caskstrength.net - whisky blog

Some more choices to make...

2009-12-02T22:22:00.003Z

December is always a hugely busy time in the drinks business and this year is clearly no exception. I've just bought a little helper to keep me in tip top condition and I recommend you do the same... Milk Thistle Tincture. Apparently very good to positively armour plate your liver. It tastes vile on its own, but slipped into a virgin cocktail, one can almost feel it protecting your pipes before the Christmas onslaught begins.

Our Caskstrength Christmas was very much kicked off last night, when we were given an exclusive preview of the next flight of Managers Choice bottlings. The next 6 distilleries to be released will hit the shops on January 8th 2010. Not shy to the criticism over the last Managers Choice releases, Diageo have upped their game and have at least wheeled out one big gun this time around (Talisker) which we were probably most eager to taste.

As we've already tittered some abbreviated notes, we'll split this post into 2 parts and give you a little more to chew on... bottle shots to come....

Lets start off with something a little light weight:

Glen Spey- Managers Choice Bottling - Date Filled: January 1996 (13 yo)- 52% - New American Oak -276 bottles

Nose: Very light, floral and almost too delicate- chopped almonds into sweet marzipan, with dessicated coconut, fruity parma violets, a little hint of honey and pencil shavings/ freshly sawn wood. It's there one minute and then it's gone!!

Palate: Very fruity, hints of Gewurztraminer, but backed up with some lovely rich buttery notes. With water, the fruit dissipates and you're left with very little else.

Finish: Slightly drying and short, but delicate with a few green herbs poking through.

Overall: Admittedly, I ruined this whisky with the smallest drop of water, but its aroma and palate were very good while they lasted.

Next up: A Speyside that often delights in the few moments one gets to try it- will this bottling live up to the challenge?

Inchgower-Managers Choice Bottling - Date Filled: October 1993 (15 yo) 61.9% - Bodega sherry cask - 564 bottles

Nose: Blood oranges, some cracking dry Oloroso sherry, dry, salty vermouth notes with a little hint of chamois leather. With the addition of water, some more fruity notes of Mandarin come through. Impressive and well rounded.

Palate: Chopped hazelnuts, a hint of apple, fresh mint & eucalyptus. Very menthol indeed. Unlike the Glen Spey, this definitely benefits from the addition of water- the fruits come to the front and the spicy heart is unlocked, with some salty licorice. It isn't as revealing as you'd like, but the water definitely gives you some more umph.

Finish: Very drying, but the licorice notes linger for a fair old time.

Overall: Not bad as sherried whiskies go, but in all honesty, there are probably more enjoyable ones around.

Onto the final dram in this part: Now we're getting interesting. This is either going to be a smasher or totally underwhelming, compared to the recent premium releases, the 25 & 30 yo. Yes... it's the Talisker.

Talisker - Managers Choice Bottling - Date Filled: December 1994 (15 yo) 58.6% - Bodega sherry cask - 582 bottles

Nose: Masses of wood smoke. Hang on... we're standing outside to the rear of St Barnabas Church and right next to a huge wood burning fire. Better move inside I think...

Right, that's better. Where were we? Oh yes- Wood smoke, not as much as there was outside, but a lovely sweet fresh wood smoke emanates from the glass. Alongside, a light phenolic note comes through and some linseed oil. It's definitely Talisker, but dare I say- restrained.

Palate: Wow. I didn't expect this. Lots of luscious, ripe fruit. Fresh strawberries, sweet raspberry jam, then lemon sherbet and a note of original flavoured menthol Locket throat sweets. A classic saltiness comes through on the backbeat, which anchor this dram firmly on Skye. Lovely and totally unexpected.

Finish: Lingering medicinal notes and salt last on the palate for a considerable time, a highly warming dram.

Overall: Superb. As a Talisker it shines- not a million miles from the 18yo, but with something else. As a Managers Choice bottling, you expect something special. It doesn't disappoint. Certainly the best bottling we've tried thus far.

Part 2 will follow shortly, where we'll tackle the Dalwhinnie, Royal Lochnagar and Blair Athol.

"Read All About It! Read All About! Joel Turns Thirty, Shocker!" PART ONE

2009-11-30T22:34:00.010Z

You may have wondered where we've been for a week.

Well, this weekend which has just passed was my 30th Birthday weekend, so the past week has been spent in preparation for a celebration that is in keeping with turning "the big three - O".

As is usual around Valentines Day, the Post Office contacted me in advance to make sure I could pick up my post from their South London Depot some time over the weekend. Apparently it is a Health & Safety nightmare, letting a postal worker carry so many letters and cards to one address over such a short period of time. And in the current climate, hiring in part-time help can't be done...

Batting off invitations to various soirees with models and racing drivers (or should that be model car racing drivers...) I decided that the evening before my big day was the best time to celebrate- and celebrate in style! It was about 18 months, maybe even two whole years ago when the idea struck me:

"Wouldn't it be brilliant to have an evening drinking whisky from 1979!"

And thus, the planning began. Every time I got a chance to explore a shop or a website that may have a bottle from God's Own Year of Blessing, I did: eBay, Distillery Shops, Vintage House, The Whisky Exchange... even Waitrose!

The first find was discovered deep in Sukhinder Singh's collection at The Whisky Exchange HQ in London and it really set the tone for the collection: Port Ellen 1979 - Signatory - 23 Years Old - 423 bottles - Butt No. 6775 - 43% But the most appealing thing about this bottle was the distillation date: 16th November. Just 12 days before the day I was born! Bottle one on my tasting list had been bought and, over the next 18 - 24 months it was to be joined by a few other famous faces, whisky superstars and down right obscure bottles...

Port Ellen 1979 - Signatory - 23 Years Old - 423 bottles - Butt No. 6775 - 43% Vol (Distilled 16th Nov 1979 - Bottles 3rd October 2003) - 75cl

Nose: There is a warmth of sea air and smoke about this one. It doesn't hit you over the head in a massive way, but it brings in the smoke and sea salt with notes of green tea and fresh mint. Slight creaminess to the nose also. Lovely and delicate.

Palate: This is one to let sit and wash about on the tongue for a while. Again, the green tea comes though but the peat smoke really burns now and there is a sweetness of brown sugar and hints of red apple.

Finish: The most delicate of embers from open fires simmer away on the back palate. Then you're hit with hazelnuts and a hint of lime juice. It's just yummy.

Overall: A corker. I mean, where can you go from here...?!?!

As the month flew past, I occasionally found myself with a few spare pennies in the pocket. These were quickly deposited into an old, empty bottle (of Serendipity, I think!) and as it filled up, I was able to splash out here and there on more interesting bottles for the evening ahead. One afternoon as I was wondering down Marylebone High Street, I happened to find myself drawn towards Waitrose. As I stood gawping at their whisky selection, a bottle caught my eye... was it? Yes, it was! Another Port Ellen from 1979. This time it was the third release. And the price... well, I won't publish the price. But needless to say you'd be hard pressed to buy a full bottle of Serendipity for this money. It was indeed a sign. Especially as a few months later we were to be standing in the Port Ellen Distillery drinking the First and Fourth Releases. This was turning into quite a journey already:

Port Ellen 3rd Release - 1979 / 2003 - 24 Years - 9000 bottles - 57.3% Vol - 70cl

Nose: The smoke isn't the first thing you notice with this; it's lemon and passion fruit, then smoke- bash! They've really managed to get some amazing fruits in the nose- like eating a starburst then smoking a cigar!

Palate: Clean and crisp, this has all the elements of Islay in it, in a glass! Alongside the heat and the smoke, buttered popcorn rises up and a touch of lemon curd on white toast. Most unusual but delicious.

Finish: Hot with a good dry white wine element that leaves your mouth coated but your palate wanting more. Like Lemon Sherbet sweets.

Overall: There was a general discussion about the best of the official bottlings of Port Ellen on the evening. It appears that the first and the third are peoples general favourites, and I find it hard to disagree with them after this stunner.

So, that's two bottles in the bank for my birthday celebrations. But this was starting to cost (even before 2009 rolled in, and 1979 whisky prices went up again due to their demand for "gifting" 30th birthdays). This meant a change in tack. How was I going to bulk out this collection with out compromising the quality bar which has been set, lets be honest, pretty darn high! One answer: miniatures! A few clicks on eBay later and I was bidding on my first: Imperial 1979...

Imperial - 1979 - G&M - 40% - 5cl

Nose: Waah! Now we're going somewhere different. This bad boy is throwing some crazy florals up the nose: grapefruit, kiwi, peaches. Lovely stuff.

Palate: Not a huge amount going on at first but give it some time, roll it around and you get some lovely hits of those peaches from the nose, but tinned. Also some mango and some limes.

Finish: A hint of smoke from this one, lingers just long enough. Slips down very easily.

Overall: My first ever Imperial and it was a lovely surprise. Very delicate but with a hint of smoke in the back palate, some lovely fruit and real delicate nature to it. Another cracker.

Three drams in, where is this journey going to take us next? Tune in later this week "Read All About It!" (a little peek at the picture at the top might give away what's to come)...

Do You Want Ice With That?

2009-11-18T18:43:00.009Z

Yesterday we came across a brilliantly amusing tale of discovery, which was almost too good to be true. Whisky, trapped in the abyss of time, waiting to be discovered and tasted! Sounds like the back of Joel's cabinet, where he keeps all the good stuff for himself.... ;-)

Apparently, 2 cases of whisky dating back to Sir Earnest Shackleton's failed polar expedition in 1909 have been discovered, encased in a thick layer of ice, where they have rested silently, untouched for 100 years.
Scientists at the site of the abandoned expedition are now using special drilling equipment to reach the whisky - originally bottled by McKinlay and Co.

Chaps, clearly in need of a good warming dram.

Whyte & Mackay, who own the old branding for McKinlay and Co. have asked for a sample of the 100-year-old scotch for a series of tests that could decide whether to relaunch the now-defunct Scotch.

Al Fastier, one of the scientists (and perhaps a tacit whisky drinker) said
"It's better to imagine it than to taste it," he said. "That way it keeps its mystery."
But W&M's Richard Paterson, has responded saying that the Shackleton expedition's whisky could still be drinkable and taste exactly as it did 100 years ago- surely a mouthwatering proposition.....?

"I really hope we can get some back here" said Paterson,
"It's been laying there lonely and neglected. It should come back to Scotland where it was born"

All this got me thinking. Personally, I don't usually drink whisky with ice, unless it's part of a highball or Japanese styled Mizuwari, but I thought some kind of experiment was clearly in order.

Donning my warmest furs and fighting the frost bite and howling South London winds, I meticulously planned an expedition of my own. After hooking up my faithful companion Bobby, (aka 'The Great Catsby') to the sled (he'll do almost anything for a mackerel dinner) we began the long tortuous journey across the Penge Tundra to the great freezing unknown- the shed at the back of Caskstrength Towers.
There, we have a chest freezer set up just in case we'd ever need to carry out a series of important tests. (and to store fish fingers, peas, out of date chicken breasts etc. )

My plan was to freeze 3 whiskies and see what the result was on opening. Would they retain the subtle flavours they contained when drunk at room temperature or would they fall apart and be totally underwhelming, when super-chilled?

