BUMS (Bureau of Malt Sippers) News Page

4 days ago

#The Dalmore
#Whisky
#single malt scotch

Beauty on the Inside and the Outside, Too Much to Ask?

There is no question that the new bottle/package design of The Dalmore line of non-premium (“core range”) bottles is a thing of beauty. As a former Graphic Designer I must applaud the effort that goes into making a good product more appealing. But as a Single Malt Scotch Whisky drinker and writer I have a dilemma and a bone to pick.

In the last few years, consumers of whisky have seen various product lines jockeying to be THE premium line of Single Malts, with ever increasing rarity of the liquid and the packaging to declaring in bold-face dollar signs, “I am the rarest and most beautifully diamond-like liquid luxury on the planet…love and worship me.” And lo did they worship and praise. And there was much product premiumization throughout the land.

Summer Whisky News from Ireland, Japan and the US

Although summer may traditionally be a time when you might drink less Whisky and more Beer (Ah, the first sip of an Ice Cold Beeeer) there has nonetheless been a lot of whisky news as we head into the Heat and Heart of the Summer.

On the Whisky Advocate Blog (formerly What Does John Know) the reviewers of the blog (John Hansell, Dominic Roskrow, and Dave Broom) have put together a Whisky of the Summer Issue listing.

Working from #9 up to #1, they have #9, Taiwanese whiskey, Kavalan Solist Fino, 57.6% ABV, rated 91 by Roskrow; #8, Irish Whiskey, Writer’s Tears Cask Strength Pot Still, 53% ABV, rated 92 by Roskrow; #7, Scottish Whisky, Gordon & MacPhail’s Glen Grant 60-yr. old, 42.3% ABV, rated 92 by Broom; #6, Scottish Whisky, Lagavulin 16-yr. old, 43% ABV, rated 92 by Broom; #5, Taiwanese Whiskey, Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique, 60% ABV, rated 93 by Roskrow; #4, Ultra Expensive Commemorative Scottish Whisky, Diamond Jubilee by John Walker & Sons, 42.5% ABV, rated 93 by Broom; #3, Scottish Whisky, Glenfarclas “Family Cask” 1972 (Cask3551), 44.7% ABV, rated 93 by Broom; #2, Taiwanese Whiskey, Kavalan Solist Bourbon Cask, 67.1% ABV, rated 94 by Roskrow; and finally, #1, American Whiskey, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15-yr. old, 53.5% ABV, rated 96 by Hansell.

See all the details here: http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/

In Whisky Advocate Magazine, they feature a full spread on Summer Cocktails that bring together refreshing lighter whiskies and even one recipe that includes the Silver Medal winning Leopold’s Rocky Mountain Peach Whiskey made in Denver. Leopold Brothers, in addition to making gins and vodkas have a line of whiskies including Blackberry and Apple. According to their website, “Our fruit whiskies follow the 19th century practice of adding the juice of peaches, raisins, or even plums to mellow the character of blended whiskies.”

How Important is Wood to the Flavor of Your Whisky

Guest Blogger Chris Allwood on the Subject of Wood and Aging Whisky:

I was unaware of the double entendre associated with the word ‘wood’ in the US until I attended a Christmas party in Atlanta some years ago. I was under the impression that it was a smart/casual affair so I decided to wear my novelty bow tie which was carved out of wood. The host took a more than usual interest in it and escorted me around the entire party introducing me to just the women saying “this is Chris All-Wood, he’s wearing his ‘woody’”.

Well, that’s one way to get the conversation going!

In whisky making wood is one of the most important contributors of flavour and aromas though incredibly, this went by undiscovered until well into the industrial revolution. When whisky was first distilled in Scotland and Ireland it wasn’t possible to buy it in a bottle. Glass was very expensive* so bottles were saved to be used again and again. If you wanted to buy whisky you would take your bottle or jug along to a still and fill it straight from the condenser at the distillery.

Five Drams For The Discerning Single Malt Dad

Give Pop A Knockout Scotch On Father’s Day That He’ll Sip Throughout The Year

OK, the BUMS recently posted a list of recommended Scotch to help you impress the Dad who’s a blend drinker or a neophyte in the world of Single Malts (See 2012 Scotch Gifts for Mom and Dad on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day) but here’s a list for the Pop who knows his stuff when it comes to Single Malt Whisky; a guy who knows what Non-Chill Filtered, Cask-Strength, Single Cask bottlings bring to the table. For this Dad you’re going to have to dig a little deeper into the wallet as well as digging into where you can locate some of these harder to find whiskies. Here are Five Drams for the Discerning Dad:

Numbers One & Two: Let’s start with some whiskies you can get a hold of here in the US as well as internationally. You may or may not have heard of Highland Park Scotch, which is distilled on the Orkney Islands off the Northeast coast of the Scottish mainland. Highland Park single malts are famous for their robust flavor and one of these releases is the award winning Highland Park 21-year old, 47.5% ABV (Alcohol By Volume). This whisky was named Best Single Malt of the Year at the World Whisky Awards 2009. Highland Park 21 is a full-flavored, powerful, sweet single malt with a rich smoky finish. Whisky expert, John Hansell of Whisky Advocate magazine, rates it 93.

