Isle of Arran: Distillery Tour

Set in a stunning valley just outside the small port town of Lochranza at the north point of the wonderful island of Arran, the still pretty youthful distillery of Arran sits. Since opening in 1995, the distillery has grown in capacity steadily, to the point where this year they will be producing 650,000 litres of spirit from their two stills. Yet still, this is the 6th smallest producer of whisky in Scotland.

The tour itself, which started from beside the impressive indoor waterfall in the centre of the award winning visitor centre, opened with an introduction from our charismatic bearded host Stewart, a pre-midday dram of the Arran 14 year old, and a short informative video to give a background to Arran's colourful distilling history - smugglers and household pot stills having been absolutely rife in the past! After the introduction, we moved on to the only production building in the distillery, housing everything from the grist mill right through to the spirit safe. 

As you can imagine, the smell in the building was intoxicating. Starting with 2.5 tonnes of malted barley in the mash, with 13,000 litres of water, it's undoubtedly a busy little place - continually mashing in sometimes up to 13 times a week to keep up with demand. Imported barley is used, as we learned that the proximity to the Gulf Stream means that barley grown on the island is not suitable for whisky production, as the warm climate leaves the grain low in the sugars needed for making the required alcohols. The six wash backs vary in age, again a reflection on the amount the distillery has grown over the past twenty years. The stills looked vaguely familiar to us, and we discovered that this is because they are modelled roughly on the shape of Bowmore's stills - the master distiller, James MacTaggart, having spent the first part of his whisky career there.

Back to the tasting bar, for a nip of Arran Gold - a whisky cream liqueur made with Arran 10. Not being quite Jim's thing, Laura enjoyed a duo of these! After the standard tour was finished, we stayed behind with our bewhiskered host and a couple of other visitors to taste a few more. With three choices each, we had the opportunity to taste some of the excellent finishes that the distillery has to offer...

Amarone Cask Finish - 50% 

Colour: Sparkling ruby

Nose: A wave of sugared almonds and oodles of honey gush forward initially, with lashings of sour fruits. The dry red wine cask is certainly apparent with a distinctive grape-iness that carries delicately with unsweetened cocoa.

Palate: A level of spice that was not apparent on the nose opens up on the tongue, with cinnamon and liquorice root, stewed dark fruits such as plums and cherries follow up with a prickle of spice. The cocoa from the nose evolves into a rich dark chocolate, with a little more sweetness.

Finish: The spice remains on the tongue for a good 15 seconds accompanied with a sweetness that engulfs the mouth.

Single Cask Bourbon 1999 - 58%

Colour: Polished copper

Nose: The American oak is a big part of the nose, as you would expect - the wood sings sweetly from the glass, with vanilla and an almost toffee sweetness along for the ride.

Palate: To drink it is almost creamy in texture from 15 years in the barrel, but maintains a zesty freshness reminiscent of citrus peel. Vanilla pod luxury marries beautifully with a nutty oak characteristic.

Finish: A full, fresh mouth for a short moment, that ebbs gradually away with a sweet creaminess.

Machrie Moor (Cask Strength edition) - 58.4%

Colour: Golden barley

Nose: A sweet smoke nose initially, with tropical fruits coming later. The blend is intoxicating, like chargrilled pineapple.

Palate:  Vanilla custard becomes a large part of the taste, with more BBQ'd fruit, this time bananas by the fireside. Unmistakably peat and as it's the only peated release from the distillery, this seems to be MacTaggart's homage to his Islay heritage. The ABV certainly helps to carry great waves of peat but does so beautifully, without becoming over powering.

Finish: Much like you can still smell the smoke from a BBQ days after, the peat lingers beautifully in the mouth, but with a sweet accompaniment of dark dried fruit.

Between us we also sampled the Sauternes cask finish and a Private Cask bottling for Glasgow's Whisky Club (both of which we bought bottles of, so reviews to follow!).

Afterward we were treated to a sneak peek in the warehouses, past warehouse six, the newest and last to be built on the site, to warehouse two and three which contained some of the more famous private casks, including a cask belonging to Ewan McGregor.

Finishing off with a delicious lunch at Cask cafe, a great afternoon was definitely had by all.

Cheers,

J&L

Islay 2014: Lagavulin

A very un-Scottish, gloriously sunny summer's day on Islay enticed us down to the south shore, out past Port Ellen, where the peatiest of the island's whiskies are brought into being.

