SIX NEW WHISKIES RELEASED ON WORLD WHISKY DAY 2022
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World Whisky Day was
founded in 2012 by one Blair Bowman while studying at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland and falls on the third Saturday of May each year
Whether you’re a novice whisky drinker or a seasoned
professional passionate about infusing just the right flavours into your brew,
you can enjoy World Whisky Day on the third Saturday in May, or May 20, this
year. The fact is, whisky is a historical classic that’s been distilled with
care for over 500 years. The beverage of kings and peasants alike for generations,
whisky is easily poured between friends and can be the catalyst to make some
great memories. If you’re a whisky lover, today is the perfect excuse to
celebrate with a top-shelf glass and some pals!
HISTORY OF WORLD WHISKY DAY
The ‘water of life’ has had a storied past. The first
evidence of distillation — the essential process for creating whisky — dates
back to Mesopotamia around 2000 B.C. It wasn’t until 100 A.D. that Alexander of
Aphrodisias created the first recorded instance of distillation — he distilled
seawater to make it into pure drinking water! Distillation techniques for
whisky wouldn’t come around until around 1100, at the earliest, when monks
travelling into Scotland fermented grain mash and created the first instance of
the beverage.
However, the first year in which whisky was officially
mentioned as a distilled product was 1405. It’s written in a family’s
history that someone in their clan died after drinking too much at Christmas.
Over the next hundred years, whisky distillation became widespread in Scotland.
Later, when King Henry VIII of England disbanded monasteries, many monks made
their living by selling the whisky they distilled to the general public. Soon,
whisky was available to all!
From as early as the 1600s, Scottish immigrants to the
new American colonies brought distillation practices with them, and whisky was
available quite early in North America. Around the same time, the first whisky
distillery in Ireland was officially licensed, in 1608. Whisky made another
notable appearance in the 1770s and 1780s, during the American Revolution, when
it was so valuable that many distilleries actually used it as a currency.
England was desperately short of finances to continue its struggles with France and America. The liquor market was its cash cow. Between
1786 and 1803, a span of 17 years, the duties on stills had increased by a
factor of more than 77 times. And the energy-sapping and money-draining Napoleanic
Wars (1803–1815) were yet to come!
Across the pond, to help fund the Revolutionary War debt, the newly-formed American government imposed a whisky tax on the import and export of the product. This led to unrest between the government and the whisky farmers, eventually resulting in the Whisky Rebellion between 1791 and 1794. Though George Washington sent national forces to quell the Rebellion, the whisky tax remained a contentious issue until Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, when it was repealed.
Throughout the 19th century, there were many inventions
and industrialisation practices for whisky. For example, the ‘continuous still’
and the ‘Coffey still’ modernised the distillation process and allowed for much
more cheap and efficient production of whisky. The beverage made it through the infamous American Prohibition thanks to a loophole — it was allowed as a medicinal
product and was still sold in drugstores! Walgreens profited greatly off of
being able to sell the spirit. Bourbon became incredibly popular around 1964
and, even today, whisky is a historic and well-loved alcohol around the world.
Participants are encouraged to drink whisky on the day
at events which may be officially registered on the World Whisky Day website.
Others participate via social media using the #worldwhiskyday hashtag. The
organisers estimate that approximately 250,000 people participated in
registered events during the 2014 World Whisky Day while, in 2015, World Whisky
Day events were registered on all seven continents. Tax on alcoholic beverages remains on top of the list of money-spinners for most governments, including the UK. As always, a caveat is included; drink moderately if you must and do not drink and drive.
The day was recognised by Members of the Scottish Parliament in a motion in May 2014 and repeated in 2015. The day publicly supports the charitable organisation Just a Drop, which brings sustainable safe water, sanitation and hygiene projects to communities, transforming lives.
In 2022, World Whisky Day fell on Saturday 21 May. Five
super Scotch whiskies were released that day, as well as one Indian beauty.
1. Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment
William Grant & Sons unveiled the fifth
expression in Scotch whisky brand Glenfiddich’s ‘Experimental’ series:
Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment in that week. This bottling is at 43% ABV and is
a pioneering single malt Scotch whisky. It is the first in its history to be
finished in Somerset Pomona Spirit casks, born out of craft, tradition, and
desire for experimentation. The link takes you there.
Discover where the sweetness of Somerset's apple
orchards meets Scotland's wild and rugged landscape. This innovative 70cl
single malt celebrates and elevates the Glenfiddich sweet and fruity signature
style by bringing together two iconic families. Glenfiddich Orchard combines
Temperley's apple cider brandy and Grant's Scotch whisky to create this
exquisite blend. Hand-selected Glenfiddich whiskies are finished in casks from
the Somerset Cider Brandy Company, previously holding sweet Somerset Pomona,
for approximately four months to create this incredible fruity and sweet
whisky.
Together, they create a Scottish whisky bathed in the
sweet warmth of an English summer's day. This truly unique Glenfiddich
expression is a tale of two Maverick families, sure to delight whisky and cider
enthusiasts alike. It is available as a 70cl bottle in an exclusive gifting
tube for an exquisite year-round gifting experience.
While it may appear like yet another instalment in the Highland whisky maker's Experimental Series - which frankly, is there really any whisky maker that doesn't have something of the sort (along with some Art series of some kind) - this is actually a real step outside of what has existed in Scotch-verse. The use of a fruit liqueur cask is something that was only permissible under the revised Scotch labelling rules that (belatedly) changed in 2019, which was in part due to a leaked expose of Diageo's push for Scotch makers to be allowed to use a wider range of casks. Somerset Pomona actually falls under the new rules which specifically allow fruit-based spirits which are made having added fruit after fermentation or after distillation (specifically, this one).
This comes off the back of Scotch makers acknowledging the need to be more competitive as their Irish, Japanese and Australian peers, amongst others, have taken advantage of the restrictive Scotch rules that only allow mainly the Big 4 casks - Bourbon, Sherry, Rum and Wine (not exhaustive, but primarily these) - to get ahead of Scotch by marketing interesting and innovative use of different casks.
Official Tasting Notes
Nose: Glenfiddich notes of fresh pears and ripe orchard fruits, elevated and accentuated by finishing in Somerset Pomona Spirit casks.
Palate: An initial burst of ripe orchard fruits on the palate softens and develops into sweet creamy toffee, caramelised apple, and woody spice.
Finish: Long, lasting sweetness.
2. Loch Lomond 46 YO Single Malt Whisky
Loch Lomond Distillery can trace its roots back to the
Littlemill distillery, which was established in 1772 and is the oldest licensed
distillery in the world. Its current malt and grain distilleries, in
Alexandria, Dunbartonshire, close to the banks of Loch Lomond, were
commissioned in 1964 with the first distillation in 1966.
The Remarkable Stills Series from Loch Lomond is a
series of whiskies that use its signature unique stills. Each one tells a
slightly different story and creates a unique flavour in the whisky. The
Remarkable Stills Series 46 Years Old, is the second in the series of three.
It’s the oldest in the series too, but that’s because it’s the latest. Loch
Lomond has planned for three entries in the Remarkable Stills Series, so we’re
just waiting on the third. Each release of the Remarkable Stills series
comprises 200 bottles, making them extremely limited. The distillery says the
whisky was made as a homage to the distiller’s straight-neck stills and was
first distilled in 1974.
This particular dram launched in early 2022, with only
200 bottles on the market. The last one was sold at Christmas. The cost of
these bottles was £4,500. For what this dram is, it’s probably worth
it as an investment. What we’ve seen happen here is a rare whisky slowly selling
out over the course of many months. That’s how it should be because not
everyone can afford it. We expect that most of the owners had a tasting first,
giving them a chance to appreciate the dram without sacrificing their bottle.
It means that every bottle is likely in a sealed collectable condition.
