During this year’s festival we again held a challenge for Independent Bottlers to find the best independent bottling of Speyside whisky and the best from the rest of whisky. The competition was hotly contended with entries from Adelphi, Berry Brothers & Rudd, Cadenheads’s, Douglas Laing, Duncan Taylor, Gordon & MacPhail, The Scottish Liqueur Centre (Carn Mor) and Wemyss. Both Berry Brothers and the SLC were new to the competition this year.

In both categories we had whiskies from the same distillery but were very different highlighting the craft of the Independent Bottler in selecting unusual casks from that distillery. And again this year almost all of the whiskies had people voting for them as their favourite showing that there is a whisky for everyone and every whisky has someone – the flavours in whisky are as broad as people’s palettes are different.

This year, luckily for once, we had very clear winners in each category!

Speyside Category

We had 7 entries in the Speyside category:

Adelphi Glenrothes 1969 42 Years Old

Benromach 2001 Cask Strength entered by Gordon & MacPhail

Berry’s Glenlivet 1973 38 Years Old

Douglas Laing Old & Rare Glen Grant 1985 25 Years Old

Duncan Taylor Octave Linkwood 1991 20 Years Old

Gordon & MacPhail Glen Grant 25 Years Old

Wemyss Cragganmore 1989 Lemon Grove

The results are:

Third – Berry’s Glenlivet 1973 38 Years Old

Second – Douglas Laing Old & Rare Glen Grant 1985 25 Years Old

First – Adelphi Glenrothes 1969 42 Years Old

Antonia Bruce of Adelphi

Rest of Whisky

We had a whopping 10 entries in the Rest of Whisky Category:

Adelphi Caol Ila 1983 28 Years Old

Amrut Fusion entered by Gordon & MacPhail

Berry’s Bunnahabhain 1990 21 Years Old

Cadenhead’s Royal Brackla 1992 19 Years Old

Carn Mor Bowmore 1996 16 Years Old entered by The SLC

Carn Mor Highland Park 1994 17 Years Old entered by The SLC

Douglas Laing Old & Rare Caol Ila 1980 30 Years Old

Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Cameronbridge 1979 32 Years Old

Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Royal Brackla 1995

Wemyss Bunnahabhain 1991 “Honey Spice”

The results are:

Third – Douglas Laing Rare Old Caol Ila 1980 30 Years Old

Second – Wemyss Bunnahabhain 1991 “Honey Spice”

First – Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Cameronbridge 1979 32 Years Old

Mark Watt of Duncan Taylor

Congratulations to Adelphi and Duncan Taylor!!!

Best Under 18’s

In previous years we have also given an award to the best whisky under 18 years old. We only had one entry in the Speyside category that met this criteria and unfortunately this was not an independent bottling so did not qualify but was very well received in the under 18’s as was the Carn Mor Highland Park and Carn Mor Bowmore who share the prize for the under 18’s in the Rest of Scotland category.

The Owner’s Award

After analysing the voting and comparing that to price to obtain a measure of popularity for price The Owner’s Award (that’s me) goes to the Octave Linkwood as the best buy in the competition with a Crichton coefficient of 0.57. And a very special mention for the Berry’s Glenlivet as I am torn between this and the Adelphi Glenrothes for my personal favourites.

Best Tasting Note

As usual an independent panel reviewed the tasting notes to find the best ones. I stress they were independent and I had nothing to do with it. The winning tasting notes were from Teun van Wel and we will be featuring his tasting note in a later post. Well done to Teun who won his favourite whisky which was the Berry’s Glenlivet. The runner up yet again was Ed Velthuizen. Ed has been either winner or runner up so many times we have decided to appoint him judge for the best tasting note going forward.

Thank You

A big thank you to all the companies that entered and the hundreds of festival goers who took part. This remains one of the few competitions where all of the judging is done by members of the public!!

The Autumn Speyside Festival

For anyone coming to the Autumn Speyside Festival and wishing to attend our events at The WSD Autumn Festival 2012 then it is more than likely than tickets for our events will only be available from our website.  There will be no change for the Spirit of Speyside Festival 2013.

We are launching our programme events for the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2011.  Below is a list of all the tastings that we are putting on you can book them by clicking here, going to spiritofspeyside.com or booking the individual links below.  We have a packed programme with some old friends and some new ones.  It’s going to be great!

For all our events over 18’s only please. Please ensure you have read our terms and conditions . If you want to contact us about this event please email on enquiries@thewsd.co.uk or phone on +44(0)1340 821 097.

The WSD Indepdent Bottlers challenge (Every day of the festival, 10 am to 5pm in the shop)

Come to The Whisky Shop Dufftown and try whiskies from Speyside and the Rest of Whisky entered by independent bottlers and vote for your favourite.

The Whisky Shop Dufftown has laid down its challenge again to Independent Bottlers – who has the best whisky? We have two categories: Speyside; and the Rest of Whisky. Come along to the shop any time we are open during the festival, try the whiskies in a category for £4 at your leisure and vote for your favourite. It shouldn’t take more than an hour. There is also a prize for the best tasting note.

Cafe St James’ – 1 Bacon Roll and 4 Nips (Evert day of the festival, 10 am to 12pm in St James’ Hall)

Ever wondered what the best single malt is to go with a bacon roll?  This is your chance to find out.

One of the highlights of last year’s festivals was the bacon rolls, haggis and stovies provided by the crew at the St James’ Hall. This festival they will again be serving breakfast rolls during the morning and a light meal from lunch time onwards. And from 10 am to midday each day you can have a bacon roll with 4 nips of different single malt whisky! The only down side is that you will be asked to vote for which whisky goes best with a bacon roll – one of the two unsolved mysteries of the world! Rules apply: unsmoked bacon, no egg, no sauce – this is a professional test!!!

Cafe St James’ – Haggis, Neeps & Tatties + 4 nips (Evert day of the festival, 12pm to 2pm in St James’ Hall)

Ever wondered what the best single malt is to go with Haggis, Neeps and Tatties?  This is your chance to find out.

One of the highlights of last year’s festivals was the bacon rolls, haggis and stovies provided by the crew at the St James’ Hall. This festival they will again be serving breakfast rolls during the morning and a light meal from lunch time onwards. And from midday to 2pm each day you can have Haggis, Neeps and Tatties with 4 nips of different single malt whisky! The only down side is that you will be asked to vote for which whisky goes best with the Haggis – one of the two unsolved mysteries of the world! Rules apply: no sauce, no beetroot – this is a professional test!!!

Whisky Tasting: Tullibardine (May 4 @ 13:00 , St James’ Hall)

This is a chance to taste a selection of whiskies from Tullibardine distillery in the capable hands of one of their brand ambassadors.

Tullibardine Distillery nestles at the foot of the Ochil Hills in Perthshire, where the Highlands of Scotland begin. Its whisky is considered to be “eminently quaffable” and what better way can there be explore their range than in a tasting hosted by one the exciting members of the distillery team.

Whisky Tasting: Gordon & MacPhail (May 4 @15:30, St James’ Hall)

This whisky tasting features a selection of whiskies from Gordon & MacPhail, independent bottler, with Mike Patterson.

Gordon & MacPhail is an independent family owned and managed firm which has been bottling Single Malt Whiskies for over 116 years.  From its humble beginnings as a retailer, Gordon and MacPhail has grown to become a diverse and dynamic company with a number of different business interests. Today the company is a retailer, wholesaler, exporter, bottler of Single Malt Scotch Whisky and distiller, owning Benromach Distillery in Forres.

Today Gordon & MacPhail is one of the most prolific independent bottlers with access to whisky from an incredible number of distilleries that are continually winning awards from across the whisky world. There will be 5 whiskies to taste from across the Gordon & MacPhail range. The tasting will be hosted by whisky expert Mike Patterson.

Whisky Tasting: Adelphi (May 4 @ 18:00, St James’ Hall)

This whisky tasting will be of a selection of whiskies from independent bottler Adelphi hosted by Antonia Bruce.

Founded in 1826, the Adelphi Distillery is now Scotland’s most acclaimed independent bottler of single casks of rare malt whisky. Remaining completely independent, Adelphi is able to offer bottlings from an extensive range of distilleries with Charles Maclean chairing their highly experienced nosing team in the pursuit of excellence.

Adelphi is one of the most highly regarded independent bottlers. Some say they perform some sort of alchemy and that they put the other whisky merchants to shame. All we know is that Antonia Bruce will take you through 5 fabulous whiskies at this always popular tasting.

The WSD Challenge 2012 – Speyside Tasting (May 4 @ 20:30, St James’ Hall)

Find the best independent bottling from the Speyside region in The WSD Challenge.

The Whisky Shop Dufftown has laid down its challenge again to Independent Bottlers – who has the best whisky? We have two categories: Speyside; and the Rest of Whisky.

In this tasting you will be able to try all of the entries from the independent bottlers in the Speyside category.  Last year there was more than 8 entries.  Some of the brand ambassadors from the companies entering will also be there to present their whiskies and answer your questions.

Whisky Tasting: Haggis and The WSD Bottlings (May 5 @ 12:00, St James’ Hall)

This is your chance to have a light haggis lunch with 5 whiskies in the company of Mike Lord as he takes a look at this Scottish national dish.

A Haggis is a very old Scottish dish, which combines meats, spices and oatmeal to create a very rich, unusual, but none the less delicious feast. The factual and historic description of Haggis is sometimes off-putting to people who have not tried it. Fortunately, modern techniques in the preparation and presentation of Haggis make it an acceptable delicacy to almost everyone’s palate. In fact, it’s simply delicious.

In this whisky tasting Mike Lord of The Whisky Shop Dufftown will take a whimsical look at the Haggis while you sample some with the traditional accompaniment of neeps and tatties and 5 whiskies from the current selection available from The WSD’s own bottlings.

Whisky Tasting: The Whyte & MacKay Single Malts (May 5 @ 14:30, St James’ Hall)

This whisky tasting is hosted by Steven McConnachie and features whiskies from several of Whyte & MacKay distilleries.

Founded on the docks of Glasgow in 1844, Whyte & Mackay has remained true to itself and its founders’ pioneering spirit for over 160 years.  In 1960 it bought Dalmore distillery and know also owns Fettercairn, Jura and Tamnavulin.

