Whiskeria Winter 2018

The Whisky Shop Magazine

Winter 2018/19

Bain’s / Glencairn Crystal / Winter Cocktails / New Releases / Auld Alliance / Dolomites

£3.49 where sold

Presenting…

Edith Bowman

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As I see it…

The Whisky Shop – Unique, Different, Interesting

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We appreciate that a gift is not an ordinary purchase… it says to the recipient “I thought of you and I bought you this.”

Ian P. Bankier, Chairman of The Whisky Shop This Christmas there will be fewer shops on the High Street and presumably more white vans on the roads making home deliveries. For similar reasons there are also fewer restaurants and bars in which to celebrate Christmas.

During the course of 2018 there has occurred a record number of business failures amongst occupiers of retail space in the UK. The name ‘Amazon’ comes immediately to the lips of those apportioning blame for this apparent cataclysm, but that is an over simplification.

The culprit has been the accumulation of costs heaped upon bricks and mortar retailers, which has reduced the sector to a game of ‘survival of the fittest’. The greatest of these costs are occupational, chiefly shopping centre rents, service charges and council taxes.

Decades of this punishing environment has meant that the British High Street is no place for independent retailers. They can’t afford it.

Consequently, every shopping street or mall, by and large, looks the same with the same corporate retail chains lining up in varying degrees of order. This, in turn, does not really excite the consumer; in fact you could say that

shoppers are bored and, therefore, they shop online and save the hassle. And now these chains have begun to fail.

However, there is The Whisky Shop.

Where we feature on a High Street or mall, there is colour. We bring something different, interesting and, dare I say, unique. To our customers we say “This is where you come for something different that cannot be found elsewhere”. You will not encounter a branch of The Whisky Shop around every corner, so this is a special occasion for you. We specialise, we know everything about our whiskies and we understand our customers.

At this time of year it’s all about gifting – we understand how important it is to be able to find the ideal Christmas gift, no matter how large or small the budget. We appreciate that a gift is not an ordinary purchase. A gift is an act of love, friendship, gratitude; call it what you will, but it says to the recipient “I thought of you and I bought you this.”

We’ve thought deeply about how to give our shoppers confidence in what they buy, so that the gift they give will be well received.

Whisky is touchy and feely. You can taste it in all our stores. You can get limitless advice.

Of course, for those who prefer to shop online there is whiskyshop.com The service is personal, our online team are all experts, and we deliver to the highest standards in the UK. Slàinte Ian P Bankier, Executive Chairman,

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Competition

Win! A personalised crystal decanter and whisky glass gift set from Glencairn Glencairn Crystal, the Scottish family run business behind the much-loved Glencairn whisky glass, is giving away a beautiful hand-polished Iona decanter with four accompanying Glencairn glasses. The gift set will also be personalised with engravings of the lucky winner’s choice, such as a family name or crest.

Glencairn offers a stunning range of crystal glassware, most of which can be personalised with expert engraving. To find the perfect gift for friends and family visit www.glencairn.co.uk/store and use the code WHISKERIA20 to receive a special 20% discount for Whiskeria readers (valid until 1st Feb 2019).

For your chance to win, simply answer the question below: In which Scottish town is Glencairn Crystal based?

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

My Craft Glencairn Crystal

Terms & Conditions The winners will be selected from all entries via the email address stated above by midnight on Thursday 28th February 2019.

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.

–– 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 Brendan MacNeill –– photo assistants Rorie Balloch –– stylists Meredith Wilkie Edwina Bowen –– illustration Francesca Waddell Hrafnhildur Halldorsdottir Sean Mulvenna

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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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Contributors

Claire Bell

Brian Wilson

Formerly an MP, Brian held several Government Ministerial posts during his political career. He lives on the Isle of Lewis, from where he pursues various business interests, notably in the energy sector. He also led the regeneration of the Harris Tweed industry and is currently Chairman of Harris Tweed Hebrides Ltd. His first love was writing and he continues to write books as well as opinion pieces for national newspapers.

Claire Bell has written on travel for Time Magazine, The Herald, The Times, The Guardian and Wanderlust. A confirmed nomad, Claire lives between Glasgow, France and her native South Africa where she co-runs the dialogue collective Consciousness Café. Whatever the season, she is guaranteed to find new, exciting and inspiring places you’ll love to visit.

Travel Dazzling Dolomites 38

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 written more than a dozen books on whisky, while co-authoring many more. He is also responsible for editing and releasing the latest version of Michael Jackson’s seminal whisky publication, The Malt Whisky Companion.

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A Time in History Auld Alliance 34

Charles MacLean

Charles has published fourteen Scotch whisky books to date, including the standard work on whisky brands, Scotch Whisky, and the leading book on its subject, Malt Whisky, both of which were short-listed for Glenfiddich awards. He was also script advisor for Ken Loach’s 2012 film The Angels’ Share and subsequently played the part of the whisky expert in the film (which he claims to be his biggest career highlight to date).

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O M T E H T T REA T AS STM I R H M S C THI DRA

C E D S, S N O I S I C Y E ISK D H , S N Y W R O U SI UX I L C DE

N O I S I

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AVAIL ABLE ONLINE AND IN STORE AT

whiskyshop.com

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Contents

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New Releases | Winter 2018/19 The Scotch Whisky Auction Scene A Time in History | Auld Alliance Travel | Dazzling Dolomites My Craft | Glencairn Crystal Distillery Visit | Bain’s James Sedgwick Mixing It Up | Winter Journey My Whiskeria | Edith Bowman The Whisky Shop Section Expert Tasting | Jura / Littlemill Dear Uncle Ether

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A welcome new addition to the Ultimate range. Ardbeg An Oa is singularly rounded, due in no small part to time spent in our newly established bespoke oak Gathering Vat where whiskies from several cask types - including; sweet Pedro Ximenez; spicy virgin charred oak; and intense ex-bourbon casks, amongst others - familiarise themselves with each other.

The result is a dram with smoky power, mellowed by a delectable, smooth sweetness. Hallmark Ardbeg peat, dark chocolate and aniseed are wrapped in smooth, silky butterscotch, black pepper and clove, before rising to an intense crescendo of flavour.

A GIANT ROUSED FROM ITS SLUMBERS. For 15 years, this monumental malt slumbers in the finest Pedro XimĂŠnez and Oloroso sherry casks, quietly growing in stature in the darkness of our dunnage warehouses. Roused from its luxurious resting place, it is a whisky of unsurpassed elegance and complexity, with notes of dark fruits, manuka honey, rich chocolate and an enveloping velvet finish.

THE GLENDRONACH. SHERRY CASK CONNOISSEURS SINCE 1826.

The Glendronach is a registered trademark. Š2018 BenRiach. All rights reserved Savour with time, drink responsibly. Drinkaware.co.uk for the facts.

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Reviewed by Charles MacLean

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Maker’s Mark Private Select The Whisky Shop Batch 001 Inchmurrin 17 Year Old The Balvenie DoubleWood 25 Year Old The Macallan Rare Cask Batch No.1 Compass Box The Spaniard The GlenDronach 15 Year Old Revival The BenRiach 12 Year Old Sherry Wood Old Pulteney 18 Year Old Old Pulteney 15Year Old Old Pulteney Huddart The Glenrothes 12 Year Old The Glenrothes 18Year Old The Glenrothes 25 Year Old Platinum Old & Rare Highland Park 21 Year Old Platinum Old & Rare Tomatin 23 Year Old Platinum Old & Rare Laphroaig 20 Year Old The First Editions Benrinnes 2005 The First Editions Mortlach 2007 The First Editions Inchgower 2008 GlenKeir Treasures Coimeasgadh

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Maker’s Private Select

The Whisky Shop Batch 001 Single Cask Bourbon Age: NAS

70CL Vol: XX%

£85

The colour of Golden Syrup, with moderate beading.

The aroma is shy to start with, and distinctly nose-cooling, gradually opening to reveal oak shavings, spearmint and dried mixed herbs, with a trace of linseed oil, on a base of hard toffee. The taste is sweet and dry, with lingering oak-wood in the cool, spicy finish.

Subtle, elegant and well-balanced.

“The wood makes the whisky” is an old saying among distillery operators, but it is only in the last thirty years that distillers have recognised just how important the cask is in developing flavour, and even more recent that the ‘mechanisms of maturation’ have been investigated.

The Scotch whisky industry is not alone in exploring the science of maturation and the profound influence of oak. To be labelled ‘straight’, bourbon or rye whiskeys must be matured in fresh oak barrels, and these are highly ‘active’.

In particular, the creators of Maker’s Mark at Loretto, Kentucky have done exhaustive studies into the physiology of oak, its chemistry and active constituents, the impact of slow seasoning in the open-air (rather than the cheaper and more common kiln-drying) and the complex impact of toasting and charring in breaking down the chemical bonds within the wood in order to create different nuances of flavour and colour ‘extractives’.

A team from The Whisky Shop, comprised of this magazine’s esteemed editor, Claire Daisley, Manchester store manager, Phil Dwyer, and E-Commerce Manager, Neil Jamieson, attended a seminar and blending session with Maker’s Mark UK ambassador, Amanda Humphrey. Here they explored the flavours developed by different stave types, helping them select the woods to be used in the UK’s first Maker’s Private Select whiskey, exclusively created for and by The Whisky Shop.

They looked at five cask types: 1) Slow toasted American oak in a convection oven; 2) French oak ‘seared’ in an infra-red oven; 3) The same but with ridges cut into the stave surface; 4) French oak cooked at high temperature in a convection oven; and 5) The same, but toasted high and low in a convection oven.

Claire’s tasting notes on each wood type are extraordinarily varied, with each cask developing a different flavour profile – from ‘green fruit and floral honey’, ‘figgy pudding and dark chocolate’, to ‘coffee, men’s hair oil and tobacco’.

The combination of staves chosen by the team was: 5 parts 4), 3 parts 2), and 2 parts 3).

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‌oak shavings, spearmint and dried mixed herbs, with a trace of linseed oil, on a base of hard toffee

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Inchmurrin 17 Year Old

The Whisky Shop Exclusive Highland Single Malt Age: 17 Year Old

70CL Vol: 54.1%

£85

Inchmurrin is a small island in Loch Lomond and Inchmurrin single malt is made at Loch Lomond Distillery in nearby Alexandria. It is a large and complex site with an astonishing range of stills – six traditional pot stills, Lomond-style stills (with rectifying columns in place of swan necks, to produce a lighter style of spirit), a modified Coffey still which produces grain spirit from malted barley – this sounds like a contradiction in terms, but the Regulations insist that to be termed ‘malt spirit’ it must come from a pot still – and a traditional contiuous still.

As a result, Loch Lomond is capable of producing eight different styles of malt spirit and grain spirits on the same site.

Inchmurrin is produced on the Lomond stills, which have rectifying trays in their dumpy necks to produce intensely fruity/floral new make spirit at high strength (up to 90%VOL).

This style of still allows for different flavour notes to be emphasised according to how they are run and where the spirit is drawn off.

Loch Lomond Distillery was commissioned in 1966 within a former dye works, The United Turkey Red Company, which closed in 1961 and the 26 acre site was sold three years later to the owner of Littlemill Distillery, the American-born Duncan Thomas. Thomas had installed a pair of Lomond stills at Littlemill, and did the same at Loch Lomond – the name is coincidental, by the way.

This expression of Inchmurrin, at 17 years old, is unpeated and was matured in a refill ex-bourbon barrel chosen by Loch Lomond’s Master Blender, Michael Henry. It is a Whisky Shop exclusive.

Bright gold with lemon lights; good beading. The nose is fresh and fruity – appetising – with citric top-notes (lemon and lime), on a base of vanilla sponge. Becomes more grassy with a drop of water. At natural strength, the taste is sweet and sour; reduced, the texture is creamy, the taste sweet to start, with coconut and a surprisingly spicy finish.

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Bright gold with lemon lights; good beading.

The nose is fresh and fruity – appetising – with citric top-notes…

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The Balvenie DoubleWood 25 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Age: 25 Year Old

70CL

Vol: 43%

£525

The whisky has a glorious magenta hue, rich and deep. A mellow and complex nose, with, for me, cherry liqueur chocolates as a top note, then a trace of aromatic oil, on a profound base of sandalwood, pomander, dried figs and then Fry’s Chocolate Creams. A smooth, mouthfilling texture, with a taste perfectly balanced between sweet and dry, with a trace of allspice in the finish.

Drink straight: a superb after dinner malt.

The iconic Balvenie DoubleWood celebrates its quarter century this year.

It is iconic not only because of its huge popularity – I believe it to be the most popular expression of The Balvenie – but because it was arguably the pioneer in ‘wood finishing’, i.e. maturation, first in ex-bourbon cask, then in ex-sherry casks.

In fact, its creator, David Stewart, had released the now legendary and highly collectable Balvanie Classic the year before, in 1982, also double matured but without declaring so much, and DoubleWood was to replace it. DoubleWood was (and still is) bottled at 12 years old, but now, to celebrate its quarter century, a 25 year old expression has been released. An appropriate celebration of the brand, and of The Master’s achievement, for which, together with his many other achievements over 55 years’ service with William Grant & Sons, he was made an MBE by H.M. The Queen in 2016.

With typical modesty, David says: “When we launched the first DoubleWood in 1993, I would have never thought we would eventually be bottling a 25-year-old variant as we are today. It’s a testament to the success of DoubleWood that we are releasing this more mature expression.”

Balvenie spirit is first matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels and hogsheads in the traditional way. The whisky is then re-racked into Spanish oak ex-Oloroso sherry casks for nine months, after which it is transferred to large oak ‘marrying tuns’ for three to four months.

Each stage in the process lends different qualities to the resulting single malt whisky: the traditional casks soften and add delicate character, the sherry wood brings depth and fullness of flavour, and the final few months in marrying tuns lend ‘harmony’ to the final whisky.

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This is the most impressive whisky I have tasted this year – and I have been privileged to taste a few!

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The Macallan Rare Cask Batch No.1 Speyside Single Malt Age: –

70CL Vol: 43%

£249

Dull amber in hue: polished mahogany. European oak provides a top note of fruit loaf, with sultanas and pecan nuts; after a while mid-notes of vanilla, dried apricot, nougat and milk chocolate emerge. The base note is mossy, with a hint of pencil shavings. The taste is sweet, faintly citric and distinctly chocolatey; drying elegantly in the lengthy finish and leaving an aftertaste of chocolate. The Macallan at its old-fashioned best.

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…Soft notes of opulent vanilla and raisin pique the nose, giving way to a sweet ensemble of apple, lemon and orange

In September The Macallan launched Rare Cask Batch No.1, 2018 Release, the first of three Rare Cask releases planned for this year, with four annual releases planned for the years to come. Each will be designed to “provide consumers with even more insight into the whisky making process”, in particular “the art of the cask”.

The Macallan is well-known for its use of sherry-seasoned casks, made from both American and Spanish oak, painstakingly selected and vatted in limited amounts, without any colour adjustment. Each Rare Cask release will be composed of only fifty butts: “Less than 1% of the casks maturing at the distillery… 100% firstfill sherry seasoned casks, with a perfect balance of European and American oak delivering rich flavours and a natural mahogany red colour”, according the brand’s press release.

Nick Savage, The Macallan Master Distiller, said: “The rarity of Rare Cask lies in the limited number of first-fill sherry seasoned casks. This whisky truly exhibits the art of cask selection and the role of our Whisky Making Team to hand pick the casks for each batch. The casks give the greatest contribution to the character and are the only source of the rich mahogany colour. It is one of The Macallan’s most complex yet balanced whiskies that we’ve created, with soft notes of rich oak, vanilla and chocolate.”

This first batch introduces new packaging for Rare Cask, designed to provide consumers with greater insight into the whisky making process, with more detail revealed on this complex spirit. The new design also features deeper reds and subtly incorporates wood grain to pay tribute to the cask story. A new lighter background inside the pack emphasises the rich hue of the whisky and the pack comes in a premium gift box, featuring a gold badge highlighting the Rare Cask name, batch number and year of release.

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Compass Box The Spaniard Blended Malt Scotch Age: –

Independent blending house, Compass Box, is probably the most creative of all whisky companies. Founded in 2000 by John Glaser, who remains its Whisky Maker and guiding genius, it consistently releases whiskies of character, interest and, above all, style.

The last comes not only from the flavours of the individual products, but from their outstanding presentation. For over ten years the company’s labels have been designed by Stranger & Stranger, which has been described as “the world’s leading packaging design and branding company”, whose motto is: “Don’t Fit In, Stand Out”.

John Glaser has been working closely with Stranger’s Founder and CEO, Kevin Shaw, for ten years and together they have come up with some wonderful brand names and the most ingenious and artistic labels ever seen by the Scotch whisky industry. It’s worth checking out Stranger & Stranger and Compass Box’s websites.

John recalls that his new creation, The Spaniard, was inspired by an extensive tour of small bars in Southern Spain many years ago: “In one place, an elderly man took it upon himself to teach us about the local sherry wines.

They captured my imagination with their nutty, saline character and tremendous spectrum of style.

Years later, when I discovered Scotch whisky, I was reacquainted with sherry through whiskies aged in former sherry casks, which are known for the rich deep flavours they provide. I’ve been drawn to this style of whisky ever since.”

The Spaniard is named after this unknown gentleman and is composed of whiskies drawn from ex-sherry and ex-Spanish red wine casks.

John’s drinking tip is: “…ideal for late evening sipping, served on its own or with a large ice cube or splash of water. Serve in a wine glass as a nod to the Spanish wine cask maturation!”