Dalmore Constellation. Single Malt Scotch Whisky for the One Percenters?

How Far Can The Premiumization of Single Malt Scotch Go? Pretty Damn Far!

Well folks, here we are with another in a long line of uber-“rare”, uber-expensive whiskies from, you guessed it, The Dalmore. This time it is the Constellation Collection of bottlings.

If you are one of the 1% of the U.S. who own/earn nearly a quarter of our nation’s wealth here’s a collectible set for you. For the moment let’s put aside the discussion of income inequality most recently brought to the fore by the Occupy Wall Street Movement and concentrate instead on what it will take for you to buy and share this set with your friends. It’s the exceptional Scotch drinker who would share a bottle from the Constellation Collection of the Vintage 1964, 45.1% ABV, costing upwards of £20,000 with some friends or even just their “besty ”.

But for the bargain hunters among you, they do have a Vintage 1992, for a mere £2,000. And the whole set, all 21 expressions, can be had for £158,000 through World Duty Free Group’s main tax and duty free store at Heathrow Terminal 5. Released on May 1st.

As these are single casks, the ABV and pricing vary based on age. Older bottlings tend to have lower Alcohol By Volume (ABV) as they have lost the most to evaporation over the years, known as the Angel’s Share. Details on pricing per bottle and ABV per bottle here: http://www.scotchmaltwhisky.co.uk/dalmoreconstellationcollection.htm

The plan is to release approximately 20,000 bottles – 4,000 a year – under the Constellation Collection banner.

2012 Scotch Gifts for Mom and Dad on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day

Guess what? There are a lot of women out there that are Scotch drinkers. So don’t forget Mom when you think of gifts for Mother’s Day and of course Dad shouldn’t be without a Scotch gift on Father’s Day either.

Recent research by Nielsen shows that at least 25% of Scotch drinkers in the UK are female, compared with 10% percent a few years ago. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society almost doubled their female membership a few years ago. So more and more Moms are Scotch drinkers. Great. That makes shopping that much easier.

Last year the BUMS put together a list for novice buyers so you could get a gift that pleases and shows you put some thought into your purchase. This year we’ll repeat some of the classic whisky buys and add a few more.

Let’s break it down into four categories plus one Mega Gift:

Low Cost Blends, Higher Cost Blends, Low Cost Single Malts and

Higher Cost Single Malts

Low Cost Blends:

A lot of Scotch drinkers are practically wedded to their favorite blend, so let’s start there.

Now I know Dewar’s White Label is considered a decent low cost blend and it is very popular, but let’s try to think outside the box and also get something for Dad or Mom that has a bit more flavor than the low end Dewar’s.My favorite blend is Teacher’s Highland Cream, 40% ABV. There are two big reasons: flavor and bang for your buck. Teacher’s has a higher ratio of single malts (45% malt) to grain whisky than most blends.

When a Whisky Blender makes a blend, he or she mixes multiple single malts with cheap grain whisky. In the cheaper blends you get a lot more grain alcohol and less single malt goodness. Also, less flavor.

New 2012 video of WhiskyFest Chicago by the Bureau of Malt Sippers (BUMS) →

Here’s your virtual visit to Chicago for WhiskyFest 2012 at the Hyatt Regency. Thousands of whisky purveyors and whisky lovers all in one place. Plus for you Bourbon lovers a discussion with Hunter Chavanne who talks about bringing the Willett Distillery back to life while at the Binny’s World of Whiskies. Cheers!

1 month ago

#HMS Titanic
#Glenrothes
#Countess of Rothes
#Berry Bros. & Rudd
#single malt scotch
#single malt whisky

Special Single Malt Scotch Bottling Honors The Memory Of Those Who Perished In The Sinking Of RMS Titanic On Her Maiden Voyage To The US

To commemorate the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic and the heroic efforts of the Countess of Rothes who was aboard, Berry Brorthers and Rudd bottled a limited edition 1998 The Glenrothes Single Malt Whisky.

There were only 100 bottles released on Friday 6th April 10am, priced at £100 each which are now sold out. Every bottle in the edition is individually numbered on replica labels from the early-1900s. The bottles used replicate the Edwardian style of those lost to the depths of the Atlantic.

The Countess of Rothes, the title originating from the Speyside town where this Malt Whisky was distilled, was aboard the ship when it struck the iceberg. She took the tiller and later to the oars of life boat No. 8 during the life-threatening moments and it is said that her efforts contributed to the survival of the boats occupants. Her part in James Cameron’s film, “Titanic”, was played by Rochell Rose.

On the 17th of April 1912 Berry Bros & Co received a letter from the White Star Line detailing the loss of 69 cases of their wines and whiskies which were aboard the liner, the RMS Titanic. The ship foundered two days earlier. The letter was dated the 16th April 1912.