In this tasting Steven McConnachie of Whyte & MacKay will expertly steer you through a tasting of whisky from a selection of the distilleries from the Whyte & MacKay stable. It’s still secret exactly what will be in the tasting as it will depend on the new whiskies that will be available at the time but those that have attended his tastings at previous festivals will know he is likely to bring something new, something rare and quite possibly something not yet released!

Whisky Tasting: Wemyss (May 5 @ 17:00, St James’ Hall)

The Wemyss Family comes from Fife and have had a long standing passion for malt whisky and their connections with the industry date back to the turn of the 19th century when John Haig (founder of Haig’s) built his first distillery on Wemyss land. Their range of hand crafted malts was conceived with the aim of making them more accessible and understandable using the taste and aromas of the individual whiskies to identify each bottling, rather than the distillery.

In this masterclass Susan Colville will take you through the latest whiskies Wemyss has bottled. Susan has worked for some of the most iconic independent whisky companies around. Her work has taken her around the world into many different markets. Her extensive experience and talent always come to the fore in her tastings. But she remains a Rothes’ girl at heart.

The WSD Challenge 2012 – The Rest o’Whisky Tasting (May 6 @  11:00, St James’ Hall)

The Whisky Shop Dufftown has laid down its challenge again to Independent Bottlers – who has the best whisky? We have two categories: Speyside; and the Rest of Whisky.

In this tasting you will be able to try all of the entries from the independent bottlers in the Rest of Whisky category. Last year there was more than 8 entries. Some of the brand ambassadors from the companies entering will also be there to present their whiskies and answer your questions.

Whisky Tasting: Glenmorangie and Ardbeg (May 6 @ 13:00, St James’  Hall)

In this tasting Martin Grant will take you through a selection of single malts from Glenmorangie and Ardbeg.

Every year during the Festival The Whisky Shop Dufftown showcases distilleries from outside of Speyside. In this tasting we cover two of the most iconic distilleries in the world of whisky, Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, in one tasting!

With the tallest stills, the most advanced approach to extra-maturation and a commitment to only ever using their casks twice, you could say Glenmorangie is striving for one thing – perfection. And in the world of Ardbeg, peat is important. For it is this soggy, unassuming matter which gives Ardbeg its famous flavour. Ardbeg is the PEATIEST and SMOKIEST of all the Islay malts, yet has a fruity floral sweetness and complexity to the spirit. Two very contrasting styles and the best of both worlds.

In this masterclass Martin Grant from the Moet Hennessy Group will take you through a selection of whiskies from both distilleries, Glenmorangie and Ardbeg. This is a tasting definitely not to be missed.

Whisky Tasting: Cadenheads (May 6 @ 15:30, St James’ Hall)

This whisky tasting is hosted by Mark Davidson of Cadenheads, independent bottler.

The firm of William Cadenhead Ltd, Wine and Spirit Merchants, was founded in 1842 and is Scotland’s oldest independent bottler. The company was owned by the same family until taken over by J & A Mitchell & Co.Ltd in 1972, the proprietors of Springbank distillery. The name of Cadenhead is now a household name in the whisky world, and the present owners have expanded the Cadenhead business whilst still keeping the goals and traditional methods the firm began with in 1842.

This tasting will be hosted by the legendary Mark Davidson – the jolly toper himself. Expect fabulous whisky and all the information you can possibly need from Mark.

Whisky Tasting: The Lesser Known Diageo (May 6 @ 18:00)
This tasting looks at some of the less well known and increasingly rare whiskies from the world’s biggest whisky company, Diageo.

Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine. Their Scotch collection ranges from the precious legacy of distilleries and operating sites all over Scotland, to the global icon of Johnnie Walker – the world’s number one selling Blended Scotch Whisky.

In this tasting Donald Colville, Global Scotch Whisky Ambassador for Diageo’s Malt Whiskies and Global Ambassador for Friends of the Classic Malts, will take a personal look at some of the lesser known expressions of single malts from Diageo.  We cannoy say exactly which ones but you will be bragging about what you got to try!

Donald is a long time friend of the festival and The Whisky Shop Dufftown. He is also now a film star. Check out his whisky journey and learn more about the classic malts and how to properly wear a Manbag.

Robin Laing – Music, Poems and Laughter (May 6 @ 20:30)

The Whisky Bard Robin Laing is one of Scotland’s premier folk singer-song writer and will entertain with whisky

Whisky fanatic, superb song writer, singer and very funny man Robin Laing entertains and there will be 5 whiskies to help the evening’s enjoyment.  And even better many of his fabulous songs are whisky inspired.  A highlight of every festival.

Whisky Tasting: Yamazaki Distillery (May 7 @ 13:00)

This whisky tasting brings a Japanese whisky experience to Speyside and focuses on Suntory’s whiskies and is hosted by Tatsuya Minagaw.

Suntory’s founder Shinjiro Torii began Japan’s first whisky distillery on the outskirts of Kyoto in 1923 in the district of Yamazaki. In 1973 a further distillery was built in Hakushu at the foot of Mt. Kaikomagatake in Japan’s Southern Alps. Suntory refined its techniques at these two distilleries to develop a variety of first-rate unblended whiskies, products such as the single malt whiskies Yamazaki and Hakushu, as well as Hibiki blended whisky.

From Yamazaki was born the surprising, delicate yet profound experience of a Japanese single malt. with its signature multi-layered taste is highly praised by whisky connoisseurs all over the world. Today, it is the “number-one” single malt whisky in Japan.

This tasting is hosted by Tatsuya Minagawa and will feature whiskies from Yamazaki, Hakushu & Hibiki. Tatsuya has worked on Speyside for many years and some may know him, his passion and knowledge of whisky from the Craigellachie Hotel and the Highlander Inn. Come and sample some of the best Japanese whisky right here on Speyside.

Whisky Tasting: Douglas Laing (May 7@ 15:00)

Whisky Tasting of the pick of the best from independent bottler Douglas Laing with Jan Becker.

Glasgow-based Douglas Laing & Co is an independent bottler and blender headed by brothers, Fred and Stewart Laing, who proved the value of nepotism when they succeeded their father, Fred Douglas who founded the company in 1948.

Those at Douglas Laing regard themselves very much as a company of sensitive souls – artisans, if you like – steadfastly creating a quality selection of the finest Scotch whisky. Their care and devotion has earned themselves an enviable reputation at home and abroad for style and taste.

Jan Beckers is the Malt Ambassador for Douglas Laing and has spent many years in the whisky industry refining his knowledge and skill. He is also an accomplished chef which emphasises his fine palate and wide sensory knowledge that are key to his job. In this tasting he will take you through a selection of Douglas Laing’s latest bottlings.

Whisky Tasting: Duncan Taylor (May 7 @ 17:30)

A chance to sample 5 whiskies from Duncan Taylor’s latest range with Andrew Shand

Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Ltd is a family owned, luxury Scotch whisky specialist. With origins dating back to 1864 in Glasgow where the company was initially a merchant and broker of Scotch Whisky casks within the industry. The company selects and matures casks from distilleries across the length and breadth of Scotland and currently owns one of the world’s largest private collections of vintage Scotch whisky. With a multi-award winning brand portfolio, Duncan Taylor harnesses generations of expertise to deliver the finest whisky without compromise

Devotion to the principle of providing only the finest casks to be filled at Scotland’s leading distilleries has been a key feature of the company’s history and this tradition of building an outstanding portfolio of the finest scotch whiskies is being maintained to this day by the current owners. In this tasting you will be able to sample from their latest bottlings with the expert guidance of the irrepressible Andrew Shand.

The Whisky Shop Dufftown Drams Party (May 7 @ 20:00)

Come along and try some of the whiskies from The Whisky Shop Dufftown’s tastings you may have missed and plenty of other whiskies too.

The Whisky Shop Dufftown staff and festival crew will be on hand to help you try a selection of the whiskies from the tastings hosted by The Whisky Shop Dufftown you may have missed or retry some plus other samples and left-over’s from the past year. This will help you make a decision on any purchases you may want to make. There may also be a few surprises. This is a great way to finish the festival.

And you get to keep your Glencairn glass

A Final Note

In the past we have offered our events at a cheaper price that the festival website as we passed on the savings of a making a direct booking to you.  Unfortunately the festival does not allow this and we are not able to do that anymore.  Of course you don’t pay a booking fee by booking direct with us.

Speyside Tours runs unique days out in and About Speyside designed especially for you. Get a taste for the world famous Malt Whisky region of Speyside in the Northeast Highlands of Scotland.

Roy Mathers is the man behind Speyside Tours and he’d love to show you the beautiful area where he was born and brought up. The local villages of Craigellachie, Rothes and Aberlour were his childhood haunts but as a kid he didn’t really appreciate their significance in the local and natural history of the Northeast of Scotland. Now though, his interest in history coupled with his passion for the Speyside area and for malt whisky has led him to want to tell you all “About Speyside”.

The white raven has been received at The Whisky Shop Dufftown – winter is definitely here.  We are very concerned for the fate of Jon Snow and we hope he can rise again in the next installment of Game of Thrones.  In that hope we have created a Jon Snow Phoenix wall in the shop to keep out the Others and in a shameless attempt to plug our new stock of this whisky.  And fankly, we had no where else to put it!

A small new release from Adelphi but well worth a look

Adelphi Aultmore 1982 29 Years Old

This is another top class Aultmore from Adelphi. They believe it to be one of their best and describe it as a perfect breakfast whisky.

Nose: Underripe bananas. Then the bananas ripen and become banana cheesecake. After water, estery notes of warm polythene or vinyl. Faded dried mixed herbs and muesli.

Taste: Sweet and syrupy. After water, smooth, sweet with rolled-oats.

Finish: Dusty malt and green banana skins in the finish.

Adelphi Benriach 1977 34 Years Old

It’s been a long time since Adelphi last produced a Benriach and it has been worth the wait.

Nose: Tinned peaches in syrup and white grapes with zesty orange peel. Behind this, hints of sphagnum moss [peat moss]. Almonds.

Taste: Oily mouthfeel. Light sweeteness. Water introduces mint toffee (Murray Mints). Musty grape skins. Soft, creamy texture. A trace of spice at the back of the tongue.

Finish: Honeycomb in the finish. An aftertaste of maturation warehouse. A lovely dusting of chocolate.

Adelphi Bowmore 2001 10 Years Old

An amazing toffee sweet Bowmore.

