Innholdsfortegnelse for Apr 2018 i Whisky Magazine

We live in strange, worrying, but incredibly exciting times at the moment. The winds of change are starting to blow strongly in a really good way. The gathering pace of calls for reform and equality are sweeping many industries and the whisky world is not immune, and neither should it be. Just take notice of several voices on the social media channels and you will realise that healthy debate is happening and a much needed change in perception is garnering momentum, supporters and force. I still find it staggering that the opinion “what do you know you are a woman?”, should still be tolerated in our world. Irrespective of background, religion or race, this is not acceptable. I remember doing an interview in Russia and the journalist left me floored…

Let’s move the dresser cabinet TV thingy,” my wife tells me at the start of the weekend. She referred to a giant piece of furniture taking up our bedroom for the past decade. It was time to move it. She wants new furniture. I embarked on the cleaning process in which I pulled out books, pieces of paper, pens, axe (yes, I have an axe in my cabinet thingy; a Carrie Nation axe, to be exact), coins, old passports and a bunch of other stuff. This thingy collecting dust was where I dropped my wallet and everything in between apparently. As I was digging in the back, pulling a few wires, flip cell phone cords, I saw a reflection. It was in the corner, so I had to reach back,…

People 1 Back in the 90s, you’d have been forgiven for confusing Charles Maclean’s ‘tash with Tom Selleck's iconic lip fellow. 2 Marcin Millar, then publisher of Whisky Magazine, now has a PR, gin and Japanese whisky empire. 3 Dave ‘The Brush’ Broom did not always have his now trademark beard, in fact it did not turn up on our bio pictures until Issue 54 in 2006. 4 To celebrate Whisky Magazine’s 10th anniversary, our current fearless editor, a mere contributor back in 2008, was sent to Speyside to lay down two casks at The Macallan… wonder if he’ll share the juice for this, the 20th anniversary. 5 Main voice and author of all things Bruichladdich Carl Reavey passed away after 25 years of contributing to Islay life. 6 Brian…

Searching for, and collecting special whiskies is a great hobby but you also need some overriding goals to reach. Years ago, when I embarked upon my own whisky exploration trip, I wanted first to taste and collect a miniature sample of each individual single malt from Scotland´s then working distilleries. Eventually, that task was accomplished, with an array of 114 single malt miniatures from as many Scotch distilleries. This required several trips to Edinburgh, Elgin and London, as well as more remote destinations. Mail order was not an option – that would have been too easy! My next endeavour was suggested by my youngest son, who thought that it would be more challenging to collect whiskies according to the alphabet. Careful consideration led to a new venture, which was actually…

India has a rich culture and history, dominated by kings and emperors, who built dynasties showcased through imposing palaces and mighty forts. Some of these are more than a 100 years old. During the years, many of these have been converted into luxury hotels and witness high end global travellers. Integral to “The Palace Experience” are fine bars, offering a great selection of premium whiskies and spirits, as well as whisky experiences. We invite you to join us as we appreciate a dram at some of these bars in India as we explore ‘the royal drams’. Trophy Bar Jodhpur Umaid Bhawan Palace is one of the world’s largest private residences, home to the royal family of Jodhpur. Creation of this edifice started in 1928 and was completed 15 years later…

Welcome to my new series of features exploring the non–production elements of taking a whisky to market as there is a lot more to it than ‘just’ distilling, ageing, blending, bottling and selling. A hell of a lot more to be honest. From understanding the global consumer needs, to naming, packaging design and beyond, I’m going to explain to you the non–production elements of how and why whisky products are made. Before I begin, I just want to explain to you why I’m qualified to explain this part of the whisky category to you. My background is in branding, and specifically brand strategy which means I work with distillers, blenders, bottlers and startups to help them understand the market they are operating in, the consumers / customers they are targeting,…

