scotchwhisky

Whisky's Next Stop: Tasmania

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits

Lark Distillery, Whisky Makers in Tasmania, Australia

On the day I arrived in Hobart, Tasmania's harbor-side capital, I was not expecting to hear much about Scotland and whisky.

After all, I'd just traveled about 10,000 miles from New York to Australia, and Scotland is just about the same distance in the other direction; if anything, I was prepared to hear about France because Tasmania has vineyards, and as every luxury traveler knows, wherever grapes grow, conversations about France flourish. But that evening, I gamely battled jet-lag to visit Lark Distillery's cozy downtown bar, and had a chat with owner Bill Lark, it was Scotland that we discussed the most.

Lark, a former land surveyor who bears an eerie resemblance to Kris Kringle, is Australia's patron saint of whisky. A decade or so ago, he realized that Tasmania had what it needed for whisky -- pure water, barley, even its own peat bogs. (If you're Australian, you'd giggle at this, since "bog" is slang for a toilet.) Anyway, the only trouble Lark faced was the law: a 1901 distillery law mandated very large stills, and he didn't want to run a giant whisky operation. So he successfully lobbied the Australian legislature to change its 1901 distillery law, and when he opened in 1996, became the first to open a licensed whisky distillery in 153 years. After that, Lark traveled to Scotland to learn the craft, returned to Tasmania, found a still-maker who could make one small enough for his purposes, and got cranking.

It all worked: the whisky's award-winning (more on that in a moment), Lark now runs a distillery school and is a distillery consultant. There are now five other whisky makers who have opened in Lark's wake, and another two getting started in Tasmania, which would very much like to be known as "Australia's Whisky Isle".

In an example of things going full circle, Lark's now a consultant to and an investor in a Kingsbarns Farm Distillery in Scotland, in the beginning phases of start up, just a few miles from St. Andrew's . "I can't teach the Scots how to make whisky, they taught me," Lark says. But Scotch tends to be brewed on a large scale, and Lark's developed expertise in distilling on a smaller scale. In fact, Kingsbarns is buying its stills from Lark's Tasmanian supplier. More on Lark and Scotland here.

Want to taste Lark's whisky for yourself?

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Tags: australia, scotch, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, scotland, tasmania, whisky, whisky tasting, Whisky Tours, WhiskyPeats

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Glenfiddich 40-year Old Collectible Released

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Single-malt Scotch distillery Glenfiddich announced the launch of a limited edition 40 Year Old expression. It is the 6th set of Glenfiddich 40 Year Old, and only 600 will be presented on the world market at a price of $2,600 per bottle.

This whisky was aged in oak barrels for at least 40 years and then added to the rest of the whisky of the previous year. Glenfiddich's limited editions have been highly praised. But the last release of the 40-year underwhelmed the critics. Jim Murray, author of The Whisky Bible, for example, rated the last 40 Year Old release an 86.5 on his scale. There is more peat in this release than the last, which should make it more desirable.

The bottles make quite a display: the thick glass bottoms have their own numbers, have a hand-written signature and are sealed with wax and have a copper sign. The bottle is placed in a luxury case covered with calf leather; and an engraved copper sign on the top of the case is decorated with delicate filigree. This luxe packaging also contains a lock and a key. The case has a certificate signed personally by Peter Gordon, a CEO of William Grant & Sons and four oldest master of blending at the distilling house.

Tags: Glenfiddich, Glenfiddich 40-year-old, Glenfiddich40-year-old, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, Single-malt Scotch, Single-malt whisky, Single-maltScotch, Single-maltWhisky, whisky

The Glenlivet: 1973 Cellar Collection Out in June

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Highlands single-malt Scotch producer The Glenlivet will release its latest Cellar Collection in June, a limited bottling from its three best 1973 casks. This is the eighth release of Glenlivet's Cellar Collection, and will be bottled at cask strength, 49% ABV.The casks selected include one ex-sherry butt and two refilled American hogsheads. Out of the total bottling, 240 will be available in the U.S. at $1250.00.