70CL Vol: 43%

£57

Deep amber in colour; Amontillado sherry; light nose prickle, even at this strength. The top note is rich, vinous, fresh (dried orange peel?) and reminiscent of fruit loaf (typical of Spanish oak); the base is densely creamy (cheese cake?). A satisfyingly mouth-filling texture and a lightly sweet taste, drying elegantly with some spice in the lengthy, warming finish.

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A satisfyingly mouth-filling texture and a lightly sweet taste, drying elegantly with some spice in the lengthy, warming finish.

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The GlenDronach 15 Year Old Revival Speyside Single Malt Age: 15 Year Old

70CL Vol: 46%

£62

Deep amber in colour, the top note for me was Seville orange marmalade and dried raisins and figs macerated in Spanish brandy, on a base of planed oak – a dry nose over all, but with suggestions of almond and dark chocolate. The texture is smooth and the taste sweeter than expected, drying elegantly and finishing long.

Glendronach Distillery was founded in 1825, and belonged to William Teacher & Sons between 1960 and 1976, when Teachers was taken over by Allied Distillers. They mothballed it in 1996, then the distillery was sold to Pernod Ricard/Chivas Bros., who soon sold it on, in 2008, to a consortium set up by Billy Walker, a leading figure in the Scotch whisky industry.

It was Billy who really ‘revived’ the brand, now spelled ‘GlenDronach’, winning for it a global reputation and many prizes for quality and flavour. It has been described as ‘the darling of traditional sherry-matured malts’, and is certainly one of my favourites. The earliest expressions were at 12, 15 and 18 years old.

Many others followed, both younger and older – and peated – but for some reason the 15YO was dropped.

In 2016 Billy sold Glendronach and his two other distilleries to the American distiller, Brown Forman, who soon employed Rachel Barrie as Master Blender. Rachel had worked formerly at Glenmorangie and Bowmore, and has now revived the 15YO, which she – correctly – describes as “an iconic aged expression of critical acclaim… [which] embodies the GlenDronach signature style of Spanish oak maturation in fine Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks.”

She goes on to describe it as an “exquisite balance of intensity and finesse… Ripe dark fruits and manuka honey envelope into an elegant silk-velvet chocolate finish”. It won Double Gold Awards at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition this year.

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Seville orange marmalade and dried raisins and figs macerated in Spanish brandy

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The BenRiach 12 Year Old Sherry Wood Speyside Single Malt Age: 12 Year Old

70CL Vol: 46%

£48

Amber-hued, like faded polished mahogany. A mellow nose-feel, with just a suggestion of prickle; dry overall, with scents of dried fruit, crystalline fruit, sandalwood and polished leather. The texture is mouth-filling; the taste sweet overall, with considerable complexity, drying in the fresh, spicy finish.

The carton announces: “Three-way sherry cask matured to further enrich BenRiach’s vibrant, fruit-laden style, with multi-layered sherry cask sweetness”. This sums up the flavour profile pretty well.

The ‘three-way’ concept is explained elsewhere on the carton: the spirit has been matured in ex-sherry casks throughout (I guess these are refill American oak, sherry seasoned casks), then finished in a combination of fresh Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso casks made from Spanish oak.

The result is pleasing, presenting the benefits of sherry-wood maturation but none of the sulphury perils. The vatting is a credit to Dr. Rachel Barrie, BenRiach’s Master Blender, who was appointed soon after the distillery was bought by Brown Forman (of Jack Daniel’s fame) in 2016, together with The GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh Distilleries.

Rachel, who formerly worked with Bill Lumsden at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, and then at Bowmore Distillery, is an enthusiastic expert on unconventional maturation and wood finishing.

In April this year she selected 17 diverse casks including port pipes, muscatel hogsheads, Sauternes barriques, rum puncheons and virgin oak barrels, 11 of them filled with unpeated spirit and seven with peated spirit, aged between 26 and 9 years. Each was bottled as a single cask expression in order to explore, as she says “the many facets of BenRiach maturation”.

This attractive BenRiach 12YO might be said to embody some of these facets in a single bottle.

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… dry overall, with scents of dried fruit, crystalline fruit, sandalwood and polished leather

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Old Pulteney 18 Year Old Highland Single Malt Age: 18 Year Old

70CL Vol: 46%

£125

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Bright amber in hue; matured in a combination of American oak ex-bourbon casks and Spanish oak ex-sherry butts.

A mellow nose which gently draws inspiration from each cask-type: bruised apples and vanilla, sultanas, dried figs, walnuts. A smooth, mouth-filling texture, and a nicely balanced, mellow taste with a suggestion of sea salt.

Old Pulteney 15Year Old Highland Single Malt Age: 15 Year Old

70CL Vol: 46%

£75

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Bright amber in hue; double-matured, first in ex-bourbon casks then ex-sherry. Light nose prickle and a distinctly maritime aroma – wooden boats, hemp cordage, dry seaweed, sea salt.

The taste is an attractive balance of sweet and dry, with light acidity and a shake of salt.

Old Pulteney Huddart Highland Single Malt Age: NAS

70CL Vol: 46%

£50

Bright amber in hue; although the label says “matured in fine oak ex-bourbon casks, finished in ex-peated malt casks”, my impression is more European oak – fruit loaf – though the smoky element is very apparent – unusual for Pulteney. The taste is lightly sweet, salty and smoky.

Some years ago I wrote a little book about Pulteney Distillery, founded in 1826 on Huddart Street, in the fishing port of Wick, Caithness. Although a Royal Burgh of some antiquity, Wick remained an “undistinguished and isolated community… a small town of little trade”, according to its minister in 1726, until the port was built in the early 19th century, and the model village behind it and adjacent to Wick, named Pulteneytown.

The name was bestowed on the recommendation of no less a person than Thomas Telford (the ‘Father of Civil Engineering’), who designed both port and town for the British Fisheries Society, built between 1800 and 1820. The lade (mill stream) which provides water for the town and distillery from the Loch of Hempriggs – at three and a half miles, the longest lade in Europe and still in perfect order – was planned by Telford.

The Society’s Director General was Sir William Pulteney, who had met the young Telford when he was working as a stone mason, building Edinburgh’s New Town.

An impoverished bonnet laird from Dumfriesshire, through marriage Sir William became ‘the richest commoner in England’, and also became Telford’s principal patron, including appointing him as Architect to the British Fisheries Society, but he died before the Wick project was completed.

Wick soon became the largest herring station in Europe, used by over a 1,000 fishing boats and attracting 7,000 migrant workers during the season. It was logical to build a distillery there to quench the thirst of such a horde of workers...

Old Pulteney has long been known as ‘The Manzanilla of the North’ on account of its dry and salty taste, and in recent years has adopted the soubriquet ‘The Maritime Malt’.

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… bruised apples and vanilla, sultanas, dried figs, walnuts

… wooden boats, hemp cordage, dry seaweed, sea salt.

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… European oak – fruit loaf – though the smoky element is very apparent

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The Glenrothes 12 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Age: 12 Year Old

70CL Vol: 40%

£45

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Described as ‘the hero of the range’, this is bright amber in hue, with a top note of soft vanilla sponge, a fruity middle (baked pear and orange zest) on a lightly bosky base (oak shavings and nutmeg). It has a smooth texture and a sweet taste, drying to a spicy finish.

The Glenrothes 18Year Old Speyside Single Malt Age: 18 Year Old

70CL Vol: 43%

£109

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Similar in colour to the 12YO, the nose is drier and deeper, with a suggestion of teak oil and creamy rice pudding with sultanas, on a base of tarte tatin. A very smooth texture and a subdued sweetness and dryness, with ginger-snap biscuits in the warming finish.

The Glenrothes 25 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Age: 25 Year Old

70CL Vol: 43%

£375

Deep amber in hue – polished beech – and lightly nose-drying.

The first impression is of aromatherapy oil, clean and fresh, with sweet tablet and exotic fruit (papaya?) in the middle, on a sandalwood base. Complex and satisfying. The texture is lightly oily; the taste lightly sweet, with black pepper in the finish.

In 1887 Glen Rothes Distillery joined forces with the Islay Distillery Company, which had built Bunnahabhain Distillery, to form the Highland Distilleries Company, now known as Edrington. Highland’s sister company was / is Robertson & Baxter, brokers and blenders in Glasgow, which was commissioned in the 1930s to produce Cutty Sark by the brand owners, Berry Bros. & Rudd (BBR), the ancient and highly distinguished wine merchants in St. James’s Street, London, each party taking 50% of the brand ownership.

Glen Rothes became the key filling whisky for the blend and in 1987 Edrington licensed The Glenrothes single malt brand to BBR and they released the first proprietary bottling that year. In 2010 BBR took 100% ownership of The Glenrothes brand and Edrington 100% of Cutty Sark, but in 2017 this was reversed and The Glenrothes returned to Edrington’s 100% ownership.

As a wine merchant, BBR had released their bottlings of The Glenrothes with ‘vintage’ age statements (each containing whisky distilled the same year). Edrington has abandoned this in favour of straight-forward age statements; the core range in its Soleo Collection are boldly labelled 10, 12, 18 and 25 Years Old, with a 40YO to come early next year – oh, and one NAS Whisky Maker’s Cut. All are wholly matured in ex-sherry casks and bottled at natural colour.

A spokesperson said: “Premium drinkers are more confident when choosing a whisky with an age statement, as it acts as an important cue in navigating the range. What’s more, to them the age statement is indicative of a whisky with a better taste and higher quality”.

Indeed. This is an interesting, and I think valid, comment in an era when an increasing number of bottlings do not make age statements.

The unique dumpy bottle shape introduced in 1994 has been retained, but now it also carries a flavour map depicting the profile of the individual expression.

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… smooth texture and a sweet taste

…clean and fresh, with sweet tablet and exotic fruit

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… a suggestion of teak oil and creamy rice pudding

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New Releases

Platinum Old & Rare Highland Park 21 Year Old Single Cask Island Single Malt

70CL

Age: 21 Year Old

£335

Vol: 52.5%

Deep amber in hue, suggesting sherry-wood maturation, although my guess is that the cask is American oak. Good beading. The aroma is fruity and smoky overall – smoked pears, with fragrant almond oil in the middle on a base of smouldering peat. This fades at reduced strength. A creamy mouthfeel and an unusually perfumed taste at natural strength, with a spicy, slightly smoky finish.

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…smoked pears, with fragrant almond oil in the middle on a base of smouldering peat.

Hunter Laing’s website describes their Platinum Old & Rare range as “the rarest and most remarkable single malts available today… So remarkable that they deserve a little extra recognition”.

Each expression is bottled from a single cask – so is by definition a limited edition – at natural/cask strength, and without tinting or chill-filtration. All are presented in distinctive squat bottles and in wooden boxes. Since the series was launched it has included some magnificent whiskies, all of which are today sought by collectors.

Hunter Laing & Co. Ltd. was incorporated in 2013, following the break-up of the longestablished family company, Douglas Laing & Co, which was founded in 1948 by the eponymous Frederick Douglas Laing (FDL).

It is headed by his son, Stewart Hunter Laing, and his grandsons, Scott and Andrew.

Stewart has spent almost fifty years in the Scotch whisky industry – first as a blender, and latterly as a bottler of fine single cask malts. He began his career as an apprentice at Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay before joining his father in the family business. As well as blending and cask selection, Stewart’s main job was representing the company’s brands around the world – in those days mainly blends, some of which were best-sellers in Douglas Laing’s main markets of Asia and South America.

In order to create those whiskies, FDL purchased and laid down many hundreds of casks from distilleries all over Scotland – some of which have long since closed. These casks form the core of Hunter Laing’s extensive stock: in September 2014, the company bought a 35,000 sq.ft. warehouse in South Lanarkshire to accommodate 15,000 casks, in addition to the 2,000 casks they hold in their Carron Bond nearby. Until then, Stewart told me, their casks were stored in eighty-seven different locations. Plenty to choose from for their Old & Rare range.

In January 2016 the company acquired a magnificent site overlooking the Sound of Islay on which an attractive new distillery has been built. Named Ardnahoe, it will go into production next year. The legendary Islay distiller, James McEwan, has come out of retirement to be its Production Director.

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Platinum Old & Rare Tomatin 23 Year Old Single Cask Highland Single Malt

70CL

Age: 23 Year Old

£260

Vol: 47.3%

Tomatin Distillery stands at over 1,000 feet in rolling moorland on the edge of the Monadhliath Mountains, eighteen miles south of Inverness. The name is that of the small village which grew up around the distillery and derives from Tom-aiteann, ‘hillock of juniper’.

Whisky has been made on the site for a very long time – in the ‘Old Laird’s House’, which stands near the current distillery buildings and in illicit small stills, taking advantage of the remote district and of the excellent water flowing over quartz and granite, through peat and heather, into the Allt na-Frith, the ‘free burn’, which is a tributary of the River Findhorn.

The current distillery was built by a group of local businessmen trading as the Tomatin Spey District Distillery Co. Ltd., in 1897, the height of the late Victorian whisky boom, and like so many others faced severe difficulties when that boom turned to bust around 1900. The company went into liquidation in 1905 and the distillery closed, but only for four years, when it was revived by the New Tomatin Distillers Co. Ltd. During the second great boom era post World War II, Tomatin began to be expanded substantially, and by 1974 was the largest distillery in Scotland, with 23 stills, but it only operated to its full capacity of thirteen million litres of pure alcohol (consuming 600 tonnes of malt per week) for a few years. Production was cut dramatically during the 1980s and eleven stills were removed in 1997/98.

Tomatin Distillers went into liquidation in 1986 and the distillery was sold to the Japanese companies, Takara Shuzo and Okura, both long-standing customers. This was the first time a Japanese company had entered the Scotch whisky industry. Around 2000, Okura was replaced by the Marubeni Corporation, one of Japan’s leading integrated trading companies, and the consortium was joined by the 300 year old Kokubu & Co. Ltd.

Tawny with amber lights. Moderate beading even at this strength, and a mild nose-feel, nose-drying. The first impression is of cider vinegar and walnuts, soon becoming tarte tatin sprinkled with allspice and lightly caramelised. A sweet taste, drying out, and a peppery finish, softer and more spicy with water.

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The first impression is of cider vinegar and walnuts, soon becoming tarte tatin sprinkled with all spice andlightly caramelised

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New Releases

Platinum Old & Rare Laphroaig 20 Year Old Single Cask Islay Single Malt

70CL

Age: 20 Year Old

£415

Vol: 44%

Full gold in colour, with a mild nose-feel. The aroma combines creosote and iodine with an old coal fire hearth; there is dry seaweed here, and also a trace of hard salt taffy. The taste is sweet and salty, with a blast of smoke at the back, lingering in the finish. Classic Laphroaig, but rounded and full-bodied.

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The aroma combines creosote and iodine with an cold coal fire hearth; there is dry seaweed here, and also a trace of hard salt taffy.

I can do no better than quote what Jim McEwan – the Islay Legend, now Master Distiller at Hunter Laing’s soon to be completed Ardnahoe Distillery – wrote about another 20 year old Laphroaig released by the company for the Fèis Ìle this summer: “At this age you would have thought that the Savage from the South would have lost its power. Not a chance. It’s still blowing in on a gale force 10 so hold on tight and enjoy being seduced by ‘Peat the Reek’!

“Initially, it seems on the nose to have been tamed by time but really it’s still got the oily kippers, the rage, the storm battered seaweed piled high in the gullies. The oily texture of tarry rope, liquorice sticks dipped in iodine and smouldering peat bogs. Hints of pine needles, old leather tobacco pouches and dive deeper you will be surprised as there you will discover little pockets of sweet dark vanilla, lemon drops, mint imperials, cinnamon sticks, cloves and bog myrtle, eucalyptus and aniseed all doused in wild honey, oak syrup and grapefruit.

“It’s a magical spirit, always lights my fire, a challenge for sure but with a heart as warm as a peat fire on a stormy night.”

My own notes are tame by comparison, but Jim is, after all, a legendary distiller.

Hunter Laing’s website describes their Old & Rare range as simply “the rarest and most remarkable single malts available today…

So remarkable that they deserve a little extra recognition”. Each expression is bottled from a single cask – so is by definition a limited edition – at natural/cask strength and without tinting or chill-filtration. All are presented in distinctive squat bottles and in wooden boxes.

Since the series was launched it has included some magnificent whiskies, all of which are today sought by collectors.

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The First Editions Benrinnes 2005 Single Cask Speyside Single Malt

70CL

Age: 12 Year Old

£77

Vol: 46%

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Pale sunlight in hue, drawn from refill American oak casks. A faintly oaky top-note, with a suggestion of candlewax, on a fruity base, including fresh pears and apples, ripe grapes and fragrant hay, with an elusive thread of smoke in the back. A smooth texture, a very sweet taste (boiled sweets) and a lightly peppery finish.

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…a suggestion of candlewax, on a fruity base, including fresh pears and apples, ripe grapes and fragrant hay…

The first Benrinnes Distillery was established in 1826 on the northern slopes of Ben Rinnes which, at 841 metres, dominates this part of Speyside. Alas it was swept away two years later by ‘The Great Flood of Moray’, but was soon replaced by another distillery of the same name on a site closer to Aberlour.

In the mid-1860s the lease was taken up by a local farmer, David Edward, and on his death in 1893 to his son, Alexander, who had already built Craigellachie Distillery in partnership with Peter Mackie of White Horse and Lagavulin Distillery. Alexander was twentyeight; he would go on to build Aultmore and Dallas Dhu Distilleries and to become part owner of Oban and Benromach Distilleries, as well as building the Craigellachie Hotel and much of Craigellachie village.