Our first tour of the day was Lagavulin. We've never owned a bottle of Lagavulin before, but hugely enjoyed their 16 year on the ferry on the way across - a bargain of a dram at under a fiver for a 70ml measure. The flavour of the whisky itself is everything reminiscent of Islay - intense, seaweedy peat smoke, with a backbone of barley sweetness.

The tour, led by Rachael, began in the old kiln room of the distillery, which is now only used by nesting swallows. Owned by Diageo, Lagavulin is more corporate than some of the other distilleries on the island, but this doesn't affect the passion that goes into all they do. They're also not afraid to share their experiences of working with such a huge company (whereas others seem to try to brush over this aspect a little), which meant that the tour provided some additional very interesting insights into the industry on the island as a whole, including their involvement with the maltings at Port Ellen, which they have worked with since the early 1980s.

We were interested to discover that the mashing process at Lagavulin takes just under 6 hours, and is carried out twenty-eight times per week - effectively meaning that production is continual. It's clear that Lagavulin do their utmost to ensure that they make as much whisky as is humanly possible under the current set up - something I am sure many whisky connoisseurs are grateful for.

Swallows featured again in the tun room, where a large plastic owl has done a semi-effective job of keeping the nesting birds away (unfortunately no photos are allowed in the working parts of the distillery, so we can't show you this little guy). We sampled the woody, smoky wash using my favourite distillery instrument - a jug on a rope (it must have a proper name). The fermentation process takes 55 hours, before being piped through to be distilled.

On to the still house, where we were let into a number of distillery "secrets". Lagavulin peats its whisky to 36ppm, which doesn't quite tally up with the massive peaty character that the final product has. This is due at least in part to an unusually steep line pipe angle to the stills, meaning there is less spirit reflux (where the spirit falls back into the still), resulting in less copper contact and a lower amount of phenol vapour wearing away. The longest second distillation of all the whisky producers on Islay - 12 hours - at a lower temperature, also helps to provide a more robust flavour. The still house has to be my favourite part of a distillery - you can always tell that it is a magical place!

The tour ended with a sampling of the Lagavulin range in the lounge - the distillery as a whole has a great country hunting lodge feel about it, and the sophisticated smokiness of the whisky fits in so well with this. We just needed a pipe! After tasting the fiery 12 year and the robustly sweet 16 year Distiller's Edition, the Distiller's Edition immediately became our favourite whisky of the trip so far and so we decided to invest in a bottle. Tasting notes to follow once we've drank it all!

Slainte,

J&L

Islay 2014: Bruichladdich Warehouse Experience

Ohh Bruichladdich.

Bruichladdich became our favourite whisky distillery during our first visit to Islay, when we arrived on the island as relative newbies to the glorious nectar. Their innovation, knowledge and enthusiasm is clear throughout the entire process, and the experimental nature of the whiskies they produce is second to none. Since then, we've sampled a more extensive range of their drams and been consistently surprised and delighted by the whisky they make. We knew that on our recent trip we wanted to find out more than the standard distillery tour can offer, and so we booked ourselves onto the warehouse experience.

The event itself takes place in the first warehouse directly behind the main production house of the distillery, in a wooden floored building filled with rows of barrels, the light smell of oak and the mist of the angels' share. We were led by Raymond, our exuberant guide for the afternoon, halfway down the rows of barrels into an opening where three casks lay. Moving deeper into the warehouse from this point I can only imagine that amongst the secrets of Jim McEwan lies the Arc of the Covenant. The first two casks were not obviously marked, but the third filled us instantly with glee as it was brandished with our favourite 8 letter word. Octomore. But we had to contain our excitement as that, quite rightly, was to be left until last.

Our experience opened with a 25 year old Bourbon cask Laddie: an unpeated delight distilled in 1989, weighing in at 53.5% ABV. This light, fruity whisky was the perfect starting point for the tasting: a softly sweet nose, singing of honey and vanilla-laden creme brulee, which gave way to a fresh, citrussy palate. This whisky was happily described by Raymond as a suitable replacement for milk on cereal and frankly I'd be happy with the switch. This felt a particular treat for us too as it was the first ever dram either of us have had from our birth year!

Laura learning the ways of the Valinch!

The second generously measured whisky was a 2005 Port Charlotte. This was certainly a step-up in terms of peatedness, although due to being aged in a Spanish Grenache cask, it also had a deliciously sumptuous winey quality on the nose. The palate allowed the smoke to come through, with the age of the whisky also providing a much larger heat all the way around the taste. This was a really well rounded whisky that due to the excellent choice of cask built flavour and sophistication over its nine years, whilst still maintaining a prickly heat of peat all the way through the drink and down to the stomach.

