Simply Whisky

Words by Colin Hampden-White

There is a plethora of independent bottlers of whisky these days. Some are well established having started decades ago, and sometimes more than 100 years ago. There are newer bottlers who have set up to make money as whisky becomes ever more popular. Then there are the enthusiasts, the clubs and whisky folk who inhabit a world between their regular jobs and the whisky industry. These are the passionate few, who will bottle whisky because they love it and want to share their findings with other whisky lovers.

This year saw one such bottler finally produce something they love. Simon Roser and Franchi Ferla have been running “Simply Whisky” events and tastings for over a decade. I first met them at a tasting where they had a cocktail made with 70 year old Mortlach and had a fire breather light up the ceiling of the cellar bar holding the event. Hair raising stuff. And so is the whisky they have bottled recently; there are two very different expressions, one Scotch and one Irish, but both 8 years old.

The Scotch called Let’s Dance is a single malt from Clynelish and is 51.6%. it is a full-on young highland whisky with all the characteristics one would expect from Clynelish. It is waxy and has lots of citrus, but also orchard fruits and balanced oak. The Irish is a single grain called Good Times, and it is fruity with lots of toffee flavours. Bottled at 45.6% it is party juice; I kept going back for more! It’s easy to drink and incredibly enjoyable.

The Scotch is definitely the more cerebral of the two, but they are both very good and have completely different reasons to exist, and I’m glad they do. There are only 250 bottles of Let’s Dance, and 157 bottles of Good Times.

Thank you Simon and Franchi for these two, and I look forward to future discoveries.

Let’s Dance

 ABV 51.6%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £58.95

Good Times

ABV 45.6%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £34.95

Hit for Six: The Best of Whyte and Mackay

Words by Colin Hampden-White

Whyte and Mackay are experts at blending, especially with Richard Paterson at the helm as master blender. Although they own four distilleries, until recent years it has only been the Dalmore that has had the big budgets spent on it. Over the last few years things have been changing. First of all, the whiskies from Jura distillery got a complete make-over and a completely new range introduced. Immediately one could see a huge improvement. This improvement must have been in development for many years, with Richard laying down the right stocks to implement the plans we have now seen. 

Next to receive a revamp was Fettercairn, a whisky brand that has had its fans and detractors in the past, and with expressions varying in quality from Fior to Fasque. The recently released new range is quite a different story. It has expressions at all ends of the age statement range, from 12 years old all the way up to 50 years old, and quite a few in between. Lastly there is Tamnavulin. Here they have released some incredible old whiskies. I recently tasted a 1973, 45 year old as part of my judging for the IWSC awards, and it did exceptionally well amongst great company.

Away from the single malts, the great blending company that is Whyte and Mackay continue to experiment with blended whisky and a new brand called Whisky Works. This is led by a brilliant blender whom Richard Patterson brought to Whyte and Mackay a few year ago: Gregg Glass has a great blending background having worked previously for blenders extraordinaire, Compass Box. (See us chat to him in Episode 5 of The Three Drinkers do Scotch Whisky).

The releases keep on coming and I have a few favourites: Fettercairn has released a sumptuous 16 year old, The Dalmore a new sherry cask select 12 year old, Jura a winter edition and a red wine cask finish cask edition, and one of my new all-time favourite young blends: an 11 year old blended Scotch from Gregg Glass under the Whisky Works brand. 

With all these new expressions coming out of the woodwork (literally), I took a little look at their back catalogue and one of my all-time favourites to see if it still stood up. Thankfully, all the efforts being placed in new expressions are certainly not taking their focus away from my favourite expression from The Dalmore: King Alexander III. This brought me to six whiskies from White and Mackay, blended and single malt, and both new and old. I highly recommend them.

 Jura Winter Edition

This is a warming and rich whisky initially matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in ex-sherry casks. The idea for this whisky was to bring flavours more associated with mainland whiskies to the coastal flavours of an island whisky. The casks give warm spices and indulgent apple pie flavours. A real winter warmer. There are also hints of tropical fruit on the palate and vanilla with a touch of cinnamon. If you like mulled drinks and Christmas cake you should love this. Exclusive to Tesco for now in litre size bottles perfect for sharing. 