The Banffshire Record reported in 1896: “Mr Edward’s success in having amassed an independent fortune before he was barely entered in his 30s is regarded as a perfect marvel. He is not contented to make his pile by the thousand, but by his potent tact and skill can accomplish this by tens of thousands”.

Benrinnes suffered from what the Northern Scot described as a ‘rather destructive fire’ the same year, and the owning company was nearly brought down in 1899 when its Edinburgh agents were bankrupted by the failure of Pattisons of Leith, but its spirit had always been ranked Top Class by blenders and it continued to prosper, passing into Dewar’s ownership in 1922.

The style of the spirit is robust and meaty; until recently it employed a form of ‘partial triple distillation’ (as with Mortlach) and it retains its traditional worm tubs which also contribute to this character

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The First Editions Mortlach 2007

Single Cask Speyside Single Malt

70CL

Age: 10 Year Old

£76

Vol: 46%

Mortlach has long been ranked Top Class by blenders, and since it is a key filling for the Johnnie Walker whiskies and has been promoted as a single malt by Diageo, its owner, since 2014, it is uncommon as an independent bottling. This single cask, bottled under Hunter Laing’s First Editions label, provides an interesting opportunity to taste it at a relatively young age.

Known locally as ‘The Beast of Dufftown’, Mortlach Distillery produces a famously rich spirit – often described as ‘meaty’ and smelling a bit like a roasting tin. A former owner, Dr. Alexander Cowie, told the Royal Commission on Whisky in 1908: “I am a malt distiller of highly flavoured whisky, a thick type of whisky.”

This young example is interesting, in that it has lost the heavy ‘meaty’ character – except for what I identify as ‘chicken stock’ (and even this is light), and has become more fragrant and estery (typical of Speyside malts). I guess it has been matured in refill American oak, when most single malt bottlings come from European oak, and this in itself demonstrates the spirit’s versatility.

It seems that Hunter Laing’s First Editions range is now devoted to younger, single cask bottlings, and these youthful expressions demonstrate just how good young whiskies can be.

I must confess to being initially nervous about assessing them: their almost complete lack of colour indicates that the liquids have spent their short lives in very tired – even exhausted casks – but I was happily surprised.

They have lost any immature characteristics, and while the wood has not added much in the way of flavour (let alone colour), this allows the original distillery character to shine forth.

Mortlach has a unique distilling regime: six stills of differing shapes and sizes – including a small one called ‘The Wee Witchy’ – which distil the spirit 2.8 times (rather than the usual 2 times) in a process so complex it is said it takes six months for even experienced operators to master it! I can’t begin to describe it here! How Dr. Cowie came up with it, nobody knows: it defies reason – but it produces a mighty spirit!

Very pale gold. Light nose prickle to start with and a fresh and fragrant Speyside aroma, with pear drops and lily-of-the-valley to the fore against a light meaty background (chicken stock?), on a base of surgical lint.

A big texture; a very sweet, slightly salty taste and a long, warming finish.

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A big texture; a very sweet, slightly salty taste and a long, warming finish.

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The First Editions Inchgower 2008 Single Cask Speyside Single Malt

70CL

Age: 10 Year Old

£66

Vol: 46%

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Very pale gold in colour, but in spite of this I think it comes from a European oak cask, since the aroma bears all the hall-markers of maturation in such casks, with light brimstone, scrambled eggs and fruit loaf. All are reduced by a drop of water. The taste is sweet, with traces of boiled sweets and a tannic finish.

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… light brimstone, scrambled eggs and fruit loaf…

Inchgower stands just outside the fishing port of Buckie on the Moray Firth – a long way from Speyside, although it is classified as such. It was built in 1871 and bought by Arthur Kinmond Bell, son of the eponymous Arthur Bell, in 1936 from Buckie Town Council, who had acquired it following the bankruptcy of its owner earlier that year.

A.K. (as he was always known) travelled up there by train, inspected the distillery in the company of the Provost of Buckie, liked what he saw and immediately offered the Provost £3,000 for the distillery, its extensive warehouses, and eight ‘model’ cottages. This was promptly accepted on behalf of Buckie Town Council, then, as they were leaving the distillery, the Provost pointed out a picturesque old mansionhouse nearby which traditionally housed the distillery manager and which was also for sale.

A.K. immediately offered him a further £1,000.

Dazed by the sudden offer, the Provost accepted and the deal was done. In later life he was heard to mutter: “It was the first time I was done twice in one day”!

For many years during the 1940s and ’50s the manager at Inchgower was Ned Shaw, a well-known local ‘worthy’, famous for his wit and many stories, some of which he told on radio and television. One interesting observation concerned how whisky was drunk: “The great whisky drinkers in my time had their own special way of tasting the stuff. They’d take a dram of whisky first and then some water, and shoogle the mixture around in their mouths”.

Arthur Bell & Sons was bought by Guinness in 1985, so came under the ownership of United Distillers (now Diageo) two years later.

Inchgower remains a key component of the Bell’s blends, and as they have grown in popularity the distillery has been expanded, most recently in 2012 when capacity was increased from 1.9 million litres per annum to 3 million LPA. Because of its importance as a blending whisky Inchgower is not often seen as a single malt. So, this expression from the everresourceful family firm, Hunter Laing, offers a rare opportunity to taste it.

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New Releases

GlenKeir Treasures Coimeasgadh The Whisky Shop Exclusive Blended Malt Age: –

50CL Vol: 43.6%

£55

Very pale green in hue, this has been drawn from a much-refilled European oak butt. The top note is of fruit loaf, with sultanas dominating, on a sulphury base (typical of some Spanish oak, ex-sherry casks), finishing with a whiff of rubbery smoke. The taste is predominanty sweet, with a shake of salt and some seaweed in the aftertaste.

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The top note is of fruit loaf, with sultanas dominating, on a sulphury base…

Why do brand owners choose such unpronounceable names for their creations? Coimeasgadh – pronounced ‘coy-may-ushgay’ so far as I can tell – means ‘combining, blending, mingling, merging’, which gives us a clue as to what this whisky is.

As a freelance copywriter in the early 1980s, I worked on the Bunnahabhain account.

My partner, Simon Scott, who went on to become the leading advertising copywriter in Scotland and creative director of his own agency, came up with the ingenious headline ‘Great Unpronounceables of Our Time’, with the strap-line ‘Bunnahabhain: Get it Right’.

Anyway, Darren Leitch, The Whisky Shop’s retail manager tells me that the GlenKeir Treasures range is designed to offer consumers the opportunity to revisit the charm of, in Coimeasgadh’s case, blended malt.

“It has been made up with only malts from Highland and Speyside distilleries – a 70%/30% split with Highlanders dominating. The whiskies were all taken from refill hogsheads, aged from 8 years old and up to 12 years old.

“Coimeasgadh is gaelic for combination, in this case a combination of finely selected single malts blended together as one. We translate is as ‘The Secret Blend’ and think it aptly typifies GlenKeir Treasures, since we always try to have a wide range of whisky on offer under this label, a combination of styles, flavours and origins.”

The Whisky Shop website adds: “Each whisky is selected for its individual quality and attractiveness; each is unique, different and special. We conduct an extensive search and only pick the best. The whisky is then subjected to the minimum processing so as to retain its original characteristics.

No large batch chill filtering is employed. We guarantee its quality and we confidently expect that it will bring great pleasure to all who enjoy it”.

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The Scotch Whisky Auction Scene An industry within an industry Whiskeria’s very own Charles MacLean inspects The Macallan Valerio Adami 60 year-old 1926, which sold at auction for £848,750 in 2018, making it the world’s most expensive bottle of whisky

It’s an astonishing fact, but according to whisky analysts Rare Whisky 101, in the first six months of 2018 more than 49,000 bottles of whisky were sold at auction in the UK. The value of these sales was £16.3m. Rare Whisky 101 goes on to predict that, for the full calendar year, 105,000 bottles will be sold at a total value of £36m. If you view this in the context that in 2013 only 20,000 bottles were sold at a total value of £4.5m, you will see why this is astonishing. There is little doubt that the auction business is the fastest moving area of specialist whisky sector – and it carries on almost unnoticed. These statistics do not appear in any of the published industry figures.

This is an industry within an industry.

Last month we visited the online whisky auctioneer, Tam Gardner of Scotch Whisky Auctions in Glasgow. From a standing start and working from first principles he has become, over a few short years, the leading whisky auctioneer – in the world! His big break was when eBay decided to pull out of selling alcoholic products; from that point it was game on for Tam. Under the noses of the mighty auction houses – the likes of Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams – Tam has carved out a dominant position in this niche market.

It is the speed of the development that has probably surprised everyone. For years, rare whiskies, especially Scotch single malts, have been sleeping.

He has been able to do this by restricting his operation to the internet. Single bottles are relatively easy to transport, unlike items of furniture and art – and so whisky lends itself to an online auction model. Tam has delivered a cheap, no-frills auction service, whilst the behemoths of the international auction scene have struggled to react to the surge in whisky collecting and investment.

It is the speed of the development that has probably surprised everyone. For years, rare whiskies, especially Scotch single malts, have been sleeping. Scant recognition was given to the inherent value of the product – a hand crafted spirit with decades in the making, naturally limited and often rare. All the shouting has come from wine, where the investment in premier cru wines is a decades old practice.

An added factor has been the accumulation of wealth from the emerging economies of SE Asia, coupled with limited investment returns from traditional world stock markets. Asian

drinkers have a natural affinity with spirits, more so than wine, and that has also been a contributing influence. Furthermore, wine has been stricken with counterfeiting scandals that will have discouraged some investors.

So today we have a growing community of whisky investors, not only in SE Asia but also in Europe, North America, and here in the UK. This has translated into strong growth in the whisky auction market.

The Whisky Shop, with its national footprint of 20 shops in the UK and a presence in Paris, is well positioned to obtain the very best new releases from Scotch and Japanese whisky distillers.

These releases are showcased in our premier stores and ultimately sold to customers, many of whom are collectors and investors. An aspect previously of concern to us was the lack of liquidity in the whisky investment market; in other words, it has been all very well buying whisky for investment, but can you sell to release profit when you want to? The emergence of online whisky auction sites goes some way to answering this concern.

Watch this space…

— Ian Bankier The Whisky Shop Chairman

AS ONE ENGAGES IN DIALOGUE; SUSPEND YOUR JUDGEMENTS, LISTEN, INQUIRE & EXPLORE ALL ASSUMPTIONS.

Ochdamh-mòr

OCTOMORE OCTOMORE 9'S διάλογος

EDITION NINE OF THE WORLD’S MOST HEAVILY PEATED SERIES OF SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKIES. ©2018 BRUICHLADDICH DISTILLERY CO. LIMITED. BRUICHLADDICH® OCTOMORE SCOTCH WHISKY, 58.8% - 62.9% ALC./VOL. PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

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Time in History

Auld Alliance The Scottish and French have a longstanding and unshakable bond, fortified in no small way by whisky and wine.

Brian Wilson investigates the intriguing history of the ‘Auld Alliance’…

What impact will Brexit have on …? The fact you can fill in the blank with the name of just about any sector of the UK economy is the clue to a continuing degree of uncertainty, and the Scotch whisky industry is not exempt.

The EU accounts for almost a third of all exports of Scotch with France by far the biggest consumer. Living up to their reputation as connoisseurs of all that is finest, the French got through €160 million worth of single malts alone last year. Per capita, the French drink more whisky than any other country in the world – 2.15 litres a year, compared to 1.8 litres in second-placed Uruguay.

Let us assume, however, that the glass is half-full rather than half-empty. When it comes to our drinking habits, the ‘Auld Alliance’ between Scotland and France is surely strong enough to withstand anything Brexit can throw at us. We have been enjoying each other’s products for so long that it will take more than transient political events to undermine that affinity. At least, we hope so…

Actually, our liquid relationship has been more historically lop-sided than one might expect. The Scots were drinking vast

quantities of Claret centuries before Scotch whisky acquired its cachet among the French.

Indeed, it was only a catastrophe for the viticulture industry in the 19th century that persuaded discerning Frenchmen that perhaps there was an acceptable alternative to its own distinguished spirits.

The key to this game-changing piece of history lay in a tiny bug named Phylloxera which made its way to France from North America. French colonists had found that European strains of grapevines would not thrive and turned instead to native species.

The emergence of good quality American wine led to demand within France for the vines from which it was produced. By the 1860s, these imports brought with them the dreaded Phylloxera.

In his definitive book, Phylloxera: How Wine was Saved for the World, Christy Campbell dated the first known arrival of the tiny yellow pest to a case of American vines imported from New York in 1862 to the right bank of the Rhone “by a Roquemaure wine-maker, M. Bourty”. Within 20 years, a million hectares of vineyards had been devastated and French

peasants “abandoned their ruined vineyards and headed for Algeria, Argentina and Chile, taking their wine-making skills with them”.

While North American strains had developed a resistance to Phylloxera, European varieties could not. The French Government set up a research commission with a mandate to get – quite literally – to the roots of the problem. In the midst of this grim period, Robert Louis Stevenson – a considerable wine connoisseur – went into literary overdrive: “Some of us, kind old Pagans, watch with dread the shadows falling on the age; how the unconquerable worm invades the sunny terraces of France, and Bordeaux is no more, and the Rhone a mere Arabia Petraea… And in the place of these imperial elixirs, beautiful to every sense, gem-hued, flower-scented, dream-compellers, behold upon the quays at Cette the chemicals arrayed; behold the analyst at Marseilles, raising hands in obsecration…”.

The eventual solution involved grafting French vines onto American rootstocks which essentially meant re-planting virtually the entire vineyards of France. This process took until the 1920s to complete. The loss to the French economy was vast and the price of wine

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soared. Critically, the worst hit areas included the vineyards of Cognac and Charente, the traditional heartlands of brandy production.

According to one account: “Such was the destruction that for a few years in the 1870s, brandy was all but unavailable on the market, except at prices that only the very rich could afford”.

This was whisky’s opportunity – and not just in France. Brandy had been the tipple of choice among the English upper classes but now they too looked for alternatives.

This demand coincided – and to some extent drove – the transition which carried Scotch Whisky production from cottage industry to a much more sophisticated business. Distilleries became fashionable investments in the last quarter of the 19th century as demand soared and the new clientele demanded smoother blends than had hitherto prevailed. Once France got the taste for good quality Scotch, it never looked back!

A 2016 survey for FEVS, the French drinks trade organisation, showed that almost 40 per cent of the French spirits market is claimed by whisky with 90 per cent of it

coming from Scotland. Aniseed-flavoured spirits – pastis – trailed in at 23 per cent with cognac representing a mere 0.5 per cent of its own home market. These results gave rise to speculation that it was only a matter of time before France took seriously the option of applying traditional skills to the production of whisky. There are still only a handful of French whisky distilleries though, since 2015, ‘Le Whisky Breton’ and ‘Le Whisky Alsacien’ have been designated, appellation-style, as regions of production – perhaps a marker for the future.

From the other perspective, it was back in the 13th century that the drinks trade between France and Scotland began in earnest. Indeed, wine has been called the blood stream of the Auld Alliance which intermittently linked Scottish and French interests in opposition to English kings. For 300 years from 1152, royal inter-marriage created English rule in Gascony – the province of which Bordeaux is capital – and Scotland’s introduction to the fine wines of the region probably came via English imports which worked their way north. In time, however, the Scots developed their own

Knowledge Bar Wine Regions of France The primary wine-producing regions in France are Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, The Loire Valley, Provence and the Rhone Valley.

There are vineyards all across the country.

France produces around 8 billion bottles of wine per year.

trade with Bordeaux and acquired a particular taste for Claret.

The book Knee Deep in Claret, by Billy Kay and Cailean Maclean, chronicles the enduring ties which were created. While England’s love of French wine ebbed and flowed, dependent on rivalries and wars, Scotland’s remained constant right up until the 19th century. As Kay and Maclean point out: “Until the Union of 1707 attempted to mould the Scottish wine market into a form consistent with England’s anti-French and pro-Iberian inclinations, Scots generally imported wine free from punitive duties and as a result were able to buy their Claret and sack at prices well below those prevailing south of the border.

For the wine drinker, these happy circumstances were marred by one major encumbrance – the local ‘imposts’ levied by Burgh councils”. These local taxes became crucial revenue for funding public works – while also suppressing demand from the thirsty citizenry.

By the early 1800s, it was taxation which diluted Scotland’s love affair with French wine and moved it further up the social scale. As the taxes on wine imports increased, the duties on home-produced whisky were cut. The critical moment came in 1822 when the duty on spirits was reduced from seven shillings to two shillings and ten pence per gallon. Within a few years, whisky consumption more than doubled and it soon became identified as Scotland’s national drink. Within a few more decades, it was virtually forgotten that wine had quite recently been a social lubricant for the masses rather than merely an adornment of the rich man’s table.

This collective amnesia lasted well into the 20th century. As recently as the 1970s, it would have been a rarity to find a wine list worthy of the name in any but the most upmarket Scottish restaurants. Even now, there are very few who, in selecting a Margaux or Chateauneuf, are aware they are maintaining “the blood stream of the Auld Alliance”.

Meanwhile, Scotland continues to send ever more of its finest whisky for the delectation of discerning French palates – with no finer embassy than The Whisky Shop in Place de la Madeleine, Paris.

It should all make us appreciate that Brexit need be no more than an irritating fly in the ointment of whisky’s history.

Let’s raise a glass to that.

