Mackmyra 1st Edition – Dreams do come true it can happen to you, she said…

SHE SAID: I am inspired to do “more” as a result of our latest tasting! As you get ready to read my post I want you to take a few moments, find a quiet place and think back to what you were doing in the year 2000.  Where were you in your life - dreams, expectations and desires for the future? Me: Married, two kids, had a good job and was happy with my path. What I did not know:  I was standing on the edge of a devastating downfall. Soon, my child would suffer a life threatening illness then marriage breakdown that leads to divorce and the final kick to the teeth: a forced 180 degree career change. It seemed that within two years my life was turned upside down and spit out the other end of a long confusing and scary tunnel.  Like others I could have shut down, panicked or freaked out but I didn’t. I am a survivor, realist, a “do-er” and extremely stubborn so very little stops me when I set my mind to something. We navigated through the daughter’s illness, I survived the divorce and embraced the career change. In hindsight, the worst two years of my life saved me. After a self reflective period I met the person I am still with today (my current partner in life and the other half of this blog), Graham. His dad introduced me to scotch (THANK YOU so much George) and my new career took off. I gladly began the second chapter of my fantastic life.

For the next 7 years I was a Scotch Whisky Single Malt kinda girl until I was introduced to John Hall and Forty Creek whisky in 2010. I became an advocate for Canadian whisky after that (I have owned just about every release he has so far). From there on, I promised myself that I would taste ALL whiskies and I stuck to that. In the last six months alone I have sought out and purchased: Kilkerran, Kilchoman, Penderyn, more Compass Boxes and now Mackmyra. Ok what does all this have to do with whisky or Mackmyra??? I’m getting there, really…

So what do they all have in common with what we were doing in 2000? These 6 whisky entities were either a dream, a concept, or a goal for: A Canadian wine maker, a Scottish 19^th century distiller’s great-great nephew, two Islay business partners, a group of Welsh friends, an American innovator and eight Swedish skiing buddies! Now fast forward to 2012. Twelve years later we have the #1 rated Canadian Whisky on the market, a new Campbeltown whisky (smallest region), an Islay distillery that does everything on site (ground to bottle), the only Welsh whisky, a groundbreaking (and SWA nightmare) artisan whisky maker and a Swedish whisky distillery making its mark fairly quickly on the international whisky map.

Still at the turn of the century

For hundreds of years whisky has been made the same. In general, people think “whisky” is synonymous with Scotch. Well, not anymore and not if I can help it. More and more people are realizing that whisky can be great even though it’s not 25 years old OR if it comes from a country other than Scotland. The whiskies I just mentioned vary from $25 - $75. Yes, it’s very nice to have a bottle of Glenrothes 30 in my collection. Would I offer it to anyone? Sorry to say… no. HOWEVER, take any of these six whiskies and I would. I do. They are some of the first drams I pour when a friend comes through the door. I offer them because they are young, they are delicious and they are different. Everything I try to demistify about GOOD whisky. What more could you want in a whisky? My “expensive” whisky has its place in my collection too and I’m not saying these new, innovative or reasonably priced whiskies are better or worse for that matter. What I’m saying is: The people who created these lovely spirits made a choice to reach a goal and have worked the past 12 years (so far) to achieve it, even through recessions and economic downturns, etc. Isn’t it our responsibility as consumers to give them a chance? They went out on a limb, invested tireless hours, money and broke through many a brick wall to live their dream from start to finish so that I, you, WE could sit – nose – taste and then in my case write about the experience.

Welcome to Canada?!

When I sat down and nosed my Mackmyra, I had just finished tweeting with the Master Blender – Angela D’orazio and was welcoming her to Toronto Canada (actually apologizing for the delays she might encounter at Customs!) and I thought to myself, how cool is that? Here I am tweeting the Master Blender, one of the people who made Mackmyra possible while she is in Sweden packing to come to Canada and I’m about to nose/sample that whisky thanks to a very kind fellow blogger (jf pilon – www.whiskyplus.ca GROS MERCI!). 

 What a journey for all of us from 2000 to the here and now! Never in a million years would I have considered in 2000 that twelve years down the road I’d be sitting at a laptop, writing a blog, sipping whisky and becoming a part of the fabric that is the “whisky world”. The ideas for what I can do next are exciting indeed.  I get how these people must have felt deciding to plunge in head first with what may have seemed like a crazy idea and go for their goal. 

Davin enjoying a dram

Later on that night I was in the tub and reading my latest whisky book -  Canadian Whisky:  The portable expert by Davin de Kergommeaux and it hit me yet again.  He spent 7 years writing his book and many more before that collecting information and thinking about it.  I realized as I wrote this blog, he too has spent most of this decade working toward his dream.  His long term goal realized and now he sits in Ottawa, signing books for fans like me!  What an exciting time to be alive in the whisky community!  How can I not be inspired?

So my hat is off to those of you who had a clear vision in 2000. Here’s to patience, talent and being stubborn enough to hang in, work hard and create something magical for those of us obsessed about it. I thank you for your whisky, your commitment and most of all your passion from the bottom of my empty whisky glass!  

