at Speyside Cooperage?

I came here when I was 16, so near 21 years!

It’s a good job. A fine hands-on job. I used to be on the floor but I’m foreman now, so 90% of my job is keeping the apprentices right.

How long does it take to learn the craft?

It’s a four-year apprenticeship. There’s a lot to learn!

SCOTLAND

Edinburgh

It seems a very specific skill, with all the different tools and lots of measuring…

Accuracy is the key. As long as you’re marking it with your measures, you’re ok.

Each cask may look the same, but they’re all slightly different. There’ll be about ¾ - 1 inch difference between them.

Do you learn about the technicalities, joints and angles of a cask when you do your apprenticeship ?

The practical side of it is when you’re jointing staves with the jointer, that’s when you learn your angles. There’s no ‘specific angle’ because staves are all different widths, so it varies. It’s usually down to what we call ‘the cooper’s eye’ – you can just look at it and you’ll ken if it’s right.

Do a lot of people start their apprenticeship and leave?

Yes. Some people come in and decide it just isn’t for them. The workshop is a busy place, and it’s going from 6 o’clock in the morning to 7 o’clock at night.

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My Craft

2 “It’s a good job.

A fine hands-on job.”

So what’s your typical day here?

Some of the lads start at 6 o’clock, most of us start at 7 and work until 5, and then there’s overtime at night. So, some really are working from 6am to 7pm.

Is it right that you all get paid by the cask?

Yes, the lads in the cooperage are all paid by the cask – we call it being ‘on the grip’ or ‘piece work’ – but the lads in the yard (the labourers) are on an hourly rate.

You make casks from scratch here at the cooperage as well – do the same team do that?

No, usually it’s the younger lads who do the new casks. It’s more intensive. You have to raise the cask and then it’s on a steamer for an hour, and then we ‘pull in’ the cask, which forms the shape. Then we’ll toast it, usually, and then char it, depending on what the customer requires.

What are the processes involved in repairing a cask, from delivery to dispatch?

They’ll come in on a lorry, usually, and will come down to the cooperage and be rolled up like you see there in the yard. The cooper comes out, checks the cask is in order, takes it to his bench and then he’ll go around and brush it, looking for damage, splits, cracks – he’ll identify all the damage and mark it with chalk.

Then he’ll set about repairing that cask.

So, he’ll take off the three hoops at one end first and drop the first ‘end’. To do that, he’ll turn the cask around, slacken the top hoop, and then he’ll take off the next two hoops, which give the arch rest to the staves, then once the bulging quarter is open he can pull out the broken staves and replace them with new staves.

Once he’s replaced the staves, the cooper will set about closing the cask, so he’ll put on the first bulge hoop, knock it down so it’s tight, then turn the cask round and stick on the other bulge hoop, and as you’re chapping it, it closes up the cask.

The straw-like stuff is flagging – a water reed – which we use to seal up the ends while we’re repairing. It takes up any voids that’re left in the wood, so when we press the cask on the hoop drivers you get a really watertight seal.

You spoke about steaming the wood – is that how you make it more pliable?

Aye, the heat from the steam helps us bend it. For example, you could use steam to flatten out buckled heads.

The yard at the back of the cooperage seems to be home to thousands of casks!

What are they destined for?

The yard can house up to 200,000 casks.

Some of that belongs to Speyside Cooperage and has been bought so we can sell it to other companies. And then some of it belongs to our customers and is just out here for storage.

Are the casks you buy for refurbishment?

Where do they come from?

Yes, they’re here so we can refurbish them.

That stock comes from all over the world – and every part of the world now. The stuff we’re doing today is going to Japan, so it’ll go into containers and be shipped away.

Who do you sell the casks to?

Just anybody who produces whisky, beer, any type of spirit really, we’ll provide casks for.

There’s a lot of micro breweries up and coming.

Some breweries like the bourbon barrels and the ex-whisky barrels.

Knowledge Bar

The Making Of A Cask: Raising Up 1. The cooper selects pieces of correctly qua"ered, seasoned oak of the required length and thickness for the staves.

2. Listing – cu!ing of an angled taper at each end of the stave. The outside of the stave is shaped to produce what will become the outside of the cask.

3. The ‘inside’ face of the stave is hollowed out.

4. Jointing – the most skilled job in coopering – is when the edge of each stave is cut at an angle that ensures a good shape and fit.

5. Staves are assembled using a raising up hoop which is hammered tight to hold them together.

6. A steel truss hoop is hammered over the casks, pulling the staves closer together.

7. The raised up cask is then ready for firing.

Knowledge Bar

Record breaker builder

Know your barrels!

Hogshead 56 Gallons 250 Litres

Fastest time to build a barrel

Bu"

110 Gallons 500 Litres

Barrel

40 Gallons 180 Litres

Puncheon 110 Gallons 500 Litres

Speyside Cooperage is proud to employ the Guinness World Record Holder for ‘Fastest time to build a 190L barrel’.

Davie McKenzie set the record on 29th April 2017, a#er he completed the task in just 3 mins 3.18 seconds – smashing the 7 mins and 30 seconds parameter set as the ‘expected’ record time!

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My Craft

What types of oak do you work with here, and what types of casks do you make?

Mostly it’s American white oak, but we’ve got European oak as well. We’ve got barrels, hogsheads (hogies), butts, puncheons, there’s port pipes and then you’ve got the likes of hogies with different variations of the 250L level, which we call a traditional style and then a remade style. The barrels are the smallest and the butts are the biggest. So, the butts are 500L, hogsheads are 250L, and the barrels are 200L. Port pies are about 500L as well.

We also do various little casks, from 30L – they’re for niche market orders and we’ll make them as per our customers’ requirements.

You have a lot of different ‘finishes’ of casks here for repair. Does the former contents of a cask, or its age, affect how easy the wood is to work with?

The old contents of the cask dooen’t make any difference to how it is to work with – the only difference is when it goes to the customer.

All the different conditioning is about the flavour. You’ve got sherry casks, port casks, rum, various different wines…

When it comes to age, some casks are still like new at 50 or 60 years old, or even if they’ve been in a warehouse for almost a century. It’s the storage and treatment of a cask, not its age, that determine condition.

What about the process of charring a cask?

When we’re charring casks we remove both ends then it goes onto the burners, and then there’s different settings – some customers might like a medium or heavy char. So, depending on what the customer asks for, we’ll put it on that setting. Nowadays it’s all based on times and temperatures. Once it’s charred we’ll use steam jets to put moisture back in the wood.

Do you work with any friends or family?

It seems like a craft that’s been passed through generations…

None of my family – I’m the only cooper in my lot!

Is it true that there’s only one cooper here that isn’t Scottish?

There’s one Hungarian lad there, but the rest are all local lads.

This cooperage has been running since 1947 – is it the only one that’s operational in the region?

There are several other little cooperages in the area, but this is the biggest one.

Do you get involved in the Spirit of Speyside festival?

We do a lot of demonstrations and things like that over the festival weekend.

Knowledge Bar

Knowledge Bar Cooper’s tools

Firing the Cask

1. The wood below the chime on the inside of the cask is shaped with a crumb knife.

Hand Axe

1. Steam and heat are used to so#en the oak, enabling the cooper to work with great skill, strength and speed to hammer truss hoops that force the staves into shape.

Shaping & Fitting

2. A croze is used to cut a clean, precise groove into which the end is fi!ed.

3. The cooper checks the dimensions of the cask before cu!ing the groove for the other end piece.

Side Axe

4. The temporary metal hoops are now replaced and new ones are hammered on.

5. The cooper selects two suitable ends, which are made of precisely jointed wood dowelled together with strips of reed between.

Compass

8. The end is fi!ed by removing the chime hoop and slackening the other hoops, allowing it to be fi!ed in the groove.

9. The hoops are then replaced, tightened and the process repeated at the other end of the cask.

10. If necessary, any reed showing is forced into the groove using a wedge-shaped tool.

2. Heat is provided by an iron basket of burning shavings, le# smouldering to dry the wood and allow the staves to set in their new shape.

3. Once the casks are set the truss hoops are tightened allowing work to proceed while the wood is still warm and easily cut.

4. Any faults in timber quality or workmanship are easily revealed.

6. Using a compass, the cooper ‘marks out’ the end to suit his cask and cuts it to size with a band saw.

7. Using a heading knife – the sharpest of all his tools – the cooper cuts a bevel into the inner and outer su$aces of the end.

Knowledge Bar

Croze

5. The cooper uses an adze to cut a bevel at either end of the cask while the cask is still warm –a process called chiming – then levels off the ends with a topping plane.

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Knowledge Bar

Cask pyramids

2 Known in the industry as “stows�, these remarkable structures can contain in excess of 11,000 casks 2 The first row of casks is jammed and skutched together with each row above locking the lower one in place 2 Stows are the most effective way to store cask using less space; the Cooperage has room to store over 200,000

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Welcome to the new Jura Journey ‘A Long Way from Ordinary’ with Gavin Smith and discover new beginnings on the Isle of Jura...

Knowledge Bar Jura Est. 1810 and reborn in 1963, reviving the local community Located in Craighouse, the main se!lement on the the 30-mile long and seven-mile wide Isle of Jura, 60 miles from the Sco!ish mainland Visitor Centre Manager: Rachael Jones Distillery Manager: Graham Logan Jura Whisky Festival returns on Thursday 31st May 2018 Tours: ‘Daily Distillery Tour’ Monday - Saturday*, 11am & 2pm (Saturday tours only available April - October), ‘Discover the Uncommon’ Wednesday and Friday 2.45pm. Booking essential. jurawhisky.com

SCOTLAND Jura

Glasgow

Edinburgh

Islay

ENGLAND

Newcastle

It is not often that a single malt brand decides to change its signature style and sets out to create an entirely new range of expressions.

Not only has Jura recently committed itself to such an undertaking – something very similar happened almost 60 years ago. Then, the distillery was rebuilt and set up to produce not peaty, Islay-like malts such as it had once distilled, but a lighter, sweeter and more elegant ‘Highland’ whisky.

The island of Jura is separated from its Hebridean neighbour of Islay by just a halfmile-wide stretch of water named The Sound of Islay, so it is not surprising that whisky distilled in the original Jura distillery bore similar characteristics to those made across the water.

Jura distillery was established in 1810 in the tiny island capital of Craighouse, but this was merely the first licensed distillery on the island. According to legend, whisky-making had previously taken place in a nearby cave, without the benefit of official sanction!

The year 1831 saw Jura licensed to William Abercrombie, after reconstruction – including the creation of maltings – at the hands of landowner Archibald Campbell. Distilling continued under a number of different licensees until James Ferguson & Co. took over in 1876. The operation ceased in 1901 due to a dispute between Ferguson and his Campbell landlords. Ferguson stripped the distillery of its equipment, and Campbell removed the roofs of the buildings in 1920 to avoid having to pay tax. revival

It seemed that whisky-making would never return to Jura, but then, in the late 1950s, two landowners with estates on the island – Robin Fletcher and Alex Riley-Smith – decided that something should be done to try to stem, and even reverse, depopulation by providing a new source of employment.