The only place to buy this whisky is directly from Loch
Lomond Distillery. However, if you’re reading this long after the fact, your
best bet will be the second-hand market. The two locations recommended are
Whisky Base and Wine-Searcher. Whisky Base is a community of whisky lovers
where collectors share links to buy bottles, but also their own. Wine-Searcher
scours the web for retailers and auctions of your chosen bottle. So you should
be able to find it somewhere there.
An Investment? There aren’t many reasons not to invest
in this whisky. Not only were there only 200 bottles produced, but you can also now say
that you own one. Sure, the distillery will earmark number 1 and keep the first
five or so back for itself. That’s where you can capitalise on this particular
dram. In addition, think of how much this series will be worth with all three
bottles together. All you need to do is pick up one of the first and third releases,
and you’re sitting on a gold mine. After all, it’s not a random, though well-aged,
release, it’s a part of a historical trio.
Bottled at 45.3% ABV, The whisky was matured in
American oak casks for 44 years before being transferred to first-fill oloroso
and Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks for two years.
Tasting Notes
Appearance: Natural gold plus.
Nose: Toffee and caramelised sugar with floral notes of
rose, peach, mango and vanilla syrup.
Palate: Opens with juicy ripe pear, fresh orange peel
and sweet melted brown sugar. There is cinnamon and clove spice before dried
fruits of raisins and sultanas.
Finish: Long with green fruit, gooseberry and lime, toffee sweetness and warming cinnamon and nutmeg spice.
3. The Glenallachie 10 YO French Virgin Oak
Glenallachie released Batch One of 12 YO bottlings in its Virgin Oak series in 2021. These were the Spanish, French and Chinquapin Virgin Oak expressions released as coming-of-age bottlings to add to their core range and three special expressions In celebration of Master Distiller Billy Walker’s half-century-long career in the whisky industry, The Past, Present and Future Series, including two 16 YOs and a peated 4YO, their first ever peated expression. These proved to be highly popular and prompted the makers to release another batch of their Virgin Oak Series, Batch 2, which comprised two 10 YO and one 15 YO edition. Their sixth, released on WWD, was the 10 YO French Virgin Oak bottling. This golden bronze malt was first matured in American oak ex-Bourbon barrels before undergoing additional maturation in hogsheads made of French oak (Quercus Robur), sourced from the Haute-Garonne region, for approximately 18 months. The fine-grained wood was air-dried for 15 months before hosting the GlenAllachie spirit.
The secondary maturation period has added silky tannins,
sweet spices and fruit notes to this delectable, earthy single malt. Bottled at
48%, natural colour and non-chill-filtered.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Golden Bronze.
Nose: Waves of orange peel, heather honey and soft spice,
followed by caramel, orchard fruits and mocha.
Palate: Layers of heather honey, mocha and brittle toffee,
with grapefruit, cinnamon, earthy tannins and notes of ginger on the finish.
The First Batch
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The Second Batch
The Glenallachie 15YO Scottish Virgin Oak
From Batch 2 of the Virgin Oak Series, this single malt underwent additional maturation in casks made of Scottish Sessile Oak (Quercus Petraea), sourced from the Atlantic coast. Scottish oak is incredibly challenging to work with at all stages of production; growing, milling and coopering. Its rarity, costliness and tendency to knot mean it is scarcely used for whisky maturation.
Before being filled, the wood was air-dried for 36 months,
then toasted and charred to a medium level. Using just a handful of casks, the
resulting spirit delivers a truly exceptional drinking experience, oozing with
vanilla and butterscotch, perfectly balanced with rich notes of cinnamon,
ginger and cloves. Bottled at 48%, natural colour and non-chill filtered.
Tasting Notes
Appearance: Golden Sunset.
Nose: Bursting with honeycomb, vanilla pods and citrus
fruits, with butterscotch, orange zest and white chocolate.
Palate: Lashings of heather honey, caramelised pine nuts,
cinnamon and toffee, followed by orange peel, lemon zest, banana and ginger.