Lets find out... Brrrrrrrr:

My first choice was easy:

Johnnie Walker Gold Label- Centenary Edition. I must confess that I had once chilled a small sample of this and it was pretty good.

Frozen, it offers a very refreshing palate, with hints of smoke, but lots more of the green apple notes coming though. The mouthfeel is thick and oily. It seems to separate out a lot from the malt content and the grain, with the malt taking more of a back seat.
Whilst I would usually enjoy this great blend as an room temperature aperitif to a meal, it is certainly revealing and worth chilling down a sample to try.

Second up: Yamazaki 12 Year Old

As part of a Mizuwari with lots of chilled mineral water and ice, this is hard to beat as a superb long summer drink. As a super-chilled freeze experiment, it fares unbelievably well!! The toffee notes are more pronounced, the apple fresher and a very revealing and aromatic hit of licorice really coming through, which isnt as noticeable at room temperature.
Certainly worth sticking a bottle of this in the freezer for some skinny shots over Christmas time. Furry thumbs up!!

Finally: Talisker 10 Year Old

With its warming smoky restorative properties, there are only a few drams to rival this as your best friend in a lonely gale blown log cabin on a remote Scottish Island. But chilled??
Hmmm.
A definite fruitiness takes precedence over the smoke- artificial strawberry, fizzy sour apple sweets, followed by a big malty slap around the chops. The peat is there, but it's certainly restrained. This works in a way, but it does take on a certain bitter characteristic - I can only surmise that perhaps the addition of some quality chocolate ice cream would potentially help bring your palate to a new level of enjoyment!!

The scene on opening the frozen whisky?

Just as Shackleton proved, it is clearly worth taking whisky to the frozen extremes and one wonders just how the McKinlay and Co. bottles will fare. But I can't help thinking back to the classic John Carpenter film 'The Thing' and the consequences of tinkering with things buried deep under the ice. Just be careful with those bottles Richard!!

One & a Half Wheels To Victory!

2009-11-14T12:47:00.007Z

Last week, I had my first tentative ride out on a new purchase- a brand new 'modern' take on the old classic- the Penny Farthing bike. I say tentative for two reasons;

One: It has a fixed wheel propulsion system, meaning that taking your feet of the pedals whilst in motion means it is virtually impossible to get them back on again, as they spin round manically with an ankle-maiming pace.

Two: It has no brakes. That's right. No brakes. Not even a little one for the wheel at the back. Hmmm. And the last time you rode a regular bike was? .... About 10 years ago.

Ah.

My first challenge was to be a particularly tricky one. I had planned to ride from Crystal Palace (where Caskstrength HQ is based) to the heart of Mayfair - Berry Bros and Rudd on the Corner of Pall Mall.

Anyone who has seen me attempting some sporting frippery would know that this was the planning of a madman- I can barely run for a bus, let alone pedal an archaic, brakeless, fixed- wheel velocipede up and over Crystal Palace Hill and through the many dangers that lurk around the Elephant & Castle roundabout. The lost souls of cyclists one hundred times the bravery of myself still echo around those parts.

But I had a compulsion. I was to be a sort of unofficial 'mascot' for the launch of a rather splendid new liqueur and it was of vital importance I deliver the bike and myself in one piece to Berry Bros for the occasion.

The liqueur is the Kings Ginger - something we've featured on here last year, when your faithful author had a dreadful cold. Its gingery magic fortified me then and, by the beard of Zeus, it will fortify me again, as I free-wheel the wrong way down St James Street, careering out of control into the gates of the Palace at the bottom (the erstwhile home of HRH Prince Charles) and no doubt, the poised bayonet of a Bear-skinned royal guard...

Imagine the headlines....

'CHAP IN DESPERATE ASSASSINATION BID USING PENNY FARTHING!'

Whereas, The Sun would lead with something along the lines of:

'WHAT A WHEELY STUPID STUNT'.

10am arrived and I was ready to leave, saddle bag concealing a full bottle of KGL to act as my restorative on the way. As I mounted the pedals and pushed off, I caught the meloncholic eyes of my faithful companion, Bobby, 'The Great Catsby', who meowed but a simple and poignant 'Farewell my friend - and god speed you' as I wobbled precariously out onto Parish Lane. Old ladies, dogs and small children tearfully looked away as I thundered past, the hoplessness of my journey, all too apparent.
After what felt like hours- with heart and lungs bursting and tweeds drenched in sweat, I rested for a second. I had already used half of my restorative, the effects of which were not only intensely restoring, but also highly intoxicating. It was at that point that the cold, hard, face of truth confronted me.

"You crazy B****rd!... get in!"

It was the distant voice of an honest London cabbie, who had been following my journey with some amusement and who had clearly seen enough. In reality, I had laughably managed just 600 yards from the front door of the house to the foot of the hill. Oh dear.

Feeling slightly deflated that I had failed to meet the challenge of the great hill, I packed the bike into the waiting vehicle and we headed to Berry's, on time and out of danger. Another warming goblet of KGL lifted my spirits no end and to help restore my tarnished dignity, the driver stopped round the corner from the shop, where I disembarked, to triumphantly ride across the finish line, past many astonished faces. "By god! he's made it!!" called out one female voice. "Must have the blessing and thighs of St Hoy" remarked another.

"All in a morning's work, ladies", I caddishly winked.

Several KGL cocktails, Punch and the magnificent hospitality of Berry Brothers made me forget about the slight 'exaggeration' of my journey and I began to thank the wonderful properties of this superb liqueur, which undoubtedly fueled me as far as the Shell Garage, past the Dry Cleaners on Maple Road and into the waiting taxi carriage.

For those of you who fancy yourself as a part time outdoor, have-a-go-hero type, you'll need look no further than a bottle of this to make it all seem worth it. A treacherous winter hike up Scarfell Pike will feel like a sunny Sunday afternoon saunter through Hyde Park after a few warming measures. It was good enough for its creator, King Edward VII and that alone means it simply must be in your drinks cabinet- and perhaps your bicycle saddle bag too...

For more information about the Kings Ginger Liqueur visit here:

Slow Tasting - 4 Connoisseurs Choice

2009-11-10T00:40:00.009Z

Quick!We!Live!In!London!Where!Everything!Is!Done!Really!Fast!

"I'm!Late!For!Work!"

"The!Film!Is!About!To!Start!Get!Me!My!Popcorn!Faster!"

"If!This!Night!Bus!Doesn't!Get!A!Move!On!I'm!Going!To!Miss!Match!Of!The!Day!"

"Shit!The!Condom!Broke!"

It's time to slowwwwww.... dowwwwwwnn....

Here at Caskstrength.net we would never dream of a speed tasting. Not when it comes to whisky anyway!

Slow.

Down.

Savour and enjoy.

Be it Bells 8 Year Old or the Port Ellen Feis Ile Bottling, pouring that magical liquid in to your glass should afford you time to sit back and savour. That stuff has taken at least three years to even become whisky, so why not give it some of your time? (FYI- these were tasted in the following order: Rosebank, Aberfeldly, Ledaig, Caol Ila. But are listed here in alphabetical order):

Aberfeldly - 1989 / 2009 - Connoisseurs Choice - 43% - 70cl

Nose: Orange zest; wow! This is a fresh nose. Fantastic. It does have a hint of household cleaner about it, but it zings!

Palate: Orange cream chocolates (esp the ones from Quality Street), Fanta Orange (or Solo, of you live in Norway- Big up my fellow Norse massive!). A touch of toffee and bitter chocolate. This is how you do orange-flavoured whisky!

Finish: Long, esp at this ABV with the fizzy-sherbet nature taking the driving seat.

Overall: This is the first Aberfeldy we've posted and it's gooood! If you like fizzy orange, you'll like this!

Caol Ila - 1996 - Connoisseurs Choice - 43% - 70cl

Nose: Smoke (d'oh!), some blackcurrant (as there was in the Rosebank), black-jack penny sweets.

Palate: Initially a delicate hit, this is a lovely dram that sits comfortably on the tongue, bursting into life after a good swill about the palate; a hit of stewed fruits, blackcurrants and ribena

Finish: Long, with the blackcurrants and smoke taking the driving seat. Like warm ribena by the bonfire.

Overall: It's been a while since I've found myself in the familiar arms of a Caol Ila. Like a f*ck-buddy (for those of you that are single), Caol Ila represents a dependable "friend" whom one can visit in a time of need; an often awkward bedfellow but one whose characteristics you know inside out from the first time you meet and you know will satisfy every basic instinct you have. Not too complex, but different every time. I find Caol Ila a fun dram, less serious than the Kildalton distilleries but every bit as competitive on the peat front. Not the greatest Caol Ila in the world, but very drinkable.

Ledaig - 1990 / 2009 - Connoisseurs Choice - 43% - 70cl

Nose: I was expecting smoke, but no. Instead you get fresh winter veg (in the UK), so we're talking Parsnips, Cabbage and turnip. But with time in the glass (and it's time that makes whisky a drink, not a shot) it develops a sweetness like shortbread.

Palate: Initially it hits the palate very cold, with some of the nose carried over; a hint of winter veg soup, cheap vanilla ice cream and wet woolen blanket.

Finish: Long and spicy with a slight bitterness. The wet wool won't go away.

Overall: The overall sensation is that I want to go back to the Aberfeldly....

Rosebank - 1991 / 2009 - Connoisseurs Choice - 43% - 70cl

Nose: Vanilla Creme Brulee, Blackcurrant cough sweets, Rhubarb and Custard boiled sweets

Palate: The rhubarb comes through with a hint of liquorice and mint.

Finish: The liquorice really lasts coupled with hints of red chillie.

Overall: Less floral than other Rosebanks of this age; the nose is the stand out, let down slightly by the bitterness of the palate and the finish.

OVERALL: For me, the Aberfeldy was the pick of the drams here today. The orange zest, "fanta" notes that came through were just fantastic. But hey, that's my opinion. You might like the sound of the others. If so, take a chance. Sit back and enjoy them. Give them some time. After all, they've given you some of theirs.

The Show MUST Go On!!!!

2009-11-07T13:12:00.006Z

Sometimes ideas are probably best left on paper. The Millenium Dome is arguably now one of London's most successful music venues, but of course, was a huge white elephant in its former life. Same goes for the Band Aid 20 (despite its obvious charity appeal) and when I heard that there was to be another whisky event in London, I had a few doubts.

A tiny thought crossed my mind earlier this year in that is there really a sustainable audience for 2 (including Whisky Live) major whisky events - especially in the run up to Christmas, when we're already being battered by constant tabloid negativity that the recession is still climbing up our trouser legs.

Well balls to the negativity and balls to the continued ill-feeling that consumes Londoner's on a daily basis. This might sound a little rose tinted, but here at Caskstrength, we're highly positive chaps. Day one of The Whisky Show, showed just what happens when a group of like-minded folks come together to sample probably the best whisky of their lives.