Eventually, they settled on the idea of constructing a new distillery, and with Leith

Distillery Visit

Distillery Visit

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According to the Jura team, “We sta" with Journey, before moving to 10 and 12 Years Old Jura, and into an entirely new world with Seven Wood and then concluding with 18 Years Old. Each and every whisky has been created to showcase an incredible new flavour, in their own individual way. From cinnamon, pears and pecans, to Black Forest fruits and bi!er chocolate, the diversity of flavours gives you approachable and welcoming combinations which will captivate you into the world of Jura.”

JURA JOURNEY Matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels.

JURA 10 Matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels for 10 years.

Finished in Oloroso sherry casks.

JURA 12 Matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels for 12 years.

Finished in Oloroso sherry casks. (Available in select markets only).

SEVEN WOOD Matured in seven French oak and first-fill American white oak ex-bourbon barrels.

JURA 18 Matured for 18 years in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels.

Finished in red wine casks.

new juras

markets

The island of Jura is noted as the place where George Orwell wrote his futuristic novel Nineteen Eighty-Four between 1946 and 1948, and for boasting a population of 200 people and 5,000 deer.

Its distillery is equipped with two pairs of stills – the second-tallest in Scotland after Glenmorangie – and has an annual capacity of 2.4 million litres per annum. According to Kirsteen Beeston – Global Head of Brand for Jura – it has been running close to that capacity during the last few years.

“Distillery output was 2.34 million litres per annum in 2017,” she says, “and the same is planned for this year. We have scope to increase capacity if necessary.”

On the subject of recent alterations to the Jura portfolio, she explains that “We didn’t enter into the changes lightly, and the new range has been two to three years in the making. Jura has been performing very well over the last five years, but we were keen to grow it ahead of the rest of the single malt category. Jura has amazing potential, and while it has been holding its own in the global rankings, we felt it had far more scope.”

Accordingly, the new Jura range features a house style that is a combination of sweetness and a hint of subtle smoke. Beeston says that “Previously, the Jura range had some peated and some non-peated expressions. The portfolio was fragmented. Some of the new expressions give coffee and molasses flavours rather than smoke, so people who liked unpeated bottlings such as Origin will certainly find something to enjoy, but there’s also plenty for lovers of the previous peated Superstition expression.

“The distillery’s tall stills give a sweet spirit, and filling all of it into American white oak ex-bourbon casks is the perfect match for it. We peat five per cent of our spirit each year, and the level of smokiness in the new range correlates to that level of production.”

Graham Logan, Jura distillery manager, declares that “This marks a hugely significant step for Jura. A new house style of whisky is not for the faint hearted, but it tells you where we are now and how committed we are to Jura, the community, and our whiskies for the long term. Combining two styles of whisky is a fairly unorthodox approach, but one that we know is right for Jura. We can’t wait for people to try it and see for themselves.”

More people than ever should get that opportunity, as the brand has ambitious expansion plans, as Kirsteen Beeston reveals.

“The UK is Jura’s largest market, with around onethird of volume sales. Then France and Germany are second and third, while Travel Retail is very important, too.

“For the future we are looking at the USA and Taiwan. We have a new distributor in the States, and last year we launched the new 10-year-old there, ahead of the release of the rest of the range. The brand is also very small in Asia, and there are huge opportunities there, too.”

She adds that “In addition to the new core line-up there will be some premium bottlings in the future.”

All in all, Jura looks to be a single malt brand with which aficionados should become re-acquainted. There is clearly much to explore and enjoy.

And if you are inspired by the whiskies to visit the island of Jura itself, you will not be disappointed. The scenery is spectacular, and you will receive a warm welcome at the distillery, and from the rest of Jura’s 200 residents. The journey there may take a little planning and patience, but like so many good things, it is definitely worth the effort.

Distillery Visit

Knowledge Bar Jura

blenders and bottlers Charles Mackinlay & Co. they recruited the designer of Tullibardine distillery, William Delmé-Evans. Such was his commitment to the project that Delmé-Evans learnt to fly a plane, gaining his pilot’s licence, and went on to acquire a Cessna 172 so that he could ‘commute’ between his Herefordshire home and the new landing strip he had constructed on Jura!

When it came to building the new distillery, the manager’s accommodation and the old cooperage were retained, while all remaining buildings were demolished, though the existing site provided a basic footprint for the new design. Delmé-Evans recalled some years later that “During 1958 I started designing a distillery which just about trebled the production capacity of the old one, and, by 1963, Jura distillery was commissioned.

“It was our intention to produce a Highlandtype malt differing from the typically peaty stuff last produced at the turn of the century. I therefore designed the stills to give spirit of a Highland character, and we ordered malt that was only lightly peated. My primary aim was to construct an economic distillery within the space available.”

The decision to distil ‘Highland-style’ single malt was made because that would have wider appeal than the heavily peated drams of Islay, which at the time were a long way from having the sort of cult status they enjoy today.

By the time the distillery came on stream in 1963, Mackinlay & Co. had been taken over by Scottish & Newcastle Breweries Ltd., which ran the distillery until it was purchased

by Invergordon Distillers Group plc in 1985.

1993 saw Invergordon Distillers acquired by Whyte & Mackay Ltd. after a hotly-contested, hostile takeover campaign, and the Glasgowbased distiller continues to operate Jura today, though Whyte & Mackay itself is now owned by Philippines-based Emperador Distillers Inc.

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Mixing It Up

Mixing It Up

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Thirteen Dollar (Inflation) Shake

The American dream

— Maker’s 46 Whole milk / milk substitute Vanilla syrup — Ice: Cubed

50ml 125ml 12.5ml

Glassware: Glass milk bottle or Highball glass Garnish:

Red and white stripe paper straw, mini marshmallows or candies

— Method: Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker for 15 seconds with cubed ice. Single strain over fresh cubed ice, garnish and serve.

—

Take your taste buds Stateside this summer with five awesome bourbon cocktails from Edrington-Beam Suntory’s brands.

—

Photographer: Christina Kernohan Assistant: Cat Thomson Stylist: Meredith Wilkie

Knowledge Bar

Edrington-Beam Suntory Maker’s 46 – 47%VOL or 94 Proof – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Aroma: Hints of French oak, caramel and sweetness – Taste: Very intense flavors, wood blending nicely with complex, rich notes of vanilla and caramel – Finish: Smooth and subtle Booker’s Bourbon – 63.95%VOL or 127.9 Proof – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Aroma: Robust vanilla and caramel notes; slightly smoky – Taste: Deep and complex flavours of vanilla, nuts and oak – Finish: Long and full; pe$ect for easygoing sipping Basil Hayden’s – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – 40%VOL or 80 Proof – Aroma: Spice, tea, hint of peppermint – Taste: Spicy, light-bodied, gentle bite – Finish: Dry, clean, brief

As the days get longer, our drinks follow suit. And, while we can’t promise you BBQ-ready weather, we have enlisted Maker’s Mark UK Diplomat, Amanda Humphrey, to serve up five refreshing cocktail recipes that are certain to brighten up your summer.

Inspired by old Americana and the Kentucky home of Maker’s Mark, Booker’s and Basil Hayden’s, these cocktails will introduce you to a brave new world of bourbon enjoyment, and are perfect for celebrating the United States’ biggest summer holiday, Independence Day, on 4th July.

Each one is easy to make at home, and guaranteed to deliver instant summer satisfaction via a twist on quintessential American culture.

Cheers!

—

Cherry

— Nikka From The Barrel 50ml (cherry steeped) Birch Water 100ml — Glass: Highball Garnish: Red ‘butterfly’ sorrel — Method: This is done in the style of a Mizuwari cocktail, so a built drink. Simply add all ingredients to the glass with ice and gently mix. Top with more ice if required (making sure the glass is full) and then garnish.

—

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StarHill Spritz — Maker’s 46 Aperol Fresh Lemon Juice Pineapple Syrup Top with Sparkling Wine — Ice: Cubed

Ward 8 25ml 25ml 12.5ml 12.5ml

Glassware: Wine Glass Garnish:

Mixing It Up

—

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As you would with an Aperol Spritz

— Method: Build in Wine Glass, fill cubed ice to the top of the glass.

Add pineapple syrup, lemon juice, Maker’s and Aperol and Stir for 15 seconds. Top with sparkling wine, stir, garnish and serve.

—

— Maker’s 46 Lemon juice Grenadine Orange juice — Glassware: Coupette

50ml 15ml 15ml 15ml

Garnish: Cherry — Method: Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cubed ice for 10 seconds. Double strain into chilled coupette. Garnish with a cherry and serve.

—

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Kentucky Chai-T

— Booker's 35ml RinQuinQuin (peach liqueur) 15ml Lemon Juice 15ml Spiced Chai masala tea 70ml Sugar syrup 10ml Top with Soda Water — Serve: In single serve or pitchers for a garden party Ice:

Cubed

Glassware: Large latte glass/sling Garnish:

Lemon slices and fresh peach

— Method: Shake all ingredients except soda water in a cocktail shaker full of cubed ice for approx 15 seconds.

Fill glass to the top with cubed ice and single strain cocktail into the glass.

Top with chilled soda water, garnish and serve.

—

—

Julep 46 Highball

— Basil Hayden’s Mint Leaves Simple Syrup Top with chilled Soda Water — Ice: Cubed

50ml 6–8 12.5ml

Glassware: Highball Glass Garnish: Mint Sprig — Method: Add Mint, Simple Syrup and Basil Hayden’s, stir. Fill to the top with chilled soda water. Stir, garnish and serve.

—

Mixing It Up

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My Whiskeria

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My Whiskeria

My Whiskeria

Will the real

Jo Caulfield

Jo Caulfield’s sharp wit and astute social commentary has been tickling audiences for years. But how many of us really know the woman behind her humble success story? — Photography: Brian Sweeney Assitant: Stuart Simpson Stylist: Ian Tod Make up: Jak Morgan Location: Leith Theatre

please stand up

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My Whiskeria

Was there a bit of Dutch courage involved?

A little bit! I was drinking (that very first night). I think that I drank then, and I drank at the next one, and then I never drank again, before a gig. Never do.

I do a weird thing – I might have three sips of a beer or something, so I feel that I’m slightly on a night out, like the audience is. But when I did have a couple of beers, the gig didn’t go well, and rather than feeling relaxed I suddenly felt really drunk, and I was like “Oh God, I’m just really drunk and people are staring at me and I’m on stage!”. But weirdly, I still wanted to do stand up, I just decided I don’t drink on stage.

Knowledge Bar

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018 Jo Caulfield: Killing Time August 3rd-12th; 14th-19th; 21st – 26th The Stand Comedy Club Tickets £10 (£9 concessions)

That seems to be quite common – we’ve noticed a lot of entertainers are teetotal…

Oh, so I’m here because I’m a drunk!

