July 6th, 2010

Another Ladyburn story for you

John Hansell

This time, it has to do with the 1973 Vintage. I am only aware of two distillery bottlings of Ladyburn from this short-lived Lowland distillery (that were sold here in the U.S., anyway): the 12 year old which I wrote about here on Friday, and this one.

First, some background
About a year or so before the 1973 Vintage was put on the market by William Grant & Sons (who also produce and sell Glenfiddich and Balvenie), I was invited by them to go on a cruise on their yacht (a huge wooden sailboat, actually). A member of the family (of William Grant & Sons) was sailing her up the East Coast and she was sitting in Philadelphia for a few days just an hour from where I live.

It was an opportunity for writers and other guests to taste their whiskies and meet some of the William Grant team. My main reason for going was to meet the marketing director at the time, who I had never met before. I figured it was a good opportunity to begin a relationship with him.

The boat never did sail for some reason, but we had a good time drinking their whisky and checking out this beautiful sailboat.

Now the point of this story
I finally got to meet the marketing manager. Somewhere along our conversation, I brought up that I had a bottle of 12 year old Ladyburn. He looked at me like I had two heads. He didn’t believe me. I told him I would send him a picture of it, which I did.

Then, he told me that they were still sitting on stocks of Ladyburn, and that there was always the possibility that they might bottle some of it. I told him I thought that was great, and that was the end of it. Or so I thought.

A few weeks later, I get a package from him in the mail. They were two casks samples of Ladyburn, along with a note from him. He wanted to know my thoughts on them. One was obviously from a bourbon cask, and the other was from a sherry cask (first fill, probably).

I tasted both. The sample from the bourbon casks showed too much wood influence. The whisky from the sherry cask was dominated by sherry.

So, what did I do? The only proper thing. I started blending varying amounts of both samples to find  a ratio where the sweet fruity notes of the sherried whisky married nicely with the dry, wood spice notes from the bourbon cask whisky. I ended up with something like 3/4 bourbon cask whisky and 1/4 sherry cask whisky. It was a very nice whisky. Not great, but quite enjoyable.

I sent him my thoughts, along with my blend of the two whiskies. I never heard from him again.

About six months later, I received a press release and review sample of the new Ladyburn 1973 Vintage single cask whisky. (Emphasis on single cask.) Bottling it one cask at time meant there was no chance to marry the sherry casks with the bourbon casks. Single cask bottlings were all the rage at the time, so I assume that’s why they bottled the whisky as a single cask.

Well, most of you know the rest of the story. The whisky was not well-received. All the ones I saw (and tasted) were from bourbon casks. And all but one was over-oaked. The initial high price at the time came down over the years, as I remember some of the specialty whisky shops here in the U.S. selling them for half the original list price at the time.

So, there you go. A story behind the story. Not the  happiest of endings, though.

I have a bunch of stories like this, which I will attempt to weave in with my other writings and reviews here from time to time. I hope you like them.

Category: Scotch whisky,Uncategorized Tags: , 14 Comments

June 4th, 2010

Guest Blog: Sam Komlenic on the legendary Michter’s Distillery

John Hansell

Sam wrote such a great post, there’s not much for me to say (other than “nice hat!”). I was born in Lebanon, I lived in Lebanon County until I went to college, and my family still lives there. Had I only known then about Michter’s…

 

Well, I feel quite out of place here.  I’ve read guest postings by so many luminaries of the industry on this blog, a forum that I respect greatly, and have now been asked to put together one of my own while John’s out of town.  Personal business, he says.  Fishing, I’m guessing.

I am the copy editor for Malt Advocate and a life-long whiskey drinker.  Having grown up in the Monongahela Valley of Pennsylvania, that’s where my basic allegiance lies (rye whiskey), and I trust that, some day, someone will return rye whiskey distilling to its most basic DNA, to that valley.

That said, I’ve been asked to write today about my experiences at and with one of the two most vaunted lost American distilleries.  The most famous is Stitzel-Weller, and rightly so.  It grew up in the most notorious contemporary American distilling state, Kentucky, and with a family that was, and still is, well-respected in the business.  My focus today, though, is on the other.

I’m writing about Michter’s distillery in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania, a site where I spent time during its last decade, and where I came to realize more about the importance of Pennsylvania to the American whiskey business than I would have ever imagined.