Finish: A little crushed raspberry and red apple peel; medium
in length, with some coffee grounds and a little fruity funk.
The Glenallachie 10 YO Chinquapin Virgin Oak
From Batch 2 of the Virgin Oak Series, this exceptional malt
was first matured in American oak ex-Bourbon barrels before undergoing
additional maturation in casks made of Chinquapin Oak (Quercus Muehlenbergii) sourced
from the Northern Ozark region in Missouri for approximately 18 months. The
casks were air-dried for almost four years, then toasted to medium level before
hosting the spirit. The result is a complex, zesty malt bursting with runny
honey, sweet cinnamon and orange peel. Bottled at 48%, natural colour and non-chill-filtered.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Rich Bronze.
Nose: Bursting with orange zest, heather honey and pecan,
with notes of butterscotch, nutmeg and liquorice.
Palate: Lashings of cinnamon, barley sugar and toasted
biscuits, followed by rose hips, orange peel and heather honey.
Finish: Medium length and fairly simple.
4. Fettercairn Warehouse 2 Batch No 003
The third release in The Collection, Warehouse 2 Batch No.003 is a seven-year-old that has been crafted using a handpicked selection of Ex-Bourbon Barrels, Rum Barrels and French Red Wine Barriques; filled with the spirit that flowed from the Fettercairn stills in 2015 and has since been maturing in Fettercairn Warehouse 2, and bottled in 2022.
The village and distillery of Fettercairn are near the glen of the North Esk, a river that flows into the sea not far from the town of Montrose. Fettercairn is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, reputed to have been founded in 1824. It was rebuilt several times around the turn of the century, and extended in 1966.
Fettercairn has a traditional distillery set-up with an
open-topped mash tun (producing cloudy wort), wooden washbacks and small
stills. There are even soap grinders on the sides of the wash stills. These
would have been used to add non-perfumed soap as a surfactant to stop the
stills from boiling over.
Everything points to a firm, quite heavy, nutty style.
This was accentuated between 1995 and 2009 when the condensers were made of
stainless steel. This added a slightly burnt, pot ale character to the new
make. However, a quirky cooling ring attached to the top of the swan neck,
which sprays cold water down the sides of the still, aids reflux and helps the
spirit lean toward a lighter style.
The single malt is aged mostly in first-fill American
oak – some new wood is also in the mix. Three cask types feature in this new
batch - ex-bourbon and ex-rum barrels, plus ex-red wine barriques from France.
These have been used in the percentages of 57%, 16% and 27%. Pay no attention
to the youthful vintage or the cask makeup of this series; this is a great
Fettercairn. Despite its youth, it’s every bit as good as older ones by the
roadside!
Appearance: Golden yellow in colour.
Nose: Tropical. Lovely, sweet, tropical fruits. Green
bananas, sweet grapefruits and melon with pineapple cubes. Powdered icing sugar
and candy canes. A little warming spice, peppercorns and vanilla fudge. Water
brings a sense of white chocolate too. Time highlights a nice, sweet acidity,
like mildly pickled ginger. There’s something green flickering in there too,
it’s a little elusive but it is fresh. Basil?
Palate: Juicy and ripe. Spices join the tropical fruit
bowl, like a black pepper and powdered ginger garnish that adds a light fizz to
things. Some creamy coconut and vanilla swirl with melted Milkybars. No rum or
a wine influence, nothing obvious, just gently spiced, sweet fruit. Nothing to
betray its single-digit age statement.
Finish: The finish is good and those spices from the
late palate help to draw it out further. A hint of burnt orange peel appears
alongside the sweet and fruity notes. These slowly fade to reveal the peppery
heat, which is the only real suggestion of the whisky's youthfulness.
Overall: This cask make-up is ex-bourbon, rum and red
wine barriques, but it’s so well put together that you quickly care not a jot
about the details they share on the box. While it takes a drop of water quite
well, as it is, everything is just so. It’s just a great scotch whisky. A
perfect mix of bright, tropical fruit and gentle spice. Another signal that
Fettercairn is here and placing a bid as a serious player in the high-quality
malt stakes.
