The KOTQ

The Whisky Exchange
I wanted to introduce you to the most recent link now usable on our site: The Whisky Exchange (TWE). TWE is an on-line retailer who, although in the UK, should be, along with Binny’s, one of your key sources of single malts. As I have said in the past, one of my goals for the KOTQ site is to help facilitate the purchasing of single malts; whether for our quarterly tastings or for your individual needs. From a sourcing standpoint, unless you have other sources I need to be aware of, your purchasing outlets probabaly should be:

• for distilleries actively marketing expressions (really any distillery with an ‘Active’ status in our database) —> shop local at Binny’s or somewhere like Main Street Liquors in LaGrange if you have such a local spot
• for rare malts and “silent” distilleries—> order on-line at TWE and have it shipped to you here in the States

The WOW Factor
To give you some idea of the breadth of offerings of rare bottlings at TWE consider that they have an offering for every single one of the 27 “silent” distilleries in our database. In fact, the only one that has only one bottling, somewhat surprisingly, is Littlemill. Of the remainder, most have at least 4 or 5 and quite a few have more than that. Here is a good example.

On the other end of the spectrum, they have much better access to newer distillery’s offerings than we can ever hope to have through our local outlets such as Binny’s. If you have an interest in the distilleries “building stock”, and just can’t wait to try one, you should check out TWE from time to time and see what they might have. Here is a good example of what is available now. Finally, rare bottlings of active distilleries are very likely to be at TWE and not at your local Binny’s. Here is a great example of that. Another nice thing is, although the default currency used at TWE is GBP, they have a handy currency converter link at the top of every page so it’s easy to see the cost in USD.

The only chink in the armor that I’ve seen is in regard to those “distilleries” which our database refers to as “Stills Removed” (Mosstowie, Glencraig, Killyloch). Their offering of those is limited; they only carry Glencraig of which they have only one expression. The only other thing I can think of is, and this may really be a backhanded compliment, since their offerings on rare bottlings is so complete, that their marketing presence doesn’t reflect their actual inventory; but that will remain to be seen. For now, I have to take their offerings at face value.

Integration with our Site
I have included a direct link to TWE from our distillery summary display. The bottom row of the distillery display now reads (L to R): @Binny’s, @TWE, @Master of Malt. The fourth cell will either display a link to its KOTQ Tasting Comments or Malt Madness’s mapping function depending on how you get to the distillery display. I am so impressed with TWE’s depth and breadth of single malt offerings that it clearly trumps even Master of Malt as an on-line resource. You should view the links to Binny’s and TWE as purchasing sources (local and on-line respectively) while the link to Master of Malt (although a fine on-line retailer, their site is a better implementation of Malt Whisky Yearbook’s data on each distillery) should be used as a “further information” link for the distillery history and details.

How Best to Utilize TWE
Whether you are using the distillery filter to help you plan a tasting lineup or you have a special event coming up that you wish to commemorate with a special single malt I recommend that you look to the @TWE link on our distillery display as a terrific sourcing option. Here’s what you may find if you carefully review TWE for a potential order:

Hosts wanting to include a rare malt as a special expression in their tastings
• several bottlings are priced within our budgets (full attendance please), even with overseas shipping from TWE, to be included individually in any tasting
• other, a bit more expensive, bottlings are available to the host who doesn’t mind paying his own premium (above budget) to essentially get a rare expression at a discount as he retains the leftovers after the tasting
Individuals who wish to order their own rare expressions
• several are available in the $90 – $250 range (all-in price w/shipping included from TWE) which is comparable to walking into your local Binny’s and buying an 18+ yo expression
• many others are available in the $750 – $5,000 range for those who may have the means and proclivity to: “invest” in a collectable, or enjoy owning and drinking a $1,000 bottle of single malt scotch once in their life (“bucket list” stuff?!?), or have a special occasion to which they wish to match a very special single malt

I just got a notification that the brand new Abhainnn Dearg Distillery, on the island of Lewis and Harris, has made their very first “spirit”, ‘The Spirit of Lewis‘, available for purchase in the UK; 500 500ml bottlings. Here is my short summary of their announcement – which I have included in its entirety for your reference below.

