BUMS (Bureau of Malt Sippers) News Page

1 week ago

#Royal Lochnagar
#Rattray Independent Bottlers

Thirty-Second Tasting: Royal Lochnagar 12, Royal Lochnagar Selected Reserve, A.D. Rattray Royal Lochnagar 14

Royal Lochnagar finally makes it to the BUMS tasting table

This is a distillery I’ve wanted to put before the BUMS for quite some time but until Bill suggested that we “shop” in his Whisky Cellar I didn’t think the financial end would work. Fortunately he had some bottlings that he acquired a while ago so the pricing wasn’t quite so high, still our star bottle would be anywhere from $300-400 today, if you could find it, so thanks Bill, for buying at a good price and cutting the BUMS a deal.

Royal Lochnagar is in the Diageo stable of distilleries but is not one of their high volume producers like Glenkinchie at 2,500,000 liters per year or Caol Ila at 3,800,000 liters. Lochnagar produces only 450,000 liters per year. Presently the distillery has only two small pot stills that feed through lyne arms into two cast iron worm tubs. It is located in the Eastern Highlands and its official founding date is 1845. Competitors burned down two earlier incarnations of the distillery.

Glenmorangie Open Weekend June 15 and 16

Celebrate Father’s Day Weekend With Free Tours and Tasting and The Men of Tain

Glenmorangie’s Men of Tain set to share the secrets of Scotland’s favourite malt whisky

—- Glenmorangie’s free, family-friendly Open Weekend will offer 170 years of history, Scotland’s tallest whisky stills, special tours, barbecue and tastings on June 15 and 16 —-

Members of the public will be able to witness the magic of Scotland’s tallest stills in action when Glenmorangie’s distillery in Tain puts on a special Open Weekend on June 15 and 16.

The weekend-long programme of free tours, tastings and events will lift the lid on the production process behind Scotland’s favourite single malt.

Visitors will be able to meet and talk with the Men of Tain – the select group of craftsmen who are entrusted with the secrets of the Glenmorangie Distillery. Their dedication and skill has been handed down from generation to generation since the founding of the distillery in 1843.

They can also see the distillery’s 12 copper-necked stills in operation, the necks of which stand at over 16ft – the same height as a fully grown adult giraffe. This guarantees a smoother finish as only the lightest and purest vapours ascend to the top.

Paul Skipworth, President and Managing Director of The Glenmorangie Company, said: “We’ve been part of the Ross-shire landscape for 170 years when William Matheson first established the distillery. We are delighted to have this Open Weekend and to share some of the secrets that go in to making our famous whisky.

“Glenmorangie is distilled in the tallest malt whisky stills in Scotland, and we’d encourage as many people as possible to experience the special ‘cathedral-like’ atmosphere of this beautiful still house, and the tranquil surroundings of the distillery for themselves.”

As a family-friendly weekend, complementary activities include a barbecue, crźperie, hot chocolate, falconry and performances by the Tain Pipe Band.

Doors open from 10am until 4.30pm on Saturday and Sunday and there are two types of free tours available.

Single Cask Nation Makes A Mark On The Whisky Drinking Nation

Way back in June 2012 I posted a press release from what started out as the Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society, founded by Joshua Hatton which was morphing into the Jewish Whisky Company as he started a tasting society called Single Cask Nation. There’s a pretty good story there so if you want some background, click above. Just the recent facts? See below.

Like the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, this is a subscription only, single malt, single cask bottling company. You can join at various levels and receive various benefits, but always the star of the benefits is access to their Single Cask Nation-chosen single malt bottlings.

Along with fellow BUM, Bill Meyers, I finally got around to tasting some of their first batch of single cask bottles. As we tasted I would say our ratings and opinions were pretty close, but I will let Bill post his notes separately, if he wishes.

Rachel Barrie, Bowmore Master Blender, Opens Up On Why Adding Water to Whisky Makes Sense

Over the last few months Bowmore and Master Blender Rachel Barrie have been blitzing the various news outlets on the finer points of adding water to whisky and why it makes our senses, well, sense more. Their approach has been a two tier program: 1) Educating what they call their “on-premise” wait staffs and bartenders at various bars and 2) Educating you and me, the folks who buy and drink Scotch.

Since Ms. Barrie has a 1st class Honours degree in Chemistry and a stint as a Research Scientist at the Scotch Whisky Research Institute it seems wise to hear her out and see what she has to say. Rachel Barrie has been with Bowmore as their Master Blender since 2011 but spent the previous 8 years with Glenmorangie and Ardbeg creating some of the most noteworthy whiskies in recent memory, including Glenmorangie Signet, Ardbeg Corryvreckan, Supernova, Rollercoaster and Alligator.

Join the Glengoyne “Family” for a Chance to Win a Decanter of 35-yr old Glengoyne

Well it never hurts to get the inside scoop on a distillery and what it has to offer and if that means I also have a chance to win an amazing Decanter of Whisky, why the heck not join.

www.glengoyne.com

Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd are the brand proprietors of Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Tamdhu Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Isle of Skye Blended Scotch Whisky,Lang’s Blended Scotch Whisky,Hedges & Butler, King Robert II, London Hill Gin, TheChieftain’s and Dun Bheagan Ranges, Smokehead Islay Single Malt, Six Isles Island Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, Wincarnis Tonic Wines and Macleod’s Single Malt Whiskies.

