​GlenAllachie recently released their 12 YO Virgin Oak Series comprising three whiskies finished for the final 15-18 months in specially selected virgin oak casks -  one in French Oak, one in Spanish Oak and the last in Chinquapin Oak (from the Ozark region in USA).  This gave us the perfect opportunity to taste the difference imparted to whisky by different finishing casks.
COVID has had a big impact on our meetings and thus far we have managed with virtual tastings by video link. This month’s meet was a little different. Six of us met , socially distanced of course, at the Black Horse in Amberley and others joined in from home via video link.
GlenAllachie is a relatively modern distillery founded in 1967 and situated in the central Speyside region. Until recently the whisky produced here was used in blends manufactured by the Pernod-Ricard group. In 2017 the distillery was acquired  from Pernod-Ricard by a consortium of three people led by Billy Walker who has previously owned BenRiach and Glendronnach. In the three years under its new ownership it has won several awards for its single malt expressions and  ‘Distillery of the Year’  in the 2019 Scottish Whisky Awards. Quite a remarkable achievement.
That’s enough background, let’s get on to the important bit -
TASTING NOTES
Chinquapin Oak - Initially on the nose orange zest, tending towards marmalade, and sawdust, but not in an unpleasant way. (Coming back to this one later in the evening the nose was vanilla ice cream, maybe custard). In the mouth, cinnamon sweets with a little heat, some white pepper and liquorice all leading to  a medium length spicy finish. Adding a few drops of water brought out flavours of bananas and butterscotch mellowing the spiciness.
French Oak – Aromas of banana sweets (those foamy ones), darker fruits, butterscotch and some difficult to identify notes that some likened to chlorine or superglue! To taste, honey, citrus fruit (possibly grapefruit), white pepper and a tannic woodiness. The finish on this one was a real surprise -  long and very complex in waves going from sweetness to fruit to pepper and a final tannic dryness. Adding a few drops of water enhances the sweetness, brings out some toffee on the nose and seems to prolong the finish.
Spanish Oak – Wood, leather, citrus fruits, a hint of coconut, some vegetive notes on the nose. Tasting revealed an initial hit of salt followed by vanilla and cinnamon spice leading to a short , almost abrupt spicy finish with a lingering slightly unpleasant bitterness. A few drops of water thinned down the feel of this whisky but still left the bitter finish, so no real benefit.
So how did we rate them? In first place was the French Oak followed by the Chinquapin oak. There was little between them - both are excellent whiskies, but the lovely finish of the French oak whisky won the day. The Spanish Oak was a little disappointing and trailed well behind the other two.
All in all, a very good evening that certainly did highlight the differences between the finishing casks. They are all oaks, but the influences of native climate and the speed of growth has a big effect on the characteristics imparted to the finished whisky. There were some consistent flavours and aromas across the range, fruit, sweetness, orange, pepper and spice, and these probably reflect the characteristics of the  base GlenAllachie spirit. It would have been good to have had some of their new make spirit to see if we could confirm this.
 
 
 
 

Many of you will be wondering what Stroud Whisky Club has been doing during these difficult times.

Covid restrictions stopped us having our usual monthly get togethers, so to keep our spirits high (pun intended), we arranged a steady stream of online tastings. These have been very enjoyable events, with three distilleries and one independent bottler providing samples for online tastings. Since April we have enjoyed whisky tastings with:

Kilchoman (Islay)
Bimber Distillery (East London)
Mackmyra (Sweden) X2
Lady of the Glen (Dunfermline based independent bottlers - https://www.ladyoftheglen.com/)

The Bimber distillery even included new make spirit, new make peated spirit, raw barley, malted barley, yeast a piece of charred stave and a lump of peat in their sample set! Full marks to them for being original and comprehensive.

Mackmyra kindly gave us two tastings, first their standard range and then a few weeks later, a selection from their seasonal range.

Quite a mix of different types of whiskies, but all the whiskies were excellent and some exclusive ones included in the mix as well - a thoroughly entertaining way to while away an hour or two during lonely lockdown evenings.

In July, when pubs could welcome guests again, we managed to have a socially distanced tasting at our home base, The Black Horse in Amberley, and sampled three independently bottled peated Loch Lomond whiskies - and then unexpected appearances from Port Charlotte OLC:01 & Fettercairn chocolate malt 16YO. 

Going forward we are planning to have our social get togethers (suitably distanced of course) at The Black Horse and, to include those that cannot attend - self-isolating, too far to travel etc we will provide an online video link to the tasting so non-attendees can join in from home.