Then we came to the pièce de résistance, possibly our favourite whisky we have ever drunk (and we rarely agree quite so thoroughly!): The Octomore Chateau d'Yquem. This was also the rarest of the bunch, as the cask we where drinking from was so close to its end that there may now be none left, and it's only other counter part will not be released to the public or used as another tasting barrel for events like these - instead, it will be at the mercy of Jim McEwan.

While this barrel of Octomore (produced as a prototype for the now commercially available releases) hadn't been peated as highly as the bottled release, it still packs a 80.5ppm punch. For this dram we were all told to wait for everyone to be served a dram then all to drink in synchrony. Although there were only six glasses to be filled from the valinch, the low level of precious liquid left in the barrel meant it took a few return trips to the cask. While we waited, the aroma rose from the glass instantly with a significant white wine sweetness.

3... 2... 1....... PHWOAR.

Instantly the strength coupled with the peat punch was apparent, warming up through the nose and powering around the head. Allowing the whisky some time on the palate meant that the sweetness of the cask swept in, finding parts of the mouth that had never been stimulated before and balancing out the smokiness. On the swallow, the tingly numbness of the peat was left behind alongside the delightful charms of the wine cask, which nurtured a lovely warm feeling in the belly. The Octomore series clearly has its roots in experimentation, and it works phenomenally well. We'll definitely be on the lookout for a release of the 310ppm version which we've heard is currently relaxing in the warehouse.

Having found out that Bruichladdich had been bought by Remy Cointreau shortly after our trip in 2012, we were a bit apprehensive that some of their fiercely independent spirit would have been lost by the time we returned this year, but we absolutely needn't have worried. The warehouse experience - part whisky tasting, part stand up comedy gig thanks to Raymond's excellent patter - was the highlight of our entire holiday. All the distilleries on Islay really make the effort to ensure the whisky pilgrims are well looked after, but for the warehouse tour Bruichladdich went the extra mile. We felt totally spoilt by the stunning whiskies on offer, and are still in awe that we've tasted something incredible that only hundreds of people in the whole world will ever be able to try.

L-R: Our holiday pals Jimmy and Jasmine, Jim, Raymond, and Laura

We spent the rest of the afternoon playing a selection of tunes on a little Bruichladdich guitar, forgetting we'd already eaten our lunch and napping on the beach. Top day.

Slainte,

J&L

Advent Calendar - windows 10-17

And so advent continues, each day bringing with it a delightful little treat. You all know the score by now, on with the tasting notes!

Day 10
L - Langtons Gin. From the Lake District, practically local! Tasty and smooth, interesting yet traditional.
J - Grant's 25 - sweet and malted, with just a little bit of tobacco in the nose. Cinnamon and nutmeg provide a light and spicy character.

11
L - Filliers Dry Gin 28. Mmmm! A juniper punch but with hints of citrus and something that might be thyme in the background. A good belly-warmer with a more lingering finish than any of the gins tasted so far this advent.
J - Mackmyra Brukswhisky - The Swedish Whisky. Sweet apples and other fruity notes resonate from the nose to the finish. Smooth and dangerously easy to drink.

12
L - Herno Dry Gin - the first Swedish gin I've ever tried. It is utterly lovely: overwhelmingly citrussy, un- usual, bold and refreshing.
J - Balcones Texas - Smooth and creamy with a vanilla flavour and hints of apple, that becomes a sticky treacle texture across the tongue ending in an intense malty flavour across a great long finish.

13
L - FEW American Gin. I drank this straight after the Herno, after getting a few days behind, and I could not have sampled two such different gins! Both delicious, but the FEW was as creamy and smooth (the key note being vanilla) as the Herno was crisp and fresh. I read up on this one too and love the history behind it!
J - Evan Williams Single Barrel (2003 Vintage) - a very strange whisky, completely different to anything I've had before, with a light amber hue and a nasal waft of honeyed and charred oak. The palate tickles with a spice that feels oddly unique, with a fresh citrus that ends in the heat of warming alcohols and spice.

14
L - Boudier Saffron Gin - this looks incredible... for a second I thought I'd got my calendars mixed up and opened Jim's by mistake! Whilst very nice, however, I'm not sure the saffron added much more than colour, other than a mild spice. Delicious with a slice of orange.
J - Tomintoul 14 year - This is the first bottle of the 14 whiskies so far that I have previously bought, having polished off a bottle earlier in the year. Today, I have been reminded that I am missing this lightly creamy butter scented pale coloured dram.

