PREPPING UP FOR CHRISTMAS

SHERRIED & PEATED WHISKIES START ARRIVING FOR THE BIG DAY

We’re on the path to Christmas now so it’s a good time for buyers to revisit their whisky ranges. There has been a lot of noise about also some global options, including bourbon from the US. But will the popularity of these overshadow Scotch this festive season?

Research suggests this won’t be the case. A report by Edrington-Beam Suntory, which sources data from CGA and Nielsen, predicts single malt Scotch will be one of the growth sectors in whisky throughout this year and into the next decade. It predicts value sales will grow, making single malt a £408 million category by the end of this year, increasing to £439 million by 2022. These are contingent upon Brexit and UK-USA relations thereafter, specifically concerning the 25% import tariff levied by the Trump admin on Single Malt Whisky since this October.

Even so, The Whisky Yearbook states that while single malt Scotch and US whisky will see value growing ahead of volume, indicating premiumisation, blended Scotch whisky will experience a fall in both value and volume over the same period. This is being driven in part by more accessible whisky on offer attracting new drinkers to single malt and encouraging blended whisky drinkers to trade up.

The Diageo opinion is that Scotch has well and truly captured the hearts of consumers and they are becoming more and more interested in exploring the whisky category in depth. They feel that the versatility of Scotch means it can be enjoyed in many ways and in all seasons – whether savoured neat, on the rocks, or as the base of a cocktail.”

The brand launched its Make Your Own Rules campaign last year to challenge traditional myths surrounding Scotch. Suggestions for retailers on how to help communicate this to consumers include the idea of placing recipe cards alongside the spirit on shelf. In the Diageo portfolio is Johnnie Walker Blue Label, which the producer highlights as a must-stock for Christmas.

THE SIGNATURE RANGE: Over the past 12 months the company has seen good sales of Benriach, Glendronach and Glenglassaugh since being appointed distributor of these brands in August 2018. The core range from each of these distilleries has been selling well, with Glendronach 12 Year Old and the two 10-year- old (peated and unpeated) Benriach whiskies proving to be “hugely popular”.

Sherried whiskies sell well during the festive season while another trend to keep note of is a customer desire to understand provenance and the brand’s story. Scotch is not a sector that shies away from innovation and there have been a number of launches and expressions this year for retailers to consider stocking. Just last month the Glasgow Distillery launched its 1770 Glasgow Peated Release No1.

Other recent launches are designed to help new single malt drinkers navigate the category. William Grant’s Aerstone focuses on the impact of maturation and malting on flavour. It is available in two expressions: Sea Cask 10 Year Old and Land Cask 10 Year Old. The range showcases two different styles of whisky under the same brand and clear descriptions on each pack are aimed at helping consumers to understand their flavours.

Sea Cask, for example, is described as “smooth and easy”, and is a classic Speyside- style single malt, while Land Cask is a “rich and smoky” peated malt.

PAUL JOHN CHRISTMAS EDITION 2019: India, too, is looking forward to Christmas. For the second time Paul John presents a Christmas edition. It is a slightly smoky single malt, bottled at 46% vol and limited to 3000 worldwide. Orange blossom, baked apples, raisins, dried plums - the idea of how Christmas tastes is probably similar all over the world. The fruity and spicy aromas are not least the result of a finish in PX sherry casks; they are supplemented by a hint of smoke.

BIG PEAT CHRISTMAS EDITION 2019: One of the best known and most popular Christmas releases is the Big Peat Christmas Edition, which has been delighting friends of smoky whiskies since 2009. The annual cask strength variation of Douglas Laing's beloved Blended Malts is always a very special eye-catcher: Every year the beautiful designed box and label show the famous Big Peat man in a new winter scene. This year he rolls a cask out of the warehouse in a snowstorm. The Big Peat Christmas Edition 2019 is batched from single malts from Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila and other distilleries. The whisky was bottled uncoloured and without chill filtration at 53.7% ABV.

GLENFARCLAS CHRISTMAS EDITION 2019: The Glenfarclas Christmas Edition 2019 is a marriage of whisky matured in eight Oloroso sherry casks. It was bottled at 46% vol, limited to 3,000 bottles. The whisky was neither coloured nor chill-filtered. Not only the small picture of a snow-covered landscape and distillery on the label marks the seasonal theme, but also the tasting notes, honey, gingerbread, spices, fruit flavors, etc., somehow give us a Christmas feeling.

MAKER'S MARK HOLIDAY EDITION 2019: This special edition of Maker's Mark doesn’t show up as a "Christmas Edition" and is called "Holiday Edition" instead, but the snowflake decor undoubtedly gives a clear hint which holiday is meant. Maker's Mark Holiday Edition is not a new whisky, it’s the classic Red Seal with a special design.

