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.

 

THE BOTTLING OF WHISKY

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 the 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, 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.

 

MOET HENNESSY ACQUIRES STAKE IN CANADIAN WHISKY WHISTLE PIG

 LVMH PARTNERS WHISTLE PIG

The French company Moet Hennessy, which is the ‘premium wines and spirits’ branch of LVMH, has announced partnership with the Canadian whisky distillery WhistlePig. Moet Hennessy will start distribution of WhistlePig in selected markets in Europe and Asia and has also acquired a minority stake in the Canadian company.

Moët Hennessy, the wines and spirits business of LVMH, the world’s leading luxury products Group, had first bought Glenmorangie PLC, owner of some of the world’s most acclaimed malt whisky brands, for £300 million in November 2004. The Glenmorangie Group also owns two other celebrated malt whisky brands: Glen Moray and Ardbeg, known for their high quality products. 

The arrangement with Moët Hennessy marks a significant moment for WhistlePig as it aligns their brand with the leader in luxury wines and spirits and should move into the international market.

WhistlePig evidently fits very well with the rest of Moët Hennessy's portfolio. This high quality and top-rated whisky brand has done a remarkable job distinguishing itself among the emblematic and iconic craft distilleries in the United States with an ultra-premium standing in terms of identity, quality and price positioning. WhistlePig will be launched in various markets in Europe and Asia early next year.

WhistlePig was founded in 2007 by the American entrepreneur and politician Raj Peter Bhakta, who had to leave the company in 2016. Famous Master Distiller David Pickerell, who died in 2018, joined the team from the beginning to build up the brand, blend the whisky and develop the own WhistlePig Distillery.

WhistlePig is located on an old 500 acres farm. The rye grown here is processed in the own distillery, which opened in 2015. Previously, the company had built the WhistlePig label with purchased Canadian whiskey that was matured for finishing here on site.

NEW JOHNNIE WALKER RELEASES

NEW PRODUCTS FROM JOHNNIE WALKER 

I have posted the entire family of Johnnie Walker bottling through the ages at https://noelsramblings.blogspot.com/2020/06/all-that-you-wanted-to-know-about.html/ and that is a fairly wide selection with over 350 separate bottlings in their all-encompassing brand. Yet there appears to be no shortage of old and rare whiskies, as new bottlings keep cropping up every now and then. Its time to show them on this post before loading them onto my Johnnie Walker Family Tree.

After the Game of Thrones Series, some standard bottles were reworked. The Gold Label, an 18 YO featuring Clynelish and Cardhu was withdrawn and reappeared as Gold Label Reserve 16 YO. They soon became NAS whiskies, one of which marked their 200th anniversary.   

Johnnie Walker Platinum Label 18 Year Old was inspired by the tradition of giving private blends to a close circle of family friends by John Walker & Sons. Blended from whiskies matured for at least 18 years, it combined sophisticated and contemporary tastes with classic Johnnie Walker flavours. This was the first premium brand whose name neither fitted the category of colours chosen across their palette nor the intended recipients, and this title was phased out, only to be replaced by the very same whiskies, now named 18 YOs, nothing more. 

2021 Chinese New Year Editions

Johnnie Walker has launched two exclusive Chinese New Year limited editions: an intricately illustrated Johnnie Walker Blue Label and a first-of-its-kind John Walker & Sons King George V limited edition.

John Walker & Sons King George V is a combination of whiskies originally crafted to celebrate the first Royal Warrant granted to Johnnie Walker in 1934 to supply Scotch whisky to the British Royal Household. Drawn from extremely rare casks from the now-silent Port Ellen distillery, Johnnie Walker says the whisky is elegantly rich and creamy. It is the first limited edition of the John Walker & Sons King George V to be released and features bespoke artwork with a modern take on traditional Chinese patterns and designs.

The illustrations on the new John Walker & Sons King George V limited edition are a fitting tribute to this exquisite whisky added to the Chinese New Year offering.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label has a rich history of Chinese New Year releases, each year bringing a bespoke pack and bottle design celebrating that year's Zodiac sign. The 2021 design was created by award-winning Chinese artist Shirley Gong and features illustrations of the ox, a symbol of prosperity and growth.

Both 2021 Chinese New Year limited-edition designs are available in selected markets globally at a recommended price of £200 for the Johnnie Walker Blue Label release and £400 for the John Walker & Sons King George V edition.

Additions to the Chinese Zodiac Releases:

Johnnie Walker Blue Year of the Rat Blended Scotch Whisky 70cl / 40%, 2020. A limited-edition blended whisky from Johnny Walker which celebrates Chinese New Year 2020. This special bottle of Blue Label features illustrations by artist Shirley Gong, reflecting the prosperity and abundance that the Rat's arrival signifies. Mellow and rounded aromas of dry smoke and sweet raisins fill the nose, with notes of hazelnuts, honey, rose petals, orange and aromatic smoke on the palate. £210.