Though this blog is not about history, there is some of note to be mentioned before we move on.  Tracing its roots back as far as 1753, the site where Michter’s was distilled was the oldest in the U.S. at its original site when it closed in 1990.  It was also the only domestic distillery permitted (by special exemption) to sell whiskey on site as early as the 1970s.

Michter’s was the last survivor of the centuries-old distilling business in Pennsylvania, outlasting giants like Schenley and Publicker, to hang on by the fingernails of its very existence through the lean years of the 80s, only to succumb at the very end.

My first visit was in 1979, on my back from a business trip to Philadelphia, when I saw their billboard along the turnpike, encouraging me to visit.  Who was I to refuse?  I saw a farmer in bib overalls walking back to his farm from the distillery with a bottle of Michter’s in hand, and I knew then that this was a special place, but despite the marketing hype you’ve heard for years, it had nothing to do with pot stills.

Michters’ was located in a very rural part of Lebanon County.  No developments around, no major highways, no railroad connections; just a big distillery in the middle of a lot of farmland.  In the 70s, it was quite the tourist attraction, even offering donkey rides for the kids.  The tour started in the visitor center, which was also the souvenir shop adjacent to the Jug House, where they sold the whiskey. 

The tour cost a dollar, and included the distillery, an older warehouse that had been converted to display space, and the old Bomberger distillery, which held the small pot still that was built for them by Vendome Copper & Brass for the American bicentennial.  At the end of the tour, your guide took a picture of you with the whiskey you had (hopefully) bought, and sent you the photo with a thank-you note.  Mine is printed here, and no, that’s not a raccoon pelt attached to my head, dammit, just a virile sign of the times!  Michter’s was distilling whiskey here at that time, but get this, and listen closely once-and-for-all…there were never true pot stills involved in the modern incarnation of this distillery. 

What the company considered a pot still, its doubler, is indeed a pot still, but not in the truest sense.  So the deception, whether intentional or not, began at a very early juncture and continues to this day.  As it turns out, Michter’s used a column still like everyone else in the U.S., but was different than the norm in almost every other respect of the whiskey making business.  The vaunted Hirsch bourbon made here (first for the Hue family, afterward sold to Preiss) was distilled in their ubiquitous 400 bbl. batch, under contract, to a different recipe than usual.

Louis Forman, the creator of the Michter’s brand, was said to be an imitator of the highest sense.  He supposedly copied Jack Daniel’s mash bill and their square bottle.  He never called Michter’s anything but “whiskey” because the product didn’t meet the standards for “straight whiskey.”  Michter’s used a certain percentage of re-used cooperage (like the Scotch) in each dump to affect the intended result.  The name Michter’s was a combination of his sons’ names, MICH-ael and pe-TER.

Over ten years, I visited a number of times, my last being in November, 1979, scant months before they closed.  On my way out of the Jug House, I noticed a warehouse door open, and stopped in to see what was going on.  I entered a nearly empty building where barrels were being dumped into a trough that sent the whiskey to the bottling house.  A couple of men were at work there, and I began to ask questions.  I was told that the whiskey in the barrels was around 125 proof, and would I like a taste?  Are you kidding me?

The man reached for a dusty bottle in a corner, and after rinsing it once under the gurgling stream, offered me a taste straight out of the barrel.  The most amazing experience I have ever had in any distillery.  In phone conversations with him twenty years later, I realized that man was Dick Stoll, distillery manager and the last master distiller there.  He still lives in Lebanon County.

My last visit was in May of 1990.  A hand written note was taped to the Jug House door which read, “Closed until further notice.”  I have never returned, preferring to remember the flowing whiskey rather than the collapsing buildings.

As with so many tales, the Michter’s story is part truth and part fiction, but there is no doubt that for more than 235 years this distillery produced legend, lore, and luscious American whiskey like no other.

Category: American whiskey,Guest Blogger,Uncategorized Tags: 39 Comments

June 1st, 2010

Duncan Taylor announces new NC2 whisky releases for the U.S.

John Hansell

I received the press release on Friday. Details below.

PREISS IMPORTS ANNOUNCES NEW RELEASES OF THE NC2 RANGE

San Diego, CA – May 28, 2010 – Preiss Imports, The Nation’s leading importer of specialty spirits announces new releases of the NC2 range from the award winning independent bottler Duncan Taylor & Co, Huntly, Scotland.  NC2 is Non Chill-filtered and No Caramel Coloring. 

