Scotch

Our third and final Fèis Ìle competition is the big one – a chance to not only win a full 50cl bottle of Caol Ila from That Boutique-y Whisky Company, but to be immortalised on their next cultish comic book style-label: a Laphroaig single malt! We’ve heard on the grapevine that a Dr. E. Brown of Hill Valley sent out 12 messages in bottles, which are due to wash up on the shores of Islay in just a couple of days! Some crazy stuff on that grapevine, I can tell ya! Earlier this month, we also received a mysterious treasure map along with strict instructions not to publish it until precisely 10:04 pm on the 24th May, 2013 (the year was in bold and italics). Believing that these occurrences may be related in some way, we asked Professor Cornelius Ampleforth for his advice. The madcap professor told us that the self-styled “Doc” was a bit of crack-pot (even by his standards!) and this was probably all an elaborate joke set up in 1955, nothing to worry about. It wasn’t until the next day that he realised he may have made a slight error... Erm... Maybe he wasn’t joking after all... It seems the Doc has managed to trap himself in the 19th century once again! Unbelievable! We’re quite certain now that the treasure map will reveal the locations of the messages in bottles that are yet to wash ashore and that these will hold the key to unravelling this mystery. We’ll need your help, however! If you can successfully locate one of these messages, please read it and bring it to us at the specified time (the Doc will of course be aware of our movements from reading the Master of Malt blogs that I haven’t yet written), we will then happily offer you a full 50cl bottle of our brand new Caol Ila – Batch 1 from That Boutique-y Whisky Company to say thank you! WIN: Caol Ila – Batch 1 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) – 45.8% – (worth £54.95) Furthermore, we’re looking for somebody to feature on the comic book style label of the next Boutique-y bottling. Tell you what, why don’t we feature one of the helpful people that bring us the Doc’s messages! There’s an idea! Unfortunately we can only feature one person so I guess we’ll have to set some challenges to pick a winner... Exciting. It’s all set to be one hell of a week my friends!!! Jake

Since I was first introduced to the dram, nearly two short years ago, I've considered this expression to be my "quintessential" Macallan experience. Matured exclusively in sherry oak casks from Jerez, Spain that were previously seasoned with dry Oloroso for 18 months; this whisky is like Christmas morning in a glass. It's bottled at cask strength (60.1% A.B.V. on the label but I've noticed variation between batches), without chill filtration and is best enjoyed with a splash of water. Fans of The Macallan and lovers of big, richly sherried Speyside whiskies take note: The Macallan Cask Strength has been discontinued in Ontario and, judging by the website, globally as well. Perhaps as part of the shuffle within the product range, the heretofore non-age-stated red mahogany beauty has now been re-launched as a 10 year old cask strength offering. Although I have yet to try the new formula, I'm left wondering "If it ain't broke..." Nose: Without water, expect to be taken aback by a strong, concentrated burst of alcohol co-mingled with dried fruits, orange, and spice. With a generous splash of water, the nose becomes more nuanced and layered and you can actually begin to pull out some distinctive fruity notes like: apricot, raisins, plums and candied pineapple alongside buttery oak. Palate: Without water, hot but by no means fiery with bright flavours of raisins, candied fruit, chocolate orange and hazelnuts amidst a warming woody spice mixture of nutmeg and cloves. With water this dram really shines as the spirit becomes smoother and richer by allowing the more subtle flavours of caramel and coffee to emerge. Finish: At full strength, the long and lingering finish eventually settles into rich dark chocolate and a hint of wood smoke. The slight oiliness of the spirit gives the dram some extra "oomph" here as it seems to coat the mouth while simultaneously producing a mouth-puckering dryness and of course a wonderful numbing of the lips! A splash of water creates a better interplay in the finish between the notes of vanilla, coconut, smoke and spice before settling into the dark chocolate flavours which now appears much later. Overall: Personally speaking, this was the best standard Macallan expression I've found to date. Aside from the delicious flavour, I've also loved the slight batch variation between bottles resulting in differing alcohol content (from 54% to a monstrous 61%) as well as shifts in the intensity of the bouquet. It is without question for me, a smart buy as it's reasonably priced at $99.95 in the LCBO and it's the last we'll see of this great whisky. Purchase one to squirrel away and one to share.