Nose: Straight away, sweet highland toffee – a thick and creamy nose that develops with Caboc (highland cheese rolled in toasted oatmeal), and traces of butterscotch and chocolate malt. On the nose, the smoke is apparent, but never overpowering.

Taste: Surprisingly sweet to taste as well, and now very smoky, with hints of warm railway sleepers; lingering creosote smokiness. Water makes it more mineralic; bath salts, and a trace of carbolic soap.

Finish: The McCowan’s highland toffee returns in the finish, now swathed in hessian sacks.

See our full Adelphi range.

Here are the new bottlings we have in from Doulas Laing.  The tasting notes are from them.

Old Malt Cask Glen Ord 1997 14 Years Old

It’s getting harder and harder to find Glen Ord particularly in Europe.  This one is a very fruity orangy example.

Nose: Opens clean & refreshing – running to sweet fruit + gristy style.

Taste: Still sweet – a macerated ripe fruit character + gentle spices.

Finish: Long – sweetly spiced with a pleasant orange bitters lingering.

Old Malt Cask Glenrothes 1990 21 Years Old

Although this is from a refill sherry but it is a big sherried whisky with lots of citrus and ginger nicely balanced with leather and tobacco.

Nose: Richly spiced – running to a caramelised orange trait + barley sugar.

Taste: Mouth coating with toffee and ginger + a warming citrus quality.

Finish: Long – carrying an attractive oak, leather & sweet tobacco style.

Old Malt Cask Glen Keith 1993 18 Years Old

It’s difficult to find a single cask Glen Keith and particularly one that doesn’t break the bank.  And this one is even very very drinkable.

Nose: Fresh & fruitily sweet + fresh homemade shortbread + sweet melon.

Taste: Distinctly barley sugared running to a sweet orange/lime zest style.

Finish: Still fresh and fruity – replicating nose & palate + more zest.

Old Malt Cask Imperial 1976 35 Years Old

Oooh, an old Imperial and with definite traces of peat smoke!

Nose: Dry cedar wood shavings open to sweet dark fruit tones + ash

Taste: Richly spiced – lightly smoked/peated + old wooden candy boxes.

Finish: Camphor and cough drops + warming spices + late soft leather.

Old Malt Cask Knockando 1994 17 Years Old

A lush spicy, honey toasty Knockando.

Nose: Opens fruity & sweetly spiced running to a bees wax style.

Taste: Rich – carrying a dry spicy quality + a distinct oak character. Rich – carrying a dry spicy quality + a distinct oak character.

Finish: Long – still spicy + burnt toast & honey that runs and runs.

Old Malt Cask Laphroaig 1993 18 Years Old

Now this is a very good Laphraoig.

Nose: Opens sweet & vanilla’d running to soft smoke + flamed orange zest

Taste: Still sweet & softly smoked + more vanilla – burnt home baked style.

Finish: Long – with an ashes and burnt wood character + lingering creosote.

See our full Douglas Laing range.

AD Rattray Bowmore 1998 12 Years Old

This is a big Bowmore which I found more smoky that the tasting notes from ADR with intriguing orange peel.  Well worth the money.  A genuine  winter warmer.

Nose: Malty cereal notes, a touch of smoke and peat with hints of orange peel.

These are the new additions we have had in (that are still in stock).  These were all tried at Susan Colville’s tasting at The Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival.

“Lemon Grove” Cragganmore 1989

Nose:  Candid lemons, toffee bonbons, roasted pears and salted lime (from the rim of the Tequila glass).

Taste: Real lemonade and oak chips spice.

Finish: Sweet fruit syrup.  Festival reporter, Bruce Chricton, also reported smoke on the finish.

Summary: This is a delightful older Cragganmore.  It has many attributes of an aged bourbon cask whisky but also maintains some youthful characteristics.  It has gone down very well at all the tastings we have used it in.

“Caribbean Fruits” Glencadam 1990

Nose: Pineapple chunks in a wooden box with gratefruit and raisin syrup.

Taste: Light tropical fruit salad and more gratefruit with tinned peaches.  Festival reporter Bruce Chrichton also reported lots of golden honey.

Finish: Sweet fruit salad syrup.

Summary:  A very tropical fruit Glencadam and rates and one of the best Glencadams I have had.

“Honey Spice” Bunnahabhain 1991

Nose: Spiced smoked raisin juice (almost fire damaged oloroso sherry) with ozone and chewy toffee.  Festival reporter Bruce Chricton also reported coffee and treacle.

Taste: Sweet sherry trifle, toffe flatjacks and fruit cake crusts.

Finish:  More fruit cake which has been a little over cooked.

Summary:  There is a crop of excellent sherried Bunnahabhains going round the indpendents and this is no exception.  The sherry isn’t over powering, there’s no sulphur and the touch of smoke blends in well.

Also to follow from Wemyss when back in stock:

Whispering Smoke from Caol Ila and Vanilla Summer from Clynelish

Provenance Craigellachie 1999 12 Years Old:  Another rare sherried Craigellachie from Douglas Laing.  This has a couple of years on the previous expressions and that has helped develop the sherry qualities in to rich toffee notes.

Old Malt Cask Rosebank 21 Years Old (DL Ref – 0000): This is another great Rosebank from DL.  This is the second cask os 21 Years Old from 1990 that they have released this year.

Old Malt Cask Port Ellen 1983 28 Years Old: Port Ellen is getting ever rare and the price reflects that.  We suspect DL will move all future releases up to Old & Rare soon so they will get even more expensive.  That said this is a great example which is more peated than some.

Directors’ Cut Blair Athol 1995 16 Years Old: The Director’s cut is a new range from DL and sits between Old Malt Cask and Old & Rare.  The packaging is extremely nice and this one holds a cracking sherried Blair Athol,

Old & Rare Caol Ila 1980 30 Years Old:  This is a prime example of an old Caol Ila.  The smoke is more subtle on the palate allowing lots of sweet barley to come through.

Old & Rare Laphroaig 1986 25 Years Old: I love old Laphroaigs and this one is no disappointment.  The smoke has settled but it’s still there – more prominent than whiskies of the same age from its contemporaries, and there is lots of citrus and honey emerging through.

To see all our whiskies from Douglas Laing click here.

Having read ‘Aardvarks in your wardrobe’ by Agamemnon McWhirter, I headed to Dufftown. No longer perplexed by this household pest, the Autumn Speyside Whisky festival was just what I needed with several days of great whisky, great food and an electrifying tasting contest. Here is my account of it.

The reader is cautioned that this is not a definitive guide and I apologize in advance for any factual errors and note that tasting notes are subjective with comment added from expert tasters present during note-taking. To shorten the report, I refer the reader to previous reports and tastings if a whisky has re-appeared and also assumed the reader is familiar with any widely available bottlings mentioned. Any cask samples tasted are described briefly, since these are not available for the reader to buy. Finally, any water added to a whisky tasted was, literally, one drop and whiskies were 40% abv, if the strength is not otherwise indicated.

Mates of the Museum

Thursday night saw the ‘Mates of the Museum’ bringing together old friends and new as retiring festival bus driver and recognized genius Mike Hendry was presented with an award and applauded by several foxes who remember Mike teaching them cunning when they were young.

Auchroisk tour

Pausing on Friday morning to teach a young Norwegian lady the words ‘Baldy’, ‘Cue ball’ and ‘Slap head’ using a handy prop that I keep with me at all times, I headed by bus tour to Auchroisk distillery where Paul Hooper of Diageo, took us round. This tour was more extensive than the spring festival visit and Paul noted that Auchroisk uses Optic, Oxbridge and Forensic malt produced at nearby Burghead, and produces grassy spirit as well as the more familiar nutty character new-make, an unusual feature though a few Diageo sites can produce two or more spirit characters by varying the fermentation time.

Less than one per cent of the whisky produced there is bottled as single malt with the vast bulk going to the Johnnie Walker and J & B blends. With the capacity to produce 3.7 million litres of alcohol per year, from 8 very tall stills, the distillery expects to go to 7 days a week production next year.

Extensive tanking and warehousing facilities allow spirit from nearby Diageo distilleries to be transported by tanker to Auchroisk where Diageo also warehouse whisky for Chivas, with Chivas doing the same for them nearby. As luck would have it, new make spirit from sister distillery Inchgower arrived during our visit as Johnnie Walker Green Label and Glen Ord mature spirit departed for bottling.  Instructive, also, was a demonstration of an ‘Anton Paar’ machine that measures alcoholic strength.

At the blending hall disgorging unit, casks are emptied, and whisky blended and reduced before being sent away by tanker for bottling, while the ‘rubbish’ is filtered from the casks and the filters are cleaned three times a day. Chill-filtration takes place at the bottling hall. Also used is a colour measurement device that checks the activity of the casks in use.

Rounding off was a promotional DVD narrated by Robert Carlyle and then Erin took us through a tutored tasting that began with the 10 year old bottling from the now discontinued ‘Flora and Fauna’ range reviewed in the spring 2011 report. Next we tasted the popular Mortlach 16 and found it in fine form though lighter than old with treacle and Christmas cake on the nose, a sweet and spicy middle, and with a warm finish with a little smoke. Next was the Talisker 10 year old, at 45.8%abv, of which more later, before we ended with a taste of Johnnie Walker’s 18 year old ‘Gold Label’ straight from the freezer (!) which is best rolled on the tongue for the full velvet, honey and spice effect.

Gordon and MacPhail

Mike Patterson from Gordon and MacPhail (G&M) opened with a 1997 ‘distillery label’ Strathisla, at 43%abv, matured in refill sherry casks. This had fruit syrup, Wham bars and Parma violets on both nose and taste before a short finish. As we tasted this, Mike showed us samples from the feints, foreshots and middle cut of Benromach new make spirit which had both fruit and cereal aromas, noting that the cut is of crucial importance as, should feints get into the cask, the taste will never go away with maturation.

Benromach Burgundy finish, at 45%abv, had spent 7 years in wine casks as Mike reasons that there is no point in finishing if it does not influence the final taste. This elegant dram was light, creamy and winey.

A 1971 ‘MacPhail’s  Collection’ Tamdhu, at 43%abv, matured in refill sherry casks had massive oak on the nose with some light smoke and cream in its stylish taste with a very long and warm finish.

A 1997 Imperial, at 62.7%abv, had a delicious smell of wedding cake with the same again to taste before golden syrup and thick, chewy toffee. The finish was rich and long and this whisky needed amazingly little water given its high bottling strength and comes highly recommended to the reader.