The selection of casks for the NC2 range is very specific; the whiskies must demonstrate the distinct character of each distillery represented, be rich and abundant in flavor and demonstrate a long finish. Each cask is matured at their original distilleries.

Casks are only bottled when they reach optimum age and quality.  The NC2 label guarantees each selection is 100% all natural. 

Item Information

46% ABV – 750ml – Now Available / Limited Quantity

NC2 1993 Aberlour 16yr old – $79.99 Retail

NC2 1999 Auchroisk 10 yr old – $57.99 Retail

NC2 2000 Balmenach 10 yr old – $58.99 Retail

NC2 1990 Ben Nevis 19 yr old – $97.99 Retail

NC2 1998 Ben Nevis 11 yr old – $56.99 Retail

NC2 1997 Bunnahabhain 12 yr old peated – $85.99 Retail

NC2 1987 Glen Grant 21 yr old – $103.99 Retail

NC2 1987 Glenlivet 22 yr old – $107.99 Retail

NC2 1988 Glen Moray 21 yr old – $103.99 Retail

NC2 1991 Glen Scotia 18 yr old – $112.99 Retail

NC2 1991 Macallan 18 yr old – $115.99 Retail

Category: Uncategorized 12 Comments

April 21st, 2010

New Glenfarclas 40 year old whisky

John Hansell

 Some of these older Glenfarclas whiskies are outstanding. I haven’t tasted this one yet, but hope to soon.

Oh, and the nice thing about this release: it’s being launched worldwide–including the U.S.–and it is priced fairly.

New Glenfarclas 40 Years Old Launched

Speyside, April 2010:  Family owned Glenfarclas have added a new 40 Years Old whisky to their portfolio of premium Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskies. Glenfarclas 40 Years Old has been bottled at 46% vol. from casks filled in the late 1960s, and selected by George S. Grant, Director of Sales and the sixth generation of the family which own and manage the distillery.

With good stocks of casks filled in the 1960s, the distillery is now able to offer whisky with a 40 years old age statement as part of their core range. This whisky will be available worldwide, with a quarter of production destined for North America.

George Grant’s tasting notes for this new expression read: ‘The nose is reminiscent of relaxing in an old leather armchair, while eating walnuts and chocolate-covered raisins. It has a sweet initial taste – orange segments dipped in liquid chocolate – then a lovely flavour of burnt brown sugar at the back of the mouth. The dry finish oozes big tannins and more rich dark cocoa beans. Let this whisky breathe a little or add a drop or two of water to fully open up the dram.’

Glenfarclas 40 Years Old will be formally launched on the 29thApril 2010, with a consumer tasting at the distillery during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. Places at this unique tasting, hosted by George Grant, are available to book via the festival’s website.

Glenfarclas 40 Years Old is presented in the Glenfarclas amber bottle and a ruby gift tube, with a design akin to the Glenfarclas 10 Years Old. By deliberately not over-packaging this old whisky, J. & G. Grant are able to offer the Glenfarclas 40 Years Old at a competitive UK recommended retail price of GBP 350.00. As George Grant explained, ‘Compared to other whiskies of a similar age, this has been priced to open and enjoy.’  

For those looking to try before purchasing a bottle, The Coburg Bar at the Connaught Hotel, in London’s Mayfair, and the Mash Tun Pub in Aberlour, Speyside, are already offering drinkers the chance to enjoy this exceptional whisky by the dram.

Category: New Releases,Scotch whisky,Uncategorized Tags: 25 Comments

April 20th, 2010

New Distillery Manager at Springbank

John Hansell

 This came in on Monday from Springbank. Gavin McLachlan, a local guy, will carry on the Springbank tradition. We wish him all the best! (According to my contact at Springbank, current Distillery Manager Stuart Robertson will be moving over to Duncan Taylor to oversee the building of their new distillery.)

Local man to take over production at Springbank

SPRINGBANK, the iconic Campbeltown whisky distillery, has this week announced a summertime change of management that will see the first locally-born man take charge of production in over 60 years.

Gavin McLachlan, aged 36, will take over as Manager of Springbank and its sister distillery, Mitchell’s Glengyle, from August 1st 2010.

Neil Clapperton, Managing Director of parent company J&A Mitchell & Co Ltd, said: “Gavin is Campbeltown born and bred and his appointment gives us great pleasure and also reflects our company’s long-term commitment to Campbeltown.”