5. The Glengoyne Legacy Series: Chapter Three
A small farm-style distillery located under Dumgoyne,
the most westerly extrusion of the Campsie Fells, Glengoyne has long punched
well above its weight. Glasgow-based blender Lang Bros changed the distillery’s
original name, Burnfoot, to Glen Guin in 1876, which was anglicised to
Glengoyne in 1905.
It runs a combination of long and very long
fermentations, while distillation in its three stills (one wash, two spirit) is
extremely slow. All of the stills have boil bulbs, which increases the amount
of copper availability, while the gentle heating of the wash and spirit also
helps to maximise the amount of time the alcohol vapour can play with the
copper. This maximising of reflux produces a gentle, sweet, and fruity new
make.
Single malt bottlings began in the early 1990s when
Glengoyne was sold as 'the unpeated malt', while much was also made of the fact
that, geographically, the distillery is in the Highlands while its warehouses,
directly across the road, are in the Lowlands.
Edrington considered it surplus to its requirements in
2003, selling it to Ian MacLeod for £7.2m. Its new owner has subsequently (and
successfully) focussed on developing the brand as a single malt and the
distillery as a multifunctional tourist destination.
There is however sufficient weight in the spirit to be
able to balance with maturation in ex-Sherry butts – a signature of Edrington’s
distilleries – which has been retained by Ian MacLeod.
This 3rd Legacy Series release celebrates Arthur John
Tedder, the Glengoyne exciseman who helped define whisky as we know it today,
embodying their pursuit of Unhurried Perfection.
The Exciseman stationed at Glengoyne helped in defining
the rules of Scotch whisky, inspired by ‘his’ distillery. On March 2nd 1908 –
He was the first witness at the Royal Commission on Whisky and other potable
spirits. A Royal Commission to determine the very concept of what whisky was. On
one side were the purists who only thought Pot Still whisky was whisky; on the other side, Blenders thought grain and malt whisky combined was whisky.
The Scots and the blenders won the day in 2009, after
37 sittings; This was seen as the sensible outcome. Blends could still be
called Whisky and called Scotch if distilled in Scotland. Glengoyne uses this
exceptional whisky to celebrate Tedder’s influence in the 2009 decision, determining
what should make a great Scotch during his time stationed at Glengoyne, the
rules to which they still distil to this day.
Tedder would be proud of this exceptional whisky –
bottled using some of the very finest American oak sherry casks in our
Glengoyne warehouses – and he is thanked for his attention to detail and his exacting
standards that not only created rules the whole industry follows today, but also
inspired the people of Glengoyne to constantly pursue perfection, and helping
to create the Unhurried Glengoyne Way.
Fruity, complex flavours from the slowest stills in
Scotland matured in the finest casks, unhurried since 1833.
Tasting Notes
Region: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Bottling Date: March 2022
Wood Type: Hand selected Refill sherry and bourbon casks
Chill filtration: No
Alcohol: 48% ABV
Appearance: Natural Deep Gold
Nose: On the nose, signature Glengoyne deep sherry
notes accompany distinctive cinnamon sticks and vanilla aromas. A very pleasing combination of mixed berry
jam and apple strudel intertwine revealing some pear.
Palate: On the palate, a rich luxurious body that’s
satisfyingly chewy with warm boozy raisins combining with spiced buns slowly
giving way to tarte tatin and smooth cream sherry. Very fruity with rosehip and
tropical flavours.
Finish: The finish is light and fruity, with coconut which
deepens the hints of pineapple, dried fruits, dark chocolate and lingering
spice finish, the hallmark aromatic ‘legacy’ of this wonderful dram.
Overall: the Glengoyne Chapter Three combines freshness, sweetness and a subtle spiciness. It delivers a balance between each
of these components and should be a very pleasant sipping whisky on an evening
with friends.
