James Gilpin, a British art student is making whisky from his grandmother's urine. Gilpin Family Whisky was started as a project to utilize the sugars excreted in diabetics urine.
While the urine itself isn't distilled, the sugars are removed using a process similar to water purification, and then used during the fermentation stage of the whisky production. This author would definitely be interested in sampling said whisky, but there are no plans to market it.]]>
ScotchBlog will host a tournament of 16 entries to determine the most enjoyable blended Scotch available in the LCBO in Toronto, Ontario. The winner will be endorsed as our "House Brand," and shall be well represented at our meetings.
Method:
All blended scotch whiskies of no specified age, SWA regulations notwithstanding, were put into a list and then seeded into a bracket of 16 based on 3 criteria: preconceptions, preseason performances, and outright guesses.
Matches will proceed as follows:
1. Two blends face off in a blind taste test, neat.
2. The winner is determined based on majority vote. The loser is eliminated and the winner moves on to fight another day.
3. Overall impressions are recorded for posterity and context.
May the best blend win.
]]>Edinburgh Napier University has developed a new biofuel made from whisky by-products.
It is the result of two years work by the universities biofuel research centre.
The £260,000 project was funded by Scottish Enterprise's Proof of Concept programme. It has been welcomed by WWF Scotland's director Dr Richard Dixon who said it would help a "clean environment" industry to reduce transport emissions.
As part of the research, the centre was provided with samples of whisky distilling by-products from Diageo's Glenkinchie Distillery in Edinburgh. It uses the two main by-products of the whisky production process which are "pot ale", the liquid from the copper stills, and "draff", the spent grains.
Continue reading here.
Source: BBC News.
]]>Had I known at this little tidbit at the time I would've picked up an extra bottle!
Regrettably, the 1 litre bottle lasted me about a week and if you're fortunate enough to find it during your travels: buy two and squirrel one away.
Nose: Citrus peel, cereal, hints of smoke.
Palate: Soft and almost creamy mouthfeel flavoured by honey-sweetened malty cereal and tingling citrus with smoke arriving just before the finish.
Finish: Delicate smoke and peat are wrapped in a long-lasting, sweet and mouth-filling sherry finish.
Overall: Pleasantly light, well-balanced and smooth this whisky did me wonders on the veranda at Holden Beach, North Carolina, this past week. Terrific with pecan pie, this "Island-infused" dram kept me company on long walks on the beach at night and, of course, it is best enjoyed with a tiny splash of water to really bring out the aromas.
Highland Park discontinued the 16 yr in April of this year, so if the notes above pique your interest, act fast.
Produced at the Nothernmost distillery on the Scottish mainland in Wick (a town inaccessible by road until the mid 19th century), it is little surprise that such a place produces such a distinctive whisky. The rub is that its distinction comes from the fact that it is so perfectly balanced in a manner that renders it suitable for almost any palate. Combine this balance with with one of the best looking bottles on the market and you arrive at a whisky that is memorable for every facet of its being.
Nose: Hints of salt air give way to fresh-cut pear before settling down to memories of fresh baked honey-oat bread with a touch of suede leather.
Palate: Opening up with more heat than the 17 year old expression does nothing to diminish its buttery mouthfeel. Once the heat fades, cocoa, honey, and cereal grains manifest with an almost sweet and sour sensation fused with subtle tones of roast almonds.
Finish: Sweet, salt, and a hint of sourness provide the aforementioned balance that few whiskies can achieve. The cereal tones and roast almond remain long into the finish while the heat quickly dissipates into a warm, slightly oakey overtone.
Overall: While not as refined and subtle as its 17 year old counterpart, there is no reason to thumb one's nose at this golden joy. I recommend this one as a Scotch for a night in late fall, when its additional heat and soothing warmth will do extremely well to help one ignore the creeping cold of the impending winter. Absolutely worth picking up if you can find it.
]]>Although only aged 10 years, this mahogany-coloured scotch is surprisingly mellow with almost no heat. The young age however is somewhat apparent by the lack of real depth. Nonetheless, it does come recommended should you see a bottle of this available at your local liquor store.
Nose: Floral and fruity. Fresh baked bread with a hint of strawberry and cocoa.
Palate: Sweet with a thick but not oily consistency. Slight hints of blueberry muffin and mint.
Finish: Lingering strawberry for a beautifully dry finish.
Overall: Yet another quality bottle from the Murray McDavid limited series also reveals its overall lack of depth. Great scotch for the novice drinker as its sweetness and lack of heat will likely appeal to that group.
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Nose: Red apple underpinned by doughy aromas and a hint of raspberry with very strong alcohol vapours.