Gavin, who began his career in the whisky industry in May 2002 as a bottling hall operative at Springbank before quickly moving into malting and distilling within eight months, has been assistant manager for the past four years.

In his new post he will work alongside Director of Production Frank McHardy to oversee the day-to-day operations at Springbank and Glengyle.

Gavin’s promotion follows the resignation of present manager Stuart Robertson, who is leaving the company to take up a new appointment in the north east of Scotland.

Springbank Distillery is Scotland’s oldest continuously family owned distillery and the only distillery in Scotland to carry out 100% of the production process on site.

The company is currently under the ownership of Hedley Wright, present-day chairman and great-great-great grandson of the distillery’s founder.

In 2000, Mr Wright commissioned the construction of the Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery, which opened in March 2004, bringing the number of operational distilleries in Campbeltown, on the Kintyre peninsula on the west coast of Scotland, to three.

ENDS

For further information, contact Frank McHardy (frank@jandamitchell.com) or Ranald Watson (ranald@springbankwhisky.com)

 

Category: Distillery news,Scotch whisky,Uncategorized Tags: 9 Comments

April 19th, 2010

Kilchoman whisky, The U.S., this September

John Hansell

I was waiting for a press release before reporting. It’s short and sweet. This is exciting news. I’m told it will be the Summer release. They should be toasting with a bottle of Kilchoman. I guess that’s one more bottle for the rest of us. :)

Kilchoman Distillery Appoints Importer for the USA

Kilchoman Distillery is delighted to announce it has appointed Impex Beverages at it’s importer for the USA.   The first bottles will be available from September 2010.

Anthony Wills (Managing Director of Kilchoman Islay single malt Scotch whisky) said, ‘I’m delighted to be working with Impex Beverages.   They have similar views on the best ways of marketing premium, single malt and I’m looking forward to working with them over the coming years in the USA’.

The picture shows (L to R) Anthony , and Sam Filmus and Ed Kohl of Impex Beverages celebrating their new business relationship.

Category: New Releases,Scotch whisky,Uncategorized Tags: 15 Comments

April 7th, 2010

Round three of Diageo’s “Manager’s Choice” whiskies is being release

John Hansell

I’ve written about the first and second releases here. Below you’ll find the info on the third release, taken from their press release.

DIAGEO LAUNCH THE NEXT BATCH OF THEIR SINGLE-CASK COLLECTION OF MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Following the first batch launched in September, and a second collection released in January, Diageo are now launching the third batch of their single-cask collection of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, The Managers’ Choice.

Among the seven expressions that feature in this third release are several single malts familiar to many malt whisky drinkers – Caol Ila™, Glenkinchie™, Glen Ord™ and Royal Lochnagar™.

But Dailuaine™, Inchgower™ and Mannochmore™ normally enjoy only very limited availability.

Each of the whiskies is drawn from one single oak cask, picked after a careful examination of distillery stocks, and bottled at its natural cask strength. The number of bottles obtained from the chosen casks can vary between approximately 640 and as little as 200.

So these are rare and distinctive whiskies. Aimed at collectors and connoisseurs, prices range from £200 to £300 per bottle.

The fourth and final release is scheduled for May.

Contact for further information: Patrick Roberts at cognis.pr@zen.co.uk

Category: New Releases,Scotch whisky,Uncategorized Tags: , 20 Comments

April 5th, 2010

Review: The Dalmore “Mackenzie”

John Hansell

I’m back on track after my surgery, and I’ll be posting up a series of new whisky reviews this week. I’d like to thank all of you who wished me well.

 

The Dalmore “Mackenzie,” 1992 Vintage, 46%, $175

A tribute to the Mackenzie Clan. Aged in American oak (ex-bourbon) barrels for 11 years, and then aged an additional 6 years in Port pipes, creating a rich, voluptuous, robust Dalmore expression. Notes of toffee, molasses, caramelized nuts, pancake batter, fig cake, and chocolate-covered citrus. Subtle glazed ginger and orange marmalade add complexity. Polished oak, tobacco-tinged finish. Very dynamic and never sappy or cloying. Save this one for after dinner.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 91

Category: New Releases,Reviews,Scotch whisky,Uncategorized Tags: 30 Comments

April 1st, 2010

Guest blog #4: Speyside Part 1 (Tormore, Glenlivet, and Aberlour)