• First bottling from Abhainn Dearg
• First commerical spirit distilled in the Outer Hebredies in 170 years
• Likely has not matured 3 yrs which is why it’s called a “spirit” and not “Scotch”
• Available only in the UK, and possibly to mainland Europe by special order, but not the US

*** ANNOUNCEMENT ***
Abhainn Dearg Distillery is proud to announce that the The Spirit of Lewis, New Spirit, is available to buy online in the *UK today! Abhainn Dearg is a new distillery, this is our first sale of ‘The Spirit of Lewis’ and the first bottling of an Outer Hebridean spirit in almost 170 years.

This is a limited release where every bottle has been filled, labeled, corked and sealed by hand. Each bottle is signed by Mark Tayburn, who’s dream it was to build a distillery on Lewis and create a Single Malt, the dream goes on. Thank you all for your continued patience.

Peter Harris, the last Distillery Excise Officer retires this month, he was based in Elgin, convenient for the Speyside Distilleries, soon the team at Regional HQ will be in charge. Although the days of Excisemen patrolling the hills are part of history, it’s still the end of another era. What of this era? Is it to be one where technology creates bulk quantity and in reality well matured whisky is just awakened to run the gauntlet of the bottling plant? CCTV watching over, Big Brother, security for both men and machinery.

As we start our journey we hope to be joined by new distilleries, where wood, barley and water can be seen, touched and tasted. Those distillers who will take the road back to where it began, with a passion for the real dram, produced in Scotland.

Earlier this month, I attended a scotch tasting with Brother Lakeview and Brother Ville….well, I didn’t really attend for long but before leaving placed an order for a relatively new offering from Signatory—an 18 year old Bruichladdich, vintage 1989.

I got the chance to open the bottle tonight, and was somewhat surprised by the scotch.   The nose is floral and perfumy then followed by a whiff of alcohol pad.   The palate is sweet and oaky with a warm finish.   The sweetness is more of a citrus fruit than chocolate or caramel.   I found it easy to drink although for an 18 year old, it doesn’t seem to have a lot of complexity in the palate.    It definitely does not follow the typical Islay characteristics.

But, while searching for other tasting notes for this release, I came across this blog:  www.scotchchix.com

Check it out sometime if you’re looking for a female’s perspective on some of our favorite scotches.

I came across a posting by Brother Lakeview following the 06Q4 tasting (sushi paired tasting at Bluff’s) where, after much discussion, a number of future homework assignments, considered to be of interest to the group, were posted. For the most part we haven’t touched these ideas much at all. One of them was “what are Scotland’s three officially oldest distilleries?” I think this question may have sprang from Balblair, a very old distillery, finding its way to a tasting for the first time in 06Q4.

Deciding which distilleries are the oldest largely lies in the definition of “official”. Based on the following factors, which you may or may not agree with, I have formulated a list of the three oldest distilleries. I also annex to this list three other stories of distilleries and their claims to which I will let you decide their merits in overwriting the “official” list. One other item of note, I find in the data that the older distilleries tend to be on the smaller end with respect to capacity. This makes sense to me for a number of reasons (building technologies, scale, demand, etc.) and may be a factor in the demise of old distilleries like Littlemill (isn’t bigger always better?!?).

Factors in establishing “old distilleries”

Rule: Distillery = physical plant; not (brand) name
Implication: Producing spirit in the same building is the single most important consideration even if the enterprise changes names along the way

Rule: Name<>Distillery
Implication: Just because a distillery shares a name with an earlier, separate, and older distillery doesn’t mean that there is a historical connection to that older distillery

Rule: Distillation does NOT require an official license and may be founded before the Excise Act of 1823.
Implication: Illicit and/or established whisky production is considered in the chain if documented and remaining in the same building

Rule: Active NOT Dismantled/Demolished
Implication: To be the oldest “distillery” you have to be currently “distilling” spirit

So, with the above rules in mind, here are…
SCOTLAND’S THREE OLDEST DISTILLERIES

Bowmore, 1779
From the Malt Whisky Yearbook: “Founded in 1779, by John Simpson, Bowmore is Islay’s oldest distillery”
Capacity: 2,000,000 litres/year

Strathisla, 1786
From the Malt Whisky Yearbook: Strathisla is the oldest distillery in the North of Scotland
Capacity: 2,400,000 litres/year

Balblair, 1790
From the Malt Whisky Yearbook: One of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, Balblair was founded in 1790 by John Ross.
Capacity: 1,330,000 litres/year

I give you the following list as alternatives to the above “official” listing. I will leave it to the reader to decide where these place on the “official” list.

