Highland Park 30 Year Old

 

 

 

First Footin!

A guid New Year to ane an’ a’ and mony may ye see

 

 

Count down to the Bells.

At this time of the year I get a little homesick, I start to reminisce of Hogmanay from my younger days back in Scotland, thinking of the first footing, I will stray a little here and explain first footin before I get back to my Wee Dram of Choice.

 

This is a wonderful New Year’s tradition all over Scotland. “First Footing”. It’s not exclusive to Scotland mind you, but as a Scotsman I was raised on. There are various components you need for your First Footin Kit, so here goes:

The first person across your doorstep after midnight brings you good or bad luck for the coming year. A tall, dark, handsome man bearing the right gift will decide the luck.

The gift is for the house and traditionally the gift is either one or a combination

·        A coin (for prosperity)

·        Bread (for food)

·        Salt (for flavour)

·        Coal (for warmth)

·        Whisky (for good cheer)

For me and my upbringing we used shortbread as bread, Whisky and a piece of Coal, as a Scotsman the Whisky is a must LOL, I would at this point tell you that I was the Tall, dark, handsome man, however that was a number of years ago, now the dark is gray.

Its 25 years ago I left Scotland and at this time of the year I have fond childhood memories of my Grandmother and Grandfather preparing frantically for this yearly occasion.

Before the bells (which is just before midnight) we always ate Steak Pie, this is something I generally do each year until now, although my first footin days are over the enjoyment of a wee dram with friends toasting the new year is still a must.

I wish one and all a Happy New Year filled with prosperity, good health, warmth and good cheer. Most of all, I wish you all a New Year filled with many a new Dram shared with friends and family and if not then sharing and showing kindness to strangers.

 

 

Ok now my Wee Dram of Choice for Hogmanay is something special - Highland Park 30 year old, nice to open something a little special at this time of the year so here it is.

  

Highland Park 30 Year Old

How do you drink a magical Dram on an occasion like this? In your glencairn glass, slowly, indulgently and with good company. Highland Park is a distillery that you never hear a bad word about. They have over the years never failed to produce consistent, outstanding expressions.

Highland Park 30 year old is definitely one I tried this year and very happy that I did so. Originally released in 2005, it was the flagship for the distillery until the launch of the 40 year old. I have tried over time the 12, 18 and 21; I have in my collection Thor and Loki but have not opened them as yet. Highland Parks 30 year old is matured in 100 percent refill ex-Sherry casks. This is done with the majority of older malts to control the casks influence over time. I am led to believe that this one is matured only in European oak.

Established in 1798 by Magnus Eunson, Highland Park is now owned by the Edrington Group and is located in Kirkwall on the Island of Orkney, making it the most northern distillery in Scotland.

ABV: 48.1%

Nose: Toffee, Fudge with creamy chocolate and heather, sherried raisins and berries, spices.

Palate: This one is complex with a subtle peat smoke nut sweet, slight spice but not hot, good aged sherry, then comes honey, dried fruits and a light smoke.

Finish: Oaky, light smoke and spices.

 

Comments: Bloody heaven………………. If the New Year is as good as this Dram then were laughing, Wonderful, really this is one of the best wee drams I have tasted.

 

 

Get it…

In Hong Kong at lillionwine, tread carefully as its not cheap. There address is www.lillionwine.com

 

 

 

 

 

Wee Malt Dram of the Year 2013.

 

 

Well I never told anyone about this. So you readers are the privileged few. I thought since every man and his dog and his cat and his budgie is doing it why not join in and decide what dram was my best this year. So without further adoooo let’s get it over and done with.

My whisky of the year for 2013 is......Drum roll.....

 

Ok first some crap on how I picked it, this was the criteria:

Easily accessible
Affordable
Readily available
Reputable distillery

And yada yada yada

 

There were a lot to pick from so here we go…..

Malt
Whisky of the year 2013 is:

Glenlivet's Nadurra – Non chill filtered and at cask strength, bottled at 54.8% ABV

 

 

 

Now this is a Glenlivet that is worth talking about, I tried this purely by accident as the Glenlivit bottling’s mainly run of the mill. After trying it I was blown away, what a Dram, I picked this as this just shows you what one of the big guns can do when they put their mind to it, they were always criticized in the past for going the safe route of chill-filtered watered down whisky, it doesn’t mean I have to like it or agree with it. But they have come back with a mighty bang; this is aged 16 years and matured in first-fill American oak casks.