Any questions get in touch with us through the contact page of our website.
So please take care, stay safe and remember drinking whisky is far safer than drinking disinfectant. Probably more effective as well. 

With the relatively recent resurgence of whisky’s popularity and more and more new distilleries being built as a result, it seemed appropriate to think about some of the distilleries that have long been lost. Our meeting this month, “All Is Not Lost”, was hosted by Sean and centred around whiskies from the The Lost Distillery Whisky Company. All of their whiskies are made with the intention of creating ‘approximations’ of whiskies from distilleries that ceased production around 100 years ago. Names that have been all but forgotten.
The process starts with LDC researching as much as it can about the distilleries - locality, production techniques, machinery, still size, shape, capacity, water, yeast, barley, barrels & maturation techniques to create a flavour map that is then used by a nosing and tasting panel to select and marry single malts from 5-10 existing distilleries that LDC believes capture the essence of the original. The final result is a blend of 100% Single Malt Scotch Whiskies with no added colour and non-chill filtered. Neither of those processes was used a century ago when the distilleries were operational.
The Lost Distillery website has excellent information, background stories and tasting notes by Charles Maclean, although, it has to be said the company themselves weren’t helpful in providing us with any additional information about their products.
Prior to the main event we had a little bit of fun with a blind tasting of two whiskies.  Let’s call it a Scottish amuse bouche inspired by Ralfy’s vlog review 795. The basis for the blind tasting was Lidl’s Queen Margot 3YO blended Scotch costing £10.99 a bottle. The first tot was as it comes from the bottle and the second tot was the same but with around 10% Caol Ila 12Yo added. The first tot had a mixed reception, most people thinking it very young even ‘new make’. Vanilla, pear, acetone and toffee were the key notes. The second tot was overwhelmingly agreed to be better with peat and spice to the fore. Nobody would be rushing out to buy Lidl’s Queen Margot, but at £10.99 a bottle it is a very good buy and the addition of he Caol Ila made it very acceptable without greatly impacting the price per tot. Thank you Ralfy!
(I subsequently tried using some Ardbeg 10YO, giving it a week to marry instead of the 24 hours for the blind tasting with a very pleasing result!).
Okay, let’s talk about the main course – the whiskies from LDC. We tried four of their current line-up.
Stratheden Classic Range – (Lowland 1829 to 1926) – 43% ABV - Retail £40
This distillery was founded in 1829 and situated right in the centre of the old market town of Auchtermuchty in Fife. The water source was a tributary of the Eden, channelled from the “Lovers pool” via an aqueduct and down past the distillery buildings where two water wheels provided the power. It took two years and the excavation of 3,000 cartloads of solid rock to route the water past the distillery! 
In the 1900’s successive duty increases, set alongside distilling costs that were higher than those of modern distilleries meant that margins were eroded to the point where there was little will in continuing. The final blow was the loss of its major export market, as the United States embarked on a decade of Prohibition from 1920. The distillery ceased production in late 1924 and closed for good in 1926.
The distillery was unusual in that it only ever had one owner – three successive generations of the Bonthrone family.

Nose: Dark fruit, tobacco, marmalade, apple.
Taste: Chocolate orange, orange zest, sweet and some spice
Finish: Shortish, warming, spicy.
It was generally felt that this was better without the addition of water
 
Towiemore Archivist Range – (Speyside 1898 to 1931) - 46% ABV - Retail: £56
Towiemore was built in 1897 just outside of Dufftown and was in operation for just thirty years. In this time, it gained a reputation as an excellent pure malt whisky. Towiemore was a victim of bad luck and ill circumstance. Towiemore derived its water from the Towie Burn which runs through a rich seam of limestone which gave the water a mildly alkaline make-up (most water used in whisky distilling is slightly acidic).  The distillery closed during WW1 reopening in 1922 with the release of a 3YO spirit. Most of its production was used in blends, but sadly something had changed in the water source and the alkalinity had increased, causing issues when blended with the typically slightly acidic malts from other sources. The change in water quality was probably caused by the lime works on the Towie Burn discharging their by-products into the burn. It still enjoyed a high reputation as a single malt, but this was not enough to save it from closure in 1931.
Interesting Fact - Captain Scott chose Towiemore as his spirit of choice for his Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole in 1910

Nose: Very clean with tropical fruits, honey.
Taste: Vanilla oak and spice.
Finish: Good length, warming and spicy
 
Jericho Archivist Range – (Highland 1822 to 1913) – 46% ABV - Retail £56
Tucked away in a remote valley near the town of Insch in Aberdeenshire are the remains of the Jericho Distillery, which thrived for eighty years. In 1884 it was re-named Benachie after a local mountain. Its remote location meant that transport from the distillery to the rail station at Insch was by horse and cart
In the 1900’s Benachie was still reliant on peat for fuel, on horse- power to transport spirit and almost entirely on the local market to sell its product. The final years of Benachie were marked by declining sales, loss of market and compressed profit margins. In 1909 duty on whisky was increased from 8 to 11 shillings a gallon. The combination of these factors caused the distillery to go silent in 1913.
 