Excellent. I knew it would pay off in the end. No, I love drinking, I love bars. I really do like it.

Edinburgh, I think, is a fantastic city for bars. Well I think Scotland, generally. Because a lot of places, especially in London, change to whatever the latest fashion is. And when I came to Scotland there are still proper old bars, and they’re now very trendy. I like that, and I like talking to people in bars, having conversations.

Do you get a lot of material from those conversations?

Yeah, because things happen. I was at this bar at the bottom of Leith Walk (in Edinburgh) – The Central Bar. It’s an old man’s pub, there’s a list of a lot of things that you’re not allowed to do on the outside. And it’s full of older guys, smartly dressed – there’s an old boxer who’s well known, and there’s boxing pictures on the wall and stuff.

So, it’s the sort of pub where there’d neverbe trouble because you have to behave yourself, because these old men can still handle themselves.

There was a guy – he must’ve been in his 70s – and I was with some friends but it just so happened they’d all gone off to the loo, so it looked like I was on my own, and he grabbed my hand and went, “You are the best looking woman in here!”. And then – and I thought this was such a Scottish compliment – he turned and looked and went, “Ok, I know that’s not saying much…”!

Do you have a favourite whisky?

I like peaty. I think it’s the Islays that I like, or ones that are a bit caramel-y. If somebody’s got a Laphroaig or something, you can smell it across a room, and you go “Ah God, I might have to have one of those!”.

But I genuinely enjoy sniffing whisky.

The smells are so lovely, and I’m sure you can get a little high from the fumes. They smell delicious. I also like an Irish whiskey. My dad always used to drink Bushmills, so we drink that, and I can taste the difference, definitely.

You’ve done some political pieces, including one asking people what laws they’d make if they had the power. What law would you make?

My laws always tend to be more to do with how people should behave to each other: not making a noise when you eat; if you’re walking along a pavement, get to where you’re going, don’t dawdle.

And people in shops. There’s nothing I hate more than a fake conversation. I don’t mind a real conversation, but we don’t need to pretend to be American and perky, you know? It’s just not very British, that way of being over interested. We have a reserve for a reason, it’s rude to ask people too many personal questions!

And I think that when I’m doing comedy.

Young comics are often obsessed with someone who’s not laughing in the audience, and I think, you don’t know what’s happening in their life.

It could be anything. They could’ve just been sacked, somebody could’ve died, this could be their first time out since they’ve had cancer or something. You’ve no idea, and it’s crazy always to think that it’s because of you.

You’ve spoken before about the arrogance in comedy – how do you avoid that?

It’s a weird balance because, obviously, standing on stage and talking when other people aren’t allowed to talk is a very arrogant thing to do. But I think your duty then is that you must be really good, because otherwise they’re perfectly entitled to stand up and go “Well, I’d like to talk now because you’re not interesting to me”. Which is what heckling is, and it’s perfectly, I think, acceptable.

So, it’s an incredibly arrogant thing to do, but I don’t do it because I’m arrogant, I do it because I like making people laugh.

Do you ever worry about how other people – stylists, make-up artists, producers – are going to make you look on stage or TV? I don’t want to do anything that I don’t think is ‘me’. Especially on TV – sometimes I’ll see people and think “You don’t normally look like that”. I think it’s important that you’re still you.

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“I was quite confident in that way where I didn’t really know what I was doing, so I didn’t know what to be afraid of.”

My Whiskeria

Let’s start at the start: how did you get into the whole comedy thing and wind up where you are today?

Before I started doing comedy I did lots of different drifting about things in London.

So, I was in a band and I was very into the rockabilly scene, then me and my friend had the shop, and then I was just waitressing and not really doing anything.

I remember working in this restaurant, and I loved it. Then everyone else started going off to college and university, and I realised I was 25 and they were all 18 or 19. And that’s the first time I realised you should have some sort of plan for what you wanted to do in life.

I was 28 when I went to drama school for a year, and that’s when I did stand up. I’d always really liked comedy, but I didn’t really know it was a thing you could do. And then I found out you just go along – at that time – I didn’t have to pass an exam; this bloke would just let you go on for 5 minutes.

That was when I did my first slot at The Comedy Café. It went really well, because I was quite confident in that way where I didn’t really know what I was doing, so I didn’t know what to be afraid of. And I was hooked.

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My Whiskeria

You were a writer on So… Graham Norton.

How did you get that gig?

That was one of those accidents of life where I knew Graham before because we’d done gigs together; we went to a gig in Chester from London, and I gave him a lift. We didn’t know each other very well, but I’m a very slow driver. When he got a TV show all the warm ups were men – straight men – and Graham was like, “I don’t want a bloke telling jokes. it’s just not appropriate for my show”.

So, I did the warm up in the first series, and then they had a lot of trouble finding writers – again, then it was all male writers – to write the right kind of joke. Because people don’t realise it, but Graham was the first out gay man in show business who was going “No, I have boyfriends and I have sex with men. It’s not for show business, I’m not John Inman, it isn’t a joke. I will talk about sex and my partner and my boyfriend” and things like that.

They had a meeting and I had a trial, and then I stayed for seven years!

Is it weird writing jokes for someone else?

Do you have to ‘become’ them?

Yes, you do. He [Graham] has got such a strong intonation, it’s not hard to do. And even little tics he has – he’ll say, “Well, in fairness, I think this about that…” – we would put those into his way of speaking, and also (the guys weren’t so good at this) I would know whether Graham would like a celebrity or not, so that would determine which way we would do the jokes.

Did you get to meet the Hollywood A-Listers?

Well, it’s kind of part of your job not to annoy them. And, also, I got a bit blasé about people. I think the only people I went up to were Joan Rivers and John Waters, because I loved them. And he was so lovely, he liked my shoes I remember that. They were just so exactly like I wanted them to be.

Do a lot of people have expectations of you?

People do, it’s a real taxi driver thing. I try not to say I’m a comedian. There’s a taxi driver I use quite a lot, and he talked about his friend who was ‘doing comedy’. So I thought, well I’ll have to say “I’m a comedian, I might know him” and of course, he couldn’t believe I was a comedian. And it was funny he said, “I thought you were an accountant or something”. I was like, “Really?!” – people think I’m really boring!

But taxi drivers always want you to tell a joke, or they want to tell you jokes, which is the worst thing. Because if someone tells you a joke, unless it’s really funny, you’re never actually going to laugh. I think it’s quite a male thing – they can’t stop themselves. I’ll say “Please don’t tell me a joke” and they can’t help it, and it’s usually racist/sexist/homophobic...

Do you have any no-go areas in your comedy?

No. I suppose to me it’s always, who’s the target? In comedy we talk about punching up – you can make fun of people who are above you or high status, but why make fun of the people who are lower status? They need you on their side more.

It’s your intention, that’s the thing.

Journalists are always picking a joke out of context and going, “Well that was a terrible thing to say, you made a joke about disabled people”. And you go, well what was the context? Maybe they were doing it in front of disabled people and the disabled people thought it was hilarious, because you were treating them the same as everyone else.

When I ran a comedy club years ago, a guy used to come in in a wheelchair, and I always used to make fun of him, like “Oh, here he comes, gotta bring his own chair” and he used to think it was funny.

I don’t think you can have hard and fast rules, but there are jokes that I think, is it a good joke? Often it’s just a bad joke, and that’s why it’s not good.

Are you looking forward to doing the Edinburgh Festival Fringe again this year?

It’s great, the Festival, because it forces me to come up with new things, and I just really enjoy it: I like doing the shows, I like everybody being there, all the comedians everywhere, and we all meet up…

Knowledge Bar Favourite Edinburgh Bars I have different ones I like at different times…

• The Central Bar (find out more in the interview!)

• The Boda bars I think they’re Swedish, they’ve got several: Sofi’s Bar is one of them. They’re just all slightly different to each other.

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society My friend is a member, so we’ve been to both now. I really like thinking I know, I go “oh yes it is peaty” or “I am ge!ing heather and honey!” and things like that.

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“I don’t want to do anything that I don’t think is ‘me’.”

My Whiskeria

Female comedians are often associated with the wider conversation about feminism, and you have blogged about the subject before. What are your views on feminism – do you feel a responsibility to address it?

It did seem to me – but maybe that’s because I’m older? – that suddenly feminism was a fashion. I thought, it can’t be treated as a fashion, because that means it goes out of fashion, and it should be all the time.

If it doesn’t sound pompous, I would hope that who I am is a good example. So, when I’m on stage I don’t really make ‘feministy’ points.

If I do well, women in the audience feel good about themselves. I think that’s all you can do; that’s what people should being going and seeing, a woman doing something well.

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My Whiskeria

You did something on Darwin and relationships, what was that all about?

I did a piece for The One Show, it’d been 200 years since Darwin or something, and it was sort of tongue in cheek on whether men had evolved. But I’m not an expert.

I’ve heard people say I’m like an anthropologist, and in a way I suppose that fits because I am very fascinated by people and relationships, and that is mostly what I’ll do stuff on.

Did your comedy change when you met your husband?

Yes, in that he’s useful for it. He does provide quite a lot of entertainment.

I used to do a thing about men not really having conversations, but just exchanging facts with each other. They sort of take turns and they like information, because they think, oh I can take that to another conversation. It’s like currency, isn’t it? My husband has football friends, and music friends, and political friends, and that’s what they’re for. And – this is a true story – a friend of my husband’s had got divorced, and my husband never told me. He said “We would’ve talked about it if he’d wanted to, but luckily he didn’t want to, so we talked about Arbroath, which is his football team”. I did it on stage and people really really laughed!

What about social media – how has that affected your stand up?

I have talked about Facebook, and I try to be funny on it. It keeps you entertained – they say there’s never been a better time to be a comedian on the road, because we have so many distractions. When I first started comedy we had no social media, there were barely mobile phones, we couldn’t download things and watch them on an iPad. Often on a Sunday, it’s just comedians on trains doing Facebook to each other, and Tweeting and doing WhatsApp groups, keeping each other entertained on the journey back after working at the weekend.

Is there anything on at the Fringe this year that you’re particularly excited to see?

Well there are people I’m excited to see because they’re my friends, and also, yes, they’re doing shows.

There’s a Geordie comic called Gavin Webster I always go and see because he does a show specifically for The Fringe, so it’s not his normal stand-up, and he always gives a really outrageous title to it. It’s always funny and always interesting.

A show that is always good – because it’s a different kind of show – is called Joke Thieves. You get four comics and they do about 5 minutes of their material, and then the audience pair up the comedians, and then you have to do a sort of impression or version of [each other]. And I love doing it, because you’re being somebody else. Sometimes it’s quite vicious because you make fun of their material, you make fun of them. I found it really freeing to do because I’ll do people who are totally not like me. I feel like I’m inhabiting them.