Johnnie Walker Blue Year of the Ox Blended Scotch Whisky 70cl/40%. A limited-edition bottling of Johnnie Walker Blue Label celebrating Chinese New Year and the Year of the Ox. The bottle features artwork from award-winning artist Shirley Gong, with the ox symbolising prosperity, growth and good fortune. In the illustrations the ox is honoured for its majesty, poised high above mountain clouds representing longevity. The remarkable visuals are completed with celebratory lanterns and cherry blossom, signifying good fortune in the year to come.

Lunar New Year With New Limited Edition Year of the Dog Bottle: The Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of the Dog limited-edition bottle was released in Feb 2018 in celebration of the Lunar New Year. As part of the brand's Pioneering Spirit Series, Johnnie Walker continues to pay homage to the traditions of Asian culture and lasting heritage of the Chinese Zodiac.

This annual limited-edition series, now in its fifth installment, honours each Lunar New Year with a commemorative bottle inspired by the Chinese Zodiac. The 2018 bottle artwork, created in collaboration with multi-award winning Taiwanese artist Page Tsou, follows the Johnnie Walker Striding Man as he celebrates the Lunar New Year alongside the design's proudly displayed Shar Pei. Originally bred for Chinese nobility, the Shar Pei is renowned for its rarity, a key characteristic of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. With only 1 in 10,000 whiskies distilled by Johnnie Walker possessing the caliber required to craft the Blue Label blend, each bottle exemplifies exclusivity and prestige.

The precious design consists of a total of four dogs all chosen for their special meaning in Asia. This unique design tells the story of the Johnnie Walker Striding Man and a loyal companion as they journey around the world bringing prosperity and rejoicing in the arrival of the New Year. The design also contains various symbols of wealth and prosperity making this bottle extremely unique and the perfect gift to give this Chinese New Year.

Decorated with precious metals and a lacquered, ink-jet finish, the bottle itself depicts an ancient Chinese triptych design of beautiful lanterns, fireworks, and dancing dragons, embodying emotions felt while ringing in the New Year: an eagerness for exploration to worlds unseen, and an inspired sense of optimism and progress – the cornerstone of Johnnie Walker. Man's best friend is pictured standing honest and loyal while traveling through this vibrant landscape, representing the best traits of human nature.

The Lunar New Year is one of the most recognized Chinese traditions around the globe. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of the Dog is a true collectors' item and the perfect gift for celebrating the Lunar New Year with loved ones and friends. The bottle comes in stunning, collectible packaging that features a front-and-back view of the dazzling bottle – a great keepsake for any home bar or tablescape. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of the Dog is available nationwide with a suggested retail price of $258.00 (750 ml/bottle, 43% ABV).

John Walker & Sons Bicentenary Blended Scotch Whisky 28 YO, 70cl/46% ABV

A limited-edition blended whisky from John Walker, celebrating the journey that John Walker & Sons has taken over the last 200 years. Inspired by the list of flavours on an original inventory list form John Walker's store, master blender Jim Beveridge has crafted a complex, rich whisky with a medley of tropical flavours imparted by rare stocks from ghost distilleries Pittyvaich, Cambus and Port Ellen. Aromas of exotic fruits, cinnamon, soft smoke, figs, candied ginger, berries and aromatic spices fill the nose and are echoed on the palate.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label King George V Blended Scotch Whisky
Chinese New Year 2021, 70cl / 43% ABV

A limited-edition King George V blended malt from the John Walker & Sons Collection that celebrates Chinese New Year 2021. It is a rare combination of exquisite whiskies, originally crafted to celebrate the first Royal Warrant granted to Johnnie Walker to supply Scotch whisky to the British Royal Household. Drawn from extremely precious, rare casks, every bottle of John Walker & Sons King George V contains irreplaceable whiskies from the now silent distillery of Port Ellen. It is an elegantly rich and creamy whisky that has precious rarity reflected in every drop.The whiskies used are from distilleries that were in operation during the 25-year reign of King George, which ran from 1910 to 1936. The blend was originally created to celebrate the company receiving a Royal Warrant from the king in 1934, allowing them to supply their whisky to the British royals of the time.

For their new limited edition release of King George V, Johnnie Walker is presenting a new bottle design and gift box that offers a modern spin on the designs and colours found in traditional Chinese fashion. The wonderful illustrations on the new John Walker & Sons King George V limited edition is a fitting tribute to this exquisite whisky. The noble dragon of Chinese mythology soaring high above an incredible vista, nods aptly to this whisky’s royal heritage. It is a delightful addition to their Chinese New Year offering.

