LOOKING BACK AT 2020

 WORLD'S BEST SINGLE MALTS

The World Drinks Awards are global awards selecting the very best in all internationally recognised styles of drinks. Presented annually by TheDrinksReport.com, a leading online resource for drinks professionals, the World Drinks Awards select, reward and promote the world’s best drinks to consumers and trade across the globe.

WINNER: THE HAKUSHU JAPANESE SINGLE MALT 25 YO (70cl, 43%)

From Suntory's mountain distillery, found deep within the forests of Mount Kaikomagatake, Hakushu is a single malt that takes liquid and from the pure waters of the Southern Japanese Alps. This gives it a terrific fresh flavour, many considering it as a uniquely liberating malt whisky. An extremely rare, highly sought-after and truly fabulous peated Japanese whisky from the Hakushu range, this 25 year-old is rated way above the rest and may be called "a malt which is impossible not to be blown away by". If you’d like to taste one of the hallmark Japanese whiskies, this Hakushu will be a sure delight! This 25 year old single malt has picked up oodles of awards over the years, including the much sought-after World's Best Single Malt title at the World Whiskies Awards in 2018. Hakushu is a herbal and gently smoky single malt. There is a sweet pear and kiwi fruit flavour with a subtle smoke finish hinting at green tea. It has been praised by lovers of gastronomy as an ideal accompaniment for Japanese food.

OTHER LEADING SINGLE MALTS BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

Scotch: Campbeltown

Glen Scotia Double Cask Single Malt NAS 46%

Glen Scotia is one of the three remaining Campbeltown distilleries in the Mull of Kintyre. It uses the town water supply of Crosshill Loch, and also has a private well from a borehole drilled deep into the rock beneath the town.

It only uses two stills, and is currently running at a fraction of its potential capacity in the hands of a tiny staff of three employees. Distilling is an ancient tradition, and even the modern industrialised distilleries have hundreds of years of history. It’s no surprise, then, that some distillery buildings are thought to be haunted. A lonely survivor of some of the most tumultuous times in the history of whisky production, Glen Scotia's walls have seen some sights. Indeed, the distillery is said to be haunted by the ghost of one of its previous owners, Duncan McCallum, who drowned himself in Crosshill Loch in 1930, and currently walks the halls of the aged distillery buildings.

Glen Scotia Double Cask is matured in the finest first fill bourbon barrels before being finished for up to twelve months in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks producing this outstanding single malt whisky that provides the perfect balance of rich spicy fruits, overlaid with the characteristic sea spray and vanilla oak finish for which the house of Glen Scotia is famous.

Scotch: Highlands

Glendronach Parliament 21 YO 48%

Big, bold and most commonly Sherried, Glendronach is an old-style whisky which echoes the substantial Victorian buildings in which it is made. Inside the distillery, there are a traditional rake and plough mash tun, wooden washbacks and four stills which were coal fired until 2005, the last in Scotland to be heated in this way. Today there is just a quiet susurration of steam in the stillhouse, but the oddly shaped wash still and the plain sides of the spirit still cut back on reflux, helping to build weight in the spirit. These days, ex-Sherry casks are the distillery’s signature style. Some is 100% Sherry matured, some is started in ex-Bourbon casks to pick up vanilla sweetness before being racked into ex-Sherry.

Matured in a combination of the finest Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez dessert sherry casks for a minimum of 21 years, the ‘Parliament’ continues the great GlenDronach tradition of offering fruit-laden intensity in its single malts. Interestingly enough, this whisky has no political associations. This rich expression has been named ‘Parliament’ after the colony, or ‘parliament’, of rooks that have been nesting in the trees that overlook the GlenDronach distillery for almost 200 years. Bottled at 48%, the ‘Parliament’ is non chill filtered and of natural colour. This 21 YO was released in 2011 to fill a gap in the rapidly expanding Glendronach range.

Scotch: Islands

Jura Time 21 YO 47.2%

Whyte & Mackay unveiled a pair of 21yo Jura whiskies at the May 2019 TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition.