KILCHOMAN SANAIG: The west coast of Islay, from Portnahaven to Sanaigmore, is regularly battered by strong Atlantic storms. These high winds and rough seas have carved into the coastline to dramatic effect, none more so than at the north-western tip where Kilchoman’s Sanaig release has gained its name.

It’s more than a decade now since Anthony Wills founded ‘Islay’s farm distillery’, and Kilchoman has built a loyal following for the linear purity of its peated whiskies, which are utterly delicious from an early age.

Originally released in France, Sanaig was given a wider release in 2016. Sanaig, true to its rugged site, balances Kilchoman’s trademark smoke – briny, supple in the mid-palate – with the rich dried fruit of Sherry casks and the sweet lift of Bourbon barrels. The high proportion of oloroso sherry casks create a unique balance of dried fruits, sweet citrus flavours, dark chocolate and rich peat smoke.

LAPHROAIG 10 YEARS OLD: Is it the ‘Marmite’ of single malt Scotch whisky? The story goes that Laphroaig was at one point the only Scotch available over-the-counter at pharmacies during US Prohibition because the authorities couldn’t believe that anyone would want to drink it. Forget the naysayers; if the smoky, peaty style is your thing then this whisky from Islay’s coast – with a certain medicinal quality and a hint of sea-salt from the waves crashing around the warehouse – is worth a go.

GLENDRONACH LAUNCHES TRADITIONALLY PEATED WHISKY

Brown-Forman's GlenDronach Distillery has launched a peated expression of its Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, called Traditionally Peated, a rare peated expression of the Highland Single Malt, which is best known for its unpeated sherry cask maturation style.

GlenDronach Traditionally Peated was created to honour the traditional method of drying malted barley over burning peat, as used by distillery founder James Allardice. This whisky uses spirit matured in Pedro Ximénez, Oloroso Sherry and Port casks.

A complex single malt, it presents its characteristic notes with the addition of coal-smoked barley. Bottled at 48% ABV, the whisky is non-chill filtered and has absorbed colour naturally over time from the Spanish oak in which it resides. This expression is available worldwide in the off-premise channel, from specialist spirits retailers with an RRP of around GBP 50. 

The GlenDronach Traditionally Peated offers connoisseurs a rare opportunity to explore the distillery’s rich depths of sherry cask maturation, whilst paying homage to the robust peat-smoked earthy character of the early 19th century. This wonderful single malt presents notes of Highland toffee, dark honey and coal-smoked barley. Burnt orange and treacle glide over the palate, on a base of cloves and smoked bramble. Liquorice and dark fruits linger and intensify into the rich and earthy finish.

CHRISTMAS MALT 2019 FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE

10 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70cl/54.2%: As has become traditional, The Whisky Exchange has selected a special whisky for Christmas 2019 that you won’t find anywhere else. A 2696-bottle Limited Edition, delicate and refined 10-year-old single malt from Linkwood distillery, it has an underlying depth and complexity, with ripples of fruit and festive spice thanks to maturation in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. Packed with sweetness and gentle spice, the unpeated Christmas Malt is a well-rounded and fruity Speyside whisky, an offering with wishes for a merry Christmas. 

LAGAVULIN 12 YEAR OLD SPECIAL RELEASE  2019 (70CL, 56.5%)

In 1742 there were at least ten illicit stills at Lagavulin, and it would be another 74 years until local farmer John Johnston founded the first legal distillery, in sight of Dunyvaig Castle. Its name may have changed over the years, but the quiet power of peat and smoke that pervades this masculine malt has not.

The yearly Special Release of Lagavulin 12 Year Old is always a treat, and 2019 does not disappoint. This is a natural cask strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky with great depth of taste from the essential Islay Lagavulin. Widely diverse in nature yet direct in appeal, it’s both complex and rewarding and simply a delight to drink. With minerality bursting into fruit and layers of classic Islay smoke, it perfectly expresses the distillery character. Add to it that pinch of sea salt - and this year, a bird of prey on the label! 'Rare by Nature' indeed. And the perfect dram for Christmas…

GLASGOW DISTILLERY 1770 PEATED

Following the launch of its unpeated 1770 Single Malt Whisky last year, the Glasgow Distillery Company has now introduced its second whisky line: 1770 Peated. For the first time in almost a hundred years, a whisky distilled in Glasgow, The 1770, was on the market again. The 2014-born company had released 26, 27 and 28 YO Prometheus Single Malt Whisky editions as an independent bottler from casks bought from an unnamed distillery in Speyside.

1770 Peated was matured in first fill sherry casks before undergoing a finish in fresh oak casks. The whisky was distilled in the two pot stills Tara and Mhairi, which, together with Annie, formed the three- still Glasgow Distillery. Those three were joined recently by Margaret and Francis, raising the current production capacity to around 440,000 litres a year.