Nose: Christmas cake, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
Taste: Some complexity with dark fruit, toffee, raisins.
Finish: Peppery, some tannin giving a drying medium length finish.
 
Lossit Classic Range – (Islay 1817 to 1867) - 43% ABV -  Retail £41

Initially the site of an illicit still Lossit was founded in 1817, in a remote location, near to the current site of Caol Ila and was the biggest producer of whisky on Islay in the industry’s formative years. The whisky was highly regarded but its remote location worked against it.  In 1863 Caol Ila was built and gave the Lossit distillery owners the opportunity to acquire a modern distillery with far superior transport links. Lossit was limited, small and secluded in comparison, the qualities that made it perfect for illegal distilling now a hindrance, and production ceased in 1867. 
 
Nose: Peat is very noticeable, light fruit and vanilla, toastiness.
Taste: A little one-dimensional with peat and spice to the fore.
Finish: More smoke and spice, with the smoke eventually overpowering the spice
 
Results
We enjoyed all of the whiskies from the Lost Distillery company, but it was generally felt that they didn’t compete at the price point.
The Jericho stood out as the best of the whiskies we tasted with a complex and satisfying taste, but there is some tough competition in the £50-£60 price range and this will struggle against some of the better-known competitors. Coming in second was the Lossit, considered by some as a little bit one-dimensional. At £40 a bottle this will also have difficulty competing with peated offerings from the majors. In third place was the Towiemore and trailing in last position was the Stratheden.
It is very subjective how close these whiskies are to the originals – there is no way of checking and it is probably best considered as a nice marketing ploy. In their defence, LDC does not claim to produce accurate recreations, merely approximations based on research and expertise.  (If anyone has any of the originals they want to share with me, I would more than happily update this blog!).
​

​This month’s meet was led by Sean and rather grandly billed as “The Pursuit of Pleasure – An Exploration of Grain Whisky”.   

It was a blind tasting with a bit of a twist, as after tasting each whisky, the details were revealed. No whisky club brain cells were over-exercised trying to guess what the whiskies were. A blind tasting with one eye open then.

Hints given at the beginning:

• All were grain whiskies
• Each of the first four whiskies came from a different distillery
• The fifth bottle was a combination of whiskies from the first four distilleries
• All were Scotch whiskies
• Each came from a different Independent bottler
• Whiskies from largest, oldest, newest and ‘silent’ grain distilleries
• There were cask strengths, single barrels and a variety of ages
• The last bottle was the only blended whisky

The last bottle wasn’t Haig Clubman. (That’s a bit of an ‘in joke’ that Sean is too embarrassed to explain. Ask Paul S – he’ll tell you).

The evening started off with some explanation about what makes a grain whisky different from a malt whisky (that’ll be the type of still and the grain being used). Interestingly, there are only 6 full time grain distilleries in Scotland and their combined output far exceeds that of the combined output of the 100 or so Scottish malt distilleries. 90% of whisky drunk around the world today is blended whisky. In the past 40 years 7 Scottish grain distilleries have closed, so more distilleries have recently closed than now remain - that’s not the result of a downturn in consumption, but more about the big distilling companies pursuing a strategy to focus their activities and improve efficiencies.
Now on to the interesting part of the evening – tasting the whiskies.

Whisky 1 - Signatory bottling of 2007 vintage North British Single Grain - 43% ABV - Distilled 15 Nov 2007, bottled 07 March 2018 (10.3 YO then)
Signatory is a very well-known Indy bottler and specialises in small batch, single cask and cask strength Scotch whiskies. Based near the Edradour distillery in Pitlochry.
North British distillery was founded in 1885 and is in the western outskirts of Edinburgh. Owned jointly by Diageo and The Edrington Group. This is Edinburgh’s only remaining distillery producing around 14 million gallons per year going mainly into Chivas Regal, Famous Grouse, J&B and Cutty Sark. They have three Coffey stills and new make spirit is 94.50%