I arrived at 12pm, not fully realising the extent of what we were about to taste in such glorious Olde London surroundings. Any misgivings about numbers were quickly eclipsed and a solid and buzzing turnout ensued for the afternoon session. First port of call was to the irrepressible and exceptionally well tailored Marcin Miller from the No. One Drinks Company (sir, an inspiration to us all!!) to sample some of his finest new Japanese releases- and wowzers... what a way to christen a fresh palate!
3 huge sherried beasts from the Karuizawa distillery, including a superb 1985, a 1976 (bottled under the Noh Theatre label (seek this out and thou shalt not be disappointed) and the Shogun himself... a phenomenal 1967 bottling:

Karuizawa 1967 - Cask 6426 - 58.4 %

Nose: Wow, big waft of fresh strawberries, straw, then clouds of vanilla pipe tobacco, followed by a huge hit of that classic Karuizawa dry sherry and the fresh mossy forest floor, that we've come to expect from old casks from this distillery.

Palate: An immediate sweetness, into a rich meaty and peppery gravy-like flavour, with a little dryness when the sherry returns. It still manages a few palate-tingling twists and turns after all this time in the cask, as some lemon sherbet is unleashed and a real fizziness cleans up the mouth. Sensational and hugely surprising.

Finish: As you'd expect from an elderly gent like this, the finish is very long, leading to woody notes but nothing out of the ordinary, it just has bags of flavour and subtle oak undertones.

Overall: We loved the Karuizawa 1971 like a son when we first sampled it- this goes another few yards in the excellence stakes. Grab while you still can, as judging by the stampede for its younger brother, it won't hang around for long.

Next up some very special Highland Park's:

The Orcadian vintages have been on our hit list for a little while, but we never thought there would be a chance to try 2 of the oldest in one sitting!!! Sadly, the memory stick I was given didn't seem to work so there are no images at present, but the bottles are superb looking, black glass, with an embossed silver Highland Park emblem.

Gerry Tosh gave us an excellent guide into the casks used in these vintage bottlings and more specifically, the TYPE of peat which Orkney has become famous for. I had no idea that over the 1000's of years it takes to create peat, that there have been virtually no trees on Orkney, due to the high winds and salty blasts across the barren landscape. This means that there is predominantly decaying heather in the peat used to dry Highland Park barley, leading to that sweet, floral smokiness, rather than the highly woody type which characterises Islay malts. Top fact and thanks Gerry!!

The whiskies were then unveiled - 1968 and 1964 vintages, both hugely different in their levels of peating as the tasting notes reveal:

Highland Park -Orcadian Vintage - 1968 45.6%

Nose: Strawberry notes (what is it about strawberries today!!) with a lovely floral sweetness, leading into chamois leather, wax and some classic heather notes. Over time the citrus notes come through with lemon zest and a hint of coconut thrown in for good measure.

Palate: Milky coffee, light sweet cereal, some dried orange notes, followed by a sharper citrus note of lemon zest. Over time in the glass, a spiciness develops and a creamy chocolate note also emerges, giving this a hugely well balanced palate for a very old whisky. Wonderful stuff.

Finish: Lighter than expected, but waves of sweetness eclipse and oaky dryness you may have expected.

Overall: What a way to start the tasting- another soon to be classic highland park bottling.

Next up - the older and slightly more peated 1964 vintage:

Highland Park - Orcadian Vintage - 1964 - 42.2%

Nose: Ok. Stop for a second, I know we can get carried away sometimes in our notes and praise for a worthy dram, but this is SENSATIONAL- even on the first nosing!! A slightly heavier peat to the 1968, almost like the classic early 1970's Ardbeg's and contrary to what I mentioned about classic HP peat. Couple that with some sweet red apples, mint, a hint of Playdoh, and a little aromatic Licorice and you're into 7th Heaven here. A little more time (and believe me it is well worth the wait) reveals some lint bandages, and a slightly more sooty note, but the balance is just perfect.

Palate: The perfection carries on into the first sip: A wonderful mix of that sweet peat, coffee, Rosehip jelly and vanilla. The vanilla develops even further into a slight sponge cake note, but by now, we're too far gone under its spell. Just brilliant.

Finish: Some warming fruitiness comes through, along with the light, sweet peat.

Overall: These drams are the stuff dreams are made of. They creep up on you and their timing is just perfect. What Highland park have done here is nothing short of extraordinary and the 1964 vintage is clearly a contender for Whisky Of The Year, without a shadow of a doubt.

I had to have a little lie down after this tasting, just to get my bearings again!!

Stay tuned for the next post and part 2 of the Whisky Show, where some seriously old Glenlivet's are given a thorough going over as well as some members of the Glenfarclas Family casks....

One thing for sure, is that The Whisky Show promised some of the best whisky on the planet and it delivered on this promise. Full marks guys and we'll see you next year, same time, same place hopefully.

Whiskers Galore!

2009-11-01T12:28:00.006Z

Gentleman....the wait is over. Today is the first of November and your shavers should be well and truly packed away - well at least for your top lips. Ever fancied growing a moustache, but needed a reason to run it past the wife/girlfirend/boss?.... we'll here's a great one. And there's even some whisky involved!!!

Movember is a global charity raising awareness and funds for men’s health issues whilst having a spot of fun along the way. Every November, chaps around the world show their support by growing Marvelous Moustaches and putting on events to raise funds.

Whisky 4 Movember is a brilliantly novel idea from the lovely folks at Master Of Malt, with a limited bottling of vatted malt from the 2 distilleries from the Island of Orkney is available from today. The minimum age of these whiskies is eleven years old, although much of the whisky used in the vatting is older and more complex.

The crowning glory is the 5 different labels which adorn the bottles... each featuring a famous moustache style!
No. 1 – The Handlebar
No. 2 – The Dali
No. 3 – The Chevron
No. 4 – The Pencil
No. 5 – The Walrus

It is the greatest of honour to report that the image on the front of the Handlebar label is of my own moustache, with both the Chevron and the Walrus images adorning the top lips of whisky legend Dave Broom and the equally legendary Serge Valentin from Whiskyfun.... rest assured, my whiskers are still beaming from ear to ear!

The super-limited-edition Whisky4Movember bottling will only run to 984 bottles in total and is available for only £29.95. All profits from the bottling will be donated directly to the Movember Charity.

Visit masterofmalt.com to see and buy the full range of Movember labels in full effect.

In the meantime- lets see if the insides are as handsome as the outsides!!

Master Of Malt - M'Orkney - Aged 11 years - bottle number 20/984 - 40% -
The Handlebar....

Nose: Layers of sweet cereal, honey and chopped hazelnuts, followed by a very light and zesty citrus fruit/diced apple and lovely hints of fresh honeysuckle. Really inviting and heady.

Palate: The sweetness continues with a huge hit of fruity malt loaf, buttery candy notes and more of those chopped nuts. The whiskies certainly feel a lot older than the 11 years listed and the rich mouth feel and oiliness ensures that this is a highly moreish dram. A little licorice and some further floral notes develop as the palate dries.

Finish: Lovely and juicy, with a long resonance, hints of dark treacle, stewed apple and sweet malted barley.

Overall: At under £30, this is an exceptional drinker and, coupled with the fact that the profits are going to a hugely good cause, means it is a bottling you should grab asap.

Competition Time!!!

2009-10-25T23:01:00.004Z

Folks - we've got a fantastic competition opportunity for you- Win a pair of tickets worth £200 to The Whisky Show on Friday 6th November 2009.

As many of you will already know, The Whisky Show is the UK's premium whisky tasting event, presenting many aged and exclusive whiskies plus a fine two course whisky infused meal. For full details of the show to take place in London's Guildhall, please visit www.thewhiskyshow.com

If this all sounds tantalising, all you have to do is answer the following question.....

Which two whisky brands will be included in the Masterclass tastings on Friday 6th November?

Please send answers to office@thewhiskyshow.com with
"caskstrength.net competition" in the subject box.

Competition closes 8pm on Friday 30th October.

Best of luck and we'll see you there!!

www.caskstrength.net

For Those Of You About To Peat... We Salute You.

2009-10-20T21:55:00.009+01:00

Peat. What a simply marvelous creation. For centuries, it has been the bedrock of country life, fueling fires from Padstow to Portnahaven and keeping the cold out of our wearily wintered bones.

I vaguely remember my father and I travelling to Broughton Astley Garden Centre (way back when I lived in a tiny rural village in the Midlands) and being transfixed by the piles of the stuff, stacked high in rectangular, white plastic sacks. We had no central heating in our ramshackle, rambling homestead, so we used a ton of the stuff to fuel our open fires.

I used to delight in waiting until the coast was clear to clamber up these towering stacks, kneeling precariously at the very top, like an ant on a particularly wobbily Jenga tower.
The owner of the garden centre was a kindly old chap and would applaud my agility, handing me over a few penny sweets as a prize. Lord knows, he'd probably be in trouble with the authorities these days for allowing a minor to attempt such danger... and probably for giving me the sweets too.

Little did I realise that nearly 30 years later, sat sheltering from the cold, I would still be as deeply transfixed by the stuff, but in a hugely different way.

Here at Caskstrength, we've never shied away from our love of the brown stuff. (hmmm. Where is this one going...says Joel)
Any chance to get our mitts on a bottle of something smoky, sweet and medicinal is all we need for a great night in... or indeed out. And that is what is happening right this second.

Tonight I'm out in one of my of my old haunts, The Crobar on Manette St, Soho, London W1. It's been a while.

Last time I was here was probably 5 or 6 years ago when a little known Canadian band called Death From Above 1979 (remember them, kids?) decided to play an impromptu set in the back bar. Now if you've ever been there, you'll know that you can realistically fit 20, maybe 25 people in the whole place. So to have 2, wild-eyed guys resembling crazed mandrills, thrashing hell out of their instruments, whilst onlookers fight for air and service at the bar, is nothing short of spectacular.

It was always pretty tough to get a drink there, so that evening, I was enthused by both the band and a particularly fine hipflask of caskstrength Laphroaig I had managed to secretly smuggle in. Thinking back, they both went down a storm.

I return tonight, not for nostalgic reasons but to sip down a warming quickie before a local gig and casually look at their whisky menu. Some excellent bourbons here, but same thing as last time- a surprising lack of single malts.

Fortunately, 'help is at hip' and I just happen to have with me the very same flask I passed around whilst DFA 1979 smashed their kit up. This time however, the Laphroaig has been replaced with something equally peaty, but perhaps more enigmatic... Smokehead.

This whisky is aimed at bringing something altogether unconventional to the world of single malt, whilst retaining a smooth, silky and unquestionably Islay heart. Despite speculation, only a few folks actually know which distillery's spirit goes into bottling Smokehead and they are totally tight lipped!!

Dodging the eyeline of the burly, musclebound and bearded doorman (who's probably a very sweet man) I draw off a generous dram. At that point, and I kid you not.... the Juke Box slam's into the brutal opening riff of DFA 1979's 'Romantic Rights...' now we've started....