Mackmyra 1^st Edition. Wow! What a dram. Hits you hard on the nose with so many things coming at you that it forces you to slow down and decipher what you are smelling. It took me almost 30 minutes before I even considered adding water and even then I hesitated because I was scared I was going to miss something. I LOVED this great little dram. Summery, light, delightful nose and unbelievably “old” for such a young whisky? Easily comparable to an Auchentoshan 12. I firmly believe this will be a hit with most ladies. Not that men won’t enjoy it, I think some may feel it’s a bit too light in nature. I love that it’s bottled at 46.1% AVB and that seems to be a running choice for me these days young whiskies bottled at a higher AVB.  My opinion is that it gives them some bite and makes them stand out a bit. I recently had the Glenrothes Alba Reserve (40%), good but I’d pick the Mackmyra over that one hands down for nose/flavour. I HIGHLY recommend getting a bottle of the Mackmyra 1st edition for your collection if you can.  

This retails here in Canada - Ontario (LCBO) for $66.95 (limited supply), also available at Kensington Wine Market in Calgary for $66.49.  

Mackmyra 1st Edition, 46.1%AVB, Non-chillfiltered, no additives.  

Color:  Pale golden yellow.  Legs are plentiful and very viscous.  I have never seen a whisky stick to a glass like this one.

Nose:  My first olfactory experience:  Over ripe bananas or banana bread'ish.  It then moved to a root beer float (creamy).  Very floral with a hint of citrus. Light and not at all malty in nature.  Water opened it up and softened it to reveal light honey and lots of vanilla.

Palate:  Not as sweet as the nose, a bit spirited.  Beautiful mouthwatering effect.  Very crisp and clean.  A bit of tart citrus like white grapefruit.

Finish:  Medium, doesn't stick around and linger at all.  A bit of heat, but again clean like after you ate some mint or parsley.  

Empty glass:  Caramel and pipe tobacco (very strong and recognizable, I was surprised by it)

  

Looking forward to the next bend in the whisky trail ahead, hope you join me :)

Johanne

Forty reasons to win a great bottle of Forty Creek Barrel Select

CONTEST CLOSED - WINNERS ANNOUNCED!   Thanks all.  :)


With father's day right around the corner, we thought we would try to entice people to win a nice bottle of Forty Creek Barrel Select. Canada's #1 rated whisky.

What do you have to do?  Simple:  Give us one reason you would love to have this bottle in your collection.  

Just leave a comment on this post or send us an email.

On June 4th we will put all the entries in a nice hat and pick the winner at random.  

Shipping/handling will be paid for for any Canadian entrant.  If a "non-canadian" entry wins, we will still pay for shipping and handling HOWEVER depending on the rules/regulation of your country, winner may have to pay duties/import taxes etc...

Enter as often as you like and as a friend of mine often posts on twitter:  "May the dram be with you!".

Thanks,

Graham/Johanne

the perfect whisky match

Kilkerran "Work in Progress 2" and the Great "Terroir" Debate! He Says...

He Says…I have been excited about this whisky for a while now! Oddly enough, the anticipation made it harder and harder to crack the bottle, which is fairly strange for me…just ask any box of chocolates! So why the excitement? Funny enough, when I saw the bottle I knew very little about Kilkerran “I think it’s a Campbeltown?” was about all I managed to say when Johanne asked. Then I read Glengyle and it all started to come together, an article here, blog post there…the bits of my fractured and scattered memory slowly coming together (funny I can do that with whisky but not the location of my car keys…). The details really didn’t matter anyway; to paraphrase Jerry McGuire (please forgive me for this…) “You had me at Campbeltown.”

I have a huge soft spot for Campbeltown whiskies. I identify with them on all levels, not the least of which is that I come from a seaside locale that, like Campbeltown, was once a boom town, in our case with a thriving shipping and ship building industry that rivaled Boston and New York only to fall on hard times and now going through a slow, progressive renaissance. I like an underdog! Add on top of that the essence of sea air and slight industrial harshness that seems to be encapsulated in their whisky and I’m smitten. Despite the underdog appeal, it is the second point I’m enthralled with…the sea in a bottle.

I think it really all boils down to a hotly disputed and debated topic…Terroir (“Dun, dun, dahhh!” Might as well add the music if we are sticking with tacky movie clichés). It’s time to add my own feelings into the fray. Take it for what it is…as I often say to Johanne when I’m looking to “poke the fire,” “We’re all entitled to our opinions…even if they’re wrong!” My personal belief is that terroir can play a huge role in the final nose and flavor of a whisky. The debate over this topic has many great points both for and against. However; you and I may not be thinking of the same thing when we use that word...much like the rest of the world apparently. Research into the topic quickly reveals that the definition of terroir, even in the wine industry from whence it came, is fairly loose and still debated. The main debate centers on limits of the definition. So, what are some people in the wine industry using for a definition of terroir?

Jamie Goode the London-based winewriter, 2007 Glenfiddich Wine Writer of the year recipient and current wine columnist with UK national newspaper The Sunday Express takes a fairly broad approach after much deliberation on his site http://www.wineanorak.com.