By contrast, a 1997 Connoisseur’s Choice Caol Ila, at 43%abv, was very gentle and had delicately smoked fish aromas and some lovely soft, sweet peat on the taste before a salty and long finish. Mike noted that Caol Ila had produced whisky from unpeated spirit relatively recently as it had been threatened with closure before the recent boom in Islay whiskies.

Mark vs. Bruce – a never to be forgotten contest

For many years, this writer has driven many brand ambassadors round the twist but, when I challenged Mark Watt to a tasting contest, the foot was on the other hand though, nonetheless, I held my own.

New rules had been brought into place following 2009’s Mark Vs Susan contest allowing Mark and I to both weigh in with our own thoughts on each other’s whiskies during our presentations. There was no limit on the number of whiskies allowed for each contest though the budget was fixed for both of us.

Mark, who is rehearsing for the title role in the upcoming film ‘The Oliver Reed Story’, went first, opining ‘whatever happens, Bruce will win’ before introducing his choice with the theme ‘Whiskies you should have in your cupboard’. The whiskies were the widely available Macallan 12, Highland Park 18, at 43%abv, Talisker 10 and Ardbeg 10, at 46%abv. Noting that the 12 year old is much better than the 10 year old, Mark waxed lyrical about the Macallan and the fact that it is now for sale in Britain.

The Highland Park 18 is fully matured in sherry casks these days and is an old favourite of mine and Mark, effectively combining the often contradictory tastes of peat and sherry with more spiciness than Mark remembers. Meanwhile Talisker 10 is back on form with characteristic, smoke and pepper and is still a whisky not to be drunk so much as conquered as the attack is at the start and the finish is very sweet. This whisky also gave Mark a chance to vent his feelings about a group of people he has encountered who swear that there is no salt in whisky and have made t-shirts stating this.

Ardbeg 10 showed conclusively that the big peat attack of years gone by is on the wane from the south Islay whiskies but this has given them the chance to show that they do not merely have one big punch as much sweetness awaits those who taste this. Ardbeg have also released a new bottling called ‘Alligator’ and Mark recounted the story of a live alligator being brought to a whisky festival. (Some jokes just tell themselves.)

After a short break, it was my turn, this time, to present five whiskies that tasted mostly of Scotch. (You knew it was coming, didn’t you?) The secondary theme of my collection was ‘Under the radar’ as these were whiskies that had never featured in a tasting and were highly unlikely to do so. As the reader may imagine, it is extremely difficult to give a tasting and report on it at the same time and I must confess to the reader that nerves really kicked in after about three minutes. However, experiencing a huge rush of adrenaline, I managed to keep going and continue to present my theme while moving on to such surreal topics as Donald Pleasance’s appearance in Columbo, the pros and cons of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, and the history of Benromach before recording an unexpected round of applause.

My first choice, Glen Moray 10, fully matured in Chardonnay casks, was described by Mark as a ‘great breakfast dram’ and had a marvelous cereal maltiness to it and appeared to be the surprise low-budget hit of the festival. Stronachie 18, at 46%abv, is an independent bottling of Benrinnes from A.D. Rattray and has a lovely taste of honey to rival the illustrious Balvenie. This bottling comes from 6 ex-bourbon casks and 2 sherry casks, in contrast to rival expressions that are matured in sherry casks.

Benromach 2001 Cask Strength, at 59.9%abv, is from six first fill bourbon casks and allows the light level of peat to show through as well as being smooth at the high alcoholic strength. Mark reckoned that it had a fantastic nose – making it this report’s Scarlett Johansson of whisky.

I gambled on two heavily peated whiskies to finish with, the Port Charlotte An Turas Mor, at 46%abv, and Benriach Birnie Moss, at 48%abv. The Benriach was, perhaps, the least successful of my choices though Phil Yorke reckoned it tasted of roasted peppers. The Port Charlotte, from Bruichladdich distillery, contains whisky between five and eight years old and had more obvious peat flavours. This gave me the chance to detail the difference between the level of peat present in barley, the level in the whisky and the level that humans can actually taste. Mark’s choice of Ardbeg had given both of us the chance to expound on the subject and, also, to draw the distinction between young Islay whiskies and the well-aged Islay whiskies featured in other festivals and that would feature that weekend as well. Finally, I asked the audience to compare these whiskies to those that would appear in a tasting from Kilchoman distillery as they were about the same age and same strength. The reader is invited to try this at home.

Having concluded the tasting, it was time for three rounds of voting for who had the best whiskies, the best information and who was the most entertaining. Incredibly, I won the first two rounds but Mark massacred me in the third round, just as he massacred the English language while commenting on the Port Charlotte, and he was the overall winner but, no matter, everyone present had a great night and both of us received several thunderous bursts of applause.

Mike Lord’s WSD bottlings

Sadly, festival regular Danny Maguire missed the festival having sustained a large cut on the bridge of his nose while shaving though this was not as embarrassing as the time he accidentally bit the back of his own head. Consequently he missed the whiskies presented by Mike Lord, of the Whisky Shop Dufftown (WSD) who says that Danger is his middle name and it is – he changed it by deed poll from Leslie.

A 1994 (G&M) Imperial, at 57.2%abv, had both vanilla and bananas on the nose – classic bourbon cask characteristics in the view of Mike who once head-butted a shark causing it to lose several teeth. (The shark learned its lesson and will never drink in the same pub as Mike again.) Mike also observes that the casks he has bottled from G&M have clouded with very little water addition but the reader can be assured that this is of no matter as each bottling is among the best I have ever tasted. The Imperial was exceptionally smooth with vanilla and coconut flavours and a very long finish with a hint of pepper.

A 1970 Duncan Taylor (DTC) Glenrothes, at 43.3%abv, had been matured in a bourbon cask before spending a further six weeks in an octave sherry cask giving it the smell of an elegant bourbon as well as exotic fruit juice along with delicate spice and oak flavours with just a hint of sherry and a long, orange cream finish.

A 1994 Old Malt Cask (OMC) Benrinnes, at 55.1%abv, from a first fill sherry butt had both sticky toffee pudding and orange peel on the nose. The middle was very sweet and syrupy followed by toffee and wedding cake with a long, very warm and soothing finish. In a brief history lesson, Mike drew attention to the fact the successive owners of the distillery had gone bust until the company that became Diageo bought it. Mike also stocks 17 and 19 year old OMC Benrinnes releases, at 50%abv, which are much different to this.
Benrinnes makes heavy spirit, using worm tub condensers, unlike Balblair distillery, which makes altogether lighter spirit. Despite being a refill sherry cask, something that G&M are expert at, 1995 Balblair at 52.9%abv and covered in Autumn 2010 is far more influenced by the cask than the Benrinnes and is quite simply a work of genius. 25% of Balblair production is bottled as single malt although independent releases are hard to find, as are bottlings from any of the Inver House group, bar Pulteney. Interestingly, Mike talked of the risk of signing his own name to any whisky although my suggestion that he bottle under the pseudonym of Sir Anderson Tadpole the third was, no doubt, the daftest idea he had ever heard.

From a refill sherry cask came an Adelphi 1991 Bunnahabhain, at 51.9%abv. Only a few bottles are available with the rest of the cask going to the next bottling of their highly successful ‘Liddesdale’. The wonderful nose had both sherry and Christmas cake with brandy butter. The taste and finish were the same with just a hint of smoke.

Closing, we had a 1971 Glenfarclas ‘Family Cask’, at 51.5%abv, and it was characteristic of the distillery with classic sherry character throughout, especially wedding cake and was one of 496 bottles.  In selecting this cask, Mike had tasted sixteen 1971 samples that had varied in alcoholic strength by no more than two percent and varied in volume by no more than ten bottles. This was the stuff that dreams are made off and anyone who can obtain a bottle of this is to be congratulated, as is Mike for having his finger on the pulse of people’s taste buds with his cask selection.

Tannochbrae Gala Dinner with Glenfiddich whisky

Saturday night in Dufftown brought a manifold treat with dinner at Tannochbrae restaurant where Allan and Susie served up some more fantastic fare accompanied by whiskies from the mighty Glenfiddich distillery, presented by the magnificent Bert Macor and music from the great Robin Laing featuring tracks from his non-whisky related albums such as ‘Punters’.

As well as the widely available and delicious ‘Rich Oak’ 14 year old, we had cask samples of the 15 year old ‘New Wood’ finish, a component of the huge-selling 15 year old ‘Solera Reserve’, and an 18 year old, drawn from the marrying tun while the 19 year old ‘Age of Discovery’, finished in Madeira casks offered us a marvelously sweet sherbet-like dram. These whiskies enabled Bert to demonstrate his knowledge of both history and geography, with a story of Portuguese conquistadors, and to pay tribute to new malt master Brian Kinsman who hopes to bring Glenfiddich into the limelight with innovation.

Released a mere 3 weeks previously, Glenfiddich ‘Malt Master edition’, at 43%abv, had been finished in sherry casks that gave it the taste of strawberries and cream as well as Turkish Delight cubed sweets.

Another new release is Glenfiddich 21 Gran Reserva Rum Finish, at 43.2%abv, and smells of brown sugar and tropical fruit. I found the taste was of cream and spice but reckon that a professional writer could be inspired to wax lyrical for several lines. For best results, the reader is recommended to pour a large dram and roll on the tongue.

Whisky and Chocolate with Mike Lord and Victoria Duty

After cleaning out the aardvarks from my attic with the help of another book by Agamemnon McWhirter, I headed to the Masonic hall for Whisky and Chocolate presented by Mike and Vicky.
The intrepid Mike had journeyed far and wide to lands where no human eye had previously set foot to find whiskies that combined effectively with ‘Olive Tree Chocolate’ from Elgin. Vicky is a chocolatier which apparently does not mean that she know Dogtanian. (I really wish I had composed this one myself).

As with previous whisky and food combinations, the whiskies chosen are widely available distillery releases. These were: Clynelish 14, at 46%abv, Strathisla 12, Aberlour A’Bunadh batch 36, at 60.1%abv, Glenfarclas 105 and Glendronach 18 ‘Allardice’, at 46%abv. Clynelish and A’Bunadh are benchmark whiskies for pairing with chocolate, according to Mike who does not comment on rumours that a Komodo dragon died a few days after he bit it.