15
L - Sipsmith London Dry Gin - this is the first gin all month that I've a) heard of before and b) own a bottle of. For this reason I chose to take a nip from my full-size bottle, and save my little dram for a special occasion! It's a fantastic drink, whether neat over ice or in a cocktail - my favourite is with elderflower fizz.
J - Dalmore 16 year - this interesting limited cask release is a lightly spiced with hints of apple on the tongue and a prickly heat of almost chilli on the nose and down the throat, with a smooth wood finish.

16
L - Dr J's Gin - ooft! This really packs in the flavour and left my tongue tingling. Really zingy and full of citrus elements, with a sweetness that reminds me of marmalade.
J - Balvenie Caribbean Cask - This whisky sings of vanilla across all the relative senses, a nose of rum from the barrels its aged in. There are massive notes of tropical fruits like mangos, all summed together up with a heat of spice.

17
L - Blackdown Sussex Dry Gin - the weakest of Ginvent at 37.5% but no less yummy than the rest. It has an almost smoky nose and a traditional, juniper flavour. The finish is smoother than most and the gin as a whole goes down oh-too-well!
J - Glenlivet 16 year old Nadurra - Batch 0313W (Catchy). So vanilla sweet and fruity on the nose that Laura noticed the scent from across the room. A great alcohol heat from the 54.8% dram on the tongue with a similar sweet fruit this time with a honey spice that lingers on the tongue. The finish sits happily for a good few minutes gently down the throat, warming to the stomach with a dry nuttiness. It is simply delightful.

Our next post will follow our progress across the final 7 spirits, taking us all the way to Christmas Eve. Come back soon!

Slainte,

L and J

Advent Calendar Update - windows 2-9

I think it's fair to say we are having an excellent advent, thanks to our fantastic Gin and Whisky Advent Calendars from Master of Malt. (You can find out more here if you missed our earlier introductory post.)

Day 2
Laura - On the 2nd day of Ginvent, my calendar gave to meeee... Dorothy Parker American gin. A crisp, clean, fresh tasting spirit with refreshing hints of grapefruit.
Jim - Talisker Port Ruighe is peated, like a smoky orange on the nose with a definite flavour of the port casks its been aged in and great hints of demerara sugar, ending in a strange note of grapes.

3
L - Today's offering was Monkey 47 - a gin from the Black Forest, comprising 47 botanicals, and bottled at 47% ABV. Quite distinct from yesterday's, it was warming, with hints of sherbet and berries.
J - Nikka From the Barrel 51% - a creamy, very lightly peated whisky from Japan, with a custardy vanilla flavour. It works well as a festive beverage with a lovely hint of Christmas spice. Its strength doesn't purvey the sometimes felt heat, and feels smooth across the palate.

4
L - Tarquin's gin, from Cornwall, was behind my little window today. It was very nice, but not the most exciting gin I've ever tasted. Traditional flavour and without a doubt a bloody good gin, but it was the first one so far that I've added tonic to.
J - Glencadam 21 year. Spiced apple/raisin flavour, containing all the smells that come with mulling cider, it tingles across the tongue bringing with it an oaky vanilla taste.

5
L - Two Birds London Gin today. Citrussy and soft, it had a rounded flavour with a delightful tang on
the finish. Having looked up the bottle, I've discovered it is a bargain at under £30 and the bottle has a cute design too. Very tempted.
J - Glen Garioch 12 year - The sherry aged cherry sweetness was coupled with a light oaky taste to finish. There is much more to the flavour that than one dram can give, I might need a bottle.

6
L - Professor Cornelius Ampleforth's Bathtub Gin. Today's Ginvent offering definitely wins the prize for most fun name, and it's a fantastic gin to boot. Felt a bit like a Victorian drinking it. A rich and unusual spirit.
J - Chivas Regal 18 year - an award winning blend that sings of spiced toffee and fruit, and a palate of dark chocolate and oak, that skips across the tongue and down the throat.

7
L - Geranium gin - this was my favourite of the week, a very different gin. Heavy juniper scent but a floral flavour, reminiscent of Turkish Delight. Jim was not a fan due to it's perfumed nature, however this perhaps makes it a better investment for me as no need to share!
J - Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7 year Bourbon - almost a caramel flavour, hints of brown sugar, and a lovely change being the first bourbon in the calendar, that is lovely and smooth.

8
L - Cold River gin today - another American one. I have to say I've been mightily impressed so far by my first three tastings of US gins. This one seemed a little harsh at first but got more delicious the more I sipped. Delightful caramel aroma too.
J - Blue Hanger 9th release - has a fruity sweet nose of the sherry cask, with hints of orange and caramel and a very light smokey flavour, and a warm finish down the throat.