“…terroir consists of the site- or region-specific characteristics of a wine.” http://www.wineanorak.com/terroir2.htm

Prior to this definition in his article Goode made a point to exclude the process of winemaking from the definition and prefers to stick with the influences of soil and region.

The folks at Terroir-France, French Wine Guide use the following:

“A "terroir" is a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation, and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and wine making savoir-faire, which contribute to give its specific personality to the wine.” http://www.terroir-france.com/theclub/meaning.htm

I find this definition very interesting because they have included winemaking practices into the definition.

And there you have it folks…on a basic level, this one simple difference forms the cusp of debate concerning terroir. In one camp you have the “purists;” a group that argues terroir is simply influence of the land and environment on the final product and the “others” that would broaden this definition to include plant varieties, the overall “sense of place,” the region and the practices for making the wine.  

The next step is for us to apply this to whisky production. If we stick with the “purist” definition then the only terroir elements that can really affect the flavor of whisky is production water and air influences during maturation (such as salty influences from a seaside distillery).  Even the barley needs to be excluded in most cases unless we are talking about distilleries like Kilchoman and Bruichladdich that either grow their own barley or source locally grown barley from their region. The same needs to be said for peated barley; if the distillery is using local peat to smoke local barley then that can be considered part of the terroir, otherwise the distillery is introducing an element that is outside the local climate and therefore not part of the terroir.

If we move to the more loose description of terroir then we really are simply talking about a system that is already in place and debated in its own right. I’m talking about the lines that have been drawn to identify the various whisky producing regions (Lowland, Highland, Speyside, Islay, and depending on how you lean Campbeltown and Islands). Lets take that second definition for wine terroir and translate it to whisky, shall we:

“A "terroir" is a group of distilleries from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation, and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, water and whisky making process, which contribute to give its specific personality to the whisky.”

Going by this definition we move from the town of specifics to the region generalization. Does the average Islay nose and taste differently then the average speyside, so on and so forth?

Terroir?

Now I know what a lot of you are saying…you’re saying “but that’s not what we mean when we say terroir! We mean; are the local or site-specific elements the determining factors in what allows certain whiskies to have certain nose and flavor profiles (or something like that)? And if the answer is “yes” then how come we can distill a whisky on Islay and then age it in a warehouse somewhere in the “sunny” lowlands and still have a whisky that noses/tastes of the sea?” This is where I suppress the urge to slap people with mental microscopes; you know the proverbial blinders that some people wear? To these people I say: Whisky, like so many people, places and things, is the sum of its parts. We can’t look at one element of the process and wonder why changing it doesn’t completely alter the entire flavor profile when there are so many other elements that are working just as hard. The problem is that there are so many variables that it’s almost impossible to nail them all down to specifics and absolutes.

The other problem is that we have to consider the importance of regional whisky culture in production. Lets face it whisky making is a tradition. Techniques and skills are passed from generation to generation. I know that the skills and techniques of whisky making are now taught in professional schools and universities and we no longer simply rely on word of mouth and on-the-job training to teach the next generation but these are is still a very important elements of the craft. People often forget that when it can be anywhere from 3 to 45 years or more for the spirit to go from the copper to the crystal there is a certain hesitation to change too many things at once. Why? Because we don’t always know how those changes will turn out in the end product (12 years or more down the road).  In my opinion these traditions and methods have to be considered part of the terroir because they influence the profile of the whisky greatly and are as much part of the final product as the water and malted barley.

When I go to a distillery I go to look at a package. Inside that package is all the elements used to make whisky. Sometimes the wrapper starts at the distillery doors, sometimes it starts when you set foot on the island and it wraps around the people places and things that make the water of life what it is. The truth is those that make whisky don’t know all of the secrets that determine why their whisky tastes as it does…and maybe they shouldn’t. You can’t have a product that spends part of its life as “spirit” and celebrates “the Angel’s Share” and not leave a little mystery and chalk some of process up to faith, despite all of our science. Whisky making is an art, a science and a culture, and for many a religion too; the terroir always reflects all of the elements that it takes to get spirit in the bottle…whether you can taste the soil or not.

Tasting Notes:

Kilkerran “Work in Progress 2” 46%abv

Glengyle Distillery – Campbeltown

Nose: Salt and brine. Saltwater taffy. Rubber. There is what I would have to describe as a very industrial nose. It’s robust and upfront but still very appealing. In many ways this dram speaks to the “other side” of whisky…an industrious bold dram as oppose to light, floral or sweet.

Add water and it becomes more fresh with grass and cereal notes. Water knocks the hard edges off.

There is also a very earthy, almost damp cellar appeal.

http://www.jaunted.com/user/JetSetCD

Pallet: Drying, slightly medicinal with a hint of bitter. Iodine. Dulse (for those of you who don’t know what dulse is, it’s a local delicacy comprised entirely of dried seaweed, very salty with bitter iodine. Send me your address, I’ll mail you a bag, its quite lovely!). Slightly viscous mouth-feel. Water sweetens the pallet but there is still a hint of damp earth and mothballs (as horrid as that sounds it is really appealing and very addictive)!

