Innholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2016 i Whisky Advocate

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Irish Whiskey Reborn

Three decades ago, only two Irish distilleries existed—Bushmills and Midleton—and they were both owned by the same company. Most of the Irish whiskeys offered were blends. Back in the 1990s, when I first visited Ireland, things weren’t much better. Only the independent Cooley Distillery had been added to the mix. (However, it did break the Irish whiskey mo-nopoly and offer us more variety, including grain whiskey and peated Irish whiskey.) Fast forward to 2016. By the time you read this, there will be eighteen operational dis-tilleries producing a wide range of whiskey styles, including single malt, single grain, single pot still, and blended whiskeys. This expansion, however, wasn’t a linear progression. Most of these eighteen distill-eries have become operational just in this de-cade. Prior to that, Irish whiskey enthusiasts…

2 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Wine and Whiskey Mashups

When Dan Philips, owner of the wine importing company Grateful Palate, hatched an idea with his friend Julian P. Van Winkle III, president of the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, to age red wine in Van Winkle’s used whiskey barrels, neither of them ever imagined it had the potential to be a hit remix. But now, more than fifteen years later, even major wine producers are playing their tune, bringing the flavor and prestige of American whiskey to wine. Bold, red table wines are the dominant whiskey-barreled wines for good reason. “The wine needs a certain amount of concentration to integrate with the whiskey flavors,” explains Philips, conceding he has matured limited runs of white wine and even Champagne in whiskey barrels with success. The real balancing act is…

2 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Craft Cocktails Delivered

Sometimes you crave an inventive drink from a craft cocktail lounge, but only have enough ambition to make it in your own kitchen. That’s where home cocktail kits come in. These cocktail subscription services deliver the hard-to-find ingredients, like activated charcoal powder or crystallized edible viola flowers, to make professional-grade cocktails at home. We size up the options, and make certain whisky is in the mix. Cocktail Courier delivers cocktail kits as often as weekly on a day of your choice, ideal for Friday happy hour or something special to get you through hump day. Subscribers can elect their favorite spirits and skip any kits they don’t like; limited past kits are avail-able for individual purchase. A good bet for whisky lovers: the Horse’s Neck, with Bulleit Bourbon and…

2 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Ochil Fudge Pantry Gives Sweet Treat its Shot

What do you do when you find a forgotten can of condensed milk in the dark recesses of a cupboard? Susan Fleming and Ang Craven opened the Ochil Fudge Pantry after making fudge just for fun with such a can. Compli-ments on their endeavors flowed from friends and family, encouraging them to try making fudge for local food fairs. They were an instant hit. “Within nine months, the two of us had given up careers to give it a shot as fudgetiers, because everyone seemed to love it,” says Susan. Hang on, “fudgetiers”? “If someone who works with chocolate is a chocolatier, surely someone who works with fudge is a fudgetier!” Scottish fudge is butter-rich compared to the cream-heavy American fudge of your local shopping mall. Authentic Scottish fudge has…

2 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Attack of the Whisky Snacks

When friends come by and you open up a few beers or you feel like just sippin’ whisky for the fun of it (you know, nobody making tasting notes in a notebook or anything), then inevi-tably, you’re going to get peckish. What your mouth is craving is something savory or sweet, something salty perhaps, just some carefree morsels you can munch on while watching the ballgame. Whisky snacks work well in these situations, as they come ready-loaded with elements of your favorite beverage. In Scotland, seek out a large bag of Mackie’s Whisky & Haggis Potato Crisps (that means chips, if you’re situated west of the Atlantic). These ridge-cut snacks are made on the Moncur Farm near Dundee. They were the first commercial chips to be made with a whisky-flavored…

2 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Discover the Other American Whiskeys