Smokehead - Islay single malt whisky- 43% - 70cl

Nose: Wonderfully intense woodsmoke, but not instantly overpowering. It's subtle and refined, giving way to layers of fudge, cereals, a hint of overripe vine fruit and earthiness. Exactly what it says on the tin! (literally!)

Palate: The peat keeps on coming with an initial peppery, Talisker-like wave, leading into a hint of malty sweetness and then sherbet lemon notes and sharpness. It's simple, honest and just about one of the most drinkable Islay malts i've tried all year.

Finish: More sweetness, with a hint of some very earthy peated notes on the death. I will be tasting this tomorrow morning. Which is undoubtedly a major plus point... ;-)

Overall: Could this be the ultimate Rock n Roll whisky of the future?

MAY THE LORDS OF ROCK PROCLAIM IT SO!!

Whilst others choke on their Jack 'n Cokes- you could have much more fun drinking a
'Smoke On the Water'.... now there's a thought!!

All in all, a superb whisky that, like the complete Led Zeppelin remasters- you absolutely need in your lives.

Birthday bliss

2009-10-17T21:42:00.000+01:00

Today is NOT my birthday. Nor is tomorrow. Actually it's nearly another year away and I shall be 35. Hmmm. Quick mirror check. A particularly hairy face stares back. A few grey folicles are appearing in my beard- not many, but just the right number to make themselves known and give you that feeling that the advancement of time and motion are definitely in full flight.

Don't get me wrong. I think I have finally grown into my own face and 'look', whereas in the past I tried in vein to sport some frankly appalling haircuts & fashions. I have pictures to back this up. What i'm trying to say is that at a certain point in your life, everything just clicks into place and feels right.

A few days ago I tasted a whisky from 1975, the year of my birth. One always gets a sense of occasion when this happens- to me it's happened twice. The first time, the bottling was really good, vibrant and full of fruity character which made me feel that being born in 1975 was the year of champions.

The 2nd time however, the bottling was really poor, woody, sulphurous and totally past it. That did no end for my self esteem, I can tell you. Things got worse when I found out that the no. 1 single the week I was born was not David Bowie's Space Oddity as I had previously dined out on (actually his first no.1) but the infinitely less cool- 'Sailing' by Rod Stewart.... Oh joy.

This particular bottling we're reviewing today probably needs little by way of an introduction. Glenfiddich are well known for releasing some highly commended Vintage Reserve single cask bottlings. Last year's 1977 was pretty great all round, save for some slightly woody notes. The 1975 Reserve release coincides with the 40th anniversary of the Glenfiddich Distillery Visitors Centre, which first opened in 1969. Will this one restore my confidence in 1975, or make matters worse....??

Glenfiddich Vintage Reserve - 1975 - Cask no. 22000 (sherry butt)- 53.4% - 70cl - 520 bottles

Nose: Subtle vanilla fudge, cedar, fresh mint, coal dust and sweet wood smoke all combine with the rich warm notes of dried apricot, damsons and fruitcake. No woody effects of an over-aged sherry cask here, just really lovely aromas, all in their right place. With water (just a hint, mind) and some slightly fresher notes of rhubarb come through, but this fairs best at it's full cask strength, unquestionably.

Palate: Sherbet, lovely fresh strawberry notes leading into stringy strawberry licorice and a slightly bitter chocolate note on the death. With water and 'end of summer' fruit compote notes emerge with spicy dark toffee apple and crumble topping. Hugely rich and characterful.

Finish: Long, with the chocolate notes leading into a drier sherry note and cinder toffee.

Overall: On reflection, I think this is a better bottling than last year's Vintage Reserve. It oozes character, but there are no signs of deterioration or tiredness. Certainly not a grey hair in sight either!!

Once again, 1975 has regained that magic and i'll continue to seek out drams of this vintage, despite the aforementioned duffer. As i've mentioned on here before, my compatriot Joel is shortly celebrating his 30th birthday and has assembled a menu of UNBELIEVABLE whiskies from 1979. That's going to be one hell of a night and- one hell of a post!! stay tuned for this one.
A little way to go until my 40th, but rest assured, if I can afford it, this Glenfiddich will feature in there somewhere. I'd urge any of you looking for something special to do the same too.

the final fling...

2009-10-16T00:40:00.009+01:00

Well folks, here we have it. The last post in our series of 'Special' releases from Diageo.

Perhaps it's too early to reflect on a year gone by, but our hearts and minds are probably drawn back to Islay and the wonderful 10 days in May we spent on this glorious island, sun shining, wanting to be no where else than here, with a great whisky in hand. (Feis Ile, we thank you)

Islay has that unique thing- it can beguile and amaze you in the time it takes to uncork a bottle of scotch. Grown men and women in safe, happy and stable lifestyles have suddenly thought differently about their future when they've seen the view from Port Ellen when the sun sets. For us, that is the essence that should be bottled... surely an impossible task??

Islay aside, some of these whiskies have been stunning. The Talisker 25 and 30 were sublime, despite their premium price. But our final flight needs no real introduction. Palate wise, they might be from within a few miles from each other, but what they represent is vastly different. To sample an unpeated, young Caol Ila next to the oldest official release of Port Ellen might seem like madness. It probably is, but that's what the island represents right now- a celebration of flavour profiles which are so extreme, they surely need to be tasted side by side!

Caol Ila - 10 Year Old - Unpeated - 1998 - a whopping 65.8%-

Nose: Ok, this is ridiculously strong, but bear with it. We tried this in all manner of ways to see what would draw the best from within. Neat: Hints of white chocolate, sponge cake and very sweet butter candy. With a few drops of water: The chocolate notes intensify, with vanilla and fudge notes in abundance. Adding a little more water- and the spirit gives up its grasp and the true potential comes alive- hints of the fairground- toffee apples, candy floss and coal fired Wurlitzer pipe organs. (Ok, that was a joke, but there is certainly a coal note in here) Given more time in the glass and those massive fairground buckets of 'pick 'n mix' seem to spring out at you- it's sweet, slightly fruity and fresh as a daisy.

Palate: Crystal clear distillery character, with lemon, cereal, rich chocolate, sherbert and sponge-cake sweetness. It's fairly 'do or die' on the palate- an explosion of fresh flavours and then it's gone.

Finish: The creamy white chocolate notes continue, after the rest has subsided, but afterwards, it's zesty, fresh and lightweight as you would have expected.

Overall: Well, this takes all that the previous 8 yo unpeated can give and smashes it out the park. I don't know how they do it, but this is Caol Ila on a totally different plain. Almost like a different distillery- but yet, still totally Islay. We were scratching our heads after this one- A great young whisky from Islay, but something completely different aside...You tell us!!

Next up: Lagavulin 12 yo makes a welcome 9th return... deep down, Joel and I were probably waiting for this one with the most anticipation...

Lagavulin - 12 year old - 9th release - 57.9% -

Nose- Smoke of course, hints of iodine and seaweed, followed by soft butter thrown on to fresh pasta. There is a real 'airiness' about the nose; light but full of flavours, vanilla pods and a hint of thyme. The smoke dissipates into carbolic soap notes but it's exactly where you want it to be and is unmistakably young Lagavulin.

Palate- So smooth and easy to drink for something at 59.9%. It sits beautifully in the mouth with peat smoke, combining with cooked apples with sugar. No spices though, as you might expect from cooking apples. Hints of pear. A note of vanilla pipe tobacco (for those of you who may dabble) and again you're in unmistakable laga territory. Superb and fantastically balanced young whisky.

Finish: Medium in length, but the peat keeps coming at you.

Overall: One of the cheapest of the 'Special Releases' but clearly one of the most sought after drams on offer from Islay at the moment. We may well be biased, but we defy anyone to find holes in this. Great drinking, young peated whisky at caskstrength. Surely about as good as it gets.

Our final dram of the night and what a way to go out.... 30 year old Port Ellen. Just think about that for a second. The distillery that has probably come to define the mystique and magic of Islay just turned out a 30 year old whisky, despite being closed in 1983. Joel actually stammered as he was passed his dram of this. For him, a special year is upon us. Welcome to the 30 club, chaps!!

Port Ellen - 9th Release- 30 years old - 1979- 57.7%

Nose: Very light smoke- delicate and rounded. A hint of blue cheese, some rubbery notes (like primary school plimsolls) and some feint medicinal notes. You could easily lose yourself in this for hours. A wonderfully expressive nose, not too over complex but with enough going on to keep the nostrils busy!

Palate: Initially sweet (brown sugar) and then a big hit of smoke. The American oak (as opposed to European) hasn't smothered the spirit and has allowed the natural spices to develop and the sweetness to come to the fore. A lovely oily and thick mouthfeel is the prize.

Finish: Long and fantastic, with the smoky notes subsiding into lingering sweetness.

Overall: A very solid performance from Port Ellen. It must be getting harder and harder to find great casks of PE that haven't over-aged, but the 9th release shines as brightly as the others. It's a bit like the David Beckham of whisky: How long can they keep pulling out top draw performances like this for? At some stage it has to end... :(

All Hail The Whale

2009-10-14T23:16:00.009+01:00

Five years. Is it a long time, or not? A lot can happen in five years.

This bunny took 5 years to hand knit (see pic above).

Facebook was started 5 years ago and has changed the face of modern communication.

And "5 Years Time" is the title of the excellent single from my act-of-the-year for last year, the fantastic Noah and the Whale, a band I was turned on to in my time doing A&R for Universal (Island Records).

So five years can be a pretty significant time, be it in digital, physical or musical form. Last night we had the pleasure of trying the 2009 Special Releases from the Diageo stable and we're staggering our notes across 3 days, as their was just so much to digest. Having done Pittyvaich, Benrinnes and Mannochmore yesterday, it is the turn of Brora and the two Taliskers (25 and 30) to get their say today! Let's kick off with the twins from Skye. Only five years difference; but what will the effect of those extra five years be?

Talisker – 25 Year Old – 5,862 (individually numbered) – 54.8% Vol – 70 cl from refill American Oak and European Oak casks.

Nose: Plenty of licorice, wicker furniture from the late 1970's (!), a hint of kiwi juice and of course all the Tally hallmarks of salt and seaweed.

Palate: Phew! This is a lively dram. White pepper and spices fly around the mouth with plenty of energy. There is a hit of sweetness too and then the salt.

Finish: Heavy on the spirit, esp for something at 54.8%. I would have expected the finish to be more subtle, but it goes on. And on! More of the palate on the finish.

Overall: Not subtle at all. Needed water which calmed it a bit but not a lot. A fiery dram, but very yummy.

Talisker – 30 Year Old – 3,000 (individually numbered) – 53.1% Vol – 70 cl from refill American Oak and European Oak casks.

Nose / Palate / Finish: If the 25 was like walking along a rain lashed cliff on Skye in November, then this is the same but instead of being on the cliff in your North Face coat, you're curled up in a stone cottage, rain lashing at the windows and a fire crackling away, toasting your feet. Everything the 25 was, but more refined. More delicate. More rounded. Warmth, not fire! Assertive, not aggressive. Beautifully balanced.