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Travel

Dazzling Dolomites Just over an hour north of Venice is one of Europe’s most dazzling and friendly winter playgrounds, Claire Bell discovers…

Knowledge Bar Dolomites Mountain range in northeastern Italy Part of the Southern Limestone Alps North border: Puster Valley South border: Sugana Valley Highest point: Marmolada UNESCO World Heritage Site Province of Belluno

Dolomites

ITA LY

It is the day after the snowstorm, and everyone is grinning. In recent years the eastern edge of the Dolomites in north-eastern Italy have had little snowfall – 2016 was the worst year on record with not a single flake.

Today the sky is a shimmering blue, the land a pristine white, and the wind from the north is blocked by the pale pink rock face of the Cinque Torri, its lower slopes dense with pine trees.

In the Passo Giau valley, just above the ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo, the only sound is our snowshoes, creaking into fresh white powder as we follow our guide, Giacomo, through virgin snow. We are heading uphill, away from the mountain refuge of Malga Giau, into a forest of larch and red fir. Tiny footprints dot the sides of our tracks, traces of the white rabbits, foxes and chamois who live here. In the last two years wolves have been spotted, thought to have crossed the border from neighbouring Slovenia.

Normally when you walk in snow you feel tense, and brace against falling, but on snowshoes your balance is steady and your body

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Travel

relaxes into a lazy rhythm, as if you’re living life in slow motion.

A sudden, slight breeze whips around the side of the mountains and fresh snow lying on the trees takes flight, like silver fairy dust sparkling through the air. It is a scene of childhood delight and it is hard to imagine that, just over a hundred years ago, this same place was a warren of foxholes and trenches, as Italian mountain troops fought Austrians in the Great War. The winter of 1916 was one of the worst in recorded history. In a normal year the annual snowfall here is four to six metres. That year 20 metres fell. “Most of the soldiers died from avalanches,” says Giacomo, reassuring us that we will not walk into avalanche territory today.

Many trenches have been restored as part of a great outdoor war museum, best visited in the summer. Today our destination is the muro la giau, a low wall that was built to end an even older conflict. During the summer, this high mountain land is prime grazing for cattle, and for years the men of the villages of Cortina d’Ampezzo and San Vito di Cadore fought

over access to these rich pastures. The building of the wall drew a line on the fighting.

Although just a few kilometres apart, still today the two villages have opposing personalities. In winter San Vito di Cadore is a small, family-friendly ski resort with just nine pistes and nursery slopes, perfect for beginner skiers, and with one of the best ski service shops in the area – Noleggio Palatini – while Cortina d’Ampezzo, with its 85 kilometres of runs, has been the choice of the Italian jet-set ever since it hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956. Here, shop windows are full of bejewelled velvet boots and fur coats, and the luxury Italian labels of Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana and Valentino are displayed next to antique stores selling Cartier, Rolex, Patek Phillipe and Bulgari collectibles for the shopper who has everything else. This Bond Street of the Alps also played host to the eponymous 007, when the 1986 film For Your Eyes Only, starring Roger Moore, was filmed in Cortina.

While it’s easy to ski all of San Vito di Cadore’s easy red and blue runs in a day, Cortina presents a couple of problems for

skiers: where to begin and where to end. The largest network of runs is on east-facing slopes where the lift system rises by cable car to the summit of Tofana di Mezzo at 3244 metres.

With the exception of the fearsome 1956 Olympic downhill course – now used for the Women’s World Cup – which plunges between towering rock stacks that look like devilish horns, most of the runs are reds and blues, though beginners might struggle on some sections of the latter. For intermediates, the choice of broad open descents and connecting runs through pine forests is more than enough to maintain interest for a few days. One of the largest and the best runs is the Tofana 38 from Duca D’Aosa, a sinuous four kilometres blue with a 560-metre drop that conveniently ends at a restaurant and a lift heading back up again. There is little to seriously challenge the advanced skier, and there are few off-piste options accessible without a guide.

Some runs take longer than usual, due to a temptation to stop and admire the views.

If Elgar had made mountains, this is the symphony of rock and snow that he would

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Left to right: Shoppers in Cortina d’Ampezzo; Taking in the views; Snow trekking uphill through virgin snow

have composed. There were times late in the day, when the runs were quiet and light snow was falling, that I felt I had skied into a fairy kingdom, which is apt since the geological history of these mountains is something of a fairytale.

Two hundred and fifty million years ago these mountains were under the sea, their peaks a mosaic of tropical islands, not unlike the Bahamas of today. Nowadays, at sunrise and sunset, the mountains are a spectacle of pinks and fiery red, caused by the sunlight reflecting on rock composed of ancient coral, shells and algae.

The mountains were named after the French naturalist, Deodat de Dolomieu who, in the second half of the 18th century, studied the geology particular to this region, but it was thanks to the efforts of a Cortina resident, Rinaldo Zardini, in the early 20th century that we now know even more of this distant past.

In 1935, Zardini found a strange stone on the bed of the Boite River. He asked everyone what type of stone it might be and an English botanist said it could only be a piece of fossilized coral. His curiosity was piqued.

“For months I moved from one valley to the other to find the place where the coral could have come from.

One autumn day, I sat down on the foot of Mount Faloria to rest. Where I looked at the ground, it was like being on a seashore. Corals and sponges seemed to have just appeared out of a tropical sea…” he wrote.

Without any prior knowledge of chemistry, Zardini discovered a technique to release ancient coral, mollusc and sponge fossils from the rock, revealing rare and beautiful specimens from a world long gone, many of which are now on display at the Palaeontological Museum in Cortina, a great place to visit on a snowy afternoon.

The longer you spend here, the more you find yourself wanting to immerse yourself in the magnificent natural architecture of these mountains. This is easily done since the volunteers from the Italian Alpine Club maintain over 400 kilometres of sign-posted hiking trails in the Dolomite National Park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2009 for its spectacular and unique beauty. Many trails are best accessible in summer, but there are those, like the eight kilometre circular route to Ra Stua that are just as wonderful in the winter.

Just two kilometres north of the crosscountry skiing circuit in Fiames, which is built on an old railway track, a wide well-maintained path winds upwards through a forest from a large car park. Although some opt to make the journey on snow-shoes, sturdy hiking boots and Nordic walking poles are just as good.

Even better is to drag a sledge behind you, so the journey back can be a joy ride. We found ourselves stepping aside frequently as thrilled children and adults whizzed their way back to the start of the trail.

The path begins with only the crunch of your feet for company, but halfway up you begin to hear the gurgling of a small stream, which we discover later is descending from a partly frozen waterfall.

Malga Ra Stua, at 1695 metres, is one of the many refuges that dot these mountains, offering friendly smiles, warm food and cosy beds all year round for nature lovers.

We arrive just as snow is beginning to fall, and are welcomed inside to roaring fires and local specialities influenced by the kitchens – of nearby Venice – polenta and goulash – and of Tyrol – candederli, a gnocchi of dry bread filled with cured meat and served in a broth with melted butter and grana cheese. The tradition here is to wash it down with grappa, made with fruit or herb aromas.

As the snow sets in for the afternoon, the mountains disappearing beneath a veil of white, we look out apprehensively, aware of our inexperience in these conditions.

Our concerns are quickly allayed by Gino and Elise, two experienced hikers from Verona, who invite us to walk back with them. As we traipse back, laughing and swapping stories, I am struck, once again, by the spirit and generosity of Italian hospitality. I’m already planning to return to this winter wonderland.

The first expression of the new Glen Moray Curiosity range, this UK exclusive release of 2,000 bottles is the fruit of a truly Scottish collaboration between Glen Moray and Thistly Cross Cider.

Ex-Glen Moray casks were sent to Dunbar to age Thistly Cross Cider, then returned once again to the distillery to be reunited with Glen Moray spirit. The result is a wonderfully light whisky, with notes of summer fruits and vanilla, developing to a sweet and slightly tangy finish.

Non chill-filtered, 46.3% ABV

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My Craft

Cutting Edge Crystal This winter we’ve been lucky enough to get a look behind the scenes at Glencairn Crystal, creators of the world’s finest bespoke decanters and the famous Glencairn whisky tasting glass. Scott Davidson, new product development director and son of Raymond, Glencairn’s founder, showed us around…

Knowledge Bar Glencairn Crystal Location: East Kilbride, Glasgow Founded in 1981 by Raymond Davidson

SCOTLAND

Glasgow

Edinburgh

East Kilbride

How long have you been part of the Glencairn Crystal operation?

I’ve been engraving crystal since I was 14, since my dad said “Here’s a good idea! Can you help me do this?”.

I studied computer science and electronics at the University of Strathclyde and all my classmates went into computer jobs and electronics. I stayed in the family business. On a Wednesday afternoon when everyone else was doing sports, I was doing accounting courses or working weekends, engraving decanters and the rest of it. That’s how I grew up.

What I’ve learned is that when your father starts a business, it’s just him keeping the whole thing going. But then with Paul (my brother) and I in the business, he had help, so he could start to scale things. That’s what we’ve been doing over the last 25 to 30 years since we joined, looking for opportunities to grow. Paul was always focused on sales, and both of us have spent time running the whole operation,

but for the last 10 to 15 years he’s been running it and I’ve been on product design.

How did it all begin?

My dad was ex-Edinburgh Crystal. He was brought in to set up their engraving division, but they folded it after a few months because they were too busy making standard cut crystal for the retail market and they couldn’t service their engraving customers. So, my dad said “I’m going do this myself, I think there’s a longevity in this”.

How do you approach your product development?

We have to balance achieving an aesthetic specification, while trying to meet a technical specification. We’ve got to make sure each decanter is bulletproof! If any of the decoration comes off, it will fail the product test and it won’t be sellable.

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My Craft A selection of Glencairn creations from the archive, including early pieces from the 1980s through to more contemporary creations

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Also, all these things are time sensitive, so we’re always up against the clock.

Do you help with the initial design work, or come up with designs from scratch?

We almost always have to be involved in creating the design, or redesign what we are given, because sometimes designers come up with concepts and then we have to say “We can’t physically achieve that”. Then you’ve got to redo the artwork, and go back to the customer and explain what’s possible and why.

How often is it that a client or brand comes to you with a completely outlandish design, and you have to find a way to do it?

All the time, and we relish trying to challenge ourselves! There are some ideas we have to turn away, because we only believe in engineering things to their best. The designs have got to fit on different substrates – you’re mixing glass with metals that’re made in different ways with different variables. Some things work, some things don’t.

We’re constantly working to find how to get the best out of a product, and the really stressful thing is trying to get the best out of a product that only has a very limited run.

People will ask us to do stuff that’s never been done before. So we’re being asked to push the boundaries on what’s feasible, and we encounter problems on the way. But, after you’ve done it, you have to say “Well that’s that finished now, onto the next one!” and it’s onto something completely different. And that’s the beauty and the joy of it.

Do you have a favourite design you’ve developed, or worked on, or a favourite challenge you’ve risen to?

This really is a bit of a Sophie’s Choice question! We love all our work, but cracking the really difficult ones is always a bonus.

We did a Dewar’s Legacy decanter and it’s got this metal part, based on a sort of dirk (dagger) attached to it, that had to pour through the metal. That was really quite challenging to co-ordinate, while staying true to the designer’s original concept, and actually make it feasible.

We were also asked to do a Royal Brackla 35 Year Old, which you can see in Duty Free right now. It’s a sphere, suspended on five points – we had a 5mm triangle as the gluing

area, so we had to develop an adhesive that could withstand a drop test that would survive, without splitting, from a metre high. And we knew it was the right adhesive when the glass broke, but was left stuck to each point – at £1000 per test!

People want us to meet all these mad capabilities, but also have something that looks utterly fantastic when it’s put on the table.

That in itself is a journey.

One of the great things about crystal is that you can do so many things with it. An attractive quality of crystal, that gets overlooked all the time, is the ability for it to achieve that refraction of light that throws out rainbow and colour, and when you put anything in it, it gives the product within a unique sparkle. A lot of glassmakers, especially those who produce high volumes of glass, try to recreate these features.

But it’s only when you do it by hand that you see the quality.

How do you manage expectations with bottle designs becoming more and more intricate?

We like to talk to people, discuss the design. We’ll say “If you talk to us we can tell you what’s actually do-able, what’s actually producible, what physically can be achieved.” Just to use as guidelines, as this will help instruct their design.

Because we would rather the build works in a straight-forward manner, so we can filter out all the things that aren’t feasible, and amend some of the non-workable creative elements and eliminate all the errors, before the design is done. We can help designers work their way through it so it gets accepted by the client.

Do you believe presenting a product in crystal increases its perceived value?

I think it’s part of the full package now.

It used to be that a crystal decanter was used as a flag flying exercise, just for brands to say “We do really nice things now and again”, but we’ve actually found a way to engineer decanters into the luxury market scene.

People are seeing a real return for this added value packaging. People who order a very expensive bottle with a very expensive process for the ‘label’ – in our case, a process which is all done by hand – expect more.

Companies now just refer to these [decanters] as ‘containers’. They’re containers for that particular age of spirit. There’s almost an evolution, where people have decided that if they want to compete in the World’s Duty Free market, and want to be the choice over that Rolex, or that very expensive handbag, that Glencairn have a solution that can give them that offering.

And the thing is, compared to the luxury watch or handbag, their bottle of whisky might be number 22 of only 250. It’s got a genuine limited-edition factor.

There’s a beautiful tradition of craft linked to whisky, but also a trend for brands to innovate and be ‘different’. How does that impact what you do here?

We’re in the middle of it, with all of the customers coming to us saying “Here’s my really unique design”, and we know about products and can say, “No, that’s been done before”. You get a lot of ‘new blood’ coming in and they bring out something like a square and say “This is the future”, but you go back a decade and for 200 years before that people have been using a square decanter quite successfully to represent whisky in a bottle!

Are there ever really any ‘new ideas’?

There are no new ideas, but one great thing about the drinks industry right now – talking from a crystal maker’s point of view – is that what’s being created is a new wave of product development and innovation for the glass industry. Because they’ve actually got budget to invest in malts, and to invest in new techniques, trying things to make their products look fantastic. And that itself is magical.

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Glencairn don’t only supply the whisky industry – their attention to detail and dedication to quality have earned them customers from across the globe

My Craft

W The only way we’ve been able to be successful at all is doing things by hand. That’s where our niche lies.”

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W We love all our work but cracking the really difficult ones is always a bonus.”

The small team at Glencairn have a meticulous approach, evolving and refining the techniques developed by Scott and his father Raymond

We see the bottle for the upcoming Littlemill 40 Year Old. How much would that decanter cost to make?

A few hundred pounds per bottle! The product itself is so rare – a 40 year old whisky – that you’re saying that the rarity of these products, combined with the added value of the packaging, positions it in a completely different marketplace.

The great thing is, our business is geared towards that shift in the industry. We want to be doing small-to-mid volume and some product runs that go towards the thousands, but we enjoy diversity.

As a business you can see the diversity in our factory. Our other business services all sorts of gifting and corporate events – but the drinks industry, and containers, is taking up more and more of our lives.

Why do you think you gained the monopoly on crafting containers for the whisky companies?

Probably because we are from Airdrie originally. The big whisky companies in Airdrie at the time were Inverhouse, Burn Stewart and, in front of Albion Rovers, was William Lawson’s. So my dad (founder of Glencairn Crystal, Raymond Davidson) grew up around that, and that’s how he reached out and got hooked into the industry. We have always positioned ourselves as a company that

enhances the whisky companies’ products.

We take a real interest in the industry and supply products and processes that are of value to the marketplace.

When did you come to realise that you are the biggest player in the crystal engraving market?

There are only two manufacturers of the special film that produces stencils for the engraving marketplace, and one is based in California. About five years ago they said they’d like to come over and visit, they wanted us to represent them as a distributor because they thought we were distributing the special film around the marketplace, we were buying that much – more than anyone else. And we said, “We don’t distribute it! Everything you send us, we’re using to create our own products!”. It came as a surprise to them, as it did to us.

refined process for doing it.

By and large, the engraving process I developed when I ended up full-time in the business, six years after first starting and after uni, was the process we started adopting all the time.

We also now have a special team here who figure out all the metal work and how we make it meet all the criteria – because everything has to meet all the food use, quality and visual standards.

It’s one of those crazy things, the journey we’ve been on – all the processes we learned, all the ideas and ways of making it easier for ourselves to brand and decorate, are what’s got us to where we are today. We don’t know of anyone else who’s spent this amount of time we have to develop and refine these kinds of techniques, to get that detail and make it repeatable for a volume.

How has the process evolved?

The whole process used to be based around a fine tissue, and you would screen print rubberised ink onto the tissue, then glue that onto the glass. If it curved in two planes, it was a nightmare. Then you’d sandblast it. And if you had any deposit thickness you had to engrave through that glue! It was OK doing it once but in those days if I did it a hundred times it was challenging. Now we’ve got over 20 people here and that’s all they do, and we’ve got a very

What’re the stages involved in creating a complex design?

Each bottle is an individual challenge. For example, we have one here at the moment that is engraved in five positions, then we have to make sure it’s perfect for a badge fitting that can’t come off, then we need to fit the collar and make sure it’s orientated right. And that’s after we’ve qualified all of the glass.

We have to think about how things locate, so they don’t sit proud. Crystal flakes and

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My Craft

Knowledge Bar

The Glencairn Glass Glencairn founder, Raymond Davidson, invented the now famous Glencairn glass for himself as he wanted something “ideal for drinking whisky”.

His prototype was relegated to a filing cabinet for almost 20 years, where his son Paul discovered it.

Paul took the prototype to Richard Paterson, who confirmed it would be the perfect vessel for helping people taste and learn about whisky.