Finish: Fairly short finish with a bitter aftertaste.  

I like this dram. It is a working dram, not necessarily for contemplating after Chirstmas dinner, rather something to take in a flask fishing or park beside you while you do your taxes or write your latest edition to your blog! ;) Now I have to track down the first and third editions…might as well have the set!

The new “old” whisky - Kilkerran Works in Progress 2, she said…

SHE SAID:  Of all the Scotland whisky regions, I will wager from an enthusiast perspective that, this one is the least well known or appreciated.  Why do I think that?  Well, for one thing:  the majority of my whisky friends DO NOT have any of these as part of their collection.  Two:  Forget ordering one of these at a local watering establishment. Three: They don’t seem “popular” or streamline.  Have you guessed which region I’m alluding to yet?

Campbeltown is located at the end of the Kintyre peninsula. Paul McCartney owns a farm near there (could explain the song!?) And the last bit of personal trivia:  My hometown in NB, Campbellton, is also named after the same person: Sir Archibald Campbell - Earl of Argyle, coincidence, I think not?)

Ok, back to being serious: At the height of the whisky boom, this small town was home to 34 distilleries which is why it considered itself the world’s whisky capital but poor product quality and hard economic times saw most of the distilleries closing down by the 1930’s.

When we started our tasting society back in 2010, it was with the purpose that we share our love of whisky with like minded people and ensure our membership get to try whiskies from every nook and cranny of the world.  So, we decided that our first led tasting should appropriately be:  An introduction to the six regions of Scotland (what our society recognizes):  Islands, Islay, Highland, Speyside, Lowland and Campbeltown.  At the time (Dec/10) the only Campbeltown that was locally available was Glen Scotia 1992, MacPhails collection. 

Hardly anyone enjoyed it. It finished dead last in the evening’s ranking (3 votes) and some went as far as to tell us they thought it was an unpopular Canadian single malt (which I won’t name); fairly disappointing to say the least.  Graham’s dad has a Springbank 10 in his personal collection, which he allowed us to sample many years ago. With only three working distilleries remaining and little access to silent distillery stock, getting to try anything from Campbeltown was starting to prove somewhat difficult.  We’d go to whisky events seeking out more bottles from this little region but would come out empty handed.  So that was it.  I had only tasted two small drams from such a region steeped in history.  Future tastings of Campbeltown’s started to look pretty bleak??  And then salvation! 

We discovered a spirits market in a different province and a very nice friend (who travels back and forth for work) who brings home the bottles for us.  We quickly began to make a list of many whiskies we wanted to have and this was the first Campbeltown we decided we would try:  Mitchell’s Glengyle Kilkerran Works in Progress 2.  It arrived in February and sat for the better part of three months (a lifetime for me as I open everything almost immediately!).  It wasn’t until I purchased a second bottle that Graham finally agreed to review it.  I’m not exaggerating when I say that just before he cut the foil on the neck, he asked:  “You’re sure the second bottle is on its way, right?”  I didn’t know very much about Kilkerran so decided to do a bit of research.  Like most of the distilleries of the 19^th century, it is steeped in history and interesting characters, but this one ended up a bit different.  

In 1872, as a result of a massive fight with his brother John (over sheep apparently?!) with whom he co-owned the Springbank distillery, a farmer named William Mitchell began to build his own distillery and called it Glengyle.

  

In 1924 due to hard economic times and the aftermath of WW1, it (like the majority of distilleries in the town) did not survive and was sold for the sum of £300.  All of the stock/equipment was auctioned off in Glascow a year later. Over the years, it changed hands several times with many failed attempts at reopening it as a distillery.  In 2000, the great-great nephew of William Mitchell, Mr. Hedley Wright, purchased the derelict buildings with the intention of refurbishing and starting up a distillery again.  Strangely enough, he heads J&A Mitchell Ltd., owners of the nearby distillery, Springbank.  After four long years of painstakingly rebuilding the distillery from nothing but the shell of the buildings on site, in March of 2004 production resumed. 
  

Glengyle is the first distillery to open in Campbeltown in 125 years.  Not one item of the machinery or original production plant remains.  Their claim to fame could easily be:  Scotland’s newest old distillery (I like that!).  What I found fascinating about the refurbishment was that they incorporated a very unique design.  The process from start to finish can be seen together on one platform.  At one end:  Mash tun, then spirit safe and four wash backs then the stills and condenser at the other end.  Brilliant design!  

According to their website:  www.kilkerran.com, they decided to call their single malt Kilkerran for two reasons:  1. It is quite unusual for a Campbeltown to use “Glen” as that apparently denotes a whisky from the Speyside Region and also, there is already a blended whisky called Glengyle on the market. Therefore they chose to name it after a church in a small village near Campbeltown.  Derived from ‘Cille Chiarain' (Gaelic for - The church of St Ciarán).  St. Ciarán was one of the 12 apostles of Ireland who spent a lot of time in that area in a religious cell further round the coast.  Ironically the cave was much later used by smugglers shipping out illicit whisky from the town.  So far, Glengyle has released Works in Progress 1 is 2009, Works in Progress 2 in 2010 and a Works in Progress 3 in 2011 and they will continue with that type of release until 2016 where their first full release, a 12 years old, is expected.