This release, helped by its 36 years of aging, is incredibly smooth with big sweet orange and gingerbread flavors. The best way to obtain a bottle is to special order it through one of the better spirit retailers such as Spec's Liquor in Austin; Federal Wine & Spirits in Boston; Park Avenue Liquors in New York or The Whisky Shop in San Francisco.

As always, though, age and price is no guarantee of quality. The Malt Advocate, for example, rated the 1969 Cellar Collection a 96, but gave the 1972 release just an 89.

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Tags: liquor, Scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, single-malt, The Glenlivet, TheGlenlivet, whisky

Getting Sirius: Luxist Samples The Dalmore's 58-Year-Old Scotch

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

There are some opportunities that only come up once in a lifetime – if you're lucky. You may not know them before they present themselves, but you sure will when they have. Experiences like driving a Ferrari around Italy. Dining on the top floor of the World Trade Center. Shaking hands with the President. Or drinking a whisky that's old enough to have been your father.

The good folks at The Dalmore distillery in the Scottish Highlands were kind enough to oblige us on that last one a few weeks ago. And we've spent at least a few minutes every day since trying to figure out how we'd describe the experience to you, our loyal readers. Follow the jump to read how we found it.

Gallery: The Dalmore 1951 Sirius Vintage

Tags: dalmore, highland, paterson, richard paterson, RichardPaterson, scotch, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, single malt, single malt scotch, single malt scotch whisky, Single malt whisky, SingleMalt, SingleMaltScotch, SingleMaltScotchWhisky, SingleMaltWhisky, sirius, the dalmore, TheDalmore, whiskey, whisky

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Win A Scotch Whisky Nosing Kit

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

My colleague Jared Paul Stern recently wrote about The Balvenie 17 Year Old Madeira Cask. The latest release from Scotland's famed Speyside distillery is a 17 year old single malt matured in traditional oak and then finished in Madeira casks and sells for $120 a bottle. For those of you feeling lucky you can participate in The Balvenie's Discover Rare Craftsmanship Sweepstakes. The Balvenie is offering the chance to win a one-of-a-kind prize: a Scotch Whisky nosing and tasting kit. The kit contains 24 separate aromas and a dedicated nosing guide, as well as other essential whisky tasting tools. The winner will also receive a Balvenie hipflask. Visit this link to enter: http://www.thebalvenie.com/en-us/sweeps.php

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Tags: balevenie, scotch, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, whisky

Dalmore Releases the £10,000 Siruis Single Malt

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

How much would you be willing to spend on a bottle of whisky? A couple hundred? A couple of thousand, if you had the cash on hand? How about £10,000? That's the headline selling price for the latest release from The Dalmore distillery in Scotland.

The Sirius Vintage has been maturing since 1951, making it one of the rarest, oldest and finest malts available. But availability is a relative concept: Dalmore will only be producing 12 bottles of this most exclusive single malt scotch, available from a small selection of airport duty free concessionaires around the world.

With a cask strength of 45%, master distiller Richard Paterson describes the taste as "distinguished and elegant" with notes of "intense citrus and honeyed chocolate" followed by hints of "roasted coffee, crushed walnuts and liquorice spice". Sounds delightful, but at those prices and quantities, we'd better not get too attached.

Tags: dalmore, Dalmore 1951 Sirius Vintage, Dalmore1951SiriusVintage, scotch, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, single malt, single malt scotch whisky, SingleMalt, SingleMaltScotchWhisky, sirius, the dalmore, TheDalmore, whisky

Whisky Bottles Given as Gifts by the Queen Classified as a Matter of National Security

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Celebrity Shopping

Every year, Queen Elizabeth II awards miniature bottles of whisky to the guards at her estate in Sandringham. And we'd be telling you more about them – what kind, how much they're worth, how many she hands out annually – if not for a blanket classification issued on the subject by local police. That's right, the bottles of scotch handed out by the Queen are considered a matter of national security.