For You To Decide

** Undocumented Evidence **
Glenmorangie, “early 18th century”

From the Malt Whisky Yearbook: The Glenmorangie distillery was established in 1843, on the Durnoch Firth by brothers William and John Mathesen. The site originally held a farm distillery under the name Morangie. There is evidence that distillation was carried out at this site during the early 18th century. Officially documented production began in November of 1849.

** Distillery refurbished after dismantling…is it the same? **
Glenturret, 1775

From the Malt Whisky Yearbook: The owners claim the distillery is one of Scotland’s oldest and it is certainly rumoured that distillation was carried out in the area during the early 18th century. Whisky smugglers establish a small illicit farm distillery named Hosh Distillery in 1775. John Drummond is licensee from 1818 until 1837. In 1875, the Hosh Distillery takes over the name Glenturret Distillery and is managed by Thomas Stewart. Between 1921 and 1959 production ceases and the buildings are used for whisky storage and later agricultural storage. 1957 James Fairlie buys the distillery and production restarts in 1959.

** Very old but now demolished **
Littlemill, 1772 (or perhaps the 1300s?)

From the Malt Whisky Yearbook: There are rumours that Littlemill is Scotland’s oldest distillery, possibly even the oldest in the world. Of course, such things are hard to say for certain, though Littlemill has indeed had a long history. The site may have been used for distillation as early as the 1300s. The distillery proper was founded in 1772 by George Buchanan of Glasgow following the acquisition of the Auchterlonie estate.

Brother Bop was kind enough to assign me to select 5 active distilleries that the KOTQ has never tasted that I would like future fir en tighes (hosts) to consider for an upcoming meeting in 2o10.  One of the things I found is this appearance of debate within Scotland of bringing single malts to more people with fancy drink recipes and slick websites that would appeal to a younger audience vs. the classic “here’s your single malt, open it, drink it neat, seal it… repeat”.

Here is my 5 (with some slight edits from the temporary list I had at the meeting – didn’t finish because our site was down…)

1 –Glenglassaugh – Speyside – This distillery closed for 22 years 1986 – 2008 but has reopened and still has an impressive, albeit limited availability, vertical lineup as well as an exciting new spirit dubbed “The Spirit Drink that dare not speak its name”.  The Spirit Drink cannot be called scotch whisky because it was bottled before it had aged the requisite 3 years… something for us to consider… a single malt < 3 yrs old… what is it like?  Should we drink it with a mixer (blasphemy?)

2 – Isle of Jura – Jura – By far my favorite site with one of the best embedded videos of a Scotch purist facing off with a French mixologist debating the merits of true scotch whisky drinking vs. making it more “accessible” to the masses (mixing / etc.)  I had failed to recognize Brother Tao’s prior posting of this phenomenal short but if you haven’t seen it, check out  – http://www.isleofjura.com/richardandcolin/detail.cfm?contentid=349   Also, interesting fact – Jura has roughly 30x more deer than people on the island… The 16yr expression is their bread and butter but they have some nice differentiation/variation as well…. check them out!

3 –  Tomatin – Northern Highland – Huge producer – >5MM litres per year… and yet we’ve never had their spirit flow down our collective palates or uttered a kind description of the body of this fine whisky.  Additionally, they’ve been owned by the Japanese since 1985 and I’m curious to know if they’ve influenced the process at all, whether it be from an economic / political / or process point of view.  Additionally, given their size, they have nice vertical potential from an expression perspective.

4 – Arran – Isle of Arran (Lochranza) – Distillery opened in 1995 and has done some rather interesting things… including some traditional and avant garde finishings to their main expression – 10yr.   I really debated adding this one because they do promote recipes on their site that would involve mixing the 10yr with other liquids, but they have a nice lineup and we have some finishing fans (see Tao, Balgum, etc.)

5 – Tomintoul – Speyside – Another very large producer – > 3MM liters / year and a nice product mix.  Also, their claim to fame is the World’s Largest Whisky Bottle (per Guiness  Book of Records) – 5 ft tall and the equivalent of 150 std bottles (750ml),…. Quite a number of their products are available locally, which was a key factor as I started to get further down the list.  There were a number of others that were like 5b – 5n but I picked this distillery because it could be easily rotated in and has a nice history we could research further.

Slainte!  I’m getting parched just writing this….