Busy Times

Well...we are midway through this semesters tastings at the Quaich Society here in St Andrews. Since the students returned we have had 3 tastings...an informal one where we looked at 3 whiskies and paired them with the contents of their parent casks ie sherry, port and wine. An interesting tasting but nothing really stood out..we had a Springbank Claret Wood, Auchentoshan Triple Wood and I think the 3rd was Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban...but I could be wrong..Next up was a Springbank tasting..I was looking forward to this one but was hoping that the Claret Wood was not on the list as it did not really hit the spot at the previous tasting. Anyhoo the line up was: Kilkerran, Hazelburn CV, Springbank10, Springbank 12 CS and finishing off with the Longrow. Iain Scott gave us a fun tasting...even though he was pre-occupied trying to keep up to date with the Rangers score (they went out in the end lol). To be honest all the drams were drinkable but nothing blew me away..it was as if something was missing...I think it was body, mouthfeel...The last Springer I bought was the anniversary one and I really enjoyed it..maybe it's just me..getting a wee bit fussy in me old age...but then again neither Francis or Doug disagreed with me. There were a few 'oohs' at the table for the Longrow but the peat nevr came to life for us 3 old soaks. Next tasting for the Quaich was Diageo..but hey ho I'd already bagged me a place for Iain Mclune's Japanese Tasting.

Edinburgh tastings are fun...there is a childlike excitement that arises in me when I have to travel over the Forth Bridge for a tasting..catching the last train back to Fife is not always fun though...but I blame that on the raffles!! The Japanese tasting offered something a bit special...it's aye nice to try whiskies that are out of your price range. First up was Ichiro's Malt Double Distillery. This being made up of Hanyu(15yo) and Chichibu(2yo). Ichiro Akuto being the 21st geeration of his family to be making drinks...his grandfather built Hanyu Distillery which ceased distilling in 2000...the last 400 casks from Hanyu were rescued by Ichito. Since 04 Ichito has been putting out whiskies under the Ichiro's Malts label. In 07 he founded the Chichibu Distillery with it's Japanese Oak washbacks and pot stills from Forsyth's. I'm not one for writing massive tasting notes but this one had the crowd umming and ahhing. A lot of folks found it quite hard to pin down but it was a thumbs up from the table. 46% and £80 a bottle...not a bad start..I got treacle toffee and spice btw...told you I was not prolific!! Next up was the mighty bambino Double Matured Chichibu. One of the things I love about Chichibu is the labelling...every detail is on there...what kind of wood for the washbacks...type of barley..how much malt used..etc...one word, maticulous! This was a crackin' wee dram from which I got ginger and dark fruit. Double matured refers to the two casks it was matured in. First was a bourbon barrel (June 08-June 09) then into a new American oak hogshead till October 09. Bottling at 61.3% this young 'un had a maturity beyond it's months. For a bit more insight into Chichibu Distillery I can highly reccomend Nonjatta . Imported to the UK by the Number One Drinks Company this whisky has a good future! Third dram of the night was the Nikka Taketsuru 21yr old. Bottled at 43% this vatted malt has won many awards. Taketsuru is a doffing of the cap to the father of Japenese distilling, Masataka Taketsuru. A fascinating story of a young man who came to Scotland to study whisky making after the First World War. The book Japanese Whisky, Scotch Blend by Olive Checkland tells the story of his amazing business and personal life. Anyhoo back to the whisky and on the nose I got strawberries and peaches, a nice sweet smelling dram. On the palate it was fresh and clean with summer fruites and licorice and a bit of toffee. A lovely dram but it did not 'fill' the mouth...another few percent on the ol' abv maybe? But a cracker all the same...someone at the table said that it never quite had the peacocks tail, which seemed pretty apt.  Moving on to dram number 4...ooh la la..dram number 4!! I think for most this was the star of the show. Now as with all Jolly Toper tastings these drams were tasted blind...but as soon as you put your snout in the glass you knew you were dealing with a kick ass old grain...on the palate you got thick dark fruits with rich tobacco, like grandads old pipe...amazing mouth filling experience!! Turns out that that fella Ichiro has only gone and done it again...this time with a stunning drop from Kawasaki Distillery....and no..it's not a motorbike ;-) 33yo and coming in at a stonking 65.6% you wonder how they managed it. Sadly this distillery is another one consigned to the scrap heap. £240 a bottle btw...would I buy one...or a few Scottish ones...who knows...if only I had 240 notes burning a hole..

 Final dram of the night was brought in by Willie as a replacement for one that  never arived on time for Iain. Sticking my nose in this I only got one  thing...silage. Now this might not be to everyones taste but I love it...I was brought up on farms as a kid..maybe it's fond memories or something like that. Peat...plenty of peat on the palate with a sweet aftertaste...ahh it's aye good to say hello to peat at the end of the night..some folks compared this to Laph and Ardie..fair point. Turned out to be a 15yo Yamazaki distilled in 93. The 62% backed up the peat!! All in all a grand tasting and nice to have a wee explore of another branch of the whisky family tree. Had a nice wee sample of Karazuwa 85 from Iain...damn fine..had the 67 down in London a while back and I'm fast coming to the conclusion that if it say's No1 on the label...then it is that indeed. Just had time to do the usual tasting of the raffle bottles before it was time to dash for the train back over the border...fun fun!!