According to Norfolk police, if they divulged how many bottles were distributed, it would give away how many guards are stationed there. And if Al-Qaeda found out, it would make it easier for them to kidnap members of the royal family. That might seem like an extreme measure of paranoia, but not in the context of break-ins at royal residences in recent history. Aside from terrorism, one man infiltrated Buckingham Palace in 1982, the Queen awaking to find him sitting on her bed. Ten ears later a man was arrested on the premises twice, while another intruder broke into St. James Palace and had himself a scotch. Two years later, a drunken man knocked on Princess Anne's door to ask for directions to the railway station. The embarrassing intrusions have left local police on high alert to prevent further incidents, hence the refusal to disclose details of the whisky distribution. And there you have it.

[Source: The Daily Mail]

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Tags: buckingham palace, BuckinghamPalace, queen, queen elizabeth, queen elizabeth ii, QueenElizabeth, QueenElizabethIi, royal gift, RoyalGift, sandringham, scotch, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, whiskey, whisky

Johnnie Walker's Descendant Calls on Diageo to Keep Plant Open

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The last surviving descendant of Johnnie Walker is facing off with the international beverage consortium that owns the brand today over the closure of the eponymous whisky brand's historic distillery in Scotland. Diageo, which owns the Johnnie Walker brand, recently announced the closure of the facility at Kilmarnock, Scotland, as part of a comprehensive restructuring plan to help the company weather the economic storm. The closure of the Kilmarnock facility is expected to cost some 700 workers their jobs. But Betty Heath, 77, the great grand-daughter of the Johnnie Walker himself, has vowed to do all she can to help save those jobs.

"As I am the only surviving direct ancestor," pledged Heath, "I will fight in his name to do all I can to keep Johnnie Walker in Kilmarnock and to help save those workers' livelihoods." She called for a meeting with Diageo executives to discuss the matter, and while she may hold no control over her ancestor's namesake company, her involvement could prove enough of a public relations disaster for the beverage concern to pressure them to reconsider.

[Source: Scottish Daily Record]

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Tags: betty heath, BettyHeath, diageo, johnnie walker, JohnnieWalker, scotch, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, scotland, whisky

Whisky Meets Wine in Longrow's Gaja Barolo Bottling

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

We admit we've never been troubled by the dilemma of choosing between Scotch and wine - we just have both. Usually not in the same glass, however; until a bottle of Longrow Gaja Barolo showed up. The 7-year-old single malt from Springbank, one of Scotland's most renowned distilling dynasties, is matured in bourbon casks for five years then finished for a year-and-a-half in Barolo wine casks from Angelo Gaja's famed vineyard in Piemonte, founded in 1859.

Trying this experiment with a heavily peated Campbeltown malt like Longrow might seem counterintuitive, but in fact the smokiness keeps the spirit from being overpowered by the grape. The confluence of flavors is nothing short of symphonic, plus at 111.6-proof it packs all the authentic muscle of a cask strength bottling. Definitely one the very best single malts we've tasted since the last time we were actually in Scotland.

[via Men.Style]

Gallery: Longrow & Gaja

Tags: Barolo, Campbeltown, Gaja, Italy, Scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, Scotland, Single malt, SingleMalt, Wine

Laphroaig to Unveil New Whiskies at Online Tasting

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

On June 18, Laphroaig Single Malt will host a live online tasting featuring the global unveiling of two yet-to-be-released whiskies. The 45-minute webcast, beginning at 3:00 p.m. EST, will be conducted by Distillery Manager John Campbell and Master Blender Robert Hicks from inside Warehouse 1 at the historic Laphroaig Distillery on Islay. As we reported earlier this month, longtime Laphroaig fan Prince Charles recently visited there (see above). The online tasting and educational seminar will include smoky classics Laphroaig 10 Year Old, Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Laphroaig Cáirdeas, and two unreleased whiskies: Laphroaig 30 Year Old Cáirdeas and the yet-to-be-bottled Laphroaig Triple Wood. Participants of legal purchase age can download tasting notes and guides and submit their questions in advance at Laphroaig.com. For more information visit www.Laphroaig.com/live.