Other master blenders agreed and, with a few tweaks, the Glencairn glass as we know it was born!

breaks, it’s delicate. Then there’s angles, glass distribution – even in manufacture, getting it out of the mould and a million other things.

Every decanter carries a history of the product from when it arrives to when it leaves, so we can find out when a fault happened and how we can fix it.

How has the industry changed since you started out?

When I first started there were only one or two people doing this as cottage industry work, and now we’ve got teams doing it.

We’ve basically taken that model, scaled it up, and found a way to make it sustainable.

That’s where our success lies, and what brings something different to the marketplace.

Do you feel an affinity with the whiskymaking industry?

If you think about it, all of the products we’re doing for the whisky industry are all being done here, in East Kilbride, by hand, in a craft manner.

It all being done by hand is the thing that surprises people. You’ll see the difference between laser engraving and what we can achieve by hand, because we can achieve much finer finishes.

The only way we’ve been able to be successful at all is doing things by hand.

That’s where our niche lies. If Glencairn

Competition Win a personalised Glencairn Decanter 5

was all to go, who would be left in the market to facilitate this level of decoration?

It probably wouldn’t be possible any more.

And the skillset that we’ve got in Scotland certainly wouldn’t be found elsewhere.

For glassmakers, decoration was always an add-on. We are this company that developed a whole industry out of it and there was a certain amount of chance that the drinks industry could use all of that branding capability. But that also means we still have loads of opportunity we haven’t looked at!

Do you keep one of everything you’ve ever made?

We try to, but we’re forgetful! We maybe do 100 complex projects a year. So, if you’re doing that many and everything’s bespoke, you end up with thousands of items every year and it’s hard to keep track. We try to keep one of all our high-end decanters now, because we’re trying to learn from mistakes.

You mentioned the things you make that aren’t whisky and spirits decanters. What else do you make?

We’ve done football trophies, BT Service Awards, supplying retail gifts for Burberry in London, Brooks Brothers in America, and in-between it we still do all the spirits stuff.

We’ve been supplying Cunard since 1986 or thereabouts, and we’re still supplying

merchandising today.

We are also globally famous for the Glencairn Glass, the recognised glass for whisky, we move over three million of those a year.

What’s your favourite piece in the collection?

I have a reference sample of a Johnnie Walker bottle that’s engraved, presented from Paul Walsh and Ivan Menezes. It’s a personal engraved gift from them and they’re the old and new CEO of Diageo.

You’ve created the iconic, eponymous Glencairn glass. What design aspirations do you have for the future?

We want to try and predict, what’s the next wine glass? What’s the next innovative shape and execution of it that looks really funky, and people will aspire to have it? Ultimately, we hope that the design features of what we create here will feed back into other products.

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Distillery Visit

Out of Africa Distillery: Bain’s Location: South Africa Words: Gavin D Smith

Knowledge Bar Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky Double matured whisky produced from 100% South African Yellow Maize Made at The James Sedgwick Distillery, est. 1886 Location: Wellington, Western Cape, South Africa Andy Watts became only the sixth manager of the distillery in 1991 Awarded World’s Best Grain Whisky at the World Whisky Awards

Polokwane

Mahikeng Johannesburg

Ladysmith

Kimberley Bloemfontein

Pietermaritzburg Durban

SOUTH AFRICA

Wellington

Cape Town

Bhisho

Po Elizabeth

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Distillery Visit

When professional sportsmen retire many become coaches, managers or pundits, while others make a major change of career, usually being young enough to enjoy a second lease of working life. International footballer George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah, who played in England for Chelsea and Manchester City, even went on to become President of Liberia!

When Andy Watts called time on his cricketing career, he opted for a role as a spirits blender in South Africa, and now rejoices in the title of Head of Whisky Intrinsic Excellence for Distell International.

Distell is based in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, and boasts a broad portfolio of wines and spirits. Since 2013 that portfolio has included Burn Stewart Distillers, the Scottishbased owners of Bunnahabhain, Deanston and Tobermory distilleries, along with the popular blends Black Bottle and Scottish Leader.

Andy Watts was born a long way from Western Cape, in the Yorkshire town of Penistone, and his youthful ambition was to be a professional footballer. However, he ended up playing cricket for Derbyshire County Cricket Club from 1979 to 1984. He recalls that, “To escape the cold English winters I went out to Wellington in Western Cape, South Africa one

year, playing cricket for the town, playing provincial cricket, and coaching in Western Cape.

“I went back for the next two winters and, to supplement my cricket income, I worked part-time at Stellenbosch Farmers Winery (SFW) in the spirit­ blending cellars, and really enjoyed that. At the end of 1984 Derbyshire released me from my contract, and at that time the cellar master moved to a job in bottling and I was offered the chance to run the cellars. I was subsequently sent over to Scotland to learn how to make whisky.”

In Scotland, Watts worked with Morrison Bowmore Distillers, spending time with the Islay legend that is Jim McEwan, along with other influential characters. He recalls that “It was the passion which these distillers shared that made me realise that I definitely would like to be part of the whisky industry”. He returned to South Africa in 1989, and was involved in transforming the historic James Sedgwick distillery in Wellington from a brandyproducing plant into one turning out whisky.

This distillery was named after Captain James Sedgwick, a former British East India Company mariner and later successful purveyor of wines, spirits and tobacco products in South Africa.

Following Sedgwick’s death in 1872, two of his sons carried on the business, purchasing buildings by the Berg River in 1886, where they

subsequently created a distillery.

Just over a century later, Andy Watts and his team re-configured James Sedgwick with the installation of mashing equipment taken from a small whisky-making operation that had been created during the mid-1960s

by Donald Robertson and Noel Buxton on the Groote Zalze farm in the Lynedoch district outside Stellenbosch. In 1972 the SFW group had bought this distillery for experimental purposes.

SFW went on to merge with the Distillers Corporation to form Distell during 2000, nine years after Andy Watts had been appointed manager of James Sedgwick. At that time, he became only the sixth person to hold that position in almost 130 years. As he explains, “We distilled whisky in the old brandy stills initially, and when Distell was formed, I was asked to continue in my position.”

The whisky made by Watts and his team was marketed under the Three Ships label, which was the first commercial whisky brand in South Africa when launched in 1977, though whisky-making in the country dated back to the 19th century.

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Distillery Visit

Under Watts’ regime the quality of Three Ships improved significantly, and 1992 saw the launch of Three Ships Five Year Old Premium Select Blend. Watts explains that “Before that there had only been Three Ships Select Blend. The new expression started out with grain spirit made at James Sedgwick distillery and five-year-old Bowmore. Select and the five-year-old still have a small amount of Scotch in them, while the others in the range are all 100 percent South African spirit.

We added Three Ships Single Malt in 2003, and it was the first South African single malt whisky.

Subsequently, we did a 2015 vintage, 2005, and a vintage 2006 10-year-old has just been released.

Each year I produce a limited edition bottling in The Masters Collection, with the third and latest being an eight-year-old single malt with an Oloroso sherry cask finish.”

Watts adds that “We worked with an independent bottler for the first time in 2018. The Private Bond Company chose a six-year-old Fino sherry cask, and released 677 bottles of that. We may continue along those lines and do one per year with other independent bottlers.”

Three Ships retails principally in South Africa, but in Bains Cape Mountain Single Grain, Distell has a South African whisky with global reach. It is named after Andrew Geddes Bain – a Scot who constructed the Bainskloof Pass, that connects Wellington to the interior of the country, in 1853.

“We set out to build a brand,” declares Andy Watts, “and it was totally different to Three Ships, which was much more traditional. I was looking to create something soft and easy to drink, combining the best aspects of Irish and bourbon, in effect. It made sense to take this unique product into international markets rather than Three Ships, as it was off on a tangent on its own.

“In the beginning it was marketed as being best drunk neat or with ice, but if you go into the high-end shebeens in the South African townships you might find an expensive bottle of whisky on a table next to a bottle of Appletiser, and Bain's is a very versatile drink.”

Noting that it usually takes 15 years to decide whether or not a brand has been a success, Watts says that “Bain's is 10 years old next year, and it’s been the most successful launch for the company ever. It’s shown double digit growth year on year, and the World’s Best Grain Whisky awards it won in 2013 and again in 2018 have led to greater demand from overseas. I produced a 15-year-old version of Bain's for Nelson Mandela’s centenary earlier this year and on the back of that we’re introducing a 15-year-old into global travel retail outlets very soon.”

In July 2016 Andy Watts was promoted from distillery manager at James Sedgwick distillery to his current role as Head of Whisky Intrinsic Excellence, and Jeff Green took over as distillery manager, having previously worked there as process manager and distiller since 2009.

As Watts explains, “I’m based at Distell’s ‘Centre of Excellence’ in Stellenbosch and also have an office at the James Sedgewick distillery. I have complete control over our South African whiskies and also work with the team in Scotland. I’m fortunate to have great people in Scotland who get on with everything. We are taking the opportunity to upgrade at some of our distilleries, with Tobermory currently in the middle of a two-year programme of work, while we’ve just fitted a new still at Bunnahabhain, where we’re also undertaking major renovations.”

On the subject of stills, Watts points out that the single malt whisky made at James Sedgwick distillery is no longer produced in former brandy stills, as in the early days.

He says that “We undertook a major expansion at the distillery during 2009, making it aesthetically more pleasing and putting in two 20,000 litre pot stills at the time, based on the design of those used at Bowmore on Islay.

“We also have a column still to make grain spirit, and a five-column neutral spirit still.

We tend to run two months making malt and nine months making grain, with time out for maintenance work. We do the malt during the South African winter as cooler temperatures give better fermentation. Overall, we have a capacity of 10 million litres per annum. The blending is all done on site and the whisky taken by tanker to be bottled either in Cape Town or Johannesburg.”

Maize for the production of grain whisky is sourced in South Africa, and Watts explains that “Our malted barley is imported via Simpsons Malt in the UK and is in three styles: lightly peated, medium peated and heavily peated. The Three Ships Five Year Old blend has quite a lot of peatiness in it.

I created it to remind me of my time on Islay.”

As Watts noted earlier, whisky consumption in South Africa has increased apace in recent years, and whisky has now replaced brandy as the top-selling spirits category by volume and value in the country. South Africa is also the seventh-largest consumer of Scotch whisky in the world.

According to Watts, “The South African Whisky scene is very lively and we now have Whisky Live across four cities, with the highlight being Sandton in Johannesburg each November.

Whisky is consumed across all age groups, gender and race, making it truly representative in our diverse demographic.”

Although there are two craft distilleries making whisky, James Sedgwick remains the only full-scale whisky distillery in South Africa, giving it a status similar to Kavalan, which is the sole producer of whisky in Taiwan, leading to its products having the status as ‘national’ whiskies. “I see us as part of the global whisky community,” says Andy Watts, who has done much to improve the quality of South African whisky and help establish it as a serious world player, while acting as an outstanding whisky ambassador for his adopted country.

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Mixing It Up

Winter Journey Knowledge Bar

Winter is the season of celebration, from Thanksgiving through to Valentine’s day, via Christmas, New Year and Burns Night. Edrington Beam Suntory whisky ambassador Amanda Humphrey joined us to create the ideal drink for each occasion and showcase the group’s impressive portfolio of whisky and gin. We present them here with simple food pairing suggestions to inspire a season that celebrates flavour, along with everything else!

Edrington Beam Suntory

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Roku Gin Named after the Japanese for ‘six’ representing the six uniquely Japanese botanicals used to create it: yuzu peel, sakura flower, sakura leaf, sencha tea, gyokuro tea and sansho pepper

Photographer: Brendan MacNeill Assistant: Rorie Balloch Stylist: Meredith Wilkie

Maker’s Private Select The Whisky Shop Batch 001 Single cask exclusive Maker’s Mark designed by The Whisky Shop staff (read more in New Releases) The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old Aged in American oak and ex-sherry casks, balancing the classic Macallan style with unmistakable sweetness The Chita Sophisticated and complex single grain Japanese whisky from The House of Suntory, often used as the ‘dashi’ in their blended expressions Laphroaig Lore The richest ever Laphroaig, inspired by the passing of craft from generation to generation.

Multi award-winning

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Mixing It Up

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Left to right, top to bottom: Using gomme to create a toasted black sesame garnish for the 4th Quarter Highball; Shaking the Laphroaig Lore Penicillin; adding the final touches to the Chita Smash; slowly stirring down the Macallan Pasa-Doble; separating an egg white and dry shaking for the Sakura Club.

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Upstate Old Fashioned

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[Maker's Private Select] 25ml Maker’s Mark Private Select The Whisky Shop Batch 001 25ml Amontillado Sherry 2 Dashes Chocolate Bitters Top with Chilled Tonic — Garnish: Toasted black sesame and lemon zest.

Ice: Cubed Glassware: Highball

[Maker's Private Select] 50ml Maker’s Mark Private Select The Whisky Shop Batch 001 1 bar spoon Acorn Liqueur 10ml Maple Syrup 2 Dashes of Walnut Bitters Garnish: Orange Zest Ice: Cubed Ice — Garnish: Orange Zest Ice: Cubed Ice Glassware: Old fashioned — Serve with Classic Pumpkin Pie

Mixing It Up

Thanksgiving/ 4th Quarter Highball

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Christmas/ Pasa-Doble

[The Macallan12 Year Old Double Cask]

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40ml The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask 15ml Amontillado Sherry Pinch of smoked salt 5ml maple syrup — Stir in Mixing Glass then Single Strain into Rocks Glass Garnish with Orange Twist Ice: Cubed — Serve with Indulgently sherry-soaked Christmas pudding

[The Chita]

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45ml The Chita 15ml Lillet blanc 2–3 Pineapple chunks 2 lemon wedges 10ml sugar syrup Top w/ Champagne — Shake and strain into highball over cracked ice and top with champagne Glass: Highball – crushed ice Garnish: Mint sprig / pineapple slice Ice: Crushes — Serve with Japanese style salmon, daikon and caviar canapés

Mixing It Up

New Year/ Chita Smash

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Burns Night/ Laphroaig Lore Penicillin [Laphroaig Lore]

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50ml Laphroaig Lore 25ml Lemon Juice 15ml Honey Syrup 10ml Fresh Ginger Syrup — Shake all ingredients together in a boston shaker, strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with lemon twist and ginger Julien — Serve with Traditional haggis

[Roku]

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45ml Roku 10ml Dry vermouth 15ml Lemon juice 10ml Hibiscus syrup Dash Orange bitters Dash Egg White — Dry shake, then shake over ice. Strain.

Glass: Coupe — Serve with Matcha green tea macarons

Mixing It Up

Valentines/ Sakura Club

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Edith unedited Fresh from the news that her eponymous Soundtracking with Edith Bowman podcast had won not one, but two awards at the at the Audio & Radio Industry Awards 2018 – bronze for Best Music Presenter [nonBreakfast] and gold for Best Specialist Music Show – a beaming Edith joined us to talk about work, family, and her Scottish roots, ahead of presenting the Scottish BAFTAs in November.

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Photography: Brian Sweeney Assitant: Fabio Rebelo Paiva Stylist: Emily Jerman Make up: Kenneth Soh Set stylist: Eddie Bowen Location: c/o Maggie Smart

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You’re normally the one conducting an interview, does it help you when the tables are turned?

What I try and do is not do the thing that I hate in an interview. A lot of the time when I do interviews, particularly with people in the film world, you can hear them stepping in to give the same answer they’ve given five other people. That’s the way that it works with films – they have a line. So that makes me try and think of other questions to get a different story out of them. I don’t want to give people the same answers to things that I’ve already answered.

Does that define your favourite type of person to interview? You’ve met people at festivals, from films, musicians…

My ideal scenario is where I have the opportunity to sit down for a nice chunk of time with no agenda. Even on my podcast there’s an agenda because it’s about music.

I never sit down with a list of questions, I have pages of notes and facts and names and dates written down, but I never write questions really, for any of the interviews.

Is that a style you’ve developed over time?

Yeah, definitely. I would never have had the confidence to go in without certain questions [before]. In my head I will still sort of say, “If I want to get onto that point then I need to ask this”, and I have my fallback which is all the facts on the paper. And that’s why sometimes I stumble and mumble my way through, but I would much rather it feel natural and conversational than “Ok, next question!”.

W “I need to feel that energy, I need to feel that way where you never know what’s going to happen”

Do you think your success stems from being conversational and relatable?

Well, I hope so because what I want whoever is watching or listening to feel is that they’re, not part of the conversation, because they obviously can’t ask questions, but that they don’t feel excluded from the conversation.

A certain generation of Scots saw you being on BBC Radio One as a real turning point. How was the experience from your perspective?

It’s funny because up until that point I’d had really negative feedback about my accent.

So actually before that, before I joined MTV, I went down to London and I sent out a showreel to everyone. I used my last student loan to pay and go and do this course and do a showreel, and I sent it out to everybody, and my mum’s still got a folder with all the letters in it saying “Maybe you should think about going for elocution lessons to soften your accent”. Because my accent is a Fife accent; it’s definitely not as strong as it used to be and that's just from being in London – you sometimes can’t control your accent and where it goes. But give me five minutes on the phone with my mum and you’d probably need subtitles!

And so the negativity was like “Wow, ok…” but I thought, I’m not going to change who I am. That is part of me and, hopefully, part of my charm. And then I was so lucky that MTV was about to launch MTV:UK and they wanted to the represent the UK with the different accents from our great nation. So, Christine Boar [Head of Programming & Production] brought on board myself, Donna Air with a

Geordie accent, Cat [Deeley] with her Brummie accent, Coxy as well. We were all part of that whole troop of first presenters in for MTV:UK, so that was the real starting point for me.

