The KOTQ

Lehi, Utah’s the site of the Utah Scottish Festival, June 9-10. Looks like fun and frolic in the glades. It’s rich in lore, fun ‘highland’ activities including a tastings of several varieties of keen spirits (note email). Check out the site: www.utahscots.org/games.html. — or, my previous email.

So where’s Lehi? Just north of Provo / Utah Lake … interesting spot of such a ‘dry’ community to be tasting the ‘drink’?!@#

Thanks to Brother Bop for furthering my technical strengths this morning. Salut.

In the short run, based on the blog I read on The Scotch Blog, it doesn’t appear as though the wine industry’s move to screw caps will effect the whisky industry signficantly. In the long run, time will tell…

The whisky pundits agree that consumer perception plays a role in how they go about bottling their high end / older expression spirits, with blends and some entry level whiskys having screw caps, but narry a screw cap on a Macallan 50 or The Balvenie 30. While I wasn’t able to obtain any specific data on this, one would think that if there is significant overlap between wine and whisky connoissuers and the tasting/drinking experience of the wine connoissuer’s screw-capped wine bottle is a positive one, he or she may be more inclined to purchase their favorite whisky expression in a screw cap.

For distilleries with scale, screw caps provide a more cost effective means by which to bottle their casks. Perhaps, if the whisky distilleries were to overhype the TCA or cork taint effect of cork on a whisky bottling, they might be able to move their customers over to whisky with screw caps. But there isn’t agreement across all the whisky experts on cork taint. In fact, Jim McEwan, veteran distiller, blender, cooper and taster goes as far to say, “.. if cork was a problem surely, over the course of 300 years, someone would have spotted the problem. Or could it simply be that the distilleries and blenders of yester-year were not nearly as clever as today’s ‘experts’?”

Economics are not the only reason why a distillery might move to a screw cap, security, according to the blog, is another. Given that there are parts of the world where fradulent use and counterfeiting are prevalent, “it is preferable to use bottles with a non refillable closure”.

All in all, it didn’t appear as though some segments of the whisky industry (smaller distilleries / older expressions of any distillery) would be quick to move to screw caps, but given the move in wine, we may see more screw caps on “entry level” (my term) expressions from mass produced single malts or in more blends…

Slainte!

William Grant born in Dec. 1839 founded Balvenie Distillery.

Mr Grant became bookeeper at Mortlach distillery in 1866. While working there, he began a 20 year study of the distillery process. He worked his way up in the organization eventually moving to the clerk of the distillery and finally became the manager.

After almost twenty years of learning the art of distilling, William Grant resigned from his job at the Mortlach distillery and bought a field beneath the towering shadow of The Balvenie Castle. He then drew up plans for his distillery and the foundation stone was laid in the autumn of 1886.
However a new opportunity presented itself to Mr Grant.

The Balvenie New House became available and wasa purchased by William Grant in March of 1892. Uninhabitable and austere, it was a building of some grandeur with the coat of arms of the Duffs carved into the pediment of its second story

The basement was to become a bonded store for maturing whisky, the first storey a malt floor, whilst the upper two floors were to be used as grain lofts.

The building took fifteen months to complete and on 1st May 1893, the first distillation took place at The Balvenie Distillery

History & Overview: Balvenie Castle is located in Glen Fiddich. The castle changed hands several times but has never seen any sieges or battles. The Black Comyn’s, Earls of Buchan held the castle and ruled the ancient Celtic province in the 1200’s. Robert the Bruce wiped out the Comyns in his fight for the Scottish throne. The castle apparently stood vacant for a few years before the Black Douglasses took up residence in the early 1400’s. King James II caused the next turnover around 1455. He wiped out the Douglasses and assigned the province to a kinsman. In 1720 the castle was abandoned. The top view shows the entrance to the buildings, the curtain wall no longer stands. The bottom, is a view from the inside of the courtyard towards the front gate. There is also a very impressive moat surrounding the castle, (no water).

From its strategically significant position in the Glen, Balvenie Castle allowed the immensely powerful Black Comyn earls to rule over this Celtic province for more than a century. Though there were no famous sieges or notable battles here, this would have appeared a striking fortification to anyone approaching it for the first time: as it still is today.

Here’s to the Brothers for 2/25!

What are The Balvenie Artisan Awards?

An honor bestowed upon individuals or businesses that passionately keep the traditional skills and crafts of Scotland alive. The awards are segmented by 3 Categories with one Artisan of the Year named.

How can one enter to win one of these awards?

Simply by applying. It’s open to all those with a craft or trade. However, the individual or business must earn their living from the skill or craft they represent.

What do the winners receive?

Each category winner receives £1,000 plus a selection of single malt Scotch whiskies from The Balvenie® range. The Balvenie Artisan of the Year 2005 also receives £2,000, a trophy specially created by previous Artisan Award winner Paul Hodgkiss and a selection of single malt Scotch whiskies from The Balvenie range, to include a bottle of The Balvenie® Thirty. Commended entries will each receive a certificate and a bottle of The Balvenie Doublewood 12 Year Old®.

So you want to know a little bit about some of the past winners?

They’re craftspersons who have demonstrated a passion for weaving and textile design, glass blowing and ceramics to working with wood, leather, metal, coopering, making musical instruments and a host of other skills.

Artisan of the Year 2004 was boat and fiddle maker Tommy Isbister, who uses centuries-old skills to hand-craft these cherished items at his Shetland Island workshop.

You mean there’s more to these Artesan Awards?

CATEGORY ONE: BEST USE OF A TRADITIONAL SKILL OR CRAFT – Laura West, Bookbinder

CATEGORY TWO: BEST NEW START-UP BUSINESS BASED ON A TRADITIONAL SKILL OR CRAFT – Orkney Handcrafted Furniture

CATEGORY THREE: OUTSTANDING COMMITMENT TO CARRYING ON A TRADITIONAL SKILL OR CRAFT – P Johnson & Co. – Blacksmiths

Oh yes, and the 2005 Artisan of the Year goes to — Di Gilpin – Designer, Handknitter

Slanthe