The KOTQ

Another dram Brother Bluff and I had the opportunity to sample at Sam’s Spirit Night was the new Bruichladdich 3D “The Peat Proposal”. As you all know, Bruichladdich, like it’s mid-Islay neighbor Bowmore, is regarded as having a medium peat profile. Well, as we learned from the heavy-accented distiller, Bruichladdich hasn’t always been that way. For eighty years, up until the early 60’s Bruichladdich was heavy peat. Then following a trend it toned down it’s peat from 40 PPM phenols to 5-10 PPM phenols that it has today. (The amount of peating is measured by the concentration of acidic organic compounds called phenols that are found in the peat smoke. The higher the phenols the peatier). Lagavulin has 40 PPM, Laphroaig 35 PPM for comparison. The new entry is made from the 3 separate maturing stocks, each distilled from a different degree of peated barley: 5 PPM, 25 PPM and 40 PPM. Ages 2001, 1998 and 1989 respectively and in three contrasting types of oak casks (refill sherry, refill bourbon, fresh bourbon). Each comes from a different era of distillery ownership and matured in 3 very different warehouses.

So, enough of the background. This 4 yo whisky is (not surprisingly) over-the-top peat. It’s in your face peat that is strong and unrestrained. It has notes of coffee and caramel. The Peat Proposal name is a little too gimmicky for my liking and the “3D” double-entendre is short on follow through. It’s 1D: peat. And it doesn’t come close to the southern Islay malts in terms of flavour. Buy a dram if you can but not a bottle.

I had the pleasure of sharing with Brother Ville a dram of a scotch that will make its way into my Top 10 malts, Glenfarclas 35. We shared such a wonderful malt experience in celebrating the acquisition of Brother Ville’s & Mrs. Ville’s (and the rest of the family’s) lake house in Wisconsin. Given that we tasted it nearly a month ago and I couldn’t post until the surprise announcement was made, I don’t remember all of the sweet sherry-like details. I do remember that the finish relates somewhat to how Brother Irving described HP 30. Given that Glenfarclas 35 is part of my collection, I look forward to sharing it with each and every one of you, maybe even at the lake house…. 🙂

Caol Ila 25 was another hit at Sam’s Spirits night. It was one of those, off the radar, member’s only samplings at $200/bottle. It’s a distillery bottled at cask strength 59.4% alcohol. Now for all of you cask-strength-leary, don’t hit the back button (yet). I learned from the distiller that you really should cut it with water-it’s not meant to be drunk at full strength. Too much alcohol masks the flavours, overwhelming the experience. Once cut to ~40% it was a nice dram. Light grass in the nose. Pallette was light smoke, syrupy and a finish that lets you down gently. AFTER, I tried it full strength–just a wee bit. It was a very different experience–hot, intense, rich.

Drinks writer Michael Jackson believes that Scotch whisky producers cannot afford to “rest on their laurels”.

He argues that the Japanese rise in whisky production echoes the challenge of New World wines to France’s traditional dominance. In 2001, a bottle of Japanese Yoichi single malt produced by Nikka beat Scottish and American rivals to win Whisky Magazine’s “best of the best” competition.

In his new book, published next week, Jackson describes how distillers in Japan are experimenting with different- sized stills, yeast and casks made from aromatic Japanese oak to enhance whisky flavour.

The distiller Suntory, which featured in the hit film Lost in Translation, is also using a bold Japanese calligraphic style on its labels in an increasing show of confidence and local identity.

Jackson believes that by 2020 Japan could command as much respect as Scotland in terms of its whisky production as it now no longer feels like, “a white jazz player”.

He said:

“When a Japanese whisky won Whisky Magazine’s 2001 international tasting drawn from 100 whiskies over three years and tested by panels in Scotland, Kentucky and Japan, it caused people to sit up and take notice.” He went on: “Japanese companies also now run a number of Scottish distilleries, such as Suntory which owns Bowmore and they use Scottish malts to enhance their whiskies. Japanese oak casks bring a joss-stick-like quality to it as well.

“People used to laugh at Japanese cars but they are now a by-word for reliability. And look how sushi has taken off.”

Richard Gordon, managing director of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, said: “I agree with Michael Jackson but whether Japan can ever match Scotland for sheer variety is unlikely.”

Jens Tholstrup, global rare whisky manager for William Grant & Sons, added: “Japan is now producing some excellent whisky which is healthy competition and not a threat.”

• Whisky, The Definitive World Guide, by Michael Jackson, is published by Dorling Kindersley on Thursday.

One of the events planned for the upcoming Speyside Festival 2005, beginning April 29th and running through May 2nd, is a tasting to determine the “greatest Speyside whisky”.

Here are the 6 finalists as determined by a small panel of whisky industry “experts”:

25-year-old Glenfarclas
21-year-old Glenlivet
10-year-old Aberlour
12-year-old Macallan
cask-strength Macallan
15-year-old Glenfiddich Solera Reserve.

I thought a reprisal of this “taste-off” might be a fun, future tasting idea.