Well that was then...and this is now! So I'm about to finish typing this then it's off to find a wifi hostelry so that I can enjoy the penultimate Spirit of Islay chat. Tomorrow brings an abundance of fine drams as we have our annual visit from John from Compass Box at the Quaich Society. Next week is a Jolly Toper tasting on Thursday followed by a Bruichladdich one with Jim and Duncan in Dumfries hosted by the Drambusters ...bring it on!!!



Whisky Live London

Whisky Live in London

This was the first event I attended..I think it was the second one they held..so it was probably 2001. I remember being very excited at a trip down to London. It was amazing, held in the Royal Horticultural Halls, I felt like a kid in a sweetie shop. I can't remember much as I was just there to taste and enjoy...and I did!
The second time I went I can remember meeting up for the first time with friends from the Wednesday night chat on The Spirit of Islay This was the first time I would meet Gordon Homer..the first of many. The big Geordie and his wife Mel are now two of my best friends from the world of whisky. I also met Keith and Ali Holden and was meant to meet Francis and Hazel Cuthbert. At this time Francis used to use the moniker 'Beefy' on the chat....so I was scouring the venue for a bloke of rather larger proportions. I know now that Beefy pertains to the cattle he keeps on his farm....a farm that has since evolved into the very fine Daftmill distillery  That meeting would be preserved for another time and place.



Sample bottles indeed!!

At this stage I was not a note taker...I never wrote down or ticked off the drams that I sampled..but two stands that stick in my mind were Compass Box and Douglas Laing This was the first time I would sample the wares of John Glaser and discover the delights of 'under the table' drams. I can recall being at the stand when a gentleman was given one of these special drams and John being the gentleman he is offered me one too. A whisky infusion but not with oranges, this one had lemons and it was lovely..I still badger him to this day to do it again. He also gave me a wee bag with samples of Eleuthera, Asyla and Hedonism to take away and I can safely say that at this point I became a CB addict. At the Douglas Laing stand I can recall having my first taste of Port Ellen...gorgeous luscious stuff. But it was meeting Andrew Laing that gave me a lucky break. We got talking and when I mentioned that I came from St Andrews he told me that he was studying there and that I should join their Quaich Society and oh boy have I had some fun at the Quaich in the past 7 years :-) Anyway...back to London and it is time to attend my first masterclass. Signatory with Iain Henderson and Andrew Symington. Iain was one of the people in whisky that I had read about in Whisky Mag. I liked his story, you could tell he had a passion for his job and that struck a chord...that and he had also worked on the railway in my hometown of Burntisland and lived in the town next door, Aberdour. I got the impression that Iain was a man who loved talking to people one to one rather than adressing the assembled crowd. At this point I was feeling the effects of the days drams so I poured the remainders into some sample bottles supplied by Keith. I gave Iain a book of pictures of old time Burntisland that I had picked up from the paper shop that I delivered papers for as a kid. This is when I found out that it was actually Aberdour he had lived in..but the thought was appreciated and there were plenty of photos of old trains.

Edinburgh Whisky Fringe

This is one of my favourite events...I have been attending since it began in 2002. Missed a couple...but in a drawer somewhere I have the tee shirt. Held every year around the time of th e Fringe Festival and organised by Royal Mile Whiskies , this is a very popular two day event. Tickets now sell out before a slice of pizza can be devoured by Arthur Motley!! Now I can't remember much about these early Fringe events...hence the blog. The first event was held in the rather plush surroundings of Edinburgh City Chambers….I do remember the comfy seats and a rather worse for wear kilted gentleman asleep on one. But who am I to talk about where a person sleeps!! I think on this occasion I nodded off on the bench at Waverley Station! In recent years the Mansefield Traquair has proved itself to be a worthy venue.                                                
This Year…2010

Tober-more please!

This was the first time that I had been for both days and also the first time that my friend Stacey Queen had attended. And us girls, being girls we just had to dress up. We are both Ralfy.com fans so we decided to wear oor bunnits. This proved a lot of fun as lots of people seemed happy to sign them. As for drams, well we tried a fair few. I was happy to find a Tobermory that I really liked...I'm not the biggest fan but I am partial to a Ledaig...especially if it is 4yr old and dispensed by Ed Bates..ooh la la. First stop however was to see Ashok at the Amrut stand. Cheery as ever Ashok said I could pour my own and as the bottles had pourers on, one could not go wrong...wrong!! Aparently they do keep on pouring and don't dispense an exact amount...ach well...I shared that Peated Amrut 46% with Stacey...that's what pals are for!!

Ashok, Ralfy and a ned!!

Speaking of pals...it is aye good to see Martin Grant...the man with the best laugh in whiskydom. A wee sample bottle was produced from under the table...happy days...an Ardbeg cask sample. French Oak 1st fill from 2000 at 56%...I don't write many tasting notes at these events as it can get a bit fiddly to hold glasses, notepad and pen. But on this occasion I have scrawled 'smokey bacon & cut grass'. A braw dram indeed. Sticking to Islay it was time to go and see David 'gammy leg' Keir at the 'laddie table. I tried the Bruichladdich 17yr Rum Cask as I tend to like the rum finishes that I have tried. This was a lovely sweet dram wtih light cereal tones and hints of coconut. Another sample bottle appears...the PC Multi Vintage...at 46% this was a really nice 'peaty feather'. Off to the Douglas Laing table...ahh Stuart Laing...long time no see....oh go on then..45yr old single grain...if I must. Damn good luscious nectar...one of the stars of the show..46% from the Caledonian Distillery and bottled under their Clan Denny label. Also had the obligatory OMC Rosebank (1990) and a nice Tamnavulin 91..both at 50%