LEDAIG 2005 : 13 YEARS OLD SINGLE MALTS OF SCOTLAND

Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky Bottled by Elixir Distillers 70cl / 57.3%

Made in 2005 at Tobermory distillery on the picturesque Hebridean Isle of Mull, this is a smoky and sweet 2005 Ledaig single malt. Its name comes from the original name for the area, Ledaig (Led-chig), from the Gaelic, meaning ‘safe haven’. Ledaig, unlike Tobermory, is distilled from heavily peated malted barley. This new make was distilled on 23rd October 2005 and matured in a single sherry butt, #900163, for 13 years, before being bottled by indie bottler Elixir Distillers. Aromas of rich bonfire smoke, pinecones, nutmeg, cinnamon and loose-leaf tea fill the nose. The palate offers notes of earthy peat, sweet tobacco, vanilla pods and cherry cough drops.

LOCH LOMOND GROUP ISLAND COLLECTION – INCHMOAN VINTAGE 1992:

For the connoisseur…. 

Based in the Highlands, a Loch Lomond Distillery was first established in Arrochar in 1814, but closed three years later. The present business was established in 1964, with production beginning in 1965. While relatively young for a whisky distiller, it is already producing impressive aged malts. This 1992 Inchmoan peated single malt was distilled in 1992 and matured in bourbon barrels. 

This Inchmoan has been given 25 years to mature before being bottled at an approachable 48.6% strength. It’s heavily peated at 50 ppm and the majority of the spirit comes from the Inchmurrin stills on site at the distillery with the addition of some the Loch Lomond pot still distillate for complexity.

 

LAGAVULIN 2001 DISTILLERS EDITION SCOTCH: The smoothness is incredible, with a persistent honeyed sherry undertone (it’s finished in casks that previously held Pedro Ximenez, a white Spanish grape variety) and absolutely no burn. It’s a great all-rounder, and a brilliant blend of classic Islay peat smoke and raisin-like dark sweetness. It also tastes more expensive – smooth, silky and complex – than many of the pricier bottles around.

SMOKEHEAD SHERRY BOMB REGAL WHISKY:  An insanely peaty, smokey Islay single malt matured in oloroso casks for an undisclosed amount of time, there is a good dose of sweet, sticky sherry, clove and dried fruit to be found if you can get past the BBQ-levels of smoke. A powerful sipping whisky that also easily holds its own in mixed drinks and cocktails.

GLEN MARNOCH ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY: This bottle is a prime example of an Islay single malt that does what it says on the tin: it’s extremely peaty and you really get the taste of the sea in there too with a salty sweetness and herbal seaweed notes. It’s smokey in a mellow way and easy to see how this has picked up a few awards over the years. It tastes at least three times the price it is.

HIGHLAND PARK TRISKELION : Highland Park introduced the new Triskelion NAS well in time for Christmas. A total of one hundred years of expertise in whisky making came together for the creation of the Triskelion, combining the expertise of the three Highland Park Master Whisky Makers Gordon Motion, Max McFarlane and John Ramsay. These three decided to keep the expression NAS.

Whisky from three different types of casks was batched for the Highland Park Triskelion; to a high amount these were first-fill casks: sherry seasoned Spanish oak, sherry seasoned American oak and bourbon barrels. A small number of refill casks has been added for a little higher degree of softness. The limited whisky was bottled at 45.1% ABV. The result is a complex and full-bodied expression of Highland Park – a vibrant union of tangy Seville oranges, sultanas and raisins, sweet apricots, heather honey, stomped coriander seeds, and aromatic peat smoke. As full of character as its three creators.

The name Triskelion refers to the symbolic representation of the horn Triskelion, a Celtic symbol showing three inter-locking horns. According to Celtic mythology, they contained the mead of poetry and gave the power of words, speech and wisdom to everyone who drank from this mead. Odin managed to ensnare the giantess Gunnlöò, the keeper of the horns, and not only to drink from them, but to empty them. A few drops fell down into our mortal world when Odin escaped in the guise of an eagle. They were the seed for poetic inspiration here on earth.

Nosing the Triskelion made me think of milk chocolate, vanilla, and a touch of spice. I tasted a whisky that slowly started to warm up as I swirled it around, offering a gently increasing, though still subtle burn in the front of my mouth. I can only describe it as delicately creamy, lightly smoked, with a hint of freshness at the end. Not as oily as I expected it to be, and a perfect combination in my opinion: smoke, cream, and fresh touch, beautifully brought together in one dram. Additional tasting revealed hints of grape juice, perhaps even figs? A hint of caramel? There's a lot going on! After I had finished my tasting session, I still had a lovely smoky impression in my mouth, the 'ghost of the dram', with a tinge of tobacco, right at the end.