Gaelic for ‘natural’, ‘Nadurra’ is a non-chill-filtered cask strength beast that still holds the delicate Speyside charm.

It’s a Dram that benefits enormously from this strength.  Sticky toffee pudding with dollops of vanilla, black peppered chocolate with a hint of ginger and the Speyside orchard, not overly complex but the flavors are well-integrated. Adding a teaspoon of water would be the limit. This is just a great Dram.

 

So there u have it.

Who cares but enjoy.

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Addicted to Pleasure - Whisky

With drinking whisky for a while and being a Jock, I got to be curious on the history of the Dram how it came about, the history of my homeland, looking on line, reading about it, it was boring, as people who know me know I’m not much of a reader, actually if it’s something long winded, I get bored and stop, Ha-ha I hear then say in the gallery…… long winded! Read your own Blog. Well it could be some are long winded. LOL.

 

 

In this you tube video, I found informative and interesting, actor Brian Cox has a series of videos revealing as they say the rich and controversial past of sugar, alcohol, tobacco and opium to uncover how the commercial exploitation of these products hooked the world. In this last episode in the series he reveals how whisky was born and how it challenged the tax man; finally succumb to the British tax system, and how that history established the Scottish national drink, then the leading to the alcoholic jakey or in proper English, addiction and the social problem with the Scottish drinking.

 

Glenfiddich

 
 
 

Is it good?

 

Ok so I’m traveling through the Travel retail (as it’s called now) and luckily I’m traveling every few months so I get the chance to browse through the selection if my flight times are cohesive with the opening of the shops at the airport, on my last trip at the beginning of this month I had a spare ½ hour so rather than being bored watching the traffic sleeping, strolling or whizzing through the airport I thought let’s spend the time wisely and browse the shelves, looking to pick up a couple of bottles.

 

So while I’m in heaven looking at the selection up stomps …….. No not an angel. The sales staff, she swiftly prompts me to the Glenfiddich, ok before the crowds start that this is a mass produced no heart and soul Dram, I say shut up and try, the entry level 12 year old is where I started to get involved so to speak.

 

So to all the Whisky snobs who think that the +Glenfiddich Whisky or +Scotch Glenlivet are below them now that they are experienced dramers and these expressions are not for the connoisseur, well I have a few words for you and I cannot print it. The 2 brands in question and especially Glenfiddich are expressions that have so much brand awareness and helped the popularity of Scottish Whisky by presence in markets you would never have thought would have them, they have been in the gantry of 99.9% of the world’s bars and I might add without ridicule or embarrassment.

 

I am partial to a few of their wee drams and even though I try many bottling’s from various distilleries I still have a wee dram of Glenfiddich, recently trying the Glenfiddich Distillery Edition – 15 year old bottled at 51% ABV, not a bad drop which I will review latter in the Glenfiddich week.

 

I was dubious when she tried to persuade me to purchase the new range, yes no age statement, not so good however for travel retail I don’t mind, so let’s look more closely, I will say here I did not purchase them until my return trip and will review them later with a couple of pals. But back to this Glenfiddich being the latest to launch no age statements on a set of new expressions, with three new bottles hitting the market.

 

Glenfiddich new range of three whiskies is called the Glenfiddich Cask Collection. Coming soon.

They have Glenfiddich Select Cask, matured in hand-selected aged Bourbon, European oak and red wine casks, Reserve Cask, matured in distinctive Spanish sherry casks and Vintage Cask, matured in European oak and American Bourbon (a smoky, peaty version) are all married in their own Solera tuns.

 

William Grant & Sons managing director of Global Travel Retail Rita Greenwood said: “We are continuing to see global whisky demand steadily increase as both emerging and more mature markets experience growth. Combined with the customer profile of today’s discerning global traveler, this makes global travel-retail a strategically important channel for Glenfiddich. Global travelers are looking for exclusive gifts and a distinct range of products which they can’t buy domestically, making this the natural environment to launch Glenfiddich’s premium collection of rich and mellow single malts.”

They have Glenfiddich Select Cask, matured in hand-selected aged Bourbon, European oak and red wine casks, Reserve Cask, matured in distinctive Spanish sherry casks and Vintage Cask, matured in European oak and American Bourbon (a smoky, peaty version).

The Cask Collection uses the same Solera vat system that Glenfiddich pioneered for the use of their 15 year old expression.  This project has seen them build three new vats for marrying this collection, one for each expression. 

So try them out. Just to note the Vintage Cask is due for launch in 2014, so look out for it.