Gallery: Laphroaig Scotch Tasting

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Tags: Islay, laphroaig, Prince Charles, PrinceCharles, Scotch, Scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, Scotland, Single Malt, SingleMalt

Prince Charles Visits Laphroaig, Confirms Royal Warrant

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Events, Charity

Yesterday Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, paid a visit to the home of his favorite Scotch whisky, the Laphroaig distillery on Islay. Laphroaig, established in 1815, is one of the richest, smokiest single malts and one of the very best Scotches ever produced. It holds a Royal Warrant from the Prince of Wales, which he confirmed while there, and bears his heraldic three-feather badge on its label. The kilt-clad Charles and Camilla - who are known as by their local title, the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, while traveling in Scotland - toured the distillery, learned about (and leant a hand in) its production and nosed whiskies of different ages. The Prince also signed two barrels of maturing spirit and an ultra-rare 40-year-old bottle of Laphroaig, one of only a handful left in the world, all to be auctioned off for charity. The 40-year-old was worth about $5,000 before he applied the royal signature. The proceeds from the auctions will go to the charities of Charles' choice.

Gallery: Prince Charles & Laphroaig

Tags: Islay, Laphroaig, Prince Charles, PrinceCharles, Royal Warrant, RoyalWarrant, Scotch, Scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, Scotland, Single malt Scotch, SingleMaltScotch

The Singleton - New Single Malt Scotch

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

A deliciously smooth 12-year-old single malt Scotch from the heart of Speyside in Dufftown, aka The Malt Whisky Capital of Scotland, will be available here nationwide for the first time this fall.

The Singleton of Glendullan is produced on the site of the original distillery, in a wooded valley along the banks of the rivers Dullan and Fiddich, which was built in 1897. Water from both rivers is used along with locally grown malted barley to create the Singleton, with its notes of toffee, spice and roasted nuts.

While we usually opt for smokier single malts like Lagavulin, that also tends to confine our consumption to the cooler months as they complement each other so well. We're quite taken with this smoother spirit however, which not only suits the milder weather perfectly, but isn't too heavy for a pre-prandial dram.

Gallery: Glendullan, Speyside and Dufftown

Tags: Glendullan, Scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, Single malt Scotch, SingleMaltScotch, Singleton, Speyside

A Personal Taste Of Compass Box: Asyla

by Gustad Mody (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Next up of the Compass Box line I had this weekend is Asyla. Not refined as the earlier mentioned Peat Monster, but still very pleasant on the tongue. Grainy, with dry fruit tastes and the finish reminds me of the pepperness of a strong black coffee. Pretty drinkable. Asyla is a 50/50 blend of grain and malt whiskies mostly from Cragganmore, Linkwood, Glen Elgin, Cabus, and Cameron Bridge.

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Tags: scotch, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, single malt, SingleMalt, spirit, whiskey, whisky

A Personal Taste Of Compass Box: The Peat Monster

by Gustad Mody (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

I finally got to try The Peat Monster by Compass Box this weekend and was quite impressed considering that your everyday urbane whisky drinkers are not too familiar with this brand. I have a personal infatuation for peaty whiskies and this truly hits the spot. The smokiness was so dynamic that it reminded me of a char cooked porterhouse on an open campfire. It coats the tongue quite copiously like a fine oil. Malty, sweet, and almost smokes off the tongue. It went well with the Spanish blue cheese I was having at the time. The Peat Monster is comprised of vatted 100% single malt whisky mainly made of Caol Ila and Ardmore, all aged between 10 and 15 years old.

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Tags: peat, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, spirits, whiskey, whiskies, whisky

Quarter Century Macallan in Lalique

by Gustad Mody (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The Macallan decided to go all out, where an ordinary glass container would not be adequate to hold their special 50 year single malt. Lalique will be hand blowing an exclusive 470 decanters made to resemble the Spanish sherry barrels in which the Scotch rested for five decades. Only 20 will be for sale in the UK, which makes me feel pretty special here in the US where we will get 100 at about $6,000 each. The whisky is presented in a leather and silk box, with a crystal stopper and a leather-bound collectors guide with The Macallan’s Easter Elchies House Stamp of approval. The burnish gold-colored malt is rich with flavors of cardamom, black cherries, and chocolate.