6. The Indri Single Malt
In 1953, Kedar Nath and Sons started a company in Doraha, then in undivided Punjab and soon owned all the liquor distribution contracts in the state. After Punjab was partitioned, the company focussed its operations in the north of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and in 1994, purchased a sugar mill and distillery in Haryana to proudly enter the alcohol manufacturing business.
Learning from the forefathers of Malt, the master
blender maintains the authenticity of the original recipes and processes of
making Single Malt. However, their passion for the process does not stop there. Indri
believes that the process of making Single Malt is one of recognising new
nuances and layers in every step. And with that, they transcend processing with
new permutations leading to refreshingly exquisite flavours of Single Malt each
time. These little observations make headway for endless discoveries in the way
our different Single Malt expressions come to be. An ever-giving process
deliberated to experiment for an infinite number of unique expressions to come!
Indri single malt is distilled in Indri, Haryana, near
the Himalayan foothills, near the Yamuna basin. This remarkable single malt is
made from indigenous six-row barley grown for hundreds of years in Rajasthan.
Matured with care since 2010, Indri–Trini is also the first Indian whisky to be
produced in three different wooden barrels: in ex-bourbon, ex-wine, and PX
sherry casks. The Sanskrit word Indriya or Indris also refers to the senses.
From its pleasant, golden, amber colour, to the nutty depth of flavour from
burnt pineapple, citrus, and raisins, Indri will tantalize your senses.
Piccadily is the largest independent manufacturer and
seller of malt spirits in India. Their distillery has six Scottish-style copper
pot stills–three are wash stills (25,000 litres) and three are spirit stills
(15,000 litres). Together they produce 12,000 litres of malt spirit daily and
four million litres annually.
The height of the wash stills is 9.7 metres and the spirit stills 5.7 metres. The wash stills resemble a lamp while the spirit stills have an onion head in the cone area to increase reflux, resulting in a light, floral and fruity spirit.
Their American-imported oak barrels are assembled,
cared for, toasted, charred and repaired by expert in-house coopers.
Piccadily embraces a 70/30 philosophy: 70% of the flavour
of their spirits comes from high-quality and attentive labour in the warehouse,
which begins with choosing the best barley for our product, while 30% comes from
a je ne sais quoi quality, the indescribable mix of the elements and a whole
lot of love.
The master blender nosed samples in tulip-shaped
glasses and then carefully selected ex-bourbon first fill, virgin oak, ex-wine
and ex-sherry casks from a wide palate. Different malts, both peated and non-peated, were considered in combination and left to proverbially marry in casks.
Once their union was clearly smooth and natural, the process of bottling began,
the final step in the process of making one of the best single malt blends in
India.
The trinity that creates a treat for the senses: The
magic of the marriage of three different wood casks comes to its splendour when
our malts are matured in ex-bourbon, ex-wine and ex-sherry casks. It
embellishes our malt with the finest shade of Amber, a whiff of caramelized
pineapple, vanilla, hints of black tea, raisins & citrus and subtle
nuttiness. The smoothness and flavour linger long after the glass has been put
aside.
Tasting notes
Non-chill-filtered, no added colour
Appearance: Amber; golden sunset.
Palate: Elegant richness, smooth and warm on the sides
of the mouth. Gentle spice and wood characters come through, followed by nutty
flavours and hints of burnt pineapple, citrus and raisins.
Finish: A subtle and balanced finish, each flavour
compliments one another without dominating. A smooth and long after-taste with
sweet fruity flavours coming up from the warmth of the throat, lingering long
after.
Overall: The whisky is vibrant with so many shades and hues; the multiple maturation showcases very well and gives layers of oomph. There’s a good fusion of spice and sweetness, the latter almost cupping you instantly; representing good complexity and depth. This is surely a whisky that stands above most, but could have transcended higher. Possibly a bit rough around the edges, a bit more subtleness, some added time with the casks would have gifted it greatness!