Tasting Notes
Nose- Melon with a touch of Parma ham, Vanilla
Taste – Citrus fruits with some spicy notes
Finish – Short with a little spice and slightly herbal
Whisky 2 - That Boutique-y Whisky Company bottling of Invergordon 10 YO Cask Strength Single Grain – 55.4% ABV - Limited run of 217 bottles
TBWC is based in Leith and we know them very well – we had a great presentation from them back in April 2017. They specialise in small batch whiskies with graphic style labels and usually sold in 50cl bottles.
Invergordon is the only grain distillery that’s not located in or very close to the Lowlands region. Instead the distillery can be found in the Northern Highlands a few miles north of Inverness. Founded in 1960 it is owned by White and Mackay and produces around 9 million gallons of whisky per year from 4 Continuous stills. Used mainly for White & Mackay offerings
Tasting Notes
Nose – Youthful, spicy, vanilla, wood
Taste – Almond, toasted cereals
Nose – Short with notes of orange and pepper


Whisky 3 - Douglas Laing ‘Old Particular’ bottling of Port Dundas 13YO 2004 vintage single cask single grain – 48.4% Distilled in July 2004, matured in American Oak barrels and bottled in March 2018. Small batch of 3000 bottles
Based in Glasgow and established in 1948, Douglas Laing is another of the giants in the Indy bottling world, they specialise in Single Malt, Single Grain, Blended Malt, Blended Grain and blended whiskies – That’ll be pretty much everything then.
Port Dundas is now a ‘silent’ (aka closed) distillery which was located in Glasgow, built in 1811 and starting grain production in 1845. In the late 1800’s it was the largest distillery in Scotland. Various companies have owned it over the years, but it was in the ownership of Diageo when it was closed in 2009 and demolished in 2011. In its heyday it produced around 9 million gallons a year.
Tasting Notes
Nose – Sweet, milk chocolate, vanilla, pear drops
Taste – Light spices, cocoa, honey
Finish – Medium, cinnamon, creamy caramel
Whisky 4 - James Eadie bottling of Cameronbridge 21YO Cask Strength Single Grain – 54.4% - Limited edition of 265 bottles distilled 1997 bottled 2018 matured in refill hogshead.

James Eadie was a Scottish beer distiller in mid 1800’s and had inherited a recipe for blended whisky from his father. James Eadie the company specialise in small batch, single cask and cask finish bottlings.
Cameronbridge is situated in Fife mid-way between Edinburgh and Dundee and is owned by Diageo. It is the largest grain distillery in Europe, producing around 22 million gallons per year. It also claims to be the oldest, founded in 1824 by John Haig, whose cousin Robert Stein invented the column (continuous) still. It was the first distillery to produce commercial grain whisky. It is also one of the very few grain distilleries to have ever released its own brand of blended whisky - Cameron Brig. Used in J&B, JW, Haig, Bells, VAT69 to name but a few.
Tasting Notes:
Nose – Sweetness, strawberry cheesecake, peach, slightly perfumed
Taste – Vanilla fudge, toasted cereal, pepper. Buttery feel in the mouth
Finish – Medium with almond and sweetness
Whisky 5 – Compass Box Hedonism: Blended Grain Whisky, NAS, 43% -
Aged in first fill American oak casks.
Compass Box was founded by American entrepreneur John Glaser in 2000, their headquarters and blending room is in Chiswick, London. Maturation storage in Scotland.  Their ethos is “Good wood makes good whisky” and “A well-made Scotch whisky blend, made from excellent component whiskies, is something no single distillery can create, and can rival the complexity of the very best of single malt whiskies”
Compass box has long campaigned for complete transparency in the whisky industry and the right to disclose constituent parts of a blended whisky including distillery, type of cask, Age and percentage.
Hedonism was the first whisky released by Compass box in 2000. Since then it has won a number of awards, most recently a gold at the World Whisky Awards in 2018.
(Definition of hedonism by English Oxford dictionary - the pursuit of pleasure; sensual self-indulgence; self-gratification; debauchery, decadence. Call me old-fashioned, but somehow only the first definition seemed suitable for a whisky club meet).
Constituent parts:
34.7% Invergordon - 27.8% Port Dundas - 21.2% Cameronbridge - 16.3% North British. Ranging from 13- 24 YO - 51% over 21 YO
Tasting Notes
Nose – Fruitiness, strawberries and cream, pepper
Taste – Toffee, cherries, light spices
Finish – Medium, warm and spicy, vanilla and some wood
As usual we finished the evening by rating each of the whiskies. All five of the whiskies were very good in their own right and coming in ahead of the pack was Compass Box Hedonism demonstrating their skill in selection and blending of whiskies.
1st - Compass Box
2nd - James Eadie Cameronbridge
3rd - Signatory North British
4th - Douglas Laing Port Dundas
5th - TBWC Invergordon
 
 

SWC – October 2018 Revamped, Rebranded and Re-released
Alan K planned and delivered a wonderful tasting using  5 Whiskies from distilleries that have either been revamped or rebranded

1. Bunnahabhain 11 – Gordon & Macphail discovery range 43% £45
   

• Grouped and colour-coded under three flavour profiles - ‘Smoky', ‘Sherry’ and ‘Bourbon’. This is the purple/sherry profile.
  