A framed copy of this letter has hung upon the wall of Berry Bros. & Rudd’s famous London shop at No.3 St James’s Street for many years so the company needed no reminder that the sad centenary of the disaster would one day be upon us but in spite of the overwhelming sense of tragedy there were some outstanding acts of courage and bravery.

She was given the additional title of the “Plucky Little Countess” following the 33 year old’s action. A contemporary account at the time relates “The countess is an expert oarswoman,” said Dr. Leader. “She practically took command of our boat when it was found that the seamen who had been placed at the oars could not row skillfully. Several of the women took their place with the countess at the oars and rowed in turns while the weak and unskilled stewards sat quietly in one end of the boat.”

Greetings And Ratings From WhiskyFest 2012 Chicago

Well, I thought I’d have my WhiskyFest Video edited by now, but its taking a bit longer than expected, so here’s a brief run-down on what happened at and around WhiskyFest 2012 Chicago.

Flew into Midway and took the EL into the Magnificent Mile area of Chicago with my destination the Allerton Hotel, a 25-story historical landmark built in the 1920s with a major renovation in the 1998. Its huge marquee still touts the “Tip-Top-Tap,” a swanky lounge on the top floor from the 40s and 50s. Sadly that hoppin’ joint is no longer in existence.

WhiskyFest was on Friday March 23rd but I arrived on the 22nd for the World of Whiskies Event at Binny’s Lincoln Park store. Binny’s is the largest chain of Spirits stores in Chicago, especially after buying out Sam’s a few years ago. They have 11 stores in the Chicago area and Brett Pontoni and Joe Maloney, the guys who man the Whisky Hotline, oversee their huge Whisky sections, and much of the operation. They are both extremely knowledgeable about whisky and organize this pre-WhiskyFest bash each year, pulling in many of the heavy-hitter distillers and importers that will be at WhiskyFest and few that want to be seen in a smaller venue or will not be at the larger gathering the next day at the Hyatt Regency, just along the Chicago river (dyed green every year for St. Patrick’s Day).

Although WhiskFest boasts 77 tables of exhibitors and hundreds of brands, in a way the World of Whiskies is better. The crowd is not as humungous and you usually can get a chance to chat with some of the distillers without backing up the sampling lines too badly.

I got a chance to talk to Dave Pickerell, former master distiller of Maker’s Mark, now distiller/owner of Whistle Pig, the only100% Rye whiskey. He is an interesting guy and had a lot to say about what a tough grain pure rye is to distill. This was my first taste of Whistle Pig and I’d give it an 85-90. Spicy as you would guess, but with a very nice caramel-y center.

Redbreast Cask Strength 12 Single Pot Still, Bushmills 21-Year Old Rare Madeira Finish Single Malt, Powers John’s Lane Pot Still Whiskey

It’s just after St. Patrick’s Day so at the 27th BUMS tasting it seems fitting to take a look at Irish whiskey. One of the things that got me onto this topic was the recent win of the Whisky Advocate Award for Distillery of the Year by Midleton/Irish Distillers. Jameson (a blend) is Irish Distillers’ largest selling whiskey but they produce some outstanding pot still whiskies: Redbreast, Powers John’s Lane, Midleton Barry Crocket Legacy and Green Spot, which is produced for Mitchell and Sons. Also new this year from Irish Distillers is Jameson Black Barrel, which has a high level of pot still whisky as a component of this blend.

It is a curious fact that Ireland has only a handful of distillers: Midleton, Cooley and Bushmills while at one time there were hundreds. (Many historical events led to the Irish Whisky downward spiral, now happily reversed) From these three distilleries come all the brands you see such as Powers, Jameson, Bushmills, Tullamore Dew, Connemara, Tyrconnel, Clontarf, Paddy etc.

As with Scotch, the most popular and biggest sellers are blends, but also like Scotch, there are the singles that have the most flavor. In Ireland there are two kinds of singles: Single Malt and Pure Pot Still. Like single malt in Scotland, Irish single malt is made from malted barley at a single distillery in a pot still. Pure Pot Still whiskey is made from malted and un-malted barley in a pot still in a single distillery, distilled three times. Neither of these is blended with whiskey made form a column still as is the majority of whiskey made in Ireland. (Malted barley is barley grain that has been made to sprout, releasing sugars available for the yeast in the fermenting process)

Tonight we’ll be sampling Redbreast Cask-Strength 12-year old single pot still, Bushmills 21-Year Old Rare Madeira Finish Single Malt and Powers John’s Lane Pot Still Whiskey. As I am writing these notes it has just been announced that in the 2012 World Whiskies Awards given by Whisky Magazine, Bushmills 21 was named Best Irish Single Malt and Powers John’s Lane has been named Best Irish Pot Still Whiskey. Redbreast CS was also honored by the 2012 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, winning a Chairman’s Trophy, the highest honor in the category Irish Pot Still Whiskey.