And so travel back with me to our kitchen table in May of 2012 where in our traditional way of doing our nosing/tastings we have grabbed:  Proper glassware, tasting journals, pens, water and cameras.  We then ensured a quiet and uninterrupted session.  In case you don’t know:  we don’t speak, we don’t share any information with each other and our entire experience is done independently of the other.  Often we are excited and surprised that our nosing/tasting notes are so closely related, sometimes right down to the same terminology.

What did I think of the Kilkerran Works in Progress 2?  Well, having had little to no experience with Campbeltown’s I have to say I really liked it.  I would describe it as a medium to slightly heavy bodied dram and I think bottling it at 46% was a smart move.  It’s got a small dollop of salty as well as peaty but not like the other whiskies from the west side of Scotland.  I probably wouldn’t recommend it to a “typical female profile whisky drinker” as it’s no where near a Lowland or Speyside but could be a great introduction to heavier hitting drams.

All in all, for what we paid for it ($70 or roughly £40), I would rate this quite highly for the age and value.  I quickly compared it to my Talisker 10 which is almost the same price and although it’s not as heavy, it’s just as nice of a dram.  I plan on bringing it to a friend’s house this Friday night and will serve it blind to see what they think.  I look forward to trying other whiskies from this very distinct region and hope you will consider trying a dram if it’s offered or available near you. 

  

Nosing/tasting notes:

Kilkerran Works in Progress 2 (6 year old), bottled at 46%AVB.  Non-chill filtered and no color added, Glengyle Distillery, Campbeltown

  

Color: Golden yellow with a pinch of bronze, very nice hue.  Legs are skinny but plentiful, you can see it’s a bit viscous and somewhat slow.

Nose:  Acetone at first, then pine needles (oily?).  I get almond paste at the front then turns to floral in nature (not perfume just sweet).  With water added, it opened to clean cereal and once it sat for a while a bit salty with a touch of new leather which surprised me.

Palate: Peppery with a bit of peat, oily mouth feel (not at all drying in nature).  A bit of water opened it to vanilla, some cloves working its way to spicier.

Finish:  Slightly bitter after taste, very “earthy” in nature (reminded me of pulling carrots in the garden).  Medium to long clean finish but the salt lingers.

Empty glass: Stale beer?  (Assuming that’s sort of cereal or grassy in nature?)

Somewhere on the Campbeltown whisky trail, still smiling :)

Johanne

Whisky books and references, a must for the whisky journey ahead – She said…

SHE SAID: My mother came to visit for the long Victoria Day weekend (here in Canada) and mentioned that I seemed to have whisky “stuff” everywhere. I do: Kitchen, living room, bedrooms, bathroom, basement, on cell phone, computer and possibly even in my car!? Now, stuff refers to reading material mostly books and magazines but also other tools and handy resources. They are pretty much always at my fingertips no matter where I am. I love twitter, great new reference point for me and it keeps me up to date (to the minute) about what is going on in the whisky world. Is it really necessary that I have my blackberry with me in the tub or at work and that a breaking news story, blog or announcement be at my fingertips? Maybe not all the time but on occasion I have been privy to information that others may not have been, and to a positive end, like a new limited release arriving and getting a bottle or being on twitter just as bloggers are being invited to review a sample of a rare whisky AND being one of the lucky ones to have made the list.

I have never been one to do things “half ass” so it only seemed natural when I really started to get into whiskies that I buy magazines and whisky books, read blogs, reviews, attend whisky events and talk to other whisky lovers to get a sense of what I liked/ disliked in order to become extremely “knowledgeable”. Do I profess to being an expert and knowing everything? Not even the likes of David Broom himself could ever say that with a straight face (no insult intended Mr. Broom, hehe). The whisky world is broad and ever evolving. New distilleries are opening, innovative products coming out, new/old bottlings winning awards and countries adding themselves to the list of whisky producers world wide.

I have a friend who emails me, probably once a week to ask my opinion on a whisky she is considering for her collection. I know her well enough that she doesn’t like Islays or Bourbons but she does LOVE sherry influence. She has just begun her whisky journey so it’s a great experience to walk her through some of the references I use on a regular basis. I truly believe and preach the importance (people just starting as well as those who have been at this for a while) of not being stale! Constantly read, educate, discuss, try whiskies over and over, learn and most of all keep an open mind throughout the entire process, ALWAYS. Be free to try the “not so popular” whiskies. There’s an audience out there for each and every one of our portfolios. Graham’s best friend’s father loves to drink Grant’s with water. No offence to Grant’s, it’s not a blend I overly enjoy but he loves it because it’s cheap and refreshing. If I serve him an Auchentoshan 1978 it’s a completely wasted dram and experience as he doesn’t nose, doesn’t really taste and unfortunately, doesn’t really care. Hence the importance of knowing your audience!