ABV: 40%
Size: 1000ml
Buy it now for £45

Whisky Works Quartermaster 11 year old 

From the experimental mind of Gregg Glass, this 11 year old blended whisky marries grain from the highlands of Scotland with single malts from the Speyside region. The single malts have been through four (hence the name of the whisky) different maturation and finishing methods giving plenty of complexity. Rum barrels were used to mature the grain whisky, and then they were finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. The malt whiskies were matured in a mixture of American white oak and sherry butts from Jerez. There was a limited release of only 2,134 bottles and, at the time of writing, still on sale at Mast of Malt.

ABV: 48.4%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £68.95

The Dalmore 12 year old Sherry Cask Select

The Dalmore is well known for having a close relationship with Spain as the whisky is often matured in ex-sherry casks. This expression celebrates this relationship and as Richard Paterson says “between the union of the Scottish highlands with the warmth of the Andalusian sun”. Firstly the whisky is matured for ten years in ex-bourbon casks and then two years in ex-sherry casks from bodegas with whom Richard has personal relationships in Jerez. These casks are made from both American and European oak and are then seasoned with a unique blend of aged Oloroso and sweet Pedro Ximénez casks. The result is fabulous; unctuous and complex with distinct flavours of sundried fruits and fresh Scottish orchard fruits. Plenty of fudge and caramel back up the fruit and with a spicy finish, this is a brilliantly concocted 12 year old dram. 

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £45 (on special offer at time of writing)

Fettercairn 16 Year Old

This is a very interesting expression from Fettercairn released at the beginning of summer this year. Not many whiskies are distilled using chocolate malt (heavily kilned barley, more commonly seen in craft brewing)! The other I can bring to mind is the excellent Glenmorangie Signet. The Fettercarin is initially matured in first-fill American oak bourbon casks, before being put in sherry and Port casks, and is bottled at 16 years of age. There's plenty going on here, and it's all impressive stuff. One wonders why more brands aren’t using chocolate malt. This is a very different whisky from Signet although the chocolate malt lends some familiarity. If you like Signet, then you will love this.

ABV: 46.4%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £73.26

Jura Red Wine Cask Finish

This expression has been matured in ex-bourbon casks before being finished for 18 to 24 months in red wine barriques. It is incredibly well-balanced and rich with berry flavours and dried raisins. There are also creamy caramel and vanilla flavours and a touch of cinnamon spice. These sound like bold flavours, yet the whisky remains delicate. A great expression to try for those wanting to experiment a little with new whiskies. For the moment, this can be found in the UK in Sainsbury’s in a one litre bottle and is brilliant value.

ABV: 40%
Size: 1000ml
Buy it now for £40

The Dalmore King Alexander III

As mentioned before, this is one of my favourite whiskies. Richard Paterson uses six different types of sherry casks, blended together, to create this rich and moreish dram. With loads of dried fruit and spice, complex manuka honey and fudge, it is an indulgent treat. I’d suggest this drinks well not just after a rich meal but during the meal. It would match well with roasted meats just as well as with chocolate puddings or crème brulé. A whisky for indulgent foodies.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £174.90

There we have it, six of the best from Whyte and Mackay. Now that didn’t hurt did it!

If you’d like to try whiskies that have been finished in wine casks having been matured in ex-bourbon initially, then why not give these whiskies a go. 

3 Simple, Smoky, Whisky Cocktails For Your BBQ

Words by Helena Nicklin

Ardbeg, one of our favourite Islay distilleries has created ‘Smoke Sessions’ video guides to barbecuing meat and smoky drinks with grilling legend DJ BBQ (you can read about those here). The cocktail recipes looked so good however, that we got the lowdown for you on how to make them. Here they are: three epic, seriously smoky whisky cocktails for your summer barbecue. You’re welcome!