Overall: There is a price difference between these two Tallys (RRP for the 25 is £150 and for the 30 is £215), but that's like saying there is a price difference between a Holiday Inn and a Hotel Du Vin. They both do a very good, professional job. But if you can stay in the Hotel Du Vin, then do it. You really won't be disapointed. Those extra five years makes all the difference.

After the Taliskers, we had a nip of the Brora. A 30 Year Old matured in refill American Oak casks. Brora's are usually a solid dram and especially when they have had a good long period to mature. Like Port Ellen , Brora was shut in 1983 so all stocks are now going to have some degree of age to them. Brora is the now departed sister distillery to Clynelish and this bottle has the shortest run of all the Special Releases 2009, coming in 42 bottles short of the Talisker 30 Year Old and with an RRP of £230.

Brora – 30 Year Old – 2,958 (individually numbered) – 53.2% Vol – 70 cl from refill American Oak.

Nose: Real Lemonade, coffee, whisps of smoke and salt.

Palate: Loads of lemon and lime in oak! Crispy Seaweed. A drop of water opens up the citrus notes and takes the edge off to let the age and the wood in, rounding this off beautifully.

Finish: Very nutty with a touch of red chillie and salt.

Overall: Pleasant, well aged and kept Brora with all the good characteristics of a Coastal malt. If you like aged Springbank, you'll like this.

That concludes Lot 2. Tomorrow: PORT ELLEN, CAOL ILA and LAGAVULIN. Not that we're excited or anything...

Special One (or Two, or even Three)

2009-10-14T01:52:00.014+01:00

Below is a picture of what new make spirit looks like when it comes off the still:

What do you see? Na-da, nil, nothing. New make is clear. It's got no colour. Of course, most of you who love whisky will already know this, but it's amazing the number of people who have no idea that their favourite dram runs off the still as a clear liquid.

This evening I find myself in a glamorous situation; 11.30pm, Tues evening, Oxford Street, McDonalds. (editor's note...please understand that I cannot condone Joel's dreadful eating habits.... he will be severely punished, by being made to drink £3.99 Highland Stag...Neil)

My order: a quarter-pounder meal. That's the burger, fries and a drink. I order BBQ sauce as an extra. When it arrives over the counter, on the packaging the following is written:

"Next time you're tucking into your favourite McDonald's burger, you can enjoy every mouthful that bit more, knowing that it is made from only whole cuts of 100% beef with just a pinch of seasoning added after cooking. Bite in and enjoy."

McDonalds go to a great deal of effort in store to assure the diner that their burger is

"100% beef with just a pinch of seasoning added".

Lovely!

But what's this I notice: a gherkin! Some tomato sauce. Onions! And mustard! Honestly, after that lot has been slathered over it, who gives a flying f**k about the beef?!? Wagye or Kobe, if it's flash fried, smothered in sauce, pickles, onions and slapped between two buns that resemble candyfloss more than bread, who cares if it's "100% beef"?

Tonight caskstength.net visited a tasting for Diageo’s annual “Special Releases”:

Benrinnes 23 Year Old
Brora 30 Year Old
Caol Ila 10 Year Old (Unpeated)
Lagavulin 12 Year Old
Mannochmore 18 Year Old
Pittyvaich 20 Year Old
Port Ellen 30 Year Old
Talisker 25 Year Old
Talisker 30 Year Old

9 premium drams to savour, assess and note in 90 mins. Diageo: you’ve thrown down the gauntlet and we’re going to pick it up!

After a very brief period of deliberation, we decided that the drams should be divided up in to three lots:

Lot 1:
Mannochmore 18 Year Old
Pittyvaich 20 Year Old
Benrinnes 23 Year Old

Lot 2:
Brora 30 Year Old
Talisker 25 Year Old
Talisker 30 Year Old

Lot 3:
Port Ellen 30 Year Old
Lagavulin 12 Year Old
Caol Ila 10 Year Old (Unpeated)

So we kick off with Mannochomore:

The literature tell us:

“Mix of re-charred ex-sherry bodega European Oak with re-charred ex-Bourbon and new American Oak casks that had also held sherry, filled in 1993 after a short initial ageing in normal refill casks."

Phew!

Remember that burger? How good was the beef? Who knows! There was so much going on with the sauce, the pickle the cheese and the onions that the quality of the beef didn’t matter... but the burger was good. Really good. The package worked. As a whole, the interaction between beef, sauce, pickle and cheese was a mouth watering explosion. There is reason why they sell a shed load of these meal-deals world-wide; the mix works.

So what of these casks? Sounds a bit too much for me. Let’s find out:

Mannochmore – 18 Year Old – 1990 / 2009 – 2,604 (individually numbered) – 54.9% Vol –70 cl

Nose: This really is complex: mint, oak, dried leaves, fruit cake. Everything you would expect from such a mix of casks.

Palate: Cured dark red meats (salted beef; my Nordic friends should know what I mean), Apricots, orange. Duck with Orange sauce. Drying. Medicinal. Ginger.

Finish: Lots of wood spice, bitter orange peel. Coffee.

Overall: A great start. A real mix, but a mix done well. No need to shout about the beef here; shout loud about the gherkins, the mustard, the onions! Very well mixed. But read on!

Next up for caskstrength.net is Pittyvaich:

Pittyvaich – 20 Year Old – 1989 / 2009 – 6,000 (individually numbered) – 57.5% Vol – 70 cl

Nose: Copper coins, Orange Creme (the like which you get in Quality Street), Grass.

Palate: You would never have this pegged as 20 years old! So much energy, zest and life. Sweet (Nice biscuits), red fruit compote.

Finish: loads of metallic notes of zinc and aluminium. Very long.

Overall: 20 years old! Where did the life come from!? A solid dram with lot of personality.

To end this first section, we moved on to the Benrinnes:

Benrinnes – 23 Year Old – 6,000 (individually numbered) – 58.8% Vol – 70 cl

Nose: Hazelnut chocolate spread, Ferrero Rocher, Cherry Cola, Cedar oil.

Palate: Dates, figs and spearmint. European Oak? Where did all these fruits come from? Something you normally get on a European Oak cask. But with a rounded note of spice.

Finish: Sandlewood and oak. Lovely and dry.

Overall: Take Neil's Yard and build a distillery in it; job done. Stay tuned for our overall fav.

Tomorrow we’ll take a look at Lot 2: the Taliskers and Brora.

Consistantly Goyne....

2009-10-08T23:21:00.007+01:00

One thing we've started to realise about this blogging lark is that to write from the heart, you need to have an unequivocal handle on your subject matter- be it blogging about jams, cars or even weirder stuff. Sitting in a cottage on a quiet South London suburban street is probably where most of our thoughts come together- our Caskstrength Towers. The postman delivers some samples to the door (actually pretty debatable at the moment!) and the scrumptious sound/sight of liquid gold hitting Glencairn is often all that's needed to take the mind off to a happy and contemplative place.
But for all the descriptors and adjectives a writer has at their disposal, the one thing missing is the sense of 'being there'- living the moment in the location you are writing about.

To really write about a particular scotch, there is simply no excuse than to try and visit its birthplace- and literally drink in the surroundings!!

Today we got just that sort of opportunity when we visited the Glengoyne distillery, about 40 minutes drive from Edinburgh airport.

It has the marvelous distinction of being the most 'southerly' highland distillery, something of a contradiction and certainly a useful piece of info in any whisky-related pub trivia game (should such a thing exist) One other amusingly delicious fact which was revealed by our hosts, is that the borderline between highland and lowland actually splits the distillery from its warehouses- meaning that when the spirit runs from the still it's a highland, but cross the road and you'll find the casks sleepily maturing in the lowlands!

Certainly perhaps the first indication that this is no ordinary whisky. The second indication hits you when, on the way up to the visitor's centre, you are confronted by a majestic waterfall rolling down from the towering Dumgoyne Hill in background. How's that for a water source eh.

Our mission today was to try the newly launched 40 year old expression, which is the oldest whisky the distillery has ever produced. But we got a lot more than we bargained for...

From the light and fruity 10 year old expression, through the 'as yet to be unreleased' - and newly formulated 12 year old, (more on this soon) to the weighty and charismatic 21 year old, a theme almost certainly runs true with the whisky produced at Glengoyne. There is a clarity, a sparkle and an unquestionable attention to detail that distillery manager Robbie Hughes ensures is present: From the use of Golden Promise barley, the impeccable timing during the spirit run and to the quality of the sherry butts / bourbon barrels they mature their spirit in.

We also experienced something of a first for Caskstrengh- 3 different cuts of new make spirit; straight off the still, then 15 and 60 minutes into the spirit run. Again, a hugely revealing insight into what Robbie and his team are attempting to capture in the character of their whisky.

After a brilliantly balanced lunch prepared by chef Tom Lewis, it was time for the main event, the unveiling of the 40 year old. Would we still be able to identify the inherent distillery character in such a mature bottling??

Glengoyne - 40 year old - 45.9% - 70cl - limited to 250 bottles

Nose: Stewed red apples, spiced cedary notes, hints of soft dried fruit and the feint aroma of licorice. All hallmarks from the new make we tried earlier, but in such tremendous volume and complexity. Lose yourself in this for hours and you'll still be finding new layers.

Palate: A wonderful mixture of silky mouthfeel, comprised of golden syrup, layers of sticky Oloroso sherry, ripe banana and demerara sugar. With a bit of time in the glass, more perfumed and fresh fruit flavour's start to arrive. Again, still unmistakably Glengoyne, just more detailed and refined.

Finish: More of that rich and thick sweetness, leading into some heavier, more woody, sherried dryness. Extremely classy.

Overall: Well, as much as you can argue that maturation in wood hugely affects the character of the spirit within, Glengoyne have proven that by producing a quality spirit, they can maintain a level of consistent 'house style' from their whiskies, no matter what age they happen to be. This whisky represents that perfect balance between great wood and spirit and full marks to Robbie and his team for piecing the bottling together.

Dutch Courage?

2009-10-06T20:36:00.009+01:00

We recently received something fairly unusual in the post here at Caskstrength Heights. No, not a monthly subscription to 'Traction Engine Times', but a whisky that certainly surprised us both, in more ways than one... perhaps even more surprising than accidentally receiving Joel's secret copy of the Wholesale Flange Catalogue.

Can this be a whisky I first thought... it's...it's from The Hague!?

Of course, the Dutch are famous for a lot of very cool stuff, including of course, the creation of gin, (clearly excellent in anyone's book)

By way of a potted history, gin came to life back in the early 17th century when a certain Dr Sylvius, a professor at one of Holland's leading universities, had been attempting to create a medicine for kidney conditions, using grain based alcoholic compounds. His turning point came when experimenting with an infusion of the Juniper berry- the oil of which was widely regarded for containing therapeutic properties. The medicine was an instant hit and the name, 'Genievre' or 'Genever', based on the French word for Juniper prevailed. Over time, the name became colloquialised and Dr. Sylvius effectively became The 'Father of Gin'. Some accolade, don't you think?

Little did he know that his discovery would very nearly erode the foundations of English society due to its highly intoxicating power.

