Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2016 i Whisky Advocate

Tributes have been paid to David Urquhart of Gordon & MacPhail, who died in November. He came from the third generation of the family to work for the Elgin grocers and independent bottlers, following in the footsteps of his father, George Urquhart, and his grandfather, John Urquhart. David joined the sales team in 1972, covering the north of Scotland, Orkney, and Shetland. His original price list contained 70 different malt whiskies, including Macallan 1937/39 priced at £4.55. He was on the road for eight weeks out of nine, making 120 calls per week, and stopping at every hotel, bar, club, pub, offlicense, and shop in the Highlands. While negotiating a grocery deal on bananas, he met Sheila, the daughter of the banana wholesaler. They were married in 1978, and in…

Many an ‘Introduction to Whisky’ lesson has commenced with the notion that whisky is, at its most basic, just beer made without hops, which is then distilled. The distillation of beer made with hops, on the other hand, produces what the Germans call Bierschnaps and the Belgians describe as eau de vie de la bière. But what happens if you make the whisky first and add the hops later? What sort of curious, crossover spirit is thus produced? These are the questions that must have vexed the minds at Canada’s Corby Spirit and Wine, a division of Pernod Ricard. Their response was J.P. Wiser’s Hopped Whisky. Borrowing from the brewer’s playbook, master blender Dr. Don Livermore assembled 5 to 9 year old column-distilled rye and corn spirits and aged the…

Scotch did single malt, bourbon did small batch, Irish is doing single malt and single pot still, and the Japanese are doing that wonderful stuff that they do...and finally, Canadian whisky has stepped up. I’ve seen and tasted some great Canadian whiskies in the past two years: Alberta Premium 25 year old, Crown Royal Monarch and the new Northern Harvest, Danfield’s 21 year old, Canadian Club 10 year old, Forty Creek Confederation Oak, Highwood 90. Thanks to Davin de Kergommeaux and his book, Canadian Whisky; the Portable Expert, I’ve come to understand Canadian whisky and appreciate and enjoy it. Naturally I wanted to share the joy. I put a solid section on Canadian whisky in my own recent book, trying to explain what was explained to me; how blending is…

Whiskey Attractions Town Branch Distillery 401 Cross St., Lexington, 859-225-8095, kentuckyale.com Other Attractions Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park 6614 Danville Rd., Nicholasville, Ky., 859-881-5716, campnelson.org Jim Beam Nature Preserve Payne Ln., Nicholasville, Ky., 859-259-9655 Keeneland 4201 Versailles Rd., Lexington, 859-254-3412, keeneland.com Kentucky Horse Park 4089 Iron Works Pkwy, Lexington, 859-259-4200, kyhorsepark.com Mary Todd Lincoln House 578 W. Main St., Lexington, 859-233-9999, mtlhouse.org Old Friends Farm 1841 Paynes Depot Rd., Georgetown, Ky., 502-863-1775, oldfriendsequine.org Lodging/Dining Belle’s Cocktail House 156 Market St., Lexington [no phone, website] Distilled at Gratz Park 120 W. 2nd St., Lexington, 859-255-0002, distilledatgratzpark.com Dudley’s on Short 259 W. Short St., Lexington, 859-252-1010, dudleysrestaurant.com Gratz Park Inn 120 W. 2nd St., Lexington, 859-231-1777, gratzparkinn Table Three Ten 310 W. Short St., Lexington, 859-309-3901 Village Idiot 311 W. Short…

Whiskey Attractions Barton 1792 Distillery 300 Barton Rd., Bardstown, 502-331-4879, 1792bourbon.com Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center 1311 Gilkey Run Rd., Bardstown, 502-337-1000, bourbonheritagecenter.com Jim Beam American Stillhouse 526 Happy Hollow Rd., Clermont, 502-543-9877, jimbeam.com Kentucky Cooperage 712 E. Main St., Lebanon, 417-588-4151, independentstavecompany.com Limestone Branch Distillery 1280 Veterans Memorial Hwy, Lebanon, 270-699-9004, limestonebranch.com Maker’s Mark Distillery 3350 Burks Spring Rd., Loretto, 270-865-2881, makersmark.com Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History 114 N.5th St., Bardstown, 502-348-2999, whiskeymuseum.com Willett Distillery 1869 Loretto Rd., Bardstown, 502-348-0899, kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com Other Attractions Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park 2995 Lincoln Farm Rd., Hodgenville, 270-358-3137 Dining 701 Fish House and Oyster Bar 200 Commerce Drive, Elizabethtown, 270-735-9648, 701fishhouse.com Back Home 251 W. Dixie Ave, Elizabethtown, 270-769-2800, backhomerestaurant.com Harrison-Smith House 103 E. Stephen Foster Ave, Bardstown, 502-233-9993, harrisonsmithhouse.com Kurtz Restaurant…