Vicky opened with ‘Java’ – a milk chocolate consisting of 33% cocoa that is very silky, creamy and moreish and paired it with Clynelish. Next was ‘Ghana’ milk chocolate, 40% cocoa, and Strathisla 12. Robin Laing thinks that this drying whisky compliments the higher cocoa content of the chocolate and lengthens the finish.

Batch 36 of the popular A’Bunadh series is lighter in character than previous batches and is not to the taste of Robin or Mike but is more to mine. This was matched with ‘Saint Domingue’ from the Caribbean and is 70% cocoa and prompted Robin to read some of the limericks he had written about the A’Bunadh.

‘Equateur’ plain chocolate is 78% cocoa and was served with Glenfarclas 105, A’Bunadh’s great rival, and led to stories being told of a Sunday Times journalist drinking with Glenfarclas’ George Grant and a rather surreal aftermath.  Mike cautions that combining whisky with chocolate can lead to the taste of the whisky being stripped away and only the spirit being left behind. In particular, the robust Talisker 10 year old does not appear to go with chocolate at all.

Finally, ‘Kumabo’ African chocolate containing 80.1% cocoa was tasted alongside the Glendronach. Apparently, this is a hard chocolate to pair with whisky. As always, these whisky and food combinations can be recreated in the comfort of the reader’s own home with the whisky from Mike and chocolate from Olive Tree and all that remains is to congratulate Vicky on taking her first festival tasting.

Exotic Wildlife and Wemyss Whisky with Susan Colville

Susan Colville, 2011 Whisky Magazine ‘Young Brand Ambassador of the Year’, who says that she cannot handle two days of solid drinking any more, presented Wemyss Vintage malts.  (I prefer liquid drinking; it comes so much more naturally.) Also celebrating was Mike Lord who had won Whisky Magazine’s ‘Single Outlet Whisky Retailer of the Year’ award. (Legend has it that Mike stung a Portuguese man of war Jellyfish to death while swimming in the sea.)

Each bottling was 46%abv and, as usual, named after the dominant flavour present. My notes are accompanied by wildlife provided to liven things up still further and to drive Susan round the twist as well.

2000 Linkwood ‘Vanilla Zest’ had matured in a refill bourbon cask. This ideal summer whisky was very fresh with plenty of citrus notes and a slightly sharp and long finish though Susan could have lived without my added note of ‘Andean Condors’. (Nothing beats soaring over the mountains, looking for carrion.)
Bottled on the Tuesday before the festival was a 1989 Cragganmore called ‘Lemon Grove’. Susan is a big fan of older Cragganmore as she thinks it improves with age. Though I commented that it tasted of Spectacled Caimans, this whisky did not have a bite and should not be confused with the recent Ardbeg Alligator bottling. Accurately named, it had strong lemon on the nose and taste as well as oak and had a long, warm and smoky finish.

1990 Glencadam ‘Caribbean fruits’ smelled of light, golden honey and had both honey and spice tastes in equal measure and a short, creamy finish. 1997 Clynelish ‘Vanilla Summer’ did indeed smell and taste of vanilla, honey and fruit syrup although my comment about tube-nosed fruit bats was not strictly true. (This species was only discovered in 2009).

1981 Caol Ila ‘Whispering Smoke’ was distilled 6 weeks before Susan was born and had been fully matured in a second fill bourbon cask. This was a wonderful, subtle and luxurious dram with notes of spice, salt, pepper and lightly smoked bacon and an exceptionally long finish.
We closed with 1991 Bunnahabhain ‘Honey Spice’, matured in a first fill sherry cask that gave it coffee and treacle aromas with syrup and treacle flavours and a long, complex finish. I did announce loudly, also, the taste of Leopard Seals, which will not make this attractive to any penguins reading the report.

Robin Laing – ‘Pink whisky and the music of love’

Robin’s pink whiskies were the widely available Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, at 46% abv, Arran Amarone, at 50%abv, his own Bruichladdich fully matured in port and covered in the Spring 2011 report, Benriach Solstice, at 50% abv, and Octomore ‘Orpheus’, at 61%abv, from Bruichladdich distillery. The Benriach has now sold out, as has the Orpheus though, it should be noted, that the 140 ppm phenol level in the barley should not intimidate the reader and all Octomore batches have been exceptionally high in quality and no more difficult to drink than rival cask strength editions from Laphroaig and Ardbeg, for example, and sweetens considerably with water. Amarone is a heavy red Italian wine.

As well as tracks from his current album ‘Whisky for breakfast’, he featured love songs such as ‘I believe in you’, ‘Watershed’, ‘Black Rose’, ‘Closer to heaven’ and ‘Silver’. The brilliant ‘Kirk Douglas Ghoullie’ was also played and ‘Breakfast Whisky’ was given an extra verse while ‘Heaven Hill’ substituted a Smart car for the Mustang in the album version.

Returning to the whisky, Robin paid tribute to Glenmorangie for both their cask management and bottling strength and added that in Greek mythology Orpheus was ripped to pieces by women and wondered if he had lived in Dufftown.

Highlights from Robin’s performance are available on both Facebook and www.youtube.com.

Glen Moray Tour

Glen Moray distillery’s modus operandi is covered in depth in my Spring 2006 report and touring it on the Monday morning was still informative as the distillery is in full flow under French owners La Martiniquaise. Production is 2.2 million litres per annum from 24 hours a day, 7 days a week running. 50 per cent of production is bottled as single malt and, in the pipeline, are peated spirit distilled in 2010 and a number of releases fully matured in wine casks. Enthusiastic visitors can also bottle their own, straight from the cask, and the non-age statement, 12 year old and 16 year old expressions are available to taste, alongside limited edition ‘Manager’s dram’ bottles all of which represent tremendous value for money.

‘I was there ‘Adelphi Tasting with Antonia Bruce

As well as presenting new company baseball caps and a boxed set of four miniatures called ‘Nightcaps’, Antonia Bruce introduced a stellar collection of single cask whiskies., the first of which was 1997 Clynelish, at 59.1%abv, taken from a refill bourbon cask. This tasted of golden honey and fizzy sherbet with a long, warm and mellow finish.

A 1984 Tamdhu, at 48.8%abv, gave Antonia the chance to explain the ‘Saladin’ maltings process, which is apparently highly efficient and makes for robust spirit. Having matured in a refill sherry cask, this smelled of fruit salad chew bars with a fruity, waxy taste and a hint of chocolate at the end. Also, Antonia mentioned a blind tasting of fruit gums and it’s reassuring to know that I’m not the only one with a terrible sweet tooth.

1984 Linkwood, at 53.2%abv, also from refill sherry, had a lovely nose that inspired me to write at length as I found sherry, coffee, dark chocolate, treacle, Bovril and balsamic vinegar. The taste was surprisingly delicate and restrained and the finish long. Linkwood distillery is highly picturesque, apparently, and the surrounding wildlife was the inspiration for parent company Diageo’s ‘Flora and Fauna’ series. Linkwood has an ‘A’ distillery built in 1872 and a ‘B’ distillery built in 1971 and Norwegian Linkwood fan Snorre Lenes notes that distillery ‘A’ has not been used for many years.

1965 Lochside ‘single blend’ whisky, at 52.3%abv, provided all present with an ‘I was there’ moment. Lochside, in Montrose, operated between 1957 and 1992 and was co-founded by Joseph W Hobbs, owner of Ben Nevis distillery, and had both malt and grain facilities on site. This blend was 50% malt and 50% grain and had been blended at birth, as had a previous Adelphi Ben Nevis single blend from 1970. The nose was floral with vanilla and rum and raisin while the taste indicated that the grain still had fight in it as well as being very well balanced with hazelnut chocolate and fruit. The finish was one of rum and coffee but, really, such moments are really a chance to taste history and part of what a festival should be about.

Closing the session in thought-provoking style was a 1999 12 year old Breath of Islay, at 56.1%abv, that was a sister cask to another 1999 Breath of Islay 11 year old bottling. The latter is an excellent example of a conventional ‘big punch’ whisky representative of the distillery that I reckon is associated with the White Horse blends. The 12 year old, however, did not have as obvious a peat character, instead offering attractive sweetness in its place before some light smoke. The middle was salty, smooth and sweet and the end was long and lingering and gave credence to my view that Islay whiskies are not about one big punch but still have depths to be revealed, especially if the peat is not as dominant as in previous years.

Dapper Duncan Taylor

Bringing the last festival tasting to us was a well-dressed Mark Watt, of DTC. Mark, who refers to Oliver Reed as ‘that teetotal actor’, showed us a new promotional company DVD that inadvertently brought home to me the news that there is only so hard you can bite into your own knuckles when you’re trying not to laugh at the narrator’s voice.

As we watched, we sampled a sherry-matured 1990 Bladnoch, at 48.6%abv, that smelled of strawberry trifle and, after a drop of water, tasted of sherry trifle and had a long peppery prickle on the finish that should not alarm the reader as no hedgehogs were involved.

A preview of the third batch of Black Bull 40 year old, at 40.9%abv, had lovely marzipan and cream cake notes and more smokiness than Mark remembers. The blend is 90% malt, being held together, in Mark’s view, and brought over strength by the Invergordon grain whisky present. This batch is expected to yield about 700 individually numbered bottles and will have the ingredients listed on the bottle as well.

As an image to freeze in the mind, nothing beats Mark’s description of a business meeting in Japan conducted in a sauna, through an interpreter.

In a watershed moment, we tasted an upcoming 1992 ‘Rarest of the Rare’ Caperdonich, at 56.7%abv, which made it the first Duncan Taylor Caperdonich I had tasted that is younger than I am. Revealing, perhaps, what could have been for this now demolished distillery, the nose had Fruit Salad and Irn Bru chew bars and the crisp taste featured cooking apples, smoke and some soft woodiness albeit with a short finish.

DTC have a large stock of 1992 Caperdonich casks laid down for the future, we were told, as well as some 1997 and 2000 vintage casks filled with peated spirit. These casks, in Mark’s opinion, would not last long in an Octave cask and he drew attention to the evaporation rate from such casks – a staggering 12 percent, if left for a year.

A 1988 Auchroisk, at 52%abv, which had spent 3 months in an Octave cask that had given 73 bottles was a masterpiece with fruit and grassy smells and a taste of tropical fruit, cream and spice that had Mark and I reminiscing about the long discontinued ‘Singleton of Auchroisk’ bottling.