Time and Tide’s launch marks a new chapter in the Scottish whisky brand’s refresh. As reported, Jura relaunched last year with a collection of new whiskies which included five travel retail exclusive expressions. Whyte & Mackay noted a ISWR rating which reveals Jura’s “exceptional” 274% sales growth in the Asia Pacific region in 2018.

Jura 21yo Tide was released for domestic markets while Jura Time, which is presented in a sand blasted bottle, is exclusive to travel retail. Located off the west coast of Scotland, the isle of Jura is home to a community of just over 200 islanders. It features one road, one pub and one distillery, which was established in 1810.

The new Jura 21yo old pair, Time and Tide, amplify the island provenance story and capture the irresistible essence of what makes Jura so unique –  a place where it’s easy to lose track of time. The addition of the new Jura 21yo Time reinforces a commitment to offering customers prestige and limited whiskies of outstanding quality to drive penetration and spend in travel retail stores.

Jura Time is matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels and enhanced in ex-peated malt casks to offer a “seductive sweetness” with a salted peat smoke edge. It is produced in small batches with each whisky marked with the year of bottling to denote subtle variations in the batches.

Scotch: Islay

Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 YO 46.2%

In a rare occurrence for Ardbeg, this aged whisky will be released every year and each one of these exclusive, small batch bottlings will feature a unique batch code. This exceptionally rare and ever-changing 19 year old draws its inspiration from Islay’s Traigh Bhan beach, known locally as the Singing Sands.

Each batch of Traigh Bhan will be a slight variation on the last. This is due to minor changes in the cask selection. Ardbeg Traigh Bhan Batch 2 is the second release in this exclusive series. Following in the footsteps of the much lauded first batch, this whisky is a slight variation on the last. The main difference with Batch 2 is that it was created using a slightly higher proportion of 1st-fill Bourbon to refill casks, and a similar level of Sherry casks. These imbue it with an altogether more silky-smooth character. The first batch of Traigh Bhan certainly went down a storm, and that’s probably because it was bottled in one. But this year, Batch 2 was bottled in a haar*. With subtle changes in the batch recipe, this rare whisky is an opportunity not to be missed.

Labels submitted to the TTB have revealed Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year Old Batch Three, officially Batch No. TB/03-10.10.01/21.BL. As with prior releases, Ardbeg Traigh Bhan Batch Three has been matured in American oak and Oloroso sherry casks. Batch Three is described as having aromas of “wood smoke, fresh sea spray, and eucalyptus”, an “oily” mouthfeel with notes of “rich fudge, smoky peat, and aniseed”, and a “savory, smoky, long finish.” Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year Old Batch Three will bottled NCF (non-chill filtered) at 46.2% ABV and is expected to hit stores in fall 2021.

                                

Every bottling of Ardbeg Traigh Bhan will have its own batch symbol. Inspired by various distinguishing features around the Distillery, batch codes will change with each release. For Ardbeggians who have made the pilgrimage to Islay, you may recognise where we got our inspiration...

*‘Haar’ is the Scots Gaelic word for ‘a thick coastal fog/mist   

Scotch: Lowlands

Kingsbarns Distillery Dream to Dram 46% NAS

All in all it took five years for Kingsbarns Distillery to grow from a brainwave of former golf caddie Douglas Clement into a working whisky distillery, but just 18 months to build. He then used a box full of business cards gathered from 13 years spent carrying bags for wealthy golfers at Kingsbarns Golf Links on the Fife coast, a few miles from St Andrews. Realising there was no nearby whisky distillery to satisfy the curiosity of the course’s visitors, and having come across a derelict 18th century farm steading on the Cambo Estate, situated just a short distance from Kingsbarns, Clement decided to build his own.

The initial £100,000 seed capital was raised from 32 investors, many of whom were golfers. Despite various grants and money from crowdfunding, Clement still fell short of his target. His efforts attracted the attention of the Wemyss family, owners of Wemyss Malts, who incidentally have a historical link with the site, as the seventh Earl of Wemyss owned part of the Cambo Estate between 1759 and 1783. In January 2013, Clement sold the business to the Wemyss family, staying on as Director.