 

Future blogs will feature them in a tasting.

Highland Park

 

Bottled by Gordon & Macphail 2000

The bottler Gordon & MacPhail is an independent bottler and distiller of Scotch whisky, founded in 1895 and located in Elgin right in the heart of Speyside, Gordon & MacPhail. It is a family business owned by the Urquhart Family; they have been bottling single malt whiskies for over 118 years, and now bottles over 350 different expressions from around 70 distilleries. Gordon & MacPhail's have a retail shop located on South Street in Elgin. The shop is split into four sections. The Deli, The Wines and Spirits Department, The Grocery Department, and The Whisky Room, which has one of the largest collections of whisky in the world. In 1993 Gordon & MacPhail purchased +Benromach Distillery.

What…

Gordon & Macphail, Highland Park 2000

Location…

HIGHLANDS

 

Tasting…

 

Nose: Vanilla sugar, light smoke with citrus notes.

 

Palate: Chilli, Creamy, slight menthol then earthy, slight peat at the back, pomegranates, pears.

 

Finish: Lingering Buttery with dwindling peat and finally oily coating.

 

Comments: Distilled by Highland Park in 2000 this 11 year old is a great wee Dram, the distillery produces exceptional drams and this is no exception, a combination of the distillery and bottler this is fantastic. Maturation in Refill Bourbon barrels and bottled at Cask strength with an ABV of 58.2% you need to add some water and let it settle. 

 

 

Get it…

From the boys at Fine Vintage in Hong Kong or online at the Whisky Shops.

 

 

 

 

 

Boxing Day with Glenlivet

 

THOUSANDS VOTE TO SELECT THE NEXT THE GLENLIVET SINGLE MALT

Thousands of votes across 37 countries have been cast by whisky lovers to select a new limited edition from The Glenlivet, with its Exotic expression revealed as the winner, with 39% of the vote. The announcement follows a global campaign by The Glenlivet, during which the brand reached out to whisky fans around the world giving them the chance to select the next The Glenlivet expression for the first time ever. The winning expression will be named “The Guardians’ Chapter” in recognition of the significant part the distillery’s fan club – The Guardians of The Glenlivet – has made to the voting. The new whisky – which is non-chill filtered, 48.7% proof and described as a rich, indulgent single malt – will be bottled in limited quantities and distributed around the world from March 2014. The winning ‘Exotic’ single malt was created using a subtle mixture of casks including Hogsheads and American oak barrels with the addition of a proportion of whisky from Spanish ex-sherry butts to provide a rich, exotic twist. 

 

The resulting whisky displays the signature fruitiness of The Glenlivet with the addition of rich, warm spicy notes. Rich and indulgent on the nose, it offers aromas of moist and sweet, candied apples balanced with a hint of orange marmalade. The taste combines juicy raisins with an undertone of dark chocolate orange zestiness, well balanced with a subtle warmth of spice, complementing a long and slightly dry finish. The campaign began in September 2013, with Master Distiller Alan Winchester revealing the three expressions he had hand-picked for fans to choose from. The three expressions – which were selected to spark debate over single malt style preferences – were named according to their taste profile, with the options being Classic, Exotic and Revival. Fans of the brand were invited to tasting events held across the globe where they sampled and voted for their favourites.

 

In addition to the tasting events, a series of special evenings entitled the ‘Expression Sessions’ were held in London, New York and Mumbai. Designed to bring the styles of the three expressions to life through aligned cultural interests, the events included a range of speakers, including artists, academics, musicians and explorers. The London event saw design expert, Stephen Bayley, talking about ‘classic’ car design whilst explorer Benedict Allen described what encountering the ‘exotic’ meant to him. Videos and findings from the events, alongside the percentage breakdown of the final results, can be found on the brand’s website, http://www.theglenlivet.com/. Alan Winchester comments: “The story of The Guardians’ Chapter doesn’t end here. This is an opportunity to savour a unique, limited edition, single malt that’s already been admired and desired by thousands of whisky lovers.   Our Guardians have written a new chapter in the distillery’s distinguished history; this will be their legacy and I’m really pleased with the enthusiastic response we received and the selection the Guardians have made.”  Nikki Burgess, Global Brand Director for The Glenlivet, adds: “Deciding on a new Scotch whisky expression is normally a privilege reserved for a very select handful of experts, revered for their knowledge and experience. With The Glenlivet Guardians’ Chapter, we wanted to recognise the passion and expertise of our Guardians in an original and inspiring way by inviting them to write the next chapter in The Glenlivet’s history. We’ve had an excellent response from fans across the world, particularly in the USA, the world’s no. 1 single malt market, and we are sure that our founder, George Smith, would be proud of the smooth and complex whisky that will bear his and The Glenlivet’s name when it goes on sale next year.” To become a member of The Guardians of The Glenlivet community, please visit:www.theglenlivet.com/guardiansNotes: 