If someone were to tell you they like whisky, you might respond, “What kind?” You know how diverse the world of whisky is, and without specifying their preferences, you’d be left clueless. Similarly, if you were to tell me that you like chocolate, after 12 years of reviewing and writing about it, my first response would be, “What do you mean by ‘chocolate?” Okay, I know what the general public means if referring to some combination of flavours that include sweetened cocoa powdery-tasting-butter-like melty stuff, supported by a spine of imitation vanilla. If referring to dark chocolate, there may be bitter notes; if a milk chocolate, milkfat and caramel. Welcome to industrial chocolate! Containing usually less than 55 per cent cacao, mass produced chocolate is made from commodity-grade cacao beans…

The Whisky Magazine Awards incorporate some of the most prestigious accolades in the whisky calendar as we scour the globe for the very best people, places and products in the industry. Each year, our international panel of expert judges help us find, select and reward those deserving of one of our world-renowned Icons of Whisky, Hall of Fame and World Whiskies Awards titles. It is that time of year again when we present the global winners of our 16 Icons categories and reveal the highly-anticipated results of the World Whiskies Awards. Over the course of the year, we induct industry greats into the Hall of Fame and we bring you another three in this issue. The next 34 pages are a celebration of the best-tasting drams, the most stylish bottles,…

The second Worshipful Company of Distillers’ Charity Auction takes place at Mercers’ Hall, Ironmonger Lane, London in the heart of the City on Tuesday 10 April 2018. Hosted by international auctioneer Christie’s, the auction will include some of the rarest and most collectable whiskies in the world. The evening opens with a drinks and canapés reception attended by The Lord Mayor of London, followed by the auction at 7pm. More than 70 lots will be under the hammer with estimates ranging from £250 to £25,000. They include unique bottlings, memorable experiences, lots from almost every whisky producing nation and a selection of other spirts including Armagnac and Cognac. The Worshipful Company of Distillers Founded in 1638 the Worshipful Company of Distillers is one of the 110 Livery Companies of the…

Ted Britton walked out of my life a couple of years ago. Britton’s news shop had been an Ottawa fixture for decades until profitability slowly eroded in the face of declining magazine and cigarette sales. Rumours has it that gentrified rents struck the killing blow, but perhaps that is just because the shop sits vacant, a community gathering spot turned eyesore. Nearly twenty years ago I picked up a magazine in Britton’s that I’d not seen before. Turned out it was the inaugural issue of this one. The whisky web was still in its infancy then. One of the few non-commercial websites with any real following was Johannes van den Heuval’s Malt Madness. Charlie MacLean was the editor and among the writers, a guy called Dave Broom who later became…

GEORGE KEEBLE A few weeks have passed since a friendly chap by the name of Andy from Master of Malt appeared once again in the doorway of Soho Whisky Club. This time not to deliver my cask but to whisk it away for bottling. The bar on which Nectar d’George sat now seems tragically bare. I was a touch sad to see it go. I created my blend over six months. The first month was spent seasoning my cask with traditional-style English mead, made simply from honey, water and a little yeast. Removing the mead from my cask, it had taken on a great deal of colour, aroma and taste from the wood, indicating the wood had in return absorbed a lot of mead, an entire bottle’s worth to be…

The world of fine cigars is full of jargon, so we’ve compiled a short FAQ to help make things clearer The world of fine cigars is full of jargon, so we’ve compiled a short FAQ to help make things clearer. What are the Habanos ‘special productions?' In addition to the standard range of Habanos from each marque, from time to time you will come across nonstandard releases with special bands. Some are relatively straightforward, for example those marked Edición Regional are only available in limited numbers in the country specified. Similarly, Edición Limitadas carry a release year, are usually limited to a relatively small production run and are always made from tobacco that has been aged for at least two years prior to rolling. Others are slightly more confusing. Habanos…

