Innholdsfortegnelse for May/Jun 2019 i Whisky Magazine

It feels like that moment where you have had all summer to complete your school assignments, only to leave it all to the last minute before going back to uni. The United Kingdom has had what feels like an age to debate and finalise plans for leaving the European Union, but now it feels like the nation’s leaders have only been looking at matters when absolutely necessary. The sort of, “I know I have homework, I know what it is and when it is due. I can do it later…” At the time of writing, the UK has been given an extension until the end of October to sort out a deal over Brexit. It does appear that the leaders in Europe either have become fed up with the near…

At the end of March, I flew to London to join my Whisky Magazine colleagues at the Whisky Magazine Awards dinner and Whisky Live London. As loyal readers of this magazine know from the last issue, which announced the winners in many categories, from taste to people, attention and passions among whisky drinkers have moved far beyond Scotch, Bourbon and Irish whiskies, which pretty much dominated the industry for most of history. There were awards for Best Australian, Best German, Best Swedish and Best New Zealand. To further indicate drinkers’ interests beyond the warehouses of Scotland and the US, this year’s Whisky Live marked the debut of Gin Live, a tandem event at the same venue. Upon entering the tent where gin-makers showcased their vibrant botanical tipples, my mind did…

With whisky’s demand at record levels and forecast to rise further over the next 10 to 20 years at least, it is of no surprise that brands are coming up with new and innovative ways to approach the huge demand. One such innovation is the advent of blended world whisky. Blended world whisky is exactly what it sounds like – a whisky blend made up of whiskies from different parts of the globe which has allowed producers in countries like Japan to cope with the huge demand for their ever-popular and celebrated blends and malts, as well as bringing something really unique and exciting to the market. There is great potential to create new and diverse flavour profiles in this way by combining cultures, flavours and spirit styles from countries…

BenRiach is one of those unfortunate Speyside distilleries that came on stream just too late to capitalise on the great Victorian whisky boom, and just in time to be closed down as boom turned to bust. The wonder is that it survived and thrives today. The fact that it does, owes much to its historical association with neighbouring Longmorn, which had been built by John Duff & Company during 1893/94. As the good times in the world of Scotch whisky rolled on, Duff decided to construct ‘Longmorn No.2,’ otherwise known as Benriach, as it was originally spelt, in 1898. However, 1900 saw both distilleries close, with John Duff & Company filing for bankruptcy, as those good times abruptly stopped rolling. The collapse of the prominent – but fraudulent – blenders,…

No matter the size of the Bourbon distillery, they all have one thing in common: corn. Legally Bourbon has to be made from at least 51 per cent corn, but it can be made from 100 per cent corn and still be called Bourbon as long as it meets the other standards of identity. The reason Bourbon is made predominantly from corn is because that is what grew well in Kentucky during the days of the settlers. These days corn is still one of Kentucky’s largest crops – 1.34 million acres of it were planted in 2018 alone. On a distillery tour you may see truckloads of corn coming in and unloading, but rarely do you get to meet one of the farmers who grows the corn for the Bourbon…

Jim Robb is a character. We meet at the Gold Pan Saloon where he comfortably nuzzles a drink. He’s relating stories of ‘The Colourful 5%’ - the term he coined for the more interesting folk he has encountered since he arrive in the Yukon from Montreal, more than half a century ago. Robb drew sketches of them to illustrate their stories in a series of books also called The Colourful 5%. Mac’s Fireweed Books on Main Street can help you find them. Whitehorse, the largest city in Canada’s arctic, is ever so welcoming which may help explain why so many people who come for vacation, never get around to leaving. Restaurateur, Antoinette Oliphant, holidaying from Tobago is a prime example. She wondered how Whitehorse would react to the Tobagan practice…

The Australian whisky industry is riding on the worldwide whisky tide. While it is a young and diverse industry, it uses a variety of grains, small still formats and different wood programs. Distilleries: More than 250 distilleries in Australia, of which 100 distil whisky. Production: No official data is collected, audits based on capacity, portfolio and intel is around 2 million LPA, almost doubling every year. Grains: The dominant grain is malted barley, followed by rye, corn and wheat. Most of the barley are Australian varieties. Imports from Scotland are usually limited to making a few peated expressions. Australia has the oldest and most active barley R&D program since 1900, field testing dozens of hybrids as strains exhaust or need to adapt to the effects of global warming and advancing…