Demonstrating his expert knowledge of cask management, Mark told us the tale of Imperial matured in an Amarone cask that had begun horribly before marrying together over time. We then moved on to a ‘Rare Auld’ 1993 Cragganmore, at 55.3%abv. The nose was big, heavy and punchy with sherry and orange and tastes of treacle, fruitcake and toffee that Mark said in no way tasted like chewing on a purple balloon. (This description kicks sand in the face of my old standby – biting into a burnt welly.)

Recovering from stories about Ribena mixed with Balvenie new-make and chewing safety pins, we ended with a 1983 Caol Ila, at 51.7%abv, that had matured in a refill sherry butt before being transferred to an Octave cask. The nose had marvelous notes of vanilla, smoke, fruit, lime and kiwi fruit while Phil Yorke reckoned he detected Parma Violets and toffee apples. The taste was like smoked ham cooked in a very rich sauce and Mark reckoned that the sherry had added considerable depth to the whisky.

With Mark’s beloved Caperdonich now gone and his equally beloved Imperial unlikely to produce again, I urge the reader to raise a glass of the drams mentioned in the report in their memory as the quality of the whisky available is not in doubt.

And Finally….

In closing, I’d like to thank everyone involved in organizing and running the festival and, in particular, Mike Lord and his wife Val, Steve Oliver, the wonderful people at the ‘Coffee Pot’ for keeping me going through the weekend, to Vicky at the Whisky Shop, to Claire for the proofreading, to Rene and Glo, Gordon Haughton, and everyone involved with the ‘Mates of the Museum’ plus Alan and Susie at the Tannochbrae.

I’m off to solve the problem of aardvarks once and for all by moving out of the termite mound I live in and hopefully, I’ll see you again at the spring festival when the foot will once again be on the other hand.

We are still catching up after The Autumn Speyside Festival so there will be a little spree of shorter updates.

Here is our clutch of new release Adelphi’s.  The majority of them were tasted at the Adelphi tasting during the festival and all were superb.  Our tastings during the September festival now come under the banner of “The Whisky Shop Dufftown Autumn Festival” to give our events a bit of a separate identity.

During the tasting, which was ably hosted by Antonia Bruce, the Lochside was probably the talking point and it is very sherried and unctuous.  The current Breath of Islay, which has some Laphroaig characteristics, is probably the best of this style of whiskies I have had for some time.  The Clynelish is a stunning example from that distillery and the Linkwood is about as good as you will find.  The Dailuaine, not featured during the festival, is a fabulous sherried whisky and is the sister cask to the one from the previous release if that is possible.

I also need to give a special mention to a very lovely sherried unpeated Bunnahbhain which is The WSD’s latest bottling and is an exclusive in partnership with Adelphi.

Tamdhu 1984 26 Years Old

Linkwood 1984

Lochside 1965

Breath of Islay 1999

Clynelish 1997

Bunnahbhain 2000

Dailuaine 1993

Bunnhabhain 1991

Here are the latest releases from Adelphi – most where previewed at The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival in May.  This is the first bottlings from Adelphi which have been processed through there own bottling line at their new warehouse – getting even more independent.  This should mean that they can be more fleet of foot going forward so except more releases and more frequent.

Adelphi Ardmore 1992 18 Years Old

This whisky is from a refill bourbon Hogshead which produced 267 bottles.  It’s about getting scrubbed clean down the road from the industrial factory.

Adelphi Aultmore 1982 28 Years Old

This whisky is from a refill bourbon hogshead which produced 179 bottles.  Lots of baked apples and apple pie notes show the quality of this aged Speyside.

Adelphi Bunnahabhain 1998 12 Years Old

This whisky is from a first fill sherry cask which produced 632 bottles.  A big sherried whisky with lots of dark chocolate and toffees with a hint of match boxes.

Adelphi Clynelish 1997 14 Years Old

This whisky is a refill bourbon hogshead which produced 247 bottles.  It’s all about a biscuit tin in a sweet shop with the door open to a summer day in the Highlands.

Adelphi Glenrothes 1990 20 Years Old

This whisky is from a refill sherry butt which produced 527 bottles.  This one is all about chocolate and fruit cake.

Adelphi Linkwood 1984 26 Years Old

This whisky is from a refill bourbon hogshead which produced just 113 bottles.  It’s like an English country village of the 1950’s probably in the Cotswolds – the country church, the sweet shop, the green grocers, coal fires and the village school.

In the Speyside Category the overall winner was a Gordon & MacPhail Longmorn 30 Years Old which also took the prize for the best whisky over 18 years old in this category.  The runner up was an Old Malt Cask Glen Grant 1990 20 Years Old.  The winner of the best Speyside 18 years old or under was a Gordon & MacPhail Linkwood 15 Years Old.

In the Rest of Whisky category the overall winner was a Duncan Taylor Octave Cameronbridge 1978 31 Years Old which also took the prize for the best whisky over 18 years old in this category.  The runner up was an Adelphi Bunnahabhain 1979 31 Years Old.  The winner of the best Rest of Whisky 18 years old or under was an Exclusive Malts Macduff 2000 10 Years Old (from The Creative Whisky Company).

Sherry cask whiskies faired very well again this year but it is excellent to see a grain winning and also David Stirk winning a prize in the first year he has entered.  Only 1 of the 19 whiskies entered did not have anyone voting for it as their favourite which underlines that peoples tastes are different and there is a whisky for everyone.

The winner of the best tasting note was from Canada.  Her favourite whisky was the winning Cameronbridge and the tasting note was:

Nose – Very sweet.  Like a warm summers afternoon on a terrace.

Taste – Quite strong.  Like a burly Highlander – rough but gentle.

Finish – Like the Highlander had his way with me.

Some other quotes from the winner’s tasting notes: “Mushy.  Like a mid-Eighteenth century gentleman”, “Warm yet tingling down the centre of my tongue.  The tingly feeling of being in love” and “Bananas.  Tanning lotion sizzling of the six pack of a golden tanned volleyball player (or Brazilian pool cleaner)”.  But our favourite note was from another entry, “Finish: Couldn’t”.

Not tasting notes Charlie MacLean might write but certainly one that appealed to our judging panel.  I personally feel Erika’s mind may have been on something different to whisky and possibly a new judging panel next year!  Congratulations Erika, a bottle of the Cameronbridge is on its way to you.

Thank you to the companies that entered the competition and all those people that tasted the whisky and cast their vote.

The full list of entries:

Wemyss Benrinnes 1996 “Ginger Compote”

Gordon & MacPhail Linkwood 15

Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Glen Elgin 1996 14 Years Old

Duncan Taylor NC2 Balmenach 2000 9 Years Old

Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Mortlach 1997 13 Years Old

Gordon & MacPhail Longmorn 30

Adelphi Linkwood 1984 26 Years Old (#5266)

Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Tamnavulin 1989 21 Years Old

Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Grant 1990 20 Years Old

Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Caol Ila 1997 11 Years Old

Adelphi Breath of Islay 1999 11 Years Old (#5882)

Exclusive Malts Macduff 2000 10 Years Old

Duncan Taylor Auld Reekie 10 Years Old

Douglas Laing Big Peat

Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Royal Brackla 1991 19 Years Old

Wemyss Dalmore “Mocha Spice” 1990

Adelphi Bunnahabhain 1979 31 Years Old (#8893)

Duncan Taylor Octave Cameronbridge 1978 31 Years Old

Douglas Laing Clan Denny Grain Girvan 1990 20 Years Old

Afternoon all from Dufftown where it’s beginning to look like winter is finally over and the snow is now well and truly retreating from the hills – at least we hope it’s over.

New Releases

Adelphi Distillery

We have a gaggle of new releases from Adelphi:

Adelphi Ardmore 2003 8 Years Old – Another great smoky Ardmore

Adelphi Bunnahabhain 1979 31 Years Old – Sensational sherried Bunnahabhain.  Its extra age produces a well rounded and smooth whisky.

Adelphi Caol Ila 2001 9 Years Old – This is a huge and powerful Caol Ila

Adelphi Highland Park 1995 15 Years Old – A very complex Highland Park.

Adelphi Macallan 1993 17 Years Old – One of the best Macallan’s I’ve tasted from Adelphi.



AD Rattray

We’ve got a smattering of new releases from AD Rattray:

AD Rattray Caol Ila 2000 – A huge Caol Ila.  A little bit tamer than the cask strength Adelphi.

AD Rattray Miltonduff 1980 30 Years Old – This is a spring time bundle of tropical fruits.

AD Rattray Tamnavulin 1989 21 Years Old

Gordon & MacPhail

Gordon & MacPhail have been up to it again.  They have released a 1940 70 years old Glenlivet.  It’s very rare to get access to a whisky from the war years and this is a superb whisky.  I was lucky enough to be invited to Edinburgh Castle for the launch where we were allowed to give it a try.  It was an extremely windy day and that may have influenced my tasting notes below.

Nose: Polished leather (shoes polished yesterday and not warn), apricot jam, fruit pastels, candid orange peel, marmalade on hot buttered toast, bees wax, velvet, honey and cigarette boxes.

Taste: Brown sugar sweet, very full and rounded, spiced wood, orange bitters, candle wax and vanilla pods.

Finish: Extremely long with gentle spices, a touch of tannins, and a pleasant dryness.

A snip at £13,000.

G&M has also released a series of Glenlivets under its Private Collection label which is worth taking a look at.  The older ones from sherry casks are particularly good.

Wemyss

Not yet in stock, but will be shortly, are some new releases from Wemyss:

Smoke Stack – 1996 – Caol Ila – 324 bottles (Hogshead)

The Honey Pot – 1996 – Glen Moray – 270 bottles (Hogshead)

Ginger Compote -1996 – Benrinnes- 768 bottles (Refill Butt)

Orange Tree – 1989 – Glen Garioch – 264 bottles (Hogshead)

Mocha Spice – 1990 – Dalmore – 324 bottles (Sherry Hogshead)

Coming Up

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2011

Ticket sales are going well.  We have increased the number available for the Adelphi and Duncan Taylor tastings.  Adelphi sold out again but there are few tickets left for Duncan Taylor.  Click here to see what WSD events are still available.  Here are some updates on the events we are offering:

David Stirk is returning to the masterclass crew in Dufftown this year.  This has to be a must go to tasting for the regulars and new comers alike.  The Creative Whisky Company is a very popular independent bottler and their releases sell out very fast so David can’t confirm his line-up yet but it will include Aberfeldy 1983 and a Tomintoul 1966.