If you haven’t noticed already, bourbon and rye are not alone on American whiskey shelves. Among the first intruders was unaged whiskey, fancifully labeled as “white whiskey” and “moonshine,” extremely popular late in the last decade. As the moonshine movement struggled, classic American whiskey skyrocketed, and producers unable to distill and age their own whiskey purchased bourbon and rye from large distillers with existing stocks of aged whiskey. But due to demand those whiskey sources started to dry up around 2012, forcing American independent bottlers to think outside the stillroom. The result is a new focus on non-traditional and nearly forgotten styles of whiskey. Corn Whiskey Corn whiskey’s rustic charm draws a certain grain-loving consumer. In contrast to bourbon’s 51%, corn whiskey requires a much greater minimum of 80% corn.…

3 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Demand for Oregon Oak Heats Up

In the coming months, you’ll see many American whiskey labels donning the term “Oregon oak.” What is it? Oregon oak is the popular name for a species of American white oak, Quercus garryana, that grows along the Pacific coast and is indigenous to British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. It’s also commonly referred to as “Garry oak,” “post oak,” “Brewer’s oak,” and “shin oak.” But let’s face it, Oregon oak sounds better than shin oak. The broadleaf hardwood was named in 1839 and offered little commercial value, according to 1920s U.S. Forest Service literature. The species was noted for making good barrel staves, which were likely used to make beer barrels in the region. Oregon oak’s contemporary barrel rise began in the 1970s, when the U.S. Forest Service studied its wine…

2 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Experimentation

Inside the stillroom of a Kentucky craft distillery, I’m asking myself, “What is that smell?” Boiling peanuts meet freshly baled hay over a hint of funky earth and marijuana. Yes, marijuana. The spirit well opens and the fragrance intensifies. I stick my finger in the first run of spirit, before it’s distilled again to double its alcohol percentage, and taste it. The best way I can describe it? Western prairie filled with herbal and grass notes. I asked Paul Tomaszewski, founder of MB Roland Distillery, why he distilled a bourbon with hemp, marijuana’s cousin that contains little THC (the main mind-altering ingredient in marijuana). He said that his neighbor grows the thriving grass and it was a unique way to celebrate Christian County’s hemp heritage. But there’s no federal label…

3 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

IRISH RISING

IN A CONVERTED Guinness brewery in the southern Irish seaport of Waterford, something remarkable is happening. Mark Reynier, formerly of Scotland’s Bruichladdich Distillery and a barley provenance devotee, has created what he terms, “A cathedral of barley” in his Waterford Distillery, where spirit flowed for the first time in January 2016. Taking a page from his Islay playbook, Reynier enlists 46 Irish farms, some organic, growing barley on nineteen distinct soil types. Each farmer’s crop is harvested, stored, malted, and distilled separately, one each week throughout the year. Reynier declares, “Thus we can capture in spirit each farm’s terroir, that subtle character shaped by micro-climate and soil. I’m trying to make the most profound single malt whiskey possible.” In September, Reynier distilled the first organic Irish whiskey. Meanwhile, further north,…

11 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Irish Tee Time

In both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, the collection of links courses is so outstanding, you couldn’t possibly go wrong by just stopping in anywhere and seeing if there’s a tee time available. But if you are in search of the very best Ireland has to off er, our top five courses will fulfill your golfing dreams. If you are drawn to golf by the sea, then you are certainly drawn to Ireland. Golfers from around the world, and especially the U.S., who make the pilgrimage to Ireland discover exhilarating golf and abiding people, a combination that makes for the perfect trip. For the ambitious traveler, a week should suffice, allowing ample time to reflect on each round over a few drams, either on the grounds or at…

4 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

The New Whiskey Rebellion

IT’S A STEAMY SATURDAY AFTERNOON at the Clinton Street headquarters of Nashville, Tenn.’s Corsair Distillery and the tasting rooms are hopping. In one, drinkers jockey for position at a small bar serving big beers like the 8.4% Apple-wood Smoked Gratzer or 7.6% Smoked Salt Gose, all crafted in the brewery portion of the ‘brewstillery,’ while in a second, significantly larger room, a much greater crowd has gathered to partake of the distillery side’s wide range of spirits. Sliding between the group of twenty-somethings beginning their stag party on a high note and a somewhat overly amorous couple apparently bent on enjoying their weekend to the hilt, I arrive at a sliver of bartop and behold the selection of bottles lining the shelves behind. ‘Triple Smoke’ reads one, which I assume—correctly,…

