GLENDRONACH TO THE FORE

 RACHEL BARRIE PUSHES OUT THREE NEW END-2024 NAS EXPRESSIONS

It may be difficult to digest, but Glendronach has been a start and stop distillery from its founding way back in 1826, when James Allardice inherited the Boynsmill Estate and, partnering the locals, built his distillery there, producing what was called 'The guid Glendronach'. A destructive fire in 1837 virtually wrote off the well-performing distillery, leading to his bankruptcy in 1842.

Allardice’s promotional activities had however stood the whisky in good stead. Seeing its potential, one Walter Scott came forward in 1852, and rebuilt the distillery to its current condition, before passing it on to John Somerville & Co. in 1887. Following the Great War – during which period Glendronach fell into government ownership – the distillery was picked up by Captain Charles Grant, the youngest son of Glenfiddich founder William Grant in 1920, who went on to incorporate Glendronach Distillery Company in 1927. It remained with that family for 40 years.

Moving thus in fits and starts through a number of owners and companies, some illustrious, it reached William Teacher & Sons’ company in 1960, who used it copiously in its age-stated Blended Scotch whiskies successfully through the 1960s and further, till subsumed by Allied Distillers in 1976. Two 12-year-old expressions were released in 1991– one aged in ex-Bourbon, one in ex-Sherry – a real innovation for the time due to the fledgling scotch single malt market, followed by the original version of The Glendronach 15-Year-Old, bottled at 40% ABV. Unfortunately, the brands never received any serious backing and the distillery was ultimately mothballed.

After nine separate owners through nearly two centuries, the distillery along with 35,000 casks of maturing whisky finally ended up with The BenRiach Distillery Company, owned by Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey producer, Brown-Forman in 2008. In 2009, The Glendronach 15-Year-Old was reintroduced, bearing the expression name ‘Revival’, as part of the brand’s new core range. These age statement bottlings contained considerably older stocks – the peak for The Glendronach 15-Year-Old was in 2015, when consumers were actually enjoying a 21-Year-Old whisky. One didn't need a crystal ball to make a forecast!

The Glendronach’s rapid growth in popularity and demand led to the expression’s discontinuation in 2015, due to a lack of maturing stocks and the need to preserve the older aged stocks. In 2018, The Glendronach 15-Year-Old returned to the brand’s core range, with one difference– there were no 21-year-olds in the mix. One of the most popular sherried single malt whiskies on the market, the Glendronach Revival 15-Year-Old proved itself as a multi-award-winning release, including the ‘Best in Show’ whisky category winner at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2020).

Master Blender Rachel Barrie joined Benriach in 2017 and has been the driving force behind four new releases. First came the The GlenDronach Cask Strength release in 2023. Batch 12 of this NAS 58.2% ABV release boasts exceptional depths of sherry cask maturation, carrying forth the legacy of James Allardice, marrying Highland spirit to Spanish oak. As with all expressions of The GlenDronach, the natural colour is drawn from slow maturation in PX and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía in Spain.

This hugely popular dram made its first appearance back in 2012 and remains a top-class combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks bottled without colouring or chill filtration at its natural cask strength, around an average strength of 58% ABV.

Now we have three more NAS releases, in The Master’s Anthology, a collection of Highland Single Malts celebrating almost 200 years of expertise in crafting rich and complex single malts. Each expression is composed to celebrate a different aspect of the rich and rewarding Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Ode to The Valley, Ode to The Embers and Ode to The Dark.

Drawing upon decades of skill and dedication, the releases explore the aromatic depth and character of The Glendronach’s signature sherry cask whisky, culminating in some of the richest, darkest expressions ever crafted from the historic Boynsmill House, a tribute to the art of sherry cask maturation.

The Ode to The Valley—46.2% ABV, RRP £67— is a fruit-forward expression of floral nectar and summer berry notes, matured in port and sherry casks. A rare peated expression, the Ode to The Embers —48.4% ABV, RRP £72—blends smoky peat with spiced richness from Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks. The richest expression, the Ode to The Dark—50.8% ABV, RRP £77—offers notes of layered chocolate, black cherry, and dates, matured in Pedro Ximénez casks.

The collection, launched this month, will become part of Glendronach's permanent portfolio, alongside its age-statement core range. Currently available in Germany and the UK, it will be available globally through 2025.

 

WHISKY OR WHISKEY?

A RELOOK AT THE PEG OF SCOTCH

Aqua vitae (‘water of life’ in Latin) was the generic term for distilled spirits throughout the Roman Empire, widely used during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and translated into many languages. In Gaelic, it was uisge beatha, in Irish uisce beatha. Whisky connoisseur Charles MacLean says that this was Anglicised from uiskie (c.1618) to whiskie (1715) to whisky (1746). F Paul Pacult, the author of ‘A Double Scotch’, 2005, says that Aqua Vitae ultimately became whisky in 1736.

THE WHISKY VERSUS WHISKEY DEBATE

In a quick research, I first found the spelling Whiskey in the third description of the Malt Tax Act of 1725 as printed in 1785. Subsequently, I found both spellings used equally widely, even in the British Parliament. Such variations were not uncommon, given the number of bodies passing local Acts and signing them on the basis of the Malt Tax Act, whether in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow or Dublin. In fact, the Hansard of 1896 uses just the one term 'Whiskey'. Whisky or whiskey is by convention, not law: the Royal Commission on Whiskey and Other Potable Spirits (1908/09) spelt both Irish and Scotch with an ‘e’ throughout.

Interestingly, it was the Irish Association headed by the 'Big Four' (John Jameson & Son, John Power & Son, George Roe & Co. and Willam Jameson & Co.) who argued before the Commission that their triple-distilled pot spirit was infinitely better than that distilled in Scotland which contained inferior and virtually tasteless Patent Still distilled grain spirit and that the correct spelling was 'Whisky', to differentiate it from the plebeian Scottish and English 'Whiskey'.Rather ironic, one would say, looking back today at facts as they lay.