Guid Scotch Drink receives a number of press releases every day. Rather than condense them into a separate weekly post I've decided to post the most interesting in their entirety, without editorializing.To celebrate this year’s Islay Festival of Malts & Music, Caol Ila and Lagavulin distilleries have again announced exclusive Festival bottlings for visitors to the distilleries.18 Year Old Lagavulin from European OakThe LAGAVULIN™ 2013 special festival bottling, from whisky distilled in 1995, has been aged in ex European Oak Sherry Butts, and was personally selected by Lagavulin warehouseman Iain McArthur.Triple-Matured Caol IlaThis year’s CAOL ILA™ special festival bottling is a little special and unusual, explains distillery manager Billy Stitchell, who personally selected the whisky:“Spirit distilled in 1998 has been triple-cask matured. For 12 years it rested in a combination of Refill Butts, Hogsheads and Barrels. The vatted whisky was then allowed to mature for several months in active hogshead casks to impart a spicy/oaky note to the existing delicate Caol Ila smoke. Finally it was treated to a final gentle maturation in European oak.”Volumes and PricesBottles will be on sale to individual visitors at the distilleries priced at £99. The Lagavulin festival bottling goes on sale at the distillery at 10:00 am on Saturday 25 May (Lagavulin open day); the Caol Ila bottling goes on sale at 10:00 am at the distillery on Monday 27 May - in both cases with an allocation of two bottles per customer.Each release has been bottled at natural cask strength and comes in limited editions of 3,000 individually-numbered bottles.Dr Nick Morgan, Diageo’s Head of Whisky Outreach, commented:“We are again delighted to have two exceptional whiskies from Lagavulin and Caol Ila which we have bottled for the enjoyment of those visitors who come to celebrate Islay’s great whiskies and whisky-making traditions with us during the Fèis.“In the past our special single-cask Festival bottlings have sold out very rapidly, leading to disappointment for some visitors, and unfortunately allowing others to profit from their misfortune by re-selling bottles at inflated prices. This was never our intention.“So this year we are releasing slightly more generous volumes without compromising the quality of our offering. We hope this will enable all Fèis visitors who want to buy a bottle as a memento of of their visit to do so.”

Miltonduff 22 yo 1989/2012 (50%, Chieftain's, hogshead, cask #6, 8 & 10, 1058 bottles) - Miltonduff 30 yo 1982/2013 (50,1%, The Whisky Agency, refill bourbon hogshead, 269 bottles) - Carla Bley

Following on from Competition 1, it’s time to offer a little more detail on the second competition we’re running whilst on Islay. Let me introduce you to ‘Peaty’, our bold and feisty little friend. He’s also a toy dog. Peaty’s hero is Shortie, the Ardbeg distillery dog, but he loves all Islay whisky equally and when we take him to visit the distilleries he often doesn’t want to leave! If you find him on your travels between 24th May and 2nd June, we’re offering a reward for his safe return to the Malt Mobile – a full 50cl bottle of our brand new That Boutique-y Whisky Company Caol Ila, worth £54.95! One good deed deserves another, after all. Like these chaps, Peaty seems to move pretty quickly when we’re not looking. The adorable little fella is easy to spot as he’s wearing people clothes. A T-shirt to be precise, one that says “Master of Malt” on it (that’s us!). If you do find him, please contact us on twitter @MasterOfMalt as we’ll be getting sick with worry! Much more handsome than a mere collar. WIN: Caol Ila – Batch 1 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) 50cl We’re especially concerned about little Peaty this year as some strange deer have been spotted off the coast near Caol Ila... Are they... getting nearer? “Oh, Jesus Christ!” Jake

Here are the winning tasting notes submitted as part of The Whisky Shop Dufftown’s Challenge for Independent Bottlers.  Congratulations to Graeme Anderson for these fabulous tasting notes.  His prize is a bottle of his favourite whisky from the challenge which was the Linkwood. The runner up was Adam Irvine so well done to him. Sample 1 – Carn Mor Aberlour 1994 13 Years Old (46%) Distilled 1994 bottled 2013 – ex-Bourbon Hogshead Nose: Pineapple and Cola Cubes fresh of the shelf or crushed under the rolling pin.  Bourbon Bomb! Taste: More tropical fruits dropped through a Barbados barbecue – smokie sweets, Finish: Fairly short and dry – burnt coconut husks. Sample 2 – Adelphi Longmorn 1985 27 Years Old (53.2%) Distilled 1985 bottled 2013 – ex-Bourbon Hogshead Nose: Classy smooth taffy.  Some vanilla latte smooths the big punch. Taste: Strong and bold like Old Spice.  Even water can’t keep this big dog down.  Like a Collie of its leash. Finish: No surprises here.  The Collie keeps racing and chasing sheep until out of view, over the hill. Sample 3 – G&M Cask Linkwood 1991 (53.4%) Distilled 1991 bottled 2007 – first fill ex-sherry butts Nose: Wax polished libraries & leather armchairs but in a lively tang vibrant sense -  through a child’s eyes. Taste: Crystallised oranges, tangy mango like attack in a light toffee shell. Finish: Zing, zang, zooosh – goes this firework humbug, Sample 4 – Director’s Cut Dufftown 1982 30 Years Old (51.7%) Distilled 1982 bottled 2012 – ex-Sherry butt Nose: Dutch caramel wafer biscuits with a touch of medicinal Jagermeister. Taste: A heavy hitter in a velvet glove.  The sherry is bold but well balanced.  Top class.  This is my nominated embalming fluid. Finish: Quite short and dry but again not aggressively so.  I fine epilogue to this Jackanory. Sample 5 – BBR Glen Grant 1974 37 Years Old (47.8%) Distilled 1991 bottled 2012 – ex-sherry butts Nose: Soft toffee cuddled by a giant caramel teddy. Taste: An Autumn whisky.  A well preserved classic sports car gently bimbles along a summer glen. Finish: Dry well-worn leather, need another sip to refresh my palate.