They also do one called Rap Battles, which is where people do raps about each other, and that gets very vicious and very near the knuckle, especially if it’s someone you know well. It’s great fun for the audience, because they’re getting a great ‘in’ to what these people are really like.

And I like the Free Fringe – book tickets to see people you like, but then also randomly go into things and see what they are. And if you don’t like it, you don’t have to give them much money, and if you do like it you give them more money.

My Whiskeria

Can you tell us a bit more about your Fringe show?

It’s always stand-up but you can do things that you can’t do with a 20-minute set. So, you can tell a longer story, you can have some fun with people in the audience. Like, last year I was talking about how I don’t like my husband’s name, and saying I didn’t like our names as a couple – we sound like two old Scottish men in charge of a bowling green or something. So, then I was asking couples in the audience what their names were and if they had a good couple name, and there was just so much fun to be had in people’s names!

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What else are you currently working on?

At the moment I’m doing a show for BBC Radio Scotland that I really enjoy, it’s called Stop the Press. So, it’s a guy, Gary Robertson, who does BBC breakfast news in Scotland, and we’ve had news people and journalists on his team, then on my team we have comedians, usually. And its sort of a quiz – an actual pub quiz style, the audience at home can play along and answer the questions. It’s just relaxed, it has such a lovely feel to it, and I really enjoy it.

Do you think of yourself as Scottish these days?

I feel very connected to Scotland; I feel very connected to the people, because my family is from Northern Ireland, and I think that Scottish people have the same thing as Northern Irish people: they’re quite tough with each other, very quick to put you down, make fun of each other. It’s all humour, and often in that very deadpan way of saying something cutting, which I like – to say something that’s quite funny, but do it with a straight face – it’s a very Scottish way, and you’re not quite sure if it’s a joke or not. I like that, and I sort of felt that I’d grown up with it, so I felt very at home here very quickly. You know how people feel about you.

Clothing credits: p61 & 67: Bolo tie – Armstrong’s Vintage, Edinburgh ; Suit – Sonia Rykiel Vest – Jo’s own; Shoes – Topshop – p63: Red jeans – Topshop; Grey checked jacket – Anthropologie White shirt – Reiss; Choker & shoes – Topshop; Jewellery – Jo’s own – p65: Jeans – Citizens of Humanity at Epitome, Edinburgh; Boots – stylist’s own Original cowboy shirt – Armstrong’s Vintage, Edinburgh; Faux leather jacket - Topshop –

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“I’ve heard people say I’m like an anthropologist, and in a way I suppose that fits because I am very fascinated by people and relationships.”

SKILFULLY CRAFTED. ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. Glenfiddich® Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a registered trademark of William Grant & Sons Ltd

B E C AU S E H E A P P R E C I AT E S THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE F A T H E R ’ s d a y j u n e 1 7 th 2 0 1 8 Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Rum Cask Finish After patiently raising our whisky for 21 years, we add a sublime finishing touch.

By finishing our malt whisky in Caribbean rum casks, we rouse our exceptional Scotch whisky with extra rich, sweet and exotic flavours.

FAMILY RUN S I N CE 1 8 8 7

70/ The Whisky Shop Exclusives 71/ Father’s Day 74/ Independence Day American Whiskies 76/ Festival Season: Spirit of Speyside 77/ Festival Season: Fèis Ìle 78/ Summer Gins 80/ The Macallan 81/ Customer Favourites

The Whisky Shop

Summer 2018

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The Whisky Shop Exclusives ➛ We’re proud to stock a selection of whiskies exclusive to The Whisky Shop.

From limited edition bottlings to old and rare whiskies, single malts to singularly superb blends, these whiskies are for our customers only.

Whiskeria

The GlenDronach 1993 Sherry Butt No.395

The BenRiach 2005 Pedro Ximénez Cask No.5279

Glen Scotia 2006 Bourbon Cask No.531

– 70CL | 51% VOL | £210

– 70CL | 56.4% VOL | £85

– 70CL | 55.6% VOL | £85

What is it?

A single cask – numbered 395 – was hand selected by The Whisky Shop from The GlenDronach for its exceptional flavour. Distilled on 12th February 1993, this well-aged whisky was matured in a sherry butt for 25 years, and is presented at 51%VOL for optimum flavour.

What is it?

Distilled on 22nd December 2005 and matured in a Pedro Ximénez cask for 12 years, we chose single cask no.5279 from BenRiach exclusively for The Whisky Shop customers to experiences its sensational depth of flavour. It is presented at a cask strength of 56.4%VOL.

What’s it like?

The nose is a mix of sweet with a little spice, presenting custard, candied orange and strawberry chews, plus white pepper, vanilla and sherbet. The palate brings a little more intensity – coconut, vanilla and honey milk are balanced by black pepper and liquorice, with chocolate flavours belying the classic GlenDronach richness.

What’s it like?

Rich and complex on the nose with red liquorice, spearmint, gravy, plum pudding, rhubarb crumble, cinnamon, custard and fresh oak.

The palate follows suit with the introduction of toffee sweetness and grape flavours from the rich dessert wine cask, lifted by spearmint, white pepper and a crumbling of bitter chocolate. *Image not yet available

What is it?

We’ve selected single cask no.531 from Campbeltown’s Glen Scotia Distillery just for you, The Whisky Shop customers, to enjoy. Distilled in December 2006 and matured for 12 years, this whisky is presented non chill-filtered, at a heady cask strength of 55.6%VOL, with only 212 bottles ever produced from the single cask.

What’s it like?

Robust, masculine aromas of old leather books, cedar and cigar box are followed by toffee sweetness on the palate. This is countered by sooty peat smoke and soft oak flavours to create an intriguing expression from the flourishing former whisky capital.

Father’s Day ➛ Stuck for what to give your dad this Father’s Day, Sunday 17th June?

We know picking the perfect gift can be daunting, which is why we’ve hand selected some of our favourite items, with something to suit every taste and budget.

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Loch Lomond 12 Year Old

Balblair 1997

with Personalised Engraving

The Whisky Shop Exclusive

– 70CL | 46% VOL | £55

– 70CL | 51.4% VOL | £140

– 70CL | 43% VOL | £129

What is it?

Recently announced as the ‘Spirit of The Open’, the already highly-desirable Loch Lomond 12 Year Old now has added appeal for golf fans! Embellished with a personalised message of your choice, this perfectly balanced Highland single malt is aged in three cask types – bourbon, refill and recharged – imparting orchard fruit flavours and a hint of smoke.

What is it?

Single cask no.913 was distilled at the Highland Balblair Distillery in 1997 and bottled in 2017 exclusively for The Whisky Shop.

We’ve chosen to present this whisky at 51.4%VOL, as we believe it showcases the fantastic natural character that originally caught our attention.

What is it?

Yamazaki is Suntory’s flagship single malt; the surprising, delicate-yet-profound experience of a Japanese single malt was born at Yamazaki. Spiritual and deep, its signature multi-layered taste is highly praised by whisky connoisseurs all over the world.

Today, Yamazaki is not only the No.1 single malt whisky in Japan, but is enjoyed in more than thirty-five countries.

What’s it like?

The nose offers crisp green apple, ripe pear and refreshing citrus with a hint of golden cereal lurking underneath. The palate is deeply fruity with lemon meringue, pear and orchard fruits leading to lemon, vanilla and light biscuit.

The finish is medium with gentle wood smoke and a lingering peaty tang.

(Only available online)

What’s it like?

A fresh and fruity aroma, with orange and lemon jelly sweets, tropical fruit punch and old fashioned pineapple cube sweeties. Rich butterscotch, custard cream and golden syrup showcase the bourbon cask maturation. Rich in flavour with a waxy texture, the palate boasts sweet and spice, with soft toffee and tutti-frutti balanced by a touch of white pepper, leading to a long and spicy finish with some toasted coconut and marshmallow.

Yamazaki 12 Year Old

What’s it like?

Pure gold in colour, this 12 year old expression is succulent and multi-layered on the nose with pineapple, peach, grapefruit, candied orange, vanilla and unique Mizunara (Japanese oak) aromas. The palate develops with coconut and cranberry over buttery richness, and leads to sweet-ginger and cinnamon on the long finish.

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Father’s Day

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Stylish Whiskies Barrel Decanter with Two Glasses

The BenRiach 10 Year Old Miniature with Glencairn Glass

Glencairn Crystal Cut Whisky Glass

Talisker Port Ruighe with Free Hip Flask (Online purchases only)

The Dalmore 15 Year Old Gift Set

The W Club Luxury Membership

– 350ML | £79

– 5CL | 43% VOL | £16

– £28

– 70CL | 45.8% VOL | £55

– 70CL | 50% VOL | £70

– 5CL | £39.99

What is it?

A stylish decanter fashioned in the shape of a traditional whisky barrel, so your dad can literally have his favourite whisky ‘on tap’! This quirky gift will make a fantastic centrepiece to any whisky fan’s collection.

What is it?

Treat your dad to a little something special with this nifty miniature and glass gift pack featuring a delicious 5cl of The BenRiach 10 Year Old Speyside single malt and a traditional Glencairn whisky tasting glass, designed to maximise enjoyment of the dram.

An elegant crystal version of the iconic, award-winning Glencairn Glass. Created specifically for the whisky drinker, its size and shape have been perfected to accommodate a 35ml pour, allowing for addition of water but keeping an optimum amount of liquid in contact with the air so the aromas can properly develop.

The tapering mouth captures those all-important aromas, while the solid base is designed to fit comfortably in the hand.

What is it?

Currently highlighted in our Customer Favourites, the Talisker Port Ruighe is a must-try for fans of Skye’s most famous whisky. Finished in ruby port pipes for extra fruity depth of flavour, this classically maritime malt is presented with a stylish Talisker hip flask, to accompany dad on his next adventure.

What is it?

Long-time customer favourite The Dalmore 15 Year Old is a guaranteed hit with Scotch fans, especially those with a penchant for Highland single malts. Presented with two beautiful tumblers, emblazoned with The Dalmore logo, this gift is the perfect way to share a dram with your dad.

What’s it like?

Sea spray and waxy aromas with a hint of sweetness on the nose give a good indication of what to expect on the palate.

Characteristic Talisker with lashings of added sweetness from the port cask maturation, followed by cocoa, oak and a little citrus. Read more in Customer Favourites.

What’s it like?

A robust yet elegant spirit, it has a terrific chocolate orange nose with some winter spices and a hint of sherry. Orange zest and chocolate on the palate, with a gentle spice and a malty and coffee flavoured finish.

What is it?

Whether your dad is just dipping his toe into the world of whisky, or considers himself something of an expert, an annual membership to The W Club is certain to appeal. Presented in a luxurious gift box with tasting essentials including Jim Murray’s latest Whisky Bible, a Glencairn glass, and miniature to get him started.

What’s it like?

Displayed on a wooden plinth with two classic whisky glasses, this gift is made for sharing. Comes pre-filled with 350ml of Highland malt whisky; once it’s empty just pop the cork and refill with your dad’s dram of choice!