Palate: Brief and focused with brown sugar sweetness, raspberry and raisin carried by a stiff heat.
Finish: Mouth-coating with sweet nutty notes, baking spice and lingering heat.
Overall: This whisky requires a splash of water to take the edge off the surprisingly persistent heat. We at Scotch Blog were disappointed with this expression's lack of complexity, refinement and high price tag at the LCBO. At $110 CDN, there are far better 16yr old single malt whiskies on the shelves.
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Purchased at The Park Avenue Liquor Shop in NYC the Ben Nevis 1992 16 Year Old Sherry Butt 54.6%ABV is another fantastic Signatory single cask bottling.
Nose: Dark cherry is prominent with brown sugar and molasses, supported with hints of salted butter and bakery spice. A consistent focal point throughout this dram is pink grapefruit suggesting a summer treat despite its savoury depth.
Palette: As expected, Sherry is a main theme. Salt is prominent. There is a heavy mouthfeel which coats the tongue with buttery sweetness. Further pink grapefruit adds a fresh dimension.
Finish: Coffee and cocoa roll through the finish with lingering heat. Still more grapefruit has a drying effect. A hint of dark chocolate that will put a smile on your face.
Overall: An experience well worth its price and certainly a sherry highlight of any Scotch collection. Guaranteed good times at cask strength or with a few drops of water to soften and define its commanding flavour and texture.
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I received this bottle as a birthday gift in April from my sister and brother-in-law. That it has held me in good stead until now is a testament to how precious it is. Not available in Ontario, I have savored every last drop, enjoying the final dram as I write this review. As is my custom, I have taken the time to roll through the LCBO's aggravating website to ensure that all bottles are in reasonable supply to save you some hassle.
Isle of Arran Robert Burns Single Malt Nicely priced at $41.95, this light, playful whisky delivers the pleasant notes of apple and vanilla with a hint of citrus. Ideal for those not enamoured with the rich peat or smoke elements that are often associated with Scotch whisky.
Speyburn 10 Year Old $47.05 is a fair price for this Highland malt. The butter cream and toffee elements will entice while its mild heat and quick finish render it a fine dram for the hot summer months.
Auchentoshan 12 Year Old More appropriate for the seasoned Scotch drinker, the upside is that $48.05 will not break the bank. A heady mix of salt and iodine with toffee and almonds combined with a fair bit of heat ensures that this whisky will challenge all but the most weathered palates. That said, if your dad likes a rough Scotch, this is the one for him.
Isle of Arran 12 Year Old Murray McDavid Margaux Finish $84 is well spent on this limited run independent bottling. Delightful notes of apricots, cognac, and red wine with a dry, lingering finish make this whisky an excellent one for late night summer conversations on the deck or the dock. The fact that the limited run means that there were only 3,000 bottles produced also enhances its value as a gift. There is but one caveat, you will have to order it online through the LCBO's Vintages service here, and present your dad with the receipt for the time being. Certainly gift worthy nonetheless.
Aberlour a'bunadh While difficult to pronounce, it is easy to find right now. Its $92.95 price tag may seem high until you realize that its 59.7% ABV cask strength means that it should be consumed with a splash of water, which translates into a bottle that will have considerable stamina on the shelf. Deep red in colour with flavours of cloves, nutmeg, red apples and brown sugar mean that this single malt will easily stand up to the flavours and aromas of the barbecue, while its shelf life should see it through to Christmas where this flavour profile will again be well suited.
Old Pulteney 17 Year Old Unfairly priced at $169.95 for those of us residing in Ontario (given that it can be bought at Gatwick Airport in England on a flight home for $64), solace can be found in the fact that this is a truly fantastic single malt worthy of a gift to your father. Butterscotch, vanilla, and a pleasant nuttiness lead the flavour profile while hints of mint dance through the remarkable cooling, dry finish. A perfect malt at any time of year, but especially now in the summer. If you have the $170 to spend, then forgive my whinging about price, and just buy this bottle for your dad as it is impossible not to enjoy it!
So there you have it. My recommendations for this father's day's last minute whisky shopping. For more recommendations you can find my Christmas Gift Guide here, although not everything listed is still available, so be warned. As usual, links to the full reviews are embedded in the titles of the whiskies, and as always, we welcome your feedback on this or any other article.
Happy gift buying!
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Founded in 1995, this expression started out life as one of Isle of Aaran's first whiskies, with Murray McDavid (aka Bruichladdich) providing a limited independent bottling of the 1996 cask, aged for 12 years and finished in Chateau Margaux casks. Being one of a run of 1,500 bottles it is pleasure to have been able to find this through extensive sleuthing at the LCBO.