How the cigar industry landscape changed over the years? I think tobacco legislation has had a huge influence over the UK market during my time in the business. The recent display ban in UK shops was a big challenge for us and taxation has also caused tobacco to become more expensive. However, in response, a lot of retailers have really focused and raised their game when it comes to the customer’s buying experience. The cigar smoker has also changed. The ‘impulse purchase’ is a more complicated subject in a ‘dark’ market, but people also now want to talk to an expert before making their decision. The consumer has become far more educated and focused on the production process and traceability of what they buy – Havana cigars fall neatly into…

Taster biographies Rob Allanson Rob is Editor of Whisky Magazine. His palate is known the world-round, both for its discerning nature and ability to keep going when all others have fatigued. As a former global brand ambassador at William Grant & Sons, Rob brings expertise and infectious enthusiasm to his tastings. Lyndsey Gray Lyndsey is manager of the world famous Quiach Bar, at the Craigellachie Hotel in the heart of Speyside. She enjoys creating world class bespoke tastings, events and drinks, where she can challenge people's opinions on whisky. 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 for consistency.• The top scorer is awarded Editor’s Choice.•…

Whisky Live Cape Town Thursday 2 to Saturday 4 May South Africa’s first celebration kicks off in Cape Town from 2 – 4 May 2019 at The Lookout, V&A Waterfront. A host of local and international whisky aficionados are waiting to talk you through the complexities and nuances of a range of whiskies wide enough to offer something for everyone. Learn which flavour profiles to look out for to get the most from your first taste of newly-launched whiskies. Discover layers of complexity in your old favourites. Network with likeminded whisky lovers, dressed to impress. Enjoy the vibe! High-end lifestyle products will be accessible from 5pm at all events, while the Tasting Hall opens at 6pm until 10pm. Whisky Live New York Wednesday 22 May Whisky Live New York moves…

The ingredient rarely mentioned is charcoal. By law, white oak barrels must have their interior staves carbonised under intense naked flames from around 15 seconds to a minute. The duration of the burn determines their char grade and depth of the charcoal. The vulcanisation of the oak creates a carbon membrane inside the barrel that plays a crucial role in developing Bourbon’s flavour and colour. So important is the charcoal treatment, the ‘charred white oak container’ was legislated under US law in July 1936. Before US Prohibition the charcoal rectification process was ubiquitous to North America, both for American and Canadian whisky producers. After Prohibition, only one distillery in Tennessee returned to the tradition of charcoal filtration; others joined later. The world’s most popular American whiskey calls this process ‘leaching’…

The first time I see Gregg, he’s just parked outside Jura Distillery and is manhandling a cask from the boot of his car. Inside, I can see all manner of whisky-related paraphernalia – a bung flogger, a valinch, a pile of staves, some hoops, a crate of sample bottles – and a few more unusual items – heavy duty gloves; small bags marked ‘Voges’, ‘Limousin’ and ‘Tronçais’; a copy of The Hidden Life of Trees (Wohlleben, 2015); protective goggles and… is that a blowtorch? Already, I have a feeling that we’re going to have a lot to talk about. Gregg has worked in the whisky industry for 20 years, having started as a tour guide at Glen Ord. This led him to Compass Box, where he joined as sales, marketing…

Tullibardine has come a long way in the past few years. Hostile takeovers, inconsistent ownership, a silent decade after being mothballed by Whyte & Mackay in 1993, production slumps, and a less than ideal wood policy all factor into this lesser-known distillery’s story. Thankfully, that all changed in 2011 when the site was acquired by Terroir Distillers, a subsidiary of the family-owned French drinks firm Maison Michel Picard. Since then, the sleepy village of Blackford, which sits just off the A9 to Perth, has seen much activity as the retail buildings adjacent to the distillery have been transformed into warehousing, dry goods storage and a bottling line. The visitor centre has had an overhaul and an on-site cooperage has been created, with the heavy machinery (such as hoop drivers) now…

Ryan Chetiyawardana (A.K.A Mr Lyan) was named ‘UK bartender of the Year’ twice, and in 2015 was recognised as ‘International Bartender of the Year’. He went on to create not one but two of the World’s Best cocktail bars (White Lyan and Dandelyan) – then shut them at the peak of their prime, pressing the reset button to launch new concepts across London, and more recently the world, with Super Lyan in Amsterdam and more to come. Not content with just award-winning bars Ryan also designs cocktail programs for the likes of Death by Burrito, Virgin Airways, The Whisky Show, Cinnamon Club, Rick Stein, Selfridges and Brewdog. At the heart of his practice is innovation and sustainability. His bar, White Lyan, was the first cocktail bar in the world to…