I’ve bought a time machine. And I’d like to take you back to 1985. It was not a happy time for whisky. As those of us who lived through it will recall, sales were falling—fast—and the roll call of distillery closures in the mid-1980s makes dismal reading. Banff, Brora, Coleburn, Convalmore, Dallas Dhu, Glen Albyn, Glen Esk, Glenlochy, Glen Mhor, Glenugie, Glenury Royal, Hillside, Linlithgow, Millburn, Moffat, North Port, Glen Flagler, Garnheath, and, of course, the long and loudly lamented Port Ellen. All closed, many demolished; none will ever work again. It was an unholy mess. Scotch whisky was, many thought, in terminal decline. As for Irish whiskey…well, basically, apart from novelty coffees, it was dead and gone. “Good ol’ boys” may have been drinking whiskey and rye, but no…

SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT 89 Glenrothes Vintage Reserve, 40%, $55 Glenrothes is always this fascinating mix of the malty and the fruity and is one of those drams which needs time in the glass to open. Given that time, you will be rewarded with date, raisin, some fudge, and some real savory depth before a sprinkling of trail mix and a sweetening into nougat and caramel, spice and chocolate. A replacement for the old Select Reserve, this is a magnificent Glenrothes and at a great price, so don’t dare moan.—DB 87 Benromach 15 year old, 43%, $100 The aim with Benromach was always to rediscover an older Speyside style, and this shows how well owner Gordon & MacPhail has succeeded. There’s a profound sherried introduction, just a little malt, then it…

The Chivas Regal range of blended whiskies is highly regarded internationally, a far cry from the brand’s origin in a grocer’s shop in Aberdeen. Chivas Brothers master blender Colin Scott learned his craft from previous master blender Jimmy Lang, and succeeded him in the role in 1989. The brand has passed through numerous owners, but Pernod Ricard has been the careful custodian since the breakup of Seagram, adding limited-edition partnerships with luxury brands and gradually widening the portfolio, such as the Travel Retail bottling of the Chivas Brothers Blend in 2012. Chivas Regal 25 year old was originally launched as a luxury whisky in 1909, Chivas Regal 12 year old appeared in 1939, but the Chivas Regal 18 year old did not appear until 1997. Happily, the current Chivas Regal…

IRISH SINGLE MALT WHISKEY 91 Finest Irish Whiskey 22 year old, 51.8%, £165 Every so often, whether by blind luck or meticulous searching, a brilliant cask turns up. Fruit pastilles, peaches in syrup, caramelized apples, freshly baked bread, and lemons weeping juice, supported by the smoke from the glowing red fringes of burning newspaper. Lemon and grapefruit acidity in the mouth, developing creaminess, vanilla, and more tropical fruit characteristics, with some slightly bitter char surfacing after a minute. Candied grapefruit follows into the finish as the smoke rolls in. Rather glorious. (The Whisky Exchange only)—JM 89 Jack Ryan The Centenary Single Barrel 15 year old, 57.5%, $110 Warmed honey oozing over toasted English muffins, with dry spices and a twist of clementine peel. There’s a cool, clean freshness too. A…

ESCAPIST CONSUMPTION Dear John, Please tell Stephen Beaumont that this column [“The Many Guises of Drinking,” Winter 2015 issue] was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read. Thanks to you and him. Sam Brown, Richmond, Va. Thank you, Sam. We’re fairly certain Stephen struck a chord with most, if not all readers. MAKING A STATEMENT Dear John, I just received my Winter 2015 issue of Whisky Advocate and immediately read the article by Gavin Smith in regard to age statements on whiskies. I have read similar articles in other magazines related to the subject, and find that most of them miss some important points on the matter. I have tasted, and documented, over 220 different single malts, as well as over 40 bourbons. The main issue for a…

Last year Bowmore brought us a Scottish/Japanese collaboration in the shape of its Mizunara Cask Finish expression, but now Adelphi Distillery Ltd. has gone a stage further, creating a true Scotch/Japanese fusion whisky. It is named the Glover in honor of Thomas Blake Glover, born in the Scottish east coast fishing port of Fraserburgh and often referred to as “The Scottish Samurai” due to his major role in the industrialization of Japan during the second half of the 19th century. Both 14 and 22 year old versions of the Glover are available, and Adelphi’s managing director Alex Bruce says, “The 14 year old is a small batch release (no more than 1,500 bottles per batch) that we intend to bottle ongoing. It has been designed to appeal to whisky drinkers…