Nose: The bright colour foreshadows the apricot and dark caramel which prevail. With a hint of citrus, rich floral red wine notes and a hint of cognac, the well rounded nose closes with whisp of mint.
Palate: A pleasant smooth, viscous mouthfeel is present both when consumed neat or with a splash of water, but I would recommend that splash to tone down the ample heat provided by this 46% abv dram. Flavours abound with marmalade, allspice, full bodied ripe fruit, and raisins taking centre stage. The roast of the malt arrives early with a nice mustiness of oak, while the wine notes appear late.
Finish: Delightfully dry, with fruit notes lingering on the sides of the tongue, apricot, cognac and wine elements stay around long into the finish.
Overall: A solid value at $84, this single malt is likely best suited as an aperatif where its long, lazy finish and rich fruit notes will be allowed to play out to full effect. This is not a whisky to rush through and I would advise that it be consumed over a slow conversation on the back deck during a warm summer's eve. All in all, very much worth seeking out!
]]>We braved a blustery, wet evening on the way to the Park Hyatt rooftop lounge, a classical and intimate whisky bar on the top floor of one of the cities grandest hotels. It features an outdoor patio which Ian recommends as a choice location to smoke a fine Cohiba along with some whisky. On this day however, we'd be confined to the indoors because you simply can't the take the rainwater out of the scotch.
Our visit began with a tour of the Glenfiddich's popular range of 12, 15, and 18 year old malts. The 12 and 15 remain consistent as ever, and readers will find them discussed extensively in previous articles. This time our sampling of the 18 year old was accompanied by a delicious maple creme brulee which provided a sweet, creamy offset to this deep and mature scotch, and it opened new levels of this otherwise more challenging expression. Once again, the importance of food pairings was underscored as the key to opening subtleties and hidden elements in both new and familiar whiskies. As Ian pointed out, people often take too-direct an approach to pairing food by accompanying whiskies with fare that accentuates the most prominent notes of the whisky, instead of counterbalancing the flavours to reveal a dram's true character.
We then moved on to the reason for Ian's visit to Toronto, the Canadian release of an extraordinarily rare 50 year old Glenfiddich single malt. We view it as something akin to the launch of an ultra rare supercar; a benchmark of the peak of craftsmanship in whisky to which others may aspire. Ian spoke at length about a unique contest sponsored by the Glenfiddich in recognition of the 50 year old coming to Canada, called North of 50, in which the entrants will nominate fathers and other great mentors. The prize for the 9 lucky winners and one guest is a trip to the Fairmont Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta and an invitation to an exclusive tasting of the full Glenfiddich range and the new 50 year old, which will sell at over $25,000 CAD. If you know a scotch drinker worthy of nomination, submit your entry at www.glenfiddich.ca by July 1st.
We asked Ian, what makes the 50 year old a special malt and not just an old one? He replied that the liquid is comprised of two carefully selected 1955 casks to produce just 500 bottles of which they will release 50 bottles per year worldwide, and two of these bottles will come to Canada. The tasting notes describe this expression as a pale gold, harmonious and complex. The nose is vibrant with notes of rose petals, green tobacco leaf, oak and a hint of smoke. On the palate it begins with zesty orange marmalade, toffee and through a depth of layers including aromatic herbs and soft fruits. The finish is described as exceptionally long with dry oak and a trace of peat. Before our meeting was concluded, there were some additional rare treats.
We went on to sample the Glenfiddich 40 year old as well as a very limited private vintage 42 year old, both of which were very impressive, and will each be reviewed on the blog soon.
Thanks again to Ian for his time and Meghan of Jesson + Co. for putting the meeting together, we look forward to seeing you both again.
]]>Imagine our surprise to see the Old Pulteney 17yr old in all of its amber glory!
As you will learn below, there was no way this bottle was going to outlive the night of its opening.
Nose: Apple, ripened pear, oatmeal, vanilla and hints of peppermint.
Palate: There is a freshness akin to sea air or crushed mint that leads the palate through a delightful wave of butterscotch, nuttiness, and vanilla.
Finish: A remarkable cooling and dry finish that returns with notes of leather, mint, vanilla and sherry nuttiness.
Overall: A complex and enjoyable medium-bodied whisky that steadily reveals more of itself after each sip. True to the label, it is "intricate, balanced with a delicate mineral-salted spiciness."
Highly recommended.
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Lately I've noticed an increase in the amount of Independent Bottlers of Scotch Whisky in the LCBO Vintages section. Occupying most of the shelf space this spring is the Murray McDavid line.