Innholdsfortegnelse for Apr 2020 i Whisky Magazine

Well it seems to have become a world of absolute madness since I last sat down to write the Editor’s letter. It is hard to know whether to laugh, cry or stockpile toilet rolls and dried pasta, if you can find any. It almost feels like there’s a bank holiday approaching. Of course by the time this missive hits your desk several things may have happened. It could end up anywhere from it has all cleared up and it wasn’t as bad as we all expected, or we are all in the grip of a zombie apocalypse. I think I’m only joking about the latter, but if you can make the city centre of Glasgow look like an American city then what else could happen? I am sure that the…

I can’t help wondering what working musician or actor under the age of, say, 60 will have a repertoire vast and dense enough to warrant the kind of cross-generational outpouring of appreciation that came when actor Kirk Douglas passed away on 5 February at the age of 103. Think about it: De Niro, Pacino, Mick Jagger, Dolly Parton, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder. You’d have to have fallen fresh off the turnip truck to not know who these 70-plus year-old icons are. Douglas even slipped into the American collective consciousness in September 2018 thanks to Cory Booker, Democratic senator from New Jersey and short-lived presidential candidate. During a highly publicised congressional hearing relating to the contentious Supreme Court Justice nominee Brent Kavanaugh, he made a bold political move to…

In the oak forests of Missouri towering trees stand tall as sentinels, their bountiful sweet acorns providing sustenance for wildlife such as blue jays, black bears and wild turkeys, their sprawling canopies casting shade on the forest floor below. The state is home to 62,000 acres of forest with some trees more than 130 years old, many of which grow to more than 10 storeys tall. Missouri’s forests, and those of the central and eastern United States, are the whisky industry’s primary sources of oak. We all know Bourbon barrels must be made from virgin American white oak, which is often referred to as Quercus alba. The truth is, Q. alba is just one of around 60 species of white oak growing in North America. With the rise of craft…

If you are anything like me there is a specific moment, usually at the end of the day, when you get to sit down, relax a little and enjoy the lovelier things in life. For me that’s whisky in all its shades and spellings, music, a cigar and usually after a couple of drams, food or a snack of some shape. These are the times when you don’t have to have a whisky to analyse it, to pull it apart and make notes. This is the time to really appreciate a whisky for what it was made for – to be drunk, usually with friends, but certainly in a relaxed setting and mainly to be enjoyed. I am not saying that collecting and sharing notes and thoughts on whiskies doesn’t…

I recently returned from a trip to Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. There I visited Westward Whiskey, not to be confused with Westland Whiskey in nearby Seattle, Washington. Both distilleries are known for their American single malts, a style that is really coming into its own thanks to the craft distillery boom of the past 10 years. Malt whiskeys were always historically made throughout the United States. Common whiskey is the name for the ‘throw whatever is left over in the pot’ method of preserving crops in early America and undoubtedly much of that was from grains that had already been malted. Later, people would make malted whiskey on purpose as the commodity product became more of a commercialised product, but much of this…

It is amazing how a wee dram “makes the blood leap in the veins, the hand to itch for a sword,” as said by H.V. Morton. After rummaging through our 130-plus bottle emergency liquor stash, squirrelled away in the event of in-laws arriving or a coronavirus invasion, a six-some are labelled 1820 to 1920 and boast replica long-ago mash bills that pique my curiosity. This had me thinking; could I look at 100 years of American history through these bottles? The bottles in question are Uncle Nearest 1820, Old Forester 1870, Uncle Nearest 1884, Old Forester 1897, Old Forester 1910 and Old Forester 1920. Old Forester’s slogan reads ‘Taste your way through history’. So I did, keeping in mind the question: which events made news back then? So here we…

Taster biographies Rob Allanson Rob is editor-at-large 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. Becky Paskin Becky has been writing about food and drink for over a decade, after stepping out from behind the bar to take up her pen. For her industry work, Becky has been made a Keeper of the Quaich and is now a freelance sprits writer and co-founder of Our 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…