Gavin Smith writes in his A-Z of Whisky: "The first use of Scotch with the sense of specifically relating to whisky occurs in 1855, 'while malt liquors give our Scotch and Irish whiskies”…

I have already written that at least 92 nations/nation-states around the globe are trying their hand at making and selling whisky. Of these countries, all but four spell Aqua Vitae ‘Whisky’. The term ‘Whiskey’ is used in Ireland (since 1960), Mexico and Peru and for most, but not all, American brands.

Albania, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Corsica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kosovo, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tasmania, The Philippines, Uruguay, Vietnam, Wales, Zimbabwe, Zambia & possibly a couple more spell it Whisky. 

The Americans keep their idiosyncratic asininity intact. George Dickel, Makers Mark, Old Forester and Rittenhouse Rye all use the “whisky” spelling for different reasons. Makers Mark uses the Scottish spelling of whisky as a nod to the Scottish heritage of their creator, T. William Samuels Sr. Similarly, George Dickel used this spelling because he believed his whisky was smooth and mellow like Scotch. Old Forester was produced before the “whiskey” spelling became mainstream in the US. Rittenhouse rye was originally produced by the Continental Distilling Corporation in Philadelphia, where they chose to drop the “e” for their rye ,but they kept the “e” for their bourbon. When Heaven Hill purchased the rights to Rittenhouse in the 1980s they kept that spelling.The US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau always uses the 'whisky' sans the 'e'.

North Korea's Samilpo has two blends, Black Label @ 40% ABV and Red Label @ 42% ABV in 620 ml bottles that resemble the Johnnie Walker bottles, except for that odd volume. Their third brand at 45% ABV is expected soon. Other than the numbers in volume and ABV, nothing is in English; I suppose whisky would be right since Kim loves Trump! Or would it be the concerned writer’s choice?

87 or 88/92 should be above par for concluding that the global spelling of this type of alcoholic beverage is whisky. Except for morons! Yes, the Yanks are up to it again, forcing one into American spellings in the software in use and putting out, by default, their spellings. OK, grant them their peccadilloes, but can't we have a simple tab on the keyboard to choose Type of English? The iPhone appears to be the main culprit.

THE DOMINANCE OF IRISH WHISKY

Irish whisky, triple distilled in pot stills, was once the most popular spirit in the world, reaching its zenith in the three decades between 1880-1910. Ireland boasted over 30 legal distilleries in the 1890s that each produced, litre for litre, more than comparable Scottish distilleries. At their peak, the distilleries in Dublin were the largest in the world, with a combined output of almost 10 million gallons per year. The major distilleries belonged to the Big Four, John Jameson & Son, John Power & Son, George Roe & Co., and William Jameson & Co, all from Dublin. The output of George Roe’s distilleries was more than all of Speyside and the Lowlands combined, and they dominated the markets not tightly controlled by the British Crown.

Jameson’s Midleton Distillery first opened with a whopping 31,618-gallon pot still (143,862 litres), which remains in situ within the historic distillery, and can be viewed as part of the tour at the Jameson Experience Midleton. The new stills at Midleton are currently the largest operational pot stills in the world. In a bid to hurt them in the early 1900s, Scottish distillers started to sell poor quality whiskies under Irish labels with impunity. They did set the Irish back, adding to the decline in production caused by poor harvests in Ireland for an extended period. The Scotch Whisky market, itself reeling from the Pattison Crash, was soon to recover due the Phylloxera Epidemic in France, which shut their wine and Cognac production down for over 30 years.

THE BRITISH IN INDIA

Changing tack entirely, The East India Company (EIC), having first landed on Indian soil in 1608, stated that they were only a trading company. Accepted without demur, they showed their true intent as they slowly but surely realised that India was a divided country, involved in internecine squabbles. The Islamic Mughals ran their empire from Delhi, fought off invaders from Persia, and were involved in far too many petty skirmishes. Exploiting this divide, the Brits turned into rapacious plunderers, looting Indian states with gay abandon. Shashi Tharoor, a polemicist of renown, avers in the annual Oxford Debate (2015) that the British Raj became what it was till WWII off 43 trillion GBP looted from India over 200 years.

In 1765, the EIC had an irregular army of 20,000 with a few Civil Servants strung out over the country and company-appointed British Army Officers under the command of one Major-General Stringer Lawrence. This would imply that there would have been at least three Brigadier Generals, six Cols, twelve majors and 48 Capt/Lts then.

The British Parliament now needed to shelter their troops as they fought in the French War, and 10 years later, against the Americans. So, the Crown did what they liked to do and made a decision that benefited British troops. They enacted the Quartering Acts of 1765, which stated that inns, stables, taverns, and wineries were required to house troops at the discretion of a British officer. Troops were allowed to take as they pleased, which would run taverns and wineries dry. This facility was accorded to the East India Company’s British officers and troops as well.

The cost of quartering troops would often fall on the shoulders of local landowners and Rajas. Eventually, their expenses were reimbursed by colonial kingdoms — not the British government. Soon, British troops started taking refuge in private homes. Without fear of penalty, they could barge into your house, kick you out of your bed, take your food, and tell you that you'd (maybe) be paid back in a few months.

As their reach expanded over India from Peshawar in the north to Sind in the west (in Pakistan now) and Rangoon (Yangon) in the east to the recaptured Madras in the South along the eastern coastline, so did their Armies, reaching 200,000 by 1790 and 260,000 by 1803. They dominated the Muslims who constituted the majority of the populace north of a line joining Pune (Poona) on the western coast and Bhubaneswar on the eastern coast (part of the Bengal Presidency). They also controlled Punjab. By now, they had established over 45 Residencies, one in every princely state they took over, under Residents, a Civil Service officer who was boss of all he could see, helped by around 6,000 sepoys under British Officers. The officers were housed in Cantonments and the sepoys in adjuncts to the official Cantonment. As a composite army, it was complete, with Artillery, Cavalry, Infantry, Sappers/ Miners and Staff Corps in a Commissariat. The British had arrived, bringing their customs along. Their Officers’ Messes became the focal point for whist, croquet, dinner dances and dining-in nights with their G&Ts, Claret, Port and Madeira. Perhaps a cigar as well!