• Designed to help whisky drinkers to begin an exploratory journey through the Gordon & MacPhail portfolio, each bottle features a brief tasting note and either a vintage or age statement.
  
• Aroma Sherry aromas mingle with orange marmalade. Dried fruit notes develop; subtle spices weave through creamy vanilla toffee. Taste Deliciously smooth and creamy; a gentle warming cinnamon spice matures into flavours of chewy dates and stewed plums with walnut undertones. Finish Smooth milk chocolate with lingering dried fruit and hints of nuts.
  
• Range starts around £42 and includes Caol Ila, Miltonduff, Balblair
  

1. The Glenallachie Spirit of Speyside festival 2018 cask strength £50
   
   • Formerly owned by Pernod Ricard, now taken over by the glenallachie distillers company founded by Billy Walker formerly of Glendronach/Benriach/Glenglassaugh.
     
   • Under Pernod only 1 expression of single malt on sale.
     
   • Built in 1967. Located near Aberlour in speyside.
     
   • New Range includes 10yr cask strength, 12, 18, 25 and a range of single casks. Ranging from £40 up to £230
     

1. Old Pulteney 12 40% £32
   

• The new core range will feature Old Pulteney’s existing 12-year-old, and the new no-age-statement Huddart, plus a 15- and 18-year-old.
  
• The HUDDART has been matured in a combination of second-fill American oak and ex-Bourbon casks, before being finished in ex-Bourbon casks that previously contained heavily peated whisky.
  
• The Old Pulteney 12 Year Old will continue to be the entry-level malt for the distillery’s core range. Matured in predominantly refill American oak casks
  
• The maritime malt removed its 17- and 21-year-old expressions in June 2017, citing stock shortages.
  
• The new-look Old Pulteney core range also sports a new bottle design, which ‘freshens up the overall look’ yet retains the brand’s distinctive bottle shape.
  

1. Longmorn 2003/2018 – Gordon & Macphail distillery labels range 43% £60
   
   • Our 'Distillery Labels' range is testament to the long-standing and unique relationships built over generations with Scotland's distillery owners.
     

We have been entrusted with new-make spirit from many of Scotland’s distilleries to mature in our casks, our way.

• • Because of the strong working relationships we had with distillery owners, we would bottle and sell the spirit they created as single malt on the condition that we used their 'house' label with the caption "bottled by Gordon & MacPhail".
    
  • Aroma Delicate sherry aromas mingle with milk chocolate; vibrant seville orange and dried fruit notes come to the fore with time. Hints of cinnamon and nutmeg add a warm spicy undertone. Taste Peppery yet sweet; dashes of warming white pepper develop into rich fruitcake flavours by toasted almonds, candied cherries, and twists of orange peel. Finish Complex; charred oak combines with liquorice and milk chocolate.
    
  • Prices from £50 and up and include distilleries like Scapa, Ardmore, Mortlach
    
  • ‘People associate us with having quality liquid, and the whisky is second to none, but people don’t think we look the best. This is our opportunity to change and move with the times, and give consumers what they really want.’
    
  
  
• Port Charlotte 10 – 50% £48.95
  

• New bottle shape, now first permanent age statement in range.
  
• The expression, which is bottled at 50% abv and uses only Scottish barley, has been matured in first-fill American oak, refill American oak and refill French wine casks.
  
• smoky sweet notes of ‘coconut, vanilla custard, lemon honey, smoke oysters and sun baked salty sand’.
  
• In June 2018, Bruichladdich announced the re-launch of the Port Charlotte whisky brand. The brand will have 4 expressions: Port Charlotte 10 YO, Port Charlotte Scottish Barley 2011, Port Charlotte MRC:01 2010 and MC:01 2009.
  
• Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2011 is a new vintage comprised of whisky produced from barley grown on three Islay farms – Dunlossit, Sunderland and Kilchiaran. Bottled at 50% abv, the whisky has been matured in mostly first-fill American oak with some whisky aged in refill Syrah and Merlot wine casks. It will be available globally for around £60 per 70cl bottle.
  
• Port Charlotte MRC:01 is a limited edition expression distilled in 2010, and matured in ex-wine casks from Bordeaux. Bottled at 59.2% abv, it will be available in domestic markets around the world for £90 per bottle.
  