10 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Small Blenders Aim Big

WHY DO SMALL WHISKY companies compete in the face of blending dominance by multinational corporations? What’s their take on blending, and how does this differ from the major whisky brands? Which blends are deserving of your hard-earned cash? As blending is highly topical, Jonny McCormick speaks to blenders from three contrasting whisky companies to find out the answers. To an aspiring whisky blender, the muscle of Dewar’s, Johnnie Walker, and Chivas Brothers must seem every bit as imposing as biblical Goliath. These huge heritage brands, born from the successes of entrepreneurs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, dominate not only blended whisky, but also the entire Scotch whisky industry. They are masters in the art of blending dozens of aged single malts and lighter grain whiskies into incredibly…

12 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Dear John...

LIMITED EDITIONS Dear John, Why make premium bourbon (Jefferson Select 17, Weller 12, Pappy, etc.) if it is NEVER available? I will NOT play this game and have simply switched to Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select. I have stopped looking and would probably not go to any pains to acquire the so-called premium bourbons. Enough is more than enough! Respectfully submitted, Mark Stuart Columbia, Mo. All whisky drinkers feel your pain, Mark. In this issue, Charles K. Cowdery assesses some of the pleasures and pitfalls of limited edi-tions. It’s great that you’ve found your “go to” bourbon. Cheers! ENJOYING WHISKY Dear John, Thank you for your great comments on “En-joying Your Whisky.” Do whatever you want with your bourbon that brings you pleasure. I laugh at the new generation of enthusi-asts…

3 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Beer Barrels Get a Whisky Chaser

The world is awash with craft beers finished in various whisky casks, and now a few enterprising distillers have flipped that idea on its head. Scottish distiller William Grant & Sons Ltd., who pioneered the idea of placing whisky in used beer barrels about fifteen years ago with Grant’s Ale Cask Finish, is at it again with their new release: Glenfiddich IPA Experiment. Why so long between beer cask-fin-ished whiskies? Grant’s master blend-er Brian Kinsman explains. “Firstly, even though there are more oak-aged beers available, the total volume is still quite small.” Beer barrels also present technical challenges, like the potential for bacterial growth if they are not filled quickly, according to Kinsman. For these beer barrel-aged whiskies, the risk is worth the reward. Glenfiddich IPA Experiment, 43%, $70 When…

2 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Be a Flask Master

A full bottle of whisky is a wonderful thing—until it’s time to slip it into the breast pocket of your suit or cram it into a daypack. That’s where the flask comes in. It makes your favorite potable—more portable! Our favorite flasks are slim yet voluminous, stylish yet rugged. You can discretely palm a good flask like a magician and slide it to a friend with a handshake and a pat on the back. Whether you’re in search of pure utility or long to cradle heirloom quality, there is a flask to suit every whisky lover. Check out our top picks and your well-traveled whisky will always arrive in style. Stanley Classic 8 oz., $25 Classic Americana for the picnic basket or coat pocket, this rugged flask is surpris-ingly svelte.…

1 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Buy in Bulk: Guide to Private Barrel Purchase

How would you like to own a barrel of bourbon? Or batch two barrels together for your own unique small batch? Once the exclusive domain of bourbon clubs and choice bars, now any whiskey lover with the desire and some determination can buy a barrel of bourbon. The U.S. three-tier liquor laws require that a wholesaler purchase from the supplier and then sell to the retailer, who sells to you. In other words, you can’t just walk into the warehouse, grab a barrel, and check it in your airport luggage. Fortunately, because you’ll be spending between $5,000 and $12,000 in their store, most retailers will gladly help make your dream come true by cooperating with your chosen distillery. The goal is to achieve something uniquely suited for your group’s palate.…