See the Press Release Below.

They say you can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family. With Glengoyne you can with the official launch of a new online loyalty program - the Glengoyne Family.

Following the re-launch of the brand last October and a new dedicated website, the Family is a way for likeminded Glengoyne enthusiasts to benefit from exclusive promotions and regular offers. The launch coincides with Glengoyne’s 10-year anniversary since being acquired by Ian Macleod Distillers, one of Scotland’s leading, independent, family owned distillers.

As well as receiving a regular e-newsletter, Family members will also benefit from early notice of new releases (in particular limited editions), exclusive special offers and promotions with affiliate partners as well as Family member bottlings and the opportunity to be part of the selection panel.

Islay Scotch Lovers Get A New Single Malt

Kilchoman Intoduces A New Range From Islay’s Independent Farm Distillery:Sherry-Cask Matured Loch Gorm

Until 2005 there were 8 distilleries on tiny Islay, known for its peaty heavy weights,

Lagavulin, Ardbeg and recently, Bruichalddich. Islay is one of the Inner Hebrides Isles off the west coast of mainland Scotland. There were some great expectations heaped on Kilchoman(pronounced with a silent H) at its birth but for most it has lived up to its Islay heritage.

With its first bottling in 2008, at three years old, there have been a lot of bottlings that were one offs, but with Machir Bay and Loch Gorm we are seeing bottlings that will be available each year, with older whisky added as it matures.

Here’s a press release on the new Loch Gorm. I’ll post tasting notes as samples are available. Cheers

Islay’s independent farm distillery, Kilchoman, has added a new range to its award winning Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky collection, Loch Gorm.

Named after the famously peaty loch near the distillery, the Loch Gorm range will be the only sherry cask-matured release from Kilchoman. Only 10,000 bottles of the inaugural five year-old bottling will be available worldwide and is expected to sell quickly.

Aged in Oloroso sherry butts and finished in Oloroso sherry hogshead casks for six weeks, Loch Gorm adds a new dimension to Kilchoman’s portfolio, bringing depth of colour and fresh character to the Islay Single Malt.

Anthony Wills (above right), Managing Director of Kilchoman, said: “Over the years we have released a limited number of sherry-matured Kilchoman bottlings, all of which proved very popular with our customers. Loch Gorm shows wonderful balance between the peat smoke and spicy rich flavours, typical of sherry cask maturation.”

As with the two other ranges in Kilchoman’s portfolio, Machir Bay and 100% Islay, a new bottling of Loch Gorm will be periodically released as the whisky matures, with each bottling differentiated by distillation and bottling years printed on the label.

2013 Ultimate Spirits Challenge Winners

2013 Winners Include First 100 Point Spirit - Highland Park 25 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Scotland, 45.7% ABV

Judging is done as Blind Tastings, where judges do not know what has been poured for them.

Panels of highly qualified experts blind taste/evaluate flights of distilled spirits by classifications within major spirits categories, employing a custom-created, multistage format. Judges record their findings on a worksheet on which they score each product on the 100-point scale.

Multiple 3-person panels of judges are formed. The products from each category that score 90 or more undergo another level of evaluation by UBC panels of
experts to arrive at the best products from each greater category.
Final scores are derived from the cumulative total in order to allow each product multiple chances to shine. Each category will have a coveted “Chairman’s Trophy” winner selected from the Finalists.

New York, NY (March 21, 2013) – Ultimate Beverage Challenge’s (UBC) fourth annual Ultimate Spirits Challenge was held at state-of-the-art Astor Center in New York City on March 11-15, 2013. Today, Ultimate Spirits Challenge (USC) proudly announces this year’s Chairman’s Trophy winners and Finalists in more than 30 spirits categories, including USC’s first 100-point score that honors Highland Park 25 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Orkney.

Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2013 had a record number of entries, up 8% from last year, from more than 70 companies and 30 countries around the world. This year’s entries likewise included more craft spirits than ever before and an extraordinarily high standard of spirits across all categories.

Led by UBC Founder and Judging Chairman F. Paul Pacult and Judging Co-Chairman Sean Ludford, the judges included many of the world’s most famous distilled spirits authorities, award-winning authors, spirits buyers, journalists, educators, bar owners and consultants. The judging panels rated the distillates on the 100-point scale, using USC’s innovative multilevel evaluation system, which renders the industry’s most unassailable results. This remarkable super-group of experts named 33 Ultimate Spirits Challenge Chairman’s Trophy winners and 151 Finalists.