9

L - Cream gin, made with ACTUAL CREAM. No surprises in the flavour of this one - it starts off in the mouth as the classic juniper and citrus combination, but this is quickly overpowered by a beautiful, rich creaminess that lingers on the palate. Yummy.
J - Bowmore 15 year old, Darkest - a warm sweetened light peat smell, that grows on the palate and ends curiously with the heat of Arbroath Smokies. With flavours of treacly fruit, it is definitely a highlight so far.

We'll be back next week to share the next batch of drams with you!

Slainte,

L and J

The Whisky Collection pt. Islay

Islay is one of our favourite places on the planet. Situated about 70miles from Glasgow as the crow flies and 150miles as the car drives, through undulating hills to the picturesque Loch roads, towards a 2 hour crossing past the Paps of the surrogate sister island to Islay, Jura.
  

The Old Schoolroom

It is a place that breathes pleasantness in such spades that when we pointed out that the front door to the Old Schoolroom (our home for our honeymoon week) did not lock, the owners confided that they left the car keys in the ignition overnight. This revelation sat strangely with us townies, but on such a secluded yet welcoming island the only option was to embrace the situation.

With 8 active distilleries and two more opening shortly, the island is a worthy pilgrimage for any whisky fanatic. Ranging in size from the massive annual production of 3.5 million litres of Caol Ila, to the smallest distillery, Kilchoman, that struggles to produce per year what Caol Ila makes in a day.

The whiskies themselves, whilst generally peaty, are always interesting and different, and for this post i am going to focus on a few of my favourites.

Kilchoman warehouse

Kilchoman is a farm distillery that at the time of visiting made the only 100% Islay whisky, with most distilleries importing the malt from the mainland. The 5 Year 2006 tastes like a young whisky, in that it is not as refined or smooth as a longer aged whisky. That being said it is by no means bad, more I feel it the opposite, something unique and to be treasured, with a light pear smell that gives way to a gingery peat on the tongue and ends in a woody finish. 

The bay of Laphroaig

Laphroaig is arguably the most famous distillery on the Island and is often seen in pubs and supermarkets around the country. The 10 year old, which is provided as the 'Drivers Dram' from the distillery for those partaking on the tour, is the most often seen. It is a heavily peated whisky that seems to float the head in a soft smoke on the nose, with sweet hints of oak across the palate with vanilla and spice that end with an iodiney finish

I will stray slightly from the isle for the penultimate dram, to the incredible island of Jura, a land of stags and stills, described by George Orwell as 'extremely ungetatable'. The distillery itself has an great range of excellent whiskies demonstrating a spectrum of peatiness and sweetness. The 'Duirachs Own' is one of the free drams you can get from the hotel across from the distillery if you are part of the members club. This 16 year old whisky is aged for the final 2 years in sherry casks, giving it sweet vanillas on the nose and across the palate with additional layers of honey and slight apples, reminiscent of crumble and custard. 

And finally... I am leaving these whiskies till last not only because they are some of my favourites but because the distillery is one of the most interesting. Bruichladdich is run with an air of experimentation; a flair seldom seen in whisky production. It showcases the ambition to try new things, new woods, greater peat content and even a gin. They have a series of whiskies named Port Charlotte (also one of the towns on the island), one of which, entitled Peat Project, is a heady mix of spice and smoke, that engulfs the skull with the caressing warmth of pepper and a smooth creaminess that brushes the palate. It provides a taste which is well rounded and whole.

I recently had a dram of a release of a Octomore: one of the most heavily peated whiskies ever made. This limited release has steadily increased in its peat levels since the first batch, starting at 131ppm and with a level around 167ppm for its newer releases (up to version 6.2). For those who aren't aware, ppm stands for the Phenol content in Parts Per Million, in reference to peat levels in the whisky as a whole, which is added when drying malt in peat smoke. As a guide, Laphroaig 10 year is around 40ppm and Springbank being 7ppm. While this whisky is probably the most heavily peated you will ever try, it does not feel that way, being surprisingly smooth and quaffable. On the nose it smells sweet and grapey due to its ageing in Bordeaux barrels, which adds a sincere refinement throughout the mouth as a whole. The sweetness continues to tickle across the tongue as the smoke fills the back of the throat. Having had a dram in the distillery I have been on the look out for it ever since. Buying a bottle of this whisky can set you back up to £200, but as a single measure in the pub it is closer to £7 and worth every penny. 

Slainte 
Jim