After the Treaty of Salbai was concluded in 1782 between the British and Maharaja Mahadji Scindia of Gwalior, David Anderson, who contributed to drafting the treaty, was appointed resident at the Gwalior court. The fortress of Gwalior was captured by the Indians in the Great War of 1857, and recaptured by the Brits in 1858. The Resident had his own railway station, now used by the Army as their Institute (Club).

The Resident decided to take over the Maharaja of Scindia’s zenankhana, a magnificent palace near Morar, set up in ten acres of lush greenery with all luxuries available to the inmates of the harem, eunuch quarters included and located in the midst of its official estate of 750 acres with three villages included. The Residency was returned to the rightful owner after Indian Independence in 1947 and the Maharaja installed his Army Commander, General Rane there. In 1950, the Scindia rulers acceded to the new Union of India, and Gwalior state was absorbed into the new Indian state of Madhya Bharat, later Madhya Pradesh. The Residency was taken over by the Indian Govt. in 1951 and a school established there, with the three villages regaining their individual status. A decade later, the school and its ten acres of land was handed over to the Indian Air Force.

Immediately after the pompous Resident forcibly reoccupied the palace, life returned to the British ways of the world. The word burra means big/large and chota means small. Both are obviously relative. The Sahib would dress for dinner and at 1830 hrs, order his first drink, a burra peg of whisky (Blended Malt) and a siphon of soda. A little white or red wine with dinner and a chota peg of French brandy/cognac thereafter. The Brits were not known to be moderate drinkers, happy with just the one burra peg.

The term burra/chota peg could not have come before 1765; in all probability, it would have been introduced circa 1780. The British Crown assumed direct control of the Indian subcontinent in the form of the new British Raj in 1858 when the East India Company mishandled the Indian uprising of 1857. It assumed the Company's governmental functions and absorbed its navy and its armies. Blended Scotch would have arrived in 1860-61, initially in limited quantities, the volume increasing with time and expansion of the Industry post-1863.

The standard term ‘peg’ is a vestige of British colonialism and was/is used extensively in the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and eastern Asia, i.e., wherever there were Indians to be found.

Starting in 1780, the only term used to define volume in the Indian Defence, Paramilitary and Police Forces was/is a peg. This is because the British overlords had decreed that every soldier/sailor would be issued four pegs of Rum every evening, requiring them to define the volume of a peg. 

When dealers in potable spirits changed over to glass bottles circa 1780-1810, the largest bottle suitable for enclosing spirits was a function of the type of furnace, the material used and the glassblower's lung capacity and dexterity. Most bottles came out in the 26.5-27.0 fluid-ounce capacity. The invention of the automatic glass bottle-blowing machine in 1880 industrialised the process of making bottles and sizing on demand.

One 26½ oz (750 ml) bottle was taken to hold 26 pegs, mathematically working out to 28.8 ml/peg. The 26½ oz bottle was thirteen (13) fingers tall, with a few ml (1/2 oz) left over at the very top of the neck. This extra 1/2 oz was then considered a provision made for evaporation in the Raj’s hot weather and spillage; the hourglass-shaped ‘peg measure’ poured out just that bit less. The standard measure then became 28.4 ml, one Imperial ounce. The field ration was thus two fingers in height, from the top of the forefinger to the underside of the middle finger when held horizontally across a bottle (four pegs).

THE PATIALA PEG

In the Punjab of yore, the hefty Sardars (Sikhs) refused to accept the then piffling ration. The Maharaja of Patiala, with one eye on the British, solved this problem by a covert redefinition of the peg. He ruled that all Sikhs would be given two “Patiala pegs.” A Patiala peg is the amount of liquor poured into a standard glass and equal to the height between the top of the index finger and the bottom of the little finger of the stoutest Sardar around when held parallel to one another across the sides of the bottle. The middle and ring fingers would be folded inwards, so the basic tenet of two-finger rationing was observed, if only in spirit.

Today, a peg that represented 28.4 ml, one Imperial ounce, or 29.57 ml (one US oz) has been increased to 30 ml for convenience in bars on civvy street.

JOHNNIE WALKER BLACK LABEL TRIPLE CASK NAS

JOHNNIE WALKER BLACK LABEL NAS

The Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 YO: Let's first take a step back in history. You wouldn’t be far wrong in saying that Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 YO was a true icon, recognised as the benchmark for all other deluxe blends globally from 1920-2005. It was at top spot in Asia from the mid 1980s till 2005. Phipson’s Black Dog ruled the roost in Asia from 1889 to 1980. Something Special came to the fore between 1960 and 2005, when it was packed off to South America to leave the market open for Chivas Regal to strengthen its hold of numero uno in China and Asia. Johnnie Walker Black Label, created using only whiskies aged for a minimum of 12 years from the four corners of Scotland, had an unmistakably smooth, deep, complex character, now lost to the masses.

Yesterday's Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Years Old Blended Scotch Whisky had Cardhu as its core malt, backed up with the super-smooth Glenkinchie, Dalwhinnie, Linkwood, Teaninich, the multi-faceted Cragganmore, Clynelish, Dailuaine, Talisker and Caol Ila. Today, the recognisable Single Malts for me are Clynelish, Cardhu, Caol Ila, Glenkinchie and Dalwhinnie. Mortlach, Linkwood and Dailuaine are lost to posterity. JW claims that there are at least 25-28 more Single Malts and they must be right; it is a 40-whisky blend, after all. The Single Malts need not be from different distilleries; any distillery can provide tens of Single Malts, of the same or different ages. I'm also quite certain that Roseisle, which has started releasing 12 YO single malts since end 2023, features in the overall blend. Diageo has also added Strathmill here, as it seems to be a standalone distillery producing malts for blending.