2 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Killer Cereals

American whiskey is traditionally built on some combination of four grains—corn, rye, barley, and wheat. Now, however, adventurous distillers are reaching for a spectrum of unconventional grains, more commonly associated with cereal boxes and superfood salad bars than delicious drams. With their unique flavor contributions, these grains are anything but run of the mill. Brown Rice Brown rice is the whole-grain version of white rice. Unlike white rice, which has its hull, bran, and germ removed, brown rice has only its hull removed. Tastes like: Brown rice imparts a cast of flavors, including toasty, nutty, and starchy notes. “I pick up some toasted grain that’s not usually found in the standard bourbon mashbills,” says Fred Noe, Jim Beam master distiller, who also identifies a unique note of sweet potato. “The…

3 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Bourbon and Barbecue

Bourbon and barbecue go together like moonshine and mason jars. Go to any barbecue contest; you’ll find many pitmasters smoking meat over bourbon-soaked chips or barrel wood. And now, bourbon is gracing menus in concert with regional barbecue flavors across the U.S. From ubiquitous bourbon sauces to inventive oyster toppers and egg rolls, this all-American couple is showing up in national chains and chef-driven restaurants alike. Check out these eight dining destinations using flavors of bourbon and barbecue to add flair to their fare. Fred’s Smokehouse, Clermont, Ky. TRY: Devil’s Cut Pulled Pork Yes, at Jim Beam’s main distillery you’ll find this pork barbecue dish, dripping in homemade bourbon barbecue sauce using its namesake Beam whiskey. Perfect after a tour! Feast BBQ, Louisville, Ky., New Albany, Ind. TRY: Sauces Feast…

3 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

The Buck Doesn’t Stop Here

The Whisky Advocate Auction index (WAAI) tracks a basket of 100 rare, collectible whiskies through the world’s commercial auction houses. Each bottle’s current price was benchmarked at a baseline value of 100, ensuring that every whisky exerts an equal influence on the value of the index. The current value of each whisky—compared to that original price—is calculated quarterly and composed of a rolling average of the hammer prices over the previous twelve months. The WAAI is determined as a composite of the quarter’s performance of these 100 whiskies. From 2016, the WAAI includes sales from online as well as live whisky auctions, leading to large successive quarterly rises. This quarter the index was up 6.8% to stand at 231.8. One glance at the WAAI graph is enough to tell what…

6 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Brown-Buttered Bourbon

Isubscribe to the culinary dictum that everything is better with butter. So, thankfully, after enduring a lowcholesterol childhood of margarine tubs, followed by an era of restaurants proffering me tiny plates of seasoned olive oil, America appears to have finally returned to its senses. Butter consumption is at a 40-year high. So, when I see a cocktail made with butter, it gets a second look. Of course, there is the classic Hot Buttered Rum, but aside from its primary failure of having no whisky, the drink never really embraces the butter. Rather than a component of the cocktail, the butter feels like an afterthought—an oil slick that needs to be broached with the lips, or God forbid moustache, to reach the tasty liquid that lies beneath. Thankfully, Tyson Buhler, head…

3 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

10 IRISH WHISKEYS YOU MUST TRY NOW

Bushmills 16 year old 40%, $80 Matured in a combination of bourbon, port, and sherry casks. The result is a complex and very satisfying Irish single malt. Connemara 12 year old 40%, $45 An innovative peated Irish single malt created by Cooley. It offers a maturity to match its natural ruggedness. Green Spot Château Léoville Barton 46%, $100 The first Irish single pot still whiskey to be finished in Bordeaux wine casks, after aging in new American oak, oloroso sherry casks, and bourbon barrels. Different and delicious. The Irishman Founder’s Reserve Small Batch 40%, $38 A notably characterful triple-distilled blended Irish that includes 70 percent single malt and 30 percent single pot still whiskeys, matured in bourbon barrels. Jameson 18 year old Limited Reserve 40%, $130 The senior of the…