What’s it like?

The BenRiach 10 Year Old was the first expression released in the brand’s new core range in 2014.

Tawny amber in colour, fruity topnotes on a base of vanilla sponge are translated well on the palate, which promises overall sweetness lifted by light acidity, leading to a long warming finish.

What’s it like?

For just £20 per year your dad will receive a free subscription to our own Whiskeria magazine, free members-only tastings at your local branch of The Whisky Shop, huge savings in our weekly Whisky Wednesday flash sales, exclusive whisky auctions, in-store and online discounts all month long, and priority notice on rare and limited releases.

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Independence Day American Whiskies ➛ On the Fourth of July every year, Americans commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 with parades, parties, fireworks – and firewater! We’ve selected some of our favourite American whiskeys to help you celebrate the stateside holiday in style.

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Maker’s 46

Basil Hayden’s

Michter’s Rye

Michter’s Bourbon

F.E.W Rye Whiskey

– 70CL | 47% VOL | £45

– 70CL | 40% VOL | £46

– 70CL | 42.4% VOL | £61

– 70CL | 45.7% VOL | £61

– 70CL | 46.5% VOL | £70

What is it?

An innovative bourbon that is bold and complex, but still easydrinking (which is why it’s part of our new International Customer Favourites!), this expression of Maker’s Mark is the product of lengthy experimentation by Bill Samuels Jr. and Brad Boswell of Independent Stave, the cooperage that has made oak barrels to Maker’s Mark specifications since its founding in 1953.

What is it?

The recipe for this unusual whiskey dates back to 1796, when Basil Hayden decided to make his Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey with a higher percentage of rye in the mash than other bourbons, resulting in a smooth and mild taste that is distinctly Basil Hayden’s.

What is it?

Born in Kentucky, Michter’s US*1 Rye is one of the distillery’s most renowned products. A classic American straight rye whiskey, made using specially selected American grains, each bottle comes from a single barrel – an attribute unique to Michter’s and indicative of their commitment to the highest quality of liquid, making it ideal for drinking straight or use in cocktails.

What is it?

A truly small batch whiskey made from a carefully selected mashbill featuring the very best quality American corn, matured in well-seasoned barrels (8+ years old). The small batch approach – where no more than 12 barrels compose each bottling – leaves no room for error, meaning each stage of production must be executed to perfection!

What is it?

Craft Whiskey of the Year at the 2013 Whisky Advocate Awards, F.E.W Rye is a genteel interpretation of a classic American style. The generous rye content is balanced beautifully by sweet corn, before the spirit is patiently aged in air-dried oak barrels, resulting in exceptional quality, easy-drinking, spicy rye.

What’s it like?

In the 46th different recipe explored, finished Maker’s Mark was added to barrels with 10 ‘seared’ French oak staves and returned to the coolest part of the warehouse. This process lends natural flavours of caramel, vanilla and spice to the familiar Maker’s Mark profile, giving something bigger and bolder than before.

What’s it like?

Aged for eight years, the nose is spicy with hints of peppermint and tea thanks to the higher rye content. The palate is peppery with honey and a gentle bite, before a dry and clean finish.

Fantastic straight or in cocktails.

What’s it like?

An exemplary rye whiskey; highly perfumed on the nose, with the palate boasting classic spice and peppery notes balanced by zingy citrus, luscious butterscotch and oak from the fire-charred new American white oak barrels.

Best enjoyed straight.

What’s it like?

A delicious, fine-tuned Kentucky bourbon, promising rich caramel with balanced vanilla, stone fruits, smoky depth and an oaked finish.

Charles MacLean also detected Virginia tobacco and ice cream flavours when he reviewed this whiskey last spring.

What’s it like?

Surprisingly fruity on the nose with orchard fruits layered over spice. The flavour is also fruity: think apples and pears accompanied by green bananas and candied orange, the latter of which turns juicy on the long finish alongside tart apples and sumptuous spice. A fantastic introduction to rye for bourbon fans.

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Festival Season: Spirit of Speyside ➛ Summer welcomes tourists to Scotland in their millions, and no small portion of those visitors come to celebrate the water of life! Spirit of Speyside kicks off the festivities in early May, and whether you’re looking to revisit the flavours you’ve experienced there, or simply create your own mini Speyside celebration at home, these top picks should be just the ticket.

Whiskeria

The GlenDronach Parliament 21 Year Old

The Loch Fyne Glentauchers 10 Year Old

Probably Speyside’s Finest 50 Year Old Platinum Old & Rare

– 70CL | 48% VOL | £124

– 50CL | 46% VOL | £65

– 70CL | 40.2% VOL | £2000

What is it?

Despite its name, this whisky bears no relation to politics, but is actually a tribute to the group – or parliament – of rooks nesting in the trees near GlenDronach’s Highland distillery. Matured in both Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks for a minimum of 21 years, the it continues the great GlenDronach tradition of offering fruit-laden intensity in its single malts.

What is it?

A single cask expression hailing from Speyside’s lesser-known Glentauchers Distillery, which typically provides a lighter style of spirit for blends. This rare ‘single’ release was bottled in 2017 exclusively for Loch Fyne Whiskies, with only 1184 bottles produced.

What is it?

Shrouded in secrecy, this release from Hunter Laing’s Platinum Old & Rare was distilled at what is simply deemed ‘Probably Speyside’s Finest Distillery’ in December 1964. After spending the next half-century maturing in a single refill sherry butt, only 88 bottles were filled in March 2015, making it a truly exceptional dram.

What’s it like?

Gently smoky with lemon and apple fruitiness, joined by the woody aromas of cedar and oak over soft earthy notes, dates, and walnut cake. The palate is syrupy with juicy raisins and the oak notes coming through, along with cherry blossom, cocoa and sweet melon.

The finish is long and sherrylead, subtly sulphurous, with luscious fruits and a little peppery chocolate.

What’s it like?

Mellow and rounded on the nose, with notes of fudge and light spice. The palate is sweet with a big texture; toffee, nougat and fondant sitting atop an ashy base.

The finish is pleasantly bitter with chocolate and a touch of smoke.

What’s it like?

Presented at a natural cask strength of 40.2%VOL and non chill-filtered, this burnished gold whisky has a full-bodied nose of vanilla custard poured over rich fruit pudding, with apricot and toffee apple notes. The palate is smooth with vanilla fudge and toffee initially, followed by the gentle fruitiness of peaches, pears and a lemon peel note at the end.

The finish is long and sweet with a satisfyingly fruity aftertaste.

Festival Season: Fèis Ìle ➛ During the last week of May each year, Islay – the quiet Hebridean island where distilling dominates – plays host to Scotland’s biggest celebration of whisky, and with it hordes whisky pilgrims. Including limited edition bottlings and distillery open days, the Islay Festival of Music and Malt should be on every enthusiast’s bucket list!

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Ardbeg Grooves

The First Editions Caol Ila 2009

Laphroaig 27 Year Old

– 70CL | 46% VOL | £TBC

– 70CL | 46% VOL | £89

– 70CL | 41.7% VOL | £499

What is it?

Ardbeg Distillery’s 2018 annual release: a limited edition committee bottling tied in with Ardbeg day on 2nd June, which forms part of the Fèis Ìle. This year’s expression pays homage to the Ardbeg village of the 1960s – “a groovy wee community” – and the grooved wood used during maturation, employed to introduce more smoky, charred flavours to the whisky.

What is it?

Distilled at Caol Ila in 2009 and bottled in 2017 by Hunter Laing & Co. as part of The First Editions range, this seven year old single cask expression produced just 381 bottles from a refill hogshead. It is presented at 46%VOL, free from chill-filtration and artificial colouring, and is a fantastic example the distillery’s younger spirit.

What is it?

A limited edition, and the third in a series of annual releases from Laphroaig showcasing some of the distillery’s more mature whisky. Aged for 27 years and filled first to refill hogsheads before a double-maturation in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels and refill quarter casks, this cask strength expression is presented in a white wooden box with hand-carved images of the distillery inside.

What’s it like?

An intensely mellow dram, produced using Ardbeg’s “grooviest casks ever” for aromas of smoked spices combined with distant bonfires, fading to a mellow haze of apple and smoked pear. For the full low-down on this release, skip back to Charles MacLean’s review in New Releases.

What’s it like?

The nose starts sweet before a burst of iodine. The palate is sweet and smooth with vanilla custard and marzipan initially, then peat and seaweed emerging.

The finish is long and lingering with Islay peat smoke.

What’s it like?

The nose has ripe, tropical fruits with smooth vanilla and toasted macadamia nuts. The palate has Laphroaig’s typical smoke, tempered by lime and nectarine, before a sea salt and mild chilli influence. The finish has rich notes of antique leather and green tobacco leaf.

Bowmore 26 Year Old The Vintner’s Trilogy: French Oak Barrique – 70CL | 48.7% VOL | £420

What is it?

The second release in the Vintner’s Trilogy – which showcases the results of lengthy finishing in exwine casks – from Islay’s oldest operational distillery. Presented free from chill-filtration at a cask strength of 48.7%VOL, it has been matured in the distillery’s legendary No.1 Vaults, first in ex-bourbon barrels for 13 years, then for a further 13 in French oak ex-wine barriques.

What’s it like?

The nose has sumptuous redcurrant jam and cherry pie with an earthy smoke and camphor oil.

The palate is mouth-coating with oak spiced smoke and rich dark chocolate, while the finish is longlasting and mouth-watering with a whiff of lingering smoke.

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Summer Gins

➛ If you’re in need of some refreshing variety this summer, look no further than The Whisky Shop’s selection of gorgeous gins. Sourced from around the world, any one of these botanical bottlings will be the tonic you’re after this season.

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Roku

The Loch Fyne Botanical Gin

The Botanist

Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin

Rock Rose

Gin Goblet

– 70CL | 43% VOL | £35

– 50CL | 42% VOL | £26

– 70CL | 46% VOL | £40

– 50CL | 47% VOL | £47

– 70CL | 41.5% VOL | £39

– £9

What is it?

This Japanese gin takes its name from the Japanese for ‘six’, representing the six uniquely Japanese botanicals that set it apart: yuzu peel, sakura flower, sakura leaf, sencha tea, gyokuro tea and sansho pepper. Harvested in accordance with ‘shun’, the moment of peak flavour, they’re steeped and then distilled before being blended together with eight traditional gin botanicals.

What is it?

Another delightful hand-crafted product from the Loch Fyne Whiskies workshop, where the staff possess an intimate understanding of what customers like. This gin stands out in the ever expanding marketplace with a clever infusion of Scottish maritime botanicals.

What is it?

The Botanist is a small-batch, artisanal Islay gin made using nine of the classic gin aromatics, augmented with a heady harvest of 22 local botanicals from the Hebridean island of Islay. It is then slow ‘simmer’ distilled in a unique Lomond pot-still, affectionately known by former head distiller Jim McEwan as ‘Ugly Betty’.

What is it?