If you are new to all this or like me, an intermediate down the whisky trail, here is what I recommend you may want to consider having on hand. (But a small list of what I personally use and why and in no particular order):

1. Whisky Advocate - Magazine: Part of the whisky fabric for almost 20 years, John Hansell is one of the leading authors and whisky enthusiasts in North America. The magazine as well as blog are very informative and cover all aspects of the global whisky industry. I’ve come to appreciate that John and I have very similar opinions and I often identify with the descriptors of his nosing/tasting notes. He writes well, writes for the every day person which is why I love recommending his website to new members of our society. Unlike some of the other magazines out there, he and his staff make it a point to cover whiskies mostly available in North America. I REALLY like that, as it means I have a chance to buy them. It’s great to read reviews from overseas, but I know in some cases I’ll never be so lucky to taste a rare, expensive and limited release (Europe only) bottle. John also has a great blog which you can find on our blog list or his website. Thousands of whiskies reviewed with his notes. This magazine and website are a great reference if you are looking to get information about a whisky BEFORE you buy it. (www.maltadvocate.com)
   
   
2. Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible - Book: I highly respect Mr. Murray (Talisker was his and my first distillery tour). The man has his own tasting lab!? - How can that not be a cool thing??? BUT, from a nosing/tasting perspective he and I are often at the opposite ends of the spectrum. If he loves and rates a whisky high, 75% of the time, I will have a very different opinion (hehe). It’s a great barometer when you think about it. I liken it to shopping for my youngest daughter – If I hate it, she buys it. Mr. Murray has reviewed thousands of whiskies from every corner of the world (good and bad) and constantly revisits samples every year (1500 in 2012 – new and re-tasted). From a woman’s perspective I love some of the words he uses to describe what he noses/tastes. He simply doesn’t state: Hint of lime. He is very specific: Creamy key lime pie. His reviews are followed world wide and he is one of the most respected whisky “celebrities” in the industry, by me included. There is a reason why his book is called the whisky bible: I highly recommend this as a MUST for someone starting out on their journey. Mine is well stained and used almost every day! http://www.whiskybible.com/
   
   
3. Malt Madness/Malt Maniacs - website: When I found this website I felt like I had found the jackpot of ALL things whisky. As far as resources, nosing/tasting notes, events, process, beginner’s guide, maniac status, etc. It has everything!? Started almost 15 years ago and one of the first online groups for people who shared a passion for whisky. Informative, funny, great group of much respected individuals from around the world. You cannot beat having this saved as one of your favourites. My only small (very small complaint) about them is there is only one female in the entire world whom has been accepted as one of their malt maniacs (not sure why): Martine Nouet. Many great articles, reviews (one of the largest online references available), some very approachable people who truly enjoy helping others on their journey. http://www.maltmadness.com/
   
   
4. Mark Gillespie – Whisky cast (pod cast). If you don’t know who he is, take the time to check it out. Since November of 2005 Mark has been podcasting a whisky show. We download the episodes and then listen to them while we travel. The shows are informative and so broad, covering the spectrum of the industry. The guests are from around the world. It’s like listening to your very own radio show. I love the fact that even though he accepts samples, trips and advertising from some of the biggest names and distilleries he remains completely unbiased and honest and if you read some of the reviews he’s done, that is very apparent. http://www.whiskycast.com/
   
   
5. Oliver Klimek – Blogger. I have followed Mr. Klimek for the better part of two years now. He is by far one of my favorite bloggers and tweeters. I love his style of writing. His blog site is more than just informative it’s essential for whisky newbies! It has everything! One of the things I love the most about his blog is he has a section entitled: Bang for the buck. Let’s be honest, the majority of us will never be in a position to buy Johnnie Walker Diamond Jubilee (£100,000), but as I’ve come to deeply appreciate I can afford the ones on this list and they are some of the most cherished in my collection. Why you ask? Because they taste amazing and don’t cost me a month’s groceries, that’s why! He is an advocate that old and expensive doesn’t necessarily mean BETTER! Mr. Klimek has a knack for writing for the every day person that drinks, collects or simply enjoys good whiskies. On twitter, he’s very active, loves to interact and provides great insight and advice. Very approachable and super nice person. Add his blog to your favorites or follow him on twitter, I dare you! www.dramming.com
   
   
6. Martine Nouet – Author, journalist, whisky malt maniac: Good luck tracking this very busy woman down, from France but lives on Islay. Ms. Nouet is my whisky heroine for one purpose: She is by far the most respected whisky pairing “chef” in the industry and I believe the only person who writes exclusively about food/whisky. She is known as the queen of the still, what better title!? If you are looking to learn more about food pairing and whisky, this (ladies and gentleman) is the Queen. What I love about Martine is she comes to my province once a year at our NB Spirits Festival in November and does the most unbelievable things with whisky/food. Don’t forget, New Brunswick Canada has a population of 750,000, it’s not like she’s going to Toronto or Vancouver and yet she comes every year!
   http://www.whiskymag.com/magazine/author/martine_nouet.html
   