1 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

FEEL THE WHEAT

In the thick of summer, country-strong Buffalo Trace workers are sweating through their shirts, rolling newly filled barrels from a truck into a stone warehouse. The whiff of new make spirit in charred oak cuts through the subtle breeze, wafting rich bourbon aromas. It’s a typical hot and humid Kentucky day, but something’s wrong. The Buffalo Trace Distillery’s barrelhead stencil markings look a little unusual. Instead of the smeared black ink upon wood grain, these barrelheads don a bright green. This may seem like no big deal to a casual observer, but in the whiskey business, where every detail counts and small changes reverberate across decades, this green ink on the outside of a barrel is the mark of something profound on the inside: wheated bourbon. Buffalo Trace switched its…

9 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Whiskey Après Ski

My lack of Irish ancestry doesn’t preclude me from raising a Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day, and I’ve been known to saber the top from a bottle of Champagne despite never having ridden with Napoleon’s light cavalry. So the fact that I have never actually set foot on a pair of skis does not deter me in the least from taking part in the after-ski drinking session that goes by its French moniker, après ski, and nor should it you. Après ski is such an important part of the ski country lifestyle that it has its own cocktail event: the Après Ski Cocktail Classic in Aspen, celebrating its fifth year this March. Where après ski was once restricted to sipping snifters of neat Cognac or cozying up by the fire…

10 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Buying Guide

While we wait patiently for some of Ireland’s smaller distilleries’ whiskeys to emerge from the cask, there is no shortage of new options from the leading Irish whiskey producer, Jameson, including the new expression of their superb Irish single pot still whiskey, Redbreast Lustau Edition. Our Focus On the Jameson Whiskey Makers Series also brings to light three new expressions worth trying, as the first arrives to our shores, while jetsetters will want to consider Jameson’s Deconstructed Series, a Travel Retail exclusive. Other focuses include two of the most anticipated special releases of the year: the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and the Diageo Special Releases, featuring the usual suspects like Brora, Caol Ila, and Lagavulin. In addition, we take an encouraging first look at some new releases of Japanese whisky…

52 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

48 Hours in Boston

Constructed in the mid-1800s, the vast wa-terside building that houses Boston Harbor Distillery is a marvel in its own right, but your real reason to visit is to taste the 100% malted barley whiskey, a cocoa-tinged af-fair, and the exquisite whiskey-based coffee liqueur that they’re turning out on their 150-gallon still that, coincidentally, has a se-rial number of 1776. Day One Make Boston Harbor Distillery your first visit on your two-day spree through this small but lively capital city, whose history reaches far beyond the Freedom Trail. While George Washington was making rye whiskey at his Mount Vernon estate after his presidency, Colonial Bostonians were cranking out vast amounts of rum. Although the city has fallen into line with all the contemporary trends, boasting its share of whiskey bars…

6 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Limited Liabilities

The greatest appeal of limited edition whiskeys is also their downfall: they’re limited. Many agree with fellow whiskey enthusiast Royal Lichter of North Side Chicago. He considers limited editions a pain because, “It takes so much time and I enjoy the stuff I can walk into a store and buy. I guess for me the time investment required isn’t worth it.” Surprisingly, retailers have mixed feelings about them, as well. “If you account for the number of phone calls we get, the amount of wasted foot traffic, and the constant disap-pointment with customers, it’s a nightmare,” says Aubrey Harless, general manager of Hometown Wine & Spirits near Peoria, Ill. “But,” she concedes, “you have to have them.” Scott Dreyfus, spirit guide at Augusta Liquors in Augusta, Ga., agrees. “Someone always…