A genuine Black Forest dry gin that fuses British traditions, the exoticism of India, and the purity of the Black Forest with masterly craftsmanship. One third of the ingredients used originate in the German mountain range, including spruce tips, lingonberries, elderflower, sloes and blackberry leaves.

What is it?

A hand-crafted Scottish gin that took no fewer than 55 attempts to perfect. Owing its sublime flavour to a selection of carefully combined local and traditional ingredients, this creation from Dunnet Bay Distillers promises a wee taste of its north-coastal home, Caithness.

What’s it like?

A highly distinctive, complex, floral gin with outstanding finish and impeccable provenance.

Seductively smooth to start, aromas range from menthol to citrus, summer flowers to honey and coconut from gorse. The palate is luxuriously rich and mellow, with a citrus freshness and myriad flavours.

What’s it like?

Through masterly distillation and maturating in traditional earthenware containers, 47 handpicked plant ingredients and soft spring water come together to create complex harmony: woody and vegetal notes emerge beneath pine freshness and grassy citrus on the nose, with a botanical sweetness too. The palate is robust, intricately combining spice, fruit and herbaceous tastes, leading to a heavy wooded finish.

What is it?

Just as there is a perfectly crafted glass for whisky, so there is for gin.

Glencairn’s version of the classic balloon glass, otherwise known as a ‘Copa de Balon’ or gin goblet, traps the complex aromas of your favourite botanical creation in the enclosed bowl, enhancing the tasting experience. It’s voluminous shape also allows plenty of space for ice and mixer to keep your drink cool, and the long stem keeps warm hands from melting the drink inside. Cheers!

What’s it like?

The nose has sweet cherry blossom and green tea.

The palate is complex but harmonious; a traditional gin base topped by yuzu (Japanese citrus fruit) with a silky smooth texture. The finish is crisp with a touch of sansho pepper spice.

What’s it like?

A classy, balanced and distinctive gin with plenty of aromatic appeal and a lingering, sweet herbal finish.

At the heart is juniper, coriander and orange peel, complemented by the addition of sea buckthorn, heather pearls, lemon peel and traditional milk thistle seed to create a light, subtly Scottish gin.

A joy to drink – especially with tonic and a wedge of orange!

What’s it like?

Locally harvested rhodiola rosea, rowan berries, sea buckthorn, blackberries, verbena, coriander seed and cardamom are distilled along with essential Juniper in a traditional copper pot still called Elizabeth to produce a seasidestyle gin that is particularly delicious served with a slice of orange and sprig of rosemary.

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The Macallan

➛ The new £100million+ Macallan Distillery – cited as a ‘cathedral to whisky’– opening this summer is cause for great excitement. Not least because the brand has also been working on a new core range portfolio in refreshed packing, introducing brand new expressions alongside revamped favourites.

Whiskeria

The Macallan Rare Cask

The Macallan Double Cask Gold

The Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak 2018

– 70CL | 43% VOL | £216

– 70CL | 40% VOL | £TBC

– 70CL | 47% VOL | £285

What is it?

Crafted from Spanish and American sherry-seasoned oak casks, including some of incredibly rare and scare origin, giving rise to an exquisite whisky. The Macallan Rare Cask is one of the company’s core expressions (formerly part of the 1824 series) which do not bear an age statement, allowing Whisky Maker, Bob Delgarno, to choose casks which contribute to the individual whisky’s flavour.

What is it?

The whisky formerly known as ‘The Macallan Gold’, newly repackaged and relaunched as part of the refreshed Macallan core range, in line with the opening of the new Macallan Distillery this year. The ‘double cask’ refers to the use of both first-fill and refill sherry casks during maturation, resulting in an incredibly smooth and rich single malt that proudly belongs to the ‘age doesn’t matter’ camp.

What is it?

Due to hit shelves in June 2018, this is the latest annual release in The Macallan’s sought-after Sherry Cask series. Matured exclusively in sherry seasoned casks, built from both American and Spanish oak, it is an essential whisky for big sherry fans and The Macallan devotees alike.

What’s it like?

The whisky has a bright polished mahogany hue and a viscous appearance. The first nose is of rich dry fruit cake or fruit loaf with a touch of cinnamon, a hint of white pepper and allspice, and a suggestion of cooking chocolate.

A smooth texture and a sweet yet unusually (for The Macallan) salty taste, with chocolate and spice. Water mellows all these elements and adds crème brûlée and fresh oak.

What’s it like?

Soft gold in colour, but still packed with typical Speyside Macallan flavours. A lemon-citrus nose, with zesty orange peel and oaky vanilla notes. The palate reveals a light sweet flavour, more citrus, apples and ginger spices, but in no way overpowering. Overall a slightly sweet and malty whisky, easy going and fresh.

What’s it like?

A development from the 2017 annual sherry oak release, you can expect dried fruits, spicy ginger and a touch of citrus and cinnamon spiked vanilla on the nose. The palate is rich with more dried fruit flavours, spice, orange, cloves and wood smoke, leading to a lingering toffee-sweet finish.

Customer Favourites ➛ The whiskies our customers love provide a happy hunting ground for shoppers. From the smoky Islays to sumptuously sherried drams and everything in-between, there is something here for everyone. We’ve grouped these whiskies by flavour profile, to help you find your favourites from the range.

2 Rich/ Sweet

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Blair Athol 12 Year Old

The Dalmore 12 Year Old

The Dalmore 15 Year Old

– 70CL | 43% VOL | £67

– 70CL | 46% VOL | £77

– 70CL | 40% VOL | £50

Established in 1798 in picturesque Pitlochry, Blair Athol is one of Scotland’s oldest working distilleries, and produces the signature malt of the famous Bell's blend. This is one of only a few official bottlings ever produced from Blair Athol, and part of the Flora & Fauna series: a collection highlighting the diversity of Scotland's whisky regions.

Walnuts and sherry on the nose lead to cinnamon and orangecitrus on the palate, with the richness of fruitcake completing this delightful dram.

It’s not surprising that our former Whisky of The Year retains its status as a firm favourite amongst The Whisky Shop customers. To recap for those who haven’t yet dipped a toe into The Dalmore portfolio, this single malt is a Highland triumph displaying signs of sherry wood maturation: full-bodied, thick, sweet and ‘muscular’. Leathery notes and a long spicy finish add finesse and make this popular dram an absolute must try.

Matured for 15 years in a trio of ex-sherry casks, as well as exbourbon barrels, The Dalmore’s 15 Year Old is another core range whisky for your bucket list. A stylistic evolution from The Dalmore’s famous 12 Year Old and just as popular, you can expect a similarly varied profile of chocolate orange sweetness, gentle spice and rich warmth. It’s a true testament to the distillery’s creative and ambitious approach.

The BenRiach 21 Year Old – 70CL | 46% VOL | £139 Matured in a combination of bourbon barrels, virgin oak casks, red wine casks and Pedro Ximenéz Sherry casks for a minimum of 21 years, this stand-out Speyside expression is a new addition to our Customer Favourites. Expect layers of spicy fruit and warming oak aromas spiked with zesty tropical fruits on the nose, followed by a sherry-driven palate with chocolate and raisin accompanied by lemon zest and shortbread. The finish is long with hints of rye and sweet caramel. Great for landmark birthdays!

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Customer Favourites ➛ The whiskies our customers love provide a happy hunting ground for shoppers. From the smoky Islays to sumptuously sherried drams and everything in-between, there is something here for everyone. We’ve grouped these whiskies by flavour profile, to help you find your favourites from the range.

2 Rich/ Sweet

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Glen Scotia 15 Year Old

Glen Moray 15 Year Old Elgin Heritage

The GlenDronach 12 Year Old

The GlenDronach 18 Year Old Allardice

The Glenrothes Sherry Cask Reserve

Oban The Distillers Edition

Jura Seven Wood

– 70CL | 46% VOL | £63

– 70CL | 40% VOL | £55

– 70CL | 43% VOL | £46

– 70CL | 46% VOL | £95

– 70CL | 40% VOL | £57

– 70CL | 43% VOL | £79

– 70CL | 42% VOL | £59

Campbeltown is firmly back on the Scotch map as a significant destination for whisky lovers, and no distillery is representing the area better than Glen Scotia.

Their 15 Year Old expression is a triumph of flavour, with everything from citrus to oak, ginger snaps to apricots, and a hint of caramel packed into every bottle. Unlike many of its Campbeltown contemporaries, Glen Scotia is available year-round, so you’ll never have to do without your new favourite dram!

Unquestionably Speyside in character, Glen Moray’s Elgin Heritage Collection showcases carefully matured, complex and well-rounded whiskies influenced by the unique Elgin climate. This 15 year old single malt is aged in a combination of sherry and American oak casks, which impart hints of spice, heady dried fruits and dark chocolate flavours.

Expect sherried oak and butter toffee on the nose, followed by an indulgent full-bodied palate with sweetly spiced dark chocolate and fine wine.

The finish is long and rich.

A signature single malt from the distillery famous for its richly sherried offering, and an awardwinning expression at that; no wonder The GlenDronach 12 retains its status as a favourite amongst our customers! Matured in both Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks, it is imbued with an indulgent portfolio of flavours – stewed fruits, jam, marmalade, nuts and brown sugar all vie for attention – with a faint charcoal smokiness weaving through over time.

Created using waters from the Dronac Burn, this a superbly complex single malt made in the characteristic ‘big sherry’ style. An ode to James Allardice, who founded the distillery and produced the very first drops of ‘guid Glendronach’, this expression has been matured in the finest Oloroso sherry casks. Rich and dark, it promises remarkable depth of flavour with stewed fruits and allspice.

Maturation in custom-made sherry casks from Jerez, southern Spain (despite costing around five times as much as American ex-bourbon equivalents), gives this whisky a unique, dried fruit and resinous character that underpins the sherry top notes. Expect orange peel, fruitcake, vanilla, gingerbread, black cherries and pear drops on the nose, ginger, spice and oaky notes with an explosion of crème brûlée on the palate.

A seriously complex whisky of the highest order. Each expression of Oban Distillers Edition undergoes double maturation in casks that have previously held a fortified wine.

The distillery’s entrepreneurial founders – who specialised in importing ‘in demand’ goods – would’ve approved of the Spanish influence brought to bear in this Montilla Fino cask wood finish, which boasts a signature salty smokiness along with walnut, orange citrus and an identifiable, crowd-pleasing sherry character.

New not only to our Customer Favourites, but to the world, Seven Wood was launched through The Whisky Shop in March 2018.

Crafted with a combination of seven cask types – American white oak ex-bourbon, Vosges, Jupilles, Les Bertranges, Allier, Traonçais, and Limousin barrels – it opens with light peach and a hint of smoke on the nose. The palate is balanced with a great depth of flavour; liquorice and candied orange emerge, before a subtle smoke descends in the finish.