Smoky Apple Cider

Ingredients:

• 50ml Ardbeg Wee Beastie
• 50ml apple cider
• 50ml ginger beer
• 25ml freshly squeezed lime juice
• Demerara vanilla sugar to taste

Method

Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice, then stir and strain into a tumbler or a jar. Garnish to your taste with a cinnamon stick, star anise or even a slice of red apple. Take this from summer to winter by making it in a batch, warming it up and serving with a ladle. Amini toffee apple, if you can find one makes a special garnish for halloween too.

Maple & Bacon Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 50ml Ardbeg Ten Years Old
• 15ml maple syrup (to taste)
• 3 dashes orange bitters

Method

Stir all the ingredients together and serve over a large cube of ice. You can have fun with the garnishes here: try a rasher of streaky bacon as a stirrer, add a spring of torched rosemary or simply, an orange twist. 

An Oa Bloody Mary

Ingredients:

• 50ml Ardbeg An Oa
• 100ml roasted tomato juice (find one with garlic and herbs if you can)
• 1 dash hot sauce
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 25ml lemon juice
• 12.5ml Pedro Ximenez sherry

Method

Combine all the ingredients into a mixing glass, add ice and then pour again into a second mixing glass, straining the liquid as you do so. Repeat a few times until the mixture is super smooth and well blended. Rim your glass with celery salt and add your garnish. For this, we recommend dill or even grated horseradish. 

Like this? Read about Ardbeg’s Smoke Sessions with DJ BBQ here, or look at the best sherry matured whiskies or even best bang for buck sipping bourbon.

This Summer: The Smoke Sessions with Ardbeg Whisky and DJ BBQ

Words by Helena Nicklin

It’s great news for fans of smoked meat and smoky whiskies as world-renowned Islay Distillery Ardbeg teams up with the brilliant master of the grill: Christian Stevenson aka DJ BBQ.

Launching today, The Smoke Sessions is an online series designed to offer the ultimate guide to barbecuing and smoking meat as well as the preparation of smoky whisky cocktail serves. In the sessions, DJ BBQ will explain and demonstrate the fundamental laws of smoke, wood and heat while spinning the decks in his inimitable style. All the while, Brendan McCarron, Ardbeg Distillery’s Head of Maturing Whisky Stocks will help creating spectacular, smoky drinks using Ardbeg Ten, An Oa and Wee Beastie.

“The taste of braided beef fillet alongside an Ardbeg Ten Old Fashioned is just awesome, and a sip of hot Wee Beastie punch with a slow smoked pork shoulder is unrivalled,” says DJ BBQ. “My smoky barbeque recipes share so many characteristics with the flavours of Ardbeg whisky, and they complement each other perfectly. The laws of wood, heat and smoke are so important to barbecue and single malt alike, and once mastered, you’ll become a barbeque boss!”

Watch  DJ BBQ create amazing recipes such as the 18-Hour Whisky-Smoked Pulled Pork, served with Ardbeg Wee Beastie Hot Apple Cider, Coal-Roasted Beef Plait served with Ardbeg Ten Maple & Bacon Old Fashioned, and Whisky Planked, Pit-Smoked Salmon served with Ardbeg An Oa Bloody Mary.

How to Watch

To watch the Ardbeg Smoke Sessions, tune into Ardbeg’s Instagram Live on Friday 24 July at 8pm BST to watch DJ BBQ kick it all off. Keep an eye on all of Ardbeg’s social channels and the videos can be watched at any time on YouTube here: 

Law of Heat 

Law of Smoke 

Law of Wood

How to Taste

Cocktail fans will be able to order DJ BBQ’s Maple and Bacon Old Fashioned for delivery across the UK, via Mothership on the Drinks At Home platform, for a limited period from 21 July 2020.

Like this? Try this piece on the Ardbeg releases ranked by smokiness and What is peated whisky?

Wine Finished Whiskies: Where to Start

Words by Colin Hampden-White

We all know we love whisky, and today 90% of whisky is simply matured in an ex bourbon cask, and they are very nice. But there is a way to excite our palates even more. A small proportion of ex bourbon cask matured whisky is placed in a different type of cask, and these are mostly ex wine, port or sherry casks. This adds extra colour, complexity and flavour to the whisky. The amount of extra flavour depends on the quality of the cask and how long the whisky is left in the cask. The use of these casks at the end of a whiskies maturation, known as finishing, means there are a world of new flavours to experience and variations on our much loved favourites. These are a few of the best examples catering for all pockets, to start your wine finished whisky adventure.