The conjoining of ingredients from two separate entities to create one gorgeous partnership may well be one of the best arguments for monogamous relationships ever. Peanut butter with chocolate. Bourbon in pecan pie. And, perhaps, our latest favorite: cheese made with whiskey. Sure, nibbling on a bit of rich, aged cheddar while sipping your favorite single malt is a pleasure worthy of taking a moment (Comfy chair: check! Fireplace: check! Mingus on the Bose: check!), but when these two delights meet on the same playing ground, curdy, cool things happen indeed. “The whiskey wash brings out a whole host of flavors that would otherwise lie dormant,” offers Anne Saxelby, owner of Saxelby Cheesemongers in Manhattan, which specializes in American farmstead cheeses. “The flavor starts off bright and acidic with a…

A warm whiskey cocktail sounds like something the black-hatted bad guy orders in a classic western. Jim Kearns, bar director at Slowly Shirley in Manhattan, which features four “room-temperature cocktails,” offers an equally colorful history. “They were once called scaffa-style drinks, meaning a mixed libation that was not chilled and did not use ice,” says Kearns, noting the word “scaffa” may have derived from the Italian for “cupboard,” suggesting these drinks went directly from cupboard to glass. Slowly Shirley offers a Room Temperature Manhattan using Heaven Hill’s Pikesville rye at 110 proof. “When sipped slowly and allowed to warm, a Manhattan becomes different, but not worse. It owes to the fact that good whiskey is enjoyable warm with a little dilution,” says Kearns. For that reason, Slowly Shirley eschews ice…

Last issue, we reported how two £375 bottles of Karuizawa made £4,100 (551%) profit in six months. Unsurprisingly, the next release was keenly anticipated. The Karuizawa 1980 Gold Samurai was sold by ballot through The Whisky Exchange, London for £2,000 a bottle in December 2015. Tempted? Given the outstanding performance of Karuizawa at auction last year, the price was fair and justifiable in the context of the current market, but it caused wouldbe speculators to think twice. Two bottles auctioned in January 2015 made £2,500 and £2,400 each, which after premiums and tax, netted £200/$295 (10%) and £112/$165 (5.6%) profit respectively. No doubt this will improve over time, although Karuizawa 1980 Gold Samurai would need to reach a hammer price of £14,800 by this summer to equal the performance of…

Americans weren’t the first to jolt up a glass of booze with a few dashes of bitters or, for that matter, the first to apply the nickname “cocktail” to a glass of something taken in the morning to keep your hindquarters from dragging. We were, however, the first to weld that name to that booze-bitters combo, the first to explore its various and myriad permutations, and most importantly, the first to make the perfected version into a national institution, available in its classic form everywhere silver coin could be slid across polished mahogany in exchange for strong drink. At first, the Cocktail was our little secret. Sure, we were willing to treat a foreign guest to a round or three when he came to snoop around and monitor the progress…

Whiskey Attractions Buffalo Trace Distillery 113 Great Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, 502-696-5926, buffalotracedistillery.com Other Attractions Kentucky Military History Museum 125 E. Main St., Frankfort, 502-564-1792, history.ky.gov Old State Capitol 300 W. Broadway St., Frankfort, 502-564-1792, history.ky.gov Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History 100 W. Broadway St., Frankfort, 502-564-1792, history.ky.gov Rebecca Ruth Candy Tours & Museum 116 E. Second St., Frankfort, 502-223-7475, rebeccaruth.com Dining Firehouse Sandwich Stop 113 Great Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, 502-783-5673 Rick’s White Light Diner 114 Bridge St., Frankfort, 502-696-9104, whitelightdiner.com Serafini 243 W. Broadway St., Frankfort…

The old A9 road had been the lifeline of the Highlands for more than 200 years. The routes through the glens followed the tracks of drovers who walked with their beasts to the markets in the south. General Wade’s men built hundreds of miles of road in the 18th century, though the road was later shaped by Thomas Telford and John Macadam. As traffic increased in the 1960s, the towns became choked with trundling cars proceeding at a rapid crawl. I can just remember the torturous, congested routes north from my childhood in the 1970s. It used to meander through every little town, and the journey from Edinburgh to Inverness could take five hours. Under the scrutinizing eye of Garson Miller, an Orcadian and the superintendent engineer, the road was…