Taster biographies Rob Allanson Rob is Editor of Whisky Magazine and formally held the position as a global brand ambassador for William Grant & Sons', whisky portfolio. His experience in the industry, which has seen him explore whiskies from around the world, has given him a keen and well-versed palate. Sam Coyne Sam is a writer for Whisky Magazine, and editor of TheDrinksReport.com, although still only on the early steps of his journey in the spirit. A literature graduate, he often takes this too far and can be found on an old chesterfield, contemplating French surrealism with a dram. THE PROCESS All samples are blind tasted, with ABV and style the only information disclosed. Samples are tasted individually over a two week period. Tasters are provided tasting and scoring guidelines…

Whisky can have some questionable, forgotten, even misleading historical truths. When scrutinised under a modern lens with new information, insight and analysis can reveal a different, interesting and sometimes surprising explanations on the past and its legacy in the present. Haven’t we all been enchanted by promotional whisky literature romantically informing us about their brand’s connection to place and its special water source. ‘All year round spring water bubbles in the glen.’ ‘Pure and soft.’ The longer copy paints word pictures of the bucolic rugged Scottish countryside and clear streams of iron-free water in Bourbon country. It gives the distillery and its whisky a terrestrial connection to place. It can also be the most elusive and enigmatic element in whisky. So how important is water and what role does it…

Bourbon and blues both originated in an agricultural environment as a by–product of corn and cotton. They both resisted authority. They both went into steep declines but managed to resurface time and again. Prohibition nor Depression nor Segregation could kill them. They left their birth grounds to settle elsewhere. Today only a few whiskey distilleries can be found in Bourbon County, Kentucky and the blues music industry is far removed from the Mississippi Delta. However both icons toured the world and took centre stage, not ever to be thrown off. I think they do well together. Time to do a sound–check: Hey, Bartender! Performed by Jim Beam and Koko Taylor Where Jim Beam might be called the King of Bourbon, Koko Taylor decidedly earned her nickname Queen of the Blues.…

It was baseball’s opening day 1901, bottom of the 9th inning. The visiting Milwaukee Brewers held a commanding 13 to 4 lead over the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers finally bared their claws, scoring ten runs in the greatest rally in major league baseball history. Detroit is no stranger to comebacks. By 1925, a burgeoning automotive industry had turned Detroit into “The Motor City” and across the river, the Hiram Walker Distillery was making a whisky steeped in history. There, 100 per cent rye grain was fermented, then distilled in a short column still, then again in a copper pot. Nothing foretold that this flavourful blending whisky would one day be released as Lot No. 40. But the juice had already made Hiram Walker’s whiskies coveted. By 1950, automobiles had made…

Most readers of this magazine will undoubtedly possess a decent understanding of why whisk(e)y distillers mature their spirit in oak casks and how this necessary step imparts a great deal of the flavour and maturity that defines the brown spirit category. Many will also be familiar with the concept of marrying, whereby whisky producers may choose to allow liquid from different casks to integrate for a period of time (usually while resting in an inert vat) as part of the blending process before bottling. Why bother marrying at all? The industry view is that by allowing the liquid from different casks in a recipe to integrate, the resultant product will be more balanced, rounded and consistent. This is because the differing ABVs and flavour characteristics of each cask’s spirit are…

World's Best DESIGN Here Design Glenfiddich Winter Storm A great execution and telling story to this expression, shows a certain truth through its concept. Seems to move towards female market, it really has shelve appeal, cosmetically lovely, certainly outstanding for a whisky. World's Best Design – Sponsored by Wade Ceramics Glenfiddich Winter Storm also wins… Best NEW LAUNCH DESIGN Glenfiddich Winter Storm GOLD Highland Park Magnus SILVER Lot 40 Cask Strength 12 Years Old Bunnahabhain 1980 Canasta Cask Finish BRONZE The Arran Malt Exciseman North Star Spirits North Star Douglas Laing The Gauldrons Best PRESENTATION DESIGN Glenfiddich Winter Storm GOLD Bunnahabhain 1980 Canasta Cask Finish SILVER Douglas Laing The Gauldrons BRONZE The Arran Malt Exciseman The Lost Distillery Company Gerston Archivist Selection Best BRAND DESIGN CookChick Design Adnams Has dared to…