Glen Moray port finish

One of the best value finished whiskies on the market, this Port cask finished whisky was introduced in 2014 and had been a firm favourite of ours. Initially matured in ex-bourbon casks, this whisky is then placed in tawny Port casks for the last eight months of its maturation to give huge amounts of extra flavour and complexity. With flavours of butterscotch, redcurrants, vanilla, raisins and a touch of cinnamon, this is a dram for those who want a big bang for their buck. Trust us, once you have tried this one, you will be going back for more.

 ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £26.95

Glenfiddich Grand Cru

The folks at Glenfiddich clearly enjoy exploring new cask types for their whisky. Whether it's peaty whisky in rum casks, or making good use of icewine casks, the distillery certainly has some experimental flair. And if experimental flair is what you're after, Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 Year Old is the perfect thing. This single malt initially ages in American and European oak casks, before being moved over to rare French cuvée oak casks. The influence these casks have had on the whisky is fantastic, lifting the palate with notes of baked goods and fresh fruit.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £220

Glenmorangie lasanta

Glenmorangie are known for their expertise in finished expressions of their whisky. This is the 12 year old, sherry cask finished expression from Glenmorangie, called The Lasanta. It first matures in bourbon casks before being moved over to Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for a finishing period. It’s rich and creamy with dark chocolate, dried fruit and fresh honey. The effect of using Pedro Ximénez as well as Oloroso gives a sweetness to balance the spice. For those who like both, this whisky will be right up your street.

 ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £41.75

Glen Scotia 14 Year Old Tawny Port Finish - Campbeltown Malts Festival 2020

This is a limited run of high strength Glen Scotia. I tasted this at the on-line Summerton Whisky Festival and is a belter! The extra ABV is held in check by the rich berry fruit flavours imparted by the tawny port cask, and there is still plenty of the fruity and salty flavours typical of Glen Scotia. There is still enough sweetness given by the fist maturation in first fill ex-bourbon casks. For those who like their whisky big and strong, give this a go.

ABV: 52.8
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £74.95 

Spey Tenné port finish

The Spey Tenné is a single malt from the Speyside Distillery. Owned by Harvey's of Edinburgh, this distillery only started in 1990 and it is producing some incredible whisky. This one is initially aged in bourbon casks before enjoying a 6 month finishing period in Tawny Port casks, giving a subtle ruby hue and a vibrant, fruit-filled flavour profile. Being 46% and bottled in very smart packaging, this is a great whisky for a gift. Although if you taste this one, you won’t want to give it away.

ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £39.95 

Glenfiddich Winter Storm – Ice Wine Finish

A second whisky from Glenfiddch in the guide, the eagerly-awaited second batch of Glenfiddich's Winter Storm once again sees well-aged whisky from the legendary distillery. It is finished in casks that previously held Canadian icewine (made using grapes harvested while frozen, resulting in a powerfully sweet elixir). Released as part of the Glenfiddich Experimental Series, malt master Brian Kinsman believes that only older whiskies can stand up to the intense influence of icewine, which is why Winter Storm is built around 21 year old single malt. This is one, like the Glenfiddich Grand Cru, is for those who like older whiskies that also have a lovely fresh fruity core.

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £199 

Hinch 10 sherry cask finish

A 10 year old whiskey from Hinch, which takes its name from the nearby town of Ballynahinch. The distillery is based just south of Belfast in the grounds of the Killaney Estate. The blend was initially matured in American oak before being treated to a six month finish in Oloroso sherry casks from Jerez. It's then bottled at 43% ABV, released as part of the Time Collection. Like most Irish whisky this is very smooth, but has a spicy edge to it because of the sherry cask influence, making this whiskey smooth yet characterful.   