The Whisky Loch refers to a specifically Scottish problem and a particular period in Scotch whisky’s history and that’s the main content of this article. But let’s briefly steer the time machine to Japan, which shortly after the worst Scottish closures had its own problems. To a certain extent the cutbacks in Japan were a problem of sharp tax rises on domestic whisky, but it may be argued that a greater challenge was an oversupply of cheap Scottish and Irish whiskeys which flooded into Japan following the contraction of their previous main markets, most notably the U.S. In a desperate attempt to prevent shutdowns in Scotland, whisky was supplied at highly competitive prices (well, frankly, all too often it was dumped) and this, combined with the cachet still clinging to…

BOURBON 92 Elijah Craig Single Barrel (No. 4040) 18 year old, 45%, $120 Back after a three-year hiatus. Well-rounded, with lovely caramel, creamy vanilla, toasted oak, nougat, and candied fruit, along with a peppering of cinnamon and subtle mint. Pleasant, lingering finish. Great structure with seamless flavors. –JH 90 Angel’s Envy Cask Strength, 63.95%, $170 The Angel’s Envy Cask Strength port cask finished bourbon has developed a cult following, and it’s easy to see why. Jumping out are marshmallow, caramel, vanilla, roasted nuts, with a hint of cardamom, coffee, and nutmeg, but true beauty lies in the pronounced pumpkin pie, dark chocolate, raw pine nut, caramel, and sweet maltiness. I’d love for this whiskey to finish longer, but it does give a hint of nutmeg toward the end. Sourced whiskey.—FM…

Teerenpeli distillery is located in the southern city of Lahti near the southern shores of Lake Vesijärvi, Finland. The family-owned company runs several restaurants and a brewery, as well as the distillery, and the Teerenpeli name comes from the courtship rituals of the Black Grouse. Their stills are housed inside Restaurant Taivaanranta and can lay claim to being the largest distillery in Finland. After opening the microbrewery in 2002 following a change in the local laws, the team began distilling whisky in 2005. Distiller Jussi Oinas uses traditional pot stills manufactured in Scotland. Output has been a modest 40,000 lpa, but a new distillery build should see this figure quadruple this year. 88 Teerenpeli Distiller’s Choice Karhi, 43%, £60 Peeling back the wrapper on a British chocolate bar studded with…

AUSTRALIAN SINGLE MALT WHISKY 90 That Boutique-y Whisky Co (distilled at Overeem) Batch 1, 47.5%, £150 Fresh, clean aromas of key limes, the waxy leaves of tropical greenhouse foliage, and creamed coconut encased in chocolate. Plenty of acidity and exotic spices at play. There’s a bouquet of citrus and botanical notes to sip. Smooth with a big slug of warmth: white peach, nectarine, melon, ground almond, sliced lemon, with spicy undertones. The finish is complex with plum skin, cooked gooseberry, tangerine oils, and tingle of sherbet. A little beauty, though the outturn seems woefully meager. (50 bottles)—JM FRENCH SINGLE MALT WHISKY 87 Bastille 1789 Single Malt, 43%, $64 The Daucourt family from Angoulême in the Cognac region produces their single malt using French spring barley. It is aged in a…

If you’re capable of “standing, reaching, bending, pushing, pulling, handling, grasping, lifting, carrying, seeing, hearing, talking, walking,” you might just have a career pouring whiskey in your future. Oddly, “pouring” seems not to have made that pretty comprehensive list, but that might not matter, since you’ll also need to be a “passionate, talented and career oriented individual.” And possess a “gracious, polished etiquette.” (You don’t, apparently, need to know that careeroriented needs a hyphen, but that’s another issue altogether.) I learned all this while scrolling through ads for bartenders during a slow afternoon. What I also learned was that if these requirements had been in effect when I started spending time on the front of the bar, I might very well have died of thirst. Wanda, the first bartender I…

It was only when “Crazy” came on that I began to feel fully comfortable with the situation. There had been some moments prior to that, with the room bouncing to the “I. Love. You. Baby!” chorus of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and various Abba songs. The Chinese pop tunes were hilarious. The whisky flowed. It was the last night of an absurdly short trip to Taipei and therefore somewhat inevitable that it would end up in a karaoke bar. Quite how we managed to gatecrash the birthday party of a member of the string section of a Chinese orchestra was never fully explained, but she seemed happy to have the room invaded, especially when more whisky was brought. “It’s a release valve,” said one of my Taiwanese buddies,…

In our early days as drinkers, my older brother and I chose very different paths when it came to our tipples of choice. He tended toward Canadian lagers while I preferred ales. When wine was on the menu, I would opt for red, he would reach for white. And when it came to liquor, I liked the Scottish stuff and he our native Canadian whisky. Truth was I just didn’t care for the drink universally known in Canada as “rye,” regardless of how little of that grain it by then typically contained. My bro would try to sway me with (relatively) expensive bottles of Crown Royal, but to me they could never hold a patch to a Johnnie Walker or other blended whisky. (Single malt? Who could afford that!?) My…