The Dream to Dram single malt scotch whisky is the flagship single malt from Kingsbarns Distillery in the Lowlands, owned by the Wemyss family. Only barley grown locally, i.e. in the  vicinity of the distillery in the sun soaked Kingdom of Fife is used to create their light, fruity and delicate spirit. It is matured in the finest oak casks under the supervision of the legendary whisky expert Jim Swan. A carefully considered combination of 1st fill ex-Bourbon and 1st fill STR - that's Shaved, Toasted and Re-charred ex-Portuguese red wine casks- were used to mature their flagship whisky. It was distilled in 2015.

Scotch Speyside

The GlenAllachie 10 YO Cask Strength Batch 3 58.2%

GlenAllachie takes its name from the Gaelic for 'Valley of the Rocks' and was purchased by Billy Walker and his team in October 2017, following great success reviving the GlenDronach and BenRiach distilleries. Billy Walker spends endless amounts of time in the GlenAllachie warehouses in Banffshire, sampling across the range of casks with over 50,000 on site; it’s not a job for the faint hearted. However, it’s certainly time well spent when the results of his endeavours are tasted. After sampling this vast range of casks Billy was keen to showcase GlenAllachie bottled at natural strength, leading to the GlenAllachie 10 YO Cask Strength.

The third batch of Glenallachie's limited-edition 10-year-old single malt has been matured for a decade, in a mix of 1st bourbon, virgin oak, PX and Oloroso sherry casks creating a rich, fruity character. Its is not chill filtered and is bottled with its natural colour. Batch 3 was released in 2019 and is limited to 3500 bottles.

The nose has big dark chocolate notes with raisins and heather honey, before a touch of sweet spice and orange peel. The palate brings more of that rich dark chocolate and raisin, adding treacle and a touch of cooling eucalyptus. The finish is long lasting and incredibly satisfying.

INDIAN SINGLE MALT WHISKY

Paul John Brilliance 46% NAS

Located in Goa, John Distilleries have been producing huge volumes of blended whisky since 1992. The Distillery entered the single malt scene in 2008 as a ‘pet project’ and quickly gained worldwide attention. Distiller Michael John employs local ingredients, although, a peated release sources peated malt from Scotland. Paul John ‘Brilliance’ is the first in the range.

Brilliance is a non-chill-filtered unpeated whisky from Paul John Distillers, released in early 2013 to much acclaim. All the brilliance of Goa is bottled up in this Single Malt. Its sparkling hues are reminiscent of sun-kissed beaches. The six-row barley for this whisky comes from the foothills of the Himalayas. Brilliance is matured in bourbon casks, for absolute sensory delight.

Brilliance is matured in bourbon barrels for 3-5 years before bottling at cask strength. The tropical climate cause greater evaporation, around 12-13% a year, but in turn they show very well at younger ages.

Reviews and Tasting Notes

Appearance / Colour: Golden

Nose / Aroma / Smell: Fresh and juicy barley with hints of wheat. Scent of sweet lemons and oranges mixed with some vanilla and sweet butter.

Flavour / Taste / Palate: All about fruits here, from mango to apple and oranges. Tingles of honey and cinnamon are also present.

Finish: Long and smooth finish where vanilla intensifies and spices kick in.

SCOTCH: SINGLE CASK SINGLE MALT

Tamdhu Sandy McIntyre’s SC

In 1949, Tamdhu began to modernise the original floor maltings and took the innovative decision to introduce Saladin boxes, a French invention that mechanised the barley turning process. No more 'monkey shoulder' for distillery workers. As production in the distillery steadily increased over the next 15 years, it became necessary to increase the maltings output. At one stage, an impressive 10 Saladin boxes were required. The popularity of whisky reached record highs in the 1970s and Tamdhu expanded further to meet the growing demand. Four stills were added in as many years, allowing the distillery to increase production considerably without compromising the exceptional quality of their spirit.

Tamdhu downed shutters for two years starting 2010. In January 2012, the determination of Ian Macleod Distillers saw the Tamdhu Distillery doors open once more. Inspired by the founders’ commitment to creating the very best whisky, the family enterprise wanted to build upon the impressive Tamdhu legacy. Ian Macleod Distillers returned the distillery to its former glory, using the same processes and passion for sherry maturation as the founders had before them. Today, Tamdhu is proud to exclusively mature in the finest sherry oak casks. Nothing less.