Top Three of Each Whisk(e)y Category (Scores shown, first):

American Whiskey

96 Balcones 1 Texas Single Malt American Whiskey, 53% ABV

92 Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat, 45% ABV

88 Catskill Distilling One & Only Buckwheat, 42.5% ABV

Bourbon

97 Blanton’s Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 46.5% ABV

95 Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 50% ABV

95 Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Bourbon, 45% ABV

Rye

94 Knob Creek Rye Whiskey, United States, 50% ABV

92 Masterson’s French Oak Finished 10 years Old Rye Whiskey, Canada, 45% ABV

91 Bulleit Rye Whiskey, united States, 45% ABV

Tennessee Whiskey

95 George Dickel No. 12, 45% ABV

93 George Dickel Barrel Select, 43%

Bacardi Launches Dewar’s Highlander Honey “Infused Scotch Specialty

Is John Dewar, Founder of Dewar’s, Turning Over In His Grave?

Several Whisky News Outlets reported this week that Bacardi, owners of the Dewar’s brand, is introducing a flavored Whisky drink to compete with the, evidently successful, flavored Bourbons and Irish whiskies that have sprung up over the last few years. This “honey” infused drink can not be called Scotch but the particulars of labeling were blessed by the Scotch Whisky Association, which is very particular about such things and they gave their approval on labeling it as a “specialty.” It is made up of Dewar’s White Label Blended Scotch and Scottish honey.

This will compete with Diageo’s Bushmills Irish Honey, Beam Inc.’s Jim Beam Honey, Brown-Forman’s Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey and in a more general way any whisky that has added flavoring components such as Spicebox Canadian Whisky which is flavored with vanilla and other spices, probably nutmeg and cinnamon. In the US market we also have cherry flavored and maple flavored whiskies such as Beam Inc’s Red Stag and Diageo’s Crown Royal Maple Finished whiskey.

This product and product category is pitched at the 25-30 year old brown spirit drinker.

In a Shanken News Daily article, Arvid Krishnan, VP, brand managing director of Dewar’s had this to say, “We’re trying to reach out to a younger, newer consumer and speak to them in a language that they’ll identify with, in an environment that they’ll want to be in. Dewar’s Highlander Honey takes that one step forward.

“When you look at what’s happening in Bourbon and the overall flavor trends in the U.S., we figured it was time to create an offering that is still truly Scotch, but gives those who play with flavor trends an option to play within Scotch.”

New Loki Single Malt Scotch from Highland Park

Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whisky Launches Loki, the Second Release of the Valhalla Collection

As of March 11, Highland Park has released its newest annual bottling in the Valhalla Collection. The new Loki bottling, follows their sold-out Thor bottling

(there were only 1500 bottles available in the US, selling at $199) which was a 16-year old bottled at 52.1% ABV. Both are presented in a Vikingesque wooden boat likeness

minus Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis. Below the 1958 movie poster is the Press Release.

Loki is one of the most complex characters in Norse mythology, regularly positioned as a trickster and often engaged in treachery and mischief. Highland Park Single Malt Scotch has released a whisky that bottles the characteristics of Loki while still celebrating the unique Highland Park house style.

The second release in The Valhalla Collection, a set of four unique whiskies, which take inspiration from the legendary Nordic gods of old, Loki continues the ground-breaking achievement that Thor began; a malt designed around the personality traits of an individual. The Orkney whisky maker has now created a unique flavor profile for Thor’s follow up – Loki, a 15 Years Old Single Malt. While unquestionably Highland Park in style, the whisky mirrors the unpredictable, shape-shifting Loki character and as with the trickster god of fire himself, all is not as it seems.

The Spirit of Christmas Present

A Whiskey Surprise

You could say that I am a bit late or wayyyyyyy too early to be writing about a Christmas Present at this point in time but this all began with a Christmas Present from my wife.

Ask the spouse of any Whisk(e)y aficionado “what’s the toughest present to buy your love-muffin?” and they will always answer, “a bottle of hooch.” How can they come up with a successful choice when the person they are buying for is soooooo particular about what they drink? Well in the case of my wife, she usually goes to my favorite liquor locale, where they know my tastes and that’s that. However in this case, she saw something on the whiskey shelf that grabbed her attention which wasn’t on the usual radar for said love-muffin, the Scotch drinker. She asked the helpful spirits sellers if they thought it would do the trick. They helpfully replied that, “everyone who had tried it had liked it.” So it was a done deal. And that’s how Whippersnapper Oregon Spirit Whiskey, a blend of bourbon and a Scotch-like spirit, came to sit under our Christmas tree and became my new BFF.

I’ve written about a fair amount of whisky start-ups and small whisky companies (Virginia Distillery, The Belgian Owl Distillery, Lost Spirits Distillery, Lark Distillery, Penderyn Distillery, Clear Creek Distillery andGlann ar Mor Distillery) and they all seem to have a drive or belief that they can do it better or different enough to get their spirit noticed and bought.

That awesome attitude is also true of Ransom Spirits and its founder/distiller Tad Seestedt and his whiskey, Whippersnapper Oregon Spirit Whiskey.

On the Ransom web site is the “Whippersnapper Manifesto.”

Part of it states, “Whippersnapper is a pot distilled, handcrafted whiskey made by dedicated artisans for those who appreciate quality, flavorful whiskey. It is intended for sipping, mixing in cocktails, or just plain drinking.

“The Whippersnapper represents an endeavor to utilize and combine the best of production methods, and technical approaches to making bourbon, Scotch, Irish whiskey, and Dutch corenwyn*.