But it was massive for Radio One. The only other person I can remember hearing with a Scottish accent on Radio One in the entire time I listened to it as a child and up until I started working there, was Nicky Campbell, and he had quite a distinguished, posh Scottish accent.

It was wonderful, and I really did get a sort of national hug from people in a sort of “Well done!” type of way. It was really lovely for me.

I left Scotland because I wanted to work, and there was no work for me in Scotland for what I wanted to do. I went to London because there were more opportunities.

You described that ‘national hug’ – and Scottish people do seem to be particularly proud of their own.

What’s your experience of that?

I did Comic Relief Does Fame Academy and I think the Scottish vote is definitely what won it for me. And the fact that Colin [Murray, Edith's Radio One co-host] campaigned for the entire time I was in that house. But I think that whenever a Scottish person does well – in whatever field it is, whether it’s Andy Murray or Chris Hoy or Biffy Clyro – whoever it is, I think there’s a real sense of pride.

Do you feel like a sort of ambassador for Scotland and Scottish people?

I love being able to do things that celebrate my Scottishness. And when I go up to Scotland and work, I love it.

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Knowledge Bar 5 places to get a bev The Stag | NW3 London It's my local and they are the type of brilliant boozer that caters for any occasion.

Sunday lunch, drink with mates, birthday, I even had my book launch there.

Nice N Sleazy | Sauchiehall St, Glasgow I have so many memories of this bar over the years and whenever I take people to Glasgow for the first time I always take them there. Great vibes and amazing memories.

Bourbon and Branch and then within that you have Marianne’s on 360 Jessie Street, San Francisco. It’s a great speakeasy that has rooms within rooms and bars within bars. Remember the cocktails being amazing when I went quite a few years ago with my husband when he was touring the states. We all went for drinks after his show at The Fillmore.

Bonehead | Birmingham Chicken & Liquor. What more could you want? This is a new venue that has been opened by a friend of a friend. All round delicious and fun with great drinks.

The Delaunay | 55 Aldwych, London.

I love this place, it’s like stepping back in time, really old school. Become a bit of a tradition that we go on or around my birthday. Get dressed up, just the two of us and eat amazing food and have fabulous wine and cocktails. They do a fantastic Espresso Martini.

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W “I thought, I’m not going to change who I am. That is part of me and, hopefully, part of my charm”

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Yesterday I interviewed this fantastic film director, David Mackenzie, who’s got a new film coming out called Outlaw King, which has Chris Pine playing Robert the Bruce, Florence Pugh playing his wife, Elizabeth, and the rest of the cast is Scots through and through. It was filmed in Scotland, all the music was recorded in Scotland. I was chatting to him about it yesterday and he was saying it was really important for him to just celebrate Scottishness. He had an American leading man in his film, because he wanted the best leading man in someone that he worked with. But for him in his creativity it was about celebrating Scottishness through music, the landscape, how he shot it, and the stories that he’s telling.

Any opportunity that I get to be in Scotland and shout about Scotland, I do it. I was up there opening the V&A museum in Dundee, which is the one and only other V&A outside of London, which is massive for Dundee. It’s a city that never had any love, that’s had really hard times, and that’s suddenly got this international spotlight on it to celebrate its design and its technology, and also give its youth a voice through that as well.

So any opportunity I get to shout about, or celebrate, or be there, I am there in a flash.

Do you still manage to get a good family Christmas with everyone up in Scotland?

I try to. My brother works off shore, so his rota dictates whether he’s home or not as well.

We went away a couple of times, but we took everybody with us. We went to America and did a house swap with friends who live in L.A. Do you have any favourite New Year, festive or seasonal drinks?

My summer tipple for the last few years has been Copper Dog, because it’s been at the Isle of Wight Festival for the last two years, so I’ve kind of become addicted to it. I also got an amazing Blade Runner bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label, so I’ve been slowly working my way through that. Part of me was like “I should keep this”, but I just couldn’t help myself.

I remember growing up in he hotel that my grandad started, and that my mum and dad and mum’s sisters all ran. We were really well regarded for our food, people would come from far and wide for our fish and chips, but also our whisky collection. So that’s where I really remember my dad having this amazing

knowledge about the different blends and vintages and ages, and the idea of these crazy names people sometimes give whiskies. My dad's always got a really good selection – it’s normally a thing I do when I go home.

Do you regress a bit and go and raid his liquor cabinet?

Yes, but legally! As opposed to going round it with a soda stream bottle and making a ridiculous concoction to get pissed aged 15 down the High Street… But yeah, I don’t have crystal glasses at home, but my parents do and there’s nothing nicer than getting a proper weighty glass and some ice and going, “What’ll I have?”. So I really associate it with going back to Scotland and my mum and dad’s.

You’ve touched on film already. Was talking about film always your career objective? Did you use everything else as a path to that, or did it evolve as your career progressed?

It was a bit of both, to be honest. Film has always been a massive release for me, even as a kid. I have really vivid memories of going to the cinema to watch Lady and the Tramp, and then I really remember my first time I was allowed to go to the cinema with my mates, it was an effort.

Then, when I went to uni, film studies was part of my communications degree. And I wrote about Pulp Fiction, which was great because college paid for me to go and watch it six times at the cinema. Maybe it was then that I thought, “Maybe I could do this as a job and go and watch films for free?”. But I think it’s always been there.

Also, weirdly, when I was growing up in the hotel we had quite a lot of film units that came through and stayed. So I think, because I was always working in the hotel from the age of 11 or 12 helping out, I was always quite a chatty kid. I saw a lot of these units come through.

There was a TV show called Tutti Fruitti which Richard Wilson, Robbie Coltrane and Emma Thompson were in – they were all at the hotel.

How did film eventually become part of your work?

When I was at MTV I started doing film interviews for them, which was great. When I was at Radio One, we didn’t really do film on our show, then when Colin left our boss, Ben Cooper, said to me “What would you really like

to do? What do you want your show to be about?”.

First of all, I really thought they were going to take me off the show when Colin left, I never thought they’d let me do it on my own. So I said “Can I make film the thing it gets known for?”

And he said “Yeah, why not”.

So that’s where the real immersion of film and work happened. And then from that it’s really grown, and it’s been a natural progression into that world and bringing music with it, and being able to do the podcast that is those two things.

Has your proximity to the film world given you a different approach to it, or do you still research and approach it as a fan?

I think that both those things are really necessary. I do all my own research, even if it’s people I’ve interviewed before. Yesterday I was doing The Favourite, and I’ve been lucky enough to interview Emma Stone and Olivia Coleman before, but I still went online and watched interviews of them together to get a sense of their chemistry. It did help that, with Olivia, because I’d interviewed her before a couple of times, there was a familiarity there and I had a bit of a joke with her. Whereas if it was the first time I’d interviewed her I wouldn’t have had the confidence to do that type of thing.

The opposite of that is Rachel Weisz, who I’d never interviewed before, and I think she’s amazing, and she’d just had a baby and she was looking f*cking awesome! And she rocks up on stage, and one of the people who walked her up introduced us and said, “Rachel, this is Edith” and she said, “Oh, hello lovely to meet you, my mum’s called Edith”. And then I kind of went into this really rambling fangirl rant about how I was named after my nan who died after she gave birth to my aunt, and that I’ve got two boys and I’d love to have had a girl so I could’ve called her Edith, but then that’s weird. I was thinking “What’re you saying?! Stop talking at this woman”.

But I think, weirdly, talking is my way of getting over nerves.

Do you really still get nervous?

Totally! And I think when I don’t is when I stop. Because I need to feel that energy, I need to feel that way where you never know what’s going to happen. You might’ve interviewed someone 20 times and you may just get them on a sh*t day, or something might happen or they might not remember you.

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W “…if they give me a script of questions I’m never going to stick to it, I’ll go off on my own tangent”

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Do you have any one question that you’re obligated to ask, but hate asking?

When you do premiers you often have to ask the question that’s like “How does it feel to be here tonight?” and it’s such a sh*t question! So I never ask it, but it’s always first on a script. And people that know me know that if they give me a script of questions I’m never going to stick to it, I’ll go off on my own tangent.

Any particularly memorable interviews?

One of the really positive experiences I had was with Adam Driver, he came on the show to talk about a little film that he’d done with Jim Jarmusch, and he was really surprised that someone had him on a live radio show to talk about it in the UK because it was such a little film. We had such a nice time, he was really shy, he wasn’t hard work but he was quite reserved.

Then he came on about eight months later for Logan Lucky, the Steven Soderbergh film that him and Channing Tatum did. And he came in much more relaxed, and I knew that about three months later the new Star Wars film was coming out, and I’m a huge Star Wars fan. I’d been told in advance that I couldn’t ask him about Star Wars, so I was trying to work out how I could get around asking him about it.

And then I thought, I know what I’ll do, I’ll use my kids. I never parade my kids in front of anything, because they deserve their own journey. So I audio recorded them, and told them mum was going to be interviewing Kylo Ren at work. Rudi was brilliant and asked him a really quite profound question, then Spike was like, “Hi Kylo Ren, it’s Spike here, did you get to keep any of your costume?”. So I said to Adam in the break, “Listen, I’ve got my kids to record you a little question each is that alright?”. And he went “Yeh, sure, no problem at all”. I got my producer to edit the audio of it so I could take it home and play it just to the kids so it was like Kylo Ren had left them a message. They went to bed no problem for a week after that!

A few months later I was doing The Last Jedi premier at The Royal Albert Hall and it was massive, so busy. I’m on stage and Adam Driver gets brought to me for the next interview, and I said “Hi Adam, it’s Edith” and he went “Hi, how you doing? How’s Rudi and Spike?”. It literally threw me, I could not think of anything to ask him I was so thrown. He’s a good guy, he listens, he connects. I couldn’t believe that.

It’s nice that you still have a sense of awe.

Oh God, totally! I’m a total fangirl. When people describe me as a film critic, it makes me feel really uncomfortable. I’m a film fan, I never want to be a critic, or tell people what to think about something. I want to tell them stuff so they can make up their own mind.

How do you go about getting people for the podcast?

I email them, I go on social media. We just got Christopher McQuarrie, who just directed the new Mission: Impossible from Twitter. That was mental. Over the last few years I’ve built up really good relationships with some of the film companies and the PR agencies and stuff – they know what I do, and I guess there’s an element of trust there as well.

It’s about reaching out and asking.

Some are more difficult than others. A lot of composers don’t travel to the UK all the time, so it’s quite tricky, because so much of the time they can just do it in their home studios. Some of the time you still get those big moments – I was very lucky to get invited

by Warner Bros. to go down to Abbey Road Studios to go and watch James Newton Howard do the Fantastic Beasts score. That was a 200-piece orchestra, it was incredible.

And I’m not some sort of aficionado on scoring and classical music and composers.

I love it, and I’m a fan of it, and with every interview and every experience I’m still learning. If I don’t know something in an interview, I’ll ask the person, instead of agreeing. Because what’s the point?

What’re your recommendations for upcoming releases?

I can’t wait for the new Mary Poppins film with Emily Blunt, I think it’s the most brilliant piece of casting ever. Outlaw King, which is phenomenal. I said to David Mackenzie, the director, that when I was at school I remember doing Shakespeare, and I was having real problems connecting with it and understanding it, and being able to get my head around the language. Then our English teacher let us watch Roman Polanski’s Macbeth, and I got it, from watching that. I said to David, I really want people to make your film part of curriculum for the history of pre-Bannockburn Robert the Bruce.

Speaking of Scottish film, tell us about your involvement with BAFTA Scotland…

I’ve been lucky enough that I’ve done it quite a few times now. I went and presented an award and then they got me to host it.

I love that team. I do it and then I’m like, please ask me back!

What I love about the Scottish BAFTAs is that it’s about everybody. It’s about the craft, it’s about TV, it’s about current affairs, it’s about film. It’s everything. And they really celebrate Scottish talent, and the atmosphere in the room is absolutely brilliant on the night.

I love that, I really really enjoy it.

As well as film, you’re known for being a big fan of festivals and wrote your book, Edith Bowman’s Great British Music Festivals. Do you have any favourites or recommendations for people?

I did a few this year with Tom [Edith husband, frontman of Editors], which was great. And it’s good to go and try out some new ones. What was great as well, this year, was that we got to take the podcast to Festival Number 6, so we spoke to Irvine Welsh in Portmeirion, which was awesome. He’s brilliant, so that was really nice.

I really want Emily Eavis to to book Tina Turner for Glastonbury for that slot on the Sunday.

— Soundtracking with Edith Bowman is available as a weekly podcast.

(For any online copy please add: audioboom.com/channel/soundtrackingwithedithbowman ) — Credits: Cover: White strapless jumpsuit AQAQ – aqaq.com / Inside: Silk Dress : Alexa Chung, – oxygenboutique.com / Silver Boots: Christian Louboutin – christianlouboutin.com / Siver sequin dress : Love Moschino – theoutnet.com / Mustard jumper: Folk Clothing – folkclothing.com / Trousers: Paul and Joe Sister – paulandjoe.com / Moss Roll neck: Paul and Joe Sister – paulandjoe.com / Styling: Emily Jerman – emilyjerman.com / Hair and Make up: Kenneth Soh @ Frank Agency using Twelve Beauty & Marc Jacobs Beauty / Glassware: by Richard Brendon, available at The Conran Shop

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W “When people describe me as a film critic, it makes me feel really uncomfortable.

I’m a film fan”

Knowledge Bar Edith's 5 Films to see this festive season

Knowledge Bar A 10-ish song for playlist for festive vibes

Elf My key to Xmas It’s A Wonderful Life Has to be done every year.

The Old Man & The Gun Out 7th Dec. Robert Redford's last film from one of my favourite directors, David Lowery.

The Favourite Out 1st Jan from Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos starring Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone & Rachel Weitz. It’s brilliantly bonkers.

Outlaw King Available on Netflix from Scottish Director David Mackenzie, with Chris Pine as Robert The Bruce.

Low Just Like Christmas The Psychedelic Furs Love My Way Smith & Burrows This Ain’t New Jersey LCD Soundsystem All My Friends Chris Rea Driving Home For Christmas Peter Rodriguez I Like It Like That Lykke Li I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix) The Blaze Territory Marvin Gaye Got To Give Up Stevie Nicks Edge of Seventeen Hall & Oates I Can’t Go For That John Lennon Happy Xmas (War is Over )

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Loch Lomond Whiskies

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Three Distinctive Single Malts from Loch Lomond Whiskies Loch Lomond Whiskies uses different styles of distillation to create many unique flavours in their new make spirit. The distillery is very distinctive in that it uses different shapes of stills to create single malts from a combination of traditional swan neck pot stills and straight neck pot stills‌

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By using different levels of peat in the malted barley, three types of yeast, two shapes of pot stills, and different ways of running the pot stills to create eight flavour styles of new make spirit, Loch Lomond can produce single malts that range from light and fruity to full bodied and peaty.

Loch Lomond single malts reflect as much of the distillery in the whisky itself. Wood is important, however they aim for a softer wood influence using a combination of some first fill bourbon casks and recharred American oak from their own cooperage, but more refill American oak giving a background wood character which keeps the distinctive distillery character to the fore.

Master Blender, Michael Henry joined Loch Lomond distillery in 2007 after perfecting his craft in brewing and distilling in Belfast and Glasgow. Having previously worked in brewing, Michael`s technical understanding of flavour generation during fermentation is evident in his whisky blending role at Loch Lomond, where the signature character of the distillery is the fruit flavours developed through a focus on yeast, longer fermentation times and innovative distilling techniques.

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Inchmurrin Single Cask Exclusive

Specially selected by The Whisky Shop.

Inchmurrin is a light style of malt, made in straight neck pot stills. Crisp with a syrupy sweetness, some orange peel followed by barely sugar notes. There is toffee and creamy oak vanilla with gentle waves of ginger spices at the end. This single cask has been bottled specially for The Whisky Shop.

Loch Lomond 12 Year Old Spirit of the Open This exquisite 12 Year old single malt has a deep fruit character of peach and pear layered with a vanilla sweetness and the characteristic hints of peat and smoke found in Loch Lomond Whiskies. Aged in three types of cask-bourbon, refill and recharred, this whisky is brought together under the watchful eye of Master Distiller, Michael Henry.

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Inchmoan 12 Year Old Uses three distillation styles of malted barley to give a depth of character that allows more subtle peat notes to come through.

A traditional swan neck pot still gives oily sweet medicinal peat character that forms the base and the straight neck pot still with a low collection strength adds smokiness. Finally the high collection strength captures the spicier flavours coming from the peat. Matured in a mix of recharred American oak and refill bourbon American oak casks to give soft, sweet vanilla background notes that complements the softer peat style from Loch Lomond’s unique still set up.

PURIT Y IS A R ARE THING – WORTH STRIVING FOR Since Sir Alexander Ramsay established the distillery in 1824 we’ve been going to extraordinary lengths to capture the purest expression of our whisky’s character. Located in the foothills of Scotland’s Cairngorms, we don’t just use crystal clear mountain water as an ingredient, we drench our stills

DISTILLED AND BOTTLED IN SCOTLAND THE FETTERCAIRN DISTILLERY COMPANY FETTERCAIRN KINCARDINESHIRE AB30 1YB

Enjoy responsibly

with it, cooling the copper so only the finest vapours rise.