The recognisable Grain Whisky is Cameronbridge, probably of two or three different batches. Earlier versions also featured grain whiskies from Carsebridge, Port Dundas and Cambus. The first named is only a vague memory and the last two have closed. Their old stock, dwindling rapidly, is reserved for the really aged expressions like Blue Label and 21-50 YO one-of-a-kind bottlings. The saline and mildly smoky notes of Talisker are missing. Some of these 12 YOs, which are of both the peated and unpeated variety, are not sold in the market, and have, sadly, not been used for over five years, with detrimental effect on the Blend.

The slightly smoky taste comes from the Cragganmore and Caol Ila. The hint of peat comes primarily from Caol Ila, strengthened by Clynelish; the smoothness comes from Cardhu, Glenkinchie, Blair Athol and the grain whiskies that are used to tame and meld the malts perfectly. A 1-litre bottle of Black Label costs $ 28. A bottle of 0.70 L Caol Ila 12 YO costs $56, or $80 per litre. The Caol Ila 12 YO is far more expensive and Diageo is losing money on the peated malt diverted to making the Black and other Labels. The same is true for ALL other Single Malts that made up the once fabulous concoction of JW Black Label! The Malt whiskies tot up to 35-40%. The Grain whiskies, ~60%, are also 12 YO. The last one percent is taken up by E150A Caramel colourant.

It is rated as an impressive whisky to share on any occasion, whether you're entertaining at home with friends or on a memorable night out. But it has lost top spot amongst 12 YO Blended Scotch whiskies simply because Diageo has run out of single malts that met the original recipe. No amount of experimenting with other single malts-up to 35 or even more of them can replicate the Extra Special Old Highland 12 YO, the original name of the Black Label till 1909. Dewar’s 12 YO, Buchanan's Deluxe 12 YO, Grand Old Parr and Chivas Regal deluxe whiskies are rated higher than Black Label.

SURPRISE SURPRISE

NO AGE STATEMENT

Johnnie Walker Black Label Triple Cask Edition No Age Statement, an end 2018 release, is a limited-edition whisky inspired by the lighter flavours and aromas found in the iconic Johnnie Walker Black Label. Mostly available in travel retail stores, this new whisky offers travellers a new experience. You bet! This is the first time the Black Label has gone NAS!

This new expression has been crafted by Johnnie Walker Master Blender Jim Beveridge and expert blender Chris Clark using a blend of malt and grain whiskies from the usual distilleries and has been finished in casks previously used to mature American bourbon, then Scotch whisky, and finally Caribbean pot still rum. Unusual combo, this, as refill Scotch barrels are used in the finishing phase.

An interesting nose with more medicinal wafts taking the forefront than other Johnnie Walker releases. The nose is intriguing yet off the beaten track for Johnnie Walker — most probably due to the pot still rum barrel influence. Sweet for sure, it’s laden with notes of overripe fruit and features an ephemeral wisp of smoke.

The thin texture carries a predominant, almost ashy, burnt oak note which slowly builds sweeter with more wood sugars becoming present. Sawdust and coconut follow and the taste is rather malty, right through the heavy fruit influence. The oakiness becomes prominent, given its lack of smoke. The sweetness of the whisky lingers to the point of overwhelming the whisky’s other umami elements. Probably a high percentage of Roseisle, Blair Athol and Strathmill, with Cardhu the mainstay, as always.

The finish is of medium length and stays on the sweeter side with some honey on burnt toast and softly spiced vanilla ice cream.

Overall: Leave this one alone, at least till the price comes down to US$ 26-28.

THE ADVENT OF THE GLASS BOTTLE

HOW STANDARDS EVOLVED IN BOTTLING

WHISKY BOTTLES

Glass bottles began to be used for holding wines and spirits in the mid-17th century, but they were very expensive, so only the wealthy could afford them. They were mainly used as ‘serving bottles’ or decanters, rather than ‘binning bottles’ for storing wine in the cellar.

Glass pads, impressed with the owner’s mark or coat of arms, were attached to each bottle, and the bottles themselves were taken to be filled by the wine merchant, or filled in their owners’ cellar by the butler (i.e. ‘bottler’). Within only a decade or so, the middle classes were also able to afford glass bottles: Samuel Pepys records in his diary of 1663 that he ‘went to the  Mitre’ to see wine put into his ‘crested bottles’.

The earliest glass bottles had spherical bodies and long, parallel necks, with a rim at the top to hold down the string which kept the stopper in place. They are known as ‘shaft and globe bottles’. By 1700 the neck had begun to taper and the body to become compressed - these are ‘onion bottles’. They continued to be treasured, and in Scotland were commonly used as decanters for whisky in public houses. In the Highlands, it was traditional to give them as marriage gifts, crudely engraved with the names of the bride and groom, the date of the nuptials and even with an illustration of the event.

Between 1700 and 1720, the onion shape was sometimes exaggerated, so the body became wider than the height, then about 1720 the sides began to be flattened by rolling on a steel plate while the glass was cooling - a process called ‘marvering’ – in order to rack them in the ‘bins’ of the cellar.

Early marvered bottles were ‘mallet’ shaped, where the straight sides tapered away from the base, but over the next twenty years, they became taller and more cylindrical, particularly after 1740, by which time the value of maturing wine in the bottle was becoming generally recognised. By the mid-century, many wine and spirits merchants had their own bottles, with their name or trademark pressed into the glass pad, to be returned for refilling with whatever liquor was available.