• Lastly, Port Charlotte MC:01 is a limited 2009 vintage matured in Marsala casks, which has been bottled at 56.3% abv and will be available in travel retail only.
  

After tasting all 5 whiskies we voted on which ones we liked best.  The results were as followed:

1st port Charlotte 10 (34 points)

2nd longmorn 2003 (27 points)

3rd old pulteney 12 (19 points)

4th bunnahabhain 11 (16 points)

5th Glenallachie 12 S.o.Speyside (9 points)

Our March theme is 'Sweet 16'. This was a chance to try different whiskies that have all been matured for 16 yrs.

The line up includes:

• Aberlour 16
• Aberfeldy 16
• Glenrothes 2001
• Jura 16 Durachs Own
• Tomintoul 16 or Glenlossie 16 (tbc)

These high quality expressions showcase what can be achieved in 16 yrs (in wood) an also the the quality and diversity that can be achieved for 3 simple ingredients (Water, yeast and barley).

The tasting was hosted by our very own Alan Kendall.

1. Aberlour 16 “Double cask” 43% £49.95
 Speyside region, built in 1879. Damaged by fire in 1898.
 Aberlour means babbling brook in Gaelic
 Output 3.8 million litres / yr
 Bestselling single malt in France. Owned by Pernod Ricard (french)
 The 16 yr old is a mixture of first fill bourbon and sherry butts.

2. Aberfeldy 16 40% £55.95
 Highland region, built in 1898 (Victorian era)
 Home to Dewars world or whisky
 Output 3.5 million litres / yr
 Water source is Pittlie burn, which contains traces of gold. Hence the nickname the golden dram.  Combination of bourbon and finished in oloroso sherry casks

3. Tomitoul 16 40% £42
 Speyside region. Founded in 1965. Youngest distillery tonight.
 Known as “The gentle Dram”
 Output 3.3 million litres / yr
 For two weeks a year they produce a peated spirit that is branded as Old Ballatrum whisky.  First fill bourbon casks

4. Jura 16 40% £48.50
 “Island” region, though technically that’s highlands.
 Quite young, founded in 1963, though an older distillery used to be there from 1810 but was dismantles in 1901.  Output 2.2 million litres / yr
 Last week they revamped their range and branding with 10, 12, Seven wood NAS and 18yrs old. The 18 is £75. The 16 yr old is being discontinued by April.
 14 years American white oak, 2 years oloroso sherry casks. (thought to be chill filtered and added e150)

5. Glenrothes 2001 43% £52.50
 Speyside region. Founded in 1879.
 Releases mostly “vintage” dated whisky. Was until recently owned by BBR. Also do some NAS “Select reserve” etc
 Output 5.5 million litres / yr. Biggest one tonight.
 Large fire in 1897, exploded in 1903 and another fire in 1922.
 A “variety of casks” is all it says.

Distilleries produce the spirit and, to a large extent, they sell it under their own brand name. There are, however, many other companies that will buy a cask, or casks, from a distillery and then re-sell under their own branding. These are called Independent Bottlers (aka Indies). Why do they do this? Sometimes it is to use orphan stock from the distilleries i.e. a barrel that the distillery has no use for. Maybe they can’t use it or don’t want to if it doesn’t fit the distillery flavour profile - they are, after all, seeking consistency. Sometimes Indies will buy to sell as a single cask offering, maybe a barrel strength offering, sometimes to make their own individual blend. They can choose when they will release the whisky, how long it will be matured, what finishes will be used, chill filtered (sacrilege!), or not. Sometimes they will declare which distillery their bottling originates from, sometimes it will be kept a secret; sometimes the distillery will not allow their name to be used. The Indie can also choose how much profit they are going to make, but in general they offer good value and give us the opportunity to get a different take on many of our favourite whisky brands.
Tonight’s theme entitled “Independently Happy” gave us the chance to try five Indie bottlings. Were we collectively happy? Read on…




GLENGOYNE 7 YO KEITH BATCH 4, 24YO – Bottled by Douglas Laing at 46%. £37 a bottle.
A highland single malt with a very light straw colour, had obviously been nowhere near a sherry cask. Aromas of lemon, grass, vanilla and a slightly acrid alcohol showing its youthfulness. Very light to taste with honey and citrus fruits followed by alcohol burn and finishing with a bitter lemon aftertaste. Addition of water, mellowed the alcohol burn, but also took away a lot of the character.