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Customer Favourites ➛ The whiskies our customers love provide a happy hunting ground for shoppers. From the smoky Islays to sumptuously sherried drams and everything in-between, there is something here for everyone. We’ve grouped these whiskies by flavour profile, to help you find your favourites from the range.

2 Light/ Floral

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anCnoc 12 Year Old

Balblair 2005

Balblair 2000

Loch Lomond 12 Year Old

Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley

Glen Moray 12 Year Old Elgin Heritage

– 70CL | 40% VOL | £44

– 70CL | 46% VOL | £56

– 70CL | 46% VOL | £80

– 70CL | 46% VOL | £45

– 70CL | 50% VOL | £52

– 70CL | 40% VOL | £43

A whisky whose name isn’t taken directly from its home distillery, anCnoc comes from the Highland Knockdhu Distillery. Established in 1894 as the perfect embodiment of a modern distillery, Knockdhu lies on the border of Speyside and produces light, intriguing, forward-thinking whisky. Matured in a combination of ex-bourbon, sherry and second-fill American oak casks, this expression is delicate yet complex, smooth yet challenging, and universally loved for it!

The first release of the 2005 expression from Balblair – who mark themselves out by bottling by vintage, rather than age. Matured in ex-bourbon casks, there’s definite honey and vanilla present in this delicately sweet dram. The nose is all oaky vanilla and citrus with a suggestion of fragrant cut flowers. The palate is reminiscent of citrus and orchard fruits that lift the intense sweetness and lead to a delectably long, spicy finish.

Something of a ‘millennium baby’, this whisky was matured for 12 and a half years in American exbourbon oak before four years in first-fill Spanish oak butts. Bottled in 2017, free from chill-filtration and artificial colouring, it promises a nose rich in seasoned oak, baked apples, fruitcake and vanilla, with some ripe tropical fruits. The palate introduces spices and old hardwood, building to pineapple, orange peel and honey, before emerging sweetness heralds a creamy, dark chocolatey finish.

A whisky from the innovative distillery on the bonnie banks, where different stills are used to create a stunning variety of single malts. This core range expression – bursting with orchard and citrus fruits, cereal and biscuit sweetness, then wood smoke and a peaty tang – has already enchanted the taste buds of Jim Murray, who claimed he’s “never seen spice quite like it, or such a sublime balance with the fruity malt”. High praise indeed.

Still made to distilling legend Jim McEwan’s original 100% Scottish barley recipe: trickle distilled, matured on the shores of Loch Indaal and crafted from a selection of casks. Described as being “smooth as pebbles in a pool”, expect barley sugar with subtle mint developing to a freshly cut meadow on the nose. Brilliantly clean on the palate, barley and oak are followed by a gust of ripe green fruit, sweet malt, brown sugar and a warm finish.

This Speyside single malt is aged in the finest American oak for 12 years, lending it a delicious toasty character. Look forward to rich floral notes and vanilla toffee on the nose, with berry fruits and freshly cut herbs. The palate has toasted oak and more sublime summer fruits for a mellow sweetness, before a sweet, subtly oaky finish.

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Customer Favourites ➛ The whiskies our customers love provide a happy hunting ground for shoppers. From the smoky Islays to sumptuously sherried drams and everything in-between, there is something here for everyone. We’ve grouped these whiskies by flavour profile, to help you find your favourites from the range.

2 Smoky

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The BenRiach 10 Year Old Curiositas

Talisker 57º North

Talisker Port Ruighe

Caol Ila The Distillers Edition

Ailsa Bay

Bowmore 15 Year Old

Jura 18 Year Old

– 70CL | 40% VOL | £47

– 70CL | 57% VOL | £70

– 70CL | 45.8% VOL | £55

– 70CL | 43% VOL | £75

– 70CL | 48.9% VOL | £60

– 70CL | 43% VOL | £67

– 70CL | 44% VOL | £75

A Speyside peated malt may seem curious, but this BenRiach actually represents a return to original 19th century Speyside form.

Peat richness is accomplished by using malted barley dried in the traditional way over peat infused kilns, achieving the optimum balance of peat-bittersweet and oak infusion after 10 years’ maturation. The undoubtedly peaty nose also promises fragrant honey, while the palate boasts peat smoke followed by a complex mix of heather, nuts, oak wood and spice.

Talisker is one of the most remote and northerly distilleries in production, calling the windswept and rugged Isle of Skye home. In a nod to its out-of-the-way origins, this whisky takes its name from the distillery’s latitudinal position.

Drawn from 100% American oak casks, this NAS whisky has a purity which emphasizes Talisker’s unique and intense distillery character, bringing a balance of clean citrus and vanilla to the typically briny, smoky dram.

The whisky gurus at Talisker Distillery have taken their seminal Isle of Skye malt and finished it in ruby port casks to create the fantastically rich and fruity Port Ruighe. The nose moves from sea-spray to waxy aromas with a little sweetness. This is mirrored on the palate, with Talisker’s classic maritime character being rounded off and dramatically sweetened by the port finish.

The finish includes cocoa and oak, with even a hint of citrus.

A stylish, richly flavoured and complex expression from Islay’s much-loved Caol Ila Distillery.

Following many years maturing in oak casks, this whisky has then been ‘double matured’ in Moscatel cask wood, hand-selected to complement the whisky’s sweetly fruity, smoky intensity. Expect cinnamon layered with orange and apple freshness, sweet malty biscuit flavours, and waves of classic Islay peat smoke.

A uniquely balanced single malt with a precise smoky and sweet profile, meticulously crafted in a state-of-the-art Lowland distillery.

The nose is intense with smoky phenolic notes balanced by creamy, honey sweetness and... smoky bacon! The palate is zingy, promising a peaty kick layered again over beautiful sweetness – think crispy rashers with maple syrup – with the big finish following suit.

Matured in an inspired combination of both bourbon and sherry casks at the salty-sea-air infused Bowmore warehouses, it’s the final three years spent in Oloroso sherry casks that gives Bowmore 15 Years Old it’s sumptuously rich, deep colour.

Exuding the aroma of delicious dark chocolate, sun-dried fruits and a characteristic wisp of Islay smoke, it is full bodied, rich and complex, and a no-brainer for Islay whisky fans.

Making its debut in Customer Favourites is the oldest addition to Jura’s new signature range.

Matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels and enriched

by Premier Grand Cru Classé red wine barriques, this 18-year-old expression is bottled at 44% for optimal flavour. The nose boasts sweet toffee and cinnamon spice.

The palate is rich and full-bodied with Black Forest fruits and some smoky notes, before a bitter chocolate aspect and fresh espresso to finish.

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International Customer Favourites ➛ Introducing a selection of The Whisky Shop customers’ top expressions from outside of Scotland!

Hailing from across the globe, our International Customer favourites not only represent an increased curiosity in non-Scotch drams, but also the growing trend for whisk(e)y distilling the world over.

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Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year Old

Roe & Co

The Chita

Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year Old

Kavalan King Car Conductor

Maker’s 46

– 70CL | 45.6% VOL | £49

– 70CL | 45% VOL | £35

– 70CL | 43% VOL | £58

– 70CL | 41.3% VOL | £57

– 70CL | 46% VOL | £80

– 70CL | 47% VOL | £45

Billed as ‘Tom Bulleit’s selected reserve’ this sublime whiskey was first aged in charred American white oak, before select Bulleit Bourbon barrels were set aside to age for a further 10 years.

The result is a very special expression that promises a rich, deep, incredibly smooth-sipping experience. Deep russet in colour with rich oaky aromas, you can expect a consistently smooth taste with vanilla and dried fruit, before a long, smoky finish.

A premium blended Irish whiskey marrying single malt and single grain liquid in American oak exbourbon casks, a high percentage of which are first-fill. Developed by Master Blender, Caroline Martin, Prototype 106 was chosen to hold up in cocktails, as well as be enjoyed neat. Fragrant and rounded with soft spice, mellow spun sugar and warm, woody vanilla, the balance is immediately evident on the palate, with a velvety texture and sweetness including spiced pears and vanilla, then creaminess lingering in the finish.

The result of 40 years’ excellence in distilling, this single grain whisky hails from Japan’s revered House of Suntory. Traditionally used as the ‘dashi’ or broth that enhances Suntory blends, The Chita has finally achieved a level of sophistication that allows it to take centre stage. Expect crème brûlée, cardamom, acacia honey and rose blossoms on the nose.

The palate is mild and smooth with subtle mint amidst a deep honey character. Clean and clear spiced oak with subtle bittersweet notes complete the finish.

An Irish single malt triple distilled and matured in ex-bourbon casks for the majority of its life, before being finished in a selection of four specially chosen casks: bourbon, Oloroso sherry, port, and Madeira.

The nose is fruity, with citrus, apple and mango atop rich honey and vanilla. The palate has fresh green fruits, toffee, cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of ginger. The finish brings malty notes with some milk chocolate and a touch of spice.

The first release from Kavalan Distillery bearing the name of its parent company, King Car, this expression has been designed to showcase the diversity of what they can achieve. Bold and complex flavours, delicate aromas, and layer upon layer of background fruitiness do so wonderfully. Expect sweet, rich vanilla, banana and coconut, balanced by a surprising-yetwelcome bitterness in this pioneering Taiwanese whisky.

A ‘totally new kind of bourbon’, Maker’s 46 is crafted with seared French oak staves and matured in the coolest part of the beautifully situated Maker’s Mark Distillery, Kentucky. Named after its origin as the 46th recipe explored by its creators, this exceptionally smooth bourbon is an evolution from the standard Maker’s Mark expression, and a masterpiece of natural caramel, vanilla and spice flavours.

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Directory

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Click & Collect

Now it’s even easier to buy at The Whisky Shop. Use our Click & Collect service to pick up selected bottles from your local shop that very same day!

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@mywclub Unlocking the mystery of whisky

Whiskeria

Spring 2018 Summer 2018

Whiskeria

Expert Tasting

The Macallan / The Last Drop Glenrothes 1968 In April last year a sherry hogshead of 30 year old Macallan achieved £285,000 at auction in Hong Kong – a world record for this highly collectable whisky. Spink, the auctioneers, reported that the 250 litre cask would only yield 288 75cl bottles, to each be priced at £991 – also a record for bottles sold on the secondary market… All of which makes this 50YO a bargain!

The previous top auction price was also held by The Macallan: $628,000 for a six litre Lalique crystal decanter, The Macallan M Imperiale ‘Constantine’ – one of only four such decanters – sold in Hong Kong in January 2014.

The whisky bears no age statement, but reputed to hold liquids from between 75 and 25 years old. Apparently, it took the distillery’s Whisky Maker, Bob Dalgarno, two years to select the casks; it took 15 Lalique craftsmen 50 hours each to complete the decanters. All proceeds went to Hong Kong charities.

Prior to this, yet another Macallan held the auction record, $460,000 (£326,000) for The Macallan Lalique Cire Perdue 64YO, sold in New York in July 2012. Again, all proceeds went to charity:water.