The classic French wine bottle shapes familiar to us today had evolved by about 1800 – there was a huge growth in the number of glass factories in Bordeaux, particularly, which was producing around two million bottles a year by 1790. Bottles from this period can often be identified by a slight swelling around the base, caused by the glass ‘sagging’ while the bottle cooled in an upright position.

Until 1821 bottles were free-blown, which meant that capacities and dimensions were not standardised. So when one reads of hearty drinkers of the late 18th century downing three or four or even six bottles of wine at a sitting – this seems to have been especially common among Scottish judges of the period, who habitually drank claret while sitting in judgement – it might be supposed that the bottles of their time were smaller than those of today. Not so. Research done in the Ashmolean Museum in Cambridge shows that the average bottle size was if anything slightly larger than today.

In 1821 Henry Ricketts, a glass manufacturer in Bristol, patented a method of blowing bottles into three-piece moulds, which made it possible to standardise capacity and dimensions. Such moulds left seam marks – the way in which collectors identify them today – but during the 1850s a process was developed to remove these by lining the mould with beeswax and sawdust, and turning the bottle as it was cooling.

Until about 1850 all wine and spirits bottles were made from ‘black’ glass – in fact, it was very dark green or dark brown – owing to particles of iron in the sand used in their manufacture. Clear glass bottles and decanters were made, but they were taxed at eleven times the rate of black glass.

Indeed, owing to the Glass Tax, bottles remained expensive and continued to be hoarded and re-used until after 1845, when the duty on glass was abolished. The earliest known ‘whisky bottles’, such as a Macallan bottled by the local grocer in Craigellachie in 1841 (and reproduced in facsimile in 2003), were reused wine bottles. Even after the duty had been lifted and clear glass began to be used more, whisky makers continued to favour green glass bottles, often with glass seals on their shoulders. VAT 69 continues this style of bottle.

Many whisky companies continued to fill into small casks and stoneware jars and offered their goods in bulk. It was not until 1887 that Josiah Arnall and Howard Ashley patented the first mechanical bottle-blowing machine, allowing bottled whisky to really take off. In the trade bottled whisky was termed ‘cased goods’, since it was sold by the twelve-bottle lot packed into stout wooden cases, like top-quality wine today.

Bottled whisky, properly stoppered and sealed, was less liable to adulteration or dilution by unscrupulous publicans and spirits merchants than whisky sold in bulk, and during the 1890s cased goods became the commonest way for whisky to be sold, particularly in the off-trade.

The use of plastic (polyethene) bottles, developed during the 1960s and adopted by soft drinks manufacturers, has largely been eschewed by the whisky industry, except for miniatures supplied to airlines. These bottles are called PETs – not a reference to their diminutive size, but to the material they are made from: Polyethylene Terephthalate. Their clear advantage is weight, and they began to become commonplace in the 1990s. Concerns about shelf-life and contamination by oxygen or carbon dioxide have been addressed since 1999 by coating the outside of the bottle with an epoxy-amine-based inhibiting barrier.

BOTTLE CAPACITIES

As mentioned in relation to William Younger’s examination of bottles from between 1660 – 1817 in the Ashmolean Museum, the capacity of wine (and therefore whisky) bottles remained relatively constant at around 30 Fl.Oz (1 1/2 pints) during this period, in spite of bottles being free-blown. 

With the introduction of moulded bottles in the 1820s it became much easier to standardise capacity, and this was fixed at 26 2/3 Fl.Oz (or one-sixth of a gallon, which is also equal to four-fifths of a U.S. quart).

In 19xx this capacity was defined by law for a standard bottle - along with 40 Fl.Oz  (equal to an Imperial quart – 2 pints), 13 1/3 Fl.Oz (half bottle), 6 2/3 Fl.Oz (quarter bottle), 3 4/5 Fl. Oz (miniature) – and in 19yy it was required that the capacity be stated on the label, along with the strength of the whisky.

American capacities are slightly different. 1 U.S. liquid pint = .832 Imperial pint (12 Fl.Oz.). Whisky was commonly sold by the Imperial quart (40 Fl.Oz) or by the ‘reputed quart’, 4/5th U.S. quart or 26 2/3 Fl.Oz.

From January 1980 capacities have been expressed metrically on bottle labels, in line with the Système International d’Unités, when 26 2/3 Fl.Oz became 75 cl, half bottles  37.5cl, quarter bottles 18.75cl and miniatures 5cl. 

In 1992 the standard bottle size throughout the European Community was lowered to 70cl.

The United States retains fluid ounces, with the ‘reputed quart’ remaining the standard bottle size (75cl).

In Japan, both 75cl and 70cl bottles are acceptable.

BOTTLE NUMBERS  January 1884 – December 1909

During this period, some bottle-makers embossed a number in the base of their bottles. This is useful for dating bottles during the ‘Whisky Boom’. This list came from www.antiquebottles-glassworks.co.uk, an invaluable site for bottle collectors.

1884:   ****1 – 19753              1891:   163767 –                     1901:   368154 –

1885:   19754 –                       1892:   185713 –                     1902:   385088 –

1886:   40480 –                       1893:   205240 –                     1903:   402913 –

1887:  64520 –                        1894:   224720 –                     1904:   425017 –

1888:   90483 –                       1895:   246975 –                     1905:   447548 –

1889:   116648 –                     1896:   268392 –                     1906:   471486 –

1890:   141273 –                     1897:   291240 –                     1907:   493487 –

                                                1898:   311658 –                     1908:   518415 –

                                                1899:   331707 –                     1909:   534963 –

                                                1900:   351202 –

WHAT COLLECTORS ESTEEM

Age	Free-blown and moulded (pre-1870) bottles have ‘pontil marks’ on their bases, created by an iron rod, called a pontil, used to manipulate the molten glass.
Rarity	The fewer known examples, the more valuable the bottle will be.
Texture	Variations in glass surface, number of bubbles in the glass, stretch marks, or changes in colour.
Colour	Unusual, dark or strong colours, or a colour which is rare for that kind of bottle.
Embossed	Where bottles are embossed (uncommon in early whisky bottles), clarity of the embossing, its heaviness (heavier the better), its intricacy and the interest of the design or words.
Shape	The aesthetic quality of some bottles.
Labels	Any item with its original label, contents, carton or box is of more interest than an ‘empty’.

 AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH

Whisky was first distilled as a medicinal tonic, but by the end of the 17th century its popularity began to boom across the UK. Glass is inert and impermeable and so it was the perfect solution when the first distillers were looking for a way to effectively preserve and distribute their spirit to its ever-growing audience.

Glass whisky bottles were made by specialised glass blowers and were expensive to produce. A hand-blown bottle was typically between 600-800ml (60-80cl) because that was the average lung capacity of the glass blowers of the time. Due to the expense and luxury of the glass, the whisky connoisseurs of the 17th century would have taken their own bottles to be filled.

CERAMIC POTS: 1707-1850

Incessant taxation put serious strains on the whisky industry with many distilleries shutting down and some choosing to go underground and produced whisky illegally. To compound matters there was also a heavy tax on glass introduced in 1746. The taxes meant that whisky distillers and drinkers started to look for alternative and discreet ways to store their whisky.

Stone and ceramic pots and bottles became widely used as they provided a vessel that was both cheap and durable. Ceramic pots were also discreet, especially important if a distillery wanted to avoid paying their taxes.

The durability of ceramic and stone became an increasingly important consideration as sea trade began to boom in the 18th century.

The taxes and booming sea trade are also linked to the dawning rise in popularity of miniatures. Miniatures provided a practical solution for sailors as they were cheaper than full bottles but the other cheap alternatives – beer and wine, which had been favourites at the time – did not fare well at sea.  Miniature spirits mixed with sours became sailors’ tipple of choice.

In the early 1900s, bottle sizes became standardised in UK law

A MINIATURE BOOM: 1850-1970

At the turn of the 20th century, as taxes on alcohol continued to soar and two World Wars took their toll, miniatures became increasingly popular on land due to their affordability. Throughout the first and second World Wars buying a standard size bottle was considered frivolous spending. A miniature on the other hand provided a more economical option, allowing an occasional indulgence without having to splash out on a whole bottle.

STANDARDISING BOTTLE SIZE

When was bottle size first standardised in the UK?

In the early 1900s, bottle sizes became standardised in UK law. The standard was set as 26 2/3 fluid ounces, which was simply the average size of the traditional bottles produced by glass blowers in the 17th century.

This standard was used until the start of 1980 when metric volume was introduced.

The standard size for Scotch whisky bottles changed to 70cl in 1990

When was metric bottle size introduced for whisky bottles?

On the 1st January 1980 the global standard for wine, spirit and liqueur bottles came into force converting liquid ounces to metric volume. Standard whisky bottle size was set at 750 ml, also commonly denoted as 75cl. This is the standard still used in much of the world today, including the USA.

What is the standard bottle size for Scotch whisky?

On the 1st of January 1990, the European Union updated their standard bottle size for spirits to 70cl or 700ml. This was because a 700ml bottle is an ideal volume for pubs, clubs, and bars, which have the option of selling 25ml or 35ml measures.

Since the 1st of January 1990, the standard bottle size used by the Scotch whisky industry has been 70cl.

Can I use standard bottle sizes to date my whisky bottle?

The set dates mentioned above mean that for Scotch whisky, bottle size can be used as an indicator of the bottling era. That being said, care must still be taken as bottles designed for export for example to the USA are still 75cl, and so other factors must be considered also.

As well as a variation in the size of miniature bottles, half bottles – whether 13 1/3 Fl oz, 37.5cl or 35cl – have been popular throughout the last century of whisky drinking. Even quarter bottles can occasionally be found for curious collectors so bottle size should always be used with other indicators for accurate dating.

THE 21st CENTURY: AN UNSTANDARDISED STANDARD

While the official bottle size for whisky and other spirits is set across most of the world and has been set for many years, as mentioned above, you still will find a large variation in bottle sizes. And one that is only increasing.

As whisky increases in value bottlers look at different ways to appeal to and provide value for their drinkers. Many Japanese whiskies for example are bottled at 50cl and this trend for smaller-than-standard bottle sizes is one that is expanding in the modern single malt Scotch whisky market too.

Smaller bottles, such as 50cl offerings, are becoming increasingly common. Similar to the appeal of miniatures at the start of the last century, 50cl bottles offer a more accessible way to indulge in your favourite tipple. As well as reducing the volume and therefore cost of the whisky, smaller bottle sizes reduce the VAT and duty due on the bottle, again offering a more attractive proposition for drinkers – and a more accessible entry point to appeal to new drinkers – while allowing bottlers to maintain their own margins on more expensive casks.

Whatever your feelings on whisky bottle sizes and the reasons behind why they change, the history of the whisky bottle has shown us that preferences change regularly and for a myriad of reasons.

These days you can even get whisky in a pouch, so who knows what will be next.

Why a Pint is Bigger in the UK Than in the US

An American will find a pint of beer in London looking similar to his customary pint back home, but, given the amount of the golden-brown, oddly warm liquid sloshing around in the glass vessel, it will seem to be much larger!

How Big Is a Pint?

This is because a pint in the United Kingdom is bigger than a pint in the United States. The UK pint is 20 fluid ounces, while the US pint fills up 16 fl oz. However, this translation is not that simple, as fluid ounces do not equal one another across the Atlantic. Here is the breakdown of volume between the two countries:

• The British Imperial fluid ounce is equal to 28.413 millilitres, while the US Customary fluid ounce is 29.573 ml.
• The British Imperial pint is 568.261 ml (20 fluid ounces), while the US Customary pint is 473.176 ml (16 fl oz).
• The British Imperial quart is 1.13 litres (40 fl oz), while the US Customary quart is 0.94 L (32 fl oz).
• The British Imperial gallon is 4.54 L (160 fl oz), while the US Customary gallon is 3.78 L (128 fl oz). 