For those that like a bit of brain teasing and completion during the festival there is the whisky quiz at Strathisla.  We at The WSD are offering tickets which include travel by bus from The Square in Dufftown.  So come along and pit your wits against the celebrity teams and The Whisky Shop Dufftown All Stars which are to whisky knowledge what the Harlem Gobetrotters are to synchronised swimming.

Robin Laing will be giving a world exclusive preview of his new CD, “Whisky for Breakfast”.  The songs which are all by Robin and whisky related will be paired with the relevant whisky.  Breakfast rolls will also be available.

Steven McConnachie will be showing not only the full River collection in his tasting but also the brand new Castle Leod which is being heralded as one of Dalmore’s best special releases.

Whisky News

There seems to be mixed progress in the plans of the independent bottlers who are intending to expand into distilling.  The 2 that are strongly rumoured to be buying distilleries do not seem to have got ink on to contracts yet.  Duncan Taylor seems to have kicked their distillery plans into the long grass (or should that be barley).  The other independent with their eyes on building a distillery of their own is quietly pressing on and may be making an announcement soon – I won’t say more for fear of jeopardising my invitation to the opening.

Diageo seem to be expanding some of the expressions in their core range.  Singleton of Dufftown 18 years old is to hit the streets soon.  And look out for further new age expressions in some of their other ranges.  I think this underlines that rumours of Roseisle spelling the demise of several core Diageo malt brands were false.

At Williams Grants a new travel retail expression of Glenfiddich coming in at 19 Years Old is getting good reviews.   It is also available at the distillery shop where if you are lucky you may be able to pick up a bottle of Snow Phoenix.  A small batch returned from one of the overseas markets will be available only from them.  Maybe if they had put more into the UK market in the first place things would have been easier for everyone.  I won’t name the market that could not sell its allocation of Snow Phoenix (despite the efforts of the voice of Scotland returning with a suitcase full) but may be Snow Cuckoo Clock would have done better.

Here at The Whisky Shop Dufftown we are helping our friends at Maltstock by selling tickets for their 2011 gathering.  They do everything they can to keep their costs down so currently you are only able to buy tickets from them using a direct bank transfer.  For many UK banks this seems to be a bridge to far unless you want to pay a hefty fee so we are helping our by offering the option to pay for tickets by credit card.  And what’s more if you do buy a Maltstock ticket you will get a 10% discount from The Whisky Shop Dufftown for all whisky purchases valid until the end of September.  You didn’t need an incentive to go but now you have one anyway.

We are also offering free festival delivery for anyone attending the Islay Festival or Maltstock.  If you are attending either of these festivals then you can buy from us and we will deliver your purchases to you at the festival free of charge.  If you want to take up this offer please email us.

Should Dufftown be Recognised as a Whisky Region?

If Campbeltown can get re-recognised as a whisky region then is there a case for Dufftown being recognised as one? Let’s look at the facts.  Dufftown has 5 working distilleries which have the capacity to produce some 28 million litres of pure alcohol per year.  So there is a lot of distilling going on.  There is also Kininvie which is currently not in production which has a capacity of 4.8 million litres.  You can also see the shells of 2 former distilleries at Parkmore and Convalmore and the site of the now demolished Pittyvaich.  Historically there were many more in and around Dufftown and including on the slopes of the Convals and Benrinnes.   Leaving Kinninvie aside, if Dufftown was a region in its own right then it would be 3^rd by capacity easily out stripping Cambeltown, Lowlands, Islands and Islay.  It would be equal 5^th with the Lowlands on number of distilleries.  But then maybe not.

Local News

The Royal Oak pub has taken a huge step down its planned rejuvenation.  It now sports purple walls, chrome, mirrors and new stools.  It’s divided the local population a bit but it certainly looks smarter.  We are still recovering from the draft Guinness being removed and replaced with Stella.  Don’t worry, surger Guinness is available and all-in-all it’s probably just as good.

The Masons has also had a face lift.  The place has been revamped and a much improved restaurant is now open daily for lunch and dinner.  A great addition to the eating options in Dufftown.

At the end of February we threw a party at La Faisanderie to celebrate 5 years of my ownership of The Whisky Shop Dufftown.  The attendees were split in two with one half who could not believe it has been as long as 5 years and me, who still thinks it’s more like 10. We toasted to the next 5 years with The Whisky Shop Dufftowns exclusive Glenfarclas 1971 40 Years Old which is at cask strength and available soon to buy.  It is sublime so a great time was had by all.  Thanks to all who could make it and didn’t use a poor excuse like being in Korea – you know who you are!

Focus on Adelphi

Adelphi Distillery was established by the Gray brothers, Charles and David, in 1826 on what had been a two-acre orchard. It stood just south of the Clyde’s Victoria Bridge on the northern edge of the Gorbals.  The Gray family operated the distillery throughout its existence, but around 1880 its ownership was acquired by Messrs A. Walker and Co, who already owned two big distilleries in Liverpool and Limerick respectively. Walkers injected new capital and expanded the works to include a large Coffey still to make grain spirit.  In 1886, the Coffey still and four pot stills were all in full production, with an annual output of 516,000 gallons. It had ten 16,000 gallon washbacks, with two more under construction. Three wash charges held 45,000 gallons in all, the wash stills 6,000 gallons each and the spirit stills 4,500 gallons each. It had six steam engines – the largest a massive brute of 80 horse power – and six boilers ranging in size up to 28 by nine feet in diameter. The whole was dominated by huge circular chimney with a flared top.

The distillery was bought in 1902 by DCL.   One morning in November 1906 disaster struck the distillery.  One distillery worker was supervising the horses and carts queuing at the draffhouse to be loaded up with spent grains stored in the draff tank when a loud bang was heard.  One witness described the noise as sounding like a cannon shot.  One of the wash chargers had toppled from its iron pillar supports releasing 45,000 gallons of hot wash from some 60 feet up which in turn toppled two more full washbacks on the platform below.  A torrent of wash and debris smashed in to the draff tank on the ground floor destroying it.  Many of the queuing farm workers were caught in the torrent and swept away with their horses and carts.  A boiling tidal wave poured into the nearby streets destroying the local bakehouse and flooding many shops.   The resulting tide marks were 20 feet above floor of the draffhouse and 10 feet up on the buildings on the street outside.  level and reached more than 10 feet above street level on the granary wall outside.   Perhaps it was a miracle that only one person was killed.  DCL closed the malt distillery in 1907 although grain whisky production continued until 1932. The remaining buildings were demolished between 1968 and 1970 with the distillery chimney coming down in 1971.

In 1993, the great-grandson of Archibald Walker, Jamie, revived the Adelphi name as an independent bottler.  Jamie was determined not to sacrifice quality for volume, and he was equally adamant that this should be continued when he sold the company in 2004.  Keith Falconer and his neighbour in Argyll, Donald Houston, had approached Jamie on a recommendation, to buy a hogshead of whisky.  In fact, they liked it so much they bought the company.

The team was rounded off by Alex Bruce.  Whisky is in Alex’s blood.  His mother, an Usher, is a direct descendant of Andrew Usher who is credited with pioneering blended whisky, and his father, Lord Elgin, is a patron and former Grand Master of the Keepers of the Quaich.   Alex was also made a Keeper of the Quaich in 2006. He has trained with Remy Martin and J&B, and latterly headed up a new office for Friarwood Fine Wines in Scotland.

Continuing in the family theme Alex has been joined by his sister Antonia, whose background is also in the wine trade, to help deal with increasing sales and Alex’s wife, Vicky, often helps out at whisky fairs and other events.  Alex clearly sees his family as a resource and we wonder when their daughters will be press ganged.

Remaining completely independent, Adelphi is able to offer bottlings from an extensive range of distilleries with Charles Maclean chairing their nosing team.   Adelphi continues to go from strength-to-strength and has recently opened a new warehouse and office complex which it shares with a wine company.  I was lucky enough to be shown round recently and I am geeky enough to be excited by the smell of a new warehouse.  They are well on their way to getting their own bottling line started as well.

Best Wishes

We wish Donald Colville the best of luck in his new job at Diageo as a Global Scotch Brand Ambassador.

And congratulations to Euan Shand of Duncan Taylor who is to wed later this year.  You are a brave lady Mojdeh.

Click here to go to the festival site

Click here to see all events bookable on-line.

Friday 29th April 2011

11:00 – 12:00  Whisky for Breakfast with Robin Laing (Whisky & Music Ticket)

13:00 – 14:30  Whisky Tasting: Douglas Laing with Jan Beckers

15:30 – 17:00  Whisky Tasting: Gordon & MacPhail with Mike Patterson

18:00 – 19:00  The WSD Challenge 2011 – Speyside

Saturday 30th April 2011

10:00 – 10:30 Dufftown & District Pipe Band opening The Whisky Fair at The Mortlach Memorial Hall (FREE EVENT)

11:00 – 12:30  Whisky Tasting: The Bourbon Cask with Mike Lord

13:00 – 13:30  Dufftown & District Pipe Band at The Square, Dufftown (FREE EVENT)

13:00 – 14:30  Whisky Tasting: Bruichladdich with David Keir

15:30 – 17:00  Whisky Tasting: Cadenheads with Mark Davidson

18:00 – 19:00  The WSD Challenge 2011 – The Rest of Whisky

19:15 – 22:45  “Cask Strength” Whisky Quiz at Strathisla Distillery (includes bus to venue from Dufftown)

Sunday 1st May 2011

11:00 – 12:30  Whisky Tasting: 1971 & 40 Years Old with Mike Lord [SOLD OUT]

13:00 – 13:30  Keith Silver Band at The Square, Dufftown  (FREE EVENT)

13:00 – 14:30  Whisky Tasting: Dalmore with Steven McConnachie

15:30 – 17:00  Whisky Tasting: Wemyss with Susan Colville

18:00 – 19:30  Whisky Tasting: Adelphi with Antonia Bruce [SOLD OUT]

20:00 – 20:30  Robin Laing – Music, Poems, Laughter and Whisky

Monday 2nd May 2011

13:00 – 14:30  Whisky Tasting: David Stirk of The Creative Whisky Company

15:30 – 17:00  Whisky Tasting: BenRiach & GlenDronach with Stewart Buchanan

18:00 – 19:30  Whisky Tasting: Duncan Taylor with Mark Watt

20:00 – 22:00  The Drams Party [SOLD OUT]

A brand new release from Benromach.  The Benromach 2002 Predro Ximinez shows again that Benromach is a force to be reckoned with.  This Benromach was distilled in 2002 and bottled in September 2010. It spent most of its life in a Bourbon cask and was then finished for 30 months in Pedro Ximenez casks.  This expression is limited to 1800 bottles and its first rate.