   
7. Davin De Kergommeaux – Canadian Whisky Expert: What kind of Canadian would I be if I didn’t recognize or respect the fact that amongst my vast country there exist the MOST knowledgeable and proud individual with regards to Canadian whiskies (as recognized by Malt Maniacs, Whisky Magazine). In a time when Canadian whiskies fell out of favor with the rest of the world he continued to be loyal and an advocate. He has stood on the sidelines through it all and NOW, here we come. The Canadian Whisky Industry is alive and kicking. We have new innovative entrepreneurs winning awards world wide and Davin is still at the forefront beating that large drum. How can I not be proud? Mr. de Kergommeaux is a certified sommelier and also a malt maniac who recently published (a laborious project he held dear to his heart): Canadian Whisky, the portable expert. I just got my copy and although only on chapter three, am enjoying it immensely. Another great example of a person in the industry who isn’t in it just for the money but because of the beliefs and passion he has. If you want to know anything about Canadian whisky, he is the man to follow: www.canadianwhisky.org
   
   AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST:
   
   
8. Michael Jackson – Author, critic, journalist and whisky expert. Although Mr. Jackson passed away in 2007, his books: The world guide to whisky, the Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch and the Malt Whisky Companion are PERMANENT fixtures in my arsenal of whisky resources. Graham will spend hours combing all the back issues of Whisky Magazine just to find his articles. His outlook on life and whisky was what every serious enthusiast (like me) should aspire to. As a judge at international whisky competitions he would anger and frustrate organizers by going way past the time allotted for nosing/tasting, never to be rushed from a good dram. His reviews were precise, honest and never blown up to crazy proportions in order to sell, sell, sell! He was highly respected, admired and in the end is still sadly missed. Of all the books I bring with me to our Saint John Whisky Tasting Society meetings/tastings, his are borrowed the most. I have devoured his books from cover to cover and truly feel that if you are going to buy at least one book, his should be it.

So, there you have it. As I mentioned, these are but “some” of the tools and references I use on a regular basis to inform, compare, review or simply relax with when it comes to whisky. I do hope you found the list enjoyable and will take the time to explore these and many more for your own journey.

Slàinte to all!

Johanne

A Dram for All Seasons...He Says...

He Says...So my last post I proposed the question “what is your ideal spring malt?” Well with this next tasting we quickly and inadvertently jumped from spring straight into Summer! I present to you, the Compass Box Asyla.

Asyla is the 50/50 (grain/single malt) blend brainchild of Compass Box founder John Glaser. If you want to read more on Compass Box I would highly recommend my “Better Half’s” review http://theperfectwhiskymatch.blogspot.ca/2012/05/compass-box-asyla-super-lightweight.html or the Compass Box website  http://www.compassboxwhisky.com/home.html

For my own purpose for this article I want to carry on with this concept of seasonal drams for a moment. In my humble opinion there are several elements that make for a great late spring or summer dram and very little of it has to do with peat. First of all there is something to be said for personal preference and nostalgia. If there is a particular dram you shared on some special moment in the summer that has cemented this as your all time favorite summer whisky, more power to you. I’m looking to explore common elements that make a whisky a lovely choice in the summer and allow you to build those personal attachments that often make a whisky memorable.

I think the first debate to put to rest is peated versus non-peated whiskies. I had a conversation a while ago and someone said they just can’t drink peated whiskies in the summer. For me there are some very appropriate peated whiskies for the summer but what it really comes down to is weight and all of the secondary top notes that you get once you move past the nose of peat and smoke. You’ll often find as you slip past that initial hit of smoke is beautiful delicate floral, sweet vanilla and honey (florwers and honey…what part of that doesn’t say summer!?). One of my favorite summer-time relaxations is sitting around a bonfire with friends and a glorious peated whisky will both stand up to all the other aromas in the environment and keep the bonfire going in my memory every time I have that whisky form then on (ahh, the power of olfactory stimulation for memory recall).

I mentioned above, for me the weight of a whisky is often far more important than anything else when considering a seasonal dram. Personally, summer whiskies should be light, crisp and refreshing. There are whiskies from all regions and countries that fit this bill, Islay included. For this reason I find both nose and especially mouth-feel are key. If a whisky has an oily or viscous mouth-feel chances are it is not what I would consider a summer whisky. For just a moment allow your mind to roam to a lovely summer setting…now would you rather a glass of lemonade or olive oil? I think you catch my drift? The same can be said for a lot of heavily sherried whiskies. There is nothing that will mentally rip me away from a great summer mojo sitting in that Adirondack chair faster than Christmas cake in a bottle; it just doesn’t work.

Whiskies are full of aromas that correspond directly to specific seasons. Grassy, floral notes, light sweets such as honey and vanilla all provide instant images of sunnier days. Salty brine and smoke bring us back to a late night beach side bonfire. We all have our images, and memories, the real fun in discovering a perfect spring and summer dram is finding which whisky take you there?

A Dram for all Seasons:

Like any food or beverage, there is some that just feel “right” during certain times of the year. A big comforting bowl of soup on a cold winter’s day, a cold Corona at the beach in the summer, you get the picture; so to for certain whiskies that just work during different seasons. Since we are moving quickly through spring and getting closer and closer to summer I want to take a few lines to look at some great summer whiskies and what makes them so great for this season, starting with the dram for this article of course!