BACKGROUND OF ENGLISH UNITS

At the root of this divide is the difference in measurement systems. While the American system of measurement often is referred to as the Imperial System, this usage is erroneous. The US, ever since the formative years of the New World nation, has used the US Customary System. The Imperial System, alternatively, was established in 1824 for Great Britain and its colonies. Even today, decades after officially switching to SI (metric) units, volume in the UK is measured in British Imperial units. Both these systems, however, are derived from English units. English units were in use until the early 1800s, and they saw a vast range of influences due to the frenzied history of the British Isles. This historical precedence spanned a millennium, so, to keep things short: the Celtic Britons lived in modern-day Britain, and they were at war with Roman invaders for the first few centuries AD. After the Romans left, the Celts were invaded and displaced by the Anglo-Saxons, who were dominated by the Normans.

This resulted in a plethora of units of measurement. Many Anglo-Saxon units had some basis in the people’s agricultural past. For example, 3 barleycorns equalled 1 ynce (inch), and an acre was considered a field the size a farmer could plough in a single day. The foot, obviously having a connection to the length of the human appendage, was in use, but it had various conflicting specifications.

This resulted in a plethora of units of measurement. Many Anglo-Saxon units had some basis in the people’s agricultural past. For example, 3 barleycorns equalled 1 ynce (inch), and an acre was considered a field the size a farmer could plough in a single day. The foot, obviously having a connection to the length of the human appendage, was in use, but it had various conflicting specifications.

The Norman kings brought Roman measurements to Britain, specifically the 12-inch foot and the mile, which was defined originally as the length of 1000 paces of a Roman legion. If you’d like to read more about this background, please refer to my post on the simple peg measure in Whisky vs the non-conformal Whiskey.

The metric tonne is 1000 Kg. Since 1 Kg=2.2046 lbs, one metric tonne = 2204.6 lbs.

We have left the SI or Metric System out since our discussion is on volumetric measures, but that doesn’t hide the fact that both countries have not fully adjusted to global measures. How long will they bask in lost memories of deluded grandeur? 

The article on the UK pint vs the US pint has been taken from an ansi.org Blog post of 22/6/2018.

 

GLENMORANGIE'S PURSUIT OF PASSION

 GLENMORANGIE’S Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection

Moët Hennessy-owned Glenmorangie has released a trio presentation set, the Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection, exploring wine regions. The new collection celebrates their master distiller Dr Bill Lumsden’s individual passion for fine wine and extended finishing of select single malt whiskies in French, Italian, Australian and American and  wine casks.

For over 180 years, the renowned whisky artisans at Glenmorangie_The Men of Tain_have demonstrated remarkable creativity in their pursuit of crafting increasingly exquisite single malts. Utilising the tallest stills in Scotland, they produce a refined and fruity spirit that enhances the development of flavour and aroma. This spirit is then matured in some of the finest casks available globally, mainly from their own oak forest in the Ozark Mountains in the USA and processed there through the vital initial conditioning in the Bourbon whiskey industry towards ultimate maturation of Scotch whisky. During the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, Glenmorangie emerged as a trailblazer in the Scotch whisky sector, pioneering the technique of wood finishing. This innovative approach includes transferring aged whisky into various casks, allowing for the introduction of new flavour dimensions and complexity to their signature spirit.

THE TRIO

One notable feature of the new range is the length of the wine cask maturation – ‘finishing’ really is a misnomer here. The trio were aged for a total of 27 to 29 years each, of which 18 to 20 years were spent in their respective wine casks. This places them early in the history of Lumsden’s Glenmorangie career. He spent four years as distillery manager in the ’90s before taking on the forerunner of his current role, including the responsibility for cask sourcing.

As Glenmorangie’s head of distilling and whisky creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden is one of Scotch whisky’s leading specialists in cask finishing. His expertise and passion for wine are behind the latest release, Glenmorangie Pursuit of Passion, a collection of three ultra-aged, wine cask-finished expressions. This collection stays within Europe’s most acclaimed continental wine regions in search of casks that would bring unparalleled lusciousness to the whisky, exceptional casks from celebrated areas such as Burgundy and Bordeaux in France, and Piedmont in Italy.

He then filled those meticulously created casks with whisky, envisioning the unique flavours that could be achieved through extended wood finishes. In the Pursuit of Passion’s 600 sets, he unveils three of his most remarkable experiments: Glenmorangie Margaux Wine Cask Finish, Glenmorangie Corton-Charlemagne Wine Cask Finish, and Glenmorangie Barbaresco Wine Cask Finish. Aged 29, 28, and 27 years respectively, these rare creations are said to be distinguished by their extraordinary depth and complexity. Showcasing three prized experiments, each over 25 years old, these 600 sets are an ode to a passion and dedication to the art of wine cask finishing, each remarkably different from the other.

The collection’s oldest expression, at 29 years old, the Margaux Wine Cask Finish, was distilled in February 1995, the month that Lumsden became Glenmorangie’s distillery manager. It was matured in bourbon casks until mid-2004, and then refilled into Margaux casks for more than 20 years, the longest Glenmorangie wine cask finish ever released. It’s not Lumsden’s first Margaux expression, however, arming him with foreknowledge; he was fairly sure how that would work out: red fruit, white chocolate, cedar wood and cigar box.

Fresh and not remotely jammy, with raspberry and redcurrant to the fore on the nose, accompanied by a scented floral note edging into Parma Violet sweets. The texture on the palate is pure silk – a common feature of the rich, mellow and complex range – carrying darker notes of plum and cassis, intense flavours of chocolate, sweet chilli’ undercut by cedar and eucalyptus on the palate. An extremely elegant and beautifully balanced whisky bottled at 52.5% ABV.