 

PAUL JOHN'S MITHUNA 3RD BEST WHISKY OF THE YEAR : JIM MURRAY 2021

WORLD'S LEADING WHISKY GUIDE JIM MURRAY'S PICKS

Whisky of the Year

Alberta Distillers, Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye

Whisky of the Year Runner Up

Buffalo Trace, Stagg Jr. Straight Bourbon 13th Edition, 8 YO

Whisky of the Year 2nd Runner Up

Paul John Distillers, Mithuna: Mithuna is produced by Paul John Distillers, a Goa based Indian company. It’s scheduled to be released in western markets in November 2020. Murray likens drinking the whisky to making love, noting that the whisky offers “extraordinary intensity, complexity and beauty,” with notes of “chocolate, molasses, dates, ultra-delicate spices, all slightly leavened by passion fruit.”                                                              

The end of the experience is like after you have just made love and you are unable to speak or move while your senses get back into some kind of normality. … This is a whisky to devour… while it devours you.

SCOTCH SINGLE MALT

Scotch Whisky of the Year:          Glen Grant, 15 YO Batch Strength 1st Edition

Scotch Vatted Malt of the Year:    Compass Box, The Spice Tree

Scotch No Age Statement (NAS): Glen Grant, Rothes Chronicles Cask Haven

Scotch 10 Years and Under Multiple Cask: Octomore Edition 10.3, 6 YO, Islay Barley (Category Winner)

Scotch 11-15 Years Single Cask:  Caol Ila, 15 YO, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice

BLENDED AND GRAIN SCOTCH

Blended Scotch No Age Statement (Standard Pricing):   White Horse

Blended Scotch, No Age Statement, (Premium Pricing): Johnnie Walker, Blue Label Ghost and Rare Glenury Royal

Blended Scotch 5-12 YO:               Johnnie Walker, Black Label 12 YO

Blended Scotch 13-18 YO:             Ballantine’s 17 Y0

Blended Scotch 19-25 YO :            Dewar’s Signature, 25 YO

Scotch Grain Whisky of the Year :  The Perfect Fifth, Cambus 1979

 

THE WHISKY EXCHANGE WHISKY OF THE YEAR

Port Charlotte 10 YO Islay SMSW Distillery Bottling 70cl / 50%

Port Charlotte's long-awaited 10 year old, rich and smoky whisky made by the independently minded folks at Bruichladdich distillery on Islay. PC, as it's known to its friends, is heavily peated to 40ppm, putting it up with Islay's other heavy hitters. The resulting whisky is big and peaty with a maritime tang – the Bruichladdich team would claim that it's because their warehouses are so close to the sea, we're still undecided. In the end, the most important thing is the taste: it's rather good.

This Port Charlotte 10 year old has been conceived, distilled, matured and bottled on Islay alone, by a young team with deep-rooted values, and an ambition to make the ultimate “Islay” Islay whisky. A whisky made by people not software; a whisky watched over every day of its maturing life by those who made it; a whisky born of a community with a vision and a mission to kick start a single malt whisky revolution, this Port Charlotte 10 year old is who these people are, who believe an “Islay” whisky should live and breathe the fresh salt tang of Islay air all its life. This is not a spirit distilled on the island and immediately shipped off to the mainland to mature in some undisclosed warehouse.

Nose – The smoke is calmed by the marine, ozone character,time has brought a balance, a harmony in the combination of oak, smoke and spirit. While the smoke is always discernible on the nose it is dry, earthy, peatash in its style and so allows the oak to come forward with waves of golden caramel, fudge, vanilla custard, hints of ginger, nutmeg and clove. There is citrus fruit, coaxed from the glass with a drop of water, gentle lemon meringue and clementine. Breathe deeply and the floral aromas of wild thyme, heather and sea pink bring you to this Atlantic coast. 

Palate – On the palate there is a noticeable delicacy and softness in texture and style. Again, the balance of flavour is superb as the smoke wraps loosely around the sweetness drawn from deep within the oak. Coconut, vanilla custard, lemon honey combines with smoked oysters and sun baked salty sand.

Finish – The finish is sublime, smoky sure, but also the soft sweetness of fudge and malted barley, orange, mango and Banoffee pie hinting of the depth and quality of the oak. The many layers interchange on each sip. As the smoke comes and goes so too the notes of the spirit, ripe apple and apricot, beautifully intertwined with malt and oak sweetness and that typical Port Charlotte style dry smoke. 

Character – Ageing for 10 years on the shores of Loch Indaal has had a profound effect on this spirit. Like sunshine on a winters day, this Port Charlotte 10 brings clarity and lightens the mood, welcoming and brightening the future.