Study the famous Hogarth painting 'Gin Lane' below and you'll get where i'm coming from!

Anyway, my point was that the Dutch made a damn good, aromatic and highly drinkable spirit, which is now enjoyed the world over.

So what the devil are they playing at, making a whisky??

Well, hold your horses because for centuries they've also been tinkering with the brown stuff too.

Van Kleef is one of the oldest distilleries in Holland, with records dating back to 1842. As well as a range of fine Jenevers, bitters and liqueurs the distillery has been bottling it's own whisky, runs a small museum and reportedly had the very first telephone number in the Hague - number 1....
(Oh, and whilst Van Gogh lived in The Hague, he bought his alcohol from here too)

We were sent a sample of the 'Idiotes Whisky' by a friend of ours who was passing through Holland on the way back to Japan and we must confess- we have absolutely no information on it....! the distillery site is in Dutch so any translation help- please get in touch!

Van Kleef - Idiotes Whisky - 40%

Nose: Grainy, gristy and clear apple juice, with some tropical fruit notes. A little hint of smoke starts to emerge, but this is extremely clean and well polished. I have no idea how old this is, but I would hazard a guess at around 5 years??

Palate: Sweetness in the form of honey, heathery floral notes and some distinct buttery elements. It has a surprising similarity to a young Longrow and a real freshness which clings to the tongue. Perhaps some slightly mild botanical notes to boot.

Finish: The fresh apple notes give way to some almond paste. Lightweight, sweet and very clean indeed.

Overall: Well, that was a total surprise. As i'm into my second dram I am thinking about taking a trip over to the Hague as soon as possible. I recently stopped off at Amsterdam Airport and picked up a couple bottles of Jenever. I wish i'd known a little more about this hidden Dutch jem!!

Anyone care to enlighten us some more here??

Manager's Choice... Part Deux

2009-10-05T14:23:00.021+01:00

In the 2008 / 2009 season, there were 9 managerial changes in the English Premier league. That's nearly 50% of the clubs choosing to replace the man at the helm, the man with whom the buck stops, the man whose stamp is on the team.

Diageo are certainly one of the major Premiership clubs when it comes to drinks, esp with regard to whisky. What a haul of distilleries they own, run and draw fantastic profit from. Yes, their starting line up includes international super-stars such as Arthur Guiness and Jose Cuervo all dressed up in their nice Red Stripe kit and marshalled brilliantly by Captain Morgan. But there is some home-grown Brit talent in there too. The English midfield of Archers and Pimms, backed up by Tanqueray and Gordons, but it is their Scottish talent which which really shines through. The back line of solid, dependable drams which are consistently good if not spectacular.

In the Manager's Choice we get to see these distilleries individually, on player-cam as it were, at their supposed very best. In this first release of the rare bottlings, we get to see the first-team regulars of Oban, Cardhu, Mortlach and Linkwood. And the lesser known bench-warmers of Teninich and Glen Elgin. Below we saw how the Oban, Linkwood and Glen Elgin got on up close, so lets see how the other three get on with their bid for first team glory.

Teaninich - Distilled 1996 / Bottled 2009 - Managers' Choice - cask 9802 - 246 bottles - 55.3%

Nose: Well, you'd know where this comes from, just by the nose. Is that a hint of Glenmorangie whipping up the nostrils! Plenty of light, floral notes, brandy-butter, vanilla, clear apple juice, almonds. Pleasant.

Palate: Humm, not what I expected at all. A huge explosion of moss and earth, dark chocolate moose, oak and toffee. With water the dark chocolate powder.

Finish: Medium, sweet and fruity like moist fruit cake.

Overall: A nice dram that really performs well with a drop of water in. Some lovely floral aspects which make this a great example of the distillery.

Mortlach - Distilled 1997 / Bottled 2009 - Managers' Choice - cask 6802 - 240 bottles - 57.1% Vol

Nose: So much character comes shooting out of the glass with the overriding sense of honey roast ham crisps by Branaggans backed up with spearmint.

Palate: It's an odd one this. With a 57.1% you'd think a drop of water is required, but I found it okay without, but it didn't really perform as well as I'd hoped. A little lackluster and with water even more so. Like mash potato with too much milk in it.

Finish: quite yeasty in a Real Ale sense, the finish is quite long and hot with a meaty quality like bovril or bisto.

Overall: 'Bulky' would be the word to describe this one. Complex if we were being kind.

Cardhu - Distilled 1997 / Bottled 2009 - Managers' Choice - cask 3362 - 252 bottles - 57.3% Vol

Nose: A lovely nose of coconut, vanilla, lemon drizzle cake / homemade lemonade. Really fresh and lovely. If my clothes came out of the washer smelling like this, I'd be happy! With water, a hint of white pepper.

Palate: Strong and robust, with zests of lemon and lime. With water: This really comes to life. Really yummy now the strength is knocked down and the flavours really come to life. All the citrus fruits: orange, kiwi, lemon and lime come flooding out. Super stuff.

Finish: A great length; not too short, not too long. The epitome of medium! This malt coats your mouth with a delicate waxiness and leaves you just dry enough to want to take another sip, like a good dry white wine.

Overall: Absolutely the best of the three in this section of the tasting. A stick-on first teamer and so far the first name on my team sheet.

Overall our favorite was the Cardhu by a county mile. We're yet to see the big guns of Talisker, Lagavulin and Caol Ila but on this evidence Diageo need to get those guys off the bench and on to the pitch, to really show their skills off. This ain't no pre-season friendly, this is real life. And Diageo need to play to their strengths. On this evidence, the only Glen they need is Glen Hoddle.

**Note: We have now freed up the "comments" section of the bog so anyone can now leave us a comment, not just registered users! Enjoy!**

By Order of The Management... part one

2009-10-03T15:44:00.006+01:00

A few posts ago, we ran a little story on the new Diageo Manager's Choice series, which received a fairly mixed response. Some reacted with delight at the new series, hoping they would at least follow on the legacy of the original Manager's Choice bottlings.

Many others however reacted with surprise and anger at the pretty stiff pricing these bottling's would be available for - the initial flight is priced between £200 and £300.

Well, a box arrived earlier this week with samples from the first 6 releases:

Cardhu, Glen Elgin, Linkwood, Mortlach, Oban and Teaninich.

We imagined the distillery managers presenting their finest casks up at Diageo headquarters, waiting patiently for a reaction.

Then rather perversely, our imagination switched to the classic scene in The Untouchables, when various mob managers sat around the dinner table, all listening to De Niro's intimidating Capone speech about teamwork, enthusiasm and....Baseball. Every boss is keen to impress and no one wants to f**k up. Clearly one did - and paid for it via a dramatic head splattering demise.

Capone sure liked his Baseball, but didn't like his managers making mistakes. Would a similar situation apply here with these drams?? Here's what three of Manager's Choice bottling's had to say...part 2 on its way soon...

Linkwood - Manager's Choice bottling -Distilled 1996 - Bottled 2009 - 58.2% - Matured in European Oak -

Nose: Almond paste, hazelnuts, an earthy forest floor quality, peardrops and a hint of dried fruit. Surprisingly it doesn't have as much dried fruit as I expected, let alone sherry, with a slightly more aromatic cognac aroma. With water, apple, lemon zest rose water and sweet marzipan all come through. Light and dare I say it... slightly summery.

Palate: Sweet and chocolaty, it has a liqueur like mouth feel with lots of chopped hazelnuts thrown in for good measure. Herbaceous notes also come through- rosemary and a whisker of thyme.

Finish: The nuts get even nuttier and a little note of oaky spice pops in right on the death.

Overall: As I mentioned earlier, the effect of the wood clearly hasn't taken presidence here. This is a lightweight and fairly floral dram. The mouthfeel is excellent, but I would have to question whether there are more reasonably priced quality Linkwood bottlings out there.

Glen Elgin - Manager's Choice - Distilled 1998- Bottled 2008 - 61.1% - Rejuvenated European Oak -

Nose: Initially a fair whack of spirit, followed by some freshly turned earth. Brittle sugary caramel (the homemade pan variety) is the next aroma, but not much else on first nosing. Leave this one alone in the glass for a while and it starts to open up. Also, with the addition of water strawberry sherbet and fruity bubblegum come through and take us back to our favourite sweet shop, which is an unexpected bonus.

Palate: Again a very sweet dram, but more like sugared Weetabix on first entry. Chopped nuts and a whisker of dried fruit leads to something a little soapy on the mouthfeel. It's pretty closed. I left this for a good 30 minutes to open up, which gave some pronounced vanilla notes, but also a little dryness.

Finish: Drier than the Linkwood, but something fresh and grassy on the death.

Overall: A very mixed bag indeed. The nose promises more than the palate can deliver and I felt distinctly underwhelmed with this bottling. Capone would be circling... bat in hand...

Onto the final dram of this part and we've got high hopes for the Oban- a whisky which has seldom disappointed in the past.

Oban - Manager's Choice - Distilled 2000 - bottled 2009 - 58.7% - Sherry European Oak -

Nose: Ooh. Now there's something in here which smells very exciting. Very light smoke (almost like a gas camping stove), chopped mint, peaches and something a little exotic (however not in any way like one of our recent posts!) It has that sharp/sweet aroma that, say a handful of penny 'Fruit Salad' sweets has- a welcome blast from the past! Over time, a little cask mustiness creeps in, but is well balanced by some floral marzipan. With water, some lemon infused white chocolate cuts through, mixed with a hoppy aroma in a subtle way. Very good indeed. (Incidentally, it looks great in the glass with some lovely long legs. Kim Basinger springs to mind.)

Palate: On its own, the Oban has a sensational spicy and velvety touch on the tongue which is very moreish indeed. You immediately want another sip. Menthol notes cut through the sweetness and there is definitely the influence of some sherry (although, in keeping with all these bottling's, no where near as much as expected.) Further on and sliced apple, more marzipan and a deft hint of white pepper all stand their ground to give an excellent all-round balance. With water- and a very inviting perfumed note comes through in waves- rather like repeatedly kissing the perfumed neck of a 1920's gangster's moll. Capone would certainly approve. (unless you happened to be kissing HIS moll)

Finish: Lightweight, with no evidence of the sherry or dried fruit, just fresh apples and grassy notes. Perhaps a touch soapy on the death, but certainly a minor point.

Overall: Unquestionably the best of the three, the Oban delivers a varied palate with some excellent touches and is a hugely drinkable whisky. It is the most expensive and ironically the youngest, so the cost debate will no doubt rage on...

Well, Jonny 'pretty legs' Oban from the Westside (of Scotland) has saved the day here for his less impressive pals. It was a definite step beyond the other two, which weren't bad, just lacking in real presence or authority. Surely something of a pre-requisite when it comes to management? Why don't we ask Mr Capone....

Titter ye not....

2009-10-03T09:37:00.003+01:00

Well, after much to'ing and fro'ing... Caskstrength finally got a Twitter page folks. A splendid evening engaged in a 'live Twitter tasting' at the SMWS (hello Edinburgh Whisky chaps!) made us think it was probably time to get out of the dark ages and get more up to date. Even found Danny DeVito has one. Yay.