This vintage was chosen from a 2003-bottled first-fill American oak oloroso Sherry butt. Bottled at 56.2% ABV without chill-filtration or caramel colouring, the whisky has been matured for 15 years to deliver aromas of raspberries, clotted cream, citrus, banana, mint, spice and ginger nuts. On the palate, the whisky is said to have a creamy mouthfeel with flavours of cinnamon, soft fruits and cocoa nibs, leading to a fruity finish with vanilla and brown sugar.

Only 595 bottles were available to buy from the distillery/online.

THE WORLD’S BEST BLENDED WHISKY

Ichiro's Malt & Grain (46%)

This is an example of something we will see more of: blended world whiskies. Actually, this has been going on for a long time – but rarely disclosed previously. There are often significant loopholes in various country labeling laws that allow makers to import whiskies from other countries and either bottle it as a local brand without modification, further age it and bottle it, or even blend it with their own distillate and then sell it as if it were their own product.

For example, American producers have long been known to acquire quality Canadian rye whisky on contract, and then brand under their own name (e.g. Masterson’s and Whistlepig both use Alberta rye, etc.). And a lot of cheap Canadian corn whisky finds its way into low cost blends in a number of countries. This might help to explain how Canada is ranked as the world’s third largest whisky producer after Scotland and the USA, despite its much smaller global bottle brand footprint.

With the increasing global conglomeration of drinks producers, we are seeing more and more cases where multiple distillers are now actually owned by the same parent company. This is facilitating the overt blending of expertise, materials, and actual whisky across the world. A definite trend with how often Canadian whisky is now increasingly coming up acknowledged in world blends is also apparent.

Ichiro’s Malt & Grain whisky is not actually a new release – and it has always been a “world blended” whisky (although that aspect has become more explicitly pronounced on the label in recent years). For those of you who are interested, I will cover the labelling history of this whisky in an addendum at the end of this review.

This whisky is from one of the leading independent Japanese distillers, Ichiro Akuto, founder and master distiller of Chichibu (and heir to the Hanyu family of distillers). He has been making malt whiskies at his Chichibu distillery for a number of years now, sometimes blended with older Hanyu stock. This Ichiro’s Malt & Grain whisky has been around for the better part of a decade, and has always included malt whisky from Chichibu (and potentially Hanyu originally, but not any longer), blended with whiskies from unidentified distilleries in the USA, Canada, Scotland and Ireland.

Note that that there are other variants of this whisky out there – including various Limited Editions, single cask-strength bottlings, and premium Japanese-only blends. But it is the standard “white label” Ichiro’s Malt & Grain World Blended Whisky that is being reviewed here. Online, Ichiro describes this blend rather poetically as consisting of the “heart of Japanese whisky complimented by the major whiskies of the world.”

Those foreign whiskies are aged in their countries of origin for three to five years and aged for another one to three years in Chichibu.

Ichiro Akuto eventually began selling it, most notably the highly collectible and highly sought-after Ichiro’s Malt Card Series, a 54-part collection that includes a whisky named for and adorned with each of the cards in a standard deck (including the two jokers). A full set was on sale at one point in 2015 for nearly $500,000, and even a collection of 13 bottles in the series was going for nearly $44,000 in 2016.

Appearance: Brighter than the average whisky with a pale gold hue.

Nose: Starts like a sweet but delicate vanilla that then quickly develops into a tart bouquet of orange and apple with the alcohol manifesting a bit like a sauvignon blanc. That eventually tones down to a more subdued combination of toffee, pear and plums – again with a twinge of alcohol that’s like white wine, only this time a bit like pinot gris.

Palate: Very similarly to the nose, the first sip starts off like a very delicate vanilla with just the faintest hints of sweet tropical fruit and flowers. That gradually transitions to more of a hazelnut-like vanilla with a flare of ginger to it, gradually building in spiciness as a notes of pepper and peat develop. Swallowing takes an interesting turn as it leads to a wave of a nutty, pepper in the back the mouth, which then quickly ebbs away. That leads to a brief pause before another wave gently rolls tasting first of honey, then of a firm but gentle surge of pepper. That finally fades into a honey-like coating on the tongue with a very faint tickle of ginger.