The second-oldest expression in Pursuit of Passion is a 28 year old Corton-Charlemagne finish, the only white wine finish in the set. It was distilled in 1995 and aged in bourbon barrels until 2005, when it was refilled into grand cru white burgundy casks from the prestigious Corton-Charlemagne Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) and Grand Cru vineyard for white wine in the Côte de Beaune subregion of Burgundy, France, with Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc being the only permitted grape varieties.This was Glenmorangie’s first experiment with such casks. Finished for more than 18 years in white wine casks it is a little bit of an outlier in the world of great white Burgundy – an appellation that a lot of people are not that familiar with as En Charlemagne is only 0.28 hectares in size; production is limited and usually blended with grapes from the other lieu-dits of Corton-Charlemagne. It is known to be a spicy, smooth, and full-bodied expression that offers notes of jasmine and Asian clove.

Restraint from the outset here, combining jasmine, honeysuckle and pink peppercorn, before deepening into hazelnut praline and pastel de nata – all lifted by notes of lime flower, soft smoke, spice and lemongrass. The palate of the spicy, smooth and full-bodied expression shows great depth, with dark honey, Pontefract cake and charred pineapple. The anis notes are borne aloft by the velvety mouthfeel. A 28-year-old bottling offered at 52.1% ABV.

Similar to the rest of the collection, the Barbaresco Wine Cask Finish was distilled in 1996. Barbaresco is a dry red wine made from the Nebbiolo grape in the Barbaresco region of Piedmont in northwestern Italy, at the foothills of the alps. Barbaresco is a relatively deep, garnet-colored wine with brick-red hues, developing more of a brick-red color with age.This dry, powerful, and rich 27 Year Old whisky began its journey in bourbon casks. In 2005, Lumsden selected a portion to be transferred into high-quality Italian red wine casks from Barbaresco. The aromas of Barbaresco include floral notes, particularly roses and violets, along with red fruits and spices. On the palate, Barbaresco is slightly light-bodied, with refined tannins and vibrant acidity. The flavors in Barbaresco include red berries, herbs, and anise. These casks, never before used at the distillery, reflected the distillery’s trust in risk-assessed first experiments with new cask types. These casks were specifically chosen for the predicted deep, luscious flavours they could impart to Glenmorangie. After an extraordinarily long finish of over 18 years, this whisky resonates with hints again of success in extracting a totally new set of flavours and tongue-satiating savoury results. One can expect a deep, garnet-colored spirit with brick-red hues, developing more of a brick-red colour with age.

At 27 years of age, the Barbaresco Wine Cask Finish is the youngest of the bunch, and is bottled at 51.3 percent ABV, quite likely cask strength and not chill-filtered.

Producer's Tasting Notes:

Glenmorangie Margaux Wine Cask Finish Review

Nose: Rich, mellow and complex, with a veritable symphony of fruity and woody notes such as baked apple, pears, apricot and plum, honeydew melon, sweet aged balsamic vinegar and the gentlest touch of oak. There is a delicate, perfumed top note like honeysuckle and the merest hint of stewing black tea leaves. A splash of water then opens up some more curious woody notes, almost like furniture polish or tree resin.

Taste: The texture is peppery, tingly and warming and leads into an explosion of ripe, fruity flavours: apricot, peach, plum, cherries, baked red apples, juicy melon, followed by chocolate ganache, hints of ginger and sweet chilli, but always with a balancing tartness, reminiscent of sour cherries and citrus.

Finish: Long, zesty and woody or nutty, with hints of roasting chestnuts, eucalyptus and cocoa powder.

Glenmorangie Corton-Charlemagne Wine Cask Finish Review

Nose: Astonishingly aromatic and perfumed, with hints of pear, honeysuckle, juniper and gorse flowers, supported by some altogether bolder, oak-derived notes, like vanilla, almond and some gentle leather. With a few drops of water, some gentle floral notes are encountered, like carnation and jasmine, and finally the gentlest hint of struck match.

Taste: The texture is smooth and oily, as it coats the mouth with delicious, sweet and spicy flavours like honeycomb, poached pears in syrup, cocoa powder and spiced fruit bread. The sweetness continues with touches of almond marzipan and morello cherries.

Finish: The mellow aftertaste reveals the gentlest hints of leather and clove along with a touch of eucalyptus.

Glenmorangie Barbaresco Wine Cask Finish Review

Nose: Deep, powerful, spicy and rich, with notes of toffee, black fruits such as cherries, plums and damsons, graphite, black pepper and cinnamon. As the bouquet opens up, hints of vanilla, milk chocolate and baked pears are encountered, along with a hint of aged balsamic vinegar. With a splash of water, some altogether more earthy notes are encountered, like a damp forest floor. This is followed by a burst of eucalyptus and mint.

Taste: The mouthfeel is huge, spicy and slightly drying, and leads into a myriad of complex flavours. Chocolate sweetness is tempered by a grape-must dryness, along with hints of leather, mint-flavoured toffee, Christmas cake, ginger, nutmeg and clove. The classic Glenmorangie citrus fruit note comes across as candied orange peel.

Finish: Long and mellow with hints of chestnuts, oak tannin and aniseed.

Glenmorangie’s Pursuit of Passion collection is presented in a handcrafted oak case, designed to be a striking centrepiece. The marquetry on the back and sides subtly alludes to the staves used in wine cask construction, while the front of the case symbolically represents the diverse landscapes of the three distinct wine regions, reflecting the extraordinary flavour journey contained within each bottle.

Priced at £7,740/€9,000 per set, the Glenmorangie Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection is available through the Moët Hennessy Private Client channel and at the Glenmorangie boutique in Heathrow Terminal 2, as well as from select retailers worldwide and the distillery visitor centre in Tain from October. Registrations of interest can also be made on the Glenmorangie website. At these ages and price points, these sets are well beyond the reach of the average avid Scotch whisky lover.