2 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

The Eyes Have It: Dark Whisky Temptations

We are all susceptible to using color to prejudge whiskies. Long before we experience the aromas and flavors inside the bottle, our brain has already processed the visuals; it’s made up your mind. Once mature, whisky typically ranges between the color of pale straw to deep mahogany. It starts as colorless, new make spirit, as it’s the cask that imparts this spectrum of natural hues over the years. We can’t help ourselves; invariably, those rich, dark tones appear a more attractive prospect than a lemon-tinted bottling. Given the choice, wouldn’t we rather bask in the glowing amber skies of an ocean sunset than shiver in the undernourishing rays of a winter morning’s first light spilling over cold ground? In the age of Instagram heroes and digital consumerism, naturally darker whiskies…

3 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

BY THE BARREL

Due to high demand, some barrel purchase programs have been placed on hold, or have long waiting lists, but there are still many to choose from on our selected short list. Begin by setting up a selection session with a participating retailer. Unsure if your favorite whisky retailer participates? Look for “private selection” picks in their bourbon aisle or contact the distilleries below to assist with finding a retailer in your area. Distilleries with Batching Programs 1792 BartonBuff alo Trace WhistlePigWoodford Reserve Brands with Single Barrel Programs The whiskeys off ered for private barrels change frequently. Check with the distillery for current selections. Barrell Bourbon barrellbourbon.com/private-barrelsContact: Joe Beatrice joe@barrellbourbon.com BEAM-SUNTORY Jim Beam Single Barrel Knob Creek Maker’s Mark makersmark.com/faqBeamSuntory.comContact: SingleBarrel@beamsuntory.com Belle Meade greenbrierdistillery.cominfo@greenbrierdistillery.com Jack Daniel jackdaniels.com/en-us/whiskey/by-the-barrelContact: 1-888-551-5225 Old Forester oldforester.com/age?location=single-barrelContact:…

1 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Whisky with...Chocolate

Consider a single piece of chocolate. Like the generic “glass of whisky” you are sometimes offered at a party, it can take several forms and flavors, from intense and complex to simple and sweet. It can cause your eyes to close in rapture or send you searching for a polite way to dispose of it. And that’s not all chocolate has in common with whisky, since one can also be an ideal gastronomic partner for the other. The key resides in picking the right combinations from among the myriad possibilities, beginning with a few of the things that make one chocolate much different from another. First, the chocolate that purists will tell you isn’t really chocolate at all: white chocolate is made with cocoa butter and typically contains none of…

3 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Jameson Thinks Small with Microdistillery

Triple distillation has returned to the Old Midleton Distillery in County Cork, Ireland for the first time in over 40 years. Irish Distillers built a new microdistillery, with the scope to produce up to 400 casks per year. Given the vast capacity of the existing operations at Midleton Distillery to produce a variety of single pot still and grain whiskey styles, you would be correct to assume that this is not directly about meeting the stock requirements for the increasing global demand for Irish whiskey. Brian Nation, Midleton’s master distiller, takes us inside the former warehouse to explain the three main functions of the new facility. “Firstly, it’s about education and training,” he says. “It gives distillers the hands-on opportunity to run totally manual distillations. They tend to learn more…

2 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

The Skelp of Awareness

I am writing a book at the moment. In fact, by the time this comes out I should have finished writing a book. If that’s not happened, I hereby apologize to my editor. The process is always an interesting one and, because of the nature of this particular beast, it’s taken me into areas not normally covered by what is deemed to be ‘whisky writing’ (whatever that means). One reason for this is because, as I’m sure I’ve bored you with before, whisky does not sit separately from people’s lives. No surprise then that when you are talking and writing about it that the non-whisky world impinges itself. I like the discursive nature of the acquisition of knowledge, the connections, the avenues and blind alleys. None might lead to the…

3 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Nurturing Good Taste

My late mother used to hate it when I told the story of what happened when I was four years old. Not that it’s a tale of any one incident, like the time I survived a fall from a second-story window (never happened) or ate a bowl of the dog’s food (we didn’t have a dog) or nearly drowned during our summer vacation (that one was real). Rather, this is more a recounting of the way I was raised, which was certainly no big deal back in the late 1960s but might well be viewed as borderline child abuse today. Or at least that’s the way my mother figured many people might see it, and probably rightly so. Simply put, at the tender age of but four, I drank wine.…