My tasting notes

Nose: It has a fruity toffee nose with that sherry spiciness which hints of smoke. There’s hints of peach skins and orange peel and a notes of menthol and tar in the background.

Taste: Sweet, rich and creamy. Singed orange peel. Reminiscent of an Old Fashioned where the orange peel has been flamed.

Finish: Long spicy and warming.

St. Magnus, second of the Earl Magnus Editions celebrates the life of St. Magnus a man of peace, contemplation and scholarly learning. It is a life story of Christian devotion and forgiveness, qualities that are not usually associated with the Vikings. Saint Magnus was murdered by his treacherous cousin Haakon and was canonised 20 years later.

Bottled at a natural strength of 55% ABV, this limited edition 12 year old, drawn from casks laid down in 1998 and earlier years, provides an affordable and collectable piece of the Highland Park’s history. Only 11,994 bottles available.

It is a shame that the UK is one of the last markets to have this whisky released into it so you probably all have this.  We only have 2 bottles left and I haven’t had mine yet so if you do want one hurry.  At least here at The WSD we are matching the distillery price – fools that we are – we certainly wont get rich but at least we are not making ridiculous claims about the RRP to justify a higher price – you know who you are, shame on you (I do hope it was a mistake).

Tasting notes are from Highland Park:-

Nose:  At natural strength there is terrific intensity with classic dried fruits and honey sweetness. Thereafter glorious notes of cinnamon, dried apple and hints of exotic fruits emerge, followed by a whiff of aromatic smoke.

Palate:  Immediately intense and rich, the whisky lingers on the palate emphasizing the perfect balance between sweetness and aromatic smoke.

Finish:  Long and gently smoky.

The Dalmore Rivers collection is four whiskies created by Richard Paterson so you can expect exceptionally well crafted whiskies. Richard has tried  to reflect the character, charm and differences of each of these great fishing rivers.  A donation will be made from the sale of these whiskies to the charitable trusts who work to keep these rivers beautiful.  Each whisky is bespoke and unique in character, much like the great rivers they support.

These whiskies feature in Steven McConachie’s tasting during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2011.  Come an try them then.

All the tasting notes are from Dalmore

Dalmore Dee Dram

Nose: Powerful and Positive. Full bodied with vibrant notes of spicy cinnamon, followed with dark roasted coffee and chocolate.

Taste: Enticing flavours of tangy orange peel, ginger, liquorice and walnuts, followed by ripe plums and wild berries.

Dalmore Spey Dram

Nose: Warm inviting aromas of patchouli, jasmine and marzipan.

Taste: Christmas pudding, orange rind, hazelnuts and ripe cherries, followed by hidden flavours of Java coffee and rich treacle.

Dalmore Tay Dram

Nose: Captivating notes of tangerine with hints of eucalyptus

Taste: Intense flavours of crème brulee, Colombian coffee and bitter chocolate lead the first wave. Yet within seconds enchanting suggestions of honeyed pear, crushed almonds, sweet blood oranges and cranberries provide the perfect finish. Sip and savour.

Dalmore Tweed Dram

Nose: Warm and inviting. Seville oranges, crushed pear, bergamot and apple. Marzipan and rich caramel follow completing the bouquet.

Taste: Tantalizing flavours of spicy ginger, marmalade and cinnamon followed by Whispers of nutmeg and toffee leaving the perfect after taste.

Benriach 12 Years Old Horizons Triple Distilled

‘Horizons’ is quite an unique whisky for BenRiach and Speyside for that matter. It has been triple distilled.  The previous owners of BenRiach, Chivas Brothers, performed some experiments with triple distillation at BenRiach back in 1998 – why is not clear.  ‘Horizons’ is then finished for a minimum of 3 years in Oloroso Sherry butts (having started life in ex-bourbon casks).  It is aged over 12 years old, is non chill filtered, and is bottled at 50% ABV.

Tasting notes from Benriach:-

Nose: Roasted almonds and Brazil nuts. Hot, freshly buttered scones smothered in clotted cream. Sweet heather honey adds an extra luxurious contribution.

Taste: Vibrant and wonderfully fresh. Huge nutty characteristics right from the start including peanuts, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts. A slice of sweet creamy oak and honey brings balance to the equation.

Benriach 15 Years Old Solstice Peated Port Finish

‘Solstice’ is a heavily peated BenRiach which started off life in ex-bourbon barrels, and has then been finished in Tawny Port Pipes.  Great that port pipes have been used for this.  Benriach say that what makes this release so special is that these casks are some of the best they have in the warehouse – they are simply sensational. Both Billy Walker, master blender, and Stewart Buchanan, distillery manager, have identified these casks as exceptional.  Stewart told me that he is particularly pleased with this one.  After all, peat and port is always a winner.  ‘Solstice’ is aged over 15 years old, is non chill filtered, and is bottled at 50% ABV.

Tasting notes from Benriach:-

Nose: Benriach: Rich wood smoke with ladles of sweet peat. Home made raspberry jam and spiced fruit shortcake. Spicy and big.

Taste: Benriach: Massive peat and wood smoke flavours partner a base of soft red fruits and autumn spices – cloves and cinnamon specifically. Very bold and intense characteristics.

Tickets are now on sale and going well.  Two WSD events are already sold out.



I’m very pleased with the programme The WSD has on offer this year.  In the end we had more companies wanting to do tastings than we had space for.  The Friday evening event we had planned is now on hold until the Autumn Festival so we may well have an extra event coming on line in due course – otherwise we’ll be in The Oak.  We have left Saturday evening open as we are off to Strathisla to the Cask Strength Whisky Pub Quiz where I am captaining a team!  No pressure at all.

Obviously all the WSD events are a must but I looked through the programme to see what other events I would go to if I could.

On Thursday it has to be the Benromach manager’s tour.  I love being shown round a distillery by the manager.  You get to ask all those questions that whisky anoraks are always aching to ask and distillery managers always have an employee to answer them for you  Or there is the Argocat tour which is a whole lot of fun.

Following the manager’s  theme Friday is the Glenfiddich manager’s tour but there is also an intrigiung event on at Glenfarclas.  Anything with George is going to be fun and all that old Family Cask whisky, well…  I could probably just about squeeze it in but I wouldn’t want to be late for the opening tasting of The WSD programme with Jan Beckers from Douglas Laing – I’ve got my negotiation hat on with Jan so this should be a cracker.  On the other hand the Glenfarclas event is celebrating Kate’s wedding to William.  Does Mark Watt know or is William his real name (Will Watt not being a name he liked) and why wasn’t I invited?  And why not finish up on Friday with the Aberlour dinner – now our Friday evening event is cancelled I could actually go to this.  I thinks it’s been 10 years since I made it last time.

Dave Broom is doing a number of book signings during the festival.  Dave does need your support.  To keep Dave in the condition he is in takes a lot of hair product.  Buying just one of his books will keep him in conditioner for a day.  Please give generously to this worthy cause.

Saturday has to be the warehouse man’s day at Benromach but there’s also the historic drams at Glenfarclas.  Tricky!  And either would mean you miss my tasting of 40 year old whisky.  There is also the Balvenie Malt Master tour which is going to be exceptional if you can get on it.  But you certainly have to end the day with the whisky quiz at Strathisla – did you see those prizes on offer.

Sunday looks like it’s got to be Dave Broom and Benrinnes.  Hope the weather holds otherwise the hair…..  Or what about the Speyside Sherry Extravaganza at Gordon & MacPhail –  hmmm sherry cask whisky!

As for Monday, I have looked at the programme and while I would obviously recommend being in Dufftown everyday can you actually beat the chance to go to a tasting with David Stirk, followed by Stewart from BenRiach and then Mark Watt?  That would be a very happy day!

I think the forecast for the festival is very good with the outlook being quite stunning.

Here’s the full line up of our events:

Everyday during the festival

10:00  18:00 The WSD Challenge for Independent Bottlers  £  4.00 The Whisky Shop Dufftown, Dufftown

Friday 29/04/2011

13:00  14:30 Whisky Tasting: Douglas Laing with Jan Beckers  £17.00, St James’, Dufftown

15:30  17:00 Whisky Tasting: Gordon & MacPhail with Mike Patterson  £17.00 St James’, Dufftown

18:00  19:00 The WSD Challenge 2011 – Speyside  £17.00 St James’, Dufftown

Saturday 30/04/2011

11:00  12:30 Whisky Tasting: The Bourbon Cask with Mike Lord  £17.00 St James’, Dufftown

13:00  14:30 Whisky Tasting: Bruichladdich with David Keir  £17.00 St James’, Dufftown

15:30  17:00 Whisky Tasting: Cadenheads with Mark Davidson  £17.00 St James’, Dufftown

18:00  19:00 The WSD Challenge 2011 – The Rest of Whisky  £17.00 St James’, Dufftown

Sunday 01/05/2011

11:00  12:30 Whisky Tasting: 1971 & 40 Years Old with Mike Lord  £30.00 St James’, Dufftown

13:00  14:30 Whisky Tasting: Dalmore with Steven McConnachie  £17.00 The Dram Hall, Memorial Hall, Dufftown

15:30  17:00 Whisky Tasting: Wemyss with Susan Colville  £17.00 St James’, Dufftown

18:00  19:30 Whisky Tasting: Adelphi with Antonia Bruce  £17.00 St James’, Dufftown  **** FULLY BOOKED ****

20:00  22:00 Robin Laing – Music, Poems and Laughter  £17.00 St James’, Dufftown

Monday 02/05/2011

13:00 14:30 Whisky Tasting: David Stirk of The Creative Whisky Company  £17.00 St James’, Dufftown

15:30 17:00 Whisky Tasting: BenRiach and GlenDronach with Stuart Buchanan  £17.00 St James’, Dufftown

18:00  19:30 Whisky Tasting: Duncan Taylor with Mark Watt  £17.00 St James’, Dufftown  **** FULLY BOOKED ****

20:00  22:00 The Drams Party  £17.00 The Whisky Shop Dufftown, Dufftown