The Glenlivet has launched a "mystery malt" of their own. No age statement, no cask information, no tasting notes and a black bottle hiding the color of its contents. I wrote about the release here but I was also fortunate to participate in a Twitter Tasting of Alpha, this new mystery malt, with Ian Logan, International Brand Ambassador at Chivas Brothers and Guardian of Malt with The Glenlivet.Limited to 3350 bottles (50% Alc.) worldwide and retailing for £95 in the UK and $120 in the US the UK's 650 bottle allocation didn't hang around long. Given that The Glenlivet is the US's top selling whisky I don't expect the US allocation to be available for long, either.C: Light amberN: The fruit is to the front before leading into toasted marshmallows, lemon curd and vanilla custard with cotton candy (candy floss) and warm tropical fruits coming in behindP: Has the texture of maple syrup with notes of ripe pineapple, desiccated coconut, and lightly salted cashews - no hint of bitterness anywhereF: Finish is long and unctuous with lingering salt, barbecued pineapple, and melting toffee, some wood spice on the very tail end.In conclusion: This would be perfect over some vanilla ice-cream! I noticed that the longer I sat with the finish, the more wood spice I got. This little wrinkle does a nice job of complimenting this otherwise fruit bomb.Sincere thanks to AG and IL for the official sample.

Bowmore 11 yo 2001/2012 (53.6%, Maltbarn, sherry, 175 bottles) - Bowmore 12 yo 2001/2013 (52.9%, The Whisky Agency, Liquid Library, refill butt, 484 bottles) - Bowmore 14 yo 1998/2012 (50.9%, The Whisky Cask, bourbon barrel) - Bowmore 15 yo 1997/2013 (52.5%, The Whisky Agency, The Perfect Dram, barrel, 153 bottles) - Bowmore 17 yo 1996/2013 (52.7%, The Whisky Agency, hogshead, 307 bottles) - Bowmore 1995/2012 (58.9%, Malts of Scotland, sherry hogshead, cask #MoS 12057, 185 bottles) - Back Porch Blues

Guid Scotch Drink receives a number of press releases every day. Rather than condense them into a separate weekly post I've decided to post the most interesting in their entirety, without editorializing.Once-in-a-lifetime competition launched to celebrate latest releaseanCnoc Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has unveiled its third Limited Edition Peter Arkle release.The striking and distinctive packaging from the New York-based Scottish artist takes its inspiration from the thick, brick walls of anCnoc’s Knockdhu Distillery’s dunnage warehouses.Internationally-acclaimed illustrator Peter Arkle said:“I have loved working with anCnoc and am very proud of our latest limited edition. The distillery at Knock is such a great place and I had a fantastic time visiting there. This particular illustration for me really shows a complex thought in a very simple way. On one hand it's just a drawing of the bricks that make up the walls of the distillery and the warehouses with a yellow sign stuck on. But, on the other hand, those bricks are so old and so soaked with the essences of anCnoc –absorbed over the years – that they are not just any old bricks. They are bricks with real character and history. And the sign is there to remind people that anCnoc is not something you can take for granted. One must handle something remarkable with care.”The liquid has anCnoc’s signature honey and lemon notes and has a spicy taste with notes of citrus, sherry and dark chocolate. Strictly limited to only 1000 cases, this Limited Edition will be available online and through specialist retailers in the UK as well as across the globe in the USA, Germany, Russia, Japan, Taiwan and Canada. To mark this unique collaboration, anCnoc is offering 10 fans the chance to win a personally illustrated bottle of anCnoc in a Twitter contest. By Tweeting in a picture of how they enjoy their whisky, 10 of the entries will be chosen by Peter and hand-drawn before being transposed onto a label and tube of anCnoc. Gillian Gibson, Brand Manager for anCnoc, said:“anCnoc has long had a close relationship with visual art and we are delighted to not only be continuing with this fantastic series with Peter which we are sure will become instant collectors’ items like its predecessors, but that we can also offer truly personalised art with a mighty fine dram with our #youranCnoc campaign.”The campaign, called #youranCnoc, will go live on June 17th when people all over the world will have a single day to Tweet in their perfect way to enjoy a dram of anCnoc – whether that be at the beach, by a roaring fire with a dog or looking at the countryside from their window. One of the 10 winners will be flown to New York to meet Peter and be presented with their personalised bottle.Peter added:“I have been so inspired designing for anCnoc and I’m really excited for people to get the chance to be inspired themselves and have their own personal anCnoc moment immortalised onto their very own bottle. It’s such a fun opportunity.”For more information on the anCnoc range or the #youranCnoc campaign please visit www.anCnoc.com

Conflicted. That’s how I feel after tasting the new Macallan 1824 range. Conflicted and intrigued. Let me explain: As someone who has immersed themselves in the whisky business for 5 years as a whisky retailer, barman, cocktail maker, trade salesman, part-time brand ambassador, tasting host and blogger. I have been to more tastings than I [...]