4 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

ULTIMATE IRELAND WHISKEY TRAVEL GUIDE

Meet the Makers: Distilleries and Tours Ireland can satisfy every possible whiskey tour aspiration, from intimate artisan craft distilleries to remote historic homesteads and convenient tourist destinations. Check websites and social media for tour availability and times, and book online to avoid disappointment. Operational distilleries currently without tours are listed separately, as many are likely to open their doors over the next year. Anticipated newcomers, who may or may not get further than the architect’s drawing board, are also listed. NORTH SCORE A HOT TICKET Echlinville Distillery near Kircubbin, County Down Pat yourself on the back if you manage to tour Shane Braniff’s Echlinville Distillery, hosting as few as 12-15 visitors per month. Jarlath Watson, always a dapper gent in his tweeds, will have a tasty libation on hand: maybe…

19 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Singles Mixer

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when merely asking for an ice cube in your single malt scotch was enough to get you tarred, feathered, and run out of town. Thankfully, the perceived rules have loosened. Drinking scotch, or partaking in any of life’s finer pursuits, is today more about deriving pleasure however you darn well please than it is rigidly sticking with yesteryear’s mandates. Join the revolution, with a full range of single malt scotch cocktails offering new ways to highlight, showcase, and ultimately enjoy the wondrous world of single malts. The Sanctity of Single Malts The perceived sanctity of single malts begins of course with the producers themselves. Many simply believed their scotch was far too good, too precious on its own merits to be wasted…

13 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

The Other Islands

We all know and love Islay and its eight distilleries, but look around; Islay is only one of Scotland’s distilling islands. A scan of a gazetteer reveals another eight whisky distilleries spread across seven islands, each with their own distinctive identities, some old, some very new. Both Tobermory on Mull and Highland Park on Orkney date back to 1798, whereas newcomer Isle of Harris Distillers opened in October 2015. And, where mighty Talisker and Caol Ila measure their annual production in millions of liters, the tiny stills at Abhainn Dearg trickle out just 10,000 liters a year. Such are the contrasts we find in island life. So let’s start this tour with the only distillery on Arran, the largest island in the Firth of Clyde. Arran is a favorite of…

11 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

Are You A Whisky Advocate? Then Show Us!

T he Whisky Blasphemy Facebook group specializes in making classic cocktails using high-end ingredients. They convene at Holt’s Cigar Company in the Philadelphia area each week. All in good fun, we swear. When Harry Allen welcomes his sons, Sam, Rob, and Jake, to his home in Placerville, Calif., bourbon is the order of the day. Looks like you guys had some serious catching up to do! Following a week at Springbank Whisky School, Jim MacDonald and Todd Hull of Jacksonville, Fla. nabbed this graduation photo with their instructor and the summer issue of Whisky Advocate Conor Tekautz of Sacramento, Calif. visited Dalwhinnie and other distilleries on his inaugural trip to Scotland. Thanks for bringing Whisky Advocate along for the ride, and here’s to many more in the future! Dr. Howell…

1 min

Whisky Advocate|Winter 2016

The Offal Truth

Now comes news that Edinburgh, which I’ve always thought of as Scotland’s San Francisco (measuring 9.8 on the adorableness scale), is about to get its first single malt distillery since the 20s. I figured they were just playing catch-up to Glasgow (Scotland’s Chicago, with extra rain) who announced they were getting back in the urban malt game in 2015, albeit at a gin joint. I was about to skip the story when I noticed that the Edinburgh juice was going to be made by David Robertson and his lads. Some of you will recall the Easy Drinking Whisky Company, which I believed should have been hyphenated (easy-drinking), a short-lived vatted malt business he ran with two pals, identified and caricatured on the bottle as Jon, Mark, and Robbo. The contents…

3 min