HEADLINE SPONSOR – GLENCAIRN CRYSTAL World's Best Design – Sponsored by Wade Ceramics World's Best DESIGN Also… Best PRESENTATION DESIGN Jura 21 Years Old Tide The Jura brand’s iconic curvaceous bottle has been given a frosted finish, reminiscent of sea-aged glass, which ties in well with the Time and Tide concept of this pair of new releases. The high-quality outer carton is beautifully printed with contrasting finishes and the layered window shapes play off the unique bottle shape in a new and unusual way, adding another layer to the opening experience. SHORTLIST SILVER Arran 21 Years Old Dunville’s Irish Whiskey VR 18 Years Old BRONZE Bowmore 36 Years Old Whisky Live China Pack Compass Box Stranger & Stranger Filliers Single Malt Whisky 10 Years Old Tobermory Ledaig 10 Years Old…

What’s your drink: beer or a cocktail? I’m betting the answer depends on the occasion. Sometimes only an ice-cold beer will hit the spot, but there are moments when a rich, waxy Old Fashioned is called for. Your decision is probably not based on is your gender. It’s a subliminal truth highlighted in Heineken’s cheeky yet pointed new advertising campaign that challenges the stereotypes associated with certain drinks. In a light-hearted montage waiters consistently confuse drink orders, serving cocktails to women and bottles of Heineken to men, who swiftly exchange their drinks with baffled expressions and awkward eye rolling. Maud Meijboom, brand development and communications director at Heineken, said the idea for the campaign was “inspired by real life experiences that everyone can relate to. Breaking down these stereotypes involves…

During the four months of February to May 1899 Detective Inspector John Mitchell Christie, using multiple disguises, staked the Vauxhall Distillery at Abbotsford by the Yarra River in Melbourne. On a chilly May morning, he burst into the three-storey bluestone distillery burnishing his revolver and demanding the startled staff, “Stand, or I’ll fire”. Christie was a swashbuckling Scot from Clackmannan who immigrated to Victoria in 1863, at the age of 17, to work on his uncle’s Gippsland property. Famed for his physical prowess, he was an adroit swimmer and athlete, champion sculler and prize-winning pugilist, known as the Bruiser. On top of his athletic brawn, his education included Andrews School and Taylor College. After three years in livestock work, he found new adventures joining the Victoria Police Force working as…

Undoubtedly John Coltrane was one of the most controversial jazz musicians and composers of his time. Born in Hamlet, North Carolina on 23 September, 1926, he was raised in a large Christian family, which would be an enormous influence throughout his musical career. Listening to the radio and records played on jukeboxes, he picked up his taste for jazz and settled on alto saxophone after having heard Charlie Parker. At the age of 17 he moved to Philadelphia to develop his playing. Two years later, in 1945, he was drafted for WWII and shipped to Hawaii, where he played in the Navy band, of which some rare recordings surfaced recently. At that time he must have been given his nickname, ‘Trane’. He left the military in 1946 and started to…

The winners revealed… PRESENTING THE 2020 WINNERS We reveal the victors in this year’s awards Each year the Whisky Magazine Awards judging gets harder and harder. The judges in all categories take great care and time in coming to their decisions, and sometimes it takes a while to break a deadlock over a tied result. But that is the cost of deciding on what are some of the more prestigious accolades in the whisky calendar. This is also why we call on the best and most knowledgeable people in the international whisky world to help us find and select, sip and savour, and then reward those deserving with one of our world-renowned titles. The awards see our judging panels scour the globe for the very best in liquid and hunt…

HEADLINE SPONSOR – GLENCAIRN CRYSTAL New Make – Sponsored by Royston Labels WORLD’S BEST NEW MAKE Best Canadian Macaloney’s Caledonian Peated Clearach 46% Nose is reminiscent of barbecue, smoky and meaty with vegetal notes. Palate has a beautiful fruity note with green pepper and light banana. The finish is short and light. Best American 291 Colorado Whiskey Rye Whiskey White Dog 50.8% Earthy on the nose with hints of citrus. Palate is creamy and soft, while lemon and caramel create a lovely sweetness. A short finish. Best Australian Archie Rose Six Malt New Make 50% Mildly earthy on the nose with notes of fruit and vanilla. The palate brings toffee and vanilla, with a vegetal undertone that continue through to the finish. Best Danish Destillat 1 Organic Grain Spirit 40%…