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £43.95

Balvenie 21 Port wood

One of my all-time favourite whiskies. This has all the fruity flavours one expects in Balvenie, and then a big rich dark fruit dollop given by the port casks. It is indulgent and hedonistic. An additional period of maturation in 30 year-old port pipes has given this aged Balvenie an extra level of depth and concentration of flavour, adding potent fruit and smoke notes to the silky-smooth full-bodied palate. Rich, indulgent, after-dinner Speyside at its best. For the epicureans out there, get stuck into a bit of this. 

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £149.95 

The Best Whisky For Sunny Weather

Words by Colin Hampden-White

Over the last few weeks the sun has come out to play. I find that my tastes in whisky change a little with the seasons. I don’t want a big rich smoky whisky quite so often, or a cask strength sherried whisky whilst walking in the snow. I’m drinking more long drinks to while away the summer evenings, or having a little light cocktail at the weekend, and with the sun staying higher in the sky as the days go on, I’m still looking for whiskies with complexity to sip as I sit on my balcony, and perhaps whisky which is a little lighter in style. If you are similar in your changes of tastes as the seasons change, then here are a few suggestions to help you transition into summer.

For the Highball

Johnnie Walker Red label

Made for mixing. Johnnie walker red label is literally designed for mixing, within the mix of casks used to create the whisky the blenders choose some which have been rejuvenated. This is a process where an exhausted cask has a few millimetres shaven off the inside to expose fresh wood to bring the cask back to life. The wood which lies slightly deeper is exposed to new spirit and has a slightly spicier flavour profile. This spicy flavour profile goes particularly well in long drinks, like a whisky and ginger or a whisky and soda with a herbal garnish like Rosemary. Or it even livens up a good old whisky and coke. 

J&B 

J&B is a blend which is designed to be lighter than other blends, making it perfect for a slightly fruitier and sweeter highball. Whether that be with soda water, coke or a number of different new sparking flavoured waters which are on the market, J&B makes a good addition. It is gentle enough not to overpower a highball so you can experiment with your mixer. Try blending mixers or creating your own. Leave citrus fruits or herbs marinating in a jar of water for a few days and mix with your whisky and add a little soda for some fizz.

For the cocktail

Glenfiddich 12

During winter I really get into cocktails which use big sherry style whiskies like a Glenfiddich 15 year old, but as summer gets nearer and nearer, I start to look at lighter cocktails with more acidity like a whisky sour for example. I still want lots of fruit flavours from the whisky, but a little less sherry and weight, so I tend to stick with Glenfiddich but go to the 12 year old which is full of fresh orchard fruits and touches of apricot and vanilla which balances out the lemon in a whisky sour perfectly. 

Glenmorangie Original

The Glenmorangie Original is my all time favourite summer whisky, with light orange blossom and vanilla flavours it simply tastes of summer. I love making Rob Roys and Mint Juleps with this whisky. There is lots of sweetness to the drink as the whisky only uses ex bourbon casks twice in its production keeping the classic American flavours. It’s great for only a for a ten year old whisky. A simple cocktail to make at home involves steeping orange peel in water for 48 hours, and mixing that with Glenmorangie Original, if you like it a little sweeter a touch of sugar syrup can be added.

For sipping

Jura Seven Wood

As you can tell from the name, this whisky uses seven types of oak in its maturation. There's American white oak, and six other French oaks, Limousin, Tronçais, Allier, Vosges, Jupilles, and Les Bertranges. This gives lots of complexity, but with most of the oak being French, there is an elegant light touch to the whisky which is perfect for summer. Think, sipping away in the Tuscan sun or on the Algarve having found yourself at the 19th hole. Smooth, delicious and screams summer to me.

Balvenie 14 Carabbean Cask

When I think of the sun, and although I spent may years in Africa as a child, my mind wanders to the Caribbean, and even in the UK, when the sun comes out and I close my eyes, this is what I think of, and it is made all the easier with a Balvenie 14 year old Caribbean Cask in my hand. With lots of tropical fruit flavours of pineapple and banana running though both the aroma and palate, it is the perfect whisky to dream about summer climates.

If you fancy a little bit of Caribbean fun, and want to try something other than whisky, head over to my article all about the best luxury rums.