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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.

Whisky 'petrol' for cars developed by university

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.

With Father's day arriving this Sunday, perhaps you are like me and have yet to purchase a gift for the man who sired you. Well, if he's a single malt fan, or appreciates whisky in general, then here are six whiskies that I feel both fit the season and the occasion.

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!

Recently, Scotchblog was fortunate enough to be extended an invitation to a private tasting with Ian Millar, the Global Ambassador for Glenfiddich. Ian is truly a preeminent authority in the world of single malt scotch. Having met Ian a few times before, including at last years Whisky Live in Toronto, this was a rare opportunity to speak directly with the whisky master.

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.

Upon walking into Via Allegro, be sure to look left, but be equally sure to mind your jaw lest it fall agape at the sight you will behold. For it is there that Toronto's most impressive tower of whisky resides. This is the domain of manager Joseph Cassidy and it is his philosophy that governs the approximately 750 whiskies on hand.

However, rather than attempting to provide everything under the sun, Joseph aims to ensure that it is the unique bottles that have primacy of place stating that "the whiskies must represent the individual regions that they come from and still be unique". To ensure this, private bottlings and cask strength whiskies are a key focus as there is "a different flavour in each bottle, and one that can't be easily found again". It is this philosophy that has resulted in Via Allegro winning Whisky Magazine's "Supreme Whisky Award" for having the best whisky list in the world.

Our purpose for attending this Etobicoke establishment was to attend an all Speyside tasting courtesy of Joseph and Diageo. A flight of six of the region's finest were on offer on this day.

First up was Cardhu which was successfully paired with a wood smoked gouda; the dried apricot notes and dry finish of the whisky playing well against the creamy texture and nutty body of the cheese, further reinforcing my stance that the time has come for whisky to replace wine at the bookends of a meal.

Following this was the Glen Elgin 12 year old with its faint nose of white chocolate and honey and smooth, lightly smokey palate featuring a near perfect amount of salt and peat. It is truly a shame that this single malt is not available for personal purchase in Ontario, as it certainly has a place on my shelf once I can locate a bottle.

Now came the time for the chef to begin flexing his cullinary muscle as Cragganmore's 12 year old single malt was expertly paired with one of the finest risotti I have ever had. Here the saltiness and ripe fruits of the whisky played perfectly against the earthiness of the mushroom and mascarpone risotto, serving to heighten the flavours of each, while simultaneously cleansing the palate in preparation for the accompanying pairing. For this was a fine one-two punch of whiskies and food, as the plate also carried a seared sea scallop adorned with a lightly wilted fennel salad to be paired Johnnie Walker's Green Label blended malt. For those who don't know, this blend is comprised of Cragganmore, Caol Ila, and Linkwood, and as such it was the floral notes of the Linkwood which worked well against the fennel while the salt and iodine of the other components played off the scallop to pleasant effect.

After a brief break in the action it was time for the star attraction of the day: a whole pressed roast lamb paired with an elusive 28 year old cask strength Convalmore. Bottled in 1977 and hitting hard at 57.9% ABV, the nose of explosive vanilla, honey, and heather combined with the gamey and herbacious aromas eminating from the lamb to devastating effect on my resolve, leaving me salivating at near Pavlovian proportions. Upon tucking in, the spice, smoke and lightly viscous nature of the Convalmore paired perfectly with the expertly roasted lamb, while its dry, faintly smokey finish left the most delightful lingering notes of black cherry and almonds on the palate. Truly a treat, and exactly the kind of joy one hopes to find when pairing whisky with food. 

The closer for the flight was Johnnie Walker's Blue Label blended malt. While reaffirming my belief that it is worth nowhere near its pricetag, the sweet, orange peel notes of this blend provided an excellent finish to the flight, leaving the palate cleansed in spite of the somewhat muddled flavours it has to offer. Thankfully for yours truly, one of the members of Scotchblog.ca was unable to attend, allowing me to round out my day with one more dram of the Convalmore.

All in all, this was easily the best way to spend a Saturday afternoon: sampling a sextet of Speyside's finest paired with some of Toronto's best Italian cuisine while enjoying the encyclopedic knowledge and convivial company of Joseph Cassidy. In closing, I must point out that if there is a specific whisky you hope to find, be certain to call ahead and inquire as to its availability when making your reservation, as the most unqiue bottles typically see their time on the shelf last less than a month. That said, even if you don't find exactly the whisky you are hunting for, be sure to ask for Joseph's advice as you will most certainly be presented with a malt and experience to remember. Thus, do not wait to make your arrangements to attend Via Allegro, as I for one cannot wait until I make my return to continue working my way through the list.