John Hansell

We had several great days in Speyside which everyone knows is the heart of whisky country.  One day focused primarily on Chivas distilleries – Tormore, Glenlivet and Aberlour.  Again our ambassador extraordinaire Ian provided on-site guidance.  Tormore, like Scapa is not open to the public so it was a privilege to get to see it in person.  (Gang on left.) If you’ve been through Speyside, you’ll remember it as the distillery with the still-shaped topiaries out front. This whisky is hard to find since almost 100 percent goes to blends. The pot stills have purifiers and much has remained unchanged since it was built in 1958. Still, in can produce over 3 million liters when in full production.  Ian took us on a walk up to the water source, The Achwochkie Burn, where he generously warmed us with some cask-strength drams. Even if you don’t get to experience a tour of Tormore, the burn is a place you must stop, although it’s a bit of a jaunt behind the distillery.

Everyone knows The Glenlivet whisky. The visitor’s center is gorgeous too with a signature floor to ceiling swirling DNA double-helix style cascade of whisky bottles! (See left.) The center has expanded substantially in the past couple of years to include a wonderful self-guided tour of the history of what is arguably the first legal distillery in Scotland.  The stillroom is unique with huge still with beautiful swan like lyne arms. Definitely worth the visit to where the most popular single malt in the US is lovingly made.

After a lovely lunch at the Mash Tun, we toured Aberlour, among the most beautiful distilleries in Scotland.  Our guide on the tour was Dennis, who, we all realized, is a repressed comedian.  He knows Aberlour inside and out, and without a doubt provided the most entertaining tour of the trip. Getting to the tasting room was the highlight, here Dennis regaled us with jokes while sampling of several Aberlour expressions. The tasting room is unique in that you basically taste in a sealed part of the bonded warehouse! Dennis noted the 18 YO to him was almost orgasmic!  You can bottle your own cask strength whisky (either sherry or bourbon oak) for 60 pounds!  Many of us chose the bourbon since finding a bourbon cask strength Aberlour is nearly impossible. This would be a wonderful first tour for someone who had not been to Scotland before, gorgeous setting, unique whiskies to try and great guides along the way! (Gang on left.)  — B. J. Reed

Category: Distillery Tours,Guest Blogger,Scotch whisky,Uncategorized Tags: , , 15 Comments

March 31st, 2010

Guest blog #3: Northern Highlands

John Hansell

Highlands and Western Coastal distilleries are all unique.  Pulteney Distillery (stills on top left) on the northwest coast is almost as isolated as those of Orkney – You really want to get there to visit and you won’t be disappointed.  Situated in the middle of Wick, you can see how the distillery grew around the fishing industry and the town, it has a unique feel. Inver House has reinvested in both Pulteney and Balblair as key single malt products; you can see it in the growth of the 12, 17 and 21 YO Pulteney bottlings. The visitor’s center here is beautiful and they also have the opportunity to bottle your own 13 or 19 YO Pulteney on site.  The 19 YO has a lot of peat influence. Rumor has it that it was aged in an Islay cask, if you get a chance you have to try it!

Our only Diageo distillery on this trip was Clynelish. Diageo runs its distillery tours in a very safe and modern way. Tours are nice, but carefully scripted and you will not find much flexibility in how they approach them (don’t wander off or you will get in trouble!).  They have a couple of distillery-only bottles you can purchase which is true of a number of Diageo distilleries.  We tasted the Cask Strength one here and it was excellent.  We also got to head down to Brora across the road and it was like going back in time, the stills and spirit safe are still in place. Even the filling station includes a cask of 1983 Brora just sitting there like it was just ready to be filled.  We really miss Brora.

Finally we visited both Glenmorangie and Dalmore. It’s my fourth trip to Glenmorangie and it is just a terrific place. Their still room (left) is truly something to behold, cue heavenly music here… They have somehow fit in four more stills in the last year. They also have a wonderful visitor’s center and tasting room. Seems that there is always a rare and tasty Glenmorangie on hand, Annette treats us well! Don’t miss this one.

Dalmore has also greatly expanded their visitor’s area and have distillery only bottlings available for purchase.  They also have one of the most unique still rooms in the industry, water jackets anyone? – Another must see. Richard Paterson caught up with us there and autographed bottling of their new Mackenzie bottle for everyone who purchased one! — B. J. Reed

Category: Distillery Tours,Guest Blogger,Scotch whisky,Uncategorized Tags: , , , 10 Comments

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