But these were charity auctions. Perhaps of greater interest to potential customers is the fact that a Macallan 50YO Vintage 1928, also in a Lalique decanter, sold for £65,210 (the record price for a non-charity bottle).

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Charles MacLean reviews the latest high-end releases from The Last Drop and The Macallan.

This Macallan 50YO, released in March 2018, does not come in a Lalique decanter – hence the knock-down price – but is “presented in a solid oak box featuring an etched face decorated with a matte gold-badged age statement”, and is a limited edition of 200 70cl bottles only. Maybe it was distilled in 1968, during ‘The Summer of Love’ (see Ardbeg Grooves) which might add even greater value…

Whisky is made to be drunk and enjoyed.

All the care and craft that goes into its making is devoted to flavour, and consistency of flavour.

Packaging is secondary – as my dear friend and colleague, Dave Broom, says: “Putting lipstick on a pig doesn’t alter the pig!”. But we live in a time in which whisky, and especially The Macallan, is highly sought after by investors…

The price of anything depends upon what people are prepared to pay. Since global stock markets went flat investors have been looking for alternatives, and unfortunately for us consumers, whisky is one such. Lloyds Banking Group reported in 2016 that it is now the third most popular ‘alternative investment’ (the top two are ‘classic cars’ and ‘antiques’; ‘fine wine’ was seventh on the list). Predictably, such interest has driven up the price of some brands – The Macallan in particular – exponentially.

In its Annual Report 2017, RareWhisky101, a company which monitors the whisky market, writes: “The number of bottles of Single Malt Scotch whisky sold at auction in the UK increased by 42.47%

Summer 2018

Expert Tasting

93

The Macallan 50 Years Old Speyside Single Malt Age: 50 Year Old

70CL Vol: 44%

£POA

“Vibrant amber in colour. The nose opens with vanilla, derived from American oak, with a hint of spice. Ripe blackcurrants follow, and an earthy tone combines with this, on a background of subtle peat, giving a rich body.

Sweet oak vanillas, fudge and toffee coat the mouth from the start. Distinct black peppercorns follow to provide a gentle warming, with deep sweetness joining from orange peels and figs. The texture is incredibly viscous and mouth coating, and the finish long and slightly dry from the subtle peat notes.”

to 83,713 (58,758 bottles sold in 2016). The £ value of collectable bottles of Single Malt Scotch whisky sold at auction in the UK rose by 76.33% to a record high of £25.060 million (2016 £14.211 million), the first time £20 million has been breached.”

They describe The Macallan as “the most investible brand as well as the most heavily traded”.

It leads both by volume of sales (commanding 11.39% of the market) and by value (accounting for 28.37% of the total spend in 2017; second was Bowmore at 6.31%). It is with huge regret that this Macallan 50 Year Old is “not available for tasting” – understandably, given its price.

I am attaching Bob Dalgarno’s notes – a man for whom I have the highest regard, not only for his nose/palate, but for his candour and honesty. I would probably only be able to expand upon his theme.

The Last Drop Distillers Ltd. was founded in 2008 by three leading figures in the spirits industry. James Espey O.B.E., the company’s Chairman, was responsible for the launch of The Classic Malts when he was deputy Managing Director of United Distillers, among many other pioneering achievements.

Tom Jago created Bailey’s Irish Cream and Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Peter Fleck, was responsible for the phenomenal growth of such brands as Chivas Regal and Smirnoff vodka in South Africa. Together the three

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of them invented Malibu.

Some track record! They had been friends and colleagues for years and, after retiring from full-time employment, decided to pool their knowledge of fine spirits and contacts in the spirits industry to seek out extremely rare casks of whisky and cognac. In 2014 the founders were joined by two of their daughters, Beanie Espey and Rebecca Jago (Joint Managing Directors) the team has now grown to include Mike Keiller, formerly CEO of Morrison Bowmore, and Ben Howkins, a former member of the Royal Household Wine Committee with over forty years’ experience in the wine trade.

A formidable team! No wonder they describe themselves as ‘The World’s Most Exclusive Spirits Company’! The genesis of the idea came to James when Peter Fleck, an old friend from South Africa, asked him to find 50 cases of ‘good whisky’ for his small luxury hotel group. “The group is named The Last Word, and this set me thinking… Surely there must be parcels of aged whisky tucked away and forgotten in bonded warehouses around Scotland? I called Tom Jago, whom I had known and worked with since 1974, and over drinks in my garden we came up with The Last Drop Distillers – a company dedicated to seeking out and bottling such casks.” !

Expert Tasting

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92

Whiskeria

Spring 2018 Summer 2018

The Last Drop Glenrothes 1968

Cask No. 13508 (141 bottles only)

003

002

94

The Last Drop Glenrothes 1968

Cask No. 13504 (168 bottles only)

Single cask Speyside Single Malt

70CL

Single cask Speyside Single Malt

70CL

Age: 50 Year Old

£TBC

Age: 50 Year Old

£TBC

Vol: 50.2%

Amber; long-lingering beading. A mellow nose-feel, with slight prickle after a while. The highly perfumed initial aroma – scented hand-cream, attar of roses, carnations – reduces in time, infused by notes of almond oil and oak shavings, with a trace of vanilla. A drop of water enhances the wood notes. A smooth texture and a sweet taste, drying in the spicy finish, with a suggestion of Friar’s Balsam cold remedy and a cooling mentholic aftertaste.

The company does not limit itself to whisky: since its foundation in 2008, The Last Drop has released two cognacs, from 1950 and 1947, and, in March this year, a duo of tawny ports from 1870 and 1970.

The two casks of Glenrothes, both distilled in 1968 and filled into American oak refill hogsheads, will be released in May. Together they will yield a mere 313 bottles.

Glen Rothes – as the distillery was named until 1994, when it became Glenrothes – has long been ranked Top Class by blenders. It commenced operation on 28th December 1879

Vol: 51.3%

18CT gold; surprisingly good beading for its strength.

A slight prickle on the nose and a complex, mellow aroma which is at once fruity and herbal – crystallised greengages, dusty dried mixed herbs – with an elusive whiff of scented smoke, a trace of cigar boxes and after a while a hint of candlewax. An oily texture and a sweet, centre palate taste, with light saltiness and peppery spice in the long warming finish. A slightly mentholic aftertaste.

– the night of the Tay Bridge Disaster – with two stills. A second pair of stills was added in 1896, when the distillery was expanded to designs by Charles Cree Doig of Elgin, the leading distillery designer of the Victorian era. Unfortunately a fire destroyed much of the work before it was completed, and six years later another fire broke out, in spite of the owners having installed Doig’s patented appliance for preventing explosions in the mill-room! Fire struck again in 1922, when Number 1 warehouse was engulfed and vast quantities of spirits flowed into the Rothes

Burn, to the delight of the locals…

The malt’s popularity with blenders led to further expansions in 1963, 1980 and 1989 – today the distillery has ten stills – but the make was only available as a single malt from independent bottlers (mainly Gordon & MacPhail) until 1987. That year the distillery’s owner, Edrington, licensed the brand to the distinguished London wine & spirits merchant, Berry Bros. & Rudd. It returned to Edrington ownership in May 2017.

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Whiskeria

Summer 2018

97

Dear Uncle Ether

Experiencing whisky woe?

Fear not – the land’s most spirited agony uncle, Ether Foreshot, is here to set you straight.

Dear Uncle Ether, I’m a regular at my local W Club tasting. The problem is, I can’t think what to say. I taste the first dram and I find it ‘nice’. I taste the second one and it’s “different from the first one and it’s also…nice.” How (or where) can I find the right words?

Dear Ether, I am a regular festival attendee, but I am soon going to my first whisky festival. What should I wear? I am under thirty and have normal taste in clothes. I worry that I might not fit in.

Worried W Clubber from Warrington Ah-ha – a very intelligent question, if I may say so. The first thing to know is that you will not require wellies. And also you do not need to bring your tent. There is no camping, glamping or sleeping out at whisky festivals. But you will definitely want to fit in. The first question to ask is what nationality you want to fit in with? Whisky festival attendees are an eclectic mix of nationalities from around the world, most notably Scots (of course), English, Scandinavians and some Americans. If you feel the Scottish urge, then tartan is ideal, but you will have to decide whether you will go traditional with an ordinary kilt or adopt the ‘Edinburgh’ look with a natty pair of tartan ‘troos’. If you decide to be straight and go English, then mustard corduroy trousers are hard to resist. And if not mustard then crimson is a must. To fit in with the Scandinavians, you will require to invest in a leather biker’s jacket, and it would also be prudent to grow your hair and resist shaving for a month in advance. And, finally, if you want to pair up with our American cousins, then it’s oversize cargo shorts with lots of junk in the pockets, scruffy trainers and white socks. If you can cultivate a beer belly, that would be a plus.

Celia from Surrey Look no further than the worthy community of bloggers who set themselves up as having the super-human talent of being able to detect the most surprising flavours and aromas from our favourite drams. Why, only the other day I was engrossed in reading one such literary oeuvre. The artiste in question, who was reviewing three malts that I know and like, was able to tell me that he could detect: “coastalness.” Now that’s a word to conjure with! But he topped it with “a medicinal kind of peat”, “hints of musty cellar and savoury leafy notes”, “a top note of varnish”, “lots of ashes and briny touches”, “ a layer of sweet and sour pineapple” and, who could have failed to detect, “a little salmiakki”! The gentleman boasts that he is “independent in his opinions”. Of that there can be no doubt.

So this is the way to do it: come up with something no one was thinking of, and I guarantee that no one will beg to differ. It’s about having the confidence to bullshit with the help of an English Oxford Dictionary. Another tip is to study the spices and herbs in your kitchen cupboard. This can be a rich seam when you want to throw in the odd curve ball at your next tasting.

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Dear Uncle Ether I am 26 and so far I have been unlucky in love. I want to grow chest hair as I feel this will make me much more attractive. I remember my grandmother from Newcastle saying that rubbing a little whisky in before bedtime will encourage growth and I am going to give it a try. My dilemma is should I use a blend or a single malt?

Ernest from Edinburgh People from Newcastle do have the strangest ideas, but – hey – let’s go with this. If you choose a blend, you will have the benefit of several grain whiskies and up to 40 single malt whiskies, expertly crafted by the master blender to produce a pleasing combination that slips down over ice or with water. But, of course, you do not intend to drink it – although that is an option. Blends are greatly underrated by single malt aficionados and generally get a bad press. This is quite unjustified and I have long thought that the whisky-loving community should be better informed about the virtues of blended whiskies. On the other hand, a single malt will give you intensity of aroma and flavour, some oiliness, and a wonderful finish – if you drink that also. And you have so many expressions to choose from – the world is your oyster.

Perhaps a third way would be to blend your own mix of single malts.

Blended malts have become very fashionable these days and have a lot to offer. So clearly you have options. My advice would be to pour two drams of each, rub in one and drink the other. Sweet dreams!

created with Scottish coastal botanicals

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