GLENLOSSIE 16YO – Bottled by Gordon & Macphail at 46%. £58 per bottle
Glenlossie is a Speyside distillery just south of Elgin. Single Malt, finished in a sherry cask giving the typical dark fruit, raisins & fig aromas – although not heavily sherried, so maybe a refill cask. A creamy fudge taste with dark fruits, finishing with sweetness and a lingering spiciness. Adding a few drops of water, made the finish very drying and a little unpleasant for some.




LINKWOOD 17YO – Bottled by Signatory at 46%. £50 a bottle
Linkwood is another Speysider and also very close to Elgin. This was highly anticipated by the author, as two previous official distillery releases had been very impressive. Quite floral to smell with some woodiness and a little mustiness, but not unpleasant. Some felt that the nose was disappointingly weak. In the mouth, a very different experience, with loads of character, very fresh with honey, light fruits, spiciness and slight salt. A medium length finish with notes of spice and wood.




BENRINNES 17YO – Bottled by Gordon & Macphail at 46%. £51 a bottle.
Another one bottled at 46% - is there a sub-theme going on here? Yet another single malt Speysider and again not too far from Elgin. Finished in a sherry cask, this had dark fruits, and caramel on the nose and, in the background, a little mustiness; some even detected a slightly sulphurous note. Full bodied to taste, with plenty of sherry flavours, vanilla and oak leading into a sweet, spicy finish with tobacco there as well.
CORRIEMHOR CIGAR RESERVE, NAS – Bottled by Fox Fitzgerald at 46%. £47 a bottle
There is very little information about this whisky, no age statement and no distillery information. It has been matured in a mix of sherry cask and bourbon wood and the blurb says it compliments a good Cuban cigar. We’ll have to take their word for that. The sherry is very evident in the nose and the taste with dark fruit, oranges, Christmas pudding and sweetness both in smell and flavour. There may even have been a hint of smoke in there. Finish was spicy with a lingering sweetness - straying very close to bourbon territory.


How did they fare? Very close for the top three with just 6 points in it.


1st Place – Corriemhor Cigar Reserve, just one point ahead of
2nd – Linkwood 17YO
3rd – Benrinnes 17YO
4th – Glenlossie 16YO
Wooden Spoon – Glengoyne 7YO​

Twice a year we have a blind tasting - tonight was the first of this year with Jo,  our longest-standing member choosing whiskies to challenge our tasting skills, or maybe to expose our paucity of knowledge?

So, how does a blind tasting work? First, Jo took a trip to Arkwright’s splendid whisky emporium near Swindon ( http://www.whiskyandwines.com ) and chose 5 bottles from their extensive range of over 800 whiskies. She then decanted her choices into unmarked bottles and brought them along to The Ram. Sometimes, we are given a few clues to help us along, but Jo is mean and we were given very little information other than there was a theme linking the whiskies. In a moment of compassion and 4 tots in she did tell us that one of them was a blend.

There’s a lot of fun to be had, having no guidance other than your sense of taste & smell, trying to guess the age, ABV, region, distillery and price. It also allows you appreciate the whisky without pre-conceptions about how good or how bad a whisky might be. Take a bottle of Glenfarclas 15YO and a bottle of Bells and, without tasting it, you just know which one you’re going to like most – you get my drift, right? A blind tasting can sometimes throw out surprising results.
 
Whisky No 1 – (Linkwood 12YO Flora and Flora range). Pale straw in colour with aromas of pear, tropical fruits and elderflower blossom. (Someone suggested alcoholic Lilt). A very smooth taste with pear and melon and a light spiciness developing into a very pleasant finish. A complex and pleasing tipple. A bottle of this would get emptied very easily -  but don’t try standing up too quickly afterwards.
 
Whisky No 2 – (Cragganmore 12YO) –  This one hinted of sherry cask (second fill maybe?) with sultanas and mustiness. A buttery mouth feel with light sherry coming through, some honey and a little saltiness as well. The short finish was spicy and warming with a drying bitterness at the end. Generally, felt to be lacking in character and depth.
 
Whisky No 3 – (Johnny Walker Green Label 15YO) – I’m not the biggest fan of JW whiskies, so disclosure came as quite a surprise. Smelling it gave hints of smoke, acetone, wood, damp grass and slightly medicinal notes. Tasting provided an enjoyable mix of smoke, dark fruits and some pear with a thick, viscous feel in the mouth (“chewy” was one description). A lingering finish of sweetness developing into saltiness. A very drinkable whisky – if you like a little bit of peat.
 
Whisky No 4 – (Talisker 10YO) – This one ratcheted-up the peatiness a notch or two and added quite distinct maritime influences – seaweed, old rope - that sort of thing. Definite salt and pepper on the taste buds and a little bit of sweetness balancing out the smokiness. A long warming finish rounds this off nicely. A classic malt.
 