Feel free to follow our titterings here or on the handy box on caskstrength...

does that make us Twits?

Fit For A (wannabe) King

2009-10-02T15:23:00.006+01:00

Sometimes you hear rumours. Sometimes you hear rumours of rumours. And sometimes you hear facts. Cold, hard facts. I remember the first time I saw a bottle of Highgrove Laphroaig. It was on a shelf at the Whisky Exchange and came with a suitably royal price tag. I had heard of the legend of these bottlings, only available from HRH The Prince Of Wales' countryside accommodation, but never seen one before. It was beautiful. The bottle was not unlike the old 30 year olds, but with a green box that had a lift off lid and string to carry it by! And at the price on the tag; well I'm glad it was behind a glass door! Wouldn't want to knock one of those badboys off the shelf...!

So it was with much glee that I was recently able to get hold of one of the new Highgrove bottling that Laphroaig released in August 2009. The bumph with it reads:

The whisky is matured for a minimum of 12yrs and, at timely intervals, the Distillery Manager selects a single barrel of matured malt whisky to be set aside and bottled exclusively for Highgrove. A barrel of whisky will fill approximately 280 bottles and each bottle is individually numbered and comes in its own presentation box.

Sounds like a winner so far. But the real bonus of the new bottlings is the packaging. Amazing! The bottles now comes with it's very own, gold embossed label design and a separate label sticker detailing the cask information. All of this is housed in an enormous shoe-box-like container that could happily house a pair of Jimmy Choos or Manolo Blahniks. In fact, if you have a special lady in your life then buy her one of these bottles for Christmas, wrap it up and she'll think she's getting shoes! Then you can snaffle a dram when she's not looking...

Now, packaging is all very good, but how does the damn stuff taste? Let's find out:

Laphroaig - Highgrove House Bottling - Bottled August 2009 - 12 Years Old - Distilled 15.01.1997 - Cask No. 136 - Bottle No. 160 of ~280 - 46% - 70cl

Nose: This is odd. Not what I would expect from a Laphroaig. Very subtle, almost like the nose on the Ardbeg 1977. Plenty of butter popcorn, a hint of cream, some red flowers (carnations, roses). In fact it really is very delicate and floral for a Laphroaig. Of course there is peat smoke, but it's right at the back where it sits with hints of green tea and liquorice. Very, very lovely.

Palate: It's got what you would expect from a Laphroaig; the kiss of peat, the medicinal heat but it is the most subtle I've ever had from this Islay distillery. The malt takes the driving seat with sea salt and a real sweetness, the like of which I've not come across before in a 'froaig. If it wasn't for the peat and TCP, this could be a Springbank. Very unusual, but gooood.

Finish: Medium with red chillies and smoke (as usual) but right at the back of the tounge there is a little coppery taste which adds a zest to proceedings. After that dies down there is a hit of lime that leaves you gasping for more. In a good way! :-)

Overall: I like. I like a lot. This Laphroaig is disturbingly easy to drink. Okay, it's a single cask but it has been paired down to 46%. Usually something I shake my head at. But this works wonders. So, so, so drinkable. Slainte!

A 'Vreckan good time...

2009-09-29T10:05:00.002+01:00

As many of you Ardbeg fans will already know, the fantastic committee bottling of last year- Corryvreckan was recently added into the core range of expressions, sadly replacing one of our all time favourites- Airigh Nam Beist. But instead of crying into our Glencairns, we thought now would be a good opportunity to look to the future and celebrate the fact that Corryvreckan is a dram worthy enough to stand next to the other great contemporary Ardbegs.

At the weekend, we held a particularly special tasting- not just several great whiskies, but some highly unusual flavour profiles and aromas were thrown in to confuse, baffle and delight!
There seems to have been a tendency of late for some distilleries to 'embellish' tasting notes with relatively unknown flavour and aroma profiles, which most palates would simply never identify. We've always found this hilarious, so our little experiment was bound to produce some interesting results...oh boy...

Everyone knows that whisky and chocolate go together extremely well. As we pour our first dram, our good friend Darrell produces a non descript black box. Hello... this could be interesting...

Ardbeg Corryvreckan - 57.1% - 70cl

Nose: Butterscotch, orange zest and cereal. It's there in black and white. Lovely, honest and enjoyable. Of course, there is peat... but it's restrained, refined- clearly it's the backbone to the aroma, but it doesn't dominate. With water, the peat really relaxes and some wonderful sweet caramel. Surprising differences to the original committee bottling. There's perhaps a hint of the creosote/coal tar note from the original bottling, but it is no where near as prevalent.

Palate: Swathes of sweet peat and cereal take over the mouth instantly, leading into a fruity jam note- damsons anyone? Again, it is perhaps lighter than the committee bottling and doesn't seem to retain as much of the wine-like characteristics which the previous bottling had. That's not to say that it isn't great- the mouthfeel is wonderful, with a thick, sweet and rich viscosity giving the Corryvreckan a real air of luxury. 3 cheers for cask strength whiskies!!

Finish: Slightly oaky, perhaps seeing the influence of the wine casks but it's fruity sweetness lingers long after the palate has dried. Sensational.

At this point things went a little weird. We tried a combination of wonderful flavours with the whisky and the results are below:

Chocolates: From our selection of flavoured chocolates, a Jasmine, Bergamot, Tonka Bean (!) and Green Tea were chosen. The Jasmine and Bergamot, added a real floral note to the palate and were not dented by the whisky in the slightest- similarly, the whisky was certainly enhanced by the rich dark chocolate with the aromatic notes contained within. The Tonka Bean, had little effect, save for adding a certain 'aromatic bitters' like note to the whisky (Peated whisky sour?) and the Green Tea flavour was swallowed up greedily by the swirl of the Corry in full effect....

Darrell then reaches into his magic bag again and, with a grin from ear to ear, whispers- "now for the good stuff!" Oh er....

The phrase '5-a-day' will never have the same meaning after this tasting.

Presented on the dining room table were the strangest, alien looking fruits I have ever seen.

Mangosteen: Like a miniature brain inside a thick red husk.

Pitahaya or Dragon Fruit: Gelatinous and seedy, resembling a semi-set frog spawn.

And king of all weirdness..... drum roll please... the Durian.

Dear lord. This surely isn't a fruit?? You could batter someone to death with it!!
Thick, gloopy custard-like flesh, with a hard stone in the centre. Surrounded by a terrifying looking green spiny skin. It actually looked delicious when served, until your nose got within 20 yards of the bowl. What? Hugely strong aromas of onion, garlic and cheese covered Mexican chilli. IN A FRUIT!!!

Surely no whisky could match these brutes!!

Well, the Corryvreckan was admirable in its attempts, working superbly with the sweet flesh of the Mangosteen- the peat mixing nicely with the melon like flavour of the flesh. Well worth seeking out.

The Pitahaya added some floral notes to the proceedings, not all of them welcome but nonetheless, it was well flavoured and would be a better mix for a lighter whisky, say Rosebank or Glen Grant.

The spiny beast was up next. Wow. The texture is smooth and creamy, rather like the whisky, but the aroma blows your head off! In fact the peat certainly added to the overall flavour profile, but it was like biting into a whole Stilton, slathered in strong onion marmalade. Perhaps a sweet port or Oloroso sherry would mix well....?

We managed a few mouthfuls each, before conceding defeat. It was then impossible to taste anything else for the rest of the evening. The following morning, I found myself 'rediscovering' echoes of Durian for several hours, as did Mrs Caskstrength. Sorry about that. ;-(
Try this to expand your palate, but be warned- they're not for the faint hearted....

So there you have it.... Next time you see some distillery tasting notes, referencing bizarre aromas and flavours, try to think about whether they actually make sense. Anyone referencing a Durian is clearly a proper nutter....!!

Don't take these for Granted....

2009-09-24T08:52:00.006+01:00

Ever had one of those really busy days, where you just make it by the skin of your teeth? Of course you have.

Recently, every day has been like that for Caskstrength- running from HQ for the train, heavily laden valise in hand only to realise you forgot your wallet. Train delayed due to a light track dusting of...dust. I recently shifted over to a more autumnal wardrobe and of course, this week has been blazing sun, so as I waited for the 10.42 to Victoria to finally arrive I could feel my temperature rising into distinctly 'hot and bothered' status.

Then a phonecall comes through - "Mr Ridley, we've sadly lost your really important parcel of documents....not our fault....no refunds....probably chucked in a ditch...have a wonderful day"...etc etc. Great.

My mind shifted to 'The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (the classic original version with Leonard Rossiter, not the appalling remake)

Should I jack it all in- snog my attractive secretary and stage my own demise by wandering off into the sea? (tricky, as I pretty much live in Kent)

Then one thing calmed me down. Hang on- i'm actually off to a whisky tasting, which will be great.

The 45 minute delayed journey into Victoria didn't seem as bad then, even as the power died on my phone and some fool accidentally sprayed my newly cleaned white linen blazer with Coca Cola.

The tasting in question was one I had been looking forward to for a while, if my memory serves me, it's a distillery that we haven't really featured very much on Caskstrength; Glen Grant.

As I arrived at the Albannach bar, a beaming figure in the shape of Dennis Malcolm greeted me, resplendent in full Scottish dress, with a table of bottles; Glen Grant (no age statement) 10 Year-Old, 1992 Cellar Reserve and something just a little bit special- A single cask bottling from 1992, to act as a perfect foil to the Reserve.

Dennis gave the assembled guests a great insight into the history of Glen Grant, where we discovered they were the first distillery to fill spirit into Sherry casks and that one of the Grant brothers was a gardening fanatic. (My next Scottish trip will definitely incorporate a visit to the gardens around the distillery, which look superb)

Rather than have pre-poured drams, Dennis encouraged us to pour our own, which, was a totally unexpected treat- not that you end up with larger measures, but the whole process seems a lot more relaxed and less rigid, something I definitely needed after the day so far!

Glen Grant No Age Statement- 40 % - 70cl

Nose: Very fresh and fruity, with a yeasty, barley note on the second nosing. Clearly a young whisky, but not at all overpowering.

Palate: Rich malt, coated with golden syrup and pieces of freshly cut apple /pear. Like a bowl of Shreddies jazzed up with some tasty accompaniment.

Finish: Very light and floral, with more apple notes coming through.

Overall: A great way to start the tasting- nothing overpowering here, just good, clean malty whisky. Very drinkable indeed.

Glen Grant - 10 Year-Old - 40% - 70cl

Nose: Immediate toffee notes, followed by some orange blossom, country fudge and a latte-like milky coffee aroma. Then comes a few light swathes of malt. Decent all round.

Palate: A refreshing and light entry to the palate, with vanilla, a little prickly white pepper and some light menthol notes. Again, the sweet malt comes to the fore, in a similar way to the No Age Statement bottling.

Finish: Apples notes again, with some almond paste/marzipan sweetness.

Overall: Another highly drinkable whisky- uncomplicated and smooth. Worth seeking out.