Compass Box Asyla

This is a quintessential summer whisky! Upon first nosing I was struck by how quiet and unassuming it really is. I almost had to stick my nose down in the glass because it really is so light and smooth! There are bags of light, creamy vanilla with a touch of oak. The Asyla would make a perfect aperitif for a barbecue or an afternoon picnic dram.  It is also a beautiful base for a few cocktails…but that we will get into a little later! The 50/50 grain to single malt blend keeps it lively. There is no slow, quiet contemplation with this whisky, it is refreshing and light and would go well with a pair of flip-flops.

 

anCnoc 16

As mentioned in my last article, this is my new spring whisky! Light and lively enough to make me look forward toward the coming summer, bold enough to keep me straight when the spring showers arrive…a transitional whisky if you will! 

Auchentoshan Valinch

This limited release of ‘Toshan is a cask strength version of their non-age statement Auchentoshan Classic. It is light in colour but huge in flavor. This is another big vanilla dram with cream custard/crème brulle and orange top notes (I always get hit with a whiff of frozen orange creamsicle). When you add to this the robustness of a cask strength you have beautiful crisp summer dessert dram

Ledaig 10 and Tobermory 10 

Two lovely salty drams from the Isle of Mull that are perfect for that beach bonfire. Depending on your pleasure you can have the peated Ledaig 10 to stand up to the smoke of the fire or the lovely, briny Tobermory 10 to turn your thoughts to the sea. Either way these are two robust comforting drams that will fortify you when the cool spring or summer air rolls in off the water and believe it or not go well with a bag of salted chips (crisps)!

Tasting Notes

Compass Box “Asyla” 40% ABV

Colour: Pale Straw

Nose: Very delicate nose. Vanilla custard, biscuits, then oak. Coconut cream pie. I splashed a little on my hands and warmed that up I got more cereal and malt (I walked past a brewery recently and was hit with the same aroma).  Overall I find the nose very “round.” There are no hard edges to this dram, nothing astringent or prickly on the nose.

Pallet: Very smooth! It has a “Barley Toy” candied sweetness that moves to bitterness in the back. This bitterness has a grassy note to it (if you’ve ever chewed on a green piece of hay you’ll know what I mean!). All kinds of cereal.

Finish: There is a bitter finish and what I consider the tell-tale burn of cereal grain whisky.

anCnoc 16 and great Dandelion Massacre...He Said

He said…I hate cutting the lawn. There really is not that many things in my life that I say I hate. This is definitely one of them. I’m sure this has everything to do with the fact that I spent almost all of my teen-aged years either pushing a lawn mower or supervising others pushing law mowers. So, as I was quietly swearing my way around the front yard this afternoon my mind turned to things far less tedious and annoying. I’ve mentioned before that I make it a point to try and smell everything (PS. if ever you are standing in line in front of me at the grocery store and you turn around and wonder what I’m doing? Don’t mind me I’m just having a sniff of your melons…but I digress). Today the air was a bit thick and a little damp and a bit cool (I was rushing a bit looking at the rain clouds looming) and there was the obvious smell of fresh cut grass with just a hint of turned soil. This got me wondering; what would I consider a nice all round whisky for this time of year?

 

If I am choosing a whisky for pure pleasure, I, like most people, will choose according to my mood. I don’t have favorite whiskies, just whiskies that suit my mood or surroundings. I have whiskies that are perfect for a quiet sit by a winter fire, the nightcap after a delicious dessert, something to hunker down during Nor’Easter with, winter malts, autumn malts and summer malts. Until now I really have not considered the perfect malt for spring. What should a spring dram smell like…chocolate Easter bunnies and tulips maybe?

I continued the thought as I quietly made little screaming noises for all of the dandelion heads that I was casually lopping off as I strode across the front lawn pushing forth the great yellow massacre of 2012, you know, the twelve lawn movers of the dandelion apocalypse…moving on.

 When the quiet screaming subsided I thought back to a tasting we did late last week on the road. We managed to score the last two bottles of anCnoc 16 in Nova Scotia. During the tasting I was immediately caught off-guard by this dram.  It was fresh and clean and smelled of crisp fruit like wild strawberries and green grapes. On the flip side there was a certain robust quality to that I couldn’t get past. To me, this has become my new late spring dram! Much like the season itself the anCnoc 16 is lively and clean, slightly grassy and floral but still punchy like a douse of April showers. This is a great whisky for the back deck as you are about to fire up the barbecue again, or sitting in the chair after just cutting the darn lawn for the first time (I don’t know about you but I need something to turn my mood around after that!)!

So now I want to hear from you…what is your ideal spring dram? I am partial to a lot of Speysides in the spring…probably because of the bond I formed while visiting the Spirit of Speyside festival a few years ago in May. What’s on your list?

Tasting notes for anCnoc 16

Colour: Straw to Golden

Nose: Big honey and vanilla, fresh wild strawberries and sugar. Green grape juice. Fresh, like a crisp chardonnay. Touch of dried oak, not toasted.

Pallet: Fresh, crisp. Lively mouthfeel. Minty. Slightly coating. Little prickle.

Finish: Very clean, medium length.