Whiskey Attractions Brown-Forman Cooperage 402 MacLean Ave., Louisville, 502-368-1626, brown-forman.com Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience at Stitzel-Weller 3860 Fitzgerald Rd., Louisville, 502-475-3325, bulleitexperience.com Evan Williams Experience 528 W. Main St., Louisville, 502-272-2611, evanwilliams.com Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse 404 S. 4th St., Louisville, 502-855-8392, jimbeam.com Other Attractions Churchill Downs 700 Central Ave., Louisville, 502-636-4400, churchilldowns.com Churchill Downs Museum 704 Central Ave., Louisville, 502-637-1111, derbymuseum.org Falls of the Ohio State Park 201 W. Riverside Dr., Clarksville, Ind., 812-280-9970, fallsoftheohio.org Frazier History Museum 829 W. Main St., Louisville, 502-753-5663, fraziermuseum.org Horseshoe Casino Southern Indiana 11999 Casino Center Dr. SE, Elizabeth, Ind., 866-676-7463, caesars.com/horseshoe-southern-indiana Kentucky Kingdom 937 Phillips Ln, Louisville, 502-813-8200, kentuckykingdom.com Louisville Slugger Museum 800 W. Main St., Louisville, 877-775-8443, sluggermuseum.com The Muhammad Ali Center 144 N. 6th St., Louisville, 502-584-9254, alicenter.org Speed Art…

Whiskey Attractions Four Roses Distillery 1224 Bonds Mill Rd., Lawrenceburg, 502-839-3436, fourrosesbourbon.com Wild Turkey Distillery 1417 Versailles Rd., Lawrenceburg, 502-839-2182, wildturkeybourbon.com Other Attractions Kentucky Gentlemen Cigar Company 120 S. Main St., Lawrenceburg, 502-839-9226, kentuckygentlemencigars.com Lover’s Leap Winery 1180 Lanes Mill Rd., Lawrenceburg, 502-839-1299, loversleapwine.com Rising Sons Home Farm Winery 975 Frankfort Rd., Lawrenceburg, 502-600-0224, risingsonswinery.com…

AS I WALK INTO THE LIQUOR STORE, my eyes immediately focus on a shiny sign hanging above—“25% off”—then move away as soon as I see the word “vodka.” There’s a stack of cheap beer, a discounted bin of wine, and promotions for tobacco goods. All the pricing, all the point-of-purchase material, and all the signage suggest this liquor store is about affordable goods for a frugal consumer. Sounds like a deal, right? Well, that may be the case if you desire Skinnygirl margarita mix or $5 gin. But when I walk down the small bourbon aisle, I see brands marked up. Every brand is just a few dollars more than I’m accustomed to paying. I travel to another store, with “discounted liquors” in the signage, and it’s selling basic Elmer…

Following a change of ownership, the Loch Lomond Group has revamped its Inchmurrin single malt range, with the previous 12, 15, 18, and 21 year old expressions being replaced with new 12 and 18 year olds and a Madeira Wood Finish with no age statement. The three bottlings are the first releases in the Loch Lomond Islands Collection, and are issued at 46% without chill-filtration. 83 Inchmurrin 18 year old, 46%, £77 The nose offers less rich, peachy fruit than the 12 year old. More perfumed, with toasted marshmallows. Silky and sweet on the palate, with tinned pears and pineapple, plus developing toffee and oak. The finish is quite long, with persistent ginger, drying slightly.— GS 82 Inchmurrin 12 year old, 46%, £36 Matured in a mixture of bourbon, refill,…

90 Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve (Lot 1867-F), 40%, $50 Each batch is a little bit different, this one leaning to sweet orchard fruits, nutty barley, and hot spicy rye. Butterscotch and vanilla on the nose translate well onto the palate. Brisk peppery spice underlies developing layers, adding another dimension of complexity to an already broad range of flavors. Hints of oak tannins on the finish remind us this was finished in Canadian wood.—DdeK 86 J.P. Wiser’s Triple Barrel, 40%, $43 AUD Drinkers with a refined palate will enjoy the breadth and complexity of this whisky, the session drinker, its velvety smoothness. Barrel notes, from toasted vanilla to caramelized sugar and spicy cloves, give way to picklesour rye and bitter citrus pith. Searing peppers and ginger keep it exciting as…