72/ The Whisky Shop Exclusives 74/ GlenKeir Treasures 75/ Thanksgiving 76/ Christmas 78/ New Year 80/ Burns Night 82/ Hunter Laing 83/ The Loch Fyne 84/ Customer Favourites: Light/Floral 86/ Customer Favourites: Rich/Sweet 90/ Customer Favourites: Smoky 92/ International Customer Favourites 94/ Directory

The Whisky Shop

Winter 2018/19

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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 cask single malts to singularly superb blends, these whiskies are for our customers only.

Highland Park The W Club Exclusive

The GlenDronach 1993

Inchmurrin 17 Year Old

70CL | 67% VOL | £95

70CL | 51% VOL | £210

70CL | TBC% VOL | £85

The very first single cask exclusive selected by The W Club members, for The W Club members since the club relaunched in 2016. Drawn from a first refill American oak sherry puncheon, this bold dram boasts light wood, fragrant smoke and maritime scents, followed by an initially sweet and fruity palate and dry finish.

Described by Charles MacLean as a “superlative example of sherry cask maturation” when released, this impressive dram is an excellent example of The GlenDronach’s house ‘big sherry’ style. The profoundly rich aroma is followed by voluptuous texture and equally rich flavour.

The latest single cask exclusive from the Loch Lomond group for The Whisky Shop customers to relish! This expression hails from Loch Lomond Distillery, representing the lighter unpeated spirit that is just one of the various styles produced there, named after Inchmurrin island on the loch itself.

ɛɛ Cask strength ɛɛ Drawn from cask #2132 ɛɛ Maritime; sweet; dry

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25 years old Sherry matured Xmas cake; dried fruits; dark chocolate.

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Cask strength Refill ex-bourbon barrel Fresh and fruity; grassy; spicy.

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Platinum Old & Rare Macallan 26 Year Old

Kilchoman 2007 Single Cask

Glen Scotia 2006 Bourbon Cask

70CL | 55.2% VOL | £1840

70CL | 56.5% VOL | £140

70CL | 55.6% VOL | £85

One of only 60 bottles filled from a single sherry butt on 25th May 2018, this Speyside single malt was distilled at the original Macallan distillery in June 1991. Matured for almost three decades, it is a highly limited independent bottling from Hunter Laing’s aptly named Platinum Old & Rare range.

Distilled on 20th July 2007, this whisky matured in bourbon cask #150/2007 for almost eleven years before bottling on 11th June 2018. It hails from ‘Islay’s farm distillery’, where they use local peat cut the traditional way, slowly distil by hand, mature in traditional dunnage warehouses, and bottle on site.

Distilled in December 2006 and matured in a single first-fill exbourbon barrel for eleven years, this Campbeltown single malt was bottled in April 2018. It is a great example of, and introduction to, the distillery’s classic maritime Campbeltown style.

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Cask strength Collectible Smooth and sweet; cream sherry; oak spice

Cask strength Just 238 bottles produced Tropical fruits; butterscotch; peat smoke

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Cask strength Just 212 bottles produced Sweet; salty; gentle spice and oak

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GlenKeir Treasures ➛

Our unique GlenKeir Treasures range is reaching the ripe old age of 15 and still going strong. We pick the most interesting casks we can find and offer a selection of styles and sizes to suit any budget or occasion. Our 20cl quarter bottle, available in store at The Whisky Shop, is compact, robust, and a favourite with travellers.

GlenKeir Treasures Craigellachie 9 Year Old Sherry Cask

GlenKeir Treasures The Secret Islay

GlenKeir Treasures Coimeasgadh

50CL | 40% VOL | £50

50CL | 40% VOL | £50

50CL | 43.6% VOL | £55

This 9 year old single malt from Craigellachie distillery was distilled on 14th July 2008 and matured for 9 years in a sherry cask. Bottled in 2017 when the wood influence was deemed to have perfectly balanced with the distinctively earthy distillery character of Craigellachie, it’s a fine example of the make.

A mysterious whisky packed full of classic Islay character – beach bonfires, peat smoke, sea salt and warming spice aplenty. This is a limited edition for The Whisky Shop customers only and an imaginative gift for lovers of peaty whiskies – we wonder who can guess which distillery it hails from?

A new addition to the range, named after the Gaelic for ‘gathering’. This blended malt gathers together a selection of the finest whiskies with intriguing results – expect fresh, sweet aromas and a rich mouth feel – with the exact identities of the components kept tantalisingly top secret.

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Personalisation available Speyside single malt Blood orange; white pepper; creamy candy

ɛɛ Personalisation available ɛɛ Islay single malt ɛɛ Peat; citrus; salt

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Blended malt whisky Find Charles MacLean’s review in New Releases Stone fruits; gentle spice; wood smoke

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Thanksgiving ➛

What better excuse to try a line-up of all-American whiskeys than an all-American holiday? Celebrated on 22nd November 2018 in America (and slightly earlier on 8th October in Canada), the festival gives thanks for the blessing of the harvest of the year before. So, raise your glass of bourbon or rye and give thanks for an abundance of corn, rye, wheat and barley!

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Maker's Private Select The Whisky Shop Batch 001

Blanton's Gold Edition

Basil Hayden's

70CL | TBC% VOL | £85

70CL | 51.5% VOL | £99

70CL | 40% VOL | £46

A very special expression, created by The Whisky Shop staff especially for our customers in the UK’s first ‘Private Select’ session!

Matured using a unique and carefully considered collection of 10 differently-treated oak staves, we have created a delicious spirit with winter in mind.

Created for exceptional smoothness and a clean finish, this bourbon is made with a sour mash of corn, rye and malted barley before maturing in American White Oak casks.

Powerful and dry on the nose (honey, rye, dried fruits, vanilla, chocolate). The palate is full and rich followed by a long, toffeeladen finish.

The recipe for this Kentucky Straight Bourbon dates back to 1796 and specifies a higher percentage of rye in the mash than other bourbons, resulting in a distinctively smooth and mild taste. The nose is spicy with hints of peppermint tea, the palate peppery with honey, before a dry and clean finish.

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Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Rye 70CL | 47% VOL | £55 Each bottle in the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel family expresses the identity of a barrel, each one unique, bearing its own bottling number.

The result is a sublime discovery – enjoy neat or in a cocktail, especially a rye Manhattan.

Made using 70% rye in the mashbill, this whiskey boasts ripe fruit, spice and toasted wood flavours. ɛɛ

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The distillery’s first new mash recipe since 1866 Grain-forward character Cereal; wood; spice.

The Whisky Shop exclusive First of it’s kind in the UK Find Charles MacLean’s review in New Releases

ɛɛ Distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky ɛɛ Topped with trademark horse and jockey stopper ɛɛ Sharp apricot; butter; toffee apples

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Aged for 8 years Small batch premium bourbon Honey; mint; white pepper

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Christmas

The GlenDronach 15 Year Old Revival

➛ Some whiskies taste as if they

were made for Christmas time.

Our chosen selection pays tribute to the classic flavours of the festive season – think sherry, port, spice, and rich fruity puddings. Ideal for treating yourself or a loved one, and of course the perfect drams to leave out for Santa!

The BenRiach 12 Year Old Sherry Cask

The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve

70CL | 46% VOL | £62

70CL | 46% VOL | £48

70CL | 46.5% VOL | £65

A popular expression with a chequered past: first released in the 1990s, it was relaunched as The GlenDronach Revival (at a higher ABV) when Billy Walker took over in the 2000s. Just four years later stock constraints forced its discontinuation. It returns to widespread and eager anticipation, for good reason.

Crafted using three facets of sherry cask maturation, this Speyside single malt has undergone 12 years of maturation in sherry casks, followed by finishing in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks which have imparted unexpected layers of sweet fruits and toasted oak spice. It is recently relaunched following discontinuation due to sherry cask shortages.

Beginning its life in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, this Highland single malt is then split between American white oak and aged Tawny port pipes from W & J Graham's vineyard in Portugal. These are then married back together to harmonise the flavours, resulting in a decadent and complex whisky.

ɛɛ Matured in the finest Oloroso Sherry casks ɛɛ Find Charles MacLean’s review in New Releases ɛɛ Dried fruit; treacle; chocolate

ɛɛ Triple sherry maturation ɛɛ Bold Pedro Ximénez influence ɛɛ Rich fruit; nutty; vanilla

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Created by Richard Paterson Beautifully balanced Stone fruit; roasted chestnuts; creamy

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Penderyn Sherry Wood

Compass Box Spice Tree

The Lost Distillery Company Jericho

70CL | 46% VOL | £44

70CL | 46% VOL | £53

70CL | 43% VOL | £50

Penderyn Sherry Wood A rich fruity single malt whisky derived from a combination of whisky matured in bourbon barrels and dry Oloroso sherry casks, imparting wonderfully rich fruity flavours. The unique distillation and maturation produces a single malt whisky in which the signature Penderyn style is enhanced by rich tones of dry Sherry.

Ideal for lovers of big, spicy, fruity malt whiskies – especially those with a rebellious streak! It was banned in 2006 for its unique new French oak ageing that was considered 'non-traditional', only to return, better than ever, with an adapted technique. It is made from a combination of three Highland single malts.

Part of the Classic Selection from The Lost Distillery Co., this blended malt Scotch whisky seeks to reinterpret the whisky of the now lost Jericho distillery of Aberdeenshire. Operating from 1822-1913, including a name change to Benachie in its latter stages, the distillery was one of the first to adopt sherry casks for maturation.

ɛɛ Created in Wales ɛɛ Multi gold award-winning ɛɛ Toffee-apple; hazelnut; sherry

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Innovative ageing gives a unique, complex character Perfect accompaniment to cheese Ginger spice; herbal; black pepper

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A marriage of aged single malts Well balanced and rich Fruit; tangerine; herbal

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New Year

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of the Hog

Glenfiddich Winter Storm Batch 2 21 Year Old Icewine Cask Finish

The Dalmore King Alexander III

70CL | TBC% VOL | £TBC

70CL | 43% VOL | £199

70CL | 40% VOL | £189

➛ Perfect to enjoy at the bells as Old

Each year Johnnie Walker releases a limited edition bottling of its iconic Blue Label designed not in honour of the Georgian ‘New Year’, but of the Chinese.

On 5th February 2019 we will enter the year of the hog, which is celebrated in this beautifully decorated bottle.

Malt Master Brian Kinsman’s third Experimental Series release: Speyside single malt finished for six months in French oak icewine casks from the renowned Peller Estate winery in Niagara, Canada.

After visiting the estate in January 2016, Kinsman experimented with various combinations of Glenfiddich and icewine casks, finding that only rarer whiskies could cope with the extra intensity.

Crafted to honour the act of saving Scotland's King in 1263, this expression unites six specially selected casks housing spirit of perfect maturity. Whiskies matured in ex-bourbon casks, Matusalem Oloroso sherry wood, Madeira barrels, Marsala casks, port pipes and Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques are brought together in perfect harmony.

ɛɛ Unique and complex ɛɛ Created by Richard Paterson ɛɛ Rich and smooth; spicy oak; hazelnut

Lang Syne plays, or gift as part of the Scottish tradition of ‘first-footing’ – when one is the first to cross a neighbour’s threshold on New Year’s Day, bringing good luck for the year ahead. These whiskies are sure to kick 2019 off in spectacular style.

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Limited Edition Classic Blue Label whisky Deep richness; smoke; incredibly smooth

ɛɛ Limited edition ɛɛ 21 year old whisky ɛɛ Candy; wine; fruity

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Compass Box Hedonism

The Authors' Series Hibiki Port Ellen 33 Year Old Japenese Harmony Alfred Lord Tennyson

70CL | 43% VOL | £73

70CL | 55.9% VOL | £2800

70CL | 43% VOL | £75

Designed to bring sheer pleasure to any who imbibe it, Hedonism celebrates grain whiskies and high quality oak maturation.

Created with liquid from Port Dundas and Cameronbridge distilleries, matured in first fill American standard barrels and a rejuvenated hogshead, the result is a moreish blended grain whisky for enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

Hunter Laing’s First Editions Authors’ Series is dedicated to great writers of the past and cited as “the perfect companion to a quiet evening with a classic novel”. This rare Port Ellen expression is paired the works of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, the longest serving Poet Laureate to date, and often considered the greatest poet of the Victorian era.

A blend of more than 10 malt and grain whiskies from the famous House of Suntory’s malt distilleries, Yamazaki and Hakushu, and their grain distillery, Chita. This expression brings to life the harmony of Japanese nature and craftmanship through a skilled balance of flavour and aroma. Delicate in flavour, it is both subtle and complex.

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Blended grain Scotch whisky Lighter style Vanilla; caramel; coconut

Collectible, only 142 bottles produced Distilled in 1983 Peat; grassy; oak spice

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First Hibiki blend released 1989 Enjoy ‘mizuwari’ (cut with water) Oak; vanilla; floral

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Burns Night

Robert Burns Malt

The Loch Fyne Blend

The First Editions Talisker 2010 Sherry Cask

70CL | 43% VOL | £39

50CL | 40% VOL | £24

70CL | 46% VOL | £89

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The Burns Malt is an official Arran Single Malt, endorsed by The World Robert Burns Federation.

Very fresh with no artificial colouring, this light aromatic single malt is ideal as an aperitif, or to accompany your Burns supper. The beautiful packaging shows Burns himself.

Loch Fyne Whiskies call this 'the malt drinker's blend.' First introduced in 1996, it is now presented in a new bottle, however the liquid remains the same firm favourite. Charlie MacLean once described it as: “A true premium blend […] A whisky which is appropriate for any time of the day: perilously smooth, mellow and easy to drink”.

A single cask expression from Hunter Laing & Co. in their First Editions series, which showcases malts of similar status to a rare literary volume. Distilled at Skye's Talisker distillery in 2010, this expression matured in a sherry butt for 7 years, giving a lusciously rich sweetness to the classically maritime malt.

Toasting Scotland’s bard with a dram is almost obligatory, and it’s important to have the right whisky for the job. Here we present the drams we think befit Burns best of all – be it for their easy-drinking nature, heritage, or ability to match the peppery flavours of haggis, the classic Burns supper.

ɛɛ Officially endorsed ɛɛ Island single malt ɛɛ Nectarine; almonds; custard.

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Blended by Ronnie Martin OBE Smooth and mellow Biscuit; toffee apple; fruity.

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Collectible, only 810 bottles produced Cask strength Peat smoke; vanilla; citrus.

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The Tweeddale 28 Year Old The Evolution 70CL | 52% VOL | £175 Limited edition blended Scotch from R&B Distillers, inspired by the cellar book of early 20th century Borders blender Richard Day, and evolved (as the name suggests) for the present day by his great grandson, Alasdair Day. This is the oldest expression in the range to date, combining classic Speyside single malts with a Lowland single grain whisky. ɛɛ Blended Scotch ɛɛ Limited edition ɛɛ Orange zest; plum; chocolate.

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Hunter Laing

Platinum Old & Rare Mortlach 25 Year Old

Platinum Old & Rare Tamdhu 30 Year Old

The Old Malt Cask Craigellachie 21 Year Old

70CL | 58.8% VOL | £400

70CL | 53.9% VOL | £250

70CL | 50% VOL | £137

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Left to mature in a single sherry butt for a quarter of a century, this whisky was finally bottled in September 2017. Rarely bottled as a single malt, Mortlach is a key component of Johnnie Walker bottlings, making this expression – presented at cask strength, free from chill-filtration and tinting – all the more covetable.

Another distillery whose whiskies are rarely seen as single malts, Tamdhu is used in blends such as Cutty Sark, The Famous Grouse and J & B. Distilled in July 1987, this expression has matured in a single sherry butt for three decades before bottling free from chill-filtration and without artificial colouring.

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A key component of Dewar’s blends, Craigellachie whiskies have gained popularity in recent years, becoming known for their proudly sulphry nature. This single cask expression, distilled in September 1995, has matured in a sherry butt for 21 years before bottling in April 2017, bringing pleasantly sweet and oaky balance to the distillery character.

Three generations of the Laing family have honed their skills in sourcing the finest whiskies from Scotland, and the international reputation they’ve gained is richly deserved. We stock their First Editions range of accessible single cask malts, the now famous Old Malt Cask range, The Sovereign range of rare and highly desirable single grain whiskies, and their Platinum Old & Rare selection of outstanding single malts.

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Distilled September 1992 Collectible, only 319 bottles produced Cigar leaf; marzipan; fruit cake

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Ideal 30th birthday gift Collectible – only 533 bottles produced Marmalade; big sherry; subtle spice

The First Editions Ben Nevis 2011

The First Editions Laphroaig 2006 Sherry Cask

70CL | 46% VOL | £70

70CL | 46% VOL | £143

Est. in 1825 by ‘Long’ John Macdonald and held by the same family until 1941, Ben Nevis is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, and stands at the foot of the mountain. This single cask expression was distilled there in 2011 and matured for 7 years in a sherry butt before bottling in 2018.

Distilled at Islay’s famous Laphroaig Distillery in 2006 and matured in a single refill sherry butt for 11 years, this youthful expression was bottled in 2017 and displays the brand's distinctive peaty character in a way many wouldn't have tried.

It is free from chill-filtration and artificial colouring.

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Collectible, only 88 bottles produced Single cask Sherry influence; orange; spice

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Collectible, only 592 bottles produced Classic Islay Peat bonfire; sweet fruit; medicinal

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Ideal 21st birthday gift Collectible, only 220 bottles produced Fruity; vanilla, dry.

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The Loch Fyne

The Loch Fyne The Living Cask 1745

The Loch Fyne Glentauchers 10 Year Old

The Loch Fyne Bunnahabhain 16 Year Old

50CL | 43% VOL | £75

50CL | 46% VOL | £65

50CL | 46% VOL | £110

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The name 1745 is a nod to the year that the historic town of Inveraray, home of Loch Fyne Whiskies, was founded. This expression contains 100% Islay single malts, married perfectly together in a unique solera style process to produce a terrific whisky, drawn from a cask that is constantly topped up and never emptied – hence ‘The Living Cask’.