 

Tasting Notes The Glenlivet Guardians’ Chapter ‘Exotic’ – 48.7% ABV – Non Chill-FilteredNose: Rich and indulgent with hints of moist fruitcake and sweet, candied apple, balanced with a tang of orange marmalade.Taste: Plump, juicy raisins with an undertone of dark chocolate orange zestiness. Well balanced with the subtle warmth of spice permeating through. Finish: Long and slightly dry About The GlenlivetThe Glenlivet is the No. 2 single malt Scotch whisky in the world. Crafted in the remote Livet Valley since 1824, it is the only whisky with the unchallengeable right to be called The Glenlivet. About Chivas BrothersChivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport. In July 2010, Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements. 

Merry Christmas

To everyone Merry Christmas!

Big Peats Christmas

 

 

 

Big Peat Christmas Edition 2013. Yummy.

 

What…

Big Peat Christmas Edition 2013 is a must have, A Vatted Malt including Ardbeg, Bowmore, Port Ellen and Caol ila.

 

Location…

ISLAY

 

Where…

I’m sipping this one on Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas everyone.

 

Why…

It Christmas.

 

Tasting…

Nose: Big BBQ, Ash and fresh honey.

Palate: Ashy peat, green fruits with some raisiny notes.

Finish: Sweet icing sugar, marzipan and vanilla.

Comments: Magic… what more can I say. Get a bottle and see for yourself.

Get it…

Online at the Whisky Shops, I recommend again Royal Mile, service is top, and in Hong Kong it’s not available.

 

 

 

 

 

Scotland versus America

 

So the war of words in on, the leading Whisky critics are creating good media publicity on there opinions and thought.

The biggest is Jim Murray,

 

Here's how it all came about.

 

Jim Murray who claimed recently that contamination effected casks used to age the Whisky in Scotland, while bourbons made in the US have improved.

 

Generally speaking, bourbon … has overtaken Scotch,” he said and argues that Scotland’s decrease in quality whisky is due to the use of sulphur candles to sanitize some barrels that have been used to age sherry, giving it a “bitter finish.” Bourbon, however, is aged in virgin oak casks, which do not require sulphur treatment.

 

So the best whisky is coming not from Scotland any more, but from Kentucky,” he said, adding that Buffalo Trace, a bourbon distillery in Frankfort, Ky., is “arguably the best distillery in the world.” Rosemary Gallagher, the spokeswoman for the Scotch Whisky Association, argued that Mr. Murray’s claims are only a matter of his “personal taste.”

 

Ok so here's my wee bit on it and remember its only an opinion, funny how he starts a commotion when his bible is comin oot! Mmm yeh funny that, but it seems his liking has switched to bourbon and is trying to send a message to the whisky industry in Scotland…. Wake up. I mean you cant compare the two drops side by side or in the same stadium;

 

Looking at the two and spending hard earned cash, if you buy bourbon its always a hit but rarely a journey. When you buy Malts its often a hit and always a journey.

 

But my advice is, don’t hold your breath, Scotch Malts will still keep going up, because of Jims comments we will not see the bottom drop out of the market, what you will see is him selling more of his bible in the US as its one of the largest markets for Whisky, good on ya Jim great marketing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Whisky Wire - 12 Drams

 

 

 

 

+Steve Rush of The Whisky Wire presents there 12 Drams of Christmas, a great selection by the masses.

 

 

If your up for some get them online +The Whisky Exchange 

PAIRING

 

 

Yes recently I wrote about food and Whisky pairing and how I’m not in favour of it and don’t think it matches anything, so being a glutton for punishment and being  that I love people saying to me “but you said the opposite”. I ventured along to the Angels Share Whisky bar in Hong Kong and tried there tasting menu paired with Whisky, so below here it is.

 

My thoughts overall was it was a good night, good food and some good and bad Drams, though overall a good night, notice I said each separate as I would eat the food without the Drams and vice versa, matching? Eh! No.

 

I will review The Angels share in a future blog on Hong Kong Whisky Bars.