Whisky No 5 – (Caol Isla 12YO) – No prizes were given for guessing where this came from - it shouts ISLAY at the top of its voice with characteristic peatiness and medicinal aromas. Smooth to taste, some oiliness and sweetness giving way to the peat and a lingering salty finish. There aren’t that many distilleries on Islay, so you would think that at least one of us would have got this right? Wrong!
 
At the end of the evening we independently rated the whiskies.
 
1st place – Linkwood 12YO Flora & Fauna
2nd place – Johnny Walker Green Label 15YO
3rd place – Caol Isla 12YO
4th place – Talisker 10YO
5th Place – Cragganmore 12YO
 
… and the theme linking them? Whiskies from Linkwood, Caol Isla, Tallisker and Cragganmore distilleries are constituent parts of JW Green label. All of them are part of the mighty Diageo empire.
 
Finally, the author humbly wishes it to be known that he takes back everything he has said about JW in the past and would now quite happily add a bottle of Green Label to his collection.

This month’s meeting was the first of the year and was due to fall on February 14th – Valentine’s Day. To avoid an outbreak of mixed marital arts (aka extreme violence) it was re-scheduled to the 7th.


Five excellent bottles were lined up for the tasting – no prizes for guessing the theme.
The Deveron 18YO
Glengoyne 18YO
Glenmorangie 18YO
Bunnahabhain 18YO
Talisker 18YO


The Deveron – Bottled at 40%. This is the latest brand out of the Speyside based McDuff distillery. Not to be confused with Glen Deveron which is, to help make things confusing, also out of the McDuff distillery. This is priced around £55 a bottle which is good for an 18YO. A nice golden colour the initial aromas are of light fruits and some creamy sweetness followed by a hint of liquorice and some floral notes. In the mouth notes of honey and wood came to the fore with a light, drying finish and spiciness at the end. Adding a few drops of water took away some of the woodiness and gave a buttery mouth feel.


Glengoyne – Bottled at 43% and around £70. A Highland distillery, although being just over 10 miles north of Glasgow it only marginally creeps in. Another golden coloured whisky this has been matured in sherry casks which give a distinctive aroma of darker fruits and sweetness. There was also a slightly musty, but not unpleasant smell. Drinking gave a little spicy kick at the back of the throat and some warmth. There was a bit of disagreement on flavour with some picking up on the sherry and others hardly noting it. A medium length warming finish with a little bit of sourness, drying at the end. It was generally felt that this whisky had a narrow flavour profile and not as complex as might have been expected for an 18YO.


Glenmorangie – Another Highland whisky, bottled at 43% and circa £85. Labelled as “extremely rare”. It isn’t hard to buy, so “extremely rare” must refer to the maturation process which is described on their website as “Fifteen years maturing in American white oak casks approximately 30% is transferred into Spanish Oloroso casks to spend a further three years maturing. Then, when both elements have reached 18 years, we blend them back together” Was it worth all that effort? Find out in the results of our tasting later in this report. A light golden hue with a very floral nose, some vanilla and sweetness. Very smooth in the mouth with notes of orange, some honeyed sweetness and a richness. Jo likened it to Tooty Fruity sweets! A long, complex and well-balanced fruity finish rounded this whisky off very nicely. Class in a glass.


Bunnahabhain – Around £80 a bottle and 46.3% ABV. Hailing from Islay, this is a re-introduced version of their traditional 18YO without artificial colouring and chill filtration. This is light copper in colour (I’m getting fed up of saying golden) and gives satisfying aromas of toffee, leather and a little wisp of peat. Tasting gives sherried notes with some saltiness and a warming spiciness. Quite a long finish with waves of spice and a little peat developing at the end.


Talisker – Bottled at 45.8% and approx. £75. World Whisky Awards named this the best single malt in the world 2007, so it has a lot to live up to. Coppery in colour there were a lot of interesting comments about the aromas – antiseptic, germoline, plasticine, linement were just some of the terms used! Some detected a little smokiness as well, someone suggested it smelt like Gloucester Royal. Don’t let it put you off, as tasting gives a complex fruity, salty and peppery experience and a long and salty finish with peat at the end. More class in a glass.


As usual we rated the whiskies at the end of the evening. There may have been a pre-conception that Talisker would be first past the post, but it was narrowly beaten into second place.


1st place – Glenmorangie
2nd place – Talisker
3rd place – Bunnahabhain
4th place – Glengoyne
5th Place – The Deveron


Tasting notes by Sean.