Glentauchers Distillery in Speyside produces a lighter style of whisky which is predominantly contributed to blends such as Ballantines. This unusual independent bottling was distilled in March 2007 and aged for ten years in a single sherry cask before being bottled exclusively for The Loch Fyne.

Drawn from a sherry cask – as is the norm at Bunnahabhain – this expression is big on the delivery, with what Jim Murray describes as “that amazing honey” in his 2019 Whisky Bible. Bunnahabhain is traditionally a lighter, non-peated Islay spirit, and this example stays true to that form. Distilled in December 2001 and bottled May 2018.

This range originally hails from Loch Fyne Whiskies – a wee whisky shop with a big whisky legacy. Given their huge knowledge of the spirit, it’s no surprise that The Loch Fyne not only sell whisky, but also produce their very own range of blends, limited editions, liqueurs, gin and independent bottlings.

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100% Islay malt Unique solera process Peat smoke; brine; herbal

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Rarely available single malt Collectible, only 1,184 bottle produced Fudge and fondant; light spice; touch of smoke.

The Loch Fyne Honey & Ginger Liqueur

The Loch Fyne Chocolate & Orange Liqueur

50CL | 25% VOL | £29

50CL | 40% VOL | £29

Another gem of a liqueur built on a base of The Loch Fyne Blend, this second creation uses the classic ingredients of honey and ginger.

At 25%VOL, it is meant to be quaffed, at any time of the day, as the occasion suits, with or without mixer. A perfect accompaniment for opening the presents on Christmas Day!

The Loch Fyne Chocolate & Orange Liqueur is made with natural flavourings of chocolate, tangerine and orange, meaning it is an effortless fit for festive sipping. Less sweet than other liqueurs, with a warming aroma of deluxe Scotch whisky, it has been created for whisky lovers seeking a sophisticated and complex alternative.

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Pleasantly light, never cloying Great for winter cocktails Sweet; honey; ginger

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Created using The Loch Fyne Blend Winter warmer Chocolate; orange; coffee

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Single cask #12626 Collectible Sherry; honey; floral

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Customer Favourites

anCnoc 12 Year Old

Balblair 2005

Balblair 2000

70CL | 40% VOL | £44

70CL | 46% VOL | £56

70CL | 46% VOL | £80

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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 ex-bourbon oak before four years in first-fill Spanish oak butts.

Bottled in 2017, free from chillfiltration 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.

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.

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Loch Lomond 12 Year Old

Glen Moray 12 Year Old Elgin Heritage

Auchroisk 10 Year Old

70CL | 46% VOL | £45

70CL | 40% VOL | £43

70CL | 43% VOL | £48

An eponymous 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.

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.

The Auchroisk 10 year old is part of Diageo’s Flora & Fauna Series, which consists of 26 different Scotch single malt whiskies from their lesser known distilleries – typical those which predominantly supply liquid for blends, rather than single malt releases. Auchroisk itself is a relatively young Speyside distillery, built in the 70s, and draws naturals waters from Dorries Well to produce smooth, subtle whisky.

This 10 Year Old expression is pleasantly light, with a balance of delicate sweetness and fresh flavours before a short finish.

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Customer Favourites

Blair Athol 12 Year Old

The Dalmore 12 Year Old

The Dalmore 15 Year Old

70CL | 43% VOL | £67

70CL | 40% VOL | £50

70CL | 43% VOL | £70

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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 the 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 orange-citrus 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 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.

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Glen Scotia Victoriana

Glen Moray 15 Year Old Elgin Heritage

The GlenDronach 12 Year Old

The GlenDronach 18 Year Old Allardice

70CL | 54.8% VOL | £84

70CL | 40% VOL | £55

70CL | 43% VOL | £46

70CL | 46% VOL | £95

Each cask of this Campbeltown single malt is selected for its rare character and exceptional maturity. Finished in deep charred oak before bottling straight from the cask, subtle wood and vanilla combine beautifully with a fullbodied spicy fruit aroma. The nose is elegant, with oak and creme brûlée leading to caramelised fruit and polished oak. The palate is sweet and concentrated with blackcurrant jam, subtle wood and vanilla, while the finish is clean and sweet with cocoa tones. A truly decadent dram that harks back to Campbeltown’s heyday.

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 among 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.

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Customer Favourites

The Glenrothes 12 Year Old

Oban Distillers Edition

The BenRiach 21 Year Old

70CL | 40% VOL | £45

70CL | 43% VOL | £79

70CL | 46% VOL | £139

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A new addition to our Customer Favourites, this 12-year-old expression is billed as the classic ‘house’ Glenrothes style, and is matured exclusively in ex-sherry casks. Light-yet-seductive aromas of banana and vanilla are followed by more banana on the palate, joined by lemon, juicy melon and a little sweet cinnamon. The finish is long and sweet with subtle spice.

A solid example of the typical Speyside style.

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 a identifiable, crowd-pleasing sherry character.

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 newer 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!

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.

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Benrinnes 15 Year Old 70CL | 47% VOL | £55 Another expression from the Flora & Fauna series, this whisky hails from a long-established Speyside distillery with a tumultuous history. Despite fire, flood, world wars and financial issues, Benrinnes has survived to produce a style of ‘sultry’ Speyside whisky that is always well-rounded and intriguing. This fantastically sweet, smooth 15 year old example is packed with estery characteristics subsumed in its dark aromas.

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Jura Seven Wood

Arran 10 Year Old

Highland Park 18 Year Old Viking Pride

70CL | 42% VOL | £59

70CL | 46% VOL | £45

70CL | 43% VOL | £110

Part of the new core range from Jura, 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.

The classic expression of the Arran Malt, this 10 year old captures the fresh and unique island style of the western isle's eponymous distillery and is a multi-award winner, taking gold at both The China Wine & Spirits Best Value Awards 2014 and San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2012. Rich vanilla sweetness gives way to cinnamon on the nose, with a soft and sweet texture that takes on a spicy edge. The palate is sweet with apple and citrus against a background of oak.

One of the most awarded whiskies of all time, the Highland Park 18 Year Old demonstrates harmony, refinement and complexity. Layers of honeyed sweetness and delicious hints of chocolate-coated cherries are joined by a subtle top-note of aromatic peat smoke. The beautifully balanced flavour is down to Highland Park’s five traditional keystones of production, and it is a real favourite amongst our staff!

90 Whiskeria

Customer Favourites

BenRiach 10 Year Old 'Curiositas'

Talisker 57º North

Talisker Port Ruighe

70CL | 40% VOL | £47

70CL | 57% VOL | £70

70CL | 45.8% VOL | £55

➛

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.

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.

W Smoky

91

Caol Ila Distillers Edition

Ailsa Bay

Bowmore 15 Year Old

Jura 18 Year Old

70CL | 43% VOL | £75

70CL | 48.9% VOL | £60

70CL | 43% VOL | £67

70CL | 44% VOL | £75

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-ofthe-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 festive no-brainer for Islay whisky fans.

The oldest new addition to Jura’s signature range, this 18-year-old expression has been matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels and enriched by Premier Grand Cru Classé red wine barriques, and is bottled at 44% VOL for optimal flavour. The nose boasts sweet toffee and cinnamon spice. The palate is rich and fullbodied with Black Forest fruits and some smoky notes, before a bitter chocolate aspect and fresh espresso to finish.

Port Charlotte 10 Year Old Heavily Peated 70CL | 44% VOL | £62 The flagship release in Bruichladdich's range, is disstilled, matured and bottled on Islay, and is crafted using first-fill and second-fill American whiskey casks plus a proportion of second-fill French wine casks. The nose has characteristic Port Charlotte smoke, with sweeter caramel, fudge and vanilla custard alongside ginger, cloves and nutmeg. The palate is soft with a loose smoke and sweet coconut, vanilla, sherbet lemon and oak notes coming to the fore, with smoked oyster and sun-baked salty sand. The finish is smoky with banoffee pie, mango, apple and sweet malt.

92 Whiskeria

International Customer Favourites

Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year Old

Roe & Co

The Chita

70CL | 45.6% VOL | £49

70CL | 45% VOL | £35

70CL | 43% VOL | £58

➛ Introducing a selection of

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 distilling, this single grain whisky hails from Japan’s revered House of Suntory. Traditionally used as the ‘dashi’ or broth that enhances Suntory blends, 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.

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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Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year Old

Kavalan King Car Conductor

Maker’s 46

Redbreast 12 Year Old

70CL | 41.3% VOL | £57

70CL | 46% VOL | £80

70CL | 47% VOL | £45

70CL | 40% VOL | £50

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 surprisingyet-welcome 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.

The first official reference to the brand name 'Redbreast' appears in August 1912, when Gilbeys were selling "Redbreast" J.J. Liqueur Whiskey 12 Years Old. The name 'Redbreast' itself refers to the bird, Robin Redbreast, and is attributed to the then Chairman of Gilbey's, who was an avid bird-fancier. This modern 12 Year Old expression is a single pot still whiskey full of aroma and flavour, benefitting from a strong contribution of distillates which have matured in Oloroso sherry casks, giving it its trademark Christmas cake character.

Green Spot 70CL | 40% VOL | £44 A non-age statement single pot still Irish whiskey comprised of pot still whiskeys aged between 7 and 10 years old. It has been matured in a combination of new and refill bourbon casks, as well as sherry casks. The nose is fresh with aromatic oils, spice and orchard fruits on a background of toasted wood. The flavour is spicy and full-bodied, with a hint of cloves and fruity sweetness of green apples, plus further toasted oak lading to a lingering spicy, barley finish.

94 Whiskeria

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96 Whiskeria

Winter 2018/19

Expert Tasting

Jura 1998/ Littlemill 40 Year Old

Charles MacLean reviews the latest special releases from Jura and Littlemill.

Winter 2018/19 Expert Tasting

Lowland Single Malt Age: 40 Year Old

Vol: 46.8%

002

Littlemill 40 Year Old

Before it was dismantled in 1997, Littlemill could claim to be the oldest surviving licensed distillery in Scotland. It was established in 1772, when a house was built on site for the resident excise officer, but may have been operating since the 1750s, when it is mentioned in estate papers.

Largely destroyed by fire in 2004, it stood at Bowling on the River Clyde, an eminently practical site, since Bowling is the Western entrance to the Forth and Clyde Canal (completed 1790) which connects the west coast with the east.

Hilariously, Alfred Barnard, who visited the site in the mid-1880s, enthusiastically describes its situation as “abounding in charming landscapes not unlike Richmond on the River Thames. The quiet beauty of the hill slopes and wooded plantations, the hedges covered with summer roses, and the numerous mountain rills, has made this place a favourite resort of artists…” How times have changed: the area is now an extensive housing estate.

Littlemill passed through no fewer than sixteen licensees or owners between 1772 and 1984 – most of whom seem to have gone bankrupt – one of whom rebuilt it in 1875.

Until the 1930s the spirit was triple distilled.

The following year the distillery was bought by an American, Duncan Thomson, who introduced several radical innovations, including adding rectifying columns to the distillery’s pot stills (anticipating Hiram Walker’s Lomond stills by twenty years) in order to make different styles of spirit:

Jura 1998

70CL

Island Single Malt

£6000

Age: 30 Year Old

Dull amber in colour, with surprisingly good beading.

Light nose-prickle, mild and dry, with an overall fruity aroma (bruised apple, caramelised apple crumble, a faint scent of flour). More aromatic with a drop water – heather pollen, hard toffee, with dry wood. A smooth start, then soon mouth drying. Vanilla and coconut in the aftertaste.

Short finish.

97

70CL Vol: 53.5%

£650

Polished mahogany in hue, with a distinctly pink tinge.

A mellow nose-feel and a fruity top note – bosky brambles, dried currants, black cherries – on a dry base which might be chocolate sponge cake laced with black coffee. The berries come through in the taste, which is tart to start with, then offering butterscotch and finishing with liquorice.

Littlemill was light and Dunglas full-bodied.

He also made a third style, Dumbuck, which was heavily peated. The last two were discontinued in 1972. Mr. Thomson went on to found Loch Lomond Distillery.

The latter, along with Glen Scotia Distillery, Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse Company and the remaining stock from Littlemill Distillery, were bought by a group of experienced whisky distillers in 2014. They have invested heavily and are doing a great job.

What a shame they didn’t arrive on the scene before Littlemill was destroyed.

This expression has been released as part of Whyte & Mackay’s Rare Vintage series, so it is a limited edition (1,406 bottles) proprietary bottling (which will please collectors).

Under the direction of the company’s legendary and long-standing Master Blender, Richard Paterson, the spirit was first matured in small-batch ex-bourbon barrels then reracked into 20YO tawny port pipes from the famous Symington Estates in the Duoro.

The Symington family have built up, over several generations, the largest vineyard holding in the Upper Douro Valley, and indeed in all Portugal – 2,461 hectares, embracing 26 individual estates or quintas as they are known. This unmatched collection of very fine vineyards, spread along the length and breadth of the Douro Valley, provides wines for their four historic Port Houses: Graham’s, Dow’s, Warre’s and Cockburn’s.

Readers will notice the number of Scots names in these great Houses, and the Symington family itself is, as Paul Symington writes: “…a rather curious blend of nationalities; a mixture of Scottish rationality and hard work, English common sense and Portuguese flair, emotion and romanticism.”

The Estates are entirely family-owned and managed, and have been for five generations (since 1882) – and, through the current generation’s great-grandmother, the family’s links to the wines of the Duouro span fourteen generations, to the mid-1600s and the very beginning of the history of port.

Richard Paterson, who has over fifty years of experience in the Scotch whisky industry, is passionate about exploring the flavours bestowed by different cask types – American, Spanish and French oak, seasoned with bourbon, Oloroso sherry, red wine, port – and either combining whiskies drawn from such casks or maturing in one wood type and finishing in another. He is an acknowledged expert in this field, as this Jura Rare Vintage 1988 amply demonstrates.

Expert Tasting

001

Whiskeria

98 Whiskeria

Winter 2018/19

Dear Uncle Ether

Uncle Ether Foreshot, whisky’s primary problem solver, helps three more troubled tipplers.

Dear Uncle Ether, My colleague at work is a whisky collector and

Dear Uncle Ether, When enjoying a dram in the vestry with my local vicar after evensong, he declared that he thought the whisky had “nice legs”. I didn’t know how to take this and I wonder whether he was implying something else. Can you shine light on this?

Ever hopeful, Shirley

Dear Uncle Ether, We are a traditional family and naturally we go through all of the rituals of Christmas. The children insist that we leave out something for Santa and for a number of years my wife has plundered my single malt collection.

I’m not entirely happy with this for a number of reasons. First, she always goes for my most expensive drams, which I believe is excessive, and second – shouldn’t we nowadays be more socially responsible with regard to alcohol and give Santa a non-alcoholic option?

he talks about ‘Lost Distilleries’. I find it incredible that such a thing can happen. I imagine that a whisky distillery is a substantial edifice and it would appear a gross act of carelessness for someone to lose it. But how does this happen?

And can they not be found? Surely someone would have the good sense to hand a lost distillery into the local police station?

Walter

Magnus

Dear Shirley.

We so live in the world of the Emojis, three letter acronyms (or TLAs to be precise) and other coded messaging, that I can see where you are coming from. And I have no doubt that you would have been expecting a modicum of discreet subtlety from your man of the cloth – so to speak. Well I’m sorry to be the one to deflate your balloon. ‘Legs’ is a term used in the whisky industry to describe the viscosity of the whisky that becomes apparent when it runs down the side of your glass. It appears in long strands – like legs and hence the term. Viscosity carries flavour and aroma and so it’s a good sign. Accordingly you should be careful with your response in the event that you are the one holding a glass with nice legs. Of course, you would be fully entitled to take the remark both ways.

Dear Magnus.

You did also volunteer to me that your wife arrives late to bed on Christmas Eve with an uncharacteristic smile on her face. In fact you described it to me as a smirk. This is helpful additional information and allows me to advise accordingly. Christmas is the season of goodwill to all men – and women come to think of it. If a measure of your favourite and most expensive dram has been Santa’s usual tipple, why change it? A change could communicate the wrong signal. There could be unpredicted consequences. And I would say: why take that risk? As we all know Santa is robust and will have appreciated your generosity. As for a non-alcoholic option, whilst I agree that this would be politically correct, Santa might also interpret it the wrong way. Happy Christmas, Magnus!

Dear Walter, We call this a metaphor. The distillery in question has not been literally lost. It’s not as if it was on a bus somewhere and left on the back seat. Or in the master distiller’s trouser pocket when it developed a hole.

No, Walter, a lost distillery is one that has stopped production and has most likely been demolished. Thereby the whisky from that distillery is “lost to the market”. If you are a collector of whiskies, the ones from lost distilleries are the most interesting, because they become rare. They are no longer being made. That said, some distilleries that have been lost can be found again. As I write, two prominent ones in Scotland, Port Ellen and Brora, are in the process of being recommissioned. So there you have it, Walter.

In the famous words of John Newton “I once was lost but now I’m found.”

Hallelujah!

Traditional Concept. Modern Twist.

Warm up for winter with The Loch Fyne Liqueurs.

Loch Fyne Whiskies | Inveraray | Argyll | PA32 8UD | t: 01499 302 219 (Shop) / 0800 107 1936 (Orders) | e: info@lochfynewhiskies.com www.lochfynewhiskies.com