Glen Grant - 1992 Cellar Reserve- 46% - bottled in 2008 - 46% - NCF - limited release

Nose: Heather honey, light and fragrant floral (honeysuckle) with chopped hazelnuts, some slightly creamy white wine aroma and toffee apple. Sounds like a totally mixed bag, but all very sweet, fruity and floral...

Palate: Light menthol notes, white pepper, more of that white wine and some spiced cinnamon dusted apples.

Finish: Light and fragrant again with the hint of spice enriching the palate as it dries.

Overall: Essentially the big brother of the 10 year old, this has complimentary spicy woody notes (from the addition of sherry butts, we suspect). Another cracking bottling.

Glen Grant - Single Cask Bottling - Aged 17 years - Distilled 12th February 1992 - Bottled 20th May 2009 - Cask no: 17152 - 360 bottles - 58.8%

Nose: An immediate burst of vanilla, golden syrup and honey, mixed with a woody oaky quality. It's a real joy to nose whiskies at caskstrength. With a little water, the previously discovered pear and apple notes start to come through in abundance. Very much within the house style, but so much more.

Palate: Just as beguiling on the tongue as on the nose. Ripe fruits, syrup, marzipan and lemon zest combine with a slightly smoky woody undertone. Thicker mouth-feel than the 1992 reserve but to be expected, given it's at caskstrength.

Finish: Long, fruity and lingering, with a lasting syrupy sweetness.

Overall: Compliments the existing range extremely and a delight to try.

A Coming Of Age

2009-09-09T23:29:00.006+01:00

As wake up calls go, today is undoubtedly one of my earliest in a long time.

3.30am and I'm blearily wrenched from a warm bed with the prospect of a long drive, followed by 2 flights. No groans from me though. This isn't an ordinary trip.

Today Caskstrength was invited on a blindingly brief trip up to Islay for the official launch of a whisky which has undoubtedly been the talk of most peatheads for many months now.

The event marks the coming of age for Islay's youngest whisky, lovingly made by its newest distillery, Kilchoman.

3 years is clearly a damned important milestone in whisky making for any distillery.
It must have seemed like a lifetime to Anthony Wills and his team, when they embarked on transforming Rockside Farm into their dream distillery.

At last, the dreaming is over and you can almost feel a collective sigh of relief from the assembled crowd in the hall today; The first 'actual whisky' has arrived and representatives from every Islay distillery, as well as close friends and family are here to show their support and good cheer.

The release of pressure for Anthony Wills was clearly visible, as he made a hugely emotional speech about the rise of the distillery. It can't have been an easy ride and, in his own words, they have had to 'eat, sleep and drink Kilchoman' to make it work.

But today, it's all about the drinking- and glasses of Kilchoman 3 year-old are proudly piped into the barn, after a rousing introduction from whisky legend and all-round raconteur Charlie MacLean.

As i'm handed my glass, Charlie's historical stories are still resonating profoundly. Many years before this momentous occasion, the very parish of Kilchoman could well have been Scotland's 'cradle of distillation' - in a sense making this a perfectly timed renaissance...

Kilchoman - 3 Year Old - Single Malt - 46%

Nose: Extremely clean, with a very zesty, grassy quality, followed by a waft of youthful peat, some iodine and lots of medicinal character. With a little water, fruity notes emerge - perhaps a faint hint of banana?

Palate: An immediately warming and fruity mouth feel, with no alcohol burn at all. Adding a little water brings through some cream toffee, followed by sharper lemon zest and sherbet. Remarkable depth for a 3 year old whisky, that's for sure.

Finish: As you'd expect lots of fresh, clean notes and a lovely lingering young peat as the palate dries.

Overall: Well, there we have it- Finally Kilchoman have reached the point they can say: 'This is our whisky'- and what a whisky it is too. It has all the fresh, clean elements of young single malt which I love, but maps out just what a tremendous whisky this will become in the future. Something i'm very much looking forward to trying.

Huge congratulations - it was definitely worth the wait.

And now for something completely different...

2009-09-08T20:14:00.007+01:00

Recently, i've been installing a home bar at caskstrength HQ, partly to appease Mrs Caskstrength, who was beginning to resent losing her living room to half empty bottles and boxes of varying age, description and aroma. But mainly i'd fancied trying my hand out at a few old cocktails in the correct surroundings, after a chance encounter with a certain Professor Jerry Thomas.

You see, to the uninitiated, Mr Thomas can probably be described as the godfather of the cocktail, the pioneer of many of our most sacred and classic drinks, still enjoyed around the world today.
His book, 'The Bartenders Guide- How To Mix Drinks or The Bon Vivant's Companion' was recently reissued and is a truly remarkable read. more about this in a minute...

I fancied designing a saloon style affair in the back of the house and busily started spec'ing everything up, until I realised it was financially impossible to replicate the famous Harry's bar in Venice.

So, on the friendly advice of a neighbour, I found a rather splendid early 50's cocktail bar which fitted perfectly into the allotted space. Glassware was duly purchased, alongside some vintage cocktail shakers and the accoutrements needed for turning out some classics. Now all I needed was some recipes... Enter Mr Thomas and his wonderful 'Saratoga Pousse-Cafe', created in roughly 1862... Here's how I got on...

For this 'fancy cocktail', I had originally followed the recipe to the letter, using a 'fine old brandy' as the main spirit, but i think I preferred the Mark II, in which I used a 'fine old whisky' - namely a generous measure of Balvenie Portwood finish.

Saratoga Pousse-Cafe - discovered by Mr Jerry Thomas and duly tinkered with by me.

One-fifth Curaco,(well I plumped for Absinthe)
One-fifth Benedictine,
One-fifth Raspberry syrup (crushed fresh raspberries with a little plain sugar syrup)
Two-fifth's fine old whisky (something fruity and a little old works extremely well)
One teaspoon of vanilla cordial on top. (i didnt have one, so mixed a small amount of vanilla essence with plain sugar syrup)

The essence of a 'pousse' is apparently to try to keep all the ingredients separate in the glass and requires a 'steady hand and careful manipulation'

After delicately layering the ingredients in a small wineglass, I came up with this... Not bad I thought for my first attempt!

The essence is to apparently achieve a fine rainbow like appearance. Nearly there I think!!

Next time- see me attempting Jerry Thomas' signature cocktail- 'The Blue Blazer'- for those of a nervous disposition, it will involve setting fire to some whisky....

Choice FM

2009-09-04T00:01:00.008+01:00

Ok, here's a little scoop for you....some of you will have already heard about Diageo's plans to release a Manager's Choice single cask bottling from each of their operational distilleries (except for Roseisle, which is obviously not ready yet). We, like many of you received an excitable email recently about the release and immediately our appetites were whetted.

Here are the details of the first batch of distilleries, unveiled... a pretty attractive looking starting point:

Cardhu - distilled 1997- 252 bottles - £250

Glen Elgin - distilled 1998 - 534 bottles - £250

Linkwood - distilled 1996 - 480 bottles - £200

Mortlach- distilled 1997 - 240 bottles - £250

Oban- distilled 2000 - 534 bottles - £300

Teaninich - distilled 1996 - 246 bottles - £200

However, one thing keeps nagging away whilst I type this....the pricing.

Granted, some of these bottlings will become legendary- especially when we get into the Talisker/Lagavulin/Caol Ila territory (look at the 15 yo Caol Ila Manager's Dram of old - purportedly an astonishing sherried expression of Caol Ila & now retailing for around 500 quid).

But consider one thing:

At this years Feis Ile, the "Diageo-owned-operational-Islay-distilleries" both released single cask bottlings, of a similar age to the Managers Choice, hand selected by The Manager (or Iain McArthur in Lagavulin's case) which retailed for between 60 and 70 quid. That seems like pretty good value, in any financial climate. Okay, you had to get to Islay on a certain week at the end of May, but I can't help thinking that the new bottlings seem mightily expensive, especially when you can pick up one of these bottling on eBay (or equivalent site) for well under what the first batch of the Managers Choice's are being released at.

That said, these bottles are unique and individual. And to have a complete collection of Manager's Choice bottlings in one's cabinet would be pretty impressive, wouldn't it? This is mirrored in the press release where Classic Malts Selection spokesperson Nick Morgan says:

"We have occasionally issued single-cask bottlings of individual single malt whiskies before, for instance for visitors to the annual Islay Festival. And single-cask bottlings of our malts can sometimes be obtained from independent bottlers.

“But this is a much more ambitious venture - the most extensive collection we’ve ever released of single cask malt whisky bottlings, from 27 of our operational malt distilleries, involving both the well-known and those whose product isn’t widely available.

“Each individual distillery cask selected by the experts after an extensive examination has doubly earned its place in The Managers’ Choice, regardless of its age: because it faithfully illuminates that distillery's individual DNA, and also because it will offer the connoisseur a different, interesting and perhaps unexpected experience of that whisky.”

Hopefully at some point we'll be in a position to bring you a few notes on a couple of the Managers Choice whiskies but until then, you can re-enjoy the notes on the Caol Ila Feis Ile 2009 (Billy even put his signature on that bottle...) and the 2007, 2008 and 2009 single cask Lagavulins by clicking on the text.

Little Gem

2009-08-31T21:17:00.007+01:00

If you're anything like me, there will be a touch of the Del Boy about you. Let's be honest, whisky is not the cheapest hobby in the world. And finding interesting drams to do notes on, and to expand ones palate, can be a battle that only mastercard win. Scouring pubs for long lost bottles on shelves can sometimes lead to a gold mine (my personal favs include St Magdalene 1979 Rare Malt for £2.50 a dram in a hotel in Liverpool, Laphroaig 30 for £3 a dram in a bar in Brighton and an old Port Ellen for £3 a shot in a hotel in Warrington...) while indie off licences and supermarkets can herald the odd gem here and there (£120 for a Port Ellen 3rd Release last year, in Waitrose anyone??). However, while wandering through Oxford's Flea Market last week I spied a wee bottle of something that would cost me over 150 sheets to buy a full bottle of now-a-days: a late 1970's mini bottling of the Balvenie Founders Reserve (early Cognac Style Bottle), advertised for £3. THREE QUID! Far too expensive for a flea market, so yours truly got it for a shiny new TWO POUND COIN. Homeward bound and off came the top for the following tasting notes:

Balvenie 10 Years Old - Founders Reserve - Late 1970's Cognac Style Bottle - 40% - 50ml

Nose: Very soft fudge, brown sugar, mint and basil. Old wax jackets.

Palate: Flap-jack (honey and oats baked together with sultanas), eversuch a slight hint of smoke (not peat, but wood smoke) and a hit of dark chocolate.

Finish: That spearmint again with a touch of chillies, rounding a decent length for a 40% vol.

Overall: This is beautiful, this dram. Damn the bottle size! Very easy to drink, very rounded and the big hit of spearmint that runs throughout is backed by just a hint of smoke and then all that oaty goodness! My guess is that it contains much less sherry than current Balvenie bottlings. I'd be buying this as a staple for the home if it was under £35 a bottle, which it probably was when it came out.

NOTE: Picture coming soon.